RP: SRSS Yggdrasill Search, Rescue, Salvage: Voyages of the Yggdrasill

[Toshiro]

It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, a light speeding from the direction of Yamatai, slowing to STL speed before approaching the planet...but it was an odd looking ship.

The green and white vessel, a Vampire variant, approached Neplesia, but instead of avoiding the ring of space debris from times of war, the vessel headed right for it. As the vessel neared the debris, it slowed in speed, still going faster than most vessels would in such close proximity to the ring, and two grappler arms, which were definitely not OEM equipment, emerged from the craft. These arms reached beyond the front of the ship, and started pushing aside wreckage, while the ship entered the debris field.

The vessel made some very erratic movements, darting in and out of wreckage, performing all sorts of unconventional maneuvers. On occasion, the vessel would slow, and a grappler would physically grasp a piece of wreckage. Sometimes it would pull or carefully blast something free of the chunk of space junk, or it would simply grab the whole thing, but either way, it was examined and either let go, or swung around to the back of the ship by a grappler and placed in an airlock, to be moved in the cargo bay by internal systems.

This particular variant was a salvage vessel, unlike others of the class which belonged to mercenaries and privateers, and was heavily modified for its line of work.

There was only one person on this vessel, a brown-haired Yamataian with emerald green eyes, which constantly moved, scanning every chuck of debris he could see for components, or damaged mecha, escape pods, Soul Transfer pods, etc. While he didn't expect to see any people out here, in an older battlefield, and it was even more unlikely to see a Soul Transfer Pod, you could never be too careful...someone up here could be in stasis, and simply unrecoverable due to the debris field which acted as their tomb...

With these intentions, Eighteen-year-old Yuki Toshiro piloted the Yggdrasill carefully and swiftly through the Nepleslian Ring.

 

[Toshiro]

(The Star Army Item Generator "SAIG" was used for this post. The list of items, with codes, is in my Finance and Inventory thread, here: https://stararmy.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=32186#32186)

Toshiro finally found a place he deemed fit to begin searching, and started to search for things to salvage. His first try was a chunk of bio mass, which he looked at with irritation and disgust, but he had to bring it in. Once a ship latches onto debris, it is considered littering to let it loose again, and KS fines were common for such occurences. His next find, however, turned out a bit more lucky...a Graviton Beam Projector.

If that works, I can save it and put Graviton Beam Generators in the Grapplers, if I get another one...

Thus Toshiro's operation continued, until his cargo bay had assorted objects of all sizes. Once this was complete, he navigated out of the Debris Field and set the FTL engines to return to Yamatai. That accomplished, he decided to spend the next 40 minutes on route looking over the day's finds.

After sifting through some of the junk, Toshiro found he'd made a somewhat better haul than he'd expected. Sure, there was a positively disgusting pile of biomass among other things, but some of the stuff was actually usable.

The Graviton Beam Projector was indeed reusable, for one. Installing it in a Grappler shouldn't be difficult, though he elected to wait until he had another one. The next noteworthy item was a pair of speakers, which he immediately jacked into a radio system. When the sound of standard radio traffic met his ears, he knew they were fine. He let them play as he sifted through his acquisitions. He then looked at a radio antenna, but after observing that it was bent and twisted, tossed it in the "scrap" pile with a neutral look.

After that, Toshiro stood from his crouched position, and looked at what was arguably the best of his finds: an airlock for a Starship Hull. It was too large to fit into the cargo bay airlock, so it went into the starboard shuttle bay and was transferred to the cargo bay by the internal cargo grappler arm assembly, but was worth the trouble.

Well, I'll have to clean her up a little, and remove the bits of damaged hull where she was blown off or ripped away, but the entire airlock and housing assembly seems pretty much intact. This might fetch a nice price if I can find a buyer...

After being satisfied with his first rough inspection of the airlock, which included hooking up power and air and making sure it operated properly, Toshiro went back to the pile, and pulled out something that made him smile, a KS card. A quick check with the computer system indicated that there was still 2440 KS stored on it.

Wow...pay day came a bit early...I wonder who this belonged to.

Toshiro's line of thought was interrupted when he saw two small egg-shapes devices, with seams across the equators. Immediately, the thought "grenades" came to mind, but they didn't appear to be anything like he was used to seeing. A quick scan determined that the "grenades" merely consisted of a battery, a multi-mode switch built into the equator, a potentiometer, and a motor with an off-balance weight. Toshiro soon gathered his courage, closed his eyes, and turned the base of one of the eggs...and it vibrated strongly in his hand.

"What in the name of Ketsurui-sama is THIS device for?"

He turned the egg off, and made sure its partner also did the same thing...which it did. Twisting the base to different setting resulted in different motor speeds, and stronger force.

Could this be some sort of Nepleslian gyroscope-based device or a part to a kinetic energy source? Meh...Might as well keep it for now. Maybe I could use the components...

After putting the eggs in the "keep" pile with the other goodies, Toshiro went to search the other items. After rooting through some trash and having his gloves protect him from cutting himself on a jagged piece of metal from a starship hull, he found an odd sculpture of what appeared to be a bear. It seemed to have come from someone's desk, and though not a particularly price-fetching sculpture, it was one of his favorite finds, as he knew it, more likely than not, had a nice history behind it. He set it in its own pile.

The next couple finds were not resalable, but were still usable. One was a mattress, possibly from a starship bunk. After placing a tarp over it and testing it himself, he found it adequate, and elected to keep it for a back-up, if nothing else. Next were five meters of electrical cable, which was also common place, but usable if needed. The next interesting find, though, was a Water Pump and Filtration System, which still had a decent amount of use in it. While he didn't have a need for it, it was put in the "save" pile.

Toshiro blinked when he saw what looked like an eye looking back at him, but quickly realized that it was an optical sensor. He gave it the once-over and determined that it was perfectly intact, and just needed hooked up. It went into the "save" pile.

After another twisted radio antenna went into the scrap pile, Toshiro gave a tiny squeal as he found something of PARTICULAR interest...a missile. Upon inspection, he found that the missile was a Napalm Missile, and instead of being a dud, had simply missed its target and run out of energy for its propulsion system. The first thing he did was dis-arm the missile. Needless to say, it went into the "save" pile.

Not surprising...if a ship goes FTL, even the most advanced targetting system won't help if the missile is STL...things like this are all the more reason to be careful when salvaging components. Some of them are potentially volatile...

Next, he found a fair chunk of Navy Blue carpeting. It was narrow, too narrow for his vessel, but perhaps could be used to carpet a shuttlecraft. After some deliberation, it went into the "save" pile.

Next Toshiro found a datapad, which seemed to be repairable. It wasn't the newest model, but it would do. It went into the pile with the bear, and would be for his own personal use.

Finally, A large hydrogen power cell, roughly the size of half a motor vehicle's trunk, made Toshiro's last find of the hunt. After confirming that it still had power, it went, with the assistance of a cargo grappler, into the "save" pile.

Toshiro finished sorting as the Yggdrasill returned to STL speed, signalling that he was nearing Yamatai. He stood up, and while en-route to the bridge, stopped off at his quarters, and put the interesting bear sculpture on his desk, a souvenir of the Yggdrasill's maiden voyage.

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro did not land on Yamatai right away, but rather interfaced with Pantheon to look up the prices for storage locations. The prices were higher than he expected on Yamatai, and he began to reconsider...

Dad was talking about how space is so much cheaper on Taiie...and it is guarded heavily by the SA...

With that, Toshiro started looking up rates on taiie, which were cheaper...well within his means.

If I weren't legit, I'd avoid it like the plague, but I don't have anything to be afraid of. Let them search my stuff if they're worried about it...

With that, Toshiro set a course for Taiie, and sat back for a three-hour ride...of course, he soon got bored.

He got a cleaning cloth, return to the cargo bay, and began to wipe down his finds. Sure, they may have been in the depths of space, but some of them still needed some elbow grease to make presentable again. Toshiro was surprised at how some things could be perfectly preserved, and how others could be chunks of burned or frozen junk. He spent the remainder of the journey cleaning and closely inspecting his goods, before returning to the Captain's chair when the alert sounded that he'd entered the Taiie system.


The Yggdrasill arrived, but instead of approaching Taiie IV right away, he stopped at a pre-set distance. After all, there may have been civilians, but is was still an SA base planet. He doubted they'd want a civilian in a Vampire-class to simply go planet-side without even hailing. Toshiro flipped a switch, and spoke.

"Planet Taiie IV, This is the civilian salvage vessel SRSS-000 Yggdrasill, Yuki Toshiro piloting. I request permission to go planet-side and seek storage arrangements. Over."

 

[Andrew]

Outside of the city of Seijin no Umi, the planetary command center received the communication from the inbound starship. A pink haired neko with green eyes appeared on the screen "Yggdrasill, please take approach on corridor niner-six, you are cleared for landing at Seijin Port...â€

 

[Toshiro]

"Acknowledged. Approaching on niner-six."

Toshiro decelerated to atmospheric entry speeds and began descending into the planet's atmosphere on the pre-determined vector. Though the Vampire class was certainly capable of atmospheric landings, the Dynamic Thruster Drive as well as the overhauled UGP system in the Yggdrasill made it a smoother ride, compensating for a fair amount of the turbulence.

Toshiro slowed down again as he approached the port, dipping below the clouds. The port was hard to miss, even with the city lights blanketing the ground like stars in the sky. The ship soon landed, gracefully, and Toshiro disembarked. He wouldn't unload until he had a place to unload to.

After a little research, Toshiro determined that he would need to go to the Industrial sector of town, to the Warehouse District, via a high speed train. After making sure there was no red tape or loose ends to tie up with his vessel, he got on the train, and headed toward that section of town.

 

[Andrew]

The city's Industrial Sector was in apart of the city called Aldrich, named after the ill fated captain of the YSS Namiko; one of the many ships lost in the battle of Murf. Aldrich was divided into districts; the one most likely to be where Toshiro was headed was the Warehouse District. The Warehouse District was in South Aldrich, towards the metropolis of the city but separated by the green belt established to keep them separated. The high speed train raced through the other districts, passing processing facilities, military storage yards, and electronics factories. The station for Warehouse District was the South Aldrich Station.

South Aldrich, however relatively clean was a sketchy area of town. In addition to warehouses, there was also a Nepleslian area of residential buildings that were considered low income. Crimes was fairly common, and spite the attempts of the City Watch, there was little that could be done to extinguish it.

Warehouses were mostly managed by a small local firm, Boushoku Securities and Storage. Their posters and advertisements were fairly common in the station and on the trains headed inbound from the port.

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro noted the advertisements, and kept an eye on his surroundings until his station came up. He got off, and made sure to carry himself with an air of reasonable confidence, but not excessive. The last thing he needed right now was to be robbed.

He passed some simple homes, some worse for wear than others, but generally intact. Not too far-fetched, considering the city wasn't that old. Still, seeing such a thing on Yamatai, save a select few areas like Ralt, was unheard of. It was now that Toshiro realized that though the mighty hand of the Empire was far-reaching, it had some degree of favoritism toward her own birthplace, and those who live there. Toshiro inwardly sighed and pressed onward.

He headed toward the Boushoku Securities and Storage firm, and entered, looking around him until he saw a receptionist or the like.

"Hello...I am interested in renting some storage space here in the Warehouse district...are there any such locations available?"

 

[Andrew]

When Toshiro wandered into the office of Boushoku Securities and Storage firm; a young, attractive Nepleslian girl with red hair, fair skin and a few well placed freckles was at the desk. She sighed, looking to Toshiro, "Well, what kind of space are you looking for? And what kind of price range are you thinking?â€

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro squatted down and began to pet the cat. Its fur was very soft...

"I am a salvager, and simply need a place to put items I wish to keep, but it needs to be clean and preferably constant in temperature and humidity. Electricity and running water for testing and cleaning things is a plus, but isn't a necessity."

Toshiro thought for a moment...

"I shouldn't need a whole warehouse or anything, but I need a fair amount of space...who knows what I'll find out there. Furthermore, it doesn't have to be secluded or secret or anything. Star Army officials can come and go as they see fit to check on stuff...way I see it, if I have something I shouldn't have, I want it out of my hands as soon as possible. I don't want local riff-raff looting the place either, so it has to be reasonably secure. As for price, I'm flexible, but not made of money...that's why I came here instead of getting space on Yamatai. I'd prefer if the down payment was less than 1000KS, and I'd like a monthly payment that is reasonable, too."

Toshiro was intentionally vague on the monthly payment, because he didn't want saddled with the highest cost location within his means.

 

[Andrew]

The girl looked down at the cat, smiled and then said to Toshiro "Well right now we have two locations available, the first is 850 KS down, with 110 KS monthly. It is half of warehouse twenty-nine, one of our newer warehouses. It is climatically controlled, and also includes a small office and bunk on the second floor. It has running water and utilities, and it is well secured and is patrolled by our staff.â€

 

[Toshiro]

"Well, it is an extra 150 KS down...but I think all those extras are worth that and 20 KS a month. I'll take the former of these two. I'll keep an eye open for an elevator car for you guys for the latter though. You never know."


Toshiro pulled out his KS card. "Let's see...down payment, plus first month, plus last month...1070KS, I think."

 

[Andrew]

The girl took his card and ran it saying "Thank you sir...â€

 

[Toshiro]

"Thank you. I'll go take a look at it then, and hopefully all my stuff will be 'moved in' by the end of the day."

Toshiro left, and after a bit of walking, managed to find warehouse number 29. He went inside, and after showing that he was the new tenant of the second floor, he was shown upstairs. It was a nice, clean place, well lit, and quite spacious. Not far from the entrance to the location was a small office and a bunk, as described, also quite clean. Upon closer observation, he noted that there were multitudes of electrical outlets, several places to hook up a hose, one of which was occupied. He'd be able to test and clean his finds here at his leisure.

After changing the security code, he left again, and was soon arranging transport for his finds on a train for that purpose. He thought he might do better with a truck of sorts, but he'd done quite well thus far to find a place, and he elected to be content with that. After everything was loaded, which wasn't long considering the largest thing was the airlock, they were speeding back toward Aldrich. Soon, the items he wished to keep were stored in the warehouse, and the items he would not keep were properly disposed of. Toshiro entered the bunkroom of the warehouse, after logging every item, and content to call it a day. He went to the bunk and laid down.

"Well, I'm finally off Yamatai...please watch over me...O-nii-san..."

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro awoke the next morning, and immediately went to his ship...he was anxious to go salvaging again, and he'd decided to go to Albini.

He'd heard that there'd been a Mishhu assault there the previous year, which resulted in the death of a race, and decided it'd be a safer place to start than even a former Mishhu holding on this side of the minefield.

Before taking off, he turned on the communication system.
"This is the SRSS-000 Yggdrasill, Yuki Toshiro piloting. Requesting permission to depart, over."

A swift reply made itself known over the airwaves.
"Acknowldged. Take flight vector one-zero-niner. Have a safe trip!"

Toshiro replied.
"Thanks, and acknowledged. Departing on one-zero-niner."

It took four hours to get to Albini, after leaving Taiie, and he was bored out of his mind, but soon got to work searching...

(List: https://stararmy.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=33178#33178

The big discoveries will be last, so that there isn't any wasted time salvaging the rest of the list after finding the big item.)


Toshiro had a good deal better luck this time. He got SOME trash, but not much, and almost everything was usable or sellable. After getting a load of items, he went to the back, once more, to sort through them, this time much more excited.

The first item Toshiro came to was an intact blast shutter assembly, apparently made of a diamond composite. It wasn't normally something you find...but might be in interesting thing to keep. It went in the keep pile.

Toshiro's eye then caught a pair of small artillery pieces, civilian laser turrets. He wasn't sure if he'd put them on the Yggdrasill, but they CERTAINLY went into the keep pile. They were in very decent condition, though the hull chunks still attached to the armatures were charred. They'd have to be removed anyway.

Next, Toshiro found something that made him smile. Intact hull pieces, seemingly made of Neutronium, comparable to the Yggdrasill's hull strength. it went into the keep file.

With this, I can repair some hull damage if such a thing happens...I hope it doesn't, but this would reduce the cost, having materials already.

Toshiro's next find was very nice. It looked like the torso of a humanoid robot, but a closer look showed it was a LAMIA torso, repairable. Zesuaium was coating the thing, and protected the component from whatever blew it apart. This prompted Toshiro to make a new pile, for "report", to report the item to the SA.

After tossing a chunk of charred plastic into the trash pile, Toshiro pulled out what appeared to be a cylindrical container with devices connected to it. After wiping off and reading the label, Toshiro recognized it as a ship's air and water heating device. It wasn't in pristine shape, but it was usable.

I wonder if this could be used at the other warehouse...perhaps for temperature control...if not, I can always save it for repair, if not an upgrade for the shuttles.

The next item made his smile disappear though, as a large crimson ice chunk, irregular in shape, was found. Toshiro picked it up in his gloved and, and carried it, with the utmost respect, to the medical area. He placed it in a tupperware container, and into the freezer, so it would stay frozen. It may not have been much, but it was organic matter, probably from a Neko, and deserved to be treated with respect.

Toshiro then found some bullets from a 10 mm pistol, likely a Type 28. Knowing that the pistol and ammunition were for sale to civilians, he knew that there was no need to have them inspected, as they were not restricted technology. For a moment, in his solemn mood from finding the blood, he considered throwing them into the discard pile, but then shook his head and carried them to the bridge. He knelt down to the base of his chair, where a door could be seen. after typing in an access code, the door opened, and he placed the bullets inside. He locked the door afterwards.

I just hope I never have to use these things...

The next item seemed to be another cylinder, but this one was an air cleaner...the fact he'd found two critical environmental components surprised Toshiro, and boosted his mood a little. He was still fairly down though.

The next item seemed to be a pod for an SA power armor. Upon careful inspection, Toshiro realized that the weapon pod was a tactical missile launcher, meant not to cause damage, but disable FTL, destroy wormholes, and punch holes in shields. It went in the report pile, but Toshiro hoped that he was allowed to keep it. It'd make a good measure to augment the ship's weapons, in the event Toshiro needed to defend himself with force.

The next item was a standard keyboard, which would go well with the datapad. it went into the keep pile, though it needed some cleaning, as did a Neutronium bulkhead, which could also be used to restore damage to the Yggdrasill.

Once again, Toshiro stopped for a moment, and looked at an item...he then pulled a Star Army rank pin from the salvage. He didn't know if the Nito Heisho had passed on or not, but knew that it was a possibility. He placed it carefully into the report pile, making sure it would not be smashed, or covered up.

A cushioned rolling chair was also recovered as well as an intact large viewscreen, and went into the keep pile.

Hmm...these would be good for the office...I need a second chair in case someone drops by, and with the viewscreen, I can...well, I can certainly do something with it.

A chunk of Zanarium plate was placed in the keep pile, as well as a coffee machine.

I can't imagine what I'd need with a coffee machine, but it could be used to build a sort of water filter, perhaps...that or I can either sell it or let my landlords use it.

Toshiro was then shocked when he found something completely alien to him...he noticed that the hull fragments were similar in color to the Mishhu hull design, but other than the fact it was some sort of weapon, Toshiro could not determine what it was. He then carefully placed the device in the report pile, careful not to crush everything else.

I HAVE to report this...

Toshiro went to the bridge to activate the main communications system, when his emerald green eye spotted something on the Yggdrasill's viewscreen. It seeed quite large in relation to the rest of the debris. The shape was familiar, and it clicked in Toshiro's mind.

"...No way..."

The Yggdrasill got closer to the form, which is exactly what Toshiro thought it was. It was a Star Army ship, a Yui 4 vessel. Some of the lights inside were still on, but she was at an awkward angle, and a fair number of the lights were off. There was a chance she was conserving power, or simply not maintained. Toshiro decided to try to establish contact over short range, coming to a suitable distance and attempting to hail the Yui, in case she was damaged recently, or in case her propulsion systems had given out and stranded her crew here for a year.

"Unidentified Star Army Vessel. This is the Civilian salvage ship Yggdrasill. Your location and the condition of your vessel suggests a critical problem. Do you require assistance?"

Toshiro got no response.

"Unidentified Star Army Vessel, this is the Civilian salvage vessel Yggdrasill. Please respond if you are able."

Toshiro still got no reply from the drifting vessel.

...Perhaps communications are down, or there's no one still alive over there....I just hope that the Soul Savior Pod is still in there...if it wasn't fired, perhaps that would explain the lack of a signal...it is possible the same plague that killed the Albinians was somehow unleashed on this vessel...

Toshiro almost scanned for power output, but decided that scanning the vessel might be a bad idea, due to the technology inside, and it would likely not tell him much anyway, assuming it was even legal to do. He then decided on a more intelligent course of action, and sent out a long-range transmission.

"To any Star Army Vessels in the general vicinity of Albini. This is Yuki Toshiro, piloting the salvage ship Yggdrasill. I am requesting prompt contact over secure frequencies. It is a matter of some potential importance."

 

[Toshiro]

(After talking to Wes, he told me that I might as well play the SA vessel by myself and RP it out that way. The reward was also his suggestion, so if there are any concerns, contact him.

Also, these NPCs are spur of the moment, and I don't have a plan to make them permanent NPCs. In addition, I would not have the board rank to permanently play the Taii even if I wished to.)


On the console of a relatively nearby Star Army ship, patrolling the area, a light turned on at the bridge's communications station. A Yamataian male, no older than twenty-two, with jet black hair and rust-colored eyes responded over a secure frequency to the Yggdrasill. The man's face popped up on a section of the screen, overlaying the image of the Yui 4-class vessel.

"This is the YSS Ayaka. Please state the nature of your situation. Do you require assistance?"


Toshiro appeared on the communication station's screen, the Nito Heisho not wanting to interrupt his Taii unless the matter was of reasonable importance. Toshiro spoke, noting the Heisho's facial expression as one of mild impatience.


"I have found what appears to be an adrift Star Army Vessel. Yui 4-class, near Albini. I am currently 1.2 kilometers off of her starboard side at the moment, looking right at her."


The Heisho was apparently somewhat critical that this guy found a ship on his own, if at all, and his expression told as much.

Yeah...right...how old is this guy? Seventeen? Eighteen? And he looks tall enough to be a Nepleslian. Likely, considering he's piloting a Vampire....but his face looks Yamataian...gyah, don't mess with it, man. Let the Taii sort things out. You'll just get chewed out, otherwise.

"Understood..." The critical Itto Heisho turned toward where his Taii sat. "Akemi-Taii, we have a report from a civilian vessel near Albini. The pilot claims to have found an intact, but adrift, Yui 4-class vessel, and is requesting assistance in the matter."

An attractive neko with permed, medium-length sky-blue hair and lavender eyes looked to the Heisho. "I see...well, that's one of the reasons we go out on patrol like this, isn't it? And you were complaining that nothing interesting ever happened near home base."

The young Taii smiled, but before the Heisho could respond, she turned business-like once more. "Route the communication to the main viewscreen. This commands my personal attention."

Toshiro's view soon switched to one of the woman, who immediately spoke. "I am Mikamura Akemi-Taii of the YSS Ayaka. Please give me the details of your situation."

Toshiro nodded, and spoke. "I understand that you likely have places to be, so I will try to keep it brief. I was finishing up a salvage run in the vicinity of Albini when I came across a Yui 4-class vessel, adrift, but apparently intact. I observed some functional artificial lighting, but there are indications of either partial power failure, or power conservation attempts."

"My first task was to travel to within 1.2 kilometers and hail the vessel over short-range, which I attempted twice, each time with no response. I pondered scanning the vessel, but considering the restrictive military technology on board, I questioned whether or not that was legal, and even if it would have been effective. That was when I sent out the hail to you."


The Taii thought for a moment before responding.

"If she still has power, perhaps she has been knocked out relatively recently...maybe she was lost in the Mishhu offense last year. Yuki-san, try to find a name or registry number on the ship's hull, but do not, I repeat, DO NOT get within 500 meters of the vessel."


Toshiro acknowledged Akemi-Taii's request, and tried to see what the name of the vessel was. He moved inward and upward, going 800 meters off of ship's dorsal line, before finding what he sought. "There is minor damage and scorching over the plating with the registry, but the name is legible. The vessel is the YSS Akina."

"Akina?" The Taii thought for a moment. "MEGAMI, run it through the lists, see if there's a match."

Immediately, the voice of the ship's main computer made itself known.
"YSS Akina. Yui 4-class. 6th fleet. Lost in conflict during the Mishhuvurthyar offensive of YE 28. Status unknown."

Akemi-Taii then stood, and looked toward the Pit. A nod from her and the pilot activated the ship's FTL drive, and in moments they were within 3 AU of the site, which Toshiro determined was likely a scanning distance, to ensure the status was truly as he had reported. Toshiro found the prompt response impressive, but then again, he figured that being able to claim a vessel retrieval might not have been a common thing in the SA, and might bump a few people up on the promotion list. His train of thought was interrupted by a new voice, apparently at a bridge station outside of his view.

"Scanning....I have them both on sensors. One is, as reported, a Yui 4, with minimal power signatures and bearing in an unusual direction given the angle of the ship, moving on momentum only. The other is a Vampire class, heavily modified, source of the transmission. Comparison of both the registry codes and internal configuration with PANTHEON confirm the identity of the Yggdrasill and her pilot, but the lack of power makes a specific confirmation of the Yui class vessel's identity almost impossible until we are within visual range."

The Taii nodded, and looked toward the Pit. "Brigsby-Juni, move toward the debris field at approximately 20c. When we get to the edge, slow to 0.25c and bring up the shields to supplement the deflectors. Also use the Graviton Beam Projectors to move the larger chunks of debris out of our path. We don't need holes in our ship, especially if they are avoidable. Also, we don't want to fling debris outward and damage our objective or the civilian vessel."

A gruff "Aye" was the response from the unseen officer, that and his name enough for Toshiro to ponder a Nepleslian ancestry. "ETA to debris field, roughly seventy-five seconds."

Soon, the Ayaka had managed to navigate the debris field, careful not to throw any debris back toward its objective, and gotten within visual range of the two other vessels. It finally slowed and stopped, roughly 2 kilometers from the bow of the Akina. She did not drop her shields, because there was an element of risk, should the Mishhu have made this vessel a hide out, or should the vessel get hit by a large amount of debris that the deflector alone could not handle. Neither was very likely though. "...Confirmed as the YSS Akina. Power levels present, but minimal. Aether power is at minimum levels. Life Support is offline...but it seems that they never managed to launch the Soul Savior pod. Whatever killed them did it quickly, and left the ship almost untouched...furthermore, I'm detecting a vacuum inside, like every bulkhead was opened and the entire vessel depressurized...it's eerie, Akemi-Taii....should I just engage the FTL and get her out of here?"

Oddly enough, after some thought, Akemi-Taii shook her head. "You're right about it being odd...If there is power, even minimal, it would be unusual for all life support to go down, at least without warning. Furthermore, to not launch the Soul Savior Pod, in itself, is odd..."

Suddenly, some realization came to Akemi-Taii's face, then a hint of sadness. "...Of course....if that happened back then, it's the best thing they could have done..."

Toshiro looked a bit confused... "What do you mean?"

The Taii looked to Toshiro's face on her viewscreen. "If you are aware of the battle, in which the Akina was lost, you'd know that Albini was wiped of sentient life by a terrible plague. It may be possible that the Akina somehow contracted the plague, and her Taisa had to give the order to depressurize the entire ship, to eliminate the plague, and the infected...if they launched the SS Pod in this debris field, then it may have been damaged or destroyed, if they even had time....that order may have been the Taisa's last breath...it must have been something at LEAST that serious to order the complete override of MEGAMI's safeties..."

Toshiro's face showed surprise, then a look of sadness. After a moment of silence, the Akemi-Taii gave an order. "Transmit the discovery of the Akina to Kyoto, and also state that the Akina, at least temporarily, is considered under quarantine due to suspicion of contamination, and as such, can not be taken to a populated location or spaceport until we can be sure there is no longer any trace of the plague."

The Heisho from before acknowledged the command of his superior, and the communiqué was sent out. The Taii then looked to Toshiro on the viewscreen. "Perhaps it would be best to run a quick scan of the Yggdrasill, simply to make sure she and her pilot haven't contracted the plague from other items, though I believe that the pilot would already be showing symptoms if he had. It shouldn't be hard to do, given her size, and would be quick, unlike with the Akina."

Toshiro felt a cold chill down his spine, but nodded. "That would be appreciated."

Soon the scan was done, and the crewman from before spoke. "No traces of plague, or salvaged restricted technology. Detecting a small bit of what appears to be Neko bio-matter."

Toshiro remembered. "Oh yeah, I found a large, irregular, crimson chunk of ice. I'm pretty certain it is blood. I have it sealed and in a freezer. Do you want it? It may at least move someone from the MIA to the KIA list, and give somebody closure..."

The Taii thought for a moment. It may have just been blood, but it was bio matter from a lost soldier either way. "We'll take it off your hands...who knows. Maybe we'll be able to take a name off of the MIA list, even if it is slapped as KIA. Please wait a moment."

Toshiro did as he was asked, and soon Toshiro received a request to dock with the SA vessel. After a moment, likely a final scan, The Taii entered the Yggdrasill, and glanced around, two enlisted soldiers accompanying her.

...Everything's so....green.

The Taii's first impression of the vessel was interrupted when Toshiro approached the group, carrying the container with the frozen blood, which he'd pulled from the medical area's freezer while en-route. One of the soldiers, Toshiro observed, took the item and, with respect, carried it off the vessel. The Taii cleared her throat, which restored Toshiro's attention to her. "I suppose you were lucky today, Yuki-san...had you been a pirate, who had tried to take the Yui for yourself, or even board her, you may not be standing here alive right now."

The comment was an unexpected one, and sent a chill down Toshiro's spine, even more unnerving than the first.

"However, you did well to report the vessel to us, and now the Akina will be restored to her place, and her crew revived, should the Soul Savior Pod be truly present and intact." She then pulled out a KS card, and handed it to Toshiro.

"I believe you will find that while there are a fair amount of pirates who would take advantage of such a find, who would have met a similar end. Staying on the good side of the law, and the Empire, will serve you quite well."

With that, she gave a nod and turned to leave the vessel, while the soldier stayed behind a moment. "We have everything under control here, you may return to your previous endeavors. Thank you for your assistance."

The soldier gave a polite bow, and soon, Toshiro was again alone in the Yggdrasill. Once he had undocked from the Ayaka, he started on the four hour journey to Taiie, thinking heavily about what had just occurred.

 

[Toshiro]

The journey to Taiie was a particularly long one for Toshiro. There wasn't much that needed repaired, so all there was to do, really was to clean up and remove broken hull chunks from the fixtures of components.

Toshiro finished those tasks early on, and less than halfway through the journey, found himself back on the bridge, staring at the Nito Heisho rank pin in his left hand, from an anonymous soldier, probably dead since the previous years assault, and the KS card in his right. He pondered the loss of life, noted how he had financially benefited from the suffering of others by getting his reward, and was weighing his own character against those facts.

It's true I didn't have a hand in their deaths....and nothing I have or can do can change that...but I still benefited, though legally...Can I honestly say I'm proud of that?

The eighteen-year-old looked at the Nito Heisho's pin with an intense focus.

On the other hand...my actions may result in the people being brought back, and the ship will certainly be restored to service or otherwise used by her owners...so did I do well, or did I do badly?

For the remaining two hours and some odd minutes, Toshiro pondered this, until the vessel dropped to STL speeds, until a low level alert indicated that he was near his destination, and broke his concentration. He then opened a channel.

"This is the Yggdrasill, SRSS-000, Yuki Toshiro piloting, requesting permission to go planet-side and land at Seijin no Umi."

The pink haired Neko from before responded, "Acknowledged, please take approach on seven-five to Seijin Port. You are cleared for landing."

Toshiro acknowledged and once again dove into the atmosphere, keeping a careful eye on his altitude, speed, and direction. Soon, Seijin no Umi came into view, and he landed at the Spaceport, this time selecting a site a bit closer to the cargo train. Within the hour, Toshiro was once again in the warehouse with his items, sans the piece of burnt plastic, which he had disposed of.

After logging the materials into the Boushoku Securities and Storage Custom Datapad, he started arranging the items. While most of the items went onto the floor with the previous haul, some items were taken into the office for use.

The datapad was left in the office, and Toshiro took the Nito Heisho Rank Pin and ploaced it in a drawer, planning to put it on tasteful display in his office once he obtained a frame and perhaps some fabric for it. He could always use the navy carpeting, as it was already the proper color. He then placed the rolling chair opposite his own at the desk, and placed the coffee machine in the corner of the room. While he did not drink coffee, he foresaw that should he ever have a guest here, they may wish to.

The final touch was mounting the viewscreen next to his desk in the office. He didn't mount it too high, because he had heard that placing the viewscreen above you made you look shorter, and less business-worthy. He wasn't sure it was true or not, but it had SOME logic behind it, so he placed it at eye-level.

Finally, Toshiro set to work getting the components arranged so that they would be easy to find when he hunted for them. Fortunately, he had plenty of space in which to do it.

 

[Toshiro]

(Continued at https://stararmy.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=33742#33742)

 

[Toshiro]

(Summary of what has happened between the transfer to the other thread to now: Toshiro awoke to a transmission from PANTHEON. He went to Xyainbor and successfully rescued a dishonored and discharged Neko soldier named Mizuho. After restoring her physical condition, they are headed back to Taiie...)

(JP with sekizen_no_yume)


ON: SRSS Yggdrasill

1.5 hours later, likely after a great amount of laughter and confusion, the Yggdrasill approached Taiie, and Toshiro once more engaged communications with the Seijin no Umi Spaceport. "This is Pilot Yuki Toshiro in the SRSS-000 Yggdrasill, requesting permission to land."

The pink-haired Neko, which he was getting used to seeing, replied. "Understood, approach on eight-five...I've heard you've been a bit bust lately."

Toshiro thought for a moment before responding. "Well, it has been a hectic day....two rescues in one day is a bit unusual, after all...entering on eight-five. ETA, 4 minutes, 32 seconds."

"Two rescues? I feel much less special now." Mizuho drew up behind him with silent footsteps, fushsia eyes settling over the communications mod. "...who was the other?" Her thoughts weren't nearly so much on that as they were on how much she had missed being at the bridge of a ship, before the Kyuseki-Teien. And how the Kyuseki-Teien, even with the rechristening, and the sprites designed after old crewmates, had failed to instill the slightest nostalgia. It had felt as just one more empty void in her heart.

Toshiro's mood sunk a little bit, and he gave some thought to his reply before answering, though he kept his eyes glued to the viewscreen as he entered the atmosphere. "Well...It'll only be a rescue if the ST Pod on board can be repaired...earlier, I ran into a Yui 4-class vessel, repairable, but adrift, at Albini...when I reported it and an SA ship investigated, I was told that the ship had likely contracted the plague, and the Taisa overrode the computer and ordered the whole ship depressurized so as not to spread contaminants should the ship be found later...it was more morbid than your rescue was, not a single survivor, though they may be revivable from ST data on board. I HOPE they can be..."

"Hope." Mizuho smiled wanly as she repeated the word. "If people had hope, ST backups would... likely not exist. Death has become something we terrify of, shy away from. One need not seek it out to realize it is a simple part of nature. For what it's worth, I would hope they can be recovered as well. Those who die are so rarely the ones who should." Speaking of morbid. Mizuho could lecture on her philosophies about death for several hours, if left uninterrupted.

Toshiro nodded, though his eyes did not move away from the screen. "True...I may be in the minority, but I believe there is something more than this...every time we have tried to place limits on the existence around us, to say we know exactly how something works and there is nothing more to learn, the multiverse always manages to surprise us with something new...besides, I don't think that all the design in the universe can be chalked up to chance."

"I do not prescribe to belief in the supernatural, Captain, but I try to keep a mind open." Mizuho almost smiled properly. "I am, after all, a living weapon who repulses at the thought of killing. And I'm hardly the strangest thing one will encounter in any tiny iota of the blackness." She was dreading the landing on Taiie, dreading it immensely. Wondering, in fact, what would become of her, what the Star Army would do, whether she would be probed and prodded for information concerning the Mishhu, or have her mind erased so she couldn't reveal secrets she might know. "You don't fear death, then, Toshiro?"

Toshiro thought for a moment again. "I DO fear death, but maybe not in the same way others do. I'd be worried about my own end, sure, but I think I'd be more worried about what my parents would do without me. I am the only son that still lives, with Onii-san gone, though my parents still have my two sisters...and I can hardly be called 'Captain' when I lack a crew. It sounds a bit redundant, you know?. As for the supernatural...I believe it is likely something in between ancient myth and new science. Perhaps a level of being or a dimension we can't perceive. It's not too far-fetched, with subspace and hyperspace out there."

"I dont know that the mythology was ever all that far-fetched." Mizuho laughed. "And you seem to do just fine without a crew. And there are high points to such an arrangement. Without a crew, you can't ever massacre them in a fit of rage."

Toshiro blinked as the craft landed at the Spaceport. "Well, I don't think I'd normally do such a thing...but space does open strange doors, doesn't it?" Toshiro turned to Mizuho. "Your Escape Pod is replenished, by the way...should I keep it onboard, or should I put it in my Warehouse space?"

"It isn't mine. Return it to the Star Army if they want it. It should also have coordinates for where Kyuseki-Teien was destroyed. I have no use for it." Musing, Mizuho bit down on a strand of hair. Ketsurui samurai could have their etiquette, chewing on things made her happy. "With a little luck, they'll just erase me, no probing."

Toshiro looked at her, a bit surprised. "Excuse me? Why would they erase you? Are you still on the run for what happened?"

"Run? No, but I suspect they have little use for further Nekovalkyrja that don't obey orders. The few that there are have caused enough trouble. That aside, I may have access to information they dislike me having. Not that I do, to my knowledge, but my mind isn't entirely my own possession." A pause. "Which explains why I fail so spectacularly to die, I guess."

Toshiro thought for a moment... "Do you have to be destroyed if you could try to lead a civilian life for a change rather than be involved with the military?"

"Why would I wan a civilian life? I'd be even more meaningless and ineffectual than I am now." Mizuho turned her head to the side. "Neko were built to destroy things, because Yamatai stole technology and Elysia wasn't happy about that. We were built as pretty girls to preserve the delusion that war is beautiful and honorable. It isn't. It never has been, but the ones who don't fight are good at pretending... And our minds were largely created to be unflinchingly loyal and are basically programmed with compliance. I suppose that means I'm broken, but it doesn't change what I am." She sounded bitter. Actually, bitter was probably a bit too light a word.

Toshiro looked like he was at a loss...and unsure of what to do. "...I haven't been in war, but I DO know it isn't beautiful and honorable." He pointed toward a plaque in the room...it was the ship's plaque, which said at the bottom, "In Memory of Yuki Kenichi, YE 06-26'. "Yuki Kenichi was my older brother. It's he who originally bought the Vampire from which the Yggdrasill was created. He was going to be the Captain, and me the XO, but he never lived to see his discharge from the SA. He's MIA...so I know SOME of how you feel...but though not pretty, it is sometimes necessary....all we can try to do is pick up the pieces and rebuild, trying to breathe life back into that which is forsaken...but you're not broken to the point where you're unsalvageable just yet."

Toshiro suddenly got an idea in his head, and his face lit up. "Hey! Why don't you stay with me and the Yggdrasill for a while? It's not the army, sure, but this ship still has the potential to do SOME good, and we don't have to blow stuff up all the time either. Rebuilding is harder, but it's something, right?"

"Stay with the Yggdrasill?" Mizuho gave a pensive smile. "...if you can find a crew. I think I'll lose my mind, Toshiro, living with one person for any length of time. Lose whats left of my mind, at least. And you should contact Star Army command regardless. If they want me, I won't be burdensome. I'd just as soon not see you convoluted into any politics. I doubt they'll object to me being on a salvage ship, though. Yui wanted me to retire peacefully, and never really understood why I couldn't, I don't think."

Toshiro scratched his head. "Well, I already sent a communication out that I'd recovered you, in response to the request for assistance from PANTHEON...I sent it 4 hours ago, but never got a reply..."

"Then I shall assume they don't care, Captain. But a crew, still..." Mopping her brow, Yukisato glanced skyward. "If he intended to be Captain, with you as XO, surely your brother meant for more than a solo operation which picked up broken weapons, after all."

Toshiro gave a small smile. "He wanted to explore the northern areas of space, as well as perform rescue and salvage operations. Basically, to live an honorable, yet simple life, doing things we saw as important...and I'm not a Captain without a crew, you know...and I hadn't considered getting a crew yet...it might be interesting, if the future had that in store...why do you think you'd become unstable if a crew wasn't around?"
"I need people to talk to." Her answer was concise and pointed, and Mizuho offered a smile. "...I'll be back in the medical bay. Sleeping. Thank you, Toshiro."

"I understand....I think I'll turn in as well...it's been a long day." Toshiro got up, and stretched a bit. He shut down the Yggdrasill's flight systems, which needed a password from him, as well as the weapons systems, which were already off, and headed for the door that did NOT lead to the corridor.

"If you need me, my quarters are right behind this door...you can also knock on the door closest to the bridge's in the corridor. Both open into my room...Good Night, Captain."

END

 

[Toshiro]

(JP with Sekiko)

ON: SRSS Yggdrasill

Toshiro opened his eyes and rubbed them...he sat up in his bed, looking around his quarters. He smiled when he saw the desktop sculpture of the bear on his desk, which was from his first salvage run at Nepleslia. After waking up the rest of the way, he took some extra clothes and headed for the shower.

Mizuho wrinkled her nose lightly, sliding up from the medical bed with a yawn. Goddamn, those things were uncomfortable beyond all comprehension. But, it was more comfortable than being curled up fetally in the bottom of an escape pod, oxygen growing stale to the point that even her improved physiology couldn't take much more of it. Ah, horrors of survival. "...I need chocolate."

While there was a refrigerator in the room with her, it contained no food, merely medical supplies...and who would keep food in a medbay anyway? The sound of a shower could be heard somewhere on the ship, but other than that, there was no activity...

Sniffing lightly, Mizuho showed herself out of the med-bay and found her way back to the bridge. It was a supremely nostalgic experience, one that she did not precisely enjoy, but it was a place to wait for Toshiro to finish his cleansing rituals. She gazed over the various consoles, wondering if she could even still properly operate a vessel, decided that everything seemed to make sense, pondered briefly on testing her skills, the decided against it. "....hm, I hate being awkwardly intrusive. Awkward... hm, that's an awkward word... it doesn't feel right..."

Soon, the sound of the shower stopped, and Toshiro emerged onto the bridge, dressed. He was clad in a white shirt, a green jacket with the symbol that was also visible on many surfaces on the ship (likely the totem of his family clan) on his back, dark blue jeans, hiking boots, and what appeared to be a large, yellow scarf. He was a bit startled to see Mizuho on the bridge.

"Oh, Captain Yukisato, I was about to wake you...I was wondering if you wanted to go into town and do some shopping. You'll likely need clothing, unless you happened to bring some with you on the escape pod, against all odds. This ship lacks nodal devices, so you'll need to bathe and change your laundry more often than you may be accustomed to should you stay here."

Mizuho looked up slowly, glancing back towards Toshiro. "...shopping. Clothes. Yes, I suppose the possession of clothing might be ideal. Bathing also sounds like a fathomable plan." She was not terribly averse to bathing and clothing herself by hand. In fact, she had never much liked the excessive technological luxuries provided by more modern Star Army vessels. It took away one of the last shreds of humanity that soldiers could cling to. "...shopping also means chocolate, yes?"

Toshiro nodded. "I have yet to hear of such a thing as too much chocolate...and when it comes to clothing, I only have one rule: No hair ribbons...they....creep me out. Big Time."

No hair ribbons? Mizuho blinked. "...pity. I had planned on a wide selection of black silk hair ribbons, and perhaps a pretty little bout of lingerie so I may behave as a common coquette on Nepleslia." Sarcasm, but that wasn't always obvious when one was speaking to Yukisato.

Toshiro stood there a moment, apparently confused... "What is...ran-ju-rei? ...and koketto?"

"Lingerie." Mizuho pondered a moment, then lifted the hem of her travel-worn skirt about her hips to give a view of very plain white panties. "This, Toshiro, is lingerie. It comes in all manner of styles. As for a coquette... you'll find out when you're older, or when you spend a month on Nepleslia."

Toshiro looked at her panties before it clicked. "Oh, women's underwear. Okay...and how old do I have to be to learn the other thing?"

"...how old are you now?" Mizuho smiled slightly, crossing her arms over her chest, the thin violet skirt falling back about her ankles. This boy really was something strange and precious - a Yamataian who didn't understand sex intimately was something to be treasured and protected, since it was much less likely to view her as an object of pleasure.

"Eighteen," Toshiro replied.

"You can learn when you're nineteen." A flash of pearly viscerals, and Mizuho quickly bound her hair back into a loose tail, offering a yawn. "Let's be off. They say chocolate is a startling aphrodisiac, you know."

Toshiro gave her another confused look as he walked with her. "Afurodishiakku?"

"Something that promotes phallic excitement. It triggers endorphines, which I'm told give the feeling of being in love. Of course, I'm not entirely sure I possess endorphines, and I think its entirely fair to say that you lack in hormones to excite." A playful jab, and Mizuho was quite certain it would fly right over his head anyway.

It did exactly that, though he didn't push the issue. "...So...which shop do you want to hit first? I don't expect you to have any money, but I have some..."

Mizuho needed no time to think on that. "...chocolate takes priority over all other things, doesn't it?" Strange, she didn't used to much care for chocolate. A month confined to an escape pod can change one's mind on a good many things, though...

PAUSE

 

[Toshiro]

Toshiro thought for a moment... "Well, there is a place not too far from the warehouse that has some decent chocolate...do you want to go there?"

After a moment, Mizuho gave a nod of assent. "That will suffice. After which I believe you should be introduced to the endless pleasure to be found in alcohol. Have you ever experienced sherry, or chardonnay?"

Toshiro blinked. "Well, O-nii-san always said alcohol was a bad idea for a Pilot or Captain...and wasn't necessary if you lead a life you enjoyed!"

"Alcohol, Toshiro, is only a bad idea when on duty! And even then it has its place." Mizuho laughed, "Possibly the only thing I ever agreed with Yui on after I met her. She would throw parties onboard her ships, and had her little sex-doll follow up and record who would want liquor. I never attended one, though. Went through the airlock first."

Toshiro blinked. "Through the airlock?" Toshiro asked as they entered the chocolate store.

Mizuho gave a curt nod, smiling. "Yes. Grabbed me by the throat and reprimanded me harshly for calling her incompetent. But she is, really. I probably should have fought back, but I see no particular usefulness coming of such an encounter. I'd be dead, she'd be injured. Which I suppose is preferable to the current situation." A pause. "I don't laugh much, Toshiro. What did you do?"

Toshiro was confused by the question. "I don't understand...what do you mean 'what did I do'?"

Mizuho glanced about at the rows of chocolate. "...I laughed. You must have said something meaningful. Never mind." She set to inspecting the wares. "...white chocolate. I need white chocolate, with hazelnuts and maybe almonds..."

Toshiro nodded and signaled to the owner to come over. "Well, I guess maybe you're just beginning to heal, Captain...any other kinds of chocolate you want?"

"Or maybe I'm trading the game I know for shelter." Mizuho shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know! Truffles! Marzipan! Cordials! Just... chocolate..." She sounded on the verge of a mental breakup.

Toshiro thought for a moment... "Well...I suppose it's not like it's going to spoil...how about a little of everything? I don't know when I'll hit the next payment, but we have money now, best to stock up." Normally, Toshiro wouldn't consider so much chocolate, but he DID have 200 grand to him at the moment, and if chocolate made the poor woman happy, so be it.

"A little of everything. That sounds agreeable." She stood straight then, amethyst optics trailing over the counters to fall on a set of truffles. "...truffles, though. Rum truffles. We must have a grand supply of these..." Mizuho sounded almost as a ghost, the hollow way she spoke those words.

Toshiro nodded..."So...how much will that be?"

The owner looked quite happy... "That will be...1,600 KS."

Toshiro thought for a moment, and spoke. "Well...can't we get a bulk discount? I think 1,200 KS is fair..."

The store owner thought and spoke again. "1,400 KS. That's final."

Toshiro nodded and got out his KS card. "Here you go." Toshiro smiled, glad his brother taught him to haggle. Just because it was less than 1% of his worth, doesn't mean he couldn't be careful with it...it might have to last a while.

"...was there anything else you needed, Toshiro? Since chocolate calls to me like a siren in the polluted seas of Nepleslia! That didn't sound very appealing, did it..." Mizuho stared towards the door.

Toshiro thought for a moment. "Not chocolate-wise...I was thinking about taking the ADN out of the Lamia Torso I have at the warehouse though, perhaps installing it on the Yggdrasill for emergencies...and getting you clothes as well, of course."

Mizuho blinked this time. "Clothes. Yes, those quaint little things. Let's be off, then. I'll help you with the installation, if you want to botch it. I was never much for mechanical stuff..."

"That's okay, I can figure it out. I did build the Yggdrasill out of a normal Vampire, so I have some skill, though I may wind up asking a few things. It IS Star Army tech...ah, here's a clothing store!"

"Clothing, yes." Mizuho slipped through the door, eyeing warily about. This place reminded her too much of things past. What things, she wasn't sure. But it had an ominous feel to it. She looked about for something suiting to her - and before long found herself looking over various plain silks. "...do you suggest anything, Toshiro? I am not much for fashion."

Toshiro looked at her, a bit surprised. "You're asking ME about girls' clothes?"

"Yes, Toshiro. I am." Mizuho spoke rather calmly, selecting a plain white dress and holding it up into the light. "Would this look good?"

Toshiro nodded. "Whites and Purples would look good on you, I think...and Blues and Reds, too, maybe..."

Mizuho raised a brow. "Blues and reds I can do without. Reminds me too much of uniform." She tossed the dress over her shoulder and looked over a similar working of pale lilac. "...what of this?"

Toshiro nodded. "That looks nice, too!"

Biting her lip, Mizuho selected one final addition to the wardrobe. It wasn't characteristic for her - patterned silk, lovingly embroidered, white and laced with violet and silver kikka blossoms. "...this is pretty..."

Toshiro looked at it for a moment and smiled, approving. "Those are nice...but you may also need socks, underwear, and casual wear, you know."

"...socks..." It occurred to Mizuho that she had not often worn them, even with the boots and intensive dress uniforms of Star Army. Stockings on occasion. "I can do without socks. And this will serve fine as casual wear. Perhaps underwear. You can help me figure out what damned size I am..."

Toshiro blinked. "Aren't you wearing some right now? Don't they have a tag?"

"I am, and they have not had tags for a long while. Uncomfortable." Mizuho laughed. "Tags are terribly uncomfortable. If you wore girl's clothing, you would have found that out years ago. As it were, there are many things you should have learned about years ago." She wandered in the direction of undergarments, almost distastefully.

Toshiro followed, not understanding how he could possibly help. "Well, I don't know anything about girls' underwear....ne?" Toshiro noticed a bra. "Nani...What is this?" Some women looked to Toshiro, surprised at his ignorance.

Mizuho cast an idle glance towards the ceiling, then cupped her breasts in her hands. "That, Toshiro, keeps these in place, and lends them support. They can be rather heavy, you know."

Toshiro blinked. "Ah, okay...So you need these, too."

"Yes, Toshiro. And I do know my size for these, as it were." Mizuho selected a few at random, yawned. "Let's move on. Anything else you feel compelled to purchase for me? Perhaps a bikini so I can pose like every other Neko."

Toshiro blinked. "If we ever go to a pool or something maybe...but I don't get why you'd pose..."

"You can learn when you're nineteen." That was getting to be a handy excuse. "I don't swim if I can avoid it anyway." Glancing over panties, she found a few pairs that were suitably plain for her tastes and shuddered slightly. "Now, can we be leaving?"

Toshiro nodded, and went to pay for the items. Roughly another 300 KS lighter, they left from the clothing store.