Kiyone Masaki Written by Adrian Tymes [Legal disclaimer: This story is based on characters created by Hiroki Hayashi, Masaki Kajishima, AIC, and Pioneer. Permission is granted to freely distribute this story, so long as: a: no recompense of financial value is received or given by the person who distributes the story, and b: the distributed copy is identical to the story as originally authored. In other words, don't sell it, and don't alter it. Copyright (c) 1998, all rights reserved, et cetera.] ****** The cold, bare metal chair felt like it was lined with miniature spikes. Examining what she could see of it, Kiyone saw that that was due to the ice crystals that coated it; perfectly reasonable, given the sub-zero temperatures in the room. Her prison uniform gave her no thermal protection, and worse, she felt a headache coming on. They weren't even going to let her die comfortably. "Ex-Detective Kiyone, do you have any last words?" Kiyone looked up at the sound. It emanated from a hidden speaker, rather than another person - but then, no person in their right mind would be in her transparacrystal cell right now. Even Kiyone would try to escape, had she not been strapped to the chair. She tried to see outside, but the observation area beyond was dimly lit. Even so, she could make out some of the forms that were watching her. Ryoko, with a smirk that seemed to say, "Gotcha." Washu, surrounded by a flock of instruments set to record every detail of Kiyone's final moments for later analysis. Ayeka, Nobuyuki, and Yosho, their faces a mixture of pity and vengeance. Sasami, her face buried in Ayeka's side, unable to understand Kiyone's reasons, but knowing all too well what was about to happen. No sound passed through the cell's wall, but Kiyone could see Sasami give a howl of protest. Ryo-ohki, cute as always, passively munching a carrot as if she were watching a television show. Azaka and Kamidake, with no faces to speak of, ominously guarding the only door to her cell as if they expected her to try something. Various members of the Galaxy Police, all of them staring right at her. Some still did not believe it, some were still trying to figure out why, but a few - those who had known her the best - merely searched for any hint of contrition. They would find none. Tenchi, wearing a mask of hatred, with his hand poised over a control panel. Kiyone had expected this. Soon, he would be the only living witness of her deed. Looking straight at him, Kiyone responded, "I do not regret killing Mihoshi." Perhaps it was the vehemence in her voice. Perhaps he had truly expected her to be sorry. Perhaps there was still some spark of doubt in his mind. Whatever the reason, Tenchi hesitated a moment before slamming his open palm onto the panel. The disintegration panels above and below her lit up. Kiyone felt her body sliding away, atom by atom. All sensation began to fade...everything but her headache. A sudden movement in the crowd attracted her attention. Mihoshi shoved her way to the front, then managed to find the one weak point in Kiyone's cell and shattered it with a punch. The crowd scattered - in more than one sense of the word - as the disintegration field expanded, no longer contained by the cell's magnetic bottle. Mihoshi, somehow unaffected, rushed forwards and shook Kiyone while yelling her name. But too late. Everything went away, except for Mihoshi's voice, the shaking, and Kiyone's headache. Then Mihoshi's voice began to change. ****** "Kiyone? Kiyone, wake up!" She slowly blinked sleep from her eyes, then focused on her settings. Trees to her left and right, the Masaki shrine on the other side of a clearing in front of her, a bush with many thorns behind her supporting her weight, and Yosho kneeling over her with a worried expression. Yosho held up his index and pinkie fingers. "Two," Kiyone responded before Yosho could ask the question. "Good. I was afraid I'd hit you too hard." Yosho produced a bottle of white cream and unscrewed it. "What's that?" "An ancient remedy. It should keep a mark from forming." He dabbed his right index and middle fingers in the jar, then applied the cream to her forehead. She hissed at the contact. "That hurts!" "It should. But, within two hours, it will be as if I never hit you." His free hand intercepted hers on the way to her forehead. "Don't touch it before it dries." "What happened? Last I remember, I was in a cell...or something..." Her eyes glazed as the dream slowly dissolved in her memory. "You had a nightmare. You mumbled something about the one who killed your partner. Let me guess - you took that one on, and lost." She blushed. That part of the dream was still clear. "Something like that. How'd I wind up here?" "You wanted to meet with Tenchi, but you showed up early. Since I was also waiting for Tenchi, you offered to spar with me, to keep your martial arts training from becoming rusty." He sighed. "Either you need some practice, or the Galaxy Police have low standards." Kiyone smiled, then winced as her motions exaggerated her headache. "Hand-to-hand combat is not the most often used skill in police work. We prefer to trick criminals into surrendering, instead of pummeling them. It's much safer that way, and you're more likely to get the guilty party. Still, I probably should hit the simulator before long." "A wise decision." Yosho looked to his left. His glasses reflected sunlight almost directly into Kiyone's eyes. "But one that should wait until later. The event that delayed Tenchi has passed, and he is about to arrive." "How can you tell?" The familiar explosions of Ryoko and Ayeka fighting sounded in the distance, just before Tenchi came running. "Never mind." Kiyone sighed, and wondered if she could ever get as used to living with those two girls and Tenchi and Yosho appeared to have. Tenchi paused to catch his breath, then noticed the pair at the edge of the clear area in front of the shrine. "Detective Kiyone." He bowed politely. "What brings you here?" "Yosho, could we have some privacy, please?" Yosho nodded, and quickly headed back to the shrine. Kiyone grinned once Yosho was out of hearing range. "Tenchi," she purred, "how would you like to get away from it all?" ****** A few hours later, Mihoshi nervously stepped down the path to Tenchi's house, waving a carrot in front of her with one hand while fingering the straps of her backpack with her other. "Ryo-ohki?" she whispered. "Come out, Ryo-ohki. I've got a present for you." "Miya!" Ryo-ohki's voice, but the Galaxy Police operative could not tell where it was coming from at first. Then she felt a sudden weight in her hand. Looking at it, she found the cabbit hugging the carrot, happily munching away at its tip. She smiled and sat down, petting the cabbit briefly. "I've got more where that came from." She jerked a thumb at her backpack. "Miya! Miyamiyamiya!" Ryo-ohki quickly chowed down on the carrot. "But you've got to do something for me in return, ok?" "Miya?" The cabbit paused, with only a few millimeters of orange left on her carrot. "I need you to help me find something in space." "Miya..." "And not let anyone know about it. Even Ryoko." "Miya." Ryo-ohki snorted, and turned her back on Mihoshi. "Don't be like that. Please." Mihoshi took off her backpack, opened it, and pointed its opening at the cabbit. "Or you won't get the car-rots," she sang. "Miya." She turned to face away from the backpack, front paws crossed. "You're turning away carrots?" Mihoshi blinked. "Are you alright?" An energy sword right next to Mihoshi's neck announced Ryoko's presence. "Standing orders, Mihoshi. Nobody, but *nobody*, tries to split us up. That includes you." Mihoshi began to sweat, but did not move. "Umm, hi, Ryoko?" she asked in a shrinking voice. "Now, then, what do you need Ryo-ohki for? You've got your own ship." "Well, umm, that's the thing..." Mihoshi nervously tapped her index fingers together. "I'd really rather not have to explain." "Oh, really?" Ryoko lifted Mihoshi by the back of her uniform's collar, and flew off to the house. Ryo-ohki looked up, finished her carrot, put on Mihoshi's backpack, and scampered towards Ryoko's destination. "Wha..." Ryoko grinned as she landed. "Hey, everyone! Get out here! Mihoshi's got something to tell us." Mihoshi tried to scamper backwards into Ryoko. "No, please. This is embarrassing!" "I know. That's why you're going to tell us." "Tell us what?" Ayeka walked out of the house. "And, before she does, would you please stop frightening that poor, defenseless officer this instant." Ryoko only had time for a long frowning contest with Ayeka before Sasami, Washu, Azaka, Kamidake, Nobuyuki, and Yosho appeared. "Now, Mihoshi," Ryoko ordered as she released her captive, "would you mind telling us what is so important that you tried to steal Ryo-ohki?" "I...I...havetoarreone..." Mihoshi mumbled. "I can't hear you," Ryoko chided. Mihoshi closed her eyes and hung her head. "I have to arrest Kiyone," she whispered. Gasps and raised eyebrows were the crowd's reaction. "Arrest Kiyone?" Azaka responded. "This is indeed unusual," Kamidake chimed in. "So, what do you need with Ryo-ohki?" Ryoko queried as her cabbit bounded into view. "Kiyone stole our spaceship." "Stole?" Nobuyuki creased his brow in thought. "How can you steal what's already yours?" "It's Galaxy Police property. Kiyone resigned this morning." Another round of raised eyebrows greeted this news. "Being a detective was her life," Ayeka stated. "Why would she resign?" "Ha! No way," Ryoko chuckled. "That's about as believable as her marrying Tenchi." Mihoshi's mood brightened slightly. "They got married this morning." Eleven long seconds of silence ensued. "Miya?" "Kiyone..." Sasami's voice showed her surprise. "...married..." Ryoko was still not believing what she had just heard. "...TENCHI?" Ayeka was the first to pass beyond surprise. Instead, she displayed her natural response to this type of event: anger. "They didn't even have a ceremony. I only found out because they needed someone official to sign their marriage certificate. Getting to do that kind of stuff is one of the perks of being in the Galaxy Police. Anyway, I was filing their certificate about an hour later, when I went to update Kiyone's file in the Galaxy Police database. Only, she wasn't there. That means she must have resigned, so when she took our cruiser for her honeymoon - against regulations, but I didn't care - that meant she stole it, and now I have to go arrest her, and..." At this point, Mihoshi was crying too much to make out the rest of what she said. Ayeka took a moment to collect herself, then placed a hand on Mihoshi's shoulder. "Detective Mihoshi," she calmly stated, "we would be honored if you would allow us to accompany you to catch the villain Kiyone." Mihoshi stopped crying. "You mean it? Thanks. But Kiyone's not a..." Ayeka interrupted. "I will not rest until she has been caught, then slowly electrocuted while being buried alive in a block of concrete, which is then fed to a group of rock eating piranhas, which are subsequently injected into a black hole." The detective blinked. "All she did was steal a spaceship." Ayeka ignored her. "In respect for her long and outstanding career, I will give her the signature honor of being executed by a Juraian royal princess. Sasami is too young for such a task, and there are only two currently in this solar system, so I humbly submit myself as the one to fulfill that role." "You don't humbly do anything," Ryoko quipped. Ayeka glared at her. "You may not care, but I would rather we move quickly. Who knows what that monster could be doing to my Tenchi right now?" ****** Kiyone groaned with pleasure at Tenchi's touch. She had not felt this good in ages. Even her headache was gone, as Yosho promised. Closing her eyes, she let Tenchi keep working, while breathing in time with his motions. "Tenchi," she finally breathed, "where did you learn to give massages? This is wonderful." Tenchi smiled at the compliment. "From Mihoshi. She says she's tried everything to get you to calm down over the years." "You're better." It was true, in her mind: Mihoshi was more energetic, but Tenchi just seemed to hit the right spots. "Thanks." He continued to rub her bare back, hoping that she would not turn over. It was hard enough to keep his shyness under control as it was, and he knew it would make him pass out again if he saw her front. "So," he continued, trying to steer his mind away from that thought, "how long until we reach the pirate base?" Kiyone opened her eyes again, and tapped a few commands on the control panel in front of her. Giving thanks that her ship's pilot seats reclined enough to be used as portable tables, allowing her to literally lie down on the job - so she could operate the ship while making it look from the outside like there was no one in the cockpit - she read off the results. "About four hours. Assuming they are where our informant said they are. You remember our cover story?" "We're newlyweds who, having slighted the local GP representative during their wedding, stole her ship to flee the system, leaving her furious, but stranded and helpless," Tenchi recited as if bored. "Aaand?" "Even though I am the first prince of Jurai, refusing to invite my royal relatives to my wedding means that I am now an outcast seeking refuge. When we learn about the pirates who have been hiding in the asteroid belt of this backwater system, we will be more than happy to join." Tenchi sniffed. "Although, with all the traffic we get, I'm not sure this place can be called a backwater anymore." "Tenchi, I..." Kiyone rolled over, exposing her front. He froze. It took her a second to recognize his reaction. "Oh, right!" Kiyone grabbed the towel she had been using as a pillow and wrapped it around herself. "Anyway, trust me. By most standards, this is a backwater. It just has a few things of interest to the Juraians, that's all." Tenchi quickly put what he had just seen out of his mind. "And you're sure our story will hold?" Kiyone laughed. "Tenchi, I've done this before. Many times. If they check the galactic databases, they'll see that we're married - I checked, Mihoshi's already filed our certificate - and, thanks to the deep cover program, anyone checking the Galaxy Police records won't see my file for another forty eight hours. Even if someone does recognize me, I can just say I'm a clone of the original, who died some time ago." She chuckled. "A cheap knockoff of myself, who's got nothing better to do than steal the heart of a Juraian prince." Smiling, she looked into his eyes, and puckered briefly in an imitation of a kiss. Tenchi abruptly tensed up. "Uhh, Kiyone, this *is* an act, right?" "Of course." She winked and lightly rapped him on his chest. "Even if I was interested in you, you're taken. I do not want Ayeka and Ryoko on my case. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'd have to have a death wish to love you." His tension vanished. "I know what you mean. They even get jealous of Sasami." And abruptly returned. "Do you think there's any chance that *they* might check the records while we're gone? I mean, I told everyone I'd be gone for a few days, and Ryoko especially might get curious as to where I went." "I hope not. Even if they do, I told Mihoshi what we're doing, and asked her to stay with them while we're out, so she can tell them before they go do something rash." Tenchi relaxed again, seeing that Kiyone had taken care of everything. "You made sure she won't forget?" It was Kiyone's turn to freeze. Knowing Mihoshi, and the mental path she would probably take... ****** "I told you, I don't know where they've gone," Mihoshi pleaded. Washu looked up from the ultrathin projection of her computer. "Give her a break, you two," she called to Ayeka and Ryoko, who had been mercilessly grilling Mihoshi. "I've got a lock on the Yagami. It's heading for the asteroid belt." "They must be trying to escape before we found out," Ayeka growled. Ryoko sneered. "No Galaxy Police bucket of bolts could ever out run Ryo-ohki. We'll catch them. Ryo-ohki!" The cabbit leapt up and transformed with a thundering "MIYA!", then teleported everyone except Nobuyuki and Yosho aboard. The two men watched the spaceship depart Earth's atmosphere. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this," Nobuyuki commented. "Indeed. I wonder what materials Washu used, so that the same creature can be so large as a starship, and yet so light as a cabbit," Yosho replied. "No, I mean, everyone just leaving and giving us a moment of peace. With all that's been going on, I didn't think I'd ever be able to count on an uneventful day again. But the asteroids are some distance away; it could be days, or even a week, before they get back." "Perhaps it is best that you do not get used to it. Things will return to normal when they return. And I would not count on it taking them long to retrieve Tenchi." ****** The flight chronometer had just reached 4 hours and 30 minutes TM (Terran Measurements) when Kiyone, still wearing her towel, struggled to lean forwards against an unseen force pushing her into her seat, which was now a proper chair. Gulping in air, she tapped a few buttons on the control panel in front of her, and exhaled as the force disappeared. Tenchi hyperventilated in the copilot's seat for a few seconds, not having been able to breathe while his lungs had been compressed against his back by the same force. "I told you to engage the inertial compensators before accelerating," Kiyone yelled. "You're lucky you only set the engines to 5 Gs - much faster, and the acceleration would have crushed us both!" "I'm sorry. I've never piloted a starship before." She relented. "I know. Sorry, it's an old habit." "Let me guess...Mihoshi?" Tenchi smiled. Kiyone snickered. "Is it that obvious?" She sighed. "Even when she's not here, she messes things up. I wanted our vacation to last two full days, but now we've got to cut things short." "Vacation?" "Oh, come on, Tenchi. You didn't think my main reason for dragging you along with me on this case was just to bust some pirates? It was a perfect excuse for both of us to take a break from our 'friends'. I would've taken Sasami, too, if I could've found a way that did not potentially involve trusting her with my life." Tenchi blinked. After a few seconds, Kiyone's face fell. "You did think that. I've got you out here under false pretenses. Great, now I've stooped to Ryoko's level." It took Tenchi a couple seconds to form his reply. "Huh? Oh, that's alright, I would have helped you anyway. But what's this about trusting with your life?" She brightened immediately. "Oh, that. This gang of pirates rarely values any lives other than their own. If they find out what we're up to, and they catch us, we're dead, that's all." Tenchi blinked again. "That's...all?" "Yeah, don't worry about it. I mean, they're too stupid to see through our cover story as long as we don't give ourselves away. So, when I kiss you in front of them, you'd better look like we mean it," she replied with a newly-returned smile. "No way could I get Mihoshi to pull something like this off...at least, that's what I'll tell HQ when they ask why I didn't bring her along." "Umm, right. So, do you usually take these kinds of risks?" "All in the line of duty for the Galaxy Police. But, I'm telling you, it actually isn't that dangerous. They'd practically have to already know our plans to think we're not telling the truth." Something blinked on the control panel, which Kiyone read very closely. "Especially since Ryo-ohki just left Earth orbit, and is coming this way at full speed." "Mihoshi..." "Didn't stop them, obviously. I didn't want to spend the fuel on this for an in-system trip, but we've run out of time." Kiyone's fingers danced over the control panel. A glowing pink tear in the fabric of reality opened ahead of the Yagami and swallowed it, as the ship's engines warped it to the pirate base. ****** Ryoko swore under her breath as she watched the dot that represented the Yagami disappear from Ryo-ohki's display. "We've lost them." "Nothing escapes from the greatest genius in the universe!" Washu summoned her computer and began furiously typing away. "Washu, it's impossible to track anything through hyperspace," Ryoko retorted. "A fact that you have, no doubt, taken advantage of many times," Ayeka snapped. The pirate crossed her arms. "I seem to remember a certain system-wide search of Jurai once, just to find out who was using hyperspace jumps to smuggle contraband plants into the Royal Gardens. They would have seen her, too, if her supplier hadn't distracted the search party just in time." Ayeka paled. "W-what are you saying?" "That was you?" Sasami gasped in shock. "But, sister, those weeds killed some of my prettiest flowers. That land was supposed to be a place of beauty, not used to raise..." "Drugs?" Ryoko supplied. "Herbal medicines," Ayeka countered. "And they were needed. After all, they did save our parents' lives when someone tried to poison them a month later." "Yeah," the pirate drawled, "and I wonder how you knew in advance exactly which plants produced the correct antidote? Most people who want plants don't provide an exact genetic sequence, nor do they point out a small island on a specific planet where they can be obtained." "As I recall, you were the one who told me which plants would be needed. And your price was quite high. Had I known at the time who I was dealing with, I most certainly would have found another way. In fact, I'm still not sure that you were not the one who supplied the poison, too." "Believe what you want. The request was in your handwriting. And those 'medicines', as I recall, were also potent narcotics, which you 'confiscated' and 'tested' once your parents recovered, conveniently destroying the plants in the process." Sasami giggled. "You acted silly for a whole week!" Her smile vanished. "But, should we really be talking about this in front of..." Ryoko waved a hand dismissively at Mihoshi, who seemed to be in a trance. "Nah, don't worry about her. She's worried about her partner. Just don't startle her, and it'll be like she's asleep." "I FOUND THEM!" Washu announced. Mihoshi snapped out of her reverie, turned towards Washu, tripped over one of Ryo-ohki's floating display panels, and managed to knock over all five of the other passengers as she half-stumbled, half-ran to regain her balance, before finally bouncing off a force field that sprang into existence around Washu as Mihoshi approached. The detective landed ungracefully on her rear. "Oww..." "Sorry, Mihoshi. I told you, it comes up automatically when it detects something coming at me that I don't want." The others picked themselves up. "What do you mean, you found them?" Ryoko asked. "I told you, it's imposs-" "Ryo-ohki, give me a visual close-up of major asteroid number 4517." "Miya!" The spaceship complied quickly, showing a huge, but mostly unremarkable piece of space rock, which the Yagami appeared to be entering by means of a cave just wide enough to accommodate the GP ship. Many other ships were visible nearby, nominally hidden in the asteroid's shadows, but easily detected by Ryo-ohki's advanced sensors. A ghostly maze, courtesy of the more penetrating of Ryo-ohki's scanners, showed the passages of a space station that had been carved into the rock. "There are things that have been proven impossible, and then there are things you just don't know how to do yet," Washu chided. "Don't confuse the two." Ayeka tensed as she recognized the ships' paint jobs. "Margrave's Marauders?!?" "You know them?" "They have plagued Jurai before. Kiyone must have lost her mind! Those barbarians have a reputation for killing their prisoners. There is little time to explain, but we will have to fight to rescue Tenchi and Kiyone. I just hope that we are not too late already." Determination filled Ryoko's eyes. "Ryo-ohki, get us there NOW!" ****** Tenchi peered curiously at the inside of his space suit's helmet, after having donned the rest of it. "Just put it on," Kiyone's voice sounded from a speaker inside the helmet. "But we won't be going into outer space. You said this station has the same atmosphere as the ship." "Tenchi, remind me to give you some basic space survival training later. A number of things could happen. They aren't using standard equipment, so the airlock seal could be slightly off. We might have inaccurate data on the station. They could depressurize their airlock as an indication that they don't want us. Besides, it's considered polite - it's a sign that you aren't making assumptions about how hospitable they're willing to be, and with groups like this, saying otherwise would be an insult." Tenchi wordlessly put his helmet on, and stepped into the Yagami's airlock with Kiyone. One door slid shut behind him, as Kiyone tapped a few buttons on the wall. A monitor next to them showed that the atmosphere on both sides of the external door was identical. With one more tap, she opened the door... ...and found herself looking at one of the most gruesome battlesuits she had ever seen. The majority of the hulking armor was metallic gray, with more than a few unrepaired, perhaps even self-inflicted, dents, but the visible tips of the retracted claws on both hands were the color of dried blood. She gave silent thanks that the worst part was unrecognizable to Tenchi: kill symbols, each one recognized galaxy-wide as a marker of victory in combat, decorated the torso and legs of the armor, but while the celebrated versions marked the destruction of spacecraft, tanks, and other vehicles - with the victor presumably allowing their crews to eject and survive - the version she now saw had been crudely altered into what could only represent the deliberate snuffing out of individual sentient lives. >From the way it pointed a plasma rifle at Tenchi and her, she guessed that two more symbols might soon be added to the suit if they did not say exactly the right things. She quickly nudged Tenchi with one elbow while saluting with her other arm. Tenchi saluted, too. "Uhh, permission to come aboard?" "Arrr, and who be asking?" Kiyone frowned. Usually, the translator in her suit translated speech into grammatically correct sentences. Looking at the status displays that her suit projected just beyond the corners of her helmet's window, she saw that the translator had not yet been engaged. She quickly realized what must have happened: the pirates had picked up Earth languages from Earth's broadcasts, and figured from some movies that this was how pirates talked on Earth. That, or they realized that the movies were just stories, but adopted the style of speaking in order to use the movie pirates' image...if so, it was certainly appropriate. "Ex-Prince Tenchi Masaki and his wife, Kiyone." "Wife? Well, that be explaining why Ryo-ohki be after you." Whoever was in the suit lowered his plasma rifle. "Come on, the captain will want a word with you two." Tenchi and Kiyone stepped from the Yagami's airlock to the asteroid's airlock. There would not have been enough space for all three on the Yagami's side, but the asteroid's interface was large enough to accommodate a five-person boarding party in battle armor - which, Kiyone mused, it had probably been designed to do. "I take it you've heard about my...situation, then?" "We've been monitoring all local communications since setting up here. For a system that's supposed to be off-limits to outsiders, there's been a lot of traffic...which is why we're here. You seem to be quite interesting to most of our visitors. We've pieced together most of what be happening, but we did not know you were interested in Kiyone." Kiyone tried not to gawk as the pirate lead them towards the bridge. Hordes of treasure - equal parts jewels and art, cash, supplies, and weapons - lay in hive-like storage caves, which looked like they had been hollowed out haphazardly when more space was needed. She had thought that these pirates were just raiding this solar system, but these quantities could only have come from a multi-system raiding operation. Suddenly, the stories of mysterious raiders in neighboring systems, which the GP had thought operated like nomads after thorough scans revealed no pirate bases in those systems, started to make sense. "We just got married this morning, actually." "Arr! We had a betting pool on which one you'd chose. I thought you might surprise us. You've made me a rich pirate today, Tenchi, me lad." The trip to the bridge had been short; for all the asteroid's size, the base itself did not seem much larger than the Yagami. The pirate stepped to one side and gestured for Tenchi and Kiyone to step through. Tenchi proceeded Kiyone, who clung to his side to give the illusion that he was in charge, and the more dangerous of the two. Both removed their helmets to be able to speak when they saw that the bridge crew was wearing civilian clothes instead of protective gear. The captain's chair had its back to them, preventing them from seeing its occupant. "Ahh, so you've finally come, Kiyone. Or is it your clone? You really should change your alibi more often. Although I am surprised at your audacity - even if you get out of here alive, Ryoko and Ayeka will hunt you down." But she recognized the voice. "Margrave," she hissed, as two more battlesuits pointed their weapons at her while the one who lead her here covered Tenchi. "Old friend?" queried Tenchi. "He is the lowest scum of the universe. He betrayed the Galaxy Police. He was assigned to guard a primitive planet while we prepared to make contact. When our team arrived, he had set himself up as a god, using our technology to lord over the natives. We exposed him as a fraud. In retaliation," Kiyone fumed, "that bastard unleashed a biotoxin that killed every living creature on the planet. Every. Last. One." "Actually, I inoculated myself, I missed the one I was aiming for, and you escaped, as well. So, there were three survivors," Margrave replied. "Mihoshi?" guessed Tenchi. Margrave turned his chair around. His face was frozen in a cruel grin. A mane of unkempt white hair danced down to the shoulders of what had once been a Galaxy Police uniform, but had had its insignia ripped off. Many stitches and wrinkles made it look as if it had not been taken off in years. His eyes twitched. "You have suffered her long enough to guess what happened? My condolences to you both, then. Yes, she'd decided to go flying with Kiyone when she was supposed to be sleeping right below my toxin generator. That was not the first time I had to suffer her. The first time..." He pointed at Kiyone. His uniform clung to his arm like a second skin. "...was HER fault!" "What did she do?" Kiyone looked at the floor. "The three of us had crash landed, and we only had one operational vehicle. Margrave was injured, and Mihoshi...was being Mihoshi, so I took the battlesuit to get help. The ones who shot us down were still out there, and Margrave and Mihoshi were safe as long as they hid in the wreckage of our ship, so we decided it would be best if only one of us left, instead of having two of us try to hang on to the suit as the third piloted it." "It took you three weeks to get back," Margrave growled. "Three weeks, with Mihoshi. I don't know what kind of psychological programming they gave you to put up with her, but it was sheer torture for me." "I told them he didn't seem ok for duty when we returned, but they ignored me. They figured that, since I got along with Mihoshi without flipping out, Margrave couldn't be that far gone just from being cooped up with her for a while." "What?" Tenchi looked at both of them for any sign that this was a joke. "Mihoshi's not that bad." Margrave's amazement showed clearly. "Are all Terrans this insane, Kiyone?" "You're the insane one, Margrave," Kiyone spat. "All this was just to get Mihoshi, wasn't it?" "Yes. I thought I would capture you both, then force Mihoshi to watch you writhe in agony as I tortured her partner to death, then put her through the same treatment. Tenchi would have done just as well as you. But now...you made a simple mistake, Kiyone, so I shall grant you a simple death, when the time comes." "Incoming message from the Ryo-ohki," one of the crew spoke up. "And that time shall be soon, it seems." he finished, as one of the guards removed Tenchi's and Kiyone's suits, then checked the two for weapons. ****** Aboard Ryo-ohki, three females and two cylindrical robots were checking a large pile of weapons, while Sasami watched nervously and Washu continued typing at her computer. Although Ayeka and Ryoko were been skeptical about relying on weaponry other than their own powers, they had agreed to help Mihoshi make sure her arsenal was still working, if for no other reason than to have something to do as they approached. "Can't I come too, Ayeka?" Sasami pleaded. "For the last time, no. Please do not ask again, you know how I hate to refuse you. But even if the worst should happen, Jurai must have at least one princess to carry on the line," Ayeka responded. "As much as I hate to agree with her, your sister's got a point, Sasami," Ryoko added. "This could get very dangerous, and you'd be more of a liability than an asset. Besides..." A wry smile crossed her face. "If Tenchi and Ayeka are the only survivors, I'm counting on you to keep him from making what would be the biggest mistake of his life." Two seconds later, a laser narrowly missed Ryoko's throat. "Oops," Ayeka said. "Misfire. Just an accident." Ryoko aimed a cannon that covered her entire left forearm and hand at Ayeka. "The accident was that you missed." Azaka and Kamidake positioned themselves between the two, facing Ryoko. "We are here to retrieve Kiyone, Tenchi, and the Yagami," Azaka warned. "We will have a better chance if neither of you are incapacitated before all three are in our custody," Kamidake finished. Before anyone could respond, Ryo-ohki's main display was replaced by a video transmission from the pirate base's bridge. "Attention unknown facility," Washu spoke. "This is Chief Scientist Washu of the Ryo-ohki, representing the Galaxy Police and Jurai. We know that you have Kiyone and the Yagami in your possession. On behalf of the Galaxy Police, we request that you hand them over at your convenience, so that Kiyone may stand trial for her crimes, and the Yagami may be returned to its rightful owners. We also know that the Earth native Tenchi Masaki is aboard, and we demand that you allow us to return him to his homeworld immediately in accordance with the standing Juraian interdiction of Earth." Margrave chuckled. "Ah, the infamous Washu. I've heard so much about you. Finally taken Ryo-ohki away from your daughter?" Mihoshi began to speak up, but Ryoko quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and dragged her to one side of Ryo-ohki's main room, further away from the area that was recorded and transmitted on the communications link. Ayeka caught on a second later, and motioned her two guardians to follow as she headed for the same spot. "What can I say? The brat wouldn't play nice with her toy. But I'm not here to make small talk." "Very well. Are these what you desire?" Margrave gestured behind himself, to where Tenchi and Kiyone had been herded by their three guards. "I suppose you will want them properly prepared..." He pulled a gun and fired at Tenchi, who quickly collapsed. "NO!" Kiyone started to run towards Margrave, but two of the guards grabbed her arms, pulled them taut, and lifted her off the floor. "Don't worry, he's just stunned." He adjusted a control on his gun, then fired at Kiyone, burning a hole through her chest. "She isn't," he finished as the guards dropped her limp body. "If you wish him to avoid his late wife's fate, you will bring me the abomination that has plagued us both, so that I may free the universe from it." "How can I be sure that you will keep Tenchi alive?" "Deliver Mihoshi soon, or you won't be sure." In the corner, Ryoko smirked and whispered, "Well, Mihoshi, looks like you've got quite a fan club over there. Looks like we'll have to board." Mihoshi quickly put away the weapons she had taken out, then drew her standard blaster pistol. "NO ONE does that to my partner and lives," she silently snarled. "Ryo-ohki," Ayeka murmured, "teleport us to the bridge." "Belay that," Ryoko countered. "By the time we finished materializing, every weapon in the place would be trained on us. I don't know about you, princess, but I do not fancy being shot full of holes. They won't be guarding a ship that no one's on, though. Ryo-ohki, teleport us to the Yagami." Their surroundings became indistinct, and were soon replaced by the familiar undecorated metal of the Yagami's interior. Mihoshi took off like a cheetah as soon as she felt floor under her feet again, with Ayeka and her robots in close pursuit. Ryoko passed through the wall and floated towards the bridge on a much straighter path. Ayeka was running out of breath by the time they reached the space station's airlock. "Kamidake," she panted, "follow her. Azaka, with me." Kamidake did its best to keep up with the detective. In her blind fury, Mihoshi turned every which way while looking for the bridge, knocking out every pirate she came across. Most were shot by her blaster, which she subconsciously adjusted from stun to armor-piercing depending on whether her next target was in a battlesuit or not, but more than a few were simply slammed into the wall as Mihoshi shot past; the few that were still awake after Mihoshi passed quickly succumbed to Kamidake's electrifying force field. Ayeka, meanwhile, closed her eyes and began walking slowly but gracefully, with directions supplied by Azaka, while maintaining a force-field-generating sphere of miniature logs around herself. The pirates that encountered her found that none of their guns could penetrate this defense; the few that attempted hand-to-hand combat experienced a moment of extreme pain as they touched the bubble, then slumber as their bodies temporarily shut themselves down in a self-preserving instinct. The princess smiled to herself as she remembered practicing this very move on Jurai, shortly after her powers first manifested. It was known as the Royal Walk, and was designed by her ancestors, who she inherited this power from, to reinforce in her mind the fact that she was untouchable by commoners. Then, as now, those ruffians who wished to touch her made a very eager group of volunteers to test her Walk on. For her part, Ryoko disabled the station's security systems as she passed through the base, ripping out critical wires at specific points. Her precision work delayed her more than long enough to make up for her more direct path. Thus, she finally passed through the wall between the two doors to the bridge just as Ayeka, now taking cover behind Azaka, opened one door, and Mihoshi shoved Kamidake through the other one like a battering ram. None of them were prepared for the sight that greeted them. The entire bridge crew was strapped to their chairs by metal bands, unable to reach the control consoles in front of them, or even, for the few who had them, the controls at the end of their armrests. Pieces of three battlesuits were scattered on the floor; their former occupants were bound to the wall by the same type of bands that held their comrades. Washu was inspecting Margrave's restraints and nodding approvingly, while Sasami felt for a pulse on Tenchi and Kiyone. Mihoshi bolted for her partner. Sasami stood up and backed off just in time to avoid getting knocked over again. Ryoko looked around. "Well, well, well. Partying without us, Washu?" "Actually," corrected Washu, "this was Sasami's idea. Too bad she's not a scientist; if she had the proper training, I could use another genius like her." Sasami giggled. "I'd never be as smart as you, Washu." "Hey, girl, don't stop dreaming. You could be as smart as I am right now, someday. Of course, I'd be better by then, but you could still earn this..." With a gesture, Washu teleported her two puppet-like self-characature robots to Sasami's shoulders, replacing their hair with Sasami-like blue braids in the same motion. "All hail Sasami!" one of them yelled. "The second greatest genius in the universe!" the second supplied. Sasami grinned, stuck her hands on her hips, and struck a pose she had seen Washu use many times before. Not believing her eyes, Ryoko floated over to Ayeka. "Tell me, princess, was I ever accused of corrupting a minor on Jurai?" Ayeka answered in a similar state, "No, I believe you managed to avoid that particular offense." "KIYONE!" Mihoshi's cry of despair diverted everyone's attention. "Speak to me!" Kiyone drew in a ragged breath. Her face made plain the pain that speaking caused her. Even so, she managed a small smile. "I guess this means you're on your own for karaoke," she whispered. "Don't say that! We'll patch you up, and everything will be fine, and..." She turned her head away and coughed a bit. When she looked back, a trickle of blood ran from her lips down her cheek. "Those who go to Hell...never again see...those who go to Heaven, right?" "Kiyone? What are you talking about?!?" Her voice was a weak mixture of voice and wind. "At least...we said... goodbye...Mii...hoo...shiii..." Her dying gasp turned into a slow exhale as her body went limp. Of the boarding party, only Washu's and the robots' eyes were dry, although Ryoko was trying - and failing - to mask her emotions. Azaka and Kamidake had no mechanism for crying, and the scientist was, yet again, busy with her computer. Mihoshi reverently set Kiyone's corpse down and closed her partner's eyes. Margrave burst into laughter. The surviving detective slowly readied her blaster. "Let him go." Her voice was as cold as ice. "Excuse me?" Ryoko queried. Mihoshi stood and whirled to point her blaster at Margrave, then began walking towards him. "Let him go. I want to see him crawl. I want to see him run. I want to see him try to hide, but there is no place he can get away from me. Each time I catch him, I will shoot off a small piece of him - enough so he will feel pain, but not enough to kill him. I want him to flee, scarred for life, knowing that I will catch him again, and again, and again. Only once I have erased my soul...only when I can look back upon today and no longer remember my loss, or why I am torturing him...only then will I let him die." Her trigger finger twitched, then she became very still. Margrave just kept laughing. Ryoko began marching towards Margrave. "Shut up." "So long, I have waited to trap Mihoshi," Margrave boasted between laughs. "I wanted to show her what she put me through." "Shut up!" "But I could never find a way. And now...oh, this is perfect!" "SHUT UP!" Ryoko punched Margrave hard enough to make his chair spin. The laughter stopped immediately; when the chair stopped, it was clear that Margrave was out cold. Washu dismissed her computer and walked to Mihoshi. "Well, that's that. Time to go, everyone." "What do you mean?" Ayeka questioned. "I doubt that Mihoshi will just-" *POP* Washu noted everyone's stare of amazement as she rolled the detective, and a small piece of the floor she had been standing on, away inside what appeared to be a Mihoshi-sized, solid, transparent marble, which had interrupted Ayeka's statement upon separation from the floor. "What? Haven't you ever seen a stasis sphere before?" she asked as she rolled Mihoshi to a stop, still in firing position, but standing sideways almost a meter off the floor. "Err, well, no. But what about the pirates?" "You five took out almost everyone aboard. Ryo-ohki's teleported them to three of the larger empty rooms, along with bombs to cave in the entrances. It'll take them at least six hours to dig their way out; I've told the Galaxy Police what happened, and they say they'll have a squad here in four." Washu gestured to the bridge crew. "These boys aren't going anywhere." Ryoko smiled. "They'd better hope the GP gets here on time. I think I damaged the air recycling unit. Without it, this place only has air for five hours, at most." Sasami knelt next to Kiyone. "But we weren't in time." Washu held a hand towards the younger princess. "Come here, Sasami." She ran over to the scientist, and began crying on her shoulder. Washu hugged her, then whispered in her ear. The tears stopped almost immediately, as Sasami looked up in amazement. Washu smiled and nodded, then pointed to the door and whispered again. Sasami rushed out. Ayeka blinked. "What was that about?" "You'll see. Sasami's getting some supplies from the Yagami to help me set up a little surprise. You'll have to wait until we get back to Earth to see it." ****** As Ryo-ohki lead the Yagami back to Earth, Ryoko walked in to her main room with a glazed expression on her face. Ayeka turned away from monitoring Ryo-ohki's displays at Ryoko's approach. "What's wrong?" Ryoko shook her head. "I don't know how Sasami can keep up with Washu's explanations. Whatever they're doing, we won't be seeing them for a while." "At least Sasami is taking an interest in her education, although I think she could have chosen a better teacher." Ryoko pointed to a rear view display, currently centered on the Yagami. "So, why aren't you over there with him? Ryo-ohki can fly herself, for something as simple as this." "I told you, Tenchi is Kiyone's funeral guard. I take it you are unfamiliar with this custom?" "Who's he guarding her from? Your robots are busy flying that ship, and I doubt they have an interest in looting her body. Mihoshi's in stasis; until someone lets her out, she's not going anywhere. Maybe I should go visit him; he's probably bored to tears by now." "It is a symbolic Juraian tradition, which Yosho apparently decided to keep alive. When a close friend, or a loved one, passes on, the fallen one's closest available acquaintance may guard the body until a proper funeral can be conducted. The purpose is to give this acquaintance a chance to be alone with their grief, to let them say goodbye. If I were to walk in on him now, I would violate that tradition. I would dirty myself in the eyes of Juraian society, and I could lose my place in his heart." "Oh, really?" Ryoko took a second to consider her best response. "You don't suppose he actually loved her?" "Of course not. Once I recognized who we were dealing with, I knew that the marriage was fake, as was Kiyone's 'resignation'. It is a standard Galaxy Police ploy. It usually works, unless the one they mean to capture is already familiar with Galaxy Police operations. I, myself, have participated in one before, with my parents' permission of course. Just so you know, I cooperated because it was an attempt to catch you." "Gee, I'm honored," she replied with sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Would it help if I asked you not to disturb Tenchi? Not that you are familiar with the concepts of love, friendship, or honor, on which the custom is based, but I ask for Tenchi's sake, please let him do this alone." "Would it help if I told you that I've actually been a funeral guard before? Not by that name, and in a system you've never heard of, but the role was the same." "Impossible. You would have had to care about someone to be one." "It was the man's dying request. He didn't trust the rest of his companions, and I knew he had a crush on me." Ryoko smiled. "A crush that I'd been using to slip my way into his organization." "Only you would use love as a mere tool," Ayeka spat. "What can I say? It's a time-honored custom. Ask any of your ancestors." "Take that back." Ayeka's force field logs started appearing all over the bridge as she stared daggers at Ryoko. Ryoko brought up her energies defensively. "Why should I take back the truth?" Ryo-ohki gave silent thanks that her hull was far too strong for either one to damage. ****** Nightfall at the Masaki house that evening was a somber affair. Tenchi had not said a word after returning to Earth. Upon seeing that Tenchi had become depressed during the trip, Ryoko and Ayeka agreed to put aside their rivalry long enough to comfort Tenchi, but neither one seemed to be able to lighten his mood. Yosho and Nobuyuki stayed out of the way after Azaka and Kamidake told them what had happened, and when neither Sasami nor Washu could be found, the two men prepared dinner so as not to distract either of Tenchi's main suitors from their task. Sasami appeared just before dinner was served, and cheerfully volunteered to set the table. Nobuyuki counted the places. "Washu will be joining us at the table? This is unusual. Even so, there are two extra plates." "Nuh-uh. Mihoshi and Kiyone should be here soon." Nobuyuki sighed. "The poor girl is in denial," he muttered to Yosho. "I would not be so certain," Yosho muttered back. "They will certainly be with us in spirit, if not in body." Nobuyuki nodded, then cast a glance at the door to Washu's lab. He wondered exactly what she meant when she said she would take care of the detectives' bodies... ****** Mihoshi fired as soon as the stasis sphere dropped. And fired again. And kept firing until she realized she was no longer aboard the asteroid base. As she lowered her blaster, she took in her new surroundings: total, absolute darkness, except for a single spotlight with a beam that tracked her as she walked. "You really would have, wouldn't you?" The voice was electronically distorted and fed through speakers throughout the room, preventing Mihoshi from telling who was speaking or where they were. "If Washu had not put you in stasis when she did, you would have shot that pirate." "I...I..." Mihoshi lowered her blaster and looked down. "Yes. He did not deserve to live." "And you would have thrown your own life away. It was probably your infamous luck that spared you. Do you know what they do to rogue Galaxy Police officers? Trust me, you do not want Margrave's fate." "Where is he?" "By now, safely in custody, along with the rest of his crew." "Where? I have to find him, to do to him what he did to me." "And what did he do to you?" "He took away my reason for living." The voice did not respond. "She was more than my partner," Mihoshi eventually continued in a sad voice. "Everyone else I've ever known...the only ones I could ever be friends with were those I didn't see every day. Anyone I worked with did everything they could to avoid me. Kiyone was different. Sure, she got mad at me from time to time - for good reason - but, overall, she actually tolerated me." "She did more than that. She liked you." "You're right. She was my best friend. I would have given my life to save her. I would have done anything to keep her safe. But now..." She broke into tears. The lights came on with a mechanical thunk. Before her eyes could adjust, Mihoshi felt something bump against her foot, and arms wrap around her in a hug. "It's ok," the voice spoke, now in an undistorted whisper from right next to her. Blinking, Mihoshi made out a microphone on the floor, next to another foot. Her eyes followed the body attached to that foot up, along a familiar uniform, to the face of... "KIYONE!!!" Mihoshi returned her partner's hug with twice the pressure. "You're alive!" "Thank Washu and Sasami. They brought me back." "Don't mention it," Washu said from behind Kiyone. "I figured everyone would be moping around for a while if you stayed dead. Not the best environment to run tests in. Besides, Tenchi might let me experiment on him out of gratitude now." She shrugged. "Probably not, but it's worth a shot." Mihoshi extended her hug to include the scientist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the BEST, Washu!" She grinned, not minding Mihoshi's presence for once. "I know." ****** Tenchi's depression disappeared when the trio emerged from Washu's lab. Everyone except for the three, Sasami, and Yosho was stunned as Kiyone walked to the table as if nothing was unusual. "Can we get some food here?" Washu demanded. "Resurrections are hard work, and I know Kiyone's hungry since I had to empty her stomach." "Here you go." Sasami was extremely pleased with herself, and it showed as she carried a bowl of rice to the table and began serving first Washu, then the detectives. Gradually, the others migrated to the table along with the rest of dinner, most of them staring at Kiyone instead of touching their food. Two minutes of this was all Kiyone could stand. "WHAT?" she exploded as she looked up. "You were...you were..." Tenchi stammered. "Dead?" Kiyone supplied between mouthfuls of rice, then shrugged. "And now I'm not, thanks to Washu and Sasami." Ayeka nodded. "What did it feel like?" "I wouldn't recommend trying it." She stared into space for a few seconds, recalling her death. "After everything but my brain shut down, I was all alone, without even reality to keep me company. Did I ever tell you I once had a fear of being thrown out into space? Of having absolutely nothing outside me, so my body would explode? It was like that, only there was nothing inside me, either. My whole universe was nothing. It seemed like forever until I woke up in Washu's lab." She smiled weakly. "Is this what you look forward to when your time comes, Washu?" Washu waved her hand dismissively. "Ha, and ha again! The greatest scientific genius in the universe laughs in the face of death. I can live as long as the universe, maybe longer, and I think I will! You might, too. Just don't make a habit of dying. I could bring you back again, if I happen to be nearby, but it's not a simple task." She faced Sasami. "It was easier with your help." Ayeka put one hand around Sasami. "I'm so proud of you, little sister. But where did you learn to do this?" "What do you think we were talking about on the way back?" Washu replied as she sipped her tea. "I had to bring her up to speed quickly. There was a lot of ground to cover, but Tsu...er, Sasami already knew more than you'd think." Before anyone could comment on Washu's slip of the tongue, Mihoshi chimed in. "At least everything ended ok. We're all alive, those nasty pirates are in custody, and Kiyone's married to Tenchi." Four eyes abruptly began to stare daggers at Kiyone. "Annulled." The green-haired detective pulled out a pair of metal rods attached on a hinge, pulled them apart to an L shape, waited for a square image to form between the rods, and tossed them to Ayeka. "Of course, I'll need two witnesses to provide their thumbprints before it..." Ryoko and Ayeka raced each other to supply their identification first. The rods' image was distorted by the presence of two solid thumbs inside the hologrammatic square, but "APPROVED" soon appeared along its top. "Aww, but Kiyone..." Mihoshi started. Her partner cut her off. "It never happened. When...if I ever do marry for real, I want it to be for more than work." "Still," Tenchi commented, "it was fun going through the motions." "Motions?" Ayeka questioned. "You only filed a marriage certificate...didn't you?" Her voice grew suspicious. Tenchi continued, "You know, if we ever do this again, maybe we could adopt Sasami and make it look like a real family." Sasami smiled at that, but Ryoko shot Kiyone a look. "If you made one move on Tenchi..." the pirate threatened. "Oh, we had some...fun. You're right, Tenchi, maybe we should have kids next time. What's the gestation time for babies? Nine months?" Kiyone winked at Tenchi while edging closer to Washu, intending to take advantage of her force field. Only to suddenly find her movement suddenly blocked. Both Ayeka and Ryoko were standing over her when she looked up. "Exactly what kind of...fun...did you two have?" Ayeka growled. "Umm...just...the kind that Mihoshi and I have all the time," Kiyone quickly replied, then bit her lip. She felt like she was sweating bullets. "Oh, wow, really?" Mihoshi asked. "We'll have to invite Tenchi over some time." Kiyone's fear of another death kept her mind fumbling for the correct words, but she had enough sense not to dig herself any deeper. "I didn't think your bedroom was big enough for that," Washu supplied. "Would you mind if I watched your technique?" "Bedroom?" Mihoshi blinked. "We usually go out for karaoke." With the threat abated, Kiyone quickly remembered to breathe again. Ryoko chuckled. "I should've known. Tenchi's still saving himself for his true love." "He could only pretend to love a commoner," Ayeka continued while laughing. "He went along just to take pity on you." Ryoko started laughing in sync with Ayeka. Kiyone brought her knees to her head and sighed. Mihoshi patted the back of her partner's neck. "They're just teasing, Kiyone. Don't worry, I still like you." Kiyone covered her face and ears with her arms and curled up tighter, trying to shut out the world. Meanwhile, on a ship deep in space, Margrave kept laughing.