The People's Prince

Chapter XII

It was one of those rare moments in history where seemingly unconnected events combined and built on one another until they demanded the attention of the galaxy's collective consciousness. What had started out as the mundane annual benevolence ball of the Galaxy Police Force, an event that for decades had been relegated to small blurbs from the news organizations and not even an asterisk on the social calendars of the galaxy's elite had become an unrivaled spectacle with the entrance of the First Princess of Jurai. Holo-screens in numerous systems hummed to life as news affiliate after news affiliate piggybacked off the lone feed available. The news waves were filled with the vision of a beautiful woman in regal purple, a face not seen live in hundreds of years. And this impromptu play had just a touch of political intrigue to spice up the mix. What could have possibly brought the reclusive First Princess Aeka Jurai Masaki to the Galaxy Police Ball of all places? But this was only the beginning of the night's intrigue. Princess Sasami was also in attendance, her hair no longer in the twin ponytails that signified adolescence in Jurai Royal culture. Usually such a changed signified a betrothal, was the same true here?

Queens Funaho and Misaki were glued to the visual monitors aboard their combined tree ships as they sped toward Galaxy Police Headquarters. Stratagems and plans long in the works to introduce Tenchi Masaki to the galaxy were being undone by this unforeseen occurrence. Queen Funaho did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

"How could I have not seen this happening?" Funaho lamented to her sister queen as she watched Aeka speaking to the dark haired reporter. She glanced over to a monitor showing the estimated time until they reached the station. It would be another half standard hour.

Misaki was taking things much more sedately than the woman next to her. "Well, my guess is you figured Tenchi would never have agreed to such an event."

Funaho nodded, she still could not believe he had agreed to go. Of course, once he had agreed, it would have been easy for anyone to predict the events that would have followed. "How did Mihoshi convince him?" She wondered aloud.

"Maybe she seduced him."

Both women turned to each other and laughed out loud. Not that they thought Mihoshi was unappealing, it was more a testament to Tenchi being a human rock when it came to sexuality. The moment of levity passed, Funaho took stock of the current situation. "Whatever measures she used, it is too late for him to return to his seclusion on Earth. No matter his own wishes there will be elements that would be more than inclined to follow him there to further their own ends. It will be a small matter to convince him that his next course of action should be to return with us to Jurai," Funaho said finding the silver lining in this unplanned event.

"Which will bring the others under our fold by default," Misaki agreed, thinking more of Mayuka than anyone else at the moment, before a thought came to her. "How will we handle the Ryoko problem? She isn't exactly welcomed on Jurai and I do not see Tenchi and especially Washu willingly staying for long without her."

Funaho nodded at the existence of the problem. "I would go even further and say that Aeka and Sasami would not look favorably on her seclusion despite outward appearances suggesting otherwise. Still, I think it is a manageable problem. Ryoko's total focus is Tenchi right now, so it is not like she is running around the galaxy causing problems that we would need to make excuses for." She stood and began to pace back and forth. They were still fifteen standard minutes from the Galaxy Police Headquarters, but they were within sensor range. "I think once we get her on Jurai, keeping her profile low will be simpler and we have Minagi for added cover." Though she didn't want to even begin to speculate how Ryoko or Washu would see the issue of Minagi. Given Funaho's previous conversation with Washu, she didn't believe the erstwhile mad scientist was bound to take it well. Taken with Funaho's own opinion on Minagi being an ersatz solution to their problem, things were still not in the best of shape.

Before either of the two queens could further the discussion, Funaho received new information from her tree ship. Soon looks of concerned marred their features as the newsfeed they were watching was abruptly cut.

"Lord Seiryo?" The King of Airi asked of the holo-projection of the Juraian High Priest. "What makes him any different than the other infidels who have set their throne upon the neck of Tsunami?"

It was a rare occurrence for the two devout disciples of Tsunami to speak directly to each other despite their congruent goals, but Priest Bodan felt that the environment could be right for closer ties between the two powers with some cultivating. "He has always had close ties to the Church and is a strong contributor to our rectories." Seeing that his words were having little effect on the king, he continued. "And with my support, he has a strong chance of becoming the next emperor of Jurai."

"Emperor?" the King of Airi parroted with a note of confusion. Though he was not altogether on speaking terms with his daughter, he was well aware of her situation. Or at least he felt that he was. He still had his hopes of her being their key to Jurai's throne. "What of Prince Yosho? Has the House of Masaki lost that much favor with the Council?" Not that it altogether mattered. In the end, the path to the throne of Jurai was not a popularity contest. The title of Emperor went to whoever was strongest, which inevitably came down to the lineage of their tree ship. Only if there were some doubt in that regard did the Council come in to play. This is why the king could not stand Jurai and its hypocrisy. To not worship Tsunami as divine and yet it was through her blood that their very empire lived by.

"Yosho continues to show no interest in his people or their governance. This truth is finally becoming a concern to the Council. It will soon ask the House of Masaki to present their proposed heir by the upcoming festival. When he does not show, it will fall on the Council to proceed from there."

King Airi nodded. He agreed that his daughter's husband had no intention of returning to Jurai. Yosho, to his knowledge, rarely even left earth to spend time with Airi. This could be a way to hedge his bets. Still, there were other issues. "What of the two princesses? Even without Yosho, Princess Aeka would still be in contention, would she not? Though her space tree may be of the second generation, it has proven itself more in group with the few first generation trees left. Also is not Sasami nearing the age when she will go through the choosing ceremony? It is my understanding that both Princess Aeka and Princess Sasami have strong support among the people."

"True, which is one of the reasons Lord Seiryo continues to pursue Princess Aeka's hand. Though she has been somewhat negative to his overtures, once it becomes clear to her and the rest of the House of Masaki that this is their only hope of maintaining even a modicum of attachment to the throne, they will agree. After all, Ryu Oh is likely forever grounded. As for Sasami, there is the chance she could be selected by one of the few first trees left, but the odds of that are minuscule. Such a thing has not happened in generations." The two continued to discuss how best to bring Jurai deeper into the fold when King Airi noted a servant entering his quarters. "What is it?" Bodan asked in curiosity, as the servant handed the king a note.

King Airi took a deep breath before returning his gaze to the Juraian priest. "It would appear that you Juraians are up to something." With that said, the king cutoff the transmission, leaving a confused Bodan on the other end. Then the king next activated a view screen that showed the growing situation outside the Galaxy Police Headquarters and the supposedly grounded Ryu Oh and Funaho.

What to do?

"How many times must I say the same thing?" the younger woman asked in exasperation. "This is not going to happen. You are no longer a part of my life."

"But why?" her mother asked plaintively. "I am not asking you or any of your children to convert or influence you at all. I just want to meet my granddaughter. When you are a grandmother you will understand." A sheepish look graced Airi's face for a moment, which was not missed by her mother. "What aren't you telling me?" the Queen asked.

Despite having had control of the conversation up to this point, Airi could no longer meet her mother's gaze. "Well, to be perfectly honest I have both a granddaughter and a grandson," a dark look crossed her face. "But if either of them calls me grandmother" she left the rest of the threat unspoken as she shook her fist at an imaginary person. Remembering to whom she had been speaking to, Airi turned her attention back to the video screen and her mother. The emotion she saw on her mother's face nearly broke the policewoman's resolve.

"What?" the Queen exclaimed. "But I didn't even know Minaho was married." A scandalous look crossed the Queen's face. "Don't tell me she had them outside of wedlock?" She studied her daughter's reaction to her question while internalizing her own confused thoughts. 'Surely, our intelligence network would have learned of Minaho's pregnancy. How can I now just be learning of this?'

A guilty look again came to Airi's face and for the first time in as long as she could remember she saw things from her mother's perspective. When Airi was younger she had felt stifled by her parents and the religion that surrounded everything and everyone around the royal family. She had never been the ardent believer the rest of her family were and had left for the Academy as soon as she was able. It was there, as fate would have it, that she met and fell in love with the Prince of Jurai, Yosho Jurai Masaki. The people of Airi would see the relationship as the darkest of betrayals, as her derision of their beliefs were no secret. Her father, the King, would no doubt think the opposite. This would finally be their chance to interject themselves into the Juraian ruling structure at the highest levels. With her married to the Juraian Crowned Prince, the rulers of Airi would be closer to their goal of freeing Tsunami than they had ever been. Airi had no intention of being her father's pawn. If it had not been for Seto, who knows what would have become of her and Yosho's relationship. And her mother, she could still picture her standing beside her father and not saying a word on her daughter's behalf.

At the time and a long time afterward she had been too angry, too hurt to take note of the sadness in her mother's eyes. But now, thinking of her own children, child it is easy for her to say that she would support them no matter what, but would she really? Had she really? Thinking of the situation with Ryoko and Aeka back on EarthWasn't Yosho manipulating his grandson's life even now? Whether or not it would prove to benefit Tenchi in the end; how was it any different than what her parents had attempted to do? What if Tenchi became tired of all the intrigue, calculations and exploitation? What if she became estranged with Tenchi just as she was with her parents? It wasn't like she could fall back on Aeka or Ryoko to speak on her behalf. No doubt they would not approve of her meddling either. Washu might understand, and she would still have Mihoshi's good graces, but would they side with her against Tenchi? Of course not. What if Tenchi prevented her from seeing any of his children? She would never get to see Aeka's child? Or maybe he would choose Mihoshi? Or Ryoko's child? By all that was righteous, Sasami's child could be the cutest baby in existence! Coming to a decision that she hoped would somewhat redeem her own actions in her mind, she returned her attention to her mother with far more compassion then when the conversation started. Letting out a sigh, she smiled before speaking. "I'm afraid there are a number of things I haven't told you about."

On the surface, the situation seemed to be under control, but no one outside the station knew how quickly things were about to spiral into chaos.

"What is the status of the evacuation?" the Galaxy Army Commander asked as she watched the transport ships begin to take up formation.

Taking quick note of several indicators on varying screens, the technician answered. "Including known casualties, ninety-five percent of station personnel are accounted for."

"Who are missing?"

"Twenty members of the engineering crew are still trying to stabilize the core. There is a skeleton crew of five in the command center and twenty-five members of the security force are still on board."

"Good, what of the dignitaries?" she asked looking at a particular screen on the overhead.

"All guests have been evacuated and accounted for except for one, the guest of Detective First Class Mihoshi Kiramitsu. There are also two reporters missing, a Graham and a Sewolles. "

There was a collective sigh on the bridge. Leave it to Mihoshi to lose track of her own date in an emergency. Was it any wonder why she lost so many partners?

"Radio Major Gemlin."

Her order was immediately executed. "This is Gemlin."

"Major, this is Inis; we have a problem we need you to look into. We need you to get accountability on one of the dignitaries."

"What are his name, description and location so I can get a PID?"

"No description, but according to the guest register, he is the guest of Detective First Class Mihoshi Kiramitsu."

"Mihoshi?" There was a note of disapproval in his voice. LtCol Inis mistook it for the contempt many had for the blonde officer. "She was standing next to me a moment ago. She has her control cube. I'll see if I can raise her on comms."

"Yes?" came Mihoshi's subdued voice over the net.

"Command wants to know the location and condition of your escort. He is currently unaccounted for."

Worry graced Mihoshi's beautiful features for a moment, but it was soon eclipsed by a smile. "He is the last person you should concern yourself about." With that Mihoshi disappeared off the net.

Gemlin grimaced; he still had hopes of asking Mihoshi out and didn't like what he just heard. "Did you catch that, Command?"

"We did, but it doesn't answer the question." She turned to address the bridge crew. "In any case, move the fleet to a safe distance from the station in case the core goes critical."

In moments her command was distributed to the fleet, who quickly implemented the order. It soon became apparent that there were several ships that had yet to comply. Two ships were obviously Juraian. The third was simply infamous.

"What ships are those flanking the Ryo Ohki?"

"The Ryu Oh and the Funaho."

Everyone looked at each other. Given the extensive search for the missing crown prince and princess, there was not a person in the command center that did not know the owners of those two ships.

"Was Prince Yosho at the ball?" Not everyone in the Galaxy Police knew of the happenings on Earth and even fewer in the Galaxy Army.

"Hail them."

"Actually, Ma'am, the Ryu Oh is hailing us. Princess Aeka is demanding to speak with the commander of the fleet."

Inis hid a groan. "Get the PAO and our Juraian liaison officer up here as soon as possible." She was not about to plunge into this situation without her most knowledgeable aides on Jurai politics at her side.

"Right away, Ma'am."

Knowing that keeping the Princess waiting would only darken her mood; Lieutenant Colonel Inis nodded to her communications tech. Princess Aeka's lovely visage appeared on the overhead screen. She was flanked by the younger princess, Sasami. Both wore expressions of barely concealed worry and anger. "Your Highness," Inis began, hoping to end the conversation quickly so that she could bring all her attention to bear on the situation at hand. "I understand you want to know what the situation is on the station, but with respects, at this time"

"With all respects to you, Commander, you know nothing. I demand you"

"Aeka," Washu interrupted, a view screen with her and an irritated Ryoko appeared next to the one containing the Princess. "Let them do whatever it is their doing."

"Butwhat of Lord Tenchi?" Aeka asked.

"He's okay," came Mihoshi's voice, as a view screen of her aboard Funaho appeared. "I think"

"We just left him there!" Ryoko interjected forcefully.

"Left him? Where? Why? Mihoshi, how could you?"

"Have some faith. In any case, this is not a conversation we should be having out in the open like this," Washu advised and all their monitors went black.

"What just happened?" Seers asked.

"They have just jumped to a secure channel."

The ship's captain slammed a fist down onto a console. "Damn it, if they know what's happening on that station they need to tell us." She looked meaningfully at the task force commander.

Inis nodded grimly. Having received the necessary permission, Captain Seers made her way over to the communications console. "Do it," she ordered. The tech nodded. It was a highly classified fact that the Galaxy Army had been able to gain the necessary technology to eavesdrop on secure Juraian communications.

Unfortunately for the Galaxy Army, they were not up against Juraian technology. "Ma'am, I can't even recognize the parameters of their protocols, much less come up with a way to break in. I've never seen anything like this."

"Washu." Just then the Juraian Liaison Officer and the Public Affairs Officer entered the bridge. "Good, Sorin"

"Ma'am."

"I need you to convince these Juraians to share all information they have on what is going on in that station. If they know what is causing the instability, they need to tell us."

A look of confusion momentarily came to the officer's face. "Yes, Ma'am, I cannot think of a reason they would not share that kind of information. Our current level of cooperation is high."

"Sorin, what do you make of the reappearance of the Ryu Oh and Funaho after such a long absence."

"I can't really say. After the initial search was called off by the House of Jurai, they claimed that both ships were no longer lost and no further information was put out. Our analyst believed that the House of Masaki was simply hiding the loss of the missing ships from the other noble houses as not to lose standing, however, given the press conference and now this, our view was obviously wrong."

In moments, Lord Remus's visage appeared and next to him was the Galaxy Marshal as they stood in the station's control center. "How can I be of service?"

"Lord Remus," Sorin began, "We would like to pool our information so we can get a complete picture of what is happening on the station."

"A reasonable course of action, no doubt you need me to facilitate things on our end," Remus nodded in understanding.

"Yes, Lord Remus. Specifically, if you could help us in regards to the Funaho and Ryu Oh. We believe that Princess Aeka and others who attended the ball may have the pieces of the puzzle that we are missing."

Not even someone as trained as Lord Remus could keep the unease completely from his expression. "Yes, a moment. I will get the Juraians present at the ball up on communications."

Soon Nephrus, Sakuya and Professor Yakage joined the conversation; however it quickly became apparent that none of them knew any more than the Galaxy Army. They did learn the name of Mihoshi's escort, the generally unknown Prince Tenchi Masaki. Several additional attempts were made to contact the Funaho, Ryu Oh and or Ryo Ohki, but they were all met with silence.

"Ma'am, while I haven't been able to break the encryption on Washu's signal, there is an unencrypted broadcast emanating from the same general area of the station as the energy anomaly."

"Put it up."

At first, the technician believed there was something wrong with the calibrations, as at first glance the screen appeared as a white digitized mess. After a moment, two silhouettes became visible in the picture. "What are we looking at?" Captain Seers asked. It looked like two shadowy figures touching foreheads.

"The feed is coming from a remote autonomous camera," the communications tech explained. "The broadcast id is for a Juraian news propagator called 'The Enquirer'. Reporter is Susan Graham."

"One of the two missing reporters," Captain Seers recalled. "Perhaps this is her and her colleague? How close are they to the anomaly?" After a moment a third shadow with long hair seemed to float past the camera. "All three of the missing?"

The technician double checked the readings before reporting the results. "According to the positioning system on the camera, they are right on top of the source."

"What? How? Are they even still alive?"

Before anyone could respond, more alarms began to blare on the bridge. The intermittent camera feed was replaced on the main monitor with an exterior view of the station. Even to the naked eye, the station was shaking badly. With all eyes glued to the station, no one paid much attention to the emergency transport beams that suddenly appeared on the bridge.

Gemlin picked himself off the floor. He had ordered his team to immediately leave the station when it became impossible to even stand with the station's constant shaking. They were joined shortly by the remaining crew of the station. "Commander," a lieutenant began in order to get her attention. "The station is beginning to break apart."

"Ensure that we have come far enough away from the station to prevent damage," Inis said in a detached voice. With the engineering crew unable to regain control, this tragedy was hardly unexpected. "Reconfirm all personnel, save this Tenchi and the two reporters, are off the station." The Marshall grimaced, but there was little he could do at this point.

Receiving confirmation that everyone but three were safely off the station, the bridge crew of the Timeron rose to attention as the station that was the headquarters for the Galaxy Police slowly began to disintegrate. Inis hoped that the loss of Tenchi Masaki would not lead to too much of a diplomatic row with the Juraians. 'If they had shared what they knew, we might have been able to come up with something,' she thought looking at the Funaho, Ryu Oh and Ryo Ohki, all three of which had yet to move away from the decaying station. Inis could only assume the Juraian ships would use their Lighthawk wings to protect themselves and the Ryo Ohki from the explosion of the energy core.

"Ma'am, the core has gone completely unstable and will detonate at any moment."

And as if those words were the trigger, a plume of gas erupted from the station near the engineering section. Time seemed to slow as the plume ignited and the section exploded outwards and then time literally froze.

"What?" Seers spoke in wonder, staring at the frozen explosion on the view screen.

"How is that possible?" Inis questioned.

The technician manning the sensor array looked at the readings and began shaking his head. "I don't know. Sensors can no longer read that area of space." It might as well have been magic he wanted to say.

'Washu?' everyone thought perplexed.

'Surely, the Juraians have no such technology.'

If the explosion seemingly freezing in place on their view screens caused them to stare in wonder, it appearing to go backwards caused them to doubt all that they knew. More than one person dropped to their knees as time reversed in the area of the station. The explosion seemed to consume itself, until it was no more. Even the fractured station began to put itself back together.

"It appears to be a localized time distortion of some kind."

"That is not possible."

"Never the less, we are witnessing one."

As mysteriously as it began, it ended, with the doomed station whole once more.

"Readings?"

"The core has stabilized. The station's structural integrity is well within parameters. No life signs aboard the station. Autonomous systems are up and running."

"Have an engineering team check the station to make sure it is safe to reoccupy," Seers ordered. "Gemlin, send some of your men with them for security. Were the three missing killed when the station broke apart? Check for organic"

Her question ceased when a fourth ship shimmered into existence behind the Ryu-Oh and others. "Is that what I think it is?"

"The Tsunami," the liaison breathed. There were Jurian kings and royals who could not claim to have seen the Tsunami in the "flesh".

Looking at the four, comparatively speaking, small ships, one could forgive the uninitiated in not understanding the awe and nervousness that suddenly seemed to infect the veteran crew of the Galaxy Army capital ship. They would not be able to grasp the magnitude of the firepower and rarity gathered before them. More than a few did not understand the heated conversations and consternations that Galaxy Council went through concerning events on an insignificant world such as 0315. But now they could see before their own eyes, an arguably unequal military force beholden to Jurai or perhaps even more frightening, beholden to no one. Putting that together with the time displacement technology made for a scary thought. The commander let out a derisive laugh. The experimental Galaxy Police Cruiser, Yukinojo, was not even out there. Or perhaps she spoke too soon, as two more subspace portals began to open.

"What ships are those?" Inis asked. One was obviously Juraian, the other had some Juraian inspiration in its design but its crystalline aspects were reminiscent of the Ryo-Ohki. "What in the Ten Worlds is happening on Planet 0315?"

"Commander."

Seers turned to the speaker. "Have you identified the ships?"

"No, Ma'am. We are being hailed by Queen Funaho."

Inis's face could not express any more shock. "What have we come into the middle of?" She turned to the Juraian liaison and her public affairs officer, but they appeared as lost as she. She then turned to the view screen which still held the Juriains who had attended the ball.

Nephrus and Sakuya looked intrigued, but could offer little further insight as to why the twin tree ships of the Queens of Jurai had made the journey out to this insignificant ball.

Though just as curious as the others, Remus was better at concealing his surprise. "Is it really so strange?" Remus asked. "You're here after all."

Tenchi took a moment to regain his bearings and assimilate all the information that had just gotten thrust into his head. He immediately recalled that he had had an ill woman in his arms when he had run into Megami. He looked around before his eyes shifted to the still Susan at his feet.

'I have to get her some help.'

'Why don't you heal her?' a voice asked in his head.

From his experience aboard the station, Tenchi knew exactly who it was. "Me? She has some kind of incurable poison," Tenchi said aloud, recalling the words of the medic who had examined Susan. "I wouldn't know the first thing to do," Tenchi insisted in a voice near panic.

His tone confused Megami who did not know how to respond. In fact, she did not understand why Tenchi cared in the first place whether the woman lived or died. But since it was clear to her that he did, then so did she.

Tenchi recalled that he had been trying to get her back to her tree ship. 'Maybe Funaho would know how to contact her ship, the Chuukuo.'

Megami mentally frowned at the mention of her master's tree ship. Eager to prove that he no longer needed Yosho's hand-me-down ship, Megami put out a general hail for the Chuukuo. In her inexperience and haste, she got the attention of more than just the Chuukuo.

"Tenchi!" came the shouts from multiple communication screens that came into existence in a semicircle around him. Tenchi jerked back initially in surprise, but then smiled at their familiar faces and looks of concern. He couldn't help but to think back to his time at the ball and how false it all seemed to him. As eccentric and disquieting his family could be, no one could disparage their genuine feelings for him and each other.

"I'm glad that everyone is okay," he began, his smile causing most of the group to blush. He then noticed two who he hadn't expected to see. "Sasami? Washu? I didn't know you two had come."

Washu laughed aloud and folded her arms across her prepubescent chest. "Like we were going to miss your coming out party." And adding to herself, 'In more ways than one.' She added time manipulation next to material conversion in her mental dossier of the young man who had come to represent far more to her than just the culmination of the Chousin's search. "Where are you? You're not on the station."

"Yes, Lord Tenchi," Aeka jumped in. "Please tell us where you are." Her concern was more than evident on her face. "I have been so worried after hearing how you were abandoned" Her words were immediately challenged.

"Tenchi, it wasn't" Mihoshi interjected.

"Washu forced me!" Ryoko fumed pointing at the diminutive scientist who was just shaking her head at the childish display.

"Girls, please," Tenchi said earnestly and the group quieted. "I'll explain everything later, but right now" he indicated the ill Susan. "I need to get this woman to her ship, the Chuukuo."

"I am here."

Two more subspace portals opened and two more ships joined the increasingly intimidating fleet facing the Galaxy Army. Out of one portal, Tenchi's newly gifted Megami phased into existence. Though answering partially the question of where he was, it birthed several other questions.

Out of the second portal, appeared the 1st generation tree ship Chuukuo, which pulled next to the Megami. Tenchi wasted no time in transferring over to the Chuukuo with the unmoving Susan. He was quickly joined by the rest of his housemates.

Outside the reunion aboard the Chuukuo, others were still trying to digest the rare uninhibited glimpse into the Masaki household provided by Megami's open communication's channel. On the Timeron, Inis was just beginning her formal greeting to the Queens of Jurai when Tenchi's hail was initiated and quickly answered. Inis was not surprised in the least when the Juraian queens dropped out of comms.

'If they were able to pick up the time distortion, they're likely to do everything in their power to acquire the technology from Washu,' Inis surmised with dread. Though they were allies, Jurai already had a significant military advantage. Galaxy Intelligence was all too aware of Jurai's desire to obtain the Ryo Ohki technology. 'Is that what that other ship is? Have they finally been able to build a hybrid? If Jurai is able to obtain the time distortion technology as well' Inis did not like the ramifications of that at all. The Juraians were difficult to work with under the current status quo. "Send a priority burst message to Command with the video and sensor logs of the time distortion developed by Professor Washu. Tell them we are attempting to ascertain if any outside parties, specifically the Juraians have been given access. Also will attempt to approach Professor Washu about technology."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Captain Seers frowned at Inis, not liking the situation they found themselves in at all. "We need to detain Ryoko for her assault on the station and killing of a number of the boarding force. I doubt Washu will be in much of a mood to talk to us after that."

"Plus, there is the 'small' matter of who destroyed the guard fleet and why the Station's energy core became unstable in the first place," added the Galaxy Marshall. "Not to mention, Officer Swytes' murder."

Inis wanted to put her head in her hands and curse the fates, but knew not to do so in front of the crew. Truth be told, in her opinion, making sure the Jurains were not availed of the time technology was more important than everything else that occurred at the station. If that meant letting Ryoko go to appease Washu that was a small price to pay. The problem was that the friends and colleagues of those who were lost were not likely to see the bigger picture. "Contact Detective Mihoshi, have her detain Ryoko. Explain to her what the charges are and that for now, we want to question her only."

The Galaxy Marshall frowned at this. There was ample evidence to conclude that Mihoshi's memory device was failing. There was no telling what would happen to her if it failed altogether. But what the Kuramitsu were forced to do to their own was not something they were willing to share with the rest of the Galaxy Police.

"Mother! Aunt Funaho, what are you two doing here?" Aeka blurted out at the screen that materialized in front of her, before realizing how rude that had sounded. Placing a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, she bowed and greeted her family properly.

"Hello, Aeka, Sasami," Funaho returned the greeting as Sasami joined her sister's side. "I realize that our appearance is sudden. We were visiting Earth when we learned that everyone had decided to attend a Galaxy Police function." Funaho's eyes narrowed. "I had no idea that everyone was so amicable to these types of events or I would have sent invitations to all of the royal balls on Jurai."

Aeka and Sasami laughed nervously. "Yes, well you see. It just kind of popped up and" Aeka tried to explain.

Funaho continued as if Aeka had not spoken. "Tenchi's father informed us on how you instructed Tenchi in the dance."

"Ah he knew about that?" Aeka asked, wondering what else Noboyuki had observed.

Funaho nodded and next to her, Misaki excitedly produced a picture of Tenchi and Aeka dancing. "So?" Misaki began.

Aeka double blinked, not sure to what her mother was alluding to.

"How was he?"

"Ah?"

"At dancing," Misaki clarified, enjoying the chance to finally tease her eldest daughter about her love life. When she was infatuated with Yosho, the subject had been taboo for a variety of reasons.

Unable to meet her mother's or aunt's gazes, Aeka turned away and unconsciously touched the corner of her mouth, glad that both Tenchi and Ryoko were engrossed in other matters. "It was very nice. I mean, Lord Tenchi dances well. His mother taught him as a child."

Funaho's eyes widened at that revelation, but Misaki was far more interested in her eldest child's progress in getting close to Tenchi. From Aeka's expression, more than just a dance took place between them. She was going to ask what it was when a shout from Mihoshi interrupted them.

"Detain Ryoko?" Mihoshi exclaimed. "Why?"

Notes: Long time no chapter, well my life has settled down finally. I will likely have more opportunities to write now. Chapter has not been fully edited.

Next Chapter: The Prince of Airi