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DISCLAIMER: Alright, listen up. I'm only going to do this several
billion more times, so you better pay attention. The CHARACTERS in
this STORY do NOT belong to ME. Except for a couple. Jurai doesn't
belong to me, either. Most of the other things I made up, but I
wouldn't press charges if you thought I was creative enough that you
wanted to use them. As long as you ask permission first!! Anyway, the
people that the characters, storyline leading up to my fanfic, and
a few of the settings belong to are AIC and Pioneer LDC. Arigato for
not suing me!!!!!!!!!!!

This is chapter nine of No Need For Souls. What? You look disappointed.
You thought it was the latest chapter of Aikan Muyo? Gosh, wouldn't it
be great if it was. But it's not, too bad! You're just going to have
to deal with No Need For Souls! ^_^
Special Thanks to Kelly Loyd, Leon-san, Lisa Vu and Titus Lin for
proofreading.

No Need For Souls!
A TM! Fanfiction
By RP-Otaku

Chapter Nine: Distance

Tenchi, reclining against Funaho's trunk, tenderly stroked Ryoko's
hair. Ryoko sighed in her sleep, shifting her head on Tenchi's lap.
Tenchi smiled down at her dreaming face, his eyes tracing the soft
outline of her cheekbones down to her lips as she smiled.

Golden eyes opened slowly, savoring the sight before them. Tenchi's
face, upside-down and smiling. She greeted him, "Ohayo, darling."

Tenchi smiled broadly as Ryoko wrapped her arms around his neck and
knelt in front of him. "Ohayo, Ryoko-chan."

Ryoko purred in delight as she moved her lips closer to his. Their
lips drew close; she could feel his breath against her face. As one,
their mouths parted and...

---

"Miyaa!"

Ryo-Ohki's urgent call brought Ryoko from her slumber. "Ugh...what
*is* it, Ryo-Ohki?! This had better be good! That dream was...Mmm..."
Ryoko sighed in remembered bliss.

"Miya, miya, miya! Miya, miyaa, miya?"

"You can maneuver through an asteroid field on your own, can't you?
I doubt that a few ships are going to be too much for *you* to handle,
Ryo-Ohki."

"Miya, miya."

"Well, three hundred isn't so bad if they're mostly scouts and the
like."

"Miya!"

"Mostly fighters and freighters? And a few cruisers! What in the
galaxy is a whole *fleet* doing here?!"

"Miya!"

"We're being hailed? Put them on the screen."

A thin, dangerous-looking man appeared on Ryo-Ohki's viewscreen. "I...
AM...KAJI THE PIRATE!!" Applause and fanfare erupted from within
Kaji's ship.

"May I help you?" Ryoko asked politely, "Do you need directions?"

A sweatdrop appeared on Kaji's head. "No, of course not! Don't you
get it, lady?! I'm a pirate, I'm here to steal your money! And maybe
some other things too...you're even better looking than those other
girls who came by here earlier..."

"Hey!" Ryoko replied indignantly, "Don't you have any manners? I think
I should introduce myself before we get into any of this 'thievery'
mumbo-jumbo. I," Ryoko stood up and smiled, "am the space pirate Ryoko,
pilot of Ryo-Ohki!"

Kaji the Pirate got an even bigger sweatdrop. "Well, then I guess I
have the honor of pirating the great Ryoko! I have hundreds of pirates
surrounding you, with ion cannons, I might add, and they will strike
on my word!"

Ryoko smirked. "I have Ryo-Ohki. Bring it on."

Ryo-Ohki miya'd nervously.

Kaji opened his mouth to shout the order to attack, but he never got
the chance; a preemptive laser blast from Ryo-Ohki rocked the ship,
sending Kaji to his knees.

"Ryo-Ohki, full-speed ahead!" Ryoko shouted.

"MIYA!" Ryo-Ohki shot forward, whipping through a net of laser fire
from the surrounding ships. Nearly clear, Ryo-Ohki juked out of the
way of several ships directly ahead, until she was confronted by a
huge battleship.

"Ryo-Ohki, go under it!" Ryoko commanded her ship, grasping the two
control orbs and sending Ryo-Ohki into a spin.

On the battleship, the commanding officer yelled orders to his crewmen.
Their laser fire couldn't pin down the lightning-fast cabbit ship, and
their missiles couldn't lock. Finally, one crewman shouted to the CO,
"We've locked with the ion cannon!"

With a triumphant laugh the commander gave the order to fire.

Ryo-Ohki dodged another flurry of laser blasts as she sensed a large
build-up of energy within the largest of the battleship's turrets.

"Miya!"

Ryoko was too busy dodging lasers to pay attention, simply sending a
message along her telepathic link with the cabbit. [Take Care Of It.]

"Miya?"

Ryoko grunted as a laser glanced off Ryo-Ohki's starboard hull. Then
she saw a thick beam of blue light flash out of the huge turret on the
battleship. Unable to react in time, Ryo-Ohki was caught directly in
it.

The lights suddenly flickered out in Ryo-Ohki's cockpit. "What the-?"
Ryoko muttered as the control orbs suddenly stopped functioning.

"Miya!" Ryo-Ohki said.

"An ion cannon? How? That would be nearly impossible!"

"Miya?"

"A topic that's moot if we can't escape from these fellows. And they
do seem to be heading toward...wait a second. If they're moving toward
us, why are they getting farther away?"

"Miya."

"We were going full-speed when that cannon hit us, and we're outrunning
them? All right! How long until your systems are back online?"

"Miya miya."

"A few *days*?! That's not good, Ryo-Ohki."

"Miya."

"Is our cargo bay still functioning?"

"Miya."

"That was a useless purchase then. You should have kept the freighter's
circuits isolated!"

"Miyaa..."

"We ought to reach Chiyo in about ten minutes. Can you stand up to
the atmosphere at this speed?"

"Miya."

"I hope so, too."

---

Tenchi was in HELL. Home Every Laborer Likes. At least, that was what
the crumbling wooden sign above the entrance stated. At this point he
was not inclined to agree. It was a dusty settlement; a guard had
told him it was a checkpoint before he was transferred down to the
mines. Without his grandfather, Tenchi couldn't escape, and he didn't
want to try using the Light Hawk Wings on innocent people, anyway. So
here he was, stuck in a labor camp.

Tenchi expected to be sent down to the mines in the next day or so; the
friendly guard had informed him that the waiting queue was usually
about a week.

Sitting in the tent assigned to him, Tenchi looked sharply at the
opening as a shadow fell across his face. A tall figure stooped inside,
Tenchi couldn't quite make out his face, but when he heard the voice,
he knew exactly who it was.

"Tenchi? Time to go." Minister Joban said to him.

"You!" Tenchi cried out in shocked outrage. "You're the one that
betrayed us!" Tenchi leapt to his feet, fists clenched.

"SHHH!" Joban hissed as he entered the tent. "Pipe down! I'm here to
get you out of here!"

"Why should I trust you?! Get away from me!"

Joban suddenly reached out and grabbed Tenchi, clamping a hand over his
mouth. "Now listen to me, boy-"

Tenchi elbowed Joban in the gut, and as the priest relaxed his grip
slightly, Tenchi grabbed his wrist. Tenchi bent, and heaved the taller
man over his shoulder with a grunt. Surprised, Joban fell on his back,
stunned.

Tenchi conjured a Light Hawk Sword and held it to Joban's neck. "Why
did you come here?" Tenchi demanded.

>From the ground, Joban said, "I told you, I came to rescue you.
Yosho-sama wanted me to rescue the rest of you as well, and I must obey
him."

"How do you know my grandfather?"

"He...he saved my life once, on Jurai, when I was just a kid. When
Ryoko attacked 700 years ago, one of the places she destroyed was my
village. She shot one of those fireball things at me, and Yosho-sama
conjured a force field around me to save my life. It...lowered his
defenses, and he got injured because of it. I could never forget that
man, and I knew that sword was his when I found you. He never learned
my name...but I never forgot him. And when I learned that he had
finally overcome that diabolical woman, such joy!"

"Ryoko...she shot straight at you?"

"Yes. If it hadn't been for Yosho-sama..."

"How old were you?"

"I must have been...oh...ten or so..."

"Ten years old...?" Tenchi's sword dissipated and he took a step back.
"Okay...I believe you." Tenchi said, almost as an afterthought. He
seemed to be contemplating something else.

Joban stood. "Thank you, Tenchi-sama." he said, "Now, I will lead you
out." Tenchi nodded and followed Joban out of the tent.

---

Lord Mydashi Kyosuke of the Mydashi House of Jurai strolled along the
shores of the Great Sea of Chiyo. His birthday was nearing, in only a
week he would be a millenium old. At that thought he knelt in the sand,
praying for the soul of his long dead wife and children, the family
that had been wiped out one fateful day seven-hundred years ago. Lord
Kyosuke had vowed that he would never love another, no matter how long
he should live. To this day he had been faithful to that vow, and he
honored his family whenever possible.

Lord Kyosuke stood, and as he began to turn away from the sea,
something caught his eye. A fireball flew through the air, descending
into the sea. Lord Kyosuke gathered his minor powers and floated out
over the water. After a few minutes he realized that it must have been
huge, for the splash had looked considerable even from where he had
been standing; he had been under the impression that it was something
small and near.

Kyosuke paused when he heard someone coughing. Floating to his left, he
came upon an incredibly beautiful woman with long cyan hair. She
floated above the sea, and was trying to clear her mouth of the taste
of sea water without much success. Trying not to notice how the woman's
wet clothing clung to her body, Kyosuke asked, "Do you need any help,
Miss?"

The woman spun towards him, a hand raised as if in defense. Seeing that
he was not a threat, she lowered her arm. "No," she answered him
quickly, "I'm fine. Uh...thanks for asking." She watched him
expectantly.

Unsure of what she wanted, and curious besides, Kyosuke floated a bit
closer. "What happened?"

"Um, not much, really. You wouldn't be interested."

"I'm kind of curious." Lord Kyosuke admitted.

The woman looked down at the water and scratched her head. "Well, y'see
it was like this, there were some pirates who tried to rob me, but I
tried to escape, so they shot me down."

"Oh, that's terrible. I didn't know we had a problem with space pirates
in this sector."

The woman smirked. "Well, now you know."

"What's your name?" Kyosuke asked.

The woman looked directly at Kyosuke; he noticed for the first time
their feline shape and golden tint. "My name's Ryoko. And you?"

Kyosuke felt chilled to the bone. "Lord Mydashi Kyosuke, of the Juraian
House of Mydashi." he said distractedly. Coincidence, it had to be
coincidence. There was no way that he would meet that same Ryoko,
especially since he *knew* she was dead, there was no way she could
still be alive! Same name, no connection to the other Ryoko. There was
absolutely no w--

A small bundle of brown fur popped into existence on Ryoko's shoulder.
Smiling, she reached up and petted its head. "There you are, Ryo-Ohki.
I was getting worried."

Lord Kyosuke fainted, his body splashing loudly into the Great Sea.

---

Kyosuke awoke to the faint aroma of chicken broth. He opened his eyes
to find Ryoko holding a bowl of soup just under his nose, whispering,
"Wake up, time for dinner."

Kyosuke screamed.

"What's wrong?" Ryoko asked him curiously.

"Y-y-you're Ryoko! THAT Ryoko!" Kyosuke's eyes were wide open and
terrified. His nostrils flared, and he prayed desperately that she
wouldn't fry him on the spot.

"Oh." Ryoko said flatly, placing the soup bowl down on a nearby table.
"You know about that."

"Know about it?!" Kyosuke shouted, "You killed my wife and children!"

"Oh." Ryoko said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"SORRY?!!" Kyosuke screamed disbelievingly. "You devil!" Though he was
in desperate fear for his life, he couldn't contain himself.

"I really am." Ryoko whispered. "I was a different person then."

"A DIFFERENT PERSON?! You KILLED THEM!!" Kyosuke leapt out of bed in
rage, and fired a bolt of energy at Ryoko. She didn't even take notice
as the bolt disintegrated a few inches from her face.

With a sad 'miya', Ryo-Ohki leaped onto Ryoko's shoulder. "I really am
sorry, even if you don't believe me. That part of my life isn't
something I like to remember. Sayonara, Mydashi-sama." Ryoko bowed to
him, and sank into the floor.

Panting, Kyosuke glared at the ground where she had disappeared. He
didn't have a clue why she had left so abruptly and hadn't vaporized
him, but at the moment he didn't care. Kyosuke grinned maliciously.
She would not live to regret it.

He started to walk out of the small cabin, but then he noticed the bowl
of soup. His stomach grumbled, and he suddenly realized that he had no
idea when he had last eaten. Grimacing, Kyosuke grabbed the bowl and
headed out. Little did he know that the soup had been cooked by Ryoko
herself....

---

Sasami and Yosho were waiting for Tenchi and Minister Joban when they
arrived in a small motel several miles away from the mining site.

"Tenchi-oniichan!" Sasami cried when Tenchi entered. The girl ran over
and hugged him, and said, "I didn't think I'd ever get out of there,
Tenchi-niichan! I still don't know where Aeka-oneesama is! I think they
took her somewhere else, but Joban-oniichan doesn't know where she
might be! We've looked *everywhere*, Tenchi-niichan!"

Tenchi looked disturbed. "Where's Aeka-san?" he asked Joban.

"It's exactly as she says. Aeka-sama could be anywhere. It was easy to
find Sasami; they only have one prison for royalty her age. Aeka-sama
is likely to be in a torture chamber somewhere."

"We've got to find her!" Tenchi exclaimed.

"I have my agents looking into it. Don't worry, if we don't get any
information by tomorrow, we can just bust into them one-by-one. We
*will* find your fiancee."

"F-fiancee? What do you mean?"

Joban paused. "Well, you *are* the next male heir to the throne,
correct?"

"Jiichan..."

"Excluding your grandfather. He is too old now, being separated from
the Water of Life has aged him."

"Then yes, I suppose so."

"And she is unmarried?"

"Yes."

"Then you are her fiancee." Joban concluded.

"Wait a sec! What does any of that have to do with me being her
fiancee?"

"Don't you know *anything* about Juraian law?"

"Uh...no, actually."

Joban sighed. "The crown prince from one queen and crown princess from
the other queen get married to each other. It's a rule. If there is no
crown princess, or the prince and princess are full brother and sister,
then they are free to marry whomever they wish. It's actually a fairly
obscure law, but it's been custom so long that the royalty does it
anyway."

Tenchi gulped. "So...I have no choice?"

"That's right."

"Are you positive?"

"Trust me. I was the top lawyer in the Nerima District of Jurai before
I was deported."

"Why were you deported?"

"Oh, nothing big, really. I, uh, got caught stealing someone's space
ship."

"Got caught?"

"Yeah. I had quite a racket going before the JP finally caught me."

"JP?"

"You really don't know anything, do you? Jurai Police, of course."

"Isn't there any way to work around that law?"

"Nope."

"What if I'm already married?"

"What, you planning to marry just to get out of marrying Aeka-sama?
That seems foolish, she's quite a catch. Wouldn't work anyway, it would
actually be even better if you were already married. That way it's
almost assured that the prince and princess can marry."

"They want me to have two wives?!"

"Of course. They don't want the inbreeding to get *too* bad. They try
to aim for hemophilia only once every seven generations."

Tenchi fainted.

Joban looked over at Yosho. "Yosho-sama, is there something wrong with
him?"

Yosho replied, "No. He is simply unused to Juraian customs."

Joban knelt in front of Yosho. "Yosho-sama, I would like to apologize
again for the trouble I have caused for you and your family. It was
the only choice I had to keep myself from joining the other rebels in
prison."

"I understand all of this, Minister. Do not concern yourself with this.
Your betrayal was the only way you could truly help me. With you in
prison, it would have been much more difficult to escape and rescue the
others."

"I thank you humbly for your forgiveness."

"Please stand up, Minister. We still have to find my sister."

"Hmm."

A soft pattern of knocks sounded from the door. Joban walked over and
opened it. A small man slipped inside and whispered to the tall priest.
Joban nodded and handed the man an envelope. Without another word, the
man slipped back out.

Joban turned to Yosho. "Yosho-sama, we've found her. Do you wish to
accompany us?"

Yosho slowly stood, as if burdened by a great weight. "Yes. I will come
with you. Aeka will not trust you after what has happened, and this
will not be a covert operation, will it?"

"No. There isn't any way to get her out of there without a fire fight.
Yosho-sama, it will be my greatest honor to serve under your command."
Joban bowed deeply.

"No." Yosho shook his head. "You won't be serving under me. There's
something I need to take care of at that place, as well. I will follow
your command."

"Yosho-sama..."

"Sasami-chan, watch Tenchi. When he wakes up, you can explain a little
more to him about Juraian customs."

"Okay, Oniisama."

---

The cameraman signalled to the newsanchor that they were on again in
only five seconds. As the camera started rolling, the newsanchor said
in his light, affable voice. "The most...interesting story has just come
in. Today, a Chiyo hospital admitted a patient who was sent straight to
the Intensive Care Unit. Few details are known at this time, but the
man has been identified as Lord Mydashi Kyosuke, a well-off Juraian
noble, and he has been diagnosed with, in the doctor's own words,
'The biggest, ugliest, most disgusting case of indigestion we have ever
seen. It looks like the rumored cases of Princess Aeka's cooking!'"
The newsanchor shuddered. "Now THAT is horrible. Speaking of Jurai's
royal family, yet another 'Yosho Sighting' has been reported, this time
on the border world of Souryou. Sorry guys, but you're going to have to
admit it eventually. The prince is dead." The anchor smiled, flashing
perfect blue teeth, the top incisors sharpened dramatically in the
latest fashion of his race. "In other news...."

---

Ryoko took a seat at the mostly empty bar. She ordered some sake to
drown her guilt, just as a concerned voice next to her asked, "Hey,
are you all right?"

Ryoko turned to the woman sitting next to her. The woman had teal hair
and Ryoko had to admit that she was extremely attractive. Strangely,
she had the look of someone who had been saved from an excruciating
death. She looked happy as can be. Ryoko mumbled something under her
breath, unintelligible to the woman.

"You look pretty down, Miss. What happened?"

Ryoko's sake arrived; she downed it and ordered another. "Nothing. I'm
fine."

The woman smiled. "Come on, tell me. What happened?"

"'Snot important." Ryoko muttered, downing her next sake and ordering
another.

The woman looked concerned. "Tell me what's wrong, I can help. I'm with
the Galaxy Police."

Ryoko snorted as she downed her next cup of sake and ordered yet
another. "My name is Ryoko. RYOKO! Understand?! But it wasn't my fault!
It's all because of...because of...him.... I had nothing to do with it!
Nothing! I didn't...didn't..." here Ryoko paused to drink her next
sake and order yet another. "Tell him I'm sorry. I'm really, really
sorry. I didn't want to, and I couldn't stop myself or...him.... Tell
Mydashi that I'm really, really sorry about what happened. Please?"
Ryoko's voice took on a pleading note, and she finally broke down in
tears. The GP officer comforted Ryoko as she sobbed on her shoulder.

"It's all right, Ryoko-san. What happened? What did you do?"

Ryoko mumbled something into the officer's shoulder.

"What? You destroyed her eye? Whose eye?"

"Jurai."

"Jur...ai?" The woman shoved Ryoko off of her shoulder. Ryoko collapsed
onto the floor, a new flood of tears erupting from her eyes.

"It's all gone wrong!" she wailed. "Kagato took me, then I was in the
cave for 700 years, and Tenchi came...and I blew that too! Aeka stole
him away! I...I.... Oh Kami, Tenchi!" Ryoko keened, crying on the
floor.

The woman backed away from Ryoko's weeping form. Pulling a small
rectangular object from a pocket, she said, "GP-Dict, Activate."

The object hummed to life, and a small screen appeared on the surface
of it. The woman said, "Search; Criminals; A-Class or higher; Ryoko."

"No file," the GP-Dictionary replied, "A file exists in backup system
memory."

"Show file."

A picture appeared on the screen of Ryoko smiling and waving. "Ryoko.
Female. Age-unknown. Height-162 cm. Weight-unknown. Hair-cyan.
Eyes-feline, yellow. Pilot of: Ryo-Ohki. File exists for Ryo-Ohki. Ryoko
is wanted for: piracy, destruction of colonies, destruction of planets,
spaceship theft, murder, extortion, armed robbery, sabotage. List
continues. More information is available at any Galaxy Police
mainframe. This file is out-of-date, as the Statute of Limitations has
taken effect."

The woman took a long look at Ryoko, comparing the real one to the
photo. "Kami-sama, you really are Ryoko." she swore in disbelief. "I
thought...Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Ryoko didn't answer, oblivious to the world.

The woman looked baffled. "Well, I suppose technically you aren't a
criminal, so..." Pressing a button on her watch, a 3-D display formed
above her wrist. She pressed another button, and in moments a hoverbike
could be heard starting up outside the bar. The woman gently lifted
Ryoko and carried her outside.

---

"My name is Kiyone, I'm a first-class detective with the Galaxy Police."

Ryoko nodded in acknowledgement, sipping at her steaming tea. "Arigato,"
she said, "in your position, I'm not sure I would have helped me."

Kiyone smiled. "People tell me I'm too giving. Don't worry about it, any
one would have done the same."

Ryoko grimaced, "For the infamous Ryoko? I think not." There was a
gentle scratching at the room door. Ryoko turned toward Kiyone. "It's
your hotel room, you probably should get it."

"Right." Kiyone set down her teacup, strode over to the door, peering
out the peephole. "I don't see any-" There was another scratch at the
door. Shrugging in resignation, she opened the door.

A small package of brown fur sped across the room, leaping into Ryoko's
lap. "Miyaa!" cried Ryo-Ohki in happiness.

Ryoko chuckled. "Took you long enough!" she playfully chastised the
cabbit, petting her.

"Err, who is this?" Kiyone asked, shutting the door quietly.

"Surely you've heard of Ryo-Ohki?" Ryoko inquired.

"Uhh...yeah..." Kiyone replied nervously, watching the cabbit hop onto
Ryoko's shoulder. "I kind of expected him to be more...uh...well...
intimidating?"

"Her. Ryo-Ohki is female. She gets that a lot, though." Ryoko stood,
placing down her now-empty cup. "Thank you very much, Kiyone-san. You
have no idea how much this has meant to me. But I really should go, now
that Ryo-Ohki's back. I don't want to burden you."

"Don't worry about it. You're really nothing at all what I expected.
You've destroyed planets, but you really don't seem all that bad. And
Ryo-Ohki..."

Ryoko shut her eyes for a long moment, drew in a deep breath, and let
it out before opening her eyes again. "It's been a long time since all
that happened. I don't like to remember those times. But Kiyone, if
there's ever anything you need, no matter what, just ask me."

"Domo arigato. I appreciate that." Kiyone thanked her, very grateful.
She never intended to hold Ryoko to that, but she appreciated the
gesture.

Ryoko reached for the door, but stopped. She turned back to Kiyone.
"Kiyone, I don't suppose you ever knew anyone named Mihoshi?"

Kiyone's eyes bugged out, her mouth opened as if to scream, and her
hand reflexively grabbed her blaster pistol. "Her!"

A sweatdrop appearing on her head, Ryoko waved Kiyone's hand away from
the gun. "Calm down! I was just wondering, because she was telling us
this wild tale about ultra-energy matter and..."

Kiyone's nostrils flared, and she gripped the gun tighter, "Mihoshi..."
she growled.

"Hey hey, no need for violence! Breathe, Kiyone, breathe!"

Kiyone's ragged breaths gradually slowed and evened out. Her hand
loosened its grip on the gun, and she managed to let go of it. "I'm...
sorry... Her name just..."

"Don't worry, I know what you mean. If you want, I won't tell her I
saw you. She thinks you're dead."

Kiyone rubbed her temple. "I've heard the story. She accidently bumped
me down a laundry chute, thought it was the incendiary, and, in tears,
asked for a transfer. I managed to lay low for a few days 'til they got
her out of there, and I showed up in time to catch the last week or so
of the going away party. You know, the part *after* she went away."
Tears began to form at the edges of Kiyone's eyes, and she sniffled.
"It was the happiest moment of my life."

Ryoko patted Kiyone on the shoulder. "It's all right, Kiyone. You'll be
just fine."

Kiyone nodded disconsolately.

"Well, I had better go. Thanks for everything, Kiyone."

Kiyone looked up and smiled. "I'll miss you, in a weird way. I didn't
even know you that long, but you kind of grew on me."

Ryoko smirked. "Hey, I'm just naturally lovable. Next time I see you,
I'll treat you to dinner, 'kay?"

Kiyone grinned. "I think I'll take you up on that, sometime. Good luck,
Ryoko."

"You too, Kiyone."

Ryo-Ohki perched on her shoulder, Ryoko walked out of Kiyone's hotel
room.

Kiyone sighed, and relaxed in her chair. After a moment she decided to
order some more tea, but as she stood up, someone rapped sharply on her
door. Aren't I popular today? she thought to herself as she opened the
door.

Kiyone was promptly shoved aside as a trio of men burst into the room
brandishing laser pistols. "Where is she?!" the apparent leader, a tall
Juraian, asked.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kiyone asked, bewildered.

"Don't give me that! She was just here! Where is Ryoko?" he demanded.

"She left, just a few minutes ago." Kiyone answered him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, shaking her shoulders. "Did she do anything
to you?"

"No, she didn't! She was very nice! We had tea!"

Not listening, the man said, "You poor girl. I'm so sorry you had to
endure that. The Galaxy Police is so incompetent these days, it's really
quite horrible. I'll help you get through it, young lady. I'm Mydashi
Kyosuke, you can help us track down Ryoko! Where did that creature go?"

Kiyone, suddenly disgusted with his behavior yelled, "She left, got it?
She went to, uh, she's heading for Miki!"

Mydashi paused. "Miki? Where's that?"

"You know where the planet Ojora is?"

Mydashi nodded.

"It's a city there. Okay? Go get her, boys, even though she's quite
likable, and much more polite than any of you."

Mydashi patted her on the shoulder. "Thanks, Miss. You've been a big
help. Let's go, boys!" The men hustled out.

Kiyone sat back down. "Ryoko, you better not be heading for Ojora." she
said to herself.

---

"Let's see...if we set in the reactor *here*, and adjust the power
output like *so*... No, that's not working." Washu swore in disgust.

Mihoshi peered over Washu's shoulder at the display on the transparent
laptop. "Ano...Washu-chan, what happens when you push this button here?"

Washu yelled and tried to knock Mihoshi's hand away, but it was too
late. The blonde tapped the horizontal axis adjustment, skewing Washu's
project.

Groaning, Washu put her face in her hands. "Mihoshi! I told you to stop
interfering! Go play with your control cube or something!"

Mihoshi sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm sorry, Washu, did...
did I do something wrong?"

The red-haired scientist sighed. "No, Mihoshi, it's fine. Just...do
something else for a little while."

Mihoshi immediately brightened up. "Okay, Washu! Want to play cards?"

"Not right now, Mihoshi. I'm working on getting us off this planet and
to Zenogias, where Tenchi is heading."

Mihoshi's shoulders drooped. "I guess...if you really have to..." The
detective began to shuffle off dejectedly.

Hanging her head in guilt, Washu gave in. "Alright, Mihoshi, but only
a couple of games."

"Yay!"

Two hours later, Washu screamed in agony as Mihoshi won yet another hand
of Poker. "Mihoshi! Are you cheating or something?! I haven't played
this poorly in twenty thousand years!"

Mihoshi scratched her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, Washu-chan, I guess
I'm just really lucky tonight! Want to play again?"

"One more hand, Mihoshi, and that's it!"

"Okay."

Mihoshi shuffled and dealt five cards to each of them.

Washu picked up her hand and nearly gawked in amazement. An incredible
hand! She decided to stand, and Mihoshi did the same. With a feeling of
triumph, Washu flung down her cards, "Straight Flush, King high! What
do you say to that?"

Mihoshi carefully laid down her cards. "Wow, Washu! I got a Royal Flush!
This is, like, the first time *ever*!" she crowed.

Washu wept, muttering curses.

---

Minister Joban of the Tikanese Sect on planet Souryou approached the
gate of the palace of Admiral Ninjin of the Imperial Fleet, also known as
the "Maestro" of all the Rebellion's war efforts in the west. The guard
at the gate had been slouching at his post, idly watching traffic fly
by, when he saw the minister approach. He immediately stood at
attention, and even from where he was, Yosho could hear his smart
welcome, "Minister Joban, I shall inform the Captain of the Watch of
your arrival!"

"No need," Joban replied with an easy smile, "he'll know very soon."
Yosho did not even see Joban's arm move, but suddenly an energy weapon
discharged, hitting the guard directly between the eyes. The man
slumped to the ground as Joban flipped a switch just behind him. The
gate opened, and Joban waved his comrades forward.

Joban's five henchmen were apprentices at his 'church', which Joban had
informed Yosho was just a front for his black market dealings, and they
were all armed with high-powered laser rifles. This was to be a
break-in, nothing fancy about it.

Just inside the front door was an expansive courtyard, replete with
a pair of flower gardens and a trio of fountains. Two of the admiral's
bodyguards spotted them, but they were cut down immediately by Joban's
apprentices.

Joban led them down a hall and through a door, until they reached a
barred steel barrier. Joban swore. "Damn! If we blow this thing, it'll
bring the whole house down around our ears." He pulled some blueprints
out of his robe and peered at them, trying to find an alternate route.

"Do not worry." Yosho said calmly, "I will take care of it." Yosho held
his right hand out in front of him, and a glowing blue blade of energy
appeared in his palm. He raised the Light Hawk Sword above his head and
slashed the steel door four times. As his sword dissipated, he
delivered a leaping side kick to the center of the barrier. A perfect
square of metal slid backwards and fell out of the door with a crash.
Without another word, Yosho stepped through the portal, into the
adjoining hall.

Joban came through next, informing Yosho, "This is where all of the
prestigious prisoners are kept before being transported to the Emperor.
Turns out that Aeka-sama is due to leave here tomorrow. It's a good
thing we were able to find her so soon."

Yosho nodded. "How can I get to the admiral's room from here?"

Joban looked at him quizzically. "If you turn left at the next
intersection and take the elevator up to the top floor you'll get there,
but why?"

"He has the Master Key."

"I told you, he doesn't! Since he can't use it anyway, he would just
give it to the Matriarch and get a higher standing. It's as simple as
that."

Yosho slowly shook his head. "There is much you don't understand about
Jurai's power. I will meet you back at the hotel."

"Very well, Yosho-sama." Joban gave him a short bow before leading his
men down the hall toward Aeka's cell.

At the first intersection, Yosho turned left and took the elevator up
to the top floor.

---

Admiral Ninjin took another sip of the sweet Juraian alcohol, savoring
the taste and the way it warmed his throat. The elevator facing his
desk opened, and Yosho stepped out. "I knew you would come." he said.

Yosho nodded. "How are you still alive after all these years? You are
not of the royal family."

"A gift, from some friends of mine. Powerful friends, with many secrets.
Friends that are much truer than you ever were."

"The Shi?"

"Yes." Ninjin answered, unsurprised that he knew. He was, after all,
Yosho.

"So now you dabble in the dark arts. I should have known that once I
failed to give you the Jurai power you craved, you would go to more
sinister sources."

"Of course," Ninjin replied offhandedly. "But that's not important. You
came to retrieve the Master Key."

"That's right."

"Naturally, I'm not going to let you have it. Want to fight for it?"

Yosho looked at him in disbelief. "You...challenging *me* to a duel?
Do you have a death wish or something?"

Ninjin smiled wryly. "Something like that. Well, do you want to fight
for it? Winner takes all."

"Of course winner takes all, you'll be dead!"

Ninjin laughed with genuine delight. "You sure are cocky, Yosho. I've
been training with the powers of darkness, remember? I've got a few
tricks up my sleeve. Now, come on."

Yosho shrugged and conjured his Light Hawk Sword. Ninjin drew Tenchi-ken
and ignited it. They took ready stances.

The two swordsmen circled each other, searching for an opening in their
opponents defense. Yosho saw many, and, trying not to burst out laughing
at Ninjin's sloppy form, attacked.

Ninjin began to mutter a dark incantation, but as soon as he began, the
old man disappeared. The next thing Ninjin knew, a Light Hawk Sword was
sticking through his ribs, impaling his heart. "Dammit, Yosho," he
groaned, blood spilling out of his mouth, "that's unfair."

Tenchi-ken slid out of Ninjin's lax fingers and clattered to the floor.
Yosho's sword dissipated as he muttered something about the most
anti-climactic fight scene ever. He picked up Tenchi-ken and walked over
to a window. Yosho made a rough estimate that he was thirty stories
high. With a solid kick the window splintered, the plastic shards flying
downwards to tinkle onto the grass underneath the window. Yosho
leaped out.

---

Ninjin's soul glared as Yosho leaped out of the window. [Y'know, Yosho,
You're A Real Jerk. Now I've Got To See About Getting ANOTHER Clone Of
My Body From My Masters. And That Sure Isn't Gonna Be Easy! I Still
Remember Their Expressions When I Told Them About How I Accidently Cut
My Own Throat With My Razor....]

---

"Y'know, Ryo-Ohki, you're the most useless spaceship ever."

"Miya?"

"You heard me. Can't you even stand up to a direct collision with a
planet?"

"Miyaa!"

"Whatever. The things I've gotta do to cover up for your mistakes!" Ryoko
sighed in frustration. As she approached the door, it quietly slid open.
Within, a huge banner announced the name of the company: Juraian Space
Lines. As she wandered towards the pretty clerk, who had three hands and
stood nearly seven feet tall, Ryoko noticed a party of five men enter
the building. And they all carried blaster pistols.

One of them spotted her and shouted, "There she is!"

Ryoko's eyes flitted to him and widened in surprise as she realized that
he was Mydashi Kyosuke himself. The dark, shoulder-length hair and square,
jutting chin definitely belonged to Lord Mydashi. As well as the large-
barreled pistol he was raising toward her face.

The dozen or so people in the room screamed, and many of them dropped to
the floor or raised their hands. The three-armed clerk pushed an alarm
before ducking herself.

All five men fired at Ryoko. All five laser blasts collided with an energy
field only an inch from her nose. "Look," Ryoko said pleadingly, "I don't
want to fight with you! I'm not a criminal anymore, so just let me go!"

Kyosuke shouted in rage as he fired again, "You killed my family! You
destroyed my life! I'll never forgive you!"

"I don't want your forgiveness! Please, just forget about it! I'm not the
same person I was back then. I don't want to hurt anybody!"

Seeing how little effect his shots had against her, Kyosuke charged,
attempting to slam the butt of his pistol into her head.

Ryoko took a step back, letting the gun sweep in front of her face.
Kyosuke swung again, and this time Ryoko stepped to the side. This
continued, Ryoko stepping aside just in time to avoid his hand, while
trying to reason with him.

By this time everyone in the room had fled, and several Galaxy Police
officers were entering. Seeing the four gunmen and the man attacking an
apparently defenseless woman, they called for the men to drop their
weapons.

Uncertainly, the men dropped their guns one-by-one, still watching Ryoko
and Kyosuke in the middle of the room.

The GP officers trained their weapons on Kyosuke. "Drop your weapon and
step away from the woman! Right now!"

Unheeding, tears streaming from his eyes, Kyosuke blindly continued to
assail Ryoko. Finally, Ryoko reached up and caught his wrist.

"Lord Mydashi, please stop. This isn't going anywhere." Ryoko informed
him gently.

Mydashi tried to wrench his wrist out of her grip, to no avail. Without
any further provocation, he began to sob.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Lord Mydashi. I didn't mean for anything
like that to happen, and I would have prevented it if I could. But please,
stop chasing me! I was under the orders of another, and if I had refused
him, he would have done terrible things to me, and attacked Jurai anyway.
There really was nothing I could have done."

Mydashi looked up at her, his eyes glimmering with hatred. "What if it
were *your* husband and *your* children that were killed? What if I had
killed them? Would you forgive me? Or would you hunt me down to the edges
of the galaxy in order to see me rot in hell for what I'd done?! Ryoko,
either kill me and let me join my family in heaven, or I will hunt you
down and destroy you."

Ryoko closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. "If that's how you really
feel about it...I can't stop you from hating me. But...it will be a
fruitless hunt you carry out. It is far beyond your abilities to kill me."
She looked into Kyosuke's eyes. "Lord Mydashi, please don't do this. I'm
leaving now, and we're not likely to ever meet again. So please just let
it rest. Good-bye." Ryoko released his wrist, took a step back, and
disappeared.

Everyone in the room stared at the spot she had just vacated until Kyosuke
snapped them out of it. "You! Galaxy Police! I want you to find her and
arrest her!"

One of the officers, finally lowering his gun, looked askance. "On whose
authority? And who was she, anyway?"

"That," Kyosuke growled, "was Ryoko, the pirate that destroyed Jurai!"

There was a collective gasp. Then the officer who had spoken before
checked a small rectangular object he called a GP-Dict. "There's no file
on her. The Statute of Limitations has taken effect. She's no longer a
criminal. You, however, are. For attacking an unarmed civilian with the
intent to kill. C'mon men, take them away."

The dozen GP officers rounded up the five gunmen, including Lord Kyosuke.
"What?" Kyosuke yelled, "You've got to be kidding! That was *Ryoko* of
all people!" The GP officers ignored him. "Urrgh! You're going to let
her escape!" Then he shouted as loud as possible. "Everybody, tell every
bounty hunter you know that I'm offering a 100,000 credit reward for
Ryoko! I want her killed, and I don't care what it takes!"

One of the GP officers began to read him his rights.

---

In a dark citadel that looked decidedly evil (it is, by the way),
a tall, dark haired man leisurely strode down a dark corridor. Geez, he
thought to himself, are the budget cuts so bad that they have to turn out
the lights? That's what you get for being evil, a price on your head,
irregular electric service, and recognition in supermarkets all across
the galaxy.

The man entered a large, well-lit antechamber.
Several scientists were milling about, conducting observations and tests
on several of the dozens of cylindrical containers lining the walls. In
each glass container was a thick, purplish fluid, which fed nutrients
to each of the specimens held within. Within the containers were a variety
of specimens of all the different species in the galaxy, ranging from
Juraians to Earthlings to several species unknown by name, known only by
serial number.

"Master." a voice beckoned from near the man's knees. He looked down at
the pale-skinned slave kneeling next to him.

"What is it?" he snapped irritably.

"Master," the slave creature rasped, "the soul of Sect Member A830XH
requires a new clone."

"Ninjin. What a bother that man is! Tell Dr. Fusoya to create a clone of
Sect Member A830XH and alert me when it is finished. *Before* you give it
to Ninjin."

"Yes, Master," the creature acknowledged before scurrying off.

The man sighed. Ninjin was such a useless man. Killed himself while
shaving! Of all things! Skilled evil help is so hard to find these days.

Shaking his head in disgust, the man continued through the room until he
approached the back wall. Here the containers only contained one sort of
specimen. Exactly forty-two copies of a single creature were held here,
along with two empty cylinders.

The man gazed at one of them, studying the pale skin, yellow eyes,
and long dull green hair it sported. The label at the bottom announced it
was part of Project 0001.

Codename: Kagato.

---

"So I told Asahi 'No, we can't do that, we'll get in trouble!' but she
just wouldn't listen to me! She tried to crawl into the vent to go after
her necklace, but she couldn't get in any farther than her hips! And I
said, 'See? You're too big! You shouldn't have eaten all that candy at
Mommy Funaho's party!' But she just told me 'Sasami, don't worry, I got
it under control!' Next thing you know I'm calling Mommy Misaki to try
and get Asahi out of the vent! She got half her hips in, but she couldn't
fit in the rest! And when she tried to get out, it was no use. So Mommy
Misaki came and she yanked on Asahi lots," Sasami demonstrated her
mother's technique with vigor, "until she finally *popped* out! There was
all sorts of dust and stuff on her face, and I started to laugh, until
she started to get all red in the face and told me to stop it. When she
got all red, though, it only made me laugh harder, and I couldn't stop
until Mommy Misaki said that if I didn't stop she'd whack me. So in the
end Mommy Misaki used her Jurai powers to bring the necklace out of the
vent and gave Asahi a stern reprimand about trying to climb in vents. It
was all a lot of fun." Sasami concluded, smiling.

Tenchi was about to reply when the motel room door opened behind him. He
turned to see Joban walk in, an unconscious Aeka slung over a shoulder.

"Aeka-oneechan!" Sasami cried out, and rushed to her sister's side as soon
as Joban placed her down on the bed. "Is she okay?"

Joban nodded, slightly winded. "She's fine. Masaki-sama..."

"Just call me Tenchi," Tenchi interrupted.

"Sorry. Tenchi-sama, we've got to get you out of here tonight. I'm certain
there's going to be a city-wide search for the princess, so we've got
to hurry and get you out."

"Where's Jiichan?"

"I don't know where your grandfather is. He left us during the raid to
get the Master Key back, and I haven't seen him since. Anyway, I've got
to see about getting you a ride out of here tonight. It's going to be
tough, but I think we can smuggle you aboard a freighter heading for
Sakaguchi or Chiyo."

"No need for such underhanded methods." Yosho said from the doorway.

"Yosho-sama!" Joban fell to one knee. "How may I serve you?"

Yosho motioned for him to stand. "I have arranged for a ride off the
planet. In exchange for Jurai's aid in the war, the High Council has
agreed to ship us straight to Zenogias."

"So you told them who you really are?" Tenchi asked in disbelief.

Yosho grinned suddenly, "Of course I told them who I really am...
Agent double-oh seven, Masaki Katsuhito, in His Majesty's Secret Service!"

Tenchi face-faulted. "But isn't that..."

Yosho shrugged. "So I'm not quite as young and handsome as James Bond, I'm
still the best Jurai has to offer."

Tenchi sighed. Am I the only sane person in the galaxy?!

---

Ryoko, walking down a main thoroughfare, was considering her options.
Those guys are likely to be covering every single spaceport out of here,
now that they know how I'm trying to get offworld. That means I'm going
to have to hire a private captain. Where could I find one of those?

Ryoko looked up at the darkening sky. It's getting late. The bars are
going to be filling up soon. There should plenty of unsavory characters
coming out around now.

Looking around, she spotted a nearby bar. Mos Aislii Cantina, the sign
in front proclaimed. Shrugging, she started toward it, when she heard a
cold, feminine voice behind her. "Hold it right there, Ryoko."

Ryoko froze. Could it be...that bounty hunter from Nirembel? She slowly
turned, to see the cloaked woman brandishing a laser whip at her. "Nagi?"
Ryoko asked.

Nagi nodded. "That's right. And I told you that if you ever got a bounty
on your head, I'd be after you."

"You also said you wanted a duel with me."

"Yes. How about it, then? Winner take all - you win, you go free. I win,
I take your head."

Strangely, Ryoko felt thrilled. After all that she'd been through, she
had thought she would never enjoy battle again. But this... Ryoko was
excited. Yet she was also apprehensive. She didn't want to fight, but
something in her blood, in her soul, called out to Nagi. Torn, Ryoko
remained silent.

"Well?" Nagi's rough voice asked again. "Ryoko, I wish to test my strength
against you. I've never been beaten. Show me that you can defeat me, and
I will leave you alone."

It's been so long since I've had a real fight... One where I wasn't
fighting for my life, just for sport. But this *is* fighting for my life!
Yet I still want to... I want to totally and utterly defeat this pompous,
arrogant, self-righteous woman. "Okay. When and where?"

Nagi smirked. "Right now, right here."

"In the middle of the street?"

"It's traditional."

"Traditional for who? On second thought, don't answer that. Let's just get
this over with. Come on." In an instant, Ryoko was clothed in red and
black, the skin-tight combat suit fitting her like a glove. Small darts
of crimson energy emerged from the dusk sky, flowing into her open palm.
The darts of light widened and lengthened into thick cords of energy, then
finally coelesced into her energy saber.

Nagi grinned. This was the moment she'd been preparing for all her life.

The few passersby left on the street soon gathered around, and were
quickly joined by the occupants of all nearby buildings. A ring formed
around bounty and hunter, the two combatants eying each other warily.

Finally, Ryoko charged. Almost too fast to see, Nagi sidestepped, her
energy whip snapping out toward Ryoko's neck. Ryoko ducked, and the whip
caught only a single strand of hair. The pirate leapt at the bounty
hunter, and once again Nagi dodged. This time when she snapped the energy
whip out, however, Ryoko teleported away.

Instinctively, Nagi rolled forward, just in time to dodge the sword aimed
at her head. She leaped back to her feet, but when she turned to attack
Ryoko, the pirate was gone.

Sensing Ryoko's appearance a split second before she actually appeared,
Nagi sidestepped the next sword swipe, and swung out her whip. This time
she managed to catch Ryoko firmly in the whip's grasp. "Got you!" Nagi
shouted.

Ryoko gasped as the coils of the whip began to tighten around her throat.
"Is...that...so...?" she wheezed. Ryoko managed a slight smile, as Nagi
felt the air just behind her shift.

Nagi turned her head just in time to see a second Ryoko swinging an energy
saber at her face. Wrenching herself away, she let go of the whip and
just barely avoided losing an arm. The two Ryokos merged into one, and
picked up the energy whip. "Did you lose something?" Ryoko asked.

The sizzling discharge of an energy rifle split the night air. "Hey,
Ryoko!" the wielder of the rifle shouted, "forget that unworthy bounty
hunter and try *me* on for size!"

"You! Get out of here!" Nagi yelled, "This is *my* bounty!"

"I don't think so, Nagi! You've taken all the good bounties long enough,
I think I deserve one!"

Nagi growled, a gutteral, ferocious sound low in her throat. Suddenly
Ryoko pitied the man.

A lance of energy blasted from under Nagi's cloak, taking the man by
surprise. He tried to avoid it, but it was a futile gesture. The energy
blast hit him square in the stomach, lifting him off his feet and shoving
him several dozen feet backward through the air, until he collided with
an apartment building.

Nagi then turned and leveled the laser cannon at Ryoko, but within moments
sirens could be heard. "Galaxy Police!" Nagi cursed. As the GP patrol
hovercars neared, they all of a sudden exploded, turning into huge
fireballs.

"What the hell?" Ryoko whispered to herself. Then she saw them.

Twelve dark figures atop the surrounding rooftops, their pale, nondescript
faces coldly surveying the wreckage. Tattered black cloaks swirled around
them in the night air as they were silhouetted in the moonlight.
A thirteenth figure glided down from the sky, to land directly in front
of Nagi and Ryoko.

"Ryoko...Nagi...we have come on behalf of the Shi."

"The Shi?" Nagi asked. "They're extinct."

"Nay," the white-faced man replied, "they have been in hiding. But now
they are prepared in force. Prepared...for the end of the Universe!"

"What are you talking about?" Ryoko asked, a coldness growing in the pit
of her stomach.

"The Shi are the mightiest creatures in this galaxy, and we are now asking
you, two of the most feared mortals in the Juraian Empire, if you wish
to join us in our conquest!"

"Sorry freak, but I work alone." Nagi answered.

"If you refuse now, you will perish in the Armageddon!"

"I guess I'll just have to take my chances, then, won't I?"

Ryoko shook her head. "Forget it."

"Both of you? Refusing? This...this is unprecedented!" The pale man looked
honestly confused. His superiors said that two people as obviously evil
as Ryoko and Nagi would jump at this chance.

"Get out of here." Ryoko ordered him.

"If you refuse our offer...we...the Shi...will be forced to exterminate
you!"

Nagi laughed. "I'd like to see you try." Before the Shi emissary could
speak again, Nagi's laser cannon discharged into his chest. Except he
wasn't there. He appeared behind her and drew a knife. Before he got a
chance to use it, however, Ryoko's saber sliced off his arm.

With a scream of agony, the man staggered back, and violet blood spurted
out of his wound.

Ryoko looked up to the rooftops; the twelve others had vanished.
"Nagi! We've got to get out of here!" she hissed.

Nagi nodded. "Alright," she said coolly, "no problem." The bounty hunter
reached inside her cloak with one hand, and announced, "My ship is on its
way. I've activated a homing beacon, it ought to be here in less than a
minu--"

Twelve black-cloaked men appeared in a circle around them, swinging green
energy swords. Without delay, Ryoko grabbed Nagi's arm and teleported
them twenty feet away. "We're too exposed here! Into the bar!" The two
of them rushed into the bar, slamming the door shut behind them. Ryoko
tossed Nagi the energy whip. "Here, you're gonna need it."

Nagi put the laser cannon back where it came from, and readied the whip.
"Thirty seconds 'til Kennoki gets here."

"Kennoki?"

"My ship, of course!"

"Right, sorry." Ryoko peered around the bar. It was deserted, everyone
apparently having run off either during the fight or when the GP were
arriving. The two women moved to the center of the room and stood back
to back, waiting breathlessly.

Nagi broke the silence. "Twenty seconds."

"Fifteen."

Ryoko shifted her weight and glanced nervously at the walls around her.
What are they doing out there?

"Ten!" Nagi cried out, just as the cloaked figures flew through the walls
straight at them.

Ryoko's gems glowed as an orb of crimson light gathered between her
outstretched palms. With a shout of rage, she loosed a flurry of energy
blasts at her attackers.

Nagi's energy whip ignited, and it cracked out sharply. One of the men
fell howling to the ground, but there were plenty to take his place.

Ryoko's energy blasts incinerated her foes, turning a few into smoldering
piles of ash. The others just kept on coming.

Green energy swords ignited in the hands of eight black-cloaked swordsmen,
they swung, only to be met by the blades of Nagi and Ryoko.

Nagi had dropped her whip to draw a sword, and now participated in a
furious melee. She dodged constantly, rarely having an opportunity to make
an answering thrust or cut. Her skill showed, as he slowly began to thin
out her enemy's ranks.

Ryoko split into two to be able to better combat the uneven odds. Both
Ryokos fought against a pair of swordsmen, and were hard pressed. Too
hard to control both minds! Ryoko thought, as both Ryokos suddenly
disappeared. Confused, the men halted their attack.

"Gotcha." Ryoko hovered above her attackers and released a fireball about
the same size as herself.

Ryoko glided down to land softly amidst the charred remains of her
opponents. She turned to watch Nagi cut down the last of her own
attackers.

As the last one fell, Nagi deactivated and put away her energy blade. She
grabbed her whip off of the floor, and told Ryoko, "Kennoki's here by
now."

Ryoko nodded and grabbed Nagi's arm, flying upward through the roof.
Above the bar, a sleek fighter-craft hovered. "Ryo-Ohki!" Ryoko called.

"Miyaaa!" greeted her from just below. The cabbit peered upward at the
two women, before teleporting up to Ryoko's shoulder.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Ryoko said, and she flew up into Nagi's
spaceship.

As soon as they landed in the cockpit, Ryoko could feel the muzzle of a
gun pressed into her back. "I've got you now."

"Excuse me," Ryoko said calmly, "but don't you think we ought to be
avoiding those guys who were trying to kill us? I mean, our battle could
take a while, and if you insist on fighting here, will probably wreck your
ship."

"What are you talking about? I've got you at my mercy!"

Instantly, Ryoko was behind Nagi, pressing her fingertips to the bounty
hunters back. "Is that so? Nagi, don't underestimate me. And how do you
expect to fight all of the goons they send after you? I saw what kind of
a time you were having against just those four."

"I had it well in hand!" Nagi insisted.

"Sure." Ryoko replied disbelievingly. "Anyway, *Captain*, why don't you
set a course for Zenogias?"

"Zenogias? What for?"

"I've got a deal coming up there that's worth a lot of money. And while
we're at it, see if you can't find the remains of a freighter floating out
here somewhere. Me and Ryo-Ohki ditched our cargo just before re-entry.
If it's still out there, I'll give you a cut of the profits."

Nagi nodded. "Very well. Could you, ah, lower your hand?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry." Ryoko said as she took her hand away from Nagi's back.

Nagi considered her options. At this point it didn't look like Ryoko would
try to kill her, and she didn't want to fight in her ship, where they
could possibly damage it. Her best option for the moment appeared to be
to simply go along. But she'd get even. Oh yes she would. Nobody makes a
fool out of Nagi and gets away with their lives.

"Setting course for Zenogias."

Ryoko sat back in the pilot chair. A feeling in the back of her mind began
to tug on her, telling her that something was about to happen, something
huge. This incident with the Shi had been something more than just a
recruiting party. There was something happening, and she was a part of it.
And on Zenogias...the mere mention of the name set off all sorts of
buzzers in her head. What would happen there? And where is...where is
Tenchi? How is he? Is he alright? Or has the Shi gotten to him?

Tenchi...Tenchi...Tenchi.... I miss you.

---

Tenchi woke up, a message still echoing in his mind. It had sounded almost
like Ryoko...like he could hear her, smell her, almost see her. And for
some reason, he had a feeling of incredible loss. And he knew, without a
doubt, that she missed him. And he missed her.

His grandfather walked into his cabin. "Tenchi, awake again already? I
told you to get some sleep, it will still be another eight hours or so
before we reach Zenogias."

Tenchi nodded. "Okay, Jiichan."

Yosho picked something up and walked back out. Tenchi laid on his back
and wondered if he would ever see Ryoko again.

Chapter Nine is finished. Now...Chapter Ten. This one is going to be
the pivotal chapter of the entire story, the one in which Tenchi and
Ryoko finally meet up again. Be excited! Be very excited! As always,
E-Mail Palador98@yahoo.com with Questions, Comments, Criticism.