A.N.: Okay, this is my first Tenchi fic, so be gentle. I haven't even seen all of the episodes, and I was always a little confused about the story line, anyway. For this story, I didn't even try to follow the T.V. story line. I still have most of the main characters, though I cut out Ryoko. (For Ryoko lovers everywhere, I apologize. I do like her; I just couldn't picture her as part of this story. My sequel, which is already in the works, will have quite a bit of her, though.) I sincerely hope you enjoy this.
This fic was edited December of 2004. I did what I could to fix it, though everyone should keep in mind that it's one of my older stories and there was only so much I could do to improve it.
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"Space Cadet"
PROLOGUE
Sasami gazed out her window, watching the stars as they streaked past. The stars really are beautiful, she thought. I wonder why I never noticed them before. She was noticing a lot of new things these days, and most of them weren't as simple as scenery.
Sasami sighed profoundly. She was a princess of Jurai, but she'd never noticed just how stagnated her world had become over the centuries. Her people wallowed in their customs, never thinking to look outside their own planet. They were convinced that nothing outside of Jurai itself was worth experiencing. Sasami herself had spent her entire existence sequestered in the palace, shielded from the reality she so desperately craved. She'd believed herself to be trapped by her rank, but now she wanted to live. She wanted to break away from her royal fetters, see the universe. She wanted to share the experiences of every other being in creation, but she couldn't do that on Jurai. She had to leave, now, before her family figured out what she was up to.
Making up her mind at last, Sasami slid away from the window and began her preparations. It would take an astronomical amount of ingenuity and cunning, but she was determined to leave. She wouldn't say good-bye to her family, and she wouldn't look back.
A faint purring brought her back to the window, where a little animal had been sleeping. Smiling softly, Sasami picked Ryo-oki up. "I don't know what I was thinking," she murmured. "I could never have left you behind, Ryo-oki." The tiny creature gave a faint, questioning meow that only Sasami could understand. "I know just where to go," answered the girl answered. "They'll never find us." The animal meowed again, and Sasami shook her head slightly. "No, I won't leave a note. Somehow, Aeka would figure out where I'd gone just from looking at my handwriting. I know my sister will be worried, but I need to get out on my own for a while. I need to prove myself to myself."