Sakamoto Ryoma

[Yaoquizque]

Sakamoto took a suspicious look at the deserted street.

He was in a desolated industrial district. The night was clear enough for him to observe the neighbourhood, despite the lack of street lighting.

He wasn't appreciating much this situation. All this secrecy was uncomfortable to him. Besides, the way it all started now just sounded to him like a part of a B-movie synopsis.

This word, telling him to come to some remote place, in the middle of the night, for some obscure reason about which Kusari's fate depended.
Right.

He would have shrugged and thrown away the word, if whoever wrote it hadn't used his -name-. He thought nobody knew about it any more.

Well. Among the living, at least.

He ensured once again he still had his side-arm within reach.
Finally, sighing, he entered in the street. He didn't made ten steps that he heard someone coughing discretely.

The noise was coming from a dead-end that wasn't quite appealing, to say the least. People were obviously using the impasse as an improvized dump and he could smell the filth from here.

Cautiously, he walked towards the dead-end, asking in a peremptory manner :
"I heard you. Identify yourself."
"Not so loud admiral..." replied someone in a whisper.

Sakamoto peered into the obscurity the dead-end seemed to be made of. He could only make out a vague silhouette in the dark.
"Who are you? Why did you ask me to come here and how do you..."

There was a movement in the dark, followed by another whisper that simply cut him in half
"Such knowledge isn't important, Sakamoto Ryoma. How is the Admiral Nagata doing?"
"Hm. He is fine." answered prudently Sakamoto, disconcerted by the way this conversation started.
"How is his appetite? I'm sure you did notice some changes in his personality lately."

The admiral didn't say a word, reflecting on the motivations of his interlocutor.
"And his behaviour, Sakamoto-dono. What about his behaviour?"
"I do not know where you intend to go with that, but move to the conclusion already."

"Hm..." Whispered the mysterious silhouette "Would you be surprised if i told you the Nagata Yuri and Takahashi Mikako were... Let's say... Very close? And what would you say if you learned the admiral used his power to limit the means and the extend of the search area when Takahashi-dono went missing?"
"I would say you should stop reading spaceport literature."

"Is that so?" asked in a low tone the stranger "Well... Don't you have the means to verify, Sakamoto-dono? Didn't he ordered you and tried to stop you from continuing the search?"
"Nagata was saddened by the loss of our leader. I saw him."
"He certainly was. Before he changed."

Sakamoto frowned "Look... It is perhaps time to stop talking by riddles, sir. At least before i start to arrest you."
"Listen to me very carefully, admiral, as it is a grave situation. The admiral Nagata isn't any more himself. He is controlled by something alien, and is currently busy infiltrating all the divisions of our armed forces. You are one of the very few senior officers who didn't end being controlled closely by him and his followers. Most certainly because of your open disinterest about politics."

He didn't say a word for a few, thinking about the implication if that shadowed man was indeed telling the truth. He finally nodded in denial.
"No. We would have found out if such a thing indeed happened. The 66th would have found out."
"But maybe they did..." answered mysteriously the stranger "When was the last time you saw a 66th operative in Kusari, Sakamoto-dono."

As Sakamoto wasn't saying a word, seemingly lost in his thoughts, the stranger kept talking
"It is actually most probable -he- prepared a trap for Takahashi-dono. He was well aware of her flight plan and the little escort that was escorting her. If you want to find the admiral back -and i know you do-, you will have to act against her usurper first... But... maybe what you really need today is a proof. And i shall give it to you. I will tell you where to look at..."

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