It wasn't long before Noritaka Kamuta was caught. However, he was extremely lucky. The men who apprehended him were under the command of Taisho Nagano, commander of the KNS Nagasaki, who also would come to be the premiere influence in Kusari government for the Aoi Iseijin. He spoke with Noritaka Kamuta privately, knowing what he was, and let him loose. He ordered his most loyal men to stay with him and protect him as he continued his work. This was the way of things for a few years, until certain people got suspicious. People that couldn't be silenced.
Patrols out of the Matsumoto were increased, and Nagano found his hands tied. Eventually, Kamuta was holed up in Heaven's Gate, unable to continue avoiding hostile Naval Forces patrols. Things seemed to have hit a snag. Then...
Something incredible happened. From the Omicron 92 jump hole came several Nomad ships, bearing new Incubi, materials, and more. It was acknowledged that these visits would be rare, as the Order was gaining strength in Omicron Minor (they were also currently constructing a new fleet, which made things even more difficult), but it was the push needed to make the Aoi Iseijin powerful enough to slip out of Tohoku.
On silent wings, Chimeras left over from before the First Nomad War descended upon Kusari. Bearing the markings of the Kusari Naval Forces, they apprehended many criminals and returned them to Heaven's Gate, beginning the first true forceful recruitment policies that the Aoi Iseijin followed. As their ranks swelled, the sorties turned to supply-interdiction as well. Soon, subterfuge became harder and harder. The necessity to leave no survivors to tell the tales was never understated, but at times it was just not possible to kill or capture everyone.
Word spread of the Aoi Iseijin, slowly at first, mere whispers. Nothing was ever proven, and those that claimed to be attacked by Naval Forces Chimeras were told that the Blood Dragons' Katana held a striking resemblance to the Chimera.
Sometimes thoughts come unbidden of that fateful day, when I was joined with the Community and group consciousness. KNF High Command was getting suspicious about activity in the Tohoku system, especially then-unconfirmed rumors of the LNS Tundra operating in the area. I was one of the fighter squads assigned to dragnet the system. It was pointless, as we never got within scanner range of Heaven's Gate... it was an unspoken rule. While some of our patrol paths crossed right over it, we still looped around.
Of course, that didn't really help. As I learned later, it was all a ploy. Nagano had pushed for increased patrols in Tohoku to flush out whatever might be supposedly residing there, and he had been well aware of what would happen to them -- to us. The LNS Tundra was waiting. It knew exactly where we'd be, and used advanced Electronic Warfare systems to separate us and hunt us down one by one.
I wasn't the only one to be taken that day. Not even close. There must've been near fifty...
Most recently, the LNS Tundra was "reassigned" to the Aoi Iseijin for a brief period, and was used to capture several Naval Forces officers. Information provided by Nagano was critical in the operation, but all too soon the Tundra disappeared back into the deep Omicrons -- it was a ship of such high profile that it couldn't afford to hold the same position for too long. The quick boost of combat-elite Naval Forces veterans was all the Aoi Iseijin needed to begin a more aggressive policy, and now their ships are actively seen outside of Tohoku, albeit disguised. The KNF has all but ceased guarding the Tohoku jump hole.
Chapter Three: ...The Paths Are Paved With Daggers
The brilliant suns of Kyushu graced the hull of the Luxury Liner. Iori Ishikawa, a pudgy businessman who had ascended to wealth and prestige through certain contacts in the Hogosha and Samura, reclined in his chair and sipped from a glass of sake. Just one on duty, and just because it was a cruise ship. The captain had to enjoy himself as well too, didn't he? Such a beautiful system. Their course was set for Tau 29, a system secured by the Naval Forces thanks to the war. He pressed a button which began the comm system.
"Konnichiwa, this is your captain speaking, if you look out a window on the port side of the ship you'll see the magnificent Kyushu luminaries. Truly one of the most beautiful systems in the Empire, no?"
It was his job to sell the moment. Instant gratification was a must on these journeys. He relaxed and let the bridge crew deal with the running of the ship.
"Sir! Trade lane disrupt in five seconds!"
He bit off an oath and slammed the comm system on again.
"All hands, hold onto something!"
Barely two seconds later the ship was jarred out of the lane. Facing it was a Kusari gunboat. The IFF was being scrambled for some reason, and the power signatures weren't consistent with the average Naval ship. What the hell was the Naval Forces doing disrupting lanes?
"Sir, they're hailing us."
Perturbed but trying to keep his cool, Iori nodded to himself and smoothed his uniform. "Put it through." A female voice, dainty yet firm, spoke:
"Konnichiwa. We have been informed that a wanted fugitive has stowed aboard your ship under false identity. He is a danger to the Empire and must be apprehended."
Iori quickly asked for a moment and cut the channel. Then he motioned to his first mate to come closer. He was a stocky man, and was the more practical, down-to-earth of the two.
"I don't like this, something's not right here. Patch me through to the KNF command in the area and request information on the 'KNS Kataki'."
He nodded and moved to the comm station. Iori paced some, considering his options. Somehow, sensor readings were showing that the firepower displayed by the gunboat was greater than that of the average Naval Forces Gunboat. This wasn't a comfortable position.
Walking to the comm station himself, he made up his mind.
"Hail the Kataki and tell them they are cleared to dock with us, and send security teams to meet them. I don't want any trouble. We'll try to stall until we've heard back from the Naval Forces."
The corridor leading up to the docking umbilical was plush and lavish, to say the least. It was designed for accepting dignitaries and wealthy patrons with grace. Sadaharu Nishiyama was always somewhat overawed by the whole ship, having never been affluent enough to afford a vacation aboard one. He was simply a man with a job, and was damn lucky that it was on such a beautiful and rich ship. Him and five other men stood around waiting for the hatch to pressurize before opening it for the Naval Forces officers. They were armed with simple handguns, not expecting any real hostilities to take place. A clipped voice in a Kusarian accent announced: "Seal pressurized."
With a nod to the rest of the time, Sadaharu walked up and keyed in the sequence to open the airlock and allow entrance. The door hissed open silently, and he moved to greet the officers. He froze in his tracks. Before him was several heavily-armed men bearing the uniform of the Naval Forces, all with heavy weapons trained on the stupefied security team.
"Disarm them," barked the obvious leader, a grizzled man with gray lacing his hair. Fluid and graceful as a dragon itself, the officers almost danced forward to remove handguns and communication devices.
"W-what is the meaning of this?" Sadaharu asked, anger breaking through shock. The next thing he knew, he had been hit with a stun-gun and was on the ground convulsing until blackness covered the world.
Sadaharu Nishiyama led the Naval Forces officers and security team through the ship. Quite a few hushed glances were shot towards the group, but all minded their own business and quickly ducked into another hallway. No one wanted to mess with the Naval Forces, especially with the look set on their faces. Through the winding corridors of fanciful design and utility toward the ultimate goal - the command deck.
The door was sturdy and appeared to be made of oak. It was not made to withstand a breaching force, and it wouldn't have to. Sadaharu activated the commlink and told the captain that the officers wanted to see him. After a small pause, the door slid open. The Naval Forces commander stepped into the room and surveyed it. Little in the way of defense measures. They weren't expecting open violence. The soldiers filed in behind him, as well as the security detail.
"Konnichiwa..." Iori began to say, but stopped when the soldiers pulled weapons and covered the entire bridge crew.
"Konnichiwa, Ishikawa-san. You will be telling your passengers to enter their rooms, and you will be locking them all in. If you wish to live."
With a gun to his head, he was slow to comprehension. The commander nodded to a soldier, who shot one of the crew. That got their attention.
"This is your captain speaking, all passengers and crew please report to quarters. You have two minutes before emergency lock-down. Repeat, you have two minutes until emergency lock-down."
Then the scene on the bridge was frozen as the timer counted down from two minutes. The guns were not lowered, the gazes were like daggers and almost could have killed faster than the guns. When the timer hit zero, the captain activated emergency lock-down procedures and all the rooms were sealed tight. The commander of the squad cocked his head to the side, as if listening to something far off.
"We must hurry," he said in a monotone. His brow furrowed in focus, and then all of the humans on the deck fell to their knees grasping their head. Numerous Nomad Incubi bound into the room and picked their host, then inserted themselves quickly. More Incubi were boarding and infecting the passengers, notable figures and rich business tycoons. But time was against them, as someone on the bridge had tripped the silent alarm. A Naval Forces Destroyer was sending out hails and only scant minutes away. The "Naval Forces" officers returned to the Kataki double-time as the Incubi unloaded as fast as they could.
* * * * * *
"This is the KNS Iwo Jima to OSC Liner Barbados, do you read?"
There was a moment of silence, then:
"Konnichiwa. This is the Barbados, Captain Iori Ishikawa speaking. Sorry for the mix up, we were in trouble for a moment but nothing so dangerous. One of the newer crew members panicked. We are OK now."