(Four weeks ago)
The air carried the faint aroma of incense, creating an almost mythical air in the
dojo. Silently a single figure stood in the center, brandishing twin swords rapidly. At
random intervals, turrets mounted in the wall fired steel spheres at speeds that would
break bones if they were even grazed. The figure easily thwarted these attempts by
slicing the steel spheres into tiny fragments, which fell harmlessly at his feet. He had kept
up this exercise for over an hour. He finished with a flourish before sheathing his blades
and walking to the side of the room, picking up his towel and wiping the sweat off his
face. The soft staccato of clapping reached his ears from the other side of the room. He
spun on one heel, whipping his pistol from his waistband to point at the tall, sagely man
standing on the opposite side of the room. The old man wore a long dark blue kimono
with a ying-yang symbol on the chest; the sleeves and hem were trimmed with a shining
gold. He held his hands before him in a strange pattern, and appeared to be muttering to
himself. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" the figure asked accusingly. The man
did not cease muttering, and this was beginning to piss the figure off. Slowly the figure
stepped forth into the light, he wore loose white pants and a dark blue tank top. A ying-
yang medallion dangled around his neck by a thin silver and gold chain. His fiery red hair
was cut short and spiked out all over the place. His emerald green eyes studied the old
man carefully." Answer me, you old fart!" the figure yelled. At this the old man's eye's
flashed indignantly, but he did not speak. "That's it!" the figure yelled, now royally
pissed at the man. He fired off three shots from his gun, aimed at the old man's center. In
a blaze of excess energy the old man threw his hand's out and a wave of shining blue
light exploded out of his hands, enveloping him like a bubble. The bullet's hit the shield
and halted in mid-air, then suddenly flew straight back at the figure. The figure whipped
out one of his swords and knocked the bullets into the floor. "Ah, I see I came to the right
place." The old man finally spoke. "You are, Kino Kazumoto, the White Dragon? The
professional assassin?" the old man said. "I am. Why do you seek me?" Kino said. "First,
I must determine if you are the REAL Kino Kazumoto. Now." The old man directed the
last word to the shadows behind him. Four K Pirate androids flipped out of the darkness
and surrounded Kino, taking up fighting stances. "Fight!" the old man barked at the
androids. They attacked all at once, working in perfect unison. Kino spun, deflecting the
blows off of his forearms and shins. One of the androids yanked away his swords and
gun. [No Matter.] Kino thought. "Nak-Su-Ko!" Kino cried, bringing his hands close to
his stomach. Each hand was enveloped in an orb of white light, and he spun. Four quick
punches, and the androids toppled away from him, each with a smoking hole clear
through the chest cavity. "Again!" the old man yelled, and this time eight androids came.
Eight more punches, and they fell. Then sixteen androids, then thirty-two, and then
finally sixty-four. Each time, it only took one or two punches to take down an android.
When Kino finished, he was covered in sweat, the floor littered with android wrecks.
"Stand and defend!" the old man shouted, hurling himself at Kino. Kino was tired, but
easily blocked the rapid flurry of punches and kicks. "Not good enough, old man!" Kino
said, kicking the old man in the chest. The old man flew backwards, but managed to land
gracefully at the spot where he had leapt. "Good, you are the real Kino Kazumoto. Only
he has been able to successfully perform the White Dragon's Fist. Now then, I enlist your
services." The old man said, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers once. A man clad
all in black and red leather appeared from the shadows with a manila envelope. He
handed it to the old man, who in turn handed it to Kino. "Your targets are the crew of the
XGP, a.k.a. the Outlaw Star. They found the Galactic Leyline approximately 20 years
ago. The XGP was made from the technology of the space forces and the weapons of the
pirates, and now we want it back." The old man explained. Kino opened the envelope and
removed five blown-up images, each of a current crewmember of the Outlaw Star.
"Unfortunately, the XGP disappeared afterwards. We think it is still with them, hidden
somewhere. They own a large mansion on Heyfong3, called Outlaw's Haven." The old
man continued as he spread a blueprint on a table, motioning Kino to come look. The old
man continued, "Security is tight, close-circuit cameras, expert guards, automated
defense systems, the works. We, however, found that the weak point is here." The old
man pointed at the very rear part of the perimeter. "An irrigation system draws water in
and dispenses it throughout the entire area. It is not heavily guarded, since the pipe is
barely two feet in diameter. The water flow is monitored at these three stations." The old
man tapped three small huts on the blueprint with his finger. "You should surface here, at
the third point, which is closest to the main house. Once inside, the main bedrooms are
here and here." The old man tapped two fairly large rooms. "This one here is occupied by
Gene and Melfina, the other by Jim and Aisha. Suzuka's room is here, on the ground
floor." The old man explained. "Your mission is to get in and kidnap all five of them.
Their children will have to deliver the XGP to us, or their parents will die. Even if they
do, we'll still kill them all." The old man cackled, then collapsed into a series of loud
wheezes. "So, do you accept the job? Money is no problem. In fact, here is a sample of
what we would pay you, if you were to accept." The old man snapped his fingers, and the
man in the black and red leather outfit produced a rigid black case, which he laid down
on the table in front of Kino, who undid the clasps and flipped it open. Inside, carefully
laid out on a bed of crimson colored silk, was a dozen fair-sized pieces of dragonite.
"Dragonite of the highest grade around, each worth ten million Wong. It is only a sample,
I assure you." The old man said, smiling slightly. "Where do you want me to bring them
once I have them?" Kino asked. "We will air-lift you out of the estate." The old man said.
"Done." Kino said, shaking the old man's hand.
(The plan is in place, and White Dragon is one of the best. Tune in next time, for the
kidnapping, and the ransom)
The air carried the faint aroma of incense, creating an almost mythical air in the
dojo. Silently a single figure stood in the center, brandishing twin swords rapidly. At
random intervals, turrets mounted in the wall fired steel spheres at speeds that would
break bones if they were even grazed. The figure easily thwarted these attempts by
slicing the steel spheres into tiny fragments, which fell harmlessly at his feet. He had kept
up this exercise for over an hour. He finished with a flourish before sheathing his blades
and walking to the side of the room, picking up his towel and wiping the sweat off his
face. The soft staccato of clapping reached his ears from the other side of the room. He
spun on one heel, whipping his pistol from his waistband to point at the tall, sagely man
standing on the opposite side of the room. The old man wore a long dark blue kimono
with a ying-yang symbol on the chest; the sleeves and hem were trimmed with a shining
gold. He held his hands before him in a strange pattern, and appeared to be muttering to
himself. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" the figure asked accusingly. The man
did not cease muttering, and this was beginning to piss the figure off. Slowly the figure
stepped forth into the light, he wore loose white pants and a dark blue tank top. A ying-
yang medallion dangled around his neck by a thin silver and gold chain. His fiery red hair
was cut short and spiked out all over the place. His emerald green eyes studied the old
man carefully." Answer me, you old fart!" the figure yelled. At this the old man's eye's
flashed indignantly, but he did not speak. "That's it!" the figure yelled, now royally
pissed at the man. He fired off three shots from his gun, aimed at the old man's center. In
a blaze of excess energy the old man threw his hand's out and a wave of shining blue
light exploded out of his hands, enveloping him like a bubble. The bullet's hit the shield
and halted in mid-air, then suddenly flew straight back at the figure. The figure whipped
out one of his swords and knocked the bullets into the floor. "Ah, I see I came to the right
place." The old man finally spoke. "You are, Kino Kazumoto, the White Dragon? The
professional assassin?" the old man said. "I am. Why do you seek me?" Kino said. "First,
I must determine if you are the REAL Kino Kazumoto. Now." The old man directed the
last word to the shadows behind him. Four K Pirate androids flipped out of the darkness
and surrounded Kino, taking up fighting stances. "Fight!" the old man barked at the
androids. They attacked all at once, working in perfect unison. Kino spun, deflecting the
blows off of his forearms and shins. One of the androids yanked away his swords and
gun. [No Matter.] Kino thought. "Nak-Su-Ko!" Kino cried, bringing his hands close to
his stomach. Each hand was enveloped in an orb of white light, and he spun. Four quick
punches, and the androids toppled away from him, each with a smoking hole clear
through the chest cavity. "Again!" the old man yelled, and this time eight androids came.
Eight more punches, and they fell. Then sixteen androids, then thirty-two, and then
finally sixty-four. Each time, it only took one or two punches to take down an android.
When Kino finished, he was covered in sweat, the floor littered with android wrecks.
"Stand and defend!" the old man shouted, hurling himself at Kino. Kino was tired, but
easily blocked the rapid flurry of punches and kicks. "Not good enough, old man!" Kino
said, kicking the old man in the chest. The old man flew backwards, but managed to land
gracefully at the spot where he had leapt. "Good, you are the real Kino Kazumoto. Only
he has been able to successfully perform the White Dragon's Fist. Now then, I enlist your
services." The old man said, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers once. A man clad
all in black and red leather appeared from the shadows with a manila envelope. He
handed it to the old man, who in turn handed it to Kino. "Your targets are the crew of the
XGP, a.k.a. the Outlaw Star. They found the Galactic Leyline approximately 20 years
ago. The XGP was made from the technology of the space forces and the weapons of the
pirates, and now we want it back." The old man explained. Kino opened the envelope and
removed five blown-up images, each of a current crewmember of the Outlaw Star.
"Unfortunately, the XGP disappeared afterwards. We think it is still with them, hidden
somewhere. They own a large mansion on Heyfong3, called Outlaw's Haven." The old
man continued as he spread a blueprint on a table, motioning Kino to come look. The old
man continued, "Security is tight, close-circuit cameras, expert guards, automated
defense systems, the works. We, however, found that the weak point is here." The old
man pointed at the very rear part of the perimeter. "An irrigation system draws water in
and dispenses it throughout the entire area. It is not heavily guarded, since the pipe is
barely two feet in diameter. The water flow is monitored at these three stations." The old
man tapped three small huts on the blueprint with his finger. "You should surface here, at
the third point, which is closest to the main house. Once inside, the main bedrooms are
here and here." The old man tapped two fairly large rooms. "This one here is occupied by
Gene and Melfina, the other by Jim and Aisha. Suzuka's room is here, on the ground
floor." The old man explained. "Your mission is to get in and kidnap all five of them.
Their children will have to deliver the XGP to us, or their parents will die. Even if they
do, we'll still kill them all." The old man cackled, then collapsed into a series of loud
wheezes. "So, do you accept the job? Money is no problem. In fact, here is a sample of
what we would pay you, if you were to accept." The old man snapped his fingers, and the
man in the black and red leather outfit produced a rigid black case, which he laid down
on the table in front of Kino, who undid the clasps and flipped it open. Inside, carefully
laid out on a bed of crimson colored silk, was a dozen fair-sized pieces of dragonite.
"Dragonite of the highest grade around, each worth ten million Wong. It is only a sample,
I assure you." The old man said, smiling slightly. "Where do you want me to bring them
once I have them?" Kino asked. "We will air-lift you out of the estate." The old man said.
"Done." Kino said, shaking the old man's hand.
(The plan is in place, and White Dragon is one of the best. Tune in next time, for the
kidnapping, and the ransom)