[Virginia] Reconstructing Bridges

[Virginia – Refugee Colony]

Life for Koharu since her rescue from Tokyo by the YSS Eucharis was odd. She had never been afraid of hard work but she disliked the fact that she and the other survivors were in camps, it all spoke of a lack of permanence that they needed for stability.

Were they refugees and citizens or were they prisoners? Many of the refugees felt like they were indeed prisoners, sentenced for choosing to remain where they were when Motoyoshi and Tange-Katsura decided that it was in the Colonies’ best interest to separate from Yamatai. Everything after that seemed to be like out of a fog of a dream. There was some level of peace and tranquility as they all started to rebuilding their lives and moving forward. No one had died for their independence of the United Outer Colonies, there was no military action and now, they had awoke to a nightmare.

The mysterious black out that crippled their fleets’ leadership and fractured their sense of security as the NMX fleet swept across their sector of space was devastating. They had fought the best that they could on their own and because of that, many of them had managed to survive long enough for rescue to come.

But many planets were considered too infested to be saved, so their citizens were forcibly displaced and their homes destroyed so that the NMX could not utilize the resources. Now they were here, divided into refugee camps and asked to work to maintain it. Many had thought that it wasn’t too small of a price to pay but when would they stop being refugees and start becoming citizens again? What did they need to do to be treated with more dignity?

Wasuremono Koharu had been working in the United Outer Colonies’s capital city as a police officer. And she had managed to gather together as many survivors of the raids as she could into an underground bunker when death started raining down on them. It had been hard for many of those that she found to remain locked down but they stayed and prayed for rescue as Koharu had continued sweeping the city at night for more survivors with some of the other members of the police force.

Even now, many of those that had stayed with her looked to her for guidance and support. Many of the former Yamataians still saw her as Ketsurui Chiharu despite her protests and looked to her to save them. Koharu was frustrated with it all and she had been trying to play it all by the rules placed upon her.

She did not get the luxury of just lying in her hut and mourning the loss of everything they had built but as she worked in the refugee camp she had been planning. She was not about to start an insurrection in the camp but she did want to start moving the survivors out of the camps. The conditions were not poor and they were taken care of, but it reminded her too much of being kept in a cage- they were protected but they did not feel free.

“There is more to be done here outside of these walls,” Koharu said one day, it wasn’t a profound revelation, they all had known this but no one had been able to come out the fog and shock of relocation to really want to do anything about it. “Let’s get a team and get out there to build something.”

The main question was really, “But how?”

Koharu had shrugged and replied, “I’ll work on it. Give me some time and I will talk to them.” She really had no idea what to do, honestly. She had never been built for anything aside from battle so this was a whole new world of trial and error for her. The main question for her was really, could she accomplish this task in the current body she was in?

She knew it was possible but she would need more equipment to make the task simpler but what would she need to do to get that equipment? Who would she have to petition? Yui might let her do what she needed to but she doubted that her old friend had ever really forgiven her for leaving in the first place. She had no idea what to expect if she were to ask such a thing. Could she rejoin the Star Army and still stay where she was to protect these people who looked to her?

“Hell, what should I do?” Koharu stared at the walls of her hut, completely at a loss as to what she should do. She felt responsible for these people and accountable for the path she had chosen. “Screw it, I’ll call her.”

Koharu took a deep breath and sent a message to Taisho Ketsurui Yui.

“Dearest Yui,

I don’t think I can truly ever regain your forgiveness for the path I has chosen since the Yggdrasil found me but I want to contribute in my own way towards getting these people from the Colonies readjusted to being Yamataian citizens again. I feel that the best way to re-earn the right to be a part of this nation again is to rejoin the Star Army and remain here to protect this planet and rebuild. I feel that the best way to get this process rolling again is to lead a team out past the camps and try to secure different parts of the planet for colonization so that these people can start to feel like they are citizens again. I still consider you a dear friend and I am sorry for hurting you in the way I did.

I am here alive now because Hinosami was sent to rescue me, and I am grateful that it enabled the rescue of the people that had trusted me to keep them safe. I would like to continue doing this and I feel the only way to do this is with your blessing and with the Star Army’s support. I humbly wait for your response, be it good or bad- I am here and I am willing to earn your trust again.

With all respect,
Koharu.”

Re: [Virginia - Refugee Camp] Reconstructing Bridges

[Virginia - Refugee Camp]

Koharu had sat in her hut for several hours after her last message from Yui. She had swore the oath of enlistment and pledged loyalty to the Star Army of Yamatai. She remembered the moment she had resigned her commission four years ago in a fit of anger with the hope of helping care for her godchildren. She did have some time with them but they took after their mothers, they were independent and strong, they didn't need her to coddle them but she had tried to be there to support them without question or judgement.

She truly missed the fragments of family that she had held onto for a short while. She was alone out here, the kids were some where safe but she had no idea where they were at this moment. Everyone had scattered but they were with family and she knew that they were safe... that was what truly matter to Koharu.

"So now what?" She thought out loud. The crimson eyed Jiyuuian was now officially a Shoi in the Star Army of Yamatai again. She was a Yamataian citizen as she had been in her first life. She held her head in her hands and tried to think of what her next plan of action was. She had just volunteered to help rebuild but now what?

"Go get equipped," a little voice in the back of her mind said.

Koharu nodded to herself, "Right, I need to upgrade to a new body and get my butt into the proper gear to lead a security convoy. I need my equipment and then I need to form my team, there must be someone around here with a terrain map..."

She rose and left her tent towards the medical facility to talk to the Star Army doctor about a soul transfer and a new body.

Re: [Virginia - Refugee Camp] Reconstructing Bridges

[Virginia - Future Site of SwanSettlement]

It had been at a least a week since Koharu had left the Kappa Region Refugee cam with a small team of 8 Star Army of Yamatai soldiers in Daisy power armor. For the most part, those that traveled with her were professional and alert, still unsure of what to make of the newly recommissioned Shoi. Some wondered what her game was since she had come to Kappa a refugee and many still thought of her as a traitor. It was hard to ignore a reinstatement from Taisho Ketsurui herself, and it spoke volumes of the value of the former Jiyuuian.

Who were they to question the decision of the former Empress? But they still harbored doubts as to who Wasuremono really was or what her plans were, she was a stranger to them but they were told to trust her. For the most part, they did, just so long as she was at rifle's length from them.

The suspicion of Koharu's team did not bother the Shoi as much as it should. She knew she had to build that trust and establish herself as a leader. But this sort of trip was the best time to build that trust. It was simple really, they flew their Daisy armors pretty much across the continent of Virginia in a few hours but it would take the truck with accompanying supplies about a week to get there. In the time that they were waiting for the truck, they would be securing the area and deciding where they could best construct a landing zone so that construction equipment could be flown and landed instead of driven.

It would take them some time but they would start building a home for the refugees outside of the refugee camps and get everyone their dignity again.

The team had an uneventful flight to the little valley that was going to later become the Swan settlement. The team had fanned out when they had arrived and their scientist was conducting scans for any minerals of value as the rest of the team looked for any threats.

The hours that Koharu spent in her armor were reassuring, she had not realized that she had missed the weight of the power armor around her and how much she had truly missed being in the army until she was back to work again. But after several hours exploring the area, they had established a perimeter and set-up a watch, so that the others could set up camp while they waited for the supply truck.

The area that had been chosen for Swan was a large river valley with lush green coniferous forest nestled at the base of a large snow capped mountain. They had established their camp near the river's edge and had immediately started gathering wood for a fire and making their shelters.

Koharu was the weird one, she had decided against using the instant shelters and had instead run rope between two trees and threw a tarp over top, to later secure the edges to the ground with some smaller line. She fully intended to sleep on the mossy ground beside her Daisy under this little tent. It was also her suggestion that they save their pre-made rations for another time and simply just, go catch their dinner.

The team actually had fun trying to catch fish in the river. It became a game of skill using a mixtures of sensor scans, fast neko-reflexes and knives in the river. They spent a great deal of time splashing around in the water, catching fish while their scientist took water samples and eventually started putting together a potable water supply.

Koharu enjoyed the feel of the cool water against the skin of her new body and everyone seemed to be fairly relaxed but alert. It felt strange to her to once again be inside a new body, it looked about the same as it had before but she was unsure of what to make of having human hands, the extra digits seemed strange to her but she figured that this would make equipment standardization easier.

The fish she had caught was protesting and trying to wriggle free from her knife but it was effectively splashing water all over her face and hair. She was amused by her reflection in the water, she had added some teal highlights to her hair so now she had some strange hybrid of her old hair coloring when she was an NH-7 and the one she adopted when she had upgraded to the NH-X body.

She waded out of the water, the thighs of her utility pants were soaked a dark brown color but her boots were on the shore. She glanced over her shoulder to watch a purple haired neko, Fujie flirting with a pink haired neko, Airi as they fished together. The Shoi couldn't help but smile, this is what it meant to be in peacetime. They had time now to enjoy this little things.

The one male Minkan, a blonde haired man by the name of Seno that was their scientist seemed to be disinterested in the nekovalkyjra prancing about half dressed in the water around him. He was set to his task.

Koharu stopped watching the girls and walked over to him, fish still flipping in her hands. Water trickled down her face and shoulders, selectively soaking the fabric of her green tanktop undershirt. "Oita-Joto, what are your preliminary findings from your scans?"

Seno looked over Koharu appraisingly, unsure for a moment how he wanted to respond, "Wasuremono-Shoi, the conditions here are nominal for timber, fishing and sandstone. I would need to take some core samples to see what else is here but we would need to evaluate whether this particular location is truly ideal for the settlement."

"Are you concerned about the proximity of the river and possible flooding?" Koharu asked as she pulled the fish from her knife.

"Yes. It would be better to build on higher ground, we would need to establish an area that would allow for a safe flight path for aircraft to land and being this low in the valley, we could have to clear most of the trees to make it safe," Seno replied with a firm nod.

"We'll check out the higher ground tomorrow then. What else did you have for me, Joto?" The Shoi held the fish firmly in her hand, trying not to let it escape or accidentally crush it.

"Eh, nothing more of note at the moment. The water here is fairly clean but I purified several gallons for us to drink. I was curious though," the Chief seemed uncomfortable but decided to ask his question any way, "Why are you doing this? There must have been better ways to scout the settlement and secure it without this length of time required. You have instructed us to not use the supplies that we brought and we have a week for the rest to arrive. This seems highly inefficient."

Koharu's crimson eyes met the Minkan's own bright blue ones for a moment, as she considered her answer. "It is rare that we truly get a chance to appreciate the things we have. Technology is everything in our lives but we rarely get the chance to actually do the things that helped make us an advanced species. If we just flew everything here and leveled anything that was not necessary, we wouldn't understand what it was that we were making. I know this is strange but, I think we need to reconnect with nature a little bit. Technology is we were are but this," She gestured around her, "Is what life is. We touch it, grasp it, hold it, but we rarely get to actually live it. It will take us time to build this settlement and protect it but let's try to enjoy it now, as it is before we change it."