Kyoto Base

CLASS: Bushido

GRAVITY: Complete

DOCKING: Yes

AMENITIES: Yes

CREW: 41,920

The history of the Blood Dragons goes back to the fourth century. The founding members of the group were the Shogun's Royal Guard during the Hideyoshi family dynasty. In a bloody coup during the celebration of the revived Sakura festival in 321 AS, the Shogun was surrounded in the palace by Samura-backed elements of the military and asked to surrender, along with the Royal Guard. The Shogun, humiliated by the shame he had brought his family, committed suicide. The guards, headed by Kozue Okamura, did not acquiesce so easily. In a bloody battle, they fought their way out of the palace and retreated into the darkness of northern Kusari space. Here they regrouped and began a long guerrilla campaign aimed at overthrowing the Samura-controlled Kusari government

The Blood Dragons are a tight group who hold the sympathy and support of individuals in the highest levels of Kusari government. They periodically launch surgical strikes and commando raids from their Kyoto base designed to destabilize the current government to the point where sympathetic officials could potentially seize power. Blood Dragons prefer to target Samura and Kusari Naval Forces bases and ships, although they occasionally attack other House shippers for supplies.

The group is loosely allied with the Golden Chrysanthemums (GC), who provide refuge and a forward tactical base for assault crews in the Hokkaido system. The GC also provide many of the essential Commodities that the Blood Dragons need, a critical function given the complete lack of Blood Dragon landing rights within the rest of Kusari space. With the invasion threat posed by the Chugoku Gate out of the way, the system itself is once again safely in the hands of the Blood Dragons.

## News

Professor Nagel and her team are certain the Pulse originated from outside Sirius, but are otherwise no closer to identifying its source or mitigating a future Blackout event. "Following the Blackout, we began to see immediate signs of jump hole destabilization in multiple different regions, with many ultimately falling out of phase alignment altogether", she commented. The dramatic upending of Sirius' jump hole network has already prompted many groups to abandon stations and withdraw from systems that appear to risk being cut off.
While months-long trips between the stars are possible thanks to the Liberty Engine and many centuries of innovation, few ships are designed or provisioned to make such arduous journeys. Those who were displaced by Sirius' redrawn map hope that system connections will return, while adventurers and explorers rush to discover new routes.

## Rumors

* The GMG has trained us in many nebula fighting tactics that they learned during the 80-Years War. This is why we can fly circles around the Kusari Naval Forces in Hokkaido. Nansei is a different story. The Research Station is very protected and difficult to attack in the style to which we are accustomed.

* The battle of the Chugoku Gate has been a long and bloody one. We have lost many of our warriors to the Naval Forces. But they are tiring, while we grow stronger every day with new recruits from the disenchanted youth of Kusari, yearning for a better future for our people. And what was the result? The last act of Samura before they lost control of the government was to connect the gate somewhere else. Samura weakens Kusari for its own gain with this deceptive act. Whether it be war against their neighbours, or resisting our calls for change, Samura is contemptible in every respect.

* Welcome to the end of the world. I hope you brought supplies with you. We always need Food and Pharmaceuticals. Gold and Hessian Tears are also prized. Be sure to bring your weapon with you - an unarmed warrior does not garner much respect in this bar.

* There has been a palpable shift in the balance of power at play across the Colonies. I can't account for the reasons why this has happened, but I've been able to observe peculiarities, most notably the scarcity of Outcasts in Kusari, and the newfound boldness of the Naval Forces. While part of me rejoices that the Outcasts are seemingly no longer in a position to operate here with any significance, the other is burdened by concern for what Samura's lackeys must be planning.

* One day we hope to return to Tokyo victorious after almost five centuries in hiding. What victory means nowdays is perhaps uncertain. The new government is more influenced by Kishiro, and doing away with Samura's influence was seen as a major victory for us. But then the unthinkable happened, and the Kusari people were misled into doing away with our noble tradition of the monarchy. I think we are seeing a clear grab for power by corporate interests. It disgusts me to watch Kishiro strip away Kusari's heritage like this. There are many Dragons who think like I do, and will be ill-inclined to grant Kishiro ships mercy when they cross our path!

* Samura has revealed new systems they intend to exploit. Tau-53 is a dark, dangerous nebula with only limited scope for operations. The real gem is Tottori. Those Farmers think they will have an easy life out on the edge of Kusari space. We will make sure they feel the Dragon's claw even out there.

* The Golden Chrysanthemums are a bit unorthodox in their methods, but share our vision of a new Kusari. We do not espouse their heavy use of Cardamine, however. That drug is evil, and will prove their undoing.

* We coordinate all our attacks in Kusari space from here. There are jump holes to Honshu and Hokkaido just south of our base here. From Hokkaido, we can access Kyushu and Shikoku. You can reach Tokyo using either route.

* Samura's plan was to open Hokkaido to gas mining in order to compete with the GMG, a partner whom they have exploited for centuries. I assure you that Hokkaido will not be a good place for Samura to do business for many years to come. The GMG will make sure of that.

* The Fugaku was lost in a raid on the Kansai Research Center within the Hiyo Cloud. The fighter became entangled in the mine field during the attack, and the pilot was killed. It eventually drifted off into the cloud. No one has seen it since.

* There has been a palpable shift in the balance of power at play across the Colonies. I can't account for the reasons why this has happened, but I've been able to observe peculiarities, most notably the scarcity of Outcasts in Kusari, and the newfound boldness of the Naval Forces. While part of me rejoices that the Outcasts are seemingly no longer in a position to operate here with any significance, the other is burdened by concern for what Samura's lackeys must be planning.

* Things are more complicated than they seem in Kusari. Under Samura rule, we were considered nothing more than nothing more than common criminals trying to destroy the Kusari way of life. Now the new government demands that we lay down our arms before they will consider our demands. The government is mistaken. Many of our secret friends in the government have quietly amassed power in the shadow of the corrupt bureaucrats that feast at Samura's table. Our day will arrive soon.

* Our movement is very old, dating back to the Sakura Coup in 321 AS. On that fateful day the Shogun Hideyoshi was toppled by the military, which was backed by Samura. Our ancestors were the Shogun's royal guards. They fought bravely but fled the palace when it was clear that Samura had won the day. The Blood Dragons were thus born, a group dedicated to cleansing the cancer of Samura from Kusari once and for all.

* The Golden Chrysanthemums are becoming too close to the Outcasts. The allure of Cardamine is seductive, but deadly. If you use too much of it, irreversible physiological changes occur in our body. You are no longer truly human. That is the curse of the Outcasts.

* We prefer to attack installations and Samura-owned transports rather than raid foreign shipping, which does not help our cause. Unfortunately, sometimes we must obtain supplies. The Golden Chrysanthemums are not nearly as discriminating, which has created a publicity problem for us, since they are perceived by the press as our allies.

* The GMG has been invaluable in providing financial assistance and training to the Blood Dragons. At first they were reluctant, but once the government forced them to pay a reparation tax for the 80-Years Wars, they changed their minds. We expect that as long as Samura remains a thorn in the side of the GMG, they shall keep supporting us. For certain, we shall not rest until any chance of Samura returning to power is quashed forever.

* We have been far too accommodating of the Chrysanthemums and their madness, and I'm not alone in believing this. First they act as if some child that they seek to indoctrinate is fit to rule Kusari, and now they throw themselves into the fray for their distant "allies" - the Outcasts. The only thing these women want is the wholesale damnation of our House and its people. I once believed we shared some things in common about the path forward, but I'm no longer that naive.

* We hoped to find a new master who can break the curse of Kusari corruption and stagnation and once again bring our nation to glory. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Without a Kusari monarch for the people to look up to, what do people turn to for inspiration? The new government speaks of 'free-enterprise' and other corporate drivel. This government will have our people worshipping money like they do in Liberty, and I want no part of it!

* The Blood Dragons believe that for Kusari to change, the tight relationship between the bureaucrats, Samura, and the Hogosha must end. We have amassed enough damning evidence against our three enemies to sway the next election in favor of our supporters. The changes made by the new government shall work to our advantage, even if they want to keep radical voices from speaking out.

* We have been far too accommodating of the Chrysanthemums and their madness, and I'm not alone in believing this. First they act as if some child that they seek to indoctrinate is fit to rule Kusari, and now they throw themselves into the fray for their distant "allies" - the Outcasts. The only thing these women want is the wholesale damnation of our House and its people. I once believed we shared some things in common about the path forward, but I'm no longer that naive.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*