The blade is curved - Printable Version

The blade is curved - Printable Version

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The blade is curved - Yaoquizque - 06-07-2011

A mid-forty man was sitting Agura-style on a middle sized audience room. On his left, Ryoma, his sabre wielder, sighed discretely.
He affected to ignore him, concentrating on the screen integrated to the writing case in front of him.

As Ryoma was about to speak, a voice could be heard coming from the other side of the shōji "Master... Your son has arrived."
The man raised his head "Very well then."

He sighed and talked to himself "Will that son disappoint me like the others did?"
Ryoma smiled softly "Only time will tell, my master. But the young lord is indeed young." He chuckled without making any noise "I even heard the young lord never experienced the various pleasures of the flesh..."

The man raised his voice "Enough, puppet!" He turned his head and stared at Ryoma, wrathful "One day you will end with my blade on your belly. I don't even know why i should spare your life today"

Ryoma bowed with humility. However the smile on his face was subtly contradicting his current attitude "That's because my master knows i would rather die than fail him or see Gamo honour sullied"
He looked at Ryoma who was still bowing "I see... That's why you made that scene during the last meeting on Tosa?"

Ryoma raised slowly and an intelligent smile appeared on his face. He then quickly bowed back "My lord. That treacherous odawara was alluding to the honour of your lady, and i simply couldn't let him walk away"
"Right... And this has nothing to do with the fact you and him loved the same woman?"
Ryoma remained bowed "Of course not"

The man sighed "Keep your snake tongue inside your mouth, wielder"

They then heard the voice of the page, coming from outside "My lord..."
"Yes." He glanced at Ryoma who quickly assumed back a strict Seiza while holding the No-dashi of his master "Let him come in"

Ujisato entered in the room and bowed in front of his father. He then slowly assumed Seiza, looking down "Father... I'm glad to see you're in good health"
"Yes... The years pass... And the blue ocean remains the same" said Ryoma.

"My son" He glanced at Ujisato "How is your life in the Enryaku-ji?"
Ujisato quickly looked at him, surprised "Fine, my father."
"Good. This is over"
He looked at his father, confused
"Excuse me, father... What do you mean?"
"I mean you will leave that temple and join the warriors of our Emperor"

Ujisato hesitated during a few seconds and bowed "Yes father. Will a join my brother?"
He raised and looked at his father. He was puzzled by his expression "Will i join Ujimasa?"

He looked severely at this son "You shall not say his name again"
Ujisato glanced at his father, perplexed. He then bowed once again "Yes, father"

His father raised his arm "You heard my words. So shall it be"
Ujisato bowed and stood up. He then slowly left the room...

Ujisato entered in his small quarters inside of Myoko. Three weeks he joined the naval forces.
During these murky days, there was little time to teach extensively new recruits.

He sighed and sat on the only chair of the small room. The members of his wing called him "rotten luck".
He wasn't a warrior. He never was taught to.

The comm of his quarters suddenly rang.

"Ujisato-san? The Rikugun Taisa would like to meet you. Please appear in his office in ten minutes."

He sighed. He would surely lecture him about the last Chimaera he lost...

The blade is curved - Yaoquizque - 06-08-2011

The Taisa Kagetora sighed.
"I was asked to take care of him, and so do i... He's too inexperienced to fight on Taus front... For now"
Ryoma gave him an angry look
"Be carefull, honorable Rikugun Taisa... Such words could be easily seen as a grave insult."
Kagetoratora remained stonily indifferent. He noticed Ryoma put his hand on the Tsuka of his Katana..

He gave him an inquiring glance while sipping a bit of sake...

He always was uncomfortable with him. That fencing master was fickle, quick to hate or to love, and generally wily. He always wondered how one could trust him.

Ryoma was studying him and suddenly relaxed his muscles. He bursted out laughing and took a sip of sake, then laughed again.
"How entertaining you are, dear Kagetora-san." He smiled "And your sake is good as well. I don't regret to have made that long trip from Tokyo."

Kagetora allowed himself to shrug softly.
He grabbed a file on his desk and skimmed through it "He's doing his duty anyway... But well... Since he left the academy... He lost four ships."
"What a lucky mice... He survived..." Ryoma was scratching his chest under his clothes, making a bored face.

"He did... I just hope however he won't end up like his brother... and his sister even"
Kagetora gave a questioning look at Ryoma "I wonder however..."

Ryoma carressed the Tsuka of his Katana again and stared at him "You don't need to know... Now listen to me carefully, honorable Taisa. Do not mention again my master's daughter and his elder brother. Ever. They are dead. Period."

Uncomfortable, Kagetora sighed.
Ryoma took another sip of sake "You are still married to that thing vaguely looking like a woman, dear Taisa?"

He remained unmoved. That was so typical of him. Jumping to another trivial subject by insulting his interlocutor.
Kagetora was well aware of his aim.

"Yes.... She's fine. Thanks Ryoma-san."
Ryoma looked at him, bored "Ohhh...? You would not dare to..." He stopped to talk as someone knocked at the door.

"Come in"
Ujisato stepped in and bowed to them "Taisa... Ensign Gamo reporting"

Kagetora nodded, noticing his tiredness "At ease" He gave a sidelook at Ryoma "How was the patrol on Galileo, ensign?"
"Fine. we succeeded to stop two smugglers. But then..."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow, glancing with disillusion at Ujisato.
"Yes ensign?"
Ujisato lowered his head "We met a party of gaijins... Hackers, i believe... We succeeded to destroy them and tractor some of them for interrogation... However... I was shot during the dogfight..."

Ryoma sniggered.

"Well... It happens ensign Gamo. I'm glad you don't seem to be injured"
"Yes... My pod was tractored by Gunsō Tennomori..."
Kagetora nodded "Good"

Ryoma shook his head and sniggered again "And that's it? I believe you should hug that poor ensign, honorable Taisa... And probably tell him a bed story this evening, to be sure he will sleep well"

Kagetora gave a cold look at Ryoma "I believe the ensign is punishing himself enough"
"How convenient... And moving..." Ryoma stood up and started to walk slowly around Ujisato.

"How pathetic... I told your father often you were spending too much time with your mother. It made you weak!"
Ryoma kneed him violently on the stomach, making him bend in pain "This one if for my master"
He smiled and used the Kashira of his Katana to hit Ujisato's spine. "And this... Is for me"

Ryoma walked swiftly out of the quarters, saying "Don't worry my brave ensign.... Your father will hear about this"

The blade is curved - Yaoquizque - 06-11-2011

It was a boring patrol. Nothing happened yet.

The view was beautiful however, around Saiun cloud.
His wingman, Rinji, directed his Chimaera to Shiun, mumbling something about occasional sightings of traitors in the cloud.

Ujisato liked Rinji. He was a fine pilot who saved him a couple of times already.
He wished he could become as talented with time.

Rinji was also slow to anger and quick to forgive. He was actually the only one who didn't make fun of him due to his incredibly high losses.
He also accepted to take him as wingman, when no one else wanted to.

While automatically staying in formation with Rinji and keeping an eye on his scan, his mind was wandering...

He looked at the sky when he came out of that car that took his family and himself to the jinja.
It just looked like that sky was unsure whether he should 'cry' or 'smile'.

Ujisato enjoyed the noise of the rain on the temple's roof when he studied there. It made a soothing song, favorable to meditation.
"On that very day, it should rain" he thought.

Following his father, the procession entered in the sanctuary, where a delegation of priests and the sōryo were waiting.

His father stepped in front of them and bowed "Thank you, wise ones"
The sōryo bowed back "I'm ready to read the sutras and give him his posthumous name, noble one"

His father nodded "Hmm!"
They then followed the priests and entered in a large room. Everyone assumed Seiza there, while the priests were officiating...
It was strange, and Ujisato noticed at times some guests were distressed.... Or even shocked.

Two priests took an urn and stepped in front of the guests. They all bowed and got on their feet slowly, preparing themselves to follow the two priests.

They then all left the room and moved to the garden inside the sanctuary.
The burying of the funerary urn followed and the sōryo burned incense on a altar nearby.

Little groups by little groups, the guests started to pray in front of the altar, putting their hands together and closing their eyes.
Ujisato turn followed. As he was praying, he heard two men conversing in a low voice.

"Gamo clan has sunk very low."
"Yes... What a pathetic attempt to hide the shame caused by his heir"
"I'm saddened. Even a family as old as that one is forgiving the old customs"
"Not forgiving... They are rather using them for their own profit."
"Yes... You're right. And this is not the first time. Remember that scandal with the daughter. He claimed she was dead too. Despite she..." The man stopped to talk suddenly.

Ujisato was puzzled. Last time he heard of his sister was around four years ago. His father told him she was dead.
He wanted to move and go ask them what they knew, but it would be unbecoming. He remained unmoved and kept listening.

After a while the two men resumed their whispering.
"And here we go again... Another burial of someone who is most certainly still alive..."
"No body for the cremation. He should accept his shame instead of doing such masquerade"
"And here is the last son..."
"He is not much to look at"
"Yes..."

Ujisato remained unmoved.
He thought they just wanted to sully the reputation of the clan. Probably some members of a rival house.

Still...
Daring to insult them during his brother funerals... A doubt seeped into his mind. What if they knew something?
His father never told anything.

"Ensign Gamo...?" A pause "Ujisato?!"
"Uhh... Yes Rinji-san?"
"Stop day dreaming, please. Check your scan, we have incoming hostiles"
"Yes... Sorry. I'm on it!"

While they were getting in range to claim the lifes of the traitors, Ujisato was thinking there were a lot of things he ignored. And it was unlikely his father would tell him anything.
Not until he proved him he was his laudable and trustworthy son...

The blade is curved - Yaoquizque - 07-28-2011

A chimaera slowly landed on Kyushu astroport, as if its pilot was afraid to bump into something.
However it looked doubtful, as there was not much traffic on this fine afternoon.

As soon as it landed, a young pilot jumped off its cockpit and started to look at the hull of the ship. He looked rather disappointed.
Cursing in a low voice in Kusarian, he passed his hand on some impacts. He finally shook his head and turned around to look at the astroport.

He suddenly noticed the two soldiers aiming at him using their rifle.
Perplexed, he took off his helmet and stood still. What the hell was going on?

"Kaigun Shoi Gamo-san?" Asked a man wearing a Daisa uniform.
"H-Hai, Kaigun Daisa-sempai" said the young man, bowing while arching an eyebrow.
"You will follow us"
"...Hai... May i ask...? Daisa? What is going on?"
"No you can't."

The two soldiers surrounded a confused Ujisato and they all started to walk towards a transport...

"Fine. Let's restart from the beginning"
Ujisato sighed.

Three hours he was in this room, answering to their questions.
Two men were facing him... The Daisa who picked him up right after he landed... And another man..

He took a look once again at him. He was wearing a naval forces honorific uniform, but it looked quite obvious he wasn't accustomed to wear it. The Daisa was treating him with deference.

The man was never talking, just listening... His eyes riveted on Ujisato. It wasn't easy to bear it for too long.
Meanwhile, the Daisa was checking some files, probably the reports of the medical exams he had to pass during several hours before he ended up in that room.

"So... Let's clear this up..." The Daisa sighed and sipped some tea.
"We received a report from your superior..." He checked his files "The Kaigun Shosa Kosetsu-san."
"Kosetsu-san? Hai..." Ujisato nodded "I gave him a quick report some time after the encounter."

The Daisa nodded too "Let's hear it"
"I told you" He started, frowning "I encountered those two vessels near Kyushu orbit and they didn't seem to be hostile."
He shrugged "Everything is in the blackbox of my Chimaera, Daisa-sempai"

The Daisa grabbed a datapad "We know. We retrieved them already, Shoi."
He then pushed softly a button and the content of the black box could be heard during a few seconds.

"Blackbox@Chimaera/#Go-Yon-Go|Ni-San-Rei|-Nana-Roku-kyÃ»//Operator#Shoi-Gamo-Ujisato Wrote:[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Well... Konnichi wa...
113th|Morimoto.Koji: Konnichiwa, Pilot.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Cease fire, please
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: I was escorting those two vessel out of the empire
113th|Futamura.Shinji: Ujisato Gamo of the Kusari Naval Forces regulars, where were you escorting them to?
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Out of Kusari
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: They aren't ennemies of the Emperor... For now
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Ca.Urabe.Kosetsu: Konnichiwa Gamo-san. What is current situation?
113th|Futamura.Shinji: I disagree.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Therefore, they will be escorted out of Kusari
113th|Futamura.Shinji: But I will concede the regulars in central Kusari.
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Konnichi wa
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: A moment please
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: I'm a bit busy here
113th|Futamura.Shinji: However, they will hand over all alien remains before proceeding.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Now order vessels
113th|Futamura.Shinji: I trust you have no complaints.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Move
113th|Futamura.Shinji: Negative.
113th|Futamura.Shinji: They will transfer the nomad remains to our ships before proceeding.
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: I have two 113th ships here
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Near Kyushu
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Fine
/\Secured_node/\[KNF]Ca.Urabe.Kosetsu: understood, I'm on my way.
113th|Morimoto.Koji: So, will you?
113th|Futamura.Shinji: I confirm transfer of all alien remains.
113th|Futamura.Shinji: They are all yours, Ujisato Gamo.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: Hai
113th|Futamura.Shinji: I hope the serpent you coddle does not turn and bite you.
[KNF]Si.Ujisato.Gamo: *He gives a suspicious look at the 113th's ships*
113th|Morimoto.Koji: Futamura, lets get back to patroling.

The Daisa looked quite pissed.
"Let me resume, Kaigun Shoi... You were escorting two order vessels who aren't our enemies -i will concede you that-, but aren't our allies either... And you focused on escorting those ships when you had two priority targets in front of you?"
Ujisato looked totally confused "I...I... They complied to my order to cease fire and were friendly. I didn't want to fire on a potentially friendly target"

"Those vessels -weren't- friendly. Do you even read the priority transmissions from KNF High command?"
"I... I do"
"Why didn't you attack those hostiles then?" The Daisa shook his head, appearing to be suddenly disgusted "Or were you afraid to give your life for the Emperor, Shoi"
"I...Ie!" Ujisato lowered his head.

"You even helped those pilots, letting them ask for those 'Aliens'. This could be considered as high trahison"
The young pilot kept his head lowered, saying in a low voice "I just did what i thought to be right"
"Your duty is to follow orders, not interpret them, Shoi... Didn't the Shosa Kosetsu-san told you 'Wipe this taint from Kusari' right after you reported the presence of those two vessels?"
"I...I.."
"You what...?!"

The Daisa finally leant back, seeing Ujisato would not answer. He sighed "The heir of Gamo clan... That's you, right, Shoi?"
He took a sip of tea "You know... I knew your brother... He was also inclined to ignore orders... But at least his bravery was compensating this failing."

He finished his cup of tea and stood up "Believe me... You won't leave this room before long. We will drag out the truth. We have many things to ask you..."
As he was talking, the door suddenly opened and the Shosho Takahashi appeared, followed by her perpetual aide-de-camp.

"Kaigun Daisa..." She nodded at him and at the other man, appearing to be a bit surprised to see him here.
"Why one of my subordinates is being interrogated -here-... without me being informed?"
"Apparently you are informed well enough, Kaigun Shosho..." said the other man with an ironic tone, speaking for the first time.
Takahashi coolly smiled at him "I have my own sources, thank you."

She looked at them two, studying them "I believe you have already everything you need"
Nodding at Ujisato she then said "Shoi... Follow me."
The Shosho then left the room, followed by a somewhat lost and confused Ujisato.