In a message dated 9/12/02 5:39:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Kyhdin@aol.com
writes:
I can't believe it...he did it. The crazy fool actually DID it. And now
I'm going to C&C it...
"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."
SP: Heroes.
And, hero of what? The GP bowling league? (:) Sug: "...heroes in the
Known Galaxy," or something like that.
"That's entirely beside the point," Ayeka said, glowering. "Peerage aside,
the child was concieved entirely on accident because she's too stupid to
Sug: By accident.
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
I *think* "highness" should be capped, since he's using it as a direct
address here.
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very Trees themselves who can and had withdrawn their power.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
Tense mismatch. Sug: "...who could and had withdrawn..."
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.
Needs a bit more there. Like, something to describe how how Ayeka feels
about the Constitution -- how loyal she is to it, or how important it is in
preventing Jurai from falling into civil war, or something. Something to
bring home how much Ayeka is trapped by the situation.
"He is not even old enough to rule..." She said softly looking back up.
"He
Comma after "softly"
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."
Whoooo... Ayeka shows her fangs. And I don't doubt that's a threat with
real teeth behind it, too. You playin' on da Princess's turf now!
"I will...hm...have to consult with his Highness."
Hmm...too many Highnesses. It's up to you, of course, but I'd suggest
that the sitting Emperor should have a higher title, like "Imperial
Highness," or even "majesty." Plain "highness" sounds more like something
for the second-rank Imperials -- heirs, relatives, etc.
"Yes," Ayeka replied. "Do that."
He got up and left and Ayeka sighed, all the confidence draining out of
her
like a flood.
Need to break up the first part of that sentence.
"You did well, Ayeka," said an older man in a priest's robe as he knelt
next
to her. "Exactly as we rehersed."
SP: Rehearsed.
"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.
Heh. Sug replacing "cable" with "TV," though.
10,000,000 channels?
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.
Oh, so Kinshoue is the baby! From the way they talked about him
earlier, I thought he was some relative with a distant claim on the throne.
"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.
SP: Amoeba.
"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.
A should be capped.
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."
Yep, that's the R&A we know and love.
"She was a joke," Kiyone said flatly. "They both were. Jokes and cowards."
Uh...oh. I think somebody just opened the clost wher the GP keeps its
skeletons. Kiyone must really be tired.
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.
Missing open quote mark. Rep of "confused."
"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
SP: Uninhabited.
Sug: "more advanced" for "higher."
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
Rep of "there."
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
"...moon --Endor, I think its name was-- devastated, ..."
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.
Sug: "...system -- only the..."
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."
Period after heroes.
"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
Sug: :"...should have ended right there..."
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."
Great...Arthurian myth.
One thing, though -- this story doesn't quite hold water for me. Why
would Aran and Hiboshi have turned on their comrades, and *then* panicked in
utter fear of Reptex? I could see it if they were secretly Reptex's allies,
but as it stands, attacking their own team because they were afraid of Reptex
doesn't make any sense. Hell, if they were so afraid of him, why did they
chase him down in the first place?
"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
Comma after "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.
Sug: could have
But I don't believe it myself. No, I think they both died in the nova. And
good riddence."
SP: Riddance
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
SP: Katsuhito
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."
Huh. Seems out of character for him. But maybe Jurai has really bad
memories for him...
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.
"Too bad *I* didn't think of having him get me pregnant *first.*"
Besides, the position of second wife wasn't so bad.
Yeah, but who's on Third? <cue Laurel&Hardy>
Mihoshi, was of course, oblivious to their hostility, though she did look
up
"Mihoshi was, of course, ..."
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.
Oh, c'mon, Kiyone! Who's gonna save your butt now when you get in over
your head? It was only Mihoshi's Strange Luck that kept you alive *this*
long!
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
SP: Mottled.
their drive's emission, another ship followed.
Geez... it shouldn't be that easy. Either Azusa sent an incompetent
crew, or the followers are *really* good.
****
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.
SP: Ceremony.
'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.
But where's the baby? If Mihsoshi won't let him out of her sight...
"And now," the Officator said. "We will join these two by the most scared
Scared bonds? ITYM sacred.
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."
And this is where Historians record that the 17th Intergalactic War broke
out...
"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."
Oh...no. I just had a horrid, HORRID realization. Ky, you didn't. TELL
me you didn't do what I think you did...
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
Sug: "...moving -- his kneeling before Ayeka..."
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.
Invisibility? Interesting. Must be how he got near the ceremony.
Also: he hit *Sasami.* He dies. He dies HARD. You understand me? I
want his HEAD on a PIKE!
(ahem. Sorry. Sasami-chan pushes my Big Brother buttons...)
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
SP: When.
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."
Oh, yeah, GOOD question. Security people for that type of get-together
don't mess around, and Misaki's supposed to be pretty good at her job.
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.
Oh...Reptek, you just made a BAD enemy. Tenchi roused to a truly killing
rage would be bad enough solo... but he comes with a whole package of
whoop-ass in trail.
"...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
"and multigender." Heh. Nice touch.
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
SP: too.
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."
Oh, hell. I think I know who "they" are. This...is gonna hurt, isn't
it? It's time for the long kiss goodnight...
"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."
Yeah. I was right. Dammit.
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.
Could "what" the voice(s) of ...?
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
SP: Business.
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
Sedatives shouldn't be capped.
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.
You don't know how right you are, K.
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.
SP: Corridor.
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..."
--
David McMillan, Imagineer at Large.
Chief Systems Analyst and Integration Engineer, Exotic Technologies Division,
<Censored> GmBh. Mecha and Weapons Design Specialist.
"Agent Mulder? My name is Neo. I believe I may be able to show you part of
the truth you've been searching for. I should warn you, however -- it's not
what you think."
--
.---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 -----'