Tenchi Universe: No Need for a Team-Up!
Rowan Seven
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for the original ones. The characters you do recognize are copyrighted by their respective companies. I'm not making any money off this fanfic. ^ ^ indicates thoughts. ~ ~ indicates telepathy.
Chapter 10: A New Beginning
Ryoko the Space Pirate, Princesses Aeka and Sasami, the greatest scientific genius in the universe Washu, and Galaxy Police Detectives Kiyone and Mihoshi were reclining on or around the Masaki household's couch in front of the television while Tenchi was in the Shinto shrine thanking the gods for the invention of soap operas. Katsuhito was visiting an old friend, and Noboyuki was at work. The main female cast of Tenchi Universe quietly and peacefully devoted their full attention to the fictional happenings of the episodic television series, this calm interlude probably the reason behind Tenchi's gratitude.
"Miya!"
Oh, and Ryo-ohki was in the carrot patch.
"I'm sorry Jinial, but I…must leave you."
"No! Please Nidij, don't go! The hive mother needs you! I…need you."
"Look Jinial, I'm doing this for you just as much as me. We come from two different worlds. I'm an arachnid, and you're an ant. It would never work out between us. What kind of life would our hundreds of offspring lead if we ever laid eggs?"
"I don't care what difficulties the future and future generations may have, just so long as I'm with you! Don't you get it Nidij? I…love you."
"Jinial…I…-"
"We interrupt the current program to give you this latest news bulletin," a cheerful female voice belonging to the attractive android anchorwoman MITU spoke from behind a brown desk with a picture of the galaxy in the background. On her left side was the lupine co-anchorman Giton Claw.
"WHAT?!!" screeched 5 outraged female voices while Sasami covered her ears and was silently thankful for the interruption. At her age soap operas didn't hold much interest.
"What could be so important to warrant interrupting this moment?!" demanded Aeka, standing upright.
"Well, let's see," Mihoshi said, counting events off her fingers, "The secession of the Twiliz Republic from the Galaxy Union, the destruction of Galaxy Police Headquarters- wait, that's already happened, star A821 unexpectedly going supernova, a pirate raid against Hitno-rai, the advent of an enormous cosmic entity that devours planets, Unicron's rebirth, the-"
Kiyone sighed and rolled her eyes while Ryoko glared maliciously at the television set, briefly considering using it to vent her anger. "Mihoshi, you know that the odds of any of those things happening are-" the teal-haired detective began before being interrupted by the news bulletin.
"Approximately 7 hours ago, the pirate Hiro and the crew of his pirate ship Ruby successfully plundered the planet Hitno-rai, apparently with help from the bounty hunter Nagi and her new, mysterious partner Hibiki Ryouga," Giton said solemnly, pausing to give all of the viewers a chance to absorb this new knowledge.
"Hitno-rai's been plundered?!" Aeka stammered out incredulously.
"Nagi has a partner?!" Ryoko spluttered, even more incredulously.
"Fascinating. Knocking out those shields would require a weapon of enormous power that-" Washu hypothesized, finishing her thoughts in her head.
"Er, Kiyone, what's so important about Hitno-rai?" Mihoshi asked a tad hesitantly.
Kiyone almost growled in frustration. "Hitno-rai is only supposed to be the most secure planet in the entire galaxy Mihoshi! We covered it back in the academy, remember?"
"Nope!" Mihoshi answered simply and honestly.
Kiyone facefaulted before collecting herself. "Why me?" she muttered quietly.
"I hope great-granduncle Kenji's alright," Sasami said worriedly.
"I'm sure he's fine," Aeka told Sasami comfortingly, sitting down on the floor so as to be at her level. "He's survived for so long that-"
"In addition, Nagi and Ryouga have captured the infamous Prince Kenji of Jurai, wanted by the GP for war crimes, and mere moments ago turned him in to the Galaxy Police. The Grand Marshall of the GP is expected to issue a statement about these recent happenings tomorrow at noon which our station will be broadcasting live."
"We will know switch over to our correspondent Kilala onboard the space command center of Hitno-rai," MITU spoke, smile still plastered on her face. "Kilala, what's the situation like over there?"
The screen split in half, and now on the right screen was an officious looking male adult with pointed ears, short silver hair, and blue eyes wearing formal wear. Behind him was the brown, green, and gray interior of a Jurai space station that looked like it had seen better days with crew members rushing about to fix things and get to their assigned stations.
"Well, MITU, as you can obviously see, this whole system is in a state of disbelief and disarray," Kilala reported, frowning. "The attack took everybody by surprise, and the results were devastating. About three-fourths of the fleet is out of commission and in serious need of repairs, this command center is only functioning at about 73% of its power, and the Jurai government is still tallying the monetary losses incurred below. This hasn't been confirmed yet, but just about everybody expects that when those results come in they'll show that this was one of if not _the_ most profitable pirate raid in galactic history."
"I see. Tell us, Kilala, just what happened there?" MITU asked.
Kilala's frown deepened. "Well MITU, it started off as an ordinary day here, but that changed when Ken-ohki drifted into the system. Lord Yamada, the person in charge here, hailed the cabbit ship and received a reply from Nagi. The exact details of the conversation haven't been released to the public yet, but I've heard she claimed that Ryoko with the help of an alien capable of disrupting forcefields was on her way here to raid the planet."
"Grrrr, why that-" Ryoko growled but was hushed by everyone else.
"In retrospect, it's obvious she was lying," Kilala bluntly stated. "Nagi was the one who had the help of an alien capable of forcefield disruption, and when Lord Yamada refused to let Ken-ohki get any closer the cabbit sprang back to life and the alien, whom we're assuming is Hibiki Ryouga – more on that later –, fired a weak energy beam that blew up Hitno-rai's shield, damaging the fleet in the process and throwing everyone into a state of confusion."
"This disorientation was only exacerbated by the presence of the pirate treeship Ruby which apparently had been lying in wait, cloaked, for Nagi's arrival," Kilala continued, saying everything in a crisp, level voice, "Together, Ken-ohki and Ruby cleared a path through Hitno-rai's defenses and, once above the planet's surface, temporarily split up. Ruby released raiding parties before returning to space and keeping the Jurai fleet busy. Ken-ohki crashed into Prince Kenji's palace, let Nagi and Ryouga out, and then rejoined Ruby."
"The ground defenses, caught completely off-guard, were ineffective against Hiro's crew. Needless to say, this won't go down in history as one of Jurai's finer moments." Kilala's mouth curved upwards in the ghost of a smile before he resumed his report. "Practically every family manor on Hitno-rai was plundered, with one notable exception. The House of L'unar remained untouched by the pirate raid, and if my sources are correct this is because Lucia L'unar, third in line to the Jurai throne, convinced Hiro to take her in place of her family's treasures. The ramifications of this action are expected to-"
"What?!! Ryoko, I demand that you take me to Hiro at once so that we can rescue my cousin!" Aeka ordered, voice laden with concern for her relative.
Ryoko laughed softly. "Don't worry so much princess. It will only give you more wrinkles."
"Why you-" Aeka began but Ryoko cut her off by placing a finger on her mouth.
"Like I said, don't worry about. Hiro is one of the most honorable people I know, and he'd only kidnap someone if they wanted to be kidnapped," Ryoko reassured her.
"But why would Lucia want to be kidnapped? She's third in line to the throne and heir to one of the richest and most influential families in the empire!" Aeka questioned.
"Just like you're first in line to the throne and heir to the Jurai family. Yet you choose to live here, on Earth," Sasami piped up.
"Aw, what a precocious child you are!" Mihoshi commented.
Washu chuckled. "But what about me, Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe! Aren't I a precocious kid as well?"
"Will all of you quiet down? I'm trying to listen to the news here!" Kiyone spoke up.
"-dismissed Ishitaka and decided to face Nagi and Ryouga himself. The details of the fight aren't known, but a giant green energy beam was launched into the atmosphere before falling back down and, presumably, ending the battle. Ken-ohki then crashed back into Kenji's Palace, took out the guards that had assembled, collected Nagi, Ryouga, and Kenji, and then left the system. 30 minutes later, after Ruby had collected her own crew and just as major reinforcements were arriving, she followed. Ruby and Hiro's current location is unknown, and as already reported Nagi turned Prince Kenji in to the GP mere minutes ago and collected the reward money," Kilala finished.
Giton creased his forehead as if he were in deep thought. "Kilala, do you have any idea why Nagi went to such lengths to capture Prince Kenji when his bounty was so low?"
Kilala shrugged. "Unknown, Giton. However, some people are speculating that Nagi and the pirates are going to share the treasure and that apprehending Prince Kenji is merely a cover for her."
"Disquieting. Anyway, that's the report from our correspondent Kilala." Kilala's screen disappeared. "MITU, how are people reacting to this crisis?" Giton inquired, swiveling his chair to face her.
"Reactions are very mixed right now, Giton," MITU answered. "The Jurai Government is furious and already vowing action against both Ruby _and_ Ken-ohki. Word has it that they're planning on dispatching Lord Leo and his treeship Destiny to pursue and capture them in addition to placing a bounty on the heads of Nagi, Ryouga, and Hiro. Lord J'ineran, father of the pirate Hiro, is currently refraining from making any comments but looks none to pleased with his son's actions. The GP hasn't decided on a position to take yet, but they do appear to be happy to finally have the opportunity to try Prince Kenji. The criminal element and those with a grudge against Jurai all seem to be delighted about these recent happenings, and several organizations are already beginning to question Jurai's credibility. Regardless, it seems unlikely that Hitno-rai will ever regain its title as 'most secure planet in the galaxy.'"
"Indeed. Wait a minute. It appears that Lord Yamada is about to make a public statement. We're going to switch back over to our cameras at the Hitno-rai command center so if you'll just hold on a moment…" Giton explained.
"This is terrible!" Aeka exclaimed. "Hitno-rai…plundered, its famous reputation lost, other governments questioning Jurai's abilities. It's-"
"Lighten up, Aeka. In my opinion, Jurai deserves to be taken down a peg or two," Ryoko interrupted. "A little humbleness would actually do your empire some good."
"Why I oughtta-" Aeka began.
"Are you certain Lucia's safe, Ryoko?" Sasami asked worriedly.
Ryoko smiled down at the little princess. "100% Sasami. Trust me, Hiro won't do her any harm."
"That's good, but what about Kenji? I'm worried about him," Sasami added.
Kiyone and Mihoshi exchanged a look, or rather they would've if Mihoshi hadn't been intently watching the swirling colors on the television screen as the signal switched over. Kiyone sighed and turned to face Sasami. "He'll be fine. The GP did away with the death penalty long ago so at worst your great-granduncle will only be incarcerated for a long time."
"That's not what I'm wondering about!" Washu announced. "What I want to know is how that insignificant energy beam could bring down such an elaborate and powerful forcefield. I, Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the universe, shall solve this mystery! Mwhahaha!"
"You're the greatest, Washu!" Washu puppet A declared as it appeared on her right shoulder.
"The greatest in the whole universe!" Washu puppet B seconded as it appeared on Washu's left shoulder.
"Enough. Lord Yamada's about to speak!" Kiyone informed everyone. The room quieted down.
On the screen was a podium which Lord Yamada slowly stepped up behind. He looked weary with lines on his forehead but there was a silent and subtle strength in his posture. "Citizens of Jurai, members of the Galaxy Union, and everyone else who's watching this broadcast, I wish to make a report. Approximately 7 hours ago-"
******
"-none of us expected this would ever happen, but that is no excuse. I accept full responsibility for the mistakes made by my security forces. If someone is to be punished for the actions that transpired below on Hitno-rai it should be me as the superior officer. To all those who've been hurt by these recent events I offer my apologies and condolences. Thus ends my report." Lord Yamada's image winked out to be almost instantaneously replaced by MITU.
"Brave words from Lord Yamada. One can only wonder what will happen to him next," the android spoke after a solemn moment of silence. "We will know switch over to Tichus Malonchi, our usual anchorman currently and conveniently on assignment at the new GP Headquarters."
The screen once again split in half; this time a Seniwan male with long, curly blond hair and wearing glasses appeared on the right screen with the large, occupied, and active GP plaza in the background. He smiled pleasantly. "This is Tichus Malonchi live at GP Headquarters. As you already know, MITU, the raid upon Hitno-rai has shocked the galaxy and is already stirring up quite a controversy and confusion. The GP is under heavy pressure from the Jurai Government to place Hiro on the Top Ten Most Wanted List and to release warrants for the arrest of Nagi and Ryouga, but doing so will make them look like they're bowing down to Jurai and further strengthen the idea that they're merely a tool of the Empire. The Grand Marshall is in an unenviable position right now and how he reacts could have serious repercussions for this organization as a whole."
"Fascinating. Tichus, on the subject of Nagi and Ryouga, what is known about the latter? Until today I'd never heard of him, and I'm sure our audience is curious about Nagi's new partner as well. Does the GP have any information at all on him?" MITU asked.
Tichus frowned. "The GP is still investigating this Hibiki Ryouga – if that's even his real name – character, but so far they've come up with nothing. There's no trace of him in any of their databanks, no criminal or civilian records, not even a picture id. There's a rumor going around that he blew up a bar on the planet Nieurt, but that's unconfirmed and the details are rather…sketchy. As of this moment, there is no definite information on Ryouga other than his physical appearance and the fact that he is an energy manipulator, possibly a generator as well. However, since he has teamed up with Nagi and provided the means by which the Red Dragon pirates were able raid Hitno-rai it would seem a foregone conclusion that he's not the most law-abiding individual."
"Looks like I've given you a bad reputation," Nagi spoke, amused, as she stepped onto the bridge.
Ryouga turned around from the holo-screen he was viewing, courtesy of Ken-ohki. "I don't mind," he replied with a noncommittal shrug as Ken-ohki lowered the newscast's volume.
"You should," Nagi informed him. "If Jurai does put a bounty on our heads then they'll be legions of people willing to collect. I might even be tempted to turn you in myself for the challenge."
Ryouga blinked, confused. "Why Nagi, I don't know whether I should take that as a threat or a compliment."
Nagi smiled haughtily. "I'd take it as the latter. I don't give praise to many people, but after Hitno-rai you deserve it. Now, if you ever tell anyone my next words I'll deny saying them, hunt you across the cosmos, beat you into a bloody pulp, tie you up, and hand you over to Jurai myself, but I…couldn't have done this mission without you. Good job." She extended her hand a bit uncertainly.
Ryouga, despite wondering where Nagi had learned a gaijin custom, took Nagi's hand with his own and shook it. "I couldn't have done it without you either," he told her.
"You're absolutely right you couldn't have," Nagi reaffirmed, steadily gazing into Ryouga's eyes to make sure he got the point. He did, and the handshake ended.
There was a moment of silence as both parties considered what to say next. Finally, after some internal struggle and fretting, Ryouga spoke up. "About those dreams," he began tremulously, noticing Nagi tensing up, "I'm sorry. I never meant to invade your privacy, and I promise on my honor never to tell another soul what I saw."
Nagi remained silent for one long, disquieting moment. "Good enough," she finally said, relaxing, "and I promise not to inquire what the h*ll your bizarre dreams meant."
Ryouga winced but soon broke into a small smile, glad to have that issue resolved between them. He was about to say something else when-
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Nagi and Ryouga turned to face the source of the clapping and saw the robed Arcadian casually leaning against Ken-ohki's curved wall and radiating immense pleasure and satisfaction. One got the impression that it was smiling.
"My highest and most sincere compliments," it spoke enthusiastically. "The two of you have done an admirable job accomplishing the task I presented you with, and you have the thanks of both myself and my race…at least what remains of it," it spoke, a hint of sadness creeping into its voice near the end.
"I could care less about your gratitude," Nagi said coldly, advancing on the telepath. "I'm only interested in one thing. Now, where's Ryoko?"
"Don't forget about my cure either," Ryouga piped up, not about to let this opportunity pass him by.
The telepath laughed good-naturedly. "Don't sound so worried. I'm an honorable astral entity and will grant the boons I promised. First, the cure." It snapped its fingers. "Done."
Ryouga blinked and looked himself over. That had seemed almost too easy and quick, and he certainly didn't feel any different…
~Ken-ohki, could you drop some cold water on me?~ Ryouga requested anxiously. If that alien was lying to him then, telepathic powers or not, it would soon be in for a world of hurt.
~Sure thing,~ Ken-ohki complied, a tad confusedly, and turned on a sprinkler above Ryouga.
It was with wide and hopeful eyes that Ryouga watched the incoming rain draw closer. This would be the ultimate test and prove whether the deal he'd struck had been worth it. The first droplet landed. No change. Many others soon followed it, and Ryouga quickly became drenched. Still no change.
Ryouga held up his still miraculously human arm in front of his face and watched it with disbelieving eyes, as if expecting it to transform and dash his hopes again. It remained human. Ryouga's eyes quickly darted up and down the rest of his human and now thoroughly wet body.
"I'm…cured," he spoke breathlessly. A genuinely joyful smile graced his features. "I'm cured!" He began laughing uncontrollably as tears of happiness ran down his face. "I'M CURED!!!"
Seeing Ryouga's ecstatic state and feeling his glee through their link, Nagi couldn't help smiling herself. A moment later, though, she reset her facial expression into its usual cold and haughty smirk and turned to face the Arcadian once again. "And Ryoko?" she inquired, hand delicately stroking the hilt of her blade to add emphasis to her words.
For the first time since she'd encountered him, the Arcadian actually looked a bit nervous. "Yes, well, about that…Ryoko's on Earth," it admitted hesitantly, looking like it would rather be somewhere else at the moment.
The rage that suddenly coursed through their link cut Ryouga's celebratory mood short. "You mean to tell me," Nagi intoned dangerously, "that had I brought Ryouga back to Earth and visited Tenchi like I'd originally planned on doing, I would've located Ryoko _without_ having to break into Hitno-rai and angering one of the strongest empires in galactic history!"
"Yep, that sounds about right," the Arcadian admitted, "but the Masaki household might've gotten clever and attempted to hide Ryoko from you, making you think that she was still missing. This way, you know for certain that she's still alive and on Earth _and_ this whole experience has done wonders for your reputation, let me add-"
"Shut up," Nagi ordered. The telepathic alien, having survived as long as it had, knew better than to argue and promptly fell silent.
"I only have one more question, and after you answer it you'd better leave," Nagi informed it. "Just how do we remove this telepathic link you've bestowed us with?"
The telepath's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, that's relatively easy. Just don't communicate through it for a month and it will disappear automatically, taking Ryouga's tattoos with it." Knowing when the going was good, the Arcadian phased out.
Nagi took one deep breath, releasing her anger, and then turned to face the bridge's viewscreen. "Ken-ohki, plot a course to Earth," she ordered. She sat down in her command chair and swiveled her head so that she was looking at Ryouga. "At our present speed," she told him matter-of-factly, "it will take us approximately 18 days to reach Earth. I would…enjoy having another practice session with you before that time is reached."
"I would as well," Ryouga replied, still smiling widely. "Should I get the training room set up?"
"Yes," Nagi answered quickly. "I'll meet you down there." Ryouga, with the aid of one of Ken-ohki's floating crystals, exited the room. Nagi returned to staring at the viewscreen, a thoughtful look on her face. "Ryoko," she whispered quietly, an expectant grin forming, "I'll see you soon."
******
"So, this is how it ends," Kenji spoke aloud, surveying his cell. As prisons went, it was definitely 1st class and contained many plush comforts, but it was still a cell. Kenji found that he didn't like it much but, he reflected philosophically, his home on Hitno-rai had been as much a cell in its own right.
He sighed and sat down on a cushioned seat, alone with his thoughts. He was, he decided after a moment, tired. This wasn't a tiredness that faded with sleep though. It was a bone-aching weariness that only the very old experience, and Kenji was extremely old. He had outlived his brother and his nephew, survived Kagato's executions, and now lived in the time of the resurrected guardians. To his knowledge, only Yosho surpassed him in years now, and that wasn't a comforting thought.
"Oh brother, where art thou?" he whispered forlornly, acknowledging to himself that he had failed in carrying out his orders. His brother had commanded him not to permit himself to be tried by the GP, and now his first hearing was scheduled for next week. Even honorable suicide was out of the question now since he wouldn't have 15 seconds before the GP medical ward burst in to resuscitate him.
Kenji sighed and contemplated cursing Ryouga and Nagi, but he couldn't begrudge them their victory. They had fought hard and well, and they wouldn't have even been after him had he not committed the atrocious crime that still haunted his dreams. Forget rationalizations and justifications. The time for them would come soon enough when he was in court. Now there was only him and his guilt.
"I'm sorry," he whispered once, the words so soft and delicate that it seemed as if a light breeze could wipe them out. Kenji knew, though, that it was far too late for an apology and all that remained was to face the music. His fate was now in Tsunami's hands. He would have to accept whatever future she laid out for him.
Sighing once more, Prince Kenji did his best to accept his fate and walked over to his bed and lay down to get some rest. He had the rest of his life to dwell on such thoughts, his nightmares to plague him till the end of his days, and bloody hands that would never come clean. ^I should write a book,^ he weakly joked to himself, only the telltale traces of a smile appearing as he closed his eyes and drifted off to an unmerciful sleep.
******
Lord Yamada, a restrained gait to his step, entered the Hitno-rai command center for what would probably be the last time. Waiting nervously at their stations were Kiyo, Jabonian, Minoas, Alti, and Ban. When their commander appeared they all stood up and saluted, fearing the worst for him since their imaginations had had plenty of time over the past couple days to conjure up all sorts of reprimands that the Holy Council of Jurai might employ.
"At ease," Yamada ordered, walking over to his chair and sitting down. Its hard metallic surface was definitely something he wasn't going to miss.
"Sir," Kiyo asked, an uncertain and fearful tremor to her voice, "what was the decision of the council?"
Yamada closed his eyes and let his head fall back in rest. "They have decided," he said, opening his eyes and bringing his head forward again, "that based on the current evidence my actions and orders were sound. However," he added, cutting any festivity short, "that does not excuse the fact that Hitno-rai was raided during my watch. As punishment, I am to be reassigned to frontier patrol as the commander of a 3rd generation treeship, effective immediately. I leave tonight."
There was a moment of stunned silence as his command crew absorbed this news. Yamada, despite a strict beginning month, had been, in their minds, an able and understanding commander meaning that he'd let the lack of protocol slide and had overlooked their attempts to stir up some excitement. He'd even, to the surprise of all, won the last practical joke war. With him being reassigned and their situation being what it was, his replacement would probably be some stuffy by-the-book noble who wouldn't know a prank if it marched up in front of him holding a sign with bright neon letters announcing what it was.
"We'll…miss you, sir," Minoas said, summing up all their feelings. "And for what it matters, I personally think you did a splendid job running this operation."
Yamada unexpectedly smirked. "That's very nice of you, Minoas, but I'm afraid that I can't say I'll miss you too."
"Sir?" Minoas asked, confused. The others shared his state of mind.
"You see," Yamada explained, grinning, "I wasn't the only one the council reassigned. My new 3rd generation treeship needs a command crew, and guess whose names came up."
"You mean-" Alti began hopefully.
Yamada nodded his head. "Yes, as of tonight all of us are officially relieved of duties here and shall be transported to our new ship. From there we are to proceed to a currently undisclosed region of the frontier where we'll assume patrol duties. You're still stuck with me, I'm afraid," he finished cheerfully.
Kiyo, Jabonian, Alti, Minoas, and Ban felt a surge of happiness that immediately came crashing down when they realized that, though they weren't about to be separated from their commander, their situation still hadn't improved much. Frontier patrol duty was considered to be one of the most boring and undesirable assignments in the entire military and, unless one was in good standing with the Jurai government which they definitely weren't right now, could last for a maddening long time.
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," Ban commented morosely as he wearily sat down on the cold metallic floor.
"More like out of the icetray and into the freezer," Alti corrected, laying a commiserating hand on Ban's right shoulder.
"Oh, cheer up you two. Maybe we'll find the Galactic Leyline or something," Jabonian suggested, hoping to provoke a smile.
"Or prevent sinister and intelligent alien bugs from invading this sector!" Minoas added, joining in.
"Or maybe we'll be transported by a tetrion wave into another quadrant 70,000 light years from here where we'll encounter a belligerent alien species every other week, boggle at time-travel paradoxes and twists, pick up a few amusing and attractive alien crewmembers, and face imminent destruction which we barely escape from on a regular basis as we search for wormholes and other ways to get home," Kiyo spoke enthusiastically.
Ban sighed and looked up at his friends. "Thanks for the effort, mates, but I think we're just going to have to accept ennui as our lot in life. There are worse things, I suppose, though what they could possibly be escapes me right now." He returned to his sulking.
There was silence for a moment as they all mulled over what appeared to be their exceedingly dull futures, broken when Alti glanced up, suddenly remembering something. "Sir," she asked, "what's the name of our ship?"
Yamada looked her way and simply answered, "Voyager."
******
Elsewhere, on the third planet of the Sol system, two limping, bruised, and beaten figures approached each other in an open field of green on the island chain known as Japan.
"Nagi, what the heck happened to you?" Ryouga asked, surprised, when he got a good look at Nagi's injured body.
"I should be asking you the same question," Nagi replied, eyeing Ryouga's battered and hobbling form. "You look worse than you did after Hitno-rai. What happened?"
"I asked you first," Ryouga reminded her, using his umbrella to support himself.
"So?" Nagi spoke, obviously not caring who asked whom first. She winced as an injury to her shoulder made itself known again.
Ryouga stared at her, debating whether he should press the issue or not, and decided against it. He chuckled bitterly. "Let's just say," he began after a long moment, "that the truth hurts…especially the one who's telling it."
Nagi picked up on Ryouga's mournful and gloomy tone and didn't probe further. Instead, she answered his question. "Ryoko, despite being near death when I last saw her, is now very much alive and seemingly stronger than ever. I'll have to be better prepared next time." Despite her angry frown, there was a hint of relish and anticipation in her voice.
Ryouga nodded in understanding. He had firsthand, oftentimes painful, knowledge of how it felt to be beaten by one's rival. A thought popped into his head. "Say, where's Ken-ohki?" he asked.
Nagi's frown deepened. "Ken-ohki is currently enjoying Ryo-ohki's company, much to my chagrin. If he gets her pregnant there's going to be hell to pay since I have no desire to stay on this humdrum and primitive planet for two whole months."
Now it was Ryouga's turn to frown. "Hey, Earth isn't all that bad," he protested, defending his homeworld though he did admit to himself that his life on Earth had certainly been nothing to brag about.
Nagi snorted but didn't press the issue. "So what are you going to do now?" she asked, tone neutral.
Ryouga sighed and looked at the sky, shrugging. "I have absolutely no idea," he answered a tad sadly. "I've just closed a chapter of my life and cut all the strings holding me to my past. I have no enemy to defeat, no goal to accomplish, and no place to go. With my wanderings now open to the universe, I think I'll be lost for a very, very long time." He lowered his head, feeling his despair rise again.
A conflicted look crossed Nagi's face as she considered a thought that had just made itself known. It definitely wasn't a welcome notion, but it did have merit and made sense, much to her dismay. Besides, she reasoned in an attempt to convince herself, the outcome might actually be pleasant, and there was always the possibility that the overture might be declined.
"My next target is Rune Vega, a notorious criminal and mob boss," Nagi spoke calmly but also a bit reluctantly as Ryouga raised his head to look at her. "He is currently hiding himself in a secret base in the Bat-ahath system, a base whose coordinates I know. However, it has a complex forcefield defensive system installed which could make things slightly more…difficult for me. Your help, though unnecessary, would make things easier. In return, I'll give you 30% of the bounty once he's turned in to the proper authorities."
Ryouga's eyes widened at this unexpected offer as his mind argued what to do. He could refuse in which case he'd probably end up traveling the universe alone, or he could accept and continue working with Nagi and Ken-ohki, the former, while not the most congenial person he knew, was at least someone he could talk to and get along with. He was, he decided after a moment, tired of being alone.
"Deal," Ryouga answered, a small smile gracing his features.
"We'll leave as soon as Ken-ohki returns," Nagi informed him, sounding indifferent but inwardly pleased despite herself.
"Chow!" As if on cue, Ken-ohki chose that exact moment to enter the scene wearing a very smug expression on his white face.
"Do I even want to know what you've been up to?" Nagi asked her mode of transportation archly.
"Chow!"
"Gah! Please, don't elaborate," Ryouga pleaded, holding his nose with his free hand in the hope of preventing a nosebleed.
"Chow?" Ken-ohki asked as he came to a stop in front of Nagi and Ryouga.
"Yes, Ryouga will be coming with us for another mission," Nagi informed him, looking down at his four-legged form. "And prep the medical facilities again."
"Chow," Ken-ohki agreed, leaping into the air and transforming into his crystalline spaceship form.
The two new partners glanced up at the giant, white cabbit ship floating above them. Ryouga turned around to take one last, ambiguous look at Earth and what he was leaving behind. He then faced Nagi, smiling slightly. "You know, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."
A guy wearing a formal gray suit walked up to them. "I'm a lawyer with Warner Bros. pictures and-"
"ShiShiHoukoudan!"
"Caaaaaase dismiiiiiiiiiiiiiised!!!!!" the lawyer shouted as he flew off into the sunset.
Nagi rolled her eyes. "You'd think they'd have learned better by now." She sighed. "Let's get going. Ken-ohki, bring us aboard."
"Chow!" With that said, the powerful cabbit beamed them aboard and left the planet for the depths of space. The duo was now a trio: Nagi the Bounty Hunter, Ken-ohki the Cabbit, and Ryouga the Eternally Lost Boy. A team-up that had originated out of mutual self-interest had now become a partnership and maybe, just maybe, a friendship, and for three souls the universe had become a little less dark and lonely.
The end.