The man looked like he hadn't slept in years, and that was close to the truth. It had been two years since his government went into exile, two years of constant hit and run combat in a asteroid and debris filled hell. Two years of loss and death, and before that, three years of war with Bretonia. Six years since his coronation and he had overseen the destruction of Imperial Kusari.
And here he stood, Jien Kogen, Emperor in Exile of Kusari and leader of the rag tag remnants of the Kusari Imperial Navy. Standing on the bridge of the Satsuma, he was ready to turn the tide. "Commander send out the signal." He said with a nod. Walking back to his quarters he went over the plan again in his mind. A low level antiquated distress signal was at the moment being sent out. There would be just enough information to get peoples attention. If things went to plan, such a juicy target would pull attention away from the border.
As he walked into his quarters the phone was ringing. He picked it up quickly, " Your Excellence, this is Siamo in comms, we have received a coded response from Ambassador Barak. His side of the operation is go." The Emperor smiled and hung up the phone. Kogen took two duffel bags off the bed and headed back out of the room.
As the former combat pilot headed for the hanger bay, he was suddenly taken back to that time. The adrenaline began to pump through him. The familiar dryness in the mouth and tingling. Jumping into a modified Big Dragon transport he tossed the bags toward on of the crewmen waiting for him by the portal, and Kogen was off for the bridge.
"Captain, finish your pre flight checks and lets get moving." The Emperor said as he walked onto the bridge. "Hai your Excellency." The Captain responded. Kogen walked to the navigation station. Looking at the main screen, he quietly watched the Satsuma disappear. It had been his home for years now, a beuaty he didnt know whether he would ever see her again. Once the Satsuma had slipped from view, Kogen made his way to the Nav station.
Leaning over the navigational officer's station he began looking over the charts. Picking up a marker he started to make notations on the charts. Over the course of the next hour he plotted a series of jumps that would take the ship to the Shinkaku station in Tau-29. He was to meet his old associate Ze'ev Barak there and from there he would be smuggled into Kusari to Cape Soya station in Tottori. The course laid out, Kogen left the bridge and headed to his room to get some sleep, it would probably be his last chance for a while....
Ze'ev Barak walked down the shuttle bay of Cape Soya Station, heading for his old Kusari Transport. Things were about to get exciting for his people, his base, and himself. Jumping on board the old girl, he called for the crew to the prep the ship for launch.
Half an hour later the ship was on the move, headed for a meeting that could change the destiny of Kusari forever, to right the ship that had been wronged.
The ship pulled into the hanger bay of the Samura mining station. It was a small station, but Kogen still couldn't risk leaving the ship. If he was seen by anyone, that would be it, the jig would be up. The plan was simple though, when Ambassador Barak's ship docked, Kogen would be loaded into a transport crate and transferred to the Ambassador's ship for the trip back into Kusari. Once in Kusari, Kogen hoped to begin to stir up the population, he was sure there were many still loyal to him, especially in Kyoto. The Nagasaki was sitting in Tau-29 having snuck in a month before. It had been running reconnaissance missions, and been making contact with leaders in the resistance movement in Kusari. Soon they would begin hit and run missions into Kyushu. The ultimate goal being a civil war to remove the pretender government from power and to establish the Imperial Rule in Kusari. It would be a long way off he knew, but he also knew he could do no less.
Ze'ev stood at the edge of the cargo ramp, watching subltly as the transport crates were loaded and stowed in thier places. As the last crate came up the gang plank Ze'ev closed the hatch. As the last crate was secured against the cargo hold wall, he ordered all the men out of the hold, telling them to go to their stations and prepare for departure. He waited a few minutes, making sure no one was left, he then went and secured the hatch. Barak then walked along the wall of the cargo bay, walking down to third crate he took a deep breath and lifted to lid off. Putting his hand over the wall of the crate he felt someone grab it, and he pulled the other man over the wall.
As the man stood up, Ze'ev Barak dropped to his knee. "My Emperor, I am here to serve you" he said quietly.
Kogen straightened up and looked at the other man. "Ze'ev my old friend, stand." Ze'ev Barak stood up and Kogen grasped the man's hand and pulled him into an embrace. "Hello old friend, it is good to see you. Far too long you know. But I suppose that was as much your fault as mine. You took your little trip, but lets not talk about that." A laugh, the two men looked at each other. "So are you ready to meet the crew?" Ze'ev said with a smirk? "Indeed, lets go for a little walk." The two men walked to the hatch and threw open the lock. Stepping through the hatch, the two men in the hall doing work glanced up to the hatch, and then took a second look. Both men dropped to a knee. The same happened with every man they passed on the ship until they reached the quarters that had been set aside for the Emperor. Kogen looked at his friend, "How long to Cape Soya?" Ze'ev picked up the phone on the wall, "Komato, how long till home?" he called, listened and hung up. "About three hours Your Highness." Kogen nodded, walked into the room and closed the door.
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