Invisible Hand (MK, Jadzi)

[GEAR]

OE 102: January 12th, 2:11 PM
Deck of the "Hiryu"
Entering L2 Airspace

"Ah... Mister Mallor!"

It had only been a few days since the devastating attack... No. The total destruction... of the L5 Colony Cluster.

Hundreds of thousands were dead, more injured, and even more missing. Never before had such a catastrophe been recorded in the annals of history...

And the entire time, the Directory had sat on the sidelines, and watched it happen. There was a complete media blackout planetside, as the Directory tightened its control of the Universal Network - ostensibly, to prevent a panic, but among the Colonies... The damage was already done, as outrage and fear rippled through the remaining clusters. The flow of Lamalice failed to cease, as L1 and L2 Clusters fell under attack - but, the Directory Space Force, having withdrawn previously to those locations, had thus far been able to drive the invaders off. It was to the closer of these locations, the L2 Cluster, that the Hiryu and its accompanying vessels now limped, laden with refugees.

Nick Mallor was the hero of the hour, and had quickly become something of a minor celebrity aboard the Hiryu, as his battle against the mad magus believed responsible for the incident had been broadcasted throughout the ship. His hands would have been kept busy training what pilots they could, and driving off the occasional marauding Lamalice - the Hiryu, fortunately, had been able to scrape together a few machines during its exit, among them a handful of Cosmolions, which had thus far proven sufficient to drive off whatever monstrosities wandered into their path.

Eduardo Casker had been seen intermittently, supposedly keeping in contact with his corporate benefactor, and staying appraised of their situation. While sometimes distant, he had nevertheless proven himself reliable in a fight, and was quickly on his way to becoming one of the Hiryu's more recognizable pilots.

So it was that Nick found himself called to the deck of the Hiryu as they entered L2's airspace at last. As he entered, he would have been greeted by the beaming face of Captain Harris. The previously-green trainee looked harrowed by her ordeal, but the light of hope glimmered in her eyes as she tugged her captain's cap down low, excitedly pumping her fists with anticipation as she approached him...

 

[MKR]

Many things had been on Nick's mind during the journey to L2, the motives of that Zahed individual and after re-watching the tapes himself, how exactly he cast magic in space. Then there were the Lamalice, they seemed nothing more than monsters but they had to come from somewhere the phrase 'In between places' remained stuck in his ears whenever he thought about that and then there was the issue of the Armorlion, where was he going to find parts of that quality ever again?
His newfound fame was not something he was especially used to either but it was appreciated that others would turn to him for tutelage. But he had put all of those thoughts aside as he was called for by the captain, the growth this young woman had gone through in such a short time brought a smile to his face as she hailed him. That glimmer of hope was something he saw everywhere on the ship, these people who had lost their home and nearly their lives just a few days prior nearly all had that glimmer of hope, to him it meant that even if it took another 10 years L5 would be restored.

"Captain Harris, you look pleased." he said, "I take it you have good news."

 

[GEAR]

Harris nodded energetically as Nick approached, clasping her hands eagerly.

"We're just about to enter L2 airspace... Admiral Benton is on the line." She explained, leading Nick over to the bridge as she flopped down into the captain's chair. Around them, both military and civilian personnel bustled about - the crew had adapted to the influx of refugees without too much difficulty, working to train those that could be trained to fill whatever roles were needed. Harris punched a couple of buttons on the armrest of her chair, and a communications screen popped into view.

It revealed a world-weary man of about 50 or so, his grey hair slicked back, with a thin, gaunt face that looked as if it had seen far too much, in too short a time. This was the face of L2's resident Admiral, a man tasked with the difficult mission of uprooting terrorism and corruption wherever it sought to take hold among the all-too-sympathetic populace. He turned from his staff members, adjusting his cap as he did, addressing Harris:

"This is Admiral Price Benton, Directory Space Force..." He said, his voice gravelly, yet no less clear for it: "State your business."

Harris gave a crisp salute, and beamed at the man, who returned it only with a half-lidded gaze.

"Captain-Trainee Bernadette Harris, L5 Garrison... Acting in command of the Hiryu, sir."

"The Hiryu…?" - Benton rubbed his chin, thoughtfully; "I thought that ship was scheduled for decommissioning?"

"It was, sir..." Explained Harris; "We commandeered it to escape from L5. We have several ships, all full of civilians. Some of them need medical attention-"

Benton raised a hand, stopping her in mid sentence as he spoke:

"Lagrange 2 is not accepting refugees at this time, Captain Harris."

The color drained from Harris' features, all hope suddenly bottoming out.

"W-What? But, Admiral-"

"You're to report to L4 with the rest. The Directory has set aside a refugee service area there. Do you have any questions?"

Harris sunk back into her chair, deflated, pulling her cap down over her eyes.

"No, sir." She whispered.

"Well then, please excuse me. Good luck, Captain-Trainee Harris of the Hiryu." Said Benton, giving his own salute before the window sunk out of view.

Already, people began to murmur amongst themselves. Here they thought they were at the end of their journey, but it seemed as if it was only beginning. L4 was quite a ways away, and without even a resupply, it was uncertain if they would ever get that far...

 

[MKR]

Listening on Price and Harris' conversation made Nick want to punch the Admiral in the face, he turned his own people away on a journey they would likely not survive, no resupply no nothing.

"Turns out the Directory brass is just like I imagined, no sympathy for any of the people that live out here and push the refugees as far away from earth as possible." Nick scoffed. "And then they wonder why the colonies keep resisting their authority."

"I don't know about you captain but I have no intention of dying on the pilgrimage forced upon us." Nick crossed his arms, wondering to himself how heavily protected L2 was, maybe they could just kick the Admiral out if they were pulling a similar tactic as on L5 here.

 

[GEAR]

Harris sunk a little lower into her chair upon Nick's words. It wasn't that she didn't agree with the man, at this point... She was just in genuine shock over the stunning rebuff handed to her by the Admiral. How? She thought, how were they supposed to make this work? How was she supposed to break this news to the crew? To the civilians? The thought of riots breaking out in the cargo bays below were already terrifying her-

"Ahem."

A voice cleared their throat behind the pair. Sure enough, Eduardo Casker made his presence known, giving Nick a nod as he walked up to place a reassuring hand on the back of the Captains' chair.

"Captain Harris, Nick... I believe I may have a solution." He said, with a smile.

****​

Two hours later, the group were being escorted by a pair of Cupids through an ornate dock located at the heart of L2 Cluster - the Colony El Dorado, home of the Corporate elite. The Directory had little presence, even here - instead, automated private militaries patrolled the area around them in clusters, searching for any signs of unwanted interlopers... Who were then terminated with extreme prejudice, not even leaving a speck of debris. Upon arriving at the Colony, they would still have been greeted by robotic attendants, and ushered through docks that were inlaid with gold and silver - flawless in their construction and appearance - to a waiting magnetic car resembling a limousine, which Ed would have called using his fingerprint on a complex looking apparatus.

The streets of El Dorado were every bit as gilded as the outside. Holographic advertisements and projections danced across towering skyscrapers, and beautiful works of art - statues, decorated the streets and roads alike, casting the entire place in a strange, technicolor light. There were very few people, but they passed several automobiles on the magnetized freeway, making one wonder whether or not this Colony housed a teeming underclass, much like its fellows... Or if they had been replaced with automatons as well.

After approximately half an hour's worth of travel time, the group arrived in an underground station of sorts - one crowded with similar vehicles that went back and forth as needed, but at present were still, awaiting phantom passengers that didn't seem to exist. Eduardo led them up several flights of dark marble stairs through a lobby decorated with obsidian and glass, to a large, classical elevator, which carried them skyward towards their destination. As they rose, the glass walls of the elevator flickered, showing various landscapes - all of them from Earth. Ed watched, seemingly bemused, as Harris' jaw went slack for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

"Is... Is that Earth?" She asked, as the scenery changed to an endless wave of blue, "I've never seen so much water..."

The Corporate gunslinger gave a short laugh, causing the Captain's face to redden, as he looked to Nick.

"Yes, it's the ocean." He explained; "Have you ever been planetside, Nick?"

 

[MKR]

Out of place was the simplest way to describe how Nick felt currently, El Dorado when compared to the L4 and L5 he was used to truly seemed like the famed city of gold was plucked from the earth's surface, polished up and put on a colony. Although the difference between this and his home was clear, the amount of funds this must have taken to make it was likely a number higher than Nick would ever be able to grasp. The fact that a place like this existed among the colonies he would have thought impossible a mere hour ago but here he was, now staring at an image of the ocean on a massive screen in a world that was most surreal to him.

"No I haven't, but if these images even somewhat resemble the truth I am sure it is a beautiful place. However space has always been and will continue to be my home." He answered before he turned to look at Ed.

Earth, that place the Directory held most dear, he had indeed never sat foot on it nor had he ever been this close to it. The images before him did however awake an urge to one day walk on its surface. If only for a few moments.

 

[GEAR]

"Spoken like a true son of the void." Remarked Ed, admiringly. As the images faded, Harris couldn't hide her disappointment, letting out a faint "Aww". The doors to the elevator opened into a long hallway, the sides of which... Opened into a large aquarium, one so vast that its edges weren't even visible. It was possible, of course, that the entire thing was simply another exotic projection - but that didn't stop Harris from letting out a squeal and grabbing onto Nick's arm in terror. Ed walked ahead of the two, giving a curious glance backward as he did, saying:

"Coming, Captain?"
"I-Is it safe?"
"Perfectly so." He said, with a mischievous smile; "They're just fish."

Ahead of them, an old-looking desk had been inset at the center of a large, circular room. It was surprisingly featureless, as if the owner simply wished to have a vacant space around them, where they could be isolated and alone, beneath the waters. Ornamental fish swam the waters, gazing curiously at the onlookers, and as they approached the desk, a basking shark passed underneath them, its broad shadow making the Captain jump once more.

Under the dim lights, a figure was seated at the desk, lit only by a bottle-green lamp that looked several hundred years out of fashion. Inlaid panels in the fixture's surface indicated it had been otherwise modernized - but the occupant's attention was not focused on them at the moment. He looked to be around his early thirties, with slicked back blonde hair, with a blue dress shirt rolled up to his sleeves, and a black tie. His features had all the hallmarks of the Colonial upper class - that is, they were the sculpted ones of genetic perfection, not even a hair out of place, with blonde hair and curious blue eyes that only momentarily turned to regard the visitors.

"Mister Cicero... I've brought Nick Mallor, as you asked." Said Ed;

"Capital." Said the CEO of Aeon Corporation shortly, not taking his eyes from the lithe figure seated at the corner of his desk. Few would have had the gall to act as such in his presence - but the woman's reputation was good enough that even he was willing to hold his tongue.

 

[Jadwiga]

She looked remarkably comfortable up there. Exquisitely so. Almost as if she were a piece of performance art. Almost as if that was a bad dream and this was all just a hazy summer at a water park. Almost as if there weren't some apocalyptic march of Lamalice through the colonies going on, and the most she had to worry about was if the sun was going to be too bright today. She sat simply on the desk's edge, a hand poised to either side of her hips. Her back arched to fold her forward, her feet dangling aimlessly like a bored five-year-old's. Or perhaps an impatient whatever-she's-old.

A white off-the-shoulder smocked top flowed down her torso, and from the way she was sitting it all but concealed the capris encasing her legs. Sequins peeped from within the shadows of the top's billowing fabric. A rhinestone or six anchored the swirls of an arabesque pattern down her thigh. She peered at them over the perfectly-round lenses of wire-frame sunglasses. Oyster-shell earrings glimmered with prismatic sheen to either side of her head, similar colors splashed across what they could see of her left shoulder. The wedge heels on her sandals thumped against the front of the desk in much the same manner as a cat twitching its tail.

"Ehhhh~?" she warbled in an auditory pout, having glanced them over and found the vision lacking. Her head tilted, her technicolor bob dangling off the side.

"... is that really the guy? They look lost..."

 

[MKR]

Whether or not the aquarium around him was real didn't matter much to Nick, it was still impressive and he took a second to admire the new surroundings while the captain holding onto his arm made him chuckle.
When they reached the circular room Nick couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the woman sitting on the desk. By all means she had the looks and seemingly also the attitude of what could best be described as arm candy, but he felt there was something more going on here since you a meeting with what by all means amounted to a revolutionary and a trainee captain was far from the place to show off the pretty women one could obtain with money.

After giving the woman a glance Nick's own eyes returned to Cicero himself, for now he would wait what the CEO would have to say first.

 

[GEAR]

"They are indeed." Sighed Cicero in response to Sayuri’s inquiry;

"Suspend your disbelief, Miss Shimizu."

The CEO of Aeon Corporation rose from his seat, adjusting his tie as he did. There was something about her, he thought, that made her difficult to read. It was rare that he would even invite a contractor into his office like this - but the woman's reputation preceded her, and the job was too important for him to allow anyone but himself to conduct the appropriate negotiations. Nerves of steel and a reputation for excellence were what he required, any... abnormal characterization, as it were, was a secondary concern to what mattered: Results.

"Some introductions are in order... Nick Mallor, this is Sayuri Shimizu. A bodyguard... The best, in fact-" He shot the woman a weary glance as he continued: "...As her prices can attest. Believe me when I say... we're going to need her."

He walked around to the front of the desk, extending a hand to shake with Nick, as well as the Captain, speaking quickly all the while. It was the manner of a man who knew his time was more valuable than any other resource, and thus, every second had to count.

"Ed briefed me on your situation." He said; "The Directory are rerouting you and any other L5 refugees to L4 Cluster... I understand you came here aboard an appropriated vessel?"

Cicero turned to thumb across the display on his desk, pulling his hand up from the surface so that the picture floated in the air - a hologram - until he found an image of their ship, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"T-That's right." Said Harris, pulling her coat a little closer in the cold; "The Hiryu is-"

"An antique." Interrupted the businessman, raising a hand. "It lacks even the basic capacity to defend itself. We'll have to do something about that."

Cicero was already typing away at a holographic projection, obviously entertained at the prospect of putting a piece of history under his knife, getting to work on a set of schematics - but was interrupted as the Captain stepped forward, putting her hands through the display, as if trying to wave it away.

"H-Hold on!" She stammered; "That ship is Directory property, you can't just-"

"The space between here and L4 is a killing field, Captain. Not one single Colonial ship has made it there in one piece."

The color once more drained from Harris features, and her hands dropped to her sides under Cicero's steely gaze. That would mean...

"That... can't be..." She whispered, eyes turning down towards the floor.

"Your superiors have ordered you and every man, woman, and child aboard that vessel to their deaths, Captain-Trainee Harris. If I were you, I would strongly reconsider where my loyalties lied."

Having sufficiently cowed Harris into silence, he instead turned his attention to Nick and Sayuri, the two seemingly polar opposites on the scales of seriousness... And the color wheel, at that.

"I'll be frank, Mister Mallor. At the current rate, the L4 Cluster will meet the same fate as L5. The Directory are content to allow this to come to pass, and if another devastating loss of human life is to be prevented..."

He audibly clasped his hands, glancing between the two of them.

"It falls to us. Questions?"

 

[Jadwiga]

"Nick Mallor, this is Sayuri Shimizu..."

She curled her lips in a bright smile at the sound of her own name, straightening just enough to comfortably wave a the pair. The half-dozen bangles arrayed around her wrist softly clinked against each other with the motion, each trying to escape down the slender limb - and, finding themselves obstructed by each other, were left to veer as far as they could in opposing directions around the sides. Her smirk only broadened in smug self-satisfaction at the accolades that followed. An arc that came to a rather bemused climax once he complained about the weight of her fee.

Thereafter, though, she seemed to lose interest again for the most part. Her gesturing arm landed again, the elbow perching atop her knee. Her chin dropped right into the bowl of the attached hand, her slender fingers artfully arranging into differing levels of extension against her cheek. The other arm crept up to lay across her lap, leaving her in a bored-looking slouch with her head turned only half-attentively toward the further proceedings.

 

[MKR]

It would appear the woman's fees were heavy enough for a man like Cicero to lament them but if he paid them despite that it meant that she would be worth the cost. She also seemed bored out her mind, but before making any more judgments about the woman Nick wanted to see her in action.

"So its like I expected, they just want the colony's inhabitants out of the way while they keep those monsters barely back enough to keep them off earth." the man crossed his arms, these people made him sick but for now the revolutionary went to Captain Harris' side and put a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Now's not the time to lose hope Captain, but the Directory will only begin caring when these monsters are on their doorstep so as Mr. Cicero said it falls to us to save the colonies now." his gaze then turned to the CEO.

"I hate to ask for favors so soon, but my Armorlion has been destroyed in combat with a madman who obsessed over those Lamalice and I have need of another unit to fight with. Anything that can move and has a weapon will do." he said.

 

[GEAR]

"Of course, Mister Mallor."

Cicero gave Nick a thoughtful look, as though he was studying his features for some... Familarity, but his expression failed to betray his thoughts any further than that.

"I have just the thing in mind, as a matter of fact... But, we'll discuss that later. I have to make some... Preparations."

Waving off the question, the businessman pulled another holographic projection off the desk, holding it up into the air for them to see. It was a map of the Colonies, with purple clouds denoting areas of Lamalice concentration. Currently they were held at bay around L4, only small tufts - but time-lapse indicators showed it eventually engulfing the entire cluster, not unlike L5 before it. The time limit?

One week.

"In three days time, the refitted Hiryu will depart for L4 airspace." Explained Cicero, drawing a line from their current location to where the clouds were forming. In the meantime, I want you all to become acquainted, and sufficiently prepare yourselves for the fight of a lifetime in any way you can. Aeon Corporation will cover any expenses incurred, and we'll amass what forces we can muster that aren't currently preoccupied."

The man gave a small grimace, his wallet evidently flinching at the phrase "any expenses". but, true to form, he shrugged it off and continued, pointing a perfectly proportioned index finger at Ed, who somehow managed to straighten up even further than his usual ramrod posture.

"Mister Casker."

"Yes, sir?"

"I want you to go to the Level 2 Manufaturing plant and start shaking down the bugs in the Mass-Production Ganonia… Get yourself acquainted with it as best as you can, because it's yours to keep."

Ed's eyebrows raised, perhaps suspicious of the man's sudden surge of generosity - but then lowered as he gave an affirmative nod. It would be difficult, after all, to make any profit if the Colonies were destroyed utterly by the marauding monstrosities.

Cicero once again turned his attention to Nick and Sayuri, folding his arms as he did.

"You have three days, Ladies and Gentlemen. We're all counting on you."

 

[Jadwiga]

"Don't need luck." Sayuri mused, idly, through pouty lips. She let the notion hang in the air silently for a moment before a smirk tugged at their corners.

"Least... not if you can keep me in ordnance."

Her punchline delivered, she glided to the floor with a pair of soft clacks. And upon landing, turned to shoot a teasing glance back at their benefactor. A cutesy, brattish glance, complete with the faintest hint of a tongue-tip breaching between her lips. The way she did all that, one might have imagined something on the order of a bazooka in her hands, fed not by a magazine, but by directly inserting poor Cicero's credit card in the slot. The little imp grinning madly as explosive forms of currency rained down on the droves of amorphous blobs.

She turned again, padding closer to the older man and his wide-eyed companion, giving them another glance over from up close. She continued musing to Cicero as she did, even as her eyes peered at Nick over the rims of her sunglasses.

"Otherwise, my machine's ready fit and feisty. Wouldn't be worth my fees if it wasn't."

 

[MKR]

Nick nodded at Cicero's reply, he wondered what thoughts were hiding behind the man's sculpted face. After that his mind went to the practical uses of the money offered by the CEO. Machines for those in the Hiryu that wanted to fight and explosives to quickly clear waves of the monstrosities came to mind.
Then there were those of a same mind as him, those that were already fighting for the Colonies. It would be a different foe but one that had already proven its threat.

Nicks train of thought would be broken by Sayuri speaking up and as she spoke the revolutionary could not help but feel pity for the CEO, the woman seemed to confirm Cicero's earlier remark about her cost and his gaze would follow her as she rotated around and moved closer and as she said that final sentence and their eyes met for a moment he had a feeling he would not get along well with this woman.

His gaze would return to the CEO "I'm going to have to make a few calls to see if I can get some more hands on deck in time."

 

[GEAR]

Over the course of the next seventy-two hours, the small group marshalled what forces it could. Disgruntled Directory soldiers, mercenaries eager for coin, civilians with family trapped on L4, and all manner of volunteers came forward, answering Nick's call. The man's reputation preceded him - and true to his word, Cicero financed every credit of their acquisitions. All the while, the Colonial corporatist worked tirelessly behind the scenes, doing his own part to thresh together a ship capable of breaking the Lamalice blockade.

Three days later, the newly formed small armada was almost ready to set sail for their destination...

"Three Peregrine Class ships, twelve Cosmolions, three Leonisis units, my Ganonia, the Vangray, and of course... Our secret weapon."

Eduardo Casker mused over the contents of the data slate within the confines of the Hiryu's quarters. The lengthy renovations to the ship were almost complete, and in less than an hour, they would be on their way. It was less than he would have preferred, but it would hopefully serve as enough to afford them passage. Over a cup of coffee provided by the (brand new) ship's dispenser, Ed made his way over to one of the "windows", in truth merely a screen connected to the outside feed from the ship.

The three Peregrines - humble frigates left over from the Colonial wars, were in the docks besides the newly refitted Hiryu, undergoing final checks. Ed wondered if they really knew what they were getting into, his thoughts beginning to stray towards their dependency - but they were interrupted by the blare of an alarm, causing him to jump slightly.

It seemed the crew would be tested sooner than they had hoped, as in the distance, the winking lights of the Directory fleet were visible, beginning to close in on the Colony... And its visitors.

 

[KiraHYamato]

Workers were walking up and down the docks as they tirelessly worked on the Hiryu's renovations. It was even busier than usual with everyone preparing this ship for it's voyage.

During this, a... Unique young woman with blue hair wearing a white hoodie with a pair of blue headphones resting around her neck started to board the Hiryu pulling a large suit case behind her as she munched on a slice of pizza.

"Don't mind me boys! I'm part of the crew here!" she said to the workers before she stopped, held her pizza slice in her mouth and pulled out her music player from her pocket.

She covered her ears with the headphones that were resting around her neck and clicked the "Play" button on the music player she was holding before putting it back into her pocket.

NOW PLAYING: FABULOUS MIX TAPE

She continued her way towards the ship while dancing to the music that she was listening to without a care in the world.

On the way she checked her other pockets and revealed that she was carrying an expensive perfume and a wallet with Cicero's ID and credit cards in it?!
"Man I wish I could see his face right now..." the woman muttered with a satisfied smile. "Guess this is what it feels like to have a sugar daddy..."

Once she entered the ship she looked around and thought "Not baaaad...Now.. Where the food at?" before she began her search for the cafeteria.

But at that moment she was interrupted by the booming alarm that sounded through out the ship. The young woman looked around confused for a moment before flashing a small smirk across her face as she realized the situation.

"Ahh.. The sounds of danger alarms! Oh! I how I missed you!" She commented.

"Looks like Fabulous Ex-Captain Luna is off to make a grand return!" said Luna as her eyes lit up with a wide grin across her face.

Luna quickly caught one of the panicking workers who were running past her and asked "Mind telling me where the mobile weapons are?" to which the worker quickly pointed to the direction where the mobile weapons were stored.

Luna then quickly devoured the remains of the pizza slice in one bite and sprinted to the direction the worker pointed at while still listening to her music.

 

[Jadwiga]

Sayuri sat daintily atop her knees. Or rather, she set properly. Perfectly and expertly poised, her feet curled exactly so, in the traditional manner expected of an attendee at ceremony. Her eyes were gently closed, her breathing relaxed. With each carefully controlled pull of breath through her nostrils, she drew in the musky scent of agarwood. There were also the faintest accentuating hints of ginger lily, which she could pick out if she concentrated long enough. The ghostly vapors wafted from the cone of incense three feet to her left. Beneath its aroma, she could also faintly sense the clean, frest scent of the cloth she was encased in, and the damp fragrance of the bucket one foot to her right.

One more pull. One deep breath. Her hand extended in precision second-nature to her by now. Her dextrous fingers gingerly plucked the end of the tasuki before her, laid out precisely perpindicular. She drew it up and around to her soft and pristine lips, catching the end between them. She guided it under her right arm, trapping the gray-drab sleeve of yukata beneath it. Upward diagonally across her back, down over her left shoulder, and under to catch the other sleeve. Around to cross itself between her shoulder blades, and then up over her right shoulder to devour its tail like a proper ouroboros. Once she finished securing the knot, she returned her hands to their resting places atop her knees. With the motion, the left sleeve pulled taut, high enough that a hint of poppy petals and lightning bolt peeped from beneath the fabric.

Thereafter, her right arm slid out again, reaching further ahead of her for the waiting zokin, again laid perfectly perpendicular. Plucking the end, she drew it to her side. Her wrist rotated only so much in the gesture, enough to turn her palm upright. The daruma inked across her forearm finally found itself in the light again. In the next moment, her hand descended toward the bucket, sinking the cloth into the depths of its contents. Wetting it good and sopping, she proceeded to wring it free of the excess, and then lay the now-damp rag out ahead of her again.

Easing up, her palms braced atop the cloth at each end. Her bottom lifted from its pose, arcing high in the air. The short skirt of the yukata proved just long enough to securely cover her backside and the top of her thigh, while leaving her legs otherwise bare and free to move. Cherry blossom petals hung eternally suspended around one ankle. down the opposing thigh flew a brilliantly detailed peacock, its knowing gaze framed by both cherry blossoms and feathers that curled like chrysanthemum petals. It found its heavy brow staring into the distance at Sayuri's side, its vivid colors mirrored in the myriad of neon adorning the nail of each toe.

She kicked off and sailed forward, pushing the saturated zokin ahead of her. Each step cleared a meter easily, her toe-tips touching down only long enough to continue her propulsion. Within a matter of moments her prancing had propelled her the entire eight meters to the opposing end, whereupon she pivoted, drew the cloth in line for the next pass, and kicked off again. Faint thuds echoed as hoofbeats, each light and airy step sending her carreening along her cleaning task. Upon reaching the end she'd started from, she briefly refreshed the cloth, and veered into the next line. The moist trail she left gleamed like a mirror, the daruma's cycloptic gaze fixed on its twin in the reflection.

It was calming. It was soothing. It also was just about complete when the alarm went off, and the briefest distraction that afforded sent her just a little long, loosing her footing and sailing end over end, tush over head, tumbling through the air and straight over the VanGray's wrist. It would have sent her clear across the Hiryu's hangar if she hadn't twisted in time to catch hold of the shield's edge. A testy pout pursed her lips. Her skirt fluttered about her hips. The peacock's tail met her fundoshi in fleeting brushes with the light above.

With a tug and another kick, she was gliding back whence she came, over the shishioh's tsuba to the bucket of choji oil to put its lid back on before it all escaped. She then had to make for the cockpit, muttering curses the entire way over the interruption of her happy little pantomime ceremony.

It wasn't until she was fully halfway through changing into her normalsuit that she remembered the incense, prompting her to come flying out again in a tangle of cloth around her legs and a scant halter around her chest, hunting down the forgotten cones before retreating again.

 

[MKR]

The past few days had been busy for Nick, never before had he tried to organize anything close to this scale. Luckily for him he had help... and didn't need to finance anything, because if he had to finance anything here he'd be broke ten times over.
But now it was the day, here he stood in the hangar of the newly modified Hiryu at the foot of the mech Cicero had given him to use.

It was all still a bit surreal, the destruction of L5. These new monsters called Lamalice and now the imminent destruction of L4. But as much as Nick wanted for L5 to still be there this was a nightmare none could wake from.
The sound of alarm would bring him back to reality once more. It seemed he wasn't allowed to rest just yet.

The revolutionary climbed up the back of his new steed and after no small effort opened the cockpit, sending a message to the bridge as he prepared the machine.

"Requesting permission to launch first should conflict be unavoidable."

 

[GEAR]

On the bridge of the Hiryu, Cicero strode towards the captain's chair, leaning on it casually as a familiar face flickered onto the command center's screen... Albeit this time, with a few extra veins pulsating on its forehead.

"Admiral Benton." Said Alan, full of faux-warmth; "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Directory fleet commander scowled in response, this clearly not being their first unpleasant encounter.

"Very funny, Cicero. I'd like to know, in no uncertain terms, what you think you've done to our ship."

"Your ship? I wasn't aware the Directory had any stake in it, given how you left it to be destroyed. No, this is merely... A salvage project. Charity work. You know how it is with the board of directors and their feel-good projects."

The Colonial businessman gave a shrug, folding his arms... Before his tone suddenly turned serious.

"Besides... It couldn't possibly be that you waited until after I had done all the work refurbishing the Hiryu, before you sought to retake it?"

Benton simply... Glowered at Cicero, gritting his teeth, as the executive looked back, a smug smile playing across his features. Benton instead turned his attention to the woman standing to Cicero's left, her head lowered, barking:

"...Captain-Trainee Harris, detain this man!"

...but for once, there was no response. Harris gave no surprised yelp, but simply... Stood her ground, eyes downcast.

"...Admiral." She said, voice surprisingly firm.

"What is it?"

"...Why did you leave all those people to die?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you believe that Colonist tabloid rumor and slander, Harris. The fleet adjustments had been planned months in advance-"

"The fleet was withdrawn mere days before the Lamalice attack, sir. I received the order."

Benton fell into silence for a brief moment, and a bead of sweat traveled down the side of his features as he reached up to remove his cap, a mechanical arm brushing his white hair back into place.

"...Are you defying orders, Trainee Captain Harris?"

"...I just want to hear the truth, Sir."

The Admiral lapsed into silence once more... But instead, gave a sigh of disappointment.

"Such a shame." He said, voice dripping with contempt. "With your talent, you could have gone far in our ranks... For a Colonist, that is."

Harris cried out suddenly, bringing a hand up to press against her chest, passionately. She was remembering what Cicero had shown her the past few days - all the things that the Directory had kept hidden from her, from her troops - everything. It was all too much to take in... And now...

She couldn't go back.

"My family fought and died for the Earth in the civil war!" She cried; "For generations, the Harris family has served the Directory with its blood, sweat, and tears!"

"And you are spitting on their memory! You are siding with the enemy-"

"No! They fought so that all people - Terran and Spacenoid alike, could live in peace! The war of separation, of independence, ended a long time ago!"

There was a loud BANG that reverberated through the command center, as the Admiral smashed his fist into his command chair, leaving a dent, his face a mask of anger and frustration as he roared back:

"Don't be naïve! That war never ended! WE ARE STILL FIGHTING IT!"

Taking deep breaths, he reached up to finger the joints of his artificial hand as it twitched, gritting his teeth as he did so, seeking to bring himself back under control. He was man who had seen much - perhaps too much - in his lifetime, far more than enough to kill any sense of mercy he might have felt towards his spaceborne kin.

"I was there, Harris. I saw what happened. I will never forget what these monsters did, in the name of their "independence". Surrender your vessel immediately. You are relieved of all duties, and-"

Click.

Benton's face disappeared from the screen as Harris released a button on her own chair. A deep silence filled the air... Until she thumbed another button, settling in to the chair a little further, her voice... Cool, calm, and collected.

"...Attention crew of the Hiryu. This is Captain Bernadette Harris. As of this moment, this vessel is no longer part of the Directory fleet. We cannot in good conscience allow the innocents at L4 to be slaughtered.

For those of you who disagree... Please disembark immediately.

Shinryu, prepare for takeoff! We're breaking through!"

Behind her, Cicero merely smiled... But, for once, it seemed a genuine one, rather than his usual corporate sneer.

***

Ed, for his part, raised his eyebrows at the previously weak-willed Harris suddenly growing a backbone. He had changed into his dark blue pilot suit in the meantime, floating into the hangar as he gave a salute to Nick's machine, and the pilot within. He had been... Preoccupied over the past few days himself, and was glad that he had returned in time for the departure.

The Ganonia loomed over the smaller Cosmolions, even with its lower legs tucked into its skirt armor. Compared to the Leonisis, it was a far different beast - its back decorated by a pair of thick, heavy boosters, its frame covered with interlocking armored plates, a lavender visor - and most noticeably, carrying a "rifle" that dwarfed most conventional cannons. It wouldn't be his first time aboard Cicero's monster machine... and he had come to appreciate its reliability in the face of danger.

As he admired the Ganonia, however, his attention was briefly caught by... Another woman, with pizza in her mouth, floating in to join them. He waved her over, saying as he did:

"Excuse me, are you... "Captain Luna"?" - the parenthesis dropped neatly into place in his speech as he pointed towards the Brasta, its newly repaired form lurking besides his own machine.

"Your... DM Buster, I think you called it - Is located right over there. Any questions before we head out?"