Tenchi Trek

By Galaxy1001D

Starring Tenchi Masaki as Captain James Jean-Luc Tenchi

Washu Hakubi as Science Officer Washu

Ayeka Masaki Jurai as Lt. Commander Lydia Ayeka

Sasami Masaki Jurai as Midshipman Sherry Lynn Sasami

Mihoshi Kuramitsu as Lt. Barbie Mihoshi

Kiyone Makibi as Tactical Officer Cassandra Kiyone

Katsuhito Masaki as Doctor Katsuhito Yosho

Ryo-oh-ki as Ensign Whiskers

Special Guest Star Ryoko Hakubi as the Space Pirate Ryoko

Tenchi Muyo and all related characters are © AIC/Pioneer. Star Trek and all related material are © Paramount Studios. This story has been written solely for entertainment. The views expressed herein do not necessarily express the opinions of AIC/Pioneer, the author, or this website.

Based on "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry

And "Tenchi Muyo" created by Masaski Kajishima

Chapter 11: Ayeka In Charge

"Ship's log, Stardate 2007.96, Lieutenant Kiyone reporting. After confronting the space pirate Ryoko, a mysterious being calling herself 'Tsunami' has abducted the captain, presumably so that he and the space pirate can duel like the Romans of old."

From the captain's chair, Kiyone paused to view the bridge. Ensign Whiskers was back at her communications console, valiantly trying to do her job despite the fact that she couldn't pronounce any actual words. Midshipman Sasami was at sciences, peering into the hooded viewer to find some sign of the captain. Mihoshi was filing her nails at the helm station while humming a cheery tune. Kiyone didn't know whether to be angry or jealous at the blonde's attitude towards the crisis. She finally chose acceptance.

The bubble-headed blonde interrupted Kiyone's thoughts by turning in her chair to ask her a question. "Kiyone, why isn't Commander Ayeka on the bridge?" Mihoshi asked the teal-haired tactical officer. "Isn't she supposed to take command when the captain is unavailable?"

Kiyone laughed nervously as a tiny drop of sweat appeared at her temple. "She's…ah…working on a strategy with Lieutenant Washu," she replied with a forced breeziness to her voice. "They are in the war room working on a plan right now."

At that moment, Doctor Yosho was in the corridor of deck five bellowing into the communications console near the door to the first officer's personal quarters. "Please, Ayeka, don't cry…the ship needs you! I'm sure Tenchi is all right, just come out of there!"

"Go away!" came the choked sob from the speaker. "I don't w-want to talk to anyone!"

"Come on, Ayeka, you're the first officer!" Yosho pleaded. "It's an emergency! The ship needs you!"

"Go away!" Ayeka repeated. "That's an order!"

"As your doctor I'm ordering you to come to sick bay for a psychiatric examination!" he threatened.

"Excuse me," said a voice at the doctor's elbow. Yosho looked down to see Science Officer Washu. "This requires a woman's touch. She may respond to the delicate prodding of an understanding sister," the redhead offered.

"Certainly, Little Washu," the elderly doctor nodded. "Perhaps a fellow female can get through."

"Or at least a security override can get in," Washu finished as she typed a combination into the concealable console by the door. The door slid open and the diminutive redhead took a step into the room, and then turned and blocked Yosho's way. "I think I can handle this alone, Doctor," she said to him.

Yosho looked into Washu's eyes for a minute and then nodded again. "As you wish, but if you need me, I'll be right outside."

"That won't be necessary." Washu smiled but it did little reassure the old doctor. "We'll be fine. Trust me." The door slid closed and to Yosho's dismay, was again locked.

Washu turned to survey Ayeka's quarters. The carpet was thick enough to play hide and seek in. Drapes were on the walls to conceal the rather drab gunmetal color that permeated the Pioneer's interior. When the first officer was on the bridge, it was easy to forget that she was Lydia Ayeka, the heir to Jurai plutocrats. Inside her quarters, however, the aristocratic Ayeka had paintings, statuettes, rare books and other tasteful works of art on display.

The aforementioned aristocrat was on a plush divan, in a voluminous and fancy pink robe and matching fuzzy slippers. The first officer was eating out of a tub a chocolate ice cream without bothering to serve herself a bowl. Her crimson eyes, normally so determined and beautiful, were puffy with crying and tear marks were still visible on her youthful face. Her luxurious purple hair was still perfectly coifed and bound in two long ponytails, though; that was a good sign.

"What are you doing in here?" Ayeka demanded. She sounded more like a little girl than the prim and proper first officer that the crew was accustomed to.

Washu put her hands on her hips and glared at her superior as if addressing a disobedient child. "I could ask you the same question. The captain is missing. It's time for you to step up."

"I know he's missing," Ayeka responded melodramatically wiping her eyes and letting the lilt of her upper-class accent provide pathos to her retort. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I should have been prepared. I should have done something. Oh Tenchi…Tenchi…"

"Snap out of it!" Washu seized the first officer by the lapels of her robes and slapped her across the face. "The crew is depending on you! You can't quit now!"

Ayeka put her hand to her face. "H-how dare you!" she stammered. "Striking a superior officer! You could be court-marshaled for this!"

"I don't see anyone in a uniform," the short scientist retorted. "All I see is a spoiled rich girl in her jammies feeling sorry for herself and eating ice cream."

"You!" Ayeka rose to her feet and glowered down at the redheaded lieutenant. "You have no idea of what I'm feeling!"

"It's not your place to feel!" Washu put her hands on her hips and stood on her tiptoes to face the lavender-hair lady eye to eye. "It's your place to act! It's your place to keep this ship together! Tenchi chose you to be his first officer, despite the fact that many thought you were too young and inexperienced to be is XO! He believed in you! And now you thank him by letting his ship go to pot!"

"I've struggled tooth and nail to keep this ship afloat ever since we left space dock!" Ayeka insisted. "If it wasn't for me, this ship would have collapsed into chaos a year ago!"

"It's collapsing into chaos now," said Washu levelly. "You need to take command of this vessel in Tenchi's absence. He's counting on you. We're all counting on you."

Ayeka shook her head and turned away. "It's not my ship…it's Tenchi's ship…" Her gaze fell to a collection of photographs on display. Each one featured Tenchi, either alone or with Ayeka, both before and after the transporter accident that turned him into a teenager.

"We have no way of contacting him," Washu was standing on the divan so she could whisper into her ear. "It's your ship now. If we are to help the captain, we need to free up Kiyone so she can do her job. We need someone to coordinate things so we can all do our jobs. We need you to do your job, get me? We need someone to lead!"

"Leave me alone!" Ayeka suddenly slapped Washu across the face, causing the redhead to lose her balance and tumble onto the floor.

"No I won't!" She said as rose to her feet and tackled the first officer.

"Get off of me!" Ayeka protested as she picked up the little science officer by the shoulders and slammed her body against the wall.

"No!" Washu kicked out with her legs and Ayeka fell back and doubled over. Washu seized that moment to pounce and jumped on Ayeka's back. Ayeka rose shakily to her feet as Washu put her arm around the first officer's neck and punched the purple-haired woman in the face. "Face your responsibilities!"

"Augh!" Ayeka put her hands on Washu's arm and slammed her back (and the attacking science officer) against the wall repeatedly until Washu let go and tumbled to the ground. "Why you!" She grabbed Washu by the ankles and spun her around the room, knocking over busts of Ayeka's ancestors, sake bottles and antiques with the scientist's body. Finally with a final swing, she released Washu to see her fly across the room and crash into a Japanese changing screen. "A-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ayeka laughed cruelly.

Her laughter died when Washu emerged from the wreckage of the changing screen wielding a croquet mallet. "Yaugh!" The redhead hurled herself through the air swinging the mallet like a samurai with a katana.

"Eek!" Ayeka dodged in time to see her priceless Van Gogh painting get totaled by the mallet. "Ah!" The purple-haired woman backed away to see her mahogany coffee table smash into bits. "Oh!" The first officer tumbled out of the way as her bookcase full of valuable first edition tomes from ancient earth was struck by the angry science officer.

Finally, Washu overextended herself and Ayeka tackled her. They rolled on the floor struggling for dominance. "Get a grip, Ayeka!" Washu cried when Ayeka got the upper hand. "We need you to snap out of it!"

Ayeka gave no indication of having heard. She was staring at a picture of herself and a middle-aged James Jean-Luc Tenchi in formal uniforms. It was taken right after Tenchi's inauguration as commanding officer of the Pioneer, just two weeks before the accident that gave him a second childhood. Next to Tenchi was a young lady freshly promoted to lieutenant commander, her ancestral tiara peeking unobtrusively out of her lavender bangs. The woman in the photograph was just a year younger than Ayeka was now, and her red eyes shown with a pride and confidence that the older Ayeka envied.

"Ayeka!" Washu shouted. "Do you hear me?" How long had she been speaking to her? Ayeka didn't know. She released the science officer and retrieved her framed pictures from the floor and set them back on a shelf.

"I hear you," Ayeka's voice was low and cultured, not the high-pitched birdlike screech that the crew had endured ever since Ryoko came onboard, "and you're right. It's time to turn away from the past and face the future." Ayeka turned each picture around one by one. "I'm ready to take command!"

Washu was disgusted that on the back of each was another photograph of Tenchi, some with Ayeka and some without. "Okay, get dressed and up on the bridge in fifteen minutes. I'll see if I can get Yosho to hide our bruises."

Next: Ryoko Bares It All