- RP Date
- YE 44.3.14
- RP Location
- ISS Heion, Uesu's Flagship
夢天皇: 血血 ｐａｎｉｃ
Yume Tennō: Ketsu Ketsu Panic
ISS Heion
YE 44.3.14
With the approach of the ISS Heion to the flagship of the Uesureyan Forces in orbit of the homeworld, Planet Yamatai. The ship's pilot had given fair warning. Alerting the vessel of the persons aboard and their request for an audience with the former Emperor of the Empire. The vessel's two passengers were chosen for their roles based on personal experiences. One for being from an earlier era within the Empire's history and therefore more knowledgeable about the temperments of that generation. Tachiko's experiences would help temper her companions'. The latter for the simple fact she had been born and raised among the guardians of the royal family.
And had been raised to the royal family at the command of the Empress, Himiko herself who had been a pupil of former Emperor Uesu. Both, it was hoped would undeniably catch his attention. The Heion itself was dwarfed by the Chiharu-class Flagship. That despite its age was still one of the largest Star Army of ships. Even obsolete the vessel was mighty in its own right.
Of the four passengers, those two, Tachiko and Koyama, accompanied by a pair of Samurai, one sat beside the raven-haired princess. A tall woman who had seemingly attached herself to the comparatively younger Nekovalkyrja whenever there was a need for her for reasons unknown save themselves and the Daimyo. The other stuck close to her Motoyoshi counterpart. Seated as she was, Koyama picked a 'window seat' for herself. In truth nothing more than a volumetric protection on the wall. Still, it fed an impressive view of the swarm of ships lazily protecting their larger counterpart.
Cargo vessels coming to and fro, shuttles of all shapes and sizes. Vessels that one could only read about now or see in museums. Some were still in service when she'd first enlisted. But were swiftly being replaced with technological advancements and the ever-present need to maintain a competitive edge.
"Tell me again," Koyama's voice broke the silence save for the background hum of the ship. "What I should expect from the Emeritus?" finished the question by leaning forward enough to look past her guardian and to the slightly taller Motoyoshi. There had been information on PANTHEON of course. But one could only rely on what could be found there for so much.
"...well," Tachiko weakly began after a long inhale after a longer pause. "First and foremost, you must remember that he is the one who took off to chase Mishhuvurthyar after being accused of the Plague rather than face the accusations, after crowning my mother Empress." She thought a moment before continuing, "And the man who promptly started the Fourth Elysian War at the peace treaty signing of the Third, just for a revenge killing to avenge his father."
There were a few moments of uncomortable fidgeting as Tachiko looked for the most diplomatic way to deliver opinions rather than facts. She was not a Neko given to diplomacy. Her age meant she was from a time Nekovalkyja, much like their creator, acted, rather than spoke. "He is not one given to..." One more pause as the very deliberate Tachiko further deliberated, paradoxically emulating the Emperor and serving as his opposite "...long thought before action. And, even more, someone who doesn't let an opportunity pass by."
She smiled awkwardly at her first cousin, once removed, after delivering her executive summary of the Emperor, Koyama's grandfather and her own great-grandfather. Koyama was near the source of imperial sovereignty, one step removed from the sitting Empress and the first Emperor, while Tachiko, newly elevated to status, was one step removed from a former Empress, and twice removed from him. She even left the Ketsurui prefix off her family name in all but formal occasions, out of repsect for her mother Katsuko, as did the rest of her siblings. Being a very traditional Nekovalkyrja who wasn't quite accustomed to her new societal status, Tachiko had yet to completely get over the difference.
"I think we can use our familial ties against anyone who would try to screen us away. Yamatai might not necessarily be a hereditary monarchy, but Uesureya's only had one Emperor, and being his descendants by clan lineage should carry weight. I'm just not really..." she fiddled with the Motoyoshi-themed silken fabric of shades of purple and grey with patterns of hummingbirds and evening orchids in gold thread of her formal kimono. There were no uniforms except on the Yugumo Keisatsu Keibi officers, former Star Army Close Protection Specialists, that Katsuko assigned to the ship for security, and the pair of Ketsurui Samurai that Koyama brought, as this was not an officially-sanctioned meeting as far as the Star Army was concerned. This was just family business. "...just not used to actually using my family name like that."
Koyama looked down at the hands in her lap. Chin tucked into her silk-clad chest. "I've known people like him then. My first assignment was to the Tenth. Where a goodly portion of its Nekovalkyrja was from the Second Draconian War." the Samurai beside her sniffed. The princess turned a sharp look at her.
There was the static buzz of wireless communication between the two. Koyama placing a fist in her hand. Followed by other gestures one would make during a small argument. The samurai, her name was Akari looked amused by whatever was being said. Come to the end of whatever passed between them, Koyama scoffed.
"A man of action rather than words and diplomacy. From a time I sometimes wish I had been born into." she paused, looking to the volumetric projection of the ship which drew closer by the second. "I have theories as to why he has remained. And what we can gather from this opportunity as well."
With that said, Koyama's looked turned neutral, her face mostly obscured from view. "Recent events have given me cause to try this. And to know why a man with such a vast armada remains. But I can guess." one of the red-silken sleeves slipped back to show one of her small hands. Pressing a slender finger to the window it zoomed in. "Cargo transports." Continuing her observations while carrying on her conversation.
"I know how you feel, Tachiko." her response was just loud enough to hear. "But sometimes one will have to ply their name and the weight it bears regardless." After a few moments longer, Koyama looked back, taking note of the other woman, she wished she would have sat next to her. Offer her a companionable squeeze of a hand. Some measure of comfort.
"I looked over Resurgence's mission logs. Given their interactions in that PNUgen facility, I don't really think Uesu-ojii-san takes the fact he abdicated to Katsuko-okaa-san completely seriously. Like he crossed his fingers behind his back and winked so he could go, 'just kidding!'" Tellingly, she used the respectful, rather than the humble, way to refer to her own mother, the opposite of what is typical in Yamatai.
Tachiko squeezed Koyama's hand back. "I'm really glad we're going to be serving on the Resurgence together. I'm so excited. It's the first time I've ever been away from the Motoyoshi's Expeditionary Fleet, Fifth or First..." Her smile widened and softened as she squeezed back after changing the subject. "You know the Captain came from First Expeditionary. We served there together for a year, but he wasn't on my ship. At least we'll have something to talk about when we meet."
If Tachiko thought anything of Koyama's interaction with her Samurai, she showed no sign. Really, being around Katsuko as much as she was, things like that were already commonplace for her. She did, however, look nervously back at the two members of Katsuko's very own protection detail. They weren't in power armor, and neither were the Samurai, but they'd all certainly brought it along.
"So, when are we going to open a channel to that flagship? Surely they see us here and they definitely recognize the ship and know who it belongs to."
Koyama sighed at the touch, looking to Tachiko, she sent a message to the pilot of the Heion. Informing them to announce the presence of the two aboard. And their request for docking. "I've told the pilot." she said in turn, looking down at the hand on her own.
"I served within the First Expeditionary, with your clan mistress as my Taisho before her retirement," her voice soft, if fond. The Sakura II had been what began her down the path she was on now. The Tokyo the springboard forward. "We may have not crossed paths there, but her daughters knew of me. As did her consort, Yaichiro-san. He is a good, kind man. Clever to a fault."
Allowing an all too brief smile, "It was he who promoted me to an officer rank. One of the two great engineers who offered me guidance over my career. And his daughter is very dear to me." that daughter being Kazumi who she had taken under her wing. Still, thinking on the matter the princess shook her head.
"The Chusa," a 'hmph' sound of amusement followed suit. "I have yet to see that man smile."
"Well, the Tokyo was a really big ship, and, to be honest, I spent most of my time aboard in War College. My position was 'special liason.'" Tachiko even put air quotes around it. "Safely belowdecks the entire time at Glimmergold. I never felt more useless as a Nekovalkyrja than when I was sheltering with the other students." She sighed, "They were all fresh recruits or peacetime enlisted before the Kuvexian War. And here I was, fifteen years in, veteran of Taiie, hunkered down too." Tachi shook her head, "Okaa-san..."
"Well, so did Kazumi-nee-chan, for the most part, too!" That got a giggle out of Tachiko, raising her up from her introspection. "And Accelerated Officer got me promoted ahead of her!" Interestingly, Tachiko referred to Kazumi as an older sister, though Tachiko was far older. Lineage is more a determinant than age among the Ketsurui-Motoyoshi, it appeared
Her ears perked as the co-pilot began to hail the Uesureyan flagship, itself an artifact from Tachiko's first lifetime in the late 20's. She was a mission operator now, and was already sensitive to communications procedures being underway in her presence.
Tachiko's hail got a prompt response. A nekovalkyrja appeared on her viewscreen dressed in a teal Star Army bodysuit. "This is Taisho Muru Parasparta of the Star Army of Uesureya."
Tachiko's heart jumped a bit when the Taishō replied over the comms. When Parasparta answered, it all suddenly became very, very real. She looked over at Koyama, then rose to her feet, and as she did so, the two Samurai as well. She looked at her reflection in the closest console display and ensured her formal furisode kimono was smoothed and in order, as well as her hair, which barely long enough to put the bangs behind her in a somewhat-samurai top-bun. "Put us on screen, onegai shimasu."
"Parasparta-Taishō, hajimemashite," Tachiko bowed politely, her hands folded in front of her thighs, "I am Ketsurui-Motoyoshi Tachiko, daughter of Katsuko the First, so crowned Empress of Yamatai by Uesu-Tenno's own hand, thereby granddaughter of Yui the First, herself also by Uesu-Tenno created and so crowned, and I am here with Ketsurui Koyama, daughter of Himiko the First, the ruling Empress of Yamatai, created by His very own hand. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. We hope that we find you well and are not terribly inconveniencing you." Tachiko always did have a way with being polite and formal, being always one step away from such luminaries for so long, as she had been. "We would like to speak with the Emperor."
Koyama sighed inwardly as a face promptly appeared on the screen. She took note of the uniform, the rank, the little details. The Nekovalkyrja's projection screamed military. Authoritative. Almost predatory. Yes. This was a woman straight from her first tour of duty. Just like those Draconian Nekovalkyrja she'd served with. And almost immediately her back was up in a manner that turned her gaze flat and expressionless. Weakness was not to be shown.
And the mere fact Tachiko had counted her as the Empress' daughter chilled her blood. The reclusive monarch may have seen her rise. But her birth mother had given her flesh, blood, and bone. Life itself. Her ire lay carefully hidden behind that stare while her counterpart spoke. Her fingertips barely peeked beyond the sleeves of the crimson and silver-threaded kimono she wore. After the introductions, Koyama inclined her head. "Indeed, I am Ketsurui, Koyama."
She gestured toward Tachiko, shifting her golden stare slightly in her direction. "As my counterpart has made our formal introduction to you, Taishō. I would like to reiterate our request for an audience with His Majesty. If he would graciously grant us some of his time. If that would be agreeable?" her introduction was short, straightforward. No showmanship. Tachiko had performed that task masterfully enough. And how could she add more to it than that?
"I will ask if he is available," Parasparta said, "Standby," she said, placing them on hold. Her image was replaced with the triangular logo that used to appear on Yamatai's ships before the Star Army was formed, back when Yui was a captain in the UE Spacy. A few moments later, Parasparta came back and said, "standby for the Emperor."
Koyama could only guess as to the insignia, she had never seen it before. But a moment's query to PANTHEON allowed her to sample it, send it, and receive an answer. A relic from such an early era within the history of the sector. It was perhaps then she realized the gravity of it all. One of the fathers of her species. Her hand had gone limp within Tachiko's only to increase the grip. On the verge of pain. Yet there was little to show outwardly in her facial expression. So impassive. Save for a trickle of sweat trailing down her spine underneath the layers of silk cladding her form.
Uesu appeared, seated in an office full of antique books, model starships, and hundreds of framed photographs of sharp-looking Nekovalkyrja military officers. He was an older half-Yamataian, half-Nepleslian man dressed in a dress shirt and some teal military uniform pants, seated in a bulky leather chair at an ornate desk covered in several data pads. He put away his reading glasses and looked up at the screen. "Good afternoon," he greeted Tachiko.
To Tachiko, whose shaking-legged form couldn't help but to fall to her knees and bow with utmost formality, not even letting go of Koyama's hand, this was the Emperor, her Emperor, whose face she had spent the beginning of her life under the watchful gaze of, albeit nearly two decades older. Uesu was still Emperor when she went into stasis, and everything was strange and new now, still, even after these years since. In front of this man, Nekovalkyrja understood him to be their ultimate father, no matter how they came to exist or when, that face was in easter eggs in their operating system, he still appeared in training materials, in the user manual any Neko could conjure up and learn about themselves with. And now, here she was, in front of him. "Good afternoon, Tenno-sama. My mother, Katsuko the First, by Your hand, sends her regards and best wishes and her, and our, happiness you are still with us after your absence."
She dared not look up until given leave. Getting used to Katsuko was one thing, and she'd mostly accomplished it. Koyama wasn't so bad now that they'd got to know one another. Uesu-tenno himself was something else entirely.
"I haven't spoken to Katsuko in some time," Uesu said. "It would be interesting to catch up sometime," Uesu said.
"She took my old job as Premier," a familiar voice said. The camera zoomed back to show former Empress Yuumi sitting in Uesu's office on a couch on the side of the room.
Koyama's squeeze of the hand had been enough. She was nervous. A little afraid, intimidated by the person now looking at them from that screen. As intriguing as the notion was that he too shared a passion for printed media, that was not enough to quell the thumping in her now all-too-human heart forced upon her by upgrading to this worthless body. It felt cheap in comparison to that with which she'd been born. Less capable than the 27-series of her mother, that of the 29 she'd been blessed with, but still far more warrior-capable by comparison in her estimation and clear bias. Following suit, Koyama stood.
Her knees did not shake, her outward composure still intact thankfully. The obeisance Tachiko showed, almost a grovel, she could not bring herself to the point of doing. Pride still provided steel to her spine. But it could be bent, but not broken, not wholly. Her bow, low, almost in half swept her hair before her face. Almost, but not entirely obscuring it.
"Heika," her voice tight her nerves frayed, a lump forming in her throat. "It is a true honor, and pleasure to be in your presence, father of our people. Founder of that which would become our Empire." Admittedly she was never good with formalities, always more than a little blunt. In this situation, it was far and away the worst she had ever managed.
"So...what brings you to call me today?" Uesu asked, cutting to the chase.
Tachiko finally looked up when addressed directly. She cleared her throat and rose, likely making poor Koyama's arm more comfortable, since she'd not let go of her Ketsurui-cousin's hand. "As Tenno-sama likely has surmised, there are..." she hesitated a moment, thinking, "...questions regarding the Emperor's Fleet and its presence." She had to swallow, even if Nekovalkyrja didn't have quite the parasympathetic stress response that humans did, as her mouth felt as if full of sand. "These are questions that were felt better first addressed among the Ketsurui Clan, before with anyone else, if it could be handled as a... 'family affair.' As junior members, we were honor bound to accept that which our Elders put to us. Tenno-sama will note we are not in uniform, as this is not an official Grand-, ah, Yamat- I mean, Star Army of Yamatai mission." She stumbled over the name, with the flood of nostalgia meeting Uesu had brought. The Star Army had changed its name mere months before she was created, and its name was different again when she awoke from her frozen slumber. To be very clear, it was a miracle Tachiko could speak at all, given the circumstances. And, much like Koyama's insecurity about her body, she was herself a bit embarrassed to not be seen as the NH-17 he had ordered her to be made as.
"First of all, it's the Kitsurugi Clan," Uesu began. "I know Yui was heartbroken over Chiharu and wanted to continue her name, but that doesn't have to apply to all of us. I am Kitsurugi, my Nekovalkyrja daughter Yuumi here was created as a Kitsurugi, and I've had plenty of time to think about the name change and I disagree with it."
"It is by Yui I claim descent, but my cousin Koyama is from Himiko. Is it the Emperor's command we cease to call ourselves Ketsurui and once again use the honorable name of Kitsurugi?" Tachiko asked, inclined by nature and nurture both to perceive anything spoken by authority as a call to action.
Koyama soon too looked from the floor, and to Uesu visage, hearing of the Clan's original name was a shock. And his dislike of its change in name to suit that of Yui's mourning of her former lover. "Heika, what she says is true, but I was not born into the Clan, but to the Samurai which safeguard it, my mother helped form the basis of the 27-series. Her Majesty Himiko, formally adopted me. I therefore share no blood with Her Majesty, save only formal adoption." she pointedly corrected Tachiko and informing the Emperor.
"Indeed. I was, like Koyama-hime, as is the case with so many Nekovalkyrja families, adopted." Tachiko added.
"I supposed everyone will have a decision to make," Uesu simply responded, "I don't like it when people ask if they can ask a question instead of just asking the question. Why don't we keep moving?" he suggested with an exasperated expression.
'You were right about him,' Koyama transmitted to Tachiko. He really did like to cut to the heart of the matter. So she did so as well.
"Heika, your fleet has remained in orbit for some time now, I can only surmise that by the traffic I have seen from surface to orbit, and from the homeworld's stations. You are upgrading your fleet. Restocking. It came as a shock to us that you would return to the Sector yourself instead of sending a proxy. With you leading the fleet yourself, am I to assume correctly you perhaps found something beyond our borders?"
Emperor Uesu's displeased expression and curt words nearly made Tachiko audibly squeak, and her face likely betrayed the fact. It was as if children had been scolded for annoying their grandfather. No, it wasn't "as if" that were the case. That is precisely what had happened. She thought it best she let Koyama speak, for now.
"I have built a foothold in my region of space, but it is far from peaceful. I needed to do some catching up before I go back to my new home, and to get a sense of the situation here," Uesu explained. "With the International Relations Conference happening, it was a good opportunity to talk about the relationship between the reformed Uesureyan Star Empire and the Yamatai Star Empire and the Star Army we share, or could share."
Koyama took note of his words. Far from peaceful? Intriguing, so he had met with some pushback. His return then and curiosity about the relatioship between the two bespoke of the possibility of an alliance. Perhaps one borne of some desperation.
«United Empire Forces?» Tachiko posed the question to Koyama telepathically, hoping her lack of a good poker-face didn't tip him off.
'Stay calm and breathe,' Koyama stated to Tachiko over their link, 'Possibly, think on what he just said. Mull the words over.'
"In any event, Tenno-sama, Yamatai recognizes its debt," Tachiko got brave enough to speak again, "And is the dutiful daughter who will respect her obligations to her father, I am sure. At the very least, Motoyoshi will not let that debt go unanswered– I can speak for the Clan to that end. Mother said to tell His Highness two things: that the Emperor is invited to our Clan's estates at His pleasure, and," she hesitated under the weight of what she was about to relay to him, "she said, 'You were right.'"
Yume Tennō: Ketsu Ketsu Panic
ISS Heion
YE 44.3.14
With the approach of the ISS Heion to the flagship of the Uesureyan Forces in orbit of the homeworld, Planet Yamatai. The ship's pilot had given fair warning. Alerting the vessel of the persons aboard and their request for an audience with the former Emperor of the Empire. The vessel's two passengers were chosen for their roles based on personal experiences. One for being from an earlier era within the Empire's history and therefore more knowledgeable about the temperments of that generation. Tachiko's experiences would help temper her companions'. The latter for the simple fact she had been born and raised among the guardians of the royal family.
And had been raised to the royal family at the command of the Empress, Himiko herself who had been a pupil of former Emperor Uesu. Both, it was hoped would undeniably catch his attention. The Heion itself was dwarfed by the Chiharu-class Flagship. That despite its age was still one of the largest Star Army of ships. Even obsolete the vessel was mighty in its own right.
Of the four passengers, those two, Tachiko and Koyama, accompanied by a pair of Samurai, one sat beside the raven-haired princess. A tall woman who had seemingly attached herself to the comparatively younger Nekovalkyrja whenever there was a need for her for reasons unknown save themselves and the Daimyo. The other stuck close to her Motoyoshi counterpart. Seated as she was, Koyama picked a 'window seat' for herself. In truth nothing more than a volumetric protection on the wall. Still, it fed an impressive view of the swarm of ships lazily protecting their larger counterpart.
Cargo vessels coming to and fro, shuttles of all shapes and sizes. Vessels that one could only read about now or see in museums. Some were still in service when she'd first enlisted. But were swiftly being replaced with technological advancements and the ever-present need to maintain a competitive edge.
"Tell me again," Koyama's voice broke the silence save for the background hum of the ship. "What I should expect from the Emeritus?" finished the question by leaning forward enough to look past her guardian and to the slightly taller Motoyoshi. There had been information on PANTHEON of course. But one could only rely on what could be found there for so much.
"...well," Tachiko weakly began after a long inhale after a longer pause. "First and foremost, you must remember that he is the one who took off to chase Mishhuvurthyar after being accused of the Plague rather than face the accusations, after crowning my mother Empress." She thought a moment before continuing, "And the man who promptly started the Fourth Elysian War at the peace treaty signing of the Third, just for a revenge killing to avenge his father."
There were a few moments of uncomortable fidgeting as Tachiko looked for the most diplomatic way to deliver opinions rather than facts. She was not a Neko given to diplomacy. Her age meant she was from a time Nekovalkyja, much like their creator, acted, rather than spoke. "He is not one given to..." One more pause as the very deliberate Tachiko further deliberated, paradoxically emulating the Emperor and serving as his opposite "...long thought before action. And, even more, someone who doesn't let an opportunity pass by."
She smiled awkwardly at her first cousin, once removed, after delivering her executive summary of the Emperor, Koyama's grandfather and her own great-grandfather. Koyama was near the source of imperial sovereignty, one step removed from the sitting Empress and the first Emperor, while Tachiko, newly elevated to status, was one step removed from a former Empress, and twice removed from him. She even left the Ketsurui prefix off her family name in all but formal occasions, out of repsect for her mother Katsuko, as did the rest of her siblings. Being a very traditional Nekovalkyrja who wasn't quite accustomed to her new societal status, Tachiko had yet to completely get over the difference.
"I think we can use our familial ties against anyone who would try to screen us away. Yamatai might not necessarily be a hereditary monarchy, but Uesureya's only had one Emperor, and being his descendants by clan lineage should carry weight. I'm just not really..." she fiddled with the Motoyoshi-themed silken fabric of shades of purple and grey with patterns of hummingbirds and evening orchids in gold thread of her formal kimono. There were no uniforms except on the Yugumo Keisatsu Keibi officers, former Star Army Close Protection Specialists, that Katsuko assigned to the ship for security, and the pair of Ketsurui Samurai that Koyama brought, as this was not an officially-sanctioned meeting as far as the Star Army was concerned. This was just family business. "...just not used to actually using my family name like that."
Koyama looked down at the hands in her lap. Chin tucked into her silk-clad chest. "I've known people like him then. My first assignment was to the Tenth. Where a goodly portion of its Nekovalkyrja was from the Second Draconian War." the Samurai beside her sniffed. The princess turned a sharp look at her.
There was the static buzz of wireless communication between the two. Koyama placing a fist in her hand. Followed by other gestures one would make during a small argument. The samurai, her name was Akari looked amused by whatever was being said. Come to the end of whatever passed between them, Koyama scoffed.
"A man of action rather than words and diplomacy. From a time I sometimes wish I had been born into." she paused, looking to the volumetric projection of the ship which drew closer by the second. "I have theories as to why he has remained. And what we can gather from this opportunity as well."
With that said, Koyama's looked turned neutral, her face mostly obscured from view. "Recent events have given me cause to try this. And to know why a man with such a vast armada remains. But I can guess." one of the red-silken sleeves slipped back to show one of her small hands. Pressing a slender finger to the window it zoomed in. "Cargo transports." Continuing her observations while carrying on her conversation.
"I know how you feel, Tachiko." her response was just loud enough to hear. "But sometimes one will have to ply their name and the weight it bears regardless." After a few moments longer, Koyama looked back, taking note of the other woman, she wished she would have sat next to her. Offer her a companionable squeeze of a hand. Some measure of comfort.
"I looked over Resurgence's mission logs. Given their interactions in that PNUgen facility, I don't really think Uesu-ojii-san takes the fact he abdicated to Katsuko-okaa-san completely seriously. Like he crossed his fingers behind his back and winked so he could go, 'just kidding!'" Tellingly, she used the respectful, rather than the humble, way to refer to her own mother, the opposite of what is typical in Yamatai.
Tachiko squeezed Koyama's hand back. "I'm really glad we're going to be serving on the Resurgence together. I'm so excited. It's the first time I've ever been away from the Motoyoshi's Expeditionary Fleet, Fifth or First..." Her smile widened and softened as she squeezed back after changing the subject. "You know the Captain came from First Expeditionary. We served there together for a year, but he wasn't on my ship. At least we'll have something to talk about when we meet."
If Tachiko thought anything of Koyama's interaction with her Samurai, she showed no sign. Really, being around Katsuko as much as she was, things like that were already commonplace for her. She did, however, look nervously back at the two members of Katsuko's very own protection detail. They weren't in power armor, and neither were the Samurai, but they'd all certainly brought it along.
"So, when are we going to open a channel to that flagship? Surely they see us here and they definitely recognize the ship and know who it belongs to."
Koyama sighed at the touch, looking to Tachiko, she sent a message to the pilot of the Heion. Informing them to announce the presence of the two aboard. And their request for docking. "I've told the pilot." she said in turn, looking down at the hand on her own.
"I served within the First Expeditionary, with your clan mistress as my Taisho before her retirement," her voice soft, if fond. The Sakura II had been what began her down the path she was on now. The Tokyo the springboard forward. "We may have not crossed paths there, but her daughters knew of me. As did her consort, Yaichiro-san. He is a good, kind man. Clever to a fault."
Allowing an all too brief smile, "It was he who promoted me to an officer rank. One of the two great engineers who offered me guidance over my career. And his daughter is very dear to me." that daughter being Kazumi who she had taken under her wing. Still, thinking on the matter the princess shook her head.
"The Chusa," a 'hmph' sound of amusement followed suit. "I have yet to see that man smile."
"Well, the Tokyo was a really big ship, and, to be honest, I spent most of my time aboard in War College. My position was 'special liason.'" Tachiko even put air quotes around it. "Safely belowdecks the entire time at Glimmergold. I never felt more useless as a Nekovalkyrja than when I was sheltering with the other students." She sighed, "They were all fresh recruits or peacetime enlisted before the Kuvexian War. And here I was, fifteen years in, veteran of Taiie, hunkered down too." Tachi shook her head, "Okaa-san..."
"Well, so did Kazumi-nee-chan, for the most part, too!" That got a giggle out of Tachiko, raising her up from her introspection. "And Accelerated Officer got me promoted ahead of her!" Interestingly, Tachiko referred to Kazumi as an older sister, though Tachiko was far older. Lineage is more a determinant than age among the Ketsurui-Motoyoshi, it appeared
Her ears perked as the co-pilot began to hail the Uesureyan flagship, itself an artifact from Tachiko's first lifetime in the late 20's. She was a mission operator now, and was already sensitive to communications procedures being underway in her presence.
Tachiko's hail got a prompt response. A nekovalkyrja appeared on her viewscreen dressed in a teal Star Army bodysuit. "This is Taisho Muru Parasparta of the Star Army of Uesureya."
Tachiko's heart jumped a bit when the Taishō replied over the comms. When Parasparta answered, it all suddenly became very, very real. She looked over at Koyama, then rose to her feet, and as she did so, the two Samurai as well. She looked at her reflection in the closest console display and ensured her formal furisode kimono was smoothed and in order, as well as her hair, which barely long enough to put the bangs behind her in a somewhat-samurai top-bun. "Put us on screen, onegai shimasu."
"Parasparta-Taishō, hajimemashite," Tachiko bowed politely, her hands folded in front of her thighs, "I am Ketsurui-Motoyoshi Tachiko, daughter of Katsuko the First, so crowned Empress of Yamatai by Uesu-Tenno's own hand, thereby granddaughter of Yui the First, herself also by Uesu-Tenno created and so crowned, and I am here with Ketsurui Koyama, daughter of Himiko the First, the ruling Empress of Yamatai, created by His very own hand. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. We hope that we find you well and are not terribly inconveniencing you." Tachiko always did have a way with being polite and formal, being always one step away from such luminaries for so long, as she had been. "We would like to speak with the Emperor."
Koyama sighed inwardly as a face promptly appeared on the screen. She took note of the uniform, the rank, the little details. The Nekovalkyrja's projection screamed military. Authoritative. Almost predatory. Yes. This was a woman straight from her first tour of duty. Just like those Draconian Nekovalkyrja she'd served with. And almost immediately her back was up in a manner that turned her gaze flat and expressionless. Weakness was not to be shown.
And the mere fact Tachiko had counted her as the Empress' daughter chilled her blood. The reclusive monarch may have seen her rise. But her birth mother had given her flesh, blood, and bone. Life itself. Her ire lay carefully hidden behind that stare while her counterpart spoke. Her fingertips barely peeked beyond the sleeves of the crimson and silver-threaded kimono she wore. After the introductions, Koyama inclined her head. "Indeed, I am Ketsurui, Koyama."
She gestured toward Tachiko, shifting her golden stare slightly in her direction. "As my counterpart has made our formal introduction to you, Taishō. I would like to reiterate our request for an audience with His Majesty. If he would graciously grant us some of his time. If that would be agreeable?" her introduction was short, straightforward. No showmanship. Tachiko had performed that task masterfully enough. And how could she add more to it than that?
"I will ask if he is available," Parasparta said, "Standby," she said, placing them on hold. Her image was replaced with the triangular logo that used to appear on Yamatai's ships before the Star Army was formed, back when Yui was a captain in the UE Spacy. A few moments later, Parasparta came back and said, "standby for the Emperor."
Koyama could only guess as to the insignia, she had never seen it before. But a moment's query to PANTHEON allowed her to sample it, send it, and receive an answer. A relic from such an early era within the history of the sector. It was perhaps then she realized the gravity of it all. One of the fathers of her species. Her hand had gone limp within Tachiko's only to increase the grip. On the verge of pain. Yet there was little to show outwardly in her facial expression. So impassive. Save for a trickle of sweat trailing down her spine underneath the layers of silk cladding her form.
Uesu appeared, seated in an office full of antique books, model starships, and hundreds of framed photographs of sharp-looking Nekovalkyrja military officers. He was an older half-Yamataian, half-Nepleslian man dressed in a dress shirt and some teal military uniform pants, seated in a bulky leather chair at an ornate desk covered in several data pads. He put away his reading glasses and looked up at the screen. "Good afternoon," he greeted Tachiko.
To Tachiko, whose shaking-legged form couldn't help but to fall to her knees and bow with utmost formality, not even letting go of Koyama's hand, this was the Emperor, her Emperor, whose face she had spent the beginning of her life under the watchful gaze of, albeit nearly two decades older. Uesu was still Emperor when she went into stasis, and everything was strange and new now, still, even after these years since. In front of this man, Nekovalkyrja understood him to be their ultimate father, no matter how they came to exist or when, that face was in easter eggs in their operating system, he still appeared in training materials, in the user manual any Neko could conjure up and learn about themselves with. And now, here she was, in front of him. "Good afternoon, Tenno-sama. My mother, Katsuko the First, by Your hand, sends her regards and best wishes and her, and our, happiness you are still with us after your absence."
She dared not look up until given leave. Getting used to Katsuko was one thing, and she'd mostly accomplished it. Koyama wasn't so bad now that they'd got to know one another. Uesu-tenno himself was something else entirely.
"I haven't spoken to Katsuko in some time," Uesu said. "It would be interesting to catch up sometime," Uesu said.
"She took my old job as Premier," a familiar voice said. The camera zoomed back to show former Empress Yuumi sitting in Uesu's office on a couch on the side of the room.
Koyama's squeeze of the hand had been enough. She was nervous. A little afraid, intimidated by the person now looking at them from that screen. As intriguing as the notion was that he too shared a passion for printed media, that was not enough to quell the thumping in her now all-too-human heart forced upon her by upgrading to this worthless body. It felt cheap in comparison to that with which she'd been born. Less capable than the 27-series of her mother, that of the 29 she'd been blessed with, but still far more warrior-capable by comparison in her estimation and clear bias. Following suit, Koyama stood.
Her knees did not shake, her outward composure still intact thankfully. The obeisance Tachiko showed, almost a grovel, she could not bring herself to the point of doing. Pride still provided steel to her spine. But it could be bent, but not broken, not wholly. Her bow, low, almost in half swept her hair before her face. Almost, but not entirely obscuring it.
"Heika," her voice tight her nerves frayed, a lump forming in her throat. "It is a true honor, and pleasure to be in your presence, father of our people. Founder of that which would become our Empire." Admittedly she was never good with formalities, always more than a little blunt. In this situation, it was far and away the worst she had ever managed.
"So...what brings you to call me today?" Uesu asked, cutting to the chase.
Tachiko finally looked up when addressed directly. She cleared her throat and rose, likely making poor Koyama's arm more comfortable, since she'd not let go of her Ketsurui-cousin's hand. "As Tenno-sama likely has surmised, there are..." she hesitated a moment, thinking, "...questions regarding the Emperor's Fleet and its presence." She had to swallow, even if Nekovalkyrja didn't have quite the parasympathetic stress response that humans did, as her mouth felt as if full of sand. "These are questions that were felt better first addressed among the Ketsurui Clan, before with anyone else, if it could be handled as a... 'family affair.' As junior members, we were honor bound to accept that which our Elders put to us. Tenno-sama will note we are not in uniform, as this is not an official Grand-, ah, Yamat- I mean, Star Army of Yamatai mission." She stumbled over the name, with the flood of nostalgia meeting Uesu had brought. The Star Army had changed its name mere months before she was created, and its name was different again when she awoke from her frozen slumber. To be very clear, it was a miracle Tachiko could speak at all, given the circumstances. And, much like Koyama's insecurity about her body, she was herself a bit embarrassed to not be seen as the NH-17 he had ordered her to be made as.
"First of all, it's the Kitsurugi Clan," Uesu began. "I know Yui was heartbroken over Chiharu and wanted to continue her name, but that doesn't have to apply to all of us. I am Kitsurugi, my Nekovalkyrja daughter Yuumi here was created as a Kitsurugi, and I've had plenty of time to think about the name change and I disagree with it."
"It is by Yui I claim descent, but my cousin Koyama is from Himiko. Is it the Emperor's command we cease to call ourselves Ketsurui and once again use the honorable name of Kitsurugi?" Tachiko asked, inclined by nature and nurture both to perceive anything spoken by authority as a call to action.
Koyama soon too looked from the floor, and to Uesu visage, hearing of the Clan's original name was a shock. And his dislike of its change in name to suit that of Yui's mourning of her former lover. "Heika, what she says is true, but I was not born into the Clan, but to the Samurai which safeguard it, my mother helped form the basis of the 27-series. Her Majesty Himiko, formally adopted me. I therefore share no blood with Her Majesty, save only formal adoption." she pointedly corrected Tachiko and informing the Emperor.
"Indeed. I was, like Koyama-hime, as is the case with so many Nekovalkyrja families, adopted." Tachiko added.
"I supposed everyone will have a decision to make," Uesu simply responded, "I don't like it when people ask if they can ask a question instead of just asking the question. Why don't we keep moving?" he suggested with an exasperated expression.
'You were right about him,' Koyama transmitted to Tachiko. He really did like to cut to the heart of the matter. So she did so as well.
"Heika, your fleet has remained in orbit for some time now, I can only surmise that by the traffic I have seen from surface to orbit, and from the homeworld's stations. You are upgrading your fleet. Restocking. It came as a shock to us that you would return to the Sector yourself instead of sending a proxy. With you leading the fleet yourself, am I to assume correctly you perhaps found something beyond our borders?"
Emperor Uesu's displeased expression and curt words nearly made Tachiko audibly squeak, and her face likely betrayed the fact. It was as if children had been scolded for annoying their grandfather. No, it wasn't "as if" that were the case. That is precisely what had happened. She thought it best she let Koyama speak, for now.
"I have built a foothold in my region of space, but it is far from peaceful. I needed to do some catching up before I go back to my new home, and to get a sense of the situation here," Uesu explained. "With the International Relations Conference happening, it was a good opportunity to talk about the relationship between the reformed Uesureyan Star Empire and the Yamatai Star Empire and the Star Army we share, or could share."
Koyama took note of his words. Far from peaceful? Intriguing, so he had met with some pushback. His return then and curiosity about the relatioship between the two bespoke of the possibility of an alliance. Perhaps one borne of some desperation.
«United Empire Forces?» Tachiko posed the question to Koyama telepathically, hoping her lack of a good poker-face didn't tip him off.
'Stay calm and breathe,' Koyama stated to Tachiko over their link, 'Possibly, think on what he just said. Mull the words over.'
"In any event, Tenno-sama, Yamatai recognizes its debt," Tachiko got brave enough to speak again, "And is the dutiful daughter who will respect her obligations to her father, I am sure. At the very least, Motoyoshi will not let that debt go unanswered– I can speak for the Clan to that end. Mother said to tell His Highness two things: that the Emperor is invited to our Clan's estates at His pleasure, and," she hesitated under the weight of what she was about to relay to him, "she said, 'You were right.'"
