Disclaimer:
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises.
Special Thanks to: -*- -*- The Anime Margin: War of the Runes
Charles Xavier, author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Suikosource website: For providing great information that made this fic possible.
By: RB3
Warlords of Jurai, part 3: Jurai Fractured
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"Of course your majesty, please allow us to escort you to the Funaho," replied the captain of the leading ships.
The Juraians led Ryo-Ohki directly to Yosho's ship, where they teleported inside. The guards stood at attention as Aeka's group appeared on the Funaho. Yosho was among the men, waiting at the other end of a red carpet. Instead of appearing in the form of the old man, Katsuhito Masaki, Yosho was in his true form, the handsome young prince of Jurai.
"Greetings, brother. Normally, I'd be more formal about this, but this matter is too urgent for that. We need to discuss your invasion of this planet," stated Aeka, getting straight to the point.
"Of course," replied Yosho. "Let's head to the meeting room."
Aeka and Yosho's retinue proceeded to a large room with a single table with many chairs and a monitor at the opposite end. After seating, Aeka hurled questions at her brother. "Brother, why are you doing this? This is not the way of the Juraian Empire. Father was made himself clear about not expanding the empire through military force. Why are you invading these people?" asked Aeka.
"Father? Who cares!" said Yosho, with an uncharacteristic abrasiveness. "He was too weak to impose order upon the Empire. I will create a new one, without the lawlessness of the old."
"There are many innocent people living on this planet. If you invade, you will only spread misery and suffering," informed Aeka. "Is that what you want? To make them suffer?"
"They are but a small price to pay for the new order," replied Yosho.
At that moment, Tory saw an emblem glow on Yosho's forehead. The emblem was merely a white circle, but it gave off great, unearthly power. He jumped out of his seat to sound the alarm. "He's possessed by a Rune!"
"Men, seize them!" ordered Yosho.
Aeka's retinue drew weapons, while Yosho's did the same time. "Brother, stop this! It's not too late, let us remove the Rune and forget this ever happened."
"I'm sorry, sister, but a new Empire awaits us. So long as you exist, you are a threat to my goals. Eliminate them!" ordered Yosho.
Yosho slipped out of the room just moments before the shooting began. The Juraian guards fired at Aeka who raised a log barrier. Tenchi widened the energy blade of his sword, forming a shield from it. When the enemy's weapon overheated, he launched a smooth cut which hacked off the barrel. With his second, Tenchi had cut the guard across the chest. Tenchi cut down more as he pushed for the door. He peeked into the hallway and saw more Juraians coming to intervene.
They opened fire and Tenchi retreated just before a bolt hit the wall next to his head. Ryoko fiddled with the controls and locked them out. Tory immediately opened a Through Card portal in the ground. "In here!" he cried.
After jumping in, Aeka's retinue reappeared back at Washu's factory, fortunate to have made it out safely. "You're back! How did it go?" asked Mihoshi.
"Terrible," replied Ryoko. "They attacked us."
"Yosho was being controlled by a Rune," informed Tory. "He won't listen to reason."
Dominic was dejected. "I guess it was a bust..."
Aeka was still miffed at Yosho's decision to attack them. "I'm not done yet; I'm going to take this matter up with father!"
"We're going to meet the Emperor of Jurai?" asked Tenchi.
"Yes," said Aeka. "As you heard, my brother isn't doing this out of his free will."
"Yeah, there's a Rune controlling him," said Tory.
"The UF can't possibly take on our fleets," stated Aeka. "They would only be sending their men to their deaths. We need my father to stop my brother."
"I see, in that case, I think it would be a good idea for the UF to send some of their ships to Harmonia," said Tory.
"Harmonia?" asked Dominic.
"Yes, where we're from. It's likely that Yosho will devastate the UF with his attack. That way, we'll preserve some of your forces for rebuilding."
"Yeah, but that's easier said than done," replied Dominic. "I might be able to convince my commanding officer, but the others?"
"You have to try," said Tenchi.
"Hmm... Okay, I don't know how effective I can be, but I'll try," said Dominic.
Dominic left Washu's factory on his motorbike for the Izumo, where he reported everything that happened. Jurgens was conflicted over the recommendations of Aeka and her friends. "Do you truly believe that this is the best course of action?" asked Jurgens.
"Yes, the Juraians are too powerful for us," replied Dominic. "The princess knows what we are facing."
"I see, I'll trust your judgement," said Jurgens. "I'll get as many of the UF brass to go along with this plan."
As Jurgens and Dominic enacted Aeka's plan, her friends were hard at work at their end. Ed and Al transmuted the scrapped remains of Machine Rune robots into fortifications for the factory. They reinforced the walls with an extra layer of metal to harden them against bombardment. Winry screwed a brace onto the roof for the placement of a portal device.
Some of Washu's robots carried parts to the roof, where Winry helped them to assemble and construct everything. Afterwards, Washu's robot remotely activated the portal and out came Aeka's ship, the Ryu-Oh. Like other Juraian ships, it had a hardened, rounded chassis of unknown material held together by curved struts of wood. Aeka appeared on the roof.
"The Ryu-Oh's ready, how is everything at your end?" asked Aeka.
"Good, the portal will be ready soon," replied Winry.
Aeka checked up on the Elric Brothers. "How are the fortifications coming?"
"Very well," replied Al. "The front side is all done. We're moving onto the sides and soon the rear."
"Okay, keep going. We need this place ready in case Yosho decides to attack," said Aeka.
Aeka's friends continued to prepare the factory. When they finished, Dominic came by to check on their status. "We're almost ready on our end," said Aeka.
"So how will our ships proceed?" asked Dominic.
Aeka showed Dominic a map of the area. The UF forces were going to rendezvous with her at the badlands west of the factory. She would position the Ryu-Oh there to mark the correct location. Afterwards, the UF force would fly east to the factory and enter the portal. The portal itself will be guarded by Ryoko in Ryo-Ohki. The ships, around thirty in number, will enter in an orderly fashion.
Satisfied, Dominic took a copy of the map and anointed it with the details of the plan. After Dominic left, Aeka set out in Ryo-Oh to wait at the rendezvous. After waiting for several hours, the first wave of UF ships appeared on sensors. The leader, the Izumo, a large black ship like a stealth plane, hailed the Ryu-Oh. "Nice to see you, Izumo, and you too, Lieutenant," addressed Aeka. "The gate is to the east. Please hurry."
"Of course," said Jurgens. "We'll go in once everyone is safe on the other side."
"Okay, good luck to you all," said Aeka.
The ships and KLF squadrons of the UF's first wave travelled to the portal without incident. After several more minutes, the second wave appeared on the Ryu-Oh's sensors. As before, the ships proceeded in an orderly manner. However, trouble reared its ugly head. The Ryu-Oh's sensors detected a lone Juraian patrol craft at the very edge of its range.
Aeka watched the ship's movements apprehensively until the pilot decided to move in for a closer look. "Not good!" she thought and radioed the Izumo. "I've just detected a Juraian patrol craft. Keep the line moving. I'll shoot it down."
"Okay," said Dominic. "Be careful."
Aeka moved the Ryu-Oh to intercept. When it came within weapon range, Aeka immediately opened fire. The Ryu-Oh's guns lit the sky with blue beams. The patrol craft went down in flames quickly, unable to withstand such firepower. However, Aeka knew that now, time was of the essence. It was certain that patrol craft had sent out a distress signal to alert more ships to the area.
Moments later, the third UF wave arrived, earlier than planned and before the second wave could fully escape. However, a trio of Juraian rapid response ships appeared on the radar, flying at top speed to the area. Aeka and Ryoko broke from their posts and went to engage the ships. Beams of blue and gold energy streamed back and forth as the two sides exchanged fire.
The Ryu-Oh shielded itself with three Light Hawk Wings, near-impervious barriers of white light. The beams went back and forth, but attrition brought down the enemy, unable to penetrate the Ryu-Oh's defences. The enemy ship took a nasty hit and went down in flames. Another fell to Ryo-Ohki's weapons, as did the last. Although they saved the UF ships for now, that was only the beginning of their troubles.
More Juraian ships appeared on the Ryu-Oh and Ryo-Ohki's sensors, this time numbering in the dozens. "Izumo, we're in trouble," said Aeka over the radio. "I detected over a dozen enemy ships closing on our position. We can't stop that many on our own. We need assistance."
"Okay," replied Jurgens from the other end. "We weren't expecting to go without a fight." Jurgens' comm officer switched the channel to the other ships. "Ships from the third wave, break off and defend the second while it goes through the portal."
The third wave broke from its formation to intercept the Juraian ships with the Ryu-Oh and Ryo-Ohki. They launched dozens of KLF squads into the air to fight off Yosho's pursuit squadron. They exchanged beams and missiles, filling the sky with explosions and flashes of light. The Ryu-Oh fired, searing the top of an enemy scout ship black while opening breaches.
Elsewhere, a Juraian ship fired at one of the UF carriers. The beam rocked it, prompting return fire which hit a Light Hawk Wing uselessly. KLF squads wound up to the enemy's top side and scorched burn marks on the chassis. The enemy returned fire, missing the agile KLF. The Juraians renewed fire at the carrier, severing one of its wings. The UF ship lost altitude and crashed onto the ground.
Ryo-Ohki intervened with guns blazing. The Izumo joined in, firing all weapons at the Juraian ship. Through their combined firepower, they felled the enemy. The Izumo then took a hit from another enemy, which knocked out an engine on its wing. "Damn!" cursed Jurgens.
As the engine smoked, the Izumo lost altitude and made a crash landing on the ground. Fortunately, the crash left it largely intact, though grounded. The Ryo-Ohki returned fire, blowing the enemy out of the sky. At that moment, a new ship entered the battlefield. "An unidentified ship is entering the battlefield," reported Ryoko to the Izumo as she patched video feed to the ship.
The ship was much like a bird with green feathers on its wings. It launched a squadron of KLFs which attacked the Juraian ships. "It's the Gekko!" remarked Dominic. "They've come to help us!"
"I hate to admit it, but I'm sure glad to see them," admitted Jurgens.
One special KLF, the Nirvash, zoomed around the body of a Juraian ship. The enemy fired at it, but was too slow to track such a manoeuvrable target. The Nirvash peppered the enemy with beams, eventually putting a hole through the ship's top. A missile went directly into the hole and tore the enemy to pieces with an explosion from within. The enemy ship went down, leaving a trail of thick black smoke in its wake.
The Gekko's captain sent a message to the Izumo. The video feed of a lovely Japanese woman appeared on the screen. "Seems like you had a little trouble there, Captain Jurgens. I hope you don't mind us dropping by unannounced."
"Not at all, Captain Talho. You always seem to have impeccable timing," remarked Jurgens. "We'd fight back, but our ship can't fly anymore."
Jurgens contacted the Ryu-Oh for some advice. "Okay, I'll tow you to the portal," said Aeka.
Aeka slowly brought the Ryu-Oh above the grounded ship Izumo. After a few seconds, the Izumo's crew heard clanging, as though something was being attached. The Ryu-Oh had clamped on tightly and lifted upwards with the Izumo in tow. Elsewhere, the UF forces downed the last of the enemy. Though the UF won, the battle proved costly. Only two ships and a few KLFs from the third wave had survived.
The Gekko joined the convoy in escaping Coralia. The Ryu-Oh passed through the portal, the last to flee the scene. As its last act, the portal generator opened the largest portal it could over the factory. The large disk swallowed the building and everything in it whole, leaving no evidence or trace of its existence for the Secessionists to find.
The UF ships and the factory found themselves in a vast empty plain to the southwest of Crystal Valley. This area was once known as the Grasslands during the peak of the Harmonian civilization. During those days, many different tribes lived here, but the Runes wiped them out long ago. The ships landed on various areas of the Grasslands to begin maintenance and repairs.
The Ryu-Oh deposited the Izumo on an empty patch of land near the other rescued ships. The Ryu-Oh reverted into a tree rooted near the factory. Dominic exited the Izumo and greeted Aeka. "Thank you, Princess. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be alive now."
"You're welcome," said Aeka. "Now, we must think of our next move."
"Yeah, we need a place where our men can stay while we make repairs and modifications to the ships," said Dominic. "This area doesn't have Trappar Waves to power our ships."
Tory emerged from the factory just in time to overhear the conversation. "If you need a place to stay, you can use the factory or one of several empty buildings in Crystal Valley to the northeast. Whatever you choose, please don't get in the way of the archaeologists."
"What will you do now, Tory?" asked Aeka.
"I'm heading out to return the Moon Rune to the vault. Now that you mention it, this would be a good time to show you it..."
"I'll coordinate repairs," said Dominic. "We'll need the Izumo in top condition before we go to the Juraian Emperor."
While Aeka went on a tour of Crystal Valley, the UF refugees began repair work with a priority on the Izumo for the mission to Jurai. The ship had sustained great damage to its wing-mounted thrusters. As they checked the affected parts, the damage also extended to the wing. Nevertheless, the men and women worked diligently to repair their flagship.
A young couple exited the Gekko and approached the factory to meet the people who coordinated the UF escape. The boy was brown haired with a look of youthful wide-eyed innocence. His girlfriend was an albino with turquoise hair and a gentle disposition. The two wanted to explore the strange new land. They were Renton Thurston and Eureka respectively, the pilots of the Nirvash LFO.
Eureka looked at the warm, verdant plain of the Grasslands. "It's beautiful!" she remarked.
"Yeah, I don't think I've seen a place this green except Earth," said Renton. "It's all rock and Scub Coral back home."
Eureka laid on the ground and basked in the warmth of the Harmonian sun. Renton laid down right beside her and watched the clouds drift by. Eureka climbed on top of her boyfriend and gave him a kiss. "Let's go for a walk. I want to meet some of the people here."
"Yeah, let's go," said Renton.
He tried to get up, but couldn't with Eureka pinning him down. "Oh excuse me!" she said, suppressing a slight giggle as she got up.
The two walked over to the factory, which they noticed before they entered the gate. They spotted the Elric Brothers sparring just outside as Winry watched. Ed threw a punch. Al saw it coming and blocked. He aimed a kick for Ed's knee, which Ed blocked by raising his leg. Ed went for a left side kick but Al caught his foot. Al stepped in and swept his remaining leg, sending Ed tumbling to the ground. Al extended a hand to help his brother get up.
"Wow, great fight!" remarked Renton.
"Oh hi, we didn't notice you there," said Al. "I'm Alphonse Elric, but you can call me Al. This is my brother Ed, and she's Winry. You must have come with the UF ships..."
"We're really with the Gekko, not the UF," said Renton. "I'm Renton Thurston and this is Eureka."
"Hi!" said Eureka.
"We were going for a walk and found you here," said Renton.
"Oh, don't mind us, we train like this all the time," said Ed.
"You and Al are so good," remarked Eureka. "You must practice a lot."
"Oh yeah, we've been at it ever since we were little boys," replied Ed.
"Your teacher must have been wise," said Eureka.
"Yeah," said Al. "She taught us some many things... not just alchemy."
"Alchemy?" asked Renton. "Like turning lead into gold?"
"Well, sort of," replied Al.
Renton and Eureka talked about random subjects with the Elric Brothers and Winry. When the two were done, they decided to enter the factory to meet the other people who helped saved the UF forces from the Juraians. The two bumped into Sasami as she was travelling through the hallways. "Oh, we have guests!" remarked the junior Juraian princess.
"Hi," said Eureka. "We're just here to take a look."
"Oh, there's not much to see here," said Sasami. "I'm Sasami, crown princess of Jurai."
"Ah, so you're the princess of the Juraians?" asked Renton.
"Yeah," replied Sasami. "Would you like a snack? I can make some cookies and milk for you."
"Sure, that would be nice," replied Eureka.
A few days later, the UF finished repairs and upgrades to the Izumo. Aeka returned the Ryu-Oh to its ship form and slowly clamped it onto the Izumo. Since the Izumo lacked any kind of faster-than-light engine, Aeka needed to carry the Izumo to Jurai. The clamps connected with a dull clang, holding the UF ship tightly. The Ryu-Oh lifted off into sky and soared through the portal above Washu's factory.
Just a few minutes later, they emerged above a serene world of lush greenery and beautiful ivy-covered palaces. Aeka brought the Ryu-Oh down gently and released the Izumo. She disembarked and met with Dominic. "So this is your home planet?" asked Dominic.
"Yes, you're standing in front of the Juraian Royal Palace."
The Juraian Royal Palace was not like other palaces. It was a great structure carved out of the interior of a massive tree, the largest Dominic had ever seen. The tree was known as Tenju, and was the largest tree Dominic had ever seen. Unlike outside, the interior was more like what Dominic would expect a palace to look like. It was spacious with clean stone walls. It was decorated by landscape art and portraits of kings, queens, and other nobles of the past.
"Sasami!" said a noblewoman as she ran up to greet her.
"Mommy!" said Sasami as the woman hugged her and Aeka.
"Oh, is this you mother Aeka?" asked Dominic.
"Yes, this is Misaki Jurai, Second Empress of Jurai, and the Supreme Commander of Jurai's Royal Bodyguards," introduced Aeka.
Dominic kneeled. "It is an honour to meet you, your Majesty."
"Oh, don't be so formal," said Misaki. "What brings you here?"
Dominic stood up. "To make a long story short, Prince Yosho is invading my world, Coralia."
"Yes, that's why we're here. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. So now, we're here to take the matter up with father," said Aeka.
"I see..." said Misaki. "Your father's in the throne room."
The group travelled there, where an ornately robed man sat on the throne. He had a stern face framed by violet hair and a bushy beard. He seemed to be a strict father, especially compared to his more permissive wife, Misaki. He seemed quite intimidating as well, one who was likely very difficult to approach even if he wasn't the Emperor of Jurai.
Upon moving into Azusa's presence, the group bowed before the Juraian Emperor. "Hello Aeka and Sasami, I see you've brought friends new and old to see me," said Azusa.
"Yes father, they've been a great help to me. One of them is here to talk to you about an important matter," greeted Aeka. "It concerns Prince Yosho. He is invading the world of Coralia without your permission. I brought Lieutenant Dominic Sorel of the UF from Coralia to petition for assistance."
"Thank you princess," said Dominic. "It is exactly as she said. Yosho is razing our cities and enslaving my people even as we speak. Please noble Emperor, stop the Prince's madness!"
"If what you speak of is true, then Yosho has committed war crimes under Juraian law," said Azusa. "I will help you deal with this matter, but I must discuss this first with the Director of Juraian Intelligence. In the meantime, why don't you stay in the Royal Palace as our guests for tonight?"
"Thank you, your Majesty. We'd be honoured. I hope you return with a positive response," said Dominic.
"Of course... Servants, please show our guests to their quarters," ordered Azusa.
The team were led to special guest rooms designed to house visiting dignitaries and diplomats from other kingdoms and nations. Everyone found their rooms to be so huge and luxurious. The rooms were kept meticulously clean, even when no one was coming to visit Tenju. The beds were fluffy and soft. They had a large dinner that night and slept soundly.
Azusa continued talks with Dominic, which caused the team to stay a second night. During that night, Tenchi fell asleep in his room. When he was out cold, the panel on the roof above his bed slid open, revealing a man dressed in black from head to toe, like a ninja. His face was concealed, ensuring no one could identify him. The man pulled out a string and an unlabeled bottle with a mysterious clear liquid.
Suddenly, Ryoko appeared in his room. She took one glance at the sleeping Tenchi and gave off a lusty smile. She casually shed every article of clothing and climbed in. Her movements woke him up. "Huh wha..."
"Hi, Tenchiii!" said Ryoko. "You've been making me hot and bothered all day. A girl can be teased so much!"
Tenchi noticed the soft sensation right near where his and Ryoko's chest met. Ryoko realized that and guided one of Tenchi's hands to her breasts. "Ah!" said Tenchi, sitting up and withdrawing his hand. "If Aeka finds out she'll go tear the whole place apart!"
Ryoko was annoyed to hear the name of her romantic nemesis come from his lips. "Aeka? Psssh! It's the just the two of us here. She doesn't have to know... It'll be our little secret!"
Ryoko put her finger on her lips and smiled. She mounted him and leaned forward to give a kiss. Tenchi pushed her up. "Ryoko, I'm not ready for this yet!" said Tenchi.
"Hmm? Oh I see, maybe you'd prefer me underneath?" asked Ryoko, flipping Tenchi on top of her. "There, maybe you like this better?" With eyes held shut, Ryoko embraced Tenchi, who was squirming to get away. When Ryoko opened them, she noticed a glint from the open panel. "We're being watched! You're not getting away!"
Ryoko tossed Tenchi off and charged up at where the voyeur was watching. She smashed through and burst into a secret compartment above the bed. She grabbed the man and yanked him into Tenchi's room, tearing a pile of debris along with him. Tenchi was shocked to see the ninja land in his room, with the naked Ryoko standing over him. The ninja tried to flee through the door, but Ryoko caught him and rudely tossed him to the ground.
However, the whole commotion woke up more people, namely Tenchi's companions who were sleeping the neighbouring rooms. When they came in to see what was going on, Tory had an amused smirk on his face. "Well, well, Tenchi, I never knew you were such a stud!" remarked Tory.
Aeka was livid when she saw Ryoko, naked and alone with Tenchi in his room. "Ryoko, what's the meaning of this? What are you doing in Lord Tenchi's room and naked like that?"
"Gee, could you be any less imaginative?" asked Ryoko sarcastically. "What did you think I was doing? Or are you too prudish to consider it, little princess, hmm?"
As the two girls bickered between each other, Tenchi and Mihoshi attempted to calm them down. Winry and the Elrics noticed the unconscious ninja lying on the ground, forgotten by the others. "Who is that guy?" asked Ed.
"I've no clue," replied Sasami.
At that moment, a regal Japanese woman in white robes entered the scene with a retinue of soldiers. "Aeka, stop this at once!" ordered the woman.
Aeka noticed her aunt and her soldiers. "Aunt Funaho? What's going on?"
"Do you not see that man on the ground? That was an assassin sent to kill Lord Tenchi," replied Funaho. "We have to leave!"
The guards escorted Tenchi and friends out of the bedroom area. "What's this about? Why are we running?" asked Aeka.
"It was your father who sent that assassin," replied Funaho sharply.
"Father? Why would he want to kill Lord Tenchi?" asked Aeka.
"That's what has me stumped. He's been acting strange lately. I dismissed it as the stress of ruling Jurai, but when I discovered that he was plotting Tenchi's assassination, I had to act quickly. That's why you have to leave Jurai now and never return."
Despite the group's attempt to flee the palace, they were surrounded by guards the moment they set foot outside of Tenju's front door. The guards pointed guns and had the group cornered near the doorway. Azusa emerged from among the rabble of soldiers to address the group. "Father, is what Aunt Funaho saying true? Are you trying to kill Lord Tenchi?"
"As a potential heir, Tenchi is one of the next in line for the throne," said Azusa.
Aeka was shocked and horrified. "So it was true..."
"My darling, the other Houses will not accept this. You will start a revolt!" said Funaho.
"Ah, but they won't ever know of this incident. I will simply tell them that this was all part of an elaborate coup against me, led by you. You will tried as traitors and executed."
Tory looked upon Azusa's forehead and saw the emblem of the golden crown on it. "He is possessed by a Rune," said Tory. He then noticed the other men, who suddenly revealed similar, but less vibrant Runes on their heads. "...And so are his men."
"This isn't good," remarked Ed. "With this many on us, I don't think we can get out of this in one piece."
At that moment, more men stormed the area, training guns at Azusa' men. Among them was Empress Misaki, the head of the Juraian Royal Bodyguards. "Mommy?" asked Sasami.
"Yes darling, I've come to save you!" said Misaki.
"So, you're a traitor too, Misaki?" asked Azusa. "I will see to it that you suffer for this!"
"You won't be doing anything today, darling," said Misaki. "I'll save my daughters and Tenchi, regardless of what you think. Drop your weapons and gather near the wall."
Rather than risk being shot, Azusa and his men complied. Misaki's men secured the enemy's weapons and kept their aim trained on the enemy as they watched for suspicious behaviour. "You'll regret this! I will see to it that you'll never be safe, not in Juraian space, not anywhere!" threatened Azusa.
"Threaten me all you want, I don't care as long as the lives of my daughters are safe," said Misaki. She turned to her daughters and hugged each in turn. "I'm glad youre safe. I was worried I would be too late."
"No, thanks to you, we're okay," said Sasami.
"Not yet, I still have to get you and Aeka away from Jurai. It's too dangerous here," said Misaki. "I've sent men to secure your ship. Let's get there before your father's men cut us off."
After her men tied up Azusa's, Misaki led the group to the Izumo and Ryu-Oh. There were several loyal men standing guard for Misaki and Funaho. However, Azusa's men descended upon the area, just before they could board. Ed turned around and employed alchemy to shoot masses of rock from the earth. They hit hard, with enough force to hurl Juraians into the air.
The men fired at Tory, but his Shield Card's bubble stymied their attack. He immediately started small earthquakes beneath their feet. The men tumbled to the ground, unable to maintain their footing. He ran for the Ryu-Oh, which Aeka just transformed into its ship form. Even as he teleported in, the Juraian men fired. After everyone was accounted for, Aeka raced to the controls sent the Ryu-Oh on a beeline for orbit.
As soon as they reached outer space, several Juraian ships moved to block their escape. The fleeing ships returned fire at Azusa's fleet. The blackness of space became lit by beams of blue light which sailed back and forth between the two sides. The Ryu-Oh shuddered as it took fire, even with the Light Hawk Wing defence system online.
"We're going to break through. Just a little more," said Misaki over a secure line channel. "Once you're through, make a FTL jump to these coordinates."
The Ryu-Oh received coordinates for an uninhabited planet outside of Juraian territory. Upon reaching the necessary distance, the Ryu-Oh zipped away at unfathomable speed. The enemy, not knowing their destination, were unable to follow. The ships gathered in orbit around this desolate, desert world to discuss their next move.
Over the communications line, Tory told them about himself, the Runes, and his mission to stop them. "I see," remarked Funaho. "So these Runes control whoever they attach to..."
"Yes your majesty. One of them, the Circle Rune, controls your son, Yosho. The Sovereign Rune control Emperor Azusa. Nothing you say will reach either of them now. We must remove the Runes to save them," informed Tory. "My group is trying to do so and we've had some good progress, but these two will pose a problem."
"I see, consider us allies in your mission," said Funaho. She sighed and addressed Aeka. "Aeka, as much as it pains me, this is where we must part."
"...But why? We just got back together and now we have to split up?" asked Aeka.
"This is for the best," assured Funaho. "We all have our duties. Misaki has chosen to go underground and gather loyalists to form a resistance force against Prince Yosho and Emperor Azusa. I'm going underground too, to provide intelligence and information. There's no stopping it now. The Juraian Empire will descend into civil war. We are not emperors and empresses anymore. We are Warlords of Jurai."
"You have a part to play too, Aeka," informed Misaki. "You have friends on that ship who will need you in the battles ahead. Help them as much as you can. Only then can we free Azusa and Yosho from their curse."
Though it pained her to admit it, Aeka knew that there was no other way. "Mommy, please stay safe. Come back alive."
"I will, Aeka, Sasami, I will. Goodbye," said Misaki.
"Bye mommy," said Aeka with tear-filled eyes.
"Please come back safely!" said Sasami, also with tears in her eyes.
The Karin, Mizuho, and their escorts sped away faster than the speed of light. The two former Empresses of Jurai vanished from the public spotlight to prepare for the civil war they knew was about to come. The Ryu-Oh turned away, opening a portal back to Harmonia. The trip went by quickly and without incident. Even after the group disembarked and split up, Aeka was silent.
END OF CHAPTER
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Politics/Demographics:
The Juraian Empire of Juraihelm is among the most powerful empires in its galaxy and possibly in all of the anime worlds. Countless alien worlds and races are part of this empire. It is a monarchy currently ruled by Emperor Azusa and his two wives. The Juraians themselves are a long lived race with strength far surpassing the average man. They owe their prosperity and power to a pact with the goddess Tsunami, a member of the higher dimensional race called the Choushin.
Characters/VIPs:
The key people from this world have some association with the Juraian crown. They include Aeka and Sasami Jurai, Tenchi Masaki, and Ryoko Hakubi. Aeka and Sasami Jurai are actually crown princesses of the Juraian Empire. Tenchi Masaki is also descended from Azusa's line, making him a prince of this empire as well. Ryoko had once attacked the Emperor's palace while under coercion by a criminal named Kagato.
Powers:
Juraihelm is one of the most scientifically advanced worlds among anime worlds. It is a vast a galactic civilization with the technology to convert matter to energy and vice-versa near instantly. They also have ships which can travel across the galaxy in a matter of days.
Juraihelm also has psionics, which various alien races can manifest in different ways. Psionic powers in Juraihelm range from energy projection to teleportation and telepathic communication. The Juraians derive their superhuman strength from subconscious psionic enhancement of their body.
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Domains: The moon, compassion, destruction, euthanasia
Duality: Mercy vs. Destruction
Appearance: Blue crescent moon
Powers: User becomes a vampire
Description:
This True Rune represents compassion and mercy, but brings the bearer no end of sorrow and yearning. Ultimately, the bearer takes it so far that he or she will begin killing out of a warped sense of mercy to end the suffering of others. This Rune also brings another curse; for as long as the bearer has the Rune, he or she will be a vampire.