RP: YSS Miharu Prologue Day 2 (text dump)

Triple dashes between posts; triple asterisks between different threads of narration.

SCENE: Scorpio Base, Mess Hall

Kotori frowned in deep concentration as she peered down at the assortment of food offered on her menu. The simple fact that she could order so many choices from the mess hall spoke a bit of the sort of prestige the Ketsurui surname invoked, but she didn't mind it since it allowed her small crew to enjoy some extra privileges too. "I don't know what to pick." She pouted, looking from the pancakes to the frenchbread. If the cafeteria offered onigiri, things would be so much simpler... but she only saw western meals.

Yukari was frowning as well. "I know. I am in no better condition; the food is too salty or too sweet. The Nekovalkyrja here must be so unhealthy." She sat next to Kotori.

Kotori smiled indulgently. "Don't say that. I bet they are offering this menu to appeal to our Nepleslian crewmembers. I should have a new crewmember coming in today, actually."

"I don't know about unhealthy. Satisfied possibly." Nyton said with a plate topped with several pancakes. They were coated with butter and whipped cream, and he had several selections of syrup ranging from maple, blueberry, and strawberry.

Yukari hmphed. "I do not see how this food maintains a person's health. Fish and rice seem better. But it is nice to hear that we will have another crewmember."

"This food is not for health. It is for enjoyment." Nyton replied. "A new crew member. Excellent. Do we have a name yet?"

Wow... this place is freaking huge. Where am I? Tom Freeman thought as he aimlessly wandered the halls of the Scorpio Base. He ran his hand through his short, spiky hair, flicking out the last few remaining specks of paint that remained from yesterday's Raltean festival. "Sooooooooooooo..... what the hell." He sighed out loud as he leaned against a nearby wall and looked at the sheet of paper with his assignment on it. He shifted his dufflebag over his right shoulder and pressed on. Freakin' bases.

Tom's wanderings eventually took the Yamataian to the mess hall, where the clattering of dishes and smell of food enticed him. He pinched out a snag on his uniform before entering, not knowing exactly what he should be doing, but knowing for damn sure that he wanted to eat. Food rocked.

Morita was a bad morning person. Sure, he could fake consciousness in order to pass by inspections during training camp and many of the places he worked at he could cook and plate orders fairly easily, but when it came to an unfamiliar place, his body acted on instinct to get to where he needed to go. The door to the mess hall sliding open gave enough of a scent. Morita dragged himself in, looking no worse for the wear than a shirt that was left in the washing machine for a week. As far as it looked like, he passed out in his uniform - the question of whether or not he actually got to the bed in his room was also suspect.

Kotori smiled at the sight of Morita and was about to greet him politely, but then noticed the other person coming in. She grinned. "Looks like he is earlier than I expected." She said, looking over to the newcomer meaningfully.

"Eh?" Yukari turned and noticed Morita looking rather ... rumpled. She frowned a little; he was not in good shape. But the other man -- he seemed very cheery, even from a distance. Something about his demeanor, how he carried himself, made her think so. She stood and smiled.

Morita squinted in the light and blinked a couple of times. "Hmm..." He took one of the menus up and headed for the kitchen, mumbling something under his breath. His step became steadier as he got closer to the kitchen, and he was standing a little straighter by the time he reached the door. He opened the door, took a deep breath to inhale the smell of buttermilk, eggs, and meat sizzling on a grill, and disappeared inside. "Get me some food..."

"Aiyaah! You can't come in here!" A cute blonde Neko wearing an apron pushed Morita away. "You're in the way. Get out and order after looking over at a menu."

Tom had almost wandered right by the group until a lady with interesting green eyes and a heart-shaped face stood up. Tom wasn't a pro on social etiquette or anything, but he figured that, since the person was looking at him, it meant one of two things: she was looking for him...OR she was so taken aback by his sheer awesomeness that she had to stand and admire him. Tom knew it was the former, but still laughed to himself while thiking of the latter. He walked over to the table, plopping his dufflebag on the ground next to him. "Howdy!"

Yukari wasn't sure what to think. She blushed a little, bowing a little. He is very tall! "Good morning, Hei-san."

Kotori stood to greet the Yamataian male with a polite nod. "Welcome to Scorpio base, Mister Tom 'Tap Happy' Freeman."

Nyton looked over at the calling from a familiar voice. "Freeman? Tom Freeman?" he said in surprise.

Morita regarded the Neko with little concern. The fact that he was being pushed back outside was something of a disappointment, but he respected her wishes. He wouldn't want anybody suddenly barging into his kitchen, either. "Eggs benedict, four slices of ham steak, three eggs over easy, and a triple order of hash browns scattered on the grill with cheese and onions. Also a pot of coffee, extra strong." Morita moved over to the serving window to wait for his order, still mostly oblivious to the rest of the gathered bunch. Hopefully after starting breakfast he should gain a little more semblance of consciousness.

"Eh!?" Tom stood erect suddenly, having briefly bowed to the lady. Why the blazes did everyone know his name?! He surveyed the table for a moment, locking on both Kotori and Nyton. "You've got to be KIDDING me! NO WAY!" His already wide smile was almost ear-to-ear now.

Kotori glanced over Nyton's way. "You two know each other?"

Yukari felt a little underprepared. She did not know who the man was, only that he was a Jôtô Hei.

Nyton put his plate down and grinned. "Well well, of course we know each other. We were on the Mikomi together on the mission at Tami," he answered Kotori. "Freeman, how have you been? How has everyone else been?"

"Not bad, Mr. Claymere! Well, look at you!" He shook his associates hand vigorously. He had ignored the second part of his question entirely, aware of the answer he would have to give when pressed. "You've got yourself promoted quite a bit! No way they could keep a man of action and adventure like you down for long!"

"And look at yourself. Still healthy and jovial as ever." Nyton replied.

"With a sleek, sexy new body, I might add. Yamataian!" Tom struck a pose before chuckling.

The Neko cook eventually came out with the plates Morita had asked for, setting his breakfast down by the main table where everyone else was. "Ketsurui-Taii, would you like to order?"

Kotori was distracted from Tom and nodded. "I'll have French toast please."

"Hai." The Neko cook bowed again. "Anyone else?"

"The same as Ketsurui-Taii," Yukari said to the waiter. "Thank you."

"I'll have some orange juice, heavy pulp, and some toasted bread." Nyton said to the cook. "Yamataian body now? Good upgrade." he said as he returned to Tom.

"Pancakes and scrambled eggs with syrup. Thanks a bunch, ma'am!" Tom said to the neko. "Yeah, it feels pretty solid." He looked at the rest of the table, motioning to the seats. "If I may?"

Kotori nodded as the cook left. "Please," she gestured Tom to a free seat. Tom hadn't greeted her with a bow, but she supposed it was alright given the circumstances.

The cook gave a final bow and left for the kitchen.

Tom took his seat, with a smile, having been completely oblivious to the much, MUCH higher ranking persons in front of him.. until now. Aw... damn it! "I'm so sorry, ma'am. Where are my manners?" He stood up and bowed to the two. "Jôtô Hei Tom Freeman, reporting." He retook his seat.

"Surprised?" Kotori tilted her head curiously. "I'm your new commanding officer."

"Kotori was it? Didn't we meet briefly a long, long time ago? Holy COW! You must be on your way to greatness having leapt like that in the rankings, if I may be so bold, ma'am." Tom nodded. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised... I suppose this means I'll be doing all the cooking now!"

The Taii laughed. "There were unique circumstances. My surname changed too." Kotori amended and then glanced over to the somewhat zombified Morita. "As for the cooking, I'll leave that up to you to figure out with Morita-san, seeing that he is our new cook."

Yukari sat down in her seat and sipped her water.

Nyton gathered his tray with food and set it down on the table next to Yukari. "No matter how big a fleet we have I still manage to run into an old crew member. So anything else happen since I left the Mikomi? How is everyone?"

Morita sat down and picked up a fork. "Ohayo, minna," Morita said, and then set about demolishing his plate in short order. The ham steaks were the first to disappear, the eggs benedict and a slice of english muffin disappeared next, and a quarter of the coffee pot. While not necessarily a whirlwind of activity, it just seemed that the food was consumed as if at a leisurely pace, only in fast forward, complete with use of napkin. Morita's complexion became better, and he seemed to be the same as he was yesterday. "This is good food," he remarked, before beginning round two.

Tom thought for a long moment, his face and voice unchanging, but his eyes revealing to Nyton much of the emotion that he held back. "Let's not talk shop right now. I don't want to ruin a perfectly good breakfast." He also nodded to the newcomer. "Hello!"

Yukari blinked at Morita. She scarcely had time to say "Good morning" before he starting eating. She smiled a little.

Kotori studied Tom for a moment and then turned to the others. "Today, we'll be testing out some new hardware we'll be taking along on the Miharu. Are any of you familliar with the new ground armors?"

"Mmrhm, technology," Morita said in reply to Kotori, before starting on his hashbrowns. "Tasty technology," he said, perhaps mixing his current thought process with what the commander was saying.

"No, I am not, unfortunately." Tom replied.

Nyton sat back in his chair, the message most obvious. He then turned to Kotori. "I've mostly gotten an overview from my research you mentioned. But as far as some hands on, I'm still lacking."

"Well, we'll be trying out the Sylph and the Harpy simulation suits." Kotori eyed Yukari. "There's even this new shuttle simulation pod for you to try out if you'd like."

"Ah?" Yukari blushed a little. "I, can do either. I am not restricted to flying."

"I've only piloted the Phalanx, but I'd love to assist in any other way I can." Tom said.

The Neko cook emerged from the kitchen bearing a few platters and began handing out breakfast for the people she hadn't served yet.

Yukari mouthed a quick "thank you" to the cook before she left. She looked down at the toast; she took a bit of butter and put it on the toast, then cut a piece for herself. The toast had a little sweetness to it. I have tasted worse, she thought, recalling the emergency flesh rations aboard many starships.

Morita paused from eating only to hold up a V to the Neko, denoting another order of much of the same. His platter was well on the way to being completely devoid of any food. "Power armor operations aren't part of what I enlisted to do, but I can always give it a shot," Morita said.

Tom nodded to the cook and began to eat. "Good stuff."

The Neko wearing the apron bowed and left to attend to Morita's order.

"Itadakimasu." Kotori picked up her ustensils and started eating.

"Ah thank you." Nyton said. "Itadakimasu." he muttered. "This is going to be a different operation method than what most of us are used to. Remember our operation on Tami? We're working on a new planetside approach."

"Ah, I see..." Tom trailed off, looking to the silent green-eyed woman. Conversations about armors bored him, especially when they were conducted over such a nice breakfast setting. Still, he didn't want to make himself look like a bad soldier. He nodded to Yukari with a smile, trying to will her to be more talkative.

Yukari smiled at Tom. "You must have been popular, aboard the Mikomi," she said to him quietly.

Morita poured himself another cup of coffee, thereby finishing the pot and his first breakfast. He nodded in greeting to Tom, then set about unruffling his clothing. "Floors aren't comfortable," he noted to himself.

Kotori frowned and gave the Yamataian cook a sidelong glance. She was eating, so she wouldn't comment, but why did he sleep on the floor when there had been quarters - which included a good bed - assigned to him?

"Oh, I'm no more special than any other technical sentry...if not a bit more eccentric." Tom winked to her.

"Eccentricites help define us." Yukari sipped her water. "In the Star Army, they are not so common, neh?"

"Does that mean most people in the Star Army are boring?" Morita wondered aloud.

"Maybe most officers, who have to manage many lives, but, but down in the trenches, there's a lot of room for zaniness." Tom quickly said, deflecting some of the attention off of Morita. He didn't want the person to get into trouble.

Kotori swallowed a little early, making a semi-audible 'gulp' sound. "Maybe we should introduce our new cook to dare parties." She confided telepathically to Yukari.

"Mou," Yukari said. "I am not boring... at least not very boring." She smiled a little. "You assume I could survive another one. I feared Claymere-Juni was going to hurt me for kissing his...you know."

"Men actually have to beg for this kind of treatment." Kotori returned.

"it is just a matter of percentages." Nyton offered. "Anyways, we stated our day's mission perogatives. How about we enjoy ourselves during our meal. We'll need it if we want to get the most out of our training."

Tom slurped up some of the syrup off his fork, his pancakes and eggs long gone. "Already done!" he said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't really think you're boring, Suzuka-san. I was just making a generalization." Morita looked back at the kitchen - maybe they had forgotten about his second breakfast?

"Uso da. How embarrassing." Yukari giggled a little at Tom, then looked to Morita. "I know, Kamiyama-Hei. I was trying to 'give you a hard time.'"

"Food needs to be enjoyed, not consumed sometimes." Nyton said as he poured the three different types of syrup onto his pancakes in turn. "Especially a meal like this one."

Morita grinned at Yukari. "A man I once knew told me that there are only few things that you can carry with you through life, and one of them is the memory of good food and the people you share it with."

"We also had a saying on Ralt," Tom said. "'A healthy meal makes few friends!' This is REAL food, I tell you!"

"it is the memory of these meals that keep me going to the next one sometimes." Nyton said, matter of factly as he ate a bite off of his pancake.

"Men," Yukari said with a mischevious smile. "You think of nothing but food?"

Tom cast a sidelong glance at Nyton, the weight of his words hitting him heavily. So he was not the only one... "Sometimes, ma'am." Tom replied to the question.

"Well, it is my job, after all," Morita said, chuckling. "When you're a cook, there's always a part of the brain thinking about new dishes, how to present food, and how to adjust for taste. A cook that doesn't think about food probably shouldn't be in the kitchen!" Morita's chuckle escalated into a hearty, unfettered laugh.

"Only when necessary." Nyton retorted. He raised an eyebrow towards Yukari. "There are other things. And not necessarily associated with the usual things."

The Nekovalkyrja cook returned with the second helping Morita had ordered and set it in front of him. "Dozo."

Tom pushed his dish to the side so that he could rest his hands on the table. "I hope this is a lot of fun. It has to be, considering half the crew I've met so far I know!"

"Sou ka," Yukari said. "Well, unless you are a cook... I suppose there are worse things to think about. But if you want fun, Freeman-Hei, what about your new commander?" The Yamataian woman smiled as she put her hands on Kotori's shoulders. "She is worth thinking about, neh?"

Tom blinked. Then blinked again. Huh? Tom just sat there stupidly.

Kotori made a little frown, pausing her chewing for a moment before resuming. Her black furred ears perked up.

"She does have nice hair," Morita offered, before starting on his second breakfast. A bit slower than before, but still at a fairly quick pace.

"You are men! You should consider the appearance of your commander." Yukari smiled, her eyes just over Kotori's right ear. "Kamiyama-Hei is right. She has lovely hair, does she not?"

"Of course she does, ma'am. I must say that you're both quite attractive." Tom was unsure where the conversation was going, but it sounded fun.

Kotori set down her fork and turned a curious eye over to her executive officer. "So I've been told. Why the focus on me all of a sudden?"

Nyton chuckled slightly. "Why just the commander and no mention of yourself?" he said.

Yukari blushed. Backfired! "Ketsurui-Taii is glamorous and she is powerful. She is the dream of many men!" Her green eyes were shaded by her eyelids, as she looked away some.

"Like I said, no mention of yourself? Just because her majesty is beautiful does not mean you should discount yourself." Nyton said plainly before he ate some more of his pancake. "Different strokes for different folks."

Yukari's blush only deepened. Claymere-Juni no baka, she thought with a pout. She breathed a shallow sigh of relief when Kotori changed the conversation, allowing her to eat her French toast. Attention will not leave me be. I stand out among this crew by sex alone.

Ooookkkkk..... now entering strangeville. Although they were friendly in Ralt, such compliments of glamour, power and majesty were not commonly exchanged. It seemed... odd... idolizing. Tom decided to let this segment of the conversation pass without input.

"Come to think of it, I seem to be the only Nekovalkyrja in the crew so far." Kotori looked around at the people assembled. "Not to mention most of you are men as well."

"Not our fault this crew is made up of what it is." Nyton offered.

"Just an oddity, seeing that more than ninety percent of the Star Army is composed of Nekovalkyrja. I don't particularly mind." Kotori answered with a light shrug.

Morita let out a few happy grunts as he worked on his food. "It will be interesting times coming ahead, won't it," Morita mused. He was genuinely enthused, what with the variety of people that will be on the same ship as him.

"Exactly. A mere oddity in percentages." Nyton chuckled.

Kotori nodded. Her plate was empty by now, so she asked "Is everyone done? If we leave soon we'll have better chances to have easy access to the simulators."

"Yup. I'm good to go, although please PLEASE don't expect me to be an ace pilot." Tom said helplessly.

"I am ready," Yukari said simply.

"Alright then." Kotori stood up. "Let us go."


* * *


With a prolonged stretch and a slightly muffled yawn, James Dige shuffled down the hallway towards the Mess Hall. The shuttle ride had been fairly uncomfortable, and the sight of a fresh bed in his quarters had been more than enough to convince him to get some rest. Now that he was significantly revived, James figured he might as well figure out where everything was in the base.

Entering the Mess Hall, he blinked at the line-up of food arrayed at the far end of the room. Yikes, this is a bit more extravagant than they served us... The grumble in his stomach reminded him just how appealing that food looked right now.

As the Geshrin made his way forward, he noticed a group of people out of the corner of his eye, apparently finished with their meals and preparing to move on to more important matters. He caught sight of a few rank pins and figured that at least someone would be able to tell him just where to go. One slight deviation in course later, and he was standing at their table, trying to figure out something to say.

"Pardon the interruption," he managed to get out, "but could one of you tell me where I could find the commander of the Miharu?"

- - -

One of the people he was talking to, a beautiful pale skinned Nekovalkyrja with long black hair and golden eyes dressed in a white panneled Star Army uniform turned to James.

"That would be myself. I am Ketsurui Kotori-Taii." The slender woman answered, giving the Geshrin an appraising look.

- - -


James bowed his head slightly and snapped to a salute. Well, that was easier than I thought. And here I was expecting to have to chase her down.

"I am Santo Hei James Dige, reporting. My pleasure to meet you, Ketsurui-Taii."

- - -


"Likewise." Kotori nodded, smiling inwardly - she was glad the new recruit had the presence to bow - and then asked: "We were about to move out. Have you eaten yet, Dige-hei?"

James dropped his arm and shook his head.

"No, Ketsurui-Taii, but I can wait. I wouldn't want to hold everyone up."

His stomach grumbled in protest.

" ... Well, perhaps I should grab something small and eat as we go."

- - -


"Going on an empty stomach is bad." Kotori smiled indulgently. "Just sit down, grab a menu and ask the cute neko cook to serve you what you want. We are going down to test some new power armor simulators, so, once you're done, ask Kami to lead you over to Project Inoue."

* * *


ON: Scorpio Base

Yukari smiled at the new crewmember; he seemed nice enough, though the growl from his stomach was very loud. Eating, she thought, would be good for him. Her eyes drifted to Nyton, who seemed focused on the upcoming task. Armors ... "Ketsurui-Taii, Tom and I will meet you there, neh?"

She smiled, then looked to Tom as they began walking. "Do you fly a power armor well, Freeman-Hei?"

Tom Freeman was strolling at a casual pace, skipping a step here and there and looking all around. "Well, ma'am, I can't say that I fly a power armor like the pilots do. Actually, I can safely say that I've flown a Phalanx twice."

Twice? Yukari was sure she'd flown power armor more than that. "No wonder you are a caretaker and engineer. You do not enjoy combat then?"

"Nope," Tom replied. "When I first began my tenure in the Star Army, I thought it'd all be frickin' rad lasers tearing into our enemies and making them explode while our pilots do victory laps around the battlefield." He sighed deeply. "I was pretty stupid back then."

Strange, Yukari thought. That is how it was described to us. She sped up a little, as Tom was faster than she was. "You have been in the Star Army for a long time then?"

"Lemme think..." his voice trailed off and he hummed to himself, rubbing his chin with two fingers. "It'll be a little more than a year soon. How about you?"

Yukari smiled a little. "Six years."

The Yamataian nodded appreciatively. "You must've seen a lot during that time. Do you enjoy your time in the army, ma'am?"

Yukari looked about for a moment. "No," she then said quietly.

Freeman hushed up as well, winking with a smile. "I think you're right."

Yukari smiled a little too. "I am appreciative of what the Empire has done for me. It gave me life ... but I am not good for war."

"I understand completely." Tom stretched his arms above his head, working out a kink with a yawn before swinging them at his sides as he walked. He left his reply at that.

"Anou ... " Yukari was not sure how to word her question. "Your name ... it is Nepleslian?"

"Cool, isn't it?" Tom turned his head to Yukari with a grin. "Never been on Nepleslia in my life. My hometown, Ralt, is a bit separated from the rest of Yamatai, so I guess we're a bit independent-minded. Tom Freeman. Got a nice ring to it!"

A giggle escaped past Yukari's lips before she could stop it. "It is a nice ring," she said. "Do many from Ralt have such names?"

"Yup!" Tom blurted the answer out, his eyes lighting with the sparkle of child-like wonder. He loved talking about home. "We're so far away that I like to think we've forgotten that Yamatai speaks Japanese! BAN ME BAN ME."

Yukari could not stop her giggling after that. "Sou deshou!" she said childishly. She let the laughter fade a bit before she pried further. "I have not been to Ralt before ... I have studied some. It is cold there?"

"Very, VERY cold," Tom said between chuckles. "But what we lack in warm temperatures we make up in hospitality."

"Of course, I still wouldn't consider it a prime vacation spot."

"Are there mountains?" Yukari asked.

"We're pretty close to the shore, so the mountains are more like hills," Tom said. "There's a fine moutain range to the southeast, though, that extends all the way down to the coast."

"Sou ka. It is near the water ... I love the water," Yukari said wistfully.

"Believe me, ma'am, this ain't the kind of water you want to be swimming in," Tom interjected. "You're bound to freeze your ass off!" Tom had gotten extremely comfortable with the Chui, his conversation becomming more and more casual. "Why do you like the water?"

" ... " Yukari's eyes seemed to stare ahead into space. She barely noticed a black-clad Neko nearly bump into her. "I received one leave during the first five years of my existence," she said, not sounding all there. "My commander allowed us to go to Port Xenn for a weekend. I had never seen real water until that time. And a group of Nekovalkyrja went sailing in Ash Bay ... it was unlike anything I knew."

"Mm-hm," Tom said softly, shaking his head gently. He had failed to realize that what he took for granted may seem precious to others, including the Chui. "Well then, it is settled," his voice picked up again with enthusiasm. "When we get shore leave, I'm going to take you to Ralt! The ocean looks marvelous during the spring when the lucious green grass peaks out for the first time of the year. You'll love it!"

Yukari blinked. Men in the Star Army are forward overall, she decided. "That is very generous of you, Freeman-Hei. May I return the favor to you?"

"Certainly. What did you have in mind?"

Yukari was about to mention her beach cabin along Ash Bay. But something -- the thought of Kotori -- made her hold back. "When I buy my own personal watercraft, I will take you on it."

"Wow, that sounds nice," Tom said. "It'll be a first for me. I'm going to take tons of pictures!" Tom was silent for a while, content, but then that nagging itch of curiousity came like a bolt out of the blue. "So, what's it like being a Neko?"

Yukari was caught a bit off guard. "I ... anou ... it is as if -- as if you were always about to explode." She wasn't sure that was a good answer.

"W-what?!" Tom nearly doubled over from surprise. "I-I don't understand."

"Nekovalkyrja are made for war," Yukari said slowly. "I was a freighter pilot ... my mind was at peace with my duty, but my body was not."

"So ... you felt ... compelled to fight?" Tom struggled with the seriousness of the issue. "That's ... horrible."

"Compulsion is inadequete." Yukari's eyes stopped looking ahead, focusing on Tom instead. "It was a need, made more desperate by my personality." She managed a smile. "PNUgen must have made a mistake with me."

"No," Tom said emphatically, his expression becoming serious as he looked at her. "You're no mistake. Being able to realize that, and to change despite what your mind and body were telling you, reveals your true strength. As long as you feel you've changed for the better, you've done something truly great for yourself. How we cope with difficulty defines us." He paused for a moment, looking down. "I'm sorry, Chui. I was out of line."

" ... Yes you were, Freeman-Hei." Yukari's eyes smiled as genuinely as her lips. "Arigatou gozaimashita."

"Sooooooooo... how many decks need a moppin'," he said, his cheerful personality combined with Yukari's forgiveness relaxing him. "Or perhaps an adequate punishment would be laundry duty?"

"Iiya," Yukari said with a small grin, then suddenly remembered Tom did not necessarily speak Japanese. "I mean, no, that is not necessary. I am not good handing out punishments."

"Whew, I think I'm going to like being your subordinate then, ma'am!" Tom gave a goofy thumbs up to her with a white-toothed grin. "Good choice!"

Yukari giggled again. "I think I will enjoy having you for a subordinate, Freeman-Hei." She returned the thumbs up in an awkward manner.

"No, no, no. You're doing it wrong!" Tom sighed with fake frustration. "You're my superior, I know, but you've GOT to learn how to do the rockin' thumbs up!" He stuck his hand next to hers. "Just like that. If you want to add the comedic gold effect, just flash the teeth with a smile and say something ridiculous like 'heeyyyyyy' or 'rock'!" He chuckled.

"Sou desu ka?" Yukari tried again, looking a little better this time. She flashed her white teeth. "Rawku!" she said.

Tom burst out laughing. "Good, good! You're getting there!" He thrust his thumb out with a grin. "ROCK OUT!"

Yukari frowned mockingly, then thrust her hand out again with her thumb. "RAWKU OUTOU!"

"Damn straight! A natural talent!" Tom tapped his clenched fist with hers. "Good stuff!"

Yukari blinked at her now tapped fist. She smiled and tapped his fist back. "Yes, it is."

* * *

Yukari looked to the bright haired man again as they turned a corner. She was doing the leading mostly through the base KAMI's help, as she had no clue where they were going. She slipped her datapad away again, the map in the corner of her vision. "Why are you in the Star Army, Freeman-Hei?"

Tom had noticed that the two were drifting off a bit from the rest of the group, but that didn't bother him. Yukari was a nice person to talk to. "Ummm..." he said, furrowing his brow and pinching his lips as he thought. "I found my hometown to be a little boring when I was younger, so I moved to the big cities on Yamatai. Unfortunately, that cost more money than I had. So I joined the army to make money back then." He smiled warmly as he looked off the reflective sheen of a metallic wall. "However, I made a lot of friends while serving, and I think I'm really here to enjoy the company of other people."

"But you are in the heat of battle at times ... that is not a nice place to be." Yukari smiled, noticing the Nekos were thick in this area.

"Battle is never a nice place to be," Tom said. "But you'd be surprised how much the company of friends can strengthen the will."

"Sou desu ka? You have been in many then, against your better luck?"

"More than I'd like anyone to experience." Tom frowned, reliving some of the thoughts in his mind.

Yukari only nodded. She felt bad bringing the question up. "How did you arrive here then, for the Miharu?"

"I requested a transfer after the last mission. We had a shore leave."

Hm. Transfer to a prototype ship, after leaving a possibly unstable one? Yukari liked Tom, but the answer was a little confusing. She let it pass. "Your shore leaves ... how do you spend them?"

"This was the first one I had since joining the Star Army, so I decided to spend it back home at Ralt." Tom's frown melted away. "I performed the Grand Dance of the Ice Festival."

"Grand ... Dance?" Yukari's green eyes fluttered a bit.

"Yes, Grand Dance," Tom said with a nod. "There are many festivals in Ralt that celebrate various things, but our most important one is the Ice Festival. The highlight of the Ice Festival is the Grand Dance. It is our most important artistic piece."

"There is ... music?" Yukari seemed to light up.

"Yessiree!" Tom grinned, took a small leaping step forward, and then a pirouette with his hands clasped above his head. "The most passionate, sweeping music I've ever heard. The dance demands no less."

Yukari giggled into her hand. "That sounds delightful. I would love to listen to the music ... I hear so little, unless it is from my own fingers."

"You're in luck, ma'am," Tom said as he went back to pick up the dufflebag that he had dropped. "I've got some CDs in my bag. I'm a performer at heart, and I enjoy music tremendously."

"But, unfortunately, the Grand Dance has never been recorded. It is a sacred tradition."

Yukari frowned. "That is sad ... but -- " she smiled -- "that means you must take me to it."

"Funny how things work out, eh," Tom replied, winking at her.

"Hai," Yukari said with a grin. She then looked at a door they were closing on. "That, I believe, is where we must be."

"Awww, so soon?" Tom pouted. "And I was having so much fun talking to you."

Yukari looked back and forth. "I do not believe anyone else is here yet ... we are alone, except for the base Nekos." She managed a small shrug.

Tom shrugged as well. "So, what do you do in your free time?"

Yukari smirked. "If I have my keyboard, I am happy for hours."

"Ah, a fellow artist," Tom beamed with happiness. "How long have you been playing? What kind of style do you like?"

Yukari thought a moment. "Synthesized music ... is what I like. I have learned to play some guitar, using a module for the keyboard."

"You're quite talented," The Yamataian said as he scratched an itch on his back. "Do you sing as well?"

Yukari blushed but did not answer.

"Come on!" Tom poked her in the shoulder playfully. "You've got a beautiful voice, don't you?"

Yukari continued to blush and looked away.

"You're such a shy one," Tom prodded with a smirk. "it is ok to admit your strengths."

"No one hears me sing," Yukari said bashfully. "I am not a good singer."

"Well, I for one would really love to hear you sing." Tom crossed his arms and leaned against the nearby wall. "You wouldn't feel embarrased knowing that I'm a fellow artist. Heck, I could even help you out if you so wished." A thought crossed through his mind and he laughed. "Even better: I'm not the best musician in the world. I can make a fool of myself with the piano for your entertainment!"

"That -- I would like that," Yukari said quietly. She'd never had someone dance to her music before. She rarely even had someone listen.

Tom creeped closer to her with a wink. "So... what's... the... problem... then...? I knew you had a great voice!"

Yukari's blush intensified; she had not heard him correctly and she was paying for it now! "Ah -- I have no such thing," she stammered.

"Sure you don't!" Tom backed away from the blushing Yukari, but the smirk remained. "Red looks nice on you."

Yukari's face turned said color quite brightly. "You must have been terrible for the women of Ralt," she pouted.

"You flatter me," Tom replied. "Besides, how could I tell? It was so cold we all had blushing cheeks!"

Her laugh was open and happy. She bent over laughing before attempting to collect herself. "Freeman-Hei ... aiyaa. You are terrible!"

Ah, finally we see the true happiness behind the mask. Tom could only smile. "Thanks."

"Baka," Yukari replied, still trying to subdue fleeting fits of laughter. "I will keep my eye on you. You are trouble, I know it now."

"Better me than a Mishhu," Tom said as he lifted his hands and made a spooky face. "Hu hu hu..." Something overtook him, though, and he quickly dropped the joke, thinking it in bad taste. Besides, it reminded him of the Mikomi...

Yukari's laughter didn't go away though. She laughed again into her hand, more like a snicker. Which she didn't remember ever doing before. He looks like a constipated man like that! she managed to think between laughs. "HU HU HU!" she repeated, grinning.

A black-clad Neko zeroed in on the pair waiting by the door. She narrowed her eyes, frowning.

Yukari gently prodded Tom, still giggling. "Ahou! No more trouble!" she stage-whispered.

Tom nodded. "No problem, ma'am." He had noticed the Neko and shrugged helplessly to her.

The Neko held her gaze for a moment at Yukari, then frowned further at Tom. She then kept walking, clicking along the polished white floor.

"If we are removed from this station, I will thank you," Yukari said, still smiling. "We should keep quiet."

"Well, at least you'd have plenty of time to spend in Ralt!" Tom replied, patting Yukari's back in a friendly manner.

Laughter is a wonderful medicine.


* * *


James nodded his thanks and took a seat, quickly scanning the menu. The variety of foods, it seemed, was even greater than he expected.

"So many choices, so little time. Alas, alas," he mumbled to himself, resting his chin on his arm. "I'm going to starve trying to order!"

The cook wandered over, offering to take his order. James flashed a winsome smile and took one last glance at the selection.

"Two pancakes, covered in butter and maple syrup ... and some bacon on the side, with an order of water, please."

"Very good," the cook bowed. "I'll bring it out in a moment."

The Geshrin plunked the menu down and stretched again. He couldn't wait to see what simulators they had here. Hopefully, all that time he spent as a cadet would pay off.

True to her word, the cook brought out his food, and James set to the task at hand, enjoying the meal. Definately better than my last few meals.

- - -


As Kotori was about to depart with the remainder of her entourage, a black-suited Neko approached her, narrow eyes seemingly focused on nothing. The Neko leaned in and whispered something in Kotori's ear.

The Taii nodded. "I will be there shortly," she said to the Neko, who stepped back, bowed and waited by the edge of the mess hall. She then looked to the others. "There's some paperwork that requires my immediate attention, unfortunately. Nyton, go ahead with the others and meet with Suzuka-Chui. I will join you as soon as I can."

Her face blank, Kotori turned on her heels and went to the Neko, who led her away.

- - -


Nyton saluted Kotori as she left to handle matters. "No problem ma'am. We shall continue our training as planned. I'll also round up our late arrival since he broke off for some breakfast." he said.

With a moment to himself again, Nyton began to ponder on the type of missions the new ship would handle. He ran over the data files regarding the Armor payload of the ship in his mind again. The Harpy and Daisy were both ground based combat Armors. This gave the impression that encounters were expected to be made planetside. But most space type Armors are capable of significant ground combat so why specialize? There was still a shared payload of space based Armors aboard the ship.

Nyton stopped and began to focus moreso on this. The ground Armors both had stealth capabilities. Perhaps a more flexible approach was being used.... ?

"Infiltration missions?" Nyton asked aloud to no one in particular. That had to be it. Ground based recon, infilitration, maybe even rescue or destroy operations. Another note passed through his mind regarding the seperation of the ship into two independant sections. Perhaps the main unit could be used to provide heavy fire support on demand while the other piece was meant to be a drop ship with which it could deploy Armors into an enemy facility with less chance of discovery.

"An interesting possibility. I will have to test out this theory once I have assembled everyone for sim training." Nyton concluded before he walked on.


Just shortly after Nyton mused aloud about the potential the dropship part of the Miharu might have, a communication window opened up next to him, messaging him to join Kotori in her quarters. She required some help with the logistics, since the Nepleslian would end up being in charge of the armors on the ship. Claymere excused himself and transmitted a message to Yukari to take charge of leading the two other crewmembers to where the simulators were situated.

After several more files had finally been completed Nyton paused and stretched. "I believe this is a good stopping point." he said. "Can't really plan much else without some field work now. Speaking of field work, I believe it is time I joined the others during their simulation training." Nyton continued as he stood up. "By your leave." he said to Kotori with a slight bow before he turned and left the room. He hurried his way down to the simulation chamber reception desk.

- - -

Yukari blinked at the message. But she nodded and left an image panel with a map for Morita, who she assumed was still eating. She looked up to Tom. "It appears we must start on our own."

Tom nodded. "That's not too much of a problem, ma'am." He winked at her playfully, not implying anything. "But what exactly do we plan to start?"

"Training?" Yukari was a little unsure herself; this was not her strong point. "The training center is behind this door -- " She pointed to the door behind them -- "So we should see what is inside." She turned and pressed her hand against a part of the door; an image panel appared in front of her at eye level.

"Suzuka Yukari, Chui. Confirmed." The door slid open; Yukari timidly took the lead.

Tom slid in the door behind her.

Morita set away the last of his food just as the holographic directions popped up in front of him. He studied the map as he wiped his mouth and his fingertips with a wet napkin before standing up and walking off, holographic map trailing to one side of him to chart his progress. "Wandering around in this base alone gets kinda spooky sometimes," Morita mused as he followed along at a marginally brisk pace.

The three Yamataians entered into a reception area - this was a different section than where Rufus Sydney had previously led the Sakura's officers - and the doors slid back shut behind Morita, cutting them off from the bustle of the star fortress.

Their chamber was somewhat spartan, giving the impression it had been recently acquired, the only features of the room being a sofa to the side and a desk where a Neko with a golden Juni rank pin and curly brown hair worked her fingers flying over a set of holographic screens. The receptionist eyed Yukari, noticed the latter's rank and quickly got up from her seat to bow. "Welcome."

"Ah -- thank you," Yukari said with a small bow in return. "Anou ... we were instructed by our commander that we could receive armor training here?"

The receptionist quickly dipped down to look at one of her holographic displays. "The... Miharu, right?"

Tom saluted the receptionist, keeping his mouth shut the entire time, but wearing the big smile that always seemed to accompany him.

"Hai," Yukari said with a smile.

The Neko looked back up at Yukari. "You're in luck. We have one of the newer simulator rooms free right now. Which one of the new suits do you want to try out? We have the Mindy, the Sylph, the Harpy and the Daisy."

Yukari knew enough about the latter two. "The two soldiers with me will use Daisy armors. I will use the Harpy."

Morita came up next to Yukari, saluting the receptionist in good cheer. "I like flowers," he said in mention of a Daisy armor.

Yukari smiled at the Yamataian. "The Daisy, if I remember correctly, is a rather dangerous flower."

"The Daisy is hardly as soft and delicate as its namesake." The brown-haired neko giggled and then turned back to Yukari. "Are you sure you don't want to try the Mindy, Chui?"

"H-Hai," Yukari said nervously. The Harpy did not require her to be naked, and the Mindy did not have the proper control systems, or so she thought.

Tom was never skilled in metaphorical naming, so he just shrugged. Mindy, Daisy, Sylph, Harpy, what? They were all the same thing, right?

"What's the difference to each of these?" Morita wondered aloud.

The Neko Juni gave a little careless shrug, tapped a few things over her console and then motioned for the three to follow her to beyond her desk and into the next corridor. "I'll leave that to your XO to explain." She grinned back at Yukari.

Yukari snorted as she followed the Juni; she knew little about each armor for good reason. How helpful of her. "The Daisy is a frontline battle armor, while the Harpy is suited for scout missions," she said. "That is all I know."

"Hunh. Well, I suppose I'll get the chance to try them all out - that's why it is a simulator, right?" Morita gestured to the Juni attempting to herd them to the simulation room.

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do." Tom had just recalled a rather convenient song as he followed the group.

"Yup. I guess I'll give you a small overview of your hardware too." The Juni said as she tapped a quick code to open up a door which led into a chilly room with a set of twelve bulky humanoid suits that looked more like old fashioned deep sea diving exoskeletons rather than power armor. The neko headed to a console on the far end of the room and accessed it. There was a loud hiss from three of the simulation suit as the opened up at the seams, showing that their interior was lined with cushions and synthetic padding.

Yukari blinked. She hadn't expected this. "Peculiar," she said.

"Like something out of a movie," Tom muttered to himself. "I take it we're gonna get in these things?"

"I suppose so," Yukari said.

The Neko grinned. "That's right. You didn't expect we'd coat our simulator suits with andrium armor, right?" The room was chill enough to have the neko's breath mist in the air. "Having them be this bulky allows us to adjust them to the wearer's size. Even tall boys like you."

"Hey, neat. Claustrophobic." Morita picked up Tom's song: "I'm half crazy, all for the love of you..." He scratched his head and started moving to one of the suits. "It won't be a stylish marraige..." He bent over to inspect the suit, running a hand over it.

Tom blew out a smoky current of air from his lips. "Choo choo!" He chuckled, feeling at home in the cold. "But you'll look sweet, upon the seat of a bicycle built for two!" He laughed.

Yukari giggled a little at the two boys, then walked to her own suit. The chill was refreshing, so she lingered outside of it for a moment.

The interior of the simulation suit's padding was deceptively soft. The neko eyed the men queerly for a second and then shook her head. "Right. Board the suits like you would any power armor and I'll set you girls up."

"No problem, sir." Tom snapped back playfully as he stepped into his suit.

Morita pulled his hair over one shoulder so that it ran in front of him, and then lay into the suit. "Be gentle with me, Juni-san." He nestled in and sighed. "I need one of these to sleep in."

The Juni is territorial, Yukari thought with a hmph. She climbed into her simulation suit, glad she did not have to shed her clothing, then attached the helmet to her head. She took deep breaths; the suit was no where near as nerve-wracking as a Mindy or Kylie, but it was still a power armor -- of sorts.

Once they were settled in, the suits clamped shut heavily with a sound that was a tie between a closing fridge or - more disturbingly - a closing coffin.

"Alright. Suits closed and secured. I'm setting them up to match the proper body dimensions now." The Juni's voice sounded in their helmets. Hardly even a moment after her voice trailed off, the suits shook as the padding shifted around them, tightening around their bodies... but soon, the simulation suits pressed their interiors against their pilots and achieved a snug, comfortable fit.

Yukari felt a little constrained, but less so than in a Kylie, as she had hoped. This might not be so bad. She wished there were some lights, though.

Well, one thing was for sure: it certainly FELT better than a Phalanx. The darkness made Tom a little drowsy too. The entire feeling was not unlike burying oneself in bedsheets.

"Alright. I'm setting your suits to match the requested configuration. Suzuka-Chui has a M5 Harpy. You two men have the M6 Daisy." Their helmets' holographic displays came online, showing a lengthy system diagnostic as the simulation suits began 'emulating' their respective power armor. "I'll be dropping you three in a virtual environment shortly. Stand by."

"Okie dokie!" Oh Damn it. I hope I don't get my virtual ass kicked. Tom never considered himself skilled at power armors.

Morita entertained the idea of falling asleep in one of these. They felt like a hammock, but had the feel of one of those nifty foam mattresses he never spent any money on back home. Only, the mattress was all around him. "So how do you control movement in this thing?"

Yukari nodded; she could see, as her system powered up, that the armor was focused very much on communication and sensor information. It was testing several channels at once.

The others could see weapon systems being tested and their gyroscopic visual systems zooming in and out.

"Is it normal for me to be seeing these things? Most of these things make no sense. No, let's rephrase that - none of this makes any sense," Morita said.

Tom mused to himself as his suit did all the weird calibration checks. Just like the textbooks said.

"With your brain." The Neko laughed. "Just think about moving your own body or using some feature of the suit and the AIES will usually accomodate you. When in doubt, just ask your suit's on-board computer for tips and it'll usually help you out." The Neko giggled. "Seriously though, the AIES is your friend. Learn to work with it - it might save your life one day."

Visual feed suddenly filled their helmet displays and the three suddenly found themselves in what seemed like a delapidated urban area. The armors suddenly felt real and any impression of still being in the simulator room escaped them for the feel of their power armored suits. The simulation suits, like their real counterparts, picked up on their pilots' mental impulses and moved accordingly.

"Hm. Does this thing have tactile feedback? I don't want to sit here with my body doing nothing while my brain does all the work."

Yukari looked around at the old, pock-marked buildings, the holey roads, wrecked vehicles along the streets. Her senses were suddenly quite alive.

"I have the feeling we're going to be shot at soon." Tom sighed. "This place looks closer to Nepleslia than Yamatai."

"Just like when you want to move your limbs, the suit reacts to that." The neko admonished Morita. "The suit picks up on a lot of what goes in your brain so that it'll help you rather than work against you." Catching Tom's comment, the Juni cackled. "Actually, this is one of the really bad parts of Funky City, as of some data we got in YE 27."

"Delightful," Yukari muttered, reaching behind her. She found a long rifle, which immediately brought up added displays in front of her. It looked like a precision weapon -- a quick check of its controls showed it had no automatic fire option. Added magazines, she saw, were represented as small bars in a corner of her display in a light teal color. Zoom level was also represented as a small number close to the crosshair in the middle of her screen. Sensors were a small circle in the upper right; communication logs in the lower left. She hefted the weapon; it seemed light enough. 100 rounds, she thought.

"Hmm ... Can't say that I have a aching need to go exploring Nepleslia in a giant suit, but alright." Morita ran through the standard battery of testing each of his extremeties - he had a habit to do that after being in a fight. Starting with the left hand and working down the body and right back up to the right hand, getting a feel for the movement. He was rather impressed - it felt good. "So, what now?" He tried to turn around slowly, getting a feel for movement.

Following Yukari's lead, Tom hoised his Mk.I Light Service Rifle. "Well, if my assumptions are correct, I'm preparing to get shot at."

"Sensors are clear," Yukari murmurred. She attempted to recall basic training. "AIES, do we have assistence from a higher-level unit, such as a MEGAMI?"

"Negative." The Harpy answered its pilot. "Establishing network with the two other allied Daisy power armors."

"I'm setting up your weapons. The M5 has its Mark Two service rifle, with a full load of spare ammo at the sides of its tighs. Half are hollow points, the other half are armor piercing. The M6's Mark One service rifle have the same ammunition loadout, but with a 3-grenade SLAG pack. You have small turret-like pulse cannons in your forearms that have stun or lethal modes. Additionally, you also have that nice, big plasma rifle over your shoulder rack if you need to deliver an extra punch. Same goes with the optional missile launcher pods over your legs, which I am including since I'm nice. Oh, and remember: your Daisy can general a protective field to blunt attacks. Use it. it is better than taking real hits on your armor, especially if those happen to be nasty hits."

Hearing the explanation of weapons, Morita smirked. "Well, I suppose that's good and all, but I'm not a marksman - I've always solved disputes of the hostile physical nature with my hands and feet, and sometimes, my head." He inspected the viewport in front of him. "So what neat stuff can this armor do, AIES, was it?"

Yukari nodded. "AIES, sillouette my armor in the view of the others. Enter stealth mode." AIES acknowledged the request and notified her that the armor was now stealthed. A small question-window appeared, asking her if she wished to switch the power setting on her rifle. She did; it was set to 4,000 m/s. She cocked the rifle and smiled a little.

"The optical tracking system is similar to a Nekovalkyrja's skin camouflage and can provide full 720 degree vision provided the unit has not been severely damaged." Morita's suit replied. "Beyond the cloaking-shield, you also have a shield on your left forearm to better protect from attacks."

"Yada Yada Yada," Tom said as he clicked on his passive radar. "Bells and whistles and whatnot, as long as this thing keeps me alive, it is all I could ask for."


* * *

When something appears out of nowhere, the general reaction is surprise. Being surprised while one is drinking is never a good situation, no matter how you look at it.

When the directions to the simulation room appeared, James sprayed the sip of water he was taking across the table. Fortunately, no one was around to see it except for the cook, and she didn't pay much mind at all. Wiping down the front of his uniform, James stood and excused himself from the Mess Hall.

Following the directions was easier than wandering mindlessly, and it took a relatively short amount of time to get to the door. The only problem was that there was no one inside the room.

"...Well, this doesn't bode well," the Geshrin murmured as he stepped inside the lobby. He looked around futilely and sat in the solitary couch.

- - -

A small holographic window appeared next to the Juni running the simulation for the three others. "If you will excuse me, I need to get going," she said. "Your simulation is set up and hostiles are in your area. Good hunting."

The brunette left the chill room and returned to the reception area, where she saw James looking around.

"Hey!" She waved. "You're from the Miharu's crew, right?"

- - -


James stood up and saluted out of habit.

"Yes, ma'am. I was told to report for powered armor training."

He dropped his arm and tried to discreetly look behind the receptionist.

"I, uh, take it that's inside?"

- - -


"Yeah," The neko gestured him to come along with her and led him to the chill simulator room. "Most of them are training with ground armors." She put her hands to the sides of her hips. "Which armor would you like? Do you need me to explain what they do, or did you actually bother reading the information package we made available to the Miharu's nepleslian wing leader?"

- - -


James rubbed the back of his head for a moment.

"I'll take a Daisy, if you don't mind. I highly doubt I'd fit into anything else."

He offered a genuine smile to the receptionist, tinted with a bit of relief. After all, this was what he had spent his time training to become. At least this is rather familiar...

"Thanks for the offer, but truth be told I just came out of training a few weeks ago. I think I can handle it."

- - -


"Right, then, I bet you're already acquainted with these simulations suits. They aren't too different from the ones used at the SARA." The brown-haired Nekovalkyrja walked back to her console and released the seal on the fourth simulation suit, the latter whom made a hiss and opened to reveal the padding inside.

"A Daisy armor isn't like the Phalanx you trained with." The warrant officer pointed out to James. "it is a Ketsurui Fleet Yard-made power armor, so the operating interface of the Armor Integrated Electronic System runs on the Kessaku OS. This is as good a time as any to get familliar with it if you aren't yet."

James nodded his thanks to the Nekovalkyrja and slipped inside the simulator. He pulled the helmet on and shifted slightly, unused to the body-molding aspect. He blinked several times as the simulator loaded the armor specifications and visual feed began coming in.

Okay, this really is a bit different ... Lots more information coming in. The controls still feel the same, though.

He decided to test the system, putting the 'armor' through a short set of movements.

"Alright then! Sorry I'm a little late to the party. Hope I didn't keep everyone waiting."

- - -


"Oh, it is fine. I'm only going to put you in a different place in that part of Funky City." The Nekovalkyrja cackled, "You'll be alone until you can rejoin with them and connect your AIES to their network. In fact, they won't even know you are here yet and - just to be fair - there are hostiles in the area."

James groaned.

"Wonderful. Remind me to thank you when I get out of here. AIES, show me what this thing can do."

As he listened to the options, James padded over to a crater and hopped inside, crouching down while he brought the rifle around and checked it out.

Right, then...First objective's to find the rest of the crew. Better bring up the camouflage and the barriers.

That done, the Geshrin switched the rifle to burst-fire and creeped out of the crater, intent on survival.

- - -

"Light Armor Service Rifle, Burstfire mode. SLAG armed and ready." The AIES confirmed with its toneless, synthetic voice. "This unit suggests the use of thermoptic camouflage. Pilot bade to carefully select engagements until allied forces are found. Deployment of drones not recommended until discovered."

As James scuttled out of his crater and crept up the side of a broken down brick-and-cement building, the Daisy's AIES also supplied: "Suit running in standard mode, sensors passive. For use of high-energy functions such as the cloak shield projector, the plasma rifle or active sensors, unit must be set in combat mode."

Obviously, going into combat mode would consume more energy and possibly make James' power armor more obvious to the hostiles in the area. Power consumption seemed irelevant for a simulation, but stealth still deserved some consideration in the geshrin's current situation.

* * *

"AIES, combine sensor readings among Freeman-Hei's and Kamiyama-Hei's armors. Passive only." Yukari found her breathing quicken as she looked about. The buildings appeared empty, of course, and no information had been related as to what they would be fighting.

"YE 27 ... I cannot remember anything that happened on Nepleslia that involved damage like this." Yukari walked forward slowly, mentally signaling the other armors to notify their pilots to follow her. "The damage after the Battle of Nepleslia was cleaned up quickly within Funky City ... and this appears to be the outskirts of it."

Yukari realized her footsteps could be seen in the dusty dirt. She let the armor float just a few centimeters from the ground as she turned a corner. She wished the Harpy had Nodal Support Bits or the self-powered drones of the Daisy. But she was not in an armor designed for frontline combat. There was nothing down the long urban canyon to her left, and fires were to her right.

Her rifle was kept on her shoulder, bipod folded beneath her hand gripping the forward stock of the rifle. She was not sure what to expect. The canyons were much bigger than the narrow halls of the Iori; she did not have to vaguely aim to hit something. Some buildings had rooves a couple hundred meters high, so she could not take a position there.

And the two Daisy armors seemed to lack their thruster packs, leaving them stuck on the ground.

"Shimatta," Yukari said quietly.

- - -

"Hostiles detected." The Harpy's AIES warned Yukari, painting three targets for the yamataian woman to see on her sensor display. "Distance: 853 meters. Targets labelled Aries 1, Aries 2, Aries 3."

That placed their opponents three blocks away with a hefty amount of broken buildings between both groups with no possible line of sight for the moment. There was no way of getting an identification without either getting a visual or going for active sensors.

- - -

Meanwhile, James was making slow and steady progress through the ruins of the city. He hadn't come into contact with anything yet, but that did little to calm him. In fact, it put him more on edge.

"Come on," he muttered to no one in particular, "I know you're out here someplace..."

From behind the next ruined building came a din of clattering. James froze and hunched down, aiming down the barrel at the corner. Inching forward, he pressed his back against the wall and waited, silently.

Three ... Two ... One ...

Steeling himself, the Geshrin spun around the corner, aiming at ... nothing. Confused, he stepped forward with a crunch. Lifting his foot, he stared at the remains of part of the wall that looked freshly dislodged.

False alarm, he admonished, still peering at the shadows. No other sounds manifested, and so he decided to move on.

- - -

James' Daisy padded through a delapidated alley only to find another power armor moving accross its opposite end.

"Hostile identified: Se-M1-1C." A red targeting bracket was painted over the Epsilon power armor as it disappeared from view and followed on his HUD even after it disappeared around the corner. It was walking cautiously away at a leisurely 15 kph and apparently had not noticed him.

- - -

Yukari winced. She hadn't expected three targets so soon. She looked up; the nearest building she could be on top of was easily 500 meters away on the ground -- they could be upon her by then. And she still had her two friends to worry about.

"Kamiyama-Hei, take a position inside that building there." She set a green marker on Morita's helmet screen, showing a broken-out window about four stories up on a 40-story building on the right. The strange angle of the building afforded him a view down the corridor without peeking too far out. But it was a mostly glass structure. "Arm your plasma rifle; we do not know what is coming for us. Freeman-Hei, take a position behind the rubble 50 meters down." She set a marker pointing to a large chunk of building that had come from who knew where, but was big enough to hide him.

"Use active and thermoptic camoflauge." Yukari went prone behind another small chunk, not much taller than her knees when she was standing. Her rifle's bipod came forward immediately as she did so. "I will fire the first shot -- Kamiyama-Hei, eliminate one with your plasma rifle after I have fired. Freeman-Hei, cover us with your LASR if required."

Yukari wasn't sure where her initiative was coming from. All she could think of was, This will not be another Iori. Corro was strong, Ryuuza was strong and even Ayano was strong! I must prove I did not leave the 5th for nothing! She sighted her rifle and waited.

- - -

"Confirmed orders, taking position."

Morita looked at the building and headed for it - or, at the very least, attempted to. The fact that the physical body is not moving, only the machine encasing it, both intrigued him and left a very cold feeling in his chest. Losing control of one's body is something he didn't want to have to do - in fact, that was one of the primary reasons he avoided power armors, simply because he couldn't physically move.

"AIES, plot any, uh, hostile signatures on screen and paint them. Turn on active and thermoptic camoflague, and alert me when hostiles are in firing range."

I know it is a strange feeling, but you have to do it or else you can't serve onboard the ship, probably. Be strong, Morita. He closed in on the building and knelt down, assuming a firing position. His eyes watched the radar carefully and he took a few deep breaths as his pulse began to rise. Combat in a metallic behemoth versus true hand-to-hand combat was very different.

"Kamiyama here, good to go. What are we fighting against, Chui?"

- - -

On his side of the field, James tightly gripped the rifle and moved over towards the Epsilon's last location. He carefully peeked around the corner, watching the hostile armor pad away.

Hmm ... Better leave it alone for now. Come on, think! There's got to be a better way to find the others than wandering randomly.

"AIES, can you recommend a way to make contact with friendly units in the area while keeping my presence masked?"

- - -

"No problem, ma'am."

Tom had already turned on his stealth capabilities, but double-checked, just in case. Done deal.

Preparing his LASR for possible use, Freeman quickly made his way to the location ordered by his superior officer. He crouched behind the rubble, scanning the area with his sensors.

Okie dokie, so I provide cover fire if necessary. Kinda strange, though, I'm not feeling much juice flowing... have I really changed that much these last few months?

Nevermind that. Freeman shook his head. This was, after all, a VR mission. Not real at all.

The Yamataian smirked, containing a chuckle that wanted to escape his lips.

- - -

James keeping his cool in the presence of the enemy paid off. Peeking around the corner revealed two other hostile power armors aside from the Epsilon he had first spotted, which his AIES identified as Se-M1-1A Delta models. If he had jumped the Epsilon, he probably would have been stuck in a firefight with the two other suits.

"Open communication or active sensors would likely reveal our position to friendlies." The Daisy's AIES replied. "However, the hostiles are likely seeking out friendly units already. Since Setsuna mechwork suits lack sensors to identify anything out of their operator's line-of-sight, shadowing them should be possible."

- - -

"I do not know what we are against, Kamiyama-Hei," Yukari answered telepathically. There was no way to know if the enemy could monitor radio transmissions; if they could, they probably knew where Tom, Morita and she were located. Why her radar could not penetrate the building she didn't know either. There was, in fact, quite a bit that she didn't know.

"I know that if those three units were not enemies, AIES would be able to tell. So we must treat them as enemies. Maintain telepathic communication as needed." Yukari had to firmly believe that. If she didn't, her shot would take the head off a citizen or soldier of the Empire. Friendly fire, perhaps, but that would not make her anymore at ease.

One of the units might have been bigger than the other. It was hard to tell and Yukari did not want to risk leaving her rifle sights to zoom in deeply onto the targets.

"If it appears they will not enter our line-of-sight, we will proceed slowly to the next block." Yukari's toes seemed to twitch in the simulator with anticipation.

- - -

"Shadowing sounds good," James replied, edging the Daisy across the street and safely behind cover. Adrenaline was pumping, and he felt super-aware. A small part of him wondered if that was an effect of the armor, or if the simulator was doing its job admirably.

He shifted into a more comfortable position, eyes never leaving the armors as he moved. I sure wish I knew where the others were. Hate for the fireworks to start without them around to enjoy it.

James' caution in addition to his Daisy's active camouflage apparently was sufficient to keep him off the sights of the three Setsuna-made armors as the skipped over the cracked pavement they soon stopped to an intersection and then turned right, increasing their speed slightly to a jog.

- - -

"Targets identified." Yukari's Harpy quickly supplied the information about the twin Deltas and the Epsilon as soon as they came within her sights and fed the telemetry to the two the two allied Daisies. The Deltas, rounded armored suits with carbines, were in the lead with the slightly larger Epsilon following behind with its machinegun at the ready.

Setsuna? Yukari knew little of the company, only that it operated out of the infamous Destiny colony ship. She didn't know they made armors. They are enemies ...

"Kamiyama-Hei, I cannot attack the larger one; allies are in the way. I am targeting the lead armor, Aries 2." The rifle's butt was settled in the nook of the armor's Andrium plates, just where the shoulder met the collar. She zeroed in on the lead armor, a Delta, and aimed carefully at its head. Her breathing slowed but didn't stop. It was rhythmic, up and down, up and down. She kept her eyes open as the target seemed to pause, for just a moment.

Shoot between breaths, she thought. Wait for the shot.

- - -

The armor looked this way and that, then away from her --

Yukari barely saw the flash of blue light from the tip of her rifle.

With a loud 'ping', the lead Delta sharply reared its helmeted head - a pockmark clearly showing on the andrium surface - and was knocked off its feet and on his back. Since the limbs still moved some the pilot was still alive, but he was probably dazed.

The second Delta began running across the street, attempting a swild shot of its carbine that missed wide. The Epsilon suit doubled back from whence it came, right where James was.

- - -

"Shimatta!" Yukari looked down at the magazine in her rifle; they were hollowpoints, not armor-penetrating rounds. She hoisted her rifle back so the barrel was pointing at the direction of her feet, with her head and shoulders against the small chunk of building she was hiding behind. A slot popped open on her thigh as she snatched the magazine from the rifle. As she removed one magazine of AP rounds, she slipped the HP magazine into the now empty thigh slot.

"Kamiyama-Hei, shoot!" Yukari drew the charging handle back and ejected the hollowpoint round; she silently wished she were several hundred meters closer with the GSP at her side. The AP magazine was slammed into the slot above the rifle's pistol grip, the charging handle sliding forward as well. She didn't dare roll out and fire again; not until Morita or Tom shot first.

Must move! She let herself float from the ground and flew into the air, her rifle held in a ready position as she advanced above everyone and to the next block, near a blown-out corner of a glass building.

- - -

"AIES, acquire target - we're going to take out the largest one." Morita let his mind imagine him tightening the grip on the rifle stock, bringing it to bear on his target as instructed - he fired off a burst towards it as soon as it entered the gun's sights. The speed of which he acquired the target and fired was measured, almost like parts of a play - eerily mechanical in nature. His conscious mind was retreating to somewhere safe, taking a break while his reflexes took over.

Morita's plasma rifle flashed a moment too late as the Epsilon suit retreated back from whence it came (and toward James' Daisy), leaving a dark plume of smoke rising from the glassy crater - his shot had been a moment too late.

- - -

"Faulty operation: Somatic reception lag." The Daisy's computer warned.

"It is telling you're forcing things, Kamiyama." The neko running the simulation explained over the comm. "The Daisy's motor control and command reception works just the same way your nervous system picks up the commands from your brain and then makes your muscles move. Imagining moving your suit takes too long: your suit is you... so, just do it!"

Meanwhile, the Delta Yukari had knocked down was heaving itself back up as the other rounded up a corner. The latter popped up from cover to fire a few shots over approximately where Morita was, though it only managed to tear part of the nearby wall into flying debris. It angled another quick shot toward Tom's concealment in an effort to force the Raltian down and cover for his recovering Delta-clad comrade.

- - -

James heard gunfire and saw the Epsilon return around the corner. Wordlessly, James did a final check to make sure he had AP rounds loaded, leaned out from behind his cover and drew a bead on the hostile armor.

"Tally-ho! AIES, see if you can link me with the rest of the squad without going to combat mode."

Not waiting for a reply, he began taking measured shots, attempting to force the enemy back out into the street.

The muzzle of James' railgun assault rifle flashed several times: sparks flew from the enemy armor as it seized up with the clamor from repeated impacts. Despite its reinforced metal hide made to deflect blows, the Epsilon was knocked off its feet and sent spreadeagled on the broken pavement and then struggled to roll aside to avoid further hits.

- - -

"Cannot establish laser communication without direct line of sight." James' HUD reported his target's armor was moderately tough, but had been breached and the pilot inside was likely wounded.

- - -

WHOA! Stop shooting at me!

Tom was a bit unnerved by the sudden attack, but he figured that the VR sim would not let him off that easily.

So, let's see what this baby can do.

Before taking a brief second to source the direction of the enemy fire, Tom quickly stood up and fired his LASR at the Delta attacking him, then crouched down behind his cover again.

SHOOF SHOOF! The two grenades made that sound when they launched out of his weapon. Tom had tried to aim his two grenades with one at the target and one slightly behind the target. He figured that the explosive effects of the grenades would have to force his enemy to at least consider moving, and the most likely direction would be backwards.

- - -

Yukari was in a shooting position as Tom's two grenades went hurtling toward their targets. She had kept the lead Delta in her sights, trying to ignore the fact that the friendly armor shooting at the Setsunas could potentially hit her or her friends.

The armor was out of telepathy range, laser communication was impossible, and no tachyon-equipped vehicle was around to bounce a transmission. Yukari could at least see the friendly's sillouette painted on her helmet's screen. But it didn't help much; he was in the way of the Epsilon and the damaged Delta -- if her shot overpenetrated, it could damage the friendly.

She had zeroed in on it anyway. The lead Delta was the most dangerous right then, but the damaged Delta needed to be finished. As the grenades flew by her, she took aim.

I must do my duty, she thought coldly. I must.

As she pulled the trigger, one thing flashed in her mind -- the face of a security officer, a neat hole in her head.

- - -

The two Deltas didn't have a chance.

Tom's first grenade, thanks to the trajectory computation aid from his Daisy's AIES, hit true and its explosion tore the Delta appart with the second grenade savaging the Delta beyond recognition.

As for Yukari, finishing the drunkenly rising target was almost too easy. Her assault railgun hit it square on its helmet again, except this time the protective layer was punctured and Aries 2 went down, fluids leaking from a rent on its armored head.

All that remained was that last Epsilon, which pushed itself up back to its feet and opened fire at James' suit with its machinegun.

- - -

James quickly took cover as the machine gun bursts started tearing holes in the ground around him. He wasn't sure just how much damage a round would do to his armor and really didn't want to find out.

As his cover was slowly shot to pieces, the Geshrin peeked around the corner. He'd have one chance before the Epsilon would draw a bead on him. Loading a fresh AP clip, he pivoted around the corner and fired, hoping to at least disable the armor.

The Epsilon ran around the corner before James could manage to bring his rifle to bear and opened fire against. The ordonance from the Setsuna armor's machinegun rattled James' Daisy like hail.

James grunted as the rounds impacted on the armor. He brought his left arm up, using the mounted shield to absorb some of the impacts as he tried to put some cover inbetween the two.

"Blast. AIES, is the damage bad?"

The Epsilon dodgely stalked after James' retreating Daisy, its continuous fire forcing the latter to angle his shield up and down to try blocking most of the hits. In one bound, the Setsuna armor sent its more-than-400 pounds mass crashing against the Daisy with a hydraulic-assisted dropkick that sent the former fly away and crash through a flimsy brick wall.

As the dust cleared, James heard the suit's AIES respond over the ringing in his ears. "Scratches over my paintjob, Sir."

James crawled to his feet and shook the dust off of his armor.

"Good to hear. I don't like him very much."

Holstering the rifle, the Geshrin ran as silently as he could manage, trying to circle around and get in a position to surprise the Epsilon.

- - -

Unfortunately, unless James did something to forcefully withdraw from combat, getting the jump again on the Epsilon was unlikely. His opponent leapt over broken bricks and pelted at his Daisy again with that annoying machinegun.

One of the sabbot rounds made a nasty smack behind James' shoulder before it trailed smoke from the small indentation that the shot left in it, causign the Geshrin to nearly lose his balance before his armor's intertial control system could help him recover.

A light green damage indicator appreared on his HUD's master system display. "Right shoulder armor compromised." The AIES warned.

- - -

James staggered back and bit back some select words.

"That's it. Time to be direct."

Holding the shield in front of him, he rushed the Epsilon armor, juking and weaving to give the other pilot as hard a time getting a bead on him as possible.

There was a cacophony of ringing sounds echoing in the ruined building James' was in as the Epsilon's machinegun spat its ordonance at him, with empty shell casing flying out to bounce off the floor. There was only so much the geshrin could do to get close of such incessant fire and he was being driven back defensively.

Until the firing stopped. "Target weaponless!" The AIES almost shouted as the surviving enemy flung its useless weapon toward James and jumped for the hole the Daisy had previously crashed through.

James dove under the flying machinegun and clambered back to his feet, giving chase to the Epsilon.

"Oh no, you're not getting away from me after all that!"

He flexed his fingers in anticipation.

- - -

The Epsilon raced out in the street, made a sharp turn that left black marks over the pavement and made a prodigious leap to stomp hard besides the Delta Yukari had finished off earlier. One of its hands snaked out to claim the carbine that had been the downed armor main weapon.

- - -

I suppose this is why it is a simulator. In a real situation that misfire may have commanded a high price out of any one of us. Morita looked on at the heaps that were destroyed and watched as the one that was different - Epsilon? The names didn't really mean much to him - rounded a corner and disappeared, trailing gunfire.

AIES was kind enough to update Morita that there was a friendly under attack. Which is all well and good, but what would - or should - he do about it? The answer, of course, is to act on impulse. Morita began to close in, trying to let his reflexes do the job instead of actively imagining what the power armor was supposed to do. Close in, and take that Epsilon on its blind side - kick it, tackle it, grab it, whatever it took to get that thing off of that friendly. Whatever close combat options this suit had, Morita was determined to find out - the hard way.

- - -

Tom Freeman had drawn a bead on the retreating Epsilon as it was being chased by James' smoking Daisy. He was about to pull the trigger when he saw a second friendly unit run into his sights and attempt to engage the Epsilon in hand-to-hand combat.

What the HELL is he doing?

The Yamataian laughed out loud at the absurdity of the situation, shaking his head as he left his position and flanked the others, maintaining enough of a distance to keep the enemy mecha within range of his LASR in case things should turn ugly.

Shooting the grenades into the tight cluster of mechas would probably be a bad idea.

"What's the squad-leader's condition?" He asked his Daisy.

- - -

James blinked at the sudden appearance of another armor, which his AIES immediately identified as friendly.

Well, finding them wasn't so hard, now was it?

Seeing the Epsilon reach for the carbine, James grunted and gathered himself for a flying tackle at the hostile armor, hoping that the friendly Daisy wouldn't get a face-full of bullet.

" ... " The situation unfolded slowly in front of Yukari, yet she felt frozen. Her sniper rifle would've put a hole through the Epsilon armor and possibly the Daisy. She could not risk that. But seeing not one but two armors engaged in some twisted form of martial arts was too much to bear. They had rushed before a word could leave her mouth.

- - -

"Freeman-Hei, please lower the volume on your helmet receiver. I will be loud."

Her AIES had finally identified the other pilot: Dige-Hei.

Suuuuuu --

"KAMIYAMA AND DIGE! STOP YOUR FOOLISHNESS AND FLY from the armor with your ANTI-GRAVITY SYSTEM!"

Not waiting for an answer, Yukari took off with her own anti-gravity unit, flying about 100 meters into the air until she was floating almost directly over the Epsilon. She took aim with her rifle at the target below her. Her Harpy's wings automatically extended in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

- - -

James blanched as he hurdled through the air, ears ringing from the verbal onslaught.

"Anti-gravity? WHAT anti-gravity?!'

"Auxiliary Gravimetric Engine engaged," the AIES helpfully informed him. The Geshrin's armor suddenly paused and started rising up. He felt momentarily disoriented as the armor righted itself and took up a flanking position above and to the side of Yukari's armor.

- - -

"Dige, iiya!" Yukari saw James' armor coming for her. The Epsilon would track him and she could be in the line of fire --

Yukari sighted on the Epsilon's shooting arm and fired.

- - -

Ok, you need to move. For Pete's sake, MOVE.

"KAMIYAMA AND DIGE! STOP YOUR FOOLISHNESS AND FLY from the armor with your ANTI-GRAVITY SYSTEM!"

Click to expand...

Tom gritted his teeth, his ears ringing from the volume of Yukari's voice.

Tom had his LASR squarely focused on the enemy unit, but couldn't fire until the remaining ally moved. When Dige flew upwards and flanked Yukari --which effectively gave away her position and the element of surprise she possessed-- Tom groaned.

"AIES, what's the probability of accidentally destroying the allied unit should I fire at the remaining enemy?"

- - -

Yukari's railgun shot speared through the the middle of the Epsilon's forearm, ripping the extremity off in a non-negligible fountain of blood. The enemy suit staggered back away from the nearby Morita, trying to gain some space away from its aggressors despite the shock of being so grieviously wounded.

"Risk nil." Tom's AIES replied as it gave him the green light to fire.

However, about the same time, several new red dots appeared on Yukari's sensor display. "Active sensor contacts confirmed and identified: Taurus One and Two labelled as Ph-M3-1B, Taurus Three as Ph-CPA-04. NDI Advanced Tactical Assault Corps squad composition suggests the presence of Taurus Four through Seven. Units deemed hostile."

The AIES read the distance of the Golem IIs as being 3400 meters and closing. The Kairyuu was around there too, but its actual position was beyond the AIES' ability to accurately determine.

- - -

The sensor readings in the upper right corner of her helmet screen left Yukari little time.

She hoped Tom would understand. She quickly lined up and fired a second shot at the Epsilon's head, but she did not focus on if it hit or not; her eyes were instantly up at her radar.

"Chikushou!" she swore. That she was still stealthed was a miracle. She quickly dropped to the ground; her internal clock nearly ticked over her own thoughts. Her radar data was immediately fed to everyone else.

"Minna, listen," she said sternly, calling everyone down to her position in the middle of the square where they'd been fighting. "The armors coming for us now are arguably more powerful than us. I cannot yet determine their armaments, but we must assume the worst. Therefore, we must all prepare to ambush them. Surprise is our only hope."

The wings of her armor retracted back into her suit. She did her best not to think about what she did, but feel it. The idea sounded utterly stupid.

"The armors are coming from the east," she said. She was facing south toward Tom. "We will bait them."

"Dige-Hei, you still have grenades. Take a position along the bottom floor of the old stone building there." She pointed to the crumbling building on the southwest corner of the square. "Use your powered drones to assist your aim. Fire at Taurus One with a grenade, loose some LASR fire, then retreat into the building heading south."

She turned to Morita. "Kamiyama-Hei, take prone position in the destroyed corner of the building there." She pointed to the building on the northeast corner. "When the armors follow Dige, you will use your plasma rifle on Taurus Two. Use several shots in rapid succession, to ensure the most damage before it can raise its Barrier Shield."

They are closing quickly! Yukari thought desperately. "Freeman-Hei, take Kamiyama's old position to the south." She pointed at the shot-out window in the blasted-in-half business office to the south, near where they had been dropped. "Target Taurus Three as it enters your field of view. Use your plasma rifle."

She pointed to a blasted-out window about 4 stories up in a modern but squat condominium building on the northwest corner. "I will be behind a window in that building, waiting for Taurus One. It is crucial everyone remain under thermoptic and active camoflauge. Do not put up your Energy Cloaks until your position is revealed; they will detect them. Also expect your radios and radar to malfunction; the Golem IIs have jamming equipment. Go, quickly!"

Yukari did not wait for a confirmation as she turned and flew toward the open window. The moment she landed, she looked all across the window, then took a breath and went to a prone position, adjusting her rifle in a stiff, robotic manner. Her heart was in her throat, but the lives of her friends were at stake. In a sick way, she relied on them far more than they relied on her.

She transmitted all the essential data on both armor types approaching them to her comrades. "AIES, determine the weaponry of Taurus Group as soon as possible. Also, using optical data, create a hologram replacing the window I flew through. Allow me to see through the hologram via radar imaging." She took a deep breath again and let it out slowly.

As my old commander would have said ... 'here we go.'

- - -

Down in the street, the dead Epsilon was a silent testament that Yukari's knack with solid-projectile weapons consistantly being applied to her Harpy's sniper rifle as well. Anyone doubting her marksmanship could just look at the shattered helmet covered for confirmation.

The Harpy's AIES began listing the specs of the NDI Golem Mark II and the Kairyuu power armors to Yukari and sent similar readouts to the three other men as it generated holography through its holographic skin, though it would require Yukari to be extremely still or the projection would be spoiled.

No visual on the enemy suits yet. They were steadily advancing on her radar display though, their active sensors having probably picked up one of Yukari's companions already. Hopefully not, but Morita using his plasma rifle earlier suggested otherwise.

No sign of other suits being in the area either. Not yet, at any rate.

- - -

Yukari listened to AIES' instructions about the hologram. She let her breaths come naturally, easily, calming her body as best she could.

Though she was stealthed, the window had seemed too convenient a place for a sniper. She did not wish to take risks, even stealthed, so she used the hologram.

The drones of the Phoenix armors were her worst problem -- they would be able to poke in corners without risking its parent armor. She had to wait until they were in the square, however -- it was the only chance to catch them in the open. She kept her rifle held close against her shoulder.

Morita was in the most danger, she figured worriedly -- he had to remain as still as possible and pray no drones floated to his position. He was safe from the Phoenix radar, at least -- it was not as advanced as KFY radar and she was positive it could not penetrate the wrecked building debris.

"Remember," she transmitted to everyone, "wait until they are in the square, attempting to chase Dige-Hei."

- - -

Hmm.

So close combat isn't an option in this case, and I seem to be having problems with my rifle. Morita breathed out and headed to his new assigned position, falling prone with his rifle at the ready. Morita was more than happy to unleash whatever hell he's supposed to at these things.

"AIES, it seems that this somatic response problem will be something of an issue when engaging in ranged combat. What steps can you take to make sure I hit the damn target?"

"As stated before, the Daisy moves based on electrical impulse signals that normally function muscle movement and general motor skills," the AIES replied.

Morita swore. This isn't helping any. "So, you're saying that in order for me to fire as if it was a part of my body."

"Affirmative."

Morita shut his mouth while eyes were glued to the HUD. With the luck he's having with this power armor simulator (not to mention the fact that he himself has no actual armor experience), he's bound to keep firing even when he should be in close combat. His appreciation for technology and confidence in its usage was dropping at an alarming rate.

Just point and pull the trigger when the suit tells you to. Don't get too worked up. Take some deep breaths, Morita. This isn't like you. Morita attempted to regulate his breathing, calm himself down, while the hostiles closed in. His body's reflexes relied on the tactile feedback that a weapon, be it his hands or a plasma rifle, gave. The departure from not being able to use his physical body was something too great, especially for someone who has relied on knowing the feel of a punch for half of his life.

Morita let out a deep breath and fought to enter the calming state that he hoped to achieve. Damn it. I'm probably hosed.

- - -

Tom followed his orders immediately, maintaining his thermoptic and active camoflauge systems as he thrust up to his sniping point. Taking position within the building, crouching near the window, the Yamataian waited, his rifle tucked away for the time being so as not to draw attention.

- - -

"Roger," James replied, scuttling over to the stone building. He was bound and determined to get the job done as efficiently as possible.

"AIES, resume thermoptic and active camoflauge. Get those drones in the air, too."

He thumbed the LASR to full-auto as the two drones activated and glided over to the crumbling wall. Pressing against the corner, he waited for the armors to appear.

Superior force, heavier weapon loadouts, and an unknown number of hostiles remaining. This is turning out to be an eventful day.

- - -

The three Taurus power armors closed in toward their position even slower than the Kairyuu's maximum speed of 30mph: they obviously were making a cautious approach, even if they had totally revealed themselves with active sensors in an effort to locate the KFY armors.

Seconds ticked by and the enemy suits stopped advancing at roughly 1200 meters and held position, still hidden behind cover. They seemed in no hurry to move and intercept for the moment.

- - -

They are not moving ... they realize we are waiting for them.

Yukari winced, her plan seemingly teetering toward a lethal failure. For her, at least, there was no use changing it -- the moment the hologram evaporated, she would as well.

"AIES, can you boost my telepathic signal?"

"Reception inside the established IES network should be appropriate." Yukari's Harpy acquiesced.

"Thank you AIES ... " Yukari breathed. "Dige-Hei ... the armors are waiting instead of falling into the trap! You must draw them somehow ... the rest of us rely on you!"

- - -

The Geshrin groaned, even as he inched towards the corner.

It figures that we'd fight some smart opponents, he thought grimly, glancing at where Yukari's armor was hidden.

Wait...

"AIES, switch active camoflauge to project a holographic image of my armor looking out into the streets. Use the sensor drones to send me a visual feed."

- - -

"I cannot project an elaborate hologram more than a meter away from this unit's thermoptic armor." James' Daisy replied.

- - -

James sat still, mind racing.

Okay, that didn't quite work out. Let's see, three out of seven possible armors on our sensors, and they most likely have a transport vehicle if they're following deployment strategy. Once they have contact, their friends will probably come charging in.

He readied a grenade and inched over to the corner.

First things first, got to draw some attention.

Leaning out, he fired off the SLAG towards where the enemy armors were supposed to be hiding, already retreating the way he came.

- - -

James' initiative saved his hide. It was only just after he fired his grenade around the corner that his power armor was buffeted by the force of explosions - multiple grenades - that tossed his Daisy to the side.

There was no way of knowing how effective his attack had been as the Daisy crashed on its flank and bounced off the pavement twice before the inertial drive system kicked in to allow the geshrin to regain control of his balance and land in a crouch.

Suddenly, there was dust everywhere and visibility dropped considerably. He had lost one of his tactical drones to the explosions, though the other still docilely hovered by his side. He had completely lost any reading of the Kairyuu, though the two Golem IIs, apparently unscathed by his attacked, quickly announced their continued presence with bright muzzlefire as they opened up with Suit-Integrated Assault Rifle.

Yukari had a different view of what went on. She saw James had moved forward way ahead of the others and she completely lost contact with him. There were a series of violent explosions near the location of Taurus One through Three, with one building slowly crashing down in a large plume of dust. The two Golem IIs maintained their relative position, while the Kairyuu moved away in the general direction of Tom and Morita, though it went to passive sensors a few moments afterwards and disappeared from her sensors.

She had no time to wonder about the geshrin's fate as the Harpy warned her of three new enemy contacts: A Foxhound APC which was 7 kilometers northwest and apparently holding position, a Ph-M1-3C Super Phalanx that was 4989 meters west slowly flying over the battlefield and a Ocelot-type Mobile Frame 6252 meters east and closing fast on the ground. The AIES labelled the Super Phalanx as Taurus Four, the Ocelot as Taurus Five and the Foxhound as Gemini One.

- - -

Yukari could only watch as James vanished behind the dust and smoke of the collapsed building. What she saw on her sensors nearly made her cringe. The statistics for the Ocelot-class mobile frame slowly scrawled across the inside of her helmet. The disruptor cannon and practically starship-grade plasma rifle left her group sufficently undergunned that drastic measures had to be taken.

Broadcasting the enemy data was pointless. Though encrypted, the Phoenix armors had communication systems that could just as easily trace her as she could trace them. AIES could crack their communication relays ... with time. But that would not save her people now.

The Ocelot ends it ... if it does not, the Super Phalanx will do so in its place. I cannot tell what the Phalanx has for armaments. But my own rifle is purposeless against either target. Yukari's mind raced by several options. Only the plasma rifles of the Daisy would offer any damage to the two targets.

The three armors in the immediate vicinity, however, posed just as big a problem. Taurus Three was gone from her radar. Taurus One and Two were busy shooting at something -- she prayed to Chiharu-sama that James was not the target. She heard no shots from her friends. That meant the Kairyuu was either not moving or no longer relying on active radar. Activating her own active radar would reveal her position completely.

" ... " She took a slow breath. "Kamiyama-Hei ... slowly leave your position for a barrier that allows you visual access to the road Taurus Three is coming from. Do not use active radar; instead use your drones. Eliminate Taurus Three with plasma, and if possible, Taurus One and Two. There are other targets -- an Ocelot mobile frame and a Super Phalanx -- that are coming toward us. We must eliminate these three first."

Yukari slowly inched forward using anti-gravity, careful to give AIES enough time to adjust the hologram. "I will cover you. Watch for Dige-Hei."

She took another deep breath, let it out slowly, then let the hologram fade as she hurled herself out of the building on anti-gravity. Still stealthed, she rolled in mid-air and floated about four stories above the road the other armors were on.

The rifle settling into her shoulder, she waited for a target.

- - -

Reacting purely on instinct, James sprayed the area with gunfire of his own as he activated the anti-gravity drive and flung himself backwards, breaking free of the dust and debris. He wasted no time in getting out of the line of fire and speeding back to where the rest of his squad was.

That was a little too close for comfort, the Geshrin thought grimly, twisting so that he faced back towards the building. As he reached the maximum effective range of the SLAG, he let loose another grenade round.

- - -

A few hard impacts rocked James' Daisy, but the forearm shield fended off the worse of the Golem IIs combined assault as he evaded and fired his own counter-attack. Both NDI armors tried to jump aside, but one was just on the edge of the blast radius and found itself tossed aside.

The damaged golem righted itself, still mostly whole saved for scorched armor and a destroyed SIAR: its forcefield barrier had done much in saving it from the actual lethality of the attack. The second Golem weaved past the smoke and dust and continued to pour fire at James.

James' was in a pitted battle now: there wasn't much use for stealth and his AIES pointed it out with a written recommendation to go for military power so he could unleash the full potential of his suit - which included the cloak shield projector, active sensors and a functioning plasma rifle.

- - -

James took the AIES' recommendation and switched to combat mode, firing one last sustained burst from his LASR before juking behind cover. Given a moment to rest, he switched over to the plasma rifle and gave it a quick once-over.

Satisfied, quickly took a glance at the active sensors. The Phalanx and the Ocelot did little to raise his spirits, but on the plus side, he would be the only one readily apparent on their own sensor network.

The Geshrin leaned back out into the open, firing to disable or outright destroy the advancing Golem. Whatever happened, he had to buy his allies time to prepare for the rest of the hostiles to arrive.

- - -

Tom prepared his rifle, a bit confused as his target had not come into his sights as planned.

All the explosions worried him. He felt quite a bit useless as he sat there.

So... do I just wait here or what? If this isn't going to work, we need some new orders.

- - -

Hot plasma shot out of the plasma and clashed against the advancing Golem II's barrier shield. The first strained at the translucent energy bubble, but the second breached through and hit the armor on its right flank. The NDI assault armor's advance stopped cold as it was forced back a step from the substancial damage James' had managed to inflict it despite the barrier protection.

Slightly further away, the downed Golem II righted itself, lining up the Daisy with a kind of shotgun-like weapon that almost immediately spat dazzingly brilliant plasma at him. The torrent of energy nearly engulfed James' suit whole, but the cloak projectors saved him from being 'killed', absorbing enough so that the armor would be only scorched on the surface rather than smelted through.

"Class-C damage, Active Camouflage. Cloak Shield recovery in 12 seconds." The AIES reported as the damage display showed most of his armor's status being in the yellow now. In the meantime though, the Golem II he had previously shot with the plasma rifle decided to add to his misery by hefting the SIAR back up and launched a 17.5mm SARA grenade his way.


Behind Tom silently dropped another power armor. The Phantom II, the newest NDI stealth power armor, lined up the back of the yamataian's armored helmet and prepared to take him down.

Thanks to the Daisy's skin vision, Tom noticed the interloper just a moment shy from when the enemy tightened its index finger over its Suit Integrated Assault Weapon.

- - -

Tom did what he best could in the half second he had to avoid instant death:

He flung himself out of the window, and activated his anti-grav (if possible) to make a hard left around the building. Figuring his position was already a dead giveaway, he opened communications.

"YUKARI! Hostile sighted! Stealth Unit! They know we're here!"

Realizing that his Plasma weapon would have far too slow a firing rate for this close combat, Tom opted to re-equip his LASR, firing some rounds to cover his retreat.

- - -

"N -- NANI DESU TE?!"

Yukari nearly dropped her rifle. A stealth armor ... the information came unheeded to her screen. The Phantom II, using Zanarium armor, carrying light weapons.

Her choices trapped her conscience. Abandon Morita to the Kairyu, which he had a slim chance of defeating? Abandon James without helping him at all? Or leave Tom to die from an armor he could barely see, let alone target?

" ... " Her sensors couldn't find the Phantom II any easier than Tom's. But only Morita had the right arms to attack the Kairyu. He needed to strike, and fast, or James was as good as dead.

"Chiharu-sama, protect my shameful soul," she whispered.

With that, Yukari took aim at the Kairyu's head and, with her rifle set to maximum bullet velocity, fired. The shot ricocheted of the armor's helmet. She fired again, the shot causing a tiny dent but otherwise no damage. She switched her loudspeaker up to full.

"ORA ORA ORA!" Yukari shouted wildly, still stealthed. "AHO! DIE, ENEMY!" She fired a third round and, stealth dropped, turned tail and flew like hell toward Tom.

"Freeman-Hei!" she shouted over the radio. "I am coming! Kamiyama-Hei, destroy the Kairyu as it passes, then help Dige-Hei somehow!"

- - -

James blanched as the grenade soared through the air while the recovered Golem lined up for a second shot. Taking one last parting shot, he brought the anti-gravity drive to full power and threw himself into the air, hunkering down and bringing his shield to try and save himself from the brunt of the blast.

"Come on, come on...Rise!' he chanted to himself, feeling beads of perspiration start to trickle down his forehead.

- - -

The Phantom II Tom had begun firing on apparently had no taste for direct combat and quickly bounded away in the air, making Tom's shot whistle harmlessly where it had stood a moment before. The stealth armor somehow spotted Yukari's arrival and turned its weapon towards her, releasing a spray of shots toward the incoming Harpy.

As Tom's AIES tentatively labelled the new Phantom II as Taurus Six, Taurus Seven made its entry - another Phantom II had been waiting for him over where it had expected Tom to flee and fired its SIAW at him. The disruptor bolt smashed itself in the Daisy's back, twisting the powered armor suit in a forced eighty-or-so degree turn with armor fragments flying to bounce off a nearby wall.

"Class-B damage, Gravimetric Engine. Class-D damage, Armor Integrated Electronic System." The Daisy reported, signaling his anti-gravity was serisouly crippled and that its sensor/communication suite had taken light damage. His armor diagram showed the Daisy's rear torso shining light red.


Just as James cleared the grenade's blast radius, his own plasma rifle belched plasma in turn. The brilliant bolt raced from the weapon's muzzle and ripped through the Golem II's energy barrier, striking and destroying the NDI assault armor's helmet. The enemy suit was flung away like a rag doll and lay limply on the fissured roadway.

"Taurus One destroyed!" His AIES confirmed just as the other Golem tried to take another shot at it - his remaining AIES-controlled tactical had other ideas though and fired, wrecking the killer shotgun-like contraption.

Above, the Super Phalanx had begun moving toward the shadowy KFY-produced armor that had attacked the Kairyuu, but in reaction to the first casuality in its squad, it whirled around and blazed toward James, firing twin disruptor bolts at the Geshrin with its carbines.

- - -

Yukari couldn't see the Kairyuu. But she could see the Phantom armor that fired on her.

Chaos seemed to have erupted. All seven units were now accounted for as she realized as Taurus Seven was highlighted somewhere behind Tom. Wait --

The thought couldn't finish. Pain ripped through Yukari's right leg as two of the Phantom's shots connected, according to her helmet screen. She ground her teeth together and ignored the armor diagram which flashed red over the right calf.

All she could see was Tom being blasted in the back, sending his armor reeling.

"FREEMAN-HEI!" A split-second later, Yukari crashed mid-air into the side of a ruined building, blurring her vision as she saw the flash of Taurus Six's rifle brightly in her helmet. The pain was not as bad as it could have been, she was sure. The bullet that knocked off the thin right shoulderpad of her armor would've hurt much worse.

She managed to speed to the ground, skidding to her feet and falling to a kneeling position. Rifle raised, she took half a second to aim and fired at Taurus Seven.

- - -

Oh. Morita definitely had a hard time keeping up with what just happened. So they were on the losing side right now and in the middle of a tactical withdrawal? Getting outnumbered two to one practically? The frantic commands coming from Yukari didn't exactly make the matters any easier - in fact, it probably escalated his confusion.

"AIES, uh, lock onto Taurus Three...Wait, no, target the Kairyuu (was that one even right?), and paint Dige's suit. Uh...Switch from active radar to drone visuals?"

The HUD lit up with activity and he got a bearing on Dige's suit and what the AIES identified for him as the Kairyuu.

As far as his expertise in firearms went, Morita understood the basic principles of not being hit - lying prone when there are enemies moving about isn't exactly the most prime of ideas. As far as it seemed from the situation, the stealth system wasn't really doing any good - or at least, that's what it seemed like to him. If these hostiles could hit accurately, what's the real point? It was time to try something different.

"AIES, cycle Active Camoflauge, or do something that will confuse the enemy. Jamming systems, turning radar on and off, whatever you can do while I'm busy shooting and getting shot at."

With plasma rifle in hand, Morita tried to take a shot at what AIES painted as his mark. One shot, and then he was off and running to somewhere, anywhere. Wherever there's cover, high ground, anything that could get him into a better position than he is right now. Just need to keep moving and shooting.

- - -


This TOTALLY sucks...

Tom moaned a bit from his prone position, in a nearby building, where the shot had sent him flying. The world was spinning far too fast for his tastes.

The only thing he knew was that he had just pulled off a rather unpleasant dance move: The 80 degree spine twister.

I'll have to remember that one for the future. The Yamataian thought unpleasantly, the events of the simulation further cementing his strong dislike for combat.

The thought had also crossed his mind that putting a Neko in charge of running the simulation was a bad idea. What was she going to do, keep dropping in enemies until they were all annihilated? What kind of scenario was that? Was this some form of twisted bloodlust?

Tom heard the yelling of Yukari followed by multiple shots and shook his head bitterly. Looks like she was getting shot too.

This can't be good for team morale...

He had no anti-grav and he was just as good as done with another shot in the back, so, after taking the tremendous effort to get his armor once again to a standing position, Tom readied the grenade launcher on his gun, just itching to shoot the first thing that he saw.

- - -
Pressed to focus on a target, James dropped down to an intact rooftop and whirled around to face the airborne armor. A volley of six missiles soared out from the augmentation pods at the incoming Super Phalanx, followed up with several blasts from his plasma rifle.

He could hear the cries of his squadmates and forced them to the back of his mind. He had to deal with what was in front of him first.

"Yukari-Chui, Taurus One is down, Taurus Two is damaged and I am engaged with Taurus Four. Hold on a little longer!"

Might as well give her some good news...

- - -
Yukari's attacks had distracted the Kairyuu enough so that Morita managed to nail it with a solid shot from his plasma rifle. The downside was that the Kairyuu's barrier shield seemed to totally absorb the impact, leaving its armor cover relatively pristine as it lumbered toward the caretaker's Daisy.

The large armor's SIAR - a much larger version of the weapon the Golem II had - came up and blasted away at the Daisy, spitting 1.5cm anti-armor rounds at an insane rate. The yamataian dived aside, blocked a few hard hits with his forward shield and scampered forward to leap away behind the cover of a building, which began to be chewed at as if thousands of termites were on the job.

One of his tactical drones moved low around the corner to see how the Kairyuu was maneuvering and saw the NDI juggernaut bring out its light plasma cannon. The P53 fired, sending an disk of self-contained plasma Morita's way. The AIES blared an alert and Morita raced away from the cover and deeper between the two buildings just a moment before the disc hit what had been his cover a moment ago and filled a several-meter radius around the impact point with killing energy that left only smoking rubble in its wake.

Yukari's shot smashed against the left shoulderpad of Taurus Seven, easily penetrating and doing internal damage. The Phantom II staggered back from the hit and too late realized Tom had fired his last SLAG grenade its way.

It was caught and torn to shreds before it could leap away.

As Harpy's AIES reported Taurus Seven was destroyed, a disruptor bolt hit the Harpy and Yukari almost felt the other Phantom II's shot spear through her torso as the simulation suit fed her the necessary nervous signals to indicate how her recon armor had not only recieved nearly crippling damage but also severely wounded the pilot. The Harpy dropped limply to the ground, all motor functions gone as her pilot went in shock and the AIES itself shut down, causing her holographic HUD to blink out and leaving her in the darkness of her helmet.

As the AIES rebooted with a "Stand by. Set up." The HUD winked back into visibility, showing the Phantom II looming over her with a forearm vibroblade drawn and slashing down to finish her off.

Mini-missiles launched and spiralled after the Super Phalanx, causing the space power armor to make a defensive flip and start shooting down the missiles with its carbines and triple set of tactical drones beforethey could hit him.

That won James some time to deal with the last Golem II, which flew up and fired a set of energy disks at him: the disks were nowehere as strong as the ones the Kairyuu had used against Morita and impacted futilely around the Daisy's shield barrier, weakening it enough to scorch some paint away and destroy the last tactical drone it had, but not enough to actually deal impairing damage.

To his right, James saw a chilling sight: the Ocelot mobile frame. The large humanoid mecha weighted 35 tons, was nearly 50 feet in height and almost 40 in shoulder width. The large NDI soldier mecha, labelled Taurus Five on his HUD, was trying to pick its way carefully within the rubble of their training battle's venue - it wouldn't be too long before it got close enough to support the rest of the Taurus group.

- - -

The destruction of the enemy left Tom grimly satisfied...

...a feeling that was definitely not something the Raltean was used to, and, to be honest, scared him.

It is just a simulation... not real. A big video game.

No matter how he tried to rationalize it, though, Tom could not help but imagine the simulated enemy having had a family, and the horror he must have felt in that split-second before being shredded into oblivion.

What unbelievable brutality...

He then saw Yukari's Harpy get blasted in the chest and collapse to the ground, the Phantom II stepping up to her prone form and drawing its vibroblade. It stooped over her like a jackal about to tear into a carcass.

"NO!"

Ice flowed through the Yamataian's veins as he fired round after round of his LASR at the Phantom II.

- - -

Already commited to the kill, the Phantom II was not nimble enough to avoid Tom's frenzied attacks: the yamataian's railgun tore holes in the Taurus Six's chest, abdomen and upper limbs, going even so far as giving it a hit that ripped off the offending vibroblade-armed limb at the shoulder in the process.

The Phantom II made a spin not unlike Tom had earlier as it crashed to the ground and stayed there.

"Taurus Six destroyed."

- - -

"Yukari!"

Tom rushed to her, his display already revealing the severe damage Yukari had sustained.

"Are you ok!?"

Not waiting for an answer, Tom switched to his plasma rifle as he picked up Yukari with his free hand, moving her to the (relative) safety of a nearby building.

"You better start talking because I sure as hell don't want to be squad leader!"

- - -

"Hey, guys! We need to regroup! We can't handle this situation! We have to get out of here!"

Morita never stopped moving, using this as the perfect opportunity to get used to the suit's mobility. It was starting to become easier - acting on instinct tends to do that. This simulation was getting more and more interesting the more he stayed in it - but, unless there was a really heavy weapon that the AIES wasn't telling him about...

"AIES! What weapon has the highest payload on this thing?"

"At present the weapon with the highest payload is the Plasma Rifle. With the optional Augmentation Pods there is the opportunity to use missiles."

"That doesn't help me. Plot me a course of retreat and send it to the other friendlies."

"Affirmative."

Morita leaped into the air, crashing through a window of an abandoned building and into cover. He hoped it would provide him a little respite while the others tried to get their bearings. His heart, already beating fast from the running, etched a grin onto his face. Perhaps it was because it was a simulation, or it could be that fighting is a personal pleasure - but, all in all, he was having a good time.

"AIES, pull up data on that really big one. Weak spots, blind spots, anything that can be an advantage."

He debated - the others had the same suit as him, so that meant that he also had a grenade launcher - which meant that those grenades were somewhere on the suit. Could they be used without the launcher?

"Is it possible to use the grenades without the launcher, AIES?"

- - -

James fired his plasma rifle at the Golem II, adding the forearm-mounted pulse weapon to the mix. He rolled to the side to avoid any more discs and jumped off of the edge of the roof, heading across the street.

That mobile frame's going to prove a problem, especially with Yukari wounded. The Geshrin opted to head inside the building rather than stay out in the open. There's got to be something I can do to help them out and keep the Phalanx away...

- - -

Yukari's eyes brightened as she briefly saw her shot lance through Taurus Seven's shoulder pad. She nearly gave a whoop of glee after Tom wrecked it. She took to her feet weakly, rifle still ready. She needed to find cover again --

White bleached her vision. Her brain registered the shot from Taurus Six more than AIES did. Vaguely she felt herself fall to the ground. She was sure she couldn't feel much of anything below her sternum. Her arms didn't work either. No words escaped her lips. Breathing was too difficult for that.

Suddenly, everything was black. She could feel herself again -- her body was hers. She felt more winded than any other time in her life; she took great gulps of air as sweat poured off of her head. Letting her head hang she contemplated what just happened.

No time for that. Once AIES rebooted the pain was back, only slightly dulled, sucking the air from Yukari's lungs and making her eyes cross for a brief second. Her helmet armor diagram showed the Harpy's torso painted bright red, meaning the protection there was breached and in pretty bad shape. Her bodily functions were mostly kaput; her right arm, which clutched her rifle, worked just enough for her to lift it. Hemosynthetic healing was attempting to repair her right lung, which had been obliterated from just under her breast to the end of the rib cage.

Yukari could feel herself bleeding. A lot. The pain was too much for her to notice the armor over her, knife pointed at her. Even it being pelted with bullets was hard to make out. All she felt was blood -- down her stomach, her privates, her legs, everywhere but her head.

She heard something from Tom. He was okay after all. That was good. She could take a rest. Rest sounded like a fine thing to do. She couldn't feel pain while she was sleeping, after all, and the pain was really too much then.

Eh? A hand wrapped around her under her arms. The pain increased ten fold. Yukari hacked and coughed; her screen was now covered in very realistic-looking blood. Did I do that? She couldn't really make out Tom as he looked at her. Everything was sinking into darkness.

"... be squad leader!"

Click to expand...

Squad leader? Yukari remembered something about being a squad leader. She hated power armors, though, so why would she ever be one? That made no sense. She tried to smile, but she couldn't feel her face very well. I would never do something that silly, unless --

" ... Let ... me out ... "
* * *

The dock was a bustle of activity as Star Army personnel departed from transports from a variety of ports. Probably not as busy as many of the other Star Fortresses in the Star Army's many fleets, but then again...Scorpio Base was a top secret facility. At least, that how the young raven-haired neko thought as she exited the ship that had brought her from Nataria. Gazing upon the vastness that was Scorpio, the young woman couldn't help but to find herself in awe of the facilities. "Sugoi," she mumbled to herself before shaking her head quickly. No, no, no, have to stay focused, she thought quickly as she hefted both her overstuffed duffle bags to her shoulders.

Walking further, her black suede boots barely made a sound as she headed towards one of the main corridors clad in a light-blue, skirted uniform. Mentally, she began to connect to the basic access available to her on the PANTHEON so she could inquire the network on Suzuka Yukari-Chui location as well as aquiring a new rank pin for a Santô Juni. As a secondary inquiry to the network, she began to make necessary searches on the procedures for upgrading to the new NH-29 model body.

As soon as she did, the young neko couldn't help but frown. She knew she would have had to leave her nearly obsolete NH-17R body sooner or later, but she couldn't help but feel a certain attachment to the body she was "born" with. Standing out of the way of other personnel, the 4'11" tall neko could only stand there and wait for her inquiries to be answered by the network as her mind wandered through a variety of scenarios that could happen when she finally met her new crewmates and commander face to face.

- - -

The Star Fortress' KAMI interface manifested a display of the floor Masako was on. Needless to say, the layout was extensive, but it identified for her several points of interest, namely where Project Inoue kept its latest power armor simulators, where Masako could access an elevator that would lead to her assigned quarters and a medical center with the proper facilities to soul transfer her in the newer NH-29 Nekovalkyrja body.

"I recommend you drop your luggage to your quarters first, Kurohoshi-Juni." Scorpio's KAMI said. "Your commanding officer is in a room nearby."

- - -

"Domo Arigatou, KAMI," Masako replied out of habit as she began walking in the direction of her quarters. Following the helpful directions of the Scorpio's KAMI, Masako was able to make her way through the labyrinth known as a Scorpio-class Star Fortress with the only mishap being one of the taller Star Army personnel almost bumping into her. After what seemed like an eternity, the short, yet slender warrant officer made it to her quarters.

Entering without hesitation, she gazed at her temporary living quarters with only a bit of approval. The only thing that made her frown in disapproval was how plain her bed was. Fighting back the urge to set up her pillows and nice sheets, the young neko dropped her luggage by her bed and exited once again. Ears twitching slightly, the warrant officer turned towards the door KAMI had told her was her commanding officer's room and took a deep breath. "Time to report in," she mumbled to herself as she strode over calmly and rapted her knuckles upon the door.

- - -

Rapping actually didn't do much considering KFY internal comparmentalisation made most barriers soundproof, but the KAMI considerately emitted a chime inside the room.

The door hissed open shortly afterwards, with Masako's new commanding officer standing on the other side. Kotori was dressed in a white panneled Star Army uniform and a golden Taii rank pin rested over her left breast. Of above average height for a Nekovalkyrja, the golden-eyed Kotori towered a bit over the new arrival.

"Ah!" Kotori reared her head back slightly at the sight of Masako, surprise registering in her golden eyes. "I remember you! You were sitting right besides me on the Mikomi. Welcome." The Taii nodded her greeting.

Masako couldn't help but also blink in surprise as her commanding officer seemed to recall her right of the bat. The young warrant officer also reckonized Kotori, though she was certainly amazed at how quickly the golden-eyed officer had gone up in rank. "H...hai," Masako stammered slightly as she shook of her surprise. "Kurohoshi Masako-Santô Juni, reporting," she replied politely formal as she bowed to her new CO.

Kotori nodded again and moved to the side to grant the Juni passage. "Please, come in and be seated." The room inside, aside from the workdesk, had some sofas and a couch to lounge on along with a short square table with a basket of fruits resting in its center.

"Arigatou," Masako replied as she stepped into the room with only a hint of hesitation. It was certainly a nice room, a lounge of sorts was the only thing the young warrant officer could guess what the room's use was. Chosing one of the sofas by the square table, the young neko moved over towards it and gently sat down.

Kotori sat at the couch opposing Masako. She giggled. "I'm actually glad you agreed to come. I was wondering if I would be the only Nekovalkyrja on the Miharu. Aside from my executive officer, all we have are men."

"Really?" Masako replied in surprise before smiling at Kotori. "Believe me, ma'am, I'm no stranger to being the only female in a crew." The young neko said. "Onboard the Confidence, I was the only neko and the only woman of a crew of four people," she explained as her body relaxed more around the officer. "And I couldn't really pass up this chance either... helping to test a prototype cruiser is a nice change of pace from scout ships. Unfortunately though, that's all the information I've received so far," the young Kurohoshi admitted as she scratched the tip of her ear absent-mindedly.

"I'm afraid I can't supply much more information than you already know, namely because I don't know a lot about it myself either. the Miharu is the experimental prototype and it is still being built. All I know is that completion was delayed due to some problems regarding the ship's power grid and its shield generator system." The Taii shrugged. "They classify it as a light cruiser, so, I assume it must be bigger. It apparently also has a detachable 'auxiliary ship' that is meant for planetary landings - a dropship of sorts, you could say."

"A dropship?" Masako's ears perked up slightly as she leaned back into the sofa. "That would definitely help when it came to inserting powered armor and infantry onto a planetary battlefield. It would probably free up the Light Cruiser for Combat Air Patrol along the upper atmosphere while the dropship acted as a mobile command... unit..." Masako's trailed off before flushing in embarassment at what she thought was going off on a tangent. Coughing slightly into her hand in an effort to cover it, Masako smiled sheepishly at Kotori. "Anyway... it is probably not my place to make assumptions on its uses." she stated.

"That's okay. You happen to be echoing the thoughts we've had so far." Kotori smiled indulgently. "Was there anything you'd like to cover with me? I do not mind talking with you, but I know the rest of the crew are about to practice with a new land power armor model. I don't want to hold you off for too long when you could show the men how a real power armor pilot fights." She finished her sentence with a devious grin.

Masako couldn't help but giggle at her commander's comment. "I probably will, ma'am," she replied with her own smile. "But I'm going to have to put it off until I can get two things accomplished," she replied politely. "First thing would be for me to get a new rank pin... considering my current pin wouldn't be appropriate. That's easy to do I know, but the next order of business is for me to... well, 'upgrade' to a NH-29 body," Masako explained, though her smile faded slightly at the last bit. "To be honest, I'd miss this body... I mean... it probably sounds silly and all, but discarding the body I was 'born' with makes me feel a bit sad in a way."

Masako seemed to have Kotori's complete attention. "I understand." The Taii said. "It was pretty much the same way for me when I changed as well. I can spend some time explaining how a NH-29 is different from a NH-17 if you'd like."

"Please do," Masako replied with a smile. "It'd be nice to know exactly what I'm going to be getting into before hand," the young Juni replied.

"My previous body was a NH-22M." Kotori said. The NH-22M had been a short lived model series that had mostly only been for samurai and it had been a stepping stone from the combined design of NH-17S/NH-17T nekos to what finally became known as the NH-27. "It was crippled by a near miss from a phosphorus grenade beyond the possibility of regeneration and so my soul was transfered before my bodily functions would decay to the point of death." Kotori closed her eyes a moment. "My body was rare and very special - I was loath to change it, but I ended up not having much choice in the matter." Kotori reoppened her eyes, smiling bittersweetly. "The NH-29 body I now wear is not the body I was born with, but it did happen to save my life, so I can't begrudge it that."

The Santô Juni listened carefully to Kotori's words, she was extremely interested in first hand accounts of swapping bodies... since she had never done anything like it before. "It seems like you've seen your fair share of combat Ketsurui-Taii," Masako replied sympathetically.

"I participated to the PNUgen raid and my Mindy was damaged to the point of being non-operable. I thought fancy stealth plating would get me by, but I only ended up having to fight my way out butt naked." Kotori giggled, though her lighthearted account hardly reflected the hardships she'd had to endure then, especially the minutes she had lain on the cold floor waiting to die. "But I don't suppose that's what is on your mind right now, so I will move on."

The Taii began smoothing one hand over one long, shiny black lock of hair that swept down from over her shoulder. "The NH-29 is a refined Nekovalkyrja body. it is not as physically strong as the NH-17, but it has a lot more endurance. Since we often use power armor for combat anyways, the newer bodies lean on the neko and power armor acting in concert. The NH-29 loses some its strength; it loses most of its hemosynthetic ports except the bellybutton one, so it can't generate battle tentacles anymore; the SLICS holes are removed and the self-regeneration capabilities aren't as extensive..."

"However," Kotori continued, "the NH-29 gains a lot in energy efficiency and stamina: we need less rest, less food and can function in combat conditions longer than NH-17 nekos - in fact, I can assure you of that from firsthand experience. The NH-29's telepathy has a longer range and its operational system is streamlined so that primary and secondary memory aren't separate entities anymore - this actually helps a bit in interfacing more seamlessly with a power armor AIES. Speaking of interfacing, the shoulderholes are replaced by nervous ends around our spines which interact with the backing of a Mindy. Its more direct than through the shoulders and no longer require direct connection, so for ship interfaces, just sitting on a SPINE equipped chair is enough to make a linkup."

Masako blinked as she took in all of the information Kotori had given her. Scratching her ear absent-mindedly, the Santô Juni bit her lower lip in thought before sighing. "Wow... it seems I'm going to have to get used to quite a lot of changes," the young neko replied before smiling at her commanding officer. "Domo Arigatou Ketsurui-Taii.... I'm glad you could impart your experience with the NH-29 body to me." Masako said with a nod in thanks. "I... I think I feel a bit more confident making the switch as well."

"If it makes it any easier, once you've transfered, it doesn't feel all that different, really." Kotori assured. "You just won't be able to work the exact same way as you did before, but otherwise, you'll still be yourself. Getting used to the disminished strength is still a problem I run into from time to time, but I remind myself each time I grow frustrated with it that my actual body's strength is in the upper scale of what Nepleslian and Yamataian bodies can manage. If anything, I think I gained a little more respect for them since I changed." Masako's commander grinned. "Power armors are all run with SPINE interface now, so, having a new NH-29 body would be good for you. You could stick to the one you have now, but you'd end up limiting yourself to same suits as Yamataians."

"Well... that settles it then." Masako replied calmly with a smile. "To stick with a Mindy I'm going to have to transfer to an NH-29 no matter what," the young neko stated. "Again, Arigatou Ketsurui-Taii," she said with a nod. "If I maybe excused, I'll head towards the medical bays to do a soul transfer now." she asked politely as both her ears twitched slightly.

Kotori waved back. "Be brave! It really isn't all that bad once it is done and over with."

- - -

Once leaving the room, Masako began to follow KAMI's directions towards the nearest soul transfer capable medical bay. With her confidence high and her mind steeled for what had to be done, the young neko didn't stop for anything as she closed on the room the computer system had directed her too.

But as she reached the doorway, Masako couldn't help but pause. It was only for a second though as she thought back to her time in the defense fleet over Yamatai before her brief service on the Nozomi. She shook her head before she could think more about her past with this body. Sure, it would be different, but maybe this change was for the better.

Finally crossing the threshold of the medical bay door frame, the short neko looked around calmly. "Ano...." she said, ponder whether she should call out to see if anyone was in or not.

- - -

"Hai?" A green haired Nekovalkyrja nurse called back to Masako, rising from her inspection of one of the medlab's examination tables. She seemed to be the only person in sight for the moment. "Can I help you with anything?"

- - -

"Ahh, hai," Masako replied as she bowed in greeting. "Kurohoshi Masako-Santô Juni," the short neko introduced herself as she came back up. "I'm here to see if I can get squeezed in to transfer to an NH-29 body," she began as she looked around. "It seems like you aren't busy at the moment, but if I'm not correct, I could return later on," she explained calmly.

Though the green-haired neko was the only one in the medical bay, it didn't necessarily mean she was available to help her out. But hopefully, Masako could get this out of the way right now instead of having to wait.

- - -

"I'm pretty sure I can accomodate you." The nurse looked at the empty examination beds around and then grinned back at Masako as she waved her in. "The doctor is in his office handling his paperwork, but I can handle the procedure. Were there any particulars you wanted to discuss first?"

- - -

"Particulars?" Masako asked with a confused look before her cheeks flushed in embarassment. "Uh...this is my first time soul transferring to a new body," the young neko explained. "Can you please explain what you exactly mean by 'particulars'?" she asked.

Masako knew she shouldn't really be embarassed. Not everyone knew what to do when it came to new experiences. But this woman had probably done this so many times that she was used to having people know what they wanted. And here Masako was, not knowing what exactly to say or how to answer.

- - -

"Well, you might have questions or cosmetic preferences regarding your new body." The nurse smiled kindly. "After all, if it is a body you'll be using for awhile, you'd probably want to be comfortable in it."

- - -

Masako frowned slightly as she scratched the tip of her ear. "Hmmmm....I haven't thought about that much," she replied as she pondered her choices. The easiest thing to do would just be to stick to what she looked like now. In fact, she was pretty much content with how she looked. Well...she had thought about changing her hair style.

"I guess...I'd like to stay the way I am really." she replied cautiously. "Maybe with slightly longer hair than this," she pointed to her boyish trim that was her hair style. "As for questions," she began, only to fade a bit as she pondered again, scratching the tip of her ear a bit more. "Um...how long should this take? I mean...I'm not that much in a hurry, I was just wondering. And...could you have the nodal system create a new rank pin for me while I'm transferring? I sort of need to update it....onegai?" she sudden became a flood of questions.

- - -

"It should take around fifteen minutes, from the point where we get you soul transfered." The Nurse replied, flicking her green hair a flick to get an errant lock back behind her shoulder. "I could have the KAMI have your new pin ready for when you regain consciouness - that really wouldn't be a problem."

- - -

"Domo arigato gozaimasu," Masako replied politely with a bow before standing back up straight and smiling. "You'll have to walk me through what I'm going to have to do though," the young neko said as she scratched her ear sheepishly. "Is it sort of like a usual ST back-up procedure or is there anything special that I have to do?" she asked cautiously. Sometimes she wished she knew more than just how to fight and small-group tactics, maybe when she decided it was time to attend officer's training or the Kyoto War College that she would learn something useful. She felt so useless when it came to things not involving powered armor combat.

- - -

"It starts just like a ST backup, except in this case I'll be sedating you before the procedure. The next time you will recover consciousness would be once your mind will have been transfered to your new body." The green-haired neko explained.

- - -

"Sou ka," Masako replied now understanding a bit better than she had been. "In that case," she said as she walked over to where she would normally do an ST back-up, placing her body in a comfortable position. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she mumbled with a hint of butterflies in her stomach. Soon, her body will be different and she would have to get used to a new way of doing things.

- - -

"Alright. Come along then." The Nurse walked to another cubicle that led to a bed whom was overlooked by a relatively famillar looking ST backup device. "You just have to lie down here and we'll get started."

- - -

Tentatively, the nervous warrant officer sat down upon the bed before twisting her body so that she lay flat upon her back. Smiling nervously, her ears seemed to wilt slightly. "Be gentle...it is my first time," she weakly chuckled as she attempted to alleaviate her sudden timidness with humor.

- - -

"Of course." Still smiling, the green haired neko positioned the arm bearing the reader part of the device over Masako's forehead and then tapped a few things on its console before it began emiting a hum and soft blue shone in the young neko's eyes.

An unbearable level of drowsiness suddenly washed over the Juni. Before she even knew it, Masako's eyes had closed and she slipped off into unconsciousness.

- - -

Masako slowly woke up, laying on one of the examination beds the nurse had been inspecting before. Her new, still slightly damp NH-29 body was covered with a blanket and her shoulder-length hair (along with the fur on her ears) were still heavy with moisture. The experience seemed somewhat unremarkable: it wasn't like she was reborn so much as waking up from a good night's sleep.

- - -

As she slowly regained her bearings, the nurse came back and ran a scan on her with some handheld device. "Hello again. How do you feel?"

- - -

Masako's pitch black eyes opened slowly as she came out of her sleep to see the green-haired nurse over her with a handheld device. Blinking a bit at the lights above, the young neko frowned slightly. "I can't believe I was so nervous over that," the young woman said out of embarassment. Slowly sitting up on the bed, the oblivious neko allowed the sheet over her to fall off her torso as she raised her arms above her head and stretched her slender body.

"I don't feel any different at all...all though I do believe I won't be sleepy any time soon," she commented as a sudden chill went across her bare skin. "Ano...there wouldn't happen to be a bath or shower facility any where near here, would there?" she asked calmly as she looked down at her new body, noticing her bar code wasn't on her breast anymore. She actually began to look all around her body until she found it on her left backside. "Hmmm..." she hummed as she mentally took note of that.

- - -

The nurse brought Masako's folded uniform to her along with the new rank pin. "There should be communal facilities where you've been assigned quarters." She replied.

The changes in Masako's new body weren't just limited to longer hair and her genetic tattoo being on another part of her body: she had no fingernails and toenails anymore, she only have two pairs of incisor teeth in her mouth between her canines instead of the usual four and her skin had a darker colored streaking over her spinal column area.

However, slightly more startling was the way her 'head' worked... there seemed to be a total lack of tactical operating system or of any operating interface in the first place. Though the digital mind of the NH-29 was much more intuitive and had its primary and secondary memory merged into one package. It was somewhat wierd.

- - -

"Wakarimasita," Masako replied as she swung her legs so that they dangled off the bed. Taking the uniform from the nurse's grasp gently, the young neko smiled and nodded, "Arigatou gozaimasu." It was then she realized that there was more different about her, for one, lack of fingernails and toenails. Her canines also felt a bit closer together than they had been before, with two incisors missing. She also realized her mind wasn't what it once was. No longer did she have a secondary memory, in fact, many things she had stored in her secondary memory was now included into the only memory she had. The lack of tactical OS also made one of her eyebrows arch. "Ok...this is weird," she mumbled before she began to slide her skirted uniform over her nude form.

"I seem to have a lot more changes than I realized," she said in surprise before looking up at the nurse. "Ano...is there anything you can advise me on before I leave? Any critical difference between the NH-17 and the NH-29 that could affect my combat skills?"

- - -

The nurse laughed. "You are hardly the first to ask me that." She chuckled some more before she composed herself and continued: "Instead of relying on a tactical operating system, most of the functions were integrated in your survival functions. You might feel a little bit less aggressive and this might encourage you to be more cautious in combat, but other than that, you should be able to process data even faster than you could before and your affinity in operating power armor should in fact increase."

The nurse came to sit besides Masako and tapped the new NH-29 neko's forehead lightly with her index finger. "You still have an assisting operating system, but it is in the background of your mental perception and is certainly a lot less cluttered than the NH-17R interface. The only times it should become more obvious to do would be when it is in diagnostic mode, when you access and transfer files or when you interface with a SPINE-equipped power armor."

- - -

"S...sou ka," Masako replied as her cheeks flushed with embarassment at the nurse's laugh. Her cheeks darkened even more as her own forehead was tapped lightly. Sure, she was only a year old...but that didn't mean she had to be treated like a youngling. The young neko pushed such thoughts aside, that was wrong of her...the nurse was nice enough to be explaining things to her. Now wasn't the time to allow insecurities to surface.

"That does create less clutter," she agreed but then scratched her ear in wonder. "I've heard these NH-29 body's have limited superhuman strength compared to the NH-17....what exactly does that mean anyway?"

- - -

"You're about as strong as a very strong human." The green-haired nurse replied.

- - -

"Ah," Masako said as she pulled her boots on and slipped off the bed, her petite body only causing her boots to make a barely audible thud upon the deck. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu," the young neko thanked the nurse with a bow. "I really appreciate you patience in answering my questions," she said with a small smile. "May you have a pleasant day," the young Kurohoshi said as she turned and headed towards the communal baths.

Even if the body was brand new...the residue of fluids still clung to her body, making her feel slightly icky. Besides...a hot, relaxing bath or shower seemed to be a nice idea before meeting her other crewmates.

- - -

A trip back up on the elevators returned Masako to the quarter area that the Miharu's crew had apparently been assigned to. There was a dining hall with an attached kitchen, a set of suites including her commander's, a small lounge that seemed mainly dominated by potted plants, a laundry room and the communal baths and showers, which were a lot roomier than the ones on the Mikomi.

- - -

Finally entering her room, the young neko sighed as she stripped her uniform off from her body. A quick change into her yukata and her bikini bottoms, Masako gathered her toiletries and dirty uniform as she headed towards the communal bath and showers. "Let's see...a quick shower, a nice soak, that should do nicely for now," she mumbled as she stopped by the laundry room to stick her skirted uniform into the wash.

From there, the bath area was the next destination. Though, Masako didn't really expect anyone to be in the bathing area at the moment. Most of her crewmates were probably training at the moment, leaving her to relax before meeting them. "Maybe I should ask KAMI for material on the new armors and systems so I can read something while I soak," she pondered outloud.

- - -

"Do you require information on an holographic window, or would you rather the synthesis of a written manual?" Scorpio Base's KAMI returned as Masako entered the changing room.

- - -

Masako blinked in surprise as she entered the changing room. Sighing quietly, she went over to one of the many lockers and began to strip. "Holographic window would probably be best," she replied to KAMI as she placed her clothing into the locker. With that, she entered the bathing area with her toiletries in hand.

- - -

The KAMI provided Masako with an hologrpahic data screen with several topics it had previously submitted to Nyton Claymere and left it in stationary orbit of Masako so it would follow her around until she asked otherwise.

- - -

After a short, through scrubbing followed by a quick rinse, Masako slowly lowered herself into a full bath with a sigh. "That feels better," she mumbled as she brought the holographic display in front of her. She automatically pulled up information on the new model of Mindy first, being more familiar with the Mindy than the other armors. At first glance, it didn't look like the Mindy had changed much at all. But as the young neko read on, the new addition of the SPINE system and the Ke-M2-P2900 Teleportation Unit caught her eye. Hmmm...seems like I can adapt to the Mindy relatively easy, she pondered in relief. Since the teleportation unit was optional and the SPINE system was made for NH-29s, it wouldn't take much adjustment at all.

She minimized the Mindy window so she could pull up information on the newer Sylph Armors. Skimming over the technical data at first, Masako had to admit that it was a well built design. Not as powerful as the Mindy of course, but it was meant to be anti-personnel more than anything else. A conservative design to say the least, but Masako wouldn't want to pilot it. Though to be on the safe side, it would probably be good to aquaint herself to its systems and functions.

Upon examination of the Harpy and Daisy, on the other hand, Masako realized that she would only be able to pilot the Sylph and the Mindy. The Harpy was solely for Yamataian pilots while the Daisy required the young neko to be five feet at least instead of her actualy 4'11" of height. The warrant officer couldn't help but frown a bit in disappointment. After all, the Daisy seemed like it was an interesting armor.

A small sigh exited her lips as she sank back into the bath and closed her eyes for a moment, letting the warm water relax her newly created muscles even more.

Finally managing to pull herself away from the baths and back to her quarters, the young Masako dried herself and dressed herself in her bodysuit uniform. It was strange to her that her hair was slower to dry than normal, but she supposed it was to happen now that her hair was longer. "KAMI, could you direct me to where Suzuka-Chui is," the warrant officer asked.

- - -

The KAMI provided Masako with a map similar to the one it had shown Yukari earlier. "Project Inoue, Powered Armor Simulation. Suzuka-Chui is currently engaged in training exercises with three other members of the crew. Eight simulation suits remain available."

- - -

"Arigatou Gozaimasu, KAMI," Masako thanked as she exited her room and headed out, following KAMI's directions. It was a long walk to the simulation room. A long and boring walk to make it worse, but she knew it probably wouldn't be boring on the way back. After all, if Suzuka-Chui was in the simulation room, then most of the crew had to be with her.

She finally reached the simulation room, noting that a Juni sat at a console by the door. "Is this where Project Inoue is?" she asked the Juni.

- - -

The brown-haired Juni rewarded Masako with a grin from her reception desk, with a few more holowindows open to display the battle the other Miharu participants were in. "Yes. Your crewmates are running a simulation in an urban combat situation and things are really heating up. You feel like joining in and trying out one of the new ground armors?"

- - -

Just after Masako made her entry in he reception area, Nyton himself came in. The brown-haired Nekovalkyrja blinked in surprise at the sight of a second pilot - she was fairly certain she had seen him as one pilot whom had transfered from the YSS Sakura - and moved from behind her desk.

- - -

"Welcome, Claymere-Juni. Come this way, please." She beckoned them to follow her to the simulation room. "I can prep up Daisy power armors for you in short order; is that okay?"

"Yes, a couple of Daisy Armors will be perfect." Nyton said to the Neko before he looked over to Masako. "Greetings. I am Nito Juni Nyton Claymere. I remember you stopping by Taii Kotori's office earlier." he said.

- - -

Nyton, Masako and the Juni entered the simulator room and it was quickly obvious that four of them were indeed active as the bulky training suits flailed and moved around on their hanger. One of them seemed to be with one arm while another was laying in a odd position, with the legs splayed out and the upper body raised. The two others seemed to be pedaling their feet in the air like mad.

The Juni chuckled, her breath misting in the cold air, and accessed her console, opening two of the vacant simulation suits. "Two Ke-M6-1A Daisy being set up. I'll adapt each for your height and stature. I'm sure I'll be able to sneak your Four-foot-eleven-inches in, Kurohoshi-san."

- - -

As Nyton walked over to his simulator he called over to Masako. "Hey we'll be going into this situation fairly blind so we need to be ready for anything. Our crew could be winning or they could be outnumbered. We'll have to analyze our situation fast and proceed accordingly within seconds." His eyes glanced over to one of the 'downed' simulators. And from the looks of it, I am inclined to believe our situation is of the latter. Nyton thought to himself. "Alright, let's do this!" he said with just a hint of excitement in his voice.

- - -

Masako smiled as the rather large Nepleslian introduced himself to her. "Hello Claymere-Juni, forgive me if I didn't reckonize you from the start." she said with a small bow of greeting. "I'm Santô Juni Kurohoshi Masako, new armor pilot that just transferred from the YSS Mikomi," she introduced as the Juni led them into the simulator room.

"Arigatou, Juni," Masako replied to the other neko as she headed towards one of the unoccupied simulator armors. She then looked towards Nyton and gave him a thumbs up and a wink. "Yokai, Claymere-Juni," she said all of a sudden, mimicking his excitement.

* * *

Something made the Juni frown over one of her displays and she glared the way of Yukari's simulation suit. With a frown, she waved the other two to their respective partners, now open and then her fingers danced over the console.

Inside the simulation, Yukari's Harpy suddenly vanished from Tom's grasp.

"I am pausing the simulation for Yukari-Chui." Tom heard the brown-haired trainer's voice in his headset. "There's a problem with her. You can continue. Two others of your crew are hopping in."

For Yukari, the battle stopped. The HUD and the urban environment faded to translucence with a 'simulation paused' in the center of the display and a communication window overlapped it, showing the trainer neko, whom was frowning at her. The blood was still there though.

However, aside from panting, Yukari wasn't actually hurting anywhere except for the burning of her tongue, which she had apparently bitten rather deeply. Blood dribbled from one side of her lips.

"Calm down. You're out of the scenario for the moment." The neko assured her. "The Harpy took some bad damage, but it could go on. There was a timer set for when you'd recuperate and be able to fight again."

- - -

Yukari blinked at the words. Her tongue was hurting like hell.

But nothing else was.

"E-eph?" The blood was in her mouth and not very pleasant; she swallowed some of it, attempting not cough it back up. It was all hemosynthetic anyway.

She looked around her helmet screen; on top the translucence of the scenario, she could see a small timer at the top.

"Oph." The only other bit of blood she could feel now was the rush of it going to her cheeks. She'd lost control, hadn't she? Just like she had before, on the Iori. It was a simulator, after all. There were no armors, no threats and obviously no hole in her chest. She looked at the screen, not sure if the blood was fake or real.

She swallowed another gulp of blood. It was less pleasant than the first, but smaller. "Juneek -- gaph -- " She wanted to swear, but it wouldn't have helped.

"Juni, I believe I have caused enough drama today, if compared to my profiency. Please remove me from this scenario and assign the highest-ranked crewmember as squad leader."

- - -

"No one can typically pull out of a battle by just pulling the plug, Chui; not to mention that drama is an everyday thing that everyone has to live with - you and your crewmates. Should I single you out and give you special treatment?" The trainer neko asked pointedly, apparently not scared of talking up to a higher-ranked officer. "Not to mention that by pulling out, you will make the situation the three others are in a lot worse than it was."

Of course, the Juni was omitting the coming inclusion of Nyton and Masako, but this really wasn't about them and more so about how dependable Yukari would be in real combat.

- - -

Yukari's lip was nearly healed, but she continued to speak telepathically, as it was easier.

"You should obey the command of a superior officer, Juni."

The urge she had was overwhelming: she was being pathetic; she should stay in and keep fighting, keep helping -- keep doing the right thing. But the right thing made her innards swirl. What was wrong with her? She hadn't felt so traumatized on the Sakura. Then again, the last time she remembered taking a hit in a power armor was practically in a past life.

The taste of blood was still fresh in her mouth.

- - -

"I am." The Juni cheerfully returned, her ears perking up. She took in a deep breath and then recited: "Courage is a hard thing to have. It only comes into play when darkness and despair threaten to swallow you. It is that little seed within you that allows you to forge on, to not give up, even when it is painful. Even when it is unbearable. Despair and shame are things you can defeat if you find the courage to do so."

That said, she added: "Your commanding officer asked me to tell you this if you had a hard time."

- - -

" ... " Yukari managed a small smile, in spite of herself. "Will it hurt upon starting the simulation again?"

Her tongue, it seemed, had healed enough to talk.

- - -

"The pain feedback is set to 'training mode', not 'realistic'." The other neko replied to Yukari, flicking a brown lock of hair back behind her shoulder. "The worse 'pilot wound feedbacks' you should be suffering are muscle spasms, light uncomfortable tinges and at worse a sharp stinging sensation if it was really bad... well, aside from accidentally biting your lips, tongue or being knocked breathless and getting light bruises from some excessive jostling on the simulation suit's part."

It occured to the Juni that she hadn't answered Yukari's question and added. "You might feel some mild discomfort from where you were 'wounded'. That's all." The Juni graciously avoided making any reference to how Yukari had convinced herself she had been on the verge of death in a simulated training exercise.

- - -

Yukari nodded. "Please start the training simulator then, Juni." She paused. "And thank you for relaying those words."

She prepped herself for some minor discomfort, but felt a little better. If Kotori believes I must do this ... then I will respect her desires.

But I hope I am rewarded for that respect. She managed a small smirk.

* * *

"Ke-M4-W2901 25x100 mm SLAG-S grenade are configured to be launched. The ordonance cannot be altered without the assistance of an armorer." AIES replied to Morita. A listing of the Kairyuu's system specs also scrolled down for him, but that thing was really tough and armed to the teeth. It'd take a lot of his payload to take down that shield and actually start to hurt it.

The one thing he did have in his favor was that the Daisy was a very decent suit on its own. It wasn't as outrageously powerful and resilient as the Kairyuu, but it was far more agile and fast. That allowed him to avoid a lot of fire from the NDI juggernaut's SIAR weapon, leaving plenty of geysering bulletholes

Obviously, to take down the Kairyuu, Morita needed to pour as much firepower on it as possible to take down its defenses and deal it lethal damage. Launching grenades, missiles or using the plasma rifle abundantly could reach that aim... but what would really help would be to have someone lend him a hand.

Fortunately, James' Daisy was running into a building close-by and might be able to flank the Kairyuu. Unfortunately, James was bringing friends: A banged-up Golem II (which James had failed to kill on his last shot) and flying overhead, a Super Phalanx that seemed to be warming up its plasma projectors to slice open the building Dige had run into.

- - -

"Goddamnit, of course 'there's a problem with her': she's been shot up! Argh!"

This is stupid... I hate it!

His fury concentrated his coldness until it felt like the harsh ralt winter. He could feel his skin cooling as he growled at the Super Phalanx that was preparing to obliterate James.

He ran to a position behind a parked car, where he knelt and took careful aim with his plasma rifle at the Super Phalanx and fired.

"SOLDIERS, YUKARI HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SIMULATION. I'M TAKING TEMPORARY COMMAND. JAMES, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THAT BUILDING AND ASSIST MORITA AGAINST THE KAIRYUU. BUY YOURSELVES ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE A TACTICAL WITHDRAWAL TO THESE COORDINATES UNTIL HELP ARRIVES."

He quickly punched in some coordinates at a nearby building 200 meters away.

- - -

James slowed to a stop and offered up a slight shrug. He just hoped that Tom knew what he was doing.

"Aye-aye, sir."

He made a ninety-degree turn and sped out the window, appearing above where Morita was locked in combat with the Kairyu. The Geshrin let loose with a flurry of plasma and sent another two missles flying.

"Morita-Hei, I have one more grenade left. If we time our attacks we might be able to bust that armor up."

- - -

A lance of plasma shot away from Tom and nailed the Super Phalanx just under the left knee. The NDI armor jerked away from the hit, its offensive totally abandonned as it tried to draw an evasive pattern to avoid being hit and identify who had tried to take it down. The armor cover where Tom had struck it was badly scorched and somewhat warped.

The tactical drones of the Phalanx tracked Tom and returned fire, but Tom's AIES uttered "Defending." and the shots only marginally decreased the shield power of Tom's Daisy.

Tom's distraction allowed James to rush out and attack the Kairyuu without having that menace gliding over his head, though he was open to the Golem II. Just as he let loose the Golem II also opened fire on him with another weapon that was part of its large arsenal, the Phased Pulse Rifle. The C7 sent extremely rapid streams of phased enregy bolts at him. At first, the cloak shield held, but the attack sliced through and cut into the armor at his flank.

It was worth it though: James attacks slashed at the Kairyuu's barrier, substancially decreasing it with his plasma rifle before his two mini-missiles smacked against it too. The AIES showed that the NDI Kairyuu's shield had reached midline and was attempting to regenerate. Just a bit more and it'd be breached.

However, what followed next was the AIES' damage report: "Class-C damage, Capacitor System. Class-D damage, Cloak Shield Projector." The torso armor shone orange on the armor diagram as his suit's power output dropped, making it obvious that power management was going to be an issue now: his plasma rifle recharge would be slower, his cloak shield, in the state it was in and the power available, was probably disabled for the rest of the battle. Luckily, he still had enough power feed to move around though, which was good, and the plasma rifle had a capacitor with thirty or so shots.

* * *

With Nyton and Masako having boarded their simulation suits, the units closed around them and adjusted to their body measurements before going over a system diagnostic and starting the emulation of the M6 Daisy power armor. It wasn't long before they both ended up in a devastated urban area. The sky and clouds were colored by a setting sun and it look to Nyton as if someone had gone and rampaged over in some downtown area in Funky City.

"Friendly AIES network found. Connecting." Both AIES chirped and suddenly their sensor displays were filled with several contact. Green dots presenting 3 Daisy power armors and four other red dots representing enemies identified as Taurus Two, Three, Four and Five. The latter was a bit distant, but closing in fast.

To the others, the connection to their AIES network confirmed the inclusion of two fresh Daisy armors labelled 'CLAYMERE' and 'KUROHOSHI', both with a small warrant officer rank insignia to the left of their names. They were about 500 meters north of Morita's position behind a set of three-stories tall devastated appartment buildings.

- - -

James grunted and set down, cutting off the anti-gravity drive in hopes that it would cut down on energy usage. He had very little time to react stuck between two armors.

Facing the wounded Golem, he fired several plasma blasts as he juked for cover, hoping that Morita could keep the Kairyuu pilot's attention for a little longer. He noted the arrival of the new power armors with a small, grateful sigh.

"Claymere-Juni, Kurohoshi-Juni, looks like you're just in time! Yukari-Chui has been wounded and the rest of us have taken some hits."

- - -

With the Super Phalanx withdrawing for the time being, Tom focused his efforts on the damaged Golem II, firing a plasma shot, followed by two of his missiles.

"I got your back, James!"

The arrival of Claymere and Kurohoshi relieved him as well. He could feel the rage subsiding...

"Good to see you Claymere, sir," Tom said to him. "We're in a bit of a pickle here!"

The Yamataian allowed himself a smirk.

Just a VR mission, yup.

- - -

Yukari found herself shortly afterwards back on the battlefield, lying on her flank as the Harpy was trying to recuperate. There was an uncomfortable ache in the side of her chest, but she could also see the measures the Harpy was taking to preserve her life: pushing oxygen through her skin, sealing up the wound and starting helping her own hemosynthetics cope with the damage done as the AIES itself was working to get her out of her state of shock.

Of course, it was all fake, but still, there could be something reassuring of seeing how a power armor worked to preserve its user's life. A system diagnostic scrolled by, showing the Fusion thruster pack was considered to have sustained 'Class-C damage' from all the jostling and banging it had sustained so far.

The 'incapacitated' timer in the upper corner of her display reached 00:00. Her HUD returned to normal military settings. "System set up complete. " The AIES told her - she wasn't sure if the subtle tone of satisfaction in the computer's voice was genuine or imagined. "Friendly units detected. Reconnecting to local AIES net." Quickly, her sensors registered he new arrivals as well as the current position of the opposing units.

She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

- - -

James' and Tom's combined assault put the already damaged Golem II in a bad posture. Although it quickly moved to evade and that its barrier was erected to protect against the assault, one of James' shots mangled Taurus Two's forearm armor while Tom's own plasma rifle blew off most of the shoulder armor on the opposite arm, plainly revealing burnt circuitry and actuator components.

The twin missiles Tom had launched also spiraled the Golem II's way, forcing it to flee into the building James had disappeared into in favor of being a standing duck to the homing mini-missiles. The NDI assault armor hurtled through the doorway and slammed itself against James' suit, causing them to ram themselves both into a hardy brick corner. The mini-missiles streaked closely by, both exploding against the nearby wall.

The structure shuddered and some debris crashed down around the both of them. The Golem II lurched up and, since its current handheld weapon lost in the debris, it began pummeling at its dust streaked Daisy partner with armored gauntlets.

Since there was little helping the Golem II inside the building and with Morita eluding it, the Kairyuu turned its SIAR Tom's way and launched its anti-armor grenades, intent on quickly finishing off its opposition.

In the meantime, the faster Super Phalanx took over the pursuit of Morita's Daisy and swiftly flew over him, lashing out with twin tongues of plasma energy from its palms. The two attacks lanced into the top of the Daisy, forcefully parting the cloak-shield before severely burning away at the armor over the head, shoulderpads and a good part of the back.

Morita was roughly shoved down on all fours by the impact, his AIES blaring sensor malfunctions as well as showing him yellows and oranges over the head, shoulder and rear torso armor. There was little respite to be had though, as the Super Phalanx switched back to its twin EM-9L Carbines and aimed down, defenitely intent on adding to the yamataian man's misery.

- - -

Nyton looked around quickly as he tried to get used to the new Armor. He brought up his LASR and ducked behind one of the three devastated buildings for some cover while he gathered his surroundings. This is definately different from my PHALANX. Good thing I read the dossiere on this thing. he thought to himself while he deployed his tactical drones to sweep around his surroundings. Reports were coming in from the crew members quickly along with all the AIES data.

"Claymere-Juni, Kurohoshi-Juni, looks like you're just in time! Yukari-Chui has been wounded and the rest of us have taken some hits."

Click to expand...

"Good to see you Claymere, sir," Tom said to him. "We're in a bit of a pickle here!"

Click to expand...

We're in Funky City. Home turf advantage. Nyton pondered before he began to move. "Kurohoshi we're going to rendezvous with the others. AIES, analyze the tunnel system underneath the streets, see if there is a route we can take to approach the battle unseen by the enemy." Nyton then pointed to Masako. "I want you to assist Yukari Chui. Get her out of there if she's too heavily damaged to fight. I'll try and organize the others and fall back to a more secure position." Nyton quickly annotated a spot on the map that was approximately 300 meters southwest of their current location. There were several buildings that could be used for cover along with narrow entries, and a sewer passage that afforded a quick escape underneath the streets. "I want you to take Yukari to that spot to recuperate. Just don't stay there long if you start taking potshots at the enemy." Nyton then followed the map and highlighted another area 250 meters northeast of where the others were located that appeared to still have electrical power available. "We're going to try and maneuver the enemy here. Try to remain unseen so we can maintain some element of surprise against them." he said urgently to Masako.

- - -

"Ow! Hey! That would probably be a lot worse if this were real!" Not exactly having the best of times, finally having the equivalent first blood drawn for him was something of an eye-opener. Or, rather, it drew Morita closer to that certain mindset that let him handle intense situations.

He brought his plasma rifle to bear on the Super Phalanx, switching it to dual-shot mode and rocketing towards the suit as fast as he could, rifle ablaze with superheated concentrarted energy. Close quarter combat was what he was good at before he joined the army, and now that the Super Phalanx had gotten close enough, it was time to show the others what he was really made of!

It was very soft at first, but as he drew closer, it was becoming apparent - his tone of voice was rising in a song. One that had a very pronounced feel of definite power. It was almost like a pledge - in fact, in Japanese, it was an old song of a man singing of protecting someone until the end of time. Each beat, each stanza, was marked by a very pronounced move. Morita was finding that all-too-familiar rhythm that has carried him through fights before.

- - -

Yukari's eyes fluttered a little. The pain was, oddly enough, uncomfortable but tolerable. AIES made short work of updating her of the situation; she was glad to have a secondary memory handy for such things. Why she hadn't used it before wasn't worth contemplating now.

Her primary focus right now was Morita. Anti-gravity brought her to her feet immediately and then some. Letting out a small grunt, she hoisted her rifle up and slowly floated to the corner of the building she'd been brought to. It was the southwest building, where Tom had been holed up for a short time. As she peered around the corner, she looked up and saw the Super Phalanx.

I cannot damage much, but I can certainly distract.

Backing away from the corner, Yukari took a deep breath. She'd thought about this while lying down in prone position earlier.

"AIES, activate tachyon communication system. Please use standard transmission methods. Send this message -- "

She had to think a moment. She then grinned.

" -- 'Bravo Squad Leader requesting immediate air support. We have an Ocelot-class mecha and one Super Phalanx. Surgical fire from aether shock cannon only, please.'"

The AIES gave the electronic equivilent of a blink. "There is no air support available, Suzuka-Chui -- "

"Please do it anyway, AIES. As you do that, run hyperwave doppler radar in active mode, two pings only. You are searching for any communication satellite beyond the atmosphere that will reflect a tachyon transmission."

The computer obediently did so. The ear on the left side of Yukari's helmet rose up a bit and began transmitting the message, while the hyperwave doppler radar switched on and fired one pulse, followed one second later by another pulse.

Yukari sent up another silent prayer to Chiharu as went back to the corner and brought up her rifle as the Super Phalanx switched to its carbines. Morita was on the ground, looking worse for the ware -- then, brilliantly, he was in the air! His plasma rifle was in front of him, glowing with some kind of energy. No time to aim!

With a general bead on the Super Phalanx's right shoulder, she fired.

- - -

As the grenades launched his way, Tom knew his only option was to shoot them all down. With his anti-grav function mangled, there was no way he could manuever to complete safety.

Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was expose his critically-damaged backside to the barrage.

In an instant, Tom deployed his tactical drones, fired 6 more missiles in an attempt to intercept the attack, and leapt as hard backwards as he could, drawing his forearm shield and bracing it in front of him.

Maybe, just maybe, the resulting explosion would not be his own.

Not good!

- - -

The SIAR-launched grenade tumbled toward Tom's position almost too fast for him to even think about counter-measures. Luckily, the Daisy Tom was in could operate at the speed of thought: while the missiles were wild off and shot ineffectually in the air, his tactical drones managed to nail the grenade before it got too close. Tom's jump didn't leave him enough space not to be buffeted away from the explosion, but it kept him alive and that was what was important.

Without his anti-gravity properly working, though, he didn't manage a graceful landing and almost comically fell on his butt. The Kairyuu suddenly loomed out of the smoky plume rising from the crater made where Tom had been standing a moment ago, its Suit Integrated Assault Rifle spitting 150mm rounds his way.

The Super Phalanx had plenty of time to fire on the Daisy that was making a beeline toward it. Both carbines fired along with the tactical drones, the combined attacks smashing through the meager shielding left on Morita's Daisy and knocked him away hard to smash over the roof of the ruined building. The smoking, battered Daisy was just about to be finished off by an additional attack from the Super Phalanx's feet plasma projectors, but Yukari's shot was his saving grace and noisily clanged against the NDI armor, jarring it enough to not complete the kill.

The Phalanx's drones quickly aimed for the offending Harpy, though, and opened fire as their pilot darted away under the cover of some buildings to avoid any other ranged attacks.

Morita was not in good shape. Reaching the Phalanx while not using his best ranged weapon had left his enemy with plenty of time to mow him down even before he got into effective range. The entiriety of his left arm armor along with his chest were shown in red on the armor diagram and his energy cloak projector was out of commision along with the forearm pulse energy weapon. To add to the fun, his shoulder and the left side of his chest stung like hell, probably indicating the pilot was being 'considered' wounded by the attack - while the Daisy was treating him, his whole left arm was considered disabled for the next four minutes.

- - -

James gave up all pretense of defense as the Golem struck him repeatedly, instead lashing out violently with the butt of the plasma rifle to get some room. Responding with fists of his own, the Geshrin added the pulse weapons into the mix as well, followed with a hastily-aimed kick to try and bring the Golem to its knees.

There was a dull sensation around his stomach. James figured that one of the hostile armor's punches hit something important.

I have to end this.

Pressing back against the brick wall, he drew a bead on the Golem II and fired.

- - -

Making a mental checklist of her systems operational status, Masako couldn't help but blink in surprise at the armor's loadout. Sure, she had read the information they had on the Daisy, but it was still a bit overwhelming. Of course, it didn't have an Aether Rifle in its standard loudout, but then it really didn't need one on a planet.

"Kurohoshi we're going to rendezvous with the others. AIES, analyze the tunnel system underneath the streets, see if there is a route we can take to approach the battle unseen by the enemy." Nyton then pointed to Masako. "I want you to assist Yukari Chui. Get her out of there if she's too heavily damaged to fight. I'll try and organize the others and fall back to a more secure position."

Click to expand...

Suddenly pulled from her thoughts, Masako listened intently to Nyton's plan. She would be on her own until she got to the Chui and vunerable if any patrol decided to attack her in a group, but what difference was there from her first combat experience ever? She memorized the location Nyton pointed out before he went on.

"I want you to take Yukari to that spot to recuperate. Just don't stay there long if you start taking potshots at the enemy."

Click to expand...

She then followed Nyton's map to his next location as he explained the plan on his end. It all seemed pretty straight forward in her opinion, rescue the XO and lead your enemy to slaughter. The only problem was, would the enemy be lured. "Understood, Claymere-Juni," Masako replied as checked her LASR's magazine. Seeing ball ammunition, she made a small hiss of dissappointment before checking another for AP rounds. Finding what she was looking for, she loaded it up and readied the rifle for combat.

"I'll proceed on anti-gravity to minimize any sound I make and stay low to the ground as well," she said as her suit's active camouflage came up. "With a bit of luck, maybe I can get Suzuka-Chui out of combat before anyone notices....if she needs to that is," the young neko amended the last bit before she floated off the ground and began to follow her AIES towards the XO's position. "Good hunting."

- - -

Clamors of metal ringing against metal resounded within the building as both Daisy and Golem II struggled for dominance over the other.

A quick retreat and press of a trigger turned thing decisively in James' favor. The Golem was struck right in the chest by the plasma rifle and staggered back, a hole smoldering in its chest armor. It shuddered once and tried reaching for another weapon, but a second flash from the geshrin's plasma rifle cored through the Golem II and the NDI power armor was swallowed and consumed by the plasma, leaving only a warped carcass on the floor.

"Taurus Two, destroyed." His AIES needlessly confirmed and then listed the nearest targets he could engage: Taurus Three, the Kairyuu battle armor that was going after Tom; or Taurus Five, the Super Phalanx that Yukari was trying to distract before it could finish off Morita's badly damaged Daisy.

Of course, by then, anyone whom had tangled against the Taurus squad from the beginning were pretty banged up.

- - -

Given a moment of respite, James opted to switch to the LASR and give his plasma rifle a moment to charge. Opting to handle the Kairyuu, he clicked over to burst-fire and leaned out into the open.

One grenade left. Here goes nothing.

Taking aim at the Kairyuu's back and legs, he fired several bursts to try and force the armor to a less-mobile position and draw its attention.

- - -

Crap! No time!

That was all Tom could think while he scampered up and jumped around the edge of a building, running as hard as he could to get away from the assault.

He wondered what was taking Claymere and Masako so long.

"AIES, what's the probability of destroying the enemy unit with my current firepower?"

- - -

"Roger that. Be careful." Nyton replied to Masako and took off right as she departed to find an entrance to the underground sewage network. He left a drone to fly on the surface while he went below to give him a view of the action above. After he did so he followed his AIES guidance towards the three dots of Freeman, Morita, and James. The tunnel network was vast but he allowed the AIES to guide him, letting it do most of the work as fast as he could fly with the anti-grav to produce as little signature as possible. Based on the status readouts from the other Armors, Nyton decided that Morita would be the one in most need of assistance and progressed towards him. The target marked Taurus Five was classified as a Phalanx Armor. A grim smirk of irony crossed Nyton's lips but it quickly vanished as his face had become stern and determined.

"Hang in there Morita, back up is on the way." Nyton said quietly as he attempted to approach the battle from underground. With the drone above he triangulated his position until he was ten meters away before he looked for an opening where he could catch the Phalanx off guard. He created an entrance through a building from where he could take aim at the Phalanx while it was firing upon Yukari. Nyton used his eyes to keep track of all the hostiles, allowed corrections with the AIES system and his tac drone, and opened fire with a three round burst from his LASR which was quickly followed by a grenade round from the SLAG, and then a volley of three missles from the launcher on his leg. Nyton was familiar with just how much defense a Phalanx possessed and he hoped the combined output by all the weapons should be enough to either kill or cripple it.

- - -

"Ah!" Yukari saw the drones point her way after Morita crashed down. She flew backward as she was fired upon, heading back toward the original drop point where they entered the scenario. She wanted to try and shoot down one of the drones, but they were on to her; she wouldn't catch the S. Phalanx off guard again unless it was utterly distracted by something other than her.

The arrival of Nyton, however, brightered her spirits some. "Claymere-Juni, Kamiyama-Hei's armor is severely damaged. Do your best to protect him!"

She went back to AIES. "Did you find a communication satellite yet?"

- - -

The Kairyuu's barrier shield fizzled in the back as it registered the rapid impacts of James' railgun. The NDI armor fired yet another grenade Tom's way in parting and quickly turned to aim its light plasma cannon toward James' feet: it fired a white-hot plasma disc which would - on impact - explode and consume much of what would be in its several meters wide blast radius.

"The Kairyuu's protective barrier is not only very strong, but also recovers over time. For best results, continuous, powerful attacks must be applied." Tom's AIES answered him as the yamataian raced away from the grenade. One of his drones fired on the grenade just as it was overhead - causing it to violently explode.

While the explosion itself only forced him to flex his legs to maintain his footing, it also shook appart parts of a structure he had been adjacent to, causing large chunks of debris to drop in his vicinity.

Nyton had hovered up to the second story of the building where Morita was resting over the roof and saw the Phalanx flash past in the many holes - some rather large - that pitted the structure. The first LASR-launched darts fizzled against the barrier shield rather ineffectually, but the grenade impacted against the energy globe and made an impressive explosion that shook the ruined structure to it is foundations. Missiles crashed through and billowing smoke from the ensuing explosion filled the air.

"Defending!" The AIES declared as the Phalanx counter-attacked, pushing two powerful gouts of plasma Nyton's way. The Nepleslian saw them burn through the haze and impact on his suit's protective barrier, leaving him just enough time to raise the forearm shield and block the attack as it cleaved through the protection and slashed into the additional layer of protection the nepleslian had quickly brought up.

Then, as quickly as the exchange had been, it was over. The Super Phalanx had flown up and above, streamers of smoke wreathing its damage-blackened armor as it rose over the roof and returned to the task of eleminating Morita.

"Negative." The Harpy's AIES responded to Yukari. "I have, however, located a C-IES unit in orbit of Nepleslia. It identifies itself as NJ-X1-00 Hoshi, Kansashi-class auxiliary ship." There was no data provided on what a Kansashi-class auxiliary ship was supposed to be, but it showed the craft attaining a low, geosynchronous orbit with them.

The Ocelot mobile frame ran down a street, shaking dust from the buildings in its wake, and made a hard turn, crunching its feet into the pavement for stability as it stopped and turned around a corner to finally join the battle in the street.

- - -

James had no choice but to retreat deeper inside the structure, putting as many obstacles between himself and the explosion as he could.

With a sick feeling of dread in his stomach, he noted that the Ocelot had finally stopped moving. That would definately make the next few minutes much harder for the Miharu's crew.

He raced out the other side of the building and scanned the skies, searching for the Super Phalanx.

- - -

Nyton cursed a bit but he expected the Phalanx would possibly survive the barrage given how many times he had done so. He used his drones to scan outside the building, the one already outside keeping tabs on the Phalanx as it flew upwards. When he found that the coast was clear he cleared out from the side of the building and began to fly up. With his damaged shield in one hand and the LASR in the other he charged up. His defenses had been scorched but he knew he was still in good shape. With the drone that was already tracking the Phalanx he used it to guide his missles at the Phalanx as he fired them off while flying up to Morita. Even if they didn't hit they would at least occupy it long enough for him to reach Morita.

- - -

NJ-X1-00 ... Yamatai ship registry numbers. That will do.

Yukari ducked into the building Tom had been in and floated gently. She went up a crumbling set of stairs to the second floor. She tried to ignore the office rubble that surrounded her as she flew over it. A copy machine was still spewing paper as she went to the back of that floor, putting nearly the whole building between her and the other enemies on the street. She looked at the window, tapped it, then (rather lamely) punched it once, twice, a third time. The glass was some sort of safety glass and wasn't budging easily, but it had cracked quite a bit.

I must make sure the line of communication is clear. She hoisted her rifle, slid the butt forward and slammed it into the window. That did it -- the window, still in one piece, came free from its frame and fell one story down to the street below. Carefully, she turned her head and transmitted again.

"YSS Hoshi, Suzuka Yukari-Chui. Power armor squadron in danger from NDI Ocelot-class mecha and Super Phalanx-class spacy armor. Can you assist us?"

- - -

Tom continued running until he was completely around the building.

Ok...

He checked his missile payload. Only 12 left.

Time to go for the gusto! The Kairyuu needed to be stopped so that the team could take out the Super Phalanx.

His sensors revealed that the Kairyuu had disengaged him and was going after James, who had run into a building.

Ok, time to R-

CRUNCH! a piece of falling debris slammed into his left shoulder, causing the Yamataian to grimace.

"Nnngah!"

- - -

The Hoshi's C-IES made connection with Yukari's AIES and supplemented the team with a wider view of the actual battle field, as well as the capability to view things at a greater range.

Maybe ignorance had been bliss though: Gemini One was withdrawing from the combat zone, but Gemini Two, Three and Four were fearsome Diamonback battle hovertanks. Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Libra groups were identified as similar NDI squads to the one they were currently fighting.

They were totally outnumbered! At least the cloud had a silver lining: the closest group, Gemini Diamonbacks, were about twenty-one kilometers away east - this thankfully allowed them some breathing room, though all of the other squads formed a rough noose that slowly worked to encircle them.

After identifying the effective range of the diamondback missile batteries, the Hoshi's C-IES offered to make contact with them in the parking lot of a supermarket sixteen kilometers west-south-west. As some of the NDI assets in 'Funky City' (which really looked more like someone had detonated a nuke in it and wiped out all life rather than the actual real world city) were capable of dealing harm to the dropship, it would have to go in stealthed and would not be able to provide any assistance against their immediate threats.

The Hoshi would arrive to the rendez-vous point in sixteen minutes and depart five minutes later, regardless of if they would have had reached it or not.

Nyton's full volley of mini-missiles tracked the Super Phalanx. The later swiftly abandonned the intention of finishing Morita off and raced away, turning its tac drones and carbines to destroying the homing warheads before they caught up with it.

Sensing Tom was in a pickle, the Kairyuu abandonned the prospect of running after James and turned its light plasma cannon Tom's way, firing the weapon despite the cover Tom now had. With the blast radius the plasma annihilation disk had on contact, and Tom perhaps not being able to notice the attack due to his cover-turned-traitor, the odds of the Raltian's survival seemed rather remote.

Morita and James, sadly, were hardly neglected. The Ocelot turned toward the ruined building they were located (Morita lying on the roof while James was on the first floor) and opened up with its NXT-04 plasma rifle. The weapon, far larger and stronger than their power armor analog, sheared through the middle of the building and gorged it with a roiling, hungry energy that quickly expanded in an explosion to destroy everything in its path!

As the building below was sundered by the Ocelot's attack, the Phalanx was overtaken by the few mini-missiles it had failed to shoot down and had its body mangled beyond recognition. What was left of the Phalanx soared a bit further, spurred by it is own momentum as well as the missile impacts which had caused the death of its pilot, to finally drop back to the street with all the grace a falling anvil could muster. Taurus Five had been eliminated.

James was flung through the air, the anti-gravity system struggling to pull enough power to keep him afloat. It was fortunate that he had pursued the Phalanx, but he was seriously debating that fortune as he waited for the inevitable impact.

His shield was in position on instinct, blocking some of the smaller pieces of debris that were sent flying. The armor plowed through a ruined wall and crumpled in a heap on the floor, concealed by dust and smoke.

- - -

Nyton brought his shield up to protect him from the effects of the blast as he moved away as fast as he could behind another building for some cover. Any surviving tac drones, if any, would be used to scan his surroundings and inform him even as he scrambled to find safety. "Morita and James were just caught in the blast. damn it! AIES, any sign of life from their units?" he asked quickly before he studied the situation being revealed to them from the link up with the Hoshi. Nyton shook his head at the situation being presented and immediately began to forward his analysis even as he received the status of Freeman, James, and Morita. According to the AIES Yukari was also located nearby the same building Freeman had been in. "We are too outnumbered to continue this fight and their reinforcements are surrounding us. Kurohoshi, link up with me. We need to find anyone who's still alive, recover them, and make a line towards the rendezvous point the ship gave us." Nyton said. A small waypoint sign was made on the map titled 'rendezvous point' which was the supermarket parking lot. Nyton continued to remain as concealed as he could from the Ocelot and Kairyuu so that they would not target him before they could initiate a plan of action.

- - -

"Shimattaaa ..." Yukari whined as she saw all of the new targets. "The Juni is truly cruel ..."

Yukari's backpack antenna thankfully still worked; it extended and projected not just the recent information she'd gained from the Hoshi, but a message from her as well.

"Claymere-Juni is correct," she said, her signal overpowering other trace bits of communication chatter. "We have 16 minutes to reach the waypoint. Claymere-Juni, I will retrieve Kamiyama-Hei the moment the two armors are distracted."

- - -

"Suzuka-Chui." Masako's contacted as she deactivated her active camouflage under cover just a meter or two from the Yamataian. "I'll assist you in retrieving Morita-Hei," the young neko said before giving the XO a thumbs up. "Kurohoshi Masako-Santô Juni, reporting," she introduced as she kept her eyes on her surroundings, making sure no one was able to snuck up on them.

- - -

"Kurohoshi-Juni," Yukari responded, flashing a small V of her own. She looked up at the small comm window to the center-right of her helmet screen; the Neko's seemingly pupilless eyes were slightly off-putting, but there would be time for that later. "Your camouflage is still operational. Perhaps you should retrieve Kamiyama-Hei; I can provide cover fire as necessary."

- - -

"Yokai," Masako replied as she sudden activated her active camouflage again, melding into the background like a cameleon. As quickly and stealthfully as she could, the young neko used her anti-gravity to fly towards Morita's position. Floating over his armor, the young neko landed beside him and knelt down. "Kamiyama-Hei, are you able to move?" she spoke to him as she looked around the area for hostiles nearby.

- - -

In the meantime, Yukari went out the hole and up, skimming across the building and scoured over the main road gingerly for other targets. "Dige-Hei, Freeman-Hei, report please."

- - -

Nyton heard Yukari and Kurohoshi's voices over the comm and was relieved to know he wasn't the only one left. However, the task at hand was still dire. He sent his last remaining tac drone over to Freeman's last reported direction to see if there was anything left of the man. "James last known location was inside the same building Morita had been in. He should be somewhere nearby. Try to keep your signature down, that Ocelot might still be targeting their position." he warned.

- - -

Tom's AIES shrieked in warning at him, breaking through Tom's momentary lapse of pain.

"PLASMA attack! Energy cloak raised!"

Tom could almost feel the armor yanking him as the Yamataian leapt as hard as he could away from the blast, raising his forearm shield to his front.

- - -

The move happened to save his virtual life.

Without his anti-grav functions, Tom's Daisy was yet again tossed aside by the impact of the weapon, flying several meters down the street. The AIES alerted Tom to the fact that his energy shield projector had been temporarily overloaded and would require adequate recharge time.

The now-mangled forearm shield had served its purpose well, but the AIES still reminded Tom of the fact that the entire frontside of his armor had suffered damage, the display showing yellow all over.

There were also some pretty plumes of smoke rising from the scorched armor.

- - -

Tom was in considerable pain, which, thankfully the VR simulation dulled to a tolerable level. Tom stood up.

"Freeman reporting, ma'am. HELP ME HERE!"

The signal barely got through all the interference caused by his damaged communications.

But he still had an ace in the hole: his remaining missiles. Tom armed all of them, readying them for a counterattack against the Kairyuu.

- - -

Groggily, James drifted in and out of conciousness. He felt like he was trapped in a vice. His armor readout was glowing red, the anti-gravity drive was off-line, and he couldn't feel his left arm.

With a grunt, he unburied his upper body from the chunks of debris that covered him and looked around. His LASR had been blown out of his hands and probably lay buried and useless.

Yukari's transmission cut through the static, proving that at least the radio still worked. James was thankful for at least that much.

"Dige, reporting, Yukari-Chui. I'm trapped in some rubble and in pretty bad shape."

- - -

Nyton heard the two men report in. "Freeman, Dige, we're pulling out of here. Freeman I want you to move towards my position. I'll cover you and we can regroup." he said and he began to track the Kairyuu even as it retreated. "Dige, Kurohoshi is moving towards your position now to recover Morita. See if you can flag her down, otherwise Freeman and I will join you and dig you out."

- - -

Morita had been lucky. He hadn't been buried in the rubble but rather thrown away from the exploding buidling. However, he had crashed against a swed lampost and the impact had apparently knocked the pilot 'unconscious' for an undetermined time.

Luckily for Tom, even though he didn't have a decent line of sight with the Kairyuu, his link with Yukari's AIES allowed him to fire his homing mini-missiles in a rather accurate indirect fire assault. The warheads detonated against the energy barrier, knocking it down enough so that the explosion licked at the Kairyuu's paintjob.

The NDI power armors' barrier was down. If they were going to finish it off, it was now or never.

The Ocelot raised on foot forward to have it crunch over the rubble of the building, it is head turning around as it tried to pick up the location of it is enemies throug hit's optics, since the KFY thermoptic camouflage was a bit too slick for its sensors when none of them were active. It picked up the mini-missile launch from Tom, but the dust and debris prevented it from acquiring a lock...

Until the dust cleared enough to reveal Nyton's position. The NDI mecha quickly brough its head-mounted pulse cannon to life, burning through the haze as energy pulses flashed by the Nepleslian's Daisy. Although the first attacks missed, the head turned, tracking Nyton and firing the pulse cannons incessantly until the trailing shots would catch up with the Daisy.

- - -

"I hear you loud and clear Dige-Hei," Masako spoke as she lifted the unconcious Morita over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It wasn't the most comfortable way to carry a person, but it was the only way she could carry him and still have a hand free for her rifle. "I'm on my way to the first floor to help you out," she replied as she entered the building from a rooftop entrance, slowly making her way via anti-gravity.

"Are you still able to walk at all? If not, I hope you will be able to use a weapon. Carrying both Kamiyama-Hei and you will definitely be a disadvantage while traveling through hostile territory."

- - -

The report of the Kairyuu's shield dropping and the Ocelot's incoming attack caused Nyton to raise an eyebrow before he sprang into action. Since he already had the Kairyuu tracked and was aiming at it with his LASR, he fired the three remaining grenades of his SLAG's clip in rapid succession. Without waiting to see if his shots connected, Nyton jumped back and away from the incoming fire. The fire from the Ocelot's canons had traveled to within a foot before he moved. While he let his drone watch the Kairyuu for any counterattacks, Nyton activated his optic camouflauge and twisted in midair to bring his LASR to target the Ocelot. Nyton fired two shots while still in the air, landed a few inches above the ground with his anti-grav, fired another shot, then began to circle the Ocelot at high speed while he maintained a steady barrage of fire and weaved about the terrain.

- - -

Heeding Nyton's orders, Tom started to retreat from the battlefield, knowing full well that he was mostly useless right now.

"KSSSSHHHH Yukari ma'am, KDSDSDFDSD good to SHSDHE hear from you AgASDKFJ. Nyton Si SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH, following orders."

- - -

Yukari was huddled against the lip of the roof she was on top of. The moment she confirmed the missiles smashing into the Kairyuu, she swung her rifle back over the lip and took aim. Automatically the rifle regauged itself for maximum muzzle velocity -- 6,000 meters per second.

As she pulled the trigger, she hoped it would be enough.

- - -

James tried to peer through the dust that enveloped his Daisy. He could hear the sounds of combat and hoped that the enemy was on the recieving end.

"I think my legs aren't quite broken yet, ma'am. Though, my LASR's gone and I'm running on batteries for my plasma rifle."

- - -

The Kairyuu tried to jump away from the trio of grenades Nyton had thrown its way, but wasn't entirely successful. He was still too close and the first explosion criss-crossed the NDI armor with gouges. The second explosion jarred loose armor plates which fell to the power armor's feet like molting feathers. the third was too far away to harm it much, but the blast was still strong enough, along with the momentum that the two other detonation had given it, to make it lose its balance.

Taurus Three collapsed on its back. It was easy for Yukari to put an end to it, pumping the ammo-piercing round into the neck instead of the better armored head. The AIES announced the armor's demise.

However, there was still the Ocelot. Nyton's LASR firing streams of killing darts didn't seem to significantly weaken the mecha's barrier shield as each shot inneffectively fizzled from the rapid, repeated impacts. The mobile frame skimmed over to the build Masako and James were located at and large vibro-blade sprung from its forearm.

The 35-ton machine crouched and swiped through the first floor of the building, its weapon making an awful grinding noise as it cleaved through brick and cement, aiming to turn the two armors inside into significantly shortened chunks.

- - -

"Don't you ignore me!" Nyton snarled as he swooped about and began to bear down on the Ocelot. He holstered the LASR and swapped for the plasma weapon. "Kurohoshi, the Ocelot is closing in on you and James! Take defensive postures!" he shouted at them. Nyton placed his damaged shield in front of him and stuck the tip of the plasma rifle through one of the holes created by the Phalanx earlier. With intensifying speed he charged the Armor while firing at it from behind. "Maybe this will teach make it clear not to ignore me." Nyton chuckled as he closed in. He expected a counterattack any moment as his assault was meant to either divert the attention of the Ocelot away from his crewmates or cause it to disengage. Either way he was ready to either avoid or follow through.

- - -

James felt the Ocelot tearing through the building more than he could actually see it. He cringed as the vibroblade passed over his head and even more debris rained down.

"My shield arm's either buried or gone and my generator is shot to pieces. There's not a whole lot I can do right now!"

The Geshrin started shoveling debris, freeing most of his left leg from the junk surrounding him.

- - -

Yukari ducked back down behind the lip of the roof she was on and let her brain scramble. They were burning too much time at the moment. The Ocelot wasn't going to leave anyone alone ... it had to be removed from the battlefield. They could not escape as long as it existed.

"AIES ... are there any weapons at our disposal that could damage the Ocelot quickly?"

The computer replied in the negative.

"Anything at our disposal at all? An enemy weapon, causing a structure to collapse onto it, any method at all?"

"I cannot do your thinking for you," the computer replied with a small amount of sarcasm.

Yukari had little time to argue as she heard rather than saw the Ocelot attacking James and Masako. Her leg felt slightly numb from the dull pain the simulator had given it, and her chest felt as if it had been pressed down on by someone. She shook her head.

"AIES, what ... could self-destruction work?"

"Not enough power," it replied.

" ... " Yukari peeped over the rail. The Ocelot's head was no more than ten feet or so below her and about twenty meters away. She shook her head again and thought. Something ... a large blast. That is what we need. She reviewed everyone's weapons quickly and found their was a dedicated lack of firepower. A concentrated attack, assuming one could be mounted, was not likely to be enough.

What has enough energy? It would take spacy-grade weapons -- Yukari paused.

"Freeman-Hei!" she shouted over the radio as she got up from her perch to the west side of the building, toward where they were first dropped into the simulation. She hopped off and gently glided down to the road. "Lock on to my position and follow me."

She peeked east around the corner of the building. The dead carcass of the Kairyuu glinted in the dusty air. "AIES, the Super Phalanx -- show me where it went down."

- - -

Following Nyton's warning, Masako dove to the floor with Morita coming with her. Gritting her teeth as the blade passed through the building's first floor and over their heads, the young neko maneuvered her body to look towards James. "Dige-Hei, we're leaving out the back way," the warrant officer said. "Suzuka-Chui, Claymere-Juni, Freedom-Hei, I'll be taking Dige-Hei and Kamiyama-Hei to the waypoint. If there would be some way for you to draw the Ocelot's attention away from us, I'd be very appreciative," Masako informed the others of the group as she began to float again.

Moving to James, she placed her rifle in her back slot for a moment to reach her hand out to help him up. "How operational is your suit, Dige-Hei? Think you can make it?"

- - -

James grabbed Masako's hand and managed to pull himself free. His left arm dangled limply at his side, somehow still attached.

"Well, other than being shot, scorched, battered and bruised, I can move. I've got a couple missles left and about 18 or so shots for my pulse rifle."

He grabbed the rifle off his back with some difficulty and began moving towards the exit, watching the cielings for any danger of collapse.

"Shall I take point, or would you like the honors, Kurohoshi-Juni?"

- - -

Masako couldn't help but frown at James as she slowly moved towards him. "Gomen, Dige-Hei, but I can't allow you to fight now," the young neko replied as she slowly took his weapon and placed it on his back slot. "I think you should carry Kamiyama-Hei," she said as she readied to give Morita to James. "I'll take point and cover you as you head to the waypoint," she explained as she sent James the relevant data via the AIES.

"Think you can handle him?"

- - -

James took Morita from Masako and nodded, shifting the other armor into a more comfortable position.

"Don't expect me to be able to run too quickly, but I can take care of him."

He kept his concerns about the Ocelot to himself. There was a fair bit of cover for them to maneuver in, but the enemy frame had already proven that cover didn't matter too much.

- - -

"The name's FREEMAN, ma'am, not FREEDOM. KSSSSSSH. Although I do consider myself KKKKSHHHH pretty free-spirited in all regards. Thanks for the KSHHHH compliment Matoko... KSHHHH I mean Masako-juni."

Tom chuckled over the radio static.

"KSSSH but I'm currently following KSHHHHHH superior orders from Yukari ma'am. KSHHHHH cannot acknowledge orders."

With that, he ran as fast as he could behind Yukari, invigorated.

"Ma'am, KSHHH my anti-grav isn't functioning. KSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I may not be able to keep KSHHH up. But KSDFKSDFJKHSSSSSSSSS may I be the first to SKSDKFJSDK say that I'm happy to see you back."

- - -

Yukari remotely activated Tom's helmet radio antenna. It boosted his signal enough that, in this range, the two could talk without static. She tried to focus to avoid blushing at Tom's comments.

"Freeman-Hei, I need your help." She waited at the corner of the building she jumped from. "I will need the power of two AIES units to do this." She noticed Freeman coming closer. "As soon as the computer locates the downed Super Phalanx armor, we will have our work cut for us."

- - -

The building James, Morita and Masako were in groaned and shuddered, raining dust and light debris over them. The Ocelot stood outside: it was hardly time to chitchat at length.

Fortunately, the mobile frame turned its attention from the crumbling building and turned, uncannily swift, to grant Nyton his wish. Even though the Ocelot dwarfed the Nepleslian's Daisy, the vibroblade sword swumng true, smacking Nyton hard enough to send his Daisy tumbling head over heels to solidly crash against the edge of the rooftop of a two-story building.

Luckily, Nyton's zesuaium shield had saved him from being sawed in two. What it didn't save him against was the pure force behind the disdainful swat. Without further preamble, the Ocelot shifted feet and brought up its powerful plasma rifle to put an end to the Nepleslian's virtual life.

As Yukari scanned around, she saw the Ocelot's barrier shield take a solid hit from Nyton's plasma rifle before the mecha made its stunning riposte. The rifle's blast had dented the Ocelot's shielding, but it had the time to almost entirely regenerate by the time Nyton could fire a second shot. And even if a combined assault could crack the shield, there was still the resilient armor of the mecha to deal with after that.

The AIES finally spotted the carcass of the Phalanx. The doomed power armor had lost most of its lower torso and legs to the 18 mini-missiles Nyton had killed it with. The rest of the body was mostly scorched with jagged rents all over - not a happy sight. What was of interest, however, was the weapon lying on the opposite side of the street: the Phalanx's optional Longinus rifle (which it had probably not deemed being worth using before Nyton proved the Taurus Five wrong).

MBR-01 Longinus Energy Projection Rifle had capacitors of its own: it might still function if the fall hadn't jarred it too much. All they had to do was cross 220 meters of open terrain through the Ocelot and it was theirs.

The Longinus, once an AIES would have cracked its anti-tampering failsafes, would surely be able to blast through even the mobile frame's shielding!

- - -

As Yukari zoomed on the rifle, the statistics for it came up in a narrow column on her screen. She gulped as she read the notice.

While this weapon can be used in an atmosphere, its power is equivalent to a multi-megaton nuclear detonation and thus isn't suited for the surgical situations for which infantry are used.

Click to expand...

"Aiyaa," Yukari whined quietly. "That weapon will destroy the Ocelot and us with it. We cannot use it!" She turned to Tom, holding her rifle out. "I know it is much to ask of you ... but you must distract the Ocelot while I retrieve the Super Phalanx torso. Do what you can -- but be cautious."

She looked around the corner again, gulped, pushed the rifle into Tom's hands and took to the air on her anti-gravity, as fast as she could. She would try and go higher above the Ocelot, then "dive" on the torso.

- - -

"Incoming danger! Evasive action recommended!" the AIES had warned Nyton but a few seconds before he was suddenly sent flying. He thought he would have been able to react in time but obviously this thing was a lot faster then it looked. As the virtual internal cushioning buffered Nyton from his tumble he made a mental note to study NDI Armor ratings a lot closer next time. The crash upon the rooftop came next and he again felt his world shudder with the impact. "Danger! Follow up attack imminent!" Nyton didn't even think but made a quick estimation of his situation and let the instinct take over as he pushed away from the building's roof and leapt for another one. The area behind him was instantly destroyed and he was forced to keep jumping away from the blast as well as a repeated barrage from the Ocelot.

That worked better than I had hoped on the distraction side of the house. Nyton thought as he ducked behind a building to avoid more plasma. He dashed to another structure and gave off a quick spray of fire from his own plasma rifle. With more distance between him and the larger armor he could use his speed and size to more his advantage. "Yukari, forget about fighting this thing! Get the others dug out and run to the rendezvous point while I keep it distracted! Once you're all a safer distance I'll follow. Use the tunnels! There should be a way there through the sewer system to the parking lot but you need to hurry before we run out of time and the enemy encircles us!" Nyton shouted quickly before he juked out of the way of another shot. He sent out for a signal for his remaining drone and tried to use it to help him plot out his terrain for the battle and escape.

- - -

"No problem, ma'am."

Tom didn't mention that this course of action would most likely result in his unit being wiped out.

Them's the breaks, though.

"Yukari, forget about fighting this thing! Get the others dug out and run to the rendezvous point while I keep it distracted! Once you're all a safer distance I'll follow. Use the tunnels! There should be a way there through the sewer system to the parking lot but you need to hurry before we run out of time and the enemy encircles us!" Nyton shouted quickly before he juked out of the way of another shot.

Click to expand...

Wooooo! Stuff is going NUTS!

But maybe he'd have fun and help Nyton in his noble task. Tom ran a few blocks forward, knelt at the corner of a building and took aim at the Ocelot.

"Hey, AIES, make sure I nail this thing in a spot that's sure to piss it off."

He fired Yukari's rifle.

- - -

About the same time as Tom pressed the trigger, a loud, brilliant deflagration erupted over the Ocelot's barrier that faced his Daisy. The AIES had picked up one of the reactor exhaust ports for him to fire in and the dart Yukari's LASR spat slid inside the vent at just the right angle, quickly eliciting a muted explosion at its eventual impact inside.

Smoke began to billow out from that reactor's end.

The mobile frame shook from the attack, though it was probably due to the pilot's shock at the feeble attack spearing through its barrier instead of harmlessly bouncing off. Even now, a good part of the barrier covering its flank was bare and not regenerating.

Leaning on the side of caution, the NDI mecha bounded away, landing 180 meters away (with a massive crunch) before firing both its mortar launchers around Nyton's position.

- - -

Nyton glared at Freeman's actions but the incoming mortar rounds took precedence. He increased his speed and continued his evasion, taking note of the chink in the Ocelot's armor that Freeman had just created. He followed this by performing a flying leap while the explosions burst behind him. Nyton changed out weapons in midair and grabbed his LASR. When he landed he tucked into a roll and reloaded his SLAG with a new magazine. After a few rolls he snapped up, aimed the freshly loaded SLAG at the exposed armor of the Ocelot, and fired three rounds.

- - -

The Ocelot was not about to let itself be gunned down by Nyton. The mobile frame saw the Nepleslian's Daisy coming from a long way off and quickly turned to present a hale part of its barrier shield to meet up with the former's attack.

The SLAG grenades were no laughing matter though. Even as they impacted against the Ocelot's protection and failed to breach it, they did bring down the mecha's forcefield by more than a half of its potential protection, weakening it overall.

Not to be undone, the Ocelot made another prodigous leap, twsiting in midair with the help of its remaining matching reactors before turning its plasma cannon rifle Nyton's way. The jagged lance of white erupted from the muzzle, propelling a killing disc on Claymere's armor.

Not quite fast enough this time around, Nyton's Daisy didn't clear the blast area in time. Its cloak shield fizzled and died before the front of his armor took the attack. Even with the zesuaium shield mitigating the attack, most of his armor diagram quickly turned to orange and reds, along with his whole left arm turning black - the sharp, biting numbness indicated the simulator considered he had lost the limb. There was probably nothing left of his LASR, his remaining tac drone and the plasma rifle too.

His HUD and external sensors died and he was left in darkness with a 'pilot wounded: 32 seconds to recovery.' in the upper right corner. As the numbers ticked down, his AIES reported: "Class-A damage: Psionic Signal Control device, Active Camouflage, Cloak Shield Projector; Class-B damage: Inertia Redirection System; Class-C Damage: Armor Integrated Electronic System, Capacitor System."

- - -

The scuffle with Nyton had worked much better than Yukari had considered, as she hadn't really counted on it at all. As the overall timer continued to count down, she finished her slow climb, about 100 meters up. She then dove, hard, toward her ultimate target.

She prayed the Ocelot was still going to be busy as her hands clasped around the torso. She heaved it up in her hands, clutched it against her battered chest armor, then flew back past Tom and toward the building she'd talked to him about the plan first.

"AIES, tell me what I need to do to make a bomb of this, quickly!"

- - -

"Hey! Nice shot AIES!" Tom thanked the computer for a shot he definately couldn't pull off himself.

"So, ok, if I can hit it in the back again, which means its shields aren't particularly strong there, does that mean I can hit it again?"

The Yamataian was talking to his armor as he continued running forward to get a better position on the Ocelot. He was about to round a corner when the it jumped up in the air, firing a stream of danger at what he assumed was Nyton. He quickly kneeled and took aim at the armor's rear.

"So, AIES, if it is rear is all exposed, let's hit it somewhere that'll HURT. You and me buddy! Let's ROCK!"

- - -

"The endoskeleton and depleted armor cover is in the way. Extract the power supply." The Harpy told Yukari, opening up a small window outlining the extraction procedure: She needed to dig her hand in a rent and disconnect three cables before wrenching a squarish-roundish thing around the size of a dictionary out of the Phalanx's back.

"Power must then be fed to the hardware surrounding the power cell." Yukari's AIES told her. "This unit is incapable of doing this. The M6 Daisy can in the same way it maintains the charge on its plasma rifle."

- - -

PLUNK!

The railgun-shot dart smashed against the Ocelot neutronium armor alloy, digging a dent but missing by a finger the second reactor exhaust.

"The effect of the subspace-detonating mini-missile on the Ocelot is waning." Tom's AIES warned. "Target's barrier shield is regenerating."

The Ocelot whirled around and turned its head to face Tom. Its twin pulse cannons lined him up and opened fire.

- - -

The simulated pain seared at Nyton's left arm. Looks like I blew that one... he thought to himself as he fought to restrain himself. It's just pain. Nothing more. he told himself. The words that rang through his head were the same that he'd heard before. Just like when I originally got my arm really blown off. The disheartening image of his Armor's status stole his attention. Not much left to work with here. I can still move once I'm up again. No weapons left except the one in my right hand. No missles left either. Now I'm more of a liability to the others. He then shook his head. The timer was counting down but this was no time for defeatism.

- - -

"AHH!"

Tom ran around the corner of the building he had just knelt at. He had a moment before to see Nyton's suit laying in a crumpled heap. He opened communications with Yukari.

"Yukari, ma'am. I hope we've given you enough time. I'm undergunned and under attack from the Ocelot. Its shields are regenerating."

The Yamataian held Yukari's rifle up as he turned, half expecting the Ocelot to show up right in front of him.

"To make matters worse, Claymere was hit pretty hard by the Ocelot's attacks," Tom said between pants. "According to what I saw, he's defenseless."

The Raltean sighed.

"With your permission, I recommend that you get Nyton and get the hell out of Dodge while this thing wants to blastificate me. Hopefully, you all can get to the away point, because, well, we don't seem to have much time."

Tom knew that the Ocelot was both faster and stronger than he was.

Stupid nobility. Kills way too many people. He thought, referring to what Nyton was planning to do.

"I'll try to run like the wind here, but this thing outclasses me in all regards. Cat and mouse analogy here. By the way, don't think I'm doing this whole dying for the team crap. I'm going to be RUNNING my ASS off. Freeman out."

He spoke once more to his AIES.

"Hey, AIES, let's turn this thing's velocity to the MAX and do some damage here."

- - -

Yukari followed her AIES' instructions. She found a small gash in the back armor of the Super Phalanx, which she carefully pulled back just enough to squeeze two fingers in and yank the small device out. She was under cover from an entire building, but she was not sure how long it would last.

"Freeman-Hei ... " she said as she listened to what he said.

"BAKA!" was her response at the end. "I have no time for your honor! Get over to me quickly; I need your help!"

- - -

"WHO SAID THERE WAS ANY HONOR IN THIS, YUKARI-MA'AM!" He yelled uncharacteristically at her.

He continued his withdrawal, trying to follow her orders regardless.

"it is not like I want to be vaporized here. I'd rather save the samurai stuff for the movies!"

He growled.

"The fact of the matter is that I probably can't get to you before this thing nails me. The only thing you can do is jet over to here to me, which then puts BOTH our superior officers in extreme danger. What about the others?"

He grinned.

"I must say, though, I'm flattered by this thing. It must dig my sexiness!"

- - -

Yukari tried to force herself not to blush. "You are a fool, Freeman-Hei! That is not how you speak to a superior officer! When we are through with this, I will punish you!"

The words that had splurted from her mouth as if it were a fusion engine made her blush even more. "AIES, do my thrusters work?"

"Yes, but not very well. Your top speed is approximately 300 km/h."

"Thank you." Yukari turned around the corner and saw Tom standing behind another corner of a building a few blocks down. She gulped, then leaned forward some. The first engine start failed, coughing up bits of concrete dust. But the second worked perfectly.

"Freeman-Hei, be readyyyyy!" Yukari yelled, as her armor flung itself forward at about 260 km/h, clutching the small box.

- - -

Hurling itself over the buildings providing them cover, the Ocelot leaped over the blocks providing cover for them, abandonning the incapacitated Nyton in favor of downing still moving opponents. The NDI mecha landed hard, its knees bending, and its hand shot out to catch the speeding Yukari by the waist with the ease of a softball player.

The manipulator thightened around its catch, crushing her jetpack before squeezing even further, making the plates of her armor dig uncomfortably into her body. The Mobile Frame's armored head was looking at her, its visored front showing a cyclopean sensor glinting evilly inside. The twin pulse cannons lined up on her - it seemed like it was going for a head shot to avoid damaging its hand. The Phalanx's power supply hung uselessly in her hand: there was no way to use it now.

The Ocelot's head then turned sharply away from her as a duo of subspace detonating mini-missiles hit its barrier shield and forcefully collapsed it. The Ocelot raised its plasma cannon to fire at the newly arrived Mindy, but the Nekovalkyrja power armor - some sort of custom model that used the Kylie's forearm aether projectors and shoulder-mounted railgun - pressed on her attack and managed to slice the mecha's main weapon in half before springing away to avoid the mobile frame counter - a vicious vibroblade slash with the arm still holding Yukari.

As the poor yamataian woman inside the Harpy was jostled around, the Mindy twirled away from the NDI mecha and deployed its twelve nodal support bits.

- - -

Masako's face couldn't help but contort in a facial expression that seemed to be a mix of disbelief and confusion as she heard the conversation between Yukari and Tom. Shaking her head, she tapped James' shoulder enough to get his attention. "Ok, Dige-Hei, head to the waypoint with Kamiyama-Hei. I'll cover you as well as I'm able," she said as she burst through the back way, pulling her rifle out and leveling it foward.

She swept the area to see if the Ocelot or any other mech was about, ready to rush forward to distract it from her two charges.

- - -

Yukari saw her target in sight. She was rushing toward it at such a high speed she wasn't really able to control herself --

But as she suddenly stopped, body hurling head first toward her helmet screen, she knew it was over. She hadn't realized she had flown so high, but it didn't matter. She was caught, like a fish in a bear's paw. Her organs nearly left her through her throat to make a collage in front of her.

She could feel her armor tighten around her. She wouldn't let go of the power supply, she couldn't, no matter what happened, she had to keep that. Her radio fizzled out when her pack was crushed. "Run Freeman-Hei! Run! Do not stay!"

Struggling is a waste of energy was the first thought that brought her back to reality. Yukari forced herself to look forward. The sick feeling in her stomach wouldn't go away, but that didn't matter because the air was being squeezed out of her lungs. She was brought face to face with the Ocelot's head.

The glowing eye was almost leering at her, she could feel it. It knew the pilot inside was weak, maybe an officer. The two cannon on its head angled toward her slowly, teasing her with mere injury instead of death. But when they rested level with her head, Yukari knew this would not last. It was not going to savor its pleasure -- there would be time for that later, she assumed.

" ... " She wasn't going to add to it by saying something.

Two missiles suddenly flashed and blinded her momentarily. She couldn't see what had just shot them, but the angle suggested it wasn't one of her friends. So what --

" ! " The armor her 360-degree vision showed her was certainly a KFY armor. A Mindy? A Kylie? What did it matter; it was something in perfect condition and could possibly save them!

She saw the giant plasma rifle be cleaved in two, then the shaking started -- her head went to and fro as the Ocelot tried to hurt the armor. Despite feeling a bit more sick, she was happy the Ocelot at least might get what it deserved.

- - -

The Mindy was a blurr as it weaved and dodged away from the pulse cannon shots while it fired streams of aether bolts in concert with its support bits, raining attacks over the upper torso of the machine.

The bolts took minute bits out of the neutronium armor, but there were so many that even the tough chest armor started to look worn and chewed on, steam rising from the super-heated material. Cracks began lining around the visored sensor in the head before there was a sudden explosion causing a pulse cannon to be torn off.

The mortars fired again toward the Mindy, but the KFY armor was too agile to be caught by the indirect trajectory weapons. It dashed in close, the boom in the air and the spreading ondulation indicative that it had broken the sound barrier before it stopped right by the Ocelot's forearm, defying momentum and inertia, to flip around and drive twin energy blades deeply into the wrist-equivalent of the arm holding Yukari.

The attack dealt grievious damage, but failed to free the Harpy, so the Mindy quickly followed up with the triple barking of its shoulder railgun, the three projectiles striking with exacting precision into the already damaged hand of the Ocelot, finally blowing Yukari free.

As Yukari (and the loosening giant metal fist) fell to the ground, the ocelot lunged forward and used its sparking stump as a club to smash the mindy to the ground. The Mindy was strong, but it was still a feather weight compared to the 35-ton Ocelot. The Nekovalkyrja armor's back cracked against the road, creating a depression with spider-webbing cracks extending around for a few meters. Even as the Mindy's nodal bits still attacked the mecha's head in an effort to destroy its main sensor array, the Ocelot lunged down, ruthlessly slashing with its two vibroblades at the Mindy as the neko pilot struggled to break free and fly.

For a moment, it looked like the KFY armor would manage to slip out like a soap bubble would slip away from a child's fingers, but the Ocelot broke the tie by moving forward and decisively stomping its massive foot on the Mindy to squash it like a bug.

There was a momentary flash, a massive crack and then the fissures already in the road worsened, even with dislodged bits of the pavement flying up under the mobile frame physical might!

Then there was only the sounds of the debris falling back down, the crackle of the Ocelot's damaged wrist and the continued fire of the nodal support bits, whom were still hanging over the large mecha like a swarm of wasps.

- - -

"Armor reactivated. Nominal functions restored." said the AIES as the downtime countdown finished. Systems sprang back to life and Nyton tried to take immediate stock of his surroundings. The 'missing' arm continued to pain him even as the 'stump' was being treated by the life support systems. He realized he wasn't 'dead' so that meant the Ocelot was not trying to finish him off so he made no immediate moves just yet as he studied the situation. The AIES was damaged but not inop so Nyton was still receiving battlefield data, albeit a little garbled. He took notice of three blips that were moving away from the battle and towards the rendezvous point. Kurohoshi got them out. Good. He then noted that Freeman was still nearby as well as Yukari. Despite his disobedience, his actions had caused some damage to the Ocelot. Whether or not they could take advantage of this was another matter. Apparently the opening was not enough. Yukari is damaged. Freeman is still active and there's a new Armor fighting on our side. Mindy class. Alright, this opening is all we got. Nyton thought before he finally raised himself up to a crouching position. As he watched the fight swing towards the Ocelot's favor he noted the brilliant flash where the giant Armor brought its foot down. "AIES, I'm going to need a lot of speed so let's try and focus on fixing the jets."

He judged the distances between buildings and began to run from one position to the other as he attempted to near Yukari's downed Armor. "Freeman, this is Claymere. I'm going to try and pull Yukari out of there while the Mindy has it distracted. After I grab her we'll get out of here and catch up to the others." After he ducked behind another building that was as close as he could approach before the field of battle opened up he waited for the Ocelot to swat at the next nodal bit attack before he opened up into an accelerated dash and reached out with his remaining arm to grab Yukari's Armor by her right arm. He would attempt to steer them to a building just around a corner that had access to the underground tunnels where they would slip away towards the rendezvous point and away from the battle.

- - -

James moved as fast as he was able towards the waypoint, Morita's armor jostling uncomfortably against his shoulder. He forced himself to ignore the chatter over the radio, the earth-shaking stomps, and the sound of combat.

With any luck, it won't attack the extraction point too.

- - -

The events unfolded for Tom as if in slow motion. He had seen the Ocelot whip out from the building to catch Yukari's armor in a move so fast that the Yamataian had hardly opened his mouth to scream at his superior to get away.

The sickening crunching of Yukari's trapped armor snapped him out of his stupor only to fill him with an utterly crushing feeling of helplessness and failure.

The point was clear:

Yukari, his superior, but more importantly his friend, was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Run Freeman-Hei! Run! Do not stay!"

Click to expand...

Tom trembled at the words...

Why, damn it!? Why is everyone acting so crazy!? There's no failure in running away from a fight you can't win! WHY don't they realize this? Why doesn't Yukari realize this?!

Now she was going to die and--

BOOM!

The missiles smashed into the Ocelot, and then the world returned to normal.

An allied Mindy, out of nowhere, had saved them. She wove and struck mercilessly at the enemy, flittering with the grace of a dragonfly. The Ocelot dropped Yukari.

Then, in a horrible instant, the dragonfly that had saved their lives was squashed.

Tom quelled tears at the sight, at the loss of someone he would never meet, the one who had saved their lives.

It seemed that the VR simulation had once again become a little too real for the Yamataian to handle.

Is this honor? To die on a battlefield? To get a cute little metal and a ribbon that says your sacrifice will never be forgotten?

His mind wandered to thoughts of the Mikomi, of all his friends who had died fighting mindless drones...

I'm sorry, but I don't want to be part of that... they can take those ribbons and shove them up their ASSES!

"Freeman, this is Claymere. I'm going to try and pull Yukari out of there while the Mindy has it distracted. After I grab her we'll get out of here and catch up to the others."

Click to expand...

Claymere's words were like a douse of cold water on Tom's face. They still had a chance to get out of this in one piece.

"Right-O sir! I'll be on your tail in a jiffy!"

His AIES long ago reported that the Ocelot's shields had dropped from the Mindy's assault.

And Tom had drawn his plasma rifle and took aim at the Ocelot's head, the debris of the recent explosion coming down like a hail of rain.

Time to repay you for what you've done, bitch.

He fired.

- - -

It was no ordinary Mindy. Yukari had a brief flash of recognition on that point. But the rest of it was a blur as she was swung around again.

Uwahhh! The Ocelot seemed to not be doing well; Yukari caught glimpses of its damaged armor, blasted head and ineffective shots. The KFY armor, whatever it was, was winning!

A huge wave of sound crashed into her, disorienting her further. It was really hard to tell where she was or what was going on, 360-degree imaging or not. She heard something very close -- cutting something? -- that was like a welder repairing metal.

The grip loosened. Yukari felt like she could breathe a little easier now. She heard three shots being fired and felt each one rattle her and her damaged armor.

Then falling. The sky seemed to get a little farther away, the Ocelot's predicament coming into full view as she left its grasp. She struggled to kick the pinky finger of the mechanical monster off of her, vision swirling behind her.

Oh dea -- BOOOOUUNNN.

Yukari had fallen a few stories while still clasped in the dead hand, but after the initial shock of the drop had faded, she pushed open the pinky and ring fingers without much trouble. Every part of her body seemed to feel sore, but she was alive, which she was certain she should not have been. The timer was almost up -- there was still a chance to escape.

The ground shook again, mightily. Yukari turned just in time to see the Mindy seemingly crushed into the ground.

"MINDY-SAN!" Yukari shouted, not caring if anyone could hear her or not. "Shimatta!" Maybe the crewmember's fancy armor had protected it.

A crystal clear thought silenced Yukari's brief flash of anguish. If the Mindy pilot was dead, it was her job to ensure the sacrifice was not in vain. She shoved the other two fingers up and managed to stand up, just in time to be grabbed again, this time by a friendly.

"Yahh -- Claymere-Juni, your arm! -- uwahh!" Yukari was hefted about like a board of wood and unceremoniously whisked away from the battle.

Then she saw Tom raise his plasma rifle. "Wait, Claymere-Ju -- "

She watched in shock as a shot leapt from Tom's rifle.

- - -

The plasma discharge hit the mecha on the armored collar behind its head. It was a solid hit that had the Ocelot lurch slightly forward. The Mobile Frame shifted its feet, turning around to face Tom made to fire with its remaining pulse cannon, oblivious to the attacks of the Mindy's support bits. That was a mistake.

As the mecha repositioned itself to face the Daisy, its foot left the depression it had dug in the pavement: there was a large indentation and cracks... but there was a distinct lack of a power armor's crushed carcass. Aether flechettes darted from behind and above the Ocelot as the Mindy released its optical camouflage and crashed in the mobile frame's upper back, adjusting gravity so she could crouch against its back like a burr.

Firmly attached, the Mindy started savagely flailing her twin forearm energy swords into the enemy's back with - considering the Mindy had been mistaken for dead a moment ago - surprising fervor.

- - -

Yukari could only vaguely catch the Mindy seemingly coming back to life, as she was taken away by Nyton. Her radio damaged, she called out with her telepathy, hoping it would work --

"Freeman-Hei, track my position and follow us, quickly! There is not much time!"

- - -

The latest twist of events was almost too much for Tom. He nearly leapt for joy when he realized the Mindy was not dead.

A wave of exhausted relief entered the Yamataian's body, as he raised his rifle to take another shot at the Ocelot's head.

"Freeman-Hei, track my position and follow us, quickly! There is not much time!"

Click to expand...

She's safe... and leaving the battle. it is almost over.

He dropped the sight of the rifle from his target and ran as hard as his body could carry him. Now that his friends were safe, he could leave. He was more of a liability anyway.

"Whoever you are, thank you so much!"

They were going to make it!

- - -

Nyton continued to dash while he carried Yukari and didn't stop until they were at the entrance to the sewers. At that point he stopped, placing his arm across Yukari's chest as he braced each of them against a wall. "Yukari, can you read me? Is your radio functional?"he asked her. The static reply confirmed his inquiry. Nyton pointed to Yukari, motioned at the ground for her to stay put, and then pointed up as though to indicate wait a moment. He then turned and peeked around the corner. The Mindy had reappeared and continued to fight the Ocelot. With the remains of his antenna he tried to broadcast a signal to the Mindy on various YSA frequencies as it darted around.

"Unknown Mindy pilot, this is Nito Juni Nyton Claymere. Thank you for your assistance. My team needs some cover for our retreat as most of our units are heavily damaged. We are enroute to an extraction point. There are enemy reinforcements more then fifteen kilometers away and closing. If you need an escape reply to me on a secure frequency at these coordinates in five minutes." Nyton then followed with a position that was five kilometers away from the rendezvous site. After he completed the transmission he crept back and faced Yukari again. "Freeman, this is Claymere. Yukari's radio must be out. We're hitting the sewers to make our escape. Try not to overstay your welcome here. " Nyton transmitted to Tom.

Nyton then attempted to use that pseudo telepathy that Miles had shown him back in the Sakura. Stick close Chui. We're getting out of here. All of us. he 'thought' out before he pointed at her and then to the tunnel that led down into the sewer system.

- - -

Yukari watched Nyton's remarks, and received his telepathy. But she did not respond in the positive.

"With all due respect, Claymere-Juni, we have less than a minute to begin the retreat. Unless you are aware of a tunnel that will give us a straight escape path directly to the extraction point, we are out of time for subterfuge. Is your anti-gravity operational?"

- - -

"You should really be using encrypted telepathy on the battlefield." Kotori's mental 'voice' broke in on the conversation Nyton and Yukari were having. "You can't afford the twists and turn of the sewer system. Just make a run for it."

- - -

Yukari blinked. "Kotori!" she shouted, not realizing no one heard her.

"Our telepathy is always encrypted, Kotori," Yukari said with obvious giddy in her thoughts. "I will get Tom; Claymere-Juni, go now while you can."

With that, Yukari lifted off the ground (it was a miracle her anti-gravity worked) and flew to Tom quickly. "No time for conversation, Freeman-Hei, let us go!" She picked him up in her arms and went back toward Nyton.

- - -

The Ocelot thrashed itself around, willingly ramming into the nearby buildings in an effort to dislodge the gnat dealing it so much hurt in its back. While the Mindy was strong, getting knocked around against tons of loose rubble wasn't an enviable predictament.

The mortar launchers already disabled, the Mindy allowed itself to be dislodged. The power suited Nekovalkyrja sprung away and landed two-dozen meters away. So tough. I never fought anything this big. Kotori laughed, eyeing the giant humanoid as it whipped around to face her. I have to hurry though: the Super Phalanxes in the other groups will show up eventually...

The Ocelot lumbered in, striking at her with one forearm vibroblade with murderous intent. Kotori let it connect, using one of the Mindy's new energy forearm shields to absorb the impact and carry her around with it. The neko agilely maneuvered around the swing to stand on the forearm and pounced from there, sinking both energy swords where the armored shoulder connected with the torso. The neutronium armor gave her shortlived resistance before she managed to slice through; thus ruining the shoulder actuator and severing the entire arm assembly from the rest of the body.

As the massive limb crashed to the ground, the head aimed the remaining pulse cannon at Kotori, but she - still latched on the Ocelot - blocked the attack with her forearm shield and brought her shoulder railgun into play again, slamming three rounds into the side of the head and destroying the cannon proper.

The railgun shots shattered the visor. The nodal bits swooped down like carrion birds sensing dead corpses and figuratively plucked the NDI mecha's eye out. More smoke, accomagnied with electrical discharges, ran through the mobile frame's damaged body as it lost its active sensors.

Kotori jumped off and slashed at its legs, damaging one knee actuator and forcing the blind Ocelot on all fours (or threes, seeing it had lost one arm). There was no sense in prolonging the battle and risking herself further, so, the Taii recalled her nodal support bits and flew away. She allowed herself a last salvo of withering aether darts and a railgun burstfire to turn its torso section to burning scrap before she twisted and turned in pursuit of the rest of her crew.

- - -

"Wahhh! Ok!"

Tom, who was suddenly yanked in the air, clutched Yukari's mech.

"You know, this reminds me of a movie. Oh my dearie, you've come to rescue me! How shall I ever repay you?"

He grinned a bit.

"Do I need to cover your back?"

- - -

Nyton breathed a hidden sigh of relief. As Yukari flew off to grab Tom he took off and began to head for Kurohoshi's position as they were already further ahead. Jets still work. Can't encrypt, haven't learned. Roger that Chui, I am on my way to join the others. he quickly thought.

- - -

Yukari's radio was damaged. She couldn't hear Tom, but she was still blushing. She found her loudspeaker still worked; she set it to the lowest volume setting as she floated up to about three stories high and flew as fast as she could with her anti-gravity. She was heading toward the bright green arrow hovering above some area on her helmet screen.

"Freeman-Hei, if you have something to say, use your speaker," she said, maintaining a professional tone, or so she thought. She looked up at the timer that showed when the Hoshi would leave -- a little more than 10 minutes left.

It was going to be close.

- - -

Tom flipped on his speakers.

"Do you need me to cover your back, ma'am?"

- - -

James trudged along, Morita's limp arm tapping against the back of his armor with a dull clunk that was quickly becoming annoying.

His gravimetric engines were fried, making the trek agonizingly slow. He didn't know how far he had gone and didn't really care to know.

"So, Masako-Juni, have any adventure stories to pass the time?"

The Geshrin kept a close eye on the sensors, but he could feel exhaustion setting in. The throbbing in his injured arm didn't help, either.

- - -

Yukari's mind was not where it should have been. She nearly crashed into the side of a building.

"Ah, no!" she stammered, trying to remain professional. "Thank you ... ah, keep my front covered. I can see behind myself."

This is an awkward position, she thought hopelessly.

- - -

J-LAM warheads launched from the far away Diamondback hovertanks left whitish trails as the homed in on the position of the retreating KFY power armors. The missiles are a potent threat to the mostly battered group...

But not for the Mindy-suited Kotori and her redeployed nodal attack bits. When the trio of missiles closed in, she rather easily shot them down. As the explosion lit her power armor, Kotori glanced to her sensor display, clearly seeing the three rapidly approaching red dots.

"Yukari, we have three Super Phalanxes coming." She warned her executive officer. "I'll hold them off and the coming missile barrages as much as I can until the Hoshi makes its arrival. Don't you stop for anything." The Mindy launched itself toward the incoming NDI suits - the sooner she engaged them, the more room she'd provide for the others.

Once the Hoshi showed up, its weapon pods, particle cannons and projected energy beam would turn the tide in her favor. For the moment, though, she was stuck entertaining more guests than she could really handle.

- - -

Yukari was glad she could receive psionic transmissions at least, though her Harpy was in no condition to help her reply. Her sensors, between scratching in and out from her helmet screen, also displayed the warheads that were incoming.

"Ryokai, Ketsurui-Taii," she sent. "We will not stop. ... Be safe, Kotori."

- - -

Nyton continued to track the movements of the enemy reinforcements as he approached the others who were ahead. "Good to see you Kotori Taii. Your support is well timed." he said as he sped through the torn landscape. "Freeman, watch out for the enemy reinforcements. They're beginning to launch artillary fire. At our current pace we can make it to the rendezvous point but we've got to watch out for the encirclement that's approaching. You and Yukari proceed with caution." The AIES map displayed the various pulses of enemy and friendly signals as the drama continued to play itself out.

- - -

Masako kept up right behind James as she kept her eyes and sensors on her surroundings, making sure she was protecting her charges at all times. "I don't believe this is the right time Dige-Hei," the young neko said with a small, playfully scolding tone. "And please, use your armor's thrusters to move faster. We don't have much time," the warrant officer ordered politely as she began to float backwards for a while as she waited for James to activate his systems.

Mina, please hurry, Masako sent out an encrypted signal to the rest of the crew. All though there are no hostiles at my current location, it would be very difficult to protect both Kamiyama-Hei and Dige-Hei by myself. the young neko bit her lower lip in agitation.

It was a simulation, she knew that, but it was hitting home a bit too much for her. She had been there with the Mikomi as well as many people died, being helpless to protect them. It made her feel useless...everytime battle occurred she was the one who would be in the wrong place at the wrong time to help her comrades.

But even though it was a simulation, it feel at least satisfactory to help the two injured Hei when they needed her. She wouldn't make herself look useless in front of her new crew...not by a long shot. That was probably why she was so agitated at the moment, she was trying her absolute best not to fail her charges or her crewmates.

- - -

James sheepishly activated his backup thrusters and soared forward, several inches off the ground.

"Ah well, I guess it isn't really necessary anymore."

The sound of artillery fire rolled across the city, coupled with the sound of the Phoenix's engines. James frowned at the sudden breach of relative tranquility.

"Sounds like it is heating up again."

- - -

Tom held his plasma rifle in his lap (the position was definately an odd one) as if it were an infant.

"Okie dokie," Tom said, following the orders. He'd shoot anything down if it came near them!

WOOSH! They almost slammed into a building. The Yamataian swallowed his heart, which had leapt into his throat.

"Eh, eh, heh," Tom said sheepishly. "Let's not go splat right before the finish line."

- - -

Seeing James finally use his thrusters calmed a bit of Masako's agitation as she began to follow the two Hei with her gravimetric engine. So far, she was impressed with the Daisy's systems. Allowing her guard to lessen slightly to admire the design. It still wasn't as good as a Mindy, but it did what it was designed to do.

Listening to surroundings as James pointed out what was going on, Masako could only sigh quietly to herself. "Yes, it seems so Dige-Hei. All the more reason to keep our guard up in case the enemy finds us...we aren't really being the stealthiest of people at the moment," the young neko said with a small chuckle. It came to her when she hadn't expected it...was she trying to release her agitation through laughter? Now wasn't the time for that.

- - -

The distance indicator to the extraction crept down. Yukari's group, slightly faster, overtook Masako's group with still nine kilometers to go. They were making good speed and it looked like they'd make it in time, but it didn't look like the NDI forces were about to allow them to escape scot-free.

Kotori had more than she could handle with the three Super Phalanxes and had a hard time entirely stopping the next missile volleys, making it so that an occasional warhead dropped to the street close to them, the near misses still showering them with shrapnel and debris.

One of the NDI power armor almost engaged them, but Kotori used her teleportation module to blink behind him and with a flurry of slashes she summarely destroyed it... but from the point the two other Phalanx suits switched to their Longinus rifles and actively put their efforts to destroying the Mindy, rather than trying to stop them from running away.

Brilliant energy discharges began sweeping across the sky.

- - -

Yukari hmphed audibly. "I was trained as a pilot, Freeman-Hei. You do not need to worry -- "

A warhead from one of the Diamondback tanks crashed into a building next to them, hurling debris in all directions behind them. Yukari twirled away sharply, but another warhead found its way over her and into a small block of tiny condos. She was still able to outfly the debris; but it gave Tom a loopy ride.

"Gomen," she said. "This will become worse, I fear. The Juni is very cruel."

- - -

Masako watched as Yukari's group overtook both her and the two enlisted men as she allowed herself to give them a small wave. Though an alert of missiles on the way made the young neko's blood turn to ice. Though Yukari and Tom were able to avoid them, the debris that fell from those heights were on their way towards the personnel closer to the ground...namely her charges and herself.

Growling in her helmet, the young neko raised her arm and began to unleash pulses of energy from her forearm mounted weapon towards the larger parts of debris that were falling. She also send a signal to her left shoulder to release the two tactical drones at her disposal and assigned them to anti-missile point defense. "Kuso...." she cursed quietly to herself.

- - -

Yukari finally noticed Masako and James, still going along as she had flown past them. "Kurohoshi-Juni, are you undamaged? I would fly lower, but I fear we will not arrive on time if I do not fly unobstructed."

- - -

Masako gritted her teeth slightly in concentration as she kept her guard up. "Hai, daijobu desu. Don't worry about me, I would be able to fly higher at any time, but I must keep Kamiyama-Hei and Dige-Hei safe." she replied via encrypted telepathy. "Dige-Hei is damaged and injured, but he was able to carry Kamiyama-Hei well enough. Kamiyama-Hei on the other hand is unconcious....leaving me the only one of the three in any shape to be combat effective."

- - -

"Sou ... I would give you Freeman-Hei, but he cannot fly at all." The situation was almost comical; the females were in power and practically trading their men. "Once I am farther from you, safety will not be a concern."

History would find this strange, Yukari thought with a smile.

- - -

Explosions from warheads caused debris to fly everywhere at Nyton. With his sensors still somewhat rattled he couldn't help but to put his remaining arm up to shield his face. The rush of the battle was helping to numb the pain on his left shoulder even as the suit had sealed up the wound. A slight grin had broken across his face at the struggle. This exercise has been MOST exciting. Nyton thought as he brought his Daisy Armor about and joined up with Kurohoshi's group. "Sorry I'm late but my jets are a little damaged." he radio'd over to Kurohoshi. He saw the load carrying situation and sidled over to Dige. "Hey can you still fight a little? I can take over carrying Kamiyama." he said and offered his remaining arm.

- - -

Ugh... Tom's stomach churned at the endless jostling that came with Yukari's flight.

It would TOTALLY not be cool to vomit in this thing!

He tried to open his mouth to speak, but groaned in misery instead.

"Oh man, AIES, it must be sweet not having a stomach right now."

- - -

More bombs seemed to rain down on the pair as they closed in. It looked like they would make it with a little more time to spare than the others.

"Gomen nasai, Freeman-Hei!" Yukari said over her loudspeaker as she dodged another blast. A small metal shard bounded off of her shoulder, bringing a bit of soreness to it. But she clutched on to Tom, regardless.

- - -

"Agh," Tom cried. "Don't worry about it! Just get us home in one piece as best as you can!"

Tom laughed to himself, finding something cheerful to think about in all the chaos.

"You know, if you dance this well in a power armor, you must be a kickass clubber!"

- - -

Yukari's brain skipped a step or two, nearly crashing into another building.

"Uwah!" She spun them away tightly, another bomb blowing up behind them.

"You are not helping at all," she shouted. "If we fail because I cannot focus due to your words, I will not forgive you!"

- - -

James nodded his thanks to Nyton, but kept a firm hold on Morita's body. He had to dodge some debris now and then to make sure that he stayed in the air.

"All I have left is a couple of missiles and a nearly-full battery for my plasma rifle, Juni. If it is all the same to you, I'll keep him for now."

- - -

"Then I will gladly shut up for you, ma'am!" Tom yelled wide-eyed as they almost slammed into ANOTHER building.

He held on just a little tighter for good measure. In his mind, he made up a little bit of a song to pass the time.

Actionnnn. ADVENTURE! Chun chun chun chun chun... not gonna smash into a WALL! Chun chun chun chun chun chun chun... We're gonna make it if we tryyyyyyy! Da da da chun chun chun chun All we gotta do is FLYYYYYY!

Clingin' to a sexy bayyyyybeeee! Chun chun chunnnnn! Too bad she totally outranks meeeeee! Chun chun bweeeeee!

- - -

"Iiya!" Yukari said, then had to duck again. "Do not be quiet, you must pass information to me as you receive it! My communication system is dama-ahh-ahhhhh!"

A cloud of dust unfurled before them, throwing Yukari off a little bit. She recovered quickly, but gulped a little.

"Ehhtou -- do not compliment me! I cannot focus when you do that. I am not a dancer or singer or an interesting person at this moment! I am an of -- your friend, and I am trying to save us." She'd had to bite her tongue.

- - -

"Then can I grab your plasma rifle since you're carrying him? All my weapons were destroyed." Nyton asked as he dodged some more incoming debris.

- - -

Warheads kept detonating regularly around the group, one exploding so close to Masako that she was buffeted forward. thankfully, her Daisy's shield handled the impact well enough to save her from harm and the suit's inertial control system helped her carry on her path soon afterwards.

Up in their skies, Kotori was still fighting the two Super Phalanx. She had expended most of her counter-measure mini-missiles to avoid being hit and allow her to use her active stealth to periodically go on the offensive with one or the other of the two NDI power armors, using her subspace-detonating mini-missiles to crack their shield open before attacking.

She was out of mini-missiles, out of railgun ammunition, but she had destroyed the tactical drones and handheld Longinus rifles of both Phalanx Cs - she had no way of quickly killing those two opponents without having the luxury of recharging her teleportation module to perform a sneak melee attack like she did for the first one, so, she went for decreasing their capacity of dealing her harm.

That still left them with projected plasma and their carbines, but she had riden out the few hits she had sustained fairly well: the forearm shields and her Mindy's zesuaium skin were holding out for now.

- - -

Tom and Yukari were about 2/3 of the way toward the Hoshi. The bombs were starting to die down some ... but Yukari could see the flashes behind them, especially those in mid-air. I hope Kotori is well ... she might be moody later if she loses.

- - -

Masako yelped in surprise as she seemed to rocket forward by an explosion from behind. Though her shields absorbed quite a bit, the young neko's senses took a second to regain themselves before she could continue on at full speed. Her suit's tactical drones went into overdrive as they tried to shoot down as many missiles as they could before they could get closer to her comrades and herself...but two drones weren't that effective. It really made her pine for a Mindy to pilot instead of a Daisy.

Checking her sensors, she noticed Kotori's Mindy fairing well against the two Phalanx C's. The problem was that time was running out for them all. Gritting her teeth, the young neko seemed torn for a moment. She wanted to go help her CO fight, but she also had to protect the two Hei.

Finally, she decided...she wasn't going to be useless. Flying behind Nyton, she attached her LASR to the backpack slot of his armor. "Claymere-Juni...it may not be much, but take my rifle." she said as she pulled out her plasma rifle. "Please take care of Kamiyama-Hei and Dige-Hei," she said as she activated her thrusters and took off into the sky.

It was quite possible she could get in trouble for this, but she was the only armor so far that had yet to take any damage. She was the most combat capable of them as well with a full arsenal still at her disposal, sans LASR of course.

Closing the distance until she was just outside range, she cut her thrusters and took aim at the nearest Phalanx. Licking her lips, she waited until she had a clear shot at its head before firing a three-shot burst.

- - -

Three brilliant bolts leapt from Masako's plasma fire to streak toward one of the Phalanx Cs. The first hit her target's protective barrier. From there, the NDI armor tucked its limbs and went into a spiralling dive to avoid the two other shots before flying toward Masako, both carbines firing rapidly at her.

Kotori was very tempted to go after the Phalanx attacking Masako... but refrained to. Both Phalanxes needed to be kept occupied and Masako, even though she was somewhat undergunned, did give her CO the advantage of better one versus one odds.

Her Mindy quickly changed the angle of its flight as she no longer aimed to hold the two armor off and turned aggresively on her opponent, soaring high above to skylight herself against the sun before she dived down like a bird of prey.

- - -

Activating her thrusters again, Masako threw her armor in a strafing motion to avoid the fire coming at her as she let loose a torrent of plasma upon her attacking foe. She couldn't help at that moment to wish for an Aether Rifle in her quest to take down the Phalanx C, but wishing for things she couldn't have wasn't going to keep her flying.

With a gut-wrenching maneuver, Masako went from a strafing motion to flying straight up as she angled her body so that her back was to the sun before barreling in with her shield up in front of her. Her plan was to try and physically knock the Phalanx C towards the ground in an effort to stun its simulated pilot enough for an attack.

- - -

Nyton grabbed the LASR from his back with his one arm and flanked James. "Thanks Kurohoshi. Be careful, Phalanx Armors are heavy on the defense. Don't go lightly on them or spare the ammunition. If you get an opening unload everything you can on it. And watch those plasma projectors, they're dangerous if this guy knows how to get you into the kill zone. There should be at least four, one on each hand and foot." he said. Hopefully the information would be give her enough edge to survive this encounter. Now if we can just reach the extraction point intact. Nyton thought to himself as he watched Yukari and Freeman's roller coaster escapade.

- - -

Gonna reach our destinyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! BWEEEEE!

The song ended and Tom was back in the unfriendly, spinning VR world. The buildings, blasts and missiles flew by him, but the extraction point also was getting pretty darn close.

Good thing one of them had flight capabilities.

Stupid broken anti-grav. Psssh. You take one crushing hit in the back and you don't work anymore? Gimme a break!

He gently moved the rifle around in his lap to get a feel for it.

- - -

The Phalanx Masako was fighting took more hits over its shield barrier and a few even tore through to touch its tough armor, leaving ugly black welt on the armored skin, but it humored the young nekos attempt to take the battle to close quarters, forcefully pushing out with two powerful torrent of plasma energy at the Daisy as it closed in. The zesuaium shield quickly liquified under the assault and Masako disengaged from her charge just before her own shielding was overwhelmed and that she'd have begun sustaining serious damage.

The zesuaium shield was mostly a smelted, shapeless lump now though. It wasn't good for much else than some museum abstract sculpture showcase.

- - -

Nyton caught the battle via AIES between Masako and the Phalanx with a grim frown. "Watch out for the kill zone! Those plasma jets will tear you up if you try to melee it." he radio'd to her. I'm definately going to want to write up an after action report on this simulation run.

- - -

James rocketed forward, tailing Yukari and Tom as they neared the extraction point. He was glad that missiles weren't actively seeking their demise anymore.

"Let's hope we don't have any suprises waiting for us at the extraction point," he mused to Nyton.

- - -

Using her gravimetric engines, Masako strafed to the side of the Phalanx C and began to retreat a distance, juking and jiving as she fired burst upon burst of her plasma rifle. "Gah...stupid," she muttered to herself. "This isn't a Mindy where I have close range as a option against a Phalanx," she berated herself as she stopped about ten meters from the enemy armor and began to orbit it.

Flying in the most erratic way she could, the young neko continued to orbit the Phalanx as fast as she could move. Firing triple bursts at the Phalanx C's torso as she moved her orbit up and down, made it larger and shorter, and even changed directions of her orbit suddenly to keep the enemy guessing.

- - -

Plasma bolts crisscrossed against each other in the street, savaging the nearby buildings as the Pheonix Arms-built Super Phalanx C and the Ketsurui Fleet Yard-built Daisy maneuvered against each other. The circle of death maneuver Masako was trying to make was mimicked by her opponent whom was more than able to keep up with her. Barriers fizzled to one side and another as both took hits, weakening their ephemereal protective shells.

Masako's plasma rifle was growing dangerously hot from the rapid rate of fire she was demanding of it, but even though the Phalanx was superior, she began to gain at slight edge on it, no small thanks to her tactical drones whom were able to maneuver and flank it while each power armor was forced to concentrate on each other. The way Masako's mind was new organised made it easy to interact with her AIES and efficiently multitask, even though the actual firing and dodging should have taken her full attention.

Disadvantaged, the Phalanx suddenly tore out from the point-blank duel, swiftly flying up and away to allow its barrier to recover while it escaped the reach of Masako's tactical drones while it would rely on its twin carbines.

"On my signal, I want you to turn your weapons on the Phalanx I'm fighting. Be ready!" Kotori sent to Masako. Above, the Mindy didn't look like it was dominating the fight. Kotori wasn't firing her projectors after her first deadly dive, only relying on the nodal bits to chew at her NDI opponent's barrier. The Mindy had its share of gouges and rents now, along with bleeding coming from the inner left thigh and down from just under the right armpit.

"Enemy unit detected!" The Harpy's AIES warned, painting on Yukari's radar display a red dot that was rapidly racing to were their rendez-vous point was.

Ahead, the newly arrived Firehawk II mobile frame landed its nearly forty-ton mass in the parking lot which served as their extraction point. The mecha twisted around to face the fleeing yamataians and an alarm suddenly blared within the helmets of Yukari, Nyton, Tom and James: the Mobile Frame was trying to get aspect missile locks on them.

- - -

"Shimatta!" Yukari shouted as the alarm rang in her helmet. She took a nose dive down to the ground and behind a building, clutching Tom tightly. The pair skimmed the ground beside the two-story apartment building before resting at its corner. The mecha could not be seen. They were still a few kilometers away, but they didn't have much time to spare on taking out a mecha several times taller and more powerful than they were.

The ear on her helmet perked some; she was glad at least one of her communication systems still worked. "Hoshi, Suzuka-Chui. A Firehawk II-class mecha is waiting at the extraction point; can you remove it?"

- - -

Yukari didn't get any reply. Either it was her comm system not being up to the task after all, or enemy jamming. The later seemed more than likely.

The Firehawk's function in the NDI platoon was probably for more than just stopping their flight. It was very likely that it would also act as a spotter for the Diamondback hovertanks if the Hoshi did make its appearance, thus exposing the dropship to extensive artilery bombardment. If the Hoshi's protections were compromised by the artillery fire, the two other mobile frames in the squads that hadn't caught up with them yet (probably Ocelots) would probably be able to finish off their ride 'home'.

- - -

James grunted and dropped down, now floating inches off the ground.

"Great, I shouldn't have opened my mouth. Claymere-Juni, I have eighteen missiles left. That's the extent of what I can do with my hands full."

The Geshrin pondered his options. He could try and circle around the frame and suprise it with a barrage from behind. As long as the others could keep the pilot's attention focused on the front, he could launch his attack with relatively little danger to his battered armor.

"Perhaps we should circle around, Claymere-Juni. Striking from two points would be preferable to rushing it head on."

- - -

The AIES alarm blared and Nyton forced James behind a building since he had just stopped in mid low hover without any cover. "Damn, they must've figured out our objective." Nyton cursed. "James, you're still carrying our casualty so I'll hit it first, try and get its attention with some SLAG rounds, then you follow up with a full volley of missles. Do not let up. Maybe we can destroy the pavement around and make it fall into the underground, make it harder for it to avoid us. Let me coordinate a bit of backup from Yukari and Freeman before we try anything."

Nyton scanned his AIES to locate Tom and Yukari's position. "Freeman, this is Claymere. James and I are approximately three hundred meters south of you. We're going to try and circle around this thing to hit it from two angles but we're going to need support. Can you two find a good vantage point and support us with some sniper fire?"

- - -

Masako gritted her teeth as both enemy and her seemed to create a dance of death in the sky, orbiting one another and weakening their protection. Her armor began to form blackened bruises of carbon on her arms and legs, but so far she had been lucky enough not to be hit seriously. But she soon found herself dancing alone as the Phalanx moved out of range of her tactical drones. Finally noticing that her plasma rifle seemed to be really hot, the young neko aimed it away from the enemy and ceased firing to allow it to cool down. Instead, she began to fire her forearm pulse energy weapon on her left arm, harassing the NDI armor as she continued to juke and jive.

"On my signal, I want you to turn your weapons on the Phalanx I'm fighting. Be ready!"

Click to expand...

Blinking in surprise, the young neko checked her AIES to confirm her CO's position before sending a brief, "Yokai" to Kotori. She continued her harassment of the Phalanx C trying to recharge its defenses, waiting for the signal to switch targets.

- - -

An eyeblink after Masako's confirmation, Kotori's Mindy activated one of its aether blades and rushed the Super Phalanx she was fighting. The NDI armor rose in the air to dodge the attack and turned its carbines to fire in Kotori's back.

"Now!" Kotori's signaled. To Masako, Kotori's opponent was almost a stationary target as it tried to get in a good shot on the vulnerable Mindy.

- - -

With a sudden activation of her thrusters, Masako twisted around towards Kotori's former opponent and sped towards it. But it wasn't to get close for melee, only the means to turn around quickly as the young neko shut off her thrusters and unleashed ten of her mini-missiles at once towards her new opponent before bringing her plasma rifle to bear. Just behind the missile barrage, but aimed enough not to set any of them off, a torrent of plasma began to fly its way towards the enemy.

- - -

"Wahhhhh!" The sudden dive had been so sharp that Tom could feel his blood rushing to his head, forcing him to almost pass out.

At least the sudden stop on the ground prevented that.

"Yukari ma'am, the world's a bit spinny right now..."

His AIES warned him of the new enemy and its effort to lock on their position with missiles. Tom's groan was laced with frustration and misery.

Damn it, can we just end this thing now?

"Freeman, this is Claymere. James and I are approximately three hundred meters south of you. We're going to try and circle around this thing to hit it from two angles but we're going to need support. Can you two find a good vantage point and support us with some sniper fire?"

Click to expand...

Well, at least we're not alone against this thing.

"Yukari ma'am, Claymere sir is requesting sniper support from us against the enemy unit. He and James are planning to circle the armor and attack it. That ok with you and stuff?"

The stars in his eyes were starting to fade.

- - -

The plasma bolt connected first, rocking the Phalanx as Kotori teleported away, making her escape (she had been recharging her teleportation module with that in mind). Reeling from the attack, its assigned target suddenly gone and devoid of tactical drones and most of this barrier's strength, it was a sitting duck to the mini-missiles Masako had tossed its way.

As the mini-missiles plowed in the Phalanx C, smashing it to smithereens, Masako's former opponent brought its carbines to bear and fired away at the Daisy whom had so suddenly ignored it to attack its squadmate. The carbines only had the time to flash once, crashing through Masako's barrier and liquifying yamataiaum over her chest and lower leg before Kotori reapperaed behind the NDI armor.

Both aether projected blades flashed in a crosscut that cleaved through the remaining Super Phalanx C. There was a small muted explosion from inside the Pheonix Arms armor before its pieces made a dead drop to the ground.

- - -

Yukari cursed. The statstics for the Firehawk II had been rolling down her helmet screen as Tom was talking about Nyton. She snorted in frustration.

"Our weapons are as ineffective against it as they were with the Ocelot," Yukari said in a gruff tone. "The Juni is simply enjoying herself now." A bomb exploded a few dozen meters away, shaking her a little bit. She'd long ago put Tom down and taken her rifle back.

"Tell Nyton we will do what we can, but we are limited in our effectiveness."

- - -

The Firehawk II shuffled a bit forward, turning its head and torso this way and that: there was no use firing missiles at targets whom were mostly under cover. The pulse cannons mounted on the head began firing at Yukari and Tom's cover as it lumbered forward, drawing its forearm vibroblades as it did so.

A volley of aether shots cut it off, the brilliant darts crackling angrily against the mobile frame's barrier shield. The mecha whiped around, its visor settling on Kotori's Mindy, which hovered over the buildings 3 kilometers away.

"I need that barrier down!" Kotori projected to the rest of the group. "I'll draw its attacks: you people pour as much firepower in it as you can: concentrate your fire on the visor on its head." When she had disabled the Ocelot's sensors, Kotori had a much easier time defeating it - she was hoping for a repeat performance.

- - -

With a firm shaking of his head, Tom acknowledged the orders."Yeah, well, at least she was nice enough to turn down the settings from extremely realistic damage to annoying numbing sensation. But still, this is a bit much, I agree."

Tom slumped against the wall. He sent a quick 'ok' signal to Nyton's armor as he watched around the corner. "Yeah, didn't I mention earlier that I hated combat?"

"She is a unkind person," Yukari said irritably, another bomb went off much closer, nearly 20 meters right in the middle of the street. Yukari and Tom kept their feet, but the idea of being "pinned down" was becoming much more real. "But you are in good company; I do not enjoy this either!"

"Mm-hm," Tom hummed in response. "Even simulated death and destruction makes me a bit too uncomfortable for my own tastes." He recalled some of the earlier moments of the simulation, how he had lost control of himself, and gritted his teeth, steaming a little under his helmet.

"Our disadvantages seem contrived," she said sourly. Another blast erupted across the street, sending a small, crumbling, vacant deli stand into flames and rubble. "And yet we are told to push on. Foolishness; we could better spend our time elsewhere."

Her stomach growled. She was really getting irritable now.

"Oh yeah? Doing what, ma'am? Our ship's not even built yet." Tom shielded his eyes from the small hail of debris that fell around them. "Not to be rude or anything, of course, but seems like we're in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation."

"Anything must be better than this!" Yukari's leg throbbed gently, reminding her she was "hit." She reached behind her head and removed the small CFWEP canister that was there. "I could be reading, studying the vessel, perhaps learning about these armors we are using now."

She undid the canister and removed the Type 28A NSP from it, setting it to heavy. She held her rifle in her right hand, the pistol in her left. She wanted the water of the package more. "I could be eating!"


"I guess now's a good time to tell you that I consider myself a pretty decent cook!" Tom smirked, trying to find a little humor in this seemingly humorless situation. "When we're done with this, I can whip you up something Raltean. Do you like meat?"

The only sound from Yukari's loudspeaker was the knashing of teeth. She sounded like a meat-eater.

The sound was quickly drowned out by blasts overhead, ripping their building to dust and bricks. "Currently, the taste of Nerimian would be delicious!"

Tom laughed at the remark, a dry, rough laughter born from an appreciation of her sarcasm. "Nerimian steaks it is then! Well-done!"

"We'll call it a dinner date then, ma'am?" Tom knew Yukari couldn't see the wink through his helmet, but whatever.

Yukari stopped dead and slowly looked at Tom. Her head cocked to the side just a little. Though Tom could not see it, her smile was wide and warm. "It would be a pleasure," she said, another blast shaking the ground. "You will forgive me for my dress?"

"Pssshhhh, we all look the same anyway, save for a multi-color assortment of panels." Tom's chuckle was audible over the speaker. "Besides, I totally dig women in uniform. Really a spicy change of pace from eskimo!"

Loud crashing and explosions sent Yukari away from the building, which was nearly destroyed. As Kotori's orders crossed over her mind, she sighed audibly. "Do not conjure any ideas," Yukari said with a resigned but positive tone. "Let us do what we can here first. I will pick you up?"

Tom, who had tripped on a patch of hollowed out concrete while retreating, fell on his face. "Why ma'am, you know I'm a graceful and well-natured gentleman."

He propped himself up to a knee with his plasma rifle. "No problem. Just come with an idea of what you'd like to eat."

He stood up, his arms extended out for Yukari to pick him up. "Ready to rock?"

Yukari giggled a little, and she picked him up in her arms. "Hai! Rouku outou, neh?"

"Rock out, ma'am. Rock out." He held his rifle up, aiming the entire time Yukari carried him to a sniping point. They flew below the roofline to a one-story building about 2.4 kilometers away from the Firehawk II. On the roof, they had a clear shot of the mechanical beast.

- - -

"AIES, don't fail me now," James muttered as he locked on to the Firehawk II, rising just above the rooftops. He hoped that their firepower would be enough to bring the shield down.

"In position and ready to fire!"

- - -

It all happen very fast for the young neko. The exultation of taking out the enemy, followed by the simulated pain of heated metal over skin. "Itai..." Masako moaned as she stabilized her suit from the initial attack just in time to witness its destruction at the hands of Kotori. "So...that's the power of the new Mindy," the warrant officer mumbled as she flew up til she was near her CO's armor.

She then followed Kotori until her CO was 3 kilometers away from the extraction point. Activating her active camouflage, the young neko floated down towards the maze of buildings as Kotori unleashed her volley of aether shots. "I'll go ahead to help them out, Ketsurui-Taii." she sent an encrypted telepathic message to Kotori before flying through the maze as fast as she could to get into an advantageous position.

I've got 10 missiles left, my LASR magazines are useless since I gave my rifle to Claymere-Juni, and my plasma rifle is currently recharging, Masako thought to herself as she sped off.

- - -

Nyton noted everyone's positions change and grit his teeth. It is all or nothing now. We kill this thing or it kills our chance of escape. he thought to himself. His face steeled tight in grim determination. "Alright, I'm moving into position now. I'll fire first to draw fire, James you unleash all your missles. If we're lucky that'll drop it is barrier. Freeman, you and Yukari find a vital point and strike it. Otherwise it is all up to our token Mindy." he radio'd to them. With that he sped around to flank the Firehawk, using the crashing debris, buildings, and noise as cover. After a few seconds he positioned himself on the right flank of the Firehawk, about a hundred meters away. He checked one last time to make sure the Firehawk wasn't pointed at him and target locked it with his eyes and AIES before he finally exposed his body and immediately fired with all three rounds from his SLAG. As soon as the last round was spent he tore off at high speed to duck behind another building away from where he had fired and opposite from James.

- - -

Seeing Nyton fire, James fired all of his eighteen missiles at the upper body of the frame, quickly dropping back down below the rooftops and speeding away. He wished his other arm was still functioning.

"I'm empty, taking evasive maneuvers."

- - -

"Looks like it is go time again!" Tom knelt by the edge of the roof's building, took aim at the enemy mech's head and fired his plasma rifle. He made sure to follow it up with another shot about one second later, to avoid overheating the rifle's barrel.

"Oh crap! Looks like James is in trouble."

He overheard James' comment on the radio and kept firing at the enemy mech, trying to buy his ally some time.

- - -

Yukari brought the rifle down to the building, let the bipod down on its lip, then zoomed in on the target, still a couple kilometers away. The muzzle velocity was set to max already. She waited calmly.

She watched calmly as each lance of energy streaked into the Firehawk II, weakening its shields. As soon as everyone had fired enough, she took better aim at the thing's visor, especially the glowing red dot behind it.

The gun went off. Again and again and again, Yukari fired at the red dot. All she had to do was blind it with a single round, and they would be unimpeded!

- - -

Missiles and grenades percuted against the mobile frame's shields as it stomped forward to engage them. Wreathed in flames and smoke, the barrier fizzled angrily as the combined attacks wore it down, allowing even lighter attacks from the LASRs count.

However, the Firehawk II wasn't just standing there taking hits. Seeing Nyton's Daisy, so far away from the rest of his companions, as being the unit responsible for the grenades, it turned on him with murderous intent and released a volley of twelve missiles.

"Ah!" Kotori gasped. Nyton was too far away and moving between buildings: her NSBs had no line of sight to shoot down the Firehawk's volley. Even as Nyton moved to elude the homing warheads behind cover, the missiles exploded against brick and mortar, the first few blasting through. Only three missiles actually got to the Nepleslians... but they were more than enough to destroy his piteously damaged Daisy.

"Kono...!" Gritting her teeth, Kotori flew ahead in her Mindy, redoubling her efforts to cripple the Mobile Frame. The Firehawk turned to meet the Mindy's charge with its pulse cannons, but Yukari's shots cracked against its visor, making the large mecha hesitate and shy away, lifting one forearm over the faceplate.

After a bright flash and a violent rocking from the simulation suit, everything went dark for Nyton Claymere except for the message "Armor Compromised, Pilot Dead". There was no sound other than his ragged breathing until the helmet display booted up in 'observation mode' so Nyton could be aware of how the battle was unfolding for the rest of the group.

- - -

Nyton had gasped and clenched up at the sudden darkness. The message that followed let him know that he had been removed from the battle and he relaxed the tension in his muscles. "No point in being tense when I'm dead." he sighed before he settled in to watch the rest of the action play out.

- - -

The young neko finally made it into position just to the right of the Firehawk II, still cloaked with in her active camouflage as Nyton's signal on her AIES vanished. Mentally, she knew it was a simulator, that the fellow warrant officer was still alive and probably just in his own armor sim watching them now. But emotionally, it was taking her was again back to the Mikomi. Of how she didn't try hard enough to save them...her crewmates. "Omae o korosu," she muttered towards the Firehawk II as she activated her thrusters and flew up and out of her hiding place. Deactivating her active camouflage, she unleashed all ten of her remaining missiles towards the visor of her enemy before raising her plasma rifle and firing a literal barrage of plasma at the same target.

- - -

Tom contained a shout of exclamation at the sudden obliteration of Nyton, but found himself unable to quell his blubbering disbelief.

Holy!!!!!

"D, d, did you just see that?! O, o, oh..." he said over his loudspeaker.

If he had seen a sight like this before his tribulations on the Mikomi, Tom would've been a complete wreck. Now, his hand only trembled a little as he continued firing his plasma rifle at the beast.

Luckilly, his AIES picked up on this and assisted the shaken Yamataian in his shots.

- - -

Nyton watched the Firehawk receive a barrage of fire while he stretched a bit. There was a hint of disappointment in the back of his mind at having died during a sim but he knew it was part of the risk he had gambled. If it hadn't blasted me, it would've blasted one of the others. Guess better me and not James since he was still carrying our casualty. he rationalized out. It seems like the gamble is paying out though. Now if that drop ship could just show up as soon as we secure the landing sight they should be alright.

As Nyton made himself comfortable in the sim chair he began to review events in his mind even as it was still being played out. He then remembered he did not know how things had occurred before his arrival. "Excuse me, is there any way I can review the battle events before I joined the simulation?" he called out to the sim regulating neko.

- - -

"Freeman-Hei, if you wish me to join you for dinner tonight, you must continue to focus," Yukari said calmly, but with some anger buried inside of it. She had seen the move Nyton had made, but it had taken her up to the moment of his "death" to understand the inherent purpose.

She kept her rifle on the target, but was searching for other targets -- a comm system, radar, targeting, anything that could hinder the thing's progress. Her left hand dropped from her rifle and pounded the ground; there was simply no target on the Firehawk II that seemed to stand out. She took aim at bits of its arm joint and fired at a slower pace, hoping to hit something, anything.

We are nearly out of time!

- - -

Even though the power armors were ragged and nearly depleted, the NDI mobile frame proved lacking against their furious, coordinated attacks. Kotori swooped low and made a pass under the Firehawk II's legs, slashing as she went. The damaged knee actuators forced the giant mecha to stagger forward both both arms going wide to the sides to recover its precarious balance.

That left its head bare. Yukari quickly changed her sights back to the visor as the Firehawk's pulse cannons turned on Masako and fired, cracking and shattering the protection, though the sensors and caemra were left undamaged.

Fortunately, Tom's AIES painted the target for him and the yamataian man's plasma rifle fired, his shot piecing cleanly past the broken visor - the plasma bolt crackled on impact and exploded, decapitating the mobile frame!

Masako's shot then struck in the upper torso where Kotori had softenerd it up before and, without sensors, the Firehawk II had no way to defend against the incoming mini-missiles. The small warheads pounded over the chestplate hard, breaching through and compromising one of the zero-point generators - an hideously powerful explosion ensued with the out of control aetheric reaction, leaving the Firehawk crashing to the side in a nearby building, most of its torso a wreck.

There was a secondary explosion as the remaining zero-point generator also went critical, destroying the rest of the mecha along with a good part of the buildings clustered around it being destroyed in the process.

As the area filled with dirt and smoke, Kotori spoke: "Someone see if Claymere-Juni is still alive - if so, help him. We have to move." An explosion from the diamondback hovertanks artillery fire rocked the area as if in emphasis to the Taii's words.

* * *

The face of the Juni handling the scenario appeared in Nyton's helmet. "I'll give you backlog feed from James Dige's unit." She said. "He's the one whom was consistantly in the thickest of the fighting until you came by."

- - -

"Thank you Juni. Appreciate it. Perhaps we could compare notes later." Nyton replied as the feed from James's Armor began to enter his helmet via another window. Nyton recorded everything as it played out to better understand just how the mission went awry. I wasn't too far off from my previous theory. In a sense Kotori even provided me with an answer to critical situations. We'll have to make sure we can keep a backup spacy armor for heavy firepower. I doubt Kotori can be our pilot but there has to be a way to reserve a pilot for this role. he thought as he adopted his thinking pose. I certainly hope I can get a chance to get everyone's feedback on this sim. It certainly has been a difficult one.

* * *

Leutre reached into his bag as he exited the shuttle, taking out a crumpled note. "Assigned to the... Miharoo? Meharu? Mihareew?" Leutre brought the paper up to his face as he inspected the text. Gazing over the orders for a moment, he let out a quiet sigh and quickly shoved them into his bag.

"Bleh, it doesn't matter. One of the benefits of being employed as gearhead is that all the important hierarchs are stationed up on that bridge of theirs. I, on the other hand, will be safe from their scrutinizing eyes among the bowels of the ship. I could call her 'Mildew' and run around in the nude, and so long as I keep the ship running they will be none the wiser."

Placing the paper back in his bag, he smiled to himself. "Ah, the precious innocence of a prototype ship. I'll enjoy ravaging her systems piece by piece! No meter of her will be left untouched by my cutting torch and plasma welder!" Leutre let out a giggle of delight at the thought. "I'll have those decks stained with reactor coolant, scorched with plasma burns, and irradiated with neutrons in no time. It'll be just like home!" Leutre began to make his way out of the docking bay. "Ah, home. I wonder how Dad is doing..."

"Let's see..." Leutre looked over his orders once again. "Report to the reception center for processing upon arrival. Report to the commander of the Miharu for launch time table. Report to the medical center for pre-launch examination and physical therapy. Report to the quartermaster for medication requisition. Report to the Miharu construction supervisor for..." He couldn't help but let out a tired sigh as his eyes scanned over the list, which continued further down the page. "Perhaps I should have applied for Nepleslian citizenship instead... but, no sense in wasting time with regret. Audentes fortuna iuvat; fortune favours the bold." With newfound resolve he nodded to himself and squared his shoulders for the grueling tasks ahead. "Right, well, on to reception first."

- - -

Passing through the air locks of the docking bay he found himself in a large reception area. Several desks sat against the far wall with the rest of the room filled with rows upon rows of seats. At the moment it was relatively quiet, save for several Yamataians and Nekovalkyrja conversing among themselves. Realizing there was no queue at the desks Leutre promptly made his way over to the nearest one.

- - -

"Ahem." Leutre cleared his throat, and the Neko looked up from her work console and smiled. "I've just come in from... erm, my designation is..." He hesitated as he looked over his papers once more, uncertain of proper procedure. "Well, here. You can probably make better sense of these than I." Without ceremony he dropped all of his papers onto the desk and gave her an apologetic smile.

- - -

The green haired black-suited nekoalkyrja clerk's smile turned into a frown as she picked up the papers Leutre had 'dumped' on her and her eyes scanned over them.

"Veressis-Hei, you are to head to the quarters your CO rented for you. Take the elevator there," She pointed into the busy airport-like complex to an elevator shaft on his far right. "Direct KAMI - this station's main computer - to lead you to the quarters of Ketsurui Kotori and it should bring you to the right level. Get outm walk up to your room, deposit your luggage there, and then seek out your commander's room: it should be somewhere nearby. Don't knock, she won't hear you. Use the door chime instead."

The neko handed back the papers to Leutre.

- - -

Accepting the papers Leutre gave her a nod and a smile, "It will be done." Slipping them back into his bag he turned and made his way into the elevator, which shut it is doors as soon as he had entered. He spotted a small monitor imbedded in the elevator wall, but could not see anything that looked like a control console. After searching the elevator for a few moments came to the realization there was no direct interface.

"I wonder..." Leutre cleared his throat and in a loud voice called out, "Entity KAMI, I request to be taken to the residence of Kotsu-- Erm, Ketsurui Kotori. Take me to Ketsurui Kotori at your soonest convenience. Make it so." He looked up expectantly at the roof of the elevator, hoping for some sort of acknowledgment.

- - -

The elevator hummed to life and swiftly brought Leutre to the requested floor. It smoothly came to a stop and slid its doors open, revealing a long corridor with a plush red carpet and several adjoining rooms.

- - -

"What a pleasant AI entity. Rather quiet, though," Leutre mused to himself as he made his way towards his designated room with the directions he had been given. "I'm surprised it hasn't gone mad. If I were a superintelligent non-corporeal entity, all I'd do is talk. Looking over data your entire life, knowing that you would continue to do so for until eternity's end-- Ah, here we are."

Entering the room, he let out a gasp. "Wow, a real bed! And look at the size of this room! On a starbase no less! I don't know if I should be horrified and the impractical use of space or impressed with this degree of luxury..." He mumbled to himself as he dropped his bag. Gazing over the inviting pillows, he quickly turned about face. Without hesitation he left the room afraid that he would give into his urges and proceed to jump on the bed.

Remembering KAMI had told him that Kotori wasn't in her quarters, he turned back towards the elevator and continued, "Ah, where was I? Ah, yes. Being non-corporeal, I would probably question my reality. I'm perfectly aware that the sense can be deceived, the eyes fooled," he stepped into the Elevator. "KAMI, could you take me to Kotori's housing unit?"

Leutre lowered his head in thought as the elevator began to move. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "Say, KAMI, how can we be sure our senses are not being deceived at any particular time, or even all the time? Do our lives gain or lose meaning based on our reactions to such solipsism?"

- - -

KAMI answered, "In sentient life, all sensory information is interpreted based on instinct and the memory of previous experience and the emotions it created. Because emotions are, similarly, based on socially contextual experiences and all memories of both emotions and sensory data are subject to possible misconception through ignorance or assumption, the entirety of all knowledge and actions by sentient life-forms is suspect. That is to say that their perceptions of the world are likely to contain falsehood; remember that all of the world around you is not the real world, but rather your interpretation of the data that your senses provide you. The only thing you can be truly certain without relying on your senses is that you are a thinking being."

"Meaning of one's life," it continued, "is not an easily defined or quantifiable quality; it is a matter of a opinion that varies according to each individual judging the person Perhaps your life's meaning to you might be enhanced by a more thourough investigation of philosophy. I have copies of the works of ancient philosophers that are directly related to your queries, if you care to read them."

- - -

"Thanks for the offer KAMI, but I have places to be and people to see." Leutre stepped out of the elevator scratching his head. "Did I just imagine that or did KAMI really... Nah, it couldn't be. I swear, there is something in this medication they're giving me. Either that, or I really was right about being deceived..."

Without warning Leutre broke into a quick stride down the hall, occasionally sparing a glance over his shoulder. After a few moments he found himself short of breath and slowed his pace. As he apporached his objective, he shook his head in disbelief at his paranoia and overactive imagination. "Maybe it is just culture shock. Yes, that has to be it."

As he reached the door, he remembered the instructions the receptionist had given him. Pressing the door chime he took a step back and waited.

After waiting a few minutes in silence he activated the door chime once more.

Still nothing.

"Could she be asleep or otherwise occupied? KAMI, is hierarch Kotori in her roo--" he paused for a moment, then spoke up once more, "Wait, I have a better idea. KAMI, locate the nearest high ranking hierarch assigned the Miharu roster. And give me directions to their location. Make it so."

- - -

"Suzuka-Chui is located at the Project Inoue simulator section." KAMI helpfully supplied and gave Leutre directions on an holographic panel as to how he could get there. He'd need to backtrack to the central section of the star fortress and look around there. Fortunately, following the map once there should make locating the place fairly easy.

- - -

After several minutes of wandering Leutre couldn't help but wonder if it was possible for Yamataian AIs to have sadistic senses of humour.

"Damn it all, KAMI! Show me that map again." The map appeared over a nearby holographic panel. "Last time you said to take a right at the second intersection past that storage room." Making his best attempt to commit the map to memory, he turned back down the hall and retraced his steps.

"Straight, straight, left. Straight, straight, left. Straight, straight, left," he chanted over and over as he made his way along the designated route. With renewed determination he followed the path until he finally reached the intersection. "I thought this intersection was supposed to connect directly to the hub!" Moving over to a nearby panel he called out once more, "KAMI. Map. Now." The image of the map appeared once more, with his location and an overlay of the station.

"Let's see... Just one right left to go? Good." Continuing down the hall he soon came to another intersection. "Now it was a left, right? Or was it just one right left?" Leutre let out a long sigh he rubbed his temples. "I'd better back and check that display," he was about to turn back when the sound of chatter caught his ear. Turning about face he was met by the gaping entrance to the central hub. "By Schrodinger's Cat, you have you be joking. If I didn't know better I'd think my whole life must be just one long divine comedy. Either that or Lady Luck herself is a sadist."

After entering the central hub it didn't take long to find a proper directory. Along the outer wall of the hub was an expanded map of the station, complete with it is subsections. "Hierarch Suzuka-Chui was supposed to be in the... Simulator room. What was the name again? Ah, Ioune." committing the section and route to memory, he began to make his way through the bowels of the station once more.

Making his way through the halls of the station, he mused to himself. "Inoue... Simulation room, eh? I wonder what that is. I suppose they're probably practising starship operations since their ship isn't ready yet." After a few minutes of walking he finally rounded a corner and came to a stop.

"Hopefully this is it... Ah, yes." He looked up at the sign. "The Project Inoue section. Now the simulation room should be, Fortuna strike me down if I'm wrong, over..." He continued down the hall making another turn "... here." Looking up at the doors before him, he couldn't help but smile. After muttering a quick prayer of thanks he fixed the collar of his uniform, and stood up straight. As he stepped forward the doors parted before him.

- - -

The reception area inside was bare, aside from a single desk along the far wall where a receptionist was sat. Hearing the doors parting she looked up from her desk at the new arrival. Leutre gave her a friendly smile and said, "I'm looking for... a..." Leutre furrowed his brow in thought. "Hmm... Oh bless my biotics, I forgot the name. I'm looking for a... an officer from the Miharu. You wouldn't happen to have one around here, would you?"

The brown-haired Nekovalkyrja eyed him, puzzled. "Biotics?" She blinked a moment and gave a shrug before she thumbed behind herself. "I have lots of Miharu crewmembers here on the verge of either finishing their combat scenario or dieing ignominously."

- - -

"Ah, how wonderful. Nothing sets the blood a-leaping and the passion a-flame like a good battle. And there's no better way to teach a rookie a lesson to like blasting him into stroganoff and curry, eh?" Leutre chuckled to himself and paused for a moment, then continued. "But I suppose I have no choice but to wait, though I certainly hope they aren't too long. Waiting is always a great tragedy, wouldn't you say?"

Sitting himself on the edge of her desk, he continued, "After all, we'll have the whole of eternity to idle once we shuffle off this mortal coil and we find a nice grave to rest in. No sense in wasting time while we're this side of the grave too, eh?" Leutre crossed his arms and leaned over the desk, giving her a judging look. But before she could reply he continued his rambling. "So, how's life aboard this great scrapheap you call a station? You know, speaking of struganoff and curry, before I departed for Scorpio I visited this small shop down on..."

- - -

The Juni sighed, feeling a tad miserable, and endured the Nepleslian's monologue. She felt sorry she couldn't add him to the simulation and leave him in a Daisy to distract the NDI opponents... but if she added him in, he'd only be there for three or four minutes before the scenario came to an end one way or another.

- - -

"And I said, 'it is not illegal if you aren't caught!'" Leutre slapped the desk and laughed at his poor attempt at a joke. Pausing a moment to catch his breath, he smiled "Ah, yes... Those were the days."

Suddenly standing up, he let out a large yawn and stretched. He turned towards the Juni and scratched the back of his head. "Mmm. Do excuse my boorishness, but I'm afraid spending the better part of a day in a cramped shuttle doesn't do well for one's state of mind. Lucky for both of us I brought a book along, neh?" He gave hey a wink and smiled. Sitting himself back down on the edge of the desk, he took a tattered black book out of his back pocket and began thumbing through the pages.

* * *

"Yatta!" Yukari shouted as she got up, holding her rifle. She quickly snapped it to her back again and picked up the Type 28A NSP she'd left near the edge of the building. "Freeman-Hei, quickly, we must get to the site and secure it!" Without waiting for an acknowledgment, she sweeped Tom into her arms and took off toward the rendevous point.

- - -

"Ok ma'am."

The destruction of the enemy unit calmed him down a little, but his trepidation returned when the two passed over the charred remains of Nyton's unit.

Yeah... I think I'm done with this.

"L, let's finish this."

- - -

Panting within her helmet, the young warrant officer couldn't help but feel embarassed over her silly emotions. This was just a simulation, there was absolutely no need for such emotions over the loss of one person. Especially when they were safe inside a simulator armor in the real world. Slowly floating towards the ground, she flew towards Nytons previous position to look for his armor.

Only, there was very little there. A piece of armor here, a piece of armor there, but nothing substantial. "I believe we can go, Ketsurui-Taii," Masako spoke to her CO. "All that's left of Nyton's Daisy are small pieces strewn across rubble," the young neko said as she flew up towards Kotori's Mindy. "Dige-Hei? Are you still able to move? I could carry Kamiyama-Hei if you are getting weary." she sent to the young man, though she couldn't exactly see him anywhere.

- - -

James settled gently next to the remains of Nyton's armor, wordlessly offering Morita's armor to Masako.

"I can make it the rest of the way."

Losing a man in a simulation was nothing new to him. In fact, looking at the rubble only filled him with a light sense of numbed sorrow and rage. Nyton had 'died' so that others might live. Always an admirable way to go.

"I'm going to gather as much as I can of Claymere-Juni's armor. He's leaving with us."

- - -

"Dige-Hei, we are on the battlefield. The living deserve more consideration than the dead." Kotori coolly replied. "If you want to honor Claymere-Juni-" she shot down the next flurry of missiles headed their way, "-then, you owe it to him to make it out of this conflict alive. Do not delay."

- - -

Handling Morita's unconcious form with care, Masako held her tongue as Kotori berated the young enlisted man. Assigning her tactical drones to continue anti-missile operations, the young neko turned towards the rendevous point. "Dige-Hei, I know you mean well, but please follow orders and head to the rendevous point," the warrant officer commanded as she sped towards their destination.

- - -

James shrugged and placed the pieces he had gathered back on the ground. He felt an arguement bubbling up, but he held it in check. This was not the time and it was not his place to debate ethics and morality on the battlefield.

"Aye-aye, ma'am."

He boosted after Masako, hoping that the rest of them would survive.

- - -

Yukari gently touched down in the parking lot, setting Tom down quickly before sweeping the area with her rifle and pistol.

"No sign of further hostilities present at the extraction point," she sent to Kotori. "I believe it is clear."

- - -

Tom surveyed the area as well, keeping his rifle in front of him.

"Not picking up anything. Hopefully, this time it is a good sign."

I really need to take a shower. I bet I stink like a pig in this thing.

- - -

"Good." Kotori's Mindy warily floated toward the extraction point: the artillery bombing was starting to lessen - there probably was a limit to how much ammo the Diamondback hovertanks could throw at them at such range.

The noose tightened about the group as they took a defensive position in the parking lot. Two Ocelot units had entered sensor range and were closing in fast. However, the Hoshi shed its active cloak, blurring into visibility just ten meters above the ground, one of its launch bay doors sliding open. In groups of one or two, the powered armors made their way into the ship.

The Ocelots didn't make it to effective weapon range before the Hoshi bounded up in the sky and stealthed from sight.

* * *

The view in their helmets went dark except for their armor diagram, system diagnostic and a "Mission Success" appearing in the middle. With a hiss the bulky simulation suits opened up, once again exposing them to the harsh chill of the room - a particularly biting chill to those whom were not Nekovalkyrja, as not only were they more susceptible to cold but also were drenched with sweat.

Two enlisted nekos were already there to pry a comatose Morita out of his simulation suit. Kotori, taking care to properly extract her long hair out of the suit she had occupied, gave the unconscious cook at frown as he was carried out, but her attention shifted to the Juni officer whom had arranged the simulation for them. The neko with the curly brown hair came in with a enlisted nepleslian following close behind.

The Juni gave Kotori a respectful nod and gestured to Leutre. "Taii, this is Leutre Veressis. He's apparently one of yours." She then pointed down the corridor. "If you would all please follow me, I have refreshments in our lounge as well as a debriefing of your performance waiting."

- - -

Shivering a little from the cold, Yukari gently floated from her simulation suit and touched the floor with her feet. Her hair was stringy from the sweat and her jumpsuit clung to her. Her eyes stung just a little. She had realized too late that she should have kept her guns outisde of the sim, for they had pressed into her thighs and hips. She felt bruised.

Not to mention her stomach, which growled loudly at the mention of refreshments. The sound made a healthy echo in the room. Despite her clammy skin her cheeks warmed some. "Gomen," she said quietly before following the Juni and Kotori slowly. Her brain seemed to be processing each step.

She didn't look at Nyton, not wanting to be reminded of his unfortunate luck. But she stole a glance at Tom. The new individual barely registered -- she needed food before she could be polite.

- - -

With a long drawn out sigh, the young warrant officer slowly removed her helmet and shook her shoulder-length, black hair out. She noticed a chill in the air, but didn't actually shiver until her armor opened up to allow the air to touch her body. Slowly pulling herself out of the simulator armor, she witness the unconcious Kamiyama Hei being carried off. She then looked over at Nyton, as if to see if she all that convincing that she had been in a simulator was all for nought.

Noticing a new enlisted man amoung them, she listened to the Juni's explaination quietly. "Greetings, Veressis-Hei," Masako said as she walked up to the new crewmate following the end of the Juni's explaination, her jumpsuit clinging to her lithe body as she bowed her head politely to him and began to follow the Taii's direction towards where the refreshments were. An empty feeling in her belly calling her to move forward.

- - -

"Just a moment. Just let me finish this page." Leutre quietly mumbled to himself as he followed the group. After a few moments he finally dog-earred the page and slipped the book back into his pocket. Finally looking up at the group, he smiled apologetically, "Ah, do forgive me. I was reading a fascinating recipe for how to brew intoxicating drinks out of cleaning chemicals."

Fixing his collar, he nodded to each of his companions. "So, nice to meet you, boss, comrades. I'm the new techhead straight from the Capital. Feel free to call me Leutre, or handsome. Either works for me. I do hope we get along well. Dried blood and brain matter is ever so hard to get out of the crevices of cutting tools and bolt drivers. In find bathing them in a light acid for an hour or so cleans and sterilizes the darn things for the most part. Makes good for removing finger prints and DNA samples as well." Leutre gave them a serious-looking glance, but quickly broke out in a wicked grin. "I'm just kidding! Well, not really, but yeah. Y'know? Going to be my first time on a Yamataian star ship. I don't want to black mark my record. Not yet, in any case. So let's be the best of friends! Though, I'm afraid I didn't catch your names. What're they again?"

- - -

Nyton cooly stepped out from his simulator and nodded to everyone as they looked at him. "That was an exciting clash there, don't you think? I got to continue watching the battle from an observation only point so I have to admit I was quite touched by everyone's concern at my passing." he said. "Just for the record though, if I should happen to die in a real world situation, please check to see if my head is intact. The memory recorder in my head would survive me so when I get ST'd into a new body I can pick up my memories up to before I died." Nyton said with a serious expression.

As the new crewmember made his own introduction Nyton decided not to ignore the attempts at pleasantries and turned to face Leutre. "I am Nito Juni Nyton Claymere. Good to have you joining our crew." Nyton quickly said before he faced the others. "Well, let's be sure to compare some notes during our debrief. This will go some ways to help in shaping our Armor wing."

- - -

James shuddered from the cold as he extracted himself from the simulation suit. Rubbing his eyes to ward off the suddenly too bright lights, he watched the officers move towards the refreshments before nodding to Leutre.

"Santô Hei James Dige. A pleasure to meet you, as long as you're not planning on using that book on us."

He rubbed the back of his head at the mention of debriefing. He was sure the senior members would have some things to say to them, especially about close-combat.

- - -

Tom quickly wriggled out of his sardine-can-fitting suit when it opened and immediately ran his hands through his hair, throwing bits of sweat behind him.

The coldness of the room struck his sweat-drenched body, his clothes clinging rather uncomfortably to him. The Yamataian didn't shiver so much as smile from the sensation.

"Whew! That'll wake you up!" Feels just like when I went swimming that one winter.

He took a moment to give a thumbs up to Yukari when she glanced at him. His lips mouthed "Mission accomplished."

Tom then turned his attention to the Nepleslian and his introduction speech. He grinned and chuckled, reminded of middle-school.

"Heya there, Leutre! The name's Tom Freeman! Call me Tom." His wave matched the cheer of his voice.

That emotion soured a little when he noticed two Nekos taking an unconcious Morita out of his suit. Hope he's ok.

He looked at the simulation suit and frowned a moment before following the group.

- - -

Yukari managed a small, shy smile Tom's way before being interrupted by Leutre's ... introduction.

She blinked. Pulling her datapad out of a damp pocket, she consulted Scorpio Base's KAMI before responding. The second after she read Leutre's species and history, only one word came to mind: Shimattaaaa ...

"Chui Suzuka Yukari," she said in a roughly polite tone, though not directly at the blond-haired man. And he was very tall too -- everyone was very tall, it seemed. Taller than her, at least. She did not expect him to bow; he seemed too busy talking.

Stop that, she scolded herself. He is a crewmate; if the Star Army trusts him to wear the uniform, he deserves your respect.

- - -

The Nekovalkyrja closest to the curly haired receptionist turned to eye Leutre with her golden eyes. "I am Ketsurui-Taii, the Miharu's commanding officer." She said, idly stroking a black lock of hair that fell in front of her shoulder. The Taii seemed to appraise the glib Leutre with disconcerting intensity.

- - -

Leutre paused for a moment and blinked, then reached into his pocket and withdrew another small book. "Hmm... Ah, here it is. Let's see... Introduce one's self, ask his or her name, ask about the weather... No, that isn't right... request for... no, that's not it. Where is it? When greeting an officer... Oh, right!"

Leutre quickly snapped his feet together, stood up straight, and made a crisp salute, "Santô Hei Leutre Veressis, reporting!" He froze in that stance for a few seconds before he took out his book once more. "Do forgive me, I hope I haven't forgotten anything else." He began to flip through the pages and scan the passages again, "I'm quite new to Yamataian culture. My few weeks in Yamatai have been spent in the accelerated education program at the academy, so I haven't had much of an opportunity to learn the culture and customs. Please let me know if I unintentionally offend you somehow. My Da always said there's really no point in needlessly offending anyone unless you're planning to kill them soon." He looked up from his book and gave the Taii a shrug. "Let me know if I miss anything else."

- - -

Kotori titled her head slightly to one side. He was trying; she felt like being charitable. "Star Army of Yamatai military courtesy dictates that nodding to other enlisted, bowing to warrant officers or grey paneled officers and giving a deep bow to white pannel officers would be what you have to do when you introduce yourself. Also, you should not interrupt conversations of superior officers and only a higher-ranking officer can end a conversation with you." She smiled. "You seem talkative, so, you'll have to watch yourself. Finally, red-paneled soldiers should speak only when addressed in presence of a white-paneled officer unless directed to."

The Taii placed one long fingered, nailless hand on the side of her hip. "I recommend you review the Military Code of the Star Army of Yamatai when you get the chance. Until then, you'll at least have to introduce yourself properly. Try again."

- - -

Yukari wasn't sure what to think. All she knew is that she was starving and slightly irritable. And while she could understand Kotori's actions, she could honestly say she did not care.

"Freeman-Hei," she sent via encrypted telepathy. "Follow me to the briefing room. I will not suffer 20 more seconds of this without nourishment."

- - -

Tom nodded to Yukari, his eyes lighting up at the mention of food.

He quietly took a couple of steps towards the Yamataian before he looked back to Kotori and Leutre.

I hope the Taii goes easy on him. Don't worry buddy, I was in your shoes one day!

With that thought, he silently followed Yukari, taking the utmost care to be unobtrusive to the others in the room.

- - -

The small lounge held couches ringing three of its walls, with the other wall leading to a snackbar on one side and a restroom on the other. There was a table layed out in the middle with cushioned fold-out chairs ringing it. The table itself was filled with plates bearing cold meats (from sliced ham to bite-size tuna), slices of bread, meatspread, varied cheeses (including a spreadable kind with nuts in it), sliced fruitcakes, fruit salad and an assortment of nuts (hazelnuts, cashews, pecans and peanuts). There were two large pitchers - one filled with orange juice and the other with clear water.

Disposable dishes and glasses were stacked on one corner of the snackbar along with a set of ustensils (fork, spoon, knife and chopsticks).

The curly haired Juni was sitting on one of the couches, reading over a pad and furiously tapping notes.

- - -

The Yamataian woman saw nothing but tuna as she came within visual range of the table. It danced before her eyes, did pirouettes atop the cruel Juni's head, frolicked toward a plate and lay there, waiting to be devoured.

"Oh my," she breathed, gravitating toward the snackbar for her proper utensils. Once she had them below her plate, she went to the table, sat and simply gazed at the tuna. She noticed there was also pepperoni -- she had tried that before and found it delicious; she would have to try it again. But not before tuna. Never before tuna.

She hadn't even paid attention to Tom, who she didn't see immediately after raising her head from the tuna. Magically, when she looked back down at her plate, it was already loaded with tuna, white cheese and some bread. She stopped her hand from pouring the orange juice.

My body is operating without my brain again, she thought. At least it has reason to. She waited for Tom to sit.

- - -

Tom had watched the hungry Yukari load up her plate, smiling the entire time.

"Healthy appetite for a healthy life," Tom recited from memory. "Like the animals of the land, so must we adequately nourish ourselves for the coming winter."

The Raltean adage, which Tom knew since childhood, overtook him with a moment of respectful silence as he filled his plate with an assortment of foods.

The Yamataian's movements were measured and elegant, his steps graceful, as if he were performing before an invisible audience. But at the same time, his relaxed smile remained. There was something important in this change of bearing, a near infinite importance being placed on something perhaps so trivial.

He took his plate and utensils and sat next to Yukari, the characteristic grin returning to his face.

And just like that, Tom was back.

"Pretty hungry, eh?"

- - -

Yukari was more than a little mesmorized by the sight of Tom and his movements, just to get food. She didn't understand ... but she giggled a little behind the side of her hand. She was glad to see him similing again. When he mentioned her plate, however, she became a little embarassed. "Ah, yes. I -- you see -- anou ... sa." Her brain had run out of energy to form sentences.

"Don't worry about it, just eat up." Tom picked up a bit of ham by hand and chewed it.

Yukari did just that -- she had chopsticks in her hand and began eating some of the tuna. The look on her face after only one bite was, in essence, like that of an orgasm. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so good about plain tuna.

"So, how's it taste?" Tom offered the statement only after some time had passed. He smirked at the expression on her face.

"Exquisite," Yukari said with a sigh. "Combat makes bad food taste much better."

Tom gaped at Yukari, her words surprising him deeply. "What do you mean bad? Wow. I think this stuff is fantastic!" He munched another piece of ham.

"This is very good," Yukari said quickly between bits of tuna. She helped some pepperoni to her plate. "But it is combat that makes it taste as heaven must." She smiled.

"Ah, well, uh, I'm not sure what heaven would taste like, or if it actually has a taste," Tom said, confused. "But yeah, it is good that we're done with the scenario."

"Mm," Yukari murmurred, trying some of the pepperoni. She blanched a little and gulped at her water, a small ribbon of it running down from her lips.

Tom chuckled. "You eat like a true Raltean man after a hard day's work is done." He nibbled a piece of cheese to follow his ham. "But please, do not choke, ma'am."

At that, Yukari had to hit her chest to make sure everything went down. "Yah," she said, barely. "I will slow down now!" Half the tuna from her plate was gone already.

Tom nodded and ate quickly, finishing his plate. "Great food. Now only if this briefing room had a shower, right there in the corner, I'd be set."

Yukari blushed a little. Though no one was looking their best at that moment, she still felt particularly unclean. "A shower would be nice," she said. "With very fragrant soap."

"Back at home, we didn't have too much hot water, for reasons I'm not entirely sure of," Tom said, stretching his arms in front of him. "I think it was a combination of the cold and the culture."

A world without hot water was a very hard world, Yukari thought. "How did you wash yourself?" Her eating had slowed, at least.

"Sometimes snow, sometimes cold water from the lakes," Tom said casually. "Although we did have hot water heaters, they took quite a bit of time to warm up in those temperatures."

"Snow ... " Yukari shivered. "I would rather wait for the heater."

"Snow is very beautiful and living in the cold becomes second nature once you get used to it," Tom said matter-of-factly. "But I don't blame you, ma'am."

"I am surprised there are not hot springs near where you lived ... I remember being told about hot springs in the mountains." For the life of her, Yukari couldn't quite recall where. Odd little trace memories were lost when she converted to a Yamataian body.

"Oh, there probably are, but who wants to go out that far into the hills? We're perfectly happy where we are." Tom yawned a bit, the adrenaline from the simulation having run out of his body. He kept silent.

"Ah. Sou." Yukari drank from her water cup and remained silent for a moment. But when she looked back at Tom, he was still looking at the wall. "Freeman-Hei? Are you well?"

"Hm?" Tom glanced at Yukari. "Oh. Yes, I'm fine."

"You were thinking about something?"

"Ah, yes. I was just thinking about home again." Tom said. "Surprising what little things you see that can make you feel a bit homesick."

Yukari smiled a little. "You miss home so much?"

"it is strange, really," Tom sighed. "A few years ago, I couldn't wait to get out of that place. It felt like an ice prison sometimes, how everyone seemed so attached to tradition."

He shook his head sadly. "So I left and had a blast of a time in the cities of Yamatai. Endless nights of dancing and fun with people I'd never meet again. I loved it." He stared off once more to a spot on the wall. "But now I realize how much I took for granted the simple life. I should have appreciated it more."

"You will see it again," Yukari said simply. She suddenly seemed to be staring too, though it was down at her clammy, gloved hands. "I am sure of it."

"Back on Ralt, we didn't have to think about such deep things as war," Tom whispered as his head tilted down to face his lap. His hands gripped his empty plate tightly. "I don't much like it, ma'am." He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't think... I don't think... that I'd much like..." He couldn't finish.

Yukari was a bit surprised by the telepathy coming from Tom. She flicked her glance to his grey eyes, but when she saw there were tears in them, she felt trapped by them. She had never seen a man cry before, but she knew it was not from pain. " ... Tom ... " she sent along her encrypted channel. "It will be well ... I promise you. We will protect each other ... "

Tom blinked back the tears with a nod. "I hope I have the strength next time..."

"Haha, why am I being so silly?" Tom forced a smile. "Everything will be fine, right?"

Yukari's serious look hadn't changed. "Hai," she said, completely sure. "It will."

- - -

James had excused himself from the congregation and wandered to the corner, pausing only briefly to regard Tom and Yukari before piling his plate high with meats and pouring himself a cup of orange juice. He felt famished, although he was sure it hadn't been that long since they had eaten breakfast.

Popping a chunk of ham into his mouth, he sat down next to Tom.

"How long were we in there? I always lose track of time when I go into a battle."

- - -

Nyton's stomach had definately begun to roar at the prospect of food. Simulated warfare and dying had given him an appetite and he approached the table. His goal lay in sight and he immediately began filling his plate. In the spirit of experimentation Nyton then began to apply the cheese spread to the meat slices and then wrap the meat around the tuna before placing it on some bread. He then did the same with the meat spread on some cheese and meat slices. Nyton didn't stop until he at least had a variety of experiments using the different types of meat and cheese combinations. He then poured himself some orange juice and without realizing it himself, took a long swallow from the glass before he stopped. The word 'thirsty' had escaped his lips in a low gasp which was inaudible except to anyone who stood next to him when he had done so. He refilled the glass and then proceeded to walk over to Tom, James and Yukari.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's hungry here." Nyton said with a glance to Yukari's tuna laden dish and James's meat flowing dish. "By the way Tom, I must say that pre-meal ritual dance you did was intriguing." he remarked offhand. When he heard James question Nyton thought for a moment. "I would say we'd been there for about forty five minutes. Then again I was held up with Kotori Taii for some time before I joined you so my estimate may be off."

- - -

Leutre took his time looking over the different foods, carefully poking and prodding each before adding a sample to his plate. Slowly but surely he made his way around the table until his plate contained a sample of everything offered. Even small gobs of sandwich spreads were scattered along the outer edges of his plate. Carefully balancing the dish with one hand and picking up a handful of utensils with the other he made his way over to his companions with small steps.

"I hope everything in here is properly dead," Leutre mumbled as he sniffed one of the meats on his plate. "I still have nightmares about the last time I ate fresh meat." He let out an involuntarily shudder, but quickly shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Turning his attention back to his plate, he began to idly poke away at his food as he listened to the conversation around him.

- - -

"Oh, hello guys," Tom said as the newcomers came around him. "I'm not sure exactly how long we were in there. It sure felt like a long time."

Tom tilted his head to Nyton.

"Pre-meal ritual dance? Huh?" It took him a few seconds to register the comment. "OHHHHHH! Yes. It is common in Ralt to demonstrate respect for a meal before you eat it. We do this usually for dinner and buffet-style feasts, as a presence of so much food was, and still is to some extent, quite rare. it is just one of those things that remained with me since childhood, like saying something when a person sneezes."

He went to the table to pour himself a water.

"What did you think of the simulation? How do you all think we did in there?"

- - -

"Well, I could accomodate you people on that level." The curly haired Juni, nicknamed 'the cruel Juni' by Yukari, said, looking up. "As soon as we have ev-" She paused as she saw Kotori walked in after Leutre. "Uh ho." The brunette said, feeling tension in the room all of a sudden.

The smaller long-haired Nekovalkyrja poked the Nepleslian behind the shoulder. "Veressis-Hei, you did not do as I asked." Kotori coolly pointed out.

- - -

"Eh? Oh. I thought... Oh dear. Well, you see, all you Nekovalkyrja look the same to me. Heh, heh." Leutre's nervous laughter faded as he shrunk under her glare. "Please don't report me, I'm already on a probationary trial! One step across the line and they'll revoke my citizenship and my medical treatments!"

Leutre sank to his knees and grasped her hands. "I'll be deported! I'll be forced to join the Nepleslian army to support the cost of my treatments, where I'll die a few years from now on some mudhole of a planet! Or be forced into a life of crime smuggling to support not only my treatments but a recreational drug addiction that I would eventually obtain from a visit to a pirate starbase after a night with two beautiful slave girls! You wouldn't condemn someone to a harsh life for such a minor infraction, would you?" He looked up at her pleadingly, awaiting an answer.

- - -

Tom had to struggle to contain a laugh. He just BARELY did, but he rocked back and forth a little, silently, before bringing a hand up to his face to recompose himself.

- - -

Kotori blinked incredulously. "I just wanted you to give me and any other officer you greet a polite bow, that's all." Kotori looked at the assembled people sitting about self-consciously and then frowned at Leutre. "Get down and do thirty push ups for me and you'll be considered forgiven... as long as you get the military courtesies straightened up for tomorrow morning."

- - -

James tried to focus on his food.

Tough X.O. we've got, it seems, he mused, picking a slice of meat at random and popping it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Ah well, i guess it is to be expected. Poor guy.

He swallowed it down with a sip from his cup and stretched his neck.

"Well, as far as the simulation went, I think we all had our moments of...lack of judgement, for lack of a better term."

- - -

Yukari was quietly nibbling on some cheese, not paying too much attention to the conversations around her. She seemed lost in thought, though she noticed Kotori and her struggle with the new recruit. There was little to say about the matter, so she avoided it and continued nibbling. She had less to say about armors than ettiquette anyway.

- - -

"I have a fair amount to say regarding the sim run." Nyton said inbetween bites. He watched as Leutre flustered about regarding his deportation to Nepleslia and shook his head. New recruits. he mentally sighed. "Our squad tactics need much more improvement. We only managed to pull it off on that last Armor. There was also the occasional disregard of orders that some of us showed. Plus our lack of knowledge regarding the capability of the NDI Armor was against us. There wasn't even much of a mission statement at the onset either. We were only lucky that Yukari got a hold of that ship to initiate an evac. Next time we need to have a preplanned means of movement and escape." he said flatly. I will definitely be studying the NDI weapons a lot closer after this. he thought.

Nyton then paused and finished eating another combo creation he had made with turkey, pepper jack, and cheese spread on a slice of bread before he continued. "On the other hand we did learn a lot about the abilities and limitations of the Daisy and Harpy models. We also learned the importance of keeping a reserve Armor for backup such as with Kotori Taii's entrance with her Mindy. You all managed to keep fighting despite the odds going against us and with a little more training I would say we could improve our chances considerably." he finished. Another bite from another combo made him pause a second. "Anyways that's just my initial outlook. Why don't we let the Juni get started on our debrief so we don't hold her up any longer."

- - -

As everyone quickly piled food upon their plates and sat down, Masako took her time going through the table. Taking a little bit here and there, seeming to balance out the types of food on her plate. Only she was piling on quite a lot even while balancing it out. The mixture of meat, cheeses, and fruit seemed to reach nearly four inches in height when she finally left the table, glancing at the scene being created by both her CO and the new recruit. She took only mild interest, mostly taking note to be sure to keep an eye on the young Santô Hei of the crew. If it came down to it, she personally may have to teach them proper manners just so that the officers wouldn't have to bother with punishing the enlisted for trivial things.

"Excuse me," the young neko spoke up as she bowed to her crewmates sitting down before sitting down beside Nyton. She had heard a bit of what the other Juni of the Miharu crew had spoken of and nodded slightly in agreement as she began to slowly eat what she had gathered.

- - -

"What? Really?" Leutre looked up at Ketsurui and broke out in a grin. "Fantastic! I'll pick up a proper copy of the manual next chance I get. I'd hug you in appreciation, but you look like the kind of person who'd probably break my arm for that."

He stood up and brushed his uniform off, then smiled. "it is nice to know that not all you officers are soulless bureaucratic swine whose mothers--" Realizing what he was saying, he quickly stopped. Lowering his head he said, "Erm, I actually meant to say that I will start those push ups now. All thirty," he let out a quiet sigh, "I suppose I'd better make it forty of them."

Dropping back down to his knees he slowly began his push ups. "One... Two..."

- - -

Nyton nodded at Masako as she took her seat. Another combination had been consumed and he proceeded to start on another. He then looked over at Leutre and was barely able to hide his expression as he rolled his cybernetic eyes at the man doing push ups. "This one looks to be a troublesome spot now, don't he?" he muttered quietly to himself.

- - -

Most nekos wouldn't have minded the 'mother' part Leutre mentioned, but Kotori happened to have been born a youngling instead of having come out of a hemosynthetic tank: she had a mother. She made a slightly irritated huff and grabbed a chair, unfolding it with a small kick before turning to sit on it. She spared the table a glance, but the absence of both riceballs and tuna (which had been entirely eaten by then) made her look away in disinterest. Her eyes met the brunette's and she gave her the 'go ahead'.

The curly haired Juni nodded and looked to the rest of the group. "Your simulated battle was a team deathmatch against a superior force. The set was an alternate version of Funky City under hypothetical NDI occupation which had been pacified by a nuke. Your units were set down and given a warm up period to defeat a trio of Setsuna power armors. Once this was done, a full platoon of NDI units was spread out in the city and it began sweeping the area. Aries group made contact with your units and combat was joined."

The Juni looked back to Kotori for a second. The Taii nodded and the brunette continued: "The scenario was a battle of attrition. You were supposed to fight and defeat as many units as possible. I told your XO that there was no backup... but when the first mobile frame showed up, she sent an emergency communication out. Your commanding officer asked me to make the scenario as harsh as possible, but I figured there would have had been some unit which would have, in theory, dropped your group in the mission zone. After contacting Ketsurui-Taii, we judged the Kansashi-class dropship Hoshi would still be in orbit."

The neko grabbed a glass of water resting on a small table next to her couch, took a swallow and set it down. "Due to the possible artillery fire the Diamondback hovertanks could send, the Hoshi was in ill position to come and provide support with its armament. - it could ill afford to reveal its position, since the NDI could have had hypothetically ships nearby as well. The ship stealthily creeped down to your assigned extraction point, but sent out a Mindy power armor to assist against the Mobile Frames you would have had a hard time outrunning." She daintily crossed one leg over the other. "With only one casuality, you made it to the extraction point and succeeded a scenario your commanding officer intended to have you all fight to the last soldier."

"I always felt making training harsher than reality would be was the best preparation for the real thing." Kotori added.

The Juni smiled. "I think it helped their morale that you allowed them a way to win, Taii. The battlefield isn't just about killing." Not wanting to give the discussion more of a grim turn, the Juni gave a small shrug. "I can start giving each of one a review, but I'd appreciate it if each of you-" she looked at Leutre, whom had just finished his push ups, "-well, those of you whom were there... you used the M5-1A Harpy, the M6-1A Daisy and the M2-2A Mindy. I would appreciate if you could give some feedback on the units themselves, any critiques about how they performed that I could return to our R&D team."

- - -

Yukari leaned forward a little, looked at Nyton, then at the Juni. Her look was rather blank.

"The Harpy should be used as a stealth unit only. It is a poor fighter. Its armor is too weak, its weapons limited and flight capability too slow. It should have inertial redirection instead of a simple gravity unit, and should be limited to Neko only. In enemy territory, Yamataians might lack the endurance to maintain battle readiness."

She took a moment, then continued. "The armor is useful for its designed purpose. Some improvements could be made. But the armor is most important -- should it be faced with direct combat, the Harpy will lose."

She looked down a little. "In my defense, the communication was a feint, to stress the pilot of the Ocelot-class armor."

With that, she stopped and pushed her plate of tuna to Kotori, having seen she was not eating. "Gomen," she sent to her CO weakly.

- - -

Kotori made a small happy sound and began picking bits and pieces of the tuna to nibble on.

- - -

As the details of the simulation were presented to the group, Tom crossed one leg over the other and listened closely to every detail. At the mention of attrition, his brow furrowed.

So it was meant to be that hard in the first place. Hmph.

Tom wasn't appreciative of that, even with Kotori's justification, but the Yamataian would never question his commanding officer's experience in these matters.

He pushed those emotions out of the way to answer the Juni's question.

"Well, I can only speak from my perspective, but I thought the Daisy to be rather efficient at what it does. It has a solid missile payload and the plasma rifle can do damage when needed. I do wish that the LASR grenade launcher had more space for rounds in it, though, as that seemed to be a particularly effective weapon for me."

Tom rubbed his hand on his chin.

"Also, I really like the AIES. It helps a TON. I suppose my only complaint is how helpless the thing feels once its grav system is severely damaged. There needs to be some kind of backup maneuvering system, because, without it, the Daisy is a sitting duck, and an enemy will likely pick up on that."

The Yamataian shrugged. "But, eh, I'm just speaking from my point of view. I'm sure Nyton or Masako would have a much more realistic perspective on things."

- - -

The neko with the brown curls grinned as she typed down Yukari's and Tom's comments. "The Sylph 1A is being phased out in favor of a new M4-2A configuration for NH-12s, so, I think they'll have some andrium plating handy to give the Harpy. There's also word that they might try to get the Daisy's fusion pack compatible with the Harpy for the increased speed. As for you," The Juni looked to Tom, "The Daisy actually has a backup gravimetric engine that was at your disposal. Furthermore, we do have six round SLAG grenade packs... all you really need to do is talk to the officers dealing with the ship logistic and ask for some equipment to be around and you should be able to have access to that."

- - -

"Freeman-Hei is correct when he stated that the Daisy is an effective ground armor," the young warrant officer spoke up. "I would say it is a well-rounded piece of equipment both in durability and velocity as well as having a large array of armanent it is able to carry," the raven-haired neko continued.

"Personally though, I would rather pilot a Mindy but I would gladly pilot a Daisy if the need arose." Masako finished as she went back to eating her ever diminishing pile of food.

- - -

"... And, ugh, 40." Leutre sat up and moved into a cross legged position on the floor. Pausing in rest for a moment, he looked up at the others as the spoke among themselves. I really have to learn to keep my mouth shut. Dad was right, I'm probably going to end up getting shot some day because of my blunt manners.

Standing up, he silently reached for his plate and began inspecting his food once more. He carefully listened to the conversation as he picked at his plate. 'They must be talking about that simulation they were in. Thank goodness! If I can't join the conversation, theres no reason for me to open my mouth. No reason to speak means no unwittingly offending anyone! Mmm, this one looks good.'

Stabbing a piece of ham with his knife, he brought it to his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. 'Perhaps I should have spent less time studying quantum theory and more time learning Yamataian culture.'

- - -

Nyton waited to hear the other's remarks before he finally spoke his opinions on the hardware. After Masako was done he closed his eyes before he set his plate on the table. He assumed his thinking pose and settled in.

"The Daisy I feel has excellent handling. Regardless of not being able to use the SPINE system, I did not sense any slowdown. The defensive systems certainly functioned well and I believe they kept all of us very much alive throughout the battle. The weapons payload 'seemed' to be adequate. With the proper coordination we were able to destroy heavily armored opponents quite easily. Even fortified positions could be overtaken with the missile and grenade launchers. The AIES is a superior tactical system then even the SLICS. I felt a lot more aware of the battle space then with previous systems. Again this is a very good ground combat Armor."

Nyton then paused and inhaled a little before he continued.

"Despite what I said about the weapon payload, performance wise I felt that the LASR weapon, while broadened in capability thanks to the SLAG system, is too weak to be of consistent use. The SLAG may serve better being attached to the plasma rifle. Also the lack of melee weapons leaves this Armor exposed in close quarters. The hand to hand durability is something of a liability. Maybe replace the LASR with a melee weapon of some sort or build one into the hands to reduce carrying load. The missile launchers leave you somewhat exposed. The signature of the incoming missles can be easily tracked and if you're fighting something big enough to require missles to take down then we may already be in over our heads. Not a bad holdoff weapon but we can't go toe to toe with enemies that large for very long. This Armor almost necessitates some kind of heavy support from either a drop ship or a reserve space Armor of some kind."

Nyton finally released his positiion and eased down again. He reached for the last combination he had on his plate and began to consume it. Mmm. Pepperoni and pepperjack cheese. Delicious.

- - -

Kotori grinned. "The Mindy I piloted almost seemed custom-made for me. There was a lot I liked in its configuration."

"The Mindy II was made to fill for both the Mindy and Kylie roles; not only can a roughly neko-sized yamataian now fit inside and pilot it, but it has swappable hardpoints that can mount different arrays of weaponry. Yours was set to the most common configuration which is meant as a balanced anti-armor package."

The Taii nodded. She shared a look with Masako and Yukari before saying: "It was really nice. Are they simulation-only, or are there a few suits already made?"

"Enough models to afford dropping a handful in your armor bay." The Juni replied, figuring that was what Kotori was really after. "Well, now..."

The Project Inoue receptionist glanced over to James to see if the geshrin wanted to add something, but the man was buying himself with food. Not wanting to disturb someone intent on eating and pretty content with the feedback she obtained so far. She scrolled down the information on the database.

"Suzuka Yukari-Chui," she began reciting. "Piloting Ke-M5-1A Harpy. Third best performance in the group. Good awareness of the combat environment and situation, impressive accuracy with ranged weapons and excellent leadership skills while under pressure. Aside from a post-traumatic panic attack, being prone to being very verbose with Tom Freeman in a combat situation and piloting a scout-type armor, you were pivotal in cementing the teamwork of your group and harnessing their talents to have all of you survive." The neko looked at Yuka in the eyes. "You might be more comfortable in support roles, but I think you are better than you'd like to think. I'd have liked to see how you would have had handled yourself in the Daisy."

"Nitô Hei Kamiyama Morita," she continued. "Piloting Ke-M6-1A Daisy. Difficulty in interfacing with a power armor, mostly due to ignorance of how they operate in the first place. Significant lack of common sense on the level of using the right tool for the right job. Very reckless and lack of staying power to the point of fainting inside a simulator run and not waking up until its conclusion, more than thirty minutes later." She scowled at Kotori. "Whom was this guy?"

"He mentioned he skipped tactical training, but that he was fair at hand-to-hand."

The Juni grunted. "I'd recommend he skip this assignment and get back to train for at least one more year. As he is, he's not only a danger to himself but also to the rest of the people whom have to cover for him when he shows he's not to be counted on."

Kotori gave a slight nod in return.

"Jôtô Hei Tom Freeman," she continued. "Piloting Ke-M6-1A Daisy. Fair combat skill - with probably a good potential to get better due to his next positive trait: he is a very good team player. Marked synergy with Suzuka-Chui, at the price of often being too verbose on the comm channel for his own good in a stiff combat situation. Strained combat situations shows that he is liable to act on his own disregarding orders of his superiors to try to be chivalric - in conditions where going kamikaze would have had doubtfully beneficial results." The Juni looked at Tom. "My advice: concentrate on staying alive, keeping your friends alive and trying to act in concert with them."

"Santô Hei James Dige," she moved on. "Piloting Ke-M6-1A Daisy. Overall best fighting performance of the group. Displays good reaction and judgement, very willing to act in concert and very dependable under pressure. Quickly responded to the needs of his group, from holding a stand off with 3 NDI armors to helping teammates escape. Daring, but not recklessly so." She gave a smile to James, whom was wided eyed at the praised.

"Nitô Juni Nyton Claymere, Piloting Ke-M6-1A Daisy. Good fighting capabilities and judgement: offing that Phalanx quickly with a full missile spread was somewhat wasteful, but it quickly got rid of what could have been a very potent threat. Was a marked figure of authority and was good at reminding the group of what they needed to do: get to the extraction point. However, not intuitive and responsive enough to have them act effectively as a team, unlike Suzuka-Chui." She gave Nyton a frown. "I suspect you suffer from a slight case of god complex: the belief that you can't die on the battlefield and that you'll succeed at everything you'll try to do. Overconfidence can be deadly in battle, especially when you walked your crippled Daisy two kilometers ahead of the rest of the group to allow yourself to be singled out and destroyed by a mobile frame. I suggest to rely more on your teammates. You really didn't have to die."

"Santô Juni Kurohoshi Masako, Piloting Ke-M6-1A Daisy." The brunette looked over to the Miharu's younger Juni. "Decent fighting skills, good ability to interact/coordinate with a group and to crisply follow orders. I noticed you adapted to the Daisy very well even though it was pretty obvious that you would have prefered a Mindy: this actually speaks well of you, for it shows that you are capable of being very efficient even with limited gear. More importantly, you did the non-glamorous job of helping your crippled and fallen teammates get out of the combat zone alive and well... not to mention it kept you in good enough condition to assist against the Phalanxes and the Firehawk II later on when the others were battered." The Juni shook her datapad Masako's way. "You care for your friends, that's why you rank as a close second to James Dige, whom had been here for all the simulation."

"I'm not in the top three?" Kotori giggled.

"You piloted a Mindy: that was essentially cheating." The Juni rebuked, drawing a chuckle from Kotori. "However, you might want to be a little less triggerhappy on your countermeasures. If you have kept one or two anti-wormhole missiles, that last Firehawk might have been beaten more easily, possibly preserving Claymere-Juni's life."

The Juni appraised the Miharu's crew and then offered to answer any questions or comments they might have.

- - -

Masako couldn't help but blink in surprise at the Juni's observations and review of her performance. Of all the things anyone had said to her, that review was probably the most flattering thing she had ever heard....except for the time another enlisted man had tried to hit on her. Being ranked second on the whole exercise and singling her out just made a light pinkish tone creep up on her cheeks. To be honest, she had been so worried about being seen/feeling useless that she just reacted on her feelings and instinct for the most part. And the part about caring for her friends also hit her hard. She had barely spoken to anyone here other than Kotori, could they really consider her to be their friend? Maybe the reason she cared enough to save them was because she felt guilty for not being able to socialize with her previous crews well enough.

A little embarassed about the whole thing, Masako continued to eat her food. Only to notice that the next bite was her last bit. Looking around at her crewmates, she focused onto Yukari and James. She was quite impressed that the Santô Hei had distinguished himself in the simulator. Not only was it quite impressive for what she believed to be his first assignment, but he handled himself well in a damaged armor as well. To think, she actually had to come to the rescue for him. Though...she did have a habit of doing that it seemed. Still not knowing whether or not to socialize with her crewmates yet, the young, raven-haired neko kept her silence.

- - -

Yukari didn't know what to say. She had only done what had seemed necessary. She could not help but smile a little at Tom.

"I believe next time, I will prefer the Daisy," Yukari said outloud toward the Juni. She still felt the Juni was a bit cruel ... but she had to do her job. Yukari could relate, in that sense.

"The LASR system ... it seemed insufficient for any task beyond medium power armor, even at maximum velocity. But the plasma rifle ... is rather large. Is there an inbetween weapon?"

- - -

Tom blinked a few times, stretching in his seat as he listened to the performance report.

When it was completed, he spoke up.

"Eheh, in my defense, I wasn't intending to die a chivalric death," he said. "But I do see what you mean there. I'd have probably been kablammoed there for sure. And yeah, you nailed me there on the whole chatter-box thing. I find it keeps me calm."

He shrugged with a smile.

"I just hope that we don't have an opportunity to put our lives on the line like that. I'd like our journey to be as peaceful as possible."

He looked at everyone in the room, taking care to make eye contact with each person. He returned Yukari's smile.

"But, should the need arise, I will do my best to support you all. Let's all do our best."

After giving the trademark goofy thumbs up with the toothy grin, he nodded to Kotori.

"Thanks for your help, ma'am. You saved Yukari, Nyton and I, probably all of us. With your permission, ma'am, could I speak with you briefly after the debriefing?"

- - -

"Don't mention it." Kotori stood up and addressed her crew. "You all have the rest of the day off: I believe that was enough excitement for one day. If any of you need anything, come to Suzuka-Chui is you need any assistance; she is my executive officer, after all."

The neko refrained from sighing: she really wanted to catch up on yamataian law, but Tom's request reminded her that she still had a few matters to attend to. "Freeman-Hei, please drop by my quarters by 1500 hours. Suzuka-Chui, I would like you to come by at 1600 hours. I have things to discuss with the both of you."

Kotori thanked the Juni for her time and bade the rest of them a good night - she would see them again the next morning.

- - -

James swallowed the last of his food and grinned, rubbing the back of his head in obvious sheepishness at the attention he was getting..

Aaah, I never was good with praise. I don't see how the Juni rated me so well.

"Well, I certainly think that we all learned a bit about each other while we were in there. I, for one, am honored to have fought with you all."

Standing up, he bowed to Kotori as she left and turned to face the rest of the crew.

"So, anyone up for exploring? I'm interested in finding the gym and squeezing in a little bit of a workout. I'm stuffed!"

- - -

"Ooh, invited to her personal quarters. Sounds like you too are in for a scolding." He couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, no worries mates. If it makes you feel any better, they kicked me out of the armour training program before I could even earn certification."

He put down his fork and let out a quiet sigh. "Apparently, 'I was bored' is not a legitimate excuse for anything done with a beam rifle or high explosive ordnance. After that little incident they wouldn't certify me for anything even remotely dangerous."

Leutre picked up his knife and began scratching at the table. Glancing up at James he continued, "But back on topic, I think he's right. Some recreation sounds like a grand plan, and I'm sure some of you could use a distraction after your apparently horrendous performance in the simulator. I'm game with... erm, it is Dirge, right?"

- - -

Tom bowed deeply to Kotori as she left.

"Yes, ma'am."

After the door closed behind Kotori, Tom turned to face Leutre and his words.

"Leutre, I trust your judgement of the captain's character completely, considering both your charming personality and ability to deliver a proper greeting earned you 40 pushups," Tom retorted sarcastically, a witty smirk marked on his face. "And who said we did horrible? We survived a mission programmed to destroy us all. Weren't you paying attention?"

He shook his head at the offer.

"But seriously, I'll have to catch up later with ya'll. I really need to bathe and change clothes right now."

- - -

Yukari stood and bowed as Kotori left, then looked about the room. Everyone seemed engaged.

She took the opportunity to slip out of the room as well and (with some help from a KAMI map) made her way to her temporary quarters. They were quite sparse, but at least her things had been delivered there with care, laying on the small couch next to the cutout portal in the wall she could tell led to the bathroom.

Bathroom. That's what mattered right now. She snapped up her keyboard from the couch and dashed into the bathroom. The perks of being an officer finally seemed to pay off -- her bathroom was at least twice the size of a normal hotel bathroom. It was almost as big as the one at home. But this one was full of sterile plastic-lined walls and off-white ceramic tile embedded in plastic grout. Not exactly elegant, but Yukari hardly paid it any notice.

Her boots were uncerimoniously tossed off of her feet. Next, her heavy pistol belt, with the GSP and subcompact NSP hanging from a small rack by the door. She unzipped the front of the bodysuit hurriedly, realizing she still had Sakura patches on it. The clammy stockings were peeled off one after another; Yukari swore then and there to avoid the top stocking as it clung to her. She was sure she could find a dress uniform somewhere. Once her underwear and bra were added to the pile, she unfolded her keyboard and made it play a easy tune for her to relax to in the plastic-lined shower.

Ooooooooh ... Warm water. Yukari undid her ponytail and let out a long, thoroughly pleasant sigh. Her skin turned a slight pink as she just stood in front of the showerhead, for once not thinking of anything. The tune in the background was one she knew a little, but she hadn't practiced singing it yet.

There'd be time later. She still had a performance to give at some point, if Kotori was to be taken seriously. Right now, the sweat was melting off of her and everything else was entirely secondary. She reached under the showerhead for the standard-issue fragrant soap and began to wash herself slowly, letting the fragrance permeate her. After all, she had a date tonight.

Ack. She realized her not-so-sudden problem -- date. She had a date. I am going to have a date. I am sure I have not had one before. What did one do to prepare for a date? Was she supposed to dress up? She'd not brought that many clothes with her, and only one yukata. Dressing up didn't seem appropriate anyway -- surely he wasn't going to. She liked him in uniform anyway; the red went well with his hair.

Ack! Yukari shook her head, the soap fully rinsed off of her. She'd been soaping the whole time and now smelled quite nice indeed. Shaking her hair a little to spread it out, Yukari turned her back to the water and shivered as it soaked her. No dates. No armors. Only water.

She shampooed her hair as slowly as she had soaped herself, taking the time to enjoy it. She looked up to get the shampoo near her hairline, then down to get the tips better. A smile spread across her lips -- she looked good, smelled good, sounded good. She was a fine Yamataian specimen.

... Must not think about that. She would worry about it later; she felt sure enough in her decision. For now, water was best. And song -- her keyboard had switched to one she knew. It seemed fitting.

"I wandered 'round, with nothing more than time on my hands ... "

- - -

Nyton listened to his performance review and took it all in quietly. He tried to extract all he could to improve his performance. Again I need to learn how to work better with others. A most unfortunate failing I am finding in myself. Could this be why I'm so terrible at chess? He looked over at the Juni and grinned. "A god complex eh? Maybe I am a little too confident. I had not meant to use up all my missles on that Phalanx but I admit the urgency of the threat it posed made me a little excited. But this moment you say I left myself open. Do you mean when we were performing the coordinated attack on the Firehawk? I thought it would have been more prudent to not be next to James when he fired off his missile spread in case it got lucky and targeted us before it could be finished off." he replied.

Nyton looked over at his crewmates and smiled pleasantly. "Good job out there James, Kurohoshi. Congratulations. And to you too Yukari Chui. A marked improvement from those space maneuvers back on the Sakura." he said as he stood up. "I'd say a very educational experience. Well fought everyone."

Leutre's remarks earned a cold glance from Nyton which he quickly hid with a neutral expression. Quite the talker. it is not him being a new recruit. it is just him. I'll have to keep an eye on this one.

After Kotori departed and everyone began to announce their plans for the rest of the day Nyton walked over to the Juni. "If it is alright I would like a copy of the battle footage. I could use it for future reference study."

- - -

The curly-haired brunette shrugged to Nyton as she stood up. "I was planning to submit the data from each simulated AIES to your ship's computer once it was operational. Not only would you get your battle footage, but you'd also have access to AIES units whom would know you better."

- - -

Nyton smiled warmly. "How very helpful. I appreciate it." he replied. "Perhaps if you're interested when you're off duty we could do some evaluations of a more personal matter then?" he asked in a low voice with a quick wink to the Juni.

- - -

Listening to the others talk and congratulate one another, Masako looked around the table and smiled slightly. They all seemed lively, really lively, why hadn't she thought about sitting around with her other crews? As Tom and Yukari left the room to bathe, the young neko looked at the others...though she couldn't help but frown at Leutre's comments. "Thank you, Claymere-Juni," Masako belatedly replied to the man, choosing to ignore the young Hei's comments for now..

"And congratulations, Dige-Hei on a simulator well run," she spoke to the enlisted man who had made top rank of the simulator. "Though I'm sure you've probably flown in simulators before, I was really impressed with how you handled yourself."

- - -

James nodded respectfully to Masako.

She's rather friendly. Not too bad with an armor, either. Probably a good idea to stay on her nice side.

"Thank you, Kurohoshi-Juni. It was my first time using a Daisy's controls. Your help with figuring out the backup engines most likely saved both myself and Morita."

- - -

The curly-haired, brown haired neko gave a little, noncommital shrug. "Perhaps." She said before walking out of the room and back to her desk.

- - -

Nyton nodded as the Juni left the room. "That's all I ask." he said. Pity I never learned your name at least. he thought with a shrug. He turned to the others who were still discussing their plans and walked over to them.

"Some exploration sounds good. I would like to get a good look at this place. How about we do this: Head back to our quarters to shower, change, and get ready, then meet outside our rooms in the main hall connecting our rooms in thirty minutes to tour around the base. We can all get to know each other better and discuss everything else too." he suggested.

- - -

Masako smiled at James before shaking her head. "Please, all I did was repeat what I've read on the Daisy before entering the simulator," she replied calmly. "I just thought it would be best to tell you just in case you didn't have time to read up on the armor, that's all," she said in an effort to down play her advice slightly.

As Nyton spoke up, she couldn't help but turn to look as he began to suggest a new course of action. Exploration did sound like a good idea...maybe a chance to make sure she got to know her crewmates this time. "That sounds like a good idea, Claymere-Juni. it is not everyday we get to be on a Scorpio Fortress," she said cheerfully this time as she stood up from her chair.

- - -

"Grand! The more the merrier, and the more the mayhem." Leutre placed the knife back on the table and stood up. "Well, now that that's settled we'd best get to it, eh?" He turned towards the door, but suddenly paused in mid step.

"If only I could remember where my quarters were," he muttered as he scratched the back of his head. Turning around he looked back at the table. "We're all stationed beside each other, right? Either of you know the way? Directions and I don't seem to get along well I'm afraid."

'I have to stop being so bloody forgetful! I've already been in trouble a few times over my absent-mindedness and at this rate I'll be kicked out of the Star Army before my first mission is over. Maybe a new body would help. I hear body transfers rage out here. But on the other hand, I like my body. I feel safe in here,' he mused to himself.

- - -

"Alright then, let's do this." Nyton said and he turned to walk back to their quarters. He then turned to James who still had not said anything. "Hey James, you coming along or do you have plans?"

- - -

James stood and stretched.

"If we're all going to get together, then that sounds good to me, Claymere-Juni. Lead on."

- - -

Yukari had been spending time reading in her quarters. She was glad no one had bothered her for anything, as she had not left the soft, towel-material standard-issue robe that had been in the bathroom. She was more or less dry, though her hair was taking some time. She left it out of a ponytail for now, letting spread out behind her.

She had already decided. It was the right thing to do. It had taken some rummaging through old information and such, but she'd found what she'd needed. But she wanted to still be her on the outside too. Technology seemed to guarnatee that was possible ... that was enough. But she had to talk to someone about it first.

A glance at the clock suggested she had lots of time ... and she had absorbed a lot. She let her head lie back on the couch. "Shimatta." She'd been swearing a lot lately. It seemed natural, so she did not fight it.

Even when at her worst, Ketsurui Chiharu maintained sincerity and helped those in need. I must do the same.

Now all she had to do was wait to meet with Kotori. She would spend her last night with her first, then Tom, then ... who knew? Yukari could not help but smile.

* * *

The door to Tom Freeman's room made a swishing noise as it closed behind him. The Yamataian had just recently finished taking his shower, which had nicely scraped off the sweat that had caked on his body. He was happy to have had an extra military outfit, although he hadn't worn it all that much and it chaffed a bit on his body. He was the kind of guy who liked to break clothes in and keep them that way. He surveyed the long corridor adjacent to his room. The neat and organized hall had severals doors lined from one side to another. This was where the crew of the Miharu would be living until their ship launched into space. It wasn't unlike a college dormitory, complete with the requisite kitchen near the center of the hall and a lounge that rested on the far end of the corridor. He hadn't checked it out before, but Tom was sure he'd try it out before he left. It looked comfy over there. But that was beside the point. Tom had an important meeting with Kotori lined up. He felt a bit of anxiety as he creeped up to her door and knocked. Would it be good or bad?

Knocking on a soundproof door wasn't of much use, which was why the doors typically had a chime, but the Scorpio-base's KAMI considerately ringed a tone within the room - old habits died hard.

The door slid open and revealed Kotori. "Welcome." The Taii greeted, gesturing him in. She was dressed in an elegant, ruffly variant of the Star Army skirt uniform with short ankle length boots.

"Thank you, ma'am." Tom quickly erased the anxiety from his face and mustered some quick courage. He stepped into the room and bowed deeply to her. "Tom Freeman reporting. You wanted to speak to me, Taii?"

"Yes." She led him to what could be considered the living room side of her appartment, with a low table ringed by two sofas and a couch. Instead of the usual fruit basket at the middle of the table, there was a flat box lined with velvet resting on one of the table's corner. "Please sit."

"Thank you, ma'am." Tom slid onto one of the sofas. He looked around the apartment, impressed. "Nice place."

She sat down herself on the sofa opposing Tom's. "The rent isn't cheap though." She replied.

He grinned. "But that's why they pay you the big bucks, Taii."

Kotori didn't see the point in telling Tom she was paying all their rent, so, she simply moved on to why she had wanted him to come. "I've been digging in what your assignment was prior to your joining the Miharu's crew. I had a precious little to rely on, considering the chaos that seemed to veil the Mikomi's third mission."

Tom nodded thoughtfully. "I served as Technical Sentry on that ship and assisted with the engineering duties. What do you need to know from me? I can fill in the gaps."

"That's already been taken care of." Kotori leaned forward to press one hand on the flat box at the table's corner. She turned it and pushed it Tom's way.

"Ah, I see." Tom was relieved that he didn't need to drudge up any experiences... yet, at least. He carefully picked up the box and opened it.

The box had a smooth, black fabric covering some padding to which was afixed an exploration, service, survival and Tomoyo's Kikyô awards. The four medals were lined up in a square pattern to the left, and the right side of the box held a Nitô Heisho rank pin.

As he soaked in the sight, his new commander said: "I didn't want to base any judgement on you based on my short stay on the Mikomi, so, I turned to your previous executive officer for an evaluation. He had but glowing praise for you. Seeing that Chusa Bowman - no, he was demoted to Taii - didn't bother to make proper post-assignment evaluation... I took it upon myself to make sure you got what was entitled to you."

The world slowed down for Tom Freeman, the glow of the pin from the room's lighting striking him in the eye. It was beautiful, for sure. His eyes slowly looked over the ribbons, the first group he had ever received. It wasn't so much pride, but a sort of finality that he felt was embodied by these items. His eyes rested for a long time on both the survival and Tomoyo Kikyô awards... "Thank you ma'am. I am honored."

"Daduar Cometblade deemed your past performance as outstanding and beyond the call of a soldier. I just made sure you would be recognized for it." Her golden eyes, much like a raven's, looked at him so intensely they almost seemed to glow. "The medals do not make up for suffering and loss, but it is the Star Army's way of rewarding you for your efforts."

Tom nodded silently and looked into Kotori's eyes. He acknowledged the intense strength they seemed to possess, and he could feel it inside of him that her golden eyes were carved from experiences not unlike his own. In that moment, he realized how much Kotori had grown since their brief encounter on the Mikomi. However, the Yamataian could not shake the feeling that what Kotori had gone through changed her, made her like diamond: strong, unbreakable, yet cold, as if she had accepted the need to be cruel. Was this what he would change into too?

Yamataian and Nekovalkyrja studied each other for long seconds before Kotori finally added: "I will give SAPM a notice so they will be able to recognize your rewards and promotion once I catch up with my paperwork." She idly caressed the hair that tumbled down her left shoulder. "This covers my end of why I wanted you to come."

"Thank you, ma'am," Tom said. "May I speak freely now? I wanted to ask a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"Well, I was wondering what was going to happen to Morita, ma'am." Tom closed the box and put it on his lap.

"I am strongly inclined to send him back to Yamatai for the reasons the Juni outlined. I agree with them." Kotori said. "Morita seems ill prepared for active service. I'd rather he covers what training he can to properly perform instead of being put in situations he is ill prepared for."

"If that's the case, then you'd be without a caretaker and cook," Tom replied, placing the box next to him on the sofa and crossing his leg. "If you decide to send him back, I'd like to volunteer to claim his responsibilities."

Kotori frowned in thought. "Do you have any qualifications for the role?"

Tom perked up. "Yes. I am very experienced in a vast number of domestic responsibilities, including, but not limited to: cooking, cleaning and tailoring. These things are second nature to me, due to my upbringing. And I'm pretty sure I don't have to say this, but I am also a very friendly person and am always willing to listen to and discuss heartfelt matters with my colleagues."

"Oh, and I am a skilled entertainer as well," Tom added. "I can arrange performances during down time to increase morale."

"Does that include impromtu, shipwide calls to welcome newcomers?" Kotori couldn't help ask, tilting her head to one side.

"I'm never gonna live that one down," Tom groaned. "But in all seriousness, I won't abuse the PA system any more."

A slight giggle escaped the neko. "I'm going to need someone whom will do the laundry, care for plants and maybe a barber too. Can you do that?"

"Well, the barber bit might be a reach, but I've watched it done a couple of times and can always read up on the subject matter." Tom smiled, pleased to see Kotori lighten up a bit. "But, yeah. I can do that too."

"Well, I can give haircuts. I just don't imagine people being comfortable with their commanding officer giving them haircuts." Kotori confided with a small shrug. "Oh," she flicked the hair she had been caressing back behind her shoulder. "I'd like to know what sort of meals you prefer preparing."

"Well, the Raltean cuisine is one that focuses on many varieties of meats, as well as starchy vegetables that could grow in the cold, such as potatoes." Tom said. "Of course, it is not difficult to concoct many things out of those ingredients, such as soups, salads and stews. If you're prefering a more traditional Yamataian fare, I'm pretty sure I could learn that quickly."

"Just for reference - and please do correct me if what I say is a misconception - is Raltean cuisine 'food-flavored butter' or 'butter-flavored food'?" Kotori clearly recalled the feast Tom had offered them had more butter in it than she had ever eaten in her two years long life.

"Butter-flavored food. I figured that Mr. Sydney would enjoy food with a heavier fat content than normal."

"But, again, that was a special exception, with lots of extra butter." Tom quickly added.

"Oh, good." Kotori said, not able to mask her relief. She suddenly realized how it sounded and gave Tom an appologetic smile. "I'm sorry... but you really had me wondering there if assigning you as the ship's cook was giving the rest of my crew a death sentence." She thumped her fist to her chest for added emphasis.

"I wouldn't worry about that!" Tom waves his right had in the air with a bit of flourish. "The Yamataian and Neko constitution can withstand the most heart-burning of Raltean feasts!"

"Yes, but there is the matter of our two nepleslian crewmembers." Kotori pointed out, smiling.

"Pshhh! They excercise enough!" Tom waved his hand dismissively.

The neko settled back comfortably. "Well, that settles it then. The Miharu's kitchen will be your domain. Just make sure you diversify your meals to appeal to all crewmembers. We can also have a 'Tom day' where you can show off your Raltean cuisine."

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Tom leapt out of his seat. "You don't know how much this means to me!"

Kotori reared her head back. "I think I may have an idea of how much now." She replied.

He laughed the traditional Raltean way, hearty and thick, before calming down. "If you do need me to do both the duties of an engineer and a caretaker, I can. I'm also going to take some time to study first aid techniques."

"Sounds good to me." Kotori liked the idea of having multi-talented people. The first aid part sounded especially good since they still lacked a Doctor. Figures that when I actually need a doctor, Miles' not around.

She refrained from rolling her eyes in exasperation and rewarded Tom's enthusiasm with a smile. "Was there anything else you wanted to cover with me?"

"Nope! I'm good to go, ma'am." He moved to the door and bowed. "Again, thank you so much!"

She stood and followed Tom to the door, answering with a nod of her own. "I will see you tommorow morning then."

"See you!" He took one step out of the door before he realized. "Oh CRAP! The box!" He quickly skipped over to it, picked it up and jogged back to the door. "Let's do that again. See you again!"

Kotori's breath hitched in quiet laughter. "Good night, Freeman-san."

* * *

As Yukari approached the door of Kotori's quarters, she smoothed the skirt of her uniform. Explaining how it felt to have the skirt back -- with lower stocking only, of course -- was impossible. She hated the bodysuit as a Nekovalkyrja, and she hated it no less as a Yamataian. Besides, it was nice to show off a little skin. Only a little, after all. And her datapad looked cute in her skirt's lap pocket. Though her pistols ... well, she couldn't look perfect, and she wasn't giving those up.

She rang the chime and waited.

The door slid open, with Kotori beyond smiling when she saw Yukari. "Thanks for coming." The neko beckoned the yamataian in.

Yukari smiled and stepped inside. "I hope I am not too early -- I wandered for some time."

"it is alright. I was done with Tom anyways." Kotori walked to one of her couches, where she quickly picked up a bag of koi chips and tossed it to Yukari. "Think fast!"

Yukari blinked and snapped the bag up -- her stomach growled at her in return. "AH!" she squealed. "Koto-san, you know me too well." The bag was open and a small handful of koi-chips were quickly consumed. Yukari sat on a couch across from Kotori.

Kotori grinned as she sat opposite to her executive officer. "Not that well. You told me I owed you that for the demotion, remember?"

"Ah sou," Yukari replied with a smile. "Koi-chips are a suitable payment on the debt. It is cleared." She nibbled on a few more.

"I had Tom here so I could give him some medals and a promotion that had been overdue. Turns out Bowman-Chusa, his former commanding officer, wasn't very keen on crediting his crew for their accomplishments." Kotori said.

"Hmmm," Yukari said thoughtfully. "What is his rank now?"

"One higher. Nitô Heisho." Kotori replied. "Seeing that Bowman did something on the last mission of the Mikomi that got him demoted to a Taii, I turned to his exec to see if he could give me an evaluation of Freeman-san." Kotori closed her eyes and interlaced the fingers of both hands before she stretched her arms, causing her elbows to make small popping sounds. "Turns out Cometblade-Taii had nothing but high praise for your Raltian. I'm not sure if Tom was really deserving of a promotion or not, but seeing that the events on the last mission of the Mikomi had been rather ugly, I didn't want it to look like his effort had gone unnoticed."

Yukari chose not to focus on Tom's last mission. He seemed uncomfortable about it, to say the least, and she felt no different. "It is good he is receiving more pay. He will make a good petty officer." She nibbled on a couple more koi-chips.

"He also asked for something else, but that brings me to the next subject: I'll be sending Kamiyama-Hei back to Yamatai. The man openly admitted he skipped classes and did dismally in training..." Kotori brought back her hands over her lap and sighed. "I don't require that everyone of my crew be top notch combattants, but I want them to at least be able to defend themselves. I'm afraid that keeping Morita-san on the Miharu will only result in getting him and whomever has to bend back to protect him killed."

" ... " Yukari nodded. It had been clear he was not exactly apt at combat, though she was not much better. "I understand."

"Normally, that'd leave us without a cook... but Tom seemed to want the job very badly." Kotori shrugged. "Tom seems to enjoy cooking... and though he doesn't seem very well versed in oriental meals, it is nothing I wouldn't be able to fill in myself until he'd learn."

Yukari smiled knowingly. She would soon taste exactly how well Tom cooked. "I can make fish," she said with a little giggle. "Everyone wants fish."

Kotori made a small giggle. "Well, I appointed him as cook. He was really happy." Kotori made a small pause and quickly changed subject. "I would like you to tell me what you think of Claymere-Juni in the wing leader role I had appointed for him since he boarded the Sakura."

Yukari thought for a moment, absently nibbling on a koi-chip. "He is well versed in the role. And he takes pleasure in it. Beside you, he is not as experienced, but beside the rest of us, he is best -- despite what the Juni thought."

Kotori frowned. She wasn't sure she was actually better than Nyton, since she was still largely untested as far as leading a group of power armors went. "But there is also the matter of Kurohoshi-Juni, whom is a Nekovalkyrja pilot of similar rank. She might be more apt for the role, especially considering I haven't been able to get hold of Super Phalanx construction platforms here at Scorpio." She tilted her head. "I was considering making him a bridge tactical officer."

Yukari let the thought of Nyton on the bridge roll in her mind. It was not something she objected to ... but she wondered if he would be satisfied. His ambition to be a tactical officer were not lost on her. But was now the time? "I do not object," she said slowly, "but only if he accepts the position himself. I believe it is important he feels he is ready."

The Taii nodded. It wasn't that she didn't think Nyton was useless in the wing leader role, but she thought that with his studies and experience, he might actually be more of an asset in a support position. "Of course." Kotori smiled at Yukari. "How are you feeling about how you did in the simulation? The Juni mentioned you panicked... do you want to talk about it?"

The question caught Yukari off guard. She had wanted to bring the topic up herself ... but Kotori was to the point, as always. "I ... do not know what happened. I watched the shot hit me. The second one as well. I do not know how to explain my reaction ... but I am questioning my body. And its ability to sustain itself in battle."

"Is this really about your body?" Kotori asked.

" ... " Yukari shook her head. "My reaction, no. My brain is at fault for that." She smiled a little. "But it does not help to have one's stomach growl so much. And not be able to transmit telepathic messages farther than one kilometer. Or not operate the best equipment."

Kotori frowned. "What are you getting at?"

" ... I want a Nekovalkyrja body." Yukari said the words slowly, deliberately, to make sure she said them and not something else inside of her. "Until I am eligible to retire from the Star Army. I am not suitable for combat as I am."

Kotori's eyes widened. She looked somewhat startled. "You can't be serious. The Yamataian body can't be that bad."

"In the hands of other souls, yes." Yukari took a breath before speaking. "But not in mine. I want to serve and protect the crew to the best of my possibilities. I cannot do that now."

Kotori frowned. Yukari had told her what it had meant for her to get her yamataian body. The neko swallowed hard. "Yuka-san... the new Mindy allows yamataians to pilot it. You really don't have to go that far - I don't ask for that kind of sacrifice from you."

Yukari wanted to be nowhere near a Mindy. "It is not the Mindy alone. I studied the NH-29 body and what it does. I know I could be better ... the SPINE interface is a better interface than a helmet-based one. The reflexes as well. The stamina. The improved healing over a Yamataian body." Yukari bent a little farther forward, resting her forearms on her knees, one hand cupping the other. She was nervous, but her green eyes shined, and she looked directly at Kotori. "Koto-san -- this sacrifice is for everyone." She did not attempt to qualify 'the sacrifice' or belittle it. Kotori knew what it meant.

Kotori reclined back on the couch, eyes closed as she sighed.

" ... Nani?" Yukari leaned a little further on her knees. "You do not agree?"

"The choice isn't mine Yukari. it is yours." Kotori's eyes opened to golden slits. "I hope you will not end up regretting your choice. Changing bodies is one thing, living with it another."

"I have considered it," she replied evenly. "An NH-29H model will allow me to appear the same physically. I will still be me."

"You won't be able to have babies though." Kotori smiled.

Yukari managed a small, but pained smile of her own. "I am still an officer. There would still be no children."

Kotori stood and and walked around the table to sit by Yukari's left. "True. Taisho Yui herself said babies had no use in the military. You will, however, be able to make younglings. Whenever you like."

"More versions of me?" Yukari smiled a little, glad Kotori had sat next to her. It made her feel less ... defensive. "I would not do that to the crew."

"Type 29 Nekovalkyrja younglings don't have to be clones. You should have better control of what sort of looks she would have... though it is still going to be very dependant on the genetic material you provide to the process." Kotori explained. "I've heard that with some medical assistance, you can actually mimic the process of two partners giving part of their traits to their offspring."

Yukari nodded, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. It was loose instead of a pony tail, highlighting how wavy the rough, brown-colored strands were. Something about a youngling didn't seem ... right. She wanted a natural child, free of any influence -- genetic or otherwise -- that could make her into something she should not be. "I will worry about children when the time is right. For now, the crew is my family."

Kotori reached out to hug her companion and leaned Yukari against herself so the Yamataian woman's head would rest on her shoulder.

Yukari returned the hug, head resting on Kotori's shoulder. The warmth of Kotori's body was something Yukari admitted missing too much. "Thank you," she said simply in Japanese.

"My pleasure." Kotori answered softly, stroking Yukari's hair. It was probably the last time she would; at least, with that body. The neko kissed the top of her lover's head. "You are a very good person, Yuka."

"Because those around me are good," Yukari said. She hugged the woman tighter for a moment.

Kotori returned he squeeze with a 'Mmm' and then shifted back so she could look into Yukari's eyes. "When will you change?"

"Today," she said. "I do not wish to linger in a body I will not have again for some time."

"It think i heard that bodies you transfer from are eliminated, not preserved." Kotori softly pointed out. "If you want to return to a yamataian later, you might have to make it be a new one."

"I know." Yukari sighed a little, nuzzling closer. "But it will be like going home, I think. Though it will be different, it will be the same."

The neko rewarded the snuggle with a smile. "You said a 'H'... you want the human-looking one, like Hanako?"

"Hai," Yukari said, then blushed a little. "I think I will get a haircut. Just a few centimeters."

"You don't want ears like mine?" The points of Kotori's ears wiggled up and down for emphasis. "You had some back when you had a NH-17, right?"

Yukari giggled a little at Kotori's ears. She had never really appreciated them. "I have bad memories of them. My commanders would touch them for completing a task; I felt like a pet."

"You're not implying I'd treat you like a pet, now, would you?" Kotori teased. "Whenever you mention past commanders, you usually make them sound like uncouth men."

"Only if I ask," Yukari said with a grin. "But yes ... many of my commanders were unhappy Geshrin or Nepleslians. Nekovalkyrja seemed favored to command more important ships."

"I am certainly not going to press you into going back to an appearance you are not fond of, but..." Kotori frowned. "The ears are useful. More so than human ones - and you make the change to be more effective, right? Wouldn't avoiding to look like a Nekovalkyrja be sort of like avoiding the past? You should consider seriously that it is not because you have bad memories of them that you cannot go from here and make better ones."

Yukari rubbed her head. "I had considered that ... but no. When I was Nekovalkyrja, I did not even enjoy looking at myself in the mirror. I will not go through that again."

"Alright." Kotori replied unobstrusively.

" ... Thank you." Yukari nuzzled again into Kotori's body. "I will do it before I meet Freeman-Heisho tonight."

The Taii chuckled lightly as she gently stroked the other woman's hair. She had reflected that the ears themselves were but a tiny part of the reflection Yukari would have seen in the mirror and she was slowly realizing that the reason why Yukari probably didn't want them back was likely for the symbolism rather than for the different appearance or capabilities they could provide for her.

"We are going on a ... date, tonight," Yukari continued. "He is going to cook for me." She blushed.

"That's good!" Kotori grinned. "Tom seems like a genuinely nice person. A bit excentric... but in a good way." The neko looked into Yukari's eyes. "I hope you have fun."

Yukari blushed a little more. "I will ... " She blinked. "I just recalled -- this meeting is something you asked for, and I have talked too much. Is there something more we should discuss?"

"I suppose not." Kotori drew back slightly. "You have a date to prepare for and I have studies to do; maybe we should adjourn?"

" ... " Yukari realized her mistake a little too late. My mouth runs, and so does my lover. "If we must, we must." She managed a resigned smile.

Kotori nodded and stood back up. "Well then, off with you." She said, waving the other away. "Go slip in that gorgeous new body and impress Tom with your feminine wiles. If you need me, I'll be here wrestling with yamataian law."

Yukari stood too, giving Kotori a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Koto-san. I will see you later." Yukari smoothed her skirt as she left.

* * *

After all four had returned to their rooms, showered, and changed, they gathered in the main hall. Nyton, Masako, James, and Leutre pondered their destination via the map.

Nyton was dressed in some casual blue jeans, a grey buttoned down shirt, a pair of dark brown boots, and his leather bomber jacket. His service pistol was holstered and secured to his left leg.

"Alright, so what do we feel like doing? I'd like to check out the Armor bays. However it is been a while since I've gone shopping so I want to hit up the concourse level." Nyton said.

- - -

Leutre still wore the boots and pants of his uniform, but had a grey t-shirt instead of the standard jacket on. The disorderly state of his clothing suggested they were either unwashed or he simply had no regard for folding clothing.

"You treadheads and your armour." Leutre rolled his eyes and smirked. "While I completely understand the appeal of dangerous playthings, you really need to get out more often, mate. Maybe we should find you a hobby, or better yet, a lover!"

"Listen to me. it is one of our last days in civilised society and you want to spend it looking at machinery. You do realize we're about to spend several weeks staring at the inside of a ship's hull, aye?" Leutre grabbed Nyton by the shoulders and gave him and shook him slightly. "What's say instead of looking at dangerous playthings, we go out and play dangerously?"

- - -

James nodded, dressed in his uniform pants, a black t-shirt and dark grey boots.

"I wouldn't mind seeing what a station like this has to offer," he mused, idly fingering the hilt of his Type 28 pistol that was stapped to his right leg. "it is been a while since I've done any shopping."

- - -

"I'm ready," Masako said as she exited her quarters in civilian garb. The short neko had chosen to wear some of the clothes she had bought a while ago, but had never gotten around to wearing. With a white T-shirt clothing her torso combined with blue jeans and a pair of boots, the young neko wouldn't be considered fashionable, but it was substantial enough to make her decent.

"So, where are we heading to first?"

- - -

Upon Masako's entrance Nyton shook Leutre's hold from his shoulders. "Looks like the concensus is the concourse level for some shopping. Some of us haven't been shopping in a while and would like to go. Maybe afterwards we could visit the Armor bay-" Nyton gave Leutre a quick 'stuff it' look -"if some people aren't so tired after shopping. Or we could find somewhere else to explore after the concourse." Nyton brought up a station map from the nodal system and began to plot a course. "Now the next question should be whether we take the quick route or the scenic one."

- - -

Leutre laughed at the look Nyton gave him. "Sorry, mate. Weeks of repression have made me a little testy. I haven't been able to blow up anything since the incident at the academy. Looking at all that ordnance in the Armor bay just makes it worse."

Leutre rubbed his temples and looked up at the map. "Which route, eh? This is my first time on the station so correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this a military outpost? Mostly just halls, armouries, shipyards, and things of that sort, right? Might as well go the short way unless you know of anything interesting that's worth a longer trip."

- - -

James grinned softly at Leutre's words and crossed his arms.

This guy's going to be working around the vitals of our new ship? I hope they keep the on-board armory locked up tight...

"We've got time to kill, right? Why not see some majestic vistas? I find it tends to put things back in perspective and maybe add a bit of humility."

- - -

The four soldiers began their trip through the Scorpio station. Using the map, they plotted a course that would take them through a couple of sections on the way to the concourse. The first leg was just a long series of typical white hallways with grey carpeting. A few random Neko on duty passed by them as they continued on with their work.

"So, I figure we can use this walk to get to know each other better. I haven't had much of a chance to go over anyone's files so how about we give each other a little background on ourselves." Nyton said as he walked.

"Let's see, where do I begin?" he said as he took a deep breath. "Nyton Claymere, nineteen years old, originally from Nepleslia. Started out on the YSS Sakura as an Armor pilot, just another kid fresh out of basic. Served on the Sakura, got reassigned to the YSS Mikomi, got reassigned to the Sakura, and now I'm here."

Nyton exhaled, breathed again and continued his stride. "So how about you three?"

- - -

James eyed the hallway boredly, his count of the cieling lights interrupted by Nyton's question.

"James Dige, twenty-six, of Yamatai. Entered into the Star Army at age 23, completed my armor training and got shipped here for my first assignment."

- - -

"Leutre is my name, bloody mayhem is the game." Leutre smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Nineteen here, too. My Da and I were privateers up near the Northern Frontier regions. Fighting pirates and all that jazz. But it turns out I'm gifted with the mind of a machine and cunning of a politician, so Da sent me up here for a proper education. The Star Army pays for my training and medical treatments, so it is a pretty good deal."

- - -

Masako seemed to give Leutre a very strange look as they continued to walk. She couldn't help but think this new recruit was a bit imbalanced mentally. Though since everyone else had spoken up but her, she pushed her thoughts aside. The least she would do was be polite and reply like everyone else had.

"Watashi wa Kurohoshi Masako desu." she spoke in Japanese. "I'm two years old and have served aboard the YSS Nozomi, YSS Destiny, YSS Confidence, and the YSS Mikomi before finally being assigned here. Before I served aboard starships, I was apart of the Yamataian Self-Defense Force." she summarized her brief history as she looked up at her crewmates.

- - -

The scenery had shifted and they were now passing one of the production areas. One side of the hallway was lined with windows that showed the bay. There were ships and armor in various stages of production visible, along with the materials, personnel, and machinery necessary. In all it looked like a busy honeycomb of activity. Lights and sparks flashed everywhere and loud noise could be heard being muffled by the windows.

Nyton's eyes moved about rapidly as he viewed the various activities occurring. "Looks real busy in there, eh?" he remarked.

"So James, you entered three years ago and this is your first assignment? Were you in another job before Armor piloting or something The reserves maybe?" Nyton asked with a slight puzzlement to how he could have been in the military for three years but just now receiving his first assignment.

Nyton waited for James to finish his explanation before he followed up on Leutre. "Medical treatments you say? Did you pick up some sort of condition out on the frontier?" The actions and dialogue of Leutre made Nyton want to keep a close eye on him.

After Leutre had finished his response, regardless of how he answered, Nyton was interested in Masako's assignment history. "You were aboard the Mikomi as well? I heard bad things happened on her last mission. If it is not too hard I would like to know what happened to my former crewmates." he asked but with a caution to indicate she did not have to go into detail.

- - -

James listened intently to his crewmates talk as his eyes swept across the bay. Leutre was definately proving interesting, and both Junis seemed open, if a bit larger-than-life to him.

"I jumped from job to job, mostly. Nothing too spectacular. I also saved up a bit to go sightseeing around Yamatai for several months about eight years ago."

- - -

Masako's cream-toned skin seemed to pale slightly as Nyton asked about the Mikomi's last mission. "I...I'd rather not speak about that here," she replied to the other warrant officer with an uncomfortable tone. "Maybe in a more private setting, since we are here to enjoy ourselves right now," she explained as she pensively looked away from Nyton's gaze.

Instead, she looked out into the production area and kept her peace as she continued to walk with her crewmates.

- - -

"Disease? Heh." Leutre smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm a space case. I think the technical term is gravity adaptation syndrome. You know how if someone spends too much time in zero-G they get sick when they re-enter gravity? The body adapting, or something like that. I was born and raised in zero-G, so normal grav would have killed me. The high and mighty wanted to force me into a new body, but I told them to go have intercourse with themselves."

Leutre laughed to himself as he recalled the event. Clearing his throat, he continued, "But eventually they offered me the alternative of medical treatment if I agreed to constant checkups and letting them use the data for research. I guess it is because we space babies are something of a rare commodity."

- - -

The group was nearing the concourse level as they passed by the docking stations. There was activity visible here as well with transport ships carrying supplies constantly on the move. Despite the secretive nature of the Scorpio, cargo runs are still necessary for the ship production facilities. Many Neko were present here as well to shuttle off the material to their intended location.

Nyton watched all of this through the windows that lined the hallway as they walked through. The efficiency of their motions was almost machine like but without losing that humanoid charm.

Nyton gave Masako a look of understanding and nodded. "You're right. We're off duty now. I guess I have a hard time discussing things outside of the military sometimes. I'm considering taking up a hobby to give me a break from studying warfare all the time." he said with a slight chuckle. "You have any hobbies or pastimes that you enjoy?" he asked with a lighter tone to take away the edge from the previous topic.

"Ah sightseeing." Nyton replied to James's response. "You know, aside from the war college on Kyoto and some training camps I've never really seen much of Yamatai. I really need to take time off to do some sightseeing there. What would be some good locations you would recommend to me?" he asked warmly.

Leutre's response earned Nyton a curious look but he understood it after he finished his explanation. "Oh I see. Yes, it makes sense. That's something us planetbound folks tend to forget about. Well, try not to get too annoyed about the whole science experiment thing. We won't treat you like one. Besides, with your experience out on the fringes I'd say that knowledge makes you more of a valuable asset should we be assigned to a mission out there. I would like to hear more about your time out there myself." he said. Nyton had become more interested in Leutre's personality and experiences on the frontier.

- - -

Leutre turned his head as they passed the docking stations. As he watched the transport ships he couldn't help but feel a hint of nostalgia. "The frontier. A few colonies and stations. Good drinks, friends, laughter, spirited girls, and the occasional rousing pirate raid. What more could you ask for?" Leutre tilted his head slightly and gave Nyton a curious look.

"Ah, oops, I forgot one thing. Home. A Vampire-class. The Bloody Mayhem, a good ship." Leutre smiled warmly as he pictured the vessel. Closing his eyes, he soon found himself caught up in his own little world. "Engines that keep you warm on cold nights. One deck, a small living area that always smells of spiced wine. The central cargo bay, it had so many spare parts. I loved spending days just tinkering away. In vehicle bay an old tank chassis, my playpen. The most of the ship's grav plating was stripped away to make maintainence easier. Zero-G made everything inside a giant mess, which is why we called it the Bloody Mayhem. But Goddess bless, it was just so calming. I've never once slept as well as I have in zero gravity."

Leutre's happy jabbering suddenly fell silent when he remembered where he was. Embarrassed, he opening his eyes he looked over at his companions. Giving them a nervous half-smile he muttered, "Sorry. There I go again." I've already irritated that Nekovalkyrja officer today. I really have to be more careful about my rambling on.

- - -

"I like to play the viola," Masako simply replied to Nyton, thankful for the change in subject as she turned to listen to Leutre go on about his home. She listened intently as the young man spoke passionately about a small Vampire Patrol Craft, not showing any signs of annoyance at all. Even as the young Hei showed signs of embarassment at what he said, she only gave him a smile.

"It must be wonderful to have a place like that. A place you feel so comfortable in that all your cares seem to drift away." Masako replied. "That's normally how I feel when I play my viola. Its rich tones just seem to carry my worries away when I feel troubled."

- - -

"Ah, a musician in our ranks."

James smiled before turning his attention to Nyton. He was completely helpless when it came to learning any sort of musical instrument, but that didn't stop him from enjoying it.

"The one place that stands out in my mind is the city of Jskita. I still can't believe how much they were selling there. it is like...everything you could ever think of was for sale somewhere in the city, and then some. Not to mention that the views of the Jhuniata Desert took my breath away."

- - -

Nyton listened to Leutre reminisce about his home ship and gave a smile. The warmth of the description was familiar and a slight nostalgia hit him for a moment. For all his misgivings about military protocol Leutre didn't seem like a bad guy off duty. It is going to be on duty that I'll have to see him prove himself out on. Nyton thought to himself with a mental shrug. "That's quite alright Leutre. We're not on duty now. 'Rambling is an allowable course of action during a social gathering.'" he said with an overly technical emphasis on the last sentence.

Masako's peace at playing viola was another welcome response. "So many musically oriented people are aboard the ship. I'm not sure what Tom plays but he is musically inclined. Yukari also has interest but she is a lot less forward regarding her musical skill so she should be approached gently on that subject. Music sounds as thought it really has a deep effect on you." Perhaps that is what I need. Some sort of musical diversion to focus this instability I felt earlier.

James's recommendation brought a grin to Nyton's face. "A market city in the middle of the desert eh? Sounds facinating. It even hints of ancient romantic notions of overland trade routes and travel. I'm certainly glad you mentioned a desert and not some mountainous snow vista. Personally I hate the cold. The snow and wind chill just makes me irritable. I'll take the stifling heat and sunburn over frostbite anyday." Nyton said with subconcious inflections in his voice that made his demeanor regarding climate preference obvious.

The hallway they were travelling in had gotten a lot busier as more and more Neko passed by them with the same destination in mind. After they rounded another bend they arrived at the concourse level. The hallway opened up to reveal the various shops and activities going on. A quick scan showed that there were many Neko already here carrying business, purchases, shopping, etc.

Nyton watched all this and scanned the line of shops. He already had a couple purchases in mind. An instrument. I'm going to take up an instrument. he determined to himself. "So, what all do we feel like buying today?" he asked aloud.

* * *

Biiin boon

The door chime called Tom from the kitchen.

Tom Freeman was busy at work in the living quarter's kitchen, having a few small pots and pans at work on the small stove that rested in front of him. The area around the Yamataian was a little bit of a mess, with a variety of vegetables, some meats and a little rice and fish on the side. Luckily, these items were strategically hidden behind the dividing wall that separated the kitchen from the tiny eating area next to it. When he heard the doorbell, Tom moved quickly to answer it.

There Suzuka Yukari stood in the doorway, looking about as shy and reserved as she usually did. She wore a skirt uniform with grey panels on top, lap pocket easily holding her datapad and her arms bare from below her shoulders to above her wrists. She kept her hands in front of her, smiling as he opened the door.

Tom could notice something was not quite the same, however. Her hair was shorter, for instance, kept in a slightly smaller bun than before. Her eyes were still an intense green, but otherwise, she looked normal. "Good evening, Freeman-Heisho," Yukari said.

"Good evening, Yukari-Chui," Tom replied with a bow. The Yamataian had changed out of his military suit and into a pair of slacks and a slightly poofy black sweater. "You look very nice this evening, ma'am. I like what you did with your hair." He motioned into the room. "Please, come in."

Yukari blushed; she'd not been complimented on her hair before. She bowed a little in return and stepped inside. "I like your sweater," she said awkwardly, but with a smile.

He smiled politely, sensing his companion's shyness. "Thank you very much. Please, take a seat at the table. I've set it up for us." The circular table near the kitchen had a white cloth draped over it and silverwear set, as well as two glasses at each plate. In the center of the table was a small vase with a collection of flowers in it.

Yukari blushed even more. Though it was not, in truth, too much, she had never received such treatment. She could see the care put into the arrangement. "Thank you," she said quietly and went to the table. As she drew the seat back, she winced; she'd pulled on it too fast and it had scraped some. "Aheh," she said neverously before sitting down.

"it is not my chair, no worries." Tom said as he walked by her and to the entryway of the kitchen. He leaned against the door, turned to face her. "So, ma'am. Did you have any preferences as to what you wanted to eat?"

"Ah, no," she said, slipping into Japanese briefly. "You are the chef -- I trust you completely."

"Thanks," Tom replied. "it is kind of a relief because I made a bit of everything, to be safe. Omachi kudasai, Yukari-sama."

He dissappeared into the kitchen.

Yukari blinked, barely believing the words she'd just heard. "Ah, Freeman-Heisho -- " And then he was gone. She rubbed her upper arms and looked about his quarters. Even petty officers and soldiers were treated well on the base, it seemed.

A few moments later, Tom returned with a small set of Onigiri on a white plate in one hand and a small salad in the next. "I haven't prepared this much before, so I hope it is acceptable. it is tuna and shrimp Onigiri as an appetizer and a ginger salad to complement it. What would you like to drink?"

Yukari blinked. Tuna and shrimp onigiri? That sounded too much like "tenshi no tabemono," the food of heaven. Had she even made it out of the procedure? The auroma was wonderful. "Ah -- tea?"

Tom snapped his fingers with a smile. "I knew that too! I prepared some green tea." He again returned with two cups of hot green tea and placed them on the table. "it is nothing special, ma'am. Just something from storage." He sat down opposite of her.

Yukari smiled at the food. "Itadakimasu," she said with a little bow. Chopsticks in hand, she grinned and took one of the onigiri onto her plate. She broke it up a little bit, not feeling quite so famished as to simply devour it from her hands. One bite resulted in her "mmmmmmming."

"Freeman-Heisho ... this is wonderful."

"Oh shucks, you flatter me. And please, you don't need to be so formal. A simple Tom is fine." Tom looked over the food. "Healthy appetite for a healthy life. Like the animals of the land, so must we adequately nourish ourselves for the coming winter." With that, he followed up with a bite of a tuna onigiri.

"Ah, yes!" Yukari nodded in agreement. If healthy living in Ralt meant eating like this, she was all for it. The onigiri on her plate was gone; her tea down to half the cup in a gulp. She tried the shrimp next, and felt even better -- it was just plain enough.

"More tea, Yukari?" Tom got up and grabbed the pot that contained the liquid.

"Ah -- yes please," she said in Japanese. She nearly choked on another piece of onigiri, but she managed to gulp it down first. "Ketsurui-Taii had warned me of butter ... but this is quite nice!" Two onigiri down, she started on some salad.

"I learned a bit from the last time I prepared a meal," Tom said as he poured more tea into Yukari's cup. "It seems that Yamataian tastes are quite varied."

"Lots of food for lots of enjoyment, I think." Yukari managed a cheerful smile as she tasted the salad. The ginger added a sharpness to it, but it wasn't half bad.

"Agreed!" Tom sat down and nibbled away at his onigiri and salad. "Is everything ok?"

"Delicious," she said between bites. Without koi chips in her stomach, Yukari was famished. She didn't manage much discussion before the appettizers were gone.

Tom as well had finished most of the light food that served as a start to the meal. He picked up on her hunger and added, with a wink. "Time for the main course?"

"As the chef commands," Yukari said with a grin.

"Sure thing. Give me one moment." Tom grabbed the two plates off the table and disappeared into the kitchen once more. After a few moments, he once again returned, the plates full. "Grilled chicken with lemon seasoning, accompanied by a lightly buttered vegetable melody, made with care for the healthy eater." He placed it down gently in front of Yukari.

" ... " Yukari was speechless. It smelled delicious. Far better than anything she'd had the chance to eat before. Her cooking paled in comparison. " ... Tom ... this is wonderful!" she breathed. There was little else she could say. She prayed over the food again, but waited for Tom to sit down. "This is too much for me?"

Tom was happy to see her so thrilled. He grinned. "I could say something romantically lame like 'nothing is too much for a pretty lady such as yourself,' but wouldn't that be so cliche?" Tom winked at her. "But I'll say it anyway."

The blush across Yukari's nose was unavoidable. "Flattery," she said simply, looking at her plate. "From a junior officer, no less. I feel unclean." She looked up at Tom, but she was grinning a little.

"Oh, so you heard? I hadn't even put the pin on yet." Tom leaned back in his chair. He ate some of his chicken.

Yukari cut off a bite for herself -- just as she had anticipated. He'd cooked the chicken just so. Eating on the Miharu would not be so bad after all. "Ketsurui-Taii is the commanding officer, I the executive. She does tell me things."

"I figured as much," Tom said with a shrug. "But that's boring talk." His eyes lit up. "Tell me about yourself!"

"So forward!" Yukari smiled, tasting the veggies. "You know there is little to tell. I want to know more about the North lands -- they are much more interesting than me. What was the coldest it has ever been?"

"Ah..." Tom sighed a bit, brushing his spiky yellow hair. "We don't really measure temperatures that often--I mean the townfolk in their everyday lives. But if I could guess, I'd say cold enough to kill a fellow twice over."

" ... " Yukari shook her head, smiling. "Amazing. Nekovalkyrja could hardly stand such temperatures ... not in the same way."

"Well, you tend to learn a few things about cold survival when every day tends to be just like the other," Tom said matter-of-factly. "Mainly, lots of layers of clothing."

"I bet it is fashionable." She giggled at her own little joke. "What is done for fun?"

"Fun, now there's an interesting word. Well, we usually had to make our own fun, so what was called 'fun' really was anything anyone enjoyed doing." Tom thought a moment, having paused with a bit of chicken hanging on his fork. "Playing in the snow, trying to spook animals, playing hide-and-seek, drinking in the tavern, those kinds of things. Although we always made sure to stay within town borders when darkness came."

Yukari smiled, focusing on her veggies. "What is a tavern like? I have never visited one ... "

"Really? How interesting." Tom was a little surprised by the statement, but maybe tavern's weren't a particularly common thing outside of his hometown. "Well, a tavern is usually a small wooden building with a bar, an eating area, a fireplace and some instruments, maybe a piano or a fiddle. People in our town always gathered at the tavern at night. Everyone: men, ladies, children, had a great time with music and dance and alcohol."

"That sounds like such fun ... grouping together and playing music. Instead of ... " Yukari blushed a little. "The Sakura."

"Ohhhhh? What happened on the Sakura? I haven't heard much about it, other than it is a very important ship in our military." Tom finished his chicken and started on his vegetables.

Yukari's veggies were gone, and the chicken wasn't going to last long. " ... It is a strange ship. I cannot explain it well. The crew is very close, but in many strange ways."

"Strange ways? Elbaborate, if you will. I'd like to know about it made you hesitate." Tom knew he was prodding a little. "Trust me, I'm a pretty open-minded guy."

"Open-minded ... yes, that's a good way of describe them. They are open-minded about sex, intercrew relations, mission protocol ... I cannot do the situation justice." Yukari nibbled on more of her chicken.

"Oh, I see." Tom's lip curled into a half smile. "I take it you didn't tend to agree with much of it?"

He stood up to take away their empty plates and return them to the kitchen.

"Well ... " Yukari smiled and let the plates be taken away. "It was hard to accept. I was dared to kiss Nyton's penis -- I did so, as I had to. But it was ... bizarre?"

Tom frowned a bit at that statement. "Sounds a little like coercion to me, having to do something like that as part of a game." He quickly put the plates away and the scraps of food in the kitchen away, as well as the pots and pans. "But I speak out of line, I believe. What we do with our time is our owns, is it not?"

"Our time is that of the Star Army," Yukari said, not sounding fully convinced. "It is up to our commander to utilize it -- the Sakura's captain though that was the best use." She smiled.

"Oh, well then, I can't argue with a captain." Tom laughed. "So, now that dinner's out of the way, are you ready for the next part of our date?" He extended his hand to her.

Yukari blushed again. "There is more? The food was excellent, though ... "

"Why yes, ma'am. We are to dance." Tom smiled, his hand still extended.

Yukari would have been sweating at this point, if she were able to. But that didn't seem to be the case, so she just looked silly as she looked at the hand, looked at Tom, then slowly took it.

Tom was a bit swept in the moment, or rather, the beautiful timing of it, so he failed to notice how small the room was for these kinds of activities. "Have you ever done this before, ma'am?"

"Ah -- no, I have not," she said nervously. Even with her gloves on, she could feel the gentle roughness of his hand, how his skin responded to touch. Not at all like Corro or Nyton.

"Well then, ma'am, I shall be gentle," Tom said as he carefully lead Yukari to her feet. "If all else fails, we always have antigravity." He was joking, of course, and his voice was playful. Yet deep in his voice there was a slight lace of seduction. He escorted her to a nearby chair that rested beside the door to his room. "Excuse me for one moment. I have to get a few things prepared."

Yukari's blush wasn't going away. She silently cursed the Yamataian for his charming demeanor, her smile slightly goofy. "Ah -- okay," she said, unable to muster anything more proper. 'We always have antigravity?' I am in trouble ...

Moving quickly, Tom slid the dining table into the corner, as well as moved all the other pieces of furniture to their nearest walls. The fruit of his labor was the creation of a wide circular area in the center of the room, a little more than 20 feet. A media player rested on a nightstand and Tom sorted through his musical options. "Do you have any preference? Is there some kind of dance that you wanted to try?"

"I trust you," Yukari replied, too quickly. "To not make me look like a fool!" she added, smiling again. She hadn't sat down.

"That's a bit too hard for me to determine by myself," Tom said, turning his head to face Yukari. He smiled warmly at her, trying to dissipate her shyness. "Music covers so many emotions, my lady. Give me a mood and I will match it."

" ... " Yukari felt like she was being interrogated, but in a way, she liked it. Tom was ... she could not place it. Words were practically being sucked out of her mind. "Mildness," she finally said.

Tom had to pause for a moment. Yukari's preference was perhaps the only one he could not immediately find a suiting a match for. He appreciated the challenge, though. Yukari's mindset was... refreshing. "Hm... how about... no... errr..." he said as he sifted through items.

Yukari smiled a little -- he was trying, not correcting. She waited patiently.

"Hm... ok. How about a foxtrot then? If you want pure mildness, we should do a squaredance, but, unfortunately, we don't have the number or space to do it." Tom spoke as if in deep thought. "it is also a fairly easy dance to pick up, and it is peppy as well."

"Fox ... trot?" It sounded strange. Yukari's usual idea of dancing was shaking around in her undergarments after she woke up.

"Yes, Foxtrot," Tom answered. "it is a word used to describe a vast number of dances, under the umbrella of slow or fast steps."

"Ah sou," she said. Slow steps. She could do those.

Finally, Tom had found the perfect music. "Slow style it is, then." He pressed the button and moved toward Yukari with his hand out. "How fun. it is been a long time since I've ball-room danced."

Yukari took the hand again, gulping a little. "I have never danced in a ballroom before ... "

Tom raised his eyebrows at Yukari and smirked. "Then I hope you have an unforgettable experience." He gently pulled her body closer to his, but not too close, giving the two plenty of room in-between their bodies for movement. As he held her hand in his, he took his other and guided it to his back. "Hold your hand here and follow my lead. The slow dance focuses on very rigid steps and patterns, so you should be able to pick it up quickly.

"Ah -- hai," she said, the sudden closeness making her a bit uncomfortable. But soon, with her hands in the right spots, she was following him well enough through the motions. Not that she was thinking very hard about them. He has a toned back, she mused with a little mental giggle.

Tom slid his hand indiscretely down to her hip, as was the normal procedure for this kind of dance. The music was a slow orchestral ballad, accentuated by rising violins. "You're doing pretty good, Yukari." He meant that genuinely. I see she is as graceful as beautiful.

"Thank you," she said quietly in return. She had felt his hand fall to her hip; his hand was a little bit cooler than she had expected as they slowly danced away from a wall they'd come a little close to. "You are a good teacher."

"You flatter me," Tom replied softly. The dance was entertaining enough, but the rigid pattern of 4/4 timed patterns, one two one two, didn't lend itself to much creativity. "This dance also focuses on graceful movements, which I see you have plenty of."

"Liar," Yukari said with reserved laughter, following his steps a little better now. "I could be cheating and having KAMI guide me, after all."

"Liar," Tom said with a grin. "No, honest, you have strong natural talent. You see, because this dance is so predictable, the only way good performers can stand out from the bad ones is by doing the steps with as much fluidity as possible. The way you carry yourself in public has really paid off." At last, the song finished, Tom taking a step backwards and releasing his grip from her.

Yukari smiled warmly and bowed at the end. "Officers are taught more than tactics during their training," she said with a touch of embarassment. "I was not a very graceful NH-17."

"Well, you're definitely a graceful Yamataian. I'm happy for you." Tom walked back to the machine. "My turn."

Yukari's brain practically seized at the word "Yamataian." She gulped -- "Tom ... "

"Hm?" Tom looked back to her. "Am I being too forward?"

"No, that is not it ... " She looked away. "I -- I am not Yamataian now." Yukari couldn't think of another way to put it.

Tom's brow furrowed. "Not Yamataian now? You changed bodies?"

Yukari felt put on the defensive. "I was not doing well in the armor training ... and before that, my body had limited me. I want to be able to protect my friends."

Tom could sense the emotional weight of the matter, as well as the change in Yukari's mood. This was obviously a difficult matter for her. He worded what came next carefully. "You did not come to this choice lightly, ma'am, and I appreciate your willingness to do what you feel to be the right thing."

" ... So sorry," Yukari said, looking down, hands in front of her. "I did not want to lie to you."

Tom walked up to her swiftly and picked her chin up so that her eyes met with his. "You have no reason to be sorry. I trust you completely. In the short time we've been together, you've proven that tenfold." His eyes were soft and compassionate, as was his smile.

"Ah!" Yukari's entire face felt red. Tom was so forward! "Ah -- s,sou." She smiled a little -- then music came on. Fast-paced, with acoustic guitars and other instruments Yukari hadn't heard in some time. She knew the music though.

"Tango?" she said, chin still in Tom's hand. He was so tall.

Tom smiled mischeviously, his nod revealing the truth. He pulled her body close to his. "Might I say again that red looks good on you?" he whispered playfully.

"Idiot," she whispered back in Japanese, not willing to accept she was fighting a losing battle against his charm. She wore a small smile. "You do not care what I am, do you."

"The only thing I care about is that Yukari is Yukari. As long as you remember who you are, I will care for you no matter what body you decide to wear." Tom dipped her body, leaning into hers with his. "Although, I must say, that this one is rather flexible."

Yukari was barely able to contain herself. She was sure she was hot to the touch. She had to hold onto him for dear life, not that she minded. Her bust was millimeters from touching his chest, and she knew he knew it. "It is the finest Yamatai has," she said with a shy smirk.

Tom slid back slowly, admiring her body before pulling her back to meet his. "Mmm... I agree."

The music picked up and Tom guided Yukari through improvised steps, their legs and bodies so close together that several body parts brushed together repeatedly.

Yukari kept her cool -- sort of -- trying to keep up with Tom. For all her supposed grace, he was obviously an old hand at any sort of dancing, for he easily guided her through. She had little chance to stumble due to movement, but plenty due to sheer "Oh-no-was-that-his-thigh?" moments. She kept her eyes locked on his, however, though it involved looking up.

The music paused for a second, a brief intermission, one which allowed Tom to squeeze in a few words as he clutched her body close and whispered into her ear. "Don't focus on me. Embrace the music. Let it carry you away..."

"I -- mm," Yukari said simply. He felt nice, close to her like this. He was obviously different from Kotori ... but it was more than physical. He felt firmer, like a good mattress, she thought as she tried to let the music roll over her. She could lay on him --

"Wahuah!" She nearly tripped, but recovered quickly, and focused again on the music. "Sorry," she whispered embarassingly. Shimattaka!

"Shhhh...." Tom cooed, "Close your eyes and imagine a canvas, your body, my body. The music, now, imagine. It is the paint. The vivid colors, bold, the beautiful hues." Her head rested on his chest, his words echoing both in his lungs and her ears. "Now paint."

Yukari was mesmerized by his words more than the music. It was really art for him, she could tell, not just steps. She tried to do as he asked, but she felt more like the canvas than the painter. He felt very ... nice. That's the only color she had to paint with, it seemed, but it was enough to get her through the music.

The song ended with the long, crying note of a violin, as the two found themselves embraced in a hug. Tom opened his eyes, little beads of sweat on his forehead. "Glorious..."

Yukari wasn't even breathing hard, but her pulse was a little above normal. "Y-yes ... " She could smell his scent a little more now. A little acrid, maybe, but that was because of the sweat -- once that was filtered, she took a slow breath and let it out slowly. He just smelled ... manly. Yes, that was the word. And being so close to him was odd; she just came up to his chest ...

Tom pulled her back slightly, so that their eyes met once more. There was no hiding the passion that they held. Their bodily communication during the dance had revealed more than a thousand words could. He admired everything about her face and body and his flooding desire for her was barely contained. a flooding desire barely contained. Indeed, no more words needed to be said.

Yukari was unsure what to do next. So close, she could feel him, hear his pulse ... she was sure they were thinking the same thing. But they'd barely known each other! How could they do anything more; they'd already done so much! She was going to explode one way or another; the choice was too much --

"Suzuka-Chui," the base's KAMI said outloud.

... Yukari felt like she was being woken from a dream. A really, really nice dream. "Yes," she said softly.

"A vessel registered to you has arrived on at Dock 108, Concourse 42, Arm 5. A pilot is standing by waiting to transfer the vessel to your care."

Yukari was going to scream. Or shoot something. This was not the time. "Can it wait?" she said, almost desperate.

"The pilot must transfer the vessel immediately," the KAMI replied.

... "damn it," she said in Japanese. "Of all the times to be swept out to sea." She returned to English. "I will be there shortly," she said, looking up at Tom painfully.

Tom could only let out a small chuckle, one that seemed to say 'oh well, what the hell can you do.' "We're on Star Army time, Yukari-Chui..." His lips moved to hers until they met in a kiss. The moment was painfully short but almost an eternity at the same time, for Tom it felt as if his soul had crossed with hers. He wanted the sensation to last forever, but, finally, with great reluctance, he pulled back, the goofy smile returning. "...but I think they have room... for one kiss."

Yukari's eyes had closed instinctually ... she had barely felt the touch of his lips, slightly rough as they were. But the kiss still left her shivering. Her lips were still parted, just a little, when she opened his eyes. "That ... was nice," she said slowly. She opened her eyes, sparkling green in the soft light. "But that was very forward of you," she chided him, giggling just a little.

"Yes, I agree. That was nice." Tom wanted to take her away, right then and there, but knew that he could not. "What can I say? Any more forward and I'd have to grab a club!" Tom chuckled. At least the joke helped ease the desire.

"Only if I let you," she responded with a grin. "I will ... see you tomorrow?" She wanted to see more of him right now.

"My door's always open," Tom replied as he walked slowly, painfully, to the door.

Yukari walked to the door with him. "Good ... then ... I will see you tomorrow." She smiled at him, eyes clearly wanting him, luring him to follow her ... but she stepped through the door, bid him goodnight, and left.

"Sonofabitch," Tom muttered as he walked back to the kitchen to wash up. "I'm going to have some great dreams tonight."

* * *

The moment the door closed on Yukari, she swore.

There didn't seem to be anything else she could do. Swearing was the best option at the moment; she certainly could not begin masturbating in the hallway. Nor could she shoot a door, scream at a wall, or simply knock again and ask to stay the night, the mission, the rest of her very life with him.

So, she was left to swear. Under her breath, of course, so as not to offend anyone walking by, though at 1700, there was no one around. She tried to collect herself as she went down one of the long conveyer belts toward the appropriate concourse. But it was difficult.

The kiss. It had been ... just, so, right. There was no denying it. She'd never been kissed by Kotori like that, with passion so pitifully restrained it was as if Tom's very breath were drawing her soul out from her. It was a feeling she knew, one way or another, she would have to experience again. She swallowed loudly, as if to put her soul back into place.

These thoughts did little to help calm her as she made her way to the appropriate dock. It was a simple affair, no more than 20 meters long by 5 meters high. It was one of several on the arm. Only one blacksuited Nekovalkyrja was inside of of the closed docking bay, but it was what she was standing next to that made Yukari gasp a little.

It had arrived. Somehow. Hrist, her transport, looked so much different now. Matte black paint, with a green dot on each wing ... larger engines ... a large underbelly tank-like unit, also black ... and something written under the canopy, near the pilot's seat. She smiled a little and entered the docking bay.

"Suzuka-Chui," the Nekovalkyrja said. She had grey skin and blue hair.

"Yes," she responded in Japanese.

"Your transport will be transferred to the ship you are serving on before it is launched. You have acknowledged the delivery, so I am free from my duty."

"Yes," Yukari said again. "Dismissed."

"Thank you," the Neko said gruffly with a stiff bow, then left.

Yukari could only look at her vessel -- hers, and hers alone. It was only mildly distracting however -- even after she saw the writing below the cockpit, her name in Japanese and English with matte grey paint. She had to smile a little at the aesthetic touch; Kobayakawa had done an absolutely stunning job.

There would be more time to explore later, however. Yukari was full of good food and even better memories. To ensure Hrist would be safe (the black-suited Nekos made her slightly nervous) she collected the helmet from the cockpit, noting they had painted it matte black with two green dots on either side as well. She took the helmet with her back to her room, tossed it onto the small couch, dressed down to her underwear, and climbed into bed. Thoughts of Tom were far too strong for her to remember anything she saw or felt before getting into that bed ... and what she felt after getting in bed was hard to recall too. But she remembered being warm yet shivering, and that was enough for her.

* * *

It was surprising how quickly work could be accomplished when one was completely fascinated on a subject.

For Tom, that subject was Yukari.

He had started cleaning the kitchen--the assortment of dishes, pots and utensils that were strewn about--only minutes ago. He had hoped that the cool running water of the sink would douse his passion, or, at the very least, distract him enough to take his mind off the woman he was head-over-heels in love with.

Yukari. The simple thought of her caused a sigh to escape his lips. Tom’s body robotically continued to do its cleaning, but his mind was caught in a love-struck web from which he could not escape.

He had never connected with another so deeply, and this from nothing more than a kiss! Well, the dance had helped too, but... the kiss.

Oh man... Tom closed his eyes, reliving the brief moment countless times-- how she trembled in his arms, fragile, while he shared with her the most precious thing he had in the world.

Her soft body. Her luxurious hair. Her eyes. Her soft green eyes that spoke volumes, those eyes that were a window into her soul.

But it was so much more than that too...

It seemed that cleaning didn’t do a damn thing it was intended to. And it was getting late.

If his mind couldn’t be distracted, at least his body’s desire could.

After the longest shower of his life, Tom slipped into bed and lulled himself to sleep with notes of the tango dancing in his head.