(il)legal stuff  I stole all these characters from more creative heads
than mine, such as Rumiko Takahashi, Clamp, Izumi Matsumoto, Yuuki
Masami, Pioneer, AIC, exc... Catch me if you can!  Just Joking, please
don't hurt me, I'm a poor student, I really don't mean any harm!


                                Kazuya Explains it All
                                            Chapter 4

    Tsutomu arrived at school the next day with a few worries.  For one,
his parents had accepted his suddenly taking up Karate but He had heard
them talking after he went upstairs to bed. And his sister wasn't
accepting it at all.  She had even gone so far as to confront him in his
room about it, and hadn't thought much of his excuse that he was doing
it for a girl.  "What girl?  That's silly Tsutomu!  You've been acting
really strange lately."  Fortunately she left it at that, and left him
alone.  They had all looked at him as if he was some kind of stranger.
Natsumi didn't make him feel any better. Though she had agreed not to
ask him about Birdy, or the strangeness she had witnessed, she was
obviously still quite curious about it.  He was fairly sure she was
still watching him, and he had seen her glance at Aeka, and her
companions several times as well.  She was worrying him.  <Birdy, what
are we going to do about Natsumi?  She isn't going to stop looking for
an explanation just cause I won't talk to her about it!>

    Birdy wasn't worried. <You've known her for how long now?>

    Tsutomu shrugged.  <About 8 years I guess, since we were kids, but.>

    <No Buts! If you've known her that long, then she isn't going to
risk your friendship over something like this.  She may be curious, but
I bet she'll keep it to herself until you tell her yourself.>

    Tsutomu had to agree.  <You're probably right, I guess I shouldn't
doubt her.  Maybe, do you think I should tell her?>

    Birdy paused a while before answering, long enough that Tsutomu
though she wasn't going to answer.  Then, <I think you really should
decide that yourself.  It's your life that is being affected.>

    He wondered.  <Is it?  You're pretty quiet about your life Birdy.>
She didn't answer.  He decided to bring it up again, later.

    During homeroom, Tsutomu got a call to report to the principal's
office.  He projected.  <Do you think?>

    She flashed back, <Probably>  It was a first for him, as he had
never done anything of significant note, and whispers from several
people surprised looking people started around the room.  Natsumi in
particular looked curious, but she didn't comment. He gathered up his
bag, and walked to the door, and into the hall.  He arrived at the
principal's office, and the secretary told him that he was asked for by
his cousin, to show her and A foreign exchange student around the
grounds.  She pointed to the seats by the door, and he looked to see two
young women He did not recognize.  But Birdy did, or at least. <There
Tsutomu, do you see their braclets?>  He looked and spotted  what she
was talking about.  <Yes,  they're
something like yours aren't they?  Only smaller right?>

     <Right, those are both Galaxy Police Officers.>  He stood there
staring for a few moments.  They were both quite attractive women, one
(his cousin he supposed,) had dark hair, and eyes.  He thought it was
tinted green though.  The other was a dusky skinned blond.  He goggled
at them for a few more moments, till Birdy jogged him out of his
appreciation. <Well, what are you waiting for?  Show them the school!>

    He nodded, and said.  "Welcome to my school, uh, cousin.  Come on,
I'll show you around."  The two women stood and followed him to the
door.  He opened it, and led them out into the hall.

    The dark haired one stepped up next to him.  "Hello there, I'm
Kiyone, and this is my partner Mihoshi,   so you are Senkawa Tsutomu?"
He could hear the surprise in her voice.

    He thought.  <I guess I'm not quite what she expected?>

    <Guess not.>  He could tell, that Birdy was laughing.

---------------------From the report of Officer Kiyone--------------------------

    I watched the young man walk ahead of me.  <He can't be our contact
can he?>  I studied his back as we neared an equipment shed.  <He looks
so timid, who are they kidding?  I mean, anyone would be better than
Mihoshi, and we could certainly use the help.  With all the things going
on with this star system lately,  it can't hurt.  But this guy can't be
a Galaxy Police Officer!  Though after meeting Tenchi, I suppose he
could surprise me.>  Tsutomu glanced around anxiously before opening the
shed's door and walking inside.

    We followed him in, and Mihoshi exclaimed, "It's dark!"  and
promptly fell over a set of weights, and went clattering to the floor
along with it.  I of course simply watched with a helpless sigh.  <Yes,
anyone would be better than Mihoshi.>

    Tsutomu looked down at my partner. "Are you all right?  This place
is a bit cluttered."  He offered her a hand up, which see took gladly.
Almost too enthusiastically, as she nearly pulled him down on top of
her.  I closed my eyes and braced for the collision, but only heard a
slight gasp from my partner instead.  I risked a glance and saw, to my
surprise that instead of Tsutomu, a beautiful young woman in the uniform
of the Special Ops. department of the Galaxy Police, (designed for close
combat I noticed), was holding up an astonished looking Mihoshi.  She
had multicolored hair, white on one side, with bright orange red on the
other.  She steadied Mihoshi, then casually righted the weight rack.

    I was amazed at the action. <Wow, must be several hundred pounds!>
My mind flashed with several possibility's, some of which I rejected as
soon as I thought of them.  <Cyborg?  No, too natural, Probably heavy
gravity planet, hmm, Valarian?  Altair? Ceti Alpha 6?>

    She turned back to face us and bowed slightly, the bow of an equal.
Her words were much less formal however. "Hi yah, I'm Birdy Cephon
Altirra, of the, excuse me, formally of the Galaxy Police Special
Operations.  I'll be your new co-worker."  She then extended her hand,
both so I could check her credentials, and to shake hands.  They checked
out, so I shook gladly.

    <Altairian huh?  Finally, some muscle on the team.  This girl is
fairly new, but she's got any impressive record, I wonder why she's been
assigned a residential position.>  I decided to find out later.  I
introduced myself , "And this is Officer Mihoshi."

    Birdy gave Mihoshi a longer look.  "So your the Comish's
granddaughter?  I heard that you had a fairly notorious record."

    Mihoshi blushed and waved one hand in denial.  "Oh no!  I'm really
not anyone special."  She looked around the shed then.  "So where did
the young man go?"  She started poking around calling out, "Tsutomu?
Tsutomu where are you?"

    Birdy and I both looked at her for a moment.  I did, because I was
mildly surprised she had pointed it out.  I turned back to Birdy.  "Yes,
where is he?  Don't tell me you were wearing a disguise, holograms are
good, but I think I would of noticed one."

    Birdy grimaced.  "You missed it too?  I guess you didn't look up my
recent record before this meeting then?"

    I shook my head, still uncertain of what she might be hinting at.
"As usual with Special Operatives, your records are sealed without the
proper level access."

    Birdy nodded.  "Well that's good then.  Ok watch closely."

    I did so, and as I watched, Birdy's features seemed to flow away
downwards, leaving Tsutomu in her place.  He looked at me and placed one
hand behind his head and grinned sheepishly.  "Hi again.  I, I um.. I
suppose this is fairly unusual then?"

    I couldn't tell you the expression on my face, but it must of been
something from his reaction.  i said shakily.  "Your her?  That's not a
disguise is it."  It was a statement, and not a question, and He
appeared to realize that."

    He shook his head.  "No it's not a disguise, that's true, but I'm
not Birdy either."  He scratched his head and paused as if thinking.  He
sighed then.  "It's kind of complicated.  Me and her share, um, how did
you say it Birdy?"

    I watched him as he spoke to himself thinking. <At least he didn't
answer.>

    He was apparently listening to a voice I couldn't hear.  He looked
up then and nodded.  "Right, we've been bonded, we're sharing cells,
because of an accident Birdy and I got into."

    Suddenly it all fell into place.  <Oh! That's why she's been
assigned to Earth!  She must of been partially responsible for his near
death, and they saved him using her cells!  I had heard that the
department was working on that technique.>  He was still watching me, so
I said, "I think I see, so your an Earthling then right?"  He nodded.
"Do you mind me asking just how this happened?"

    Mihoshi broke in.  "Oh, so your bonded, like Sasami-chan?  How
sweet!"

    I heard someone gasp in astonishment from just outside the shed's
window, which I noticed now was a crack open.  I whirled around to race
through the door and apprehend the source of the sound, but before I
even reached it, I heard the window being forced open, and as I turned
to look, I saw that Birdy had switched with Tsutomu again and was
hauling someone unceremoniously though the busted window.  The girl
gasped again is shock as she was hauled inside, and Birdy let her feet
drop to the floor.  I quickly swung the window shut as it would go, and
turned to the girl to question her,  "Who are you?  How much did you
hear and why did you listen?" My tone wasn't too fierce, but it was
important that I find out.

    I heard Birdy say then.  "Um, Hayamiya-san, right?"

    My partner spoke up as well.  "Oh do you know her Birdy?"

    I waited for a moment for her to answer.  She nodded finally. "I
guess so, though we haven't been formally introduced."  She released her
grip and backed up to give the girl room, and Hayamiya Natsumi sagged to
her knees.

    She stammered.  "I didn't, I mean, your not going to hurt me are
you?"  I could tell she was scared, but she was trying to compose her
self, and mostly succeeding.  "I was just passing by, and... Oh your not
going to by it.. Ok, I was curious about Tsutomu, so I followed you from
class.  I didn't hear too much, just the last bit about bonding, and
Sasami..."  She paused as if uncertain if she had said too much.  "It
just startled me."

    I was trying to decide what I could do with her, but Birdy wasn't
making it easy, as she was apparently having an argument with herself,
<or Tsutomu I guess.>

    "What did you expect me to do?"  She paused then, "I don't know, can
we trust her?.....I know what I said....I'm sorry ok?  Why don't we ask
her?... You want to?... No? Your such a wimp sometimes.  Ok."

    As I listened to this one sided conversation I saw Hayamiya come to
a realization, <She must of figured out that Birdy is talking to
Tsutomu.>

    Meanwhile, Mihoshi was off to one side, fussing with her dimensional
cube.  As she did so, various objects dropped out of hyperspace onto the
shed floor.  "Darn it, I wanted the phone."  She fiddled with it a bit
more.

     Birdy knelt down next to our eve-dropper.  "Hayamiya-san, this
isn't easy to explain, which is why Tsutomu didn't want to earlier.  I
can't tell you everything, but I am a sort of police officer, and while
I was on a case, Tsutomu got in between me and the, um, person I was
chasing.  Because I screwed up, Tsutomu nearly died, so as a kind of
penance, and also to save his life, I shared my cells with him.

    The girl listened intently, and spoke when Birdy paused to think of
what else to tell her.  "You are an alien, right?  I mean, how did this
happen?  What you do, what I've seen you do that is, it was incredible,
so, how can you share cells with Tsutomu?  I mean, your so different
then him right?

    Birdy blinked, surprised.  "That's not exactly the question I
expected, and I'm no expert, but do you know that all life on Earth is
made up of the same basic stuff?  I mean, water, and carbon and stuff
like that?"  Natsumi nodded, so Birdy continued.  "Well, it's really as
simple as that.  Most of the lifeforms in the galaxy are made up of the
same stuff, and my people are really not very different from Earthlings
at all. When his cells were damage, we just replaced them with mine, so
we're kinda sharing one body, even though it's shaped and constructed
differently, we're still using the same cells."

    The girl nodded, talking it all in.  "Ok, I guess so, Um..."  She
broke off, obviously looking for something else to say.  "So where are
you all from?"

    To my surprise Birdy didn't flinch in answering.  "That's an easy
one.  I'm an Altain, you know, from Altair?"  She turned to my partner.
"Hey Mihoshi, where are you from?"

    Mihoshi looked up at her and blinked.  "Oh, my parents I guess."  At
their looks, she blinked again.  "What?"

    I sighed and decided to be helpful.  "And I'm from a little star
somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse, though you can't see it from
here without a telescope."

    Hayamiya looked a bit shocked, but she then asked.  "And Sasami?
Where is she from?"

    Mihoshi answered helpfully.  "Oh she's from Jurai, like Tenchi, Aeka
and Yosho!  Ryoko's a space pirate, only she's not anymore, and Washu's
the most brilliant scientist in th..."

    Mihoshi's voice stopped quite a bit to late by my grabbing her
mouth, I sighed louder, and shook my head in exasperation.

     Hayamiya took all this in, and said.  "Well, at least there's no
one one here from Mars, that would be too silly."  (Somewhere a young
temple priestess sneezed...  NO!  I won't go there! Arrgh!  No!)  She
looked at Birdy who shrugged.

    "You wanna call CNN or shall I?"  Birdy smirked to herself.  "I
guess it's just to bad, eh Tsutomu?"  He was apparently fairly unhappy,
because she winced at whatever he was saying.  "Oh don't worry,  we
aren't going to hurt her, we're the good guys remember?"  She looked at
Mihoshi, who was still fumbling with her cube, then at me.

    "Right." I said, wishing I was confident as I sounded, "We don't do
that sort of thing."  <But we don't have a ready answer for this
either.  Usually, we just let them go, and people think they are
crackpots or loony, I suppose that's our only option here.>  As if in
answer to my thoughts, I noticed a small metallic blue case fall out of
Mihoshi's hyperspace locker.  I recognized the case, <For once I'm
grateful that I have such a forgetful partner.> I snatched it up and
waved the case under Mihoshi's nose.  "Weren't you supposed to return
these to Washu weeks ago?"

    Mihoshi looked at the case uncomprehendingly.  "Oh was I?  I'm
sorry, I'll return them today Kiyone."  She reached for the case, but I
pulled it out of her reach.  She almost whined,  "But Kiyone, you just
said..."

    I shook my head.  "For once I'm glad you forgot to return them
Mihoshi, these could be just what we need."

    She blinked, then smiled brightly at me. "Oh did I do something good
Kiyone?  Oh I'm so glad!"  Then she looked puzzled.  But why would you
want to forget what's happened today?  Did you have a bad headache or
something?  Did you get a demotion?  Um, no your still my partner.
Did..."

   I yelled at her in annoyance.  "I'm not going to be using them on me
idiot!  I'm going to use them on her!"  I pointed at Hayamiya.

    Hayamiya looked scared again.  "What? What are you going to do to
me?"  Her voice fell almost to a whisper.

    I smiled at her, trying to be reassuring.  "Don't worry, these are
perfectly safe, they just erase your last 24 hours of memory."  At her
startled glance I nodded.  "Please relax, I'm used them before."

    Birdy looked at me, interested.  "I haven't heard about those, are
they a new issue?"

    I shook my head.  "No, just something Washu-san made up for us
special a few weeks ago, but they work great.  No nasty side effects, so
you needn't worry."

    Hayamiya looked worried anyway.  "Do I have too?  I won't tell
anyone about this.  I mean, no one would believe me anyway, right?"  She
gulped, "It's not like your planing on destroying the world, or steal
our bodies or anything..."  She suddenly looked at Birdy and swallowed
noisily.

    Birdy shook her head anxiously.  "Oh no, of course not!  It's not
like that at all, we're just here to protect you, nothing sinister,
right Kiyone, Mihoshi?"

    Mihoshi was quick to agree enthusiastically.  "That's right!  It's a
Galaxy Police Officer's duty to protect and serve the people!  We're out
to stop the bad guys and fight for justice!  We must..."

    I carefully replaced my hand over my partner's mouth.  "I think she
gets the idea Mihoshi."

    Hayamiya was looking incredulously at Mihoshi, and she hesitated
before speaking again.  "Um, are all Galaxy Police , ah, all women?"

    I answered.  "No of course not."  I opened the case to reveal two
shiny light blue tabs.  I said to her.  "Are you sure you want to keep
all these secrets?  It would probably save you alot of stress and
problems if you didn't remember them."  <I hope she agrees, I'd rather
not have to force her to use them.  I don't really feel right about it.
It's not like the last time I used them, she's not going to change
history if she keeps these memories.>

    I could see that she was taking my question seriously.  She finally
came to a decision after several minutes.  "Even if I can't tell anyone
else, I'd like to know myself."  Her face brightened as I snapped the
case shut with a click.  "Besides I've been curious about Tsutomu and,
um, Birdy for weeks now, and day's gap in my memories would only make me
more curious."

    I nodded.  "I suppose so.  I hope you can handle it.  We don't need
a panic or a mob of xenophobes after us, we're just trying to do our
jobs."

    She nodded back to me as Birdy helped her too her feet.  "I can
handle it."  She looked closely at Birdy, who smiled back at her semi
nervously.  "Can you hear me Tsutomu?"  Birdy looked surprised, but
nodded.  "Well then, if you'll talk to me about all this sometimes, I
won't feel the urge to tell anyone else, ok?"

    Birdy grinned.  "He says he will.  Can I talk to you too?  It'd be
nice to have an Earth girl to talk too sometimes."

    Hayamiya nodded.  "I guess so.  I do owe you for getting rid of that
strange robot that was watching my place right?"

    Birdy shrugged.  "Just doing my job."  But she was smiling warmly at
the girl now.  "You should get back to class now, we"  and she indicated
me and Mihoshi, "still have alot of things to discuss."

    She nodded.  "All right, I'll see you in a few minutes then?
Tsutomu I mean?"  Birdy nodded in answer, and the girl left.

    The three of us waited a few moments as her steps faded away.  "So I
was told you had my new orders?"

    I nodded in affirmation, and pulled a small data pad from my purse.
"Right.  Here is are your new instructions.  Basically, we are here to
handle any problems that aren't in the jurisdiction of the local law.
Mostly that deals with any problems that crop up with spaceships that
are in the area, and non Earth criminals that might come here.  The ship
problems are going to be mostly my and Mihoshi's job, as I'm told you
only have a small scout craft?"

    She nodded.  "And it would take me a few hours to get it uncovered,
I have it concealed in a junk pile."

    "Right, so our ship is more accessible as well, we have it stored in
a lake next to the house we are staying at while here."

    Birdy looked at the pad and skimmed it a bit.  "This Masaki Tenchi's
place right?  Is he really from Jurai?  I figured out that something odd
was going on yesterday when I noticed the princess, but how many
Jurain's are we talking about?  And why is Jurai royalty in a place like
this anyway?"

    I sighed, this was going to be a long explanation.

------------------------Much exposition followed---------------------------------

(Oh yes, I am basing this story mostly off the OVA's what manga has come
into the states so far, and the first Tenchi movie with his mom.  (Yes I
know the movie was set in the TV series continuity, but I liked it to
much not to use it, and Kiyone is to good a character so leave out.)

--------------From the files of Birdy Cephon Alterria-----------------------

    I was amazed at her story.  This Tenchi sounded like he commanded
incredible power.  I noted <Remind me never to get that Tenchi mad at
me.>

    Tsutomu was only to happy to agree.  <You said it!  I can hardly
believe he's mostly human!  Escaped from a black hole!>

    I turned back to my two new partners and asked.  "So what else is on
the docket?"

    Kiyone pulled out her own data pad and glanced at it.  "Well, we've
been instructed to help you round up this Reby person and her
entourage.  What can you tell us about her?"

    I grimaced a bit.  <She's supposed to be mine damn it!>

    Tsutomu tried to calm me down.  <What matters is that she's captured
right?  That's what is important.>

    I though back darkly.  <I guess...>

    Kiyone prodded me a bit.  "Can you brief us on her at all?  We don't
have much on her except the fact that she was a scientist, who turned to
crime to further her research.  We don't know who she's working with, or
what her usual methods are."

    I looked at her seriously now.  "I suppose her file has been
classified?"  She nodded back.  I sighed in resignation.  "Fine then, I
can tell you that she's experimenting with Human DNA, probably to use
them as some sort of weapon.  A kind of super soldier perhaps, though
her research so far hasn't ben entirely successful.  All her test
subjects have fallen apart."  I sighed heavily at that.  "She usually
employs a few alien criminals of dubious reputation, along with hordes
of Archezoids, though she has at least one quite effective individual in
her employ."

    Mihoshi perked up.  "Oh?  Who's that then  Is he good at balancing a
budget?"

    I gave an incredulous glance at the space cadet (I mean officer)
and tried to collect my thoughts.  "No, he's the only person I have met
to beat me in combat, twice."

    I saw Kiyone's eyes widen a bit at that, and I knew why.  We
Altiran's have a good reputation for our power in close combat, because
of our heavier than usual gravity, and efficient bone structure, much
like an Earth bird, but much stronger.

    She spoke up then.  "Do you know this individual's name?  Might he
be a better made, more sophisticated robot?"

    I shook my head.  "no, and I don't think so.  He moved to fluidly
for an Archezoid, though he was incredibly fast and strong.  I don't
think he's a killer though, he had me dead to rights, but he let me live
twice now."  I shook a bit at the memory.  "I hate to say it, but he
might be another Altarian."

    Mihoshi spoke up again.  "Oh good, he sound like a friendly criminal
then."  Kiyone and I groaned together at her cheerfulness, but her next
word surprised us both.  "So what kind of human DNA is Reby
experimenting with?  I mean, what does it do?"

    I thought approvingly,  <Good, question!>  Then cleared my throat to
answer.  "Ah, well we actually don't know the specific genes she is
manipulating, because so far all her subjects have degenerated beyond
recovery before they could be captured.  We do know that she is trying
to create a stable compound that activates a human's latent Telekinetic
power.  So far she's come pretty close, but to much stress has always
proven fatal to her subjects."  I showed them my wrist scanner.  "I've
got a telekinetic energy scanner hooked into my sensor right now.
Perhaps you can tune your smaller units to match my frequency and
receive the data from it."

    Kiyone nodded.  "That's a good idea.  Let me just do that, hold
on."  She examined my sensor, then adjusted her own to match the
frequency.

    Mihoshi followed her example, but not without complaining, "It's
always breaking down though.  Yours is much prettier as well, do you
think I could get one like it?"  At my and Kiyone's gaze she just said.
"What?"

     Elsewhere, one Crystell Reby was pondering her next series of
experiments.  She said to her personal bodyguard and Archezoid,
"Saliman, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

    He answered easily "I hope so Reby-sama.  I am not very confident in
this newest series of tests.  I know you are close to a solution, but."

    He paused  as she finished for him.  "But there is still something
missing?  I think so as well."  She turned to him suddenly, all
pondering aside.  "What did you come to tell me?"

    He looked at her without changing his expression, but she could tell
he was relieved that she had finally asked him.  "Your newly developed
sensors Reby-sama, they have developed an, aberration."

    She looked at him curious.  "  My telekinetic energy sensors?  The
ones I developed to keep track of my test subjects?"  He nodded.  "What
sort of aberration?"

    He gazed back levelly.  "They seem to be picking up a natural
Telekinetic source.  In fact, several sources.  I have not been able to
pinpoint the malfunction."

    Her eyebrow raised and she stood perfectly still for several moments
before speaking.  "It may not be a malfunction.  Deploy the Archezoids
in the target area, and find me this, natural source."

    He nodded and withdrew.  "As you say Reby-sama."