The Sacred Relic

[valen]

Konnichiwa Sensei, we have finally managed to get settled here on Toledo. A cold icy planet it is, with a winter lasting forever, much like the depths of Chugoku. Our quarters are decent, even though nothing will ever replace the endless hallways of Kyoto, nor the walls there that simply radiate with history and tradition.

The three of us are getting alone quite well. Ikeda-sama is an able Commander and he seems to know what to do and how to act no matter what's the situation at hand. The Order is quite polite, not something you'd expect from a Gaijin. Tomorrow we will be on our way to our first recon mission. That is all for now Sensei. We shall contact you again as we have more to report.

For Hideyoshi and true Kusari!

Signed
O-Ren Ishii

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Three blood red strike craft, clearly tortured from the outside but never broken, slowly gazed through Chugoku. Finally home. The Dragon in charge of the incoming traffic immediately informed all those who needed to know about the Research Wing returning from Omicron Minor, Toledo. Several Dragons quickly gathered in the landing bay where the wing was expected to land, it was in fact more than a month since they last set foot on Kyoto. Their families, friends, brothers and sisters, even foes awaited for their arrival.

The three ships finally touched ground and the Dragon pilots emerged from the heavily damaged ships. The markings on them indicated that they have seen combat while on Toledo. Amongst the eager crowd there stood a man in royal robes, surrounded by several masked Dragons. With the amazement of many, there stood Shogun Miyamoto and awaited the pilots.

The three pilots were greeted by the rest of the Dragons, then instructed to follow the Shogun to the briefing room, where they can speak privately with no inquisitive ears listening. Ikeda, O-Ren, and Shin, even though exhausted from their long absence from home followed with no questions asked. They know what they have witnessed deep in the Omicrons, and there was no time to waste.

Hallways stretching almost as if they have no ending, especially when something is of that importance. Miyamoto relieved the guards and the four Dragons proceeded swiftly. A massive wooden door the the briefing room finally ahead of them, being pushed by both Miyamoto and Ikeda to open due to it being of full wooden profile and thus extremely heavy.

"Brothers, I hear you have some grieving news for us, for whole of Kusari! Speak now, or forever be silent!" - Miyamoto yelled as he had no patience nor time left, "Sensei." - Ikeda, being the Commander of the Research Wing spoke first, "I do not now how to express this the best way..." - He continued after taking a deep breath, "Just show it Ikeda-san, we have no time to waste!" - O-Ren barked at him, "Hai, it is perhaps best if you see with your own eyes Sensei." - Ikeda paused and showed Shin to the nearby case, from which he took out a small datapad, and connected it to the main screen in the room.

[[Mission Briefing]]
[[Highly Classified]]

Mission objective: Launch a wing of fighters equipped with our sophisticated Discovery Scanners to Omicron 92. Blood Dragon Research Wing will be joining us for the mission. Locate and determine the presence of the rumored to be unknown vessels, never seen before by Order forces.

The unknown vessels are suspected to be of alien origin but nothing is known about the weapon system nor the technology used. They are to be located and examined no matter what. Approach with caution.

[[Mission Outcome]]
[[Highly Classified]]

It was as we suspected. A new force is present here in the Omicron system. However, it is not something we haven't seen before, as previously assumed.

The vessels' engine trails and technology readings indicate that they are of Kusari origin from the beginning of the 9-th century. What is most grim about all this, is that the ships bear the markings of the Blood Dragons, mixed with those that belonged to the almost forgotten Governor Tekagi.

Strangest of all they speak Kusari, and are convinced they are Blood Dragons. Their words were limited, as they seemed more eager to destroy us, however, we have managed to get something out of the recordings, they are "The Remnants of Tekagi". Caution is advise when approaching them, as they seem to posses envious persuasive as well as fighting skills.

The screen then displayed the entire footage of the mission. A whole 3 hours of film that the four Dragons watched with barely taking the interest to breath. At the end, Miyamoto who was standing still for the entire time fell down on a chair, barely able to hold on to it, "It cannot be. No, I refuse to believe it! I shall not believe it! My brothers fell while killing these beasts! I will not have them alive again!" - He gasped in panic, while striking the table with his fist. None of the three Dragons had ever seen him like this, but that is understandable since Miyamoto lost so much in the war.

Finally he managed to calm himself down, "Whatever is left of them, and whatever strength is left in me, I make this promise to all the Dragons and all of Kusari, they shall be casted into oblivion along with Tekagi. There they can do his bidding." - He then turned to the three Dragons, who were as determined as he is, "Brothers, you know what needs to be done. Head to the Throne Room, say that I have sent you and show what you have showed me to the Taishogun." - And the three all answered in the same voice, "Hai Sensei."

Miyamoto, left alone in the room engaged himself into deep thoughts. The past was not that long ago, but he struggled so hard to let it go, to forget, and once again it follows him like a shadow. Can a Dragon heart beat stronger than the hate these Remnants have for Kusari. Miyamoto could only hope so. After some hours of meditation something strike him as a lightning, and he quickly grabbed the datapad from the table and rushed down the hallways to the section of Kyoto known to have of the largest libraries in Kusari. He walked to the history department and took an old, yet thick book from highest shelf, with a worn out name simply saying, "Heaven's Gate". There he read and read for hours to come, until finally finding what he was
looking for, the part about Tekagi and his forces, known to the elders as "Aoi Iseijin".

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Not but a day has passed since Ikeda and his team returned from Toledo, and all the Dragons of Kyoto knew what the future may bring. War is upon them, a war they can only hope to win. Will the Aoi Iseijin turn to Kusari, or are they simply lost and without a guide deep in the Omicron systems. That is what worried the wisest of the Dragons. How powerful is this new, but old force. How many filth did Tekagi leave behind him is what bothered Miyamoto.

All the guards were given instructions to stay alert and keep their eyes open. Kyoto was never breached by none, and shall certainly not be breached by some leaderless force. Several days have passed since the scientists returned home and all was going back to normal, as normal as it can get for a Dragon. Constant war, constant hatred is bound to have some impact on the moral amongst the most brave and honorable people in all of Sirius. However, they struggled with doubt each day, and their wisdom guided them from the abyss as they would start falling in it.

Miyu Hayashi, a young yet promising Dragon Oban was getting noticed in her regular duties around Chugoku. Her courageous flying skills impressed even her foes, which are many when you wear the colors of a Dragon. Miyu's body was strong, but her spirit and mind, weak, broken. There is not a Dragon no more that hasn't suffered in his life. Families broken, hearts wounded, not easy to remain true to the cause you fight for.


"Konnichiwa Dragon, may I enter the premises of the Archive records?" - A young female Oban asked the guard protecting the secrets of the Dragons. Her mission clear as day, yet her thoughts clouded by the dark minds, "Hai, Obans and higher are allowed to use the records at anytime." - The guard replied, and Miyu freely walked into the archives unopposed.

Where would the most guarded secret of the Rising Sons be kept, where must on look to see a secret kept hidden for centuries of old, Miyu though to herself while she was walking amongst the endless book shelfs. No new books in there, only old and older ones. As if she was guided towards the darkest corner of the room, Miyu noticed a tall wooden stand, carved in the most beautiful of the ancient dragon legends, with a large glass opening at the top. She approached the stand, and even though she did not realize it, the book was as old as the Dragons themselves. "The True Throne" was the book labeled, and Miyu took it out of the opening and began reading.

The True Throne was written by an old Elder of the Dragons, one of the first few, the Imperial Guard of Hideyoshi. The text in it is not clear as a book should be, yet filled with metaphors. There is but one sentence in it that has not a hidden meaning. A hard book to read, even a harder one to understand. But the book is not pointless as one would think upon looking at the text. It contains a hidden message, a secret guarded more than any. The secret of The True Throne. It took Miyu quite some time to figure out what the book was about, as she thought it was about butterflies and mythical dragons from the beginning. Finally, she unlocked the code, that pointed her to a nearby computer. The code lead her to designs of old, designs of the oldest of Dragon ships. She downloaded it to a datastick and swiftly left the archives, "Excuse me young one, but you have left quite a mess in there." - The guard yelled at her as she ran outside of the archives and proceeded to the landing bay. The guard, left with no other choice entered the archives and placed The True Throne back to its stand. Meanwhile, one of the Elders, Tokugawa Oyito, considered to be one of the wisest of his time, walked in the archives and saw the guard tampering with the book, "You ignorant Dragon! Bah! Leave that and get lost! This is not something you can place your unwashed hands on!" - He commanded him and took the book. Little did it take for Tokugawa to see that the book is not pure anymore, and something deep in his soul caused him to look at the console nearby, with the schematics for the True Throne displayed, with a message "File copied" written all over it, "Guard!!! Sound the alarm!" - Tokugawa shouted at the guard who was leaving and ran after him, "Who was here just now?! Who touched this book! Answer me!" - Oyito was out of his mind as he questioned the young Dragon who finally managed to say just these words, "A girl, she ran, ship!" - All of Kyoto was alarmed to search for her, but at the time they have gotten to the landing bay, the ship and Miyu were gone. Tokugawa had little choice but to inform Shogun Miyamoto that the True Throne may be compromised, "Sensei, only 30% of the data was taken, but I am guilty nonetheless. For that I shall never forgive myself."

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