The Trail of a Traitor

[GoldenKitten]

To the Eastern borders where on the inside of Sereitei there stood mostly storage buildings and to the outside there was only forest and field lay the broad surrounding grounds of the Crypt, headquarters of tenth division. Though the excuse was that it would make a fine mustering grounds come any large objective pursued by the combined might of the Gotei 13 the real truth was that like everything else in 10th divisions headquarters it was for defense. The ground was flat for nearly four miles in any direction and even farther in the distance between the Crypt and the tall shining center of Seireitei in the distance. If any enemy ever managed to make it into Soul Society they would have to find a way past this place, a virtual firing range that would be nothing short of a carnal ground if they ever made an attack before they could even attempt besieging the nearly airtight defense of the Crypt itself.

Captain Saigotschuu Yun usually took these things for granted, things he had thought of in his youth during the sites construction and since pushed back to the recesses of his mind. Yet today they came spilling out as he mulled over the countless secrets of the labyrinthine structure his division was housed within. His mind was a box with a series of locks and given the appropriate key he might recall things from ages past that he had long pushed away from the avenues of daily thought, today’s events were one such key. For the first time in many years, perhaps a decade or more, members of another division were being allowed access to his headquarters and worse yet they would have free reign of all areas but the central nexus of his quaint little home as they were second division, and they were here to discover secrets. Yun, being a man of infinite secrets, realized it would be prudent to think back to what he might be hiding within the sites walls even if the members weren’t particularly there for his private affairs, some of them could still be quite incriminating under proper light. Luckily as far as he could tell there was little for the taking in the barracks or testing grounds to which the second division would be allowed access.

As for the scene they would be coming in primarily for itself he had touched nothing, personal effects, professional or otherwise. He would be lying if he said he had followed second divisions request that nobody touch the scene, in fact he had broken that very request himself having rummaged through the quarter of Zhiel Azerin hardly an hour after the other man had made his escape. Going through everything he had looked through it all, documented it and begun making his own theories of the matter. Regardless he was well taught in the ways of secrecy and thoroughness as well as having first hand experience with the techniques of the second division; as such he had left no sign of his passing. Not that there was anything to note missing anyhow for he had left it well enough along, he owed no allegiance to Azerin.

This was not Soma of the past another individual in his long life of personal betrayals whose actions were guided by understandable emotion, this was something else entirely. The possession of shinigami by hollows was not unknown to Soul Society and though not always the case depending on the severity of the situation they had learned how to remove such possessions. Of course the so-called “Vizard” or anything of their equal was beyond help but there were cases that could, given Azerins confusion Yun had figured he fit that bill. Regardless Azerin had been offered aid; he had been given Yun’s word that the matter would be closed quietly but instead had chosen to run and in the process injured many shinigami during his escape as well as costing the Gotei 13 countless hours of manpower and funds to repair damage done. He no longer had his captains backing; Yun was not without care for his subordinates and was willing to make concessions but in this case any care he had for Azerin had run out. He wanted the second division to find him, and he would aid them if that’s what it took.

Speaking of the second division itself he was aware they would probably be told not to trust him though trickery was the last of his motives at this point in time. Though the captains had changed with time his reputation there had not, he was commonly seen as a betrayer in his own right. Emi’s words had echoed strongly in his mind during his time within second division and proved an inhibitor to his duties and though he was an excellent assassin he proved impossible to work with during those years. Worse over he ended up poisoning countless individuals during an experiment gone awry including the previous captain of that division, it had been then that he was transferred setting him on a collision course for the fated position he now stood. In an ironic sense many of the poisons that he helped create and materials he wrote at the time were still in common use or doctrine within the division, given they were never attributed to his name. While these details were not so well known, being over eight hundred years in the past it was still, in a commentary on mans inability to forgive, known that he had once been in second division and had been discharged on less than pleasant circumstances. This lead to most of the older members treating him with something of casual aloofness during contact and younger members taking direction from them treating him with a sort of “hostile respect”. This wasn’t always so and in fact he got along well enough with Kisho the current captain of second but it had caused problems before.

He looked at the small cell phone device in his pocket and saw that it would be time for them to arrive in just a minute, knowing most second division members they would not be late. He placed the device back in his pocket and stepped through the main hydraulic doors in the center complex of the Crypt that quickly closed behind him, he briefly considered that like the mustering grounds he often took this defense for granted as well. He rounded the building, spotting the barracks he would be leading the person or squad from the second division to in just a few minutes and then continued on. He walked through the alleyways surrounding his headquarters and passed only a few members of his division, most were on their own way to get something done though they had enough time to stop and bow to him, it made sense as few people off duty would be out this early in the morning. Looking back before entering a small red door in the large walls that surrounded his headquarters he looked up at the Crypt structure and the four large black obelisk that shot skyward from the corners of the main structure, they had wowed many visitors in the past but he doubted anyone from second division would show such adoration or brown-nosing. He nodded, content that he had made the preparations needed though in all honesty since they were here for Azerin there had been few preparations to make.

Passing through he wound up on a raised podium before the mustering grounds where theoretically orders could be given to a massive force, now though there was nothing but a massive empty white tile landscape. For a brief moment it was devoid of movement or life, his people usually choosing to leave a different way, a secret way. However as he thought this a figure formed into real substance, it might have had followers but at this distance even he could not tell but either way it would be second division on time as usual. Yun placed his hands in his pockets and waited, he would be seeing to this matter personally. Others might have considered it something more suited to a seated member or maybe even a trusted low ranking subordinate but as far as he was concerned this was perhaps the most important task he needed to oversee today. A true traitor in tenth division? He would not let it stand for long.

[Tanaka]

Well this was an unusual assignment, but an interesting one, one Takeki was silently glad to have for a variety of reasons, chief amongst them the process of investigation, inevitable subterfuge, information gathering, possible stalking and the general tracing of the foe. It provided a pleasant break from the usual go here, kill that, routine. Secondly he enjoyed minds and it seemed he would be dealing with a few particularly interesting examples. Obviously there was there mind of the traitor, Azerin, clearly a mind broken and if not that well at least split. Secondly there was their captain, Yun. A man he had been cautioned against as someone, how shall we say? Less than reliable. More importantly he was a modernizer, an unusual thinker and one of the few who had licence to take such thoughts through to their conclusions. The monumental and complex nature of the crypt, the semi independent nature of his division. Both were testimonies to his unusual thinking and though Takeki may disagree with him on certain points Yun had a mind worth noting, that much could not be denied. So it was with masterfully reserved and concealed enthusiasm that he made his way to the imposing crypt. He was not in any particular rush, he had left plenty of time to make his journey and was taking the liberty of thinking as he walked.

Unfortunately there was not that much to think on, not yet at least. The independent nature of tenth division meant that information had not been readily shared, nor was it easy to lay one’s hands on it. However, this did not stop Takeki mulling things over anyway. Mostly his thoughts turned to Azerin himself, reports indicated that he had somehow been penetrated by a hollow and this had resulted in a radical and possibly irrevocable change. This seemed very much like a vizard but lack of detailed information prevented this from being said with any certainty, indeed this would be one of the first matters discussed with Yun. Working on the assumption that this was what he was Takeki surmised that having escaped he would try to seek shelter with his own kind and that it would make a promising, if hazardous first lead. What was clear from that guesswork alone was that this investigation was going to need a subtle and considered approach, after all barging into a nest full of vizards and asking questions was a good way to get killed but getting caught sneaking about was an even better way. The second major possibility was that Azerin had turned completely independent and was now effectively living as a hermit, on his own, hiding from everything. This would make him harder to find but easier to kill, or capture. There was of course a third possibility, among a myriad of others. That was that Azerin was already dead, that the infection had taken a bad turn or someone else had already done the job for them but that seemed too much to hope for.

Drawing closer to the infamous crypt he was able to make out the exterior defences somewhat more clearly and as such was able to make educated guesswork about what lay beyond, as a may guess at a person’s personality and health from their clothes and face buildings can sometimes be judged in a similar fashion though only a fool relies on such guess work. More importantly however he could see the man he was supposed to meet, Yun, standing just outside what appeared to be the only gate. An appearance Takeki did not believe for a moment, after all if it were the only way in or out it would be far more frequently used. Drawing closer to his rendezvous his appearance became clear. At first he would look more like a wandering monk or hermit than a shinigami with his staff and hood but drawing closer the cut of his clothes made it clear he was one of the shinigami. The majority of his face was mired in shdow, cast by his hood. Only his chin could be seen and it seemed his flesh was pale whilst the chin itself was covered in a layer of uncared for, roughly kept and deeply unflattering long stubble, the darkness of the hair radically offsetting the paleness of the flesh. Stopping a little short of Yun Takeki took a moment to give what was an unenthusiastic yet polite bow. Though it could not be said with any surety it seemed from the position of his hood that Takeki kept his eyes and face up, not looking at the ground but rather keeping a watchful eye on the man before him.

Rising with a slowness not derived from politeness but rather comfort and indeed tied to the general pondering movement of this man whilst at rest Takeki, still silent, reached with his left hand into his robes and removed a piece of neatly folded paper whilst his right hand kept a grip on his wooden staff, a staff roughly the height on the man. Unfolding the paper and passing it to Yun he at last spoke stating in tones as slow and understated as his movement “My orders sir.” He did not sound like a pondering buffoon, far from it but rather a man who picked his words with care. Indeed his voice could even be described as slightly off putting given that quiet, almost hissing throaty exhale that seemed to run almost inaudibly under every syllable. The orders themselves were quite simple yet comprehensive. “The man we present to you, a one Takeki Tanaka of second division, is assigned to investigate the flight of Azerin. The scope of his investigation includes, though not necessarily be limited to, motives, method of escape, reason for success of escape, current whereabouts, predicted future movements and any other matters he sees as pertinent. Furthermore he is tasked with seeing the matter is brought to a resolution. You, captain Saigotschuu Yun and your subordinates, are herby instructed to offer every assistance required to bring about the completion of this task.” The order was signed and countersigned by all the relevant authorities but if read properly, or improperly as some may put it, it gave just enough wiggle room for both parties to exercise discretion in just what was covered. Watching the captain’s reaction until he had judged the orders read Takeki then extended his left hand again to take his orders back whilst saying. “I hope these meet with your ....approval sir.” He lingered over choosing the word approval. His gloved hand slowly wrapping his staff like a man might tap a desk.

Gesturing with a slight lean of his staff toward the doors he continued. “If we may proceed sir I am eager to press on. This case is cold enough as it is without us lingering.” Provided Yun moved towards the doors Takeki would easily be able to keep up but paradoxically seemingly moving with the same considered slowness, it must have been the length of his stride that allowed him to move on pace to two or three of other peoples. As he moved his roughly hewn leather belt with various attached pouches and matching, much used back oddly seemed not to rattle or clank even though they appeared quite full. Presumably he was looking straight ahead, towards the gates and what lay beyond but none the less he continued to talk. “Before coming here I drew up a mental list of things I will need and information that I must have access to before we can proceed further. First of all I will need space, a place in which to sit, write and go through the documents and evidence presented to me. I have every belief that this can be arranged. I understand you and this division have been granted a great deal of autonomy, as such I believe it likely that you have launched your own private investigation. I would be much obliged if I could see the reports and findings of such an investigation as well as your personal opinions on the matter.” He then gestured with a small sweep of his staff, not taking more than three inches yet somehow encompassing the entire crypt as if by implication. “Furthermore I refuse to believe that a facility such as this created and run by a mind such as yours will not have some form of electronic surveillance. If possible I wish to see surveillance of the event, the events leading up to it and the sixth months prior to that, if such footage cannot be obtained after this extensive period then notes on that footage will suffice. I will also be requiring witness statements from the time, reports on all known movements of Azerin since the event as well as the licence to inspect the areas he frequented.”

Stopping his feet fell silently on the ground but his staff gave a quiet, yet sharp click upon the ground as if signalling his halt and emphasising this last current requirement. “Most importantly captain I will require information about the man himself. I want a complete list of friends and family, contacts within and outside the soul society whether these men be friends or enemies, a comprehensive service record and any psychological reports you may have on the man both before and after infection. I will also require complete medical exams from before and after infection, assuming you had time to do the latter. If not then I want hypothesis on his medical state. I want to know the details of the event that turned him” Then shifting his tone slightly, dropping it as if gently pressing a point home. “If I...we, are to catch this man we are going to need to climb inside his head, know what he knows and more importantly know what he thinks but regard those thoughts with the luxury of an outside, considered perspective.”

He remained still and quiet for a few seconds before pressing on and speaking as he had before, still with that strange slowness and peculiarity of breath. “I am aware, good captain, of the considerable degree of freedom you and your men have been granted in the past. It is only understandable you would become used to such a freedom and resent any perceived encroachment on it. It is not my intention to, how does the saying go? Tread on any toes, but no man can be an island unto himself. I am sure you and your men understand this. Do not worry, I shall make as little lasting impact as possible. Indeed I may have been assigned to this purely because I would consider your nature. Perhaps I was assigned to this because I am a fresh mind on the problem. Or perhaps I was assigned to it because I, as I believe you are to, am something of a radical when it comes to just how to do our jobs.” He seemed to pause for a moment indicated by a tiny break in his stride as he gave a tiny little noise which could only just be loosely interoperated as a semi amused snort before carrying on. “But enough of this idle chit chat and wild conjecture.” He then turned his head to look at Yun for the first time since he had taken back his orders and though his face was obscured there was the tiniest hint of a slightly sinister smile in his voice. “To business eh?”

[GoldenKitten]

Yun looked at the man with all the undisguised loathing he could allot but never interrupted or spoke ill and accepted the mans half-sincere bow without a word. He listened to the hunched mans introduction, he was Takeki Tanaka, that was about as much as Yun needed to hear, he knew the rest. Regardless he extended his hand and read the orders Tanaka had offered though naturally he had already received them just in a less official package. He did little more than raise an eyebrow at Tanaka's false diplomatic choice of wording and he heard Chaos curse in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but agree with the dark side of his zanpaktou this once, as if this situation could ever meet with his true approval. Regardless he again said nothing and in fact let the man speak until his designated end, for all his dislike of others involving themselves in his division he had promised himself he would work with them to find Azerin. Speaking of other people Yun thought nothing of this man, others might have been disarmed or taken aback by his strange mannerisms or way of speech but Yun was not a captain for no reason. This was hardly the first time he had met a...unique individual and also hardly the most outrageous of them, if anything this was an obvious ploy by 2nd division, a decisive choice on their part but he was not here to play their games.

He returned the orders to the waiting hand and then spun on his heel and walked along with Tanaka back toward the door making no excessive movements or sounds, allowing the speech to continue while he carefully calculated how he should respond come the end. As the man broke out into requests Yun could not help but smile inwardly just a bit, his assumption that 2nd divisions procedures had not changed was spot-on. Yun did not act surprised when Tanaka presumed he had already begun an investigation and in fact gave the slightest nod as if to confirm the matter though he continued to let the other man speak, he also never denied there was surveillance, here or elsewhere. He thought the man was done for the moment before he brought up the inevitable contacts question, it was an obvious place to start but Yun was never impressed with the nearly obsessive need some 2nd division investigators placed in obtaining it. Quite often the best way to locate someone was to observe their own movements and not that of their contacts, true you might not turn up a lead as quickly but generally once you caught your target you had clearer evidence than the hastily thrown together theories allies or enemies would often inaccurately toss your direction

Regardless he did not word this exactly though he did cock his head and stare back at Tanaka who was staring at him with what seemed to be a clear challenge, Yun did not let it irk him. He did however grimace a tad when the man made such a “respectful” show of trying to steer clear of Yun's way of running things. He had ignored the rest of the subtle jabs but it had taken his trained and practiced willpower not to lash out as he might have in his younger days, after all, his division and how it was run was his life. Thankfully the man broke himself out of his own stumble and suggested they get down to business, Yun nodded in return but did not yet move and began speaking while staring the other man straight in the eyes.

“You ask motives? He was a hollow or possessed by a hollow in shinigami controlled ground, he thought he could hide it for a time but when it became apparent this was not so he took flight, that much is simple. Method of escape? Surely one who places so much importance on study has already gone over the matter many times, breaking into the subterranean vaults below Soul Society Azerin was allowed to utilize the reiatsu blurring properties of the thick stone below to hide himself from those stronger than himself, the hollow within provided the extra boost he needed to fight his way past the few that got in his way, leading to many injuries. The reason he succeeded?” He paused for a moment and never broke eye contact, “That was me, that was my fault. I made the incorrect assumption that whatever matters disturbed him were minor or if not that they could be talked out in a civilized fashion, I was proven wrong and so time was lost, work was spent and people got injured.” He offered no excuse, that was not how Yun operated though he did have the slightest inkling to continue with a 'Is this some sort of test? What did you expect me to say?' but refrained, he had a feeling the man might be good enough at detecting conversational intentions to hear the unspoken barb.

He then turned around and began walking again and then after tipping his sunglasses once or twice to a more comfortable position he spoke again without looking at Tanaka for a time.

“We have set up a place for you in an empty area within our storage facility. While there were more accommodating rooms within our barracks I thought the quieter setting might be more acclimated to any studies you wish to consider on the materials you need to view.” In this he was honest, setting up his “guest” in such a place was in no way a slight and he had in fact meant it exactly as he spoke it, even if Tanaka assumed otherwise he doubted the man would complain and was sure he would live. “Papers on what I have put together so far are on your desk, I apologize they are copies but the originals are in my own keeping. My personal opinions have been listed, I could give them to you here or I could first show you places strong with Azerins influence and allow you to formulate your own theories before sullying a blank slate with my own. These papers also include the psychological state of the man, however in the final months he refused to see anyone and had not yet hit his three month required check-up, thus his psychological and physical status can sadly only be pieced together via evidence he himself left behind.”

He placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small black box that looked something like a cassette and held it out without stopping his walking and at this point he opened the door into the facility with his free hand, “These are all of the recordings involving Azerin from the surveillance system from the last three months as well I have had written documents placed on your desk which overview events that took place in sensitive areas, luckily toward the end of his stay he made few ventures into these areas so you will find most of it available for viewing. Unfortunately recordings from before that point go into storage, I called them up yesterday but they take time to bring back...there are over three hundred years of them, they should be here within the next few hours. Obviously we do not have surveillance from around Soul Society as our own but I have also pieced together what bits were received from outside recording centers during his escape.” this was in fact the one lie Yun had told, 10th Division did in fact have surveillance everywhere but that was not something he would tell an outsider and in the end he had formed a rather comprehensive account from what surveillance the general Seireitei system had provided, “The device to play and view this can also be found in the area we have set up for you, you may take it as I have copies of course.”

He then stopped in the first courtyard within the Crypt walls between the two first black buildings and turned to Tanaka. In a reversal of their roles he planted his foot down firmly and stared Tanaka in the eyes once more, “As for contacts Azerin never did find his family nor did he live with anyone in Rukongai for any period, at least not long enough to make a mark and warrant recording. A list of the individuals he worked with in any close proximity has been given, if your worried about anyone he might have had the slightest contact with you might as well start questioning every member of 10th Division and some outside, he was after all a seated member.”

He let everything he had said and how prepared he had been sit in the air for a minute before speaking a little softer.

“Now then, please, there is no reason to conduct yourself in such a faux respective manner. I'm fully aware of 2nd Divisions take on me. You don't have to have any great love for me, I don't require it. However in this matter I am on your side, Azerin forwent the help to set this right in a proper fashion I gave him in favor of exile, he is not 10th Division and I will not protect him. So we can stop trading barbs now, care one way or another for me as you wish, but for now let us work together as well as we can.”

He paused once more before finishing with a slight sweep of his hand.

“So, shall I show you to your quarters where all the information has been gathered first or do you wish to begin investigating the areas with intricacy to Azerins daily life immediately?” For once Yun threw the ball back into Tanakas side of the playing field.

[Tanaka]

Yun’s loathing looks did not go unnoticed, little did. Nor was it a surprise that he would react that way but he did feel that the emotion was unjustified. Takeki was trying to be polite, within reason, he just wasn’t very good at it. Yun would also be wrong to assume Takeki carried with him the prejudices inherent in his division, but that would become clear latter on. As far as the ploy on behalf of second division was concerned if there was such a plot our man was not aware of it. True he suspected most people’s methods most of the time and he knew second division would gain something from this. But the whats, whys, and hows were not known to him, furthermore he would never question a superior without good reason. Plus there was a certain arrogance, maybe even a vanity in this as well, though second division may have been playing their own game Takeki most certainly was, utterly divorced from his commands, but this game was not as sinister as you might first think. Though as with all things when you plane a piece of wood chips go flying. When the orders were handed back to him he replaced them in his robes with the same pondering movement as before, in stark contrast to Yun’s spinning on his heel. Takeki did not spin, at least not in combat, rather he would turn slowly, almost shuffle, he never seemed to be in a hurry to get anywhere. As far as their unspoken disagreement on how to hunt down the traitor was concerned had Takeki been aware of the captain’s opinion he could not have disagreed with it more. It worked only on hot cases and trying to find a man who has long since gone underground by following him directly was folly provided the prey had half a mind. No, better to use past behaviour and contacts to work out where the little runt will pop his head up next, plus it provided the information to make the classical fallback trap.

Interestingly not much latter Yun made another mistake in his analysis of the man. He seemed to believe that Takeki’s manners were somehow affected or false like a sweet tasting poison, easy to swallow but still as lethal as ever, a thinly disguised attack. But such was not the case, his convictions to make as little impact as possible were real as was his respect for Yun, though currently that respect was drawn only from his office and innovations, not from any personal liking. Takeki could not pretend that he approved of the end result of Yun’s labours in their entirety, and it was almost inevitable that this would come out at some point in their conversations, but he applauded the steps taken in the right direction. Yun’s grimace made Takeki sigh inwardly for two reasons. Reason number one, animosity between the two investigators would only damage the case. Reason number two he was disappointed with, provided he had guessed the thoughts correctly, incorrect mental processes like a maths master might sigh at a child who just got a rather simple equation wrong. Then again in such a situation both Takeki and the maths master must ask themselves whether or not they are making themselves adequately clear. Perhaps even more interestingly he would disagreed almost violently with Yun on one point that for now stayed completely in Yun’s own head and it was a simple choice of wording. Yun thought of tenth division as his to do with and run as he pleased. But it was not his, he was merely the most senior ranking member in it. The lower orders could be forgiven for that slip up of language, it helped create a sense of community but those in charge should never make that mistake. It was not his division it was the kings division and in his semi permanent absence his will was represented by the Commander General. At no point was the division Yun’s and thinking that way was the beginning of internal rivalry between the divisions. It must never be forgotten that rivalry between various wings of the armed forces has brought down many nations. Indeed it was responsible for the breakup of one of the mightiest empires in the world, Alexander’s, after his death. Furthermore it breed arrogance in the captains and made them think of the divisions as their personal play things to which they felt ridiculously entitled, some by mere virtue of their birth. It lead to a disregard of orders, it lead to disunity and disharmony. True it was one of many factors that may lead to eventual total defeat but it was a factor that should not be ignored. Of course in Yun’s situation the feeling was heightened by the isolation he had cast his division in to but that was no reason for it to be forgiven. Both parties should have been thankful for the fact Yun never actually said it or Yun could find himself getting a very respectful earful and Takeki may find himself dead, or at least badly injured. And what was worse was that Yun would likely never be punished for it, at least under the current system.

Staring into his eyes was a futile task on Yun’s part, since Takeki’s features were obscured in shadow the best Yun could manage would be guesswork but even had he succeeded Takeki would have been unaffected. As soon as Yun turned to the true business of the day Takeki rummaged around in his belt pouches before removing a small ,tattered, leather bound, flip notebook. Using his thumb he flipped through to a blank page, Yun would be able to see the upside down notes on the back of the note book and at first it looked as though the entries were in code and this was close to the mark. In fact the entries were a mixture of short hand in poor, rushed handwriting and the remained were strange symbols and designs, some simple, some complex though it was not clear what these symbols meant. Attached to the note book by a short length of crude string was a tiny pencil, worn down now to a nub through obsessive and frantic scrawling. Transferring the book to his right hand he was able to balance it on two fingers whilst the rest gripped the staff, his left hand ceased the nub and began writing. From this you could easily mistake Takeki for a natural left hander but this was not the case, he merely had a lot of practice and writing like this. Furthermore it could be assumed that Takeki did not have the best memory in the world if he had to write everything down, this was not the case. He merely knew his mind was fallible and subject to human frailties like everyone else’s, in other words though he was not known for forgetfulness it could happen so better to be safe than sorry. Furthermore things you dismiss at the time could suddenly take on a whole new meaning later on so best to write it all down. The motive for the escape and method were no great surprise but he thought it best to check any way. He did however, make a note of what he perceived of as failings within division and even wider security in not making sure the tunnels below were properly secured. He drew a slight line under this point, though Yun would not be able to see the writing from his angle and even less likely to understand it. However, when Yun took personal responsibility for failing to notice the true extent of the problem before it was too late Takeki did not just underling the relevant point but he circled it as well. Interestingly though, if Yun was paying attention he might notice from the movement of Takeki’s hand he made a slight side point and though Yun would not be able to know for sure it was a redeeming point that might just save his arse one of these days. Yun’s unspoken barbs were picked up upon but ignored, they meant nothing to our man but Yun was right, this was some sort of test, everything was, especially when Takeki was hanging around, he was constantly evaluating everyone and everything and perhaps more sinisterly, deciding how they could be improved.

When the conversation turned to accommodation Takeki was more than satisfied with the arrangements made but he symbolised this with a brief nod and nothing more. Quiet rooms were often more conducive to work and physical comforts meant little to this man, after all he had spent a good period of time living in a cave and compared to that even the most spartan of rooms was luxurious. Furthermore if it was a storage room it would be out of the way, hard for people to overhear what was going on inside and controlling knowledge was often key to an investigation such as this. Furthermore storage rooms were often large and occasionally a bit of pacing around helped the mental processes. If this last assumption proved to be incorrect he could always walk the walls or the grounds. He was less satisfied however, with what Yun said next about the information given being only copies of the originals. In theory he had listened to what had been said thus far in respectful silence but now, still without looking at the man he stated quietly calmly. “Though I have no objection to looking at copies of reports I must insist that they are not edited as often happens with copies. Who knows what vital information may be accidently omitted by a mind as fallible as any other. I can assure you any information you normally would have edited out for any reason will be handled with the utmost sensitivity and discretion.” In other words he was saying that Yun’s secrets were safe with him, though Takeki doubted Yun took his words at face value or would even necessarily comply with this insistence. But it served as a subtle warning shot across the bows as well because implied in his words and his slow, slightly sinister tome was the message that if Yun did edit stuff out or otherwise conceal information and Takeki caught him at it then bad things would ,or perhaps more accurately could, happen. He hoped, indeed he believed Yun was sharp enough to pick up on this because not only did he think the captain to be a clever man he actually liked him, oh not personally of course thus far Yun had proved to be quite disagreeable but he respected him and did not want to see this man broken, not now at least.

He then continued to listen but when Yun mentioned the possibility of sullying his blank slate of a mind with Yun’s own ideas Takeki gave a little laugh. It was only three chuckles long and quite quiet but unlike most of his amused sounds this one sounded genuine and approving. It was followed by him saying “Very good, very good.” Perhaps Takeki had radically misinterpreted but he appreciated what he perceived as the many layers of that comment, of course on the face of things he was saying Takeki should be allowed to come up with his own theories first but it was far more than that. First of all Yun doing himself down highlighted the all be it misinterpreted rudeness on our mans part especially if the word sully was delivered with either a subtly sarcastic lilt or something close to a Uriah Heap sinister grovel. Then of course the words blank slate hinted at the idea that Takeki had come here with no ideas, ignorant and clueless and generally not up to the task whilst the good captain already had theories of his own. If this really was Yun’s intention it was masterfully delivered and Takeki appreciated it clearly he was not a man completely without s sense of humour about himself, provided it was intelligent humour. But on a more serious note Takeki asked. “Strong with his influence? What exactly do you mean by that? The wording is....broad” There was the standard pause to find the right word once more. Interestingly he picked the words so as not to offend, or at least offend as little as possible. He could have said, vague, unclear, inaccurate, inadequate or other similar words but broad was the diplomatic choice. But it had to be asked if he was to make an informed decision and though he would show respect to his superiors and obey them he would not do so in a sycophantic manner as if everything that came out of their mouths was pure gold. Falling back into silence he nodded along as Yun went on about the incomplete psychological reports and Takeki kept on making scribbles. He even scribbled as they talked about surveillance tapes, circling one point and underlining another but it would be impossible for Yun to tell which points got which marks. Only when this was done did he allow the stub to hang off of its string before taking the cassette and wedging it inelegantly in his belt without so much as a word before ceasing stub in hand once more and continuing to write.

When Yun seemed to take an authoritative stance and once again try to penetrate the darkness of the hood to stare into his eyes our man did not move, he just kept on making notes of what was said and was otherwise unaffected by the almost adversarial move. He tapped his pencil on the page a few times in a dissatisfied little gesture. Before moving on to addressing the animosity between the pair inherent in their divisions Takeki shook his head. “A shame, a great shame. I will of course have to interview his closer colleagues, or read through your own interview reports which I am sure you did. It is a shame though that those closer to him seem all to be good serving soldiers. I cannot, in all good conscious use the old clichéd fall back plan with good serving men and women. I have no such compunction over civilians however. Not in this day and age.” Yun, being a clever and well rounded man would likely be aware of the plan which was being referred to. Once all other avenues of investigation had failed, once every alley had drawn a blank you found someone they prey cared for, captured them and tortured them quite openly, not to get information but to draw the fugitive out, relying on the emotional ties or sense of duty felt by the fugitive. But Takeki could not do that to god serving soldiers, unless of course they had aided in the escape but this did not seem to be the case. Gesturing to Yun with his stub he carried on. “You are making mistake of only telling me about his friends. I want to know about his enemies as well. Places where he would not go or things he would not do, just to narrow the field. Of course if Azerin ever fought a vizard or had reason to know about them or where they were, or knew someone who knew them I must be told. It is an obvious route to take I know and Azerin will likely realise this and thus try to muddy investigations along this path but he is a desperate man and will likely try at least to take shelter with what is, or very close to, his own kind. Even though the chance of success of investigation along these lines is likely to be low we cannot ignore it.”

When the conversation turned to the duo’s opinion of one another he at last stopped writing and wedged his notebook next to the cassette in his belt roughly, rather than putting it away properly, he would likely be needing it again soon, the stub hung down by its string and seemed to wave gently about as Takeki moved. He listened in reverential silence to the man and when he was finished Takeki gave a little semi amused snort like he had at first rather than the genuine laughter of a few moments ago. “You misjudge me. Your loss, and believe me it will be if you continue to do so.” He left that wording unexplained and allowed it to hang in the air for a few moments before pressing on. “It is not my intention to trade barbs and I can only apologise for any ambiguity in my politeness. Though the occasional verbal broadside can bring a razor sharp sheen to proceedings as demonstrated earlier by your good self my respect for you is real. You are correct however, in your belief my division as a whole has no great like for you and I was briefed by my superiors to be cautious of you. But this was only advice, not an order and thus I need not follow it. Though I would be foolhardy to dismiss their words in their entirety I have my own criteria for judging a man and my own mind to make up. Believe it or not you’re actually doing quite well at the moment and I have a greater respect for you than I do for many members of my own division or indeed most other divisions, even though it has become clear I am not well adapted to expressing it. Furthermore automatically dismissing me as a friend, all be it a professional one, because of my division is fool hardy and short sighted. There is no point in pushing away the new blood of second division you made need us some day and it may be sooner than you imagine. Furthermore doing so will only perpetuate generations of animosity which will go on long past your inevitable death and do far more damage than you think. Plus, if I may be allowed a moment of self flattery, I personally may be more advantageous to you as a personal friend and most certainly as a professional one than you give me credit for and time will prove it, mark my words good captain” Every word in that statement was genuinely felt and Takeki had no desire for these two not to get along but Yun did have an important point, the business at hand must take precedent but he did hope Yun remembered this, Takeki wanted to do favours for this man and Yun would be ill advised to make this difficult.

Returning to the business at hand Takeki should no hesitation in deciding where the investigation should go from here. “Take me to my temporary quarters. I would rather go through your records and investigations first, know everything you know than have to investigate it myself from scratch, it will save me a great deal of time as well as alert me to inevitable holes in your own proceedings so I know what to look for elsewhere. After all if your proceedings were perfect you would have caught the man already. I am also sure that a great deal of evidence will have decayed or been lost before I was called in but your documents should preserve at least the findings from that evidence.” Assuming Yun began to lead him towards what would be the hub of his initial investigations Takeki would ask a question as they walked along. “On a related topic, good captain, you mentioned that Azerin had been able to escape by breaking into the tunnels beneath. What steps have been taken to ensure this does not happen again?” Though this was not strictly related to the investigation it was a very important point and one that could help Yun no end, or damage him provided how he answered.