RP: YSS Miharu [restart point] Mission 2, Day 1

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

While Sora divvied up the shares of the crew physicals with Sanjuro, Serizawa decided to busy himself with the preparations for the mental backups. Quickly finding his way to the ST alcove, the scientist began to run a few quick diagnostic tests on the machine before the backups began. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with faulty equipment on his first day on the Miharu.

Serizawa noticed how much easier it was for him to operate the ST alcove. It was only natural. It was the task most demanded of him on the Sakura and Plumeria so he got plenty of experience working with it. However, it was a relatively easy operation that required a minimal amount of patient interaction. In the physicist's opinion, the skill was convenient but nothing particularly noteworthy.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

After grounding himself, Tom proceeded to check each cell and the wiring that ran to it. It was a huge pain getting to each individual cell, as he had to crawl down the narrow path and take a sharp left turn to enter the small cell where each capacitor was held. In each of these cells, he only had enough room to kneel. His helmeted face was approximately two feet away from where he worked, and it was a good thing the Yamataian was so flexible because he had to put some of it to work.

"I tell you what, they don't design these ships with the engineers in mind..."

Removal of the paneling revealed that most capacitors were fully operational. However, a few had frayed wiring or loose connectors that reduced, and in some extraordinarily bad cases, stopped power to individual cells. Some needed a simple tightening with a wrench while for a few, the Yamataian had to replace individual wires with extras from his toolbox.

Certainly this was at least contributing to the inefficiency of the Miharu's energy storage. But there had to be more to it than that.

"Nimura, how're you doing?"

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Nyton noticed the sudden downturn in Kotori's demeanor and looked down for a moment. "Ah, sorry I did not mean to worry you. Kosuka-san is a powerful warrior so I am certain that she is doing well. After we bring the much needed victory to Yamatai perhaps you will be summoned to the Palace to be congratulated. Then you could share your moment of triumph with Kosuka-san in person. I am certain she will be so proud of you she would hardly be able to contain herself." he said with encouragement in his voice.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Nimura, persisting in her stubborn refusal to speak unless it was of crucial importance, instead telepathically sent a video feed of her own vision to show Tom how she was handling each cell on the opposite end. Not having Tom's experience, she was slightly slower than him, but she seemed to be handling her end well.

* * *

"That's not it, Nyton." Kotori replied. "I've sort of... avoided seeing my mother. Even though I know she loves me... her circumstances and mine just seem to be extremely removed from one another. When I was on Yamatai, I wondered about visiting her, but I realized that not only was I not sure of what to tell her or do with her; but there was also the matter of the way my life turned. It's not like my current job is anything a Ketsurui Samurai might find honorable."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

At this Nyton's expression turned slightly puzzled. "Not find honorable? How can you or your job not be considered honorable? You have been given command of a ship, charged with a most crucial mission, performed with an admirable record, and been adopted into the Ketsurui royalty. I suppose I don't quite understand the Ketsurui Samurai either but you should not be afraid to see her."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Sora continued to smile brightly, "Right! So now we wait for the crew to start showing up so we can start!" She rocked on her heels excitedly for a moment before pulling her data pad back from her belt pouch to continue her review of the crew roster and medical records. If Serizawa had been watching he would've found his 'happy place' quite quickly in her cheerful bouncing.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

The image panel flashed to life in front of Yukari and Miyoko.

Inside it, a samurai sat very close to a blank, grey-colored wall. She had golden eyes narrowed at Yukari, not quite as bright as Kotori's, but close. The Nekovalkyrja's hair was pulled back behind her head in a tight ponytail, and her ears were relatively small. Her arms appeared to be folded below her breasts, into the sleeves of her samurai robe.

"O-samurai-san," Yukari said, bowing deeply and hoping Miyoko knew to do the same.

"Shosa." Kôsuka nodded. "Congratulations on your promotion." She spoke Yamataian.

"Thank you, o-samurai," Yukari replied in Yamataian. It felt good to speak it again. "It was undeserved."

"A lie, naturally." The samurai's eyes turned to Miyoko, then back to Yukari. "Do you enjoy the life of SAINT?"

"Yes, of course," Yukari replied without hesitation.

"Another lie. I will pray for your transfer to a fleet of purer values."

"Thank you, o-samurai."

The samurai shifted in her robe, settling down for a conversation. "You have called for me. How might I assist you?"

"I must speak of your daughter, Kôsuka-dono." Yukari watched as the samurai shifted more uncomfortably, but the reply came as smoothly as the others: "She is dead?"

Yukari shook her head. "We believe SAINT has modified her body somehow, as a test subject against fighting telepathic attack."

Kôsuka's eyes creaked wider by the width of a few eyelashes, then narrowed into golden slits. "Explain."

"My comrade, Saito Miyoko-Hei, shall do so." Yukari looked back to Miyoko, sending, "Be honest with her, including our uncertainties. She will help us."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Miyoko took a deep breath, pausing to gather her thoughts before she replied. As little as she wanted to keep a samurai waiting--particularly one that Yukari would bow so deeply to--scrambling to answer her and messing up seemed even less appealing. She started tentatively. "When we attempted to give her an ST backup, the machine overheated, to the point of nearly causing brain damage to her. Our investigation showed that the machine was having another, much stronger psionic signal broadcast back at it--presumably from the Taisa's head. This second signal was the data the machine was broadcasting, as well as some added information. The added information wasn't in any form decipherable by MEGAMI, suggesting that it's either nonsense or very, very encrypted."

The sensor specialist paused, realizing she was rambling. "Ketsurui-taisa couldn't explain what caused this, but we were told that SAINT had assured her that the Miharu has a form of psionic protection... though they wouldn't explain what it is, and no system onboard has been identified as such." She stopped again, trailing off before dipping a deep bow. "That is all we know at the moment." She looked a bit embarassed at the abrupt ending.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Kotori smiled indulgently to Nyton. "My mother is driven by simpler, nobler things such as the desire to protect, to nurture, to teach, to preserve. For my part, it seems more like my life is on a more selfish path of having me change the ways the universe work which do not suit me - and the fashion in which I do so are growing increasingly underhanded. I find myself distant from my roots and a part of me cannot help - feeling that rift - to feel wistful about the innocence I lost."

Kotori sighed and looked at her knees. "Are gods not often seen in mythos as merely very powerful, childish personas? When I referred to the Emperor's words earlier, it was also a little self-deprecating. I have a lot of power for someone whom is merely two years old... and part of the problem perhaps might be that I still need more. What is that, but merely a microcosm of what the Empire itself is?"

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Kôsuka seemed to absorb all of what she was being told without even the most minor flicker of movement. For nearly a minute, after Miyoko was done, she seemed to move her eyes down just enough to appear as if she was thinking.

"No Nekovalkyrja can perform telepathic defense or attack." She looked to Yukari. "You checked her work?"

"Yes, Kôsuka-dono," Yukari said. "They were psionic signals."

" ... " Her gaze returned to Miyoko. "When was the last successful Soul Transfer of the Taisa?"

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

The neko nodded at Kai as she mulled over his description of a ST.
"Hmmm... I guess it doesn't sound too bad. The pain can't be all that bad anyway.", she waved her hand dismissively, "Unlike the pain of probably getting Mishu's to stab you. That looks... Very painful..."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Hoshi pulled out for Yukari a record of the last Soul Transfers Kotori underwent.

YSS Sakura, NH-22M Record 1 (lost)
YSS Sakura, NH-22M Record 2 (lost)
YSS Sakura, NH-22M copy of transfer to NH-29S (lost)

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The first dated from early YE 29, after Kotori had come back from shoreleave on Hanako's World. The second was dated as being before the PNUgen raid. The third was not long afterwards when the transfer had been done.

Something caught Miyoko's eye. She wasn't usually privy to the information Hoshi had just offered to Yukari, but she understood what was displayed enough to know it was the log of a Soul Transfer. When effecting Soul Transfers, like she had done with Asher, the logs specified if the former body was purged or not. The third log in the text displayed to Yukari did not.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Nyton's face drew a pensive expression as he thought on what Kotori had said. He then sighed and shook his head. "If ever there were more foolish gods, it is the kind we humans strive to be. The Nekovalkyrja should not have been made to be weapons without being allowed to grow and choose for themselves. A young race is not ready for such soul wrenching burdens. The innocence you feel lost is normal and perhaps a good sign. A sign that your soul is still inherently good." he said warmly.

Nyton leaned back and put his hand upon Kotori's shoulder briefly. "You are not as different from your mother than you think. You too are driven by the same values. Protecting the citizens of the Empire, nurturing your crew, teaching them to survive, and preserving as many lives as you can. The survivors at Taiie would not have escaped if you had not acted as such. You should not be afraid of the changes but rather take note and cherish that which is still alike."

After removing his hand he then touched the tips of his fingers together and looked at his own hands. "Power is something that must be used carefully so do not fear it. Fear weakens the mind and will only misdirect the user. Do not be too hard on yourself but be remain vigilant. If you do not wish to resemble the gods that litter human history then you must not forget what you are." he said.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

"Her last successful one was when she transferred to her current body... though none of the transfers are extant." Miyoko stopped, inspecting the data closer with a confused look on her face. "... and also, the records contain no indication of whether her NH-22 body was destroyed when she transferred out of it. There usually are. It could just be an oversight, but... it might also be related."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Kôsuka looked at the pair of them blankly for several seconds. She then spoke as if no time had passed.

"That is to say, then, that the Taisa has no way of being revived if she were to be killed." Still again. Yukari was not sure if she was thinking or being dramatic. "Her old body was the NH-22M. There is a man who will know what happened to it. Perhaps he will know more."

Kôsuka's eyes fixed on Yukari. "I will talk to the man. I trust you will continue to protect my daughter, Suzuka-Shosa."

"With my very soul, Kôsuka-dono." Her body was stiff as she bowed deeply again, her reply utterly resolute. It was not often she spoke with such unwavering certainty.

This time, Kôsuka returned the bow, stick-straight ponytail pointed up behind her neck. "Thank you, Shosa. Hei-san." She bowed to Miyoko, just as low as she had with Yukari. "I will seek him immediately. You will have your reply within a day."

"We shall watch for it," Yukari said simply.

With that, the communication ended. Yukari turned to Miyoko.

"The Battle of PNUgen is poorly documented, as the company's mainframe was destroyed. The best logs would be from the YSS Sakura, which was also destroyed. We must examine information from that battle — if the Taisa's Soul Transfer into her new body is related to that fight, we must know about it. What else should we examine?"

It was clear that this was not a conversation between officer and enlisted soldier. Yukari was treating her as equal to herself.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

KAi laughed at Yuril's comment, before answereing "Well, I got stabbed with a Durandium sword,and it didn't hurt too bad after the initial shock. I'm sure the Mushhu couldn't be much worse." He smiled at her again as they approached the door to the Med bay. Standing to the side, he bowed slightly, holding out a hand inviting her to enter first.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Masako was a bit taken back by Asher's vicious behavior. But she didn't shirk back from her subordinate. In fact, her ears seemed to move until they were back against her head and the hair on the back of her neck nearly stood on end as she scowled back. "Westwood-Hei, I honestly don't care if you believe you are a God of War or something," she tried her best to hold back her rising anger at the man. "The fact of the matter is that you are the second highest ranking armor pilot underneath me. This gives you more responsibility than you may wish it to be, but you have it anyway." she spoke almost as if it were the calm before the storm.

She actually stepped closer to the taller person and glowered. "May I remind you as well that this is a military organization and that you won't get your way often. "Front-line killin' machine" you may be, but you are also a soldier and have your own responsibilities to the people underneath you!" she said as her voice got a little louder. "You don't want to be a leader? That fine, but you're going to be one eventually anyway whether you like it or not! So my advice is to quit being so selfish and learn a bit of self control, is that clear Asher Orkin Westwood-Ittô Hei," the last bit came out more like a bark than anything else.

Quite surprising from someone who had never really yelled at someone before, but Masako was actually disappointed she actually had to yell at him. Maybe she expected something impossible from him, but she had at least thought she had been asking nicely the first time. To actually get angry like this was something she didn't want to do.

"I didn't mean for it to sound like I thought of you as a madman," she said a bit quieter, but the scowl was still upon her face. "You are not a madman, but you are not a soldier either," she said before backing up and standing up straighter, which may have looked a bit silly for someone so short to do. "I think I've taken up enough of your time however," she spoke in a more detached tone. "You are dismissed. I promise I won't have you lead ever again."

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Miyoko thought for a moment before answering Yukari's inquiry. "Knowing what the ship's roster was during the transfer would also be helpful. While this could have been done just by manipulating the ship's MEGAMI, the medical officer who carried out the procedure could have been responsible. I suspect it was the former, though."

After a few more seconds of pondering the question, Miyoko curiously added, "Do you know what rank she was when the transfer happened?"

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Asher didn't like being called selfish, and really began to wonder if Masako even had any experience with talking with subordinates. He thought he was actually being considerate, he didn't want to get anyone killed under his clumsy command. Though, the Hei couldn't help but hold a mix of a smile and a serious look, with curled into something that looked like disgust. Not thinking of the fact that she ignored his last bit in his reply to her. He couldn't blame her, he had been overstepping his bounds ever since he stepped out of the simulator.

Despite whatever the Juni's feeling were, he had gotten exactly what he wanted. In fact, his smile broke through at the end of the scolding. He bowed to Masako, a deep and respectful looking bow.

"If that's the way you want it. You have a wonderful day, Kurohoshi-Juni." He said, and with that turning on a heel, trying to prevent himself from carrying him any closer to Masako's adorable wrath.

"Miharu, is there any other place that I'm needed other than the Med Bay for ST back-ups?" Asher asked.

Re: [restart point] Mission 2

Yukari brought up the relevant information.

Hoshi's CIES said:

Ketsurui, Kotori was a TAII at the time of SAKURA MISSION 5. The medical officer at the time onboard the SAKURA was MILES GUNN (DECEASED).

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"Gunn-san is dead?" Yukari did not know that. "The other person that could be considered is Hanako-hime."