I have only one thing to say here.

  It has begun.

*********************************************

          Knight Productions present......

               Destiny's Path

  ...the world will never be the same....
*********************************************
  Prelude: The Circle Opens
*********************************************

  Location: T.S.S. Traflagar, 10 light years from Earth, 2098 A.D.

  A young woman collasped on her bed in her cabin aboard the 
Traflagar, a Astra-class heavy cruiser under the flag of the Terran 
Federation, currently heading back to Earth.  The woman stretched and 
laid back into the bed.  <Damn, never thought space travel could be 
this boring!> she thought.  

  Not finding anything else to do, the woman decided to catch up on her
reading. She rummaged around in her bag for a second before she came up
with a thick hardcover book.  The title was "Angel's Fire: Reflections
on the events of 2015-2050 and the Rebirth.  Copyright 2090 Crystal
Tokyo University Press."  Attached to the book was a note: "Just in
case you get bored-Mom."

  <Geez, thanks Mom.> the woman thought wirly, <just what I need, a 
book on events I already heard about a million times, not only from you 
and Dad, but from my relatives, the Queen's Court, and the family 
archives. Still, this could help pass the time.>  She began to 
read......

*******************************************
     2016 A.D.- Jurai System
*******************************************

  Tsunami looked out the front viewscreen of her ship in disbelief.
Beside her stood Tenchi, with a equal amount of disbelief written on
his face.  

  Outside the Tsunami, near the waypoint station that served as the
checkpoint for any ship entering the Jurai system, a area of space was
shimmering and warping in ways that defied normal physics.

  On the Tsunami, Tenchi turned to Wasshu.  "Wasshu, what the heck is
that?" he asked.

  "That, Tenchi," the genius scientist said, "is something I thought I
would never see outside of one particular system.  A hyperspace jump
point."

  "A jump point?" Ryoko, dressed in the robes of a Jurian Admiral, 
asked. "I thought those only existed in the Sol System."

  "They do, Ryoko," Wasshu said, "that's the point.  The energy 
signature I'm reading from that jump point is the same as the local 
jump points in the Sol System!"

  Tenchi started.  "But that means...." he started to say.  

  He was interrupted by a flash of light from the point.  As Ryoko
ordered the small fleet following the Tsunami to, in her own words: "Be
ready for anything!", several ships flashed into existence as they
exited the hyperspace point.  As they appeared, they ignited their
thrusters to get clear from the jump point.

  To the shock of Tenchi and the others who had spent time in 
Earthspace, the ships had the insigina of the Earth Defense Force on 
them!  Not only that, the ships themselves looked like they had been in 
a major battle-several ships had battle damage from bow to stern and 
seemed to be leaking atmosphere.

  "My god..." Tsunami muttered.  Tenchi squeezed her shoulder to show 
his support.  She turned around to hug him.  "Now, we know...Earth
survived." she whispered into his ear.  He smiled and hugged her back. 
Letting him go, she turned to Ryoko.  "Admiral Ryoko, order the fleet
to stand down and offer any assistance they can to the EDF Fleet.  If
anyone protests, please *remind* them of the Spacer's Code." she said.

  Ryoko smirked. "You got it, your Highness."  With that, she turned to
the communication console to give orders to the rest of the fleet.

  After about 45 ships had passed through the jump point, all in 
various stages of battle damage, the jump point flared brightly before
disgorging a ship of massive proportions.  This ship matched the
Tsunami in size, and also had the EDF insigna on it.  Written on the
side of the bow was written: E.S.S. Liberty.

  A chime from the comm station drew everyone's attention. "Princess?"
Ryoko said, "We're receiving a transmission from that large EDF ship."

  Tsunami nodded at Ryoko to patch the signal through.  A holoscreen
shimmered into existence, and on the screen was a thirtyish looking
woman with alternating silver, gold, and brown hair, dressed in the
uniform of the EDF's Star Admiral.

  "Come in Tsunami.  This is Star Admiral Christina Romney, aboard the
EDF Flagship Liberty.  I request passage into the Jurai System, and
medical aid for the EDF Fleet."

  "This is Tsunami." Tsunami replied.  "Admiral, what the heck 
happened? The Fleet looks like it was through a  meat grinder!"

  Admiral Romney smirked.  "That, your Highness, is a long story....."

******************************************* 
  2015 A.D.- Near Saturn
*******************************************

  [<Brian appears out of Authorspace> Folks, this is where I'm really
taking liberties (aka: wild @$$ed guesses).  More in the Author's 
Notes.  <Brian jumps back into Authorspace>]

  A small ship flew near the ringed planet of Saturn, heading towards
Earth. If any Earth observer had happened to look at the ship, it
would be a foregone conclusion that the ship was not of human
manufacture. In fact, the ship was a Cthuwulf scout ship, dispatched
by Sister Grey when contact had been lost with the Earth Iczelions a
few months prior.

  When it came to crewing the small ship, Sister Grey did not have to
look far.

  On the bridge of the small ship, a woman with waist length blue hair
sat in the pilot's seat and looked out into the starry blackness.  In a
month, the scout ship would arrive at Earth. <Finally, maybe we'll
have some answers about the loss of contact.> the woman thought.  <I
just hope Nagisa and the others are fine.>

  A pair of arms suddenly draped over the woman's shoulders in a hug.
"Worried about the others?" someone asked.

  The woman smiled and replied without turning around. "Yeah, I'm
worried. About Earth.  About the Iczelions.  And about....."

  "I know.  Nagisa." the other woman said.  "Nagisa, you shouldn't 
worry so much.  Your cousin can take care of herself, and I'm sure 
Kawai wouldn't let anything happen to her."

  Nagisa Kano turned around to face the other woman, otherwise known as
Iczer-One.  The two of them had been partners...and more....for close
to 10 or 20 years now(depending on whether or not you counted the time 
between the invasion and now), since that first meeting in 1985, and 
since their reunion 10 years later, had been working to defend both 
Earth and the Cthuwulf's new home planet, in the Alpha Centauri system. 
 With the Iczelions-including Nagisa's cousin Nagisa Kai-on Earth, and 
with the help of the Sailor Senshi and the Earth Defense Force, 
Iczer-One's and Nagisa's job had been made easier.

  That is, until the Second Imapct, and the disappearance of Liberty
Station, the EDF, and the Sailor Senshi and their families.  With the
appearance of the Angels, the Evangelions, and NERV, Sister Grey had
ordered the Iczelions to lay low and k eep her informed on the
sititation.

  Then, a month ago, Sister Grey had ordered the scout ship launched.

  Sensing Nagisa's tension, Iczer-One hugged her partner.  "Don't 
worry, we'll be at Earthspace soon.  Then we'll see what's going on."  
Nagisa had matured over the years as Iczer-One's partner, but she did
sometimes worry too much.

  Nagisa hugged Iczer-One back.  Things would have developed further at
that moment, but Sepia and Cobalt chose that moment to reenter the
bridge.

  Nagisa and Iczer-One seperated.  "You two really have some lousy
timing." Nagisa said to the two.

  "Thanks.  It's nice to know that I still have at least some talent."
Sepia retorted.

  "Some talent?" Cobalt said.

  "Yeah, some talent." Sepia shot back, "For example, who was making 
you shout last night...?"

  "Guys!!" Iczer-One said, "Facinating as it could be to list what we 
did last night, we have a course change to do, and a jump point to 
find. Stations, please..."

  The small crew took their crew stations, as the ship prepared to 
change course.....

*******************************************
   2015 A.D.- Earthspace
*******************************************

  One hundred miles above Tokyo-3, a area of space shimmered and warped
as the fabric of spacetime was twisted and torn in ways unknown to
normal physics.  

  With a flash, the shimmering ceased, and a object floated in orbit
where previously, there had been nothing.

  Liberty Station had returned.

*******************************************
    Yggdrasil Control
*******************************************

  Belldandy Morisato looked up from the monitor console.  

  "The pieces are in place.  The final battle has begun."

*******************************************
End of The Circle Opens
******************************************* 
Next time:

  It's the end of the world as the EVAs of NERV do battle agains the 
Mass Production EVAs.  But wait!  Could there be help on the way?

  Book One: Beginning of the End opens up with Chapter 1: The Darkest
Hour/The Mystery Unfolds.  Watch for it!

******************************************* 
...the world will never be the same... 
******************************************* 
Author's Notes (done by section):

  Section 1: You'll find out who the woman is by the end of the series.
Rest assured, it will probally surprise you.

  Section 2: Just a little exposition regarding the Tenchi crew and 
where they are now.  Yes, Ryoko is a Fleet Admiral in the Jurai nave, 
wipe the surprised looks off your faces now.

  Section 3: Whoo, boy, this is where I start taking liberties with 
some things. Some things will be explained in my Iczelion story Where 
Does My Heart Beat Now, while some other things will be explained in 
the story itself.  (Hint: time paradoxes will be involved).  

  Also, at least part of this section was inspired by a fic teaser 
Chris Davies submitted during the Teaser Challenge last January.  The 
teaser was for a story called Love Story: Iczer-One Zeta.  
  
  Err...I hope you didn't mind that, Chris

  I guess that's it.  Until my next story, Ja ne!

Brian Yaple
Knight Productions
BYapes@erie.net
Yaple001@mail1.gannon.edu
BYapes@aol.com
Web Page: coming soon, I promise!
MoonieCode (0.8.1) 
SM:5+[m-] F:SInSa O:d S+?o P:a22 S|+:eBrDg:hBrD:y--:r+|+
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Mekton Zeta-Babylon 5-Macross-Grapejam-The Spot-BGCrisis-
Evangelion-Iczer-Iczelion-Buffy-Ranma 1/2-Sailor Moon-Tenchi Muyo!
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"No box is big enough to contain our imaginations."
Tara Hartwick (RIP)-The Spot (www.thespot.com)-June 6th, 1995

"Tuski ni kawatte, oshioki yo!": Sailor Moon

"Call me Iczelion!": Nagisa Kai-Iczelion