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Seed without Land

Five hours after their finished mission to the outpost, Amhyr returned to them with a shuttlecraft he rented in the nearby space station. Dairyu and Let invited him into the ship, where he broke a good news for the crew.

"So, Kendarr Smith is one of the operatives of anti-Federation terrorists, and actually one of the biggest wanted list names throughout the galaxy. We are being compensated with a hefty amount of credits we can use to buy a new ship," said Amhyr while ordering a coffee from a nearby machine. "Dairyu, we have decided to buy a new ship before Azure got wrecked in deep space. I don't care about how you really want to go down with this ship, but a space ship this derelict would be inside a scuttling facility by now. You cannot refit a ship this old."

"Amhyr, you know this is still my ship and not yours, right? You can't decide the fate of a ship without any confirmation from its owner."

"Sorry, Tsukasa, but we are not in a sea ship. We are in deep space and we cannot let..."

Amhyr was then pulled aside by Let, confusing the rest of the crew. Amhyr objected on the sudden action, but Let gave him a glare of urgency, silencing the draconian.

They descended down towards the machine room where Let had worked. The Scylla then closed the hatch, and said, "Amhyr, it is his choice not to part with this ship. Instead, I think he's trying to die in it."

"What?! Let, you know that's bullshit, right? He's clearly trying to gather some credits to buy a new ship! He may not be ready yet to part with this ship, but if we push it he will..."

"Stop, Amhyr. You don't know how bad he loves this ship. Capisa, Atho, and Van Helsing don't know about this, but I know his face when that human expressed his surprise when he knew no one ever hated him more than giving him a cold shoulder. He felt regret and pain, Amhyr. Then, I was curious about what past this ship was, then I found this."

He handed Amhyr a dusty pad which was barely functioning, but judging by the model and the interface, it was a touch pad from 35 years ago, greatly outdated, but basically had the same interface with the recent ones. There was a photo of two black draconians smiling upon unlocking the pad. What struck Amhyr as surprising was the fact the draconians in the pictures were Orients.

"Where did you get this pad?"

"It's in my room upstairs. Maybe there was an occupant before I came here, I don't know. But my reaction was the same with you, bas. Yes, the title of the Black Orient is only one Dairyu Tsukasa, but this photo proved otherwise."

"Well, what do you know? Never thought you found that pad."

Amhyr and Let turned to the voice to see Dairyu, now out of his Warrior's armor, standing by the door. He silently walked into Let's room and took the pad from Amhyr's hand, and staring at it with such expression that Amhyr realized it was a very painful memory, and both of them had just uncovered a buried secret.

"S-sorry, Dairyu, I never thought..."

"It's fine. Now that you've found this pad, you can do whatever you want with this ship. I also want to tell you that the scientists from the Trixija planet is trying to triangulate the signal from where black creatures operated in a mass quantity, so we can buy a new ship while they're at it. C'mon, I'll tell Capisa to go into FTL and to a nearby shipyard."

Both Amhyr and Let knew how Dairyu was trying to hold his sadness at bay when he was talking casually like that. They both stayed in silence during and after the FTL, where Capisa quickly requested permission to dock. They all then disembarked, with Amhyr having a mixed feeling with buying a new ship and Let gathering every repairing kit he could find, and most of his things, out of Dairyu's ship.

To save the credits to buy the desired ship, they decided not to rent single hotel rooms, but instead a rented single condo complex for seven crew, with a living room in the middle of a circular room structure. With some credits from Capisa's savings, he managed to land a room with internal aquatic environment system so he didn't need to use civilian nano enviro-suit when he was sleeping. Dairyu then helped himself by buying some food ingredients for the dinner in the station while Amhyr and Let tried to find some good ship for Azure's replacement.

Side-tracking from his destination, though, Dairyu came upon the docking station where Azure was docked. He stared at it for quite a while, occasionally smiling to himself when he remembered how the actual owner of the ship was thrilled when he saw the then brand-new ship docked in a Warrior docking station. He was surprised by a draconian beside him commenting on the ship.

"Never thought this old beauty still works despite all the hasty repairs," said the green draconian. "You the owner of this ship?"

"Yeah, I was just spacing out. Don't worry, I've taken everything I need."

"I can't believe this is one of the ships that was used during the Intergalactic war, and the one actually ridden by the Black Orient himself. It's okay, Dairyu Tsukasa. Not everyone in Terra hates your decision. You saved many draconian lives that day. You deserve a medal. Maybe not from the Terran government, but from the draconians."

"I still don't feel like having done much of improving Terran's well-being back home."

"The draconians have forgiven you, and some of the soldier's families, for pushing that peace treaty and cease fire. At least that's what I can tell you. It's the best decision to sell it instead of destroying it. Sorry, but in about half a minute this whole dock will be off-limits. Best do your things, Black Orient."

He kept watching the ship for a while until the bell to stand clear was issued. He walked back towards the exit, never looking back on Azure, though he took a glance on the ship right before the airlock shielding was up. He made a sigh, then proceeded to a nearby food market to buy some stuffs to cook. Rose said about cooking, so he wanted to know if she lived up to that claim.

There was nothing eventful throughout the day, and even at the night. Rose's food was good enough for the rest of them, considering the fact that all of them were carnivores. Her Terran specialty from her own home country was quite good for all the aliens in the room, including Atho, who, because of being an insectoid, had a hard time eating meat. They ate their content until the very night. Capisa and Atho returned to their own quarters first, followed by Rose, leaving only Amhyr and Let. The three reptilians stayed in silence, before Amhyr said, "I know a good place to drink. We can talk there."

The bar was, in particular, not as crowded, but the jazz background music made it looked full and atmospheric. Amhyr, being undercover as a bartender for many years, gave some suggestion for both of his friends, including a Scyllan cocktail he once made. Dairyu ordered an Oriental Wine while Amhyr gave an elaborate mix of cocktail, which surprised and impressed the bartender.

As they drank their liquors, Amhyr started saying, "If I am not being undercover as a bartender I wouldn't appreciate these drinks like I am now. Too bad both of you don't know what to say, huh?"

"I normally don't drink Oriental Wine, Amhyr," said Dairyu. "But I think I'll give a toast to Seiryu too."

"Seiryu?"

"Since you found my pad, let me tell you a true story about the 'famous' Black Orient," said Dairyu with a smile, then ordered another drink. "In the years before and during the War, the Warriors weren't groomed to be effective Terran killing machines like now. We are like the Intergalactic Pest Exterminator financed by the then Terran Empire to kill hostile and feral aliens in any colony. I am not proud of being that, you see, and I didn't join the Warriors because of that. I was when the chief Operator changed did we changed our own ways, and also introducing the Mutant Progeny."

"Let me guess," said Let. "It caused your scales to be black, right?"

Dairyu nodded. "It's commonly called the Rite outside of the Warrior circle. We changed our operations into a special ops unit under the governance of the Terran Empire and becoming very highly sought in recruitment from the military due to our triumph in many skirmishes that unfortunately led to war. The Mutant Progeny is a very dangerous ritual that determined if a candidate is worthy of being a Warrior or not. Many failed, and crippled, forcing them to retire. Despite of the risks, many still wanted to be a Warrior. I am the only exception.

"The Rite is not supposed to be initiated for an Orient due to my race's very high level of natural magic, even more than normal Western draconians. Also, Orients are not fighters, well, except me, of course." Dairyu then made a small chuckle. "But also a fact that an Orient cannot be mutated because no matter how many times you want to try, the mutation simply rejected an Orient. I am no different, but I am also very special."

Dairyu then exhaled. "Instead of rejecting me for the third time, the Mutation mutated the way my natural magic is being used. But it is also because of my state of mind at that time. It just need a little slip of anger and emotional instability and my body becomes like this. For two years, I am known as the Black Wind. Of course, this is until Seiryu came."

He took another gulp of wine. "Unlike me, Seiryu had a terminal illness only draconians can have. Unless we take Western medicines, we won't survive that illness."

"I know about it. I once got it too, but draconian-made vaccine helped me went through my childhood. I think it's called Othar's Poison, right?"

Dairyu nodded. "Seiryu is in a terminal state, and no medicine can save him now. I told his parents that if he wanted to survive he needed the Mutant Progeny. They were so desperate to save their son they went on without thinking about the risks. True, Seiryu was saved from the illness, but unlike my partial mutation, Seiryu's mutation was the most complete mutation ever recorded in Warrior's history. His eyes became black, and everything you know about him being an azure-colored Orient is gone. He was the original Black Orient, not me. It's more his title because he was complete covered in black he's like an extinct Xeno race...well, maybe except his fur and antlers.

"I took pity on him. It was ironic since his name is actually his scale's color. He lost all the good an Orient had and become a violent trigger-happy Orient. I was assigned as his mentor and he was my aide for some time. We actually had something like a father and son relationship after he became an orphan when his parents was killed when the spaceship they were in was attacked by an Aldoon fleet, barely three months since the Rite. We went on to become a very frightening presence, but I prefer living in Seiryu's shadow because he was the hero. I don't really like a status. Yet, one faithful day changed my view towards the Terran Empire."

He then turned to Amhyr. "Do you still remember when they mobilized draconian strike force that included Orients, right?"

"Yeah. My dad was in that strike force...but he was killed. Sorry...I don't blame..."

"You have all the rights to blame me, Amhyr. If only I thought that was the great idea. The history told you that I refused to involve Orients because they are not fighters, but in fact, they fought with us throughout the last months of the war. There are so many casualties, including Seiryu. I refused to acknowledged that he had died, but he died a hero. There is no way he could survive the suicide run. I saw his ship exploded inside the Azure and...and..."

He took a deep breath, trying not to get shaken by the memory, though Let and Amhyr noticed that his hands were trembling.

"He took a scouting cruiser from Azure and dive-bombed into a group of Aqura fleet, wiping them all out. If Seiryu was given commendation, I would not take the decision, but the Terran Empire refused to give him one and gave me the medal of commendation instead. They claimed that Seiryu was a black ops operative. When I asked them when, they said just when they realized how a Black Orient is the most perfected soldier ever made, and they can't let him exploited by the enemies." He then dropped into a whisper. "They even considered refusing Othar's Poison Vaccine so others like Seiryu can be made."

"Ancestors...just how corrupt the Terran military at that time?"

"I don't want making other Orients suffer like Seiryu, or maybe Draconians in particular. Thus, I made all my efforts in the last day of the wars to convince the draconians to abandon their posts. Many of them followed me without question, knowing how well the horrors of the Empire had given to them. We became fugitives, and we were branded traitors and war criminals for that decision. Fortunately, our decision was praised very well with the aliens, especially the Aqura. They granted us asylum for some years until the forming of the Federation. I chose not to remind them of Seiryu's sacrifice, preferring to take his title and live as the only Black Orient in the galaxy. One Black Orient is enough."

There was a silence between them, broken just by Amhyr ordering a stronger set of drinks. Let moved closer to Dairyu and said, "But your actions is a very noble cause. If not for you, draconians like you and Amhyr wouldn't be here."

"I am doing this because of the young ones," said Dairyu trying to act composed. "Amhyr, if Seiryu is still alive, he will be around your age, and you two might become the best of buddies. Let, you might be surprised, but Seiryu was a gifted engineer, just like you and Capisa. Upon seeing so many of you inside my ship, I kept thinking. What if Seiryu never contacted the Othar's Poison, or maybe there was time before his disease was terminal. He might live into a normal Western draconian community, having a mixed breed family, and might've worked as an agent for the Federation. He's a very ambitious young draconian. He may not be a Warrior, but he could be an agent. The guilt and burden is upon me whenever I saw my friends and crew, so I tried to make my memory with him the most in that small cramped ship. Yet, when I saw the photo from that, I realized the days when our smile would be sincere and innocent. That one shore leave changed my life."

He then drank the last of the strong drink and stood up, shaking his head. He then said, "This photo...is enough of a reminder for me and Seiryu. Thank you. Now I think I'll move on from Seiryu's memory for now."

Dairyu then left them both alone, amidst the jazz music background. For them, knowing Dairyu's past blew off some steam they built up inside, but at the same time they felt guilty for even asking or knowing. They never thought he had such a tragic past, especially when he claimed the Seiryu was at the same age with Amhyr.

"So he died when he was 20," said Amhyr while sipping his drink. "Damn."

"You mean you're 55 now? Is that considered old or young?"

"I'm a full adult, but goddamn that war. A young adult draconian going into a battlefield? No wonder the Empire is so fucked up."

"So what you want to say? Dairyu is not lying or exaggerating. War never make anyone thinking straight, but when they recounted their war experiences, they will be sanest bas alive."

"How about you? The first time I saw you with that Aldoon you look like you've seen shit."

"I've seen shit every day, Amhyr. I've seen the coranta (cunts), the edrigos (corruptors), and the basko (whore) when I was a slave. That's why I thought Dairyu and I were the same. I guess being a deposed Kaf'rak is not as worst as being a traumatized Mel'lak."

"There are so many things you can learn just by being with your people, your majesty," said Amhyr.

"Just like your 'peasant king' story."

Amhyr made a laugh. "Never though the moral of that story is not logically challenged."

They both drank until its very late, then they returned back to the apartment. When they went inside, everyone had sleep, including Dairyu, who fell asleep at the desk. Both of them would think that he always slept in an awkward position until they realized he drank not one, but two bottles of Terran Vodka, which had a big effect on draconians, even if they were Orients (in this story, Orients are known to be heavy drinkers, and wines contributed to the part of their culture). Let wanted to help him to his bed, but Amhyr noticed the photo in the pad changed in an interval, being set into a slide show by Dairyu. He also murmured in his sleep, and sometimes smiled. This vulnerability was new for both of them, who knew Dairyu as a sarcastic, money-driven draconian.

"Why did he drink that much?" asked Let.

"Do you have a concept of drowning sorrow with drinks, Let? What do you do when you're in sorrow?"

"I vigorously dismantle a complex machinery to bolts and screw. I did that once when my father died." He then winked. "It's a secret, so don't tell others about it."

"I'm actually relieved about it."

"Why?"

"So that I'll know that when you start dismantling our ship in such a great pace, we'll be there to accompany you. Unlike Terrans, aliens like you guys are easy to read."

Let then let out a good toothy grin, before turning towards his room to go to sleep.

The next morning, Capisa woke up first, having felt the water's change of temperature during his sleep. He drained the whole water and turned on his nano enviro-suit. When he got out, he saw Dairyu, still sleeping at the desk with his bottles of Vodka, tail swishing occasionally. He didn't know about his friend actually could get drunk, but then, he didn't know that much about him, either.

The morning was slow in that station. He was eager to see the new ship both Amhyr and Let had picked for them, but that could wait. Moving to an Aquros-friendly fast food joint, he wanted to order some Aquran fast food, thinking that so many weeks had passed since he could eat one. This time, though, was the first time he ate from the credit reserves of all the crew, which limited his purchase.

As he moved towards a table, he realized it was all full for breakfast, so he sighed, thinking that he would eat them back in the apartment. He was then pulled by an Aquros he knew.

"Hey, you're that As'karan back in the outpost, right?" said Capisa when he saw the blue-scaled shark alien.

"You got it right, kid. C'mon, just sit by me."

Capisa did what he said.

"I think it is proper to tell you that I'm very grateful that you want to save me despite of being a S'hor. To be truth, if a voice doesn't tell me about you, I would've never known that you will inherit the biggest trade business in Atlantis!"

"Thanks...I guess?"

"I have suspected as much with your nanotech enviro-suit. That costs a fortune, you know, not to mention very unusual."

"Yeah, I've seen many aliens and Aqura staring at me like I'm some sort of criminal. But it's far more comfortable than using a bulky environment suit. I had one, but it broke."

The As'karan ate his specially made food, then said, "I've recommended you for joining us."

Hearing this made Capisa jumped. "What!" he exclaimed, garnering attention to the other patrons. He realized his mistake suddenly and slowly sat down.

"You've shown considerable skill in helping without any second thoughts. That's the main reason why As'karans are chosen from cadets. But then, despite my recommendation, they still don't want you to be an As'karan. Want to know why?"

Capisa knew the answer before the As'karan wanted to say, so he sighed and said, "You're the first Aquros to actually pass the covert division, but failed every other ones, which was unacceptable for the office. You do realize that the division is not for normal special ops like us, right?"

"No, but I honestly believed that at least I can be an As'karan despite of failing everything."

The other Aquros sighed again. "I can't blame them, though. It's their job to keep this part a secret. It's a 'for your eyes only' kind of thing"

"Are you sure you want to talk about it here?"

Suddenly, the Aquros turned off both translators and started talking in a native Aquros language. Capisa realized that the language was the secret since he remembered testing about it back in the Academy. After saying that, he turned on his translator and winked, before leaving.

Following the Aquros' direction, he stumbled upon a small room that was hard to see by plain eyes if not seen with an Aquros' second black-light-like vision that also inverted the color of his eyes. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, he approached the wall, and pushed a button near the lines. The next second, he was inside the room, somehow teleported into it.

"Never thought I will be using my True Vision again," thought Capisa. He then rummaged around the small secret room, until he pulled a book away to find another room behind the small 'reception' room. In there, he found the same As'karan who gave him the room direction.

"The reason why they don't let you pass the covert division is because the division is supposed to be secret, and only those with the power to see with True Vision and knowledge to ancient As'karan proverb can see the secret rooms scattered all around the galaxy."

"So the bodyguard to the racist human is actually one of the covert division? No wonder I won't think twice about it."

"Oh, but Capisa, you're not entirely failed that test. It still goes on, until the moment you found one of this place. They just recruited the best of the best As'karan cadets, with zero tolerance for failure. Capisa S'hor, what you're about to see is not going to be something you must tell your comrades. The moment you tell them everything, you will lose every memory of being in this division. Can you bear to do that, when you return to them?"

Capisa nodded. The As'karan then said, "We won't be sure if you will live up to that, right? But until the finish the whole test, and be given a true training, let me extend the welcome to the Black Mako division of the As'karans, with one goal: to accept missions of espionage and covert assassination for the Atlantis government."

As Capisa followed the As'karan, he kept thinking of what sort of problems he had gotten into. Yet, right now, he realized that, despite of being so soon, he had become an As'karan, and not a normal one, too be exact. Too bad no one would ever knew about this.