Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Tenchi 
franchise. I 
own only one character in this story for that matter, although I hope 
someone from Pioneer will be so enamored by my story that they will buy 
it 
and I'll be getting' paid! (bling, bling, ^_^)

Crossworlds

Prologue

By

Notere


An unknown year during the Perennial War

        The icy wind bit Asuza's beardless face as he trudged out of his ship, 
surrounded within fifty feet by sixteen of his personal guard, the 
Knights 
of Jurai. Standard royal attire was not designed for an ice planet. 
They had 
tried to make his arrival notified to the planet's locals (read: 
government), but declined to tell them any details for the obvious 
security 
reasons. The most vital aspect of the trip was not telling the locals 
when 
or where they would arrive, but still keeping the pretense of a caring, 
human rights interested envoy.
        Behind him and the ship were hills and the setting sun to the West, a 
forest in a valley following a slope down between a set of mountains in 
the 
North, and a long, snowy plain that was broken only by a set of 
decimated 
city ruins in the South. Ahead of him: East, the all important 
rendezvous 
point. The entire purpose behind all of the secrecy and deception, but 
why, 
God, did it have to be on such a big, fucking hill?
        Asuza turned and said, "Men, I want you to wait for me here and guard 
the 
ship. If anyone finds it, they must be immediately dealt with, no 
matter who 
it is or how old they are.
Confidentiality must be maintained. Should they discover our 
intentions, 
they might re-ally themselves with the Planetary Coalition. Is that 
understood?"
           They barked one "Yes, Sir!" each and let Asuza resume the 
quarter-mile 
hike up the thirty-five degree gradient. At the top he gazed down at 
what 
remained of Digaru's second leading industrial city. It was an amazing 
thing. Second in the whole planet, once housing thirty million, two 
hundred 
thousand people, and all that was left of it was a maximum of twelve 
buildings in close contact. The rest was totally scrapped, topped off 
with a 
few smoldering fires and several impact craters.
        Asuza jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder, then a hand clamped 
over 
his mouth and took him to the ground in one swift move. In most cases 
this 
was no easy task, after all Asuza was still relatively young and had to 
keep 
an exceptional strength going, lest the knights who served him overtake 
him. 
Asuza looked around and saw the face connected to the neck, connected 
to the 
torso, and connected to the hands holding him down in the snow.
        "Don't you know how to keep a low profile, Mr. 
I'll-just-stand-here-and-be-obvious?" he hissed.
        Asuza shook the hand off his mouth, "I doubt anyone would be staring 
at the 
sun right now," he hissed back angrily.
        The other man stood and looked up. "I guess you're right. Why didn't I 
think of that?"
        Then man looked pretty much unchanged since the last time Asuza saw 
him. He 
stood at least six-foot-six or so; not that wide, but he had an 
intimidating 
build. His brown eyes were able to go from an amiable visage to a 
soul-penetrating stare. The power in his blood was said to be very 
strong, 
though, Asuza had never fought him for real. All this and brains too. 
He was 
wearing a parka cloak over his combat dress (that's uniform for the 
uninitiated), which was different from the basic and royal family 
uniforms 
in that the sleeves were a brick color and it lacked the ornamental 
decorations that the others had. The normal stripes across the lower 
part of 
the face weren't there either, but there was one black, serrated stripe 
that 
snaked normally from his sharp left lower jaw, curved slightly under 
his 
eye, rounded back to the side of his face, and stopped at his hairline.  
Asuza saw the activation ring on the middle finger of his right hand 
and the 
high output energy rifle slung across his back, and Asuza then noticed 
what 
had changed about him in the folds between the rear of his uniform and 
the 
cloak. He had grown his hair into a ponytail that reached the middle of 
his 
back instead of the short mess of black hair Asuza remembered.
        Asuza stood up as well. "Maybe its because you've been too busy hiding 
to 
notice such a little thing as a sunset."
        "Trust me, there usually isn't enough sun around here to cause a mild 
tan. 
So what brings the almighty salutatorian here to grace my lowly 
presence?" 
he said in his tenor voice with a mock waist bow.
        Asuza grinned, "You're still bringing that up? Remember, I outrank 
you, so 
don't get too smart or I'll have to suggest a court-martial."
        The man let out a short laugh, "Ha! The Supreme Council would never 
approve 
of that, and you know it! Are you still mad just 'cuz I beat you out 
for top 
honors at the academy? That was ages ago, and if there's anything you 
should 
be happy about, its that I'm still a LONG way from inheriting the 
throne," 
he said, starting to walk down a narrow ledge with Asuza in tow, "I 
mean 
really, all you have to do is stay alive and you'll be good to go."
        "You are assuming far too much. All I said was-"
        "I heard you the first time. What's the matter? Have you lost that 
vital 
trait of humor, or did they say wit was unbefitting royalty?"
        "If I lost something than so did you. You are being exceedingly harsh 
for 
petty reasons."
        "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, after all, where's our good-old-fashioned 
chummy 
banter?"
        "Right here!" Asuza shouted, chucking a snowball right into the back 
of the 
man's head.
        He didn't stop or turn around, "Ooh, by God I'll get you for that one, 
but 
a ledge is not the place for a snowball fight."
        "I must say you look well  for all you've done since we last met. 
Forty 
planets have given up the pursuit of aggression against Jurai since you 
began this insane crusade."
        "I know that. What I want to know is: why have you shown up here when 
the 
capital city is ten thousand clicks away?"
        "I'm afraid that the Juraian nobility has been under scrutiny because 
of a 
certain epidemic of rebellions springing up across planets that are 
still 
allied against Jurai. Our opponents say that if we really aren't an 
arrogant, imperialistic people, then we must see fit to find those who 
are 
committing these atrocities. Although, I must say that I saw that city, 
Cogtyl, down there, and your handiwork leaves nothing to be desired in 
terms 
of shock value."
        He didn't look back at Asuza, nor did he smile in the least. "That's 
the 
bad news, I'm guessing?"
        "Yes. the council wants you to tone down the violence being inflicted 
on 
innocents and the captured. Thankfully, the next two planets have 
already 
been set for 'rebellion,' but that leaves ten more. I am sure we are 
being 
secretly investigated in regards to those present and accounted for on 
our 
personnel manifests, those on our bases, and whoever is missing from 
the 
ranks. You have, after all, been suspiciously absent from Jurai for a 
long 
time. There will be a hearing after you're done with the next two 
assignments. I think the whole 'Kitarsa' incident was what got 
everyone's 
attention. I wasn't allowed an opinion during that fiasco, and the only 
one 
to actually condone it was your mother."
        "Yeah, well, Mom always had a good bit of sense in her. As for the 
things I 
do to everyone on these damn planets, tell the Supreme Council that 
they can 
go shove it right up their asses," he spun around, stopping Asuza in 
his 
tracks, "My methods get results, the exact results they want as a 
matter of 
fact! Tell me, just how many planets has the Fleet taken without my 
help?"
        "Three. It's been over two thousand years since you and I started 
fighting, 
and the Fleet has taken three without you," Asuza said, looking at him 
with 
narrowed eyebrows.
        "Exactly!" He began walking again; and again, Asuza followed. "It 
would 
have taken us that much longer to accomplish half as much without the 
fear 
factor. I want so badly to get in front of that committee. Tell me, is 
it 
true that Visagat has a Class thirty-five planetary assault cannon?"
        "Well, that's what our field agents tell us," Asuza said.
        "I'll take their word for it. Get those agents off the planet a day 
after I 
show up. I'll take my men in a civilian transport to the opposite end 
of the 
planet, where there's less security, and work my way over to the other 
side, 
stirring up a few rebellious riots while I go. It should make a decent 
cover. That ball of shit is going to be totally annihilated. Then we'll 
see 
how many on that coalition stay long enough for their populations to 
start 
rebelling."
        "Somehow, I think getting the drop on you with that whole sunset idea 
was a 
miracle," Asuza said, bringing a smile to both of their faces, "How do 
you 
think these strategies up?"
        "Rule one," he said, pointing his index finger in the air, "Keep It 
Simple, 
Stupid."
        "Sounds easy," Asuza stumbled and grunted discontentedly, "how much 
farther 
is it to that damn camp of yours?"
        "Not far, say, how goes the bridal hunt? I take it Misaki is still 
number 
two because of her daughter producing genetic condition?"
        "Yes, I need to find a wife to bear me a son, but don't discount 
Misaki. I 
still love her. The hard part is finding a woman willing to share me 
with 
another. I have been musing over something else for a while. Tell me 
what 
you think."
        "Ooookay," he answered cheerily.
        "Well," Asuza continued, "the scientists say that Misaki's condition 
has 
been brewing in the royal family for several generations. I wouldn't 
doubt 
them on a matter of this scale. So, I believe that it is necessary for 
me to 
find a wife from another planet. That way, the blood will mix, and 
there 
will be a fresh infusion of genes into the line."
        "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. You're going to mix the 
blood 
from different planets? That won't go over well. Not with half the 
populace, 
not with the Intelligence Bureau, not with most anyone," he warned, 
counting 
the opponents on his fingers before finally reaching level ground and 
walking around the rock face to the left. "I won't even get into the 
hell 
your father put my family through because of my father's past."
        "My father," Asuza said, mournfully looking down on his feet "is not 
who I 
am. There is to be a change of policy when I am crowned."
        "Yeah, well, what's going to happen to me when this war's over?"
        "There will always be threats to Jurai's safety, and as long as you 
and 
your men stay on top of your respective games," he said as they reached 
the 
edge of a forest with several tents pitched inside and uniformed 
soldiers 
sitting in them, "they won't be threats for very long. I think your men 
will 
appreciate the time off anyway ."
        "Sounds few and far between, besides, I hate long vacations. What else 
you 
got?" he insisted.
        "How would you like to accompany me in my workings as King of Jurai 
between 
missions?"
        He stopped again and turned around, facing Asuza with a curious look 
on his 
face, "What do you mean by that?"
        "I mean, how would you like a position as one of my personal 
bodyguards; as 
a Knight of Jurai.  There are not any warriors nearly as qualified as 
you 
are."
        Both his eyebrows rose in a pseudo-surprised look; nevertheless, all 
he 
said was: "Bitchin."



Killer Prologue Credits' Theme:
Slipknot, Disasterpiece


Thanks for reading the prologue.
This is my first fic ever, so try not to flame me too bad.
I'll get back to the future in the first chapter of Crossworlds: The 
Assignment
Thanks to: Ryoko Porter, Adam Clark, The Fallen Gamekeeper, and Gensao 
for 
all the inspiration and help.
Send anything you have to say to: gamer_plus@hotmail.com