- RP Date
- YE 45.6
- RP Location
- Tange and HX-2 Systems
YSS Tengu
In Transit to the Tange System
It had been a year since Operation Fireplace, which served as YSS Tengu's shake down tour. Since then, the ship and modules created by the Ryu Keiretsu and SARA had been under constant evaluation. The high capacity of its "Mercy" Transport Modules was pivotal in the rescue of the Norians. However, it was increasingly becoming more of a testbed for Star Army Research Administration's (SARA) concepts for external ship modules than a possible supplement for the Kagai Class Assault Ship, which some had envisioned for the Nuwa Class Multipurpose Frigate. The Tengu's current mission was rumored to be the last evaluation.
Deck 1, Multipurpose Room
15:20 hours, 20 minutes into the meeting
Normally configured to act as the ship's dojo and exercise facility, the rectangular room was instead configured to act as a briefing room today. The walls were adorned with the ship's insignia, but the crew present were instead focused on the volumetric display mounted on top of an oval table presenting the operational plans for the mission at hand. The lighting of the room had been lowered to ensure every little detail of the presentation was seen.
"The 1st Rikugun Test and Evaluation Battalion has tasked the YSS Tengu with a pick up of Rikugun Reservists in preparation for the Blue Valkyrie Exercise. We will be drilling with a Regimental Task Group from the 1st Expeditionary Area Army with the scenario of the Star Army responding from a simulated invasion of HX-2." Chusa Sakurai Mizuki said standing at a podium in front of the table. Being the captain of the YSS Tengu and presenter for the briefing, she would have to do without one of the comfortable, ergonomic chairs everyone else was sitting on.
The volumetric display switched to the Tengu's tasks within the exercise. "We will be deploying the new 'Hersir' Mobile Command Module as well as carrying the OPFor Armor Battalion's equipment and most of their personnel." Mizuki continued.
Additional displays lit up in front of the logistics personnel present. The usual assortment of old SAoY equipment such as Grav APCs and Troll Tanks could be seen among the inventory that the ship was carrying. But there was also a wide assortment of the 1st RTE's acquisition of Ryu Keiretsu equipment such as the Paradin Infantry System the reservists would be wearing, Galactic Horizon Bubble Blower Grenades; everything that the Test and Evaluation Battalion were had been evaluating for the last year. GH's URSA Armored Transport was obviously missing due to the immense size of the vehicle, but no one would be surprised if it was going to make an appearance as well.
"Logistics personnel, you will be assigned as armorers and quartermasters for this battalion of the OPFor. Select members of the crew will serve as advisors for the reservists, while the rest will remain with the ship. Are there any questions?" Mizuki continued.
"Will the Tengu be providing medical support to the participants of this exercise?" asked Lewis Johnson, the chief medical officer of the Tengu. A tall and stocky Nepleslian with red hair and hazel eyes, Lewis has all of the looks of a Nepleslian Marine. A perception he uses to the fullest in her duties, acting as a way to change the opinions of the more hardcore Nekos he encounters.
"This is not a live fire exercise, medical needs will be carried out by the local Legion XII's facilities. I will issue orders on how you can conduct training with a pool of reservists that will be on standby. No point in not getting full participation in this exercise." Mizuki said with a grin, a grin which few of the officers and NCOs returned.
Mizuki waiting for any more questions from the ship's staff, she waved the volumetric displays off and returned the illumination of the multipurpose room back to normal. "With that, I conclude the briefing out our warning orders. When we arrive at Port Dongfeng, you will have one day of liberty before we depart for the HX-2 system. Dismissed."
Once everyone but Mizuki had left the room, with another wave of her hands the podium and table disappeared and were quickly replaced with the familiar volumetric exercise equipment seen within the room. Mizuki quickly made her way to the wardroom for dinner, she was famished.
Deck 2, Captain's Suite
18:00 hours
Keeping the light level within her suite low but not dark, a sole volumetric light provided Sakurai Mizuki enough light so that reading datapads was not straining for her eyes. The light grey walls of the suite were decorated with a mixture of patriotic volumetric and heavy metal promotional displays she had gathered over the years serving the Star Army of Yamatai. And she would continue to serve if she could ever find the void within the organization she believed she was supposed to fill.
Leaning back into her chair, she sat down the current datapad ("Legion Logistics: No Food, No Fight") as she motioned with her hands to bring up a volumetric display of the standard MTOE of a 1st Expeditionary Area Army Legion Command Group. She let out a long sigh. While she might have started from the ranks of the Star Army Rikugun and commanded as a centurion, the Rikugun had changed quite a bit since Taisho Mizumitsu became the Rikugun Chief of Staff, the top leader of the Rikugun before the Mistress Taisho herself.
Thoughts of her first command as a commissioned officer within Legion XX came to mind. Those were simpler days when she relied heavily on a grizzled NCO named Reiko Norrman to advise and remind her that she wasn't a non-commissioned officer anymore. She quickly remembered what triggered those memories and went back to work.
"A Legion Command Group functions as both a command and training structure for a temporary expeditionary legion-sized formation and an organic fleet support capability. This allows the Rikugun the ability to respond rapidly while standard legions are mobilized and transported," she spoke to herself as she reiterated what she had learned regarding the new unit organization. She then looked deeper at the display, causing it to zoom in and project the image of a Legion Command Group's flagship, a Tanya Class Expeditionary Cruiser.
Before she could look deeper into other portions of the Legion Command Group, her door chimed, indicating someone wished to enter.
"Fury, pause the music," Mizuki said in relation to the industrial metal currently playing, which she used as study music. She was fairly certain the current song was something by "Still Alive" from Fujiko IV.
"Aye aye, Captain," the masculine voice of Empress' Fury, the ship's MEGAMI, said before the music halted.
"Enter," Mizuki said as she picked up another datapad labeled "Kyoto War College: Rikugun Commander Legion Tactics". A brown-skinned Nekovalkyrja wearing a well-maintained white paneled uniform entered the room with several datapads. While she had cute sky blue eyes and sideswept dark brown hair, her demeanor seemed like she had something on her mind.
"Here are the incoming replacement personnel orders and the report on the last general battle station drill as ordered," she said as the new datapads were laid onto the desk.
"We will arrive in the Tange System within 2 hours, Captain," the Nekovalkyrja said. "Medical also reminds you that your annual checkup is due within a week. You have always been on time, but with your added academic load as well as command responsibilities, the Johnson-shosa felt that I must remind you of it," she continued.
"Thank you, Shosa Benson. If there is nothing else, I will see you at the command breakfast tomorrow."
Mizuki tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of anxiety. This evaluation mission might seem mundane to some, but it was one of the many ways the Empire improves itself, and she couldn't afford any mistakes. Especially if she had any hope of achieving a recommendation for command to one of the new Legion Command Groups. A failed mission always looks bad on the records.
Shosa Benson gave a salute before she exited the Captain's Suite. Mizuki looked at the datapads on her desk and took a deep breath. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it.
In Transit to the Tange System
It had been a year since Operation Fireplace, which served as YSS Tengu's shake down tour. Since then, the ship and modules created by the Ryu Keiretsu and SARA had been under constant evaluation. The high capacity of its "Mercy" Transport Modules was pivotal in the rescue of the Norians. However, it was increasingly becoming more of a testbed for Star Army Research Administration's (SARA) concepts for external ship modules than a possible supplement for the Kagai Class Assault Ship, which some had envisioned for the Nuwa Class Multipurpose Frigate. The Tengu's current mission was rumored to be the last evaluation.
Deck 1, Multipurpose Room
15:20 hours, 20 minutes into the meeting
Normally configured to act as the ship's dojo and exercise facility, the rectangular room was instead configured to act as a briefing room today. The walls were adorned with the ship's insignia, but the crew present were instead focused on the volumetric display mounted on top of an oval table presenting the operational plans for the mission at hand. The lighting of the room had been lowered to ensure every little detail of the presentation was seen.
"The 1st Rikugun Test and Evaluation Battalion has tasked the YSS Tengu with a pick up of Rikugun Reservists in preparation for the Blue Valkyrie Exercise. We will be drilling with a Regimental Task Group from the 1st Expeditionary Area Army with the scenario of the Star Army responding from a simulated invasion of HX-2." Chusa Sakurai Mizuki said standing at a podium in front of the table. Being the captain of the YSS Tengu and presenter for the briefing, she would have to do without one of the comfortable, ergonomic chairs everyone else was sitting on.
The volumetric display switched to the Tengu's tasks within the exercise. "We will be deploying the new 'Hersir' Mobile Command Module as well as carrying the OPFor Armor Battalion's equipment and most of their personnel." Mizuki continued.
Additional displays lit up in front of the logistics personnel present. The usual assortment of old SAoY equipment such as Grav APCs and Troll Tanks could be seen among the inventory that the ship was carrying. But there was also a wide assortment of the 1st RTE's acquisition of Ryu Keiretsu equipment such as the Paradin Infantry System the reservists would be wearing, Galactic Horizon Bubble Blower Grenades; everything that the Test and Evaluation Battalion were had been evaluating for the last year. GH's URSA Armored Transport was obviously missing due to the immense size of the vehicle, but no one would be surprised if it was going to make an appearance as well.
"Logistics personnel, you will be assigned as armorers and quartermasters for this battalion of the OPFor. Select members of the crew will serve as advisors for the reservists, while the rest will remain with the ship. Are there any questions?" Mizuki continued.
"Will the Tengu be providing medical support to the participants of this exercise?" asked Lewis Johnson, the chief medical officer of the Tengu. A tall and stocky Nepleslian with red hair and hazel eyes, Lewis has all of the looks of a Nepleslian Marine. A perception he uses to the fullest in her duties, acting as a way to change the opinions of the more hardcore Nekos he encounters.
"This is not a live fire exercise, medical needs will be carried out by the local Legion XII's facilities. I will issue orders on how you can conduct training with a pool of reservists that will be on standby. No point in not getting full participation in this exercise." Mizuki said with a grin, a grin which few of the officers and NCOs returned.
Mizuki waiting for any more questions from the ship's staff, she waved the volumetric displays off and returned the illumination of the multipurpose room back to normal. "With that, I conclude the briefing out our warning orders. When we arrive at Port Dongfeng, you will have one day of liberty before we depart for the HX-2 system. Dismissed."
Once everyone but Mizuki had left the room, with another wave of her hands the podium and table disappeared and were quickly replaced with the familiar volumetric exercise equipment seen within the room. Mizuki quickly made her way to the wardroom for dinner, she was famished.
Deck 2, Captain's Suite
18:00 hours
Keeping the light level within her suite low but not dark, a sole volumetric light provided Sakurai Mizuki enough light so that reading datapads was not straining for her eyes. The light grey walls of the suite were decorated with a mixture of patriotic volumetric and heavy metal promotional displays she had gathered over the years serving the Star Army of Yamatai. And she would continue to serve if she could ever find the void within the organization she believed she was supposed to fill.
Leaning back into her chair, she sat down the current datapad ("Legion Logistics: No Food, No Fight") as she motioned with her hands to bring up a volumetric display of the standard MTOE of a 1st Expeditionary Area Army Legion Command Group. She let out a long sigh. While she might have started from the ranks of the Star Army Rikugun and commanded as a centurion, the Rikugun had changed quite a bit since Taisho Mizumitsu became the Rikugun Chief of Staff, the top leader of the Rikugun before the Mistress Taisho herself.
Thoughts of her first command as a commissioned officer within Legion XX came to mind. Those were simpler days when she relied heavily on a grizzled NCO named Reiko Norrman to advise and remind her that she wasn't a non-commissioned officer anymore. She quickly remembered what triggered those memories and went back to work.
"A Legion Command Group functions as both a command and training structure for a temporary expeditionary legion-sized formation and an organic fleet support capability. This allows the Rikugun the ability to respond rapidly while standard legions are mobilized and transported," she spoke to herself as she reiterated what she had learned regarding the new unit organization. She then looked deeper at the display, causing it to zoom in and project the image of a Legion Command Group's flagship, a Tanya Class Expeditionary Cruiser.
Before she could look deeper into other portions of the Legion Command Group, her door chimed, indicating someone wished to enter.
"Fury, pause the music," Mizuki said in relation to the industrial metal currently playing, which she used as study music. She was fairly certain the current song was something by "Still Alive" from Fujiko IV.
"Aye aye, Captain," the masculine voice of Empress' Fury, the ship's MEGAMI, said before the music halted.
"Enter," Mizuki said as she picked up another datapad labeled "Kyoto War College: Rikugun Commander Legion Tactics". A brown-skinned Nekovalkyrja wearing a well-maintained white paneled uniform entered the room with several datapads. While she had cute sky blue eyes and sideswept dark brown hair, her demeanor seemed like she had something on her mind.
"Here are the incoming replacement personnel orders and the report on the last general battle station drill as ordered," she said as the new datapads were laid onto the desk.
"We will arrive in the Tange System within 2 hours, Captain," the Nekovalkyrja said. "Medical also reminds you that your annual checkup is due within a week. You have always been on time, but with your added academic load as well as command responsibilities, the Johnson-shosa felt that I must remind you of it," she continued.
"Thank you, Shosa Benson. If there is nothing else, I will see you at the command breakfast tomorrow."
Mizuki tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of anxiety. This evaluation mission might seem mundane to some, but it was one of the many ways the Empire improves itself, and she couldn't afford any mistakes. Especially if she had any hope of achieving a recommendation for command to one of the new Legion Command Groups. A failed mission always looks bad on the records.
Shosa Benson gave a salute before she exited the Captain's Suite. Mizuki looked at the datapads on her desk and took a deep breath. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it.
