DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi
Muyo, Tenchi TV, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do
not sue me.
__________
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi TV such as Nagi,
the Yagami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo by introducing Yugi,
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the
series as much as I enjoyed working on it. The Indian names (Owaso and Oscoda)
that appear later in this chapter are taken from names of Counties in Michigan
which were taken from real Indian tribes that once lived in this state. Some of
them still do. I myself am 1/3 Cherokee Indian from my father's side. My great
grandmother was Cherokee.
__________
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA

Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey

Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney
__________
Previously...

Tenchi and the gang braved the forces of another interdimensional
accident and survived an encounter with creatures created by Washu and Tsunami's
evil sister Lady Tokimi. The journey through the region of space called the
Dead Zone has taken them six months. What has happened in that time, and what
will Tenchi and the gang face next.
__________
Chapter Eight: Prelude to Apocalypse...

Prologue

The palace stopped shaking after several minutes and Misaki picked herself
and Emperor Asuza off the floor of their private quarters. They both ran out of
the room and headed for the balcony to see what happened. They were treated to
a sight of the palace force field holding back a massive, billowing wall of
smoke and fire. A massive mushroom cloud now obscured their sight of the
capital city that had been visible from this vantage point. The roar of the
titanic explosion could still be heard far below. In the back of their minds
the two could feel Fonaho was alive and well but very confused and frightened.

[Beloved, are you alright.] Asuza asked Fonaho through their link.

[Thank Tsunami your alright, I could feel the two of you were safe, but
I wasn't certain.] Fonaho replied.

[Who had done this terrible act, who is responsible?] Misaki asked.

[We're not certain, we are trying to get secondary sensors and
communications online.] Fonaho told them. [Before the blast we received a
transmission from the Aeka on the Ryu-Ohki.]
Misaki and Asuza's hearts both leaped with joy. [She is safe, thank
Tsunami.] Asuza said.

[Aeka, Sasami, Ryoko, Yosho, Tenchi, and Galaxy Police Detective Mihoshi
are onboard.] she replied.

[When will they arrive?] Misaki asked eager to see her daughters and half-
son again, but she was also eager to meet her great grand son also.

[From their last known position I would say about fifteen minutes, but
there is something else going on.] Fonaho told them. [Renegades in Juraian
ships attacked them, but an ally of theirs arrived and disabled them.]

[These heretic traitors tried to kill my daughters and my heir!] Asuza
almost shouted.

[We are not sure what is going on up there right now, we have no
communications right now and minimal sensors.] Fonaho said. [We'll know more
when the secondary systems are online and initialized.]

[That should not take very long.] Misaki said.

[Wait, we just got a call from the palace hanger bay, the Ryu-Ohki just
landed and their ally is right behind them.] Fonaho told them.

{We'll go to meet them right away, I am glad that you were not hurt,
sister.] Misaki said.

[As I am glad you are safe, sister.] Fonaho replied and then her end of
the link was closed off.

Duncan Kirasawa opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Bright
lights above his head pierced his eyes like daggers and he shut them quickly.
He tried to move, to sit up, and to do anything but he could feel straps holding
him down. It was then that he heard a soft voice close to his ear speak.

"Relax, we are taking you to our medical facility." Said the familiar
voice of captain of the Elite Forces.

"What happened?" Duncan asked him in a gravelly voice.

"A thermonuclear device was set off in the city." Captain Ginaro said.
"We were luckily far enough away to avoid the worse of the blast."

"You've been badly burned on half of your body, so we had to give you a
large dosage of pain killer." Another voice said.

"Who are you?" Duncan asked.

"Lt. Brenn, Medical Officer of the Royal Elite Forces." The man said.

Duncan looked up at the Captain Ginaro and saw the worried and haggard
look on the man's face.

"What about the city?" he asked the captain.

"A majority of the city is in ruins." Captain Ginaro told him, his voice
filled with sadness. "Emergency crews are trying to find survivors now."

"Does Chairman Zarlova know about my injuries?" Duncan asked.

Captain Ginaro looked him in the eye and said, "After today I don't trust
him any further."

"Huh?" Duncan said, and it was all he could say.

"Only myself, the Emperor and Chairman Zarlova knew of the location we
were going to this morning." The captain said. "I am not a traitor to my
people, I also doubt that the Emperor would have dealings with these
contemptible louts, thus I can only think of one probable suspect for the leak."

"Dear Tsunami, not Zarlova." Duncan sighed. "I trained under him when I
was a new recruit in the Secret Police."

"People change, and greed is a powerful enemy." Captain Ginaro told him.
"They probably offered him a great deal for his cooperation."

"How can we prove it?" Duncan asked after a raspy cough.

Captain Ginaro put his hand on Duncan's shoulder and told him, "For now
worry about getting back on your feet, let me worry about Zarlova." The embers
of an inner rage were glowing behind Ginaro's blue eyes, but it was a rage held
in check by a clever and calculating mind.

"Thank you." Duncan replied.

"We'll keep you in our private hospital, the Chairman had no influence
there and he will never learn that you're there." Lt. Brenn said. "Not even the
Emperor will know your there."

"There is something else, the Princesses have returned along with the hair
to the throne and a few others." Captain Ginaro said.

"What is going on?" Duncan asked.

"I very much fear this insurrection in the Empire may be more than it
seems." Captain Ginaro replied.

The reunion of the Royal Family of Jurai was an event that should have
filled with joyous celebration, but it was a somber event filled with tears and
murmuring of dangers to come. Misaki ran towards her daughters and grabbed him
each in a savage hug that would have killed any lesser beings. It took her a
few minutes to suddenly realize that her youngest daughter was very different.

"S-S-Sasami?" Misaki said in shock when he looked her now teenaged
daughter from head to toe.

"Its me Mommy." Sasami said, her voice still as sweet and soft as when she
was a preteen.

"But-how?" Misaki asked.

"It's a long story that you and father deserve to here, but not right
now." Sasami told her.

"Perhaps when we have a chance to be alone." Misaki suggested.

Emperor Asuza walked through the throng of the people who came to greet
the Princesses and approached Tenchi. His face was a grim mask, and his eyes
were filled with anger. He walked up to Tenchi and looked the young man in the
eyes. Tenchi for a moment thought the Emperor was going to strike him. He knew
Asuza did not care for him, but he was not sure what the Emperor was thinking at
the moment. Tenchi froze and stiffened when Asuza wrapped his big arms around
him and pull him into an embrace. A broad smile crisscrossed the Emperor's
gruff face and he said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing my little
girls back to me."

"No-problem." Tenchi said trying to breathe.

When Asuza saw that Tenchi's face was starting to turn a light shade of
blue to released the young Prince. Then, the Emperor did something that no one
in the court had ever seen him to for anyone. The Emperor of Jurai kneeled down
before Tenchi Masaki, looked down at the floor and said, "I beg for your
forgiveness at my distrust and hatred of you, Lord Tenchi."
Tenchi was in shock, as was Aeka and Ryoko. They had expected Asuza to be
infuriated with Tenchi, but that was not the case at all.

"What do I have to forgive, you've never done anything to me that needed
forgiving." Tenchi said.

"I was angry with you, and I was conspiring against you." Emperor Asuza
told him.

"If I had a daughter and she was with a total stranger millions of miles
away in space I'd feel the same way too." Tenchi told him.
Asuza rose, took Tenchi hand, and shook it vigorously. "This lift a very
heavy weight from my heart, Lord Tenchi." The Emperor said.

[Tenchi, he's calling you Lord Tenchi." Ryoko said over their links after
suddenly realizing the address the Emperor was using.

"You called me Lord Tenchi." Tenchi said.

"Yes, you are my great grandson, you are a Prince of Jurai, and you are my
heir." Emperor Asuza told him.

Aeka almost fainted in shock, her father had acknowledged Tenchi as his
hair to the throne, and in sight of everyone in the court. He publicly
announced his intended replacement as Emperor and that person was her Tenchi.
Ryoko had a slightly different attitude towards it, she had great apprehension
over this, and Tenchi sensed it via their link.

"Ryoko, Aeka, and I are married." Tenchi said. He expected this to
surprise the Emperor, but instead he saw happiness in Asuza's eyes.

"I know, we learned of this through Detective Mihoshi's report of what
took place on Earth." Asuza said. "I am happy for you, and I want Lady Ryoko to
know that she has nothing to fear because of her past for she is a member of
Royal Family of Jurai."
Tears feel down Ryoko's face at the Emperor's acceptance of her marriage
to his heir. Tenchi embraced her tightly in his arms and Aeka stood behind them
with her face beaming with joy for her friend and sister-in-marriage with
Tenchi.
Someone clearing his or her throat interrupted everyone. They looked to
the source of the sound and found Prince Orrin and Washu standing together.

"We hate to interrupt this heartwarming scene, but I think we need to
talk." Orrin said.

"You are the one who saved the Ryo-Ohki from being destroyed by those
renegades, who are you?" Misaki asked him.

"I am Prince Orrin Quintarin of the Setari Empire, I came from another
reality to aid Washu and her friends." Orrin said.

"I thank you, you have my everlasting gratitude, Lord Orrin." Asuza said
as he bowed towards Orrin.
Orrin returned the bow with equally regal grace. "I am very honored,
milord." Orrin replied.

"What is it we need to discuss?" Asuza asked him.

"The invasion and eventual conquest of planet Jurai by the Darkness,
unless we can stop them." He said.

None of them could say a word for they knew they're happy reunion was only
going to be short lived. They looked at Orrin without expressions of surprise
or anger, but with concern and worry. They could only imagine the knowledge the
carried about these creatures from his years of experience dealing with them.

Part One - Secrets Revealed...

A few hours later the family gathered in the throne room. Fonaho and
Misaki sat on either side of the Emperor of Jurai. Chairs for Tenchi and the
others were brought in, and arranged in a semi-circle around the three thrones.
Orrin stood in the center of it all as re recounted his experiences during the
Dark War where his forces in the United Galactic Alliance fought off a mass
Darkling Invasion of Earth.

"The final battle was fought in a very small region of space, but it
lasted for hours." Orrin told them.

"How did the Earth survive such a vicious conflict?" Fonaho asked him.

"By the skin of its teeth, Lady Fonaho." Orrin replied. "The ecosystem of
the Earth has been effected so greatly it will take Terraformers decades to
repair the damage."

"Let us pray that nothing that serious happens to Jurai." Aeka said.

"What happened by my world, will that have a lasting effect?" Tenchi
asked.

"Yes, it will cause some erratic weather patterns on your Earth for some
time to come, but the damage is not extensive so the ecosystem will recover
quickly." Orrin told him.

"What I do not understand is why are they invading Jurai?" Emperor Asuza
asked.

"Long ago in your past it is recorded that several strangers from the
stars came to Jurai." Orrin told him.

"I helped him with that one by asking Tsunami if she remembers anything
unusual in our history." Sasami added.

"These strangers had miraculous powers and were accepted by Tsunami almost
immediately." Orrin said. "One married a member of the royal family, one of
your ancestors, and the others left to different parts of Jurai and were never
seen again."

"Were these strangers Elo'Quin?" Aeka asked.

Orrin turned, nodded, and said, "After examining your DNA, Washu was able
to confirm that the royal family has an Elo'Quin ancestry."
Everyone looked at him in total disbelief except for Washu. For several
minutes they all set there in total silence, then finally Misaki spoke up.

"Is this the only reason they are invading us, because our ancient
ancestor happens to belong to a race they dislike?" she asked.

"They don't dislike the Elo'Quin, Lady Misaki, they loath the Elo'Quin and
have spread themselves over thousands of alternate realities in a search for
them." Orrin told her.

"Anyone who has Elo'Quin blood is a threat to them, that is what you said
on Earth." Tenchi said, quoting what Orrin had said back on Earth.

"I did not understand why until the war began the Elo'Quin revealed
themselves on Earth, my Earth." Orrin explained. "It is far too detail a story
to tell here, but if you understood what happened you will know that the
Darkness will do anything and everything to totally eradicate the Elo'Quin where
ever they can be found."

"Our people are doomed then?" Emperor Asuza asked him.

"If we cannot stop them they will eradicate everyone on Jurai who had
Elo'Quin blood in their veins." Orrin said to him.

"We have to mobilize what forces we still have on our side." Fonaho said
to her husband.

"That is not all, the terrorist attacks on your planet are coordinated by
the Darkness." Orrin said. "It is a tactic they have using for millions of
years and until recently it has been one-hundred percent successful."

"Until they encountered you and your forces, correct?" Katsuhito asked.

Orrin nodded to old priest. "We were the only force they ever encountered
that was able to defeat them." He said.

"What freaking chance do we have?" Ryoko said as she jumped to her feet.

"The ships of Jurai are already partially ethereal in nature, Washu and I
and give them boost using Elo'Quin Etherealogical enhancements." Orrin said.

"It will be pretty simple, the trees can do the modifications themselves,
but we need Tsunami to tell them what changes to make." Washu spoke up.

"Leave that part to me." Sasami said and Emperor Asuza's eyes went wide.

"Get used to it, your majesty." Washu told him. "She'll be finishing her
assimilation with Tsunami very soon and the next time you speak to your little
girl you'll also be speaking to your goddess at the same time."

"This is all so confusing, it is too much at one time." Misaki said as she
put her face in her hands.

"I know it is not going to be easy for any of us." Orrin said. "It was
not easy for me when I lost my Janet, but I got up and went back into the
battle."

"How did you defeat the Darklings?" Tenchi asked.

"There were people from Earth and other worlds who inherited special
abilities from their Elo'Quin ancestry." Orrin said. "I found the people and
trained them to be a part of a special elite task force. I started with those
on Earth and my search soon took me around the galaxy. After I lost Janet I met
up with them during the battle near Mars. It was the most massive and brutal
ship to ship battle scene I had ever seen. We had 100,000 ships to one million
of theirs, but we were holding strong against them. We organized a small strike
team to infiltrate the Darkling command ship and sabotage the main reactor. It
was on this raid that I encountered the Regent and Regis whom were in control of
the invasion force. After a brutal fight they were both defeated, I met back up
with the survivors of the strike team, and we escaped from the command ship
before it exploded. By that time the Darklings had pushed our forces back to
Earth. The explosion of the command ship could be seen even on the daylight
side of the planet. They celebrated in the streets for months when the fighting
was finally over, but we had a real struggle ahead of us. The Alliance was in
ruins, most of major civilizations suffered immense damage, and a few do not
exist anymore. That is why it's important that we stop them here and now."
Orrin went silent and the memory of days gone by came back to him a rush
with a flood of long forgotten pain. Everyone was silent. Washu stood up and
put her arm around his shoulder and kissed him lightly on the cheek. After
several minutes of silence Fonaho spoke.

"I think it would be a good idea we got rid of this terrorist zealot who
destroyed our capital city." She said.

"He is likely a Darkling himself." Orrin told them.

"That means either Orrin, myself, or Ryoko will have to deal with him."
Tenchi said.

"Yes, I discovered to my immediately disappointment that my powers have
little effect on Darklings." Aeka added. "I was constantly needing help from
Tenchi and Ryoko during the battles we had with them."

"It is help we'd both gladly give you." Ryoko said in a gentle voice.

"I would only be in the way, there are other ways I can help." Aeka said.
"We are able to keep in touch via our link."

"I wouldn't want you to feel like your being left out." Tenchi said.
Memories of Aeka's misgivings about her inadequacies came back. Tenchi squeezed
her hand lightly. "Never think that, you hear." He told her. Aeka nodded and
leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.
Misaki's eyes were about to spring forth with a shower of tears. "It is
so lovely that our little girl has found someone who really loves her." She
gushed.

"This empire needs a compassionate man as its leader." Asuza said, and
this two wives nodded in agreement.

"Your not leaving the throne that soon are you?" Tenchi asked him in
sudden surprise.

"Not for a while, and not while this crisis faces Jurai." Asuza replied.
"But, I want you to promise me Tenchi that if anything ever happens to me I want
you to lead our people."

"I know your accepting me at your heir, but I don't know if I'm ready for
anything like that." Tenchi told him. "I know nothing about being an emperor."

"You will learn, Misaki and Fonaho can teach you." Asuza said. A strange
look came over the faces of the Empress and Queen of Jurai. Tenchi remembered
it was the same look he got from some of his high school teachers.

[They taught me how to be a princess.] Aeka said to him through their
link.

[I'm doomed.] Tenchi said.

Sometime later Chairman Zarlova arrived at the throne room. He stopped
and was surprised to see all the commotion in the chamber. He looked at the
faces of the people who sat ringed around the three thrones and he recognized
only Princess Aeka. His eyes glanced over the faces of the others and then they
locked onto one person in particular and the embers of rage filled his being.
"What is that creature doing sitting in the presence of the Emperor of
Jurai?" he asked with disgust on his face. "It should be in chains." He was
looking straight at Ryoko.
Tenchi stood up with a uncharacteristically enraged look on his face. The
triple triangle symbols of the Light Hawk Wings began to appear on his forehead.
He was about to speak but Emperor Azusa spoke first and with great force in his
voice.
"The Lady Ryoko is a member of the Royal Family of Jurai and you shall
treat her with all the respect and honor that rank is due her." Azusa said, his
eyes wide with rage.
Zarlova stepped back a moment. "How can this be?" he asked. "Certainly
sir you know whom this person is?"
"Lady Ryoko is not and has never been responsible for the crimes committed
against Jurai." Misaki spoke this time. "She was the mindless slave of the
arch-criminal Kagato."
"Kagato, yes I heard of him, I understand he is dead now." Zarlova said.
"And the one who defeated him is standing before you now." Emperor Azusa
told him. "Chairman Zarlova of the Secret Police, this is Lord Tenchi Masaki,
First Prince of Jurai, and heir to the throne."
Zarlova's eyes went wide for a moment as he took Tenchi's extended hand
and shook it.
"Forgive my outburst, milord." He said. "It has been a stressful day."
"It has been, for all of us, please sit and join us." Tenchi said to him.
"I cannot, I came to give you an update milord." Zarlova said as he turned
to the emperor.
"What is your report, Chairman?" the emperor asked.
"Milord, I regret to inform you that Agent Kirasawa has been with an
unfortunate accident during the raid today." Zarlova told him.
"Duncan, Duncan Kirasawa?" Sasami asked suddenly with wide eyes.
"Yes, huh, Lady-" he stammered, not recognizing the young girl.
"Sasami." She said, and Zarlova's face took on a shocked expression.
"Lady Sasami, you have certainly grown." He said. "Yes, Agent Duncan
Kirasawa, did you know him by any chance?"
Aeka looked at her little sister and she could see the sadness in her
eyes. She knew all about Sasami and Duncan Kirasawa. "He was the son of a
Knight of Jurai who served in the Royal Guard, when I was younger his father
would bring him once in a while with him to the palace to show him what its like
to be a knight." She said. "I met him one day and we played together, although
he was a lot older than me he really liked me and liked him a lot too."
"I give you my condolences, milady." Zarlova bowed.
"How did your agent die?" Orrin asked.
"An explosion, a planted bomb as I am told." He said. "I do not believe
I've been introduced."
Orrin extended his hand to the man. "Lord Orrin Quintarin of the Setari
Empire." Orrin told him as he shook Zarlova's hand. Washu watched this exchange
and she saw something in Orrin's face that disturbed her. She did not know
Orrin as well as she would have liked but she did notice a sudden look of
realization on his face. What was that all about, she asked herself.
"He will be missed." Emperor Azusa said as he looked towards the floor.
"He was my best agent." Zarlova said as he released Orrin's hand. Washu
now realized that Orrin would no longer look the man in the face. He had him
face turn away from Zarlova's. He knows something, she said to herself.
"What of Captain Ginaro of the Royal Guard?" Azusa asked.
"It was he who reported Agent Kirasawa's death." Zarlova told him.
"Thank you." Azusa said.
"I must be going, we have to try and pick up the pieces of this
investigation in the light of this terrible loss."
Azusa nodded. "Quite understandable, thank you Chairman." He said.

The group sat in silence for a moment. All they could do was look at one
another. Tenchi and Aeka gave Sasami worried looks as the young princess
quietly wiped tears from her eyes. Aeka shared with Tenchi through their link
the bond that had formed between Sasami and young teenaged boy that visited the
palace with his father years ago. He understood and put his hand on her
shoulder.
The silence in the room was broken by the sound of a heavy boot hitting
the floor. It startled them so much that Ryoko leaped up and conjured her
sword. The source of the sound was a tall man in the garb of a Royal Guard and
Knight of Jurai. The sash he wore over his chest marked him as the captain of
the guard.
"Captain Ginaro, Chairman Zarlova has informed us of the death of Agent
Kirasawa." The Emperor said.
"That is why I am here, milord." Captain Ginaro said. "I was listening
from across the room when he told you."
"How did it happen?" Sasami asked, her voice crackling.
"It did not." Ginaro told her.
"Explain yourself, captain." Misaki demanded.
"Your lordships, I feel it is best that you see for yourself." He told
them. "Please follow me." The Captain of the Royal Guard pointed in the
direction to go and everyone followed him. Azusa and his wives lead the way as
they walked. The Emperor recognized the entrance to the Royal Guard's sanctuary
in the palace.
"Why are we coming here, isn't this the living quarters and hospital for
the Royal Guard?" Emperor Azusa asked.
"It is milord, and we have someone here in the hospital you should see."
Captain Ginaro told him.
Finally they all stopped at the entrance to a room guarded by two knights.
They admitted Captain Ginaro and the others into the room. When the Emperor and
Sasami saw who was on the bed they both gasped.
"Agent Kirasawa." The emperor said. "But you reported to Chairman Zarlova
that he was dead."
"I made no such report, and my men where commanded to give him no such
information." Captain Ginaro told him.
"What does this mean?" Aeka asked.
"Zarlova was lying, when I touched his hand I could feel that he was
lying." Orrin spoke up.
"I wondered why you had that strange look on your face." Washu said.
"Why would Chairman Zarlova lie about this?" Empress Misaki asked.
"Because he is the leak." Duncan said as he sat up slowly.
"Don't move so fast, your still recovering." Captain Ginaro told him.
Sasami was at his side almost immediately. Duncan looked at her for a
moment and his eyes shot wide open.
"Tsu-Tsu-Tsu-Tsunami." He said in near shock.
"No, its me, your little fountain girl." She told him.
Sudden recognition of the name hit him and Duncan looked at her again. He
could not believe what he was seeing. The last time he had seen Princess Sasami
was long, long ago when his late father used to take him to the palace with him.
Even if it was her she could not possibly be this old yet, he said to himself.
"It can't be, you were a little thing back then, barely a toddler." He
said. "And I was still attending school."
"Its me." She told him, slowly batting her eyes at him.
"You are so, so, beautiful." He said. He did not know what else to say to
describe just how incredibly beautiful she was becoming. "You look like,
Tsunami."
Sasami giggled and blushed a little. This warmed Duncan's heart, this was
more like the girl he remembered. "And your very hansom as a young man." She
told him.
"Would you two like to be alone?" Ryoko asked.
"Pardon me for not bowing, milord, but I'm not in the best of conditions
for walking right now." Duncan said to Emperor Azusa. "May I ask why there are
so many people in the room?"
"Duncan, this is Lord Tenchi Masaki, First Prince of Jurai, Lady Aeka
Masaki, Second Princess of Jurai, Lady Ryoko Masaki, Third Princess of Jurai-"
Emperor Azusa was saying but Duncan interrupted him. "Ryoko?" he asked. "The
Ryoko?"
"Yes, she is now married to Lord Tenchi and a member of the Royal Family."
He told Duncan.
"On behalf of the people of Jurai I welcome you Lady Ryoko, there are some
who might not be happy at your arrival and now position but I am pleased to meet
you." Duncan said as he looked at her directly. The words almost brought tears
to Ryoko's eyes.
"That means a great deal to me." She said and meant it.
"Heard the story of how you were under the control of a very dangerous
criminal when you attacked Jurai." He said. "I heard that man was Kagato, and
if half of what I heard about him were true I can see why he was able to do it."
"Well, Kagato is just one of our problems, here and now." Tenchi said.
"What, the rumors have it that you killed Kagato in orbit of your
homeworld." Duncan said looking surprised.
"That's what I thought." Replied Tenchi.
"Let us get back to the subject, if you did not tell Zarlova that Duncan
was killed then how did he know about him being in an accident?" Emperor Azusa
asked the Royal Guard Captain.
"Simple, he was the only one outside of yourself and Captain Ginaro who
knew where we were going for the raid." Duncan said.
"We suspected we had a leak in the palace, but I never imagined it would
be within our own Secret Police." Queen Fonaho said.
Washu called up her holocomputer and started typing at it furiously.
"What are you up to, dear heart?" Orrin asked her as he sidled in behind her to
read over her shoulder.
"Maybe our friend Zarlova has done more than give information to the
terrorists." She said.
"You don't think that he has been giving money and resources to them,
too?" Fonaho asked.
"The bomb they used to try and trap us had parts that looked like standard
issue Secret Police electronics." Duncan told them.
"Hmm. Either he hasn't or he's covered his tracks pretty damn good."
Washu said. "I am showing several erroneous withdraws from the Secret Police
treasury, but the ID code used doesn't belong to Zarlova." She said.
"Who does it belong to?" Emperor Azusa asked her.
"The Imperial Treasurer." She said.
"But, I'm the Imperial Treasurer as well as the Empress, and I am no
traitor." Misaki told them.
"Your honor and dignity is not in question here, milady." Captain Ginaro
told her with a smile on his face.
"It's obviously a forged ID, but we need to catch the bastard in the act
to prove its him." Washu said. "The withdraws appear to occur on a regular
basis, and if he follows his regular pattern then another withdraw will be made
in about twenty four hours."
"The Darkness could be making planet fall in twenty-four hours." Orrin
told her.
"Hakuda, the leader of the terrorists, looks exactly like Prince Yosho."
Duncan told him.
Katsuhito has remained silent through most of the conversation. He was
content to listen and interject his own opinions when necessary, but now he
stood up and walked over to Duncan's bed.
"Tell me of this Hakuda." He said to him.
"I'm sorry, you are?" Duncan asked.
"Prince Yosho." Yosho said as he extended his hand.
Duncan looked from Yosho to Sasami and back again. "I don't get it, she's
older than she should be, and so are you." He said.
"It is rather a long and complicated story." Yosho told him.
"I'm getting a headache." Duncan mumbled.
Emperor Azusa put his hand to his face. "Zarlova, a traitor, I've known
the man most of my life." He said with an exasperated voice.
"It is possible he is not acting according to his own will." Orrin said.
"Orrin told me that the Darkness has the power to control the minds of
others, but they were not able to control our minds." Washu added.
Tenchi held up his wrist and shoed off the gem that hung there on a thin
bracelet. "Because of these, they were a gift to me from my mother." He said.
"The Tears of Jurai." Emperor Azusa said with wide eyes.
"I beg your pardon." Washu said. She looked up from her holocomputer at
the sound of the name.
"Those are the Tears of Jurai, ancient relics from our distant past that
have been lost for thousands of centuries." The Emperor said.
"They were already on Earth when I arrived." Yosho explained. "A local
priest had them, and gave them to me when I married his daughter as a dowry. I
kept them, eventually giving them to Achika as a wedding gift when she married
Tenchi's father Noboyuki."
"They protected us from being controlled by the Darkness." Aeka said.
"Then keep them, anything that will give us and advantage over these
hellish monsters." Misaki said. Emperor Azusa and Queen Fonaho both nodded in
agreement.
"Can I ask one question, what is the Darkness?" Duncan asked.
Orrin walked over Duncan's bed and looked him in the eyes. "The greatest
threat to the very existence of this universe that ever been seen." He said.
"And, they are behind the terrorists?" Duncan asked.
"Yes, it's a part of their unique plan to destabilize Jurai so it can be
conquered easier." Orrin answered.
Duncan tried to get up out of his bed. Sasami tried to stop him but he
grabbed her hand before she could. "I have to get out of this bed." He said.
"I'm no good to anyone just lying around."
"There is a different, your recovering from severe radiation burns-"
Captain Ginaro told him.
"So, my father was burned by a massive plasma explosion at Punta-Hai, and
you didn't see him falter." Duncan shot back.
"Punta-Hai is also where your father died in the line of duty." Ginaro
replied.
Washu went back to looking at her console. She started to hack into the
palace computer system again like she did earlier. She started to see various
unusual things, there were missing entries in the system logs, and someone also
setup a dummy user account with unlimited access and no command logging.
"Damn, this guy is good." She said.
"Pardon?" Fonaho asked, and everyone went silent and looked over at Washu.
"Those transactions are dummies, they do not exists." Washu said. "I
found missing entries in the system logs, a dummy user account with unlimited
access and the command logging disabled, and somebody is accessing it right
now."
"Can you pin-point what terminal they are at?" Orrin asked.
"One sec, hmmm, yes I have it." She said. "Terminal AA-23."

Captain Ginaro sprinted from the room with Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko
following close behind him. The Captain of the Royal Guard barked orders into
this wrist communicator and suddenly the halls were filled with dozens of Royal
Knights. Ginaro knew the layout of the entire royal palace like it was the back
of his hand. He knew the exact location of everything from the largest wall
mural to the smallest picture frame. He also knew the location of every data
terminal in the palace. AA-23 was located in the private living quarters of the
Royal Family itself, a section of the palace that was accessible only to those
were members of the Royal Family of Jurai or the trusted members of the Royal
Guard. The Guardsmen who watched over the entrance to those hallowed halls
stepped aside as Ginaro and the others rushed past.
"Let no one else leave, besides myself and those with me." He ordered as
he raced past. The two Guardsmen saluted to him in acknowledgement.
AA-23 was located in a small room in one of the many towers hollowed out
of many of the massive trunks of the great tree the palace was built inside of.
The walls, floor and ceiling looked like wood but were harder than the hardest
metal in the galaxy. The wood also had not been so much carved but was shaped
out of the wood by the will of the tree and the great architect who built the
great palace long ago.
When they stopped the terminal was still on but it was not logged in.
Ginaro took something out of one of the many pouches on his belt and held it up
to his eyes. He looked at the keyboard of the console and hrmphed.
"He isn't far, the heat residue from his fingers are still on the keys."
He said.
"What is that?" Tenchi asked him.
"Infrared detector." Ginaro told him as they hurried from the room and
back down the hall.
"Ginaro, Tenchi, come in this is Washu." Washu's voice said over Ginaro's
wrist communicator.
"We hear you, Miss Washu." Ginaro replied.
"I've tapped into the internal security system for the palace." She said.
Ginaro's eyes went wide that someone was able to get past the security features
of the palace computers so quickly. "There is an infrared heat source not 50
meters ahead of you and moving fast." She continued.
"Thank you, he's mine." Ginaro said and he lowered his head and charged
forward.

Chairman Zarlova had been sitting at the data console in question when his
wrist communicator went off. He looked at the small display and saw the
flashing red symbol. He quickly punched up a specific page of information on
the terminal. The data he saw made his blood run cold. Someone has figured him
out and was able to access the transaction transcripts created when he
transferred funds to Hakuda from the Secret Police accounts. He was not sure
who had done this and how they were able to track them down. The system logs
were deactivated when he did the transactions, but other systems still made
records of amounts transferred. A second page of information appeared and he
almost panicked. A security feature he had written into the system was designed
to warn him if someone had a trace on his console. That was just what was
happening at that moment. He just had enough time to log off the system when he
heard the sound of heavy boots running down the hallway. Now he was running for
his life with someone running fast behind him.
Zarlova ran down several hallways, but everywhere he went his pursuers
were right behind him. It was then that he knew they were using the internal
security system to locate him. He had to get out of the hallways. Quickly he
headed for one of the service tunnels that ran through the walls of the palace.
These tunnels hid the inner workings of the plumbing, electronics, and sewage
system the palace from view. Only specific personnel were allowed because of
the danger they could pose to the Royal Family. Zarlova was one of those people
who had access.
"Someone using Zarlova's security access ID just entered the service
tunnel at junction B2-A7." Washu announced over the communicator.
"That way!" Ginaro shouted and pointed down a left side corridor.
They reached the semi-hidden hatch, Ginaro accessed the controls, and they
were inside and running again. Zarlova could hear the sound of running feet
behind him again. Who is following me, he asked himself, whoever they are they
are good at this.
Zarlova saw the break he needed, the service lift to the lower levels of
the palace where it turned into a virtual maze of tunnels and dead ends. He
mapped out the entire place many years ago and could easily find all the hidden
exits, and caches of food and weapons he put down there just in case something
similar this ever happened.
He reached the lift, pressed the button and heard a voice at the end of
the tunnel yell out, "Freeze Zarlova!"
Zarlova turned around and saw Captain Ginaro running down the tunnel.
Just as the Captain was about to reach him, the door to the lift opened, Ginaro
leapt inside, and pressed the button for the bottom floor. The door closed
quickly and Ginaro slammed his fists against them. "Dammit!" he yelled.
"Where is Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. He, Ginaro, and Aeka looked around and
found that Ryoko was missing.
The lift stopped at the bottom floor and Zarlova could not wait for the
doors to open. As they did a slender arm reached in and grabbed him by the
collar with incredible strength.
"Going somewhere?" Ryoko asked him as she raised her other hand and
punched him in the face. The force of the blow sent Zarlova flying into the
back wall of the service lift. Shortly after, Tenchi and the others heard the
service lift come back up. The doors opened to reveal Ryoko standing with a
very unconscious Zarlova slung over her shoulder.
"You're an amazing woman, Lady Ryoko." Ginaro said with a smile.
"She sure is." Tenchi and Aeka both said at the same time.
"Did you get him, hey, somebody answer me!" Washu shouted over Ginaro's
wrist communicator.
"We have him Miss Washu, we're going to the brig." He told her.
"Good, good, we're on our way with the Emperor and the others." Washu
replied.

Part Two - New bonds are formed...

Several Royal Guardsmen stood outside the hospital room where Chairman Zarlova
was being kept. He was still unconscious from being sucker punched by Ryoko.
Everyone was gathered in the room waiting for the man to wake up so they could
question him. Washu and Orrin were examining him. The genius and her boyfriend
were huddled behind her computer looking over medical readouts. Occasionally
they would hold each other's hand and softly message each other's fingers.
"They are truly in love, aren't they?" Fonaho asked Tenchi as she looked
at the two examining the traitor.
"I'm happy for Washu, she deserves someone who will treat her as good as
he does." He said.
"Why don't we just wake the jerk up and make him tell us where those
assholes are?" Ryoko asked. She was seated next to Tenchi while Aeka stood near
the window and looked out to see the devastation of the capital city.
"Because you hit him so hard it caused his brain to swell, and if we try
to wake him up he could suffer brain damage." Washu told her.
"And that's a bad thing." Ryoko replied.
"Yes, because if he's brain damaged he might not be able to tell us what
we want to know about this Hakuda fellow." Orrin said.
Darius and Yuko walked into the room and stood next to Tenchi and the
others. "Who are they?" Misaki asked.
"Orrin's son and daughter." Tenchi told her.
Darius looked at the other people in the room. There was his father and
Washu, whom was now in adult form, and the others he only knew by name but had
never spoken to them before. His eyes fell crossed the faces of Ryoko and Aeka
and he wished they weren't married, but the two were standing on either side of
their husband Tenchi. Across the room, sitting my herself was a vision of
loveliness that took his breath away. The sad forlorn look on her face made his
heart drop. How could such a beautiful creature look so sad. Darius had
inherited his father's taste for fine women, but something inside him suddenly
changed when he saw this beautiful blonde woman sitting alone on the verge of
tears. It was something deep inside his soul. His attention was immediately
brought back to reality by the elbow of his sister. She saw the look on his
face and followed his gaze to the blonde woman, and she immediate put two and
two together.
"Who's the guy in the bed?" Darius asked.
"The former Chairman of the Juraian Secret Police." Tenchi told him. "He
has been leaking information and money to the enemy."
"Hmm. I bet they put a brain leach on him." Yuko said.
"Where would they get a brain leach, they come from our universe." Yuko
rebuked him.
"It was just a thought, don't bite my head off." Darius replied with a
hurt look on his face.
Orrin looked over at his children and then looked at Zarlova. He walked
over to the man laying on the bed and lift up his head. Slowly he reached his
hand down to the base of Zarlova's head. He quickly grabbed something, there
was a small squealing noise, and he yanks hard on something. He turns around
holding something in this hands and yelled, "Washu, I need a specimen jar or
anything with a locking seal."
With one touch of a button a black portal opens up next to the genius and
she pulls out a clear specimen jar with a locking container. Orrin drops the
object in his hands into the jar and closes it quickly just before the object
tried to jump back out.
Everyone gathered around to see what it was he had, and the women all
leaped back in disgust at the hideous worm like creature that wriggled around
inside.
"Well, well, well, a brain leach." Darius said, and he looked over at his
sister who promptly folder her arms in disgust.
"What the hell is that disgusting thing?" Ryoko asked.
Orrin handed the jar to Washu who promptly decided to do experiment on it
later. She dropped it into another black portal she conjured up from her
console.
"A Brain Leach." He explained. "An example of Darkling biotechnology, it
is used to control the minds of people from a long range."
"So Zarlova did these things not of his own will?" Azusa asked him.
"Zarlova was a pawn of the Darkness the entire time I suspect." Orrin told
him.
"Then he is not a traitor after all." Fonaho said.
Orrin looked at the man who was still unconscious on the bed. "He will
remember everything, so he will still be an invaluable source of information for
us." Orrin explained.

Zarlova slowly opened his eyes and immediately closed them because of the
bright lights. His head was pounding but he could feel the numbing effects of
painkillers starting to course through his system. He opened his eyes again and
looked around at his surroundings. He was in a hospital room somewhere on the
palace grounds. He immediately figured that he was in the Royal Guard's
hospital. He tried to sit up but a firm hand pressed down on his chest and held
him there.
"Don't try to move, you're suffering a mild concussion." Said a voice that
sounded like the young prince he met that day.
"What happened to me?" he asked.
"The young Princess Ryoko got a little too frisky and punched your lights
out." Came a voice that sounded like Professor Washu's. "But I think you'll
recover."
"You'll be better too since we got rid of that brain leach." Orrin added.
Zarlova was not certain what that last statement was about but he suddenly
received flashbacks in his mind. He watched as if he were in the third person,
he watched all that he had done while under the control of the brain leach, the
destruction of the capital city, and the chase in the palace halls that ended
with Ryoko plowing her fist into his face on the lower levels. His hands flew
to his face, tears fell from his eyes, and he cried, "Tsunami, what have I
done?"

Emperor Azusa sat next to Zarlova's bed and listened to the man telling
the tale of all the things had had done over the past three months. The list of
crimes he committed in that time was enough to condemn him to death. Millions
of Jurai had been sent to support Hakuda and his group. Weapons had been
illegally transported from store houses to Hakuda's group, and vital information
concerning critical areas of Juraian security had been leaked to Hakuda. The
one piece of knowledge that frightened Azusa the most was the fact that Hakuda
had a detailed layout map of the palace and surrounding grounds. The Emperor
knew he could not hold his old friend responsible for his action in light of the
discovery of the brain leach. Azusa had asked everyone to leave the room while
the spoke with Zarlova, but Tenchi stood in the doorway with the door slightly
ajar so he could listen.
"How can you forgive me for what I've done?" Zarlova asked Azusa. "I've
sold you and the royal family out to a cut throat who will do anything to have
the throne for himself."
"You were not in your right mind when you did those things, you were being
controlled by some thing they put on you." Azusa told him. "Its been removed
and Washu and Lord Orrin tell me you will have a full recovery."
Zarlova put his face in his hands and wept. Azusa almost came to tears
for the sake of his old friend and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Tenchi slowly closed the door to the room and turned to Aeka who was
standing behind him.
"He's taking this pretty bad." Tenchi told her. "He feels really guilty
about what he did."
"It is not his fault what he did, much like Ryoko, they were both used as
pawn for powerful men's attempt to achieve power." She replied. Tenchi put his
arm around his wife's waist and drew her close to him.
"This is one hell of a homecoming." He said.
"It could be worse." She said, and all Tenchi could do was nod in
agreement as they walked down the hall together.

Mihoshi has been given her own room in the palace. It was a servant's
quarters, but it was still lavish compared to her room on the Yagami. She
dropped her carryall on the floor and sat down on the bed. She had been silent
through everything that had happened since the crash on that planetoid-ever
since she learned that Kiyone was gone. Kiyone was Mihoshi's world, she was her
support, her guidance, her life. Now she was gone, probably dead, and she was
all alone. It was the first time she had been alone in years since Kiyone
showed up on Earth after being rescued. Mihoshi remembered how so happy she was
to see her old partner's face again when she approached the house. She ran to
her old friend and hugged her so tight she nearly passed out from oxygen
depravation.
The beautiful blond GP officer picked up her carryall. It was small and
contained only what little she was able to grab from her and Kiyone's room
before the ship went down. One of the items she grabbed was a picture of her
and Kiyone in full dress uniform. They were standing with their arms around
each other's shoulders and smiling for the camera. The photo had been taken by
a tourist on one of the planets they visited on their vacations. The young man
thought they were both so beautiful, and Kiyone had flirted with him a little,
but he seemed more drawn to her. In fact, whenever she and Kiyone ever went out
the guys usually paid her more attention then they did Kiyone. She realized
that she was very pretty, and she was clumsy and absentminded but she was not
stupid like many thought her to be. Mihoshi set the photo by the bed and stared
at it for a while. Before long she couldn't stare at it any longer, turned it
face down and threw herself onto the bed and started crying. It was at that
moment that the young GP officer realized that she left the door to her room
open. As she got up and dried her eyes she notice someone standing in the
doorway.
"Oh, hello." She said in surprise and little bit of embarrassment.
Darius had been wandering the halls of the great palace and was marveling
at the wonderful sights. He was walking down one hallway when he heard the
sound of crying and he decided to check on it. He found the young blond women
who had been with Tenchi and others but had stayed quite most of the time.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. My God, she's a Goddess, he said to
himself. He could not believe that a women so beautiful was in a room by
herself crying.
"I'll be fine, I've been alone before, its not like we haven't been
separated before." She said before closing eyes and letting the tears flow in
torrents again.
"I can't believe that a guy would actually leave a beautiful women like
you behind." He told her, and he immediate berated him. Dammit, she'll think
I'm trying to come onto her, he thought. But you are trying to come on to her
stupid, he added to his thoughts.
"I don't have a boyfriend, I'm talking about Kiyone." She told him.
"Who is Kiyone?" Darius asked as he stepped into the room.
Mihoshi picked up the picture and showed it to him. "She was my partner
in the Galaxy Police for many years, we're best of friends and I can't stand it
when we're apart."
Please, for the love of God don't let her be a lezbo, he prayed silently
to himself.
"She seems very special to you." He said.
"She's like a sister to me." Mihoshi told him. "I love her like she WAS
my own sister."
"What happened to her?" Darius asked her.
"She was t-t-t---" she said, but started sobbing. "T-T-T-aken by those
Darkling things.
Darius grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. "I'm so sorry to hear
that." He said honestly. Poor thing, he said to himself.
"I'm so scared, what going to happen to us, those things were so
horrible." She cried and she flung her arms around his neck. This is too easy,
he said to himself.
Mihoshi pulled away suddenly with a very red face. "I'm so sorry, I'm so
used to doing that to Kiyone."
"It's ok." Darius replied. "What guy wouldn't want a beautiful woman put
her arms around him." He said.
Mihoshi gave him a strange look. "Your not trying to get into my pants
are you, guys are always paying more attention to me and not enough to Kiyone."
She told him.
Darius did a Tenchi Maneuver, scratching the back of his head. "Well,
I'll be honest with you, I think your the most beautiful woman I've ever seen
and I can't help but tell the truth." He said and surprise himself because he
was being honest.
"Ryoko and Aeka are way better looking than I am." She said, blushing at
the compliment. She noticed for the first time that this young man was very
hansom himself. She remembered him as Orrin's son and she was able to see some
resemblance of him in the young man's face. He was a bit young, but he was tall
and wall built. There was something about the way he looked at her earlier in
Zarlova's hospital room. Was it pity, no, lust, maybe, compassion, longing,
sadness, ---love.
"They are really pretty, and married, but your---indescribably beautiful."
He told her and almost went into a meditative state as he spoke. Each word that
came from his lips came straight from his heart. "Your kind of beauty is like
the stars at night, so bright and beautiful. Your hair is like the finest of
gold, as if each fine strand was drawn by the gods themselves. Your eyes are
like brilliant blue sapphires listening in the sunlight. When I first saw you I
couldn't believe anyone could possibly be---"
Darius did not get to finish what he was saying. He was knocked,
literally, out of his revere and onto the floor by Mihoshi. She was breathing
heavily, straddled his stomach, grabbed his shirt front, and said in a soft
voice, "Shut up and make love to me, now."

Yuko was walking through the palace looking for her brother. She wanted
to keep an eye on him. There were a lot of very pretty young servant girls
walking the halls and she didn't want him getting into trouble. She made her
way to a place she knew was near where one of Tenchi's friends was given a room.
As she passed a closed door she heard a sound like that of her brother's voice.
She stopped to listen at the door and she clearly heard his voice on the other
side, but she also heard another voice-a screaming voice.
"Oh, god, don't stop Darius, don't stop!" the voice cried.
That dirty rotten male chauvinist pig, she said to herself. Not more than
three hours here and he's already gone somebody in the bed. "I hope you get the
crabs, asshole!" she shouts as the door and walked off.

Duncan Kirasawa opened his eyes and noticed his eyelids were not so tight
anymore. The dermal regeneration was starting to kick in and his skin was going
back to normal. He turned his head and his eyes went wide as he saw Princess
Sasami sleeping in a chair next to him bed. Duncan sat up and stretched his
muscle to get the stiffness out of them.
The young secret police agent looked at the sleeping princess and marvel
at how beautiful she has grown. He could remember the days when he was a young
boy following behind his father. His father was a knight in the Royal Guard, a
position of great honor and power that only the best of the best could ever
earn. While his father was off to different duties in the palace he would
wander about. He remembered the first time he saw the young Princess Sasami.
She was short with two large pony tails that coming out of either side of her
head. She was playing with a strange white haired creature that had four legs
and a very long body. She saw him and her eyes lit up. A kind of strange
chemistry formed between the two and they played together in the garden outside
the palace.
Years passed and they became older and closer, then Ryoko's attack came
and it changed both their lives. Sasami left with her older sister to find
Prince Yosho, and his father went on a mission that would prove to be his last.
He never thought he would ever meet that pretty young girl again, and now here
she was, but she was no longer a little girl. She was now a beautiful young
woman.
Sasami stirred and opened her eyes. She saw Duncan looking at her and she
blushed crimson. Duncan remembered that she always did blush whenever I looked
at her, even when we were little.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked. Her voice to Duncan sounded like the
voice of an angel.
"A lot better." He told her. "Say, what happened with Zarlova, did you
catch him?"
"Ryoko caught him, but it turns out the Darklings were controlling his
mind." Sasami explained. "At least that is how Aeka explained it."
"I knew he wouldn't sell out the Emperor on his own." Duncan said.
"Aeka said he was really sad about it." Sasami told him.
"Have you been sitting there all this time?" Duncan asked her, and Sasami
blushed furiously.
She nodded. "I remember when we used to play together in the garden
before you left with your sister." Duncan said.
Sasami shift around in her seat so she could face him. "Those were my
favorite times of the day." She told him.
"We really had a lot of fun in those days, didn't we?" he asked her.
Sasami nodded and smiled warmly. "I really missed you, even when we were
on Earth I wondered what happened to you." She said.
Duncan remembered the night before she left to go into space with her
sister. His father was preparing to leave on a special mission that was top
secret, and he went with him to the palace. The damage from the fighting had
not been cleaned up yet, and much of planet Jurai was still in ruins.
The two sat together next to a water fountain in the garden that was no
longer working. He had joked with her about being a Fountain Girl because of
her blue pony tails, but somehow she didn't seem to mind at all. Then, he
remembered what they said to each other before he left to find his father.
"I love you, Sasami." He said to her.
"I love you, Duncan." She said to him.
He reached into his picket and pulled out a rainbow stone, a colorful
mineral that could be found in the wildernesses of Jurai. He handed it to her
and closed her tiny fingers around it. "When you look at this, remember me, and
remember that I will always love you and I will be waiting for you." He told
her.
"I promise that one day I will be back, and I will find you and we will be
happy together." The young princess said as she began to cry. Young Duncan had
put his arms around the tiny princess, and on that dark star filled night they
shared their first kiss.
Sasami reached into her kimono and look out a small leather pouch. She
untied the drawstrings and emptied the contents into her hand. Duncan
recognized the shiny surface of the rainbow stone he had given her so many
centuries ago. "I kept this near my heart all these years." She said.
"You remember." He said. It was more a statement than a question.
"Do you remember our promise to one another?" she asked him.
Duncan nodded.
"I still love you." She told him.
Duncan wanted to say, but we were only children then, we were young,
practically babies, but his heart would not let him. Slowly he reached out and
touched the hand that held the stone he had given her so long ago. Her skin was
so soft, he marveled. Duncan looked up at the young princess' eyes and found
himself lost in their infinite beauty.
"I still love you, too." He told her.
Sasami stood up out of her seat and wrapped her arms around Duncan. The
young man put his arms around her and he held her tight. It felt so good to
hold her again after so long. He looked into her face and saw tears threatening
to stream forth. Then, for the second time in their lifetime the two shared a
kiss. This time it wasn't the hesitant, haphazard kiss of two young children
but the loving, passionate kiss of two adults deeply in love.
"We certainly picked a good time to reunite. We parted during a time of
peril to Jurai, and now we're reunited during a time of peril." Duncan laughed.
"We can face it together this time." Sasami said softly.
The two suddenly looked up when they heard a sound at the door. Ryoko
stood in the doorway with her arms folded. "So, this is why you wanted to stay
behind." She said.
"Well, Ryoko, you see, ah." Sasami stammered.
"Relax, I'll keep it a secret until you feel it the right time to let Aeka
know." Ryoko told her.
Sasami sighed with relief. "Thanks, she still treats me like I'm still a
little girl." Sasami replied.
"Only a few days ago you were only a little girl." Ryoko told her before
fading away.
"What did she mean by that?" Duncan asked.
Sasami looked into Duncan's eyes. "I love you, so I will keep no secrets
from you." She said. "There is something about me you need to know about."
She explained what happened the day of Ryoko's attack. She explained
everything about Tsunami, the assimilation, and her recent transformation. She
told him all of her secrets. When she was done she looked at him with a little
bit of fear. She did not know if Duncan was going to reject her that he knew
the truth. Instead, the young man held her tighter in his arms.
"You've been facing this all alone all these years." He said. "You said
that your assimilation is not yet finished?"
"Tsunami said it would be soon." Sasami told him.
Duncan kissed her softly on the lips again and said, "We will face this
together then."
Sasami hugged him tightly and cried, "Oh, Duncan, I love you."
"I love you too." He replied softly into her ear.
Slowly they laid down on the hospital bed in each others arms and quickly
drifted off to sleep comforted by each other's touch.

It was starting to get late in the royal palace. Emperor Azusa had dinner
setup in the royal dinning room in the section of the palace that was only for
the royal family. Everyone was gathered there, however. It was the first time
in many years that the great room had been used for family dinners, and the
royal family had certainly grown in the past few weeks. Tenchi sat between his
two wives, Yosho sat next to Yuko, Darius sat with Mihoshi, Sasami sat next to
Duncan Kirasawa and Orrin sat next to Washu.
Aeka did not have to hear it from Ryoko to know that something had
occurred between her sister and Agent Kirasawa. She knew the two had been
playmates when they were children, but she did not know how deeply her sister
felt for him until she saw her reaction to seeing the young man still alive.
Seeing how the two converse with one another and the loving looks they gave each
other as they ate told her all she needed to know. Aeka was very protective of
her little sister, but there came a time when you had to let go. Aeka made the
decision to do just that in this case.

"I wish we could all have come together like this under better
circumstances." The emperor said with great sadness on his face.
"It was unavoidable, your majesty." Orrin told him. "But, if we work
together we can do this without a threat hanging over our heads."
"Ryoko, your mother tells me your pregnant." Fonaho spoke up.
Ryoko turns blood red, puts down her fork and looks at her plate. She
noticed that her appetite has been growing the past couple of days. It had also
been some time since her mother had given her a checkup.
"Yes, I am." Ryoko replied.
Misaki clapped her hands together in front of her and smiled. "Oh, that
is so wonderful!" she cried. "Its been so long since we heard the sound of
little feet pitter pattering through the halls of the palace."
"If your pregnant, is it not dangerous for you go into a fight right now?"
Emperor Azusa asked her.
"Well-" Ryoko started to reply but Washu cut her off. "After a careful
examination I found that Ryoko's fetus shares her healing abilities, and could
also share some of Tenchi's powers as well." The red haired genius said.
Azusa turned his attention to Orrin and he asked him, "I want your honest
opinion, Lord Orrin, do we really have a chance to fight off these Darklings if
they attack?" Everyone grew silent, they knew the conversation at the table
would sooner or later turn to the war that was coming, like it or not.
"In your current state your forces would be crushed like so many dried
leaves." Orrin told him, his face not betraying any emotion. "The Elo'Quin at
the height of their empire spanned over five galaxies and had a fleet that was
one million times more powerful than yours, and the Darkness crushed them in
three years."
Azusa looked at Orrin in horror and then looked down at his hands. "How
were you ever able to defeat them, how can anyone defeat such a powerful enemy?"
he asked.
"It is not impossible." Orrin explained. "The Elo'Quin were proud, they
believed they were indestructible, they believed that no force in the universe
could harm them. They were disorganized during the first half of the war, but
by the time they realized that the Darkness were nearly a match for them it was
already to late. We had an advantage against the Darkness because we were able
to take the lessons the Elo'Quin learned and put them to use. That is why we
were able to defeat them, but it was a very difficult and hard fought victory
and it cost us dearly. It cost me my beloved wife, and it nearly cost us the
planet Earth. Jurai is no different, learn from our mistakes, learn from what
we did to succeed, and Jurai can survive the apocalypse that is coming."
"I prey to Tsunami that you are right." Azusa said.

Part Three - Kiyone in the Land of Nightmares...

Kiyone sat up and immediately regretted doing so as pain shot through her
entire body. She laid back down and opened her eyes. She was in a darkened
room, she could see dozens of dark shapes huddled on the floor, and strange
alien sounds in the background. The smell of stale vomit and blood filled the
air making her crinkle up her nose.
"She's awake." Someone said to right.
Kiyone slowly turned her head and found herself looking into the dirty
smudged face of little girl. Her eyes were pink like Sasami's and her hair was
bright purple, and her eyes may have once been bright and cheerful but now they
look haunted and tired.
Another person appeared in Kiyone's vision, an elderly looking woman with
wise but very sad eyes. She gently touched the little girl on the should and
she moved aside to let the old woman set next to Kiyone.
"How are you feeling, dear." She asked.
"Like hell." Kiyone said.
"I doubt that, dear." The old woman said. "For this place IS hell."
"Who are you?" Kiyone asked.
The old woman picked up a steel bowl filled with murky water and wrung out
a small rag in it. She then proceed to wipe Kiyone's face with it. "I am
Shoudowa of the Owasso." The old woman told her.
"The Owasso, those gypsy-like people who travel in caravans across the
galaxy." Kiyone said.
"Yes, I was once the Shaman Woman of the Oscoda Clan of the Owasso."
Shoudowa told her.
"Where are we?" Kiyone asked her.
"This is the pit of hell my dear, or at least the closest equivalent to
it." Shoudowa replied. "I think this is just one of several holding pens, there
are maybe two hundred of us here."
"Are you all Owasso?" Kiyone asked. Shoudowa help Kiyone sit up slowly.
"No, some are from other parts of the galaxy." Shoudowa said.
"You were all capture by the Darkness also." Kiyone said. It was more a
statement than a question. Shoudowa looked at her. "So, our unfriendly hosts
have a name them, Darkness is a fitting one." She said.
"My name is Kiyone, I'm an officer with the-" Kiyone tried to tell her.
"The Galaxy Police, I know, I found your identity card." The shaman woman
said. "There are a few of your fellow GP among us now."
Kiyone looked around but she was not able to recognize some of the people
she saw who wore GP uniforms. Some of them looked haggard and their clothes
were torn. "They come in and choose from the youngest." Shoudowa said. "Older
ones like me are kept to take care of the others, so they give us food to pass
around and some water. If you'd like to call it food."
The shaman woman picked up another steel bowl and handed it to Kiyone. It
was filled with strange looking pellets of some kind. "I think they are
nutrient pills or something, they do not taste very good but they keep up
alive."
Kiyone picked one up and found it was spongy and damp. She put one into
her mouth and nearly gagged. Shoudowa smiled warmly and handed her a small
metal cup of murky water. The water taste oily, but it washed the horrible
taste of the food away.
"Thank you." Kiyone told her.
"Your welcome, dear." Shoudowa replied. The shaman woman placed her hands
together and said, "I pray to the Great Creator of the Universe that we shall
all be free of this place soon, Zaloom."
"Zaloom." Kiyone replied remember it was the Owasso word for Amen.
"This is my grand daughter Chani, if you need anything let her know and I
will see what I can do." Shoudowa said patting the little girl next to her on
the head.
"Your maybe eight years old?" Kiyone asked Chani.
Chani nodded. "I'll turn 9 next month." She said.
"I knew a little girl your age once, her name was Sasami." Kiyone told
her.
"Princess Sasami of Jurai?" Shoudowa asked.
"Yes, I am the friend of Crown Princess Aeka, Princess Sasami, Crown
Prince Tenchi, and Prince Yosho." Kiyone told her.
"Your are very blessed." Shoudowa said. "I can feel it about you, you
have a positive aura about you that tells me you have people who love you
looking for you."
"That is probably Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko." Kiyone told her.
"Ryoko." Shoudowa's eyes went wide with surprise. "Do you mean the
legendary Ryoko who attacked planet Jurai centuries ago?"
"One and the same, but she was being mentally controlled at the time."
Kiyone told her. "She is married to Crown Prince Tenchi now."
"I never heard of a Prince Tenchi before, I have heard of Lord Yosho."
Shoudowa said.
"Tenchi is Yosho's grandson." Kiyone explained. "He's supposed to be the
chosen champion of Tsunami or something like that."
Shoudowa's mouth fell open suddenly and her eyes went wide. "Bahawoon,
the ancient prophesy!" she cried.
"What do you mean?" Kiyone asked her.
"It is written, long ago, that a darkness will spread over the galaxy and
that a warrior will arise clothed in white." Shoudowa said, she seemed to almost
go into a trance. "At his left shall stand a Princess and Pirate, to his right
shall stand the one named Tsunami and together they will cleanse the universe."
"Your people have prophesies about the Darklings?" Kiyone asked her in
surprise.
"We thought little of the ancient texts until now." The shaman woman said.
"I am one of a very few who have kept them alive all these centuries."
Suddenly the three looked up as they heard the sound of clanking metal and
the hiss of hydraulics. A large door at the other end of the spacious chamber
opened and three massive Darklings in their hideous non-humanoid form walked in.
There were screams as people tried to get away from the beasts, but some who
tried to run away suddenly stopped in mid stride. Kiyone watched in horror as
she saw their faces go slack, they turned around, and slowly walked back towards
the monsters as if they were zombies. She remembered that they were able to
control the minds of people. This made her immediately reach for her wrist and
she sigh with relief to find that Tenchi's crystal was still there. It was the
only think that prevented the creatures from controlling them, or so Washu had
explained.
The Darklings picked up their chosen prey and released them from their
control. The three people, each a woman, screamed out in horror. Their screams
of horror turned to wails of agony and ecstasy as the creatures began to feed.
The room was filled with a soft blue light, the three women convulsed as their
bodies experienced wave after wave of agonizing sensations that could only be
described as an intense orgasm and immense pain at the same time. The creatures
did not take all the energy from their victims though, and they dropped them to
the floor. The three women were unconscious and just lay where they were
dropped, but they still twitched from time to time as the aftereffects of being
feed upon by the Darklings hit.
"When they fed on Chani the first time, I could not watch, and the sound
of her screams where almost too much for me to bare." Shoudowa said after the
three creatures left the chamber and closed the hatch behind them.
"They, they did that to her." Kiyone said nodding towards the little girl
who was now rocking back and forth with her knees under her chin.
"Once already, but I know it is only a matter of time before they take her
again." The shaman woman said. A single tear fell down the old woman's face.
"You were right, this place is hell." Kiyone told her.

Several hours passed and Kiyone wandered around the large chamber. She
saw dozens of people huddled together in different places. There were all
terrified, dirty, and they all looked at her with suspicion and fear. The only
ones who walked around the chamber were the old ones the creatures charged with
taking care of the others, and the creatures themselves. Kiyone found a man
wearing a GP uniform, she looked at his face and her heart leaped. His hair was
graying and his eyes had a few more crinkles around them then the last time she
met the man but it was him.
"Durham, Detective Durham?" she asked.
The man looked up suspiciously at her, and then his face brightened.
"Kiyone, is that you?" he asked.
Kiyone kneeled down next to the man. "Yes, its me." She said.
"They got you too, eh." Durham said.
"Me and someone else, but I'm afraid they did something horrible to him,
more horrible than I can mention." She told him.
"I've been here for three weeks, and I can tell you more horror stories
than you'd care to hear." Durham said.
"So the Shaman Woman of the Owaso named Shoudowa tells me." Kiyone
replied.
"She's a kind soul, she checks up on me everyday." Durham said. "I guess
I'm too old for them to feed, they eat life energy or at least that is what I
believe they feed on, so my only guess as to why I'm here is because they think
I have some information they might want."
"You are a part of the Special Operations Team, that could be true."
Kiyone said.
"I've seen them do horrible things, Kiyone." Durham said, his face eyes
were almost as haunted as the little girl's. "I saw them do indescribable
things to children. These monsters have no morals, no compassion, no conscience
whatsoever."
"Easy, I have friends on the outside looking for me." She told him placing
a hand on his shoulder. "They are very powerful and they will get all of us out
of here."
"Your talking about that kid from that backwater planet who supposedly
took out Kagato by himself, and that space pirate." Durham asked.
"His name is Tenchi Masaki, I wasn't there when he fought Kagato but I
have been him fight these monsters and kill many of them." Kiyone explained.
"How did you know about Ryoko?"
"We hear rumors, and I was on one of the committees assembled to go
through Detective Mihoshi's reports." He said. "She writes in very intricate
detail, almost too much detail."
Kiyone could not help but chuckle a little, if only halfheartedly. She
knew that Mihoshi was not dumb, even though she acted as if she was always
totally there most of the time. She was clumsy, and one of the luckiest people
she ever met in her life. She was always able to somehow get out of any
situation she found herself in, and woe to anyone else who was with her at the
time. Usually, it was Mihoshi who came through without a scratch.
"Mihoshi is something else." She said.
"Listen, I've observed a pattern to these things." Durham told her. "They
come in three at a time every two hours to feed or whatever it is they do to
these poor people-"
"Woah now, I'm not armed, they took my blaster." Kiyone told him.
"Besides, conventional weapons can't hurt them only magic can."
"Magic, you really believe in that magic stuff?" Durham asked her with a
dubious look on his face.
"Where do you think the Royal Family of Jurai get their powers?" she asked
him, and realization entered Durham's face. "So that is their little secret."
He said.
"Well, that and Jurai is protected by a goddess name Tsunami." She added.
"Magic, goddesses, and life force vampires...what the hell is this
universe coming to." The old GP officer sighed.
"Tenchi and the others are probably looking for me, they have his father,
but I'm afraid he might be beyond help."
"Why do you say that?" Durham asked.
"They made him one of them." She said with a great sadness in her voice.
"How do they do that?" Durham asked.
"These things are parasites that enter your body and transform their hosts
into a form that suits their needs." Kiyone explained.
"So they did this to your friend's father, and this Tenchi is Crown Prince
of Jurai?" Durham asked.
"Yes, he's in line for the throne, and that is probably why, that and
Kagato is alive and well and become one of them also." Kiyone explained.
"Fuck." Was all the old officer could say.
"There is more, these creatures are from an entirely different universe."
Kiyone explained showing her friend a very serious expression. "They attacked
planet Earth where I was stationed to keep and eye on the Royal Family members
living there. We fought them in Washu's subspace lab and had the help of an
alien prince by the name of Orrin, and he was from the same universe they came
from. He had experience fighting them once before, so he was able to help us
defeat their plot to destroy the Earth. The last thing I remember was trying to
get away from them in Yagami and then after that it's a blank."
"Where were the others when this happened?" Durham asked.
"On the Yagami also, we were near a large planetoid and I remember trying
to get our nose up before...before we crashed..." she said.
"Could they have survived that crash?" he asked.
"Its possible, and they had Ryu-Ohki with them so they would have been
able to leave and continue the trip to Jurai." Kiyone told him.
"If they do have an edge against these things I hope they are looking for
you so we can all get out of this hell hold." Durham said while giving his
friend a tight hug.

Kiyone made her way back to where she had been laying before and found
Chani sorting out food pellets for her grandmother. She was delicately picking
up each one and making sure that everyone in the chamber got the same number.
"Can I help you?" Kiyone asked.
Chani looked up and smiled at her. "Sure, everyone gets six pellets." She
said. "Any less and you get hungry too quickly before they bring more in."
"They sure don't taste too well." Kiyone said.
"Its the only thing they give us to eat." Chani told her.
Kiyone help Chani sort out the pellets. They were in a large vat the
Darklings had brought for Shoudowa to give out. They had filled over two
hundred metal bowls and several other elderly women came and picked up a bunch
of them to start handing out.
"They are people from different Owaso clans, sometimes were don't get
along very well, but in this situation we are like brothers and sisters now."
Chani said.
Kiyone took the child's hands and turned her face to look into hers. "I
promise, if there is anyway to get off this ship, I will take you with me." She
told the little girl.
The child embraced her with tears in her eyes. It was that moment the
door to the chamber opened. Three Darklings as usual walked into the room.
Chani's face when blank suddenly and she stood up. Kiyone tried to pull her
down but the child was already walking forward towards them. One of the
Darklings transformed into humanoid form and walked towards the little girl.
"I'll play with this little one." The man/thing said. "Get undressed."
Kiyone watched in horror as Chani undressed without resistance and then
lay prone on the floor with her legs spread. She turned around and could not
watch as the man approached her and lay on top of her. A blue light shown on
the walls of the chamber and she could hear the child give out little groaning
sounds. Kiyone put her hand over her mouth and the tears fell from her eyes.
"Oh, my dear God!" she sobbed into her hands.
When it was over Kiyone felt a small hand touch her on the shoulder. She
looked up into the eyes of the little girl, she looked so tired and her
expression was of someone who had no more fight left in her. "Don't cry,
Kiyone." She said in a weak voice. The little girl collapsed and Kiyone caught
her. She realized the child was still naked and had carried her clothes with
her back to where she was sitting. Kiyone laid her down and dressed the child
carefully. When she was done she noticed Shoudowa look at her from the across
the room. She gave Kiyone a very thankful expression and then went back to her
duties handing out the food pellets.

A few hours later another group of Darklings entered the room. Kiyone
kept her distance, but one of the hideous creatures look at her. It appeared to
be slightly frustrated and then stalked up to her. She stepped back and tripped
over a piece of metal that jutted out of the floor.
"Why do you not obey my commands?" it asked her in a harsh voice.
Kiyone looked the think right in the eyes and said in a sarcastic voice,
"You didn't say anything."
The creature reached for her and she tried to get away, but it was far to
fast for her. "You are very pretty and have a sharp tongue." It said.
Kiyone kicked at its face, but it was no use. She beat her fists against
its arms and cried out, "Your not feeding on me you son of a bitch."
"That would please me for you have a strong essence, but I come to take
you to the Mistress." The creature said.
"Tell that skanky bitch that she'll get no please from me!" Kiyone yelled
in its face.
The creature roared and grabbed Kiyone by the neck. The grip cut off her
air supply and she couldn't breath. She clawed at its hands, but it was no use.
Slowly she could feel herself falling into unconsciousness.
"Never again speak the name of the beloved one in vain again!" the
Darkling roared.
In the creature's mind it heard the voice of young girl speak. Her voice
was calm, but what she said chilled the creature to the bone. [I thank you for
defending my honor, but if you kill her you will live the rest of your existence
connected to a pain amplifier set to its maximum setting.]
The creature instantly released its grip and Kiyone fell to the floor.
She grasped her neck and rolled around coughing until she was able to breath
again. Her vision was returning just as the monster picked her up again and
carried her out of the room. Somewhere off in the room, Shoudowa watched with
tear filled eyes. She was proud of her new friend for fighting back, but was
saddened to see her taken away.
"May the Great Creator of the Universe watch over you, Zaloom." She said
and made a sign in from on her with her hands.

Part Four - Darkness Purged...

Kiyone did not pay much attention to where she was being taken, she was
trying to figure out a way out of this. She knew the Regis had some very sick
tastes, and one of in particular was disgusting. Her thoughts wandered to
Noboyuki and she wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he was one of the
many Darklings that came to the chamber to feed, or if he was able to do
anything like that at all in his early stages. As the Darkling entered the same
chamber she had been taken to before when the Regis fed on her by kissing her,
she realized she just might find out. Standing in the middle of the room was
the Regis and next to her stood Noboyuki. He was still in his younger form, and
he had a look of anticipation on his face.

"It is as I promised." The Regis said. "She is yours to do with as you
please, consider her a gift for the deed you will perform for me."

"Thank you, mistress." Noboyuki said. He kneeled down and kissed her
hand.

"So elegant you are my child." She said with a smile.

The Darkling threw Kiyone down onto the floor and then stepped back. The
Regis walked to the entrance and looked back. "Have some fun now." She said and
the door closed behind her.
Noboyuki advanced on Kiyone and she looked up to see him coming. Her GP
instincts kicked in and she was on her feet in seconds. She kicked at his face
but Noboyuki moved with incredible speed and blocked the move with his hand.
She punched him in the gut, it was a hit that should have made him double over,
but it did not even faze him in the slightest.

"Noboyuki, you don't want to do this." She said to him as she watched in
horror as he started to try and pull her clothes off.

"Yes I do." He replied softly, almost seductively. "You want me, don't
you Kiyone."

Kiyone tried to fight him but the man was incredibly strong and he nearly
had her breasts exposed. She looked down and noticed a huge bulge forming in
his pants. She lifted her knee and kicked him where it counts. This had the

desired effect, to her surprise. Noboyuki grabbed his crouch and rolled over on
the floor in pain.
"I didn't want to that, but you gave me no choice." She told him.
Noboyuki was on his feet quickly. He charged at her and plowed her to the
ground. His face was filled with rage as he grabbed her clothes and started
ripping them off in pieces. Then, when she was completely naked before him he
held her down with one hand and started to disrobe himself with the other.

"Stop, please don't do this!" she cried.

He got his pants down and started forcing her legs apart.

"NO!" she screamed knowing what was about to happen to her. Noboyuki
grabbed her by the hips and prepared to thrust himself into her. At that
moment, without understanding why, Kiyone reached up softly with her hand and
touched Noboyuki's face. With tears in her eyes she said, "Noboyuki, please
don't do this, its not in you to do this."
Noboyuki stopped, he was physically touching her, ready to plunge inside
of her, but something deep inside of him made him stop. Kiyone was shaking and
crying, she softly rubbed her hand on Noboyuki's face.

"Do you remember what we said to one another before we crashed?" she asked
him sobbing. "Do you?"

Noboyuki did not move or say a thing. His vision started to blur and
suddenly he was in a different place. Noboyuki was aboard the Yagami, Kiyone
was at his side. He reached out and took her hand and said, "I love you."

"We told each other we love each other." Kiyone sobbed. "I love you, God
help me, but I love you."

A bright light flashed in Noboyuki's vision, a searing unimaginable pain
pierced into his brain as if a red hot brand was being thrust into his gray
matter. Noboyuki leaped up off of Kiyone's naked body and grabbed either side
of his face and scream an inhuman roar. His mouth opened and expanded in a way
that seemed inhumanly possible. A glowing aura of power encircled his body and
flashes of arcing energy struck the walls leaving black burn marks in their
wake. Kiyone crawled behind a large piece of furniture and waited it out.

Elsewhere in the ship the Regis had found herself a secluded place. She reached out with her mind and felt for the new Darkling she had recently created, and she found him. She tuned her thoughts to his and watch through his eyes as he attack the young woman and tried to rape her. As Noboyuki ripped Kiyone's clothes off the Regis reached down and felt herself in anticipation of the sensations she would feel through the link. Suddenly, she felt hesitation in her creature at the words Kiyone was speaking...hesitation and confusion. Then she spoke three words, "I love you", and it was as if someone had suddenly send a massive burst of feedback down the link to her brain. The Regis leaped to her feat and clutched her head in agony. She could see nothing but bright white light and she knew she had to escape it or she was finished. The Regis severed the link to Noboyuki and found herself on the floor. She tried to teleport to the room but found that she was unable to. She screamed in rage as the picked herself up off the floor, unsteady at first, and then she started to storm down the corridor. Her anger was so great that at times she partially morphed into her demonic Darkling form and back to humanoid form again.

The lightning and screaming subsided and Kiyone looked up and found Noboyuki laying prone on the floor. Cautiously she crawled her way over to his body and touched his neck to feel for a pulse. She sighed with some relief that he was alive. He stirred and opened his eyes, but they did not have the inhuman expression they had before. These eyes looked at Kiyone with the same love she remembered seeing in them before the Yagami crashed.

"No-No-Noboyuki?" she stammered.

Noboyuki reached out and took Kiyone into his arms. He pressed his lips
to hers and for a moment she resisted. When they parted he held her close and
said nothing for several minutes. He released her and she looked at him
strangely. There was something different about Noboyuki now, the evil look in
his eye was gone, and he wasn't trying to rape her anymore. Then, when he spoke
she realized that the real Noboyuki was somehow back in control.

"I love you too." He said.

Kiyone wrapped her arms around him and they kissed again, yet more
passionately than before. She helped him to his feet and then she blushed when
she realized he was looking at her naked body.
"I waited all this time to see you this way and I have to say it was worth
it." He said. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, and this time
she did nothing to resist him.

"What happened, you were going to rape the shit out of me a moment ago?"
she asked him.

"I don't know, it was like I was inside myself but unable to control what
I was doing." He explained. "I watch everything I did, but I couldn't stop
myself. I saw what was happening to you and it tried to fight but I couldn't,
but then you said you loved me and I felt the walls around me weaken and I
pushed as hard as I could. It was painful and I saw a great deal of light. I
could feel the thoughts of the hideous thing inside me, but I also felt its
thoughts being burnt up in the light. When it was over, I was fully aware of my
surroundings and you came over to me."

"You came back because you love me." Kiyone realized with sudden surprise.

"I hope Achika forgives me, but I do love you...maybe I always have."
Noboyuki told her.

Kiyone kissed him softly and said, "Somehow I feel that maybe she doesn't
want you live without someone to love anymore." She kissed him once more.
"Maybe she sent me." She added before kissing him a third time.

Noboyuki stood up and look at the main entrance to the room. "We have get
the hell out of here, and fast." He said.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"I can feel her coming, and she is really pissed off." He told her.
Kiyone did not have to guess who that somebody was. She looked around for a
quick way out, the only door was the main entrance, but she did see a large air
vent in the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"This way." She said and pulled Noboyuki along with her.

As they went across the room, she noticed a pair of body suites on the
wall. They looked like work suites that might have belonged to the former crew
of this vessel the Darklings were using. She slipped into one and handed the
other to Noboyuki to put on.
Kiyone examined the grate over the air duct and found it wasn't bolted in.
She thank whatever god or gods that were watching over her and pulled at it, but
it wouldn't budge. Noboyuki gentle move her aside with his hand and almost
casually pulled the grate off with one finger.
"Show off." She said as she climbed inside the shaft. Noboyuki followed
after her and pulled the grating over the shaft behind him.
A few moments later the Regis stormed into the room. Her eyes were
glowing red and she immediately started to blast everything in the room with
bursts of energy. When the stopped and smoke cleared she growled an inhuman
growl and turned to a Darkling that had followed along after her.

"Find them, find them both and destroy them!" she ordered.

The creature bowed the backed away into the corridor.

It turned out the air duct connected to a central ductwork system that ran
the entire length of the ship. The headroom was little tight, bur Noboyuki, but
Kiyone was short enough that she did not have to walk hunched over. She held
Noboyuki's hand as they cautiously walked along. They peered into every
junction that ran to the left, right, upwards, and downwards. The sound of
echoing screams and the moans of people could be hear at one junction.

"This must be the junction that links to the holding cell they kept me in
for a while." She whispered.

"We can't free everyone." Noboyuki said. "Its just you and me."

"I promised someone I'd get them out if I could." She told him.

Noboyuki sighed, "Alright, but if we meet up with those things we are out
of here."

At the end of one shaft Kiyone stopped a steel grate. She look through it
and found the dismal chamber where she and the others were held. Walking among
the people like a mother hen watching over her chicks was the old shaman woman.

"Shoudowa, Shoudowa." Kiyone whispered.

The old woman turned to look at the grate, turned her head sideways and
then approached the steel grate. "Kiyone, is that you in there?" she asked in a
whisper.
"Yes, we're getting out of here, but we can't free everyone." Kiyone said.
"We have to come back with reinforcements to do that."

"I can understand that, who is your friend?" she asked.

"This is Noboyuki, something has happened to him, he was one of them but
somehow he was able to regain control of himself." Kiyone told her.
Shoudowa closed her eyes and tears fell from them. "Its true, the
prophesies are coming true, the Creator of the Universe be praised on high." She
said.
Kiyone and Noboyuki look at each other and then back at the old woman.
"It is written in the ancient texts, one will fall into darkness and become a
beast of darkness, but love will show its guiding light and the one who fell
into darkness will arise into the light and be awakened." She explained.

"The light, I saw a light." Noboyuki told them.

"You are the one in the prophesy." Shoudowa said looking at Noboyuki.

"Where is Chani?" Kiyone asked.

"Still weak from when they took her last, why?" the shaman woman asked.

Kiyone pushed on the steel grate and it came open easily. "I made a
promise to her that I intend to keep." She said.

Chani was in a pretty sorry state, she looked haggard and tired but she
knowing that she would soon be free helped give her the strength she needed to
keep moving. Noboyuki helped the little girl walk, and eventually ended up
carrying her. She fell into a fitful sleep in his arms as he Kiyone made their
way through the air shafts again. It had been a harrowing time getting her into
the shaft, she didn't want to leave her grandmother behind, but Shoudowa told
her that she would be safe, and that she would draw strength from the knowledge
that she was far away from the monsters that imprisoned her and their people.
At the end of one shaft they could hear the sound of many feet hitting the
metal floor. "They are searching the air ducts now." Noboyuki said.

"We need to find a hanger bay or launch bay and get off this crate."
Kiyone said.

"I think its this way." Noboyuki said, pointing down one shaft ahead of
them. He was sure how he knew that, but it almost as if he'd been there before.
Sure enough, it was a launch bay filled with all sorts of ships. Some were
ships that had been captured by the Darkness, and a few were in the process of
being modified with Darkling technology. One of the ships caught Kiyone's eye,
it was a small GP shuttlecraft that she knew very well. It was the Yokonogo,
Mihoshi's shuttlecraft. The ship had been in a docking bay on the Yagami, and
must have survived the crash. They opened the grate and climbed out. They did not get much time to check to see if anyone was about as two Darklings appeared in front of them.

"Oh shit!" Kiyone shouted as the creatures roared at them.

Noboyuki placed himself in front of the two monsters and stared them straight in the eye. "Out of our way!" he demanded.
The two creatures look at him and then at each other and then they made a hideous sound that could only be come kind of laughter. Kiyone then watched in total fascination as Noboyuki suddenly transformed before her eyes. The man morphed into an alien form, different from the ones in front of them. His exoskeleton was an off white color, not black like the others, and his features were not grotesque like all the other Darklings she had seen before. Noboyuki almost looked majestic, regal and angelic rather than demonic. He could almost be said to look like the dragons of ancient Earth mythology, but for his insect-like exoskeleton and his long broad head that resembled a Kamodo Dragon with armor plating for skin, and two crystal horns rising out of the top of his head.
The two Darklings looked at Noboyuki now and stopped laughing, it you could call it that, and then looked at each other again. They turned back to him and hissed deeply. "Albino." They hissed.
The two creatures lunged together at Noboyuki. The Noboyuki dodged out of their way and they narrowly missed Kiyone as they landed and raced after him. They were snarling and hissing as they chased him through the launch bay, but suddenly stopped then their prey ran towards a wall, jumped, ran up the wall, and then flipped over and landed behind them. Noboyuki lashed out with a breath weapon that brew a hole in one of the creatures leaving it squealing in agony on the floor plates. The other latched out with a scythe like appendage towards Noboyuki's neck, but he crouched under the strike and spear the creature through the stomach with his own sword-like appendage on end of his long tail. The monster screamed in pain, but its cried were soon drowned out by the sound of Noboyuki's breath weapon. The blast blew the creature's head clean off and its body vaporized into a bright green whirlwind of energy. The whirlwind was drawn towards Noboyuki and then became absorbed into the crystal horns on his head. The other Darkling saw what happened, its wound healed, and charged. It struck Noboyuki in the abdomen with a body block attack, and then tried to claw at his face. Noboyuki lashed out with his sword-like tail and cleaved off one of the monster's arms. The Darkling screamed in pain as green energy spewed from the wound, and then it was silence as the tail came back around and severed the monster's head. Like the other, its dark essence was absorbed into Noboyuki's horns.
He stood there for several minutes breathing heavily and quickly reverted back to human form. Kiyone came out from the hiding place she had taken Chani after Noboyuki ran off to fight the two Darklings. She walked up to him and put a hand on his face. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I don't know, I don't know how I did that." He said.

"Maybe its instinct or something, your still a Darkling, but your different somehow." She told him.

"If we can get to Jurai maybe Washu and figure it out." Noboyuki suggested.

They spent little time looking over the small craft that were parked in the launch bay. One ship in particular caught their attention. It was the Yokonogo, Mihoshi's shuttle. They ran to it and started to inspect the outside.

"This is Mihoshi's ship, but how did they get it?" Noboyuki asked her.

"It was inside the Yagami, it must have survived our crash." Kiyone replied.

"I don't know heads or tails of this stuff, I don't know alien technology." Noboyuki told her looking at all the unfamiliar hardware that made up the components of the shuttle.
"It looks intact, but will it still fly." Kiyone said. "I see she had it
modified with a mini-hyperdrive recently so it will not need the main ship
section, and that was left back in orbit of Jupiter in the Sol System."
Kiyone keyed in a GP access code into the door and it opened with a quiet
hiss. They climbed inside and quickly closed the door behind them.
Immediately, Yokonogo popped down his robotic head and look around the cockpit.
He had been expecting to see Mihoshi, but he did not know who these people are.

"Excuse me, but this is a Galaxy Police vessel and you are trespassing."
He said.

"I am Detect Kiyone of the Galaxy Police, badge number 03456-7891-a, we
need your assistance to get off this ship and to planet Jurai." Kiyone said.

"Badge number confirmed, please stand still for retinal scan." Yokonogo
said. A light beam entered Kiyone's eye, there were a few beeping sounds issued
form the main computers on the shuttle, and then Yokonogo spoke, "Retinal scan
confirm, what is the situation Detective Kiyone?"
"We are on a hostile vessel manned by extremely dangerous life forms." She
explained. "I as a first class detective I am enacting code 36 of provision 66
of the GP Emergency Codes."
"Understood, all weapon systems are armed, mini-hyperdrive is online."
Yokonogo replied. "Preparing to transmit emergency messages on all GP
frequencies at your command Detective Kiyone."
Noboyuki laid the little girl in a seat and strapped her in to make sure
she didn't fly around in the cockpit if they had do fast maneuvers. "Does that
mean we can get out of here now?" he asked.

"Yes." Kiyone said as she got behind the pilot station and started
activating the main engines.

Noboyuki sat next to her and they looked at each other with love in their
eyes. Suddenly, his face went blank, and he turned his head and looked towards
the rear of the ship. "She found us, hurry lets get out of here!" he
exclaimed.

It did not take long for the Regis to figure out where her wayward creation and Kiyone went. When she felt two of her children die she knew exactly where to look. Eventually she regained her ability to teleport and she emerged form a black portal in the launch bay. Several dozen Darklings came with her and they started to search around the massive compartment.

"Locate them and kill them, they could not have gone far." She ordered.

They then heard the sound of ion thruster engaging for launch. The Regis and her creatures raced towards the sound only to arrive in time to see the Yokonogo rise off the deck plates on a column of thrust and speed off towards the launch bay opening. The Regis sent a metal command to one of her Darklings that went to the launch bay control room and ordered it to close the launch doors.

"They're trying to trap us in here!" Noboyuki cried as the launch doors started closing in front of them.

"Hold on!" Kiyone shouted and she kicked the thrusters to full power.

Yokonogo blasted through the launch bay opening narrowly missing the door by inches and speed off into space. Kiyone wasted no time starting the calculation to make a hypspace jump to Jurai-space. All seemed calm for a moment, but then the shuttle was rocked by an explosion.

"We are under attack, Detective Kiyone." Yokonogo told her.

"Raise our shields, as if they'll do any good." She ordered the ship.

"Our shields are up, but sensor reading of their weapons show we can only withstand one hit." Yokonogo told her.

` "Then I'd better not let them hit us until the jump calculations are done." Kiyone said and she pulled hard on the control stick and sent the ship into a fast evasive maneuvers.

"This reminds me of that scene in that Star Wars movie." Noboyuki said.

"That was make believe, this is for real." Kiyone told him.

"I prefer the latter." He replied.

"Calculations are complete, we can make the jump." Yokonogo announced.

Kiyone punched the hyperdrive controls and she and Noboyuki where thrown back into their seats as the little shuttle accelerated to an immense speed. The Regis onboard her command ship witnessed the escape of the ship and she scream in rage. She grabbed whatever was nearby, ships, Darklings, cargo contains, and threw them around the launch bay. After the sound of twisting metal, screaming Darklings, and loud explosions subsided she turned her mind outward and called for Kagato.

[Kagato!] she shouted in her thoughts.

[My Regis, you seemed distressed.] Kagato replied in her mind.

[Noboyuki, he has, he has turn Albino!] she cried.

[Albino, I thought you had to be born that.] Kagato replied. [What are you talking about?]

[An Albino is a Darkling who has turned from the darkness and embraced the light.] she explained. [It has happened only once before...long ago.]

[Then I suspect he will be of no use to us.] Kagato said.

[Worse, he and the woman Kiyone has just escaped, and he killed too of our children in the process.] the Regis explained to him.

[I have my own problems to deal with here, Chairman Zarlova of the Secret Police is no longer responding to my thoughts.] Kagato told her.

[Do you think they found the Brain Leach we put on him?] she asked.

[It is possible, and Tenchi and the others survived the crash on LV-196 and have arrive on Jurai.] he told her.

[This is only a setback, a minor one at that, we can implement other strategies.] the Regis said and then broke the link.

Part Five - Surprise Attack...

Tracking a moving pocket of subspace is very difficult let alone almost impossible due to the limitations set by the laws of physics. Doing more required an intimate knowledge of Quantum Dynamics, which in and of itself violated every aspect of the laws of known physics. It was the perfect quandary for the brilliant mind of the First Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe and the Second Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe.
Orrin and Washu sat next to each other on the bridge of the Kryton. Orrin was at one of Kryton's consoles and Washu had her holocomputer in front of her. Their hands were flying over the buttons punching out intricate code that would be used for locating and tracking a moving subspace pocket. Washu worked on the guts of the complex program while Orrin wrote the interface to Kryton's sensor array, which was specially suited for scanning the various levels of subspace over a long distance.

"Kryton's sensors have never been used like this before." Orrin said.

"Most of what I done has never been done before." Kryton replied.

"You'll be scanning multiple layers of subspace at one time, and doing so requires an enormous amount of processing power." Washu explained.

"Which is what I possess." Kryton replied.

"True, but I'm going to link in my computers into your core processor and setup a collaborative processing network." Washu told him.

"I'm going to be linked into strange computers without a firewall." Kryton said in a slightly high pitched voice.

"Relax, they're well behaved, and if they don't behave I'll threaten to let loose my Loveletters Ultra-V2 virus into their core memory units." The red haired genius said with a sinister sneer.

"Lord Orrin, what are you getting me into?" Kryton asked with a slight shiver to his voice.

Orrin and Washu both laughed without their hands leaving their consoles. They leaned over and gave each other a kiss, and then immediately went back to their work. A few minutes later Orrin stopped and saved what he had into holographic storage and ran it through a validation tool. When he got a report back showing no logic errors or syntax problems he turned to Washu and told her, "I have the interface subroutines finished, all we need is your front end code and we're in business."

"A few more lines and I'll be done here." She told him.

"I'll let the others know where almost done." Orrin said before leaving the bridge.

Orrin exited the Kryton and jumped onto a antigravity cycle he had on the ship. He rode the small craft out of the docking bay and raced towards the main courtyards of the palace. The Royal Guards on the walls saluted to him as he raced past. After landing in the grass, Orrin ran into the palace and found Tenchi and the others gathered around a map of the capital city projected in the air.

"Half the city is in ruins, emergency services say over one million people have died, and five thousand are severely injured due to burns and radiation poisoning." Fonaho said explaining the situation on the map.

Aeka pointed to parts of the city that were not devastated by the explosion. "The palace shield must have protected these parts of the city." She said.

"That is what we suspect." Fonaho replied.

"Has there been anymore activity from Hakuda and his group?" Tenchi asked.

"None that we can tell." Fonaho told him.

"Excuse me, but Washu and I are almost ready to go online." Orrin spoke up.

"That's wonderful, if you can find Hakuda's subspace pocket we should be able to get to him via a portal." Fonaho said.

"Once we find him and get his hyperspacial coordinates locked in." Orrin explained.

"Join us, we are discussing how to go about the relief efforts for the city." Emperor Azusa told Orrin.

"I might have to get back to the Kryton, but I'll see what I can interject." Orrin said and he joined them around the map.

"We can open the emergency supplies and start handing them out." Misaki said.

"That would be a good idea for starters." Azusa replied.

"There should also be an address to the public by you, milord, to let them know of your concern." Orrin suggested.

"I already broadcast a message over all frequencies little more than half an hour ago." The Emperor replied.

"We should call in civilian police and citizen militia groups from other provinces also to help secure the city incase Hakuda makes another move." Yosho suggested.

Fonaho nodded in agreement. "We can also have two or three ships hover over the city as a show of defiance and a sign of security for the citizens." She added.

"Can the sensors you have arrayed around the capital detect subspace energy emissions?" Orrin asked.

"Yes, but to a limited degree." Fonaho told him. "Why do you ask?"

"Have regular sweeps of the area done looking for low level emissions." Orrin said. "It could act as an early warning to let us know when Hakuda links his subspace pocket back up with real-space and lets his followers out."

"We'll detect when he opens his doors, is that it?" Mihoshi asked.

"That right, Mihoshi." Aeka said in astonishment that the blonde officer was able to understand what was said, and to tell the truth Aeka barely understood it herself.

Everyone looked at Orrin when they heard a beeping sound.

"That's Washu, she's ready to start scanning subspace for Hakuda." He said as he raced out of the room.

Somewhere off in subspace, a young man who resembled Prince Yosho before he left to hunt down Ryoko walked into an elaborate control room. The walls where pure white and the controls where complex crystal formations that jutted out of the floor. He carefully extracted crystal shards from where they rested inside clear crystal tubes and placed them inside other identical tubes. A light from within began to shine inside the crystals and a strange humming sound could be heard from all directions. There was a momentary feeling of motion in the entire subspace world and then an abrupt stop. Hakuda looked up at a display on the wall and smiled at his handiwork.

"If these calculations are correct, once we link to real-space we will have access to the inside of the royal palace." He said out loud.

"What do we do from there?" asked a man who was standing outside the control room door.

"We send a strike force in to assassinate that monster Azusa and his entire cursed family line." Hakuda told him.

"But, what about the Royal Guard, not even we can fight them." The man said with fear in his voice.

Hakuda turned to him and looked him in the eye. The man shuddered with fear. "leave them to me." He said and Hakuda stalked out of the control room.

On the Kryton, Washu finished her code and started compiling it with Orrin's code added in. The compile process in Kryton's subsystems took only a few seconds, and this impressed the red haired genius since their program consisted of over nine million lines of code. Once that was done she activated the links that would be needed for Kryton to co-process with her computers, and then launched the program. Orrin arrived on the bridge in time to see the interface for their program appear on the main screen.

"No a shabby piece of work I might way myself." Washu said as she eyed the graphical interface to their unique program.

"But will it work?" Orrin asked her as he took a seat next to her.

"Lets find out." She said as she initiate the subspace search. One by one the program started scanning through hundreds of different sublevels of subspace.

"This could take hours." Orrin said. "There are millions of layers to subspace."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Washu asked him. In response Orrin reached over and started to undo the buttons on the front of her blouse.

"That's a wonderful suggestion." Washu said softly as she reach and started doing the same to Orrin's shirt.

An hour passed with no word from Orrin or Washu, so the others took it that nothing yet was found. Azusa went to speak to his old friend back in the Royal Guard hospital. After only fifteen minutes he returned and entered one of the indoor garden rooms that were a part of the palace. Several non-sentient trees and flowers form dozens of different worlds grew here. Sasami was sitting on a large bolder with Duncan Kirasawa. Ryu-Ohki laid in her lap curled up in a ball, sound asleep. They were talking and occasionally kissing. Azusa walked up to them and Sasami grew silent. She knew her father saw her kiss Duncan a few minutes ago.

"Agent Kirasawa, Zarlova has resigned as Chairman of the Secret Police." He told them. "He feels that he can no long perform the functions of the office, and despite my objects he feels he is no longer worthy of the position."

"I am sorry to hear that, milord." Duncan said. "Zarlova was a good leader."

"He had named you as his successor, provided you want the position." Azusa told him.

Duncan's eyes went wide in surprise, "He choose me?"

"Oh, Duncan that's wonderful." Sasami said cheerfully.

"Do you want the position?" Azusa asked him.

"Well, yes, I do, but its so sudden." Duncan replied.

"Sudden things have happening around here lately." The Emperor chuckled. He looked at his young daughter and then back at Duncan.

"You treat my little girl right, you hear me." He said.

"Yes, I will sir." Duncan told him.

"Good, good luck to both of you in whatever you choose to do." Azusa told them and then left.

"Did your father just give us his blessing to marry?" Duncan asked Sasami with some bewilderment. He sat back down on the rock and Sasami kissed him passionately.

"I think the answer is yes." She told him before kissing him again.

In another part of the palace Tenchi and his two wives walked along a slanting bridge that lead to a large annex attached to a part of the palace. The annex was suspected in the air only by the bridge itself. This place, Aeka explained to them earlier, was one of the places she liked to go to think by herself. Now, she wanted to share her private place with the man she loved and her new sister.
The annex was not very large, it consisted of only three floors each connected by a spiral staircase that ran just inside the outside wall. The entire structure was suspended high above the ground and gave a spectacular view of the landscape below. Much of that landscape was now marred by the blackened remains of the capital city where the bomb had gone off.

"I cam here everyday after Yosho left." Aeka told them.

The third floor of the annex was open on all sides except for a elegant railing that ran along the edge, and a canopy like roof protected it from the rain and harsh sunlight. They found a few benches here, and they sat together just happy to be in one another's company.

"Did you see how happy Mihoshi looked at dinner this afternoon?" Aeka asked.

"I did notice something different about her, she didn't seem so glum and she did a lot of talking." Ryoko replied. "Most of it was with Orrin's son."

"I noticed something else, Sasami and Agent Kirasawa were making eyes at one another." Tenchi added.

"Sasami and Duncan have known one another since they were little, so I'm not surprised." Aeka told them.

"It seems everyone has somebody now, except for Ryu-Ohki unless you count Ken-Ohki." Ryoko said.

"What are we going to do after this is all over?" Aeka asked.

Tenchi looked at her and asked, "What do you mean what are we going to do?"

"I know that becoming Emperor was something you really didn't want--" She replied but Tenchi interrupted her.

"I never said I didn't want to Emperor, I just said that I didn't know how to be one." He told her.

"I think Tenchi would make a great Emperor." Ryoko said.

Tenchi gave his wife a soft kiss on the cheek and said, "Thanks."

"I just wish the universe would just slow down and let us get a rest for once in a while." Ryoko said with a sigh.

"It seems ever since we joined we have been on the run." Aeka replied.

"Maybe this is a test, a test of our love and our strength." Tenchi told them.

The two women slid closer to their husband and he put each arm around their supple waists. It was times like this that Tenchi marveled at the incredible beauty of his two loving wives. But beauty was only skin deep, and he also love the inner beauty of their souls as well. Feeling this through their link the girls laid their heads on each of Tenchi shoulders and sigh with a great sense of contentment. They had their Tenchi, even if they did have to share him.

"Have you had Washu check you out yet, Princess?" Ryoko asked.

"What for, I feel fine." Aeka replied.

"You know what for." Ryoko told her.

Sudden realization came to Aeka's face and thoughts. "Oh, that." She replied.

"Yes, that." Ryoko said.

"No, not recently, its been to-crazy lately." The Princess said.

"If it happens it happens, there is nothing we can do to rush it." Tenchi said.

"Carrying your child is a dream I have had ever since I first fell in love with you, Lord Tenchi." Aeka told him.

Tenchi turned his face to Aeka's and kissed her softly. "What about did that happen actually, you first falling in love with me?" he asked her.

"Remember that day Sasami made me come out of my room for the first time after the crash?" she asked, Tenchi nodded. "I ran outside after you and the others laughed at my expense, I ran into the rain and I found Startica Bells growing near the shrine. You came and your grandfather told you to carry me as the rain started to pour down harder and drench us. You took us to that small tool shed near the shrine, you made a fire, and we dried out our clothes. It was the first time I ever sat with anyone, especially a man, half dressed. It was then that I started to fall in love with you. It was then that I realized how special your soul was, how kind you are, and how selfless you are."
Tenchi was surprised to say the least. He did not see those memories in her life during the bonding, but then again he did not see everything of their memories from the past. A few of Ryoko's memories were too horrible to even speak of.

"I assumed it happened later than that, like maybe sometime around the time Kagato arrived." He said.

"Oh, no, you captured my heart long before he arrived." She said as she snuggled closer to him.

"I never knew." Tenchi said before kissing her again.

"I knew about the tool shed part, I even teased her about it when we were at the hot springs." Ryoko said with a chuckle.

"Wasn't it when you created that ghost thing that trashed the place?" Tenchi asked her.

"Yup, and when Mihoshi literally came crashing down on top of us." She replied.

"My life since you two arrive into my life has been one big adventure after another." He said, and he squeezed them tightly. "I wouldn't trade it all for anything because we wouldn't be together today if you didn't."

"I love you." Ryoko said softly and kissed Tenchi softly on the nape of the neck.

"And I love you also." Aeka added and did the same on her side.

"And I love both of-" Tenchi started to say, but his words were cut off by the sound of a loud explosion.

"What the hell!" Ryoko shouted. She teleported to the railing and looked out trying to find the source of the explosion. "I don't see anything."

"There!" Aeka shouted. Tenchi and Ryoko turned to see Aeka pointing in the opposite directly, towards the Royal Palace. They ran to that side of the annex and looked far down. Below in the main part of the palace where the Royal Family lived they could see thick black smoke rising.

"Something tells me that's not one of mom's experiments going kablowie." Ryoko said.

"Lets get down there." Tenchi told them and he lead them hand in hand out of the annex.

Sasami and Duncan has been strolling along through the palace with one another hand in hand. The two were getting accustomed to the new situation they found themselves in. Duncan had no doubt that he did love Sasami, he knew felt it since he was a child that he did, and Sasami was the same way. They had nearly reached the entrance to the Royal Gardens. This was the place she had not been to in nearly 700 years. It was the place where she nearly died, and was reborn a new being...reborn as a part of Tsunami. They pushed the big heavy doors and walked into the massive tower. Hundreds of tiers rose into the air, and on each one grew one or more of the Royal Trees. Each stately plant was a sentient being capable of independent thought, and had the power to become the brain center for a Juraian starship. At the top of the tower grew the holy Tree of Light, the tree where Tsunami dwelled for hundreds of thousands of years.

"Its so beautiful here." Duncan said.

"This is the first time I've walked in here since, since that day." Sasami told him.

"Are you certain you want to do this?" he asked her. That same evening they had spoken together seriously about their relationship. Duncan was still much older than she was, and Sasami knew of only one way to correct that difference in their ages. That was to complete her assimilation with Tsunami, to become one with her, and to become an adult instantly. Sasami knew that Tsunami had been waiting for her to make up her mind when was the right time all along. She did want her to experience a childhood, but not she was waiting for Sasami to make the decision, not the other way around.

"I'm sure." She said and smiled at him.

They made their way up the twisting walkway that linked all the tiers together like a web that rose into the air. Each of the trees they passed pulsed with light in greeting to them as they passed, for they knew what was going to take place once she reached the top. Along the way the two would stop to look at the view, kiss, and then move on. They were nearly to the top when suddenly they heard a loud sound like an explosion. The floor beneath then heaved and wobbled. It took all of Duncan's coordination and training to keep his and Sasami balance, but somehow he lost grip of her and she skidded towards the edge of the tier. Sasami suddenly had a flashback of the day she was a little girl, the day she fell from one of the tiers. Her memory of that day was suddenly whisked back to reality when she felt a firm hand grab hers and pull her to safety.

"Oh Duncan!" she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around the young man.

"I got you, don't cry, I got you." He told her softly as they sat down on the floor and hugged for several minutes.

"What's going on?" she asked through her sobs.

"I don't know, but I doubt its good." He replied. Duncan helped Sasami to her feet and they continued their climb to Tsunami's tree.

The Juraian evening was settling in over the palace, the stars could be seen in the sky, and the light of the setting sun cast a crimson hue on the few clouds that hung overhead. Its incredible beauty went unnoticed by Orrin and Washu. The two lovers rolled about in the bed in Orrin's private quarters on the Kryton. The only light in the room was the display to the subspace scanner interface. They moved it here after they left the bridge for more comfortable surrounds. Their lovemaking was fast and furious and driven on by their love each other.

"Oh God, I love you, I love you so much!" Washu cried as he nails dug deep into Orrin's back.

Exhaustion soon began to set in after the third or fourth orgasm. The two lovers simple fell into each other's embrace and were almost too spent to move their heads and kiss each other on the lips.

"That was way better than our first time." She told him.

"Janet taught me a few tricks, you wouldn't image the positions the humans of Earth can come up with." Orrin said.

"I can imagine, Noboyuki's library was filled with books on the subject." Washu replied as she softly stroked Orrin's arm. "They made very interesting study into the mating rituals of primitive species."

Orrin smiled at her. "I hope my mating rituals have been an interesting study for you." He said.

Washu smiled back and was now stroking Orrin's thick mane of black hair. "I don't know, I think I'm going to need a few more years of research." She said.

"I was counting on it." Orrin smiled.

"You Hentai." She replied while playfully pushing him away. "Taking advantage of a poor defenseless, under sexed super genius like myself."

"I hope I can take advantage of you more often." Orrin said, and the two kissed each other passionate and pressed their naked bodies together.

When they parted Washu looked up at the display and frowned. "Two million layers and still nothing." She said.

"It takes time to-" Orrin started to say but Kryton's voice interrupted.

"Lord Orrin, I am detecting a hyperspace breach forming at 08 mark 415." The ship said.

"08 mark 415!" Washu shouted, sat up and conjured up her console. "That's inside the palace!"

It was at that time the interface screen flashed and a loud beeping sound issued from it. A massive subspace pocket adorned the screen superimposed over and inside of the structure of the Royal Palace of Jurai.

"Oh, my God!" Washu said just before the sound of a loud explosion reach their ears.

Inside the palace was a scene of total chaos. The moment the subspace door was opened one of the terrorist tossed an explosive into the midst of several Royal Guardsmen. They had little time to react and had few seconds to engage their personal force fields. The explosion took out part of the roof of the palace in that section and killed all six of the guardsmen that were nearby. The blast set hundreds of nearby tapestries, some thousands of years old, blaze and smoke started filling the adjoining corridors. Azusa, Fonaho, and Misaki were in their private quarters when they heard the blast. It was near them, and they ran out into the corridor to see what was happening. The sound of energy weapon fire filled the air along with the screams of men dying. Captain Ginaro ran up to them and started to push the three of them down the hall away from the sound of battle.

"I have to get you away from here, your majesties." He said. "Its a massive attack, they bombed us and then hundreds of them started pouring out of some breach in space-time that hung in midair"

"Where are my daughters and the others?" Misaki asked.

"I assume Lady Aeka is with Lord Tenchi and Lady Ryoko, and I saw Lady Sasami and Agent Duncan headed towards another part of the palace." Ginaro replied.

"Try to contact Orrin and Washu, see if they can assist you in anyway." Azusa ordered. "We'll relocate to the underground command center."

"Very good, sir." Ginaro said and saluted before running back towards the scene of the battle.

"Lets go." Azusa said to his wives.

"What about the others?" Fonaho asked.

"We will need to pray to Tsunami that they will be fine." He said.

A firefight the likes of which had never been seen on planet Jurai was taking place inside the royal palace. Hundreds of men and women armed with military weapons from Jurai and several other worlds in the Galactic Union charged forward against the Royal Guard and the Knights of Jurai. The two forces clashed, exchanging fire, and dozens on each side collapse from mortal wound. Only the Knights stood firm against this attack, the weapons of the attackers had no effect on their magical armor. However, something was about to happen to change all of that. Hakuda emerged from the breach in hyperspace and surveyed the scene of carnage before him. He smile in satisfaction and then walked out into the line of fire himself. His face was a mask of confidence and determination as he advanced on the Knights of Jurai. A few weapons blast struck him in the chest, but Hakuda did not stop his forward stride. He started to laugh like a maniac has he reached the first Knight, raised up has hand, conjured a blue energy sword, and cleaved the man in half. The others witnessed their fellow knight fall and they charged his murder shouting, "Long live Emperor Azusa!" With little effort on Hakuda's part, they too fell dead on the ground at his feet.
Hakuda continued walking through the carnage around him until he reached the corridor where the Emperor and his two wives were quickly running to escape. He saw them through the thick smoke, concentrated for a moment, conjured a black portal, stepped through, and emerged from a similar portal that appear in front of the three.

"Emperor Azusa a assume." Hakuda said with a bow.

"Hakuda, you monster, how dare you attack my palace!" Azusa shouted.

"What I do I do for a higher purpose." Hakuda told him.

"You bastard, I'll make you pay for what you did to my people!" the Emperor reached into his kimono and withdrew a starship key. He conjured the blue blade and advanced on Hakuda with every intent of killing him. Hakuda conjured his blade again and parried a blow intended to take off his head. A bewildered Azusa leaped back, raised his weapon, and made ready another attack. The two exchanged sword blows with one another in a frantic attempt to hit a vital spot. Fonaho and Misaki huddle together next to the wall and watched in horrific fascination as their beloved husband fought for their lives. They were totally oblivious to the sounds of running feet in the corridor approaching them.

At the end of the corridor Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko arrived and were astonished to find the Emperor of Jurai engaged in a sword fight with someone who looked just like Yosho when he was still young.

"Sweet Tsunami!" Aeka shouted. "That is Hakuda!"

"That asshole is toast!" Ryoko replied as she conjured her sword and start to fly towards the battle. She was stopped by Tenchi's hand which latched onto her arm.

"Ryoko, stop, I sense something is wrong here." Tenchi said.

"He's going to cream your great grandfather if you don't let me help him." Ryoko told him.

"I can't explain it, but I don't think that would be enough." He said.

Just then, a black portal opened and Orrin and Washu emerged next to them in the corridor.

"We got good news and bad news, the good news we found Hakuda, and the bad news he's-" Washu started to say until Tenchi pointed down the corridor. "-oh shit."

"I feel something unnatural about him." Tenchi said.

Orrin looked at Hakuda and then back at Tenchi. "You should, because Hakuda is a Darkling, and not just an ordinary one...he is a Regent."

The two fighters leaped, whirled and dodged sword blow after sword blow for several minutes before they leaped away from one another and stood staring at each other.

"You are very good, I can see you are the one who taught Yosho how to fight." Hakuda said. He did not appear to be breathing heavily at all.

"How do you know of my son, he has not set foot on Jurai for 700 years." Azusa replied.

"I fought him when I came to Earth seeking something that belonged to me." Hakuda said.

At the end of the hall came the sound of a gasp. "Kagato." Ryoko said under her breath.

"I think its time I did away with this little charade." Hakuda said and he morphed into the form of Kagato.

"Kagato, you are worse than a monster!" Azusa shouted. "Because of you millions of my people have died, twice!"

"I can almost guarantee you the death toll is going to start rising exponentially." Kagato laughed.

"Die you bastard!" Azusa shouted. He lunged at Kagato, but the Darkling Regent was far too quick for him. In his original form now, Kagato was pulling out all the stops and started to use his physical superiority over the Emperor. It was clear that Kagato was ten times as fast as he was, and Azusa knew that he could not keep this up forever. Kagato kicked the Emperor in the midsection and sent him flying. He ran towards him and was about to spear him with his sword when a second blade blocked his way. Kagato looked up into Ryoko's face and smiled at her.

"Lovely to see you again, Ryoko." He said.

"The disgust is all mine I can assure you." She replied. They leaped back from one another and then started their attacks. Kagato quickly discovered that Ryoko was getting very good at swordplay, and she was proving to be more of a challenge than Azusa. Almost.
Tenchi withdrew the Master Key, the Tenchi-ken, and started running down the corridor to aid his wife in battle. Kagato and Ryoko flew around the room exchanging sword blows with neither one gaining any ground. Azusa climbed to his feet to see Kagato drive Ryoko's body into the wall with an energy blast from his hand.

"No!" Azusa shouted and he raised his sword over his head at strike Kagato from behind.

However, just as Azusa's sword reached its apex Kagato reversed his blade and struck backwards. The slender end of his energy blade pierced Azusa through the chest and came out of his back. The Emperor staggered in astonishment and then his face cringed in pain. Kagato pulled the blade free, whirled around to deliver the killing blow, but Tenchi arrived at that same moment and delivered a drop kick to Kagato head.

"Azusa!" Fonaho and Misaki cried in unison as they ran to their fallen husband.

"I killed you once, I can do it again!" Tenchi shouted as Kagato recovered from the strike and leaped back to his feet.

"I am far stronger than I was before, boy." Kagato spat. "You can try, but you will only be prolonging the inevitable."

"Lets finish this!" Tenchi shouted as he leaped at Kagato and made several strategically placed blows meant to gauge Kagato skill level. All of his grandfather's training was brought into use. Tenchi was a whirlwind, moving with an almost ballet like grace as he leaped, dodged, and exchanged sword blows with his foe.

"You have advanced farther than your grandfather's own skills." Kagato said. "I'm impressed."

"I'm full of surprises." Tenchi spat as he defected Kagato's sword away and kicked the Darkling in the face making him stagger towards the wall.

Ryoko pulled herself out of the hole her body made in the wall, looked up at the battle that was taking place and shouted, "Tenchi be careful, he's a lot stronger than he used to be."

Orrin started running down the corridor towards the fight leaving Aeka and Washu behind. They watched as Orrin reached the scene in only a few seconds due to his line-of-sight teleportation ability. Once there he leveled a blast of energy at Kagato while his back was turned and sent the Darkling flying down the corridor passed Tenchi, who dodged out of the way to keep from being plowed to the ground by Kagato's flying body. When Kagato stood up and brushed himself Orrin knew then that they were in serious trouble.

"He should have vaporized from that blast." Orrin said.

"Why isn't he?" Ryoko asked.

"I don't know, but that blast I gave him should have finished him." Orrin replied.

Kagato slowly began to change into his hideous Darkling form. The demonic creature that appeared before them slowly walked towards them. "I am going to tear your souls apart, one by one." He snarled in an inhuman voice.

"What do we do now?" Tenchi asked him as he went into a fighting stance.

"Running would be a good idea." Orrin said. Immediately the three turned, grabbed Azusa off the floor and ran down the corridor with Misaki and Fonaho following close behind them.

"Father!" Aeka cried when the others reached her and Washu at the end of the corridor.

"We have a sickbay on Kryton." Orrin told her.

"Don't worry about me, your concern is for the others." The Emperor groaned in pain.

"We're not leaving you behind, and we aren't finished yet either." Tenchi told him.

Orrin activated his wrist communicator. "Kryton, we need immediate extraction at these coordinates, and fast." He shouted.

"Dad, Yuko and Mihoshi are onboard Kryton with me." Said Darius's voice over the com line.

Orrin looked down the hall and saw Kagato was still slowly walking towards them. The crystalline horns on his head were already starting to glow.

"I think now would be a good time to take off and pick us up." Orrin told him.

"We're on our way, milord." Kryton's voice replied.

Aeka, Fonaho and Misaki were tending to Azusa's wounds with straps of cloth they pulled from their kimonos. Orrin turned back towards Kagato and realized he was be on them before Kryton could reach them. He raised his hands and summoned the awesome power that was inside of him. Tenchi and Washu watched as Orrin's body started to glow with a golden light, and then a misty, golden light drift from his fingertips. The light sprayed across the room and melded with the walls, ceiling and floor. Suddenly there was a bright flash of multicolored light and a force field materialized in front of Kagato. The Darkling Regent lashed out at the shield but his strikes were effortless deflected. He fired his breath weapon at the shield, but it held without any sign of stress.

"What did you do?" Washu asked him.

"That shield is actually a region that is slightly out of temporal phase with the rest of the surrounding universe." He told her.

"You are incredible." She replied. At that same moment they suddenly felt a sensation of brief weightlessness and disorientation. Kagato was thoroughly frustrated with the shield and was lashing out at it with all his strength to no avail. He roared in rage as he watched Tenchi Masaki and the others suddenly dematerialize out of the corridor.
Everyone found themselves suddenly in different surrounds. Orrin recognized the interior of Kryton immediate. He turned and help the others stand Emperor Azusa on his feet. Yuko stepped out from behind a control console. "Darius, we got them, punch it!" she said.

"Everybody, hang onto your butts." Said the voice of Darius from a speaker in the room.

The floor slanted to one side slightly and they all felt a moment of acceleration before the inertial stabilizers kicked in. "Yuko, show them to the sickbay, I'm going to the bridge." Orrin said.

"This way." Yuko pointed. Tenchi and the others picked up the Emperor and literally ran with him through the narrow corridors of the ship towards the sickbay. Once there Yuko activated a medical station that extended out from the wall. Tenchi and Ryoko lift Azusa up onto the table and started to remove his robes so they could see his wound.

"Dear sweet Tsunami." Aeka said when they finally saw the wound in Azusa's chest. The hole had strange black score marks around the edges, but there was no sign of blood.

"We'll have to put into a cellular regenerator to repair that wound." Yuko said. Kryton's avatar morphed out of a nearby wall and examined the wound.

"I detect some kind of Dark Energy." He said.

Washu summoned her holocomputer and started typing furiously. After a few minutes a black portal opened next to her and small PDA device fell into her hands. She waved it over Azusa's wound a few times and then looked at her holocomputer display again.

"Damn, its going through his molecular matrix, depolarizing his cells." She said.

"What does that mean?" Fonaho asked.

"His DNA is being destroyed, if we can't purge this energy from his system he'll die even if we do heal his wound." She replied.

Fonaho put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, Misaki put he hands on her shoulders to steady her. The two women leaned over the table and gave their beloved husband a kiss on the forehead. He did not notice this as he was already unconscious.

"I don't have the equipment necessary to clear the energy from his matrix." Kryton said to Washu.

"I do, but it back in my lab." Washu said.

"Is there a way you can access your lab from here?" Aeka asked.

"Yes, but the minute I do those Darklings will detect it in a heartbeat."
Washu told her.

"Maybe there is a place where they won't be able to detect it." Fonaho said.

Washu and the others looked at her. "In case of an emergency there is a secondary command center in the Kurolus Range on the southern continent." She explained. "Admiral Shakar should be relocating his staff there right now."

"The Kurolus Range, ah, I know that region well." Washu said. "The mineral content of the rock has a unique quantum energy resonance, thus interfering with sensor readings."

"Which is why we built it there." Fonaho replied.

"Give us the coordinates and my dad can fly us there." Yuko said to her.

"Its 031 mark 217, the launch bay in hidden in the largest peak on the range." Fonaho told her.

"I already relayed the information to Lord Orrin, you need to stay here to monitor the Emperor." Kryton told the young girl just as she was about to leave.

Yuko turned back to the medical console and said, "I didn't get to finish my medical certification yet." "I have seen your test scores, you could easily pass the certification for MD." Kryton told her.

Yuko smiled at Kryton and then looked back at the medical console. The reading she was getting did not look very good. "Until we can purge the energy from him the Dark Energy is going to slowly depolarize his cells." She said. "It might slow down the process if we put him into stasis for the duration."

"Stasis won't stop the process but it will slow it down." Washu said.

"I am initializing one of the chambers now." Kryton told them.

"Does that mean your putting him into some kind of sleep chamber?" Ryoko asked.

"If someone is too gravely ill for us to treat on the ship we can put them into stasis until we get to a medical facility that can better treat them." Yuko replied.

The medical console beeped to indicate that Azusa's wound had been completely sealed. Yuko deactivated the cellular regenerator, picked up a hypo-spray and went to a medicine dispenser. She plugged the hypo-spray into the device, punched up a specific drug and dosage, and came back with it to Azusa's table. She pressed the spray against the Emperor's arm, and a few moments later the color began to slowly return to his face.

"That might help for the time being." She said.

"What was it?" Misaki asked. She was happy to see the color returning to her husband's skin.

"A special drug for fighting radiation poisoning." Yuko told her. "Its not made for this sort of thing, but it should help slow the Dark Energy. I also included some nanoprobes into his system which should also help to reconstruct some of his damaged DNA."

"Kryton was right, you are good." Washu told her.

Aeka suddenly gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. Everyone looked at her in surprise and did not know exactly what was going on to make her react like she did. Ryoko and Tenchi knew why, because through their link they saw an image of Sasami in Aeka's mind.

"We're forgetting Sasami!" she cried.

Back at the royal palace in the Royal Gardens, Sasami and Duncan finished their climb to the top of the great tower. The tall and beautiful Tree of Light stood by itself on a single tier platform. The dome skylight above allowed the light reflecting from the ring system surrounding Jurai to shine down onto its leaves. The two stopped just in front of the great tree and for several moments there was no activity. Suddenly, shimmering multicolored beams of light shined from the leaves of the tree and a translucent image of the goddess Tsunami appeared before them.
Duncan did not consider himself a truly religious person, but the sight of the beautiful goddess made the young man drop to his knees. She was adorned with a beautiful kimono that shimmered like the light that came from the leaves of the tree, and her blue hair was tossed about as if she were standing in a whirlwind.

"You were only waiting for me to decide when I was ready, weren't you?" Sasami asked Tsunami.

"It was always up to you to decide when the time was right." The goddess said. "Or else I would have completed the assimilation centuries ago."

"I am ready now." Sasami replied.

The goddess looked at Duncan and gestured for him to stand. "I approve of your choice Sasami, he is a good man and I know he will take care of you." She said. This made Sasami blush furiously, and Duncan squeezed her hand softly.

"The Darkness is closing in, we much be swift." Tsunami told them.

"I'm ready." Sasami said and she released Duncan's hand and walked towards the image of the goddess. Tsunami materialized into a solid form and stepped away from the tree. Sasami and Tsunami faced one another and they reached out towards one another. They touched hands and placed the flat of their hands together. They did the same with the other hand. The same aura of shimmering light that surrounded Tsunami now began to surround Sasami.

"Let what began 700 years ago be completed now." Tsunami said.

"Will I see you again?" Sasami asked as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Do not cry, I will be a part of you, I will be your voice of reason in the back of your mind." Tsunami told her. "We will always be together."

Duncan watched in fascination that what he was witnessing. He did not fully understand what exactly was going to happen, but he did comprehend some of what Sasami had told him too place long ago. His attention was fully on the two in front of him, but suddenly a found from behind triggered his training and he immediately turned around. Stalking up the walkway towards Tsunami's tier walked a man with long white hair. Flanking him on either side came two creatures that could be described as something from a maniac's worst nightmare.
Duncan pulled out his blaster and leveled it at the man approaching. "Stop right there!" he ordered.

"You are in a position to demand nothing." The man said menacingly.

"Your, your name is Kagato, I recognize your face." Duncan said after realizing who he was talking to.

"Your a wise man, so I would advise you to step out of my way." Kagato told him.

Duncan fired a warning shot past Kagato's left side narrowly missing his ear. "I can't do that." He said.

"Put that toy down, normal weapons cannot harm me now." Kagato replied. He did not even flinch when the blast passed him.

"Sasami, we have company!" Duncan shouted back.

Kagato looked past Duncan and saw what was happening between Sasami and Tsunami. What are they doing, he asked himself. He watched in fascination as the light surround the young teenaged princess and the adult goddess grew in brightness. Once the light grew to an intensity that began to cause him physical pain. In the maelstrom of light Kagato hear the voice of the goddess speak to him saying, "I am now beyond your power, Kagato."

"Let what is started now be finished." Came Sasami's voice from the light.

"Let us be one." Came Tsunami's voice.

Immediately Kagato realized what it was he was seeing. He had heard rumors that Sasami and Tsunami were link with one another, but he did not understand how until just this moment. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light and he roared, "NO!" In the maelstrom he could see to figures standing face to face, they slowly walked towards one another and embraced. Seconds later there an immense flash of white light that was the intensity of a thousand stars, the shockwave struck Kagato and his Darkling lieutenants and sent them falling from the tier. Duncan remain unharmed by the massive surge of energy that erupted from the pair. He kept his eyes closed until the whistle of the air rushing past him subsided. Duncan opened his eyes and he looked around. The Tree of Light was still there, but the goddess was nowhere to be found. He looked down and gasped. Sasami lay sprawled on the ground and completely naked. Duncan raced to her side and helped her to her feet. She opened her eyes and looked down at her body and blushed red when she realized that she was totally unclothed. Duncan averted his eyes and took off his shirt for her to wear. He looked into her face and it was the one of the beautiful goddess. The twin triangular Sign of True Power that had adorned Sasami's forehead was gone and was now replaced by the dual circlet symbol of the goddess Tsunami.

"I feel so weak." She said. Her voice had also changed. It was the same clear bell like tone that Tsunami spoke in.

[You will be, our joining has left us both weak.] came Tsunami's voice inside her mind.

"Tsunami, I can still here you." Sasami said in astonishment.

[As I said, we will always be together.] Tsunami replied.

"You can hear her in your mind?" Duncan asked her.

"Yes, she is a part of me now, and I am a part of her." Sasami told him.

Duncan looked back at the walkway that lead downwards from the tier. "Well, we'd better get out of here before Kagato regains his composure and comes for us again" he said.

As they were about to walked away Duncan noticed his wrist communicator was starting to beep. He reached for it and tapped the controls. "Duncan, Sasami are you alright?" came the voice of Aeka.

"We are all fine." Sasami said.

"Tsunami?" Aeka asked.

"No, its me, Sasami." She replied.

There was silence for a moment on the other end of the com signal, and then Aeka spoke. "Oh, Sasami, I wish I could have been with you." She said.

"Its alright, Duncan was here." Sasami told her.

"And so was Kagato, but he did not like the bright light very much and left." Duncan said.

"Where are you?" Aeka asked.

"Right next to Tsunami's tree." Sasami told her.

"We're flying over the tower now, stand by." Aeka replied.

Duncan and Sasami looked up and sure enough they saw the silhouette of a some starship in the light of Jurai's rings. A moment later they felt disorientation and a brief moment of weightlessness, and suddenly their surroundings changed to the transporter room on Kryton. Aeka immediately flew into Sasami's arms and the two women cried as they hugged. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Misaki were in the room also.

"Are you feeling alright?" Aeka asked her sister. She moved to arms length still holding onto her sister's hands. Tenchi, realizing the fact that Sasami was partially undressed, suddenly turned bright red and averted his eyes.

"You'd better." Ryoko told him. She realized for the first time just now beautiful Tsunami really was now that she saw Sasami in her form.

[Be good, you and Aeka are the only girls I ever had eyes for.] he told her through their link.

[What about Sakuya?] Ryoko asked him.

[That's another issue.] Tenchi replied and gave her a dirty look.

On the bridge Orrin was at the controls of Kryton. Four Darkling battleships and six smaller vessels arrived over the palace in past few minutes and he knew that many more were on the way. He sent the ship through fast dodges to keep from being hit, and he returned fire to a few of the smaller ships as they passed them. These smaller ships were easily destroyed by Kryton's firepower, and the light and sound of their destruction woke the capital from its night sleep. Several Juraian starships also began to appear in the sky around the palace and started to exchange fire with the Darklings.

"Lady Fonaho, order your ships to cease their attack on the Darklings." Orrin said into a ship intercom.

Back in sickbay Fonaho, Yuko and Kryton's avatar where putting Azusa into a stasis chamber. Yuko pointed to a panel on the wall. Fonaho walked over to it and touched the controls. "Why, what is wrong?" she asked.

"They are no match for them, if you don't order them to stand down and make a run for it they will all be destroyed." Orrin told her.

"But-but we can't just let them take the royal palace." She said.

"We're all out safe for the most part." Orrin replied. "Either order them to withdraw or they will all die and there will be no one left to fight for Jurai."

Fonaho was silent for a moment, then she adjusted the controls on the panel, pressed the transmit button and said, "This is Minister of Defense Fonaho Jurai to all ship, I am ordering a full scale retreat, command code alpha-bravo-tango-61798, authorization Fonaho001"

"Acknowledged, Lady Fonaho." Came the voice of Admiral Shakar.

"What are you doing out there, why aren't you at the backup command center?" she asked.

"We heard the palace was attacked, so I beamed to one of the ships intending to rescue the royal family." The Admiral replied.

"We're safe and heading for the secondary base." She told him. "Get yourself there also, that is an order."

"Aye, milady, all vessels go to full retreat." Admiral Shakar ordered.

On the bridge Orrin put the throttle to full power and using the shields of the ship he literally rammed their way free of the Darkling fleet that was quickly surrounding them. "Kryton engage stealth mode." He ordered. Immediately the escaping ship disappeared from sight and from the sensors on all the ships.

Part Six - The Dark Lord of Jurai...

Kagato had fallen the entire way down to the bottom of the tower. He found himself laying on a small isle of rock surrounded by a pool of water. The other Darklings that had been with him were nowhere to be seen. He slowly picked himself and could feel his body already starting to stitch his broken bones back together again. When he was finally standing fully erect a Darkling appeared out of subspace in front of him.

"Milord, the palace is secure." It told him.

"Very good, what of the royal family?" he asked. He did not bother to try and go back to the upper tier. He could sense with his new powers that Sasami and the young man who challenged him were now gone.

"They have all escaped, we captured and feed upon several of the wait staff, but we have found no one of the royal family." The Darkling said.

"What of the Royal Guard?" Kagato asked the creature. They started their way out of the Royal Gardens. "I am afraid all but five of them have eluded us, sir." The creature replied.

"Five Royal Guard will pose little threat to us." Kagato said absently.

"I believe one who escaped us was the Captain of the Guard, sir." The creature said.

"Its of no consequence." Kagato told the creature. "What is the status of the pursuit of that escaping ship?"

The Darkling seemed hesitant to speak for a moment. Kagato stopped just as they reached the throne room and turned around and looked at the creature.

"I asked you a question." He barked.

The creature fidgeted for moment and said, "It disappeared."

"It what!" Kagato shouted. In a fit of rage he conjured his sword, the creature cowered before him and prostrated itself on the ground. "Please spare me, Dark Lord, it wasn't my fault!" it cried.

Kagato dispelled his sword, walked up the dais to the throne and sat there. "Get up you sniveling coward." He ordered the creature. He monster complied and stood waiting for his next order.

"Have an immediate sweep of the city done, there are survivors form our bomb and I want them collected." Kagato ordered.

The Darkling bowed and started to back away. "As you command." It said.

"Wait, you called me Dark Lord." Kagato said.

The Darkling hesitated with fear and said, "Yes, was I inappropriate in saying so, milord?" the creature asked.

"No, I like it, Dark Lord, yes, I like it very much." Kagato said with a smile.

"Yes, the Dark Lord of Jurai, sir." The creature replied.

Kagato let out an ear piercing laugh. "Yes, Dark Lord of Jurai, that is quite fitting actually." He said.

The Darkling bowed again and then ran off to issue his master's commands.

In the capital city people were outside their homes and they already began to realized that something terrible was happening. They survived the blast that struck the other side of the city earlier that day, but now they were awakened by the sound of a blast in the palace compound. Dark alien craft started to assemble around the palace and a strange alien vessel did battle with several of them, and the Jurai fleet also arrived and started to open fire. However, the strange alien ship was gone and the fleet was retreating. This started a panic in the streets as thousands of people started to run for their lives. The Darkling Invasion of Jurai had begun.
Captain Ginaro and four of his surviving Royal Guard ran through this insanity as thousands ran for their lives. They looked up in time to see hundreds of small craft descend towards the city. The small craft appeared to look like clam shaped objects in the night sky.

"What do we do now, sir." Lt. Bren asked the captain.

"We can only hope that Lord Tenchi and Lord Orrin were able to get the royal family out of there." Ginaro said gesturing towards the palace. "We should find the closest military command center and report in."

"The closest will have been evacuated already, sir." Said another one of the Royal Guard. This one was known as Lt. Vokal.

"Perhaps we should find us some transport and head for the emergency command center on the southern continent." Lt. Bren said.

"Good idea, Lieutenant." Ginaro said.

One of the clam shaped ships landed not far from where they were standing. Throngs of people were climbing over each other to escape, children were crying, women were screaming, and the shouted prayers to Tsunami could be heard. The clam shaped craft suddenly began to move. It front section chevrons moved apart, and its lower section made contact with the ground. The lower parts disconnected and rose into the air lifting the rest of the craft off the ground and they appeared to look like a pair of reverse articulated legs. The two chevrons split and became twin pincers on two bulky arms. The mechanical monster had an organic appearance and almost looked like it was alive. Two nacelles that were long and cylindrical rose up from the main body on two long, slender control arms. From these nacelles blasts of red energy were fired into the crowds of people trying to flee. Ginaro and his lieutenants watched in horror as hundreds of people dropped where they were either running, crawling or standing. Oddly enough, there was no explosion when the weapons were fired.

"Sir, they're being stunned!" Lt. Bren shouted over the sound of weapons fire.

"It appears that way, lets go before we're next." Ginaro said and they all made a quick dash to escape.

Hundreds of the mechanical monsters stomped through the streets of Jurai leaving thousands of people laying unconscious in their wake. A series of other ships came along after them and started to lift the people off the ground with a wide disbursement tractor beam. The bodies they picked up where laid down on large flatbed carries attached to the ships until they were full, and then the next in line started to pick the people up. Outside of the city a large area was encircled by force field generators to make a large encampment. Several buildings from the city had been literally pulled up from the ground and dropped into place to provide the people some kind of shelter. The flatbed craft arrived at the camp and started to deliver their cargo. They dumped the unconscious people onto the ground and then flew off to gather more. The stunning effect of the war machines began to wear off and they people started to stir. Soon they were all on their feet and screaming, they searched towards the force field wall and were immediately repelled.
Three of the walking war machines or mech, if they could be called thus, marched into the encampment. The people stopped their attempts to escape and stood waiting for what was going to happen. The nacelles on the mechs pointed upwards and fired their beams into the sky. The beams intersected above the people and started to form an image. A three dimensional holographic projection of the throne room of the royal palace appeared. Thousands of people in the camp now gasped at the sigh of who was sitting in the throne.
Kagato look towards them, for in the throne room he could see the people through a similar projection. "As of this time, there is no more royal family of Jurai." He said. "Already our forces are collecting the populous of the capital city and others cities around this planet. Your fleet is in retreat, and your leaders have gone into hiding. There is no one in this universe who can help you, and your beloved Tsunami is gone. From this time forward your lives, your souls, your very breath belongs to us. We are your masters now, and I am your Dark Lord and I am now your new god. Any who does not bow to me will be destroyed. Any who tries to resist will suffer agony unimaginable. Obey us, give us what we want, and you will be allowed to live to see another day. You have no hope, you have no chance. We are the Darkness, and this world is now ours."

Kryton was much larger than his previous form, and this allowed for a large observation deck on one of his lower levels. Sasami sat on a cushioned seat that ran along the observation windows and looked outside. The landscape below was running towards them at an incredible rate as the ship flew low over the ground. Duncan came over and sat next to her. He handed her a cup of water she had asked for earlier and looked out the windows with her. She was no longer dressed in just Duncan's shirt but now wore a long flowing white gown that Kryton synthesized for her.

"I can't believe father may actually die." She said.

"Don't worry, your father is tough, he can pull out of this." Duncan told her.

"This all just so unreal, we're running from out homes, and our world is being overrun by monsters." She said and she put her face in her hands.

Duncan took her hands in his and began massaging her fingers tenderly. "We'll fight back, Orrin and Washu will make a way for us to fight back, but we need to give them time." He said.

"Oh, Duncan, what is going to happen to us?" she cried and embraced him.

"We'll fight back and get our homes back." He said as he stroked her hair. "Even if it takes us forever we will fight until we can't stand any longer."

Sasami pulled back and looked into Duncan's eyes. Duncan thought he would become lost in those beautiful pink eyes of hers. Without saying a word they encircled each other in their arms and kissed with every ounce of passion in their hearts. When they parted Sasami said, "I love you."

"I love you too." Duncan replied with a smile.

Elsewhere on the ship, Aeka stood and looked at her father through the glass of the stasis chamber. He was totally motionless inside the machine that for the most part was keeping the Dark Energy inside of him form spreading any further. Tenchi laid a hand on her shoulder and she reached up and caressed it. Tears were running down Aeka's face, her regal conditioning be damned. Ryoko could not help but let the tears flow as well as she felt Aeka's immense sadness flow through their link.

[I remember the first time he took me to the Startica Festival.] Aeka said.

[What is Startica like?] Tenchi asked. [You mentioned it on Earth, and we celebrated it, but what is it like on Jurai?]

[Its a time of great celebration, its a time of joy, happiness, and family bonding.] she said.

[It sounds beautiful.] Ryoko said.

[It is, and one day I hope for you both to see it.] Aeka said. Tenchi squeezed her shoulder softly. [We will see it, we will.] he said.

[Ya, we'll send Kagato and his monsters running away screaming, and there will be a celebration on Jurai that likes of which have never been seen anywhere in the universe.] Ryoko said.

Aeka turned around and the tears started to fall more quickly this time. She opened her arms to receive her husband and Ryoko both and they held each other for a long time. After a moment Tenchi kissed them both. Aeka turned towards her father and blew him a kiss. She followed Tenchi and Ryoko out of the sickbay and into the corridor.
They came to the observation deck where Duncan and Sasami were already sitting. Sasami was sitting on Duncan's lap with her arms around him as they watched the landscape rush by.

"Nice view." Tenchi said, but he was looking at Sasami. This made the young woman blush, and got Tenchi a jab in the ribs from Ryoko and Aeka.

"Are you feeling better, Sasami dear?" Aeka asked her sister.

"The weakness has worn off." Sasami said.

"Can you tell us what it was like?" Tenchi asked her.

"Its really hard to explained, there was no pain just a feeling of warmth and peace." She said. "I felt no panic, no fear, and even when Kagato arrived I didn't get scared."

"He made my skin crawl." Duncan told them.

"Your not the only one he does that to." Ryoko replied.

"Then, when it happened I saw all of her memories as if I were reliving her life over again." Sasami added. "I witnessed the birth of our universe, I saw ancient Jurai before the first cities were built, I saw Washu as she was as a goddess, and-and-" she stopped and looked up at Tenchi.

"And what?" Aeka asked.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you." Sasami said.

"What is it, if its important we should know about it?" Aeka demanded.

"Tenchi's birth wasn't an accident." Sasami told them. "Tsunami has been manipulating the blood lines of the Royal Family for centuries to create a Super Being capable of protecting Jurai and the universe from the force of evil she had foreseen in the future. It was Tsunami who asked Yosho to chase Ryoko to Earth and spare her life, thus sealing her in the cave for 700 years. It was Tsunami who encourage Yosho to marry among the humans of Earth. It was she who told Yosho it was time for Tenchi to release Ryoko from the cave."

"Why did she do those things?" Aeka asked he sister, her face was one of shock and disbelief.

"It was all planned out, Tenchi and Ryoko were preordained to be together by Tsunami, because their children would be very powerful." Sasami told her.

"What!" Aeka said and face faltered.

"Hold on, that sort of trivializes Aeka's relationship to me as a side item!" Tenchi shouted at the young princess.

"Tsunami did not disapprove of Aeka marrying you at all." Sasami said. "She was glad it worked out that way so because she thought the way things were turning out that someone was going to heartbroken."

"That someone would be me." Aeka said and sat down. Tenchi put her hand on her knee and gave her a light squeeze.

"I don't care who was preordained to be with who, I love both of you." He told her. Ryoko sat on the other side of Tenchi and wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his back.

"Where is Yosho anyway?" Ryoko asked.

"He came onboard with Darius, Yuko, and Mihoshi." Tenchi told her. "I saw him go to his room and he hasn't been out since."

"Where is my other sister?" Sasami asked. They all looked at her and realized who she was talking about.

"Washu is with Orrin on the bridge." Aeka told her.

"This is going to take a lot of getting used to, but we can get through this." Tenchi told them.

"We have to, because all of Jurai depends on us now." Duncan added.

Everyone looked at him, he had been silent since Sasami started tell them Tsunami's secrets, and now they looked back at each other and nodded in agreement. They each put their hands together and Tenchi said, "Let us make this solemn pact, that we will not stop, we will not falter until Jurai is free."

"Agreed." They each said in unison in a soft voice.

The Kryton continue to rush through the sky towards the southern continent of Jurai. In the distance laughter could be heard as the Regis hears word of Kagato's success at the Royal Palace. Captain Ginaro and his four guardsmen manage to dodge the Darkling mechs and find a hover car with enough power left in its fuel cells to get them to the emergency command center. They speed away from the royal capital without looking back. Somewhere far away, in a pocket of reality attached to this one, Lady Tokimi watches the events take fold on planet Jurai, and D3 stands behind her.

"We are powerful to stop them." She said. "It is up to my sisters and their choose champion now."

"Will they succeed?" D3 asks.

"It is difficult to see the future, it is always in motion." Tokimi told him. "But we shall see soon."
________
The End of Episode Two...

Next time...
Episode Three: No Need for Apocalypse

The Darkness has come to planet Jurai. The future of the empire is in the hands
of a small ragtag band of resistance fighters lead by Tenchi and the gang. Can
they free Jurai from this Dark Apocalypse, or will Jurai fall and soon the rest
of the universe with her. Stay tuned for the Prologue of Episode 3: No Need for
Apocalypse.

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