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

Wardroom

Natsumi had opened up a volumetric notepad when Hanako began to detail out the mission at hand. Finally, the offensive against these Kuvexians, it was far past time that the Star Army of Yamatai turn the tables on these invaders.

The snowy haired neko stiffened at the mention of the NMX Nest. That had been her first mission, fresh out of training and aboard the Eucharis. She clearly remembered being the nervouse green behind the ears junior operator, dropped into Mindy power armor almost the instant she had come aboard the ship. How terrified she had been then. Now she was an offocer and a seasoned veteran of many battles. How far she had come, Natsumi mused and refocused her attention to the briefing.

Questions were going out and being answered now and Natsumi wished she had details to share on the matter as well, so that Hanako was not fielding the onslaught of questions all on her own, but she had not been included in the initial briefing from command, the security on this mission was so tight.

As the Q and A session went on, Natsumi thought over how they might assault this facility. If it was a space station, as NEST had been, and she thought Shosho Hanako's mention of the NMX facility was a telltale to that fact. She frowned as another thought crossed her mind.

While these Kuvexians and their Rixxicore subordinates had conducted hostilities against Yamataian ships and attempted to gain a foothold in their territories, this will be their first offensive military operation against them. They had shown to be quite capable and confident to swarm and overpower Yamataian ships in small scale actions. She thought, remembering how badly mauled the Eucharis had been each time they had encountered these people, thus far. She could only hope it would not be just Eucharis alone, or with a few ither gunships, going in. They needed to make a show of force, bring down the might of the empires naval forces on these interlopers and kick their asses right out of their space.

This posed another issue though. If they dropped on them in force, and alerted the Kuvexians with a major strike fleet, their enemies might have time to burn their memory banks and deprive them of the location of their space.. So stealth and small numbers had its own merrits.

Wardroom

Working as fast as her fingers could, Belle quickly entered the back and forth between the crew, taking close minutes as her eyes furiously twitched around the room. There was a flush of color under her collar as the experts went about their business. For her part it was a learning experience. Stealth, overwhelming force, supporting forces. All of that had been in perhaps the middle five days or so of basic training. Considering that whatever decision was made was one she would be there for the execution of, she tried not to look so... Jittery.

After all, how many decades of combined service were combined here in one room? Her eyes briefly flicked to her volumetric display, checking that everything was caught up and scrolling correctly. It was. So her eyes swung back up to the room, lips pursed.

Junko folded her arms as she considered the larger picture being painted. It was a cavalier plan, but it was a valid solution to the problem. It wasn't her place to second guess, neither did she have the know-how to make a better plan. Live engagements were rarely simple affairs, it turned out.

"Tsuguka-Hei, do you think we'll be able to take those out with small arms? Or should we get explosives loaded onto the Mindys?" Junko asked quietly. Technically, she'd never carried on actual smash jobs like this. She wasn't sure they could take everything down with technical know-how or small arms alone.

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

"The plan is essentially ours to decide. We have the flexibility to decide how many people we send in, to ask for additional teams, to make suggestions to the fleet's plan. All of you and I are going to figure out how this works. I think we should concentrate on their computers. They have the intelligence we want and they are a high value target to cripple their defenses."

YSS Eucharis
Wardroom

Masumi leaned forward to put her forearm on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. They would be dealing primarily with the Kuvexian computers.

She had told Suites about her experience in the computer sciences, among her other fields of study, to which he had said, "Masumi, you have a rare condition. You know how to think." and that made her know that she wanted to follow the path that Candon Suites' mind's eye could come up with for her while staying true to the chain of command.

She had told him, "Yes, I can cause intentional interference in a communication network and get past encryption systems..." but didn't have the ability to know what kind of computers that the Rixxikor used. Would they have AI, which she couldn't deal with -yet- or would they have a different kind altogether, unknown to even the Star Army.

She put her hand away from her chin and straightened her back and neck, then said with an steady, unwavering voice, "What kind of computers should we expect to be dealing with?"

She wanted to know more, so much more, about what sort of data and information that would be extracted and how that would happen, but all of those things had the possibility of being unknowns and she didn't want to inundate Hanako with such questions. For now, she chose to rephrase her question.

"Do we know as of yet?"

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

Tsuguka had been hanging back again, a thumbnail to her skewed lips, considering with great deliberation exactly what the priorities in their objectives should be at this point.

"The last time we met them, the Rixxikor used trade language and stolen computers of familiar design, Santo Hei Masumi." A simple enough report, but not without an element of the unknown. "Unfortunately, the Kuvexians themselves are smarter than to give their own proprietary software to their lackeys. I don't think we should underestimate them."

A disgruntled shrug, before a reassuring hand was laid upon Junko's shoulder. Their question was certainly a valid one.

"The problem is, Shosho, what is our priority here? Simply blowing up the computer system with a pinpoint strike would be the best way of taking out the defenses." Eyes directed towards the Hanako again, Tsuguka felt like an exact target was required beyond all doubt, if this was going to succeed. "Leaving the computer systems intact, however, is a completely different task. A distraction could be useful, but has the side effect of calling more ships into the direct vicinity. An infiltration using the entire team, on the other hand, gives us more time to operate, and better chance to defend our saboteurs..."

"We certainly have enough science personnel on hand to supplement such an attempt. Perhaps it's worth trying to temporarily capture the entire station, turret control and environmental systems first?" Soldiers or not, this mission had the potential for the deaths of everyone involved, that was the way Tsuguka saw it. So they might as well use all of their assets to the maximum offensive ability. "Our enemies have continuously excelled in turning the battle into a tarpit in the past, ripe for counter-attack. This is the only way I can think of using their own numbers against them."

"The station will be hard to get into," Candon chimed in, "we can expect it to be well defended. Any auto turret defences would kill us immediately... we need a diversion, something they would have to address before us." His mind drifted to operations where insertion came from low orbit directly above an enemy installation. In those cases the installation was already under attack.

"Ma'am, if you brought Eucharis to a speed fast enough to evade auto turrets and we stepped into space we would be carrying the same velocity. Eucharis could outrun us easily to engage the station. Draw their fire and identify an area we can teleport into and we'll decelerate once we get into range... but we'd have to cut it close if we don't decelerate enough we'll just end up being a missile, whether we teleport or not. If we decelerate too soon their guns will shred us. Once inside, Eucharis could fall back to a safer range to focus on spaceborne defenders.
Is this a good or bad idea?"

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

Astridr sat near the back as Hanako explained the action plan. For a moment, she felt ice run down her spine. Real combat, and so soon. This was what she had been training for, been preparing for, and knew that she would be participating in once she became a member of the Eucharis, but... She clenched her jaw tight and leaned in, focused on the briefing and pushing aside the distracting intrusive thoughts.

Astridr looked over at Tsuguka and Candon as they offered options, and nodded to herself. Though she didn't feel comfortable voicing her own thoughts due to being so new and green, she saw the wisdom of the options in their strategy. She just wondered what her job might be for that, as the grenadier of the unit.

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

Hanako explained, "we need the data so the plan is to physically take it, then destroy the computers, and analyze the data later. It is likely their computer systems are on par with our own so we need to take the data home where we have plenty of time to unlock and study it. Ideally if we can capture one of their computer technicians as well, that would be ideal, but it's not a mission requirement."

The Shosho then displayed a volumetric image of the station. It had a disc-like core section and large twisted diamond-shaped uppers that resembled propeller blades made of jenga blocks that were each stacked at a slightly different angle to make a spiral. On the underside was an obvious shipyard. The station exterior was chrome gold with ornate engravings and orange markings. "Star Army Intelligence says the computer core is located near where the tower section meets the saucer section," Hanako pointed, basically near the object's center line. Each segment of the tower is a self-contained military barracks complex with approximately 200 personnel. There are 23 segments. The station is guarded by a squadron of 16 starships. We may be able to fire some sort of energy pulse to make their sensors less effective against small objects like power armor, and we can use subspace torpedoes to make temporary holes in their shields. One idea might be to have a cargo ship eject a large quantity of debris that can be used as cover and decoys for you."

YSS Eucharis - Wardroom

"How much time will there be between when we arrive in system and when we are within weapons range of the base? If the fleet brings down the shields and destroys the station's main power supply then all the armor team has to do is 'port in to the computer room and disable whatever UPS is setup there to keep the lights on.

And if you want to take prisoners for rubber-hose-cryptography we may want to consider amputating their jaws right away. Those suicide pills you ran into do not leave much to interrogate."

He would pause for a bit, still looking at Hanako. There was plenty more he wanted to say, but at the same time he didn't want to dominate the conversation. He slowly let his attention shift back to the Datapad instead of continuing.

Wardroom

After a few moments of starring intently at the display, Jax raised his hand.

"Okay, so it's clear that we don't want to go anywhere near the top of the structure. We also shouldn't raise any alarms, lest we have to deal with several thousand heavily-armed-squid-people and aforementioned star ships," he began, tail swishing behind him. "If we were to use torpedoes, or any other weaponry, it may spook them into full alertness."

He pointed a finger at the shipyard at the bottom of the structure.

"What if we suited up and got up close, using a cloud of debris for cover, and then hitched a ride on an inbound vessel? Cloak and stick ourselves to the hull, and let them worry about getting past the shields, I say. Once we're inside, we sneak to the computer room, take what we need, disable defenses, then signal the rest of our fleet to attack and slip out in the confusion!"

Wardroom

Mehitabel couldn't hide her wince at the suggestion from the ship's 'civilian' science adviser. As little as she knew about these Kuvexians, suggesting taking a prisoner to work over for intelligence... Of course, she reminded herself, the Star Empire didn't officially condone the use of such methods on prisoners. She could wait with baited breath for the Admiral to deliver a rebuke forever. Her eyes fell to her own volumetric panel with new lines scrolling the page, or, she could remind herself that within all their lifetimes, except perhaps the Nekovalkyrja, Yamatai had devastated her own people to the point of extinction. Not that that had been one sided, of course, not by a long shot, leaving them with plenty of reason to despise her. Belle thought of the smouldering anger in so many of the ECN officers she'd served and couldn't help wondering...

She was getting too distracted by unimportant matters, Mehitabel forcefully reminded herself what she was here to do. Take notes. Her winds were pulled tight to her back again, though, and her eyes remained firmly downcast as she made note of Howard-hei's ideas.

Wardroom

Tsuguka gave Wazu a rancorous glare at first, but soon reserved her emotions again. It was naive to think that the Yamatai were completely noble and just in all of their actions. This wasn't a goodie-vs-baddie special effects action move. Perhaps she considered herself above it, but SAINT did exist for a reason. Sometimes she just had to remind herself of the secrets Candon still held, and the conversations that him and Heram J. Wazu likely had behind closed doors... Almost certainly, the man only felt more comfortable saying it out loud because he did not have a rank to risk.

"They'd do the same to us, and worse." An ambivalent tone. The voice of moderation, that was the best input Tsuguka could give here and now. "But going overboard doesn't solve anything either... Stun them with an Aether-Scalar SMG, or your standard pistol, then we can decide what the situation warrants. That is my advice."

Attentions directed back towards the task at hand, the red nekovalkyrja re-examined the volumetric display with a baleful shrug.

"I agree the most with Jackson Howard's point of action, Shosho. The minute they even see a debris field, it's going to be like a starting gun for their counter-attack." Leaning sideways, it was obvious she was thinking about attacking straight up from underneath. "Also... My apologies, Nito Heisho Suites, but having the entire team drop speed as the Eucharis flies past would also pose quite a significant target, sir... Unless we can rig up some kind of missile-boosted teleport beacon, it makes more sense in terms of a decoys-per-soldier ratio to send a single operative... But having the Eucharis itself remain a moving target is an optimum scenario for all concerned, that said."

"Tsuguka-Hei, Keretsui-Shosho? You mentioned we can spoof the enemy sensors?" Junko piped up.

"We could launch from the Eucharis along with a torpedo salvo. The squad forms up on one of the breaches in the shield we can create in that time, with torpedos aimed for the crew segments and sensor arrays. They'll think we were trying to cripple the station. We could breach near a security hub and subvert internal security systems before they can alert the entire station."

She looked at Suites quickly. The open question in her eyes was obvious: Could they hack the stations systems effectively? Otherwise, they were better off just going in like a hammer.

"The Eucharis can hit and run until it needs to disengage. I... think its just a matter of us doing our job after that?" She looked at Tsuguka for either affirmation or denial.

Shiho operates on a Smash or Not Smash Binary:

"Without any sort of backup, we're still going at this in a way which pits this ship's small infantry contingent, up against potentially 4600 enemy soldiers at base. No matter how much we stack those odds in our favor with debris, electronic warfare, or hit and runs: We are outclassed doing this alone with just this ship." Shiho stamped the heel of one of her boots, with her arms crossed in front of her it was the easiest way to indicate the ship she was on. "Us doing this alone, dirty and reckless is a good way to get killed, Shosho."

"Why don't we just call in the fleet? Hit them hard and fast at port from below. Use overwhelming force, and burn as many ships as possible while they're still docked before peeling off and moving to hit them from another direction. The fleet's strike would cause whatever they have to break off to try and counter-attack, leaving the base less prepared to deal with incursion."

Corridor to Wardroom

Adelphress has been wandering the corridors of the ship for a while now. She could not seem to find the Wardroom. She was slithering down the corridor when she found a panel. Back down the corridor she saw her long 12 foot tail blocking up a majority of the hallway. She'd need to hurry up so she does not get in the way of someone. While looking at the panel she learned she was only a few doors from the wardroom, so she continued to move towards it. Adelphress kept thinking in her head of what would happen since she is late.

Wardroom

Inside the room she could hear people talking about some mission. She hoped she did not miss most of the meetings. She walked through the door, putting her hands at her side. As she slithered in she went to the left and down a step, where she saw most of the crew sitting. Her long tail green tail barely making it in the door as she reached the crew. As she curled her tail around her body to take up less space, she spoke. "Sorry for being late."

Wardroom

Natsumi sipped at her drink as she listened to the others speak, then at the right time, added to the discussion.

"I have to agree. I think going in alone is not the best course of action" she said.

"With the support of the fleet we will have the numbers to distract them while we do what we need to do, as well as the firepower to ensure destruction of the computers by any means, including takibg out the entire station if we have to"

Wardroom

Tsuguka listened to Junko, Shiho and Natsumi in turn, playing the scenario out in her head from multiple angles. The most difficult part was trying to predict how the Kuvexians would react in turn. There just wasn't enough data.

"Whilst you are correct in many ways, Santo Hei Shiho Ishii, please don't forget our main objective..." A frank glance towards the more stout, muscular woman. "If you were an officer carrying invasion plans, you'd be on the first shuttle away from that firefight, wouldn't you? Destroy the computer, rather than let it fall into enemy hands..."

"Getting involved in a pitched battle is no good, unless that confusion is buying time for us whilst already inside... We don't need to fight everyone on board. We just need to get that computer, and get out again." A shrug, then a hand to her chin, with eyes darting back to the shortest neko of the group. "Hitting them so hard that it throws them into a blind panic is certainly one option, but we need some kind of force multiplier for that... Perhaps time torpedo launches on the approach, so that it appears as if there are a greater number of ships firing..."

The train of thought was more than slightly interrupted by a particularly tall and scaly newcomer slithering into their mist. Tsuguka recognized their fey features from the crew profile's mugshot, but... Well, those things really needed some kind of full body ID image.

"Svenghouli-Hei, is it? Welcome." The red-skinned lynx gave an ominously blank glare, as if barely holding back some intense outburst of disapproval, before making a short bow of stilted greetings. Too bad the new recruit had no way of knowing it was just their normal expression. "I guess you don't have access to the Pantheon as easily, so it's to be expected. Please, feel free to acquaint yourself with Mehitabel Calidius-Hei's notes."

Wardroom

"Whether or not we have the firepower to defeat this station is not the question," Hanako said. "This attack will start a war. We need the data so we can fight that war where they live, instead of waiting for them to come back here. If we attack in large numbers from the outset, they will burn the data. That is why our team is going in. I do not think I need to explain the why of the mission any more than that. I need you to come up with the how of the mission, and then to execute it."

Candon's eyes lit up with an idea, which was almost never a good thing

"The defences will kill our suits at any range under- I don't know, maybe a klick. Probably less. Getting us that close would pose significant risk to the ship. With a structure this large we'd never win a battle of attrition, which is the only way to engage this thing. Look, there's no cover, it's space. I think I have an idea that may not get us killed and will shorten my bucket list a bit," Suites placed his communicator on the table, it's projector showing a schematic of Eucharis, "on the rear of the ship we can tow a variety of modules. I believe this may be useful. Let's say we we're towing something large and dense, like a chunk of asteroid, and lobbed it wherever we want to enter. The armor team could use it as cover! Just follow it in and let it take the blows for us. And of course an object in motion stays in motion until it slams the station's hull. If we weight our gloves enough in may deliver enough punch to destabilize the station. Whether it's in orbit or not the command center will be focused more on halting their new velocity than purging data. The people on the station may start panicking, it's terrifying when an entire station rocks, that may help. All hands will be called in to contain the damage, and atmosphere, so that should create plenty of cover for us to cloak and breach. We just need something with enough mass to push through their shields... or a ton of subspace missiles from our countermeasure pods."

Though his face kept a sense of professionalism anybody familiar with him could probably see that his ideas didn't end with just the mission...
"I could look into overloading their reactor too if we get in. That should cut down on ship production."