*Quietly sitting at a corner table in the Tea House, Aki sips some fine white tea from a tiny cup, looking out the view port, watching the occasional patrol slip by on normal routines. It seems she's the only patron of the Tea House, perhaps in a very very long time to judge by the lack anyone else here and the layer of dust that covers many of the unused tables and cushions. Perhaps that will change with her being home again. Perhaps.*
There's a rustling behind the counter, and the smell of tea being heated fills the entirety of the tea room. Washing over the musk of a place left unused. A quiet humming accompanies all of this, the tune would be unfamiliar to all, and yet, it would be enchanting, It would carry a tone of sadness, yet it would also bear a tone of hope.
A clink of a spoon inside a mug, and the back of a head would show up in one of the booths. Barely visible.
[Hopefully I'll be able to acquire a signature to put here soon...]
Deep within the depths of Ainu depot, events were beginning to come together. Of the relative willful few who remained aboard Ainu in the wake of the effective collapse of the GC leadership, few would recognize what was occuring.
A brief flickering of the station lights, and a mild power surge. Something not unheard of in the charged nebula of the Hokkaido belt. No one would have noticed.
The only ones who would were those who remembered. The large, scorched metallic holovision, a single set of red and orange lights blinking on it, and static via it's audio systems.
Perhaps to the clear-minded few, voices of the past can be heard...
---
A few days later, the taskforce marshals arrived...
(Back-story)
As quietly and uneventfully Lady Kurisho had been escorted off Ainu base by her medical crew.............she had returned. -No huge 'Welcome Back Party'. No prior announcements or formal gathering.
Lady Kurisho had simply resumed her normal duties.
Ainu's population had dwindled slightly, with many of the 'regulars' moving on with their lives.
The few remaining ones that had remembered what Kurisho was like in the 'old days'....... had noticed a few changes in her since her 'accident':
Lady Kurisho seemed to be a bit more Aged. She moved a little slower, coughed a few times and had more Grey streaks in her hair.
Rumors of her blood-thirsty body count had also dwindled. She was less prone to get angry, scream at people or threaten to thrown them out of airlocks. (or actually throw them out of airlocks).
Her appearance had also went through another fashion change: Her Kimonos were now a more blended coloration of Dark Gothic Blues and Black intermixed with the Royal Purple, dark Red and flower designs. She seem to favored a Dark Blood Red lipstick.
A new embroidered logo was also noted on her Obi. A combination of her family crest and a unknown design that was rumored to be traced back to a Blood Dragon Clan: House Draco.
This was later confirmed by a conversation between Lady Kurisho and one her trusted Crew Women:
Hey ! Kurisho-chan ! How you been ! It's been ages ! I haven't seen you in ever........ What's new with you?
Lady Kurisho: Well.....I died. Thats............ummm.......great? I did get better. uuumm.........Okay.........Anything else new? I got married.
*squeals in delight* Oh really !!!! You got to tell me ALLLLL about her !!! Well, it's a Him Really? You finally caved into the Male side of the force? No. But he's nice and honorible. His family is old Dragon.
(Interrupting) Really??/ I HAVE to meet him ! We can do dinner and go out ... He's been M.I.A. for months. ............uuummm........ I'm Sorry to hear that ? If you say Really one more time, I'ma gonna gut ya`. Tell you what, meet me in the Zen Garden for dinner this evening. We'll do the 'sister-sister' chat thing and I'll tell you all about it. See you at 7.
The next few weeks have been busy. The rumors of the collapse of the GC leadership didn't help matters either.
The 'cells' of the GC still operated with the last standing orders in hand, thou the lack of a coordinated effort from central command hindered efforts. -- What was though as common items were now getting delayed: Food, Water, Fuel, Ammo and other supplies.
It seemed to be days going by before the 'cell' network had reestablished itself. But like anything that has been damaged, it would be an unknown amount of time before everything was 'back to normal'.
To help offset the short comings of the delayed supplies, Lady Kurisho had assembled her tactical crew.
" Ladies, we need to go back to our foundation. Old School hit and run tactics. Start raiding the supplies lines and transports ships. In the past, Ainu has been to dependent on our organization for supplies. We gotten too fat, too lazy and unmotivated. We now need to go back and start fending for ourselves. Again.
Assemble your crews and get on it. You have your orders"
"Hai! By your command! " The tactical crew bowed sharply and departed her office.
A few more days had lapsed. The raids on the supplies had been mostly successful. What the GC could not directly use was either sold or traded on the black market. Afterall, everything had a price and every credit counted.
Lady Kurisho had spent most of her day in her office, sorting through communications, messages and reports.
Suddenly a brief flickering of the station lights, and a mild power surge.
She glances up, muttering to herself "Now what".
Before she can press the intercom button to the maintenance crew, a BEEP BEEP BEEPING noise is heard emitting from a corner cabinet.
Hhhmmm?? A puzzled look is expressed on her face.
She makes her way over, opening a cabinet drawer and removing what appears to be a home-made Scanner hooked up to a fragmented piece of circuit board.
Pressing a button,she silences the alarm and starts to study the power signature that is displayed on the scanner's read out.
"Well" She mutters to herself, "After all this time....That Rusty-Bucket got alot of nerve."
She returns to her desk, placing the scanner upon it's surface, then presses a button on her Coms: Lady Kurisho to Flight Control.
Flight control here, Madam. Set security to level three. Any flights ID's are to be checked and confirmed. Alert me directly if any new non-GC contacts are detected. More importantly, alert me directly if any of these new contacts are in a course headed to Ainu. I don't care what time of day or night it is. If you see anything new, call me. Copy? Copied, Madam.
Leaning back in her chair, she wonders ''What else is going to go Wrong.''
Keiko walked into the tea house. It was barren, with only a few sisters scattered about, ones who were able to survive the purge. She walked up to the bar and sat down.
"Greetings Minna .."
She said, recognizing the bartender"
Minna -
"Ah.. Keiko." She Bowed "May your leadership save us all"
Keiko waved her hand away
"I am just doing what I was destined to do, What my mother passed on to me when she passed on"
Minna nodded.
"So what can i get you?"
"Spiked Tea please" Replied Keiko.
Minna nodded and left, returning with a kettle and a cup, pouring Keiko a glass
"So what is the news of the day sister" Minna asked.
"Oh the usual.. Pirated a few ships that got too close to Ainu earlier today, then brought a load of Cardamine back from Malta. I am glad the plantation is still up and running. I knew Carlos was a good substitute while I am gone. My brother will keep us well supplied"
"Oh I hope so... Since the membership waned after the purge, cardamine has gotten scarce. Though under your leadership I hope to see it rise again." Said Minna
A young women with long dark-brown hair and nut-brown eyes, dressed in a short Kimono, which are normally sold in tourist stores on Planet New Tokyo, enters the Tea House. She coughs politely as the penetrant smell of Cardamine reaches her almost flawless face. It was obvious that she wasn't from here - and if someone whould have precisely eyed up her, might have noticed that she's in fact a Rheinlander by origin. She proceed light-footed to the next waitress who nodded towards her when their views crossed each other. In a soft voice, Sarah starts talking to her with a light rheinland accent.
"Konnichiwa. I've received an invitation from the sisterhood. Keiko Matsumado awaits me."
The waitress holds for a second when Sarah dropped Keiko's name and she nods into the direction of an empy table in the middle of the bar. After thanking her, Sarah proceed to the table and let her body fell exhausted on the comfortable couches. A few minutes later, the same waitress brings a cup of traditional to her table, asking her to be patient for a while.
Two Sisters entered the Tea House, bearing \W/ insignia of Sisters of Light, lean black haired woman followed by a fiercely looking sister with fiery red hair. Glanced quickly around, they bowed to Keiko Matsumado and Hojo Masako and approched the table in the center of the Tea House.
Keiko Matsumado and Hojo Masako walked into the tea house. Keiko looked around, then seeing Sarah sitting at the table in the middle walks to the table an bows slightly, sitting down She saw the waitress approach and smiled
"Two spiked teas please." The waitress nodded and left.
"So... Sarah was it? I am Keiko Matsumado, leader of the New Sisterhood of the Golden Chrysanthemums."She gestured to Hojo"This is my second in command, Hojo Masako. The leaders of the Sisters of Light will be here shortly. We should wait until they arrive before beginning our conversation"She smiled.
"Konnichiwa Sarah Braun-san" the red haired sister said, bowing. "Sisters of Light are honoured to meet you. Allow me to intruduce ourselves" she gestured towards her companion "Mistress of Light Lady Red and her humble advisor" she bowed again "Akane Takahana". Nodding to approached waitress, Akane added:
"two cherry teas, please".
Hojo leans back in her chair, drumming the fingers of one hand on the table. After a sharp look from Keiko, she sits up straight and crosses her arms across her chest. “Well if that’s everyone here, maybe we should get a move on then”, Hojo glances at the other women around the table, responding to their stares she then says “Or I suppose we could wait for our refreshments to arrive first I guess”. She sits back in her chair and sighs, doing her best not to let her impatience get the better of her.
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