I don't own Tenchi Muyo, any of the characters or any of Washu's crazy inventions for that matter. I'm not exactly sure who owns them but I know that it's distributed in the U.S. by Pioneer. This fanfic is written without the consent of aforementioned owners and yadda yadda yadda.
Note: Despite the appearance of Kiyone and the Ultra Energy Matter this fic is not based on the Mihoshi Special. Nor is it based on Tenchi Universe. Rather, think of it as a twisted version of the OVAs.
Black Ops Assassin Mihoshi
Part Two: Kiyone
Within the Galaxy Police's Seventh Head Quarter's main hangar Kiyone was checking Yagami's exterior hull plating for the departure final pre-check when a familiar voice spoke up from behind her.
"Hiya, Kiyone! What's up?"
Kiyone spun around to face someone she hadn't seen in years. "Mihoshi!" she blurted out, almost too shocked for words.
Mihoshi grinned at her ex-partner and offered a small wave. "Long time no see, huh, Kiyone?" The blonde looked the Yagami over. "Nice ship you have here."
"What are you *doing* here!?" Kiyone demanded.
"Why, I just wanted to see you of course," Mihoshi answered with a huge smile plastered across her face. "You're really looking good, Kiyone."
Kiyone was about spit out a nasty retort when Mihoshi threw her arms around the teal haired Detective First Class.
"Kiyone, I really missed you!" The blonde bombshell nuzzled Kiyone's cheek with her own.
It took a heroic effort on Kiyone's part but she finally managed to pry herself out of Mihoshi's grip. "We need to talk. Inside the ship." The dark haired detective pointed at Yagami's entry ramp.
"If you say so." Mihoshi looked at Kiyone doubtfully but followed her meekly into the Yagami.
Once inside the airlock Kiyone waited until the hatch closed and then rounded on Mihoshi. "Okay, you better have one HELL of a good reason to be here, Mihoshi!"
"What do you mean? I already told you that I just wanted..."
"This ship is secure so you can drop the dumb blonde act," Kiyone said tersely.
The confused and hurt look on Mihoshi's face was quickly replaced by a more unreadable expression. "I see, so much for the warm welcome."
"Why are you here?" Kiyone asked, the threat was clear that Mihoshi had better have a good answer. "You're supposed to be on Earth right now seeing to the safety of Jurai."
Inwardly Mihoshi rejoiced. She had been right about Kiyone after all. {How very stupid, Grandfather. Using Kiyone of all people to do your dirty work.}
"Unfortunately, plans have changed," Mihoshi told her ex-partner.
"Changed?" Kiyone asked. "How have they changed?"
"I think I'll let the Marshal answer that," Mihoshi answered as she pulled a data disk from a jacket pocket. "This will answer all your questions."
Kiyone grabbed the disk from Mihoshi and stalked into the Yagami's small bridge where she inserted the disk into the main terminal's reader.
"The code you'll need is..."
"I know what it is!" Kiyone snapped as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
"But, how can you know?" Mihoshi asked. "That's supposed to be..."
"No Black Operative would last very long if he or she only knew what they were supposed to know," Kiyone replied. "Do I look like a fool to you?"
"No, of course not," Mihoshi said. The blonde assassin looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Kiyone."
Kiyone turned and looked at Mihoshi. "Look, it's no big de.... ARGH! There you go again, stop it!"
"Huh?"
"Stop with the innocent ditz act!" the teal haired Galaxy Police assassin demanded. "If you think that the dumb blonde act is a great cover for being an assassin then that's fine by me. But DON'T use the act on me!"
Kiyone turned back to the terminal and entered a few more keystrokes.
The screen above the terminal came to life. The Marshal's face looked out at the two Black Ops assassins.
"Ah, Kiyone. I'm sure you're wondering why the mission profile has suddenly changed. Unfortunately our employer has gotten very nervous about the success of the mission. On top of that he has made it clear that the primary and secondary targets are to be terminated simultaneously. As this presents a serious complication in our plans it is neccesary for you two to work together.
I don't like this, as I'm sure that you don't either. I would have much rather kept you as an emergency back-up. However, this is the hand we've been dealt, one does not argue with our employer. Not if one wished to keep his or her good health. In any event, I'm sure that you can work together to bring this operation to a successful conclusion.
Also, even though it goes without saying, the safety of our employer's children are of the highest priority. I wouldn't have insulted you by mentioning it but our employer was insistent.
Good luck, Kiyone."
The screen went blank.
"That's great," Kiyone grumbled. "He didn't even bother to come up with a plan for us. Just tosses it in our lap and says, "Here you go." How thoughtful."
Mihoshi favored Kiyone with a look of contempt. "If you can't even figure out how to do a simple assassination then you are certainly in the wrong branch of the Galaxy Police."
"What's simple about this!?" Kiyone snapped. "We're supposed to assassinate a prince of Jurai as well as the galaxy's most dangerous space pirate and the universe's foremost scientific genius while making sure that the other three members of the Royal Family come to no harm. And if we fail then you can expect to earn the wrath of Asuza. Simple indeed!"
"Ok, maybe not simple but it's doable," Mihoshi said. "And there are the two of us to do it which is a big advantage."
"So, you have a plan then?" Kiyone asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Mihoshi replied.
Mihoshi sat on the bridge of Yukinojo as she watched the stars slip by.
"Ok, I slaved the Yagami to Yukinojo's controls," came Kiyone's voice over the comm. "I'll transport over now."
A moment later Kiyone appeared on the bridge with her control cube in hand.
"So, let's go over this ingenius plan of yours, Mihoshi," Kiyone said.
"Of course," the blonde replied. "It's very straight forward. When we reach the Earth we'll take Yukinojo's shuttle down to the Masaki house. Using a bit of subterfuge you'll bring Prince Yosho, Princess Ayeka and Princess Sasami back to Yukinojo and I'll stay behind to assassinate Tenchi, Washu and Ryoko."
"Subterfuge?"
"Yes, we'll tell them that..." Mihoshi trailed off as she thought about how they would pry the three from the rest of the group. "Ah! We'll tell them that they need to be inoculated from ... damn! Washu would see through that in a second."
Kiyone gave Mihoshi a look that very plainly said, "I thought *you* were supposed to be a genius."
"Ah, I got it! We'll say that Asuza has a message for the three of them and that they need to board Yukinojo to talk to him." Mihoshi stuck her tongue out at Kiyone.
"And if they insist on doing it groundside?" Kiyone asked. "Doesn't Washu have a lab that could easily do the trick?"
"We'll tell them that the King insisted it was for their eyes only and that they talk to him on Yukinojo," Mihoshi replied.
"Well...."
"If you have a better idea then let's hear it," the blonde bombshell said.
"Do you really think it will work?" Kiyone asked.
"Sure, I've been living with them for a while and they trust me," Mihoshi answered. "Besides, do I look like assassin to you?"
"Okay, now how do you plan on taking out all three targets at once?" Kiyone asked her partner in crime.
"Ah, that's the easy part," Mihoshi said.
"Easy?"
"Yup, ever heard of something called Ultra Energy Matter?" the blonde asked.
"Yeah, I remember something about large quantities of the stuff was stolen a few years back," Kiyone said. "I believe the case was never solved. What about it?"
"The case was never solved because the Marshal didn't want it to be solved," Mihoshi said. "Besides, it would have looked bad for the Galaxy Police to get caught stealing the stuff."
"The Galaxy Police?" Kiyone said, almost choking.
"Sure, we needed to obtain a large quantity of the stuff without it being on the books," Mihoshi said with a smile. "It wasn't too hard to work a deal with some of the more notorious space pirates. We supplied them with the info they needed to hit the Ultra Energy transports and in return they split the Ultra Energy Matter with us fifty fifty."
"You let something as dangerous as Ultra Energy Matter just fall into the hands of space pirates!?" Kiyone asked, outraged.
"Of course not," Mihoshi said with a laugh. "We double crossed them."
"I probably don't need to ask what..."
"Dead men tell no tales," Mihoshi agreed cheerfully.
"What exactly did the Black Ops need a massive supply of Ultra Energy Matter for anyways?" Kiyone asked.
"Well, several years ago the Jurai military was nervous about one it's rivals that was going through a massive military build-up on the Juraian border," Mihoshi explained. "So, a few Black Operators started to stockpile Ultra Energy..."
"Are you saying that Starbase Prospero's destruction was actually a Black Operation?" Kiyone demanded. "I don't believe it, the reports clearly indicate that the starbase's energy core breached, destroyed the starbase and showered half the fleet with deadly radiation."
"You can choose to believe whatever you prefer to believe," Mihoshi said.
"This is all very interesting but I don't see how it...." Kiyone trailed off. "Oh! I see. You have a quantity of Ultra Energy Matter and you intend to use it on this assignment."
"Smart girl," Mihoshi said. "While you take the three royals up to Yukinojo I'll be dirtside using the Ultra Energy Matter to take out the three targets."
"How exactly are you going to do that?" Kiyone asked.
"Setting up an Ultra Energy Matter bomb isn't that difficult," Mihoshi said. "I've done it before. The real trick is making sure that I transport out of the blast area just before it goes off. I have to time it just right because Washu will most likely detect the bomb quickly. Meaning that when I get down there I'll have a limited opportunity to detonate the bomb."
Kiyone mulled the problem over in her mind. "We'll be taking the shuttle down, correct?"
"Yes, I usually park the main body of the ship in orbit around one of the gas giants and use the shuttle to make Earthfall."
"So the bomb will be on the shuttle," Kiyone mused. "Do you think the bomb could be detected on the shuttle?"
"Probably not," Mihoshi said. "The shuttle *is* shielded after all. Hmmm... I see what you're getting at. I should leave the bomb onboard the shuttle until the very last second before you take
off with Prince Yosho and the two Princesses."
"That still leaves a lot to chance though," Kiyone said.
Leaving things to chance was NOT the way the Black Ops operated.
"We'll just have to make sure that Washu, Ryoko and Tenchi are in Washu's lab where they'll be out of the way when we make planetfall," Mihoshi said. The blonde gave her partner in crime an evil grin. "And I think I know how to do just that."
"You really are quite devious," Kiyone chuckled in admiration as Mihoshi poured herself more sake and leaned back in the couch in what passed for a rec room on Yukinojo.
"That I am," Mihoshi said with pride. She held the bottle out to Kiyone. "Sake?"
"Umm...." Kiyone looked at the bottle.
"Oh, have some," Mihoshi urged. "It won't kill you." So saying, Mihoshi downed the contents of her glass in one go. "See?"
"What's it taste like?" Kiyone asked.
"Awful," Mihoshi said. "But taste is hardly the point of drinking sake."
"Then why..."
"To make your cheeks nice and rosy like mine," Mihoshi said, cutting Kiyone's question off.
Indeed, upon inspecting Mihoshi's face it was plain to see that the blonde was developing a healthy blush.
Kiyone tried a small sip. She spent the next minute hacking, her hand to her throat.
"Not much of a drinker huh?" Mihoshi asked with a chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough."
"Where'd you get this?" Kiyone asked as she contemplated taking another swig.
"It's native to Japan, which is where I've been staying during my time on Earth," the blonde assassin said. "That is some quality sake there. I actually stole that from Tenchi's father. He still blames Ryoko." She giggled at the thought.
Thge two of them sat in silence for a few minutes as Kiyone cautiously sipped some sake.
"So, Kiyone, any boyfriends since we last saw each other?" Mihoshi asked.
"A couple," Kiyone admitted. "You?"
"You have to be kidding," Mihoshi chuckled. "No guy in the Galaxy Police wanted to even come close to me. Not with my career looking like it was going down the toilet."
"I find that hard to believe," Kiyone told the blonde. "You might not have known it but back when we were partners all the guys in our section were always drooling over you."
Mihoshi shot the teal haired woman a look. "Give me a break."
"No, it's true," Kiyone insisted. "They were always asking me to set you up with them. I could never understand why anyone, much less the entire male population of the section, would want to date such a bimbo."
"Thanks," Mihoshi said drily.
"Of course you weren't a bimbo at all but I had no way of knowing that at the time," Kiyone said. "Mihoshi, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, I don't promise to answer but ask away," the blonde woman said.
"Do you ever miss the old days of us being partners?"
Mihoshi put a well tanned hand on one of Kiyone's pale hands. "Sometimes I do. There are times when I miss it very much."
"....and then I tol' him, "Why you lil bashturd, I'm gonna charge you by th' hour!" Really 'Hoshi he was a prick," Kiyone told the blonde as she slammed the bottle of sake onto the table.
"That's what you get for dating your Section Leader," Mihoshi replied. "Never mix business with pleasure."
"Some pleasure!" Kiyone grumbled. "An' anyway, I only went on a date with him th' one time. Th' jackass kept on talking on his phone th' whole time we were out. An' I *did* charge him by th' hour for our date, too."
"Did he pay?" Mihoshi asked.
"He sure nuff did," Kiyone said proudly. "An' in more ways than one."
The sound of Mihoshi's laughter was one of the most pleasant sounds that Kiyone heard since....well, since they had last been partners.
Mihoshi looked at the gently snoring Kiyone who was sprawled out on the couch.
"Looks like someone can't handle her booze," Mihoshi said as she stood up and stretched. "Well, it's time for this assassin to hit the sack."
Mihoshi walked over to the room's small closet and retreived a blanket and pillow. She then set about trying make Kiyone as comfortable as possible on the rec room's couch.
Kiyone seemed to partially wake up as Mihoshi stuffed the pillow under the teal haired woman's head.
" 'Hoshi?"
Mihoshi smiled as she tucked the blanket around Kiyone. "Go back to sleep."
Kiyone complied without complaint and her head sank back into the pillow.
Mihoshi crouched next to the sleeping woman and gently brushed Kiyone's hair back off of her forehead. "We really did have some good times back then, didn't we, Kiyone?"
The blonde stood up and gazed down at the sleeping form. {I wonder what we would have thought back then if we could have seen the future and what it had in store for us. I wish things didn't have to be this way but... I'm sorry, Kiyone.}
Then Mihoshi turned and made her way to her cabin. The next few days promised to be the most difficult and dangerous ones of her life and she was going to need all the rest she could get.
She stopped to turn out the light in the rec room, leaving Kiyone in complete darkness.
Note: I'm sure that we all have run across those fics where the two Galaxy Police detectives are buzzing around the galaxy in the Yagami and suddenly the fic turns into a Miho-Kiyo lemon.
I could never really understand it because there is almost nothing in Tenchi Universe that indicates that the two have a relationship anything like that. At all.
However, as I was writing this my mind kept coming up with lemon scenes for this chapter which I had to resist. Whatever it is that causes people to write Miho-Kiyo lemons is some strong Mojo-Jojo. Obviously there are a lot of fanfic writers who can't resist the dark Mojo of Miho-Kiyo.
But thankfully I can.
Note: Despite the appearance of Kiyone and the Ultra Energy Matter this fic is not based on the Mihoshi Special. Nor is it based on Tenchi Universe. Rather, think of it as a twisted version of the OVAs.
Black Ops Assassin Mihoshi
Part Two: Kiyone
Within the Galaxy Police's Seventh Head Quarter's main hangar Kiyone was checking Yagami's exterior hull plating for the departure final pre-check when a familiar voice spoke up from behind her.
"Hiya, Kiyone! What's up?"
Kiyone spun around to face someone she hadn't seen in years. "Mihoshi!" she blurted out, almost too shocked for words.
Mihoshi grinned at her ex-partner and offered a small wave. "Long time no see, huh, Kiyone?" The blonde looked the Yagami over. "Nice ship you have here."
"What are you *doing* here!?" Kiyone demanded.
"Why, I just wanted to see you of course," Mihoshi answered with a huge smile plastered across her face. "You're really looking good, Kiyone."
Kiyone was about spit out a nasty retort when Mihoshi threw her arms around the teal haired Detective First Class.
"Kiyone, I really missed you!" The blonde bombshell nuzzled Kiyone's cheek with her own.
It took a heroic effort on Kiyone's part but she finally managed to pry herself out of Mihoshi's grip. "We need to talk. Inside the ship." The dark haired detective pointed at Yagami's entry ramp.
"If you say so." Mihoshi looked at Kiyone doubtfully but followed her meekly into the Yagami.
Once inside the airlock Kiyone waited until the hatch closed and then rounded on Mihoshi. "Okay, you better have one HELL of a good reason to be here, Mihoshi!"
"What do you mean? I already told you that I just wanted..."
"This ship is secure so you can drop the dumb blonde act," Kiyone said tersely.
The confused and hurt look on Mihoshi's face was quickly replaced by a more unreadable expression. "I see, so much for the warm welcome."
"Why are you here?" Kiyone asked, the threat was clear that Mihoshi had better have a good answer. "You're supposed to be on Earth right now seeing to the safety of Jurai."
Inwardly Mihoshi rejoiced. She had been right about Kiyone after all. {How very stupid, Grandfather. Using Kiyone of all people to do your dirty work.}
"Unfortunately, plans have changed," Mihoshi told her ex-partner.
"Changed?" Kiyone asked. "How have they changed?"
"I think I'll let the Marshal answer that," Mihoshi answered as she pulled a data disk from a jacket pocket. "This will answer all your questions."
Kiyone grabbed the disk from Mihoshi and stalked into the Yagami's small bridge where she inserted the disk into the main terminal's reader.
"The code you'll need is..."
"I know what it is!" Kiyone snapped as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
"But, how can you know?" Mihoshi asked. "That's supposed to be..."
"No Black Operative would last very long if he or she only knew what they were supposed to know," Kiyone replied. "Do I look like a fool to you?"
"No, of course not," Mihoshi said. The blonde assassin looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Kiyone."
Kiyone turned and looked at Mihoshi. "Look, it's no big de.... ARGH! There you go again, stop it!"
"Huh?"
"Stop with the innocent ditz act!" the teal haired Galaxy Police assassin demanded. "If you think that the dumb blonde act is a great cover for being an assassin then that's fine by me. But DON'T use the act on me!"
Kiyone turned back to the terminal and entered a few more keystrokes.
The screen above the terminal came to life. The Marshal's face looked out at the two Black Ops assassins.
"Ah, Kiyone. I'm sure you're wondering why the mission profile has suddenly changed. Unfortunately our employer has gotten very nervous about the success of the mission. On top of that he has made it clear that the primary and secondary targets are to be terminated simultaneously. As this presents a serious complication in our plans it is neccesary for you two to work together.
I don't like this, as I'm sure that you don't either. I would have much rather kept you as an emergency back-up. However, this is the hand we've been dealt, one does not argue with our employer. Not if one wished to keep his or her good health. In any event, I'm sure that you can work together to bring this operation to a successful conclusion.
Also, even though it goes without saying, the safety of our employer's children are of the highest priority. I wouldn't have insulted you by mentioning it but our employer was insistent.
Good luck, Kiyone."
The screen went blank.
"That's great," Kiyone grumbled. "He didn't even bother to come up with a plan for us. Just tosses it in our lap and says, "Here you go." How thoughtful."
Mihoshi favored Kiyone with a look of contempt. "If you can't even figure out how to do a simple assassination then you are certainly in the wrong branch of the Galaxy Police."
"What's simple about this!?" Kiyone snapped. "We're supposed to assassinate a prince of Jurai as well as the galaxy's most dangerous space pirate and the universe's foremost scientific genius while making sure that the other three members of the Royal Family come to no harm. And if we fail then you can expect to earn the wrath of Asuza. Simple indeed!"
"Ok, maybe not simple but it's doable," Mihoshi said. "And there are the two of us to do it which is a big advantage."
"So, you have a plan then?" Kiyone asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Mihoshi replied.
Mihoshi sat on the bridge of Yukinojo as she watched the stars slip by.
"Ok, I slaved the Yagami to Yukinojo's controls," came Kiyone's voice over the comm. "I'll transport over now."
A moment later Kiyone appeared on the bridge with her control cube in hand.
"So, let's go over this ingenius plan of yours, Mihoshi," Kiyone said.
"Of course," the blonde replied. "It's very straight forward. When we reach the Earth we'll take Yukinojo's shuttle down to the Masaki house. Using a bit of subterfuge you'll bring Prince Yosho, Princess Ayeka and Princess Sasami back to Yukinojo and I'll stay behind to assassinate Tenchi, Washu and Ryoko."
"Subterfuge?"
"Yes, we'll tell them that..." Mihoshi trailed off as she thought about how they would pry the three from the rest of the group. "Ah! We'll tell them that they need to be inoculated from ... damn! Washu would see through that in a second."
Kiyone gave Mihoshi a look that very plainly said, "I thought *you* were supposed to be a genius."
"Ah, I got it! We'll say that Asuza has a message for the three of them and that they need to board Yukinojo to talk to him." Mihoshi stuck her tongue out at Kiyone.
"And if they insist on doing it groundside?" Kiyone asked. "Doesn't Washu have a lab that could easily do the trick?"
"We'll tell them that the King insisted it was for their eyes only and that they talk to him on Yukinojo," Mihoshi replied.
"Well...."
"If you have a better idea then let's hear it," the blonde bombshell said.
"Do you really think it will work?" Kiyone asked.
"Sure, I've been living with them for a while and they trust me," Mihoshi answered. "Besides, do I look like assassin to you?"
"Okay, now how do you plan on taking out all three targets at once?" Kiyone asked her partner in crime.
"Ah, that's the easy part," Mihoshi said.
"Easy?"
"Yup, ever heard of something called Ultra Energy Matter?" the blonde asked.
"Yeah, I remember something about large quantities of the stuff was stolen a few years back," Kiyone said. "I believe the case was never solved. What about it?"
"The case was never solved because the Marshal didn't want it to be solved," Mihoshi said. "Besides, it would have looked bad for the Galaxy Police to get caught stealing the stuff."
"The Galaxy Police?" Kiyone said, almost choking.
"Sure, we needed to obtain a large quantity of the stuff without it being on the books," Mihoshi said with a smile. "It wasn't too hard to work a deal with some of the more notorious space pirates. We supplied them with the info they needed to hit the Ultra Energy transports and in return they split the Ultra Energy Matter with us fifty fifty."
"You let something as dangerous as Ultra Energy Matter just fall into the hands of space pirates!?" Kiyone asked, outraged.
"Of course not," Mihoshi said with a laugh. "We double crossed them."
"I probably don't need to ask what..."
"Dead men tell no tales," Mihoshi agreed cheerfully.
"What exactly did the Black Ops need a massive supply of Ultra Energy Matter for anyways?" Kiyone asked.
"Well, several years ago the Jurai military was nervous about one it's rivals that was going through a massive military build-up on the Juraian border," Mihoshi explained. "So, a few Black Operators started to stockpile Ultra Energy..."
"Are you saying that Starbase Prospero's destruction was actually a Black Operation?" Kiyone demanded. "I don't believe it, the reports clearly indicate that the starbase's energy core breached, destroyed the starbase and showered half the fleet with deadly radiation."
"You can choose to believe whatever you prefer to believe," Mihoshi said.
"This is all very interesting but I don't see how it...." Kiyone trailed off. "Oh! I see. You have a quantity of Ultra Energy Matter and you intend to use it on this assignment."
"Smart girl," Mihoshi said. "While you take the three royals up to Yukinojo I'll be dirtside using the Ultra Energy Matter to take out the three targets."
"How exactly are you going to do that?" Kiyone asked.
"Setting up an Ultra Energy Matter bomb isn't that difficult," Mihoshi said. "I've done it before. The real trick is making sure that I transport out of the blast area just before it goes off. I have to time it just right because Washu will most likely detect the bomb quickly. Meaning that when I get down there I'll have a limited opportunity to detonate the bomb."
Kiyone mulled the problem over in her mind. "We'll be taking the shuttle down, correct?"
"Yes, I usually park the main body of the ship in orbit around one of the gas giants and use the shuttle to make Earthfall."
"So the bomb will be on the shuttle," Kiyone mused. "Do you think the bomb could be detected on the shuttle?"
"Probably not," Mihoshi said. "The shuttle *is* shielded after all. Hmmm... I see what you're getting at. I should leave the bomb onboard the shuttle until the very last second before you take
off with Prince Yosho and the two Princesses."
"That still leaves a lot to chance though," Kiyone said.
Leaving things to chance was NOT the way the Black Ops operated.
"We'll just have to make sure that Washu, Ryoko and Tenchi are in Washu's lab where they'll be out of the way when we make planetfall," Mihoshi said. The blonde gave her partner in crime an evil grin. "And I think I know how to do just that."
"You really are quite devious," Kiyone chuckled in admiration as Mihoshi poured herself more sake and leaned back in the couch in what passed for a rec room on Yukinojo.
"That I am," Mihoshi said with pride. She held the bottle out to Kiyone. "Sake?"
"Umm...." Kiyone looked at the bottle.
"Oh, have some," Mihoshi urged. "It won't kill you." So saying, Mihoshi downed the contents of her glass in one go. "See?"
"What's it taste like?" Kiyone asked.
"Awful," Mihoshi said. "But taste is hardly the point of drinking sake."
"Then why..."
"To make your cheeks nice and rosy like mine," Mihoshi said, cutting Kiyone's question off.
Indeed, upon inspecting Mihoshi's face it was plain to see that the blonde was developing a healthy blush.
Kiyone tried a small sip. She spent the next minute hacking, her hand to her throat.
"Not much of a drinker huh?" Mihoshi asked with a chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough."
"Where'd you get this?" Kiyone asked as she contemplated taking another swig.
"It's native to Japan, which is where I've been staying during my time on Earth," the blonde assassin said. "That is some quality sake there. I actually stole that from Tenchi's father. He still blames Ryoko." She giggled at the thought.
Thge two of them sat in silence for a few minutes as Kiyone cautiously sipped some sake.
"So, Kiyone, any boyfriends since we last saw each other?" Mihoshi asked.
"A couple," Kiyone admitted. "You?"
"You have to be kidding," Mihoshi chuckled. "No guy in the Galaxy Police wanted to even come close to me. Not with my career looking like it was going down the toilet."
"I find that hard to believe," Kiyone told the blonde. "You might not have known it but back when we were partners all the guys in our section were always drooling over you."
Mihoshi shot the teal haired woman a look. "Give me a break."
"No, it's true," Kiyone insisted. "They were always asking me to set you up with them. I could never understand why anyone, much less the entire male population of the section, would want to date such a bimbo."
"Thanks," Mihoshi said drily.
"Of course you weren't a bimbo at all but I had no way of knowing that at the time," Kiyone said. "Mihoshi, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, I don't promise to answer but ask away," the blonde woman said.
"Do you ever miss the old days of us being partners?"
Mihoshi put a well tanned hand on one of Kiyone's pale hands. "Sometimes I do. There are times when I miss it very much."
"....and then I tol' him, "Why you lil bashturd, I'm gonna charge you by th' hour!" Really 'Hoshi he was a prick," Kiyone told the blonde as she slammed the bottle of sake onto the table.
"That's what you get for dating your Section Leader," Mihoshi replied. "Never mix business with pleasure."
"Some pleasure!" Kiyone grumbled. "An' anyway, I only went on a date with him th' one time. Th' jackass kept on talking on his phone th' whole time we were out. An' I *did* charge him by th' hour for our date, too."
"Did he pay?" Mihoshi asked.
"He sure nuff did," Kiyone said proudly. "An' in more ways than one."
The sound of Mihoshi's laughter was one of the most pleasant sounds that Kiyone heard since....well, since they had last been partners.
Mihoshi looked at the gently snoring Kiyone who was sprawled out on the couch.
"Looks like someone can't handle her booze," Mihoshi said as she stood up and stretched. "Well, it's time for this assassin to hit the sack."
Mihoshi walked over to the room's small closet and retreived a blanket and pillow. She then set about trying make Kiyone as comfortable as possible on the rec room's couch.
Kiyone seemed to partially wake up as Mihoshi stuffed the pillow under the teal haired woman's head.
" 'Hoshi?"
Mihoshi smiled as she tucked the blanket around Kiyone. "Go back to sleep."
Kiyone complied without complaint and her head sank back into the pillow.
Mihoshi crouched next to the sleeping woman and gently brushed Kiyone's hair back off of her forehead. "We really did have some good times back then, didn't we, Kiyone?"
The blonde stood up and gazed down at the sleeping form. {I wonder what we would have thought back then if we could have seen the future and what it had in store for us. I wish things didn't have to be this way but... I'm sorry, Kiyone.}
Then Mihoshi turned and made her way to her cabin. The next few days promised to be the most difficult and dangerous ones of her life and she was going to need all the rest she could get.
She stopped to turn out the light in the rec room, leaving Kiyone in complete darkness.
Note: I'm sure that we all have run across those fics where the two Galaxy Police detectives are buzzing around the galaxy in the Yagami and suddenly the fic turns into a Miho-Kiyo lemon.
I could never really understand it because there is almost nothing in Tenchi Universe that indicates that the two have a relationship anything like that. At all.
However, as I was writing this my mind kept coming up with lemon scenes for this chapter which I had to resist. Whatever it is that causes people to write Miho-Kiyo lemons is some strong Mojo-Jojo. Obviously there are a lot of fanfic writers who can't resist the dark Mojo of Miho-Kiyo.
But thankfully I can.