Taking Control

Continued from Recovering


Author: Midori Kusanagi
Title: Taking Control
Location: Tagnus
Timeline: 10043 AF (After Fall)
Tag: Midori, FJ
Content: 15

After Shogun Jakal had recovered from his injuries sustained in the battle with the AI controlled Progen warship, and then wed Miltianna, Falconous decided to investigate the data-files contained in the data storage devices found on the ruined bridge of the Progen Cruiser.

The A.I.’s core processor was destroyed during the battle, so all that remained were encrypted data storage devices found on the ship, while Falconous' researchers were able to decode most of the files to access the information, one of the files was unbreakable for the researchers, they tried everything they could to crack it. Midori eventually heard from one of Falconous' generals of the problem they where having, as it seemed the file contained very high priority information, as such, she offered her hacking skills to the Shogun, and made her way to where the devices were being stored.

As Midori plugged into the device via the data port in the neck of her cyborg body, she was shocked at the information that automatically began to upload itself into her, it seemed the Progen Cruisers AI had one final ace up it’s sleeve.

The AI began infecting the mechanical systems of her cybernetic body, assuming control of her. The researchers were unaware of what was happening until she finished downloading the AI and subsequently destroyed the file afterwards, then turning to the researchers she savagely murdering them all under the AI's viral influence. After having massacred the people around her, Midori began to make her way to the Imperial Palace; the guards promptly halted her, due to her being covered in the blood of those she had just murdered.

As soon as one of the guards placed his hand on Midori’s shoulder she went berserk. Using her superhuman speed and strength, she broke the guard’s arm in 10 different places, then performing an incredibly aggressive Heart-Hit to the guard, she caused his heart to separate from all of his veins and arteries, killing him instantly. Then before the second guard could even react, Midori threw a punch directly into his chest, sending him rocketing backwards through the Palace doors.

The on looking civilians outside the palace screamed and fled upon seeing such brutal murders taking place directly in front of their eyes, at the very doors of the Imperial Palace itself. As Midori made her way inside the Palace under the AI's influence, she headed directly to the throne room, killing 27 Guards on the way and mortally wounding another 12. It became apparent that Midori was more than a match for the entire Palace guard.

As she arrived at the throne room, Midori’s mind made a desperate telepathic plea to Falconous for help. Although after sending the message she was almost instantly silenced by the Progen AI once again, thus continuing her bloody massacre of anyone that attempted to halt her advance.

Author: Falconous Jakal
Title: Taking Control
Location: Tagnus
Timeline: 10043 AF (After Fall)
Tag: Midori, FJ
Content:


Falconous Jakal and his new wife Mitianna were having an intimate luncheon in the Imperial Gardens when Midori's consciousness reached out for Falconous' mind with a plea for help. Falconous tensed and sat upright. Every muscle in his body was screaming that something was wrong. As fast as the plea entered his mind, it was gone.

"What is it, My Love?" Mitianna said in a troubled tone.

Falconous Stood, pulling her up with him. "Get to Balanna, tell her there is trouble. And stay away from the palace." Falconous said pushing her toward a side entrance.

"But Falconous, what is wrong?" She pleaded.

"Do not argue with me, go now, and be quick!" Falconous barked as he headed to the entrance to the palace proper.

As he reached the doors and pulled them open, the guards on the other side straightened to attention. "Give me a sword and come with me!"

Without questioning, the guard on the left pulled his katana and handed it to his master, hilt first. Then drew his short sword and gun, the other pulled his gun and katana and followed Falconous through the palace.

As the three approached the palace great hall, screams of agony could be heard through the solid doors that stood shut. The guards moved into a protective stance infront of Falconous and waited for him at the doors.

Falconous paused and closed his eyes. He searched out the next room with his mind. He found the dead and dying bodies of many of his guards. He found more guards entering from a side corridor to be met with yet more death. He found Midori, dealing that death to his people. A guest in his empire, in his home, IN HIS HOUSE! His house that Mitianna was in. If he did not stop her he did not know what Midori would do to her.

His eyes popped open, filled with rage and he rushed passed his guards and with a single lunge, through open both heavy doors and rolled in to the great hall. As he came to rest on his knees, sword held at the ready, he felt a breeze glide over him as a dead guard's katana embedded itself in the chest of one of the guards that accompanied him.

Falconous rolled to the left as the short sword made an almost identical path through the air and decapitated the second guard. Falconous came to his feet, soaked in the blood and gore of a disemboweled guard. He stood facing a stone cold killer that just moments before he had counted among one of his closest friends.

Falconous was caught off guard as the plea for help came to his mind once again, this time for an even shorter duration than before. Falconous knew that Midori was not in control of her body. He took the chance of allowing some of his power to flow into Midori's consciousness and strengthen her mental stability. The cyborg looked as if it faltered slightly before recomposing itself and lunging at the Shogun.

With inhuman speed, Midori sprints the remaining distance in no time. Falconous holds his blade up, to deflect whatever blow that is coming. His mind focuses and erects a personal psionic shield around his body. Almost upon him, Midori spins and lands a kick to Falconous' chest, knocking his on his back 10 feet from where he was standing. Had it not been for his shield, the kick would have passed right through him and he would have been among those bodies on the floor.

Falconous rises once again, lowers his psionic shield and focuses on what the cyborg is about to do next. with a swift movement, Midori's arm streaks through the air in a mid torso hit. Falconous senses the blow and deflects it with his sword, dealing no damage to the cyborg's tough exterior. With Midori off balance and facing away from him, he raises his leg and kicks with all his might to the middle of her back, sending her sprawling.

Midori lands hard on her hands and knees a few paces away. she turns to him with a wicked smile as she grasps a katana left from another dead guard. Both of their attention turned to a corridor when they heard a gasp. Balanna was rushing forward to engage Midori, but Falconous was not looking at the android, his eyes were stuck on Mitianna, also rushing, sword held high, toward the hacked and deranged cyborg.

Midori passed one last wicked look at Falconous before Balanna was upon her, Midori spun around and kicked Balanna in the head, sending her reeling just enough to break past her and run straight for Mitianna, sword trailing behind, ready to swing high.

Falconous roared in desperation, held out his hand and a wall of force slammed into Midori with such force, she was sent flying through the air some thirty feet before hitting the ground with a crash of metal and bone. Falconous stood where he was and, as Midori rose, thrust his hand out again and pinned Midori to the wall. The cyborg stayed pinned there until Balanna was able to close the distance and subdue her, turning off all of her cybernetic parts.

With only the vital systems running, Midori was once again in control of her actions. Falconous, being beaten and drained of energy past human ability, collapsed in a heap. Mitianna ran to Falconous and cradled him as help arrived, Midori was in the background crying, apologizing with every forced breath and sob. Falconous blacked out with the sight of Mitianna's horrified face etched in his mind.

Author: Midori Kusanagi
Title: Taking Control
Location: Tagnus
Timeline: 10043 AF (After Fall)
Tag: Midori, FJ
Content:

After regaining control of herself, and removing the virus from her cyborg systems with Balanna's help, Midori decided to go and see the Shogun, however due to her actions during the assault on the palace, she donned a black cloak and wore her fox mask as she traveled through the town.

When she arrived at the gate to the palace, the guards stationed there grasped the hilt of their Katanas and prepared themselves in fear before cautiously approaching her. The only people that knew Midori was not in control of her actions on that day are the ones that were in the throne room when Midori was subdued, thus giving reason for the guards to be weary.

"Leave this place at once, you traitorous murderer." One of the guards remarked, as he drew his Katana. Midori ignored him and attempted to walk past, but as she did, the guard swung his sword at her. She dodged the attack, placing her palm against the side of the blade and sending a resonance through it, causing it to shatter into thousands of glittering segments, that were carried with the breeze. The guard staggered backwards, dropping the hilt of the useless Katana.

"I am here to see Falconous, please let me past." Midori pleaded as she removed the fox mask and pulling down the black hood, releasing her long crimson hair to the wind's mercy and exposing her identity to those around her. The guard's eyes pieced through Midori with a cold stare, but the two guards were not the only ones that where staring. As Midori turned to leave she witnessed hundreds of people staring directly at her as if they were each playing out her death in there minds. She had killed fathers, husbands, sons and brothers, she had cut friendships short and the population resented her for it.

Midori having thought she had lost another friend that was important to her, donned the hood and mask once more, then began to walk away from the palace. As soon as she entered the streets, the cold stare upon Midori felt even more piecing. As she was walking past, mothers clutched their children and rushed back inside their homes to hide and the men had already retrieved weapons from their houses to protect their friends and families should she attack. Guards patrolling the streets followed her, though at a distance. They were all afraid of her, fearing she may turn and start killing again, though it being unknown to them that she was not in control of her actions during the assault.

As she neared the halfway point between the end of the street and the palace, she heard a familiar voice call her. "Midori! Where are you going?" Midori halted and slowly turned to see Falconous standing at the doors of the palace, held up by his wife Miltianna, whom Midori would have killed if the Shogun had hesitated in subduing her. Balanna stood at his other side. Falling to her knees in the middle of the street, surrounded by the scared guards and citizens of Tagnus, Midori smiled slightly behind her mask, and had she been human, she would've been crying.

Author: Falconous Jakal
Title: Taking Control
Location: Tagnus
Timeline: 10043 AF (After Fall)
Tag: Midori, FJ
Content:

It lightened Falconous' heart to see that Midori turned at his call. He started down the road to catch up with her, his guards flanking him, 20 of them, all with weapons at the ready. Falconous reached the kneeing Cyborg and bent to grab her shoulders. He led her to her feet and placed an arm around her as he led the procession back into the palace.

As they entered the great hall, the guards were unsettled when Falconous dismissed them from immediate guarding. Falconous led her to a side office where Mitianna and Balanna were already sitting at the table. They both looked up as they entered. Midori noticed that Balanna had fully recovered from the blow she suffered from the Cyborg.

"Have a seat, Midori." Mitianna said, gesturing to the seat across from her.

Midori took the indicated seat and Falconous moved to the head of the table. "I wanted to let you know that we all know that you were not of your own power when you were on rampage. The loss of life was great, but it was again another of the Progen's doing."

Midori eases a little. Falconous continued, "It shows that you care a great deal that you first tried to warn me, then attempted to come back here just now." Falconous Looks to Mitianna.

"We would like to offer you and your guild a home here in our system. We know enough to understand that you would not be a welcomed guest for some time, and we are also aware that your men would not fit in so well in the beginning, so we offer you this...." Balanna presses a button in the console embedded in the top of the table. A holographic sphere hovers inches above the table.

"That," Falconous states, "Is Evelot, the moon around Aquas. It is 100% inhabitable. And better yet, it orbits one of our most precious resources, Aquas. We would like for you to take control of the shipping/trade of our Deuterium. Our growing Empire is in desperate need of trade goods and technologies. Deuterium is our most plentiful and demanded resource. You and your men have been all over the Milky Way, where most of our trades don't know the first place to look."

"You would of course be richly compensated, given a number of workers for establishing a colony on Evolot and all the access you would need to trade Deuterium." Mitianna finished.

"And," Falconous held up a finger, Balanna pushed a second button and an image of a Katana class cruiser appeared. "You will be given a vessel as a symbol of your rank in my court."

Falconous concluded and all three focused their attentions on Midori awaiting her answer and trying to read her mood.

Author: Midori Kusanagi
Title: Taking Control
Location: Tagnus
Timeline: 10043 AF (After Fall)
Tag: Midori
Content:

Upon hearing the Shoguns proposal, Midori thinks for a moment before replying.

"I accept your offer Falconous... Thank-you." She then looks down at her hands. "But when i return from Beta Gabriel, I do not think i shall look the same." As Midori says this, the three in the room look slightly puzzled. "You'll see when i return." Midori adds.

Midori then stands,"Falconous, could i leave the Seraphim here while i travel back to Beta Gabriel?" Falconous nods, and then the three stand and Midori walks to leave the room, "Until next time then, Falconous, Miltianna, Balanna."

Midori redons her cloak and mask and goes to wait at where the Katana class vessel that Falconous gifted was being fitted for departure. She barely has to wait a few hours before leaving Tagnus, on her way back to Beta Gabriel to inform the Mercenaries of future plans."

Midori Kusanagi's story continues in Changing Faces
Falconous Jakal's story continues in Gudd's Mission