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RP [YSS Azalea II] Episode 1: Fresh Water

Sipping a somewhat flat Gun Oil, Pierre watched the Sunde perform her inspection. The Rikugun officer idly weighed the pros and cons of letting their antlers grow as they watched Sunde nimbly use her tail to maneuver. The cons were simple, helmets and even their standard issue cover would become rather problematic. Besides, while there wasn’t a uniform standard involving antlers, Pierre liked to treat it like hair, short and manageable. On the other hand, they’d had this body since they joined the Army and didn’t actually know what they’d look like with long antlers, and Sunde had seemed to take the handlebars comment seriously. Seriously, Pierre, what’re you thinking? They sat wondering if they were really considering changing their appearance on the off chance that a woman who’d offered to dissect them might find it attractive.
 
"I'm used to it," was Spark's grunted reply on the question of any pain. Lifting the hair at the nape of her neck, she revealed a severe pucker shaped scar where her first Geist neural interface had shattered and exploded, where a second, updated version had been spliced into the remains. "Feel free to touch anything you need, or connect to that. Whatever you need, doc. Ancilla also has a running stock of my biometric data when I'm in the suit. Along with data on every injury."

She cocked a brow to Pierre, as though to ask permission to decline to answer any questions. Especially those about why this injury didn't cause a medical retirement. Humans don't roll like that. And Spark's mortality didn't make that easier.

"If it helps any, I don't believe this mind will survive an ST. My last ST scan behaved like a normal Fenrir clone in simulation. My neurodivergence is believed to be the cause. Some kind of interaction. I dunno. I'm not a doctor. But if you think you can rebuild half my ribcage, a shoulder, and an arm and bring it level with the left, go for it."
 
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Light dimmed and sounds muted as the world faded to darkness while Kari focused on Spark's injuries. For a moment, she simply lowered her fingertips so they barely touched Spark's skin as she traced lines parallel to her scars, constructing a model of what had happened in her digital mind. Each mark added another piece to the puzzle that she kept running forward and backward, looking for that which was missing. When everything began to line up, she applied minimal pressure to the points on Spark's body where she knew the flesh would need to be grafted, testing it for rigidity and strength.

"It doesn't help at all that your mind wouldn't survive an ST, as that would be by far easier," Kari replied bluntly as she continued to probe Spark's body with her fingers. "Kintsugi is the ancient art of repairing pottery with gold lacquer. Why not simply throw the old out and buy something new? Because that which is new has nothing to say, while that which has been repaired tells a story by its existence. All the more so if it bears its marks with pride, such as when repaired with gold lacquer. Or when covered in scars."

Waking from her trance, Kari set her feet back down on the ground and walked to stand in front of Spark. "I am confident that if it can be done, then I can do it. But not here and now, as I will need to research and prepare. I will endeavour to have you ready before our first sortie."
 
Asami was passing the lounge wipeing her face with a towel when she stopped and entered the lounge. "Whats going on in here?" She asked and let the towel hang around her neck. She was in her star army exercise uniform but had her shirt removed in favor of a sports bra and she looked like she had just got done exercising.
 
Another fleet soldier poked her head into the lounge. She was one of the pilots if Pierre’s memory served. Like the sergeant, she’d also stripped down to a sports bra. Star Army issued, however, instead of Duskarian Legion issued. Pierre let out a sigh, this was getting ridiculous. “Guys, you know there’s literally a communal bath, just off this room if you’re that set on walking around half dressed."

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Ulrix stopped drinking the Can of soda out of shock from watching Spark disconnect their arm. "When has tech been like that? also why is the giant woman with child bearing hips and a removable arm able to mess with the Pierre?" He states in his high sqeaking voice. swinging his little legs over the edge of the chair just barely making it to touch the ground. "So If I may where would be my quarters, and where do I drop off my heavy gp 12 I personally purchased?" he said jestering a bag weapon box that's longer than he is tall.
 
Asami smiled at Pierre. "I was just working out of course im dressed like this." She looked at Ulrix next. "I don't think we have met before, i am Asami." She said and gave him a friendly bow.
 
"Handlebars, did you get me a plushy?" Spark lifted her arm, sliding it back over her socket, locking it to the steel scapula and shoulder blade that had replaced her own liquified bones. A quick clip of the power connector and locking socket let the arm close around her shoulder as she winced, the nerves reconnecting before she stepped to Ulrix. "Thank you, doctor. I'd like that. No augmentations, please. Just removal of what's installed and restoration. I'd like to be able to claim unaugmented human again."

Stooping down, she picked up the lizard by the armpits, holding him at full extension as she looked him dead in the eye, letting him get a good look at the scar running from chin to throat, the flecks from glass that had shattered, leaving scars around her eye, the same eye that seemed to hide a fierce bloodlust behind its crimson glow, almost as though he could smell the sweat and ozone, earth, blood, and death of her career. Human, and a lady, yes. But far more powerful and dangerous than any predator and warrior of his own clan, wielding weapons designed to be thousands of times more lethal, or worse, maiming to a degree where an enemy's friends would be forced to drag their screaming friend to help she could not give.

She let her shoulders roll back and lock into place, standing straight, as though daring the others around her to stare at that bastion of strength and training.

"The giant woman with childbearing hips is a soldier, little Ulrix. I am bred and built for wars perpetrated by people who would allow worlds to burn just for some mockery of ideal or desire for power. And here I am to offer my foreign expertise to keep you and yours alive. I've trained all my life, taken no augments, built myself by strength of will and body to handle things far more dangerous than even our coworkers. But I like you."
 
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Pierre knew they should toss the kid a life line… eventually. But for now, Pierre decided that sometimes when you talk shit about your sergeant’s “childbearing hips” you got what was coming. Besides, being the disciplinarian wasn’t always their thing.

Finally, the Chui decided to speak up, “I think he’s the new kid, Sergeant.” A slight smile was growing on his face, “Anyway, child bearing hips? Really? You do seem to know quite a bit about mammal reproduction. Want to share with the class?”
 
Ulrix would squirm in sparks grasp before fluttering his wings to land himself onto her shoulder. perching himself there he would adjust the weapons case on his back. "Ulrix is sorry if he said something to anger you Ch'etecerci ticsen'i" he said the last part in his native tounge keeping his head down respectfully." while remaining perched he turned his head to look at chui. "Ulrix is a warrior of his clan with basic knowledge on how the star army works since we became refugees but a lot of knowledge of our people. for example the wemon in our clan are much larger and far more aggressive as we refer to them as Ch'etecerci ticsen'i, it can roughly be translated to Warrior mother."
 
Spark's hand slipped into her pocket, pulling up a packet of beef jerky, opening it before she passed a piece up towards Ulrix. "Warrior-Mother, huh? I like that. In my species, the females tend to be smaller than the males. No less intelligent, capable, or aggressive, but differently wired. I have kids, myself, you know. My wife's this gorgeous redheaded farm girl with violet eyes. Our son has Angela's eyes, and this shock of black hair. Seems my albinism isn't hereditary. Anyway."

She lifted the shoulder Ulrix sat on, shifting his weight slightly as she grinned wide. "If he's the new kid, sir, I must protecc the smol. I'll make sure he can keep up with me."
 
Kari nodded at Spark's stipulations, adding them at the top of a file she was compiling, beneath which she enumerated a few hundred citations from studies she'd read that seemed like promising further reading related to the reconstruction of human bodies. As she mentally organized her notes, she turned and gave Asami a nod of greeting, listened to Pierre, then watched the exchange between Spark and Ulrix.

Feeling a little out of place, which was quite common for Kari, she nodded to Pierre. "Yes, that is an excellent idea," she said as her holographic uniform flickered and was replaced with a one-piece bathing suit. "Would anyone care to join me for a communal bath?"
 
Pierre blinked, not fully expecting somebody to take the offhanded bit of snark seriously. Sunde did, however. She'd already switched her holographic clothes to a bathing suit. They were beginning to realize that Sunde wasn't the type to half ass things.
After considering for a moment, Pierre stood. "Don't forget to shower before getting in," the T&E officer said before heading towards the baths.
 
"Later," Spark's lips pursed almost imperceptibly, her shoulder tensing under Ulrix's weight. "I'm gonna go to bed. I'll shower after PT tomorrow. My prosthetic's not waterproof."

Which part of that was untrue would be left to the imagination. But it was clear that some part of Spark was still uncomfortable enough with her body to warrant an instinctive negative response. "Besides. I gotta head down to volumetrics and call Angela. I'd like to see my kids, you know?"
 
Ancilla grinned as she listened to Spark talk, then giggled, "ohh! i wanna be there when you call her! she's gonna be surprised at my appearance and how big i am now!" she told her before nodding "also i agree, rest is good, speaking of which.. where we bunking?' she asked turning to look at any who might know specifically which bunk Spark will be staying in.
 
"I'm sure Angela would love to see you all grown up! You know she's always got hugs for you. As far as where we're bunking, thought we already... Oh. We should get you a room assignment. Right, you were in a data disc accomodations for one would have been fine, now we gotta store your new body, charge the batteries... I'll... I'll talk to the Captain tonight, okay?"
 
Ulrix would snack on the jerky handed to him however, with all the mentions of communal baths and everything made him frown slightly. "Yeah I'll pass of the communal bath, Im probably going to practice at the shooting range and dojo instead." With angilla and Spark talking about talking with loved ones and bunking somewhere he would do a facepalm. "great i forgot to ask where im bunking.....ill figure that out later." Hopping down from Sparks shoulder he fluttered his wings. as he walked away his little talons clickity clacked down the hallway.
 
Pausing to see if anybody else was joining, Pierre managed to catch Spark and Ancilla's conversation. They hadn't known Spark for very long, but the woman didn't seem like the type to settle for a prosthetic that wasn't at a minimum waterproofed. It was probably EMP hardened as well. It was an excuse not to come to the baths, Pierre didn't know her reasons, nor would they pry. Instead, they made enough to check in with her later before turning to Lagros. "I'd say talk to the XO--" they trailed off. Did they have an XO? If not did that mean... No, Pierre, stop trying to get yourself a private room. They simply shrugged to themselves and passed through to bathes and began undressing for a pre-soak shower.
 
"As Pierre said, the XO is your best bet," Kari turned to Ancilla and blinked. In the span of time it took her to flutter her eyelids, she brought up the Azalea's cabin assignments and enumerated the unoccupied rooms. "But if you just need a place for tonight, crew cabins 1, 17, and 18 are unoccupied if you enjoy solitude. If you want company, then you can join me in my neko nest in Cabin 2 for cuddles. I have no nest mates, so you would be most welcome."

Without waiting for a reply, Kari gave Ancilla, Ulrix, and Spark each a bow in turn. "It was nice to meet you Co-Pilot Ancilla, Lagros-Hei, and I am looking forward to seeing more of you soon, Sergeant Hartbrook-Pine."

After a deliberate pause for politeness, Kari turned and proceeded through the curtained doorway that led directly into the communal bath from the lounge. Remembering what Pierre had said about showering, she walked along behind a large wall, placed her datapad and mini volumetric projector into a locker, paused momentarily to steal a glance at Pierre, then stepped into a shower and turned it on.

Kari was amused to discover that the shower disrupted her holographic clothing slightly. Each water droplet caught the light and refracted and dispersed it into miniature rainbows, causing a polychromatic sparkle wherever she was projecting her bathing suit. Out of curiosity, she imagined and then projected a thin material all over her body, which extended the effect so that she was effectively showering in colour and light as well as water as she rinsed off before the bath.
 
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