RP: YSS Eucharis [Pre Mission 26] Getting Settled In (YE 38)

[Rizzo]

Central Uesureya, Planet Yamatai

Candon stepped into the PA bay with his left hand wrapped in bandage tape. They worked fine but it hurt to move the reattached fingers. Pain hadn't stopped him before, he was as ready as he needed to be. "Good morning, ladies," he called over the sound of plastic wrap ripping and reactors starting. Fresh, clean painted armor was a scary sight. They hadn't had their metal tested in battle.. yet. Training had been a little rough, the infantry team's combat efficiency wasn't particularly high scoring but combat had a tendency to unite even the most stubborn people and weed out those who just couldn't figure it out. It had always been the reason stories were never told of brave soldiers and their simulators.

Candon's armor stood out like a sore thumb, deep, yet superficial scratches marked every plate. The testing grounds were brutal. Test pilots from across the empire had been selected to test the latest armor as it left the final phase of development to enter production. It was the last chance to find the bugs and flaws so every operator was pushing her armor to the limit. It was the most aggressive testing he'd ever participated in and he loved it.

The paint, or lack of it, reflected his love of the testing, but frankly it would not reflect the empire in a professional way. Candon had to fix it.

"Shôshô Hanako, I have forgotten to repaint my armor after the two days at the testing center. It is no longer meeting specifications for official armor. The paint will need to be stripped completely. While at this stage I would like to request permission to apply the SAINT-issued gunmetal black paint scheme."
He sent his commander the telepathic message.

He turned around to take in the view. It was just like old times, only this time his team was composed completely of babies. He saw the sparkle in Junko's piercing red eyes as she fawned over the new weapon, It was saddening to think of how this might be the last time her face would light up as a child's. War was brewing, and cold as it was war always demanded blood. Watching Shiho there was that rogue streak always present. With no real respect there was only duty to drive her. Would it be enough?
It was apparent. There was no true grit in Yamatai like Nepleslia had, no experience, not even Tsuguka had formal training in the occupation she would be filling. Perhaps life had simply become too easy for people and for lack of struggle tenacity had been lost. It felt like he was falling with no hope but to trust these young girls to catch him. Whether they could was the question and the answer lied ahead of them in the conflict to come.

As he pondered the condition of his crew he noticed Shigafumi Astrider missing from his sight. The augmented reality from his communicator appeared as he telepathically began to access MEGAMI for information on their whereabouts- but he stopped. He needed to step back and respect the authority he was giving to Tsuguka.

"Tsu-Hei," he called to her cordially, "Astrider isn't here. Fix it."

 

[HotelKilo]

YSS Eucharis Bridge

When exactly Belle had reported aboard it would be hard to say, though judging by the dusting of glitter across the edges of her folded wings it was only after an adventurous night out. Another brand new uniform, or the same one given a thorough clean, gave the slender winged clerk a sharp appearance despite reddened eyes and a smile that held a hint of peeling at the corners. Out of the entire crew, she was undoubtedly the most junior to wear the white panel on her jacket, not to mention one of the newest. This morning, though, it had a brand-new, still stiff Eucharis shoulder patch that the Santo Hei had shown up to breakfast with.

Belle was waiting for Hanako on the bridge, and she saluted sharply. It was a difficult feeling to beat, the Elysian had decided while staring at a plain bulkhead in a dimmed quarters bunk, sleeping aboard ship for the first time.

Still, morning had come, and with the new shift she had settled down behind 'her' desk to start processing the backlog of reports, records, missives, general orders, notes, and every other piece of mundane correspondence that had piled up with no clerk to tackle it. Progress was slow, but she had managed to find a reason to stand up at last.

"Admiral, the morning report before we take off?," Belle said politely, lifting her wrist slightly to indicate work in the offing for her CO. Or at least the effort of applying her digital signature to some routine paperwork, "And the final personnel transfers to sign off on. Personnel saw fit to fill in a few more posts over night."

She wondered how her, friends were adjusting to their new duty posting. The sheer opulence of the vessel compared favorably to the finest ESN ships she had been aboard at the arsenal dock and her mind idly wondered if Shiho, Junk, and Freyja had been as impressed.

 

[Ametheliana]

YSS Eucharis
Med Lab/ Power Armor Bay

Before the AI spoke, Masumi let her dark black hand glide over the test tubes, noting the colors indicative of the different chemicals and compounds the scientist on board had deemed appropriate to have in the type 31 science kit. While she looked over these things, tubes and vials, she yearned to take out the gloves and start working here and now.

There were orders, though, and there were desires. Orders came first.2

Those orders were to resleeve. Masumi wasn’t one of those that wanted to transfer for pleasure, but there was pleasure in the thought that with a backup, her mind could one day inhabit a completely dissimilar body to hers, or she could inhabit her own clone. Her eyes went to the reconstruction tubes and the power they held. The sedative for the backups wasn’t bad, either. It was like slipping into a hot bath on a cold day. The pain without it, though, would be nearly too much to bear for her.

A certain realization dawned on Masumi before she and Charisma could even make introductions, though. A realization that she couldn’t transfer without just the two of them there and a further realization that she had also been asked to be fitted for some power armor. She had orders.

She leapt towards the door of the med lab at the realization and then turned, bowed, and said, “Charisma-san. Excuse me.”

She ran out and into the power armor bay, where she could make out a handful of infantry, a Joto Hei in a Mindy, and a Nito Heisho. There could have been others, but she realized the majority of them were finishing unpacking the power armor and stepped towards the group of them.

When there was a lull in conversation between them, she said, after bowing, "Reporting on instructions to get my power armor prepared by Shosho Hanako."

 

[Rizzo]

YSS EUCHARIS, PA Bay

"I got this," Candon said to Tsuguka, since this recruit wasn't infantry he knew the girl would have a role more in common with his own. He waved her over to the armor station to right of his own, "you were a surprise but I think I made it work. I input in the measurements from your dossier to get it close but you'll have to wear it to finish the fitting, we need to do it now while there's no one shooting us. Strip down and saddle up. I'll finish the tuning."

Candon never made eye contact as he pulled the helmet off of the crisp white M2-4, letting the chest fully open as per the automated sequence as he opened multiple windows on his datapad the he'd left on her armor rack from the initial tuning. "You should know it's going to fit a little tighter than your last armor so if you like wearing a bodysuit in armor wear it now or it'll be really annoying later."

 

[Ametheliana]

YSS
Power Armor Bay

Oshiro Masumi pulled off her belt and set it down on a bench that she then sat on as she removed her boots. Masumi stood and with intentional movements removed her work uniform and was down to her standard issue bra and pantsu. She unslung the bra and let it fall from her fingertips onto the pile of her clothing. She pulled down the fabric from her hip and let it slide down to the floor, where she stepped out of them before picking them up and placing them atop the pile.

"I'll wear it as I am."

With the helmet off and the telepathic message to the OS to boot up, her Mindy opened up forwards then downwards for her and she instinctively moved into it. She felt what it was like to be in command of things like turbo aether plasma thrusters, glowing aether-powered field projection systems, and pulse cannons in the gauntlets. It was amazing tech and she reveled in knowing she could use it. She felt it fitting to her body, conforming to her and she began having it conform to her by asking of it some simple requests.

She turned to the Nito Heisho said, "I'll take it."

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

"I'll wear it as I am."

Not paying as much insight to her words as he should have Suites naturally turned around to see what he should have expected, yet somehow just didn't click. Of course in an atmosphere with similarities to both an auto shop and a locker room any sense of modesty had checked out a long time ago leaving the desensitization for all to feel but still he had to admit to himself that the sight was grand, dark skin from head to toe hugged attractive curves that would've caught any eye.
Yet what Candon saw was so much simpler, "Choice of Champions. It let's you really feel the armor."

As she entered the armor the window on his datapad began to show the analysis of the changes in pressure against the liner and responded accordingly. As the chest slowly closed the reactor started, idling at its lowest output. His datapad was reading perfect numbers.

She turned to the Nito Heisho and said, "I'll take it."

"It's yours," he replied, as he disengaged the clamp locking the armor to the rack. She was now standing under her own power. The plating covering the armory wall retracted into the floor. "You should take it for a walk, it'll train the liner to flex at the joints easier" he commented as he handed her the helmet, "Let's get you armed."

He walked over the armory wall without a trace of hurry. "Did you have any combat preferences?"

 

[Ametheliana]

YSS Eucharis
Power Armor Bay

"Oh, for me?" She asked. "I think an LASR, a fabrication module on the dorsal, NSB launchers on leg hardpoints, and on the shoulder hardpoints, nothing. I like to keep it light."

She moved her arms one way and another and stepped forward, feeling the meshing of the synthetic material up against her skin and herself. She hovered above the ground, lifting until she could fall chest forward and hang, as if on a hammock, before hovering higher until she had reached the top of the armor bay. She hung there a moment before looking down and readjusted herself more vertically and lowered down, just outside of the armory.

She checked the RADAR and the tracking system in the "skin" of the suit. Everything was working standardly. It was nice to have it all at her fingertips. She could say she even enjoyed the feel of being in control of it all.

She stepped towards him and asked, telepathically, "All good choices?"

 

[Gunsight1]

YSS Eucharis - XO's Cabin


Natsumi listened as Sigurd explained his situation, the hesitation and apprehension was obvious in the young man.

"Oh, is that what's been eating at you?" she asked and flashed the Nepleslian man a pleasant smile. "The order for mental backup is a standard practice aboard our ships before we head out on a mission, or when we take on new crew" she explained. "Is there any specific reason why you don't want a mental backup created for yourself?" she asked. "Do you have an aversion to being brought back if something happens to you?"

The concept of being reincarnated after death was pretty normal for Natsumi. She was Nekovalkyrja and it was a concept programmed into her since her creation. While she did not necessarily have a firm feel for what she thought of if her consciousness would transfer to a new body or if it would just be a data duplicate, was another thing, but she at least had the comfort of knowing that if she were to die, some form of her would continue on, even if it was not the original her. That said, she knew there were plenty of people from other cultures who did not believe in the system as her people did.

"If it is something that you do not want to do, I don't think there will be an issue with it, and I can make an official note on your record for future postings. I would just want to bring it by the Shosho's attention. As captain of the ship Shosho Hanako should be aware of the position of all her crew. If something was to happen to you in battle, or the like, that would be a bad time to learn that you had opted not to be revived."

 

[Mad_Stylus]

<<Sleeper to Armor Bay>>

"So you think I'm adorable, now?" Junko teased immediately. Turned back and grinned widely before continuing the walk. Part of her was glad that slipped out before her brain could filter any of it through. She'd probably never work up the nerve if she wasn't riding high already.

Her expression didn't falter at Shiho's addition, but that was largely a mask. Muscle and flesh stayed constant, but the warmth in it cooled. The implications were disheartening, and she knew that wasn't fair of her. Which would be great if that tugging sensation in her chest would listen, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.

Not that she could blame Freyja for crushing on Hanako. I mean, she was a hero of the Empire and beautiful in her own right. Not to mention the tantalizing idea of an older, more experienced partner. Probably a lot more appealing than some fresh off the slab pair of boots, right?

<<Armor Bay>>

Tsuguka probably had the best look at the soldier when they filed in. Just that little clue the smile was plastered on. Then her expression changed to surprise as she watched the holographic display. Genuine emotion, this time.

"Understood." Junko acknowledged and pinged the OS of her Mindy. Previous worries became less than irrelevant now she had her armor. Technological appreciation aside, it gave her something to focus on. With a click and a hiss, the armor opened forward, exposing the musculature core.

Junko had a fairly solid idea why Tsuguka preferred the old Type 22 almost immediately. The musculature practically squeezed her compared to her last suit. The work uniform was form fitting, but it was still cloth with folds. A few bagging bunches lingered beneath the suit.

She filed away the observation for a later date. Ideally when she could purchase a surplus Type 22 for use as an under suit. Then the thought came to her about what favors it might do her figure. Junko quickly slapped the helmet on and sealed the neck, feeling the simple and primitive desire to not be seen with such thoughts.

So instead she stepped off the rack and took a moment to get used to the different weight of the suit. Experimented some with the photonics array lightly at first. Simple shapes, then giving them some solidity. She could at least see the utility of being able to create light-construct simple tools whenever she needed them.

"I'm seeing a lot of little interlocking parts." Junko observed, rolling a shoulder.

 

[Blizzard]

YSS Eucharis - PA Bay

"Er, well..." Jax mused as he glued his eyes to the ceiling as Tugs stripped. "Honestly, if you know where to actually get zesu, like, hook me up, 'kay?"

Zesu was an extremely rare element amongst regular enlisted. The only piece of zesu equipment he'd ever seen was Mao's sword, and she was a freaking samurai!

"Also," the nekojin added with a feral grin. "We're going up against mostly Rixx these days. I killed one with a rusty prison-shank during our last outing. I'm actually learning how to use a sword just for that reason."

That horrifying memory still gave him the occasional night-terror, but it filled him with a sort of warrior's pride knowing that he'd gone into a knife fight unarmed and came out the victor. And after watching Mao ghost through a battlefield armed with nothing but a sharpened piece of metal, he'd vowed to become skilled with a blade as well, so he could survive more encounters. Jax didn't plan on staying in the military forever- he had dreams, aspirations- and he planned to fulfill them.

Just then, a swarm of nekos in bodysuits appeared, much to his bad luck. Almost instantly, his ears flattened against his head, and a deep blush appeared on his cheeks.

It was time to go.

Jax hopped off his crate, tail lashing anxiously behind him, as he wiped a trickle of blood that had decided to spew from his nose at that very moment.

"Nope. Nuh-uh. Screw this. Kitty OUT. Peace y'all..." He could be heard muttering under his breath as he left in a brisk walk, back to his domain.

YSS Eucharis - Fabrication

Getting another engineer had been the best thing since automated, bread-slicing robots. With Becker covering the main engineering space during the main shift, it left Jax open to perform necessary repairs and modifications, and apply his more creative side when he had time.

So far, he had two new projects in the works. Both were, at the very least, revolutionary, but not necessarily original.

On the large display screens before him were sets of schematics for his inventions.

Spoiler: Several Days Ago...

The young Nepleslian-turned-Minkan snapped his eyes open. A cold sweat soaked the sheets as his heart raced at a hundred miles an hour. He stifled the urge to shout a battle cry and strike out at his imagined attackers. He hated that his time off was dotted with nightmares. Damned nightmares that wouldn't go away, no matter how many new sights he explored on Yamatai, and no matter how many times he went to bed with his Umi in his arms, warm and soft. He knew it was nothing to worry about- simply a part of experiencing intensely stressful situations, as he'd read- but he was sick of it. Despite this, he vowed not to let it show. If his crew mates, all hardened warriors, could handle it, then he could.

As silently as he could, he eased out of Umeshu's grip, intent on not waking her. She deserved her peaceful rest. He would not take it from her. Instead, he made his way through the dark bedroom to one of the sofas in the living area of the suite. The clock told that it was three-thirty in the morning. Once there, he did the one thing that could always ease his mind:

He created, used his imagination.

Tablet secure in his lap, he began making rough sketches of the first thing to come to mind...

The memory was gone as soon as it had appeared. Jax crossed his arms and gazed over the plans that would hopefully manifest as physical things.

The first machine was nothing special to look at. It was simply a box with ports for power and coolant.

He'd affectionately dubbed it: The Parking Brake. The concept was rather simple. After taking a hard look at inertial dampeners in use on some ships, he realized that that same process could be used to stop a ship entirely if reversed. If applied correctly, the PB would allow a ship to remain stationary regardless of exterior forces such as tractor beams or GOD-DAMNED SHIP-STEALING SHIPS THAT LOOK LIKE FREAKING VULTURES. The primary function of the parking brake was to ensure that no one's ship would ever be stolen ever again.

Alas, the Parking Brake was a work in progress. Not even out of the planning stage. Just like the other project: Valhalla.

Valhalla was definitely the stranger of the two.

To put it in simple terms, it was the perfect hybrid of the VCE and mind-backup devices.

What if, when you died, your whole digital mind was transferred to cloud-storage, instead of a simple digital copy being placed in a new body? What if your consciousness could survive death itself?! What if, after death, you could eventually be called back to life from your own, virtual resting place into a new body?! Instead of a freaking clone that isn't you being able to continue on with your life and retire from the military and being able to settle down with your Umi somewhere down the line and being able to experience your dreams and hopes and-!

Jax stopped his mental tirade and let out an angry growl, turning away from the blueprints. He slumped in a chair and buried his face in his hands. He'd been so eager to become a Minkan, to start a new life, but now it was finally starting to dawn on him the implications of mortality and soul-transfer technology. Funny how being shot at does that sometimes. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wasn't a clone, and that the real Jackson Howard had been snuffed out in that chair, hooked up to all sorts of connections last year.

He forced himself to calm down and continue thinking pragmatically.

Valhalla would eventually need to be tested if ever brought to fruition. Someone, probably him, would have to take that gut-wrenching plunge into the unknown. The hope was that a heavily fortified server could be installed on every vessel, like the soul-pods that carried backups. Thinking bigger, what if a massive facility was created on every planet, like Yamatai, where soldiers from across the universe would join each other in the virtual afterlife, waiting for Ragnarok, as it were? Waiting to be called back to their friends and families who waited eagerly for their return?

Jax swallowed heavily at such deep thoughts, and turned his mind to his datapad, where he began writing book two of his more artistic novel series. After all, a new adventure was on the horizon.

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

She stepped towards him and asked, telepathically, "All good choices?"

The tickle of an unexpected telepathic signal swam into Candon's brain. The feeling of simply knowing a person's thoughts and the feelings attached to them had continued to be an inexplicable sensation to the veteran soldier, one that he'd grown familiar to over the years. It was always nice to meet someone who wasn't afraid to fully use their abilities.

"I see no issues," he replied telepathically, "simple is good."
He removed two full hundred round magazines from a munitions box and slid them into her left waist hardpoint.
"Hollow-point, for Rixxicor."
He removed another two full hundred round magazines from a munitions box and slid them into her right waist hardpoint.
"Armor-piercing, for anything worse."
Opening a different, smaller case he removed two scalar pulse grenades, "You know what these are, they kill everything in a five meter radius. These are last resort." He walked behind her and attached them to the hardpoints typically used for the buttpack and returned to the gun rack.

He removed an unloaded LASR Mk I and handed it to the armor clad soldier. "You'll load a mag from the ammo crate when we mobilize. I'm Candon Suites."

 

[Primitive Polygon]

YSS Eucharis - PA Bay

The look that Candon gave her was more than a little unsettling. Tsuguka normally couldn't empathize with others, but predicting this man's movements, albeit frequently by trial and error, had become somewhat of a necessary skill over the last year. And the cold look on his face said that he still wasn't ready to throw others into the firing line, like he constantly did to himself.

Nothing for it. The carmine-hued catgirl peeled off her secondary metallic skin and made a brisk bow, silently acknowledging his order. It had been pretty lazy of her not to seek out that last recruit, admittedly. Reasonable positive responses with the team had been confirmed at least. There was probably adequate time for deploying second-level friendship improvement techniques later.

Leaving just as Santo Hei Masumi began suiting up, a brief look backwards reinforced a little feeling of pride over the fact that they finally had a proper armor team once more. Perhaps it would be worth organizing a few sparing classes. The lynx was no Ketsurui Samurai, but there were a lot of tricks with the gravity organ that they never taught her in training.

Neuroses disengaged. She needed to find Santo Hei Astridr.

MEGAMI listed the missing recruit's location as the cargo bay. Taking the cargo elevator down was faster with just one person.

 

[SensualCoder]

YSS Eucharis - Cargo Bay

Astridr found herself back in the cargo bay after having helped with the medical shuttle. She picked up her kit she had dropped earlier and looked around, finding herself completely alone. Had she just taken that much longer? An embarrassed blush colored her cheeks as she moved to the cargo elevator, remembering something about room assignments and getting acquainted with the ship.

Just making all the best impressions here, she thought bitterly, standing in front of the elevator as it moved down the shaft. So engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't realize that the elevator was occupied until the doors slid open and she made to step inside. "Oh, sor-," she started, then slid to attention, "Sorry, Tsuguka-Hei!"

 

[Primitive Polygon]

YSS Eucharis - Cargo Bay -> Power Armor Bay

The taller, statuesque nekovalkyrja just gazed down at them, not blinking once. It took a second to confirm that this pink-haired soldier was the person they were looking for, but the apparent stern look of extreme disapproval was in fact just a symptom of Tsuguka becoming lost in thought again.

Those tiger stripes on Astridr's face... It was nice to have another person on board who was gene-sculpted 'a little too imaginatively'...

An outstretched hand seized that of the smaller woman's. The lift ride back upwards, however, was spent with the Nito Hei so confused about how to phrase her sudden feelings of kinship, that they ended up just bracing fingers in an extremely intimidating (and probably patronizing) silence.

"Please bring your armor to an adequate state of readiness, Santo Hei Astridr Shigefumi." Was all she ended up saying, tone utterly blank and cold as the doors swung open once more. "Candon Suites-Heisho is intending on giving the team a formal introduction, most likely."

Walking back into the bustle of other new squad members, Tsuguka then rapidly suited up once more, before briefly bowing towards Candon again to signify that the task had been completed.

 

[Ametheliana]

YSS Eucharis
Power Armor Bay

Masumi moved her arms up as he attached both hollow-point and armor-piercing bullets at her waist's hard points and turned to watch as much as she could see of him putting the grenades on the hardpoints of the Mindy behind her.

She checked the Mk 1 out before attaching it to her holster and nodded curtly to Candon Suites, saying, "Thank you." Then she said with a curt bow, "Oshiro Masumi. Santo Hei."

She stepped away from the armory towards the armor rack. Masumi pulled her helmet off and set it down before turning her back towards the hook that had held her power armor before it was even hers. She had the front of the Mindy open then bent forward and, like a snake sloughing off skin, got her arms out of the power armor. She pulled the rest of her body out and held on before pushing off of it and jumping forward.

She rubbed her hands down her chest and across her hips, leaned forward and rubbed her shins, and then gathered her bright, bubbly pink hair in a bundle and lifted herself up.

She looked to Candon and smiled widely, "It felt good, I like that suit." A moment's reflection later and she said, "I have to get my cabin in order, if there even is one left. Anything you'd like of me before I make my way there, Candon Suites-Heisho?"

 

[Rizzo]

YSS Eucharis, PA Bay

Walking back into the bustle of other new squad members, Tsuguka then rapidly suited up once more, before briefly bowing towards Candon again to signify that the task had been completed.

Candon noticed Tsuguka return, her bow was reassuring. He returned a nod slightly deeper to serve as a bow as he closed the armory wall.
"I would like us all to meet briefly after lunch in the wardroom. Please pass a memo on to your team, I'm going to get our science specialist ready," Candon spoke with a subtle professionalism that was slightly more friendly than usual. It was the closest thing he currently had in the respect department of the mess of wires that formed his brain.

Returning to Masumi's station he cued a weapon mount to be built in the fabrication room from his datapad. Rifle-type weapons just didn't fit well on the waist hardpoints, especially once magazines occupied them. It would ease a storage burden to aid in dexterity, no need worrying about bumping her elbow on the gun.

As she disembarked the PA Candon didn't dare offer assistance to aid Masumi in exiting the armor. The tighter fit made exiting tougher for sure but every soldier needed to figure it out for themselves. He wouldn't offer much assistance to her for the sheer sake of not being infantry, liabilities were left on the ship. If she was joining them he needed her to be capable of holding her own. Overall she'd struck a solid first impression.


Her means of leaving the armor was… interesting. But as she began rubbing her muscles it was clear, this armor was just different. "Yeah, you'll get used to it," he chuckled.

She looked to Candon and smiled widely, "It felt good, I like that suit." A moment's reflection later and she said, "I have to get my cabin in order, if there even is one left. Anything you'd like of me before I make my way there, Candon Suites-Heisho?"

"Yes, please join us after lunch in the wardroom and if you want to take the other half of Cabin 6 please keep your clothes folded," he said pointing at the pile of clothes on the floor, "drives me crazy. Dismissed."

 

[SensualCoder]

YSS Eucharis - Cargo Bay -> Power Armor Bay

Astridr stood stock-still as the red-skinned veteran looked at her, a cold chill running down the pink-haired neko's spine at the scrutiny and lack of speech. Still, she nervously took the offered hand and rode the elevator, too scared and nervous to say anything to Tsuguka. So instead she just stood still, her legs quivering at attention and her eyes staring at the cargo elevator doors. Was she in trouble after just arriving? She wanted to ask, but the fear of an answer -- any answer -- kept her mouth shut and her thoughts silent.

Though the ride was short, the silence made it drag on forever for Astridr, so much that when Tsuguka spoke finally it made Astridr flinch. "Hai, Tsuguka-Hei!" She responded and added a short, crisp nod. At least she could appear professional regardless, Astridr noted to herself as they stepped off the elevator. She then looked down at the duffel bag in her hand and to the strap of her backpack.

"Ah, what should I do with my effects, Joto Hei," she asked, turning back to see Tsuguka already walking back to the rest of the group. Astridr took a deep breath and released it in a quiet sigh before moving over to one of the unclaimed armor racks. She set her backpack and duffel bag down before facing the Mindy armor in the rack, hesitating for a second before reaching out to touch the chestplate of the suit in an almost reverent way. Guess we'll be working together, huh, she thought before readying the suit for wear. She stripped her work uniform down to her bra and panties, mildly self-conscious of the others around. She put it out of her mind and climbed into the armor, feeling it seal and encase her, a familiar and soothing closeness around her body that put the pink-haired Neko at ease. She flexed her fingers and hands, her feet, and then her arms and legs, feeling the suit move as she did.

Astridr felt at home.

 

[Ametheliana]

YSS Eucharis
Power Armor Bay/ Cabin 6

She nodded and turned to her clothes, picking them up and putting them on with fast but measured movement. When her uniform was on, she put her hands against her neck and spread them out, fanning her hair behind her as it left from behind the uniform’s collar. She swept up her bag and left the bay, heading to the crew cabins where she put her duffel on the empty bed of cabin 6.

Before anything else, she took out of a bundle of her underwear wrapped in her unused poncho. It was just about the only thing in the duffel that was neat or orderly. Boot camp had instilled being neat and orderly, but a lot of things had happened since then. She protectively put them underneath her pillow, the Hinomaru face up, and then folded the poncho up and secured it in a part of her duffel.

Then she took out all of her things and sorted, then folded them, then stowed them with her duffel. The non-commissioned officer had been so kind to let her room with him that she should do the same. Not a sociable creature, she tried to avoid the crew lounge as she made her way up to the wardroom.

 

[Dumont]

Power Armor Bay

Entering the armor bay, Shiho just almost mechanically walked past the retreating guy-with-cat-ears as he fled. He got something of a dirty look, since whatever red-faced antics he'd been undergoing made it seem like he was somewhere he shouldn't be. Shiho remained a suspicious cat in a lot of ways. Then this was what? Armor fittings. Shiho shucked the bulkier parts of her uniform, and embarked unto her armor. She'd made the effort of going through the technical manuals of it at the very least, and at this early time it hadn't passed out of short term memory and into something that would need reinforcement with practice...

New armor. A lot tighter around the shoulders, arms and waist than her old one. A few motions to test the range of movements proved that it was uncomfortable but not a liability. A few commands to run systems checks showed everything to be in working order. All good then?

An armored Shiho waited around to see if there was anything else needed doing.

 

[ArsenicJohn]

YSS Eucharis
Sleeper to Power Armor Bay

Junko’s response surprised Freyja a little, but she recovered quickly and smiled at her. The blue Neko didn’t know what the warm feeling running through her body was, but she realized it happened when Junko grinned at her. She wondered what it might mean. It was much different than the strange desire she felt for Hanako, yet somehow similar.

Shiho couldn’t know it, but Freyja felt the same way. Protecting the Nekovalkyrja that she called her friends was one of the most important things in the world to her. Freyja didn’t respond to Shiho’s teasing, her cheeks merely turned purple with embarrassment and her ears flattened. Her tail twitched nervously.

Power Armor Bay

She reached the armor bay just in time to see the end of Tsuguka’s photonics display. After seeing what Tsuguka could do, she couldn’t wait to try it out herself. Then Candon gave her an order and she disappeared almost too fast for Freyja’s eyes to follow. She took that as a sign to get to her Mindy as quickly as possible.

Nearly running to the Mindy assigned to her, Freyja telepathically ordered the armor to open. She saw a naked Neko out of the corner of her eye and turned to watch her enter her armor. It took her a second to snap out of it and climb into her own armor. She closed up the suit and put on her helmet.

The instant she snapped on the helmet all of her nervousness and stress drained away. The fit was a bit more snug, she noticed. Next time she would be sure to wear the bodysuit. Her mind conjured an image of the Shosho wearing it, but she forced herself to focus.

Freyja stepped off the rack and decided to take the armor for a walk around the armor bay. She did a couple laps around the room before returning to the rack. Her tail moved around in circles, testing the range of motion available with the tail armor. Next was the photonics array.

She used the array to make little figures of Junko and Shiho. Then she tried making something useful, a replica of a scalar pulse grenade. It may not be functional but it would scare the hell out of an enemy that knew what it was. She spent a few minutes making different items she thought may be useful before finding Junko and Shiho.

“A little tight, but it still feels pretty good to be back in a Mindy, doesn’t it?” She said to the other two Orochi veterans telepathically. “Definitely going with the bodysuit next time.”