FSRB Chpt 121

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 121==
 Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
----
March 3069Interlude - Luthien
-----
===Talk between Father and Son===
-----
Garden of Tranquillity
Imperial Palace
Luthien, Pesht District
Draconis Combine
Hohiro Kurita strode into the Garden of Tranquillity and attempted to keep the surprise from his face. Given the information he had been provided by his sources within the Imperial Palace the Coordinator was effectively bed ridden. Yet instead of being directed either to the state of the art medical facility within the palace or to his fathers personal chambers he had been guided here. To his father's favorite garden of all the many pleasure gardens within the palace grounds. Either his father was putting up a front or his agents and sources had lied to him. Either way he was unhappy. Still nothing showed on his face as he strode down the carefully laid out path and across the wooden bridge that crossed over a gently flowing river to his father's resting area under his favorite Somei-yoshino. Bowing he awaited his fathers motion to kneel in front of him as the old man slowly prepared the tea they would drink together. While to his son's eyes Theodore Kurita appeared somewhat thin and hints around his eyes that spoke of pain but he looked far from being at deaths door.
Wordlessly, the Coordinator finished the tea and passed his son and heir a precious heirloom cup before pouring himself one. Both men sipped the tea and enjoyed the simple pleasures of the ceremony and liquid before finally the Coordinator spoke conversationally. "Are you here to depose me?"
"Bango!" Hohiro exclaimed entirely on instinct and was surprised to realize he spoke the truth. "If you doubt me father, say the word and I shall prove my loyalty with my life's blood!"
Theodore's eyes eased somewhat and he waved his hand in the negative. "That will not be necessary. Seppuku is so permanent. Then what do you wish my son if not my throne?"
Hohiro carefully placed the fragile porcelain cup down as his anger mounted. "Revenge against Victor Davion. He has cost me a sister and you a daughter. He has stolen our rightful worlds and humbled the Dragon. For only one of these crimes he must die!"
"I agree." Theodore laid down his own cup much more calmly.
"You do?" Hohiro couldn't keep the surprise from his voice.
"Of course. I am the Dragon. Do you think my honor less than yours?" Theodore waited making eye contact with his son until the younger Kurita bowed his head in submission before continuing. "I admit, there was a time that I hoped for a different future. One where we gained the allegiance of House Davion through ties of blood and friendship... But those hopes are almost gone now. They reside only in the fragile body of a young boy. Omiko's son."
Hohiro made no sign he was surprised by the revelation his sister had a son by Victor Davion. Good, that spoke well to his intelligence that he had managed to find out this secret. Theodore nodded in approval. "Kitsune Kurita is my grandson. He will not be harmed. He is the son of your beloved sister. I expect you feel the same way...?"
"Of course father." Hohiro wasn't entirely as strong in his feelings towards his nephew, but he didn't hate the child. Better to agree.
"Good. Because there are of course the practical aspects. He has a claim to New Avalon." Theodore nodded approvingly at his son.
"Victor has removed him from the succession. The Davions will never allow him to take the throne." Hohiro pointed out.
"What the Davions will agree now is perhaps different from what they will agree when we have a Sword of Light regiment garrisoning Mount Davion..." Theodore smiled slightly. "Still that is for the future... For now... You wish war with the Federated Suns?"
"I do."
"Good. We shall have war, but not yet." Theodore held up a hand to stop his son's outburst. "Soon. Not yet. We need allies. We need to strengthen ourselves. Prepare the Dragon's Claws. Even with the new Regular regiments and the 4th Genyosha and 9th Amphigean Light Assault Group we are still outnumbered by the AFFS. They have greater depths than we. So we need not only new troops, but new allies."
Hohiro paused and forced himself to calm. "What do you have in mind, father?"
"I will contact the Black Dragons. They have been our enemies. Now I will make them our friends. I will provide them 5 BattleMech regiments worth of equipment and allow them to man them with the true believers that make up their ranks. They will be told that if they wish us to return to the old ways, they must prove the validity of their claims. They shall provide 5 shock regiments to our forces." Theodore spoke softly.
"We do not have 5 regiments worth of BattleMechs as you describe father... Unless you have been keeping much greater secrets than I suspected." Hohiro stated.
"We do not. Which is where our new friends will come in. You are to travel to Terra itself. You will come to an accommodation with the Word of Blake fanatics there. They will provide us equipment as did their predecessors within Comstar. Their troops will join us in fighting our mutual enemy House Davion. In return we will divide the Sphere. They can have the FWL and the Capellan Confederation. We shall take The FedSuns and the Lyran Alliance." Theodore spoke almost casually, but noting his sons glare at the mention of the WOB which had humiliated him. "Who do you hate more my son? Victor Davion or the WOB?"
Hohiro swallowed and finally spoke. "Victor."
"Then we shall use the WOB to bring down the Fox's son. In time perhaps the Dragon will burn the WOB as well. Who knows..." Theodore nodded to his son with such a promise.
The heir to the Dragon nodded at that eagerly before speaking. "Yet such an alliance will not be easy, nor will making the Black Dragon's serve us..."
"True. But the path the Dragon takes is rarely one of ease." The Coordinator pointed out.
"I am not sure the Word of Blake will listen to me father. Our... estrangement has become known to some." Hohiro had to admit.
"You will go as my Kanrei. That will convince them." Theodore gifted his son with the title as though it were a trivial thing but watched as his son visibly swelled with pride at the promotion. "There is one final thing my son... A final point of contention that must be removed before you go to Terra."
"What father?" Hohiro spoke quickly. "Name it."
"Your friend Sho-sa Shin Yodama. You are fond of him?" Theodore asked meeting his son's eyes.
"He is my friend father." Hohiro answered softly.
"Then I shall grant him the Honor of Wakizashi out of respect for your closeness with him." Theodore's voice was now filled with steel.
With words failing him Hohiro stared at his father with a plea in his eyes, but saw no respite there and finally nodded. "I will... Inform him of his honoring."
"Good. Understand this son. I bare him no ill will. Yet a samurai may only serve one master. The Coordinator. And as the Coordinator you may have to one day order your friends to their deaths. If you are to become Coordinator you must learn this lesson. I order his death not out of petty vengeance, but to teach you these lessons. Even in death Sho-sa Yodama will serve you well." Theodore nodded a dismissal to his son. "Inform him he has 24 hours to make the arrangements. You may act as his kaishakunin. When he has atoned you will leave at once for Terra."
----
 Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
0121, Chapter