Meanwhile: Location: Ghost Zone: Sector 2: Walker's Prison: Warden's office:
General Ozeki seemed completely unperturbed by the guard's sharp words and calmly drank his tea, his large and strong fingers grasping the small teacup with all the gentleness of a butterfly before responding, his tone deep and calm.
"My tribe and I, Tarquinius-kouhai, are simply the best-suited for our duty. It has been several weeks since this Walker was defeated and Lord Phantasm has grown tired of having to replace the warden of his prison even day if not twice a day. Can you honestly say that you or any of your fellow guards are up to the task as I and my tribe are? Only my tribe has the patience to oversee the details needed to keep prisoners within these cell walls and to solve any miscommunications and to keep the Emperor informed of everything that happens within these walls and on our patrols of the Ghost Zone. Would you rather displease the Emperor and let the prisoners escape? You know as well as I, Tarquinius-kouhai, that while you know the art of war, you know little about the limits of beings and their ways. Under you, or any other, they would revolt within as little time as three moons. But under me and my tribe, they will be kept obedient and healthy, and serve their sentences, for our Emperor finds great displeasure in senseless death."
Tarquinius grimaced, but was forced to accept the facts. He was not a fool to blindly ignore what was truthful and plain to see. But while that was so, it did not mean he had to like it, not at all. But before he could retort, another figure appeared.
"I knew that the Oni and their Shadowkhan joining the New sith Empire and our Kingdom was going to cause trouble, but this is more than I ever at worst assumed." Immediately Ozeki and Tarquinius bowed slightly as Lord Phantasm appeared from the shadows with his own mark of Tarakudo glowing on his glove. Of course it was being controlled by his will and the magical ring around it.
At the moment, he was in his human form and had his arms crossed. Still the power of the Shadow magic had turned his skin a very, very light shade of blue, but his eyes remained the same.
"However, truly, I find your exchanges very interesting, General Ozeki, Captain Tarquinius. But I do fear, that Ozeki is correct this time and you have little chance in continued argument Tarquinius. Indeed, I feel that it is perhaps time to best be silent." Both Ozeki and Tarquinius looked at the figure that leaned against the wall, but only Tarquinius bothered to speak. Ozeki, for his sake, had already noticed what Lord Phantasm had been talking about, and remained silent, if Tarquinius desired to dig his own grave, then by all means.
"If you let me to ask, Imperial Majesty, what suddenly compels you to interrupt us for such a declaration? In the matter of the guard, Lady Pandora and Lady Dorathea have the first and…"
"Final say is with the Council, Captain and me and this is our orders," Lord Phantasm said tossing the scroll at the Police officer.
The man immediately opened it and began to read what was written. At the end of the document, he was wide eyed and somewhat paler than usually. "Tarquinius, we both know you are not a police man, but a warrior and Lady Pandora wants you back in order to train the new recruits."
"As the Imperial Majesty and the Lady Pandora wish," Tarquinius said as he walked out of the warden's office leaving Lord Phantasm and General Ozeki alone. With that, Lord Phantasm sighed,
"You and the others are really beginning to dull my patience and reserves of strength, General. I have dwindling patience for foolishness."
"Has her highness caused trouble already?" Ozeki asked in some worry that was quickly waved off by Lord Phantasm shaking his head.
"No, the fault is mine and Section 13." He said as Ozeki eyes narrowed slightly, but Lord Phantasm raised his hand to silence him.
"Relax, my spell worked perfectly. Section 13 agents are more interested in Vlad Masters than my kingdom, GZ or the Imperial Alliance. The fault that is mine is that my people haven't really accepted you and your kinsmen. Perhaps I expected too much or rushed things along too fast." He muttered.
"Change is difficult for most to accept, more so to understand and follow. Give it time, Imperial Majesty." Ozeki said.
"Perhaps. I leave the prison in your capable hands, General. Do not fail me," With that the ghost copy vanished leaving the general to his matters.
Meanwhile: Location: Ghost Zone: Sector: 6: Military training fields:
General Cheveryo, General Kage, General Koumori and General Kani were all watching the few companies of Ghosts and cloned soldiers, sparing in the many training fields, some of them were working in teams in one of the exercises to complete some sort of mission. From their eyes, the men weren't the best trained it would seem. The ghosts would slightly better than the clones.
On the whole, the ghosts would be more than able to complete any mission that Lord Phantasm gave them that was either suited for any battle anywhere in the ghost zone or in the human zone and would win if it was against some humans.
If the humans decided to join forces, then they might not. Lord Phantasm wanted the best out of them all of them and had given the four orders that while were strict, gave them more than enough breathing space to train everyone there at the training field and put all of them through the grinder and they would have to break them and then rebuild them all from the ground up.
In the end, none of them would not be the same ghost or human they used to be. They would be soldiers and fully trained ones at that. It would be difficult and different for the four Shadowkhan generals who usually commanded drones, but like any challenge they would rise to it.
"Alright, enough of the warming up. Time for some serious training!" General Kage yelled out as General Cheveryo, Kani and Koumori began to lead one or more groups in training.
Meanwhile: Location: Ghost Zone: Sector 9: Phantom's Keep: Royal Training Fields:
As things began in sector 6 for those four generals, General Chiya and Ikazuki were watching Lord Phantasm and his PHANTOM division, which at the moment was filled with HK-51 droids and few ghosts and even fewer Chimeran clones.
They were however not impressed in the slightest. While it was true that any team of PHANTOM could storm a fort or base, kill an important person or steal intelligence and be out before anyone knew what had happened, they formations for missions and teamwork was seriously lacking and it would seem that the problem was with Lord Phantasm. He had spent two years fighting on his own without any teammates or backup, so changing that would take some time.
He was, however, a team player and that is why he was standing some distance away, still within earshot, leaning against one of the few trees in the training fields while Ikazuki and Chiya talked back and forth about something that in his mind was trivial and at the moment, not important. He was not one that was pleased with Ikazuki's barbs and attempts to pick a fight. Ikazuki had just grimaced by what Chiya had said. Deciding it was better to speak before the general could retort, he walked up to them.
"I truly find your exchanges very interesting General Ikazuki, General Chiya, but I fear that is not the purpose of which you are here to do, thus I feel that it is perhaps time to do what I have asked?" Lord Phantasm said as both Chiya and Ikazuki eyed him.
However, only Ikazuki bothered to speak. "And tell me, Imperial Majesty, what suddenly compels you to interrupt us for such a declaration? I see little reason for us to cease our discussion, even at the word of the Emperor." Chiya, for her sake, had already noticed what Lord Phantasm had been talking about, and remained silent – if Ikazuki desired to dig his own grave, then by all means. However, Chiya did not hold it against the samurai, for it was in his nature, but it did not mean it should not be curbed now and then. Ikazuki, on the other hand, was not so keen.
While a warrior, he was also a hothead and lost himself in his anger at the slightest notice, and the silence from both Chiya and Lord Phantasm was doing little to help it. As the silence continued, Ikazuki became more angered, and stood from his chair to pull his blade with an infuriated shout only for his hand to be met with another as it reached the hilt of the katana. Turning around, he was met with the sight of glowing green eyes and the displeased continence of his superior. Now, Ikazuki was many things.
He was a samurai with honor, be it with or without him being a demon Oni, and he was a master of the blade, having long beyond mortal years to hone his skill. He was a warrior, and a true monster upon any battlefield. While he was not a genius like Kuro, he was smart as well and had knowledge in magic that he put to good use when his temper did not get the best of him.
But above all else, Ikazuki was sure he was not one thing in particular. Ikazuki was no fool, and would never be any fool at someone's desires. Casting a pointed look from the corner of his eye at Chiya, he slowly released the hilt of his blade, and after the forceful hand removed itself from his wrist, he returned to his seat with nary a word. Even he, with his skill, could not and would not challenge Lord Phantasm. Once Ikazuki was seated once more and quietly brooding, Lord Phantasm spoke, his tone formal but strict with an edge of power beneath it. He said no word or implied no distaste for Ikazuki's actions, he spoke as if it never happened at all. The two Generals easily understood the hidden meaning.
"I invited you and General Chiya here, General Ikazuki to help in the training of the PHANTOM ANBU division, not to argue about who is in charge of training. PHANTOM answers to me and me alone. You are both in charge of their training. I have brought you here to the Imperial Keep of the United Kingdom of the Ghost Zone, not as your superior, but as a fellow follower of the New sith Empire. While you are here training my PHANTOM division, I hope your stay here is restful and peaceful." The two Generals winched slightly at the power behind the implied threat, but otherwise kept themselves collected. With this done, Ozeki was the first to speak.
"As you command, Imperial Majesty,"
"Good," Lord Phantasm said looking at them.
As quick as he started his observations and pondering, so too did he end them. Lord Phantasm was not the tactician and strategist for nothing, and it was a fool's folly to draw attention to himself till the time was right. A sly thought passed through his mind.
A true general does not move to his enemy, he moves his enemy to him. I shall watch, and they shall tell. And when all is in place, I shall know what I must do. The art of war extends well beyond the borders of the battlefield. A slightest ghost of a grin across his face, but just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. Lord Phantasm then sighed,
"For the moment, however, I have to leave you in the capable hands of Lord Frostbite while I continue my training in the mystic arts. I will finish by the end of the next month if all goes according to plan." Lord Phantasm said, but General Ikazuki let out a full blow laugh, surprising Lord Phantasm and Lord Frostbite, who had just arrived.
"This coming from the one who has far surpassed his teachers, including all of the training that I and the others gave him? You have some nerve, I'll give you that." At this Lord Phantasm only smirked and looked at the Oni General.
"First of all, Ikazuki, remember your place. You serve the New sith Empire. Second of all, it's dirty, smelly, work, but it's the key to power. I have natural abilities too, but like your Queen, I'd never settle for just that," He answered.
"Whether with chi spells, Ghost powers, Force abilities, Human marital arts, my first choice will always be: All of the above."
No sooner than he said that, that several corpses appeared in front of him from the shadows causing him to sigh, since there were also several Squid Shadowkhan near them that had brought them to him from the morgues through the shadows.
"She couldn't have brought the examination tables those were on as well," He muttered shaking his head, but then just waved his hand that was covered with glowing green magic that wrapped around the ten corpses causing them to float slightly above the ground as he looked at them. All of them were dead and lifeless, not a problem in the slightest.
"Generals, I will be in my private lab for a good while. Lord Frostbite, you are in command of training. I will be back soon." With that, he turned back to where the Squid Shadowkhan were still waiting.
"That is all for now," Lord Phantasm told them somewhat hesitantly, he wasn't really used to commanding any Shadowkhan yet. Putting their elongated limps together over their chests the Squid Shadowkhan bowed and sank back into the shadows.
Shaking his head slightly, Lord Phantasm allowed his feather wings to slip through the slits on the black of his shirt and with a single flap, he was in the air, and had disappeared as if by teleportation.
"He flew away, didn't he?" Chiya asked as Lord Frostbite nodded.
"Damn, I didn't even see him move," She said in some worry while Ikazuki slightly narrowed his eyes. That man was powerful and lightning fast. It would no good to get on his bad side.