Dragon's Progeny: Chapter 41

My posture was relaxed yet slightly tense as I watched the men gathered before me chat quietly among one another. My Faces, alongside their respective Officers, had gathered in the War Room at my behest, filling the space with the warmth and careful noise that had been missing since their numbers had dwindled after the recent betrayals and subsequent deaths.

Normally Officers wouldn't be allowed in the War Room as it was for Faces and Enforcers alone, but I felt it important that they be present and had specifically requested so. They would be crucial in the conflict ahead so there was no reason to leave them in the dark.

I spared a glance to my left and right, taking in both Lee and Kon standing beside my throne. Lee was as stoic as always, while Kon looked especially nervous to be here. His ever-present candy was nowhere to be found and he was trembling almost unnoticeably. Clearly uncomfortable being in the presence of so many influential people.

I could understand his hesitance. It wasn't every day someone like him got the chance to be in this room, much less when a meeting was actually happening, but his presence was much appreciated. It brought me a small semblance of calm that soothed my frayed nerves.

Deciding to get things started, I raised one hand into the air, silencing the gathering before me. All eyes drifted my way as the room gave me its undivided attention, and I waited just a moment to ensure that was the case before beginning my speech.

“Thank you all for your swift response to my summons. I am glad to see all of you gathered here today, even if the subject of this particular meeting may be one many of you are not comfortable with.”

“We are all glad to be here, Yosei-sama.” Hiashi said, bowing his head, “And we are even more glad to see that your injuries have not left a lasting mark upon you. We were worried when we heard the news.”

I smiled softly, “The credit for that goes to the heroes, I'm afraid. I doubt I would have survived without their interference. Regardless, I am here now and we, all of us, have work to do.”

“Of course, Yosei-sama. We are at your command.”

“Thank you, Hisshi. Now then, let us get down to the reason I have called you all here.” I looked around the room, “Firstly, I would like to apologize to all of you. It seems I have made a liar of myself, and for that you have my sincerest apologies.”

My words confused them, but that was expected. I continue despite the curious looks being sent my way, “You see, I had once professed my belief that my father's desire for war with the Empire was foolish, an action that would do nothing but hurt the ABB and the people we govern. And yet here I am, sitting before you all to ask that you consider that very same conflict once again.”

Murmurs spread throughout the room but I silenced them with a gesture. I looked out at the faces of the men that I had come to know these past months, “I understand that some of you may have reservations about this and once again, I am sorry for that. However, I have had ample time to consider things after the attempt on my life and I have decided that this is how things will move forward. If you have concerns, feel free to voice them and I will take them all into consideration.”

The room immediately erupted into loud chatter that echoed off of the walls and brought with it a great deal of discomfort. Wincing, I raised my hand again, ordering them all to quiet down. As the room returned to a more managed volume, I spoke again, “One at a time, please. We are adults. No need to speak over one another like bickering schoolchildren.”

My Faces looked to one another, silently conversing, before Hiashi cleared his throat, “Ahem. I suppose our first question is… why? You and I have had several conversations on the subject and I was under the impression that war with the Empire was the last thing you wanted.”

I hesitated momentarily, knowing I couldn't very well tell them my true reason for doing this. It would take too much time and I doubted many of the men present would understand my rationale. It would be best to be vague in this instance.

“I will not go into detail as it is a variety of factors that would each require their own explanation. What I can tell you is that the attempt on my life was either an act of opportunity, or simply a distraction from their true target.”

“True target? You're saying the Empire wasn't going after you?”

I shook my head, “No, they were not. Someone else was. And they are now a captive of the Empire.” My face became severe, “One of our own has been taken and that, moreso than even the attempt on my life, is something that cannot stand.”

Hiashi understood what I was saying, even if his compatriots did not. His eye darted to my sides, finally noticing the absence of someone in particular, and his mouth flattened into a thin line.

“I see.” He said, “I understand Yosei-sama.”

After a moment of silence, Aoi was next to speak. He looked around him, before gesturing at his companions, “Well I think I speak for all of us when I say that we just don't have the manpower to fight the Empire. We've only just gotten back to our original numbers and this news is going to cause quite a few desertions. That inevitable. If we do this, we'd last maybe a week before we ran out of capable hands.”

Two seats down, Takumi voiced his own concerns, “Not to mention, we don't have the weapons or the ammunition for what you're suggesting either. Even if we started making our own guns, we'd still fall short. The Empire has always been more well equipped than using thanks to their overseas backing. For every good rifle we have, they have twelve.”

His words were met with a smattering of agreement from the others and though I was unsurprised, I was still pleased to see that they all had such valid reservations of my plan and were willing to voice them to me. Now I had to lay their concerns to rest.

I allowed them to continue speaking among each other for another moment, before raising my hand to silence the room once more. “You need not worry about manpower or weapons, for the ABB as a whole will not be fighting in this war. At least not actively.

Confusion met my proclamation, which was to be expected. After all, how could one have a gang war without the presence of their gang? Hopefully I could shed some light on my intentions.

I steepled my hands in front of me as I stared at them all. “Make no mistake, I have no plans for a prolonged conflict with the Empire like my father did. I understand more than anyone that such a course of action would lead to nothing but ruin for both parties. No, what I have planned will likely take no more than a few days and if everything plays out as it should, then our territory and the people within will remain untouched by the conflict.”

“What I need from you is assurance. I will be unable to oversee things here while business is dealt with, so I will be entrusting that to you. You will be managing the ABB’s affairs and taking over the majority of my responsibilities to ensure things continue to operate smoothly. You will quell any panic, keep our operations afloat and if need be, defend our territory in the event of any attempted retaliation from the Empire. It will be a purely defensive ordeal on your part. I will deal with the rest.”

I looked around at my men, finding them staring back at me in surprise and then contemplation, “Any more objections? Please speak up now and I will do my best to alleviate your concerns, although there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said.”

Nothing. Though I could see a bit of hesitance on the faces of Aoi and some of the Officers, none of them moved to speak. I leaned back in my chair, satisfied

“Very well. I'm leaving it up to you to inform your people. We only have a few days to properly prepare for what is coming. Meeting adjourned.”

~~~

Some time later, I was once again in my office, sitting at my desk as I had so often these past months. Joining me were both Kon and Nana, sitting across from me in silence. Three steaming cups of tea sat between us, untouched and slowly growing colder as the time passed us by.

There was a noticeable tension hanging in the air, a stifling silence that filled the space between us with its uncomfortable presence, and yet despite it I couldn't help but feel as if the room was strangely empty. Lacking in one crucial aspect.

…I missed Tammi.

Breathing deeply, I leaned back in my chair, pondering to myself before speaking aloud, “...Do you think I am a hypocrite?”

My question noticeably surprised my companions, and they looked extremely taken aback by the sudden break in the silence just as much as the inquiry itself.

It was Kon who spoke up first, “Uh, what do you mean, Yosei?”

My eyes flickered back down, meeting his confused gaze, “As I said in the meeting, I had been very much against my father's desire for war when I first officially joined the ABB. Though I never voiced my concerns to him directly, I knew that such a conflict would be nothing but detrimental to our way of life. I still believe that even now, and yet here I am doing the same thing.”

“Didn't you say that you didn't plan for an actual war with the Empire?” He asked, still not understanding.

“Plans seldom survive first contact with the enemy.” I responded softly, “I know all too well how easily my own could fall apart. There is much that could go wrong, and if it does it could easily spark the lasting conflict that I had been hoping to avoid. A conflict I told the Faces wouldn't be coming. And yet despite that, I am still going to go through with it. Does that not make me a hypocrite? Or at the very least a liar?”

They shared a look with each other before Nana shrugged, “Well I guess it would, Hime, if you were doing it for the same reasons as Lung was.”

“I'm afraid I don't follow your logic.”

Nana sighed, “Well Hime, if I was following what you said back there, and I'm gonna be honest, I was almost falling asleep for a good portion of that meeting, then you aren't planning off to start a massive gang war just because you felt like your position of power was threatened. This isn't just a dick-measuring contest to prove you're the strongest around, it's a play to get your girl back.”

I tilted my head, still not getting it, “Yes, but that doesn't really change anything, does it? I'm still preparing to start a conflict that could end in the deaths of dozens of my people. No matter my reasoning, it doesn't change the facts.”

Nana groaned like she was dealing with a complaining child, and I would admit I was a bit offended at my own comparison. “Hime, do you think your Faces are stupid? They knew what they were agreeing to. They've decided to put their trust in you because they know you'll do your best to protect the interests of the ABB. Your job is to lead them and they know that. They accept that and the responsibility that they take on in return. You aren't the only one able to protect our people.”

She leaned back, “As for your reasoning, when it comes to things like this, there's never a right reason to do it. There's just good reasons and bad. I don't know about you, but I'd say your girlfriend being kidnapped is probably as good a reason as any to want to lay waste to your enemies. People are going to get hurt, that's a given. The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you're willing to make that sacrifice if that means it'll get her back.”

Was that even a question? No, I decided after only a moment of deliberation, it wasn't.

“I made a promise and I intend to keep it. No matter the cost.”

Nana nodded as if she had expected that answer all along, “Then don't waste time worrying about the damage that might come from a decision you've already made. Put all that energy towards working to prevent as much of it as you can, whatever way you can. When everything is said and done, nobody will fault you if you really tried your best.”

“We're here to help too. You aren't alone in this.” Kon added on, “We all want to get Tammi back. If that means fighting the whole Empire with just the three of us, then that's what we'll do.”

I looked between them, feeling an odd emotion swell in my chest in the face of their unerring support, “I see… You're right, I'm worrying myself for no reason. I must focus on what's important, not just what might happen. Thank you both. Truly. ”

“No problem, Hime. Always happy to verbally smack some sense into my favorite customer.” Nana grinned, leaning back in her chair, “Alright, now that we've cleared your conscience, what's the plan? Are we just gonna march in there and burn shit down until they give her back, or did you have something else in mind? Because I'm down for either or, though I'll admit the first one sounds pretty enticing right about now.

I smiled slightly at her enthusiasm, “As… fun as it would be to simply walk into Kaiser's territory and lay waste to their holdings until they acquiesce to my demands, we must remember that no demands have yet been made. That is something we just rectify.”

Nana raised an eyebrow, “Meaning?”

“Meaning I am going to give them the consideration they would have never given us, and offer them a single chance to fix the mistakes that they have made.” I said, an undertone of danger leaking into my tone. I turned my chair, gazing out the window and into my territory beyond.

“And if they refuse, then I will do what the Protectorate refuses to do and what my father never got the chance to do, and clean the rot from the city. One man at a time.”