Minako Aino reported in for work as usual, waving to friends as she went over to her station and logged in. The blonde pushed her hair back as she slid her earpiece on, calling up files from her absence and swiftly scanning them for information. "No, I am not letting this go," the woman sounded angry, and Minako looked up in time to see Usagi Tsukino barge out of the chief's office. Haruna Sakurada followed Usagi out, her brown hair tied back roughly. The older woman looked clearly furious as she said, "You are not authorized to investigate the Tomoe case, keep your nose out of it! "This whole thing stinks, ma'am," Usagi answered coldly. Haruna gentled her voice, "The case is being investigated by the regular police, it's been taken out of our hands." A bit more firmly she continued, "I'll put you on suspension if I have to." Usagi stood there in the middle of the station, meeting the chief's eyes. "So how much did it cost for Infinity to buy you?" she asked bitterly. Haruna looked ready to strike her, she was that angry. "That's it," she bit out, "turn in your badge and gun, you're on suspension as of now." In the shocked silence Usagi smoothly unclipped her badge, handing it over with her official identification and police issue gun. Without a word she turned, twin streamers of blonde hair swinging and strode away. "What are you looking at?" Haruna glared around the room at the officers. She went back to her office as she added, "Get back to work." 'Well, isn't this interesting,' Minako mused, turning back to her keyboard, 'Usagi really pushed the boss' buttons this time.' She really didn't think that Haruna was on the take, but she was pretty certain people above the Chief were. A flag was on one of Minako's warning systems and she accessed it smoothly. Someone from outside the AD Police had tried to access confidential personnel files along with information on their equipment and procedures. Even more unusual was that they had covered their tracks so well there were no sign of who, exactly, had done it. 'This is bad,' Minako thought, 'very bad.' She sorted out what had been copied even as she fielded her normal jobs, routing vehicles and staff to areas that they were needed. 'Whoever did this got almost a complete overview of AD Police,' she noted, 'just the sort of thing they'd need to take the entire organization apart.' "Computer, outside line," Minako ordered softly, "code Mercury." The system dialed, scrambling the transmission as it did, and in seconds it was picked up. "Ami?" Minako asked simply. "You don't normally call from work unless it's important," Ami Mizuno noted, and Minako could almost imagine the woman's curious expression. "Two things," Minako said crisply as she worked, "the AD Police system was badly compromised last night, a massive amount of vital data was stolen." "Damn," Ami murmured, her voice hushed as she quickly realized the implications. "And the other thing?" she asked. "Usagi Tsukino has been suspended for trying to investigate the supposedly closed Tomoe murder case," Minako said, "she might just be a useful person to contact, if discretely." "Any suggestions how?" Ami asked her curiously. With some amusement Minako said, "Well, according to the department grapevine a certain singer named Rei Hino shot Usagi down recently...." "There is no way in hell," Rei said firmly, the raven haired rocker standing in the middle of her messy trailer. Makoto Kino sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair, wishing she hadn't been tapped for this. The martial artist didn't even really know Rei that well yet, and here she was asking the woman to go pump Usagi for information. "Officer Tsukino might have some information we need on Saturn," she said to her hopefully. "I doubt she knows dick," Rei said to Makoto scornfully, thinking back to her earlier meeting with the woman. Makoto chuckled softly at that, she couldn't help herself. She decided to shift tracks a moment as she took in the disaster are all around her. The floor was covered by dirty clothes, magazines, and over in one corner a motorbike, complete with plastic sheeting. "Does this room always look like this?" she asked. "I cleaned up a bit before you came," Rei shrugged. She looked thoughtfully, "I noticed that Ami hasn't called me since I walked out of the meeting a few days ago... is she that upset with me?" "I don't think so," Makoto shrugged slightly, "though Ami is notoriously hard to read. I think something else is keeping her pretty occupied." "Saturn and the death of Prof. Tomoe," Rei made a face. "I wonder why she can't just chalk it up as one for the good guys and let it go?" she wondered. Makoto studied Rei a moment, debating if she should tell her what she was about to say. "Revenge isn't Ami's only objective," she finally said, "it's much more complex than that. Her mother had certain plans, a dream for the Bio-boomers that Ami wants to fulfill." "Plans like?" Rei blinked. "I don't know everything but peaceful coexistence between humans and Bio-boomers, the chance for Bio-boomers to develop free will, all that sort of thing," Makoto shrugged. "Assuming that Ami is right about Saturn," Rei noted as she flopped down into one chair, "I'd think that Hotaru would be all for that." A great deal more tentatively Makoto cleared off a seat and sat down. "She's killed once," she reminded her, "and there's no reason she wouldn't do it again." Rei raised her eyebrow in surprise, "I thought you agreed with me about Tomoe's death?" "I do," Makoto said simply, "his death probably made the world a better place." She took a breath, "I just don't know if I trust Saturn to stop there." Rei considered that for a few moments before she had to concede, "Point." Getting back to the reason Makoto came here she said, "Look, just talk to Tsukino, all right? It may be a wild goose chase but she may know something useful." Rei groaned but answered, "I'll think about it, all right?" Kaori Knight paused in front of the door to the company's chief executive, taking a steadying breath, then knocked on it firmly. "Come in," the voice called out and the redhead went inside, quietly closing the door behind her. Hotaru Tomoe stood by the window, gazing out at the city that stretched out around the Infinity tower. She was slim, the black clothes that she wore highlighting that slimness but there was an aura of strength about her as well. She turned to her guest and smiled, her violet eyes meeting Kaori's and seeming to hold them irresistibly. "Ms. Tomoe," Kaori gulped, making herself walk forward as she asked, "I received a message you wanted to see me?" "I've wanted to meet you for awhile," Hotaru said as she moved around the desk to offer her hand, "but I've been preoccupied by details left over from my father's unfortunate accident." Kaori shook the offered hand without hesitation as she said, "It's entirely understandable, ma'am. I hope I can be as much help to you as I was to your father." "I think you'll be more helpful, Kaori," Hotaru waved her towards a seat, "and I'd prefer if you called me Hotaru." Kaori kept her surprise off her face by long practice as she answered, "Of course, Hotaru." Part of something the other woman said registered as she asked, "What did you mean, more helpful?" "I'm promoting you, of course," Hotaru took her seat behind the desk, "to the company's executive director position." She gestured to files on the desk, "From what I've read you've been performing that role already for my father, I'm just formalizing it." "Thank you very much," the stunned Kaori managed to answer. "Don't thank me yet Kaori," Hotaru offered a gentle smile, "with the promotion comes more paper work and a larger workload." Kaori sat up straight, "I think I can handle it ma'am... I mean, Hotaru." "Good," Hotaru nodded firmly, "I have a vision of this company, of what it is and one day might become and I'll need help to accomplish that." "Just tell me how I can help," Kaori answered. "One of the first things we need to do is deal with Ami Mizuno," Hotaru said seriously, "and the vigilantes known as the Senshi Sabers."
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