TENCHI WAKUSEI, BOOK ONE: "NO DREAMS FOR TENCHI"

By Joe Meadows (gpabn@yahoo.com) 

NOTA BENE: This novel (comprising 24 chapters, a Prologue, and an 
Epilogue) is a sequel to the "Tenchi Muyo Television Series" 
("Tenchi Universe"), with some "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki!" original 
OAV series characters and elements included where--in the author's 
opinion--they don't conflict with "Tenchi Universe."  For example, 
in order to flesh out a family background for Ayeka and Sasami, 
rather than create new characters, I used the existing parental 
figures of King Asuza and Queen Misaki from the OAVs.  In order to 
bring the Galaxy Police more into the story, I re-instated the Grand 
Marshall as Mihoshi's grandfather and used an existing character from 
the Tenchi Muyo mangas, Chief Tor Bodai.  And so on. 

AIC and Pioneer LDC, whose kind indulgence I am counting on, own the 
copyrights on the original Tenchi Muyo characters.  The character of 
Chief Tor Bodai was created by Hitoshi Okuda for the Tenchi Muyo manga 
series and is also copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer LDC.  All truly new 
characters are my creation.   Those characters and the actual story 
are copyright 2002 by yours truly.  The lyrics for both versions of 
the theme song for "Speed Racer," the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album, 
the Beach Boys' "Surfing USA," the theme to "The Brady Bunch," and 
"Amore" are copyrighted by their various owners.  The events that 
comprise the "Tenchi Universe" series are discussed in this novel; 
consequently, spoilers lurk within.  Be warned.  Please check out the
"Chapter Notes" at the end of some of the chapters.  Feedback is very 
welcome!  I can be reached at gpabn@yahoo.com and thanks for taking 
the time to read this novel.  

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



CHAPTER FIFTEEN
No Need For A Loan
__________________


Nobuyuki sat in his home office-cum-bedroom.  He had been tapping at 
his computer keyboard for a solid half hour, but he was still not 
satisfied with the results on the screen.

He rose and opened the door.  He walked to the stairwell and looked 
down.

He saw Princess Ayeka carefully polishing one of the sideboards.  She 
was using a paste containing beeswax, which was much harder to apply 
and polish off than newer compounds.  But she loved the glow of the 
wood that resulted from her efforts.  The sideboard was English, from 
the Edwardian era, a present from Nobuyuki's parents, who had been 
world travelers in their younger days.

It was pleasant to watch Ayeka polishing the sideboard.  The Princess 
appeared to be alone, but Sasami was in the kitchen keeping an eye on 
her, Nobuyuki knew.  He thought such vigilance might be a bit 
overdone, since the Princess's bad dreams had ended and nothing 
untoward had happened since the incident with the wardrobes.  But 
Nobuyuki had deep respect for his father-in-law and his hunches.  He 
waited a moment and then spoke, "Princess?"

Ayeka put down her polishing cloth and turned to look up the stairs.  
She smiled at him.  "Yes, sir?"

"I'm sorry to bother you."

"It is no bother at all."

"I was wondering if you could ask Washuu to come up and see me."

Ayeka kept her face carefully neutral.  She disliked having to clump 
through the utility closet to enter Miss Washuu's sub-dimensional 
lair.  But this was for Tenchi's father and Ayeka would have faced 
much worse to help the poor man.

"Of course.  At once."

"Thank you, Princess."

Nobuyuki returned to his office.  He sat down and stared frowningly at 
the screen.  No, he just was not able to phrase it properly...and it 
was a vital thing. 

He sighed.  Being home in the middle of the morning on a workday.  It 
was strange and depressing.  He felt the lack of employment more 
keenly than ever, despite the wonderful support everyone had shown 
him.  Tenchi had delivered his version of a pep talk that morning 
after breakfast, just before he departed to attend to both his and 
Tris's chores.  It had been a prideful thing to witness, Tenchi 
trying to boost his Dad's spirits, but his son's naiveté about the 
situation had tended to dilute any pep that resulted from the talk.  
For the fact remained that Nobuyuki had been fired for cause.  This 
was practically leprosy to most prospective employers.  Accordingly, 
Nobuyuki had been trying to draft a cover letter for his resume and  
vainly attempting to find a neutral way to phrase his description of 
his sudden termination.  Perhaps Washuu could assist. 

"Hi there, Dad."

Nobuyuki looked up.  It was Washuu, standing in the open doorway.  She 
grinned at him with her usual good humor.

Nobuyuki smiled at the great scientist.  Washuu's cheeriness was as 
much a tonic as Mihoshi's innate happiness.  He was a bit surprised 
to see how Washuu was dressed.  Instead of the rather rigidly 
constructed, faintly military-looking outfits she usually wore, today 
the petite redhead was wearing a peach-colored cotton short-sleeved 
blouse and rather tight maroon slacks.  She had brushed her usually 
spiky hair into a softer style.  The great scientist looked rather 
more mature...and attractive.  Nobuyuki instantly pushed the thought 
from his mind.  He had worked hard to re-establish his credibility 
with the women and he was not going to lose it now, not if he could 
help it.

"Hi, there, Washuu.  Nice of you to come up.  By the way, thanks so 
much for the job listings your sent to my computer.  Lots of good 
leads there."

Washuu regarded him knowingly.  She stepped into the room and slid 
the door shut behind her.

"Look, Dad, it's a grand thing to keep everyone else's spirits up 
with that stuff, but you can level with me," she said.  "I've kept my 
eye on things on this planet for a long time.  I've made a study of 
the employment situation and your career field ever since it became 
obvious those folks you worked for were putting the screws to you.  I 
should have said something to you ages ago, but I was hoping I was 
wrong.  Anyway, I want to help you and I will help you, but I can't 
help much if you won't level with me.  Okay?"

Nobuyuki smiled ruefully.  He had to remind himself that this 
youngish-looking woman was many centuries old and an extraordinary 
genius to boot.

"All right, Washuu.  The fact is, I've seen a number of job openings, 
but they want young people and certainly not someone who has been 
fired for cause."

"That's better!" Washuu said.  "Now that we're dealing with reality, 
we can get to work."

"It's kind of discouraging, I'll admit."  Nobuyuki's shoulders 
drooped a bit.

"Put a sock in that!  We're going to fight and fight hard."  Washuu 
stood with her hands on her hips.  "It's the only way, Dad.  You've 
worked your not-bad-looking behind off to keep that lousy job.  Now 
you've got to be willing to work just as hard to get another one.  To 
hell with how it looks!  It could look wonderful and you might still 
be pounding the pavement a month from now."

"That's true."

"Okay."  Washuu smiled at him.  "I think you're a fighter, not a 
quitter.  You're Tenchi's father and that hunky guy got some of his 
good stuff from you.  You're going to need that good stuff now."  
Washuu walked over and sat on the edge of the desk that held the 
Apple.  "Let's drop the job listings for now.  Something occurred to 
me after reading some stuff on a human resources Web site.  Did you 
ever get a employee's handbook from that company that axed you?"

Nobuyuki had to smile at Washuu's blunt words.  But they were good to 
hear, somehow.  "Yes...I recall getting one."  He rose from his chair 
and walked over to his file cabinet.  "Got a copy here somewhere."  
Nobuyuki opened a file drawer and rummaged around.  "Ah.  Here it is."

"Hand it over."

Nobuyuki complied.  Washuu flipped through the cheaply copied and 
stapled handbook.  "Didn't waste money on fancy looks," she muttered.  
"Good.  Maybe they don't pay much attention to it...just put out 
boilerplate to satisfy some human resources drone.  Hmmmm...hey, hey, 
hey!"  She grinned.

"What?"

"How did they fire you, again?"

"Well, the boss..."

"What boss?" Washuu asked.

"Oh, the manager of the Okayama office."

"There's a central office?"

"Yes, in Hiroshima," Nobuyuki answered.

"Better and better.  Continue."

"The boss yelled at me for about fifteen solid minutes about making 
personal calls on company time.  He used it as an excuse to fire me."

"Yeah, I saw that stuff about personal calls in the handbook.  What a 
crock!  Just something to zap the employees with when the bosses feel 
the need.  So he just verbally told you that you were fired.  Then 
what?"

"They gave me a few minutes to collect my stuff," Nobuyuki explained, 
his cheeks flushing as he recalled the humiliating scene.  "The 
secretary, Reiko, and my friend, Seji, helped me.  They had a security 
guard breathing down my neck the whole time.  I turned in my keys and 
my company charge card to him.  I was out of there so fast I could 
feel the breeze."

"Typical...and typically stupid of them."

"Why?"

Washuu grinned.  "It says in the handbook that all employees will be 
notified of termination in writing.  You didn't receive anything on 
paper, did you?"

"Well...no."

"Hah!"  Washuu stood up.  "Got 'em!  You signed for that handbook--
there's still a carbon copy in there where you signed.  It's a 
legally binding contract, then.  Got 'em, good!"

"Huh?"

"We need Ryoko."

"But she's asleep."

"Not for long!"  Washuu rubbed her hands.  "This is gonna be a 
pleasure!"  She walked to the door and opened it.  "Ayeka!" she 
called out.

"Yes, Miss Washuu?" they both heard the Princess's voice from 
downstairs.

"I need Ryoko.  Now."

"But...Miss Washuu?"

"It's to help Dad here."

"Oh, very well."

Washuu turned to Nobuyuki.  "Type out a resignation letter.  Nothing 
fancy.  Just say you quit and that the firm's policies offer you no 
recourse.  I need it in five minutes."

"Right!"  Nobuyuki had a glimmering of what Washuu was getting at.  He 
walked to his Apple, switched on his Canon printer, and began typing 
furiously.

"Keep typing," Washuu told him.  "I just want to point out--Ayeka is 
the First Princess of the most powerful dynasty in the galaxy.  And 
she just let me treat her like a servant.  That's only because she 
wants to help you.  You've got a lot of friends here, Dad."

Nobuyuki finished the brief missive.  He used his mouse to activate 
the print function on his Word Perfect program.  "I know," he said.  
He told Washuu about the marked-up newspaper he found on his bed that 
morning.

"Good.  About time this family pulled together.  You know, everything 
was getting so dull and lifeless around here, I was planning to 
leave."

"Really?"  Nobuyuki pulled the printed letter from the printer's tray.

"Yup.  But that cutie, Tris, showed up and things started popping.  
Bless that boy!"   Washuu smiled at Nobuyuki.  "Now we've got a fight 
on with that Klove guy and you're showing the right stuff.  I wouldn't 
leave now for the presidency of the Royal Science Academy...not that 
they'd ever offer it to me again, of course."

"I'm glad, Washuu.  That you're staying, that is."  He handed her the 
printed letter.  "I know I'd miss you a lot and so would the others." 

"Why, you sweet guy, you."  Washuu scanned the letter.  "Not bad.  
It'll do."  Washuu handed it back to him.  "Sign it, date it 
yesterday, and put it in an envelope addressed to your old firm."

"Right away."  Nobuyuki rushed to comply.

Suddenly Ryoko passed through the wall.  She looked a bit sleepy.  
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"You, that's what," Washuu answered her with a grin.  "Want to stick 
it to the bums who fired Dad here?"

Ryoko suddenly lost all signs of sleepiness.  "Would I!"

"Okay.  Now, you're going to have to travel fast.  Can you find a 
street address in Okayama City?"

"I can find anything!"

"All right.  You need to carry a letter to the office whose address 
is on the envelope I'm going to give you.  You need to pass through 
the office and go to where the secretary, a woman named Reiko, sits.  
Then you need to drop the letter in her in-basket when she's not 
looking.  Finally, you need to hang around and make sure she reads it 
and notifies someone.  Naturally, you can't let anyone see you doing 
all that."

"Piece of cake.  But that's all?  No fireballs up someone's behind?"  
Ryoko looked disappointed.

"Nope.  But do this right, Ryoko, and this will be loads more painful 
to those bozos than any fireball!"

"Sweet!"  Ryoko grinned.  "Sir, you can count on your future daughter-
in-law!"

Nobuyuki smiled a bit uncertainly.  He handed the envelope to Washuu.

"Can the commercial, Ryoko," said Washuu.  "Here's the letter.  
Scoot!"

Ryoko took the envelope.  "I'm gone!"  She suddenly became airborne 
and vanished via teleport.

Nobuyuki shook his head.  "You know, I think I'll never get used to 
how she can just appear and disappear at will."

"You may have to, Dad," Washuu pointed out.  "Tenchi may pick her, 
you know."

"I know.  Well, this has proven a productive morning."

"Well, let's not get too excited.  All we did was prevent your former 
boss from saying officially that he fired you," Washuu told him.  
"Maybe.  Got a lawyer?"

"Uh-huh.  An old college pal."

"Any good?"

"He's good," Nobuyuki affirmed.

"All right.  Call him up and tell him you were verbally fired--but not 
in writing as your employee handbook specifies and that you left a 
letter of resignation in the secretary's in-basket.  Tell him you 
don't want to sue, but you will if the firm claims you were fired."

"Right!  Should I call him now?"

"Yes, now.  By the time he moves his legal butt, Ryoko will have that 
letter delivered.  Then...the fireworks will fly!"

"Great!  It feels great to fight back."  Newly enthused, Nobuyuki 
hastily picked up the telephone on his desk and dialed the office of 
his lawyer friend, Ryoei.  As he waited for the phone to be picked up 
at the other end, he said, "Washuu...you're the best."

"Of course I am.  It's about time you noticed, Dad."  Washuu smiled at 
him.  



The Yogami was entering the final approach to Galaxy Police 
Headquarters.  Tris, thanks to Kiyone's thoughtfulness, was able to 
watch it from the huge video screen in the recreation room.  It was 
just too dangerous now to have him on the bridge, even hidden from 
the viewscreens.

The Headquarters was an immense structure floating in space, rotating 
to keep constant artificial gravity.  It was a mass of gleaming 
silver structural loops, loops that somehow formed a rickety-looking, 
but obviously very substantial space station.  Kiyone had told Tris 
that the offices were at the structure's top and middle, with the 
spacecraft docking areas at the bottom.  Tiny transparent tubes ran 
up and down the height of the massive space station...elevators of 
some sort.  Its walls were dotted with tiny glowing holes...windows, 
or the equivalent of the same.  Kiyone had told him that around 
15,000 people worked at the Headquarters.  Tris could well believe 
it.  He thought about the attempts at a space station his planet had 
made—-most recently, the International Space Station.  This 
Headquarters was what Earth's scientists needed to be shooting for.  
Something functional and something with a real purpose.

Tris also saw the glowing bluish-green surface of the planet Vestra 
looming beyond the Headquarters.  That was where Kiyone and Mihoshi 
lived--had lived--and would live at again once they earned back their 
rank.  The thought bothered him a bit.  He mentally thrust it aside.

"Tris," he heard Kiyone's voice on the intercom.  "We've received 
final clearance to enter a docking bay.  We'll ease into one of those 
openings at the bottom of the Headquarters station and once inside, 
the bay doors will close and the bay will fill with artificial 
atmosphere.  But you won't be able to leave, not just yet.  Mihoshi 
and I will have to check in first.  And I can't talk to you from this 
point on.  Please just wait there in the rec room for us.  Okay?"

Tris went to one of the lighted panels located next to the rec room's 
door and spoke into it, as previously instructed by Kiyone.  "Okay, 
Blue Eyes.  This is your show—-and what a show!"

"Thanks.  See you soon, Tris.  Out."  Kiyone's voice was affectionate, 
but there was a palpable tenseness underlying it.  This was zero hour, 
Tris knew.  Evading notice had been simple before (and still he and 
Mihoshi had almost bungled it).  Now Tris was going to go out among 
the inhabitants—-the elite inhabitants--of an alien environment.  It 
was going to be touch-and-go at best.  For a moment, Tris considered 
just telling Kiyone he'd stay holed up in the Yogami while she and 
Mihoshi attended to their business.  But Kiyone would be very 
disappointed in him if he did.  She had gone to all this trouble and 
risk.  No...he'd follow the script.

Slowly, the gently revolving Headquarters came closer and closer on 
the screen.  Now the view dipped down, as the Yogami headed for the 
open docking bays at the equivalent of the basement level of the 
space station.  There was, suddenly, a huge, yawning black space--
that must be their docking bay.  The black space grew bigger and 
bigger.  Soon, it was all Tris could see on the screen.

Here we go, he thought.  Into the belly of the beast.  He smiled at 
the absurd notion.  Actually, they were going into the oversized 
parking garage of this huge, orbiting bureaucratic Headquarters.  
Only, the bureaucrats inside it carried deadly weapons--and to them, 
he was the alien intruder.  It was an intriguing thought, although 
hardly a comforting one.



"So what did the lawyer say, Dad?" Tenchi asked his father as the 
former hung up the telephone in his home office.

Nobuyuki looked at his son...and at Washuu, Ayeka, Ryoko (who had 
made it back just a half hour ago) and Lord Yosho.  Sasami was in 
the kitchen preparing lunch, or she would have been there, too.  Ryo-
Ohki was also present, somehow looking as interested and excited as 
all the others.

Then Nobuyuki smiled.  "Skunked them, by God!"

Lord Yosho laughed heartily.  The women showed their relief and 
delight by either laughing, too, or by looking extremely pleased and 
pretty.  Tenchi impulsively walked up to his father and gave him a 
quick hug.

"I knew it," Washuu said.  "When that postman came walking up to the 
house, I suspected there was a special delivery letter for you.  Good 
thing everyone knew better than to answer the door."

"Yeah."  Tenchi grinned.  "When I saw the postman come up the walk 
while I was mowing, I just hit the dirt, like Tris says, and lay 
still.  He didn't see me.  I watched him ring the bell a few times, 
and then he left, still carrying that letter."

"So, no delivery, and no notification," Washuu concluded.

"That's right," Nobuyuki confirmed.  "Ryoei, my lawyer friend, said 
when he called the office, the boss wouldn't take his call.  So he 
called the central office in Hiroshima.  They evidently called my old 
office and then they called Ryoei back.  They acknowledged receiving 
my letter of resignation.  Ryoei said he warned them that he would 
have investigators calling up to check on the reference they give me.  
They promised it will be neutral, just that I worked there so many 
years and resigned, but that's okay."

"Of course, that's okay," Yosho said with a trace of irony in his 
voice.  "One could hardly expect them to say anything about your 
years of faithful service to them.  That's rather gone out of style 
these days."

"That's the truth, Grandpa," Washuu agreed.

"But that is...just despicable!" Ayeka said.  "That is simply as 
wrong as wrong can be.  Besides, how can they expect loyalty when 
they show none themselves?"

"Because they're idiots, Ayeka," Washuu said.  "They're going to find 
out just how idiotic they are someday.  Right now, though, they think 
they're being clever."  

"Oohhhh--!"  Ayeka wished that, for just a few minutes, she could be 
First Princess of Earth.

"Well, we burned their butts a little anyway, Princess," Ryoko said.

"You certainly did, Ryoko."  Ayeka turned to regard the space pirate.  
"I...I am proud of you!"

"Wow!" Ryoko exclaimed, eyes wide.  She hadn't expected that from the 
Princess!

"We all are, Ryoko," Tenchi said.  "You saved the day, along with 
Washuu."

Ryoko grinned.  "I sure did, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, and I'm very grateful, Ryoko," Nobuyuki told her.

"Anytime, sir.  You just call on me."

"I will!"  Nobuyuki grinned.

"Yes, Ryoko, you certainly excelled today," Lord Yosho told her.  
"Professor Washuu, what has really been accomplished up to now?"

Washuu looked at Nobuyuki.  "Want me to sugar-coat it or just tell 
them straight?"

"Tell them straight," Nobuyuki answered.

"Okay.  Dad here is a lot more employable now.  That "being fired" 
stigma is gone, so a lot of doors won't close in his face 
automatically. But with all the job listings we've seen, there are 
still problems.  He's too old and overqualified for about eighty 
percent of them.  He can't afford to go back to a journeyman's 
salary, even if someone would hire him for a job beneath his 
expertise.  Right, Dad?"

"Right enough."

"There's terrific competition for the twenty percent of job 
opportunities remaining.  So there's no reason to despair but it's 
going to be a struggle.  That's my read on it, anyway."

"You're reading it right, Washuu," Nobuyuki said somberly.

"This family has faced many struggles...and we've overcome them all," 
Yosho pointed out.  "This one will prove no different.  In fact--"  
He stopped.

Tenchi smiled.  "You were about to say that sometimes good things come 
from bad things, right, Grandfather?"

"Yes I was, Tenchi."  Lord Yosho shrugged.  "It seems that I am truly 
becoming an old man and repeating myself incessantly."

"If something is true, Lord Yosho," Ayeka said quietly, "it is well 
worth repeating."  

"That's right, Grandfather," Tenchi agreed.

Lord Yosho looked pleased.  

"Hey up there!  It's lunch!" The group heard Sasami call from 
downstairs.

"Excellent!" Lord Yosho said.  "Let's enjoy Sasami's wonderful 
cooking and all of this will look much better."

"Good idea, father-in-law," Nobuyuki said.  "I'd just like to add 
that with all of your support it all looks better—-much better--
already."

Now everyone looked pleased.  Ryo-Ohki rubbed against Nobuyuki's 
ankles.  She knew how to do her part.



Alone in the starship's recreation room, Tris had gotten bored with 
playing tapes of strange alien music and watching disks of weird 
alien soap operas and game shows.  One show seemed to be about three 
blobby-looking creatures apparently trying to un-stick themselves 
from each other and go their separate ways.  They failed continually, 
and the laugh track indicated that this was supposed to be funny.  It 
rather reminded Tris too much of his three aunts for him to find it 
humorous.

So he engaged in a favorite pastime--taking songs and fitting his 
own lyrics into them for grins.  He had just taken that old Dean 
Martin standard, "Amore," which his Dad had sung to his Mom when they 
made pizza together (lots of sauce and oregano), and made up some new 
lyrics for it.  Thus:

When the fist
Hits your eye
Like a big
Pizza pie,
That's Ki-yo-ne...(1)

Tris laughed.  He would have to shoot that one past Tenchi when he got 
back.  He liked it so much that he sang it again.

"Ahem."

Startled, Tris quickly turned to look behind him.

Kiyone and Mihoshi stood there, still in uniform, carrying their 
travel bags.  Mihoshi was covering her mouth with her free hand and 
looking as if she might explode with laughter.  Kiyone looked a bit 
explosive, too.

"Hi, Blue Eyes," Tris said, sheepishly.  "Hi, Mihoshi."

"Hi, Tris," Mihoshi squeaked.  Then she laughed helplessly.

"Pizza pie, huh?" asked Kiyone.

"Just brushing up for when you two take me to that kareoke bar."

"Have you packed your things yet?" Kiyone asked him flatly.

"Ummm...no."

"Pack 'em."

"Right."  Tris walked toward the entrance, keeping his distance from 
Kiyone.

She put her travel bag down.  "I'll help you."

"No need."

"Yes there is!"

"Oh."

They were both gone by the time Mihoshi finally stopped laughing.  
She caught her breath and wiped her eyes.  She loved it when Tris did 
silly things like that, even though he paid dearly for doing them, the 
poor boy.  Then she thought about his song...pizza pie...yum...she 
would have to ask Sasami to make one when they got back to Earth.



After luncheon, Sasami sat at the now cleared dining room table.  She 
was frowning as she wrote slowly on a writing pad, crossed out what 
she wrote, then wrote again.  She had dishes soaking in soapy water 
in the kitchen to finish washing, but she wanted to try to get at 
least a rough draft down.  Mindful of her daytime duty now, she had 
been looking into the living room every so often to check up on 
Ayeka.  Her big sister appeared to be in a happy mood as she cleaned 
and seemed entirely herself.  Come to think of that--

"Ayeka," she called.

Her big sister bustled into the dining room.  "What is it, dear?"

"Please take a look at this."  Sasami indicated the writing pad.

Ayeka obligingly walked over to where Sasami sat at the low table and 
looked over her shoulder at the writing pad.

"You have two different rows of foodstuffs in two columns," Ayeka 
murmured.  "Oh...you have each column totaled in terms of cost...and 
sample menus.  I see.  You're working on our food budget."

"Uh-huh.  I wanted to find out where we could cut back a bit on our 
food budget," Sasami explained.  "Lord Yosho and Tenchi's father have 
been very generous with the amount we spend on food."

Ayeka smiled.  "That is because they like to eat well...as do we all, 
dear."

"I know.  But there's lots of room to cut back.  For example, shrimp 
is very expensive.  We can make that just an occasional treat."

Ayeka nodded slowly, looking over her little sister's handiwork.  
"Yes, indeed.  Your proposed food budget amounts to quite a savings.  
Of course, it means the variety of our meals will be altered quite 
noticeably."

"Uh-huh," Sasami said uncertainly.  "That's why I want your opinion.  
Do you think this will go over with everyone?"

Ayeka regarded her little sister with deep fondness.  "I would like to 
say, first, that you have done a very important thing here, Sasami.  
This will go far toward helping our household keep to a stricter 
budget.  I am proud of you, dear."

"Thank you, Ayeka."  Sasami smiled, gratified by her big sister's 
praise.

"As for the reaction, I think your revised menus are quite acceptable.  
The meals will still be appetizing and nutritious.  It will hardly 
call for any real sacrifice and I know everyone will be happy to be 
saving money.  Well, almost everybody..."  Ayeka suddenly covered her 
mouth with a hand, but a laugh escapred nonetheless.

"What is it, Ayeka?"

"Oh dear, I should not be so derisive...but I could not help but think 
of Mihoshi's face when she learns we cut back on the food budget!"  
Now the Princess laughed heartily.

Sasami laughed, too.  Mihoshi was her very dear friend now, but it was 
funny--poor Mihoshi would be crushed!  Absolutely crushed!  She could 
picture Mihoshi's woeful face now.

"It is a good thing she is gone for the moment," Ayeka said, quelling 
her laughter.  "I think we can get unanimous approval of your menus 
now...without anyone bawling!"  She laughed again.  "Oh, it just 
terrible of me to laugh at Mihoshi.  I am so ashamed!"  But she didn't 
stop laughing.  Neither did Sasami.

"I know it's wrong," Sasami said.  She smiled, feeling cheerful in the 
afterglow of a good laugh.  "But it's not so very wrong is it...if we 
love her all the same?"

"Of course not, dear.  We just must not make a habit of it.  We must 
not forget that she is a Galaxy Police officer and even now she and 
Kiyone are risking quite a bit to help us."

"That's right..." Sasami pondered, chewing at the end of her pen.

"Don't do that, dear."

"What?  Oh..."  Sasami put the pen down.  "I can't help thinking about 
them.  I miss them and I'm worried for them.  It's a big risk, taking 
Tris with them, isn't it?"

Ayeka sighed.  She sat down beside her little sister.  "Yes, I think 
it is.  I do not know what possessed Kiyone to do that.  Well...I do 
know.  But I am still not happy about it, I must admit."

"I think I know, too.  I know you don't like what Kiyone did, but I 
think it's kind of sweet...and romantic."

Ayeka smiled at Sasami affectionately.  "At your age, I would have 
thought so, too.  But Kiyone has rather put her feelings on a platter 
by doing this.  I really do like Tristram, but I do not know his 
intentions toward Kiyone.  Not all men are like Lord Tenchi, dear.  
You must learn that."

"But Tris is so nice.  We know his intentions are good."

"Do we?  We know he has enjoyed the company of a very attractive and 
quite exceptional young woman.  A young woman, I may add, who is not 
terribly experienced with men.  That is what worries me so.  And if 
they get caught...that is the end of Kiyone's career, dear.  Then what 
will she have?"

"Tris?" Sasami asked.

"My, you are a romantic!  But we do not know that.  He could very well 
go back to college, find other women, women much more suitable for 
him, and--"

"But I don't believe he'd do that!" Sasami objected.

"Men do that all the time, dear.  It is the way they are, mostly.  You 
have to be very, very certain where you stand before you dare risk--
well, everything."

"But, Ayeka, forgive me, but you still don't know where you really 
stand with Tenchi--and it's been a long time, too.  Papa says you 
could lose the throne."

The Princess smiled ironically.  "That is exactly what Kiyone said to 
me.  I did not have a good answer then, but I do now.  Lord Tenchi is 
a man of the highest principles.  He is not trifling with either Ryoko 
or myself.  He has told us that he will choose between just the two of 
us.  I am willing to wait for that choice.  You see, Lord Tenchi truly 
has made a commitment--in a very real sense--to me.  But Tristram has 
made no such commitment.  It could be Kiyone today, some Earth woman 
tomorrow.  He is in this country only temporarily.  This is not his 
home."

Sasami felt troubled by her big sister's words.  "But I thought, 
maybe, this was his home now.  What other home does he have?"

Ayeka looked pensive.  "I have always thought young men like Tristram 
have no need for a real home.  That they simply go from one place that 
interests them to another...completely rootless."

"But that's no way to live," Sasami objected.  "I really don't think 
Tris is like that.  I think he is looking for a home...and a family, 
too.  I thought he had found both of them here, with us.  I don't want 
him to go.  I thought nobody else did, either.  Not any more."

"Nobody does, dear.  Certainly, I do not and even Ryoko has warmed up 
to him--as much as she can!"  Ayeka shook her head.  "I am just not 
certain about him and I know Kiyone cannot be certain about him, 
either.  The risk seems immense, considering Kiyone's absolute 
dedication to her career.  I am fearful she could lose both her career 
and...well, whatever those two have together.  That is why I wish she 
had simply taken Mihoshi and gone to her Headquarters without taking 
Tristram along as well."

"She didn't want to be away from him," Sasami said.  "I know that 
much, big sister.  I'm also sure he didn't want to be away from her.  
And I have a feeling that it will work out all right."

Ayeka smiled.  "I hope you are right, dear.  It is too late to dwell 
on it now, I suppose."

"Uh-huh.  I wonder where they are, right now?" Sasami mused.   



Kiyone and Mihoshi were now ready to leave the Yogami with Tris.  All 
of them carried their bags.  Kiyone had prevailed on Mihoshi to leave 
Trissy behind "to guard the ship."  Mihoshi had been amused by the 
notion and agreed.

They stood in front of a large hatchway door.  This was the entrance 
and exit (one of them, anyway) in and out of the Yogami when the 
starship was docked.

"Okay, you," Kiyone was saying to Tris.  She was still convinced she 
hadn't gotten back at him sufficiently for that "pizza pie" bit, 
although he did look a bit more subdued than usual and he also limped 
a bit from where she had tapped his shin with her foot...not too hard, 
though.  She would just have to mull on that for a while.  "Here's how 
it works.  Mihoshi and I have already checked in and signed in, so 
we're within regulations as far as that goes.  I also got a visitor 
badge for you that you need to wear while in the Headquarters, and—-"

"Badges?  Badges?"  Tris grinned.  "I don't need no stinkin' 
badges!"(2) 

Mihoshi giggled.

"You want to try walking with two sore ankles?" Kiyone asked him.

"Ummm...no."

"Then shut up!  And listen!"

"Yes, Officer."       

Kiyone walked up to him and affixed a bright yellow card on his polo 
shirt.  She had told him to leave the A-2 jacket behind...it was too 
conspicuous.  "This visitor badge allows you into the Headquarters 
proper.  It does not allow you into the docking bay or in the ship, 
for that matter.  So we have to get you out of the docking bay 
unseen."

"And there are guards, right?"

Mihoshi giggled again.  Even Kiyone chuckled.

"Huh?"

"Well...there are guards.  But they're really just Galaxy Police 
Academy cadets who volunteer for the duty to get some training 
credits.  Mihoshi and I did the very same thing when we were at the 
Academy.  Right, Mihoshi?"

"Right!"  Mihoshi's face was flushed with deep amusement.  "Actually, 
we didn't know what we were doing, no one told us much, and we got 
bored real quick.  It's a silly duty now, really.  No one can steal a 
ship since they're all keyed to our genetic signatures now.  Yogami 
scans us constantly when we're on the bridge piloting her.  She won't 
accept commands from anyone but us, unless it's a senior officer who 
has been pre-scanned by her.  The ships are safe.  They can't be 
stolen.  So, there's nothing to guard!"

"Well, there used to be, before we went to full genetic 
authentication," Kiyone amended her partner's statement.  She 
recalled all too well how a pair of young hoodlums had stolen the 
Yogami right from under her and Mihoshi's noses during their 
involvement in the Kagato affray.  That episode had prompted the GP 
to adopt stringent operator authentication.  "And the ships can be 
damaged, although I wouldn't want to try it.  The alarms would sound 
instantly and there'd be a whole phalanx of real GP security guards 
here in a heartbeat—-armed to the teeth.  Anyway, the so-called 
dockside guard detail is pretty nominal.  Usually, there's just one 
cadet wandering around outside in the dock staging area.  We'll just 
have to distract whoever it is.  I just hope it's a male cadet."

Mihoshi smiled in anticipation.  Tris shook his head.  There were 
times when he despaired for his whole sex.  

Kiyone waved her hand over a panel.  With a soft swooshing sound, the 
hatch slid open.  "Let's go."

The three of them walked into what appeared to be a sizeable tunnel 
composed of the transparent material that covered a portion of the 
Yogami's bulkhead.  The tunnel had a marble-like floor.  Tris could 
see the interior of the docking bay as he walked.  It was a huge 
structure, rather bare and unadorned, with the mammoth opening at the 
far end firmly closed.  He noted that around the Yogami were banks of 
strange-looking machinery equipped with probes and tubes and hoses.  
Lights blinked busily on the machines.  Those were likely robotic 
maintenance units that would service and refuel the Yogami while the 
three of them were gone.

They reached a closed doorway at the end of the transparent tube.

"This door leads to the dock staging area.  No other ships have 
docked here recently, so it's likely to have just the poor, bored 
Academy cadet wandering around in it.  Tris, I want you to stay here 
and keep quiet!"  Kiyone's voice brooked no argument.  Tris could see 
she was nervous.  Mihoshi was also, but she turned and smiled 
encouragingly at Tris.

Kiyone waved her hand in front of a panel again.  The door opened.  
She stuck her head out briefly.  Then she stepped back and let the 
door close.

"Thank goodness...it's a guy out there.  Mihoshi, do your stuff."

"Okay, Kiyone.  Is it a cute guy?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, it's more fun with a cute guy."  Mihoshi grinned at Tris.  Then 
she waved her hand over the panel, waited until the door opened, and 
stepped into the reception area.  The door shut behind her.

"We'll wait until our ding-dong has that guy vamped good.  Then she'll 
keep him from looking at the door and we'll slip out of the staging 
area and into the main reception area.  That's an authorized visitor 
area and we'll be safe."  Kiyone looked apologetic.  "Tris, I'm sorry, 
but I'm getting cold feet.  We'll have to skip any tour of GP 
Headquarters...too risky, and there's just too many other officers 
around who don't like Mihoshi and me.  They may try to discover whom 
you really are."  Kiyone sounded disgruntled.  "That business with 
Sergeant Katzaar really opened my eyes.  Things are worse than even I 
thought.  We'll just take you to my apartment and you'll have to amuse 
yourself there until we finish our business."  Her hand took his.  
"I'm sorry, Tris."  She was clearly disappointed and upset with the 
situation.

Tris was disappointed, too.  He had really wanted to see more of this 
space station marvel.  But he knew that Kiyone was right.  Mihoshi's 
run-in with that Katzaar guy proved how precarious this whole venture 
had become.  "That's all right, Blue Eyes.  You don't have any stone 
walkways you want me to trim, do you?"

"No..."  Kiyone looked at him, smiling, her eyes warm.  "You idiot."

"So, hanging around your pad is a step up for me.  I'm looking forward 
to it."  He grinned.

"Well, you ought to, you darling, because when I get back home--"  She 
stopped.  She and Tris heard soft laughter, male and female laughter, 
from behind the door.         

"Bless that Mihoshi.  I'll just take a peek..."

Kiyone opened the door and peered out.  She turned to Tris as the door 
shut again.

"Okay, Mihoshi has that guy tied up in knots a long way away now.  His 
back is to us.  Let's go--and quietly!"

Kiyone waved her hand at the panel.  The door slid open.  She took 
Tris's hand and they walked silently out.

The staging area was large and spacious with amazingly high ceilings.  
It was lit fully, again with no evidence of overhead lighting.  Tris 
reminded himself that he really needed to ask Kiyone about that.  
There were couches and chairs along the unadorned walls.  Floating 
monitors were scattered here and there, informing anyone who cared of 
the status of incoming and outgoing vessels.

Tris spotted Mihoshi at the far end.  She was facing him and Kiyone.  
She was talking animatedly with the male cadet whose back faced them.  
He was dressed in a sort of jumpsuit with a small, funny-looking cap 
on his head.  His ears were pointed, somewhat like Mihoshi's, and he 
was bald.  His skin had a muddy, grayish cast.  That was all Tris saw 
of him, because Kiyone's hand pulled him away and toward a large open 
doorway.  As they passed into what had to be the main reception area, 
Tris could hear both the alien guy and Mihoshi exchanging more 
laughter.

He grinned.  That Mihoshi!  He didn't reckon any male could resist 
her when she was working hard to be irresistible.   



Back on planet Earth, another female was trying her darndest to be 
irresistible, too.

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?  You're supposed to watch Ayeka 
again tonight, you know," Tenchi said to Ryoko.

"Aw, I got some sleep, sweetums.  I'll be all right.  But it's so 
sweet of you to worry about me," Ryoko replied happily.

Tenchi was in the garden shed, putting away the hoe.  He had just 
finishing weeding the vegetable garden again.  The garden was 
especially important now, what with finances so tight, and he wanted 
to ensure it was weeded thoroughly.  The spring weather was still 
unseasonably warm and after so much hard work, Tenchi just wanted to 
go to the house and get a cold drink.  Grandfather would be expecting 
him soon for Shintaido Bojutsu practice.

But then, suddenly, Ryoko had slipped into the garden shed with him.

For her part, Ryoko was feeling particularly sharp and sassy.  She 
had been jazzed by the quick trip to Mr. Masaki's former office and 
the praise she had received made her very contented indeed.  She 
really did want to make a contribution, as long as it didn't involve 
boring old housework.  Speaking of housework, Ryoko had already 
planned that she and Tenchi would have a maid after they were married.  
And a cook.  She and her sweetums would have much better things to do 
than mopping floors and standing over stoves and ovens.  Now she 
thought she might even take a job.  What that Reiko woman did at that 
office hadn't looked so hard.  Ryoko could wear smart-looking outfits 
and be a real career woman, like Kiyone--and have Tenchi, too.  The 
thought galvanized her.

"Of course I worry about you, Ryoko," Tenchi said.

"That's music to my ears, sweetums.  Why don't we make some music 
together, right now?"

Tenchi shook his head.  "You know better than that, Ryoko.  I'm going 
into the house for a cold drink, and then I've got to meet 
Grandfather for practice."

"I'll bring you your cold drink out here.  All it will cost is a 
kiss."

Tenchi grinned.  He couldn't help it.  "No, I want to go to the house 
anyway.  I want to see how everyone's doing and also see what Dad's 
up to."

"Everyone is doing fine.  And Washuu is with your Dad again, so I'm 
really sure they're both doing just dandy."  Ryoko gave Tenchi a sly 
look.

"Yeah?  What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think Washuu is getting sweet on your Dad."

"What!"  Tenchi was caught off guard with that one.  "Com'on, Ryoko!"

"You come on.  Haven't you noticed that Washuu is out of that hole of 
hers, all the time now?  She and your Dad spend hours together...just 
hours."

"She's helping Dad.  You know that.  You were a part of it."  Tenchi 
turned and left the shed.  Ryoko floated after him.

"Oh, you don't need to remind me how I saved the day...but it is so 
sweet of you to mention it, Tenchi," Ryoko said meltingly.  "I wasn't 
going to bring it up, really I wasn't."

"Okay, okay, you were wonderful, Ryoko."  Tenchi was making a beeline 
to the house.  "But spreading rumors about Washuu and Dad--!"

"Rumors?  Listen, Tenchi...a girl knows.  You men are dense as bricks 
sometimes, but we girls know."

"Know what?"

"Know when Washuu dresses up nice—-well, nicer--and makes her hair 
look less awful, and even wears a little makeup that she's interested 
in some guy."

"So she's dressed a little differently, and so she's wearing makeup.  
So what?  You do it, yourself."

"Yes, and why do I do it?"  Ryoko laughed.  "Think about it, Tenchi."

"I won't think about it.  It's crazy."

"Okay...whatever you say.  You'll find out I'm right, though."

Ryoko floated to the ground.  She walked beside Tenchi as they 
approached the house.  She tried to hold hands with him, but he 
pretended not to notice the attempt.  She wasn't hurt.  It was what 
she expected.

Staring lovingly at Tenchi, Ryoko saw that he was sweaty from his 
labors--his short black hair was soaked.  It titillated her.  The 
poor boy needed to have his face wiped and someone to sponge him 
down...yes, and to change that pullover shirt and to bring him 
something cold to drink, too.  It was wrong that he had a woman who 
loved him and he lived like some lame bachelor because he didn't want 
to hurt Princess Pain-In-The-Patoot's feelings.  Someday, somehow, 
she had to find a way to make him wake up to his real feelings so that 
they could start their lives together.  That "fair fight" pledge with 
Ayeka was a real drag sometimes.

Tenchi was not thinking such amorous thoughts.  He was wondering if 
there was even a speck of truth in what Ryoko had said about his Dad 
and Washuu.  Couldn't be!  Then he wondered if Tris was all right.  
Tenchi had traveled in space, of course, and ended up receiving a 
royal welcome on Jurai.  But he had still felt strange, all the same.  
It may have been his ancestral base, but it wasn't his home, no matter 
how exotic and wildly beautiful Jurai had been.  It was an old 
bromide, but it had been true...Tenchi had been like a fish out of 
water on Jurai.  He had been happy to return to Earth, although not 
happy to leave Ayeka and Sasami behind.  Tris was in that same alien 
environment now and no one would be welcoming him, boy--just the 
opposite.  It was perturbing.

"What are you thinking about?" Ryoko asked, as they reached the house.  
"You seem worried about something."

"Huh?  Oh...about Tris.  I am kind of worried," Tenchi admitted.  

"Hah!  With Kiyone and Mihoshi to look out after him?  He's getting 
the grand tour, seeing everything, and those two are catering to him, 
no doubt, hand and foot."

Tenchi shook his head firmly.  He stopped at the front door.  "Now 
I know you're dreaming up that stuff about Dad and Washuu.  If you 
think those two girls are catering to Tris...!  He'll need to watch 
himself every minute, or wham!"

Ryoko shrugged.  "That might be the way they act—-Kiyone acts—-around 
us.  But now she has Tris all to herself.  All she has to do is find a 
place to dump Mihoshi and she'll cater to Tris, plenty.  She's really 
stuck on him!  Of course, Mihoshi has her own plans about Tris, I'll 
bet."

"That's just plain crazy, Ryoko."  Tenchi was getting annoyed.  
"Mihoshi and Kiyone are at their Headquarters to find out everything 
they can about that Professor Klove.  That's what they're doing 
right now, I'll bet.  Tris will have to keep his head down and stay 
out of their way, so they can work.  He's only going to get to see 
what they can safely show him.  They're all coming back as soon as 
they get the information we need.  And Mihoshi won't deliberately do 
anything to upset Kiyone...ever.  You're building air castles, Ryoko."

"You think so, huh?"  Now Ryoko seemed annoyed, a little.  "Well, 
Mihoshi sure has had eyes for Tris, ever since he got here."

"You thought she had eyes for me," Tenchi reminded her.

"She did!  She does!  But she knows better now."  Ryoko looked 
absolutely dangerous for a moment.  "The Princess and I made sure of 
that!"

"Mihoshi treats me like a brother.  You two aren't fair to her."

"She has three brothers already!  She wants a man," Ryoko insisted.  
"I don't blame her for that.  As long as she observes the boundaries."

Tenchi shook his head.  Ryoko got notions sometimes and nothing could 
shake them.  He slid open the front door.  He stood aside.  "Coming 
in?"

"Why, thank you, sir!"  Ryoko smiled and swept inside.

Tenchi paused at the open door to brush some stray strands of weed 
from his trousers.  Just as he started to follow Ryoko inside, he 
heard:

"Take your shoes off, Ryoko!  Why must I keep reminding you?  This is 
not some pirate cave!"

"Aw, I was just about to.  Don't blow a gasket, Princess."

Tenchi sighed.  He was tempted to turn around and go on to the 
utility building/dojo and wait for Grandfather.  But he was terribly 
thirsty and he knew Sasami kept a pitcher of cold tea handy in the 
refrigerator.  Cold tea was something Tenchi had developed a taste 
for.  He went inside.



Tenchi couldn't have known it, but he had been dead right about 
Tris's "tour" of GP Headquarters in particular and of planet Vestra 
in general.  Tenchi's Dad had mentioned the "bum's rush"—-that was 
about how Mihoshi and Kiyone had conducted Tris through their 
Headquarters.  The term "flying visit" hardly covered it.

Once safely past the staging area, Mihoshi and Kiyone positioned 
themselves on either side of Tris and all but goose-stepped him 
through the main reception area.  The huge hall was filled with 
crowds of uniformed personnel going about their business.  Quickly, 
Tris, Kiyone, and Mihoshi reached a bank of transparent tubes that 
Tris deduced were more or less elevators...but elevators with no 
visible machinery.  Operating the tubes was simplicity itself, Tris 
learned--one simply stepped onto them, spoke the destination, and the 
tubes lifted or dropped to that destination, quickly and silently, 
with a spectacular view of outer space and the planet Vestra as a 
bonus.  As they traveled down the tube, Kiyone was especially sweet 
to him:

"If you say one word along the way—-one word, Tris-—I'll clobber you!"

"Aw, Kiyone," Mihoshi protested.

"And you hush too, Mihoshi.  Tris has to dummy up and we've got to get 
out of here, pronto.  I'm just surprised that our friends Mitsuki and 
Katzaar haven't assigned someone to follow us around."

"They did," Tris told her.  "I'm secretly in their pay, and—-ow!"

"Dummy up, I said!"

Upon leaving the tube, they entered a low ceilinged (the first low 
ceiling Tris had seen since beginning the trip) area with lots of 
folks milling around, constant notifications blinking seemingly in 
thin air, and hovering monitor screens on every side.  It was noisy, 
crowded, and chaotic--just like any terminus on Earth.

"This is one of the Headquarters access and egress points where we 
can take a shuttle ship down to Vestra," Kiyone whispered to him.  
"We don't have to buy tickets for it, which is one of the few breaks 
we get.  Since you're with us, they won't ask you for a ticket either.  
We take the shuttle over there.  Good...there's only a small line."

"That makes sense," Mihoshi said.  "It's the main duty time and 
everyone is coming up from Vestra instead of going down to it."

"Yeah," Kiyone agreed sourly.  "Well, Mihoshi, if we do get fired, 
this is what it will be like--having no place to go while everyone 
else does."

"Oh, Kiyone...you worry too much.  This is great!  We have Tris with 
us and we're going to have a good time.  You'll see."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Kiyone and Mihoshi hustled Tris over to the waiting area for the 
designated shuttle ship.  An attendant stood behind a small floating 
module.  She glanced at them with a bored expression.  The attendant 
appeared amazingly thin and her eyes seemed to bulge somewhat.  
Otherwise, she looked humanoid enough.  The other passengers waiting 
for the shuttle, seemingly older that the three of them and dressed 
in nondescript clothing, paid them no attention; they just stared at 
a large door on the opposite wall.  That door obviously led to the 
shuttle ship.  There were benches, fabricated of some molded plastic-
like material.  Tris, Kiyone, and Mihoshi sat down on one.

"Those folks are the maintenance crew for the Headquarters, Tris," 
Kiyone murmured to him, indicating the other passengers.  "Can you 
believe those drones are actually paid more than me and Mihoshi?"

Tris knew she did not expect or want an answer.

"But they have to pay them a lot, Kiyone," Mihoshi murmured back.  
"It's hard to recruit good technical people to come here.  This is 
really out of the main spaceways, you know.  There's not much around 
here but the Headquarters."

"I know, I know...but it gripes me anyway.  This isn't exactly a 
pleasure planet for us either, Mihoshi."

"That's so true."  Mihoshi sighed.  "I'm getting depressed already, 
Kiyone.  It was bad enough around here when we were treated okay."

"I know.  But this is where we need to be if we don't want to end up 
as old lieutenants stuck in some Command Post somewhere.  It's not 
supposed to be fun."

"But life should be fun, Kiyone...at least, sometimes."

"Fun?  You haven't learned a thing in all this time, have you, 
Mihoshi?"

"Yes, I have," Mihoshi insisted.  "I learned I love having nice 
people around me and being a part of a family in addition to my own.  
I learned that at Tenchi's."

"Hush!  Don't mention that name.  Please just sit quietly now."

"Okay."  Mihoshi lapsed into what seemed a somewhat hurt silence.

Sitting between them, Tris had the impression that this was a 
conversation the two women had engaged in many times before.  In a 
way, he felt a bit sorry for them.  They were part of a hard service, 
one that made no provisions for single people and one that made life 
in its lower ranks a constant struggle in terms of finances and 
morale.  Now that they were pariahs, their situation was miserable.

Kiyone wanted silence from him and that was what she got.  She also 
got silence from Mihoshi.  Without a word, the three of them rose and 
stepped through the sliding door when it opened, walked through a sort 
of tunnel, and then piled into a small, boxy spaceship that barely had 
enough uncomfortable benches for them and the other passengers, and 
sat down.  The other passengers also seated themselves and engaged in 
low-volume conversation.  No one glanced out the portholes, even after 
the ship shuddered in take-off (no smooth exits such as on the Yogami) 
and those portholes were suddenly filled with stars.  It was a trip 
those people had made countless times.  Space travel was old hat to 
them, just like underground train travel was to commuters on Earth.  
Such nonchalance to what Tris as an Earthling found marvelous and 
astounding served to remind him just how alien all this was...more so 
than any of the other fantastic things he had seen.  In a way, he was 
the caveman, still ecstatic about fire, sitting among the bored jet-
setters. 

He felt Kiyone relax against him.  He knew she had been very tense all 
the way.  He wanted to comfort her, to hold her, but dared not.

Kiyone almost yielded to the desire to hold Tris's hand, but stopped 
herself.  Someone who knew her might observe it.  These maintenance 
people were all over the Headquarters, and, out of pure boredom, they 
gossiped like fishwives.  Kiyone had a reputation for staying strictly 
unattached.  If the word got out that she was observed holding hands 
with a strange man...it didn't bear thinking about.

She prayed silently that Mihoshi wouldn't do something foolish like 
lay her head on Tris's shoulder and doze off.  Mihoshi was tired, 
Kiyone knew, tired from all the aggravation she had taken earlier, 
tired from having no sleep because she refused to leave the bridge 
since Sergeant Katzaar might have called again with more abuse and 
she wanted to back up her partner, tired because she felt unhappy.  
But Mihoshi just maintained a stony silence, smiled at Tris 
occasionally, but otherwise acted all right.  Kiyone was vastly 
relieved.

When the shuttle ship shuddered again, everyone, even Tris, knew it 
had landed on Vestra.  Kiyone's strong hands kept Tris in his seat 
until the shuttle had emptied out.  Then she relaxed her grip and all 
three of them rose, picked up their bags, and exited the craft.  
Outside, they found themselves in a small antechamber, again filled 
with folks, one that seemed even more unornamented than the shuttle 
takeoff and landing terminus at GP Headquarters.  Tris could see that 
a number of sliding doors dotted the dingy walls, each door with a 
printed destination affixed on a panel above it.  High-tech it 
wasn't.

"This is property owned by the Vestrans."  Kiyone seemed to sense the 
unasked question in Tris's mind.  "They were pretty backward when they 
joined the Union.  They still are and they don't spend an extra Jurai 
on frills, believe me.  All they've really learned is how to gouge GP 
Headquarters personnel."

"Some of them are nice, Kiyone," Mihoshi insisted.

"Yeah...as long as you have money!"

"Kiyone, that's not fair--"

"Look, let's just get to where we're going, okay?  We both have a lot 
to do before the day is over."  Kiyone started walking at a fast pace 
toward the doorways.

Mihoshi again grew silent as she and Tris followed Kiyone.  Tris was 
certain this time she was stung, at least a bit, by Kiyone's manner.

"We're taking that tube over there."  Kiyone pointed out one of the 
doorways.  "We just step into it and the moving floor zips us there, 
fast.  It's kind of like your moving sidewalks, but a lot faster.  Be 
warned!  We'll wind up in an access tunnel in the Compound and then 
we'll just take a tube up to our apartments."

"Kiyone," Mihoshi said.

"What is it, Mihoshi?"

"It's only a few blocks from here to the Compound.  Why don't we 
walk?" 

"Because this way is faster, that's why."

"But..."  Mihoshi hesitated, then pressed on.  "Tris hasn't seen 
anything of Vestra.  He's hardly even seen the Headquarters.  I know 
we have to give up showing him the Headquarters, but can't he at least 
see a little of Vestra?  It's not very pretty, but it's something new 
for him.  He's come all this way and we haven't shown him hardly 
anything.  Please?"

Tris smiled fondly at Mihoshi.  For her, it was almost like crossing 
the Rubicon to stand up to Kiyone like that.  

Kiyone stopped walking.  She glared at Mihoshi a moment.  Then her 
expression softened.  She looked at Tris.  Her beautiful violet blue 
eyes were apologetic.

"Okay.  I guess it has been pretty rugged for you, Tris.  Mihoshi is 
right.  You might as well get a look at Vestra--even though you're not 
going to be impressed!"

"Thank you, Kiyone," Mihoshi said, smiling.

"Come on."  Kiyone was obviously still in a hurry to get Tris safely 
tucked away.

Kiyone and Mihoshi both took Tris's hands.  They led him away from 
the tube entrances and toward a large pair of transparent sliding 
doors.  As they approached this obvious exit, the doors opened so 
slowly that one would almost suspect they were hand cranked.  The 
three of them stepped outside.  The doors creaked back together 
sluggishly.

"Those Vestrans!" Kiyone muttered.  "Is that what we pay for?  Sloppy 
and backward and money-hungry.  Those are the people you think are 
nice, Mihoshi.  We're lucky those doors didn't close on us!"    

Mihoshi said nothing, although it was clear from her expression that 
she did not entirely agree with Kiyone's assessment of the planet's 
native inhabitants.

Tris eagerly looked around.  Tenchi had amazed him with descriptions 
of the fabulous planet Jurai.  Alas, Kiyone was right.  Vestra was 
not impressive.  It was, well...Kansas.

The landscape was flat, and it seemed filled with tall, square 
structures of various colors.  The structures did boast large 
transparent panels and looked somewhat futuristic, but they certainly 
weren't quite out of "The Jetsons"...yet, they weren't by any means 
out of "The Flintstones," either, Tris concluded.  There was no 
visible grass or vegetation in sight.  Everything was paved over.  
Tris could see no roads or streets and, obviously, no private land-
based vehicles.  The inhabitants either walked or, better yet, used 
the enclosed transparent tubes with the rapidly moving floors to get 
around.  Yes, it was an urban Kansas.  

But also a Kansas with flying shuttle ships, and other airborne, 
hovering vessels without propellers or visible jets that may have 
been local police and emergency vessels.  And a Kansas populated with 
beings of quite varying skin tones, builds, and facial structures 
milling about (the variance was much greater than seen on Earth, 
indicating different planets rather than just different continents).  
The most consistently represented of these were folks who appeared to 
be built low to the ground, were rather dumpy in figure, and almost 
entirely bald, even the females.  Their skin was the same muddy gray 
color as that of the hapless cadet Mihoshi had so facilely distracted 
back at GP Headquarters.

"Those people with the gray skin are Vestrans," Kiyone said.  "Their 
skin color is due to the weak sunlight this planet gets."

It was true.  Although the planet's sun was been directly overheard, 
denoting midday, it  seemed like early twilight.  That sun was pale 
yellow and seemed smaller than Earth's solar powerhouse.  The sky 
itself was a greenish blue.  Tris regarded it a bit worriedly.

Mihoshi noticed.  She laughed.

"Don't worry, Tris!  That color is just the extra chlorophyll in the 
atmosphere...I think.  Anyway, it's not something bad for you or 
anything.  Vestra is a Category H--a Category Haurubi--planet, so it's 
safe and all."

"So they tell us," Kiyone said.  "By the way, Tris, you can go ahead 
and talk now.  I don't anyone will hear us...and I'm getting fed up 
with all this skulking around, anyway."

"Me, too," Mihoshi affirmed.

"Me, three."  Tris made it unanimous.

"So...what do you think of Vestra, Tris?" Mihoshi asked him.

"It smells kind of funny," Tris replied.  "Truthfully."

"Yeah, well, you'll get used to it--or, actually you won't have to, 
I guess," Kiyone said.  "Consider yourself lucky.  That smell is 
supposed to be the remnants of some substance the Vestrans burned as 
fuel for centuries."

"Like coal?" Tris asked.

"No.  Worse.  I told you the Vestrans weren't exactly advanced."

"This is a funny planet," Mihoshi said thoughtfully.  "It's mostly all 
ocean.  There's very little land mass, really.  You'd think it'd have 
a lot of nice beaches, but most of the shoreline is ragged and rocky.  
Besides, it doesn't get very warm here.  So it could never be like a 
pleasure planet or anything."

"Yes, what a lovely spot to plant GP Headquarters at!" Kiyone said.  
"The lack of land means there isn't a lot of space for housing and 
stores and support facilities.  Ergo, rents are high, prices are high, 
and the living standard is low.  What a dump!"

"Yes, it's not very nice," Mihoshi agreed somberly.

"That's being too kind!  I'll tell you one thing, Tris.  Being on a 
planet like Earth with its wonderful sweet air and beautiful blue sky 
and warm sun--it's really kind of a paradise.  It really is, Tris."  
Kiyone squeezed Tris's hand.  "Now you know why we love Earth."

"That's right!" Mihoshi said.  "We really love Earth!"

Well...!  Score one for the home team, Tris thought.

"Why did they put the Headquarters here, then?" he asked.

"Oh, supposedly because they didn't want to deal with the insecurity 
of a major spaceway with all its congestion and traffic.  But more 
likely, somebody paid off some bigwigs...the usual way," Kiyone said 
cynically.  "The Vestrans have to own everything here according to the 
laws of their planet, but they have a lot of silent partners behind 
them.  Those are the real profiteers.  Some of them are even rumored 
to be Juraian aristocracy--making a real killing."

"Not Princess Ayeka or the royal family?" Tris asked.

"Oh, no, not our Princess," Kiyone assured him.  "She's a straight 
arrow and so are the rest of the inner royal family.  But their 
relatives and hangers-on...they're not so squeamish.  They like to 
make money like anyone else."

"I don't think money means anything to Ayeka," Mihoshi mused.  "I 
don't think she ever carried money or spent money directly until she 
came to Earth.  Anything she wants is just bought for her...at least, 
it was."

"Yeah, and now she has to budget like the dickens just to buy stuff 
for the house like cleaning supplies and light bulbs," Kiyone agreed.  
"Coming back here makes you realize just how crazy the situation back 
at Tenchi's really is."  

Despite the funny smell, it was rather pleasant to be walking hand-
in-hand with Kiyone and Mihoshi among the massive buildings that 
loomed over the fauna-less landscape.  Com'on, stupid, Tris told 
himself.  Wake up!  He was on another planet!  It was rather heady.  
Even though this new world wasn't Jurai or anywhere in Jurai's 
league, from what Tenchi had told him.

Tris noticed that some of the inhabitants scurrying around were eyeing 
the three of them with frank curiosity.  He was amused by the sudden 
realization that anyone seeing them would likely conclude that he was 
in the custody of the two Galaxy Police officers.  And, in a very real 
sense, he was.

Now they paused before a simply huge structure, one that must have 
been sixty stories high.  It was gray-greenish in color and the 
transparent window-like apertures—-called portieres, Kiyone told 
him—-were significantly smaller than on the other Vestran buildings 
Tris had seen.

"Here we are...the Compound.  Home, sweet, home," Kiyone announced.

"This place never seemed like home to me," Mihoshi said.

"Well, it is, partner.  We pay enough to live here, don't we?"

"Uh-huh."

"Tris, I'm sorry, but you'll have to dummy up again.  Until we get 
inside, anyway," Kiyone told him.

"That's okay.  I'm used to it.  I'm even getting to like it."  

"Oh, Tris!"  Mihoshi laughed shortly.  Kiyone smiled.  

Hand-in-hand, Kiyone and Mihoshi led him inside, to a bank of tubes 
in a Spartan lobby.  They entered a tube and within seconds they 
ascended to the indicated floor.  They left the tube and walked down a 
brightly lit corridor.  The walls of the corridor were bare and the 
floor uncarpeted.  The decor was evidently done by Monsieur No Frills.

Halfway down the corridor, they stopped at a closed door.

"Okay, Mihoshi, we'll drop you off here," Kiyone said.  "Remember, you 
need to contact our landlady and get that old witch to sublet our 
apartments.  Since we're willing to do it at cost, it should be easy 
for her to accomplish.  If you would, please bring some food over to 
my place around nineteen hundred.  We'll all have dinner together.  
Okay?"

"Okay, Kiyone."  Mihoshi smiled.  But her face was drawn and pale in 
the bright light.

"Get some sleep first, Mihoshi.  I don't know how you've stayed on 
your feet for so long.  Just don't sleep all day...okay?"

"Okay."  Mihoshi looked at Tris.

"See you later, Mihoshi," Tris grinned.  He took her hand and squeezed 
it gently.

"See you later, Tris."  Mihoshi looked a bit disappointed.  But she 
pressed her hand against a panel and the door of her flat swooshed 
open.  She stepped in and the door swooshed shut behind her.

"Rats.  I wanted to see Mihoshi's apartment," Tris said.  "I'll bet 
it's something."

"It's the same as mine, only with lots of pink everywhere," Kiyone 
said.  "Yuck."  She looked at Tris.  "You really should have hugged 
her, Tris."

"Huh?"

"Look, idiot, she's kind of stuck on you.  Nothing serious.  She 
knows you're my boyfriend and everything is okay there.  I've had a 
long talk with her.  Again!  But when she's been through a lot, she 
needs a hug.  So give her one next time.  I won't mind...much." 

"Man...I kind of feel like an ass.  I didn't pick up on that at all."

"Don't feel bad.  I should have told you earlier."  Kiyone took his 
hand.  "Let's go to my place now.  I need a hug, too."

And a hug was just about all they had time for when Kiyone and he 
reached her apartment.  She dropped off her bag, showed him the 
entryway security system, shared that hug and a long kiss, and then 
she was gone.  Kiyone explained that she had a lot of work to do, 
chasing Professor Klove through the secure GP data network, a chase 
that might take some time at a secure data console in GP Headquarters.  
She promised to be back before Mihoshi arrived with their dinner. 

Kiyone's apartment really wasn't much bigger than Tris's and Tenchi's 
dorm room back at Okayama U.  One could barely swing a cat—-cabbit?--
in it, as Tris's Brit friends used to say.  The living room was barely 
able to hold an old and obviously hand-me-down sofa and two chairs and 
a worse-for-wear serving table.  Kiyone had told him she often just 
ate there, rather than at the small dining table shoehorned into a 
corner along with an array of meal preparation devices (again, they 
somewhat resembled microwave ovens, but weren't).  Just one cabinet-—
one—-and a tiny sink and disposal made kitchen work possible, but not 
enjoyable.  There just wasn't enough space.

But the apartment was definitely the product of advanced technology.  
The temperature inside the abode was very comfortable and there 
seemed to be a refreshingly soft air flow, yet there were no heating 
or air-conditioning vents in sight.  And every corner of the apartment 
was so well lit that one could read a book anywhere in it without 
eyestrain.  It was due to that intriguing diffused-light setup that 
Tris, again, meant to query Kiyone about.  Finally, the rooms were 
dead quiet although there had to be people moving about outside and 
the walls appeared quite thin.  Some sort of advanced noise 
suppressor?

A doorway led to Kiyone's bedroom, where a severely utilitarian 
resting couch (it didn't look like a bed should look, Tris thought, 
too narrow and it was slightly contoured, to boot) squatted.  A couch-
side table, a Bauhaus-plain bureau, a small metallic hamper, and a 
sliding door no doubt leading to a closet filled the remaining space.  
Another door led to the "necessity" room...the least said about, the 
better.  Kiyone had informed him the complex had communal baths, one 
on every floor.  Utlitarian, indeed.

But all the walls of the marginal living space were festooned with 
picture-posters (mostly of Earth locales) that somehow hung on those 
cream-colored walls without visible stays, and Kiyone had found other 
ways to insert color into her environment--a striped throw rug here, 
a sky blue tasseled pillow there—-whenever possible.  It was really 
an efficiency-plus apartment, rented by a young woman of very limited 
means who would never ask her parents or older brother for financial 
help.  That was significantly alluded to by the fact that there was 
only one group picture of her family on the wall, and all four of them 
stared rather stonily at the photographer, or whoever or whatever had 
taken the image.  Kiyone's mother looked very much like her...just a 
bit too pinch-faced and stern looking, Tris decided.  Kiyone's father 
and brother were younger and older versions of the same prototype, 
tall, slim, and very august-looking individuals.  None of them were 
smiling in the image.  Tris wondered if there was a funny bone in any 
of them besides Kiyone.  He rather doubted it.

Tris knew his late mother would have cried to see Kiyone's apartment.  
It bespoke a life of severely applied self-discipline, self-denial, 
and austerity...leavened only slightly with splashes of color.  (No 
wonder Tenchi's home seemed like a mansion to her and Mihoshi!)  Tris 
again wished his mother could have lived to meet Kiyone.  She would 
have taken to her immediately, he was certain.  Mom had been an Air 
Force officer, a major, a fact that interested and pleased Kiyone.  
Major Amanda Coffin had managed to achieve respectable rank, hold down 
command jobs, and still bring up a bumptious, brash boy and ride herd 
on her once-gadabout pilot husband.  Tris was sure his mother would 
have found a kindred spirit in Kiyone and the two would have been 
fast friends.  And his mother would have been a strong influence on 
Kiyone not to cut herself off from the pleasures of life simply to 
concentrate totally on career.  Yes, it was a tragic shame his mother 
hadn't lived longer, in many more ways than one.

He sighed and sat down on the couch.  It was lumpy, of course.  He 
opened his overnight bag and rummaged in it.  Tris finally found what 
he was looking for in his bag (he had left all the noodle cups back 
in the Yogami's galley, of course).

Tris had packed some magazines to read on the trip that he brought 
back from that flying visit to Okayama U. he and Tenchi had taken a 
week or so back...it seemed almost like a month ago, so much had 
happened since then.  Good thing he had!  Kiyone could not afford to 
rent (much less buy) an audio-video entertainment modular console--
the galactic equivalent of a TV, video, and stereo system.  Kiyone 
had admitted to him that usually after a long hard day at the 
Headquarters she just ate a meal and collapsed into bed.  So Tris 
really needed the reading material to pass the time.  The magazine 
he chose was a little fanzine called "Horror-Wood," (a pun on 
"Hollywood") which covered classic and cult fright flicks, something 
Tris had a long-time casual interest in.(3)

Yet no sooner had Tris began skimming through the American fanzine 
than he heard a soft, melodious tone.  He looked up.  A green diode 
flashed on the security panel located by the door.  That mean a 
visitor outside was pressing the outside access panel which served the 
same purpose as a doorbell on Earth--except that the access panel also 
scanned the visitor's fingerprints, pore pattern, and hand lines to 
determine if entry would be allowed.  If not, it simply sent a video 
and audio signal inside the apartment.  The apartment's security 
system, in turn, recorded the visit and projected an image of the 
visitor on a viewscreen embedded in the security panel itself.

Curious, Tris walked up to the front door and checked out the 
security panel.  Kiyone had explained that the panel's viewscreen was
one way, so Tris would be able to see who was at the door, but the 
visitor couldn't see who, if anyone, was home...a nice, secure setup.  
Tris, of course, was under strict orders to neither let strangers in 
nor to communicate with strangers who came calling.  Glancing at the 
display, Tris was concerned at first that the visitor might be 
Kiyone's landlady, the "witch."  If so, he was in deep trouble, since 
the landlady could and would gain entrance to the apartment at any 
time.  However, he doubted that the person he was observing now in 
the security panel's viewscreen was the landlady.  For one thing, she 
didn't look like a witch.  For another, she was wearing a Galaxy 
Police uniform.

The visitor was trim and competent-looking in her GP uniform, a young 
woman who was, perhaps, a bit shorter than Kiyone and Mihoshi, but no 
less attractive.  Her pretty face had a rather bemused expression as 
she pressed again at the access panel.  Tris then noticed her red 
hair.  He wondered...could it be...no...couldn't be.  But she did fit 
Kiyone's description of Mitsuki.

Galaxy Police Sergeant Mitsuki Sakakibara...formerly Kiyone's fellow 
cadet and best friend...now Kiyone's bitter enemy and (presumably) 
the architect of Kiyone's and Mihoshi's fall from grace.  If this 
visitor was Mitsuki, what would she be doing here?  Checking up on 
Kiyone personally?  Why?  She could delegate one of her cronies to do 
that much more discretely.  Did Mitsuki suspect that Kiyone was here 
on more than personal business?  Or did she have another motive?  
Certainly, she didn't look happy to be here; in fact she looked 
rather...pensive.  It was quite puzzling.

After pressing the access panel a few more times, the GP officer 
shrugged.  Tris thought she looked almost relieved.  Then she left.

Tris stared at the now-blank viewscreen for a few minutes.  He 
thought hard about what the visit might portend.  Then, unable to 
reach a conclusion, he returned to the couch and his fanzine.



When Tenchi walked inside the house, he was surprised to hear voices 
issuing from within the dining room.  He saw Ayeka and Ryoko, both 
standing just outside the dining room.
   
Ayeka motioned to him to come into the dining room.  She appeard to 
be upset about something.  Ryoko just stared at the Princess, 
seemingly as surprised as he was.

Tenchi quickly changed from shoes to house slippers and followed the 
two women into the dining room.    

He found everyone sitting around the low dining table...even Washuu.  
Ryoko and Ayeka had already seated themselves.  Tenchi took his 
accustomed place between them.  Sasami had made tea and everyone was 
sipping at their cups and looking at Nobuyuki.  Tenchi noticed that 
his Dad and Washuu were sitting next to each other...and, yes, Washuu 
certainly had taken some pains with her appearance.

Sasami poured him a cup of tea.  He smiled his thanks and drank it 
gratefully.  It quenched his thirst well enough.

"Dad?  Grandfather?  What's happened?" he asked.

"Something we did not count on, Tenchi," Lord Yosho told him.

"Huh?"  Tenchi set the teacup down.  "Not more bad news?"

"Well, yes, son," Nobuyuki replied.  "It's doesn't directly affect 
us, but it's bad news all the same."

"It is dreadful," Ayeka said softly.  "Just dreadful."

"Those poor people," her little sister added, her eyes downcast.

"Hey, is someone gonna tell us?" Ryoko said, a bit nettled by all the 
mystery.

Nobuyuki nodded.  "I've just gotten a call from Reiko.  She's the 
secretary at my old firm...or was."

Tenchi felt his heart sink.  "Dad...!"

"That's right, son.  Not long after my old boss was forced to back 
down in my case, he fired my friend, Seji.  This time, he did it 
right.  He handed Seji a letter of dismissal that he forced him to 
sign.  Then Seji got the same bum's rush I got.  Out the door in ten 
minutes flat."

"Oh, no, Dad!  What was the reason this time?"

"Same reason as with me.  Personal calls on company time."

"Of course that poor man calls home," Ayeka said angrily.  "He has 
three little daughters and his wife has to work, too!  This is 
shameful!"

"It's rotton, all right," Ryoko agreed.

"And Reiko?" Tenchi asked.

"Well...I suppose poor Seji rather lost his composure.  He pleaded 
and there were tears in his eyes, Reiko told me.  Well, that great 
humanitarian of a boss just jeered at him.  Reiko was so upset that 
she gave that cretin a piece of her mind.  So she was fired, too, for 
insubordination.  Another letter of dismissal was handed to her, one 
that was suspiciously handy, by the way."

"I don't believe it..."  Tenchi was shaken by the news.

"Believe it, Tenchi," Washuu said.  "It all fits the pattern.  They're 
cleaning house of all their expensive senior people to make way for 
younger newhires who will do the same work for a lot less pay."

Sasami shook her head uncomprehendingly.  "I just can't believe 
they're so mean to people they've known for so long.  Don't they have 
any goodwill at all?"

"There's not much goodwill in business these days," Nobuyuki told the 
little Princess.  "Unfortunately."

"There can be and should be, however," Yosho said.  "There are better 
ways to run a business than this.  Your old firm is throwing away 
prime assets—-good people—-for a temporary profit.  And they are 
deliberately doing it in such a way that these people have no 
financial cushion."

"I suppose you could blame the recession," Nobuyuki mused.

"I think that's just an excuse, not a reason," Yosho told his son-in-
law.  "Certainly, cutbacks are necessary in some cases and truly 
unproductive or divisive people must be fired.  But it can be done in 
a manner that affords people some dignity and provides them some 
temporary support.  The cost of doing that is minimal and the impact 
on the people affected is great."

"You're right, father-in-law.  There's no excuse for the treatment 
any of us three received." 

"Well, I'm thankful you got out without being fired, Dad," Tenchi 
said, glancing gratefully at both Washuu and Ryoko.  "That poor Mr. 
Horibuchi.  He's stuck in that same leaky boat you were almost in, 
Dad.  Can't we help him somehow...and Reiko, too?"

Nobuyuki grimaced.  "Washuu and I have discussed it.  Frankly, neither 
of us can come up with anything."

"The firings are according to Hoyle--that is, according to the 
employee handbook," Washuu explained.  "Those bums learned from their 
mistake with your Dad, Tenchi.  I understand that there's a board run 
by your labor ministry they can appeal to, but..."

"But there's nothing to appeal, technically," Nobuyuki finished for 
her glumly.  "They were fired for cause and the causes are 
legitimate."

"That's terrible," said Sasami.  "It's awful when you can't help 
people."

"It is a terrible shame," Ayeka agreed.  "They are not part of our 
family but I feel that they may have suffered because of our actions.  
Not that we were wrong in what what we did, of course.  Still..."

"I know exactly how you feel, Princess," Nobuyuki agreed.  "I did 
suspecte that Seji would get the axe next, but that doesn't make the 
fact of it any easier to accept."

"Listen.  I know you folks are kind of squeamish about direct action 
but how about just one butt-roasting?  I could be there and back real 
quick," Ryoko said earnestly.  "At least one bastard won't be able to 
sit down for a week!"

"Ryoko..." Tenchi admonished her, but not vehemently.  He was too 
depressed.  He had met both Reiko and Mr. Horibuchi years ago, before 
the women had come.  He had really liked them both.

"I'd almost say yes, Ryoko, at this point," Nobuyuki admitted.

"Why, son-in-law?" Lord Yosho asked.

"Well, you know, to get back at them...a little, anyway."

"But the best way to "get back" at those who wound you deliberately 
is to carry on and not allow their actions to stop you," Yosho said.  
Light glinted off the lenses of his glasses as he turned to regard 
his son-in-law.

"Yes, but father-in-law,  Reiko and Seji are stopped...or, at least, 
they're in a pretty bad way."

Lord Yosho smiled apologetically. "I know my use of this truism has 
likely worn out its welcome around here, but...sometimes good things 
do come out of bad things.  And I'll tax your patience with another 
aphorism: When one door closes, another opens." 

"I don't get it, father-in-law," Nobuyuki admitted.

"No?  Let us use reverse logic, then.  The down side is that these 
two fine people have lost jobs they have held for a long time and 
their source of income is cut off.  Agreed?"

"Agreed." Nobuyuki replied.

"But that is taking a victim's point of view, son-in-law.  That leads 
to certain failure.  Now, let us take another point of view.  We have 
two talented people, a senior architect and a capable, competent 
secretary, who are free from the bondage of what had become a daily 
misery.  Their good friend, another senior architect, has also been 
freed from this misery.  Does that make sense to you?"

"Yes," Nobuyuki said.  "I can see that.  I was happy when I was just 
designing houses for folks, and so was Seji.  When we were booted into 
senior slots and had to work construction projects as well as home 
building, the fun stopped."

"So you have told me, many times.  Additionally, haven't you said that 
you three often held down that office?  That you three have routinely 
salvaged job orders and contracts that were in danger of being lost 
due to the mishandling of senior management?"

"Sure I have.  And it's true."

"Indeed?  Then, why don't you--I borrow this phrase from Tristram--"do 
the math," son-in-law?" 

Suddenly Washuu's face lit up.  She gripped Nobuyuki's hand.  "Why, 
Grandpa!  What a notion!  I'm ashamed I didn't think of that myself!"

Tenchi also grasped his grandfather's meaning.  "Wow..."

"You mean...?"  Nobuyuki seemed startled.  "You're suggesting...?"

"I am."  Lord Yosho smiled.

"Will someone please explain what we're all supposed to be getting?" 
Ryoko asked irritated.  "Because I still don't get it."

"I...I think I do.  And it is marvelous!" Ayeka said, enthralled.

"I think so, too," Sasami said.  

"Now, listen—-" Ryoko began, clearly fed up with being in the dark.

"Do not blow a gasket, Ryoko," Ayeka said, pleased to be able to zing 
the space pirate back with her own pet phrase.  "What Lord Yosho has 
suggested is that Lord Tenchi's father and the two people who were 
let go today form their own enterprise!"

"You mean--start their own business?"  Ryoko's eyes widened. 

"You have it exactly, Ryoko."

"But can you?" Ryoko asked, looking at Nobuyuki.

The middle-aged man was smiling.  His eyes gleamed beneath his 
glasses.  And Washuu still held his hand.

"Why not?" he said.  "Why the hell not?  I've been a salaryman all my 
life and where has it gotten me?  Time for a change!"(4)

"That's the spirit, Nobie!" Washuu told him.

"Nobie"? Tenchi thought.  Holding hands...pet names...could Ryoko 
have been right?  No...no, of course not!

"Indeed it is," Lord Yosho agreed.  "The warrior spirit."

"Do you really think you can do it, Dad?" Tenchi asked, hopeful but a 
bit uncertain.  It was a big step--a giant step, really, for his 
father.

"Tenchi, son, I've been slaving for years and years, virtually 
running an architectural firm--well, a branch office if it, anyway--
handling contracts and projects worth millions, and being paid 
peanuts for it.  The bosses kept tossing contract management at me, 
because it's considered grunt work and no fun.  Well, it's not much 
fun, I'll admit, but it's the way building and renovating are done 
these days.  And I know the ins and outs of it now."

Yosho nodded.  "That's the way to look at it, son-in-law.  They gave 
you a drudgery--they thought.  Now you can make it an asset."

"Sure, father-in-law.  Sure, I can!"  Nobuyuki spoke with enthusiasm.  
"I know contracts, I know contractors, and I have good rapport with 
suppliers and inspectors.  I know my way around bureaucracy and red 
tape.  New projects are advertised in periodicals I get at home.  You 
bet I can!  We can!  Seji and Reiko and I!"

"But Dad, competing against the big firms, like that place where you 
used to work..."  Tenchi played Devil's advocate only with reluctance.  
But it was vital that his Dad not take this step without first 
considering all the possible pitfalls.

"That's the beauty of it, son.  Thanks to the recession, the major 
construction jobs are pretty darned scarce.  That's where the big 
companies shine.  Now customers just want to renovate and add on, and 
do it one job at a time.  That's where a small firm, with low 
overhead, can step in, underbid the bigger fish, and still make a tidy 
profit," Nobuyuki explained.  He looked at Washuu.  "Right, Washuu?"

"Right!"  Washuu nodded.  "That's how I see the construction market 
now." 

Tenchi felt relieved.  Plainly, his Dad was going into this venture 
with a clear vision of what he faced and how he could turn it to his 
advantage.  "It's really a big change, Dad," he said.  "But I'm all 
for it!"  

"Thank you, son."  His father smiled.  Tenchi had not seen him so 
animated in quite a while.  His father was pumped!  It was a 
wonderful thing to see after all the gloom before.

"That's the way to turn apparent defeat into victory," Yosho said.  
"It now makes no difference how Seji Horibuchi and Reiko Takanawa 
lost their former positions.  It's irrelevant.  No one will care.  As 
long as the customer gets value for money."

"That's exactly it, father-in-law.  As long as we can deliver and at 
the price we quote.  I've been "sharpening" that damned "pencil" so 
long, I'm a past master at it.  Seji has a genius for creatively 
utilizing limited space and resources.  And Reiko knows everything 
about contract administration as well as quality assurance and 
everyone in the business really likes her.  She told me folks have 
been calling her all day, offering their condolences."

"Well, now they can offer her—-and you—-their business," Lord Yosho 
said.

"Right!  We'll need a small office in Okayama City...nothing big, but 
well located.  All of us have the software and the basic office 
supplies we need, since we all were forced to bring work home.  My 
lawyer friend, Ryoei, will get us incorporated for almost nothing--he 
refused to charge me for the work he did today.  In fact, another pal 
has some office space I know he'll sublease reasonably as long as I 
do his design work for gratis.  That's no burden and it would be 
worth it."

"Isn't it odd," Lord Yosho observed.  "Even in the cut-throat world 
of business, friendship still counts for so much."

"It sure does, father-in-law," Nobuyuki agreed.

"Dad, this sounds great!"  Tenchi was now enthused himself.

Washuu smiled at Nobuyuki.  Was there, perhaps, just the slightest 
smidgen of...well, ardor...in that typically cheery smile?  Tenchi 
wasn't sure.

"This is so cool," Sasami said, beaming.  "Working for yourself--
being your own boss.  Now you can really show them, sir!"

"Thank you, Sasami."

Ryoko nodded.  "I get it.  I get it!  The three of you doing your own 
thing...partners, right?"

"That's right, Ryoko," Nobuyuki replied.  "Equal partners.  That's 
the only way."

Now Lord Yosho nodded, looking very pleased with his son-in-law.

"I know Reiko and Mr. Horibuchi are in a bad way now," Tenchi said.  
"But are you sure they'll go for this, Dad?"

"Pretty sure, son.  It's a gamble, but they both will know it's a 
better gamble than trying to compete in the current job market."

"A dinner at a fine restaurant with both of them would be one way to 
broach the subject," Lord Yosho suggested.  "It would then become 
rather like a victory dinner when they agree."

"Good idea!  Would you consent to come along, father-in-law?"

"I?"  Lord Yosho appeared surprised by the request.

"Yes.  They both honor and respect you and I think it would add some 
gravity to what I'll be proposing."

"Hmmmm..."  Lord Yosho mulled the proposition over.  "Yes, I will, and 
thank you.  I'll be honored to be present at the launch of your new 
business, son-in-law."

"Dad...how will you get the finances for the start-up?"  Tenchi had 
to bring the subject up, although he didn't want to throw a damper on 
his father's wonderful spirit and enthusiasm.

"Oh, there's plenty of small business loans, co-sponsored by the 
government," Nobuyuki said.  "I'll find one that applies to a firm 
like ours will be.  Of course, we'll have to put up the house and the 
property as collateral."  He frowned a bit, obviously not liking that 
notion much.

"You will do no such thing, sir!" Ayeka interjected.

The others turned to stare at the Princess...except for Washuu, who 
smiled quietly and with no small satisfaction.

"Why, what do you mean, Princess?" Nobuyuki asked.

"I did not mean to sound quite so sharp," Ayeka said, smiling.  "I 
apologize.  But I simply cannot stand by and watch this wonderful 
venture being financed by strangers.  If your other friends will 
assist you, sir, in this enterprise, why not let a friend finance you 
as well?"

"But who would that be, Ayeka?" Tenchi asked.

"Why...myself, of course."

"Ohhh, yes, Ayeka!" Sasami cried happily.

"But you've tried to help out financially before, Ayeka," Tenchi 
pointed out.  "It didn't work out."

Ayeka looked at Washuu.  She inclined her head toward the great 
scientist.  "But before, I did not ask Miss Washuu to assist...using 
an idea Kiyone and Mihoshi gave me, albeit unknowingly."

"Huh?" Ryoko asked.  "Talk sense, Princess."

"I am talking perfect sense, Ryoko," Ayeka asserted.  "Kiyone and 
Mihoshi paid the rent for their apartment and bought necessities the 
first time they were here by converting part of their salaries to 
yen.  They utilized the currency exchange firms on Planet Pheadra.  
At my behest, Miss Washuu just recently contacted those firms for 
me."

Ryoko looked at Washuu.  The space pirate raised an eyebrow.  "You 
contacted those sharks?"

"Yup," Washuu said.  "Sure did.  They were more than willing to open 
an account for the First Princess of Jurai.  Seems the pesky Galaxy 
Police have been nosing around their operation and they can use some 
high-class clientele."  She grinned.  "Anyway, it turns out the 
Princess's personal account at the Galactic Depository is convertible 
to Jurais.  She was given bad advice the last time she had someone 
check into it.  Jurais are convertible to other currencies--even an 
exotic Earth currency like yen.  Of course, those money-changers will 
add a hefty commission for their services."

"That does not disturb me a particle," Ayeka said.  "It is well worth 
it to be able to help my friends...my very dear friends whom I feel 
as close to as my own family."

Sasami nodded.  "That's how we both feel!"

The Princess gazed fondly at her little sister.  "Of course, dear."

"Naturally, we'll need a certain space pirate to go get the dough--
and not get caught."  Washuu glanced ironically at Ryoko.

"A certain space pirate is ready and willing," Ryoko told her, 
grinning.  "Anytime."

"So, sir," Ayeka said to Nobuyuki.  "I shall advance a loan to you.  
My terms are firm.  Pay me back when it is convenient...and zero 
percent interest."   

Nobuyuki appeared--and was--quite taken by surprise.

For so long, he had considered the Princess and the other women as 
guests.  And it was a centuries-old tradition of his culture that one 
never accepted payment of any kind from guests.  But truly, the women 
were family now.  He had said so himself...and meant it.  He knew that 
Princess Ayeka would be very hurt if he did not allow her to help him.  
He saw that his son was smiling encouragingly at him.  He looked at 
his father-in-law.  Lord Yosho nodded genially.

Washuu patted his hand again.  "It's a heck of a good deal, Nobie," 
she said.  "Don't you think so?"

"Yes, I do."  Nobuyuki smiled at Washuu.  Then he turned to Ayeka.  
"I accept your generous and gracious offer with the deepest thanks, 
Princess.  I never really knew what a Princess was all about, until 
you came to us.  You have shown me that nobility is more than just a 
word."

The Princess smiled dazzlingly...and blinked a few times.  She quickly 
wiped her eyes.  "I am just glad that I can help," she murmured.

"That's all right, Princess," Ryoko said with genuine warmth.  "That 
is just all right!"

Tenchi stood up from the table.  He stepped behind Ayeka.  "Please 
stand up, Ayeka," he requested.

"Yes?" Ayeka queried, surprised.  But she stood.

Tenchi smiled tenderly at her.  Then, without preamble, he put his 
arms around her and embraced her deeply.  "That's for being so 
wonderful, Ayeka," he told her.

Ayeka just stared at Tenchi.  She glowed...absolutely glowed.  Her 
adoring look would have melted titanium.  "Oh...Lord Tenchi..."

"How about me?" Ryoko asked, miffed.  "Who has to go out and collect 
the cash, huh?"

"Okay, Ryoko.  You're right.  Please stand up," Tenchi said.

Ryoko did so with alacrity.  Tenchi embraced her, too.  

Now he was being lovingly regarded by two of the most powerful—-and 
beautiful--women in the galaxy.  Nobuyuki and Yosho smiled.  Sasami 
seemed enchanted by the sight.

Surprisingly, Washuu didn't observe the scene with her usual detached 
amusement.  She sat with her arms folded.  "No hugs for the greatest 
scientist in the galaxy, I guess," she muttered.

Tenchi grinned.  "Okay, Washuu..."

Now Nobuyuki stood up.  "I'll handle this son.  Stand up, please, 
Washuu."

"Well, now..."  Washuu scrambled to her feet.  Nobuyuki and she 
embraced.  

Nearly everyone else stared with surprise at the couple--even Ryoko, 
who actually hadn't been all that certain about Tenchi's Dad and 
Washuu.  Not Lord Yosho, however.  He regarded the sight of his son-
in-law and Washuu in each other's arms calmly.  He contemplated the 
future and was thankful it could still be full of surprises.



Speaking of embraces, Kiyone was very glad she had gotten a nice big 
hug from Tris.  It proved, at least, that someone liked her and cared 
for her.  Now, inside Galaxy Police Headquarters, she was getting the 
opposite impression.  She had known it would be rocky...but not this 
rocky. 

>From the time she stepped out of the shuttle-ship that carried her 
back from planet Vestra to Galaxy Police Headquarters, she had 
encountered nasty looks, supercilious looks, outright cutting-dead 
looks—-where she was ignored altogether by her fellow officers even 
in the close confines of an elevator tube—-and a few, a very few, 
fleeting looks of sympathy.  To Kiyone's proud spirit, the sympathetic 
glances were just about as hurtful as the intentionally cutting ones.  
They were all hurtful, really; her fellow officers and even the staff 
support civilians were laying it on especially thick to let her know 
she was now an unwelcome presence in the very Headquarters where once 
she had been looked up to and admired.

Mitsuki, Lieutenant Zay're, and that Sergeant Katzaar—-and their 
clique—-had done their work well.  Both she and Mihoshi were virtual 
outcasts now.  Kiyone prayed that Mihoshi would contact their landlady 
from her apartment and eat at the canteen by the Compound and not 
venture into Headquarters for a visit.  For, if she did, she would 
doubtless be crushed...again.  

Kiyone was feeling a bit crushed herself.  But, as she had said to 
her partner, she was mostly mad as hell about the unfair treatment 
and was resolved to do something about it.  She was also buoyed by 
the thought that she was about to get the dope on that Professor 
Klove.  That would lead to an arrest, the dismantling of whatever was 
being used to mentally torture poor Ayeka, and triumphantly close a 
case that involved the all-important and all-powerful Jurai royal 
family.  That would earn her and Mihoshi their credibility back as 
competent officers, which would in turn lead to ultimate vindication 
and reversal of their demotion, Kiyone was certain.  Finally...there 
was Tris.  Kiyone was learning that having someone dear to you who 
supported you was not a disruptive influence, was not a hindrance to a 
career but rather the opposite. 

So she would just ignore all the ill treatment (nothing overt, of 
course) with a stiff upper lip, get the low-down on that Professor 
Klove, and return to Earth where she and Mihoshi and Washuu and the 
others would plan their strategy and ferret out their villian.  The 
final triumph--and the last laugh--would be hers.

There was one thing she had to admit, wryly.  She had achieved one 
goal.  Everyone at Headquarters seemed to have heard about Galaxy 
Police Officer Kiyone Makibi!  Only, it wasn't the sort of recognition 
she sought, that was for sure!  Kiyone found it rather dismal to pass 
the areas of Headquarters she had known so well...the muster annex, 
the Reikon commissary, Conference Room Zeta (where she had held many 
triumphant meetings with her own staff), the gymnasium...and the suite 
of rooms where her former office was located.  Kiyone found herself 
walking especially slowly past those areas.  But she forced herself to 
keep walking until she reached the Records Depository, a huge database 
"farm," and found the room that had been set aside for GP officers to 
peruse official records.

Kiyone entered the room.  It was filled with desk modules and data 
viewers.  Info panels on the walls presented scrolling advisories, 
warning of the sensitivity of information and the penalties for the 
misuse of classified data.  Hardly anyone was in the room, Kiyone 
noted with some relief.  Just a rather feline-looking Alakisain 
officer digging through records.  She recognized the officer, a 
logistics type she had worked with before.  The officer chose not to 
recognize Kiyone.  With the old familiar anger welling within her, 
Kiyone walked to the front desk, where a GP staff officer, an old 
lieutenant named Ketquaraz, stood, checking off invoices of new 
records added to the central depository database.  It was a never-
ending task, and a rotten task for an officer--the kind of task that 
Kiyone knew she could end up having herself someday unless she 
salvaged her professional reputation.

Kiyone stopped before the high-banked desk module that Lieutenant Zuun 
Ketquaraz, Chief of Records Management, stood behind.  "Greetings, 
Lieutenant," she said, forcing a smile.

Lieutenant Ketquaraz looked up from his task.  He was a grumpy old 
guy; as always, his mottle-faced visage (he hailed from a planet of 
simply unlovely souls) was less than welcoming.  But that was the 
public face he showed to everyone, unless they ranked pretty high--
then he tried to be amiable, which was even more unappetizing than his 
normal choleric state.  Kiyone could understand his attitude.  Due to 
some professional mishap, Ketquaraz would never rise above lieutenant, 
the minimum rank one had to achieve to qualify for a pension.  That 
was his whole professional career now—-being useful so he would 
eventually get his pension.  Looking at him, Kiyone prayed that she 
wasn't seeing into her own future.

"Makibi?  What the hell are you doing here?  Didn't they boot you out 
to some backwater?"  As always, Lieutenant Ketquaraz was the soul of 
hospitality.

"I am patrolling Earth sector again, yes.  But I'm on PT now," Kiyone 
replied, forcing herself to remember that this old has-been was a 
lieutenant and could and would bust her in a heartbeat.  "Sir."

"You're a little slow on the "sir," part, Makibi."

"Sorry, sir."

"Okay.  Just watch it.  Lots of people around here want you off the 
force.  They just need one excuse to pee in your record.  You savvy?"

Kiyone savvy'ed.  She was surprised, though.  Not at what the crusty 
old Lieutenant had said--rude and crude, that was Ketquaraz--but that 
he was actually trying to help her.  Amazing.  It seemed she had 
another friend at Headquarters, besides Chief Bodai.  Although he was 
hardly prepossessing, Ketquaraz had been around a long time, knew 
where all the bodies were buried, and heard everything that passed 
through the grapevine.  In that respect, he would be invaluable as an 
ally.  It gave her a quick surge of hope.

"Yes, sir."  She smiled at him with geniune feeling this time.

"One more thing.  When that Mitsuki marries that drip Zay're, she's 
going to have more pull than a black hole around here.  Your partner 
will survive, thanks to her grandfather, but you...if you're going to 
do anything to help yourself, you'd better do it quick."

"Yes, sir.  Thank...thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me.  I was a good officer, a hotshot, like you, once.  I 
was blind-sided and got a permanent reprimand in my record.  That was 
it for me.  I'd like to see someone overcome that before I'm put out 
to pasture.  I assume you're here on your PT to help yourself.  What 
do you need?"

Kiyone told him.  Lieutenant Ketquaraz shook his head.

"You have the necessary clearance, of course, but that case file has 
been marked as sensitive.  I'll have to log your session specially and 
flag it.  That means it'll stick out in the log records like a sore 
thumb.  Those damned Jurai cases!  I'm sorry.  But I can mis-file it.  
You know what a forgetful old worthless bastard I am.  That'll give 
you a little time before someone will notice it and maybe call you on 
the carpet for an explanation.  Best I can do, Kiyone."

"It's...it's the best, sir, period.  Thank you."  Kiyone was deeply 
moved by the selfless show of understanding and assistance in the 
midst of so much hostility, and from someone she had treated as a bad 
joke before.  Lieutenant Ketquaraz had also, finally, called her by 
her first name.

"Okay."  Lieutenant Ketquaraz efficiently key-padded his control 
panel.  "Module Seven.  I hope this helps you."

"So do I, sir."  

Kiyone turned from him.  She walked to the desk module and molded 
seat that, as a unit, was numbered seven.  She noticed that it was 
the newest and cleanest-looking module in the room.  She smiled 
gratefully at Lieutenant Ketquaraz, who pretended not to notice.  
Then Kiyone sat down, entered her authentication password, pressed 
her hand on the screen for a full genetic scan, and began reading the 
deeply-indexed records concerning a certain Professor Klove and his 
one-time progressive educational establishment on planet Jurai called 
the Lyceum.

Unfortunately, the good feeling from her encounter with Lieutenant 
Ketquaraz soon evaporated as Kiyone read...and read... 

It was devastating.  The worse.  Her big case, her triumphant arrest 
of a high-profile villain, her vindication...that was all over.  The 
color slowly drained from Kiyone's face as she drilled deeper and 
deeper into the official confidential records of Professor Klove and 
his activities.  As she did, Kiyone had to stifle a cry of despair 
several times.

She wasn't entirely successful.  Lieutenant Ketquaraz looked at her 
sympathetically.  He figured she had encountered some sort of dead 
end.  He knew that sensation all too well.

The other GP officer in the room also regarded the disgraced and now 
obviously upset Detective First Class.  The Alakisain officer smiled, 
cat-like.  That pushy, bossy bitch, Makibi, had evidently messed up 
again.  Good.  The officer couldn't wait to tell Mitsuki about it.

Some time later, Kiyone finally departed the Records Depository.  She 
walked slowly, her face still pale.  She was stunned and despondent.  
She said nothing to Lieutenant Ketquaraz.  The latter looked after 
the departing young officer, his mottled face etched with concern.

Kiyone left the Headquarters and shuttled back to Vestra.  In the 
shuttle ship, she sat and brooded.  It would be a long time before 
she returned to Headquarters, she felt certain now.  And when she 
did, she'd likely get a dead-end job like Lieutenant Ketquaraz had.  
It was a bleak outlook on a bleak future.  About as bleak as the 
support planet she was headed for...the planet she had once called 
home.   



____________________________________________

CHAPTER NOTES

(1)  In case you don't know it, here is the original first stanza to 
"Amore":

When the moon
Hits your eye
Like a big
Pizza pie,
That's amore

(2)  Yes, that familiar phrase is from the Humphrey Bogart classic, 
"The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre."  Bogie did not utter that line in 
the film, however.

(3)  Actually, "Horror-Wood" is only a Web magazine (or e-zine) at 
this point in its existance.  It can be viewed at www.horror-wood.com 
if you're interested.

(4) A "salaryman" is a slang term for one of the millions of loyal 
Japanese employees who work for a salary and devote their lives to 
their company.  The current recession has almost knocked the props 
out from under that long-running social contract between management 
and labor in Japan.