The exploration of the characters of Tenchi Muyo can be a very enjoyable, very time consuming process. In the past month or so, I've been exploring Kiyone's character, playing around with ideas as to why she's not interested in Tenchi. One of those ideas is the following fic. I'd like to thank my prereaders and friends for their assistance in this fic. Special thanks go to Cav, Bobert, and CJ chan. Thanks guys! Tenchi Muyo! is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. I own only the writing and the characters I've created myself. This fic takes place in the TV universe just before the Time and Space Adventures. Conspiracies By Candlelight "FIRE!!" This cry came from Mihoshi as she tried desperately to put the fire she accidentally started out. "KIYONE!!" Luckily, Tenchi appeared in the kitchen a moment later, wielding a fire extinguisher. He blasted the stove with white foam, dousing the fire. Mihoshi was in tears by now. Kiyone entered the kitchen, saw the mess and her partner's condition, and started growling, gritting her teeth as she tried to hold onto her sanity. "It's okay, Mihoshi," Tenchi told her. "It was an accident." "I was just making lunch," Mihoshi whimpered. "Then the rice started to burn, and the fish began to..." "Mihoshi," Kiyone interrupted quietly. "This is the third fire you've started in here. How many times do I have to tell you....DON'T COOK!" Before Mihoshi could burst into tears, the wristwatches of the two GP women began beeping. Kiyone looked at hers and sighed. "Mihoshi, why don't you help Tenchi clean up *your* mess? I'll check this out." Mihoshi sniffled. "Okay." Kiyone walked out of the kitchen and went to the Masaki TV set. Washu had done them a favor and reworked the set to function as a GP communicator terminal. This way, Mihoshi and Kiyone wouldn't have to risk being out of contact if they were needed while they were away from the Yagami or the comm set at their apartment. Kiyone switched on the TV and made the proper adjustments. Soon, a man in a GP uniform appeared. Kiyone broke out in a smile. "I'm sorry," Mihoshi blubbered again as she cleaned up the foam. "I really am. I didn't mean to..." "It's okay, Mihoshi," Tenchi told her with a reassuring smile. "At least when you make a mistake, only a small portion of the house goes up in flames." He shared a smile with her. "Just the other day, Ryoko and Aeka leveled the second story. I really don't know what we'd do without Washu." "Thank you, Tenchi! That's so nice of you to say!" "Um...okay." "What happened in here?" Aeka asked, entering the kitchen, Ryoko right behind her. "I..." Mihoshi began guiltily. "I accidentally started a fire," Tenchi spoke up. Mihoshi blinked at him. "Pretty stupid, huh?" he laughed nervously. "Oh, Lord Tenchi! Are you okay!?" Aeka asked in concern. "Yeah, Aeka, I'm all right." "You mean Mihoshi wasn't involved?" Ryoko asked. "That's a first." Mihoshi's expression turned sad. "Is Kiyone here too?" Mihoshi nodded. "She's in the next room answering a cal..." Suddenly, Kiyone reentered the kitchen, a giddy smile on her face. She was grinning from ear to ear. "Need some help?" she asked. The all stared at her. Very rarely did anyone see Kiyone actually smile. To see her...euphoric...was like seeing a dinosaur run down the street. "Um...we're just about done," Tenchi told her. "Are you okay?" "I'm great!" Kiyone told him. "Who wants lunch? Mihoshi and I will cook!" "But Kiyone, you just told me not to," Mihoshi reminded her. "I was just kidding, Mihoshi! Come on, let's get started." "So...what was that call about?" Tenchi asked, looking for some hint as to why Kiyone was suddenly in such a good mood. "Nothing special," she told him, opening the refrigerator. "Mihoshi and I are going to be debriefed this afternoon, that's all." "An officer's coming here?!" Mihoshi asked nervously. Kiyone smiled and nodded. "Do we have any soy sauce?" Everyone in the kitchen looked to one another in utter puzzlement. "So what does it mean, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked. "To get debriefed, I mean." Mihoshi adjusted her dress jacket and checked the placement of her rank insignia. They had all agreed that it would be better to have the GP officer come to the shrine where there would be less prying eyes than to have him risk landing near Mihoshi and Kiyone's apartment in town. Tenchi had graciously offered to let them use the house. "Well," Mihoshi began, "Every so often, resident officers stationed on remote planets have to report in person to a superior officer, but sometimes the resident officers can't risk leaving their post for whatever reason, so the officer comes to them to debrief them. It's pretty standard, but I wonder why he chose to come here. I mean, we could've just made the trip to Section HQ." "So, he's going to ask you about what you two have been doing here, huh?" Ryoko asked somewhat nervously. "Yup!" Mihoshi replied with a nod. "Hmmmm," Ryoko said. Mihoshi noticed Ryoko's nervousness and smiled. "Don't worry, Ryoko, we won't tell them you're here." Aeka arched an eyebrow. "You're going to lie to your superiors, Mihoshi?" Mihoshi blinked. "Hmmmmmmmmm....I can't do that....But if he doesn't ask about Ryoko, then I don't have to tell him!" Ryoko sighed. "Great, looks like I'm on the run again..." Just then, Kiyone entered the room, her black dress uniform was immaculate, and her hair was worn up in a decorative style. Her orange headband was gone, but that isn't what stood out about her appearance. "Kiyone?" Ryoko asked. "Are you wearing make up?" Kiyone turned to them and blinked. "Just a little," she replied a little defensively. "It's not against regs!" Ryoko blinked. "It's just...we've never seen you with make-up, Kiyone," Aeka told her. "It...it looks nice on you." "Thanks," Kiyone said quickly. She looked over her uniform again and paced back and forth across the living room. "Worried about making a good impression?" Ryoko asked. "Huh?" "For your superior officer," she elaborated. She grinned. "Gonna use the old charm?" "WHAT?!" Aeka giggled. "You know, Kiyone, if you really want to get reassigned, I could've made a call. There's no reason to..." she broke off and turned red. "That's *not* what it is!" Kiyone bit out. She returned to pacing. Ryoko grinned. "Sure it's not," she said casually. Kiyone sighed and checked her watch. "Okay, he'll be arriving any minute. Ryoko, unless you want *another* GP officer chasing you around, I suggest you lay low for awhile." "No problem with that!" Ryoko declared flying up through the ceiling and into the attic. "What should we do, Kiyone?" Tenchi asked. "Well, I'm sure he'd like to meet all of you, since you're all going into the report," Kiyone told them with a smile. She paused as a rumble made itself known above the house. "Looks like he's here," Mihoshi commented. Kiyone took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go." A battleship gray Galaxy Police cruiser, almost identical to the Yagami, slowly eased into the lake outside of Tenchi's house. The group assembled on the dock, watching as the ship touched down. Kiyone and Mihoshi were out front while Tenchi, Aeka, Sasami, and Washu stood just behind them. Kiyone took a step forward, and Mihoshi followed her a moment later. Tenchi watched as the ship's hatch opened and a tall man stepped out. Like Kiyone and Mihoshi, he wore a black dress uniform, only his sported more awards and commendations. He was at least six feet tall, with short, dark blue hair. He walked with a cane in his right hand, and Tenchi could see the slight limp in his right leg as he disembarked. "Aneck?" he heard Mihoshi whisper from in front of him. Kiyone said nothing. The GP officer walked up to the two women. Kiyone saluted smartly. "Detectives First Class Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu, Resident Officers, Post Three-one-five, Earth, reporting as..." Before she could get any more out, the officer quickly embraced her and kissed her passionately. Everyone's jaw dropped through the dock. They watched as the two Galaxy Police officers continued to kiss. "Whoa! Look at 'em go!" Sasami cried. "Sasami!" Aeka cried, covering her sister's eyes with her hand. Washu produced a stopwatch and began timing them. Tenchi just blinked in shock. When the two finally parted, Kiyone whispered, "As ordered." The man smiled. "Carry on," he said with a slight accent Tenchi couldn't place. "Aneck!" Mihoshi cried. "Mihoshi, girl, come here!" Mihoshi stepped forward and hugged the officer. "What are you doing here!?" Mihoshi asked. "And you really shouldn't be kissing Kiyone right now! We're waiting to be debriefed! We don't want to look unprofessional!" "Mihoshi," he said, "Don't worry about it. I'm here to debrief you." Washu grinned. "So *that's* what she meant by, 'debrief,'" she cackled. "Ms. Washu!" Aeka scolded. Kiyone hugged the GP. "God, I missed you," she said. "I missed you too, Kiyo." The three GP looked up to find the rest of the group staring at them in complete confusion. Kiyone turned beet red and cleared her throat. "Oh, um...I should introduce you. Captain Aneck Yeval, this is Tenchi Masaki. He's been our host here. This is his home." Aneck tossed his cane into his left hand and reached out with his right, shaking Tenchi's hand. "Nice to meet you." "And this is Princess Aeka and her sister, Princess Sasami," Kiyone continued. Aneck bowed to them both. "And this is..." "'Little' Washu," Aneck finished. "I heard someone released you." Washu smiled and bowed. "How do you do?" "Well, Mr. Yeval, why don't you come inside?" Tenchi asked. "Her *boyfriend*?!" Aeka asked in disbelief. They were all sitting in the living room except for Kiyone and Aneck, who were in the kitchen. The were all still in shock over Mihoshi's revelation. "I didn't know Kiyone even *had* a boyfriend," Ryoko threw in from above. She had phased her head through the ceiling from the second floor, looking down at the group from above. Mihoshi nodded. "Yup! They've been together for awhile, but because GP are almost always out on patrol or stationed in small numbers, they don't get a chance to see each other often." "That's too bad," Tenchi remarked. "He seems nice." "Well," Ryoko commented from the ceiling, "Now we know why she's always so uptight." Aeka stifled a laugh. "Now that's not funny!" Mihoshi said. "It's been very hard for her!" "We're sorry, Mihoshi," Aeka said after getting a glare from Sasami. They turned as they heard laughing coming from the kitchen. When it was apparent that the two weren't coming back, they turned back to the conversation. "How did he get that limp, Mihoshi?" Ryoko asked. Mihoshi sipped at her tea before replying, her eyes cast to the floor. "Well, a few years ago, Aneck was a GP Special Operative. During a mission he was shot in the leg with a blaster. The doctors were able to save the leg, but now he has to walk with a cane for the rest of his life." "How awful!" Sasami remarked. Mihoshi nodded. "But it's probably a good thing it happened," she said sadly. "What do you mean by that, Mihoshi?" Tenchi asked in puzzlement. Mihoshi took another sip of tea. "Because," she said sadly, "The shooter wasn't aiming for him. She was aiming for Kiyone." "Thank you," Aneck said, taking the cup of tea from Kiyone. He took a sip and savored the taste. "One thing you have to give the Earthers, they make good tea." Kiyone smiled. "You'd be surprised by them," she told him. "There are times when they can be the pinnacle of humanoid evolution, and other times you just want to slap them." He laughed. "How do you like it here?" he asked her seriously. Kiyone took a breath. "To be honest, I'd rather be out there, doing my job." "You *are* doing your job," he told her. Kiyone chuckled ruefully and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder." Aneck regarded her for a moment. He looked about to say something, then stopped himself. Kiyone didn't notice this. "Now what about you?" she asked. "What about me?" he said with a smile. "Since when are you in our division?" she asked. "Last I heard you were an analyst for Special Investigations." He smiled again. "It's a long story." "I have time." "Good," he told her, "Because it's a story you have to hear." Kiyone blinked. All of a sudden, he was using a deadly serious tone. His smile returned a moment later. "Over dinner?" he asked. She grinned. "I thought you'd never ask. Here or would you like to eat at my place?" she asked. "Sasami's an excellent cook, but..." she broke off and took a step closer to him, taking his hand in hers. "I know a few recipes, myself." Aneck reached into his pocket and produced a charge card. "Actually, I thought I'd take you out to eat. Five star. What do you say? I know RO's don't get much in the way of cost of living allowances." The corner's of Kiyone's lips quirked up in a smile. "An expense card? You could lose your bars." "It's one of the perks of being considered a vital asset," he told her. "C'mon, Kiyo," he begged, placing his hands on her waist. "Dinner by candlelight..." He broke off. "And...I really do have to talk to you...alone." She looked at him, concern crossing her features. "Is something wrong?" she asked. He sighed and brushed a few teal hairs from her face. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Something's wrong." "Yikes!" Ryoko cried, disappearing from the ceiling. Kiyone and Aneck were reentering the room. Mihoshi shot to her feet and came to attention. "OFFICER ON DECK!" Aneck and Kiyone sighed. "As you were, Detective," Aneck told her with a slight smile. "And for the last time, you don't have to do that." "Sir!" Mihoshi barked as if on parade, "Regulations specifically state that when being debriefed by a superior officer above the rank of Lieutenant, all..." "Mihoshi," he interrupted quietly, "Stuff regulations. Understood?" Mihoshi saluted. "Yes, Sir!" They sighed again. "Would you like to get started, Sir?" Mihoshi asked. "No, actually, I think Kiyone can handle the debriefing," Aneck told her. "You may consider yourself excused from duty until tomorrow." "Yes, Sir!" Mihoshi said with another salute, "Aneck," she finished with a smile. "Mr. Yeval," Tenchi began, "If you're going to be staying on Earth for awhile, you're more than welcome to stay here." "Thank you, Mr. Masaki," Aneck said, "But I'm not going to be here long, and as for a place to sleep, well..." He threw a grin to Kiyone, "I think that's a given." "Oh," Tenchi said, turning slightly red in embarrassment. "Mihoshi," Kiyone said, "Aneck and I are going out. Keep an eye on things, okay?" she asked. Mihoshi nodded. "Sure, Kiyone! Have fun!" The two walked toward the front door. "I have to stop by the Akagi and pick up some street clothes," Aneck was telling her as they stepped out. The door shut behind them. A second later, Ryoko came floating through the ceiling, coming to rest on the couch. "Well, that wasn't so hard," she commented. "Yes," Aeka agreed. "And he seems like a nice enough man." Ryoko shrugged. "Most of the guys after me are 'nice enough men,'" she told the princess. "Doesn't change the fact that they'd all shoot me if they ever got a clear shot." "Now that's not true!" Mihoshi said. "And you're the one who usually shoots first!" Ryoko blinked, surprised that Mihoshi had suddenly grown a backbone. "Hey! What did I ever do to the Galaxy Police, huh!?" Mihoshi reached into her pocket and produced a datapad. Typing in a few commands, she began to read from it. "Destruction of property, theft, theft of Galaxy Police property, resisting arrest, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, piracy, assaulting a Galaxy Police officer, speeding, and you bounced three checks!" Ryoko growled. "It's not easy having a good time," she bit out. Mihoshi wasn't going to have any of it. "You've hurt a lot of people, Ryoko! *That's* why we're after you! Space pirates take things from innocent people who have *never* hurt you. Sometimes people are lucky and they aren't killed, and other times they're killed for their wristwatch!" They all stared in shock as Mihoshi continued to lecture Ryoko. "And people like Kiyone and Aneck try to stop them, and sometimes they end up hurt too!" Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "I've never, in my whole life, killed *anyone*!" "That doesn't make what you do any less wrong!" Mihoshi shot back. "You're not the good guy, Ryoko! You're the villain!" "Well, cry me a river!" Ryoko retorted. "I do what I have to to survive!" "That doesn't give you the right to hurt people!" Mihoshi replied. "Okay! Okay! Calm down!" Tenchi cried, placing himself between them. "Just calm down," he said more quietly. "Now, I think we can all agree that Mihoshi and Kiyone are both good people who are trying to help people, right?" Ryoko growled, then nodded. "And, Mihoshi, we've lived with Ryoko for a couple of months now. We all know she's not an evil person, right?" Mihoshi bowed her head and nodded. "Um, actually, Lord Tenchi..." Aeka began. Tenchi threw her a pleading look that seemed to cry, 'please help me here.' Aeka broke off and nodded in agreement. "Good. Now why don't we all have some dinner together...as a family?" This idea was met with smiles. One by one, they all made for the kitchen. Kiyone held up her wine glass, and Aneck replied by clinking his own against it. "To the day when being with you is no longer a rarity." Kiyone smiled at his toast and took a sip of wine. Nearby, a violinist was playing a slow melody. Kiyone had never been in such a luxurious restauraunt on Earth before. Her and Mihoshi's budget didn't allow for more than the occasional trip to the karaoke bar, so this was a new experience for her. Even so, the restauraunt didn't seem that much different from the one Aneck had taken her to on Morphia only a few months before she had been assigned to Earth. "God, I miss you, Kiyone," he told her. "Even if you are an uptight, hot-tempered, perfectionist." "Well, I miss you too," she replied. "Despite the fact that you're an arrogant, boarish, super-cop who can't let up just *once*." She smiled. He laughed and put his drink down. He remained quiet for several moments. Then, "Kiyone, I really need to talk to you." He reached into his jacket and removed an envelope. He opened it and emptied the contents onto the table in front of her. Several photos of her and Ryoko were there. "Command wants to know what she's doing there," he told her. There was a quick, in-drawn hiss of breath from Kiyone. She had wondered how long it would be before he asked about Ryoko. "You've been doing your homework," she whispered. "No," he replied quickly. "Never. I would never spy on you, Kiyone. You know that. These pictures didn't come from a GP source. The came from Jurai's SIS." Kiyone blinked. "The Secret Intelligence Service? What are they doing here? Watching out for Aeka?" "Actually," he said quietly, "We're not sure. They could be there to protect the princess...or they could be there *watching* the princess. We don't know. That's part of the reason I'm here." "Aneck, what's going on?" Kiyone asked worriedly. He studied her for a moment before speaking again, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Jurai is changing, Kiyone. A lot of people in the GP and the Allied Worlds can see it. A few weeks ago, there was a sudden crackdown on GP intel agents inside Jurai space. We lost fifteen agents." "Arrested by the Jurains?" Kiyone asked. "Not arrested," he told her sadly. Her eyes went wide. "They *killed* them?!" She clapped her hand over her mouth, trying to silence her outburst. Aneck nodded slowly. "There's more. Right after this, SIS officials began approaching high ranking members of the GP. Apparently, they wish to, 'bring Jurai and the Galaxy Police closer together.'" He pointed at the photos. "They gave us these as proof that we're all on the same side." "Offering up Ryoko as a sacrifice," she whispered. "And you," he told her. She looked up at him wide-eyed. "Luckily for you, Ryoko happens to be working with you and Mihoshi on a very difficult case." He smiled. She smiled and shook her head. "Is that the official lie?" He frowned. "No, it was all I could do to buy time. Kiyone, I know you don't like it here...but I *need* you here." She frowned. "Why?" "The boy the princess is staying with. There were *a lot* of pictures of him taken. I asked a few friends I still have in Intelligence. They want him looked after." "Tenchi?! He's nothing special, Aneck. He's just a native." "A native that Jurai seems *very* interested in." He leaned forward. "Kiyone...you can't tell *anyone* what I've told you here. Not even Mihoshi. It's not only Jurai that's changing. GP Command has been...off...skittish. They've been reassigning people, discharging command level officers and replacing them with younger...more *pliable* officers. Hell, they've even promoted Mitsuki." "Mitsuki!?" He nodded. "I need you here. Whatever's happening the princesses are involved and so is that boy. You're the only one I can trust with this, Kiyone." She reached out and took his hand. "Aneck...If things are that bad, then get me out of here. Transfer me where I can do some good." He shook his head. "That happens to be right here." "Aneck! Tenchi and Aeka aren't involved, whatever it is! I know! I've been around them for months!" "Kiyone, I need you where you can do the most good. If the balloon goes up, I'd rather have someone I trust here!" Kiyone grimaced and turned away from him. "Kiyone, please..." "I know what you're doing, Aneck Yeval," she told him irritably. "You're trying to protect me and make me think I'm being a good little soldier and doing my duty! Well, I don't buy it!" she hissed angrily. "Hey!" he hissed back. "I don't like this, Kiyone! With everything going on, don't you think I'd like to have people close to me!? People I can *trust*!? Ten new detectives were transferred to my division the other day, and I can't trust a single one of them! I have SIS agents poking around my HQ! Internal Affairs is riding my ass just *looking* for an excuse to have me cashiered!" Kiyone was silent. "Don't you get what I'm saying, Kiyone!? There *is* no safe place anymore! I want you here, because I can trust you *not* to tow the company line! Because I know that when the shit hits the fan, you'll do what's right, not what's ordered." Kiyone sighed. "Tell me that you need me to stay," she asked. He took her hand. "I *need* you to stay." "Okay," she said. "But only because you want me to." He smiled. "Kiyone...if it looks like something's about to happen, I'll transfer you out." He squeezed her hand. "I'm going to need you." She squeezed back. "You just let me know, okay? Now, if there isn't anything else of galactic concern..." She smiled. "Let's finish dinner." He grinned. "Kiyone, I have another confession to make..." "Oh, God, now what?" "Well," he whispered slyly. "I didn't bring you to this particular restauraunt because of the food. I brought you here because it's also a five star hotel." Kiyone smiled and began to laugh. "You lech!" she cried between laughs. "I knew you'd pull something funny!" He shrugged. "Okay. After we're done eating, I'll take you back to your place, and you and Mihoshi can play cards before you go to bed..." "Don't you dare!" Kiyone told him in mock horror. He smiled and took a sip of wine. "Don't tempt me, Kiyone, because..." he grinned. "You *know*...I'll do it." Kiyone sighed and looked at him. "A night playing Go Fish with Mihoshi, or sleep with a lecherous, old cop...hmmm." He smiled again and leaned back in his chair. Her frown turned into a smile. She stopped a passing waitress. "Check, please." Ryoko found Mihoshi standing on the dock, looking up at Aneck's ship, the Akagi. It was dark out, and the full moon could be seen reflected on the surface of the lake. It provided enough light for her to see Mihoshi clearly, to see her shoulders shaking as she wiped a tear away. "Mihoshi? Hey, kid, you okay?" Ryoko asked, teleporting next to her. "I'm...I'm fine..." she said, wiping away another tear. "Look," Ryoko said, "About before..." "I'm sorry, Ryoko. Really, I am. It's just that..." Ryoko saw fresh tears surface and start down the GP's face. "Mihoshi, what's wrong? Come on. You can tell me. What is it?" "It's just that...I shouldn't have snapped at you. Having Aneck here's just brought a lot back..." Ryoko blinked. "How long have you known him?" "As long as Kiyone has. Ryoko, the reason I snapped at you is...I'm the one who's responsible for Aneck's limp." Ryoko blinked. "Huh?" Mihoshi wiped away more tears and nodded. "You can't tell anyone, Ryoko. Kiyone doesn't even know. Just me and Aneck." "What happened?" Ryoko asked softly. "Kiyone and I...we were...We were checking out this old factory on Deneb. We had heard that...that a space pirate was using it as a base. Kiyone was already serious about Aneck. He was still an Operative back then." She paused and wiped another tear away. "Anyway, we were both working on the same case from opposite ends, so we decided to team up. We went to the factory and found the pirate there." She sniffled. "He...he ran off, farther into the factory, and we split up to look for him." She faced Ryoko. "I was still just a rookie, Ryoko. I was so scared." Ryoko listened as Mihoshi continued. "I...um...Heard something to my right, and I moved closer to it. It was so dark, I couldn't see anything. I saw...something... moving around...So I fired..." Ryoko watched her burst into tears again. "If Aneck hadn't been there at that exact moment, I...I would've killed Kiyone!" Mihoshi fell to her knees, crying. Ryoko reached out tentatively and placed her hand on Mihoshi's shoulder. Now she understood. She knew why Mihoshi was so fiercely loyal to Kiyone. She understood why she had defended Aneck since he arrived. "But...you didn't," she told the GP. "It's okay." Mihoshi shook her head. "No! No, it's not okay! I crippled Aneck! He had to transfer to a desk job! I almost killed the man Kiyone's in love with! I was so *stupid*! I got scared and shot at the first thing that moved!" "Mihoshi," Ryoko said, trying to calm her down. "After that, I tried to be a good detective! I tried to...to make up for it, but I just kept screwing up, and Kiyone's constantly mad at me!" She sniffled. "Every time she looks at me, I get so scared! I wonder if she knows, if she knows what happened back then! If she found out, she'd never forgive me! Aneck...Aneck promised that he'd never tell. He...he said it was okay, that it was an honest mistake and that he forgave me, but..." Fresh tears ran down her face. "But how..." She swallowed back more tears. "How would I ever face Kiyone if she found out?" Ryoko took a breath and squeezed Mihoshi's shoulder. "It's okay, Mihoshi," she said. She cursed herself and wished she were better at things like this. she asked herself. "Well...Mihoshi..." she began, "If Aneck's forgiven you, why wouldn't Kiyone?" Mihoshi sniffled. "You didn't see her, Ryoko. The look on her face when they took Aneck to the hospital. She said she'd find the pirate and kill him if it was the last thing she ever did." "Did she ever find him?" Mihoshi shook her head. "No, he got away. I'm sorry, Ryoko." Ryoko blinked. "Why?" "Because I blamed him too. It was his fault we were there. It was his fault that Kiyone was in danger to begin with. I guess...I guess later I started blaming all pirates, not just him... But it was *my* fault! I can't blame you for me being stupid..." "You're not stupid, Mihoshi," Ryoko told her. "You're just... overzealous." Mihoshi didn't look at her. "Okay, Mihoshi, look, I suck at this, all right! So I'm just going to say it in plain Japanese! You're a good person. What happened was just an accident, and Kiyone would see that! She wouldn't want you to treat yourself like this!" Mihoshi said nothing. "You really should tell her." A whine escaped Mihoshi's lips. "I can't..." "Mihoshi..." "She'd hate me, Ryoko!" "I don't think she would," Ryoko told her. "And I think she'd want to know." Mihoshi looked up at her... Then hugged Ryoko, weeping into her shoulder. Ryoko's first instinct was to punt the ditz across the lake, but after a minute, that instinct subsided. She wrapped her arms around the detective and let her cry. Slender fingers reached out to the glass of wine on the nightstand, but in the hotel room's darkness, missed and ended up knocking the glass to the floor. "Shit," Kiyone muttered as she reached down for the glass. Another hand snagged her wrist before she could reach it. "Leave it," Aneck whispered, pulling her hand back up and kissing it. She rolled over and faced him. She caressed his face and kissed him tenderly. "This was a nice idea," she whispered, nibbling on his ear. "The Earthers have a saying, don't they?" he asked. "'Distance makes the heart grow fonder,' isn't it?" "Something like that," she whispered, kissing his neck. He kissed her bare shoulder. She sat up, straddling him, looking down at him with a smile. "You look like a woman with something on her mind," he commented smiling. "I'm just looking forward to spending some time with you," she told him. His face fell. "What?" she asked. "Kiyone, I can't stay." She sighed. "How long?" "Tomorrow night." She sighed again dejectedly and leaned forward, resting against his chest. "Just once I'd like to get to see you for more than a day at a time," she whispered sadly. "Me too, Kiyo," he told her. He reached out and began twirling his fingers in her hair. He leaned up and gently kissed her. "One day we will. I promise." She sighed again. "Come on, Kiyo," he begged quietly. "We don't have much time together." He kissed her forehead. "Don't be this way." She smiled. "Well, we still have a whole day together," she told him. He returned her smile. "My point exactly." She leaned down and kissed him again. "But it doesn't start until the sun comes up. Until then..." She kissed him again. His arms wrapped around her. Kiyone giggled as he rolled over on top of her. He moaned in bliss and closed his eyes, savoring the taste. "This is incredible, Kiyone," he told her. Standing next to him, her own ice cream cone in her hand, Kiyone nodded. "I told you. Earthers can be the pinnacle of evolution...and this stuff proves it." He laughed as they walked down the street, the tip of his cane clacking against the concrete sidewalk as they went. "I can't believe we don't have anything like this," he remarked, holding up the ice cream cone in emphasis. She laughed. "You should take some of it with you when you go and sell the recipe. You could make a fortune." "Aneck Yeval, eyes cream baron...hmmm," he said pensively. They fell into silence as they walked on into a grassy park. Kiyone listened to the sound of his cane striking the floor with every step. Clack. Clack. She thought about their relationship. Sure, it was hard sometimes. They were stationed in different parts of the galaxy, so she didn't see him more than once or twice a year. It was so hard sometimes. She would sometimes watch Ryoko and Aeka dote on Tenchi. This would bring up thoughts of Aneck, and she would get so depressed she would physically hurt. This often made her irritable, and she would end up taking it out on Mihoshi, even if she didn't deserve it. Clack. Clack. Clack. There were times when she lay awake at night, missing him, and the idea of ending it and moving on would enter her mind. She hated being alone, but she couldn't leave him. She couldn't... She loved him. "Aneck?" "Hmmm?" "Do you ever think about the future?" Clack. He stopped and turned to her. "All the time," he told her. "Usually...those thoughts involve you." "I...sometimes think about retiring," she told him. "Just so we could be together." "Kiyo..." "I'd do it, Aneck," she told him seriously. "I would." She looked up at him sadly. "But after what you told me last night...we can't...can we?" "No," he said. "I'm afraid not." She turned from him. "Duty," she whispered bitterly. "Could you really turn you back on them?" he asked. She turned back to him as he continued. "Your friends are at the center of all this. Even Mihoshi. Could you turn your back on them for the sake of our happiness?" She didn't reply. She took a breath. "I love you," she told him quietly. He limped up to her and embraced her. "I love you too, Kiyo." "Here's the hardcopy of our report," Kiyone said with a sigh, handing Aneck the rather thick file folder. The two stood on the Masaki's dock next to the Akagi. The rest of the gang watched from the shore. He smiled at her. "It was good seeing you again, Kiyone," he told her. She returned his smile. "Yeah. It was. Think you'll be able to drop by again?" "I might," he told her. "We'll have to play it by ear. Especially with the way things are now." She nodded sadly. "Hey," he said, reaching out and caressing her face. "I'll be back. It just might be awhile." He reached into his pocket. "In the meantime, I want you to promise me something." "Anything," she told him. He pulled out the GP expense card. "I want you to hold onto this," he told her. "And one year from now, if we still haven't gotten a chance to see each other, I want you to go out and buy the most expensive bottle of champagne you can find, look up at the stars, and think of me. Where ever I am, I'll do the same. Okay?" Kiyone's lips quirked up in a smile. "You old softy," she said. He gave her a look that said, "Who? Me?" before kissing her again. "Remember. One year. No more, no less." "One year," she said, taking the card. He kissed her again. "Goodbye, Kiyone Makibi," he whispered. "Goodbye, Aneck Yeval," she whispered back. He turned and walked up the boarding ramp into the Akagi. Kiyone took a few steps back and watched the ship take off and climb into the sky. "Goodbye," she whispered again. She looked down at the water, a tear falling from her eye. She saw Mihoshi's reflection join her own in the water. "Are you okay, Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked worriedly. "Mihoshi," she whispered. "I have the most horrible feeling. Like I'm not going to see him again." Mihoshi smiled and hugged her. "Of course you will, silly! Now that he's in our division, he'll probably drop by all the time!" Kiyone smiled for Mihoshi's sake. "Yeah," she said, not quite believing it. She thought back to what Aneck had told her about what was happening on Jurai and with the GP. "I'm sure you're right." Standing on a mountaintop not far away, a man watched the Akagi lift off through a pair of macrobinoculars. Once the Akagi was out of sight, the man raised his GP wrist communicator to his lips. "Green 4. He just took off." The response came over the communicator. "Roger, Green 4. Hold position and remain on station." "Roger," he said. "Green 4 out." He shut off the comm and started down the mountain again. "Kiyone?" Mihoshi called out tentatively. Kiyone turned from the great tree of the Masaki Shrine and smiled at Mihoshi, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Hi, Mihoshi," she said. "Is something wrong?" She said this as she noticed Mihoshi's concerned expression. "I.." Mihoshi gulped and looked at the ground. "I have something I have to tell you," she said. "Sure, Mihoshi. What's wrong?" Mihoshi took a deep breath and began, telling her partner her story just as she had told Ryoko. By the time she was finished almost ten minutes later, she was on her knees, in tears. "I'm so sorry, Kiyone!" she cried. "I...I don't know what else I can say!" Kiyone bit her lip and stepped forward, kneeling down next to her blonde partner. She reached out and rested her hand on Mihoshi's shoulder. Mihoshi looked up, searching Kiyone's face for the hatred she was sure she'd find there, but not seeing it. "Mihoshi..." Kiyone began, "Did you really think I wouldn't know?" Mihoshi blinked in shock. "What?!" Kiyone took a breath. "I...knew, Mihoshi." "Bu...But how?!" Mihoshi breathed in shock. "Aneck promised he'd..." "Aneck didn't tell me, Mihoshi," Kiyone continued. "Remember when we stormed the place, and the pirate took a couple of shots at us before running off?" Mihoshi just nodded. Kiyone went on. "He was using a disruptor, Mihoshi. If he had shot Aneck...There wouldn't be anything left of him." Tears welled up in Mihoshi's eyes again. "I knew what must have happened the second I saw the wound." Mihoshi's mouth opened and closed in shock. "But...I thought...You said...You said it was the pirate. You told HQ..." "I told HQ it was a pirate because detectives responsible for friendly fire incidents *never* advance in the GP," she told Mihoshi. She bit her lip as a tear ran down her face. "I knew. And Aneck knew I knew." "Why didn't you tell me?" Mihoshi asked. "I thought it would be better if we just...moved on and forgot about it," Kiyone told her. "And I thought that if I confronted you with it...It would just make things worse." Mihoshi just stared. "If I had known...If I had known it was hurting you like this...I would have told you. I'm sorry, Mihoshi." "No!" Mihoshi told her. "No! Kiyone, don't be sorry! This is my fault! I should've..." "Mihoshi," Kiyone said gently. "It's no one's fault." Mihoshi blinked. "It happened, and it's unfortunate...But you're my *friend*, Mihoshi." Mihoshi blinked back more tears. "I'm sorry, Kiyone!" she cried, hugging her partner. "I'm so sorry!" Kiyone held her and let her cry it out. "It's okay, Mihoshi," she whispered. "It's okay. I know I yell a lot, and a lot of the time...It's not you I'm mad at. Please don't be afraid to tell me when you have something on your mind like this." "I...won't..." Mihoshi blubbered into Kiyone's shoulder. Kiyone smiled. "Come on. Sasami's making Chinese food for dinner tonight. It should be ready soon." Mihoshi sniffled and smiled. "Okay." Aneck sat in the pilot's seat of the Akagi and watched as the Jovian moon, Callisto, appeared on his screen. The Terran system was a nice place. He heard something moving in the command center behind him. He tensed for a moment, but went back to his routine, not letting on that he had heard. Almost casually, he moved his hand down to his blaster. "Don't," a voice told him from behind, followed by the click of a blaster's safety switching to the off position. Aneck took a breath and held his hands out to either side of him. He started to turn his head. "Don't move," came the order. Aneck stopped. He didn't need to see who it was. He recognized the voice. He looked out the right side of the cockpit window and saw a black GP cruiser pull up alongside. He tensed as he felt a hand roam up and down his body, finally stopping by removing his blaster from its shoulder holster. "May I ask why?" he inquired softly. His assailant paused before answering. "Article Three-Oh-Three." Aneck stifled an ironic laugh. "Already tried and convicted am I?" he asked humorously. His assailant didn't answer. Aneck's eyes moved down and saw the handle of his cane still resting against his leg. "We're both professionals," Aneck growled at his assailant. "If you're going to do it, do it." "Get up," his assailant ordered. "Slowly." Aneck frowned. He realized what was happening. His assailant didn't want to shoot him and risk blowing out the controls or the cockpit window if the blaster bolt went through his head. His eyes found the cane again. "All right," he said, slowly rising to his feet. "Slowly," his assailant reminded him again. Aneck knew that the GP Operative was probably only a few feet from him. He pushed up from the chair, his hand on the armrest. At the last second, he acted! Grabbing the cane, he whipped it around, striking the GP Operative in the face with it! The gun went off and struck the co-pilot's controls! The Operative staggered back, his wrist flew to his mouth. "Green Three to base!" Before he could get more out, Aneck was on him, shoving him into the wall behind him, his hands around the man's throat. Aneck could hear the man's communicator as the Operative tried to break the Captain's vice-like grip. "Green Three! Green Three, respond! Green Three!" The Operative brought his knee up into Aneck's stomach. Aneck moaned and doubled over. The Operative went on the offensive, tackling Aneck and shoving him back. The two landed on the pilot's controls. The Akagi began to dive towards Callisto's surface. Aneck was fighting for his life. The Operative was younger and in better shape, and he knew it. Aneck could see spots appearing before his eyes as the Operative throttled the life from him. He heard a steady pinging in his ears. At first he thought it was in his head, a result of having the life choked out of him. Then he realized what it really was. It was the threat alarm. The other ship had locked their weapons onto the Akagi. Aneck pulled his fist back and lashed out, punching the Operative in the face. The Operative kept his hold on Aneck's throat. The ship suddenly lurched forward, sparks flew from the overhead lights as the black ship's weapons found their mark. The lights flickered and died. After that, he saw no more. "Bon apetite!" they all cried before digging into the feast Sasami had prepared. "Mmmm! Sasami, this is delicious!" Aeka complimented her sister. "Thanks! Grandpa Katsuhito helped me with it!" "Yes, but the cooking was yours alone, Sasami, and therefore so should the praise." "Miya!" Ryo-Ohki cried, throwing in her two cents before gobbling down a carrot filled egg roll. The others laughed. Before the feast could go on, Mihoshi and Kiyone's watches began to beep again. Washu grinned evilly at Kiyone. "I guessed he liked 'debriefing' you, Detective." Kiyone turned red and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be hearing about this one for awhile, aren't I?" "Nah," Ryoko said with a grin. "Once a day for the next year or so should about cover it." They all laughed while Kiyone walked into the living room and set up the comm unit. The GP logo appeared, followed by the image of a grey haired woman in a Vice Marshal's uniform. Kiyone blinked and listened to what the woman had to say. "Can I have some more sweet and sour chicken?" Mihoshi begged, holding out her bowl with a smile. Sasami used the tongs to give Mihoshi a second helping of chicken and smiled, glad that her Chinese dinner was such a success. "So what do you have planned for tomorrow, Tenchi?" Noboyuki asked. "Well, I thought I'd..." He paused as he looked at the doorway. The others saw this and followed his gaze. Kiyone was standing in the doorway, holding herself. She was shaking slightly. Her face was pale, and she had to acutally support herself by leaning against the door. As one, they all looked down at their food, then at Sasami. "Uh...oh...." the little girl said. "Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked. "Are you okay?" Kiyone didn't say anything for a moment. Then, she spoke, her voice in a haunted whisper that the others had to strain to hear. "At...At sixteen hundred hours today," she whispered. She paused for a moment. "The GPS Akagi....was shot down by pirates... over the moon, Callisto..." The others stared at her in shock. "It...It went down over the southern hemis....." She stopped and shut her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek. "There were no survivors," she finally got out. Without another word, she turned and left the room. The others looked to one another in utter astonishment and pain. Mihoshi sniffled twice before breaking down and running from the room in tears. The rest said nothing, having no idea what they should... *could* say...at a time like this. He found her standing alone in the woodshed. Her back was to him, and he could just barely make out her teal hair in the darkness. He approached her, unsure of what to say or do. "Kiyone?" Tenchi called out softly. He reached out a hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. Her reaction surprised him. She turned suddenly and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. Her quiet sobs, unnoticed before now, made themselves known as she wept unashamed into his shirt. She was shaking, her shoulders racked with sobs as she continued to cry. Tenchi encircled her with his arms and held her there, not saying anything, just trying to be there for her. "It's not fair," she sobbed quietly. "It's not fair..." Tenchi swallowed back tears of his own. He had barely known Aneck Yeval, but he knew that anyone capable of making the often gruff Kiyone Makibi smile had to be someone special. "I know," he whispered as he held her. "I know. I'm so sorry, Kiyone." "Why did it have to be him?" she asked, her question muffled, her face still buried in his shirt. "What did he ever do?" "I don't know," he told her quietly, wishing there was something else he could say. She broke down again, weeping in anguish through the night as Tenchi held her. Weeping for the one who had meant everything to her. Author's Notes: I'm toying with the idea of a sequel for this fic, but it depends greatly on how much feedback I get for it. I was trying to figure out why Kiyone has no interest in Tenchi and came up with a rather long list. When you eliminate Tenchi's character faults from the list, it shortens somewhat. ^_^ One of the ideas I came across was that Kiyone didn't want Tenchi because she already had someone else. I dismissed that idea pretty quick. After all, wouldn't we have seen that someone else by the time of the Jurain coup? Wouldn't he have tried to help Kiyone? So I amended the idea. She didn't have someone else, she was *grieving* for someone else. Let me know what you think of this idea. All C&C is welcome. Please send it to Thomas "009" Doscher at doscher009@hotmail.com. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the fic.