DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi Muyo, TMil, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do not sue me. __________ NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi Universe such as Nagi, the Yugami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo to introuducing Yugi, Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed working on it. __________ THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney __________ Previously... The aftermath of the Darkling attempt to destroy the Earth left everything in shanbles. Chaos reins across the globe, but the residents of the Masaki household are not ready to give up. They make preparations and board the Yagami for the long journey to planet Jurai, but it proves to be a dangerous one as the Darklings make an appearance. To avoid any further encounters with the powerful beings, Tenchi and the gang choose to venture into the dangerous Dead Zone. We last leave our travellers as they enter this intergalactic no-man's-land... __________ Chapter Two: The Dead Zone The Yagami was buffeted about by the powerful eddies inside the nebula cloud. Kiyone did all she could to stay one the course she was given by Ryoko to navigate into the treacherous region called the Dead Zone. Her hands few over the controls so fast they seem to blur. This goes on for several minutes, but to those on the bridge of Yagami it seemed like hours. Finally the ship broke free of the outer layers of nebula cloud and pentrated into the interior regions. Here the inside of the cloud was blow up like a titanic ballon in space. A dozen small star-like forms hung in space before them shining with a brillient light. "That is an awesome sight." Tenchi said. "The womb of stars. Its here inside of a nebula that suns are born our of the corpse of a star that died." Washu said, her face will with awe. "I had a small window in my cell on the Soja. Whenever Kagato left me there he would release me from his control and I used to look outside. This was the only thing of beauty I was allowed to enjoy." Ryoko said with her head laying on Tenchi's shoulder. Her comment made a hatred for Kagato well up in Tenchi's soul. She felt it through her link with him and she kissed him softly on the cheek. Aeka, who was also linked with Tenchi and Ryoko clenched her fists in anger. Since she bonded with Tenchi and Ryoko, thus become Tenchi's wife as did Ryoko, she began to looked upon her former rival as a dear friend....almost a sister. What made it all worse was the fact that Kagato was still alive and he nearly succeeded in killing billions of people on the Earth. "Its amazing such a beautiful place is also one of the most dangerous." Kiyone commented. "It will be pretty smooth sailing from here, but once we exit the other side of the nebula we will have to skirt past a few blackholes." Ryoko told her. "Damn. I hate blackholes, they always make me nervous." Kiyone said. "There isn't any other way in?" Tenchi asked. "There are many ways to get into the Dead Zone. This is one of less known routes. The Dead Zone doesn't have an impassible wall around it, but you have to travel through specific routes your could end up in the event horizon of a black- hole, get stuck in a time-loop in a temporal enomili, or fall into a quantum rift into another dimension. This region is full of blackholes, and they are causing all of this." Washu told them. "And we are actually going into that." Aeka said. "Its safe when you follow the right routes, like we are." Ryoko said. "Pirates, rogues, and smugglers use this place as a safe haven. There is supposed to be a city at the center. Its just a legend though." Kiyone said. "That city is no legend. Its exists." Ryoko told her. "You three can go, I know the routes through here too." Washu said. Tenchi took his wive's hands and lead them out of the bridge. They made their way back to the subpace pocket inside the Yagami where the family rooms where kept. Sasami was sitting with Yosho staring at a chessboard. She made a move with her knight and jumped up. "Checkmate!" she cheered. "My, that is the third time in a row. You are getting good at this, Sasami." Yosho said calmly. The young princess blushed and giggled. "I've been taking lessons from Ryoko." she said. "I thought I recognized a few of those moves." he said with a rare grin. "What was all that banging around a moment ago, Tenchi?" Noboyuki from the couch were he was reading a book. "We ran into some Darkling ships, so we are going into the Dead Zone to evade them." Tenchi said. "Only the foolish enter the Dead Zone on purpose." Yosho commented. "Washu and Ryoko know safe routes through it." Aeka said. "What is the Dead Zone?" Noboyuki asked, almost afraid to ask. "A kind of Bermuda Triangle in space, a dangerous region if you don't know what your doing." Yosho said. "Mom knows the way as well as I do. She got the info from me." Ryoko said. "Lets just try to relax and pray that nothing else happens to come up" Tenchi said. They all nodded in agreement and Aeka and Ryoko kissed him on either cheek. Mihoshi was snoozing away peacefully in her seat dreaming about Kareoke bars, snacks, and Kiyone. Kiyone herself was watching the controls like a hawk, but Washu was more placid. She sat on her levetating seat and typed away on her holo- computer. Hours went by and nothing very interesting happened, but Kiyone was glad it was so peaceful. It gave the Galaxy Policewoman time to reflect, time to think. Life had become so fast, so hectic, that she barely had time for herself anymore. While she kept her eyes on the controls to make sure Yagami did not drift off course she also looked at the beautiful scenary outside the ship. The colors and lights inside the gigantic cloud of dust that was the corpse of a star was beautiful. It made her reflect on her own life, and from where she was sitting it was pretty messed up. Aeka and Ryoko were happy, they both got the man of their dreams, but she was still alone. She never imagined ever being in a relationship before, but after Tenchi and the girls married it reminded her just how lonely she was. She had Mihoshi for companionship, but that is as far as it went. She was sure what homeworld Mihoshi came from, but on her world a relationship between two women that went beyond being friends was frowned upon, but Kiyone loved Mihoshi like she was a sister anyway. Washu was busy soaking in the valuable data on the life cycle of stars and the blackholes on the other side of the nebula. She knew just about everyting about blackholes and the birth of stars, but they were subjects she never got tired of. It also helped her keep her mind off of Orrin. For the first two days after he left to return to his own universe, she cried herself to sleep. She often wondered how he was doing, if he succeeded in getting the Imperium thrown out of the council. She actually got very little work done since he left, and it was good to get back into her research. She started to wonder if she would one day find love like that ever again. It was the second time in her immensely long life that she lost someone she loved, but this time it was for the best that he did leave. Orrin had a different destiny from her own, he was the chosen champion of a powerful race of beings who long ago discovered that Magic could be explained scientificly. The result of that was a terrible war with a race of creatures who would one day travel to another dimension and threaten to send the moon crashing into the planet Earth where the Masaki house was standing. The Juraian people where this dimension's cloest equivolent to the Elo'Quin from Orrin universe, and it was likely that they are also decended from the Elo'Quin in some manner. Washu wrote a mental note to herself to corner Sasami one day and get Tsunami to come out and answer some questions about it. Until then she had to be content with her own theories. "They sure look happy." Kiyone said. "Hmm. What was that?" Washu asked. "Aeka and Ryoko, they sure look happy don't they." Kiyone said. "They both have what they always wanted. What made you say that?" Washu asked her. "I guess I'm just a tad bit jealous. I had a little crush on Tenchi you know." she said. "Your not the only one. Did you know that I tried to get a sperm sample from him once...dressed in a sexy nurse's uniform." Washu said with a sly smile. "Mihoshi told me about that one day after we were reunited." Kiyone said. "I was pretty bold then. I almost practically raped the poor boy." Washu chuckled. "From what Mihoshi told me about those days you were probably standing in line to do that. She told me this story one time about when Aeka and Ryoko ticked her into going back into space just so they could try and be alone with him." Kiyone said with a giggle. "Those were two wet fools that didn't know how to knock." Washu said before bursting out in laughter. "I wish I could have been there to see their faces when they climbed out of the lake." Kiyone laughed. "What made it funnier was that Aeka was the one that setup that force field in the first place. Ha!" Washu laughed. "Boy, I sure did miss alot of the fun. I wish I could have met all of you much earlier." Kiyone said. "You missed out little encounter wtih Mr. Octopus Head, and then there was the arrival of the Royal Family at the house." Washu said. "I met Dr. Clay after I was found. They were taking him to a questioning area." Kiyone said. "He kept saying something about Tokimi." "She is my sister, as is Tsunami. I was once a goddess just like them, but I gave up my divinity to become human. I guess I should have left well enough alone." Washu said, a little more quietly. "I heard about that, but I didn't really thing much of it." Kiyone said. "I regained my memories of being a goddess sometime ago before you joined us." Washu told her. "I never did have such a good conversation with you before. You always seem so..." Kiyone said trying to find the words. "Self-centered, egotistical, shall I go on." Washu said. "I wouldn't say that." Kiyone said. Washu put her hand on her chest in Gone With the Wind style. "Its hard to be hunble when your the best in the universe." she said. "Your the best Washu! Your the greatest!" cried Washu bots A and B. Kiyone and Washu almost both fell over laughing. A and B looked at them and at each other and shrugged. Just at that moment it seemed as if the whole ship suddenly shook and lurched to one side. Washu and Kiyone screamed and grabbed each other as they tried to keep from being thrown into a bulkhead. Mihoshi screamed as she fell from her seat and blind luck had it that she landed on her rump and slid along the floor until she smacked into a wall. She looked up at Kiyone and Washu who were picking each other up off the floor in dazed surprise and fear. "What the hell was that?" Washu asked just a another lurch nearly sent her flying, but Kiyone grabbed her arm and the back of her chair at the same time. Kiyone jumped into her seat and strapped in. She looked up at the forward viewer and gasped. A hail of meteoroids, some small and some not so small where hurling past the ship at frightening speed. Washu was on her seat and was typing away at her holocomputer. "According to Ryoko's memory there are no asteroid fields in this area." she said. "What's going on, Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked as she climbed to her feet. "Srap in Mihoshi, we're in for a blumpy ride." Kiyone replied as her hands few over the controls. Back in the crew section of the Yagami everyone was climbing back to their feet. The second lurch sent Sasami flying but Yosho caught her. Chess pieces were everywhere and pottery that doecorated the room was smashed. Tenchi held Aeka steady as she stood up and Ryoko just hovered in place. A third and more violent lurch struck the ship and eveeryone except Ryoko went flying. Ryoko teleported instantly and caught Tenchi and Aeka before they slammed head first into a wall. Yosho grabbed Sasami and Noboyuki after doing a summersault, and Ryu-Ohki just held onto the front of Sasami's kimono for dear life. "We're under attack!" Aeka screamed. "I scared!" Sasami cried. "Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki agreeing witb Sasami. "That wasn't a laser blast, something hit us!" Ryoko shouted after a fourth lurch. Ryoko put Aeka and Tenchi down on the floor near where the cushons of the sofa had fallen and teleported. She materialized on the bridge of the Yagami which was in total chaos. Kiyone was fighting with the cotrols, Mihoshi was weeping rivers of tears, and Washu was franticly typing at her holocomputer. "Oh, shit!" Kiyone cried as she fought the controls and narrowly kept the Yagami from splattering itself onto a gigantic asteroid. "Are we off course?" Ryoko asked. "No, we aren't, but that asteroid field is." Kiyone said. "There is no asteroid field in this sector of the nebula." Ryoko replied. "Its been 2,700 years since you where last here. Alot can happen in that time." Washu said. "Can you get us out of it, Kiyone?" Ryoko asked. "We are almost clear of the nebula, we can try to get out of it then." Kiyone replied. "Dammit! I found the problem, and we're in trouble." Washu cursed. Ryoko floated over and looked at the display her Washu's holocomputer. She saw a schematic of the nebula, but a large blotch of red was passing through it and stretched a great distance out into space. It seemed to almost reach where the blackholes were. The scale on the screen was measured in lightyears. "What is that, mom?" Ryoko asked. "Its a Cosmic Storm. A very large and powerful one." Washu told her. "What's a cosmic storm?" Tenchi asked as he entered the bridge. "A massively concentrated confligration of negatively and positively charged ion particles, theta radioation, and eletromagnetic waves that result in spacial and gravitational abnormalities." Washu explained. Tenchi just looked at her and blinked. Washu sighed. "A really nasty storm in space that can rip this ship apart like a cotton ball in a blender." she said. "I really didn't want to hear that." Tenchi said scratching the back of his head. "Well, looks like we have to ride it out. If I change course any we could get caught in the gravity of one of several black holes in the area." Kiyone said. "Can we make it through?" Tenchi asked looking at Washu. "I can boost Yagami's shields, but beyond that I'd have to work on it." she said. "Thank you. Do your best, I'll let everyone else know." he said. [Aeka.] Tenchi said in his mind. [What is going on?] she asked in his mind. [Cosmic storm. We're in for a bumpy ride so let everyone else know.] he told her. [I've been through one of these on the Soja once with Kagato. Its going to get really bumpy.] Ryoko said joining their mental converstation. The ship lurched in different directions as Kiyone dodge around larege asteroids and smaller meteoroids. Finally the ship made it out of the field of debris, but the sparkling cloud of the cosmic storm was approaching. The storm breached the nebula and stretched for several light years beyond. The sight was beautiful and frightening all at the same time. "How could something so beautiful be so deadly?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko laid her head on his shoulder. "I guess I have something in common with cosmic storms." she said. Tenchi smiled at her and kissed her lightly. "Cosmic storms are rare, but when they break out its spectacular." Washu said. Washu was typing at her conoole like made, Her full concentration was being focused on the task, but her multitasking abiltiies still allowed her to interact with those around her. She looked up and did not stop typing. There was a bright flash outside the ship, and space seemed to waver slightly as if seen through rippling water. "I enhanced the shields a little. My robots from the lab added an additional quantum sigularity reactor to the engine room to power the shield system, and yes I incorporated some Etherealology into the design." Washu said with a very pleased look on her face. "Will it hold that off?" Kiyone asked as she pointed to the rapidly approaching storm. "That is hard to tell. It depends on the intensity of the storm." she replied. "I can see if we can plot a course through less intense areas." "Please." Kiyone said. Mihoshi sat in her seat looking rather dazed at the storm. She turned towards the others with a frightened look on her face. She was terrified and was shaking violently. Tenchi went to her side and she latched onto him crying. "Don't take us in there! Please! Please!" she cried. "Its going to be ok, Mihoshi." Tenchi said calm as he held her. "No its not! No its not! I lost Tomarro in a cosmic storm! Please, Tenchi!" Mihoshi cried. Tenchi looked over to Kiyone who suddenly got a very sad look on her face. "That was one of Mihoshi's old partners. She was killed when they got caught in a cosmic storm." she said. "Mihoshi, none of us are going to die. Ok. We're going to be alright. I promise." he said as he rocked her back and forth. "You promise?" she asked in a voice like that of a child. "I promise." he said. Mihoshi took her seat back and was still a little shook up. "I read her record before becoming her partner. She was so shook up over it that she was out of service for three months." Kiyone said. "Poor thing." Tenchi said, still holding the shaken policewoman's hand. "May- be you should go and stay with the others, ok." he said to Mihoshi. "Thank you." she said weakly, kissed him on the cheek and left in a hurry. Tenchi felt a twinge at the back of his mind, and he turned to see Ryoko staring holes through the back of Mihoshi's head. [Behave, there was nothing to that.] he told her. Ryoko smiled at him. "Sorry, old habit, sweetie." she said. "Uh ho." Washu said then. "What now?" Temchi asked. "The shield will help to protect the ship from the forces of the storm, but the radiation is another story." she said. "Yagami has radiation shielding in the hull." Kiyone said. "Not for this level of radiation it doesn't. That storm is a magnitude 8 out of a maximum 10." Washu said. "That's Mag 8 Cosmic Storm!" Kiyone shouted. "No need to shout now." Washu said as she continued to type. "I've seen giant star cruiser get torn to shreads in a Mag 8 storm!" Kiyone exclaimed. "And you want us to fly through it!" "We can survive it, if we're careful. No comsic storm is going to get the better of the greatest scientific genius in the universe." Washu replied proudly. "What can we do then?" Tenchi asked her. "The subspace living area I created for us will be protected from the radiation, but the rest of the ship won't be." she told him. "You mean abandon the ship for the living area. Who will pilot the ship?" Ryoko asked. "We can via my computer. Its either that or learn to glow in the dark for the rest of your life." Washu said with a smirk on her face. "We get the point." Tenchi said scratching the back of his head. "Hey, radiation can't hurt me." Ryoko said looking at Washu. "Your right, it can't hurt you, but the same can't be said for the baby." Washu replied. "I did think about that." Ryoko said as she rubbed her still flat stomach which would one day start to show her pregnancy. Preparations were made quickly to evacuation the exposed areas of the ship. Washu setup a link to the main computer on the Yagami and the others collected all the supplies they would need for a few days. Soome they gathered in the living quarters which sat in the pocket of subspace that Washu created. She put extra shielding around the entrance just in case and then they all relaxed. The buffeting and lurching of the ship told them they had entered the storm. Kiyone's hands flew over the keys on Washu's console as she tried to keep the ship steady. "Can't we do anything about the movement in here?" Kiyone asked Washu. "Sorry, we need to stay linked to real space inside the ship or we will drift away from it, and with the link we are effected by whatever effects what the subspace pocket is linked with. Thus, we are getting this wonderful ride." Washu said. "Wonderfrul." Kiyone said. "That and I can collect all sorts of interesting data on this storm. They are very rare you know." Washu said very excitedly as she summoned up a second holocomputer. "Figures." Ryoko muttered. Several hours passed by and everyone was trying to relax. Kiyone discovered that the autopilot in the main comptuer would do a better job of stablizing the ship than she could, so she just monitored it from the first holocomputer. Mihoshi was fast asleep on the couch next to Yosho who was drinking tea out of a spill proof plastic cup. Noboyuki sat next to Kiyone on the couch and watched the sights of the storm on the holocomputer screen. A large gravity wave hit the ship and it lurched to one side. Kiyone lost her grip and was launched into the air. Noboyuki reached out and caught her. When she opened her eyes she found herself in his arms. Kiyone and Noboyuki both blushed furiously. "Thank you, Mr. Masaki." she said. "No problem." he replied scratching the back of his head in a very Tenchi-like manner. Sasami emerged from the kitchen area wearing her caroot apron, she almost fell down as another lurch struck the ship but Ryoko teleported over to her and caught her. "I can't cook with the ship weaving around like this, so I made coldcut sandwiches instead. Is that ok?" Sasami asked looking at Tenchi. "That sounds just fine, thanks Sasami." he replied. Sasami smiled and blushed a little. Hours passed and the ship continued to roll as if it were on a great ocean that was ravaged by a great hurricane. Kiyone fell asleep at her post at Washu's console and was leaning on Noboyuki's shoulder. Suddenly, the screen went blank and and alarm sounded. Kiyone shot up and start typing at the console. "Oh shit! Oh Shit!" she kept saying as she tapped. Washu called up her second holocomputer and mutter a few curses that make Sasami's face blush furiously. "Yagami's main computer is off-line." Washu said. "I'm getting nothing here, no helm control, no sensor readings, what is going on out there?" she asked. "The storm has increased in intensity, and we are in the middle of it." Washu said just as the ship started to lurch violently. Days passed and the Masaki family gathered together everyday and kept each other calm and tried to keep their minds off of their problems. The end of the third day was the worse as the ship was tumbled around and around for several minutes until all of the inertial effects of the storm finally ceased. Washu checked her holo- computer and sighed a little with relief. "We made it." she said. "Alright!" Ryoko shouted as she jumped up. "Yay!!!!" Sasami cheered as Ryu-Ohki jumped up and down in her cabbit-girl form shouting, "Miya, miya, miya!!!". "Lets go see what damage there is." Mihoshi said as she headed for the dorr. Washu was typing at her console and suddenly she gasped. "Mihoshi don't open that door!" she shouted. "What's wrong?" Aeka asked as she walked up to Mihoshi intending to help her open the door. "I'm detecting a vacumn outside the door, hold up." Washu replied. "There's a hull breach!" Kiyone cried. Washu typed onto her console furiously. Aeka looked at the door and noticed that the rubberized air seals of the door had indeed inflated at one point. The seals suddenly disengaged and a sound like a whoosh could be heard on the other side of the door. "Now you can open it. I had to put up an enivornmental shield around the ship and fill it with atmosphere." Washu said. Kiyone stuggled with the door for several minutes until Mihoshi joined in. She tugged on it so hard that when it finally opened Kiyone was thrown across the room. She landed in a heap ontop of Washu. Both women looked at Mihoshi with venom in their eyes. "Sorry." the blonde policewoman said quietly. Everyone emerged from the living area and wandered through the ship. It did not appear that it really had been damaged. The bridge, to Kiyone's relief, was intact and the consoles were still semi-operational. Sasami and Ryu-Ohki in cabbit- girl form wandered about near the engineering section. They reached a door marked Engine Room and they both struggled to open the huge door that wasn't getting any power to open. As they entered the large engineering section Sasami gasped and Ryu-Ohki cried out. One whole section of the hull was missing and they were looking out into space. The sound of sparks, sizzling electronics, and the smell of burning insulation assaulted their senses. "Ryu-Ohki, tell Ryoko what we saw here." Sasami said to the cabbit-girl. "Miya." Ryu-Ohki replied. Elsewhere on the ship Tenchi and his wives where picking up several pieces of equipment that been thrown out of their storage bins. Aeka carefully picked up a stack of blaster rifles and started to place them back into their rack. Tenchi was putting small parts back into their containers, and Ryoko was sorting a pile of tools. She stopped what she was doing and Tenchi and Aeka felt it through their link with her. She spat a curse and stood up from her work. "Shit! Ryu-Ohki and Sasami found the hull breach. Its in engineering." Ryoko said just as she received the mental image from her cabbit. They left their work and made there way to engineering where they found Sasami and Ryu-Ohki looking through the engineering door in awe. Tenchi whistleed when he was the damage. Kiyone, Mihoshi and Washu showed up now long after. "It looks like the primary engines are intact, but the hyperdrive is shot to hell." Washu said as she scanned the engines. "How are we going to repair this?" Kiyone asked, exasperated. "We'll need a replacement hyperdrive motivator, and I'm afraid I don't have one on hand in my lab, and it would take weeks to fashion one from scratch." Washu told them. "Can we at least repair the hull?" Tenchi asked. "That one is easy." Washu said as she typed at her holocomputer. An army of small robots quicly filed into the engineering section and started working on the damaged sections of the hull. The robots generated small masses of energy between two eletrodes on their arms, that energy was transformed into solid matter which took the form of new hull pieces that were molecularly bonded together. Within several minutes a large section of the hull was back in place, and the rest of it would be done in an hour. "That's amazing." Mihoshi said. "What else is damaged?" Kiyone asked Washu. Washu scanned further with her holocomputer for several minutes and then she grimaced. "This is not good at all." she said. "What is it, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked. "The primary biogell pack and trilinear-parallel processing unit in the main computer are ionized. In other works, the computer is fried." Washu said. Her holo- computer played a few short notes of the funeral durge. "We can't navigate without the main computer." Kiyone said. "The secondary computer is intact, I could rig it up to take up the job of the primary, but its not as powerful." Washu said. "Mom, how far away are we from Pharsis?" Ryoko asked. "Pharsis?" the others asked, except for Washu. "The legendary pirate city. We are about ten days away if we travel at flank speed." Washu said as she called up her charts of the Dead Zone. "If I recall we have to travel through the Devil's Heart to get there from here, and that could be tricky." Ryoko said. "Without a good navigational computer that could be very dangerous." Washu told her. "What is the Devil's Eye?" Sasami asked. "A region between four supermassive blackholes that is prone ot severe quantum disturbances. There is a safe way through, but it changes all the time. If we try to go around it will take us months in our current condition." Washu said. "Not more turbulance." Noboyuki said grabbing his head. "I though somebody said this trip through here would be safe." Kiyone said looking at Ryoko. "I didn't expect the Cosmic Storm." Ryoko replied. "How are we going to get to Jurai in this condition!" Kiyone yelled at her. "This isn't my fault, if we didn't come here we'd probably be Darkling bait by now!" Ryoko yelled back. Tenchi could feel Ryoko anger getting the better of her through his link and he put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Girls, this is neither the time or the place. Ryoko, can we get what we need to repair the Yagami at this Pharsis?" he asked. "You can get anything at Pharsis, for the right price." she replied, a bit calmer now. "That's settled then, we goto Pharsis, get the Yagami repaired, and then go about our merry way." Tenchi said. "It might not be as simple as that. This is a GP ship and the Pirates will recognize it as one." Ryoko said. "So we can't take Yagami into port there?" Tenchi asked. "Not if you don't want to be blown out of the sky." Ryoko told him. "Why not use Ryu-Ohki." Sasami said. "That is what I had in mind. We'll have to leave the Yagami someplace safe and goto Pharsis in Ryu-Ohki." Ryoko said. "Sounds like a plan to me." Noboyuki said. "We must be very careful, somebody might recognize Aeka and Sasami for who they are. I suggest they wear disquises." Yosho added. "That might be a good idea, or they could just stay here." Tenchi said. "Where you go, I go, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said as she wrapped her arms around his left arm. "Ok. Then since this might be dangerous, Sasami should stay here with Dad and Grandpa." Tenchi said. "Oh, ok." Sasami said in a disappointed tone. "Hey, I promise on our next away mission you can go." Tenshi said. "OK." she replied a little more happily. "Pharsis can be pretty rough. There is law and order on Pharsis, its imposed by the pirate king Mosnor Gandort, but its a twisted sort of system." Ryoko said. "Do you know this guy?" Kiyone asked. "Ya, he's actually a frienf of mine. He's a Flogarian." Ryoko said. "A Floarian, ewwwww!" Mihoshi gaged. "What are they?" Tenchi asked. "A lathsome race of creatures, covered in slime and very smelly." Aeka said. "The last time I was on Pharsis his smell could knock you flat." Ryoko said. "Let try to avoiding meeting him." Kiyone said. Tenchi could sense something nagging at the back of Ryoko's mind. "Anyone else we might want to avoid?" he asked her. "Yes, a real prick by the name of Feldrick." she told him. "What did he do?" Aeka asked, sensing Ryoko's apprehension. "He made a pass at me." Ryoko said. "He's that kind, huh?" Tenchi said. "He's worse....he's a male version of how I was with you before we got bonded." Ryoko said. "This should prove an interesting trip." Aeka said with a smirk. [Don't go there, girl.] Ryoko said to her via their mental bond. [Whatever do you mean?] Aeka asked. Ryoko looked at her with a withering glance. [I thought we had a truce after we married Tenchi.] Ryoko said. [Yes we do, but does that mean I can't have a little fun once in a while.] Aeka told her. [Two can play that game, Princess. Wait til we get to Jurai. Hehe.] Ryoko said. [Behave you two.] Tenchi said joining their mental conversation. [This is just a little friendly spat, Lord Tenchi. We are going to get to see a side of Ryoko's old life.] Aeka said. [I left that life behind when Tenchi kill Kagato years ago.] Ryoko said. [Lets focus on the job at hand here, ok?] Tenchi asked them. [Yes dear.] said both woman at once and a wave of affection trail along after their words. The motions washed over his mind like the a cool soothing wave on a hot beach. [That was nice.] he said lovingly caressing their minds with his own feeling of love. [Tonight it could be nicer.] Aeka said in a sweet tone. [Much nicer.] Ryoko joined in with a seductive tone. [Honestly, you three make love more often than Earth rabbits.] Washu's voice came over the link from Ryoko's mind. [You can talk to us, too.] Tenchi said looking at the diminutive genius. [Of course, I have a mental link with Ryoko's mind, and if she is using her link with you I can talk to youl, but I can't probe your minds like she can.] Washu said. [Thank goodness.] Aeka said rolling her eyes. "Watch it, princess." Washu said. Ryoko chuckled a little. "Did we just missing something here?" Noboyuki asked scratching the back of his head. "Its nothing Dad, we were sharing a little joke." Tenchi said as he tapped a finger to his head. "Oh, that telephathy stuff you can do with the girls. Well, I'm headed back to my room to clean up, I can just imagine its a mess after that last roll we did." Noboyuki said. "I'll join you, my room is probably a mess also." said Yosho. "What about us?" Kiyone asked Tenchi. "Mihoshi should stay here and help out with cleaning the place up, and you can should also stay because they might recognize your blaster as a GP weapon." Tenchi said. "He's right. GP officers are not very welcome on Pharsis. They ususall kill them on site." Ryoko said. "But in your case, they'll probably gang rape you and then kill you." Kiyone jump at that last comment. "I get the picture." she said. Tenchi put his hands on Kiyone's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. She froze, but not from fear but from the fact that she was suddenly lost in his gaze. "I feel better that your here to look after Mihoshi, Sasamai, and Dad. Grandpa can help you if you need anything." he said. "Thank you." she said almost in a trance. [Thats our Tenchi, he aways has a way with us ladies.] Ryoko said. Aeka giggled as Kiyone walked away with a smile on her face. "What? All I did was talk to her." Tenchi said. Ryoko put her hand on his chin and turned his face around to hers. "You have that effect on us, Aeka and I may be married to you, but we all love you." she said. Tenchi suddenly realized exactly what she meant by that and blushed furiously. The girls just giggled. "I love it when he squirms." Ryoko said as she rubbed her cheek against his. Washu modified the secondary computer to handle the work of the main system that was down, and the Yagami was underway again. The cripped ship was only able to travel at its fastest conventional speed propelled by the plasma thrust engines. Several days passed and the Yagami started the danger trek into the heart of the Devil's Eye. Washu monitored for time distortions or spacial enomilies as they travelled between the blackholes. Sasami look up through the observation windows at the glowing ecresion disks that spin around the black event horizons of the massive bodies. The sight was fear and awe inspiring. Not even Washu with all of her technological wizardry and knowledge had a desire to tangle with the most powerful force of nature in the universe. Slowly the GP cruiser escaped from the Devil's Eye and a course was set for Pharsis. "That was actually very smooth sailing." Sasami said as she looked up at one of the giant blackholes. "It usually is, but you never can tell." Ryoko said. She stood behind the young princess with her hands on her shoulders. "Five more days to Pharsis, then its onward to Jurai." Aeka said from where she stood __________ __________ Chapter Three: The Pirate City... The region of space around Pharsis is a dangerous place of unstable pockets of vetron gas clouds, randomly placed pulsars, and a smattering of blackholes. It was also dangerous due to the presence of over 10,000 pirate vessels of all shapes and sizes. The Yagami would not have fit into this motly crew of ships, but Ryu-Ohki certainly did. Kiyone had hidden the Yagami inside the a cave on a large lifeless planetoid orbited one of the smaller blackholes that sat near Pharsis. Aeka, Tenchi, and Ryoko left in Ryu-Ohki to compete the three lightyear journey to the pirate city that hung in space. The pirate city did not reside on the planet but was actually a large space station. The massive construct was the largest piece of engineering that Aeka and Tenchi had set their eyes upon. Pharsis was a series of large asteroids strung together by massive cables and transparent tubing. Large metal structures of habitate buildings on the surface of the giant asteroids could be seen, and the large rock had a huge maw of a docking bay entrance portal. The entire structure was several times larger than any ship of Jurai or any of the space stations that orbited the planet. "By Tsunami, that place is huge." Aeka breathed as she looked at one of the large holoscreens Ryu-Ohki's bridge. "Its been growing. I remember 700 years ago it was alot smaller than this. Looks like Mosnor has been busy." Ryoko said. "The best kept secret in the galaxy." Tenchi said. "Mosnor is a real businessman. He used to be in a mining company before he turned gangster." Ryoko said. "He must be doing very well then." Aeka commented. "He is stinking rich, and I'm not talking about the smell." Ryoko joked. Ryoko guided Ryu-Ohki into a slow arch that took her towards the giant docking bay. As they approached a gruff voice came over the comm. "Approaching vessel, what is your designation and purpose?" "Better let me handle this." Ryoko said. She cleared her throught, open the channel and said in a very roquish manner that sounded alot like the old Ryoko, "This is the Ryu-Ohki and I'm here for some supplies." "The Ryu-Ohki, that is the name of ship belonging to Ryoko, and its said that she is dead." the voice replied. "I'm not dead, but you will be if I don't get some docking instructions!" she shouted. "Yes, yes ma'am!" the voice replied dripping with fear. Ryoko muted the channel for a minute and stifled a laugh. "Your enjoying yourself aren't you." Tenchi smiled at her. "You got to know how to deal with these types. The guys who run the ports think they are bigger than they actually are." She said. "Ryu-Ohki, you can proceed to dock 102456A." the voice came back, a little shaken. Soon after docking Tenchi, his two wives, and Ryu-Ohki in cabbit form stood in the main concorse of Pharsis spaceport. They quickly made it passed what was supposed to be a customs station run by a very greasy looking character, and soon they were on their way. They found the interior of the station was very lwrge, a massive cavern was hollowed out inside the asteroid that served as the main habitate area. Several tiers of large platforms held the buildings that made up the pirate city, all twelve levels in all rose several hundred miles high. Massive cables ran along the sides of the cavern walls to power the interior lighting and to run the enivronment recylcers mounted on the roof of the cavern. Beneith their feet they could feel the familar tingling vibration caused by an artificial gravity matrix. Aeka wore a hood to hide her face to keep from being recognized. "Wow." was all Tenchi could say. "That was my first impression when I arrive her a long time ago." Ryoko said. "Its amazing they kept a place like this a secret for so long." Aeka commented. "Thate is alot people don't realize about the space pirates, Pharsis is just the tip of the iceburg." Ryoko told her. "Where should we go first?" Tenchi asked as he looked around trying to determine what direction they should go in the massive city. "We should try to avoid the higher tiers, they are the oldest parts of the city and contain the worse elements." Ryoko said. Aeka looked up towards the higher tiers and tried to make out the buildings through the atmospheric haze. "Is this all there is of the city?" Aeka asked. "No, this is one module, the city spans several others but this one is the largest." Ryoko told her. "Where do we find a hyperdrive motivator here?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko point towards the third tier. "The third level is the market district. You can find anything there." she said. Aeka felt for the small satchel she carried under her kimono and felt its weight. "I hope they accept Jurai currency here." she said. "They take anything, money, merchandise, favors, anything that can be traded or offered is accepted." Ryoko told her. Ryoko lead the way through the busstle of the vast tiered city. She mentally warned Aeka to keep a firm grip on her purse due the outrageous number of pick pockets that lived in the city. After walked for nearly and hour they reached one of the five public lifts that carried pedestrians traffic to the next tier. The ground level part of the city was dedicated to a large arena and several other places of entertainment. Aeka blushed when Ryoko mentally told her the places they were walking past were brothels or bathhouses that give special treatment. The arena was for blood sports and public executions. The second tier was a market place for all sorts of exotic goods from alien fruits and vegetables to live stock, and even illegal drugs. Ryoko pointed all of this out to Aeka and Tenchi as they made their way to the next lift. Whenever they spoke they did it through their link so as not to attract undue attention to themselves. [No wonder Kagato came to this place.] Aeka said in discust. [The Zanadu of the Galaxy.] Tenchi said. [What is Zanadu?] Aeka asked. [Zanadu, the pleasure dome, it was in ancient Babylon outside of Bagdad in what is called Iraq today. It was said to be a place of exotic perversions.] Tenchi explained. [That describes Pharsis alright.] Ryoko laughed. [It was a good thing we asked Mihoshi and Kiyone to stay behind, they'd go crazy in this place.] Tenchi said. [I saw a number of items in a shop behind us that were banned on Jurai for hundreds of year.] Aeka commented. [Wait til we get to the third tier where they sell the larger items, this tier is for ordinary goods and food stuffs.] Ryoko said. It took another hour to make it to the other side of the tier where the lift to level three was located. As they reached the third tier Aeka gasped with shock as she was a Jurai tree ship sitting with several other large spacecraft surrounded by a force field. A small domed strucure was the only entrance to were the ships were held. Above the door was a hand painted sign that read "Zark's Used Shipyards, We Buy, Sell, Trade Any Kind". [How did they get a Jurai ship?] Aeka wondered. [It looks like a courier ship, so its not a miltary vessel.] Ryoko said. A short man with a large bottle in his hands came shambling up to them. He grabbed onto Aeka's arm and started to tug her away from the group. "Well, hell-o speetheart, ya luk fin, wanna haf fun wit me?" he said in a gravily voice reeked from the smell of liqour. "Let go of me you, ruffian!" Aeka shouted. "Come on, babi, gib us a kiz." the drunk said. [Don't use your powers, they'll know who you are." Tenchi warned. [Please, he's is so inebriated that your father could beat him up.] Aeka replied. The princess turned sharply in the drunk's grasp and planted a knee dead center between his legs. The man crumpled over without a single shout like a sack of potatoes. Aeka dusted off her hands and turned back to Tenchi and Ryoko with a broad smile on her face. [Not bad, princess." Ryoko said. [What do we do with him?] Tenchi asked. [He'll wake up a few hours from now and not even remember what happened probably.] Ryoko laughed. The rest of tier proved to be as amazing as the first sight they had of it with the stolen Jurai ship. One dealer was selling vintage World War II aircraft from the planet Earth as collector's items. Tenchi read the English letter on the side of some of the craft. They had the names of American airman underneath the cockpit canopies. In another section were large Earth sea going ships, some were modern ocean going ships and a few were ancient sailing ships in perfect condition. [You didn't actually think that Yosho was the first alien to visit Earth before did you?] Ryoko asked him when she noticed the strange emotions coming from him. [Ever since I met all of you I often wondered if those stories of alien were actually real after all.] he said. [Alien abductions, what do you mean, Lord Tenchi?] Aeka asked. [There are stories by millions of people around the world of aliens abducting them and doing experiments on them. Its been going on for years, and only recently has it started to really become well known.] Tenchi explained. [When we get back to the Yagami we could talk to Kiyone and Mihoshi about looking into it when were get back to Earth.] Aeka said. [Sounds like a plan.] Ryoko said. Venturing further into the city they began to come across the part dealers and junk dealers. dozens of large buildings surrounded by high walls marked where they stood. High mountains of technological junk could be seen rising high in the distance. One of the mountains of junk had the entire rear section of a ship just like the Yagami but it was yellow. "We can try this one." Ryoko said. "Let me do the talking." She pointed towards the junk dealer that had the yellow spaceship section. The three filed through the crowd of ragged pedestrians and walked into the main office of the junk shop. The main office was dimly lite and smelled of oil and ozone. Aeka pulled her hood over her head just incase somebody got close enough to recognize who she was. A short stocky looking Galdorian came waddling into the room. He climbed up a short set up steps that lead to the top of his counter and he yell out something in Gladorese. You young boy no taller than Sasami rushed out and said something in slightly broken Gladorese to him. "Excuse me, do you speak Juraian?" Ryoko asked. "I am Hakkou, how can I help you?" the Gladorian asked in Juraian. "We're looking for parts for our ship. Its a Callorian Sultran cruiser-class with Golcom Delta 985 Hyperdrive." Ryoko said. "We got parts for those, what you looking for?" Hakkou asked. "A hyperdrive motivator and three power couplings for a Kitsu-Lomara model 87 anti-mater reactor." Ryoko said. "We also need a type 23 biogel memory module and Inatron CCC-1024 processor core." For the first time in a long time she thank her mother for making that link between them. Washu was on the other end of the mental link feeding the specs to her mind that she needed to relay. As before, Washu could not look into the minds of Tenchi and Aeka since they shared a different level of mental link with her daughter. The Gladorian barked a few orders to the young boy and he walked over to a small data terminal. "We have those in stock." the boy said in Juraian. "We go out and look, ok." Hakkou said as he motioned Ryoko to follow him. [I'll go, you two stay here.] Ryoko said mentally to Tenchi and Aeka. [Ok.] they both replied. As they waited for Ryoko and Hakkou to come back Aeka and Tenchi strolled around the interior of the shop looking at all of the exotic pieces of alien technology that was laying about on the shelves. Tenchi had no clue as to what many of the exotic devices did, some he guessed were all ship parts from engines and other systems. He recognized a few of the parts used in the life support system on the Yagami, but everything else was so alien to him. Tenchi felt like kicking himself for not being more familar with these things, he denied his heritage and feelings for so long that now that he was among the stars he knew nothing about what was out there. Aeka kept her mind open to Tenchi's thoughts and she could feel what he was feeling. She was about to reach out to him and tell him it alright when they heard the door to the shop open. A tall figure walked into the room and walked up to the counter. "Hakkou! Hakkou you slime bucket where are you?" the figure yelled. From the voice Tenchi identified the figure as a woman. The Gladorian and Ryoko returned from the junk yard soon after. The short, waddling merchant held a large PDA tablet in his hands. [We got the parts, but they're going to cost.] Ryoko said mentally. "You worm, are those power converters in yet?" the figured asked as Hakkou walked up onto his counter. "Sorry, Sakura, but parts for a TG-16 are hard to come by these days." the Gladorian told her. "Damn." Sakura said as she stamped a booted foot. "Well if you want your four thousand Jurai you better make sure you get them in, soon." Ryoko turned around when she heard the woman's name and she took a defensive posture putting herself between Sakura and the others. Tenchi and Aeka felt a rising sence of danger from Ryoko and they looked at the woman witn greater interest. [Sakura, it can't be, oh shit.] Ryoko said mentally. "Miya? Miya, miya!" Ryu-Ohki meowed as she recognized the name. "Hello Sakura." Ryoko said in a low voice. The woman turned around and they all got a look at her. The woman was wearing an outfit that showed off her features in great detail. Her womanhood was barely covered by a leather armor halter top and the rest of the outfit was almost like that of a leather and black lace teddy. Her long legs where clad in thigh length black boots, and on one thigh was scrapped a wicked looking dagger. Sakura carried a sword strapped to her back and two large blasters at her sides, and a red cape draped down her back. Her hair was dark teal like Kiyone's but it was in a style that was more a mix betwwen Ryoko and Nagi. Her face was strikingly beautiful, with thin red lips, deep blue eyes, and soft features. Aeka had to slap Tenchi out of a stupper as he looked at her. "Ryoko?" Sakura said. "Ya its me." the former space pirate said. The woman look as if she was about to run to Ryoko and clamp her in a hug, but then she changed from a look of glee to one of indifference. "So, what are YOU doing back here?" she asked. "I could ask the same question." Ryoko said. Sakura look beyond Ryoko and noticed the two figures standing behind her. She guess the hood one was a woman because of her stature and way she walked was very woman like, but the young man was interesting. "Who's the cutie?" she asked in a voice that was suddenly very sweet. Ryoko moved a little closer to Tenchi. "Don't even think about it, he's mine." she said. "You actually have a man, not that's a surprise. You usually either ignore or clobber men who make advances on you." Sakura laughed. "We're married." Ryoko said. "Married, you've certainly changed." Sakura laughed. Aeka and Ryoko suddenly began to sense a growing feeling of awe and desire rising in Tenchi's mind. [Tenchi!] Aeka scolded him. [Aeka, he can't help it, its her. She belongs to race that gives off powerful ferimones that only effect male humanoids.] Ryoko explained. "I know what your up to, Sakura, so turn off the tap." Ryoko growled. "Afraid you'll loose your man to the greatest seductress in the universe." Sakura said. "I'm warning you. Your not going to steal him from me." Ryoko said as she summoned her energy sword. "Oh, come now, I only plan to have some fun and then you can have him back." she replied. "Over our dead bodies." Aeka said as she removed her hood, unable to hold herself back any further. "She's so beautiful." Tenchi said as if in a trance. "Who is this little thing?" Sakura asked sheepishly. "I too am married to this man." Aeka said. Sakura started laughing histerically. Hakkou, sensing a fight was about to break loose waddled off his counter and grabbed the young boy who soon looking at Sakura with a dazed look on his face. "One man with two women, he must be one of those kinky types." Sakura said. "Don't you dare defile Lord Tenchi's character like that!" Aeka seethed. [Aeka, remember we're supposed to be keeping a low profile.] Ryoko warned. "Lord Tenchi? Say, I recall it was a guy name Tenchi who supposedly killed off old Kagato a few years ago." Sakura said. "Its also said that he is a member of the Jurai royalty also." "Back off Sakura!" Ryoko shouted. "Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki. "Oh, alright, if you I wasn't in a mood for a fight right now anyway. Maybe another time." Sakura said as she turned around and walked out of the shop. Almost immediately Tenchi started to shake his head and rub his eyes. "W-w-what happened to me?" he asked. "Sakura gives off ferimones that effect men. Well, almost all men." Ryoko said as Hakkou came back into the shop. "That could get messy if you be messin with Sakura. So, you is the great Ryoko, eh?" the Gladorian shopkeeper asked. "Yes, I am Ryoko." Ryoko replied. "A legend right here in me shop, I tell you what I give you parts at half price, ok?" Hakkou said. "Thanks." Ryoko told him. "How much is it going to be?" Aeka asked. "Lemme see, hmmm, exactly five hundred thousand Jurai." Hakkou said after looking at his PDA. Aeka grimaced, but sighed as she pulled out her purse and fished out a handful of large one-hundred thousand Jurai coins. She counted five of the coins into the shopkeepers three-fingered hand. "Good, where you want parts to go?" he asked. "Have been stowed in a disposable cargo container at dock 102456A." Ryoko told him. Hakkou tapped it into his PDA. "It'll be about six hours, that hyperdrive motivator weights two-hundred fifty tons, you know." he said ax he waddled off. "What do we do for six hours?" Tenchi asked his wives. An image of a bed drifted into his mind from Ryoko. Aeka got the same image and she blushed slightly dispite the fact that she slept with Tenchi at least twice already. Tenchi smiled. "That would be fun, but I don't think we should let out guard down like that in this place." he said. "Your right, after we get back to Yagami." she replied after giving him a peck on the cheek. "I love being able to be so open with our feelings like this." Aeka said as she rested her head on Tenchi's back. "Lets get going before Sakura decides to come back." Ryoko said. "It probably wasn't a good idea saying your name like that. Please forgive me, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said. "Its ok, Aeka." he said as he put his arm around her. In a tall tower outside of the tier city the governor of Pharsis was getting a called from an old friend. The greasy looking Flagorian floated in a large vat of green slime and touched a button on a side console. A holographic screen appeared and the face of Hakkou appeared. "Hakkou, old friend what you be doin?" Masnor asked. "Mosnor, ya member that coot pirate Ryoko?" the shopkeeper asked. Mosnor moved closer to the holoscreen. "How can I not. She a real looker don't ya know." he said. "She be here in Pharsis. I tink she be in trouble. Sakura be seeing her and they almos git inta a fight over a man." Hakkou said. "Rumor say she shack up wit the guy who killt Kagato. You be seeing Makoro snoop around?" Mosnor asked. "Na, but you being sure she tell him she here. I tink this guy be that one, and she got a Princess from Jurai wit here too." Hakkou said. "I tink the lass be in danger. You try un help, and I see wha I kun do from here." Mosnor said. "Will do. I got ta go then, see you then." Hakkou said before signing off. Mosnor sat there for long while deep in thought and wondered what his old friend Ryoko was doing back in Pharsis. She'd been missing for so long and then suddenly he started to hear stories that she resurfaced and found love on some backwater world in another part of the galaxy. He hoped beyond hope that Makoro, Sakura's new employer, did not hear wind of her. He knew that would happen if he did. As he opened his eyes he worse fears were realized as he saw the very man he was afraid of standing in front of him. "How di you git up here, you slime?" Mosnor demanded. "I can go where I please, you toad. So, do I hear correctly, is our dearest Ryoko back in Pharsis?" Makoro asked with an icy look in his eyes. "Wha be it to you?" Mosnor asked defiantely. "Your trying to protect her, that would be a very bad thing to do." Makoro said in a dangerous tone. "You canna touch me, I be runnin this place." Mosnor told him. "Not anymore, you fat discusting waste of oxygen!" Makoro shouted as he ignited a sword that looked like the Master Key. Tye Flagorian's two large eyes, which were on long eye stalks on the top of his head went wide. Before he could cry out for his guards Makoro swung the sword in an arch and severed his head. Mosnor's head tumbled out of the vat and landed on the floor with a sickening thud. "Was that wise?" Sakura asked as she emerged from the shadows. "Nobody gets in the way of my revenge. I will avenge my brother's death no matter the cost." Makoro said through clenched teeth. The two turned and walked out of the room leaving Mosnor's headless body where it lay. A few minutes later a young Tomorian girl dress scantilly and carrying a platter with a bottle of Flagorian wine walked into the room. She screamed when she saw Mosnor's body and dropped the platter as she turned and ran. The trio made their way to the fourth tier and found a semi-clean resteraunt to eat at. Tenchi got brave and tried an alien recipe, but found himself wishing he was back on Yagami with Sasami's cooking. After that they wandered around the second tier shops to see if they couod pick up a few things to take back to the Yagami for the others. All the while they did not notice the figure that followed along after them darting between the shadows. Two hours later they stopped at the central square where a fountain was placed and the water spray helped to cool them off. Aeka sat on the edge to give her small feet a rest and Ryoko just floated in midair in a lotus position next to Tenchi who decided to just stand. "Its a nice place to visit, but sure wouldn't want to live here." he said. "I did once for two years. That was how I met Sakura." Ryoko said. "What is it between you two?" Aeka asked her. "She was a biggest rival in the pirate bizz. Not my arch rival like Nagi, but a real competitor for snagging ships." Ryoko explained. "We used to have really awesome dogfights in space. She has a Cabbit like Ryu-Ohki, a female one named Kim-Ohki." "I see, the lake back home has crystals in it that come out every once in a while. Looking for carrots most of the time." Aeka said. "Ya, mom made a few Cabbits like Ryu-Ohki, and one day before Kagato double- crossed us I remember that a few got away." Ryoko said. "And then they started breeding." Tenchi said. "Miya, miya, miya, miya." Ryu-Ohki said. "She said that there is a planet where a colony of Cabbits live, but its pretty well hidden." Ryoko translated. "Sasami would be in heaven on a planet like that." Tenchi said, scratching the Cabbit between the ears. Ryu-Ohki purred and licked his hand. It was at that moment that Ryoko noticed that the husstle and busstle of pedestrian traffic which was quite heavy was suddenly gone. They were now the only people standing out in the open, and it alarmed her. Tenchi and Aeka picked up on Ryoko sudden alarm too. Then it happened very quickly, the hairs on the back of Tenchi's neck started to rise up on end and he turned just in time. He raised his hands and errected a force field to deflect a series of energy blasts that were coming their way. In a fash Tenchi and Aeka put on their armor rings and changed to their Juraian battlesuits and Ryoko morphed into her battlesuit and has her energy sword in hand. Tenchi drew the Master Key and ignited its blue blade. They waited for several seconds before a second attack came, but the blasts just splashed off of Tenchi's protective shield. A high pitched laugh came down upon them as Sakura and another figure appeared on the street in front of them. "Sorry about this Ryoko, but this isn't personal...its business." Sakura said. "What do you think your doing, you bitch?" Ryoko asked her. "That's Princess Aeka of Jurai, her ransome will bring a nice price." the other person said. From the voice they could tell it was man. Aeka started powering up and she summoned her mini-guardians. "I will not be so easy to capture, whoever you are." she said with an icy tone. "And you'll have go get through me first." Tenchi said. The figure was dressed all in black and wore a hooded cowl, he pulled it back and Ryoko gasped in shock. "Makoro." she said in a voice that dripped with hatred. "I'm glad you remember me, dear Ryoko." the man said. [Who is he?] Tenchi asked mentally. [A total jerk slave trader, be careful because he's tricky] Ryoko warned. "Your working for this slime ball!" Ryoko shouted at Sakura. The seductress space pirate shrugged and said, "A girl has to make a living and he pays me well for my services." "Sakura, lets end these pleasentries and get onm with obtaining our prize." the man said in a relaxed voice. "Better surrender her or this could get really messy." Sakura said as she drew her sword. The weapon had a steel blade, the surface of it ignited with blue energy as she took a fighting stance. Ryoko looked over at Tenchi and smiled "Don't you know who this is?" she asked Makoro. Sakura looked at Tenchi and then back at Makoro. "You didn't tell your new boss who he going up against did you, Sakura?" Ryoko asked her. Tenchi stepped forward and took a battle stance with the Master Key in his grasp. "I am Tenchi Masaki, first Prince of Jurai, and the man who slayed Kagato." he said. Makoro reached into his black suit and producted a Juraian spaceship key and ignited its blade. Aeka gasped in shock at this. "I know who you are, Prince Tenchi, it means nothing to me." Makoro said. "It should." Tenchi said in an uncharacteristicly vicious tone. "Stay out of my way boy." Makoro said as he raised his hand and launched an energy blast at him. The blast hit Tenchi's shield and struck with such force that it sent him flying down the street. "Tenchiii!" Aeka and Ryoko both shouted. Makoro took the opportunity and flew at Aeka. The princess saw his move and she lashed out with her mini-guardians. Makoro struck her shield and landed on his feet after a sumersault move. Aeka flew at him this time with a powered punch and tried to blast him, but she was stopped in place by his own shield. Aeka got a suddenly bout of deja vu when Makoro waved his hands and a blast sent her flying into the fountain. Ryoko yelled out Aeka's name and teleported to Makoro's side and lashed out with her sword. It deflected off of the man's shield and he quickly blasted her away as well. "Pathetic. I thought you were better than this." he said. Suddenly, there was a flash of bright light down the street. Makoro looked up and his eyes opened wide with shock. He watched as six Light Hawk Wings emerged from Tenchi's chest, two of the wings seperated from him and merged with him to form the white Light Hawk Armor, and a third entered his hand and transformed into the Light Hawk Sword. Using his hidden power Tenchi rose into the air and flew at Makoro. The man rised his sword to perry and was surprise when the force of the impact send the weapon flying out of his hand. "This is how I killed that bastard Kagato, and how you will end also if you don't yield." Tenchi said through clenched teeth. "Light Hawk Wings, very impressive. No wonder you were able to defeat my brother." Makoro said. "Kagato was your brother!" Ryoko said with rage. "You didn't know he was part Juraian did you?" Makoro said. "That monster could not have been one of my people!" Aeka shouted as she climbed out of the fountain dripping with water. Ryoko concentrated for a few seconds and formed her own Light Hawk Wings. She took a positon next to Tenchi and assumed a battle stance. "Wha! Two beings with Light Hawk Wings!" Sakura shouted with shock. "It makes no difference, I will have the Princess!" Makoro shouted as he tapped something on his wrist. Instantly the air was filled with hundred of small drones. They darted about like angry hornets and they swarmed upon the trio. The drones started firing laser blasts that deflected off of Tenchi and Ryoko's light hawk wings and Aeka own Jurai power shield. The total number of hits was starting to effect Aeka, and she was quickly beginning to loose her hold over her shield. Tenchi and Ryoko both sense this through their link with her as they down several of the drones with energy blasts. "Aeka!" Tenchi shouts as the princess falls to her knees as she tries to keep her shield from failing. Tenchi runs to her and grabs her, he summons his flying power and soars into the air. A horde of drones follows him firing at him, but their beams deflect off of his light hawk wings. Ryoko leaps into the air and followes behind him taking out the drones from the rear with energy blasts and swipes of her sword. Eventually they manage to loose the annoying devices and land in a back alleyway. Tenchi and Ryoko release their powers and slump to the ground panting. "We are in trouble." Ryoko said. "I noticed that." Tenchi said. "I can't believe Kagato is part Juraian, what a disgrace." Aeka said a little mortified. "There is always one black sheep in the family." Tenchi told her. "I'd prefer it not to be that particular one thank you." Aeka said. "I noticed that Makoro is Juraian also, he as a spaceship key sword like the Master Key." Tenchi said. "Your sword is the Key to Tsunami, his is a key to some other tree ship, but I am not sure which." Aeka said. "We can ask Tsunami later when we get back to Yagami." Ryoko said. "Maaaoooowwwww!!!!!" came a loud cry from the sky. Ryoko stood up and looked up into the air. A large ship that looked alot like Ryu-Ohki but was a blueish color was rising into the air from the distance. "Shit, its Kim-Ohki!" she said. "Miya, miya miya miya miya miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki. "What did she say?" Tenchi asked. "She was saying some very unflattering things about Kin-Ohki's figure." Ryoko chuckled. "I'd love to stand around a meet more of your old enemies Ryoko, but could we get out of here." Aeka said. "I heard that." Ryoko replied. The trio ran down the alleyway and darted into a small building. It was just then that Kim-Ohki roared overhead. They looked into the air as the Cabbit flew by and then they emerged and rushed out into the street. They found an abandoned hovercar and piled into it. Ryoko took the controls and headed for the ramps that allowed ground vehicles access to the other tiers. The ramsp were winding tunnels bored out of the stone walls of the asteroid. They travelled down to the first level and headed towards a giant tower that rose up from the cavern floor some distance from the tiered city. "I don't really want to do this, but Mosnor can hide us for a while until our parts are ready to go." Ryoko said. They pulled up at the front entrance to the tower and the trio ran inside. They followed Ryoko as she ran into a lift and it carried them to the top of the tower. "I don't like it, where are the guards." Ryoko said. As they made it to Mosnor's chambers at the top of the tower they stopped. A large vat of green goop sat in the middle of the room where the administrator of Pharsis ran the place. The body of the Flagorian was slumped over the edge, flabby sacks of flexh hung down from the creatures body, and its severed head lay in a pool of blue blood in one corner. "Oh damn." Ryoko said. "This is not our day." Aeka said. "Now what?" Tenchi asked. "MAOW!" can a cry from outside jsut before the room was engulfed in white light and explosions. The three suddenly found themself on the smooth crystaline floor of Ryu-Ohki's bridge. In the instant the tower was hit by Kim-Ohki the Cabbit leaped off of Ryoko shoulder and morphed into ship form and teleported her friends onboard. Now she was darting away as the Mosnor's tower started to tumble over and Kim-Ohki gave chase. "Ryu-Ohki, I love you." Ryoko said as she stood up and took the controls. The Cabbits furry face appeared one of the floating crystals and blushed. The other Cabbit ship was firing at them as they speed away, but Ryoko quickly dodged the shops and dove Ryu-Ohki in between the tall towers of the sixth tier in the city structure. The Cabbit ships darted between the huge buildings exchanging cannon fire. Ryu-Ohki meowed in pain when ever she was hit, but Ryoko gave Kim-Ohki more direct hits. Ryoko dove the Cabbit ship into a n archway made by two large buildings and blasted it just as Kim-Ohki was about to follow. The Cabbit ship was caught by the falling structures and crashed to the ground with a great explosion. "Miya miya miay?" Ryu-Ohki meowed a question. "No, I sure she'll be ok." Ryoko said. Ryoko guided Ryu-Ohki towards the hanger bay and flew her through the main concourse of the space port. When they reached the docking port area they could see a large cargo carrier there. Ryu-Ohki focused a holographic vidscreen on two figures on the deck down below. It was Hakkou and the young boy who was his assistant. "That be you Ryoko?" came the voice of the Gladorian over the com system. "I hear about old fiend Mosnor, he ask me to help you be Makoro cut him up." "Thanks, you better get going too." Ryoko replied. "I be havin strong friends in the pirate guild. Makoro be hunted man if he touch me." the shopkeeper said. "Lets get out of this place." aeka said. "Ok Ryu-Ohki, lets pick up that cargo container and haul ass to the Yagami." Ryoko said. "Miya!" meowed the Cabbit in agreement. Ryu-Ohki locked a tractor beam onto the cargo container and then raced away into the cavernous reaches of the space port entrance. As they emerged from the asteroid blue beams of energy streaked past them. A holographics screen appeared showing a large black vessel that was long and sleek racing towards them. It was firing energy beams at Ryu-Ohki from twin cannons. "That must be Makoro, is he hits the cargo carrier this trip was all for nothing." Tenchi said. "Aeka, take the controls. Tenchi, is it OK if I squash this fly that is bugging us?" Ryoko asked as Aeka took over the controls of the Cabbit ship. Tenchi recalled he asked her to ask permission before doing anything drastic since she jumped out into space and taking on a Darkling ship by herself. He had been terrified for her and for the baby she was carrying inside her. He nodded and gave her a kiss before she teleported away. Ryoko rematerialized on the hull of Makoro's ship and summoned her six Light Hawk Wings and created a Light Hawk Sword from one of them. She quick set to work cutting the ship in half with the mightly weapon. Makoro, sitting on the bridge, did not know what was happening to his ship until it was too late. Just just before the primary reactor overloaded and blew he saw Ryoko flying away with her lighthwwk wings surrounding her. She materialized back onto the bridge of the Ryu-Ohki and into Tenchi's loving arms which held her close of Makoro's ship was engulfed in a massive explosion. "Lets get out of here, I don't want to see this city ever again." Ryoko said as she rest her head on Tenchi's shoulder. Aeka worked the controls and guided the Cabbit ship on a course back to where they hid the Yagami. Back on the GP ship Kiyone was chasing Mihoshi around the living area. She had a towel wrapped around her and was dripping wet. The blonde policewoman was frantically running to keep from being bashed over the head. "Get back here you! That was my last bottle of conditioner!" Kiyone welled. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Kiyone, but I ran last week and I get all oily if I don't use conditioner on my hair!" Mihoshi said with tears in her eyes. "So you had to start using mine!" Kiyone yelled. "Stop it you two, your as bad as my sister and Ryoko used to be." Sasami scolded them. Noboyuki stepped into the room and dodge out of Mihoshi's way as she ran past him. He unfortunately did not see Kiyone following close behind and they colided. When Kiyone was able to see again she noticed two things, one Noboyuki was on the floor, and two she was straddling him. The third thing she realized was that she was still wearing her bath towel and wasn't wearing any panties. Her face turned a bright red, and when Noboyuki woke up to find a wet and half naked Kiyone sitting on him his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "I-I-I'm so sorry Mr. Masaki, I didn't see you there." Kyone stammered as she leaped up off of him and helped him up. Strangely, he was not acting like the hentai he usually acted like. Kiyone noticed that he was actually blushing too. He was about to say something when Washu came running into the room. "They're back!" she shouted. Everyone gathered on the observation desk of the Yagami to watch as Ryu-Ohki flew in trailing a large cargo container. The Cabbit ship stowed the container into one of Yagami's open cargo hatches and then beamed her passengers into the ship. The little furry creature phased through the hull of the ship and leapped into the waiting arms of Sasami who held a large, plump carrot for her. Ryu-Ohki was very quickly munching away on top of Sasami's head. "She earned that carrot today. Ryu-Ohki saved our lives." Tenchi said. "Wow! Your such a good girl, Ryu-Ohki." Sasami said petting the little Cabbit. "Did you get the parts we need?" Kiyone asked, now fully dressed in her GP flight uniform. "We sure did." Tenchi said. "Ok, lets get to work so we be on our way." Washu said as she started rolling up her sleeves. Tenchi opened the cargo carrier and watched with amazement as Washu moved the massive hyperdrive motivator with a simple wand-shaped device. She called it a anti-gravitational manipulator. The rest of the things they ordered were in cases inside the cargo container also, but what surprised them the most was the extra items that were there. A large crate of bottles containing expensive alcholic beverages, several containers of food, and three crates of exotic looking weapons that Kiyone identified as being illegal in most starsystems due to their firepower. It was decided that they'd keep the weapons onboard considering the situation they were in, and Washu would make Etherealogical modifications to them so they would be effective against the Darkness. Twenty hours passed and the new hyperdirve was in place and ready for them to depart. Washu gave the all clear and the device powered up for the first time without a hitch. Kiyone and Yosho got the main computer back online and running, and Sasami used the food to cook a big dinner to celebrate this victory. They sat in the dinning room enjoyed each other's company. Kiyone and Noboyuki was lost in a conversation about how buildings were designed, Mihoshi was playig with her control cube again, Aeka and Ryoko were hugging Tenchi, and Sasami and Washu were watching Ryu-Ohki do little ballerina dances for them in her child form. It went on like this for several hours, but then the time came for them to move on. "We can get clear of this region if we take this route here." Ryoko said as she pointed to a small region of space positioned between two supermassive blackholes. "That'll be one tight fit through there." Kiyone said. "We have to chance it or we will have to fly through that cosmic storm again to get out of here." Washu explained. "Why not, we lived through worse. Sometimes I am amaze that we even lived this long." Aeka said. "We have to get to Jurai, can you do it Kiyone?" Tenchi asked. "I can try." she said. "You can do it, I have confidence in you." Noboyuki said with a smile. His words made Kiyone blush, and Washu raised an eyebrow at this. She has observed a strange event taking place since they left on this journey. It looked as if Kiyone and Noboyuki were getting closer. She decided to research into this further later. "I'm worried about mommy and daddy and mommy Fonaho." Sasami said. "So am I, dear sister." Aeka said as she hugged her little sister. "It will be like threading a needle." Yosho said clamly. "The longer we wait the more time the Darklings have to scheme against us." Tenchi said. "Lord Tenchi is right, we have to chance it now." Aeka said. "Ok, I'm going to need total concentration for this, so everyone please clear the bridge." Kiyone said. Everyone did as she asked, but she did notice that Noboyuki was still with her. She looked up at him and looked into his eyes. She could not read the look on his face for a few seconds but she swore she could see admiration and affection in his dark eyes. He was the last person who ever expected to suddenly find herself suddenly starting to really like. Most times Tenchi father was a real hentai trying to take pictures of them in the onsen, or sitting him his room watching porno movies all the time. She found that about the man discusting, but here lately she noticed a marked change in him. On two occations he had a change to get a good handful of her and on both occations he didn't do a thing inappropriate. In fact, he blushed furiously, which was very uncharacteristic of him. "What is it Mr. Masaki?" she asked. "Kiyone, I....wanted to wish you good luck." he said after a moments hesitation. "Thank you," she replied with a smile. Noboyuki walked out slowly and let the door to the bridge hiss closed behind him. He sighed and pulled a picture out of his front shirt pocket. It was a picture of Achika. A single tear formed in his eyes as he looked at her smiling face. It had been taken a year before she started getting sick. He could hear her last words to him in his mind when he looked at her picture. "Noboyuki, I want you to promise me that if I die you will find another." she said with a weak voice. "Achika, you are my only true love." he had said to her. "I know, but I don't want our little boy to grow up without a mother." she said to him. "I'll do anything you say, my sweet." he had told her. But as the years passed and Tenchi grew older he never met anyone who could measure up to her. Of all the women he had met since that terrible winter day no woman was good enogh, but then the girls from space came to him home. They were all nuts about his son, and he was envious of him at times, and flustered with him at times for not taking advantage of his good fortune. Later, Tenchi made him proud by marrying not one girl but two, and then the guilt hit him. He had not fulfilled his dear departed loves' last request. Tenchi grew up without a mother, and for this he would be eternally asking his late wife for forgiveness. Now that the chaos of the girls fights over Tenchi was over he was starting to feel lonely again, and it was then that he began to focus on a certain teal haired beauty who came to live with them not long ago. "Is it her, my dear. I hope you would approve, I know its a bit late, but I hope you'd approve of her." he said to the picture. There was no answer, and he placed the picture back into his shirt pocket and continued on his way to the crew quarters. __________ End of Chapter Three...to be continued Next time... Chapter Four: Distorted Realities... Tenchi and the gang leave the pirate city to continue their journey to Jurai, but they run into a ripple in spacetime that alters their perspective of reality. Chapter Five: Planet Caldera... The gang finds a calm region of the Dead Zone and runs into a mysterious new planet that none of them knew was there. A terrible secret hidden beneath the surface could threaten their very existance. If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com. Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my fan site