Ketsurui Yui was always beautiful. From her flowing green hair to her calm demeanor and flawless features, she was the epitome of Nekovalkyrja grace and loveliness.
But Yui had the emotional capacity to appreciate such features. The NH-17 Nekovalkyrja weapon named "Yukari" had no such capacity, so her orangish hair and brilliant green eyes were maintained in the style of Yui mostly to conform with every other Neko on the ship. Her ears had the same flesh-colored fur, at least at that time in YE 26.
The features were stark against her Star Army enlisted uniform. She was some kind of bizzaro Yui, but so were the other Nekos. Originality in design was not a possibility when buying bulk at a nice discount, as the captain had. Only one Neko had anything other than a red uniform, a cheap sidearm and dignity.
That wasn't entirely so, Yukari thought coldly as she walked between the cargo containers, marking off the contents listed on the manifest. She had yet to be approached by the captain for anything other than her official duties. It was a testament to her professionality, or so she figured. Then again, she was third mate ... maybe that figured in too.
She wasn't licking the man's feet or fetching his stinking wine, that's for sure. Those things happened off shift, when she was planted firmly in her bunk with either a book or her bass. And that's how it was going to stay, she thought.
Yukari finished the manifest after about 20 minutes, and she hung the datapad near the elevator, where it normally was.
"Yukari-Hei to bridge, manifest cleared," she said, seemingly speaking to thin air.
"Get up here then; we might have an issue." The reply came on a localized speaker on the wall near the manifest.
"Yessir," she said, already inside the elevator. She brushed a stray lock of orange hair from her face and came out onto the bridge, which was larger than most other cargo ships she had studied. Not that she minded; it placed people farther from her and made it easier to pilot. As she came from the back, she stopped at the side of the captain's chair and bowed. He didn't notice, of course, so she took her seat at the bridge in front of him. The nearest crewmember was about three meters away.
"Fucking roving pirate groups," the captain, a tall and grizzled Nepleslian, said as he scratched the front of his uniform. "Why the hell won't the damn YSA patrol out here more? Kennewes isn't that damn far away, is it?"
Yukari said nothing as she took control of and maneuvered the ship into the proper position to be boarded. The pirates were only looking for a bribe anyway -- she'd seen this group before, working on another freighter under a Nekovalkyrja captain. All you had to do was give them some KS and they would let you complete the journey. The captain was simply unhappy because the last time, the pirates had decided it would be more fun to be paid with an orgy.
Yukari's green eyes narrowed. She had lost a couple comrades during that fight, but the pirate blood that had been spilled was enough to make up for it. A smile slowly crossed her face. The captain had been displeased by the Nekos' conduct.
"Hey Cream, how many of them are there?" the captain asked. "Cream" was not the Neko's real name, but he called her that anyway. Regardless, Cream replied that there were six vessels, a Sojourner converted to be a carrier, and five Ronin starfighters. More than enough to lay waste to their own Sojourner. The ship slowed to a stop.
"SA vessel Suzuka, you know the drill. We're sending a shuttle over to get the cash. And no fucking Nekos this time! We've got enough scan grenades to paste the floor with Neko goo."
The captain didn't even respond. He did indeed know the drill, getting up out of his seat with an official looking money card. Yukari just kept the ship still as the shuttle left the other freighter and came toward them.
"Neh," Cream said to her, looking over from her sensor console. "I bet Asako could destroy four of them before they got a shot off. They're not even pointing at us."
Yukari shook her head. "They would destroy us."
"Cheh ... you are a good pilot, Yukari-Hei! You could do that move you tried last time ... what did the captain call it?"
"A J-turn," she replied coolly. The shuttle had already zipped over and was docking. Yukari opened the appropriate cargo gate.
"Yes, a J-turn! That was a good move, how did you come up with it?"
"I read," Yukari said. Cream had always been a little more annoying.
But Yui had the emotional capacity to appreciate such features. The NH-17 Nekovalkyrja weapon named "Yukari" had no such capacity, so her orangish hair and brilliant green eyes were maintained in the style of Yui mostly to conform with every other Neko on the ship. Her ears had the same flesh-colored fur, at least at that time in YE 26.
The features were stark against her Star Army enlisted uniform. She was some kind of bizzaro Yui, but so were the other Nekos. Originality in design was not a possibility when buying bulk at a nice discount, as the captain had. Only one Neko had anything other than a red uniform, a cheap sidearm and dignity.
That wasn't entirely so, Yukari thought coldly as she walked between the cargo containers, marking off the contents listed on the manifest. She had yet to be approached by the captain for anything other than her official duties. It was a testament to her professionality, or so she figured. Then again, she was third mate ... maybe that figured in too.
She wasn't licking the man's feet or fetching his stinking wine, that's for sure. Those things happened off shift, when she was planted firmly in her bunk with either a book or her bass. And that's how it was going to stay, she thought.
Yukari finished the manifest after about 20 minutes, and she hung the datapad near the elevator, where it normally was.
"Yukari-Hei to bridge, manifest cleared," she said, seemingly speaking to thin air.
"Get up here then; we might have an issue." The reply came on a localized speaker on the wall near the manifest.
"Yessir," she said, already inside the elevator. She brushed a stray lock of orange hair from her face and came out onto the bridge, which was larger than most other cargo ships she had studied. Not that she minded; it placed people farther from her and made it easier to pilot. As she came from the back, she stopped at the side of the captain's chair and bowed. He didn't notice, of course, so she took her seat at the bridge in front of him. The nearest crewmember was about three meters away.
"Fucking roving pirate groups," the captain, a tall and grizzled Nepleslian, said as he scratched the front of his uniform. "Why the hell won't the damn YSA patrol out here more? Kennewes isn't that damn far away, is it?"
Yukari said nothing as she took control of and maneuvered the ship into the proper position to be boarded. The pirates were only looking for a bribe anyway -- she'd seen this group before, working on another freighter under a Nekovalkyrja captain. All you had to do was give them some KS and they would let you complete the journey. The captain was simply unhappy because the last time, the pirates had decided it would be more fun to be paid with an orgy.
Yukari's green eyes narrowed. She had lost a couple comrades during that fight, but the pirate blood that had been spilled was enough to make up for it. A smile slowly crossed her face. The captain had been displeased by the Nekos' conduct.
"Hey Cream, how many of them are there?" the captain asked. "Cream" was not the Neko's real name, but he called her that anyway. Regardless, Cream replied that there were six vessels, a Sojourner converted to be a carrier, and five Ronin starfighters. More than enough to lay waste to their own Sojourner. The ship slowed to a stop.
"SA vessel Suzuka, you know the drill. We're sending a shuttle over to get the cash. And no fucking Nekos this time! We've got enough scan grenades to paste the floor with Neko goo."
The captain didn't even respond. He did indeed know the drill, getting up out of his seat with an official looking money card. Yukari just kept the ship still as the shuttle left the other freighter and came toward them.
"Neh," Cream said to her, looking over from her sensor console. "I bet Asako could destroy four of them before they got a shot off. They're not even pointing at us."
Yukari shook her head. "They would destroy us."
"Cheh ... you are a good pilot, Yukari-Hei! You could do that move you tried last time ... what did the captain call it?"
"A J-turn," she replied coolly. The shuttle had already zipped over and was docking. Yukari opened the appropriate cargo gate.
"Yes, a J-turn! That was a good move, how did you come up with it?"
"I read," Yukari said. Cream had always been a little more annoying.
