Imperial Court of the Blood Dragon Shogunate

[Friday]

Sum looked up from his meditations. His surprise soon gave way to a dark scowl.

"Yes there is much to discuss, you can start by telling me from where you are transmitting this illusion.

Sum stood up, and walked over to his desk.

"Explain your presence here, who are you to intrude in our most hallowed space?"

---

[zeta.foxtrot]

The apparition bowed respectfully, before standing and looking to the warrior-sensei. Clearly, he had not been impressed by the illusions.

"The reason I am here, is because we wanted to speak with you, Li-sama. The more formal diplomatic channels would likely yield little positive result. Open neural net transmissions are easily spied upon."

"I am sorry for the nature of the intrusion but it was nescessary."

"As you would have guessed, the Consortium has returned, the Armada is awakening. As you are the only one left that we know of, who has had any firsthand experience with us, we desired to speak to you first."

"We wish to address the Imperial Court formally, and restore our old alliance. Our leaders and goals have changed, and we seek to offer what we can to the Dragons out of respect of former military alliances."

[The Rising Sons]

The Courtroom bustled with activity once more with countless robes looking for a place to sit, having been summoned to the short briefing by The Shogunate. Most of the eyes were fixed on a senior official dressed in the Shogunate robes.

"Pilots, warriors. In accordance to yesterday's events, The Shogunate has decided to decree a new set of directives, aimed at containing the increased threat on display in Tohoku yesterday. Most of the directives, which I'm about to read out loud, are merely extensions of already existing policies of formal and unformal variety. Yesterday's events shed some new light on the nature of certain... Beings we're forced to deal with and so The Shogunate, in their eternal wisdom, deemed it necessary to set some new directives in stone, as it were:

SHOGUNATE OF THE RISING SONS DIRECTIVES 158498

By the order of the Shogunate, the following directives shall be applied henceforth:

Regarding the increased alien and allied presence in Dragon space recently:

• All Outcast vessels found in Kusari without direct Golden Chrysantemum escort are to be terminated without prejudice should a reliable counter to the said vessels be present in space.
  
• The Shogunate furthermore expects pilots of the Rising Sons to sever all personal ties with the Outcasts, as The Shogunate finds the entire population of Malta suspected of collaboration with alien species commonly known as "Nomads".
  
• All vessels, belonging to the organisation known as "Samarran Raiders" found in Kusari are to be terminated without prejudice should a reliable counter to the said vessels be present in space.
  

Do not expect any quarter from the aformentioned groups, as well as the blue demons, as the very concept of honour is as alien to them as they are to us.

Minor update regarding The Rising Sons' contraband policies:

• All Quantum Multiplexors exported from and transported within Kusari space are to be considered contraband. Any Transports found hauling the aformentioned goods suspected to originate within Kusari are to be ordered to drop the said goods and destroyed should they fail to comply.
  

This set of directives will be transmitted through The Kyoto Network briefing terminals so that the warriors that could not participate on this briefing today could receive them as well. That would be all for now."

[Dubstep]

Behind the Shogunate official stood two Daimyos, serving as trusted guards of the Shogunate. One of the two, the one on the right, was Kishin. His head slightly bowed down while the Official was reading the new directives. He couldn't help but think to himself.

"Finally we get to rid our lands of the Outcast plague that has long scorched it. The lone ones will no longer get away with the claims that they are under the protection of the Chrysantemums. Their pitiful Pirate brothers, the Samarrans, will share the same fate. The fate of cowards and fools. Their heads will at last be ours."

The mask on his face was hiding his wide grin.

---

[RoS]Dubstep[W]

[Ryummel]

Akechi entered the Court Room in time to hear the recent directives regarding Outcasts. Most of his duties required him far away from the Court, from the core of Kusari to Okinawa, not after mentioning the Taus and Galileo systems. Once the senior official concluded, he raised his voice tone and directed a question at the high-ranked officials present, from the Roju's to the Shogun himself.

"I couldn't agree more with this decision. Our warriors have shown many times who are the landlords of the Kusari nebulaes, and surely we will have no qualms about putting more Maltese heads on pikes here in Kyoto, followed by those self-titled raiders, if not mere roachs.

However, should their presence really arise to the point we found ourselves in the middle of the battlefield with Outcasts fielding considerable numbers on one side and Naval Forces on the other one, what actions should be taken then?

Don't get me wrong: We may loathe the false governing system, but I'm talking about how loyal we are to Kusari, our homeland.

---