Chapter Three (Closure)

[Akirapryde]

(OOC: So here is the closure for Chapter Three. I had to take a slight bit of liberty with last minute actions to make this post possible. Jake will tie the doctor and Nurse up long enough for the party to gain the benefit of this entire post. There will be enough time to shut the feed down before the doctor and nurse returns to this room. Now that the Closure is open, everyone is free to post in this thread.

Once I have a party direction I will open up Chapter Four. I will be looking for a direction for the party so I can set the stage for Chapter Four.

Adventure Points Awards

Erik: 4 AP, plus 1 for leadership
Jake: 4 AP plus 1 for being a hero
Adrian: 3 AP
Suki: 3 AP
Thorchan: 1 AP

Remember that each of you get your Learn equal to in Skill Points.)

The members of the party were escorted back to the medical bay under guard from the dropship security personal from where every they had been prior. As the party regrouped back in the medical bay, it was clear that something larger was at play. The dropship seemed to be at a heightened sense of alert. As the two groups united, Erik had a brief moment to clue everyone on to what was going on and the need for hacking. Everyone knew what was expected of them. Like a well-trained unit, the team leaped in to action once they reached the medical bay.

Upon reaching the medical bay, true to her promise, medical personal had been standing by waiting for Jake. Knowing that the computer in the medical bay was vital to understanding what was going on, Jake fell upon the sword and asked the doctor if he could be treated in privacy. Jake was escorted by the doctor and the nurse to a side treatment room. Jake’s wounds were slightly more serious than he had first given it credit. He required minor surgery to repair the damage to his rib cage. At the end of the treatment, he got a number of stitches to close up the wound. This extended treatment allowed the rest of the party to do what they had to do in the medical bay.

Once Jake and the medical personal had left the room, Erik asked Adrian to hack the security systems of the dropship. While Adrian worked at his task, Erik allowed Suki to listen to the conversation that Alice recorded. She was able to translate that this meeting was unplanned and the visitors were demanding to meet. Suki was able to discover the location of this meeting. Hanger Bay 6 was the information given to Adrian. Armed with this vital intelligence, Adrian was able to hack the security feed from that bay. Within no time, the image of the monitor was of Hanger Bay 6 and an arriving shuttle.

The shuttle arrived with a bit of flare that Jake would have enjoyed watching. Shortly after the shuttle landed and the bay was re-pressurized, Sho Sho Tetsuhara and her father made their way to the shuttle to greet the group of travelers. Three black cloaked figures walked from the rear of the shuttle. Their mannerism and cloaks caused them to be easily mistaken for Comstar, but their cloaks were black instead of white. Unlike Comstar, their hoods were down over their shoulders. Within the group was an older woman roughly the same age as Sho Sho Tetsuhara.

Her hair was neatly hidden behind a well maintained hijab. On the right breast of the cloak bore the unmistakable image of a menacing Grim Reaper. The boney figure was dawned in a traditional black cloak much like her own. His boney hands were wrapped around a sickle made of bone. Above the top of the sickle were two silver diamonds, one on top of another. All of the figures wore the same flag on their left shoulder as the bodyguards had.

To her left was a figure who walked with a hint of a limp. He was dressed similar to the woman next to him with the exception of the hijab. The hood of his cloak was pulled up over his head and the figure wore a skull like mask that covered the lower half of his face. It was clear that the figure was a male. Like the woman next to him, he wore a black cloak that bore the unmistakable image of a Grim Reaper. However, his Grim Reaper was different. It had large black feathery wings and its sickle was much smaller. Above the head of his Grim Reaper was a single silver diamond.

On the other side of the older woman was a much younger female. She too was dressed in a black cloak with a Grim Reaper. However, her Grim Reaper was more demonic in appearance and sitting upon a throne made of bones. Coming from its sickle and flashing around its head were arcs of purple lighting. It didn’t take long for party to realize that the throne was actually a Mech Command Chair. Above the head of this Grim Reaper was a blue upside down triangle with a solid blue strip above the triangle.

As the three walked down from the ramp of the shuttle, they lowered their heads in respect as did Sho Sho Tetsuhara and Major Tetsuhara. It was clear that there was some level of mutual respect between the two groups.

Sho Sho Tetsuhara spoke towards the man with the limp, “it’s good to see you again. How is the air group?”

Before the man could reply, the older woman spoke, “this isn’t a social call Linna. We are here to escort your ship back to Luthien.”

“You have always been quick to anger, Kat” Sho Sho Tetsuhara said with a sigh. “We have not traveled all this way, not to deliver Kimiko home.”

Kat waved her hand as if dismissing the statement while stepping forward, “spare us Linna. This isn’t a mission of mercy. We know about the treaty between President McGray and Coordinator Kurita. We know about the Destroyers. Linna, for the love of Allah, it’s not safe for Kimiko on New Earth.”

“Your ability to gather information will always surprise me” Sho Sho Tetsuhara said softly, “I told them that it would be foolish to hide this treaty from your group. Nonetheless Kat, President McGray needs Kimiko. No one on New Earth is as loved as she is. She could help him keep power out of the hands of the military.”

Anger crossed Kat’s face, “Linna, Kimiko is your niece! She……..”

“She is a member of the House Nobility and a servant of her people” Sho Sho Tetsuhara snapped. “Her place is by her mother’s side and in the appetence of her mother, she must help bring order to her people. That is her duty,” Sho Sho Tetsuhara rebutted.

It was clear that Kat was going to say something, but the opening of a nearby hatch distracted everyone’s attention. As a forth individual walked down the ramp dressed just like the first three. While his Grim Reaper was similar to the younger female, this one had a pair of wings on the throne like mech command couch. The mark above the Grim Reaper was an upside down triangle that was open on the top. It was his fair skin, blond hair and soft blue eyes that drew the attention of the party.

From the side of the camera angle, Kimiko and her bodyguards walked in. As she reached half way and the fourth person reached the bottom of the ramp, Kimiko brightened up as she ran across the deck, “Marcus”

“Short Round!” the man named Marcus said as he rushed out to greet her. He welcomed her in to his arms in a friendly hug.

After being set down, Kimiko looked around, “Where is my mother?” she searched up the ramp with her eyes, “Did she not come?”

Marcus looked at Kimiko as the cloaked group got very serious, “hey, look Short Round….”

Kat walked over to Kimiko and Marcus and rested her hand on Kimiko’s shoulder, “Kimiko, your mother’s air transport was discovered in one hundred meters of water just off the coast. Her body was identified along with nearly a hundred other presumed missing in action.”

Kimiko stepped back in horror. “No……..” she said with terror in her voice, “why???why????” she muttered as the tears started to flow down her face.

Kat waved the others off, “we don’t know all of the facts right now.” Erik knew that this woman named Kat was lying. “All we know is that the civilian transport she was traveling on was shot down sometime during the opening hours of the invasion a year ago. There was a great deal of confusion at the time and event was not recorded. This is why it was assumed that she was taken prisoner by the Lyrans.”

Sho Sho Tetsuhara angrily interjected, “Lyran bastards murdered my sister!”

Kat turned to Sho Sho Tetsuhara, “we don’t know that for a fact.” Again Erik knew that she was lying.

Major Tetsuhara finally spoke up, “how is this possible? We received an All Clear from Kimiko’s mother four months ago. This was the reason why we are on this journey.”

Kat turned to Major Tetsuhara, “that’s impossible. No such message was sent from New Earth.”

While the conversations and anger continued, Kimiko wondered back to her bodyguards. Clearly she was hurt beyond measure. The pain on her face was clear to those watching the monitor. For a young woman, she was being pressed to her limits today.

Kat finally said, “its settled” she said as if she was making the decision herself, “link up with the Enterprise and we will escort Kimiko and the rest of you back to Luthien.”

“NO” Kimiko said defiantly. She turned back to both groups. “Today someone tried to kill me” she said and as the words left Kimiko’s mouth Kat was already shooting a glare at Sho Sho Tetsuhara. “The same man that saved my life, told me that I just can’t runaway. With the death of my mother, I am now the Duchess of New Earth. I don’t have a choice but to serve my people and I can’t do that from Luthien.”

Kimiko was still showing signs of being unsure of her actions. But she still moved forward towards the black cloaked group, “The Brigade swore an oath to my father and mother to serve them. I ask you now, reaffirm that oath to me. Help me bring peace to my world.”

It was Marcus who dropped to his knee first, followed by the younger female. Kat however stood before Kimiko and looked deep in to her eyes. “Know this Kimiko Tetsuhara Death, we cannot win this war for you. What must be done, must be done by you. This is not an easy task and I am not sure you are up for it.”

Kimiko nodded, “A man I hardly knew was willing to give up his life for me. If I go back to Luthien and my world falls in to chaos, what then. Who will be there for my people?” She looked at Kat in the eyes, “my father’s hopes and dreams all rested on New Earth. If the world falls in to civil war again, then my father’s legacy will be of failure.” She shook her head, “if only that, then I must.” There was a kind of tone to Kimiko’s voice that echoed in other great leaders of history. It was something that Erik picked up on.

Kat continued to look in to Kimiko’s eyes, “It is a dangerous path and there are those who want to see you dead.” Kat slowly started to take a knee as did the masked man, “the Brigade will see you through this path. I give you, my word to that.”

Kimiko turned to Sho Sho Tetsuhara, “Please make best speed for New Earth and Conceptopolis Spaceport.” She walked back towards her bodyguards then paused, “There are three empty rooms on my level. I am sure that our visitors have proven that they are not a threat to me. Please move them to more comfortable accommodations.”

Before Sho Sho Tetsuhara could answer, Major Tetsuhara cut her off, “It will be done Duchess.” While it was a clear show of usurping the Sho Sho, she didn’t argue. Sho Sho Tetsuhara turned and walked towards one of the main hatches. Kat rushed forward to catch up, “Linna, we need to talk in private.”

The man named Marcus and the younger female rose and approached, “So when do we meet the Hero, Short Round?” Kimiko laughed as her group walked off the camera angle.

The masked man and Major Tetsuhara stood there for a moment while everyone else left the hanger bay. Finally, the Major Tetsuhara spoke up, “come, I have orders to issue. Then we shall have drinks and speak of past battles.”

The man nodded, “Hai Sensei” within moments the shuttle was left alone in the hanger bay.