Episode 6:  Battle in Tokyo

    The moon hung in the sky like a jeweled ornament while the city of Tokyo
tried to determine the cause of the chaos earlier that night. Had they been
able to see what hovered just above the atmosphere, they wouldn't have
cared. The shady object gleamed with a metallic glow. As the sun rose in the
east, the hideous thing was silhouetted with sharp colors of contrast. It
was humanoid in shape, but sprouted long sickle claws on both hands and
rocket boosters on its feet. Over its back were slung two high-power laser
pulse rifles, while a wide assortment of armaments had been wrapped around
its steel waist.
    Its eyes flashed a sinister green as the sun climbed over the horizon.
The prototype Bioroid's first mission was about to begin. The target: Tenchi
Masaki, charged with two counts of interference with the law, one count
petty theft, and three counts willful destruction of government property.
This strange Earthling was considered skilled, armed, and extremely
unpredictable.
    If the machine could have smiled, it would have. It thought to itself
using its advanced AI. 'A perfect target . . .'

<<>>

    "This is just crazy." Kiyone speculated while sipping hot tea in the
Masaki living room.
    All people involved with the Tokyo incident reclined on chairs sipping
various drinks, except for Mihoshi who was snoring on the couch.
    Kiyone leaned forward. "How in the world did all you people come
together just by coincidence?" She looked around the room to reassure
herself that she wasn't dreaming. "I can understand how you, Legendary
Warrior Yosho, came here, and how your grandson can use the Master Key." She
turned again. "And it's a little far-fetched, but I can see how Princess
Ayeka and Princess Sasami ended up here." Her expression turned to disgust.
"But how can you live with that . . . Space Pirate Ryoko?!"
    Ryo-Ohki bounced across the living room and hopped into Kiyone's lap.
Kiyone looked uncomfortably at the cabbit that purred like a car engine.
"And what is this thing? It's following me everywhere!"
    Sasami smiled and giggled. "That's just Ryo-Ohki! She likes new people,
that's all."
    This was still sort of a shock to the blue-haired police officer. "Right
. . ."
    Tenchi leaned forward in a rocking chair. "It doesn't really matter how
we all came to be here," He glared at Kiyone. "Or what our pasts are. What
we need to know is what to do with those Bioroids."
    Kiyone looked strangely at him. How did he know what a Bioroid was? She
dismissed it.
    "All right, listen up," she began. "The Bioroids have gone into standby
mode. This means that they're hiding somewhere in the city, waiting for
orders from command." She pulled out a computer pad and began crunching
numbers. "If my guess is right, command will probably send reinforcements
and then select you, Tenchi, as their next target."
    Tenchi stood up in surprise. "What?! Me? Why?"
    Kiyone clenched her fist. "It's another damn priority configuration. If
someone interferes with a mission's main objective, he or she becomes the
primary target, and the original target takes a backseat until you're
eliminated."
    Tenchi slammed his fist on the arm of his chair. "Damn."
    Ayeka gazed at the coffee table. "Lord Tenchi . . ."
    Yosho set his cup of sake down and spoke. "You're all taking this the
wrong way. Isn't it better that the Bioroids chase a target that is fully
capable of defending himself than to chase an incapacitated one?"
    Kiyone smiled. "You're right! At least this way we have a better
 chance!"
    Yosho smiled. "You're a very spirited woman, Kiyone, unlike your
partner, who has a, um . . ." He looked at Mihoshi as she drooled on the
couch pillow in sleep. "Definite lack of such."
    Ayeka stood up. "Wait a minute!"
    Everyone turned.
    "We don't have to defend ourselves at all!" she continued.
    "What do you mean?" Sasami asked.
    Ayeka stretched out her arms. "We can just turn in Ryoko! After all, her
crimes haven't gone unnoticed. She deserves her fate!"
    "Stop it, Ayeka!" Tenchi shouted.
    Everyone turned once again with mouths open. No one had ever seen Tenchi
like this.
    Tenchi gripped the Master Key so hard that it seemed as if it were about
to break. "You keep on slandering her and calling her 'space pirate' and
'devil woman'! You don't even know her! I-" A vision returned to him of
Ryoko saving him from the Ryu-Oh. Tears started to well in his eyes. "She
almost gave her life for me. She's no devil woman; she's a lonely girl."
    The tip of the key began to glow. "I won't let her die."
    Ayeka nodded slowly. "I understand."
    Kiyone threw a pillow at Mihoshi, prodding her to consciousness. The
blonde girl rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What is it, Kiyone? What did I
miss?"
    Everyone turned to the sound of the screen door being shoved open and
Noboyuki dashing into the living room. He pointed in the direction of the
shrine. "Everyone, Ryoko' life signs are beginning to fade!"

    Sasami didn't know the woman in the healing tank, but she still cried in
her sister's lap. Ryoko hung almost lifelessly in the liquid of the
cylindrical healing tank, being supported only by an oxygen mask. Yosho was
pressing buttons on a nearby keypad.
    "Hmm," he speculated. "Her injuries are much worse than I had at first
thought."
    "What do you mean, Grandpa?" Tenchi inquired.
    Yosho frowned. "Sasami's Jurai power was enough to heal her physical
wounds, but that's not the problem." He brought up a diagram of Ryoko's body
in green wire frame. Running throughout her body was a strange gray matter.
    "What is that?" Ayeka wondered.
    "Astro-body material." Yosho explained. "I've only seen it implemented a
few times, but not to this extent. It's what allows Ryoko to heal herself
and regenerate lost limbs." He punched up a series of graphs. "According to
this, the astro-body material has suffered a great reduction. She's lost
over half of it."
    Sasami gasped.
    "With only this much material," Yosho continued, "She can't survive."
    Tenchi made a fist and clenched it. As if there weren't enough problems
already.
    Ryo-Ohki bounded in from outside just as an explosion rocked the shrine.
Tenchi dashed outside and stopped himself on a support post. There were the
remaining Bioroids, lined up in a menacing row of 17. Facing them were
Kiyone and Mihoshi with blasters drawn.
    One of the robots spoke. "This does not compute. Identity confirmed:
Detectives First Class Kiyone and Mihoshi, Assignment Protocol: Protect
Princess Ayeka and Sasami." It shifted in position. "Stand aside. The one
called Tenchi Masaki is in that building. He must be arrested."
    Kiyone clicked a charge into the pistol barrel. "Not on your life."
    Mihoshi sported a rather large sweatdrop.
    The Bioroid brought its laser to bear. "You are terminated."
    Tenchi lunged forward, activated the Master Key, and threw it. The light
sword whirled through the air like a discus and cut the Bioroid into pieces.
Tenchi caught it on the backspin and smiled. "There, that makes it 16 even."
    The rest of the Bioroids brought their lasers up, but then stopped upon
seeing Princess Ayeka exit the shrine.
    If the next lead Bioroid could have looked confused . . . you get the
idea. "Princess Ayeka, stand aside. We must arrest these criminals."
    Ayeka stood arms akimbo. "By decree of the Jurai Royal Family, I order
you to cease and desist all activities involving Colonized Planet #0315 and
return to Galaxy Police Headquarters immediately."
    "We cannot follow that order." the Bioroid responded.
    Ayeka looked indignant. "Why not?"
    "Our previous orders come from the Emperor of Jurai. His authority
supersedes your own."
    Ayeka frowned. "All right, you may carry out you mission, but you must
do it at a later time."
    The Bioroid was puzzled. "Why is that?"
    "You idiot! If you started a fight right here, I or my sister could be
hurt in the crossfire!"
    All of the Bioroids formed large sweatdrops. "Oh."
    Ayeka smiled. This was working. "You shall wait until 1800 hours tonight
and attack these vile criminals-"
    Kiyone turned. "Watch it."
    Ayeka continued. "You shall attack these people at that time, do I make
myself clear?"
    The Bioroids spouted a quick "Yes, ma'am." and then rocketed back
towards the city.
    Ayeka turned towards the others. "Well, now we have some time to
prepare."
    Kiyone sheathed her blaster and turned to Ayeka and the others who were
standing near the shrine steps. "Actually, Ayeka, I don't think that you,
Sasami, or Yosho should get involved."
    "Why not?! Tenchi's in danger!" Ayeka exclaimed.
    Kiyone pushed her headband up. "There's a chance that all of the people
who fight the Bioroids will become convicted felons, myself and Mihoshi
included. They're already after Tenchi's head, so we don't need our only
connections to the Jurai Royal Family cut off! It's the only way that we can
get a pardon if we get convicted."
    Ayeka nodded regretfully. "I understand."
    Kiyone began to walk towards the place where they had hidden the Yagami.
"Come on, Mihoshi. We need to set up some stuff for tonight."
    As they walked off and Ayeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, and Noboyuki made their
way towards the house, Yosho put a hand on Tenchi's shoulder. "I'm sorry
that I can't help you in your upcoming battle."
    Tenchi turned around. "It's all right Grandpa; this isn't your fault."
He looked towards the shrine. "I have to be the one to protect Ryoko, even
if she is dying."
    Yosho smiled. "Ah, I see! So you've already chosen you bride, eh
 Tenchi?"
    Tenchi's face practically glowed red and he flailed about with his arms.
"No! Nothing like that, Grandpa! She just saved my life; that's all!"
    Yosho laughed. "Sure, Tenchi, whatever you say. (snigger)" He motioned
toward the newly regrown cherry blossom path. "On a more serious note,
though, I feel that I must teach you a few more advanced techniques with
that sword. After all, this isn't one-on-one."
    Tenchi smiled in the Yagami's direction. "I think that Mihoshi and
Kiyone are working on evening those odds."

<<>>

    Kiyone was examining the fuel meter on her Bio-Armor Suit. "Just great."
she moaned. The thing had dropped to almost empty from the last battle.
    "Mihoshi, do we have any extra fuel containers?" she called into the
ship.
    From somewhere in the corridors, Mihoshi called back: "Nope, we forgot
to restock at Headquarters."
    Kiyone grumbled. "You mean you forgot."
    She gave up on the suit and started making plastic explosives. After a
while, she began to wonder why she hadn't heard Mihoshi trip on anything.
Kiyone got up to ascertain her partner's whereabouts.
    "Mihoshi!" she called. "Where are you, Mihoshi? Did you fall asleep
agai-"
Mihoshi ran straight into her from a side corridor. As they picked
themselves up off the floor, Kiyone groaned. "Where were you?"
    Mihoshi pulled out a rather large laser pistol. "Well, when you said to
go find some weapons, I remembered that I bought this thing a while ago at
Headquarters. What do you think?"
    Kiyone gaped in awe. "This is an L3-X Eliminator! How did you afford
this Mihoshi?"
    Mihoshi smiled. "From change that I picked up out of the couch!"
    Kiyone was dumbfounded. Foresight was not usually one of Mihoshi's
strong points. "Well, it's perfect Mihoshi. This will really come in handy!"

<<>>

    Tenchi leaned against a maple tree and watched his grandfather. The
sword training area was a circular patch of clear ground with short, thin
wood stumps that served to practice balance. The practice target, a stick of
wood, hung by a thread from a high-up tree branch
    "So Grandpa," Tenchi stated after watching his Grandfather stand in the
same place for almost 15 minutes. "What's the sword technique that you
wanted to show me?"
    Yosho spoke with his eyes closed and one hand holding the Master Key in
front of his face. The other was held in a diagonal position, hovering just
beyond the hilt. "Patience is a virtue, Tenchi."
    Tenchi smirked. "Come on, Grandpa. If the technique takes this long to
work, then it's of no use at all."
    Yosho opened one eye slightly. "That's not why I'm waiting."
    Tenchi stood apart from the maple. "Then why?"
    Yosho sighed. "My Jurai power is not what it used to be. It takes a
while to charge up." He smiled. "You could accomplish this in seconds."
    Suddenly, the light blade shot out of the hilt. Tenchi could never get
used to the chi vibration or the resulting hum.         Yosho raised the
blade over his head and posed. The hilt began to shake and small lightning
bolts came out of the handle.
    Tenchi stepped back. What was his grandfather trying to do?
    Yosho started a slow chant and the blade started to draw energy into the
violet claws on either side of the handle. The suction grew faster and
faster while the blade grew brighter and brighter. Then, without warning,
the carvings on the handle came to life and reconfigured into a longer hilt.
It was as long as a staff! Then the energy blade focused and stretched into
a scythe. Tenchi gasped in awe. What was the purpose of the scythe?
    The question remained unanswered as Yosho exhausted himself and stopped
the chant. The sword returned to normal shape and deactivated.
    Tenchi stepped forward. "What was that, Grandpa?"
    Yosho gave him a serious look. "That was the Armor One Transformation
Technique."
    Tenchi was confused. "Armor One?" He then looked at his grandfather's
clothes. Tenchi had been looking at the Master Key so much that he had
failed to notice a change in apparel. His grandfather usually wore a white
shirt with baggy, light blue pants. Those pants had shortened and changed to
black. His grandfather also looked a little younger. These changes soon
faded also.
    "What's going on?" Tenchi asked.
    "Every member of the Jurai family is capable of a certain
transformation. The Master Key can reconfigure itself to match the energy of
the transformation, and therefore amplify its own strength."
    Yosho fished an object out of his shirt and handed it to Tenchi. It was
a necklace consisting of ten white jewels.
    Tenchi looked at them with wonder. "What are these?"
    Yosho looked at the sky. "I really don't know. You see, when you were
born, your father called me from the hospital. When the call was finished, I
went back into my study and these gems had simply appeared." His face became
serious once more. "When I consulted the spirit fire, I was told that these
jewels hold a great power, but can only be used by one person in the
universe: the one who is man and yet Jurai. Since neither I nor your mother
could use this, it must belong to you."
    Tenchi put the necklace around his neck and stuffed the diamonds into
his shirt.
    Yosho smiled. "I guess you could say that these are the family jewels."
    Both broke out laughing, and didn't notice that the jewels had
contracted into a cluster in the center of the necklace . . .

<<>>

    At 5:00 that afternoon, everyone was glued to the TV screen. The news
was showing a large, menacing robot that looked similar to a Bioroid,
surrounded by the 16 survivors of the previous fights.
    The newscaster was nervously reporting what little he knew. "This
strange machine appeared this morning on top of the Jyuben Dream Mall. It
has remained motionless for most of the day, but was interviewed by
reporters with a single question: 'Who are you?'"
    The robot's voice came on the speaker. "I wait for Tenchi Masaki. If he
is not here by dawn, I will destroy this entire city." It turned to look
directly into the lens. "I'm waiting."

<<>>

    It was 5:50, and night was approaching quickly. Kiyone revved up a
motorcycle that had been resting in the Masaki garage for God knows how
long. The Eliminator was strapped to her back along with a backpack filled
with plastic explosives. Both her and Mihoshi's GP pistols were clamped to
her belt.
    Tenchi climbed on the back end, armed with the Master Key and a spare
pistol. Kiyone put on the motorcycle helmet and clicked down the visor while
Tenchi folded his arms around her thin waist. Kiyone blushed a little under
the helmet.
    "Okay," Kiyone stated. "We're going into Tokyo to take care of the
Bioroids and this new guy who's shown up on top of the mall. We'll probably
be attacked on the way, so have that blaster ready."
    "Got it!" Tenchi responded.
    Kiyone pulled the throttle and the pair on the motorcycle sped off into
the darkness.
    Yosho turned to Mihoshi and the others who were standing outside.
"Mihoshi, prepare the Yagami for takeoff."
    "But why?" Mihoshi inquired.
    "If they fail and the Bioroids come here, I want everybody out of here."
He brandished a new katana. "I'll have to do battle with them then."

<<>>

    Deep in the forest behind the Masaki Shrine lay the broken halves of a
gigantic crystal. A naked woman who appeared to be around the age of
fourteen wandered clumsily through the brush. Only her bright magenta hair
could be seen as she ventured in the direction of the shrine. She was
muttering something to herself.
    "Too damn cold, just too damn cold . . ."

Disclaimer:
 This is a work of fan fiction and uses characters and situations from the
Tenchi Muyo TV series, copyrighted under Pioneer.  Also, some characters may
come from the No Need For Tenchi graphic novel series, copyright Viz Comics.
I take no credit for the base characters and plot, but all developments as
of the time frame of my story are of my own design.  If by some strange
chance my plot is parallel to another author's fan fiction, I wish to be
notified.  For comments and information, E-mail me at bkvhw@earthlink.net

Coming Soon:  LIGHTHAWK LEGEND, Episode 7:  The Gem Factor!