"Leaving so soon, Chairman Rosenkreutz?" Brian J. Mason and Chairman Quincy Rosenkreutz were standing on one of the docks in Tokyo harbor as the chairman's personal effects were being loaded onto a large commercial liner owned by Genom Munitions and Trading Company International. Behind Quincy, a group of his bodyguards were keeping an eye on the crowd, just as the yakuza surrounding Mason were doing for him. Quincy frowned at the head of Genom's Japanese branch as he eyed him suspiciously. "You don't fool me, Mr. Mason. Not one little bit." "Sir?" "Do you know why I made you head of operations here in Japan? Ambition. It's written all over your face. You'd love to see me gone, to take my place as head of the empire I created." "Chairman Rosenkreutz, I assure you..." "I'm not so old yet, boy, that I no longer recognize that look in your eyes. I saw it in my own growing up every time I saw my own reflection. You've kidnapped that slanty-eyed king of theirs in order to force these yellow bastards into a war. Good. We'll make a fortune. I'll even recommend you for a promotion, but you'll stay here. Here, where you can do the least harm to me, here where you're the greatest distance from the board of directors." "Chairman, I have no idea what ambitions you're referring to. I live only to increase profits for Genom International, my only ambitions are to serve you in whatever means..." "Chairman Rosenkreutz, the crew is now boarding. Best be getting on now if you plan on avoiding hob-knobbing with the lower classes." an aide called to him from the gang plank. "Remember what I said, Mason. And remember this; no one in Genom International is indispensable. Just ask ol' Rodger Dowering." Mason smiled. "Yes chairman. Of course, chairman." he answered, as he watched the Japanese "sailors" getting on the boat. Quincy turned away from him and began to make his way up the gang plank. Mason grabbed the arm of one of the Japanese mariners making his way to the ship. "You know what to do. Make sure his trip is... eventful." The yakuza in the sailor's uniform smiled as he bowed to Mason. ------ "Namu amida butsu. Namu amida butsu. Namu..." Between the chanting of the monks and nuns around her, the candles, and the sweet smelling incense filling her nostrils as she knelt with the others before the bronze statue of Buddha, Linna was beginning to loose touch with the world around her. She didn't understand what was happening, and under different circumstances she would probably be alarmed. But for the moment, there was no Linna Yamazaki, no Knight Sabers, no Emperor or o-niwaban or gun. For the moment at least, there was only the chant and the Buddha. The moment ended when Linna felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw the warm and inviting eyes of the elderly nun who brought her here only two hours ago. Standing behind her was a younger nun, a novice judging by the robes she wore. Linna got up, and quietly followed the two of them. As they left the temple proper and entered out into daylight, Linna noticed something strange about the other young nun; she wasn't Japanese. In fact, if she had to venture a guess she would've said that the novice looked half-Chinese, half European. The three women kept their voices low so the yakuza surrounding the temple grounds wouldn't hear their conversation. "Yamazaki-san, this is a young pupil who just arrived about four months ago from across the Sea of Japan. Her name is Irene Chang, and I have briefed her on why you're here. She will be your guide. The evil ones will become suspicious if I'm seen conversing with someone as young as you, rather than with others my own age." "Thank you, nun-sama." "You're welcome child. Buddha bless you." She said before leaving the two young ladies on the tiled walkway in the courtyard. They both watched as she went back into the temple. Linna looked over to the novice, and smiled. "So, Chang-san..." "Please, I'm still a novice. Call me Irene." "Of course. Before we get started, forgive my curiosity, but what brings you all the way from across the Sea of Japan to this Temple?" Irene's face suddenly took on a sad quality. "Redemption." "For something you did?" "No, something my family did. Have you ever heard of the White Tiger Clan?" "Some sort of Chinese version of the yakuza, aren't they?" "Yeah, well, my family on my father's side heads it." She chuckled a bit as she saw Linna's eyes grow big at that bit of news. "Well now, ready to go?" A short time later Linna and Irene were walking together around the Temple grounds, the novice showing the other the lay of the buildings, and also pointing out where the armed men were stationed. "You were not always a warrior, were you?" Irene whispered. "What do you mean?" "Your bearing is not harsh or crude. You walk with a graceful stride, like that of a dancer. What were you before?" "I was a geisha." Just then two rather drunk yakuza started walking by. Irene pointed to a nearby building and started talking like a tour guide in order to avoid suspicion. "And this hall here is where 'noh' dramas are performed. As opposed to kabuki, which was of course developed as popular entertainment for the masses, noh theater was created for the aristocracy. It has an... imperial air to it." Linna quickly noted the emphasis Irene gave the word imperial as she pointed out the building. "Imperial, you say?" she asked as a third yakuza joined the other two. "My goodness, there's an awful lot of guards outside the hall, aren't there? At least... five, it looks like. But then, what with all the costumes and sets, it must be quite the treasure they're guarding." "Oh yes, some might say a national treasure. And over there, you'll see our bell tower. The bell has an almost explosive tone and volume." "Explosive? Really? Hmm..." As they began to make their way to the tower through the courtyard, the three nearby yakuza started shouting angrily at one another. "Yeah, bullshit you saw Commodore Perry land!" "I tell you I did!" "Really? How old were you, two?" "Damn it, are you two calling me a liar?" "Okay, if you saw Perry land, what did he look like?" "Huh? Well, um, shit. I can't describe him. All those gaijin look alike to me." One of the three now spotted Irene and Linna. "Hey, you two. Yeah, you nuns. What do you think you're doing?" "Us?" Irene asked nervously, "Oh, you see..." "Chang." Linna said, holding her hand up to silence her. "You'll have to forgive the novice. The better question is, 'What are any of us doing?' After all, according to the teachings of..." "Oh good grief; forget it!" "That's what you get for trying to ask a nun a straight question." one of the others said. Turning back to Linna and Irene, "Just don't do anything stupid." "Of course, good sir. Thank you, good sir." ------ Nene was carefully pulling the crates out of the wagon, trying not to drop any of them. Sylia's gaze rested for a short while on the blond, then went back to Priss, sitting off alone with her dotanuki resting in her lap and her gaze directed toward the direction of the temple. She might not be able to see it from here, but she knew where it, and more importantly her love, were. Sylia walked over and sat on her heels beside Priss. Priss looked over, concern evident in her eyes. Sylia smiled at her. "Don't worry, Priss. She knows what she's doing." "Does she? Sylia, I should be in there. When it gets nuts in there and the geisha has to fight her way out, I just..." "You just wish you could be in there to protect her." Priss nodded, then looked back in the direction of the temple. Sylia cautiously put her arm around Priss' shoulders. "Priss, try to understand; this is a job for subtlety and stealth. Linna is quite frankly better at both than you." Priss turned and glared at Sylia. "If it were simply a question of brute force, I'd pick you hands down. There's no one I'd rather have by my side in a fight than you. But right now we have to... Nene! For heaven sakes, girl, be careful with those boxes; do you want to blow us all up?" "Sylia." "Hmm?" "Maybe she needs help with unloading the wagon. Stay here. Watch." ------ "Tell me again why we're staying up here." "You know why, and keep your voice down." "We're almost three hundred yards away, up on a hill surrounded by forest. I doubt even they can hear us from here." "The betsushikime said for us to stay at our posts and do nothing until the fourth member rejoined them. Now keep your voice down!" "Ooh, the betsushikime said." the o-niwaban said sarcastically. "Everyone is acting like she's some sort of demon or something. What is it with you and the hunting party leader?" "You mean you've never heard the stories?" "What stories?" "I'll tell you another time. For now, I'm doing what I'm told." The o-niwaban looked incredulously at his fellow Iga Clan brother, then down at the three women in the distance. "Well, you and the others can stay here and take your orders from a woman if you want," he said, starting to get up from his crouched position, "But as for me, I..." KKKRRKKK! "Churgggl..." The ninja fell with a dull thud to the ground, his neck broken as his assailant grabbed his head and nearly twisted it around backward. The other ninja shuddered as a woman's hand grabbed his now dead comrade's leg, pulling him back toward the forest. Galatia then came forward and crouched down in his place. "Baka." she said in a low, monotone voice. "He should've kept his voice down." The ninja could feel her glaring at him with those dead, soulless eyes of hers from beneath dark black eyelids. "Any sign of movement?" "None, Galatia-sama. They just seem to be unloading boxes off a wagon." "Boxes? Interesting..." "Galatia-sama?" "Hmm?" "Someone... Well, someone said you knew one of the Knight Sabers. Is that true?" Galatia didn't answer him. Instead, she stood up, and began to walk away. The o-niwaban watched her retreat back into the cover of the forest, then turned his attention back to the three women in the clearing. ------ Linna stood next to one of the finely textured wooden pillars that sat on the stone footings in the main temple. As the smell of incense and candles once more filled her nostrils, she tried to mentally drown out the sounds of chanting as she began to think. Five men guarding the Emperor outside the great hall. According to Irene, one of the dressing rooms the actors used had been converted into a prison cell for the emperor. Getting to Emperor Meiji wasn't the problem though. It was the gun. The gun was being kept inside the bell tower, along with other firearms, on the other side of the temple grounds. And, like the emperor, it was being guarded. Unlike the emperor, however, it was only being guarded by two men. Linna knew that it would be tricky, but she finally came up with a plan. She went over and crouched down next to Irene. "Irene, stay here with the others. No matter what you hear, do not leave the temple." She whispered in the novice's ear. She then got up, left the temple, and crossed the courtyard over to the bell tower where the two guards were. "Halt! Who goes there?" "Baka, it's just a nun." "Huh? Oh, yeah. And a pretty one at that." "What are you doing wasting your time behind these walls? Someone as pretty as you should..." he stopped when Linna, now standing between the two, reached up with both hands and began to caress both men's cheeks. She then walked by the two blushing men into the bell tower, stopping long enough to pull her robes up and show some leg as she smiled at them. The two guards stood there mesmerized for a moment, and then shook themselves out of it. "Did you see that? She... she touched me." "Me too." "I think she wants us." "What are we waiting for?" the other guard asked, as they left their posts and hurried after her. A few seconds later, Linna looked out the door of the bell tower. Seeing that no one was coming, she closed the door again and swatted the blood from off her dotanuki. She then located Dr. Stingray's invention and, being careful not to trip over the two bodies lying on the ground, began to organize things. Once she was done, she left the tower, being careful not to run or do anything else that may draw attention to her. She only just made it behind another building when the explosion took place. The keg of gunpowder in the tower she had placed the gun on did its job. The gun was destroyed. The remains of the tower that collapsed in upon it finished the job. Bedlam now ensued as the priests and monks ran out of the temple proper to see what was going on. Two of the yakuza guarding the emperor left to see what the hell just happened, along with a few guarding the main entrance. Linna made her way through the crowd and up to the great hall. "Halt, who goes there?" Linna didn't answer. Instead, she swiftly pulled her dotanuki out of her robes, and gutted the man. The other two stood there in shock for a second or two before pulling their own katana swords out. Linna ducked under the one's wild swing, as she swept her own sword around and cut his arm off at the elbow. The thug fell to the ground in agony clutching his stump as the third guard came at her. Linna swept her leg underneath his heel, tripping him and giving her the opportunity she needed. She quickly slit his throat from ear to ear. "You bitch!" the yakuza with the severed arm yelled out in agony, "I'll kill you, I'll..." He was silenced by Linna's blade entering his chest, coming out the other side. Linna pulled the sword out, swatted the blood off her blade, and entered the hall. Finding a key hanging by a nail next to a dressing room door, she grabbed it quickly, and opened the door. A man in his late twenties stood up, concern apparent in his face as he noticed the sword in Linna's hand and blood on her nun's robes. "Who are you? What is the meaning of this?" he asked, trying to keep his fear in check. "Emperor Meiji?" Linna asked. "Hai, I'm the Emperor." Linna immediately fell to the floor, bowing so that her forehead touched the floor, then rose up quickly. The Emperor now looked upon the woman with a bit less alarm. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am one of your faithful subjects, your majesty." She said, her language falling once again into the formal tones she learned as a geisha. "I'm here to rescue you." ---To Be Continued--- End Notes: Okay, since I've been referring to two main types of swords in this story, I should probably explain a bit about them so that the reader has a better image in his mind of what I'm talking about. The katana was a lightweight samurai sword, often used by cavalry. The dotanuki was a much heavier battlefield sword, and was a particularly nasty weapon.
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