Disclaimer:  As much as I would love to take credit for the characters in this 
story, I cannot.  Tenchi Muyo! and its 
characters are property of AIC and Pioneer.  "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay 
reprinted from the Norton 
Anthology of American Literature, Fifth Edition, Volume 2, copyright 1998 by W. 
W. Norton & Company, Inc.  
"Aeka's Eyes," though based on pre-existing characters, is the property of the 
author and may not be reprinted 
without permission.  Ditto for all original characters found therein.  Now that 
that's out of the way, enjoy the story!

Note to reader:  This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so please forgive any 
misspellings of places or character 
names.  I have omitted a few minor characters for simplicity's sake, because 
their appearances would not have 
contributed further to content.

Aeka's Eyes

	"So you want to play, huh?" questioned Ryoko of her unknown pursuer in the 
craft behind her.  
"Okay, let's go!"
	Ryoko never could have guessed that her evening would end up like this.  
Her argument with Aeka 
was particulary heated that evening at dinner, even by their standards.  She 
decided to take Ryo'oki for a 
quick spin around the solar system to cool off.  However, her quest for peace 
was cut short when this 
unknown ship began firing on her.  She easily dodged the volley of shots, and 
turned around quicky for 
Earth.  But the ship persisted, setting off in pursuit.
	"Ryo'oki, let's get back to Tenchi's now," Ryoko commanded of her ship.  
"We'll be able to shake 
this guy once we hit the atmosphere."  Ryo'oki meowed assent as she speeded her 
way to the Masaki 
residence.
	Once Ryo'oki broke through the atmosphere, the ship suddenly broke off 
pursuit and headed off in 
another direction.  "Too bad," said Ryoko.  "And I was looking forward to 
showing this joker a thing or 
two.  I guess he's not as stupid as I thought.  Ryo'oki, you can slow down now, 
and begin our descent."
	Ryo'oki meowed and began the slow approach to Tenchi's.  About a mile from 
the house, the 
unknown ship appeared directly ahead and opened fire.
	"What the..." puzzled Ryoko.  "How the hell did he get here?  He must have 
used Earth's gravity as 
a slingshot and come back around!  But he's way too low.  Is he crazy?"
	Ryo'oki was easily able to dodge the hale of gunfire and managed to return 
a blast of her own.  The 
mystery ship dodged the blast, but due to its low altitude, it scraped into a 
hillside, sending a shower of 
debris raining down on the countryside.  Smoking heavily and sliding awkwardly 
toward earth, the wounded 
ship came down in a cloud of dust and a thunderous roar.
	"Yee-haw!" shouted Ryoko triumphantly.  "I bagged us a big one!  Let's go 
see who the unlucky 
stiff is, Ryo'oki."
	Ryo'oki gave a self-satisfied "meow" as she approached the crash site.
	The debris was thick on the ground, and the heavy perfume of burning oil 
permeated the valley.  
Ryoko surveyed the damaged spacecraft.  She had seen similar wrecks before, and 
had never known anyone 
to survive them.  Scanning the twisted metal, searching for what she thought 
would be a dismembered 
corpse, Ryoko was surprised to hear a weak groan emanating from the cockpit.  
She rushed to the bridge 
and found a man strapped into a chair.  He was badly scraped and bloodied, but 
very much alive.  Ryoko 
knew that he would not survive without immediate medical attention.
	"You deserve to be left here to die," she addressed the unresponsive 
pilot.  "But I guess I should 
bring you back and get you some help.  I guess living with Tenchi has made me a 
little soft."
	Ryoko unstrapped her injured pursuer from his chair and took him swiftly 
in her arms to the 
Masaki home.

	Everyone gathered around the cot in Washu's lab on which the injured pilot 
lay.  Washu worked 
feverishly to prepare all the medical equipment she would need to help this 
unfortunate individual.
	"Can you help him, Washu?" asked Sasami in a concerned tone.
	Washu thought for a moment.  "It's a miracle that he survived the crash at 
all," she admitted.  
"We'll need another one if he's going to pull through."
	"I hope he'll be alright," said Sasami, the worry evident on her face.
	"Hey, who's side are you on!" broke in Ryoko.  "He did try to kill me, you 
know."
	"Well, then, he obviously has a sense of justice," remarked Aeka coolly.
	"What do you mean by that?" questioned Ryoko sharply, turning to face the 
princess.
	"I'm only saying that, if anyone deserves to be shot out of the sky, it's 
you," returned Aeka icily.
	"You take that back!" shouted Ryoko, anger burning in her eyes.
	"Hey, you two, can you cut it out?" pleaded Tenchi, stepping between the 
two of them.  "It's your arguing that got us in this mess in the first place."
	"So you say you have no idea who he is?" asked Yosho of Ryoko.
	Ryoko took another look at the man.  "Never seen him before," she 
confirmed.  "He popped up out of 
nowhere and just started blasting at me."
	Kiyone stepped forward and bent down to get a look at the man's face.  
"There's something familiar about 
him..." she remarked.
	"Kiyone, take a look at this," said Mihoshi, pointing to the holstered 
weapon on the man's hip.
	"That's a Galaxy Police-issue blaster," Kiyone said, upon identifying his 
sidearm.  "He couldn't have one of 
those unless..."  Suddenly, a look of horror crossed her face as she recognized 
the man.  "Oh my God!" she burst out.  
"Masato!"
	"Who?" asked the procession almost in unison.
	"His name is Masato Kiriyama," began Kiyone.  "He was my first partner 
after I graduated from the police 
academy."
	"So you know him?" asked Tenchi.
	"Yes," Kiyone continued.  "He was a good friend to me.  Even after he was 
promoted ahead of me, he still 
requested me as his partner on a lot of cases.  But four years ago, he was 
involved in an accident that killed five 
officers.  Internal affairs somehow thought he was responsible, and he was to be 
tried in court.  Before the trial, 
however, he hijacked an impounded ship and ran off.  He's one of the Galaxy 
Police's most wanted."
	"Wow," marveled Mihoshi.  "So he was your partner before me?"
	"Yes," Kiyone confirmed.  "But that was a long time ago."
	"But what was he doing chasing you, Ryoko?" asked Sasami.
	"I'm not sure," Ryoko said.  "I'll guess we'll have to ask him when he 
comes to."
	"If he comes to," added Washu gravely.
	"Oh, he'll come to," Ryoko reassured her.  "Someone who gives me the 
runaround like that can't possibly go 
down that easily."

	True to Ryoko's prediction, about a week later Washu was startled from one 
of her many projects when 
Masato not only came to, but rocketed up off the cot with a loud shout.  Washu 
wheeled around to face him as his 
hand reflexively went to his holster.  Upon finding his weapon missing, he 
tensed and demanded in a harsh tone, 
"Where am I?  Who are you?  How did I get here?"
	"Relax," said Washu in a soothing voice.  "You're safe.  My name is Washu, 
and this is my laboratory."
	Masato looked puzzled.  "But how did I... Ryoko!  Where is she?" he 
demanded.
	"Ryoko is the one that brought you back," said Washu.  "If not for her, 
you'd be a goner for sure."
	Masato looked even more surprised.  "Ryoko?  But why--aah!" he shrieked as 
a sharp pain in his side sent 
him doubled over onto the floor.
	Washu rushed to help.  "You shouldn't be up," she said, helping Masato 
back onto the cot.  "You're still 
hurt.  It will be a while before you're a hundred percent.  Take it easy and 
rest."  Washu realized that her plea was a 
mute point; Masato's eyes were already closed in a deep sleep.
	Over the proceeding weeks, Masato's condition improved greatly.  And it 
was not long before he recieved 
his first visitor.  He was particularly surprised to see Kiyone.  "Remeber me?" 
she had asked him.
	"How could I forget?" Masato returned.  "How've you been?"
	"I've been okay," she said.  "Can I ask you something?  Why were you 
chasing after Ryoko?"
	Masato sat up a bit straighter in his cot.  "I was hoping to catch her and 
collect the money that's on her 
head," he revealed.  "I make most of my living as a bounty hunter these days."
	"Why did you run, after the accident?" Kiyone asked.  "Why didn't you 
defend yourself?  A lot of people 
would have stood up for you.  I would have."
	"I know that, I know," Masato said with a smile.  "But that wouldn't have 
done any good, believe me.  All 
the right people knew I was guilty, so for all intents and purposes, I was.  
Running was the only way to save myself.  
And your career."
	"My career?" Kiyone said with a start.
	"You had to have known," Masato explained, "that, if I had been convicted, 
internal affairs would have 
turned its attention to you.  After requesting you as my partner so many times, 
they invariably would have thought 
something was going on between you and me.  As long as they can't prove 
anything, you're safe.  By running, I saved 
my ass and your future in one shot."
	"What happened back there?" Kiyone asked.  "What made them think you did 
it?
	"I guess because I was the only one that survived," mused Masato.  "They 
were looking for someone to 
blame.  But I didn't do anything.  You have to believe that.  I swear on my 
mother."  Masato grasped Kiyone's hand 
and stared intently into her eyes as he said these words.
	Kiyone knew her former partner to be a good and honest man.  "If you say 
you didn't do it," she said, 
returning his gaze, "then that's enough for me."
	"That's why I always asked you to be my partner, Kiyone," Masato said with 
a smile.  "You always believed 
in me."

	Curious as to the condition of the man she had laid up for several weeks, 
Ryoko decided to pay Masato a 
visit.  Upon entering the makeshift infirmary in Washu's lab, Ryoko was 
surprised to see him on his feet 
shadowboxing.  His cuts had all healed, and there was little evidence of any 
bruises he may have had.  He moved 
swiftly, rythmically, delivering a series of punishing combinations to the 
shapeless opponent on the wall.  To see a 
man doing so well after such a horrible crash was nothing short of miraculous.
	"Well, I see you're doing much better," Ryoko addressed him.
	"I've certainly had worse days," Masato responded, then giving a stiff 
roundhouse to his shadow.  He sat 
down on the edge of the cot.  "I suppose I should thank you for saving me back 
there.  I guess I owe you my life."
	"Don't mention it," Ryoko said.  "Besides, Washu did most of the work."
	"I'm just not sure why you put yourself out for me like that," Masato 
said.  "It would have been so much 
easier to leave me for dead."
	Ryoko gave a wide grin.  "Well, if there's one thing I've learned since 
landing here," she said, "It's that 
everyone deserves a second chance."
	Now it was Masato's turn to grin.  "Thanks for the gesture," he began, 
"but I'm afraid I'm a lost cause.  
Nothing changes the fact that I have to spend my life on the run.  I am wanted, 
you know."
	"So am I," Ryoko said.  "But I never let that get me down.  Besides, the 
Galaxy Police couldn't find their 
own asses if they had a map and a mirror."
	Masato wasn't sure if Ryoko meant what she said, or if she was just trying 
to get a rise out of him.  But, 
drawing from his experiences in the department, he knew that she was mostly 
right.  "Well," he said slowly, "In my 
case, they certainly couldn't tell an innocent man from a guilty one."
	"What do you mean?" asked Ryoko inquisitively.
	"Well, I'm assuming that you actually committed most of the crimes you're 
wanted for, right?" Masato 
asked.  Ryoko could only nod in agreement.  "Well, I wasn't responsible for what 
they think I did."
	"You mean that accident four years ago?" Ryoko asked.
	"Right," Masato confirmed.
	"What did happen, then?" asked Ryoko.
	Masato thought for a moment.  "We were tracking a bounty hunter named 
Kazuhiro.  We wanted him in 
connection with a murder.  Anyway, there were six of us on the ship, and we 
finally caught up with him."
	"I can only assume that he resisted arrest," interjected Ryoko.
	"In the worst way," said Masato with a nod.  "He really put up a good 
fight, but we were eventually able to 
subdue his ship.  We had it in tow and were heading back to the station when 
something happened.  I don't know if it 
was a mechanical failure or what, but a power surge shut down the engines and 
the bridge controls.  I went to the 
docking bay where the manual switch for the auxiliary power was, hoping to 
restore power to the bridge.  All of a 
sudden, there was an explosion from the engine room.  Without thinking I jumped 
into one of the drop ships we keep 
in the docking bay and sped off, just before the ship was engulfed in the 
explosion.  Needless to say, all of the other 
officers were killed, and Kazuhiro escaped."
	"So you have no idea what happened?" asked Ryoko.
	"No," sighed Masato.  "I wish I did.  Then, I wouldn't be one of the 
Galaxy Police's ten most wanted."
	Before Ryoko could respond to the plight of their newest house guest, 
Washu barged in with a chart.  "I've 
been going over the tests I ran on you," she said, "and from what I can see 
you're in nearly perfect shape.  It seems 
you're free to go."
	"Great," said Masato.  "But I'm afraid you're wrong.  Without a ship, I'm 
not free to go anywhere."
	"Don't worry about that," said Ryoko.  "I have a feeling that won't be a 
problem."
	"What do you mean?" asked Masato, a confused look on his face.
	"Come on," Ryoko said with a wink, "There are a few people you should 
meet."

	That evening at the dinner table Masato met the members of the Masaki 
household.  Tenchi and Yosho 
agreed that Masato could stay as long as he wanted, just so long as he helped 
with the upkeep of the house.
	"So Masato," Tenchi had said, "Tell us about yourself."
	"Not really much to tell," he responded, "apart from what I'm sure Kiyone 
has told you all.  I've spent the 
last few years scraping a living out of being a bounty hunter.  Ryoko would have 
set me up nicely for quite some 
time, but I guess she was just a bit more than I could handle," he added with a 
wink.
	"Well, I am too much for most people to handle," Ryoko said, glancing at 
Tenchi seductively.
	As was her custom in such situations, Aeka cut in.  "So," she said, 
struggling to find a topic, "do you have 
any hobbies?"
	"Well, I do like to draw," confessed Masato.  "And I'm a big fan of 
poetry."
	"Do you have a favorite poem?" asked Sasami.  Kiyone chuckled and sat back 
in her chair.  Even after four 
years, she hadn't forgotten Masato's invariable response to such a question.  
True to his past, Masato began his 
recitation:

	"If we must die, let it not be like hogs
	Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
	While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
	Making their mock at our accursed lot.
	If we must die, O let us nobly die,
	So that our precious blood may not be shed
	In vain; then, even the monsters we defy
	Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!"

Masato slammed his hand on the table, causing the plates to jump.  He continued 
with his discourse, his voice 
growing stronger with each line.

	"O kinsmen!  We must meet the common foe!
	Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
	And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
	What though before us lies the open grave?
	Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
	Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!"

	Everyone was silent, staring back at Masato with wide eyes and gaping 
mouths.  Except for Kiyone, who sat 
smiling, thinking that he hadn't changed in four years.
	"That was... really good," Mihoshi finally broke the silence.
	"Yes, very... intense," Tenchi added.
	"Claude McKay," said Masato, identifying the author.  "That's the only 
poem of his I ever liked.  To this 
day it is my absolute favorite."
	"Well, I guess I should start on the dishes," Sasami said, beginning to 
carry a few plates to the kitchen.
	"I'll give you a hand," said Masato.  "After all, I do have to start 
pulling my weight around here, huh?"  He 
smiled at Yosho.
	"Yes, no more taking it easy and being waited on hand and foot by Washu," 
Yosho replied sarcastically.
	Sasami and Masato adjourned to the kitchen to begin washing up.  The 
others remained at the table.
	"He's the same guy from the department, I swear," said Kiyone.  "He hasn't 
changed at all."
	"So tell me, Kiyone," said Ryoko with a mischievous grin, "He was your 
partner, right?  Just how close did 
the two of you get?"
	"Ryoko!" Kiyone scolded.
	"Well, he is kind of handsome," Ryoko trailed off.  "I can understand how 
a young, impressionable officer 
like yourself may be overcome--"
	"Please!" Kiyone cut her off.  "We were friends.  That's it."
	"Wow," said Mihoshi.  "I just find it hard to believe that you had a 
partner before me.  I mean, we work so 
well together.  He certainly couldn't have been as good a partner."
	"You have no idea," mumbled Kiyone under her breath.
	"What?" asked Mihoshi.
	"Nothing," returned Kiyone.

	"So Aeka is your sister," mused Masato as he dried a plate, "and you are 
both princesses of the planet 
Jorai?"
	"That's right," said Sasami as she scrubbed furiously.  "And we all came 
here, and Tenchi let us all live with 
him."
	"So you've got two police officers," Masato listed, "a space pirate, a 
scientist, and two Jorai princesses all 
under one roof?"
	"Yep!" said Sasami cheerfully.
	"And everyone is okay with this?" Masato puzzled.
	"You bet!" replied Sasami.  "We're all happy here living with Tenchi."
	"Six women in the same house," marveled Masato.  "I hope Tenchi realizes 
just how lucky he is."
	"So tell me about where you live," said Sasami curiously.
	Masato smiled in a knee-jerk reaction to Sasami's naivety.  "Right now, I 
don't actually live anywhere," he 
said.  "I stay on the move mostly."
	"But you came from somewhere, right?" asked Sasami.  "Tell me about where 
you came from."
	Masato thought for a moment.  It had been so long since anyone had asked 
him a question like that.  "I grew 
up in the country," Masato began.  "My mother and father and brother and I lived 
in a small house near a stream.  To 
be honest, I don't remember much about my childhood, except that I was very 
happy.  My parents made sure I was 
well taken care of, and my brother and I played all the time.  I guess what I 
remember most is the color of the leaves 
on the hillside during fall.  The colors were so fiery and vibrant, and the 
breeze through the trees rustled the leaves at 
night.  I can remember lying in bed at nights, listening to the wind through 
those leaves, and feeling completely calm 
and at ease."
	"So, where is your family now?" queried Sasami.
	"My parents moved after I started running.  My brother..." Masato seemed 
to be gathering himself.  He put 
his hands over his face.  "He's gone."
	"Gone?" asked Sasami.  "Gone where."
	"He's dead" said Masato.  Sasami gasped.  "We were at a fair, and he 
somehow got separated from us," he 
explained.  "We looked for him for months.  He was finally found..."  Masato 
caught himself in a sob.  His face went 
deeper into his hand.  "I'm sorry," he said, trying to compose himself.  "I 
shouldn't be laying all of this on you."
	"No, it's okay," said Sasami, taking Masato's other hand.  "It must be 
hard for you."
	"It is," said Masato.  "It's the reason I became a cop in the first place.  
I wanted to make sure nothing like 
that ever happened to anyone else.  I wanted to spare someone else the pain of 
going through what my family went 
through.  Now even that hope is shattered."
	"Don't worry, Masato," Sasami comforted him, gripping his hand more 
tightly.  "Everything is going to be 
okay.  Things will work out, I know it.  Besides, you can stay with us as long 
as you want."
	"Thank you," said Masato, bringing his hand down from his face.  "I 
certainly hope you're right.  And I 
hope that one day I can repay all your kindness."
	Sasami smiled.  "You don't need to do that," she reassured him.  She 
released his hand.  "Now I've got to 
get an early start on the day tomorrow, or I won't be able to cook breakfast for 
everyone."
	"Wait a minute," said Masato, "you cook all the meals here?  And you wash 
up?"
	"Yep!" said Sasami jauntily as she made her way upstairs.
	Masato was dumbfounded as he watched Sasami gallop up the staircase.  
Weren't there child labor laws 
anymore?

	The next morning, upon entering the kitchen, Sasami was surprised to see 
Masato already awake, busily 
working in a sketchbook.  Ryo'oki was on the table in front of him, scratching 
her ear.
	"Come on, Ryo'oki, hold still," Masato pleaded.  "If you keep moving 
around, I'll never get this done."  
Ryo'oki meowed in an exasperated tone.
	"Didn't I promise you a bunch of carrots if you helped me with this?" 
reminded Masato to his model.  "Just 
a little bit more; I'm almost done, here."
	"Are you drawing Ryo'oki?" asked Sasami.
	"Well, I'm trying," replied Masato, as Ryo'oki resumed her former 
position.
	"Can I see?" queried Sasami anxiously.
	Masato dropped his pencil and showed the sketch to Sasami.  Though the 
drawing was not finished, the 
resemblance to Ryo'oki was uncanny.  It was almost a perfect rendering.  "Wow!" 
said Sasami, genuinely impressed.  
"That's really great!"
	"Thanks," Masato replied.  "I took this up while I was in school.  Never 
had one lesson."
	Sasami and Masato both then heard a yawn behind them, and turned around to 
face the recently awakened 
Aeka.  "Good morning Aeka!" Sasami cheerfully called to her sister.
	"Good morning," Aeka replied.  She then spied the pencil sketch in 
Masato's hand.  "Did you make that?" 
she asked.  "It's very good."
	"Er, yes, thank you," said Masato.
	Aeka took a seat at the table.  She then realized with a start that Masato 
hadn't taken his eyes off her since 
she walked in.  "Why are you staring at me?" she inquired gently.
	Masato looked as though he had just awaken from a dream.  "Huh?" he 
blurted.  "Oh!  Was I staring?  I'm 
sorry.  I must not be completely awake yet."  He then turned his attention 
intently to his sketch.  Still, periodically, 
his eyes nervously turned upwards to meet Aeka's for a moment.  Then, just as 
quickly, they were once again upon 
his project.  Ryo'oki, sensing that she was no longer the focus of Masato's 
thoughts at the moment, meowed 
impatiently.
	"Okay, Ryo'oki, that'll be enough for now," said Masato, dropping his 
pencil and sketch pad on the table.  
"Thanks for your help."  Masato then ambled to the cupboard where he withdrew a 
handful of carrots, and 
ceremoniously laid them in front of an appreciative Ryo'oki.  She meowed 
excitedly and proceeded to devour her 
payment none too delicately.
	"Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes," reported Sasami, who 
had already begun preparing the 
meal.
	"I guess I should go and wash up," said Masato.  He glanced again at Aeka, 
and almost nervously departed 
the kitchen.
	Aeka was puzzled.  "Have you noticed Masato acting a little strange 
lately?" asked she of her sister.
	"Uh, not really," replied Sasami.
	Aeka shook her head.  Was she the only person to see Masato's odd 
behavior?

	That evening before dinner, his allotted chores having been completed, 
Masato took a stroll around the 
property.  The sky was clear and the sun was warm; a perfect day for a walk.  In 
the distance, he could hear a sort of 
clacking sound.  He decided to investigate.  Upon drawing closer to the origin 
of the sounds, he could distinguish 
also a series of grunts and shouts.  He followed the sounds further, and 
eventually came upon two figures who 
appeared to be locked in a sword fight.  Upon closer observation, he could 
recognize the two as Tenchi and Yosho.
	Masato continued to observe the pair from afar.  The fight was intense, 
and it appeared that Tenchi was 
putting forth most of the effort.  Despite his punishing barrages, Yosho easily 
defended.  Finally, almost in a display 
of impatience, Yosho's sword came down heavily upon Tenchi's, knocking it from 
his grasp.  As Tenchi retrieved his 
sword, Yosho remarked, "That's five in a row, Tenchi.  Perhaps we need a bit 
more practice, eh?"
	"Sorry about that, Grandpa," said Tenchi timidly.  Tenchi then spied 
Masato at his observation point.  
"Masato!  What are you doing here?"
	Masato came up from his crouched position.  "I was drawn by the sounds of 
battle," he said theatrically.  "I 
wasn't aware that you were a swordsman, Tenchi."
	"Tenchi began training at a very early age," remarked Yosho.  "He has 
become quite good."
	"You're right about that," admitted Masato.  "But I did notice, Tenchi, 
that when you block high your arms 
go out too far, and leave your midsection wide open.  If you keep your arms 
close, you present a smaller target, plus 
you can recover quicker."
	Yosho raised an eyebrow.  "You can use a sword?" he asked.
	"More or less," Masato replied, conveying an air of modesty.  He was, in 
fact, very good.  As with 
sketching, he had been self-taught.
	Yosho approached Masato, and handed him his wooden sword.  "Show Tenchi 
what he's doing wrong, 
then," he requested.
	Masato took the sword and stood to face Tenchi in the center of the 
clearing.  Each stood in a ready 
position, staring each other down intently.  With a surprising burst of speed, 
Tenchi began his attack.  His blows 
were well-placed, but somewhat predictable, and easily blocked.  Sensing that 
Masato had him figured, Tenchi 
increased his attack speed.  Masato had a surprisingly difficult time defending 
against such a rapid barrage, but 
ultimately held his ground.  as Tenchi made a lunge, Masato spun around to the 
side and made to make a blow down 
upon Tenchi from above.  True to his style, Tenchi recovered and faced him, 
bringing his sword up high for the 
block.  Masato once again spun, bringing his sword low and, none too gently, 
slapping the flat of his blade into 
Tenchi's midsection.
	"You see?" said Masato as Tenchi stood frozen in defeat.  "Your midsection 
is wide open."
	"Not bad," remarked Yosho, who had been observing the spar.  "Now lets see 
how good you really are..."
	Yosho took Tenchi's sword and stood to face Masato.  For what seemed like 
several minutes, the two stared 
at each other in absolute silence.  Finally, Yosho surprised Masato by breaking 
the silence with a loud yell and a 
blazing attack.
	Masato had to fight with everything he had to merely stay on his feet.  
Yosho's attacks were similar to 
Tenchi's, but they were much more rythmic and swift.  Inviting Masato to go on 
the offensive with a flex if his finger, 
Yosho found that Masato's offensive strategy was erratic, making defense a true 
chore.  However, due to his 
experience and formal skills, Yosho prevailed in preventing Masato from landing 
a hit.
	As Masato struggled to penetrate Yosho's defenses with his offensive 
strike, his attention was completely 
shifted to Aeka, who stood observing a short distance away.  As he made eye 
contact with her, Yosho brought the 
hilt of his sword heavily upon the top of Masato's head.
	"YEE-OUCH!" shrieked Masato as he fell to his knees, clutching the top of 
his head gingerly.
	"Thank you, Aeka, for distracting him for me," Yosho said jokingly.  He 
held a hand down to his fallen 
opponent to help him up.  "A bit easily distracted, aren't we?" he queried.
	"Lucky shot!" returned Masato sheepishly as he grasped Yosho's hand and 
stood.  "You're the best sword 
fighter I've ever seen."
	"Are you alright?" asked Aeka of Masato.
	"I, uh... I'll be okay," Masato half said, half stammered.
	"I just came to say that dinner will be ready shortly," Aeka continued.
	"Very well," said Yosho.  "Let's call it a day, Tenchi.  We'll continue 
training tomorrow."
	"Okay, Grandpa," returned Tenchi, who began to march toward the house.  
Aeka galloped to catch up with 
him, and the two walked side-by-side.  Masato stood back and watched the pair 
exit the clearing together.  "Tenchi 
and Aeka," he mumbled dejectedly.  "It figures."

	A week later Tenchi found himself in the carrot garden tending to the 
crop.  He took a short break to enjoy 
the lunch that Sasami had generously packed for him.  As he sat and ate in the 
warm sun, Aeka made her way into 
the garden.  "Hello, Tenchi," she said, her voice almost as warm as the sun.
	"Hello, Aeka," returned Tenchi between bites.  "Did you finish your chores 
early?"
	"Yes," she said, "and it's such a beautiful day that I thought I would 
share it with you."  She sat beside 
Tenchi smiling, and was about to reach for his hand when Ryoko appeared, 
simultaneously shoving Aeka out of the 
way and wrapping her arms possessively around Tenchi's neck.
	"Tenchi, my darling," she swooned, "why not take the rest of the day off 
and we can go and have some 
fun!"
	"Get your hands off him, you treacherous snake woman!" shouted the 
displaced princess.  "Tenchi is 
spending the afternoon with me!"
	"That can't be right," Ryoko returned as she smiled wryly, "because I'm 
sure Tenchi would much rather 
have fun than be bored to death with you."
	"What was that?!" shrieked Aeka, gnashing her teeth.
	"Besides," continued Ryoko, barely breaking stride with her caustic 
commentary, "you've got a perfectly 
good suitor now."
	"What on earth are you talking about?" responded Aeka flippantly.
	"I'm talking about Masato," Ryoko said in a cool voice.
	"Masato is in love with Aeka?" Tenchi asked.
	"What?" queried the princess.  "That's preposterous!"
	"Is it?" asked Ryoko suggestively.  "I've seen you and him together.  
Don't you notice how he can't seem to 
say anything around you?  The way he constantly stops and looks at you?  The way 
he looks all nervous and 
uncomfortable?  I'm telling you, the boy's crazy about you!  You should go shack 
up with him and leave Tenchi to 
me."
	"That's preposterous!" Aeka repeated.  "It's really beneath you to make up 
such lies like that!"
	"I'm not lying," Ryoko said.  "Go ahead and ask him yourself."
	"Alright, I will!" shouted Aeka.  "Then I will prove once and for all that 
you are a vicious liar!"  Aeka 
turned around and began storming back to the house.
	Before Ryoko could celebrate driving her off, leaving her alone with 
Tenchi, Aeka swiftly turned again and 
shouted, "And keep your hands off my Tenchi!"

	Aeka made her way to the house lost in thought.  She was sure Ryoko was 
lying, trying to drive her away 
from Tenchi.  However, she was beginning to wonder.  Masato did act awfully 
strange around her, kind of the way 
she acted around Tenchi sometimes.  When asked about the truth, Aeka was sure 
that Masato would chuckle and tell 
her that she was being foolish.  Aeka was sure that there was nothing to Ryoko's 
pack of lies.
	She looked around the house.  Masato was nowhere to be found.  All she 
found was Masato's foot locker, 
one of the few items that had been saved from his crashed vessel.  A piece of 
paper was sticking out the side.  Her 
inquisitiveness overruling her proper nature, she removed the paper and looked 
at it quizzically.  It was a pencil 
sketch of her.
	Aeka was puzzled.  She had never modeled for Masato.  How did he manage to 
draw her so perfectly?  
Truly intrigued, she opened the locker and found several more drawings.  There 
was a picture of her by the lake, 
another sweeping the balcony, and even one of her folding laundry.  There must 
have been dozens of drawings.  The 
last one she came to was of her facing Masato.  The two were holding hands and 
gazing into each other's eyes.  The 
pair was surrounded by the outline of a heart.
	"I could never get your eyes right," said a voice behind her.
	Aeka was startled.  She dropped the sketches and they all tumbled to the 
floor.  She turned and found 
herself face to face with Masato.
	Neither spoke.  Aeka stood with mouth agape, hands trembling.  She stared 
back into Masato's eyes, which 
expressed nothing.  He looked as though he had just been ruined.
	"So then it is true," said Aeka, finally breaking the silence.  "You are 
in love with me."
	Masato stood stark still, the blank expression on his face not changing.  
Finally he broke the silence, 
motioning for Aeka to follow him out onto the balcony.  "I have some things I 
need to tell you."
	Masato took a seat across from Aeka, and sat looking at the lake for quite 
some time.  Aeka wondered if he 
would ever speak.  Finally he did, saying, "You're right, Aeka.  I do love you."
	Aeka was shocked beyond response.  Masato continued, "I don't just love 
you, in fact.  I'm obsessed with 
you.  You're all I think about, day in and day out.  Whenever I see you my very 
heart aches.  I see your face every 
time I close my eyes.  I love you so much I can't stand it.  I can't think about 
anything else."
	Aeka continued staring at Masato, not believing the words that had just 
come out of his mouth.  Even after 
all these months, after all the times they had encountered each other, she had 
no idea that he could harbor such 
feelings for her.  She sighed and dropped her gaze downward, saddened at the 
prospect of delivering her unavoidable 
response.
	Masato did not take this as a good sign.  "I'm sorry," he said softly, "I 
didn't mean to offend you."
	"It's not that," Aeka assured him.  "It's just that, well..."  Aeka 
decided to start over.  "Masato, since you 
first arrived here I have grown to care about you a great deal.  I look upon you 
as someone I can trust, and someone I 
respect.  And I am beyond flattered that you feel this way about me.  But, the 
truth is that our love cannot exist."
	Masato did not react.  He continued to listen, his chin propped on his 
folded hands.  Aeka continued, "You 
see, Tenchi and I, we were... destined to be together.  I am certain of that.  
He is the only one that I could possibly be 
in love with.  So, while I care about you greatly, I cannot possibly feel the 
same way about you that you feel about 
me.  I hope you understand, Masato."
	Masato still did not move.  His eyes once again took on a blank look.  "I 
appreciate your honesty," he said 
slowly.
	"You have to understand, Masato," added Aeka earnestly, "I don't mean to 
hurt you.  It pains me to have to 
say this to you."
	Masato managed a weak smile.  "It's okay," he said.  "I understand."
	Aeka smiled at this.  "I'm glad you're taking this so well," she said.
	The smile vanished from Masato's face.  "I'm not taking it well," he said 
weakly.  "It's all I can do to keep 
from bursting into tears."
	"Masato, I'm sorry," Aeka said, "I really am."
	Masato stood up and once again gazed into Aeka's eyes.  "I will always 
feel this way about you," he said.  
"Nothing can change that."
	"I know," Aeka said, a tear rolling down her cheek.  "It hurts me to have 
to tell you all this."
	Masato stood in thought for a moment.  "You know," he began in a much 
lighter tone, "if it were anyone 
else but Tenchi, I would be insanely jealous.  I might even do something I would 
regret.  But Tenchi is a good man, 
and I must admit that you do deserve each other.  I can tell that he cares about 
you, as much as or more than I do.  
And if destiny has decreed that you two are to be together, who am I to stand in 
your way?"  Masato managed a 
smile.
	Aeka returned his smile.  "Oh, thank goodness," she said.
	"Just know that, no matter what your decision is, I understand," said 
Masato.
	"Masato, thank you so much!" cried Aeka, wrapping her arms around him for 
a hug.  "You're a wonderful 
person!"
	"Don't mention it," said Masato, barely able to keep his tears from 
choking off his words.

	Several weeks later saw the arrival of another strange ship, its pilot not 
nearly as deserving of a warm 
reception as the previous one.  The craft touched down on the shore of the lake, 
and the Masaki household at once 
rushed to see who had alighted on the fresh-cut grass.  "What is going on?" 
shouted Tenchi.
	Masato stood beside him, watching just as intently.  "I think I recognize 
that ship," he said.  "This is not 
good..."
	The main doors of the ship opened to reveal a strikingly tall figure 
stepping down onto the lawn.  Masato 
recognized him immediately.  He said his name with bitterness.  "Kazuhiro."
	Kazuhiro smiled.  "So, you remember me.  I'm flattered," he said.  "I was 
sure the Galaxy Police would 
have caught up with you by now.  I guess they really are incompetent."
	"Hey!" shouted Mihoshi.  "I am not incompetent!"
	"What do you want here?" demanded Kiyone.
	"I came seeking someone," said Kazuhiro.  "Someone who is worth a lot of 
money."
	The group was sure he was referring to Ryoko.  "You can't have her," said 
Tenchi firmly, as he and Masato 
stepped in front of her, shielding her from the aggressor.
	To everyone's surprise, Kazuhiro began laughing.  "Oh, please!" he chided.  
"I have no use for such a 
pitiful creature."
	"Step a little closer and I'll show you pitiful!" shouted Ryoko from 
behind her protectors.
	"In truth," said Kazuhiro, his sickening smile still wide on his lips, "I 
came for Aeka."
	The procession gasped.  "What do you want with her?" questioned Sasami.
	"Yes, what?" echoed Aeka.  "I have no bounty on my head."
	Kazuhiro turned his eyes upon the princess.  "Do you remember Hotaro?" he 
queried of her, trying to elicit 
a response.
	Aeka gritted her teeth.  How could she forget that despicable man?  He 
used to be one of her father's 
advisors on Jorai's royal council.  Her father exiled him after he found out 
that he was embezzling money from the 
treasury.  Hotaro swore revenge on Aeka's father.  He became the head of a high-
profile revolutionary organization 
dead-set on overthrowing Jorai's royal family.  He was Jorai's greatest enemy.  
"What business do you have with 
that horrible man?" Aeka demanded.
	"Well," began Kazuhiro in a tone of forced patience, "after a series of 
unsuccessful assassination attempts 
against your father, he realized that it would be much easier to get at him 
through you.  So, he scraped together all 
his funds and hired me to get you for him."
	"You won't get Aeka!" shouted Tenchi.  "I won't let you!"
	"Don't be so hasty," said Kazuhiro.  "I don't plan on hurting her.  Hotaro 
plans to hold her hostage for one 
hundred million jorai.  Between the twenty percent of that he promised me, and 
the service fee he has already paid 
me, I plan to retire on you, princess."
	"My father does not negotiate with terrorists!" yelled Aeka defiantly.
	"Gee, that's too bad," said Kazuhiro mockingly.  "Because if he doesn't 
pay, he'll have to live with the loss 
of his eldest daughter."
	"You monster!" shouted Tenchi as he made a rush at Kazuhiro.  Kazuhiro 
easily stepped to the side and 
sent Tenchi to the ground with a single stiff blow.
	"Tenchi!" shouted Ryoko.  "I'll make you pay for that!"  She prepared an 
energy blast and heaved it at 
Kazuhiro, who made no attempt to dodge.  Instead, he went to his wrist, and 
pressed a button that threw a shield 
around him.  Ryoko's blast was absorbed harmlessly.
	"Hotaro was kind enough to outfit me with the highest quality shield 
equipment," said Kazuhiro, all the 
while grinning.  He reached behind him and pulled up a blaster, sending a quick 
shot at Ryoko.  Ryoko took the blast 
full force, and with an agonizing scream fell to the earth unconscious.
	Masato could stand waiting no longer.  "You son of a bitch!" he shouted, 
lunging at Kazuhiro.  Kazuhiro 
attempted to reload his weapon and fire a shot at him, but Masato was too quick 
and knocked it to the ground.  He 
then proceeded to fight him with everything he had.  But each punch thrown and 
each kick delivered was met with 
only air as Kazuhiro nimbly dodged each offensive strike.  Then, growing tired 
of Masato's antics, he drew a dagger 
from his belt and plunged it deep in Masato's side.  Masato collapsed to the 
ground, clutching his bleeding wound.  
The pain was incredible.
	"Masato!" yelled Aeka, who rushed to help.  Before she could meet him, 
Kazuhiro heaved a small, spherical 
device at her which burst open at her feet, sending a forcefield around her.
	"Don't bother trying to escape, princess," taunted Kazuhiro.  "That shield 
operates at the exact frequency of 
Jorai's royal power.  By now you have to see how fruitless it is to resist!"
	Kazuhiro made his way back to the ship, the captive Aeka in tow.  As he 
placed her on the ship he heard a 
voice behind him.  "I won't let you take her," it said.
	Kazuhiro turned to face the bleeding Masato, who had struggled to his 
feet.  "Oh, please," he said 
flippantly.  "You can't even stand up straight.  How do you expect to stop me?"  
Suddenly a devilish smile crossed 
his face.  "Okay," he said, "I guess I should give you a fair chance to heal 
some old wounds."
	"What do you mean?" asked Masato, the pain from his side sending a tremor 
through his voice.
	Kazuhiro once again laughed.  "You mean you haven't figured it out yet!" 
he said.  "How sad!  Surely you 
can recall when you and your five friends from the Galaxy Police captured me."
	"What about it?" asked Masato.
	His laughter building, Kazuhiro said, "I was the one who caused the 
explosion!"
	Masato was at a loss of words.  "But... but how--"
	"I sent a computer virus up through the tow clamps you had on me," said 
Kazuhiro.  "It caused the overload 
in the ship's engine."
	Masato stood in disbelief, hatred burning in his eyes.  It was Kazuhiro 
all along.  It was his fault that his life 
had been turned upside down.  "You treacherous little--"
	Masato was cut off by Kazuhiro's laughter.  "Don't worry, Masato," he 
said, "I'll give you a chance to 
make it all better.  Meet me in space in ten hours.  We'll settle this in a fair 
fight.  I'll make sure the princess is well 
taken care of until then.  Don't disappoint me, Masato," he added as he glided 
into his ship and closed the doors 
behind him.
	The group watched as the ship took flight and disappeared into the blue 
sky.  Masato keeled over, clutching 
his side.  Kiyone rushed to her fallen partner.  "We've got to get you to a 
doctor," she said.
	"We don't have time," he snapped at her.
	"Don't tell me you're actually going to fight him like this," Kiyone 
returned.
	"I have no choice," said Masato.  "He took my life away once.  I won't let 
him do it again!"

	In Washu's lab Tenchi, Ryoko, and Masato were receiving treatment for 
their injuries.  Ryoko seemed to 
get the worst of it; she was still unconscious.  Tenchi received little more 
than a bump on the head.  Masato's 
bleeding had been stopped, but his injury was still very serious.
	"You can't fight in this condition," said Washu.  "I shouldn't even let 
you be walking around."
	"I'll be okay," said Masato, no longer in such agonizing pain.  "It feels 
better already.  How is Ryoko?"
	"She's in bad shape," said Washu, "but in time she should recover 
completely."
	Masato nodded.  "Kazuhiro will pay for what he has done, I promise," he 
said.  He then turned to his former 
partner.  "I'm going to need your help.  Will you help me?"
	Kiyone nodded.  "I'll do whatever I can," she said.
	"Right," chimed in Mihoshi.  "We're with you!"
	"I'm in, too," said Tenchi, holding his head gingerly.
	"Tenchi, you had best stay here with Sasami and take care of Ryoko," 
Masato said.  "She really needs your 
help right now."
	"Don't worry, I can take care of Ryoko," said Washu.
	"I'm afraid I'm going to need your help too, Washu," said Masato.
	"What can I do?" she queried.
	Masato turned to Kiyone.  "Your ship has a drop-ship, right?" he asked 
her.
	"Yes," she said.  "We use it for routine patrols."
	"Washu, I'll need you to make some modifications on it," said Masato.  
"And didn't you say once that you 
had a teleportation device?"
	"Yes," Washu confirmed, "but it only works within a few hundred meter 
radius."
	"That will be fine," said Masato.  "I've got a plan."  
	"A plan?" asked Mihoshi.  "What is it?"
	"I'll explain everything soon," said Masato as he gingerly walked through 
the exit to the lab.  "If you'll 
excuse me for a few minutes, I've got something I need to take care of."

	Aboard Kiyone's ship, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Masato were in the last 
stages of preparation.  Washu 
worked on the drop ship in the docking bay, while the remaining three were 
rehashing their plan of attack on the 
bridge.  Masato called to Washu through the com system, "Did you make all the 
modifications I asked for?"
	"Yep!" she said, a streak of grease running across her forehead.  "I 
fortified the forward shields and 
increased engine output by three hundred percent.  What's this for, anyway?"
	"It's my last resort," said Masato.  "Is the teleporter ready?"
	"All set!" said Washu.  "I'm ready when you are."
	"Oh, I almost forgot!" Kiyone said, reaching underneath one of the seats.  
"I've been holding this for you."  
In her outstretched arms she held Masato's police-issue blaster, in its belt-
mounted holster."
	"So that's where it went," said Masato, strapping the sidearm to his 
waist.
	"I was hoping you wouldn't need it," Kiyone said, "But under the 
circumstances, I think it would be best if 
you wore it.
	Masato smiled.  "Thanks partner," he said. "Now, let's go!"
	The ship broke from its idle and broke through the atmosphere into space.  
"So how are we supposed to find 
him?" asked Mihoshi.  Just then, a signal came through on the tracking system.
	"Well, how generous of him," Masato remarked sarcastically, "he placed a 
beacon for us to find him.  Let's 
lay in a course."
	Very soon Kazuhiro's ship came into view.  "I think he's hailing us," said 
Mihoshi.
	"Put him on screen," said Kiyone.
	Kazuhiro's face then filled the view screen.  "Well, well," he said, "I 
was afraid you wouldn't show up."
	"Let me see Aeka!" shouted Masato.
	"Don't worry," said Kazuhiro, stepping aside to bring the princess into 
view behind him.  "As you can see, 
she has not been harmed."
	"Aeka, are you all right?" asked Masato.
	"Masato, please!" begged Aeka.  "You have to help me!"
	"Don't worry, Aeka," he reassured her, "I'll get you out of there."
	Kazuhiro stuck his head back into the picture.  "I seriously doubt that," 
he said menacingly.  "I can't wait to 
see Aeka's face when I destroy all of you!"
	"We'll see about that!" shouted Masato, cutting off the transmission.  
"Kiyone, Mihoshi, let's begin the 
attack.  Just like we said."
	"Got it," Kiyone said, beginning to guide the ship in line with 
Kazuhiro's.
	"Mihoshi, open fire!" commanded Masato.
	The first hale of shots were deflected by the shield on Kazuhiro's ship.  
He then returned with a barrage of 
his own.  Kiyone expertly dodged, and Mihoshi continued to fire, all the while 
drawing closer to Kazuhiro's ship.  
Masato once again called to Washu over the com system.  "You ready down there?"
	"All set," she said.
	"Thirty seconds," Masato said.
	"Got it," Washu replied.
	The ship continued its approach, heading straight at Kazuhiro's idling 
vessel at almost full speed.  Masato 
opened a channel to the opposing ship.  "I suggest you get out of our way," he 
said.
	Kazuhiro laughed.  "Not a chance," he said, "I never back down."
	"Well, then, don't come crying to me when they're scraping your flesh off 
the nearest asteroid," Masato 
replied.
	"Don't make me laugh!" said Kazuhiro curtly.  "You'd never hit this ship 
with Aeka on board.  You don't 
have the guts."
	"Care to try me?" asked Masato, a wide, fiendish grin overtaking his face.
	Neither ship seemed to back down.  A line of sweat began to form on 
Masato's brow.  He would need to get 
the timing perfect.  Suddenly, he shouted, "Now!"
	"Kiyone slammed on the brakes and the ship began to slow to a halt.  
Kazuhiro's stationary craft loomed 
too close for comfort, as Kiyone applied stiff force to the brakes, praying that 
they would hold.  They did, indeed 
hold, and the ship ground to a halt a scant few meters from the other vessel.
	Kazuhiro laughed through the view screen.  "I knew you'd chicken out!" he 
said.  "You are the biggest 
coward I have ever met!"
	"Maybe," Masato said, "but you're the one with problems."
	"What are you talking about?" Kazuhiro chuckled.
	"Take a look behind you," said Masato with a smile.
	Kazuhiro turned around.  He was aghast at what he saw.  While Masato's 
ship had been struggling to brake, 
Washu used the teleporter to slip in behind him, deactivate the shield holding 
Aeka, and bring her on board.  By the 
time Kazuhiro turned around, Aeka was gone and Washu was half through the 
teleporter, waving an insulting 
goodbye at him.
	"Washu," called Masato through the com system, "do you have Aeka?"
	"Sure do!" she said jauntily.
	"You conniving little wretch!" shouted Kazuhiro.  "I'll get you for that!"
	"Kiyone, get us out of here," said Masato.
	Kiyone put the engines in full reverse and sped from the furious Kazuhiro, 
who began to wildly open fire.  
The blasts hit the shields and delivered minimal damage to the ship.  By the 
time Kazuhiro was out of range, the ship 
showed little damage, the shields having absorbed most of the blasts.  However, 
their progress was stopped when a 
series of objects appeared on the radar.  "It's an asteroid field," said Kiyone.  
It's too dense to fly through.  We'll 
have to go back."
	"We can't," said Mihoshi, "Kazuhiro's ship has already started an 
intercept course."
	"We'll have to make a stand right here," said Masato.  "How are the 
shields?"
	"The shields are down to thirteen percent," said Kiyone.
	"That will have to do," said Masato.  "Mihoshi, ready all weapons."
	"Umm, I can't" said Mihoshi.
	"What?  Why not?" shouted Kiyone.
	"We're out of ammunition," reported Mihoshi.
	"What?!" shrieked Kiyone through gritted teeth.  "Didn't I tell you to 
order more?"
	"Sorry, Kiyone, I just forgot," Mihoshi said.
	Just then Washu and Aeka made their way to the bridge.  "Kazuhiro is on 
his way," said Washu.  "What do 
we do now?"
	Masato sat in thought.  They had no weapons, low shields, and nowhere to 
go.  It looked like their was no 
other choice.  He got up and began to make his way to the docking bay.
	"Where are you going?" asked Kiyone.
	Masato responded, "I'm going for my last resort."
	Washu frowned.  She did not like the sound of that at all.

	Masato launched the small drop-ship from the docking bay and plotted a 
course.  Washu opened a channel 
to him from the bridge.  "So, you're just going to run off and leave us here?" 
she queried indignantly.
	"I wouldn't dream of it," Masato said, who set the ship on its path and 
began to bring the engines up to full 
power.
	"Well, then, what on earth are you doing?" Washu asked.
	"The only thing I can do right now," responded Masato gravely.
	Mihoshi suddenly broke in.  "The course Masato laid in is in a direct line 
with Kazuhiro's ship."
	"You can't be planning on getting into a dogfight with Kazuhiro's ship, 
can you?" asked Kiyone.  "The ship 
would never take that many hits."
	"I won't need to take a lot," said Masato.
	Suddenly Masato's actions were clear to Washu.  The fortified shields; the 
increased speed; so that's what 
he needed them for.  "Masato, don't do it!" she shouted.  "We can find another 
way!  We can still win."
	"There is no other way," Masato responded.  "If I wasn't sure I wouldn't 
be doing this."
	"You can't mean..." Kiyone trailed off.
	"Sorry," said Masato, "but I have to do this."
	"No!" shouted Aeka.  "You can't!  I cannot allow it!  As princess of Jorai 
I command you to turn the ship 
around!"
	Masato saw the pain in Aeka's eyes as they looked back at him over the 
view screen.  He was tremendously 
sad that he had to do this.  But he was out of options.  They all were.  "I have 
to do this, Aeka.  I'm sorry."
	Masato turned the screen off, afraid that another look from those eyes 
would make him change his mind.  
To remind himself of what he was doing, and who he was doing it for, he removed 
a piece of paper from his pocket.  
It was a sketch of Aeka, the last  one he completed.  He had kept it in a pocket 
next to his heart for a week.  It was a 
special drawing; he finally got the eyes right.  The eyes were perfectly 
expressive, and endless in their depth.  The 
eyes said, "I love you."
	With a clear mind and a heavy heart, Masato began his recitation:

	"If we must die, let it not be like hogs
	Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
	While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
	Making their mock at our accursed lot."

	Kazuhiro opened a channel to Masato's ship.  "Don't try this again," he 
said exasperatedly, "you know you 
can't do it!"

	"If we must die, O let us nobly die,
	So that our precious blood may not be shed
	In vain; then, even the monsters we defy
	Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!"

	"Masato, don't be foolish.  You know you won't survive."  Kazuhiro then 
began to open fire on the drop-
ship, but the fortified shields held.

	"O kinsmen!  We must meet the common foe!
	Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
	And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow!
	What though before us lies the open grave?"

	"Masato, turn your ship now!  You'll kill us both!"

	"Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
	Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!"

	"Masato, you fool!"
	The drop-ship tore through the hull of Masato's ship in a shower of 
sparks.  Even from a distance, the crew 
of Kiyone's ship could see a great fireball envelop the two vessels, and send a 
shower of debris scattering in all 
directions.  When the fire dispersed, nothing was left on the screen but a few 
floating chunks of metal, the remains of 
the two ships.
	Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Aeka could not find words.  They only sat, 
feeling very helpless indeed as the 
shards of scrap drifted further away, increasing the space that filled the gaps 
between them.
	No one spoke as the ship made its way back to Earth.  Occasionally, Washu 
would shake her head, and 
Kiyone and Aeka would alternately catch themselves in a sob.

	"I can't believe it," was all Tenchi could say after he, Sasami, Yosho, 
and Ryoko had been told what 
happened.
	Ryoko sat in silence, still wounded but well enough to sit upright.  
Sasami burst into tears at the news, 
wrapping her arms around Tenchi's waist and crying into his shirt.  Yosho could 
only lower his head in a silent 
prayer.
	"I can't believe he's gone," said Kiyone, hunched in a chair with her head 
in her hands.  "I can't believe 
I've lost him again."
	"Masato, why?" asked Aeka, tears nearly choking off her words.  "Why did 
you have to be so noble?"
	Yosho cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him.  "Masato gave me 
something before he left," he said, 
reaching into his pocket and holding up a pair of disks.  "He said to let you 
play them if something should happen to 
him."
	Washu silently took the disks.  "This one's addressed to all of us," she 
said, placing it into a nearby player.  
The group gathered around the screen to watch.
	The familiar face of Masato appeared on the monitor.  "Hello, everyone," 
the recording began.  "If you're 
watching this, it means that I am gone.  I can only hope that everything turned 
out for the best.  I thought being given 
the opportunity to live here would allow me to leave my past behind, but it 
seems that I have brought it down upon 
you.  For that, I am truly sorry.  Tenchi, I would like to thank you and your 
grandfather for allowing me to stay with 
you.  Seeing as how I attempted to destroy one of your friends, it would have 
been easier to turn me away.  I dare say 
I might even have deserved it.  But, thank you for giving me an opportunity to 
make it up to you.  Ryoko, you told 
me once that everyone deserves a second chance.  I'm not sure how true that is, 
but I can see that you are making the 
most of yours.  And I thank you for allowing me to have mine.  Washu, if not for 
you, I certainly would not have 
survived long enough to get to know all of you.  I thank you for allowing me to 
have the opportunity to call you all 
friends.  Sasami, your childlike charm and your innocence reminds me of how my 
brother used to be.  When I lost 
him, I thought I would never get to experience those qualities again.  Thank you 
for allowing me to have some of 
yours.  It has truly elevated my spirit.  Kiyone, you're the same person I 
remember; reliable and trustworthy to the 
last.  I'll never forget our times together, past and present.  You are truly a 
wonderful person, and I feel privileged to 
call you a partner and friend.  And Mihoshi, take care of our partner.  She may 
not act like it sometimes, but she 
needs someone at her side, too.  Well, that's about all I can think to say.  I'm 
sorry things had to turn out like this, 
but I did all I could to set things right.  I wish you all good luck, and 
godspeed."
	The procession was motionless, silent.  Kiyone stared dumbfounded at the 
monitor, tears steadily rolling 
down her face.  Ryoko, Sasami, and Aeka reacted in much the same fashion.  Washu 
once again resumed shaking her 
head, and Tenchi and Yosho bowed their heads in unison.
	"He... he said nothing about me," said Aeka.  "Why didn't he say anything 
about me?  I must have hurt him 
so badly!"
	Washu strolled over to Aeka, the second disk in her outstretched hand.  
"This disk is addressed to you," she 
said, handing her the disk.  "We'll wait outside until your finished."  She 
motioned for the others to follow her 
through the exit.
	Alone in the laboratory, Aeka slid the disk into the player.  As before, 
Masato's face appeared on the 
screen.  "Hello, Aeka," the message began.  "I guess you know by now that I 
won't be coming back.  I am so sorry 
that I did what I did, but just knowing that you're safe makes it worth it to 
me.  There's so much I want to tell you, 
but I can't seem to find the words.  I guess I should start by telling you that 
I care about you more than anything, and 
to see you safe I would gladly give my life a hundred times over.  I don't want 
you to feel that this is in any way your 
fault.  If it's anyone's fault, its mine.  I had to put a stop to all the pain 
that Kazuhiro caused.  He has already taken 
so much from me.  I couldn't bear the thought that he might take you, too.  I 
have no regrets.  A great man once said 
that if a man has nothing he is willing to die for, he does not deserve to live.  
I believe that, now.  When I first looked 
into your beautiful eyes I knew that I would give everything for you, and that 
it still wouldn't be enough for me.  I 
only regret that I could not do more.  I wish I could have given you everything 
you have ever wanted.  This was the 
best I could do.  I will never forget you, Aeka.  Goodbye, my princess."
	Aeka could not find her breath.  She could not believe that Masato would 
give up everything, even his life, 
for her.  Just for her.
	The others were standing around the entrance to the lab when Aeka opened 
the door.  The dark streaks on 
her face indicated that she had been crying hard.
	"What did he say, Aeka?" asked Sasami.
	"He said..." Aeka could barely utter, feeling fresh tears begin to well in 
her eyes.  "He said that he will miss 
us all very much.  I'm sorry, I have to..." she trailed off, bounding up the 
stairs sobbing.

	A few nights later, Aeka stood on the balcony, looking at the stars 
shining into the lake.  Tenchi approached 
from behind.  "Aeka?" he asked.  "Are you thinking about him again?"
	"Yes," she said, not turning to face him.
	Tenchi stood beside her.  "I know he cared about you, Aeka.  I just didn't 
know how much.  To do what he 
did meant that he really must have loved you."  He paused to stare into the lake 
for a few moments.  "He was a good 
man.  He cared about you as much as I do, maybe more."
	Aeka turned to him with a half smile.  "He said the same thing about you," 
she said.
	"Will you be coming inside soon?" asked Tenchi as he turned back to the 
house.
	"In a moment," said Aeka.  Before Tenchi could enter the house, Aeka 
halted him.  "Tenchi, am I really 
worth dying for?"
	Tenchi stood expressionless, truly clueless as to what to say.  "Well, 
Masato thought so, so I guess you are," 
he finally decided on.
	Aeka turned her gaze back to the glassy surface of the lake as Tenchi 
closed the door behind him.  She 
stood motionless, her gaze transfixed on the water, not sure where it ended and 
the sky began.  A cold shiver ran 
over her body.
	"Am I really worth dying for?" she echoed.  All her life she didn't think 
so, and was truly touched beyond 
emotion that someone else thought she was.