Disclaimer:I do not own Tenchi Muyo or any of the characters. They are all owned by AIC and Pioneer. Kiyone's Badge By Dade Gifford "FREEZE!" Kiyone held her blaster up towards the darkened corner of the tavern. "Drop your weapon!" The shadow in the corner moved, and a shiny object slid into view. "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" Kiyone couldn't see whether or not the figure had done so, but kept her blaster leveled and moved in. As she got closer, Kiyone could see a dirty, beat-up looking man. He had his hands up. Kiyone grabbed him by the collar and turned him around, shoving him at the wall. She took his hands and pulled out her GP issue handcuffs. In seconds, the man was cuffed and in custody. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of Jurai..." Kiyone read the man his rights. "Harland Goedy, do you understand these rights which I have just dictated to you?" Harland shook his head vigorously, trying his best to see her out of the corner of his eye. Kiyone reholstered her blaster, and then yanked him away from the wall. Kiyone lead him towards the door of the dank and unkempt establishment. The barkeep stood up shakily from behind the counter. In front of him, he held a piece of metal with blaster burns decorating it. His eyes somehow managed to fill his entire head, despite their beedy nature. "Sir," Kiyone said, tossing a small crystal object towards him. He eyed it conspicuously. "Compensation," she said, simply. The barkeep looked spooked, but otherwise okay. Kiyone shoved Harland towards a nearby airlock. She tapped her earring once, and two GP officers came through. They took Harland and escorted him out into a patrol ship. Kiyone saluted smartly, and then walked towards the airlock. She walked towards the door, but stopped as she noticed a blinking light on the keypad to her right. Kiyone reached over and tapped a few keys. Not seconds after the door had started to open, a blonde blur dashed out and knocked her onto the floor. "KIIIIYOOOONNNEEE!!" "Mihoshi! Where were you?" "Well, I tried to follow you, but then something tripped me, and the keypad hit my head, and the door wouldn't open!! I was so worried!!" Mihoshi began to cry. Kiyone rolled her eyes and sighed. "Mihoshi, could you please get off of me?" "Oh..sorry!" Mihoshi stood up quickly. Kiyone stood up, and brushed herself off. There was no telling what she could have landed in on these dumb tavern floors... They walked through the airlock and into the Yagami. Kiyone took her blaster from its holster and ejected the cartridge. She checked a lit indicator on the side. There was room for ten lights on the side, but only two were lit, and they were red. Kiyone put the blaster in a rack nearby, and placed the cartridge in a slot to the right of it. A small LED lit up, assuring her that it was recharging. Kiyone and Mihoshi stepped into a nearby turbolift, and it shot off for the upper decks. Mihoshi was still apologizing. "Kiyone, I'm really, really, really sorry..." "It's okay Mihoshi..." "But I mean it! Really! I'm SOOO sorry!" "Okay, Mihoshi..." "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry.." "MIHOSHI, SHUT UP!!!" Mihoshi began to cry again. "I'm sooo-rry!" Kiyone groaned and rubbed her temples. She chose to ignore Mihoshi, and eventually, Mihoshi passed out from lack of oxygen. Kiyone picked up Mihoshi, grunting with the effort, and waited for the lift to reach the first deck. She should've just kicked it into emergency speed once she had just stepped onto it, knowing how Mihoshi could get sometimes... A tone sounded and the lift doors opened. Kiyone staggered down the short hallway, and hit a wall panel with her knee. The door slid open, and Kiyone stepped through. She dumped Mihoshi onto the bed and exited promptly. Kiyone walked down the hall, her footsteps making muted clangs against the metal floor paneling. she thought. Kiyone passed three more doors, one labeled "Engineering," another "Captain's quarters," and finally "Medical." Storage was on deck three, near the outer hull. Mihoshi's room was back down the hall, not very far. A neglected science lab resided on deck two, along with minor recreational facilities that were not currently in use, mostly because they had recently had to sacrifice all unnecessary compnents due to the ship's disrepair. Ahh, the perks of working in a backwater sector. Kiyone finally reached the bridge, and sat in her chair. There really wasn't any reason for her to be here. The ship had already been given orders to take off as soon as her book crossed the airlock's threshold. She stared at the passing starscape, watching as each of the stars, some more familiar to her than others, streaked out of view, only to be replaced with equally familiar others. It wouldn't be too long till they reached earth. Another two hours, tops. Kiyone sighed and relaxed in the large chair. With any luck, Mihoshi's oxygen- deprivation would leave her incapacitated for that duration. But if that was true, then she would have to carry Mihoshi out of the ship... Everything has a down side. she questioned. Kiyone thought on how they had met. At first, she had even been eager to get to know Mihoshi, since she was new at the academy. Mihoshi was different then, too. She wasn't so ditzy. She actually acted responsible, and even more mature than Kiyone at that time. Kiyone and Mihoshi had graduated with flying colors, and had been designated as partners as well. But at some point, Mihoshi had just gone ditzy on her. It seemed to happen right after one of their shore leaves. Kiyone had tried to be lenient, but Mihoshi was just too annoying for her to keep any respect. Kiyone stared at the starscape, and allowed herself to be lulled by it. She dozed off. "TEN-CHIIII!!!" quailed Ryoko, as she dashed after the Juraian prince. He had just arrived from school, and found himself staring into the golden eyes of one Ryoko Hakubi (her last name WASN'T Masaki, no matter how much she said it..). "AYAH! RYOKO, CUT IT OUT!!" Tenchi ran like a bat out of hell. Ryoko remained close behind, even though she could have caught up with him in a millisecond. But she just LOVED to chase him. Unfortunately, Tenchi didn't sympathize. The house was in sight, but he was nearly out of breath. At the last second, when he was just about to grab the door handle, Ryoko materialized in front of him. Tenchi grasped for the handle, but found his hand on Ryoko's right breast. "Well! All you had to do was *ask*, Tenchi..." she said in a sultry voice. Blood oozed from Tenchi's nose. "WAUGH!" he released her ample bosom promptly, and took off, trying to get to the back door. Ryoko teleported in front of him again. Tenchi was looking back at Ryoko as he ran, trying to assess what she might do next, when she disappeared. He had just turned around when his head bounced off of a soft surface. Ryoko giggled as Tenchi felt the ground rush up and strike him. Ryoko closed in on Tenchi. She lifted him from the ground by his shoulders, and brought his face close. Ryoko reveled in the simple matter that Tenchi didn't struggle when his lips were brought close to hers. But before they could meet, a loud thundering noise came from the sky. Ryoko spun around, dropping Tenchi in the process. A red ship, unmistakeably the Yagami, closed in over the lake. "Damn it!" she yelled. "So Kiyone, how did it go?" questioned Tenchi. He and the rest of the family were sitting around a low dining table over tea. "Oh, it was no trouble. There weren't too many shots fired, and no one was hurt. Just a standard arrest. Harland had been wanted on several accounts of bootlegging all kinds of things." "Ohhh..." said Tenchi. "So, what's going on now?" "Well, we have one day, then we have to go search for a space pirate by the name of Yakida Banega. He's wanted for murder, so it'll be kind of dangerous." "Yeah!" interjected Mihoshi. "He's supposed to be on planet.. ummm....Beta VII, I think. But that's not it's real name, it's just that the planet's name is hard to say.." "What Mihoshi means is that the planet's inhabitants are the Couatl, and they speak with whistling noises, so it can't actually be pronounced." "OOh, those Couatl. Dreadful things," said Aeka. "Father had actually once made me have a marriage meeting with one of them. But I said 'Father, they're an insect race! How could you actually think such a thing?' But he said..." Aeka went on for a while, about the different politics involved in the Juraian marriage meetings. After another ten minutes, Ryoko interrupted. "Aeka, SHUT UP! Do you think we want to sit here and listen to you talk?" "I'm sure Lord Tenchi would much rather hear my beautiful voice than your grating bestial grunts!!" Ryoko growled, and hurled an energy ball at Aeka. Aeka just barely summoned her forcefield in time to block the blast. It sheeted ineffectually off of the barrier, to impact the wall. Well, now there was a very clear view of the floating onsen, if you were in the dining room... As if on cue, Wasyuu poked her head through the dimensional door to her lab. "Tenchi," she said, as if nothing was happening. Tenchi was ducked down nearby. He looked up, and without a second thought, leapt into the lab, followed by everyone else aside from Aeka and Ryoko. Tenchi sighed with relief, and sat on the floor. Kiyone spoke up. "Wasyuu?" "......" "Sorry. Wasyuu-chan.." "Yes?" "Um, I'd like to ask you a favor..." "Shoot." "Well, our ship's got an antimatter leak.." "WHAT?!" "You can thank Mihoshi for that. I was wondering if you could seal that, and perhaps, maybe even do a little repair on the Yagami?" "Well, I'd better get to work right now!" Wasyuu produced a few small cylinders. She pressed one to Tenchi's arm. Before he could protest, she explained, "This is to make sure you guys repel the stuff before it starts eating away at you on the subatomic level." She innoculated them all. "I'm going to have to get Aeka later. Ryoko'll be just fine." Wasyuu summoned her holo-top. "And now I'll get to fixing your ship." "Arigatto, Wasyuu-chan." "No problem. Tenchi looked at Kiyone. She was staring at a large tank in which some humongous, obviously carnivorous fish was swimming. She seemed immersed in some thoughts. On a whim, Tenchi said:"Kiyone, what are you thinking about?" he cursed himself silently for butting into her ideas like that. "Hm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking about my next mission." "Oh? So, what's it about?" "Nothing really. Just a normal pirate chase. But for some reason, HQ is calling Mihoshi in. My guess is it's a performace review in light of her recent mistakes. But she won't be around for a while, and we were scheduled to go after a couple of other pirates, all in a ring known as the Crimson Talon. I was just thinking about how much easier it will be without Mihoshi." "Yeah, I guess she could be kind of a third leg in something like that..." "Well, sometimes she shows extraordinary skill and actually does more than anyone could ask." "Yeah? Really?" "Mmm Hmm. I think you guys call it 'luck'" "Oh." "Yeah. I've got to get ready and go tomorrow. Mihoshi'll be taking the Yukinojo and heading off for HQ later on tonight." "You know, I've always wondered what it would be like to go on one of those trips after dangerous pirates and stuff." "Really?" "Yeah! There's always stories and shows and such, but I've always envied those space police in the shows." "Well, rest assured, it's nothing special. Most of the time, it's either a false alarm, or we lose them." "Yeah?" "Yep. When people report the pirates to us, it's usually after they've already done the damage and are leaving." "Well, that makes sense." Kiyone nodded. "Hey, I'll take a look out there and see if those two are done fighting, yet." Tenchi followed closely, and looked over her shoulder out the door. It seemed to have calmed down, and surprisingly, there was minor damage instead of the nuclear wake they expected. Kiyone stepped out first, cautiously. Tenchi was still following her closely, and if he hadn't been distracted by watching for Ryoko and Aeka, then he probably wouldn't have been so close. Wasyuu looked after them from inside the lab. "Hmm..." she smiled deviously. "No way." Wasyuu said softly, still smirking. Silently, she closed the door and retreated back into the dark depths of her cave. Once Kiyone was sure it was all clear, she sighed and relaxed a little. Then she noticed Tenchi's head was right next to hers, his chin almost touching her shoulder. His eyes were fearful, and she realized he was only looking out for Ryoko and Aeka. "I think it's safe, Tenchi." Tenchi shook his head quickly. "Huh? Oh, yeah." Tenchi retreated from Kiyone and sighed in relief. Distantly, he heard explosions. Looking out the window, he saw blue and red light flickering through the atmosphere a distance away. "Oh, so that's why the house isn't gone." Kiyone looked out and sighed. "I just hope they don't find a way to get to the Yagami." Sasami poked her head out from under the couch. "Is it all clear?" she said with a quavering voice. Tenchi nodded, and Sasami pulled herself out, followed shortly by Ryo-ohki, who was covered in dust. Sasami patted a dust bunny out of her dress, and then helped Ryo-ohki get rid of her new grey coat. About ten minutes later, Aeka and Ryoko showed up, separately. Aeka's face was covered in soot, her robes torn at places. Ryoko's hair was somewhat frazzled, and she too had a soot-covered face. They said nothing for the rest of the evening to each other, and nothing to Tenchi until supper. Sasami had made fish tempura and some gohan for supper. Some rice, too, but nothing special. At least, not special by her usual standards. Sometimes her cooking reflected her mood, or so Tenchi noticed. Aeka and Ryoko almost fought over Tenchi again, but Wasyuu stepped in and dropped some statues on both of them. Supper had gone thusly anti-conversational. Tenchi retired to bed around 9:00, even though he wouldn't have any school for another three weeks. He stayed awake for a while, thinking of what it would be like to go into space and chase a vicious pirate, or smuggler, or something like that. He pictured himself in one of those proud GP ships, flying with weapons ablaze after a wanted criminal. But for some reason, he couldn't picture a GP ship without Kiyone in it. he thought. He fell asleep dreaming of space and what it may hold. Tenchi had been thinking of this as he woke up the next morning and freshened up. He brushed his teeth and took a short shower, then marched downstairs. Kiyone was eating one last breakfast before she took off to space and the comparatively tasteless ICM's, or Ion Cured Meals. Tenchi sat down across from her, Aeka and Ryoko on either side of him, and ate his breakfast. He had been thinking of it for a while now, and after he finished eating, he spoke up. "Kiyone, I was wondering... Could I come with you this time? You know, just to see what it's like..." Kiyone looked up, surprised. "Huh? Well..." she stole a glance at Ryoko and Aeka, who were seething, and sending icy glares at her. "Um, if you *really* want to, I suppose it won't be a problem. You can't be as bad as Mihoshi, so it'd probably be fine." Tenchi brightened. "Really? Great! Let me just go pack some things, and I'll be ready in a minute." As Tenchi left the room, Aeka and Ryoko's glares didn't leave Kiyone. She spoke up. "Listen. I don't know why you guys are looking at me like that, but it *was* his idea, so don't get mad at ME." Aeka looked as if she were about to speak, but then decided against it, and simply excused herself from the table. It took Ryoko a minute, but she phased away, too. Kiyone sighed. "I can just see where THIS is going.." Tenchi came down the stairs, flanked by a pleading Aeka, and a demanding Ryoko. "Tenchi, come on, why would you want to go to space? It's really nothing special...." "Lord Tenchi, I'm sure you and I can go into space as much as you like once Ryu-oh is ready..." "Hey! Ryo-ohki can take us, let's go, Tenchi!!" "He doesn't want to ride in your flea-ridden craft, slut!" Ryo-ohki looked somewhat downcast at this, but Sasami handed her a carrot, so she forgot about it. Tenchi walked stealthily over to Kiyone. "C'mon, while they're fighting, I think we can get away!" Kiyone nodded and stood up. She and Tenchi tiptoed out the door as the fireworks began. They started to run for the Yagami once they had cleared the doorstep. Kiyone reached the hatch first and pressed her thumb to a small black panel on the right. The door whispered open, and she and Tenchi ran in. Kiyone stepped towards the turbolift, and the door parted down the middle. Tenchi carried his bag onto the elevator, and Kiyone pressed a large button marked "emergency." A second later, Tenchi felt as if he'd sink through the floor. The elevator was on the first deck in milliseconds. They stepped off. "The guest quarters are down one floor and to the left. You can just use the staircase right there. Put your bags in and then come back to the bridge." "Aye...sir," said Tenchi with a smirk. Kiyone smiled at that, and said "There's no need for formalities, Tenchi." Tenchi laughed. Kiyone turned on her heel and jogged for the bridge. Tenchi trekked down a floor, and through a normal sliding door marked "guest." The room was spartan, with a simple cot and a small closet. There was also an intercom panel on the left of the door. Tenchi just tossed his bag on the cot and ran back upstairs for the bridge. He found Kiyone flipping switches, and preparing to take off. Tenchi took the seat that Mihoshi usually occupied, and they were ready to rock 'n roll. "Ready?" questioned Kiyone. "Ready," he said. Kiyone grasped a lever in hand, and pulled it back. A reverberating thunder rocked the ship as the engines kicked in, and it lifted its ponderous weight from the ground. Ryoko and Aeka ran outside just in time to see the Yagami streak off into the sky, then disappear as it broke the gravity well easily. Aeka fell on her knees, and began to cry. Ryoko growled, and electricity danced around her. Sasami ran out. "Bye Tenchi! Have a safe trip!" she yelled, waving. Ryoko reached over and grasped Ryo-ohki. "Come on, we're going after them!!" she said, throwing Ryo-ohki into the air. Ryo-ohki flew up... Then hit the ground with a muffled thump. "Whaa? Come ON, this isn't the time to play around!" "Myaa mya miya mya miya meow!" protested Ryo-ohki. "Huh? What do you mean, you can't?!" "Miya! Mya mya miya!" "Oh, so he *bribed* you, is it?" "Miya." The Yagami had just escaped the gravity well. Tenchi stared out the window, watching the sky's blue turn to black, and saw as it bent slightly before becoming invisible. "Oooh.." he gasped. Kiyone smiled, even though the beauty was lost on her. She had seen it so many times, it just didn't impress her that much, anymore. "We'll be arriving at our destination, shortly. It's a pirate den disguised as an asteroid. It's actually in this asteroid belt, so it won't be long at all," explained Kiyone. Tenchi nodded and stared at the sights that greeted him. The globe of the earth stretched out before them, and the moon hung, it's gray figure drab in comparison to earth. The stars twinkled invitingly and taunted Tenchi, daring him to come closer. Kiyone popped open a compartment nearby, and took out two blasters, each loaded with a fully charged clip. "How good of a shot are you?" she asked nonchalantly. "Uh, umm... Well, I never checked it out, to be truthful." "You'll probably find out pretty quick," she said, tossing one to him. He clutched at it, and almost dropped it. Kiyone handed him another full clip, and he stashed it in his pocket. "I did bring the Tenchiken with me..." he trailed off. "Well, this will help to make you look less conspicuous." Tenchi nodded, and checked it out. The gun had the GP emblem on the handle, and a light indicator telling him that he had a full charge. The safety was on, and Tenchi left it that way. The gun was remarkably light despite the way it looked. The blaster was a titanium blue, and shone in the light. He looked along the barrel on either side, and then lowered it to his lap. Tenchi resumed staring out the window. He watched as Mars shot by, leaving a red wake in his vision. The asteroids were now visible, the more metallic ones shining in the black void. Kiyone steered for one of the asteroids, one that was larger than the others. She stole a glance over at Tenchi to see him staring out at the asteroids. "As soon as you step out that door, I want you to turn off the safety," she explained. Tenchi looked into her eyes and nodded. Feeling his gaze on her, she began to feel pleasantly uncomfortable, a warmth that spread from her face down to the tips of her toes. She shook it off as they neared the singled-out asteroid, its pitted surface showing much more detail now that they were closer. "Okay," she started. "This is going to get a little bit bumpy." With that, Kiyone pressed a button. Twin green circles came from nowhere, and became one over the asteroid. The combined circle turned red and a steady beep rang out. Kiyone pulled on two triggers that were on the control stick. Twin red beams lanced out of the craft, causing it to shake slightly. They hit the "asteroid," and abruptly, it disappeared, replaced by an ugly metal construct. Two blaster burns were now present on its side. When Tenchi stared at it, he just kept thinking of a mangled screw. The structure was huge, though not as big as the fake asteroid. Tenchi didn't have much time to appreciate how butt-ugly the facility was as ships came out of several bays all over it. They advanced on the Yagami and opened fire, not even stopping to hail her. The ship locked on to five of the fifteen that were advancing, and opened fire. About seven beams fired at the ships, decimating three of them instantly. The other two fended off the blasts easily. "Here, Tenchi," said Kiyone quickly. She pressed a button by the port he was sitting at. "Just wait for the ship to lock on, and then pull the triggers." Tenchi nodded vigorously, and grasped the control stick. The two that weren't destroyed fired a few shots, but the Yagami's shielding absorbed the blasts. Tenchi, meanwhile, had begun to target the ships that were behind the two. As Kiyone had said, the ship locked on, and they fired. Seven more, incluing the original two were destroyed. Five were left. The ships danced around, dodging the shots as best they could, but two more succumbed. The final three fled, taking off quickly into space. "Wow, you're a natural!" Kiyone said. Tenchi smiled. "Well, now all we have to do is dock with the station and clean it out." Kiyone handed Tenchi a small disc. "This will fit into the side of the blaster, and give it extra stopping power if needs be." "Okay.. We won't really have to use them, will we?" "By the looks of things, I'd say so." Tenchi gulped, but held the blaster by the side of his head. "Okay." he said, and nothing else. The Yagami came in sideways, the starboard side connecting to the station. Tenchi winced at the loud grinding noises as the station's primitive docking mechanism latched onto the hull. Tenchi and Kiyone rode the turbolift down to the airlock in silence. They arrived at the door, and Kiyone checked her blaster. She flicked off the safety. Tenchi did the same. "Ready?" she asked. Tenchi gulped, and shook his head. Kiyone pressed her thumb to the pad, and the door slid open. The inside of the station was a mess. Apparently, they had struck something vital with those blasters. Ceiling panels were popped off. Wires were bared and sizzling everywhere. The smell of burn circuits pervaded the atmosphere. Cautiously, they stepped in. Aside from the sound of popping wires, everything was eerily silent. Kiyone stepped towards a door, and pressed the panel. The door slid open about a quarter of an inch, then buzzed angrily. A bright flash encompassed it, and the door stopped buzzing. Suddenly, something moved in the shadows behind them. Tenchi came about, holding his blaster at the ready. Kiyone turned around in a flash, blaster aimed. The figure dashed out suddenly, firing wildly with a blaster of its own. A shot lanced by Tenchi's left ear, hitting the wall behind him and producing many sparks. Kiyone fired, the noise ripping through the stagnant air. "Auugh!" the person screamed. He fell to the floor, dead. A hole was in his throat, and smoking. A pool of dark fluids gathered around him. Tenchi could only gape in awe. Kiyone, however, went back to work on the door. She grasped it by the small open area, and pried at it. Tenchi snapped out of his reverie, and aided her in getting the door open. It slid open, almost reluctantly, to reveal another dark corridor. Kiyone tapped a button on her blaster, and a beam of white light came from the front of it, illuminating a small patch of the room. Kiyone looked around. A panel on the wall gleamed. It read: "Power connection cut. Press here to initiate Auxiliary." Kiyone pressed the button, and light instantly lit up the entire floor. Some sections shorted out with a shower of sparks, but there was still adequate light. After a few moments, Tenchi happened upon an access ladder that led to the control room. Kiyone went up first, her blaster at the ready. Tenchi pondered the situation. he thought. Kiyone reached the top and stood aside so Tenchi could climb up. Tenchi glanced around. A viewscreen with a few terminals was all that greeted his eyes. Things here didn't look as damaged. Kiyone walked up to one of the terminals, and typed at it for a moment. "What are you doing?" asked Tenchi. "I'm trying to pull up files of all the latest smuggling runs through here, to see if any involve the Crimson Talon." "Oh." Kiyone typed at it, the noises of falling keys loud in the still air. Tenchi absentmindedly tapped his blaster barrel against his leg, looking about. The screen only showed blank space, with nothing familiar in sight. Tenchi thought he saw something move in the corner of his eye as a loud shot had him standing at attention. At the same time, Kiyone cried out loudly in pain. She fell to the floor, clutching at her side. Blood leaked through her fingers as she fell. Tenchi spun quickly, and with rage, fired several times. The first three shots obliterated the assassin's head, and the other two hollowing out his chest. He didn't have time to scream as the mangled corpse hit the floor. Tenchi shoved the blaster into his pants, and rushed over to Kiyone's side. Her face was a mask of pain, and she struggled to open her eyes. She just wanted to fall asleep in a pool of her own blood right then. The pain was overwhelming. She heard Tenchi say something about a self destruct, but she just couldn't make it out to be truly sure. Tenchi had heard an announcement come over the loudspeaker. "Gravitic calipers disabled! Collision imminent! Evacuate! Evacuate!" The viewscreen focused on a rapidly approaching asteroid. Apparently, their assailant had tripped the controls before he shot Kiyone. Tenchi pulled on her arm. "Come ON, try to stand up! We have to get out of here!" But Kiyone was unable to do so, she was in the fetal positon and in obvious pain. Tenchi picked her up, struggling with her weight, and ran for the access ladder. He had to lower her down, because the shaft was too tight. All the while, her life's blood leaked onto him. "Ten...chi..." she moaned, trying to lift her head. Tenchi had just finished lowering her down the ladder when the station shook violently. A loud rushing noise reported to Tenchi that there was a hull breach nearby. He hefted Kiyone, and ran for the airlock. He pressed his thumb to the panel as he had seen Kiyone do, but the door just buzzed. "Come on, Come ON.." he said with much desperation. Then it clicked, and he took Kiyone's hand. He pressed her thumb to the panel, and the door slid open. He ran in, and then realized he had no idea how to operate the ship. He ran with Kiyone into the turbolift. She was fading, fast. He hit the emergency button, and ripped his sleeve off. He pressed it to her wound tightly, holding it in place as he ran into the bridge. Tenchi didn't know what to do, so he did what he knew how to do. He aimed the blasters and shot a piece of the station off, freeing the airlock, but leaving a large hunk of metal attached to the Yagami. He pulled back the throttle, and they shot off. After about five seconds, he repositioned it. The ship was far away from the blast zone as the station exploded brilliantly, lighting up the void for a second. Tenchi dropped what he was doing, and ran to Kiyone's side. "Come on, think, genius.." he said aloud. "Man, I need something to heal her with!!" Just then, a voice piped in. "Confirmed." it said, and a panel opened nearby. A medkit popped out. "Whaa?" Tenchi wondered as he took the medkit and ran over to Kiyone's side. He took something labeled "Moro-78" and pressed it to the skin of her forearm. He heard a hissing noise, and Kiyone sat up almost instantly. The wound disappeared. Kiyone gasped. "What happened?!" she said. "Umm..." Tenchi explained to her what happened after she was shot. "Wow..that was smart of you..I'm glad you were around..." Tenchi gazed into her eyes. "I thought I'd lose you..." Kiyone looked startled. "Huh?" "W-well, I mean...that is to say.... um..." Tenchi looked abashed. He scratched the back of his head. Then he looked at her again, only with firm resolve. "Kiyone.. I'm didn't really want to come out here just to see what it was like to be a Galaxy Policeman." "Tenchi..." "I...I mean..." Tenchi looked flustered. So it took Tenchi completely by surprise when Kiyone cupped his chin and kissed him tenderly. Tenchi's eyes widened. After what seemed like forever, he reciprocated. "Kiyone...I...I just wanted to say...I...I.." Tenchi shut his eyes tightly. After what felt like hours, he heard... "...love you too." said Kiyone. They kissed, but more fiercely now. Tenchi's right hand went to the back of Kiyone's head, tousling her hair. After an eternity, they parted. "I..I mean...thanks, Tenchi," said Kiyone. "For saving my life back there. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here.." Tenchi couldn't say anything. He was lost for words. "Well...I guess I'd better get into some new clothes.." Kiyone looked down at her side. She felt a little dizzy from blood loss, but the morophelezine in that tube Tenchi had administered was doing the job, and the dizziness was leaving her. But the hole in her GP uniform was still there. "Heh...me too..." Tenchi went down to his quarters, and changed into a shirt and his usual thick cotton pants with standard cord belt. He went back upstairs to see Kiyone tapping a few final keys into the pad. "We're set to orbit that planet," she said, indicating Mars. "We should probably get some rest, now." Tenchi nodded, and retreated back to his bunk. Tenchi went back and took his pants off. He pulled the GP standard issue sheets up to his chest, and stared at the ceiling. A small porthole allowed him to see the stars, and the edge of the red planet. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the footsteps until she was upon him. Kiyone opened the door. She stepped in, and sat down on the cot next to Tenchi. "Hey.." she said. "Yes?" questioned Tenchi. "I was thinking... you could just say it was a spur of the moment thing. We don't have to go on like this. I know it'll be hard for the others to accept..." "No!" was Tenchi's instant reply. "I don't know, but this just feels right. I want to be with you, not any other, Kiyone," he said with utmost sincerity. "Tenchi, I.." she was cut off as Tenchi kissed her deeply. "No more words. We'll talk tomorrow.." he said. Tenchi was about to lay back down to sleep, but Kiyone straddled him. Tenchi looked at the seductive entrapment of her eyes, and of all things, his nose bled. Kiyone wiped it away. "A-are you s-s-sure...K-k-k-k..." Kiyone silenced him with a deep kiss of her own. Once Tenchi was stunned into silence, she backed off, and slowly began to unzip her outfit... Tenchi's nosebleed worsened as her bra was exposed. Kiyone pushed up his shirt, and planted kisses along his torso, leading up to his face. She kissed him fully on the lips, as her hands pushed his shirt up. Kiyone parted the kiss and pushed his shirt up and off. She then began to work on his boxers. His erection nearly pressed out of them as it was. Tenchi's hands were at his sides, grasping for air. Kiyone took his hands and put them on her sides. He clutched at her, but all he could do was hold her as she took his boxers off and freed his erection. Tenchi blushed slightly. Kiyone reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. Her breasts, now fully exposed, bobbed lightly as the bra left them. She then edged her panties off, now fully nude. Tenchi gulped as she kissed him again. He felt his erection touch the inside of her thigh. Kiyone reached down and stroked him lightly. Tenchi relished her touch. But he found himself unable to be any more bold than to just sit there and let her do the work. His hands subconsciously moved up a bit, and touched the bottom of her breasts. Kiyone sighed, and moved his hands up further, till they cupped her breasts. Tenchi's nose bled even more powerfully. Kiyone wiped it away again, and it stopped. Kiyone removed the red band that she usually kept in her hair, and it fell free, her teal tresses blanketing Tenchi. Tenchi placed his hands on her hips and kissed her deeply again, tongues intertwining with passion. Kiyone allowed him to guide her hips until she was positioned above his member. Kiyone placed a hand on his chest, and lowered herself slowly. She gasped as his member pressed into her, filling her. Kiyone sighed passionately and sunk all the way down onto Tenchi, impaling herself. Tenchi's eyes widened, taking in these new feelings. He gasped her name, in spite of himself. Kiyone raised herself above, and then lowered herself onto him again. Tenchi decided to take the initiative, and he rolled her over. Tenchi, now above Kiyone, put one hand on either side of her body, and he began to pump slowly. Kiyone moaned loudly. She put her hands on his shoulders and dug her fingers into him as he thrusted. Soon, he began to move faster and harder. Kiyone found herself moaning, panting, gasping louder with each movement. The feelings built up within her, and finally, release. Her skin flushed hot against his, her fingers rending his flesh as she climaxed. Tenchi pumped faster until unbelieveable feeling rushed through him. Tenchi shuddered as he hit climax, streaming hot inside of her. He fell to her side, spent. Kiyone ran her fingers through his hair, and after a few minutes, they both fell asleep. Tenchi awoke slowly the next morning, feeling quite groggy. He stretched out, and one arm laid itself over Kiyone. She moaned and rolled over. She reached over and caressed his arm. Tenchi was startled for a moment, but then remembered where he was. He hugged her back, and they shared a passionate kiss. Tenchi sat up, and reached for his clothes. He found them by the side of the bed where Kiyone had tossed them. Tenchi thought about what would change in his life after they got back home. He cringed at what Ryoko and Aeka would think. In fact, he knew it would destroy them. But he couldn't deny his feelings, and especially not after what had happened last night. Once Kiyone and Tenchi were ready to get up and go, they went to the bridge. Tenchi smiled at Kiyone, who beamed back at him. Kiyone thought about her life before Tenchi. Any of the guys that she had met would go instantly after Mihoshi. She was beautiful, sexy... and dumb as a rock. The men found her irresistible, because she was so easy. But Tenchi... Tenchi was a rare guy, one in a million. He wouldn't take advantage of any of the women, and was willing to wait until THEY were ready. He didn't force himself upon them, and in fact hid his emotions and lust when he was around them. Kiyone knew this, and that was why she went after Tenchi. The planet Mars loomed in the viewport, its red and vibrant color proclaiming its existence loudly into the blackness of space. Kiyone seated herself at the controls. "Well, Tenchi...shall we head for home?" Tenchi cringed. "Umm... Okay, but what will we do about Ryoko and Aeka? They'll skin us alive.." "We just won't tell them right now," responded Kiyone quickly. Tenchi sighed. "I hope that holds out for a while. But you should watch what you do. Those two are *remarkably* perceptive." Kiyone nodded, and pulled back the throttle. Instantly, the ship shot into space, leaving a crimson trail as it became a blur. It wasn't more than ten seconds before Earth, its cool blue color a contrast compared to the burning red of Mars. Earth grew larger as they approached, and Kiyone shut off the afterburners. The ship then coasted into the atmosphere, and then down towards one island in particular. The Yagami settled down in the lake before Tenchi's house. Almost instantly, Ryoko and Aeka were at the side of the lake with stern, but welcoming looks at Tenchi. A short ramp extended the last few feet to the ground, and Tenchi and Kiyone walked quietly down it. Tenchi and Kiyone had agreed on it a minute ago, even though Tenchi didn't really want to. They had agreed that Tenchi should be glad to see Ryoko and Aeka. However, he was afraid that they would take it the wrong way. Tenchi reached out and hugged them both. This caused their eyes to bug out meaningfully. But Tenchi tried his best to mean it. "Hi Aeka, hi, Ryoko!" he said. "T-t-tenchi?" said Aeka, her voice quavering. "It's good to see you two," finished Tenchi, not wanting the two to get the wrong idea. Ryoko was stunned, at a loss for words. Tenchi promptly went inside. Sasami had her back to him at the kitchen, chopping something up. Ryo-ohki was perched on her head. "Hi, Sasami!" said Tenchi, startling her entirely. "Oh! Hi, Tenchi!" said Sasami with much glee. "Didja have fun?" "You bet!" said Tenchi. Tenchi hugged Sasami just as he had Ryoko and Aeka. Kiyone followed him in shortly. Ryoko and Aeka, however, were still out by the lake, not moving. Kiyone, seeing that no one was around, gave Tenchi a kiss on the lips. They held the kiss for a few seconds, not wanting to press their luck. Too bad. They heard a gasp come from off to their right. Nobuyuki was standing there, and he had dropped his newspaper. "Tenchi my BOY!" he yelled ecstatically. "You're finally growing up!" Tenchi gestured, trying to hush his dad. But to no avail, at the moment. "And to think I thought I'd have to send you to one of those Pink Salons! But no, you've got the Masaki charm, it just came out a little late, that's all...." Tenchi clamped a hand over Nobuyuki's mouth. "Dad, I need to ask you a personal favor," he said. Nobuyuki hesitated, but shook his head. "Please, for the love of Kami-sama, don't say a thing!" Nobuyuki freed his mouth. "Why?" "If the rest find out, I'm dead meat." "Hmm..." said Nobuyuki. thought Tenchi. "Well, if I do that for you, then you have to do something for me." "W-what?" "You have to loosen up and play a normal teenage game with the women. Or at least have a drink. I don't mind at all! Just once, I want them to see that you've loosened up a little." Tenchi sighed. Well, why not? What harm could come of it? "Okay..." "Oh BOY! I'll tell dad that we'll have to leave for a while, and take Sasami with us..." Tenchi got the gist of it. "Uhh, what kind of game, Dad?" "Well, I'd expect they'd want you to play truth or dare, or something like that..." "Ahem. Dad, as you can see, I'm already infatuated with Kiyone. I don't want something to...well..happen." "I see, but don't worry. What's the worst that can happen? I mean, you've always been good at weaseling yourself out of stuff." So Tenchi accepted. About ten minutes later, Ryoko and Aeka came in the door, and they didn't stop staring at Tenchi. They looked at the way he looked at them. They watched his movements, to see if they could read them. But Tenchi seemed even more secretive today. It itched at them, and they almost went mad not being able to figure it out. Tenchi ate lunch and then, as planned, jiichan and Nobuyuki went on some errand with Sasami. And as planned, Tenchi was to find some way to trick them into starting the festivities. Unfortunately, Tenchi couldn't find a less obvious way than to suggest it. So instead of suggesting it, he brought a case of sake out when no one was looking, and placed it on the kitchen table. Of course, it wasn't long before Ryoko saw it, and broke it out. "Party time!!" she yelled, and passed a round of sake to everyone. She offered to Tenchi. "Come on, loosen up! It won't hurt to have one drink!" Tenchi led her on for a while, saying no, but he then allowed himself to be badgered into it. Fortunately, none of the ladies noticed, save for Kiyone, who kept her mouth shut. She acted as normal, trying her best not to gaze at Tenchi, or kiss him, or hug him. After some sake, Tenchi was feeling tipsy, but Kiyone stayed sober just for him, to keep an eye on him. But Tenchi made sure he never really got that soused. In fact, he never lost his better judgment.......or so he believed. Ryoko had just initiated a game of truth or dare, and it was Tenchi's turn. "Tenchi," said Ryoko. "Truth or dare?" "Truth," came the obvious reply. "Okay. Who do you love the most?" "Umm, shit. Okay, dare." "All right...I dare you to....to do a striptease!!" "WHAT?!!" Ryoko could barely contain herself. "That's right, I dare you to strip for us, Tenchi. It's either that or answer the truth question!!" Aeka blushed. "Oh, my.." she said. Kiyone could barely stop herself from laughing out loud. But she also had to contain her interest. Tenchi, however, was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He COULDN'T answer the question. It was literally a life or death question. He could lie and say he loved one of the others, but he just couldn't deny his feelings. Or, he could embarrass himself beyond all belief and strip for the women. "Well..." sighed Tenchi. "I guess stripping wouldn't be the worst of both worlds.." "YAYY!!" yelled Ryoko. She leapt up and stood atop her chair. "Whoop whoop!! Come on, Tenchi! Take it off! Take it off! Take it off! I haven't seen one of these in years!!" Aeka's face turned a deep beet red. But she did edge forwards to the end of her seat. But it was just Ryoko, Aeka, and Kiyone, since Mihoshi was still out for that review... Tenchi took another swig of sake...he found the stuff amazingly addictive, even though he hated the taste of it. "But first..." he said. "I need to get monumentally drunk...or I'll embarrass myself!!" Ryoko had absolutely no problem with this. Aeka tried with all her might to contain herself, to make sure she didn't lose her dignity. But it was hard for her to contain her eagerness. After about another twenty minutes, Tenchi was finding it hard to walk. His voice was slurred. Of course, it would take a lot more than that to put Ryoko down. She was just a little tipsy, that's all. "Tenchiii... I think you're drunk enough.." she said. "Whutchew talkin' 'bout, wommin? Ah tell yew wen I is drunk enuff..." Tenchi tripped and landed with his face in Aeka's lap. Aeka's eyes widened, and she blushed heavily. Even though she was a little soused, she felt as if her better judgment hadn't left her, yet... But the dead giveaway was the fact that she didn't let him get away easily. Of course, Ryoko pulled him to his feet. Kiyone watched them like a hawk. "All right, lover boy, get to it!" she smiled gamely. Tenchi tottered about on the floor, tripping over his own feet. He worked at the buttons on his shirt, trying to get it over with, but not exactly hurrying, either. Ryoko cheered him on. She took some yen from who knows where, and tucked it into his belt. Tenchi finally got his shirt off and he flung it out towards the "audience." Aeka caught it, and blushed so much, she could have lit the room up. Tenchi worked on his belt. Once freed, the yen that had been placed there fell to the floor. As did his pants. Aeka shielded her eyes, but peeked through her fingers. Ryoko's eyes grew wide and sparkly as she stared. Ryoko stood up and whooped some more. Tenchi stood in his boxers, and stumbled around. He couldn't move with anything that resembled grace anymore. Everyone, even Ryoko fully expected him to stop there. But Tenchi was just so drunk... he had been taking slugs from the bottle he clutched the whole time. Tenchi started to get entirely nude. Aeka gasped, and didn't peek through her fingers this time. Ryoko gasped, but leapt at him. Kiyone, her judgment getting the better of her, grabbed Ryoko's foot. Ryoko hit the ground with an audible slap, and Kiyone pulled her back. "None of that," she said. Ryoko grumbled, and sat down to watch the rest of the show. Tenchi, now nude, tottered around. Ryoko looked over and saw that Aeka was covering her eyes, blushing. So Ryoko grabbed Aeka's hands, and pulled them away. Aeka got an eyeful. It started out for a second with just wide eyes. But then, she blushed a deep red, then scarlet, then purple. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. "Lord Tenchi..." she gasped. Tenchi took another slug from the sake. Finally, he had had enough. He fell to the floor, out cold from too much liquor. Ryoko again leapt at him, but this time, Aeka contained her in a forcefield. She beat ferociously on the inside of it. Kiyone finally decided that enough was enough, and she dressed Tenchi. She then brought him to his room, and left promptly to so as to not arouse suspicion. But she did kiss him on the forehead, with a quiet "Oyasume." Aeka and Ryoko argued over which one of them would get Tenchi, and kept at their liquor. After another hour, they passed out. Kiyone spread a spare futon on the floor, and slept. But she was lonely for Tenchi. But because she loved him, she couldn't expose his secret by openly sleeping with him. Besides, he was probably out of it by now. The next morning, Tenchi woke up groggily, and with one hell of a hangover. He didn't remember much... Just getting dared into stripping. He didn't even know if he actually did it. Tenchi stepped out of his room, and was greeted by his dad. "Tenchi, you ARE hardcore! I feel like a novice next to you!" "What do you mean, dad?" "They way you stripped and entertained the women last night! I would never have worked up the guts for that!" Tenchi moaned, and walked quickly away from his dad. Soon, he would have to explain to the others about his relationship with Kiyone. But that would have to wait until after he stopped seeing three of everything... Wasyuu-chan greeted him. "Hey Tenchi! I was working on something all last night! What happened?" Tenchi recapped to Wasyuu. She looked downcast. "OHH!! Damn my luck! The one time I figure nothing's going to happen, and you go and put on a show! I haven't been to one in millennia!!" Wasyuu left promptly to get to breakfast. Tenchi followed close behind. At breakfast, Sasami had made some miso. Kyoto, Tenchi's favorite. "Tenchi!" said Sasami. "Yes?" "Aeka told me all about what happened last night..." she giggled. Tenchi blushed madly. he thought. Once Kiyone was at the table, Tenchi decided it was time to make the announcement. He stood up. "A-hem.." everyone looked up expectantly. "Well, all of you were wondering for quite some time which one of you I would choose..." All of them were on the edge of their seats. "Aaaaand... I choose..." Eyes widened, women stood up, looking pleadingly into Tenchi's eyes. "Kiyone." "Waaah?" they were struck down by that. Kiyone had known it, so she just walked over to Tenchi and they shared a passionate kiss. Nobuyuki wicked away a tear. Aeka and Ryoko stared blankly. Ryoko phased away, a single tear hitting the ground as she left. Aeka's eyes filled up with tears, and she hid her face in shame. Sasami was happy for them, and gave Tenchi a hug. Wasyuu nodded knowingly. Aeka, unable to bear it any longer, rushed towards Tenchi. She grasped his shirt, and buried her face into him, sobs wracking her body. "Tenchi.." she sniffled. "B-but...I...L...love you!" Tenchi knew this would happen, that he would have to put up with this. But he knew he couldn't bear it much longer. Unfortunately for him, Ryoko appeared nearby, her face sticky with dried tears. She gripped onto him, and both of the women's sorrow echoed through the dining room. Tenchi couldn't help it. Tears formed in his eyes. "I..I'm sorry...but I can't deny my feelings..." Tenchi started to break down. he thought. The women's sobs didn't let up, and Tenchi just gave up trying to shield his emotions. Tenchi fell to his knees, the women following him down. Shamefully, he buried his face in his hands and bawled. He cried, and cried. He felt torn. It was just too much. Kiyone curled up and cried, too. She had never seen Tenchi cry before... And it hurt her deeply. Nobuyuki couldn't say anything. He just swallowed deeply, and patted his son on the back, any words of encouragement lost to the moment. It went on for what seemed like hours, but what was really only twenty minutes. Tenchi didn't think it would affect him that much. But it was unbearable to him, to have to hurt the women that had sought after him for so long so deeply. Tenchi stood up, trying to hide his tears, blushing with shame. Kiyone stepped up to him, and he threw his arms around her, sobbing. She cried, too, holding him. Despite everything, Aeka and Ryoko decided to stay for a while longer, at least until they recuperated from the loss. They were still there three months later when Tenchi and Kiyone got married. And nine months after that, when their first child, Yuli, was born. Of course, Ryoko and Aeka found their own men. Ryoko would visit from time to time, always to say hi to Tenchi and their child. Aeka wasn't as lucky. She almost never got to visit, because of her royal duty. Sasami decided to stay there for a while, simply because she didn't have to do all that queenly stuff. But, as the ever-famous saying goes, Tenchi and Kiyone lived happily ever after... ======================================================== Well, I finished the Kiyone story. I can't think of anything else to say, except e-mail me and tell me what you think!! URL:www.geocities.com/cubone41 E-mail:cubone41@yahoo.com