Author’s Note: Most of the characters in the following story are not mine and in no way do I claim them to be. Nor do I claim that I created the universe that the characters are placed in. The characters and the universe remain the property of Hitoshi Okuda, Pioneer LDC, INC and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing CO. Please do not sue. This is a fanfic and is nothing more than a show of my appreciation to the creators of Tenchi Muyo. No Need for Dark Warriors Chapter 8 The Masaki household had emptied quickly with the news of Jurai’s “situation” as Washuu had so carefully chosen to call it seeing as how the word “destroyed” couldn’t do much to help the circumstances. However this of course did not change the fact that everyone knew that Jurai was gone, it just helped to keep the tear and panic levels down somewhat. For now everyone had split up. Ryoko had taken Ryo-Ohki into low orbit and Washuu had of course gone with them in order to begin hastily grafting her time machine into Ryo-Ohki’s unique matrix. Washuu had made it clear that the time machine was going to be a hack job at best seeing that she didn’t have much time to make any fine adjustments. She had informed everyone that they could only go back in time a month at the most. However the others had faith that somehow the little scientist was going to pull it off. As for the king and queen of Jurai, they had returned to their fleet intending to provide any assistance they could to Washuu’s efforts aboard Ryo-Ohki, but it was clear the best thing they could do was just sit tight in their ships and wait. Aeka and Sasami had gone with their parents, as that was deemed the best place for them in their current state (Aeka had now passed out a total of three times). Kiyone and Mihoshi had taken Yagami and joined the small Juraian fleet and so far space was quiet, just as it should be. Tenchi was sitting upon the ground studying the sky. His mind was a total blank. It was as if nothing that was happening was real. It was after a moment of thinking about how he wasn’t thinking that Tenchi felt a presence next to him. Turning he stood when he saw who the presence was. “Hello grandfather.” He said. Yosho nodded thoughtfully, though there was a far off look in his eye. “Tenchi.” The two were silent for a moment as they looked up at the sky. After what seemed like a very long time Tenchi looked back at his grandfather and spoke. “You knew didn’t you? You knew about Jurai before Washuu told us.” “Yes.” Said Yosho simply. “How?” “The same why you knew that I knew. Feelings. They can be ones greatest friend as well as their greatest foe.” Tenchi could only nod at this and returned to looking at the sky. It was then that he noticed a small object floating slowly earthward and directly toward him. He quickly recognized it as one of Washuu’s devices. The object stopped a few feet from Tenchi and Yosho and then opened up revealing a simple viewing screen upon which the face of Washuu was visible. The scientist had seen better days and it was clear that she had been working quite feverishly aboard Ryo-Ohki. Her hair, once unmistakable with its reddish color and size, was now frizzed, stained to a ruddy brown and looking very much like a mop. There was a great deal of grease on her face as well as dust but her eyes were set with great determination. The scientist nodded at Tenchi and Yosho. “You all ready to go down there?” She asked. “Are you done with the time machine?” Said Tenchi. “Umm. Not exactly done done but pretty close.” Washuu paused and then shook her head. “It’ll be at least a few hours before I get all the bugs out, but all the same I’d like us all up in space, right where we can all see each other.” Tenchi became concerned as he had seen the look in Washuu’s eyes. “Why? What’s wrong?” The scientist let out a sigh. “I lost track of the disturbance, it’s gone right off my sensors. I don’t have a clue as to where it went. One second it was there, the next gone. I have a bad feeling about it.” “But that’s good right?” Said Tenchi hopefully. “It’s gone. That’s good, very good.” “Wrong, very wrong.” Corrected Washuu. “I might not be able to pick the thing up but ships, stations, outposts, communication relays, moons, planets and stars are still dropping like flies all around the galaxy.” Tenchi nodded. “I better get father then.” “Good.” Said Washuu. “We’ll be down shortly to pick you up.” With that Washuu cut the transmission and the robot that had relayed the communication traveled skyward and then out of sight. It was only a short while later that Tenchi, Katsuhito and Nobuyuki were prepared to depart. There was silence for a moment as the three waited. Then the sky began to swirl and shift and a great wind came down and around the house announcing the decent of Ryo-Ohki. The ship hovered there for a moment and then the yellowish transport beam shot forth and touched the ground several feet from where Tenchi was standing. It was then that the air was filled with Ryo-Ohki’s call. Tenchi and Nobuyuki began to walk toward the beam when they noticed that Yosho was not moving. Concerned Tenchi spoke. “Grandfather, what are you doing?” Yosho looked at Tenchi plainly. “I’m staying here.” “What? But that things coming right for Earth, Washuu said-“ “Yes and I’m sure that you and your friends will be able to fix everything, but I’m staying here. This is where I belong.” Tenchi was about to argue further when he felt his father’s hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go Tenchi.” “But.” “Tenchi.” Tenchi saw the look in Nobuyuki’s eyes and knew he could not argue. “Yes father.” The two then stepped into the light and Ryo-Ohki pulled away leaving Katsuhito behind. Katsuhito watched as the ship disappeared in the sky and then let out a sigh and began to walk toward the shrine. Tenchi, now aboard Ryo-Ohki, quickly came to the bridge where he found Ryoko sitting in the pilot chair. “Hello Ryoko.” He said without cheer. “Hello Tenchi.” She was obviously, like the rest of them, in a very somber mood. “Where’s Washuu?” Tenchi asked. Ryoko sighed. “Around somewhere. Follow the explosions.” Tenchi nodded and began to walk away, but not before catching sight of Earth slowly become smaller and smaller. It always looked so peaceful when he saw it from space. Tenchi quickly found Washuu after he left the bridge. The scientist was amidst countless wires and consoles with sparks flying all around. Tenchi approached carefully as he did not want to upset any of the delicate looking machinery and Washuu, having heard him anyway, looked up. “Hello. Like how I’ve redecorated?” Tenchi forced a laugh. “Yes, it’s interesting I’ll say that.” “I suppose you’ll want to know why I called you?” “I’m not sure. What is it?” Washuu went back to her work and continued speaking to Tenchi. “I’m not sure yet. Take a look at that screen over there.” Tenchi went to the screen indicated where he saw a representation of the galaxy. “What am I looking at?” “Notice how the red dot is gone?” “Yes. You told me about that, where did it go?” “I don’t know but that’s not the point. See that spot where it’s distorted?” “Yes…” “Well that Tenchi is a rogue planet. A gas giant to be precise.” “You mean a planet without a star?” “Precisely.” “What about it?” Washuu sighed and stopped working. “Well normally that wouldn’t be so strange but that gas giant wasn’t there an hour ago.” “Washuu, what does all this mean?” “It means… I don’t know what it means but that gas giant is going to be here in a few minuets and…” Washuu paused, and then seemed to give up on what she was going to say and her eyes widened. “Tenchi listen very carefully. Go to the bridge and have Ryoko contact the other ships.” “Washuu-“ “I’ll explain everything in a moment, for now just go!” Tenchi did as he was ordered and made his way back to the bridge. Once he had arrived he was greeted with a superb view of the small Juraian fleet and Yagami just off the port and starboard sides. Ryoko stood as Tenchi approached. “What’s the word?” “Washuu wants to contact the other ships, says she’ll be up.” “That doesn’t sound too good. All right.” There was silence then, complete and anxious stillness. Then the sound of feet running captured Tenchi and Ryoko’s attention. The two turned to see Washuu coming upon them full speed with a wild look in her eyes. The scientist halted and began to shout fiercely. “Open communications now! I need to speak to the king! Now! Do it now!” Ryoko complied hastily not wanting to ask questions, she had never seen Washuu with that look in her eyes and it had scared her. A holoscreen appeared showing the face of Azusa. Without letting him speak Washuu began to talk very seriously and very quickly. “Listen to me carefully, the thing that destroyed Jurai is moving with far greater speed than I first anticipated. Its going to be here any moment and I haven’t gotten the time machine working yet so here’s what I need you to do, I need you to hold that thing off for about thirty minuets.” This took Azusa aback. “Thirty minutes, exactly how close is this thing?” “Its going to be here any second now! Hold off that thing as long as you can and for gods sake let us take Aeka and Sasami aboard Ryo-Ohki!” Azusa blinked. “Why should I do that? Wouldn’t they be just as safe with their parents-“ “Shut up and listen!” Washuu said as she pounded her fist onto her thigh. “I told you to hold that thing off! That means that you’re going to have to throw your whole fleet at it, every ship you’ve got and all the power you’ve got. That also means that you’re all probably going to die really fast! I wouldn’t be asking you to participate in that kind of sacrifice unless there was a chance that the rest of us could go back in time and fix all this so that you won’t be dead when we get back. Don’t take that risk with your daughters, send them to us now!” Azusa thought for a moment and then nodded weakly and cut transmission. Ryoko was about to say something when Washuu wheeled upon her. “Now you listen to me! Things are going to get really bad here in a second so here’s what I need you to do! First get Aeka and Sasami onboard, and then I want you to contact Kiyone and Mihoshi and tell them to stay right behind us. Then I want you to fly this ship as fast as you can away from Earth understand? I’ll be working on the machine as quickly as I can. Well what are you waiting for? We have to move now!” “Yes, sure thing.” Said Ryoko in an almost trance-like state as she went about the tasks she had been given. Washuu turned and began to quickly run back in the direction of her work when Tenchi’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned and looked into his pleading eyes. “Washuu… my grandfather is still on earth.” “Tenchi, do yourself a favor and don’t think about that right now and don’t look out the window.” Tenchi watched as Washuu started running again and disappeared. Space was silent for a moment, one precious second or two and then it began. Slowly an object became visible in the vastness of space, moving with great speed toward Earth and the tiny fleet that surrounded it. A small glow of orange, a deadly eye in space and it became larger, growing with every second until at last it filled the vacuum of space with its presence. It was a gas giant by all accounts; its orange and airy circular mass swirled around and around its poles with unbelievable speed as it hovered there. Aboard Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko watched the new development with strained eyes. She turned to Tenchi with a very confused look on her face. “What is that thing?” She said in a weird voice. “Is that what we’re fighting?” Tenchi tilted his head to one side. “I don’t know.” Ryoko shuddered despite herself. “Well I’m not sticking around to find out. Aeka and Sasami are aboard and Kiyone and Mihoshi are with us so I’m outta here!” Ryo-Ohki took off like a lightning bolt under Ryoko’s administrations and the Yagami quickly followed, its engines burning at full to keep up. Washuu was working franticly on the time machine. A mass of wires covered the scientist as she worked. She had heard the sounds of her computer and knew what they meant. Aboard his personal ship Azusa studied the gas giant carefully and then turned to one of his officers. “What exactly is that thing?” “Sensors show it to be some kind of energy web, a shield. It looks and scans like a gas giant at first but when we do a deeper more sensitive scan… you better just take a look.” A holoscreen appeared and Azusa’s mouth dropped lower that it had in his entire life. “I do believe we have found the thing that destroyed Jurai. That power, its… Have all ships attack that thing at once! All ships attack!” As the Juraian ships turned to engage the gas giant faded away and the planet-sized ship it hid appeared. The ship, the mutation, the eater of fleets appeared and then began to lumber toward the Juraian fleet. Ryoko was looking on with Tenchi, her mouth wide open. “That thing is huge!” Tenchi looked at the ship and then at the Juraian fleet and hoped that Aeka and Sasami were not watching. It was then that Washuu appeared, still covered with the evidence of hard work. “I’ve gotten the time machine up and running!” She said franticly. “It just needs about ten minutes to warm up and… oh no…” She had seen the ship. “Its even bigger than my sensors first said. Keep going away from it Ryoko, as fast as you can!” “I don’t think you have to worry about me slowing down.” It was then that a sound filled the bridge of Ryo-Ohki, it was like a sigh though with much more bass. It rumbled like a massive creature growling and then began to take on an audible similarity to a creature breathing. Then a voice, a voice with the same low and menacing and thunderous tone seemed to fill the room. “Tremble in my image children, let your faltering steps guide you into my maw.” Ryoko, who was visibly shaking, turned to Washuu. “What was that?” “Whoever is in that ship is communicating with us through some kind of telepathy,” Washuu answered. “My guess is everyone, even the people on Earth, are hearing every word of this.” Washuu shook her head. “You better bring Kiyone and Mihoshi over to Ryo-Ohki now, when we have the chance. I don’t think the Juraian fleet is going to last as long as we need and I don’t want to have to stop and pick them up later.” Ryoko nodded. “Right.” The voice continued, it had waited a long time in silence as if contemplating its next words. “Be one with me. You shall join me, you shall become one with my vice. Become my blood fleet of Jurai, just as your brethren did, just as your world did. Become my blood Earth, become me.” Then it began. The Juraian fleet, the king’s ship in the lead, reached weapons range of the planet-sized ship. The fleet fired in a blaze of energy and then activated Lighthawk Wings for protection. The planet-sized ship returned fire in the form of a single beam of blue energy. The bream impacted Azusa’s ship, destroyed it and then jumped to the rest of the ships in the fleet destroying each respectively despite the light hawk wings that shielded them. There was silence on Ryo-Ohki for a moment and then Tenchi fell to his knees. Now he desperately hoped that Aeka and Sasami had not been watching but inside he knew that they had. Ryoko looked at Washuu dumfounded. “What just happened moth-“ “Keep going as fast as you can!” Washuu shouted. “I need five more minutes before its safe to run the machine!” Ryoko nodded automatically. “Yes. Sure thing.” Now the voice returned in the air, still as deep and menacing as before. “I have destroyed those that bound you from me Earth. I now take this planet into myself, you shall become one with me. I am Koi my name is me and I am my body, I am the body you see before you for the ship is me. Now you shall become Koi, you shall be mine. Why do you run children? Why do you flee? Watch.” Washuu looked at the ship, apparently named the Koi, which loomed across space. “Ryoko, do you have Kiyone and Mihoshi aboard?” “Yes. Look are we getting out of here or not!” “One more minute.” Ryoko shook her head as she looked out into space, her eyes widened. “Um, mom, what- what are those things?” Washuu’s head snapped up and her cheeks became three shades whiter. “Oh- it seems I overlooked that possibility.” “But what are they!” Ryoko repeated. “Fighters, lots of them.” Answered Washuu. “Can you go any faster?” “This is as fast as I can push it!” Ryoko snarled madly, although her anger was being overtaken by fear. Washuu chuckled nervously. “Oops. I seem to have neglected to add this to my calculations. Um, you might want to brace yourself against- ANYTHING!” The cloud of fighters launched by the Koi hit Ryo-ohki. A growl escaped Ryoko's lips as she felt the ship shudder underneath her and heard the pings and creaks as the enemy fighters attacked. "We're not going to last much longer!" Ryoko yelled far too loudly. Washuu nodded and checked a small watch-like device on her wrist. "We won't have to for much longer, the machine is almost charged!" Ryoko glanced outward and saw the tiny enemy fighters buzzing around like maddened hornets. She heard her ship crying out in agony and saw the Koi looming like a planet across the veiwscreen. She turned back to Washuu and screamed in desperation. "Is it time yet!" Washuu nodded. "Right! Hold on!" Ryoko did as she was told and Washuu flipped a small switch that was on the device she wore on her wrist. It was then that a white light enveloped Ryo-Ohki and then the ship was gone, only blackness lay in its place. Slowly the planet-sized ship, the Koi, turned toward earth and then the blue light began to glow once more as it’s sides open to expose the weapon by which Jurai had met its fate. Yosho was standing outside the Misaki household and even from Earth the Koi could be seen in the sky, far bigger than the moon would look at night, filling the sky. Adjusting his glasses he lowered his head from the sight and sat down upon the grass. “So, it has begun." He said. "Good luck Tenchi, good luck to all of you.” The beam of blue energy shot from the Koi and impacted Earth with a deafening roar and the planet was bathed in orange as its surface melted. With a final shudder the planet disintegrated and where Earth had been there was now a cloud of asteroids. To be continued... Subject: Kain's fic: chapter 8 Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 10:05:21 -0500 From: "Stephen Stedman" To: Kain (steady@adelphia.net) Regular No Need for Dark Warriors – chapter 8 The gang goes into space to take part in Washuu’s plan, but grandfather stays behind. Now Earth faces the same fate as Jurai as the planet-sized ship attacks! Author’s Note: Most of the characters in the following story are not mine and in no way do I claim them to be. Nor do I claim that I created the universe that the characters are placed in. The characters and the universe remain the property of Hitoshi Okuda, Pioneer LDC, INC and Kadokawa Shoten Publishing CO. Please do not sue. This is a fanfic and is nothing more than a show of my appreciation to the creators of Tenchi Muyo. No Need for Dark Warriors Chapter 8 The Masaki household had emptied quickly with the news of Jurai’s “situation” as Washuu had so carefully chosen to call it seeing as how the word “destroyed” couldn’t do much to help the circumstances. However this of course did not change the fact that everyone knew that Jurai was gone, it just helped to keep the tear and panic levels down somewhat. For now everyone had split up. Ryoko had taken Ryo-Ohki into low orbit and Washuu had of course gone with them in order to begin hastily grafting her time machine into Ryo-Ohki’s unique matrix. Washuu had made it clear that the time machine was going to be a hack job at best seeing that she didn’t have much time to make any fine adjustments. She had informed everyone that they could only go back in time a month at the most. However the others had faith that somehow the little scientist was going to pull it off. As for the king and queen of Jurai, they had returned to their fleet intending to provide any assistance they could to Washuu’s efforts aboard Ryo-Ohki, but it was clear the best thing they could do was just sit tight in their ships and wait. Aeka and Sasami had gone with their parents, as that was deemed the best place for them in their current state (Aeka had now passed out a total of three times). Kiyone and Mihoshi had taken Yagami and joined the small Juraian fleet and so far space was quiet, just as it should be. Tenchi was sitting upon the ground studying the sky. His mind was a total blank. It was as if nothing that was happening was real. It was after a moment of thinking about how he wasn’t thinking that Tenchi felt a presence next to him. Turning he stood when he saw who the presence was. “Hello grandfather.” He said. Yosho nodded thoughtfully, though there was a far off look in his eye. “Tenchi.” The two were silent for a moment as they looked up at the sky. After what seemed like a very long time Tenchi looked back at his grandfather and spoke. “You knew didn’t you? You knew about Jurai before Washuu told us.” “Yes.” Said Yosho simply. “How?” “The same why you knew that I knew. Feelings. They can be ones greatest friend as well as their greatest foe.” Tenchi could only nod at this and returned to looking at the sky. It was then that he noticed a small object floating slowly earthward and directly toward him. He quickly recognized it as one of Washuu’s devices. The object stopped a few feet from Tenchi and Yosho and then opened up revealing a simple viewing screen upon which the face of Washuu was visible. The scientist had seen better days and it was clear that she had been working quite feverishly aboard Ryo-Ohki. Her hair, once unmistakable with its reddish color and size, was now frizzed, stained to a ruddy brown and looking very much like a mop. There was a great deal of grease on her face as well as dust but her eyes were set with great determination. The scientist nodded at Tenchi and Yosho. “You all ready to go down there?” She asked. “Are you done with the time machine?” Said Tenchi. “Umm. Not exactly done done but pretty close.” Washuu paused and then shook her head. “It’ll be at least a few hours before I get all the bugs out, but all the same I’d like us all up in space, right where we can all see each other.” Tenchi became concerned as he had seen the look in Washuu’s eyes. “Why? What’s wrong?” The scientist let out a sigh. “I lost track of the disturbance, it’s gone right off my sensors. I don’t have a clue as to where it went. One second it was there, the next gone. I have a bad feeling about it.” “But that’s good right?” Said Tenchi hopefully. “It’s gone. That’s good, very good.” “Wrong, very wrong.” Corrected Washuu. “I might not be able to pick the thing up but ships, stations, outposts, communication relays, moons, planets and stars are still dropping like flies all around the galaxy.” Tenchi nodded. “I better get father then.” “Good.” Said Washuu. “We’ll be down shortly to pick you up.” With that Washuu cut the transmission and the robot that had relayed the communication traveled skyward and then out of sight. It was only a short while later that Tenchi, Katsuhito and Nobuyuki were prepared to depart. There was silence for a moment as the three waited. Then the sky began to swirl and shift and a great wind came down and around the house announcing the decent of Ryo-Ohki. The ship hovered there for a moment and then the yellowish transport beam shot forth and touched the ground several feet from where Tenchi was standing. It was then that the air was filled with Ryo-Ohki’s call. Tenchi and Nobuyuki began to walk toward the beam when they noticed that Yosho was not moving. Concerned Tenchi spoke. “Grandfather, what are you doing?” Yosho looked at Tenchi plainly. “I’m staying here.” “What? But that things coming right for Earth, Washuu said-“ “Yes and I’m sure that you and your friends will be able to fix everything, but I’m staying here. This is where I belong.” Tenchi was about to argue further when he felt his father’s hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go Tenchi.” “But.” “Tenchi.” Tenchi saw the look in Nobuyuki’s eyes and knew he could not argue. “Yes father.” The two then stepped into the light and Ryo-Ohki pulled away leaving Katsuhito behind. Katsuhito watched as the ship disappeared in the sky and then let out a sigh and began to walk toward the shrine. Tenchi, now aboard Ryo-Ohki, quickly came to the bridge where he found Ryoko sitting in the pilot chair. “Hello Ryoko.” He said without cheer. “Hello Tenchi.” She was obviously, like the rest of them, in a very somber mood. “Where’s Washuu?” Tenchi asked. Ryoko sighed. “Around somewhere. Follow the explosions.” Tenchi nodded and began to walk away, but not before catching sight of Earth slowly become smaller and smaller. It always looked so peaceful when he saw it from space. Tenchi quickly found Washuu after he left the bridge. The scientist was amidst countless wires and consoles with sparks flying all around. Tenchi approached carefully as he did not want to upset any of the delicate looking machinery and Washuu, having heard him anyway, looked up. “Hello. Like how I’ve redecorated?” Tenchi forced a laugh. “Yes, it’s interesting I’ll say that.” “I suppose you’ll want to know why I called you?” “I’m not sure. What is it?” Washuu went back to her work and continued speaking to Tenchi. “I’m not sure yet. Take a look at that screen over there.” Tenchi went to the screen indicated where he saw a representation of the galaxy. “What am I looking at?” “Notice how the red dot is gone?” “Yes. You told me about that, where did it go?” “I don’t know but that’s not the point. See that spot where it’s distorted?” “Yes…” “Well that Tenchi is a rogue planet. A gas giant to be precise.” “You mean a planet without a star?” “Precisely.” “What about it?” Washuu sighed and stopped working. “Well normally that wouldn’t be so strange but that gas giant wasn’t there an hour ago.” “Washuu, what does all this mean?” “It means… I don’t know what it means but that gas giant is going to be here in a few minuets and…” Washuu paused, and then seemed to give up on what she was going to say and her eyes widened. “Tenchi listen very carefully. Go to the bridge and have Ryoko contact the other ships.” “Washuu-“ “I’ll explain everything in a moment, for now just go!” Tenchi did as he was ordered and made his way back to the bridge. Once he had arrived he was greeted with a superb view of the small Juraian fleet and Yagami just off the port and starboard sides. Ryoko stood as Tenchi approached. “What’s the word?” “Washuu wants to contact the other ships, says she’ll be up.” “That doesn’t sound too good. All right.” There was silence then, complete and anxious stillness. Then the sound of feet running captured Tenchi and Ryoko’s attention. The two turned to see Washuu coming upon them full speed with a wild look in her eyes. The scientist halted and began to shout fiercely. “Open communications now! I need to speak to the king! Now! Do it now!” Ryoko complied hastily not wanting to ask questions, she had never seen Washuu with that look in her eyes and it had scared her. A holoscreen appeared showing the face of Azusa. Without letting him speak Washuu began to talk very seriously and very quickly. “Listen to me carefully, the thing that destroyed Jurai is moving with far greater speed than I first anticipated. Its going to be here any moment and I haven’t gotten the time machine working yet so here’s what I need you to do, I need you to hold that thing off for about thirty minuets.” This took Azusa aback. “Thirty minutes, exactly how close is this thing?” “Its going to be here any second now! Hold off that thing as long as you can and for gods sake let us take Aeka and Sasami aboard Ryo-Ohki!” Azusa blinked. “Why should I do that? Wouldn’t they be just as safe with their parents-“ “Shut up and listen!” Washuu said as she pounded her fist onto her thigh. “I told you to hold that thing off! That means that you’re going to have to throw your whole fleet at it, every ship you’ve got and all the power you’ve got. That also means that you’re all probably going to die really fast! I wouldn’t be asking you to participate in that kind of sacrifice unless there was a chance that the rest of us could go back in time and fix all this so that you won’t be dead when we get back. Don’t take that risk with your daughters, send them to us now!” Azusa thought for a moment and then nodded weakly and cut transmission. Ryoko was about to say something when Washuu wheeled upon her. “Now you listen to me! Things are going to get really bad here in a second so here’s what I need you to do! First get Aeka and Sasami onboard, and then I want you to contact Kiyone and Mihoshi and tell them to stay right behind us. Then I want you to fly this ship as fast as you can away from Earth understand? I’ll be working on the machine as quickly as I can. Well what are you waiting for? We have to move now!” “Yes, sure thing.” Said Ryoko in an almost trance-like state as she went about the tasks she had been given. Washuu turned and began to quickly run back in the direction of her work when Tenchi’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned and looked into his pleading eyes. “Washuu… my grandfather is still on earth.” “Tenchi, do yourself a favor and don’t think about that right now and don’t look out the window.” Tenchi watched as Washuu started running again and disappeared. Space was silent for a moment, one precious second or two and then it began. Slowly an object became visible in the vastness of space, moving with great speed toward Earth and the tiny fleet that surrounded it. A small glow of orange, a deadly eye in space and it became larger, growing with every second until at last it filled the vacuum of space with its presence. It was a gas giant by all accounts; its orange and airy circular mass swirled around and around its poles with unbelievable speed as it hovered there. Aboard Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko watched the new development with strained eyes. She turned to Tenchi with a very confused look on her face. “What is that thing?” She said in a weird voice. “Is that what we’re fighting?” Tenchi tilted his head to one side. “I don’t know.” Ryoko shuddered despite herself. “Well I’m not sticking around to find out. Aeka and Sasami are aboard and Kiyone and Mihoshi are with us so I’m outta here!” Ryo-Ohki took off like a lightning bolt under Ryoko’s administrations and the Yagami quickly followed, its engines burning at full to keep up. Washuu was working franticly on the time machine. A mass of wires covered the scientist as she worked. She had heard the sounds of her computer and knew what they meant. Aboard his personal ship Azusa studied the gas giant carefully and then turned to one of his officers. “What exactly is that thing?” “Sensors show it to be some kind of energy web, a shield. It looks and scans like a gas giant at first but when we do a deeper more sensitive scan… you better just take a look.” A holoscreen appeared and Azusa’s mouth dropped lower that it had in his entire life. “I do believe we have found the thing that destroyed Jurai. That power, its… Have all ships attack that thing at once! All ships attack!” As the Juraian ships turned to engage the gas giant faded away and the planet-sized ship it hid appeared. The ship, the mutation, the eater of fleets appeared and then began to lumber toward the Juraian fleet. Ryoko was looking on with Tenchi, her mouth wide open. “That thing is huge!” Tenchi looked at the ship and then at the Juraian fleet and hoped that Aeka and Sasami were not watching. It was then that Washuu appeared, still covered with the evidence of hard work. “I’ve gotten the time machine up and running!” She said franticly. “It just needs about ten minutes to warm up and… oh no…” She had seen the ship. “Its even bigger than my sensors first said. Keep going away from it Ryoko, as fast as you can!” “I don’t think you have to worry about me slowing down.” It was then that a sound filled the bridge of Ryo-Ohki, it was like a sigh though with much more bass. It rumbled like a massive creature growling and then began to take on an audible similarity to a creature breathing. Then a voice, a voice with the same low and menacing and thunderous tone seemed to fill the room. “Tremble in my image children, let your faltering steps guide you into my maw.” Ryoko, who was visibly shaking, turned to Washuu. “What was that?” “Whoever is in that ship is communicating with us through some kind of telepathy,” Washuu answered. “My guess is everyone, even the people on Earth, are hearing every word of this.” Washuu shook her head. “You better bring Kiyone and Mihoshi over to Ryo-Ohki now, when we have the chance. I don’t think the Juraian fleet is going to last as long as we need and I don’t want to have to stop and pick them up later.” Ryoko nodded. “Right.” The voice continued, it had waited a long time in silence as if contemplating its next words. “Be one with me. You shall join me, you shall become one with my vice. Become my blood fleet of Jurai, just as your brethren did, just as your world did. Become my blood Earth, become me.” Then it began. The Juraian fleet, the king’s ship in the lead, reached weapons range of the planet-sized ship. The fleet fired in a blaze of energy and then activated Lighthawk Wings for protection. The planet-sized ship returned fire in the form of a single beam of blue energy. The bream impacted Azusa’s ship, destroyed it and then jumped to the rest of the ships in the fleet destroying each respectively despite the light hawk wings that shielded them. There was silence on Ryo-Ohki for a moment and then Tenchi fell to his knees. Now he desperately hoped that Aeka and Sasami had not been watching but inside he knew that they had. Ryoko looked at Washuu dumfounded. “What just happened moth-“ “Keep going as fast as you can!” Washuu shouted. “I need five more minutes before its safe to run the machine!” Ryoko nodded automatically. “Yes. Sure thing.” Now the voice returned in the air, still as deep and menacing as before. “I have destroyed those that bound you from me Earth. I now take this planet into myself, you shall become one with me. I am Koi my name is me and I am my body, I am the body you see before you for the ship is me. Now you shall become Koi, you shall be mine. Why do you run children? Why do you flee? Watch.” Washuu looked at the ship, apparently named the Koi, which loomed across space. “Ryoko, do you have Kiyone and Mihoshi aboard?” “Yes. Look are we getting out of here or not!” “One more minute.” Ryoko shook her head as she looked out into space, her eyes widened. “Um, mom, what- what are those things?” Washuu’s head snapped up and her cheeks became three shades whiter. “Oh- it seems I overlooked that possibility.” “But what are they!” Ryoko repeated. “Fighters, lots of them.” Answered Washuu. “Can you go any faster?” “This is as fast as I can push it!” Ryoko snarled madly, although her anger was being overtaken by fear. Washuu chuckled nervously. “Oops. I seem to have neglected to add this to my calculations. Um, you might want to brace yourself against- ANYTHING!” The cloud of fighters launched by the Koi hit Ryo-ohki. A growl escaped Ryoko's lips as she felt the ship shudder underneath her and heard the pings and creaks as the enemy fighters attacked. "We're not going to last much longer!" Ryoko yelled far too loudly. Washuu nodded and checked a small watch-like device on her wrist. "We won't have to for much longer, the machine is almost charged!" Ryoko glanced outward and saw the tiny enemy fighters buzzing around like maddened hornets. She heard her ship crying out in agony and saw the Koi looming like a planet across the veiwscreen. She turned back to Washuu and screamed in desperation. "Is it time yet!" Washuu nodded. "Right! Hold on!" Ryoko did as she was told and Washuu flipped a small switch that was on the device she wore on her wrist. It was then that a white light enveloped Ryo-Ohki and then the ship was gone, only blackness lay in its place. Slowly the planet-sized ship, the Koi, turned toward earth and then the blue light began to glow once more as it’s sides open to expose the weapon by which Jurai had met its fate. Yosho was standing outside the Misaki household and even from Earth the Koi could be seen in the sky, far bigger than the moon would look at night, filling the sky. Adjusting his glasses he lowered his head from the sight and sat down upon the grass. “So, it has begun." He said. "Good luck Tenchi, good luck to all of you.” The beam of blue energy shot from the Koi and impacted Earth with a deafening roar and the planet was bathed in orange as its surface melted. With a final shudder the planet disintegrated and where Earth had been there was now a cloud of asteroids. To be continued...