Copyright 2002 by Steve Robinson, All existing Tenchi characters are copyright 
Pioneer AIC. The character Ryeka is copyright 2002 by Steve Robinson (me)

Disclaimer - Look, it's a fan fic, so don't get bent out of shape. I thought up 
this idea a while ago, so I'm unabashedly pirating the Tenchi universe and 
bending it to my own nefarious purposes. I haven't read the millions of lines of 
existing a fan fic, so I can't say for sure that no one else has written this 
story line, but if so, well great minds and all that. I am sure that if Pioneer 
and company refrains from suing me, so should you. Besides, I wouldn't be 
listening anyways, la la la.... 

This fic is posted in its entirety at http://www.viciousbunny.net/

-------------------------------------------------------------

Thicker than Blood
Chapter 3

Immediately after Empress Ayeka closed the connection, Kiyone paged her 
secretary.

"Janice, prepare Yagami for immediate departure, the destination will be Earth. 
It must be fully stocked and armed. I plan to be gone only for a few days, but 
you never know. Also, have detective first class Kaji meet me there. Inform him 
that he will be going on an extending assignment."

"Yes, Ma'am," Janice replied. It had been quite a while since the last time she 
had been ordered to do this. Kiyone had only been a station chief at the time, 
but as a result of that incident, Kiyone had been promoted to second in command 
of the entire Galaxy Police. It had been a very small stepping stone to the 
position she was in now.

"Shall I cancel your schedule for the next few days?"

"No," Kiyone replied, gathering a pre-packed travel case she kept in her closet. 
"Convert face to face appointments to conference calls and shuffle off the small 
stuff to the Deputy Commissioner for now. I am too old to rush around the 
Universe these days, so I don't plan to be gone too long."

Kiyone signed off and Janice snorted. To old, hah! Commissioner Kiyone was the 
best looking fifty-year-old she had ever seen. Her hair had not a trace of gray 
and her face was as smooth as a twenty year old. Only the barely visible 
wrinkles around her eyes, and the rough calluses on her hands revealed to Janice 
any evidence of Kiyone's true age. Without questioning the reasons, she went 
about making the required preparations.



Kiyone arrived at the docking bay twenty minutes later. She briskly nodded to 
the guards who had snapped to attention as she entered. Yagami's power systems 
were already warmed up and his lights sparkled in the dim hanger. When the 
Galaxy Police were retiring the older patrol ships, Kiyone worked out a deal 
resulting in Yagami being transferred into her name. Ten years of special 
birthday visits from Washu had restored Yagami to a condition not even newer 
patrol ships could match.

"Yagami," she called out as she crossed the hanger, "lay in a course for Earth, 
by way of planet New Kyoto. Depart on autopilot as soon as Detective First Class 
Kaji arrives."

"Course laid in. Detective First Class Kaji is already aboard."

Kiyone strode up the gangplank, closing it on her way up. "Very good. Launch 
now."

Yagami was already speeding into deep space when Kiyone arrived in the cockpit. 
Kaji was seated in the pilot's seat, perusing the computer database. He made to 
rise as Kiyone entered, but she brusquely waved him back.

"Go ahead, take the pilot position. I'll be occupied with regular bureaucratic 
nonsense for much of this trip, anyway. You know what this mission is about?"

Kaji nodded as he settled back into the pilot's chair.

"I checked the intelligence database of late breaking events. The wife of the 
Jurai ambassador to Earth is missing."

Kiyone nodded, pleased that he was already working on the case. He had only been 
out of the academy two years, but he had demonstrated an astounding ability for 
crime solving and attention to detail.  Kiyone had picked him as one who would 
go very far in the Galaxy Police.

"And are you aware of my special connection to this case?"

Again, Kaji nodded. "Your exploits are legendary, Commissioner. You have been a 
close affiliate of the Ambassador and his wife for over twenty years, including 
having once lived at his house for nearly a year. I'm honored that you chose me 
for such an important mission. I will not fail you."

Kiyone rose, "Continue your research. Alert me when we gather our passengers at 
New Kyoto. Since you are so bright, you should know exactly who to expect."

Kiyone walked out of the cockpit. She both anticipated and dreaded the coming 
reunion. She wasn't even aware of the slight tick that was starting to form 
around her left eye. She sighed. Things had been going so well, so peacefully, 
for so long.



"Kiyone!!!" Mihoshi Masaki leaped up Yagami's gangplank and wrapped her arms 
around Kiyone's neck, rubbing her cheek against Kiyone's. "I missed you! It's 
been so long, I was afraid I wouldn't see you again. And then when Yagami landed 
in our front yard, well I just knew you cared after all!!! Oh, Kiyone, I could 
just cry! Woo-oo-waaa-waaa-haaaa!"

Mihoshi hadn't changed. Not even a little. Kiyone had never known what race, or 
for that matter what species Mihoshi actually was. She passed for a tan, 
slightly fuzzy human, but in twenty-five years, she hadn't put on so much as a 
pound, gained a wrinkle or grew a gray hair.

"Ah, Kiyone," a deep voice sounded from somewhere beyond the blubbering leech 
that had clamped onto Kiyone. "You look as wonderful as ever. Why, just seeing 
you two together really brings back the memories, and a tear to the eye."

Noboyuki pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose noisily. 

"You two really make a perfect pair," Kiyone observed, detaching herself from 
her former partner.

Noboyuki was merely human, and had aged accordingly. Despite not being a blood 
relative to the late Lord Yosho Katsuhito Masaki, he bore an uncanny resemblance 
to him in old age. When Mihoshi had announced their engagement fifteen years 
ago, Kiyone had been stunned and elated. It amazed her that no one had thought 
of it before, but they really did make a perfect match. After Earth had been 
unwillingly thrust into the galactic community during the last interplanetary 
war, Noboyuki had turned his architectural prowess to rebuilding some of the 
most devastated worlds. Despite his hair-brained antics at home, he proved to be 
an amazing leader when it came to rebuilding worlds. Once, when asked about it, 
he mentioned something about being inspired by the rebuilding of a Japanese city 
called Hiroshima, where his grandparents had perished during a Terran domestic 
conflict years before.

For her part, Mihoshi assisted Noboyuki in his humanitarian missions by 
volunteering as a relief worker.  The two never seemed happier and soon became 
so involved in their work that their visits home and to Kiyone stopped 
altogether. In the end, when Noboyuki became too old to do the work, they 
retired to one of the planets they had helped to rebuild, New Kyoto, where he 
worked as a professor in the local engineering college. 

"Come in, and have some tea. I have some bad news, I'm afraid, and you'll want 
to sit down when you hear it."

She pressed a wall-mounted comlink. "Kaji, what is our status?"

"We are on route to Earth. It will take two days to get there."

"Very well, join us when you are ready."

Kiyone followed Mihoshi and Noboyuki to the lounge, which was vaguely 
reminiscent of the living room at the Masaki residence. There she broke the news 
of Ryoko's disappearance and all the information she had. As she was speaking, 
Kaji joined them.

"This is Detective First Class Kaji, he will be representing me directly in this 
investigation. Unfortunately, as much as I want to, I can't abandon my 
responsibilities and take a more active role, at least not yet. Kaji, however, 
has my complete confidence. Kaji?"

Kaji sat down and accepted a cup of tea from Mihoshi.

"Thank you. So far, the embassy guards have found no trace of Ryoko or any 
possible intruder. The only unusual finding was ambient traces of energy 
matching Jurai power, but it could be due to some exercises that Ryoko and Ryeka 
had been doing before the disappearance. Furthermore, the Jurai military has 
informed us that they have rechecked their records and found nothing unusual in 
the sensor logs for the period."

Here, Kaji frowned, before he continued.

"I should point out, in strictest confidence you understand, that GP 
intelligence has confirmed that the Jurai military was maintaining active 
surveillance on Ryoko, due to her past history. Naturally, their own 
intelligence service would want to protect their resources and avoid the public 
embarrassment of admitting they were spying on the ambassador's household. Jurai 
Military Intelligence are the most likely to have valuable information, quite 
possibly they recorded whatever happened. It will take some careful, off the 
record diplomacy to extract that information from them."

"But why would they spy on Ryoko?" Mihoshi wondered innocently. "She has been 
behaving herself for so long! It doesn't seem fair."

Kiyone smiled into her tea. Same old Mihoshi, she thought. 

"The Jurai military has occasionally had renegade elements involved in some 
unsavory activities. That attempted coup fifteen years ago, for instance.  And 
don't for get the spectacular failures of the Jurai military in other years, not 
just fighting against Ryoko, but during the Bugrom invasion twenty years ago as 
well. Ryoko has humiliated them again and again. There are many in the Jurai 
military with a grudge against Ryoko, who would love to see her humiliated. So, 
they er... spy on her as you say, hoping to catch her up to no good. That 
information would provide leverage against the Ambassador to force him to do 
their will."

"If that's true, couldn't she have been abducted by one of those renegade 
elements this time?" Mihoshi asked.

There it was, laid out in the open. Mihoshi had voiced the bad feeling that had 
been crawling around in the back of Kiyone's mind, a feeling she hadn't been 
able to articulate. 

"Wow, Mihoshi," Kiyone murmured, "Washu always said you were a genius."

"Really, how nice," Mihoshi bubbled. "Then here's another thought. We should 
suspect everyone who had a grudge against Ryoko. Maybe even Ayeka. After all, 
Ryoko did steal Tenchi from her."

Kiyone's smile turned to a grimace. "Mihoshi, you dope, that's not a thought, 
it's a brain fart. Washu is a moron if she thinks you're a genius. Just who do 
you think set us on this mission? Besides, Ayeka and Ryoko buried the hatchet 
years ago."

Mihoshi's eyes clouded up. "I'm sorry, Kiyone, don't be mad at me, I just wanted 
to help," she blubbered.

Kaji chuckled as be interceded. "You have, Mihoshi, you have brought up a 
valuable point about chasing down grudges, starting with the Jurai military. 
Clearly, Kiyone lost a valuable partner when you married Mr. Masaki."

"Oh, yes," Mihoshi brightened up immediately. "We were such a good team! Why 
this one time, Washu had us break into the Royal Science Academy together to..."

Mihoshi launched into a story about her and Kiyone's past. Kiyone for her part 
gripped her teacup tightly and bore it as best she could. Twitch, twitch went 
the tick around her left eye.



Later that night, while Noboyuki and Mihoshi retired to one of the staterooms 
for the night (Kiyone fought hard against the unwanted visions of what they 
might be doing there), Kiyone joined Kaji in the cockpit.

"So, Commissioner," Kaji started innocently, "Mihoshi makes it sound as though 
you two were quite the team in your day."

"She has a twisted view of reality, Detective," Kiyone clipped, "don't read too 
much into it. And, if you don't want to spend your career searching for missing 
house pets, I suggest you erase that Royal Science Academy anecdote from your 
memory."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kaji voiced with mock seriousness, "You may depend on me."

Kiyone reclined in the co-pilot's chair, Mihoshi's old station. 

"What was I thinking, offering them a ride to Earth?  It would have been just as 
easy to let them take a space liner. It would have been so much more 
comfortable."

"I'm sure they will find Yagami's stateroom to be luxurious enough, 
Commissioner."

"I meant for me."

Kaji smiled. "Still, Mihoshi was dead on for both points. If it turns out to be 
foul play, we must consider the possibility of renegade elements in the Jurai 
military. Less pleasant is the possibility that Empress Ayeka may be involved."

Kiyone thought about that. "I came down on Mihoshi when she said that to drive 
it out of her mind. She believes too strongly in friendship to be burdened with 
those kinds of thoughts. However, the same thought had also crossed my mind, 
although, Ayeka has been a fierce and dedicated ruler. It's hard to believe she 
would stoop to something like this."

"Power corrupts, as the saying goes," Kaji offered. "What if some long festering 
hurt has re-emerged now that she has the power to do something about it?"

Kiyone didn't want to think about it. Years ago, when Ayeka's Sasami had 
prematurely merged her personality with the other half of her soul, a godess 
named Tsunami, the stress of consolidating both personalities had driven her 
temporarily insane. The destruction had been horrific. It showed that one never 
really knew what lay deeply hidden inside a person. Of course, renegade elements 
of Jurai's military had been involved then, too.

But this was Ayeka, Kiyone countered in her mind. For twenty years, she had 
ruled Jurai through crisis after crisis, never wavering, never showing the 
slighted sign of weakness. Why would she suddenly change now? Peace had reigned 
for the last ten years.

Kiyone shook her head.

"I refuse to believe that Ayeka is involved. However, that is based on my 
personal experience. I brought you along especially because I believed you could 
maintain an open mind where I may be biased. Let's wait till we have more 
information before we start second guessing ourselves or our friends. For now, 
let's collect evidence. What else have you found?"

Kiyone and Kaji reviewed the scant evidence that was trickling in from the 
ongoing investigation. Searches of nearby vessels had proven fruitless. No 
unusual communications were detected going to or from Earth, at least not by the 
three involved intelligence communities, Earth, Jurai and Galaxy Police.  There 
was no sign of a struggle, no blood from Ryoko or any possible opponent, 
nothing. It was as if Ryoko had simply ceased to exist.

The two policemen, the detective and the former detective, bade each other 
goodnight and went to their respective staterooms. Like all good detectives, 
their minds continued to process possibilities long after they went to bed.

Kiyone sat up in bed, leaning against the bulkhead thinking about the evening's 
conversation. Through the thin wall she could hear muffled sounds from the guest 
stateroom where Mihoshi and Noboyuki slept.

"Oh, no, Nobi, honey," Mihoshi was giggling. "You promised no more finger 
puppets."

Kiyone groaned and turned out the lights. She couldn't shake the thoughts about 
Ayeka's possible involvement in Ryoko's disappearance. Kiyone had been there 
twenty years ago when Ryoko had announced her engagement to Tenchi. Ayeka had 
barely seemed to give it a thought. She had even kissed Ryoko in 
congratulations, something that might have been interpreted but more primitive 
people as an omen of approaching apocalypse. Kiyone had also personally 
witnessed the five years of constant strife between the two that had preceded 
that day. But that had been before, and this was after. Everything had changed 
that day and Ayeka had gone from a jealous, spoiled and petty princess to ruler 
of a world that badly needed rebuilding. Not once in the twenty years that had 
followed had she ever uttered a word against Ryoko in public or private. Why 
would she start now?