Sequel to "The Great Mystery"

Disclaimer: Tenchi is the Property of Pioneer, Metroid of Nintendo. No money 
is being made from this and no such intent should be inferred.

C&C, public or private is welcome. I respond to all C&C...eventually.

************************
"The key to success?
Work hard, stay focused
and marry a Kennedy."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger


"What?" Princess Ayeka demanded. "What do you mean, he has to marry her? 
She's not even of noble rank!"

"Um yes," said the man seated across from the enraged Princess. He was small 
and skinny, dressed in an ill-fitting robe and his hair appeared to have been 
attacked by a crazed weed whacker. "However, the fact remains is that Prince 
Kinshoue is a direct descendant of the Emperor's Alpha Line, while you and 
Princess Sasami are of the Beta Line. As both the Prince and Lord Misaki have 
foresworn their claims to the throne, it falls to the Prince. But in order to 
legitamize his claim, Lord Misaki must marry the mother."

The duo looked over to where a brown-skinned blond-haired woman was seated in 
a chair, cooing softly to a squirming bundle in her arms. Behind her chair, 
two upright logs hovered protectivly off the ground.

"And she is of noble blood...of a sort," he continued. "Her grandfather is 
the GP Comissioner and one of the most highly decorated war heros. It was his 
unit that led the supression of the Protoss Uprising. The Royal Bloodline 
would not suffer."

"That's entirely beside the point," Ayeka said, glowering. "Peerage aside, 
the child was concieved entirely on accident because she's too stupid to tell 
the difference between a bottle of lotion and a...ah...a sp....a DNA sample 
and moreso, she's a klutz. If she marries into the family, she will embarass 
us all."

"Be that as it may, highness, your father is reaching the end of his term. A 
heir must be declared." Ayeka's eyes narrowed. To prevent the corruption 
offered by the immense power and long life that being the imperial ruler 
bestowed, each Emperor was limited to a thousand years on the throne before 
they had to step down in favor of their heir. This limit was enforced by the 
very Trees themselves who can and had withdrawn their power. "If no heir is 
declared, the Royal Council can choose a sucessor as per the terms of the 
Constitution." Ayeka stared at the tabletop. The Constitution was an 
agreement between the people, the Emperor and the Trees of Jurai to prevent 
abuses of power.

"He is not even old enough to rule..." She said softly looking back up. "He 
is a newborn and she is a Melcon, she won't even let him out of her sight 
until he is a year old. Her instincts won't allow it. How is the child 
supposed to undergo the bonding process with the Trees if she is unwilling to 
let him go?"

"Empress Funaho believes she has a way. But in order to clear the line of 
sucession, you and Princess Sasmi must also foreswear your claims."

"I doubt you will have any trouble with Sasami. She's never cared for being a 
princess." Ayeka stared out the window for a few more seconds and then 
nodded. "Very well, I will foreswear my claim to the throne." The man nodded 
and began to reach into his case for the proper papers when Ayeka held up her 
hand. "However. Before I sign those papers, my Father will do two things. 
First, he will see to it that I am named as Regent for the Prince and that I 
will be responsible for his education. Secondly, he will accept that I will 
not foreswear my claim until the Prince comes of age and he will see to it 
that the Royal Council does the same. If both these terms are not met I can 
and will make Court a living hell for whoever is Regent."

"I will...hm...have to consult with his Highness."

"Yes," Ayeka replied. "Do that."

He got up and left and Ayeka sighed, all the confidence draining out of her 
like a flood.

"You did well, Ayeka," said an older man in a priest's robe as he knelt next 
to her. "Exactly as we rehersed."

"Yosho, do you really think father will accede?"

"It's either you or a council pawn. You, at least, they will not be able to 
control and he knows it. Kinshoue will follow suit."

"I hope you're right."


Later that evening, the family gathered in the living room. One of the 
benefits of having Washu around was that their cable didn't just get 
terrestial stations, but extraterrestial ones as well.

Ryoko controlled the remote at the moment and she was casually flipping 
channels. Sasami and Mihoshi were attending to Kinshoue, Tenchi and Ayeka 
were reading, and Kashuhito and Nobiyuki sat at a table engaged in some sort 
of card game.

"I'll get it!" Sasami called when the doorbell rang and ran out, pigtails 
streaming behind her. A few minutes later, she returned with a young woman 
dressed in coveralls, her teal-green hair falling down over her left shoulder 
and the look of the dead in her eyes.

"Bad day, Kiyone?" Ryoko asked as the green-haired woman collapsed on the 
couch.

"Yeah," Kiyone replied. "For the first time, I'm glad I let them stick me 
with that supervisor's job." She stared at the ceiling. "Not only did I have 
to practically sit on the welding crew, but there were five...five collisions 
at the Jupiter-Saturn interchange in the space of an hour. I was running back 
and forth so much that at one point I damn near walked back onto the site 
wearing my officer's uniform."

"Ouch," Ryoko agreed as she stopped on what looked like an action movie. 
Hundreds of ships moving through space as a war march played then that faded 
out to be replaced by what could only be described as a giant ameboa seated 
behind a desk.

"It was perhaps the greatest effort of the Galaxy Police. A vertible armada 
of ships all moving towards a single planet, guided by Samus Aran, for the 
final crush of the last of the Zebes Space Pirates, the man known as Reptex. 
Tonight, here on Mysteries That Need To Be Solved, we'll be looking at one 
member of the GP force, and perhaps its biggest enigma. Maru Hiboshi, code 
named Predator." In a smaller picture, a picture of a woman, light skinned 
with black hair and a cold expression on her face appeared. "And the 
possibility that she survived the battle known as Jackal that nearly did the 
entire Galaxy Police in. We'll be right back." a commercial appeared.

Ryoko chuckled. "Samus Aran...oh man, I remember her. She dragged me in a few 
times. Tough cookie that one." Ryoko looked up at the ceiling. "But 
Predator... I never wanted to run into that one."

"Afraid?" Ayeka asked archly.

"Afraid? Hah!" Ryoko let out a snort of laughter. "She was just more trouble 
then she was worth."

"She was a joke," Kiyone said flatly. "They both were. Jokes and cowards."

Ryoko switched the TV off and every one turned to look at Kiyone.

"What do you mean?" Ayeka asked.

"I...I...uh..." Kiyone stammered and then sighed. "Hiboshi was the reason I 
joined the Galaxy Police. Her exploits were legendary...I thought she was the 
very image of what a police officer should be." Kiyone's expression hardened. 
"Then I found out what really happened at Jackal."

Jackal?" Tenchi asked, his expression confused. Nobiyuki, Kasuhito, and 
Sasami also had confused expressions on their faces.

"Jackal." Kiyone said and stood, walking to the window. "It's listed on the 
charts as the Mekoh system. Unhabited, nothing higher then bacteria and 
microbes. One planet, just far enough away to be hospitable...barely. That's 
probably why Reptex set up shop there. Figured no one would think to look 
there." She let out a disgusted chuckle. "He underestimated Aran. She tracked 
him across several megaparsecs worth of false trails, unaware that Hiboshi 
was doing the same thing. Word has it that there was a nice fight when they 
finally crossed paths. Left an entire forest moon--Endor--I think it's name 
was, devastated and it boiled down to a draw." Kiyone turned away from the 
window. "As the story goes, they joined forces and eventually tracked Reptex 
down. They then returned to GP HQ and filed the report. Then led virtually 
the enitire force back to Mekoh where Reptex made the star go nova, rather 
then be captured. The blast destroyed most of the ships in the system, only 
the ones at the very rear, who had time to react, managed to get away safely. 
Aran and Hiboshi, along with everyone else who died that day, were mourned as 
heros, a memorial to their sacrifice is in the plaza at HQ."

"And the unoffical story?" Ryoko asked.

" One of the surviving ships recieved a tightbeam transmission from the com 
specialist of the strike team. According to him, Aran and Hiboshi turned on 
the strike team they led down to the planet and then pleaded with Reptex not 
to set off his weapon. Supposedly it was Aran who actually triggered the nova 
in the middle of a blind panic, killing them all." Kiyone's expression turned 
thoughtful. "The whole thing should end right there, except that the same 
ship that recieved the tightbeam also recorded a sensor ghost of Aran's ship 
fleeing the nova. Then there's the sighting."

"Sighting?"

Kiyone nodded. "A doctor at remote mining colony claims a strange woman 
dragged him from his bed at gunpoint and into a funny looking space-ship 
where she made him stabilize a purple-haired woman. The thing is, he also 
claims that in a corner, he saw Aran's suit. It's totally unique in 
appearance and it uses Varia shield tech. Because of that, some people claim 
that Aran and Hiboshi survived and are living somewhere on the edge of 
civilization, waiting until they are needed again and other mythic crap like 
that."

"But they were famous," Tenchi said. "Surely someone would've recognized them 
by now if they were still alive."

"Maybe," Kiyone replied, sitting down. "The thing is, Aran was a notorious 
recluse and pictures of her without her suit on, or even just her helmet off 
are rare. As for Hiboshi, I'm told she was gifted. She could slip into a 
guise so completly, that if you didn't know who she really was, you couldn't 
tell the difference. Blending in, like camoflauge. That's why they called her 
Predator.

So yeah, with a little effort, they could disappear into the Edge Colonies. 
But I don't believe it myself. No, I think they both died in the nova. And 
good riddence."

With that, the evening went back to as it had been...somewhat.

****
A few weeks later...

"I will be fine," Kasuhito repeated. "I was running the shrine by myself long 
before any of you came along."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Father?" Nobiyuki asked as he 
and Tenchi came back down the ramp of the ship Jurai had sent to take them to 
Jurai. "It is your grandson's wedding after all."

"No, no," Kasuhito chuckled. "As I've said to Tenchi, my place is here now. I 
won't leave." He clapped Nobiyuki on the shoulder. "Take plenty of pictures 
for me."

On board the ship, Ryoko and Ayeka sat side by side in the lounge area 
watching Mihoshi with narrowed eyes as the blonde played with her son. There 
was nothing they could do about putting off the marriage. They both knew that 
Tenchi saw it as his duty. Like or not, she was the mother of his child and 
they knew him well enough to know that he would do the honorable thing.

Besides, the position of second wife wasn't so bad.

Mihoshi, was of course, oblivious to their hostility, though she did look up 
when Kiyone entered, followed by Tenchi and Nobiyuki. "That's that," Kiyone 
said, taking a seat.

"You're going too?" Ayeka asked.

"Yeah," Kiyone said. "Offically, I'm the Comissioner's representative."

"Whoops!" Mihoshi broke in as Kinshoue began wailing. "Somebody made a 
poo-poo in their dipey-wipey." She exited the lounge.

"And unoffically?" Ryoko asked with an arch smile.

"To qoute my superior, 'Make sure that crazy psycho gives up her badge so 
that she can never set foot on GP property ever again.' Endqoute." The walls 
and floor quivered slightly as the ship began to lift off. "I've even been 
provided with regs to support me." Kiyone smiled thinly. "As soon as the 
ceramony is over, she will be out my hair for good." Kiyone smiled and then 
gave an insane sounding cackle.

Outside, the blue of day faded to the blackness of space, and then the molted 
color of hyperspace. Behind them, hidden in the sensor shadow created by 
their drive's emission, another ship followed.

****
Tenchi made a noise in his throat. His legs hurt, his voice was raspy from 
all the praying, and the ceramony still wasn't over. 

'Why didn't anyone tell me that Jurain wedding ceramonies last several 
hours?' he thought to himself. 'We should at least have something to sit on.'

He glanced at Mihoshi. The blonde was smiling broadly and showed no hint of 
weariness. Tenchi bit back a sigh and tried to think about anything but how 
tired he was.

"And now," the Officator said. "We will join these two by the most scared 
bonds. Mind to mind to mind, heart to heart, and soul to soul. If there is 
anyone who believes that this joining to be a portent of ill, let them speak 
now, or speak not at all."

"Well it's not that I object to the joining, but the lady and I do have 
unfinished bisinuess." The voice came from the back of the room. "Best we 
settle it now."

Walking up the aisle came a tall, slender man dressed in black and dark grey 
robes. A jade green cape flared behind him, and his black hair was unbound. 
He was smiling, but his eyes were cold and cruel.

"Who...who are you?" Mihoshi asked, her voice a strained whisper.

"Yes," Ayeka said as she and Ryoko joined them. "I'd like to know that 
myself."

"Ah yes, where did my manners go?" He knelt before Ayeka. "Space Pirate 
Reptek, pleased to make your aquaintence." A moment of stunned silence 
greeted this introduction, and Reptek was already moving, his kneeling to 
Ayeka had been nothing more then the crouch for a leap and he shot over their 
heads to where Sasami had been standing, holding Kinshoue. With a backhand 
swipe, he knocked her to the floor, snatching Kinshoue from her arms and then 
vanishing. A split second later, one of the skylights shattered and they 
caught a glimpse of a ship streaking away. Mihoshi sank to her knees, a blank 
look on her face.

The room exploded into audible chaos as everyone began talking and yelling at 
once. And then over them all, they heard Azusa's shout of: "SILENCE!" Wyhen 
the room had calmed, he began issuing rapid orders. "Get a vector on him, 
deploy the outer system defense--he is to be taken alive, and somebody get me 
a cup of Jeune." Then he turned to his wives. "Funaho, take the flagship and 
get out to the System Rim. Bring back this Reptek and my Heir. Misaki, call 
your subordinates and find out how the hell that man got into my palace." 
Both women ran out. "Gaurds. Get my daughters and their guests to their 
room."

As the gaurds herded them to their rooms, Tenchi could hear the Emperor 
bellowing for his drink.

****
Everyone clustered around Kiyone as she exited the bedroom that...Tenchi and 
Mihoshi would've shared later tonight. He still had trouble thinking about 
her that way. But at the moment, the primary thing on his mind was how much 
he would like to gut Reptek for stealing his son. Part of him was suprised at 
those thoughts. He was by nature a peaceful man and never cared for violence. 
But at the moment, all he wanted was to see Reptek dead.

"...made her take a sedative and go back to sleep," Kiyone was saying. "All 
we can do now is wait."

Several hours passed and then there was a knock and then the door opened to 
reveal a Jurain Knight. "I beg your pardon, Regent," the woman said to Ayeka. 
"But your Father's term ended a few minutes ago, and the council is waiting 
for you."

"Inform the council that I accept on behalf of the Emperor their oaths of 
loyalty," Ayeka said. "The formalities will be attended to once the prince 
has been returned to us. Until then, all of my father's advisors will keep 
their offices and all of Jurai's resources are to focused on locating the 
Prince. Let it be known to every male, female, and mutligender in the galaxy 
that Jurai will not stop until Prince Kinshoue has been returned to us and we 
call upon every Juraian to assist us in however they can. I will make a 
formal address later today. That will be all." The woman paled. Juraians were 
a very formal race and to put off a ceramony struck many as horrifying, but 
she recovered, quickly, bowed and left.

"Ayeka, I don't know much about the inner workings of politics, but if even 
half of what you told me about the Council is true," Kiyone said, "It won't 
take them long to try and use your decision to put off the ceramony against 
you."

"Not to long, I imagine. But they won't dare at the moment. There's quite a 
bit of outrage over Kinshoue's-" She broke off as the bedroom door slammed 
open. Mihoshi stood there, swaying on unsteady legs. Her eyes were bloodshot 
and she was clearly fighting the effects of the sedative.

"Kinshoue? Where's my baby? I want my baby. Give him back to me." She lunged 
for the door. "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!" The sedatives however, made her even 
more uncoordinated then usual and she instead fell forward, laying there for 
a moment before curling up into a ball, sobbing softly.

****
They faced each other across the void, so close, and yet unfathomable 
distance.

"I can't go back. I won't back."

"But I need you."

"No."

"You're the only one who can."

"It's been too long."

"You made me. I didn't ask to be created. You owe me."

"He is your child, not mine."

"And that makes a difference?"

Silence, then a sigh. "Very well."

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the ceiling for a moment. She could 
the voice of her friends...no, Mihoshi's friends. Predators had no friends, 
only allies.

Still, it would be best if she avoided contact with them...

She reached for Mihoshi's cube.

****
Kiyone rubbed her forehead as she walked down the cooridoor. As the ranking 
GP officer on Jurai, it had fallen to her to coordinate the GP investigation 
until a lieutenent could arrive to take over. Not that they would do 
anything. Reptek had taken Kinshoue only fifteen hours ago and they still had 
no idea how he had gotten inside the palace. Under standard procedure they 
were to stay put and wait for the kidnapper to make their demands. But 
Kiyone's instincts told her otherwise. Reptek had said that he and Mihoshi 
had "Unfinished Bisinuess", he wanted her to come after him. And she would 
too. Melcon maternal instincts were the strongest in the known galaxy and 
since they were approaching the point where they couldn't give her anymore 
Sedatives without risking her health, they would either have to restrain her 
or turn her loose.

Kiyone stopped in the middle of the cooridoor. And why shouldn't they turn 
her loose? Kiyone had helped raise her younger siblings...before....she 
forced those memories away. The important thing was she could understand what 
Mihoshi was going through.

And as that thought went through her head, a plan followed it. She, and 
Mihoshi--no, Tenchi would insist on coming along and so would Ryoko, whom 
they would need to fly Ryo-Oki--fine. The four of them could leave now on 
Ryo-Oki and then board the Yagami when it caught up to them. That wouldn't 
take more then a few days. Then it was simply a matter of turning Mihoshi 
loose. There was no mountain big enough for Reptek to hide under once that 
happened.

She passed the index and middle finger of her right hand over the bracelet on 
her left wrist. The disc parted, revealing a small sensor plate, which she 
double tapped. She made the passing motion again, and the disc closed back 
up. She looked back up just in time to see the flash of a cube teleport and 
then take a spinning heel kick to the side of the head.

Her training took over and she moved with the blow, falling to her knees, 
dazed, but not down. Shaking her head to clear it, she saw someone dart 
around the corner. Her head still ringing, she took off in pursuit.

****
For several minutes, her assailant led her through the halls of the palace 
and finally onto the landing pad where the running figure darted into a yacht 
and closed the door.

Kiyone stopped and almost fell over, the pain in her head was getting worse 
and it was hard to think. With clumsy fingers, she pulled her own cube and 
tried to remeber the configuration for teleportation. She must have gotten it 
right, because a moment later, she was in a lounge and then blackness claimed 
her and she knew nothing more.

When she awoke, she heard a the distant hum of a stardrive, felt carpet under 
her cheek and when her eyes opened, she could see the ceiling. Her head was 
still sore, but she could think clearly and--

Suddenly, she was back in the cooridoor, looking at a moment frozen in time. 
She could see her assailant, the one she had chased into the yacht. Saw their 
face.

She saw, but she couldn't believe.

"Mihoshi?"

The click and hum of a GP issue plasma pistol being primed sounded behind 
her.

"No, not Mihoshi..."

*************
Steve "Komodo" T.
 "Then we would drink a lot of beer, and when Mantook was ready, he would 
tell me the story of the Great Moose, who said to the Little Squirrel, "Hey, 
Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat."
-Jim Carrey on Just For Laughs



             .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'