Mon Jan 16, 2006 6:39 pm by neuromancer
Sorry about the long wait, but here is Chapter Two.
Chapter 2
Jun'ko Zane flew her Hawk through the dust cloud that made up nearly all of the Chugoku system, weaving her ship nimbly through the asteroids. It was out here, surprisingly, that she felt the most at ease.
Much had happened since the final battle with the Dom'Kavash and the Nomads nearly two years ago. In the days following the battle and the funeral of Edison Trent she had grown increasingly melancholy and depressed. She had lost, in the space of three years, many close friends, and nearly all of them had been related to the Order in some way. She decided that if she remained with the Order she would lose many more friends, and that was something she did not want to live with any longer. She resigned her commission as an Order officer, which Orillion had reluctantly accepted, and returned to the LSF, where she was named chief of Manhattan operations.
Juni had been back with the LSF for two months when she had abruptly resigned, stating she had found a new opportunity that she wanted to pursue. In reality, Jun'ko Zane wanted nothing other than to leave Libery forever. The memories of those who she had known and loved were too much to handle, and staying in Liberty wasn't helping matters, so she decided to go to Kusari and begin a new life.
It was in Kusari that she found her way back to the Blood Dragons. She had been fying a freelance mission for the Kusari Police when she had come across a patrol of Blood Dragons. Juni had flown with the wingleader several times during her first stay on Kyoto during the First Nomad Invasion and was surprised that the Blood Dragons remembered her. She accepted an invitation to accompany them back to Kyoto, and upon her arrival decided to make Kyoto her permanent home.
She flew occasionally with the Blood Dragons, who had renewed an old feud with the Hogosha, but spent most of her time tutoring new Blood Dragon pilots and cruising through the asteroids that littered the Chugoku system. It was a rather good life, but Juni couldn't help but wonder if something was missing from her life.
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"Kyoto, this is Dragon Fuji One-dash-Four, requesting landing clearance."
"Roger, you're clear on dock two. Welcome back, Ms. Zane."
"Thanks, Kyoto." Juni eased her Hawk into the dock opening and set the ship down on the landing pad. She powered down the ship's systems and climbed out of the cockpit. Juni sighed as she looked around the vast hollowed-out asteroid at the civilization the Blood dragons had created for themselves.
She turned and walked toward the Kyoto bar and saw a figure walking toward her from the shadows. As the figure stepped into the light, Juni's jaw dropped.
Lord Hakkera was, even at his age, an imposing figure. He was taller than the average Kusari citizen, and his piercing eyes were enough to make even the most hardened Corsair back down.
"Hello, Jun'ko."
"Hakkera? What are you doing here?" Juni said when she had regained her ability to speak.
"I am afraid there is something we must discuss. Please, let me buy you a drink, and we can discuss things."
"All right."
Hakkera and Juni sat down in an isolated booth. Hakkera looked around, then looked at Juni with those hard, piercing eyes.
"Jun'ko, have you spoken with Orillion lately?"
"No, I haven't spoken or even seen him since I resigned my commission. Why?"
Hakkera was silent for a moment. "I'm afraid I must tell you that I am in hiding. My title and authority has been stripped from me. It is because of Casper Orillion."
"What?" Juni said in surprise.
"Something has happened to Orillion, Jun'ko. He is not the same man that we once knew. He has changed somehow. At first I wondered if somehow he had been affected by the Nomads, but I knew that ths could not be the case, as he did not seem to be affected by the raw cardamine we had been using to create our anti-Nomad weapons.
"I confronted him some time ago, and he became angry, angrier than I had ever seen him. He ordered me back to Kusari and said he would handle things himself. I had no idea what he meant, but shortly after my return to Kusari I was visited at my home by several agents from the Kusari military, who had orders to arrest me. Fortunately, I was, shall we say, rescued by several of our Blood Dragon friends as they escorted me to New Tokyo. I have been in hiding ever since, moving from one safe house to another, until I was able to make my way here."
"But how do you know it was Orillion?" Juni asked, shocked at what she had just heard.
"Just before my arrest, I received a neural net message. It simply said, "Your time is over." It was signed by Orillion."
"Could it have been faked?"
"Possibly, but I have no way to prove that. I must assume the worst, and that is that Orillion considers me a threat, but for what reason I do not know."
"Lord Hakkera, this is insane. What could you have possibly done? You've been nothing if not loyal to the Order for who knows how long!"
"I know, Jun'ko. I don't have any answers."
Juni sat back and pondered all of what she had heard.
"So what happens now?"
"I have contacted Von Claussen, and he has noticed the same strange change in Orillion as well. He is on my side. I must ask you, Jun'ko, if you will help me do what I must do."
Juni thought this over. On one hand, she did not want to get involved in this mess all over again. On the other hand, Hakkera was a good friend and Juni felt a strong sense of loyalty to him.
"All right, I'm with you. What do we have to do?"
"What we must, to save Sirius."
(8<I
Edited by - neuromancer on 1/16/2006 6:42:14 PM