Chapter Two: A Whole Old World

[Akirapryde]

It was clear that the group was completely unaware that Eric had regained conscious. After speaking with the Doctor and the older African-Japanese officer, Nurse Moto, walked over and stood next to the other nurse. After a short moment of conversation among themselves the Doctor and the older African-Japanese man walked over to the bed where Jake was still laying. Behind the two men walking towards the bed, the female Kuritan Officer stood nearly emotionless as she glanced between the medical room and beyond the door.

After that momentary glance, the female African-Japanese officer returned her attention back to the scene in the medical room. It was not hard to see that the two officers were related in some fashion. It would not be hard to conclude that the two were possibly father-daughter. The female officer wore a patch on the left side of her uniform, the award consisted of a red-and-black ribbon adorned with a depiction of an oriental tiger. And on the left breast pocket of her uniform was a five-centimeter red circle divided by a black katana sword. Worn on her right sleeve near her wrist was a pair of two-centimeter long ribbons. One was midnight blue with a half dozen black stars on it. The other was gray with over a dozen black stars and silver star on it. Her face was scared from a long past battle. She stood like a statue between the doorway and the beds as she watched the scene unfold carefully.

After the doctor and the male officer walked up to the bed, the officer spoke sternly with one hand loosely rested on the middle length sword called a wakizashi. “Lieutenant Straker, I am Major Yoshi Tetsuhara” he said standing just short of the bed. While the man spoke fluent Japanese, he also spoke English much better than Nurse Moto. Major Tetsuhara didn’t wait for Jake to respond, “You and your friends are only alive because we decided to rescue you from your stricken shuttle.” To the keen observer, the man lied. The decision to rescue the party was clearly not a move supported by Major Tetsuhara.

Major Tetsuhara continued, “Listen to me carefully young man. we know that your friend over there” he motioned towards Eric, “is a member of House Steiner.”

He paused for a moment as if something caught his attention at Eric’s bed. After a silent moment he dismissed whatever it was that caught his attention and turned his eyes back to Jake, “now you WILL answer our questions. You are with a noble member of the House of Steiner. Are you a mercenary hired by Steiner or are you a member of the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces?!”