Back on Track

[Ryummel]

The Chimidoro slipped silently through the Nampo Cloud, evading every rock the forward cannon stumbled upon, heading to the outpost settled by the Blood Dragons back on the eve of the Nomad War, Ryuku. Nowadays, this little fortress hidden in the mists is offering shelter to the convoys coming from Sendai Research Station and to the very few Order patrols which were taking a closer look to the Arch. But this time, the Arch or the potential Nomad threat there weren't among the plans of Itagaki Dato.

Once Dato's shuttle docked with Ryuku, the Chimidoro activated its cruise engines and disappeared from the scanners. Even when the distance between Kyoto and Ryuku was minimal, the risks of being ambushed by the forces coming from the Arch were high enough to bring a cruiser to escort a member of the Shogunate. But now he reached safe haven, and his sole purpose in that place was knowing what happened with the freelancer who was given one of the most valuable treasures coming from Kyoto. But not only that, even Dato developed some sort of comradeship feeling to this foreigner, probably the one who would prove the Shogunate that not every gaijin would pose a threat to Kusari as some others had proven.

---

[Saerieve]

Sitting on the floor in the dim room with his back against the wall, slowly pulling his fingers across the half-healed wounds on his wrist, he was trying to think about literally nothing as his mind randomly drifted off to faraway places and fade memories. During the past weeks, since he had been released from Ryuku medical wing, he had done nothing but to sit in a corner and let his mind wander off, as if he was partially paralyzed. It's been nearly two month since the last time he was in space, his Katana undergoing usual maintenance in the hangars, but never taking off. It was as if both the ship and the master were no more.

His solitude was interrupted as he heard a knock on the door, followed by a familiar female voice saying "Saerieve... There's someone here to meet you". Raising his head numbly, he stared at the shadow of two sets of legs behind the door, and weakly yelled.

"Tell him to get lost, whoever it is..."

After a short pause, he heard the woman again. "But, it's Shogun Dato from Kyoto himself". Lighty bashing the back of his head to the wall behind him, he told himself after a fade grunt as he struggled to get off the floor to open the door.

'Frack him...'

Then pulling his feet on the floor he walked to the door, and opened it after narrowing his eyes because he knew the light from corridor would hurt his eyes again. Then without paying slightest of attention to what was going on outside, or without inviting in neither of the two on the other side of the door, he walked back to the same corner of the room - kicking an empty bottle of wine aside on his way - and collapsed on the floor again, leaning his head toward the wall with his eyes closed.

"I'm listening.... and close the damn door, the light's hurting my eyes."

---

[Ryummel]

The room remained silent for half a minute until Saerieve reached to hear the female voice mumbling something, probably greeting Dato. Few seconds later, a short figure stood in the door frame, poking the light switch on its left. The fluorescent lamps flickered several times before the yellowish light replaced completely the darkness which was dominating the room. Itagaki Dato could feel the stink floating in the air as he scanned every inch of the room, noticing Saerieve in a corner, who covered his eyes with his hand as he grumbled.

'I don't think the people here complained about having to fix the ventilation systems to fit your Cardamine dependence...'

He walked towards Saerieve, picked up the wine bottle which was rolling all over the floor and placed it on the small table next to him. Dato puckered his brows when he looked at the wound on the wrist which was still covering Saerieve's eyes from the aggressive light coming from the lamps.

'Even if they did complain, there's not enough reason to hide in the shadpws and mutilate yourself. And that's why I decided to come here. Once you decide to get used to the light, you will explain me why your Katana has been collecting dust for so long.'

---

[Saerieve]

After a few more silent minutes, Saerieve finally spoke up in a low voice without moving his hand off his face.

"What do you want to hear?.."

But without waiting for the other man's reply, he continued.

"Want me to say I never finished anything that I started, and even failed when I decided to finish what I shouldn't have started in the first place..?"

Again, without waiting for any comment from Dato, he continued.

"I didn't go to space cause I couldn't stand those familiar landscapes anymore.. Good enough excuse for you?"

And finally moved his hand off his face and looked at the shogun with narrowed eyes, to lessen the hurt from the bright light from the lamp.

---

[Ryummel]

Dato casted a look of disapproval at Saerieve and then glanced at his wound again.

'If you claim that you failed your purpose here in Kusari, why didn't you finish the job by plunging a tanto into your stomach instead of slitting your wrist?'

He made a gesture with the hand, like ordering Saerieve not the answer and then he began his wardance around the room: slowly walking in circles while evading the furniture and the empty bottles across the floor.

'But a single sentence was clear enough for me to understand what's happening. It's not good to hear that the mists covering Kusari remind you to that Chrysanthemum... and her fortuneless fate. I have felt the same before, believe me; The loss of somebody you loved, a wife, a mother... or a daughter.

After the Shogun interrupted the last sentence abruptly, he kept walking in silence around the room for some minutes.

'I left Kusari seventeen years ago. It was a place beyond Sigma borders... I guess people still call it Omicron systems. A small group of Zoners welcomed and took care of me in one of their stations in the middle of nowhere. During the four months I stayed away from Kusari, I could heal my wounds and forget about a past I wanted to erase from my memories. Once I returned to Kyoto, I felt... recovered, ready to fight alongside my people again.'

---

[Saerieve]

"But a funny difference between you and me..."

Saerieve interrupted the shogun in a cold and emotionless voice,

"Is that I hate Zoners, always did..."

Then finally looking up and staring at the man slowly walking in a circle in front of him, he asked,

"But why are you telling me all this?.."

---

[Ryummel]

The shogun stood in front of Saerieve, blinking several times.

'Well, I may understand why you hate the Zoners, but I'm telling you this because you probably need to stay away from this place for a certain period of time, until you think you have buried anything related to her. The sight of a dusty Katana ship isn't nice at all so...'

He interrupted himself and started the wardance again, scratching his chin and thinking.

'The Shogunate is quite pleased with your actions here in Kusari... but perhaps you could do the Rising Sons a favor in a certain place far away from these borders. Consider it both an assignment and a chance to heal your inner wounds. Are you willing to listen the rest?'

---

[Saerieve]

Saerieve sat there, simply staring at the shogun's movement. He didn't speak a word, as he was too tired to accept, and too tired to refuse. He knew he still wasn't ready to leave for space, and even if he did, he would fail just he did with his last assignment for the Chrysanthemums, but also he knew he didn't want to stay in a dim room like he had for past weeks, cause he knew that would ruin him even more... While he couldn't find the strength it took to actually leave the room.

So, simply staring at Dato, without giving him any answers, he waited to see where would the shogun take the conversation, cause he knew the man would continue soon as he realizes Saerieve won't be giving him a straight answer.

---

[Ryummel]

'Bretonia.'

He clearly said after waiting for Saerieve's reponse for a minute.

'We have been witnessing the spineless skirmishes of Bretonian Privateers in our territory, slaughtering every kind of transport no matter if it was Samura or not, disrespecting us and even trespassing Chugoku a few times. I guess you already know their story if you were with the Chrysanthemums, so I won't extend myself.'

Dato finished his wardance and stood near the door, poking a fluorescent lamp with a bare hand before he resumed his talk.

'I offer you to give the Bretonian forces a taste of their own medicine in their own territory. Of course you still will receive a compensation for every hull you manage to shred. Also, I guess the unlawful groups over there might prove to be useful for you, if there's still any. So, what do you think? Will you hide in this dim room until you slit the other wrist or will you take this chance to renew yourself and prove you actually deserved our tool of war?'

---

[Saerieve]

Looking at his left wrist for a few seconds, he started muttering as he struggled to get on his feet.

'Privateers... Low life sons of scum... Pirates who shoot other pirates... Good for nothing pieces of crap...'

Then leaning toward the wall when he was finally on his feet and looking at the shogun with the corner of his eyes, he said in a clearer tone,

"Bretonia... I know that place well enough... Used to spend a lot of time there long ago..."

Then after a pause - looking at his flight suit hanged on the wall - he added,

"Should still know a couple of locals too..."

And looking back at the man in front of him, he asked.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

---