"So, Torusuke-san, your opinion?"
Mōtoku nodded. Kakōton Genjō had just rejoined them, his left eye full restored. Accompanying him now was Yamato's resident healer, Sasamoto Narumi. Also present in the forward lounge of the starship were the remainder of the crew of Avalonians — Narumi's six sisters from the group that had been rescued by Jun'iku Bunjaku and Kōgetsuei a week before, along with six others rescued from one of the Niphentaxian destroyers early that morning — and all the tōshi save Bachō Mōki. "You've got a pretty well thought out setup here," he admitted before nodding his thanks to blonde, grey-eyed Sakai Yuki, one of Yamato's first contingent of Avalonians. "You sure the governments of the United Nations will go along with it?"
"I suspect there will be changes," Hiromi admitted. "After all, even if we call ourselves an 'Earth defence force,' Earth is not a unified planet-state like Uru and other worlds. We're even more disunited than Yehisril is often said to be." She waved around her. "Will this ship still be called Earth Defence Force Starship Yamato when it's all said and done? Or will she be commissioned in the Japanese Self-Defence Forces as Japanese Defence Ship Yamato. It is hard to say."
"Or perhaps His Imperial Majesty's Starship Yamato," Hōkō mused before sipping his tea. "There's another possibility."
Genjō coughed. "Article Nine…"
"It's just semantics," Gakushin Bunken noted.
"True, but semantics do have an impact on how people live their lives," Hiromi warned. "And who exactly would be crewing these ships should they be taken in official service?" she then asked as she waved around her. "Avalonians as a whole would be best suited for these ships as they can be trained quickly for the mission in hand. But would the governments of Earth actually allow what are technically aliens to crew ships defending their planet? Even if Terrans could become Avalonians…"
"As Michiko-san — formerly Michiji-san — proved," Chōkō Shungai noted.
"What happened to her anyway?" Jokō Kōmei asked.
"Saji Genpō happened to her," Hiromi noted. "He arranged for Kannei Kōha to attack Michiji-san when he wasn't prepared and kill him. Fortunately for him, I was able to recover his magatama last week after returning to Earth — Genpō-dono never bothered to have the body properly cremated — then have a clone body prepared from one of the spares Tsukihana-san and Ayami-san had available."
"Are there male Avalonians?" Hōkō asked.
"No. According to what we learned, the factory is only designed and programmed to create female bioroids," Hiromi answered. "It may be possible, but I'm nowhere CLOSE to being any sort of expert when it comes to that level of genetic manipulation technology." She gazed on Bunjaku and Kōgetsuei. "Though we do have two certified geniuses with us who can help out. And there are possibly others."
Mōtoku perked. "Bakin Tokukō. He's a freshman at Kyoshō. Always tinkering around with things." He glanced around the room. "He'd go nuts if he was here."
Hiromi stared at him. "A relative of Mikoko-san's?"
"Distantly related; his real name's Uma Hakaru."
"And speaking of which, where IS she, anyway?" Genjō asked.
"Mikoko-sama wished to know where the replicator rooms were," Yoshino Tomomi stated as she gazed on the leader of the VEDF. "She said she wanted to prepare something special now that you've given her command of Yamato, Hiromi-sama."
"Did she say what?" Koshaji Enjō asked.
A shake of the head. "I was not told, Kyoko-sama…"
Footsteps. "Sorry I was gone!"
Hiromi looked over. "Ah, Mikoko-san, it's…" She then stopped as she blinked. "Um, Mikoko-san, what's with the greatcoat and the peaked cap?"
The others looked…
…and then gaped on seeing what Mōki was currently wearing: A navy blue, double-breasted greatcoat with gold trimmed red collars and a gold anchor symbol on the left breast and on both arms; that over a white turtleneck sweater and white trousers, the whole topped with a white sailor's peaked cap over her head, a wreathed anchor serving as a hat badge. As the tōshi all stared at her, Mōki found herself blushing before she straightened herself, giving them a salute. "Well, I may not be Okita Jūzō, but since I AM captain of the Yamato, I have to look the part!"
Everyone blinked, and then laughter filled the room…
Later…
"Eh?! Moroboshi-kun has fully recovered?!"
"Hai, Kōchō-sensei," Hiromi answered as she, Mōki and Enjō sat in the principal's office at Tomobiki High School. Also present were Onsen Mark, Sakurambō Sakura, her uncle Cherry, the large cat-ghost Kotatsuneko and Miyake Shinobu. It was the first period after lunch as everyone enjoyed afternoon tea. "We received a signal from Okusei just before I allowed Torusuke-san and his friends to return to Kyoshō. One of the ch'uokyek intervened directly and gave Onii-san the necessary boost of ki needed to restore him to full health, as well as fully reform the psi-bonds he had with Lum-san, Benten-san, Oyuki-san and Ran-san." An amused smile then crossed her face. "They'll be coming here as well, atop Onē-sama and Tariko-onēsan."
"So it was impossible to reintegrate Ataru's soul as one single being?" Sakura asked.
"Hai. If it was just Onē-sama alone, it might have possible to restore Onii-san to the way he should have developed hadn't the whole matter with Onē-sama happened in the first place. However, my presence…" She then sighed. "Didn't help matters."
"So how exactly did Ataru and Tariko turn out?" Cherry wondered.
"Onii-san just woke up an hour ago, so it's hard to say," Hiromi answered. "As for Tariko-onēsan, she is…" A shrug. "A much calmer version of Onii-san had he been born a girl in the first place. Onē-sama felt it wasn't right for Onē-san to endure many of the problems Ranma-san had to endure as he adopted to his curse."
Understanding nods around the room. "Well, once Lum and the others come, that'll shut up Megane and his gang, not to mention Mendô-san," Shinobu noted. "You have to admit, Hiromi-chan, it IS pretty hard to believe the whole thing about Lum and Hensō, much less the others. Not to mention what was going on with you, Ataru-kun and Negako-san."
"Hai, that is true."
"So when exactly will they be here?" Onsen demanded. "Your brother has a lot of catching up to do scholastically. And this other sister of yours will have to go through what you went through last week when you started coming here."
"Sometime tonight. It's not that much of a transit time from Okusei to here," Hiromi replied, and then she blinked as something buzzed in her skirt. "Please excuse me," she said before slipping her hand into her pocket to draw out a small communicator unit. "Hai, Tsukihana-san, what is it?" she called out after opening it.
"Sorry to bother you, Hiromi-sama, but we just received an update from Okusei," Kōgetsuei reported from the bridge of Haida. "Kaep'-san is having Ataru-niisan, Negako-nēsama, Tariko-nēsan, Lum-nēsan and the others come aboard her personal flagship under Syei-san's command to Earth." A sigh. "They just sent a communiqué out to Tofunokoibito. Kaep'-san is petitioning Her Imperial Majesty to officially extend Noukiios' protection over Earth to coincide with Prince Sheko's declaration."
Hiromi blinked, and then she moaned. "Oh, delightful…"
"What's the problem?" Shinobu asked.
Hiromi gazed on her brother's former girlfriend. "It's now an official Imperial State Visit if Kaep'-san is coming, Shinobu-san. That will have quite the impact in the capitals of many of the Federation states — especially Uru — when the news breaks out." She then looked heavenward. "If it hasn't already."
"Oh, dear," the Principal mused…
"Oh, no…"
Ch'oi Sŭnghŭi perked on hearing Maria Kennison's voice. "What is it?"
The Canadian navy officer moaned as she stood. "We've got visitors coming."
The Korean army officer blinked as we…
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