Blue

She was sorely tempted to hole the Shogun here and now. The rounds in the snub pistol would most definitely pierce the primitive armor. It would certainly be a very humanitarian thing to do, for surely he had enough money on him that these poor people around them could use it. However, Jax was nothing if not brutally honest with herself - she felt like a rat walking into the open maw of a waiting snake. She could feel the jaws of an unseen trap slowly encroaching, waiting until she let down her guard before closing around her. Humanitarianism aside - she felt her very life was at stake.

She refrained from shooting.

This wasn't the first time she'd walked knowingly into a trap. The possible gains outweighed the probable danger. She needed knowledge, needed to know how she had arrived on this world. She considered abduction, but why would she still have her sidearm? Not to mention she had no memory at all of any such circumstance. Other, more sinister scenarios flashed through her mind, and she picked each one up, giving it a cursory glance, before setting it aside for the next one.

Nothing really fit.

As they progressed through the city, the streets became cleaner, the buildings less worn, the people less poor. Of course it was logical that only the rich, beautiful people of influence would be closest to the seat of power. The rot was all at the center, disguised in its perfumes and gold and silk and marble, showing only at the edges.

Jax had seen it all before. People really were the same everywhere. It was just a matter of degree.

They finally arrived at the gates of the palace - huge, double doors gleaming blue in the sun, flanked by attentive guards in blue livery. They saluted crisply and professionally, greeting the tall shogun and his - attachment? Train? Jackson hid a smirk as she observed the guards puzzling over her presence. She kept her face expressionless as she breezed past them, her legs working nearly double-time to keep up with Nakago's long strides.

She surveyed the palace around her with an expert eye, noting that the sprawling compound was rather fortification-poor, even for a primitive world. Granted, there were walls and battlements - but this was obviously not a fortress. It was an ostentatious display of wealth, designed to bring people in and impress them.

Somebody's got an itty-bitty winkie, Jackson thought to herself, slightly amused. Granted, the guards were efficient - how could they not be, especially with a man who could chi-blast them in charge? She wondered a little bit about the current political situation in this place, number of troops amassed, equipment, and most importantly, ability. What if every one of the soldiers had this "chi-blasting" ability? she wondered. A slight frown creased her brow. That could be problematic. As she considered the tall form of the man before her, she wished desperately for the ability to read the minds. Her sensibilities shrunk away from the thought as she wondered if Nakago could invade her mind.

Nakago led her to a suite of rooms deep within the complex, ushering her in as if he were a gentleman and she a lady. Her back crawled uncomfortably as he stepped behind her. Jax turned to watch him instruct the pair of guards flanking the doorway, sending one of them off on an errand, leaving the remaining fellow doubly vigilant in his duty. The blond shogun then shut the door behind him, leaving the two alone together.

Jackson made no move to relinquish the cloak that wrapped her diminutive form, nor did she holster her pistol. The weapon's comforting weight in her hand soothed her, grounded her, assured her that if things went wrong, a high-explosive, armor-piercing round would fly through the fabric and perforate the fancy armor and the shogun inside. Probably repeatedly, considering how nervous he made her feel. She hated feeling nervous, and she hated people who made her feel nervous. She generally made it a habit to kill people who made her nervous.

Once again, Nakago removed his helmet, revealing the gorgeous spill of his blond hair. Setting the dragon helm aside, he invited Jackson to sit at the table with him. "Are you hungry?" he asked, and continuing before she could reply, "The food will be brought shortly. I'm sure your journey was long."

"Indeed," was Jax's only reply. She was still trying to figure out how she had arrived on this planet.

They sat in silence, contemplating the other. Jackson almost felt as if she were looking in a mirror, for Nakago's impassive expression matched her own. He held both his hands before him, fingers interlaced. She had the pistol in her hand, pointing at him under the table.

We both have something to hide, she thought to herself. I think we're playing the same game here. Surreptitiously she holstered her pistol, doffing the blue cloak as she mentally entered this new playing field. If he were as good as she figured he was, he probably knew she'd had him covered the entire time. She allowed herself to smile shyly at him, ducking her head a little coyly. Damned if I let a whelp nearly young enough to be my son get the better of me.

"Nakago," she said softly, as if trying the name out. "Could you please tell me why you've brought me here?" She blinked slowly, trying to match her mannerisms with her youthful appearance. This was one of the few times her lack of height was a blessing.

He remained guarded, which raised him up a point in Jax's estimation. Subtlety would most definitely have to be her watchword. "Here you will be safe, miko-sama," he informed her. "I will be able to protect you here at the palace, and we will gather up the Seiryuu seishi so that you will be able to summon Seiryuu."

"Excuse me?" Jax blurted out. "What the hell are you talking about?" She raised a dark eyebrow in question.

"There is a legend," Nakago began, "from long ago. The story of a girl from another world who will become Seiryuu no Miko, and will gather up the seven seishi of Seiryuu in order to summon the god and save our country."

"I see," Jackson replied, meeting Nakago's intense blue eyes, stare for stare. Ducking her chin a bit, she murmured, "And you think that I'm the girl in question." She glanced at him through her lashes. "I'm flattered."

"You're from another world," Nakago pointed out.

"Tarsus," Jackson agreed, remembering the green and blue planet she had grown up on, and the meatbeast farm owned by her family. I wonder if I'll see them again.

They went silent as a knock heralded the arrival of the meal Nakago had ordered. Jax spared a glance for the servant who brought the food before returning her attention to the shogun. Smiling thanks to the servant as she accepted a cup of tea, Jackson then waited until Nakago drank the tea first before indulging. Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise as she tasted the warm liquid, savored its flavor before reluctantly swallowing. She knew quality when it crossed her lips. "This is good," she murmured, examining the contents of her cup.

Nakago looked amused. "Only the best tea is served from the imperial kitchen," he informed her.

Imperial! Her mouth dropped open, and she set her tea down carefully. Well, she thought, dropping her eyes to the table. An Imperial palace. This is most definitely interesting. "Excuse me," Jackson apologized softly. "I did not fully realize how exalted my surroundings are." Smiling shyly at the Shogun, she added, "I'm only a simple country girl. My family owns a livestock farm."

Nakago asked, "How long have you been in the military?"

"Too long," was Jax's immediate response. Good guess, puppy. She dimpled a smile at him. "I'm glad to be out. And you? You look very young to be a shogun."

"I'm very good at what I do."

I bet.

They ate in silence, Jackson taking nothing that Nakago had not eaten from. The chopsticks were a mild surprise, but after a bit of fumbling she found she still retained her skill with them. She hadn't seen chopsticks since she left home over twenty years ago. She sat in a comfortable slouch, head supported in one hand, as she lingered over the meal, watching Nakago. His own posture was very straight - whether from the armor or his own inclination, Jackson didn't know for sure, but she imagined it was due more to the latter than the former.

After the dishes had been cleared away, Jackson brought up the Seiryuu no Miko business, hoping to score more information from the recalcitrant officer. "Nakago," she began slowly, "I'm not quite certain I understand what you're asking for - you say that I'm this girl out of legend, and that I have to summon Seiryuu?"

Nakago stood, pacing a few steps away from the table before turning to face his guest. "It is very simple," he informed her. "The legend states that a girl from another world will appear when the country is in its direst hour. This girl will become Seiryuu no Miko, the Handmaiden of Seiryuu. Her task is to gather up the seven star-warriors of Seiryuu. Once she has obtained them, then she will summon the god, Seiryuu, and she will obtain omnipotent powers, and utilize them to save our country."

This is the story of a girl who gathered up the seven constellations of Seiryuu . . .

Jackson shook her head slowly, frowning as she grasped for the memory.

"Omnipotent powers, huh?" she asked after a moment. She turned Nakago's briefing around over and over in her mind. "Can you elaborate what that means, sir?" She remained seated, but tilted her head up in a most decidedly un-regulation display of interest.

Let's play "guess my rank," Nakkie-poo. She hoped she could fool him into thinking that she was some sort of wet-behind-the-ears lieutenant fresh out of O.C.S.

"It means wishes," Nakago informed her. "Three wishes. Anything you want is yours."

What the hell do I want three wishes for? Jackson exclaimed silently. Aloud, she murmured, "Three wishes, sir?" She pretended to think it over. "And all I have to do is find these seven warriors and summon Seiryuu, is that it sir?"

Nakago nodded. He seemed slightly pleased with himself.

"No," Jackson answered.

The tall shogun froze, stared at the small woman in disbelief.

She shrugged, flashing him a cornfed, fresh-off-the-farm, newly-ejected-from-bootcamp grin. "The way I figure it, sir, is that if the army had wanted me to have three wishes, they would have issued them to me. Sir."

She sat up straight, hands folded neatly in front of her, as Nakago directed a piercing gaze at her. A lesser soldier would have quailed. Jackson leaned back a little, pretending to be that lesser soldier, all the while admiring the sharp quality of Nakago's body language. He seated himself across from her, softening his expression, and leaned forward.

"Not even to save our country in its direst hour?" he asked, pleading with her more humanitarian side.

He certainly knew how to use those gorgeous blond looks of his. Jackson licked her lips hesitantly. She remembered those poor folks outside, the horrible conditions of the poorer, more scabrous parts of the city, and the gleaming richness of the streets immediately outside the palace. She knew what war could do.

"Let me think about it," she answered. Giving him a tremulous smile, she went on, "I'm loyal to my own Emperor, and I don't want to go against his interests."

Nakago kept his face neutral. "That should not be a problem," he assured her.

Jackson nodded, looking out the window to the courtyard, her eyes trying to see past the wall on the other side of the gardens. She could feel the snake's breath as the jaws of the trap moved closer.

She sighed. "Very well. I'll be your Seiryuu no Miko."

For now.