Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author owns only the writing. The Last Avatar Part 7: The Day of Broken Succession "Mom?" She took a few steps forward. "Mom? Are you here?" Mayuka took another few steps into the dark room. The air was cold. She was shaking as she walked further inside. "Mom? Are you in here? Aunt Sasami? Gramma Washu?" "Mommy's here..." Mayuka looked up hopefully. "Mom?!" She saw pointed, cyan locks appear not far away. "Mayuka, hon, I'm right here." The teenaged girl wept in joy and rushed forward. As she neared her mother, she slowed down. There was something wrong. She could see her mother's face, but not her body. "Mom? Are you okay?" Another face appeared next to Ryoko's, a frightening, rodent-like image. It grinned and spoke with Ryoko's voice. As she did, Ryoko's lips moved. "I'm right here, hon." It laughed and stepped forward, it's claws imbedded into what Mayuka now new was her mother's severed head. Yuzuha put on a pouty face. "Awww... Here. Mommy kiss it, make it better!" She tossed the head forward. It struck Mayuka's chest and hit the floor.... Mayuka woke up screaming. The lights in her cabin onboard the Jurain warship, H.M.S. Indomitable, came on a moment later. She looked up and saw her Grandpa Yosho rush into her room. This was the second night in a row that this had happened. He sat on the edge of her bed. Mayuka didn't need any further encouragement. She threw herself into his arms and began to cry. "What's happening, Grandpa Yosho? What's happening?" she wept. "It'll be all right, Mayuka," he told her softly. "It's okay." She clutched at his robe and continued to cry. "Understood, Jurai control," Carvin spoke into the comm onboard his tiny shuttle. "Coming in." "How's it going?" Sasami asked as she climbed forward from the aft cabin. "Another twenty minutes, and you'll be home," he told her. "Hmm," she replied. She sat in the copilot's chair and stared at the controls. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Sasami looked up at the planet she called home. "I don't know anymore," she whispered. Before Carvin could respond, a new problem presented itself. The scanners began to beep for his attention. "What is it?" Sasami asked. "Company," he told her crisply. "Huh?" Before he could answer something appeared at her window. She gasped and looked out at the Jurain Jaguar Three medium fighter that had appeared there. "Shuttle Clio, this is Home Guard One. My wingman and I have orders to escort you to the ground." Carvin looked out his own window and saw a twin Jaguar on his side. He clicked the comm. "I wasn't aware that an escort had been arranged," he said a little uneasily. "Direct orders from Admiral Wakazi, Sir," the pilot informed him. "Well, thanks, but we can find the ground on our own," Carvin told him. "Sir, are you aware of what a Danitan Stellarhawk missile will do that crate you're flying?" "Cheery guy," Sasami noted. "Very well, Home Guard One," Carvin said, at the same bringing up what little weapons the Clio had. "After you." The Jaguars took up defensive positions on either side of the Clio and escorted it to the Jurain surface past the famed Defense Grid, a double ring of satellites capable of repelling entire fleets. Sasami watched as they rode gently through Jurai's atmosphere. Entire fields of trees took up most of the scenery until they reached the outskirts of the capital. Brown, dead splotches of ground looked unnatural on the planet's surface. Sasami knew that those huge areas were where the Kingslayer's triplutonium bombs had detonated. Most of the city, including the old Royal Palace, had been destroyed. As Carvin guided the shuttle to the main spaceport, Sasami blinked in surprise. The landing pad was surrounded by people, some with signs, but all of them shouting at the Jurain soldiers trying to keep them from flooding the pad. She couldn't make out what the signs said, but she got the distinct impression that it wasn't good. "Bloody hell," Carvin hissed. "Can't they keep anything locked up?" "What?" Sasami asked. He turned to her. "It looks like your arrival time and place have been leaked." He gestured to the protesters. Sasami blinked. "They're protesting *me*?!" "Looks like it. We'll be down in a sec, hold on." The new Queen of Jurai sat back in her chair and waited for the gentle clunk that told her the shuttle was down. Carvin led Sasami into the back and opened the hatch. As expected, an SIS agent was there waiting for them. Sasami could hear the angry shouts of protesters through the open hatch. As Carvin and the agent spoke together, she could now read the signs many of them carried. Most said things like, "Revenge for the Queen," or other references to Aeka. She turned her attention back to the two agents. "What the hell is going on?!" Carvin was asking him. The agent had to shout to be heard over the protestors and the sounds of nearby shuttles. "News of the assassination leaked early," he told them. "The entire kingdom has gone mad! We have a limo for you, Your Majesty. We're going to lead you out there. Stay low and keep your head down." "Why?!" she shouted back. "There have been a few shots fired in the last hour." "From who!?" "It's probably just punks making a statement, but we can't risk it." By now, two more agents had appeared nearby. "Ready?" Sasami nodded. Carvin drew his sidearm along with a few other agents and they all rushed out of the shuttle, Sasami hunched over in the midst of the group of agents. The crowd seemed even more enraged by this and the shouts got louder. Sasami was pushed into a limo with Carvin, and the hover car began racing down the street. "Where are we going?" she asked. Straight to the Palace, Your Majesty," the agent told her. "Lord Akita, Lady Katsuragi, as well as the Prime Minister and His Holiness are already there." "Any luck finding the other heirs?" Carvin asked. "Prince Yosho and Princess Mayuka were recovered by the Indomitable. They should be here in an hour." Sasami breathed a sigh of relief. The others were safe. That was something at least. "Aunt Sasami!" Mayuka rushed forward and embraced her aunt as soon as she saw the woman enter the state-room. Sasami hugged her niece tightly to herself, tears of relief running down her face. She looked up and saw Yosho standing not far away. She released Mayuka and ran forward, crying into her older brother's chest. "Aeka," she whispered. Yosho held his little sister and allowed a tear of his own to escape. Sasami opened her eyes and noticed that there were two people missing from the reunion. "Where are Ryoko and Washu?" Silence. Sasami looked up at Yosho, then to Mayuka, whose tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. She looked back into Yosho's eyes and found the pain there. He shook his head once. "Tsunami, no," Sasami whimpered. She buried her face into his tunic again. "Tsunami, no," she whispered again. A blonde woman walked past the two and up to Carvin. "Lord Akita wants to see us," Mina told him in a whisper. He nodded and threw a last look to Sasami before following his fellow agent out the door and down the hall. The two entered a suite on the second floor and found Lord Akita standing next to an open balcony. Carvin looked out at the view and saw a tower, another part of the palace, not far away. Standing atop this tower was a man with an advanced positron sniper rifle. Carvin recognized the man as a member of the ISS Counter Assassination Team. It appeared that Lady Katsuragi was taking no chances. "I want an update," Akita said, turning to the two of them. "Where do we stand?" Carvin held up his PFA. "Documents that we *think* may have some bearing on all this. Her Majesty was attacked twice on Mallistair. Given the recent assassination, we can assume that it's the same party involved in both attacks and that the royal family is still a target." Akita nodded. "Excellent work, Commander. Major..." Mina looked up. "I want you to keep an eye on the Crown Princess. Commander, we have a war council to attend." "Yes, Sir," the two agents chorused. "I can't believe it," Sasami whispered. "How could this have happened?" Yosho took a breath, but didn't answer. It was at this time that Carvin and Mina returned. "Your Majesty's, if you would come with me, please," Carvin asked. The three members of the royal family got up and started to follow, but Mina reached out and gently touched Mayuka's shoulder. "Your Highness, would you come with me, please?" Mina asked. "Grandpa?" Mayuka asked. "Aunt Sasami?" "It's all right, Mayuka," Yosho told her. "You'll be safe with Ms. Todara." Mina tensed slightly at the remark, but said nothing. Carvin led Yosho and Sasami out the door. Mayuka watched them go silently. "Hey, it'll be all right," Mina assured her. Mayuka said nothing. Mina wracked her brain for a way to cheer the young princess up. "How about a tour? Have you ever seen the palace before?" Mayuka nodded dully. She and Ryoko had visited on more than a few occasions. Mina sighed, then thought of something. "How about I show you something that's not on the tour?" The blue-haired teen blinked. "Huh?" "You do realize that there is no precedent for this," Prime Minister Gessin stated from his seat at the conference room table. "The situation is deteriorating. Tsunami, the people are already screaming for blood." "The question is: What do we do now?" Akita spoke up. "An attack like this cannot go unchallenged," Lady Katsuragi spoke up from across the table. "We should strike back quickly and resolutely." "We still don't know it was the Danitans," Akita told them. Admiral Wakazi chose this moment to speak up. "Your own agent..." "My own agent has only the word of a man who may or may not have seen Danitan warpaint. There's nothing definite." "And what about the Invincible? The evidence suggests..." "Oh, for the love of Tsunami, Masao, check your own intelligence reports!" Akita said harshly. "The Danitans have *nothing* anywhere *near* us! They're no more prepared for a war than we are!" "Not so! A strike force has been reported near Tessus!" "A single strike forces rates little more than an exercise!" "Who else would be capable of disabling one of our newest ships!?" Wakazi asked. "The Order attacked your ship, Admiral." Every head in the room turned to the source of the whispered declaration. Sasami looked up at them. "It was the Order of Tokimi." Sitting across from Akita, Katsuragi tensed. "With all due respect, Your Majesty," Wakazi began calmly, "That's simply not possible. The Order of Tokimi was snuffed out ten thousand years ago. One of my own ancestors led the final assault against Mallistair. It cannot possibly be them." "And how do you know this?" Sasami asked with a hint of harshness in her tone. "You think that in all of ten thousand years, they could not have returned?" "Even if there were survivors," Wakazi told her, "Without their dark trees, they are nothing. The Imperial Navy destroyed them and their eight great nurseries." "Yeah, well, there's a little problem with that," Sasami told him with disdain. "Such as?" "Such as the fact that there were *NINE* nurseries!" Sasami hissed. Dead silence pervaded the room. Wakazi shook his head. "That's not possible." "Sasami," Yosho said, turning to her, "Are you certain?" Sasami nodded. "It's in the documents Car...Commander Kenzaki and I found on Mallistair. By the looks of it, they had just finished it when the attack began." "How many trees?" Gessin asked in a haunted whisper. Sasami took a breath and paused. "Sevent-five," she whispered. "Maybe eighty." The room went dead silent again. "Tsunami in Heaven," Gessin breathed. "We have a rogue fleet on our hands..." The room erupted into a panic. Sasami listened as the gathered Ministers, Generals, and Admirals all began speaking at once. "They're ships would be comparable to ours in firepower...not to mention wings..." "Cloaking technology! If they were to attack Jurai, we'd have less than two minute's warning!" "Excuse me." "What about the Defense Grid?" "The Defense Grid wasn't able to stop Ryoko! The Tokimians would cut through it like paper!" "Excuse me." "Civil Defense should be alerted immediately..." "Excuse me!" Every head in the room turned again, this time to the frail man in the gold and blue robes. The Patriarch stood unsteadily and began to address the room. "Dear children," he said quietly. "I am aware that all this has come as a rather frightening shock, but let's do try to handle one crisis at a time. We now know of the possibility of this fleet, and that is more than we had five minutes ago. And that is assuming that this fleet is real." "You doubt Her Majesty's word?" Carvin asked. The Patriarch smiled. "In my eight hundred years, young man, I've learned to base my actions on more than belief, despite my position." This got one or two smiles from the Jurains. "All I am saying is that we must investigate." Yosho nodded. "His Holiness is right." He turned to Sasami. "Where is this nursery, Sasami?" Sasami was silent. "Sasami?" "Huh? Oh. Porsea. It's on Porsea," the new Queen finally intoned. "Have we any ships near Porsea that could investigate?" Gessin asked Wakazi. Wakazi turned to a uniformed aide, who was typing on a holotop. The aide finished his typing and turned the screen so Wakazi could see the data there. "Yes, Sir. A frigate. The H.M.S. Claymore." "Zan Eisen's boat," Carvin concluded. "Yes," Wakazi confirmed. "Old friend?" "Yes, Sir. We were at the Academy together." "I'll dispatch orders to the Claymore at once. We'll get to the bottom of this," Wakazi vowed. "In the meantime," the Patriarch said, "We have a more pressing problem. That of succession." They all turned to Sasami and Yosho. "Now that Prince Yosho has returned, it is fitting that he take over," the Patriarch continued. "One problem with that," Gessin interjected. "The same problems that cropped up seven hundred years ago will certainly crop up now. His Majesty is only *half* Jurain." "He is the elder son," Katsuragi piped up. "But Her Majesty is Jurain by blood and *acknowledged* as next in line by the people," Akita told her. It seemed that a civil war was brewing right before them. Before either of the heirs could speak, the Patriarch was addressing them again. "It seems that there is only one solution," he said. "The Prince Yosho shall marry the Princess Sasami." Sasami gasped. The entire room began mumbling to one another at this idea. Carvin took a breath but said nothing. Yosho was silent. "Not to sound argumentative, Your Holiness," Akita began, "But it's not the best match. An old man marrying a young woman in her twenties? The press would have a bloody field day." The Patriarch smiled and walked toward Yosho. "It's not *that* much of a problem." He reached out and touched Yosho's shoulder. Yosho's body began to shimmer slightly. The room heaved a collective gasp. A second later, a young man was sitting where Yosho had been. "Is it?" the Patriarch whispered to him. The Prince looked up at the clergyman in shocked betrayal. He looked about ready to say something, but looked out at the shocked group around him. Yosho sat there looking miserable. After seven hundred years, his secret was finally out. He turned and found Sasami gaping at him, awestruck. Yosho did the only thing he could. He stood up and faced her. The young prince bowed to her and straightened again. "Sasami...Sister...I am sorry I had to deceive you like..." Before he could finish, Sasami was out of her seat! She rushed forward and slapped him across the face as hard as she could! Yosho reeled backward from the force of the blow, unexpected as it had been. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sasami cried. She rushed forward again, but this time Carvin managed to grab hold of her from behind. "SHE LOVED YOU! SHE *LOVED* YOU, AND YOU *LIED* TO HER!" she screamed while Carvin tried desperately to drag her away from him. Yosho stood stock still, the left side of his face turning red from the heat of Sasami's slap. "YOU LIED TO HER!!!" Sasami screamed one last time as Carvin dragged her out the door. Everyone left in the room sat in uneasy silence. The Patriarch smiled. "Well...I've seen marriages start out worse..." "Woah," was all Mayuka could get out as she looked around herself at the underground lab Mina had called, "The Third Branch." It looked like something right out of a James Bond movie. At various benches around the room, scientists in white labcoats were working on strange gadgets that Mayuka couldn't even describe. "The Service made it a habit to make use of absolutely *everything* it came across that might have some value. What you're looking at is equipment from about sixteen alien races being reverse engineered and remodeled for use in the service." Mina paused and smiled at her young charge. "They're not even sure about what some of this stuff does," she said conspiritorially. "We do so," a woman's voice piped up. The two looked up and found a woman with short blonde hair and a long, white labcoat walking up to them. She was an attractive woman except for the faint wrinkles around her eyes. Mayuka guessed her age to be somewhere near thirty. "Good afternoon, Dr. Reilly," Mina said in greeting. "Your Highness, this is Dr. Arisu Reilly, chief armorer." "'Highness?'" Reilly asked with an arched eyebrow. Mina nodded. Reilly performed a quick bow. "It's an honor." "Please," Mayuka said nervously. "Don't do that." "I'm giving her a tour of the facilities," Mina told the scientist. "Not to sound too nagging, but is she *supposed* to be here?" Reilly asked. "Given the situation, you'd think they'd want her at the palace." Mina took Reilly off to the side and began to whisper. "Look, Ari, the way I figure it the palace is a great big target right now, and all of the remaining heirs are there. What if the palace were bombed?" Reilly arched a skeptical eyebrow. "Where could be safer than here? Three floors underground beneath the most fortified area in the entire Empire?" Reilly sighed in defeat and nodded. "Okay. But don't touch anything." She looked up, and her eyes almost bugged out of her head. "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Mayuka looked up, her fingers only inches from a small cabbit doll. "What? It's just a doll." "A doll packed with enough explosives to put a hole in the Empire! Don't touch!" The frazzled scientist turned a glare on Mina. "I promise! No touching!" Reilly nodded, turned on her heel, and left. Mina breathed a sigh of relief and smiled wickedly. "Hey, Mayuka, have you ever fired a sub-repeating blaster before?" "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Sasami shouted as Carvin dragged her bodily into her chambers. The young queen was struggling in his grip, trying to get back to the conference room to give Yosho a piece of her mind. Carvin, however, had no intention of letting her do that. He continued to drag her kicking and screaming into her room. "RELEASE ME! I *COMMAND IT!*" This last order Carvin obeyed. He threw her onto her bed and stood in the middle of the room, trying to catch his breath. Sasami, surprised that he had obeyed her (granted not in the way she had wanted), cried out as she hit the comforter. She sat up and pulled the now scraggly blue hair from her eyes. Carvin stood there, breathing hard as he watched her. "If you're quite finished," he said with a tone of finality. Sasami growled and stood up. She made for the door, but the SIS agent moved to block her path. "Get the hell out of my way, Kenzaki," she growled. Carvin shook his head. "No, Your Majesty." "You work for *me*, remember?" she stated. "I work for Your Majesty's Government," he told her. She took a step toward him and spoke again, this time in an almost deadly whisper. "Get out of my way," she told him. "That's a direct order from your Queen." Carvin regarded her for a moment, then stepped aside. Without another word, the young monarch started for the door again. Carvin took an exasperated breath and turned to her, calling out to her angrily. "Will you stop thinking of yourself for a second!" Sasami stopped cold and turned on her heel, her face a mask of utter fury. "SINCE WHEN HAVE I EVER BEEN ALLOWED TO THINK OF MYSELF!?" Carvin didn't back down. Instead, he approached her, stopping barely an inch from her. "What the hell do you think just happened in there?!" he hissed. "I just found out my brother is a lying, cheating *SCUMBAG!*" she hurled at him. "That's what!" She turned for the door again. "You narrow-minded bitch!" he shouted at her. Sasami turned and slapped him across the face without missing a beat. The sharp crack of her hand striking his left cheek reverberated throughout the room. They both paused for a second. Tears were streaming down Sasami's face. "What do you know?" she whispered harshly. "When was the last time *you* were thrust into this kind of situation?" He laughed at her. *Laughed*! "WHAT IS SO DAMN FUNNY!?" She screamed. His laughter trailed off. He looked down at her and took a breath. "The last time I was in this kind of situation, Your Majesty," he whispered, "Two hundred and ten people died." Sasami stood there and stared up at him. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked her accusingly. "Don't you understand? During the war, your sister was all that was holding this kingdom together. Now another war is coming, and you are all we have. We need you, Sasami," he whispered. "We *need* you." Sasami stood stock still, tears running down her face, shocked into silence. Carvin slowly shook his head. "We need you," he said again. "You're the Queen of Jurai. You have to be our strength. You have to be the one *we* look to...because *we* are so afraid right now." His voice was now a low, gentle whisper. "Every man and woman in that room just saw their brightest hope have a breakdown, and the real fighting hasn't even started yet." Sasami didn't know what to say. "Think about that...Your Majesty." He turned and started for the door. "Where are you going?" she whispered, not moving. He stopped and turned to her. "I have to report in. I'm sure Lord Akita has an errand for me to run." Sasami said nothing. "You'll be safe here," he assured her. "I'll never be safe again," she whispered. "You know that." Carvin said nothing as he left the room. "I've dispatched the orders," Wakazi said as he retook his seat. "We just have to wait now and..." He broke off and looked up as Sasami reentered the conference room. The room looked to her, worried expressions on their faces. Sasami threw an angry look to the now young Yosho and sat down at her place next to him. "I apologize," she said quietly, but resolutely. "Continue, please." Wakazi took the cue. "We should know something within two days." "Excellent," the Patriarch commented. "In the meantime, we have other preparations to make." "I will not marry Prince Yosho," Sasami stated firmly. "Your Majesty," the Patriarch began, "I realize you're upset, but..." "I am next in the line of succession," she stated regally. "As far as the rest of the kingdom is concerned, Prince Yosho is dead." Her voice turned harsh as she threw the prince a look. "Let's keep it that way." The Patriarch took a breath, but nodded. "As Her Majesty wishes, of course. Even so, there are still preparations. You must be properly coronated...and soon." Sasami nodded. "When?" "Tonight." "Okay, now that well kicks in," Mina told Mayuka as the teen looked over the small repeating blaster down the target range at SIS headquarters. "Hold it firmly into your shoulder for control." Mayuka obeyed. "Now take a breath...and gently squeeze the trigger..." Fifty red plasma bolts flew from the end of the weapon in the time it took Mayuka to blink. The FRED dummy at the other end of the range was torn to pieces by the weapon. Mayuka blinked at what she had done. "Cool," she commented. Mina smiled. Carvin arched an eyebrow at the sight of Mina and Mayuka on the underground firing range of the Third Branch, but pushed it aside as Dr. Reilly walked up. She held up his PFA and handed it to him. "Respooled and we downloaded that information from Her Majesty's book into a permanent memory cell." "Thanks, Ari," Carvin said quietly as he put the wristwatch on. "Kaeya, wake up." The young, holographic girl appeared on the watch face and yawned sleepily. "Oh, Commander Kenzaki," she said. Kaeya had a bad habit of mimicking human traits. "How do you feel?" he asked. "Up to specs. Are we going somewhere?" "Kaeya, interface with the SIS computer and tell me everything the Esper's been up to lately." "This will take a moment." "Understood," he said. Reilly arched an eyebrow. "Esper? I heard she's the new attache for the Danitan ambassador." "She is," Carvin told her. "We need to know what the Danitan are up to, if they're up to anything at all. Either we can ask a beuracrat who only knows what she's told, or we can ask the someone who tells her what she knows." "Esper?" Reilly asked. "Esper," he confirmed. "Complete," Kaeya told him. Images appeared on the wall in front of them as Kaeya began her briefing. "Fire!" "Torpedoes away!" the Weapons Officer onboard the H.M.S. Claymore announced. "Time to target...." He checked his board. "Thirty-eight seconds...mark." A clock appeared on the main screen, counting down from thirty-eight. Captain Zan Eisen checked his own antique pocket watch against it and smiled upon learning that the two were in synch. They sure knew how to make watches three thousand years ago. "Ten seconds..." Eisen listened as the Weps Officer counted down. "Three...two...one...Detonation." Eisen looked up. "Damage?" The Sensor Officer checked her own board and smiled. "Three direct hits. Target destroyed." Eisen pocketed the watch and turned to his bridge crew. "End simulation. Excellent work, people." He looked up at the Jurain tree that made up the heart of the Jurain frigate. "You too, Clay." In response, the tree lit up, beams of gentle, white light striking the pool of water beneath it. "Con, Communications," a voice came over the internal speakers. "We are receiving a flash traffic message from ImpNavCom. Recommend Alert One." "All stop," Eisen commanded. "Display the message on my terminal." The frigate captain sat in his command chair and looked down at the holographic screen to his right. He blinked and reread the message twice before rising again. "Captain?" his executive officer, Commander Evan Sirrin inquired. "Set Condition Three," Eisen ordered the Jurain tree. A few beams of light told him that the Claymore was responding. Eisen went to the ship's navigator, standing next to a three-dimensional holographic star chart. "Mr. Karnafu..." Sirrin watched as the two officers exchanged words for several moments. Karnafu nodded and marked a course on the star chart with a light pen. "Helm," Karnafu announced, "Make your course one-nine-zero mark zero-one-four. All ahead full." "All ahead full, aye," the helmsman replied, changing the Claymore's course and speed. Eisen walked up to Sirrin and gestured to his terminal. The Exec looked down at the message the captain received and took a breath. "Tsunami best and greatest," he whispered. The lights turned red as the Claymore completed it's shift to Condition Three. The beautiful redhead walking down the hall shifted the bouquet of roses in her arms and prepared for the delivery. She checked her appearance one last time as she stood before the apartment door. Her short, red hair fell to just above her shoulders. Her dress uniform was immaculate and the perfume she was wearing had been guaranteed to help in the seduction of her newest conquest. Well..."conquest" wasn't the right word exactly. "Toy" would be closer. Unlike the other Jurain men she had met since her assignment began, this one was submissive...delicate... More *Danitan.* She knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply. She never did, and it irked him sometimes, but she could always placate him with a smile and a promise to be more sensitive to his feelings from now on. She found him sitting in a chair nearby, fear was written all over his face. "Hon?" she asked, "Is something wrong?" She heard a sharp, recognizable *click* and felt something hard pressed against the back of her head. She smiled. "J-Tech PP70," she concluded by the sound of the weapon's safety. "Hello, Carvin." "Fancy meeting you here," the SIS agent greeted from behind her. "Indeed," she said nonchalantly. "Is this a business call or were you thinking of something more...horizontal?" She felt the man's hand roaming up and down her body, the weapon never leaving her head. "That's what I've always loved about Jurain men," she said wistfully. "They're all so forward. Everyday, I feel like I'm being proposed to." The hand stopped and removed her small blaster from its shoulder holster. "You," Carvin said, addressing the owner of the apartment. "This place have a bathroom?" The man nodded fearfully. "Good. Go clean it." The man rushed out of the room and locked the bathroom door behind him. "Drop the roses, hands away from your body, and turn around," Carvin ordered her. The woman smiled and dropped her gift. She turned and grinned at him. "It's been a long time, Carvin," she said. "Corei Nazarin Jordana'dal," Carvin intoned, his blaster still trained on her. "Code named, the 'Esper.' Since when are you a member of the diplomatic corps?" She shrugged. "The Treaty didn't leave me much choice. It forced the Special Section to disband. It was either this or retirement. Now what exactly do you want? If you were here to kill me, I'd be dead already." "H.M.S. Invincible," he told her flatly. She smiled. "Ah. What does that have to do with me?" "Wakazi thinks you're the ones who attacked it." She laughed. "Is *that* what they're saying to cover their new black ops campaign?" she asked. "They'll have to do better," she growled. "It's not a campaign," he told her. "Then there's the matter of Her Majesty, Queen Aeka." "My condolences," she said without feeling. "Word is the Danitans are responsible for that too," he told her. She bit her lip. She had heard rumors to that point. "It wasn't us," she said flatly. Carvin said nothing. "Do you really think we want *another* war?" she asked in a whisper. "All right," Carvin said quietly. "Let's talk shop." "This is bullshit!" "Mayuka," Yosho began again. "Listen..." "NO!" Mayuka shouted at him. She waved the palace maids who had been helping her into her ceremonial kimono back, promising to use force if they didn't. "This is garbage! Why are we wasting our time here with a *PARTY* when we should be out there looking for Mom!?" "It's not a party," Yosho told her in a calm voice making him sound older than he looked. Mayuka still couldn't believe how young he was now. She didn't recognize him at first. "It's your aunt's coronation. It's necessary." Mayuka turned away from him. "And what about Mom?" she asked bitterly. "I guess finding her isn't 'necessary...'" Yosho sighed. "I know it's hard..." "How the hell would you know?" she muttered sadly. Before she could blink, Yosho grabbed a hold of her arm and whirled her around again so that she was facing the mask of anger on his face. "Hey!" he hissed. "Perhaps you haven't heard, but my sister was *murdered* not too long ago!" Mayuka was startled and shamed into silence. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I just....I..." Tears began to pool up into her eyes. Yosho took a breath and sighed, reaching out to embrace his granddaughter. "I know," he breathed. "I know. I'm sorry. This whole situation...It's got me on edge....And I'm not used to dealing with a situation outside my control. I'm sorry, Mayuka." Mayuka's arms wrapped around him as she cried. Yosho felt the tears soaking into the extravagant outfit he was wearing for the coronation. "We don't even know if she's dead," Mayuka whispered painfully. "We don't know." Yosho felt tears of his own well up. "I know," he told her. It was all he could say. Ryoko screamed as she struck the dark warrior dead on. The two hit the ground, rolling over each other, dust flying from the impact. They rolled once more, Ryoko landing on top of the man. She reached out and grab the man's head on either side. The warrior's eyes went wide as Ryoko screamed in rage again and jerked his head to one side. The man's neck broke with a sickening "SNAP!" She sensed movement behind her and rolled off the man's body. Three energy blasts struck it in rapid succession. Ryoko reached out with her hand on instinct. The black-handled lightsword the warrior had been carrying flew to her hand and ignited with a "snap-hiss." She screamed and let the sword fly! The orange blade flew end over end and buried itself in the head of the warrior who had shot at her. His blaster rifle hit the ground, followed by his body a second later. The sword flew back to Ryoko's hand. Standing off to the side, two identical beings watched. One seen, one unseen. One cruel, the other kind. One smiling, the other grimacing. Tenchi clenched his fists and turned to the tree that had chosen his form for its astral projection. "Stop this!" he hissed. "What's the point?! Torturing her!?" Ryoko's tree smiled. "She has to be tested," it said simply. Tenchi grit his teeth and turned back to the small arena where this "test" was happening. "Ryoko," he whispered. The tree smiled. "Let's kick it up a notch, shall we?" He raised his voice and called out to the woman. "Tasukete! Tasukete, Ryoko! They're going to kill me!" One of the black warriors ran toward Ryoko. Ryoko, hearing the tree's cry for help, screamed and slashed at the man with her sword. Two swords struck one another with a loud "zats." Ryoko whirled around and buried the sword into the man's neck. "I'M COMING, TENCHI!" Another warrior approached from behind. Without waiting for an attack, Ryoko swung her sword upwards between the man's legs and up through his chest, splitting him in two! She whirled around again sliced horizontally through is torso, quartering him. She ran toward the two Tenchi's. Another warrior stepped into her path, his blue lightsword blazing. Ryoko screamed and lashed out with her own weapon, faking a blow to his face. When the warrior moved his sword up to block, she suddenly shifted positions and slashed low, slicing through the man's knees. He screamed and fell to the ground. Ryoko stopped over him and brought the sword up to stab through his face. She cried in fury and stabbed downward... A shield sprang up a foot from the man's face. Sparks of energy flew up as the point of Ryoko's sword struck the shield. The demon grit her teeth and pushed downward. The warrior's face showed fear as he tried desperately to keep the shield up. The tip of the blade slowly began to inch in through the barrier. With one final scream, Ryoko shoved forward. The lightsword stabbed into the man's face. The shield failed. The intense heat from the sword caused the man's head to explode. Ryoko didn't even flinch as her face was suddenly coated with blood and gore. Behind her! She turned suddenly and held out her hand. A shield obediently popped up two meters from her and stopped the lightsword that had been flying toward her. She grit her teeth and cried out as the sword struggled to get through her shield. A sickening hiss could be heard. Ryoko realized that her hand was burning from the strain of keeping the shield in place and in control. She screamed and closed her hand into a fist. The sword handle broke in two and disintigrated. Before she could celebrate, two more warriors were on her. "How goes the training of our newest lamb?" a voice asked from behind the two Tenchi's. They turned and saw the priest standing there. He approached and arched an eyebrow at Tenchi. The tree smiled. "He's real." The priest reached out and passed a hand through Tenchi. Behind them, Ryoko was still battling for her life. "Now this is unexpected," he muttered. "I wonder..." He looked up at Ryoko, then back at Tenchi... And laughed. "Marvelous!" he cried. "Simply marvelous! Oh, Tokimi's grace! The irony of it is just too much!" He bent over laughing. Tenchi just glared at him hatefully. The priest looked up and wiped a tear away. "Ryoko spent seven hundred years in the same situation! But at least her body hadn't been *cremated*!" He laughed again. He turned to the tree's image. "Can she see him?" "No." "Delicious." The priest took a breath. "Tell me, young man, how does it feel to spend eternity as a ghost?" Tenchi snarled and lashed out with his fist. His hand passed right through the priest's head. The priest smiled. "Don't worry. I'm told it takes at least a century before madness sets in." "Your Eminence," They looked up. Tenchi's eyes went wide in fear and hate. Kayzin approached them. The gray-skinned warrior seemed unaware of Tenchi's presence, or even that of the tree. He bowed respectfully to the priest. From behind them Ryoko screamed! As one they turned and saw Ryoko charging them! She held the orange lightsword over her head. The tree hissed and prepared to stop her, but the priest held up his hand. The tree relented. Kayzin didn't bat an eye. As Ryoko rushed him, he stood there and waited for her. Just when she was approaching, he stepped right and spun around. Ryoko flew right past him. At the end of his spin, his lightsword was out and activated. Ryoko spun back quickly and lashed out twice with her sword, screaming in rage at the top of her lungs. It was apparent that she recognized Kayzin. The gray-skinned alien turned both blows and lashed out with his foot, catching Ryoko in the chin. The demon's head snapped back, and she stumbled. He reached out and grabbed a handful of her cyan hair. With a sharp pull, Ryoko was thrown to the floor. Kayzin stepped toward her. the priest reminded him mentally. he projected back. Ryoko climbed to her feet and turned, intent on fighting back. Kayzin didn't bother with the sword this time. With a sharp cry, his hand fired out, hitting Ryoko in the nose with the palm of his hand. Before she could recover, his sword was activated again. Ryoko screamed and fell to the ground in agony, but she didn't know why. She blinked past the blood and tears in her eyes and looked down. Her legs had been cut out from under her. Kayzin stood over her and regarded her quietly as she struggled to get up, to fly, to fight, to *anything*. "Ryoko," Tenchi whispered, kneeling next to her. He reached out and tried to touch her hand. "Please stop," he begged her quietly. "I'll kill you," she whispered as she glared up at Kayzin. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you..." Kayzin watched unmoved as Ryoko raised the sword from her position on the ground and began crawling toward him on her hands, dragging her body behind her. "...kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you...." "Ryoko, please," Tenchi whispered. "Don't..." "...you. I'll kill you..." Tears were running down Ryoko's face. "I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you..." Her whispers began to trail off as she lost consciousness. The priest watched as two warriors carried Ryoko from the arena. He threw an irritated look to Kayzin, who said nothing. "*One* piece," he told him. The warrior shrugged. "She'll regenerate." "Give me your report," the priest growled. "Zara's forces have accomplished their goal. They now have two GP warships in their hands. All proceeds well." "Excellent. Keep an eye on things here. I have to go back to Jurai and attend a rather auspicious ceremony." The priest grinned. "As you wish, Your Eminence." Carvin entered the Great Hall, readjusting his neck-tie for the fiftieth time. He finally got it tied correctly; just in time too. He was just passing through the doors to the largest room in the palace, the room where the new Queen of Jurai would be crowned. He looked around at the various Lords and Ladies mingling about the room. He had to hand it to the palace chamberlains. They had managed to throw together a coronation on only a few hours notice. That took *real* skill. "Carvin!" He turned and found Mina walking up to him, arrayed in her bright red Royal Army dress uniform. She approached and saluted smartly. Carvin, in his own dark blue RN dress uniform, returned the salute and smiled. "It's amazing, isn't it?" Mina asked, gesturing around her. He nodded. "It's a ceremony I could do without," he told her. Mina's face fell for a moment, remembering exactly *why* a coronation was necessary. "Well, at least this time we're not taking any chances. The ISS has this place sealed tight." Carvin nodded. "We hope." Sasami looked in the mirror as her attendants dressed her in her robes of state. The clothes were beautiful, stately, and regal, yet she hated them. They only reminded her of what her position, what her family's position had cost her. She regarded herself in the mirror. Lonely. She felt lonely. She had no one to talk to. No one who would understand. Aeka was gone. Mayuka was too young. Ryoko was missing. And Yosho had betrayed her. Betrayed Aeka, and therefore betrayed Sasami. She closed her eyes and sighed. She felt someone drape the last robe over her. She opened her eyes and found the Patriarch's image in the mirror, standing behind her, draping the robe over her shoulders. She turned quickly. "Your Holiness," she said in surprise. "Forgive me, Child," he said shakily. "I wanted to see how you were getting on." "I'm okay," she said softly. "Thank you." She quickly adjusted the robes so that they appeared more in order. She shivered slightly. "Is it cold in here?" she asked. "I'll ask the attendants to turn the heat up," the Patriarch said with a gentle smile. "Now tell me, Child, what's bothering you? Your sister?" She nodded. He smiled. "Her Majesty often came to me to talk," he told her, sitting down on a nearby couch. "She would sometimes wonder about her faith." "I see," Sasami said, sitting next to him. She readjusted the neckline of her outfit. It itched a great deal. "I never knew Aeka to be a very religious person." "Oh, she was, Child, she was," the Patriarch assured her. "During the war she was often racked with guilt. She wondered what gave her the right to send men and women to die. I told her then, as I tell you now: Tsunami's Divine Grace watches over all of us, and those who die in her name doubly so." "And that...comforted her?" Sasami asked, pulling at the neck of her outfit again. He nodded. "She still didn't like her postion, but she could sleep a little easier." "I don't know what to do," she whispered. The Patriarch smiled and reached out to pat her knee. He stopped suddenly and took her hand. "Fear not, Child. Her Majesty watches over you now as well." "Thank you," she said with an honest smile. He smiled back. "Thank you, Your Majesty." Alarms went off on the bridge of the Claymore. "Tsunami dammit all!" the Sensor Officer, Ensign Nari Yarin cried out in annoyance as he canceled the alert. He spoke into his comm set. "Con, Sensors, disregard proximity alert. Repeat, disregard proximity alert." He sighed in annoyance and glared at the Claymore's tree. "Will you knock it off, already!?" he cried. The tree didn't reply. "What's the problem, Ensign?" he heard Commander Sirrin ask from behind him. "That's the fourth false alarm today." Yarin gulped. "Sorry, Sir. It's the Clay. The automatic alert system's been coming on everytime a stray asteroid floats by, it seems." Sirrin looked up at the tree. On the viewscreen nearby, the planet Porsea slowly spun about on it's axis. Sirrin sighed. "Ensign, we have a situation here," he muttered. "The captain's down on the planet, and you know that his comm goes off with every alert..." "Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir," Yarin replied. "It's just that..." He broke off. "Just what?" Sirrin asked. Yarin collected his thoughts and turned to the EXO. "It's just that she's been awfully jumpy lately, Sir," he whispered. "If I didn't know better..." He paused and began again. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she was scared of something." Sirrin blinked. The Claymore? Scared? "Ensign, this is the same ship that helped face down the Danitan fleet during the First Delgar Prime. She doesn't scare easily." The Ensign nodded. "I know, Sir. And that scares *me*." Sirrin said nothing. Then, "Disable the automated proximity alert and watch the scope carefully." "Aye aye, Sir." "Eisen to Claymore," the captain's irritated voice came over the comm. "Don't tell me that was *another* false alarm." In his seat, Yarin tensed. "Sorry, Captain," Sirrin replied. "Sensor malfunction." "Well, try to keep it under control," Eisen grumbled into the communicator. He looked up at the ceiling of the temple he had found himself in. A skylight provided him with a clear line of sight so he could speak to his ship. The Royal Marines on either side of him waited for him to finish his conversation. "Eisen out." He switched off the comm. "Sir!" a Marine cried running into his chamber. "You'd better come take a look at this." Eisen followed the young soldier down a dark hallway, their flashlights providing little light. Without warning, he found himself in a mammoth chamber. There was no light, so he still couldn't see. "What am I looking at, Private?" he asked. The soldier turned to another one not far away. This Marine was standing next to a control pad in the wall. "Turn it on again." The soldier hit a few buttons, and the chamber was filled with light, exposing the contents of the room. Eisen's eyes went wide at what he saw. Holes. At least a hundred of them. He took a step forward and knelt next to one, looking down at the bottom. The soil was stained with something. "What's the count?" he breathed. "Eighty-seven, Sir," the soldier told him. Eisen stood up. "I'll be on the comm," he said, starting back toward the original chamber so he could get a clear transmission. "Holes, Captain?" Sirrin asked. "That's right," Eisen's voice confirmed. "Almost a hundred of them. That's what they're looking for." Sirrin took a breath. "I want you to con..." Suddenly, the transmission began to fade out. "Captain?" Sirrin asked. "Captain Eisen, respond." He turned to the Communications Officer. "Some kind of interference, Sir," she told him. "I'm trying to isola..." "CON, SENSORS! NEW CONTACT! BEARING ONE-EIGHT-ONE MARK ZERO-SEVEN-ZERO!" Yarin shouted. "What the..." Sirrin got out. Then nothing. Eisen looked up as a bright flash lit up chamber from the heavens through the skylight. After a moment, the flash dissipated. "Claymore?" he called into his comm unit. "Claymore, respond." "Sir?" one of the Marines asked. "What is it?" Eisen was still staring up at the sky when he saw it. A tiny flash of green light, only about one-one thousandth the intensity of the one before it, only this time, the light remained. It was getting bigger. And bigger... "Tsunami..." he whispered. It would take another three weeks for a nearby Jurain transport to reach Porsea and discover the debris field in orbit. With all the asteroids in the area, no one gave the large crater on the planet's surface much thought. Mayuka watched from her place on the dais as Sasami appeared at the main door of the Great Hall. On either side of her, soldiers in the raiments of the Holy Knights of Jurai escorted her as she walked up to the throne. The young girl marveled at the scene before her. Standing next to her, Yosho seemed moved as well. Not a sound was heard as Sasami walked up the steps and faced the man waiting for her there. The Patriarch stepped forward motioned for her to kneel. Sasami knelt on one knee, her head bowed down. Mayuka got a good look at her for the first time since the ceremony started. Her aunt had always been beautiful, but now, arrayed in robes of state, she seemed doubly so. Her light blue kimono was covered by a long cape made of peacock feathers. Her long, silky ponytails hung down to the floor. Mayuka saw the sweat on her aunt's brow and felt a pang of sympathy. she thought. On the other side of the dais, Carvin watched as the young woman he had met on Mallistair kneeled before the Patriarch. He sighed quietly without knowing why. He blinked as he saw Sasami wobble where she knelt. The Patriarch took a wooden chalice from a nearby Archsennas. He dipped his fingers in the water in the cup and touched Sasami's forehead. Water from the chalice dripped down Sasami's face, giving him the impression of shed tears. "As the water of Tsunami blesses you," the Patriarch intoned, "May your reign bless this holy empire." He stood back. "Rise...Sasami...Queen of Jurai," he ordered. Sasami swallowed nervously and rose slowly to her feet. Again, she seemed to wobble. Carvin's eyes narrowed. He watched more carefully. Sasami rose to her feet and took a deep breath. she thought. She was sweating profusely now, and she didn't feel well at all. She took another deep breath and composed herself. She blinked. Her legs felt so weak. She was hot, and her damn kimono was *still* itching. She fought to ignore it. She only had to get through the ceremony and a short speech. She'd be alright. She nearly jumped when one of the soldiers that had escorted her knocked the butt of his spear into the ground three times. *BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* She closed her eyes and took another breath. The soldier called out in his booming Northlands brogue. "THREE CHEERS FOR HAR MADJESTY, SASAMI OV DJ'RAI! LONG MAY SHE RRREIGN!!! HIP HIP!" "HOORAY!" came the call from anyone in the room in a uniform, including Carvin and Mina. "HIP HIP!" "HOORAY!" Sasami took another breath. She felt nauseaus. "HIP HIP!" "HOORAY!" The Patriarch approached again and gently placed the gold crown of the Royal House on Sasami's head. Sasami turned to the crowd before her and took a breath as she prepared to deliver her short acceptance speech. Carvin watched as she turned. She looked pale. "People of Jurai," Sasami began haltingly. "I succeed my sister...but I know I could...I could never...replace her..." She paused. Her hand going to her face. She took another breath. Carvin saw her wobble on her feet and started toward her. "I hope only...that you can..." She paused again. Carvin rushed forward as Sasami suddenly collapsed. Cries of alarm went up as everyone in the hall stood up to see what was happening. Carvin knelt next to Sasami's unmoving form and checked her pulse. It was weak. Her breath was soft and unsteady. She was very pale. It appeared as if the blood had literally drained from her face. "Sasami?" he called. "Sasami? Can you hear me?" Mina knelt next to him. The Queen's breathing grew weaker. "Poison," Mina concluded deadpan. Carvin nodded and began running his hands up Sasami's sleeves and along her arms. "Check her legs. Look for a dart, an entry wound, anything that might indicate the source of the poison. If we can isolate it, she might have a chance." Mina nodded and began checking Sasami's legs. "What's happening?!" Mayuka cried, pushing to the front of the group. She looked at Sasami's unmoving form and gasped. "Aunt Sasami!?" Some people from the audience tried to push forward, but the guards leveled their weapons at them threateningly. Carvin's search became more desperate. "Where the hell's the trauma team!?" he called out. "Two minutes!" someone shouted back. "She'll be dead in two minutes!" he bit back. She was getting worse and they still hadn't located the entry wound. He stopped as he noticed something. He lifted the neckline of Sasami's kimono. The skin above the neckline was pale. The skin *below* the neckline was red and irritated. He quickly raised one of her sleeves and checked her arm. Her hand was pale. Her arm was as red as a Beleguese lobster. "Tsunami best and greatest," he breathed as the answer dawned on him. He unsheathed his ceremonial dagger from his belt and placed the blade at Sasami's throat. Grasping the neckline of her outfit, he began to slice down the front of the Queen's kimono, tearing the blue star silk off her as fast as he could. "Carvin!?" Mina began. "The poison's in the kimono!" he said, not even bothering to look up at her. Her eyes went wide. She quickly drew her own ceremonial knife and began cutting the kimono off her. By this time, the crowd was beginning to surge forward again. A medical team and a hover gurney came rusing into the hall. Carvin pulled the last piece of the poisoned silk off Sasami and tossed it away. Her entire body except for the parts that had not touched the silk was a deep red. He pulled his dress coat off and covered her body with it before lifting her up and placing her on the gurney. "Go!" he ordered the medic. The medics rushed the Queen out of the hall, surrounded by guards. From all over the palace, alarms started going off. Carvin didn't pull his eyes from the door Sasami had been carried through. Author's Notes: Send C&C to Thomas "009" Doscher at doscher009@hotmail.com Also, visit the newest Tenchi Muyo review site on the web at www.dragonsanime.com/cavdav Thanks for reading. ^_^ \/