RP: YSS Resurgence Resurgence of Yamatai - Mission 2: Lost But Never Forgotten

"I... Don't think I have any clothes that weren't issued to me. Well, I've got a pair of sunglasses, but that's not an outfit." The plain Neko said.

Power armor bay

Sanda stopped in her tracks and did a face palm as she heard Thaddaeus plan. "Por amor de... Do you think this is a game Thaddaeus? Do you really think you're just going to move around the planet, an enemy held planet, freely with just your smile a box of pizza!" Sanda had had all she could take of Nepleslian macho. She had a healthy dose herself, but it was kept well in check by her training and professionalism as a soldier. "Our objective is to locate and rescue VIPs and gather as much intel as we can so other rescue operations can happen. The best way to locate VIPs, since the big brains haven't come up with anything useful to share with us, is to make contact with any resistance cells operating on Hanako."

Sanda took a deep breath. She actually liked Thaddaeus. The man had enough moxie to sink a ship but moxie didn't make a good soldier. "Hanako's World has H-bunkers spread all over it. Some may still be operational and hidden from the Kuvies. That's a good place to start looking. Hanako has been in enemy hands for 2 years. If any H-bunker is still hidden it's because they haven't bought attention to themselves. We don't want to bring attention to them either," Sanda glanced at Cassie, "Which is why were not bringing PA. PA would stand out like an ID-SOL at a Neko convention. We're assuming the Kuvies are using the world's agriculture for their own use so someone has to be there working the fields. Most likely slaves. We can't blend in if we're wearing PA." Sanda sighed. "Look, I'm not an officer or an NCO. But I am a specialist and this is my field of expertise. Anyone else want to call the shots speak up because I'm tired of waiting."

"So.. We are going in under cover, what should I wear? I'm pretty sure my uniform's going to stand put like a neon sign." She asked.

Beryl was one of the only qualified pilots on the YSS Resurgence who wasn't already busy on the ship's bridge so it fell to her to get in the cockpit of a shuttlecraft. She walked across the center passageway to the power armor bay, looking bright like a traffic cone in her orange-paneled logistics uniform and tumbling curls of brilliant emerald-green hair. "I'm prepping a T7 shuttle with seats on the sides and open space in the middle for a drone package from the science team," she told the crew getting ready. "We can push the drones out the back at the appropriate altitude and then insert you either immediately or when the drones come up with something. Sound good?"

Sanda looked down at her own outfit. A Type 40 Plate Vest and dark fatigues. "Dark Rikugun fatigues. The pattern blends well into the both urban and rural areas."

Beryl was a godsend for Sanda. "Sounds great. Let's get going."

Power armor bay

Thad lifted his hand with one finger in the air to confirm to Sanda that is exactly what he was going to do. However he overheard Cheilith talking about what they were going to wear. He thought this would be the perfect time to cover the facts as he understood them.

"Cheilith has the right idea, though is being very bold. This is world Hanako, a paradise world. So Cheilith wearing only sunglasses I'd picture fitting right in. Kuvvies would more than likely take her as being..." His fist clinched as the words left his lips. "A slave. Though Sanda makes a good point of there being hidden H bunkers and we do not wish to turn it into a tourist attraction." He took a few paces back and forth. "I feel we have a plan..." He was cut off by the announcement. "Welp, best we get moving to the shuttle. We can cover the details on the way to the world." He looked over towards Sanda. "Hope you brought a swim suit too, be a good chance to get some sun." He said with a grin as he went to pick up his gear.

Shuttle Bay

Beryl Leyton, carrying an olive drab gym bag, went back to the shuttle bay and made her way through the T7 shuttle, passed the cargo bay and its red, strappy seats, the pile of drones, and through the thick, airtight cockpit door, which opened with a thunk. The shuttle was a rare Ke-T7-1C stealth shuttle and the only one of its type on the ship. The cockpit smelled vaguely of new seat fabric and disinfectant. She briefly looked in the bag to double check she had everything. Gun. Coveralls. Rations. Survival stuff. AMES spacesuit (you never know...). She flipped some switched and the shuttle came to life, bathing her in red light and the just a hint of a glow of the shuttle's teal and orange illuminated control panels. The instrument panel in front of her contained every sensor she could possibly need. Her weapons were just off to the right. The fold system was on the column between the cockpit doors and the computer was basically behind her ass. All the gauges were at zero or the green; there was no need for adjustments.

Beryl sat down and waited. Her seat was soft and comfortable. The seats were standard T7 shuttle seats but they were outfitted with some great padding. Ketsurui Zaibatsu never compromised with the furniture quality. She settled back in the comfortable seat and get her harness on. She had done this hundreds of times, in flight simulators, in training, and all of them had not prepared her for what was about to happen. Undercover flying in Kuvexian airspace? "Okay...?" she grumbled aloud. At least it was a known, mapped world. She leaned back. She had a lot to think about, and she had just a few minutes, at most.

Meanwhile, Poppy Pink grabbed a seat in the back with a rather large medical bag in front of her feet.

Shuttle Bay

Sanda stood outside the shuttle and ran a quick check on her gear and supplies. Rifle, plasma revolver, Matte Black Pistol, 2 Straight Silver daggers and a Type 40 survival knife. Four grenades', two frag and two flash and plenty of ammunition. First aid kit, flashlight and emergency flairs. Food for a week, water for three days. A planet like Hanaka's world would be easy enough to find food and water on but Sanda liked to be prepared. She was ready. Has she climbed aboard the shuttle, Sanda inserted an ear piece in her ear. Much like the comm system they'd be using in the field this one was just for listening to music. The lightning tattooed woman loved rock and roll and little surprise one of her favorite bands was a Nepleslian band call the Electrics. She selected her favorite song by them and cranked up the volume to the point that it could be heard by anyone setting beside her. Sanda closed her eyes and began jamming out while she waited for the rest of the team to board and get this show on the road.

Shuttle Bay

Thad had made his way to the shuttle bay, following along with everyone else. Other than small talk, most of his focus was on the prep for the events to come. He had his standard load out within his bag, which was ammo and grenades mostly. He had his gun blade attached to his hip and standard issue items from Star Army. In addition to this load out he also brought a Marine Combat Axe he had picked up recently. He felt an axe might have good use for chopping down doors or a kuvvy. Once he checked all his gear, he loaded onto the shuttle. As he walked by Sanda he could hear the music clearly. Seemed she was getting into the fight spirit before they landed. He decided to take a seat next to her and bop along to the tune.

Shuttle

An atmospheric retention force-field shimmered into place and an exterior door began to slowly move out of the way to reveal the black void of space above and the glowing oceanic orb of Hanako's World down below. The view was fantastic, with island chains and shining teal blue oceans visible on the surface through thin, occasional clouds. Once the shuttle was sealed up, Beryl flashed a thumbs up at the passenger area doorway and Poppy closed it. The stealthy shuttle carefully passed out through the door and began its descent into the atmosphere. After several relatively uneventful few minutes, Beryl's voice came on the intercom and told them she'd slowed down enough that it was safe to release the drones. "Also, don't fall out when you're doing it, it's three kilometers down," she added.

Totally not someplace near Roanapur

Koyama had been sitting quietly near the back with a data slate in hand. She'd gone mostly unnoticed or so it would seem. The woman was like that since birth. Growing up as she had, the engineer had long since learned the value of such discipline as a youngling well into adulthood. While the Nepleslians had to be nearer to hear the wailing of guitars, thunderous drums, and throaty vocals of their music, she could from where her seat. With not so much as a grimace at the taste in music the Chui rose smoothly to her feet clutching the slate she folded into a tiny square and packed away in one of her pockets. Although what came next perhaps was a little odd due to her spraying her outfit down from an aerosol bottle.

Front, back, sides, legs, and arms. All were sprayed and not so much as a sheen of wetness seemed to take hold. The coating was something she had engineered a couple of years earlier. A self-regenerating fabric coating that can repair tears and holes over time. Just add water. Or Blood. Or Sweat. Or even saliva if you're partial. With a final check of herself, Koyama cinched her belt, patted down her vest's pockets. The tinted set of sunglasses she brought forth elicited a thoughtful look however before seating herself again while tying her hair back with an equally as black length of cord.

Her preferences tended to lean more toward lighter fare. A cut-down, collapsible GP-12 sat beside her. At her hip rested her tried and true Type 33 NSP (Dark) a survival knife of her own and what appeared to be a simple hilt was nestled along the thigh opposite to her sidearm. In truth, it was a collapsible blade-based along the lines of what she'd used briefly during her first foray in ground combat if one could call cutting her way through an abandoned UOC station ground combat. Minus the aether, Kuvexian heavies, and death. Anything else was stowed away in a pack. Although likely containing her supply of food and essentials.

The glasses were framed similarly to those 'cat-eyed' trend glasses yet not overblown in terms of proportion. The lenses themselves were one-way disguising her smoldering eyes from view even as her head tilted a little downward to check the watch on her wrist before it faded from view leaving only pale, milky skin before she rolled the sleeve of her jacket down again.

At Beryl's words, the Chui readied the drones for launch with a mental command. Her ears lowered ever so slightly as they prepped themselves. But she did lean forward giving the Nepleslians an unreadable look before ensuring the drones were launched. Wen it was all said and done it did give her a stunning view of the world below. The smell of salt spray tickled her enhanced sense of smell ever so faintly. The air was clean and free not recycled as was the norm on ships. The sky was so much akin to Yamatai she made a little pleased noise while taking in a glimpse of the tinge of blue ocean on the horizon. Who needed loud, chaotic music when the simple sounds of nature were music all its own? Right?

"Drones are launched and online!" the first words she'd spoken since coming aboard and directed toward the cockpit.

Shuttle

"You've been.... THUNDERSTRUCK!" The music was blasting out of Sanda's earpiece, drowning out all other sounds. The loud music had a practical purpose as well. Sanda was not the biggest fan of flying. Most of the time she was ok with it but it wasn't her favorite pastime. The music helped take her mind off the fact that she was miles over the planet's surface and she had zero control of her fate at the moment. It also helped to reset her mind. It was times like this, right after she had geared up and just before the start of a mission that Sanda would begin worrying and second guessing herself. Had she brought the right equipment and loadout for the mission? Should she have done something else to prepare? It was waisted energy to worry at this point so Sanda would just let the music drown out everything and give her mind and body a chance to reset. She noticed, with some annoyance, that Thaddaeus had sat down right beside her and was jamming to her music as well. She sniffed, took out one of the earpieces and held it up to Thaddaeus so he would have to sit so close to her and went back to her music.

The lighting bolt tattooed woman opened her eyes a few songs later when she heard Beryl give the word to launch the drones. She saw XO get up and see to the drone launching. Feeling ready to go Sanda killed the music and made her way up to the cockpit. "How are things looking?" She asked Beryl.

Shuttle

Beryl briefly looked over her shoulder to see who was opening the cockpit door, a look of mild annoyance briefly flashing across her face. She didn't people barging into her cockpit without asking...but she didn't mention that. "We should have brought one of the science people with us," she complained instead. "Contacting the ship..."

Kawa Euikoshi's face appeared on a screen. "Hello! Resurgence has established connections to the drones and I am sending them out to look for our people. We are already picking up thousands of escape pods from Nakajima Star Fortress on the surface. And I'm also working on connecting the the thousands of robots on the planet. When Sixth Fleet was wiped out, there were were a ton of robots left behind and they may be able to provide us with intel if they're active."

"I'm glad we have some leads," Beryl said. "Once we start calling for survivors we're going to lose the element of surprise. Here's a map..."



"We're currently near the equator heading West, passing over the Eastern Embrace. If you want to visit the places with the most population, Paradise Island and New Kyoto are ahead of us," Beryl said. "Alternatively I could skirt around the more remote areas, concentrating on escape pod landing sites."

Shuttle

Thad sat without saying a word, that was till directions had been given. He had taken the time to research the map of this world and the layout of the cities. Granted the escape pods would not be listed, he could still determine impact zones from satellite data. His countless years being the in the wilderness honed his skills to tell what is and is not natural forming.

"The major cities would make it easy to blend in with the crowd. Unlike a small town where everyone knows everyone." He rubs his hand across his chin. "I'd also expect there to be turn coats among the ranks, even those we save. Keep careful watch since we do not need to be walked into an ambush by our own corrupted people." He reached up and tapped his chin a few times. "So, anyone else have a suggestion on where to land?"

Still Not Roanapur

Koyama's annoying habit of appearing from nowhere and quite literally behind the Ranger and the Thad for that was all she could think of him as. He appeared to have mechanical knowledge and in other areas as well as being a rank and file infantryman. She however did not enter the cockpit. Instead using her glasses to link up to the shuttle's CIES from where she was now sitting. Arms now crossed below her breasts, the XO frowned at what she was seeing.

"New Yamatai's landmass would allow for larger tracts of land for farming. However, this world was primarily agricultural and tourism-based. Exports were primarily tropical goods. Fruits mainly with some traditional grain products. And fish." The last she said with some relish.

"It was not exactly a renowned manufacturing center." tucking her chin down, Koyama pondered what to suggest whilst tapping a finger against her folded arm.

"New Kyoto would likely hold one of the world's backup centers as well. Unless breached, they would hold backups of the planetary population. With hope, they did not considering they are typically encased in a zesuaium layer. If they did... they would have a slave workforce within days of processing."

With a look and tone of distaste within her voice, she prayed that was not the case and they hadn't managed to corrupt the mental storage. Even with built-in security measures the enemy was rather advanced and given enough time perhaps they could. Wasted opportunity and resources were not exactly known amongst their kind where everything was exploitable.

"Major cities present their problems as outlined by Thad. But may be a risk worth taking. Even if some may know of me considering what I did to a Rixxikor colony on Higaflan. If those locusts were here this planet would be crawling. We may expect other client species as well."

After a moment's consideration, she looked up and over. "I would vote for a major city. We are close enough that New Kyoto would be a prime option considering it was the major transport import-export hub and has a large population center viable for exploitation and was the most developed."

Provided they made it back alive, hale and healthy Koyama would also put in the request for the newer series of shuttles.

"However, it may also be the main center for their seat of 'government'. If you wish to flirt with the risk that is?" she arched one of her symmetrically sharp eyebrows then. It was her rather poor attempt at flirting with danger as Nepleslians so often did. But she did look to Sanda. The woman after all was the Ranger of the group.

"Thoughts?" the question directed at the lighting bolt tattooed woman.

Shuttle

Thad jumped in quickly to give his added thoughts on the matter. "I am all for a good flirt, though we can save that for our date after the mission." One might expect a smirk or other indication that he was joking. However he had a straight look on his face. In this case he was making reference to the training Koyama offered early in the mission, which since then he has referred too as a date. For Thad any meeting was a date and nothing more. Though some may take it was meaning a date date, which that story was yet to be written.

Shuttle

Sanda had studied the available maps and charts of Hanako's world before it had fallen. She mentality compared those to what was showing up on the shuttle's sensors and readouts. Thaddaeus's suggestion about turncoats made her scowl. That was not a encouraging thought. She was about to answer his question when she looked up and saw the XO standing right in the doorway. Now how the feth did you sneak up here? You sure you're not a ranger? Sanda thought to herself.

Sanda listened closely to Koyama's assessment. Although she didn't share anything that Sanda didn't already know, it was comforting to hear an officer sound at like they knew what they were doing. "Ma'am." Sanda said in response to the XO's question. "I would say it would depend on what our primary objective is. As I understand it, our objective is to locate and extract as many of our people as we can. Given our smaller numbers I believe it would make more sense to go the less populated areas. The enemies presences would be much less making it easier to make contact with any resistance or our people in hiding. Since the Resurgence is on its own, that limits the number of people we can extract at this time. However, if we are able to coordinate with underground resistance, we could set up valuable intel and groundwork for other's in the fleet to conduct rescue operations and even prepare for the eventual retaking of Hanako's world." The tattooed woman brushed a stray strand of hair away and shrugged. "That's my thoughts anyway. It's your call Ma'am."

Sanda sighed at Thaddaeus's comment. She looked at Koyama and asked, "Would you like me to skin him alive for you? or do you want that pleasure for yourself?"

Koyama took the responses in stride. Although she nodded along to Sanda's suggestion with a final curt nod and leaned further back in her seat having sat down finally. "Very well then. We will go with your suggestion, Sanda-hei. You are the ranger here after all." she said it with no malice but a simple matter-of-fact tone yet one that sounded somewhat pleased by the answer.

"While I am loathed to let the backups remain in enemy hands you've made very good points." with a gesture toward Beryl, she nodded toward Sanda.

"Pick a site and we will go from there."

Pushing the glasses up her nose as they'd slipped a little. "In the meantime should we also come across any escape pods along the way we can perhaps check them provided it is safe." with a shrug she went on, "I will admit however I've only been in one ground combat scenario if you may call an abandoned space station as such. But I do have respectable survival training in a number of environments... amongst other assets and skillsets that may be of use." stroking the frame of the glasses for emphasis. Either they were simple sunglasses, one of the praised Uno-series from the renowned Emrys Industries, or of a more sensitive nature. And at the very least she'd thus far been an officer willing to dole out praise where it was warranted, listened and even admitted her own faults. Who knew?

In the end, she did offer a thin smile at what Sanda had put on the table before her. "Oh no, Hei. He is all yours. I would not want to take that from you." making a gesture toward Thaddeaus.

"Leyton-hei, lay in a course for where ever Sanda-hei suggests and we'll go from there. Hopefully, our drones may assist us in all of this." muttering the last to herself. 'If this was anything other than rescue and recon I may very well have brought my liftboard with me.' Koyama mused.

Shuttle

Sanda was pleasantly surprised that the XO agreed to her suggestion without a lot more needless discussion. She smiled and said, "Yes Ma'am." Turning to the map display, Sanda studied it a moment then enlarged on of the land masses. "Dragon Island." She indicated. "Northern Hemisphere. Data suggests that it is much less populated then the rest of the planet. I also believe that there is at least one H-bunker on the island. More importantly, I believe that Legion II used Dragon Island as a Rikugun training area. I spent some time training with Rikugun forces in Ranger school. It's the kind of terrain I would like to hide in. I'm certain if there are any Rikugun forces conduction underground resistance they would set up there."

The tall Ranger listed off a set of coordinates to Beryl. "Take us there. Nice and easy."

Shuttle

Thaddeaus was enjoying having the rest of the team figure out the details. The musing of who gets first dibs on skinning him first was a welcome change. If it helped to distract even for a moment from the harsh reality this was a win in his book.

He reached down and picked up his gun blade from beside his beach bag. Prior to the mission he had made a modification to it to allow for it to take shells in addition to standard casing rounds. Though unlike most shotgun type weapons, his loaded from the top, having the back of the blade act as a holder. He started to load shells into the breech. Each making is distinct sound as he pushed it into the chamber. On some of the shells had a few words like "<3 U" and "XOXO". Once he completed loading, he checked the weapon by racking it. The sound it made filled the inside of the shuttle. "Ahh, that sound never gets old." He said with a smile. "The universal sound that tells the enemy, RUN!" He chuckled for a moment while he clear the chamber. It was not safe to have a loaded weapon after all.

It was in that moment Thad noticed something moving around in his bag. Oh no he thought to himself. He reached down and pulled out of the bag his little friend. "Lulu I told you to stay on the ship." It's body started to glow neon colors as it wiggled out of his hand and wrapped around his neck. It then stood up like a pit viper with its head facing the ladies. "Easy there friend, they don't mean me any harm." He said while giving Lulu a few pats on the head to calm her.

"Next stop, Dragon Island. A place that already sounds like a load of fun."