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...

	Tenchi and the gang brave the dangers of a violent cosmic storm and come out
of it in one piece, but the Yagami took a good hit.  They are forced to goto the
dangerous legendary city of Pharsis where Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko run into one of
Ryoko's old rivals....a pirate seductress named Sakura.  Narrowly escaping the
wrath of Kagato's brother, the trio return to the Yagami with the parts needed to
do the repairs.  Now, the ship was ready to depart again on their journey through
the Dead Zone.  We last leave them as they are about to embark on a dangerous
journey between to blackholes.
__________
Chapter Four: Distorted Realities
	
	Two supermassive blackholes filled the sky in the main viewscreen on the
bridge of Yagami.  Kiyone sat alone at her station as she keyed in the vital info
she needed to make the journey between them.  There was a narrow passage of space
that they travel through to get past the blackholes without being cooked by blasts
of radiation or being ripped to shreads by the immense gravitational forces.  She
did not like the idea of playing monkey in the middle with two blackholes, but
they had no other choice.  A careful course that routed them around the streams of
accelerated particles that swirled around the two astrological bodies had to be
careful mapped.  The two blackholes were constantly exchanging material since
they were so close, and it made the two looking almost like a giant Ying Yang
symbol in space.  Shooting out from the upper and lower surfaces of the ecretion
disks that swirled around the two bodies flowed a blazing fountain of cosmic
radiation that was visible to the naked eye and travelled for light years.  The
radiations were so intense that not even staying in the subspace crew quarters
would be enough to protect them.
	Back in the crew section everyone was tense.  Mihoshi, despirately wanting
to be with Kiyone on the bridge was pacing back and forth.  Washu was sitting on her
floating seat typing on her holocomputer totally oblivious to everything going on
around her.  Noboyuki sat with Yosho focusing on a game of Chess to take their
minds off the dangerous journey they were about to understake.  Sasami and Ryu-Ohki
were drawing pictures on a holographic tablet that Washu had made for them.  Tenchi,
Aeka, and Ryoko were not with the others.  Inside their private quarters the three
lay beneath their covers in their bed made for three and held onto each other.  The
girls lay on either side of Tenchi and held him close.  He had his arms around
them and just relished the feeling of them being close to him.  They never had sex
with Tenchi both at the same time since they felt it would be demeaning to their
relationship.  Occationally they shared a brief kiss and a tight squeeze, but it
did not any further than that.
	The ship jostled for a brief moment as Kiyone adjusted course abruptly and
turned full power on the engines.
	"If for some reason we don't make it though this, I want you both to know that
I love you more than anything in the universe." he told them.
	Both women hugged him tight and layed their heads on either side of his chest.
"We'll be ok." Ryoko said.  "We love you too, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said.\
	"I guess I'm just all gloom and doom anymore aren't I." Tenchi replied.
	"We survived this long.  Somehow I feel a higher power is helping us along
on his journey." Aeka said.
	"We could really use some divine intervention right about now." Ryoko said.
	The feeling of being next to one another was so soothing and emotions of love
that caressed their minds through their shared link lulled them to sleep.  Back in
the family room Washu was blind to the world around her as she gather invaluable
research into blackholes.  Her instruments told her that the Yagami had already 
started the first half of the journey between the two supermassive bodies.
	Hours passed and Washu continued to poor over the streaming data.  She had seen
alot of this before, but some surprises where there also.  She was delving into a
region of quantum physicis that few ever dared to tread.  She looked up once just in
time to see Yosho place his queen on the chess boards and say, "Checkmate."
	"That's the fifth time in a row, maybe you should take up Golf, Noboyuki."
she said with a giggle.
	"His problem is a lack of concentration and spiritual focus." Yosho said
calmly.
	"Maybe I should quite while I still have my dignity." Noboyuki said.
	"You need more practice and more patience." Yosho told him.
	Washu took a sip of green tea and looked back at her holocomputer just as
it started beeping.  Her eyes went wide and she dropped the teacup.  "Oh my God!"
she shouted as her hands started flying over the keys.
	"W-W-W-What is it Little Washu?" Mihoshi asked, afraid to know the answer.
	"We're headed straight into a quantum distortion wave!  Don't interrupt me,
have to act fast if we're gonna survive it!" she shouted.
	"Survive it!" Noboyuki croaked out with a look of terror on his face.
	Suddenly the entire shuddered from aft to starboard and everyone's eye view
perceptiion of the interior of the ship was suddenly distorted as if they were looking
at it through water.  Noboyuki was nausiated by the experience and he bent over
and reeched on the floor.  Ryu-Ohki lost balace, fell over, and morphed back to her
Cabbit form, and Sasami fell down and was so dizzy she could not stand.  Washu
focused as hard as she could on her holocomputer as she typed madly away at the
keys.  In their private room Tenchi woke up and the sight before him made his head
ache tremendously.  Aeka and Ryoko woke up and they both almost fell out of bed.
	"What's going on, oh, my head!" Aeka shouted.
	"I feel like I drank too much sake again." Ryoko said.
	"I gotta get to Washu, she might know what's going on." Tenchi said.
	He climbed out of bed and fell onto the floor.  He clutched his head for a
minute as a pain went through him.
	"Tenchi!" both women shouted since they could feel his distress.
	Washu at her holocomputer as typing franticly and sweating.  She stopped and
looked around the room.  Everyone was in bad shape, She raised her hand and pressed
a single button on her holocomputer.
	Tenchi got up and was about to head for the door when a piercing whine filled
his every being, not only his ears, but in his mind as well.  It effected Aeka, Ryoko,
and everyone else on the ship.  A few moments later they watched as the world around
them was suddenly consumed by a bright white light.

	Tenchi woke up and tried to setup, but instantly regretted it when a wave of
pain hit his head.  He rolled over and climbed to his knees and slowly worked his
way up to his feet.  He looked about and he could only see white haze.  He felt like
he was run over by an eighteen-wheeler.  As he stumbled his way through the white
haze he began to see shapes form, a tree, a large rock, and a small hill.  Behind\
him he could hear the sound like the sizzling of electricity from power lines, and
bright blue light.
	A figure appeared out of the mist and approached him.  As it drew nearer and
nearer he noticed that it was a woman.  His vision was becoming fuzzy but he could
tell that it was an older woman, perhaps in her early sizties.  She topped in front
of him and looked at him with concern in her eyes.  Tenchi could not stay on his
feet any longer and he collapsed.  The woman rushed forward and caught him as he
feel and slowly lowered him to the ground.  Seconds later, several other figures
appeared around him and he felt himself being lifted off the ground, soon all the 
world went black as he fell unconscious.

	A group of figures walked through the night carrying limp bodies over their
shoulders.  An elderly woman dressed in a light suit of kevlar armor walked beside
them making sure their burdens were doing well.  They reached a series of tents
and approached one in particular with had been hastily assembed.
	"Ms. Tarn, I got the tent up like ya asked." said a woman wearing an outfit
made from animal skins which concealed armor plating underneath.
	"Thank you.  Now, lets get him inside and out of the chill.  Be careful with
the little one." the elderly woman said to the rest.
	One by one the group entered the tent and delicately laid down their burdons
on the floor.  The old woman went inside followed by a grey hair man in heavy armor
and a younger man wearing a suit made of plates.  On his body were wrist bands and
ankle bands, and from these came metal sheathed tubes that ran to a device that was
a fixed to his belt.  He was huge, his body brissling with muscles, and his eyes
burned with the fire of man who was always ready for a fight.
	He looked down at the newcomers they found at the mouth of the Rift that
had just opened.  It was always dangerous being around Rifts, because you never
know what might be coming out of one.  When a group of people emerged and collapsed
to the ground, the older woman knew she had to do something for them.  The huge
warrior looked over two women in particular, one with white spiked hair, and the
blonde with a dark tan.  Just looking at them made a bulge in his pants suddenly
materialize.
	The old woman noticed this and she fixed the warrior with a very stern
look.  "Don't even thing about it, Greuger."
	"Hey, I won't, I'll be good." the man said raising his hands.
	"Juicers." the greying warrior said under his breath.
	"They appear human, but appearances can be deceiving especially when your
dealing with DeeBees." the old woman said.
	"There is great power here.  A strong magic, stronger than anything I ever
felt before." said the woman who errected the tent.
	"We'd better disarm them, just incase." the greying warrior said.
	"Alright, but I don't want them treated badly until we know more about them.
Is that clear all of you?" the old woman asked.
	"We will treat them as our guests, Erin." the greying warrior said.
	"Sir Thorpe, thank you.  As for the rest, lets get back to sleep.  Jasper,
could you stand guard tonight?" Erin, the older woman, asked.  A half-dog half-man
creature emerged from the shadows.
	"Sure.  They look human but they don't all smell human." he said.
	"Let me know the minute any one of them starts to wake up." Erin said to Sir
Thorpe.  "And you, I don't want to hear that you layed a single hand on those
girls."  She waved her finger in the face of the Juicer.  He hung his head and nodded.
	"Good boy." she said.
	
	Erin Tarn sat in her tent looking over a few maps of the area.  She was
reading my the light of a small lamp powered by a tiny methane fueled generator that
one of her crew built for her.  She looked up just as a Sir Thorpe ducked in through
the slit door.  She smiled warmly to her friend and guardian, and he met her with
with his own on his weathered face.  The Cyberknight walked up to her low table
where she was looking over the maps, most of which she drew up, and a few which
were made by a few brave souls who wandered the region.
	"How are our guests doing?" she asked him.
	"Fairly well.  The young man is still unconscious but the little girl is
awake.  She is a bit frightened." he said in a distinctively British voice.
	"Maybe I should go and talk to her." she said as she put down her map.  "Non of
the others are awake yet?"
	"No, mi'lady, but the doctor says they could be awake by morning." Sir Thorpe
said.
	"That's not surprising since they just dropped through a rift." Erin said.
	"They are a very strange looking lot." Sir Thorpe said.
	"No stranger than the company I keep, Sir Thorpe." Erin said with a smile at
her protector who wore a heavy suit hightech armor, a large sword on his back, and
an energy rifle over one shoulder.
	"Point taken, mi'lady." he said with a gracious bow and a smile.
	Erin put her maps back into their case.  "Ms. Tarn, I feel it my duty to say
that I think remaining here any longer is dangerous.  We are only 100 miles from 
Chi-Town and you know how the Coalition feels about you." he said.
	"I am not afraid of that old Emperor Prosek windbag.  Besides, he's too busy
worrying about the latest manouverse by the Fedeeration of Magic to worry about lil'
old me." she said.
	"That is beside the point.  He still considers you public enemy number one,
and his order to have you executed still stands." the cyberknight said.
	"The only enemy to the public is him and his dictatorship." Erin said.  "I am
not leading a resistance force, I am compiling research for an almanac of North
America."
	"That is why he considers you a threat.  Your books are banned in the
Coalition." Sir Thorpe said.
	"Only because he thinks that controlling knowledge and who gets it will help
him maintain a strangle hold on those under him." she spat.
	"I'm only thinking of your well being, mi'lady." the cyberknight said softly.
	Erin looked up into the old knight's face and saw the look in his eyes.  She
smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder.
	"I promised the counsil at New Laslo that I'd have this project finished in
five years, and I am not about to let them down." she said.
	Sir Thorpe took her hand and their eyes met for just a moment.  They both
started to blush a bit and then Erin turned away.  "Well, lets go meet our guests."
she said.
	The Cyberknight led Erin through the camp to the tent where the strangers
were being kept.  Several people in the camp who were going about their business
getting things ready for the next day gave her acknowledging nods or smiles.  She
noticed Jasper sitting at the entrance to the tent.  He was all fours and was
sniffing at the air.  He turned and growled for seconds, but the instant he noticed
Erin's scent he backed down.  Jasper sat up and looked at Erin with admiration and
trust.  She was the reason why he was even alive.  Erin reached out and scratched
him on the head which was a strange cross between that of a human and a canine.
	"Sorry bout that." Jasper said in a gravelly voice.
	Inside Erin saw the little girl sitting with her knees under her chin.  Her
twin ponytails of sky blue hair sparkled in the light of a small oil lamp that sat
in the middle of the tent.  She was sitting beside a teenaged girl who has purple
hair done in a bowl-cut style with twin ponytails that draped down either side of
her face.  The child heard the sound of someone entering the tent and looked up
with a frightened look.  Her fear wavered a little when she saw Erin.  She looked
like she might be somebody's grandmother.
	"Hello, little one.  My name is Erin, what is yours?" Erin said calmly as she
sat down in front of the little girl.
	"S-S-Sasami." the little girl said.
	"Your among friends here, Sasami, your in no danger from anyone here." Erin
told her.
	"W-W-Where are we?" Sasami asked.
	"You are in my camp, other than that this place doesn't really have a name."
Erin said.  "Do you know what happened to you?"
	"The last thing I remember was Washu talking about something wrong and then
I get really dizzy and sick and then I woke up here and saw a werewolf monster." she 
said.
	Erin giggled and looked towards the entrance where she knew Jasper was
sitting keeping watch over the newcomers.  "That was Jasper, his bark is worse than
his bite, and he's not a werewolf." she said.
	"But, he looked like a half-man half-dog." Sasami said.
	"We call his kind Dog Boys.  His is an engineered species." Erin told her with
a smile.
	"He was made in a lab?" Sasami asked.
	"No, but his mother was." Erin explained.
	"Wow, just like Ryoko." Sasami said.  Erin was glad to see the child start to
open up to her.  "I think your a nice person, I can tell that about people."
	"Thank you.  Who are your friends?" Erin asked.
	Sasami pointws out eveyone and told Erin their names.  She was surprised when
Sasami explained that the two named Ryoko and Aeka were both married to the same
man which happened to be the young man she found hours ago.
	"This Tenchi, he's married to your sister and this other woman nameed
Ryoko too." Erin said.
	"Ya.  They used to fight over him like cats and dogs, but in the end they
both won his heart." Sasami explained.  "Tenchi is a really really nice guy."
	"How did you all meet?" Erin asked.
	"Tenchi met Ryoko first, she was trapped in a cave for 700 years and he
released her.  After that my sister and I came to Earth looking for our Brother
Yosho and we got standed and Tenchi let us move in to his house.  Everybody else just
started showing up not long after." Sasami explained.
	"You said you and your sister went to Earth, from where did you come from?"
Erin asked, her curiosity was arroused by this little girl.
	"Our home on Planet Jurai.  Our father is the Emperor there, and Aeka was
betrothed to Brother Yoshi, but he's only our half-brother.  He ran off a long time
ago to chase Ryoko because she attacked Jurai, but we didn't know until later that
she was being controlled by a really aweful man named Kagato." Sasami said.
	Erin sat and talked with Sasami for a good hour and a half about different
things.  She mentally collected a great deal of information about the people they
rescued.  When she was done she tucked Sasami into her sleeping bad and gave her a
goodnight kiss on the forehead.  Erin was met by Jasper who was still sitting on
guard duty outside.
	"You were in there a long time, Erin." Jasper said.
	"I learned a great deal about our guests.  Only two of them are actually
humans, and the rest are all different alien species and two engineered beings."
Erin said.
	"Engineered beings.  You mean like me?" the Dog Boy asked.
	"The little half-rabbit half-cat creature and the young woman with white
hair." Erin explained.
	Jasper was a little surprised about the young woman.  "She's beautiful, and
she is engineered." he said.
	"She's also married to the younger man, and so is the other young woman with the
dark purple hair.  Also, it appears they are members of royalty." Erin explained.
	Sir Thorpe walked up when he noticed Erin's voice outside.  "Did you say they
were Royalty?" he said.
	"The young girl is named Sasami, and she is a princess, the young man is the
heir to the throne, and her sister is his wife.  The beautiful woman with white hair
is an engineered lifeform and the prince's second wife." Erin told him.
	"Paligomy is a common practice of royalty." the Cyberknight said.
	"We'll learn more when the others wake up." Erin said.
	"Do you think there might be any danger?" Sir Thorpe asked her.
	"No I don't think so." Erin said.
	The cyberknight escorted Erin back to her private tent, he went outside so she
could change in private and he sat down in a lotus position at the entance.  Sir
Thorpe went to sleep, but if anyone or anything were to approach the tent he would
be awake in seconds.  Several other forms moved in the night.  Zarn walked along
parameter of the camp on his night patrol.  His patsy white face was bright in the
full light of the moon, and the warm summer night wind flowed through his waist
length white hair.  The Psi-Stalker looked back at the camp and he could FEEL the
presence of everyone there.  He could smell their living essence just like it
was a actually scent on the air.  The essence of the newcomers was unique to his
senses, but he could tell that they were very powerful.  He could feel Erin's 
distinct essence as she slept in her tent.  Just like Jasper, Zarn also owed his life
to Erin Tarn and was loyal to her and her cause.
	In her tent Erin could not sleep.  She sat up in her cott and walked over to a 
small chest.  She opened it and peered inside.  The belongings of the newcomers were
inside.  She looked at the strange energy weapons they took off two of the women,
a wooden Japanese training sword that belonged to the old man, and a variety of 
different item that could be weapons.  One item caught her eye, it was wrapped in
cloth to keep it safe, and to also prevent it from harming the hand of whomever
tried to touch it.  It was a beautifully crafted wooden sword hilt that had no
blade.  She had never seen its like anywhere, and wondered what it was.  She
had let Lauren, a vetern Technowizard look over it but even she was at a miss to
explain how it worked.  She delicately put the sword hilt back in its place and
closed the lid of the chest, then she layed down on her cott and promptly fell 
asleep.

	The morning sun rose over Erin Tarn's camp and everyone stretched and climbed
out into the light.  In the tent that had been put up for the newcomers, Sasami
woke up and she was happy to see Tenchi sitting up.  She crawled over to him and
hugged him tight.
	"Sasami, where are we?" he asked groggily.
	"I don't know, but we're not on the Yagami anymore." she said.
	"Huh?" he said as he looked around and for the first time noticed that he was
in a tent.
	"A Tent?  How did we get here?" he asked.
	"A woman name Erin Tarn and her friends found us and broght us here.  I don't
know much else." Sasami told him.
	Ryoko sat up next and she looked around in surprise.  "What the hell is going
on?  Where are we?" asked.
	"Something happened on Yagami, we'd better get Washu up and see if she knows
what's going on." Tenchi said.
	Right on cue the red headed scientist sat up and scratched her head.  She
stretched and yawned deeply.  "That was a really great sleep." she purred.
	"What did you do, Mom?" Ryoko yelled making Washu face faulter.
	"Calm down, this is temporary.  Yagami was passing through a dimensional
distortion field and I had to teleport us out or we'd all be nice and gooy red 
splatters on the floor." Washu explained.
	"Is Yagami still in space?" Tenchi asked.
	"Its on the course that Kiyone programmed into it.  It will pass out of the
distortion field and it will be safe for us to return." Washu said.
	"How long?" he asked, almost fraid to find out.
	Washu took on a pained and innocent look.  "About six or seven days." she
said in a voice that sometimes Mihoshi used when she did some wrong.
	Tenchi hung his head for a minute and then looked up to his beautiful wife.  He
could still feel her through their link.  "Well, at least we're all together." he
said.
	"Oh, no, where is it, where is it?" Mihoshi start crying.
	"Where is what?" Kiyone asked her as she sat up.
	"My control cube!  Its gone!" Mihoshi wailed.
	"Hey!  My blaster is missing too!" Kiyone said after checking herself.
	"So is my bokken." Yosho said after checking himself.
	Aeka turned to Tenchi quickly.  "The Master Key!" she shouted.
	Tecnhi patted himself down and hung his head.  "Gone." he sighed.
	Everyone turned when he heard the zipper at the tent entrance open.  A short
woman in her sixties entered and smiled at them.  She walked up and offered a box and
a pair of cantina to them.
	"I'm sorry about this, but its all we have right now until we get to Tolkeen
to replenish our supplies." Erin told them.
	"Ms. Tarn, do you know where our things are?" Sasami asked with a suspicious
face.
	"I heard your outcry all the way outside.  You see, we didn't know who you
were, so we naturally wanted to disarm you until we knew more about you." she
said.  "I put your things in a chest in my tent.  I'll have someone bring it to you."
	"Sasami, you know this person?" Aeka asked.
	"We spoke last night, she was a bit frightened and we talked for a good while."
Erin said and Sasami grinned and blushed.
	"Thank you." Aeka replied.
	"Who are you?" Tenchi asked after he took a drink of water from the cantina
and handed it to Ryoko.
	"My name is Erin Tarn.  I'm an explorer and scientist doing a geographical and
geological survey of this region for the council of New Lazlo." she said.
	Sir Thorpe ducked in through the entrance to the tent and sat down next to
Erin, he placed the chest that contain their belongs on the ground and everyone 
started looking for their things.  Tenchi took out the Master Key and unwrapped it.
Erin was surprise to find that Tenchi could handle the sword hilt without being
harmed.  She remember how funny it looked when Sir Thorpe tried to take the object
off the boy and kept getting his hand shocked.
	""Where are we, Ms. Tarn?" Yosho asked a he pulled out his bokken and put it
back into his gi.
	"We are 100 miles southwest of Chi-Town within the territories of the Coalistion
States of North America." Sir Thorpe answered the question.
	"North America!" Noboyuki said in surprise.
	"Interesting.  An alternate universe where there is no United States of America."
Washu said.
	"You know what happened?  I thought you'd all might be surprised if I told you."
Erin said.
	"We are very familar with interdimensional travel." Washu said.
	"Are you a scientist, Miss Washu?" Erin asked.
	"Yes, I am the greatest scientific genius in the universe.  And could you
please call me, Little Washu?" Washu said with a huge smile.
	"Ok, hu, Little Washu." Erin said.
	"I see your a swordsman." Yosho said looking at Sir Thorpe's sword.  The
cyberknight drew the weapon and held it out for the old man to see.  It was an elegent
looking weapon with strange runic markings on the blade and hilt was beautiful and
almost seemed alive.
	"Its a Sword of Alantis, it was a gift given to me after our rather dangerous
journey to that land." the cyberknight said.
	"Do you do any sparing?" Yosho asked as he looked at the weapon in awe.
	"I haven't spared in ages.  Do you have some skill with the sword?" Sir Thorpe
asked.
	"I am Tenchi's grandfather and his instructor in sword fighting." Yosho said.
	"Then, I'd be honored to do some sparing with you, hm, I don't even know your
name sir." Sir Thorpe said.
	"On Earth many know me as Katsuhito, but you can called me Yosho." Yosho told
him.
	Everyone climbed out of the tent and looked around at their surroundings.  They
heard a loud screaching sound and turned to see Ryu-Ohki standing with her hair
sticking up hissing at a half-human half-dog creature that sat next to the tent.
	"Ryu-Ohki stop, Erin told me he's ok." Sasami said to the Cabbit as she waved
a finger in her face.
	"Miya, miya miya miya miya!" meowed the Cabbit.
	"Is that furball a cat or a rabbit?" Jasper asked.
	Instantly Ryu-Ohki transformed into her child humanoid form and took Sasami's
hand.  Jasper jumped and stepped back a bit.
	"Incredible, and adorable too." Erin said.
	Several others from the camp walked up and looked the newcomers over.  Zarn
was one of them and he gave each one his once over.  He walked up to Ryoko, Aeka,
and Tenchi and he could feel something about them.  It was something that he was
very familar with.  "These have Psionic abiltities, and they feel very very
strong." he said in a low voice that was almost a whisper.
	"This is Zarn, he is what we call a Psi-Stalker.  It taken a great deal of work
but we were able to help him learn self-control." Erin said.
	"Why is that?" Kiyone asked.
	"Psi-Stalkers feed on the natureal potential psychic energy that all living
things hold within them.  Many have gone wild and they kill indiscriminately to get
the energy they need.
	"Sounds very familar." Washu said.
	"Myself, Aeka, and Ryoko here share a mental and spiritual link.  We are also
married." Tenchi explained.
	"Sasami told me you were married, but she didn't mention the link part." 
	Mihoshi walked off from the group and stolled up to the edge of the camp.  She
looked towards the south and noticed something there.  "That is beautiful, what is
that over there?" she asked.
	Erin and the others turned around and looked.  Mihoshi was pointing to a bright
light in the distance.  On either side of the bright light was a faiont blue arura
and trails of blue light that seemed to travel along the ground for miles.
	"We found you there.  That is a Nexus Point." Erin said.
	"What is the blue light on either side?" Tenchi asked.
	"Those are Ley Lines.  They encircle the globe, and where they cross a nexus
point is formed.  On certain nights with a full moon the nexus points erupt and
form dimensional rifts." Sir Thorpe explained.
	"Ley Lines don't normally have that level of power.  What happened on this
world?" Washu asked.
	"I have my suspicions, but all we know is that one day all the great
civilations of mankind fell and the Ley Lines became energized when billions of 
people suddenly died.  The disasster layed this world to waste, and it altered the
landscape as well." Erin said.
	Washu put out her heads and summoned her holocompute.  There were some gasps
from the crowd of onlookers.  "How long ago did all this happen?" Washu asked.
	"That we can't tell.  We only started recording history again about 120 year
ago." Erin said.
	"What is a Ley Line, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.
	"The mystical crossroads that bind worlds together, Tenchi.  Every planet
has them, only I've never seen them this powerful before." Washu said.

	Later in the day everyone was gathered to watch Yosho and Sir Thorpe spar with
each other.  Everyone in Erin's group has seen Sir Thorpe in battle but they
did not see how this older man could handle a sword fight let alone a sword.  When
the fight started their opinions suddenly changed as Yosho used his wooden bokken to
defect several bokken strikes from the cyberknight.  The old man was leaping and 
sumersaulting in ways that amazed all of them, and it was all Sir Thorpe could do
to keep up.  It in the end it ended with a stalemate when they broke each other's
bokkens at once.  Everyone clapped and cheered, and the cyberknight and Yosho bowed
low to them.
	"You are an excellent sword fighter.  I've never seen such skill before."
Sir Thorpe said with true admiration in his voice.
	"They are moves I learned when I served as a Knight of Jurai." Yosho said.
	"You are a true knight?" Sir Thorpe said with surprise.
	"That was a long time ago.  I serve as a priest now." Yosho said.
	"You are a man of true honor sir.  I am honored to have spared with you.
Would you mind teaching me a few of those moves?" the cyberknight asked.
	"Tenchi and I have training to do later today, you can join us if you like."
Yosho replied.
	"I would enjoy that immensely." the cyberknight said.
	
	Washu sat on a large rock and was typing quickly on her holocomputer.  She
stopped for moment and noticed a young man wearing the garb of an old World War II
flying ace mixed with modern devices watching her.  He was holding a large board
that look like a large flying wing but it appeared to have no engines in it at all.
	"Could I help you?" she asked.
	"What sort of Techowizard are you?  I've never seen a magical comptuer befroe."
he asked.
	"This is a transphasic interdimensional computer system.  Its my own design."
Washu said with a beaming smile.
	"So its not magical, but then how does it float in the air like that?" the man
asked.
	"Its does that via gravitics." Washu expalined.  "Its a technique of altering
the gavitational field around an object to achieve movement.  In this case I am
just keeping it in place."
	"That's fascinating.  Have you ever seen a Wing Board?" the man asked.
	"That, well something like it.  Its a sort of a glider right." Washu said.
	"Nope.  Its a Technowizard device.  Watch." the man said as he stood up,
lift the board, and closed for eyes for a second.
	Instantly there was a rush of wind and a soft roar as two engines on the
outer ends of the board suddenly came to life.  The man was airborn in seconds
and he soared over the encampment a few times before coming back down to Earth
next to Washu.  The genius was typing and looking at the man with surprise on
her face.
	"That device has no energy output at all.  How does it work?" she asked.
	"Its a Technowizard device, its powered by magic.  As are these items
also." the man said as he produced an energy pistol.
	Washu examined the weapon and found it had no energy clip but did have
a strange setting where the clip should be with a few gemstones in it.
	"So you use magic to power the devices instead of regular power clips?" she
asked the man.
	"Yup.  I don't ever have to recharge my power packs because I am my own power
pack.  The magic I use to power these devices comes from me." he said.
	"Interesting.  Say what is your name?" Washu saked.
	"Hagan, but my friends call me Ace." the Technowizard said.
	"Well, Ace, with all the magical energy on this planet I see how you are able
to accomplish this." Washu said.
	"Erin said your a scientist.  Do you know where the Ley Lines came from?"
Ace asked her.
	"My readings indicate a large amount of Plutonium residue in the soil.  Its
just about everywhere, but from the decay levels and the known half-life of that
material I'd say it happened about three thousaid years ago." Washu said.
	"What happened three thousand years ago?" Ace asked.
	"An exercise in inmeasurable stupidity on the part of humanity.  Do you know
what Plutonium is?" Washu asked him.
	"Actually no, never heard of it." Ace said.
	"Its a man made radioactive material used to fuel nuclear reactors, and it
was also used in the warheads of nuclear weapons." Washu explained.
	Ace's eyes went wide.  He know what nuclear weapons were and what they did.  He
looked around the landscape and towards the nexus point that stood in the distance.
	"You mean we did this to ourselves?  We caused the coming of the Rifts?" he
asked her.
	"A nuclear war would certainly explain the levels of plutonium I am detecting,
and it would explain how so many billions of people died at once to energize the 
ley lines like this." Washu answered.
	"It would have taken a lot of those weapons to do this." Ace commented.
	"At the height of what the American's called the Cold War the United States
had 350 million armed nuclear ICBMs, and the Soviet Union about about 420
million armed ICBMs.  They had more than enough to destroy this planet ten times
over." she explained.
	"Holy shit!" Ace exclaimed.
	"Yes, I'd say life was probably pretty harsh for anyone who survived that
mess.  It would have been hell on Earth for them.  I see no evidence of a nuclear
winter, but my scans for miles around show that it took thousands of years for this
land to recover." Washu said with a sigh.  "What a waste."
	Erin had been listening to her from a distance and she decided to join them.
"I guess you could say this is a situation where we made our bed and now we have to
sleep in it.  I only whish the Coaltion would see it that way." she said.
	"I heard people saying things about this Coalition, but I never found out 
much more." Washu said.
	"I guess they are a dual edged sword, mankind couldn't survive without them
and with them we are not free.  The Coaltion States is a dictatorship that was
started by Joseph Prosek, who eventually declared himself emperor.  He models his
regime after Natzi Germany and he idolizes Adolph Hitler of all people.  Literacy
is banned in the CS, and if you own a book you are take to prison.  He feels that
he can control the people by controlling thought and controlling who is allowed
to be educated and who is not." Erin told her.
	"Sounds like a real warm hearted guy." Washu said with sarcasm.  This made
Erin smile and she sat down next to the diminutive scientist.
	"That is why we have to be so cautious.  I am making a book, actually a second
book, about the changes that effected our world and Emperor Prosek considers me
an outlaw.  He has ordered my execution." Erin said.
	"So your on the run all the time?" Washu asked.
	"Not all the time, we are in CS territory right now, and we are 100 miles from
Chi-Town, a large fortress city that is their capital."  Erin explained.  "But, we are
in a region that is not heavy populated and so they don't patrol here often.  To the
east is the kingdom of Tolkeen, to the northeast is Lazlo and New Lazlo, and to the
south are the city-states of New Mexico.  There is another empire to the east that
is close to Tolkeen called the Federation of Magic.  They are the enemy of the 
Coalition States and they have started campaigns against one another again."
	"Just how powerful is this Coalition?" Washu asked.
	"They are a mechanized army of abour 14,000 troops and an arsonal of advanced
weapon systems ranging from powered armro, mechs, and flying troop transports."
Erin explained.
	Suddenly a shout came from the distance and Erin stood up.  She listened and
then swore under her breath.  "Damn!" she explaimed.
	"What is it?" Washu asked.
	"Coaltion SAMAS flying powered armor on patrol.  They are getting close to
the camp." she said.  
	
	Sir Thorpe ran towards the sound of the shouting and met with a man wearing
a full armor body suit.  He was using a telescope to look into the distance.  Slung
over the man's shoulder was a large energy rifle with a huge drum like energy
cartridge.
	"Three SAMAS, they don't see us yet.  They are doing a circle pattern search of
the ground, flying low." the man said.
	"How long til they get close enough to see us?" Sir Thorpe asked.
	"Ten maybe fifteen minutes." the man replied.
	"Not enough time to break down the camp.  We're going to have to make a stand
then." the cyberknight said.
	"I'd better go get my Glitterboy then.  We'll need the firepower." the man
said as he put away his telescope and ran for the woods.

	Tenchi and Aeka met up at the tent after the announcement of the coming
attack was heard throughout the camp.  He was not sure what to expect, and he
was worried for the others safety.
	[Lord Tenchi, we need to talk.] Aeka said mentally to him.
	[What about, Aeka?] he asked.
	[We should help thses people.  After all they did help us.] she said.
	[Ya, they did help us.] Ryoko said from her positon on the other side of the
camp.
	[Alright, I'll talk to Erin and see if she accepts or offer.] Tenchi said.

	The camp was a scene of controlled chaos as the twenty or so members of Erin's
group prepared for the arrival of the SAMAS.  Tenchi and the gang ran about helping
so little jobs like putting the camp fire and stowing away equipment into boxes.
Tenchi ran up to Erin's tent and ducked inside.  The woman was putting a clip to a
pistol when he entered.
	"Tenchi, you and your friends go and head for the woods.  We'll keep them
off of you until the fight is over." she said.
	"That's what I came here about, we went to help you." he said.
	"That is sweet of you, but I can't ask you and your friends to risk your lives
for us." she said.
	"We're used to it, believe me.  Besides, you helpe us.  You didn't have to
shelter us until we woke up." Tenchi said.
	"True, but only your two friends Mihoshi and Kiyone, I believe, appeared to be
armed." Erin said.
	"That is a misconception, just give us a chance." Ryoko said as she phased 
through the cloth of the tent.
	"How did you?  Ok, you can help, but any sign of real trouble and I want you
and your girls to hit the forest.  Ok?" Erin told them.
	"Deal." Tenchi said with a smile.
	Aeka ducked into the tent and stood beside Tenchi.  "I sent Yosho into the 
forest with Sasami and your father.  Kiyone and Mihoshi insist that they stay to
help also." she said.
	"You can count me in too." Washu said as she entered the tent.
	"What can you do, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.
	"First, I have to tell you about what I discovered about this world, and I
also want to warm you too." Washu said looking at Tenchi and Ryoko.  "If you use the
Light Hawk Wings and the Light Hawk Swords I want you two to be very careful."
	"Why?" Ryoko asked.
	"You might accident slice this planet in half." she said with a straight face.
	"I know that look, your not making this up.  What's going on?" Tenchi asked.
	"There is so much magical energy in this world that my normal magical powers,
Ryoko's gems, Aeka's Jurai power, and your own powers of the Light Hawk will be
amplified nearly a thousands times.  Anybody or anything that comes to this world
with the slightest magical abiltities will suddenly become a super being." Washu
explained.
	"People who are weaklings come here by chance and suddenly discover that they
are super powered beings that are nearly indestructable." Erin said.
	"Its been happening for centuries, and that is why this place is the way it
is.  We were only here for a little while, but this place is home to hundreds of
non-human races of creatures from all over the megaverse." Washu told them.
	"Sort of an interdimensional grand central station." Tenchi said.
	"Exactly.  Also, it appears that our friends the Darklings were here once
also." Washu said.
	"I'm not surprised." Aeka commented.
	"How do you know that?" Tenchi asked.
	"I am the greatest scientific genius in any universe, you should know that by
now Tenchi." Washu said with a bright smile.
	Tenchi face faultered and Erin just chuckled at the sight of him.
	"Ok, so our powers are sort of turbo charged in this universe.  Lets go out
there and kick some Coalition ass." Ryoko said as she grabbed Tenchi and Aeka, and
then phased up through the roof of the tent.
	Washu and Erin rushed outside and Sir Thorpe ran up to them.  "What are they
doing?" he asked.
	"I think they are going to confront the SAMAS.  And, if what I hear is correct
I feel sorry for the SAMAS." Erin said.
	
	"Nothing like the rush of going into battle, huh, Tencchi?" Ryoko asked as they
all three flew through the air.
	"That seems like all we've been doing since we all three got together." he
replied.
	"We must endure, because at the end we will be able to enjoy the rest of our
lives together in peace." Aeka said.
	"That's the part I'm looking forward to." Tenchi said and his two wives just
smiled back at him.
	Suddenly they were interrupted from their moment by the sound of roaring
engines.  Ryoko looked up and saw three objects racing through the sky in their
direction.  They were humanoid in shape with two large wings mounted on their
backs where a thruster pack was attached to the armored body of the suit, and
each leg had a smaller Connard Wind for stability.  The two larger wings each had
two missiles mounted there, and in their hands the SAMAS held a long barreled 
cannon of some type.
	"Its show time!" Ryoko shouted and she dropped Tenchi and Aeka.  The two
fell and instantly transformed into their Juraian battlegear.  Aeka possessed limited
lying power in her battlesuit, and Tenchi used his inner powers to create a field
that held him in midair.
	
	The SAMAS flying power armor flew a low arch over the ground and made a
harp turn.  It was then that one of them spotted the three flying through the air
towards them.
	"This is Grey three to Grey one, I have bogies at 6 o'clock." said one of the pilots
over the comm.
	"Affirmative, I see them.  We'd better investigate." Grey one said over the
comm.
	"Roger." said Grey three and two at the same time.
	The three powered armor peeled off and flew in the direction of the three
new arrivals.

	The first SAMAS spotted Ryoko flying towards him and his first impression was
that she was very beautiful, but also he felt a revultion for the fact that she was
some kind of in-human creature.  He raised his railgun and started to open fire.
Ryoko dodged as high velocity slugs streaked by her making vapor trails in the air,
and she ignited her light sword.  The blade was twice as bright as normal, and it
appeared to be larger than before.  The SAMAS changed course, locked on, and let
loose one of its missiles.  The warhead hit Ryoko's shield and a large plasma energy
blast errupted.  Tenchi cried out Ryoko's name as he saw her engulfed, but when the
blue glow of the blast faded she was in one piece hovering in midair.
	[I'm ok, that didn't even phase my shield at all.] Ryoko said.
	[True, but our friends down below don't have shields.] Aeka said.
	[Lets deal with these before they radio back for help.] Tenchi said.
	[Finally, a little bit of me is starting to wear off onto you, its about time,
Tenchi.] Ryoko giggled.
	A second SAMAS roared in and started to fire slugs at Tenchi, he raised his
shield and they deflected off.  For an instant he concentrated and then called
forth the Light Hawk Wings.  Six brilliantly bright wings of the Light Hawk surrounded
his body, two formed his white holy aroor, and a third formed his sword.  Using
the power of flight they gave him, Tenchi soared through the air and raced towards
the SAMAS that fired on him.  When the came close to it he swung his sword and
release a blast of energy that hit its mark and totally obliterated the power armor.

	Erin watched the battle from the ground and she watched as Tenchi blasted one
of the SAMAS out of existance.  Sir Thorpe's eye brow went up in a Spock Manouver,
and Greuger yelled and gave him a thumbs up sign.
	"My god!  Did you see what he just did?" Erin asked.
	"One hit.  He took it out in one hit." Sir Thorpe said in observation.
	"Totally cool!" Greuger shouted.
	"Impressive show of power.  I've never seen the like before." said the young
woman who had errected the tent the night before.
	"He wasn't even trying hard.  My Little Ryoko could have done that in her
sleep." Washu said.

	Ryoko and Aeka looked at the falling debris of the SAMAS Tenchi just blasted
with amazement.  Tenchi himself looked at it in awe of what he just did, and then
he came out of it when a blue blast hit his Light Hawk Wings.  After recovering
from the missile he turned and saw Ryoko baring down on the SAMAS that fired on
him.  She dove at it and sliced off a wing with her light sword.  The SAMAS, now
unable to fly with just one wing, dropped like a rock and exploded on the ground.
The third SAMAS made a quick turn and poured on the speed to escape.
	[Hey, he's buggin out!] Ryoko said.
	[Let him go, I think he gets the picture we are nothing to trifle with.]
Aeka said.
	[You really didn't do anything, Princess.] Ryoko said.
	[I didn't get the chance.] she shot back.
	[Be good.] Tenchi said.
	
	Erin ran up to the three as they touched down to Earth.  A cheer went up in
the group of people who travelled with the scientist.  Erin however was not in a very
good mood.
	"Why didn't you take out the last one?" she demanded.
	"I don't attack fleeing opponents." Tenchi said.
	"That fleeing opponent is just going to call in reinforcements.  That could means
we could have Enforcers or even Death's Heads baring down on us pretty soon." Erin said.
	"We'd better break camp and start moving.  Maybe we can put some distance
between us and them." Sir Thrope said.
	"You saw what we can do, if we run into trouble we can deal with it." Ryoko
said.
	"Ok.  I admit I was impressed by your abilities.  Your more powerful than many
things I've seen in this world." Erin replied.
	"We'd better get going then.  I'll go get Dad and the others, you two help out
here." Tenchi said.
	"Alright." the two woman said at the same time.
	Kreuger did a Spock Manouver with his eye brow and looked at Tenchi and then
back at the two beautiful women who were with him.  "They're married to him." Erin
told him.  The Juicer sighed and hung his head grumbling something about all the
good looking ones are all taken nowadays.

	A few days passed without incident as the group began to move again.  To the
surprise of everyone the camp was broken down in only a twenty minutes and they were
all ready to start moving soon after.  It had come from long practice and experience
from traveling around the world.  On their journey Erin explained more about her
world to the others.  She told them about the Juicers, which were chemically 
enchanced warriors who had a special drug feed into their systems to make them
stronger and fast.  The only drawback was that you only had five years to live since
the drugs put a terrible strain on your body.  She told of the Ley Line Walkers, who
were the magic users of her group, and the Techowizards who could combine magic
with technology.
	She told about the Cyberknights like Sir Thorpe, who were wandering protectors
of the weak and innocent.  They brought justice to an unjust land and acted as
sheriff, judge, and executioner.  She told about the Dog Boys, which were geneticly
created beings made from human and dog DNA, and were breed by the Coaltion to hunt 
down magic users, and the Psi-Stalkers who were PPE vampires who the Coalition used
to hunt down people with psionic powers.  The last she pointed out was the Glitterboy,
and the name made Noboyuki chuckle a little.  Erin pointed into the forest and
everyone looked to see a humanoid mech that was covered in shiny silver from head to
toe, and had a large cannon mounted to its back.
	"That is the BoomGun, and if he has to fire it I want you to plug your ears
because it makes a sonic boom when it fires.  Its an electromagnetic railgun that
fires shell of metal flichetes that sort of act like armor piercing buckshot.  The
silver surface is laser reflective, and because of that plasma based weapons only
do half as much damage to its armor.  The BoomGun has such a powerful recoil that it
that the Glitterboy has to fire pilons into the ground through its feet and use a
rocket assisted recoil suppression system.  One good shot and a Glitterboy and down
just about anything." Erin explained.
	"Wow." everyone said at once.
	Sir Thorpe pulled his rifle off his shoulder and handed it to Tenchi.  The
weight of the weapon nearly made him fall over.  "That's a Coalition C-27 Plasma
Cannon, the most powerful heavy weapons rifle ever made." he explained.  "It has
an effect range of three miles, and can fire in pulse or burst mode.  In burst
mode it can take out almsot anything you hit with it."
	Later that day they took shelter in the ruins of a large structure.  It took
Noboyuki only a few minutes to realize where he was.  He sat up and looked around
at the ruined interior and then he gasped as he recalled where he was.  He stook
and walked up to a moss and vine covered wall and brushed the dust away from a
large flat panel.  The faded words on the panel read "St. Louis International
Airport".
	"I was here a few years ago when I went to that architech's convention in the
states that one time." he said.
	"What was this place used for?" Erin asked him.
	"It was an international airport in the American city of St. Louis." he
told her.
	"I guess the only things flying here are ghosts now." Erin commented with a
sigh.
	On the fifth day the group stopped at the edge of a great valley, and they
looked at the great expanse of virgin wilderness in front of them.
	"The Earth has healed from the wounds we gave it, but in some ways the
scares are still left behind." Erin said when she pointed to the right and in the distance
could be seen the faded blue arura of a ley line.  They continued onward until
nightfall and made camp among the sheltering trees.  In their tent everyone was
already asleep except for Tenchi.  He sat at the entrance to tent and heard the
sound of a twig snap.  He looked up and saw Jasper settling down into his customery
position to guard them.
	"You don't have to do that you know." he told the Dog Boy.
	"Ms. Tarn asked me to, and I won't let her down." Jasper said.
	"Well, thank you anyway." Tenchi said with a smile.
	The Dog Boy tried to return the smile, but his dog/human face made more of a
toothy grimace.
	Aeka climbed out of the tent, kneeled down behind Tenchi and wrapped her arms
around him in Ryoko style.  He smile and rubbed her arm gently as she rest her head
on his shoulder.
	"One more day and it will be safe for us to return to the Yagami.  How are you
holding up?" he asked her.
	"As good as can be expected, I guess." she said.  She tightened her hug and
Tenchi reach behind and messaged her neck.  She gave out a contented sigh and
kissed his neck.  Jasper took this all as his queue to relocate himself, and he
silently moved to the other side of the tent.
	"This place reminds of our garden on Jurai.  We have a large grove of trees
like this one." Aeka said.
	"I can't wait to see it.  I've never been to Jurai before." Tenchi said.
	"I hope we are allowed some time to enjoy our time there.  We will still have
the Darklings to deal with." She said with a sigh.
	"At least the world slows down enough to let us have these peaceful moments
like this at least." Tenchi commented as he ran his fingers through Aeka's hair.
	Aeka kissed him again and they stayed like this for a while.  Ryoko phased
out of the tent and sat down next to them.  Tenchi reached out and took her hand
and she gingerly touched his to her face.
	"This is really peaceful." she said.
	"Yes it is." Aeka commented.
	Out of the shadowss of the other trees emerged Erin.  She walked up to them
and sat down.  "It looks like we shook any purssuit that might have arrived." she
said.
	"I hope so, this place is very peaceful." Aeka said.
	"That's because we are on the boarder of the Federation of Magic, and there
aren't really any settlements out this way." Erin said.
	"What is with this Federation of Magic anyway?" Tenchi asked.
	"Their name is misleading.  They are not very friendly at all except to their
own kind, magic users and magical beings.  They perform sacrifics to dark gods and
do all sorts of bizare magical experiments.  I've only been within one of their
cities once, and I don't care to return." Erin replied.
	"Sounds, barbaric." Aeka commented.
	"What is your world like?  I know alot about all of you, but what is it like
where you come from?" Erin asked.
	"Earth is alot like this place, but we don't have ley lines like you do, and
there are no monsters roaming around.  There are billions of people, but its mostly
peaceful when they're not waring with one another for one reason or another." Tenchi
said.
	"Jurai is a beautiful planet.  We have never been at war with one another in
several thousand years because we are united under Tsunami, but we do have enemies
and have fought wars in our past to protect ourselves." Aeka said.
	"I have no homeworld.  I was created by Washu and the only home I've ever
know was Tenchi's house, and the Soja when I was Kagato's slave." Ryoko said.  Tenchi
squeezed her hand when she mentioned the Soja.
	"Sasami told me a little about that.  I think its very beautiful what the
three of you have.  She told me the two of you used to fight like cats and dogs
over Tenchi here, until he got the balls to tell you how he feels." Erin said.
	Aeka chuckled slightly.  "One of my favorite sayings about Lord Tenchi was,
my how quickly he runs."  "It took us a while, but we broke through that steel trap
will of his." Ryoko said.
	"It was mostly self-denial.  I could not imagine myself involved with two girls
at the same time, and I had no idea of how to make it work out.  I was so afraid for
so long that if I told them how I feel they would kill each other in a rage of
jealousy over me.  But, one day I found a reference to the Great Bond in a text of
Juraian law and folklore." Tenchi explained.  "After that its been wonderful, until
the Darkness arrived and turned our world upside down."
	"Washu told me about the Darkness.  Such creatures would be very powerful in
our world indeed.  She said she found evidence that they had been here, but they
left.  She said they found no evidence of the Elo'Quin here and moved on.  If they
stayed I fear every force on this planet would have been fighting against them."
Erin said.
	"We'll be leaving tomarrow for our universe.  Will all of you be ok when we
leave?" Tenchi asked.
	"We'll carry on I think.  We didn't survive this long for nothing." Erin said
with a laugh.
	"Good luck on your new book.  I hope it brings help to your world." Aeka said.
	"Thank you, Princess." Erin replied with a smile.

	The morning came too soon for each of them.  Tenchi, his wives, and the rest of
the gang were gathered in a clearing with Erin and her crew of assistance and
defenders making a semi-circle around them.
	"I guess this is goodbye." Erin said with a tear in her eye.
	"It been fun, but we have a mission to carry out." Tenchi said.
	"Be careful out there, Ok?" SAssami said with a wave.
	"We will little one." Erin said.
	"Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki who was in child form.
	Washu stated typing on her keyboard and looked up at her daughter and friends.
"Ok, Yagami is almost clear, here we go." she said.  She pressed a button on her
holocomputer and the world around them started to shimmer.  To the onlookers it looked
like Tenchi and the group were surrounded by a great bubble, and suddenly it was
gone and so was everyone else.  Erin looked over at Sir Thorpe who has a solomn
look on his face.
	"I guess its time to get back to our normal life." she said.
	Sir Thorpe put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her.  "Maybe not." he
said.  He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.  Erin smiled and blushed furiously
and a chorus of OOHs and cat calls rang up from the group.
	"Lets talk this over in my tent." Erin said to him with a wide smile.

	Blinding white light surrounded everything and Tenchi could not see a thing.
He could still feel himself holding Aeka and Ryoko's hands, and he could feel their
minds in his, but he could not see beyond the white light.  Sudeenly, he felt a 
sensation of acceleration and then it stopped as abruptly as it started, and then the
light was gone and the world returned to normal.  Or so he thought.  Instead of the
Yagami they all found themselves in a back alleyway behind some large buildings
and several garbage dumpsters filled with trash.
	"What the hell?" Washu cursed as she started typing on her holocomputer
again.
	"Where are we?" Ryoko asked.
	"It looks like a big city, maybe New York." Noboyuki said.
	"Why aren't we on the Yagami, Washu?" Tenchi asked.
	"Hold on, its the distortions, Yagami still isn't clear.  Damn, its worse
than I thought, it won't be clear for another six hours." she replied.  "Uh, oh.
I miscalculated, we're at the mercy of the interdimensional tide, we could teleport
out of here at any second."
	"Oh, no!" Mihoshi cried.
	"We needn't get excited, its only temporary, right Washu?" Yosho asked.
	"Just until we can get back to Yagami, yes." she replied.
	A loud explosion filled the air and everyone looked up.  A strange looking
mech was flying through the air and landed only a block away from the alleyway.  A
series of light streaks went past a few seconds later.  The streaks were pink, green,
and blue.  A deep meniacle laugh issued from the mech as it opened fire ont he three
light streaks, and they each fell down to the ground with a loud crash.  One of the
streaks came down in the alleyway where Tenchi and the gang were standing.  Aeka
errected a force field to deflect large chunks of concret from the roadway that flew
up when the explosion happened.  As the dust cleared everyone was shocked to see
a little girl climb out of the hole rubbing her head.  She was small, smaller than
Sasami, and was wearing a blue dress with a black belt  and had blond hair.  She blinked
her blue eyes and looked at the people in front of her who looked back at her with
surprise.
	"A-Are you alright little girl?" Tenchi asked as he helped her stand up.
	"I think so." she said and she looked up at him.  Tenchi was smiling at her
and he was the only thing she could see at that moemnt because the world around her
was suddenly filled with hearts and twinkling stars.
	"Let me help you out of that hole." Tenchi said as he lifted her up and
set her down on her shaky legs.
	"Oh, thank you.  My name is Bubbles, what is your name?" the little girl asked
with a dreamy look in her eyes.  Aeka and Ryoko noticed her look very quickly and
they started to chuckle.  Yet another young girl was captured by the spell that was
Tenchi Masaki.
	"My name is Tenchi.  How did you get into that hole?" he asked.
	"That mean old Mojo shot me down.  Me and my sisters are tyring to stop him
from trashing Townsville again." she said.
	"Who is..." Tenchi was about o ask when the metal foot of the giant mech came
crashing down in the alleyway near them.  Tenchi grabbed up Bubbles in his arms and
ran out of the way as the second foot crashed down where they had been standing.
Ryoko and Aeka charged up their powers when they saw this and Ryoko lauched into
the air.
	Elsewhere, Blossom and Buttercup were recovering from similar impacts of their
own and were airborn again.  They watched as the mech started stomping into a alley
behind a bunch of low businesses buildings.  "I saw Bubbles go down over there!"
Blossom shouted.  Suddenly, they stopped as a new figure emerged, a beautiful woman
with white hair and a tight form fitting bodysuit that left nothing to the male
imagination.  "Who is that?" Buttercup asked.  "I never saw her before." Blossom
replied.
	The mech fired a blast from a side mounted cannon that deflected off of 
Ryoko's force field.  She charged up her light sword and sliced it in half with a
quick swipe, then she flew between its legs and clipped them both off at the knees.
The mech toppled over with a loud thundering sound of grinding metal, and a billowing
cloud of dust rose up.  The two girls in midair looked on with their mouths hanging
open in total surprise.
	On the ground Tenchi stood up after shielding Bubbles and Sasami from falling
debris and looked at the wreckage of buildings and the mech that had been trying to
smash them flat.  A hatch opened in the side and a diminutive form climbed out.  It
was a monkey in human clothing with a purple cape and a large white turban like
hood on the top of his head.  It stopped, looked at them with loathing in its eyes,
and pulled out a large blaster from its belt.
	"Who ever you may be, I am Mojo Jojo and you have incurred my wrath.  Now I will
have to destroy you for destroying my new RoboJojo, that is to say is I am going to
vaporize you with this gun, and you are going to disappear into little puffs of 
smoke.  MMMMWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" it shouted.
	Bubbles pulled out of Tenchi's grip and stood between him and the insane
chimp.  "No you won't!" she shouted back.
	"Oh, yes I will!" Mojo shouted.
	"Oh, no you won't!" Bubbles replied loudly.
	"Oh, yes, I will!!!" Mojo shouted again and fired.
	The beam streaked out but suddenly was deflected by a large white object that
put itself between Bubbles and the beam.  Bubbles looked up and was in awe at what
she saw.  Tenchi was clothed in white like an angel and he held a glowing white
sword in his hands, and his body was surrounded by glowing wings.
	"What is this, I must know the nature of his power, for I will possess it, and
I will possess it because I am the greatest criminal genius in the universe, and I
will use it to conquer the world!" Mojo shouted.
	"Put a sock in it, banana breath!" Ryoko shouted as she slooped down and
delivered a punch to Mojo Jojo's chin that sent him flying.
	Blossom and Buttercup witnessed the entire thing and they landed next to
Tenchi.  They looked from Tenchi to Bubbles to Ryoko and then back to Tenchi.
	"Who are you?" Blossom asked.
	"My name is Tenchi, that's my wife Ryoko?" Tenchi answered.
	"A-A-Are you angels?" Bubbles asked.
	"No, we are..." Tenchi started to say when he saw that same wavering effect
all around him again.
	"Here we go, we're teleporting again!" Washu shouted.
	"Wait, why are you here, where did you come from?" Blossom asked.
	Before Tenchi could reply the world was all white again and they vanished from
the alleyway leaving Blossom, Bubbles, and Butterccup totally perplexed.

	Swirling lights and colors blinded Tenchi's vision and he felt a srong sense of
acceleration but there was no wind.  He could still feel Aeka and Ryoko in his mind and
they felt him also, but he could not see any of the others or hear them.  In fact he was
not able to hear anything other than a static like crackling caused by the arura of
energy he was travelling through.  Suddenly, the acceleration stopped and the world 
turned dark again.  His vision returned and he was laying in a pile of sofa cousons and
throw pillows.  Ryoko appeared above him and helped him stand and he got a chance to 
really look around.  They were back on Yagami, the living area looked like a disaster,
but they were back where they belong.
	Washu had her holocomputer out and was deep in thought for a moment.  She stopped
and looked up.  "We're clear, we made it back." she said.
	"About damn time." said Ryoko with a sigh of relief.

	On the bridge the twin blackholes were displayed in a rear display screen as they
receeded into the distance.  A clear starfield could be seen out the front viewports
with no more abnormal forms visible to the naked eye.  Masses of colored lights and 
streaks from time to time did appear from time to time due to the region of space they
were currently in.  Kiyone looked over the systems on the ship and found everything was
in order and all the repairs that Washu had made were still in place.  She scanned the
charts that Washu had uploaded into the computer and carted a new course through a
region of space that was very clear and devoid of further encounters with blackholes
or anything else unexpected.
	Back in their room, Tenchi and his wives settled down for a long deserved rest.  The
two women rested their heads on his arms and he held them close as they slept there.  The
sound of the engines of the Yagami did not even stir them as they roared to life.  Tenchi
dreamed of life back on Earth, his two brides at his side and children running around in
the front yard under the watchful eye of Azaka and Kamadake at the front gates.  The
two women in his dream held onto him tightly, afraid to let him go, and they were his
real wives and not a creation of his subconscious.  A gift of the link they formed was
that they could coexist in the same dreamworld.  For that moment they had some peace to
enjoy, but for how long.  Sasami sat alone in her room with Ryu-Ohki in her child form
slumbering beside her.  She looked at the body lenght mirror on the wall and saw her
reflection there staring back at her.  The figure there at was Tsunami smiled back at her
but the little Princess did not feel like smiling.
	"What is wrong, Sasami?" Tsunami asked.
	"I'm worried, about Tenchi and the others." answerd Sasami.
	"Such a heavy burden for someone so small." Tsunami said with a smile.
	"I love them all, and this trip has been one big diaster after another." Sasami
sighed.
	"Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko are destined to go to Jurai and battle a great evil.  They
will be fine." the goddess told her softly.
	"I'm just scared that's all, and sad." Sasami said.
	"Dn not be sad little one, our time is near." the goddess said and her reflection
returned to normal.  The young Princess stared at her own normal reflection for a few
minutes and the goddess' words worked in her mind over and over again....out time is near.
__________
Chapter Five: Planet Caldera

	Tenchi and Aeka woke with a start when they heard the most horrible sound they
have ever heard in their room.  They noticed immediately that Ryoko was not in bed and
the door to the bathroom was ajar.  The sound came again and Tenchi quickly climbed out
of bed and ran to the bathroom.  Ryoko was kneeling on the floor wretching into the 
toilet.  He kneeled down next to her and patted her back.  Aeka padded up to the door and
looked in with concern on her face.  She reflected on this situation, the last time she
saw Ryoko like this was when she drank too much sake.
	"Is this what they call Morning Sickness?" Ryoko asked as she gasped for air.
	"I won't know, but I did hear about it in biology class at school." Tenchi told
her.
	"I remember our mother, when she was pregnant with Sasami, used to have terrible
bouts of Morning Sickness." commented Aeka.
	"Are you alright?" asked Tenchi as he continued to rub Ryoko's back.
	"Ya, its starting to go away." she said.  "Uh!  Seven months of this."
	"It'll be worth it in the end." Tenchi said with a smile.
	After Ryoko freshened herself up and climbed back in bed.  Tenchi hugged her close
and kissed her forehead.  She quickly fell back to sleep and he eased her down to onto
the pillows.  Aeka reached around him and massaged his chest softly sending pleasureful
feelings through his body.  He turned over and embraced her and kissed her passionately.
They didn't make love but lay there in each other's arms holding each other and caressing
each other's bodies gently until they fell into blissful slumber.

	Modern day intergalactic explorers search uncharted areas of space for new
planets by scanning for the gravity wells they create and the ripples in spacetime
that a gravity well causes.  Those ripples can be minute, as with the gravity well of
a planet, or severe as with the gravity well of a blackhole.  The equipment neccessary
for detecting this is a standard component installed into every ship in the Galactic
Union.  Its purpose is to help locate planets, and to help prevent collisions with
massive bodies like large asteroids that have a gravitational field of their own.  In
this case the equipment on the Yagami was detecting a very large gravity well.  The
data entered the main computer and was analyzed quickly.  Sensors went to work scanning
the region of space where the gravitational field was detected.  The long range scans
displayed on Kiyone's console, showing her detailed information about what it was
detecting.
	"Hmmm.  Yagami is detecting a planet out there." Kiyone said.
	"Really?  What type of planet?" Mihoshi asked.
	"Two actually, one is a K-Class gas giant and the other is an M-Class world."
she said.
	"M-Class, that's just like Earth." Mihoshi said with a cheery tone.  "Maybe they
have a beach there, do you remember when we went to beach back on Earth?"
	"No, because I wasn't living on Earth at the time, Mihoshi, and no we don't have
the time for another detour." Kiyone said sharply.
	"Ya, I guess your right." Mihoshi said with a sigh.
	A new stream of data started appearing on Kiyone's console and she nearly leaped
out of her seat.  "Uh ho!  We got a priority one distress beacon signal." she said.
	"Coordinates match those of the M-Class planet." Mihoshi confirmed from her
console.  Kiyone looked at her funny, not sure how she knew how to do that.
	Kiyone pressed the innercom button on her console and said, "Tencbi, this is Kiyone
on the bridge, could you come up here?"
	Back in their quarters Tenchi groggily reached up and touched the innercom button.
"Is everything alright?" he asked in a sleep slurred voice.
	"I need your help in deciding something, could you come up here, please?" she
said.
	"I'm coming, I'm coming." he said as he climbed out of bed.
	Ten minutes later Tenchi walked through the hatch on the bridge dressed in a 
two tone gree shirt and black slacks.  "What's up, Kiyone?" he asked her with a serious
look on his face.
	"Kiyone picked up a planet that's just like Earth, right?" Mihoshi said.
	"Oh, but what did you need me for?" he asked.
	"We are picking up a distress signal on that planet."  Kiyone told him.  "And
according to GP regulations 49942-34A and Galaxtic Law 789-B6E no Galaxy Police vessel
may ignore any distress signals unless that vessel is in a similar situation."
	"I guess we're going to that planet then, but why ask me?" he asked again.
	"Your the leader of this mission, its only right I check with you first." she
said.  Tenchi winced for moment and wondered how he suddenly got pegged as the leader
of this mission.  His memory went back to their discussion in Washu's lab almost a
million years ago.  Back then they looked to him for leadership, and he wondered why
also.  Aeka and Ryoko looked to him because he was their husband and they loved him,
and Sasami loved him too so she naturally looked to him for guidance.  However, his
father and grandfather also looked to him for leadership and usually it was the other
way around.  It dawned on him that they did this because of who he was, heir to the
throne of Jurai and summoner of the Light Hawk Wings.

	It look Kiyone only an hour to get the Yagami to the nearby planet.  Everyone
was on the bridge now to see the sight of the massive gas giant and the smaller blue
and white marble world in the forward viewscreen.  The light of the nearby yellow star
cast a ghostly light over the entire scene.
	"Its look alot like Jupiter doesn't it, Tenchi?" Noboyuki asked as he looked at
the gas giant.
	"Its actually very similar to your Jupiter in many respects, innert organic
material, hydrogen gas, sulfuric acid, nitrogen ice crystals, and super sonic winds."
Washu said.  "The correct designation for these bodies are Brown Dwarfs, which are
fledgling stars that have not collect enough mass to start nuclear reactions."
	Everyone looked at her and blinked incomprehensibly at her.  She face faulted and
then stood up with a sigh.  "Why do I even bother?" she asked herself.
	"There are two large continents on the planet, massive life readings, but no
sign of any advanced technology or civilization." Kiyone said.
	"The beacon is on the second continent in a southern jungle region." Mihoshi 
said.  "The tempature is 95 degrees and the humidity is about 90%.  Its muggy down
there."
	"That signal, Kiyone, its using an outdated protocol." Washu commented.
	"How old?" the GP officer asked.
	"According to this the protocol is about two thousand years old." Washu explained.
	"Two thousand years old." Tenchi said in surprise.
	"How can a two thousadn year old distress beacon be running after all this
time?" Kiyone asked.
	"It could be a smuggler ship, they use salvaged parts all the time and they
could have an old beacon array." Ryoko said.
	"A two thousand year old array?" Kiyone asked.
	"I've seen ships with five and six thousand year old power relays and hyperdrive
motivators." Ryoko replied.
	"Well, ancient or not we have to investigate it." Kiyone said.
	"What planet is this anyway?" Sasami saked.
	"Its not anywhere in Ryoko's memory or my database of the Dead Zone." Washu
said.
	"This is an uncharted planet, oh that is just great." Kiyone said throwing up her
hands.
	"What's wrong?" Noboyuki asked.
	"When we do this sort of thing for uncharted planets we need to fill out all sorts
of paperwork.  Possible intrusions on undeveloped sentient lifeforms and all that." she
said.
	"My instruments show no indication of intelligent life anywhere on the planet, but
I do detect the remnants of what might once have been a civilization." Washu said.
	"I'm plotting a course straight to the source of the beacon, Kiyone." Mihoshi
said as her hands flew over the controls.  Again, Kiyone was amazed at how she was able
to do that.
	"Course locked in and set, here we go." Kiyone said as the Yagami's engine flared
and the red ship made its move into orbit around the planet.

	Yagami tore through the atmosphere of the alien world leaving a glowing streak in
the sky from its firy reentry.  As it dropped, the ship slowed form mach 30 to mach 6 and
leveled out to an altitude of eleven thousand feet.  The sensors on the ship and Washu's
instruments recorded volumes of data about the plaent, its environment, and a variety
of other pieces of data.  Everyone looked out the lower observation deck windows and 
watched as the clouds moved slowly by with a few gaps allowing them to see a view of
the virgin forests beneath that have not see or heard the touch of another intelligent
being in several millenia.  Soon, the ship was over one of the three vast oceans on the
planet and was quickly approaching the source of the beacon.  Slowly Kiyone dropped
Yagami below the cloud level and reduced the forward speed to 500 MPH.  Before long
they were circling over the site of the beacon signal.  Kiyone brought the ship down
in a large clearing four miles from the source of the signal and did a thurough
bioscan of the surrounding landscape to determine what lifeforms were in the area.  The
last thing they wanted to run into were some native preditors.
	"There is only small mamalian life forms in the area, and a great deal of plant
life." Kiyone said.
	"Even plants can be dangerous." Ryoko commented remembering a run in with a very
carniverous plant once upon a time in her life.
	"Preditory vegetation is pretty rare in the galaxy, but you can't be too sure."
Washu said.
	"We're four miles from the beacon, and its going to be a very rough walk." Kiyone
said.
	Tenchi held up the Master Key.  "Ryoko and I can clear a way through." he said.
	"Mihoshi, you stay here to protect Mr. Masaki and Prince Yosho." Kiyone said.  She
tried not to notice the derisive hrmph from Yosho because her commented assumed he needed
protecting.
	"Oh, ok." the blonde policewoman said with a sigh.
	"At least one officer has to be present during a rescue mission, so I will go."
Kiyone said.
	"I'll come also, just in case we encounter some preditors or hostiles." Aeka said.
	"Ok, we have an away team." Kiyone said.  "Lets get some medical supplies from
sick bay and head out."

	Tenchi, Aeka, Ryoko, and Kiyone climbed out of an access hatch in Yagami's nose
section and walked into the forest.  Tenchi ignited the Tenchiken and started to cut a
clear path for the others behind him.  With Tenchi clearing the way they were making
good time and would reach the beacon in only a few hours.  On the ship Washu was
putting things into a backpack.  Sasami walked into the kitchen and stood there
watching her.
	"Where are you going, Little Washu?" she asked.
	"There are some ruins nearby and I am going to go check them out.  Wanna come?"
Washu asked.
	"I don't know, is it safe?" the little princess asked.
	"There aren't any big preditors anywhere on the sensors, and besides I am the
greatest scientific genius in the universe." she replied and ignited an energy sword
in her hand that was very much like Ryoko's.  Sasami's eyes went wide.
	"But, brother Yosho might not let me go along." Sasami said suddenly, looking
very sad.
	Washu leaned towards her and whispered, "What that old folgy doesn't know won't
hurt him."
	"Sneak out, but I'd really get into trouble with Aeka." Sasami whispered back.
	"No you won't, and she won't need to know either." Washu replied, whispering.
	Sasami seemed to think this over for a moment, and then her face lit up.  "Ok,
but if I get into trouble I'll say it was your fault." she said.
	Washu just gave her a conspiratory smile and she finished backing her backpack.
Sasami ran to her room, making sure not to disturb Yosho during his meditation, and
changed out of her kimono and into her hiking boots, shorts, and a t-shirt.

	They left the Yagami from the same port that the others ueed, which made little
or no noise to attract attention from Yosho, Noboyuki, and Mishohi was dead to the
world as always.  Washu ignited her sword and started hacking a path through the thick
jungle in the general direction of the ruins she wanted to investigate.  They were
a shorter distance from the Yagami than the signal beacon signal was, and it took
them only an hour and a half to reach the first building.  i8t was overgrown with 
vines and partially toppled over but one could see it had a Romanesque style to it.
	Sasami was enthralled by the beauty of the many alien flowers that grew on the
vines and trees in the ruins, while Washu was busy typing on her holocomputer and
examining the buildings.  For some odd reason they seemed very familar to her, and for
the life of her she could not put a finger on it.  She had to delve deep into her
ancient mind and dig for baried memories.  It was coming from somewhere deep in her
memories of Ryoko's experiences while under the control of Kagato.
	The diminutive genius walked among the ruined buildings and stopped when she
came a wall that had engraved writing on it.  She set her translater to work on it
and she walked around examining the flowers as she waited for the translator to
finish working.  A few minutes passed and the floating laptop signaled it was done
working.  Washu walked up and looked at the words on the screen and she was suddenly
filled with horror.  She looked around now at every shadow as if she had just landed
in hostile territory.
	"Sasami." she called.  The little princess did not answer.
	"Sasami!" she shouted this time, and there was no reply.
	Washu turned back to the computer screen, the words read "Welcome to Planet
Caldera".  Those words alone could never invoke horror in someone, but Washu's memories
returned as she relived Ryoko's nightmare life under Kagato and her memories of this
world before it was set to ruins.  The horrible images she witness were too much for
her bare, but Washu could not block them when she was in the crystal prison on the
Soja, but now she forced the memories down back into the dark places they came from
and tears fell from her eyes as she ran back to the place where Sasami had been last.

	When Washu got there she looked around and on the ground there were signs of
a struggle, no footprints, or even a bent blade of grass.  On the ground, laying on its
side, was one of Sasami's hiking boots.  Washu picked it up and she clutched it to
herself and she started to cry.  "What have I done?" she sobbed.

	The source of the beacon signal proved to be a rather big surprise for Tenchi
and the others.  The source was a ship, and a large one for that matter.  Kiyone
ran the registration number that was still visible on the hull and found it had been
missing for 40 years.  That was a far cry from 2000 years.  They managed to force
open an access hatch in the side of the ship and they climbed ito the dark interior
of the vessel.  Aeka jumped with a start when her flashlight beam reflected off the
blank stare of a white skull sitting on the floor.
	"I'm alright." she told Tenchi who came to her to comfort her, but he knew
batter since he felt her distress through their link.
	They followed a floorplan of the ship that Kiyone had in her PDA and made their
way to the bridge.  Since the ship had no power, Tenchi and Ryoko had to cut the
double hatch doors to the bridge apart with their swords.  What was waiting for them
on the other side was a horrible sight.  Aeka put a hand over her mouth and Tenchi 
grabbed her to him.  Just inside the access hatch there were dozens of bodies litering
the floor.  They were skeletons now, but they still had their clothing and a few
scraps of dried flesh on the skulls.  Kiyone counted a total of fifty-five bodies, all
piled up on one another at the hatch.  The bridge itself was spacious and large.
	"What the hell happened here?" Kiyone asked as she examined a body.  She
noticed that the rib cages of some of the skeletons were crushed.  "My god, they
trampled over each other." she said in realization.
	"Why, what would they be running from?" Ryoko asked.
	"Something they found on this planet." Aeka said, her head resting on Tenchi's
chest.
	"Or something that found them, more likely." Tenchi said.
	"This si giving me the creeps." Ryoko said.
	"Any way to tell what race they were?" Aeka asked, now composing herself.
	Kiyone checked her PDA and shock her head.  "So many races share the same
humanoid bone structure, even Tenchi has the same type, so its pretty hard to tell."
she said.  "The ships is registered as a Tellacian freighter."
	"What were they carrying?" Ryoko asked.
	"Doesn't say.  I can't access the GP data-streams, too much interference from
the Dead Zone." Kiyone replied.
	"Well, maybe we can tell from the databanks if we can restore power to this
thing." Aeka said.
	Tenchi pushed the pile of skeletons out of the way and cleared a path for the
women to walk in.  To their surprise the bridge still had some power, and Kiyone
called up the monifest while Aeka and Ryoko worked to try and bring up a log entry
from the Captain's station.  Tenchi was the third wheel when it came to these things
since he did not know the language of these people and he did not know how to use the
computer equipment.  He did notice one thing as she strolled through the large bridge
and that was the totally out of place piece of alien equipment at sat in the middle of
the room.  Unlike the rest of the ship that looked artificial and high tech, this
deviced almost looked organic.  Tenchi called Kiyone over and she checked it with
her PDA.
	"Tnis is the source of the beacon signal." she said.
	"It almost looks like its alive." Tenchi said.
	"Depending on what kind of technology its made form it could be alive." Kiyone
said.  "Oh, god, I sound like Washu."
	Ryoko whistled.  "Hey, we found the last log entry from the Captain." she said.
	They walked over to the console that Aeka and Ryoko had been working on and
watched as a holographic image of a humanoid man appeared above the console.
	"Oh God!  We lost twenty-seven crewmen in only a few minutes, and now we are
trapped on the bridge.  They're everywhere!  Its a nightmare, they came out of nowhere
and we didn't have a chance." shouted the man in the display.  He had a nasty scare on
his face and his eyes looked haunted.  "I watched my crewmen die, I watched as they
killed them, it was horrible, horrible!  We're all that's left of the crew of the
Sagamento, and we're going to die too!  Hahahahahahaha!!!!"  At that moment there
was the sound of shattering glass and inhuman scream.  The captain opened his mouth
to scream but a long black object with a sharp appendage pierced him through the
chest from off screen, he gurgle a scream of pain and blood came out of his mouth.  His
body was pulled off screen and the crewmen and women on the bridge could be seen
clambering over each other in an attempt to escape what just killed their captain.
The image hlanked out just as the captain's body was thrown back onscreen, but in
two halves.
	Tenchi felt like wretching and it was Aeka who gave him some comfort this time,
holding him tight and running her fingers through his hair to calm him.  Ryoko turned
and looked at a massive hole in the thick glass bubble at the front of the bridge.
	"This is really starting to creep me out now." she said.
	"Whatever did this could still be on this planet." Tenchi said.
	"I think it might be a good idea if we got back to Yagami." Kiyone said.
	"That sound like a good idea." Aeka commented.
	The four ran from the bridge and made their way through the dark corridors back
to the hatch they opened in the side of the ship.  Halfway through the ship Aeka 
felt something grip her legs and she was pulled off of her feet.  She cried out and
the something that had her by the legs started to drag her into a nearby airshaft.
Tenchi lunged for her and grabbed her hands and Ryoko grabbed Tenchi from hehind and
started to pull with all her might.  Whatever it was in the airshaft that had her
legs, Aeka realized, it was was stronger than Tenchi and Ryoko combined.
	"Let me go, Tenchi!  Save yourself!" Aeka shouted, tears running down her eyes.
	"NO!" Tenchi screamed and he pulled harder, and Ryoko groaned as she struggled
to pull.
	Kiyone dropped to the floor and start firing shots into the darkness behind
Aeka and the same inhuman scream that they heard on the video shreeked at them
from the airshaft.  Kiyone guessed that she must have hit her target because whatever
it was let Aeka go making Tenchi and Ryoko fall back as they pulled Aeka free.  Tenchi
wrapped his arms around his beloved wife and held her close as she cried.  Ryoko
yelled into the darkness and released an energy blast at the unseen thing that tried
to steal Aeka away.
	"Lets get the hell out of here before it comes back or goes for help." Kiyone
said.
	"You don't have to tell me twice." Tenchi said as he stood up with Aeka holding
onto him.
	As they reached the hatch and walked back out into the light of sunlight of
this alien world Ryoko stopped in her tracks and her face turned a pale white.  She
gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.
	"What is it?" Aeka asked, terrible fear going through her.
	"Its Washu, somethings happened to Sasami!" she cried.
	"Oh no." Aeka said and they all ran as fast as they could through the cleared
trail that Tenchi had cut on there way to the site.

	They arrived at the Yagami and found Washu, Yosho, Noboyuki, and Mihoshi standing
on the boarding ramp.  Washu was crying uncontrollably and holding a small brown
boot in her arms as if it was very precious.  Yosho had his hands on her shoulders
and he was trying to be as comforting as he could but it was not helping.
	"What happened, where is Sasami?" Aeka asked, tears running down her face.
	"We, we went out to look at some ruins near the ship." Washu said.  "I turned my
back for a second, just a second, and then..."  She started to weep again, hugging
Sasami's boot to her chest.
	"Little Wawhu, it wasn't your fault, we didn't know this place was dangerous."
Tenchi said.  He explained what they saw on the video in the ship and his father slowly
started to inch his way up the ramp and back into ship.
	"You don't understand!" Washu shouted just then and it made Tenchi jump in 
surprise to see anger from Washu like this.  "Its my fault, we snuck out of the ship
without telling anyone."
	"We can forgive that, Little Washu, but what happened to Sasami?" Tenchi asked.
	"They took her!" she shouted.
	"Who?" Tenchi asked.
	"There was once a civilization on this world, it was developing into a very]
intelligent race with a potential for greatness.  My sister Tokimi thought she could
improve upon them and she set to work chaning them.  She succeeded, but what she made
them into was a nightmare." she said.
	"One of them tried to grab Aeka, what are they?" Ryoko asked.
	"They have no emotions, they were breed to kill, and only to kill." Washu said,
her voice muffled slight in Yosho's robes.  "They fear nothing and no one, they show
no mercy, they kill indiscriminately, and they are as methodical as machines with
infinite patience.  Once they find a target they will not stop until they kill it or
they are killed.  They are unholy abominations!"
	"Sasami is...." Kiyone said with a small sob.
	"I don't know.  I didn't see any blood." Washu said.
	"Let not start asuming anything right now." Tenchi said.  "Little Washu, take us
to the last place you saw Sasami."  She looked at him and nodded as she whipped the 
tears away.

	The ancient buildings reminded Tenchi of the ruin of ancient Rome.  He looked
at the place where Sasami had been, appearently looking at the beautiful flowers that
grew on the vines.  There was no sign of a struggle, no foot prints besides Sasami's
own and Washu's, and no blood.  Kiyone checked the area and found not a single
trace of anything they could follow.  Washu compsed herself and she called up her
computer and started using her instruments to scan the area.  After several minutes of
this she threw up her hands.
	"There is nothing I can find to track her, nothing." Kiyone said.
	"We might have a chance with one thing." Washu said quickly as she started
typing more franticly.  "Our dear sweet little Princess is starting her first of
three stages of Juraian puberty.  When that happens her body starts to release hormones
and other chemicals that can be detected."
	"I didn't know she was starting the Change." Aeka said.
	"I guess she is growing up faster than we though." Tenchi said.  
	"I have a faint trace, heading west." Washu said.
	"Ok, Kiyone you stay here and help guard the others, Aeka and Ryoko will come
with me and Washu." Tenchi said.
	"Your the boss, Tenchi." Kiyone said as she drew her blaster and checked its
charge.

	Sasami did not know what had happened to her, all she could remember was standing
up on her tip toes to smell one of the beautiful blossoms that grew on a vine in the
ruins she and Washu were investigating.  Now, she was in this dark place that was
cold and damp.  She looked around and could see little past a faint red glow that came
from someone along the floor of where she was.  She crawled on her hands and knees and
made her way to where the light was and gasped with she found herself looking into a
deep chasm with red hot lava at the bottom.  She backed away very quickly and suddenly
felt her rump butt up against something.  She looked behind her and made out a strange
outline in the gloom.  She moved away from it quickly but was not fast enough, the
form reached out with slender arms and grabbed her by the waist.  Sasami struggled
but the grasp of whatever held her was like a vice grip.  She tried to claw at the
hands that held her, but she finders traced a form that filled her with dread.  The
hands that held her were not humanoid but where hard and felt like sharp claws.  She
screamed and beat her fists against what held her and a pair of cold red eyes stared
at her.
	"Who are you?" she asked the form.
	The dark figure did not answer her.  It stood up on what she could make out
as six insect like legs and started carrying here through the darkness.
	"Let me go!" she cried beating her fists against the creature's grip again.
	She noticed that the light around he suddenly changed and she looked up and
what she saw made her want to scream but she was too frightened to speak.  She in
a large chamber, the walls were covered with what looked like honeycombs that Earth
bees made.  Crawling around along the walls where thousands of creatures exactly
like the one that carried her.  They appeared to be insectoid creatures like ants
and had six long legs, their upper bodies rose up to a pair of long slender arms
with large claws at the ends and a hideous head with two large multisegmented eyes
two long antenna, and a pair of sharp manible.  It was not this sight that frightened
her the most, for she had met many insectoid alien races in her travels with her
system in Ryouhl, but it was what sat in the middle of the chamber that frightened
her.  A massive, bulbous form sat in the middle of the chamber.  It pulsated from
within and its surface was slick with slime which oozed from its surface.  The mass
tappered off at one end and this end was moving around depositing what looked like
eggs at an alarming rate.  Smaller versions of the creatures on the walls took the
newly formed eggs and carried them off somewhere in the chamber.  The opposite end
of the mass was a massive monstrosity, it was an insectoid lifeform of hideous
perportions.  The body was similar that that of the others, it was slightly larger,
but the head on the upper body was larger and the mandibles were much larger.
	The creature that carried her dropped Sasami to the floor of the chamber before
this larger monstrosity.  It backed away and Sassmi looked up at it and trembled.  The
creature peered down at her and lowered its massive head down to her level.  Sasami
tried to back away but the creature extended an arm and stopped her.  Surprisingly,
the little princess discovered, dispite the creatures size it was trying to be very
gentle.
	Sasami concentrated for a moment, allowing the power of Tsunamoi to fill her
and she looked upon this monster and she could feel its nature.  She felt curiosity,
fear, and concern coming from the creature.  This was totally unexpected because she
was sure the thing intended to kill her, but she felt no evil from the creature.
	"Who are you, why am I here?" Sasami asked the creature, hoping her universal
translator earring Washu made her would allow her to communicate with this creature.
	The creature made a chirping sound that was something similar to Earth crickets
and grasshoppers.  Sasami heard her universal translator beep, telling her it was
working on decypering the language.  A series of more beeps were issued before a
coherent sentance issued from the device.
	"We are the Nox" a female voice said.
	"My name is Sasami, what do you want with me, where am I?" Sasami asked.
	"We are they whom she sent to lead the way." the creature said.
	Sasami did not understand this part at all.  "Who sent you?" she asked.
	"You." the creature said.
	Sasami's head swam with that one, but then she realized something.  Sasami
concentrated again on the power growing within her due to her burganing womanhood
and her closeness to her assimilation with the goddess.
	"You mean Tsunami don't you?" Sasami asked.
	The creature nodded its head.  "We were sent to lead the way." it said.
	"Lead the way to where?" Sasami asked.
	The creature extended an arm towards the wall and to a large honeycomb chamber
there.  A large number of the creatures gathered around it each carrying a blob of a
strange translucent substance.  The creatures deposited the substance into the 
honeycomb chamber and then turned towards them as if waiting.
	"The way is clear, we will lead the way." said the creature.
	"I have to go in there?" Sasami asked.
	"The way is clear." said the creature.
	Sasami walked towards the chamber and looked inside, inside the floor was
filled with the translucent substance like a large pool.  She looked back at the
giant creature and then at the smaller others that flanked the honeycomb chamber.
The creatures appeared to be kneeling before her.
	"We have lead the way." the creature said.
	Sasami looked back at the chamber, and said, "I think I understand."  She
stepped into the chamber and climbed down into the sustance that filled it.  Sasami
was suddenly filled with a powerful sensation filled her being, she was not sure but
it was almsot like an orgasm but she did not know what that felt like since she
was a virgin.  The substance around her body began to soak slowly into her skin and
a blue glow started to eminate from her.  The creatures outside the chamber worked to
seal it up with wax until the opening was just a small hole to allow air to enter.
	"The way is to follow." the creature said.  "The way is clear."

	Washu scanned around and hrmphed in aggrevation.  She slapped the scanner she
had in her hands and then shook it violently.  Tenchi put a hand on her wrist to stop
her and the diminutive genius let her human emotions get the better of her once again
as she cried.
	"I lost the trail, it ends right here." she said, after composing herself.
	Right here was a large field filled with boulders.  On one of the large boulders
Tenchi noticed a large splotch of what looked like blood.  He hoped beyound hope that
it was not what he though it was.  Washu scanned it and sighed with relief.
	"Its not Juraian, or any other species I have ever seen." she said.
	"Thank Tsunami." Aeka said.
	"But where is she?" Ryoko asked.
	"Her hormone trail ends here." Washu said.
	Tenchi looked around and he scratched the back of his head.  "We are getting
nowhere like this." he said.  He pulled out the Master Key and concentrated on it.  The
sword began to glow and to Ryoko's surprise so did her gems she was wearing.  In the
area that they stood in a ghostly apparition appeared.  The thing was virtually
invisible except for a shimmering outline round its body that appeared when it moved.
Flung over one should of the creature was Sasami's limp form.  Aeka gasped in horror
and a hand flew to her mouth.  Washu put her hands to her face and she cried, her
worse fears had been realized.
	Suddenly, a new figure appeared on the scene.  It was a large insectoid creature
that to Tenchi looked almsot like a Praying Mantis.  The insectoid leaped out of
hiding from behind a boulder and tackled the partially invisible creature that
carried Sasami.  The invisible monster unleashed a blast of energy at the insectoid
creature and vaporized it.  A second insectoid creature appeared and lunged at the
monster from behind.  This time the creature did not anticipate the attack from 
behind and it was forced to the ground.  Sasami rolled away from the invisible
monster and another insectoid creature appeared and very delicately lift Sasami up
wtih its forelimbs and vanished from sight.  The invisible creature went back to
its feet quickly, but another insectoid appeared and it unleached an energy blast
at the invisible monster.  After several exchanges the invisible monster was hurled
against a large boulder and a large splatter of blood splashed out around where it
hit.  Tenchi let the images fade away and the glow from the Master Key and Ryoko's
gems subsided.
	"That was, incredible." Ryoko said.
	"That was frightening, where did those things take Sasami?" Aeka asked.
	"I might be able to determine that out in a few secs." Washu said as she started
typing on her computer.  "Tenchi, how did you know to do that with Tenchiken?"
	Tenchi looked at her and at his wives.  They ave him a mental eqivolent of a
shrugged.  "I have no idea.  It just seemed natural to do it." he said.
	"Interesting." the scientist said, and Tenchi sighed happy to see that the old
Washu was finally back.
	"That insect thing looked like it was trying to be gentle with Sasami." Aeka
said.
	"It did seem that way." Ryoko added.
	"Anything yet?" Tenchi asked Washu.
	Washu typed rapidly at her holocomp and then she cackled the way she used to
whenever she had Tenchi to herself in the lab.  The sound set hairs on the back of
Tenchi's head on end from the memory when the timw when Washu tried to get her 
sample.
	"It took her to the South about three miles." she finally said.
	"Lets go." Tenchi said and they all followed behind him.

	Sasami opened her eyes and she found herself floating on the surface of the
substance in the honeycomb chamber.  She did not know how long she blacked out but
she did remember that the feeling she was having was too overwhelming for the small
body to handle.  She shift position and lowered her legs down and touched the bottom
of the pool.  Slowly she made her way to the side and reached up to pull herself out.
It was at that moment that the young princess stopped and realized something very
important, first she was touching the bottom of the pool and when she first go into
it she could not, and second all of her clothes were missing.  She looked down at
herself as shocked at what she saw.  On her chest were two small, perky, but fully
formed breasts.  She touched her head and found that her hair was now much longer
also, and the pins and clasps she used to hold her hair in its twin ponytail style
popular among young girls on Jurai were gone.  Sasami did not feel any different
than she did before, but she knew she was different physically.
	"Tsunami?" she called out.
	"I am here." came the goddesses soft voice.  Sasami noticed that her voice 
had changed also and was becoming very close to that of Tsunami's tone.
	"Are we, are we joined?" she asked.
	"Not yet, but situations have become worse and I had to acceleraate things a
little bit." Tsunami said.
	"That is why I am older?" Sasami asked.
	"In a way yes, but you are older not because of our pending merger." the goddess
told her.
	"What for then?  Why the change now?" asked Sasami.
	"That would be telling, little one." Tsunami giggled.
	"I'm not so little anymore." Sasmai said as she cupped her hands over her new
badges of womanhood.
	"There is a reason for all of this, and in time you will soon see why." and with
that Sasami felt Tsunami's presence fad back into the background of her mind where the
goddess usually stayed.
	The little princess climbed out of the pool and looked down at the rest of
herself.  She looked at the curves of her hips, and the shape of her legs.
	"Wow, I'm, I'm what Tenchi's dad would call a babe." she said.
	Sasami found her clothes laying just inside the chamber and discovered very
quickly that they were not a few sizes to small.  She losened several ribbons and
straps and managed to put a part of her robes as a skirt and a top that covered
her womanhood just enough.  The insectoids tore away the wall to the chamber that
they created and she walked out and met the gaze of the giant queen insectoid.
	"Now you know the way." the creature said.
	"Yes, I know the way." Sasami replied, not realizing that she no longer wore
her universal translator.
	"Now you must go for they will come and our time has come." the creature said.
	"Who will come?" Sasami asked.
	"Tokimi's Children." the creature said.  Sasami gasped when she heard the name,
she had head Tsunami speak of her sister before and she know that Washu was also
her sister.
	"When will they come?" she asked.
	"Soon, they feel you, you know you, you seek to take you." the creature said.
	"What do they want with me?" Sasami asked.
	"To spread their seed." the creature replied.  Sasami's eyes went wide when she
suddenly put two and two together and understood the insect's meaning.  The speak of
this creature was worse than some the puzzling things that Yosho sometimes quotes.
	"I need to get back to my family." Sasami said to the giant creature.
	It gestured behind her and Sasami turned around as one of the creatures walked
up to her and kneeled down low enough that she could climb onto its back.
	"Go, our purpose is done, we will guard the way." the giant queen said.
	Sasami was about to climb onto the insectoid's back but then she stopped and
looked back at the giant queen.  "Your going to sacrific yourselves so I can get away,
aren't you?" she asked with concern in her voice.
	"It is our purpose." the queen said.
	"But..." Sasami stammered.
	"You must live, all depends on this." the queen said.
	Sasami finished climbinb on to the back of the insectoid and it started trotting
off into a tunnel.  She looked back at the giant queen with tears in her pink eyes.
	"We have served, we have fulfilled, we are happy." the queen said before
Sasami was too far away to hear her words.

	Tenchi and the others raced as fast as they could along the trail tha tlead
back to where the Yagami landed.  It was several minutes since Kiyone called them on
the comlink that they were being attacked.  When the signal was suddenly lost all
Tenchi could think about was the video they saw onboard the star freighter.  With
their quest to find Sasami on hold they ran to the aid of their family back on the
ship.  Before long they entered the clearing where the Yagami rested and found
Yosho kneeling next to Kiyone who was laying prone on the ground.  Mihoshi was
laying near one of Yagami's landing strusts and Noboyuki was wrapping her head with
gause.
	"What the hell happened?" Tenchi asked.
	"A group of strange creatures attacked the ship." Yosho said.  "They were
barely visible as if surrounded by a cloaking field."
	"They looked like those Preditor things from the movies." Noboyuki added.
	"Where did they go?" Ryoko asked.
	"I am not certain, we were fighting them when suddenly they seemed to become
distracted by something and then they disappeared." Yosho said.
	"I don't like this, its not like them to do this." Washu said.
	"They obviously found something more interesting to mess with." Ryoko said.
	Washu stalked up to them and put her hands on her hips.  "Dammit, they don't do
shit like this!  They don't just stop attacking someone and then leave!  Haven't I
made myself perfectly fucking clear enough!" she cried.
	Tenchi put a hand on Washu's shoulder and the touch calmed her down.  She sighed
and put her head down.  Washu was not used to these emotional outbursts, but since she
had the affair with Orrin several weeks before she noticed a change had come over her.
	"I'm sorry, I'm just upset." she said.
	"I'm worried about Sasami too, but we will find her." Tenchi said and he drew
her into a hug.
	Kiyone was up and she went into the ship, not long after she came running back
into the group.  She was huffing and puffing from running all the way.
	"They took it!" she shouted.
	"Took what?" Tenchi asked, a small feeling of dread creeping over him, but waas
washed over by a feeling of comfort from his two wives via their link.
	"The main power coupling for the engines, we're grounded until we get it back!"
Kiyone exclaimed almost in a panic.
	"What!" everyone shouted at once.
	Tenchi slumped to the ground and ran a hand down his face.  Aeka and Ryoko were
at his side immediately holding onto him.  "Dammit!  If its not one thing its another
on this trip.  Sometimes I think maybe we shouldn't have gone on this trip." he said.
	"It was all of us who decided to go on this trip, Tenchi." Washu said.
	"Now, we're stuck on some distant planet with no way to get off." Tenchi said.
	"Tenchi dear, we can get you off." Ryoko purred seductively.
	Tenchi smiled and he put his arms around his two loving wives.  "Was that meant
to make me feel better?" he asked.
	"It worked didn't it?  Besides, we're not down yet." Ryoko replied.
	"We have to find Sasami, and if we find Sasami we might find the part." Aeka
said.
	"Oh my God!" Mihoshi yelled and everyone turned to look where the she was
pointing.  A large insectoid creature crashed through the brush and entered the
clearing where the Yagami was resting.  Tenchi ignited the Master Key, but then
disenguaged the blade when he saw a figure sitting on the monster's back.  He looked
up at the figure for a few seconds and it took him some time to realize who it was
he was looking at.
	"Tsunami?" he said.  The figure was a young woman of 14 ro 15 years of age,
with long blue hair, and large pink eyes.  She was barely wearing anything, and her
clothes looked like they were several sizes too small.  She climbed off the back of the
insectroid crature and ran up to them.  Her features were those of Tsunami, but still
very young.
	"Sasami?" Aeka said, too stunned by say anymore.
	"Its me sis." the older Sasami said.
	"Oh, but this is so soon, your still so young." Aeka said, tears running down
her face.
	"Tsunami and I have not joined yet." Sasami told them.  "She did this because
I have something I have to do before we do finally join, and I can't do it as a child."
	Aeka couldn't contain herself anymore and she rushed forward and hugged her 
sister tight.
	"Aeka, its alright, so I'm not a little girl anymore." Sasami said.
	"But, your childhood, The Change, you are missing out on all of that." Aeka
sobbed.
	"I may be missing out on those things, but I have a bigger adventure in store
for me when Tsunami and I merge." the little princess said, who was no longer so
little.
	Ryoko and the others stepped forward to meet the new Sasami.  Her eyes met
with Tenchi's for a moment and a silent exchanged took place.  The young princess
could not help wonder what could have been if Tenchi had not mode The Great Bond
with her sister and Ryoko.  She also noticed that Noboyuki's eyes looked like they
were about to fly out of their sockets.
	"You might want to wear this, or my adopted son's eyes might pop all the way
out of his head." Yosho said, giving Noboyuki a stern look.
	"Thank you, brother." she said sweetly.  The softness of her voice sent a
shiver down Tenchi's spine.  Aeka and Ryoko felt this through their bond.
	"I'm glad Aeka and I got to Tenchi before this happened." Ryoko said.
	"What do you mean?" Sasami asked.
	Ryoko waved a hand in front of Tenchi's face, and he did not respond at all.
	"Huh?  Oh, Sasami we're so glad to see you safe." Tenchi said suddenly as he
came out of revere.
	[Just you remember that you belong to us.] Ryoko warned.
	[I have to admit that she is very very beautiful, but I'd never do anything
to hurt what we three have together.  I sware.] Tenchi told them.
	[We know you'd never do anything like that.] Aeka said.
	[The same way we'd never could do that either.] Ryoko said, and she sent Tenchi
a mental eqivolent of a kiss.
	"What happened to you, where did you go?" Washu asked, in an almost demanding
voice.
	"I doh't know what happened." Sasami said.  "One minute I'm smelling flowers
and the next I'm in this giant insect hive."
	"What's with the giant roaches anyway?" Ryoko asked, looking at the giant insect
as it stood behind Sasami as if waiting for orders.
	"They worship Tsunami, and they saved me from some kind of evil." she said.
	"Let me guess, big invisible guys with really bad attitudes." Kiyone said.
	Yosho cleared his throat.  "Everyone, we have a part missing from the ship we need
to get of this planet.  How do you propose we get it back?"
	"Sasami, can you ask your insect friends to help us find the lair these creatures so
we can get out part back?" Washu asked her.
	Sasami turned around to the towering insect creature and spoke with it briefly through
telepathy.  The creature gave off a few soft curping  noises in response.
	"They will, but they do not want me to go anywhere near them." she said.
	"Why are they after you anyway?" Ryoko asked.
	"Their queen thinks they want to mate with me because they feel Tsunami's power inside
me." Sasami said with a reddened face.
	"Of course, they are Tokimi's creations and she would have given them the power to sence
Tsunami's power." Washu said as she summon her holocomputer and started typing furiously.
	"So not only do we have to get our part back but we need to keep them from getting to
Sasami too." Tenchi said running his hand down his face.
	"What the hell are we waiting for, lets get that part and get off this rock!" Ryoko shouted.

	It took only two hours to walk to where the lair of Tokimi's monsters was located.  Tey lived
in a massive building that Washu described as once being the capital building of the people who once
inhabited the planet.  The jungle had grown up around the structure think and heavy, obscuring any
ancient writing that might be on the sides of the building.  The entrance seemed unguarded, but Washu
took no chances and she thuroughly scanned the area with her instruments before allowing anyone to get
anywhere near it.  Kiyone, Mihoshi, Noboyuki, and Yosho stayed with the Yagami to protect Sasami.  A
small army of insectoids arrive to patrol the jungle outside the ship as well.  As they walked, Tenchi
noticed that they were being followed by the insect creatures, a formidable force of at leave seven
dozen of them.  When they reached lair their insectoid guide motioned with its claws for them to
hunker low to ground and crawl.
	Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, and Washu watched the entrance to the lair on their stomachs underneath the
protection of thick brush.  Tenchi took a sharp intake of breath when a creature emerged from the
entrance.  It was cloaked in its invisible field as before and was barely visible except when it moved,
but it dropped its cloaking field and looked around.  The monster was humanoid, it stood some seven feet
tall and had dark brown skin.  Its had a long face that ended in a large fang filled mouth and its two
red eyes were cruel and calculating.  On the ends of its long muscular arms were clawed hands with
sharp finger claws that were nearly three inches long.  On its waist and feet the creatures wore skins
of animals as clothing.
	"Those things are butt ugly." Washu commented.
	The creature turned around and headed back into the lair, when it turned they saw the creature's
tail.  It was long and black with a sharp barb at the end of it.  It looked exactly like the weapon used
to kill the captain of the ship they explored with Kiyone earlier.
	"How are we going to get in there?" Aeka asked, fear in her voice as she gripped Tenchi's arm.
	"I think my instruments detected a back entrance that is not as well protected." Washu said as she
checked her computer.
	"Lets find it and get this over with." Ryoko said and they crawled out of their hiding place and
headed for the location on Washu's holocomputer.

	Elsewhere in space, the Jurai battleship Lunari emerged from its spacial portal and accelerated
to made orbit of the planet Kalaban.  A distrress signal had been coming from the planet and the ship
was dispatched to investigate the nature of the emergency.  Kalaban was a remove colony of Jurai and
thus the journey to the planet took several days even for a Jurai treeship.  Emperor Asuza was beginning
to get very worried, there were no reports of the whereabouts of the Yagami or any of its crew either,
and he could not help but notice that something sinister was starting to happen to this empire.
	Captain Traz stood up from his command post and looked at the image of Kalaban that Lunari
projected for his viewing.  The planet that was once lush with life abundant was now a lifeless
rock in space.  The yellow brown surface was very different from the green lush images they had in
the databanks.
	"In the name of Tsunami, what happened here?" he asked.
	"We are getting no lifesigns from the planet, only the distress signal." spoke Commander Turlo
who was at the science station.
	"What did this, orbital bombardment?" the captain asked.
	"No evidence of weapons fire, its as if all the lifeforce of the planet was just drained away."
Commander Turlo replied.
	Lunari suddenly release a bright burst of light from her leaves and this made Captain Traz's
hair stand up on end.  Klaxons on the ship came on and the crew scrambled to their emergency stations.
	"Lunari has detected two unknown ships bering 4.2 mark 8!" Commander Turlo shouted.
	"Lets see them, Lunari." Captain Traz ordered.
	The two ships appeared on the holographic screen replacing the view of the dead planet.  The two
ships were nearly the size of Lunari, their hulls were black, and their design looked like something
from the nightmare of a maniac.
	"We've been detected, they are raising shields and arming weapons!" Commander Turlo warned.
	"Lunari raise your Lighthawk Wings, I think we found the one's responsible for destroying this
planet." Traz said.
	The two dark ships raced on an intercept course with Lunari.  The Juraian battleship opened up
on them with its forward cannons but the captain and crew watched in horror as those shots had little
or no effect at all.  The dark ships returned fire with one single energy beam.  Their aim was true and
the Lunari was struck.  Captain Traz watched the status console showing the condition of Lunari's light
hawk wings and he gasped as he saw their energy levels beginning to fall rapidly.  Who or whatever this
enemy was they were so powerful that they were able to weaken the power of Light Hawk Wings.
	"Evasive manouvers!" he ordered.  The great ship lurched as the helmsman's hands flew over his
console.  Lunari flared out light in a warning just before a second blast hit the ship.
	Lunari's Light Hawk Wings were withering and beginning to loose power quickly.  The great ship
continued to fire back at tis attackers, but the blasts did little or no damage what so ever.  Finally,
Captain Traz and Commander Turlo watched in horror as Lunari's Light Hawk Wings disintegrated completely
under the force of another shot.  The great ship was rocked by a more powerful blast that tore into the
hull, through the superstructure of its interor, and out the other side.  Lunari let out one last feable
splash of light before as a second beam struck the ship and vaporized the Space Tree.  The last few
seconds of Traz's and Turlo's life went by as if hours passed.  They watched as their ship was consumed by
fire and more weapons fire.  The last thing they saw before they died was a wall of white hot plasma
racing towards them when the main reactor on the ship exploded.

	Sasami sat with Katsuhito and Noboyuki in the living room of their crew quarters on the Yagami.  The
old Juraian prince was looking at her with a strange expression on her face and Noboyuki was trying hard
not to stare at Sasami's newly altered form out of respect and out of the fact that Yosho would bash him
over the back of the head for thinking about his little sister that way.
	"Why did Tsunami think it was necessary to take this step so soon?" Yosho asked.
	"I don't know, but its important, very important." Sasami said.
	"Does this mean that you and Tsunami are, you know, one now?" Noboyuki asked.  He did not fully
understand the situation between Sasami and Tsunami, but he did know enough that the two were to one
day become one person.
	"Not yet, but it will be soon now." Sasami said with a slightly nervous voice.
	Yosho pursed his lips and put his hand under his chin for moment.  It was at that moment that
Sasami grabbed her head and started crying out.
	"No, Lunari, no!" she cried.
	"Sasami, what's wrong, what's wrong?" Noboyuki and Yosho shouted at once as they both moved quickly
to catch her before she fell.  Yosho had a strong suspicion that the knew why Sasami suddenly acted this
wasy.  He grabbed Sasami into his arms and held her tight.
	"Lunari is gone, she's gone." Sasami cried on Yosho's shoulder.
	"W-w-who is Lunari?" Noboyuki asked.
	"A Ship of Jurai, a space tree same as Fonaho and Ryuohl.  She must have been destroyed and Sasami is
feeling the effects from Tsunami." Yosho said solemly.
	"Destroyed, by who...." Noboyuki started to say but then he stopped after realizing who it was that
might have the power to take on a ship of Jurai.
	"The poor thing." was all he could say afterwards.  As he watched Sasami cry in Yosho's arms his 
thoughts went back to his son and his two wives who were out trying to save their lives.  He never imagine
once since Tenchi's birth that his son would be trying to save the universe.

	Finding the back entrance to the creature's lair was not that difficult with Washu's instruments
leading the way.  Getting through the ancient structure without being caught was another matter altogether.
Since the creatures posssessed the power to feel Jurai powers Washu had to construct a dampening field
around them, and then she put a portable stealth device on everyone which refracted the surrounding light
making them invisible to everyone except each other.  The only sign that showed that they were invisible
was a faint blue aura that surrounded each other.  Aeka did her very best not to cry out when she
passed just feet from some of the hideous creations of Lady Tokimi.
	Finding the missing power coupling for the Yagami was another easy feat for Washu's science, but as
they entered the chamber where it was located she stopped and froze.
	"It can't be this easy." she whispered.
	"There's the part, lets get it and get out of here." Tenchi whispered back.
	"No, this is too easy." Washu said again, and as she turned around Tenchi saw her eyes grow to the
size of frying pans.
	They all whirled around and found nearly six dozen of the monsters behind them, each one surrounded
in that light blue aura.  They slowly began to advance on them.
	"Uh, Washu, can they see us?" Aeka asked.
	"I'd say that was a good possibility." she said.
	"What do we do?" Ryoko asked.
	"Running would be a good idea." Tenchi said and they all broke into a run for the power coupling.
	Tenchi grabbed up the part, which was as long as a broom handle, but nearly ten times as heavy.  Ryoko
helped him pick it up and they both ran with it for the second entrance to the chamber.  The creatures
behind them screamed and snarled in rage and started through energy blasts in their direction.  Explosions
splashed off the walls of the chamber just as they passed through the entrance and into a long hallway.  They
ran as fast as they could a hundreds of the monsters began to emerge from all over the place in the hallway.
	"We are not going to make it!" Aeka screamed as she watched several hundred of the creatures at the
other end of the long hallway.
	"Oh ye of little faith." Washu said as she summoned her holographic computer.  A large black portal
suddenly appeared next to her.
	"Lets go!" she shouted as she jumped into the portal.  Tenchi shrugged his shoulders as he looked at
Aeka and Ryoko.  His two wives looked at the portal suspiciously since they have all had bad experiences with
dimensional portals lately, but they followed Tenchi as he jumped through it with Yagami's part.  On the
other end of the portal Washu was waiting outside of the Yagami.  Kiyone and Mihoshi were on the ramp
waiting for them.
	"Give me that." Washu said as she took the power coupling and hefted it as if it did not seem very
heavy to her at all.  Tenchi marveled at just how strong the girls were, but then remembered that they were
not human.  "I'll install this, the rest of you keep an eye out for those things." she shouted back as she
ran up the ramp.
	In the distance Tenchi could here the sounds of the creatures howling the screaming in rage.
	"They sound pissed off." Tenchi said.
	"Bring them on, I'm tired of running." Ryoko said.
	"As am I also." Aeka said.
	Washu fit the part into place in the engineering section of the ship and signaled Ryoko over their
link.  In the distance, but closer to the ship, they could see trees falling over as the creatures literaly
tore a path through the jungle to reach them.
	"Mom has the part installed, we can get off this God forsaken rock." Ryoko said.
	As they turned to go up the ramp a horde of creatures bursted from the jumgle and hurled dozens of 
energy blasts at the ship.  Ryoko defected most of the blasts headed their way with her shield.
	"Shit!  These things are beyond pissed!" she shouted.
	Just as it seamed like they were about to be overrun by the monsters another horde of creatures
errupted from the jungle.  They were the insectoid creatures that saved Sasami.  The two armies clashed
just short of the Yagami, and the ground thundered with the sound of explosions and screams of agony.  Monster
and insect bodies began to liter the ground and blood sprayed in the air so thick it was almost as if it
were raining crimson.
	"My God!" Tenchi shouted.
	"Lets go, Tenchi, come on!" Ryoko shouted at him as she dragged him into the ship with Aeka.

	When Yagami's ramp closed Kiyone took no time to get the engine powered up, and they were soon airborn
within seconds.  Sasami watched from a holographic display in the living area as Tokimi's creations and her
insectoid friends battled on the ground.  As the Yagami rose into the clouds she heard a final telepathic
message come to her from the planet.  It was the voice of the queen.
	"We sacrifice, our part is fulfilled.  The path is truely clear."
	With that Sasami was doublely struck with sobs for she knew that the creatures below were sacrificing
themselves for her sake.

	Tenchi, Aeka, Ryoko, and Washu gathered on the bridge to watch the planet speed away behind them.  Kiyone
finished keying in a new set of coordinates into the navigational computers and engaged the hyperdrive.
	"There, in a few hours we should be out of this hell hold and back to normal space." she said.
	"Thank Tsunami." Aeka said with a sigh.
	"How long til we reach Jurai from there?" Tenchi asked.
	"Its only a four day journey at full speed and assuming nothing stops us along the way." Kiyone
said.
	"I wonder what has been going on in all the time we've been in the Dead Zone." Ryoko asked.
	Washu was working on her computer and she looked up at her daughter with a loook of amusement, but
also a small himt of worry.
	"Well, all the spacial and dimenstional distrubances were faced have had an effect on time.  We were
in the Dead Zone for about six months, if my calculations were correct." she said.
	"What?!" everyone shouted and face faultered simultaneously.
	"Six months, that's half a year!" Tenchi shouted.
	"Anything could have happened in that amount of time." Kiyone said.
	"What about our people on Jurai?" Aeka asked.
	"Right, we could be walking into something pretty nasty on Jurai." Ryoko said.
	Washu did a Spock Manouver and typed something into her computer.  She smiled and almost laughed.
	"What's so funny, mom?" Ryoko asked.
	"You three." she said.  "I've been nothing some very distint personality changes with the three of
you since you bonded."
	"What do you mean, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.
	"Well, I spoke a little about this before, but it appears that some of my Little Ryoko's fearlessnes
has become a part of you, and Aeka has started to take on some of Ryoko's personality also." Washu said.
	"I don't get what you mean." Aeka said.
	"You haven't noticed how much more open you are about your feelings for Tenchi, besides the point
that your married to him, but that your not shy about it anymore." Washu said to her.
	"I seem to remember that you clamped onto me the way Ryoko used to when we were on that alternate
Earth." Tenchi said.
	"Tenchi seemed rather eager to get into battle that time also." Washu pointed out.
	"So, we're taking on each other's personalities?" Tenchi asked.
	"Since your link of more than just strictly telepathic its not surprising that parts of your
personalities are starting to meld with each other." Washu explained.  "Besides, it also appears that some
of Tenchi's self control is becoming a part of Ryoko, so its all a change for the batter."
	Tenchi put his arms around his two wives and drew them into a tight embrace.  "I guess were truely a
part of each other now, and I wouldn't want it any other way."
	"Oh, Tenchi." the two girls gushed and covered his face with kisses.
	Washu looked up from her computer with a wicked smiloe.  "Hey you three, get a room!" she shouted.
__________	
End of Chapter Five...to be continued

Next time...
Chapter Six:  Return to Darkness...
	Tenchi and the gang emerge from the Dead Zone on their journey to Jurai and
find themselves in a Darkling ambush.  They struggle to escape the wrath of the
deadly creatures, but could the arrive of Ryoko arch rival help turn the hide.
Chapter Seven:  Chaos Jurai...
	Emperor Asuza, Misaki, and Fonaho face a growing threat of civil war on planet
Jurai and an unknown force works behind the scenes to try and tear the empire apart.

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