Chapter Two: The Dragon's Nest

[Etaphreven]

- A week after the successful Blood Dragon blockade in Sigma 13,Reiko finds herself
alone,in a cold,dark room on Kyoto.Her body was shaking uncontrollably and she
was sweating as if the heat from hell had touched her.Her view did not change,she was
staring at the same spot over and over.A powerful emotion has started to conquer her,
and she could or would not fight it.A faint light was entering the room,illuminating her
beautiful,though now dirty face.
- She would sometimes whisper "Help me.." to herself but she could not cry,no,there
were no teardrops falling on the floor.The door to the room was open,and she felt like
darkness was coming inside through it,coming to get her.In that dark haze,Reiko could
see shadows moving now and then.It was the only thing that convinced her to shift her
view from time to time.As she was staring at the blackness visible on the other side of
the door,Reiko noticed one of those shadows,this one though,did not move.No,it just
stood there,as if 'it' was watching Reiko.For the first time,one of the shadows had started
to approach her.As 'it' was coming closer and closer,the faint light was beggining to glow
on 'its' face aswell.Reiko was scared,but she could not move.She then realised that the shadow's
face looked a little familiar,maybe more.

*Reiko?!Is that..Oh my..what happened?
Reiko,answer to me!REIKO!* - said the shadow.

- Reiko soon realised that the shadow was infact her friend,Gabriella,the one she had fought
with in the blockade,a week ago.

*.....G-g-gaby?*
*Yes Reiko,it's me Gaby.*

- For Gabriella,it was unbelieveable.It was for the first time that she had seen Reiko so
weak,scared and sensitive.She thought it was impossible because she remembered when
Reiko helped her,when Reiko taught her to be strong and to fight her emotions before
they'd start to control her.

*Reiko,tell me what happened.Why..who brought you here?*
*No one..I..I came here...I..I......*
*Shht.Calm down.Let's get you something eat.You don't look very well my dear..
Here,take my coat,you must have frozen in here.*

Gaby could still not believe her eyes.Such thing was not possible...no...the Reiko she knew
would never have gotten so scared.Something really bad must have happened.

*Let's go now...We'll talk all about it in my room.* - said Gaby


(( to be continued ))

[Exile]

..."Here, sit down. Lets get you something to drink"~ Gabriella said to Reiko.
"I..I..Lost it.."~Reiko mutterd.
"Here. What did you loose, dear?"~Gabriella replied
"T-the Katana.. My family's symbol.." ~She said.
"Why is it so important? Its just a blade. You can allways get annother one" ~ Gabriella said.
"You dont get it do you!"~Reiko said with a flame in her voice. "It has been passed on troughout my familly for generations! Ever since our ancestors inhabited this rock! That blade is more then 700 years old. And i lost it!"
"Shh. Take it easy. It cant have walked off by its own can it now? It must still be somewhere on the base."~Gabriella replied.
"No! It isnt! It isnt even in the system. Its on Yanagi base..Those Junkers knew its importance, and they somehow got their hands on it! I dont know what their going to do to it.."~Reiko said.
"Junkers! Are you sure? Then what are we sitting here for then! Grab your suit, were going for a ride."~Gabriella replied.

Gabriella did not get why this blade was so important to Reiko. But it was. And if something's important to Reiko, its important to her.
They ran across the hall, towards their figthers. Got in, and launched from Kyoto base.

Sigma-13

Wooosh
"Jump completed"~The ships computer said.
"Dont worry Reiko, we'll get it back for you."~Gabriella said. "Right, Yanagi base should be around the New Berlin jump hole. Just form on me, Reiko."

Sevral minuts later.

"Yanagi base, this is Dragon-165. Were here on a personal mission. Requesting premission to dock with the station. Over"~ Gabriella said over the comm channel.
"Dragon-165. Your clear to dock, over."
"That went well didnt it?" Reiko said to Gabriella.
"It did, now lets go find that bastard and give'm annother hole."~She replied.

They brought there ships in, and headed for the equipment dock. And there it was, some dealer had it displayd next to all his other guns. As if it was but normal junk.

"Aaah! Good evening valued customers!"The dealer said. "Would you be interested in a...*poof*..."

Gabriella had shot the man in the head, dropping dead before he could finish his sentance.

"Now get your blade and lets get oudda here Reiko!"~She said.

---

[Etaphreven]

- Reiko picked the Katana and held it for a few moments.She was happy as
never before.The power was flowing through her veins again.She had her
revenge.Reiko then lifted her view to Gabriella:

*Thank you,Gaby.Thank you for helping me and being such a good friend.*
*You did the same thing for me,Reiko.I owed you one.Though,I'd like us to keep helping each other.*
*We will Gaby,we will.Forever...Now,let's get go.There's no time to waste.The guards will be here any minute.*

- They rushed to the docking bay,jumped in their ships,but only to notice that
the hangar doors were blocked.

*Ok Reiko,I got you this far,but now..*
*Don't worry,Gaby.I've got it all covered.There's a reason why I've acquired this Inferno from the Outcasts.

- Reiko charges the Inferno,and fires a single shot,which literally blows out the
hangar doors.

*Let's go Gaby!*

- Reiko exited first,followed by Gabriella.Now,the only thing left to do was to
return to Kyoto.Seemed simple at first.And it was...until they reached the
Chugoku jump hole.It was an ambush.A bunch of angry Junkers were waiting
for them.

*Oh-uh.* - said Gaby with a scared tone. *This is not good*.

One of the Junkers,probably the leader,hailed them:

*This is Jake Aston.I believe you have something that belongs to me.*
*Belongs to you?You little thief.This sword belongs to me,as it belonged to my father,and his father before him.And you...you will not get it.But you will be paid for it instead.Yes,and guess what?The payment still consists in Katana...only now we're talking about my laser cannons.
*And you think that'll stop us?* - said Jake while laughing evilishly. *Bring it on,little girl!*

- Both sides engaged.Reiko and Gabriella were much more determinate to kill
those scum,though.Two of Jake's wingmen went down like flies.

*You still don't want to give up,Jake,do you? - said Reiko
*Wingmen come and go.Now fight!*

- Reiko and Gaby manage to destroy his wingmen's ships,and capture their
pods.

*Hey Jake.We've got your last two wingmen.Now,the question is,can you live
with their deaths on your consciousness?Because we are going to kill them,right
now,right here,unless you surrender.You little weakling.* - said Gaby with an evil tone
*Is that suppose to touch my -freezing cold- heart?I couldn't care less.Talk
less and die already.* - the Junker replied

- The two Blood Dragons realise that Jake won't go down the easy way,so
they decide to do it his way.After fifteen minutes of intense battle,the Junker's
ship is finally disabled and his pod captured aswell.

- Gaby and Reiko return to Kyoto,where,after thinking about it for a while,they
decide to take the 'prisoners' in the very same dark room where Reiko sat,
being afraid.The 3 Junkers were unblindfolded and told to knee in front of them.

*This,my Junker friends,is The Dragon's Nest.And it is also your end.You wanted my Katana,did you not?Well,now you're going to get it.The hard and straight way.*

Reiko slowly draws her sword,and with a swift move,she executes the three.

Chisa wa madowazu, yusha wa osorezu
(A wise man does not lose his way, a brave man does not fear.)