Masaki Family Secrets...

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Masaki Family Secrets...

Chapter 12... Tricks of the trade...

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( Airai, the Airaian Home world... )

It was an unusual group that entered and walked down the halls of the Airaian Palace...

In the lead, a young red-haired female, with a small animal on her shoulder and a tall, light haired female wearing the well known garb of the Royal family...

However, it wasn't that of the Airaian Royal family, it was the Juraian...

Right behind them WAS the Airaian Royal family, the king and queen, even the princess who was seldom seen, being a Galaxy Police officer...

Princess Airi Magma found it interesting that each member of the royal guard that they passed as they moved through the large palace snapped to attention as Lady Seto of Jurai and Lady Washu of Terra approached...

It seem that by 'rescuing' them, the off-worlders had gained their respect...

These were combat hardened veterans, they weren't that easy to impress...

If Washu didn't discuss the details, she was sure they would be able to fill her in...

She also noted that her father seem to be walking a bit taller...

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As they passed the guards, some thing else happened...

Behind her was the Galaxy renowned pirate hunter Nagi Katsumoro and a male dressed in the most outrageous Space Pirate outfit...

For them, each guard balled their right hand and pressed his fist against his left breast, an old form of salute among the Royal high guard not used in centuries...

Then with a nod of their head they went back to parade rest, the normal guard stance...

It was their way of thanking the off-worlders for coming to the aid of the Royal family...

Captain Fragga might be an ex-space pirate, but since becoming involved with members of the Juraian Royal family, he'd seen his share of strange things...

He really hadn't done any thing, just show up and make some dumb speech - he sighed...

Like he'd seen his friend, princess Ryoko do, he just smiled and nodded his head in reply...

He noted that Nagi, walking beside him also nodded her head, but she didn't smile...

He knew she had to keep up her image as a pirate hunter, even if she was walking next to one at the moment, retired or not...

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( Grand Council Hall... )

As the group approached the entrance to the Hall, the royal couple noticed a large crowd waiting...

It seem that a good number of the palace staff were there to greet them...

The King sighed as the Queen and Princess went ahead to reassure every one that every thing was fine...

He noted that it was mostly the younger staff members that the two were talking to...

The older members just stood back, smiled and just exchanged nods with the king..

After all, they had centuries of experience to fall back on, within a week or two, most of the younger members would be wondering what all the fuss was about also...

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Even so, it still took a while before they were able to get into the hall...

Then, with the doors closed again, the king looked down the long table at those sitting there...

Those who had entered with him and those who had been waiting...

The ones with down cast looks were the members of the military who had been a part of the coup d'etat...

The king would have wondered where the priest was had Washu not mentioned taking care of him earlier...

With a nod of the kings head, the commander of the royal guard motioned for his troops follow him outside, ready to return if need be, in an instant...

However, he was reasonably sure there would be no problems...

While they were waiting, the light haired young female had entertained them ( and the other officers ) by juggling balls of energy and cutting pieces of fruit with a light sword...

Knowing who the king's other guests were was also reassuring...

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As the door closed, the king eyed the officers remaining, none were willing to look back...

Seeing Washu stand at the other end of the table, he nodded his head...

It was amazing how nervous her smile could make a person, when you had an idea of the mind behind those twinkling eyes...

She held up a small patch as she spoke...

" I used one of these earlier, to remove the past 72 hours from the young priest's memory... He's sleeping right now and when he wakes up he'll find himself in a secluded monastery, where he's been on 'retreat' for the past several day... He's been working hard and his superior sent him there to rest... Any request for information about this will find all the paper wok in order and nothing out of the ordinary... If asked, he will have no knowledge of any of the event taking place here... "

Looking at the military men, her smile sent a chill down their spines...

" I could do the same to all here, but that would be more of a bother than it's worth... "

She saw relief in their faces...

The king was hearing this along with every one else, but he knew she must have a plan to explain every thing...

The rescue had been quite simple ( for her ) and had gone off without a hitch...

Like the other, he put himself in her hands..

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Seeing a slight smile on the kings face, for just a moment, Washu continued, looking at papers in her hand for effect...

" Since the whole event was carried off using Governmental emergency programings and no one was hurt, we have another option... With you majesty's permission?... "

She bowed slightly towards the king who nodded back...

" Every one will return to what they were doing before this 'exercise' and nothing more will be said... "

She smiled as the king's eyebrow went up...

" But before that... His majesty will address your worries about a Jurain takeover... I'm sure that if these are laid to rest, there won't be any more problems and every one will see the reason to support the 'cover story'... "

Akio Magma, the king, realized that Washu had just stated that this was all his fault, by not addressing those worries earlier, he sighed...

And like many others, especially royalty, he believed that if you ignore some thing long enough, it usually went away...

He hadn't tried to addressed it, because he wasn't sure himself, until now...

Standing and taking a deep breath he saw that all eyes were now on him...

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" Thank you, Lady Washu... "

He noted a good number of surprised faces around the table, it had been quite a while since any of them had heard the king thank any one...

" In trying to put off the question about a possible Juraian successor, it seems that I only fueled the flames... "

He paused...

" Like many others, I judged him by all the other Juraians I've met and had fought... "

He saw Washu smile and nod her head...

" However, at a recent small gathering, I got to meet him and his very unusual family... And I discovered that he is not Juraian... Just as he is not Araian... He is as his name says, Masakian and thus better that both... "

Now there were dropped jaws, except for those who knew Tenchi and his family...

He held up his hands looking at Washu and smiling...

" Don't ask me to explain that, because I can't... But I know that it is true... "

He could see his wife and daughter smiling at him, tears in their eyes...

" As for his assuming my seat, I can think of no better successor, nor future ruler for Araia... I WILL say, that I am quite proud to accept him as my great-grandson and as my heir... "

Many of the military were amazed and their faces showed it...

He sighed before continuing...

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" And so we come to the main reason for our recent - exercise... "

All eyes were on him again...

" As you can see and attest, our centuries of conflict with Jurai has hardened us and made us stronger... However it has also colored our opinions of Juraians in general... I believe the expression is 'my best friend is a Juraian, but I still wouldn't want him to marry my sister'... "

He saw several nod their heads...

" Well, by right of blood this throne is his... Just as most of Jurai accept that the Juraian throne will one day be his... If he wanted them, they would be his for the taking... The formal Challenge of Leadership would be nothing more than a formality, for Emperor Azusa or myself... There would be no question in my mind of the Challenge's outcome... "

He saw shock on a number of faces, Araian's never admit weakness...

" I believe you have all seen his match with his wive, which I believe is broadcast almost every day... Believe me, that was nothing staged with that match... And I assure you, power wise, the three weren't even going All-out... "

There were question looks...

" I've seen detailed reports and video recordings of Princess Ayeka and Ryoko, when they 'Go-at-it'... The firepower from our most powerful Capital ship causes less damage... And the prince is able to counted these two, wild forces of nature?... "

A lot of heads nodded...

" However, he has assured me when we came face-to-face, just as he has Emperor Azusa, that he has no interest in ether throne and that he wishes us both the very longest of reigns and for even longer life spans... "

He paused...

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" But there is one thing that the crown prince is very protective of... And that is family... "

Once again he had their attention, he smiled...

" Unknown to most, it was the crown prince and his wives who were responsible for the outcome of the Zanata six affair and the rescue of our princess... "

Aira tried to smile as every one was looking at her...

" It is believed that they were also quietly involved in a number of other events recently, including Kagato's downfall... "

This raised quite a few eyebrows...

" Yes, I know most of you were told that it was all just more Juraian propaganda... But, I can assure you, it WAS the prince who took down that plague... Rescuing not only Princess Ayeka and Princess Ryoko, but doing what two empires and a whole galaxy couldn't... "

A lot of eyebrows went up at his use of Ryoko's new title...

" Be glad he is on our side... "

Smiling, out of the corner of her eye, Washu saw Lady Seto hiding behind her fan, her eyes dancing...

" For the information of those here, the extraordinary rescue today was planned and executed at the prince's request... And at the end of the table is it's architect... Lady Washu Hakubi, the mother of Princess Ryoko Hakubi Masaki... And as such, the prince's mother-in-law... "

As all eyes turned her way Washu smiled and waved back...

" You all know Lady Seto... As I believe many of you have found yourselves looking down the barrel of the Mikagami's weapons at one time or another... Even she was involved today... And I thank them both... "

As every one at the table watch, the king did something he seldom do, he bowed to the two females before continuing...

" It had nothing to do with Empires and Kingdoms, Emperors or Kings... It had to do with the fact that we are family, distant family, but family never the less... And when family is in danger, you come to their aid... "

He paused and looked at those sitting at the table...

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The military men looked at each other and one by one nodded...

The highest ranking one stood and faced the king, bowing his head...

" Sire... As you have said our past experiences have effected our present judgement... And without reliable knowledge we took a course that turned out to be nothing more than an illusion... We can not change what happened or why it occurred... However... We can learn and use this to improve the future... "

All the others nodded their heads in agreement as he sat back down...

The officer then lifted his head and smiled slightly...

" I still wouldn't let my sister marry a Juraian, friend or not... But I might let her date him... "

The king's eyebrow lifted slightly...

" As I recall, your sister is one of the leading enhanced martial Artist on the planet?... "

The officer's smile got bigger...

" As I said, I wouldn't object to their dating... "

Down at the end of the table, Washu also smiled...

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( Out in the hallway... )

The commander of the royal guard had been thinking back on the past 24 hours...

Like others, he had been taken by surprise by the palace coup d'etat...

All he or the other members of the Royal Guard could do was sit in their cells and wait for something to happen...

He'd almost jumped out of his skin when the female in a Juraian battlesuit walked through the wall of his cell carrying two limp bodies...

Seeing him sitting on the cell bed, she had just smiled...

" Are you going to just sit there?... These guys are heavy... "

She was right, dressed in palace guard armor, each body were heavy and she'd just carrier in two of them...

A quick check had proven that they were both regular military, who'd replaced the real guard members...

After a short discussion, she'd gone to the cell next door and returned with two of his men...

A short, quick discussion and his men were getting into the armor on the other two males...

That done, the female took them, one at a time out into the hallway...

The two had been the guards for their cells...

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Over the next hour or so, they had slowly and carefully replaced those standing guard in the palace hallways with real guardsmen...

One by one the female had used her ability to pass through walls to get behind the guards standing next to the wall and sedate them somehow...

Then she'd move the body to where a true guard could exchange garb...

It had all been quiet and very nerve racking...

For they were trying to do it carefully so that the alarm wouldn't be sounded and cause possible weapons discharged...

After taking out the guard in front of the Royal apartments, it had been his honor to knock on the door and inform his majesty that the way to the throne room was clear, would he like to go there?...

Smiling, the Queen on his arm, the king had been escorted down the halls to the doors of the throne room...

All the guards in the halls saluted as they passed by...

However the young female with red hair and large glasses, who'd joined them, insisted that they first went out to the landing pad to greet some others...

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Outside the throne room stood the young female, now in more common wear and another ...

It was the Queen who spoke up, smiling...

" Lady Washu... I see your charming daughter Ryoko has joined us... I should have guessed... "

It had been then that he'd learned that the female who rescued them had been the Juraian Princess and ex space pirate, Ryoko Hakubi and the red-head was her mother, the infamous mad scientist, Washu Hakubi...

The red-head had nodded her head and smiled before replying...

" Would your majesties care to enter?... I assure you, they are not expecting you... Want to surprise them?... "

With a nod of the king's head, the red-head had lead them into the room with a loud voice...

" THEIR MAJESTIES, THE KING AND QUEEN... ALL RISE... "

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( The Juraian Palace... )

Emperor Azusa looked out the upper window of the palace and down at the patch of grass below...

His second queen and Supreme Commander of the Royal Bodyguards was sitting on the grass, two young girl laying next to her, their heads in her lap...

The three were watching a good number of other young children pin an older male down in the grass...

Thou he could not hear it, Azusa knew there was a lot of laughter and giggling being emitted from the pile of royal garments...

Azusa smiled as he watched Misaki smile and call out encouragements to the young attacked as she ran her hand through the hair of the two whose heads were in her lap...

It had been a very long time since she'd been able to run her hands through Ayeka and Sasami's hair...

It was nice to have the sound of young people around again...

Her married daughter, Ayeka was happy, because it ment certain family members weren't showing up at the house each morning to see how things were going...

One of the "down" sides to washu's sub-space transportation system...

As it was, they usually managed to find some reason to drop by, at least once a week or so...

Washu hadn't wanted to have to put a lock on the 'door' or system...

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Out of the corner of his eye, Azusa saw some one coming down the hall way...

Being highly familiar with this person's shape, he hadn't had to turn his head...

His first queen and Minister of Intelligence, Funaho had some papers in her hands...

He wondered if it was an update on the Airaian problem...

Of late, he seem to only heard about things, AFTER the fact...

At first he had been concerned, but then realized how less stressful his life had been recently...

But there was still enough to keep him busy...

Without turning his head, he couldn't tell what expression, if any, she might have...

As she moved next to him at the window, she looked down at the activity below...

" Care to join them?... "

That had been enough of a hint...

" I assume Lady Seto was able to deliver your present?... "

The Airaian problem had been resolved...

But the mischievous smile on her lips told him there was more...

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Sighing he asked a question...

" What did it cost me THIS time?... "

He heard a giggle that reminded him of professor Washu...

" Just a bottle of that wine Akio liked at dinner the other day... "

Azusa closed his eyes, that had been his favorite too and he was the only one who had any bottles of that Airaian vintage in the galaxy...

That was one of the down sides with having a long life, every thing tended to run out, eventually...

And there were only a few thousand bottles left, secured in a sub-basement, deep beneath the palace...

Where even Ryoko's attack on the palace 700 years ago couldn't effect then...

He'd recently had to cut down to about a bottle a month, he didn't want to go to once a year...

He now turned and looked at her and she smiled...

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" Don't try to give me that puppy-dog look... The kids might get away with it, not the adults... "

She moved closer and ran her fingers through his hair, getting a smile...

" Besides... It went for a good cause... Seto had to be delivering some thing worthwhile... A bottle of wine worth the price of a heavy cruiser seen to fit that category... "

Sighing Azusa glance at the activity below...

" Since the galaxy doesn't need us at the moment... Shall we go down and help the others cheer on the offence?... "

Funaho smiled and took his offered arm...

He didn't see the gleam in her eyes...

Perhaps by the time she got downstairs she'd come up with a way to get him to be the children's next target...

Ranks meant little to the children and it had been some time since they'd gotten the Emperor of Jurai under their pile...

She was sure that she could get Misaki's help...

Yes, it was going to be a very nice day...

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To be continued...

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Please feel free to comment and review for any errors...

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