Into the Fire Once More: Book 1 of Death's Own Daughter

by Jessie Wolf

  “Come now child I did not mean to upset you so. You are doing very well in your behavior. All you need is a little polish to be as graceful. You’ll see. Why are you so upset dear?”

  Try as I might, all I could get out as an explanation was one word. “Matsue,” before completely losing control. Her response was as quick as it was unexpected. “Leave us. NOW. I would be alone with my niece. I will call when or if I need you.” and with that we were alone, all the servants running from the room. She guided me outside and into the courtyard behind the house. Once there she led me to a bench where she sat holding onto me and rocking me as I let out years of pain and loneliness. When I finally calmed down she looked me in the eyes and said with a great deal of compassion.

  “Your love for her was as deep and wide as the oceans. The day she left us the whole of my world dimmed with her passing, but it is bright now that you have come to take her place. Once again I see a bright and beautiful future. Now tell me what was it that I did to bring out such pain please?”

  Sniffling, I wipe the tears from my face and I explain to her how, as I watched her show me how I should move when walking, it took me back to when I first laid eyes on her and her sister all those many years ago. Taking a handkerchief from somewhere and wiping at my tears, she continued. “Come little one. I wish to show you something that I think will help you to put all of your pain to rest.” With that we proceeded deeper into the center of the courtyard. Once we reached the center, what I saw there truly helped me put to rest all of the pain I felt at the loss of my wife and daughter.

  Chapter 8

  Letting off steam

  There, in front of me, was all the proof I needed to let me know that my loved ones were not forgotten. Before me was the Nakatoma family shrine and, in a place of greatest honor, were the portraits of my wife and daughter. Turning to me, Dai Etsu said.

  “Your loved ones are still here with us, and soon there beside them will be placed the portrait of your grandfather, Commander James Jessie Owens. Yes dear, you too must be honored as a member of this family. Your actions, in the past alone, demand we should place it here, but additionally, the fact you are Matsue's husband and my bother-in-law that would give warrant to your portrait being placed here.” With that she led me away from what would one day become a place of peace and tranquility for me in times of unease.

  As we left the courtyard I watched how she moved and tried to copy her movements. I noticed that everything she did seemed to be centered on her moving from the hips and not her shoulders. Each foot was placed one in front of the other, almost as if she was walking on a railing. It was all very graceful and elegant. Not thinking I said.

  “She moves as if she’s made of water. She just follows from one point to the other. How in the name of the Goddess does she do that?” Realizing that I had said that loud enough for her to hear, I said. “I meant no disrespect Reverend Mother, I am sorry if I offended you” I quickly apologized.

  Turning with a small smile playing on her lips, she replied, “I thank you for the complement child. It has been a long time since someone has said that I move that gracefully. Now I heard you wondering how I can move as I do. If you truly wish to know I will teach you.” As we continued on the tour of the estate she began to do just that. First she had me place my hands just inside the sleeves of my kimono holding onto my wrists’. Then there was the motion of placing each foot one in front of the other. She instructed me to barely lift my foot off the ground and to slide it forward before setting it down lightly, as if I was walking on rice paper and not wanting to tear it. I was told to roll my hips. It was in this manner that I learned to walk like a woman.

  About halfway through we came upon an area that had the look of a military practice range. “Maiha, from what you showed me last night in my chambers I assume that, in that form, you have weapons as well. I would prefer for you not to have them, but I also realize that you are Samurai, and for you to not practice with them is to invite disharmony. So you will come here, to this place, for our house troops to hone your use of those weapons. Please be careful when you do? You are the last of my immediate family and I have buried too many already.”

  “Reverend Mother, great aunt Dai Etsu, I give you my word to be as careful and safe as possible. I too do not want to get hurt. I find the experience of pain to be less than pleasurable.” I said, with a small giggle. After our small exchange we continued on.

  The next stop was the barracks for the house troops who were single. A beautiful four stories tall building that fit in with the traditionalist style of the compound. “Remember child, you are now the one who must house, feed, clothe, pay and see to the training for the samurai who will defend both our home and the planet. We, as the ruling members of our society, have a duty to the people who support us. To quote an ancient saying, 'Heavy hangs the head on which rests the crown.' Pointing to the barracks, “Your great, great, great, grandfather first built the barracks before us. Since then, each member to claim the title of Head of House has improved upon it.” And with that we moved on.

  The next area we came to was for the married members of the house troops. What I saw floored me. Instead of an apartment complex, there were individual houses, each one having its own family dwelling. “I see that you are surprised that we have homes for the families of our married samurai inside of the estate compound. Once again it was one of your ancestors who saw the need for this. Now, when one of the house troopers takes a wife, those who serve with him build their new home here. We only supply the materials. We have found by doing this the new family feels a part of the community.”

  From there it was on to the communal areas for the whole household, as well as the living area for the household servants. All the time we were touring the estate compound grounds she would correct me on the way that I walked. The final area of the estate was the Shinto temple that was dedicated to the Goddess Inari Ōkami. Of all the buildings in the compound this one alone should be classified a work of art. Its appearance was as if it just grows out of the ground. The follow of the lines seemed to just defy the hand of man in its construction. To say I was awestruck and speechless would be an understatement of epic proportions.

  As I followed my aunt into the temple I became aware of how much her position as the Reverend Mother went against her being able to truly be the Head of House for our family. “Reverend Mother, is there someplace where we may have a few moments to ourselves before going further?”

  Nodding her head she led me to a small room off to one side. “What is it you wish to know child?”

  “Nakatoma Dai Etsu I, James Jessie Owens, owe you an apology on behalf of my wife and family for placing you in a position that you had no right to be placed in. You are far too kind and caring to be the ruthless and calculating individual that one must be as the Head of House for a High Family. By training and inclination you are a Priestess first and foremost.” Taking a deep breath to calm and center myself I continue. “It should have been Matsue and I as the ones to take over from your father, not you. It was my unjustified hatred of the High Families that took her away from her duty to you and your family. I had felt that you could do the job. They didn’t need us. I was pigheadedly wrong. How can you ever forgive me?”

  “Once again James, you have shown to me the depth of your sense of duty, honor and integrity. If there is one thing the High Family has been missing for a long time it is that.” Then, with a look that says more than her words, she continues. “But first forgive yourself for the past. Then be the Head of House that your beloved wife, my sister, would have been with you at her side as her Defender.” With that she leads me back out to the central part of the temple. As we walked though I saw novices moving about, preforming their daily duties, but they did not seem hurried in any way. All of them moved the way my aunt did, as if made of water and gliding on air.

  Here in this temple is where she had learned such grace and ease of movement when she was younger. I can only hope that I ca
n be half as graceful as her or even one of her novices. As we come to the altar I receive a lesson that I was not prepared to receive. My aunt showed me the correct way to pray in a Shinto temple. I had never thought that there could be a right or wrong way to pray. I mean I’ve prayed before in the past, but it was the prayers of a soldier, not of a true follower. As we left I found a feeling of intense peace and calm descend upon me. From where this came I did not know nor did I care. For it has been an extremely long time since I last felt this way.

  With the tour of the grounds complete we returned to the main house for a full tour of all the rooms there. We started at the front of the house and worked our way to the back. First was the grand entrance, followed by the receiving room, then the great hall where I would hold court for the territories that were held in trust by the House Nakatoma. It would be here that I would hear disputes, complaints, and hand out judgments for both civil and criminal matters within the borders of those territories. Now I have, as a Commander of Death Dealers, had to hold a courts marshal and send men to prison for breaking the regulations, but this would be totally different.

  “Excuse me Reverend Mother, but will this school I will be attending teach in the laws of the civil justice system?” I quickly asked. At my question my aunt turned to me for a clarifying reason. “I know about the military justice system and where to find answers for what kind of judgment to hand out, but there is a great difference in how civil matters are handled. If I am to be Head of House I want to be a just and fair one.” I said as explanation.

  At her smile I can tell I had said something right again in her eyes. “Before I give you the answer to that question I must address something first, child. My title is Reverend Mother, however you do not have to call me that all of the time, only inside the Temple area will I require that of you. That being said, and the fact we are portraying you as my great niece, I would love for you to call me aunt Dai Etsu or auntie. Would you do that for me?” In answer I just walked up and hugged her.

  “Now my dear niece as for your schooling you will not be taking the standard curriculum. I have told them that you have already completed all the requirements to graduate from primary schooling. So what you will be taking are all college level courses, to include civil law, constitutional law, parliamentary procedure and of course social studies in the fields of economics and politics. I know that you have Masters Degrees’ in both science and military history. So I know that you can handle all that they will throw at you.” Then she gave me a sly smile. “Plus when you add in your little friend, the D.D.AI, well let’s just say I have every confidence in your ability to succeed.”

  I swear the way that woman’s mind works would give even a trained profiler nightmares in trying to figure out what she’s thinking. Hell, even a trained mind reader would have problems. A corkscrew would get lost with all the twists and turns. For her to put all of this in to motion in just a short amount of time is staggering.

  “Dee De, I think we have a security problem. Run a full diagnostic on your systems. I think that we have been hacked, but I don’t know how or when. This is a priority one situation.”

  Running it now hon.

  D.D.A.I.: Level 5 Full Diagnostic ……………………

  D.D.A.I.: Level 5 Full Diagnostic Complete.

  D.D.A.I.: Security breach found classified transition of activation of C.O.B.R.A. o.s.

  Oh Bloody Hell! Maiha, your sister-in-law has known about you from the get go. From the moment I came back online and the activation of our secondary reconfiguration protocol, all thanks to the C.O.B.R.A. o.s. I’m sorry hone, you trusted me and I failed you.

  “Hey, forget about it. You are not to blame you followed the programing guide lines when those protocols were activated. Right now I need to deal with my ‘aunt’.”

  “How did you know about Dee De’s reactivation? The only people who should know are the Military High Command or those who have the need to know. Shit, I didn’t even know that she could be reactivated. I sure as FRACKING Hell didn’t know of the secondary reconfiguration protocols. While the members of the H.C.S at the Space Port, who helped me to set up this cover story know. They all also understand that if they talk about this they end up at the bottom of the darkest well, on the dark side of a moon, in the darkest system, on the farthest backwater part of the Galaxy with only dust bunnies for company. The only persons from the Space Port who know about me and Dee De are Suzume, who owes me for bringing her home with honor, and the commanding officer of my personal bodyguard unit and I know he won’t betray me. The same goes for all the men and women in his command. Each and every one of them owes their lives to Ohmie and Richard for what they did at the Battle of Four Points on Heavens Mist, to save as much of the 3rd ACR. who survived”

  I had to calm down. I need answers that only she can give. I heard someone enter the great hall and looking around, I saw four of the house keeping staff carrying cleaning supplies. “Leave us! And then make sure that no one enters here until I have called for you! Do I make myself clear?” I ordered. The poor girls literally ran for the room. “Now auntie, tell me how it is that you know first about Dee De, and then the fact that she was reactivated. I would know everything.”

  My aunt, seeing my anger, bowed to me before replying. “Maiha, please understand. While I will be the first to admit that I have known for a great deal of time about the Death Dealer AIs, and that you were implanted with one. I have known from the time of your courting of Matsue.” The look in her eyes tells me she is not lying.

  “Our father was told by the Lord High Marshal at the time, all about you. The reason for this was because of your courtship with Matsue. Ever since then the Head of House, or the acting Head of House for the Nakatoma family, has been aware of all active Death Dealers of Command level or higher, that are within the Death Gates system. This policy is because of the simple fact that we own the manufacturing facility of those very systems and everything that they entail.” With a heavy sigh she finishes. “That includes the C.O.B.R.A. systems as well. I would never have wished for you to go through that experience, even if it meant the destruction of our family. I saw how traumatizing that was to those who went through it. What we did not realize was that over 90% were, at the time, brain dead. That is why no Death Dealer for the last twenty years has had those protocols. It was on my orders that they were removed. Now you know the darkest, most shameful secret of the Nakatoma family. The one that has almost destroyed it.”

  “So you’re telling me that once Dee De went back on line, you received a notification from the drop ship I was traveling on while it was still on approach?” At her nod I continued. “Did you try to manipulate the data that the secondary reconfiguration program gathered for my new form?” When she shook her head no I went on. “So you had no way of knowing how I would turn out, is that correct?” Once again she just nodded yes. “Then can you tell me why the Military High Command would want an active Omega/Assault Class 1, Death Dealer here on Hades?”

  “Unfortunately, the answer to that is yes. You see, while I was the acting Head of House I learned all I could about the local Politicians and the Lord High Marshal for this system.” Once again I was marveled by this woman’s ability to adapt to her surroundings and learn to survive. “What I have found has been a constant, but steady corruption of the local Government by certain High Families representatives. The most notable of which is currently sitting in a cell over at the Space Port, under armed guard, whose loyalty to the Security Chief over there is unquestionable.” Looking over at the digital on the far wall I decide to take a break.

  “Auntie, it is almost lunch time. Why don’t we continue this in the privacy of either your rooms, or in mine, while we dine?” I asked her, and when she smiled, I could tell that I had done something that would be in line with who I was supposed to be. As we left the great hall I found the house keepers I had chased out earlier waiting patiently off to one side. “You may go in now. I’m sorry for yelling at you ea
rlier, but my aunt and I were having a very private conversation. I did not wish for us to be disturbed. Oh, before you do though, could one of you please have a light lunch delivered to my rooms?”

  Once we had retired to my receiving room I noticed that our maids had joined us once again, and it wasn’t just my ladies maids, but hers' as well. This made me a little nervous as I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t say in front of them. Upon seeing my nervousness my aunt put forth an answer to a question that had been bugging me since last night. “Maiha, of all the people in the world you can trust it will be, is, and always shall be your ladies maids and personal secretary. Their first, and foremost duty, is discretion. They will never discus anything that is said in front of them with anyone, except among themselves. For you see they are also the most trusted advisors you have. Now let us eat our lunch before it turns cold.” And with that we sat down at the small table in my room.

  As we ate we covered all that I had seen that morning. Everything from the courtyard to the temple. Something I did notice though, was that four of the novices from the temple were acting as aunties’ ladies maids. At my questioning look she explained. “Maiha, as the current Reverend Mother, one of the perks is the attendant novices. As they act as my ladies maids they learn how to be a guiding influence as a Priestess of the temple.”

  Once we had finished our meal and the dishes had been removed, we returned to the conversation of the great hall. “Now Maiha, one of the first things that was brought to my attention was the higher costs of shipping that were beginning to be applied to a lot of the off world materials we used in some of our manufacturing facilities. At first it was a gradual increase. It started after the former Lord High Marshall, General Alexzander Willington Stonewall, was appointed to the system with the Vic. Lord High Marshall, Reginald Blackstone, of the Blackstone Royal Family.” As she stopped to take a drink of her tea I can tell that what would follow would upset her a great deal.