THREE PRINCESSES...
Author: Daferge
Disclaimer: Tenchi Muyo! is a copyright AIC/Pioneer Ltd.
All respective characters are property of their original owners. All original characters and ideas are property of the author.
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Chapter 25... Things Begin...
( the Masaki living room… )
Katsuhito Masaki, Tenchi Masaki's grandfather, smiled as he heard a voice call out…
" Hello?... Any body home?... "
Looking up, he could see the head of their newest 'houseguest' peeking out of the slightly opened downstairs closet door…
Although she'd been here a while Galaxy Police officer Kiyone Tanaka, Detective first class, still checked for permission before entering the Masaki house…
Katsuhito wasn't sure if it was because she was still in awe of the Juraian Royal Family or because she was so polite, some thing that delighted Ayeka and which Ryoko found amusing…
He hadn't quite gotten use to the fact that the door, which had originally opened into a broom closet, now opened to ether Washu's Lab or a special sub-space star-ship 'garage'…
Washu had gotten tired of having to rebuild the house and any other things that got damaged when OFFICER Mihoshi returned from patrol…
Mihoshi would have only one thing on her mind whenever she got off her GP patrol, getting back to her beloved Tenchi and any thing that got in the way, BEWARE!...
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While watching TV one night, Washu had noted that Earthlings had a thing called a 'garage', where they would store their favorite modes of transportation, a self-moving, four wheeled craft called an automobile or car…
Once again Washu was amazed at how creative the people on this world, that the rest of the universe considered as low tech and primitive, could be…
Thus, Washu had created a sub-space area, like her lab, into which the Yukinojo, Mihoshi's ship, (and others) could be placed…
Washu had even adjusted the Yukinojo's progams so that upon entering Earth's orbit, it would use the 'door-key' to automatically drop into sub-space and enter the 'garage'…
Washu had provided the 'garage' with the most advanced facilities, better than those of any other facilities in the entire Galaxy, even Juraian ones, all located in a Highly-security, unreachable, undetectable ship's dock…
After spending time patrolling with Mihoshi, Yukinojo, the ship's Artificial Intelligence, would be quite 'Happy' about returning, to where all the dings and scrapes that the ship seem to acquire only when Mihoshi was aboard, could be repaired by Washu's automated systems...
At the moment, only a few ships were allowed access, Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki and the Yukinojo that both Mihoshi and Kiyone shared…
Although Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki really didn't need the 'Garage', Washu had decided that for security purposes it was best for them to use it, reentering normal space at any of a half dozen 'Garage doors' around the solar system, unnoticed…
When it came to Security, the whole family, from Tenchi to Ken-Ohki, deferred to Washu…
However at the moment, the concern look that Katsuhito saw on Kiyone's face didn't bode well…
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( Galaxy Police Headquarters, earlier…)
A young boy sat at a table in the cafeteria, looking at what was on the plate before him…
The two females sitting next to him had already 'dug in' as they put it, eating the unidentified stuff that they'd gotten from the cooks on the serving line…
Seina Yamada hadn't been too happy about letting Kiriko Masaki, his first officer, choose what to get, but it was the fastest way to get through the line, with all the other GP officers lined up behind him, making noises…
He decided to take his good friend, Sasami's advice…
Try it and if it tastes good, DON'T ask what it is…
Besides, Kiriko was his wife and she'd been watching over him a good portion of his life…
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Looking at the blonde female with him, he noted that she seem to be enjoying the same stuff…
And if Amane Kaunaq, a former Galaxy super model and member of a rich family could eat it, so could he…
Putting a portion of 'food' in his mouth, his eye brow went up, there wasn't any taste, good or bad, to it…
Kiriko smiled at Seina's reaction to the food, after all, with so many different races of officers and others coming through the Galaxy Police Headquarters, the food had been designed for nourishment, not taste…
In fact there was very little taste to it, at all…
Thou there were an assortment of spices packs available for those who wanted flavor…
Kiriko had taken it upon herself to get and test Seina's food before presenting it to him, also testing it for any OTHER possible additives, such as poison…
After all, the Galaxy was a dangerous place and wasn't it a wife's duty to protect her husband?...
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So it was that Seina, tasting his food and liking it and didn't notice the changes around him…
But Kiriko and Amane did…
Checking their comm-units, they were informed that HQ had gone to yellow alert and they were requested to report to the Grand Marshal…
Noting that those leaving the cafeteria were not rushing, and that it had been a request and not an order, they continued with their meals…
Kiriko and Amane ate quietly, but the whole time, keeping a weather-eye on what was going on around them…
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( The Grand Marshal's office… )
The Grand Marshal stood at his desk, studying the holographic world before him…
A world of some concern to a great many people and worlds…
Zanata Six sat at a crossroads of several trade routes, in the middle of the buffer area between the Juraian Empire and the Airaian Kingdom…
Who it had originally been settled by was lost in the distant past, but over time, both Airai AND Jurai had conquered it at one time or another, bring in settlers to boost their claims…
As time and nature progressed, most of the worlds population was half Airaian, half Juraian, pretty much making them out cast from BOTH worlds…
Then, several centuries ago, a couple with ties to both Royal Families, who had fallen in love, ran away to Zanata Six and another armed conflict was in the making…
HOWEVER, cooler heads prevailed and the couple was allowed to remain on the planet…
After due debate, an agreement was reached and signed that both worlds would give up all claims to Zanata Six and that the couple, each with Royal blood, would become the new ruling family..
A buffer zone was also agreed to, marked by space buoys, held in place by sub-space anchors, a wide non-moving wall between the two Empires, Zanata Six being the only inhabitable system within it…
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The couple proved to be not only popular with the people, but highly resourceful…
After improving the spaceport, they built hotels and recreational areas for off-would visitors, which not only provided work for the people, but an off-world source of income for the goverment…
Resorts and casinos came next and Zanata Six quickly worked its way up into the top 100 pleasure Planets in the Galaxy…
Until 12 years ago, when it some how came to the attention of Kagato, the eternally most wanted criminal…
He had suddenly appeared above the defenseless world, with his Battleship Soja and proceeded to raid a number of museums of their ancient artifacts…
In the course of his raid, he fired upon the civilians, to spread panic and confusion, as well as for his own amusement…
By chance, one of his shots just happen to destroy the shelter where the ruling family and member of the government were being hidden at the time, thus taking out the world's entire leadership…
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After Kagato left, a minor official, who hadn't been with the others, stepped from the ruins, took charge and declared Marshal Law…
Within a short time, the official had complete control of the government and the world…
Calling himself, The Leader, he took over as Planetary Ruler and crushed any opposition with an Iron Fist…
Only then did people begin to notice how little REAL damage had been done by Kagato's attack…
Even deaths were mostly the Ruling Family and members of government…
Rumors began to spread suggesting that the NEW Ruler might have been working with Kagato, in exchange for the planet…
These rumors had been violently crushed…
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Since then, the planet had been a thorn in the GP's side…
The highest, state-of-the-art defensive system had been put into play, armed satellites, orbital mine fields and recently word had slipped out about secret shipbuilding facilities being built and heavily armed star-ships being constructed…
Above the palace and major buildings were advanced force fields and rumored energy suppression fields on par with those used by Kagato…
And, as the Galaxy Police's authority stopped at the mine field orbiting the planet, unless they were called in by the government, there was nothing they could do…
But that just might change…
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A Galaxy Star-liner that had been taking one of the trade routes through the system from the kingdom of Airai to the Juriain Empire, suffered engine trouble and was forced to drop out of sub-space and into a restricted section of the Zanata Six system…
Before any one knew what to do, armed ships of the Zanata Defense Force had surrounded and boarded the Liner…
Declaring the Liner to be spying on Zanata's Defenses, all passengers were then arrested and their property confiscated…
The Liner was towed into orbit above the planet and systematically taken apart in the search for evidence of spying…
Several dozen worlds quickly filed protest about their citizens being held without cause, which went without response…
Airai and Jurai also lodged protest, which were also ignored…
Rumors that members of ether world's Royal families had been aboard were quickly dismissed, although it was confirmed that members of the Airai Royal family had booked passage, but had to rebook due to illness…
Rumors had then begun to circulate that perhaps the engine trouble might NOT have been an accident…
So, the matter was now at a dead lock, as none of the parties involved wanting to over react and cause an armed conflict…
The only thing the Marshal could do was organize a Heavy Assault Task Force and send it to stand by in sub-space, just outside the Zanata six system and wait…
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( Airai Royal Palace… )
His majesty, Akio Magma, was sitting behind a large desk cover with paperwork, the down side of being 'in-charge'…
At the moment, he had set aside all the daily matters to go over the latest on the Zanata Six problem…
Since the death of the ruling family some years ago, he had been careful to watch for any excuse that he could use to send in a task force with an assault team and he was very curtain that his counter-part on Jurai, Azusa, was watching too…
Though he didn't wish to involve family, had his distant cousin and his family been aboard the Liner as they had originally planned, it would have been just the excuse he needed…
There were a good number of passengers from the kingdom, but no one of high renown, at least not high enough to use as an excuse…
SIGH…
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Searching through the stacks of papers, he located the comm-screen control and turned it on, connecting with the inter-stellar News channel…
Perhaps there was some break in the story…
He'd always been amazed at how the News Channel always seem to have better updates than his own intelligence network…
The sports were on and 'By Request', they were replaying the famed duel between the Juraian Crown Prince and two of his wives…
He'd learned that whenever it was replayed, viewer ratings shot through the ceiling…
As the prince dueled his wives, the greatly feared light-haired Ryoko, the Space Pirate and the infamous yellow-haired, Mihoshi Kuramitsu, the grand-daughter of the Galaxy Police's Grand Marshal, he began to wish that it had been Prince Yosho's daughter by HIS daughter Airi, Minaho, who had given birth to the young Prince, instead of his mysterious wife from colony 0315…
According to secret reports, both Yosho's second wife and his daughter had passed away…
He even had photos that had been smuggled off-world to him, of their head stones…
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As he continued to watch, he couldn't help but admire the young prince for being able to survive, much less handle three such powerful females…
He remembered the first time he had watched the duel, it was the first time he'd seen the prince in action, all the intelligence photos gathered of the new prince had seem like some kind of a joke…
How could such a small, young boy be the source of so many wild and outlandish rumors...
Then as the duel progressed, he began to believe that perhaps this young man was indeed the one who took down Kagato…
Then the king thought about what a handful he and his wives must be to Emperor Azusa…
He couldn't help smiling and raising his drink in a toast to the young prince as two laughing GP female officers tried to pull the two wives off the victorious Prince…
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… )
Azusa Masaki Jurai looked up from his paperwork as if he'd heard some one mention his name…
Shaking his head, he returned to the reports before him…
The situation on Zanata Six didn't look good…
He was sure that the Airaian King would try to use the new crisis as an excuse to invade…
He knew that he would if he had the chance…
When word that Akio's cousin might have been on the Liner, Azusa's first thought had been that he might have planned it, but Azusa knew that Akio cared for his family and although he might use it to his advantage, he wouldn't be part of it…
Looking up at the pictures of Tenchi and HIS family, he had a sense of pride that had only recently returned to the palace…
He made a note to have Lady Seto take her task force to the edge of the Zanata system and wait…
Past experience had taught him to expect a reaction and for some thing to happen…
SOON!…
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( Grand Marshal's office… the present… )
The Marshal studied the new report for the hundredth time and again came to the same solution, again…
He hoped he was wrong, but all the facts led him to only one conclusion, one he wasn't very happy with…
He was glad he'd gone with his gut feeling and formed the heavy assault task force, which was on its way to the Zanata Six system…
It might not have been needed before, but he was sure that it would be shortly…
SIGH!...
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the little device that Washu had given him in case of a real emergency…
Openning it he push the button with a big W on it, the only button and waited…
" THIS HAD BETTER BE IMPORTANT!... "
He couldn't help smiling…
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( Emperor Azusa's Office, Jurai… the present… )
Azusa read the report again…
It seems that he's been correct in his judgment, but he wasn't happy about it…
Something had happen, something he hadn't expected…
He knew that the Queens wouldn't be happy ether…
He would have to contact Lady Seto and inform her of the new wrinkle…
He hoped she didn't take matters into her own hands…
SIGH!...
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the comm-device that Washu had given him, the small screen had produced a number of interesting images, but this would be the first time he had used the big button with a big W on it…
But for some reason, it took a while before he was able to push the button…
Unlike her lab answering system, with the little puppets, Washu's voice answered…
" SO… How long did it take to push the button?... "
Azusa found himself smiling, in spite of himself…
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( Aira Royal Palace… the present… )
The King examined the report…
There was no doubt about it, he found himself crushing the paper into a small ball…
It took him some time to calm down, but he finally managed…
The assault team and task force had been awaiting his orders for some time now…
At the press of the button on his desk, a voice answered…
" SIRE?... "
" Inform the task force that I have authorized their mission and pass on the last report… "
" As you wish, sire.. "
With another press, he was alone again…
Having set things in motion, he could only wait for the results…
What was that silly phrase his daughter always used?...
Oh yes…
Keep your fingers crossed!...
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( Much Later… A Darken Room... )
As Tenchi opened his eyes, he wasn't sure if they were open or not, at first...
It was only as things seem to come into focus that he realized there was very little light, where ever they were...
The pounding in his head wasn't helping any...
As he closed his eyes, he though he heard a low moan...
It took a while for him to realize that it hadn't been him...
His thoughts were so scrambled he wasn't sure who he was, much less where he was...
The image of an elderly male with small glasses, seem to be telling him to take his time, to breath slowly and to calm his thoughts
Grandfather?...
Tenchi slowed his breath and slowly things began to focus again and a name came to mind...
" Fragga!... "
A weak voice floated out of the darkness...
" Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into!... "
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The image of two males, one fat and the other skinny popped into Tenchi's mind...
He felt a slight shaking start in his stomach and worked it's way up his body...
Suddenly, he threw back his head and started laughing...
" Ha!... Ha!... Ha!... "
He really shouldn't have given Fragga that collection of Laurel and Hardy classic movies...
Fragga's sense of humor had been bad before, now it was even worse...
And some people wondered why the Crown Prince of Jurai hung out with an ex-pirate...
Perhaps it was because he was one of the few people, outside of the Masaki family, that Tenchi truly trusted...
After a while the voice, stronger now, spoke again...
" Remind me, again!... Why did we come here again?... "
In the dark, no one could see Tenchi smile...
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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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