Keiko Takayama's Story

Keiko listened intently, even as the tears continued to well up inside her eyes from the shocking news that she was being given. She was stoic, trying to keep her emotions under control, she had been locked up here, for twenty years, serving a thirty year sentence for crimes she committed trying to escape a shogun who wanted her dead, crimes of necessity. She tried to take a breath, and found herself almost suffocating.

“His son Shimizu.” Keiko croaked in Taiyou, barely managing to form the syllables together to form a coherent sentence. Who was Shimizu?

“Our Son’s name is Yosho.” Keiko croaked again, letting the proverbial cat out of the bag. She began to break down, stifling tears, and hitched breaths as twenty years of hardship and misery came crashing down, after she had let out a bombshell revelation that made Hokushin even raise an eyebrow. The Tension was palpable, and the dynamic in the room was clearly shifting, This was the most visible reaction that Hokushin had given, and was an errant clue to the discussion at hand.

Drulović shook her head, her movements slow and pained. Only her head moved, really. Her shoulders were tight and tense, as she had learned to keep still much of the time to keep the worst of the pain at bay. Walking between buildings did not help. "Emperor Tatsu took a second wife, about twenty years now past. She gave him two children - a son, Shimizu, who now sits defiant and arrogant on the throne, and a daughter, Aeka. As I'd said - he believed you had died. I'm afraid nearly everyone believed you had died - an entire empire." The old woman laid her hand on the table, watching Keiko intently. She hadn't had reason to speak even half as much Taiyou in the last several years as she had now in the last few weeks. The sounds of the language felt strange on her tongue, though she spoke gently and soft. Andrijana shot Drulović a questioning look, but the old woman ignored her. "Be watchful, heika - you and your son Yosho ought to take utmost care - this Takayama Shimizu is a snake in the grass, taken up residence in palaces where he does not belong, quick to kill, hungry for the slaughter. He is no friend."

Hokushin cast a brief, watchful gaze to Andrijana, opting now to clue her in briefly. “Drulovic is explaining to her the circumstances surrounding the last twenty years, the events leading up to Tennoheika’s ascension.”

Keiko was still quietly crying, the sting of losing her husband hurt the worst, but the fact that his own son poisoned him, that sadness turned to anger, and that anger turned into resolve.

Keiko turned to Andrijana, and she pursed her lips briefly to control her emotion.

She did not speak a word of Terran common, having refused to speak to anyone inside the prison, she looked to Hokushin, and Drulovic, before she turned to Andrijana, holding back tears of both anger, and sadness.

“We grew up together, Nobuo and I.” Keiko said, in between quiet sobs. “We went to the same schools, up until high school. He went to study under his father, I waited for him. My whole life was for him.” Keiko said quietly. She leaned in close, dabbing at her eyes with her prison issue jumpsuit.

“Tell her I want to speak to my consulate.” Keiko said in a hushed tone. Hokushin however, clenched his jaw, his mind was racing, and it was subtly evident in his body language.

“We have to find Yosho, and right this wrong.” Keiko said finally.

"I'm afraid you've suffered a terrible loss," said Drulović, inclining her head. "But I must advise you to take care - the consulate's walls have ears and tongues, and Shimizu is not without friends or allies of his own, however despicable he may be - or how foreign. He's both Aschen and Taiyou, after all." Her expression turned sour and darkened. "He'd have your head if he knew you were yet alive. He came here, you know, not more than an hour earlier - yes, even to such a place as this. He's a violent and vile little boy, hardly a man, who terrorizes his younger sister." She glanced at Andrijana, and her expression became contemptuous. "He knows something is afoot already - his sister has sought succor outside the palace, and if he does not take care, soon, rogue shoguns will be revolting at his gates."

Andrijana pressed her lips tightly together. If Hokushin's description could be trusted, then she was in a precarious position indeed. Thrust into the midst of a budding family feud, only the stakes were the entire Taiyou Empire and its imperial seat of power. "Does she speak Terran common at all? Or only Taiyou?" she asked, hoping she could ask them to switch, please, to a language she could understand.

Hokushin frowned, he too was in a precarious position, he had sworn his fealty to the chrysanthemum throne, but he had to bend the rules, as to who was seated on that throne. Shimizu didn’t belong.

Keiko took a deep breath to try, and calm her nerves. “I can’t find Yosho locked up here.”

Keiko paused a moment.

“You seem to know much about the state of my people, tell me, is Seno Miyagi still alive?” Keiko asked after regaining her composure. She reached out, steadying herself.

Hokushin turned to Andrijana, and shook his head. “No, she does not, at least I don’t think she does, she doesn’t seem to have the capacity to, I heard the guard mention she didn’t speak to anyone.” Hokushin fell silent for a moment, keeping his cards close.

"Yes, Seno Miyagi lives yet," said Drulović, nodding. "I've always found him a rather distasteful man myself." She looked at Keiko with tired eyes. "You've been here for quite a while, I think. I think I found it somewhat odd that you'd received so harsh a sentence for immigration and financial crimes. But I suppose I never quite understood the rather vexatious and vengeful motivations of the prosecutors' office, particularly then. I doubt they'll so easily agree to your soon release." She turned her head toward Andrijana, not moving the rest of her body, and, in Terran common, said, "The Empress Dowager would ask that you contact the Taiyou consulate. I'd suggest you do so with care, Dr. Krstevska. Embattled and despised though Shimizu may be, he's a dangerous and petty fellow, and not like to take kindly to the realization he may be yet usurped."

"Wh - usurped?" Andrijana looked back to Hokushin in surprise. "Excuse me - are you - is she - are they plotting some kind of a coup against a sitting head of state?"

"Hardly a coup when the rightful heir yet lives," said Drulović calmly. Turning back to Keiko, she switched to Taiyou again. "They'll make contact with the Taiyou consulate for you."

"They will not be given the choice." Hokushin interrupted, replying in common so both Drulovic, and Andrijana could hear them. "Illigitimate emperor aside, the Taiyou Government would not sit idle while royalty is languishing in prison, if diplomatic interventions fail, they will use force. To what end I cannot say." Hokushin said aloud. He looked briefly to Drulovic, and then to Keiko.

"Seno Miyagi has always had some bad habits, but he's a good man, and he's Nobuo's closest friend." Keiko rebuked, her eyes on Drulovic, her Taiyou words spoken with grace.

"Takara Sato has always been an ally to Nobuo, she would be safe there, but she would also be safe here. We cannot resort to inaction though, your prison walls would not keep the Umibozu out." Hokushin warned before falling silent.

Keiko frowned for a moment, and then whispered again to Drulovic. "They were very aggressive when they prosecuted me, will they listen? Will they even let her contact my consular office?"

"I suggest you contact Ms. Vilhjálmsdóttir at once," said Drulović to Andrijana. "It's her mess to tidy, after all, not yours." To Keiko, the old woman offered a wan smile. "There's no question about it," she said. "Besides, your case must have come during a different season, politically, when some of my fellows liked to pride themselves on how harshly they could respond to immigration, particularly after our people had survived prolonged foreign occupation. Even now, Terra's leadership wishes to rid itself of the perception of favoritism or cronyism, and it might yet prove difficult for you to win your release - though I'm sure political machinations will see you out the door soon. You've already served far more than enough time. Ms. Khayyam - Terra's Prime Minister - would not like to see the Taiyou Empress Dowager languish long in prison. You, unlike me, are too valuable to leave here, I'm afraid." Of course, she could find a way out if she decided to do it - but she knew that Khayyam had every intent to keep her here for the full duration of her sentence.

Hokushin cast a glance towards Andrijana, subtly expecting her to pick up the phone right then and there, in matters of the Empress Dowager, Hokushin was not going to leave anything to chance, especially inside a prison environment. He wanted to personally protect her, and to ensure her well being.

"We must keep her comfortable, and do everything we can to secure her--" Hokushin fell silent after Keiko placed her hand on his forearm, tugging on it gently.

"Don't worry about me, we have to find Yosho." Keiko pleaded. "He is our last hope." She said aloud, casting an exasperated gaze to Andrijana.

"We can't risk the other inmates knowing who I am, that is why I have taken my vow of silence, please, if this Shimizu is how they say, he does not deserve the throne, and he brings shame and dishonor on my family, he must pay." Keiko said resolutely.

"This place is as secure as we can manage," said Andrijana to Hokushin. "I can't go into details - it's ... obviously a major security concern." She glanced at Drulović then looked back at Hokushin again. "We have several former members of parliament, a high justice, and, well, her here. We had to be vetted by Fort Veritas." Khayyam had seen to it. The government did not want any breakouts - or assassinations.

Drulović nodded to Keiko. "I should certainly hope he does," she said in Taiyou. "We all must answer for what we've done, in the end. I pray that judgment comes with a swift vengeance for that one." Her own haints followed her everywhere she went. It was fitting, she thought, that she'd ended up here, at least for now.

Andrijana was looking down at her phone now, resigned to the fact that she just wouldn't be able to make much sense at all of the conversation happening in Taiyou - and well aware that she couldn't do much - not right now - to attempt to force Drulović, of all people, to speak in some language she'd understand. She thumbed over the number for the central office, but hesitated. Central office might not be trustworthy here. "Ms. Drulović," she said, strained, "I have the sense that this is above the Justice Ministry's pay grade. Who can be trusted? What do I need to do to keep us safe?"

"Call Lisbeth Wiryaman," said Drulović flatly. "And I'd suggest keeping Ms. Takayama somewhere safer than where she is now."

"The TIB director," Andrijana said, with a note of incredulity.

"She'll understand the need for discretion."

Andrijana nodded, numb. She'd almost never had reason to interact with anyone from the TIB for anything other than security briefings - one had been given by Drulović herself, years ago. But if ever there were a time. "I'll make the call."

"See to it."

How odd, Andrijana thought, that she suddenly felt as though despite her position as superintendent, she was now taking orders from an inmate.

Keiko sat quietly as everything began to fall into place around her, she had seen it hundreds of times, when Nobuo had to orchestrate some grand plan, or put something together to ensure that a rogue shogun or two had met a swift end. She grimaced for a moment, before Hokushin decided to lay it all out for the superintendent.

"If Shimizu learns her Majesty's identity, he will eliminate her, or capture her to eliminate Yosho, if Yosho is indeed alive, then our allegiance is to him as the true Emperor unless he opts to abdicate, or refuse coronation." Taiyou law was clear on this matter, even post-coronation, if a more eligible heir is identified, the current monarch must surrender his position within a reasonable time. It was an ancient, and strange obscure law written into the Taiyou constitution eons ago.

"If this situation is handled properly, and with the utmost care, Superintendent, then the transition of power will be peaceful, and we will be in your debt, the Taiyou Empire will be vested in your success, I am sure her Majesty, and his Highness Yosho will not forget what you have done here, even if your own government decides to shun you for your actions."

Hokushin cast a stern gaze to Drulovic.

"I see why Her Majesty speaks so highly of you." Hokushin commented to Drulovic, referring to the Empress Dowager Kendra.

However his expression darkened.

"We must not fail, failure would mean our Empire would fracture, and the warring shogunates would consume us all, including your Terran National Government." The Mazoku mentioned, gesturing slightly to the letter from Shintenchi. "This meeting with Her Magesty, Princess Aeka, and Her most Honorable Takara Sato presents with a unique opportunity to catch Shimizu off balance."

Hokushin couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, he was plotting to overthrow the very Emperor that recruited him. But Hokushin remembered the days of Nobuo, and remembered that Master Raizen spoke of him fondly. A half-breed Emperor abusing millenia old institutions brought a knot to the Mazoku's throat.

"Well, I appreciate the sentiment," said Andrijana, sensing the distinct possibility of her own imminent doom. Not just politically or professionally - if all of this was to be believed, her life was now at stake too. "I'll do what I can. Please understand I can't offer any special treatment of any kind while Ms. Takayama is in custody - but I can move her to the unit where you are both located now, away from other contact."

"Take care that those outside this place do not learn too soon who it is you have had in hiding," said Drulović. The old woman did not feel or look well. The bruising and swelling from Ulrich's attack had mostly faded, but skin still looked tender, and marked with fresh scarring, and her shoulder now constantly ached. "I need no thanks," she said, sighing, "only perhaps a bit of kindness. I'm retired, after all." Her tone was almost light but something bitter lingered there. "Your phone, Dr. Krstevska," the old woman said, eyes alighting on the desk phone hardwired to the wall. "Is it a secured line still?"

"It's supposed to be, yes." Andrijana cast Drulović a wary look.

"If you wouldn't mind terribly, the phone, please."

"You want - " Andrijana put her hand over the phone. "You want to call?"

"I need the phone, Dr. Krstevska." Drulović sounded exhausted. "I don't imagine you'd particularly enjoy the prospect of death by assassination, now would you? And so, if that is in fact an outcome you'd like to avoid, I'd suggest handing me that box. I'd grab it myself, but I'm afraid my knees are just about done for the day."

Andrijana pressed her lips tightly together for a moment, wondering in the back of her mind exactly how this would turn out for her later. But she unplugged the cable to the phone and handed it over to Drulović at the table. The old woman set it upside down and carefully removed the back panel from its casing. Her three fingers trembled ever so slightly as she reached expertly inside and removed a small device no bigger than the head of a pin, and dropped it to the floor. Drulović crushed it beneath her heel, metal crunching on tile.

"Now, unscrew that panel for the fiber-optic wire there," said Drulović with an even tone, pointing to the wall panel where the phone's cable disappeared as Andrijana stared open mouthed. "I don't suppose that your friends in the central office ever saw fit to tell you they've bugged your line."

Hokushin's expression pulled into a thin grimace, of course Keiko was completely unsure as to what was going on, the Mazoku frowned deeply. "Then this entire operation is compromised." He said, watching as Drulovic removed the bug from the phone. He was familiar with the small listening devices the Taiyou used, small wireless microphones that allowed someone in another room to listen into the conversation. He had hoped this bug was tapped into the line, and not a listening device, but this meant that Keiko was in even more danger.

Keiko watched quizzically, interested in what was going on, even if she didn't understand the words being spoken, she watched Hokushin, and she watched Drulovic.

"Do they know what we have spoken of here?" Hokushin asked, first looking to Drulovic, and then to Andrijana. "If you can move her where I can watch her, I can guarantee her safety as long as I am at her side. Until we can figure out how to facilitate her release, and secure her inside Shintenchi." He turned briefly back to Keiko, switching his speech to Taiyou You spoke of your son, Prince Yosho. Where is he?"

Keiko paused to think. "He said he wanted to settle in the mountains, The Shogunate maintains a small shrine atop Mount Subariashiyama, I think you will find him there." She replied in Taiyou. "He Goes by the name Katsuhito."

Andrijana pried open the wall's panel, but looked back questioningly at Drulović. "What am I looking for here?"

"You'll have to help me over to the wall, Dr. Krstevska," said Drulović. Andrijana stood again, and came to Drulović's side, offering her arm. The old woman grabbed onto Andrijana's arm, leaning heavily against her, and walked gingerly the two meters to the wall. She pressed her hand against the wall, stooping until she was at eye level with the exposed wiring. Drulović deftly plucked a similar looking device from inside and closed her fingers around it, grabbing for Andrijana again to stand. "Keep this one, perhaps in a drawer, and replace it tonight so that you raise no suspicion. If both the primary and secondary devices go out of commission, your monitors will know something is afoot for sure. Fortunately, at least, these devices were meant to capture conversations made over the phone - not to enable surveillance of this room."

Andrijana helped Drulović back to a seat, where her knees screamed at yet another change in position.

"I'm glad that I can say you are safe for now," Drulović said to Keiko in Taiyou, though her expression was grim. She repeated what she had shared with Andrijana already about the listening devices, and explained what she had done with them. "I pray your son Yosho is safe too. I suppose it's not entirely surprising that he had settled in a shrine meant for his father. My friend Lisbeth Wiryaman will aid in finding him for you."

"And now I call the TIB," Andrijana said, shaking her head in amazement.

"Please," Drulović replied, nodding toward the phone. She slid it back toward Andrijana. "You'll have to cover the backside again."

Both Keiko, and Hokushin turned their attention to Andrijana, Keiko relaxing slightly knowing the bugs had at least been dealt with, and Hokushin kept his own guard up, things would begin to fall into place once Aeka, and Kendra arrived, and perhaps the installation of the rightful heir to the throne could be set in motion.

They both waited for her to make the call, Hokushin slowly crossed his arms in front of him, and made a somewhat neutral expression.

Things were going to be interesting in the coming days.

It took a gentle word from the old woman for the person who answered the phone to transfer the call up the chain until it reached the TIB's current director, Lisbeth Wiryaman, who sounded almost surprised when she came on the line. "This is Lisbeth," she said. "Director Drulović?"

"No, this is Andrijana Krstevska. I'm at Ĭtpraṽmår. I have a ... an unfolding situation here that Ms. Drulović suggested I contact you about. As it happens, it turns out that an inmate here committed as a Jane Doe is actually a member of the Takayama imperial family - and her life, and the life of an heir to the Taiyou throne, might be in danger, if I can't connect her safely to someone at the Taiyou consulate."

There was a long pause, during which Drulović watched intently, her eyes betraying nothing other than vague curiosity, before Andrijana spoke again. "She's still in my custody here. I don't have the authority to do anything about her conviction or her sentence - I receive inmates after judgment and commitment. If there's a reason she shouldn't be here, then that has to involve Justice. But Ms. Drulović tells me that we shouldn't alert anyone else to her presence here - it could put everyone in danger. And there's something else - Aeka Takayama is bringing Kendra Shaw to Shintenchi next week. Shaw wanted to meet with Ms. Drulović, which, obviously, cannot happen here."

Another long pause, followed by several short answers from Andrijana, and Andrijana wordlessly handed the phone's receiver to Drulović. "I'd suggest you take a vacation soon," Drulović said gravely, in a language that sounded familiar yet unintelligible to Andrijana. "This job requires sacrifice - far more than any person ought to suffer. You have a great need for rest. I'd suggest coming at dark, some other time, and taking her with you to that safer, restful place. No one else need know."

In Taiyou, Drulović said to Hokushin and Keiko, "I've suggested that Ms. Wiryaman help arrange passage to Shintenchi, to rendezvous there with the shogun and wait for Aeka Takayama's arrival with her mother. I think you'll find it a much easier place from which to conduct your affairs - and besides, you've long since served whatever time ought to have been necessary for your crimes. You ought never to have been sent to this place for a time even longer than mine."

Drulović offered the phone back to Andrijana. "Do you have what you need?" Andrijana asked. "All right. I ... Thank you." She looked at Drulović questioningly. "What did you tell her?"

"I think it's better you not know, Dr. Krstevska," said Drulović, inclining her head. "You'll forgive me keeping this from you."

Keiko cast her eyes to the floor for a moment, she had pondered for a moment, and then she looked up to Andrijana. "When this is over, I will find the family I took from to survive, and I will make sure they are compensated for their troubles, once this matter is settled." The old Taiyou woman said, with a slight warm smile. "I can't thank you enough." She said to Drulovic in Taiyou. "I don't know why you have been imprisoned here, maybe it is deserved, maybe it is not. But I won't forget what you have done for me, and for the Empire." Keiko said, clasping her hands together, and offering a slight, respectful bow.

"I will avenge my Nobuo, and the dynasty will once again bring justice, peace, and prosperity to our people." The old woman added, nodding her head as she looked to Hokushin. The Mazoku offered little to say, these events were incredibly strange, even for him. But it was as master Raizen taught, to always expect the unexpected, the wildest possibilities are always within truth.

"What do we need to do?" Hokushin asked Drulovic, in Taiyou this time, it was better this way, that Andrijana not be implicated in this plot, that she remain peacefully unaware.

"I'm afraid it will look like an escape or a death," said Drulović in Taiyou, with a note of apology in her voice, keeping to a formal and respectful register. "This deception will be necessary to ensure that you may depart from this place without arousing suspicion or drawing too much untoward attention. They will come in the next few days, and they're like to arrive before dawn one night - and then they will take you over the border here on Terra into the Shintenchi shogunate. They'll offer you my name as a showing of good faith when they do, so you'll know they haven't come as assassins or captors." She exhaled slowly, blinking tired eyes. "My name is Arianne." She looked slightly away from her counterpart. "It's not particularly important why I am here, save to know it was Salma Khayyam's will. Plenty would say that it'd been a long time coming for me." Her gaze slid over to Hokushin. "I know that Aeka Takayama asked you to keep watch for me - I think you ought to fulfill what duties you must, here or elsewhere with the Empress Dowager. I'm sure I'll be fine if you must go. After all, I'm hardly defenseless. I've survived long enough."

Hokushin nodded, he looked down to Keiko, and then Drulovic. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to Andrijana. "The plans have been laid, we should return to our cells, these meetings are no doubt arousing suspicion among your staff, you should summon your guards so we can all be returned, please arrange for her majesty to be transferred.

Carefully laid plans indeed, the only wildcard was Takara Sato, her loyalty was unquestioned, she hated Shimizu and has been a vocal opponent of his affairs among the Shogunate Council. The Logistics of moving everything into place was burdensome, but necessary.

Hokushin gave Drulovic a nod, he had made his choice in this affair.

"I'll do my utmost," said Andrijana. She looked to the elder Terran a moment, holding up the listening device. "And you're saying I should put this back?"

"Feel free to do so now," said Drulović, dismissively, "but I'd advise you to wait no later than this evening before you return it. Your monitors tend to review your calls every week - typically around Thursday, but sometimes as early as Tuesday." She offered no further information. Andrijana raised an eyebrow, but placed the device near the middle of her desk, where it would be hidden from sight from anyone who stopped by her office, but a reminder to herself to put it back where she'd pulled it. "I'm tired now, Dr. Krstevska, and I believe we've missed lunch already." Not that there was often much she could eat, after the damage Andrade had done.

Andrijana nodded. "I appreciate your help, Ms. Drulović. I hope you know that." And I hope you know I can't do much at all to help you in return. She called down from the desk phone. "The three inmates I have up here right now, please take them all down to the disciplinary unit. I'll add the notes to the files."

Drulović found the return walk even more tiring, and was hardly able to keep pace with her escorts on the way back. When she was finally back in the cell, she struggled to make it to the bunk, but eventually lay there, breathing slowly and ragged, eyes closed in a futile attempt to shut out the worst of the pain. It hadn't been this bad for years. Not until Andrade had stirred it up again. She couldn't even move to the door to take the cold lunch pushed through on a tray when the guard came by, and so it sat there, untouched for hours, until the guard returned to replace it with a dinner that, as usual, was mostly impossible for her to chew. But Drulović did not complain. She'd never complained, except to ask the attending nurse - or the doctor if she was lucky - when she might finally receive approval for a cane to help with mobility. She was tired of falling and grabbing at walls. And she was tired of Andrijana attempting to summon her. She was supposed to be retired - and what a retirement this was.