Paved With Daggers

[Zapp]

[color=white]Battleship Matsumoto, Hokkaido system
A year ago...

A few Naval officers sat around the bar, sipping their sake and recounting the gossip of the station. This far out, there was a certain camaraderie between the men -- the Kyofo made sure that reinforcements and outside contact was limited. It was even difficult to get transmissions back and forth.

"I heard," the first one of a group of three said, with a conspiratory inflection, "a rumor. That there is a Liberty Navy ship around our system."

A round of uneasy chuckles greeted his claim. Ludicrous as it sounded, strange things happened out here...

"Sachiko!" the man who had spoken shouted. He was Ouya Kondo, her elder brother and crack fighter pilot. There were very few female pilots in the KNF, and those few were usually much better than their male counterparts -- they had to be, in order to overcome the prejudice against females inherent in Kusari society. She was not a fighter pilot, not having the skill required, but she was a member of the Naval Forces nonetheless. "More sake!"

She ducked her head and went to pour the bottle. One of the other men in the circle leaned forward, and asked, "What about this Liberty Navy ship?"

"It is only rumor," Ouya continued, sipping his sake, "but I heard it is the dread cruiser Tundra."

The name had no affect on the Kusarians, because outside of the deepest Omicrons, the Liberty Navy High Command and the LSF, it was a little-known ship. "Whispers only," he continued, lowering his voice even further, "but... some say that it is a cursed ship, bearing the mark of Aoi Iseijin."

That got their attention. The Blue Aliens. He smiled and enjoyed the attention lavished on him. "Rumor only, of course."

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