Katsuo no Seibyou

[Asbestos]

Taro returned Yuzuki's elegant bow and thought for himself Now for Fischer... I hope he didn't get lost along the way... He was interrupted in his chain of thoughts by Kenshin.

"As you may already be aware, Masayuki-san" Taro said while leaning over one of the chairs "the Kusari Empire have been yanking our chain to sign a treaty between us and the Empire." Taro rubbed his temples and continued "They say it's to 'reaffirm' our sovereignty in the space we control. What's the sudden rush? We've been considered sovereign for centuries!" With one swift move, Taro had seated himself in the chair.

"That doesn't sound so bad" Jomyo said, "I've seen the proposed treaty and by the looks of it, reasonable for both the Guild and Kusari." Taro nodded as he reached for a cup of warm Sake that his lovely assistant brought before the group, carrying the cups on a large tray. "Arigato, Naomi-chan." he took a sip, before continuing "And as such did the Trade Agreement that we signed with Kishiro and Republican. The Empire changed their transport regulations of H-fuel and plutonium, while interpreting the Agreement in a way suitable for them."

He took another sip. "The government, majorly Samura-controlled as we know, have proven to be distrustful. They do their utmost to obstruct our projects, sending their Hogosha cronies to disrupt us in Okinawa, trying to impede our businesses and changing laws to hinder our progress." He took a third sip. "I fear that the Emperor himself is a puppet controlled by Samura, using him to gain the trust of the Kusari people. Corruption's spread far and deep in our homeland, and I cannot bare to see it crumble." He put his hand on the chest and said "Kusari is in my heart, but not in my mind." he patted two fingers at his left temple. "That is why I seek a better future for myself and like-minded people. We've all found it in the Guild!"

He took a fourth sip, emptying his cup. His assistant quickly refilled his cup, serving him with a smile.

"Oh, and before I forget, Ichimoto-san...!" he reminded himself "Hai, we're complete when Fischer arrives and I can begin the briefing. He shouldn't be much lo-..." Beep, beep, beep Gomen nasai... Taro reached for his pocket and grabbed his PDA. He hastily read the message sent to him, and said "I just received a message from Fischer, he's on his way." He gestured towards a table that Naomi had laid out with many exotic dishes and fruit bowls. "Please, enjoy yourselves with the refreshments that Naomi-chan made specifically for this occasion. What would I do without you, Naomi-chan?" he said with a delight on his lips.

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