Meanwhile, somewhere in the Kyushu system...
When the smoke and the dust cleared, thought Kakera, Kyushu hadn't fared that poorly. On a surface level, anyway. She'd been sent to defend this planet and in the end, what for? Had the planet needed defending? No, she corrected herself, she'd been sent to protect the people living there, and she's succeeded, to a degree.
The planet was still covered, here and there, by patches of Cardamine, long since converted to private plantations. The Outcast cardification process had never reached completion for reasons that Kakera wasn't sure she'd ever know. She wasn't sure she cared either. Though the planet may have been saved, insofar as such a word was applicable here, it was still a mess on the inside. The Cardamine trading had increased almost 800% and the planet was now exporting, not importing the substance.
Kakera wasn't sure if the government was intentionally turning a blind eye or if they just didn't care anymore. Did she even care anymore? She couldn't find herself hating the new government, despite what they'd done to their people, but she couldn't join them either. She found herself shying away from politics. As such, the natural choice had been the Bounty Hunters. She always told people she'd done it for the money, but this simply wasn't true. She had more of it than she could ever use.
Then the revolt on Deshima had occured, and her comfortable bubble of neutrality had been burst. She found herself once again entangled in politics, this time as one of many deciding figures, not just a mere soldier. She had considered leaving many times, running to the Taus or the Omegas, getting a new ship and a new name, but she couldn't do it. More than anything, Deshima had become a home.
A blip on the HUD indicated that her target was in-system. An Order spy, coming in from the Taus. Kakera powered up her cruise engine and headed straight for the target. His scanner would not be able to pick up any identifying characteristics on her new, custom-built fighter and the ship's minuscule profile at this angle would suggest a small vessel, posing little threat.
3000....2000....the Order pilot decided the ship was definitely headed toward him. His scanner was bugged, couldn't identify it, but it appeared to be something small like a scout, or maybe an interceptor flying at just the right angle. But this pilot had been flying long enough to know that even Interceptor pilots could be deadly. He double-checked to make sure his Prometheus missile was armed and proceeded along his route, acting as if the incoming ship wasn't important enough to pay any mind. The Combat Interceptor turned turned away at the last moment. The Order pilot breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it had been nothing. Some dumb Kusarian kid...
"...I repeat, the bounty is off. Our intel suggests the Order is unaware that our agents have followed this operative. We may have a chance to find out the true purpose of his visit to Kusari. Pull back and await further instructions."
So that's how it is, thought Kakera as she widened the gap between her and the Order ship, everyone wants a piece of the action in Kusari. That's fine. More work for the League.
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