And now a continuation to last chapter's cliffhanger ending. The usual. The Tenchi & the gang do not belong to me, and neither does the Marshal Kyoshin nor Chief Uchu, (yes, according to the OAVs, that is his name) nor Detective Second Class Amane from Tenchi Muyo! GXP, though some of their natures are of my creation. Karasu, Sasori, Kumo, and Suzumebachi are of my creation. To ask permission to use them or to give comments or suggestions to this fanfic series, please E-mail me at QueenIsis94@aol.com. As most of you already know, this series shows what may happen after Episode 13.5 of the OAVs. And now on to the main event. Tenchi Muyo: Manifest Destiny! Chapter 7: Trojan Yugami! "They took Karasu, too?" Washu asked the keening fire-dragonet, who flew to her shoulder, perched there, and hid her head in Washu's hair. "Damn. I was hoping Karasu would be the wild card we needed to free Ryoko and Mihoshi." "So they took Mihoshi, huh?" Kiyone asked Tanell."Why does that not surprise me." "How was Karasu captured, Tanell?" Ayeka asked the little golden dragon. Eyes flashing bright yellow, she spoke in a mental voice pitched for everyone to hear. :We were having a run this morning when Karasu heard two people bringing in Mihoshi to their small cruiser. We decided we had to rescue her. We would have gone for your help, but the two of them were gone and since the third person who was left to keep watch smelled of drugs, we decided we could take them ourselves. We were wrong. The fatal mistake, I think, was when Karasu took off her invisibility spell to free Mihoshi. I kept mine on. Karasu fought with the person still inside--we learned later his name was Suzumebachi-- and he was a much tougher opponent than we'd expected. For one thing, he had taken so many steroids he actually had muscles on his muscles. For another, D3, whoever he may be, had graced him with Tokimi's blessing, causing him to go completely insane. The insane can be very tough opponents. Then Karasu accidentally stepped on an Egyptian cobra, and it bit her. Don't worry, she isn't dead. If she was I wouldn't be here. Priestesses in Egypt have built up an immunity to the bite of that snake. It doesn't kill one, just gives her very interesting visions for a while. Anyway, Karasu figured it was a good time to play dead for a while. Only Suzumebachi figured out she wasn't dead, although I think he thinks she's near death, and decided to take her with him along with Mihoshi and Ryoko.: "But that's a direct violation of our agreement with Jurai!" exclaimed Kiyone. "We can't just abduct natives or let them know we're here in any way. This is a noninterference preserve! Not even a Spycatcher would dare to flaunt that rule." :Suzumebachi's cooked up a theory that, though absurd, would allow him to get past that. He noticed during their fight that Karasu's reaction time was faster than a normal humans. Coupling this with her survival of the snakebite, he assumed she was an alien humanoid visiting Earth, similar to Ryoko or any one of you young ladies. The amber eyes didn't help either, though some humans do have them.: "Dear gods!" Washu exclaimed. "She didn't use her magic, did she?" :Of course not. Karasu's not that stupid. If she had used it, Suzumebachi would know for sure that she was also serving Tokimi in some way, and would probably correctly conclude that she's an enemy of theirs. There's method in his madness, I have to admit.: "Are Ryoko and Mihoshi dead?" Sasami asked, clinging to Ayeka. :Not when I left, though I don't know how long they'll stay that way. Those three were talking about giving him to the Marshal, and I don't know what they'll do to them then.: "Well, he'll probably give Ryoko to D3 as a gift, and sacrifice Mihoshi to tighten the ties on their relationship," Washu said. "D3 likes that sort of thing. But the joke's on him! He doesn't know--" Tenchi, while calmly taking in all of Tanell's information, had failed to notice one basic thing about the discussion. "Wait a minute!" he cried. "Does this mean that Karasu's pet really is telepathic? I thought that that voice we heard was just Karasu throwing hers!" Everyone turned to look at Tenchi in bemusement, except Katsuhito, who wisely stayed anonymous, and Noboyuki, who looked even more baffled than the four aliens were. "Well . . . um . . . uh," said Ayeka. She paused and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lord Tenchi, but it takes time to properly sugarcoat a response." "I thought you knew," Kiyone said. "Pretty much all of us had figured out that when Tanell threw in those additions to our conversations that it was her and not Karasu." "Humans," said Washu. "You people have such a habit of mistaking supernatural activity for everyday phenomena. But enough of this prattle--we've got to go rescue them!" "I'll fire up *Yugami,*" said Kiyone. "We'd better pack some supplies--the food we're given for patrols are worse than plane food on Earth. And Central Command is several weeks away for a ship like *Yugami.*" :Oh, wait,: said Tanell. :I was supposed to tell you this. They're not headed for Central Command. The Marshal is anxious to see his granddaughter, so he's heading out to someplace called Galaxy Police Station Seven. So you should go there, not Central Command.: "You're kidding," Kiyone said to the fire-dragonet, who began projecting some confused emotions briefly. "My headquarters is the Seventh. If we take *Yugami,* it's only a day or two away! And we don't even have to sneak in--Chief Uchu wants to see me and Mihoshi with the report of the Clay incident. I had to force Mihoshi to write it, since I wasn't there for that. *Then* I had to edit it twice so it wouldn't be the length of the Kagato report. I'll go land *Yugami* on the lake. You'll have to swim out to it, but you'll all will be able to reach it." "We'll pack some supplies in the meantime," Ayeka said. "I don't want to be stuck eating Galaxy Police rations even for a couple of days. Right, Sasami?" The little girl nodded gravely. "You mean you plan to go, Ayeka?" Tenchi asked. "I thought you hated Ryoko." "'Hate' is a strong word--and even if I did, I couldn't leave Mihoshi and Karasu there. I like Karasu, and while Mihoshi is an idiot, that's no reason to let her die." "Plus, in case of emergency, you could come in handy," Kiyone said. "If push comes to shove, the Marshal will let them go if you ask. The Galaxy Police will do anything for Juraians, and you're the First Princess of Jurai." Washu looked doubtful, but only Yosho caught that look. "I'll follow you in Ryo'ohki, just in case something happens," Washu said. "I know her controls even better than Ryoko does--I should, I did create her--so we'll be able to follow you without being questioned by the Galaxy Police. It's always nice to have something in reserve." Karasu opened and blinked her eyes, a reaction to the sudden darkness around her. She had been serenaded by songs in the Pure Tongue around colors that were brighter than the brightest colors in the galaxy. And she should know! She sighed as she looked out of the porthole of the small cruiser she had been traveling in. Stars flew past it. She hoped Tanell had successfully escaped and gotten their message to Washu. It was hard to be mad at the humanoid now that she was in such desperate straits. She looked at the source of the sound that had awakened her. *They,* she reminded herself. Mihoshi and Ryoko were on board with her as fellow prisoners. *They* all were now in desperate straits. "Mihoshi," she asked the crying woman in reasoning tones, "will you please stop crying? This situation may not be as desperate as it seems/You can do a lot with only a little means." She shook her head. A side effect of the snake venom was that she rhymed speech for a few hours after she came out of it. Fortunately, the venom also increased her raw power and creativity. Mihoshi, startled, looked at Karasu. "K-Karasu!" she stuttered. "I thought you were dead. You certainly looked like it just a few minutes ago. They said a poison snake bit you. I couldn't survive a poisonous snakebite." "What I can do may surprise you yet," Karasu said. She looked at Ryoko. She was asleep, snoring peacefully. "Let's try to be quiet. I think we should wait for our captors to wake her up before we make any escape plans." She tugged at her bonds. "Idiots. They only tied me with *cord,* for Isis's sake. I can burn through these like they were air. I guess they figured the snake venom would take me out for longer than it did. Now, when those unholy false priests come in to check on us, I'm still unconscious. Remember that. Also remember what I said about letting the captors wake Ryoko." "Why, Karasu?" Mihoshi asked. "Ryoko can release a lot of power when she's angry." "I know," Karasu said grimly. "That's why I want her to release it on our captors, not *us.* "Oh," said Mihoshi. "Good point. Well, if we're not going to try to escape, what should we do?" "I can tell you a story," Karasu said, figuring it would keep Mihoshi quiet for a while--and as a bonus, maybe reawaken some of Mihoshi's previous life memories, before she was born into the ranks of the Galaxy Police. She hadn't done anything about Mihoshi yet. She'd been too consumed with Ayeka's partial assimilation with Isis-Tokimi. She would have to remedy that cause. "Oh, good," Mihoshi said. "I like stories. Do you have any with a woman as the hero? All the stories my mom ever told me had men as heroes. I'd like a change." "As a matter of fact, I do," Karasu said. "Once upon a time, there was a goddess named Isis. She was very powerful, not to mention cunning, but her place in the cosmos was lower than her power and intelligence should have bestowed upon her. Since the responsibility was less than she could have handled, she quickly got bored, and she got to thinking. She said to herself, 'Why cannot I be a goddess with the power of my father, and rule the heavens?' " . . . Kiyone had landed *Yugami's* skimmer on the lake. (Tenchi privately wondered how she had been able to do that. Mihoshi had always crashed full- force.) "Okay," she said. "Tenchi, you and Ayeka will accompany me, and Washu will follow in Ryo'ohki, is that right?" "Sounds good to me," said Tenchi. "Oh, Ayeka . . . you're going to get your clothes wet, walking to the skimmer door. I'm sorry." "Don't worry, Tenchi, I'll be changing them soon anyway," Ayeka pointed out. She started towards the lake, only to be stopped by Sasami. "Ayeka, I want to go too!" she begged. "You and Tenchi always have all the fun, and I have to stay here. I didn't even know about the problem with Dr. Clay until you'd taken care of it!" "Hmm," mused Washu. "Sasami, you're still young. You'll have to wait a while before you're old enough to fight with the rest of us. And battling is not fun, believe me." Ayeka shivered at an old memory. "It's still not fair. Even Ryo'ohki gets to go," Sasami protested. Washu took Sasami aside and began to whisper something in her ear. Sasami looked happier after that. "Kiyone?" Tenchi whirled in shock. It was Yosho! He was standing by a furiously blushing Kiyone in her Galaxy Police First Class uniform. "Be careful, and return home swiftly." "I'll try," said Kiyone. Tenchi looked on in astonishment as Yosho gracefully kissed her hand. Kiyone turned positively crimson. "Well, let's go, anyway," she said, pulled out a cube similar to the one Mihoshi possessed, and she, Tenchi and Ayeka disappeared. Washu said, "Well, what are you waiting for, Ryo'ohki? Let's go." Ryo'ohki, still in her cabbit form, turned into her spaceship body and disappeared. "Sasami, let's go back inside now," Katsuhito said. But there was no answer. Sasami was gone. "Washu!" Yosho exclaimed. Mihoshi waited for their captors to leave so Karasu could be alive again and tell her stories. They had come in four times since she'd woken up, some for long periods of time, so Karasu hadn't been able to finish her tale. It was too bad. Mihoshi liked stories. She asked one of the captors, a slender man with silver hair, "When are we going to eat? I'm very hungry." Saying that made her think of one of Sasami's meals, which she didn't want to think about. She felt empty enough already without thinking about all that divine food. "Don't worry. Soon we'll be at Galaxy Police Station Seven, you'll be reunited with your grandfather, and you can have all the nice food you want," the man said. Mihoshi didn't catch the slightly patronizing tone he used, but she was encouraged by the fact that he answered, so she asked another question. A woman with wine-red hair was arguing with a very muscular man. There was something about them all that rubbed Mihoshi the wrong way. She couldn't put her finger on what, though. "When will Ryoko wake up?" The man ignored her. Mihoshi wisely kept silent. She could hear the woman with wine-red hair talking with a muscular man. "Are you sure you didn't give her too much?" she was asking him. "Positive. The poison should wear off just as we get to Seventh Headquarters. That way, that abomination shouldn't give us much trouble." "And that woman?" the woman asked. "Are you sure she's an alien? If she turns out to be an Earthling, we'll be over our heads in hot water." "Positive," the muscular man said. "She was bitten by a poisonous snake, yet she still lives." "You never showed us that snakebite, Suzumebachi. What if you're just making it up?" the slender man said. "I'll show you the bitemarks," Suzumebachi said. "I saw the snake bite her myself." He walked over to Karasu and pointed at a place where there were two holes in her pant leg. "You see?" he said triumphantly. Mihoshi wondered how Karasu could keep from tensing up while Suzumebachi was touching her. She wouldn't have been able to in the same situation. The woman sighed. "Suzumebachi, there are no puncture marks there." "What?!" Suzumebachi demanded. He inspected Karasu's pant leg more closely. "Amazing . . . she must have healed already! Now you must admit she's an alien! No Earthling could heal that fast!" "Whatever you say, Suzumebachi," the slender man said. "But now Sasori and I really must get back to the front of the ship so we can pilot." As they were walking past out, Mihoshi heard the slender man ask Sasori, "Do you think he's telling the truth?" "I wouldn't put anything past Suzumebachi, Kumo," Sasori answered. Suzumebachi went into his private quarters shortly after, after checking Karasu's and Ryoko's reflexes. Karasu raised her head. "Thank Isis that's over," she said. Mihoshi wondered about Karasu's healing abilities, but could not focus her mind hard enough to make the question. Her ribbon itched. But she was soon in better spirits as Karasu continued her story. Tenchi and Ayeka sat in the *Yugami's* living room as Kiyone piloted it. Yukinojo had expressed his most grateful thanks to have Kiyone flying *Yugami* again, which Tenchi thought was understandable, considering the times he'd seen Mihoshi fly her skimmer. He stole a glance at Ayeka. He couldn't help noticing how the outfit she was wearing highlighted her dark pink eyes. He didn't even mind the bow she wore at her waist. He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know what to say. In addition to that, he felt guilty that he was noticing Ayeka's beautiful eyes and hair while Ryoko was held prisoner. Everything was all very confusing. He cared about Ryoko deeply, but was dimly aware that his love for Ryoko was different than what he felt for Ayeka. Events had happened too quickly for him to figure things out any better than that. So half a day had passed without him saying anything to Ayeka besides simple pleasantries. Kiyone yelled, "Tenchi, Ayeka, Washu has called us from Ryo'ohki. And she has something I think you both need to see." Ayeka and Tenchi walked from the living room to *Yugami's* cockpit. Washu was smiling at them from inside Ryo'ohki, dressed in her old Royal Space Academy uniform. Then Tenchi saw something else that made him gasp. From Ayeka's expression next to him, she was having the same reaction. "Miz Washu!" she exclaimed. "I would have thought that you of all people would have had better sense! How could you have brought Sasami along with you?" "Easy!" said Washu. "She asked and I said yes." Then her expression softened. "Look, Miss Ayeka, I know you don't like this, but it's for the best. If Sasami sees what hard combat--for I have a firm suspicion that's what we're going to encounter when we get to Galaxy Police Station Seven--she'll be scared by it, and she won't want to participate in these little forays until she's older." Ayeka examined that from all angles, trying to find something wrong with it. "I hate it when you make sense," she said finally. "And it's too late to bring Sasami back now. So we might as well continue as we are now. But if Sasami even gets a scratch, you're answering for it, Miz Washu." "Acknowledged," said Washu. "She will remain safe, and in my company. But now I think we had better discuss strategy." "You're right, Little Washu," said Tenchi. Washu looked smug. Tenchi looked at Kiyone. "You know more about the Galaxy police than any of us," he said. "What do you think we should do?" "Well, like I said, Chief Uchu wants to see me and Mihoshi in person about the Clay incident," Kiyone said. "He said the Marshal was very interested about the woman Clay was high about--what was her name again?" "Tokimi," supplied Washu. Ayeka went tense. Tenchi wanted to comfort her, but did not know what the problem was and feared saying the wrong thing. "I heard he even wanted to borrow Ryoko from you, Washu," Kiyone added. "But you refused. So Uchu wants Mihoshi to give a full report of the Clay incident, and me to come along to keep things to the salient points. But . . . wait a minute. Why would he want to see Mihoshi in person if he knows she's been taken prisoner by the Spycatchers?" :Maybe he's out of the loop.: Everyone turned around and saw Tanell perched on a railing. :Just because these Spycatchers are Galaxy Police doesn't mean all of them are in on it. You said it yourself, Kiyone. They are a secret society.: "You're right, Tanell . . . but how did you get on board? You weren't here when we took off." Kiyone asked. :Simple. As soon as you slowed down a little, I went *between* to this ship. It's like the fire-dragonet version of teleporting. You'll have trouble finding Karasu without me. I know where she is always, even if she is unconscious.: "Now wait just a minute!" exclaimed Washu. "I have a telepathic link with Ryoko, you know. As long as she's conscious, I know where she is." :It's always nice to have something in reserve,: said Tanell smugly. "All right, everyone," Ayeka said. "So, right now, the plan is to dock at Galaxy Police Station Seven, and walk in as if we own the place?" "With one small variation," Kiyone said. *"I'm* a Galaxy Police officer, so I have clearance, but you two are going to have to pretend to be prisoners. I have some DNA locks that don't work. We can use those." "I should have expected this," sighed Ayeka. "What about you, Washu?" asked Tenchi. "I have my ways. Just trust me, Tenchi." Washu said, half laughing. "I hate it when you say that," moaned Tenchi. Karasu put her head up. "We've stopped moving," she noted. "Oh, we must've docked," said Mihoshi. "Funny, in my experience Central Command always took longer to get to. But these people do have a really fast ship!" She rubbed at the steel bonds on her arms and legs. "My wrists hurt," she complained. "It's like they're burning." Ryoko yawned noisily. "Oh, good, she's waking up," Karasu said. "Ryoko! Ryoko! Do you hear me?" Ryoko rolled her head to the side, still half-asleep. "Oh, Tenchi, that's so nice," she said. "Yes . . . just like that." "Oh, well, I guess she's still asleep," Mihoshi said. "You know Ryoko, she loves her naps!" "Damn. The poison would have to be one of the types that leaves her system slowly," Karasu groaned. "There are rules about what I can and can't do! We'll have to wait until it's worn off more completely. I'll have to put up with this absurd masquerade a little longer." She lay down on the table suddenly and closed her eyes. A few seconds later Sasori, Kumo, and Suzumebachi entered the room. "I'll take the unknown," Suzumebachi said. "I'm the only one strong enough to handle her, since it's impossible to know what planet she came from until we get a look at her DNA. You two put DNA locks on the others." Mihoshi watched Kumo untie Ryoko from the steel locks she had been in and catch her as she fell. He tied the DNA lock on her without Ryoko making a single peep in protest. "Now, you be good," he said. "We had to make this lock specially for you. Your DNA is unique in the galaxy. Now, follow me, and don't cause trouble." "Yes, Tenchi," Ryoko said, and, her hands bound by the DNA lock, followed Kumo, still mostly asleep. Karasu opened her eyes a crack when Suzumebachi approached her. "You," she said eloquently. Suzumebachi looked startled. "You recognize me, even though I was invisible when we fought?" "I could smell you from outside the damn spaceship," Karasu said. "Now let me out. I want to go home. You've had your fun, you creep. Date-rape and all that stuff, I've heard about it. I just hope I don't get pregnant because you were too much of a jerk to get a date." "WHAT! I never touched you!" Suzumebachi yelled. "And what do you mean, 'let me out.' . . . Oh. I see. So that's your game. You're pretending to be an Earthling so as to get me in trouble with the Marshal. Well, no need for that facade. The DNA test will soon tell the real truth." "Facade? What facade?" asked Karasu. Mihoshi looked at her, bewildered. What was Karasu doing? She knew aliens existed and she definitely was not human! "And what do you mean, DNA test? There's no such thing on Earth! . . . Oh my god! You're a real alien, aren't you? I've been abducted. Please, whatever you do, don't rectal probe me! I'm sensitive that way!" She began to cry. Sighing, Suzumebachi picked her up in his arms. "Play your game if you like. Time will tell what you really are." Mihoshi looked at Karasu as Suzumebachi carried her out. The cord tying her feet together was gone. Was Karasu just playing possum? The whole thing was too complicated for Mihoshi to think about. But she was confident Karasu would free Ryoko. Sasori was speaking to her. "I'm sorry, Mihoshi, but we have to put you in a DNA lock until you're with your grandfather. Security reasons, you know." She eased the DNA lock around Mihoshi's wrists. Mihoshi immediately felt sick to her stomach. "Now let's go see your grandfather, Mihoshi. He really wants to see you, you know." "All right," said Mihoshi. "But after I'm done visiting, he's going to let me go back to Earth, right? I mean, I'm an adult now, and I can make my own decisions. And I like Earth!" "Whatever you want, Mihoshi," Sasori said, and led her slowly out of the ship and on, to Mihoshi's surprise, to Galaxy Police Station Seven. Suzumebachi carried Karasu into a small room and dumped her unceremoniously on a chair. A few rooms over, she could hear Ryoko's yelling and shouting as she fully came to and shrieks of alarm and surprise from her guards that the DNA lock hadn't fully repressed Ryoko's power. Karasu snickered mentally. Little did they know . . . "So, Suzumebachi, this is the alien you encountered on Earth," a nameless voice said. Karasu remembered she was supposed to be human, ignorant on life on other planets, and said, "Alien? Where?" in fear and huddled against the chair. "Oh, please don't dissect me, I'll be a good servant, really I will," she begged. One of the first thing a Priestess had to learn was how to lie. In a society that denied magic even existed, it was an essential skill to have. The nameless man looked at her askance. "She doesn't appear to be an alien. Just a young Earthling woman who's seen a few too many science fiction movies. Suzumebachi, you've done more than a few illegal things before, and I've managed to pull your butt out of the fire. But I won't be able to cover up for you this time, not with a kidnapping of a native from a noninterference reserve. You know where you'll end up." Karasu, while pretending to be afraid, fervently hoped it was someplace nasty. "I know what it looks like, but she's just playing a game! She's pretending to be an Earthling so we'll let her go. You should have seen the fight we got in on Earth. Her reflexes were amazing! And she got bitten by a poisonous snake native to Earth and lived through it, and she's fully healed already." "You do realize that what you recall could be a product of your own mind. I've heard of people with Tokimi's blessing going insane before. Sometimes people's minds just aren't suited for it." "Just analyze her DNA. I'm sure you'll find she's of alien origin in her genetic pattern," Suzumebachi said confidently. The nameless man approached Karasu, trying unsuccessfully to look gentle. If Karasu had really been afraid, she probably would have fainted. As it was, she tried to make herself as small in her seat as possible. "Don't worry, I'm just going to cut off a strand of your hair . . . ," he said. Karasu cringed. She heard the scissors cut off some hair, and the nameless man put it on a hard surface. She opened her eyes a crack, looking furtively around. She heard the nameless man sigh. "Suzumebachi, the results are of a purebred human. I can't cover up for you again. You know where you're going now." Karasu aimed a smug look at Suzumebachi, which he fortunately missed. "No!" cried Suzumebachi. "No, no, please . . . I swear she is not what she seems. . ." Karasu watched in fascination as his entire body turned red, then yellow, then blue, then white, burning as hot as the hottest star, before it ran out of fuel and combusted. Karasu reflected. D3 had certainly made Suzumebachi suffer--more than Karasu would have if she'd been the one killing him. Karasu sighed mentally. No one deserved to die like that, not even an insane jerk like Suzumebachi. She stole a look at the nameless man. He had stopped paying attention to her. She relaxed in her seat. Now was the time for action. The nameless man looked at Karasu with an expression he probably considered kindly. "Now, little Earthling, I will give you some gas to breathe," he said. "And when you wake up, you'll be back on Planet Earth and this will all be just a bad dream." "Yes," Karasu said. "A bad dream. You fell asleep at your desk, and dreamed all this." Only she sang it, the words rearranged into a sprightly little melody, and in the words of Pure Tongue. Magic resulted from singing that language in a decent song. The nameless man slumped to the floor, snoring. Karasu used his hand to open the door and walked out . . . Only to be almost knocked over by Ryoko! She was flying around blazing everyone in sight with her hair, sharp needles dashing into skin. Wind blew around everywhere, knocking countless passersby off their feet. She went straight for Karasu until the falcon shouted, "Ryoko, Ryoko, it's me! Karasu! I'M NOT AN ENEMY!" Ryoko paused and landed, looking at Karasu oddly. After about a minute her golden eyes looked less full of rage and more of sanity and she said, "Oh. I thought you were. What happened to us, anyway? Why are we in a Galaxy Police station?" "I can either explain it, or we can escape," Karasu said. "*Yugami* and Ryo'ohki are on the way." "How do you know?" asked Ryoko suspiciously. Karasu tapped the side of her head. "Tannie's been in touch with me the whole time. Don't worry, I'll explain everything to you later. After we're out of here." "Well, I hope they have a good plan," said Ryoko. "They can't just walk in here like they own the place." Karasu carefully looked blank. "What? They're actually going to walk in here like they own the place?" Ryoko asked, astonished. "Well, Kiyone *is* a Detective First Class. She's going to bring in Tenchi and Ayeka as rogue Jurai warriors she captured--with fake DNA locks, of course. *Yugami* is going to dock legally. It's like the Trojan horse ploy, except this time it's going to work. A Trojan *Yugami!*" she exclaimed, the concept apparently just then hitting home. "What's the Trojan horse?" Ryoko asked. "I'll explain later." Ryoko thought for a few minutes. "You know, Karasu, before this I thought you were just a little suck-up and a minor annoyance. Now I can see you're not a bad person to have around. Now for this DNA lock." She held her arms high up in the air and let a crimson red mass of energy emanate from herself, shattering the DNA lock into little tiny pieces. Her left hand was unharmed by the blast, and her right was already growing back. "Thank you, Ryoko," Karasu said. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment. Now we've got to free Mihoshi. Come on!" "You mean Mihoshi's taken prisoner too?" asked Ryoko, but followed Karasu as she jumped in amazing bounds down the hallway. "Tenchi, wake up." Tenchi came awake to the feeling of Kiyone shaking him. "C'mon, it's time to get into costume! Tenchi got out of one of the *Yugami's* many guestroom beds (why exactly a police spaceship had so many guestrooms, he didn't know) and put on a T-shirt, covered by the jacket he liked to wear so often. "What about Ayeka?" he asked. "She's already awake and is in the process of getting ready," Kiyone answered. "Do I have time to brush my teeth and hair?" Tenchi asked. "Sorry, Tenchi, time is of the essence," Kiyone said. Tenchi sighed in acknowledgement. "Well, do I at least have time to pee?" he asked hopefully. Kiyone said, "All right. But make it snappy." Tenchi went into the bathroom connected to the guestroom and voided his bladder, then gave his teeth a quick scrub with a mint stick Karasu had lent him in case of emergency. She swore they worked as well as toothpaste. Tenchi hoped she was right. On stepping out of the bathroom, he immediately put on the ring with the double set of diamonds on it that transformed him into his Juraian warrior self. Grabbing Tenchi-ken from under his pillow, he walked out of the room . . . and stumbled right into Ayeka. "Miss Ayeka! I'm so very sorry!" Tenchi said, bowing deeply and backing away. "It's all right, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka hastened to reassure him. "You didn't hurt me at all. I didn't mind it, really." "Oh. Well, that's good," said Tenchi, flushing and uncomfortably aware that he was flushing. Ayeka, a slight flush on her own cheeks, said, "I was just going down to the cockpit to meet Kiyone." "So was I," said Tenchi. "Would you like to walk with me, Miss Ayeka?" "I'd like that," Ayeka said, and the two of them walked down to *Yugami's* cockpit. When they got there, Kiyone was talking to Washu. "And you're sure this will work?" she asked. "Of course! Ryo'ohki's cloaking mechanism has never been field- tested--neither Kagato or Ryoko were aware it existed--but Ryo'ohki knows how to do it, and if I just ask her, she'll put it up. This ship flies much better if you put her on cruise control." "And no kind of search will be able to detect you?" Kiyone asked. "Nothing the Galaxy Police can throw at me, at any rate." Sasami, seeing Ayeka and Tenchi approach her, cried out, "Hello, Ayeka! Hello, Tenchi!" "Hello, Sasami," Tenchi answered. Ayeka made no response. "Well, I suppose that'll have to do," Kiyone said. "All right, turn this cloaking mechanism on, Washu, whatever it is." "Gladly," Washu said, and turned off the window. Kiyone turned to Ayeka and Tenchi. "All right, you know the plan. Ayeka, put on your mask--I'm sorry, but as First Princess of Jurai you're just too recognizable to go unmasked--and let's get these DNA locks on." Then she sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this . . ." "You get used to it," Ayeka told her. :Yeah, we're all right, Tannie. We're heading to get Mihoshi now and then we'll head for the rendezvous point. I miss you too. Bye.: "Karasu, are you sure this is going to work?" Ryoko asked Karasu, startling her a bit. "I mean, we're not even dressed for battle. We're in civilian clothes, walking around like we own the place. You can hurt people--you did a fine job of it with me. Why don't you?" "I want us to be as inconspicuous as possible," Karasu said. "And, on my time in Creation, I've discovered that, no matter what culture you're in, no matter what planet, that as long as you blend in and know like you know where you're going, people will generally leave you alone. Anyway, I can't hurt these people. They haven't threatened us." Ryoko stared at Karasu as if she had just made that last statement in Swahili. "You mean you can't kill people unless they threaten you?" "Yes," Karasu said. "It's a behavior my mother drilled into me from birth--never hurt a sapient being unless they're hurting you." "I would have to hook up with a killer carnivore race that has morals," Ryoko grumbled. "Wait a minute. How do we know we're just not wandering around aimlessly? This Galaxy Police station has so many twists and turns, *I* haven't been able to follow our path." "I'm following Mihoshi's scent. That will lead us to her." "Following her scent . . . ," said Ryoko, shaking her head. "And you have this incredibly good sense of smell because you're a raptor, no doubt." "You sounded very much like your mother right then, Ryoko. It's too bad you weren't being serious," Karasu said gaily, turning another corner. "Well, okay," said Ryoko. "Even supposing that you can follow Mihoshi's scent, how are we going to find her among all these people?" "Mihoshi has a very distinct odor, and I've been around her for quite some time. I could follow her scent all the way to the other side of this space station." "Well, then, since you know so much, how close are we?" "Very." Karasu opened yet another door and came to a room with three passageways leading out of it. "Damn!" she suddenly yelled. "What?" Ryoko asked. "I've lost the scent. None of these passageways smell like Mihoshi." "Well, maybe you took a wrong turn," Ryoko suggested. "No, I know I haven't. Mihoshi's scent is in this room--it just doesn't go anywhere." Karasu ran a hand through her unbraided hair. "Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!" "Karasu? *Lady* Karasu? By Tokimi, it's really you! What are you doing in Galaxy Police Station Seven?" Ryoko turned around to face a tall woman with short blond hair, the uniform of a Second Class Detective, and an expression of one who knows things instinctively on her face. She was bowing deeply to Karasu." "Amane, stop it. I hate all that bowing and scraping stuff. And don't call me 'Lady.' It's just Karasu. I hate titles. But it is nice to see you. When was the last time we met, at last New Year's celebration in Egypt?" "Yes . . . Karasu, that was it. I loved the jokes you told as an introduction to the party. 'Don't tip the servants. They don't even know what money is. You'll just confuse them.' That was hilarious!" Amane laughed again. "Well, I was actually being serious, as in Egypt there is no such thing as money, but thanks for the sentiment," said Karasu. "Thanks for befriending Mihoshi. She needs all the friends she can get." "No problem," said Amane. "It was obvious what Mihoshi really was, and someone like that, especially with all of Mihoshi's problems, would need a good friend." "Speaking of Mihoshi, we were looking for her," Karasu said. "She's sort of been kidnapped. Well, so were we, but we got out. Do you know the way to the Marshal's quarters? I have a hunch that's where she'll be." "Of course, Karasu, no problem!" Amane said cheerfully. "Not many people know this, but there's a secret door in this room. Here," she said, pressing a small button wedged between two seams. A door with stairs leading out of it opened. "Go up there and you'll find the Marshal's quarters." Karasu sniffed experimentally. "Yup, Mihoshi's scent leads right up there," she said. "Thanks, Amane." "Don't mention it," Amane said. "After all, we're fellow Priestesses!" "Good-bye, Amane. See you at the next New Year party." "Wait a second," Ryoko said after they had closed the door. "There are non-Earthling Priestesses?" "Of course," Karasu said. "There are Priestesses everywhere in the universe!" "So you've been off Earth before," Ryoko stated slowly. "Yes," said Karasu. "But yesterday was my first time in a spaceship." She grinned at Ryoko, who looked the other way in disgust. Section Chief Uchu served the Commander of Galaxy Police Station Seven his afternoon tea. The Wau always had to have his tea, no matter how chaotic it was. People were yelling how the space pirate Ryoko was running amok all over the station, along with a new accomplice that was rumored to be an Earthling. No one had seen them for a long time now, which meant to their minds that they were hatching trouble. "I don't like to say I told you so, but, well, I told you so, Commander," Uchu said. "Letting Spycatchers openly in here can only cause trouble. Don't get me wrong--I'm sure there are plenty here we don't know about- -but openly! Nothing good can come of it." "Preaching to the converted," the Commander said. "I only let them in because I had the Marshal's express orders to do so. You can't say no to your boss." Uchu acknowledged that point. The Commander asked. "Do you believe what Mihoshi's report said-- about Ryoko being under that monstrosity Kagato's control, and is repenting of her crimes on Earth?" "Well, this station still exists, Commander, and we're still alive, so I'd have to say she's not as bad as she's made out to be." "You have a good head on your shoulders, Uchu. You'd better call Kiyone and Mihoshi and tell them to stay away from the immediate area." "Oh," said Uchu. "I just let them in our airspace a few minutes ago. They'll be docking soon." "What?" the Commander said. "The only way that this mess could get worse is if we added Mihoshi to it!" Uchu tried to make himself as small as possible, and tried to skulk away. Tenchi's hands chafed inside the DNA lock as Kiyone led him and Ayeka inside Galaxy Police Station Seven. He could not turn his head to look at Ayeka, but hoped she was doing all right. Kiyone was behind them with the strings to the DNA locks and her hand on her gun. He could hear Tanell walking along beside them, her claws tapping on the floor as she walked. They approached the door out of the docking area and inside Galaxy Police Station Seven proper. The guard let Kiyone in on sight. Tenchi faintly heard some laughter and something about "Mihoshi's baby-sitter." He hoped Kiyone was keeping her face straight. A few hallways later, Kiyone said, "All right. Now take off your DNA locks." Tenchi removed his from his hands and then his neck. Beside him, he could see Ayeka doing the same thing. He looked at her. She was taking off her mask. "I cannot breathe in this thing," she complained. "All right. Now we head for the rooms where the really dangerous criminals are kept," Kiyone said. "That's where we'll find Ryoko, anyway. We can look for the others after we've found her." "Wait, Kiyone!" Tenchi said. "Washu and Sasami haven't joined us yet!" "We're nearer than you think, Tenchi!" Washu's voice said. "Ahh!" Tenchi started forward in panic and then looked behind him. Washu, Sasami, and Ryo'ohki in her child form were standing behind him. "Meow?" Ryo'ohki queried, obviously confused. "How--how did you get there?" Tenchi asked Washu as Tanell jumped on her shoulder. "I told you that I have ways, Tenchi," Washu said smugly. "Can we not do that again, Washu? It was cold in there," Sasami asked. "Where?" asked Ayeka. "The astral plane, of course!" Washu said. "It serves as a nexus for travelers wanting to get someplace in a hurry, because it's both everywhere and nowhere at once. Of course, you've got to travel pretty quickly, because there's no oxygen." She looked at everyone, their faces blank. "I'll explain later," she said. "Let's go." As they walked down the hallway Washu muttered to herself, "I wish Karasu were here. She'd understand what I was talking about. I'm starting to miss that falcon." Mihoshi sat in her seat, talking with her grandfather. He was being so nice to her! Asking about what she was doing on Earth, who she had made friends with, if she was happy. Mihoshi was happy to be reunited with her grandfather, but she had never felt that strong of a familial connection with any of her relations and she was thinking about leaving for Earth now. "Grandfather Kyoshin," she asked her grandfather. "I don't mean to be rude, but can Ryoko and Karasu and I head back to Earth now? We're going to be missed pretty soon. Maybe already. I bet Sasami's very worried." Her grandfather's face stiffened just a little. "Ryoko is a dangerous criminal," he said. "She should be dealt with justly. As for Karasu, I am sure she is heading back to Earth already. But wouldn't you like to stay with your grandfather, Mihoshi? Go back to Central Command, have a nice, high-paying job? Wouldn't you like that?" "No!" said Mihoshi. "I like it on *Earth.* And Ryoko isn't so bad as all that--she's really gotten much better since Washu assimilated her with Zero! Sure she still fights with Ayeka, but that's only because of Tenchi. She's not a bad person deep inside!" Mihoshi's grandfather, the Marshal of all the Galaxy Police, stared at Mihoshi in consternation. "You mean, in despite of all that Central Control has to offer, you'd rather be stationed on *Earth?* he asked, sounding flabbergasted. "Yes!" Mihoshi said. "I'm not a child anymore. I can handle my own life now, Grandfather! And I wish to stay on Earth with all my friends!" Kyoshin stared for a few seconds, then recovered himself. "Mihoshi, kindly excuse me for a minute," he said. "Uh, okay," said Mihoshi. Her grandfather left her and entered a room joined to the one she was in. He closed the door. Mihoshi could hear snatches of conversation, but nothing she could make a dialogue out of. The door to the room opened, and Ryoko and Karasu broke in. "Ryoko, Karasu!" Mihoshi cried. "You are all right! My grandfather was just kidding me! Can you believe he said you were going to be killed, Ryoko?" "Yes," Ryoko said. Karasu, meanwhile, was listening to something. "I know that voice," she said slowly. "I know that tone. I know that timbre." She started. "By Isis's true name, it's *Re!* D3 is Re! I knew the Usurper had to fit in this somewhere!" She smiled faintly at Ryoko's and Mihoshi's blank looks. "No time for explanations now! We've got to get out of here!" "But, Karasu, my grandfather wouldn't mean us any harm," Mihoshi protested. Karasu stared at Mihoshi. "Mihoshi, listen to me like you've never listened to anyone before in your life," she said with teeth gritted. "Neither you nor your grandfather may be aware of it, but if you stay here, you will be *burned alive.* Tears leaked down Mihoshi's face. "Really? Oh no! That's horrible! Why would Grandfather Kyoshin do such a thing?" "For now, we need to get out of here," Karasu said. "Here. Both of you take your arms in mine, and jump when I jump. This is a little trick I learned from Tannie." "What good will that do?" Ryoko asked. "Like I said earlier, I've been in touch with Tanell all along," Karasu said. "All I'm doing is simply going to her. And *she's* with everyone else." "Oh, all right," said Ryoko. The universe went black. "How soon until we get to the jail cells, Kiyone?" Tenchi asked. "Quite a ways," Kiyone admitted. "The halls of Galaxy Police Station Seven were designed this way on purpose, to confuse criminals. What? Tanell, what are you doing?" The fire-dragonet was standing in front of them all, wings mantled, growling. She was obviously trying to prevent them from going forward. "Here they come," said Washu in a satisfied tone. Kiyone took a step towards Tanell, obviously intending to pick up the fire-dragonet and continue, but at that moment Karasu, Ryoko, and Mihoshi fell on her. Karasu took Tanell in her arms and hugged her tightly. Thereafter followed many scenes of touching reunions--even Kiyone looked happy to see Mihoshi--until only Ryoko and Ayeka were left. "Well, Ryoko," Ayeka said, "I don't like you, but I couldn't leave you here to die. I've reached the point where I can tolerate you." "I suppose I can say the same," Ryoko said "Life without you would get boring real fast." Ayeka accepted that and they shook hands. Washu looked amazed. "We have just witnessed a miracle!" Karasu stated. "All right, now that we've got everyone, let's get out of here," Kiyone said. "Not so fast," a voice said. Everyone turned their heads around to see a man and a woman blocking their way. "Sasori! Kumo!" Karasu said. "I should have remembered to take you into account." Sorry for the cliffhanger ending, but the full story would take too long. I'll give you the ending soon. Only one more part until the arc is finished. But the series is far from over!