[center][h3][b][u]Near the Confederate-Musashi border[/u][/b][/h3][/center]

“Yuki-hime, we are crossing the border into the Confederation now” A young man said. Yamamoto Yuki, heir apparent to the Musashi Empire, glanced at the man; her expression was hidden behind the porcelain kitsune mask she wore. Her hair, adorned in ribbons that matched her hanfu outfit, swayed as she moved her head.

“Thank you.” She responded after a moment. She eyed the man as he left. A native inhabitant of the planet Laioning, the man was a part of a separatist movement that had been the source of some tension between the Musashi Empire and its neighbor. By her estimate roughly thirty percent of Laioning’s population wanted to succeed from the Empire so that it could join the Confederation. Clearly the remaining seventy percent were content to remain Musashi citizens, which was the sticking point. Thankfully the separatists had decided, instead of allowing the situation to get out of hand, that it would be best to have a conference between those involved to settle the matter peaceful. Catching wind of this, Yuki contacted the separatists and informed them that she could represent her father’s government. She would inform her father of her intentions after the fact. It was, after all, always easier to beg forgiveness than get permission.

The ship that she was currently traveling on was a civilian ship the separatists had procured. Her bodyguards had strongly argued against taking a ship provided by the separatists, but Yuki had seen no realistic alternative.

As the star ship crossed the border into Confederate space Yuki heard to sharp cracks from the rear of the ship. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her guards crumple to the floor before they could level their pistols at whatever threat was present. Her eyes followed one of her guards’ pistols as it slid under a seat out of reach. However, she could feel her body tensing, preparing to lunge, as her eyes fixed on the form of a katana that rested on the guard’s hip.

She could fight. Like all members of the Imperial family she had served in the military for two years. On top of that she had practiced using a katana since leaving the military. Even so she highly doubted she was skilled enough to overcome the inherit advantage a gunman had. That would require advantageous terrain and good body armor. Not to mention a lot of luck. Yuki forced herself to remain in her seat, feeling the tension leave her body as she focused her gaze in front of her where she could see a pair of separatists holding a group of five separatists at gun point.

“Wise move Yuki-hime” a man said as he stepped forward from the rear of the ship. Yuki’s eyes immediately locked on to the pistol he held in his hand. Thankfully he wasn’t pointing it at her. At least yet.

“What is this about?” Yuki asked. It was a struggle, but she somehow managed to keep any traces of fear out of her voice. “What do you possibly expect to gain from this?”

“Freedom” The man said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“My father will not negotiate with terrorists.” The man’s grin seemed to grow even wider as Yuki spoke the words.

“I” The man leaned towards Yuki causing her to involuntarily lean away, “wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn’t do for our plans to be disrupted.” He straightened his posture as he continued “Now if you’ll continue to behave yourself you may just survive this.”

[center][h3][b]*****     *****     *****[/b][/h3][/center]

Word of Yuki-hime’s kidnapping rapidly spread throughout the Musashi Empire. How couldn’t it as the separatists had released video of her, followed by her dead bodyguards. Needless to say that the Emperor of Musashi was furious. Especially when it was revealed that the ship she was on had entered Confederation space. The Emperor had ordered Musashi’s military to mobilize and any navy assets in the region to immediately mount a rescue operation. That was how the 107th Aerospace Fighter Squadron found itself heading towards the border of the Confederation. It, along with a pair of cruisers docked in a nearby navy space station, had been the only military assets close enough to hope to achieve an interception of the ship that Yuki-hime was on before the Confederation navy found it.

This was not purely luck. Yuki-hime had arranged for the 107th Fighter Squadron to be stationed nearby in the event that something went wrong. She had, in fact, been a part of that very fighter squadron during her two years in the military and trusted its pilots more than anyone else. Perhaps just as important was the fact that it had one of the Empire’s best ace pilots, meaning that it could punch above its weight.

Events were spiraling out of control as members of both the Musashi and Confederate government rushed to deal with what was going on. Musashi did not want a war, but its wants mattered not as it was pulled along by events out of its control. The crossing of the border by the fighters of the 107th Squadron marked the beginning of the Laioning Crisis.