(Spotlight comes on, illuminating Mihoshi standing in front of a red curtain.) AUTHOR: (Sitting in a director's chair with a megaphone) Okay, Mihoshi. Walk in the park. Just read the cards. MIHOSHI: (Salutes) No problem! (She squints and begins to read.) Tenchi.....Mu...Muyo? Is the...pro...property...of... AUTHOR: Mihoshi, what's the problem? MIHOSHI: Uh...well....you....see.... AUTHOR: Spit it out, woman! MIHOSHI: Well, those cards are in English....and...I...I...(sniffles pathetically) I never learned how to read English. AUTHOR:............................................................... ...................................................................... ...................................................................... ................................................ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME!? Beat it! Scram! Vamoose! MIHOSHI: I'm...really very sorry...I..(sniffles again) I...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!(begins to cry, water begins to build up on stage.) AUTHOR: Oh, cripes! She's crying! Someone get a mop! Quick! STAGE HAND: Life boats! We need life boats! For the love of God, women and children first! AUTHOR: Oh, jeez. (takes a deep breath.) I'm sorry Mihoshi. I didn't mean to snap at you. MIHOSHI: (Sniffles, but stops crying.) You didn't? AUTHOR: No. Now why don't you go get yourself a Snapple, and we'll call you back when we get the cue cards written in Japanese, okay? MIHOSHI: (Salutes.) Sure! AUTHOR: (shakes his head.) For those of you who care, Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author owns only the writing. The Bonds of Sisterhood, Part 5 Climactic Moments: Jurai Ryoko stepped off the lift onto the bridge of the Soja and listened as the Marine guard at the lift door snapped to attention and called, "Attention on deck! Her Majesty on the bridge!" Everyone on the bridge came to attention, faced her, saluted, and bowed from the waist. When this ritual was finished, they waited expectantly. Ryoko stood there in uncertainty. She cleared her throat and decided to say something. "Um...thank you." They blinked in surprise. "Um..." she tried to think of something military to say. "Ah...As you were." They returned to their stations and resumed their work. "Your Majesty?" She turned to see an officer with Commander's insignia standing there. "Is there something I can do for you, Your Majesty?" "Oh...no, no," she told him. "I'm just taking a look around." "I see, Your Majesty. It must bring back memories." "Huh?" "Well, I wasn't on the Soja at the end of the war, but wasn't this where the surrender occurred?" It took Ryoko a second to recall the memory from the ones PM Washu had given her. "Yes, that's right." "Well, please, feel free to look around. If you have any questions, please ask me." "Thank you, Commander..." "Commander Sutoro," he told her. "Thank you, Commander Sutoro." The officer smiled and returned to his duties. Ryoko took a look around the bridge. The differences in this Soja and the one she grew up on were astounding. The command center of her Soja had been little more than a private throne room for Kagato. This Soja's bridge had been remodeled to act as a functional command and control center. Thirty men and women sat at various stations, conducting their business in an orderly and military fashion. She listened to them work for a moment. "Engineering, Con, I'm still showing a three percent power drop in section..." "Weps, I need the status on the torpedo launchers..." "Lieutenant Commander Artoka, report to the CIC. Repeat, Lieutenant Commander Artoka to the Combat Information Center." She watched and listened for a moment, before turning around and walking back into the lift. Tsunami almost passed Ryoko without even noticing. She stopped and cursed silently. If she still had her powers, she would've known exactly where Ryoko was and had been instantly aware of it. She approached the fake Empress, who was sitting at a window in one of the observation lounges. She was staring out into space, a regretful look on her face. She was wearing the red uniform and scarlet cape of rank her double would've worn if she were here. Washu had told them that the Empress and Prime Minister were expected to wear Imperial military uniforms as a symbol that they, too, served the Empire. Her hair was now in the Empress' pony tail, if just a little shorter. Tsunami approached carefully. "Ryoko?" She turned at the sound of her voice. "Hmm? Oh, it's you, Tsunami." "Are you all right, Ryoko?" Ryoko sighed and turned back to the void beyond the window. "I grew up here," she told her flatly. "Well, I didn't 'grow up' here, but I was activated here." Her eyes narrowed. "Before Earth and Tenchi, the Soja was the only real home I knew. It's just weird being here again." "I know what you mean," Tsunami told her. "You do?" "Yes," Tsunami sat down next to her. She gazed out at the blue-green planet below. "I haven't even been *near* Jurai in close to a millenia." "At least your memories of home are happy ones." Tsunami shrugged. "Maybe. But this isn't my home, nor is this Soja yours." She was about to answer when she felt PM Washu enter her mind. She mentally nodded, and looked up at Tsunami. "It's time," she breathed. Ryoko reappeared on the transport pad in the Hall of the Great Council. Next to her, PM Washu stood a little straighter. The four Marines in red ceremonial armor stood on either side of the two women, carrying plasma carbines. The false empress took in her surroundings with a critical eye. It was a room like any other, a little larger perhaps than the transporter rooms on the Soja. It was also decorated more elegantly. A purple carpet led from the transport pad down to the floor and out the door. There were several robed dignitaries standing before them. One of them, however, she recognized. she thought sarcastically at Washu, Washu blinked. Washu's eyes narrowed as she recognized a familiar face of her own. Ryoko followed her gaze and saw a tall, blonde man approach. He stood between the two delegations and cleared his throat. In a very serious and dignified voice, he began to speak. "May I present Her Majesty, the Empress of Jurai, Ryoko, and her mother, the Prime Minister, Washu." He turned to Ryoko. "Your Majesty, may I present the Jurain delegation. "Minister of State, Count Seiryo of Ramatana, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dulan Yatana, and Vice Admiral Taro Utona of Her Majesty's Navy." The two groups bowed to each other. Ryoko greeted the delegation, smiling and bowing at the appropriate times. She performed flawlessly, using the information Washu gave her through the link to say the right things. She asked Yatana how her wife was and referred to her by name. Yatana smiled and assured Ryoko that she was well. Ryoko congragulated the gray-haired Admiral Utona on the birth of his first grandchild. Utona grinned and offered to show Ryoko holos of the young child when they had a chance. Ryoko smiled and said she'd like that. Seiryo smiled and made polite chit chat. Ryoko was surprised by his behavior. There was no trace of the pompous aristocrat she had met back on Earth during Funaho and Misaki's visit. He was almost....charming. Washu remained silent, allowing Ryoko to play her part. She avoided making eye contact with the blonde man. Ryoko checked Washu's memories and gasped when she found his identity. "Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Utona asked her. "Yes, of course," she said, laughing in embarassment. "Space lag," she explained. she thought. Her eyes narrowed. For some reason, she didn't like this man one bit. Tsunami trasported just outside the palace grounds. The transport had been made at the exact same moment that Ryoko and Washu had transported the Great Hall so that the security sensors would not register her as an unknown threat. Even so, she could not transport directly into the palace. Even in her own universe, the royal residence was protected by transport signal buffers. As a result she found herself standing outside the palace walls, her changeling suit disguised her as a lawn care worker, wearing drab, gray overalls. She carried a satchel over her shoulder, a satchel she dug into now. She held up one of the Deggs and licked her lips in apprehension. The outer wall was at least four meters thick. If Washu was wrong, if the dimensional hole collapsed before she could crawl through... She pushed the thought aside. Sasami needed her now. She took a step back and flung the egg at the wall. It shattered, splattering the thick, viscous liquid over an area large enough for her to walk through. She waited for the liquid to stop shimmering before taking a quick breath and walking through the hole. A few seconds later, she emerged on the other side of the wall, intact. She sighed in relief and looked back to see the wall shimmering behind her. She checked her satchel and found that she had six eggs left. Sitting among them in the bag, Ryo-Ohki looked up at her and miya'd. Tsunami gave her a weak smile. "We're in," she whispered to the cabbit. Ryo-Ohki brightened and miya'd again. Tsunami shut the satchel. Six eggs. They would have to do. Sasami stood in her room and gazed outside. Since her last escape attempt, Ayeka and Nagi had taken precautions. Her access to her balcony was cut off by three inches of bullet proof glass. She could see outside, but not set foot out of her room. She was trapped. Her situation was getting worse. After Ayeka had left the last time, Nagi had come into her room and given her a very stern warning about trying to escape again. Sasami was sure that Nagi had no qualms about killing her and making it look like an accident to keep Ayeka from suspecting foul play. This warning had only strengthened her resolve to escape. Ayeka was probably meeting with the Empress right now. She had to find a way out of here. Of course, with Gensao in the room at all times, it would be very difficult. She sat on the bed and tried to think. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, there was a change. The air around her became still. She looked up at Gensao and asked if he felt it. Gensao didn't answer her. "Don't worry. He can't hear us." Sasami turned and saw the man she had seen earlier standing next to her bed. Quintin. That was his name. Sasami blinked. "Who are you?" "As I said before," he told her, "You may call me, 'Quintin.'" "Okay, Quintin. Why are you here? What do you want?" He pointed a finger at her. "You," he told her seriously. Sasami drew back in fright. Now what? "You want to get out of here?" he asked her. She nodded slowly. "Good, because I've decided that destiny needs a little push in this case. Therefore, I am going to break one of my own rules and involve myself." He held a finger up. "Just this once," he told her. She nodded. "Good." He raised his hand and touched the wall near her bed. The wall began to warp, to bend in upon itself. Sasami watched in awed fright. Quintin lowered his hand and stepped back. He nodded at the wall. "Go ahead," he told her. Sasami stood up and approached the warped wall apprehensively. "Where...where does it go?" "Where your destiny requires you to be," he told her. "I suggest you hurry," he said, "Fate and Destiny will not be able to keep from colliding for long." Sasami looked at the wall, which was moving and undulating like a wave of water. She looked back at him. "Thank you," she told him. He spared a smile for her. "You are most certainly welcome. Now go. While you still can." She nodded and bravely stepped through the wall. Once she was gone, Quintin smiled and repaired it. He turned to Gensao and stood face to face with the motionless guardian. "Now then, you are going to be a good little guardian and remain unaware of Sasami's absence for at least two hours." With that, he snapped his fingers and time began to flow again. Gensao came back to consciousness, but didn't notice anything wrong. Quintin disappeared in a flash of light. Ryoko and Washu stood outside the chamber of the Great Council and waited. A portly chamberlain in a red robe finally came for them and bowed before Ryoko. "Your Majesty, they are ready for you." "Okay," Ryoko said. She tood a nervous breath. Washu touched her arm. Ryoko mentally nodded. "Proceed," she told the chamberlain. The heavy set man led Ryoko, PM Washu, and their Marine escort to the gilded doors where he motioned for them to stop. He pushed the doors open and paused for effect before intoning in a booming voice. "Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress of Jurai, Ryoko of Carissia!" On either side of her, the Marines came to attention and shouted as one, "TSUNAMI SAVE THE EMPIRE AND HER EMPRESS!" Ryoko gulped and began walking down the aisle towards the main dais. On each side of her, Jurain Councillors stood in respect as she approached her target at the front of the room. At that dais, sitting in a gilded throne, was Queen Ayeka. She stopped just short of the Queen and waited for her to recognize her. Ryoko studied Ayeka's double. If possible, she seemed even more arrogant and overbearing than her own Ayeka. Her headband was made of silver, her kimono was silver and purple, ornately decorated with images of trees, a tribute to the Tree of Origin, Tsunami. She wore a cape that seemed to be made of peacock feathers. Her robes were inlaid with pearls, and she wore an amethyst pendant the size of a silver dollar at her throat. "Honored Empress, I greet you on behalf of the Great Council of Jurai," Ayeka greeted her, speaking loud enough for all to hear her. "I hope that this summit will help put to rest some of the mistakes made during the war. The mistakes to be addressed here being the creation and proliferation of N2 technology. I am confident that together, we can bring about a new age of peace and prosperity." It was obviously an invitation to speak, but Ryoko came up empty. "I..." Ryoko began to panic. She was used to using a lightsword to carve up problems into small pieces. Public speaking simply wasn't a necessary part of being a wanted criminal. Luckily, Washu came to the rescue. Ryoko mentally nodded. "Great Queen of Jurai..." With PM Washu's help, Ryoko delivered a stirring speech that ended with the entire Great Council standing in applause. Ryoko blinked in surprise at their reaction. Washu told her in her mind, Tsunami made her way through the palace carefully. All it would take for her mission to fail was for someone to ask to see her clearance. So far, she had changed disguises twice. Once into a Jurain army sergeant, and the next into the guise of a palace maid, the disguise she wore now. It had taken time, but she had finally made it to her destination. The Grand Nursery. She stood outside the door and pressed the control pad to open it. She was met by a computer generated voice. "Please state your identity for voice confirmation." Tsunami paused. This security feature was not something she had ever heard of on her Jurai. She thought about using one of the eggs to walk through the door. She didn't want to waste one of them, but she needed to get into the nursery to converse with the Jurain trees. Hooked into the palace computers, they would be able to tell her where Sasami was. She decided to try something. "Tsunami," she announced, silently praying that this gambit would work. "Commanding General, Jurain Military Forces." The control pad beeped once, and the door opened. Apparently, they didn't bother to erase General Tsunami's voice code after she died. She walked in and gasped in awe. There were even more trees here than in the nursery in her own universe. The trees must have recognized her, for they spoke to her in such a joyous rush, it almost overwhelmed the senses on her primitive human form. She tried to use her mind to calm them, to keep them from overwhelming her, but it was difficult. The Mass that made up her body allowed for *some* mental communication, but not much. Even so, she managed to quiet them. "I need your help," she told them verbally. Talking to them was easier than using her mind to speak *and* receive. "A child who possesses some characteristics of the trees is being held here. I need to know where." "After a fashion," she told them. "Where is she?" They told her. She gasped in shock. Ryoko sipped at her glass of wine and took a look around. Sitting across from her, PM Washu absently played with her food. Ryoko lowered the glass and looked at her "Aunt," intently. she asked mentally. Washu had been right, the link did provide advantages. Washu didn't reply immediately. She continued to play with her food. It had been an exhausting morning. Ayeka had adjourned the meeting so that the delegates could have lunch. Ryoko and PM Washu had gone to the dining room. Washu had been morose and depressed ever since. "It was a long time ago," she said finally, out loud. "How much do you really know about your mother, Ryoko? Do you know where she was born?" Ryoko had to shake her head. "I was born on Delnar Prime, an Imperial world. So, naturally, when the war broke out, I sided with the Empire at first. Later I left them, tried to fight the war itself, taking neither side in the dispute. Ryoko was too far under Kagato and Tenchi's control. But *him,*" she shook her head. "*He* knowingly sided with Jurai. He abandoned his home, his planet, his family. And he did it for no other reason than Ayeka offered him a title. He had dreams of taking the Empire for himself. So he left us behind and donned a Jurain uniform. That in itself, wasn't so bad. It's what he did during the war that makes me almost hate him." She took a sip of wine before continuing on. "Just after the Stardica Invasion, Ayeka ordered a counteroffensive that resulted in the complete ecological destruction of six Imperial worlds. Masayoshi led the Jurain task force that bombed Delnar Prime." She gritted her teeth. "*Nothing* can live there now. He killed his own world. On that day, he stopped being my son." Ryoko absorbed this. She felt she had to say something. Her experience with her own Washu demanded it. "Aunt Washu, I'm not going to pretend to know what's happening, but I do know this, my mother lost her son centuries ago, and she feels that loss every day. You might want to consider finding a way to reconcile whatever you two have between you." PM Washu looked up at her. "She lost him?" Ryoko nodded. She knew her son was a very emotional topic for her mother. Washu looked into her wine glass. "Lucky her," she commented. Ryoko was about to continue in her argument when she saw a face she hadn't seen in centuries storm across the room, two Jurain soldiers in tow. "Nagi?" PM Washu turned just in time to see Nagi and the soldiers exit the dining room through the door at the other end. "She's a mercenary. Fought with the Ruganni Contras. Do you know her?" Ryoko nodded and shuddered as she remembered. "She was a bounty hunter in my world, one of the only head hunters to make a run at Kagato." She gulped at the memory of Kagato's reception of Nagi. "She didn't live long enough to regret the bad business decision." "I wonder what she's doing here." Sasami blinked as she emerged from the portal. It was dark. She waited for her eyes to adjust. The only light came from a few sporadic torches spread throughout the mammoth cavern she had entered. She turned and saw the wall behind her solidify. She couldn't get out that way. She turned back and examined her surroundings. In the inky darkness of the cavern, she had almost missed it. When she did see it, she wondered how she could have missed it at all. It was huge, at least the size of Tenchi's house. It was burnt, charred, but in one piece. She looked closer to the ground and saw two trees planted on either side of it. "Hello," she said. The trees ignored her. She approached the burned monstrosity and wondered what it was. It seemed...familiar...somehow. She blinked. Then it hit her. She felt shaky. She fell to her knees in shock and stared open-mouthed at it. She had to try three times before she got a coherent word to come out of her mouth. A question. "Tsunami?" she breathed. She stood up and approached the dead tree. Reaching out, she placed her hands on the burnt trunk. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. She closed her eyes, trying to block it out, but it was coming from within her own mind. She slowly opened her eyes... And saw something that could only have come straight from Hell. She was on a Jurain ship. The Tsunami. It was the only ship that was that big. She spun around, studying her new, but familiar surroundings. The control center for the Tsunami was massive. Crystal control ports surrounded the huge tree that made up Tsunami's physical form. The tree was burnt, black, and broken. Parts of the control center were smoldering. She looked up and saw a large hole in the ceiling. She didn't bother to question how she could still breathe with all the oxygen having been blown out into space. She saw six black, dart-like ships open jump points out in the darkness of space that surrounded them. The ships disappeared. Sasami walked toward the tree, just as she had done in the cavern. This time, more than the tree met her eyes. She gasped and rushed to the root of the tree. Lying there, her face and delicate kimono drenched with blood, was Tsunami. Her head rested on one of the massive roots, her eyes were closed. Sasami approached the horrific sight cautiously. Drying crimson blood coated most of her face. Her hair, normally a light shade of blue, was nearly black, soaked with blood. She reached out and touched the goddess. "Tsunami?" There was no reply. A tear ran down Sasami's cheek. Suddenly, Tsunami's eyes opened. She turned toward the young princess. Sasami gasped and took a step back in fright. Tsunami slowly shook her head. "Don't let her win," she rasped. Then, as if finally surrendering to the inevitable, her eyes closed and Tsunami's body went limp. Sasami shook her head in horror. The light overcame her again, and she was back in the cavern. She stared at the tree, shaking her head as tears welled up in her eyes. She started walking backwards and ran into someone. She turned and screamed. "Sasami! Shhhh! It's me! It's me!" Sasami stared at her. "Tsunami?" Tsunami nodded. "Tsunami!" The princess jumped up and wrapped her arms around her. Tsunami was checking her for injuries. Sasami was crying into her gray jumpsuit. "What...what is this place?" she sobbed. Tsunami hugged her close. "This is a Jurain Tree Tomb. Where spaceship trees are buried if they can be recovered after death. We're right under the palace." She stood up. "Are you okay? We mustn't stay here." Sasami was still sobbing. "They told me you were dead. How..." "It's me, Sasami. *Your* Tsunami. We all came after you. Ryoko and Prime Minister Washu are upstairs keeping Ayeka busy." She threw a quick look over her shoulder. "We have to get out of here. We can talk later. Can you run?" Sasami nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. "Good, let's go." Tsunami took Sasami's hand and started for the door of the tomb. Suddenly, there was a sharp crack and dull hum. Tsunami's hands went to her neck, clawing at the red energy whip that was now coiled around her throat. Sasami's eyes went wide. "Tsunami!" The goddess was jerked off her feet as the holder of the whip yanked on it, landing on her knees. Sasami followed the whip with her eyes, eyes that eventually landed on a grinning Nagi. "Well, well, well," Nagi said maliciously. "So the Empress of Jurai came here on a rescue mission, did she? Well, I'm sure Ayeka will love to hear about that." She took a few steps forward, the automatic retractor on the whip clicked as she moved toward Tsunami, keeping the whip taut. "Stand up," she growled. Tsunami stood up slowly, her hands tearing at the whip. "None of that, now," Nagi warned with a sharp tug. "You'll hurt yourself." Suddenly, with a cabbit war cry, Ryo-Ohki hopped out of the satchel and charged at Nagi. The mercenary sneered and kicked the cabbit, launching it across the tomb. Ryo-Ohki hit one of the trees with a cry and fell to the ground unconscious. "Ryo-Ohki!" Sasami cried. She ran to the cabbit and picked her up. She was breathing. That was something. She looked up at Nagi. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, her voice harsh. "Now,now, Princess," Nagi snickered, "Be a good girl and I'll tell Ayeka that this woman kidnapped you. No harm, no foul." Sasami's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going back," she said firmly. Nagi smirked. "You don't have a choice." She directed her attention back to Tsunami. "Now then, for you." She pointed at the satchel with her other hand. "Drop the bag, slowly." Tsunami tried to keep from panicking. She had no weapons, no way to defend herself, no way to kill Nagi. The eggs. Her eyes traveled down to the satchel. Five eggs. She had used one to get to the tomb unnoticed, that left five. And Nagi wanted them. A plan formed. She reached up and removed the satchel from her shoulder. Nagi gave the whip a tug in warning. Tsunami took a breath and screamed in frustration, violently throwing the satchel to the ground between her and Nagi. No one heard the eggs crack open over her cry. Nagi smiled. "No need to take it so personally." Nagi took a few steps toward her, toward the bag. Tsunami risked a glance downward. The floor around the bag was beginning to shimmer as the contents of the eggs leaked through the bag and spread out on the ground. Nagi hadn't noticed. Tsunami heard the steady clicking of the whip's retractor. The tautness of the whip hadn't changed since it had wrapped around Tsunami's throat. Nagi was grinning, proud of her catch. "I think I missed my calling," she said, the clicking continued as she walked toward the goddess. "I could've caught people for a living." She stopped in front of the bag and bent down to pick it up. She noticed the floor was shimmering. "Huh?" Suddenly, the shimmering stopped. With a cry, Nagi fell through the dimensional hole in the floor. However, Nagi had not let go of the whip. With a strangled cry, Tsunami was pulled off her feet and dragged towards the hole in the floor. She reached out for something, anything to stop her. One of her hands found a root. She felt the jerk as Nagi reached the end of the whip, but the whip was still tense. Nagi was *hanging* by it. The corded whip around Tsunami's throat began to constrict. Tsunami gagged. She couldn't breathe, spots began to form before her eyes. She gasped for air as she desperately held onto the root. She felt rather than heard Sasami run past her. The little princess grabbed the energy whip and pulled, trying to get enough slack to free Tsunami, but she was only a little girl and didn't have the strength. Tsunami began to black out. Then, without warning, the trees on either side of the dead tree trunk lit up. Their roots began to move, slowly at first, then faster. They snaked out and looped around Tsunami, holding her in place. Another set wrapped around the whip, pulling it just enough to slacken the line, allowing Tsunami a chance to breathe. The goddess gulped lungfuls of air, trying to banish the blackness that had almost overtaken her. She and Sasami looked up as the floor where the whip led began to shimmer again. There was suddenly a bloodcurdling scream from the hole, then nothing as the shimmering stopped again. The whip went slack. The tree roots loosened. Tsunami regarded Nagi's fate for a moment before muttering, "Bitch." Sasami helped her up. Cut off from its powersource, the energy whip went dark. Tsunami tore it from her throat and threw it to the ground. Sasami heard a "miya," from behind her. "Ryo-Ohki!" A shaky Ryo-Ohki jumped into her arms. Sasami giggled and placed the cabbit on her head. The space ship seemed no worse for wear. Tsunami took a breath and faced the two vigil trees that had been planted there to guard her "body". "Thank you," she said. The trees lit up, and she heard them in her mind. She nodded and took Sasami's hand. Together, they ran for the exit. Tsunami gave the mental command to alter her form. A blue cloak wrapped around her, a hood appeared over her head. Sasami gasped in surprise. It was like Nagi was standing there before her! Tsunami looked down and gave her a smile. "Come on, we're getting out of here." Sasami nodded. They ran. They almost made it. Dressed like Nagi, and with Sasami in tow, no one interfered with them as they walked briskly through the palace corridors. It was when they were finally outside, in the main courtyard of the palace, that someone thought to question them. Tsunami and Sasami tensed up when the guard at the gate ordered them to stop. Tsunami squeezed Sasami's hand. "Get ready," she told the princess, as she reached out and grabbed Ryo-Ohki from her head. She placed the cabbit in Sasami's hands. "Ryo-Ohki, on my signal." The cabbit miya'd in acknowledgement. The guard approached. "I'm sorry Ms. Nagi, but Her Highness has given explicit instructions that the girl not leave the palace grounds for any reason whatsoever." Tsunami straightened and tried to imitate Nagi's cruel voice. "Ayeka has ordered me to bring her sister to her at the Great Council chambers. Stand aside." She made to move past the guard who brought his hand up to stop them. "This must be some mix up," he said with a slight smile. "Stay here, and I'll check it out." The guard turned and started for the guard post where his communicator was set up. Tsunami watched as two other guardsmen nearby unslung their positron rifles. Tsunami licked her lips. "Sasami," she whispered, "No matter what happens, you get aboard Ryo-Ohki and you *stay* there. Understand?" Sasami bit her lip and nodded. Tsunami released her hand and approached the two guards. "You," she said, pointing at one of them at random. "Who's your superior officer? I want to speak with him about this disgrace." She stood toe to toe with them, her hands on her hips. Thirty feet away, clutching Ryo-Ohki like a lifeline, Sasami watched as the hooded Tsunami tried to bluff her way out. "Well?" Tsunami asked with an arrogant sneer. The guards cocked their weapons. "*You* are our superior officer." *Uh-oh!* Tsunami thought as she realized her mistake. She sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat. Suddenly, she struck! She snatched the rifle out of one guardsman's hands and shot the other. She turned the weapon on the now unarmed guard and fired. A blue beam of light shot from the rifle and burned a hole through his shoulder. The guard hit the ground screaming. "RYO-OHKI!" she cried. The cabbit wasted no time. In a second, she was out of Sasami's hands and transforming into a spaceship. Tsunami turned and saw three more guards coming their way. She turned back and saw Sasami disappear as Ryo-Ohki transported her inside her spaceship form. Tsunami ran for the ship to get within range of Ryo-Ohki's transporter. She had just entered that zone when she heard the high pitch whine of a positron rifle behind her and felt a painful burning sensation in her back. With a strangled cry, she fell to the ground. As consciousness left her, she felt Ryo-Ohki dematerialize her and bring her aboard. Sasami saw Tsunami rematerialize on the floor of Ryo-Ohki's bridge. She rushed to Tsunami and saw she had been shot. There was a burnt hole in her shoulder, the beam went right through her body. The blue cape was gone, revealing the now inoperative, gray changeling suit Tsunami wore. She was unconscious, and her breath came in ragged gasps. Sasami looked up at one of the control crystals. "Ryo-Ohki! Get us out of here! Quickly!" Ryo-Ohki miya'd and in less than a second, the spaceship was shooting straight up. Sasami looked at Tsunami worriedly. "Hold on," she said. "Please, Tsunami, hold on." She looked up at the screen to see the Soja. They were heading right toward it. Then, three more ships appeared on the screen ahead of them, blocking their path to safety. Jurain warships. Queen Ayeka of Jurai stormed down the hall of the council chambers, her face contorted with rage. Azaka and Kamidake floated behind her, silent. She reached the door to the dining room and, without a second thought, kicked it open with a scream of fury. The diners inside looked up at her in fearful confusion. Ayeka spotted the whore and the whore's mother sitting at a table drinking tea with Count Seiryo and Admiral Utona. She stormed up to them. Seiryo and Utona stood up and bowed. "Your Highness," Seiryo began, "Is there anyth..." Ayeka ignored him. "YOU!" she screamed, pointing at Ryoko. "YOU TOOK HER!" Ryoko blinked. "Huh?" "Took who, Your Highness?" Utona asked. "HER!" Ayeka was so consumed with rage, she wasn't thinking straight. She was obviously becoming more and more unglued by the second. Behind Ryoko, her four Marine bodyguards, visibly tensed. Ayeka went on. "YOU TOOK HER!" She waved her hand and a small viewglobe appeared. It showed Ryo-Ohki, surrounded by Jurain warships. "THAT'S YOUR SHIP, ISN'T IT!?" "Your Majesty, please, calm down," Seiryo tried again. "I WILL NOT! THEY TOOK HER! THEY TOOK SASAMI!" Seiryo's eyes went wide in shock. "Your Highness," he said in sympathy, "The Duchess has passed on.." "No! She's alive! I found her! I found her! They took her from me!" Suddenly, something was happening on the globe. The lights on all the Jurain ships surrounding Ryo-Ohki went dark. They began to drift. "What?! What's happening!?" She turned to Utona. "Admiral, what's happening?!" Utona was listening to a report from his wrist communicator. He turned to the Queen. "Your Highness, it appears that the trees on those ships have...shut themselves down." "WHAT!?" They watched as Ryo-Ohki resumed her course for the Soja. "Yes, Your Highness," Utona continued. "They refuse to acknowledge orders. They are operational, they're not damaged, but they refuse to respond." Ayeka turned red. She faced Ryoko and Washu and said, "Destroy the Soja." Utona blinked. "Your Highness?" "You heard me," Ayeka growled. "Order the planetary defense grid to destroy the Soja." "Ayeka!" PM Washu shouted, "That's an act of war!" "So is taking Sasami from me." Utona appeared hesitant. Ayeka turned to him. "NOW!" Washu faced him. "Admiral, Ayeka's gone insane. There are thirty-seven *thousand* sailors on that ship. If you fire on the Soja, we'll be at war again! Don't do it!" "Admiral, I will not ask again," Ayeka warned him. Ryoko spoke up. "Little Amelia shouldn't have to grow up in a war like you did," she told him quietly. Utona's eyes went wide at the sound of his new granddaughter's name. He paused and turned to Ayeka, his head held high. "No, Your Highness, I will not." Ayeka turned to him. "Fine." She motioned with her hand, and the elderly sailor was blasted back fifty feet, striking a wall and falling to the ground. The others gasped. Seiryo turned to Ayeka. "Your Highness! You.." Another blast from Ayeka sent him sprawling. Ryoko growled and started to form a lightsword when someone grabbed her from behind and dragged her behind a table. She saw it was one of the Marines, Sergeant Tarin. "Your Majesty, I must insist that you remain behind cover." Before she could protest, he was up again, his plasma carbine in his hands. She heard the report of plasma weapons and the sound of Ayeka's force beams as they lashed out at Ryoko's bodyguards. Washu was suddenly next to her, crouching behind the table with her. A small laser pistol was in her hand. Ryoko was about to ignore the Sergeant and join the fight, but Washu stopped her. "It won't do any good unless we get those force fields of her's down. And those Marines can't do their jobs if they're worried about protecting you." Ryoko bit her lip and decided to stay put. Ryoko looked out from behind the table and saw a warzone. The other diners had run screaming out of the room. The Marines were crouched behind tables, firing at Ayeka, the plasma bolts bouncing harmlessly off her force fields as she laughed. Seiryo got up and shook his head in shock. He saw what was happening and, for the first time, acted in a way Ryoko expected him to. He ran out the door as fast as he could. Ryoko cursed. She turned to Washu to find her tapping away at her holotop. One of the tables near them blew up, the Marine behind it cried out in pain as he was thrown back by the blast. The other three Marines turned to the source of the shot that had destroyed the table and fired. Azaka and Kamidake, floating ten feet in the air, returned fire. Ryoko watched as Azaka was struck by a hail of plasma rounds. His own forcefield overloaded, and the plasma rounds began to tear into his wooden body. The guardian wobbled in the air for a moment and fell to the ground with a crash. Kamidake lashed out with energy beams, slicing up portions of the dining room. Ayeka continued to laugh. Suddenly, there were several high-pitched whines. Kamidake began to break apart, finally falling to the ground. Ryoko found the source of the energy beams that had brought the guardian down and saw Seiryo followed by seven Jurain guards. Ayeka turned to them and sneered. "Seiryo," she muttered. She raised her hand to them. Seiryo saw what was happening and shouted for his men to get down. The guards dived behind cover as the wall behind them exploded. Ryoko looked up as Sergeant Tarin appeared next to her. He was panting. "We can't get through her forcefields," he said matter of factly. "I think we should try to make a run for it." Ryoko turned to her aunt. "Washu?" Washu was typing urgently. "I got it!" she cried. "Her force field frequency pattern can be disrupted by a tetryon radiation burst." "Can you make a burst like that?" "Mmm hmm," Washu told her. Another table blew up near them. They ducked in response. "But there's a problem. Her forcefield recycles itself once every second. The field we knock down will be replaced with a new one, one second after we destroy it!" "It might still be enough," Tarin said. Another wall fell. The whine of Jurain positron rifles was beginning to drop off as Ayeka began to hit more of her targets. Washu shook her head. "Enough for a kill shot, yes, but I'd rather not go down in history as the Prime Minister who helped assassinate the Queen of Jurai." "I've got an idea," Ryoko said. She linked with Washu and explained her entire plan mentally in the space of half a second. Washu's eyes went wide. "It could work. We'll need a distraction, though." "Distraction?" Tarin asked. He pumped the thirty millimeter grenade launcher on his carbine, chambering a pulse grenade. "No problem. You just say when." Tarin rushed to pass the word on to his men. Ryoko and Washu shared a look. Washu told her. Washu nodded. She typed a few commands on her computer. Washu nodded and gave a shout. "Now, Tarin!" Sergeant Tarin and the two remaining Marines rose from behind their cover and leveled the carbines at Ayeka. Ayeka turned and sneered. "FIRE!" There were three dull "thwumps" as the Marines fired the grenade launchers attached to their rifles. The area around Ayeka exploded, the shockwave threw the Marines and the remaining Jurain guards off their feet. Ryoko flew into the air and darted towards the cloud of smoke that encompassed Ayeka. Suddenly, the smoke parted as Ayeka fired a force beam at her. Ryoko twisted her body in midair and felt the heat of the beam as it passed within an inch of her left cheek. She was within three feet of Ayeka now. Ryoko saw Ayeka's force field flutter, then die. Time seemed to slow down. She was flying right past Ayeka now, their faces within a foot of one another. Ryoko reached out with her finger and touched Ayeka's headband, right at the point her Ayeka had shown her. She channeled a tiny energy beam through that finger and into the power distribution node on the right side of Ayeka's circlet. Their was a tiny pop, and Ayeka grabbed her head in her hands. She screamed in rage and agony. Focused on making the shot, Ryoko forgot about landing. She hit the floor behind Ayeka with a thud. She started to get to her feet, but stopped when she saw Ayeka grinning down at her. "Now I have you, you shameless whore," Ayeka bit out. She raised her hand to blast Ryoko. Nothing happened. Ayeka looked at her hand and tried again. Still nothing. Her hand shot up to her circlet, her eyes widened in realization. "You bitch!" Suddenly, the Marines were on her. They tackled her to the ground, Seiryo's men right behind them. "RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT! I COMMAND IT! SEIRYO! ORDER THEM TO RELEASE ME! NOW! AZAKA! KAMIDAKE! ANSWER ME!" Seiryo came and helped Ryoko to her feet. Washu appeared from behind the table. Two of Seiryo's guards helped Admiral Utona to his feet while another one called for paramedics. The aged Admiral looked shaken and had to be supported between the two men. The Marines picked Ayeka up, her hands cuffed behind her back. They brought her before Ryoko. Washu turned to Seiryo. "Count Seiryo, I believe this is a matter best handled internally." Ryoko nodded in agreement. Seiryo looked at the Queen with a saddened gaze. He nodded at the guards, who took Ayeka from the Marines that held her. "Take her to a cell. Keep her there," he whispered. "SEIRYO! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A PLATE! RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!" Her screams of rage faded as the guards dragged her away. Ryoko heaved a massive sigh of relief. It was then that Washu and Ryoko looked at each other in shocked recollection. "SASAMI!" Washu brought her wrist to her mouth. "Soja, this is the PM. Acknowledge." "Soja here, Ma'am. Captain Refana on line. Is everything all right down there? We've been seeing some unusual activity out here." "Captain, has Ryo-Ohki landed on the Soja yet?" "One moment, Ma'am." Washu and Ryoko waited in anticipation for the Captain to come back to the line. "That's an affirmative, Ma'am. Flight deck reports Her Majesty's yacht touched down two minutes ago." They heaved another sigh of relief. "There were two people aboard. One injured." Ryoko and Washu's eyes went wide. "Sasami?!" Ryoko asked. "No, Your Majesty. I'm told it was the woman who came aboard with you." "How is she?" Washu asked. "Stable. It seems that someone worked her over with a positron rifle." "Understood, Soja. PM out." Washu turned to Seiryo. "Count Seiryo, under the circumstances, I think we should adjourn for the time being." "Yes, Madame Prime Minister, I think that would be best until we know more about what just happened here, because right now I have no idea what that is." He sighed. "Damn." He turned to Ryoko. "Your Majesty, please accept my deepest apologies for this. Her Highness has been...distraught...since the death of her sister. I just don't know why she lashed out at you." Washu stepped forward. "I have a confession Count Seiryo. The woman who was injured is one of our operatives. It seems that several days ago, Ayeka kidnapped a young girl. I guess to replace her sister." Washu went on to explain what had happened, ommitting the parts about Ryoko and Tsunami's origins. Seiryo said nothing. "I see. There will be an investigation. Until it's concluded, I must insist that you remain in system." "Of course." "Once again, I apologize." Ryoko took a look around the destroyed dining room. "Ayeka always did know how to ruin a meal." PM Washu smiled. "Come on. Let's go see Sasami." Tsunami's eyes opened slowly. She waited for her eyes to focus. When they did, she saw she was lying in a hospital bed. She glanced to her right and saw Sasami sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She smiled wanly. There was a knock on her door. She looked up and called, "Come in." The door opened revealing a tall, middle aged man in an Imperial uniform. His cape was white, marking him as either a doctor, an engineer, or a scientist. Given her surroundings, it was probably the first choice. "How are you feeling?" he asked her with a smile. "I really don't know," she told him. "I just woke up." He approached her bed. "You took a hit with a Jurain rifle. There was a problem when you were brought on board. There was some confusion as to your species. At first, we thought you were Jurain, but your body seems to be silicon based." She nodded. "Yes, it's a loaner," she explained. He gave her a questioning look. "Well, let's take a look, shall we?" She sat up and remained silent as he checked the wound on her shoulder. He had her turn around so he could check the entry wound on her back. "The regenerator bandages seem to be working," he mused. "They had to be modified to work on silicon," he explained. "I see." "The name's Bond, by the way," he told her. "Doctor Julian Bond." "Tsunami." He finished examining her and took a step back. She turned and sat back against the pillows. "How long has she been there?" she asked with a nod to Sasami. "Ever since you came in. About three hours." He was writing on a notepad. "Her Majesty and the Prime Minister were here for awhile too." "I see." It was at this point that Sasami began to stir. She opened her eyes and saw Tsunami. "Tsunami!" She jumped out of her chair and leapt up, embracing Tsunami. The goddess winced in pain, and Dr. Bond had to gently pull Sasami off her. "I was so scared!" Sasami cried. Bond picked up the pad and walked to the door. "Well, I'll leave you two alone. Your wounds are healing, but I want you to stay here overnight for observation." "Very well." He nodded, smiled at her, and left. "So, that's it?" Ryoko asked. She, Washu, and Sasami were sitting across from Seiryo in the palace dining room. Sasami looked about uncomfortably, wary of being taken captive again. The only reason she was here at all was that Seiryo specifically asked her to come. "That was fast," Washu agreed. Seiryo took a sip of tea. It had only been a eight hours since Sasami's rescue and Ayeka's arrest. "That's it. You've never seen what the Internal Security Service can do when they're turned loose. It appears that Her Highness was overconfident, so didn't cover her tracks. Couple that with the fact that she hasn't made herself popular with her staff in the past few years, and you find that there weren't that many people willing to lie to protect her." He took another sip of tea. "There was also one other piece of evidence that put Her Highness' guilt beyond all doubt. We checked the memory of the guardian, Gensao, and found a few rather odd commands in his programming list." Sasami's face became worried. "You didn't hurt him, did you?" Seiryo smiled. "No, little one, we didn't. Those commands were wiped, of course, but now there is a bigger problem. What to do with him." "What do you mean?" Ryoko asked. Washu spoke up for him. "Guardians are designed with a person to protect already in mind. You can't order them to protect anyone else unless you wipe the memory and reprogram them from scratch. This essentially kills the guardian's consciousness." "You can't do that!" Sasami cried. "He was just obeying orders! He was never anything but kind to me! You can't do that!" "Please, little one, calm yourself. He's the reason I asked you here." "Huh?" "Since he's already programmed to protect you, I believe he should continue to do so. The Kingdom of Jurai is therefore making him a gift to you." He turned his head. "Gensao." The green guardian appeared behind Seiryo. "Yes, Sir?" "You are being assigned to this young lady permanently." "I understand, Sir." Gensao floated around the table until he was behind Sasami and came to rest there. Sasami giggled, hopped out of her chair, and hugged the guardian. "I think he's blushing," Washu commented with a grin. "Think of it as a small way of recompense for your...inconvenience." "There's the understatement of the year," Ryoko growled under her breath. Seiryo reddened in embarassment. "I know it's not much, but in the interest of security, I can't do more. Queen Ayeka has held this kingdom together for centuries. Now, we'll have to make do without her, and that's going to be difficult enough without the public knowing why she can no longer be their Queen." "What are you going to tell them?" Washu asked. Seiryo sighed. "That Her Highness is stepping down due to failing health. It's close enough to the truth to be backed up by the evidence. No one has to know about her crime or her attempt on your lives. I would ask that you not divulge that information." Ryoko was about to protest, but Washu cut her off. "Of course. We understand completely, Count Seiryo." She paused before continuing. "Who will assume the throne now?" Seiryo shook his head. "I don't know. Ayeka had no children, no other family besides her sister. Finding a suitable heir will be difficult." Washu grinned. "I can't see anyone objecting to you, Count Seiryo." Seiryo returned her grin. "Meddling again, Madame Prime Minister?" Washu shrugged. "We'll see. I must now warn you that if you attempt to insert an operative into the palace again, Jurai will consider it an act of war." Washu smiled. "We'll see." Seiryo laughed. As they were preparing to leave, they were stopped in the hall by another Jurain. Washu grimaced and turned to Ryoko and Sasami. "Give me a sec, would'ya?" Ryoko nodded and led Sasami to the transporter room. Washu turned to the man. "Make it quick, Colonel." Masayoshi Rotarin seemed raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Moth..er...Madame Prime Minister. Things are changing here, and I probably won't see you again for a long time....if at all." Washu waited for a point to present itself. "I don't want you to leave here hating me." Washu laughed. "Tough," she bit out. She turned to go. "STOP!" Masayoshi screamed. Shocked, Washu obeyed and faced him. Her disowned son approached until he was toe to toe with her. "If you want to reject me, fine! But the day is going to come when you're going to wish you hadn't! On that day, remember that I gave you a chance!" He turned on his heel and left. Washu took a breath and turned away from her son forever. "Do you have any idea who it might've been, Tsunami?" Sasami was sitting in the same chair in Tsunami's hospital room she had sat in when they first brought Tsunami in the day before. Tsunami was silent as she changed into new clothes. She bit her lip. She had a good idea who Quintin was, but should she tell Sasami? That was tricky. She came to a decision, and for the first in her life, she lied to the young princess. "I don't know, Sasami." "Oh," she said, downcast. "I was hoping he came with you so I could thank him." "I'm afraid not." "Tsunami," Sasami began, changing the subject, "I'm..dead..in this world, right?" Tsunami bit her lip again. "Yes, Sasami, that's right." "But the other me died at the same moment you did. Could that happen to us?" Tsunami smiled and shook her head. "No, Sasami. It happened here because the assimilation was already complete and we *chose* to exist as one person with two bodies. Once we are assimilated, we will exist as one person in one body." "Oh," Sasami said simply. Tsunami blinked. Sasami was taking news of her double's death exceptionally well. she thought, Before she could comment on this, there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Dr. Bond appeared at the doorway. Gensao could be seen behind him, guarding the door to Tsunami's room. He smiled and approached. "Ms. Tsunami, as Chief Medical Officer on the IBS Soja, I am hereby discharging you." He handed her a small paper bag. "Congragulations." Tsunami took the bag and opened it. There were a few pill bottles inside as well as a tiny Ryo-Ohki doll. Dr. Bond explained. "You should only need the pain killers for a couple of days. After that, come see me if you experience anything other than mild discomfort." Tsunami nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Bond." She smiled. "Is there anything else?" He wanted to ask. "Uh..nothing, Ms. Tsunami. That about does it." She bowed to him. "Then I thank you, Dr. Bond." "Julian," he corrected. "Julian." With that, she and Sasami walked out the door. Bond sat on the bed and sighed, striking himself on the head with his clipboard in self reproach for not having more guts. As Sasami and Tsunami walked down the hall towards their quarters, Sasami leaned over to the goddess and whispered conspiratorially, "I think he likes you." Tsunami blinked and looked down at her. "Really?" Sasami nodded. "You should go out with him. He seems nice." Tsunami blinked again. "You really think he *likes* me?" Sasami looked up at Tsunami and shook her head. "You know, Tsunami, I think spending so much time up in that ship of yours has stunted your growth. Of course he likes you!" Gensao, who was following just behind them, spoke up. "My scans revealed that upon entering your room, Dr. Bond's temperature increased by one point two degrees, his pulse rate increased by twenty, his...Ms. Tsunami, are you all right?" Tsunami's hand went to her face. It felt hot for some reason, and she had the oddest feeling in her stomach. "I don't know," she told them. Sasami giggled. "She's blushing." Tsunami sighed and wondered if maybe Sasami was right. Maybe being human meant more than simply *appearing* as a human every once in awhile. Ryoko removed the ribbon that kept her hair in a pony-tail and shook her head violently until her own cyan spikes were staring back at her in the mirror. She grinned. "Now, that's more like it!" There was a knock on her door. On a hunch, she reached out with her mind and found that it was indeed Washu waiting on the other side. "Come on in, Aunt Washu," she called. PM Washu stepped inside and closed the door behind her. There was something about the way she was standing that made Ryoko worry. She approached Ryoko and took a breath. "Ryoko, sit down." Ryoko got the distinct impression that this wasn't going to be good. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Something wrong, Aunt Washu?" "Um...yeah, there is, Ryoko. I wanted to tell you myself, in person." She took another breath. "I've been in contact with Ryoko, to tell her what was happening. Once when we rescued Sasami and once about an hour ago to get an update on what was going on at the Capital." Ryoko nodded. "Tsunami and I sent a message to Ayeka already. Ayeka would've gotten it about an hour ago." Washu nodded. "Yes, I know, but the link I share with Ryoko can act over stellar distances. You and I can't do that yet, but I'm sure, with time, we can. But that's not why I'm here." Washu sat next to her. She was finding this much harder than she thought. "As I said, I talked with Ryoko, and I wanted to talk to you. There's something I have to tell you." Washu spoke for five minutes. Ryoko cried for five hours. Author's Notes: Don't expect much in the near future. I'll try, but it looks like school is going to give me the beating of a lifetime this semester. As usual, send C&C to: Thomas "009" Doscher doscher009@hotmail.com Thanks for reading.