| abstract | - Chercher "successor" sur dicod'Òc (dictionnaires en ligne sur le site du Congrès permanent de la lenga occitana)
- The Yotsuba Kira Group gathers for its weekly Friday meeting, unaware that it is being observed by the Kira Task Force who have had bugs and cameras secretly installed in the room. From their HQ the detectives notice that only seven of the eight suspects are present and are dressed in black. Are they in mourning? Takeshi Ooi begins the meeting by asking who should be killed! In the Task Force HQ, Light and Soichiro Yagami gasp in horror; Touta Matsuda triumphantly points out that he was right to suspect these men; but L is not so enthusiastic—in fact this sudden admission bothers him! However, Ooi then raises the issue of the recent death of their colleague Arayoshi Hatori. Three days ago he had announced that he wanted to leave the group and they agree that his death must be seen as a warning to them about chickening out. Ooi then suggests that they read through the report sent by the detective Eraldo Coil. Suguru Shimura, seated next to Hatori's empty chair, is surprised by the brief way with which his death has been handled. Coil's report begins by stating that the Japanese police have unofficially called off the Kira investigation and that L is now working alone. He is not likely to give up trying to find Kira and is not to be treated lightly. Like Coil, he might notice how the deaths that are beneficial to Yotsuba occur during the week-ends and make the link to Kira. Shingo Mido suggests that they spread the deaths more evenly, though Kyosuke Higuchi points out that Coil only found out the connection to Kira when he discovered that Yotsuba was his client and how the deaths of competitors had benefited the company. At the Task Force HQ, the detectives are amazed by the way in which these confessions are coming out and Soichiro even believes that the video could be enough to arrest them. L bites his nails. He is troubled by the way things are going so easily. Kira has been killing Yotsuba's competitors through fatal accidents on the assumption that the authorities are unaware that he can kill by means other than heart attacks. Shimura then suggests that Kira should really be more open, identify himself and thus be able to explain to them more clearly how the killings could be managed. Hatori's death is a warning of the potential of betrayal. The others however disagree, pointing out that any one of them could then get Kira to carry out killings without consulting the others, and that his grip on them would be such that they'd hesitate to contradict him. Ooi in particular prefers that they keep meeting on an equal basis. They then return to the main topic. They decide that the killings should be more evenly spread, about two or three a month, and be more cautious by holding their meetings once a fortnight. They now proceed to discuss who they will kill. Watching from their HQ, Soichiro and Light are shocked at seeing how easily the men are deciding who should die—a reaction which does not go unnoticed by L. Mido suggests doing something about a major American insurance company called Elf which is planning to set a branch up in Japan and which could be serious competition. Masahiko Kida has identified the men involved and they agree to have them die by accident while still in America. Another man called Santaro Zenzai is trying to instigate a lawsuit in order to block Yotsuba's plan to set up a resort in his area. A simple stroke should take care of him. Light and Soichiro are horrified and want to act to prevent the deaths. L however counters this by pointing out that keeping tabs on the men up to and after their victims die would be the best way to capture Kira! The Yagamis are appalled by this attitude and insist that they cannot allow the killings to proceed just in order to form a stronger case against Kira. L explains that his real problem is that if they move too hastily then it will ruin their entire case. When the Yotsuba men agree to kill their nominated victims over the next month, Soichiro quickly takes out his cell phone intending to contact them and telling them to call it off. L tells him that this will only lead them to suspect Coil (aka Aiber) of betraying them and Kira is likely to go straight into hiding, which will mean starting the investigation from scratch all over again. L insists that they wait until they have found definitive evidence against Kira. Soichiro wonders if there is any proof—after all Kira may just kill through sheer mental abilities. Before L can answer, Matsuda suddenly announces that there is proof because Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and twelve FBI agents. Matsuda explains that Kira killed Tailor and the American agents because he believed that they were after him and that if they caught him then evidence could be produced that would have resulted in him being arrested, jailed and even executed. If there was no evidence then he would not have bothered. Seeing the look of surprise on Soichiro's face, Matsuda then admits that it's a reasoning that Aizawa came up with some time ago and he has only just understood it. Returning to the more immediate problem, L is at a loss as to how to prevent the deaths without giving away the fact they are onto Yotsuba. Light then suggests contacting one of the men, one who is unlikely to be Kira but who has considerable influence over the others. Matsuda nominates Ooi but L and Light opt for Reiji Namikawa! L then tells Light to use a phone whose number cannot be traced. The meeting is still ongoing when Namikawa's cell phone rings. When he answers it, he is startled when the caller announces that he is L! (It's actually Light.) "L" tells Namikawa to stay calm and listen: He has seen the whole meeting thanks to bugs and cameras hidden in the room, but he is prepared to make a deal. "L" wants Namikawa to delay the killings of Santaro Zenzai and the men from Elf insurance for a month and in return all those present who are not Kira will not be charged with any crimes. Although outwardly calm, Namikawa is panicking inside. At this stage of the game he will have to side with L but if Kira finds out then he will be killed. He feels conflicted. Guessing his emotions, "L" tells him not to inform the others because it will just cause a panic. He advises Namikawa to simply remain neutral. Meanwhile, he will go after Kira and no matter which one of them wins, Namikawa and the others will not be ruined by it. Namikawa hangs up, telling his colleagues that it was a call from a member of his staff over an issue that he will have to deal with when he returns to work after the week-end. Shimura stares at him with suspicion. Namikawa then suggests postponing the killing of Santaro Zenzai and the men from Elf for a month. They need to focus on L and give Coil time to locate and dispose of him. If, after a month, Coil has failed to make any progress then they will resume the killings, but only about two or three a month. Mido seconds the motion and the others agree, along with the decision to meet only once a fortnight. The meeting is then adjourned. At the Task Force HQ, there is satisfaction with the outcome. L is impressed by the way Light came up with the plan even before he did and suggests that, in the event of his death, Light might be his successor to the mantle of L!
- "Successor" is a music track that appeared in Dead or Alive 4 and Dead or Alive Dimensions as the character theme for Eliot. "Successor" later appeared in Dead or Alive 5 when the player fights Eliot in Rig's chapter. The theme is also optional in the Music Mode in Dead or Alive 5+ and Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, and can be selectable for any character and gameplay mode.
- For the last time, Excel STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!" Yorktown roared. Since she'd docked at ESD yesterday, the larger starship hadn't stopped staring. Excelsior would be looking long and hard at something on Yorktown's saucer, just below her eyes. Then, when Yorktown noticed, she'd look away quickly and act like nothing had happened. She did so now. "I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am." She replied, fidgeting with a small play toy she had on the dock. A sure sign she was nervous or lying. Possibly both. Yorktown sighed, closing her eyes as she attempted to get a lid on her anger. Last night, her first night at ESD, was a restless one as she saw vivid dreams and nightmares of battle, danger, and death. Things she herself had never seen before, having never left Sol Sector and yet, she knew them. Knew them quite well. The confusion made her head pound and stomach churn and she wished Excelsior would just leave her alone. That wasn't happening. "I'm not a ma'am Excel!" She growled. "I'm Yorktown." Excelsior kept her gaze averted. "You really don't remember, do you?" She asked. "Remember what? What the hell am I supposed to remember?!" As Yorktown's anger rose, her accent changed. Becoming deeper, its resonance stronger. Excelsior actually backed up a step, stern colliding with the dock and Yorktown was surprised to see fear in her ice blue eyes. Yorktown felt ashamed of herself. The Constitution-class refit didn't understand why the larger ship was afraid but she knew that she was somehow responsible. She approached, forcing her body to take on a more relax stance. That didn't reassure Excelsior in the slightest. The prototype curled her nacelles under her belly, dropping her stern as her body arched along her secondary hull. Her saucer was respectfully lowered, never higher than Yorktown's. Her eyes remained trained to the floor. Yorktown wasn't sure what spurred her on. Instinct most likely. She knew a submissive position when she saw one. A part of her didn't understand why Excelsior was behaving like this. The other ship was older than her, larger, more powerful. But another part of her, the same part that had been driving her restless nights, said this was to be expected. It was standard for other ships to act like this around her. "But why?!" Yorktown wanted to scream. What was so special about her? A newborn Constitution-class in an era which Constitutions were becoming obsolete. Instinct driving her, Yorktown rested her saucer over Excelsior's, being as gentle as she could. She felt Excelsior lick her muzzle, submissive whines escaping her throat. Yorktown responded with a low purr, reassuring her fellow starship. It was only when she backed off that Excelsior relaxed but only slightly. She still kept her head down. "Why do you do that?" Yorktown asked. "You are superior." Excelsior replied. "Look at me." Yorktown ordered quietly. Excelsior's head snapped up at once. The Constitution sighed. "I don't know what's causing you to act like this. And I don't know why. So why don't you enlighten me." Excelsior opened her mouth to reply, but paused. "Yes?" Yorktown encouraged her. The larger ship shut her mouth, then gestured to the center of the spacedock. There, a special fountain had been erected, complete with its own gravity generators. It held a small pool which reflected the stars, meant as a gift and peace offering to the Ancients. Each time a ship left spacedock, it was required that they drink from it, and request they have safe passage across their ancestors domain. Excelsior halted beside it and gestured for Yorktown to approach. "Look into it." She said. "And tell me what you see." Yorktown did so and immediately reeled back in shock. "That's not me!" She said. Excelsior steadied her. "Take a closer look." She ordered gently. Yorktown wasn't sure she wanted to but curiosity drove her forward once more and she hung her saucer over the calm reflective surface. A Constitution-class refit stared back at her. But the similarities ended there. Yorktown had been born with hazel eyes, this ship's were silver-blue and luminous, glowing in the half darkness of spacedock. Scars marred her hull, scars that shouldn't even exist on a newborn. A few particularly nasty ones were placed along her secondary hull, two fresh burn marks were on her saucer and more on her nacelles. "I-I don't understand." She whispered. "Your registry. Read your registry." Excelsior encouraged. Yorktown tilted her saucer down, the rim nearly touching the water's still surface as her breaths disturbed it only slightly. Yorktown's blue eyes tilted up as they read her name in standard English. "NCC-1701-A." She pulled back, stunned. "I'm, Enterprise..." "Your nightmares, do you remember?" Excelsior asked. Enterprise thought for a moment, considering that. Her nightmares weren't just nightmares, but replays of the memories she gained in her previous life. Everything. Her countless battles with the Klingons and the Romulans. Crossing the Great Barrier. Discovering so many new and wondrous things. And at the center of it all, as always her deep and passionate love for Jim. These memories were her own and yet not her own. She was Enterprise and yet she was Yorktown at the same time. Not for the first time Enterprise struggled to find the right word for her situation. Reincarnation? Didn't quite fit as she was as different from her predecessor as she was the same. The blue eyes closed and Enterprise breathed in deep. Stern still to Excelsior she asked "Is Jim alright?" "Alive and well." Excelsior replied. "He's unaware of your existence but is on his way here now. We should be in our assigned berths for when he arrives." This time Enterprise led the way back, her head held high, neck arched back against her nacelles. A sure sign of dominance. She was flagship. She was in command. And best be her fleet know it! Excelsior followed just off her port quarter at a respectful distance. The two ships docked and Excelsior was careful to keep her eyes off her companion. "You can look at me, you know. I don't mind. I just didn't understand before." Enterprise said. Excelsior brought her head up though it remained lower than Enterprise's. "It always will." Enterprise reflected. "I am flagship. And no matter how close I become with my ships, they will always be subservient." It was a harsh reality and one that often brought more loneliness than it did joys. But Enterprise would rather live a thousand lives alone than just one surrounded by the same old gossip of her friends and family. Both starships attention was diverted to an approaching shuttle craft. Enterprise knew it contained Jim among others. Her connection with her beloved captain had been severed following her death at Genesis but she knew he was there. And apparently he sensed something as well. Pity his crew wasn't as aware as he was. "The darn physics of bureaucracy hasn't changed even in this century. We'll get a freighter." Bones said. "I'm betting on Excelsior." Sulu said. Scotty looked insulted. "Why in God's name would ye want that bucket of bolts?!" He asked. Excelsior rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the Chief Engineer who snorted in response. The shuttle craft flew straight for her and briefly everyone in it looked down at the massive ship. Excelsior couldn't help but grin as her ice blue eyes turned up at them. "Oh no. Not me boys." She chuckled and nodded towards the far end of spacedock. Due to the shuttle's trajectory, Enterprise didn't come into their view until after they'd cleared Excelsior. Kirk's eyes widened and he pressed his hands to the glass, as if he could just reach out and touch her. Enterprise smiled warmly at them, a warmth which spread to her blue eyes which looked more silver now than blue. "Welcome home, Jim." She whispered.
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