+- Discovery Gaming Community (https://discoverygc.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Role-Playing (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=9)
+--- Forum: Stories and Biographies (https://discoverygc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=56)
+--- Thread: Sanada Junko (/showthread.php?tid=81625)
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 02-21-2013
++ Interlude : Present days ++
It's been a few times already the cycle was repeating itself.
Long hours spent in the hangar followed by some rest in the tiny quarters they were now sharing.
It was rather pleasant to work on that ship, even if she was sometimes wondering what her mother would have thought about that.
She was pretty sure getting her hands dirtied by working was probably her dear mother's worst nightmare. After all, wasn't she raised to become an indolent princess? Well... At least, so they tried...
Little by little, they made that wreck start to look like a ship... Even if it was an ugly one. Still better than those beaky thing the dock master tried to sell to her.
![[Image: SpvMLZy.png]](http://i.imgur.com/SpvMLZy.png)
The routine was pleasant too.
They came up with a few rituals already :
Her pretending to direct the restoration work, him lecturing her about her mistakes and her pretending to get upset...
The lunches in a rather quiet place, spent discussing about anything but the 'mission'...
And the blindfold.
The first time, she was excited like a kid; But she did her best to not display anything, as always.
Even if she got afraid he would try something, thus forcing her to reject him for good, it cost her to admit she was secretly hoping he would.
In the end, she simply dodged, pretending to be tired.
Oddly, the last events were troubling her for a reason she wasn't able to root out.
What if the social pressure, the former expectations and her past were making her expecting to be treated that way she hated.
Could she only identify herself as someone being dominated? Why was she even angry to see him being kind and patient?
She was reacting as she grew used to.
Hiding this unease behind a mask made of irony.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 02-24-2013
She entered in the small quarters, soon followed by her companion.
"See? Didn't have to carry me back using a wheelbarrow , in the end." jested her friend while smiling softly.
"Hmm..."
He observed her for a short while before asking :
"What's wrong Junko. You barely said a word since we left... Are you still upset because of our discussion?"
She sighed.
"No, No.. It's just..."
He waited patiently. Finally, she bit her lips in an annoyed way and said :
"Well.. We won't have another occasion, maybe. Perhaps we should spend that evening as if it was the last one in our lives."
"Hmm.." muttered the man, suspicious. That just didn't sound like her, even if she sounded sincere. "Perhaps.."
Junko stared at him acrimonously. "'Perhaps'..? Oh how nice."
"It's just i never know, with you..." replied the man, still being on his guard.
"Never-mind." she said, heading to the bed.
After a moment of hesitation, he caught her hand and, pulling her to him, embraced her. She was so tense he got the feeling she could break any time soon. But she eventually relaxed and, raising her head to gaze at him, begged for a kiss.
Their lips never met however, as a noise suddenly emerged from his pocket.
Sighing, he took the PDA and, turning away, checked it.
"Guess what, Junko. I just received my orders. Perfect timing isn't i..."
He saw her move too lately as he was turning back. Her fist met his jaw, making him grunt in pain. She was thumping like a freight train.
Stumbling, he attempted to assess the situation. The woman was now on her way to strike fiercely, targeting his belly. He was only able to block his breath before her fist met his stomach.
Bent down and over in pain, he forced himself swiftly into taking a defensive position.
"Junko! What are you.."
He had to step backwards quickly as she tried to hit him once again. Her face was expressionless, her eyes calmly studying him, waiting for an opening.
Thoughts were jostling in his mind. Terrified, he envisaged she was indeed infected, somehow succeeding to not get caught during that examination...
Even though realizing she could have pretended to care about him only to stop him was terrible, such a thought also strengthened his resolution.
He started to fight back, making the woman yell in pain a couple of times.
But she was moving too fast.
She mounted him once he fell on his back. Confusingly, he noticed her doing something with a rag.
Once he fell unconscious, she finally allowed herself to cry silently. Her ribs were killing her. She checked prudently her body, noticing some wounds indeed re opened.
But the physical pain wasn't the most terrible thing she was experiencing right now.
She slowly moved to his side and patiently started to check if her companion needed any aid. Nodding softly as the examination appeared to be satisfactory, she then caressed the man's cheek. He just looked peacefully asleep.
"Will you ever know...?" she muttered, while observing him.
The woman then hesitated, but eventually leaned over him to kiss him tenderly.
That done, she uneasily got up and began to painfully carry the man to make him rest in the small bed.
Sighing in relief, she then sat near the unconscious man, and gazed gravely at him.
"You should have listened to me. You never listen. I told you you had no idea of what i was ready to do..."
Junko took his PDA and, after having read the entries, got up and walked out of the quarters.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 03-26-2013
Once Ishikawa left the bridge and took leave of Takada, he began looking for his wing-mate in the battle-cruiser's tiny docks.
But as she was no where to be seen, he checked the shared quarters and the rest areas.
The atmosphere in those rooms was strained.
He didn't intend to spend more time than needed here, but was held back by a few people, mostly officers under his command, who felt the need to discuss with him one by one, either to make him talk about the New Tokyo operation, or simply to be reassured concerning the turn events just took.
Finally, he left his men, giving as a pretext an important task needed his attention and promising to get back to them as soon as it would be done.
It wasn't exactly lying. Junko's behaviour had been quite peculiar today. Well... At least more than usual.
And it just looked like she actually wanted to hurt others with her quick on the draw gabble; something he never really saw her specifically aiming at.
Ishikawa was reflecting on all this while he was heading to the location of her quarters he quickly inquired about to the first security officer he encountered.
"Junko? You there?" he asked after having knocked a couple of times at the door.
"Go away, whoever you are" replied a voice, muffled by the walls.
"Open the door, please."
An insolent "Why?" could be heard after a short a while.
Ishikawa answered quietly "Because I want to talk to you."
"This better be worth it" ranted the voice before the door opened.
She raised her head to look at him, surprised. "Oh that's you."
Ishikawa softly pushed her inside and then closed the door after them.
"You were gone so sudden."
The woman made a gesture of bad temper before clenching her fists.
"He will pay for this humiliation."
"What humiliation again?" pondered with curiosity Ishikawa.
"Pah... Whatever."
She reported her full attention to him and, slightly pouting, asked :
"Why are you here. What do you want to talk about?"
"You seemed .. or rather seem to be quite angry."
"You think?" asked Junko ironically.
"I think."
A smile then suddenly played on his lips.
"You were worried about me."
"Of course. I know you cannot do anything good without me." replied the Commander after having crossed her arms as if she needed to counterbalance a weakness with bravery.
"But fortunately, you found a nice little thing to save you. How nice and cute."
"And you're jealous that it wasn't you?" he finally asked, amused.
"Jealous? I?!" The woman laughed cruelly, yet without much conviction.
"You don't have to try and deny it."
"Pfff..."
Swiftly she gave up, noticing he read in her.
"Fine. I was worried. And i blamed Mr. Stupid."
"He said that." The man then smirked "I hope you didn't have to worry too much."
"You're back." simply remarked the woman while gazing defiantly at him.
"I am. I was thinking about you when I got shot down, you know.."
She kept gazing at him, but this time with uncertainty and suspicion.
"I wondered if I'd die and not see you again."
That part was too much for her granted her current mindset. She quickly sat on the small quarters' bed and hid her face in her hands. After a sigh, she almost whispered :
"How can you like me when i'm so stupid"
The man quietly sat beside her. "Why do you think you're stupid?"
"I'm... Not worth anything when i let emotions dictate my actions."
She then added after a sigh : "That's why we shouldn't."
Ishikawa reflected for a short while, no exactly knowing what to reply to this. But he eventually put his hand on her shoulder and said :
"Don't say that. Those emotions don't change that you're a great pilot and that you're doing your duty properly."
"Don't you see it's killing me? Don't you see i'm not acting the way i should?"
"Nobody said it will be easy. But I want to be with you."
"Why. God why?!" emitted Junko with an almost broken voice.
"Junko.. What's the problem.."
"Why do you want to be with me. Why not that woman who just saved your life?"
"I hardly know her. And you saved my life more often than her. But that's not important." He said, smiling to her while caressing her hairs.
"It isn't answering!" exclaimed the woman, making a move to release her head from his caresses.
"Junko..."
Seeing she was avoiding to look at him, he eventually put his hand on her chin and softly turned her head so that their eyes could meet.
"I love you. Not her. Not any other woman."
She suddenly embraced him, her arms keeping him tight and her head resting on his shoulder.
"Welcome back..."
As suddenly as she hugged him, she released him and almost pushed him away.
"Now leave. And take some rest."
He just smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "When do I see you again?"
"Tomorrow... Tomorrow we will talk. Go now." She answered as if she was looking for an excuse to make him go away.
He got tempted to stay and make her face her uncertainty, but eventually nodded.
"Alright.See you."
The man got up and gave her a last gaze before heading out of the quarters.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 06-15-2013
By the way she was walking, one could have thought she was attempting to punish the ground for being unfortunate enough to be below her.
Did she take a wrong decision?
She stopped and, putting her hand on the wall, leaned on it for a short while lowering her head.
What if he came to hate her.. Or come to think she was simply cruel and unable to feel anything else towards anyone?
He didn't deserve to be treated this way.
But it was the only way for her to know.
She sighed softly and started back to walk towards her quarters.
"What is it?" asked the woman, struggling to switch the feed to audio only.
"I am sorry to bother you, Commander Sanada, but we're having quite a peculiar situation here..."
The dock-master's voice sounded embarrassed. Did he find something personal she would have forgotten in her Chimaera? Or was it because...
"Yes?" She finally replied, repressing a yawn.
"We have a visitor..."
"Hmm? Did you capture him?"
"Yes."
Junko was almost considering to cut the transmission and get back into the tiny bed she just left.
"Why does it concern me anyway? You know the procedure, Lieutenant. Put them in custody and interrogate them."
"Yes. But this one claims to know you. The visitor claims to have vital informations and that she will only talk to you."
She slightly frowned, wondering what was that joke again. She finally said after cursing indistinctly :
"Just... Just give me ten minutes..."
"... The heck are you doing here?"
The girl shrugged and replied in a exaggerated tone :
"Hello Kyoko.. It's so nice to see you! How are you, my dearest friend?"
The only reaction of her interlocutor was to roll her eyes.
"Yes, That. Now tell me how did you get here."
She shrugged again.
"Took your ship."
"Which ship?"
"You know..." she started, before attempting to make a gesture of disdain despite her hand-cuffs.
"The one your lover rebuilt just for you?"
Junko stared at her friend with suspicion.
"How do you know that...? And wait. I have no lover."
"A bit late for denial, dear."
"Alright, i don't want to discuss about that. What are you doing here?"
Kyoko made a pause, wondering what would be the best way to put it.
"I was worried about you." She finally said.
"Yes?"
"Very."
"And?"
"How do you think i found you Junko?"
A silence between them two followed.
"Hello? Anyone home? No idea? Giving up? Or should i give you a clue?"
"Speak. I have no time for your games, Kyoko."
"Fine... You're quite boring today. I wonder what they did to you, here."
"Speak." said again the officer, more coldly this time.
She sighed.
"Your best friends know where you are."
Smiling, she then added.
"I can't believe you guys still use that obsolete encryption protocol..."
"You are telling me.. That the Naval Forces know about the fleet's location?" Patiently asked Junko.
"Obviously, since two battle groups are converging towards this very location?"
"God damnit! You couldn't have said so earlier?!" exploded Junko.
The girl shrugged once again, obviously not very impressed by her friend's rage.
"Wouldn't have been as funny..."
Junko quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.
"You're coming with me."
"Ouch... Not so fast.."
"Shup up and walk.. Oh and Kyoko... If you are playing a joke on me, i swear i will strip the flesh from your bones. One by one."
"Al...Right? You know you're scary when you're like that? But tell me..."
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 08-04-2013
The tired chimaera docked to the carrier and soon was tractored in the small docks. The pilot stepped out and, noticing the Admiral Sakamoto, walked to him.
As soon as she reached him, she punched him rudely on the face, making him fall to the ground.
The guards reached their weapons and swiftly aimed at the pilot, who - ignoring them - started to call names Sakamoto.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, grunting, and gestured the security personnel to lower their weapons.
"Sanada, follow me." He finally said, after having gotten back on his feet.
They walked towards a manutention room on the docks. Once they both stepped in and Sakamoto closed the door, he violently pushed her against a wall and, strangling her with his forearm, kept her at bay despite her attempts to free herself.
"Sanada... Your behavior kept deteriorating since several weeks. That's it. It ends now, do you understand? Discipline is the only thing allowing us to keep our integrity."
She tried to emit something after an attempt to scratch his face. He accentuated his pressure.
"Oh i know you are angry. I know things are unbearable. I know there is no hope. But you won't forget our duty is to tend to perfection. You won't forget we were born to stand when others would break. You will act as an officer of the Naval Forces."
He released her. She fell to the ground, coughing several times to clear her throat. Eventually, she stood up and, taking a waiting pose, stared at him, murder in her eyes.
But Sakamoto was ready to receive her charge. She stood where she was, waiting for an occasion.
"Now i have your attention... What you did was foolish and extremly dangerous. Everytime you take decisions like this, you are endangering the whole division."
"And you don't?" She asked.
He sighed, not neglecting to monitor her, though.
"I do that everyday. That is my burden. All those lives, including yours, are my responsibility. I die everytime one of them die."
"Pfft."
"Shut your mouth, Sanada. You're just concerned about your own little self. You're like a wild fire. You don't know yourself. Grow up."
"Says the one ready to sacrifice us..." eventually replied Junko angrily.
"That's right. I will sacrifice everyone including myself if it means Kusari people will be safe."
The woman rolled her eyes.
"Oh what a hero you are."
He ignored her.
"Now about Ishikawa.... Do you think it's smart to get yourself killed while trying to locate him?"
"I.."
"Tau 37, Sanada. You know as much as i how slim are the chances for him to still be alive. And if he is, that means he was captured by Outcast, Bounty hunters, or even our former brothers."
Her shoulders collapsed as she was lowering her head.
"I cannot afford to lose another skilled officer."
She walked to him and hid her face in his chest, suddenly crying silently.
Sakamoto sighed, and eventually patted her back.
"That's fine... Let it flow. It will do you some good."
Junko suddenly pushed him and did a few steps backwards, a guilty expression displayed on her face.
Sakamoto considered her for a while and sighed once again.
"You should really stop to lie to yourself..."
She clenched her fists, obviously ready to get back to work again, but he raised his hand, getting her attention.
"That is enough. You need a good night of sleep."
He then observed her again and added. "I need you to get a grip on yourself. We cannot afford to display any weakness. That said.. If you need to talk to someone, you know where to find me. Now go get some sleep."
"Yes... Admiral" the woman eventually hissed before leaving in a hurry the room.
The Admiral shook his head and eventually left the room as well.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 11-17-2013
Things have been quite hectic while they were busy fighting this Outcasts gang that jumped on them near that Freeport...
So Hectic she only noticed the Liberty Navy ships when they made themselves known by using the comms.
She said something like "Wait your turn", deciding to focus on the hostile they were busy dusting. Not like they could draw back anyway..
After the last Outcast was downed, she switched her attention to the Liberty forces.
Too numerous. And the Outcasts drained their Chimaeras.
'Just great.' she thought. Better try to have a discussion there. Ishikawa accepted to cut his engine after she peremptorily asked him to.
But once she said she would talk, she quickly came to notice he wasn't quite found with the idea. He even stopped to talk at all. She didn't like when he retreated into silence like that. Couldn't he just give his opinion and tell her what to do? Wasn't he the freaking Captain?
Maybe he was blaming her for all this mess. Because she decided to move to Liberty..
But what other choice did they have anyway? And about now? Except dying here. Junko didn't want to die yet.
So she talked for a while, shielding herself behind that supposedly self inflated ego, as to balance the weak position they were in right now. And the Liberty Navy ships didn't dust them. So far so good.
Ishikawa stopped talking for good during the whole thing, however. And when they ordered them to move back to the Freeport, he didn't comply. She didn't give it too much importance, expecting some kind of sulking at this point.
No. Something was indeed wrong. Quickly flying back, she noticed with a shock an alien ship was now near the Chimaera. And Ishikawa wasn't moving away.
That Sanders said "We could torch Ishikawa's ship and tractor him, but it would be risky.".
Junko reflected on it during a couple of seconds. If they did nothing, who knows what could happen to him; If they did destroy Ishikawa's Chimaera however, Sakamoto would be mad at her for having lost yet another fighter, and there was a small risk he would die in the process.
She finally replied coldly.
"Do it."
She was afraid to open that drop pod. What if what happened to Nagata happened to Ishikawa?
Would she be able to stand for this? Would she even be able to shoot him if he tried to do something to her?
The Commander eventually bucked up the courage to open the pod. It was terryfying in a way.
He was looking through her as if she wasn't there. She eventually locked back the pod, not able to bear it anymore.
That's when she gave up and handed over her love's fate in foreigner's hands. That Hale said they had a medical team on its way.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 12-20-2013
She was about to return to the living room when she thought about calling someone else.
The delay to reach the destination was particularly long. She was going to give up when a well known voice eventually echoed through the room.
"Mochi-mochi?"
"Kyoko?"
"Yes? Who is this?"
"Have a guess." replied Junko, a stupid smile appearing on her face.
The silence stretched on for a few seconds.
"Well?", she finally pondered impatiently.
"I'm thinking!"
"Oh... I don't have all d..."
She couldn't get it all in edgeways, her interlocutor suddenly going on.
"Is that you mother? You sound so old, suddenly... And your voice! You just sound like Datsue-ba! You know, that old woman seated in the underworld who steals clothes from the souls of the dead!"
"Kyoko..." said the woman in a warning tone, feeling irritation grow in her.
"Not mother?" pondered the voice.
"I'm not your mother."
Another silence saturated the line.
"Not Datsue-ba?" eventually asked ingenuously the interlocutor.
Junko was about to lose it.
"No Damnit no!"
She breathed hard to relax, and eventually added in a cold tone :
"But do not worry Kyoko, I can make it so you meet that yokai today by beating you until you look like a layer of proteins on the ground."
"Oh! Junko! I missed you so much! You and your ways to express your affection." ironically said her interlocutor after what seemed to be a giggle.
"Yes. I missed you too. Now listen up. Mess is over. You can return to Kusari."
"Is that so? Nice..."
"Where are you now?" pondered the woman, somehow expecting to hear something bad.
"Liberty... New York."
"Good. All you have to do is to head back to New Tokyo and to give me back my ship."
"Oh... Your ship... Eh.."
"What...", sounded out Junko with a frown.
"Well... An accident occured."
"What accident?"
"It was totally not my fault."
"What accident...?" inquired once again Junko eagerly while stomping her foot.
"Some kind of Navy baka decided to shoot at me for no reason."
"Right."
"Don't worry, it's not too bad though. Just a few holes here and there. And Stalker-san helped me to find people to do the repairs."
"Stalker-san?" asked the woman while frowning even more.
"Yes... You know. The guy i came with when we visited you in your big house. And your girlfriend was all pissy because i was touching her holo device. Was fun."
"Ah heck. Anything but him."
"But he helped me a lot. And we escorted a Synth transport everywhere and i won a lot of paste."
"Pfft. I already told you you shouldn't eat those."
"Oh you did?"
"Whatever..." emitted Junko after a sigh.
"At any rate, come back. I want my ship back."
"Alright, alright. What happened anyway? You guys aren't hunted by everyone anymore?"
"Long story... I will tell you when we will meet, alright?"
"Bahhh.... I will find out on Neural Net anyway. You're useless!"
"Die in a hole, Kyoko." calmly stated Junko before cutting the transmission.
She stayed in front of the device for a short while, reflecting silently. A smile eventually shortly played on her lips before she left to meet back Amaya in the living room.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 02-29-2016
It's always strange to get back home after a long absence. But what could truly be called home? Bretonia or Kusari?
The place and the people changed. Yet they were still the same. Perhaps that was not for the best.
Disorientation, unease. A stranger among strangers.
What was her place? What was her role? Was she even useful to anyone?
Striving for freedom, yet bound by her own inconsistencies. Who was it she hated the most? Her father or herself?
She would rather stay hidden in the shadows until she would come to a judgment.
How long would it take? Could she afford to wait this long?
A part of herself knew her father was probably done with her and would let her live the way she wanted. But a more vocal part was certain he would never give up, ready to do anything to have her back. Maybe all she needed was him to care about her this much.
Junko was afraid and undecided, something she hated. Weakness was pathetic. Wasn't she strong enough to decide?
She got up, leaving Ishikawa asleep in the bed, and heading to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Staring without a blink at her image, she attempted to make peace with herself. A lost cause.
What was wrong? Why couldn't she simply lower her guard and express her feelings serenely? He deserved better than that.
Perhaps she needed help. Was she ready to accept to be helped? To accept something was wrong with her?
She returned to the bedroom and started to dress silently. The man moved in the bed.
"Junko. What are you doing?"
"Leaving." She said after a short while.
"Why...?" Asked the man calmly.
She pondered what to answer while zipping her pants.
"Well... I just feel like taking off and going for a stroll in Hokkaido system."
"Can't this wait?" he wondered, observing her in the darkness.
"No... I mean yes, it could. But I need to think."
"Oh..." he emitted.
He watched her getting dressed and eventually raised his hand, inviting her to come to him.
"Just lie back near me and put your head on my shoulder again." He suggested.
"Having some quietness and some rest will help you resolving anything troubling you, I'm sure."
Junko looked at the hand extended to her, thorn between the will to leave and the desire to stay. She eventually took his hand and caressed it with her thumb.
"I won't be long, I promise. Besides, there is something I want to do. A surprise."
"A surprise?" pondered the man, frowning slightly.
"Hai... You will probably like it... Or perhaps you will not?" she replied.
He thought he recognized that mischievous expression he remembered too well.
"Alright..." He said after a stealthy sigh. What was she preparing this time?
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 03-03-2016
The woman stepped in the room. Sat behind a large desk, the five officers constituting the commission raised their head to observe her.
"You are Sanada Junko, elder daughter of Sanada Chozaburo, belonging to the House Sanada, formerly Commander in the Naval Forces. Is that correct?"
"Hai." replied the woman. She then added "But my father disinherited me, so strictly speaking, I do not belong to House Sanada anymore."
One of the man waved his hand as to brush off these details.
"This commission has been gathered to come to a decision regarding your request to reintegrate Naval Forces."
"I'm at the disposal of the court." Simply said the woman, staring at the emptiness behind them.
The five men exchanged a few words in a low tone. One of them eventually raised his head to speak to the woman standing in from of them.
"We have been studying your service records.... The Bretonian war, where you served satisfactorily - despite an inclination for bloodsheds... Your service following the creation of the Republic... And your participation to that 'Sakamoto rebels' muddled affair..."
The woman kept staring at a point behind them, waiting for a question.
"You appear to be a seasoned veteran and a talented officer. This should not be an excuse to behave poorly; quite the opposite, exceptional abilities and destinies call for exemplary behaviors."
The man took a pause, observing the woman, as to let her a chance to reply to the assertion. But since nothing came, he sighed and lowered his head to look at the files on the large desk.
"And in that regard, Sanada-san, the least I can say is you couldn't be any farther from excellency."
The woman bit her lower lip shortly, as the officer was busy moving files on his desk to emphasize his words.
"Incorrect behavior, indecent wording, display of poor behavior before civilians, harassment of deck personnel, verbal menaces against your superiors, refusal to comply to orders... The list goes on..."
He raised his head to look at her. "Did you ever wonder why you were never promoted in all those years?"
The woman eventually moved her eyes to look dagger at him "No sir."
"No?" He asked, staring back at her "I will tell you why, miss. Your behavior is incompatible with the duties of a High Ranked officer. It's actually surprising you succeeded to make it to Commander."
The woman couldn't repress a shrug before eventually staring back at the emptiness behind the five men.
"Oh we already did see this..." Said one of the officers "You are not a unique case. Veterans sometimes get arrogant, believing all the praise are due to them, and that their sacrifices will excuse and brush off all their misconducts... And even sometimes their crimes."
The five men observed the woman, noting her absence of expression.
"I will not hide from you the fact all this is severely reducing your chances to be reintegrated. However, before taking our final decision, we would like to ask you a few questions."
"Hai." replied the woman.
The officer on the left of the table cleared his throat "Would you please tell us why you deserted in such a crude way, miss Sanada?"
"I had been very disappointed with how we - the officers who helped Sakamoto - had been treated, following the escape of what once was Admiral Nagata. We saved Kusari from a major threat, and all the government did was to blame us for everything. We were close to be demoted... Sent back to civilian life... And to lose our honor. It was only thanks to Admiral Takahashi all this did not happen."
The officers looked at each other, seemingly embarrassed.
"Hm... The commission is aware of that sordid affair. Sadly, Naval Forces could not afford to lose popularity in that period, as you certainly understand."
"Hai. That said, I have to remind this court that what I did was technically not desertion. I handed my resignation myself. However I did not wait for the request acknowledgment. I had personal reasons to leave Kusari..."
One of the officers leaned forward, to say suspiciously "So you say now it was not solely about the Sakamoto rebels aftermath?"
"Hai. As you certainly know, the relations with my father have always been very complicated. He married me against my will when I was younger, and I escaped this marriage by joining Seto war... With all this publicity following Admiral Takahashi gamble to save us from demotion, I was afraid my father would find a way to claim his rights on me. You certainly know how powerful my House is."
The officers looked agitated, as if they did not know what to reply to this. One of them eventually said "The commission takes notes of those reasons... So you left Kusari... What did you do?"
"I drifted in many places, offering my services as a mercenary. I never worked for criminals, however... Eventually, I was hired by Borderworld Exports."
"The Bretonia corporation? Odd choice."
"Hai. I needed credits badly. This however ended up being a wise choice. I was able to study Gauls tactics, and the methods used by Bretonians to fights the Gauls despite their inferiority. Such knowledge could be invaluable soon."
Silence filled the room for a while. One of the officers cleared his throat before saying "The Republic does not intend to begin a war with the House of Gallia."
The woman stared at him "For now. I'm certain the Admiralty is well aware Gallia cannot be trusted and will turn against Kusari as soon as they will be done in Bretonia."
It was the third time the members of the commissions were embarrassed. This time significantly more than the others, however.
"Hm... Such speculations fall out of the bounds of this commission remit."
"Besides, such a position allowed me to gather Intel and material during the Alien invasion that occured in Newcastle and New London systems."
"Hmm... Hai. Those artefacts you succeeded to deliver to Kansai Research Station..."
"Hai. I heard some of them are invaluable."
"Your efforts are noted, even if the methods you used to deliver those goods were... Unorthodox, to say the least."
The five officer exchanged some words in a low tone once more. One of them eventually said "One more thing, Sanada-san. You appear to have powerful backings. This commission received two testimonies regarding your appeal for reintegration. One of them is from Admiral Sakamoto, the other from Admiral Ishikawa. We will now read those letters."
The woman raised an eyebrow at this news and waited for the reading.
"Sanada Junko is a woman of value. The officer demonstrated her ability to survive and to dedicate her life to Kusari. However, Sanada is also unpredictable and unstable. Consequently, although Naval Forces would need skilled officers such as her, she represents a risk probably to high to be worth being taken. At very least, she could be demoted to the rank of Lieutenant. This would guarantee some damage mitigation, in the event that lady would display once more erratic behavior.
Sakamoto Ryoma."
The woman bit her lower lip again, clenching her fists in her back. The five officers were busy discussing again in a lower tone. One of them eventually announced the second letter would be read.
"Officer Sanada has always been working diligently for the protection of Kusari and you will have a hard time finding a soldier burning with as much passion as her. Although often unorthodox, her methods lead to success and she is able to inspire the people she is flying with. Her piloting skills are fearsome and certainly among the top in the Naval Forces. The biggest problem with her is her tendency to not be diplomatic when giving her opinion, but that is something that will not cause problems as long as she is simply tasked with commanding her pilots in the field.
Admiral Ishikawa Hideaki."
The five officers nodded and announced Junko would be informed of the judgment within five days, before inviting her to leave.
RE: Sanada Junko - Yaoquizque - 10-15-2016
Private correspondence
It's the second time I'm downed within a few months.
This marauder has definitely seen too much and I wouldn't be surprised if maintenance teams did the very minimum required to keep it afloat. They already complained to have to work on a foreign - and probably centuries old - design. Following this accident in Chugoku, they were forced to salvage what was left of the hull and to get it back to working order. Told them it was an order of the Admiral, and of course Hideaki covered me. But they really started to hate me since then. No doubt they screwed up while repairing it, which explains the issues I encountered in Tau 23. Some play-toy there, Eliza something. Shot me down pretty hard. I was lucky an IMG patrol showed up.
I do not know what to do now. I feel oppressed here, stalked by father's men. My sister keeps messaging me. She gave birth to a son a few months ago and wants me to visit her. I'm not sure I can. Fuyuko is a nice brainless doll, doing what she is told like a good girl. She has everything she wants; married to a wealthy man, maintaining the rank of Sanada House in high society... She even has a son now. And what about me? More than a decade of service that only gave me unhealed wounds.
This familiar desire to prove myself still burns, inside. My achievements were never acknowledged by father. All he needed was a pawn for his influence games, not a daughter. My refusal to serve him only brought upon me - and the people I care about - his wrath. I already dishonored Sanada House by running away from my husband and getting out of his reach, thanks to Seto war. Father would certainly prefer to see me dead now, and I'm truly afraid of what he could do to me... To the man I love.
This uneasiness has cost me a lot already. I have lost my temper more than once lately, and my behavior seems to be the reason I wasn't promoted since a fair while. Even worse, they threatened to demote me following the incident in Chugoku system. I'm on a dead-end.
My relations with Hideaki have somewhat worsened. He is doing his best, I can see that. I'm the one at fault. I can't help but keeping some distance, displaying that tough girl facade. The truth is I'm afraid of what could happen. What if he died tomorrow? Can I afford to give again my heart, just to see fate ruin me once more? All I know right now is I'm treating him as if he was some kind of expendable asset. He definitely doesn't deserve this.
Perhaps I should finally accept to drop those barriers I made to protect myself, the very reason of this distance between us. Perhaps I should stop acting like a pathetic spineless thing and walk right to the Imperial District and confront father. Perhaps tomorrow.
I hear again the call of the unknown. Flying where those solar winds take us, far from everything we know... I learned to like this feeling during my first departure from Kusari. That could be another solution, running away. But there is one thing still retaining me; my ties with Hideaki.