RP: 5th XF [Prelude] Point of Origin

Creighton nodded a reply to Kiyoko and proceeded after her. He mentally sent a note to the other capital ship pilot on his shift to take a look at the arrangements at the Arboretum.

Once outside the room he responded back to here telepathic message. Thanks, it's good to have you back, too.

Ichiro walked in and stood at a seat near the middle of the table, waiting on the Shosa to come in and give an all ease and seat command.

"Worrying about what was in the briefing room is best left to those who will investigate it; we have other matters that should be occupying our minds.â€

Kiyoko entered the briefing room with Creighton in tow. A warm smile back on her lips. Yugumo entered through the other set of doors, her elegant walk sexy and confident, she gave a smile to Kiyoko and then took off her rank pin tossing it onto the center of the table, then took her seat.

Kiyoko addressed the others, "First things first, when you are in a conference with me your rank is invalid. Take off your pins and put them in the center of the table. You can collect them on the way out.â€

As Creighton entered the room, he skirted around to the right. He wanted a better view of this group he was going to be working with for the coming months, maybe even years.

Upon Kiyoko's command, Creighton smirked and calmly removed his Chui rank pin from his chest. He tossed it in his hand for a few seconds, watching it and getting a feel for its weight.

Giving a short toss from where he stood, Creighton flipped his rank pin onto the table. It landed with a small clatter and skid along the table for a few inches before coming to a rest. After making his pitch Creighton opened up with a grin and stood behind the nearest chair, placing his hands on it for support.

For here he waited to hear the briefing begin. In the back of his mind however, he was anxiously awaiting the report about the earlier incident. He felt like it had thrown him off his game, and the only way to recover was to resolve it.

Kiyoe hesitantly took off her rank pin and slid it into the middle of the table as she took up position by a seat, not daring to sit down until the officers did. If what the Shosa was saying about not caring about rank was right, she got the feeling that she could like it here--the casual atmosphere on the bridge had been a refreshing change from the rigid hierarchy they'd accustomed her to in training. Still, she'd had enough strict superiors to make her more than a little skeptical of the offer.

Tesuro sat far across the table from the Kiyoko, Yugumo, Creighton, and Itkatsu. He was still a little shaken up by the bizarre incident earlier, and was trying not to let it show. As Kiyoko entered, he looked down slightly, not wanting to make eye contact if she happened to be in a poor mood due to the incident.

Much to his surprise she seemed just as upbeat as before, and this relaxed Tesuro just a bit. Surprised though he was at stripping their rank pins, he followed his orders exactly and tossed his pin precisely into the center of the table. It bounce once or twice, then rested soundly.

Eager though he was for his first briefing, and though Kiyoko gave license for open discussion, he resolved to remain silent for the meeting, believing himself too uninformed to contribute anything useful. With that, he tilted his head down again.

Ichiro smiled brightly. He was going to love this Shosa. He took off his pin, and tossed it into the pile. He liked how she was going to handle business, with out rank.

The Seijin no Umi has broken out of escort pattern, Taisho Koyanagi sends that they have been called to Pisces Station and to continue to the Staging area without them. Yugumo reported to Kiyoko.

Acknowledged, keep me appraised.

The lights in the conference room dimmed, and the table's volumetric projection system engaged as well as the large viewer on the wall. On the table a three dimensional map of a region of space to the galactic southeast clarified to near perfect resolution, on the wall was the 5th XF insignia.

"As you all know the Taisho is greatly dismayed with out losses at Taiie and in the Bard Cluster region. Most of the fleet has been hiding in the Katsuko Nebula. The Yugumo project was developed to explore territory outside of the Imperial Core and establish colonies away from the front lines.â€

Ichiro nodded, following along. "So, as a general question, are we Combat Arms along to help protect as needed?" he asked, sitting up, studying the map.

Itkatsu hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching up and taking off her Chui pin, leaning over the table a bit to place it down gently next to the others rather than toss it carelessly like everyone else seemed inclined to do. With that done the Neko took a seat, wondering just how far the informal manner of the Shosa extended into both the running of the ship as well as daily life aboard it.

Such thoughts were quickly pushed aside though as the briefing began, all attention being directed towards the material presented within. Everything presented seemed fairly standard, though the entanglement of their crew reinforcements with SMX forces was cause for concern; when the captain paused for comments Kiyoko nodded in acknowledgement of her orders, not having anything to add herself at that moment.

Creighton watch the display with some indifference. The news was fairly old. He was one of the first aboard the Yugumo along with Kiyoko, so he was well aware of the goals of the ship.

He continued to rest against the back of the chair, arms propping his body up. Creighton began to consider the impact of the loss of the headquarters at Taiie, and their mission to find a suitable new planet for it. The logistics of everything currently must be madness.

Creighton's attention then shifted to Kiyoko as she relaxed more. Watching her give those present their orders with a usual tired look he had. He knew she gave short and to the point briefings, but he still found them dull as dirt. He stayed silent, holding his own question for when Ichiro got his answer.

She responded to Ichiro, "Right now, your combat arms experience will come in useful in aiding my officers and I on the bridge. With the personnel shortages, you are going to have to be resourceful and a little out of your element. However, I don't question that you all will become very capable in the areas I have asked you to cover.â€

Tesuro turned away, slightly shaking his head. Having absorbed all of the information, he still did not feel inclined to comment.

Kiyoe shook her head meekly. All this logistics didn't mean much to her--all she'd really absorbed from the briefing was that there was going to be a party (woohoo!) and that she was going to have to keep working navigation (ugh...). She was just about ready to get out of here. The anticipation of her first assignment and moving in had left her tense... and sitting around on the bridge hadn't exactly helped her let it out. Now, she just wanted to get off her butt and do something to blow off her excess energy.

Ichiro nodded, grabbing his pin. "Do we have a shift or two before the party? I don't want to get my casual on too early."

Creighton sighed at Ichiro. "Can't stand to unwind a bit mate?" He chuckled. "We'll have to change that right quick."

Creighton received a telepathic message from the crew member he sent to check on the Arboretum. Everything checked out, nothing out of order. Creighton's face seemed to go from tired to relaxed, at the news. He relayed the news telepathically to Kiyoko.

"Either way, we should be good to relax. I think I speak for the commander when I say that." Creighton looked around the group gathered. He still hadn't moved from his position leaning on the chair.

I think that covers things. I have mission specifics I know I should ask. But... I'm thirsty... For booze, to put it crudely. Creighton sent to Kiyoko.

The mention of a party caught Kiyoko's attention, though not in the same way as the others around her; ‘party' had become all but synonymous with ‘embarrassing' thanks to the Neko's previous encounters. That she was now on a completely different ship gave Kiyoko hope that it would be a different experience, and the Shosa's indication that there would be a table for senior officers – or rather an actual table that they would be seated at – encouraged this small piece of optimism.

With the important parts of the briefing seemingly over Kiyoko's mind turned toward the preparations she would need to make before the party and, with it being a non-uniform event, what she would wear...

>ON YSS Yugumo

"So..." Camellia said as the airlock to the Yugumo opened. "There's going to be a launch party for the crew?" She asked, while her, Caine and the assorted followers from the Seijin no Umi walked along a corridor.

"A party huh? Sounds like it could be fun." Caine said with an amused chuckle. "Sounds like it'd be fun, especially after what we've been through."

Ichiro sat in the bunkroom, pondering whether to wear his sapphire blue duster and emerald shirt, or just go with the sky blue long sleeve.

Kiyoe was in her own bunk, her box of hair ornaments out and digging around in an attempt to settle on one. Finally, she looked at Ichiro uncertainly. "You aren't going to change in here, are you?"

Taisa Igarashi Yuka walked with the Taisho behind Caine and Camellia, arm in arm-the two had blown off their obligations at the Star Fortress to attend the little party and had neglected to inform Kiyoko or her crew. The couple, still in their uniform whites represented what some would consider the powerhouse of the fleet. "So think she can throw a party?" Yuka asked Mayumi with a smirk.

"She is her mother's daughter, after all." Mayumi had left the bridge in the hands of one of her Chujo's when they docked with the Yugumo. She felt it was important to make herself approachable to its crew. They followed Caine and Camellia through the airlock.

Creighton was in the general area of his assigned quarters. Sprawled out on the couch, book over his eyes. Only his heavy breath gave any indication of life. He had been here since the briefing had ended, stating that he had "important" work to catch up on.

The Yamataian snorted as he shifted position, just as the Yugumo appeared next to him. "Please wake up Chui, you'll be late for-" She started.

"GRAAAH!" The young man screamed out in surprise and fell off the couch with a thump.

Kiyoko entered the Galaxy Arboretum, her attire for the evening was a simple extremely short black mini skirt with a short white tummy top with a heart on it. Her green hair was down, rather than in its usual bun as she traditionally wore it on duty. She walked down the path, the simulated Yamatai-like atmosphere was great. She made her way down towards the lake where the tables were set up. There was already about twenty or so of the crew there, drinking at the bar or dancing on the dance floor. The dance music was loud and echoed across the lake. She made her way to the reserved table and awaited Creighton and crew.

The group arrived at the Galaxy Arboretum after a brisk walk and slight tour, since Caine and Camellia didn't see everything before the Yugumo was put in mothballs for a few months. Looking around the simulated gardens, Camellia took the sight in with quiet pleasure. "I like it." she stated. "Nothing loud, nothing obscene." She said with a nod as she walked towards the gathered tables.

An unexpected turn of events, a lot of the Seijin no Umi's crew had heard about the party, there was now officers and crewman pouring into the Arboretum dome from every entrance. Some of the Yugumo's sprites worked feverishly to bring out extra seating and set up an additional three bars. And there she was, the Yugumo herself, perched behind the DJ's table with a drink in hand turning up the volume on the music to account for the low rumble of voices. She gave a nod towards Kiyoko as she watched the Shosa enter.

Caine blinked as they arrived at the Arboretum and whistled, a slightly excited grin grew on his face as he did. "Wow. I liked it here before but this is absolutely wonderful" he said appreciatively and looked over the area before resting on Kiyoko. He perked a brow at her quietly and started to blush a bit. "Uhm...." he muttered and shook his head as he brushed his hair out of her eyes.

Taii Nakasato, followed after the Taisho and Taisa. Head down, she was attempting to blend in with the group. But at the sight of the Arboretum she stopped in the middle of the doorway to gape in awe, getting trampled by the influx of personnel during it all.

Not waiting for a response, Kiyoe settled on a simple hair comb to hold her hair back in a loose bun. She hadn't brought any clothes other than what had been assigned to her, so she'd be going in her uniform--as such, she was almost certain that she was going to look like an idiot anyway; it probably wasn't worth the effort to dress her hair up. After taking a few moments to muster up her courage, she announced, "Hey, computer? Can you please show me how to get to this party?"

Yugumo answered Kiyoe, transmitting the directions to the Galaxy Arboretum. Better get down here, before Kiyoko and Creighton find the bar. She added for a bit of fun.

Despite the awkward awakening, Creighton managed to clean up rather well. At least his clothes were in order; he wore a pair of khaki pants with leather sandals with an undershirt and unbuttoned dress shirt. His hair still remained a mess, the dirty blonde locks seemed to go every direction. After a short reprimanding by the Yugumo as he clothed himself, Creighton shot out of his general area. Sprinting down the hallway he waved at a Neko to hold the lift, which ended up frightening her, making her shut the lift quicker. The Yamataian bounced into the lift doors, recovering quickly just as the second lift opened. With a dive, the young man was into the lift and shut the door before anyone else could enter. He was on a mission, nothing getting in his way.

Kiyoko looked up seeing Caine, she jumped out of her chair and ran towards him, throwing her arms around him. "Caine!" She nuzzled close to him, holding back the tears, which she wanted to cry in the joy of him being there. They didn't hurt you did they, Are you okay? She figured he had been shipped to the front lines. She melted against him, smiling as she looked over her shoulder offering a brief wave in Camellia's direction, she said to them both. "Welcome home." For her in that moment, everything seemed alright with the universe, she brightened and released her grip from Caine.

Camellia raised a brow at Kiyoko's actions, though apparently warranted, they seemed slightly excess to her. It never really occurred to Camellia that Caine was suck a lady's man. Though she did return the wave. "It's good to be home." She said with a smile.

Caine blushed darkly and hugged Kiyoko back and chuckled, blushing darker and stroked her hair to comfort her for a moment. It did seem like the universe brightened immensely in that moment and he just held her close. I'm alright, just a little stressed out but I'm ok. I'm happy to see you too. You wouldn't believe how happy it really makes me Kiyoko... He replied to her and released the grip on her but still held her gently like he didn't want to let her go. "Let's all get something to drink, how about that?" he smiled at her than to them all.

Ichiro smiled. "Of course not. I'll change in the hall, if you need me too. I'm in my comfy pants, so all I need to do is change into a different shirt" he said, nodding to her. "Could I ask a favor first? Which do you think would be better? The Sapphire duster, with an emerald shirt, or a plain sky blue long sleeve?"

Mayumi and Yuka headed towards the bar. Mayumi ordered, "Spiked Iced Tea." Yuka added, "The same." The two met eyes a moment. Yuka whispered, A heavy burden, I doubt they know how much the operational future of this fleet falls on them.

Mayumi sighed, leaning against Yuka. Let them enjoy their party. This is our problem... They are the solution, not the cause. The Sprite handed them their drinks and they headed towards Kiyoko and crew.

It didn't take Kiyoe long to reach the Arboretum with the ship's directions. Upon arriving, she lingered inside the door for a few minutes. Plenty of people had already arrived, and she spent several seconds just surveying the crowd for familiar faces. To her relief, she wasn't the only one attending in uniform. When she'd taken in her fill of the crowd, she approached the command table silently, looking a bit restrained by the presence of so many new people.

The lift carrying Creighton came to a halt on the Arboretum's level and as the doors slowly opened the Yamataian squeezed through them before they finished opening. He began a quick dash down the hall before entering into the Arboretum, nearly running down several uniform clad personnel as he did so. He only skidded to a halt just inside the Arboretum. He grinned broadly as he spotted the bar, with only a few people around it. Not seeing Caine, Kiyoko, or Cam he proceeded to march right up. With a grin he snapped his finger and pointed to the bartender, "I'm sure you know me. The usual scotch, if you don't mind."

Kiyoko sat down at the head of the table, smiling as she seen Kiyoe, Have a seat, how is everything-accommodations okay? she motioned to the chair to her right. She regarded Camellia and likewise motioned for her to take a seat at the table with them. "So where the hell did you two end up? I lost track after what happened at Taiie. Mothe--I mean the Taisho mentioned something about a quarantine.â€

Ichiro perked up at that. The 5th fleet Taisho was here? Man, was he glad he bowed when he got to the table. "I'm Ichiro. I do weapon repair, shoot stuff, shoot stuff dead, and anything else needed." he says, ordering some sake. "My whole family line, as back as far as my parents remember, is gunsmiths and soldiers."