--------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note The characters of Tenchi Muyou were created by Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima, and brought to North America by Pioneer LDC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kougo no Tenchi Muyo (An Alternate Tenchi Muyo) Igai na saikai (Unexpected Renunions) by Hakubi Ryouko The two women faced off on the quiet, deserted street. Well, nearly deserted. Except for the ten men laying on the ground around them, they were the only ones out -- the inhabitants of this station located in Obsidian Four knew when to fade away. A wind flowed through, blowing the cloaks -- and the hair -- of the women. "Broke our deal, Mihoshi?" Ryouko asked, cocking an eyebrow. The Galaxy Police detective's eyes narrowed. "Don't pretend you don't know, Ryouko." the blond said in a low growl. "And that's Detective Mihoshi. No more games. No more looking the other way. I'm bringing you in -- or taking you out." Ryouko frowned. Then, amazingly, she lowered her hand and sighed. "Look 'Detective' Mihoshi this really isn't funny. So if you don't mind -- " "I do mind Ryouko. And this isn't a joke." Mihoshi replied pulling out a yo-yo with her left hand. Ryouko went owl-eyed then sagged. "Damn it Mihoshi! How long have you known me? How long have you poured over my file? Tracked me across countless quadrants? HOW LONG?" "Too long." she growled out through a frown. "Fine, in those years have I *ever* killed anyone?" Mihoshi's frown deepened. "No," she conceded. "but people change." Ryouko rolled her eyes. "Fine! Then answer me this: When and where did I supposedly 'kill' the Prince of Jurai?" Mihoshi's mind churned again. "Forty years ago in ... the ... Jur -- " Mihoshi ground to a halt and her pistol wavered. " '...in the Jurai sector' is what you were about to say. Except that forty years ago I was nowhere near the Jurai sector." Mihoshi lowered her pistol. "No. You weren't." the detective agreed. "And how would you know that detective?" Both women turned to what remained of the bar, specifically the bar's doorway where Aeka now stood. The princess was smiling at both women and Ryouko started, realizing that Aeka had probably heard the entire exchange. Mihoshi's shock was no less. "Princess Aeka? But you're supposed to be dead." she stammered. "And I would have been, except that 'Miss Zero' here saved myself and my sister." Aeka said gesturing to Ryouko. Mihoshi looked at Ryouko who was holding a hand over her face. " 'Zero'?" she queried. Ryouko glanced at the detective then covered her face again. "Perhaps it might be better if we -- you, myself, and Miss 'Ryouko' -- adjourn to the bar and get re-aquainted." the princess said with a sweep of her arm towards the HQ. * Ryouko was nursing her third jug of sake as Aeka talked. The Queen of Pirates was feeling very foolish indeed. "How long did you know?" she asked after taking a pull from the jug. It was only the forth or fifth time that she'd asked that question since they'd walked back into the bar. "As I said before, Miss Ryouko: 'Ever since you rescued us.' " the princess admitted. Ryouko sighed and shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. Why would you go with someone who'd just recently ravaged your ship?" she groaned out. "One reason comes immediately to mind." the princess said. "I had Sasami's safety to consider. She was rapidly losing blood and there was no one else around to help." Ryouko conceded that point with a nod. "Also, revenge." Aeka whispered. "If you *had* been the one that had attacked us, I wanted to get very close to you so I could kill you with my own hands." Aeka growled out softly, looking down at her hands. "Finally, couriousity." Aeka sighed. "I thought it strange that the ship that had destroyed mine would come back on some mission of mercy. And that the captain of that ship would feign a chance meeting. I had to know what kind of monster could do that." Ryouko winced at the reference, the word dredging up a painful memory. She took another swig from the jug. "What changed your mind?" Mihoshi asked as she cleaned her pistol. Aeka was quiet for a long time. "Ryouko cared about what had happened to Sasami." she finally said. "I was surprised that the Queen of Pirates had a soft spot for children." "WHO'S GOT A SOFT SPOT?!?" Ryouko growled out slamming the jug onto the table. "Nnnnnnn. Ryouko-neesan?" said a sleepy voice. Ryouko started then looked down at the little girl curled peacefully in her lap, her head resting comfortably against the pirate's shoulder. "Ryouko-neesan, thank you for rescuing us." Sasami whispered out dreamily. Ryouko blushed. "Uh, yeah, sure. No problem kid." she stammered out gently patting Sasami's cheek. Mihoshi and Aeka chuckled at her expense. "Okay, okay. It wasn't that funny." Mihoshi slipped the final component into place and holstered her weapon. "So, what do we do now?" she asked glancing at each woman in turn. All were silent. "Well" Ryouko piped up, "that depends on whether you're still going to arrest me." Mihoshi frowned. "As to the charges of the murder of the Prince and Princesses of Jurai, as well as the crew of the two Jurai battleships destroyed, I must reserve judgement for this time. So, no, I'm not arresting you..." she explained. "Thanks Mihoshi." Ryouko sang out holding up two fingers in the classic "victory" sign. "You're a--" "Now." Mihoshi finished, stopping Ryouko short. "However, as to the several hundred other charges and complaints which are 'officially' on your record... Well, you will have to answer for those eventually." "Gee, thanks." Ryouko pouted, taking a long draw from her sake supply. "Let's just say that once my report reaches the Grand Marshal, you're file will once again be 'lost in the shuffle'." "How's the old coot, anyway." Ryouko asked. Mihoshi smiled. "Spry as ever and still annoyed with you for that incident forty years ago." the detective giggled. Aeka smiled. "That's the second time that date has come up: first in reference to your where abouts during the attack on Jurai and now with a reference to the Grand Marshal." she observed. "Is this something you'd like to share?" Mihoshi glanced at Ryouko who shrugged. "If you want to." the pirate's eyes told her as she took another pull from the jug. "Well, Ryouko's become something of a family project. My grandfather, the Grand Marshal of the Galaxy Police, first ran into her about half a century ago." Mihoshi began. "She was as famous a pirate then as now, and was on the top of the Galaxy Police's most wanted list. My grandfather was just a third-class then and he was breaking in a new partner when they happened upon a break- in at an asteroid mining facility." "Well, they went in and promptly fell into a trap. It was rather embarrassing, he admits, and his partner took a blast to the leg. Grandfather was lothe to leave anyone in a fire fight, but he was badly out- numbered. Well, the bad guys started in for the kill and someone started clapping." Mihoshi chuckled. " 'Everyone turned to the sound and wouldn't you know it but there was this attractive young woman with cyan hair sitting on a crate, smiling and clapping.' to quote my grandfather." "Let me guess, Ryouko made short work of the criminals and saved your grandfather." Aeka commented. Mihoshi nodded but chuckled. "Oh yeah. And she also made off with several million in goods and grandfather's cruiser." "Oh no!" Aeka laughed out. Mihoshi nodded. "She left him a working vehicle, so he could get his partner some medical attention. And she also dropped the cruiser off at police headquarters -- and managed to erase her criminal file. So, you could say that grandfather wants to 'catch' Ryouko, but he's not in too much of a hurry." Aeka, tears streaming down her face, turned to Ryouko. "Well, it seems that everything I'd heard about you was true." she commented. Ryouko shrugged, but a grin peaked out from her mouth. "So. I repeat: What now?" Mihoshi asked. "Now?" Ryouko echoed slamming her jug onto the table. "Now we set a trap for a fake pirate. And rip her head off." The jug shattered. * The Imperium Blossom was conducting its final run, its holds full of precious cargo bound for the Jurai homeworld. Due to the danger of an attack from the Queen of Pirates the ship was running under full silence, all of her energy emmisions cut down to bare minimum. Almost wraith-like she floated to her destination. Almost. The Ryou-ouki trailed behind the cargo ship, showing up as nothing but a ion-trail left by the cargo ship's passing. The pirate ship had slipped into the Imperium Blossom's wake several parsecs ago and now its passengers simply sat back and waited. "How long are we going to have to track it?" Aeka asked from her floating chair. Ryouko shrugged. "If she enters Jurai space, then we'll break off. But if it were me I'd hit her soon. Especially after that risky attack against your ship." The ensuing silence made both women uncomfortable. "Why do you do it?" Aeka suddenly blurted out. "Do what?" Ryouko asked as she watched the viewscreen. "Rob people. Pirate. I mean, with your abilities you could be such a boon to the police. Or even the military. You could help stamp out crime and lawlessness through out the sectors." Ryouko turned to the princess and cocked her head. "The military and police are too stuffy for me. Far too many rules and regulations. Too many people having a say in what I can and can't do." "But... Being a pirate seems to be so beneath you." Ryouko lifted an eyebrow. "How so?" Aeka blinked at the space pirate then turned to the viewscreen. "You have a noble heart Ryouko, even if you don't want to admit it. I have seen it in your face when you saw Sasami's wound. I've heard it in the story Detective Mihoshi told." The Jurai princess glanced at Ryouko out of the corner of her eye and locked eyes with the cyan haired woman. Ryouko turned her eyes toward the viewscreen. "Have you ever been a slave, princess?" the pirate asked. Aeka smiled. "I am a slave right now, Ryouko." "Come again?" Ryouko said with an incredulous tone. "You're a princess! Who controls you?" "The most obvious people would be my parents. But that's to be expected for now. The second group would be the people of Jurai." Aeka explained. "As you said: I'm a princess. Which means that I'm expected to behave in a certain way; to dress to a particular standard; to associate with a specific crowd. I'm expected to sacrifice my freedom of choice for my subjects' well being. If I'm to be a good ruler I must know politics, economics, diplomacy, and a myriad other subjects." Aeka smiled. "All of which means that I have very little time for making friends other than my sister. I'm either being tutored, meeting with so called important people, or sitting in council with my parents. It's all rather tiring, I must admit." Aeka looked down. "I envy your life, even if you are on the run. At least any choices you make are for you -- not anyone else." Ryouko started to respond when an alarm shrieked to life. The pirate started slightly then turned to the viewscreen. "What's up Ryou-ouki?" she asked. ~I have detected another ship entering our threat space.~ "What is it, Ryouko?" Aeka asked. "Ryou-ouki's spotted something." she explained. "Ryou-ouki! Bring up the threat map." With a short 'miya' a holographic sphere appeared in front of the viewscreen. In the center was a holographic image of Ryou-ouki. Leading the pirate ship was the holo-image of the Jurai transport and coming above and in front of the transport was a blurry image quickly closing on the transport. "That would be our 'space pirate'." Ryouko growled. Ryou-ouki 'miya'ed in agreement. "What now, Ryouko?" Aeka asked. "Now we get her!" Ryouko barked. "Mihoshi, launch!" "Roger that!" the blond detective responded. A sleek red star- fighter dropped from it's hiding place within the spires of the Ryou-ouki. Mihoshi took a second to study the vectoring infomation that Ryouko fed to her then kicked her cruiser to maximum thrust. "Imperium Blossum, this is Galaxy Police Detective First Class Mihoshi, authorization code: Omega-Zeta-one-three-one-one-seven! Clear this area now!" Mihoshi transmitted as her ship arced over the dorsal side of the Jurai transport. That was when she got her first glimpse of the pirate ship that had been masquerading as Ryouko. "Oh my god." she breathed as Yukinojou screamed towards the ship. * "What are we up against Ryou-ouki?!" Ryouko asked. "Diplay that ship's power rating." Numbers appeared over the still blurred image in the proximity display. When they finally slowed Ryouko gasped in surprise. "5000!?" she said. "Is that a problem Ryouko?" Aeka asked. "Ryou-ouki! Get me a visual on that ship!" Ryouko said as she leaned forward in her seat. The view screen oriented on the small speck out in space then zoomed in. With each magnification increase Ryouko stood up a little more until, once the ship was in full clear view, the space pirate was standing a clenching her hands in anger. "Damn it! It's her! I should have known it would be her!" she screamed as an exact replica of the Ryou-ouki streaked towards the Imperium Blossom and Yukinojou. "Who -- " Aeka began to ask when the viewscreen changed. Instead of the impending space battle the screen showed Ryouko's face. But only for a moment for, before their eyes, the face matured and the hair changed from a wild spiky cyan to a combed, spiky red pony-tail. Her gold eyes gave way to green ones, which looked down on Ryouko and Aeka in an odd mixture of sadness, joy, and trepidation. "My... Ryouko! You've finally come!" she said. Aeka turned to Ryouko, who was shaking visibly. "Ryouko, do you know this person?" Aeka asked. "Damn straight I do! I'd hoped never to see her face again!" Ryouko growled out making violent chopping motions with her hands. The woman frowned. "But -- who is she?" Aeka asked. "She's Washu, one of the greatest scientists in the universe! And, unfortunately, my mother!" Aeka stared in shock at the woman on the viewscreen as the Yukinojou came into firing range.