[center][h3][b][u][i]Maledict[/i], Dominion Space[/u][/b][/h3][/center] As James was walking through the ship awaiting the arrival of the 2nd Imperium's diplomat he made his way to Yuki's retainer's room. He ponder if he should speak with her given all that's happened to Yuki and believed they may require help and would allow Dominion influence within the Musashi's monarchy. As he arrived at the room he gave a buzz to the holo communicator awaiting for a reply. "Yes?" Came a reply a few moments later. The voice belonging to a woman in her mid to late twenties. "How may I help you?" Despite the going on's between Musashi and the Confederation the retainer's voice seemed serene, with not a hint of worry to be found. "This is Executis James Conrad, I was hoping we may speak especially about what is happening to your Grand Princess Yuki." James said as he pushed to holocommunicator before waiting for the door to open. "Ah Conrad-dono, please wait a moment." She had no sooner finished speaking than the door to her quarters slide open to grant James access, only to close again the moment he was inside. The woman who served as Yuki's retainer rose from her seat and offered James a low bow as she said "I am Kau Rong, ratainer to Yuki-hime and the Imperial throne of Musashi." As she rose from her bow a hand came to her face, removing the mask behind which it hide. The revealed face was a pretty one. Unnaturally so, indicating a certain degree of genetic engineering. Kau Rong seemed to study the man before her for a moment before gesturing to an open seat that was opposite the one she had previously been seated in. "Please Conrad-dono, make yourself comfortable." James nodded and walked over to have a seat before removing his officer cap and placing it upon his lap, and was a bit confused as to why she was taking off the mask for such an informal meeting let alone the normal custom that the Musashi had their mask on. But James gave little mind to it before continuing "Thank you Ms.Rong. I was wondering if you had received word from Yuki's father on what they planned to do or if they had required any assistance from the Dominion. As I believe Faust and myself would be honored to help Princess Yuki especially in her time of need." The woman regard James for a moment before answering "I have not recieved any specific instructions from Yamamoto-heika regarding this matter." She paused for a moment before adding "And the press release about the incident makes it quite clear that he does not want another country to meddle in our affairs." She scowled at the thought of the conflict. "You must understand, Conrad-dono, that even under the best of circumstances I do not possess the authority to request the intervention of a foreign government." James nodded and took a moment to look over the girl. "Very well, Ms.Rong, however should you require the Dominion for anything please contact myself or the Archon as we'd be happy to help in anyway possible if turely needed we could even act as a moderator over the treaty." James said though he hesitated to ask Ms Rong another question he continued "Ms.Rong, if I may ask what are you personal opinions of the Dominion especially compared to what you had believed us to be." "I've certainly seen enough of the inside of this warship to tell you that your Dominion runs a tight ship." Rong answered with a raised eyebrow. "But I doubt that the inside of a warship is a good example of an entire country." She tapped a finger against her mask as she further considered his question. "We tend not to pay much attention to the affairs of foreign countries. What I can tell you is that those few in Musashi who care about what goes on beyond our borders are quick to point out that the Dominion is very... pro-human. Some like that. Others don't. Some just don't care." She gave a slight shrug. "I recall Yuki-hime once commenting that the military and aristocracy tends to view the Dominion as a rival." A second shrug accompanied that statement. "And as for what you said earlier" Rong continued, allowing her lips to form a small smile. "I'm sure that an offer to act as a moderator would be recieved favorably by the emperor, so long as it didn't come off as being forceful. 'For the betterment of humanity' or some such, right? That IS your thing, is it not?" James gave a chuckle and a smile "Indeed, that is our thing. If you would be so kind as to put the message through that'd be most helpful. As for your princess I do hope she survives otherwise you maybe out of a job." James then stood up and put on his cap before leaving. [center][h3][b]***** ***** *****[/b][/h3][/center] Faust found himself lost in thought, the idea of invading earth. It was beyond glorious to him, worthy of memory for centuries to come and here he was, right on the cusp. However, these events would have to wait as the mighty Maledict with a massive fleet in tow still had a trek ahead of them. A simple knock from the door to his quarters pulled him from this dream. A elderly male voice was gentle with words, "Archon, your meal is prepared. shall it be delivered to your room?" Faust raised a brow, "Actually, I'd enjoy my meal in the galley." "The Officer galley?" he asked. "No, the grand galley. I would like to invite this, ms. Rong" to meet with me personally." Faust replied. He knew James had met with her already and fully intended to avoid any topics the two had touched on. Perhaps this was just him entertaining a guest on his ship. Within moments at Ms. Rong's quarters, an message was presented, an invitation to the ships grand galley for dinner with Faust. Kau Rong responded with an affirmative, stating that she would meet Faust at the grand galley within the hour. She spent the better part of the next hour preparing for the dinner, dressing herself in the finest hanfu she had brought with her and adorning her hair with a hair ornament before placing an obsidian and silver mask over her face. Seeing that she had spent fifty minutes preparing for the dinner, making herself presentable for the Dominion's head of state, she didn't quite hurry to the grand galley. "Faust-sama" Rong said as she entered the grand galley, bowing deeply as she spoke, "thank you for taking the time to dine with me." Faust stood up and returned the bow, motioning towards the table. "The pleasure, Ms. Rong, is all mine. I am rather pleased that you decided to dine with me tonight." His outfit was rather plain, nothing akin to the formal attire she had chose to wear. To his left however was a female as well dressed as her stood silently. Faust motioned to both to take a seat. The seating was vast as the room was indeed intended for a great host, no less than fifty at the least. It would seem imposing but the ornate candle holders had been pushed aside by Faust, creating a small clear area for the three. Moreover, they would all be sitting at the end near the kitchen doors. Behind them, the gentle sound of faceless cooks preparing for he orders to come could be heard. It was a silent room though, ornate but empty. Faust smiled at the two. "So, Ms. Rong, what do you think? about this ship, the crew, your bedding or what not." He seemed a little hesitent, maybe even nervous as from what many knew him as not one for small talk, only for grand speeches of hate and anger. Rong looked at the unnamed woman as she seated herself, choosing to keep her mask on for the time being. She turned her attention to Faust as he spoke. "The [i]Maledict[/i] is a fine ship" She said after a moment's pause. "Possibly the finest I've had the pleasure to board, though I have never been aboard one of my nation's Yamato-class superbattleships." Her voice had a hint of amusement, though with her face hidden from view it was impossible to tell if she had meant to tell a joke or imply that her own country's warships were superior. "I must say" She continued, "that your crew have conducted themselves in a fashion that speaks well of your country, though I can't help but notice that I've recieved more than a few stares while moving about the ship." A small smile crossed Faust's lips. "Perhaps the reason they stare is the fact there is no sight of ones face. I will admit though, it gives one no choice but to have an imagination." He chuckled a bit, "I am however pleased that your stay on my ship has been pleasant. I am more so happy that you haven't gotten lost, this being the size of a moon it seems." At that moment, he called for the waiter. On cue, a older man with a priminant nose and a penchent for pleasing attire stepped forward in an almost robotic fashion. "Ms. Rong I presume. I am pleased to meet you and will be taking any request for your meal. I am assured, mostly, that our chefs can prepare most any meal you could want." He leaned over gently, handing a small paper with a list of drinks. Faust shook his head, "Banz, I appreciate your vigor but those drinks aren't anything she would be accustomed to. No offense Ms. Rong but please, any drink of your people, let Mr Banz know, I'm sure it can be prepared.. and if not, well we always have water." All the while, the girl across from her sat silent, almost staring at Rong openly. "It is a rare occassion that I find myself so far from my homeland" Rong said to Banz. "And I would love nothing more than to be able to tell Yuki-hime about the local dishes of the Dominion. If you could, I would love to try a dish iconic of your country." "Faust-sama," she turned her attention back to Faust. "Would you care to introduce your companion. I find myself at a loss." She turned to the other woman, returning the stare with one of her own. Faust looked at the other woman then back to Rong, "I suppose we did miss the introduction between you two. This, this is one of my most trusted officers. She has done much for the Dominion in her time under my command. She is one of my four Justicars, specialists that report directly to me." He nodded to the other woman. It almost seemed forced but the woman stood up and gave a lazy bow, "Ms. Fong, I am Morinth of the Dominion. The pleasure is all yours." She said before sitting back down. Faust looked to Rong, "She may not be the most personable lady out there but I promise, you two will become well aquianted." In the back of his mind, he was regretting having Morinth tag along. "I see" Rong said. She paused for a moment before reaching up and removing her mask with no apparent haste. "I am interested in how Morinth-san and I are to be further aquianted." She put a bit of an emphasis on the word 'san' as she spoke, although she kept her face carefully neutral. Faust watched as Rong removed her mask with some excitement. He, along with the majority of his crew had only seen her with a mask. It is true that he could've gazed upon her with the various security cameras throughout ever room but even he had some dignity in this regard. "Well, I appear to be in the company of two fair females. Both with interesting tales I assume." He turned to Morinth, "Do you know anything of Musashi culture? Of their foods? Or music?" "No." "Ok then, well, Hmm." Faust said before turning back to Rong, "So, Ms. Rong, if you do not mind me asking, what is your story? How did you come to meet the Musashi Princess, Yuki." "Hmmm..... well we first met a bit over two years ago." Rong let her eyes roam the grand gallery as she recalled events. “The oldest son of some admiral had managed to get himself kidnapped by a group of pirates that were operating by our border. I was a part of the kunoichi team sent in to retrieve him. At the time Yuki-hime was still a fighter jock for the navy and it was her squadron that was flying support for us.” “The short version of the story is that we managed to pull the kid out from under the pirates’ nose without them noticing, then the navy squadron blew them to hell as we pulled out. Later we bought them drinks on account of them not blowing us up as well.” She shrugged as she continued. “Of course I didn’t realize at the time that Yuki-hime was an imperial princess, so I was quite surprised when the next time I saw her was at the imperial palace.” Before Faust could answer, an Unlikely response came from Morinth, “That’s actually pretty good, what kind of weapons did you use?” She was leaning in now, still imposing but attentive at this point. “We each got to choose what we took on any given mission” Rong answered, “so each one of us carried something different. I believe I was carrying a R-19 railgun rifle and two monomolecular katanas on that mission. I might have been carrying wakizakis instead…” She frowned as she struggled to recall the specifics. “I remember we were mostly relying on our blades till the very end as we didn’t want to give away our presence.” Morinth was smiling on the inside through the story until the end, “Using blades, Personally I’d perfer a silenced weapon but I guess that old human phrase, to each their own applies.” Faust grinned, “Guess all it took was some violence to break the ice here.” He drummed his fingers for a moment, “Ok, Banz, I’d like to go ahead and get our orders!” It didn’t take long for the waiter to walk back up, “Alright, lets just do an Rigel four buffet, and three tall draft beers. Might be a bit heavy for our young visitor here so bring a water as well.” He looked back to Rong, “Unless you would like a different drink?” She was quick to reply “I can handle a beer or two.” The first thing to arrive was the meal, “Really?” was Morinths snip to Banz. She lowered her head, “Not like I was thirsty or anything.” Faust looked upon the Rigel Four buffet, which amounted to mostly basic fried chicken strips and various greens, with a ranch-like dipping sauce. “So long as you aren’t allergic to good food, dig in Ms. Rong.” Faust said whilst snagging a strip with his bare fingers, “No need to be proper with food like this.” Rong eyed Faust for a moment as he grabbed his food. Her expression was a mixture of intrigue, confusion, and disbelief. After a moment she finally stated “I had heard about this so called ‘finger food’, but I had never believed that I would try it in company such as your’s Faust-sama.” She gingerly reached towards the food with one hand, using the other to ensure that the sleeves of her hanfu stayed out of said food. After taking a small bite she allowed a smile to form on her face and gave a slight nod. “This is excellent. What kind of meat is this?” Faust was pleased with her delight, “This is an old earth avian called.. A chicken I think. Was immensely popular and spread throughout the inner rim. Not sure why they fell out of-” he paused as a bit of sauce had slid off the chickenstrip onto his shirts collar. He showed no frustration towards the stain, even going so far as laughing. “Falling out of favor.”. Morinth nodded, “It’s been awhile since I’ve had this dish.” she said between bites. It was nearly an opposite to her demeanor, the hardened warrior with no respect for peoples customs had a napkin on her lap and as she drank, her little finger was extended. Simple pecks at the food and her utter disgust at Faust’s penchant for double dipping was evident, more obvious than it should be. “So, Fung, Rung.. Rong. Rong.” She paused, “So, Rong, What do your people think of earth?” “That…. Is not an easy question to answer” Rong said, wiping her hands on her napkin. “There’s no real consensus in Musashi on what Earth means to us and the Emperor has made no effort to find out what the peoples’ thoughts are. I know that a number of influential governors and admirals have a desire to bring certain regions of Earth under our administration. The lands that were once known as East Asia. However most people don’t give Earth much thought.” She got no response from Morinth, Faust however saw this opportunity, “So, what would your people do with those lands if they were given? I’ve heard many things about beautiful pink blossom trees and far rolling hills, ancient ruins that were still being unearthed when the Imperium fell.” He raised a brow, “It’d be a very interesting place for scholars, wouldn’t you agree?” “Indeed” Rong answered with a nod. “I don’t know what the people, or more importantly the government, would do with these lands if it came under Musashi’s administration. That aside I would take the opportunity to visit the homeland of my ancestors. I’ve heard tales of a truly ancient construction called the ‘Great Wall’ that was built by hand. If half the stories are true its construction was quite a feat.” Faust gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, “I believe the country was called.. Chinie? Something of the sort. There are also these ancient pyramids near the river nile that were sadly lost to nuclear fire. Did you know, before the nuke went off on those pyramids, that Nile river ran the opposite direction of all the others?” Morinth gave a puzzled look, “Why does that matter?” Faust turned to her, “Nature is a mystery, Morinth. Things like that are impossible to ignore. Especially when certain planets are devoid of any originality, unlike earth.” Morinth leaned back and thought real hard, “The only thing I recall was a region called florida, where elderly went to live.” “Why would you confine your elderly to one region?” Rong asked. “How can they pass their wisdom on to the young?” Faust was quick to answer, “You’re completely right, such a waste.” He reached for another piece of chicken, “Let me ask you a question,” Faust said, leaning in a bit. “How would you like to see earth?” “Ah well” Rong seemed startled by the sudden redirection of the conversation. “As I mentioned earlier, I would love to see the lands of Ancient China. I recall Yuki-hime once commenting that she wanted to see a place called Hiroshima. She claimed it was the first place ever struck by a nuclear weapon and was a part of her ancestors’ homeland.” “Well, Rong, I am in a position to ask something of you, and feel free to say no. But this ship, nay, the Dominion itself is on a collision course with earth. The two seem intertwined as it is indeed the birthplace of mankind. All of that history lies buried beneath the war on the surface. I never asked Yuki and I will not ask you to report to your nation in a bid to ask for war. That wouldn’t be proper.. But we are..” He got hesitant, fearing that Rong may get the wrong idea. Morinth chimed in, “Ms. Rong, Hey I got it. Anyway, We, The Dominion, are planning to stabilize earth. It’s a bold plan. But after what you’ve already said of your military experience, would you care to help?” She smirked, “I mean, what else would you rather do?” Faust slowly put his palm against his forehead. Rong slowly turned her gaze from Faust to Morinth. “Yuki-hime has been captured by a country that Musashi is now at war with.” She slowly stated. “I would be a poor excuse for a retainer if I didn’t feel compelled to come to her aid. The only reason I am still here, and I beg forgiveness Faust-sama for being saying as much, is that I have no means of returning home.” Faust nodded, “I completely understand, it is a tough situation you’re in. Alike mine in all honesty. Something so precious, stolen away. Does your nation have plans to retaliate?” He paused, “Well that was a little forward.” Morinth leaned back in her seat, “Well, if what I’ve heard is true, This Yoku princess is still in good hands, with elite warriors like yourself watching out for her.” Faust just slowly closed his eyes, at Morinth nearly and unknowingly insulting Rong’s honor. “Morinth, Theirs are an honorable people, they will find Princess Yuki.” “Her name is Yuki” Rong didn’t quite snap at Morinth. She took a deep breath before adding “And the reason I am worried is because she had been with a pair of well trained bodyguards when she was captured. They would have died before allowing harm to come to Yuki-hime. Perhaps the worst part of this whole mess is that it came about because Yuki-hime wished to prevent a war.” Faust stroked his chin a couple times, “Well.. I could always offer certain services to our lost Princess, Yuki.” He does a very obvious head turn towards Morinth. “Perhaps... “. Morinth bows, “I would be honored to help, but what of earth?” Faust was grinning inside, hoping she would say that. “Well, Morinth, we seem to be, as they say, in a pickle. On one hand we have a near religious event for the majority of the Dominion, the invasion of earth. And the other, Helping a fellow nation find their lost Princess. And I only have one Morinth.” He clasped his hands and gazed deep into her eyes, “So, Ms. Rong, let us say you had that choice, where you had the potential help from a potential ally. How would you use it?”. “If the emperor would allow me” Rong said carefully, “I would use that help to execute my own rescue mission. But are you truly willing to divert one of your most capable warriors to help Musashi handle her problems while you have your own important tasks to see to?” Faust already knew his answer but humored Rong with a moment of thought, “Well, I have to ask myself this.” He leaned back in his chair, “What is worth more, A princess, a person in dire need? Who could already be in grave peril? Or a planet that has been there, and will be there for billions of years. The answer seems pretty self evident, wouldn’t you agree?” He turned to his glass and gently swirled the little bit of beer left before finishing it off. “I on behalf of the Dominion, Offer service to help with this unfortunate situation you’re caught up in.” “I will gratefully accept your offer then” Rong said. “I’m sure that Yuki-hime will be most pleased to learn that her attempts at forming relations with you have been successful after we rescue her.” She flashed Faust a warm smile before turning to Morinth. “I am in your debt. Both of you.” Faust rose his now empty cup, “Then let us toast to good fortune and friends.” Morinth rose her cup and smiled, “Honestly, I wanna try one of those sword things you spoke about, sounds pretty awesome.” Faust lowered his cup and let out a sigh, “And… she ruined it.” Rong let out a chuckle as she lifted her glass as well. “Perhaps the princess will see fit to grant you a sword for services rendered. And if not I may be inclined to give you one from my personal collection.” [center][h3][b][u]Laioning System, The Musashi Empire[/u][/b][/h3][/center] “Further delay could prove to be catastrophic!” An officer shouted. “Perhaps” another countered, “but charging straight into the heart of Confederate territory may push them to harm Yuki-hime.” “That’s exactly why we must send a team of shinobi to rescue her. Now!” “And if they get detected on the way?” A third officer slammed his fist against the table that all of the officers were sitting around. “The Confederates may just decide that it’s too risky to keep her alive!” His statement brought a wave of angry remarks from the various officers present. “Then let’s take measure to ensure the shinobi are not detected.” Lian Yunxu calmly stated. Those around him quieted as they turned to look at him. “And how do we do that Yunxu-dono?” The first officer asked. “Simple” Yunxu tapped the table twice, causing a map of the region to appear before the officers. “First we strike this system,” He indicated the Edinburgh System, “with a sufficiently powerful force to draw the majority of the region’s defenders to that particular system. Then while the Confederate navy is distracted we’ll send a team of shinobi into Confederate space.” “Hmm…. The distraction force will need at least two carriers.” One of the officers commented, stroking his chin as he considered Yunxu’s plan. “I was thinking that the force would be built around three carriers.” Yunxu stated. “We should add one or to battleships if we want to appear to be a threat to the system.” Another officer added. “We should actually land some ground forces on the planet, or at least attempt to, to make it look like we intend to take the system.” “So three carriers, two battleships, and a sufficient force of cruisers and destroyers to screen them then.” Yunxu summarized. “Alright people, let’s get moving on this then.” [center][h3][b][u]Edinburgh System, Sovereign Star Confederation[/u][/b][/h3][/center] The Musashi strike group appeared at Edinburgh without warning. Three carriers, the [i]Hosho[/i], [i]Kaga[/i], and [i]Akagi[/i], two battleships, the [i]Kotetsu[/i] and [i]Fuso[/i], as well as some ten cruisers and sixty destroyers. Some of the destroyers were doing double duty, acting as both escorts and transports for the ten thousand soldiers who were to attempt a landing on the system’s main inhabitable world. A mixture of Zero and Toryu fighters began to spill out of the carriers as the battleships and the majority of the escorting cruisers and destroyers started to make their way towards the main inhabited world. After the carriers had launched the bulk of their fighters they, along with a handful of screens headed towards the edge of the system, where they would keep out of harm’s way. Meanwhile, several systems away, four Ko-class corvettes, utilizing their state of the art stealth systems, slipped into Confederate space and headed towards the Confederate capital system.