(Part Thirty-Five - A Tortured Price)

Three days later, in the midst of the confusion of a Traquis offensive; 
I managed to slip away from the fleet undetected, since the deadline 
had passed, but yet not other worlds had been vaporized yet. But 
knowing Mulhorand, the likelihood of another such event couldn't be 
ignored.
After the transmission, I reluctantly, but immediately forced the issue 
with the comrades with me. This was added by when Fenganis himself met 
with my troop a day later, all opinions involved believing that I 
shouldn't acquiesce to Mulhorand's demand. But unfortunately, the word 
of the Royal Family and my Knight troop wasn't echoed everywhere, in 
fact, a number of Facet's-Alpha called for my head.
Such heartwarming belief in character, no?

So there I was, 'agreeing' to go with Fenganis; so as long the 
situation was stable enough to have my presence wanted. That ended with 
the said offensive, which was the first time the Traquis had drove on 
the Homeworld sector, the surprise being that a squadron of Hylian 
Capitals stood with DJ and Traquis versions. Due to the severity of the 
situation, the other Knights had been forced to command other vessels 
for the time being, a prophetic situation; not that I was unused to the 
solitude on my own vessel. The battle that ensued ended a draw, but the 
DJ caused enough confusion to knock my sensor pallets out of action, as 
well as my IFF system; communications were still jammed in the area, so 
it was pretty much a wash for me to contact anyone. That left me an 
unusual situation; and the one I chose led me to follow the 
Traquis/Hylian/DJ Fleet..

I had Sai`Hon place a sensor cloak over the Sele`nta, and followed as 
discretely as possible, a route that took two days to journey through, 
where I ended up deep inside Traquis territory. I stopped just outside 
a Star System marked J-0921 in the Fungesian catalog, a System of three 
planets. At that point, I wasn't sure of what I was doing.
After a day, my comm system came back online, and the sensors were back 
to three-fourths capability, the IFF was toast. I had Sai`Hon 
monitoring the frequencies, as well as the Fungesian bands, much to my 
surprise, a Fungesian Fleet was only two parsecs away, looking for me; 
I had to shed a tear at that. But the stuff I head from the Traquis 
bands was worse.
They for all intensive purposes knew I was out here.. and I was a 
baited fool.

A day later, and despite the information; I didn't encounter any 
resistance, or patrols for that matter. The Fungesians had moved a 
parsec closer, and I surmised that they were following a trail I had 
laid down from combat damage. I decided to start slowly extracting 
myself from the area, calling myself a cut rate buffoon for doing this 
at all.
And then Murphy had his way again.
Three DJ superships, similar to the one that was at the Battle of the 
Horseshoe Nebula; literally pounced on me. Not even David could fight 
three Goliaths; and I was in the dung deep there. I executed a series 
of severe maneuvers; trying in vain to avoid being atomized. But an ion 
shot hit amid ships and basically crippled the major systems in a storm 
of ion plasma.
A tractor beam a moment later told me I was in DEEP trouble. This 
exclamated with at least thirty Constructs teleporting aboard in two 
waves. My Avatar Key cut down many, as did my furious Avatarhawk Sword, 
the enhanced skills seemingly giving me an edge to survival. That was 
until a POWERFUL energy discharge blindsided me, and I ended up on the 
floor of my vessels deck, knowing something in my body was broken from 
the sheer force of the blast. 
A Construct strode over me, and.

*Log entry terminated.*
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*Log entry resumed.. a month later..*

.where.. Oh gods.. what.. what did that fiend do.. to.. me.. 
I.. I suppose I should thank first.. excuse me.. 

*transmission terminated..*
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*Log entry resumed an hour later..*

Sorry about that, I had to calm my nerves down some..
Well.. I.. I guess first off, the message of what I write for is 
intended for others that need guidance when they are shoved into the 
hell I endured.
Torture is a vicious form of communication, which was what Mulhorand 
imposed upon me.

First off, all I remember.. is the moving. I knew I was still alive 
when I regained consciousness, but I couldn't see anything, but I felt 
movement, for what seemed days, I felt movement.
I felt the whine of shuttle engines, the thrum of starship cores, the 
ever so light tugs of mecha, and I assumed DJ types; as they moved me 
to what ended up sounding like a quiet tunnel system. Hence, it was the 
movement rather than the sound I remember, especially when I ended up 
thrown against a solid wall, and then struggled to move myself to a 
decent position, where I discovered my left shoulder was the culprit of 
my pain from before.
And there I was, left to sit there, no food or water, or whatever 
constituted for such in this realm. And with my eyes still blinded, the 
sounds became my only source of information. And the stuff I gleaned 
was that this was sounding all to much like a prison. The sounds of 
clanking metal and solid shuffled noises almost like boots on concrete. 
And then.. what I inferred to be muffled screams; but with only an 
echo, I surmised that my position was apparently alone, or sound 
proofed decently, but the latter I dismissed when the occasional 
pitter-SLAM-patter of Construct appendages passed by the area I was in, 
a cell of some sort I supposed.
And when the stories say you lose track of time, you do.. it might have 
been a whole week I was there at least from the hunger pains that 
started nagging my system, and what more with the thirst burning my 
throat. After a while, it becomes clear that these two have an effect 
on mental discipline, but Yosho was an excellent instructor, having 
taught the art of calming ones center to such distractions. 
Unfortunately a broken shoulder doesn't help with this concentration.

Then I didn't get much of a chance to practice this, for they finally 
came.
I was awaken suddenly to a vicious yank, and I felt my body dangling a 
good height. Then I was thrown into a pair of arms, and led.. *sigh..* 
..led to that room..
I felt myself thrown, and then strapped into a chair like device, with 
many latched apparently used to lock me down, which I retorted out loud 
to such respect for my person. I got a crushing backhand in response, 
apparently I was no comedian to them.
Then, the blindfold was taken off, but nothing else. And as the severe 
glare of several lights faded down as I refocused my unused eyes, my 
eyes wandered over the gray walls, and the Spartan accouterments the 
'room' displayed. 
Beyond the lights, and the walls, they were the only things that 
weren't meant for direct bodily harm, or so I thought.

I knew I sensed Mulhorand somewhere nearby, but as usual, the fool hid 
away himself, but the person that met me first was the real problem 
here..
A whezzened crag of a Dark Juraian, one with gray skin and grayer eyes, 
bloodshot; possibly from being such a creature of the dark. He 
addressed himself as Kort, and then demonstrated what his task was for 
me, when he touched a button on a console like device; and a probe 
stabbed a needle through my foot, and pumped some kind of drug that had 
a severe acid feel to it as it coursed my system. I fought and strained 
to keep from screaming, having enough strength in me to hold my own 
against this. When it ended, I felt weird things in my head, like a 
part of me was dead, and another wanted to be.
Kort applauded me for withstanding this first trail run, as he called 
it. And, unfortunately for the next four weeks, I would lose many other 
such 'battles'

I knew the first rule of torture is to break the individual, and I made 
the promise that I wouldn't break, but I also knew I was human. 
That first 'day' alone saw at least thirty more needles pierce me, with 
varying degrees of pain, and others meant to cause the body to spasm in 
certain ways. And, yes.. there were all types of bodily control loss. 
By the time this phase alone was through, I felt my dignity was gone. I 
won't go into detail much about the experience, since most of it 'I' 
can't rethink.. not now anyway..
Then I was simply left there, with the stench of what they did to me, 
floating up to my nostrils. Sleep was a useless quantity that 'night'..
..the 'night' lasted only a few hours, as a second Dark Juraian 
entered, and cleaned up the mess, cackling like some demented lab 
assistant; he left soon after; no name given. I had called him stumpy 
just to get even.

My next sleep period was again jolted awake by a plasma burn to my 
chest, delivered by hand held prod by my 'host'..
Kort then proceeded to explain the next procedure I would experience. 
Which ended up being a pair of mini-disks clamped to my eyes, and then 
a painful needle like feeling as something pierced my cornea, then I 
hear that I would 'see' certain images pop up, which ended up being 
carnage from the War I was involved in, then other images that I 
believed to be from Sentai, and trust me, the images were beyond 
graphic. The kicker though was when certain nasty ones popped up, my 
eye cornea would receive a sonic burst in my eyes, which caused severe 
headaches. This whole thing lasted at least the entire morning, if not 
longer..
After that was done, and somehow I could still see despite the piercing 
of my eyes, Kort moved onto other forms of torture, many directed at 
individual limbs, others that attacked the mind, and other that hit my 
bodily functions, though the results were more muted due to my lack of 
ingested substinance. 
I then learned that my current health was due to some of the injections 
I had received, meant to keep my body healthy enough through the 
'tests' Kort described of. All so that I wouldn't need actual food, and 
still be efficiently kept in shape for the exposure.
How kind of them..

*Log entry terminated..*
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*Log entry resumed an hour later..*

Sorry, had to get something to eat.. which, heh.. is a result of only 
having chemical injections to sustain oneself, no a decent way to keep 
nutritional requirements. That, and the fact I had to think if I wanted 
to tell this next part, but on discussion with a qualified source; I 
was convinced that getting it off my chest would help the healing.
Well, I could go on for pages for how my treatment was, and the words 
to describe the pain I was inflicted with barely would scratch the 
surface, a career in the political circles with a tour with Azusa as he 
kissed butt would be comparative bliss in retrospect nowadays..
It wasn't pretty, every fiber of my being was stripped down to the 
fundamental base, and my humanity was assuredly raped but the constant 
torture sessions, funny; that the science of torture had been 
apparently refined to the point where the maximum infliction could be 
made on a vessel, and the vessel could remain viable enough to 
experience more.
And that was only a tenth of how it actually was, nightmares were 
pumped in my head at all hours, as my body was probed by all manner of 
instruments, coldly, methodically, wretchedly. I lost all sense of the 
disciplines that Yosho and Azusa had instilled, and I fainted 
mercifully more times than I could count..
Only to be reawakened to be subject more.. time and again..

I.. I don't understand.. why.. I was being kept alive, how I WAS alive, 
it didn't make sense, as my body went through so much, my screams at 
times felt of a person that wasn't my own, after so much I thought 
they'd just end the pain, and dissect the carcass. They wouldn't, they 
just wouldn't.
And before anyone thinks I could have simply escaped this horror with a 
flick of my Wings, trust me, I tried. I tried so many times, but the 
wall that usually was there for me to press against, was like 
unforgiving stone for some reason; a reason I wouldn't know until the 
end of my ordeal, and the more I pushed, the weaker I got from the rest 
of the torture. 
A sadistic catch twenty-two had been established; where my trying to 
fight would end up making me experience more pain, and to be sure, Kort 
had surgically emplaced (painfully, while awake of course..) a 
reflective nerve device; a name I dare not bother to remember to 
inquire, but the first time I tried to access the Wings during my 
'sleep' periods; a drug similar to the first one I was initially 
injected with; coursed through my veins; but more; this time it 
insidiously attacked my nerve endings, with a degree of pain that 
simply shut my system down on me.. I always fainted, I. I.. couldn't 
fight that much pain.. I.. I tried so many goddamed times to break it, 
I pushed with all I had on multiple occasions, and still I failed.

But in the end, it came down to only one thing that I felt I could hold 
on, to somehow survive mentally, especially at the worst of the times..
Tsunami and the others.. despite so much pain, I actually felt worse 
had if any of them been hurt as Mulhorand prophesied; I would run the 
most romantic, exquisite, even exotic images I could recollect from my 
time with Tsunami. Also were all the crazy, the insane, all of the 
above that made Tenchi and his family who they were, and that was just 
enough strength to hold on, somehow.. some-bloody-how.
After enough time, that I had assumed was three weeks, I began to 
believe that Kort, and whom ever else was behind this, was trying their 
damnedest to keep me alive, there were so many ways to interpret this 
in afterthought, but it all came to a head as to why near the end of 
the hell I experienced.
For, one night, I didn't have pain, no pain at all; out of so many; it 
was like my system was missing the pain like a sick drug; considering 
the vast amounts (no exaggeration I'm afraid.) of it I had experienced.

I was so weak, I felt everything that made me a echo. I felt numbness 
like a blanket of my existence, the sleep itself was fitful, full of 
shadows of the nightmares forced into my mind. I would reflexively wake 
up to see if there was anyone, but there were none, I did this six 
times; each with a weak squeal. 
Then the seventh, I was gently coerced to awake, and I thought I saw 
heaven, I swore I saw her, I saw.. Tsui..
But, it.. it wasn't; the voice was there, but not the soul, and the 
gray ashen form that mocked as a clone of my wife hovered in front of 
me.
I was feeling asunder inside, mostly confusion to blame. The gray thing 
in front of me spoke with a sweet tone that filled with the after-echo 
of evil behind it.
What happened next goes beyond decent, as then Mulhorand phases in a 
oily smoke next to this 'thing'; no name was given, except this was his 
idea of the perfect woman, the perfect goddess. 

It was the end now I believed, since I then felt why my Wings weren't 
being allowed, the 'clone' had suppressed them with powers exactly like 
Tsui's; as the negative ion stood opposing my will and wishes to take 
vengeance.
But the talk of why this creature was there was where the subject 
turned, as Mulhorand simply held my mind in his mental grasp and 
flooded them with images.
They were of Sentai, and the narration with it described of just prior 
to the Second Exodus; the place ended up being the original 0th 
Generation Alcove, as apparently just before my ancestor had found and 
driven Mulhorand away, he had accessed Tsunami, and stole a great 
portion of her, along with a single branch with several Generation 
seeds still on it.
For some reason, Mulhorand felt fit to tell that Sai`Hon had, after 
driving off him, that Sai`Hon had sacrificed much of his life force to 
sustain Tsunami. 

That was the underlying reason Sai`Hon died, albeit at a slow rate, 
leading to just after the Lent`it`tos left with the children. But the 
result of Mulhorand's actions ended up with what I saw before me..
This started the final phase of the torture. This creature and the real 
Tsunami had the same mental pathguides, as Mulhorand sounded pleased to 
boast. Then I felt where this was coming from, as the thing probed my 
mind; with a caressing that after the hell I had endured, felt 
addictively seductive. Almost, somehow; almost.
Then I felt 'her' begin to pull at certain memory strands, slowly and 
with more resolution to it, with more harsh effects. I knew which 
strands, the very ones I had been using to survive!! I mentally 
backlashed, and then got jolted by the same device still implanted in 
me, with the usual effects, I tried the Wings again, but felt like a 
bolder had slammed my body. This battle continues this way, as the 
thing literally was trying to shred all of my memories, as well as 
anything doing with Tsunami..
I could feel a dark jealousy behind all this.

And then for added sadism, I was flooded with images that Mulhorand 
decided to implant. 

For all intensive purposes, he was showing the equivalent of the attack 
on the 0th Tree on Sentai, in a dreadfully graphic representation of 
Mulhorand raping Tsunami! Something finally got through when I saw 
that, and a power spike somehow ejected the creature from my mind, as 
well as searing a power blast in Mulhorand's chest.
Unfortunately, the device kicked into overdrive, and I fainted from the 
nerve overload. I fainted, but the memories were still there. 
As they were when I awoke once more.. the fiends now gone, and Kort 
back at his station.

The pain returned, and by now, I was beyond weary of this; I started 
actually wishing to die, to end this, not even the memories I had were 
enough now. If the way my body looked reflected the inside, no one I 
knew would be able to recognize it..
I had reached the brink.
When miracle came knocking, with vengeance behind it.

It started as I was being subjected to more chemical injections, and my 
screams accompanying, when all hell broke loose.
There was too much dust, as red and blue bolts slammed everywhere, 
including into a certain scream of death. Then I started hearing voices 
I only had heard in my mind for so long. Then a tuft of cyan in a spiky 
form peeked through, and then a purple haired one; that was the last I 
felt as I was finally released from the wretched bonds..
What I felt next, was warmth, and my soul embraced it in desperation, 
all the while trying to believe if it was real. All the while, a 
torrent of worried voices floated around my subconscious. After enough 
time, I knew whom the voices were, as I reawoke to the expectation.

Ryoko, Azusa.. Tenchi.. holy!! I groggily saw Vycan, Kagato, a couple 
of faces I didn't recognize; then Tora, Gaia, Funaho, and Rosusn too. 
Then I tilted my head back, and there was Mihoshi and Kiyone, and.. 
..and upon seeing her, I grogged out of my voice for a kiss, and got 
it, the teal strands were so much pure heaven. I held the kiss long 
enough to make sure this wasn't the cruelest trick of all by the 
monsters. 

It wasn't.. Tsunami was there, with my family and friends.

..oh gods, they.. they saved what.. was.. *sounds of broken sobbing 
recorded..* ..what was.. left of me, body and.. soul..

After awhile, I felt just enough strength to allow them to lift me to 
my disused feet.
Ryoko and Funaho moved ahead to make sure the coast was clear, and then 
the others moved in a protective ring to get me out of this realm of 
the ungod. 
But before I let them take me away, I felt inside and found the Wings 
were back to command.. 

I had Tenchi drag my decrepit form near the tormentor's broken corpse, 
and I looked at it..
I felt a surge of hellish anger, and ordered everyone back out of the 
room, as I leaned on the doorway jam..

..and I incinerated the body.. 

..then the console..

..then the holding apparatus..

..and finally a massive burst that cindered the room down to the atomic 
level.

..and then I let Tenchi and Tsunami take me away, as I fainted into a 
VERY long sleep.

Thus ended the "Torture Chapter".. it is with the said aid from the 
love of my eternity that I was able to put all this down in the first 
place, as it was a first step to heal from such a grievous experience. 
That and as many tender nights with my wife we could glean while I was 
awake, and not eating!! I had to keep looking around to make sure 
everything was real, with each passing minute a blessing to wrap 
tightly.
Three weeks had passed since the end of that trauma, at least before I 
was healthy enough to think myself a sovereign human again; and yet, 
much more had happened during my-- 'experience'.

For one, my rescue at these blessed hands came from the fact that the 
war itself had suddenly changed in complexion. Jurai, Kartasia, and 
Alcora had joined with the banner of Fungesia, due to attacks by the 
Hylians on each of their Colony territories, not to mention the fact 
that Hylian agents assisted by the DJ had attempted outright 
assassinations on a wide scale. And somehow, this had included the 
Misaki family on earth, when even before I was captured, a DJ death 
squad attempted an orbital bombardment of the Shrine Hills, not to 
mention Okiyama as a whole, Tsunami Unit stopped that.
Then the actual attack was proficiently dealt with by the family, Ryoko 
and Ayeka actually leading a counter force onto the lead DJ vessel, as 
Tenchi and Yosho dueled down a pair of High Class Constructs. 
No DJ survived, not long after, the assassination attempts were made, 
all failed due to a special leak placed by of all entities, the Galaxy 
Police Special Ops Unit; right inside the Hylian High Court.

Not too long after, the collective empires revealed the conspiracy, and 
jointly declared war on the Hylians, and the DJ; including the Traquis 
Empire and Collective as part of the list of satellite sovereigns in 
the conflict.
Then on top of that (everything seems to cluster together like this 
don't it?); the GP announced it was honoring treaty commitments for the 
current crisis. I'll just stick to the end result, the rest just being 
thin politics. But in the end, that made it four new major forces, as 
well as several minor states that entered due to defense treaties, and 
that shifted the nature of the war RESOULTELY in our favor.
And just in time as well, as the Fungesian Fleet Command was at the 
breakpoint. The Traquis and Hylians had driven DEEP into their 
respective Fungesian invasion zones, and the Capital Nebula was only 
three jumps away from a direct invasion. Timing was everything, and the 
populace of each government was found to be fanatically behind the new 
effort, with stories of the brave stand the Fungesians had made against 
severe opposition. The first event that occurred was an invasion of the 
frontiers of each border each empire shared with the Hylian Empire, and 
then the second was a counterattack against the Colony territories 
taken.

The severity of the counterattack suggested that this had been planned 
for some time, and that a release valve of some kind to light the fuse, 
the Hylians obliged.
By the third week of the allied introduction, the Traquis Line near the 
Homeworld Nebula had been sealed by massive reinforcements. And that a 
new counteroffensive was launched in the captured zones around the 
Jusxa-Beta System.
This all happened about a week before my rescue; and that was planned 
around the time it was transmitted by Fungesian Command to the Juraian 
Command. There my would be rescuers gathered on Fungesia, where the 
finally saw the devastation first hand. What got them going was when it 
was discovered my vessel had been discovered by a small allied Scout 
Fleet near the same world I had tried to escape from.

Trajan-Six..

...I learned that Tsunami DEMANDED command of the mission, and NO 
argument was accepted, and was HEAVILY supported by the family.. (Did I 
stress this part enough?)
A full Grand Fleet Task Force, along with my Knight team along as shock 
support, and six divisions of ground forces to simultaneously invade 
the entire System.
I guess I was missed.

It was when Tsunami's warped copy appeared during the rape of my mind, 
that my location was discovered, poor practice for the DJ, though it 
may have been intentional. This led to the rescue mission with the said 
above, and under the precipice of a full offensive for three sectors 
around the target zone..
They fought in like vengeance becometh, laying waste to a full Fleet of 
mainly Traquis vessels, as well as the invasion that took out a whole 
Army Corps of DJ Constructs. They ravaged as many bases it took, but 
finally found the Sele`nta instead, penned at a ground based drydock. 
It was Sai`Hon inside that finally related my location, seventeen 
levels deep inside a Command Complex of some kind, near (and I was 
correct) a detention facility, set in a decrepit bunker facility. 
Between the skills of the rescuers and their vengeance, the defenders 
were so much ashen fallen. It didn't take that long for Tsunami to 
sense my location, mostly led by my horrendous thought waves at that 
moment. 
Apparently my condition was so bad, I didn't even hear Ryoko's blasts 
just outside before they barraged in. It was obvious fortune they did, 
I was broken at that moment.

The escape went more slowly, as my condition was apparently quite 
critical; mostly from the chemical injections and lack of food. With 
Tsunami taking control of Sele`nta and the subsequent escape; salvation 
had come. I spent a week in a medical fluid tank; with what I was told, 
Tsunami standing vigil the whole time, literally healing my mind of as 
much of the horrors as she could, not all, but enough to allow her to 
flood my mind with even more amounts of memories of pleasure and joy as 
she could muster, a harder task all around than it sounded. Apparently 
Gaia and even Tokimi helped..
When I awoke finally, the name Aleaic had a body to attach to once 
more; and I didn't even care about why Tsunami and all had been gone 
for so long, I just didn't want them to go.
I know I write as if my situation was unique, maybe ego is too much 
sometimes; but it's all the justice I can do with these journal entries 
to explain the world around me, even at it's worst..

And the people I write of are truly worth the effort, heck, they're why 
I am still writing at all..

Now you might be wondering about why Kagato was there.. well, it had to 
do with the unfamiliar faces that I also saw.. I met them a few days 
after I was well enough for constant visits. And I do mean CONSTANT, 
you'd think the war was shoved aside the way they kept coming in, 
Sasami even set up a mini-kitchen to cook only the best, and Tenchi and 
Nen were there also, continuing the chances available to them.  I found 
Tenchi is currently a Juraian Naval Commodore, and is garnering a great 
deal of respect from his subordinates, the stories finally being spread 
lending credence and support deserved.  Nen leads a whole GP Battle 
Fleet attached to Azusa's personal Fleet (also attached to the 
Fungesian Diamond Fleet), and has been seeing much action with Kiyone 
and Mihoshi, along with several of my Knight team.
But I digress, it was while Tenchi, Nen, Sasami, and Washu (acting as a 
personal doctor, no pun or. err.. oh grow up..), when Kagato and Maymay 
entered the room. Then the unfamiliar faces then entered and started 
asking many questions..

Naja, Ange, Ketira, Minagi, and Niratishi. Kagato explained that Naja 
was his mother.. =@@= -- okay.. Minagi was recognized immediately by 
Washu, Tenchi, and a glomping Sasami as she shared a sobbing hug with 
her. Ange and Ketira were the weird wildcards, apparently with Ange 
being the linchpin as a 'old' acquaintance, and Ketira being his 
sister; whom actually couldn't stand being near Kagato. Minagi's story 
revolved around an individual named Yakage; the story was long and 
interesting, and made light I wasn't the only one with pain dealt with. 
Naja was described by Washu as a former acquaintance in the Royal 
Science Academy, and it was her that introduced Kagato to her so long 
ago. I didn't know then to appreciate the irony, or grab my Key. At 
least Tenchi and Sasami were more than gracious, as best I learned. 
Niratishi being Naja's daughter, and K's sister, herself a 'science 
experiment' from Kagato's reference. 
Course Niratishi retorted by describing Kagato as the black sheep of 
the Akara Family (so THAT was his last name.. go fig..), running away 
from the family business of a sort to run after the ultimate power; or 
otherwise descried as the universal dope by K's sister. A fight broke 
out between K and N (as I coined them after Maymay did.) that gave me 
the best laugh of the day, finally broke up by Mother Akara.
The Akara family actually controlled one of the minor states (of the 
same name) near the Hylian Empire, and were going through their own 
grief from Hylian and Traquis raids. They were the first of the minor 
states to declare war after the major powers collectively did, and it 
was Kagato that convinced Prime Minister Naja to place resources that 
led to my rescue. Course it didn't hurt that the Akara Sovereignty had 
access to high grade ship building ores the Fungesians badly needed 
(hence the Hylian interest), two birds with one stone.
It must have been a sight, to have the Soja standing with other 
numerous other Capitals from the various nations when they attacked. 

As to Ange and Ketira? As Naja described them; they were two of her 
finest Knights; as fine (she boasted) as any of my Knight team members, 
and she placed them at my disposal. (and I would test that boast.) But 
something else about them piqued my interest, though at the time, I 
couldn't peg the reason to answer this with, so I dropped it.
Ketira was a reserved type, a pair of diamond rimmed crystal specs her 
trademark, dressed in a simple kimono, except for the chain-steel chest 
sash running across from upper right to lower left, most of her attire 
past this one eye catcher was dressed for one that looked like a cross 
of a priestess and a princess, an interesting combo. Her dark auburn 
hair and similar eyes completed the splendor. Her grace was the 
signature more than the specs, with an accent equal to an English 
Royal, and a voice to match.

Her sister was nearly the opposite, as Ange sported a hair style to 
match that of a warrior born, a tight ponytail for her hybrid dark 
brown/light brown hair (haphazardly spaced with the coloring, and quite 
attractive to be sure.) Her attire matched that of someone desiring 
combat, with a loose number of armor pieces that covered one arm, a 
leg, a part of her left neck, and connected with a single meshed piece 
that ran opposite from the neck piece on the right, and stopped at the 
right hip. The rest of the body was covered in a black (silky looking) 
skin tight spandex like suit, cut to flatter certain areas, and I can 
only assume ran underneath the armored areas.. (I think.. Her trademark 
was a pair of Angel wings running across her chest, from the spandex 
portion, and merged with the opposite metal portion on the right. And 
did I mention the skin that was exposed in certain areas? And.. uhh.. 
ahem, anywho.. (Tsui caught me looking.. ugh..) A pair of simple white 
heavy boots completed the ensemble.
Her demeanor matched the outfit, with a heavy sultry affect to it, 
edged with some of Kagato's influence apparently. Course whom doesn't 
now and then?

Both carried a cylinder at their hips I assumed to be an energy bladed 
weapon device, and a simple chrome metal staff each, both etched with 
the runes of their names, and the sigil of the Akara Family. 
These two would had heavy impact in the coming future; but as for now, 
were only two new members of my Knight team. And after all the 
introductions, most of the individuals excused themselves upon Tsui's 
request. Only Sasami and Tenchi remained to settle me in. Course after 
a few remarks, they left me as well, to a certain tender mercy.. well, 
maybe not..

Two days later, yet more surprise visitors; with again Sasami around to 
cook; this time Achika as volunteer help. And as I was learning of the 
new child Achika and Nobuyuki were soon to have, (she wasn't showing 
yet..) a gasp of surprise from outside shifted attention. Then I saw a 
face I expected even less, not even thought of, as Nagi was standing at 
the doorway, and then leaning on the frame. He first remarks were of 
that this place reminded her of a guest suite on a resort planet she 
once parlayed at, before killing the owner for a bounty. Sasami made a 
light retort, at which Nagi just ended up bursting into laughter. 
Achika then just dismissed it and offered Nagi some tea, accepted of 
course, as it was Sasami's brewing; and Nagi most definitely, and 
vocally enjoyed.
Then two more voices accused Nagi of hoarding, as of all people: Lonar 
and Aphelia walked in. I found quickly that Aphelia didn't seem to like 
other female acquaintances around Lonar, and as tea was passed around, 
I hoped Ryoko wouldn't show..

No such luck..

Ten minutes later, my fears came in as Ryoko and Minagi came in for a 
quick check-up.. then Ryoko saw Aphelia, Nagi saw Ryoko, Nagi and 
Aphelia were already tense. Minagi suddenly looked like she would fight 
for the heck of it..
I was about to die, I just knew it..
Then my beloved came in with a LOUD clap of the hands, speaking to the 
sanctity of peace in the hospital.
With that, the rest of the visit was a somber cold war stand-off, which 
I was finding hard not to burst out laughing at. During this exchange, 
Lonar had said he had heard through unofficial channels of my 
'experience', and therefore placed himself at my disposal, seconded by 
Aphelia; after which Ryoko made a rude comment, stifled by a bonk from 
Achika; which Aphelia applauded, and receiving a flick from Lonar, 
Sasami cried for everyone to stop, and accidentally flicked some soup 
from her spoon onto Minagi's head..

The food fight that followed is still talked about by the hospital 
staff to this day..

After all was done, and half my body covered in miso soup, Tsunami 
(caked in pasty flour) shooed everyone out, citing additional trauma. 
Course I was laughing out of my skull, so the thin excuse was naught.
Then Washu phased in, checking up on me, noting the mess, cleaning the 
mess with a flick of a finger, and then checking the stats. Then she 
turned to Tsui and declared I was almost fully recovered, then phased a 
small package into Tsui's arms, and then winked at me before 
vanishing..
Tsui then just quietly disappeared into a side room, while I changed my 
'destroyed' garments; the garments didn't stay on long, as Tsui 
reemerged in a NURSES outfit.
I thought I knew passion, dopey moi..
Later as I lay there with Tsui draped over my chest, I finally asked 
what was Creations intentions for the two of us. All I got was that the 
judgment was 'postponed' until the end of the war, which had garnered 
even the attention of the Heavens themselves, if Tsui's descriptions 
were accurate. After that, and satisfied enough with the answer, having 
found patience in boatloads due to my experience; we continued the LONG 
night ahead. 

Three days later, and a few more (quiet) visits from the gang, I was 
declared fit to return to duty. The timing was fortuitous as the war 
was starting to head into the critical phases.

For the most part, the Hylian and Traquis lines had been pushed back 
almost to their original borders, and that the one area around Jusxa-
Beta had pushed six parsecs into Traquis territory, with the one 
targeted State nearly in position to be cut-off from the rest of the 
'Empire'.
Things seemed stabilized along those lines, but the problem mostly 
remained the Collective, and the Dark Jurai, or so we thought.
Then came the Orinous Offensive; when the Hylian Empire suddenly lashed 
nine full Fleets at each of it's powerful neighbors; suprising and 
overwhelming the defenses, and driving deep into the respective realms 
of Jurai, Kartasia, and Alcora. A significant part of the Hylian forces 
included an incredible number of DJ Capitals and ground forces, at 
least six times the number purportedly believed by the combined 
commands. It was like the DJ had pulled on a lever marked Overdrive, 
and started a campaign almost on their own.
It was discovered during one of the offensives on Kartasian territory 
that a captured Hylian Frigate held mostly DJ technology and support 
personnel, with only a few Hylian representative aboard. 

This started a hunch I had, considering from Vycan's reports, and my 
encounters with Mulhorand; that all wasn't as it seemed. After 
retelling the tale from the Battle of Jusxa-Beta, on the station; I 
proposed that we capture a Hylian command vessel. Nen suggested that we 
take one on in the Alcorian combat Zones, since their combat Zone 
wasn't as deep to penetrate. A day later, Sele`nta, Soujya (Kagato 
finally corrected me.), Tenchi's new Fleet Treeship Hikari (Azusa's 
pretty efficient when needed), Naja's personal Capital Battleship: the 
Naga, and a small combined Alliance Fleet, a second mostly Alcorian 
Fleet would lend support under the guise of a counterattack. The team 
consisted of myself, the Knight team (fourteen in number now..), and a 
second strike team of Ryoko, Minagi, Tenchi (in lead), Kiyone, and a 
squad of Fungesian shock troops to back us up..
With this strike package, the mission was a comparative cakewalk, as 
each of the members of the strike force displayed a well oiled 
efficiency as they methodically took down the defending marines of the 
vessel we eventually targeted; the Hylian Capital Flagship: the 
Centeria. 

With a three hour battle to get too and breach into, and then another 
three hour romp though the corridors through the massive vessel, mostly 
in outmaneuvering the vessel's Admiral, we reached the objective and 
captured the vessel, just both barely managing to defeat the self-
destruct device, with the Admiral slain at the hand of Tenchi's 
Lighthawk sword; and an ANGRY response from the Hylian Fleet. 
When the action had settled down, and mop-up began, we finally noted 
one thing I suspected. Almost eighty percent of the crew was DJ, and 
the rest of the Hylian contingent had the look of brainwashed victims, 
an eery sight to be sure.
Two days later, we proudly parked the well earned booty in a drydock, 
and all possible self-destruct devices removed in an even more 
methodical fashion (with Washu in charge.)

All that work was worth it, as the results confirmed my suspicions. And 
the answers were even more scarier than originally thought.
The DJ were found to be the center of all the events leading up to, as 
well as controlling the direction the war was veering in. Worse, was 
the fact that a massive conspiracy of control over key sectors of 
governmental and military infrastructure, reaching all the way into the 
Hylian Royal Family itself. Decrypted files put the planning of the 
takeover of the Collective, or seduction more like, as well as the 
supplanting of the States that would combine as the Traquis Empire. And 
finally the aforementioned takeover of the Hylian infrastructure. This 
all apparently planned well before I even MET the Misaki clan, talk 
about a long time!
But there was something else that was discovered, the DJ had been 
discovered to hold a Homeworld of their own, and somehow it resided 
inside the Toalh Nebula!!

Not much else was able to be gained from the ship, as much of the data 
had been destroyed; and event the combined team of Yasani, Washu, and 
Mihoshi (that's right.. dang good job too..) couldn't garner much else. 
Except for one thing.

The key codes for the Hylian defense grid network. 

And as news filtered in of a new defeat along the Kartasian frontier; a 
new plan was proposed by Tenchi, one that he suggested be laid out 
along with the rest of the data as backing for what he suggested.
The Hylians hand not declared war of their own accord, the DJ had..

The Hylian Empire was now treated as a hostage, and we were about to 
act accordingly. And soon, the timetable put the next major Hylian 
offensive straight at the heart of the Fungesian Empire. Time was 
running out.

And then I remembered that Tsui was still with a child!! Man, I need an 
Advil.

(End Part Thirty-Five)