Authors Note.
A question that came to me while watching Bodacious space pirates, is why is the captain of the Barbaroosa Kenjo Kurihara so helpful towards Marika Kato and the Bentenmaru, in person and in sending his apparently only child to help and train with Marika. Story dynamics aside, here's my take on why.
Pirates Nest – After the Battle with the Grand Cross.
The noise of celebrating pirate crews is something to be heard and to be quite honest thought Marika probably at the level were permanent hearing damage was a strong possibility.
She had gradually drifted away from the centre of the crowd and had found a large comfortable sofa some distance away. She was joined shortly afterwards by Chiaki-Chan and the two had sat in companionable silence. Marika's eyes were gradually drifting closed and quick nap seemed like a very good idea despite the noise. When such thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Chiaki's father Kenjo.
"Chiaki," he said and handed the large terminal to her. "Your mother wants to speak to you."
With a slight sigh, she took off him and placed it on her lap.
"Hello mother, yes I am fine before you ask" She said.
"Cannot a mother ask after her daughter when she has been in some momentous events." Came a slightly amused voice from the terminal.
"I am sure that dad would have told you if anything was wrong." Replied Chiaki.
Struck by a sudden curiosity, Marika leaned into see more clearly what has on the display. The image showed a pale skinned woman with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a sleeveless green top. Behind her was a modern looking home with windows that appeared to look out onto a forest of some kind. By doing so however she came with in view of the camera.
"Oh is that Marika Kato, I see there." Said the woman. Chiaki head turned to glare at Marika. Face redding from the embarrassment of being caught and Chiaki's stare, she replied with a little hand wave.
"Hello Mrs Kurihara."
"Enough of that. Call me Makoto. Chiaki, stop glaring, one day the wind will blow and your face will be stuck like that. Turn the screen around so I can see both of you."
"Yes mother", said Chiaki with another sigh.
"It's been a long time," commented Makoto. "and the footage from the news casts don't necessary show your best. "
Marika's face flushed again, her emergence onto the pirating world had come with a bang, both with the presentation at the Royal palace and the Hew and Doolittle affair. Then her mind caught something.
"Its been a while? Have we met before?" asked Marika.
"Oh yes, many years ago, you must have been only four or five months old. Do you remember dear when Gonzaemon on Ririka came to visit." Said Makoto.
Kenjo took the terminal and placed it on the table and sat down himself. The screen size increased.
"What…" Said Marika, looking slightly stunned at this revelation.
"Didn't you know about the fact that Ririka and were at school together?" asked Mokoto with a confused look on her face.
"She didn't even know her father was a pirate after he died." Said Chiaki.
"Its typical of Ririka, to forget a thing like that." Commented Kenjo.
"Oh dear," Mokoto commented, shaking her head. "Let me start from the beginning. Both myself and Ririka were both daughters of freighter crew and we grew up in and around space ships. I was not well as a child and Ririka appointed herself as my guardian when we entered school. Anyway we went though school together on the O'Neill colony at Groombridge 1618."
"Ririka-san said to me she had grown up in space. Never thought to ask about were and why." Commented Marika.
Makoto continued "Well there was a series of misadventures after we left school, Ririka being captain of her fathers ship for a while, both of us doing other odd jobs. You know I was briefly on the Bentenmaru as cook after a food poisoning incident."
"What happened after that." Asked Chiaki, curious about her own parents history.
"Oh we ran into a couple of ex-naval officers and that was that." She replied with a smile and Kenjo.
"Its true, me and Gonzaemon were in the imperial navy for six years, we met at basic training and bonded over our fathers jobs." Kenjo then laughed, "our fathers asked us to leave then, as they worried that we might be getting too soft. " He laughed again, "Good times."
Makoto was looking down at something.
"Ahh found it." She said "Here you go Marika.
The image on the screen changed to scene of two babies lying fast asleep on a large pink mat. The one of the right she recognized as herself. The red hair and blue and black striped blanket she always seem to be with.
"Mother." Exclaimed Chiaki, "What have I told you about showing of my baby pictures."
"and as ever I continue to ignore you, mothers privilege." Came the voice.
"Chiaki-chan, when's your birthday?" asked Marika.
"April 12th"
"Mines April 23 th"
"What's that got do with anything."
"It's a bit close together isn't it."
The image disappeared and Mokoto's face returned with an embarrassed look.
"Well it's probably my fault that you're here Marika." Said Motoko.
"Hurh…" said both Marika and Chiaki not understanding.
"Chiaki, you know your mother has mitochondrial disease that can causes to be ill sometimes." Said Kenjo.
"Yes I know, she has an infusion of nano-machines every six months to correct the issue." Said Chaiki.
It was at that point everything clicked in Marika's head. Human biology was not her strong point, but something's she retained. Mitochondria as small components in human cells responsible for energy production, but they had there own DNA, a legacy of then they were free living bacteria. The other thing was that they were always inherited from the mother, but Chiaki's mother had damaged ones that required regular repair by medical nano-machines, but Chiaki didn't therefore.
"Did Ririka-san donate some of her eggs to you?" Said Marika quietly.
"Yes, " said Kenjo. "What greater gift can a friend give than the chance of a healthy child."
Chiaki stared at both her parents for a moment. Then closed her eyes and laughed at herself.
"I had all the information there and didn't put it together." She said.
"That's right, we took one of Ririka's eggs, replaced the nuclear DNA with ours and we had you. Free of the disease that has cursed me since I was born. Unfortunately you did inherit your grandmothers allergy to Retinax V. " Said Mokoto.
"Well that's an interesting surprise". Said Marika. "But whats that to do with me being here?"
"Right, part of the procedure, to get number of eggs and pick the best ones, so Ririka was given drugs to produce several at the same time. One of the side effects is increased fertility afterwards." Said Motoko.
"Oh.."
"Both Ririka and Gonzaemon were very happy when they told us the news, as was your Grandfather, may he rest in peace."
Marika was quiet for a moment trying to process what had been said and was thinking what she had to ask her mother when they saw each other again. Then the moment past and little devil Marika appeared on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear.
"Well out of all this, one thing is clear, I get 0.000 something of a oneesan, out of the whole affair." She then tackle-hugged Chiarki.
"Hello, big sister."
"Get off me you mad fool." Screamed Chiarki. As both adults began to laugh at their antics.
Epilogue
It was night cycle at the pirates nest. At the large windows looking out into space stood Kenjo Kurihara, a large tankard in his hand. The buzz of the nights drinking had passed and the pirate ships were beginning to leave, returning to their own lives. Barbaroosa waited in dock awaiting the delivery of another weapons pack. But in this moment of peace he spoke out loud to the stars.
"Well Gonzaemon, I am keeping my eyes on your family as I promised and as you promised to do the same for mine. There is a fire in daughter I think we have not we not seen in a while, perhaps it will burn out quickly or the world will change because of that fire. But I will keep my eye on her, guide her if I can but life is going to become a lot more interesting. " He raised his tankard. "Rest well my friend, may you find your place in the stars."