by Jessie Wolf
“Child, let the anger go, please. There was nothing you could do to prevent this. The greed and lust for power among people who would commit such acts cannot be stopped by the point of a sword.” I look at her and I see the pain of loss in her eyes for these young girls that were in her heart the closest thing to being her children. I realize then and there I truly was more to her than just the savior for her House and Family. More than just a second chance at what could have been. I was not only a pupil but a daughter to her as well.
“I am sorry that you had to witness this, mother Dai Etsu. If I could have prevented it I would have done all in my power to do so.” At my calling her mother Dai Etsu I see her start to cry. Yes from now until the day that I die this woman will always be the mother Dai Etsu I never had. As a man my mother died when I was too young to really know her. As I grew older all I ever had was fuzzy images of her. “Yes I called you mother Dai Etsu, Nakatoma Dai Etsu. Over the past few days I have come to love you as one would love one’s mother. I never really knew mine as a child for she had passed away before I had the chance to know her. When your sister came into my life that was one of the many things I was jealous of. You had a family, you had a mother, but it was those very things that drove me to become more than just a Death Dealer. I had to be the best so I could protect those very things. You asked me to be the Head of House for this Family, I now ask you to be my mother and show me the way to being first a young lady and then a woman.” As I stand there covered in the blood of my enemies this quiet, beautiful, yet hard as steel woman broke down into tears. I quickly pull her into my arms saying. “Please forgive me if I have overstepped my bounds. I meant no disrespect or harm by calling you mother Dai Etsu. I will never do so again auntie.”
Looking into my eyes with tears running down her normally peaceful and serene face. “Be at peace my daughter you have not shamed or caused me harm. What you have done though is to give me the one thing I have longed for in my life. A child to call my own as you and Matsue had with Ohmei.” We are interrupted by the sounds of heavy gun fire and the explosion of auto-cannon rounds outside. Grabbing her hand I led her for her rooms back over to mine. Once there I send her to my bathroom away from the gun fire and explosions outside. I look at my four would be assassins they’re still unconscious. Tearing my sheets into strips I tie their hands behind their backs then their feet to their hands. Once that was done I dragged them over to the far wall. As I did this I notice that they were members of the former Head Captain’s unit. Looking closer I found they were also all N.C.O.s, but I couldn’t be sure. My new mother Dai Etsu may know them however. After all she had be the acting Head of House for the last forty years. “Mother Dai Etsu could you come out here for a moment please?”
As she leaves the ‘safety’ of my bathroom and dressing area I notice that once again the look of peaceful calm has come to her face. I swear the more I’m around her the more I want to be like her. However I know that will never be. I surrender too much of my humanity for the power that I now command. I was now more machine than human. I am a cyborg. This is a truth that I cannot escape no matter how hard I try. “What do you wish to know Maiha?” the look on my face must have given me away. “Daughter I know that you would not place me in danger unless it was important. Now how may I help you?”
“Do you know these men, mother Dai Etsu? I think that they are part of the old Head Captain’s personal unit, but I am unsure. Would you know?” I asked of her.
She quickly came over to where I was standing over the tied up men. Looking at them closely, she examined their faces. Slowly a frown crosses her peaceful face that quickly turned the look hard and cold. Standing up slowly I saw something there I had only seen once. It was anger. Anger with terrible consequences. “I know these men my daughter. Much to my shame all four are members of the House troops. And before you ask the ones that were in my rooms were not though. Thank you for what you did in there showing the restraint that you did was a tribute to your family.” I had cut two of them in-half with my lasers and gutted the others with my combat blades. She had called that restraint. My mother Dai Etsu must truly fear me losing control and going all out. Then again so did I. My run on the combat course had showed me that. “Yes, I know you had killed those men but you didn’t relish in their deaths. You did what had to be done. No I do not hold you responsible for what has happened here this night it was not you’re doing. That belongs to someone else and those who would aid them. For now though we will wait for your Hell Hounds to finish with those outside. Then we shall have a word with these dogs as to who their masters are.” With that she turned and retreated to my bathroom to be out of the way.
Left to myself I listened to the fight going on outside. It sounded like there was more than I had originally thought or that Charley had detected. Pulling up my heads up display I activated my active radar scan. What I found stopped me cold there was at least a full company of enemy infantry out there. From the looks of it they had at least light armor for support. How the hell did they get past the Main gate? Pulling up the duty roster of the gate guards for tonight I found that the people manning the gates were from the former Head Captain’s unit. Using the C5 suit I contacted Maj. Howard to pass on this information. He in turn informs me that all but the newest members of that unit were part of the uprising in the House compound. I asked how many had been taken prisoner. His reply was none. They were fighting to the death. The ones not partaking in the uprising had informed both him and the commander for the Wolves of the Mountain that those who were involved had taken a vow to avenge the ‘honor’ of their former Captain by killing the ‘Devil Child’ and returning the last true Nakatoma to the Head of House. After informing me of what was taking place I let him get back to dealing with the traitors. With nothing to do but wait for the fighting to end I sat down in the doorway to my dressing area to protect my adopted mother Dai Etsu.
“Dee De, you there girl friend?”
Just where would I be? I’ll always be here for you to talk to you know that. So what’s bugging you now, kiddo? (Dee De)
“Well I know that I gave up a big chunk of my humanity in the reconfigure. Just how much that may be I don’t know. So my question is am I now more machine than human or is it the other way around?”
I was wondering when this would come up. To be honest with you I really don’t know. That information is not in my data base. You’ll have to ask Charley because all information concerning the secondary reconfigure is locked in his data bases not mine. (Dee De)
“Right, gotcha. Ok, Charley, time for a full discloser on the reconfigure.”
Very well commander. I can now tell you everything about the secondary reconfiguration. (Charley)
“Why couldn’t you tell me before now?”
Part of my programing is to keep all data regarding the secondary reconfiguration from my host until asked. Sorry commander but I can’t go against my base programing. To answer the question as to how much of you is still organic and how much is machine. Well the answer is fifty /fifty. While your arms and legs are now fully bionic the core of your body is still organic your bone structure has been reinforced by a bio-metallic lamellar and you already know about the dual processors that now reside in you cranium. The power supply for your weapons is a micro-nanotech cold fusion reactor that is next to your bionic heart. The original was too badly damaged to be saved. So during the reconfigure it was replaced. The rest of your organic organs were repaired. So you see you are still very much human. Only half of your body was consigned to the reconfigure for your weapons systems. (Charley)
“Did you say that I have a nuclear Reactor in My Chest?”
No I said that you have a micro-cold fusion reactor in your chest next to your heart (Charley)
“I have a nuclear reactor in my chest. I am a walking nuclear bomb. MY GOD! Whose bright fracking idea was that?”
A cold fusion reactor was the only power source that was found to be able to handle the needed power outpu
t for your main weapon systems commander. It was up to director of design Iechego Corrasacky to find the answer for a reliable power supply. (Charley)
“Charley, what happens if the reactor takes a direct hit?”
We detonate with the force of one thousand mega tons. (Charley)
“We What?!”
Just kidding. Nothing like that will happen. If the reactor were to be hit we will simply die just any other person will who has their heart destroyed. And just like all other humans you will grow old and die. You will just have a lot more experience than most. (Charley)
“Thank you, Charley. You have answered a lot of questions for me. How is the fight going out side?”
I can answer that one at least. The bodyguard units and loyal House troops have surrounded the traitors and wrapping things up as we speak. I doubt there will be any prisoners. It seems they have all taken a vow to fight to the death. (Dee De)
“Thank you, guys.”
Don’t worry about it kid. Oh by the way Maj. Fujiyama is on tact21 trying to contact you and Maj. Howard is also trying to contact you he is on tact22. (Dee De)
“Patch them through but conference call them. I need to talk to both at the same time.”
Yes ma’am it’s good to have the old hard ass back in charge for a while. (Dee De)
“Can the horse shit, Dee De. I was never a hard ass with you. Just the people who pissed me off.”
Never mind that connecting you now with Maj’s’ Howard and Fujiyama. (Dee De)
“Maj’s do please forgive my delay in my response to your request for information. How can I help you?”
Maj. Fujiyama was the first to respond. “My Lady I was calling to see if either you or Lady Dai Etsu were in need of assistance? I have rounded up the last of the traitors in my area.”
“Thank you Maj. Fujiyama. At this time neither Lady Dai Etsu nor I are in need of either medical or military assistance. See to your men first. Right now we are holed up in my rooms.” I told them both.
“My Lady Maiha the last of the traitors has been put down. I have sent the loyal House Captains to the barracks to insure all the remaining troops are loyal to you or Lady Dai Etsu. Neither Maj. Fujiyama nor I will stand for this. If there is even one traitor left we will find them.” I could tell by his voice the man was beyond pissed. I have a really bad feeling here. There is something they are not telling me.
Making a quick decision I order them and all of the House Captains plus all their officers and A.P.S. pilots to meet me and mother Dai Etsu in the great hall in half an hour. With that I signed off and went to get my mother Dai Etsu. “Mother Dai Etsu, it’s all over now. I have asked the commanders of our bodyguards and the remaining House troops to meet within the great hall. Would you care to join me?”
“I think that I would like that my dear. What shall we do with those four?” she said pointing to my would be assassins.
“For now I’ll just drag them out to the great hall to await our officers and their judgment. It is after all a military matter that we are dealing with here. So it should fall to the Military of our House to handle it as they had promised.”
“You are quite right my dear. However don’t you think you should put something on over your armor?”
It wasn’t until then that I realized I was still in full combat mode. I would love to put something more feminine on but right now I do not have time. I do however have time to wash the blood and gore from my armor though. Once done I reach into my dressing area I grab one of the robes I normally only use when in the privacy of my rooms. After putting it on I head over to grab two of the turncoats when there is a knock at my door. Before I can say anything mother Dai Etsu opens it to allow in the J8. “James you will take these four criminals to the great hall. Once that is done you will find the department heads for housekeeping and engineering and have them join us in the great hall. Do you understand?”
“Deliver criminals to great hall then find department heads. Yes ma’am.”
Looking over at her she holds out her hand to me. “Come along dear let James do his job.” And so taking her hand we left my rooms and head for the great hall. As we walk around the inside of the main house I realize how much damage had been done. I’m not innocent here of wrong doing but at least I tried to keep the collateral damage to a minimum. A half hour after disconnected from my radio conversation with the commanders of the body guard unit they join us in the great hall. With them in front of me I could that something was truly bothering them.
“Alright gentlemen what is it? What aren’t you telling me?” I demanded. I was going to know what has them so upset. “So who is going to tell me?”
“Very well, my Lady. Since I have been here the longest I shall be the one to tell you.” It was Maj. Fujiyama stepping in before Maj. Howard could offer up an explanation. “It would appear that over half of the old Head Captains personal unit participated in the uprising. Only the newest troops stayed out of the fighting. What this means is we no longer have a full battalion under House Nakatoma colors. With the loss of what amounts to three of the four platoons from the Head Captains Company and at least one out of five NCOs for the rest of the battalion it has basically been cut down to the size of a rump battalion or roughly three quarters of its size.”
Oh shit this isn’t good to lose over a quarter of our strength would leave us very vulnerable to attack by the other Houses and cut into the available defenses for the planet. “How bad off are we gentlemen?”
“Not bad at all really, My Lady. You see most of the ones who participated in the revolt would have been retired within the next year or two.” Maj Fujiyama was saying. “We had already had plans in motion for their replacements. We just need to move them forward is all.”
With this revelation I didn’t feel so bad. If it was the only the die hards' from the old guard that had revolted then there just might be hope for us yet. “So what exactly is our tactical situation then?” Looking at Maj. Fujiyama.
However it was Maj. Howard who answered. “As it stands right now, Lady Nakatoma, our troop strength is three full Combat Teams each, constituting of one A.P.S. company with two light armor infantry platoons, with three full heavy armor infantry companies with two full companies of heavy and assault class A.P.S. units and one fire support A.P.S. company.” Wow where did all that fire power come from. I mean that is close to a full brigade of combat troops.
“Excuse me gentlemen but do you mean to tell me that between the two bodyguard units and what is left of the House troops we still have almost a full brigade of combat troops? Because if that is the case I find myself at a loss for words.”
“My Lady Maiha did you not know that the House troops of House Nakatoma were the largest on Hades or in the Death Gates system?” Asked Head Captain Ojima for the House troops. When I nodded yes to her question she quickly gave me a full run down of the House troop strength. “My Lady, the House troops consist or I should say consisted of one Combat Team, four heavy armor infantry companies, two full A.P.S. companies of heavy and assault class A.P.S. units, and the one fire support A.P.S. company.” Once she had finished the new commander of the House troops step forward.
“My Lady, one of the many problems facing the members of the House troops is that we are not treated as regular military but more like mercenaries’.” Cpt. Takeda was saying. “For the time that I gained my rank of Cpt. I have tried to change the way rank was achieved within my own unit. Unfortunately not all of my fellow Capt.’s believed in the new ways. Especially the former Head Captain.”
“Why was that, Cpt. Takeda? I mean if you promote an individual for performing it gives the others the idea that with hard work come rewards; everyone knows this.”
“I can answer that for you my Lady.” It was a very young Cpt. from the House troops who I had only met at my coronation. “My uncle believed that only the strong had the right to lead. I believe it was this belief that made him challenge you for the title of Shogun.” The young lady bowe
d very deeply to before going on. “I must also beg your forgiveness for what my cousins have done this night.”
“Pardon me, Captain, but what do you mean by that?”
The young lady points to two of the men that had tried to kill me in my sleep. “Those two are the youngest sons of my dead uncle, the former Head Captain. It would give me great pleasure to put them out of their disgrace.” She was already drawing her katana. She stopped at the shake of my head.
“Not yet Captain. They still have information that I need. When I have that then and only then, are they yours, but for now stay your hand. Maj. Howard I notice that one of your infantry officers as well as two of your A.P.S. pilots are missing. You said that you had no casualties. Where are they?” I was worried at not seeing those three members of the Hell Hounds. For them to be absent was not a good sign. I really wanted an answer as to why they weren’t here.
I had expected for Maj. Howard to tell me they were either dead or in hospital. “They should be arriving at Cpt. Walking Waters position as we speak ma’am. It seems that certain members of our local government have tried to have her killed. They failed but I thought it would be best if she had some back up.”
“So how much ‘back up’ did you send?” I said in my sweetest voice. I think it was so sweet, that it got mother Dai Etsu’s undivided attention. As well as everyone else’s. Ah oh. Think they’re catching on to my moods.