"How Kiyo Kept Miho"
by Al Kristopher
The anteroom's odor was stale and sterile, not unlike a doctor's or dentist's office. Waiting there for the Commissioner to receive her was strikingly similar: it was taking a long time, each pronounced tick of the wall-clock fraying her nerves, and a very good portion of her career, if not her very life, would hinge on what happened once she entered that office. Even though she honestly had nothing to worry about, Detective-Sergeant Kiyone Makibi still felt dread well up like so much bile. Her innards were tightening, and she felt perspiration on her hands. She didn't know whether to envy her partner—who was humming blithely away, reading another one of her children's comics in the chair next to hers—or find her carefree behavior ingratiating. Really, now: how could Mihoshi act like that during such a moment? There were figureheads of religions who would never come close to attaining her level of inner peace.
Once upon a time, so long ago it seemed now—too long, really—Kiyone had considered her partner a paramour of brilliance. "Perfection" really had been too crass a word for it. All of that had changed, of course, and rather quickly at that, and now her opinion of Mihoshi was rooted firmly in the opposite. What hath Mihoshi wrought all these years but misfortune, after all? But perhaps she needed to reevaluate her earlier diagnosis. Six years and more with her as a partner had proven Mihoshi was nothing if not unpredictable. She had gone toe-to-toe with some of the galaxy's vilest criminals and escaped with only a few bruises at worst. She had uncovered some of the most carefully constructed schemes set by some of recent history's most diabolical minds, all by sheer accident. She had foiled the infamous Washu on multiple occasions. She had scored perfectly on an impossible test.
And now, in just a few minutes, she would be giving her side of the most important report of their careers. But of course Mihoshi had nothing to worry about! She had single-handedly stopped and captured the ruthless mega-tyrant, Megiddo, hadn't she?
Megiddo! Kiyone still shuddered just to think of it, even several days after his sentencing. Megiddo... The name struck fear into all those who heard it (and yet Mihoshi had no idea who he was until Kiyone told her). Kagato—that is, the imposter Emperor of Jurai—had kept an eye on him, but gave the megalomaniac a respectable berth. Nagi wouldn't even visit the same solar system he was in. The Commissioner personally reprimanded anyone who went after him: better to lose one's job than risk the lives of goodness knows how many fine officers. Ayeka and Ryoko had both turned pale when his name was mentioned. Even Washu avoided the subject like a plague. And now...
"Detective-Sergeant Kuramitsu?" Mihoshi looked up from her comic book, smiling at the Commissioner's secretary. She beckoned with one of her four arms, and Mihoshi followed.
"See you later, Kiyone!" she called, blithe as ever. Kiyone felt the pressure in her chest tighten.
"Yeah, good luck, Mihoshi." The door closed, leaving her alone. Knowing Mihoshi, she would bungle her way through her report, and might exaggerate now and then, but she wouldn't lie. Through her ramblings the Commissioner would learn everything he needed to know from the best source possible...and then it would be her turn. Kiyone had already rehearsed everything she wanted to say hours before stepping inside Galaxy Police Headquarters. She, too, would present all the facts, though admittedly in a more lucid and organized fashion. She wouldn't avoid touchy subjects and she wouldn't cover anything up. It would certainly affect her career in a negative fashion, but...
She would have a clear conscience. And credit must be given where credit was due.
She went over the details one more time in her head, then found herself being called into his office. Had Mihoshi finished so quickly? A quick glance at her watch told her she had been sitting in isolation for nearly half an hour. It had only felt like moments; perhaps fate was being merciful? In any case, she straightened herself out, walked through the door, saluted, and took a deep breath.
"Take a seat, please. Welcome back to headquarters, Detective-Sergeant Makibi."
"Thank you, sir. I'm glad to be back. Lucky to be back, I really should say."
He shrugged. "Yes. About that."
"My report," she stated. "Well, sir, since Detective-Sergeant Kuramitsu has already given you her side of the story, I'll try to be as succinct as I can." He folded his fingers, attention squared. Kiyone braced herself. "Let me first assure you it was not our intention to locate or pursue Megiddo. We were merely on a standard patrol of Aldrahkki when we received a distress call from Rg'thik."
"Who received it first, officer?"
"Mihoshi and I both received it simultaneously. We were in Yagami's cockpit at the time."
"I see. Continue."
"As we were the closest unit there, we responded in kind. We received clearance to land, but shortly after entering the planet's atmosphere, we were shot down and forced to make an emergency landing. Although the Yagami was not badly damaged upon impact, we were unable to achieve mobility. Before we could assess the damage, we were taken prisoner by a large scouting party. Although we could not verify it, it is my belief that the distress signal was designed as a trap."
"By Megiddo?"
"Most likely."
"To ensnare Galaxy Police officers?"
"That was not my assumption at the time, but since the GP were the only ones who could have received that kind of signal..."
"Do you know for what purpose?"
"No sir. We never learned. Mihoshi and I were separated shortly. I was thrown into a small room and locked inside. Except for a tiny ray of light that seeped in through a hole, it was pitch black, and very difficult to breathe. I wasn't bound, but the room was so small that I couldn't have moved much anyway. It was like I had been put into a coffin and buried."
"A live burial would have been a merciful way to die, given what we know of Megiddo..."
"Yes sir, I know," she whispered. "But even so, I attempted an escape. They had stripped me bare before throwing me into the room, but a Galaxy Police officer has her ways."
"As I understand it, you mastered just that sort of thing in your academic studies...along with a long list of other fields."
"I wanted to be prepared," she admitted with a faint smile. "But to continue, I escaped and managed to find something to cover myself with, and even came across a few crude weapons. Little more than blunt objects and sharp edges, really... Anyway, I put them to use soon, but I really shouldn't have bothered. The structure I had been put in was suffering enormous tremors. It felt like the whole place was being shaken. The guards who weren't running around in a panic...or being crushed by the falling ceiling...were doing everything they could to help. My safety was of no concern of theirs, and so I used this distraction to escape."
"You managed to survive the structure's unstable conditions."
"Yes sir."
"By yourself? Scarcely armed? Without incurring damage?"
"I was hurt in the attempt, sir, if that's what you're asking, but not seriously."
"Do you know why or how the structure was collapsing?"
"Yes sir, I do now, after careful consideration. After hearing Mihoshi's report on what happened on her end, there was no doubt in my mind."
"And what caused it, officer?"
Kiyone turned pale, anxious. What she was about to say was beyond incredulous.
"Mihoshi did, sir."
"Would you care to elaborate? Her report was...lacking in detail in this regard."
Kiyone squeezed her eyes shut; she could just imagine what her partner had said.
I swear, sir, I just slipped and fell! How was I supposed to know that was a load-bearing wall?
Or, I just started hitting buttons! I had no idea there was a self-destruct sequence encoded into it!
Or probably, Yeah, he missed! That rocket went off in a totally different direction!
Let's face it, she thought to herself. Knowing Mihoshi, it might have been all three!
In any event, she first had to inform the Commissioner that she had not met Mihoshi until much later, when the tremors stopped and she had been able to continue. Much of Megiddo's main forces had been wiped out in the catastrophe; their remains were scattered everywhere like macabre decorations, a myriad of splotched colors dashed about by a psychotic painter. The survivors were not particularly interested in her, although she met some resistance. Kiyone managed to score herself a proper weapon and some clothes, and made her way to what she hoped was the exit. Along the way she had heard familiar screams, and ran to their source.
"They were unmistakably Mihoshi's, sir," she said. "She sounded like she was in some sort of trouble, so I followed them to see if I could help." Kiyone mentally added her own slight distress at finding Mihoshi still alive—distress and, admittedly, relief. Her partner was in a similar state of disheveled dress, only she bore the telltale welts of torture. Likely she had been interrogated, and knowing Mihoshi, had spilled every last bean in the barrel. Fortunately, there was very little one could learn from her babbling that one couldn't learn from a cursory glance through her possessions, so her captors had likely ended their session early.
"And set her free?" the Commissioner said, more prodding than incongruous.
"According to Mihoshi's testament, she set herself free in a panic when she learned they would kill her."
"Megiddo must have been sloppy."
"Or they underestimated her," Kiyone muttered. The Commissioner snorted.
"Overestimated, more like it."
"After we regrouped, I got as much out of her as I could before leaving."
She then told him everything Mihoshi had said in that moment. In her own words, of course.
"What of Megiddo, officer? Detective-Sergeant Kuramitsu claimed you had a large part in the operation, that she couldn't have done it without you."
"Mihoshi was being generous, sir."
"So what really happened? Who stopped Megiddo?" Kiyone shut her eyes and took a bracing breath. Well, this was it. Everything would hinge on her response—both Mihoshi's career and her own. All of her mental functions were devoting themselves to self-preservation. "Don't do it!" they bellowed. "You'll ruin everything! You know exactly what will happen if you tell the truth! Just go with what Mihoshi said! After all, didn't the Commissioner say she had insisted it was a dual effort? That 'she couldn't have done it without you'? At least take half the credit for the job! He won't even know the difference! Mihoshi will be okay with it, too! You would just be supporting her story. What harm is there in...going along with it?"
But further down, past all of the noise, was a tinny voice barely more than a whispered breath. "No, Kiyone. Tell the truth. It's going to hurt, but you'll feel better for it." This wasn't merely her conscience; this was her moral center, what she normally revolved all of her decisions around, the little spirit of goodness urging her onward, pouring oil on the flames that her selfish desires tried suppressing. It certainly would hurt, and she would never hear the end of it. But she knew she'd never live with herself if she lied. Mihoshi may have been the worst thing to ever happen to her, but even she didn't deserve that.
"Mihoshi did, sir," Kiyone finally answered, loud and clear. "Megiddo had been caught underneath some rubble as it fell, and since Mihoshi was the cause of the destruction, she was the one responsible for stopping him. My only role was restraining and transporting him into the Yagami. And even that, sir, she could have accomplished without me."
"So what you're saying is that Detective-Sergeant Kuramitsu was single-handedly responsible for apprehending the galaxy's greatest and most feared criminal."
"Yes sir." She had faltered—the words tasted like ash, and scraped like rusty nails—but she remained true to her convictions. And it was the truth, all of it; even Mihoshi's gibberish backed it up. Clearly this news was upsetting; even the Commissioner seemed nonplussed. He sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin, grunting quietly in contemplation.
"Do you have any other questions, sir? I believe our time of arrival and criminal registration has already been recorded."
"No...I've heard enough. Between your account and officer Kuramitsu's, I have a pretty good idea of what happened. You are dismissed, officer."
"Thank you, sir." Kiyone's words were cold, her face impassive, eyes glassy. She walked like the condemned, issuing a long sigh once she was outside the office. Mihoshi was nowhere in sight.
"Oh, officer!" she heard the secretary call. "If you're looking for your partner, the Commissioner already dismissed her for the day. She's probably in the commons room."
"I might take a little break myself," she said, managing a smile.
"Good idea. From what I heard, you've earned it!"
…...
It was three days before she saw Mihoshi again. The blessed reprieve was broken as she was summoned back to the Commissioner's office. Kiyone tried keeping her mindset positive, or at least neutral, during the brief journey; she tried reminding herself that, come what may, she would look upon this new development with maturity and joy. She tried, but ultimately, that gnawing sensation in her belly won out.
"Sir," she saluted upon entering, "Detective-Sergeant Kiyone Makibi reporting."
"At ease, officer, this won't take long. I merely brought you here to inform you that your partner's received a promotion."
"I was expecting that, sir. She deserves it."
Said with unusual, stark honesty.
"I'm glad you feel that way. You'll be reporting to her immediately."
"Reporting, sir?" Uh-oh. Kiyone felt the gnawing intensify.
"Yes. Starting today, Captain Kuramitsu will be your superior officer."
A falling guillotine wouldn't have had nearly the same effect. Kiyone actually felt all the color drain from her face, and only just managed to catch herself before she fell over.
Mihoshi was now going to be her boss!
"Yes sir," she whispered, all of the warmth in her voice gone. She saluted mechanically, muscular impulses drilled into her by years of training. "I will serve her to the best of my abilities, sir."
Kiyone wasn't even given a moment to succumb to a nervous breakdown, for when she stepped back into the waiting room, Mihoshi was there to greet her, decked out in full regalia. The first thing Kiyone saw was her blinding smile; next, that same smile dashing itself against her as Mihoshi hugged with all of her strength.
"Kiyone, I missed you! Did you hear the news? I've been promoted!"
Kiyone remembered watching a movie back on Earth where the hero killed the villain by driving a sharpened wooden stake into his heart. She could now fully appreciate those circumstances.
But even so, she found herself tentatively putting her arms around Mihoshi and (tepidly) returning her embrace. She even smiled a little.
"Yeah, that's great. You deserve it. But maybe you shouldn't hug me like that, ma'am." She slipped away, crestfallen yet clinging to the higher nobility which her conscience had endowed her with. "I mean, after all, you're my superior officer."
"Aw, c'mon, forget about that! We've known each other way too long to let details like that get in the way! Besides, when have I ever stuck to protocol?" Kiyone allowed herself a more realistic smile and conceded the point. This was a woman who called everyone by their first name, from the janitors in the GP lower levels to the crown princesses of Jurai. The very last thing on her mind would be regulations.
"Well, now that you're a Captain, I was thinking that maybe you should start."
"Naah!" she waved. "So what about you? Didn't you get a promotion?"
"Nope, I'm still the same old Detective-Sergeant I've been since our names were cleared."
"But why? I told the Commissioner how much of a help you were!" Exasperation set in. Kiyone was grateful for the vote of confidence, but...
"Mihoshi, I barely did anything back then. I didn't rescue you, I didn't disable Megiddo or his operation... All I did was get captured, escape, and meet up with you."
"But what about—"
"It's fine, Mihoshi, really." She put her hands on her superior's shoulders and smiled, fully and genuinely. "I'm okay with it. You're the hero of the moment; you deserve it more than I do."
Heh...I don't know what's stranger: the fact that I'm saying all that, or that I actually mean it!
"So what's the first order of business, boss? I think you can form your own unit now. If you'd like, I can make a few recommendations."
"That's not necessary," she said, almost with a laugh. "I've got everything I want right here!"
Kiyone was taken aback. Most new Captains exercised their command by assembling subordinate teams. Mihoshi could ask for anybody in all of Galaxy Police that wasn't already assigned, yet the only one she seemed interested in...
"Really? You don't even want to reassign me?"
"Of course not," she answered, almost sounding hurt by the thought. "I could never do that to you. You're my best friend, Kiyone; we've been through everything together. No sense in stopping a good thing, right?"
"Fantastic," she groaned, feeling all of the bile spill out at once. "It's great how I can never escape you."
…...
Eight miserable weeks of being Mihoshi's subordinate passed before Kiyone once again found herself in the Commissioner's office. In that brief span of time, however, the former head of Galaxy Police had retired, and a new one had been installed by the Jurai high council. This Commissioner even came with Princess Ayeka's personal seal of approval, and had spent her time prior to assuming the role in deep study, learning about all the trendiest officers. She had been paying specially close attention to Kiyone recently, and had now been led to a conclusion. Kiyone couldn't help but stare at the new Commissioner as they shook hands: she had wings sprouting from her head and was covered in a scaly or feathery membrane. A black collar was around her neck, and an earpiece looped around one of the wings, translators fit for a universe full of languages.
"So we finally meet. I've heard lots of great things about you, officer Makibi. You're one half of the team that brought down Kagato. Most impressive."
"Thank you, ma'am, although Mihoshi and I were scarcely involved. We mostly just ferried the princesses and the real Yosho around."
"I also heard you were acquainted with the space pirate Ryoko, and the mad genius Washu."
"Yes, ma'am," she replied hesitantly, "through some very strange circumstances."
"And during all that time, you never placed either of them under arrest."
There went that gnawing sensation again. Kiyone steeled herself.
"No, ma'am. I personally felt the situation dictated no further actions on our behalf. I was later under the impression that Mihoshi and I were assigned to that region to keep an eye on Ryoko and Washu."
"Quite perceptive," the Commissioner answered, almost purring. "At the time, my predecessor felt that both personalities were too dangerous to place under his direct care, so he issued what one might call a quarantine. In any event, neither of them posed any threat while you and your partner were around."
Kiyone turned blue as she winced. No threat, she said? That was a matter of opinion.
"But I didn't call you here to reminisce," the Commissioner gestured. "As head of the Galaxy Police, it is my duty to correct all injustice, and I personally believe one has been perpetrated here for many years. I'll be blunt: you've been wasting your time and your talents, officer, and regardless of my predecessor's intentions, I feel he was mistaken for doing so. It's no stretch to say you're one of our best, and keeping you a mere Detective-Sergeant is, I feel, a criminal act. What I'd like to do is put you on the path that would make you a division chief."
"A...a chief?!" As composed and cool as Kiyone normally was, there was no way she could restrain her surprise. All of her muscles stiffened; her jaw fell to the floor; her eyes bugged out, and she stammered, colossally embarrassing herself. Then again, nobody (least of all the new Commissioner) could blame her for her awe: this had been Kiyone's deepest, most cherished dream since she first put her name on the Galaxy Police application sheet. It was, of course, the same dream as every other ambitious officer out there, but to hear someone say she deserved it, and would go out of their way to put her on that path...and from the Commissioner, of all people...!
It would take her hours to regain her senses. She managed to plow partly through in under twenty seconds. "Ah...um...th-thank you, m-ma'am; I appreciate your v-vote of confidence." A shaky salute was mustered, even though she could barely stand. She still felt a little ill, but it was a sweet illness, excitement rising up to enfeeble her. The Commissioner didn't smile but it was pretty obvious she was pleased by the reaction.
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, officer. Even if you were to begin the moment you stepped out of my office, it would take years, maybe decades, before you got the position. But judging by your records, you'd blow through all the requirements easily. You would need to be transferred, naturally."
"Oh, of course, I understand completely." The proverbial cherry on the sundae followed up the news so quickly that Kiyone almost didn't register it. What else really mattered if she was going to be a division chief in the future? Slowly, though, as the Commissioner continued speaking, she processed it all. Being transferred meant she would be put in a different division, far closer to the GP's inner circle, with weighty responsibilities and more action squeezed into a week than she had seen in all her months spent on Earth. She would be rubbing elbows with all the right people, have command over teams of promising newcomers, and receive salaries that put even her new promotion to shame. She would become the woman she knew she was destined to be, what a lifetime of labor and devotion had produced...
And all without the slightest trace of Mihoshi.
Yes, that's right: being reassigned meant that she wouldn't be Mihoshi's partner (or her subordinate). They'd potentially never see each other again. Oh, sure, they might stay in touch, and Mihoshi would fight it all the way (and would continue fighting long after Kiyone accepted the position), but a Captain has very little pull where the Commissioner's influence is concerned. Kiyone would finally be rid of her, for once and all: two birds with one stone, as they'd say on Earth.
It was perfect: everything she had dreamed about, everything she always wanted. The only thing missing was the silver platter (the contract was printed on a humbler material).
"You are certain?" the Commissioner said, withholding the contract with a cautious expression in her eyes. "If you're all right where you are, or feel that you're not up to the task, then we'll forget this conversation ever happened. This is not mandatory, and it's not an order; you have every right to refuse. As my own personal feelings mean little in the matter, I shall simply leave it at that, and give you a moment to decide."
"Thank you," she said, genuinely appreciative and genuinely grave. As if there was anything to think about! But even with all of her wishes presented within an arm's reach, Kiyone knew better than to nab it immediately. She took the contract cautiously and made sure to read it, legalese and all. As she skimmed down the paper, though, a rather disquieting thought came to her mind. Yes, she'd be on the road to glory and away from Mihoshi, but...
Her stomach knotted. She'd be away from Mihoshi.
That blasted bad luck charm of hers would be cast off once and for all!
Who among her peers would fill that void? Would any of them?
No more disasters. No more lazy roommates. No more screaming, wailing, crying. No more pinching pennies in thrift markets. No more impromptu karaoke sessions!
Yes...certainly no more of those.
No incompetent, cowardly, dimwitted, spastic woman-child to look after!
No one to give that last slice of cheesecake to.
Nobody to forget to pay her half of the rent!
No one there to shatter the long hours of silence.
No one to ruin her job!
No one to be there for her.
No one to talk her ear off about anything and everything!
Nobody to talk to. Nobody who'd listen.
Nobody who would ever ruin her life again!
Nobody who would believe in her when everyone else had turned their back.
Peace, quiet, and sanity, at long last!
Peace, yes. Quiet, yes. But sanity?
Kiyone still remembered how utterly lonely she had been during all those years of training at the Academy. She claimed to have been too busy for relationships, but...sometimes, it would've been nice...
And for a brief moment, when she found she'd be getting a partner, before she knew who Mihoshi was or what she was capable of, she had felt nakedly happy—happier than she had ever remembered being.
Not so long ago, Mihoshi had been given this very same option. She could have very easily let Kiyone out of her life. It was really this thought, and the motives behind it, that slowly won over her ambivalence. She had been holding the pen over the paper for a long time, ready to sign her name and build a new future for herself. Refusing one path meant blocking off the other and never looking back.
Slowly, she withdrew the pen. Then, she picked up the contract, smiled at the Commissioner, and tore it in half. Without saying a word, she saluted the older woman and walked out of the office.
When she came to the hangar bay, she found Mihoshi waiting for her, reading another issue of Supreme Yagami! Their eyes met and a wave was exchanged.
"So what's the new Commissioner like?"
"She's nice," Kiyone answered vaguely. "A little intense, though. It'll be interesting to see what happens with her in charge."
"I know! It's been a long time since a female's been in charge of the GP."
"Oh? I didn't know that."
"So what did she want?" Kiyone closed her eyes for a moment, first smiling to herself then sharing it with Mihoshi.
"Just to check me out. Apparently my reputation precedes me."
"Well of course it does, Kiyone!" Mihoshi exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder. "You're one of the best officers ever! I mean, you helped take down two of the greatest threats the galaxy's ever known!"
"Speaking of which," she announced, glowing yet humble, "I think we're due for a celebration, aren't we? Someone just got promoted." Mihoshi giggled.
"Kiyone, that was weeks ago!"
"And we never did anything about it," she winked in return. They finally came to Yagami and waited patiently while the entry platform was lowered. "Say, I have an idea," Kiyone said. "How about we go out for karaoke tonight? My treat."
Mihoshi practically burst with excitement. "WOW! Do you really mean it, Kiyone?!"
"Yup!"
"Can we stay out late?"
"As late as you want."
"And will you sing with me?"
"As many songs as you like."
"Wahoo! Thanks, Kiyone! Um...you did say it was your treat, right?"
She grinned with all the love in her heart. "Of course, Mihoshi."
Anything for my best friend.
the end