Sanada Junko

[Yaoquizque]

Tokai shipping platform - Tottori system
Two months and a half ago

The brand new Anaconda was slowly being lifted towards its parking slot, the rampant team in charge of this task being watched with severity by a woman wearing a worn down fly-suit.
She was about to lecture them about how little care they were putting into that task when a noise made her turn around. The lady took a few steps backwards to admire better this new design - the Wyvern he said? What a stupid name - as it was slowly sliding into the hangar. That was definitely a fine ship, though.
"I want one." she thought, a pout of envy showing up on her face.

Inside said Wyvern's cockpit, a man was staring at the anaconda and then at the woman next to it as he was gently putting the ship down onto the hangar floor. It had been a stupid idea to come here as he was well aware of the imperials presence in this system. She had always made him do stupid things.
The ship eventually came to an halt. With a heavy sigh he lifted himself from the pilot seat, trying to think of something he could say to her after such a long time, as he was leaving the cockpit and reaching the small cargo hold's exit hatch.

Taking a look around as to make sure there would be no troublemaker around, she left the rampant team to their work and headed towards the Wyvern with a mixed expression between jubilation and concern.. Or was it even shame?
The Wyvern's pilot was wearing a hard expression as he left the ship, slightly narrowing his eyes while watching her approach him. Some happy memories resurfaced when he saw that face once again, but were quickly drowned by a surge of bitterness as he didn't know what that person even meant to him anymore. He opened his mouth slightly, but found no words on his tongue and instead waited for her to speak.

"Admiral..." finally said the woman in a very formal way after a rather casual head bow, which was quite contrasting with her tone.
"It is good to see you alive and well, sir." she added while studying him acutely.

Her serious expression eventually faded as she allowed herself a swift smirk. "And still as silly. Look at that beard..."
He mustered her for a few seconds, not reacting to her words. "Sanada Junko. This is a strange reunion." He just said, not returning her smirk and instead looking over to her ship.
"You're going to leave it here? That is fine by me. " He nodded at the Wyvern next to him "I'd like to get going as soon as possible if that is alright with you."
It seemed as if he was trying hard to keep this professional and not show the emotions stirring inside him.

Junko took a look around once again to make sure nobody was observing them.
"Yes, that would be wise. I didn't see Imperials on that station so far but... Well. You certainly know better than I do what the current situation is, regarding that civil war..."

Her cheeks puff up shortly until she would release a breath, as a display of mild disappointment at his behavior. She would have loved to see him grab her and imprison her in his arms, but well...
This universe was far from perfect anyway.

"I have to make sure the people I trusted with performing that integration will take good care of that baby while I will be away though... And there is a few belongings I have to pick up in my quarters." she casually said after a short while, as she was turning away to take a look at the Anaconda being carried away.
"Let's have a short walk, Hideaki."
"Let's make sure it it short though." He replied quietly, looking over at the Anaconda as well "Lead the way." , he then told her and waited for her to start walking.
"It seems you have been very busy during the time you've been away. Doesn't look like you were missing home a lot. Not enough to bother writing a message at least." The bitterness from her abandoning him in Kusari was easily noticeable from his words.

As they were heading to some amenities appearing to be reserved to the Hogosha, the tone of their conversation heated up.
"I have been quite busy, yes. Things have been difficult right after I left. That is why I didn't contact you for a while." replied Junko calmly, at first.
She made a pause before adding unkindly :
"And it's not like you tried to contact me either. I even paid a lot to get someone to deliver a present to you for valentine day, but you didn't even bother picking it up, from what I was told... I guess you didn't care."

She then stopped to stare right into his eyes.
"Do you think I spent this year enjoying some cocktails on Curaçao? I can't believe you still did not understand why I left in the first place."
She turned around to resume walking, at a much faster pace, this time.
"Idiot!"

He stared at her back for a few seconds after her outburst, a heavy frown on his face. "Oh, I'm the idiot here?!" he replied angrily after a few seconds.
Clenching his fists slightly, he found it unbelievable how she couldn't see that she was at fault here. "You stole away in the middle of the night. You didn't tell me a single thing about where you were going!"
He continued to stare at her back while she got farther and farther way, finally following her with a quiet groan.
"Do you think it was great to worry about you while my homeland falls into civil war?! You're letting your paranoia tear us apart!"
He took a heavy breath, almost having caught up to her by now with his anger slowly subsiding.
"I would have needed you here, Junko."

Junko stopped to walk, looking down. She released a heavy sigh before pondering :
"I only heard rumors.. It was that troublesome..? That Imperial outbreak, that is..."
She then turned to look at him. "I still can't believe Nagasaki is in High orbit... That's what they told me here. How could this even happen?"
"Yes it was, but this is not the point, Junko!" He finally said angrily while walking up to her. "You being here or not wouldn't have changed the course of the war. The point is that you left me just when I was beginning to look hopeful towards the future. Now let's get going already." He shook his head and walked past her.

"I..." She said no more, uncertain of what to say nor about how she truly felt about Kusari, her leave... Him. She never was good with introspection. Though, even if she didn't want to admit it, she had the unpleasant sensation Ishikawa had legitimate reasons to be angry with her.
She eventually followed him, remaining silent for a while.

They stepped into some amenities that were oddly arranged and decorated very traditionally like; one could even think he made his way into a Buddhist temple.
Ishikawa stopped and looked around, frowning slightly. "Where are we anyway? And how much further is it to your place?" He decided to let the matters between them rest for now, instead hoping to get their business on this station done as quickly as possible. This was taking far too long already and if he wasn't careful he'd have to answer questions about where he had been.

"It is a... Sanctuary held by Hokkaido Wolves" explained Junko "They have helped me with that little project of mine we talked about earlier."
"Hogosha." She then added, as she was noticing Ishikawa looking around wearily.

They observed the monks going about their business shortly, an odd sight in a space station...
"Anyway.. I will go take some belogings and talk to some people so that they take good care of my ship while I will be away... Feel free to sit..? I won't be long!" she said, as she was already walking away.
"Really? You're going to leave me here?" replied Ishikawa, frowning once again "I should have just stayed at the ship then." By then she was already walking away and he sighed heavily "I swear if you take too long I'll just go and drag you to the ship whether you want it or not.."

---