Tenchi Muyo! GP-SIU  SERIES
BOOK #1: The Yarantia Incident

Chapter 1

In a small but comfortable room on Xildra Lane, in the city of
Iyxuna, the household pet stretched its short furry legs, and
nudged its dead owner.

The animal's legs were short, like a daschund's legs, and it had
a shape akin to that of a chameleon includin the lizardlike head
and tapering tail. But it had full rich white and brown fur like
a long-haired cat.

It sniffed its owner and didn't like the way he smelled. The
owner had smelled funny ever since the big noise the other night.
The pet didn't know what the big noise was or what it meant, but
the owner hadn't moved since the pet had heard it, and now the
master smelled funny.

Still, the pet was hungry. It wanted food and it wanted it now.
It nudged its owner again. It let out a cry, which sounded like
a cat meowing in reverse.  Then it paused, waited, and let out
another.  A shorter pause, then another cry. After a while, the
pauses were gone entirely.

Chapter 2

Third Class Detective Xix of the Yarantian State Police wasn't
qualified for this sort of thing. He'd been notified of a
persistant meowing and had been sent to investigate a case of
possible pet abuse. After obtaining a warrant, he was prepared
to break the door down if he had to. He noticed the door was a
very tiny bit open and pushed it open the rest of the way. He
smelled the stench of death the moment the door seal. Heading
into the bedroom, he found the murdered man lying there on the
floor, the half-starved pet still crying to be fed.

Xix picked up the phone and dialed for the coroner, police and
was about to call the local animal shelter when the pet started
to nuzzle his leg. "The wife'll probably kill me if I bring home
another pet," he told the animal, "but what the heck." He picked
it up and headed for the door.

Just beyond it, he ran into First Class Detective Tiichii.
Tiichii was also a married man, though his marriage was only two
months along as opposed to Xix who'd been married for five
years.  Tiichii had met his wife on the force where she worked
as one of three dispatchers.

"Didn't think you handled murder cases." Tiichii pointed out.

"I don't." Xix shrugged. "Came for the pet here. Someone heard
it crying and thought..."

"You always were a bit of a sympathy-bank." Tiichii pointed
out.

Xix nodded and walked off.

Chapter 3

First Class Detective Tiichii headed on into the murder scene.
Using the kit he kept on his person at all times, he began to
gather evidence. He was very slow and methodical, not wishing
to miss any detail.

Then, he sealed the evidence into baggies and headed back to
the station to give them to forensics.

Dr. Yii looked up as Tiichii walked into the forensics lab.

"Good afternoon.  Fascinating little specimen, this one." he
extoled.

"I imagine it is," Tiichii muttered. "However, I did not come
here to discuss your breakfast muffin. I have a present for
you."

Dr. Yii finished off his breakfast muffin and rose from his
'paperwork' desk as he called it, though most of the papers on
it, Tiichii suspected, were napkins and muffin cradles. He
stopped at the sink to washu and sterilize his hands, then went
over to the forensics table. "So, what do we have here?"

"Oh, the usual laundry list, hair samples, blood scraped off the
floor..."

"What?" Dr. Yii looked alarmed. "No muffins?!"

Tiichii gave a small laugh. "Find me some facts I can use and
I'll treat you to a year's supply." he replied.

"I'm holding you to that." Dr. Yii  said as as Tiichii left the
forensics lab.

Chapter 4

"Detective Tiichii."

Tiichii groaned inwardly. What did the Department Chief want
now? "Yes, sir?" he asked, trying not to show the exasperation
he felt inside and failing miserably.

"Detective, I just got a call from the coroner's office."

Tiichii's look of misery increased exponentially. "Please, don't
tell me the killer was an offworlder." he groaned. "Please don't
tell me that."

"I'm afraid so, detective." Chief Aigiyu replied. "The Galaxy
Police are sending one of their operatives to investigate."

"Oh god, not Mihoshi. Please... not Mihoshi." Tiichii pleaded.

"It isn't." Chief Aigiyu replied.

"Thank the gods." Tiichii breathed in audible relief.  "So who
did they send?"

"Tantei-A." Chief Aigiyu told him.

"Oh no!" Tiichii moaned. "Not the suicide jockey! I swear that
guy's got a deathwish or something."

"Not surprising since he's the last of his race." Chief Aigiyu
shrugged. "Anyway, he'll be here in an hour. I expect you to
cooperate with him."

Tiichii nodded. "Yes, sir." he replied.