A Plea from the Lantern
by Kakita Kaori and M'thack-ir
A story of the Space Ronin, Shinwa, in an age of Space Travel, wherein Nezumi must be rescued...
The report was printed out on a recyclable thin sheet of plastic courtesy of Shiba Itsuki, who had passed it to Shinwa. He was reading it on a bench in the 'Galley', now a garden filled with fruits and vegetables. The ronin liked it there.
"Kiru-san...the Scorpion really have twenty-eight of your kin enslaved on the Lantern that no one knows about?" He frowns. "If a Phoenix ship like The Warren goes into the system with tensions as high as they are now, it could trigger a battle. And it might not be just The Warren that would be targeted."
M'thack-kir shakes his head. "Not 28, Shinwa. 30. Two pups just born into Tribe."
He steps carefully amongst the lychees, not to protect the fruit so much as to prevent getting dirtier than necessary.
"Burnt Crane Tribe allies with the Three-Face-Night Tribe. Cannot use Itsuki...or The Warren. What does Shinwa think?"
He plucks a handful of lychees and chews them briefly, skin still on, before swallowing.
Shinwa rubs the back of his head with his hand. "Another clan. Not the Phoenix. I..." His jaw tightens. "It will be hard. We will need to take some jobs we might not like. But I can request a favor and get the koku if we find someone with a ship that will be willing to take it."
He lowers his hand and shakes his head. "I do not know what this will truly cost. There are consequences. That is how such stories go."
Kiru leans in and looks Shinwa solemnly in the eye. "Strong names achieve great things because other names are too weak. If kin-kin aren't saved, they cannot be remembered in Yesterday. It would be like they never existed. M'thack-kir has no choice but to save kin-kin."
The last sentence makes it clear that if Shinwa doesn't want to take the risk, the Nezumi will still attempt to achieve his goal.
Shinwa's blue-gray eyes meet M'thack-kir's without the slightest bit of hesitation or doubt. The corner of his mouth twists up in the slightest smirk. "This is just a dream for all of us, Kiru-san. We all fade as fast. But if it is, I would have it be a good one for your people."
He looks down at the plastic in his hands. "The ripples may go further than you know is all. We can try the Shinjo Shipyards."
Kiru smiles at that. How little Shinwa knows, and yet he reveals glimpses of understanding at surprising times.
"The Thunder-Horse Tribe is our only choice, yes, but they may want to assert claim over kin-kin. Must be cautious."
Shinwa passes the sheet back. "Find a place for them to be in Phoenix lands. I will see if I can round up the koku. And we will see who is looking for fun amongst the Unicorn and seeks a challenge."
Kiru doesn't reply, instead nodding with a twinkle in his eye. He knows exactly where these Nezumi will reside if the rescue succeeds: Rokugan. Of course, they will be dropped off at a Phoenix-held station first for secrecy and proper travel arrangements to be made, but should this succeed, he will have brought another Tribe into his own.
A deed of exemplary Name.
Shinwa lowers his head, listening as Kiru gives the Shiba the order to leave for the shipyards. This probably would mean nothing in the long run. It might put to risk his mission, especially if it cost his life. But until the moment he was forced into a different path, he would choose for himself a hero's journey.
A story of the Space Ronin, Shinwa, in an age of Space Travel, wherein Nezumi must be rescued...
The report was printed out on a recyclable thin sheet of plastic courtesy of Shiba Itsuki, who had passed it to Shinwa. He was reading it on a bench in the 'Galley', now a garden filled with fruits and vegetables. The ronin liked it there.
"Kiru-san...the Scorpion really have twenty-eight of your kin enslaved on the Lantern that no one knows about?" He frowns. "If a Phoenix ship like The Warren goes into the system with tensions as high as they are now, it could trigger a battle. And it might not be just The Warren that would be targeted."
M'thack-kir shakes his head. "Not 28, Shinwa. 30. Two pups just born into Tribe."
He steps carefully amongst the lychees, not to protect the fruit so much as to prevent getting dirtier than necessary.
"Burnt Crane Tribe allies with the Three-Face-Night Tribe. Cannot use Itsuki...or The Warren. What does Shinwa think?"
He plucks a handful of lychees and chews them briefly, skin still on, before swallowing.
Shinwa rubs the back of his head with his hand. "Another clan. Not the Phoenix. I..." His jaw tightens. "It will be hard. We will need to take some jobs we might not like. But I can request a favor and get the koku if we find someone with a ship that will be willing to take it."
He lowers his hand and shakes his head. "I do not know what this will truly cost. There are consequences. That is how such stories go."
Kiru leans in and looks Shinwa solemnly in the eye. "Strong names achieve great things because other names are too weak. If kin-kin aren't saved, they cannot be remembered in Yesterday. It would be like they never existed. M'thack-kir has no choice but to save kin-kin."
The last sentence makes it clear that if Shinwa doesn't want to take the risk, the Nezumi will still attempt to achieve his goal.
Shinwa's blue-gray eyes meet M'thack-kir's without the slightest bit of hesitation or doubt. The corner of his mouth twists up in the slightest smirk. "This is just a dream for all of us, Kiru-san. We all fade as fast. But if it is, I would have it be a good one for your people."
He looks down at the plastic in his hands. "The ripples may go further than you know is all. We can try the Shinjo Shipyards."
Kiru smiles at that. How little Shinwa knows, and yet he reveals glimpses of understanding at surprising times.
"The Thunder-Horse Tribe is our only choice, yes, but they may want to assert claim over kin-kin. Must be cautious."
Shinwa passes the sheet back. "Find a place for them to be in Phoenix lands. I will see if I can round up the koku. And we will see who is looking for fun amongst the Unicorn and seeks a challenge."
Kiru doesn't reply, instead nodding with a twinkle in his eye. He knows exactly where these Nezumi will reside if the rescue succeeds: Rokugan. Of course, they will be dropped off at a Phoenix-held station first for secrecy and proper travel arrangements to be made, but should this succeed, he will have brought another Tribe into his own.
A deed of exemplary Name.
Shinwa lowers his head, listening as Kiru gives the Shiba the order to leave for the shipyards. This probably would mean nothing in the long run. It might put to risk his mission, especially if it cost his life. But until the moment he was forced into a different path, he would choose for himself a hero's journey.
