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+--- Thread: The Crimson Petal (/showthread.php?tid=38240)
The Crimson Petal - Not Espi - 04-12-2010
"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when ones body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuka at the death of ones master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of The Way of the Samurai."
Shun arose from his knees after he was done. His daily morning ritual was almost complete. What was left, was to polish and oil his family armor. This was the only thing their family could take to Sirius from Sol, and every generation took great effort in keeping it in a condition as good as possible. It was not a mere choir, but a way to get in touch with his ancestors, to soak in their knowledge and to honour their service to the Kusari Emperor. The armor has experineced numerous battles on the old Earth, and they had it since medieval times, but it's condition was nearly flawless. Today was the day he would join their ranks of the Samurai. 23 years old, his father finally told him he felt it was time to head for the Kusari Navy Dojo and honour the family by applying.
It was a rainy day on New Tokyo, as most of times anyway. The capital was busy as always, even in this early hour. The Dojo was not far from their home, since they were living on a naval base, and so he walked. He felt and heard the raindrops on his recruit uniform. His entire life, he was getting ready for this day. This was what he was born to do, as his father, his father's father, and all of his ancestors were. Advanced military courses in the Academy, his pilot training, flights with his father throughout Kusari's most secret jumpholes, a visit to Hiroshima ... This is the day all of his effort, training and instincts would be put to good use. As all members of the navy in his family, his father swore not to help him whatsoever with the application. Maybe he would even make it harder for him. He would have to prove his worthiness to serve the Emperor and to become one of his Samurai.
As he entered the Dojo, an officer pointed him towards the recruitment office. He sat down silently in the waiting room, memorizing all he had learned throughout the years, until his name was finally called. He entered the office and the officer nodded in his direction and gestured with his hand that he should sit down.
Shun sat down and waited for the officer to make the first move.
"We have recieved your letter of application. Very impressive, the courses you enumerated, your flight instructor gave us a very good recommendation and said something among the lines of you being a natural." The officer looked in the papers again. "You wrote in it your family is in the Navy. This would be Samurai Yuu Oguri, correct?"
"Hai." Shun nodded, "But I would rather that not taken into consideration, if possible. It is a tradition in our family to get in the service of the Emperor without help from family members."
The Crimson Petal - Not Espi - 03-03-2011
Weeks later, training was done. Shun passed and became a Shoi in the Naval Force - he got his ship, and followed orders. The family legacy would be preserved. He did not aspire to a leader rank. He was good at his job - he knew how to fly and was good in space combat, and was happy to keep the House of Kusari safe from threats. He politely declined offered promotions for now. He was young - let the elder, more experienced people, lead. Perhaps, with time, progress in the ranks would come, but not now - not yet.
Service was good - Shun got transferred to Battleship Yamaguchi in Tau-31. Most of his flight time was spent on the Bretonian front, or protecting supply shipments in the Taus. Interestingly enough, when his wing was heavily outnumbered in Leeds, and in a rather dire situation, a wing of Corsair ships appeared out of nowhere and engaged the Bretonians. These were not accidents, he was sure of it. Even though being masters of war and saving his wing several times, Shun loathed the Corsairs and their barbaric and terrorist-like tactics. He was a warrior - not a murderer. Someone on the inside was working with them. This was not acceptable. Shun contacted his father about the issue several times. Always, he was told to not pursue the matter any further. He didn't. At least not through his father.