2023-09-30: Overlord: The Division Train
- Cast: Akane Shinjo, Alouette Pommier, Chloe, Gai Kurenai, Guy Shishioh, Jana Cektru, Liam 7-020, Lina Lombardi, Lucine Azul, Qivi, Rikka Takarada, Sonia Sophia-Grace, Yuka Ohta, Artemisia ka Britannia, Neon Genesis Junior High Students, TenRyuJin Team
- Where: The Division Train
- Date: U.C. 0097 09 30
- Summary: Amidst the tragedy that struck NERV a day prior, and the fraught political tensions burning across the Earth Sphere, the Division Train prepares to launch.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
It's been a while since anyone's seen Orbit Base completely divested. Much of the bulk of the base is composed of the Division Ships, normally, docked at the various docking points around the central saucer of the base. One of those, belonging to Division X: Mobile Execution Fortress Wadatsumi, has been empty for most of the year, owing to the ship being crashed into Tsutsujidai's control mountain during the installation of the Dimension Pliers. Alexis Kerib's actions in destroying that same device has rendered it even more inextricably part of that colony, now. But the other now stand empty, too: Division XI, the Intelligence Mirror Raid Warship Yamatsumi, which has been GGG's de facto flagship this year, and lastly Division VI: The Unlimited Connected Transportation Pipeline Warship Mizuha.
The Mizuha consists of a central control point - a locomotive, of sorts - and then as many cargo blocks as you can hook up to it. The Yamatsumi is connected up front, and right now, the remaining ships of the fleet are being hooked up.
In this configuration, the Mizuha becomes GGG's latest answer to problems far afield from Earth, a high-speed interplanetary vehicle! And its name is...!
"THE DIVISION TRAIN!!" Shigeru Akamatsu thunders, hands on his hips with pride. "This thing'll get the whole flotilla from here to Jupiter in a month, tops!"
"And Mars," Yang notes, patiently.
Akamatsu's mustache twitches in reply but he just grunts. "Once the mobile team's done hooking up all your boats, we'll confirm interlinks and get the cargo containers hooked on! From there, it's the stars!"
Tamara Gogol asides to her comrade in science Hinoki Sai, "He seems excited I'm not sure I've seen him so excited he was pretty down earlier."
Hinoki hems. "I think...he's trying to be strong for everyone. ...but I also think he hasn't gotten to use this before so he's a little worked up. Boys and their toys." She titters, lightly.
Guy Shishioh is hovering over the Mobile desk, helping coordinate the Carpenter detachment from the Kanayago as they finalize preparations.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam didn't sleep last night so much as pass out from sheer exhaustion. He woke up, went through the motions of getting together, and undertook the multi-stage trip from Tokyo-3 to Orbit Base. His gear, clothes, equipment, and personal effects are onboard the Hermes, and the mangled Neo Helios is in the final stages of quarantine in one of GGG's repair bays. He and Lucine have been attached to each other for mutual support and emotional comfort.
Case in point: the two of them are at the same comm terminal, side by side, wrapped in the same blanket. Beneath, Liam wears a standard military jumpsuit, t-shirt, and boots; it's a contrast with the blanket, and with the cheerful plush cactus cuddled in between them. "Cargo Segments 3-A through 3-H reporting all green, Chief," Liam says. He is the polar opposite of Shigero's bombastic enthusiasm. He takes a long swig from the thermos of coffee, secure in its cupholder on the station. Liam drinking coffee is remarkable in its own right--he tends to stay away from caffeine. He's still exhausted.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane had planned to be more help than, quite frankly, she is actually being, which is close to no help at all. To be fair, she did frontload the things that are her responsibility, and given the circumstances, no one is going to fault her for being pretty well destroyed. But she's really not doing great at all.
... Despite the fact that he's a loud adult man, being around Akamatsu is actually helping her a bit on this one; she can understand enthusiasm for toys, surely. Indeed, that part of being a horrid little creature wasn't all bad.
"I think that's pretty normal whether you're a boy or a girl," Akane says, managing at the very least the illusion of a smile. "He's definitely putting it on a bit, but I don't really mind that."
She chews at her lower lip nervously, for lack of anything else to chew on at the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Artemisia ka Britannia has posed.
There are several people in the Branch Order Room who are not participating directly, but who have, nonetheless, invited themselves. They have the politeness to not interfere directly, standing slightly away from the flow of traffic.
One of them, ARTEMISIA KA BRITANNIA, 11th PRINCESS of the HOLY EMPIRE OF BRITANNIA, has her arms folded. She looks disapproving, but her Royal Bored Face is a thing of legend. Her hair drapes largely over the strip of fine leather concealing her left eye. A forest-green jacket over high-cut white trousers is her outfit, although the riding boots have been replaced with shorter-cut black boots, equally fashionable but perhaps more suitable for space, where you are always indoors unless something has gone VERY wrong.
There is another person with her. DAME CARMINA MORA, KNIGHT OF HONOR (as of last week), is 201cm tall. She is not heavy-set in the slightest. She *gangles*, and stands noticeably taller than Artemisia, all but looming behind her. Her hair is thick, black, and brushed back from a part around the middle. She is dry-washing her hands, and seems to be much more engaged in what's going on.
Artemisia makes a "hm" that's perhaps a mild chuckle at "boys and their toys." "It's always an *adventure* when a new technology is implemented. Tell me, has it been untested, or simply not used for a -- train of this scale?" As she says this, Artemisia gestures vaguely towards 'the whole back of the train.'
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi is not a member of GGG or any Federation military, but she *is* known to them and she has credentials.
(The credentials are about fifty percent having worked with GGG semi-officially in the past, but never you mind that; they still count.)
And as a result, Qivi is on board! There was, however, one minor difficulty - or at least she assumed it would be a difficulty. Wanzers, however well-modified, do not do so hot on extended space missions, and so she'd loaded on Minokawa. While Minokawa *could* be piloted micronized, the secondary cockpit was a little fussy and she'd never been very fond of it, so while she'd brought it just in case, she'd shown up macronized.
It ended up not being a problem because there are parts of the cargo areas that are made up for Braves, and she fits in *there* just fine. As a result you might not even know Qivi is macronized to see her on communications; she's in a chair that she fits in, with a room behind her that seems more or less the right proportions even though she is, currently, slightly over ten meters tall.
The only tell is that she's wearing a Meltrandi bodysuit in her usual green and black colours. It probably doubles as a space suit, though the collar is open and the helmet is off. Her hair is particularly voluminous these days, given her lack of headband, and her pointed ears peek out from her bangs.
"This one's good too," Qivi says, before craning back to read the actual label. "Uh, 3-B1," she clarifies, a caboose on the rest of the 3 line. Or something. Taking a train through space is still so weird for her that she hasn't internalized the layout.
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Yesterday was... awful. Traumatic. Rikka is exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally... but the departure date has been set, and with everything that's on the line, there's no room for delays.
...Honestly, a part of Rikka is glad for it. Just sitting around at home sounds draining, and she really doesn't want to go back to Earth right now... she could use some time away from it all.
So, she made her way to Orbit Base. Her mother Orie came with her so that she could see her off once the train departs, and she is right now Chatting with some of the staff as Rikka herself helps out the proceedings in her own way.
'Helping out', in this case, largely consists of sticking pretty close to Akane. She might be helping herself just as much. But besides her role as a pilot she'd offered her talents in first aid and repairs, so unless someone gets hurt or something breaks she doesn't have much to do - which, thankfully, hasn't happened much yet.
"I think I get it..." Rikka replies, managing a small laugh. "It's kind of reassuring, even if he is forcing it."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
It's terrible a time as any to begin such a massive expedition after the tragedy that befell NERV just a day prior... but time doesn't stop for anyone. Alouette has to keep her energy as much as she can, too. Just like the Chief is with his worry for his daughter. "It's finally time. Mikoto, everyone... we're coming for you!" Alouette affirms to herself, never mind the fact they're stopping by Mars first.
Excited as she is, she still has an important duty to fulfill here, as she takes up her post in the Branch Order Room, as the primary operator for this trip. They have backup... but they're backup that Alouette seriously doesn't want to trouble more than she already has. And Guy's own coordination of the Carpenters isn't unwelcome, either.
"Wadatsumi, Yamatsumi, Mizuha, linkup confirmed!" Alouette reports, without a hitch, as Shigeru reveals his pride and joy. "Paradiso and Hermes, you're good to join us at any time." She adds, to Captains Sophia-Grace and Cektru.
She zooms the camera up on the forming division train with her visor, scanning it. "Ah, perfect! No problems with the interlink systems to report. Alright... I'll leave the rest of the cargo to engineering." She reports. "I'm going to pour myself some tea before we take off~"
Artemisia's question gets a small chuckle from her, though. "Nothing less than Chief Shigeru's very own state-of-the-art engineering, Princess. Oh, I'm sure he'll be pleased to field any questions you might have."
<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.
Chloe stands within one of the cargo containers which has already been attached to the train. Bearing the insignia of Prometheus, a NERV affiliate, the container has been altered into a makeshift storage bay for the massive Makhia that Chloe stands beside, as well as its equipment and support drones. Prometheus doesn't do a lot of space travel, so this was the quickest solution they could come up with in the timeframe they had.
As the Argos drones buzz around the container's interior, finishing up preparations for the departure, Chloe walks up to place her hand against the Pallas Makhia...
... It feels different...
It's not hers, after all. Not that it actually matters, one Pallas Makhia is basically like any other. Hers was still down on Earth, damaged after the battle with the Angel yesterday. Chloe closes her eyes as memory flashes of the battle quickly rush through her mind. Her hand shakes a little... Before she clenches it, pushing the memories from her mind. That was the past. She needs to focus on the new mission.
A mission that is going to take her far away from everything she's ever known. Far away from...
Chloe moves her hand to clutch her chest, why does it feel like it hurts? She turns and takes a few steps away from the still giant, calling out, "Health scan." One of the Argos drones breaks off from its current instructions to fly down towards Chloe. A light washes over her, before a short summary of her vitals pops up in her view. Everything showing as green.
Chloe frowns... She'll need to monitor this closely, in case it jepordizes the mission. As the drone returns to what it was doing, Chloe turns and begins to walk away, heading for the airlock connection into the train propper.
A short time later, Chloe walks into the the train's control center, standing at attention and saying, "Warrant officer, first class, Chloe, reporting. Prometheus container is secured and ready for departure."
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Like some arriving to report in, Lucine is... not having a great day.
It would be days like these that Lucine would normally disappear into the Nadesico greenhouse like a hermit, only slipping out like a snail poking out of its shell when needed or when needing sustenance, be it food, water, or social interaction. She already is missing so much of the Nadesico familiar faces and hijinks; there was something predictable and familial to them all. Akito watching anime, Inez overexplaining, Omoikane's helpful answers, Ruri's quiet stoic judgment, Yurika's Yurika-ness, Minato's assurance, and on and on. However, dates had been set long before the events of the day or so before, and they cannot be moved. The world must continue on, and them with it. She'll be back, and they'll be still there.
Thankfully, many of the faces already here and reporting in are ones she knows.
Wearing the bomber jacket she bought from a thrift store on Earth, a t-shirt, and jeans, Lucine flicks a finger through her tablet phone, checking on some final messages from the Nadesico. ".... Mmn?" She looks up, distractedly, then puts her phone away. ".... What, ah, Liam said..."
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Standing near Akane and Rikka are the Neon Genesis Junior High Students.
Or rather, most of the Neon Genesis Junior High Students.
Max, Borr, and Vit, appearing dapper as ever, focus on staying out of the way. They haven't done much to help, but if asked, they will contribute. It's somewhat odd behavior from the three Hyper Agents, normally so quick to offer their aid. Upon looking more closely, each one of them appears a little... Ruffled. Borr's hair is falling out of its usual ponytails, Vit's collar is wrinkled, and Max's mask is dull and scuffed.
Max, at least, speaks into his phone. "Yes, Calibur. We have arrived safely." A hand comes up to cover the speaker of his phone, and he looks to Vit. "Calibur would like me to verify that you do not want him to post to your To-witter in your absence."
"Ugh. No, I don't want him posting!" Vit pinches the arch of his nose. "Tell him if I see even one cat posted on my accounts, I'll tell the city council when he feeds the stray cats."
Borr shakes their head. "That's harsh."
"Calibur, Vit says-- Oh, you heard him? Very well." Max rumbles. It can't be very easy to hear him beneath his mask, can it..? "Remember, your priority is to ensure Yuta and Tsutsujidai's safety. We will be home once the mission is over. Mm. Take care."
Click. Max slips his phone back into his suit jacket.
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
There shouldn't really be a place for a civilian on an operation like this, except the communal spaces; especially with his nature still unknown to some of the people here... but they, like him, are still reeling from the bitter struggle of the previous evening, and they still need his support.
Physically, Gai Kurenai looks well enough. There aren't even shadows under his eyes - but if you do make eye contact, those cosmic-deep dark brown eyes have a certain hardness to them - the look of somebody who has confronted suffering uncountable times, mingled with the determination to forestall the next tragedy. It is an expression of such ancient intensity that it belies his apparent youth, revealing something closer to the truth of his nature (for those who don't already know).
He moves through the Division Ship, coat and hat left in his quarters, with a quiet purpose even for him, and his actions are subtle, but important trying his best to share in the burden, to make sure everyone has the strength to start this mission. With Max, Borr, and Vit, he shares a moment of silence; for Liam and Lucine, a hand on the shoulder of the former and a quiet introduction to the latter; mugs of cocoa for Akane and Rikka. There are doubtless others who will need his support; he will come round to them too.
Finally, the course of his circuit of the bridge brings him to the main console of the mobile desk, standing next to Guy. "Chief Shishioh," he murmurs, extending a hand. "We've fought together before." Something about the seriousness of his tone might well remind the Evoluder of the black-and-red Ultraman who clashed blades with Ruin Apostle Gridman Sigma, and then later assisted in the defeat and incarceration of Alexis Kerib.
That important introduction done, he turns his gaze to the display readouts of the Division Train, equal parts lost and fascinated. "I've never seen technology like this before."
<Pose Tracker> Jana Cektru has posed.
Jana Cektru is ready for this mission. She has been making adjustments through a team for her ship, including preparing for numerous experiments along the way--harmless things, more to do with plants and materials science than what you'd expect Mad Science to be.
And she is here. "The Hermes is prepared for embarking," Jana comments as she's there, and looks aorund at the others. She sees...
Yes. She can 'feel' the difficulty many are having here.
She ends up next to Guy as well. "It is good to see you."
She does not comment as to whether she's seen technology like this before. Instead, she looks thoughtfully over the group. There is trouble...
<Pose Tracker> Sonia Sophia-Grace has posed.
Sonia had left her second on the Paradiso, because none of the crew wanted to be off of the ship. They know that where Sonia goes, shenanigans tend to occur, and they have enough of that with her being their captain ... also because of a certain occupance of a certain royal who will be chilling on board. They are protective of the Paradiso, as much as Sonia is protective of them.
As a result, as the news passes on, Sonia taps at her comms. "Commander Dubois, go ahead and link us in." A long pause. "The Paradiso is prepared for embarking." She echoes Jana, giving her fellow captain a smile.
However, she hears a voice, among the general emotional malaise, and her head swivels like an owl. "Max?!" She calls out, momentarily seeking out the small group. "You all are coming along?"
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
There's definitely something to be said for companionable... well, nothing about this situation is silent, but at the very least, existing in the same space as people who care about you without doing a whole lot. It's nice to be part of something bigger, too -- it really reminds Akane how much her world has changed.
"Yeah, definitely," Akane agrees with Rikka, before looking up to some of the newer arrivals. ... Artemisia's presence gets her to scoot closer to Rikka; while she knows that 3G is an international organization (and will be even after the Federation and the OCU part ways), it's another thing to see a Britannian royal in the room. Her first instinct is to pull away and withdraw into herself, but...
... instead, she voices a thought for once, after accepting the mug of cocoa. "I'm kind of surprised to see Britannia committing much of anything to this operation, with the way things are shaking out."
She takes a long sip, before looking up to Vit and Borr's shenanigans. "The cats are cute," she teases. "If you don't show a softer side on SNS, people are gonna start applying all the sleaziest host stereotypes. You already do kinda have that energy." Her lips quirk up in a way she hopes indicates she's mostly teasing.
<Pose Tracker> Artemisia ka Britannia has posed.
Artemisia chuckles darkly at what Alouette says. Did she? Maybe that's, just, like, how she sounds. Her head turns to look at her with a mordant smile. "Oh, I have faith in you all. The Guard's record speaks for itself. You strive for the greatest heights. It's inspiring, really. More people could stand to learn from that."
Dame Mora watches others. She has little to say, it would seem, although the surprise of Sonia draws her interest to the NGJHS representatives for a moment. As she does so, she reaches up to touch her own ear. "Sir Quinn," she asks, "is all in readiness?"
On the Paradiso: "All's in. Strapped down and ready. Now we only wait until we reach Mars," comes a laconic voice.
Back here: Carmina turns to tell Artemisia something. Artemisia nods once, and then turns her head twelve degrees to the left to look *directly* at Akane. "Hm," she says. "Are you? I suppose you can't be blamed. Nonetheless, the events at Jupiter affect Britannia just the same as they may affect anyone else in the Earth Sphere." She smiles, with a tilt forwards of her head.
"And I've hunted great beasts before." After this, she comments quietly to Carmina, and they part ways, with Artemisia going to look at some big screens with numbers and graphics on them.
Carmina looks towards Akane with a sort of beady-eyed geniality. "Her Highness has brought the armored section of her life guards. We have brought six space-type Sutherlands as well as two custom machines, similarly provisioned. Of course," she continues, still wringing her hands, "in the end, we must also put our hopes in GGG. His Majesty is a great supporter of NERV and their allies."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
It's a horrid time. Guy made a promise to Asuka and he failed her. The people of Tokyo-03 are in dire straits, particularly given some staffing decisions he hasn't had time to make public yet. And Infinity is missing, almost certainly in the hands of the risen Doctor Hell. It feels almost like a betrayal of his old friends, every promise he's made them, to leave now.
But the departure has to go on. They have no idea what's happening out there at the feet of the King of Ruin, but the data suggests something celestial in scale. They have to go. And hopefully, put an end to the madness called Triple Zero. Guy nods as Alouette jumps in on operational control, handing control over the Carpenters to other sections of the Order Room. The Kanayago is NOT coming, because the Carpenters will definitely needed on Earth, but they're bringing a cargo block's worth of the repair-bots just in case something infrastructural has been broken. Which it....probably has been, considering.
"Yeah, that's true," Hinoki muses back to Akane. She might be thinking about Keita playing with high-grades right now.
When *the princess* speaks up, Guy glances her way and chimes in. "The Lepton Traveler high-speed space propulsion system's been used before on most of our space fleet, so that's not an issue. This particular assembly hasn't been used outside simulations, though."
Shigeru grumps, but nods. "Mizuha was built to augment the Jupiter Energy Fleet, way back when. The total storage capacity's on par with a Jupitris, plus the Lepton Traveler beats conventional Minovsky thrust on speed. But things got..." Shrug. "Complicated, so our end of the project never got beyond the Mizuha."
He's omitting that it was designed specifically to harvest The Power, as part of GGG Blue's "Project Z" meant to investigate ways to bring the lost GGG Green home...and that that project fell apart. Complicated, indeed.
He turns to the two Ultra-adjacencies approaching next; first tipping his head in greeting to jana. "Doctor. I'm glad you could be here with us." He looks like he's about to add something, and then thinks better of it in a room this crowded. "We'll need your expertise out there, it looks like," is what he says instead. Then he turns to Gai. Something passes between them, quiet recognition; Evoluders are not Giants of Light in any way but the false dichotomy Alexis Kerib bred in Akane, but the light of the G-Stone in him senses a similar kind. His eyes flex a little, taking the man in. "Ah. It's you," he says. "I was hoping you'd show."
He turns to view the readouts at the same time, nodding. "The Gutsy Galaxy Guard is for much more than Earth. We need to be able to reach people quickly, when crises like this strike. Though even this...we can only hope we're fast enough."
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam glances down at Lucine's phone, and sees familiar names. His expression softens; she got distracted, yes, but she's also checking in with dear friends before a long, risky trip. He wraps an arm around her, squeezes, and holds her close. "It hurts," he says. "I know. Everything still feels raw."
But the bonds Liam's made have helped stabilize him. Between Max checking in earlier and Gai offering support, he's already feeling less alone. It's not a panacea for the grief, of course, but...
"I'm going to get some more coffee," he says to Lucine. "Do you want some?" Regardless of her answer, he extracts himself from the blanket, rises, and--
Immediately realizes that the woman he thought was "some Britannian sent along as a power play" is the Eleventh Princess. (How does he recognize her? He's a Britannian citizen by birth, and had to learn the royal family's names and biographies in school.)
She's between him and the bridge coffee station. Liam stops in his tracks, hands clutching coffee thermoses. They start to shake, a little. Meanwhile...
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
The soft whirr of quadrotors fills the air as a door opens. A small, boxy drone, painted a deep black-violet, flies onto the bridge, pauses, and turns on an axis--taking it all in. A second small robot follows it. It's a bright pink Haro, slightly smaller than the average model--Haro afficionados might recognize the Limited-Edition Lacus Clyne Glamour Haro from its faintly iridescent texture, painted eyelashes, and general bubblegum-pink aesthetic.
The Haro speaks with what might be a familiar voice, to some.
"Alouette!!" Despite the crushing news they just received, this is the first time AnRyuu and KouRyuu have seen Alouette in... what for Alouette is years. KouRyuu--the one operating the Haro--stops at the foot of Alouette's seat, extrudes limbs, and hops up onto her console in a carefully-calculated leap. (It wouldn't do to accidentally fire off a nonsense transmission, or send a decouple order.)
"Little lark," says AnRyuu, her drone flitting up to Alouette while remaining mindful of personal space. "You're not so little anymore. And an operator, no less." AnRyuu's drone then pivots to address Guy; there's the impression she'd salute, if she had hands. "GBR-8 KouRyuu and GBR-9 AnRyuu reporting for duty, Acting Chief. We're assisting with linkups and trajectory calculation."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
Qivi, who is on the link usually used by Braves, gets to talk to more than just the coordinators. Sometimes you want them to address everyone.
Which means she joins in the conversation, popping up on convenient screens. She could get used to this. "Hey, even Britannia can't ignore everything," she says, with good humour, to Akane's side of the conversation. Qivi has a low opinion of most of the Federation (mysteriously, her rating of the OCU has gone up recently) and isn't adverse to a little sniping, minor as it is.
She decides to ask, more generally: "So why's it a train, anyway? I get why you'd want to transit fast, even if this isn't as fast as a Fold drive or anything, but... why like *this*? Nice as it is."
Qivi's muscle. She knows she's muscle. She doesn't have enough scientific skill and training to ask useful questions on that front, so she doesn't; she asks the ones that make sense to her, instead.
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Max inclines his head to Sonia. "Indeed. We are here to support our allies. Our fourth comrade, Samurai Calibur, is remaining on the Earth. Both to watch over Tsutsujidai, and to recover. He took the brunt of a fearsome attack in." Max pauses. "A recent battle."
"I am pleased to know so many reliable allies are joining us on this mission. There are far more than I assumed would be accompanying us. Perhaps we will not be as busy as I feared." Max's eyes are warm -- perhaps revealing a smile otherwise hidden behind his mask.
Vit faux-staggers back at Akane's comment, a hand on his heart. "Oh, is this what we're doing today? We're roasting me? Just because my top posts are thirst traps doesn't mean I'm sleazy!"
Borr snorts. "He says that, but he's never posted anything but suit pictures in suave poses. 'Thirst trap'." Borr rolls his eyes. "Please."
"Hey, if it gets clicks, it gets clicks!" Vit protests. "Ladies do like cute animals, though, maybe..."
In this moment, Artemisia's gaze tracks to the Neon Genesis Junior High Students, and then Akane herself. Borr and Vit instinctively close ranks between the Britannian Princess and the high schooler.
"Don't think we've forgotten how Britannia 'handled itself' during Tsutsujidai's crisis." Borr puts a hand on their hip. "Hunting beasts, huh? Didn't see much of you at the kaiju battles."
Vit gives Artemisia a charming smile. "We'll have our eyes on you, your highness."
Max, for his part, looks toward Guy Shishioh. "Captain Shishioh? Or will you have another title on this mission?" He steps closer, leaning in to murmur quietly. "I would like to discuss recent events with you, should time allow. My comrades and I have quite a few concerns."
Disguising his quiet conversation as merely examining Guy's work, Max walks away, approaching Liam. "Do not worry." Max puts his hands on the coffee thermoses, carefully leaving space between his own fingers and Liam's, steadying the containers. "What is behind you cannot contend with who now surrounds you."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka accepts the mug from Gai with a nod. Akane scoots closer to her, and it takes Rikka a second to figure out why. A Britannian royal... that explains it. Rikka reaches over to take Akane's hand and give it a brief, gentle squeeze. It is strange to think about, why she'd be here, but with Akane asking the question, Rikka doesn't see the need to double up. That response, though... Rikka opens her mouth to say something, but decides she really doesn't have to go the energy to go through with it.
...Qivi says pretty much the same thing she was going to, anyway.
Her attention soon turns toward the Neon Genesis Junior High Students as they banter amongst themselves. It's good to have some of them here, even if Calibur stayed behind for understandable reasons. Someone needs to be there for Yuta and Tsutsujidai - and Akane's teasing gets a laugh out of her.
"He really does." Rikka notes with a nod.
She looks toward Guy and Akamatsu, listening with interest to the technical side of the conversation. She does like that kind of thing.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Gai's quiet introduction is met with a soft nod, a smile, and an introduction back, sensing the comfort Liam has with him. Like Gai, Lucine's own presence seems more like the inclusion of someone's SO civilian.
But she knows Gai well enough to understand his skills here, as well as the skills of everyone.
In truth, Lucine feels a little overwhelmed, the specter of imposter syndrome threatening to show up until she remembers Yurika's words, and Lucine's own promise to her. The Nadesico felt like this too, once, despite being her saviors, and they were complete strangers in the beginning.
Many present here she'd already consider friends, or, at least, people she would trust. Hugging Liam back after he offers some words of comfort, she stretches as Liam gets up. ".... I'll have some cocoa if they have any up there. Otherwise, tea would be okay." She turns back to her phone. "Still working on getting ahold of my mom again, but the communication blackouts are still a problem... I think she might be useful in getting accomodations... or perhaps putting a word in. Though.... I think the crew might be able to get what they need based on their history of good deeds alone."
Will they be fast enough?
Finally rising out of her blanket cocoon, Lucine offers to Guy, ".... We will. The fact that we didn't go earlier... it meant that many of us were there to help people. Now... we're helping another way. For those on Earth, and those going further into space than we are." She smiles. "I have faith in all of us."
Her attention is distracted slowly towards Liam over by the coffee station with Artemisia.
"...... It's beginning to feel a little like the Nadesico to me already." This should be a good thing. Maybe.
..... She still starts heading over there, on second thought.
<Pose Tracker> Yuka Ohta has posed.
Yuka had come along with Jana's team, to do what work falls within her purview. Thankfully there's a good amount for her to have been doing. Even without being present for everything recently... She can't be idle right now. She needs the time away. Is it healthy, to push down everything weighing at her this way? No, and she knows that. But she needs a little time. So for now, she's been doing what checks she can, making sure this goes as smoothly as possible. And once that was done, seeing to setting up a work area for herself.
Of course, she's been done with that for a while. Being focused on it in order to occupy the mind, understandably leads to a quick completion of the workload when you're the kind of person Yuka is. It does exactly nothing to deal with her guilt or worry, mind. But it does mean she can pay full attention to the Chief's explanations, while taking her own notes.
She's not said terribly much to the friends present on this excursion. Yet at least. But... just give her some time. She'll open up again. There's no way she won't, for several reasons. Including the one causing her Supply Backpack to rustle. Pay that no mind right now.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
Alouette said she was going to step up for a moment to get some tea - and she does just that, stopping by Rikka and Akane, and Max, Borr, and Vit. The cloud of certain gloom above them all is obvious enough. "Max-san, would you like me to pour you some?" She beckons towards one of Orbit Base's ubiquitous brewing machines. "If there's anything I can get the rest of you, too... it's part of what I'm here for." It's only right to show hospitality, especially at a time like this. "Oh, and tell Calibur-san I said 'take care'." She adds, just before Max hangs up.
Akane brings up a good point herself in regards to Britannia's contributions. She hasn't been able to ignore the political mess going on outside all of this, either... and then the Princess herself speaks up an answer. "So you're right. Everyone has a reason to worry about this no matter where you're from. Your hope is greatly appreciated. Though... I prefer to take people's actions into account when it comes to this. We'll do what we do best, and I suppose we'll see what you and your team can do all the same."
It's neither scathing cold, nor deferentially warm, her tone.
Qivi's question gets a giggle out of her too, of course. "That's just how hardware people are, honestly." She suggests. "They always have to shape it like something. Might have something to do with a deal with the Senpuuji Concern people, too. Besides... it is pretty striking imagery to pierce beyond the stars with a shape of transportation that once lined the Earth Sphere together."
Once she has her tea, she takes it back to her desk to continue monitoring the take-off, and engineering's progress with the cargo blocks... and she finds she's greeted by a Haro! She's about to inform that someone's Haro seems to have gone missing, but that voice, that nickname... it's unmistakeable. "KoRyu! And AnRyu!" She exclaims, joyfully clasping her hands together. "Gosh... I missed you both so much." She grins, affectionately placing her gloved hand on top of KoRyu's Haro form. Before, she had taken such a cold and dismissive tone towards everyone, but they'll find she's grown into quite the mature young woman. "Now that my memories have returned, it's been an honour to not only get to do such important work for GGG, but also to finally get to meet everyone again." Even in this form, seeing them again reminds her, they're girls not so different from her. "Sadly, Hana's busy manning Orbit Base... but there's enough of us that we should definitely make a night of it sometime on this trip." She offers. "You always did use much of your storage space on movies, didn't you, KoRyu?" She concludes, wryly.
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
Akane might have purchased a big stack of model kits for the voyage. She'd originally been saving that money to spoil Rikka with clothes, but given she's getting imminent danger pay for the foreseeable future, she can splurge.
(... She also did buy some clothes for both of them, but that's neither here nor there. Sometimes you pre-spend a windfall and worry about the consequences later, especially in cases like this.)
"Yeah, I guess that's true," Akane agrees with Artemisia, before turning her attention to Carmina. She notices the NGJHS closing ranks, a bit -- but she actually missed how Britannia comported itself during the crisis, so she's genuinely a little surprised.
"That's more than I expected would get committed... I need to update a few things later." Force projection capability isn't really her primary responsibility now -- but it's something she can do, and this is a bit of an all-hands situation.
Getting Vit makes her snicker a bit. "I'm not saying you're sleazy! Just that if you wanna make sure people don't see you that way, the cats will help."
Squeezing Rikka's hand back, Akane waves to a few of the newer arrivals. Her eyes light up when she sees Yuka; she wasn't sure STORAGE would be committing much, but she's now pleasantly surprised and very excited. Maybe over the course of the voyage they'll be able to swamp a few more people... Chloe's here again too, and while she doesn't know her that well, she does remember her from the briefing about the Evangelion units. She gives her a wave and a slightly-strained smile -- which she turns toward Alouette a moment later, too. It's nice to see so many of her friends and coworkers...
<Pose Tracker> Artemisia ka Britannia has posed.
Artemisia rubs her chin at the explanation of the Lepton Traveller system. She seems to follow it well enough. "Either we are or we aren't," she answers the hope. "If we aren't, then it was all a bad show anyway, and we'll have to hope the thieves in the Energy Fleet have bought enough mobile suits with their ill-gotten gains to fight off -- whatever that is. If we are, then," a twist of the hand, "all will be well."
Vit and Borr address her. Artemisia turns to look at them with a difficult-to-read expression, but then she leans forwards to look down towards Borr with her good eye mostly-but-not-quite closing as she gives him the biggest, sweetest, lip-pressed smile one might reasonably imagine. "It's a big world, my dear fellow! I was sorely pressed, you know. Defending JOSH-A, seeing a renegade Macross-class vessel away from the capital, and all those little affairs of state. Not enough hours in the day. It's too bad we can't use time dilation to seize some more, hm?"
After this she straightens up. Vit, who she cannot loom over nearly as easily as she is not 42 centimeters taller than him, is given a cool look and no further comments beyond several seconds of eye contact.
Carmina seems to notice Liam's distress, although getting looked at by a towering Britannian knight probably isn't going to help it. Nonetheless she moves nearer to Artemisia, leaning down for a moment. ("Get me a readout on that crisis," Artemisia tells Carmina quietly. "I suppose we'll have to pray it's in what we've brought with us." Imagine, dear readers, the scope of Britannian military paperwork.)
Artemisia doesn't answer Akane, unless the folding of her arms in the aftermath of what Akane says counts. (It probably does. As does her tilting up of her head.) Carmina gives the operator a smile of appreciation, which mostly reveals slightly irregular teeth. Then she looks towards the screen, although Borr and Vit can probably detect that Carmina has put *her*self between them and Artemisia, without quite literally doing that. Like a game of chess.
Play chess! Nobody's actually getting checked here. Probably
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
"A problem like the Oath Over Omega..." Gai shakes his head. "It cannot be ignored. That it has people under its will to act on its behalf... all the more reason to go to battle against it."
His gaze meets Jana's, and he nods. "Doctor Cektru. Good to be working with you again." Yuka, also, receives a familiar nod.
Max, Vit and Borr's hostile reaction to Artemisia, and Liam freezing up, gets Gai's attention as well - the wanderer tenses and nods to Guy before stepping away and rounding the console to approach the standoff, ready to intercede if need be.
"Many of us are still recovering from the previous battle," he reminds the three suited 'Neon Genesis' students, carefully. "It would be unwise to engage in another confrontation at this point - particularly when an enemy that threatens us all still looms large."
<Pose Tracker> Jana Cektru has posed.
"I'm glad to be here," Dr. Cektru answers Guy, and inclines her head when he doesn't say what he was going to say. "I understand," she says, and indeed she is prepared to lend expertise above and beyond that of a simple researcher.
It may be necessary, for the good of the entire galaxy and beyond.
...Meanwhile, she isn't pushing Yuka to speak; she just keeps an eye on her where she can, waits until she's ready to do so. Jana's team has an entire ship full of research, so there's plenty to keep busy with.
"Likewise," she says to Gai. And then she considers the Britannian Princess and the others...
"I'm sure that your might will serve the cause well, Your Highness," Jana says. "Liam, that's a good idea," she says then, "let's get coffee." She will go be his moral support.
<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.
Chloe glances around at the general activity here. Some working on helping getting the train prepped for departure. Others running into people they know and chatting. Somehow it reminds Chloe of the underground city. The people all conversing about the latest texture trends, or the new flavor of print food. Conversations around her as the walked past them. Glances occasionally sent her way, brief glances in her direction, followed by derisive looks before they go back to what they were doing. For the longest time, it didn't bother her. But lately...
Chloe does catch sight of a wave from Akane, Chloe recalling her from time at NERV. Chloe gives her a respectful nod in greeting in return, before walking over to find an empty space in front of a screen.
The screen just happens to be showing a view that includes part of the Earth below them. Chloe has been in space a few times, so she's seen the sight. But this is the farthest she's ever going to be away from it. So far it'll be practically gone amidst the black of space.
Chloe muses quietly to her self, "So large... And yet so fragile."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"I mean, yeah, it's striking," Qivi agrees with Alouette. "But the thing is, trains need tracks, and I don't think there's any tracks where we're going..." A pause. "If there *are* tracks please don't tell me, I don't know if I can handle 'we put tracks through space in secret'."
She's not serious. Probably.
When the TenRyuuJin team rolls through the main room (literally, in one case) Qivi looks surprised to see them in *those* bodies, and then nods. "Uh, hi," she says. "I guess we're going to be sharing docking space once you're back in your proper, uh... body? Is that the way I'm supposed to talk about it? I've never really met much Super AI before. Anyway, I'm Qivi; yo."
She glances over - or her image glances over, anyway - toward Carmina and the conversation over there, but she doesn't get involved. She'd have to change which screen she's on again, anyway, and she's not entirely accurate on picking which one to 'look out of
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Max's presence is steadying. Liam takes in his words, and nods. "You're right," he whispers. Years of indoctrination tell him to keep his head down, to be deferent. His own trauma tells him to run and hide, and maybe she won't find a reason to notice him. Liam takes a deep breath...
"Excuse me, Madam Princess, Honor Knight." He steps around them, giving them a wide berth as he approaches the drink station. Tension lingers in his body language as he fills the mugs, but... a mixture of fear and exhilaration floods his mind. He looks at Jana as she approaches, and manages a smile for the first time in what feels like forever.
"Have you encountered Triple Zero in the field, Princess?" Liam asks, and again, there's that transgressive exhilaration of talking to her like an equal.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
The twins had bits and pieces of anecdote about what Alouette was like now, but that can hardly compare to actual data. The Haro goes wibbly-eyed. (It's definitely either a mod or a feature of the Limited Edition--those eyes have a thin layer of display screen overtop the sensors.) KouRyuu leans into the pat like an affectionate cat, and then hugs Alouette's wrist.
"I'm so happy for you," says KouRyuu. "I... I mean, I'd be happy for you no matter what, but working with you again, just..."
"Hana is doing important work, too," says AnRyuu. "Orbit Base's role is too critical for us to abandon it entirely." A pause. "Yes. Yes, she did. Thankfully, it's not taking up valuable space in the shipboard computers."
"Right, right." KouRyuu's Haro tilts to look at Akane and Rikka. "We're going to have Girl's Night, and it's going to be great." She lowers her voice a little. "Who's that new Intel person and her girlfriend?"
KouRyuu read some of the dossiers, of course, but firsthand introductions are polite. And fun!
AnRyuu, meanwhile, turns to face the monitor procesing Qivi's call. "We are. And yes--our bodies. As with GGG's other Super-AI, we're both embodied, just..."
"Waiting on updated replacements!" KouRyuu chirps. "I'm KouRyuu, that's my sister AnRyuu. You're invited to Girl's Night, too, though... hm. We could have one in the Brave quarters..."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
"Vector efficiency," Akamatsu chimes in to Qivi's question. "To get the maximum thrust out of the Lepton Traveler, you want as narrow a profile as possible so it can all travel in a narrow, straight line." Granted, that's also true of literally every other space vessel. Nonetheless: "What's good at long distances and already solved the problem of hooking up essentially arbitrary number of modules and has a nicely narrow profile? Trains!"
Guy nods slowly to Max. "Chief is fine. Acting Chief, if you're feeling technical," is his answer for the room. Quieter, aside, he affirms, "Right. Let's talk once we're underway, then."
Guy keeps an eye over as things get A Bit Tense over by the Eleventh Princess, and decides to intervene, by stepping over and lending his presence as the King of Braves with offering a handshake. "Princess Artemisia," he says. "You have my thanks for your assistance. If we're right about what's out there, this is gonna be a rough one, and a veteran's hand is much appreciated."
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka offers Alouette a small smile and a wave as she passes by.
"No, I think I'm good for now... but, thanks." Rikka replies, raising the half-drunken mug of cocoa in indication.
There's a lot of familiar faces here. It's a relief - but the conversation is getting a bit much for her, so she turns her attention elsewhere. She looks toward Alouette - who seems to have friends! By the way they talk, they must be Super AI.
"Girl's Night, huh... That sounds fun." Rikka replies with a small chuckle, and then waves. "I'm Rikka Takarada - Alouette's been a good friend for a while. I don't believe we've met?"
She briefly picks up Akamatsu's explanation to Qivi. Why a train? ...That makes sense, honestly. Rikka nods to herself.
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
Max passes on Alouette's greetings to Calibur just before he hangs up. A moment later, his phone dings. Max opens the new message, then turns the phone to show Alouette.
Calibur's hands can be seen gently maneuvering a cat's arm to appear to be waving at the camera. It's captioned "good luck". In the background, another cat can be blurrily seen licking its paw.
"I believe he sent this for you, Alouette." Max says, a smile in his voice. "He has always been fond of you -- though that is hardly a unique trait among my comrades. As for refreshment... I am quite satisfied, myself."
...has anyone ever seen Max eat or drink anything? Does he take his mask off to do it? It's a mystery for the ages...
As Max attempts to comfort Liam, Artemisia tries to stare down Borr. The smallest Hyper Agent looks back up at her, stone-faced and unblinking. Ugh, that smile... It looks creepy and unnatural on Artemisia's face!
"Yeah?" Borr grins, trying to match Artemisia's energy. They don't quite succeed, by virtue of being very small. "All that colonization's pretty rough, I bet. Lotta folks to keep in line."
"Time dilation, huh..?" Vit doesn't wink at Artemisia. It takes effort. "It'd be nice, yeah. Maybe I could show you around Tsutsujidai, with something like that. You won't find a better city anywhere."
Borr elbows Vit in the side as Artemisia turns away.
Gai approaches, interrupting the impending standoff between the two Hyper Agents and Honor Knight Carmina. Borr huffs out a breath, and Vit runs his hands through his hair, shrugging.
"Right as always, Gai. Didn't think you'd be coming along." Vit says, breezily, holding a hand out to the other Hyper Agent. "Nice to know we'll have another big guy out there with us."
"Acting Chief." Max nods to Guy. "I will await your summons. Thank you."
Following Guy to the almost-standoff, Max takes his place just behind Akane and Rikka once again. The situation seems to be diffused for now -- but should it erupt into violence, he's ready to move the girls out of harm's way.
"That cute animal thing's a big deal, huh?" Vit sighs dramatically. "If only there was something like that aboard. I don't think we'll have much in the way of kittens or puppies on board a space train."
Perhaps, by the rustling of Jana's backpack, the Hyper Agent may be proven wrong...
<Pose Tracker> Sonia Sophia-Grace has posed.
"Of course, Max. Please, I've brought my battleship along. Please come visit, anytime, any of you." Then the group dissipates, mostly towards Artemisia, and in a rare lean on those hyper social intuition powers, she ...
turns and goes the opposite way. Sometimes, cowardice is the answer, especially when someone's eight inches taller than you.
<Pose Tracker> Lina Lombardi has posed.
A certain green-haired Italian pushes her way into the control room, the vest of her 3G uniform a bit askew and her scarf untied, draped over her shoulders. "Ah! Sorry, sorry, I'm here! I just had to drop some things off at the dining car!"
Lina had brought several fresh ingredients with her from home. "I don't trust the synthesizer," she would always say, and nobody could argue about food louder than an Italian.
"Sonia, 'cara'!" She beams at seeing the Paradiso captain, leaning in and giving her a kiss on each cheek, then blushing a bit at her own display of affection.
<Pose Tracker> Artemisia ka Britannia has posed.
"Empire is never easy," Artemisia tells Borr, with that same antifreeze sweetness. To Vit, she says, "We shall see, perhaps."
Liam approaches Artemisia and Carmina. Carmina snaps round to look at him first, though her expression is neutral. She remains in position, even if her shoulders are tense. Artemisia has to actually kind of turn her entire body around to look at him, which takes a moment.
"I've heard of it, in the outline," Artemisia continues. "Orange energy field, something like that. Standing orders if it came round were to pin down the subject with heavy artillery and report in to the capital. It would be a matter of highest priority."
And speaking of it, it's Guy Shishioh! Artemisia looks towards him then, and he gets something nearer to an authentic smile. Carmina's eyes narrow for a moment, but Artemisia seems willing to shake the hand of the King of Braves. Her grip is firm and brisk. "Quite right. Speaking of veterans, may I introduce my Knight of Honor, Mr. Shishioh? This is Carmina Mora, formerly first lieutenant in our Southern Mountain District."
"An honor, sir," Carmina says to Guy, with a small bow that doesn't quite dip her head below his eye level.
Artemisia has a finger held up, and turns back towards Liam. "And you..." Her finger turns gradually towards, not Liam, but LUCINE, who is now in this conversation whether she wants to be or not. "Are with her. Yes. I recognize you from that benefit in Dublin. God, that was a nightmare, wasn't it?" That could mean a *lot* of things
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
"It's a lot to take in," Akane reflects to Chloe, at her musing. "It's kinda stunning the first time you see it from out here..." She smiles. "I'm not sure if I'd call it fragile... but if it is, maybe that's important, too?"
Akane catches that she's being talked about, and gives a small wave to KouRyuu's Haro. "Uh -- Akane Shinjo!" she chirps, just a bit too tense to sound genuinely enthusiastic. "I'm the junior Intelligence operator." She... doesn't feel comfortable telling the rest of the story, even though it's not far off from many other stories in 3G; part of her feels like it isn't her story to tell.
Taking a long drink of cocoa, she settles herself down a bit. After a second, though, she does put up her hood, with its doofy little golden hornlike protrusions.
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine stands from afar, seeing the three Tsutsujidai students and Jana seem to crowd by Liam, offering support. Judging by the spike of exhilaration Liam is getting just from seemingly talking to Artemisia, perhaps, having her pop in might deflate that feeling of 'playing with fire'. At least, that's what flavor Lucine is assuming.
Giving a nod to thankful Jana and a stealthy 'you got this' thumbs up if Liam looks her way, Lucine walks up, turns her attention to Borr, Vit, and Max.
"I haven't seen you three in a while," Lucine greets the Neon Genesis Junior High trio. "It's great that you came along! Ah... isn't there someone else sometimes with you? Or did they stay behin--"
oh no Artemisia is pointing at her "Hawaugh--" The young woman startles, then clears her throat, regaining her composure. ".... Ah, yes, ah-ha--" Wait, Artemisia isn't going to say something about her being a dirty Martian?
"... It was, but Leina held it all together," she says, managing to relax. "I wish I had gotten better photos of my dress, though... I tried showing them to Liam, but they didn't do it justice..."
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"Guess that makes sense," Qivi agrees with Akamatsu. And she wasn't told about any tracks so she doesn't need to worry about them, if they may or may not exist. Score! "I probably would've wanted a plane or something, but trains are pretty cool too, I guess. It's harder to tie planes together." She is pretty sure planes are cooler than trains, though.
Sorry not sorry.
Qivi seems pleased to be asked by KouRyuu. "Oh, sure! I can probably get out of here if I need to," Qivi says. That could mean any number of things, too, ranging from 'there's actually a micronization system in here' to 'I'm pretty sure I can squeeze through some of the doorways'.
"But yeah, I'll take you up on that. Hopefully it's not too awkward to have a non-AI in the Brave quarters." She grins. "I'll be a good neighbor, though, I promise. No leaving my - socks out after I've worn them but before I do laundry."
She's kidding, right? Right. Probably. It's not like they're sharing bedrooms, anyway - she's just going to be around.
When Akane pulls up her hood, Qivi wiggles fingers in her direction as greeting, but that's it. She recognizes someone getting stressed but there's not a lot she can do from here other than be vaguely familiar.
To Rikka, she says, "I'm glad you made it out here." She didn't think Rikka would be comfortable enough to come, if she's being honest.
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"I was going to say you can consider the stars themselves our tracks... but that well, tracks." Alouette answers Akamatsu with a wry smile.
Akane's wave is met with a wave back from Alouette, managing a smile of her own. "Hi, Akane. I hope you're holding out okay..." She knows how bad things got last night. All because they made the pragmatic decision of only committing to sending out the Kakuseijin ahead of time.
She recognizes Chloe, too, not just from NERV, but the GUTS party as well! So like Akane, she regards her with a friendly nod. "Chloe, right? Glad you could make it. How are you finding the Division Train?" At the remark of 'fragility'... "Yeah. Really makes the Earth Sphere feel so small and insignificant, doesn't it? But... it's our world." Whether it has a place for her or not... she'll make it so.
"Oh my gosh," Alouette smiles, watching Calibur's message of 'good luck'. "That is so him... I'm charmed." She laughs, in appreciation. She feels further motivated to do her very best out there... and she knows Yuta is in good hands too, with that many cats watching over him!
"I'm glad for you, too. You're finally free... finally yourselves again. And I'll be here for you to help save your brothers no matter what." She says, diligently, before smiling again... KoRyu's cat-like mannerisms are just too cute! "I can't say that would be a total waste... but it's for the best. I'm looking forward to girl's night, though, absolutely!"
Which brings the focus back to Rikka and Akane. "Rikka and Akane are my friends. You might've learned a bit about Tsutsujidai from the Apostles, and needless to say it's a long story." But when Rikka introduces herself, she nods. "But the most important part is, they're some of the greatest friends and allies I've ever met. You'll get to love them, I'm sure." And on the other side of introductions... "These two are the French Ryu sisters, they're from Chasseur like Renais. Naturally, we got to work together while I was small... so it's a sort of a reunion for me."
<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.
Chloe jumps up a little as Akane actually speaks to her. She hadn't expected anyone to actually respond to her comment. But she calms again quickly enough, listening. Chloe looks thoughtful for a moment, before confirming her original thought, "It seems fragile... Moreso after yesterday." Ah yes. Some troubling events...
Alouette also speaks to her, Chloe nodding at the question of her name. She greets with, "Alouette Pommier." Chloe tilts her head a little bit, eyes glancing away for a moment as she thinks, before replying, "It is strange. It doesn't resemble most ship designs I'm familiar with." Chloe's exposure to GGG and its style is clearly not very expansive.
As Alouette mentions this being 'our world', Chloe does agree, nodding along a little and replying, "Yes... Our world." Though her tone of voice suggests that she too is unsure of her place in it. Though it sounds like she doesn't have as much confidence in making one for herself as Alouette does.
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
'Empire is never easy.'
Liam's smile tightens at the edges. He nods, nevertheless, even as Carmina looks down at him, and he feels the tension in her. "Correct," he says. "Exposure imbues the victim with regenerative power and a mindset hostile to all intelligent life." He picks up the sugar container, holds it over his thermos, and pours. How many carbs could one man possibly need?
"The--benefit?" Brain fog washes up through Liam's memory; the mention of his home on Artemisia's lips makes him tense. He realizes, a moment later, what she's referring to. "Yes," Liam says. "She's with me." There's a note of defensiveness in his tone.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
"GBR-8 KouRyuu," says the Haro.
"GBR-9 AnRyuu," says the quadrotor drone.
"A friend of Alouette's is a friend of ours!" KouRyuu does a little twirl on Alouette's console, and then turns to face Rikka. "We worked with her in GGG France, before the exile. We just... got back to ourselves, if you know what we mean."
"Pleasure to meet you," says AnRyuu. Akane introduces herself.
KouRyuu picks up on that tension, and dials the enthusiasm back a notch. "It's good to meet you, Akane. Welcome to GGG." she says. AnRyuu's drone does a little tilt-bob on its vertical axis, an imitation of a bow.
The mention of their brothers seems to sober up the mood a little more, but KouRyuu smiles despite this. (AnRyuu might, if she had a mouth at the moment.) "Thanks, Alouette. That means a lot," says the younger Brave.
"We miss them," says the elder. "We... did data modeling about Tsutsujidai, but would prefer..."
"We know it was emotionally complicated and would rather hear about it from you." KouRyuu picks up what AnRyuu puts down, because they cover for each other. And then, the two address Qivi.
"This is a novel situation for us," AnRyuu says, by which she means 'me'. "We've never had an organic crewmate in our quarters in the long term. Nevertheless, I'm certain we can come to an animable agreement. At the very least, you won't drink the last CCIS-99 and not tell the maintainence crew to restock."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Guy's grasp firms up a touch once he gets a feel for Artemisia's grip; his Evoluder strength lets him bend steel, so he does have to let the other party lead in stuff like this. He gives her that heroic grin of his, all confidence. "By all means. Making Knight of Honor is no small achievement, Dame Mora." He'll offer her a handshake as well.
As for Triple Zero: "Most important things to know in brief are that an Oath Over Omega-enhanced unit has regenerative properties until broken down to very small pieces, and has greatly enhanced abilities. Mic Sounders nearly took out an entire team, and he's a support unit with barely any offensive options, normally," Guy offers. "It has a...brainwashing-like effect," he doesn't want to go into the details while he needs to not be staring grimly into the stars for half an hour thinking about his fiance, "but on a tactical level you should only need to worry about that meaning you need to avoid kill shots. We can purify pilots once we get them out of the machine."
So saying, he catches a communique coming into the Chief's desk, and steps over to check it. "Getting word from Renais and Captain Black that the Bebop's locked in, too," he notes. "Means we're just missing..."
...he glances to Akamatsu rather than say that last part out loud, the two of them nodding. "They'll link up en route," Shigeru affirms.
Guy grunts and nods, then raises his voice. "We've got everything hooked in! All stations, all cabins, start prelaunch checks!"
<Pose Tracker> Rikka Takarada has posed.
Rikka takes a moment to note and appreciate Akane's hood, before scooting just a little closer. This is definitely... a lot. She doesn't blame her. She looks over her shoulder, then, as Max arrives with Guy, offering him a grateful nod. She doesn't expect anything to happen... but it's honestly good to have him here.
She does send a smile to Qivi on the monitor, though.
"Thanks... It's good to see you, too." She offers.
And then, there's Alouette and her friends. Rikka smiles at her introduction. Even with everything that happened, it still feels good to be spoken of so highly.
"KouRyuu, and AnRyuu..." Rikka repeats, nodding to herself as she takes note of the names. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And... I'm glad you're back with us."
She knows exactly what they mean.
She looks up, though, as Guy raises his voice.
"Sounds like it's almost time to get going..." She comments. She's feel pretty ready to get this trip underway.
<Pose Tracker> Sonia Sophia-Grace has posed.
"Lina... Really, what is your Chief going to say?" Sonia asks at the act of affection, but she's warmly pleased by it.
"Also, I'd avoid the coffee station for right now. Just trust me about that. Although-- Ah. One moment, please; I should actually work..."
She briefly squeezes one had reassuringly, before stepping to the side momentarily to have a one-sided conversation with her XO.
<Pose Tracker> Gai Kurenai has posed.
Gai has fallen quiet again, assessing the situation as the tensions diffuse somewhat, and looks over to the main window as Guy raises his voice.
"I guess it's time to strap in," he says, moving over to the console across from Rikka and dropping into the seat there - making sure to keep his hands off the instruments.
Another space sojourn... It's strangely nostalgic - even though this particular voyage is very different from the adventure that started it all, and he's surrounded by different people, there is still a core similarity:
They're all here to give their all to save the universe's future.
<Pose Tracker> Neon Genesis Junior High Students has posed.
"I will let him know you enjoyed it." Max says, to Alouette. He quickly types a reply to Calibur -- instantly receiving a thumbs up emoji in response. It seems the Samurai is not a particularly verbose texter.
Lucine approaches the Neon Genesis Junior High Students. Max meets her with an incline of his head, Borr with a grin, and Vit with a lazy wave.
"Miss Azul." Max rumbles, in a friendly sort of way. "I am pleased you and Liam will be together on this mission. It would bring Gridman happiness to know you will not be separated."
At the mention of 'Gridman', Borr turns away, clenching their hands into fists at their sides. It isn't Lucine's fault. They're simply especially slow to heal. Guilt and pain practically radiate from the smallest Hyper Agent.
Vit sighs, putting a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Yeah, great to see you, Lucine. After everything that's happened, having you and Liam together is a boost for all of us."
"And, you are correct, Miss Azul. We are missing our comrade, Samurai Calibur. This is the first time we have split up in this way." Max sighs behind his metal mask. "I admit, I have my worries. We all do. But Calibur is the only one not necessary for us to form Powered Zenon, and thus the only choice to be left behind. We could not leave the city, or Yuta Hibiki, unprotected."
"It's all fucked." Borr mutters, still turned away. "We're gonna be fighting without any weapons, and he's gonna be solo."
Vit alone keeps his smile in place, strained though it may be. "Calibur's a tough, smart guy... at least when he wants to be. He's going to be just fine, and so are we. Besides, someone had to water your plants, Borr."
The smallest Hyper Agent mumbles something unintelligible, but their shoulders relax just a hair. At least their plants will be cared for.
Guy signals that it's time to go. The Neon Genesis Junior High Students share a look -- this is it. Are they certain of their choice?
As one, they nod to each other. The last thing Gridman asked of them, to protect this world... Journeying into the stars with their allies is the way to fulfill his wish. This is bigger than their individual worries and sadnesses.
"Akane, Rikka, please be sure you're safely settled." Max says, gently. "I am happy to assist with anything you may need."
"You wanna sit with me, Gai?" Vit asks, grinning. "I got dibs on the dude with the best travel stories."
Borr walks up to Liam and Lucine, casually stretching their arms above their head. "Almost forgot. I brought something for ya."
Reaching into their suit jacket, Borr pulls out a tiny, tiny potted seedling. Perhaps Liam will recognize it immediately -- one of the newest sprouts from the Tsutsujidai community garden.
"Figured it'd do Lucine some good to have some green nearby, and it'd do Liam some good to have a bit of one of his heroic deeds nearby." Borr smiles. "Gotta remember why we're here, yeah?"
<Pose Tracker> Artemisia ka Britannia has posed.
Artemisia does not seem to notice Liam tensing up about Empire. "Hm," she comments. "Sounds quite difficult. That would explain the artillery; I imagine there's a rate of repair or something similar, as I've gathered it has been fought back? If it were simple complete immortality, like in a storybook, then you could never defeat it."
From her tone, this sounds like a challenge.
"Oh, thank you, Mr. Shishioh," Carmina says to Guy. She leans forwards and down a little, hunching really, to speak to him with as little looming as possible. "It is an honor and a duty, and a delight as well. I hope you shall forgive me if my ways are not quite in simpatico with your own."
To Lucine, she remarks, "It was an excellent dress, as I recall. If we aren't killed, leave a note with my office and I'll see if you appear in any of the B-roll, hm?"
Artemisia may not even know Lucine is a marswoman.
<Pose Tracker> Qivi has posed.
"Nah, you're safe from that," Qivi says, grinning. "I tend to stick to drinks that aren't going to make me want to spit them back out in the next five seconds. Though I did have a liquor once that made me want to, so maybe the rule isn't quite as iron-clad as I'd like it to be."
Apparently joking is how she makes herself at home.
About to say something else - to Rikka? to Akane? to someone else? - Guy makes an announcement. "Whoops," she says. "I'm gonna have to clear the comms for the actual important traffic from out here. So, uh, have a good night, y'all, and I'll see you all around the ... interplanetary space train." Then she cuts out, replaced with the actual proper coordination broadcast.
still so weird
<Pose Tracker> Akane Shinjo has posed.
... well, Akane can't argue with Chloe on that one. "Yeah," she says, a little limply. She doesn't want to dwell on what's just transpired at all... it's a little painful.
She turns her attention a little more fully toward Alouette and the twins, instead. "It's very nice to meet you," she manages, though it's a little stiff. Giving Rikka another squeeze of the hand, she adds, "You guys missed a lot. Alouette grew into a really great young woman." She's very careful with her word choice.
Max offers to handle anything they need, and Akane considers for a few moments. She can tell the Neon Genesis Junior High Students are struggling a bit with multiple separations, so... "Could you keep an eye on the senior 3G staff for me? Just make sure they're doing okay. If -- when we bring 3G Green back, I think it'd help me a lot if you guys were the ones getting Taiga and Hyuuma situated... I don't know them, and that's still a little rough on me."
(Akane's fully engineering this situation to encourage Max to make friends with cool adult men.)
<Pose Tracker> Lucine Azul has posed.
Lucine beams up at Max, though her expression becomes a touch sober at the mention of Gridman. "... You all were very close..." Her gaze turns to Borr especially, placing a comforting hand on their shoulder if they seem to accept it. "... I'm glad you guys are here, though. There's been a lot of hairy situations you've all managed to help out in. I'm sure Gridman feels a little better knowing he can count on you all."
Lucine doesn't know exactly how true that all is, but it wouldn't be the first time she's learned the truth of the matter after the fact.
"Powered Zenon..." A small note of partial realization arises, but she nods. "Calibur's very capable, from what I've seen."
Borr's disquiet is felt, by Lucine. Her eyelids lower. "... We'll be your weapons," she says, confidently. "The Dianthus has some defense, but it's mainly about speed and offense, cycling from far to near as necessary. It's truthfully never been meant for... ah, 'larger' bounties, but with everyone here... it shouldn't be an issue." Pause. "Besides, watering plants is important!"
Guy and Gai indicate they should all get to their stations. Artemisia indicates her approval of Lucia's dress, and Lucine smiles. "..... Your outfit was very lovely as well, from what I remember." It's a genuine remark. "... Let's both do our best, here."
Rejoining Liam at their section, Lucine looks up, as Borr handles a last matter of business. "Ah?" Lucine's eyebrows raise--
-- and then, she tears up at the tiny potted plant. "Borr.... thank you so much..." If Borr allows for it, Lucine gives them and big hug. "... Only if you're sure. If you need it back for your own bit of green... Let me know."
<Pose Tracker> Alouette Pommier has posed.
"It is pretty strange." She has to admit, when Chloe says it. No one else quite takes the same approach as GGG does. "But there's more than enough to keep us all accommodated for well over a month. And we don't have to worry about anti-gravity, either. It's not bad, all things considered." And when Chloe agrees on 'our world', Alouette nods. She doesn't know Chloe well enough to say she knows heer feelings on the matter, but she thinks it has room for her, too.
"Hehe..." Alouette giggles over KoRyu's little flourish as she explains their connection.
"That's quite flattering, Akane..." Alouette replies with a very genuine smile. "I bet these two could probably tell some pretty embarrassing stories about me... but I guess that's how it goes, too." Whatever stories those are, it's probably better than having to explain Triple Zero to yet another person. She leaves that to Liam and Guy.
"I have to admit, I miss those guys, too." She says, of their brothers. They didn't touch her life as immediately closely as some of the others, but the Ryu brothers were always a perpetual presence in her time at GGG, and their courage, too, was an inspiration.
Borr's words about being forced to fight as Powered Zenon, weaponless, does get a gleam of an idea from Alouette. "If it would make things easier for you, I might have a little something that could help you with that." She offers, comparing the Hyper Agents' assist weapons with the Program Ring technology she uses, in her mind. "We'll have plenty of time once we get going, so we can talk later."
"Ah, there they are." Alouette remarks, as her camera puts the Bebop on view. "Fashionably right on time, or so the saying goes?" But when Guy announces they're ready to go, her demeanour totally shifts, as she gives Rikka one last assured look. "Roger. Commencing final checks..." She reports, as the light of her screen dances across her eyes. "Interlink systems, all locked in. All cargo blocks accounted for... we can move on to starting up the syncing process for all ships' Lepton Travellers. And with that, we're ready to launch at your word, Guy, Chief Akamatsu!"
<Pose Tracker> Chloe has posed.
The inclusion of gravity does make things easier, for the most part. Chloe nods along a little there. Though some of Alouette's other words get her thinking... "A month..." And that's just the travel time to get there! Who knows how long they'll be there...
... Or if they'll return at all.
But back to her original thoughts, Chloe mmmms, "That's a long time..." She glances around at all the different personalities, either in the room or connected remotely. Then amends, "A really long time..."
<Pose Tracker> Liam 7-020 has posed.
Liam hears that note of daring in Artemesia's voice. He hates it. He envies it. He finishes prepping his coffee, turns to Lucine, and--
"A B-Roll?" Liam asks. Thankfully, Borr comes to the rescue, producing something that makes Liam's eyes tear up. He'd forgotten about the new seedlings. "I... brought the succulents," he says, setting the coffee down so he can cradle the seedling. "But... you're right." Something he's been taking care of for months, something given to him by LiSA to comfort him, and a reminder of what he's accomplished. "Thank you so much, Borr." Liam claps Borr on the shoulder, and then goes to see the seedling safely to their terminal. He returns for the coffee.
"C'mon, Lu," he says. "Let's get strapped in." They can strap in the plush succulent, too.
<Pose Tracker> TenRyuuJin Team has posed.
"We're gonna get along just fine," says KouRyuu, and her Haro waves as Qivi's transmission cuts off. "She really did," says the younger Brave, to Akane. "In a way, it's like getting to know her all over again."
"We'll get everyone back," says AnRyuu. "Step one is ensuring our safe departure. Show us how it's done, Operator." The drone lands on Alouette's board, and deploys locking clamps. The Haro simply hangs on.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
"You've got it right," Guy says to Artemisia's speculation. "It's very quick, but it's not actually instantaneous. It can be outpaced, and with enough damage stacked up we can use Hell and Heaven or a few other tools to remove the cockpit block or AI unit. Then we just destroy the rest."
As for Carmina, fortunately she doesn't have to bend too far; tall as she is, Guy is himself over six feet. "Don't worry about that," he offers, with a laugh. "We've got all sorts around here. ...let me know if anyone gives you too much trouble, OK?" He trusts the Britannians to handle their own, but...he should put a hand into view, just in case. GGG's own relationship with Britannia isn't exactly sparkles and sunshine, but he's entirely earnest: Their help, and presence, is more than welcome.
"I'm sure Jet and Spike wouldn't have it any other way," Guy laughs at Alouette's quip. He settles back, into the second of the two Chief seats now stationed at the far back. The rest of the senior staff also take their seats, even Akamatsu, because he may be excitable but he's also an engineer, and knows all about the exciting things that can happen to you if you're standing up under thrust.
"GGG Division Train, launch!"