Okay, just before I start. This is my first fanfiction. . At least, the
forst one that I felt happy enough with to show anyone else. So, umm, I'd
appreciate any comments you have, k? ^__^ Thankie! Whew, deep breath...and
here it goes!
* * * * * * * * * *
As Kiyone strode out of her ship, she handed the keys to the mechanic. "Just a quick look over?"
"We've got a few ships at the moment. Hope you don't mind waiting."
Kiyone sighed. "Sure, fine. Just...get it done?"
"That's my job. So, what's this baby called?"
"Yukin-" Kiyone laughed. "No, wait. Sorry. It's the amazingly named 'Star- Blazer'."
"Star-Blazer?"
"That's what the last officer called it. And of course, I'm not allowed to rename it to something a bit less cheesy or flashy."
"No, of course not."
They exchanged tired smiles before Kiyone started to push her way through the crowd. Once they realised that she was a member of the Galaxy Police, the crowd seemed to avoid a foot either way of her.
Ah, the perks of the job, she thought bitterly.
In this manner, she made it to the small café that the service station provided. Or course, it was packed.
A waitress smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry. I don't think there's room if you were going to stay. They're allowing take-away stuff now though, if you'd like."
"I guess it beats nothing, right?"
"I guess."
"A couple of cups of coffee then."
"Oh, you'll have to join the queue."
"Queue?"
Kiyone's eyes flicked towards the people standing at the counter. Her eyes followed the noisy line along the shop, out of the door, and a little way down the hall.
"On second thoughts, I'll do without."
"Okay. Sorry about that."
As Kiyone turned, she felt a small tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me miss, but someone's waving you over," the waitress said.
Kiyone turned back again, and ran her eyes over the jumble of people. She just spotted a hand beckoning her over to one of the tables. She couldn't see the owner; the queue was blocking them.
Cautiously, she went over, pushing her way through, and then slid down into the seat opposite the figure. As soon as she saw who it was, she grinned and relaxed.
"Ryoko!"
"Nice to see you. S'been a while, huh?"
"Yeah, I'll say."
"You've aged well though," Ryoko snickered.
"Hey, 20 years isn't that long!"
"So you say."
Kiyone shook her head. "You don't seem to have changed much."
"Haven't I?"
Confused by the last remark, Kiyone refrained from saying anything.
"So, where have you been all this time, to sound cliché?" Ryoko pressed. "We knew you'd be away for a while, but 2 decades is a bit extreme."
"They never told us how long we'd be gone."
"Huh. You'd think they'd tell you if you'd be gone THAT long."
"You'd think so."
Ryoko took a quick sip from her cup before saying, "Has Mihoshi got locked in the ship?"
"...What?"
"Or has she got lost already?"
"?"
"Is. Mihoshi. Where. Rearrange and you get..."
"Oh. Umm...she won't be coming." Kiyone avoided looking at Ryoko as she said this.
"Oh." Then Ryoko caught Kiyone's expression. "...Oh. Sorry to hear it. What...what happened?"
Kiyone bowed her head. "A few years in...we were being hired. A new thing the GPs were trying out. We'd been called in by someone to...there was a hostage situation. I was told to stay in the ship and get ready for a quick escape...Mihoshi was sent in though...the guys, our clients, were stuck in there. She, along with some other people, got in, and tried to get them out of there...but there was too many people going against them...there was one option though. If someone else...and, well, to tell the truth, I'm not even sure if it was an accident or whether she did it on purpose. But she made a great sacrifice to get them outta there. By that time there were more ships, and we made it out of there, but Mihoshi...Look, can I leave it at that? I don't really want to go into detail."
There was an awkward silence.
"But anyway," Kiyone tried to brighten the mood, "what's happening with you? I mean, I didn't expect to see you this far away from Earth. How's Tenchi and everyone else? Are they here too?"
It was Ryoko's turn to hesitate and look uncomfortable. "...Where do I begin..."
* * * * * * * * * *
As Kiyone strode out of her ship, she handed the keys to the mechanic. "Just a quick look over?"
"We've got a few ships at the moment. Hope you don't mind waiting."
Kiyone sighed. "Sure, fine. Just...get it done?"
"That's my job. So, what's this baby called?"
"Yukin-" Kiyone laughed. "No, wait. Sorry. It's the amazingly named 'Star- Blazer'."
"Star-Blazer?"
"That's what the last officer called it. And of course, I'm not allowed to rename it to something a bit less cheesy or flashy."
"No, of course not."
They exchanged tired smiles before Kiyone started to push her way through the crowd. Once they realised that she was a member of the Galaxy Police, the crowd seemed to avoid a foot either way of her.
Ah, the perks of the job, she thought bitterly.
In this manner, she made it to the small café that the service station provided. Or course, it was packed.
A waitress smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry. I don't think there's room if you were going to stay. They're allowing take-away stuff now though, if you'd like."
"I guess it beats nothing, right?"
"I guess."
"A couple of cups of coffee then."
"Oh, you'll have to join the queue."
"Queue?"
Kiyone's eyes flicked towards the people standing at the counter. Her eyes followed the noisy line along the shop, out of the door, and a little way down the hall.
"On second thoughts, I'll do without."
"Okay. Sorry about that."
As Kiyone turned, she felt a small tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me miss, but someone's waving you over," the waitress said.
Kiyone turned back again, and ran her eyes over the jumble of people. She just spotted a hand beckoning her over to one of the tables. She couldn't see the owner; the queue was blocking them.
Cautiously, she went over, pushing her way through, and then slid down into the seat opposite the figure. As soon as she saw who it was, she grinned and relaxed.
"Ryoko!"
"Nice to see you. S'been a while, huh?"
"Yeah, I'll say."
"You've aged well though," Ryoko snickered.
"Hey, 20 years isn't that long!"
"So you say."
Kiyone shook her head. "You don't seem to have changed much."
"Haven't I?"
Confused by the last remark, Kiyone refrained from saying anything.
"So, where have you been all this time, to sound cliché?" Ryoko pressed. "We knew you'd be away for a while, but 2 decades is a bit extreme."
"They never told us how long we'd be gone."
"Huh. You'd think they'd tell you if you'd be gone THAT long."
"You'd think so."
Ryoko took a quick sip from her cup before saying, "Has Mihoshi got locked in the ship?"
"...What?"
"Or has she got lost already?"
"?"
"Is. Mihoshi. Where. Rearrange and you get..."
"Oh. Umm...she won't be coming." Kiyone avoided looking at Ryoko as she said this.
"Oh." Then Ryoko caught Kiyone's expression. "...Oh. Sorry to hear it. What...what happened?"
Kiyone bowed her head. "A few years in...we were being hired. A new thing the GPs were trying out. We'd been called in by someone to...there was a hostage situation. I was told to stay in the ship and get ready for a quick escape...Mihoshi was sent in though...the guys, our clients, were stuck in there. She, along with some other people, got in, and tried to get them out of there...but there was too many people going against them...there was one option though. If someone else...and, well, to tell the truth, I'm not even sure if it was an accident or whether she did it on purpose. But she made a great sacrifice to get them outta there. By that time there were more ships, and we made it out of there, but Mihoshi...Look, can I leave it at that? I don't really want to go into detail."
There was an awkward silence.
"But anyway," Kiyone tried to brighten the mood, "what's happening with you? I mean, I didn't expect to see you this far away from Earth. How's Tenchi and everyone else? Are they here too?"
It was Ryoko's turn to hesitate and look uncomfortable. "...Where do I begin..."