Chapter Twenty Nine: No Need for a History Lesson

Tenchi finished his work and headed for the medical unit. He wanted to check up on Mihoshi and ensure that Ayeka and Ryoko had not killed each other. As he turned a corner, he literally ran into Sasami.

"Sorry, Tenchi," Sasami said, and started off in the direction of the bridge

"What's gotten into her, I wonder?"

"I'm afraid it's my fault, Lord Tenchi."

"Why would it be your fault?"

"I told Princess Sasami that I would answer a few questions about Ceal."

"I'd like a few of mine answered too," Tenchi mumbled.

"Later, Lord Tenchi, you and the rest of your friends can ask all of your questions and I 'll answer what I can." Night Bird sounded depressed or tired.

"Night Bird, is something wrong? You sound upset, can I help?"

"No, Lord Tenchi. It's just...I've been out of contact with Captain Ceal for longer than ever before...and with what Lady Washu recently told me, I worry about him and what she might have done to him on Earth during her experiments."

"Done to Ceal? Washu didn't do anything. Look, Night Bird, ever since Washu and the rest of us came back from the Togami you've seemed...well...annoyed, angry, fearful."

"Yes, I know. But Captain Ceal and I, we've been partnered for over seven hundred years. I - I don't want to lose him, Tenchi. Can you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Tenchi did understand, even if it seemed to be impossible. He thought about everything he had witnessed between Ceal and Night Bird. When Ceal first contacted Night Bird, the sound of relief was evident from hearing Ceal speak and knowing he was safe after a period of no contact. It was clear in the way Night Bird guarded the slumbering Ceal while at the controls and the manner in which she forced Ceal to realize he needed to rest. Night Bird helped to convince Ceal that he had not failed Miss Washu, or the mysterious Lady Tokimi...

It was clear in those examples and dozens of other things that Tenchi should have noticed before then. But he had considered Night Bird only a machine. A loyal one, but just a collection of wires and circuitry. Even when Night Bird had her display of emotion during dinner, Tenchi thought it was self preservation - that the ship was protecting itself from damage. And even afterwards, when Night Bird spoke to Tenchi about her feelings, he had been unable to fully accept the truth...now there was no denying it.

"Night Bird, you're in love with Ceal, aren't you?"

Tenchi's question was met with silence.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what I can say to make you feel better. But, how you ever told Ceal how you really feel about him?"

A long pause, then Night Bird talked in a fast paced voice. "Yes, approximately six hundred years ago. Captain Ceal was on a mission for Lady Tokimi. He was ferreting out a band of would-be conquerers, but when he found out they knew Lady's Washu's location, he started making inquiries. They became suspicious of him. They captured and tortured him in ways I could only guess at, but Captain Ceal revealed nothing.

Since the band had to meet up with a contact who wished to make some purchases, they decided to leave Captain Ceal alive - barely so. To punish him further, they sent him to a back street healer, who gave the Captain a bogus gene info card, so that anyone reading it would find Ceal's data mixed up with those responsible for kidnapping Lady Washu. Almost a year later, Ceal was located during an organ raid."

"What's an organ raid," Tenchi asked.

"The doctor was healing Captain Ceal only so he could harvest the Captain's parts and organs and sell them to his rich clients. The nanites and rejuvenation gel kept him alive - somewhat - and repaired damage, but they were reading a false geno-recording as their basis. So, Ceal was becoming a hybrid of sorts, a genetic combination of him and the man that I later learned was Kagato."

"Is that why he resembles Kagato so much?"

"Correct, but the changes were deeper than his physical appearance. We learned this later on. When the authorities returned Captain Ceal to me, he was missing almost forty percent of his original mass and was placed in my med center to recover. I kept him unconscious because his nerves were left uncovered in many places in order to keep them viable for later use during transplantation. When Captain Ceal came to, he screamed like nothing I had ever heard before or since. I prey I will never heard such a terrible sound again. At any rate, a group of twelve medics stayed on board to treat him. They did shifts - three of them were working for six hours at a time."

Tenchi tried to comprehend what Ceal suffered through. The pain, the horror of finding his body a living puzzle with missing pieces. The man was lucky to be alive, a testimony to the skill of those unnamed medics.

"Night Bird, when did you tell Ceal about your true feelings?" Tenchi did not know why he so wanted the answer.

"...It took four months until Captain Ceal could survive on his own away from the bio-generator tank. All but one of the medical personnel were reassigned by then. One night, the Captain snuck out of the med center. He intended to destroy himself in order to stop the pain he was constantly feeling..." Night Bird trailed off.

"And?" Perhaps this information would help Tenchi understand Ceal better.

"They discovered he was gone, of course. It took five orderlies to stop Captain Ceal and force him back inside, and another four to put the restraints on. Captain Ceal appeared so hurt, so despondent, that I talked with him all night. I helped him understand that even if he was not the same person, he still had so much more to give to both Lady Tokimi and Lady Washu; it would be betraying his promise to give up. By that time, I remember the sun was rising and the medication finally took effect and Captain Ceal fell asleep. It was then I told him how I loved...cared for him more than any one else I'd ever known. I probably never will feel that way for any other person again, but if the Captain decides to stay on Earth to be near his precious Lady Washu...what am I to do then? What will I become without him?"

"I don't...you could..." Tenchi did not know what advice he could give the A.I. to help her. What would he say to a living person in the same situation, except to ask them what they wanted to happen.

"What do you want, Night Bird?"

"I want to remain with Captain Ceal until we both are unable to function! That is what I want...even if he never acknowledges my feelings."

"I've seen how you and Ceal act together, and I'm sure Ceal would never just leave you behind, Night Bird."

"Thank you for the kind words, Lord Tenchi. You've helped me again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting I must attend to."

Tenchi sighed and continued on to the medical center. Being loved by five alien women and a cabbit was strange enough...but image being loved by a sentient starship for more than eight hundred years!

The door to the med unit was already opened when Tenchi arrived. Ayeka exited into the hall, followed by Ryoko, and Mihoshi. She looked much better than when he had seen her last - on the view screen. No more dark rings around Mihoshi's eyes, her hair had regained its natural blond color instead of that ashen grey, and she didn't appear thin and frail.

"Tenchi!"

He barely heard the shout before he was almost knocked down by a bright yellow torpedo.

"Oh Tenchi, Tenchi...thank you so much for coming and helping to rescue me."

Tenchi slipped out of a great big hug and took hold of Mihoshi's wrists before he remembered about her injured hand.

"Sorry, Mihoshi...your hand. Is it all right now?" At first, he couldn't remember which had fingers removed and which had bore an X slashed into the back. But there were no wounds visible; Mihoshi appeared healthy like before the incident in the woods yesterday...or was it the day before?

"Ha ha! Oh Tenchi, you're so sweet to worry about me. But see." She held up both hands and turned them back to front then back again to show that, other than a slight red tint to the skin, she was unharmed.

"Well, that's enough of that." Ryoko shoved in between Tenchi and Mihoshi. "Hey Mihoshi, why don't you go up to the command center. Maybe Ceal's up there."

"Okay! Thanks, Ryoko."

Mihoshi left the bay, turned, and went the wrong direction. Before Tenchi had a chance to say anything, Ryoko took a big step forward that brought her closer to Tenchi, who stepped backwards. Ryoko then smiled in such a manner that it reminded Tenchi of a hungry shark. He gave a nervous grin, and tried to change Ryoko's current train of thought.

"Um, tell me, Ryoko, how do you know Ceal?" Ryoko's expression changed ever so slightly.

"Why do you ask that?" Ryoko narrowed her eyes and put her hands behind her back. She leaned forward and stared with intent at Tenchi, like she was trying to find something to prove the person in front of her was not the real Tenchi.

"When I first told everyone that someone took Washu, it didn't seem that important to you until I mentioned Ceal's name, then you cared. It is obvious you two know each other from before. He knew your name, and you knew his."

Ryoko straightened up, then leaned in a casual manner against a wall. She closed her eyes.

"I know what you're trying to do, Tenchi. Anything to slow me down and give you time to come up with another thing and another and another until someone else shows up. Then you won't have to spend any quality time with me." Ryoko opened her eyes. She looked so sad that Tenchi took a step forward and leaned next to her. Tenchi also realized that she was - mostly - right about his intentions.

Ayeka watched them speak. She was down the hallway, but still close enough to overhear everything they said. Ryoko bowed her head.

"...but if this is the only way I'll get to spend time with you...well, I'll take it."

Mihoshi followed the passage that she believed would take her to the control center. She looked at the walls as she walked. She had not seen a ship designed quite like this one. Mihoshi had a glimpse of Night Bird as she came down the umbilical tube from the pirate's ship.

This was not a Juraian ship, or one issued by the Galaxy Police. Whoever this Ceal was, he had helped Tenchi and the others to rescue her (and Washu). He had carried her personally back to the med center and made sure that she would receive proper care in spite of his injuries. She was too exhausted then to give him proper thanks; when she tried, he put one finger on her lips and gave her a small, pained grin.

"Later, angel," Ceal whispered. For a moment he gazed at her with an odd expression that she did not understand. Sweat dripped from him; his wounds stopped bleeding. Ceal wiped his forehead, then shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"My apologies, Officer Mihoshi."

Ceal looked embarrassed as he placed the air mask over her face. Mihoshi felt the cool air brush against her cheeks. The bio-tube filled up with the medicinal gel. Just as the gel approached eye level, she saw Ceal fall to his knees. Her attention was drawn elsewhere when the inside of the tank lit up with intense light, and she was temporarily blinded. When she regained her sight, Ceal had left.

Mihoshi floated alone in the medical tube for a long time. The chemicals kept her from feeling any pain, just a light tingle around the stumps of her missing fingers. She couldn't bear to look at her mangled hand for long before she felt nauseous. For a while, she slept. When she woke, she glanced down again. Her uniform was frayed and threadbare, one cuff had separated from the sleeve and floated free in the gel. As she watched, the edges became more and more worn; the fabric dissolved into the matrix before it settled to the bottom of the tank.

How was she going to tell her grandfather what had happened? He was in charge of the Galaxy Police. He would be upset that she was injured. Then Mihoshi looked again...she could't believe it! There were two new fingers, red as if they were burned, but real fingers! She flexed them. Even with all the pain killers in her body, it felt like her hand was being ripped off. She flinched.

Then she heard voices...

"Princess, I think I should handle this alone..." Is that Miss Washu's voice? Mihoshi thought before her eyes closed. She felt so very tired.

When Mihoshi opened her eyes again, she saw her friends. Sasami, Ayeka and Ryoko stood around the tube and watched her while she gained consciousness. For a moment, she forgot where she was; she thrashed about when she felt the line that supplied her with air touch her bare skin.

"Stop struggling, Miss Mihoshi." Sasami spoke loud enough for Mihoshi to hear.

"Hi, guys." Mihoshi had mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

That was in the past. Now Mihoshi was free of that cramped healing thingy and on her way to the bridge. She turned a corner into a hallway that was pitch black. Further down, she saw a door open and light pouring from the inside. She saw Ryo-oh-ki charge headlong through the wall.

"Mewow, meow, meooorrww," the little cabbit cried as she slid to the other side of the wall due to her momentum then took a sharp turn and started off.

"Ryo-oh-ki," Mihoshi called and hurried down the darkened passage. She picked up the little furry creature. Ryo-oh-ki rubbed her face vigorously against Mihoshi's and began making a soft and contented purr, as if to tell Mihoshi how glad she was that the detective was well and back with the group.

Mihoshi petted the cabbit's soft fur. She flexed her new fingers while she rubbed each of Ryo-oh-ki's ears ever so gently. Mihoshi delighted in the simple pleasure of feeling sensations with her 'own' fingers again.

"Where are you going in such a rush?

"Meow, mew, meow," Ryo-oh-ki answered, and struggled to get free.

"Sorry, Ryo-oh-ki." Mihoshi set the cabbit back down.

Ryo-oh-ki hopped back in the direction she had just come from, then turned to see if Mihoshi followed her, which she didn't. Ryo-oh-ki mewed loudly to get her attention; finally the detective caught on.

"Oh. I see you want me to come with you, don't you?" Mihoshi squatted down to bring her view closer to Ryo-oh-ki's eyes level. "All right. You lead the way, and I'll follow."

Ryo-oh-ki took off again into the darkness, and Mihoshi tagged along. They headed towards the lit doorway; Mihoshi wondered what waited on the other side.