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.  

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
No Need For Kudos
_________________


"Put me down, Ryoko!"

Tenchi, in the process of being airlifted back to the blasted 
landscape by Ryoko, kicked his legs impatiently.  He could see 
nothing but leaves and plants and branches scattered like a blanket 
all over the ground, except where Yogami had crashed.  The entire 
lawn just outside the gate and all the way up to the lake was a mound 
of torn up flora and other debris that defied description.  Where was 
everybody?  The house and the gate—-and Tris's car—-had somehow 
survived the terrific blast.  But what about his family?

"Ryoko, I said put me down!  Now!"

"Yes, sweetums."

Ryoko lowered him to the leaf and branch and debris-strewn ground, 
some yards from the Yogami.  "This is where they got to when old Ugly 
exploded...I think," Ryoko said worriedly.

Azaka II and Kamidake II were buzzing about the area, calling for 
Princess Ayeka.  At least Tenchi and Ryoko wouldn't be alone in the 
search.

"Yeah, it looks like the place," Tenchi said, as Ryoko floated to the 
ground beside him.  "God, Ryoko—-if that blast—-if they didn't 
survive--!"  Tenchi's face crumpled with grief.

"Oh, Tenchi."  Ryoko slipped her arms around him.  "Maybe they aren't 
all dead.  Oh, lover..."  She held Tenchi close.  "We'll start 
digging, and—-"

"Unhand Lord Tenchi—-you—-you--!"

Ryoko and Tenchi wouldn't have parted more rapidly if each had burst 
into flame.  They stared, dumbfounded, in the direction of the voice.

With a rustle of leaves and branches, Princess Ayeka Jurai rose from 
the ground.  She looked majestic, despite the soil that splotched her 
face and robed gown, and the leaves that were tangled in her deep 
purple hair.  An instant later, her two Guardians jetted up to her, 
blinking happily.  The Princess nodded to them and they contentedly 
departed to take up their old stations by the gate again.  Now the 
Princess turned to her rival.

"You could not wait until my body was cold in the ground before making 
your tawdry advances toward Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said, furious with the 
space pirate.  "That is despicable, even for you, Ryoko—-"

"Ayeka—-you're alive!" Tenchi shouted joyfully.

"Whoop, whoop," Ryoko muttered.

"Of course I am alive, Lord Tenchi.  If Professor Klove could not kill 
me, why would you think a silly explosion could—-"

She stopped as Tenchi ran to her and embraced her, gleefully.

"Hey!" Ryoko said.

"Oh...Lord Tenchi..."  Ayeka melted in Tenchi's arms.  She sighed 
with love as Tenchi held her close.  Then she moaned as Tenchi kissed 
her—-full on the mouth.

"Hey, hey!" Ryoko said.

Tenchi smiled at the Princess.  Ayeka's face glowed, her ruby eyes 
shimmering.  "My darling...Lord Tenchi..."

"Boy, that's a hell of a note!  We all get killed and you two start 
necking!"  Washuu now rose from the debris that covered the ground, 
leafy and twiggy stuff falling from her body like snowflakes.

Tenchi released Ayeka, who still swayed a bit with rapture.  
"Washuu!"

"Right the first time, Tenchi!"  Washuu grinned.  "Hey, I have 
something here for you."  She reached down and helped Lord Yosho rise 
to his feet.  She brushed the leaves and dirt from his kimono, gently.

"Grandfather!"  Tenchi was all but overwhelmed.

"Correct, grandson."  Lord Yosho smiled.  He looked more or less 
immaculate aside from a leaf here and a dirt splotch there.  "I think 
you will find that all of us survived the explosive end of Professor 
Klove's creation."

"Most of the force of the blast passed over us," Washuu explained.  
"And, well, the ground is nice and soft.  Kinda icky, though," she 
added, prying a cicada from her blouse and dropping it on the ground.

"Meow-er!"  Ryo-Ohki jumped up from a pile of leaves and branches and 
bounded over to Ryoko.  The space pirate picked up her cabbit and 
held it to her breasts, nuzzling it.  "You bad little thing!  Making 
your mistress get all worried."

"Meow-er!" Ryo-Ohki replied lovingly.

"Oooooohhhh—-I think I ruined this blouse," Mihoshi said, as she rose 
from the leaves-and-branches blanket that had covered her.  "Look, 
it's all torn and spotted.  Now I'll have to buy a new one...or 
borrow Kiyone's." 

"No you won't!"  Kiyone rose also, scattering leaves and debris.  
"Mine's not any better off than yours--and you keep your mitts off my 
clothes, Mihoshi!"

"Yes, Kiyone."

Tenchi's head was spinning with relief and joy.  Everyone was alive!  
They had all survived!  But wait...

"Where's Sasami?"  Ayeka had also noticed someone was missing.

"Here I am!"  Sasami popped up from another pile of leaves and 
branches.  Evidently the trauma of the blast had broken the hypnotic 
trance.  That was one benefit from the earth-shaking explosion, 
anyway.

"Oh, dear!"  Ayeka walked over to her little sister.  "Are you hurt?"

"Uh-uh," Sasami told her.  "I'm okay, Ayeka.  I landed on something 
soft."

Then they all heard a moan beneath the little girl's feet.  That 
something soft was Tris.

"Tris!" Kiyone cried, aggrieved.  "Oh, Tris!"  She bounded over to 
where Sasami and Ayeka stood.  Little Sasami, her face anxious, 
quickly stepped off Tris's prone form.  Kiyone sank to her bare knees 
in the pile of leaves and branches.  Her face was tragic.  Mihoshi 
quickly joined her.

"Oh, Tris!"  Kiyone looked as if she would cry.  "Darling!"

"Let's get him up, Kiyone," Mihoshi said anxiously.

Both young women grasped Tris's arms and heaved him up.  Tris was an 
unholy mess, covered with dirt, leaves, twigs, and the remains of 
several stray mushrooms.  They dragged him to a spot where the ground 
wasn't so deeply packed with debris.  Frantically, Mihoshi and Kiyone 
brushed the American off.  He sagged in their grasp.  There was a 
bloody gash on his forehead.

"No!" Kiyone wailed.  "Darling—-say something!"

Tris did not appear to hear her.  His eyes were closed.

"Good heavens!" Ayeka said, from where she stood with Sasami, greatly 
perturbed.

"Oh, no!"  Sasami sounded tearful.  "His body was under mine when we 
hit the ground.  Somebody do something!"

Ayeka knelt and gathered her little sister in her arms.  "We will do 
something, dear.  Do not worry."

"Knew that goofball's head would hit something," Ryoko offered.  "It 
always does."

Tenchi glared at Ryoko.  Ryoko instantly looked contrite.  Shaking 
his head, he walked over to where Kiyone and Mihoshi were propping up 
Tris.

"God...is he badly hurt?" Tenchi asked, unable to believe that harm 
had come to his best friend now, after all they had survived.

"Professor Washuu, please see about Tristram," Lord Yosho requested, 
his drawn face reflecting his deep concern.

"On my way," said Washuu.

She walked up to Tris, who still sagged in the tight grip of Kiyone 
and Mihoshi.

"Do you think it's bad, Washuu?" Kiyone demanded fretfully.  "I can 
drive his car—-there's a medical clinic in the village—-"

Inwardly the great scientist smiled.  If Kiyone had earlier wished to 
keep her true feelings about Tris Coffin incognito, she was certainly 
letting them all hang out now.  She was fussing over him like she was 
his mother...or his wife.  Mihoshi seemed pretty rocky, too, as she 
looked at Tris.

"I can drive him, Kiyone," Tenchi said, stepping forward.  "I have a 
driver's license.  We'll take Grandfather, too."

"My wound is already closed, Tenchi, as you may recall," Lord Yosho 
said.  "A bit of bandaging and rest is all I require."

"Thank goodness!" Ayeka said gratefully.  "But poor Tristram—-"

"Can't you help him, Washuu?" Sasami asked dolefully.  She seemed 
devastated that Tris had gotten hurt helping her.

"Let me see," Washuu said.  She grasped one of Tris's wrists—-that 
boy had lovely large, well-formed hands, something a woman especially 
noticed—-and checked his pulse.  It beat nice and regularly.  His skin 
temperature was normal.  She saw that he was breathing slowly but 
regularly and there was no sign of nerve damage, no trembling or 
convulsing.  She dropped his wrist, quickly popped open her console, 
and scanned Tris thoroughly.

Unnoticed by the others, Ryoko silently rose in the air and teleported 
away.

"You can relax, Kiyone, Tenchi...everyone," Washuu told them, reading 
the scan.  "He's had one heck of a bang on the head, but that's all.  
He's probably coming out of it now.  There may be a slight concussion, 
though—-no, Kiyone, no need to take him to one of the local quacks."

"You sure?" Kiyone demanded.  She studied Tris again, her face 
mirroring her distress.

"He's hurt, Washuu!" Mihoshi insisted.  "He's bleeding!"

"We'll bandage that up right away," Washuu said confidently.  "Like 
Grandpa, he needs bed rest and I'll also give him—-"

Suddenly, Ryoko loomed above them.  She held a brimming glass of 
water.  She landed close to Kiyone and Mihoshi and Tris.  Washuu 
turned to look at her as did everyone else.  The great scientist 
grinned.

"Go right ahead, nurse," she said.

Now Ryoko grinned.  She tossed the water on Tris's face, managing to 
splash Mihoshi and Kiyone, too.

"Hey!" said Mihoshi.

"Ryoko—-what the hell!" Kiyone growled.

"Just reviving the corpse!" Ryoko told them.  She turned to the 
others.  "No damage inside the house—-at least, not in the kitchen 
where I got this water.  Didn't want to use that lake water—-fish 
poop in it, you know."

"Ryoko!" Tenchi snapped.  "This is no joke.  Tris is—-"

"He's just woozy, Tenchi," Washuu intervened.  "It's okay, the water 
will help bring him around."

"It had better," Kiyone said darkly.  As far as she was concerned, 
Ryoko enjoyed tossing that water at them a bit too much.

Tris slowly opened his eyes.  He raised his head.  "Where--?"  He 
surveyed the group groggily.  "Oh, there you are, Ryoko.  That 
proves I'm not dead...at least that I'm not in heaven, anyway." 

"Thanks a heap, goofball," Ryoko gritted.

"If you're going to toss liquid at me, Ryoko, couldn't you have made 
it a beer?  I could sure use one."

"Maybe I should have used water from the lake," Ryoko said.  But she 
smiled as she said it.  

"Oh, Tris!" Kiyone said and averted her face.  Mihoshi smiled as tears 
flowed down her cheeks.  Sasami wiped her eyes and smiled as well.

"Hey, what is this, a wake?" Tris demanded.  "I thought only that blob 
monster was dead and who cares about him?"

The others laughed quietly.  It felt good to laugh, particularly after 
everything they had been through in the last few hours.

"Idiot!"  Kiyone embraced him tightly.  Mihoshi stood back, smiling at 
the two of them.

"Hey, Tris is right," Ryoko said.  "What's all this wah-wahing about?  
We kicked that blob's ass.  Big time!  It's time to celebrate!"

"You're right, Ryoko," Tenchi agreed.  "We'll just—-"  Then he looked 
around himself.  "Hell!  Just look at this place, Tris!"

Tris, having ended the embrace with Kiyone but still propped up by her 
and Mihoshi, did so.  "Damn it!  I don't believe it!"

"Huh?  What's with you guys?" Ryoko asked.

"Just look at the lawn!" Tenchi cried angrily.  "Look at it!"

"What about it?" Mihoshi asked, confused.

"We busted our butts all that time on this lawn—-and it's a disaster 
area!"  Tris was angry, too.  "Holy hell—-it's going to take a month 
to get this place straightened up again!  All that work wasted!"

"Damn right!" Tenchi groused.  "Spring Break is almost over and what 
do we have to show for it?  Nothing!  Zip!  Just more yard work to 
do!"

"That goddamn Klove!" Tris grated.

"What?" Kiyone said.  "You're upset about the stupid lawn?"

"I don't believe you guys," Washuu said.  "We almost got killed--we 
survived just by the skin of our teeth—-and you're pinging over a 
little debris?"

"A little debris?  Hah!" Tenchi replied.

"Yeah!  Hah!" Tris agreed.

"They've both gone off their rockers," Ryoko said to Ayeka.

"Yes."  Ayeka smiled.  "Isn't it wonderful?"  

Now she walked up to where Tenchi and Tris—-and by default, Kiyone 
and Mihoshi and Washuu—-stood discussing future landscaping plans for 
the Masaki Shrine.  To summarize the discussion: Tenchi and Tris said 
they'd be damned if they'd break their backs again over that lawn and 
the women told them to shut up about it already.  To the Princess, 
hearing Lord Tenchi and Tristram grouse about a small bit of labor 
just like little boys was proof positive that things were returning 
to normal with their family.  The two young men couldn't help but act 
so foolishly, of course...after all, they were males.  Nonetheless, 
all of this had gone far enough and they needed to move on to other 
things.

"Lord Tenchi...Tristram," Ayeka said as she reached them.  "I am 
certain we are all very sorry about your hard work being spoiled, but 
that is of no consequence right now.  You are both being silly and we 
have much more important matters to attend to."

"No consequence?" Tenchi asked Ayeka, aggrieved.

"Silly?" Tris added, in high dudgeon.

"Exactly so.  You both heard me.  Now Tristram, you may be badly hurt 
and you must not talk until Miss Washuu can get you into the house and 
examine you properly.  Then you must be fed and put to bed forthwith."

"But Ayeka," Tris protested.

"I said you must not tax yourself with talking."  Ayeka looked at him 
with those ruby eyes and it was clear once again that she was the 
First Princess of Jurai.  "I shall not have to repeat myself, shall 
I?"

Tris surrendered.  His head was still throbbing to beat the band.    
Bed sounded good, damned good.  And Ayeka was no one to mess with 
when she took charge, he had learned.  He nodded, knowing better than 
to speak.

"Very well, Tristram."  Ayeka smiled affectionately at him.  She then 
addressed herself to a now-grinning Kiyone and Mihoshi.  "Please help 
Tristram to the house, you two.  After he bathes, put him in Lord 
Tenchi's bed."

"Hey—-" Tenchi responded.

"Naturally, you will be happy to give up your bed for your injured 
friend, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka told him, smilingly.  "A Juraian Prince 
would not think twice about such a trifle, of course."

Tenchi grimaced.  But he knew when he was licked.  Besides, he really 
didn't begrudge giving Tris his bed for a while.  It was just that 
Ayeka had caught him unawares--as usual!

"Sure, of course."

"Thank you, Lord Tenchi.  Perhaps you would be best employed assisting 
Lord Yosho to the house.  Miss Washuu and Sasami and I shall depart 
now to collect the First Aid supplies and begin preparing a hot meal.  
We could all use a meal, I am certain."

"What about me, Princess?" Ryoko demanded.

"You!  You can—-"  Ayeka stopped.  No, she would not demean herself 
with another ill-tempered outburst.  She was on a roll and she would 
not scuttle herself.  Besides, there were better ways to get even 
with Ryoko.

"I suggest you teleport to the house now so that we do not have to 
view you in those rags anymore.  Then you should go to the baths and 
soak your--yourself.  Those weals are still quite angry-looking on 
your skin, Ryoko.  But we will not know how bad your injuries are 
until you have cleaned yourself up properly.  Then you can dress 
decently and report to Miss Washuu for a through medical examination."

Ryoko's face flushed beet red.  "What are you saying?  That's I'm a 
mess?  I'll have you know, Princess, that-—"

"Of course," Ayeka interrupted her mildly, "if you wish to stand out 
here and argue whilst poor Tristram is bleeding..."

The others did their best to hide their amusement at Ryoko's 
discomfiture and Ayeka's small victory.  They weren't entirely 
successful, which raised the space pirate's ire even higher.  But, 
like Tenchi and Tris, Ryoko knew when she was holding a busted flush.  
Score one for Princess Pain-In-The-Patoot...this time.

"Okay," Ryoko muttered.  She rose into the air and disappeared via 
teleport.  With a "meow-er," Ryo-Ohki scampered after her toward the 
house.

"Well, that seems to account for everyone," Ayeka said briskly, all 
but dusting her hands.  "Of course, Lord Tenchi's father will likely 
return sometime soon.  We will at least have a meal ready for him.  
Sasami, Miss Washuu, we will proceed to the house.  The rest of you 
follow at your own pace, of course.  Let us depart."

With a queenly bearing, Princess Ayeka swept away toward the house, 
with Sasami and a grinning Washuu in her wake.  The others looked at 
each other, several shrugs were exchanged, and then they too followed 
the royal procession.  Tenchi supported his grandfather, while Tris 
continued to be propped up on either side by Kiyone and Mihoshi.

They all heard Ayeka's voice from up ahead:  "My!  Have you ever 
noticed how the absence of a certain person seems to simply brighten 
the landscape?  The air is so sweet and clean.  Just listen to the 
lovely birds sing.  I believe this has turned out to be a wonderful 
day after all; I truly do."

"A formidable woman, grandson," Lord Yosho murmured, smiling and 
leaning against Tenchi as they walked.  He now carried the sheathed 
Sword Tenchi.  "Every bit a Princess."

"Yes, she is, Grandfather."  Tenchi smiled, too.

Behind them, Mihoshi asked, "Remember when we were all on Vestra and 
we walked together like this?  Is it that deja vu thingy again, 
Tris?"

"I guess so, Mihoshi," Tris replied, chuckling despite his throbbing 
head.  "Deja vu all over again."

"Hush, Mihoshi.  Don't make him talk," Kiyone told her.  Then Tris 
felt her soft lips gently kiss his cheek.  He grinned.  Some things 
were worth getting a cracked skull for.    



At about that time, sitting in his un-spacious office at Galaxy 
Police Headquarters, Chief Tor Bodai felt like cracking a few skulls 
himself.

He was desperately trying to tie up loose ends in his present job as 
Chief of Patrol for Region Gamma.  Captain Tookal, the Grand 
Marshall's exec, had hinted to him that his promotion to Director of 
Personnel-—and to Field Marshall rank—-was imminent.  The current 
personal chief had taken the bait and had demanded a logistics slot.  
Within a week, that worthy would be given the job at Logistics and 
then he would be handed his retirement papers.  Chief Bodai shook his 
grizzled head.  As always, the cobbler's children had no shoes.  The 
outgoing personnel chief was woefully ignorant of personnel 
regulations.  Well, he was no loss.  He would receive a fat 
retirement, a golden parachute, while Bodai would no doubt have to 
clean up the mess his predecessor left behind.

In the meantime, Bodai was trying to clean up a few messes that still 
plagued his present bailiwick.  He did not have much time and he 
wanted to leave his pea patch as tidy as he could—-to satisfy his 
personal standards of professionalism, if for no other reason.  One of 
those messes was, of course, his re-investigation of the Slaakive 
mis-identification case that involved Detectives Kuramitsu and Makibi.  
Bodai has a shrewd idea that his successor would be loath to take up 
the probe...in fact, his successor would likely attempt to rid himself 
of two such troublesome officers.  The instrument for doing that would 
be, of course, the hacking of the confidential GP files that had been 
traced to Earth.  Bodai was certain that no culprit other than the two 
disgraced officers would ever surface.  

Sergeant Katzaar was keeping a weather eye on Sergeant Mitsuki, but 
that young woman had shown she was made of stone where the re-
investigation was concerned.  She would not crack, and that really 
was the only hope for Detectives Makibi and Kuramitsu.  No hope there, 
in other words.  And with this new offense hovering over them...Chief 
Bodai shook his head, slowly, remorsefully.  He hated to lose, 
especially where a fine officer's career was at stake.

At least there was some good news.  Lieutenant Zay're had put in for 
an extended leave.  Rumor had it that he planned to resign his 
commission while on leave and enter local politics on his home planet.  
That was, at any rate, the first trimming of the deadwood and 
self-servers that Bodai vowed to make his top priority as Director of 
Personnel.  Galaxy Police Headquarters would finally get the 
housecleaning it had needed for years.  At that worthy task, Bodai 
knew he would not fail.  He also knew that the Grand Marshall was 
behind him completely on that score.

Not surprisingly, it seemed that Zay're and Mitsuki had broken off 
their engagement.  Again, the ever-busy (and usually correct) rumor 
mill held that Zay're had given Mitsuki her walking papers.  Bodai 
believed it.  Zay're would not risk having a foreign bride on his arm 
while hustling the local yokels of his planet for votes.  Sentiment 
would never influence any career move on Zay're's part.  Thank heavens 
he would soon be gone from the GP!  However, as a politician and a 
shrewd one at that, he could end up on the Galaxy Police Civilian 
Advisory Board...perhaps even hold the post of High Commissioner 
someday.  Bodai hoped that would never happen.

Although he hated such tactics, Bodai had contemplated interrogating 
Mitsuki again immediately after he had heard about her busted 
engagement to Zay're.  It was a fact that emotional trauma often 
weakened the defenses people built up—-any cop worth his or her salt 
knew that.  But Chief Bodai just wasn't built that way.  He couldn't 
browbeat a fellow, if junior, officer at the moment she must be 
feeling her lowest.  Perhaps he had let a golden opportunity slip by.  
He would never know now.

Chief—-soon-to-be Field Marshall—-Bodai put down the portable 
recordset he had been trying to list all his "to-do's" in.  He simply 
had too much on his plate to clean up before his tenure as Chief of 
Patrol ended.  He had to prioritize and concentrate on the tasks he 
really could accomplish in that time.  Otherwise, too many worthy 
projects would be left to the tender mercies of his successor, and 
most successors had their own agendas.  Bodai certainly had his back 
when he had taken over as Chief of Patrol.

He picked up a stylus.  He stared at the notation he had made about 
the Slaakive case re-investigation.  He sighed, hating to do it.  
But...he ran the stylus over the notation.  The notation was trashed.  
His administrative assistant would close out the case and archive it.  
The re-investigation was finished, officially.

And so were Mihoshi and Kiyone...barring a miracle.  And Chief Tor 
Bodai frankly didn't believe in miracles.

He could not have known that one miracle had already happened and 
that another-—a minor one—-was waiting in the wings.



Lord Yosho was, among other things, a supremely patient and 
disciplined man.  It took a lot of patience and discipline to lay 
stretched out on his bed, wearing nothing but...well, call it a white 
breechcloth...while awaiting medical treatment from Professor Washuu.

As Washuu had observed during the battle with Klove, the wound itself 
was cauterized shut.  But the burnt flesh was amazingly painful.  
Washuu had carefully probed it with a blinking organic scanner of her 
own design and then left him for a little while to whip up a remedy 
that she promised would cool his skin and promote fast healing.  He 
had thanked her amiably, although his burns screamed with fiery 
inflammation.  Before she returned, he, Tenchi, and Nobuyuki (who had 
returned from that building site a while ago) managed to have a short 
conversation.

"Doesn't look so bad, father-in-law," Nobuyuki said, repressing a 
shudder as he looked at the charred flesh covering one entire side of 
Lord Yosho's torso. 

"That's right, Grandfather...I've seen worse," Tenchi added, his face 
turning an interesting shade of pale green as he glanced at the wound 
and looked away.

Lord Yosho smiled.  "The next thing you two will tell me is that 
third-degree burns are quite becoming."

Tenchi and his father both looked a bit rueful.

"Never mind," Lord Yosho told them.  "At least I have Miss Washuu to 
minister to me.  The wound is not deep and the pain is only temporary.  
Speaking of pain, son-in-law, I understand you were rather upset when 
you arrived home and saw our lawn so radically altered."

"You heard me, eh?"  Now Nobuyuki really looked rueful, although he 
managed a small apolegetic smile.

"It was exceedingly difficult not to hear you.  Now I know where 
Tenchi learned all his bad words from."

Tenchi grinned.  It had happened when Kiyone and Mihoshi had just 
gotten Tris to his and Tenchi's bedroom and Tenchi and Washuu had put 
Grandfather to bed in his own bedroom.  The front door had slammed 
open and his father had entered the house like a living tsunami of 
righteous wrath.  He had turned the air blue with strong words and 
demanded to know how Ayeka and Ryoko could have broken their pledges 
to him not to battle again.  Both women had walked out of the kitchen 
and listened to him, too surprised to answer.  When he had finished 
(by kicking his briefcase), Ayeka and Ryoko had laughed and laughed 
helplessly.  Fortunately, Sasami had also come in and explained what 
really had happened.  Totally deflated, Nobuyuki had then humbly 
apologized to Ayeka and Ryoko, who in turn had accepted his sincere 
regrets with amused grace and charm.  After all, the lawn did rather 
resemble a scene from one of their memorable firefights of the past.

"I can understand why you thought Ryoko and Ayeka had gotten rowdy 
again, Dad," Tenchi told him.  "You kind of forgot about Professor 
Klove and his threat to us, right?"

"I'll admit I did, son.  After all, he hadn't made any moves against 
us aside from that wardrobe-overturning business and I guess I just 
discounted the whole thing after a while."

Lord Yosho nodded.  "That is exactly what Professor Klove meant for 
us to do.  He was a clever manipulator.  We talked and planned and 
prepared—-we thought—-for his coming.  But when he did attack, we 
were unprepared.  Had Mihoshi not proven to have such inner strength, 
the outcome might have been quite different.  I am certain that 
Professor Klove attacked Mihoshi first because he thought her weak 
and timid.  He underestimated her just as he underestimated our 
collective strength and determination.  That was his undoing.  But it 
was a close thing."

"It sure was, Grandfather," Tenchi agreed somberly.

"Although we'll never prove it, Professor Klove no doubt had a hand 
in the untimely deaths of some of the people involved in his 
prosecution and incarceration," Lord Yosho added.  "He likely used 
his stupendous hypnotic powers to enthrall some of the people who 
came in close contact with him and then employed that control to 
commit silent murder.  He was truly capable of anything.  We may 
never plumb just how extensive Professor Klove's crimes were."

"You speak of this Klove in the past tense, father-in-law," Nobuyuki 
said.  "Do you believe he is dead along with his mind creation?"

"Yes, son-in-law."  Lord Yosho looked reflective.  "He dedicated 
everything to his scheme to destroy us and to precipitate a civil war 
in the Galactic Union.  That was his sole reason for living.  When he 
failed, I am certain he simply had no reason to maintain his cold and 
numb existence.  Likely, he has willed himself to die.  He was but a 
small step from death all these years, anyway."

"What a waste, Grandfather," Tenchi said.  "What a waste of a 
brilliant intellect who could have done so much good."

"That's right, son," Nobuyuki affirmed.  "So many people squander 
their gifts.  It seems they lack a sense of balance, somehow."

"That is the key, son-in-law," Lord Yosho agreed.  "Balance.  Mind 
and heart.  Science and soul.  It is a lesson each generation must 
learn.  The more advanced we become, the harder that lesson is to 
learn."

"Speaking of science," Tenchi, who had been covertly monitoring his 
grandfather's expressions for signs the pain was becoming worse, now 
interjected, "where's Washuu and that medicine of hers?"

"Right here, Tenchi!"  Washuu walked into the bedroom.  "You men were 
having such a deep discussion, I didn't want to interrupt!"  She 
carried a blue jar in her hand.  Inside, a yellow creamy substance 
could be espied.  "This is just the stuff for Grandpa.  I already put 
some of it on Ryoko's welts.  She sure was a big baby about it.  Ayeka 
almost had to sit on her before she'd cooperate."

The three men exchanged grins.

"You were welcome to join in our discussion, Washuu," Nobuyuki told 
her.  "You're always welcome, you know."

"Thank you, sweetie!"  Washuu smiled fondly.  She patted Nobuyuki's 
arm.  "Why don't you help me rub this stuff on Grandpa?  Tenchi, you 
really don't have to wait around..."

Tenchi took the hint.  He said goodbye to all three of them and left.

As he exited the bedroom, Tenchi smiled.  He didn't mind being more 
or less shooed away.  His Dad and Washuu had a right to want to be 
alone...even if "alone" included Grandfather.  He decided to check on 
Tris.

Trundling down the stairs quickly, he walked past the living room 
where Ryoko and Ayeka were sitting on one of the couches.  They were 
discussing Ryoko's injuries caused by the tendrils of Professor 
Klove's mind monster.  He heard part of that discussion:

Ayeka:  "Do not be so stubborn, Ryoko.  Although Miss Washuu says you 
are not badly injured, those wounds look ghastly.  I have some 
wonderful cosmetics that will cover those welts until they are 
healed."
Ryoko:  "Aw, Washuu said they'll be gone in a few days.  She put that 
miracle goop on them, you know.  With me wearing this turtleneck 
sweater and these sweat pants, no one'll notice.  Besides, all you've 
got probably is wrinkle cream.  Lots of wrinkle cream!"
Ayeka:  "I do not!  How dare you!  My skin is flawless—-"
Ryoko:  "Yeah, it's the best skin money can buy!"

Tenchi quickly scooted past the living room as the two women's 
discussion reached a crescendo.  Yes, things were definitely getting 
back to normal.

Then he saw Mihoshi standing outside his closed bedroom door.  She 
looked worried and resigned.  She smiled wanly when she spotted him.  
She quickly put a finger to her lips.  Puzzled, Tenchi walked 
closer.  He heard the conversation within the bedroom quite plainly:

Tris:  "Look, I'm not gonna put on my pajamas until you leave, 
Kiyone."
Kiyone:  "Listen, goofy, you could black out with that head wound any 
minute.  I'm not leaving until you're in bed.  And then I'm still not 
leaving."
Tris:  "It was bad enough you waited right outside the shower while I 
was in it.  I thought you were going to join me for a minute there."
Kiyone:  "I would have, only there wasn't enough room!"
Tris (chuckling):  "Okay, okay...at least turn around, will you?"
Kiyone:  "Hey, buster, I'm not five years old.  I have an older 
brother, you know."
Tris:  "I know.  He must have been a saint to put up with—-ow!"

Tenchi turned from the door and grinned.  "These two are back to 
normal, huh?"

"Uh-huh," Mihoshi said.  "Don't tell Tris, but Washuu is going to 
give him something to make him sleep for a while once he gets in bed.  
That's why Kiyone doesn't want to leave him, I think."

Tenchi nodded.

"Tris asked us to leave so he could put on his pajamas.  I did, but 
Kiyone wouldn't.  And..."

"I get it," Tenchi told her.  "Hey, it sure got quiet in there."

Now Mihoshi smiled with amusement.  "I know why...don't you, Tenchi?"

Tenchi smiled back.  "Yeah, I do.  Well, I won't interrupt them now.  
Be sure he gets into bed, Mihoshi."

"We will, Tenchi."

Tenchi hesitated.  "Mihoshi..."

"Yes, Tenchi?"

"You know, you really saved all of us today.  I don't know if I could 
have broken free of Professor Klove's hypnosis like you did.  Then 
the way you used the remaining power in your ship to keep from 
crashing.  I'm not sure how that worked, but I do know it was an 
extraordinary thing you did.  I'll never forget it...and I don't 
think anyone else will, either."

Mihoshi looked him, her blue eyes sparkling, her face radiant.  
Tenchi wondered why they didn't take the time more often to express 
their appreciation to her.  She lit up so much when treated with 
consideration.  She really was a beautiful woman in every sense--
beautiful inside and beautiful outside.

"Thank you, Tenchi," she said softly.

"No...thank you, Mihoshi."  Tenchi leaned over and gently kissed her 
cheek.  He smiled at her and walked away.

Mihoshi touched her cheek where Tenchi had kissed her.  She felt so 
warm and happy.  She sighed soulfully and leaned against the bedroom 
door.  It was a special moment for her.  At least it was until Kiyone 
slid the door open to get Tris another pillow and Mihoshi fell, 
sprawling backwards onto the bedroom floor.  She hit the floor with a 
thump she really didn't feel and just lay there, smiling.

"Mihoshi!  You ding-dong!  What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Kiyone," Mihoshi replied dreamily, spread-
eagle on the floor.  "Nothing at all.  Just ask Tenchi."



"So Lord Yosho and Tris are okay, Tenchi?" Sasami asked him some 
minutes later.  They were both in the kitchen, where Sasami was 
busily preparing dinner.  She knew they had all missed lunch—-
unavoidably—-and she was endeavoring to prepare quite a substantial 
meal.  Tenchi had offered to help and she put him to work washing 
vegetables in the sink.  Ryo-Ohki was in the kitchen, too.  The 
cabbit was digesting a huge meal of carrots provided by Sasami.  
Ryo-Ohki now drowsed contentedly at Sasami's feet.

"Sure, Sasami," Tenchi told her.  "Washuu has some medicine for 
Grandfather and she's going to make sure Tris gets lots of sleep.  
>From the wonderful smells in here, I know your meal is going to be 
great medicine, too."

"Thank you, Tenchi."  Sasami smiled.  She went to the stove, stepped 
up on her footstool, and stirred two pots that simmered on low heat.  
"I'm sure everyone will feel better with a hot meal."  She paused, 
suddenly thoughtful.  "You know, this dinner was going to be our 
pizza party.  Gosh, all that seems to long ago...but it was only this 
morning that we talked about going shopping for it."   

"That's right," Tenchi agreed.  He ran the hand sprayer over the 
vegetables.  "It's lucky we only talked.  If that Klove had waited 
ten more minutes to make his move, we probably would have been on our 
way to the village when he attacked."

"I know," Sasami said.  "It would have been awful to have come back 
and found..." she didn't finish.  She didn't need to.

"Yeah.  This day was like a century--almost an eternity."  Tenchi 
then realized the irony in his words.  The fact was, it could have 
become an eternity for all of them.   

"Uh-huh!"  Sasami seemed to read his thoughts.  "I'm grateful it's 
almost over with...the day, I mean.  There's so much to be grateful 
for Tenchi.  We really take everything for granted, I think."

"Yeah, I guess you're right.  We sure take you for granted, Sasami."  
Tenchi glanced at her.  "You won that last battle for us.  You really 
did."

"Ohhhh..."  Sasami's face went pink with embarrassment.  "I was really 
just having a dream.  You all fought that Professor Klove's monster 
for real."

"Sasami."  Tenchi stacked the washed vegetables on the cutting board, 
ready for slicing and dicing.  He then turned toward the little girl.  
"You fought Klove for real—-and you won.  You let Tris put you into 
that trance knowing you would be facing that monster.  Yet none of us 
were sure you'd be able to call on your Jurai power.  I think that's 
the bravest thing I've ever seen anyone do.  To defy something as evil 
and powerful as that mind monster...that took real courage, Sasami."

Sasami stepped off her footstool.  She walked up to Tenchi.  She held 
out her arms, her cute freckled face flushed with happiness at his 
praise.  Tenchi bent down.  They held each other tightly, for a long 
moment.  Then he gently disengaged himself.  He smiled appreciatively 
at the child Princess.  He was devoted to Sasami and he couldn't be 
more proud of her.  He felt grateful for the opportunity to tell her 
so.  He rose, and his smile turned into a grin.  He indicated the 
vegetables.

"Say, Sasami, want me to slice up these veggies?  I promise I won't 
cut myself!"

Sasami giggled.  "I know you won't.  That would be very nice, Tenchi."

"Right.  I'm glad you put out so much food, Sasami," he said, opening 
a counter drawer, looking for a knife.  "We're all about ready to 
starve.  I think I can hear at least one person's tummy rumbling!"

In response, Sasami smiled and walked back to her low-boiling pots on 
the stove.  "I'll bet everyone's tummy is rumbling.  We'd better 
hurry!"



Thanks to a sleeping draught Washuu insisted he take after dinner 
(served to him in bed by Kiyone who made him eat every bite of it), 
Tris slept deeply and dreamlessly—-not even Professor Klove and Pretty 
Sammy combined could have invaded that stony slumber.  He finally 
awakened mid-morning the next day.  Tenchi, who had slept on the futon 
this time, was long gone, if course.  But he found Kiyone standing by 
his bed, smiling down at him.

She was bursting with news and no wonder.  After making her report to 
the Galaxy Police that morning in Washuu's lab, with Ayeka adding her 
testimony, both Kiyone and Mihoshi had suddenly been ordered back to 
Galaxy Police Headquarters.

"Medals?" Tris asked.  He was instantly wide awake at the wonderful 
news.

"That's right!"  Kiyone beamed.  "We just got a call back from Chief 
Bodai.  Both the Grand Marshall and the High Commissioner plan to 
award Mihoshi and me Meritorious Service Medals.  Imagine!  Junior 
officers almost never get those!"

"Smoking!" Tris told her.  "Your report must have really impressed 
them."

"It impressed them—-and maybe infuriated them a little too," Kiyone 
admitted with a wry smile.  "Here they had this crack investigative 
team working for so long to solve all those serial killings and two 
low-ranking detectives did the job!"  Kiyone looked quite pleased 
about that.  "Ayeka really talked us up to the Grand Marshall and the 
High Commissioner got on the line, too, and heard it.  He commended us 
for a second time.  Tris, it's wonderful!  With the case solved and 
the medals, we'll probably get our reprimands removed from our 
records.  We'll be sergeants again!"

"Hey, that is wonderful!" Tris told her.  He felt an inward twinge at 
what that meant for him and Kiyone, but he ignored it.  This was 
Kiyone's big moment and he wouldn't ruin it for her.  "Is Yogami able 
to take you back?"

"Sure.  Washuu and Mihoshi and I worked on her early this morning.  We 
got her reactor going again and warmed up her thrusters.  She's fully 
operational now, orbiting the Earth.  The fact is, Mihoshi and I are 
about to take off.  I just took the chance you might be awake to tell 
you."

"Well, that explains why you're in uniform."  Tris paused.  That 
twinge had mushroomed into a full-grown thumping in his stomach.  He 
felt certain now that Kiyone would not come back.  Even if promotions 
didn't go with the medals, she and Mihoshi might still be assigned 
back to Headquarters.  At the very least, Kiyone would work her 
damndest to parlay her medal into a Headquarters assignment.  That was 
what she wanted above all else and nothing would stand in her way if 
that opportunity came to her again...and it just had.  The Galaxy 
Police was Kiyone's real life and a somewhat hapless Earthling had no 
place in that life.  Tenchi had told him that repeatedly and he had 
always known it, really.  Even so, it didn't make him feel one whit 
better.  

Tris had already decided he wanted to give Kiyone something--something 
special.  He'd better give it to her now.

"Wait a minute."  He flung off the covers and stood up out of bed.  He 
swayed a bit, as his vision fuzzed, briefly.

"Tris!"

His vision cleared.  "I'm all right."  He waved off her anxious hands 
and walked slowly, barefoot and in his oversized sweatshirt-pajamas, 
to the closet.  He opened the closet and withdrew a garment.  He 
handed it to Kiyone.

"Here...I want you to have this."  It was his father's A-2 pilot's 
jacket.

"Tris!  You can't mean it."

"I do mean it."

"But..."  Kiyone shook her head.  "Your father's jacket!" 

He held it out to her.  Finally, she took it from him.

Tris walked back to the bed gingerly, and sat down on it.  "Look, I've 
been doing some thinking...believe it or not!  I've been pretty dense.  
You and Tenchi and Lord Yosho and practically everyone else have been 
trying to tell me that I've been leaning too much on the memories of 
my parents.  They've become kind of a crutch, and that's the last 
thing Mom and Dad would have wanted.  That jacket is a fighter pilot's 
jacket.  It was worn by a fighter pilot.  It ought to be worn by 
another fighter pilot.  I'll never be one—-I get airsick!"  Tris 
grinned dolefully.  "But I know Dad would have considered you to be a 
fighter pilot, Kiyone—-a damned good one.  He would have been happy 
for you to wear it.  And I'd be happy if you took it."

"Tris..."  Kiyone's eyes glinted a moment and she quickly blinked away 
the sudden moisture.  "This jacket means so much to you."

"Your having it means more to me.  Put it on."

Kiyone did, with alacrity.  "It's a nice fit...a bit long in the arms 
but that's all right," she commented.  "It feels...wonderful."

"Then you'll take it?"

"I'll take it.  But when I wear it, I'll be wearing it for both of 
us—-and your Dad."

"That works for me, Kiyone," Tris said.  "Check out the right-hand 
pocket."

Kiyone unsnapped the pocket flap and reached inside.  Her hand 
withdrew the Ray Ban pilot's sunglasses.  "Wow!  Great!  I love how I 
look in these.  But won't you need them to drive?"  She was referring 
to the trip to the department store--it seemed so long ago.

"I've got another pair—-ones I bought on my own," Tris told her.  
"Those shades kind of go with the jacket."

Kiyone put the sunglasses back into the flapped pocket.  Then she ran 
her hands over the soft lambskin, caressingly.  "Since you're being 
so generous--how about the Mustang?"  She grinned.

Tris groaned.  "Give a cop an inch...no, that's one crutch I'll hold 
on to.  Got to wean myself away slowly."

"You keep that car, Tris Coffin," Kiyone told him seriously.  "You 
and your Mom and Dad had such wonderful times in it.  It's not a 
crutch.  It's a wonderful memory you can actually touch."

"Okay.  Well, I know you need to get going.  I'll see you when you 
get back."  Tris quickly slid back under the covers.  He really didn't 
feel like resting after that long slumber, but he didn't want to 
prolong their parting.  Pretending he was still woozy was a cheap 
trick, but he didn't have any others up his sleeve.  He just didn't 
have the courage to play the scene straight.  "I'm really feeling 
ragged...guess I'll have to conk out again for a while."

Kiyone just stood there, in her Galaxy Police uniform and the leather 
pilot's jacket, looking at Tris.  She pursed her lips.  Then she 
walked up to him and bent over.  She gently kissed his cheek.  "You 
need to shave," she said softly.  

"Send in the nurse, then," Tris muttered.  "Goodbye, Kiyone."

Kiyone slowly straightened.  She looked at him for what seemed a long 
time.  "Goodbye, Tris."  She turned and left the bedroom, sliding the 
door shut behind her.

Tris spent a long miserable time in bed until he was certain Kiyone 
had taken off in Yogami with Mihoshi.  Then he rose and took a long 
hot shower.  After drying himself off, he dressed and wandered into 
the kitchen where Sasami happily prepared him some tea and generally 
fussed over him.

Staring at him, the little girl thought Tris looked awfully sad...and 
she felt certain she knew why.



One person who didn't feel a bit sad was Chief Bodai.  With Captain 
Tookal watching him, he had just personally inspected the official 
certificates that would go with the medals to be presented to 
Detectives First Class Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu.

They were both in Tookal's office, a cramped cubbyhole that adjoined 
the Lord Marshall's cavernous lair.  Re-reading the last sentence in 
Kiyone's certificate, "...reflects great credit and devotion to the 
Galactic Union and the Galaxy Police," Bodai was just about bursting 
with pride for his favorite pupil from the Academy days.  In a very 
real sense, he felt vindicated.  

"Yes, they're fine, Captain," Bodai said.  "Rather well composed, I'd 
say."

"Thanks, Chief," Tookal said.  He had prepared the certificates and 
written the words that praised the two detectives' exceptional 
performances in the line of duty.  Such tasks fell upon Tookal as the 
Grand Marshall's executive officer.  "The usual florid phrases and 
the boilerplate statements...all of which have to be included, you 
know.  But I think I managed to get the gist of their accomplishments 
across."

"You did.  Our two detectives will be pleased and proud.  I get the 
distinct impression that you're rather pleased with them yourself, 
Captain."  And that was unusual.  Tookal almost always maintained a 
professional disinterest in personnel matters.  It was, perhaps, 
necessary since he often authored letters of reprimand and 
admonishment for officers who went astray.  In fact, he had written 
the letters of reprimand over the Slaakive mis-identification case 
that still festered in Kiyone's and Mihoshi's personnel records.

"Well...perhaps, Chief.  At least, I am relieved that those serial 
killings have been solved.  They plagued Himself no end.  He and the 
High Commissioner inherited that mess, you know."

"I know now," Chief Bodai replied pointedly.  Even though he had 
been informed by the Grand Marshall about the case, of course, he 
knew little about its suddent solution, except that the covert 
investigating task force had been disbanded and that Professor Klove, 
a supposedly comatose prisoner, had been responsible somehow for all 
the killings.

"Yes, well...perhaps keeping an airtight lid on that case wasn't the 
best idea, Chief," Captain Tookal admitted.  "But that is all moot 
now, of course.  Professor Klove died yesterday, showing no more signs 
of consciousness than he displayed all those years he was locked away.  
We have your officers' report and the testimony of Princess Ayeka 
Jurai herself on how Klove committed the murders and how he was 
defeated, and Himself and the High Commissioner are satisfied.  What's 
more, the royals on Jurai have also indicated their satisfaction with 
closing out the case.  And that, Chief, is that."

Chief Bodai frowned.  He didn't like being kept in the dark.  He hoped 
this would be the last instance of such stonewalling he would ever 
see.  Secret investigations and covert action had no place in the 
Galaxy Police, he believed.  "Just one more thing.  That hacking 
attempt—-I should say, hacking success.  The investigation into it..."

"Will not be pursued, Chief.  The matter is closed."  Captain Tookal 
placed the certificates in transparent platters.  The actual medals 
were in the Grand Marshall's office, where the Grand Marshall, the 
High Commissioner, and Detectives Makibi and Kuramitsu were having an 
informal chat.  Bodai suspected both the Grand Marshall and the High 
Commissioner were gently grilling the two detectives on the actual 
involvement of Princess Ayeka in the defeat of Professor Klove, but 
that was to be expected.  The Jurai royal family wielded tremendous 
clout.  When such august personages were involved, every detail of 
that involvement was vital information.

"Good.  Well, we need to get this show on the road.  I suppose 
they'll finish chatting in there eventually, and—-" Chief Bodai 
stopped as Captain Tookal's comm module buzzed.  Tookal punched a 
touchpad.  The viewscreen remained blank.  Only a voice issued from 
the module.

"Captain Tookal?"  It was the rasping voice of Sergeant Katzaar.

"Yes, Sergeant.  Is there a malfunction of your viewscreen?"

"No, sir.  Actually, I'm in Chief Bodai's office.  Is he there, sir?"

Tookal looked at Bodai.  "Yes, Sergeant, he is." 

Bodai said, "What is it, Sergeant?  We will be presenting the medals 
very shortly.  In fact, it wouldn't hurt for you to be there when we 
do."

"Sir..."  Sergeant Katzaar's voice was hesitant.  "Please come to your 
office.  I—-We—-have something very important to discuss."

Captain Tookal's saucer-shaped eyes widened with surprise.  Chief 
Bodai grimaced.  "Can't it wait?  The medal presentation—-"

"Chief, this can't wait.  And it has to do with the medal 
presentation, in a way."

Bodai looked at Tookal.  The captain shrugged.  "You'd better go.  
I'll explain to Himself and the others.  Just don't be too long about 
it."

The Chief nodded.  "All right, Sergeant," he said into the comm 
module.  "But this had better be good."

Chief Bodai left the exec's office.  He walked down the hallway.  He 
felt peeved at Sergeant Katzaar.  Could it be that even after their 
discussion that damned Katzaar was still dedicated to shoveling dirt 
on Kiyone and Mihoshi?  If so, God help him!

After turning several corners and entering the Patrol Section of the 
Headquarters, Chief Bodai reached the closed door of his office.  No
doubt, Sergeant Katzaar had closed it.  What was he being so damned
secretive about, anyway?  Bodai shrugged irritably.  He pressed the 
security panel that opened his door, let it slide open, and barged 
in.  "Now, what is this all about—-?"

He stopped.  

The Chief of Patrol was floored at what he saw in his office.  Not so 
much by the presence of Sergeant Katzaar and Sergeant Sakakibara.  
No, what amazed him was the fact that they were holding hands.  
Mitsuki looked scared but also determined.  Youri looked...well, like 
a man holding hands with a woman who most definitely was not a 
relative.

"You'd better close the door, Chief," Sergeant Katzaar said.

Chief Bodai just stared at him.  He had told Katzaar that it better 
be good.  Now he was going to find out just how good it was.



Washuu kicked at the leaves and sticks and shredded shrubbery and 
flower fragments and all the other debris that still covered much of 
the grounds between the house and the lake.  As bad as all that 
flotsam looked, she knew that the ground beneath it must look even 
worse.  Professor Klove's mind monster had been rather generous with 
those plasma globules, especially toward the end, and the ground was 
blasted in many areas with charred turf and craters.  In fact, one 
had to step carefully to avoid falling into one of those craters.

Despite the messy grounds, and the blasted remains of small trees and 
bushes all around her, Washuu had to admit the outdoors were, on the 
whole, rather pleasant.  The unseasonably warm weather continued 
unabated.  It was rather like summer, but a summer with the freshness 
and budding of spring.  That blue Earth sky was a honey.  Fluffy white 
clouds, a delicious oxygen-rich atmosphere, songbirds twittering in 
the remaining trees, a lack of anything really venomous insect-wise--
yep, Earth really was a paradise.  Too bad the Earthlings either 
didn't know it or didn't appreciate it.

Washuu, of course, was not outdoors to frolic in the pleasures of the 
spring day.  She had already been outside once during the morning to 
help Kiyone and Mihoshi re-fire Yogami's main reactor and get her 
engines operational.  But that had been accomplished hours and hours 
ago.  Kiyone and Mihoshi were long gone.  Washuu had already returned 
to her sub-dimensional lab to see about a few experiments she was 
beginning.  Once satisfied they were well and truly launched and 
needed no input from her for a while, she had felt an impulse seize 
her.

It was about time she and Tenchi had a talk.  And Tenchi would be 
outdoors attempting to do something about the ruined landscape, no 
doubt.  She had checked again on Lord Yosho and that cutie, Tris, and 
both had been doing nicely, except that Tris seemed down in the mouth 
about something or other.  Then Washuu had again gone outdoors, this 
time to look for Tenchi.

She found him staring moodily at a row of what once had been cherry 
tree saplings, but were now just ripped-up holes in the turf.  The 
cherry trees, once matured, were meant to line the main stone walkway 
leading to the steps of the temple.  Now they were mixed in amongst 
the debris on the lawn. 

"Hi there, Tenchi," Washuu said to him, as sprightly as ever.  In his 
short-sleeved white polo shirt and dungarees, Tenchi was a handsome 
young man, a heartbreaker, really.  Poor Ryoko and Ayeka!  One of them 
was going to be horribly disappointed.  Washuu was glad she had gotten 
involved with Nobie.  Now there was a real man, too.  He could be 
hapless and he was quiet and unassuming, but inside he had his son's 
strength and compassion.  He was a pretty good kisser, too...there was 
plenty of fire left in his furnace!  

Tenchi turned to look at her.  "Oh, hi, Washuu."  He turned back to 
stare at the former home turf of the little cherry tree saplings he 
had planted himself.

"Yup, those are holes in the ground," Washuu twitted him, attempting 
to lighten his mood.  "So now you can say you do know something from 
a hole in the ground—-right?"  She chuckled.

Tenchi did not share her humor.  "Tris and I have to go back to 
college next week, Washuu.  Even if I work every weekend and holiday 
and Tris helps me, we'll be forever cleaning up this place...and 
after all we did.  Damn it!"

Washuu inwardly smiled.  Men!  Getting so wrapped up in silly things 
like lawn care.  "Well, you're lucky to still have a place to clean 
up, Tenchi.  We all are."

"I know that!"  Tenchi seemed a bit nettled.  "I'm grateful it wasn't 
worse.  But that doesn't help with the clean-up."

"Uh-huh.  Tenchi, do you really know how close we came to becoming 
just a few more statistics for the GP?" 

"I think so," he replied with heavy irony.  "I was there, you know."

Washuu shook her head.  "When I scanned Ryoko after the fight, she was 
down to less than ten percent of her normal energy level.  Much lower 
and she would have been a helpless as a baby...and maybe dead.  
Ryo-Ohki was nearly a cooked cabbit.  She would have fought at the 
end, even against Ryoko's orders, but her energy level was dangerously 
low, too.  I only had the power of the batteries in my console.  Ayeka 
was dying.  Your grandfather was out of the fight.  Kiyone and Mihoshi 
were set for a watery grave once that blob finished with us.  Tris was 
helpless and so was Sasami, seemingly.  Tenchi, we've all never been 
so close to death before.  Even against Kagato, only you and Grandpa 
and Ayeka were that bastard's targets.  Of course, I hate to even 
think about how much mercy Kagato would have shown us if he won the 
battle he fought with you."

Tenchi nodded.  His visible irritation had vanished.  "That's right, 
Washuu.  Klove targeted all of us, even Tris.  And for a little while 
there, it did look like curtains for us."  He grinned suddenly.  "You 
know, it's still hard to believe that Sasami's make-believe alter ego 
saved us!"

"Perhaps it wasn't make-believe, Tenchi, not really," Washuu said.  
"We know now that there is a Dream Dimension.  Perhaps we really live 
separate lives there, in a way, when we dream.  Who knows?  Maybe 
this, right now, is a dream and what we experience when we think we're 
sleeping is the real thing!"  Washuu raised an eyebrow.

"Aw, Washuu...that's not true."

"'Course not!  But it's a hoot to speculate about.  If I was a real 
meanie, I'd spring that idea on Mihoshi.  See what she makes of it."

"Don't you dare, Washuu!" Tenchi warned her.

"I won't.  Besides, she and Kiyone are probably not coming back, you 
know."

"I know.  This is the big case Kiyone was looking for and she won't 
leave that Headquarters again.  She'll find a way to get re-assigned 
there.  That's why Mihoshi cried when they left this morning.  She 
knows Kiyone!  Ryoko told me she'll probably end up meeting them 
somewhere in space to give them the stuff they left behind.  Ayeka is 
upset with Kiyone.  I think Sasami is, too.  Grandfather and Dad 
haven't said anything, but you can tell they feel badly for Tris.  I 
know I do."

"Everyone knows, then!  Um...does Tris?"

"I don't know.  He probably suspects, though," Tenchi replied.  "He's 
awfully dense if he doesn't."

"Well, that boy can be awfully dense sometimes.  Going to tell him?"

"No.  We really don't know for certain, although I think it's pretty 
definite.  Anyway, Kiyone should tell him, don't you think?"

Washuu nodded somberly.  "She should...but she might not, Tenchi.  
She's a great gal and super at her job but her interpersonal skills 
are still pretty undeveloped in some areas.  She's never had a real 
boyfriend before, I suspect.  She probably doesn't know jack about 
how to break up with one."

"Well, she should take a stab at it, anyway.  Even with just a message 
or something."  Tenchi's face betrayed the fact that he was not 
entirely happy with Kiyone, either.  

"She still might.  She can call him and talk to him.  There's the comm 
console in my lab.  With all that distance between them, she may not 
feel so...tentative about it."

"I hope she does."  Tenchi shrugged and looked away, indicating that 
was all the breath he wanted to expend on that topic.  That was fine 
with Washuu.  She wanted to bring up another topic, anyway.

"Tenchi...about your Dad and me..."

Tenchi turned around.  He was plainly very much interested in what 
she had to say about that subject.

"Here I am, the greatest scientist in the galaxy, and even I can't 
explain that kind of chemistry...the kind between a guy and a gal.  I 
always kind of admired your father's selfless devotion to you and the 
home.  But that's all it was, Tenchi.  You know that.  But then your 
Dad got fired and..."  Washuu shrugged.  "He was pretty brave and 
strong about it, after he got over the shock.  Then he started his 
own business and showed all those creeps up.  It just got to me."

"Washuu...you don't have to explain."

"Yeah, I do.  Because I really like your Dad...maybe more than like 
him.  And maybe he feels the same way about me."  The redheaded 
scientist looked positively demur for a second.  "If it turns out he 
does, well, I'm not letting him get away, Tenchi.  I don't dig being 
an old maid anymore.  I'm a woman, even if I look so young.  You know 
that I'm really about as young as Methuselah."

That made Tenchi grin.  "That old phrase, "You're only as old as you 
look," really applies to you, Washuu."

"Why, you sweet boy!  Thank you!  You get that silver tongue from your 
Dad, I know."  Washuu smiled, almost shyly.

"I suppose you don't want to be called Little Washuu anymore, huh?" 
Tenchi added, still grinning.

"Oh, now Tenchi!  That was just a phase I went through.  You guys 
hardly ever called me that, anyway."

"That's true.  Washuu...I was wondering.  Did what happened with 
Kiyone and Tris influence you about not wanting to be alone anymore?"

The great scientist's smile widened.  "I said you were a brainy boy, 
Tenchi.  Yeah, I guess it did.  I didn't expect Kiyone to fall for a 
guy—-I mean, not until she had her career all shipshape again.  Still, 
she went ahead and took a chance with Tris.  It surprised me at first.  
But then I came to understand why."

"Would you tell me, then?" Tenchi asked.  "I'm not entirely clear in 
my mind about all that."

"Sure.  Kiyone realized she had denied herself so many things for so 
long, like having a romance with a guy--and for what?  Her career?  
After all her sacrifices and dedication, her career was in tatters 
again.  So when she started getting sweet on your buddy, she decided 
to hell with her self-sacrifice and at least give Tris a chance.  It 
didn't last, but what they had was pretty good, for a while.  And she 
got her career back on track anyway."  Washuu looked thoughtful.  "It 
kind of got me thinking, Tenchi.  Why was I living like a old maid—-a 
"mole," like Ryoko says?  For what?  I can keep my brilliant record 
going strong and have a little romance, too.  So when your Dad 
suddenly looked like Sir Galahad to me...well, you know the rest."

Tenchi nodded.  He now regarded Washuu fondly. 

"Anyway, that's how it all got started," Washuu said.  "It's gone even 
further than I thought it would.  So I could be a permanent fixture 
around here.  Your Dad might even insist we do that legal thing, the 
old-fashioned sweetie.  I just want you to know—-I really adore your 
Dad.  I hope that doesn't make things awkward for you, Tenchi."  
Washuu didn't mention Tenchi's late mother—-she didn't need to.  It 
was understood that she would in no way presume to replace his mother, 
or even be a stepmother.  But she would be a friend.

"Well, it's a little unexpected, Washuu.  But we're good friends, I 
think, and your being close to Dad won't change that.  Besides, if 
you make Dad happy...that'll make me happy."

Washuu impulsively took Tenchi's hand and squeezed it gently before 
releasing it.  "What a good son you are, Tenchi Masaki...and what a 
lamb.  You know, Grandpa keeps harping about how good things sometimes 
come from bad things.  Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that I was 
sent into exile all those centuries ago.  Not if it meant meeting you 
and Grandpa and Nobie...and everyone else."  

Suddenly they both were interrupted a voice.  It said:

"Hey, this is the part of the movie where I go out for refreshments.  
Cut to the chase, will you?  Enough hearts and flowers stuff!" 

They couldn't see the source of the voice.  They both knew what that 
meant.

"Ryoko!" Tenchi groaned.

The space pirate now lowered herself from the concealing branches of 
one of the few trees that had survived the intra-dimensional blast.  
She hovered just above them.  "You get it right every time, sweetums!"  
Ryoko grinned.  "See, didn't I tell you you'd be calling the mad 
scientist here "Mom" someday?  Maybe you'll believe what I tell you 
the next time."

"I suppose," Washuu said, "that the words "private conversation" don't 
mean anything to you, Ryoko?"

The platinum-haired and golden-eyed space pirate settled to the 
debris-covered ground.  "Now, Washuu," she admonished.  "Don't start 
talking silly like the Princess.  When Tenchi and I get married, 
you'll get all the privacy you want.  Until then, I'm looking out for 
my sweetums' best interests."

"And you're the one who decides what my best interests are, huh?" 
Tenchi asked her.

"Of course!  Who else, lover?"

"Me, for one."

Washuu chuckled.  "Gee, that's a thought, huh, Ryoko?"

Ryoko clearly didn't like that thought and told Washuu so with a 
glare from her golden eyes.

Tenchi turned and shuffled aside some of the debris from the ground 
with his foot.  At least there was green grass underneath that spot.  
He was still dispirited about all the work to be done to the lawn.  
Yeah, weekends, holidays...Tris would help, Tenchi knew.  Maybe Tris 
would feel better enough by tomorrow to help him get started.  If 
nothing else, hard work would help keep Tris's mind off Kiyone.



At that moment, standing with Mihoshi in the Grand Marshall's 
awesomely big (but also awesomely austere) office, Kiyone's mind was 
on one thing—-getting the damned medal, already.  Then she could talk 
to Chief Bodai.  She had a favor or two to ask him and if this so-
called ceremony dragged on much longer, it would be the end of the 
main duty shift and the Chief would go home.  Kiyone wanted an answer 
from him today.

Oddly enough, the Chief himself caused the delay.  It was surprising 
and irritating to Kiyone.  Just when Lord Kuramitsu and the High 
Commissioner, Draxel Shen-Tai, had finally wearied of pumping her and 
Mihoshi about Ayeka's involvement not only with them but also with 
Tenchi and Lord Yosho, Chief Bodai had bugged out.  That skinny 
Captain with the big eyes, Tookal, had informed them that Chief Bodai 
was unavoidably detained but would join them shortly.

Lord Kuramitsu had harrumphed and looked at his granddaughter as if 
she were to blame.  Mihoshi apparently knew that look well, for she 
just bowed and said nothing.  Amazing!  Mihoshi didn't even bow to 
Ayeka and only rarely to Lord Yosho.  Of course, she was minor 
nobility herself.  It was too bad Lord K. couldn't accompany them on 
some of their missions...he could at least keep Mihoshi on her toes, 
something Kiyone had to admit she was a complete failure at.  The 
High Commissioner, a plump little pink-skinned bureaucrat who smiled a 
lot, had used the excuse to quietly talk to Lord K. about the outgoing 
Chief of Personnel.  From the High Commissioner's tone, he wasn't 
happy about something.  The Grand Marshall appeared not to give a 
diddly damn what the High Commissioner liked or didn't like.  Kiyone 
inwardly grinned.  Lord K. certain lived up to his reputation.

Now, as the two august officials conversed, Kiyone, for about the 
tenth time, walked to the far wall and examined the few pictures 
posted there.  Inevitably, her eyes lingered on the Kuramitsu family 
portrait.  Lord K. had been handsome as a younger man...in fact, he 
was no slouch now, Kiyone acknowledged.  And Mihoshi!  Those big blue 
eyes and that idiotic loving smile.  She had been one cute little 
girl, no doubt about it.  Kiyone sensed movement behind her.  
Mihoshi, as usual, was following her around.

"I remember that picture being taken," Mihoshi said.  Her eyes showed 
no sign of all the waterworks earlier, thank heavens.  She had finally 
stopped bawling when they reached Galaxy Police Headquarters.  Kiyone 
hadn't been able to understand it.  Sure, Mihoshi would be sad at 
being away from Earth a little while, but to sit in her co-pilot's 
seat during the trip in Yogami and hug that ugly stuffed dog and sob--
that was a bit heavy, even for her.  Everyone had acted oddly, though.  
Tris had all but shooed her away, although she ascribed that to his 
head injury, the poor darling.  Tenchi and Ryoko and Washuu had been 
polite but reserved at their parting and Ayeka--her particular friend, 
Ayeka--had seemed miffed with her, as did Sasami.  Kiyone couldn't 
figure it out.  Maybe it was just the after-effect of the battle with 
Klove's mind monster—-had it only been two Earth days ago?

"I know," Kiyone replied.  "You told me."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did."

"Oh."

They both looked at the picture.  There was nothing else to do.

"See how handsome Mezim was, even back then?" Mihoshi asked her.

Kiyone rolled her eyes with exasperation.  Mihoshi had invited Kiyone 
to her home on Kawaiidan once, solely to try to play matchmaker 
between her partner and her youngest brother, Mezim.  Kiyone had 
passed.  Mezim was a handsome guy and nice—-they had talked a bit at 
her and Mihoshi's graduation—-but Kiyone had no intention of marrying 
into Mihoshi's family.  Not then, now, or ever!  One Kuramitsu hanging 
around her was enough!

"Yeah, he's a good-looker," Kiyone said.  She hoped her partner would 
drop the subject.  Out of boredom, she looked closer at the younger 
version of Mihoshi in the family portrait.  "Hey...what's that smear 
on your face?"  She pointed at the picture.

Mihoshi looked closer.  "Ohhhh...I've almost forgotten about that.  I 
was eating something—-I think it was an Ignuzi nut bar—-just before 
the picture was taken.  I guess I didn't wipe it all off, huh?"

"I guess not!"  Kiyone groaned inside.  Wonderful!  Every visitor to 
the Grand Marshall's office saw her partner's smeary face in that 
picture!  All those VIPs knew her partner only as a kid who couldn't 
wipe her face properly.  That must have really burnished her and 
Mihoshi's reputations, boy!  Kiyone's fondest wish now was that the 
Grand Marshall would take down that picture and burn it.

Kiyone was trying to think up a way to suggest to Mihoshi that she ask 
her grandfather to deep six the family portrait when a buzz sounded 
from the Grand Marshall's desk console.  Lord Kuramitsu broke off the 
discussion with the High Commissioner—-gladly, from his expression-—
and strode to his desk module.  He punched a few touchpads.  "Yes?"

"I'm patching in Chief Bodai, Excellency," Captain Tookal's voice 
rose from the comm panel.

"I don't wish to talk to him—-I wish to see him.  In here."  The 
Grand Marshall sounded impatient.  Kiyone was glad it wasn't she who 
was keeping Lord Kuramitsu waiting.

"Excellency, you'll want to hear what he has to say," Captain Tookal 
said mildly.

"Will everyone else in here also want to hear it?" The Grand Marshall 
queried, wondering if he should clear his office.  It would be a 
pleasure to show the High Commissioner out.

"Yes, Excellency."

"Oh, very well.  Patch him in."

A moment later, Chief Bodai's voice issued from the comm panel.  
"Excellency?"

"Yes, yes.  Now, what's going on?  We need to move on with this 
ceremony."

"That's just it, Excellency...we will need to slightly alter the 
ceremony," Chief Bodai told him.  Was there just the smidgen of 
amusement in the Chief of Patrol's voice?

"How so?  Explain yourself."

"As soon as I have a certain statement--I should say, confession--
properly witnessed and transcribed," Chief Bodai explained, "we will 
need to have both an awards ceremony—-and a promotion ceremony."

"What?"

"Excellency...wouldn't you like to be the one to pin sergeant rank 
back on Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu?" Chief Bodai's voice 
asked.

"I..."  The Grand Marshall frowned a moment.  Then...he smiled.  
Really smiled.  "Yes," he said.  "I would.  I would, indeed."

"I'll bring you the transcript as soon as possible," Chief Bodai 
promised.

"Do that...and thank you, Bodai.  Out."  The Grand Marshall 
terminated the call.

Stunned, Kiyone was dimly aware of the blond hurricane once again 
hugging her, kissing her, and crying.  Both Lord Kuramitsu and Draxel 
Shen-Tai watched the two young women indulgently.  Even the most 
hardened policeman and the most cynical politician in the galaxy 
could not help but be moved at the sight of justice—-real justice—-
finally being served.



Some time later, dinner was served at the Masaki home.  The food had 
a very special seasoning--more good news from Galaxy Police 
Headquarters.

"You mean--that bitch of a cop Mitsuki confessed?" Ryoko asked Washuu, 
agog.

"That she did," Washuu grinned.  "Are there any more shrimp cakes, 
Sasami?"

"Sure!"  Sasami rose from the table.  She was smiling with deep 
satisfaction at the news.  "Just a moment."  She scooted to the 
kitchen.

The meal had begun quietly and without Washuu, at first.  Ayeka had 
been a bit upset at this; she had hoped that even after the crisis had 
passed Miss Washuu would still regularly attend meals.  It was true 
that Nobuyuki was also absent, but he had an excuse—-he was having 
dinner with his business partners and a potential client who could 
throw considerable work their way.  Ayeka's ruminations on the great 
scientist's seeming relapse into hermitism had been cut short when 
Washuu suddenly appeared.  Beaming, she told them she had just 
concluded a comm call with Mihoshi—-a comm call packed with news.

"So our Detectives are Sergeants again," Lord Yosho noted.  He sat at 
his accustomed place at the table despite his wound, thanks to 
Washuu's salve.  "That is excellent news, Professor Washuu."

"That's righteous, all right," Tris agreed.  He was genuinely glad 
for both Kiyone and Mihoshi, despite the fact that the news made 
their permanent absence seem certain.

"I'm glad you think so, Tristram," Lord Yosho said shrewdly.

"We all think so, Grandfather," Tenchi said.  "I was certain they 
would be vindicated, but hearing they finally have been—-it's such a 
rush.  I couldn't be happier for them."

"Yes, Lord Tenchi, this is an auspicious event.  A great wrong done 
to those two has been righted.  I only wish they were here so we 
could congratulate them in person..."  Ayeka looked at Tris and 
realized her gaffe.  "Of course, we can do that later...when they 
return," she added hastily.

Ryoko looked up at the ceiling.  Her sardonic expression seemed to 
say: Yeah, when they return--when hell freezes over!

Sasami came in with a platter heaped full of shrimp cakes.  She 
placed the platter on the table and sat down.

"So how did it happen, Washuu?" the little Princess asked eagerly.

Washuu helped herself to a shrimp cake and chewed a bite of it with 
evident satisfaction.  She swallowed.  "This is delicious, Sasami.  
You must give me the recipe."

"Huh?" asked Sasami.

"What?" Ryoko demanded.

"Miss Washuu?" Ayeka queried.

Washuu looked at the other females, bemused by their reaction.  "Oh, 
don't pop your corsets, ladies.  I just think it's time I learned to 
cook."

Ryoko looked slyly at her and then looked at Tenchi.  "Uh-huh."

Ayeka caught the look.  The same thought had crossed her mind.  
Sasami just looked puzzled.

""Pop your corsets"—-that's pretty good, Washuu," Tris told the great 
scientist appreciatively.

"I must disagree, Tristram," Ayeka told him.  "None of us wear 
corsets!  The very notion—-"

"It was just a figure of speech, Ayeka," Washuu explained.  The 
Princess was sure touchy tonight.

"Speaking of figures...you do too wear a kind of a corset, Princess," 
Ryoko charged.

"I never--!"

"Yeah?  What about that tight girdle you wear under that robe or gown 
or whatever it is?  Remember, we see you undress every night.  We 
know!"

"That is not a foundation garment!" Ayeka snapped.  "It is simply an 
undergarment.  It is an item of royal rainment.  Calling it a girdle!  
That is ridiculous."

"It's form fitting," Sasami elaborated.  "It's supposed to be.  It's 
something like what they call a basque here.  But it's not really a 
girdle or corset or anything like that, Ryoko.  It makes your figure 
smooth so that the gown doesn't show, you know, lines and things—-"

"Please do not bother to explain, Sasami," Ayeka requested.  Then she 
saw Ryoko grin.  Too late.  The space pirate had just gotten back at 
her for the comments she had made about Ryoko's appearance following 
the battle with Professor Klove's mind monster.  Ayeka's face flushed 
with mortification. 

Ryoko let it drop.  Paybacks were hell...and sweet.  She sighed.  She 
was content.  Ayeka seethed, but did so quietly.  

"Washuu, please finish telling us what happened with Kiyone and 
Mihoshi," Tenchi urged her.  

"Oh, right!  Well, it seems that this Mitsuki was pretty eaten up with 
guilt over what she did to Kiyone and Mihoshi...especially Kiyone.  
They were best friends at the Galaxy Police Academy, you see.  But 
they fell into this competitive mode and it got out of hand.  They 
ended up being rivals instead of friends.  Anyway, there's a Chief 
Bodai who ranks pretty high at the GP—-you remember, he asked for 
Kiyone's and Mihoshi's case to be reinvestigated after those brats 
from Souiis were shipped back home."

"And he was their favorite instructor at that Academy," Tris added.  
"So he was on Kiyone's side from the start."

"That's right, cutie.  It seems he enlisted some guy, a Sergeant 
Katzaar, to keep an eye on Mitsuki in case she showed signs of 
weakening or did something compromising."

"Katzaar!"  Tris blinked, surprised.  "That's the bum who chewed out 
Mihoshi for nothing, really, while I was on Yogami.  Back then, he 
was out to get her and Kiyone on any lame excuse he could dig up."

"Yes, I do recall Kiyone talking about him to me," Ayeka said.  "She 
indicated he was part of a clique that, among other things, wanted 
her and Mihoshi out of the GP.  He was allied with a Lieutenant 
Zay're...now, that Zay're family, I know all about them.  A group of 
opportunists!  They are powerful, though."

"Well, Katzaar must have gotten religion somewhere along the way, 
because he was helping that Chief Bodai," Washuu said.  "It seems that 
while Mitsuki was feeling more and more guilty over what she did to 
Kiyone and Mihoshi, some hotshot GP officer broke his engagement to 
her—-I think Mihoshi said he was that Lieutenant Zay're you mentioned, 
Ayeka.  So Mitsuki was at the end of her rope.  Katzaar cornered her 
and made her see the light, so to speak.  Turns out those two fell in 
love somehow, too."

"Why...that is lovely!"  Ayeka was charmed.

"Uh-huh!"  Sasami was charmed, too.

"That's sick."  Ryoko was not charmed.  "What kind of a cop is this 
Katzaar guy, anyway?  My respect for Kiyone and even Mihoshi just shot 
up ten points!"

"They will be so pleased to hear that," Ayeka said sarcastically.

"Please continue, Washuu," Tenchi requested.

"If you can keep the bleachers quiet, Tenchi, I may get done before 
midnight," Washuu said.  "Anyway, this Mitsuki was taken by Sergeant 
Katzaar to Chief Bodai, where she signed a confession."

"So she really did fake that positive ID comparison printout," Tris 
said.

"That she did.  It isn't that hard to do, if your intended victim 
doesn't look at the fake too closely.  That's where Kiyone and Mihoshi 
made their big boo-boo.  They should have really scrutinized that 
report and tried to bring it up on their own consoles.  But they were 
too pumped up with wanting to nab that Slaakive guy.  They were easy 
targets for Mitsuki."

"It was an understandable lapse, Washuu," Tenchi said.

Washuu looked at him.  "That understandable lapse nearly cost them 
their careers, Tenchi.  When you play in the big leagues, you don't 
throw to first base when you have a runner on third...how's that for 
a baseball analogy, Tris?"

"Tinker to Evers to Chance," Tris replied with a grin.

"A triple play, huh?  Thanks, cutie."

"What's with all this baseball talk?" Sasami asked, confused.

"Yeah, I thought you didn't like baseball talk, Washuu," Ryoko added.

"That was then," Washuu said, smiling.  "But a certain hunky guy is a 
big baseball fan.  I've just been brushing up a bit on the lingo, 
that's all."

Tenchi chuckled.  "Yeah, Dad is a real fan of the Okayama team.  They 
have a pretty tight club this year."

"They still need more depth in the infield," Tris told him.

"Naw, I told you, the outfield can just play in deeper," Tenchi 
disagreed.  "What they need is hitting.  Last year their RBIs were—-"

"Sweetums," Ryoko said.

"Yeah, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked her.

"Can we talk about baseball later?  We wouldn't want Washuu to stay 
up past her bedtime."

"Oh...sorry." Tenchi said.

Lord Yosho smiled slightly.  "Professor Washuu, you may continue."

"Thanks, Grandpa," Washuu said, shooting Ryoko a significant look.  
"It turned out that Mitsuki did her confessing just when Kiyone and 
Mihoshi were about to get their medals.  So, they got their medals—-
and their rank back, too.  Not only that, but their re-promotions 
were made retroactive to the first time they were promoted.  That 
means they get their seniority and a big chunk of back pay, to boot."  
Washuu looked smugly at Ryoko.  "Home run!"

Ryoko just yawned pointedly.

"Looks like it's already past someone's bedtime," Washuu observed.

"So it does!"  Ayeka laughed.

Sasami had a question.  "That's wonderful!  But didn't Mihoshi have 
anything else to say?"

Washuu shrugged.  "No.  Like what, Sasami?"

"Well...like when they planned to come back," Sasami asked.  Then her
eyes widened and she placed her hand over her mouth.  She glanced 
worriedly at Tris.

But Tris just sat there, looking down at his bowl.

"I'm very glad for them, of course," Ayeka said.  "But that was all?  
Didn't Mihoshi have...well, a message for perhaps one of us?"

"No, that was it, and..."  Washuu noticed that Ayeka was grimacing at 
her and inclining her head toward Tris.  "Oh...yeah, I forgot!  She 
said she and Kiyone really miss all of us--and Kiyone sends her 
regards, Tris."

"Oh, well.  That's nice."  Tris's voice was neutral.

Tenchi closed his eyes and inwardly groaned.  God, Washuu had bungled 
it!  Tris wouldn't buy that clumsy attempt to mollify him.  Ryo-Ohki 
wouldn't buy it.  He opened his eyes and glanced at his grandfather.  
Lord Yosho very briefly shook his head.  

Ryoko now looked at Washuu, one eyebrow raised.  The great scientist 
quietly sat and ate.  Sasami sadly fiddled with her teacup.  Ayeka 
displayed great interest in watching Sasami.

It was the first time in weeks that they had acted awkwardly toward 
Tris.  It was a step backward that none of them, even Ryoko, seemed 
to relish.  Tenchi felt the need to say or so something...but he had 
no idea what.

Tris said,  "That was a great dinner as always, Sasami.  Guess I'll 
take a walk.  Need the exercise.  Been laying in bed too much.  If 
you'll excuse me..."  He stood up and walked from the dining room.  A 
few moments later, they heard the front door slide open and then 
slide shut.

Ryoko spoke first.  "Washuu!  That was a ham-handed as anything I've 
ever heard.  You'd have been better off just saying no to the 
Princess's question."

"It is my fault," Ayeka said.  "I influenced Miss Washuu to try to 
say something to spare Tristram's feelings.  I only made him feel 
worse, I fear."

"I made the comment, Ayeka," Washuu said quietly.  "You didn't.  Don't 
take the blame for what I did."

"I shouldn't have asked that first question," Sasami said.  "I should 
have known better than that.  I saw how Tris looked after Kiyone left.  
I'm sorry."

"You're not to blame, Sasami," Tenchi said.  "You asked that question 
because when they left, Mihoshi told us they'd be back soon and Kiyone 
just stood there and didn't contradict her."  Tenchi looked at Ayeka 
and Washuu.  "I'm glad you both think enough of Tris now to want to 
spare his feelings.  But I've learned that it's no good to make up 
something to just so someone will feel better.  I did that for 
Mihoshi, remember, and poor Tris ended up having to buy two more meals 
at that overpriced place in the village."

"And having to buy her that ugly stuffed mutt," Ryoko added.

"That's right," Tenchi said.  "I know that doing that sort of thing 
is hard to resist, but it always backfires...just like it did now." 

Lord Yosho nodded.

Ayeka looked at Washuu and her expression was apologetic.  Washuu 
simply shrugged.

"Yeah, you two need to watch that stuff," Ryoko said to them.

"As if you are one to talk!" Ayeka snapped.

"I am one to talk, Princess," Ryoko said.  "You get on your high 
horse when it comes to me, but let me ask you—-did I make up stuff?  
Did I make that goofball feel even worse?  No.  I tell things like 
they are, and I get whupped alongside the head for it.  But I'm 
right.  Aren't I?"

She looked at Ayeka and then at Washuu.  Both of them were silent.

Then Sasami giggled.  "Trissy!"

Tenchi turned his attention to the little Princess.  "What's that, 
Sasami?"

"Oh, Ryoko mentioned that stuffed toy of Mihoshi's and I just thought 
of her name for it.  Trissy!  Poor Tris!"

Tenchi chuckled.  "Oh, right.  Man, that name!  And Mihoshi had no 
notion how it embarrassed Tris!"

"I thought I'd die laughing," Ryoko recalled, looking as if she were 
about to start laughing again.  "Trissy!  Oh, boy!  The expression on 
that goofball's face—-it was classic!"

"It was indeed, Ryoko," Ayeka agreed with her, good-humoredly.  "I 
think Tristram would have stayed outdoors all night if Lord Tenchi 
had not gone and brought him in."

"I'm sorry I missed that episode," Washuu said.  "You know, she 
brought that stuffed toy to the lab and told me all about her "date" 
with Tris.  It was hard to keep a straight face while listening to 
her."

"I didn't!  I couldn't help it.  Trissy!"  Now Ryoko did laugh.  The 
others, including Lord Yosho, shared her laughter.

"Well," Ayeka remarked after their laughter had quelled, "you are 
absolutely right in what you told us, Lord Tenchi...and you are right 
in a way, also, Ryoko."

The space pirate looked gratified at Ayeka's words.

"But I cannot help but feel a little...well, disappointed with 
Kiyone," Ayeka continued.  "She should have had Mihoshi relay 
something to us in that message--and certainly to Tristram.  And, 
really, since she obviously did not intend to return to us, she could 
have simply admitted it and said a proper farewell when they left.  
She has had no difficulty with contradicting Mihoshi up to now!"

"Now there's where you and I agree, Princess," Ryoko said.

"I have to agree, too, big sister," Sasami said, softly.  "I really 
like Kiyone, but..."  She didn't finish the sentence.

Even Washuu looked as if she might have agreed.

"Maybe we're all not being fair to Kiyone," Tenchi said.  "We can't 
be sure that she planned to remain at GP Headquarters when she left.  
I know it's consistent with what happened before, but...anyway, she 
and Mihoshi just got their rank back, and medals, too!  They're both 
so excited, especially Kiyone, that maybe they can't think of 
anything else right now."

"You make a good point, Tenchi," Lord Yosho said.  "We can't know 
what is in a person's heart.  Our Kiyone is very single-minded when 
striving for her goals.  Understandably so.  Her goals are high, and 
only hard work and dedication will enable her to reach them.  Once the 
excitement has settled down somewhat...who knows?  Tenchi, perhaps you 
should go see about Tristram."

"Right, Grandfather," Tenchi said, relieved to exit what was proving 
to be an awkward discussion.  He rose from the table and left.



It had been a long day, but a greatly satisfying one, Chief Tor Bodai 
reflected as he put his desk module on standby and prepared to leave 
the Headquarters.

His wife had been thrilled to hear about the sudden resurrection of 
Kiyone Makibi's and Mihoshi Kuramitsu's careers.  Back when they all 
had been at the Academy, his wife had entertained some of the female 
cadets at their home.  She had fond memories of Kiyone and Mihoshi, 
even though Mihoshi had all but ruined an Alaysuan carpet when she 
accidentally spilled a beverage on it.  They still had the carpet.  
And now the Galaxy Police still had Kiyone and Mihoshi.

He rose from his seat and began to stretch.  He was weary from 
deskwork and the slight pressure around his middle where his sash 
closed his tunic told him he was getting out of shape, too.  He'd 
have to start an exercise routine and stick to it.  As Director of 
Personnel, he would only have more deskwork, not less.  But the 
position, the promotion to Field Marshall, and the extra pay—-it was 
considerable—-would be worth it.  As long as he didn't start lugging 
around extra weight because of it.

Lowering his arms, he walked to the open doorway of his office.  
He was suddenly confronted with a slim figure in that doorway.  He 
smiled.  It was Detective First Class—-no, Sergeant—-Makibi.

"Greetings, Sergeant," he said amiably.  "I was just leaving.  Say, 
why don't you and Mihoshi have dinner at home with us tomorrow?  
Yollanta would just love to see you two again.  I already told her 
the news and she's happy for you both."

Kiyone smiled.  "I'd love to, Chief, and I know Mihoshi would, too.  
We accept."

When that young woman really smiled, so that her blue eyes joined in, 
she was lovely, Bodai reflected.  Why hadn't some young GP buck 
already married her?  The stigma that had surrounded her after the 
demotion?  Perhaps.  Well, that was no longer a barrier.  Chief Bodai 
knew a few young, eligible male officers he thought Kiyone should 
meet.  Perhaps he would invite one to dinner tomorrow, too.  He might 
as well.  As soon as he assumed the post of Director of Personnel, 
such fraternization with the lower ranks would have to cease. 

"Fine," he said.  "Come over after work with me tomorrow and bring 
Mihoshi.  Well, I have to run..."

But Kiyone didn't move from the doorway.  "Chief, I want to talk to 
you."

"Certainly.  First thing tomorrow.  Right after muster, if you wish."

Kiyone smiled, a bit tentatively.  "I mean now, Chief.  I have a 
request.  Two requests...and maybe you have an idea how they can be 
granted.  I've heard through the grapevine that you'll be the 
personnel director very soon.  By the way, congratulations!  Field 
Marshall rank!"

"Thank you."  Chief Bodai was a bit taken aback.  "You know I can't 
make any promises about what I'll do if and when I take over that 
office, Sergeant.  To even ask..."

"I know, Chief.  But only one request is for me and it's personal.  
The other is about Mitsuki.  Can we talk about it now?  I'd like an 
answer to both of my requests tonight.  It's very important to me, 
Chief."

Bodai studied Kiyone for a moment.  Her blue eyes were pleading.  
Those two requests had to be tremendously important to that young 
woman.  Ordinarily, she would never plead or ask for favors--and she 
certainly would not discommode him like this without good reason.

"All right, Sergeant," Bodai said, heading back to his desk module.  
"Shut the door.  Let's talk."

They talked.  Chief Bodai was surprised, but not displeased, at both 
of Kiyone's requests.  After some thought, he made suggestions.  
Kiyone gladly accepted them.  When she left, she was quietly ecstatic.  
Looking after her, Chief Bodai decided he would not bother to ask an 
eligible male officer to join them at dinner tomorrow night.  It 
would be a waste of time.



Tris was, once again, a mess.

When he made his big dramatic exit, right out of a soap opera, he had 
trudged blindly into the debris-strewn lawn and had almost immediately 
stepped into a crater.  When Tenchi found him, Azaka II and Kamidake 
II were assisting Tris out of the crater.  The American was holding 
onto their half-open cabinet doors as they gently rose in the air, 
lifting him.  Tenchi reached them just as they settled to Earth.

"You should kick away the debris as you walk, Tristram Coffin, sir," 
Azaka II advised Tris, who was plastered with leaves and soil.  
"There are many craters beneath the layer of vegetation that covers 
the lawn."

"You could do yourself an injury if you are not careful, sir," 
Kamidake II added.

"Right.  Thanks," Tris replied, looking embarrassed.

"You are welcome, sir," Azaka II told him politely.  The two Guardians 
rose in the air and puttered back to their usual stations beside the 
front gate.  

Tris ruefully started to brush himself off.  "Maybe I ought to leave 
it on," he muttered to himself.  "All I'll do is end up wearing it 
again."

Tenchi smiled warmly.  Did anyone, anywhere, have such a screw-up as 
a guest?  Much less as a friend?  

"Maybe you should," he told Tris.

The American looked up, startled a bit.  "Oh...hi, buddy.  See, I was 
thinking one of these craters might be big enough for that fishing 
lake you mentioned, so I decided I'd try a few of 'em out."

"Uh-huh.  You just forgot about cleaning them out first and about 
adding water."

"Aw, why sweat the details?"

Tenchi walked up to Tris and helped him brush off the contents of the 
crater.

"It's a good thing Ayeka instructed her Guardians to assist if we ask 
them to," Tenchi noted.  "I saw her doing that just before dinner."

"Yeah...too bad she couldn't have done that before that Klove 
character attacked," Tris said.

"Well, she didn't see the need before—-none of us did," Tenchi 
pointed out.

"Uh-huh.  Well, better late than never, I guess."

The two young men were silent for a moment. 

"You left us kind of abruptly, Tris."  Tenchi broke the silence.

"Yeah, sorry about that.  Guess I stink at making a dramatic exit."

Most of the jetsam was off Tris now.  Tenchi looked at his friend.  
Aside from the bandage on his forehead, he didn't look too much the 
worse for wear.  His Weejuns were just about nuked, though.  The 
craters were pretty muddy at the bottom, apparently.

"You stink at a lot of things, buddy," Tenchi told him.  "So do I.  
The thing we both stink at the most is not being ourselves.  Hiding 
your feelings and being all silent and prickly about it...that's not 
Tris Coffin.  What the girls said in there might have rubbed you 
wrong, but they were just trying to be nice to you.  Now they feel bad 
because you left in a huff and you feel bad, too.  What's the point?"

Tris smiled apologetically.  "Not much point at all, I guess."

"I warned you about Kiyone, Tris.  I repeated that warning.  You said 
you understood.  We're all just assuming she's gone for good, although 
now that she's back on top at the GP, I admit it looks like we're 
right.  But that's great for her!  And Mihoshi!  They have to live 
their lives, Tris.  Being here was just an interlude for them.  Their 
real lives are out there with the GP and their own families and 
friends.  I didn't fit in out there and that's why I'm not living on 
Jurai now.  You didn't fit in out there, either.  I think Kiyone 
realized that or she realizes it now.  I'm hoping she'll show you the 
courtesy of telling you one way or another.  But that's up to her."

Tris looked away from Tenchi.  "Well, that's something, anyway.  I've 
been a few things in my short life, but I've never been an interlude 
before."

Tenchi shook his head, half smiling.  "As you would say, welcome to 
real life!  Dad and Grandfather had romances that didn't work out.  
Hey, if all this crazy stuff hadn't happened to me, I probably would 
have already had an "interlude" or two to look back on.  That's if I 
was lucky.  You know?" 

Now Tris looked at Tenchi.  "Yeah, I know.  At least I got to know her 
for a while.  She showed me whole new world—-a whole galaxy.  She 
risked a lot to do that.  Boy, what an ass I'm being!  You're right.  
If I care for her I should be happy about her success.  I am, Tenchi.  
I really am.  It's just hard to think that she's...gone.  But even 
having a girlfriend from another planet—-like you said, crazy stuff."

Tenchi nodded.  Crazy stuff, indeed!  Two girls from outer space 
vying for him, a little Princess cooking for him, a mad scientist in 
the broom closet, two outer space cops who were like sisters to him--
and now a goofball American for a best friend.  The carnival had just 
added another sideshow.  In a way, the carnival would never end, he 
knew now.  Some of the sideshows might pack it in, but the carnival 
itself was everlasting...and evergreen.  Speaking of green...

"Now that we have that settled, what are we going to do about all 
this crud on the lawn?" he asked Tris.

"Just pretend it's not there?" Tris ventured.

"I don't think so."  Tenchi grinned.

"It looks like a few weekends and holidays are already booked for us, 
then.  We'll have to call this place Camp Rakealot.  All the yard 
work you can handle and the cutest camp counselors you'll ever meet.  
And the food!"  Tris laughed.

Tenchi laughed, too.  Tris had come back to himself and he would be 
all right.  Broken hearts mended, in time.  There were lots of girls 
at Okayama University, even a few American co-eds.  He would have to 
get Tris to attend more of the social gatherings on campus.  Things 
would work out for the best.  They always did.

"Glad you've signed on for the duration, buddy.  We'd better start 
back now.  No...I've got a better idea," Tenchi said.  "Since your 
car survived the blast, let's go to the village.  I feel like having 
a beer.  Don't you?"

"Man!  Do I!"

The two young men walked back toward the house, being careful to step 
on the makeshift path already cleared.  As they did, they argued 
amiably about the Okayama baseball team.  It was an argument that 
would never be resolved and it didn't matter.  Washuu had been right.  
Tenchi and Tris weren't brothers.  They were more...they were 
comrades.  At least, they would be for a little while longer.



Back on planet Vestra, Mihoshi Kuramitsu, newly re-pinned-on 
Detective Sergeant, was discovering that breaking up was not hard to 
do at all.

"Give up your apartments?  Have you girls gone crazy?" Mrs. Uleana 
cried.  Once again, she was not happy to see Mihoshi.  Especially 
during the evening meal and after bearing such a incomprehensible 
request.

"No ma'am, we haven't gone crazy," Mihoshi replied.  She was standing 
before the comm panel in the Visiting Officer Quarters on Vestra that 
she shared with Kiyone.  Her own tiny apartment in the Compound was 
occupied by the officer sub-leasing it, as was Kiyone's.  

Mihoshi was holding Trissy.  She had been hugging the stuffed pooch 
with joy at what Kiyone had told her when her partner called from 
Headquarters.  Then she had realized she needed to take care of a 
final bit of business.  Even though Mihoshi knew it was Mrs. Uleana's 
dinner time, she had placed the comm call to the landlady anyway.  
Staring now at the dumpy Vestran woman's sour face in the comm 
panel's small viewscreen, Mihoshi wondered once again why the 
landlady didn't lose some weight.  

"But..."  The landlady shook her head.  "You two have been fully 
vindicated.  You're Sergeants again.  You're naturals for a 
Headquarters assignment now.  In fact, you could upgrade to bigger 
apartments.  I have two that may come open soon."

Inwardly, Mihoshi cringed.  She could imagine how much more a larger 
unit would cost.  Obviously, the informal intelligence network 
maintained by the Vestrans was up to snuff.  Mrs. Uleana knew about 
their re-promotions only a little while after they themselves knew 
about it.  That awful gossip again.  Gosh, it would be so nice to 
leave Vestra!

"No, ma'am.  We need to cancel our leases.  You said yourself that the 
people sub-leasing our apartments would rather lease them.  Now they 
can."  Mihoshi was talking very calmly and very logically to the 
landlady.  She was a sergeant again, and she wasn't going to be 
browbeaten and intimidated by the likes of Mrs. Uleana any more.  
"Doesn't that make sense?"

"Well..."  From a business perspective, it did make sense.  The two 
officers sub-leasing Mihoshi and Kiyone's apartments would jump at 
the chance to lease them free and clear.  In fact, Mrs. Uleana could 
and would bump up the rent as a consequence.  "I don't know what you 
girls are thinking of.  Everyone knows Headquarters is the place to 
make your career.  If you allow yourselves to be assigned to a 
Command Post in some backwater..."

There that woman went again!  "That is our business, ma'am.  We're 
giving up the apartments as I told you.  If you won't cancel our 
leases, we can wait until they end and then it won't matter.  That's 
up to you, ma'am."

Mrs. Uleana looked at Mihoshi via the viewscreen with surprise...and 
even a grudging respect.  Mihoshi knew the landlady loved to raise 
her tenant's rents.  It was a seller's market for apartments on 
Vestra, so she could do just that.  However, if she let their lease 
stand, she could not raise the rent for the two officers now living 
in the apartments until that lease expired.  Mihoshi had her boxed 
in.  It was unexpected.  And for Mihoshi, it was wonderful.

"All right."  The landlady sighed.  "I'll send you the paperwork to 
sign.  Will you be at the VOQ tomorrow?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'll have the paperwork sent over by then.  Just make sure that 
partner of yours signs it, too.  The waiting list for apartments is 
more than eight months long now, so I hope you know what you are 
doing."

"We do, ma'am.  And ma'am?"

"What is it, girl?  Dinner's getting cold."

"You shouldn't gossip about what happens at the Headquarters.  It's 
not nice.  We officers don't like it."

"What?"

"Good night, ma'am.  Out."  Mihoshi punched a touchpad and terminated 
the conversation.  The viewscreen went blank.

Mihoshi smiled.  Still holding her stuffed pooch, she hummed the tune 
to "Octopus's Garden" and did a little dance.  She accidentally 
banged a knee on an end table, but she didn't mind.  "That's telling 
her, huh, Trissy?" she said.

In her arms, Trissy seemed to agree.



Two hours later, Tenchi found himself in the kitchen getting a glass 
of water.  He and Tris had gone and had their beer at the village's 
sole excuse for a bar (just one beer, since Tris was driving the 
Mustang).  Now it was time for bed.  Tris was already sacked out on 
Tenchi's bed, at Tenchi's insistence.  Tenchi would take the futon 
just this one night more.  

Just as he was bringing the glass up to his lips, he heard someone 
clear their throat.  He turned around.  Ayeka stood there.  He lowered 
the glass.

"Hi, Ayeka," he said.  He raised the glass again.

"Lord Tenchi, we need to talk to you."  Ayeka had not returned his 
greeting.  And she seemed...somber.  Something was up.  Inwardly, he 
groaned.  Not just before bedtime!  He lowered the glass again.

"What about, Ayeka?"

"We would rather discuss it with you upstairs.  In our bedroom."

"We?"

"Ryoko and I."

Tenchi frowned.  "Ayeka, that sounds kind of..."

"Oh, Lord Tenchi!  Do not be silly.  Sasami will be there, too."

"I didn't mean that!"  Tenchi set the glass down on the kitchen 
counter.  "All right.  But I wish you girls would learn to solve your 
own problems."

"We are going to solve a problem, Lord Tenchi."  Ayeka looked 
resolute.  "Please drink your water and come with me."

Tenchi went to the sink and dumped out the glass.  Suddenly he did 
not feel thirsty anymore.

"Okay, let's go."

Tenchi followed the Princess out of the kitchen and up the stairs, 
wondering what minor crisis had erupted now.  He would soon learn 
that it wasn't minor.  And that just as Mihoshi and Kiyone had taken 
charge of their lives, Ryoko and Ayeka were going to take charge of 
their lives, too.