Topic: EW: Meanwhile, on Deep Space Station G-2

[Lieutenant_Q]

A man walks into the bar, dressed in a green leather business suit.  Except for one small blemish he wouldn't look any different from any other human here on Deep Space Station G-2.  Those who looked closely would have noticed that the man's left hand was slightly disfigured.  A white and red handkercheif was wrapped around the tip of his Ring finger, the handkerchief was obviously normally white, with blood stains smattered all over it.  Next to the handkercheif, the man's pinkie finger was cut off at the second digit, making it look almost as if he did not have a pinkie finger.  He stepped up to the bartender and ordered Sake, the bartender nodded and gave him the bottle along with two bowls.  He carefully picked up the bottle and the bowls, making sure he did not get blood on either.  He strolled over towards a table in the far corner of the bar.  The table was occupied, he stood patiently and respectfully a short distance from the table.  The occupants took the hint and quickly went off to another table.  The man sat down without a word of thanks to the previous occupants, he quickly set the table.  He placed one bowl in front of himself, and the other bowl across from him.  Reaching into his bag, that until now, no one realized he had with him, he pulled out a small bunsun burner.  Activating it he placed the bottle of Sake on the burner and waited.  He did not have to wait long.

A very nervous looking Federation Starfleet Lieutenant Commander entered the bar, he glanced around the room, obviously looking for someone.  The man made no move to wave him over to the table.  It took a couple of minutes for the Starfleet Officer to find his way to the man's table.  When he sat down, he constantly looked around, as if he was expecting someone to be watching him.

"You are much too tense, my young friend."  The man began, "Be assured that your superiors will not know that you are here.  Precautions have been taken."

"I hope you're right."

"I assume that you have what I want."  It was not a question, it was a statement.  A statement that if told he was wrong, something very nasty would happen to the person who made the statement wrong.

"That's right, one thousand Photon Torpedoes."

"Excellent."  The man took the bottle off of the burner and began to pour the liquid into the officer's bowl.  He filled the bowl with four slow, and deliberate motions.  Then he repeated the process with his own bowl.  He grasped the bowl with two hands and held it up in a salute, the officer did likewise.  Slowly they both took a small drink out of their bowls.  He then placed his bowl across the table in front of the officer, and the officer again repeated the gesture.  They picked up the bowls that were now in front of them and both finished off the rest of the liquer in the bowls.  "By sharing each others drink, we have formalized this contract.  I will recieve the 1000 Photon Torpedoes, and you my friend shall recieve the agreed upon sum of credits.  In addition, Federation Frieghter Convoys will be off limits to all Syndicate operations for the next three standard months."

"How do I know you will keep your word?"

If the man was insulted, he didn't show it. "I am a Kuroi Kiri, unlike the others, the Orions, or the Prime, who would go back on their word as soon as it suits their fancy, we are a people of honor.  Honor and Obedience is all in the Kuroi Kiri.  To break such an oath is shameful to the family."

"Family? Honor?!" Whether the officer found his nerve in himself or his drink, it mattered little, "You talk as if you were some glorious samaurai, but all you are is a petty theif!

The man's eyes narrowed, "I would mind your tongue if I were you, you are very near losing the second half of our arrangement."  The man slapped his left hand onto the table. "This is honor and obedience!  I am late, my oyabun was dissapointed, but he accepted my true apology.  Through Yubitsume, my honor is restored!"

"You people are crazy."

The man smiled for the first time in since he stepped into the bar, "No, we are disciplined.  Which is why we will emerge from this, Pirate War, victorious."

"I hope you're right."  The officer stood up and turned to leave.  He stopped momentarily, "Take a few Romulan Convoys down for us, allright?"

The man bowed in acknowledgement.  After the officer had left, someone with good hearing could hear the man speak very softly.  "Romulan, indeed.  Perhaps we shall.  But only if it suits us, only if it allows us to avenge those lost to the Gorn!"

[GDA-S'Cipio]

 

Show the Gorn gaijin the magnitude of the debt you will extract from them to restore your family honor!


Ummm.... hey, wait a minute........

-S'Cipio

[Lieutenant_Q]

Somewhere in the Gorn-Romulan Nuetral Zone...

Sencho Hohiro Akuma nodded to the pair of guards in front of the Oyabun's chamber.  They parted to allow his entry.  As he stepped into the room, he wondered why the room was so dark, it took his eyes a moment to get used to the lack of light.  The only noise in the room was the steady whir of an electric fan. The smell of tea boiling filled the room.  Hohiro stopped four paces into the room, dropped to his knees and bowed deeply.  He held the bow with his nose touching the deck plating for much longer than normal until the weak voice of his oyabun called out.  "Rise, my son."

Son wasn't the word that fit here, biologically, but the Oyabun had taked to call all of his people his children.  Hohiro straightened up, a dim light had begun to shine from behind the Oyabun.  It was then that he realized; the Oyabun was ill.  Whatever had inflicted him was sapping the strength from his body, whether it was some foreign disease, or simply old age, it was killing him, slowly.  The Oyabun motioned for Hohiro to come closer, Hohiro did as he commanded.  He sat down on the mat that had been laid out for him, while the Oyabun poured him some tea.  "My body is failing me, my son.  The end is coming far sooner than I had expected."  The Oyabun moved to fill his bowl from the iron decanter.  "This so-called Pirate war has not gone well for us.  Many brave sons have been lost."  The Oyabun placed the decanter back on the deactivated warmer.  "It is unfortunate, but for the Kuroi Kiri to survive, we must look for alliances outside of our own."

Hohiro almost interrupted the Oyabun with his next thought, Alliances, with aliens?! but he politely stayed his tongue and waited for the Oyabun to finish his part.

"You need not worry sencho, we are not allying ourselves with aliens.  The Wyldefire Cartel was founded by a human, after all.  During our discussions it was intended to be an alliance of convienence, each of us would remain a seperate entity, helping each other when neccessary.  However, we have lost too many, we cannot stand on our own any longer.  My last second to last order to you, my son, report to the Wyldefire Commander, and serve him as faithfully as you have served me."

Hohiro bowed in acknowldgement.  The Oyabun smiled and lifted his tea bowl to his lips, Hohiro followed suit.  They both threw back their heads and downed their tea in one swift gulp.  Discarding the bowls, Hohiro finally had permission to speak.  "It will be done, Tono, on my honor."

"I had no doubt, now as to my last order to you.  I wish you to be my second."

Hohiro nodded, although he was unsure of himself, he stood, and unsheathed his Katana.

"I am sick, my son.  I will be dead of natural causes in a matter of days.  But I have also failed our clan, I was not the leader we needed me to be.  I must attone."  The Oyabun pulled from his kimono a curved blade, a Wakizashi.  He removed the rice paper wrapping around the blade of the dagger and positioned it near his abdomen.  "Forgive me." he said softly as he plunged the dagger into his belly and pulled it across to the other side.  The Oyabun bent over, and Hohiro took his head with one swift stroke of his Katana.  A single tear fell from Hohiro's eye as he bent over to pick up the Oyabun's now severed head.  In accordance to tradition, he placed the head in a refrigerated box, and walked out of his chamber.