Emiko and Hnako Kitsune's Story

As the Kitsune twins approached the door one of their guards opened it for them and they smiled thankfully before stepping inside. The two of them took in the whole room before seating themselves at a booth. Two guards stood outside the front door, one sat beside Emiko, and two other guards stood outside the back door. As Hnako read through her menu, their agent sat down beside her and grabbed a menu.

"I don't know why you girls wanted to come here..." he grumbled aloud.

"Becaaaaause! It's what the guy at the front desk suggested." Emiko replied.

"Front desk-when did you go to the front desk?"

"I sent her because we didn't have anymore towels." Hnako chimed in.

"Towels? Why didn't you have enough towels? Don't worry, I'll take care of that."

"No, we invited the guards to go swimming with us." Emiko laughed.

"Why did you do that? They are here to protect you."

"They deserved a break." Hnako added.

"Hey! Are you jealous?" Emiko said as she stared closely into the tired Agent's eyes.

"Aw! I'm sorry! We'll invite you next time for sure!" Hnako said as she hugged their Agent.

"It's okay, I was probably asleep anyway. Let's hurry and get lunch over with. You still have to get to the studio today, remember?"

The both of them sighed as they said in unison, "We remember..."

"Good, because our deal is no shopping until the work is done..."

"Why don't you chill out?" Emiko said as she poked his elbow.

"I am chill, you don't think I'm chill?"

"No-yes-wait! Um...Ye-No!" Emiko teased their Agent as she smiled warmly towards him.

"I know I'm chill, but you're hyper today."

"Can't I be excited? We don't eat in places like this very often."

"Of course you can..." The Agent said as he looked around the restaurant, eavesdropping on nearby conversations.

"I don't like how vulnerable we are to fans coming up to us."

"Emiko and I wouldn't have a problem with that, we aren't crabby old men."

"This old man thing has to stop. I'm thirty-eight..."

The three of them laughed and waited to be served. While they waited their Agent looked over the documents he carried from the mailbox earlier that morning. Emiko and Hnako played their hand held games against each other.

Emiko noticed the young man at the corner of the bar. She studied his shaking body and watched him curiously. Long before she had looked up from her handheld game, the bodyguards to the two pop stars had already seen the young man and kept an eye on him.

"Don't stare Emiko, it's impolite." The agent said as he turned to look at the young man as well.

"He looks poor." She thought aloud.

"He probably is poor, but it's none of our business."

"No, I mean he looks troubled."

"Like I said, that' no concern of ours." The agent replied as he checked his watch.

The stylish vehicle soundlessly flew over the grassland. Emiko and Hnako sat in the backseat and two body guards sat in the front. A pair of escort drones flew on either side of the vehicle and scanned for threats below. Emiko looked out the window lazily, studying the contour edges of the drone while listening to music. Hnako had passed out almost as soon as they left and was slumped over on Emiko's shoulder. The vehicle circled a landing spot and although it was near the two figures speaking to one another, their arrival would be hard to miss.

The gentle thud of landing woke Hnako. She stretched and yawned next to an empty seat where Emiko had been sitting. One of the drones circled a close arc above Emiko who stretched her legs and walked around the landing site. Hnako finally left the vehicle and one of the body guards nodded to her.

"Miss Hnako, is this place okay?" He said as he pointed to the field.

"Sure..." She yawned as she pressed a button on her wrist device and pop music from her playlist blared across the grassland.

The guard set up the picnic for Emiko and Hnako and quickly took position to guard the area. Emiko and Hnako, with a drone and guard escort, explored the grassland. They slowly made their way closer to the picnic area, but seemed more focused on what bugs they could find or pictures they could snap of the scenery.

The young woman found herself nestled in an obscure and rather sparsely populated corner of the bar. Her eyes were glued to the bar door as if she was watching out for something, or someone.

She made a face briefly, before she pulled her hood over her face, she was trying not to be noticed it seemed.

Hnako noticed the young woman at the corner of the bar. The woman obviously didn't want to be noticed and Hnako made a mental note to mind her own business. Before she looked away her imagination filled her head with possibilities of who the woman was and what her past was like. She didn't realize she was staring at the woman until their Agent noticed.

"Hnako, not you too. Leave people alone, both of you."

Hnako couldn't help it now, she wanted to know who the woman was and imagined she was on the run and her imagination ran with the idea. She smiled at the woman and waved.

"Hey! Do you want to join us?"

Yukiko perked up slightly at the sound of voices coming from the pair, a pair of what could only be described as fox-girls and a man sitting with them.

Yukiko made a face under her hoodie before she stood up, figuring it would be a wise idea to mingle with the crowds, it'd be harder for the Umibozu to pick her out of a crowd, that was for certain.

Moving deliberately over to the pair, she slid into the bar-stool and smiled.

"Hey, I'm Yuki." She said, offering a smile.

Both of the Kitsune twins say in unison, "Hello!"

"My apologies ma'am, I hope they aren't disturbing you." The Agent said to Yuki.

"Don't act so old!" Hnako said as she lightly smacked his shoulder.

Emiko smiled as she spoke, "Why were you sitting alone Yuki?"

Hnako turned back to Yukiko and added, "Yeah, are you expecting someone?"

"Calm down girls, let her speak..." The Agent interrupted them.

Both Emiko and Hnako waited happily for Yukiko's response.

"In a manner of speaking." Yukiko said, turning to the door of the bar for a moment, and then she turned back to the trio before her. Of course, Yukiko's face was unmistakable to anyone who paid attention to the news.

Anyone who paid attention would likely have seen Yukiko's face in Terran, Taiyou and even Aschen news sources. But the hoodie did a fairly good job of obscuring her face somewhat.

"Bad men with guns are looking for me... I'm trying to keep a low profile... this place has proven safe so far, I hope that continues." She said, her accented words carrying a hint of trepidation.

Alkir had sat idly long enough. He made his way into his room for the night, but not before overhearing a conversation. "Bad men with guns are looking for me... I'm trying to keep a low profile... this place has proven safe so far, I hope that continues." She said, her accented words carrying a hint of trepidation.

This intrigued him, bad men, with whatever crazy thing guns were. He sat back down, this time within earshot of the woman and the two younger girls. He couldn't put his finger on why, but if she needed help, who was he to deny her request, and besides, it wouldn't hurt to make a few friends in this place.

The Agent recognized the woman and immediately showed subdued signs of discomfort. Emiko and Hnako didn't recognize her and probably would have cared anyway.

"If you're in trouble, you could come with us for a while. We travel everywhere, so we could take you anywhere you like." Emiko offered.

"Girls, you can't ju-" The Agent powered down as Emiko pushed against the side of his neck with her thumb.

"Sorry, he's programmed to be overprotective..." She apologized.

"I don't know if you recognize us, but we are the Kitsune Twins, famous pop stars from Niihama. We are welcome almost anywhere and no one would think to look for you with us. So, what do you think?" Hnako asked.

Yuki made a face as she turned to the newcomer, the face turning into a smile as she pulled the hood away from her head so that the group could get a better look at her.

"Kitsune twins.. yeah I've heard of you two... you're big back in the Empire among kids, my little sister's a fan." Yukiko explained, nodding.

"You'd be putting your careers at risk if you helped me.. I... I can't really explain this here... but there's people on Niihama that want me dead, and they'll kill or ruin anyone who stands in their way." Yukiko said, making a face.

"I appreciate the help, but it's too dangerous.. if someone saw me... I just..." Her expression darkened as she lowered her head, her eyes going to the window before she went back to those seated with her.

Little did Yukiko know, however, that there was a small red dot bobbing slightly on the back of her head, a single Umibozu sniper perched on an adjacent rooftop was watching her through the bar window, armed with a high-powered Seburo SS4-4000 Anti-materiel rifle, which fired a 20x102mm High Velocity Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Depleted Uranium Discard Sabot Rocket Assisted bullet, which traveled at roughly 8200 feet per second to deliver a blow that would eviscerate a human sized target.

The Princess however, was completely oblivious.

Alkir noticed a small red dot bobbing up and down on the back of her head. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it couldn't be good. He quickly made his way over to her, tapped her shoulder twice, and whispered to her, "Walk with me". He hoped she'd be smart enough to walk with him, it might just save her life.

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