The Azuka Chronicles: Shattered Dreams [IC]

[Momoka Azuka]

Newcomb Hub
Kamito System: Independent Jurisdiction



On the middle of the station's warehouse district lies a lone rented building belonging the Syndicate full of security. Inside a lone stairway at the top of the build lies a single room, magnetically sealed behind a heavy airlock. Shogun Talon rests on a small bunk with his arms folded behind his head. His normal suit and jewels gone, replaced my a simple button up shirt and jeans and a shackle around his left ankle chained to the floor less than a foot away. His eyes are close tight but he's far from asleep as his mind plots. It's not until he hears the sounds of the seal breaking does his focus shift and his head tilts ever so slightly toward the door.

"Shogun. You're looking well." Angel's voice echoes in the near empty room as he steps inside sealing the door behind him.

"I was wondering when you'd come to visit me." Talon responds still not opening his eyes or moving from his position.

"We're family remember. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't visit you in you new home." Angel says in a taunting manner getting Talon to exhale deeply. "Speaking of, love you're old place. It was so kind of you to give it to me for so cheep."

Talon finally opens his eyes with an intendant hesitation that follows.

"Cut to the chase Salvatore."

"You used to be for fun." He states before he steps closer to him. "But then that was before got too involved with Ayame." He says drawing a quick burst of anger in Talon. "Your people are starting to step out of line. Attacks on my transports have been on the rise over the last few weeks. on top of that there's been a number of shootings."

Talon sits up on the edge of the bunk and stares at the man for a moment.

"You didn't plan for some of them to take matters into their own hands."

"Oh I've planned for everything."

"Really?" he says and stands to face the man. "Then why are you here?"

"I was hoping I could ask my dear brother another favor."

"Hm. So that's you're play. Flowers was your way in but I'm you're real meal ticket. You need me to keep em in line."

"Need is a strong word. I much rather avoid taking matters into my own hands. Tends to be quite bloody. That and the time needed to quiet a bunch the size of your Swords and well, what was it Shinn used to say?"

"I remember him saying something along the lines of Run to the deepest whole on the farther moon away from here and never return or he'd serve headless body to his dogs." Talon says with gusto.

"Hm. Well yes he did say that. But then the Feds killed him and I've scattered his daughter's remains to the void." He responds and Talon is unable to hold back all of his rage that builds in his chest. "Time is money. Your men are costing me money. I want you to say a few words. Make to understand that what happened to there pretty little princess was a business deal gone wrong. But you still see eye to eye with me." He says.

"And why would I do that?"

He produces a cigar from his coat pocket. He steps closer and holds it close to Talon's face.

"Do this for me, and you can live the life you have grown so accustom to." He says as he taunts him with the cigar. "Don't." He says pull the cigar away and placing it between his own lips, lighting it and taking a long drag before letting out a cloud of smoke in the mans face. "And I will tear your little rebels to pieces. And then you're precious Flowers would have died for nothing."

Talon chuckles and steps closer closing the gap between them almost completely.

"Go to hell." He respond in a low tone and returns to the bunk returning to his previous position. "You've wasted your time coming here. Brother." he says and closes his eyes.

Angel chuckles before flicking the cigar to the floor between them.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. But their blood is on your hands now Shogun." He says and exits the room. He stand on the other side of the door as the security team gathers around him he smiles for a moment thinking to the cigar lying in the cell. "And perhaps I can break you as well."

 

[Momoka Azuka]

Daramo System: Federal Jurisdiction



Anton's loaned Python arrives at the arranged meeting point, the rings of Daramo ABCD2, hours ahead of time to aid in Jackie's securing of the area. Shane wasn't willing to leave anything to chance with this deal. Jackie clearly proved she knew what she was doing but still, his involvement with her was very limited. Trust was one thing, but this mission was far too important to not be fully invested in every bit of the planning. He knew he only had one chance at this.
And nothing can go wrong.

The ship drops in to the rings roughly on Jackie's signal. The trip over was mostly silent, the only words spoken was from Shane confirming Jackie's status in the system followed by contacting Niko to arranged to meet. Only now does Anton break the silence.

"Remember. Stick to the plan. We all have a lot riding on this." He says over the comms as Jackie's Viper comes into view.

Shane stares ahead to the MK III seemingly ignoring his partner's words as first, his thoughts traveling to a memory of his own Viper and sounds of the standard ship OS repeating to call to eject before shaking his head.

"No one knows that better than me Anton. I'll be sure you get paid either way." He finally responds as Jackie swigs the Viper around to dock.

"That's not my only worry here Shane. I do have a heart you know. Still, I'm just making sure we're on the same page here."

"We are. Don't worry." Shane responds as the sound of the boarding clamps echo through the hull with the two ships locking together. "This mission is more important to me than you could ever know." He adds.

Anton grins as he looks off to the side.

"We both know this is more than a mission for you now. You really think the Swords would go through with this if they knew what I do?" The man states before looking back to the camera.

"Does it matter? Jin's out for blood for what Savatore did to Momoka. Is it really any different that why I'm doing this?"

"See, that's what I mean. You're driven by what happened back then. Does it matter to you at all what he did to the Azuka girl?"

"Of course it does. Which is all the more reason for me to kill this guy." Shane states just as the doors of the Python's cockpit slide open.

"Killing Angel is our endgame here Shane. Not the current mission." Jackie says as she steps inside the cockpit. Shane grinds his teeth before killing the feed to Anton. He tilts his head to the side but doesn't look directly at her. "The area's secure. Everything's ready to go on my end. We're leaving the rest to you. But should we?" She adds.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know you have other motives." She says and steps closer.

"It's fine."

"Is it?" She says and takes another step. "Because this isn't an assassination mission here. We need someone in on the inside to get the locations of Shogun Talon."

"I know that."

"Jin has a plan. I need to make sure you're gonna stick to it. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? He gets the rest of his family killed while that man continues to walk around freely?" Shane responds with a sharp change in tone. Jackie visibly bites her tongue and folds her arms across her chest as he let's out a sigh. "Sorry. It's just... I need to get this guy."

"Why?" Jackie asks. Shane turns to her, puzzled by the tone in her voice, and sees her still with her arms crosses. The look in her eyes was one he wasn't expecting. It wasn't a look of understanding or concern, but one of expectation. She nods to him and asks again. "Why? Tell me. Why do you need him dead so badly. If it's not Momoka then what?"

Shane turns back to the helm and slowly sinks into the seat.

"Because he killed my partner." He says. Jackie's expression changes and she slowly drops her arms. "Carmen Maxwell. Born and raised on Medupe City in Cubeo. Eldest of 2 daughters, both parents killed in the bombing. So you can see why she might have wanted in on this." He explains. "Seemed like fate had it in for her whole family." He added before dropping his arms over either side of the arm rest of his seat.

The cockpit fell silent for a moment. Neither of them having the words to speak. The heavy tension filling the space as the asteroids ahead of the ship spin in their view.

"What happened to her?" Jackie finally says to break the tension more than anything.

Shane stands from the helm and walks past her before stopping and looking to his feet.

"I failed her is what happened." He says. He takes in a deep breath and leans against the bulkhead as he rubs his forehead. "The mission was straight forward. Find the target, draw em out and collect the bounty. Only it wasn't that simple. We were dealing with a man that's been running from every organization in the galaxy for years at that point. He had a body count on the level of a warlord." He explained.

"That goes without saying. I grew up around the man. I know how dangerous he is."

"If only I knew then what I know now..." He says before looking back to the helm as to recall the event. "We followed a lead to Prism where we learned he was preparing to move from on his way out of Imperial space to Naitis. We learned he was using a Clipper with a wing of Eagles as escort. We trailed him a few systems over before we made our move, pulling him out of supercruise and moving to knock out his drives before his wing dropped in on us."

"But it didn't work out that way did it."

"Not even. Before his Eagles arrived there were two combat fitted Asps dropped in and attacked us."

"Stealth Asps armed with railguns running in supercruise ahead of the escort. Yeah that's straight out of Shinn's playbook that move."

"They knocked out our shields in no time." he says walking back toward the helm. "I did everything I could to buy her time to retreat. But my Viper couldn't handle the onslaught and it wasn't long before I heard the ship signaling to eject." He says and drags his hand across where the scar is on his chest.

"You couldn't save her."

"That's just it. It was the time she needed to hyperspace out. But they gave chase. By the time I was rescued by authorities and got a ship to get back to her..." He says picturing the trashed apartment in his mind and seeing his partner's lifeless body on the floor in a pool of her own blood. "He took everything from us." He says and slams his fist to the center console. "Everything."

Jackie watches him quietly as he sits at the helm.

"You loved her."

He simply nods.

"I did. And he took them from me."

"Them? You mean Momoka." She responds. He hesitates, opening his mouth to speak but then thinks better of it. She takes a step closer. "There's still a chance with Momo. I know it doesn't look that way now but... We just... We need to have faith."

Shane starts to look to her just as a message appears on the ship's comms panel pulling both of their attentions.

"Looks like our friends have arrived early. We'll finish this conversation another time."

Jackie nods and start to step out of the bridge, stopping just in the doorway.

"We're counting on you Shane. I don't know what Carmon would want but I do know Momoka. She'd want you to see this through to the end." She says before continuing on to her Viper.

Shane looks back to the door in silence before the job at hand presents itself before the Python in the form of a Type 9 Heavy and two escort Asps.

"That's just it Jackie." He says as he powers up the vessel. "The dead want for nothing."