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RP: YSS Kaiyō Pre-Mission 21: Hanging with the Captain

Charaa

Staff Member
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Kaiyo 2 Dojo

Thunk! Her Aether Katana landed the hit on the training dummy as she fought it and forced the mechanism to make it react as she did so. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back her anger and rage as thoughts came to her mind of Saya trapped and soon to give birth, her big brother William, and Aiko going through who knows what.

Kiyo swung her weapon at her target, ignoring the fact that she was alone in the Dojo, the others having long since left, and probably are enjoying the sights of the planet. She should go out there to get some fresh air, but she didn’t move out as she fought the training dummy. She wasn’t as aware that she was being watched by the ship AI Boss who would likely be concerned about her not resting.

A light knock at the dojo's doorframe came quickly after it had opened. The Kaiyo's captain stood there, looking at the training Nekovalkyrja through curious eyes. Her hair was wet and had been twisted into a long ponytail draped over one shoulder and over her tee shirt, which absorbed the moisture from her blue and white hair over it.

Hoshi's pink face looked on at Kiyo before she admitted, "Boss said you were here training. Care to take a break?"

Kiyo turned her head as she heard the knock, and as the door had opened only to see her captain there. She stood up at the attention position; her Aether Katana was immediately sheathed. “I wanted... I have to train; I have to get stronger so I can be an asset to the ship." Unfortunately, as much as Hoshi was wet, Kiyo was wet from her training, sweat covered her and she was breathing like she’d been training a while.

A part of her wanted to take a break, but there was a large part that wanted to keep training.

"Come along," Hoshi said with a wave of her hand out of the dojo. "Strength comes from training as much as well as recuperation. And I'll make sure you get a shower, too."

Kiyo began moving forward, as Hoshi was higher ranked than her, she had to follow her orders, plus it would be good for her to take a break. “Hai, Ma’am” She replied as she thought a shower would be good for her.

Hoshi laughed her next words, "We're on leave, you can leave formalities here. The short Nekovalkyrja smiled at the crew member, her eyes becoming more thoughtful as she did. "You know how muscle mass forms, right? During training they are torn and broken. You know this, that they rebuild themselves afterwards. That is when you're really growing, during that rest. Resting without training won't see any muscles built, but training without rest will only see you tearing yourself down."

Kiyo blushed and nodded her head in understanding, though she would be blushing even more at the lesson she received next. Hoshi was right, Kiyo knew it in her heart, and widened her eyes when she was told she’d be tearing herself down if she trained without rest. She knew there were a lot of people who didn’t want that.

“Then, I have trained enough and should be resting,” Kiyo said in more of a statement than a question.

"Depends... would you count a walk with me as rest?" Hoshi couldn't help but smile before she walked down the hallway with Kiyo.

Kiyo grinned “Technically not for my legs, but yes, I would count walking with you as rest, I’d like that actually. It would give us a chance to talk, and get to know each other better if that’s alright with you?’ she asked her Chusa.

Floating into the zero gravity passageway, Hoshi looked sheepish as she admitted, "I don't think there's too much to know about me. But you're welcome to find out what you can. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to learn about you. We haven't ever really talked. A year in space engaged in battles can do that."

Kiyo smiled as she was thanked for the opportunity as she floated beside her Chusa. “Well, the first question, was how long have you served with the Star Army?’ She asked of the older Chusa. “Also what are your hobbies?” She asked the more important question.

Hoshi's pale blue brows raised at the first question, then she heard the second and she smiled. They were just stepping out of the cargo hold now and she smiled as she looked up from the ship's landing area to the sky above.

"Sixteen years of service, it's been a long bout of fighting for this old Nekovalkyrja. And.. I like to be outside," her smile widened as she looked from the cloud-laden blue to the lightly forested area they were walking towards. "I paint, that's what I like to do when we're ship-bound. But when I'm able to, I like to feel a sun on my skin and be in nature." Hoshi looked about at and said, "I hope you consider mountain gazing and forest bathing to be hobbies. Something about trees and dirt and everything in between and how they all work together all have a way of making me feel at rest." With a raised half-smile, she looked to Kiyo, "I didn't mean to tie that in with what you could use... But I guess I did!"

Kiyo was surprised to hear that she served for sixteen years, which made Hoshi the oldest Nekovalkyrja she knew, aside from her mother, the head scientist who had created her batch in the tanks. Soon though they were outside, and boy was it amazing to be out here, and cooler too, at least for the Neko who had been spending a lot of time training anyways.

“Yeah, I can see the appeal of being outside” she replied, and soon she discovered a hobby that her Chusa had. The painting was something she hadn’t tried before. She continued to listen and discovered that truly, Hoshi was a nature lover. The Azure Neko knew that Hoshi and one of her sisters would be great friends because she too loved nature. She laughed at the end at the thought.

“Maybe I will, though I have to say, I think you and a batch sister of mine will be good friends, she loves being outdoors and being in nature. She told me once that after her service is complete she’d live in a place like this.

Hoshi looked from the trees to the Neko with a wide smile hat faded as she said, "Seeing your service to completion and to settle is something reserved for a certrain type of doll weapon, one I have not yet met." Quizically, the captain looked to Kiyo as the dappled lighting of the sun through the trees hit her pink skin gently. "Do you have any plans on the horizon for how you might retire?"

Kiyo just smiled at her captain’s response as she walked beside her. The outfit she wore began to fade like Hoshi’s hat did but the belt that held the sheathed Silverlight remained. She noted the effect the sun had on her captain’s pink skin. it had a similar effect to her own blue skin too. Her head turned as the captain asked her a question

“Not sure, I guess find a place with Wulf, maybe somewhere that’s close to mommy, and with large room, so we can have children. Nekovalkyrja, maybe some Minkans so Wulf has sons too.” She told her, “as for what I am going to do, not sure, I love being in my Mindy honestly."

Hoshi smiled softly, "As do I. It's a shame that there are no civilian uses for a Mindy. We could have fun in them a long time to come, if so." The Chusa stretched out her legs by taking a few tall steps over some rocks. The path they were on wasn't so much a path as the easiest way to walk through the now-dense forest. There was no obvious trail as the planet had been uninhabited before Star Army's recent arrival.

The small pink Neko exhaled, "If you had a daughter that was worried for lost crew and was overworking herself by training for an undecided future, what would you tell her?"

Kiyo nodded her head,”it is a shame! We could use them for racing, or some kind of sport!” She said with a pout ” ah, well, I understand though, the Mindy, though an awesome suit of Power armor was meant for combat and not civilian life.” She told her as she followed her captain, being careful as Hoshi had.

She glanced to Hoshi as she asked her question. “Well, I’d tell her, that She shouldn’t worry, and that those crew are brave, courageous warriors, and if they had died, they can be revived with the ST technology, and that while it's commendable that she train, she should rest so she doesn’t enter a death march.” She replied before blinking then blushing “heh, I should take that advice huh?” She asked.

“Captain, do you think of everyone on the ship as your children?” She asked, unable to stop herself.

Hoshi looked back to Kiyo as she smiled, "No, no," she gave a half laugh as she looked down to where she was stepping. "I only asked in that way so that you could see the advice that you should take from yourself. I have never had children and I don't think I want to... No, the crew of this ship and the crews of the ships I have commanded on, well-" Her footfalls stopped and she moved her cheek a bit, as if biting at the words to come. "There is no way for me to know where your path will lead. I will protect you, of course. I want the best for you, asuredly. I may do and feel things like a parent would. But I know that the outcome of caring for you may be that one day you are not on my ship and may not think of me at all. That is not how a parent and child are, huh?" The captain sighed with a strained expression, but she looked around at the trees and a smile lighted on her face as she looked back at Kiyo.

"That's a bit more of an answer than you may have expected, sorry Kiyo-chan. I think of my crew as the adults they are, not children. Adults that have futures in front of them that I as created to protect, but also- they are futures I may not have the joy of being there for." Hoshi's smile was genuine as she didn't hide the hard truth she had seen come time and again. "I don't think I could ever think of you as children, not even my own."

Kiyo smiled at her wise captain, getting her to think up some advice she should give herself. Admittedly, though it was true, should they die, they can be revived through the ST; the thing was, they didn’t know if they were dead or alive. She hoped they were alive and were ok, but until then she’ll worry, at least she’ll try not to let it control her. She also decided she will rest more; working herself to exhaustion will not do her any good.

She glanced to her captain as she gave her a surprising answer. Though it was technically true, the Nekovalkyrja and everyone else serving onboard the ship weren’t children but adults. She still smiled with pleasure that Hoshi was able to answer. “Yeah, you're right, and I care about you too, you're my captain, and my Senpai too,” she said to her as she too looked down. “William and I are brother and sister, because we are soldiers, and we respect each other. Gravity is my sister because the Lead Engineer, who created us, treated us like her daughters.”

"I would be very upset if my brother was captured by the enemy," Hoshi said solemnly, leveling her gaze to Kiyo.

Kiyo nodded her head “yes that is correct” she replied as they walked. “Hey, Captain... What is the plan for rescue?’ she asked her. “I may also have a little forward of a request” she finished.

"We need to find them," Hoshi said as her blue eyes moved from Kiyo to find a place to push her foot down and start walking once more, "Then the plan will come. You don't have to worry about being forward with me," Hoshi smiled as she spoke.

Kiyo nodded her head; true finding their people should come first. She took a breath, part of it was to keep moving, but also because of what she would be asking. “I don’t want to hide when we go to bring our people back, I want them and not only our people, but the enemy sees that a Yamatai’s Mindy is there, attacking. What I am wishing to ask is not be on a stealth mission but an all-out visible attack.”

Hoshi's vigorous smile shone and she felt the warmth of the sun cutting through the trees on the edges of her lips. "I don't want to hide, either. I like that. You know, I bet our crew would like to see Yamataian Mindy there attacking, too."

Kiyo smiled as the sun shone on her blue skin. She felt pleased that Hoshi appeared to be accepting her idea. “You approve then? Because I very much intend on taking my Mindy with my personal standard load-out and my Silverlight and going in for the attack, and honestly I feel things might be different too. “She told her, “Normally I get into a state of emotionless calm when I am in a battle, but I think with the way I am feeling, this anger and strangely a sense I haven’t quite felt before.”

They reached a break in the tree line and the ground became less dense with foliage and decaying leaves. Underfoot it was rockier and the captain focused on her next few steps before speaking.

"We'll have to see what the future holds, Kiyo. There is always something hidden in the future that we can't account for."

Kiyo followed alongside her captain as the conversation continued. She did notice when the environment changed around her, so she was careful as she walked. “True, though I admit I am hoping that our future is victory against the Kuvexians and their allies” She told her.

"Hmmm," Hoshi hummed indistinctly. "Your hopes lay with my own. The Kuvexian's interests do not lay in forming alliances but in enslaving other races. I myself only hope we can do something in the effort of helping those the Kuvexians hurt along the way to our victory."

Kiyo nodded her head at the topic of Kuvexians. The Kuvexians have taken so much and so many people from them and honestly, the only thing they can do to stop that is to fight. “Yeah, I am hoping we can help those hurt by them too. It is nice to help others.

"It's our job," Hoshi said tersely. "I worry about all of the species they've taken control of. There is no way to know about them all, at least not yet. And there is no way to save them all, either. Maybe there will be one day, but that's a big 'maybe', isn't it?"

Kiyo nodded her head to what Hoshi was saying, she thought about every species harmed by the Kuvexians, as well as those in her own family. “Yeah that is a big maybe,” she said to her captain as she walked with her. “But I am confident we will, truly I feel it in my heart,” She said before adding, “Plus Tsubaki, Saya’s and Wyatt’s little one will need a good sector to live in, same with mine and Wulf’s kid,” she said to Hoshi.

"I didn't know they were going to name-" Hoshi paused mid stride and mid sentence, looking incredulously to Kiyo, "Wai- You... Really?!" Her look of suprise had upturned into a wide smile and Hoshi's arms grew wide, hugging Kiyo with a jump.

Kiyo nodded, ”Yeah I think they mentioned in chat, they were gonna name her Tsubaki, but I could be wrong,” she said before Hoshi’s reaction, and grinned at her, as she hugged back, laughing at the moment. “Yeah, I think I realized it after I started getting weird cravings, and my emotions.”

Hoshi blinked as she released herself from the hug, then asked, "You didn't know immediately?"

Kiyo looked down, “My mind was on our crew missing, and I guess I wasn’t paying attention”

Growing concerned, Hoshi's brow furrowed to muse, "That's odd... And it's sad that Saya is not with us to perform a medical scan. Please get yourself to the base's medical lab to make sure everything is okay..." The little captain looked into the distance, towards the planet's horizon. "I have been preoccupied myself with the crew's loss; I can understand how things slip past." Her smile tucked into the corners of her lips as she looked back to Kiyo, "Are you carrying a Neko or a Minkan? You mentioned wanting both earlier...!"

Kiyo nodded her head in agreement, “Yeah, Saya is a sweet and kind woman, the thought that she’s with the Kuvexians potentially being hurt by them is horrible. I hope, however, that William and Aiko are safe too, and that they are in the same area so they can protect each other.” She told her before she heard Hoshi’s request and nodded, ”Yeah, I’ll be sure to do so.” She told her, as she soon learned that Hoshi was preoccupied with the missing crew.

She smiled at the next question and placed her hand over her belly. “I think our first is going to be a Neko.” She told her and smiled, “Oh, she is so going to be spoiled.” She chuckled before they came to a large body of water.

"To create life is amazing," the diminutive captain said with a smile. Hoshi's eyes turned with her face as she looked to the glittering turquoise of the rippling waters. Her own eyes were a deeper blue than the lake, but they glittered just as much over her bright smile.

"In all my years," she said softly contined, "of dying I have never created life outside of rezzing in a hemo tank after something went wrong or after life was sacrificed for the success of the mission."

“It sure is.” The younger Infantry soldier said as she too had a happy smile as she looked from her captain to the water noting its blue color, and the young girl thought it looked beautiful. A part of her wanted to go take Wulf and live on a colony maybe an area like this one with its beauty but unfortunately, her contract stated she had a year left before she could even think of leaving the army, but she decided she won’t unless Wulf did. She will however make sure that her daughter grew up in this environment maybe through VR.

She glanced at her captain again, as she realized she’d never once had to be rezzed in a hemo tank after her birth. She wondered if that’s an accomplishment worth congratulating, but she chose not to say anything, not deeming her thoughts important enough to be mentioned. Instead, she asked. "Is it the same as being created?” she asked.

Hoshi looked on at the natural wonder of the sight before them, then turned towards Kiyo, putting a hand on her forearm. "I wouldn't know, but every Nekovalkyrja I have met that was born from a mother was full of life and... spontaneity..." her smile grew as she spoke slowly, "in a way I have never noted in my vat-born sisters. Technically, my answer would be there is no difference but on a personal level, I would tell you there is a world of difference. Maybe three months of growth gives them that extra time that an 75 minutes doesn't allow, hmm?" Hoshi added with a wry smile, softly gripping Kiyo's arm before letting go.

Kiyo processed what her captain told her, and she thought about this, and about her daughter who she planned on naming Luna. She smiled, If Luna will be full of life and spontaneity like Hoshi said, then she couldn’t wait to see what she did. She smiled at her Captain” that seems like it might be correct, I can’t wait for our daughter to appear. I am hoping she’ll be friends with Saya and Wyatt’s Tsubaki, but I have a feeling Sakura will spoil her too!” she laughs and then continues, ”Though, with the training her father and I will give her, I think she will be a great crew member and a good daughter.”

She looked at the sight as Hoshi gripped her arm before it was removed. “Captain, thank you, for allowing me to serve on board the Kaiyo 2, I’m still going to serve on her until I am needed to transfer, or until the ship is decommissioned.”

Hoshi's smile faded until it was a passing memory, "I know what it's like to want a future of peace and family. I won't hold you to that when your yearnings for such are great but," with a returning smile she added, "It warms my heart to hear as much. I want happiness for my crew. Sometimes war doesn't, but I am happy to have you on the crew regardless of the consequences the future may bring. You have a bright smile I look forward to seeing, every time."

Kiyo smiled with a touch of blush when Hoshi complimented her smile as being bright and something her captain looked forward to seeing every day. She felt honored by those words and could hardly speak other than to say, “Thank you, Captain, for your words” which accompanied a smile.
 
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