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/

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Thicker than Blood
Chapter 9

"You left her!" Ryeka screamed at Ryoko. "You left them all!"

Ryo-ohki tried hard not to argue back. She wanted to tell Ryeka she was wrong, 
tell her that she wanted to help them, but couldn't. But Ryo-ohki knew that you 
couldn't reason with a child who is that far-gone to hysteria. Ryeka was sobbing 
in the corner of the living room, huddled on the floor. She had come apart as 
soon as they landed. Screaming and crying, she refused all attempts to console 
her. 

"Your father would have wanted you to be safe, honey," Kiyone tried to explain. 
She was kneeling beside Ryeka trying to talk her down. "He went back to try to 
save you."

Instead of consoling Ryeka, this only made her wail louder.

"And I left him," she sobbed. "He came for me and I left him there."

She pounded the floor with her fist. The wood splintered slightly. Kiyone 
suddenly, firmly grasped her wrist and put a hand under her chin. She steadied 
Ryeka's bleary, tear filled eyes on her own.

"And we will back go for him. I swear."

For a moment Ryeka stopped sobbing. She held Kiyone's gaze, then collapsed into 
her arms still crying, but softer, clearly exhausted. Kiyone scooped her up and 
carried her upstairs. Noboyuki and Mihoshi went into the kitchen and turned on 
the radio. 

Kaji was left alone to stare thoughtfully at Ryo-ohki.

"What?" Ryo-ohki asked sullenly.

"It is disappointing that we weren't able to bring Ryoko out, or the others." 
Kaji offered.

"Yeah, sure. Try to sound neutral, but you really want to know why I didn't or 
why I couldn't."

Kaji shrugged. "You certainly seem powerful enough. You could have transformed 
in the hold with Ryoko, the way you did with Ryeka, and made your escape. You 
certainly seemed to have all the answers needed to find her. Unfortunately, we 
only seem to have delivered Tenchi and Washu into their grasp. It was almost as 
if they planned it that way."

"What are you implying?" Ryo-ohki snapped.

"I have to ask you this, however distasteful. It is unlikely that Tomokon is the 
prime mover in this. He must have some master running him. Is it Ayeka?"

Ryo-ohki glowered at him. She seethed and seemed unable to speak. Kaji 
continued.

"You are too intelligent not to have considered that we would ask this 
question."

"True," Ryo-ohki allowed, through clenched teeth, "but that doesn't make it any 
less ugly."

"Forgive me for prying, but I have to confess. Galaxy Police information is a 
little weak on the reasons for your loyalty to the Empress.  After all, you 
served Ryoko for centuries as her partner in crime, then here on Earth, by all 
accounts sent to us by Mihoshi and the Commissioner, you seemed more attached to 
Lady Sasami. Didn't the Empress treat you with the same disdain as she reserved 
for Ryoko?"

Ryo-ohki suddenly seemed less enthusiastic about talking to Kaji, as if she felt 
vulnerable about the direction the conversation was going. 

"First, I am not the same Ryo-ohki that committed all those acts of destruction 
with Ryoko. I was reborn after the destruction of the first Ryo-ohki collided 
with Ryou-oh. I have no memory of the life I had before, only of spending my 
first years in the loving warmth of the Masaki household. It is only due to my 
telepathic link with Ryoko that I have any inkling of the life I had before, and 
I prefer to forget about that."

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry."

"Sure you did," Ryo-ohki went on. "As for loyalty to Ryoko and Sasami, well..."

Ryo-ohki seemed to have trouble finding the words. "Early on, I believed that I 
was supposed to obey Ryoko. The telepathic link, the way she was so firm when 
ordering me around, it just seemed like that was the way it was supposed to be. 
After my union with the Masses transformed me, I began to see things 
differently.  Especially with Sasami treating me like a little sister, I started 
feeling more independent. After the Bugrom war, I just felt like being my own 
person."

"Was it then when Ryoko abandoned you to marry Ambassador Masaki? Our records 
indicate that you always had a crush on Tenchi yourself. Or was it after Lady 
Sasami went of into obscurity a few years later, but with Yugi instead of you?" 
Kaji's questioning was rude, but it was direct. Ryo-ohki scowled in response. 
She stood up.

"I am not ashamed to admit that I felt abandoned. And I wasn't ashamed to accept 
a helping hand when Her Highness offered me a place in her life. She fed me, 
educated me and gave me the thing I value most, after her trust: my 
independence."

Kaji tilted his head. "Hmmm. Perhaps she felt abandoned as well and saw it as a 
chance to strike back at the two people who hurt her most by taking something 
she perceived as theirs?"

Ryo-ohki snarled and grasped Kaji by the shirt, hauling him off of the sofa and 
up close to her bared fangs.

"You would have to ask Her Highness what her motivations were, but I wouldn't 
recommend that you use that attitude around her in my presence. In the fifteen 
years I have served her she has never once said anything against Tenchi, Sasami 
or Ryoko! I suggest you update GP records with THAT information!"

"Why be so loyal too her," Kaji asked, calmly ignoring his peril. "So she gave 
you a hand out, does that mean you owe her this much loyalty?"

She shoved him violently back into the sofa and snarled at him. "I love her, 
okay?  I'd do anything for her!"

 Just then Mihoshi gasped and came running in from the kitchen. She clawed at 
the TV remote. After a moment of frantic button pushing, she had the sound up. 

"... And in response to this unprovoked attack by Earth separatist forces, Jurai 
has no choice but to impose martial law in this sector." Commander Tomokon was 
broadcasting from his battle ship. "We have learned that the target of these 
terrorist attacks was the Juraian ambassador and his family.  The terrorists are 
using a surplus Galaxy Police cruiser. We are moving to protect the ambassador 
and capture the terrorists.

Tomokon leaned into the picture. "Earth defense forces are strongly advised to 
stay out of our way. We are determined to protect our people." 

The picture changed back to the news announcer who went on to say that the Earth 
government was prepared to cooperate with the Jurai Military to put down the 
separatist attacks. Ryo-ohki smacked the remote and shut the television off.

"Well, there goes the 'going to the authorities' option."

"We could explain it," Noboyuki spoke up. "Tomokon's lies are transparent, they 
would never hold up."

Kaji shook his head. "She is right. We would be scooped up as soon as we tried 
to contact the police. If Tomokon is willing to attack Ryoko and Tenchi, he 
wouldn't stop short of destroying a few Earthlings."

"They're probably on their way here now. We have to leave." Ryo-ohki went 
upstairs to find Kiyone and Ryeka. They were in the master bedroom.

"Kiyone," Ryo-ohki said. Ryeka turned her head and wouldn't look at her. 
"Kiyone, we must leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." Ryeka said quietly. "I've run away too much already."

"Tomokon is pulling a spin job on the Earth authorities. He has them hoodwinked 
into thinking that we are terrorists. He's on his way here right now to get us."

Kiyone nodded and placed her hand on Ryeka. "We have to leave. Please, you will 
have to come with me until we can mount an operation to rescue your mother and 
father. No, don't argue. I know how you feel, but now is not the time for 
useless heroics. We have to get away."

Ryo-ohki nodded. "Take everyone back to Galaxy Police Headquarters with you on 
Yagami. Tomokon's ruse will prevent him from attacking the Galaxy Police 
directly. I must return and report to Ayeka."

Kiyone turned her head slightly. "And what will you report? Success or failure?"

"Et tu, Kiyone?" Ryo-ohki asked, morosely. "If Tomokon has even two or three 
other commanders under his influence, which is likely, this could turn into a 
political nightmare for Ayeka, it may even be the beginning of a coup. I must 
get back to help her. I don't need to tell you that as she is the Empress of 
Jurai. She is pretty much your only chance for winning against renegade elements 
of the Jurai military."

"Okay. I trust you, Ryo-ohki, and," Kiyone pursed her lips, "I believe in Ayeka, 
too. We'll return to GPHQ; contact us there."

It was a glum group that shuffled from the dock onto Yagami, down at the lake. 
Ryo-ohki stood on the shore and watched. Suddenly, Ryeka came running up the 
dock and threw herself into Ryo-ohki's arms.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blame you. I was upset. I love you, and I need you, 
Aunt Ryo-ohki."

A tear welled up in Ryo-ohki's eyes. "I love you too, Ryeka. Hey, c'mon, cheer 
up. We destroyed half a Jurai battleship together."

Ryo-ohki knelt down and ruffled Ryeka's cyan hair until it was wild and full of 
life. "Your mother would approve of that, I know. We make a good team, and when 
we meet again, we'll free your parents and leave swath of destruction in our 
wake. You are part space pirate, you know."

Ryeka squeezed Ryo-ohki tightly and then dashed onto Yagami. Ryo-ohki watched as 
Yagami's engines flared to life and blasted off from the surface of the lake. 
Ryo-ohki's smile faded with the receding glow of Yagami. She then leaped into 
the air, transformed and blasted off into space as well.



"Sir, Ryo-ohki and Yagami have left Earth orbit," the sensor officer reported.

"Very well." Tomokon turned to his executive officer. "What is the status of our 
fleet?"

The XO punched up some data on a console. "We have twenty three ships. Most are 
smaller vessels, patrol ships, auxiliary ships, that kind. But we can count on 
two capital ships, Toi Shima and Ke Ghare, both heavy cruisers. In addition to 
that, there are four or five frigate class ships as well."

"What of their crews?" Tomokon asked.

"The commanders have relieved any officers whose loyalties are in doubt. Most of 
the lower ranks can be counted on to simply follow orders. Our work for the last 
two years is coming to fruition. We have been able to carefully select the 
senior crews of most of these ships and fill them with those who share our 
views."

"Excellent. Have them rendezvous here at Earth. We must make the enemy come to 
us. If our forces are too spread out, the Jurai Supreme council may catch wind 
of what is really going on.  I'll be in my chambers. Do not disturb me."

Tomokon left the bridge and walked a short way down the corridor to his personal 
stateroom.  There, he opened the communications console and initiated a 
transmission.

"Yes?" the woman's voice echoed in his mind. 

"The ruse was successful. Ryo-ohki provided delicious bait with the child. 
Ambassador Masaki invaded our ship to rescue her, and ended up our captive 
instead. As a bonus, we captured Washu in the same operation."

"Wasshuuuu," the voice hissed. Even with the unusual communications medium, the 
loathing was evident. "Perfect. This simplifies things."

"I thought so, Milady," Tomokon was clearly please with himself.

"Silence! This gain offsets my displeasure with your incompetence only slightly. 
You still have yet to provide me with an estimate of the arrival of Tsunami!"

Tomokon cowered, "Apologies most humble, Milady, but, with the Ambassador, Ryoko 
and Washu all being held captive, the others are too weak to oppose us. The will 
have to seek out Tsunami's aid before they return. It is only a matter of time."

"I have all the time in the universe, Commander," the voiced hissed. "You do 
not! Be productive or be replaced!"

The console snapped off. Tomokon exhaled with relief. He wasn't worried though. 
Everything had been going exactly as he had planned. Tsunami would show up on 
cue and then he would gain his reward. 

Feeling the need to gloat, Tomokon decided to visit his captives.



"Don't take it so hard, Tenchi. It was a damned good trap. And, at least Ryeka 
is safe." Washu was reclined against the curved wall of the crystal sphere that 
held them. Her wound had rapidly healed and she was back to being her nonchalant 
self. "Hey, I spent three thousand years in a crystal just like this. It's not 
so bad after the first two or three centuries.

Tenchi was staring at the other crystal hanging nearby. He could see his wife 
inside. Her face was hidden and she didn't seem to know he was there. It made 
him mad that she was held so cruelly, like an animal.

"We don't know that Ryeka is safe, we only saw Ryo-ohki take her away. They 
could have been attacked or captured afterwards."

"Uh-uh," Washu shook her head. "Never happen. Ryo-ohki is too fast and too 
strong. I am sure of it, Lord Tenchi, Ryeka is fine."

Tenchi turned from the wall and sat down opposite Washu. 

"Thank you for that, Little Washu. Now, how can we get out of here? Surely you 
can do something?" He knocked against the crystal.

"Nope, and don't call me Shirley." Washu cracked herself up. "Face it, my boy. 
We are spectators in this one. Ug, don't look now, but we have company."

Tenchi looked over his shoulder and saw that Tomokon was crossing to their 
prison. He attached some sort of device to the outside. Suddenly, Tenchi could 
hear him.

"Good evening, Ambassador. Welcome back to Senzo. I told you that you should 
have gone through channels. Tsk tsk, my what a mess you are in now, hmmm?"

"Commander Tomokon, surely you didn't expect me to stand by let you hurt my 
daughter, now did you?"

"No, I guess not, and don't call me Shirley! Ha ha ha!"

Washu rolled her eyes.

"Listen here, brainiac," she yawned. "I'll admit you pulled off a clever little 
plan, though not entirely unpredictable. However, I am fairly stumped at your 
motivation. The only thing I can see that you have to gain is a prison sentence 
when word of this gets back to Jurai."

Tomokon was pleased to have a receptive audience. "Oh, don't worry about me, I 
will be fairly compensated. My Lady has a special interest in you, Professor."

"Little old me? Who would be interested in me?" Washu scratched her head. 
"Except maybe every jealous scientist in the Universe! Ah-ha-ha-ha! Ah, but 
seriously, Tomo you old goat, what's the real plan? C'mon, now's the part where 
you tell us all your great designs."

"Well, not quite yet," Tomokon deferred. "My little collection here isn't yet 
complete. You are really just the bait."

"Who's the fish?" Tenchi asked.

Tomokon shrugged. "What harm is there in telling you? It's Tsunami."

Washu sat up. She had a bad feeling all of the sudden, like there was something 
she wasn't quit remembering. Something about her and Tsunami, like a memory from 
long ago.

"You're crazy. I can understand how you were able to catch us with a little 
planning and some goo," Tenchi scoffed. "But Tsunami is practically a god."

"Yes, well, it takes a thief to catch a thief, after all," Tomokon hinted. He 
was very pleased with his own cleverness. He had concocted that little phrase to 
drop at just the right moment, and Tenchi had provided the moment perfectly. 
"Now, forgive me, I must have a word with your wife."

He made to remove the sonic transducer. Tenchi stopped him.

"Commander!"

Tomokon paused. "Yes? What is it?"

Tenchi lowered his eyes. 

"You have won, at least this far. It is also clear that you plot our eventual 
destruction. Allow us just a little comfort. Let me speak to Ryoko."

Tomokon considered. He felt it was important to deny his prisoners everything 
they desired, however, he mustn't seem petty.

"Out of the question, I'm afraid. However, I will turn her crystal so you can 
see each other. Not for your comfort of course. She still seems to think you'll 
come to save her. I want her to see that you have already failed."

Tomokon removed the transducer and moved to a nearby control panel.  Moments 
later, Ryoko's crystal spun around. At first her eyes stayed closed. She looked 
terrible, exhausted and depleted. Her eyes opened just a bit, then widely. Her 
mouth opened, but no sound came out. Tenchi leaped up and pressed himself 
against that side of his own crystal.

Tears streamed from both his and Ryoko's eyes.

"I love you," Ryoko mouthed. She was only ten feet away, but it may as well have 
been a thousand miles. 

Tomokon watched with great satisfaction. He stepped in front of Ryoko. Lazily he 
swung the transducer, as if deciding whether or not to talk to her. Then, he 
smiled evilly and walked away, leaving Tenchi and Ryoko trying to communicate 
across their gulf. 

Washu was silent, straining to remember. It takes a thief to catch a thief. What 
did that mean?