RP [Yamatai] Trans-Universal Reunions

[Andrew]

RP Date

YE 44.6

RP Location

Takeda House, Kyoto

Takeda House​

Kyoto, Yamatai

Aiura had left the comforts of Xiuluria shortly after her visit to Kyoto on Love Day YE 43 and had begun to adjust to life in the capital. The Norian female was one of many of her kind that had come to Yamatai following the Hive Wars in Ayenee. Mostly, they lived among the elves of Xiuluria blending in due to the tight lid the Star Army kept on trans universal travel. She had got the job at Takeda House as a quick way to put away some KS with plans to attend the War College and join the Star Army. She worked long hours but enjoyed her job, skilled in creating sweet, decadent, and luxurious desserts that often made it onto the plates of some of their more VIP guests. That day was like any other day, she had just placed a neat arrangement of mint atop some of her famous strawberry tarts that were part of the tasting menu for that evening's service, she still had a long list of things to do with four other desserts planned for the night.

"Aiura, there is someone on the balcony that has requested to see you, " one of the waiters said as they poked their head into the kitchen.

Aiura didn't think anything of it, she wiped her hands off on one of the kitchen rags and adjusted her chef's jacket. It was probably one of the customers she had previously made a custom dessert for or one of the bosses. She headed out of the kitchen and then up the stairs and to the balcony. The waiter that had told her about the request pointed to one of the tables outside away from the heaters that were already on to bring a bit of comfort for outdoor dining now that the weather had begun to turn. She approached the table, and stepped around to the other side, she looked at the man at the table and her face went pale and her jaw dropped slightly, a quiet whisper escaped her lips as she tried to recover from the shock, "Father..."

Airwin wiped his mouth with the napkin and tucked it back down onto his lap, he lifted his honey-kissed eyes to look upon the beautiful form of his daughter. He wore a black suit, something in a style that was close to that which would be worn on Yamatai but it had a lapel pin and cufflinks that were obviously made of niranium. He was an attractive man, hardly looked old enough to be her father, his black hair neatly arranged in a slightly-spiked look that exposed the slender points of his ears which twitched slightly as he said quietly, "Caelai Volaer. " ("Hello Princess,") He then motioned towards the chair across from him in the invitation for her to join him.

Aiura lowered herself into the chair, a nervous look on her face as she examined the features of her father. What had happened that he was there? Their correspondence had trailed off while their people were at war, she thought maybe something had happened to him. Communication across the universes was slow due to the classified nature of Yamatai's involvement in other universes. "I'm shocked, what brings you here?" she questioned, had she somehow disappointed him by leaving Xiuluria? She had a thousand questions, but she didn't want to bombard him. Last she had heard the Craethel War had ended and their people were rebuilding.

"I came to see you, how have you been?" Airwin asked, "I hope you don't mind, I told your friend there to tell your boss to give you a break." He adjusted his posture slightly, enjoying the cool breeze that swept through sending some of the colored leaves from the trees that lined the street to send their leaves dancing through the air. "I have a lot to tell you sweetheart, and all of it is important," he said quickly before she could answer his question.

 

[Andrew]

The discussion between father and daughter resulted in tears streaming down Aiura's face; so much tragedy had befallen her family. Learning of her mother's passing and the story surrounding the death of several of her siblings was simply more than she could bare, it was hard to hide her emotions, especially in front of her father. She used one of the table napkins to blot the tears from her cheeks and she forced herself to hold it together as well as she could before her fellow employees. Her grief shadowed what should have been a happy reunion, but this was why she had been sent to Yamatai, to begin with. She got up from the table and walked around it, she threw her arms around her father's shoulders and held herself there for comfort. Airwin's quiet words soothed her, "It will be alright, I just couldn't bare the idea of you learning all this in a communication," he whispered and gave a light rub to the middle of her back.

Something was significant, the events had passed had certainly changed things for Aiura's father - going by his birth name again, rather than that which was given to him during his ascension to the former throne of their homeworld. "Do you need me to come with you?" Aiura asked quietly, resistant to the idea of letting him go.

Airwin pulled back from the embrace slightly and said quietly, "No, you stay here - others will come, you continue on your path. Show our friends here what you're capable of, and I will be a proud father. " He had been young when his own father had assisted the Nermians and Yamataians during the Chaos Hive War at Ayenee, although he and his father did not see eye to eye on much, one thing he had always believed in was the friendships that had been forged during that conflict and the peace they had maintained on Ayenee since. The Kikyo Sector was a different place altogether, multiple factions crammed into a region of space that at times seemed more like a powder keg.

The former Emperor lightly lifted his daughter's arms from his shoulders and stood up, he had already paid for the meal and as much as he didn't want to - he had other business to attend to while he was there, it was time he opened up a dialog that was long overdue before he returned to K'ctha-Zoth to report to Xytrinah and Koshiro. "Make me proud, be the first of our kind to join the mighty Star Army," he said with encouragement.

Aiura nodded and lowered her head slightly as she whispered, "Jhyl jholi si Aestaesys! ("Long live the Emperor,") Although she knew he no longer was, it still meant something to her. "I will make you proud, father..." she said quietly and then adjusted her chef's jacket and walked away from him.

 

[Andrew]

Part 2: Visions of Tsenlan​

Three Days Later
Star Army Command, Kyoto

Airwin had said what he needed to in terms of his daughter; the things he had left out were for her own good at least for now. Several days later when he made good on his intention on visiting Ketsurui Yui, the Mistress of the Star Army and obviously the first point of contact for him - who knows who knew what about trans-universal operations these days. Devoid of the business-style suit, he now wore his more formal royal attire. The military-style black and silver paneled jacket could have easily had him mistaken as SAINT, except of course for the rows of medals and awards which splayed the left panel of his jacket and the obvious Tsenlan patches upon the sleeves. His crystalline blue eyes caught the light that gave them an almost illuminated look, his slender ears twitched within the neatly arranged short spikes of his platinum-tipped blue hair. Today he didn't hide anything, this was something everyone was going to have to come to terms with. He finished the security scan and attached the visitor badge to his jacket and awaited his two escorts who complied by checking in their APPs (Asune Pulse Pistols) with security. He had checked his blade, along with his own armaments.

It was immeasurable the feeling the structure of Star Army command gave, it reminded him of home - reminded him of the life he had before their last war which had torn them asunder into what they were now. Hopefully, this was the first step towards righting a path that had strayed so far from them. Airwin stepped into the elevator which ascended the many decks of the towering skyscraper towards Yui's Office. His father had been the one who had contact with Yamatai, to begin with, Adrin was somewhat of an acquired taste so hopefully, his own sudden appearance on Yamatai would be well met.

"Airwin Caeyara, um...Airwin Eitan, sorry - best you give her that name...here to see Mistress Taisho Yui - please," he said politely as he had his escorts sit down in the waiting area chairs, they would not be welcomed in. The things he had to discuss with Yui were things that no other soul in the universe knew except him and Koshiro. It was life or death, a moment of opportunity for Yamatai even if it went the way they had all hoped. He gave a bit of an awkward smile to the secretary, hopefully, she could get a laugh out of his fumbling the words later.

Spoiler: OOC

@Wes

 

[Wes]

Yui had Airwin brought into her office in the penthouse of the 2-kilometer tall spire that towered over the city of Kyoto, looking like a big dark blue blade that stabbed into the ground and disappeared into the clouds above. She had a large, cozy, and somewhat cluttered space populated by luxurious antique wooden furniture, military relics, overflowing bookshelves, display cases, and statues. There was a lot of history and sentimentalism on display and in the middle of it, Ketsurui Yui stayed at her one of her two office desks (the other being on Ketsurui Star Fortress). "Come in," she smiled. She still had that classic Yui look with the long green bangs framing her face and vivid red irises in her eyes, peach-white skin and catlike hairless ears full of green fur. She wore a duty uniform with white panels and her Taisho pin. She gestured to a crimson couch nearby. "Take a seat if you like. Would you like any tea?"

 

[Andrew]

If only the dire circumstances of his arrival had not been such a priority. There was a feeling about being there, and meeting Yui that was bigger than brushing shoulders with a superstar. Yui and the former Star Army of Uesureya were textbook topics, things that were spoken of in the academy, represented in the art that had once hung upon walls of glorious palaces on Noria and Lorenz. If Airwin's father, Adrin, had been alive for this moment there would have been two legends standing in a room, instead, all Airwin could feel was humility. The Norian was expressive, his hands moved as he spoke out of frustration that the vesper component of language was lost as he spoke trade, he would have to make it his business to learn Yamataigo, "Tea, oh yes, that would be nice," he replied, a slight bow forwards before he shifted his gaze from the lovely Mistress Taisho to the beauty of Kyoto's upper skyline that peaked above the clouds. He sat down on the couch.

"I...uh must be honest with you Taisho, my father spoke with great passion of you, and your people. I didn't really know who else to come to or if you could help me even," Airwin said, knowing he had to at least get the ball moving, "I.." he trailed off as he reformulated his words, "Something horrible has happened to my people, and a bulk of the survivors have crossed the universal barrier with me, we need refuge, a home but maybe even before that we need help. I have over three hundred million survivors on arks starving, freezing." It took a lot for a man to reach that kind of inspiration, especially one that is an Aestaesys or Emperor, "I'm sorry if my words aren't befitting that tea you're making, and our first meeting is in the flavor of me begging you and yours to save us from the brink," he said in a solemn tone, then quiet as he knew the words he laid on her were heavy.

The mighty people who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Yamatai in a lot of ways were now on their knees at the mercy of her or whoever else could authorize Yamatai's role as savior.

 

[Wes]

Yui handed Airwin his cup of warm, aromatic Yamataian green tea. "Sounds like quite the emergency. I don't fault you for cutting to these chase immediately. First, let me assure you that the Star Army can and will help, and that you and your people will have a place in Yamatai if you choose to. Yamatai is a humane nation...it's in our consititution. And we're an old friend of the Norians. We also have an existing system for mass evacuations and refugee camps for temporary housing. I will make all the necessary arrangements to bring our full resources online for immediate aid," the old Nekovalkyrja promised. "Where are your ships now and what do you need? Also, could you tell me more about what happened that led to this?"

 

[Andrew]

Airwin accepted the green tea with a grateful nod and a sip, "Well currently, our Ark ships and three surviving Military Titans, are located near a water world in your galactic north, from the chatter of cargo runners in the area we determined the name you call it is Xylar. We've tried to stay out of sight, hiding in the nearby nebula, we didn't want to ruin the balance of knowing you let your public have about trans-universal operations," he explained, it said something about the spirit of the Norian people, that even when starving they would keep an ally's secret.

It had come down to this part now, he had another ship of his tea. He closed his eyes, "I wish I could say it was a singular incident, more a series of bad choices on our part. Like you and your harness of the dimensionally siphoned energy, you call aether we sought to expand our siphoning technology. We found the technical understanding of an extinct civilization, that had harnessed an energy called asune. " He recalled in the least gut-wrenching way he could, "To make a long story short when we began to siphon asune we thought all our energy needs were solved, it turned out the dimension we siphoned from was inhabited. It was like a nightmare, these intelligent entities some as big as solar systems themselves and others all small as parasites hell-bent on consumption, indulgence, assimilation and destruction. At one point they had even taken over our entire nation without so much as firing a shot until we learned to shut the doors we had opened, or at least tried to," he swallowed hard, he knew that what he was saying would be something that brought judgment. "In short, Taisho, we opened doors we could not close and paid dearly for it," there we tears in his eyes as he spoke, Airwin had lost more than he could express to her, the coffin with his wife in it still sat on one of the arks as they had not finished her funeral during the stop at Ayenee.

Airwin knew that not just this, but in the days to come he would have to make big asks of these old friends. A new home, a world to call their own among other things - that would have to wait.

 

[Andrew]

Sometime Later, as Operation Fireplace Progresses...​

Many cups of tea later, frequent calls to check on operations on both sides, Airwin had begun to grow accustomed to working with Mistress Taisho. The Tsenlanese Aestaesys gazed out the magnificent window which overlooked the sprawling city of Kyoto. It reminded him a lot of Vaalor, a city that had once been the hub of their capital world of Lorenz. "I have to admit, I'm impressed at the response of your Star Army, we are very grateful for all you have done. Your Empire should be proud of its armed forces, they are truly spectacular," he said in praise. It was a shock to the system for him in some ways, humble pie had not always been his meal, it was not long before the Norian Continuum stretched across and ruled over almost a hundred and twenty-two star systems frequently used its trans-universal technology to spread its influence through the stars - the glory days before things took the turn for the worst.

"I can't help but think of the near future, our place among you," he said with an encouraging smile, "There is one matter I feel we should discuss, a matter of a refugee in a certain sense and some unfortunate events," he led with, "If that is alright with you?" he asked.

 

[Wes]

"Of course," Yui nodded. "Go on."

 

[Andrew]

Airwin nodded and reassumed his posture in the chair, "Over a decade ago, at the end of my father's rule one of your people approached him in Ayenee. She had suffered what she had described as a fall from grace. My father took sympathy for her and her story. As a result, a copy of her mind was made out of fear that her existing self would be killed eventually," he explained, in need of another sip of tea, knowing another's life was in the balance and yet dedicated to altruism that his father probably had not been. "The copy was placed in a cloned Norian body, and my father adopted her into our family. She has been with us ever since, a competent mind within our military and someone who fought very hard during what has been a hopeless series of battles. She is someone I have come to trust," he explained. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small datapad, entered a few things, and slid it across the desk.

The image on the screen was that of Katara, Ariwin then stated, "I believe you know her, well the actual, or well another her - as Motoyoshi Katsuko." He knew what his father had done was a violation, but at the same time he could not change it, "I offer Tsenlan's apologies for the breach of our original agreements, we ask for forgiveness but I have no idea how to navigate this and I figured rather than hiding it we should just share it."

 

[Wes]

"I think after this much time has passed, she's considered her own person and not just a copy of of Katsuko. We could either merge them together into a combined Katsuko, or simply let them exist as two different people," Yui told Airwin. Although the news made her a little uneasy, she just focused on solutions. "If I may ask, why did you come to this universe and not just stop in Ayenee where there's magic and such? Is there something about our universe that offers more protection against these threats your civilization faced? Also, I was wondering where you would like to settle once your people are in a better situation?"

 

[Andrew]

Airwin nodded and then said, "I'm sure Katara is very much her own person now, she has a family." He knew that such conversations were never easy, secrets between nations and then uncomfortable things that sometimes happen off the books. At least they had been honest about it. "The lack of magic is part of why we chose here, also the fact the Elysium Universe where Ayenee is located has massive rifts to the Asune Dimension already within it. It would have just been a delay in the inevitable as well as a breach of our policies that were established regarding the Surrune Colony on Ayenee," Airwin explained, then he paused for a thoughtful second, "The second reason we are here is you. Mistress Taisho if I may be so bold you are a living legend. I read about you in school. Our peoples share a history of protecting Ayenee and its unique melting pot of civilizations." Airwin reached forward and took up the teacup for a lengthy sip.

"It is my wish and the wish of the Tsenlan Norians for us to settle as a state of the Yamatai Star Empire. We are grateful people for your assistance and wish to wholeheartedly become a part of the whole. Our two nations have stood shoulder to shoulder in the past, both reaching certain technological plateaus that to most would be considered a dream. Yamatai is the closest civilization to being our equal that we have ever known, so I ask, will you accept us?" he questioned, then added a final answer to one of her questions, "One of the refugee worlds you named, Akina. Its biomes are closest to the Norian standard, at least in terms of temperature and nitrogen richness. It also has a population of your own people, which I see as a chance for us to learn from one another. So often in the multiverses now, nations only meet in the face of war; I believe that this is an opportunity for us to show we can do better," he declared to her. He added one more detail after, "We are willing to demilitarize, not that we have many soldiers left; our warriors will become your warriors in your Star Army. We are willing to share the secrets of our Leviathan Technology as well, in exchange for the new home you provide us. Hopefully, we can contribute and one day is considered Yamataian," He had said a lot, and stopped there.

 

[Wes]

"You'll have no objections from me on settling on Akina," Yui told Airwin. "The Empress supports the Norian people and if you are becoming citizens of Yamatai your people are welcome to settle on any Yamataian world of their choosing. I'm sure you will like your new home, even though the rebuilding process will be arduous. Maybe your people could also design some special cultural centers in places like Kyoto for those who settle on other worlds," Yui suggested. "As for secrets, what I need most is anything you can provide in terms of intelligence regarding this Asune threat. The Star Army needs to be prepared to deal with them in Ayenee. I won't give up on that universe either."

 

[Andrew]

Airwin gave a solemn bow of his head, "I look forward to meeting with your Empress, it has been a pleasure to partner with you in this endeavor. I am greatly impressed with you and the Star Army. I have met the command-and-chief of many militaries in my time, and none have shown knowledge or leadership as you have. I am forever in your debt Taisho, consider that statement both professional and personal, if there is anything I can provide for you or your Star Army it will be my pleasure," he said in an offer.

She was right, the rebuilding process would take a great deal of time, "We are up to the challenge, however, it would be my honor to design some cultural centers here, it would be nice to introduce ourselves to your people in a humble and thankful way. Down the road, I would be happy to share with you more details of our technology and way of life," he said.

He took a deep breath in when she mentioned the Dimensional Entities, "I will help you, and we still share that desire to protect Ayenee. We have people who are both in the Surrune Colony and the Ayenee Capital City. The protection of the Elysium Universe shall be something we will actively participate in. Many of the MERN soldiers who have witnessed your Star Army at work will be anxious to join your ranks. I will provide you with the best intelligence I can give, and details about what you will need in terms of weapons to fight them - at least, the best I can give. Elysium and Ayenee are more vulnerable, their use of quintessence energy as fuel for their 'magic' makes them a delicacy for that which feeds from the rifts. We left Ayenee in such a hurry, it was the only way to hopefully deter them, but they will go back - that hunger is something those entities cannot overcome," he explained and then sighed heavily afterward.

 

[Andrew]

(Slight continuation of Above)

Everything was happening at once, the mention of technology and the future of Tsenlan reminded him, "One other thing, I drafted the start of an agreement that will hopefully help both of us. A way to help get more Norians employed faster, and for Yamatai to benefit from what we have to contribute." He handed over a datapad with the drafted agreement for Yui to review, "I'm of course open to negotiations, nor do I want a handout - "

Lo'ken Institute - KZ Trade Agreement

 

[Andrew]

Another Tea Party​

YE 45.3 - Star Army Command - Taisho Yui's Office​

In the lift on the ride up to Yui's office, Airwin stared out through the transparent panes at the city of Kyoto which sprawled in every direction. The hold of winter thawed its way into spring and the cherry blossoms painted the streets in a swath of brilliant white and soft pink. It was a beautiful city, it was awful that he didn't have more time to enjoy it. Airwin had worked on a few proposals he planned to bring before the Senate, just one of the many things he would have to ensure he held to after the possible ramifications of this meeting with the Star Army's commander. News from Ayenee stopped, Nirta's postcards had ceased and there was no word - the broadcast of an apparently aligned CEO had possibly soured the milk too. Either way, with all that aside the missing Leviathan and the absence of Airwin's son brought about a tempest of action through the Norian community within the Empire. The proposal Airwin had to Yui was the same as it had been earlier in the late winter it was just the method by which he would go about things would have to be very different now. He counted this Mistress Taisho among a small group of what he considered friends, something he appeared to have less of than he had initially perceived. He planned to meet with his sister and daughter following the meeting but felt this was best-done solo so that they could discuss details that maybe didn't require the most public transparency - after all transuniversal travel was not public knowledge in the Empire.

"Senator Caeyara, here to see Taisho Ketsurui Yui," he said respectfully as he approached the clerk's desk. He wore more civilian Yamataian clothing, a thin black coat over a tie-less suit with the emblem of Tsenlan engraved on the polished belt buckle that held up his pants. He had a small gift bag with him, gold with some silver writing on it that obviously contained a bottle of something which he intended to give to the Taisho.

With the Aiagothu gone, it left the Ithond being prepared should they agree to his proposal. The Norian leader had plenty of time to think about what he would say in this meeting, though he knew that with anything there was always a choice and sometimes even ego that could get in the way. He had some silent troubled hopes that this would not end with hundreds or thousands of Star Army ships engaged in war. He maybe had a little too much confidence in his own ability though, he too suffered pride and ego.

Spoiler: OOC

@Wes

 

[Wes]

The clerk looked up from his terminal and nodded to Airwin. "Ah, Senator Caeyara, Taisho Yui is expecting you. Please proceed to her office," he said politely, gesturing towards the lift.

Once Airwin arrived at Yui's office, he would find the Taisho sitting at her desk with a cup of tea in hand. "Senator Caeyara, welcome back," she greeted him with a smile. "Please, have a seat," she added, gesturing to a comfortable-looking hinomaru-red chair opposite her desk.

Yui noticed the gift bag in Airwin's hand and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Is this a gift for me?" she asked with a smile.

 

[Andrew]

"Thank you, Taisho," Airwin said and then gave a nod as he handed over the bag, "A bottle of chacelle, perhaps;s not as rare as once believed but it is delicious. It is rather sweet like berries and holds a natural carbonation like champagne. A delicacy from our former home." He sat down in the chair and looked across at her. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but in addition to the growing situation in Ayenee one of our Leviathans, the Aiagothu has been taken along with my son. A straggler ship containing IDE backups and sleepers followed a homing signal and from what we can tell carried a group that gained control of it. They used the transuniversal drive, so we expect they've gone to the Chrystalis Unvorsum, as there has been no sign of them in Ayenee." He took a deep breath, "We can discuss the details but I figure I best state my intentions, I heard you're looking for someone to head up transuniversal operations and I thought I would offer myself up. As well as the remaining two War Levaithans for use outside of the Kikyo Sector, I feel with my knowledge and experience in dealing with those forces at Ayenee as well as on the homefront I am best for the job," he said with confidence.

There was plenty to say, to discuss, he felt as though he had put things aside for too long.

 

[Wes]

Yui listened respectfully to Airwin as he relayed the news of the missing Leviathan and his son's abduction. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, knowing all too well the pain of having a loved one taken. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that, Senator. We'll do everything in our power to help locate your son and recover the Leviathan," she promised.

She took the gift bag from him and smiled, "Thank you for the gift, I'm sure it's delicious. I'll make sure to share it with some of my closest advisors."

As Airwin mentioned his intentions to head up transuniversal operations and offer the remaining war Leviathans, Yui nodded thoughtfully. "I appreciate your offer, Senator. You're certainly one of the most experienced individuals in dealing with these matters. I'll take your proposal under consideration, but I can't promise anything just yet. We need to be very careful with who we place in charge of such operations, and I am still getting to know you," she explained. "There are others in the Star Army who are also qualified for the role...I will need more time to think on it," she added. "In the meantime perhaps we should spend more time together to get to know one another officer to officer. Figuring out how to defend Ayenee is already a huge challenge and adding another universe to defend spreads us out too much. However, I want to assure you that we'll do everything we can to help locate your son and recover the missing Leviathan, even if that means sending a special force there. Give me your suggestions."

 

[Andrew]

Airwin nodded, "I understand your hesitation, in terms of my son and his wife I am sure it will come to light soon enough. I won't know anything in terms of where they were taken in our origin universe until we can get more data from the other Leviathans it is mindhive connected to. I will let you know when we find out so we can decide if sending a force is an option," he answered, then continued, "As for the position, I am thankful for your consideration on it, it is only fair for us to get to know each other more and for others with more experience to answer the calling." He didn't want to push, but on that end there was nothing he could do now except wait, or find something he could do internally. "I feel I may of underestimated the number of survivors, for someone to take them there something had to of survived that I didn't percieve," he admitted the possibility of his own error.

"In terms of Ayenee, after looking at the situation we observed during our short trip there. I find myself reflecting on the fact that the Ursthollosha do have legitimate claims to some parts of the planet. Their Empress led the Darkbane there for decades in the western continent. It is probably best to remain out of the situation, there seems to be more at play there than I originally estimated. Fool heartedly pushing them out as invaders would just lead to another senseless war." The Norian leader closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, he then looked Yui in the eyes and said, "I've lost contact with our eyes there, I suspect he has went silent for a reason as he has done so before. I think that the corporate broadcast by the company we had dinner with on your ship there may of instigated things however, so I guess in this case the best action for defending Ayenee is diplomacy and waiting to see what moves the parties there take," he said, confirming his prior take that going in there guns blazing would be a bad idea. He didn't want Yamatai dragged into a war that was clearly based on speculation is likely my name takes a lot of blame, I turned down offers for shelter elsewhere after the war and turned them down. I stand by my decision to bring Tsenlan to Yamatai, but many do not share my enthusiasm, at least among the parties gathered at Ayenee.," he said with some humility.