“And that’s when my mother decided to paint my room blue, because she thought it would please my father.”
“Your unwed mother?”
“Correct.”
“Before you were born?”
“Also correct.”
“You’ve been rattling on for nearly an hour and i still have no idea what your parents names are.”
“That would spoil the surprise.”
“And how far are we from your birth, at this point in your story?” Harry rubbed his temples.
“6 months or so.”
“Oh good.” Harry’s eyes floated back across the room to Captain Hoshi and the scowl that seemed etched onto her face. Movement from the office attracted his attention and he noticed the door slide open. A very large man stepped through the door, followed by a trio of younger women. Harry nodded at the young women while averting his eyes from the larger man. They diverted from their intended path and came to a stop in front of the two warriors.
“Kurita-san.” The larger man said slowly, bowing to Nori.
“Onaga-san, a pleasure to see you again. How is your master faring?”
“Master Bohai passed on last december, happily in his sleep.”
“Oh, i am sorry to hear, he was always a very generous friend.”
“He spoke fondly of you from time to time.”
“I hope that change has found your society of friends in a positive way.”
“Allow me to introduce his daughters, and heritors. Kiyo, Meijin, and Aki.” The three young women bowed. “This is Noritoshi Kurita, an old friend of your father from his younger days.”
“Nori will suffice for me.” Nori added quickly. “This is Harry Kiyomori, a warrior who has just been assigned to this regiment. He comes from solid samurai stock.”
Aki, Meijin, and Kiyo stated to talk amongst themselves and Kiyo giggled for a moment. Onaga spoke for them. “An honor, Kiyomori-san.”
“The honor is mine, Onaga-san.” Harry bowed to the larger man.
“We will have to host you for a dinner, the both of you.” Onaga said for the trio.
“We would be deeply honored.” Nori said for the both of them.
“Wonderful, i will have our people make the preparations.”
“That would spoil the surprise.”
“And how far are we from your birth, at this point in your story?” Harry rubbed his temples.
“6 months or so.”
“Oh good.” Harry’s eyes floated back across the room to Captain Hoshi and the scowl that seemed etched onto her face. Movement from the office attracted his attention and he noticed the door slide open. A very large man stepped through the door, followed by a trio of younger women. Harry nodded at the young women while averting his eyes from the larger man. They diverted from their intended path and came to a stop in front of the two warriors.
“Kurita-san.” The larger man said slowly, bowing to Nori.
“Onaga-san, a pleasure to see you again. How is your master faring?”
“Master Bohai passed on last december, happily in his sleep.”
“Oh, i am sorry to hear, he was always a very generous friend.”
“He spoke fondly of you from time to time.”
“I hope that change has found your society of friends in a positive way.”
“Allow me to introduce his daughters, and heritors. Kiyo, Meijin, and Aki.” The three young women bowed. “This is Noritoshi Kurita, an old friend of your father from his younger days.”
“Nori will suffice for me.” Nori added quickly. “This is Harry Kiyomori, a warrior who has just been assigned to this regiment. He comes from solid samurai stock.”
Aki, Meijin, and Kiyo stated to talk amongst themselves and Kiyo giggled for a moment. Onaga spoke for them. “An honor, Kiyomori-san.”
“The honor is mine, Onaga-san.” Harry bowed to the larger man.
“We will have to host you for a dinner, the both of you.” Onaga said for the trio.
“We would be deeply honored.” Nori said for the both of them.
“Wonderful, i will have our people make the preparations.”
“I look forward to it.” Nori smiled at the larger man and the enforcers took up positions around the entourage before they departed.
“I am pretty sure i told you not to make eye contact with the crime lord. Harry.”
“Which one is the crime lord?”
“I suspect all three of them have taken over their father’s operation. That’s progressive of them.”
“Did you know they were in charge?”
“No, the last i heard Bohai was still in charge of the family business. He was extremely disappointed that his wives and mistresses could produce no sons.”
“Why did he call you Noritoshi Kurita?”
“Because it’s my name.”
“What?”
“Spoilers…” Nori was up and heading back towards Captain Hoshi’s desk. Harry followed in his wake, trying to get a handle on his day.
“The Sho-sa will see you now.” Captain Hoshi said quietly.
“Always a pleasure.” Nori said with a smile. Hoshi gave him a glare that would have killed a small mammal, but Nori paid it no mind. Harry followed him further, and they stepped into a richly appointed office. The music was louder in here and the scents were also much stronger. The Sho-sa’s office was a throwback to a different era, with rice paper walls and tatami mats everywhere. Nori slipped his boots off and set them to the two pairs of boots that were sitting by the door. Harry followed suit and they were soon greeted by the Sho-sa.
“Greetings, Mechwarriors.” Both men bowed respectfully. “I am Sho-sa Franklin Kerns. You have been given the opportunity to join the Ghost Regiments, if you prove yourselves to have the right tempering to fit in with our very non-traditional style of doing things.”
“Yes, Sir.” Nori said slowly.
“Yes, Sir.” Harry echoed him, but was much faster.
“The men and women you serve with have no concern about your family background or what planet you come from. Your place in this unit is predicated on your ability to mesh with the rest of the unit and your individual skills. You earn everything you get here, understood?”
Both men nodded.
“Good. provisionally, you are going to be assigned to 1st Battalion, third company under the command of Captain Fujikara. You are the last two members of her company and will be filling in the spots in her lance while you are evaluated for fitness of duty.”
“Fitness of duty, sir?” Harry asked him slowly.
“Your academy scores prove that you are capable of operating a battlemech under fire, but there are other aspects to the job that require other capacities that were not evaluated at the academy. For the next six months, you will be evaluated on these capacities. At the end of that time, you will either be fully invited into the unit, or we will pass you along to another command.”
“I have to earn my way into the Ghosts?” Harry’s voice bordered on hysteria.
"You have to earn your way everywhere, Kiyomori.” Kerns said firmly. “Get settled and get some rest, we have a combat drill in the morning. Dismissed gentlemen.”
Both warriors bowed before exiting the office.
“See you two at combat drill. Be in your mechs and ready to go at 0430.”
“In the morning?” Harry asked her incredulously.
“I see we’re going to have to add clockwork and time management to your remedial education, Kiyomori.”
“Yes Captain.” Harry felt his eye twitch.
“Could be worse.” Nori said quietly.
“How?”
“You could have a hangover from a long night of drinking with your new lancemates.”
“No, no, no...Not going to happen Nori.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I am pretty sure i told you not to make eye contact with the crime lord. Harry.”
“Which one is the crime lord?”
“I suspect all three of them have taken over their father’s operation. That’s progressive of them.”
“Did you know they were in charge?”
“No, the last i heard Bohai was still in charge of the family business. He was extremely disappointed that his wives and mistresses could produce no sons.”
“Why did he call you Noritoshi Kurita?”
“Because it’s my name.”
“What?”
“Spoilers…” Nori was up and heading back towards Captain Hoshi’s desk. Harry followed in his wake, trying to get a handle on his day.
“The Sho-sa will see you now.” Captain Hoshi said quietly.
“Always a pleasure.” Nori said with a smile. Hoshi gave him a glare that would have killed a small mammal, but Nori paid it no mind. Harry followed him further, and they stepped into a richly appointed office. The music was louder in here and the scents were also much stronger. The Sho-sa’s office was a throwback to a different era, with rice paper walls and tatami mats everywhere. Nori slipped his boots off and set them to the two pairs of boots that were sitting by the door. Harry followed suit and they were soon greeted by the Sho-sa.
“Greetings, Mechwarriors.” Both men bowed respectfully. “I am Sho-sa Franklin Kerns. You have been given the opportunity to join the Ghost Regiments, if you prove yourselves to have the right tempering to fit in with our very non-traditional style of doing things.”
“Yes, Sir.” Nori said slowly.
“Yes, Sir.” Harry echoed him, but was much faster.
“The men and women you serve with have no concern about your family background or what planet you come from. Your place in this unit is predicated on your ability to mesh with the rest of the unit and your individual skills. You earn everything you get here, understood?”
Both men nodded.
“Good. provisionally, you are going to be assigned to 1st Battalion, third company under the command of Captain Fujikara. You are the last two members of her company and will be filling in the spots in her lance while you are evaluated for fitness of duty.”
“Fitness of duty, sir?” Harry asked him slowly.
“Your academy scores prove that you are capable of operating a battlemech under fire, but there are other aspects to the job that require other capacities that were not evaluated at the academy. For the next six months, you will be evaluated on these capacities. At the end of that time, you will either be fully invited into the unit, or we will pass you along to another command.”
“I have to earn my way into the Ghosts?” Harry’s voice bordered on hysteria.
"You have to earn your way everywhere, Kiyomori.” Kerns said firmly. “Get settled and get some rest, we have a combat drill in the morning. Dismissed gentlemen.”
Both warriors bowed before exiting the office.
“See you two at combat drill. Be in your mechs and ready to go at 0430.”
“In the morning?” Harry asked her incredulously.
“I see we’re going to have to add clockwork and time management to your remedial education, Kiyomori.”
“Yes Captain.” Harry felt his eye twitch.
“Could be worse.” Nori said quietly.
“How?”
“You could have a hangover from a long night of drinking with your new lancemates.”
“No, no, no...Not going to happen Nori.”
“Come on, it’ll be fun.”
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