Goodbye, Kusari - Printable Version

Goodbye, Kusari - Printable Version

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Goodbye, Kusari - Zephyranthes - 03-25-2018

Shimazu Estate, Hakone Village, Planet Tomioka, Nagano System
3/25/825 AS, Midnight

There is a certain air to a home after a loved one has passed. An indentation in a bed with no body. An empty chair at the dinner table. A personal datapad gathering dust in some forgotten drawer.

A voice calling out, receiving no answer.

Of course, Sora was no stranger to this absence of a kindred spirit. Death was familiar to a warrior, and fighting with one's entire body and spirit often required an individual to embrace mortality. But familiarity did not translate into ease.

A day after the ritual, Sora sent out a small comm to any surviving members of her family, but none responded. Seeing no option for a return to Kyushu to bury her in her family mausoleum, Sora instead elected to inter her ashes on a small plot of land nestled within a quiet bamboo grove. The two had visited the small, secluded place during an exploratory romp of the Tomioka countryside. Through the grove ran a small babbling brook, and chrysanthemums bloomed under the watchful gaze of a cherry tree. He thought that she would have liked to rest in a place that resembled their ancestral homeland so much.

A small amount of Hitomi's ashes were used to make a small red crystal that Sora laid into his sword's hilt. Even in death, she would guide him through the most perilous of times.

After all was taken care of, the former shogun received a single warning on Hitomi's datapad. The encrypted message came from a sender saved on Hitomi's pad as 'Aramaki'. It read:

[LOCATION COMPROMISED BY RIVALS OF HIDEYOSHI]
[EVACUATE KUSARI SPACE ASAP]
[WILL CONTACT AGAIN IN TWO MONTHS]
[GOOD LUCK]

He didn't know if 'Aramaki' had received the news of Hitomi's suicide, but chose to heed the advice of the message. After a day or two of preparations, Sora sent out an urgent communication to the Order for help. After a few days, a response came back and indicated a rendezvous point and ultimate destination of Rheinland.

Sora said his goodbyes to the people of Hakone, bid farewell to the loyal members of the Shimazu clan, and paid his last respects to Hitomi in both the family shrine and at her grave.

In the middle of the night, he and his two year-old daughter, Sakura, departed for the idyllic Aki Falls to wait for the planned Order contacts.

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Omicron - 03-26-2018

The Aki Falls. Their rendezvous.

Serene place that was spared the burdens of war. Faint light could be seen just outside of direct line of sight. A fire? Drawing closer, the searing tongues of flame were neither spreading or dying off. It was a small camp and as Sora pressed onwards, he almost walked into the sentry. Ghastly figure drawn in black fatigues covered with green digital camouflage cloak draped over him. “Halt” Said soft spoken, yet with with his rifle raised and lined up, the little of light that flickered at this distance would show that soldier did not had his finger on the trigger on the bullpup design of the characteristic Order brand.They were expected, but theatrics of military regime had still to take part to avoid unauthorized individuals access to the campsite. The guard had taken a good couple of seconds and awkward silence to identify Sora in the near-darkness. “All Right, you are expected. Make way directly to our commander.” Lowering his gun and shrugging in the direction of the only lightsource nearby. It was hard to say how much did they knew about his status

The banter of the assembly subdued the sounds of ambient and nature. Similarly clad soldiers, well above dozen of them were using opportunity to eat their rations in peace. At their helm was a lowly Lieutenant, wide and tired looking Cretan fellow. It took them the next hour to assemble and dispatch towards their destination while still under cover of darkness. Uniform and warm, easy for concealment clothes were provided for the two of them but the matching cloak intended for his daughter was clearly an improvised solution, way too big for her. They were coming out of some hotzone coming by state of their equipment, spent power cells and their rations all but gone in favor of locally acquired water and Dragon provisions he found as familiar aspect. They had carried backpacks to last for extensive outing into the unknown, their weight now reduced and permitting them to cover much more ground on the first day that they could hope for in any other circumstances.

Their morale was in jeopardy, he could overhear. Talk was that Kusari battleship entered the system with its wings deployed immediately to relieve the siege. The Order marines did not carried the brunt of the assault, often reduced to role or reconnaissance, counter insurgency and combat evaluation of new gadgets and armament - some of which were provided to the Blood Dragon troopers. They were afraid of becoming stuck on this foreign world and opinions differed as to what the next course of action would be. They were at ease however, their platoon of 30 in total was being sent off-world to guard some forsaken station in deep Sigmas. It wasn’t anyone’s primary choice but everyone agreed it was pleasant change of pace from days of marching in the wild. Redeployment was a reward while another, rested unit would take their place.

The trek covered three days in total. Once the first night has passed, Lieutenant readjusted the schedule in strike of pity towards the two year old Kusarian. Second night they spend in again improvised camp, allowing to recuperate hours of sleep lost yesterday. Third day, they emerged into the fields that had once marked site of pin-point accuracy orbital bombardment against long since reduced to rubble fortification of some kind. Flattened and cleared of trees area housed some tents, plenty of crates and supplies brought from many light years away. This small strip was manned and protected by The Order space marines, tasked with ensuring that the locals would not pillage their resources. The next shuttles would take them out, marking their final farewell to Tomioka that once was.

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Zephyranthes - 03-27-2018

He slept.

For the first time in three nights, Sora could close his eyes and drift away into unconsciousness. The Order shuttle that secured their escape from Tomioka ascended higher and higher into the atmosphere, eventually breaking free of the surly bonds of terra firma. The tiny shuttle shook all the way into space and suddenly stopped the turmoil. Peace. At last, sweet peace and rest.

During that three day march on Tomioka, rest seldom touched his eyes. The sheer anxiety given by Sakura's presence in a combat zone was enough to keep him from not paying any mind to sleep. It was only upon reaching the shuttle that he quietly asked someone to look after her, and then collapsed in his seat. He awoke many hours later.

Outside the window, the blue of the Crow Nebula dazzled his eyes like a shimmering, crystal clear water. Millions of sparkling stars beckoned the human spirit to venture outwards, asking mankind to keep exploring and discovering what each body held. Within those azure recesses lay many worlds that formed Kusari. In space, the lines between Dragon, Chrysanthemum, Republican, Imperial... these manmade borders didn't exist. Just walking concentrations of stardust dancing in the forever. Tiredly, he smiled and sighed. Even with all the dire news and events plaguing Sirius every day, these vistas of creation eased his haggard soul. He did not see the end or the beginning. Merely a wondrous universe that was not weighed down by the strife of lesser men.

Sakura was going to be safe. The peace aboard the ship reassured him of that. But she would grow up one day, and not in her home country. The bamboo grove was far away now, disappearing ever further as the shuttle left Kusari space. It passed through Nagano, then Rishiri, then Hokkaido. Honshu was next, and Sigma-19 marked the end of the Empire's space.

A heaviness dropped in his chest. He gave one last silent goodbye to his home.

One day, he would return.

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Char Aznable - 03-28-2018

Eta deck, Port Said, Dresden System
28/03/825 AS, 2043 Station time

The station was unusually busy. For Order stations, that was. That basically meant that this operative that had passed Sora and the little amount of luggage he had brought with him had just done so for the third time. Eta deck was off-limits to most personnel, and only very sparsely lit. A fact that only benefitted her. She planned to make a good first impression.

It had been about two days ago when she had finally managed to breach Bruchsal's perimeter without being detected. The faulty sensor ghosts that plagued the station since a little over a week had made it possible. She had to admit that the smoothness of that operation had surprised her, and almost caused her to be impressed by Fischer - even if had broken the chain of command.
Then, however, her mood had worsened. Like most of the time when she saw this particular person send her a message. And the worst thing is that he wasn't exactly wrong when he had insisted that she still owed him a favor - after all, it had been his computer virus. And his guns.
It frustrated her. Owing this man a favor. Especially since she had no idea who this person was, this 'Sora Kobayashi'. Or how she would be able to make sure that another mouth was fed. Or anything, really. But a word was a word.
She sighed from her position in the shadows behind her fightercraft. It was quite useful that she was still using the old Bastet. It didn't stand out among the other ships docked here, and right now it provided her with a nice way of observing the man without showing herself. He was looking around nervously, trying to orient himself in the darkness of the small hangar. He didn't look like an Order operative. Didn't carry himself like one, and the others hadn't treated him like one either. He definitely did look like a soldier, though. A Blood Dragon?

She leaned back against the cold metal of her ship, tracing the lines with her hand and finding the hull plate she was... ah, there. Pressing the button, she slid in her hand and pulled out a sleek, simple black gun. It fit perfectly with her catsuit, even with the maglock attaching it to her hip. Slowly, she paced behind him, wanted to surprise him. Her eyes were fixed on her target, her 'prey', her steps carried her quicker, in absolute silence. And then...

"Kaa-san?"
She froze on the spot. Had that been... It couldn't be. There was no way the Admiral would send a kid all the way across Sirius. What for would that be? She straightened out, and looked around, and then she noticed it. A small hand, barely visible from the bundle of luggage that was stood next to the man she had tried to surprise. A hand pointing at her.
Frak. So much for the entrance. She looked up, just in time to bring a normal posture and look at least slightly less surprised by the sudden interruption. She even managed to convince her voice to sound firm.
"Been looking for a 'Sora Kobayashi. You don't happen to be that guy, do you?"

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Zephyranthes - 03-28-2018

Sora was admittedly taken aback by the presence of the woman calling his name, but his first priority was attending to Sakura in Japanese.

"[No no, little one. Not mother.]"

He rocked her gently, then turned to the Rheinlander with a more serious expression.

"Hai. You must be Miss Haupt, yes?"

Sora tensed up into a slight ready stance typical of a warrior. The woman reminded him of those firebrands in the Chrysanthemums. Haupt must have been taken aback by the presence of a child, he thought. He hoped she would not be too wrathful for bringing two mouths to feed.

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Char Aznable - 03-29-2018

She did need a few more seconds to compose herself fully, even if she managed to hide that fact quite well. Deciding to use that time, she mustered him from head to toe. Not exactly the most trustful type, apparently, given the hand that was under his coat suddenly. Not that she could have blamed him, but still. The kid had really put her off track. The worst thing about that was that she had planned to approach this completely differently - the mysteriously threatening stranger wouldn't exactly work.
She'd have to improvise. And she had already been pretty casual with her first comment, so...
"He's slacking. Back in the day he at least gave the people dossiers on who they'd be meeting."
She paused, and moved a little closer. His grip on the weapon seemed to harden, and she noticed how he slightly shifted to shield the kid from her view. Barely noticeable, but it was there.
"Easy, there. [Yes. Annika Haupt. And if you forgive the intrusion - your daughter, I assume?]"
Goddamn, her japanese was rusty. She could practically feel herself cringe. Who still used 'watashi' these days, let alone pronounced in a way older than the House of Kusari itself. Okay, not that old, but the point stood.

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Zephyranthes - 03-29-2018

He honestly hadn't expected her to be speaking Japanese. And he was also surprised that all the Order had informed of was his name. She had no idea who he really was, and he wondered for a moment if he could use that to his advantage. His stance relaxed, and his hand left his jacket as he now supported Sakura with both hands.

"Your Japanese is not too shabby. Very few people speak so politely these days. It is a quality that is sorely missed. Yes, this is my daughter, Sakura. But... I am a bit surprised that they did not inform you of some fact besides my name. Well, I am a Blood Dragon. Or rather, a former one. I'm afraid my ideas did not fit on Kyoto. And with Tomioka in flames, I needed someplace safe for Sakura to grow up."

Sora adjusted his hold on Sakura, rocking her to sleep slowly. The lump of worry in his stomach still ached.

"And, if you would have us, I do have a very valuable... skillset."

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Char Aznable - 03-29-2018

She crossed her arms behind her back, straightening in the process. With the distance between them, she luckily didn't have to look up. She did not bow, however. Sure, politely speaking was fine, but if anything he was the one seeking refuge. Besides... A little pride had to be shown.
A few moments passed, spent mustering the bit of luggage, and there was these big, brown eyes again. She shied away immediately from the child's gaze, only to meet his eyes again with hers.
"It helps to put things into perspective. Like your name, for instance. Let me put this into perspective..."
She spoke slowly, adapting her pronounciation to his accent. She couldn't put it perfectly, but if she had to guess it sounded like most dragons. Which gave her much to work with.
"You were born on Kyōto. Yet you don't use a noble's name. Which would likely mean that you're a regular soldier, but those don't have to flee because of their views. They get transferred to the shock troops."
She counted her bulletpoints behind her back, even if he couldn't see it - and she only noticed a few moments in. Damn cybernetics.
"Plus, going with 'Kobayashi' is probably not the most common, but not exactly the least either. Which makes it likely that it's a chosen name to get rid of an old one."
Almost done. She had to admit that she loved the look on his face. A foreigner analyzing his cover so aptly likely never happened to the man. To be fair though, not everyone knew their history and language like this.
"Although you were honest about one thing. You were on Tomioka. An outright lie would be below a noble like you. And considering that only a few clans are still on the surface,..." - she zoomed in on his face, watching his muscles closely - "I'm going to go with either Hōjō... or Shimazu-shi."

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Zephyranthes - 03-29-2018

Sora chuckled. He had to admit, she was pretty on the money with that assessment. Then again, she was still distant from the true answer.

"Close. But not quite. The Shimazu clan were my adoptive clan, but they are not my true blood family. My real name is Hideyoshi Yoshitsune. Former Shogun of the Blood Dragons."

RE: Goodbye, Kusari - Char Aznable - 03-31-2018

This did indeed baffle her. Wait.
Yoshitsune. She did remember that name. He had been quite infamous during his time with the dragons - a war leader, if she remembered correctly. A radical. Golanski, you old fox.
"A Hideyoshi. That means you have a legitimate claim to your 'throne' - and yet here you stand with no more than one bag of clothes and a kid. Makes me curious what you're fleeing from."
She looked around the hangar. Still no one else here. A mental order was enough for the fighter behind her to fire up it's engines and open the cargo bay door. She took a step back and to the side, inviting him with a gesture.
"You're gonna tell me a bit about yourself on the way. But let me make one thing clear. If you expect me to hide you and your daughter - you're gonna be using this 'skillset' of yours to further the cause. I've got a lot of mouths to feed as is."