Disclaimer: Characters and concepts from "Tenchi Muyo!" were created by Kajishima Masaki, and are Copyright AIC and Pioneer LDC. This work is a parody and not to be used for any commercial purposes.
Foreword: This story is a sequel in the "Showing Restraint" series, and so is based on the OVA continuity. It is part of a much larger plot line meant to be my humble replacement for Season 3. Therefore, it is technically Alternate Universe: Noike and Tennyo do not exist, and none of the Season 3 events are assumed to have happened.
Justice Delayed
Ryoko took a deep breath, and strode into the courtroom. Although Tenchi, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki were there, most of the seats were filled with people who stared at her maliciously, and many of the remainder looked at her with disappointment. Even her attorney, she was well aware, was not her friend. She tried not to make eye contact with anyone as she made her way to her seat. She pulled back the chair from the table inlaid with a crystal top, noting absently that at least the courtroom had finely crafted furnishings, and sat down.
It was probably inevitable that she would find herself in court once she came to Jurai, Ryoko thought. Still, the proceedings were running efficiently. The three judges filed in with a sweep of their somber-colored robes, and took their seats on the elevated dais. A glance around the courtroom to confirm that all was in order, and the bearded chief judge picked up the ornate wooden rod and struck the bell before him.
"Know all present, that court is now in session," he declared. "Let the defendant rise and identify herself for the record."
From the table opposite Ryoko's, Ayeka stood up. "Your Honor, I am Ayeka Masaki Jurai," she answered.
For Ryoko, there had been a hint of things going wrong for her even with the arrival at the spaceport. A huge crowd had been there to greet all of them, most waving banners of welcome. There were even a few signs telling Ayeka to go someplace unpleasant and stay there. But soon it became clear that the great majority of the crowd was cheering for Sasami. More, the group cheering Ryoko and booing Ayeka turned out to be a doomsday sect called the Cult of Ahrli, who wanted Ryoko to complete the job of devastating Jurai. This led to raking up long-ago events that she would rather have forgotten about, especially with Tenchi there.
Shortly afterward, the Devil Princess of Jurai had lived up to her name, taking charge of just about everything and everybody. Tenchi and Sasami were packed off to what was basically a boarding school for Juraian nobility. Ryoko, Ayeka, and Mihoshi were also shipped off to Ayeka's "summer cottage", actually a full-sized castle. This might not have been so bad except that Seto turned it into a training camp for the Trans-Jurai competition, drilling all three girls night and day. (And memorizing the names of hormones and their desired levels wasn't nearly as much fun as practical experience with Tenchi would have been.) True, since Jurai had an extensive network of teleporters, they were able to visit with Tenchi quite often. Something was missing, however, knowing that Tenchi wasn't sleeping under the same roof.
But things had really started to go bad with Washu's physical exams...
"Yeeowch!" Ryoko yelped as the rubber mallet struck her elbow.
"Don't be a baby, Ryoko." Washu had never been long on sympathy. She turned to the two female doctors accompanying her. "As you can see from the readouts, Ryoko's nerve functions are excellent, but nothing prohibited under competition rules."
"I agree about her nervous system, and I congratulate you on the speed of her response," replied the first doctor. "However, some of her other powers are in fact prohibited."
"They are? Which ones?" For a moment, Ryoko forgot that she was being held by Washu's metal tentacles.
"The ability to phase into and out of clothes, for one thing." The second doctor's tone was decidedly less friendly. "But most important of all, the link with Washu. The competition questions must be answered entirely from memory. From what I've seen, Ryoko will have to be disqualified."
"Disqualified?" Ryoko squawked. That could mean leaving Jurai - and Tenchi.
"I think those obstacles can be overcome." Washu said calmly. "For instance, Ryoko can't phase or teleport when she's in contact with a substantial amount of matter. It shouldn't be difficult to make a device that will produce the same effect. As for the link, her robot part learned how to shut it down already. We just need a way to confirm it."
"That sounds as if will acceptable," the first doctor looked relieved. "We're all looking forward to your paper on a humanoid-robot-masu fusion."
"Of course, the final decision will be up to the the judging committee," the second doctor pointed out.
"If you're through patting each other on the back," Ryoko spoke up, "could you unclamp me now?"
"But you look so cute like that." Washu said.
"I think we have what we need," the first doctor said diplomatically. Washu touched the square on her holo-keyboard, and the tentacles holding Ryoko opened.
"Finally!" Ryoko rubbed her wrists in an exaggerated way, then phased her red and black outfit back around her body.
"It only remains to examine the Seniwan member of the team." the second doctor said.
"Good, I can hardly wait to see how Mihoshi does." Ryoko said.
"Actually, we'll be using a different set-up for her." Washu said.
"What?" Ryoko's face fell. "How come she doesn't have to go through-"
"Do not call my lab the Chamber of Horrors." Washu said sternly.
Ryoko was undaunted. "I'm going to have to find out the laws on freedom of speech here on Jurai."
But, although Ryoko repeated her displeasure, Mihoshi was examined in a different room under much more dignified conditions. Washu remembered the fires and/or explosions that happened in her lab when Mihoshi was there, and for once was willing to accept the standard Juraian exam procedures. And to the surprise of both Washu and Ryoko, there was no damage to any equipment. What did happen was entirely different.
"Look at this, professor." The first doctor turned from the DNA sequencer. "I don't think this part of her DNA is Seniwan."
"You're right," said the second doctor. "In fact, it looks Juraian."
"It definitely is," Washu began, and then her eyes widened in shock. "And it's - mine!"
"But how can that be?" Mihoshi asked.
"Didn't you mention you had a baby with a man from a rich and powerful family long ago?" Ryoko asked Washu. "Could that family have been the Kuramitsus?"
"I've really tried to forget the details of that episode." Washu studied the tips of her fingers to avoid meeting anyone's eyes.
"I bet it was!" Mihoshi said cheerily. "My great-great-grandfather Mikamo had some sort of scandal when he was at the Academy."
"That matches what the DNA tells us," the first doctor said. "You are one-sixteenth Juraian, Miss Kuramitsu."
"Grammy!" Mihoshi squealed. She threw her arms around Washu in a bear-hug. Which meant she missed the look of pure horror on the redhead's face.
Shoot me! Washu sent over her link to Ryoko.
But there was another discovery, and it wasn't nearly as enjoyable to Ryoko's way of thinking.
"That's interesting." The second doctor looked up from her energy scanner. "That hair ribbon has active circuitry. Is that GP equipment?"
"No, my mom gave me this even before I joined the GP." Mihoshi replied.
"Well, I'm afraid you can't wear it during the competition." the first doctor said. "No devices that can receive signals are allowed. Could you just take it off for the exam?"
"Really?" Mihoshi looked unhappy. "I always think of it as my good-luck charm."
"It's just for the exam and during the actual competition." the first doctor said kindly. Hesitantly, Mihoshi undid the ribbon and held it in her hand.
"All right, open wide and say 'ahh'." Washu instructed.
"Why would I want to do that?" Mihoshi asked. "And who are you?"
"Come on, Mihoshi." Washu stared at the blonde. Come to think of it, she looked even more confused than usual...
"Who's Mihoshi?" Mihoshi inquired. Washu and Ryoko both face-faulted.
"Remarkable," the second doctor said. "Immediate total amnesia."
"Are you two all right?" the first doctor looked at Washu and Ryoko, who were staggering back up from the floor.
"Trust us," said Ryoko. "We're used to this kind of thing."
Although putting Mihoshi's hair ribbon back on immediately cured her amnesia, the exam revealed some disturbing things. Scanning her brain found a thin wall of scar tissue blocking many of her neural pathways. The hair ribbon turned out to be a very short range relay, which transmitted data from the memory area of Mihoshi's brain to the other areas. And that one wasn't the only such scar.
A few hours later, a small group had been hastily gathered to discuss the day's findings. "Now we know how serious 'The Incident' Mihoshi mentioned was." For the first time anyone could remember, Washu's voice had more concern for someone than scientific interest. "It's evident that she was dissected when she was captured. For instance, those aren't her original hands. Someone removed them, and grafted on new ones made with compatible tissue."
"That would help explain why she's an expert shot and potato peeler," Princess Seto speculated, "but clumsy at many other things."
"Yes, the new hands were optimized for certain things only, like handling guns and knives." Washu confirmed. "Likewise, most of her major organs were partly or wholly replaced."
"But how could anyone do all that and not kill her?" Tenchi asked. Ayeka, Ryoko, and Seto nodded.
"It would need a great deal of knowledge and skill." Washu said. "I can think of only four people at that level. One of them is me, and I didn't do it."
"For one thing, you were trapped on the Souja when the Incident happened." Ayeka pointed out.
"That's right." Washu acknowledged. "The second was Kagato, but letting Mihoshi go afterward wasn't his usual behavior."
"True enough." Ryoko agreed.
"Third was Naja Akara," Washu continued, "but she disappeared in the destruction of K1190 five thousand years ago."
"I've had that raid thoroughly investigated." Seto spoke up. "If there were any other survivors besides the ones we know of, it's unlikely I would have missed them. I'm sorry, Lady Washu."
The rest nodded in agreement. Seto was herself one of the very few survivors of the pirate attack on K1190, and she ran what was probably the best intelligence network in existence.
"And that leaves us with Dr. Clay." Washu summed up. "And the GP can't question him, since he's escaped. So, for the time being, I suggest we keep this as quiet as we can. Don't give Mihoshi or Sasami any details, it's likely to upset them without any benefit. Just tell them that Mihoshi needs the ribbon like people on Earth sometimes need glasses or hearing aids."
"I think you are wise." Ayeka was ever ready to protect her little sister. The rest, not surprisingly, felt that way too.
Naturally, it wasn't quite that simple. The other teams entered in the Trans-Jurai protested about prohibited devices, and the judging committee found itself listening to passionate arguments on both sides. By great good luck, however, Jurai had a law protecting the rights of the disabled to use various artificial aids. Queen Funaho presented Mihoshi's side, and she was an extraordinary persuader: calm, courteous, and, thanks to being the Holy Council's Director of Information, extremely well-informed. Eventually it was agreed that Mihoshi could use the ribbon, with a detector set up to find any outside signals.
But the discovery marked a sea change in Tenchi's attitude towards Mihoshi. Before he had treated her somewhat indulgently, smiling when she dropped or forgot things. Now he saw her as someone who was valiantly overcoming a disaster, and treated her almost with admiration. The rest of Jurai also was much more welcoming to the blonde when it was learned she had Juraian ancestry, and she became the most popular member of the House Kamiki team. To Ryoko's consternation, Mihoshi was now a serious contender for Tenchi. And she was just as much Tenchi's fiancee as Ryoko was.
More bad news followed soon afterward Washu discovered that Sasami had started growing again. Tsunami had decided for reasons of her own to resume the slow but steady march towards their complete fusion. Someday, Sasami would be as beautiful as Ryoko. (Ryoko was not willing to admit that anyone was more beautiful.) And Sasami's powers would dwarf Ryoko's.
Then there was the discovery that Sasami and Tenchi were not only going to the same school, but sharing the class in Juraian Early History. The two laughed over the fact that, going by dates of birth, Sasami was actually the oldest student in the class, and Tenchi the youngest. Ryoko smiled and agreed it was amusing, and inwardly seethed. For now, Sasami was spending more time with Tenchi than anyone.
Even Washu was scoring points. Cheating for the Trans-Jurai was reaching unprecedented levels, but Washu was doing an extraordinary job of detecting it. Tenchi had been lavish with praise when the redhead had found a subsonic 'woofer' before the first match, which would have been undetectable by electronic scanners. Likewise, Washu had found a way to shut down the mental link with Ryoko, though it involved temporarily removing the gem from her left wrist. There was even some private tutoring for Tenchi's classes, which worried Ryoko more than a little: she knew what she would have tried to do during private sessions.
But one thing had not changed: Ayeka was the most dangerous rival of all. There had been a brief hope that Ayeka would lose out when they first arrived on Jurai. It was not just the Cult of Ahrli, but the majority of the population who were cold to the returning First Princess. Everyone was now aware that she had run off without the Emperor or Council's permission, and that her venture had failed. Prince Yosho had not returned to Jurai, and more, had broken the engagement and married a non-Juraian. Above all, the people blamed Ayeka for taking away their beloved Princess Sasami for seven hundred years.
Ryoko's glee at finding out that Jurai generally shared her opinion of Ayeka was short-lived. To her dismay, Tenchi had spent some time cheering the saddened princess up, and since he was Tenchi, he had succeeded. In between intensive training sessions, princess Seto had scheduled a few public ceremonies and royal banquets for Ayeka to attend, so Jurai could see that the First Princess had resumed her duties. And it had quickly become obvious that Ayeka was a member of one of the galaxy's richest families, while Ryoko had no Juraian money to call her own.
Ryoko had to admit that Ayeka had played her hand expertly. She had generously given Ryoko what sums she needed and a bit more, but somehow always chose a time when Tenchi was there to see it. She also provided Juraian clothes that were not showy but still expensive to Tenchi and Mihoshi, and offered the same to Ryoko, but in such a way that Ryoko would clearly have been indebted had she accepted. And she found a number of subtle ways to establish that she was now the hostess in her castle, while Ryoko and Mihoshi remained guests.
The proverbial last straw had been the formal banquet and ball for the diplomatic corps. Princess Seto had arranged the schedule so that Tenchi escorted Ayeka to the affair. Ryoko had been sure that Tenchi would find out first hand how stuffy and boring life as a Juraian Royal would be. It hadn't quite turned out that way...
"That was an amazing dance, Ayeka." Tenchi shook his head as if to assure himself it was real. "I always thought of formal balls as slow and strictly regimented."
"It's wonderful what you can do with a zero-gravity dance floor, isn't it?" Ayeka tried to cover the fact that her heart was still thundering from Tenchi's arms being around her. "Still, it's not surprising. My mother wouldn't let any functions she attended be very boring."
"She does have a . . . lively personality." Tenchi had learned some diplomacy. It was a wise move, as he found out a moment later.
"We Kamikis do tend towards the lively side." Princess Seto's voice sounded from behind him. "I'm pleased that you're a man who can appreciate it." Tenchi managed to control his startled reaction, and noted that Ayeka was apparently used to her grandmother appearing seemingly from nowhere.
"Good evening, Grandmother." Ayeka executed a flawless bow, and Tenchi managed a passable bow of his own.
"You seem to be enjoying these affairs more than you did seven hundred years ago, Ayeka." Seto observed. "And I trust you are being made welcome, Tenchi?"
"For the most part, yes," said Tenchi. "But I somehow get the feeling there's a lot a tension from the foreign ambassadors."
"I'm afraid the galaxy is in an unstable condition at the moment." Seto turned more serious. "Jurai has been the most powerful empire for over a hundred thousand years. A number of the other galactic powers, Seniwa especially, think it's time for a change."
"Is that why a number of people suspected Mihoshi of being a spy at first?" Tenchi asked.
"Yes." Ayeka nodded. "She's a Kuramitsu, after all, and they're something like the Medici family was back on Earth. But there's another reason for the tension, and that's the spread of the Airain religion."
That sobered Tenchi even more. He had recently found out that he was part Airain himself, but his grandmother Airi had defected from the planet and renounced the faith. "They really believe that Jurai is holding Tsunami hostage somehow?"
"Yes, they do. A pity Tsunami will not simply tell them otherwise. But there would be many who would just say we had coerced Tsunami into making the statement." Seto quietly flicked her fan as if to shoo away something annoying. "And speaking of the Airaists, I see Grand Master Tosa trying to catch your eye, Ayeka. You'd best take Lord Tenchi and greet him."
"Time for the working part of the evening," Ayeka said as they began walking across soccer-field sized ballroom. "Of course, some of the ambassadors can be charming and witty."
"What are the odds with an Airain Grand Master?" Tenchi asked.
"As low as you might expect. Remember that his formal title is 'your Eminence'." Ayeka said. "Please stay with me, so we can break off if we need to by asking for another dance."
"Sounds good to me." Tenchi didn't like the idea of being alone at this kind of function.
Grand Master Tosa was dressed in elaborate robes, with a holy symbol hanging from a platinum chain. He looked to be in his mid-forties, but Tenchi had learned that meant little. Although he gave the impression of a grim and determined man, his greeting was pleasant enough. "Princess Ayeka, a very good evening to you. I presume I also have the honor of addressing Prince Tenchi?"
"Your Eminence presumes rightly." Ayeka replied. "I hope you are enjoying your time on Jurai?"
"It is indeed a beautiful planet, your Highnesses." But the Grand Master did not at all look like he was enjoying himself, and the next words out of his mouth confirmed it. "I only wish there were a proper Airain shrine for my daily worship. In fact - might I have a word with the princess alone?"
Tenchi knew what he had to do. "I'm afraid I made Ayeka promise not to leave my side this evening. We have to spend too much time apart as it is, you see. But I promise discretion."
"You can well believe Prince Tenchi." Ayeka seconded.
The Grand Master looked displeased only for the briefest of moments. "Of course. Well, I am informed Jurai prides itself on religious freedom."
"We do indeed." Ayeka replied.
"But I have recently learned that the single community of Airaists on Jurai is a sham. They do not truly believe; they are simply play-acting, much like your Steamopolis, which pretends to be in the early Industrial Age."
"Please, you musn't use the word 'pretend' around the residents of Steamopolis." Ayeka said quickly. "They put enormous effort into living as they do. I understand they debated for over two years before they decided that turbines would not be allowed."
"But turbines can run on steam, can't they?" asked Tenchi.
"Just so," Ayeka replied, "but it was felt that they ran against the spirit if not the letter of their rules."
"Returning to the subject," said the Grand Master with a frown, "the point is that your Airaists do not truly subscribe to our faith. Some on our planet might even call it mockery."
"I hope you will discourage any such misunderstanding." Ayeka replied. "I can assure you that no mockery is intended."
"On my homeworld, we have a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Tenchi added. Ayeka gave him a grateful look, which made him feel oddly happy.
"But if that is so," countered Tosa, "how is it that there are no genuine converts to Airaism here?"
"That is a thorny question, your Eminence." Ayeka said. "I cannot speak for all my fellow Juraians, of course. But at a guess, the Royal Trees seem to us both more beneficial and more reliable than the precursor artifacts."
"Then, perhaps if there were an idol on Jurai matters would be more even. Certainly it would be a boon to myself and other ambassadors who follow our faith."
"But, your Eminence," Ayeka pointed out, "that has been discussed for years among the embassies. They have been unable to agree over where such an artifact would be placed. The other ambassadors believe that an artifact on the grounds of the Airaian embassy would give it an unequal prestige. And I cannot say that they are wrong."
"As it happens, I agree," the Grand Master nodded. "The idol should be placed on Juraian ground, so that no ambassador is favored, and the Juraian public is welcomed. And there, your highness, is where I formally request your assistance. Is it not true that you have an estate of your own?"
"My summer cottage on Lake Nodaka?" Ayeka's eyes widened.
"I am reliably informed that the location is quite scenic, and the grounds are easily large enough for a shrine."
"That much is quite true, your Eminence. But the estate is no longer mine to dispose of." Ayeka's tone was almost sympathetic. "I have ceded control of the residence and lands to my grandmother, Princess Seto, for a special project of hers." Tenchi reflected that if the Grand Master had known exactly what the special project was, he'd likely have had a heart attack.
"The Dev-" the Grand Master caught himself before he could complete the undiplomatic phrase. "I was not aware of that, your Highness."
"Then, I imagine you will also not have heard that Professor Washu is now working in cooperation with my grandmother." Ayeka said. "If grandmother were to grant Washu permission to experiment on the artifact while it was on the grounds-and I'm sure she would push rather hard to do it—-I could do nothing to stop it."
"Experiment?" The Grand Master looked almost as if he were about to have a heart attack without even having heard the details of the 'special project'. "The-the-sacrilege!"
"I can well see how it might be considered so." Now Ayeka's voice had a fully sympathetic tone.
The Grand Master managed to master his emotions. "I am obliged to your highness for this information. Perhaps we can find another place for the idol. A pleasant evening to you." He turned and headed for one of the ballroom doors, perhaps a little faster than full decorum would have called for.
"You handled that very cleverly, Ayeka," said Tenchi.
"Thank you, Lord Tenchi." Ayeka's smile was radiant. "The second rule of diplomacy: if you have to say 'no', find someone else to blame it on."
"But everything you said was true." Tenchi pointed out.
"That's the best kind of blame. Oh, the orchestra is starting again, and I think I recognize the piece as one my mother choreographed. I think you'll enjoy this dance even more than the last one."
Tenchi and Ayeka were still discussing the Grand Master when they teleported back to the "summer cottage" when the reception was over.
"But shouldn't the Grand Master be equally worried about a Juraian destroying the artifact?" Tenchi asked.
"That worries me, too." Ayeka frowned in thought. "I have a bad feeling he wanted something like that to happen, so there would be an excuse for war against Jurai."
"He'd go that far?" Tenchi stared. "But wouldn't destroying it be considered an even greater sacrilege than Washu experimenting on it?"
"It might be considered worth it to - " Ayeka began.
"Oh, Tennnnnchi!" Ryoko teleported to a point just above and behind him, and began wrapping her arms around his chest. "I've waited sooo long for you to come back. Wait till I show you what I learned today while Ayeka was chewing the fat with those stuffy diplomats!"
"Miss Ryoko," Ayeka took one of Ryoko's arms and began peeling it off of Tenchi, "Lord Tenchi and I have not finished our conversation."
"Time's up, princess." Ryoko declared. "You had him all evening. Now it's time for someone who's not boring."
The usual vein throbbed in Ayeka's forehead. "We were discussing matters of great import, which you would not understand."
"I understand," returned Ryoko, "that you'll be in more trouble than you can handle if you don't take your hand off my arm."
"Aaaand here we go." Washu said quietly. Quickly she began to put fragile and combustible items away.
"Your capacity to cause trouble does not give you the right to behave as you please," Ayeka declared, not moving.
Mihoshi was a slow learner, but the Ryoko vs. Ayeka fights had gone on long enough for even her to read the warning signs. In a moment, Mihoshi and Sasami teamed up to put a couch on its side and take cover behind it.
"We'll see!" The good news was that Ryoko removed her other arm from Tenchi. The bad news was that she used it to throw a punch. Ayeka partly blocked the blow, but was sent back a few steps. Tenchi wisely used the gap to duck out of the way.
A moment later, the air began to fill with energy-bolts and insults as battle was well and truly joined. For a few heartbeats Ryoko was in her element, flying, blasting away, and generally giving Ayeka a hard time. The smashing of one or two bookshelves and lighting fixtures made a nice background to the combat.
But then it happened. Tenchi jumped back in between the two antagonists, and yelled "Stop it!". He turned to the princess. "Ayeka, stand down!"
"Lord Tenchi . . ." Ayeka's eyes widened. But she lowered her arms.
And just as Ryoko was beginning to smirk, Tenchi turned to her and said, "Ryoko, I need to talk to Ayeka a little more. This is important. It's about a possible galactic war."
Ryoko was stunned. The first time Tenchi interfered in a fight, and he was taking Ayeka's side?
Tenchi then turned to Washu. "Washu, princess Seto told me the galaxy is in unstable condition right now. Is she right?"
Washu gestured, and the force-field around her disappeared. "I'm afraid she is. The situation is a bit like Europe just before the Thirty Year's War, if you consider Jurai to be like France and Airai to be like the Papal States-"
Tenchi held up his hands. "They didn't teach much about old European history in my school."
"Oh." Washu considered for a moment. "All right, let's take Europe before the First World War. Since Japan was involved in that conflict, your schooling should have covered it." Tenchi nodded. "Consider Jurai to be like the British Empire. Airai would be like the Catholic Church and Italy, controlling a smaller area, but having a large influence over the rest. Seniwa would be like the Austro-Hungarian empire, with the Kuramitsu family like the Hapsburgs."
"Oh, this is getting interesting." Mihoshi stood up from behind the couch.
"And the pirates would be like the Balkan states?" Ayeka spoke up.
"Yes, good analogy." Washu nodded. "Now, the major powers are too afraid of each other to move effectively..."
No one seemed to notice when Ryoko walked out. And that was when she decided something serious needed to be done.
(To Be Continued)
Author's notes: Yes, it seems unlikely that Washu would forget the Kuramitsu name. But her being Mihoshi's great-great-grandmother is apparently canon, according to the family tree. Also, what happened to Mihoshi is strongly suggested in the image in OVA Season 3. (The Incident is why Mihoshi left Seniwa's military and joined the Galaxy Police.) On the other hand, the Cult of Ahrli is entirely my own creation.