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 Masaki Kajishima
Chapter 14: Tears of a Pirate
"We did it, Tenchi! We found water!" Ryoko exclaimed.
"Not so fast, Ryoko," the young captain admonished. "First we have to boil it."
"Oh, yeah," murmured the cyan-haired siren, "I forgot. We gotta boil out the impurities, right?"
"Any time you're ready," Tenchi nodded.
"Here goes." A bright orange light appeared in Ryoko's hand and coalesced into a beam that struck the stone under a canteen. The hot vapor traveled up the rubber tubing and empted into a second canteen that was sealed to the end of the tube. "It's working! We're saved!"
"I couldn't have done it without you," Tenchi smiled. That refresher course on planetary survival that he took at the academy sure came in handy. It turned out that finding the water wasn't the hard part, but finding containers to purify it was. In the end they used Ryoko's ring to turn their clothes into outfits that had accessories they could use. The canteens came from Earth's American twenty-first century infantry field uniforms. The tubing and rubber were taken from a Rigellian scuba suit.
Tenchi was dressed in twenty-first century combat fatigues and Ryoko was in a formfitting wetsuit. Tenchi thought it was a wetsuit. Now it looked more like a catsuit, a tight outfit that hugged every curve of the pirate's lithe body and left very little to the imagination. Tenchi suspected that she changed clothing when he wasn't looking.
They shared the water from the canteen once it cooled down and watched the sun of the barren world set. Ryoko put her head on Tenchi's shoulder. Tenchi broke the silence by asking, "So why did you rob the freighter, anyway?"
"What?"
"Why rob a freighter full of liquor anyway? Did you plan to sell any of it, or just drink yourself to death?" He held her hand and continued to lean against her.
Ryoko emitted a wry giggle and pondered the question for a moment. "I was thirsty, and I didn't feel like paying for it."
"You were thirsty?" The concern on Tenchi's voice was noticeable. "Ryoko, you drank enough booze to kill an army."
Another humorless chuckle. "I was really thirsty."
"I guess so," Tenchi didn't seem convinced.
"Hey, it takes a lot of fuel to power me up," she insisted. "Fermented sugars are a fun way to do it. I can power up and get smashed at the same time."
Tenchi refused to let it go. "You were in critical condition when we found you," he scolded. "I think that you drunk more than your body could handle."
"It's the only way to get hammered," Ryoko dismissed. "I gotta drink more than my body can convert at any one time or there's no buzz."
"Do you do this often?" Tenchi asked. "Have a party where no one is invited?"
"Hey, what is this?" Ryoko asked testily. "An intervention?"
"You could call it that," Tenchi said. "Ryoko, I'm worried about you."
"Aww," Ryoko cooed. "That's so sweet…I knew that you liked me!" She put her arms around him. "Do you like me in…that way?" Mischief had returned to her voice.
"Yes," Tenchi sighed. "There's no point denying it anymore."
"Well you don't have to sound so depressed about it!" Ryoko pushed him away and gave his shoulder a light slap. "There's got to be a less insulting way to say 'I love you'. I thought that you were afraid to mess around with the girls under your command. I'm not a crewmember! What's the big deal?"
"No offence, Ryoko," Tenchi muttered, "but I don't think that dating a wanted criminal is going to help my career either."
"Oh…right," Ryoko giggled self-consciously. "Guess playing patty-cake with your officers would be better, huh?"
"Are you changing the subject?" Tenchi asked.
"That depends," said Ryoko, "what was the subject again?"
"What's with the heavy drinking?" Tenchi sounded like a parent scolding a child. "You can't say that you're a social drinker; there was no one else on your spaceship."
"Pirates drink," Ryoko shrugged. "It's a fact of life."
"I thought that you weren't a pirate," Tenchi insisted. "You're just a girl who's in trouble with the law."
"Yeah," came the woman's embarrassed giggle.
"Ever since you saw that genetic specialist you've become a high-profile criminal haven't you?" said the captain. "It was after you discovered your genetic augmentation that you became really self-destructive wasn't it?"
Ryoko hugged her legs and answered only with silence.
"With your super powers, you've never actually had to kill anyone during your crimes, but you spend your life either evading the police or drinking yourself silly." Tenchi put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you trying to kill yourself? Death by alcohol or death by cop?"
Ryoko pushed him away and hugged her legs harder. Tenchi could see her entire body quiver.
"Hey, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to pry, I'm just worried about you. Don't shut me out. Ryoko…Ryoko!"
"You don't care about me!" The pirate shouted. "No one cares about me! I'm a genetically augmented mutant who's a curse on the galaxy! I'm the freak who's unique! You just want to cut me up and see how I work!" The pirate's body was wracked with sobs.
Tenchi gathered his courage and put his arms around her. "No I don't and you know that," he said gently. "You're not alone, Ryoko. You don't have to be."
Fortunately the woman didn't push him away. On the contrary, she hugged him tightly and cried on his shoulder. "Oh Tenchi, what am I going to do?" she sobbed. "I've really dug myself a hole and I don't know how to get out of it! I'm gonna be on the run for the rest of my life!"
"You don't have to be," He hugged her gently and spoke softly in her ear. "It's not too late to turn your life around. You can turn yourself in and get a light sentence. I can use my influence to get you a good lawyer."
"Who are you kidding, Tenchi?" she again pushed him away and rubbed at her eyes. "I can't take prison!"
"Hey, it's not like that anymore," Tenchi replied. "Penal colonies aren't prisons like they were back when I was your age, they're hospitals now."
Ryoko blinked in confusion, then guffawed in embarrassed laughter. She had completely forgotten that James Jean-Luc Tenchi was technically older than her.
Tenchi used the momentary levity to press his argument. "These days penal colonies are hospitals for those who can't fit into society. They find the root of your criminal impulses and treat them. I know a real good one ran by Simon Van Gelder, he's one of the best in the field."
"I don't want to be a guinea pig, Tenchi," Ryoko shook her head.
"You won't be a guinea pig, you'll be a patient," Tenchi insisted. "Look, if it makes you feel better, consider it getting off with an insanity plea." He smiled conspiratorially.
Ryoko crossed her arms. "I heard that they've got a gadget that messes with your mind."
"They only use that on truly violent cases," Tenchi assured her. "You aren't violent. As far as I know, you've never hurt anyone."
"I don't like it," Ryoko looked away.
"C'mon, Ryoko," Tenchi cajoled her. "You're destroying yourself. You need help. You can either pay a whole bunch of money to get the help you need, or…" He smiled as she turned to look at him. "…you can get it for free with the state footing the bill. At the same time you can get the police off your back and a chance to start your life over, what do you say?"
"Humph," Ryoko hugged herself and had an irritated look on her face.
"All it will cost you is time," Tenchi continued, "and with good behavior and a good lawyer, it probably won't be that long, either. C'mon, at least tell me you'll think about it."
"I'll think about it," she grumbled, "but tell me, will there be anybody waiting for me when I get out?"
"Count on it," Tenchi nodded. "I'll write to you all the time. Maybe you can help me with my problem." Tenchi looked away and blushed. "And maybe my body will have matured enough so that I won't be so embarrassed about showing it off."
They both laughed. "I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Ryoko smiled. "If I take too long with my therapy, some other girl just might snatch you up."
"You know that I'll make it a challenge for them." Tenchi assured her.
Ryoko laughed. "Yeah, you will." She gazed into his eyes. "Just make sure that you don't solve your problem before I solve mine, okay?"
"Deal."
Next: Full Speed Ahead