Her Voice

Chapter Two

By Kaguya's Chaos

Kagome walked quickly down the brightly lit corridor, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. Confusion and a little bit of fear tingled across her shoulder blades and down her spine. The notification came from the council early this morning and had caused a small commotion within her family unit. The holo-mail had arrived in the center of their breakfast with a sharp chirp and all motion had paused.

"Father? Were you expecting something?" Ms. Higurashi asked tentatively and the elderly man slowly shook his head with a frown on his face. Frowning herself, Ms. Higurashi leaned over slightly and swiped her hand over the flashing red sign to open the message. With another chirp, the message expanded and the face of the council smiled broadly into the space between Ms. Higurashi and Ji-chan.

"Good morning, and apologies for this unprecedented message!" The smarmy voice floated over the four in the room. "I am here to announce that we have need to see Miss Kagome Higurashi in the council's central meeting room." Kagome interjected slightly with a gasp. "Your appointment is scheduled for 800 hours, please be on time." With a final chirp, the face man of the council dissolved into nothing.

This lead to where Kagome was now striding toward the council meeting room with her heart in her throat. It was two days from her graduation and Kitakawa-sensei hadn't mentioned there being any kind of problem. Despite the fact that she had top marks in her class, and the extensive amounts of time she put into any research she was given jurisdiction over, she couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Maybe they were going to tell her that she wasn't psychic enough for her designation? Her heartbeat tripled and her face paled slightly.

She stopped moving forward and continued this line of thought, her imagination sending her into strange scenarios of her being blacklisted and sent to the janitorial department. Her family would be so shamed, they would cut all ties to her! So lost in morbid thought, she didn't register she was at her destination until someone loudly cleared their throat.

Kagome jumped slightly and looked into the stoic, yet questioning, face of the military personnel standing beside the very door she needed to go through. Clasping her hands onto the bottom of her synthetic cotton shirt, she straightened her shoulders. 'Better get on with it then.' She thought to herself, grimly.

"Kagome Higurashi. I was summoned this morning by the council." She said shortly, more so due to nerves than anything else. The guardsman nodded and placed his hand on the panel just slightly behind him.

"The council has been expecting you." He answered just as shortly and Kagome walked into the intimidating room before her.

She didn't know what it was like on other ships, but she imagined that each had the same kind of council meeting room. Despite the fact that the door leading in was small and, other than the guard stationed out front, rather unassuming, the interior was spacious. A long empty room that must have been over three hundred paces, and at the end of the room were the ten holo-projectors that the councilmen would use during important meetings. Nine projectors for the shadowed men and women that sat on the council for deliberations, and the middle projector for what everyone knew to be the "face" of the council.

From what Kagome remembered and understood during her lessons, the council remained "hidden" from the masses due to the safety of themselves and their decisions. You can't buy off a council member if you didn't know who they were, and you couldn't sway their decisions. The way the council was split was three members from each faction would always be present, in light of fairness and equality, Kagome supposed, but how the council was elected and who decided any of that she didn't know. She wasn't interested in politics after all.

Glancing around the empty room, Kagome made her way to the large desk and lone chair placed before the projectors. As she reached the chair, and as if triggering some sort of button, the projectors flared to life and Kagome found herself staring into the face of the council and the nine shadowed figures behind him. Her mouth went dry and her hand shook as she questioned the ramifications of the entire council being present for whatever was about to happen.

"Good morning, Miss Higurashi." Kagome about jumped a foot in the air as the same smarmy voice from that morning echoed out into the quiet room. Straightening further in attention, Kagome found herself bowing slightly in the way her Ji-chan had taught her their ancestors had when being polite. With a nervous blush she quickly snapped back up and instead saluted as she was supposed to, with her hand curled slightly and placed just below her left shoulder.

"And to you, councilman." She managed to murmur as she placed her hand on the back of the chair.

"Please, be seated." The man, (what WAS his name?), smiled in what Kagome thought he believed to be charming. Kagome sat down and glanced at the top of the table, startled to realize it was actually a large screen.

"Miss Higurashi, you have been summoned before us today because we find ourselves in quite the quandary." Kagome glanced up sharply at the only animated person in front of her. "You see, graduation is but mere days away and we find ourselves unable to aptly place you."

Kagome's heart settled into her shoes. Her mind blanked and she stared down at the large screen once more. 'Unable to aptly place you, huh?' She felt tears come to her eyes and scrunched her brows to keep them from falling. 'What the heck does that mean?!'

To not be placed was unheard of. Everyone, from the top student to the lowest in the ranks, was placed into their designation once graduation was over with. Whether that be in the janitorial department or with the political aspects within each ship. There was no 'not designated' placement. Each person was placed where they worked the best depending on their emotional and logical placement on the rigorous testing you went through in school. While you didn't get to choose yourself verbally, no one was ever really dissatisfied with their placement. And if you were, you were allowed to petition the labor board for reassignment, but that hardly ever happened.

"I don't understand." Kagome spoke softly and looked back up when the shadowed figures behind the front man shifted slightly.

Mr. Face, as Kagome was going to refer to him, frowned slightly in a practiced movement that she was sure he had learned in the entertainment faction aboard his own ship. His upper torso leaned forward slightly and Kagome realized that he too must be seated behind a desk as she could only see to his waist. 'For some reason I was sure he was seated on a throne.' She thought inanely as he began to speak again.

"Quite frankly, Miss Higurashi, your scores and the aptitude you have shown in the many different fields you have been tested in don't give any of us a clear idea of where best to utilize you." Kagome frowned back at him and sat up straight, her hands clasped in front of her on the screen.

"What exactly does that mean for me?" She asked as her mind whirled to reach a logical conclusion.

"It means, Miss Higurashi," Mr. Face smirked slightly, "that for the first time since our systems have been put into place, you will be allowed to choose your own designation." He paused slightly and Kagome was grateful. Her thoughts had ground to a halt and a strange emotion was welling up inside her like a balloon.

"My own…?" She whispered to herself as her thoughts fought to reorganize themselves.

"We have picked out the best options from what we know and there are numerous choices you can make." Mr. Face said in a slightly more solicitous tone. He waved a hand and the screen before her flashed to life with dozens of documents and what looked to be pictured pamphlets. "We will give you the next few hours to go over the information provided to you. When you have come to a decision, the call sign in the upper left corner will notify us and we will continue this meeting."

Kagome looked up with a dazed expression and her thoughts ground to a halt at the serious and dark look on the councilman's face. "Remember, Miss Higurashi. This is a decision you, yourself are now responsible for. You will have no one else but yourself to lay any of the blame." With that last ominous message, the council winked out of sight.

Kagome felt her emotions settle as she allowed his words to sink in. This was an important decision she never thought she would be allowed to make. Her eyes wandered to the many documents before her and her spine stiffened. The first one on the top had a listing of all the fields she was eligible for and a brief description of what each entailed. In many of the fields were smaller sub-brackets that were also further explained.

She shifted through all of them until she found exactly what she was looking for. A smile lit her face and she briefly thought of Kitakawa-sensei and the research the both of them had been working on late that night. With her field decided she eliminated the other options and waited for the pamphlets that coincided with those fields to disappear as well. Only one dropped off and she was surprised to find that she had her pick of practically any ship in the southern and western fleets.

A fizzle of excitement bounced inside her and she set about looking through each pamphlet. After searching for a good portion of her second hour her hand passed over a vivid and vibrant picture of a massive tree. Her heart stuttered for what must have been the thousandth time that morning. Pulling the picture up and all the information included she grinned. Her hands swiped at the call button and she waited patiently for the council to make their appearance.

"Miss Higurashi. Have you made your choice already?" Mr. Face asked benignly and Kagome grinned back at him.

"I have, yes." She said simply and tried to compose herself so she wouldn't bounce in place.

"Well…?"

"I'd like to be placed within the ship Eden as a biological researcher." She said confidently, her hand still placed over the picture of the large tree, and beneath the tree were the words: Goshinboku, the center of Eden, home to biological advancement.


"Why is it always stuck in my hair?" A low female voice growled and a few snickers followed.

"You don't like it then shave your head, Taijya." A snarky feminine voice floated over the sounds of people removing heavy equipment. A round of laughter echoed briefly and the retort that was hissed back didn't reach his ears, and for that Sesshomaru Taisho was vaguely grateful. Fights between his teams: Kagura Kaze and Kouga Wolfe's: Sango Taijya, had always been rather vicious. To be frank, his headache was bad enough, and he didn't need their bickering to make it worse.

"Oi, ice-pop!" Speaking of headaches.

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh and give his younger half-brother any knowledge to his irritated state. Instead he turned hardened golden eyes on the idiot leaning casually against the lockers behind him. The raucous voices in the background continued as Inuyasha Taisho studied the older male. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow and turned back to his own locker, taking the armbands off and placing them in their separate compartment.

"How did the talk with dad go?"

Sesshomaru paused abruptly in removing his boots and stared down at the floor to the right of his foot. The image of his fathers' disappointed expression crossed over his minds' eye before he quickly dismissed the memory. "None of your business, Inuyasha." He stated coldly and continued to take off the rest of his equipment before picking up his towel and heading toward the showers.

Inuyasha smirked briefly behind his brother and turned to his locker.

"Heh, you keep poking the bear and it's gonna maul ya, Inu-baka." The sarcastic voice beside him had Inuyasha snorting.

"Yeah, yeah. Just cuz you were made team leader this round, doesn't mean you can give me advice, damn wolf."

"Yeah, but bossing you around on the field sure does feel good." Kouga Wolfe said back and braced himself as Inuyasha launched at him. Both coming to blows in what was the typical ritual between the two after each mission.

Ayame Shiro, Kagura, and Sango, as being the only female's between the two teams, rolled their eyes and walked over to the second shower room. Sango picked at the green and yellow gore drying in her long ponytail.

"I'm telling you, you should just cut it off. Like I did." Kagura preened slightly as she mussed her short black hair proudly and Sango scowled at her. Kagura was slim with well-defined features and her newly shortened hair made her look more like a runway model than the soldier she was. Sango, on the other hand, looked more like a tomboy with her hair shortened, thus why she had grown it out longer. She glanced over at the other female on Kagura's team and was slightly annoyed that the girl's long red hair was just as clean as Kagura's.

"I'm not cutting my hair." Sango reiterated "Ayame, how do you keep your hair so clean?" She whined slightly as they started up their showers.

Ayame snorted slightly and lifted a brow over her shoulder at the other two. "My weapon is a whip." She stated shortly. "Not a katana like yours. I don't fight in close combat." Her tone suggested a "Duh!" At the end and Sango flushed slightly. This was only her second mission with Kouga's team and the first time she had ever worked with the only other combat unit on their small cruiser. To be honest she hadn't been paying much attention to the other team, seeing as they had actual alien enemies on this cleanup mission.

Kagura snickered slightly than slung an arm around the redhead. "Well, aren't you a princess this morning." She cooed and Ayame let out a small shriek. Sango ignored the two as she scrubbed furiously at her hair. It had better all come out.


Sesshomaru shrugged the fitted uniform over his shoulders and adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. His thoughts were once again circling around the holo-conference he had had with his father just before they had been given their mission. He had once again asked why he had been passed over for promotion. His jaw tightened and he found himself gritting his teeth over the way his fathers' face had become perfectly blank and his eyes had assessed his irritated son.

As high general to the western fleet, Hideaki Taisho, or Inu no Taisho as he was known throughout the western forces, had knowledge beforehand of his request for promotion. Though Sesshomaru had asked the board member why his promotion had been denied, he was unsatisfied with the answer. With a disappointed sigh, the Inu no Taisho had squared his shoulders and stared right into his son's eyes.

"As you have already been told, Captain Taisho. Your failings lie within your inability to work with your team as a unit. This includes the psychic linked to you through battle." At this, Sesshomaru's eyes had narrowed. If that little worm had-

"Akitoki Hojo had no bearing on this decision." Inu no Taisho barked slightly in reprimand on where his son's thoughts were headed. "He hadn't been consulted on this at all. The decision was based off of previous performances. Or have you forgotten the twelve psychics you've gone through already?"

Sesshomaru snorted. "They were not fit to be this Sesshomaru's partner." He stated simply and Inu no Taisho again looked at him in disappointment.

"And this Inu no Taisho found you to be unfit for promotion." He said shortly as he closed out of the holo-conference and left Sesshomaru seething in an empty room. The alarm had sounded shortly after and Sesshomaru had been forced to push the issue to the side as he headed toward the locker rooms to suit up.

Reminded again of the words his father had spoken to him, Sesshomaru pulled out his screen and requested a training session with his psychic partner. The answer to his summons was long in coming and had his irritability spiking. Heading toward the training room, he put on the headgear required and picked one of the practice swords off the wall.

He stood waiting silently for the strange ticklish feeling of a psychic touch before opening himself to the idiot that was his partner.

'Ah, hello again, Taisho-sama.' The boys' nervous voice echoed strangely in his head and Sesshomaru felt the need to roll his eyes. He didn't respond to the greeting and instead began to think of the many things he felt they needed to work on.

'Your reaction time to outside stimulus is too slow.' He intoned and felt a shift in the psychic's emotional state. Ignoring what it could possibly be he began moving through simple forms, concentrating on the way the psychic focused on his energy. His eyebrows lowered and his temper spiked for the fourth time that day. 'Again.' He commanded and proceeded with the training exercise.


Kagome studied the red and purple vine in front of her, lifting the various bulbs protruding from the main stalk. It wasn't growing fruit yet, but so far it showed promise. Her excitement at the plants' progress had her shooting back up to her feet faster than she normally would have. Her balance failed her and she stumbled slightly to her left, falling into the small cart holding her tools and beakers. Her arms wrapped around the top of the cart, stabilizing both it and herself.

The laughter behind her had her straightening and glaring in the direction it was coming from. Miroku Soryu was leaning against the far wall and watching her with a smirk over his face. "Dammit, Miroku. It isn't funny." She hissed waspishly and blushed when he continued to chuckle.

"I had figured when you didn't show up for lunch you were rather preoccupied with your patients." He said in his usual mellow tone and Kagome blanched.

"Ah, crap. I'm late for lunch?" She asked wincing slightly and Miroku straightened from his lean. A mocking frown drew his lips downward slightly and he shook his head.

"My dear, you are now late for the evening meal."

Kagome winced again and put her hand behind her head, mussing up her hair. "Eheh. Whoops." She sheepishly grinned then held up her screen pointing at the scribbled notes she had written in her haste earlier. "But look! The derma-"

"Yes, yes. Your patients will still be here, slowly growing in the lab when you get back." Miroku cut her off as he walked behind her and gently pushed her toward the sliding doors leading out of the small greenhouse laboratory. "However, your stomach will not last another second, if I'm hearing it right." He chided and Kagome blushed again as her stomach voiced its' own complaints.

"To the cafeteria it is." She bemused as she shrugged off the lab coat and hung it in the cubby she had been given two years ago. As the both of them walked through the security clearance, Kagome waved to the newly appointed guard inside the small office. "Going to dinner, Taijya-san. I'll be back later."

"Not if I can help it." Miroku interjected and winked at the blushing boy in military uniform. Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed the playboy into the hall.

"Miroku, it's because you say things like that that no one takes you seriously." She narrowed her eyes at the wide innocent smile on the other psychics face. "What would your partner, Sango-san, say if she knew you were such a pervert?" Kagome casually dropped his linking partner's name and watched with internal glee at the strange expression that crossed his face.

"Ah, my lovely Sango." He said lightly to himself and Kagome stifled another giggle at the strange looks they were getting from her fellow researchers. She immediately tuned out his diatribe about the lovely Sango's many virtues and assets. Instead her mind went back to the growth rate of the plant hybrid she had been experimenting with a few minutes ago.

If all went well, she could begin testing it out in the deoxygenating chamber this week. Her growing excitement slammed to a halt when she felt a heavy arm drape over her shoulders. "Why, Higurashi-sama. I do believe you did that deliberately." Miroku murmured next to her ear and Kagome shrugged him off, covering her ear at the same time.

"Miroku! How many times do I have to tell you not the ear?!"

Miroku shrugged carelessly and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her into the large room that was considered the cafeteria. Though it catered to any and all who came in, the only people that ate at the cafeteria were those that were single or had no family on ship. Most preferred to eat within their own units, and to be honest, Kagome much preferred eating in her room by herself. However the day that Miroku had decided they would be the best of friends, much to her confusion, he had decreed that she would not eat alone ever again. "You already spend the whole day with a bunch of plants! You need human interaction!" He had stated and then pushed her towards the cafeteria to begin what was a daily ritual.

Well, whenever she remembered to eat and he wasn't on a mission or training with his combat partner. Kagome walked over to the large panel on the far wall and surveyed her options. Beside her Miroku did the same. Both made their choices and picked up their trays when they slid out from the small compartment below the panels.

"Oden again, Kagome?" Miroku questioned and Kagome bristled slightly.

"Oden is wonderful, Miroku! Frankly, I'm astounded you can eat pizza for days on end." She snapped waving a hand to the greasy slice sitting haphazardly on the plate. Miroku grinned and shrugged.

"Pizza is wonderful, Kagome!" He mocked in falsetto as they both sat down at an empty table. Before Kagome could continue their banter, a chair beside her scraped away from the table and a brown haired boy threw himself into it, laying his head on the table. Realizing her mouth was hanging open, Kagome snapped it shut and looked over at Miroku.

Miroku stared blankly down at the boy before shaking his head in sympathy. "Another training session with Taisho-sama, Hojo?" He asked lightly and received a pitiful whimper in response. Kagome looked at Miroku in question and Miroku placed his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers under his chin.

"Hojo is the link partner to Captain Sesshomaru Taisho. The captain of the other team on the same battle cruiser as my dear Sango." Miroku explained briefly and looked down at the boy as another whimper came from him. "Oh, it couldn't have been that bad." Miroku started and jumped slightly when the younger man sat up in his seat and stared at him with his eyes blazing. Miroku belated realized there was something rather manic about his look.

"You don't know the half of it, Soryu! That man is impossible to work with! I swear if I have to hear 'stupid boy' one more time-!" He cut himself off and Kagome was horrified to realize he was about to cry.

Miroku looked around quickly at the attention Hojo was bringing to their table and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Yes, ok, I'm sorry! Just calm down, Hojo." He hissed and paled when the boy put his head in his hands and started sobbing. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the man in his early twenties broke down and started sobbing. Kagome stared blankly at the boy then switched her gaze to an equally disimpassioned Miroku. When their eyes met Kagome realized he wasn't going to do anything to pacify the psychic and that it was all up to her.

"Ah, Hojo, right?" Kagome hesitantly placed her hand on his back leaning slightly to the side to get him to look at her. "Uh, I'm sure Captain…Taisho didn't, um, mean to, er, insult you…?" She winced slightly and glanced to Miroku again. Miroku shook his head sagely and crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, he definitely meant it. He has a reputation for thinking all psychics are useless." He said simply and Kagome threw her spoon at him.

"Not helping, Soryu." She gritted out and Miroku grinned sheepishly, also leaning forward.

"Why don't you apply for vacation?" Miroku suggested half-heartedly and jumped back when Hojo raised his tear-streaked face with a snap. Kagome withdrew from him just as quickly and watched the boy warily.

"And who would take over for me, Soryu?! No one wanted the position when they gave it to me!" Hojo whined and Kagome felt a spark of irritation. Miroku crossed his arms again and stared down at the table in thought. His eyes wandered to Kagome's profile as she stared at Hojo in something like half formed disgust. His thoughts clicked and something like 'Eureka!' was briefly shouted in his mind.

"Kagome can take over for a week!" He exclaimed the last half of his thoughts and Kagome's head whipped to him even as Hojo's whipped to her direction.

"What?!"

"Really?!"

Both spoke at once and Miroku grinned in self-satisfaction. Kagome stood up from her chair and leaned over the table. "Miroku! I am a biological researcher! Not a battle link!" Her hands planted firmly on the table and she ignored the way Hojo deflated slightly beside her. Miroku also stood up as he warmed to the idea growing in his head.

"Yeah, but you more than passed your battle parameters in school. You told me yourself! Not to mention all the rumors about you being a prodigy!" He paused slightly and looked over at Hojo. "You should just make the suggestion to Wallace! She's in charge of the staffing in the links'." Miroku trailed off expectantly and grinned when Hojo shot to his feet and left in a hurry before Kagome snapped out of her stupor.

"Miroku-"

"Kagome, the chances of them switching you to battle linking is, at most, point one percent." He said smoothly and Kagome blinked, her mouth opening a closing.

"So why-"

"Well, it got the idiot out of hair, right?" He asked with a grin and sat back down to his rapidly cooling pizza. Kagome also sat down and stared at him in consternation.

"Dammit, Miroku. I thought you were serious!" She grumbled as she looked around for her spoon, remembering that she had thrown it at Miroku. Letting out a huff she got up to get another one.

Miroku watched her go and whispered lowly so she wouldn't hear, "I was…"


Kagome wasn't quite sure exactly how it was possible, but she found herself walking down the hallway to the linking pods to begin her week-long sub-in for Akitoki Hojo. Technically and politically speaking, this transfer was unheard of. Kagome didn't think Hojo's request would be given credence, but apparently she was wrong. The situation must have been more serious than she first thought if they had even considered, let alone gone through with, her transfer.

At her protest, she had been assured that her experiments would continue, after all her notes were all documented. The researcher left in charge was competent and she could check in whenever she wanted. It wasn't like she would be perpetually linked to the captain the whole week, and it was only for a week. It was all that this Wallace woman would allow Hojo to be on vacation for. Apparently he was going to visit his family on an Eastern fleet ship named Hircine.

'Well good for him! That no account crybaby!' Kagome raged mentally as she half paid attention to Maryann Wallace going on about the pods and everyone in the link unit. Miroku had already explained much of this when she had cornered him yesterday. Miroku was the only other psychic on Eden that was linked to anyone on that particular battle cruiser. The other psychics were on another research ship called Poseidon, so the only way to discuss things as a team was during a holo-conference after missions and any team related training.

Today it would just be her and her week-long linking partner. It was to be a four hour session so that she could learn the way her partner moved and emphasize the best way to bolster his energy. The small dossier she had been given of her partner was short and to the point. He was a sword user, utilized speed and efficiency over strength and had a short and nasty temper. Wonderful, she thought to herself.

They entered the long room where the linking pods were kept and Wallace gestured to the doors on the far side. "Pod suits and linking equipment is through those doors. You go get yourself ready and I'll set up the pods' frequency." She said smiling and Kagome smiled politely back. 'She's just doing her job. No need to cut down the middleman.' She told herself as she let go of her anger and small sense of betrayal.

As she put on a suit she never thought she'd have to wear again, Kagome felt the usual disassociation she had in school come over her. A sense of distant professionalism settled over her thoughts and she finished getting ready with the practiced movements of someone who knew what they were doing. Regardless of how she felt about being strong-armed into being a linking partner for a week, she had a job to do. And nothing was more serious a job than keeping her partner alive in battle.


Sesshomaru once again stood in the training room awaiting a psychic link. This time, however, the jeering of his brother in the background and the mutterings of both teams members slightly distracted him. None of them would even have been there if it weren't for the humiliating and slightly mortifying holo-message that had appeared over their breakfast table that morning.

Just as a loud chirp had sounded through the room, the Inu no Taisho's image had appeared and looked directly into Sesshomaru's face. "You've done it again, Captain Taisho. Your linking partner has cried off for a week of vacation due to emotional trauma. You will have a substitute for the week he is out of commission. Training is in two hours." With that the message ended and the room burst into a frenzied commotion. Sesshomaru had blinked slowly and finished his breakfast, ignoring his brother's hooted "You did it again!"

Now all of them were in the large training room ready to watch the spectacle that Sesshomaru training with yet another new partner had become. Sesshomaru felt the slight tingle that always represented a polite request and allowed himself to open to the psychic. That was where all previous similarities ended. The feeling of hands lightly brushing along his back and down his arms had him standing at attention, shivers crawling up in their wake. He stared blankly in front of himself as the sensation continued to travel down his legs and up his neck simultaneously.

A noise, like a slight indrawn breath echoed slightly in his ears, and then he heard her voice for the first time. 'Hello, Captain Taisho.' The shivers rolled over his shoulder blades again. 'My name is Kagome Higurashi.'


So, this took a lot longer than I thought it would to get out. My apologies for the wait and thank you for reading.