ON: Destiny City, outside of the Skyscrapers
Mizuho sighed softly, yawning and stretching her arm. Ayame was dead. But that was not her chief concern. Rather, she cast a dark glance down the paths through the towers and buildings. A massive spacecraft that she considered to be doomed to failure. She didn't belong here, especially not with the empire suffering such a blow. No words. Nothing. She had committed the report to memory earlier that day, and written down a copy before deleting it from her files. It simply encouraged a deep grudge which had existed in her as long as she could remember, reinforced her irritation at the menial task she had been assigned.
The city was more alive than usual today, with people milling about the streets with discontented looks on their faces. Some were worried, some were angry, and still others seem to have an air of hateful smugness about them. Nepleslia had declared itself free of Yamataian rule, the Mishhuvurthyar were closing in, and the Empress had been found dead by her own hand. Surely the universe had become a much darker place. A Nepleslian man, with a shaved head, camouflage pants, and bunch of grenades slung across his muscular chest on a belt, stood on top of a trash can, preaching outside the skyscrapers. "WE WILL NO LONGER BE RULED BY OUR CREATIONS!" the man yelled. "HUMANITY IS THE MASTER RACE, NOT THESE FALSE GODS CALLED NEKOS! YOU!" Mizuho found herself being pointed at by the man. "PAWN!"
Carlos sat with his back to the wall of one of the huge skyscrapers. He'd vaguely heard the news of Nepleslia declaring independence, of the Empress' death. Both were largely meaningless to him...if Nepleslia declared independence while he was still on it, would his life change at all? He took out a pack of cigarettes and slid one from the crumpled holder, placing it to his lips, fumbling for a lighter.
"Great... this is Just great..." a man said, dressed in a simple loose blue shirt and pants and seated at a table at one of the outdoor establishments for food on the colony ship. "I just know that guy is going to delay my food preparation." His job was a structural engineer for ground facilities; as such the time spent on the ship was mostly left over to sitting around and thinking about stuff. "The empress was gone yes, but she never did anything for me. I guess what I really want to know is which star army are we going to be working for now? Not like that really matters either... we came out this far to get away from that sinking ship..." He thought out loud like this for a while before he saw the waiter, "HEY! YOU!" He yelled out, "Where is my food? I've been waiting here for over an hour!
A nearby man in military gear flicked open a golden lighter with an eagle on it and offered the short blue flame for Carlos to use. "You Star Army?" the man asked casually.
He held out his cigarette and let it light, taking a drag and exhaling a breath of smoke into the cool, recycled air. He looked up at the man, flicking a little ash down onto the street "Thanks...yeah. I am. Are you?"
Henako was walking round aimlessly, looking as though he was patrolling the grounds. He hadn't been thinking about much since the long talk by Arild. He was at the bottom of the three large scrapers, he was slightly tired and hungry. He had heard the Empress had died earlier today. "Man that ain't nice" Henako though to himself. Shooting yourself, not a nice way to go. He looked up to see Carlos, the guy who had been in the bar with him, "Hey Carlos?" Another man had just walked over to him and had begun speak, Henako didn't care he continued walking towards him.
"Army of Nepleslia now," the man said, pointing to his green flak jacket. It had a black star magic-markered onto it. "Maybe you can make the switch, too," the man suggested to Carlos, watching Henako suspiciously.
The ranting of the Nepleslian man drew Mizuho's attention easily. She immediately snapped to a more attentive stance and drew towards him with deliberately paced strides. She cast an unreadable gaze upon the preaching man. "One cannot be a god unless you place them on a pedestal." She spoke in a very... strained voice, withholding the desire to kick over the trash can he stood on. "That you place us on a pedestal is no fault of our own. And it is not my business. However, I will not have armed civilians attempting to incite riot on the streets. You are Nepleslian, but you stand on Yamataian soil and will obey the laws of Yamatai." She didn't believe what she was saying, but it was more important to maintain the peace right now than to follow her own traitor heart.
"Hey Henako" Carlos called, then turned back to the man and eyed his green jacket suspiciously. He stood up and took another drag, blowing a smoke ring and grinning. "No thanks bro, I'm already all settled down here...interstellar politics ain't my thing. As long as the Star Army keeps the paychecks coming, I think I'll stay."
The events at the restaurant unfolded quite as one would expect a yelling match to, the confusion over food orders not helping the situation involving a very loud man with explosives not to far away. With the added tension in the air there was of course added security and within a short space of time a group of Two MPs. had arrived. "Sir, why don't you go about your business elsewhere. You're disturbing the peace." Both were equipped with personal body armor and NC plasma pistols holstered at their side.
The street preacher countered, "NINETY FIVE PERCENT OF THIS SHIP'S PEOPLE ARE NEPLESLIAN. THIS SHIP IS OURS, NOT YAMATAI'S!" The crowd of Nepleslians, mostly men, all armed, that had gathered around the man on the trash bin, turned to glare angrily at the Nekovalkyrja, jeering and taunting Mizuho, "Fuck you, dynasty lackey!" one called. "Factory made maiden!" another laughed, pointing. Yet another one of the men asked, "why don't you do a little public service and give us all some loving, since the Mishhu are too much for you to handle?" A glob of greenish spit landed on her cheek. Meanwhile, the MPs found armed men surrounding them. "Hey NovaCorp, which side you on?" one asked.
Apesael had managed to recover from 'The Game', and after meditating in his room, felt like a breath of fresh air. He quickly went to the ground floor through the transport module, and stretched out his arms to embrace creation. He noticed all the anger and chaos. It resonated around his skull. He began to walk looking for someone to tell him what was going on.
He soon noticed the trouble with NovaCorp personnel and a Neko, some Nepleslians being a bother. Apesael came over, "Is there a problem here gentlemen?" he said coolly.
"Only if you're making one," some guy with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher responded.
: One of the MPs looked at the other, perhaps not quite knowing himself just what side they were on. "We just want to make sure that no one gets hurt here." The clearly superior of the two responded while the partner turned back to the crowd and used a hand held data pad to call for backup. "You, Neko, You should leave here." He said shortly.
Carlos watched the commotion across the street. After the whole melee beforehand, the riot, he would stay in the background in this one unless things began to escalate. He knew he had no tact, no diplomatic skills, so he ought to stay out until someone needed a good ass-stomping.
A pair of medics briskly walked by, carrying a man on a stretcher toward an ambulance nearby. "Neko smacked him," one of them remarked.
"I don't think we want to make a problem." Apesael said smoothly, "But can you explain the situation here?"
"Some fools," the man with the RPG replied, "Think that Yamatai's running this ship. If that's the case, it ain't for long!"
The MPs were clearly outgunned, and started moving toward the neko in the crowd, trying to convince her to leave the area by simply telling her, "You need to head back to your room."
"Uesu had to off that bitch," a large mutant cyborg said. "Nekos don't belong in power."
Mizuho yawned, and quietly wiped away the spit from her cheek. "It is interesting, to me." Her voice was mild, free of anger. "That you hold such pride for Nepleslia... and yet you all flooded onto a Yamataian ship bound for elsewhere." Not paying much attention, she spoke quickly into her personal communicator. "Control room? This is Yukisato-Shosa. I am informing you that you are all relieved of duties. Halt the ship and barricade the doors. Let no one in without the permission of myself or of Arild Bard." Whether they obeyed her or not, she didn't care. If they wanted to make a fight of this, she would offer to them more trouble than it was worth. No violence. She would not raise a hand against any of them. There were so many ways that were more effective...
"Not really. It is different, the Mayor, a Nepleslian like yourself, runs the city. The Captain runs the ship. Would you really want all the hassle? All the problems of day to day managing a project of that scale?"
"When we make treaties it should be for our own people," RPG guy told Apsael. "Not for a corrupt-ass bunch of out of control bioweapons."
The MPs took a look at the armed mob, and the neko provoking them. By using their brains they were able to quickly determine that this...was bad. The two began to make their way away from the Neko in the crowd who wasn't listening to them and exited the area that the mob had taken up, waiting for their backup to arrive and not wanting to get between an angry mob of men and the catgirl.
Carlos continued to smoke, standing there watching the ruckus with his hands shoved into his pockets. Idly he scratched his neck, stubble had formed on his chin...
"Out of control? If they where out of control don't you think they would have already destroyed Nepleslia? Declared war? Fast and deadly retaliation? It's certainly within there power. Do you have a problem with the treaty? What exactly?" Apesael found himself probing the men's thoughts almost accidentally.
The entire area seemed to polarize at this point, the majority of people returned home for various reasons to leave the streets empty. Had their been serious vegetation here a dry tumbleweed would almost certainly have gone by as those who didn't want to get involved stayed home and those who did returned with their guns in hand. The argument at the restaurant had also been brought to a halt, "Um, on second thought cancel my order," The engineer said as he too decided to get out of the area.
The crowd around Mizuho began to grab her body and her hair, touching her indecently and some even poking at her with knives and discarded food products. The noise began to increase. As the MPs approached the neko, they found themselves being shoved around by the surging masses. Beer bottles and random garbage sailed through the air, thrown by members of what was quickly becoming a riotous mob. Up above, a man in black calmly unfolded the bipod legs on his rifle, leaning it on the corner of a rooftop.
Ephesus managed to tap into the call for back up. What a wonderful opportunity he thought with a smile, and he typed a few commands into his console, unleashing a dozen Arachni type drones, silent and invisible, re-armed with a reaver designed to stun instead of kill. They soon moved there way across the roof tops, controlled by either the AI or Ephesus, looking for trouble.
The man with the rocket launcher continued his discussion with Apesael, pausing only to light a cigarette for himself. On Yamatai, cigarettes were a disgusting symbol of humanity's weakness, and in most neko-controlled cities they weren't allowed. "The treaties we'll make with new aliens of course."
Mizuho offered no resistance. Let them assail her, stab her, kill her if they would. She did nothing about it. Said nothing. No matter what they did, these people were civilians and she would not hurt them. As they crushed in about her, she allowed her body to fall limp. And though she cursed herself for it inwardly, she burst into tears, biting down hard on her tongue simply to save herself from sobbing. Crystalline droplets rolled down her cheeks, one after the other, and she closed her eyes, wondering if she would ever open them again.
"You will certainly have a representative in the form of the Mayor. What else would you want?"
Carlos removed his service pistol from its holster and checked its ammunition load. Finding it full, he let it hang limp in his hand. He sighed inwardly as he watched the mob, wondering if he should act...the last time he had butted into something it had started a riot...it'd probably do the same again here.
"Ya, just lay down for us!" One man jeered in the crowd, "Stay on your back, It suits you neko!" Laughed another as they watched the crowd close in her.
The military police had long given up on trying to control the situation. The two in the area decided that it would be best to wait until things died down and then pick up the pieces. "So... what do you think the body count is going to be?" One asked as the other stood up on his tip toes to try and count heads.
Arild woke up slowly, with a pounding headache. He brought his head forward from the painful position it had been in, as he glanced at his right hand, clenched around an almost finished bottle of whisky, with an empty one next to it. He never drank normally, but he needed it last night. The AI had intercepted the message, and was reasonably certain that none of the message had gotten through. He had of course seen the message. He didn't know what to make of it...
"Sir, we have a situation. A riot in brewing." Came the AI. Shit. He didn't need this.
A sea of hands grabbed at Mizuho as she allowed her assailants to have their way. Up on the roof, the sniper cursed as his shot was blocked by the men moving on the Shosa. She could feel her weapon seized, her rank pin ripped off, and hands fumbling at the zipper to her uniform, pulling it downward. While some kicked and spat at her, others sought to use her for their personal pleasure and groped at her body. Several small fights broke out among those who disagreed what to do with her.
The Arachni's encircled the mob, halfway up walls, on the roofs, aiming their weapons at the mass of men. The AI and Ephesus had decided not to fire just yet, worried that it might make the situation worse.
BAM! BAM! BAM! A drunken man in fired off a handgun at the sniper on the roof. "SAINT bastard!" he shouted.
A few of the smaller fights over the girl heard the shots and started shooting at each other to settle their argument while others looked up at the roof. "HEY LOOK THERE IS A GUY UP THERE!" One shouted, "NOT FOR LONG!" yelled another as he too drew his pistol and started shooting at the rooftop. The MPs just looked at each other, "its started."
Still no resistance. Blinding pain shot through Mizuho's body, and some small part of her wished to reactivate her regenerative abilities. But she would not do that. She would not hurt them, nor would she give them the satisfaction of the slightest resistance. Some would be happy at that, but it would be much more disappointing than a hated creature fighting and kicking and screaming. She whimpered, and held back a shriek. And simply waited for the end to come.
The AI thought so too. The dozen Arachnis opened fire with a huge hail of stunning fire, encompassing the crowd, knocking down person after person.
Apesael was lost in this crowd, his attempt of diplomacy apparently failing greatly. He kept the crowd off him easily enough, but was distracted; being in a crowd was to be surrounded by their thoughts. The shots started, and people began collapsing, he ducked down, the panic of all the people overwhelming him for a moment.
Carlos flinched as the riot reached a flashpoint, stun blasts knocking down quite a few people. He stuck back against the walls, waiting for his chance to treat those who were injured, regardless of race.
"You know, if the nekos weren't so aggressive then we probably wouldn't have to be cleaning this mess." One of the MPs said offhandedly. "Ya, I know what you mean. What the hell was she thinking provoking a crowd of angry men like that? Much less a crowd of angry men from Nepleslia with enough fire power to wage a small war."
The crowd around Mizuho suddenly dispersed as the stunning shot began. Well-equipped Nepleslian Army soldiers immediately began taking out the drones and AI monitoring systems using sophisticated weaponry like plasma sniper rifles with quintessent differentialometer sensors on their scopes. "WOO!!! NEPLESLIA FOREVER!!" men on the streets below shouted. "YIPPEE KAY-AYE MOTHERFUCKER!!" The men in makeshift green military uniforms, along with their rag-tag militia of colonists, began surging towards key points of the Destiny's control systems, under cover fire from the more well-armed soldiers. Apparently this had been planned to an extent.
"Ephesus, you know the ship. Do something." Arild yelled through the communication system at Ephesus.
"You know... this might not be over as fast as we thought." One of the MPs said as he looked at the other. "We should go pick up that girl, can't just leave her in the street like that." The two looked out from their spot at the doorway of a building and started to access the situation. The people on the ground looked only stunned and the neko looked like she would survive as long as a stray missile didn't find her. "Hmm.... lets wait for this crossfire to die down first." The two were able to remain calm because, even if the ship did get taken over, they would just have a change of employer and in theory not be in any real danger.
The "street preacher" from earlier lead a charge of Nepleslians. "FREEEEEEDOM!" he yelled as he busted into the HQ building's lobby, only to be met with armed NovaCorp guards. "THE MANY," the skinhead declared, "WILL OVERCOME THE OPPRESSION OF THE FEW!" People took cover as best they could, and in a few seconds there was a blazing gun battle. A huge explosion rocked the city block as the power lines were cut with explosive charges.
Mizuho decided on one act at last as the crowd dispersed and she noted the open warfare now in the streets. This was not an angry crowd, this was a full military act. And right there, it became a simple decision. She re-enabled her regenerative capabilities, checked her wrist, found her communicator still intact. It was likely the best attached thing on her body short of actual limbs. "Taisa, please respond. This is Yukisato-Shosa. Please respond." She sighed softly. "Arild, we have an open act of war here on behalf of Nepleslia. My suggestion is for as many Yamataian personnel as possible to be evacuated immediately, followed by immediate blockading of the Destiny. Destroy it if necessary." She hoped he would heed her advice. It was a lost cause to control the ship.
"Madre de dios you crazy motherfuckers..." He muttered, slumping back down against the wall. He knew he should do something...but he also knew as a medic it wasn't his duty to go around getting into firefights. He was there to aid those who needed it...
"OR!" One of the MPs said, "You know what we could do... checkers." The other MP gave his partner a 'what the hell look' and then proceeded to look at the firefight outside. "You know... checkers sounds good right now."
Ephesus was interested in this. A challenge. He sent another batch of 20 drones with their new weapons, and a nice new feature. Canisters with a Carfentanil based gas in them. The drones leapt on them, lashing them apart with their obscenely fast and sharp legs, and dropping the Carfentanil canisters, while also hitting with their stun reavers.
"This is Arild Bard. I believe we are doing all we can." Arild had ordered all the Yamataians to return to their sub city.
"Hell...did I join up here thinking I'd live forever?" He threw down his cigarette, stamping it out and taking off at a run towards the fallen Neko, pistol held in both hands pointed down towards the ground. "Hey! Hey! Are you okay?!"
"This is Nepleslia's ship. Our people are free now, and this ship should be free too. Are you with us or against us?" a man in a leather jacket and holding an Emrys gauss rifle questioned the MPs as more brave citizens ran by on the way to fight.
Apesael waded through the mod as best he could. He did not want to be here right now, too many thoughts, and he knew that Ephesus would resort to some really fucked up stuff if needed.
"With you," One MP responded, "Actually... we are just here to play checkers. We don't get paid nearly enough to risk our lives." The two had not yet even drawn their weapons and were carefully looking about for the remaining three pieces to the checker set they had found in the building.
Mizuho rose quietly, nodded her assent to the guardsmen, the pain already subsided from her body. That she was completely naked made little difference to her. "I am fine, thank you. We should get to Bard-Taisa's location as quickly as possible. I have no wish to see the Destiny become a battleground, and no wish to see a prolonged war with Nepleslia." She then returned another message to Arild. "I will be there as quickly as possible. I am moving now."
"Understood." Arild sent back. This was not a good day.
"Alright, I'll follow you" He held his pistol tightly, hoping they could get through this without much bloodshed. Although he'd been party to many bloody fights before, he really had no wish to see innocent people start dying everywhere.
The drones began to work their way through the Nepleslians, hacking there way through, firing pulses after pulses, while dropping their capsules, which was causing the Nepleslians (and any Yamataians in the area) to drop left right and centre.
Arild opened up communications with Yamatai "This is Taisa Arild Bard, there had been a mutiny. Seeking advice and/or assistance."
As each drone came forward, Army snipers would take it out, trying to minimize the damage to the civilian populace Novacorp was slaughtering. The crowd continued to take over the city, with little resistance save the drones -- Mostly the odd Star Army officers there and NovaCorp personnel who didn't know what was going on. The colonists themselves seemed to be overwhelmingly for the revolution, or whatever it was. "Shake it baby!" a blonde man in a red tank top and blue jeans catcalled to Mizuho, offering paper money to her as she ran by. Outside the ship, shuttles began to depart for the escort ships, carrying Star Army soldiers, refugees, and the occasional Nepleslian intent on owning an escort destroyer.
It was only a few moments before Taisho Yui was on the line. "A mutiny? Explain."
"Well the Nepleslians are trying to take over the ship Taisho. We are resisting as best we can, but we are outnumbered."
Mizuho ignored the catcalling, and moved straight for the command quarters, where Arild should be. "Try to keep up, please. Ignore them." She called back to the guardsman following her. As she burst through to the command room, there were certainly more stares - a Star Army officer, naked as a freshborn human. "Arild!" She was shouting now, hoping he was there. "They have the fucking ship, all there is, is to flee and minimize casualties!" She was not in an exceptionally good mood. And she would be in a somewhat sourer one to find Yui on the communication lines...
"I see," Yui said, pausing to think about the situation for a moment. "The Emperor," she said, "wishes to avoid a war with Nepleslia and to promote good relations. The ship's not a Star Army ship, is it?" she asked. "And the colonists are mostly Nepleslians?"
As Mizuho burst into the command quarters, Carlos had her back, watching what was coming from behind, pistol raised, determined to at least protect someone in this godforsaken mess.
"Yes. And no, it is not a Star Army ship Taisho." Arild said.
"Hello again Mizuho," Yui stared. "Having a party?"
"Actually, Yui, I think 'daterape' is a more accurate term here. The ship must be abandoned, as I'm sure both you and Arild must know by now. Unless the Star Army really is composed of idiots." Mizuho scowled darkly.
"Since it's not our ship, it's not our duty to 'defend' it, especially when it puts us against the will of the people. I must agree with the jaded Shosa here. Get our people off immediately," Yui said grimly. "The NovaCorp people should be neutral in this. Minimize deaths, please. The more there are, the worse inter-planetary relations become."
Ephesus was in his dome. He would not let them take the ship, he had worked on it too long. He began typing into the computers, and then onto the control panel of a large vat. Goo. Terraforming, it's purpose of course, but with a it of reprogramming ... it would serve him. He would need a little more time, programming it to illuminate everything of advanced technology on the ship, but not to cause to many deaths.
"King me!" One of the MPs said as their first game neared an end. "Hey, you want to play winner?" The other asked the Nepleslian soldier in the room with them.
Arild sighed, "Yes Taisho." He opened up a communication to all the Star Army troops and Yamataians, "This in an evacuation. Get to the nearest escape pod or shuttle, and leave."
"And, Taisa," Yui told Arild, "The ones who want out of the Star Army...just let them go. An unwilling soldier's no damn good to us. Again, my orders are to clear the ship of Star Army personnel, leaving NovaCorp in charge. Make sure the colonists know NovaCorp is not their enemy, just the ship operators."
Mizuho crossed her arms. "...and call off the goddamned combat drones..."
Carlos simply stood at the door, ready to pop anyone who came charging in. He had no idea what the exchange of words meant behind him, he was just hoping they were going to take him with them when they left...
"Yes Taisho." He opened another communication, this time to the entire ship, "This is Taisa Arild Bard, we, Star Army personnel, are leaving this ship, NovaCorp is not the enemy's here, they simply operate the ship. You'll need them." He cut off the communication and opened on to Ephesus, "For God's sake Ephesus call of your drones, they're mainly civilians."
Ephesus frowned, and quickly issued an order to the Drones, they began to back off, still firing their non-lethal shots.
A cheer of jubilant exuberation went up throughout the entire colony ship. Though, some cheering people were cut of by bastardly stunning rays.
The drones soon stopped and sped away into the bowels of the ship.
She bowed her head. "Thank you, Arild..." Mizuho turned back towards Carlos. "Come. I wont have you left behind after you risked yourself for my sake..."
Apesael bowed his head, slumping, "Taisho, isn't it usual practice for the Captain to go down with the ship?"
"Shit" One of the MPs said, "Ya I know," responded the other, "Now we'll actually have to start cleaning up... we didn't even get to finish our game!"
"Alright...thanks" He backed away from the door and finally holstered his weapon, turning to Mizuho.
Ephesus sat down heavily. He presumed he was meant to stay then, him being NovaCorp. He deactivated the goo, recalled the drones, and began plans to hand out the medication to treat the Carfentanil. A waste.
Nepleslians in well-creased armored uniforms walked into the room, surrounded by heavily armed guarded. Unlike the mobs, these were clearly well-disciplined and clean-cut soldiers. A sharp-looking man with a 3rd Fleet Taisa pin, obviously having recently left the Star Army, seemed to be the leader. "Good afternoon," he greeted Taisa Bard. "I've ordered my men not to harm any Star Army personnel," he informed the ship's former captain.
Tanjo Shen had been running around hectically, giving commands to NovaCorp personnel, and didn't really know what was going on. Star Army personnel were going. Damn. He was a Nepleslian, he knew his kin. He figured they'd destroy the destiny.
"Very generous of you I'm sure." Arild said, tired, "Drink?" He held out the almost finished bottle of whisky.
"No thanks," the man said, "I've got my own." He indicated a silver flask on his belt that was engraved, "5th Armor Regiment" on it.
Mizuho turned towards those Nepleslians, with a charming smile. She was still completely unclothed, and found it rather amusing now that the situation came to light, and hostilities seemed to have ceased for the time. Her head tilted towards Arild. "You have... alcohol...?" Had she known, she would have been here more quickly. She quickly cast aside the longing, and went back to looking like a sex-slave in a command room full of uniformed men.
The Nepleslian captain looked Mizzy over with a wry grin. "Well, that's one way to handle the stress of loosing a command. No offense."
The military police who had recently been playing checkers, started to move out into the city and try and administer as much medical aid as possible. The chemical weapons that had been used had already claimed hundreds of lives of people who were to sedated to breath and others that had swallowed their own tongue... and this was just the people in the streets. The buildings were hardly gas proof and more than just a few hundred body bags would be needed before the night was over.
"Well it's always good to have some poison with you, even something as slow acting as alcohol. Anyway, what can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if we could keep the escort fleet," the Nepleslian captain replied.
Ephesus ordered NovaCorp personnel to begin distributing the medicine.
Mizuho blinked at their request. "Perhaps a compromise is in order. We leave half, and we take half for our return voyage." She hoped Arild would agree with her on this, as it was a long way back to Yamatai. Where she certainly hoped to reach again, at least once.
"I don't know. Be rather strange wouldn't it? The mutineers ordering around the Star Army's ships? Yui?" He asked Yui, not certain whether she was still on or not.
About ten minutes after the medicine order had been issued, requests for body bags started to pour in. The destiny would be one stinky place in a day without them.
"I'm actually okay with giving them the whole fleet. They're not mutineers, they're simply showing their true colors. Star Army could only contain the Nepleslians so long; I suppose this was inevitable. It shouldn't be much trouble since it's all automated right now. Half does sound more fair, though. Is everything calmed down there yet?" Yui asked.
"Seems so. Ephesus was a little reluctant to give up, but everyone is evacuating well. Medical treatment is being handed out." Arild said, getting a status report from the AI.
"...the only problem I see is the potential of other assailants. There are hostilities not limited to a fight over a colony ship." Mizuho bowed slightly to the Nepleslian captain. "Had this occurred when there were not such pressing problems with the Mishhu, I would have fully supported Nepleslian independence."
Carlos simply kept to the shadows...he was a Santô Hei for god's sake. He had no reason to be in this conversation!
Apesael had managed to clear the situation, and was just sitting on the steps of a building. He was trying to quiet the voices.
"I'm sorry this had to fall under your watch," Yui apologized to Taisa Bard. "It's not your fault. I'll have Minori issue you new orders soon...unless of course you would prefer to join them?"
Mizuho yawned softly. "I would rather you didn't, Arild. Compassion is too rare in commanders." She quickly excused herself from the conversation, cornering Carlos. "Dammit, you have a voice! What's your name?" She would likely have been taken more seriously if she wore clothes, but she was happy enough.
"I do not side with these sort of people Taisho. I will be leaving the ship, if they allow me." He sighed, "Thank you for being understanding." He turned to the Nepleslian Captain, "What will happen to NovaCorp personnel?"
"Er...my name is Carlos..." He said quietly, rather surprised to be cornered by a naked woman with neko ears.
"They can stay if they want. They're still supposed to be running the ship, I suppose. As far as I know Yamatai doesn't mind NovaCorp working in both Nepleslia and Yamatai."
"Do they Taisho?" Arild asked Yui.
"Don't be so timid, Carlos!" Mizuho clapped him across the back. "All I ask is that you treat me as an equal." She was acting much like she did when she was drunk. Perhaps because it was easier to forget the gravity of the situation that way.
Yui looked confused, "Do they what?"
"Does Yamatai have any problems with NovaCorp working in both Yamatai and Nepleslia?" Arild just looked tired, and he massaged his temples.
"I...well, I'm just a Santô Hei. I don't mean to get involved in such...huge things. Politics aren't my game, ya know?" Carlos said, folding his arms and looking over at Mizuho.
"Well, Santo Hei Carlos, I am a Shosa and I don't care what rank you are." Mizuho smiled. Smiled? "You are a person. And they can discuss the politics about this now, because it bores me just as much as it bores you."
"It should be fine. I'll consult Uesu about it later," Yui replied. "Make sure to put in a request for orders once you're away."
"I will Taisho." Bard turned to the Nepleslian leader, "Can I inquire what you are going to do with my ship?"
"We'll simply assume your mission, to seek out, explore, and colonize," the man replied.
"Oh yeah? I never had a head for those kinda things...all this...trickery and the like...cristo, makes my head spin." Carlos grinned, feeling a good deal more relaxed in speaking to a superior officer.
"Oh good. Good luck." Arild stepped up and walked to the corner of his office, "You don't mind if I use the transport module to get to the shuttle bay?".
Mizuho followed after Arild, beckoning quietly for Carlos to follow. "If you don't mind, Arild, might I accompany you? As well as this rather... amusing... soldier here?" She was after his whisky.
"Go ahead," the captain nodded. "At least you don't have to worry about handling the hooligans this time. That's my job now, at least until a civilian replaces me. Mainly I was here for the takeover. I've only been aboard for a week."
Carlos followed, watching Mizuho with a smile. Even though they were in the middle of a huge crisis, he did notice she was rather cute.
"Of course. The alcohol is in the cupboard there," He gestured to a wooden container, "Take what you want." He stepped into the module.
Mizuho sighed softly, yawning and stretching her arm. Ayame was dead. But that was not her chief concern. Rather, she cast a dark glance down the paths through the towers and buildings. A massive spacecraft that she considered to be doomed to failure. She didn't belong here, especially not with the empire suffering such a blow. No words. Nothing. She had committed the report to memory earlier that day, and written down a copy before deleting it from her files. It simply encouraged a deep grudge which had existed in her as long as she could remember, reinforced her irritation at the menial task she had been assigned.
The city was more alive than usual today, with people milling about the streets with discontented looks on their faces. Some were worried, some were angry, and still others seem to have an air of hateful smugness about them. Nepleslia had declared itself free of Yamataian rule, the Mishhuvurthyar were closing in, and the Empress had been found dead by her own hand. Surely the universe had become a much darker place. A Nepleslian man, with a shaved head, camouflage pants, and bunch of grenades slung across his muscular chest on a belt, stood on top of a trash can, preaching outside the skyscrapers. "WE WILL NO LONGER BE RULED BY OUR CREATIONS!" the man yelled. "HUMANITY IS THE MASTER RACE, NOT THESE FALSE GODS CALLED NEKOS! YOU!" Mizuho found herself being pointed at by the man. "PAWN!"
Carlos sat with his back to the wall of one of the huge skyscrapers. He'd vaguely heard the news of Nepleslia declaring independence, of the Empress' death. Both were largely meaningless to him...if Nepleslia declared independence while he was still on it, would his life change at all? He took out a pack of cigarettes and slid one from the crumpled holder, placing it to his lips, fumbling for a lighter.
"Great... this is Just great..." a man said, dressed in a simple loose blue shirt and pants and seated at a table at one of the outdoor establishments for food on the colony ship. "I just know that guy is going to delay my food preparation." His job was a structural engineer for ground facilities; as such the time spent on the ship was mostly left over to sitting around and thinking about stuff. "The empress was gone yes, but she never did anything for me. I guess what I really want to know is which star army are we going to be working for now? Not like that really matters either... we came out this far to get away from that sinking ship..." He thought out loud like this for a while before he saw the waiter, "HEY! YOU!" He yelled out, "Where is my food? I've been waiting here for over an hour!
A nearby man in military gear flicked open a golden lighter with an eagle on it and offered the short blue flame for Carlos to use. "You Star Army?" the man asked casually.
He held out his cigarette and let it light, taking a drag and exhaling a breath of smoke into the cool, recycled air. He looked up at the man, flicking a little ash down onto the street "Thanks...yeah. I am. Are you?"
Henako was walking round aimlessly, looking as though he was patrolling the grounds. He hadn't been thinking about much since the long talk by Arild. He was at the bottom of the three large scrapers, he was slightly tired and hungry. He had heard the Empress had died earlier today. "Man that ain't nice" Henako though to himself. Shooting yourself, not a nice way to go. He looked up to see Carlos, the guy who had been in the bar with him, "Hey Carlos?" Another man had just walked over to him and had begun speak, Henako didn't care he continued walking towards him.
"Army of Nepleslia now," the man said, pointing to his green flak jacket. It had a black star magic-markered onto it. "Maybe you can make the switch, too," the man suggested to Carlos, watching Henako suspiciously.
The ranting of the Nepleslian man drew Mizuho's attention easily. She immediately snapped to a more attentive stance and drew towards him with deliberately paced strides. She cast an unreadable gaze upon the preaching man. "One cannot be a god unless you place them on a pedestal." She spoke in a very... strained voice, withholding the desire to kick over the trash can he stood on. "That you place us on a pedestal is no fault of our own. And it is not my business. However, I will not have armed civilians attempting to incite riot on the streets. You are Nepleslian, but you stand on Yamataian soil and will obey the laws of Yamatai." She didn't believe what she was saying, but it was more important to maintain the peace right now than to follow her own traitor heart.
"Hey Henako" Carlos called, then turned back to the man and eyed his green jacket suspiciously. He stood up and took another drag, blowing a smoke ring and grinning. "No thanks bro, I'm already all settled down here...interstellar politics ain't my thing. As long as the Star Army keeps the paychecks coming, I think I'll stay."
The events at the restaurant unfolded quite as one would expect a yelling match to, the confusion over food orders not helping the situation involving a very loud man with explosives not to far away. With the added tension in the air there was of course added security and within a short space of time a group of Two MPs. had arrived. "Sir, why don't you go about your business elsewhere. You're disturbing the peace." Both were equipped with personal body armor and NC plasma pistols holstered at their side.
The street preacher countered, "NINETY FIVE PERCENT OF THIS SHIP'S PEOPLE ARE NEPLESLIAN. THIS SHIP IS OURS, NOT YAMATAI'S!" The crowd of Nepleslians, mostly men, all armed, that had gathered around the man on the trash bin, turned to glare angrily at the Nekovalkyrja, jeering and taunting Mizuho, "Fuck you, dynasty lackey!" one called. "Factory made maiden!" another laughed, pointing. Yet another one of the men asked, "why don't you do a little public service and give us all some loving, since the Mishhu are too much for you to handle?" A glob of greenish spit landed on her cheek. Meanwhile, the MPs found armed men surrounding them. "Hey NovaCorp, which side you on?" one asked.
Apesael had managed to recover from 'The Game', and after meditating in his room, felt like a breath of fresh air. He quickly went to the ground floor through the transport module, and stretched out his arms to embrace creation. He noticed all the anger and chaos. It resonated around his skull. He began to walk looking for someone to tell him what was going on.
He soon noticed the trouble with NovaCorp personnel and a Neko, some Nepleslians being a bother. Apesael came over, "Is there a problem here gentlemen?" he said coolly.
"Only if you're making one," some guy with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher responded.
: One of the MPs looked at the other, perhaps not quite knowing himself just what side they were on. "We just want to make sure that no one gets hurt here." The clearly superior of the two responded while the partner turned back to the crowd and used a hand held data pad to call for backup. "You, Neko, You should leave here." He said shortly.
Carlos watched the commotion across the street. After the whole melee beforehand, the riot, he would stay in the background in this one unless things began to escalate. He knew he had no tact, no diplomatic skills, so he ought to stay out until someone needed a good ass-stomping.
A pair of medics briskly walked by, carrying a man on a stretcher toward an ambulance nearby. "Neko smacked him," one of them remarked.
"I don't think we want to make a problem." Apesael said smoothly, "But can you explain the situation here?"
"Some fools," the man with the RPG replied, "Think that Yamatai's running this ship. If that's the case, it ain't for long!"
The MPs were clearly outgunned, and started moving toward the neko in the crowd, trying to convince her to leave the area by simply telling her, "You need to head back to your room."
"Uesu had to off that bitch," a large mutant cyborg said. "Nekos don't belong in power."
Mizuho yawned, and quietly wiped away the spit from her cheek. "It is interesting, to me." Her voice was mild, free of anger. "That you hold such pride for Nepleslia... and yet you all flooded onto a Yamataian ship bound for elsewhere." Not paying much attention, she spoke quickly into her personal communicator. "Control room? This is Yukisato-Shosa. I am informing you that you are all relieved of duties. Halt the ship and barricade the doors. Let no one in without the permission of myself or of Arild Bard." Whether they obeyed her or not, she didn't care. If they wanted to make a fight of this, she would offer to them more trouble than it was worth. No violence. She would not raise a hand against any of them. There were so many ways that were more effective...
"Not really. It is different, the Mayor, a Nepleslian like yourself, runs the city. The Captain runs the ship. Would you really want all the hassle? All the problems of day to day managing a project of that scale?"
"When we make treaties it should be for our own people," RPG guy told Apsael. "Not for a corrupt-ass bunch of out of control bioweapons."
The MPs took a look at the armed mob, and the neko provoking them. By using their brains they were able to quickly determine that this...was bad. The two began to make their way away from the Neko in the crowd who wasn't listening to them and exited the area that the mob had taken up, waiting for their backup to arrive and not wanting to get between an angry mob of men and the catgirl.
Carlos continued to smoke, standing there watching the ruckus with his hands shoved into his pockets. Idly he scratched his neck, stubble had formed on his chin...
"Out of control? If they where out of control don't you think they would have already destroyed Nepleslia? Declared war? Fast and deadly retaliation? It's certainly within there power. Do you have a problem with the treaty? What exactly?" Apesael found himself probing the men's thoughts almost accidentally.
The entire area seemed to polarize at this point, the majority of people returned home for various reasons to leave the streets empty. Had their been serious vegetation here a dry tumbleweed would almost certainly have gone by as those who didn't want to get involved stayed home and those who did returned with their guns in hand. The argument at the restaurant had also been brought to a halt, "Um, on second thought cancel my order," The engineer said as he too decided to get out of the area.
The crowd around Mizuho began to grab her body and her hair, touching her indecently and some even poking at her with knives and discarded food products. The noise began to increase. As the MPs approached the neko, they found themselves being shoved around by the surging masses. Beer bottles and random garbage sailed through the air, thrown by members of what was quickly becoming a riotous mob. Up above, a man in black calmly unfolded the bipod legs on his rifle, leaning it on the corner of a rooftop.
Ephesus managed to tap into the call for back up. What a wonderful opportunity he thought with a smile, and he typed a few commands into his console, unleashing a dozen Arachni type drones, silent and invisible, re-armed with a reaver designed to stun instead of kill. They soon moved there way across the roof tops, controlled by either the AI or Ephesus, looking for trouble.
The man with the rocket launcher continued his discussion with Apesael, pausing only to light a cigarette for himself. On Yamatai, cigarettes were a disgusting symbol of humanity's weakness, and in most neko-controlled cities they weren't allowed. "The treaties we'll make with new aliens of course."
Mizuho offered no resistance. Let them assail her, stab her, kill her if they would. She did nothing about it. Said nothing. No matter what they did, these people were civilians and she would not hurt them. As they crushed in about her, she allowed her body to fall limp. And though she cursed herself for it inwardly, she burst into tears, biting down hard on her tongue simply to save herself from sobbing. Crystalline droplets rolled down her cheeks, one after the other, and she closed her eyes, wondering if she would ever open them again.
"You will certainly have a representative in the form of the Mayor. What else would you want?"
Carlos removed his service pistol from its holster and checked its ammunition load. Finding it full, he let it hang limp in his hand. He sighed inwardly as he watched the mob, wondering if he should act...the last time he had butted into something it had started a riot...it'd probably do the same again here.
"Ya, just lay down for us!" One man jeered in the crowd, "Stay on your back, It suits you neko!" Laughed another as they watched the crowd close in her.
The military police had long given up on trying to control the situation. The two in the area decided that it would be best to wait until things died down and then pick up the pieces. "So... what do you think the body count is going to be?" One asked as the other stood up on his tip toes to try and count heads.
Arild woke up slowly, with a pounding headache. He brought his head forward from the painful position it had been in, as he glanced at his right hand, clenched around an almost finished bottle of whisky, with an empty one next to it. He never drank normally, but he needed it last night. The AI had intercepted the message, and was reasonably certain that none of the message had gotten through. He had of course seen the message. He didn't know what to make of it...
"Sir, we have a situation. A riot in brewing." Came the AI. Shit. He didn't need this.
A sea of hands grabbed at Mizuho as she allowed her assailants to have their way. Up on the roof, the sniper cursed as his shot was blocked by the men moving on the Shosa. She could feel her weapon seized, her rank pin ripped off, and hands fumbling at the zipper to her uniform, pulling it downward. While some kicked and spat at her, others sought to use her for their personal pleasure and groped at her body. Several small fights broke out among those who disagreed what to do with her.
The Arachni's encircled the mob, halfway up walls, on the roofs, aiming their weapons at the mass of men. The AI and Ephesus had decided not to fire just yet, worried that it might make the situation worse.
BAM! BAM! BAM! A drunken man in fired off a handgun at the sniper on the roof. "SAINT bastard!" he shouted.
A few of the smaller fights over the girl heard the shots and started shooting at each other to settle their argument while others looked up at the roof. "HEY LOOK THERE IS A GUY UP THERE!" One shouted, "NOT FOR LONG!" yelled another as he too drew his pistol and started shooting at the rooftop. The MPs just looked at each other, "its started."
Still no resistance. Blinding pain shot through Mizuho's body, and some small part of her wished to reactivate her regenerative abilities. But she would not do that. She would not hurt them, nor would she give them the satisfaction of the slightest resistance. Some would be happy at that, but it would be much more disappointing than a hated creature fighting and kicking and screaming. She whimpered, and held back a shriek. And simply waited for the end to come.
The AI thought so too. The dozen Arachnis opened fire with a huge hail of stunning fire, encompassing the crowd, knocking down person after person.
Apesael was lost in this crowd, his attempt of diplomacy apparently failing greatly. He kept the crowd off him easily enough, but was distracted; being in a crowd was to be surrounded by their thoughts. The shots started, and people began collapsing, he ducked down, the panic of all the people overwhelming him for a moment.
Carlos flinched as the riot reached a flashpoint, stun blasts knocking down quite a few people. He stuck back against the walls, waiting for his chance to treat those who were injured, regardless of race.
"You know, if the nekos weren't so aggressive then we probably wouldn't have to be cleaning this mess." One of the MPs said offhandedly. "Ya, I know what you mean. What the hell was she thinking provoking a crowd of angry men like that? Much less a crowd of angry men from Nepleslia with enough fire power to wage a small war."
The crowd around Mizuho suddenly dispersed as the stunning shot began. Well-equipped Nepleslian Army soldiers immediately began taking out the drones and AI monitoring systems using sophisticated weaponry like plasma sniper rifles with quintessent differentialometer sensors on their scopes. "WOO!!! NEPLESLIA FOREVER!!" men on the streets below shouted. "YIPPEE KAY-AYE MOTHERFUCKER!!" The men in makeshift green military uniforms, along with their rag-tag militia of colonists, began surging towards key points of the Destiny's control systems, under cover fire from the more well-armed soldiers. Apparently this had been planned to an extent.
"Ephesus, you know the ship. Do something." Arild yelled through the communication system at Ephesus.
"You know... this might not be over as fast as we thought." One of the MPs said as he looked at the other. "We should go pick up that girl, can't just leave her in the street like that." The two looked out from their spot at the doorway of a building and started to access the situation. The people on the ground looked only stunned and the neko looked like she would survive as long as a stray missile didn't find her. "Hmm.... lets wait for this crossfire to die down first." The two were able to remain calm because, even if the ship did get taken over, they would just have a change of employer and in theory not be in any real danger.
The "street preacher" from earlier lead a charge of Nepleslians. "FREEEEEEDOM!" he yelled as he busted into the HQ building's lobby, only to be met with armed NovaCorp guards. "THE MANY," the skinhead declared, "WILL OVERCOME THE OPPRESSION OF THE FEW!" People took cover as best they could, and in a few seconds there was a blazing gun battle. A huge explosion rocked the city block as the power lines were cut with explosive charges.
Mizuho decided on one act at last as the crowd dispersed and she noted the open warfare now in the streets. This was not an angry crowd, this was a full military act. And right there, it became a simple decision. She re-enabled her regenerative capabilities, checked her wrist, found her communicator still intact. It was likely the best attached thing on her body short of actual limbs. "Taisa, please respond. This is Yukisato-Shosa. Please respond." She sighed softly. "Arild, we have an open act of war here on behalf of Nepleslia. My suggestion is for as many Yamataian personnel as possible to be evacuated immediately, followed by immediate blockading of the Destiny. Destroy it if necessary." She hoped he would heed her advice. It was a lost cause to control the ship.
"Madre de dios you crazy motherfuckers..." He muttered, slumping back down against the wall. He knew he should do something...but he also knew as a medic it wasn't his duty to go around getting into firefights. He was there to aid those who needed it...
"OR!" One of the MPs said, "You know what we could do... checkers." The other MP gave his partner a 'what the hell look' and then proceeded to look at the firefight outside. "You know... checkers sounds good right now."
Ephesus was interested in this. A challenge. He sent another batch of 20 drones with their new weapons, and a nice new feature. Canisters with a Carfentanil based gas in them. The drones leapt on them, lashing them apart with their obscenely fast and sharp legs, and dropping the Carfentanil canisters, while also hitting with their stun reavers.
"This is Arild Bard. I believe we are doing all we can." Arild had ordered all the Yamataians to return to their sub city.
"Hell...did I join up here thinking I'd live forever?" He threw down his cigarette, stamping it out and taking off at a run towards the fallen Neko, pistol held in both hands pointed down towards the ground. "Hey! Hey! Are you okay?!"
"This is Nepleslia's ship. Our people are free now, and this ship should be free too. Are you with us or against us?" a man in a leather jacket and holding an Emrys gauss rifle questioned the MPs as more brave citizens ran by on the way to fight.
Apesael waded through the mod as best he could. He did not want to be here right now, too many thoughts, and he knew that Ephesus would resort to some really fucked up stuff if needed.
"With you," One MP responded, "Actually... we are just here to play checkers. We don't get paid nearly enough to risk our lives." The two had not yet even drawn their weapons and were carefully looking about for the remaining three pieces to the checker set they had found in the building.
Mizuho rose quietly, nodded her assent to the guardsmen, the pain already subsided from her body. That she was completely naked made little difference to her. "I am fine, thank you. We should get to Bard-Taisa's location as quickly as possible. I have no wish to see the Destiny become a battleground, and no wish to see a prolonged war with Nepleslia." She then returned another message to Arild. "I will be there as quickly as possible. I am moving now."
"Understood." Arild sent back. This was not a good day.
"Alright, I'll follow you" He held his pistol tightly, hoping they could get through this without much bloodshed. Although he'd been party to many bloody fights before, he really had no wish to see innocent people start dying everywhere.
The drones began to work their way through the Nepleslians, hacking there way through, firing pulses after pulses, while dropping their capsules, which was causing the Nepleslians (and any Yamataians in the area) to drop left right and centre.
Arild opened up communications with Yamatai "This is Taisa Arild Bard, there had been a mutiny. Seeking advice and/or assistance."
As each drone came forward, Army snipers would take it out, trying to minimize the damage to the civilian populace Novacorp was slaughtering. The crowd continued to take over the city, with little resistance save the drones -- Mostly the odd Star Army officers there and NovaCorp personnel who didn't know what was going on. The colonists themselves seemed to be overwhelmingly for the revolution, or whatever it was. "Shake it baby!" a blonde man in a red tank top and blue jeans catcalled to Mizuho, offering paper money to her as she ran by. Outside the ship, shuttles began to depart for the escort ships, carrying Star Army soldiers, refugees, and the occasional Nepleslian intent on owning an escort destroyer.
It was only a few moments before Taisho Yui was on the line. "A mutiny? Explain."
"Well the Nepleslians are trying to take over the ship Taisho. We are resisting as best we can, but we are outnumbered."
Mizuho ignored the catcalling, and moved straight for the command quarters, where Arild should be. "Try to keep up, please. Ignore them." She called back to the guardsman following her. As she burst through to the command room, there were certainly more stares - a Star Army officer, naked as a freshborn human. "Arild!" She was shouting now, hoping he was there. "They have the fucking ship, all there is, is to flee and minimize casualties!" She was not in an exceptionally good mood. And she would be in a somewhat sourer one to find Yui on the communication lines...
"I see," Yui said, pausing to think about the situation for a moment. "The Emperor," she said, "wishes to avoid a war with Nepleslia and to promote good relations. The ship's not a Star Army ship, is it?" she asked. "And the colonists are mostly Nepleslians?"
As Mizuho burst into the command quarters, Carlos had her back, watching what was coming from behind, pistol raised, determined to at least protect someone in this godforsaken mess.
"Yes. And no, it is not a Star Army ship Taisho." Arild said.
"Hello again Mizuho," Yui stared. "Having a party?"
"Actually, Yui, I think 'daterape' is a more accurate term here. The ship must be abandoned, as I'm sure both you and Arild must know by now. Unless the Star Army really is composed of idiots." Mizuho scowled darkly.
"Since it's not our ship, it's not our duty to 'defend' it, especially when it puts us against the will of the people. I must agree with the jaded Shosa here. Get our people off immediately," Yui said grimly. "The NovaCorp people should be neutral in this. Minimize deaths, please. The more there are, the worse inter-planetary relations become."
Ephesus was in his dome. He would not let them take the ship, he had worked on it too long. He began typing into the computers, and then onto the control panel of a large vat. Goo. Terraforming, it's purpose of course, but with a it of reprogramming ... it would serve him. He would need a little more time, programming it to illuminate everything of advanced technology on the ship, but not to cause to many deaths.
"King me!" One of the MPs said as their first game neared an end. "Hey, you want to play winner?" The other asked the Nepleslian soldier in the room with them.
Arild sighed, "Yes Taisho." He opened up a communication to all the Star Army troops and Yamataians, "This in an evacuation. Get to the nearest escape pod or shuttle, and leave."
"And, Taisa," Yui told Arild, "The ones who want out of the Star Army...just let them go. An unwilling soldier's no damn good to us. Again, my orders are to clear the ship of Star Army personnel, leaving NovaCorp in charge. Make sure the colonists know NovaCorp is not their enemy, just the ship operators."
Mizuho crossed her arms. "...and call off the goddamned combat drones..."
Carlos simply stood at the door, ready to pop anyone who came charging in. He had no idea what the exchange of words meant behind him, he was just hoping they were going to take him with them when they left...
"Yes Taisho." He opened another communication, this time to the entire ship, "This is Taisa Arild Bard, we, Star Army personnel, are leaving this ship, NovaCorp is not the enemy's here, they simply operate the ship. You'll need them." He cut off the communication and opened on to Ephesus, "For God's sake Ephesus call of your drones, they're mainly civilians."
Ephesus frowned, and quickly issued an order to the Drones, they began to back off, still firing their non-lethal shots.
A cheer of jubilant exuberation went up throughout the entire colony ship. Though, some cheering people were cut of by bastardly stunning rays.
The drones soon stopped and sped away into the bowels of the ship.
She bowed her head. "Thank you, Arild..." Mizuho turned back towards Carlos. "Come. I wont have you left behind after you risked yourself for my sake..."
Apesael bowed his head, slumping, "Taisho, isn't it usual practice for the Captain to go down with the ship?"
"Shit" One of the MPs said, "Ya I know," responded the other, "Now we'll actually have to start cleaning up... we didn't even get to finish our game!"
"Alright...thanks" He backed away from the door and finally holstered his weapon, turning to Mizuho.
Ephesus sat down heavily. He presumed he was meant to stay then, him being NovaCorp. He deactivated the goo, recalled the drones, and began plans to hand out the medication to treat the Carfentanil. A waste.
Nepleslians in well-creased armored uniforms walked into the room, surrounded by heavily armed guarded. Unlike the mobs, these were clearly well-disciplined and clean-cut soldiers. A sharp-looking man with a 3rd Fleet Taisa pin, obviously having recently left the Star Army, seemed to be the leader. "Good afternoon," he greeted Taisa Bard. "I've ordered my men not to harm any Star Army personnel," he informed the ship's former captain.
Tanjo Shen had been running around hectically, giving commands to NovaCorp personnel, and didn't really know what was going on. Star Army personnel were going. Damn. He was a Nepleslian, he knew his kin. He figured they'd destroy the destiny.
"Very generous of you I'm sure." Arild said, tired, "Drink?" He held out the almost finished bottle of whisky.
"No thanks," the man said, "I've got my own." He indicated a silver flask on his belt that was engraved, "5th Armor Regiment" on it.
Mizuho turned towards those Nepleslians, with a charming smile. She was still completely unclothed, and found it rather amusing now that the situation came to light, and hostilities seemed to have ceased for the time. Her head tilted towards Arild. "You have... alcohol...?" Had she known, she would have been here more quickly. She quickly cast aside the longing, and went back to looking like a sex-slave in a command room full of uniformed men.
The Nepleslian captain looked Mizzy over with a wry grin. "Well, that's one way to handle the stress of loosing a command. No offense."
The military police who had recently been playing checkers, started to move out into the city and try and administer as much medical aid as possible. The chemical weapons that had been used had already claimed hundreds of lives of people who were to sedated to breath and others that had swallowed their own tongue... and this was just the people in the streets. The buildings were hardly gas proof and more than just a few hundred body bags would be needed before the night was over.
"Well it's always good to have some poison with you, even something as slow acting as alcohol. Anyway, what can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if we could keep the escort fleet," the Nepleslian captain replied.
Ephesus ordered NovaCorp personnel to begin distributing the medicine.
Mizuho blinked at their request. "Perhaps a compromise is in order. We leave half, and we take half for our return voyage." She hoped Arild would agree with her on this, as it was a long way back to Yamatai. Where she certainly hoped to reach again, at least once.
"I don't know. Be rather strange wouldn't it? The mutineers ordering around the Star Army's ships? Yui?" He asked Yui, not certain whether she was still on or not.
About ten minutes after the medicine order had been issued, requests for body bags started to pour in. The destiny would be one stinky place in a day without them.
"I'm actually okay with giving them the whole fleet. They're not mutineers, they're simply showing their true colors. Star Army could only contain the Nepleslians so long; I suppose this was inevitable. It shouldn't be much trouble since it's all automated right now. Half does sound more fair, though. Is everything calmed down there yet?" Yui asked.
"Seems so. Ephesus was a little reluctant to give up, but everyone is evacuating well. Medical treatment is being handed out." Arild said, getting a status report from the AI.
"...the only problem I see is the potential of other assailants. There are hostilities not limited to a fight over a colony ship." Mizuho bowed slightly to the Nepleslian captain. "Had this occurred when there were not such pressing problems with the Mishhu, I would have fully supported Nepleslian independence."
Carlos simply kept to the shadows...he was a Santô Hei for god's sake. He had no reason to be in this conversation!
Apesael had managed to clear the situation, and was just sitting on the steps of a building. He was trying to quiet the voices.
"I'm sorry this had to fall under your watch," Yui apologized to Taisa Bard. "It's not your fault. I'll have Minori issue you new orders soon...unless of course you would prefer to join them?"
Mizuho yawned softly. "I would rather you didn't, Arild. Compassion is too rare in commanders." She quickly excused herself from the conversation, cornering Carlos. "Dammit, you have a voice! What's your name?" She would likely have been taken more seriously if she wore clothes, but she was happy enough.
"I do not side with these sort of people Taisho. I will be leaving the ship, if they allow me." He sighed, "Thank you for being understanding." He turned to the Nepleslian Captain, "What will happen to NovaCorp personnel?"
"Er...my name is Carlos..." He said quietly, rather surprised to be cornered by a naked woman with neko ears.
"They can stay if they want. They're still supposed to be running the ship, I suppose. As far as I know Yamatai doesn't mind NovaCorp working in both Nepleslia and Yamatai."
"Do they Taisho?" Arild asked Yui.
"Don't be so timid, Carlos!" Mizuho clapped him across the back. "All I ask is that you treat me as an equal." She was acting much like she did when she was drunk. Perhaps because it was easier to forget the gravity of the situation that way.
Yui looked confused, "Do they what?"
"Does Yamatai have any problems with NovaCorp working in both Yamatai and Nepleslia?" Arild just looked tired, and he massaged his temples.
"I...well, I'm just a Santô Hei. I don't mean to get involved in such...huge things. Politics aren't my game, ya know?" Carlos said, folding his arms and looking over at Mizuho.
"Well, Santo Hei Carlos, I am a Shosa and I don't care what rank you are." Mizuho smiled. Smiled? "You are a person. And they can discuss the politics about this now, because it bores me just as much as it bores you."
"It should be fine. I'll consult Uesu about it later," Yui replied. "Make sure to put in a request for orders once you're away."
"I will Taisho." Bard turned to the Nepleslian leader, "Can I inquire what you are going to do with my ship?"
"We'll simply assume your mission, to seek out, explore, and colonize," the man replied.
"Oh yeah? I never had a head for those kinda things...all this...trickery and the like...cristo, makes my head spin." Carlos grinned, feeling a good deal more relaxed in speaking to a superior officer.
"Oh good. Good luck." Arild stepped up and walked to the corner of his office, "You don't mind if I use the transport module to get to the shuttle bay?".
Mizuho followed after Arild, beckoning quietly for Carlos to follow. "If you don't mind, Arild, might I accompany you? As well as this rather... amusing... soldier here?" She was after his whisky.
"Go ahead," the captain nodded. "At least you don't have to worry about handling the hooligans this time. That's my job now, at least until a civilian replaces me. Mainly I was here for the takeover. I've only been aboard for a week."
Carlos followed, watching Mizuho with a smile. Even though they were in the middle of a huge crisis, he did notice she was rather cute.
"Of course. The alcohol is in the cupboard there," He gestured to a wooden container, "Take what you want." He stepped into the module.
