Okay, I will say it right out, this is an alternate universe story, so if you want to read the usual OVA or TV continuation, where the gang sets out to face a new evil and Tenchi gets closer to one of the girls during their new adventures, you are in the wrong place.

However, if you are willing to put up with a slightly more original story, featuring Tenchi as a Galaxy Police officer amongst some other minor adjustments, this might be just what you were looking for.

Fear not, I'm not violating the characters, only placing them in a different setting. If you still get the impression that someone acts out of character this might be because life changes people and as I said the history of some characters differs from what you know about the various Tenchi continuities.

In order to properly understand this story you don't need any knowledge about the OVA, Universe or others. However, there will be more and more hints and references as the story progresses.

Now for those who are interested in the history of this story. I'm writing this fic together with my sister Tamrin. Since we are both german, I fully translated the parts that my sister wrote for the first couple of chapters. However, as the story progressed, she became more confident and I only had to do a little editing here and there for her scenes.

That's that. Now all you need to do is skip the disclaimer and take a look at the story.

The characters in this story and the events of all the Tenchi Muyo shows are property of their original creators and all those affiliated with them. I have neither created them, nor do I own them. Any new characters as well as the events within this story are created by me and my sister, so they are our property. This story is written for fun and as an homage to the world of Tenchi.

Prolog

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining down brightly through the treetops of Jurai's huge forests. Like most of the year on the planet, it was quite warm, but not uncomfortably hot, and since it was a vacation day, Weather Control wouldn't allow even a single cloud in the sky, not to speak of any rain.

It would normally rain a lot on Jurai, as it was necessary in order to keep the ecological balance intact, but vacation days were very special to the Juraian people. On these days they wanted to enjoy themselves without having to worry about anything, especially the weather. Some would go shopping, or spend the day with their family, and some would simply relax. Almost nobody would stay at home or work unless they had no choice.

On such a special day even some members of the Royal Family of Jurai were allowed to put governmental issues aside for a time and move out into the woods to relax. The perfect day for an assassination.

Emperor Azusa and Empress Achika of Jurai sat in the middle of a clearing in the Royal Woods, an entire forest dedicated solely to the distraction of the Royal Family.

While Azusa felt rather uncomfortable kneeling on the small picnic blanket, Achika was enjoying herself immensely, and the baby in her arms seemed to like it's surroundings as well. The contented looks of his wife and son soothed the emperor a little and caused him to drop some of the tension he felt by doing something as disgraceful as having a picnic in the open.

In fact he didn't like the vacation days at all, and if it wasn't for the council he would have abolished them. It had taken Achika a long time to talk him into having this picnic with his family. Now he sat there, his face a frozen mask, and hadn't spoken a word since they arrived.

"Isn't it a wonderful day, dear?" said Achika, trying to start a conversation.

"Indeed it is," he answered, not dropping his mask.

The baby, feeling the tension between the two, began stirring uncomfortably in Achika's arms. It's smile slowly vanished and it started sobbing.

"See what you have done. You made little Yuro cry," the empress accused Azusa.

"But I... uhm... I didn't want to..." His expressionless mask had been replaced by the helpless look he always wore when it came to the baby.

Despite the crying child in her arms Achika couldn't suppress a chuckle from seeing the mighty emperor with his guard down like this.

"Ayeka dear, could you please come over here for a minute!" Achika called back over her shoulder.

"Of course mother, I'm on my way!" came the reply from the woods.

"Now do as we planned and everything will work out just fine," Yosho told the princess one last time. He was the eldest son of the family which was second to the throne of Jurai and although he was only twelve and about seven years older than Ayeka, he was already appointed as her future husband. "Once the little brat is out of the way, we are next in line to the throne again."

"I guess you are right. Nobody would suspect the caring sister to do anything to her little brother. It is indeed a perfect plan." She was having trouble suppressing a fit of high-pitched laughter that would probably have given them away.

Yosho just grinned at her evilly. "I think you should go. Your mommy called, maybe she needs your help with young Yuro."

"Yes, I think I will go give her a hand." She returned his smile and left.

"Ayeka, please don't walk off too far by yourself, it can be dangerous out there." Achika scolded the young princess for her late arrival.

"But we are on protected territory mother, nothing would ever happen here."

"Space pirates can show up anywhere nowadays and I don't want my favorite daughter to get hurt." Achika explained with patience.

"Yes mother, you are right. I won't do it again," Ayeka said, while she thought, 'You would do better to worry more about your precious Yuro.'

"May I ask why you summoned me here mother?" the princess inquired.

Achika took the now uncontrollably crying child carefully out of Azusa's hands and handed him to Ayeka. "Could you please take little Yuro for a walk. I think he will calm down when he's with you, and besides I need to talk with your father for a while. Just don't wander off too far."

With that she returned her attention to Azusa, who looked extremely uncomfortable.

Ayeka's heart jumped for joy. Never could she have imagined it to be this easy. She knew her mother had great trust in her, but she hadn't expected her to practically put Yuro's life in her hands. Though, she knew exactly what to do with it.

As Achika started talking to her husband, Ayeka walked off slowly, with the crying baby in her arms.

The water of the small river flowed peacefully in front of the little princess. Just like her mother had assumed, the child had stopped crying soon after they left and now it slept as peacefully as the river flowed. Even if Ayeka hated him with all her heart for the simple fact of his existence, young Yuro had always liked being with her.

She hadn't done a thing to cause such behavior, of course to her mother she had always been the perfect daughter, even though she hadn't even pretended to like her brother, let alone care for him. Nevertheless he still liked her. Ayeka wondered what kind of person he would have become. One thing was for sure, he would have been totally different from the current emperor.

If there was one person she hated more than the baby in her arms, it was the emperor. She even refused to call him father in her own thoughts. Azusa may have been one of the greatest leaders of Jurai, but he was awful as a father. He had never understood babies or children, and not even her caring mother Achika could make up for that. Ayeka was the result of his failed attempt at fatherhood. Nobody except for Yosho knew how clouded from hatred her mind had become. She would not hesitate even for a second if she ever got the opportunity to kill him.

Now Ayeka had found a good excuse for what she was about to do. The little boy in her arms would never have to experience the sorrow she had to go through. He would keep being the trustful and sincere little thing he was. He would never have to wake up from the pleasant dreams he was having at the moment, to enter the cruel nightmare of a life in the Royal Family, he would just continue to sleep, forever.

Ayeka looked around to see if anybody was watching and then, satisfied that there was nobody, lowered herself towards the river.

Suddenly the earth shook violently and there was a loud roar. An explosion, and it had occurred nearby.

Ayeka almost dropped the child, but then she straightened up again and looked in the direction the sound had come from. Smoke was raising up into the sky from somewhere near the Royal Palace.

'Certainly some kind of accident,' she thought to herself.

It was then that an alarm went off. It could be heard throughout the entire forest and there was only one explanation Ayeka could think off.

"Space pirates," she whispered, trying to suppress her fear.

Despite the danger of the situation, she knew she had to act fast, or everything would go to waste. In one smooth motion, she dropped the baby into the river and ran back towards the clearing where her parents waited for her.

Ayeka reached the clearing, panting heavily. She was greeted by a terribly worried Achika. Azusa had left earlier, to investigate what happened.

"My god, Ayeka, are you all right? You had me worried sick, I thought something had happened to you," Achika cried out, hugging her daughter.

"I'm fine mother, but..." Tears stood in Ayeka's eyes and her voice broke.

Achika let her go and took several steps back, her face a mask of horror.

"Where is Yuro?" she asked in a whisper.

"I... he..." Tears were streaming down Ayeka's face freely now. "He fell into the river." With that Ayeka broke down to her knees crying and Achika screamed.

Chapter notes:

Since I have babbled around enough in the beginning, I will keep it short here. Azusa, Achika, Ayeka and Yosho are in so far, but of course with the first chapter the actual main characters are going to be introduced.

If you liked the prolog, it would be great if you could leave me a review, so I will know if I did something right (or wrong of course).

I hope to see you in chapter one, so until then.

Thanks to Serathim and Geor-sama for helping me out.