When Heaven answers.(PART I) Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any characters that you have not heard of, they are mine! Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important.right in the pail! It had been a few moths since the gang had put away Yugi and life was getting back to its usual pace for everyone.well almost. Aeka and Ryoko were up to their usual fights over Tenchi and Washu was working in the laboratory.on what no one dared ask for fear of being its test subject. Sasami was back in the kitchen working on dinner; she still missed having Yugi around. True, she could always visit the chamber where Yugi slept, and would continue sleeping for several years, but it just wasn't the same. She let out a sigh when these thoughts came to her, but she sill had Ryo-ohki, wherever she was right now. Tenchi was busily taking care of the shrine, and still sorting out his thoughts. He missed Sakuya, true she had been a shadow of Yugi, and she did try, and succeed partially, in breaking up the gang, yet he still couldn't help but feel a loss deep inside. "Tenchi! Boy, aren't you finished yet?!" Yosho shouted to him from his room. "Sorry Grandpa, I'll be dome soon", Tenchi replied and began to work that much faster. But there was something else troubling him. After the battle with Yugi, everyone was back to their normal pace of life, everyone that is but Kiyone. She was a nice girl.er woman, but she was always so involved with her work. Now especially, she seemed a bit distant from everyone, especially Tenchi. She frequently missed meals and was usually absent when the gang went somewhere or did something. Whenever Tenchi tried to ask her what was the matter, she simply said that she had a bit on her mind. (I hope she's all right.) Tenchi began to wander again. "Tenchi!!" Grandpa must have x-ray vision to see me not working! After Tenchi was done with his chores he got to thinking if he should go back to Tokyo for another break from things at home, more so though with Grandpa! "Kiyone what's with you?" Mihoshi asked while trying to hit her target. They had been practicing for over an hour and Kiyone had managed to miss all but one target. Mihoshi on the other hand, had managed to hit all but on of her targets, that being the only one that Kiyone got. "Nothing Mihoshi really!" Kiyone tried to protest, but if anything, Kiyone was a bad liar, and Mihoshi knew it. Bang! Another shot rang from her blaster but to her disbelief, she missed again. "Look, I've had a lot on my mind after things went down with Yugi.well I've just been a bit, well preoccupied." "Kiyone, we've been partners for a while and.well are you thinking about quitting?" Mihoshi rather blurted out this before realizing maybe she shouldn't of said that. "OF COURSE NOT YOU... TWIT!!!" Kiyone tried her best not to swear at Mihoshi, she knew how much the blonde office hated profanity. "That's the LAST thing on my mind..." She took a deep breath and regained her composure "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you Mihoshi, really" "Kiyone, it's just that everyone is really worried about you...me, Washu, Ryoko, Sasami and especially Tenchi,oh Kiyone!", she started to cry. "Mihoshi, , don't cry, I'll be fine, just give me a little time that's all, okay?" She patted the blonde office on the back and they shared a silent moment together when Kiyone finally said "Mihoshi, why don't we go to town tonight for dinner, my treat okay?" "Really, oh goodie!!!" "I'll go get ready, you coming?" "I'll be there in a little while, I need to get some more practice in" "Okay, don't be too long!" "Never fails..." Kiyone said to herself as she sized up for a few more rounds. (So what REALLY is bothering me?) Kiyone tried to focus on this dilemma since she wasn't getting any better with her target practice. Everyone here was like family to her; they welcomed her and took to her as she took to everyone else. She would sometimes help out Sasami with her chores and dinner before she would leave for work. Occasionally, she would join Aeka in a bit of gardening as Aeka tried to help Kiyone be a little more gentle through a good hobby and that it would help relieve some stress, and working with Mihoshi sure built up quite a bit of that! Ryoko, well every so often when she would come back late from work, while Mihoshi was out cold, she would join Ryoko for a drink or two or three. While they were drunk, Kiyone would tell Ryoko how much of a promotion she would get if she brought Ryoko in. Ryoko always laughed it off and told her how much of a reward she would get if she brought Kiyone in to one of her old Space Pirate pals, the ones Kiyone helped to arrest. Washu, well with Washu Kiyone would occasionally talk to her about possibly modifying the engine of her Police Cruiser to help her out and Washu would typically respond with her usual "I'll get to it when I have the time", which meant never! Then there was...Tenchi. She would always chuckle to herself when she saw both Aeka and Ryoko fight over him. That was while she was trying to avoid any flying objects in the process! But really, it was after that day when Tenchi got angry when they all wrecked the fair at his school, she never saw him get angry before. She wished she hadn't been a part of the group that time. There was also that time when she tried to get Ryoko to admit why she really left Earth by asking if she could have Tenchi.or was it just for that reason. No she was just doing her job, yes that was it, just doing her job. "Galaxy Police Detectives' do whatever it takes to get the job done!" Bang! She let out anther shot, and again it missed. "AAAAARRRRGGGGGG!!!" she walked away from the range and headed back to the house. Kiyone decided she had had enough; maybe a nice meal would help... ***************************************************************************** "Oh, boredom, if only thou were so simple...BURP!!!" The light in the room was dim, really dim to the point were one would wonder if it was worth even keeping the lights on. This was not a concern of the resident of this room, nor was it his concern of the same Galacto-infomercial that was playing on the screen in his room. "Clean this, knee-rider!" With that, the screen was evaporated by a slight blast emitted from the dark corner where this individual was sitting. The image of the creature on the screen was displaying a rather unique item that would in his words "Revolutionize the way everyone would keep their planet clean", but now the screen was little more than small atoms of little worth but in the fullness of time would merge to form hopefully something more useful. "I think tonight I shall try to get drunk, though I have failed to do so every other time." After saying this, the resident in particular decided to get up, slightly wash himself, meditate partially on his past and then on his future and then on whether he would pay this months rent or just level the building along with its pathetically dressed owner, and go out for a while. Before doing so he glanced briefly at an old uniform, a bit tattered from some battles of old, and an old holocube of two individuals which lay on top of a stand which was devoted exclusively for this item in particular. "..." With that, the portal closed behind him and he stepped out into the city lights headed towards the nearest stop for a stiff drink. "Somehow, I have a feeling business may be picking up pretty soon, better be prepared." With that, Sol- Menhadrin, which was the identity he had chosen for the time being, decided he would need even more drinks to get ready for whatever may come his way. ***************************************************************************** It was late when Mihoshi and Kiyone had gotten back from dinner and later, against Kiyone's wishes, some karaoke. "Mihoshi, get some sleep tomorrow, we have off remember?" "Oh right, we get a day off now every month for outstanding service, wasn't that great of HQ to give us that?" "I still would have preferred a transfer or a new partner myself." Kiyone tried to mumble under her breath. "What was that Kiyone?" Mihoshi leaned her head out of the closet as she was getting her pajamas. "Nothing, just get to bed." Kiyone stared out the window in their room and looked to the heavens as if they could read her mind.and then she remembered a saying that Sasami had told her which she learned from an old Earth story, "Starlight, Starbright, ." "How silly, wishing..." Kiyone said to herself. "Mihoshi, look I wanted to thank you for." but before she could finish her story, Mihoshi was out cold. "Silly ditz, you don't even give yourself a chance to cover yourself in bed." Kiyone draped the covers over Mihoshi and was near ready to go to bed when she thought about her ponderings of earlier today. Tenchi, he certainly was an interesting person, a bit on the young side but, he certainly made up for it with his maturity and his caring of others. She had other relationships in the past but they were short lived, many of them being with Police Academy members or other acquaintances, but they all lacked something, or was she just being a bit too picky? But now she had met this Earth boy, now Earthman, and well, maybe she was starting to, "Oh my!" Kiyone found herself blushing. "No, it can't be, besides, it wouldn't work. We're just friends, and I First Class Police Detective Kiyone of the Galaxy Police Force am assigned to...protect..." she touched her lip and couldn't finish. "I just don't know, ". Kiyone walked to the window, bent on one knee, looked up to the heavens, a clear night sky tonight was for her. She closed her eyes and found herself repeating those lines again, but this time, she believed. "Starlight, Starbright, first star I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight...please hear my silent prayer, give me the wisdom and courage I need to know what to do, and if it is not me, then find me someone who can" After that, she got up, got changed and went to sleep. She never noticed that a shooting star went across the sky and heard her plea for help. "It was only a few hours later when Kiyone was awakened by her communique. "This had better be important..." Kiyone, half awake, fished through her purse where she left her communique, found it and opened the channel. "First Class Detective Kiyone here" "Ah, Detective Kiyone, this is Lieutenant Mesik`, my apologies for waking you on your day off, but this of the utmost importance!" "Yes sir, what is it?" "The Imperial Council of Alcaron has requested the assistance of the Galaxy Police in the capturing of one of the most wanted criminals in the Galaxy" "You mean Ryoko, I never knew she had any dealings with Alcaron." The lieutenant shook his head and continued "No, not her, there is another dangerous individual, perhaps even more so than Ryoko!". "More dangerous that Ryoko?", Kiyone was eager to hear more about this case, this maybe what she would need to get her mind of her recent thoughts. "Pay attention Detective!" "Sorry sir, please continue!" "The individual has been sighted on numerous accounts of grand theft, destruction, treason against the Military of Alcaron and murder." "You are to do whatever is necessary to apprehend this individual at once, understood?" "Yes sir!" Kiyone snapped to attention, sleep was now just a past memory for her. "I am forwarding you all pertinent information on this individual, be forewarned however, as he is considered armed and very dangerous. It is preferred that he is to be taken alive, but if necessary, use lethal force." "Understood sir, I just need to wake my partner Mihoshi and." "No detective, this case is too important to involve agent Mihoshi, The Imperial Council is fully aware of Detective Mihoshis' ethics and has requested that only you go on this mission, are we clear on this?" "Sir, yes sir!" "Good, the coordinates are being sent to you as well regarding his last location. We believe he is staying at a complex in the Nestith Sector and is under the alias of Sol- Menhadrin. Time is of the essence Detective" Kiyone needed to satisfy one bit of her curiosity though, "Sir, what is the actual identity of this suspect, if I may ask?" ", I was asked not to discuss that information, but since the Imperial Council can be such pricks at times, his real name is..." Kiyone heard the name barely whispered across the communique. Her eyes shot wide opened upon hearing of the identity of her true target. "Sir, he is number one on the bounty hunters' list, why doesn't the Imperial Council let them handle this?" "Because he is presently in GP territory and the Council does not wish to deal with the red tape to allow such a procedure. You have your orders, I suggest you get moving Detective, HQ out." With that, the communique was silent. "Well, no time for second thoughts, sorry Mihoshi,not this time." She tiptoed out the bedroom in her pajamas; she would have to get dressed aboard her ship. Just as Kiyone was almost out the door,"Hey you, what are YOU doing up so early?" "Oh Washu, heh-heh, good morning?" "I'll say, big mission huh? I thought this was your day off?" Washu slowly appeared from out the broom closet. "Well, yes it is. Look I don't have time to talk I have to get to the Nestith Sector immediately and it's a long way from here." "Oh it is, which is why you'll just love what I have to tell you." Washu smiled her usual mischievous grin and Kiyone felt a little sweat bead across her head. "Remember all those times you asked me to modify the engine to your ship, well I FINALLY had the time to get to it!" "Really Washu you are the greatest!" "Naturally, now before you go, tell me what's so importante` that you're up this early, and without Mihoshi?" "Well, I have to apprehend one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy..." "But Ryoko is up in her room." "Not her, there is another, and possibly more dangerous individual than Ryoko." "WHO???" "Washu, if I tell you, you cannot tell ANYONE about this agreed?" "Darn, I have to keep a secret,okay.who's the hotshot?" Kiyone whispered the name in Washus' ear and the mad scientists' eyes grew wide as dishpans. "WHAT!!!!!!!!!! NOT HIM!!!" "Will you keep it down!" Kiyone almost laid a hand across Washu hoping that no one else heard. "Are you insane?" Washu inquired wild-eyed. "You know him?" Kiyone demanded as well as anyone in pajamas could demand. "Look Kiyone, I've seen a lot of things in my time, but this guy...GP must be seriously whacked to take this mission, the Imperial Council set them up to this didn't they?" "Yes, but how did you know?" Kiyone again demanded. "All that I'm saying is BE careful, this is not your run of the mill pick pocket, he's bad news...now you better get going, if you still want to?" "Of course I do, it's my job...well thanks for the engine upgrade...and tell Mihoshi I may not be back for a while okay?" Kiyone snuck out the house and made her way to the lake where her ship was parked under water. Tapping on her wristband, the ship responded and came to life. After surfacing, the door way opened. She quickly boarded and hopped into the flight seat and set the coordinates and engaged the Autopilot. This would give her a chance to get changed and get briefed on this individual. Washu watched from a distance for what she feared may be the last time she would see the police officer again. "Watch your back Kiyone, you don't know what you're up against.." Kiyone, in full uniform, emerged on the bridge of the Yugami, the experimental GP ship that was assigned to Kiyone and Mihoshi as part of their promotion for outstanding service. It was so much bigger than their old ship and had some other options that she still hadn't had a chance to check out. Kiyone had plugged in the coordinates given to her and had engaged the new drive that Washu had installed. Not that the Yugami was a slow hunk, it was one of the fastest in the fleet, but with Washu's upgrade she would be in the Nestith Sector in no time. "Now, let's see what I'm up against..." with that Kiyone accessed the files provided her by HQ. The holographic projection screen clicked on and several options were available. Kiyone chose the main section, which basically cut to all the important information. "Beginning briefing mission" the computer terminal began to speak in an almost humanoid like voice. "NOW ACCESSING TOP SECRET INFORMATION: SUBJECT: VIN-ROC." Kiyone stared wide-eyed at the screen, which displayed a holographic image of the most wanted individual in the universe. Kiyone was determined to find out as much of this felon as possible. ***************************************************************************** In the next episode: Kiyone comes face to face with the wanted criminal Vin-Roc! Will she be able to arrest this vile individual? What is Vin-Roc's story, is he as dangerous as everyone has him out to be? What of Kiyones' growing interest in Tenchi? And what exactly is a knee-rider? Please email all questions, comments and complaints (Although I would rather not get too many) to yours truly at: despairisu@aol.com.