Tenchi Muyo: The People's Prince

Disclaimer: The characters of Tenchi Muyo belong to AIC and Pioneer LDC.
They are used without permission.

Think of it as a soap opera with more loose ends than Whoopi Goldberg.

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Story Summary: While on their way to Earth, Queens Funaho and Misaki
learn of a meeting between Lords Leeber, Nephrus, and Seiryo in which a
coup is discussed. Azusa has stated he has an additional announcement to
make following his introduction of Minagi. Sakuya's attempt to get
Tenchi alone was foiled by Mihoshi. Tenchi, in a stupor, has agreed to
take Mihoshi to the annual police ball. Susan has discovered that
Mihoshi will be attending the police ball with a guest and plans to
attend also. Noboyuki has been introduced to Washu's adult form and
Tsunami. A mysterious ship named Megami has appeared and destroyed a
pirate ship involved in an unknown plot. The sole survivor of the pirate
ship, an empath named Sana (I just borrowed the name. This Sana is not
on speed) has been taken aboard the Megami for questioning. Ryoko and
Aeka are clueless to the goings on. I think that's it.

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Completely spent, Tenchi Masaki wearily closed his eyes and instantly
went to sleep. Looking down on his peaceful face, Tsunami, patron
Goddess of Jurai, smiled warmly. She knew that tonight had been his
first time trying something like that... hers too. It had taken a lot
out of both of them.

Sitting down on the side of his bed, she gently took his face into her
hands as she leaned down to him. Touching her forehead to his, both
their emblems of power began to glow with resonant energy.

"Thank you," she mouthed quietly, still in the embrace.

With all the subtlety of a ghost, she made her way to the door of
Tenchi's room. Pausing at the entrance, she turned a satisfied gaze back
on the sleeping teenager. Everything was going so well.

She couldn't wait to see the shock on everyone's faces when they found
out.

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Part VI
Preparations
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"Now, will you answer my questions or not?"

//Confidence//

"Are you just going to stand there?"

//Annoyance //

Sana Kurata stared at the young girl in front of her, but dared not to
speak. She knew she was walking a fine line with this Megami person.
She... it had already destroyed the Katul and all of its crew. Sana had
personally witnessed the quiet end of two of her shipmates. Their deaths
hadn't been a glorious or gallant pirate's death. No, their lives were
simply extinguished, like blowing out a candle or... turning off a
light.

//Impatience//

"I'm waiting...."

Of all the emotions Sana sensed around her, there was not a trace of
guilt or remorse in the air. The girl in front of her had not an ounce
of regret for what she had done. Within Sana on the other hand, fear
argued with anger for control, neither wresting the upper hand. How
could she just stand there and let that *THING* get away with murder!
She may have had her problems with the crew of the Katul, but they were
her friends and human beings and *they didn't deserve what happened to
them*! But what could she do about it? This Megami could kill her just
as easily as it did the others. What would that gain? Would their souls
rest any easier with her resting along side of them? Would they be any
less dead? They were the crew of a pirate ship. They robbed; they fought
and sometimes killed. They knew what kind of life they were living and
knew what could happen. It might have been the Galaxy Police, or the
Juraians or even a different pirate guild, death all the same. What
would her life add to already pointless deaths? What to do?

//Curiosity//

Megami's expression changed from that of mild annoyance to puzzlement.
"Anybody home?" she asked jumping down from her pedestal and walking
towards the motionless Sana. "Hmm..." Chewing on her thumbnail, Megami
circled around Sana, once then twice, taking careful observations. This
after all was her first contact with a flesh and blood human being.
Finally, she stopped a step or two in front of Sana and waved a hand in
front of her face trying to get her attention.

Sensing Megami's distracted attention, Sana decided she had nothing to
lose. Lightning fast, she reached out with one hand and grabbed the
startled teenaged girl and drew her in, twisting her around so that
Megami's back was to her. With the other hand she drew a small knife
from its hiding place and held it to Megami's throat.

"Now! You'll answer my questions or I'll show you the same amount of
mercy you showed my crewmates!" Sana tightened her hold around Megami
and pressed the knife against the flesh of her throat.

//Mirth//

"Okay, I'll play. What do you want to know?" Megami asked without the
slightest hint of fear in her voice.

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"Milord... Milord... Dinner has been prepared and the family awaits your
arrival," the servant to the House of Kyogou repeated as she waited
patiently outside the door to her master's office. After several moments
had passed with out an answer, she timidly raised her hand to the sensor
lock. Hers was one of the few DNA patterns capable of opening this
particular door. The master trusted very few people, not even the other
members of his house had access to his private office, but still it
required cleaning. She had been a servant to the House of Kyogou since
she was a child, and the lord knew her to be an honest and proud woman.
He trusted her about as much as he was capable of the word... still she
held little doubt what would happen to her if she should betray him in
any way.

Quietly the door slid open and the light from the hallway inched its way
into the darkened office and illuminated the sunken figure behind the
desk. Silhouetted in the doorway, the servant humbly bowed her head and
shoulders. "Milord, dinner has been prepared and the family awaits your
arrival."

Still the figure did not move.

Fear began to rise with in her. Her position allowed her not only access
to his office but also insight into her Lord that many others did not
have. She alone knew the stress he was under... his worry. He was
constantly going on about the degradation of Juraian society. How the
Emperor had sold the throne for the bed of a strumpet. How he alone saw
Jurai's eminence crumbling away. How his family was impotent to stop it
without outside help. How his one hope... his one chance for the House
of Kyogou to assume its place as the Royal House had abandoned him all
those years ago. She was his heart, the only thing that even approached
his love for Jurai. His daughter's betrayal had been the most
devastating blow of his life. He had attempted it then... on the night
his eldest daughter, Mariko, had left him. Had life become too heavy a
burden again? His honor the only thing left to save?

"My... milord?" Her voice probed, as she took a single step into the
room.

<>Earlier that day<>

"No? What... what do you mean, no? You can't... Are you saying you
support the Emperor! Is the House of Rikimu going to stand idly by while
the Royal House of Masaki ruins all of Jurai?" Leeber looked plaintively
into the eyes of the man he had hoped would carry the standard and
secure Jurai's future... the man who had just now crushed all his hopes
just like his daughter had done that horrible day. He stood and fiercely
gripped his desk, resisting the urge to hurl it at the translucent image
in front of him.

"Lord Leeber," Nephrus sighed, sounding tired and annoyed. "You are an
anachronism."

"Anachronism?" Leeber repeated falling back into his seat. Seiryo, a
long forgotten participant in the discussion, watched quietly, absorbing
the information he was hearing. There was an opening for him here; he
just had to capitalize on it.

"Yes my ancient friend, the time when you could just walk up to the
Emperor, poke him the eye and throw down a challenge for the throne of
Jurai, have long since past. There are socioeconomic factors that must
be accounted for. Our political stability in the opinion of neighboring
empires also must be looked at," Nephrus continued, raising a finger for
each of the complications he saw in Leeber's plan. "What we know of
Azusa's follies in the past few centuries isn't exactly public
knowledge. How do you think the people would view such an act? The
Emperor himself may not be the people's favorite, but the princesses and
the second queen are. I'm popular with the people, yes, but I'm not
their prince (at least, not yet). You might think you are saving Jurai,
in your own na‹ve little way, but the only thing your plan would achieve
is division."

With each word, Leeber became more and more numb until Nephrus's voice
was but a dull drone in Leeber's mind. Anachronism... anachronism...

"...I may not see eye to eye with Azusa on his governance of the empire,
but I will not be a party to..." Nephrus stopped his little speech when
it was clear Lord Leeber was no longer in the room, mentally anyway. He
looked over to the adjoining monitor, which carried Seiryo's image.
Seiryo shrugged his shoulders.

A jovial expression returned to Nephrus's face as he crossed his legs
and leaned back in his command chair on the bridge of his ship. Watching
Leeber's comatose state for a full minute, Nephrus finally broke out
into laughter and signaled an aide to end the transmissions. 'Finally
gone over the deep end, have you, Lord Leeber? Your timing could not be
more perfect.'

As Nephrus's image faded from view, he was not the only one laughing at
the present situation. Seiryo too, found the entire scenario quite
amusing. In a manly fashion, he withdrew a fan from his pocket and with
a mighty flick of his hand, opened it with a stroke. 'I watched quietly
while you threw undeserving praise on that whelp, Nephrus, and
completely ignored who even a barbarian could see is the superior
candidate for the throne. Luckily for you, Nephrus recognized his own
inadequacies and turned down your poorly aimed offer. The Heavens have
given you a second chance to choose the correct path, the only path. But
I'm afraid it will not be that easy now. No my friend, not easy at all.'
Seiryo laughed hardily behind his pink and purple paper fan as he
thought of the conditions he would place on Lord Leeber to head his
little coup. After all, Leeber had no one else to turn to now.

Ending the transmission with Leeber, Seiryo triumphantly placed both
hands on his hips. "He'll call me when he finally comes back to
reality," Seiryo said confidently, relaxing behind his desk. Soon, very
soon, he would be Seiryo, *Emperor* of Jurai, and all the people of
Jurai... no, the entire universe, would have the joy of basking in his
greatness! He couldn't wait to nobly offer himself to the people...
especially one person in particular. He began to giggle like a
schoolgirl and repeatedly pushed a small button under his desk

"Yes, Sire?" a woman's voice asked, although she already knew what it
was her lord wanted.

"Aeka, my dear, I'm afraid your Seiryo has been having naughty thoughts
again," Seiryo got out between giggles.

"Well then, I will have to punish you, won't I? You would best be
prepared when I arrive, hohohohohoho!" she replied sternly.

Seiryo giggled again. Excitedly, he dropped his pants and with them
hanging around his ankles, waddled to the front of his desk, assumed the
position and patiently awaited correction.

As she looked on at the image of her Lord and his pale white bottom,
Risa "Aeka" Midori sighed and turned off the monitor. With slumped
shoulders, she walked over to an ornate wooden cabinet. Opening it, she
took out a wig of long purple hair (she refused to have her DNA altered,
no matter how much he was willing to pay) and a large wooden paddle. It
was just her luck to have a passing resemblance to the First Princess.
"Oh well, the pay is good," Risa said straightening out the wig and
regarding herself in a mirror. Especially since all I have to do is beat
some noble on the behind. O hohohohohohohoho!"  She laughed hefting the
paddle in her hand and heading to the door.

Lord Leeber, alone now in his study, still sat unmoving behind his desk.
An anachronism that was what Nephrus had called him, an anachronism. The
word repeated itself endlessly in his mind and his whole frame began to
shake.

Anachronism...

....Anachronism...

.......Anachronism...

<><><>

"You are an anachronism, Father."

It was a confrontation that was inevitable, but she tried to avoid it as
long as she could. That was no longer possible now. She couldn't hide
her feelings, or the child growing inside of her from her father. Her
feelings were evident on her face and the other would be just as evident
in due time.

"Precious, you don't understand. I only want what is best for you!"
Leeber pleaded to his eldest daughter, Mariko. "Think of what you are
throwing away! You could be the Queen of all Jurai someday!" Where was
this coming from? Why was she doing this? What had come over her?

The two stood alone in the large family room of the House of Kyogou, the
rest of the family long since retired for the night. The portraits of
members of their house, dating back to the very inception of Jurai,
looked on as a confused father faced a determined daughter. The eyes of
each painting seemed to reflect a certain sadness, perhaps sensing the
tragedy of the scene in front of them.

Mariko moved a strand of her long white hair from in front of her cobalt
blue eyes in order to wipe away her tears. Until this day, the hardest
thing she had ever had to do was pick out what to wear in the morning.
Even then, there had been servants to make suggestions. Now, she had to
destroy the dreams of the man who had given her everything, everything
but the one thing a father could not give a daughter. She stopped trying
to wipe away her tears; it was a lost cause. She straightened, throwing
her shoulders back and reaffirming her resolve. "No Father, you want
what is best for you. What I want is to be with the man I love and for
my Father to accept that. I'm not throwing anything away. I'm not
turning my back on you!"

The glass Leeber held in his hands splintered as his fist tightened
around it. He looked into the determined tear-filled eyes of his
daughter with disbelief. How... how could this be happening? How could
she do this to him? "How can you do this to me? Why are you ruining your
Father and all he's worked for!"

"Listen to you! You! How could I do this to YOU! This has nothing to do
with you! It about ME, me and the person I love. But you can't think
about me can you! You can't get past yourself! This has nothing to do
with you!"

"Nothing to do with me! It has everything to do with me! You are Lady
Mariko Kyogou, daughter of Lord Leeber Kyogou. You are the strongest
Kyogou born in generations!" He shouted taking a forceful step toward
his daughter and pointing at the ancestral paintings that lined the
great room.

"So!" Mariko fired back, refusing to give any ground.

"The second generation tree, Chuukou, chose you as its partner!"

"So! So WHAT!"

"So, No Kyogou has ever been so honored. The future of this house
depends upon you! You will not abandon it."

Mariko spun around in frustration. "I am not abandoning the House of
Kyogou! I am not abandoning you!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT ABANDONING ME! THAT IS
EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING! I'm giving you the throne of Jurai and
you're turning your back on it! You're turning you back on Jurai, your
house, and your father," he shouted pointing an accusatory finger at
her. "And for what!"

"DON'T SAY IT!" she yelled and pointed right back at him.

"HE IS BENEATH YOU! With Yosho missing and the princesses absent, the
people are crying for leadership. What do you think people will say when
they see my daughter with such trash!"

"He is from the same planet as the First Queen! Father, you are living
in the past! Don't you see? Jurai isn't some palace on a hill! It's one
small planet in a universe of planets! Not one any better than the
rest!"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was nearly shaking with rage
as he spoke. "You will not speak that way of Jurai," he said, his voice
ominously quiet. "You are Mariko Kyogou, my eldest daughter, the future
of the House of Kyogou. You will not speak this way of Jurai."

Mariko closed her eyes, feeling sad for her father. "There is nothing
special about Jurai, Father, no magic, no mythos. It's just a rock! An
OVER-SIZED ROCK!" Mariko said screaming, her emotions flying free.

Leeber never even noticed the glass leave his hands. "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK
THIS WAY OF JURAI!"

Time seemed to freeze after that. The flickering flames of the fireplace
beneath the large family portrait, the dancing light of the candles, the
gentle murmur of the water flowing through the indoor fountain, all
seemed to pause and bear silent witness.

Staring straight into her father's eyes, Mariko lifted a hand to her
face and wiped her brow. Looking at the blood that covered the tips of
her fingers, Mariko stopped crying. Her father had never struck her
before. She had never even thought him capable of the act. When she had
played out this confrontation in her mind... of all the horrible things
she had imagined... she had never... never...

As a youth and officer, Lord Leeber had been in numerous battles. As a
noble and council member, he had negotiated treaties, decided the fates
of planets, and condemned men to death. Through those years he has made
enemies to be sure, people who would gladly see him dead. People who had
looked at him with unbridled hate in their eyes. They were nothing like
the eyes that looked back at him now. Eyes that had him paralyzed with
fear. A fear like none he had ever known in combat or in negotiation. It
was a fear only a father could know. The worst fear. His first born, his
daughter, his baby girl was looking at him as if he were a stranger...
someone, who might hurt her... someone she needed to be wary of.

As she slowly backed away from him, like a cat cautiously avoiding the
lowliest of dogs, Leeber found he could do nothing but watch. Those blue
eyes still had him frozen. His body refused to move. His mouth refused
to speak. All he could do was watch, as his life walked out the doors of
the Great Hall of Kyogou, never to be seen again.

<><><>

The young servant hadn't taken more than a step into her Lord's darkened
office before the figure behind the desk jumped from his seat shouting
and struck her with a glass-drinking flask. She immediately dropped to
the floor, but not from the pain.

"Forgive me, Milord. I did not mean to intrude on your meditations," she
let out quickly, prostrating herself on the floor. "I only wished to
inform you that the family awaits your arrival for dinner."

Slowly, Leeber's eyes adjusted to the dim light of the study and his
mind tried to untangle his emotions. With effort, he brought his weary
and tired body from behind his desk and tried to focus his vision. He
stumbled more than once, but continued to make his way to the person
lying on the floor. The combination of alcohol and exhaustion finally
proved too much and he collapsed forward, reaching out for the woman in
front of him.

"Mariko, forgive me, Mariko. I'm sorry. Don't leave me," his voice said
pleadingly.

"Milord?"

"Mariko, I didn't mean to hit you," he cried out, grasping at her.
"Please, don't go."

"Milord, it's me, Seikou," she explained, concern for her lord
completely eclipsing her own pain for the moment. Wrapping her arms
around the shaking Lord of the Kyogou family, she whispered assurances
to him and rocked him back and forth. Despite the terrible shape that
Lord Leeber was currently in, relief filled Seikou at seeming him. She
had been certain that she would find something far more horrible.
Leading this family was beginning to take its toll on him and she was
the only one to know just how much.

As time passed, Leeber's shaking subsided. He smiled to himself and
laughed at his weakness. What would the people of Jurai think if they
saw him now? He had to be strong for them, no more thinking of the past.
There was nothing he could do to change any of it, so why dwell there?
Even if he could go back to that day, what would he do different? What
did he do wrong?

Nothing, he was in the right. Firmly prying Seikou's arms from around
him, he stood and without a further word began walking out of the dark
and dreariness that surrounded him in his study. Pausing in the light of
the doorway, he spoke. "Seikou, you will not speak of this to anyone? Do
you understand?" he said without turning to face her.

Still on the floor, Seikou bowed low. "That goes without saying,
Milord." She raised her head and looked up at him. "I would never betray
your trust in me. I know that a man in your position has a great deal
more stress to deal with than someone like me is capable of
understanding. It must be so very difficult for you."

Leeber's shoulders slumped once again, and he turned to look at Seikou.
"Yes... yes, it is. Be glad of your station, Seikou," Leeber replied as
he stepped out into the hall. Resuming his stature, he forcefully made
his way down the hallway. All this was Azusa's fault. Jurai, his family,
his daughter... Azusa was destroying it all, had destroyed it all.

He and that Funaho...  It was their farce of a marriage that had put
those ideas in Mariko's head. They would pay for what they had done. He
would not allow them to further harm the future of Jurai, as they had
destroyed the future of the House of Kyogou. Walking into the stately
dining room of the House of Kyogou, Leeber was greeted by the smiling
faces of his family. He greeted them and took his place at the Head of
the table. "To Jurai," he toasted raising a glass.

"To Jurai," they answered.

Sitting in the darkness, on the hard marbled floor of her lord's study,
Seikou began to clean her blood off of the floor's embroidered rug
before it could stain. She hoped that everything would work itself out.
This was a good family and she didn't want to see it ruined. It was all
she had.

Being a servant... The House of Kyogou was the only life she knew. She
had to do something.

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*BZZZZZZZZZZT*

//Good Morning, Lord Tenchi //

Groggily his brain sent out a directive to his right hand to put an end
to that incessant noise, but somehow got the routing wrong as his right
leg made the attempted instead. The shift in weight brought on by his
legging jutting out from the bed caused him to lose his balance and fall
to the floor. It was beginning to look like one of those days. At least
the alarm clock had been turned off when his head had hit on the way to
the floor.

Picking himself up, Tenchi sat down at the foot of his bed and rested
his pounding head in the palm of his hands as he tried to recall what it
was he did last night that brought him to such a low point. He could
remember going to the club with his friends and feeling like a fish out
of water.

'Then... I tried to leave, but that girl stopped me. Sa... Sakuya was
her name, I think. I had some tea, which obviously had something extra
in it, because the rest of the night is a blank.'

He stood and got some fresh clothes out of the closet. Apparently he
went to bed without bothering to undress.

"Jeez, I don't even remember how I got home last night," Tenchi moaned,
rubbing his temples. "This is exactly the reason why I don't drink," he
mumbled as he tucked the set of fresh clothes under his arm and walked
to his bedroom door.

// Princess Aeka is outside your door, Lord Tenchi. //

Tenchi looked about the room and then shook his head. 'Now I'm hearing
thing... A bath sounds like a really good idea right now.'

That had been his basic plan anyway, but the sight that greeted him when
he opened the door, served as a reminder of his earlier observation; It
was going to be one of *those* days.

"Good morning, Tenchi," two voices came in stereo.

Shocked at seeing the two set of blood shot and sleep weary eyes staring
so intently at him caused Tenchi to flinch and fall back on to his rear.
"M... morning, Mrs. Aeka. Morning, Ryoko." From his vantage point on the
floor, he was able to deduce two things: one, Aeka and Ryoko were pissed
(you didn't have to be Washu to guess why), and two, his head hurt much
less when in a horizontal position (a strange, but soothing revelation).
As much as he would have liked to take advantage, grab a book and relax
doing number two, he knew number one wouldn't wait and demanded
immediate attention. It was always that way with number one. Normally,
he would just point things in the right direction and let nature take
its course, but this looked like a hands on job. If he didn't take care
of number one right now, it was liable to explode in his face.

But it didn't.

"Breakfast is ready, Lord Tenchi."

"That is... if you don't have other plans," Ryoko added.

Both girls then moved from in front of his door and took positions on
either side.

Tenchi's brain decided to go with the 'contrite and confused look' that
always seemed to work for him in the past. "Heh... tell Sasami to save
some food for me. I'll be there as soon as I finish washing up."

<><><><><><><><>

It was a lot like being in prison, or more accurately a cage. Her cage
had no walls, no alarm system or such. It didn't need them. This tiny,
useless body was more secure than the best penitentiary in the entire
universe and completely escape proof. Normally, she didn't think this
way, but it was a thought that was hard to ignore when she was alone
like this. She understood why they did it, for the most part. She had
kidnapped Sasami, and far, far worse than that, she had tried to kill
her father. She would be forever trying to amend for that horrible
moment. Still... THIS BODY SUCKED!

But what really, really, really sucked, was that she could no longer
take care of her father. She couldn't cook for him like this. She
couldn't wash his back or help him eat. She couldn't even hug him. This
body was the cruelest thing they could have done to her. Being so close
to her father and yet so far. 'Where is Daddy, anyway?' Mayuka thought
with a scowl. She couldn't even go look for him. She vowed to escape her
prison.

'Really!' She thought, lifting her small hands with their chubby fingers
up in front of her face. Sighing, she rolled over on to her side (no
easy task) so she could watch the door. Idly she wondered who it would
be today. Normally, when her father was at school or at work, the girls
would race to be the one to take care of her. She made a game out of
guessing who it would be, seeing how her entertainment outlets were
rather limited. Today her money was on Ryoko.

"Hey M&M, wanna take a bath with Daddy?" Tenchi said popping his head
into the room.

'Like he even had to ask the question,' Mayuka thought with a huge smile
coming to her face. Her Daddy always made her blues go away.

<><><><><><><><><>

"Why are you smiling like that?" Sana demanded to know from her captive.
This Megami wasn't behaving at all like a proper hostage.

"Hmm? Why shouldn't I smile? When the Mistress is sad, I'm sad. When the
Mistress is happy, I'm happy too," Megami said grinning from ear to ear,
the knife still pressed to her throat. "Are we going to stay like this
much longer? I really should be off to see to the Master."

//Boredom//

'Not an ounce of fear! What is it that I'm holding here? She has
emotions, so it has to be some kind of life form.' Sana puzzled over her
dilemma. Even though it was she who held the knife, she couldn't help
but feel like the hostage. She thought of all her dead comrades and
friends and firmed her resolve. Sana probed Megami's emotions for the
slightest weakness to exploit.

"Ok... Megami, is it? What exactly are you?" Sana asked.

//Annoyance//

"Didn't I answer this question already? Ship and servant to my Master, a
gift from the Mistress," Megami ho-hummed. Though the interior of the
ship showed no signs of it, the Megami slowed as three ships approached.
From the information she had downloaded from the Katul, she was able to
identify them as the pirate vessels Jebel-Hafit, Jebel-Hadada and
Jebel-Unayzah. 'Not doubt trying to find out what happened to the
Katul.' Still cloaked the Megami moved into a vector perpendicular to
all three ships.

"Howcanyoubeaship? Doyouhavesomekindofemotionschip?
Areyouacyborgorrobot? NogovernmenthasAIthisadvanced!
WhydoyoulookaJurainship?Areyoutheshipscomputer?Wherearethecrew?Whoisthis
'Master'and'Mistress'youkeeptalkingabout?Whereareyoufrom?Whomade you?"
Sana demanded, shaking Megami like a rag doll.

//Nausea //

One moment, Sana had a firm grip on the struggling girl, the next
moment, nothing but air. Sana looked about herself and saw nothing but
darkness. Her depth of vision was only a few feet however Sana could
sense where Megami had gone and the feeling she was sensing from the
mysterious entity brought a smile to her face.

"Haha... You can't be serious. Hahaha," Sana began to laugh despite
having witnessed the death of everyone she knew.

A queasy voice answered from the darkness. "It... it's... not funny...
*bleagh*."

Sana thought it was. "A... a ship... a ship that gets motion sickness?
Hahaha."

//Anger... and Nausea //

"I said... *blah* I said it isn't funny! *Bleagh*"

"Not... not funny? A spaceship... that gets motion sickness? That's
hysterical!" Sana said falling over laughing. The darkness that
surrounded Sana inside the ship began to waiver as Megami's
concentration slipped. Still unable to catch her breath, Sana did manage
to open her eyes long enough to see she was inside a ship like none she
had ever seen before.

The Megami had no walls that Sana could see; in fact the entire room was
quite empty except for huge crystal columns that were placed randomly
about. The columns produced the only visible light in the room,
everything else looked like empty space. Indeed, if it weren't for the
columns and the teenage girl leaning against one and tossing her
cookies, Sana would have believed she was floating in space.

It was with that thought that Sana looked at her feet and saw the three
Jebel clan pirate ships. She quickly realized she was looking at a view
from outside the ship.

"The Hafit, the Hadada and the Unayzah! Well... looks like things are
starting to swing my way again. You'll pay for what you did to the
Katul!" Sana said confidently to the pale-faced Megami.

Megami looked at the three ships through squinted eyes, but said
nothing.

Outside, even Megami's cloaking field began to flicker, which was not
unnoticed by the three ships below. All three had witnessed the callous
and unprovoked destruction of the Katul. They wasted no time in raising
shields, arming their weapons, and firing on the Megami.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Hey Tenchi, Can I feed baby Mayuka?"

"NO! Uh... I mean... that's okay Sasami. I'll do it. Heh."

//Lord Tenchi... //

Sitting at the breakfast table, it occurred to Tenchi that... it was
probably a supreme act of cowardice to hide behind a small child. Yes,
it was definitely the act of a coward. However... Tenchi reasoned that
wasn't what he was doing, not even close. He was merely enjoying some
quality time feeding his daughter, which he was well within his rights
to do...

....Protection from attack was merely a fringe benefit.

As his eyes surveyed the other occupants of the breakfast table, it also
occurred to Tenchi that with the looks Aeka and Ryoko were directing at
him... He and Mayuka were going to spend the next few days together. Oh
yes, lots of father daughter time.

Luckily for him, Mayuka wasn't his only buffer. His grandfather,
Katsuhito, made a rare appearance and was seated to his left at the head
of the table. The seat to his right was empty, reserved for his father.
Sasami was next with Little Washu at the other end of the table across
from Katsuhito. Aeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko, in that order, sat across from
Tenchi. Mihoshi and Sasami were all smiles, which was normal. Tenchi's
gaze tended to focus on them avoiding the stares of Aeka and Ryoko.

"There he is!" Noboyuki proclaimed entering the room. "My son... left
the house a mere boy..." He took his seat next to Tenchi. "... And
returned a man!" He finished slapping Tenchi on the back.

Tenchi turned and looked at his father with a confused expression on his
face. He was about to ask him what it was he was talking about when
Katsuhito beat him to it.

"So Tenchi, you had fun last night? I hope this won't effect this
afternoon's practice."

"Uh..." Tenchi began.

"Out of curiosity, what did you do last night, Tenchi? I had been
ninety-four point six seven three percent certain that you wouldn't have
enjoyed yourself and would have come home early," Washu questioned.

"Well, I..." Tenchi started. 'Don't have a clue,' he finished to
himself.

"Yeah Tenchi, what did you do last night?" Ryoko asked, narrowing her
eyes at him.

"And with whom?" Aeka added.

"Actually, I..." Tenchi haltered. 'Ejection seats... what this room
needed was ejection seats. I'll have to talk to Washu about putting some
in. They'd come in handy right about now.'

//Lord Tenchi, do you need help? //

'Who...' Tenchi began before his thought was interrupted.

"When did you get home, Tenchi? I tried to stay up, but I fell asleep,"
Sasami said disappointedly.

"I don't..."

"Two-thirty," Noboyuki answered proudly.

//Funaho //

"Actually, I think it was closer to two-fifty," Mihoshi corrected.

"According to my scanners... A Juraian-Terran hybrid crossed the house's
threshold at exactly two-forty-nine and thirty-two point six one seconds
standard," Washu confirmed.

"Funaho?" Tenchi said aloud.

"WHERE?" Katsuhito said looking about the room frantically before
quickly recovering. Tenchi would pay for that one.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute! How do you know when Tenchi got home?" Ryoko
demanded turning hard on Mihoshi.

Before Mihoshi could respond, Katsuhito redirected the table's
attention. "So did you have fun last night, Tenchi? You didn't answer.
Your father seems to think you had a *real* good time."

All eyes focused on Tenchi. Aeka and Ryoko were practically leaning over
the table.

"Well, it was okay. I don't think I'll be doing it again anytime soon,
though. It really wasn't me."

Ryoko and Aeka turned to each other smiling and exchanged sighs of
relief. An enemy you know is better than one you don't. All their worry
had been for nothing. Tenchi had had a terrible time and wouldn't do
something as stupid as go out without their company again. They both
began to eat the breakfast they had been neglecting.

"You didn't enjoy yourself last night?" Mihoshi asked with a hint of
sadness in her voice. She hoped she hadn't ruined his evening with her
clumsiness.

"Huh?"

'Why did she sound like that?' Tenchi wondered. It was then that
Noboyuki's hand reached over and 'accidentally' knocked one of Tenchi's
plates to the floor. Both men reached down to pick it up. While doing
so, Noboyuki grabbed Tenchi under the table.

"What are you doing?" Noboyuki whispered.

"Huh, I'm picking up the plate you knocked over."

"No, stupid. I mean about Mihoshi. You don't go out with a girl and then
say it was 'okay, but I don't think I'll do it again.' You'll never get
pass just kissing her that way!"

Tenchi's head smacked up against the bottom of the table. 'Danger!
Danger, Tenchi Masaki! Danger!' An alarm in Tenchi's mind sounded. "I
kissed Mihoshi?" Tenchi said in a fervent whisper.

"Uh... you two okay down there?" Ryoko asked sticking her head
underneath the table.

Both Noboyuki and Tenchi came back up to the table.

"Better than okay!" Noboyuki said reaching out and putting his son into
a headlock. With a smile that reached all the way to his wife in heaven,
Noboyuki continued, "My son has finally reached first base! Next... a
homerun!"

"First base?" the ladies at the table all asked.

Noboyuki opened his mouth to answer, but Tenchi "accidentally" knocked
over one of Noboyuki's plates to the floor. Again both men reached down
to pick up the spilled food.

"I kissed Mihoshi last night?" Tenchi asked beneath the table.

"Sure did. I even have proof if you need to show off to your school
friends. I know how important that is."

"What else..."

"Umm..." Aeka inquired, sticking her head underneath the table.

Again Noboyuki and Tenchi reappeared with everyone else at the table
wondering what exactly was going on.

*Ring* *Ring*

"Oh, I'll get it," Sasami said jumping from her seat and heading to
answer the phone. Tenchi welcomed the distraction, but it was short
lived.

"Tenchi..." Ryoko began, but this time Mayuka knocked over a plate.
Tenchi gave his baby daughter a quick kiss on the cheek earning a smile
from her and for a third time, he and his father disappeared underneath
the table.

"Okay, Dad. Tell me exactly what I did last night, because I don't
remember any of it," Tenchi asked with exasperation in his voice.

"Whatcha do? Get drunk?" a voice that sounded a little too much like
Ryoko's asked.

Both turning in the direction of the voice, Tenchi and Noboyuki found
they weren't alone. It seemed the other occupants at the table had
followed the conversation underground. Tenchi decided it was probably
best to come clean with what he could remember of yesterday evening.

<><><><><><><><>

"Hello! Masaki residence," Sasami cheerily answered the phone.

"Sasami? Is that you?" a female voice asked.

"Yes, it is. Um... Who may I ask are you?" Sasami countered politely.

"Guess."

"Huh?"

"Ok, here's a hint: the most beautiful woman in all of Jurai!"

Sasami smiled, that wasn't a hint... it was a 'gimme'. She knew without
a doubt to whom she was speaking now. She only knew of one woman who was
that sure of herself, or was she just that arrogant. "Sakuya! What are
you doing on Earth? Do you want to speak to Aeka?"

Back at her apartment in Tokyo, Sakuya leaned back on her queen-sized
bed, wearing nothing but a jacket and panties. Looking at herself in the
large mirror that hung above her mounted in the ceiling, she played with
the zipper of her "new" jacket and admired the view. She laughed to
herself at Sasami's question, enjoying the feel of Tenchi's jacket on
her otherwise bare skin.

"Of course, Sasami dear. We are best friends after all."

<><><><><><><><><>

Though most Juraians with tree-ships stood while commanding their ships
Nephrus didn't see the point. They were about half way to Earth now in
his escort of the Queens to visit their daughters. He sat in his command
chair on the bridge of the of the first generation ship, Susano-oh,
alone staring out into empty space. He enjoyed these quiet moments
alone. It was one of the few times he could be himself. It was tiring
smiling all the time, but necessary. There are few things as disarming
as a smile, a lesson he had learned early in his life. It helped that he
was a naturally lighthearted person.

He stood and looked at his reflection in the small pond that surrounded
the tree that was the heart of his ship. In it he didn't see Nephrus,
only child and thereby sole and uncontested heir to the House of Rikimu.
Nor did he see, Nephrus, the playboy who stumbled and joked his way up
the ranks without the slightest hint of ambition. Good old Nephrus, the
person people came to when the needed a little help, who over looked
simple infractions, who never chewed anyone out.

Everybody's friend.

No, he didn't see any of those things. What he saw was the next Emperor
of Jurai. When everything had been put into place, the people would
*demand* no less. He returned to his chair and raised three fingers into
the air.

Three

Two

One

An explosion rocked the Susano-oh. Calmly, Nephrus activated the
foreword monitors. Twenty-six pirate vessels of varying clans appeared
on screen. 'Strange... there should be thirty ships- not that it makes a
difference,' he noted without much emotion. He tried to stand when
another explosion rocked the ship sending him to the floor.

"Lord Nephrus, It appears that we are under attack."

Nephrus looked up and into the visage of Queen Funaho who was standing
stoically on the bridge of her tree-ship. Next to that monitor, Queen
Misaki's image appeared.

"So it would seem," Nephrus said standing.

"Ha! I can't believe that someone would be so brazen as to attack us,"
Misaki said with a grin. She so rarely got the opportunity to play like
this.

"I agree." Funaho looked at the monitors showing the various clan ships.
This didn't make any sense. They had to know they couldn't win, so what
was the point of attacking. Even though there were only five ships in
their convoy to Earth, the Juraian ships were far superior in both
firepower and defense. So, why?

Nephrus wiped away the small amount of blood that ran down from the
corner of his mouth and ordered his crew to work. Watching them as then
went about the business of fending off their attackers, Nephrus returned
to his seat. The battle would be over quickly, no need to over involve
himself. A wise leader allowed those under him to perform without
interference. Confidence and trusted were grown that way. Confidence and
trust in him.

It was tiring smiling all the time...

....but it was getting easier.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

damien_searight@msn.com
ICQ: 24113246

"Wha's a matter? Think I'm weak cause I'm a girl!"

Tenchi looked at the red head and then gave a glance back at Ryoko and
Aeka. "That's not it. I know some fairly intimidating girls."

Second Best: Match 2
Taking a Dive