I noticed that I forgot to post the short little prologue
for this fic.  So, here it is.

-------------------

Prologue.....







On a perfect blue sphere, on a world that is as close to the
center of all universes as possible, two goddesses hold
conference.

"It is almost time, sister," remarks the first one. She bears
a striking resemblance to an adult Sasami, except the split
triangle forehead marking is replaced with a pair of olive
dots. Anyone who spends a few seconds around her begins to
feel incredibly calm and serene.

"Yes, it is," replies the other goddess present. This diety
is possesed of pale brown hair in a complicated arrangement
and narrowed purplish cat-like eyes. She exudes considerably
less serenity; she is not evil by anymeans, but she is very
use to getting her way and is more than happy to take
advantage of any situation. "Are all the pieces in place?"

The blue haired woman smiles and nods. "They are indeed."
She makes a gesture, and a large bubble appears. Inside the
bubble appear holographic images of various people: A young,
adorable blue haired girl with cherry colored eyes and a
irresistable smile; A regally beautiful teenaged girl who
wears her long, amethyst hair in a pair of ponytails falling
down her back; An older man who seems about the age for
retirement and yet is in excellent shape and can handle a
bokken better than many men half his age; A younger man who is
in considerably less good shape, age and loss of love having
caught up with him....

The collage of images ends with a young man and a young lady.
The young lady is strikingly attractive with teal hair and
bright blue eyes, and a red-orange sweatband wrapped around
her forehead. The young man has short, slightly spiked black
hair tied back into a short ponytail and eyes that almost
match. The man is holding the woman tightly in his arms and
the two of them are smiling at each other lovingly.

The first goddess smiles at the image. "Soon, my children."



* * *



In another universe, in a dingy bar in an equally dingy
spaceport town.....

"What do you mean you don't know where she went?"

The smaller of the two figures at the table shrugs. "Just
that. It's not like the bitch confides shit in me!"

The taller figure --obviously a well built male humanoid--
nods his head. "Very well then, can't be helped. Did you at
least manage to trace her vector?"

"Who do I look like?! Scotty from Star Trek?! I don't know a
vector from a beer can! But I did manage to trace her exhaust
trail."

"Well, that works. Alright, let's go." The two figures rise
from their table and begin to set off for the door when
another conversation catches the taller one's ear.

".....yeah, that bitch Ryoko, whatever happened to her?"

"Haven't ya heard?! She's on some backwater bopping some
farmboy or something." Raucous laughter rises from the table.

"Is this seat taken?"

The group of pirates look up to see a tall, hooded figure
looming over them. "Nagi?!" one of them cries out.

"Can't be!" objects the second one. "Too tall and it's a guy,
you dolt!"

"Are you one of those deep space pirate monks?" asks a third.

The figure chuckles. "Nice try." He throws his hood back--

--and all sound in the bar abruptly cuts off.

The three pirates at the table look in fear at the intruder
into their conversation. "It can't be!...." whispers the
first.

All three of them whip out their guns, positioning themselves
to shot on the run--

But it's too late.

A ball of energy appears in front of this intruder, one which
immediately explodes into tendrils of laser energy. The
tendrils impale the three pirates up against the wall.

The intruder walks up to the center pirate, the only one still
alive. "Talk now, scum! Where's Ryoko?"

Even in death, the pirate is defiant; he spits in the
intruder's face.

"Your mistake." The intruder brings his fist back and punches
it straight through the pirate's head, leaving a
basketball-sized crater in the wall and sending brains and
other tissues sailing into many people's laps.

"GP! Everyone hold it right there!" Five uniformed GPs,
carrying heavy assault weaponry, burst through the door. The
apparent leader, an attractive Nekojin, survey's the interior
with distain. "Looks like we hit the jackpot here, people."

Her eyes then fall upon the tall, cloaked figure and they go
slightly wide. "Oh, kamisama."

The figure turns and smiles twistedly at the lead detective.
"Ah, Lieutenant Demi, my favorite GP, right up there with
Mihoshi Kuramitsu. Bed's been lonely without you."

Demi glares at him, her cheeks reddening as she hears her
subordinates whispering, "Demi's done a space pirate!?"
"Go to hell. You couldn't touch me if I wanted you to." She
aims her rifle at him. "Kyoto Minamoto, you are under arrest
for twenty-five hundred violations of Galaxy Federation
law."

Kyoto smiles and starts to spread his arms in acquiescence,
then yells a sends a blast of energy funneling out of his
palms. This blast slices through Demi's chest, leaving a large
bloody hole. Her eyes wide in surprise she coughes up blood
as she drops to her knees.

Kyoto smiles grimmly down at her as he grabs her by the neck
and lifts her above himself, beginning to choke the life out
of her. After twirling her around like a gymnastic ribbon
for a few seconds, he pitches her like a fast ball, sending
her slamming into the nearest wall with the force of a guided
missile. Lieutenant Demi's career comes to a bloody end on the
back wall of a bar.

Clapping his hands together as if dusting them off, Kyoto
turns to his smaller companion, who has by now finished
off the less experienced cadets. "Ready to roll, Chi?"

"Certainly!" responds Kyoto's partner, now revealed to be a
fat, eye-patched Ohki with a black floppy hat on his head.
Some how held in his paws are a pair of smoking Cougar
Magnums. "There's a bit of a mess, though. I'm afraid a few
cadets.... lost their heads."

"Occupational hazard," quips Kyoto. "Let's rock." As they walk
out of the bar Kyoto tosses a softball-sized sphere over his
shoulder. A moment later, a bright light flashes behind them.

Chi-Ohki smirks up at his partner. "Why do you use a
cryobomb?"

"There's no need for excessive collateral damage," replies
Kyoto coolly. "Now, where did that fusion trail of Muriyaki's
lead?"

"Oh some real backwater. I think we've been there a few times.
Place called Earth."



                               The Beginning.....