Arai Kaede is a Player Character played by Vesper. She was a free trader currently in transit to South Gate aboard the YSS Freedom. She is currently stranded on HX-13 along with the other survivors of the Freedom.

Arai Kaede
Species:	NH-29
Gender:	Female
Age:	8
Family (or Creators):	PNUgen
Height:	163 cm (5’4”)
Weight:	46kg
Bra Size:	B
Organization	Private trader (formerly Star Army of Yamatai
Rank	Taii (retired)
Occupation	Trader
Current Placement	HX-13 (stranded)

Height: 163 cm Mass: 46kg Bra Size: B

Build and Skin Colour: Like all Neko, Kaede has a lithe, athletic build but is not particularly curvaceous. She has a pitch-black skin complexion (though this was not her original skin color, she changed it when being upgraded from her original NH-17 body).

Facial Features and Eye Color: Kaede has a heart-shaped face with vivid yellow eyes.

Hair Color and Style: Kaede has shoulder length black hair. She usually keeps it loose unless involved in work, where she will put it into a braid.

Distinguishing Features: She has a number of swirly silver and white tattoos on her body.

Personality: Kaede is quite assertive, seeming bossy to those who do not know her. She likes action and competition but having spent years in serving on ships in combat she is no longer a fan of it (combat.

She dislikes the inclusion of the ‘weaker races’, those being Geshrin and Nepleslians (even Yamataians to a degree), in the Star Army and was an ardent supporter of the Species Restriction Order of YE 29. In her opinion, only the genetically superior, stronger species, Nekovalkyrja, should be allowed to serve (or even be citizens, if she had her way) within the Yamataian military. Yamtaians are, in her opinion, a race to be pitied; as opposed to the scorn she gives Yamataians and Geshrin, as they are on the right track to being a ‘true’ Neko but where not gifted all the way.

She was reprimanded by her superior in YE 29 for giving a public speech on the “Glorious New Age for the Yamataian People” after the inferior races where removed from the Star Army through the Species Restriction Order. She was very disappointed when the Star Army Admiralty gave in to the whining of the inferior species and rescinded the order in YE 30. Her angry letters where ignored.

Likes: Plants (potted), Independence, Meat, Money, Pragmatism, Ships Dislikes: Getting shot at, Mishhu, Nepleslians, Stupid People Goals: Make a good living while traveling the universe. While not being shot at (had enough of that).

Kaede was created by PNUgen Corporation in YE 23 and served aboard a number of ships until YE 26 when she applied for and was accepted into Kyoto War College. Upon graduation she was assigned to the Yumii-class flagship Light of Ynir. She served on the Light of Ynir, eventually becoming its chief engineer, until it was decommissioned at the conclusion of the First Mishhuvurthyar War near the end of YE 29. She worked at a desk job as a administrator in the Star Army Training Administration for several months until she retired in YE 30.

After retirement she got together with a number of her friends from the Light of Ynir and together they purchased a moth-balled Ayame. After modifying it to serve as a freighter she worked a free trader for the next year and a half until it was attacked in YE 31 by a Mishhu vessel. While it survived it was seriously damaged and had to be put into dock for repair at Kazumi. Unfortunately, as a civilian vessel its repair was quite far down the list of priorities regardless of payment. Learning this she decided to visit some friends still serving in the Fourth Fleet and was able to get transport aboard the YSS Freedom to South Gate.

Kaede is familiar with basic radio operation and procedures (including code ciphers) and can make transmissions to and receive transmissions from other characters through headsets, starships, power armor, and shuttles in both combat and non-combat conditions. Kaede is fluent in both Nepleslian and Yamataian (though she dislikes speaking the former). She can speak and write both correctly and efficiently and can write reports, fill forms, issue orders under fire, etc.

Having spent years studying, assembling, and repairing equipment on various Star Army vessels she could be considered a expert in a wide range of engineering fields. While quite knowledgeable on the theory behind the operation of most systems on a Yamataian vessel her expertise lies more in assembling, disassembling, and repairing them than designing or lecturing on them.

Like all Star Army personnel, Kaede received hand-to-hand combat training, followed up with a rigorous training program. She is skilled and experienced in combat both in Yamatai-like conditions and in zero-gravity, with and without weapons. Weapons she is trained in include energy pistols, knives, and power armor. She is has very good reflexes and agility.

Kaede is quite knowledgeable in regards to Yamataian history and law (particularly trade law). She is also knowledgeable on a wide range of plants and herbs.

Possessing both a commanding voice, a strong personality, and true concern for her subordinates, she has proven to be a competent leader over the years. She is also a very capable public speaker. She learned about tactics and strategy while attending Kyoto but has never had her own command (nor wanted one) to apply this knowledge practically.

As required by her profession, Kaede is very knowledgeable in the field of mathematics, from basic algebra through advanced maths.

Kaede is quite skilled at using the computer systems found within Yamataian space and has some knowledge of those used by the Nepleslians. She has a fairly basic proficiency with programming and hacking but never perused it much (she was always more involved with computers that weren’t working properly than those that were).

(listed is what she has on-hand at the start of the plot)

M37/38 Environmental Battledress Uniform 3 nutrient pouches (for M37) 1 pistol belt, leather, dark gray, with holster for service pistol Nekovalkyrja Service Pistol, Type 30 3 BR-28E Battery Magazines (1 in the pistol and 2 extra) Zesauium knife w/ synthetic sapphire inlay (carved from a piece of scrap hull) Star Army Communicator, Type 29 Premium Portable Repair Kit Handheld Plasma Cutter Star Army Science Scanner, Type 31 Pocket knife with various integrated tools