Tenchi Universe: No Need for a Team-Up!
Rowan Seven
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except for the original ones. The characters you do recognize are copyrighted by their respective companies. I'm not making any money off this fanfic. ^ ^ indicates thoughts. ~ ~ indicates telepathy.
Chapter 5: A Situation Improved
With Ken-ohki's guidance, it only took Ryouga _35_ minutes to find the bridge. Nagi was waiting for him in the command chair, her usual intent and focused expression on her face. On the viewscreen a purple nebula was drawing closer.
Nagi turned her chair around to face Ryouga. Not bothering to exchange pleasantries she got straight to the point. "In about 25 minutes we'll be arriving at the nebula displayed on this viewscreen. Inside is a rogue moon that has been converted into a base for…illicit activities. You will accompany me inside where we'll be meeting a few people that can help us accomplish our assignment. Bring your umbrella. Any questions?"
Ryouga shook his head. He didn't feel up to socializing either so Nagi's brusque manner currently suited him. The sooner they captured this Prince Kenji guy the sooner Ryouga could return to Earth and do…well, he'd figure that last part out when he came to it.
"Good," Nagi spoke, turning back to face the viewscreen. "This moon has earned the moniker of the Sanctuary, by the way. Violence is outlawed save for entertainment purposes so don't start any fights, no matter how annoying or rude someone may be. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
Somewhere far, far away Obi-Wan's spirit glared.
Nagi turned her head to look at Ryouga again. "Additionally, you'll be wearing one of my hooded cloaks for this excursion. I would prefer not to draw attention, and your current attire is somewhat conspicuous."
Ryouga glanced down at his yellow and brown outfit. Silently, he disagreed, but figured that Nagi was probably more up-to-date on intergalactic fashion than he was.
"Ken-ohki will show you where to find one. Also, if you wish to communicate with me while we're in the Sanctuary use the telepathic link. There are aliens who've made it a business to eavesdrop where we're going, and telepathic ones are a far rarer breed. That is all," Nagi finished, returning to looking at the viewscreen.
~I can't help but notice that you're awfully quiet today,~ Ken-ohki's mental voice 'spoke' as one of the red crystals Ryouga had noticed the last time he was on the bridge made its way over to him.
Ryouga shrugged. ~I don't feel much like talking, and Nagi seems to have everything well in hand.~
Ken-ohki chuckled. ~That she does. Anyway, I want you to follow the red crystal. It will lead you to a changing room where I'm already having a cloak sent. Er, you do know how to put one on, right?~ The crystal began to move.
Ryouga rolled his eyes as he followed the crystal. ~Yes, I do. Cloaks are worn on Earth too.~ A door irised open and Ryouga stepped through it.
******
"Getcha bolian eggs! Rare bolian eggs for sale right here! Only 5,000 Jurai per dozen!"
"Ancient royal ring of the Al Mynoph dynasty right here! Buy now and get a Tsunami medallion at half-price!"
"Knos ba di nonag qkox! Moaji buu rar nabida!"
Imagine a busy oriental market, with merchants, customers, and people of all sorts going to and thro in maddening numbers. Now multiply that by 100, increase the size of the market to Manhattan, insert more aliens species than shown on every Star Trek series combined, and add futuristic architecture and technology to the scene. This provides a rough description of the Sanctuary. Suffice it to say, even with his many travels behind him, Ryouga still found himself overwhelmed.
"You! Yes, _YOU_ can own your very own Jurain warship! Afraid of trees? Don't worry cause we also have the infamous X-7 Deninad Model!"
"Get your naked pictures of Princess Aeka right here folks! They make great gifts for those collectors out there! C'mon, do you realize what we had to do to get these pictures? Buy now!"
"Infamous Black Materia for sale. Dangerous Black Materia for sale! Summon Meteor and destroy a world! Now at an all-time LOW PRICE! Global devastation has never been this affordable!"
Nagi, however, was a different story. Amazingly, she seemed completely relaxed in this crowded environment, as if the sheer size and density of people didn't bother her in the least. With quick, confident strides she made her way through the dense crowd, the way to their destination as clear to her as if neon signs were pointing to it.
"Cat-girl for sale! Cat-girl for sale! See for yourselves folks, ain't she a beaut? Trained in the arts of pleasure, for this price she's a steal!"
That was, of course, until she heard this. Stopping with alacrity, Nagi turned to look at the source of that last voice and tensed with anger. Ryouga followed her gaze and spied among one of the rows of merchant stands and booths a tall old man with gray hair and a hint of something canine about him holding onto one end of a gold chain. The chain ended in a collar that was fastened tightly around the neck of what Ryouga could only describe as an orange, young, furry, and feline girl wearing a skimpy outfit and with a fearful look in her eyes.
Clenching her fist with what Ryouga assumed was rage, Nagi took several deep, calming breaths before moving on, her pace noticeably hastened as if she wanted to get as far away as possible from that stand before her anger became too much to control.
Curious and hesitant, Ryouga swallowed his own fury at the scene he'd just witnessed and followed her, debating whether he should broach the subject with her or not. Finally deciding on the former, he telepathically spoke, ~Nagi, what was-~
~_That_ was a display of the profitable Nekid or, as they're more commonly known, cat-people slave trade,~ Nagi pre-empted, guessing what his question was and with a touch of ire in her mental voice. ~Despite being illegal, the demand for cat-people is so high that slavers constantly pillage their homeworld, kidnapping and abducting Tsunami knows how many thousands a year. The females, when in heat, are very…wild, and since Nekids meet and surpass many races' personal ideas of beauty this…lack of restraint appeals to many. The GP have made efforts to reduce and end this practice, but it remains a low priority for them. A bunch of primitive feline women from a backwater world don't really rank high on their 'need help' list.~
~Nagi, that's horri-~
~Don't. I've heard it all before. The simple, sad truth of the matter is that there's nothing you or I can do about it. Where there's a will there's a way, and depressingly there's a very strong will behind this trade.~
Ryouga was silent, saddened by what he'd just heard. A part of him wanted to go back, free the girl, and pound some sense into that old man, but he understood that doing that would accomplish little more than getting him and Nagi thrown out. His hands were tied. Another part of him was wondering why Nagi, usually so reserved, felt so strongly about this issue.
It was right about then that Ryouga noticed something peculiar: nobody had bumped into him nor for that matter Nagi, and with a crowd this size that was extremely unusual. It was as if the crowd was moving _around_ them, and yet nobody had even seemed to look at him and Nagi. Odd.
~Nagi, why are people avoiding us?~ Ryouga asked, venturing another question.
~It's a minor telepathic talent of mine,~ she answered curtly, not stopping her walk. ~They realize that we're here and get a subtle vibe to keep some distance, but they also don't see anything particularly striking or memorable. To them we're completely insignificant, just two ordinary travelers. Don't do anything to attract attention and we ought to be-~
"NAGI!!!"
"-fine," Nagi finished with a sigh, glaring at the figure that had just glomped her. "Could you scream my name any louder, Harmony? I don't think they heard you on Uldanus."
Nagi's assailant let go of her and laughed. "Oh Nagi, you haven't changed at all!" She then noticed the nearby and confused Ryouga wearing one of Nagi's green cloaks. "Or then again, maybe you have. Who's your new friend?"
Ryouga finally got his first good look at Harmony and blinked. The only thing that stopped him from falling onto the ground unconscious with a nosebleed was the feeling that Nagi would kill him if he did. Regardless, it was a struggle. Harmony was a nekid, and to say that she was a beautiful specimen of her race would be an understatement. Her body was covered with golden, luxuriant fur, and her long, silky mane of blonde hair slithered down enticingly to her waist. Her body defied laws of proportion and practically exuded sensuousness, and her tail curled and uncurled teasingly. If one ever bothered to look at her face and purple eyes, they'd find that it matched the rest of her body in aesthetic perfection. Her nearly translucent yellow dress clung tightly to her, almost as if it took a perverse pleasure in revealing its mistress's assets while keeping just enough hidden to enflame the imagination and spur desire. Harmony's mere presence in the Jurai Holy Council Chambers would be enough to incapacitate the most powerful empire in the known universe and send its members to various hospitals with heart problems. In other words, she was a total babe.
~Don't let her appearance fool you,~ Nagi warned Ryouga, snapping him out of his stupor. ~She's one of the most skilled and dangerous assassins in the universe.~
"He's my partner, not my friend, and our arrangement is only temporary," Nagi clarified, speaking to Harmony. "His name is Hibiki Ryouga, and I met him on Nieurt. That is all you need to know."
Taking this as his cue, Ryouga pulled his hood back, politely bowed, and stuttered out, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Harmony smiled at Ryouga. "Hmm, and he has manners too. Great catch, Nagi. I wish you two a most…_pleasurable_ partnership. And Nagi, when you're through with him send him my way, won't you? I can think of several _things_ we could do together. Ta!"
Her smile now a genuine Cheshire grin, she waved to Ryouga, winked at Nagi, and sauntered off back into the crowd, leaving behind one very flustered lost boy and an annoyed bounty hunter.
"So, er, how do you two know each other?" Ryouga finally asked to break the silence.
Nagi sighed and resumed walking as people gaped, ran away, and tried to hide from her now that her cover was blown. Quite a few of the Sanctuary's visitors had bounties on their head, and while they were safe inside the rogue moon as soon as they left they were fair game. It was safer not to be spotted.
~A while back we clashed over the same target, a rich and affluent heir to an intergalactic crime family,~ Nagi responded, an angry frown on her face. ~After a long and difficult fight I managed to throw her off a dam, turned the heir in to the proper authorities, and collected the bounty on his head. The next day a poisonous dart, courtesy of Harmony, killed him. Ever since then, for some strange reason, she acts like we're best friends. I question her sanity.~
~…Right,~ Ryouga thought back, slightly ill at ease because the relationship Nagi had just described, with the exclusion of the murder, reminded him of the craziness that was Nerima. Distance may make the heart grow fonder, but it doesn't do much for memories.
"We're here," Nagi said out loud, stopping in front of a curved booth pressed tightly against a gray metallic wall with a door in it. Various small mechanical devices littered the tabletop, and behind the booth sat another alien, this one possessing the appearance of a 6-foot tall green humanoid frog. A sign with the words "Molatit's Arms and Parts" was affixed to the wall.
The frog, Molatit, became very animated upon spotting Nagi. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer," he greeted with a huge smile, jumping over his booth and coming to a standing position 3 feet in front of Nagi. "Whip need repairs again?"
Nagi shook her head no. "I'm not here for myself, Molatit. I want you to arm my partner's weapon with laser technology. We're going to be facing some Jurains soon, and you know how fond they are of their beam swords."
Molatit's eyes widened slightly when Nagi mentioned the word partner and he focused his yellow gaze on Ryouga. "A partner, Nagi? I really must be out of it. Tell me, has Kain escaped from the GP and joined the Sasami Fanclub?"
Nagi rolled her eyes. "This situation isn't _that_ unbelievable. I will work with someone when the situation warrants it."
Solemnly, Molatit replied, "Then the situation must be very grave indeed." He bowed to Ryouga. "Greetings, I am Molatit. Welcome to my store. It will be an honor to serve you. Not many people have the courage or, for that matter, the patience to work with Nagi. I shall pray for you."
Ryouga bowed back. "Hibiki Ryouga, and thank you. Your…thoughtfulness is appreciated."
"Now that you're acquainted, hand Molatit your umbrella, Ryouga. We'll pick it up on our way back to Ken-ohki where I'll teach you the finer points of laser weapons," Nagi informed Ryouga, making an impatient gesture with her left hand.
"Right, okay. Be careful, Molatit. My umbrella's quite heavy," Ryouga warned him, handing over his red umbrella to Molatit's waiting hands.
"Now I'm sure it's nothing that I can't handle," Molatit said, grabbing the proffered umbrella. It immediately fell out of his hands and made a dent in the floor. Nagi and Molatit sweatdropped while Ryouga looked sheepish.
"I…see I was mistaken," Molatit finally spoke, eyeing Ryouga in a new light. To be able to carry that around easily with one hand…"I'll have my assistant help me drag your umbrella into my shop. The modifications should be finished in less than two hours. Till then, adieu." Molatit jumped back over his booth and opened the door. "Mulita, come here!"
Nagi turned to go, and Ryouga followed suit. ~So, where to next?~ he asked.
~The Singing Cabbit,~ Nagi answered and, upon seeing the lack of comprehension on Ryouga's face, added, ~It's a popular bar and hangout for pirates. With any luck, you'll soon meet the prince of pirates, Lord Hiro, bastard son of the noble Jurai House of J'ineran.~
End Chapter 5.