(Part Twenty-One - No Need for War: Part One) It took a bit for us all to overcome the shock of what we had heard... ..a confirmation signal from a GP station and a Jurai deep space outpost met our combined fears... I could feel the sorrow from the Juraian section of the family group.... and from the look from Tokimi's face, it didn't sound like Jurai was going to be treated well... Despite protests from Tenchi and Bruinuae for a quick response to the invasion... Azusa and Terrai prevailed with cold logic.... a counterattack now would certainly fail... But we agreed to at least move towards the Juraian imperial border, and as we did so.. Azusa, Misaki, Funaho, and my father began contacting as many Juraian fleet elements as they could... The big suprise came from Rosusn when she offered the services of the Fungesian Grand Fleet, MUCH to Fenganis's displeasure... but a STERN stare from Rosusn ended that argument, FAST... what teamwork... heheh... These preparations were accompanied with Tokimi and Gaia offering their powers and resources... which I knew to be VAST... to the conflict.... and I could see the makings of one doozy of a battle... There was one thing I had to accomplish... I linked the Sai`hon Tree to the Tree on the Tsunami unit... so that the full powers of the Tree could be harnessed at the appropriate time... And with that act... we got underway towards the border... The trip to the Force Field barrier was uneventful... I stood at a viewport with Tsunami in arm... ...and simply talked the small stuff, if only to calm nerves... this didn't last long... Because we reached the border...... About ten minutes into Jurai space... we were attacked.... several of the mains were hit.. and we were adrift for a bit as the backups kicked in... I was running to the bridge... then floating a good portion of the way... when I heard a rather vicious colorful metaphor from Ryoko... in the main cargo bay... I then floated to the scene... and then got slammed to the deck by the grav generators reinitializing... ow... I shook my head clear... hearing two shouts now... Ryoko's...and a unfamiliar as well as rancorous female voice... and... umm... a meow? I looked over a guard rail... and saw... a long, light blue haired woman, the hair with a black band over it.. she was dressed in a blue body suit, and a royal blue cape... with a nasty... sword... thingy... pointed straight at Ryoko... I also noted Ryo-ohki with a second cabbit... both... cuddling? Ryoko the announced her name in the open... Nagi... rather hostile in nature too... I doubt they were drinking buddies... Ryoko then got chased all over the cargo bay, in a quick and vicious assault... For once... I noted Ryoko at a disadvantage.... and noticed she was about to be over come... I had enough of watching... my Key flared to life in my right hand... I could note, that I took this Nagi by complete suprise... since I had her on the quick defensive with one parry, and a display of Jurai power... This brought many of the Misaki and Azusa clans into the cargo bay... Ayeka and Tenchi recognized Nagi immediately... I became uneasy... Nagi was plain hostile... and took the offensive... driving me back a ways before I made three masterful strokes, sending Nagi reeling.... Azusa demanded the reason of all this... Tenchi gave a succinct encapsulation... out in the open for me to hear as well.... A bounty hunter eh? Noting the situation... I phased simply infront of Ryoko, in between her and Nagi... and bellowed a quick summary of the situation we were under... and that this was NOT the bloody time for grudges... or for attacking one of my family... Nagi gave a sneer remark... and a direct threat.... think to unnerve me... Hardly... A show of power under the duress of a Knight in a hurry... I made my point clear... I wasn't one for intimidation... I was ready to defend a second attack, when Ryoko tried to attack Nagi... And I was forced to subdue Ryoko.... not easy considering her anger... and her considerable Gem power... but I could counteract that now... And I calmed both sides down with reasonable logic... from my point of view anyway... Tenchi and Ayeka helped... then Sasami interjected by greeting herself to Nagi like they were old friends... an attempt at diplomacy... courageous to be sure... And it worked... especially when... that second Cabbit... Ken-ohki I learned shortly... meowed to Nagi... conversing it seemed, as Nagi reluctantly to stop the bounty attempt... But the fun didn't stop there... the Yagami was rocked with huge explosions... and I could note the sound of the incoming weapons fire... the same from the GP station... Mulhorand's ships... Two fleets this time... as Kiyone noted... Mihoshi deftly piloted the Yagami around one force... as two groups of enemy vessels, about twenty vessels each... and a rather intense amount of fire accompanied... Kagato go the Soja to attack one group, as the Yagami broke away from the battle to get to a nearby nebula field... with the second enemy fleet in chase... I then came up with a quick plan... about as hasty as the battle at GP HQ; I took the Tsunami unit... now pumped up, with Tokimi and Tsui... the Yagami would keep drawing the enemy fleet making them split their forces... And soon we did so... as I piloted the Tsunami unit hard about... as Tsui and Tokimi shunted heavy amounts of deity power into the weapons and shields... leaving me to do the dirty work... picking off one ship after another... with kicked up heavy lasers, and multiple uses of the Lighthawk wings in an offensive way... Then the Yagami came back... and saw a separate set of Lighthawk wings form around it... Tenchi and Azusa were playing a hand as well... Then a fourth set... my father's I felt... the three sets made short work of much of our assailants... The Soja also having success... making mincemeat out of the force opposing it... MAN that cannon is a sight to see in action... Then the battle began to reach crescendo... as the enemy vessels began breaking for escape routes... this wasn't allowed... Then two things happened.... One... a third enemy fleet appeared... almost as if to enforce insecurity at the moment of victory.... The second... the calvary arrived... From six different directions.... Jurai warships jumped in, all shapes and sizes... much of the Jurai Outer Reaches Fleet apparently... Oh... and a third... Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki teamed up, led the attack on the third enemy fleet... This all took place, as a fourth enemy fleet appeared... with one inclusion... a large mega ship of some kind, and it had a NASTY suprise... From it's maw... came one monster of a main cannon attack... larger than the Soja's.... one Jurai fleet portion got vaporized... and a second was about to bite it... In the midst of this enormous battle, came a call from Tenchi.... mind linked... he suggested that all the Lighthawk Wings be used at once on the obvious threat... My response was to point the Tsunami unit straight at the Megaship... and asked each of the Lighthawk Wings in the fleet to focus an attack upon Tsunami unit... with Tsunami unit being the focus of a HUGE Lighthawk attack... Tsunami quickly approved, with Tokimi raising a quick fear; the plan just suggested had never been even remotely used before... using that much Jurai power was dangerous... I gave a serenely calm response... I was determined to make this work... Of course the use of so much Jurai power threatened to kill us all... but I commanded resolutely to the plan... And quickly, as the second Jurai element got nailed... four major, and hundreds of minor Lighthawk sources shots their elements into the Tsunami unit... And before anyone could object... I used my full Avatarhawk Wings, and fired the counterattack.... The Megaship simply disappeared into a ball of imploding energy, then the explosion happened... Much to the thanks of the goddesses... the Jurai forces survived, under intensely pumped up Lighthawk shields.... the enemy fleet groups simply ashed under the fury of the shockwave... I knew... at that moment... the power of the resources at our disposal... and I knew then at that moment... as the shockwave cleared.... Mulhorand was doomed... I also felt... fear... not from the situation... but of how much power I had seemed to have gathered around me... from nothing but being nice and direct with each entity I had met.... so much that Fenganis and Nagi had joined the battle against Mulhorand.... without really realizing what stake they had in it all... I stood in front of Tsui and Tokimi, and demanded to know... if my presence was making people work together against their wills.... The answer I got... made me feel... intangible... like Tenchi... I seemed to simply bring together persons of VERY diverse backgrounds... even less than reasonable ones... for a common purpose... I looked out into the wrecked battlefield... and realized... would I lose my family after we had won? Was this... Mulhorand... the only reason... they all were here? I knew... I loved Tsunami... but... stop it... I had to fight down the doubts... There were more important things to focus on... there would be time enough... But... the feeling never did go away... And with that... we returned to the Yagami.... For some reason.. I asked Kiyone if she knew the name of the nebula we had just fought in... all for twenty minutes.... The Juraian name... Tes`sau`vei.... the Terran designation... the Horseshoe Nebula.... one I'd never forget... for however long I lived.... Then we planned our next course of action.... Not without hiccups... Nagi wasn't keen on helping out a second time... even with Ken-ohki protesting... not even Sasami could persuade further... I halted the begging... knowing the... honor... Nagi already showed in helping out with the battle.... I simply thanked Nagi in the Jurai style, and truly expressed gratitude; and wished her a safe trip ahead... and turned to Azusa to finalize details.... And was met with a slew of obscenities from Nagi.... less than lady like in tone... This was met with chuckles all about... and the last thing I expected... Nagi... cried... if just a single tear.... and I believed her when she noted that no one had ever treated her with such reverence.... Ryoko sneered, with a arsenic laced retort from Nagi... then Nagi pledged her help in the coming battle.... About every one else on the ship was STUNNED.... I bowed... not even realizing I had done it again... I returned to Azusa... and we agreed, that we had to move quickly on Jurai Prime; we had the forces arrayed to conduct a Blitzkrieg.... as Fenganis indicated the Grand Fleet, and six more full fleets included... Our first task.... an approach vector on Jurai... one that would achieve maximum effect... The Tokimi then interjected suggested a strange tactic... a Multi- Dimensional jump.... one that would land all the Allied forces right on top of the enemy... it was so crazy... it had to work... I knew it... Tsunami knew it... soon we all did... Mihoshi asked then if sickness bags would be needed... with a groan from Kiyone on cue.... The Maymay... of all people suggested a course of action... one that had a Parisian twist... Trust me.... what we did as a distraction.... was the most hilarious thing you could possibly think of.... And with that... we made final preparations... smoothing out the details... deities, pirates, and royals agreeing to a straight forward plan, with Kiyone and Nen placing one last transmission to GP HQ... Late that night, before the battle started the next day... I stood at the same viewport as I had with Tsui earlier that day... when she came and leaned on me... No words... we only enjoyed each others company... it might be our last.... (End Part Twenty-One)