Time Lady Katie
The Lily Girl
CHAPTER ONE
A Proportional Response
Response to
Something happened that got everyone shouting her name at once, and that wasn’t usually a good start to her afternoon. By the time she left her office, there was already a small gathering in the Tenth’s lobby. Angry. And angry at her. Which would be refreshing if it didn’t seem that angry at Adelaide was the default position of people she interacted with. From what she picked out from the remarkable animus being thrown her way, it sounded like they were told that she had shut them off, and that was more than a little irritating.
“Is anyone interested in solving this problem, or are we just going to yell?” the Captain’s voice carried a crispness if not a quiet rage she so richly deserved to carry at the moment.
And someone said something Adelaide had thought for a while, “You mean by getting Captain Maikeru back?!” That would solve a lot of things. It was not possible, and she wished she could tell them why, but it was something she would’ve liked at least as much as they would.
She frowned and let out a slow breath, “Anyone who honestly believes that someone would order this for their own division, you’re dismissed. You don’t want to be here and frankly I don’t want you here. Consider yourselves relieved until further notice.” She was only surprised as to how few people left at this moment. She expected a lot more, but then again it was a profound gullibility that convinced someone that she would honestly order this for her own division. After she let them leave, she took another slow breath.
All right, now it was time to prepare a counterattack. “All right, I want us to be on ready-alert. I want any Ninth Division member on our grounds escorted to the gates by two guards, zanpakutou drawn. All Mystics should travel in pairs when not on Division grounds; use Taidan to communicate any suspicious activity to me. Anyone versed in Sora Harukani, consider yourself reassigned. We need you to offset the loss in mobility from Charon’s Road. Taidan will be our communication network with the Ninth blocked. Anyone seen by Kosui Shinkoteki’s shores without authorization will be detained.
“We don’t know how large this attack is, or how long it will last, but make no mistake, Mystics. We are under attack. We should treat any unauthorized incursion into our grounds as potentially hostile, anyone at our gates with extreme caution. Apphia, travel to the First Division and apprise the Soutaichou of our situation.
“We don’t know what the next few hours looks like, we don’t know if this is the start of a civil war of if this is Captain Yin being a child, but either way this should be treated as a crime against Soul Society and met with not just our dedication and our resolve, but with our might. As such, I’m also granting temporary authorization of all Releases until this crisis is resolved.
“You are Mystics. You are the finest force of Shinigami to grace this world, armed with the weapons of the Gods, the magic of Demons, and the will of the Departed Spirits. You are the inheritors of the proud legacy of the Tenth Division. Your Taidan carries within it the gifts of Lilith Maikeru and Sayis Inuzuri. Stand proud in this dangerous time. Wake every sleeping comrade, patrol our grounds. Defend our borders. Protect our patron Spirits. But more than that; be magnificent. The Ninth has no idea who they’ve crossed.
“So let’s show them.”
In a gesture meant to inspire her troops, Adelaide drew her sword, it’s silver edge glistening in the light and its black blade commanding attention, “Lapsus,” she commanded, and the blade burst into light, transforming into the scythe she was associated with. She wanted to convey an image of strength, even as she left her haori unworn. Because she also wanted to be one of them, a soldier under attack with her comrades, with her trrops, not a commander ordering a besieged division to it’s slow demise.
All officers, report in immediately. Her Taidan flashed, transmitting the message to her troops, “And all of you, meet me in the courtyard in twenty minutes, once everyone is marshaled to arms. We’re doubling patrols, we’re securing the division. And we’re preparing for our next move.
“Let’s bring it.”
The crowd moved to action, she hoped inspired by her little speech. She didn’t need them distrusting her intentions in this situation. Yin was trying to sow discord, Adelaide was going to bring hope in response. This was the kind of moment she had hoped her treatment of Hikaru would dissuade. She had hoped that the fury of Rome was certain beyond need of proof. Clearly it wasn’t.
Satoru, when you come, bring files on anyone out in the field either on Earth or in Rukongai, we need to send support to them as soon as possible, she added to her officers’ orders, Yuurei, I need all the intelligence you have on the current status on the Ninth Division. And to her sister? Feel free to bring Ren, she’s one of our strongest unseated. Lastly, one more message. A simple one to one person Adelaide had hoped not to call upon. I need you, Lilith. My office in an hour?
And that was it. It was time for an enforcement action of massive proportions. Once the Tenth was safe, it would be time to try and apprehend Yin Feng and bring him to justice. And that would be something Adelaide was determined to do. She was going to see to it that anyone who turned the military on itself was duly and properly punished.
Standing alone now in the lobby of the Division Headquarters, Adelaide spoke softly, a promise she made to herself the last time she had to lead the Gotei against itself, “Let justice be done,” she reiterated, “though the Heavens fall.” The truth of it was, the Gotei needed people willing to throw it all overboard as badly as it needed Adelaide and her sense of righteous fury. The Ninth, the Second, the Fifth all were duplicitous and amoral, it was the job of divisions like the Tenth to keep them in line, to keep the Gotie safe from the monsters that it kept in its company.
And justice would be done today, though the Heavens fall.
1068 Words
Last edited by a moderator: