Tomodachi makes his way into the main lounge of the Golden Dragon, past him walked two very muscular guards that are forcefully ejecting some noisy kid that looks barely old enough to shave out of the room. "This place is getting too damn popular", he mutters to himself under his breath and continues on up to the bar where the ever cheerful barman, Shiniki is waiting to greet him, "Tomodachi, how are you today?", as he speaks he reaches under the bar and pulls out a very recognizable bottle of the finest sake he has to offer and fills a glass for the kobun with it's contents.
Tomodachi takes the glass and acknowledges the barman by raising his glass to him then drinking the contents in one gulp, "I've spent a long and tiring day my friend, out in the border worlds fending off Outcasts and smugglers and not to mention trading insults with a few Junkers", he puts the glass down so the barman can refill it for him. Just as he is about to pick up the second drink, a young girl walks up to the bar and places some empties into a container to be washed later on. Tomodachi can't help but stare at the girl, tall and slim with jet black hair wearing the same provocative outfit of black hot-pants and a short silk kimono that all the girls on the ship are clothed in to try and tempt horny merchants into buying "extras".
After a few moments Tomodachi focuses his attention back to the glass of sake on the bar and stares at the barman who is chuckling quietly to himself, "Don't worry, she's been having that effect on just about every guy who walks into the room"
"Is she new? I don't remember seeing her before", the kobun takes another sip while he waits for some answers.
"Her name is Aiko Nishimura, and that's all I know about her", the young bartender shrugs his shoulders and continues, "she started here a couple of days ago, works hard but keeps to herself most of the time and at the end of her shift just goes home"
Nishimura, seems familiar to Tomodachi but he can't quite remember why it is important to him and after a few minutes of trying hard to recall it he decides to give up thinking about it and finish his drink, "I'm going to turn in for the night my friend, another long patrol tomorrow and I don't want to fall asleep in an asteroid field!"
"Your getting old dragon, maybe you need me to send one of the girls up to give you a bed bath?" laughs the barman.
"Much as my head wants to say yes, my body is telling me to go to sleep, so I think for once I'm going to pass that one up tonight", Tomodachi gives the young man a friendly bow and walk towards a waiting lift marked "lower decks, authorised personnel only". For some reason the kobun is restless and unable to sleep, the name of that girl is preying on his mind. Eventually he turns on the room light and walks over to a desk by the far wall and takes a small data-pad from the drawer. He sits down and begins to scroll through a list of news events from the last few decades until suddenly he finds what he is looking for, "BONKURA!, I should have realised". The Kobun quickly gets dressed and runs back into the bar and straight up to the barman who is looking very surprised to see him again, "Where is she, the new girl Aiko?"
"She finished her shift about thirty minutes ago, why?", Asks the confused bartender.
Tomodachi doesn't answer him but instead activates a communication device in his ear, "Security find out the location of a bar worker called, Aiko Nishimura, I believe she may be a saboteur", he turns and gestures to the young man at the bar to follow him, "Come with me and I'll explain on the way".
The two of them make their way to the corridor as the communication device crackles in Tomodachi's ear, "The girl hasn't left the liner yet, we've located her position to somewhere near the officer's quarters"
The kobun interrupts the transmission, "Get a security detail down there at once, we have an emergency!", the two step into the lift and Shiniki impatiently presses the buttons on the control panel in a vain attempt to make it move faster.
Tomodachi explains what he has learnt, "If I'm correct, that girl's mother was second in command on a Kusari cruiser in my father's fleet, she and the captain had an affair and the stupid idiot got her pregnant. When my father found out about the pair of them breaking the rules about officers fraternising, he threw Aiko's mother out of the navy. He was about to do the same to the captain, making an example of them both when he was informed by someone high in the government that he was to never speak of it again and to forget it ever happened. When the girls mother found out, she went into hiding swearing that she would bring down what she said was a "Chauvinistic and corrupt government" and that she would seek out her sisters in the Golden Chrysanthemums to help her achieve it.
Suddenly the lift jolts to a halt, the doors slide open and the two of them bolt out of it like greyhounds from a trap after the rabbit and race down the long corridor. At the bottom they can clearly see the girl, Aiko closing a door and calmly walking away, stepping into a nearby lift.
The two of them increase their pace but as they get close to the entrance the girl used only minutes before a loud explosion rips through the room she has just left forcing the doors open and knocking the two men off their feet and back in the direction they had just come from.
Moments later they come around, Tomodachi's head hurts and there is a ringing sound in his ear. A guard notices them and runs up to help the two dazed men. "What happened?" asks Shiniki.
The Black Dragon doesn't need to wait for the answer, "It was Aiko, she planted a bomb on the ship, and I only hope that no one got hurt when it went off"
Takata Ran was awakened by the sound of the Golden Dragon alarm blaring, his personal communicator was flashing on the bedside table.
"What the...?" He picked it up. "Yes? He yelled above the alarm into the small device.
"It's Tomodachi. Come quickly! There's been an explosion! The Kimicho....."
"What is it man!? Spit it out!"
"The Kumicho, Ryuu has been attacked, an explosive device, we're taking him to the Medical Bay now."
Takata was immediately galvanised into action, this was bad, Kumicho Hitomi Ryuu was the leader of the Black Dragons an inspirational character of courage and honour, as well as being a close personal friend of the Hogosha number two. "Right, I'll meet you there, anyone else hurt? How bad's the damage?"
"No-one else hurt. Integrity of the hull not threatened. Explosion limited to the Kumicho's quarters. We think it was an anti-personnel device. Organising a repair crew now". Tomodachi gave his report in snatched, breathless staccato sentences. Still reeling from the shock of the explosion, he was glad to be doing something practical.
Takata leapt out of bed quickly pulled on clothes then sped to the Medical Bay, mind racing at the possibilities. It took him nearly five desperate minutes to get there and crashing through the door he found Tomodachi, grey faced, slumped on a waiting room chair.
"Where is he? How bad is it?" Takata demanded.
"He's in the operating room now, lost a lot of blood. They don't know if he'll make it, severe head injuries, .....I just don't know."
"OK, give me the details, exactly what happened?" Takata asked softly.
Tomodachi started to relate the events of the evening leading to the act of treachery by Aiko, but Takata stopped him.
"No wait, wait 'til The Hand get's here, he'll want to hear this" 'The Hand' is the nickname given to the head of The Golden Dragon special security unit known as 'The Bureau'. Some say because of his special skill at extracting information from prisoners by working only on fingers and thumbs.
Just as Takata said this 'The Hand' appeared at the doorway, accompanied by two of his men.
"Let's hear it" He said tersely.
Tomodachi related the events in detail, The Hand making him repeat the story several times to make sure no information was omitted. When he had heard enough The Hand instructed his men and then turned back to Takata.
"We'll seal the ship; hopefully we'll be in time to prevent this traitor from leaving."
They stood in shock for a few minutes, discussing the ramifications, stunned that such a thing could have happened, when suddenly a door to the internal rooms of the Medical Bay swung open and the Head Physician emerged. The three men looked up expectantly....
"The good news is that we've stabilized him, stopped the blood loss but he's in a deep coma, we've got him on life support." He started again before the three could ask any questions "It's too early to tell what long term damage there might be.It's going to take time. We need to carry out tests, we don't have all the equipment we need here, I think we'll have to get him to the neurology unit on New Tokyo, they're better equipped than us and have the specialist staff."
Very well, Ill instruct Rear Admiral Makoto to set a course without delay. Takatas heart was heavy with worry over his friend. Everything else must appear as normal, I want a total news blackout, no-one must hear of this.
Ruuku Ochi sits in his quarters, a glass and a bottle of sake rest on the table in front of him. Another long day has left him drained and in need of rest. He finished the last of his glass as he looks over his data pad; reviewing the new installations built in Tottori. Just then an explosion rocks the ship and he falls off his chair. Ruuku runs outside his room to see men running all throughout the ship, he runs down the hall and sees a fire coming from within the Kumicho's quarters. Ruuku grabs a man running past him, Come with me, we need to see if the Kumicho is alright. and the two enter Hitomi Ryuu's room. Small fires are found all around the room, walls have been blown away, soot and smoke cover every corner. Hitomi Ryuu is found pinned by the remains of what once had been a desk, but is now indistinguishable from the blackened and charred remains that lay scattered throughout the room. They pull the desk away, Ruuku realizes that the heavy wood of this once antique desk has shielded the Kumicho from much of the blast.
Ruuku turns on his comms; We need a medical team in the Kumicho's quarters. Hitomi Ryuu has been injured. and he then turns to the man beside him, Do you know any first aid? I do not know what to do. as the Hogosha guard beside him gives only a blank stare.
Within two minuets, a team of medics enters and take Hitomi Ryuu away on a stretcher. Ruuku once again turns on his comms and he calls down to the Bureau, I want to know what has happened, how it happened, and who is responsible. Hitomi Ryuu is being sent down to the medical bay, assign a full security detail to his room, and another from the whole of the bay. Put the ship into lock down while we figure this out. No one is to leave and no one is to come in.
Ruuku makes his way to the Bureau to attempt to find the answers that he seeks. As he does he checks his data pad for the location of the Wakagashira. It seems that Mazakatu Nagumo was out on a scheduled patrol of New Tokyo at the time. When Ruuku reaches the Bureau he yells Where is the hand? only to be answered by an information officer; He is making his way to the medical bay to see the Kumicho and Takata Ran. We're still working on what happened, but there only seems to be minimal damage to the ship. The explosion was contained within the Kumicho's quarters. The ship is currently on lock down, security is on full alert, and we have sent extra security to all hanger bays.
Just then the comms turn on all throughout the ship, This is Hiroake Abe, captain of this ship. The Golden Dragon is currently in a state of lock down; no one is to leave or enter. Once this situation has been handled, you will be free to leave. Please cooperate with security for the time being.
Ruuku then turns to use the external comms and he sends a message to Mazakatu Nagumo; Wakagashira, there has been an explosion on the Golden Dragon. You are to return and serve as an escort for the liner. Do not attempt to dock, as we are in a lock down. Inform all Black Dragon patrols to do the same.
Duty and honour
Elder Ruuku Ochi, So-Honbucho of The Black Dragon Society
A wearly looking Tomodachi walks up to an almost empty bar of the Golden Dragon and sits down at the nearest stool that is vacant. The ever cheerful barman and good friend, Shiniki hurries over to him, "Konnichiwa Tomodachi, you look exhausted, let me get you some refreshment and then you can tell me all about your adventures".
Tomodachi gestures to him that he is going over to a now vacant comfortable looking cubical and retreats there to await his friend with some drinks. Moments later Shiniki has brought a bottle of Sake over and two small shot glasses, "So go on then friend, tell me what you've been upto, it's been a quiet day here and since the explosion very few people are allowed on this ship"
The tired kobun begins, "Late yesterday I received word that food supplies were at a critical point on Crete, it seems there has been a lot of storms recently disrupting trade in that area and I heard that many people were on the verge of starvation.", Tomodachi pauses to take a drink then continues, "So first thing this morning I filled my container ship over its recommended capacity and headed straight there, we have enough problems in Kusari with the Blood Dragons, Chrysanthemums and Junkers so I thought the last thing we needed was one of our closest allies suffering from simple malnutrition", he pauses again, "As it turned out the farmers alliance were more than happy to give me the food supplies so I could quickly proceed my long and very dangerous mission of mercy through Ion storms, asteroid fields and radiation clouds."
Shiniki takes a quick look around to see if anyone is waiting for a drink but as the bar is still quiet, he lets Tomodachi continue with his story, "so go on what happened when you arrived?".
Tomodachi, after being interrupted continues,"Ok so after a few hours I finally arrived at Omicron Gamma, let me tell you Shiniki, the people there were hanging on by their finger nails so you can imagine the reception I received when the people discovered that a ship carrying food on board had finally touched down on Crete. As I was helping the spaceport workers unload the precious cargo of finest rice and Kusarian meats an old women, walking with a stick and wearing a tattored old cloak wandered up to me and spoke,
"Our hearts go out to you young man, we are so very grateful to you for not forgetting us and as a sign of our two peoples friendship I shall give you a great gift that I have had for many years", from under her cloak she pulled out a green glowing stone and placed it into my hand with her bony fingers and closed my hand around it, "Take this stone of ancient healing, found many years ago on a long lost alien world. I heard that your people may have need of its power".
"I carefully stored the ltem in my cargo ships hold and after purchasing some more artifacts for sale in New Tokyo left the system and headed back to Kusari space.", Tomodachi takes another swig of the Sake then finishes the tale, "I have just come back from taking the object for our specialists to study, I am somewhat sceptical of its powers but from what I have heard there is little else capable of offering help to our father at the moment!"
Shiniki pats the exhausted man on the back and starts to head towards the bar, "I must go attend my duties, we are all praying for his safe return"
Tomodachi leaves the lounge of the Golden Dragon and enters a small lift marked "Staff Only", waits for it to stop and then walks out onto a drably decorated corridor with doors every few metres, he acknowledges a security detail as they pass and give him a curtious bow to which he reciprocates the gesture and then stops at a door marked simply, "G1". He opens the door using a swipe card that he has taken from his pocket and enters a small, sparsely decorated room with a simple bed on one side and a desk in the corner with a picture of his late father and a data pad next to it. He walks over to the datapad and presses the "off" button on it, opens a drawer and then places the deactivated reading device into it.
He is weary from his recent travels so he undresses without zeal, he places his garments in a storage cupboard and takes the Katana he has been wearing on a shoulder holster and places it onto a waiting wall mount over his bed before dimming the lights and attempting to sleep.
Tonight however just like the last few nights, he cannot rest, his sleep is haunted by visions of the girl, Aiko Nishimura, running down a long corridor and laughing at him like a giddy school girl as he runs after her but never quite managing to catch her, when he enventually reaches the end of the corridor where he sees only a door. He opens it and sees himself stood over the broken body of the Societies Father, Hitomi Ryu.
Every night he has the same dream only this night it is strikingly different, just at the point where Tomodachi takes his sword and commits hari cari for his failure, a hand grabs his wrist and forcefully shouts "No", startled he turns around to see Hitomi Ryu looking him in the eye, "This torture must end Kobun, your are not to blame, your actions have only saved me", the man lets go of Tomodachi's wrist and continues, "Now rest and when you wake come to me and I will explain everything to you"
Suddenly Tomodachi's twisted body gently relaxes and for the first time in a week he is able to finally rest.
...
Shouting and people running past the doorway to his room awakens the Black Dragon from his deep sleep, dazed he brightens the lights slightly and reaches for his wristwatch and reads the time displayed on it, "10 hours, what the", he puts it on his wrist and walks over to a small bathroom where he splashes his face with water to help him wake up. After drying his face on a nearby towel, he walks over to a comms panel on the wall and opens a channel, "This is Tomodachi, what is going on?".
"Fathers not in the infirmary", the voice on the other end stutters, "where trying to find him now".
"Keep me updated, I'll put some clothes on and come and help with the search", Tomodachi quickly throws on some clothes, sheaths his sword onto his back, slots his laser pistol into his belt holster and then makes his way out of the room.
As the Kobun makes his way down the hallway he activates a miniture communicator around his ear, "Tell me where you've searched already, and is there any signs of an intruder?"
The stuttery voice the other end answers, "We've checked for intruders and no ships have docked or left the ship, so he's still here somewhere. We started searching the upper decks and worked our way down but as you can appreciate, it's a big ship!"
"OK, keep me informed if you find him.", Tomodachi, deactivates the device, "Time to think out of the box", he mutters to himself. Though he doesn't realise it something or someone is drawing the Black Dragon, out of instinct he heads towards the damaged section of the ship, where the societies father was injured by Aiko Nishimura's assasination attempt. He enters the nearest lift and presses a button marked "Senior Officers Only" and waits for the lift doors to open, stepping out of the lift he recalls the last time he was here. Purposefully, he strides down the long corridor until he comes to the set of doors that led to Hitomi Ryu's office and noticing that the lock has been broken he carefully slips his gun out of it's holster and quietly slides into the room.
The room is dark inside, the only light coming from the large panoramic window looking out of the ship onto the azure planet of New Tokyo below. After his eyes have adjusted to the light levels the Kobun sees no one is there and turns his attention towards a wooden door. He carefully walks over to the door and as he stretches his hand out to turn the door handle a voice calls out, "Come in Kobun we have much to discuss about that artifact you brought me", Tomodachi walks into the room to see Hitomi Ryu, sat upright in his leather chair, awake and seemingly fully recovered from his ordeal.
Ruuku Ochi finds himself in front of a bottle of sake; once again at the dark booth in the far corner of the bar. He'd been ending his days the same way for two weeks; alone in this bar. The bar tender Shiniki had become adept at the job of letting Ruuku have his peace, having been told personal by the elder to "not let anyone bother me". The rumor around the brothers was that Ruuku was upset about the gaijin's promotion, but the young bartender knew it must be more.
How simple his life must be, Ruuku thought to himself as he stared at the Fuku-Honbucho's younger brother. What bliss. Ruuku takes a deep breath and looks at his data pad; reviewing once again security protocol on the Golden Dragon. He can't allow another another disgrace to himself; it is his duty to oversee all bases, including their mighty Golden Dragon. Now a gaijin orders around the younger brothers. This can only cause more trouble. The elder puts down the data pad and leans back in his booth, reaching out and grabbing his glass with his newly freed hand. Hitomi Ryu, he's not the same after that artifact healed him. Seems almost distant from the society. And Ruuku takes another sip; sitting in the corner of the dark bar.
Duty and honour
Elder Ruuku Ochi, So-Honbucho of The Black Dragon Society
Quote:Are the BAF planning an invasion?
One of our correspondents took a photo, on which you can see an attack force of the Bretonia Armed Forces under the command of Admiral Sir S. Nelson operating near the border of the Kusari core area.
Tomodachi is sat in a quiet corner of the lounge of the Golden Dragon, looking over the latest reports of foreign activity in Kusari space. The bar tender Shiniki walks up to him and takes the empty bottle of Sake from the table and places it onto a tray he his skillfully holding with one hand, "So do you think that Brets will try an invasion?"
Tomodachi looks up and after a slight pause for thought answers, "To be honest my friend, I'm not sure. They must be fealing pretty desperate at this moment, after losing ground in Leeds.", he picks up the glass of Sake on the table and takes a sip before continuing, "I've heard many rumours about their poor discipline and that they have almost torn themselves apart with bitter in-fighting and their lack of respect for their closest allies. Whatever they are planning must be about to happen soon or I can see the KNF pushing them back even further into Bretonia."
So much has happened in the past while. After the attack on the Golden Dragon- Shiniki's job was put on hold. He had much to think about. His brother wanted him to aspire to great things but after accompanying Tomodachi in the persuit of the attacker he realized that it was not the life for him. He was not a fighter, or a great businessman- he was a working man. One who understood the pride in the Kusari heritage, and the true meaning of family amongst the syndicate. Shiniki still felt ashamed that someone working so closely to him was masking a true identity. Women were not to be easily trusted.
Sitting in his room aboard the golden dragon, laying in bed it was there he realized that this was what he wanted. A simpler life aboard the golden dragon- although one could hardly say simple. He overheard many things in the bar and slowly gained valuable information from overhearing conversations. The Hogosha didn't always need guardians, or smugglers- but contacts within a group of people. Shiniki realized his life was slowly turning towards a greater purpose in the society, but at least this was one he was comfortable with.
With the repairs of the liner, Shiniki was back in business. A new bartender accompanied him, this one as stunning as the last. This time however, he would not be so foolhardy to trust the new women, although he'd always slip her the occasional smile.
Shiniki looked at Tomodachi, and at the neural net screen. The onset of the BAF invasion worried him.
"I know my brother will defend our home with his life.. But the war always has me worried." Shiniki with a worried expression almost sat down as his mind raced with the though of war coming closer to the Kusari home systems, but hestitated and remained standing. Even if the man was a gaijin, he held far greater respect as Shateigashira in the Black Dragon Society.
"I'm sure the KNF will be able to handle the bretonian pigs.. Here" Shiniki signaled to the bar to bring the man another bottle of sake. "This ones on the house."
As he returned to the bar with the empty bottle, Shiniki noticed the worried eldar sitting alone in the bar periodically looking over at him. I remember this man.. I saw Hakatoa speaking with him before- A man of great importance.. An eldar of the Black Dragons. He shouldn't be in such a state. He's been frequenting the bar far too often lately. Shiniki had been respectful to the man, ordering the local geisha to leave him in peace, and anyone who went to approach him was abruptly stopped. The man simply wished to go over his thoughts, and drink in peace. Given personal orders to have no one bother him, Shiniki finally felt as though he had to do something to help the man.
Grabbing a bottle, and an extra glass Shiniki approached the man. Laying the tray on the table, Shiniki humbly bowed to him, before opening the bottle of saki and pouring the man another drink. "Konnichiwa sir.. Forgive me for intruding but, if I'm not mistaken, you're a man Hakatoa respects greatly. If you are so deserving of his respect, you should not be in such a state. What could trouble a man so great as yourself?"
Shiniki, raises the second empty glass to the man-
"If you may give me the honor- I would like to join you."
Hakatoa Yamota, Fuku-Honbucho in the Black Dragon Society
The Elder stared blankly at the bartender for a few moments. Eventually he motions for the young man to sit across from him. To tell the truth, I did not think you had the courage to even speak to me. the Elder muses. He then pours Shiniki a glass of sake.
I am getting old. I'm not the same hot headed man I was in my youth. Ruuku then sips his sake before continuing How I envy you, young man. Enjoy the drink, maybe I can help you not make the same mistakes as I did when I was your age.
Duty and honour
Elder Ruuku Ochi, So-Honbucho of The Black Dragon Society