Kiyohime

[Levenna]

9:01 A.M, October 16th, 828 A.S.
Outcast Destroyer MNS Muerte

A young Outcast lieutenant walked with haste along the corridors of the Muerte, the great Storta, as they lurked within the Tottori system. The engagement had taken a heavy toll on their sister ship, and they wished to remain in hiding until any Naval Forces patrol had swept the system, lest they be caught as they retreated back to Omicron Alpha. At the end of a corridor was a bulkhead and door, much the same as many others on the ship. The door, however, was open, and a deafening silence flooded the hallway, growing more noticeable as the Lieutenant approached the hallway's end. He stopped once he reached it, inhaling the cardamine-laced atmosphere and sighing as a sense of trepidation rushed over him. "Capitan Garcia?" he called out.

"Enter." the voice of the captain rang in the silence. "That is the voice of Lieutenant Almonte, is it not?"

"Si, Capitan." The lieutenant responded. He stepped through the bulkhead and entered the Captain's quarters, a poorly decorated affair of grey steel composite with little in the way of creature comforts. "I am surprised you know me by name, Capitan." The Lieutenant continued, keeping his head pointed towards the floor out of respect. "I came to deliver my report about the status of the prisoners we took."

"I see." the Captain responded. "Please, Lieutenant, be at ease." At the captain's request, the lieutenant relaxed and looked up. He was surprised to see the captain without his shirt; he had clearly just washed and was dressed in his uniform trousers, however his blonde hair was a mess and his scarred back and arms were clear for the Lieutenant to see before the captain pulled on a simple sleeveless vest and turned around to address him. "Well? Your report"? He enquired as his auburn eyes dug in to the Lieutenant, unnerving him somewhat.

"All prisoners are aboard Muerte. In her damaged state, Malta's life support could only be trusted to handle her own crew. We have repurposed the cargo bay as an expanded brig and the atmosphere has been cleared of cardamine anywhere where Kusari prisoners are present." The lieutenant responded without a stutter, despite his nervous state.

"Good. It would be a shame to waste our orange gift upon them." The captain replied idly as he used a towel to dry his hands, looking at Almonte all the while. "Have you questioned any of them?"

"No, Capitan. Many are injured. Some, including the captain of the Destroyer, have been in a coma; they were in pods that were closer to the Kagoshima as the reactor melted down."

The captain's eyebrows raised as the Lieutenant replied. He threw the towel on the thin mattress that passed for a bed beside him before he rested his hands on his hips, seemingly in thought as his gaze diverted from the Lieutenant, much to Almonte's relief. There was always something unnerving about the Captain, a certain coldness; It was very much a relief to not be the centre of his attention, even for a few seconds. A few seconds was all it would last, however, as his gaze would soon swap back to the lieutenant. "So be it. Ensure none die but no more than that. We will take them all back to Malta and let the higher ups fight over what to do with them. See to it that their captain, however, receives medical attention. Tell the doctors to do whatever they have to to get her awake as soon as possible. I would like to.. talk with her, I think."