Ijiraku was the only female in the scene.
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Ijiraku was the only female in the scene.
I guess I couldn't remember when she was introduced?
Eh, regardless. I'll work on it.
It's tough, I'll have to say.
O_o Dangit Yoshi yer really making me wanna start up my story thread again!
Do it with passion!
-Echos of the Antonia-Spoiler!
Getting clearance to board the starship Ur, the transport containing its crew of four flew through the dome with sleepy pace. High in the sky was the synthetic sun as it beamed down upon its terradome city with clouds to accompany it. Passing over several plain looking skyscrapers, advertisements, TV screens and colorful flashing posters; the ship slowly dipped into the city jungle. Starting to speed up to synchronize with the flow of traffic, the engines flared and receded constantly as it flew over several people who seemed to wear various colors of the same clothing. Even though there was an Arkz transport that now swam through the stream of vehicles, few people looked up towards the vessel for it was an everyday thing to them. Now entering a tunnel leading to a lower level of the ship, it looked as if they haven’t gone deeper at all. Like the floor above then, an identical sky loomed above the ship as it broke off from the holographic guided airways. However, unlike the previous area, this one held a large artificial beach where several people scrambled like ants as they moved in the sand and water. After finding an open spot in the cul-de-sac like landing zones, the gray spacecraft vertically descended unto a raised platform with hazardous speed. As if the pilot wanted to get their flight over with, the vessel’s landing gear bounced with great force as it landed roughly on the grey cement.
Various taxis land in these spots to drop people off and also tend to be a location for Arkz operatives to appear during emergency situations. For the crew of the ship though, they are grateful that this wasn’t the case for once. Eager to get off was the Caseal, Ijiraku, who was hopping up and down as the loading ramp dropped. Following behind skipping lass was Yoshi, who adjusted his hat to block the sun so that his eyes could readjust. It gave him a nice feeling to finally roam in a peaceful city, rather than the war-torn ones. Welcoming the new setting, he stretched as wide as he could while gazing at the surround environment of passing people and flying hover cars. Interrupted by a light body check on the hip, performed by his shining partner, the two drifted to the dark gray rails of the platform. A tune of a popular sports drink could be heard as moving objects whizzed by. Despite the sound of the sea shore and passing engines, the ad’s words of “Get popping to get pumping” can be clearly made out as it played from a distance. At the same time, his stomach felt a sensation of squeezing uneasiness as he hasn’t roamed in a city for months since joining Arkz. Not knowing where he was, he felt lost and confused. Unable to remember where his preferred stores and usual hangout spots were, he didn’t travel far from the transport. Unlike his female companion who quickly traveled from one end of the landing zone to the other so that she take in as much of the environment as she possibly could.
The excited banter of Ijiraku could be heard from within the ship as Reinhardt threw off his green and orange helmet, revealing red hair and pointed ears in the now dim cockpit lighting. Rubbing his forehead, he stumbled into the hold and looked to the purple man who still sat in his seat. “Kazamir, I need to talk to you about the Caseal.” Reinhardt’s words tearing his gaze from the other two, he looked to the Newmen and nodded. Making sure his suit was well kept, he calmly rose out of his chair and shouted towards the two outside “You two go ahead and look for places you want to visit, Reinhardt and I needs to discuss a few things.”
Yoshiblue crossed his arms in response. Furrowing his brows, he looked up at the pale stoic face of his friend who now stood at the vessel’s entryway. “Shouldn’t I be in there with you then?” The Dewmen then slammed on a panel as soon as the human finished talking. As the door closed, Yoshi heard Kazamir say “Sorry, Espresso. It’s a surprise.” The door now closed, Yoshi couldn’t help the feeling of being left out. In the past, they use to always talk about outing plans together. This was mainly done to create well-made attempts to sneak out without anyone becoming aware. It gave him a feeling of concern that things were wrong. However, reality grasped him once more upon hearing the giggles of the gold and emerald green Caseal behind the hat. Turning around with a more relaxed face of concern, the cowboy asked “What’s so funny?” Shaking her head, she stopped laughing. Finally finding composure, she made a grunting noise. “What kind of a nickname is espresso?” Confused by her question, the man could only respond with “Ugh.”
Two white lights lit the hold of the transport as Kazamir and Reinhardt sat across each other. Holo-screens, constantly flickering with data and images, dimly gave a glow of blue hue on the darken walls around them. Despite the hard solid look of the transport benches, it was actually really comfy to sit on. However, they were only used in Arkz vessels, for they get the best of what’s to offer while still retaining a uniform look. The pilot, still rubbing his head, slowly leaned back on his seat before breaking the silence. The look on his face wasn’t of severer pain but the stoic man across him could tell, by the darken mark on his head, that he may have been experiencing a headache. Due to the helmet that was worn being disfigured by an earlier accident. “Man, she must really know how to hurt a man. I was wearing a helmet too. I thought you said she wouldn’t hurt anybody?”
Kazamir, with a face of indifference, only stared at his troubled red headed friend who finally stopped feeling the pain in his head. Placing one leg over the other, he slowly leaned forward and replied with a tone of seriousness “I told you the robot wouldn’t pose a threat.”
Now staring at Kazamir, the red haired man couldn’t fight back a question that has bugged him for a while now. “You keep calling her a robot. Isn’t that a bit rude to say about a CAST?”
“That’s because she isn’t a CAST. She’s a war machine wearing Caseal shells. In a way, you could call her a copy CAST. The robot may be even slightly older than the ship they’re repairing.”
“You allowed a refurbished killing machine to become Yoshi’s partner?” Reinhardt said in a slightly concerned tone. Now sitting up; he tilted his head in wonder with a hand, covered in green, on his chin. Nodding a few times he then looked into the pale eyes of the man across him. “Alright” he said with a hint of slight optimism. “I guess it has its perks.”
“The only reason I didn’t scrap her was because I wanted to do something for our friend.” Folding his arms, it was now Kazamir who looked to the side to ponder. His more relaxed companion could only guess if it had to do with the thought of his decision to not scrap Ijiraku. However, the man was not as patient and decided to continue the conversation.
“Interesting to find a machine of human like qualities.” said the impatient man as he lifted his hand from his chin. “It also sounds like you did some researching. What else do you have?” Now learning forward with a look of interest on his face, the Newmen eagerly awaited the response.
“It wasn’t easy and took several months to gather but I have some facts on her origins. She was built under the Haven’s Mother project during a civil war. One of Oracle’s ships managed to slip away causing a lot of squalor and unrest to take root within the ship. People didn’t like how the rich were trying to live like kings above the law and fought back. These new found nobles had robots built for war to rush the enemy and attack several key positions. The Haven’s Mother Project was to take a few of these robots and specially upgrade them to lead and decimated both ally and foe if needed. Ijiraku is one of these robots. The rebels however found where they were store and raided the factories and warehouses they were kept in. Apparently the ship must have been by Lillipa seeing as Yoshi found her within the depths of the canyons along with several other not as fortunate corpses. Eventually, Oracle found what was left of missing ship and restored order. Things start to get hazy from there. However, it no longer exists after its destruction during the early battles with Falz.”
“Lost ship, civil war…are you talking about the Antonia?”
“Indeed, I’m surprised you know about it.”
“How could I not know? It was one of the more combat oriented ships in the fleet. There was a reason it was on the frontlines after all.” Finally breaking eye contact, Reinhardt shifted his head to the right with a hint of sorrow in his gaze. “Sorry, I forgot you had family on that ship.” Kazamir however was unfazed and retained the same posture and expression he had at the beginning of the conversation.
“No need. When I left, I left for a reason. That said. I do slightly regret their passing.”
Taking a deep breath, Reinhardt slumped backwards onto the bench. With an arm supporting his head, he began to picture what the civil war may have been like. Fighting kin wasn’t anything new to the two thanks to their long past mercenary days. Thinking back on it however, also made him try to suppress reoccurring memories. Once a leader of a group, he was sadden by the fact that he couldn’t save everyone under his command. Especially during the day that made the three decide to resign from it. However, this was on a ship wide scale rather than trying to fix small problems. The battles must have been everywhere and much more intense. Every rebel must have used various modified weapons as they attempted to break the safeties civilian weapons tended to have. Thinking about pistols, he gave a small chuckle when comparing Arkz’s preference to use ‘run and gun’ style mech-guns instead of the more tame civilian pistols. Upon visioning about CAST warfare, it launched him out of memory lane and made him ask a question that had formed while listening to the purple suited man’s story. An arm lifted in the air with his hand looking as it held a steamed glass cup, he quickly look back at his friend to ask “So if she’s a mere war machine, how come she has a personality? Wouldn’t this machine be an emotionless meat grinder that would have killed us by now?”
“Indeed” his friend replied. “However, like any trophy of war, anything that wasn’t killed or destroyed was taken as prizes by the victors. These robots were built to kill and needed a work around to counter act this. I doubt many survived seeing as the common man are usually not born programmers. So naturally, not many of her kind exist or function to this day. Those that weren’t brutally dismantled were remodified for various other occupations. Such as fixing damages done, having them humiliate themselves and any prisoners or even become mindless toys of pleasure. The last option being the hardest to achieve due to the requirement of having to upgrade the robot's frame as well. Conveniently, I found a popular personality program that has managed to survive all these years for CAST research purposes. Mostly thanks to its usage as the forerunner for a few of the CASTs we see today. Don’t mistake this as the origins of CASTs with emotions however. This program was merely one of many designed in the course of their history. Compared to our modern variants however, it’s very primitive and only emulates human behavior. Never evolving, never experiencing true feeling. Lucky for me, Yoshi accidently activated her on the field. Being the only living being in the area, her programing must have registered him as some form of commanding officer. Because of this, the program naturally makes her cling to him as a sort of love interest instead. However, it is also tied to several systems to cancel out the original intentions of its design. Thus she can’t be changed afterwards. Modding her personality or deleting it will only give her an early retirement. If the situation turns for the worse and her assassination protocols do activate, I’ll know how handle the situation.”
“Alrighty then, story time’s over. Let’s go and find the others.” Having heard enough, the now satisfied pilot jumped out of his seat and began to roam towards the ramp. Before reopening the vessel, he solemnly looked back to say “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I don’t know if I should be impressed. You don’t seem as concerned as I figured you would be.” With a smile, Kazamir then stood up as well and walked up to the exit as well. Turing around, the pilot then firmly grabbed the man’s shoulder to say,
“Kaz, we’ve been friends for a good while now. I know you would not have done this if it seriously endangered any of us. You may no longer be considered a human now, but that don’t change who you are. We’re still the same morons who snuck out to enjoy the night life. We just…uh…grew up a little.” Narrowing his eyebrows, a slight smirk was seen as he let go. The exit ramp beginning to open, the now glowing red head turned to face the sun light as he causally put on his pair aviators. “You know, he’s going to bug you about that surprise you lied about.”
Interesting so theres another Caseal with Human like capabilities like mines @w@ Nice soundtrack by the way I like the second one out of the three.
-Beach Antics That Never Came to Be-
Spoiler!
The sky slowly turned to a brighter shade of blue as the clouds began to vanish overhead. The orb of light, which everyone could now clearly see, hung dead center in the air as the numbers 12:00 appears on a short pillar on top of the cement just underneath it. All set and ready to go, Yoshi energetically bounced around in front of the shore side changing rooms. Having been dreaming of all the activities that could be done on their visit to the beach, he waited with tremendous effort for his Newmen friend to leave the stall. Several people constantly went in and out the dark red sliding doors. Holding them up was a round box of a structure, completely built out of white metal layered plating. Nearby were his companions Ijiraku, who stood nearby patiently, and Kazamir who had an aura of misery about him. Finally shedding his purple Kaiser Haut, in its stead was a pleasant blue flora shirt with khaki shorts to complement it. Constantly tending one sleeve and then the other, he struggled to readjust his sleeves due to the fact that he was not accustomed to short sleeved outfits. He couldn’t stand that his pale white arms and legs were exposed to the world now. Only one hand was free to mess around with them as the other hand held a letter. Yoshi, as he bounced by, could vaguely read it as it kept waving in his friend’s struggle but made out the words “Time for a new look” and “You better wear it because I bought it”. Finally fed up with attempts to stretch his sleeves as far as they could, Kazamir looked to Yoshi with knotted arms. “I’m surprised that you are content with these kinds of outfits.”
Slowly coming to a halt, Yoshi glanced at an identical outfit which he was wearing and shrugged. Like his pale friend, he also received a floral shirt, shorts, and a note from Reinhardt. Unlike his tattooed friend, his clothing was beige in color and much larger. Taking the note out from his right pocket, he discovered that what it told him was much different than what Kazamir’s did. Reading words of friendship and good fun that was promoted on it, it finally reminded him of the surprised Kazamir mentioned. Like his sleeves though, he quickly tossed it from his mind as he returned the note to its former place. Looking to Ijiraku, who leaned on the glowing plated stall walls, his teal hair changed into several shades in the light as he roamed up behind her. Upon coming into arms reach, he casually scratched his head as the question of whether or not he should bother her settled in. Instead, he began gazing at the people around them alongside her.
Only a few inches away from his bare feet was the warm sand, taken from various foreign planets. Ranging from pale yellow to a shade of pink in color, it didn’t seem to bother everyone as they ran, played and slid across the colorful landscape. Various activities were going on as the two stared out into the beach. To the far left was a volleyball game that consisted with fifteen people on each side. The game looked rough as people kept being pushed into the sand. Every player kept tackling and shouldering each other as they reached for the soaring white ball. To the far right was a stage of black metal and purple curtains. Towering over the various musicians; they stood around as a few of them moved to set up any props, gave friendly advice and played to themselves while the world moved around them. The lifeguard posts were moved farther from the stage so that all guards aren’t distracted by the music and fun to be had. It was an interesting sight to see for Yoshi. Being so use to having a choice in what he could wear, he found it unusual for every beach goer to be wearing similar looking swim gear. While people did have the choice to go shopping for an outfit, it was limited to a certain selection of colors and fewer varieties. Even the lifeguards shared a fate of wearing the same gear. Unlike civilians however, their outfits had red and white stripes to signify that they were staff. A shimmer of gold flashed in his eye, making him aware of his surroundings again. Thanks to the shifting of his golden partner’s shoulder, he shot a short glance at the stall doors before deciding to bug the Caseal. With a hand on her plated shoulder, he gently shook it as he said “Hey. You sure you don’t want to change into anything else?”
Startled, Ijiraku gave a light jump followed by an awkward smile as she turned to look at him. Her arms hung low as she held them together. With a shake of her head, she replied “I’m fine. There’s nothing else I wish to wear.” Reactively forming a nervous laugh, Yoshi was baffled by this response. Having spent time with various Caseals, the majority of them expressed an interest in constantly changing their parts and outfits.
“You sure?” He asked with an eyebrow raised.
“Positive.”
Her golden eyes suddenly grew wide due to a white dotted outline, that only she could see, appeared on Yoshi’s teal hair. Frantically looking around, she seemed to be searching for something as Yoshi continued to display a look of bewilderment. As if she just had an idea, she quickly lifted her arm to snap her fingers. With a flick of the wrist, a brown felted ten gallon hat appeared into her hands out of thin air. “Here’s your hat back, cowboy” she gleefully said as she restored the hat onto his head with both arms.
“Oh, thanks” Yoshi replied.
As he readjusted it, Reinhardt elegantly strolled out of the changing booth with a boastful entry. Unimpressed, Kazamir strolled up to the red headed Newmen who stared back at him with a giant grin on his face.
“I assume you’re going to ask me why I took so long?” The Newmen asked.
“Indeed” the Dewmen responded.
Lifting his hand, he revealed a bottle of cologne which he then began to shake it in front of his face. Staring back with a dull expression, Kazamir waited for the proud man to continue as he shifted weight to his right leg.
“I was making sure this stuff worked. I bet you didn’t notice me sneaking out of the stall and chatting with that chick way over there.” Reinhardt whispered as he pointed out into the beach. “She said I smelled nice.”
“So did you get it for yourself or bonehead over there?”
“Well it was meant for Yoshi but I don’t wish to see the reaper so soon. But hey, I can’t let it go to waste either.”
“How unfortunate” Kazamir said with a chuckle.
Distracting the two from their conversation was the bickering of Yoshi and Ijiraku. Still by the stall, the Caseal was shaking the human by the arm and mumbling something. While being violently moved around, the distressed man used his free arm to keep his hat from falling off. “Hey you two, what’s going on over there?” Reinhardt shouted to them. Dragging Yoshi by the arm, she moved towards the two men with a face of anger.
“He’s not going take me shopping.” she said to Kazamir.
“I’m not going let her buy me a trench coat.” cried the human as he tried to struggle free.
Pulling Yoshi close to her, she stared down at his more rebellious expression with an intense glow in her eyes. “I’m going to buy it and you’re going to wear it.”
“I’m not wearing a trench coat. I don’t even look good in them.”
Finally breaking free, the man took a few steps back. Putting a hand on his chin, he smirked back at the Caseal and replied “I bet you just want me to buy some new parts for you.”
Upon hearing this, Kazamir slowly moved to Yoshi so that he could lean in to whisper in his ear “You’re not authorized to buy the type of parts she wants.”
Confused once more, Yoshi lifted his hand while he turned his head to face the Dewmen. “What?” he cried. Kazamir only gave a quick grunt before walking back to Ijiraku. Reinhardt didn’t know what was being said but Yoshi’s expression caused him to begin to laughing out loud. This laugh however quickly shifted into a muffled horrified shriek. Instantly, the Newmen quickly ran up to Yoshi “I need to borrow this.” He said, stripping the startled human of his hat. The red head lowered it as much as he could to hide his face from what was walking towards them.
Coming from around a street corner was Reinhardt’s wife, Marean. Wearing her favorite black and pink Ursula Replica, her bright green hair shimmered in the sunlight as she walked along the sidewalk. She didn’t notice the four as she was too busy complaining to someone who was on the phone with her. However, upon reaching Yoshi, she abruptly ended her call while placing a hand on her hip.
“Funny seeing you here, spiky” The female Newmen said with a smile.
Looking to the pointy eared man who wore his hat, she then leaned in to examine him. Reinhardt stood as stiffly as he could, attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible. “So, who’s your friend and why is he wearing your oh so beloved hat?”
“He brought me here. Also, he wanted to try on my hat so he could have a taste of my fashion sense.”
“Sure, fashion sense.” Marean mockingly repeated in a thick tone. Standing up straight, she then noticed Kazamir who walked towards their small circle. Quickly examining him, she then brightly complemented the man of lavender hair with “Kazamir, you look nice in your new outfit. How does finally not wearing a long sleeved suit feel?”
Looking to his sleeves again, he then gave a weak smile as he said “It could be worse.” He then gave a quick bow before continuing, “Regardless with how I look, I pale in comparison to your beauty.” In the background was the stifled laugh Yoshi gave after hearing this.
“You got something to say, cowboy?” Marean said with a sudden furious half glace. Turning back to Kazamir, then gave him a look of endearment as she placed her hand over her heart. “That’s very sweet of you, Kaz.” With lighting speed, she turned to her hiding husband and looked upon him with a face of seriousness. “Someone ‘ought to be taking notes!” Yelling loud enough for Yoshi to squint and Reinhardt to stand more stiffly; a child in the background jumped with a start, dropping his ice cream cone. Ijiraku, as she passed by, thought he was about to cry but instead quickly fled as fast as he could.
Snatching the brown hat off of Reinhardt’s head, she gripped him firmly by the collar and pulled his face closer to hers. “So you thought you could drag Mr. I don’t drink to the city, hog all the drinks and still have a ride home, huh? Lucky for you, I have places to be right now. There better be dinner when I get home or you’ll be on the receiving end of what I get to bring with me.” Upon letting go, she gently patted his cheek and said a smile, “See you then, sweetie.” After giving other two a hug, the green hair Newmen disappeared as she headed off into the horizon.
“Nice job, guys. Thanks for ruining the day for me.” Complained Reinhardt.
“It wasn’t my problem.” Kazamir responded.
Coming back with a soft drink in hand, Ijiraku sipped on it as she picked up on the conversation. “She didn’t threaten Yoshi. So it wasn’t my problem either.” She added as she handed a happy Yoshi his own drink.
Clasping his hands behind him, Kazamir gave an awkward laugh as he looked in Marean’s previous direction. As he stared, he walked up to Reinhardt’s side. Yoshi, who followed behind, walked up to his other side. “Sounds like a fun night.” Kaz remarked. Reinhardt giving a mean look was then distracted by Yoshi’s mixed face of sorrow and disgust.
“Hey, no funny thoughts about my wife ya…mmm.” Reinhardt said with a voice of concern. Shaking his finger at him, he struggled to hold back thoughts of ripping Yoshi a new one.
“Calm down. I’m not” Yoshi lied. With a fake smile, he leaned forward so that his face could be clearly seen past the much taller Kazamir and asked “So, what are you going to make for dinner anyways?”
A face of desperation grew on Reinhardt’s face as grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “Okay. I know this is going to sound weird but I’m going to need you to cook dinner, Blue”
With a tone of amusment, Yoshi responded with “Am I invited?”
“No.” the Newmen quickly uttered.
“There’s your answer then.”
“Come one, man. How often do I ask for something? You have to bail me out on this one.”
“Wouldn’t she know you didn’t cook the food? You forget that your wife used to be Yoshi’s partner.” Kazamir butted in with a similar face of amusement.
“He can’t cook your food. He has to go shopping with me.” Ijiraku added.
Several minutes of bickering commenced. Several times was Yoshiblue grabbed and thrown around as they each argued over what should be done. Growing weary of people staring at them, he interrupted them with a compromise. “Look,” he said with closed eyes, chopping the air between them. “How about we go find some ingredients and shop at a coat store, should we pass by any. We’re all having dinner at your place, Jet Ears.”
Now uneasy, Reinhardt walked off as he looked to the beach. “I have stuff to cook with at home. How about we forget about shopping and spend time at the beach?” As he walked by to the dressing stall, he then looked back only to see the others already walking away. “Guys? Hey!”
“It appears that we all agreed to come to the city for different reasons.” Kazamir said as he looked back.
Restoring his hat onto his head, Yoshi looked to Ijiraku before saying “Still not going to wear a coat”
“You’re going to wear it!” the Caseal shouted as she pushed the cowboy in response.
-Shakedown-
Spoiler!“Seriously, how are you two okay with living on that thing?”
Walking off the ramp of the transport, Yoshi stared back into the ship as he once again stepped foot onto the Lillipa landing pad. Unlike the day they left, the air was much warmer as he shielded his eyes from the sun that peeked over a much more tiny cloud. Following him out of the vessel was Reinhardt as he threw on his sunglasses. Both looking out at the desert landscape they returned to, Reinhardt noticed that there were now several canopies raised in several locations. Not many of the furry creatures roamed among the rocky terrain yet sounds of construction projects continued to ring in the air as it did before they left. Looking back towards Yoshi, he gave a shrug before giving his reply.
“Hey, it may be hollowed out to hold cargo but that doesn’t mean it still can’t be a nice place to live in. It still has some of the original luxuries it came with.”
Now roaming towards the two were several Lillipans who now wore padded shoes to protect their feet from the heated metal platform. Among them was the chieftain, Ruffin, who’s robes were shorter and now looked much like the common tribe member. Walking out as the two men were welcomed back were Kazamir and Ijiraku, who walked closely behind him, wondering out into the arid environment. Giving quick nobs and bows as several Lillipans greeted then, they walked towards the shielded Terenanova that had sat untouched during their vacation off the planet. Taking his gaze off the bright blue protective field, Kazamir began pluck at a holo-screen that now floated in front of his waist.
Without looking at Ijiraku, he gave a soft sigh before saying “It would be best to start setting up while I tell the others to request a campship for this test flight.”
Despite the Dewmen’s refusal to look at her, she gave a quick nod before half glancing back at the group behind them.
“Right” she calmly replied.
With a quick swipe in the air, the holo-screen vanished into several particles. Now finished with his task, the purple suited Dewmen roamed to the other two who have just finished their conversation with Ruffin. The landing pad became barren once more as all the robed people cleared out in several direction, Yoshi smile back at the lavender haired man that looked back at him with his usual unreadable expression.
“Well, the time has come to see the fruits of your labor. It would be best if you two request a campship for the upcoming shakedown.”
“Wait a minute, Kazamir” Yoshi shot back in a shaken tone. “We don’t even know if it will lift off yet. We can’t just request a campship off the bat.”
“While that may be the case, we can’t rule out the possibility that it will fly. Should it lift off, it should then be tested in several methods while it still retains the ability of flight.”
“He has a point, I guess” Reinhardt added as he rubbed his burning red hair. “I don’t think we should but there’s no harm in calling for one either.”
Defeated, cowboy let off a sigh before saying “Fine.” As he twisted his arms together, the red headed Newmen patted his shoulder before walking back up the ramp. Before following after, Yoshi then asked “What will you and Ijiraku be doing in the mean time?”
Calmly glancing at the ship, he then returned his gaze unto Yoshi as he replied “First we will shut off the barrier. Afterwards we will start up the transport and refuel the ship if necessary. Should you two remain occupied, we shall inspect the ship to ensure that everything remains in place during flight.”
“We shouldn’t take that long.” the human replied with a half laugh thrown in afterwards. His chin lowered shortly after as his assured tone quickly shifted into a concerned ones. “Then again, with my track record, I guess it could take more convincing than usual.” Upon looking back up, he noticed the far off Caseal energetically waving to him. Throwing back a much calmer wave, he retreated up into the open ramp. “We’ll try to make it quick.” Yoshi said as the door began to close.
Proven wrong, it took more than half an hour for the two to walk out of the dark gray transport. Racing to the other transport that now gently purred as it waited, the two wore giant grins the whole way. Grouping up with the others who sat patiently in the hold of the much larger vehicle, they stared at the two who chose to sit across from each other.
“Time to hit the skies.” The pointy eared man cheerfully said. “Kaz, I’m going to need you to stay with me. I’m going to fly the other ship alongside Yoshi, in case something happens during the test flight.”
Kazamir nodded in response.
“The camp ship will be here shortly. In the meantime let’s get this piece of work into the air. She’s all yours, Blue.”
With a thumb up in the air, Reinhardt and Kazamir walked off the creaky metal ramp. Walking out into the cries of several natives, they’ve all gather to celebrate their momentous occasion. Should the ship take off, this was a sign that they were capable of aiding the Arks. Good at reverse engineering advanced technology with the knowledge given to them by Ijiraku, they believed they would be able to become mechanics for several vessels and enter a new golden era for their race. The creatures celebrating as best as they could, several objects filled the air as the two men walked back into their original craft. Complementing the objects was uniformed chanting and music played by the community’s best musicians as they all anticipated the launch.
The ramp of the Terenanova slowly closed as Yoshi made his way to the cockpit. Before entering the doorway, a gold arm suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
“Yoshi,” Ijiraku said with a face fill with worry. “What are the rules on additional passengers?”
The teal hair man simply gave her a warm smile as he said “Nothing wrong with another friend. If it’s a Lillipan, I’ll allow it.”
His smile now melting her concerns, they both entered the other room to see a Lillipan jumping in the pilot’s chair. Modified with leather and made with comfort in mind, the furry creature was enjoying the fact that he was on a ship and the comforts of an enormous seat. Upon lifting into the air for the fourth time, he was caught by Yoshi mid-flight. A look of horror drew on its face as it feared what the pilot would do to him. However, fear faded as Yoshi calmly pushed a single orange button on the roof. Like magic, the button summoned a third chair to appear from the floor. Upon fully materializing, the native was placed onto its less comfy but still passable seating.
“Alright mini man, time to let me have my chair back.” Yoshi
Several buttons lit up within the cockpit as the two took their seats. “Mini man” was amazed. The fact that they knew what each one did as they went about their business, made him idolize them. Preforming several checks on the old ship’s restored systems, the engines outside quickly roared and calmed. Several clicks could be heard as landing gear, turrets, consoles and other features were quickly empowered then drained. Going through all basic procedures, Yoshi began to pull on the joy stick in front of him. The cheers grew loud enough to be heard in the cockpit as the ship began to slowly lift in the air. Gently did it rise into the sunlight and into the gentle dusty breeze, the time for it to shine has come. With a slight readjustment to its facing, it flew off into the landscape that welcomed it with open arms. The sand dunes grew wider as the crew flew further out. Yoshi danced in his chair a little as he could no longer contain his excitement. Ijiraku merely smile at him before looking at the dashboard in front of them.
“Your friends are following closely to your left.” She relayed as she patted the glass radar screen. She then opened up a holo-panel that revealed a transport looming behind them. A light by the window flashed at them as all three of them looked at the image. “Judging by the flashing light, I think Reinhardt wants to race.”
“Oh, sure. I see how it is.” Yoshi said with a sarcastic tone. “Race the guy he knows he will decimate. Sure, I’ll race him alright”
“He’s going to give you a head start.” She replied.
His head went lopsided as he glared back at Ijiraku with irritation. Afterwards he refocused his vision on what lie ahead. With a light tug to the brim of his hat, he pushed a lever by his right leg forward. Slow yet surely, the ship began to accelerate with enough speed to induce a feeling of mysterious force pressing him against his chair. The engines flared as it began to push distance between the two vessels. As it worked to move faster, two panels opened above and below each engine. Revealing extra thrusters, they too lit up with a blazing glow to give extra power to their speed. Despite all of the extra thrust it received, the other vessel passively caught up to it. For a few seconds, they level with each other only to be over taken with no chance of catching up. With a grunt of frustration, Yoshi pulled the brim down on his face in defeat as Ijiraku transferred controls to her end. The Lillipan awed as the controls shattered from Yoshi’s legs and regenerated by the more metallic golden pair of Ijiraku’s.
“I don’t see why you’re mad. It was just a test.” She calmly said.
“That’s not the point.” Yoshi shot back. Leaning out of his chair, he lifted the hat so that he could see once more. Glancing at a panel in front of his, he quickly tapped a few buttons that glowed right by it. With a deep breath, he then added “It’s a long story.” As he stared out into environment, a beeping sound interrupted the quite atmosphere as Kazamir’s voice began to ring in the cockpit.
“Structural integrity is fine however you will need to upgrade those engines of yours. Adding onto it did not help you much in the race. The Campship is ready for the deployment test. We will be ready to begin as soon as Reinhardt and I link up with it. You remember how to do this, correct?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Yoshi acknowledged. Lifting from his seat, he then patted the Lillipan’s head as he strolled into the hold. Upon entering, he then knelled down to a panel that sat on the floor of the ship. Pressing a few it’s buttons, the floor began to open revealing empty space and a few spare parts.
“This isn’t it.” Yoshi whispered to himself.
Pressing a single green button the door creaked as it re-sealed itself. With a hop to stand up once again, he then walked up to the seats. Placing both knees on the right bench, he opened a panel just above the frame of the seat.
“This is the air control panel”
Jumping off, he violently rubbed his head while scanning the ship. With a stroke of revelation, he knocked on his head and whispered “Duh.” With haste, he walked back into the cockpit and swung around the doorway with one arm. Now staring at an orange framed panel on the wall, he began to punch in a few of its keys. Upon finishing, he looked back at Ijiraku who silently chatted with the Lillipan in its native language. Waiting for her to finish, he gave her a thumbs up and open a channel to tell the others.
“We’re ready to deploy the Entry Pipe.”
Answering Yoshi was a female voice. “Campship to dusty old relic, we’re ready to begin the operation.”
Yoshi returned to his seat and began to look out for a good place to setup. Upon looking at the top of the rocky hills, he then pointed out and said,
“Alright Ijiraku, take us to that mesa over there. We’ll deploy the pipe on top of it.”
“Heading to the mesa with haste.” Ijiraku replied.
Swooping over the mesa, a bright blue glow slowly dropped from below the T-57. As it gently fell, an orange container with neon blue lights began to emerge from it at a much slower pace. Finally tapping the ground, the orb and the container were barely still combined as it violently opened up to hug the ground. The orb then proceeded to engulf the now dusty area activating the pipe for usage. Making another pass over the pipe, the two pilots look at each other with satisfaction before reopening the channel.
“Entry Pipe deployed. Arks operatives may now begin their mission.” Yoshi relayed.
“Confirmed, Entry Pipe is now synced with the Campship. Stand by for incoming operatives.” The voice replied.
Appearing on the mesa were two Arks members who observed the new environment that engulfed them. A female wave to the ship as it flew by for a third pass. Upon flying away, the two members returned to the pipe which vanished shortly afterwards.
“Terenanova to Campship, objectives are complete. We will now be returning to the fleet. Have a nice day. Campship out.” The voice said before finally ending all communications.
Confused, Yoshi rubbed his chin in wonder.
“That’s it? No combat testing, turret placment, or advanced maneuvering in space? How lame.”
Interrupting the mood was a voice that rung from the back. [“Can I stay with pilot and robot?”] The Lillipan asked.
Giving a chuckle, Yoshi looked over his seat to see the creature jump in the chair it sat on. “You sure no one will miss you?” He asked.
With a sad expression, it replied [“No. Black creatures took my family. There is no one for me to return to.”]
“I’m sorry to hear that. You got a name?”
[“Mereganatrisa of Mereginalzlant”]
“How about Lilliman?” Yoshi quickly said.
“Yoshi!” Ijraku cried in disbelief.
[“I would be honored to be called Lilliman by person of strange aura”]
Recovering from a punch to the shoulder, Yoshi finished the conversation with a smile.
“Welcome aboard.”
May have over done it with the music.