/takes the huntress out back and buries it (jan mingle pt. II)

[scrubscrub]

Who: Anyone on the SS Huntress! Crew and visitors.
Broadcast: N/A
Action: SS Huntress
When: More of January! We got three new crew mates and it will be messy.

IT'S ANOTHER MINGLE FOR OUR EVER-EXPANDING SHIP.

Also, we need an update on how well Koala is doing at pinball.

God, help this ship.

Comments

[ino]

We caught them following us multiple times, but ... their ships are able to hide their presence from the sensors in the ship, and -- from people who might be able to sense them otherwise. They kept disappearing without answering our calls or doing anything. Finally, they appeared out of nowhere and attacked.

We're lucky no one died that first time, honestly. We were more prepared the second time, and we were able to escape under some cover, but they mean business.

[eyeforaneye]

In that case it's strange that you're the first I've heard about it from.

[ This is essentially war to him and should be addressed as the top priority, and it's only now being mentioned somewhat offhandedly? This place messes with people's minds. ]

When was the last time they were seen?

[ino]

Yeah, well ... a lot of people didn't take it all that seriously, somehow. You wouldn't believe the response when I called for those drills in those first place. Most people either called me "too bossy" or basically said they didn't feel like it.

[ She folds her arms across her chest, looking a bit irritable now. She's definitely not still bitter about that, nope. ]

But the last time we saw them was back in September, so it's possible most of the people you've talked to arrived after that.

[eyeforaneye]

[ It's hard to remember sometimes, despite how many hours and days they've both put into escort missions, that there are civilians who operate outside the expectations for shinobi. He'd been so drawn into the battles of their world, the fate of ninja as a whole, that it'd been easy to forget about life outside of it.

A number of these people aren't trained fighters and even more of them are unused to formal organization in warfare. Hn. ]

Then they're acting foolishly. [ He's definitely on Ino's side with this one. ] Is the size of those ships comparable to these, and how many did you count in combat? [ Straight into his own military mode. ]

[ino]

No kidding. Well, they probably just didn't want to take orders from a girl, or something stupid like that.

[ Grumble, grumble. ]

They were about identical to us in size, number, and capability, as far as their weapons and shields. They just obviously had more skilled pilots on board. The only difference was ... well, we got knocked into a nebula -- it's like a weird kind of cloud, but in space -- during the last fight, and being in it completely cut off all our power for a few minutes. No lights, no weapons, no anything. And it even disrupted the communications from Atroma for awhile. But they seemed completely fine, and they just turned around and left the way they came.

[eyeforaneye]

[ Okay, putting aside the space cloud for now because he obviously needs to research that later... ]

... they forced everyone here into that kind of situation and then people didn't want to organize a new effort against them in the future because you're a woman? How completely idiotic.

[ Say whatever you want about Uchiha Sasuke but he treats men and women pretty equally badly and sees zero place for recognition of gender on the battlefield or when someone has a good plan. People potentially not listening to Ino because of it after a full-scale attack is pretty fucking nonsensical. ]

I'll aid with your drills.

[ino]

A lot of people here come from places where women aren't allowed to do anything, except have babies, I guess.

[ But she does feel better, now that Sasuke also thinks it's stupid. ]

Think you can convince the rest of your crew to join in? We can't exactly practice if the pilots aren't piloting, and stuff like that.

[eyeforaneye]

[ Right, okay, tell that to Sakura or Karin who saved his life multiple times or to Tsunade who brought him out of a coma or to the Mizukage who almost melted him. And don't get him started on Kaguya.

Underestimating a woman is one of the last things you may ever do and he is well aware of that fact. ]

Negotiation isn't my strong suit but I can present the case.