Hallo hallo again!  Here it is!  The final chapter in the Destiny's
Balance storyline.  Hope you like it!  Tenchi Muyo is the property
of AIC and Pioneer LDC.  The author owns only the writing.  Ssedrey
is the property of Daniel Powell and is being used with his consent.
I'd like to thank Cav and Meg for prereading this for me.  Thanks,
guys!  ^_^


Destiny's Balance Part 8:  Shattering the Balance

	"How could it have happened?!"  Tenchi asked for the twentieth
time as he walked down the palace corridor with Cavis and Meg in tow.
	Two days had passed since Tenchi had received a message on the
Megami from Ayeka.  Two days since Ayeka had read the note left
behind by whoever took Ryoko out of the palace right under the noses
of the Imperial Guard.
	"I have the prince's woman," it had said, and that was all.
Tenchi had spent the next two days pacing, urging the ship to go
faster as it sped back to Jurai.
	Cavis had called everyone together.  The Guild had made no
attempt to contact them yet, and even if they did, they knew what
the price for Ryoko's release would be.
	Tenchi, Ayeka, and Sasami.
	And that price was simply too high.
	And Tenchi knew it.
	They would have to come up with something else.
	The three of them entered the dining room, where they usually
conducted meetings like this.  The others were already there.  Ayeka
sat next to her mother, Sasami, and Achi at the head of the table.
Ssedrey was sitting next to Washu.  Nagi was standing in the corner,
observing.  Mihoshi and Kamidake stood on either side of the Queen,
both in uniform.  Davner was still in bed, recovering from Azusa's
poisoning.
	Cavis didn't waste any time.  "Okay, we're going after her,"
he said seriously.
	The others looked at him in surprise.  All except Tenchi, who
was nodding in agreement.
	"And how do we do that?"  Washu asked.  "We don't know where
they are."
	"They will take Ryoko to their temple,"  Ssedrey hissed.  "It
is the most secret and fortified position they have."
	"Okay, so where's that?"  Ayeka asked.
	Silence.
	"Kamidake?"  Cavis prompted.
	The Guardsman shook his head.  "The SIS has never been able to
locate it," he told them.  "Every attempt to infiltrate the Guild on
that level has failed."
	"Nagi?"
	"Not a clue," the bounty hunter told Cavis.  "I hunt Assassins,
yes, but even I'm not greedy enough to go after the entire nest."
	"Then...then it's hopeless?"  Sasami asked, teary eyed.
	"Not yet," Cavis growled.
	They looked up at him.
	"*Someone* knows where they are," he seethed.  "And he's going
to tell us."

	Ryoko sat, tied to a chair on board the cabbit ship that had
attacked the palace that one night almost three weeks ago as it
sped through space.
	She had been unconscious for almost a day, but now that she
was awake, she was sparing no time in railing at her captors.  Her
face was bruised from the savage beating Charis had given her, but
that didn't stop her.  The Assassins, two women and a man, had
listened to her insult them for several hours without a word, but as
Ryoko showed no signs of letting up any time soon, their patience
began to wane.  Finally, the leader, Charis, growled and turned,
pointing at her.
	"Someone sedate this cow!  I'm sick of hearing her moo!"
	Ryoko blinked as she realized she had pushed them too far.
The male Assassin began preparing a syringe.  He started for her.
	"Wait," she said.  "Wait!"  The man continued, dabbing at her
arm with some alcohol.  "What about my baby!?  What...What will this
stuff do to the baby!?"
	Charis shrugged.  "Do I look like a doctor to you?"
	Ryoko began to panic.  "Wait!  I'll stop!  I'll stop!"  The
man placed the needle at her arm.  "PLEASE!"
	Charis raised a hand.  The man paused.  Charis approached
Ryoko and bent over so that she was face to face with the pirate.
"I sympathize," she whispered.  "I do.  I have children of my own, so
I know how you feel, how scared you must be."  Her voice was soft,
almost gentle.  "So I'm going to give you just one more chance."
She waved, and the man with the syringe backed away.  "But if you
let out just one more peep," Charis warned, her voice turned harsh,
"And I'll have Derro here pump you so full of shit your eyeballs
will float to the fucking ceiling!"  She reached out and grabbed a
handful of Ryoko's hair, pulling the pirate's head to one side.
Ryoko grimaced in pain.  "Do you understand?"  Charis asked.
	Ryoko, too afraid for her child to risk speaking, nodded
quickly.
	Charis released her.  "Good."
	"Milady,"  the Assassin known as "Derro," began, "The Lieutenant
would like a word with you."
	Charis grinned.  "Would she?  Well, I can't risk disappointing
the long arm of the law."  She started aft.  "If she gives you any
trouble," Charis called over her shoulder, "Drug her."  She paused
and turned back, smiling at Ryoko.  "But not before then."
	"Yes, Milady."
	Charis disappeared into the back.

	"I can't."
	Tenchi reached out and grabbed Warshan De by the collar.
"Why the hell not!?"
	Warshan didn't flinch.  "It wasn't part of the deal.  I told
you.  I don't want the Guild dead, just Charis.  If I tell you where
our temple is, it'll destroy five thousand years of tradition."
	Cavis listened from the corner of the interrogation room.
Misaki had her guards drag Warshan up here with the hope that it
would cow the Assassin into telling them what they wanted to know.
	It hadn't worked.  Now, the Assassin sat at a metal table with
his hands chained to a steel ring in the front of the chair.  The
Queen had Jurai Security Bureau agents interrogate him, threaten him
with prison, exile, the works.
	It hadn't worked.
	Finally, Tenchi asked to speak with him, hoping that a plea
from him would do the job.
	"Please, Mr. De,"  Tenchi begged.  "She's not a member of the
royal family!  She's just an innocent who got in the way!  I'm
begging you!  Help us!"
	Warshan sighed.  "Lord Tenchi..."
	"Don't call me that!"  Tenchi snapped.  "I'm not a prince!
I'm just some kid from Earth who got tangled up in a bunch of stuff
I don't even understand!  And now it's going to kill Ryoko!  Please!
Mr. De...You're a good man.  I can see that.  Please, forget honor
just once and help us!  You can save her.  You can save Ryoko.  All
you have to do is point."  Tenchi pressed a button on the table.
The surface of the table seemed to distort and darken.  Stars
appeared, labeled.  In a few seconds, it was a fully functional star
chart.
	"Point,"  Tenchi begged him.  "Point."  Warshan looked him in
the eye and said nothing.  "Please,"  Tenchi begged quietly.  "She's
everything to me."
	Nothing.
	"PLEASE!"  Tenchi screamed, tears flowing down his face.
	Warshan sighed.  "I'm sorry," he whispered.  "I really am.
But I can't."
	Tenchi stared at him in disbelief.  "You son of a bitch," he
whispered.  "You'd let them kill a woman and baby to save your *DAMN
TRADITIONS!?*"
	Warshan stared him down.  "Yes," he said finally.
	Tenchi pulled his fist back for a punch, but Cavis stopped him.
"Tenchi," he said quietly, "Go outside.  Get something to drink."
	"Cavis!  I..."
	"Go ahead, kid,"  Cavis interrupted, staring at Warshan.
"It'll be okay."
	Tenchi gave one last heartbroken look to the Assassin before
turning and leaving the room.
	"The kid has a lot of spirit,"  Cavis remarked, his back to
Warshan.
	Warshan nodded.  "That he does.  I'm sorry I can't help him
anymore than I have."
	Cavis nodded.  "Yeah, me too."  Suddenly, Cavis whirled around
and grabbed Warshan's hair.  With a quick movement, he yanked
downward.  Warshan's face slammed into the table top...

	"I take it it did not go well,"  Ssedrey rumbled, seeing the
defeated look on Tenchi's face.
	Tenchi shook his head as he wiped away a tear.  "That bastard,"
he hissed.  "That bastard."
	"Now what do we do?"  Meg asked quietly.
	Washu hmmm'd in thought.  "I could go in and tweak his brain,"
she announced.  "But that's always tricky.  He could end up dying."
	"Before or after he gives us the information?"  Ssedrey asked,
giving the option serious thought.
	"Could go either way,"  Washu said with a shrug.
	Meg shook her head.  "That won't work then."  She blinked and
looked around.  "Hey, Tenchi.  Where's Cavis?  I thought he was with
you."
	Tenchi nodded.  "He's still upstairs.  I think he wanted to
try to convince De himself."  He saw the ashen look on Meg's face.
"Meg?  Are you okay?"
	"Damn!"  she cried and started racing up the stairs.

	Blood seeped from Warshan's broken nose onto the table top
star chart where Cavis had pinned him by the neck.  Warshan blinked
in shock.
	"Sorry, De,"  Cavis said quietly.  "But it's obvious the easy
way isn't going to work."  Warshan heard a soft hum as a sonic knife
came to life.  Cavis stabbed the knife into the table top near
Warshan's face and let it stand there.  "Where's the temple?"
Cavis asked.
	Warshan said nothing.
	Cavis grimaced and took the knife up off the table.  He placed
the end of the humming blade near the Assassin's face and made a
small cut right below the left eye.  Warshan dared not move lest the
blade cut into his eye.  He hissed in pain.
	Sonic blades differed from light blades in that they didn't
cauterize wounds as they cut.  Warshan bled onto the picture of the
galaxy below him.
	"Where?"  Cavis repeated.  Warshan said nothing.  "I won't
ask you again."
	Warshan held his head high and said nothing.  Cavis circled
around and grabbed him by the hair with his free hand.  Warshan
stared at him as he brought the knife tip up right in front of the
Assassin's left eye.
	"Eenie,"  Cavis whispered.  He moved the knife so that it
pointed at the right eye.  "Meenie."  Back to the left.  "Miney."
Back to the right.  Cavis paused there and grimaced at Warshan.
	"Moe," Cavis whispered.  He tensed.
	He felt someone's hand grab his elbow.
	"Cavis!"  Meg cried out.
	"Take a walk, Meg,"  Cavis told her, not facing her.
	"Stop it!" she hissed, holding onto his elbow.  "This isn't
the way."
	"I've heard it before, Meg," he told her.  "And when you get
right down to it, if it comes to a choice between his life and her's,
I pick her's."
	"And what if you kill him, huh?!"  she demanded.  "Then what?!
Think he'll come back from the grave and tell you!?  Well, that at
least will give you someone to talk to in prison!"
	Cavis said nothing.
	"We'll find another way," she whispered.
	"Sometimes there is no other way, Meg.  This is it!  It's not
pretty, but it works!"
	"Cavis," she whispered, placing her hand on his, the one with
the knife.  "Cavis," she said again, "Let it go."
	Cavis seemed to falter.  "I...I can't let her die," he
whispered.
	"I know.  Let it go.  We'll find something else."
	The pirate's fingers loosened.  The knife fell to the table
top with a *clack*.  Meg took his hand and sighed in relief.
	"Why did you stop me?" he asked quietly.
	"Because I know you're not that person," she told him, "And
that you don't *want* to be that person."
	He looked at her with haunted eyes.  "Thank you, Meg," he
whispered.
	Meg smiled.  "Any time, Darktower."  She turned to the
Assassin.  "Now, Mr. De," she said, "About that temple."
	Warshan blinked tears out of his eyes, not from the moving
scene he had just witnessed...
	His nose was broken.
	"I told you," he said, "I can't tell you."
	"Can you show us?"
	Warshan blinked.
	"If I give you full navigational control of my ship," she said,
"Could you take us there?  We make orbit, beam in, grab Ryoko, and
beam out, and you can wipe the navigational records afterward."
She looked at him.  "Will you consider that?"
	Warshan stared up at her.  "I will consider *that*."

	"What do you intend to do with her?"  Mitsuki asked Charis in
Death-Ohki's aft compartment.
	Charis arched an eyebrow.  "What do you think?"
	Mitsuki glared.  "You said you were after the royal family.
Last I checked, she wasn't one of them."
	"She's the prince's woman,"  Charis told her.  "She counts."
	"This wasn't part of the deal!"  Mitsuki hissed.
	"Mitsuki, dear,"  Charis said icily.  "Are you challenging my
authority?"  She reached out and grasped the GP's throat with one
hand and squeezed.  Mitsuki gasped.  "You know how much I *hate*
that!"
	Mitsuki gagged but didn't reply.  Finally, Charis threw her
to the floor.
	"I suggest you adopt a more obedient attitude, Lieutenant,"
Charis hissed.  "Or I'll cut your throat.  Do you understand?"
	Mitsuki nodded slowly.
	"Good.  Now go forward and assist Arianna."  The redhead got
up and went forward.  As she did, Charis contemplated her next move.
	She didn't want to just kill the royals.  She wanted them to
suffer, but how?  What could she do that would inflict the most pain
in the most debilitating way?
	Derro entered the cabin.  As well as a competent Assassin, he
also held a doctorate in xenobiology.  It made him a more efficient
interrogator, torturer, and killer.
	Charis looked at him as an idea formed.  "Derro," she began
casually.  Derro looked up at her as Charis continued.  "If I
wanted to induce a miscarriage....what would I need?"

	"Okay, guys,"  Cavis told the assembled group in the dining
room, "We're rolling!"
	"De agreed to tell you?"  Washu asked.
	Cavis shook his head.  "No, but he's going to take us there in
the Megami."
	"When do we leave?"  Ssedrey asked.
	"The Megami's being fueled right now,"  Meg told them.  "We
can leave in two hours."
	Misaki nodded.  "I'll have some of our warships attack the
other bases on De's list to divert attention from you.  That might
buy you some time."
	Cavis nodded.  "Thank you, Your Majesty."
	"Then we should make preparations to leave,"  Ayeka announced
rising to her feet.
	"Cavis and the other will make preparations to leave,"
Misaki told her.  "You and Sasami are going to remain here."
	Ayeka blinked in shock.  "But...But Mother!  What about
Ryoko?!"
	"It's too dangerous,"  her mother told her.  "You're staying."
	"Mother, please,"  Ayeka tried again.
	"No,"  Misaki said with a tone of finality.  Ayeka looked ready
to protest again, but Misaki beat her to it.  "Ayeka, I can be swayed
only so far.  Has it occurred to you that this is what they want?
That they *want* you to come to them instead of trying to attack the
palace again?"
	"What about Tenchi?"  she asked.  "He's going."
	"Ryoko is the mother of his child,"  Misaki said, obviously
becoming annoyed with her daughter.  "He *has* to go, and I wouldn't
try to stop him."
	"Moth..."
	"No, Ayeka!  You're not going!"  Ayeka looked downcast, but
held her head high as she sat down again.  "However, the royal
family will be represented," she said calmly.  "Mihoshi, Kamidake,
I need two volunteers to accompany Tenchi to rescue Ryoko.  Can you
think of anyone suitable?"
	Kamidake smiled.  Mihoshi blinked.  "Hey!  I know!  *We* could
go!  This way you won't have to ask anyone else!"
	The rest of the group just stared at her.  Misaki smiled.
"An excellent idea, Lieutenant!  Very well then!"  Mihoshi beamed
with pride.
	"Okay," Cavis said, almost desperate to change the subject.
"Who goes and who stays?"
	Everyone, of course wanted to go.  In the end, it was decided
that Achi would remain behind to watch for Assassins.  Washu would
also stay.  Although Davner's condition had been improving steadily,
he wasn't out of the woods yet, and Ayeka *trusted* Washu.
	"I'll accompany you,"  Nagi spoke up from her corner.  Tenchi
blinked in genuine surprise.  Nagi looked at him. "Unless you'd
rather not have my help."
	Tenchi nodded.  "I'll take whatever help I can get."
	Nagi nodded in return.  "Good.  We'll ride with you."  With
that, she turned and left the room.
	Cavis watched her go and nodded.  "Okay.  We move in two
hours."

	Ayeka walked down the hall dejectedly.  The others had left
two hours ago, and once again she was stuck behind.  She felt so
helpless.  Her friends could die out there while she was trapped at
the palace, safe and protected.  She *belonged* with her friends,
not here, behind the safety of stone walls.
	She decided to go see Davner.  In the past couple of days he
had slipped in and out of consciousness, but Washu insisted he was
getting better.
	Apparently, he was well enough for her to find him leaning
against his bed as he pulled his shirt on.  She blinked in
astonishment at seeing him on his feet.
	"Davner?"
	He reached out with his hand and steadied himself on the
nightstand.  His breathing seemed forced and labored.  He offered
her a weak smile.  "'Morn'n...Neria," he got out.
	"What are you doing!?  You should be in bed!"
	He grinned as he struggled to get air.  "One thing...at a time,
Neria.  First, I have to...catch up to the others.  Why didn't you
tell me...they were leaving?"
	Ayeka shook her head in disbelief.  "You're not going
anywhere!  You're a wreck!"
	Davner stood a little taller.  "I'm fine," he told her.
"Granted, a little short of breath, but..." he smiled, "You tend to
have that effect on me."
	Ayeka crossed her arms over her chest.  "You're not going
anywhere," she told him.
	Davner's smile lost some of its intensity.  "They need me,
Neria," he told her.
	She shook her head. "Not like this."
	"Well," Davner said, straightening, "No offense, Neria, but
how...do you intend to stop me?"
	Ayeka arched an eyebrow.  Two power logs appeared on either
side of Davner.  He blinked and flinched as a forcefield made contact
with his face.  He reached out with his hands and tried pushing
against the field, but his resistance had no effect.  The forcefield
began to move, forcing him backward.  He continued to press against
it, giving him an almost comical appearance, like a mime pressing
against the inside of an invisible box.
	"Neria," he said.  "Neria, don't do this."  His breathing was
getting more labored as he struggled.  "Please, Neria," he begged.
"They need me.  Don't...Don't do this."  The back of his knees
struck the bed and he found himself in a sitting position.  He
continued to struggle as the energy field forced him gently down
onto the bed.
	Ayeka watched as his breath quickened.  The struggle against
the field had exhausted him already.  He lay on the bed, gasping for
breath, his eyes half closed.
	"Don't...Neria..." he begged quietly.  "They...They need me...
Don't..."  Ayeka approached the bed and leaned forward, gently
kissing his forehead.  Davner's eyes closed as he continued to beg
her to let him up, to let him follow after the others.
	"Go to sleep, Davner," she whispered.  "It's okay.  They don't
need us...either of us."  She watched as he breathing began to slow
to a more comfortable tempo.  He was asleep again.  She deactivated
the forcefield and sat down in a chair next to his bed.  She pulled
a tissue from a nearby box and dabbed at her eyes.
	"Please let them come back okay," she whispered.

	"I find this odd,"  Charis noted as she looked up at the
tactical screen in the command center of the Guild's main temple.
	Next to her, Arianna nodded.  The blonde woman pulled a
thin-bladed assassin's knife and used it to point out particular
stars on the chart in front of them.  "Two more bases in Morphia and
one in Contempa.  There are also reports of more Jurain warships
moving on our base in Cassus."
	"Why now?"  Charis mused.  "Why bring out the military now when
they've seemed to go to great lengths to keep from using them?"
	"It's panic fire,"  Arianna told her.  "Now that we have the
prince's woman, they're pulling out all the stops."
	"No, there's more,"  Charis whispered.  She straightened.
"When the first attack occurred on Morphia, what did you do, Arianna?"
	The blonde Assassin blinked.  "I sent the Dagger to assist in
the evac of the survivors."
	"And Contempa?"
	"I sent the Vengeance."
	Charis smiled.  "They're thinning us out," she concluded.
"Warshan's bringing them here to get the girl."
	Arianna shook her head.  "No, not even *he* would turn his
back on the war gods!"
	"He has,"  Charis told her.  She punched a few keys on her
terminal.  "Bring Mitsuki here," she ordered.  Arianna left to fetch
the GP Lieutenant.  When she returned with Mitsuki, Charis was
staring at a starchart.
	"Yes....Milady?"  Mitsuki bit out sarcastically.
	"They're coming," Charis told her, ignoring her tone.  "If I'm
right, they'll have to come through the Noitami asteroid belt.  I
need you to arrange a....welcome...for them."
	Mitsuki eyed the chart, then nodded reluctantly.  "Fine.  I'll
need to use your comm system."
	"Arianna will see to it."
	Arianna gestured to the door.  Mitsuki turned and left the room,
the blonde Assassin in tow.
	Charis smiled.  Soon, it would be over.

	"What's our ETA?"  Cavis asked Warshan.
	Warshan looked up from the helm station at him.  "About two
more days," he told the pirate.  "We have to pass through the Noitami
Belt first."
	"Noitami,"  Ssedrey mused.  "Your temple is in Sector 4."
	Warshan turned to him, his face expressionless.  "Maybe it is,
and maybe it isn't."
	"Let's just hope where ever they are, they've sent ships to deal
with our forces,"  Kamidake interjected diplomatically.  "If we get
there only to find several Assassin ships waiting for us, this could
go down in history as the shortest rescue mission ever."
	"You don't really think they'll be waiting for us, do you,
Kamidake?"  Mihoshi asked him worriedly.
	"Perhaps," he told her.  He smiled reassuredly.  "If they are
waiting, you should be prepared.  Let's go to the cargo bay and
train some, shall we?"
	Mihoshi nodded.  "Sure."
	"May I come as well?"  Ssedrey asked.  "I like to observe the
fighting techniques of others."
	Mihoshi grinned.  "Sure, Ssedrey!"
	The three left the bridge.  Cavis made his way to Tenchi, who
was staring out the bridge window.  Tenchi said nothing for several
seconds, then, "I shouldn't have left her."
	Cavis put his hand on the boy's shoulder.  "Tenchi, choices
are made.  They're either good or bad, but once made you can't
change them.  So stop agonizing over it.  We'll get Ryoko back.  I
promise you that."  Tenchi didn't reply.
	"Ryoko will live."
	They both turned to the owner of the comment.  Nagi was
looking out the other window, Ken-Ohki, as ever, sitting on her
shoulder.  She turned to them.
	"If anyone is going to end Ryoko's life, it's me."
	Tenchi blinked.  "Nagi, I never asked....why do you hate her
so much?  What did she do that was *that* horrible?"
	Nagi turned back to the window and waited a few heartbeats
before answering.  "She killed a man.  A bank guard on Carissia."
	"At the risk of sounding callous, Nagi,"  Cavis spoke up, "So
the fuck what?"
	Nagi glared at him.  "He was a miserable excuse for a human
being.  He drank, beat his wife, and cheated on her, but that man
had a life, and *she* took it!"  She paused.  "And she doesn't even
remember it."
	"Bullshit,"  Cavis told her.  "I remember that job.  A guard
walked in on us and went for his gun.  Ryoko blasted him, but wasn't
*trying* for a kill."  Nagi stared at him.  "And you're wrong, Nagi.
I *know* she remembers it.  I know because it was her first, her
first kill.  And I remember how she *agonized* over it.  She didn't
kill that man for shits and giggles, Nagi...and I know for a fact
that she wanted nothing more than turn back time and let him shoot
her rather than take his life.  Maybe the years with us hardened
her, but she was never a cold blooded killer."
	Nagi just stared and wouldn't reply.
	"Ms. Nagi,"  Tenchi began quietly.  "That still doesn't tell
me why.  I mean...There are other criminals out there.  Even if
Ryoko was the cold blooded murderer you describe, aren't there worse
out there?"
	Nagi shifted her gaze to him.  "The guard...the one I told
you about."
	"Yeah?"
	Nagi started for the door.  As she left the room, she threw
one last comment over her shoulder at them.
	"He was my kid brother."

	Ryoko sat on the cold, cement floor of her cell and tried to
remain calm.  She had never felt so frightened or alone in all her
life.  She sat there, hugging her knees as she tried desperately to
stay calm.  The Assassins had taken her from their ship and threw
her into a damp, dimly lit cell with no windows.  A naked lightbulb
hanging from the ceiling was the only illumination.  She had tried
to teleport or phase through the wall, but apparently, her powers
were now completely gone.
	She was trapped.
	She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that Tenchi was there
with her, sitting on a beach and watching the sunset, a sunset just
like the one in the painting he had bought for her.  The painting
was gone.  It had been knocked out of her suite when Ryo-Ohki had
gouged out the wall to get the Assassins attacking them, but she
could still remember it.  She took a breath and imagined she was
there, allowed the image to soothe her.
	Her eyes flashed open as the door to her cell opened.  Two
Assassins entered.  One of them was the blonde from the ship,
Arianna.  The other was a large, bald man carrying a steel baton.
The man approached her.
	"Feeding time, bitch.  On your fucking feet!"  He raised the
baton and prepared to bring it down on her.  Ryoko flinched away
in anticipation of the blow, but it never fell.  She looked up and
found Arianna holding the man's arm.
	"Her Ladyship wants her intact, so hands off,"  she warned
him.
	The man growled.  Arianna placed a tray of food on the ground
near the door.  Ryoko watched silently.
	"I don't know why we're bothering," the man told her.  "I
thought we were trying to kill these guys, not put them up on
holiday."
	"Just do what you're told, Cromas,"  Arianna growled.
	"Heh,"  was Cromas' only reply.  "Too bad about Striker, eh?"
	Arianna shrugged.  "Not really.  He always made me...nervous."
Her hand trailed to the knife that hung at her belt.
	"What are you going to do to me?"  Ryoko asked, glaring at them.
	Arianna smiled.  "Well, so she speaks again, does she?"  She
kneeled down and faced Ryoko.  "You should feel lucky.  Her Ladyship
thinks you're important enough to keep around.  Most people aren't
quite as lucky."  With that, she rose and left the cell.  Cromas
followed and locked the door behind him.
	Ryoko closed her eyes again.  A lone tear streaked down her
face.
	<Bait,> she thought.  <They're using me as bait.  Oh, God,
Tenchi, please stay away.>
	She opened her eyes and made her way to the tray of food they
had left.  Despite her lack of appetite, she began to eat.

	"You know, while we sit here and watch rocks float by, we
*could* be doing something useful...like handing out parking tickets
or something,"  the AI interface told Detective Toshio Mizuno as he
scanned the asteroid field ahead of him.
	"Lina," he said exasperated, "I told you, an old friend of
mine gave me a tip that a pirate ship's going to be passing through
here.  Now, yes, we *could* hand out parking tickets, or we could
stay a few more hours and check it out."
	The dome-headed interface snorted derisively.  "Fine, but did
we *really* have to call for back-up?"
	Toshio glanced out the window at the two Yagami class GP
patrol ships positioned nearby.  "Yes.  Mitsuki didn't give
specifics, just that the ship that toasted Mahotsukai would be
coming through here, and anyone that can take on a GP patrol ship
should be approached with caution."
	"Caution my digital ass!"  Lina told him angrily.  "You're
sitting in the most advanced ship in the GP arsenal, and you're still
calling for back-up like a good little trooper....kiss ass."
	"Hey!  One more crack like that and I'm shutting you off!"
	"Ooooh!  Big scary GP's gonna shut me off!  I'm *real* scared!"
Lina told him.  Toshio frowned at the sarcasm.  "Here's a tip,
*Toshi*, call for back-up before you try, or else you're liable
to..."  She broke off.  "I got something."
	"Show me,"  Toshio ordered, their quarrel forgotten.  An image
of a light freighter appeared on his screen.  "That's the ship the
Ryoshi chased, all right,"  Toshio muttered.  "Okay, Lina, let's let
the boys know we're going in."
	"Channel open,"  she told him.
	"Fushigi, Iruka, this is the Lina.  We got the point.  You
guys stand by and be ready to support."
	"Roger, Lina. We got your back."
	"Understood, Lina."
	"Open a channel to the pirate, Lina."

	"What's up?"  Cavis asked as he walked up onto the bridge ahead
of the others.
	"GP,"  Meg told him.  "They're hailing us."
	"Can we outrun them?"  Warshan asked.
	Mihoshi looked up at the ship on the screen and shook her head.
"Don't even try.  That's a Tanto class ship.  Brand new.  They're
the fastest ships the GP ever put out.  They'll catch us easily."
	"Pirate ship, Megami..."  a voice came over the speaker.
	"Great,"  Meg muttered, "Now it's, 'Pirate ship, Megami.'
Thanks heaps, Cav."
	Cavis just shook his head ruefully.
	"Surrender and prepare to be boarded.  We have a warrant for
the search of your vessel."
	"Damn, and we got two more behind him,"  Warshan muttered.
	"Any ideas?"  Kamidake asked.
	Meg nodded.  "I have one."  She looked up at Nagi.

	Toshio watched as the pirate ship turned and started away from
them.
	"She's making a run for it!"  Lina told him.
	Toshio smiled slightly.  "Sic 'em, Lina,"  he said.
	He was pressed back in his seat as the GP ship took off after
the pirate.  "Target their engines," he ordered.  Lina complied, and
soon a set of red crosshairs appeared on his screen, tracking the
pirate ship.  He watched as it ducked behind a large asteroid.
	"Let's meet 'em on the other side," he ordered.  Lina pulled
up, circling around the other side of the asteroid.  He saw the
pirate ship emerge directly in front of him.  "Fire," he ordered
quietly.  Two meson bolts lanced out, striking the pirate's shields.
The ship continued onward.
	So intent on the fight in front of him, he didn't notice a
cabbit ship racing away from the asteroid as fast as it could.

	Meg lurched forward in her seat and tried to keep her ship
together.  She saw Ken-Ohki race away on her screen.  "Good luck,
guys," she whispered as another shot rocked the Megami.
	"You know, Meg," a familiar voice spoke up from beside her.
"If you keep doing shit like this, you're gonna end up like me."
	"Stuff it, Dee!  I'm busy!"
	Sitting in the co-pilot's chair, Dee smiled.  "Fine.  Want some
company as long as you're playing hide and seek?"
	Meg spared her a glance.  "Fine, try to be confident and sound
like you know what you're talking about."  Meg's hands raced over the
control board.
	Dee smiled.  "Just like old times."

	Cavis took a breath as he watched the Megami disappear behind
an asteroid, the three GP ships right on her heels.  "Good luck,
Meg," he whispered.  "Ken-Ohki, think you can take us the rest of
the way?"
	"CIAOOO!"
	Ryo-Ohki smiled proudly.  "Miya!"
	"We'll take that as a 'yes,'"  Nagi told them.  "De?"
	"I'm inputting the data now.  We're on our way."
	Ken-Ohki continued on.

	"We will arrive in two hours,"  Warshan told the group.  He
unfolded an old, yellowing map and set it out on the floor of
Ken-Ohki's bridge.  "The main entrance of the temple is too well
guarded, and Charis probably knows we're coming.  Luckily for us, I
know of a secret entrance on the bank of this river."  He pointed out
an area on the edge of the map.  "It's a good hike from there, but
better than having to face whatever defenses Charis has head on."
	"What manner of defenses should one expect?"  Ssedrey asked.
	"Most Assassins are abroad on assignments.  The threat of
facing troops of any kind is slight, however, there are automated
defenses."  He pointed out an area on the map.  "The approach to the
secret entrance is mined, but I know of the way through them."
	"How do we know Charis isn't expecting us to come through
there?"  Cavis asked.
	"Because she doesn't know anything about it,"  Warshan told
him.  "The entrance was created by my mentor, Dantoullouine.  I
helped him mine the area."
	The group nodded.
	"Once we are inside, we will have to move quickly.  We'll also
have to split up."
	"Why?"  Tenchi asked.
	"There are three places where your woman might be kept."  He
pointed out three areas on the map.  "Here, here, or here.  The
temple has no brig because we don't normally keep prisoners, however,
there is an isolation area we use for initiaitions.  No windows,
barred door.  It could easily be used as a jail."
	"I'll check that out,"  Kamidake volunteered.
	Mihoshi nodded.  "I'll go too."
	Warshan nodded and pointed out the next area on the map.
"Given your friend's condition, Charis may have felt merciful enough
to keep her in one of Assassin's quarters on this floor."
	"I can handle that,"  Ssedrey said.  "I will require help."
	"I'll go," Nagi told him.  Ssedrey nodded in acceptance.
	"The area is isolated from the temple and can be hard to
navigate.  I'll go with you as well,"  Warshan told them.
	"Okay, what about the third area?"  Cavis asked.
	"Here."  Warshan pointed at another area of the map.  "Charis
may keep her close by.  If she does, it'll be here in the command
and control area.  It's where the Great Hall is, the center of the
universe as far as the Guild is concerned."
	Cavis nodded and looked at Tenchi.  "You and me, kid."  Tenchi
nodded.
	"As per our agreement,"  Warshan said, "I expect you to wipe
your nav computer."
	Nagi nodded.  "Ken-Ohki will handle it."
	Warshan didn't appear convinced.  "How do I know?"
	"You don't,"  Nagi told him.
	The two stared at each other for a hard minute before Cavis
spoke up.  "Okay.  Two hours.  Let's get ready."

	"They're here,"  Charis announced.  Arianna nodded with a grim
smile.  Mitsuki looked uncomfortable.  "Bring the bitch here where
I can keep an eye on her.  Derro."  The Assassin medic looked up.
"Make the preparations we've discussed and place her on the altar."
She smiled.  "It's been a long time since the Guild has made a
sacrifice.  Appropriate, I think, that we should have one now."
	Derro nodded and left to move Ryoko.  The Great Hall of the
Guild was only one room away.
	"Let's be prepared to welcome them,"  Charis told them.  She
smiled.

	The group stood at the mouth of a cave.  Behind them, only
twenty meters away, a river flowed by.  The lights of a nearby city
could be seen in the night.  Cavis didn't recognize the planet they
were on, but he really didn't care as long as they could get Ryoko
out.  Warshan had led them through the mine field without incident.
So far, so good.
	Tenchi ignited the Tenchi-ken and pointed it down the stone
corridor, illuminating it.  There was nothing.  "How far until the
first fork?" he asked.
	"Five hundred meters,"  Warshan told him.
	"De,"  Cavis said.  Warshan turned to him.  Cavis pulled a
blaster from his black trench coat and held it out to the Assassin.
Warshan took it and checked the action.  "Try to keep it pointed in
the right direction,"  Cavis warned.  Warshan didn't reply.
	"Everyone ready?"  Kamidake asked.  They all nodded.  He held
out his staff and concentrated.  The tip of the staff began to glow.
Kamidake stepped forward and led the way into the tunnel.
	The others followed.

	Derro shoved Ryoko to the ground in the Guild's Great Hall,
right at Charis' feet.  Charis knelt down and grasped Ryoko by the
hair, pulling her to her feet.
	The Great Hall was massive, with giant stone columns reaching
up to the sky at ten meter intervals.  At one end was a stone slab.
The Hall was at least a hundred meters long and fifty wide.
	"Hello, cow,"  Charis greeted with a smile.  "How are you
enjoying my hospitality?"
	Ryoko glanced at the floor in defeat...then made a grab for
Charis' holstered blaster.
	The Assassin leader was either too quick or else was expecting
it.  She twisted her hip, putting the blaster out of reach.  Ryoko's
hand missed the blaster.  Charis slapped her visciously across the
face.
	"Okay, little bitch, if you didn't like the accomodations all
you had to do was drop a slip into the complaint box!"  She dragged
a dazed Ryoko to a stone altar, and with Derro's help, managed to
manhandle the pirate onto the stone slab.  A minute later Ryoko was
chained hand and foot to the table.  She looked about fearfully.
Charis looked down at her like a hawk might eye a snake.  She nodded
to Derro, who turned to a small cart he had brought in before
bringing Ryoko in.
	On the cart was a small device with three glass vials sticking
up out of the top.  A small, plastic tube with a needle at one end
led from the device.  Derro swabbed Ryoko's arm with alcohol.  Ryoko
saw the machine, her eyes going wide.  She turned to Charis in fear.
	"You promised!" she gasped out.
	Charis smiled.  "Yeah, how about that?" she replied.
	Ryoko felt a prick of pain as Derro inserted the needle.  Ryoko
squeezed her eyes shut in preparation, but nothing occurred.  She
heard Derro speak to Charis.
	"Here's the remote.  Press this button and the chemicals will
be injected.  It's that simple."  Ryoko opened her eyes and found
Charis handling a small black box.
	"Excellent work, Derro.  Arm up and join the defense."
	"Yes, Milady."  Derro left the room.
	Charis smiled at Ryoko and pointed the remote at her.  "Beep,"
she said with a smile.  Ryoko swallowed back fear.

	The tunnel had led to a simple door.  Opening it, they found
themselves in a dark basement beneath the temple.  Tenchi and
Kamidake provided enough light to see the barrels and crates that
lined the basement walls.
	"Upstairs there'll be a corridor,"  Warshan told them.
"Captain Kamidake and Lieutenant Mihoshi will go right.  The rest
of us will go left.  Be on the look-out for guards."
	Cavis snapped his fingers.  Ssedrey looked at him.  Cavis
pointed at the door at the top of the stairs, then at his own eyes.
The Asconian nodded and dashed up the stairs.  Producing a vorpolia
axe from beneath his cloak, Ssedrey pushed the door open a crack and
looked outside.  He turned back and nodded.
	"Let's go,"  Cavis told them.
	They started up the stairs.

	Warshan stuck the blaster behind the Assassin's ear.  The
Assassin in front of him tensed.
	"Rhodo,"  Warshan began, "It's me.  We're moving against Charis.
Where do you stand?"
	The Assassin, Rhodo, turned his head slightly to look at
Warshan.  "I stand with you, De."
	Warshan nodded.  "Let's go."  He walked past the Assassin.
Before he made it three steps, he heard a soft cry and whirled around
to find Nagi standing behind Rhodo.  Rhodo's eyes were wide with pain
and fear.  He fell to the floor.  Nagi's energy sword was humming
quietly.
	"Nagi!"  Warshan hissed.
	The bounty hunter knelt next to Rhodo's body and lifted the
dead man's hand.  A thin-bladed assassin's knife was clutched in
the fingers.
	"Do us all a favor, De,"  Nagi said, "And try not to trust
your snake friends."  Ken-Ohki was absent from her shoulder.  He was
with Tenchi, refusing to leave Ryo-Ohki's side, and Nagi had not been
in the mood for an argument with her ship.
	She walked past Warshan, who watched her angrily.  Ssedrey was
not far behind her.
	The group came to a four way junction and stopped.
	"Which way?"  Ssedrey asked.
	"All,"  Warshan told him.  "These three corridors all contain
rooms where Assassin's bunk while they're here."
	"Then we split up,"  Nagi said, walking down the corridor.
Ssedrey and Warshan shared a look and started down their own
corridors.

	Two hands shot out from the doorway and grabbed the Assassin's
head.  Before the guard could react, the hands, controlled by
powerful arms, slammed the Assassin's head into a wall, knocking him
out cold.  Kamidake stepped from the doorway and gave the all clear.
Mihoshi stepped out, and the two picked up the Assassin's body,
dragging it into the door where the two had been hiding.  They
stepped back out into the corridor.
	Kamidake held his staff out in front of him, wary of danger.
Mihoshi, still untrained on even the standard issue Jurain staff,
held a blaster pistol up cautiously.  They started down the hall.
	"It's this way, I think,"  Mihoshi said, turning a doorknob.
	Kamidake was about to correct her, but Mihoshi opened the door.
	Mitsuki was standing on the other side, preparing to walk
through the exact same door.
	The GP and the former GP blinked at each other in shock.
	"Mi...Mitsuki?"
	"Mihoshi?"
	"Were you a prisoner, Lieutenant?"  Kamidake asked.
	Mitsuki paused.  "Yes, I am, I..."
	Mihoshi glanced down and saw Mitsuki's blaster strapped to her
hip.  She remembered the night Ryoko was taken.  Right before the
Assassins got in...
	Mitsuki had come to the palace.
	*Someone* had planted transport enhancers in the bathroom.
	It all clicked.
	She looked at the GP officer in astonishment.
	Then she slapped her across the face.
	"TRAITOR!"  Mihoshi screamed.
	Mitsuki recovered and went for her blaster, but before she
could draw it, Mihoshi was on her, her hands around the GP's throat.
Kamidake looked on in shock as Mihoshi tackled Mitsuki to the ground.
	"It was you!"  Mihoshi screamed.  "You had the GP attack the
Megami!  You let the Assassins into the palace!"  She continued to
throttle Mitsuki while the GP tried to fight back.  Tears of rage
streamed down her face.  "IT WAS YOU!  IT WAS YOU!"  Mitsuki managed
reach up and grab a handful of Mihoshi's hair, pulling it as hard as
she could.
	Mihoshi screamed and punched the GP in the face.  Mitsuki cried
out and blinked as blood ran down her nose.  Mihoshi reached out and
grabbed the blaster she had dropped. She placed the barrel under
Mitsuki's nose.
	"Kiyone," she hissed, "If you're responsible for what happened
to Kiyone..."  She clicked off the safety on the blaster. Mitsuki's
eyes widened in fear.
	"Mihoshi!"  Kamidake whispered urgently.
	Mihoshi's blaster shook as she glared at Mitsuki in hatred.
The burning hate in her eyes looked out of place on her usually
gentle face.  She looked at Mitsuki angrily.
	"In the name of Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Misaki of Jurai,"
Mihoshi hissed between clenched teeth, "I am placing you under
arrest.  Charged with conspiracy to assassinate the royal heirs."
	Mitsuki closed her eyes in defeat.  Mihoshi sat up, pulling the
blaster away.  Mitsuki breathed a sigh of relief.
	Without warning, Mihoshi struck the GP across the face with the
butt of her pistol.  Mitsuki lost consciousness.

	Nagi stepped into the next room and did a quick search.
Nothing but a few boxes were stored in the room.  Another dead end.
She was about to leave the room when she noticed something hanging
from the ceiling in one dark corner.  Her eyes narrowed and she
approached it.  It looked like a mass of gray clay with two wires
sticking out of it.  Her eyes went wide with realization.
	Explosives.
	"De," she said, speaking into her wrist communicator.  "De,
respond."
	"De here," the reply came.  "What is it?"
	"I'm in one of the store rooms.  I've found a bomb in one
corner."
	"You'll find more," he told her.  "The entire temple is wired."
	"What?"  Nagi asked dangerously.  "And you didn't tell anyone?"
	"I didn't see the need."
	"Bastard," she whispered.  She switched channels.  "Cavis?
Cavis, respo..."
	She stopped as she felt something cold tickle the side of her
neck.
	"Nagi?"  Cavis' voice came over the comm.  "Nagi?  What is it?
Nagi?"
	From behind her, Arianna reached out and took the comm unit
off Nagi's wrist.  The knife pressed against the side of her neck
didn't move.
	"The great bounty hunter, Nagi,"  Arianna whispered.  "The best
in her field.  The only hunter to ever defy the Hunter's Guild and
get away with it.  I'm going to enjoy this."
	Nagi took a breath and sighed.  Suddenly, her arm flew up,
knocking Arianna's knife away from her neck.  She twisted and slammed
her fist into the Assassin's face.  Not waiting for her to recover,
Nagi tackled Arianna and knocked her to the ground.

	Cavis turned to Tenchi.  "What do you think?"
	"She's in trouble,"  Tenchi told him.
	Cavis lifted the comm to his lips.  "Ssedrey..."

	Arianna's hand struck the front of Nagi's neck in an overhand
chop.  Nagi gagged and stumbled backwards.  The Assassin slammed into
her and drove her into the wall.  Arianna punched her repeatedly in
torso.  The breath left Nagi's body, and she fell to one knee.
Arianna stepped back and lashed out with her foot.
	Nagi reached out and caught the Assassin's foot.  She twisted
sharply, and Arianna fell to the ground.  The blonde Assassin rolled
right, out of Nagi's reach.  Nagi gasped for breath.  She looked to
the floor, and her eyes found Arianna's knife.  She dived for it,
but Arianna's boot struck her face, knocking her back to the floor.
	Arianna stood over Nagi.  Nagi blinked.  Her hand shot to the
energy sword on her belt.  It came to life with a low hum.  Arianna's
foot came down on Nagi's wrist.  Nagi grimaced in pain as she heard
bones crunching.  The energy sword fell from her hand.
	"So much for the great bounty hunter, Nagi," Arianna said with
a hard grin.  She bent down and pulled a knife from her boot.
	"Drop it!"  someone hissed from the door.
	Arianna looked over her shoulder and found Ssedrey standing
there, vorpolia in hand.  The blonde smiled.
	"Of course."  Like a viper, she turned and let the knife fly.
Ssedrey stumbled backwards into the hall, the knife buried in his
shoulder.  Arianna picked up Nagi's energy sword and rushed into
the hallway after the lizard.  She looked left.  Nothing.  She looked
right...
	"Hello, Arianna,"  Warshan said, his blaster pointed at her
head.
	"De,"  she growled.  She screamed and raised the sword.
Warshan fired.  The blonde Assassin's head snapped back as she was
thrown to the ground by the blaster bolt.
	"Goodbye, Arianna," he said.
	Ssedrey was crouched behind him, his hand clutching at his
shoulder.  Nagi appeared in the doorway and leaned against the wall.
	"You okay?"  Warshan asked.  Nagi nodded.  "Ssedrey?"
	The lizard stood up.  "Yes.  The damage is minor."
	"Any sign of the girl?"
	They shook their heads.
	"Back to searching,"  Ssedrey rumbled.  Nagi nodded weakly and
started down the hall.  Warshan turned and walked in the other
direction.  Ssedrey followed him.

	"Okay, Nagi.  We'll watch for 'em."  Cavis turned off his
communicator and cursed.  "Tsunami damn Warshan De."
	"Why didn't he mention the explosives?"  Tenchi asked.
	"Bastard didn't want to risk us saying no."  The two continued
down the corridor.  Suddenly, Ryo-Ohki began miya'ing urgently.  She
hopped off of Tenchi's shoulder and began running down the corridor.
	"Ciao!"  Ken-Ohki cried and ran after her.
	"What's gotten into them?"  Cavis asked.
	Tenchi blinked.  "They know where Ryoko is!  Come on!"  Tenchi
started running down the corridor after the cabbits.

	"Miya!  Miya!"  Ryo-Ohki cried as she turned the corner.  She
could sense Ryoko nearby.  "Miya!"  She came around the corner and
skidded to a stop.
	She was at one end of a corridor.  A door was at the other.
Standing between the two was a coal-black cabbit with a white jewel
in its forehead.  The cabbit hissed at her, it's hair stood on end.
	"Myaaaaaash!"
	Ryo-Ohki growled, her own hair standing on end.
	Death-Ohki hissed and charged!
	Before Ryo-Ohki could move, Ken-Ohki ran past her.  The white
and black cabbits jumped up and lunged at each other, colliding in
mid-air!   There was a good deal of hissing and growling as the two
cabbits rolled around on the ground in mortal combat.
	Ryo-Ohki ran up and joined the battle.  Soon, all three cabbits
were nothing more than a single mass of combatting fur and teeth.
	Cavis and Tenchi turned the corner.  They saw the battle, and
their eyes went wide.
	"What the hell is this supposed to be!?"  Cavis cried.
	Tenchi moved to break them up, but Cavis stopped him.  "Leave
them!  We don't have time!"  He started toward the door.  Tenchi
paused.  Cavis turned back to him.  "They can handle it, Tenchi!
Ryoko's waiting for us!"
	Tenchi followed.
	The two entered the door, leaving the sounds of warring cabbits
behind them.  They found themselves in an antechamber.
	"This is it,"  Cavis told him, drawing his blaster.  "If she's
here, she's in the next room."
	"Cavis," Tenchi told him.  "I can't let you do this."
	"What are you talking about, kid?"  Cavis asked as he checked
the door.
	"This is my fight.  You've done enough already."
	"Tenchi don't be..."  He turned, and Tenchi punched him in the
jaw.  Cavis staggered backward, his hand at his mouth.  Cavis looked
at him in shock...
	Then punched *him*!
	Tenchi fell to the floor, blinking in a daze.
	"What the hell was that?!"  Cavis asked him.
	Tenchi got to his feet.  "I was *trying* to knock you out so
you wouldn't end up killing yourself."
	Cavis looked at him in astonishment, then started to laugh.
	"Kno...Knock me out?!"  He doubled over laughing.  "Have you
ever actually punched a guy before?"
	Tenchi started to chuckle.  "Actually...You're the first."
	Cavis started howling in laughter, trying desperately to keep
quiet.  Tenchi was laughing with him.
	"It..."  Cavis doubled over laughing again, "It helps if you
put some power behind it!"  He continued to laugh.
	"I *did* put power behind it!"
	"Oh please!"  Cavis cried.  "Achi hits harder!"
	Tenchi burst out in laughter, wiping tears for his eyes.
	After a few minutes, their laughter trailed off.  Cavis eyed
him.
	"You're not gonna hit me again, are you?"
	"I don't think I'd live through it."
	Cavis grinned.  "Okay.  Then let's go get Ryoko."  Tenchi
nodded.  The two entered the Great Hall...
	And ducked behind a nearby column!  Charis was at the other
end of the Hall.  They managed to get behind cover just as she looked
up.
	"Ryoko!"  Tenchi whispered.  They had both seen her, chained
to a stone slab, Charis standing next to her.
	Cavis bit his lip in thought.  He pointed to the right wall
of the Hall.  "You circle around and get Ryoko," he whispered.
"I'll get Charis' attention."
	Tenchi nodded and slinked toward the wall, making his way
slowly down the Hall towards Ryoko.  Cavis raised his blaster and
cried out as loud as he could.
	"HEY, BITCH!"

	Charis's head snapped around.
	"WHY DON'T YOU COME ON OUT, CUPCAKE!?"  Cavis shouted from the
other end of the hall.  "I GOT SOMETH'N FOR YA!"
	"Cavis!"  Ryoko gasped.
	Charis smiled and drew her blaster.  "Well..since he's asking
so nicely..."  She started towards the other end of the hall.  "MR.
DARKTOWER!"  she called out as she walked.  "WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT.
I promise I'll be gentle."
	"I don't think that's such a good idea!"  Cavis called out.
	"Sure it is!"  Charis fired at a column she thought was the
source of the voice.
	"Cold!"  Cavis told her derisively.  Charis grinned.  She
heard something to her right and fired.  "Missed me!"  Cavis cried.
	Standing against the right wall, Tenchi looked down at the
smoking hole in the wall next to his hand.  He continued on.
	Cavis swallowed nervously.  He had to really get her attention.
"Hey, Cupcake!"  he called out.  "Why are you so hard after Tenchi,
Ayeka, and Sasami?!"  He raised his blaster and waited.  "After all,"
he called out, "They didn't kill Sudorin....*I* did!"
	The response was immediate.  He flinched as blaster bolts
began raking the walls and columns near him.
	The firing came to a stop.  "I have an idea, Mr. Darktower!"
she cried.  "You come out and show yourself...or I press a button,
and the little slut on the slab has a miscarriage!"
	Cavis' eyes went wide.
	"I assure you, Mr. Darktower...I'm not kidding."
	Cavis peeked around the column and found Charis only twenty
feet away, her blaster in one hand, and a small black box in the
other.
	"Come out, NOW!"  she ordered.
	Cavis leaned against the pillar and shut his eyes.  "Fuck!"
he whispered.  He raised his blaster and dashed out from behind the
column!
	Charis was waiting for him, her blaster up and pointed at him.
She showed him the box.  "Drop it," she ordered.  Cavis didn't move.
	Tenchi was almost to Ryoko.  He looked out from behind a column
and saw Cavis' situation.  He continued on.
	"I said, drop it!"  Charis bit out.  "Drop it or I'll pump
that bitch so full of drugs, that baby will shoot out like a fucking
torpedo!"  Cavis wavered.  "You can make your apologies to her while
she bleeds to death."
	Cavis paused.
	"Enough!"  Charis went to press the button.
	"WAIT!"  Cavis cried.  "Just wait!"  Charis' hand paused.
"You win, Tsunami dammit."  Cavis tossed his blaster a few feet in
front of him.  It hit the stone floor with a sharp *clack*.  Charis
smiled.
	"Good.  Now where are the royals?"
	Cavis looked past Charis and saw Tenchi making the dash
towards Ryoko.  Charis saw that his attention was behind her and
turned.  She saw Tenchi and growled.
	"I hate it when you do things like that," she whispered.  She
pressed the button.
	"NO!"  Cavis screamed.
	"TENCHI!"  Ryoko screamed.  She heard the machine beep as it
switched on.
	Tenchi ran towards her.  Fifty feet!  Forty!  Thirty!  He
raised the Tenchi-ken and activated it.  The sword came to life with
a *snap-hiss*.  He raised the sword and threw it!
	The blue light sword flew end over end towards Ryoko.  As if
guided by the Kami themselves, the blue blade struck the tube
connecting Ryoko to the machine.  The machine *whished* as the
chemicals were flushed from the vials into the tube...
	And onto the floor.
	Ryoko screamed in fear, but those screams subsided when she
realized the drugs weren't being injected into her.  She gasped for
breath.
	Cavis saw the throw and sighed in relief.  "Yes!"  he hissed
in triumph.
	Charis grimaced and turned back to him.  "Nice throw," she
commented.
	She fired.
	The blaster bolt struck Cavis in the chest and threw him back.
He hit the ground and stopped moving.
	"CAVIS!"  Ryoko screamed.
	Charis whirled around and fired.  Tenchi ducked behind a
column.  Holes were gouged out of the stone work of the column by
her blaster.  He peeked out from behind the column.  He could see
the extinguished Tenchi-ken on the other side of the stone slab.  He
looked for Charis but couldn't see her.
	"Tenchi!"
	He turned to Ryoko just as a foot slammed into his face.
Tenchi stumbled back, blood flowing from his nose.  He felt someone
grab him by the shirt.  Next thing he knew, he was being slammed
into the stone column.  He spun around, trying for a punch at his
attacker, but Charis blocked and twisted his arm behind his back.
Tenchi cried out in pain.  Charis threw him to the ground.
	Tenchi landed on his back.  He looked up at Charis as she stood
over him, her blaster pointed at his head.
	"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BITCH!"  Ryoko screamed as she
struggled against her chains.
	Charis grinned at him.  "First you...then her."  She raised
the blaster and aimed.
	Tenchi heard something skidding across the floor and felt
something strike his hand.  Without even looking he grabbed whatever
it was and raised it.  He had never fired a blaster before, but it
didn't take a degree from the Academy of Science.  Charis' eyes went
wide as he pulled the trigger.
	Charis flinched as the meson bolt struck her chest.  She
blinked and coughed.  A thin stream of blood appeared at the corner
of her mouth.
	"Narkaya?" she whispered, then fell to the floor.  Lezell
Charis, deadliest of all Guild Assassins, was no more.
	Tenchi lowered the blaster and took a couple of deep breaths.
He craned his neck around in the direction from which the blaster
had come.  He saw Cavis lying on the floor thirty feet away, looking
up at him.  The pirate smiled and fell into unconsciousness.
	Tenchi closed his eyes for a moment before struggling to his
feet.

	"She's gonna be fine!"  Washu announced.  "A few bumps and
bruises, but aside from that, both her and the baby are fine."
	Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief.  He had been worried about
Ryoko ever since her rescue.  It had been two days since Warshan had
led them away from the Assassin Guild's home planet and cut them
loose. "What about Cavis?"
	Washu smiled.  "The surgery went well.  He's still out.  I had
him moved to another room...where he would have...company."  She
snickered.  Tenchi began to worry.

	Cavis opened his eyes and found himself lying in a hospital
bed.  He looked up and found that he was sharing the room with
another patient.  The other patient had a visitor.  He smiled at
her predicament.
	"And the princess and the pig lived happily ever after!"
Mihoshi declared.  "The end!"  She shut the book and looked down at
Kiyone's sleeping form.  "I know!  Let's read it again!"  Mihoshi
opened the children's book and prepared to read it for the
twenty-second time."
	"No....more...."
	Mihoshi blinked at the sound of the gasp that had emerged from
Kiyone's lips.  "Kiyone?"
	"No....more...."  Kiyone gagged out, her voice gaining strength.
	"Washu!  Kamidake!"  Mihoshi called out.  "Come quick!
Kiyone's awake!"
	"No....more...."
	"Kiyone!  You're awake!"  Mihoshi blubbered.  Washu and
Kamidake entered the room and examined the GP.
	"Well, I'll be damned,"  Washu muttered.  "I think she's going
to make it."
	"Mi...ho....shi...."
	Mihoshi shoved Washu out of the way.  "Yes, Kiyone!?  I'm
here!"
	"I'm....going....to....."  Mihoshi waited.
"Mur...der..........you....."
	Mihoshi wiped a tear away.  "Isn't that wonderful?" she
blubbered.  "Already cracking jokes to make me feel better!"  She
grabbed Kiyone and hugged her.
	"Yeah,"  Washu muttered.  "Jokes...heh."  She shared a look
with Kamidake.

	Tenchi took Ryoko's hand and smiled down at her.  "How do you
feel?"
	She nodded.  "Much better now."
	He leaned down and kissed her.  She wrapped her arms around him
and held him tightly.  "I almost lost you," he whispered fearfully.
	"It's over now," she told him.  "All of it."
	He nodded.  "We can move on with our lives."  She smiled at him.
	"How's Cavis?" she asked.
	"Washu says he's going to be fine.  Ssedrey's shoulder is
already fully healed.  Nagi's wrist is okay."  He smiled and stroked
her hair.  "Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki are still out...er...celebrating."
Ryoko laughed.
	"So what do we do now?"  she asked, looking up at him.
	Tenchi bit his lip.  "Now...I have to go somewhere."
	Ryoko blinked.  "Huh?"
	Tenchi kissed her forehead and started for the door.  "You rest.
I have to take care of something, then I'll be right back."
	"Tenchi..."  Ryoko was on the verge of tears.
	"I'll be back before you know it.  I promise."  He smiled and
walked out the door.  Ryoko fell back against her pillows and sighed
sadly.

	Lying on the tiny hospital bed next to him, Ayeka continued
to kiss Davner while he stroked her hair.  "I'm glad to see you're
feeling better," she remarked with a smile as he kissed her neck.
	"Well, now, I won't be...running any marathons for awhile," he
told her, "But I feel strong enough to...show some appreciation to
the cute little nursemaid who's been...tending to me."
	She giggled.  He had been recovering steadily, although he was
still weak.  She gave a moment's thought to removing her kimono, but
dismissed it.  Ryoko's crack about wearing him out, while meant as a
joke, made a very real point.  Caressing would do for now.
	She had told Davner about her mother's decision to allow them
to remain a couple.  Her father had even approached her and added
his own approval, reluctant as it was.  Davner's reply had been to
pull her onto the tiny hospital bed next to him and kiss her.
	He kissed her again before his head fell back against the
pillow.  His breathing was becoming more labored again.  She reached
out and caressed his cheek.
	"You should rest," she told him.
	"I've rested enough, Neria," he told her, his eyes half closed.
	"Rest some more."  She leaned down and kissed him.
	"Ha-llooo!"
	Ayeka immediately turned red at the sound of the all too
familiar voice.  "It's a bad dream," she whispered.  "It's a bad
dream."
	"'Fraid not, Neria,"  Davner whispered.
	She nodded, took a breath, and collected herself.  She got up
off the bed and straightened her kimono before turning and saying,
"Hello, Mother."
	Misaki was grinning at them from the doorway.
	"Mother...I was just..."
	"Making out with Davner tan?"
	Ayeka turned beet red and face faulted.
	"Well,"  Misaki said happily.  "Davner tan, if you're strong
enough to manhandle my daughter, perhaps you're strong enough to
have dinner with us this evening."
	"He's still very weak,"  Ayeka told her before Davner could
answer.
	"Oh?"  Misaki asked, arching an eyebrow at Davner.
	"I'm afraid, Misy,"  Davner told her, "That you will have to...
speak to my attorney on such...matters."  He gestured weakly at Ayeka.
	"Very well, then, how about I bring dinner here, and the three
of us eat together?"
	Ayeka turned to Davner, who nodded.  "I think that would be
all right."
	Misaki smiled.  "Good.  See you at dinner.  I'll handle
everything!"  With that, she left.
	Ayeka's hand went to her face in embarrassment.  "I cannot
believe that just happened."  Davner said nothing.  "I mean, yes,
she supports us, but still..."  She shook her head and turned to him.
"I can't bel..."  She broke off and blinked at what she saw.  Davner
was asleep in the hospital bed.  Ayeka smiled and sighed.  "Poor
thing," she whispered.  She climbed into the bed next to him and
held him as he slept.

	"Hey, Tenchi!  Guess what!  Kiyone's awake!"
	Tenchi blinked at Mihoshi.  "She is?!"
	"Well,"  Washu amended from Kiyone's bedside.  "Kinda."
	"Mur...der.....you...."   Kiyone was whispering, her eyes
closed.
	"How's Cavis?"  he asked.
	"Yo, Tenchi!  Over here!"  Tenchi found Cavis sitting up in
bed, spooning up some green jello from a hospital tray.  Tenchi made
his way to him and took a breath.
	"Cavis, I need to borrow some money."

	"Lieutenant Mihoshi?"
	Mihoshi turned as a fellow guard addressed her.  "Yes?"
	"Ma'am, there's a GP here to see you.  He says he has
something we lost?"
	Mihoshi blinked.  "Okay.  Where is he."

	"Sorry about the mix-up, Captain Kaizuko."
	"No problem, Detective Mizuno,"  Meg told the GP as they
waited in the palace sitting room.
	"Sorry about your ship,"  the dark haired Detective told her.
"If you file a complaint with the GP, I'm sure they'll reimburse
you."
	Meg nodded.  "I'm just glad you picked me up."
	"Well...Lina and I figured it was common courtesy considering
we were the ones to shoot your ship out from under you to begin with."
	"Meg!"
	They turned and found Mihoshi and Kamidake approaching.
	"Hey, Mihoshi!"
	"What happened!?"
	"Well, after the Megami broke up under me, and I was
transported to Detective Mizuno's ship, we got the call from the GP
concerning Mitsuki."
	"I'm supposed to request an audience with the Emperor and
apologize personally on behalf of the Galaxy Police," Toshio told
her.  He stuck his hand out.  "Detective Toshio Mizuno.  Nice to
meet you."
	"Mihoshi Kuramitsu, and this is Kamidake."
	"So, you're Mihoshi, huh?"  he said.  He reached into his
jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope.  "I'm supposed to give
this to you.  It's directly from Vice Marshal Pochenkin."
	Mihoshi blinked and took the envelope.
	"Where's Cavis?"  Meg asked.
	Kamidake smiled.  "He's in Kiyone's room, recuperating.  He's
been asking about you."
	"Thanks,"  Meg told him and left the room in search of the
pirate.
	Mihoshi read the letter out loud.  "'Detective-Sergeant
Mihoshi, it has come to light that your discharge from service was
in error.  Traitorous elements were within the Galaxy Police, but
you were not one of them.  My actions, it seems, were inappropriate,
and for that, you have my sincerest apologies.  We are therefore
willing to reinstate you effective immediately...'"  She finished
reading the letter silently, looked up, and blinked.
	"All you have to do is sign at the bottom there, Detective,"
Toshio told her.
	"We'll miss you, Mihoshi,"  Kamidake told her sadly.
	Mihoshi looked up at him and smiled.  "No you won't."  She
tore the letter up.
	Toshio blinked.  "Detective?"
	"It's 'Lieutenant,' actually."  Mihoshi told him.  Kamidake
grinned.  "I made an oath to Jurai," she said, "And what the Vice
Marshal was wrong about is that I never break my oaths.  I'm
staying."
	Toshio cleared his throat.  "Very well...Lieutenant.  I'll
pass your message on to the Vice Marshal."
	Kamidake grabbed the blonde and spun her around.  Before
Mihoshi could blink, he was kissing her.
	The other guards in the room whooped their approval.  Kamidake
realized what he had done and turned red.
	Mihoshi was blushing as well.  "Oh.....Kamidake!"  she cried.
"And in public!  I'M SO EMBARRASSED!!!"


	"Meg!"
	"Cavis!"
	Meg ran past Washu and kissed the wounded pirate.  "You're in
the hospital *again*?!"  she asked.
	"It wasn't my fault, I swear!"
	"Uh huh, likely story.  So tell me what happened."
	"You first."
	Washu shook her head ruefully and went back to work on Kiyone.
	Cavis stared at her.  "Are you okay?" he asked seriously.
	She nodded.  "After I dropped you guys off, Dee and I led the
GP on a little chase..."
	"Dee?"  Cavis asked.
	Meg nodded.  "You know...I've had to face death every day
whenever I would speak to her,"  her voice got became quiet, "But
I never really understood her until I was faced with it myself."
She looked at him.  "I think that's what she was waiting for."  She
looked at him and smiled wanly.  "I don't think we'll be seeing her
again."
	He reached out and took her hand.

	It was several hours later that Tenchi returned to Ryoko's
room.  He knocked gently and entered...
	Only to find her bed empty.
	"Ryoko?!"
	Suddenly, someone slammed into him from behind and knocked him
to the bed.  Tenchi blinked and looked up just in time to see cyan
locks dart at his face.  Ryoko kissed him all over his face and neck.
	"Oh, Tenchi!"  she cried.  "Please don't leave me again!
Please!  It's so lonely without you!  I don't like it!  Please don't
leave again!"
	Tenchi laughed and nodded.  "I promise, Ryoko, I'll never
leave you again."
	She kissed him in response.
	"Good," she said, "Because there's something I've wanted to do
for three solid weeks..."  She looked down at him like a falcon
staring at her prey.
	Tenchi gulped.  "Um...are you sure it's okay?  What about the
baby?"
	Ryoko grinned.  "What are you afraid of, Tenchi?  Making me
pregnant again?"
	He remembered what Washu said about physiological differences
and asked, "Can I?"
	Ryoko blinked and started laughing again.  "It's okay.  I
asked Washu."
	"Oh," he said, not sure he liked the idea of Ryoko telling
Washu about their sex life.
	Ryoko grinned down at him.  "*My* Tenchi," she said, leaning
down for a kiss.
	"Um...before that,"  Tenchi said, "Wouldn't you like to know
where I went?"
	Ryoko paused and blinked.  She bent down and sniffed his neck,
checking for perfume.  "You weren't with that Matiko woman, were
you?"  she asked.  Her eyes narrowed.
	Tenchi wasn't sure if she was joking or not, so gave her a
serious answer.  "No.  I had to go buy something."  He reached into
his pocket.  Ryoko watched as he removed a small box.
	"What's that?"
	Tenchi suddenly appeared very nervous.  "Well...I've been
thinking about this...and...well....I was wondering...That is...if
you want to....Maybe we should..."
	"Tenchi!  Just say it!"
	"Marry me."
	Ryoko's eyes went wide in shock.  Tenchi opened the box,
revealing a simple gold ring.  "It's not much," he told her, "And I
didn't know your ring size, so you might have to get it resized,
but...Well...I want you to marry me."
	Ryoko didn't know what to say.
	"Ryoko...I love you.  I want to be with you for the rest of
my life."  His voice held more finality now than she had ever heard
it.  "Please...marry me."
	Ryoko sniffled.
	Tenchi's face fell.  "Ryoko?"
	Ryoko began to cry.  "Tenchi!"  she cried out, wrapping her
arms around him.  "Yes!"
	"Ryoko!  That's..."  Before he could get another word out,
she was kissing him.  She took his wrists and pinned them above his
head.  When she came up for air, she grinned down at him.  "*My*
Tenchi," she whispered.
	Tenchi sighed and smiled.  "Your Tenchi."

	"How do you feel?"
	Kiyone turned tiredly to look at Cavis, who was lying in the
next bed.  "Almost alive," she told him.
	Cavis looked down at the scar on his chest.  "Ya gotta hand it
to Washu.  She does good work."
	Kiyone just nodded.
	"Kiyone..."
	"No 'Kiyo-chan?'"  she asked.
	Cavis paused.  "I don't want to fight you anymore, Kiyone,"
he told her quietly.
	She paused.
	Cavis looked at her.  "I never wanted to fight you."
	"Cavis...I didn't want to fight you either."  Cavis smiled.
"But you broke the law.  Maybe you got railroaded and maybe you
didn't, but that's no excuse."
	"Maybe," he said quietly.  "I can't change what I am.  Not
anymore.  But I'm sorry that that person had to hurt you."
	She looked over at him.
	"Can we just...put it behind us?"  he asked.
	She stared up at the ceiling and smiled.  "Do you remember the
first day we met?  I was a freshman cadet and you were a sophomore.
Some of the guys had stolen my uniform and shrank it two sizes so
that my..."  She broke off and blushed a bit.  "Anyway, when revelie
was sounded, I was standing there with my bust...busting out...and
the other cadets snickering.  You were inspecting us that day.  You
stopped in front of me...Do you remember what you said?"
	Cavis grinned.  "I think I complimented you on the caliber of
your weapons..."
	"You said, 'nice tits," she told him pointedly.
	"...or something like that," he admitted.
	"Do you remember what I did?"
	"You decked me."
	She chuckled.  "Nearly got me thrown out of the Academy."
	"I went to the Commandant and told him it wasn't your fault,"
Cavis told her.
	She nodded.  "You saved my career."
	"Well...I *did* put it in jeopardy to begin with."
	"When I arrested you,"  she whispered, "I felt like *I* was the
one committing a crime."
	Cavis looked at her.
	"I *hated* you for that.  I *hated* the fact that you had put
me in that kind of position.  I *hated* the fact that I had to choose
you or my career, and when I made the choice..."  She turned to him,
"I knew almost immediately that it was the wrong one."  She turned
away from him again.  "But once it was made...I couldn't go back on
it."
	Cavis said nothing.
	Kiyone looked at him.  "I'm...I'm sorry, Cavis."
	He looked back.  "I'm sorry too."
	They turned back to the ceiling.
	"Does this mean you're gonna stop chasing me around the
quadrant."
	"Of course not," she told him.  She smiled.

	"Detective Mizuno,"
	Toshio turned to the sound of the voice.  He was just getting
ready to walk under the arch that separated the Imperial Palace from
the rest of the city when he heard his name called.
	He found the bounty hunter, Nagi, standing nearby.
	"Yes?"  he asked.
	"When you return to the GP headquarters," she began as she
walked toward him.  "Ask your superiors how much they'd be willing
to pay for this."  She held up a small data crystal.
	"What is it?"  Toshio asked.
	She smiled.  "The coordinates of the Assassin's Guild Temple."

	"Careful there.  Careful,"  Ayeka cautioned Davner as she
helped him down the steps into the palace garden.  Night had fallen.
The garden was lit by the occasional elemental lamp.  Davner walked
cautiously down the steps, leaning on a cane Dr. Ataki had given him.
	He took a deep breath and sat down at a nearby bench.  "I'm
all right, Neria.  I just need a minute."
	Ayeka sat next to him and looked at him worriedly.  "Perhaps
this wasn't such a good idea," she told him.
	He smiled.  "Neria, if I didn't get out of that room, I was
going to go insane."
	She smiled and shook her head.  "Okay, but only for a little
while, all right?  We still have dinner with my mother in an hour,
so you can't just go to sleep."
	"I'm sorry," he told her.  "I just...I just feel so tired.
But it's getting better," he told her.
	She looked at him for a hard moment.  "Davner...I'm sorry."
	He blinked at her.  "What for, Neria?"
	"That this happened to you," she told him, "That it was my
father who..."
	He cut her off.  "I told you, Neria, I don't want to discuss
him."  His tone held just a hint of anger.  "He's not worth it," he
told her, reaching out to caress her cheek.  "But you were."
	A glint of light from her ear caught his eye, and he blinked.
"You're wearing them," he commented.  "I hadn't noticed before."
	Ayeka's hand went to her ear and the earrings that hung there.
"Of course," she said.  "I love them."
	"They look beautiful on you," he told her.  He grinned slyly.
"I bet they look even better when they're all you're wearing."
	Ayeka blinked at him as her face turned steadily redder.
"There you go again!"  she cried, her hand going to her face.  "You
get some kind of sick, perverse pleasure from embarrassing me!"
	Davner made a decision right there and acted on it.  "I'll
embarrass you forever, if you like,"  he told her quickly.
	Ayeka looked at him in shock.  "What?"
	He faltered, unsure as to how to continue.  "Neria...Ayeka...
I have nothing to give you.  I have no kingdom, no money...But I
swear I'll love you every day of your life...If you'll have me."
	"Davner...are you *proposing* to me?"
	He cleared his throat.  "Well...I don't have a ring for you.
I haven't been able to go out to shop for one recently."  He smiled
uncomfortably.  He looked at her, his expression serious.  "I love
you, Neria.  I want to be with you for as long as I can.  I...almost
lost you...twice...and I don't want to ever come that close to losing
you again.  Please.  Marry me."
	Ayeka just stared at him in shock.
	"Um...Neria?  Neria?  Are you okay?"
	Ayeka lunged at him!  Davner cried out and fell to the floor.
Ayeka fell on top of him and kissed him.  After a few moments, she
released him.  Davner lay on the floor, gasping for breath.
	Ayeka realized what she had done and became worried.  "Oh!
Davner!  I'm sorry!  I..."
	"Well, if you didn't want to marry me,"  he told her with a
smile, "All you had to do was say, 'no.'"
	She laughed.  "You idiot!"  she cried.  "Of course I'll marry
you!  You think I would've went through all that trouble if I
didn't?!"
	He grinned.  "I'm still waiting to hear the yes."
	She smiled and kissed him again.  "Yes."
	He smiled weakly.
	Ayeka looked down at him.  "We should get you back to your
room," she told him.  "You're still not well."  She started to get
up, but Davner reached out and took her arm, pulling her down beside
him.
	He looked up at the stars and said, "Let's...Let's just stay
here for awhile."
	She smiled and looked up at the stars.

	Ryoko was sleeping soundly, dreaming of Tenchi, of the life
she was going to have with him.  She smiled in her sleep.  She
sensed movement near her and opened her eyes, expecting to see
Tenchi's smiling face.
	Nagi stared down at her.
	Before Ryoko could react, Nagi's hand was over the pirate's
mouth and a thin-bladed knife was at her throat.
	"Quiet or I kill you both,"  Nagi told her.  Ryoko stayed very
still.
	"I'm leaving now,"  Nagi told her.  "But I wanted this first.
I wanted you to know that I had a knife at your throat, that your
life was mine to do with as I will."  She leaned closer.  Ryoko
could feel Tenchi beginning to stir next to her.  "But you're not
going to die tonight," Nagi told her.  "Because of him,"  She nodded
at Tenchi, "And the others.  They don't deserve to have someone they
love taken from them like I did.  I want you to know that the only
reason you're alive now is because *they* care about you.  If they
didn't...I'd slice your throat open here and now, and take whatever
meager reward Carissia would give me for the corpse!"  She quietly
hissed this last part.  "Value each day, Ryoko."  She pressed the
knife harder into her neck.  "You died tonight.  Remember that."
	Then, without another word, the knife left her throat, and
Nagi was gone.
	Ryoko lay there gasping for a moment.  A few minutes later,
they heard someone screaming from down the hall.
	Tenchi shot up in bed.  "What's that?!"  He got out of bed and
grabbed the Tenchi-ken up off the nightstand.  He approached the
door and opened it a crack.  Ryoko got out of bed.  She considered
telling Tenchi about what had just happened with Nagi, but decided
against it.  Nagi had said her peace, and her peace didn't seem to
involve Ryoko's death.  At least not tonight.
	Tenchi heard her moving behind him and turned to her.  "Stay
here," he told her.
	She ignored him and opened the door.  They went down the hall.
Someone was crying.  It was coming from Davner's room.  They looked
up and saw Ssedrey and Washu approaching from the other end.  A door
opened next to Tenchi, and Sasami and Achi stepped out, rubbing
their sleepy eyes.
	"What's going on?"  Sasami asked.
	"Stay back,"  Ryoko warned.  She looked up and gave a signal
to Ssedrey, who drew a vorpolia.  As they approached the door, they
could recognize the voice of whoever was crying.
	It was Misaki.
	Ssedrey pointed at Tenchi, then at the door, then held up three
fingers.  Tenchi nodded.
	Ssedrey held up one finger, then two, then three, and jumped
in front of the door.  Tenchi ignited the Tenchi-ken and did the
same.  They found Misaki bawling her eyes out while crushing Davner
and Ayeka in her arms.
	"MY LITTLE AYEKA!  ENGAGED!  I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!  OH TSUNAMI!
I'M SO OLD!  MY LITTLE GIRL IS GETTING MARRIED, AND LEAVING HER POOR
OLD MOTHER ALONE!"
	They all blinked in astonishment as Misaki continued in her
rant.  Ayeka struggled to get out of Misaki's hug of death.  Davner
didn't bother trying.  Misaki continued to bawl.
	It suddenly hit them *why* she was crying.
	"Hey, Ayeka!"  Ryoko cried, grinning ear to ear.  "You too!?"
	Ayeka was struggling against the matriarch's grip, but paused
when she heard Ryoko's question.  "'Too?'  Ryoko!  You mean...You
and Tenchi!  You're..."
	Ryoko grinned and nodded.
	Davner smiled.  "Why, congragula...Ack!"  He broke off as
Misaki renewed her death huggle, squeezing the breath from the pirate.
	"I believe we have missed something,"  Ssedrey commented.
	Washu nodded.
	Misaki paused and turned to Ryoko and Tenchi.  "He proposed to
you?"  she asked Ryoko.
	"Er...Well...Yeah."
	Misaki squealed in delight and jumped up, releasing Ayeka and
Davner and grabbing Tenchi and Ryoko.
	"CONGRAGULATIONS, YOU TWO!  I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  *EVERYONE'S*
GETTING MARRIED!"
	Washu grinned and grabbed Ssedrey's arm.  "Yeah!  Ssedrey and
I are next!  Wanna see the engagement ring!"  Ssedrey facefaulted.
	Misaki, however, didn't catch the fact that it was a joke.
	"CONGRAGULATIONS!"  She cried as she tackled the two of them.
	"ACK!" Washu cried as she tried to get away.  "MISAKI!  It was
only a joke!  I'm just kidding!"
	Misaki continued to squeeze the scientist and the lizard.
	"Davner!"  Ssedrey gasped.  "Help me!"
	Davner opened his mouth.  "Run," he said.  The all quietly
slinked away down the hall, leaving Washu and Ssedrey to the mercy
of Misaki.
	As they turned the corner, they could still hear the Queen of
Jurai carrying on.
	"I WONDER WHAT THE CHILDREN WILL LOOK LIKE!  OOOOH!  I CAN'T
WAIT TO SEE THEM!"

	Misaki stood up and bowed to the people sitting at the table.
"On behalf of the royal family, I welcome you to the engagement
party of Tenchi Masaki to Ryoko and my beautiful, talented, amazing
little girl..."
	"Mother,"  Ayeka interjected.
	Misaki got the hint and started to wrap it up.  "..To Davner
nos Mollidon!"  Waiters appeared and began serving the guests the
gourmet dinners the Queen had ordered.  Cavis stood up and tapped
his wine glass with his knife.
	"I'd like to make a toast," he said, "To Ryoko and Davner,
two of my best friends.  It won't be same without you."
	They raised their glasses in toast.  Ryoko finished her juice,
and before she could put the glass down, Misaki snapped her fingers,
and a waiter refilled it.  Ryoko sighed.
	Tenchi, sitting with Misaki on one side, and Ryoko on the other,
turned to the Queen of Jurai.  "Misaki, I need to ask you about
something."  The Queen turned and heard him out.
	Mihoshi, sitting next to Kiyone and Kamidake smiled and sighed.
"Wow, this is so great!  I can't believe it!"
	"Really,"  Kiyone said, taking a sip of wine.  "It's about
time."
	Mihoshi sighed again.  "Married.  It's so romantic."  She
glanced up at Kamidake, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
Kiyone shook her head.  Three days had passed since she woke up in a
Jurain hospital bed, and she still couldn't believe what had happened
with Mihoshi.  When she went to sleep, her partner had been a
mediocre GP detective.  When she woke up, she was an officer in the
Jurai Imperial Guard.  Not only that, but she had found someone
special for herself.
	Kiyone suddenly found herself feeling jealous.  Not that she
found Kamidake particularly attractive, but she found herself
wondering how it might've turned out if Mihoshi had been the one who
had been shot, and Kiyone the one forced to go to GP HQ.
	She looked up across the table and saw Ayeka and Davner
talking.  The pirate leaned over and whispered something in the
princess' ear as she was taking a drink of wine.  Ayeka's eyes went
wide as her face turned red.  She turned and gave him a quick but
gentle slap across the face.  Davner grinned.  Kiyone blinked as she
realized that Azusa was absent.  She wondered why.
	Sasami and Achi were feeding Ryo-Ohki and LKT, who were
sitting on the table in front of them.  Ryo-Ohki wore a bandage on
her head, but wore it proudly.  Death-Ohki had caught her with a
slash of his claw, but she and Ken-Ohki had won in the end and sent
the Assassin cabbit running down the hall as fast as  his paws could
carry him. He hadn't been seen since.
	Achi seemed downcast, and Sasami had seen it, but didn't know
the cause.
	"Achi?  Are you okay?"
	"Yeah, I'm all right."  She tossed LKT a piece of fish.  The
tentacle wrapped around the morsel, which promptly disappeared.
	Sasami blinked and decided to try to cheer up her friend.
"Hey!  I was talking to Ryoko and Ayeka, and they say we get to be
flower girls!"
	Achi blinked and looked up at her.  "What are those?"
	"We get to be in the wedding and throw flowers!"
	Achi began to grin.  "Throw stuff, you say?"
	Sasami nodded.
	"Hmmm, perhaps there's an upside after all."
	At the other end of the table, Meg was conversing with Cavis.
"So what are you going to do?"  Meg asked Cavis, taking a sip of wine.
	Cavis smiled.  "Well, I'm losing a gambler,"  she turned to
her, "But that leaves a place open for a smuggler.  Interested?"
	She smiled.  "I might be.  Let's talk money."
	He arched an eyebrow.  "Money?"
	"What else would I talk about?"
	"Oh, I don't know..."
	"Perks?" she asked with a grin.
	"There are a few."
	"Well," she told him, "I'll have to think about it."
	Ssedrey eyed his glass of fire wine suspisciously.  He reached
in with a clawed finger and pulled out a half-dissolved pill.  He
turned to the pink-haired girl next to him.
	"What is this?"  he asked as Washu took a bite of chicken.
	"How would I know?"  she asked as she chewed.
	Ssedrey's eyes narrowed.  "You were attempting to sedate me,"
he accused quietly.
	Washu turned to him.  "Now, Ssedrey," she said surprised, "Why
would I do that to my fiance!?"
	"WE ARE NOT ENGAGED!"  Ssedrey cried.  Everyone at the table
looked at him.
	Washu sniffled.  "Ssedrey!  How can you say that to your
blushing bride!?"
	Ssedrey growled.  "You can be so obnoxious!"
	"True,"  Washu told him, taking another bite of chicken.
"BUT I AM *SO* CUTE!"
	The chibi Washu's appeared on either shoulder.  "Yes!  Washu
is the cutest!"
	"You should get on your hands and knees and thank the gods that
she is to be your bride!"
	"SHE IS NOT MY BRIDE!"
	The chibi Washu's ran behind Washu's pink hair and hid.
	"Your fiance is mean, Washu!"
	"Yes!  Very, very mean!"  The chibi Washu's stuck their tongues
out at Ssedrey.
	Washu cooed. "Oh, Ssedrey!  How could you be so mean to the
children!?"
	Ssedrey screamed at the sky.
	Tenchi and Misaki watched this unfold, then turned their
attention back to their conversation.  Misaki faced Tenchi and
sighed.  "I do wish you would reconsider this, Tenchi."
	He shook his head.  "I can't.  I almost lost Ryoko because of
my status on Jurai.  I can't risk that again.  I won't."
	Misaki nodded.  "Then this is what you must do..."
	Davner closed his eyes and reached out, steadying himself on
the table.  Ayeka took his arm.
	"Are you all right?"  she whispered.
	He smiled at her and nodded.  "'Course, Neria," he told her.
	"So," Mitsuki interjected, "Have you decided on a date?"
	"As soon as possible,"  Ayeka said at the same moment that Ryoko
was saying,
	"We're going to wait a bit."
	The two girls looked at each other and blinked.
	"I thought you'd want to wait,"  Ryoko said.
	"I thought you'd want to move quickly,"  Ayeka told her.
	"Well, Tenchi wants to graduate from school first,"  Ryoko told
her.
	"Why do you want to get married so quickly, Ayeka hon?"
Misaki asked.
	Davner bit back the urge to say, "Before the next
assassination attempt."
	Ayeka just smiled and said, "There's no reason to wait."
	Misaki's eyes narrowed.  "Davner tan...did you get my daughter
pregnant?"
	Davner's eyes went wide.  "Of course not, Misy!"  He looked a
question at Ayeka, who shook her head.  He turned back to Misaki
again.  "Of course not," he said with more conviction.
	Misaki smiled.  "For a minute, I thought I was going to be a
grandmother, and I'm *far* too young for that!"
	The four of them facefaulted in unison.
	"Yes, well, speaking of children,"  Ayeka said, addressing
Ryoko and Tenchi, "Have you considered a name yet?"
	Tenchi took Ryoko's hand and smiled.  "If it's a boy, Makoto.
If it's a girl, Achika."
	Ayeka smiled.  "Good names."
	Misaki brightened.  "Now when can I expect *my* grandchildren?"
	Davner and Ayeka looked to each other.  "Well, Misy, we're
getting a little ahead of ourselves, now, aren't we?"
	Misaki glared.  "Listen here, Davner tan, I intend to spoil
grandchildren while I'm still young enough to chase after them."
	Davner cleared his throat.  "Well, it's just a little early
to be planning on it.  After all, we're not even married yet."
	Misaki grinned.  "You're engaged, you've set a date."  She
leaned forward conspiritorially.  "All you have to worry about now
is the bride-groom training."
	Ayeka turned beet red.  Davner blinked.  "Bride-groom what?"
	The Queen grinned.  "Trust me, Davner tan, you'll love it."
	Tenchi smiled at Ryoko.  "Can you imagine what Dad is going
to say when we get back to Earth?"
	She laughed.  "I'm betting on cartwheels."
	"Or a heart attack,"  Tenchi quipped.
	Ryoko held his gaze for a moment.  "Tenchi...what kind of
parents are we going to be?"
	He gave the question honest thought.  "The best we can be.  I
love you, Ryoko.  And I love the baby we created together."  He shook
his head.  "Nothing made from that much love can possibly be a bad
thing."
	From down the table, Mihoshi, who had heard this, began
sobbing.  "OH GOD, I THINK I'M GONNA CRY!"
	"Mihoshi!"  Kiyone cried. "You're spoiling the moment!"
	"I'M SORRY!  IT'S JUST SO ROMANTIC!"
	Ryoko smiled at him, ignoring the Guardsman.  "I love you,
Tenchi Masaki."  She leaned up and kissed him.


	Kiyone threw the last couple of items into the overnight bag
and zipped it up.  She looked up and found Mihoshi, in full Jurain
uniform, standing in the doorway.
	"Do you have to leave so soon, Kiyone?"  Mihoshi asked.
	Kiyone smiled.  It was amazing.  After today, she would never
have to deal with Mihoshi's nonsense ever again, yet she was actually
going to miss her.  She had spent an extra week after waking up to
recover, but now it was time to go.  It would be weird, she knew.
The entire group was breaking up, not just her and Mihoshi.  Tenchi
and Ryoko were going back to Earth.  Tenchi had asked Misaki what
he would have to do to give up his title, and Misaki had told him.
Before he left Jurai, Tenchi would be an ordinary Jurain citizen,
without title or noble status in the Empire.
	He felt it would be safer for both he and Ryoko that way.
	Ayeka and Davner would stay on Jurai.  Azusa had vehemently
opposed their engagement at first, but an agreement had been reached.
When the time came to pass the crown on, it would go to Ayeka, and
Ayeka alone.  Davner agreed to formally forfeit any claim he might
have to the throne after he married Ayeka.  With this agreement
reached, Azusa approved the engagement.
	Washu was going to go back to Earth to oversee Ryoko's
pregnancy.  There was still the possibility of a miscarriage, and
they wanted to make absolutely sure that it wouldn't occur.  She
wasn't sure what Cavis had planned.  Only that he and Meg would take
Achi with them when they left.  It wouldn't surprise her one bit
if they decided to form a new gang.  Ssedrey was leaving.  He told
them that he intended to return to Asconia.  He didn't say why,
only that it was something he had to do.  Sasami wanted to go back
to Earth with Ryoko, Tenchi, and Washu.  She enjoyed living on Earth
and claimed that the family needed her to cook for them.  Having
tasted one of Ryoko's attempts to cook, Kiyone could agree with the
little princess, especially since she, too, would be returning to
Earth.  She was still a Galaxy Police officer and a resident officer
for the Terran System.
	Mihoshi was staying on Jurai.  She had found something else,
*someone* else, and she wasn't willing to give it up.  Kiyone looked
at her friend and partner and sighed.
	"No," she said.  "Pochenkin says he wants me with Tenchi and
Ryoko to provide a 'proper Galaxy Police escort.'"
	"I'll miss you, Kiyone,"
	Kiyone sighed.  "I guess I'll miss you too...you clutz."
	Mihoshi smiled and embraced her friend.  Suddenly, her eyes
went wide.  "Oooh!  Kiyone!  I have an idea!"
	<Oh no!>
	"I could ask Her Majesty to have me stationed on Earth to
protect Tenchi!"  Mihoshi was getting excited by this idea.  "We
could even room together just like we used to!"
	Kiyone thought quickly.  "What about Kamidake?"  Kiyone asked.
Mihoshi's face fell.  "He would have to stay on Jurai."
	"Yeah,"  Mihoshi said, downcast.  She brightened.  "But I
could visit!"
	Kiyone nodded.  "Of course you can."
	Mihoshi smiled.  "I'll walk you to your ship."

	"Well, well, well,"  Cavis said as Kiyone and Mihoshi
approached.  "You guys leaving today, too?"
	Kiyone blinked.  "You're leaving?"
	He nodded and chucked a thumb at a ship parked not far away.
"Courtesy of the Jurain government.  Not too shabby, eh?"
	Kiyone and Mihoshi fell into step along side him.  "Where will
you go?"  Kiyone asked.
	"Vacation," he said simply.  "After that, who knows?"  He
smiled  "Maybe I'll give retirement another try."
	Kiyone smiled.  "I hope it works out."
	They walked up to a Jurain transport where the others were
all waiting for them.  They all gathered together at the boarding
ramp.
	"I can't believe this is goodbye,"  Ryoko said.
	"Not for very long,"  Ayeka told her.  "After all, you'll all
come back for the wedding, and we'll meet again when you and Tenchi
get married."  She smiled bravely.  "We'll see each other all the
time."
	"Yeah!  And you can bet I'll be visiting Kiyone as often as
I can!"  Mihoshi spoke up.  Kiyone sighed.
	Cavis approached Davner and embraced him.  "Thanks for always
being there, Dav."
	Davner grinned.  "Thanks for not getting me killed."
	Achi embraced the pirate.  "I'll miss you Davner."
	"I'll miss you, too, Little One.  But you'll be around to
visit Sasami, right?"  She nodded.  "And we *are* going to need
flower girls for the wedding," he told her.  She smiled and nodded
once.
	"Ayeka,"  Tenchi began, walking up to her.  "Your mother told
me what I would have to do to give up my title as prince."  Ayeka
nodded.  Tenchi pulled the Tenchi-ken from his belt and held it out
to her.  "By the royal crest and my true name," he said quietly,
repeating the words Misaki had given him, "I hereby abdicate and
surrender my title and my family's claim to the throne of Jurai.  I
make this statement in Tsunami's name...and with the knowledge that
once given...cannot be retracted."
	Ayeka reached out and took the sword from him.  "In the name of
the royal family, I acknowledge your act.  Go in peace."  Tenchi
nodded and stepped back.
	They all exchanged hugs, laughed, cried, and made their
goodbyes.  Washu held her arms out to Ssedrey, who smiled and hugged
her, only to hiss in pain and jump back a moment later.  He rubbed
his rear.  Washu grinned and held up a syringe filled with red
Asconian blood.  "Thanks, Ssedrey!  This will be of immense help to
my research!"
	Ssedrey hissed and narrowed his eyes.  "One day, Little WaSshu,
the tables will be turned."
	"Maybe,"  Washu told him with a grin.  "But not today."
	Achi and Sasami hugged, both crying.  Davner leaned forward
and kissed Ryoko on the cheek.  Ryoko hugged him.  "We'll be back
in two months for the wedding,"  she told him.
	"You'd better."
	Tenchi hugged Ayeka, who gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Lor..."  She stopped and corrected herself.  "Tenchi...Be well."
	"Thank you, Ayeka."  He turned and shook Cavis' hand.
	"Be good to her, kid," he told him.  "She's a very special
lady."
	Tenchi smiled.  "I know.   See you in two months."
	He exchanged similar goodbyes with Davner, and hugged Mihoshi.
"Kiyone," he said, addressing the GP.  "Are you riding with us?"
	She shook her head.  "No, I'm riding in the Lina with another
GP."
	Meg, who had been making her goodbyes to Ryoko, heard this and
turned.  "Toshio?" she asked.
	Kiyone nodded.  "Yeah.  Now that Mihoshi's left, he might end
up as my new partner."
	Meg grinned mischievously.  "Lucky you.  He's cute."
	Kiyone just shook her head.  "I'll feel lucky if he's just
competent."  Meg smiled.
	"Yeah!  You'd be surprised how many GP officers are just
seriously incompetent!  There are some *real* airheads out there!"
Mihoshi told them.
	No one commented.
	A Jurain pilot stuck his head out the hatch.  "It's time to
go."
	Sasami and Achi held each other and began to cry again.  "Okay,
okay, you two," Ryoko said,  "Break it up.  You'll see each other in
a couple of months."
	They all said another round of goodbyes, and soon, the Jurain
transport was rising into the sky.
	Those who were left watched them go.
	"Well,"  Cavis said, "I guess we should be leaving too."
	Kiyone reached out and hugged him.  "Try not to steal anything
between now and the next time I see you, okay?"
	"No promises," he told her.
	Meg stepped forward and shook Kiyone's hand.  Kiyone smiled
wearily.  "I guess you were right about him."
	Meg grinned.  "The next time we meet, we'll compare notes."
	Cavis rolled his eyes.  Kiyone just laughed.  A minute later
found Cavis, Meg, and Achi boarding their new ship.  Kiyone and the
others waved as the Jurain ship lifted off.  Kiyone smiled.  She was
glad she was finally able to come to terms with Cavis.  She preferred
having him as a friend, than an enemy.
	Suddenly, a rather frazzled Jurain noble came running out of
the spaceport terminal, waving his arms in the air.
	"STOP!"  he screamed.  "STOP THEM!  THEY'RE STEALING MY SHIP!
STOP!"
	Kiyone looked up at the ship Cavis had taken and buried her
face in her hands.  She sighed.  "That bastard," she whispered.
	Mihoshi just blinked.  "We should call Cavis!  He just took
off!  Maybe he can stop the ship thief!  I'll alert the gua..."
	Kiyone held a hand up and stopped her.  "Why don't we just let
this one go, okay, Mihoshi?"
	Mihoshi smiled.  "Well...if you say so, Kiyone."
	Kamidake approached them, a GP in tow.  Mihoshi squealed in
delight and glomped the Guard captain.  The GP arched an eyebrow
before turning to Kiyone.
	"Ready to go?"  Toshio asked.
	Kiyone nodded.  "Whenever you are."
	They started walking toward the GP pursuit ship parked not far
away.  Ssedrey stopped at his ship and made his own goodbyes. Davner
shook his hand and regretted it when he heard several bones begin to
crunch.  Ssedrey had just smiled and winked before disappearing into
the Talon of the Blood Mist.
	Kiyone hugged Mihoshi at the Lina's boarding ramp.  Mihoshi
sniffled.  "Goodbye, Kiyone."
	"Goodbye, Mihoshi."
	Kiyone boarded the ramp and made her way to the Lina's bridge.
Toshio was warming up the engines as Kiyone took her seat.  She
glanced out the window and saw Mihoshi still standing there, saluting,
tears streaming down her face.  Kiyone got up and rushed back to the
ramp.
	Mihoshi saw her descend.  Her hair was being whipped around her
by the wind generated by Lina's engines.  Kiyone stood before her
friend and former partner and saluted.  Mihoshi began to cry and
hugged Kiyone again.  Kamidake, Ayeka, and Davner watched from off
to the side.
	Kiyone looked up at Kamidake and shouted to make herself heard
above the engines.  "You take care of her!"
	Kamidake nodded.  Kiyone gave Mihoshi another quick hug before
running up Lina's ramp again.  She strapped in and looked out the
window as the GP ship lifted off.  Mihoshi and the others were waving.
Kiyone smiled and waved back.
	Lina's AI interface descended.  "Detective-Sergeant, as the
ranking officer on board, you have the command.  What course shall I
set?"
	Kiyone sighed.  "Lina...take us home."
	"Yes, Detective-Sergeant."
	Soon, Jurai was only one more bright speck in the sky behind
them.



Author's Notes:

It's hard to believe it's over....well....not quite.  There's still
the epilogue, but the story, itself, is done.  *sigh.*  Special
thanks go out to the people in #TenchiFF.  Some of you may have
noticed that certain characters were named after people in that
particular channel.  Of course, the characters named after them are
nothing like them.  (I'll have you know the real Lesell Charis is a
very nice girl and *not* the megalomaniacal psycho-bitch Lezell
Charis is in the story.  ^_^ )  To those people, Cav, Meg, Little
Achika, Ssedrey, Lesell Charis, War-Ouki, STRIKESTWICE, and Bobert,
you have my thanks for being good sports.

Hope you enjoyed the fic.

Thomas "009" Doscher
doscher009@hotmail.com