(Spotlight comes on illuminating Kiyone standing in front of a red curtain.) AUTHOR: (From offstage with megaphone.) Okay, Detective. Just read the cards. KIYONE: (Nods and clears throat.) Tenchi Muyo is the property of AIC and Pioneer LDC. The author owns only the writing. AUTHOR: Thanks, Kiyone. KIYONE: No problem. AUTHOR: See the Stage Manager for your paycheck. KIYONE: (Nods.) Sure, thanks. AUTHOR: No problem. I know you need the money. KIYONE: (Pauses) What's that supposed to mean? AUTHOR: Huh? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. I just know that you need the money. Mihoshi told me how much you needed this job... KIYONE: WHAT?! AUTHOR: (Nods) Is it true you can't even afford to eat more than once a day? KIYONE: (Growls) Mihoshi! I'm...gonna...KILL YOU! AUTHOR: Tell you what, there's some donuts in the break room. You can take 'em if you want. KIYONE: (Glares at Author.) Thanks, but I don't *need* them. AUTHOR: (Shrugs.) Suit yourself. Just thought I'd help. (Author blinks.) Um...Kiyone, what are you doing with that metal pipe? Kiyone? Um...okay....no need to be offended here......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The Bonds of Sisterhood Part 7 Methods of Coping Ryoko regarded herself in the mirror for a moment as the steam rising from the sink slowly obscured her image. That's the way it had been. Slowly but surely, Ryoko had been obscured in Tenchi's mind by the Empress. She had lost. It was over. Tenchi was gone, with her. She looked down at the razor blade she held in her hand and took another breath. This was what she had to do. Tenchi was gone. Her reason for living was gone. Life without Tenchi would be empty. A waste. She brought the razor up. Her brow furrowed. She wasn't even sure this would work. Injuries on her healed far more rapidly than on a normal human being. Would she be able to bleed to death before the wounds healed? Perhaps not on the wrists. She took a deep breath and bit her lip. If wrists didn't work, she'd simply have to cut her throat. That would do it. But she wasn't going to try *that* unless she had to. She sighed. "Good bye, Tenchi," she whispered and placed the edge of the razor on her wrist. Intent on her task, she didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps rapidly approach her. When she did hear, she turned her head just in time to see PM Washu's hand whip around and slap her. Ryoko was so stunned, she dropped the razor. Ryoko's hand went to her face, her left cheek was turning a bright crimson. PM Washu's eyes flashed with anger. "What the *HELL* do you think you're doing?!" Ryoko wasn't up for a fight. "Go away, Washu," she begged pathetically. "Leave me alone." "'Leave me alone?'" Washu repeated. "You're trying to kill yourself! The last thing anyone should do is leave you alone!" "You and your daughter won, Washu. Let me go." PM Washu's eyes went wide. "'Won?'" she repeated aghast. "We, 'won?'" She shook her head. "Is that what you think?" Ryoko was silent. Then, "I love him." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I love him, and I'm never going to be with him. What's the point in going on? Huh? I was created to kill. I was designed as a weapon. Sasami's safe. Tenchi's happy. Let me end my life on a high note, huh? With some semblance of dignity." PM Washu stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Ryoko." Ryoko blinked. "Huh?" PM Washu nodded again and picked up the razor. She held it out to her. "Go ahead." Ryoko paused, suspecting some sort of trap, although she couldn't imagine what it could be. "Take it," Washu told her. Ryoko reached out and took the razor. She placed it on her wrist. Washu wasn't finished, however. "I'll be sure to tell Tenchi all about it," she commented. "I'm sure it'll *comfort* him to know that you died with some dignity." Ryoko paused. "After all, Tenchi's a very understanding person. I bet he'll even be *happy* for you. You know what," Washu said, turning her back to her niece, "I know of this great Terran tradition. It's called an Irish wake. It's where a person's death is celebrated with a big party. I think Tenchi would go for something like that, don't you?" Ryoko closed her eyes and said nothing. "And then there's Sasami," Washu went on. "Sure she's just a little girl, but I'm sure, given time, she'll understand why the woman she thought of as her best friend decided to cut her own wrists and bleed to death on the bathroom floor. Oh, sure, she'll blame Tenchi and hate him for a few decades, but eventually, she'll get over it." "Of course, Tenchi would approve. After all, I've been in your mind. I know about your past with him. I mean, surely he saved your life *twice* because it wasn't worth anything. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that he put his own life on the line so you could die with *dignity*." Washu nodded. "I think he would approve." Ryoko's hand was shaking. "No," she whispered, "He wouldn't." Washu looked to her quizzically. "Wouldn't he? Hmm." Ryoko didn't move. Washu's voice softened. "You know, Ryoko, this isn't the first time I've had to stand vigil over someone I love. When it looked like my daughter was never going to see Tenchi again, she cried for three straight days. I was *certain* she would try to kill herself. I've never been so frightened for her in all my life." She placed her hand on Ryoko's and looked into her eyes. "But in the end, she learned to accept it and move on. *You* must do the same. Whether you believe it or not right now, Ryoko, your life is *worth* something. It has value. It has value to Tenchi, even if it isn't in the way you want so desperately. It has value to Sasami. It has value to me." Ryoko broke. She dropped the razor and collapsed on the floor, weeping uncontrollably. She buried her head in her hands cried, letting the tears flow down her face uninterrupted. Washu crouched next to her and embraced her. "Shhhh," Washu soothed her. "It's okay. It's gonna be okay." Washu felt Ryoko's mind desperately reach out and link with her own. She heard Ryoko's voice in her mind, felt her grief. Ryoko's mind wept. PM Washu held her tighter, a single tear flowed down her own cheek. "It's okay," she whispered. "Mommy's here." Rikari grabbed the young Lance Corporal by the front of his uniform and pulled him until she was face to face with him. "What do you mean, you lost her?" she ground out between clenched teeth. Lance Corporal Haz Gret'an began to stammer again. "Sh...she asked if she could t..take a walk, and I didn't think it wo..would be a problem...so...so...I took her outside. I...I...I turned my back for a second...and when I turned...b..back, she was being pushed into a GP hovercar." Standing nearby, Corporal Ren Tenza shook his head. "Fuck me," he whispered. Corporal Nol'al nodded. "We have to report this to Stolykios." Rikari's head shot around. "Fuck that!" "Rikari!" "What do we tell him, Nol'al?! That Gret'an *misplaced* Ms. Mihoshi!" A guest of Her Majesty?!" She shook her head. "That'll go over *real* well." Tenza nodded. "Yeah, I think they still shoot you for that in this man's Corp," he said, not quite joking. Gret'an's eyes went wide. Nol'al looked at them in disbelief. "So what are we supposed to do?!" "This is *our* fuck up, we'll fix it!" Rikari told. him. Tenza raised his hand. "Um....excuse me? '*Our* fuck up?'" She shot him a look. "We hang together or we hang separately." Tenza bit his lip and nodded. "So what do we do?" Gret'an asked. Rikari's eyes narrowed. "We go in and get her." She turned to Nol'al. "Wek, I remember you bragging once that you had a girlfriend in Intel," "That's right." "Call her. Find out where the GP's keeping their safe house in the Capital. We have to get her back before they move her off-planet. Tenza, you and Gret'an are on weapons detail. We're gonna need carbines, EMP grenades, Blink gas, and flash bangs. Better get some rope and pitons while you're at it." "What are you gonna do, Rikari?" Tenza asked. "I'm gonna be covering your ass with Stolykios." She stood up. "Okay, Marines, let's move like we got a purpose!" The three men rushed to accomplish their tasks. Mihoshi was shoved into the hover car by two men in trench coats. She felt a glimmer of fear, fear which vanished in typical Mihoshi fashion when she heard a familiar voice say, "I've been waiting for this a *long* time, Mihoshi." Mihoshi blinked. Facing her from the passenger seat, Grand Marshal Kiyone smiled. "KIYONE!!" Mihoshi leapt forward and embraced the GP Marshal. The men on either side of her panicked. "FOR THE LOVE OF TSUNAMI! GET HER OFF THE MARSHAL!!" The two pulled Mihoshi off Kiyone, who was gasping for breath. "Cuff her!" she choked out between gasps. Mihoshi didn't even notice. She was too busy babbling incoherently. "Oh, Kiyone! I missed you so much! You wouldn't believe what's happened to me! I crashed on this little planet in the protected zone while looking for...." Kiyone blinked as Mihoshi babbled for a full ten minutes. At no time did she stop for breath. Finally, Kiyone nodded to one of the other detectives, who stuck Mihoshi with a hypo gun. Mihoshi babbled for one more minute before losing consciousness. Tsunami walked down the corridor towards the Soja's sickbay. Suddenly, she paused and blinked. Why was she doing this again? That's right, her shoulder was giving her trouble. She started walking again, but only made it a few paces before she stopped again. Her shoulder wasn't *that* bad, and he told her only to come back if she experienced more than discomfort. a voice in her mind asked her. Tsunami's cheeks flushed. Her hand went to her face. "Why does it keep doing that?" she asked out loud in an irritated tone. She continued on. She entered the sickbay and smiled when she saw her target already approaching. She blinked in surprise. He wasn't wearing the white cape or lab coat he usually wore, but a plastic suit and yellow cap. "Good morning, Doct.." He pushed past her. "Not now, Ms. Tsunami," She blinked at the brusqueness of it, then she heard someone from down the corridor. "Here they come!" Three men pushing a gurney came barrelling down the hall. Dr. Julian Bond met them halfway and began examining the man on the gurney with a hand held scanner. "Report!" One of the men pushing the gurney took a breath and began. "Lt. Tsatana Vassel, Rendallite. His fighter got too close to one of the Jurain escort fighters and they clipped. He managed to bring it in, but landed hard. Smashed his Jaguar Three all over the damn flight deck! His pulse is weak and thready, and his BP's down. The ECG on his primary heart is weak, and we're not getting anything from his secondary!" Bond ran the scanner up and down the man's body. "Internal bleeding, two ruptured spleens..." Tsunami watched as they wheeled the man into one of the emergency rooms. Without really knowing why, she followed and watched through the observation window. She looked below the window and saw a red button marked audio. Reaching out with her hand, she pressed it. Bond's voice came over the speaker. "Get this damn flight suit off!" Bond ordered. One of the nurses used a laser cutter to slice the flight suit off the pilot on the gurney. Bond looked down at the bloody mess. "Sweet Jesus," he whispered. He could barely see the pilot's six nipples through the blood. He got to work. "Tissue regenerator!" One of the nurses handed him the appropriate intstrument while another began giving orders of her own. "Blood type?" An orderly pulled the pilot's dog tags off. "Blue!" he answered. "Let's get some type blue down here!" Bond ordered. One of the scanners began to beep persistantly. "He's going down!" one of the nurses called out. "Fuck!" Bond placed his hands on the man's chest and turned to the chief nurse. "You take the secondary!" The nurse nodded and placed her hands on the pilot's chest just below Bond's. Bond began to press on the pilot's chest. "One!" "Two!" The nurse called a second later, pressing on her section of the pilot. "One!" "Two!" "One!" "Two!" "No response!" "Rib spreader!" Bond called. "Epi?!" one of nurses asked. Bond shook his head. "He's a Rendallite, it won't work!" He took the rib spreader and began to cut into the man's chest. "Warm up the heart paddles!" Tsunami watched as they opened the man's chest. Blood splattered against Bond's chest. The scanner's beeping became a steady ping. "Shock him!" The nurse applied two spatula shaped paddles directly to the man's exposed heart. "Clear!" Tsunami flinched as the pilot's body convulsed on the table then fell motionless. "Again!" "Clear!" The pilot's body convulsed again, then fell motionless. The ping continued. The nurse looked to Bond. He took a breath and said, "Okay, I'm calling it." He checked the clock. "Time of death, sixteen-thirty two, ship's time." He pulled off his gloves. Tsunami's breathing became ragged. Her stomach lurched. She clapped her hands over her mouth and ran for the washroom. Bond saw her run and sighed. Tsunami vomitted into the sink again. The body Washu had given her must be malfunctioning. That was the only explanation. Perhaps the Prime Minister could help her. She reached for a towel and wiped her mouth. "Here," Bond said from behind her, holding out a flask to her. "Drink this, it'll calm the nerves." Tsunami took the flask. "What is it?" she asked as she raised it to her lips and took a sip. "Scotch whiskey." She spit the vile liquid up and began coughing uncontrollably. She shook her head. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered. The last thing she needed was for her temporary body to fall apart on her while she was trapped in this dimension, away from her tree form. Bond shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. It's a perfectly normal reaction." She looked at him. "What? What are you talking about? I've seen people die before. I've never reacted like this!" He shrugged. "So?" She looked at him in shock. "Ms. Tsunami, have you ever seen a man die like *that* before?" She had to shake her head. Bond sighed. He had removed the plastic suit, and stood there in his uniform shirt without the cape. "Ms. Tsunami, I graduated first in my class at med school. I could finesse my way through a Toyzarian brain and not feel the least bit squeamish. I did three rotations at an ER in the Capital. When I was drafted into the service, I figured it wouldn't be any different." He took the flask back from her and took a drink. "Should you be drinking?" she asked. "I'm off duty," he told her. "Anyway, I figured it wouldn't be any different." He took a deep breath before continuing. "And then, I was assigned to the Penzata Perimeter." The name meant nothing to Tsunami and he realized it. "Penzata was a contested world for three decades. Neither side wanted to give it up, and neither side was willing to hold anything back in getting it." He shook his head slowly as he remembered. "Bodies were stacked up like cord wood. Christ, I never thought men could bleed so much. I never threw up more in my entire life. Me, the man with the iron stomach. A man trained to be detached, impartial." He took another sip. "Every once in awhile, I still get ill." He looked down at her. "I don't know what you've seen, or what you think you've seen, but it doesn't mean anything in there. And one of the things I've learned long ago is that no one can think less of you for being human." He held out the flask to her. She took it without thinking. She blinked. "Now, then, Ms. Tsunami, what can I do for you?" Grand Marshal Kiyone of the Galaxy Police sat at her desk and shook her head. She scratched the right side of her face. It had been burned away during the ambush that had destroyed the Tsunami at the end of the war. The doctors had managed to replace the skin with synthflesh, but it didn't tan like real skin. As a result, the right side of her face was a lighter shade than the left. It also had a tendency to itch. "It *isn't* her." Vice Marshal Mitsuki nodded, but not in agreement. "The genetic scan says otherwise. It's her." "It can't be." Kiyone hit a red button on her desk that enabled the audio feed to Mihoshi's cell. "Oh, KIYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNEEEEEEEEEEEE! Where are you?!" Kiyone pointed at the speaker. "That's not Mihoshi." "The genetic scan was conclusive. It's her." "It can't be...unless..." "Unless what?" Kiyone bit her lip in thought. "Death of Soul?" she whispered. She saw the puzzled look on Mitsuki's face. "It's a method of execution Emperor Yosho was fond of. Prisoners would sometimes be electronically lobotomized. The old personality would be destroyed, and a new one, one more pliable, would take its place. But I've never heard of either Emperor Tenchi or Empress Ryoko using it before." "Sounds like a bullshit job to me," Mitsuki stated flatly. Kiyone gave it a second's thought before ordering, "Conduct a brain scan. I want to know if that woman *thinks* like Mihoshi." The GP psychologist entered Kiyone's office, sat down in a chair across from her desk and stated conclusively for the record, "She's an airhead." Mitsuki's shoulders slumped. "Are you sure?" Kiyone asked. "Positive. Take a look." He produced two separate printouts. This is a copy of a brainscan from Commodore Mihoshi that Intelligence managed to get during the War." Kiyone took it and examined it. "This is a copy of the brainscan I took of the young lady in the holding cell." Kiyone took the other printout and compared the two. She had to admit to seeing more differences than similarities. "You see that the A pattern is close, but that's due more to genetic memory. The B and C patterns are all over the place. Couple that with her behavior..." "How did she behave?" Mitsuki asked. "Calm, courteous, and polite." "Definitely *not* Mihoshi," Kiyone commented as she studied the graphs. "Agreed," the psychologist told her. "If it weren't for the genetic scan, I would swear on a stack of Tsunamic Scriptures that that was a completely different human being in that holding cell." "Death of Soul?" Kiyone asked him. "She certainly *acts* as if she's been lobotomized," he confirmed. "You're one hundred percent sure that that's not Mihoshi," He nodded. "One hundred percent. No-bloody-way." Kiyone sat back in her chair and took a breath. The other two GP officers let her think for several minutes. Finally, she spoke again. "Kick her," she ordered. Mitsuki's eyes went wide in shock. "Kiyone! You can't be serious!" "Death of Soul, Mitsuki. She has the right to a second chance. It's against Galaxy law to indict her on crimes committed by her former personality. It looks like the Empire cleaned its own house, after all." "Fuck Galaxy Law!" Mitsuki shouted. "That's Commodore Mihoshi 'Deathsend' Kirumitsu in that holding cell! What about justice!?" Kiyone sighed. "Mihoshi's dead. Justice has been served." "Bullshit!" Kiyone looked up at her. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Mitsuki." Mitsuki leaned on Kiyone's desk and glared at the Marshal. "Kiyone, we've been friends for a long time. In that time you have never known me to make a stand based on my gut, but I'm telling you, every fiber in my being tells me this is a mistake! If we let her loose, she'll go back to the palace and laugh her ass off at being able to fool the Grand Marshal of the GP." Kiyone didn't flinch under Mistuki's gaze. Instead, she hit the button cutting in the audio to Mihoshi's cell. "Sixty three bottles of ale on the wall! Sixty three bottles of ale! If one of those bottles should happen to fall! Sixty two bottles of ale on the walllll!" "Kick her." Mitsuki slammed her fist on the desk. "Fuck!" Rikari slammed a power magazine into her plasma carbine and worked the action, connecting the power pack to the weapon, arming it. The other three Marines stood across from her. They had assembled near the west entrance of the palace where the traffic in and out of the Imperial residence was light. They all carried carbines, and Rikari and Tenza had rope and climbing gear hanging over their shoulders. Aside from the weapons, they wore nothing that would incriminate the Imperial House in case they were killed or captured. The tactical armor they wore was borrowed from Intel's Special Section, and could never be mistaken for standard Imperial tac armor. "One," Rikari counted. Nol'al slapped a power pack into his carbine and answered her. "Gret'an and I enter through the front and cause a distraction, keeping internal security busy." "Two," Tenza spoke up. "Rikari and I rappel through the window from the roof and enter the sixth floor. We proceed down the hall, making two lefts then a right. Cell bloc C." "Three," Gret'an licked his lips nervously and spoke up. "Nol'al and I retreat to the fall back position and ditch our equipment." Rikari nodded. "Four, Tenza and I bust Ms. Mihoshi out of the cell bloc and fight our way to the roof." She turned to Nol'al. "You're *sure* your friend will be there?" The blonde Marine nodded. "He'll be monitoring the tac channel. When you're ready he'll bring the drop ship around and touch down on the roof to evac you guys the hell out of there." "All right." Rikari pumped the grenade launcher on her carbine, chambering an EMP grenade. "Okay, Gropos, let's rock and ruin!" "HOO-RAH!" They grunted in unison. At that moment, Mihoshi came skipping up the path, humming a jaunty tune. Gret'an's eyes went wide, his mouth fell open. "Ms. Mihoshi?" Rikari asked, blinking in shock. Mihoshi smiled and waved at them. "Hi! I've had such a wonderful day! I got to see my old friend Kiyone and participated in an official Galaxy Police survey!" Their eyes were all the size of dinner plates by now. Mihoshi didn't seem to notice. "Well, I'm starved! I hope dinner's ready!" With that, she skipped into the palace, leaving four very confused Imperial Marines staring after her. "Um....Rikari?" Tenza asked, blinking in shock. "Mission's scrubbed!" she declared. They put on the safeties to their rifles and began to file back into the palace. "Tsunami's cleft, I need a drink," Tenza muttered. "I hear that," Nol'al agreed. "Anyone got duty tonight?" Rikari asked. They all shook their heads. "Then I say we all get boldly trashed and forget this whole mess ever occurred." "Yes, Ma'am!" they all said in unison. Tenchi lay in bed and sighed contentedly, hugging E. Ryoko closer to him. The two had spent the entire day together. E. Ryoko had surprised him with breakfast in bed. "A traditional Terran breakfast," she had announced, and served him eggs benedict. Tenchi didn't have the heart to tell her that while it *was* a Terran breakfast, it wasn't one Japanese preferred. He had smiled and eaten. Her heart was in the right place. The champagne threw him a little, but had to agree that a celebration was necessary. They had finished the bottle and called for another one from the kitchen. The two spent all day in bed, but not all day making love. They would lie there together and simply talk. Tenchi found that he could talk about anything with her, things he couldn't speak to his father about, things he couldn't confide in his grandfather, Ayeka, or Sasami. She, in turn, talked about her life. Her mother, the Emperor, the war. At one point, she cried, and Tenchi had held her until the tears stopped. They talked, drank, and made love as the mood suited them. About midafternoon, Tenchi made a comment. "I'm in a lot of trouble." E. Ryoko looked up at him. "Why?" He smiled. "What's the penalty for a commoner consorting with an Empress?" She grinned. "Whatever punishment *I* decide for you." She kissed him. "I think you'll have to help me come up with one." He tried to smile, but couldn't. "No, I'm worried about Ryoko and Ayeka. How do I break it to them that...that I'm in love with you?" E. Ryoko tensed in his arms. He felt it and looked down at her. "What?" "You love me?" He smiled at her. "I love you." It was true. He *did* love her, and he had no problem whatsoever saying it. "All I have to do now, is figure out how to tell the others. I don't want to hurt them, but I can't see a way around it." E. Ryoko hesitated. "Ayeka already knows." Tenchi tensed up. "She saw me bringing up breakfast this morning." "Kami sama," he whispered. "Damn." He got out of bed and started searching for his clothes. "I have to talk to her." As he was pulling his shirt on, he felt E. Ryoko lay a hand on his shoulder. "Tenchi, don't." He turned to her. "I can't just..." "Tenchi," she interrupted. "Trust me, she's in shock. Right now, you or I are the last people she wants to see. Give her a little time first, then talk to her." Tenchi paused. "She's in pain," he said simply. "And seeing you now will not make it go away. It'll make it worse. She needs time to get over the shock." He was silent. "Do you want to make her feel worse?" He tensed. "The time to talk to her isn't now. One of the things I've had to learn since becoming Empress is that sometimes, all you *can* do is nothing. You learned that lesson too, remember?" He didn't answer. "Do you..." she swallowed in apprehension. "Do you *regret* what we did?" He quickly turned to her. "No! No, of course not." He took her by the shoulders. "I told you. I love you. That's not going to change. No matter what happens with Ryoko and Ayeka, nothing changes between you and me." She nodded. She had started to worry. "Do you trust me?" she asked him. He nodded. "With my life." "Then trust me now. Give Ayeka time." Tenchi hesitated. He bit his lip and nodded. "Okay." Ayeka sat at the small table in the palace kitchen and stared at the bottle of Carissian brandy she had swiped from the wine cellar. The kitchen was empty. Dinner had been served hours ago, and the staff had gone home. Ayeka had spent all day in that kitchen, sitting at a rickety table, staring at a bottle of booze. Tenchi was gone forever. He wouldn't have slept with the Empress unless he loved her. She was sure of that. It was one of the things Ayeka loved about him. He wouldn't give his heart to just anyone, and once given he would not take it back. For the past year, Ayeka had been competing with Ryoko, trying to win that love, trying to make herself worthy of it. And now it was gone. So she had sat in that kitchen, alone in a room full of bustling cooks and servers, and stared at a bottle of booze. She had seen Ryoko drink when she was upset. Ayeka had tried not to follow her example. People say you shouldn't drink when you're upset... But what else was there to do? What else could she do? She sighed and pulled the cork from the bottle. Nothing. Rikari was straggling behind the others. Tenza, Nol'al, and Gret'an were already waiting at the south entrance. "Get a move on, Rikari," Tenza called out. she thought as she straightened the ribbons on her liberty uniform. As she was passing the kitchen, she happened to look in and saw Princess Ayeka sitting at a table with a bottle in her hands. Rikari took another few steps and stopped. one side of her mind told her. the other side pointed out. Rikari sighed and muttered. "It'll be my good deed for the year." She called out to the others. "I'll catch up!" Tenza nodded, and the three left without her. Rikari turned and entered the kitchen. Ayeka brought the bottle to her lips, closed her eyes... And was shocked that there was no brandy entering her mouth. She opened her eyes and saw that Marine...what was her name? Rikari. That was it. She was standing next to her, holding the bottle in her hand and reading the brand label. Her eyes went wide. "Wow, high roller, huh?" Ayeka was so surprised, she just blinked. "It'd take me three months to earn enough money to buy a bottle of this stuff." She undid the cork and took a healthy drink. When she was done, she smacked her lips, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Eh." Ayeka found her voice. "Look, Sergeant, I'm really rather busy at the moment, so if you could give me back my bottle of brandy and move along, I would appreciate it." Rikari ignored her. "So who is it?" "Who is what?" "The guy. Who is it?" Ayeka paled. "How did..how did you..." Rikari grinned. "What else could a princess *possibly* get drunk over? Can't make the rent? Doubtful. Lose your job? No way. Some guy breaks your heart? Well......that's a tad more possible." Ayeka growled low in her throat. "Go away." Rikari's expression softened. "Look, Milady, I understand. I really do. Now, if you want to get drunk over a guy, fine. But why don't you come with me and learn how to get drunk from a group of professionals?" Ayeka stared at her. "I don't think so, Sergeant. Thank you for your concern, but I'd really rather just stay here." Rikari sighed and nodded. "Okay. G'night, Milady." With that, Rikari walked out the door. The princess picked up the bottle and regarded her surroundings for a moment. She was in a dark, desolate, lonely room with no one to talk to. Something about the idea of getting drunk in a place like this disturbed her. She paused only a moment before standing up and trotting towards the door. "Sergeant! Wait!" "So," Rikari began, placing a mug of Toyzarian ale on the table in front of Ayeka. "Tell me about him." She sat across from the princess and took a drink of her own ale. Ayeka paused, unsure of where to begin or why she was even talking to this woman. The bar Rikari had brought her to was old, dark, and dilapidated, but also filled with a good many servicemen and women. Ayeka had entered and saw a lot of different colored capes, but about half of them were either green with white circles, or the black capes worn by Imperial Marines. Rikari had waved to a group of men who were at the bar talking to a group of...well...she would refer to them as, "women of loose morals," and led Ayeka to a table at the other end of the bar. "Well," she said, taking a look at her ale and the dirty glass it had come in, "He's...well...quite possibly the kindest, bravest, man I've ever known." She considered asking for a new glass, but right then she was beyond caring. She took a sip and repressed her gag reflex. "Kind and brave, huh?" Rikari repeated. She sighed and shook her head. "Okay, now to the real meat of the issue. How is he in bed?" Ayeka spit up her ale and began to cough. "I am *not* a woman of loose morals, Sergeant Rikari!" "Deep down, we're all women of loose morals. We just don't like to admit it." "How dare you imply such a thing!" "What?! What's wrong with sex? I *like* sex!" "It's not something a proper lady talks about!" "You're just evading the question." Ayeka glared at her. "I am a princess of Jurai," she stated matter of factly. "Uh-huh, now answer the question." Ayeak gulped. "Well, you see, I...I really don't know..." Why was she even talking to this woman? Rikari blinked. "You mean, you've never..." she trailed off. Ayeka nodded. "Wow," Rikari said in awe. "You really *are* a princess." She brightened. "Don't worry, we can fix *this* little problem!" She turned to the bar and cupped her hands around her mouth. "HEY TENZA! WANNA MAKE TEN CREDITS?!" "SERGEANT RIKARI!!!" Rikari grinned at her. "Don't worry, I hear he's really very good." "Sergeant Rikari," Ayeka fumed, "It is inappropriate for you to suggest such things." "Hey, *Princess*," Rikari told her with a slight smile "We're two girls, out on the town, drinking, and talking about men. I won't salute if you won't." She smiled. "It's, 'Misa', okay?" "Misa," Ayeka repeated. Tenza, Nol'al, and Gret'an walked over and took the remaining chairs at their table. They each gave Ayeka a, "Good evening, Milady," and shot a look at Rikari. "She's with me," she said simply. The others seemed to accept this, and the conversation moved on to other topics. Ayeka didn't say anything. She had nothing to add, so she sat there and drank. Rikari eyed her. At that time, a waitress appeared and placed beers and ales in front of them. Ayeka drank her ale and didn't say anything. She wasn't sure if she was better off here than in the palace kitchen, but at least she was drinking. She felt the end of her nose begin to go numb as the ale began to affect her. She looked over at Rikari and saw her eyes narrow. "Hey, Rikari," a voice behind her drawled. Ayeka turned in her chair to see three men in green capes of rank standing there. "Sergeant Rastin," Rikari bit out. "I thought I smelled horseshit," Nol'al commented. The man identified as "Rastin," smiled. "I heard you got advanced. Wouldn't have believed it without actually seeing it for myself." "Hey, asshole," Tenza spoke up. "Private party, take a walk." "Come on," Rastin said, "I just wanted to say hello to your pretty little friend, here." He leaned a little closer to Ayeka. "Actually," Gret'an said, coming to her rescue, "She's with me." "I wasn't talk'n to you, Lance," Rastin bit out. He made to put his arm around Ayeka. Rikari's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist in a steel grip. "She's with *me*." she growled. Her eyes flashed with anger. "Let him go, jarhead," one of the other green caped men ordered. "Fucking Marines," the other commented. Tenza shot up in his chair, turned, and raised his voice so everyone in the bar could hear him. "RANGER PIECE OF SHIT!! YOU GOT SOMETH'N TO SAY ABOUT THE IMC?!" Every black cape in the bar turned in their direction. Ayeka looked from side to side in shock. Rastin and the other two Rangers did likewise. "Aw, shit, what'd you go and do a thing like that for?!" From somewhere in the bar, a war cry was loosed. It was a time honored war cry of the Imperial Marine Corps, one that had heralded great battles, and was shouted by Marines, usually at the beginning of a glorious charge against incredible odds, and it fit the brave men and women of the IMC like a glove. That war cry came in the form of... "LET'S FUCK 'EM UP!!!" It took less than a second for the place to collapse into a bloody free- for-all. Ayeka was shoved out of her chair. She crawled to the wall and took a look at the carnage around her. Rikari had delivered a two handed punch to Rastin's stomach and followed up with a shot to the jaw that threw the Ranger back eight feet. Gret'an was being double-teamed by two Imperial sailors. Tenza threw another of the Rangers onto their table, which collapsed under the impact. She flinched as a chair flew out and bounced off her force-field. Luckily, she had remembered to activate it when the fight got started. She made her way to the bar and watched as Rikari helped Nol'al throw another Ranger across the bar and into a rack of liquor bottles. Rikari and Nol'al looked at each other and grinned. Suddenly, Nol'al was tackled from behind. Rikari watched him go down. She turned when she heard a crash behind her. A sailor sunk to the ground in front of her. Standing behind him, Ayeka held the remains of a broken plate in her hand. Rikari grinned. "Thanks, Princess." "Ayeka," she corrected the Marine with a slight smile. Rikari's grin got wider. Suddenly, she was struck from the side and fell to the ground. She concentrated on the fight. Ayeka watched it all unfold. With a thought, she could use her powers to break the whole thing up or even give Rikari and the other Marines the upper hand, but she knew that's not what they wanted. She picked up an empty bottle and snuck up behind another soldier who was kneeling over a Marine, pinned beneath the man's weight. She broke the bottle over the soldier's head and helped the Marine up. She lost sight of him in the crowd barely seconds later. The fight lasted for several minutes. Suddenly, there was a warning shout from the front door. "SHORE PATROL!!" In a second, the bar fight transformed into a rushed evacuation as Marines, sailors, and Rangers bolted for the exits. Ayeka just stood there, unsure of what was happening. Rikari grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the backdoor. "Misa! What's going on!?" "Shore patrol!" Rikari explained as she ran. "If we get caught brawling again, Stolykios will have our ass in a sling!" Ayeka ran as best she could in her kimono, trying desperately to keep up without knowing why. After all, she was a civilian. What did it matter if she stayed back there? What would they do to her? Probably nothing. She ran anyway. They joined up with Nol'al, Tenza, and Gret'an in an alley two blocks away. They were barely breathing hard. Ayeka, however, was gasping for breath. Rikari grinned. "Glad to see you guys didn't hang around for the final act." Tenza spat some blood onto the street. "Fucking Rangers," he commented. "Who were those men, anyway?" Ayeka asked. Rikari answered her. "Rangers, Imperial Special Forces. They think they're all badasses." "Yeah," Nol'al piped up. "Especially Rastin and his squad of assholes. They're off the Risano." Ayeka blinked, not understanding the significance. Rikari saw this and elaborated. "The Risano was Commodore Mihoshi's ship. She used to hand pick her crew, so now Rastin thinks he's Tsunami's gift or something." "Well, come on, guys. The shore patrol's gonna file a report with Stolykios, and then he'll start checking beds," Nol'al told them. They started walking, laughing and joking, bragging about their exploits at the bar. "And how about this girl?" Rikari asked chucking a thumb at Ayeka. "We need to get this woman in tac armor and put her on the squad." Ayeka looked at her and smiled. "Thank you." As they walked, Rikari and Ayeka dropped back behind the others. "So, how do you feel?" Rikari asked. "Honestly?" Ayeka asked. Rikari nodded. "Like Hell." Rikari smiled. "Don't worry. By the time you and I are through in this town, you won't even remember o'l whatshisname." She wrapped an arm around Ayeka. Ayeka could smell the ale on her breath. "You know, Ayeka, you and I are gonna get along. I can tell." It was obvious that Rikari was at the very least, tipsy. Ayeka looked at her and thought about how preposterous the Marine's statement was. A princess of Jurai barhopping with a Marine, and an enlisted one at that? Her father would tell her that Rikari was nowhere near her class. After seeing the way Rikari had tried to help her tonight, after seeing the way she had fought with the others for her, Ayeka had a slightly different opinion. It wasn't Rikari who was nowhere near Ayeka's class... It was Ayeka who was nowhere near her's. The princess looked over at the Sergeant and smiled. "I want to thank you, Misa. I...I needed this. Thank you." Rikari smiled back. "You're welcome, Ayeka." "Hey, Rikari!" Tenza called from ahead of them. "Haul ass or Stolykios will mail it back to your family for you." Rikari and Ayeka trotted forward to catch up. They arrived at the palace just after midnight, and were walking up the palace steps when they heard it. "Even'n, Marines," As one, the four Marines stopped dead. "Fuck me," Tenza whispered. They turned, came to attention, and saluted. "GOOD EVENING, SIR!" they barked as one. Ayeka stood off to one side and watched as a slightly older man in an ornate Marine uniform stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, with short blonde hair and face that wore no expression. He stepped forward and came face to face with the Marines. "Well, well, well," he said. "You're getting in late, now, aren't you?" He walked from one to the other as if on inspection. "I got a call from Major Stymmes....you know Major Stymmes, don't you, Corporal?" Nol'al straightened. "Sir! He commands the Capital shore patrol, Sir!" Stolykios, nodded. "He tells me that some of my Marines started a bar brawl on the west end of town tonight." He stopped in front of Rikari and examined a cut on the side of her head she had received in the fight. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Rikari bit her lip. "Sir! No, Sir!" Stolykios gave her a hard look. "Really?" Standing off to the side, Ayeka cleared her throat. Stolykios turned to her and smiled. "Good evening, Milady Ayeka." "Good evening, Colonel. I'm afraid that *I* am at fault here." "*You're* at fault, Milady?" The princess nodded. "Indeed, you see I asked Sergeant Rikari to show me some of the city, and her friends felt they should come along...to..to..provide a proper escort. I'm sorry I kept them out so late." She bowed. "I assure you, it won't happen again." "Tour guides?" he asked with a smile. "Yes, that's it." He brightened. "Well then, I certainly hope they showed you the Muntaro Memorial. It's a fascinating exhibit and holds a lot of history for we Marines." Ayeka smiled and nodded. "Indeed they did. I was most impressed." From down the line, behind Stolykios, Tenza closed his eyes and muttered a word. "Shit." "You have something to add, Corporal?" Stolykios asked him without turning. "Sir! No, Sir!" Stolykios regarded Ayeka for a moment. "Good. Very well, Marines, you're alibi is noted and logged. As you were." The four of them came to attention. "AYE AYE, SIR!" Stolykios gave Ayeka one more appraising look before saluting and bowing to her. Then he turned on his heel and walked back into the shadows. Ayeka breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close." "Close, Hell." Tenza told her. Rikari looked in the direction Stolykios had gone along with the others and shook her head. "What do you know?" Nol'al asked. "Old Stolykios has a soul, after all." Ayeka blinked. "What do you mean?" "He had us cold," Rikari told her plainly. "I don't understand." Rikari placed a hand on her shoulder. "He trick-fucked you, Ayeka." The princess blinked. "Huh?" Rikari shook her head. "There is no Muntaro Memorial." Ayeka blinked in shock. He *tricked* her! She shook her head. "Fuck me," she whispered. She quickly clapped her hand over her mouth as if to cram the obscenity back in. The Marines laughed. Rikari patted her on the back. "We'll make you a proper Marine, yet, Ayeka!" They started for the door to the palace. Ayeka looked out at the dark, well kept grounds in front of the residence. She could just barely make out the shadowy form of Colonel Stolykios watching them. He smiled. Ayeka found herself smiling back. Then, she turned and followed the Marines into the palace. D-6 watched on the viewscreen as Lady Reek'sta trained in the newly refurbished arena. The ten foot, crimson K'rystava stood surrounded by four of the smaller, green males. The green insects held long, pike-like weapons that had a long, serrated blade on one end, and a steel ball at the other. Reek'sta carried no weapon. Once, D-6 had asked her why she preferred to fight unarmed like this. Although he understood her answer, it was impossible to put into words. The closest translation would be something like, "It brings my soul into harmony with the battle." D-6 saw one of the green insects strike at his Hive Mother. He knew the males would fight with everything they had. They understood that their purpose was to make their Hive Mother a more efficient warrior. They could not accomplish that purpose by throwing the fight, and to fail their Hive Mother was unthinkable. So they would do everything in their power to kill her. Reek'sta spun from the jab and lashed out with her razor-sharp foreclaw. The attacking male's head came clean off his body and fell to the ground. By this time, two other males were attacking. Reek'sta flew into the air, using her insectile wings fly over the heads of the males. Not having wings of their own, they had no way to follow. She landed behind them and struck back. She pointed her foreclaw at one, and a thick, red tendril of energy, much like an energy whip, shot out from the hidden recess on the back of her claw. The tendril wrapped around the neck of one of the insects. She gave it a sharp tug, pulling the green insect towards her. She spun around and buried her other claw into his chest. Purple ochre sprayed from the insect's exoskeleton. Reek'sta, covered in the male's blood, dropped him and turned to the two remaining threats. The remaining males leapt to either side of her, surrounding her. They were more wary now and waited for her to make the next move. Reek'sta did not disappoint them. She lashed out with her energy tendril and snagged one of the insect's legs and pulled him off his feet. While this happened, the other struck, swinging his staff over his head, but Reek'sta was no longer there. She flew straight up and over, landing on the trapped male with her full weight. His legs, tied together, unable to escape, he was crushed instantly. Reek'sta retracted her red energy tendril and faced the last male. He attacked, trying to spear her with his pike. Reek'sta waited for an opening, then struck, knocking he pike away and burying her foreclaw in his neck. The green insect sputtered and spat blood. Reek'sta's eyes began to glow. Suddenly, there was a flash of green light! An beam of energy shot from the insect's eyes and bored through the male's head, splitting it in two. Reek'sta dropped the body onto the ground like a sack of bricks and turned to the camera through which she knew D-6 was watching. D-6 took a breath and made a silent prayer to Tokimi that he never cross Lady Reek'sta. That last move never failed to amaze him. The ability to channel their life power into an energy beam was not a gift from Tokimi, but a naturally occurring miracle of evolution. A normal, male K'rystava could only stun a victim, knocking it unconscious, but Reek'sta, like all hive mothers, possessed an ability to kill with it. "The training goes well?" a haunted, but musical voice asked from behind him. D-6's eyes went wide. He turned and dropped to one knee. "It goes well, Lady Tokimi." Tokimi stood there, looking down at him. Like before, she appeared as a humanoid, not in her towering, god-like form. "Excellent," she said. "I have made contact with my champion. You will go retrieve him, D-6." "Yes, Milady." "Good." With that, she vanished. D-6 stood up and turned to the viewscreen. Lady Reek'sta was on one knee. She had somehow felt Tokimi's presence and acted accordingly. He knew why Tokimi had insisted on two champions. It was in order to make sure that neither became too ambitious. He seriously doubted Reek'sta would attempt to overthrow her goddess, but one could never be sure. As for the other...well... It was best not to dwell on it. D-6 had asked Tokimi if two champions would be acceptable according to the rules of the final contest, the Creestaca Reestan. She had told him it was perfectly legal as long as neither one had her full power. It was not the number of champions that was important, she told D-6, but the amount of her power she bestowed upon them *collectively*. This meant that neither of her champions would be at full power, but they would have the advantage of numbers. He wondered briefly what Tsunami and Washu's champions would be like. They would soon find out. Author's Comments: A colleague, friend, and fellow fan fic author once commented to me that, emotionally, Ayeka was the stronger of the two women. That's why Ryoko tries to kill herself and Ayeka just gets wasted, in case you were wondering. Send all C&C to Thomas "009" Doscher at doscher009@hotmail.com