A nondescript man enters from the reception. Short of stature, he nevertheless commands authority and respect in his bearing, his garments displaying the height of Kusari fashion. Nodding to the bouncer, he hands over his identification in response to the burly man's request.
"Ah, Yutaka-san, very good to see you," says the bouncer, "please, be welcome in our establishment, where all the finest luxuries can be provided."
In response, Yutaka merely bows slightly, before moving over to take a place at the bar. Motioning for the barman, he places his order in a low voice, before settling back to look over the room.
Tomodachi gladly takes the glass from the young girl, taking a brief moment to run his eyes over her perfect feminine form and giving the girl a wink of approval to which she replies with the sweetest of smiles. After a quick sip from the glass he nods politely to the fresh-faced bartender and begins his tale, "Four days ago we were questioning a suspicious looking trader flying a heavy transport in orbit around Kyushu, he had no identification signal on his ship and he was busy trying to convice Hakatoa and myself that he was new to the business and it was a simple mistake when an arrogant BAF fool came storming down the trade lane all guns blazing proclaiming death to all Kusari citizens.". Seeing his audiences fascination, Tomodachi takes another sip from the glass and continues, "Hakatoa was directly in the intruders path and between them was the rather suspicious looking trader who was now running for his life while I was avoiding his clumbsy attempts to flee the scene, when I finally had a clear view I could see Hakatoa on full boost in hot pursuit of the bold invader."
Tomodachi gives his audience a few seconds to build up the tension and notices Hakatoa with a wide grin on his face and continues, "Realising that one civilian bomber, even if it was piloted by one of the bravest hogosha in Kusari, was no match for a Bretonian heavy fighter and I needed to get to the battle before It was all over. I activated my engines to 100% and used full boost to catch up to the dogfight",Tomodachi changes emphasis, "I'm not going to critisize our Kusari police, our kin do a difficult job well, but some controller read the situation completely wrong and ordered the local police to open fire on all of us!", Tomodachi takes another sip," anyway eventually after about ten minutes, with both our ships rapidly running out of nanobots and shield batteries, we eventually managed to wear the BAF pilot down enough for my brother here to hit him with his nova cannon leaving the BAF ship in pieces across Kusari space and the fool flying it a long prison sentence in the emporers mines."
The girl gives Tomodachi a squeeze with her arm and whispers in his ear, "It seems this lady is to give me a private tour of the ships facilities, something about a sauna and a Turkish bath, if you will all excuse me, shes promised to scrub my back!", with that Tomodachi and the pretty Kusari girl bid their farewells and leave the room together.
In the docking area, a group of men disembarked from a Container Transport bearing Samura identification. An older man from this group, surveyed the area as the younger crewmembers hurried in. He merely chuckled to himself as the Transport lifted off en route to Shinjuku for official business.
"Youth never changes, does it?" another older man, who happened to be standing nearby, asked.
The first man shook his head.
"Patience is worth it though. Let us go and see if any of our associates are here," the second man said. "Ichiro Takahashi and Kiyoshi Sato here," the second man, apparently Ichiro, said to some of the security detail.
The two old friends entered the Liner and began to look for somewhere to get refreshments and remember the old days.
A young man, apparently a Farmer by the look of him, exited a battered Drake and walked toward the habitat areas aboard the Golden Dragon Liner. He was immedietly met by a Guard, who looked at him with contempt.
"Hakatoa Yamota sent me... I'm Ieyoshi Tahashi." The farmer stated. The Guard nodded and stepped aside, and Ieyoshi walked in.
He appeared intimidated by the numerous people, whom he knew ranged from Hogosha crime bosses to Samura executives and government officials. Ieyoshi had heard of places like this, but never imagined he would be walking within one. Quite an achivement, for a simple farmer.
He looked around, and finally spotted his Benefactor sitting at a bar nearby. He walked over toward him, passing a man and a young woman heading toward the bathhouse, paying them little heed. He continued to look around nervously, making sure nobody was going to pull a gun on him or kidnap him.
He walked next to Hakatoa and half-heartedly smiled. "Ko... Konnichiwa, my good friend... hehe. You said to come to the Golden Dragon... so here I am. Never thought I would be... heh. Oh... and thanks for the money from earlier, It will hopefully help get my farm back together."
Ruuku Ochi walks into the poorly illuminated bar that is full of Hogosha, Alliance, Geisha, and other less respectable members of Kusari society. Many people in the room keep their eye on Ruuku as he walks to a crowded table in the corner of the room. Before he can get there the eager bartender, Shiniki Yamota, intercepts him; Can I get you something to drink? He asks the Black Dragon Elder. Ruuku stops for a moment and then replies;
Yes, warm me some tea. Do not bring it out to me, I will collect it from the bar in a few moments. Ruuku then continues to the crowded table, a few people there have already noticed him.
Do not let me disturb you, my friends. I just need to take Hakatoa-San from you. Ruuku states as he steps in front of the farmer whom is also asking for the Kobun's time. Ruuku hands Hakatoa a data pad and says quietly to him;
I have requested that you collect this man from the hanger deck. Bring him to an interrogation chamber. You will be his liaison during the questioning; see to it that he is squirming in that chair. A group of interrogates will join you down there. Yamota, I want to know what makes this man tick.
With that Ruuku bows to those sitting at the table and walks away, grabbing the cup of tea on his way our of the bar without a second glance to any of the staff. He finishes the tea halfway down the hall and hands the empty cup a server carrying a plate of sushi.
Duty and honour
Elder Ruuku Ochi, So-Honbucho of The Black Dragon Society
Tomodachi walks in to the lounge area, bowing slightly to a few important faces in the crowd as he makes his way up to the large, opulently decorated bar.
The ever eager barman Shiniki Yamota, bounds up to him, smiling whilst wiping a glass tumbler dry, "What can I get for you today Tomodachi-san, the usual Saki?"
Tomodachi is looking around the room, trying to pick out a particular face in the large crowd of people, "Have you seen a gaijin businessman, stocky fellow with receeding hair and must be in his late fifties?"
"He's been here a few hours with the rest of that IMG business delegation", Shiniki points towards a crowded far corner of the room where a group of suits are laughing and joking with some geishas that look young enough to be their daughters.
The Black Dragon thanks Shiniki and then squeezes his way through the crowd until he reaches the table, "Does your wife know you work this hard on business trips, Harry?", Tomodachi asks the oldest of the men with a slight grin forming.
"Tomo!", the man stands up from the table and pushes his way towards the tall stranger and wraps his arms around him, clearly fond of him, "If she did, I'm afraid I'd be banned and have to retire!", the businessman turns to his companions, "Excuse me for a while, this lad is the son of one of my old friends and we have some catching up to do"
The two of them walk over to a small table up on a raised section near a huge window looking down on the ocean blue planet of New Tokyo.
"Last time I saw you was at your father's memorial service, Tomo, I trust things are going well for you?", The older man asks.
"Thank-you I am fine, I have finally found a purpose here in Kusari and I know my father would have been proud of me.", Tomodachi looks away briefly to make sure they are not being overheard, "You said you had a delecate matter that you needed my help with?"
"I do indeed and I think your about the only one I can trust it too", Harry moves closer and drops his voice a little, "You know it's my 25th wedding anniversary this year?", Tomodachi nods to the man, " well I need your experience in aquiring a certain antique vase, it's one that Edith has been trying to get for about twenty years and I've found out where it is".
Tomodachi, seems a little puzzled, "I'm not sure why you need my help to get it, your definately not short of the money"
The old man replies, "The problem is that it belongs to a Corsair collector, I've made some discreet enquiries about buying it but a respectable IMG manager can't been seen to be trading with the Corsairs and that's why I need your help"
"Very well as a good friend I will be your intermediary with them, pass me the details and I'll contact you when I have it in my possession", Tomodachi stands up and bids the man farewell, "Don't worry about the money as I have another Idea of how you can pay me but we will discuss that when I return, and give my love to Edith when you return home"
Desert slouched into the bar, wearing a trench coat and sunglasses, both pitch black. The fresh spots of blood on his outfit were difficult to make out unless one looked closely. It had been a busy day.
Desert chuckled. He now realized why the Hogosha wore black.
His suspicious apparel raised more than a few eyebrows, but not as many as would have been raised had he openly displayed his face - he was, after all, half Bretonian by race, and of Bretonian origin. Although they allowed him to dock at their bases and carry a Hogosha identification while he ran missions for them, they had yet to accept him as one of their own, and he was therefore on very thin ice, let alone his crew. His biracial background and past crimes didn't help much, either.
"Bartender, give me four bottles of the strongest sake you have. I don't care about the quality," he said, slinking up to the bar.
"And, um... toss in a couple of saint mary's," he added under his breath.
The bartender nodded subtly, added the ingredients under the bar and slid it to Desert, who tossed him a 10,000 credit card. The bartender bowed slightly, slipped the card into his pocket and proceeded to assist other customers.
Desert slumped over to a dark table in the corner of the bar, where a couple of similarly-dressed crew members and one of his Hogosha handlers waited, counting out the payment for his most recent mission.
Desert pulled out a chair, and sat down between his first and second mates across from his handler. He slid out the sakes to his companions.
"You have no heart, Gaijin, and that makes you useful to us for now. You'd better hope that doesn't change," suggested the Hogoshan, taking a swig from the bottle.
"I highly doubt it," replied Desert, dipping his finger into one of the spots of blood on his coat and making swirl patterns on the table.
"Good. We'll have more work for you shortly, so be ready." The Hogoshan got up to leave, and began walking out.
"There will be a gift for you in your room. Consider her a token of our gratitude for your hospitality," said Desert after the Hogoshan, raising his blood-smeared bottle to him.
Tomodachi bids farewell to the old IMG executive, his fathers friend from many years ago and walks back towards the bar. During the short walk he notices a rather nervous Kusari wandering towards it also, noticing that he is holding a very red looking neck and obviously in discomfort, Tomodachi realises that the society has its newest recruit and moves to intercept him, "Welcome, my name is Tomodachi what is yours?", he reaches his hand out to shake the startled new recruits.
"My name is Takahashi Ken'ichi", he seems a little lost for words then continues, "but your a gaijin and in the society, I thought only Kusari, how is this possible?"
"It's a long story brother, I'll explain it to you another time but right now you look like you could use a stiff drink", with that Tomodachi signals to the barman to come over.
The young Kobun turns toward Mazakatu Nagumo to listen more attentively.
"Perhaps I shall retire to my quarters, for there is much to do tomorrow. Report anything out of the ordinary to one of the Elders or myself immediately. Can you handle this task, young one?"
The young man nods firmly, swelling with pride at the responsibility he has been entrusted with. Nagumo nods back, and turns to leave. Briefly, he allows the faintest wisp of a smile to grace his face; His enthusiasm is welcome, but of course I cannot allow someone so junior to truly be in charge of something so important.
With that thought, Nagumo activates his commlink. One of the Shateigashira will supervise, he thinks to himself. Many of the most dangerous guests have already left anyway . . .
A strong empire begins with a firm foundation.
[|]Mazakatu_Nagumo - So-Honbucho, The Black Dragon Society.
*I enter the bar and sit at a table*
Blood Dragon 1: Who is that guy sensei?
Blood Dragon Leader: He looks like an outsider who needs "redirection".
Blood Dragon 2: Affirmative Sensei lets "show him out"!
*I drink my beverage and watch the Kusari News Service*
Dragon Leader: Hey, This is Kusari's Turf, Get Out!
Daniel: Why don't you make me Loser!
Dragon 2: Nobody insults the Sensei without a beating!
Dragon 1: YEAH!!!
Dragon Leader: DRAGONS, ATTACK!!!!!
!^#^$%@#^@$#^%$^@#%$^#^%$@^%
Dragon 1 & 2: :wacko:I can't feel my LEGS!
Daniel: You want some too gramps! :angry:
*The Sensei and his "friends" run off screaming like girls! :laugh:
DANIEL WINS!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: