From the "Renegade's" observation deck, Colony 71 looks like a
barren red dust-covered world too hostile for humanoids. Nassur and
Shinobu look at it through the windows of the observation deck and feel
sad. "You and Cinba lived on this dustbowl?" Shinobu asks.

"It wasn't a dustbowl when I arrived," Nassur answers. "Before it
was attacked, Colony 71 was once as beautiful as Earth is."

"It looks like Mars now."

"I know," Nassur nods. "Maybe someday after the Civil War ends,
the Vosian Colonial Settlement Commission will try to terraform it to
what it was before the attack."

"If it does," Shinobu quips, "I wouldn't want to live there.
Living in a place where so many people were massacred without mercy.
Brr! It makes my skin crawl!"

"I know what you mean, Shinobu," Nassur puts his hand on her
shoulder. "It would be better if it remained a memorial to the
senselessness of war."

Junba's voice comes through the intercom. "If you're finished,
Nassur," the Mikado hunter snorts. "May we continue on our journey?
We've got a long way to go!"

"Go ahead, Junba," Nassur replies.

In seconds, Nassur and Shinobu notice the stars elongate and
Colony 71 disappears into the star field where it looks like the other
points of light into space.

"Goodbye, Colony Seventy-one," Shinobu quietly says to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile in Oshika, a visibly pregnant Benten relaxes in Ataru's
living room while writing a diary. She is alone in the house...save for
a still-catatonic Nokoko. Mal and the others have gone to work while
Reiko is at school. "'Phew, kid,'" Benten writes. "'You're really
growing fast. They always say Vosian children spend seven months in
gestation, two or three months sooner than most other races. It's only
been a couple of weeks since I discovered I was pregnant...but already I
can't even see my toes, let alone touch them. Sakura has kept her
pledge to keep me dry but I'm bored. I didn't know having a baby was so
draining of my energy.'"

There is a knock on the door. Benten stops writing to answer it.
"Coming!" she announces. "Who could that be?"

It is Hazel. "Hiya, Benten-sensei," the hybrid smiles. "I was in
the neighbourhood and I thought I'd stop by."

"Oh, Hazel-chan," Benten smiles finally to see a familiar face.
"Come in, come in!"

Hazel enters the house then touches Benten's protruding stomach.
"And how are you, step-sister?" she asks Benten's stomach.

It was through Sakura that Benten found out that her coming child
will be a girl, but how did Hazel know? "How do you know the baby's
going to be a girl? I only found out the baby's sex yesterday through
Sakura."

"Easy," Hazel looks at the Fukunokami hunter and her step-mother
in the eye. "Her brainwave pattern is a girl's."

"Figures," Benten sighs.

Hazel then notices that Benten is alone. "Where is everyone?" she
asks.

"Oh, Reiko's in school and the other Nendo-kata are working at the
coffee shop...except Nokoko, who's still catatonic," Benten sits down.
"I was just looking after Nokoko and writing my birth diary."

"I see," Hazel smiles. "You look well."

"I feel like a bloated hot water bottle," Benten sighs. "Nobody
told me having a baby would be this way."

"Well," Hazel smiles, "...no one told us having children was
easy."

"So, how is it with Varanko?"

"Oh, Great-grandpa is okay," Hazel sighs. "In some ways he's
harsher than you or Sensei...but in others, he's nicer."

"Really?" Benten says. Many legends have arisen around Varanko,
more than with Nassur or Dakejinzou combined. Almost all of them NEVER
use the term "nice" to describe the Lord High Executioner. Then again,
Varanko always seems to defer to Hazel. "I take it you're not here to
talk about Varanko."

A sly look appears on the young hybrid's cute face. "That's
right," she says. "I just come to say that the 'Perseverance' is
ready."

"It is?"

The "Perseverance" is the sister ship to the "Renegade." Larger
and designed for a crew of fifteen, Nassur had her built for the
hybrids. She did not take long to build; the Home Base computer, with
some supervision from Nassur, built it alone using nearby asteroids and
some of Nassur's friends in shipbuilding for materials and expertise.
When Benten and Nassur left, the "Perseverance" was nearly ninety-five
percent complete.

"So, what's the plan?" Hazel asks.

"The plan?" Benten looks surprised.

"You know," Hazel winks. "When are we going to rescue Sensei and
the others? Everyone's getting antsy."

Benten considers the matter. *Hazel IS serious! She plans to
send herself and some of the hybrids to rescue Nassur and the others.*
She could sympathize with the young girl's desire to be reunited with
her foster father and friends, but despite her training she, Hazel is as
green as her uniform colour. *She is only fourteen,* Benten frets.
*She isn't ready to fight someone like the Mikado, no matter how bad off
his forces are!*

"You mean that?" Benten looks serious.

Hazel looks angry. "What's with that look?" she asks. "With you
and Great-grandpa to help us, we'll be fine."

Varanko is one thing, but Benten can tell looking at herself that
a direct battle with ANYONE will be suicide for both her and the child
she is carrying. "Hazel," Benten sighs. "What you see is a woman who
is pregnant and out of shape. I'm not in any condition!"

"You don't have to fight," Hazel corrects her foster mother. "You
can stay aboard the 'Perseverance' if you want."

Benten falls over in surprise over how naive Hazel is! "Do you
honestly THINK that being on a starship in a middle of a firefight is a
safe place?!!" she screams. "That's as dangerous as being in a land
battle!!!"

"But, I'LL protect you!" Hazel pledges.

"Look," Benten holds her anger in check. "You're too young for
such battles! You're hardly trained to fight the Mikado!"

"But, I beat the *saikoo jinseijitsu!*" Hazel corrects Benten.

"That was by luck," Benten remembers. "...and with Lum's help, if
I remember."

"I lived in the wild for years..."

"You only had to hunt dumb animals!"

"Great-grandpa says I'm the best of the hybrid hunters since
Yukio."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Benten sighs, seeing that this line of
questioning going nowhere. "But, look, Hazel, even Varanko would refuse
to let any of you go on such a mission...even Yukio."

"I'd offer him the command seat."

"Even if you offered him that!" Benten feels her control slipping.
"Hazel, Nassur said we were to wait until he returned."

"What if he doesn't come back?" Hazel asks, eyes filling with
tears. "I've lost my real mom and my real dad is hard to keep track
of...I don't wanna lose Sensei or you!"

Benten feels sorry for her, probably for the first time since she
was sent to Nagaiwakai for personality lessons. For the first time, the
pregnant Fukunokami hunter sees the hybrid not as a hunter in training,
but a child growing up. "Hazel," Benten tries to comfort her. "Nassur
can take care of himself and has since LONG before any of us were born.
He doesn't need your help. You may make things worse. You understand?"

"Yes," Hazel nods. "I'll go myself!"

Benten faints! "THAT'S NOT IT!!!!" she transforms into an
incredibly angry monster. "YOU ARE NOT TO GO TO RESCUE NASSUR AND
OTHERS AT ANY TIME UNTIL YOU'RE FULLY TRAINED AND READY!!!! DO YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT?!?!?!"

Too scared, Hazel nods. "Y-yeah."

"Good," she pulls Hazel over her knee and begins to spank her.
"Now, this is for even THINKING of such a thing!!!"

"Owch!" Hazel yells. "That hurts! Benten-sensei! Please don't
spank me!"

* * *

Several days later in space, Nassur enters the dining area alone
to see Mendou and Megane lunching together. Nassur notices Mendou is
reading a readout on a nearby computer terminal. "Oh, Mendou," the
hunter looks at the screen with interest. "Reading up about warp theory
and other ship systems?"

"Yes, Nassur-san," Mendou smiles. "I asked Junba to access the
computer so I can learn the basics of faster-than-light travel."

"You must find it hard, coming from a planet just barely going
into space."

"Actually, it's easy once you start at the beginning. The texts
seem to be written for the simplest mind to understand."

Megane stifles a laugh. "I didn't know it was so easy flying in
space either," the former leader of Lum's bodyguards adds.

Nassur hums. "Even the Vosians were once at your planet's stage
of development. In our early space travel voyages..."

Before Nassur can continue, he notices Megane's and Mendou's faces
go blank. He turns to see Shinobu standing there looking deathly pale
and very tired. "Shinobu?" Megane gasps. "What happened to you?"

Shinobu rushes into his arms. "Junba's torturing me," she gasps,
"...with that cardiac band control of hers as I sleep."

"I see," Nassur says after sensing the brunt of Shinobu's horror-
filled night.

Shinobu cries. "She hates me! She's gonna kill me! You gotta
help me!"

"I wish I could," Nassur sighs, knowing that nothing except
killing Junba will change her mind...and that was dangerous because she
holds the cardiac band control. "But, with that control, it's nearly
impossible."

"Can't you remove these things?" Megane points to the band on his
wrist.

"It's unwise," Mendou hums. "They're designed to explode if
tampered with."

Megane grabs Mendou by the tunic. "How do you know so much about
them?!"

"I've been studying about them in the ship's computers," Mendou
states.

"That's right," Nassur sighs. "The best way to remove the cardiac
bands is with the control that Junba now has."

"Then, we have to find a way to get it away from her," Shinobu
says as a sly look appears on her face.

"It's soon time for our shift," Nassur reports. "If you want,
Shinobu, you could go down to engineering to relax."

"Sure," Shinobu nods, her mind planning.

* * *

Hours later, Junba, Mendou and Megane are asleep. In the engine
room, Shinobu sits alone looking at the displays at the main console.
In her limited on-the-job training, Shinobu can barely understand what
each display tells her, but that did not matter. Shinobu is too busy
planning revenge to care if the warp engines are in operating normally
or if the phase inducers are on-line. After a few hours of planning,
Shinobu gets off her chair and puts her plan into operation.

First, Shinobu stops at the armoury to design a twelve-inch dagger
which a hero of a samurai drama would only dream to own. Because of the
'Renegade's' internal dampening fields, a laser gun set higher than stun
would not do the job without being detected. But, it would be better
this way, Shinobu thought to herself, there would be a body for proof.
After several minutes of plotting the weapons' replicator to make the
dagger, Shinobu finally succeeds and moves to the second objective...

...Junba's cabin. This is where things get harder. Junba can
sense brainwave patterns just like Nassur, but that is when she is
awake. By now, Junba should be deeply asleep. If she is fast enough
and lucky enough, maybe she can do the damage before the Mikado hunter
could retaliate. Overriding the cabin's lock, Shinobu enters the dark
room as quickly and as quietly as she can.

The room is very dark, Shinobu notices. Only the light from the
corridor at the door gave any definition to anything inside. Still,
Shinobu creeps inside with her dagger ready to strike. The soft sounds
of Junba's snoring guide Shinobu to her. Even with the absence of
light, Shinobu can make out the Mikado hunter's prone form under the
covers. Slowly, Shinobu's eyes begin to adjust to the darkness as she
move beside the bed.

*There's no turning back now!* Shinobu thinks as she pulls out the
dagger and lifts it as high in the air as she can. Junba is laying with
her face and upper half of her body pointing towards her and her lower
half pointing the other way awkwardly. One quick stab into either the
heart or neck and Shinobu's problems would be over.

But, before Shinobu could strike, Junba mumbles something.
"Momma...Papa...I finally am going to meet you when this is over...just
like the Mikado promised..."

Shinobu freezes. It is obvious Junba is dreaming, but it never
occurred to Shinobu that the Mikado hunter would be an orphan just like
Nassur and Pamanba. Since she met her, Shinobu always thought Junba an
evil person. But those few mumbled words, barely audible to the former
high schooler, tugs at her heartstrings. *I can't do it!* she thinks to
herself. *Junba's just as much a victim as Nassur. I can't kill her.
I can't!*

Shinobu lowers her hands and walks out of the room. Later, she
places the dagger into a nearby recycling bin and finishes her shift.

* * *

The next morning, Junba wakes up to find her cabin door lock has
been tampered with. "Who could have done that?" Junba asks herself.
"Computer: check your records, who has been in my cabin since I went to
bed?"

"Shinobu Miyaki entered your cabin at 1530," the feminine voice of
the computer replies after a few seconds.

"Shinobu Miyaki?" Junba wonders aloud. "What was she doing in my
cabin? Computer: where is Shinobu Miyaki?"

"Shinobu Miyaki is in the main bathroom taking a bath," the
computer replies.

"Taking a bath, eh?" Junba gets a sly grin on her face. "No
matter how long you soak, you will never take the stink of that traitor
Nassur off your person. It looks like Nassur will have to find another
woman."

Junba pats the uniform pocket where the cardiac band is hidden.

* * *

It was a long shift for Shinobu, soaking in a hot bath to remove
the stiffness caused from hours of sitting behind a console watching
readouts flicker. "I'm beat," she sighs as she sinks down to her neck
into the water. "I hope Junba isn't going to torture me again like she
did last night."

Then, Junba bursts in. "Miyaki!" she yells at the former high
schooler. "Why did you break into my cabin last night?!"

Shinobu sits up. "H-how did you know?"

"I found my door tampered with," Junba explains, "...and I asked
the computer!" she pulls out the cardiac band control. "Tell me why you
were there or I'll use THIS on you!"

*What do I tell her?* Shinobu frantically thinks. *If I tell her
the truth, she'll kill me for sure. She may kill me anyway.* "I won't
lie," Shinobu finally says. "I broke into your cabin to kill you for
torturing me."

"You were going to kill me?!" Junba looks taken aback. "Owning to
the fact that I'm still alive, what made you change your mind?"

Shinobu pauses. *I have to tell her what I know,* the former high
schooler thinks. *She'll only keep hounding me until I do tell her.*
"I found out the real reason why you're on this mission," she finally
says weakly.

Junba blinks. "Y-you know? How?"

"You mumbled it in your sleep," Shinobu answers. "I found you
that you weren't doing this for glory, but to meet your parents."

Now Junba is on the defensive. "That's right," the Mikado hunter
admits. "The Mikado told me that if I oversaw Nassur and his allies in
bringing the Sceptre of Lecasur back, he would let me meet my parents."

"Your parents are dead, aren't they?" Shinobu blinks confusedly.
"Didn't they die on Colony Seventy-one?"

"I don't know," Junba replies. "The Mikado said they were alive."

Unknown to both young women, Lum arrives at the bathroom, dressed
in a tiger-striped bathrobe and carrying a towel. She hears voices.
"What's going on in there?" Lum listens in. "Isn't that Junba and
Shinobu?"

"Look," Shinobu sighs. "I understand how you feel. Nassur is the
same way..."

Junba gives her a horrible glance. "Nassur and I share NOTHING in
common!!! Do you hear?!! NOTHING!!!!" She points to her face. "Do
you know why I got this scar?!"

Shinobu shakes her head. "I was a member of Nassur's class was
when he deserted!" Junba declares. "I was one of the few who refused to
desert with him. You know what else, I tried to stop him...but in the
fighting, he gave me this!" she points again to the scar on her face as
a bitter look appears in her eyes. "He destroyed my beauty. Now, no
man will come close to me or even recognize me! All this time I have
been alone and unloved!"

*'Alone and unloved?'* Shinobu thinks to herself. *I know how
that feels.* Shinobu remembers her own numerous failed attempts at
finding a soulmate and senses Junba is a kindred spirit. *It's true
that I'm not in Lum's class of beauty,* she rationalizes internally.
*But, I'm far from ugly...and I'm not marred by that scar on her face.*
"I know how you feel," Shinobu replies.

Saying that only serves to make Junba angry. "You do, do you?!"
she points an finger at Shinobu. "You have Nassur as your boyfriend.
You, with small breasts and large hips, are NOTHING compared to my
physical attributes!"

Junba unzips her tunic to show her ample chest. Shinobu finds
herself VERY wanting. "My twin sister was built similar to myself!" she
adds. "You are just recognition bait!"

"So, what if I am?" Shinobu had never heard the insult Junba threw
at her, but understood the meaning. "At least, I think of myself as
beautiful INSIDE!!!!"

"Perhaps," Junba looks slyly at the cardiac band control. "But, I
can make it so you will never enjoy that deserter's caress again or feel
his children in your womb!"

Junba presses the button controlling Shinobu's cardiac band.
Immediately, Shinobu feels the effects. "You...aren't...a monster," she
groans while clutching her chest. "Stop...acting...like...one."

Shinobu then loses consciousness and slips under the water. Junba
looks over the tub and notices the former high schooler didn't get much
of a chance to hold her breath...not that she could with what the
cardiac band is doing to her heart. Air pours out of Shinobu's semi-
open mouth. "I wonder," Junba says admiringly to herself, "...will she
drown first or die of heart failure?"

Then the door to the bathroom explodes from the force of Lum's
lightning bolt. By time, Junba can defend herself, Lum has entered the
room glowing with electricity. "YOU BITCH!!!!" the Oni screams before
letting Junba have it with a lightning bolt that possibly could fry the
*saikoo jinseijitsu!*

Junba is hurled across the room by the force of the blast so hard,
she dents the bulkhead. Unconscious, Junba falls to her knees
helplessly, dropping the cardiac band control from her fingers. Lum
pays little thought to the Mikado hunter at this time to focus on
pulling the unconscious Shinobu out of the bathtub. "C'mon, Shinobu,"
Lum says motherly. "You're safe now."

Shinobu does not respond. Lum notices the paleness in Shinobu's
skin and can't even tell if she is even breathing. "Shinobu, wake up!"
Lum gasps. "Don't die on me!"

Still no response. Lum picks Shinobu out of the bath and lays her
gently on the floor. "Shinobu! Open your eyes! Damn it!"

Shinobu still makes no move to awaken. Lum tries to resuscitate
the stricken former high schooler, first, with a chest massage, then
with mouth-to-mouth. "Breathe, you hussy!!!" Lum growls as her first
attempts at resuscitation fail. "BREATHE!!!!"

Lum gives Shinobu a mild electric shock. It is enough to wake
her. Shinobu coughs up some water as she looks up to her surprising
saviour. "L-lum? Y-you saved me?"

"Yes! You have me worried there."

"Thanks," Shinobu hugs Lum.

After the hug, Lum stands up. "You're welcome," she nods...

...before getting punched in the face by Junba! "Bitch!!" Junba,
now burning in anger, screams. "Who asked you to interfere?!"

Strangely, after a punch that should have taken off Lum's head,
she reacts as if it were only a minor slap. "Are you trying to provoke
me?" Lum turns to the startled hunter.

"What?" Junba gasps in astonishment. "That punch should have
broken your jaw and knocked you out! What kind of Oni are you?!"

"You might say I'm not the Oni as your intelligence says...I am
more!"

Lum and Junba go into defensive modes as they study each other for
weakness. Shinobu, grabbing a towel, watches from the sidelines, hoping
that Lum will come out on top. With a yell, Junba attacks first with a
kick towards the head but Lum blocks it and sends Junba into the bathtub
with a judo throw. Water flies everywhere as Junba nearly breaks the
tub with the force of the throw. Fortunately, the water cushions the
blow for Junba and she stands up immediately in the tub as determined as
ever to continue the fighting. "Try that again, bitch!" Junba demands.

"I don't have to," Lum replies...

...then zaps the water Junba stands in!! Junba is fried again
into semi-consciousness (NOTE: Do NOT try this at home!!...M.S.).
"That's that!" Lum smiles, knowing the fighting is over for the moment.
"Come on, Shinobu, I'd better escort you to your cabin."

"S-sure," Shinobu nods. "I didn't know you such a good fighter."

"Just something Lufy taught me."

"Wait!" Junba groans.

Lum and Shinobu turn. Junba, although badly hurt, stands up and
holds out the cardiac band control in her hand tauntingly. "This can
still hurt you!" she taunts Lum.

"It doesn't," Lum looks indifferent to the threat. "And if either
me or Nassur-chan catch you trying to hurt Shinobu again, NOTHING will
stop me from killing YOU!!!!"

Lum escorts Shinobu out of the bathroom. Junba is intimidated by
what Lum has said to her. *What kind of girl is this?!*

* * *

After a short visit to the sickbay to get patched up, Junba
wanders lost in thought. *It was like I couldn't touch her!* Junba's
thoughts race through her mind like an out of control race car while she
walks down a corridor. *She IS better than I've been told!! And how
can she be immune to the cardiac bands?!! Cardiac bands have been known
to lay low the toughest Yehisrite!!*

Junba hears someone whistling. Stopping to look around it, she
sees Ataru working on repairing an internal sensor which had broken
down. *That's Ataru Moroboshi!* Junba recognizes his face. *The one
the Mikado says I should be nice to beyond all else.*

Junba remembers the order her leader gave her shortly before
Nassur surrendered. The Mikado shows a photo of Ataru on the screen.
Junba remembers her first impression of the future *daimon'cha*...a dim-
witted homely boy. "Of all of Nassur's allies that will come on this
journey," the Mikado points, "...HE'S the one you MUST keep happy and
alive above even Nassur or yourself!!!"

The Mikado never explained why he wants Ataru to be treated in
such a fashion and for the most part, Junba has complied with his
orders. *Still,* she reasons within herself, *...if I can't torture Lum
to behave...I can try torturing Ataru to MAKE her behave.*

Junba presses the button and...

...nothing happens.

Junba looks shocked. She increases the cardiac band control
output to its maximum...

...and still Ataru continues on as if nothing is wrong.

Junba looks at the control. *Could it be that Lum did something
to the control so it didn't work on her or Ataru?!! Is it
malfunctioning?!* Questions fill her mind until she notices Mendou
walking by getting ready to stay his shift. *I'll try him!* Junba
presses the button on the control again.

Mendou shrieks in pain from the torture the control is giving his
heart. "Sil-san," the scion of the Mendou family cries to the ceiling.
"Help me!"

*It works on him!* Junba ends her "test" before walking away in
astonishment. *What is going on here?* is the question on her mind.

Mendou looks relieved that the pain is gone. "Thank the gods that
is over."

Then, he notices Ataru look over him holding a sledgehammer.
"What are you going to do, Moroboshi?" he asks his rival coldly.

"I was going to put you out of your misery," Ataru sighs, putting
the sledgehammer down. "It looked like it was going to be curtains for
you."

"Be glad we have to work together in this," Mendou stands up. "I
would gladly make you a head shorter for even thinking of that!"

"Try," Ataru looks uninterested by Mendou's threat, "...and Sil
will be a widow before she's a wife!"

Ataru returns to work and Mendou leaves him be...wanting the
restoration of the Mendou Clan's honour to come soon...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Morning in Oshika.

It was like any other morning since Benten began looking after
Reiko. Nokoko is still in a catatonic state, "but getting better,"
according to Mal. The rest of the Nendo-kata are at work at the coffee
shop in Oshika and Reiko is home on summer vacation.

Benten looks well, but the strain of carrying a child is beginning
to take its toll. Sleeping is a chore, the baby's mass making a
comfortable position next to impossible. Clothes were another matter.
She had to borrow Lum's old gym clothes since growing too large to fit
in her regular clothes and Sakura would not allow her to wear her battle
suit. Now, Lum's old gym clothes were too small. Mal managed to obtain
clothes from the other Nendo-kata, now in various stages of pregnancy so
the Fukunokami hunter could have variety in her wardrobe.

The pregnancy also takes to its toll on Benten's energy level.
Once she was able to dance all night. Now walking up stairs tires her.
She could barely keep up with Reiko, almost as if the Noukiite is on
mayaku dust. At least Nokoko was easy to care for.

But, more and more, Benten began becoming concerned about the act
of giving birth. Granted, the event is a couple of months away, but
most of the time, Benten is alone. There was a chance that Benten could
go into labour with only Reiko to help her. While she is an
intelligent, resourceful child, to expect her to be a midwife is asking
too much. She asked Koosei and Sakura to do something about it.

Benten and Reiko breakfast together in the living room. Benten is
wearing a yellow sundress. Reiko is dressed in a cute, one-piece
bathing suit, obviously planning to got to the beach to visit her
"boyfriend." "Going to spend the day at the beach?" the hunter asks
while munching on her now-favourite meal of beef and noodles topped with
soap chips.

"Yeah," Reiko nods, finishes her breakfast. "I'm gonna pledge
this summer to make Yamasaki notice me."

Benten notices her lovesick look. She had yet to meet this
Yamasaki boy, but he seemed to take up much of the Noukiite's free time.
Since the tea shops are at their busiest during the summer and Reiko did
not have to worry about school, this was probably her best opportunity
to experience her first boyfriend free from the Masters of Noukiios.

Benten remembers when she was that age. She had a crush...on
Nassur. She remembers a time visiting Lum and her friends when they
were racing boats on Uru's Lake Psychic. This lake, it was said, had
the power to foretell where someone's future spouse would come from.
Lum put her boat in first. It floated to the other side of the lake.
This meant her husband would come from another planet but they would not
marry for a long time.

Lan tried her boat, and it floated ahead a few feet then came
right back. This meant her husband would be someone she already knew.

Oyuki was next, and her boat seemed to take a long time before it
too stopped on the other side of the lake. This meant she would marry a
man from another planet...eventually.

Finally, it was Benten's turn. Before she placed her boat in, she
noticed Nassur walking toward them, visiting the Invaders. Benten
placed her boat into the water...

...and it floated to Nassur's side.

*The Lake Psychic prophecy was correct!* Benten muses before the
doorbell rings. "Now who?" Benten shuffles to the door.

"It's them again," Reiko snorts.

'Them,' Benten discovers are Ten-chan and Minami. "Hiya, Benten-
chan," the Oni boy smiles, floating at her eye level.

"Oh, Jariten, Minami," Benten smiles. "What are you doing here?"

"We're moving in," Ten-chan announces. "Koosei-onii-chan already
gave his approval!"

Benten looks shocked. "M-moving in?" she gulps. *Koosei!!* she
mentally growls, *this ISN'T what I was talking about in having someone
look over me in case of emergency!*

"That's right," Minami bows to Benten, then walks in. "My mom
approves so long as I get my homework done. Beside, the old woman Ten-
chan lives with does nothing but moo!"

"Well," Benten scratches her head, "...I guess it's okay as long
as you behave."

"That fire-bug behave?" Reiko snorts. "I'll believe it when I see
it!"

"Who asked you?!" Ten-chan growls.

Benten sighs. "How am I gonna look after THREE kids when I can
barely handle ONE?!"

That is when a pile of suitcases with a pair of slim legs appear
in front of the pregnant Fukunokami. "I'm here," a woman's voice says.
"Where do I put these?"

"Catty?" Benten blinks. "Is that you?"

Benten removes a suitcase to reveal the "Hasei'cha's" senior
medical officer, now bearing the two wreath-of-laurel stripes, caduceus
and phoenix marking her Physician to the Head-of-State. "Hello, Benten.
I can handle this. You just sit down."

Catty trucks the suitcases away and moves further in the house.
"What's Catty doing here?" Benten asks Ten-chan.

"Koosei-onii-chan asked her to come," the Oni scratches the back
of his head. "He said you asked for someone to look after you. Catty-
onee-chan's a doctor, ya know."

"Yeah, I know," Benten relaxes, having witnessed the doctor's work
on Reiner's Five and elsewhere. In her opinion, the Tritonian-born
physician is one of the best medical officers she has ever encountered.

"Sit down," Catty orders as she guides Benten to a nearby chair,
drawing out a tricorder. "Everything looks fine so far," she reports
after making her scan. "Sakura's edict keeping you from alcohol is
working. No alcohol or any derivatives in your blood or your liver.
The baby is growing at a steady rate. No abnormalities developing that
I can pick up. Your metabolism is stabilizing itself and by time she's
born, you'll live as long as a Vosian. She is almost developed enough
to be removed from your womb and placed into a gestation chamber."

"A gestation chamber?!!" Benten gasps, her eyes widening.
"Whatever for?!!"

"On Sagussa, for the convenience of engineers and defence
officers, it's customary for a fetus to be removed from the womb and
placed into a gestation chamber so the mother can return to her regular
duties. We brought one from Sagussa just for you. I assume you're
anxious to rescue your husband."

Benten looks surprised. Nothing sounded so repulsive than what
Catty herself had just described, even if it was milked with the promise
of rescuing Nassur. "That's NOT what I want to have done with me!!!"
she exclaims. "I helped make this kid, I'm going to hold her in my
belly until she's ready to be born!!!"

"But, you'll be exposing the fetus to so many dangers," Catty
muses.

"I don't think so!" Benten snarls.

Shaking her head at the illogic of it, Catty relents. "Okay, you
can carry the fetus to term. What do you plan to name the child?"

"Well," Benten hums. "Vosian fathers name the child, while on
Fukunokami, the mothers are responsible for the name. So, her
Fukunokami name will be 'Aiotoga'."

"Oh, 'love-song.' How quaint," Catty ends her scan. "Now,
relax," she orders. "And let me look after things."

"Sure," Benten nods.

Catty turns to Ten-chan, Minami and Reiko. "I will be running
this household from now on. Please behave...or I shall bring in Lufy to
keep you in line! Understand?"

They shiver; the mere threat of the pilot was enough. "Y-y-yeah!"
all three nod.

"Good," Catty smiles. "Now, Ten-chan, Minami-chan, after you
unpack, go out and play. You, too, Reiko-chan."

"Okay!" all three bow, then skidaddle.

"Now that the children have been taken care of," Catty says as she
moves to Nokoko's room, "it's time to check on Nokoko."

"What about me?" Benten asks.

"You just sit right there and relax," Catty leaves the room.

* * *

While Benten obeys Catty's order, Shinobu relaxes herself in her
cabin recovering from Junba's torture. It has been a couple of days.
Junba has been keeping a low profile. *At least she's leaving me
alone,* Shinobu thinks while she lays in her bed. The doorbell rings.
"Come," Shinobu orders.

Lum enters the room. "Oh, Lum!" Shinobu smiles. "What brings you
here?"

"I came to see how you're doing," Lum smiles before scanning
Shinobu with a medical tricorder. Lum checked her out shortly after the
incident with Junba, discovering strained heart muscles. She ordered
Shinobu to remain in bed. "The damage the cardiac band did your heart
muscles seems to be healing."

"Thanks," she smiles. Luckily, she has a strong heart. "When can
I get back on duty?"

"Now, I say."

"Good," Shinobu sighs. She spent the last few days exclusively in
bed, mostly reading material on the databank. Unfortunately. the
databank contained old mission reports by Nassur and technical data on
the "Renegade." To Shinobu's surprise, the odd Vosian novel was
available, translated into Japanese at a press of a button. "I'm
getting stiff from all this inactively!"

Shinobu climbs out of bed, stretching. Not being able to exercise
made her feel weak. To be able to move around like before is a godsend.
Lum smiles. "Just make sure you take it easy at first," she scolds
Shinobu like a doctor. "Your heart muscles are still weak. No heavy
lifting...of ANYTHING!!!!"

"Right," Shinobu begins to change. "Hopefully, I won't have to
lift too much."

"Also," Lum adds. "If Junba bothers you again, tell me...and I'll
punish her."

Lum closes her eyes. In her mind, the word FLASH blinks for a
second.

That is followed by a scream of horror from Junba, presently on
the bridge. "***WHO JUST FLASHED ME?!?!?!***" the Mikado hunter yells.
"***DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!!***"

"What did you do to her?" Shinobu blinks.

"I flashed her," Lum grins. "Actually, it's called *mei'kogh,*
'illuminating the mind.' It's a Sagussan psi-trick Noa taught me. It's
like sneaking up on someone and screaming into their ear when they least
expect it. It's not life-threatening...but it gives a person a fright
for a few seconds. Unfortunately, I can't teach it to you; a Terran's
mind isn't strong enough to do it."

"I...see," Shinobu nods.

Suddenly, the yellow alert klaxon goes off. "Yellow alert!" Junba
announces. "This is no drill! Lum and Nassur to the bridge!"

Shinobu quickly finishes dressing. "What could that be?" she
asks.

"I don't know," Lum shrugs. "Maybe it's Noa coming to save us."

* * *

Lum and Shinobu join Nassur, Junba, Mendou and Megane on the
bridge. "What's going on?" Lum asks as she takes the helm.

"A starship has appeared in front of us," Junba reports while
sitting on the command chair. "It's just entering sensor range now."

"Who could it be?" Nassur asks as Ataru enters the bridge, fresh
from the shower.

"I'm scanning it," Megane reports. "It's Kurama's ship."

"Kurama?" everyone wonders.

"What's she doing here?" Ataru wonders as he walks onto the
bridge.

"Princess Kurama of Karasutengu?" Junba asks Nassur. "You know
her?"

"Unfortunately," Nassur scratches the back of his head nervously.

"Incoming signal," Megane reports.

"On screen," sighs Junba.

On the main viewscreen, Kurama appears, flanked by Old One. The
other Tengu are busy working except for one who is smoking a huge
cigarette in a corner of the bridge. "Oh, Natsu-kun, what a surprise!"
Kurama giggles gleefully...then notices Junba. "WHO is THAT woman?!!"
she points her leaf fan. "Where is the usual slut that THINKS she loves
you?!!"

Everyone on the bridge looks tense. Kurama is one step from
revealing the secret everyone is trying to keep from Junba. Shinobu
picks up the opportunity. "I'M right here!" she yells while grabbing
Nassur's arm.

Kurama isn't impressed. "What is this?!" she demands. "Ghost-boy
isn't the one...!!"

"Never mind that," Junba interrupts. "You're interfering in an
important mission for the Mikado of Vos! Back off!"

Kurama looks taken aback by Junba's demand. "Who are you?!"

"I am Junba of the Special Hunter Corps. I am the commander of
this ship and this mission. Leave or be destroyed!"

"'Special Hunter Corps?'" Kurama laughs, clearly not impressed.
"I didn't know they were still around. I thought they were destroyed
months ago in that bombing."

Junba snarls. "Not the hunters. Now, do you back off or do we
get rough?!"

"Anyone who still supports the Mikado and enslaves my Natsu-kun is
my enemy!"

"You asked for it," Junba slyly smiles. "Red alert! Shields up
and ready torpedoes!"

The red alert klaxon goes off. Everyone looks nervous. Junba
looks at them. "Do it!"

Shinobu, Megane, Mendou and Ataru rush to nearby stations to get
to the engineering and weapons sections. Nassur takes over the scanner.
Lum prepares the helm. "Shields up and photon torpedoes are ready," Lum
reports.

Old One looks at Kurama nervously. Kurama's ship may be well-
armed but against the "Renegade," there is no match. "Princess K.!!"
the old Tengu pleads. "Back off! The 'Renegade' is too powerful for us
to fight!"

"But..." Kurama starts.

"Fire one across the bow!" Junba orders.

Lum looks nervous. The Oni didn't like Kurama that much, and the
Tengu princess does not care much for her either. *Still!* Lum
rationalizes, *she deserves an explanation of what is going on...not a
punch in the face.*

Lum hesitates and angers Junba further. "Are you deaf, Oni?!" she
snarls. "Fire!"

"Firing torpedo," Lum sighs.

A torpedo launches from the "Renegade," exploding off Kurama's
bow!! The flash blinds everyone watching it. "Looks like another
pebble we forgot to notice!" the smoking Tengu quips before taking
another drag.

"Princess K.!" Old One pleads. "We must back off or we won't have
to worry about you having an heir!"

"We're not getting paid to fight in space!!" a technician adds.

Kurama looks confused. She never gives up...even a one-sided
fight as this. Still, it would be in her government's best interest
that she live to have an heir. "Okay," Kurama looks down to the deck.
"We'll retreat!"

* * *

"Kurama's backing off," Nassur announces.

"End red alert," Junba orders. "Warp two point five, return to
base course!"

"Understood," Lum reluctantly obeys, wishing there was some way to
apologize.

* * *

Aboard Kurama's ship, everyone looks relieved. "Glad that's
over," a technician sighs. "Where to, Princess K.?!"

Kurama remains silent, staring at the deck. "Princess?" Old One
asks concernedly.

"There's something going on here!" Kurama exclaims. "Nassur is
NOT involved with that Ghost-Boy!! I'm getting to the bottom of this!
Full speed to Home Base! I wanna talk to his chain bitch wife
personally!!"

A scanner beeps. "Uh-oh," the science technician gulps. "We've
got problems."

"What do you mean?" Kurama asks.

"A large Mikado Marine battleship has just come out of warp,
heading this way!"

Knowing her ship is no match for a vessel of that nature, she
orders, "Run for it!"

Unfortunately, the Marine ship locates them and gives chase...

* * *

Nearby, the Gatherer continues to monitor the situation. Noa
tries to fight off boredom by scanning through a music file. "This is
about as exciting as watching paint dry."

"*If you want excitement,*" Henry intercedes. "*There is a
Karasutengu ship being chased by that Mikado Marine ship following the
'Renegade'.*"

Noa falls off her chair. "Karasutengu?!" she yells. "The only
ship I know is the one owned by that stuck-up *kide'ne* Princess
Kurama!! What are they doing here?!"

"*They're doing Warp Three, trying to stay out of the Mikado's
ship's photon torpedo spread,*" Henry reports.

"Should we save them?" Noa asks.

"*Well,*" Henry muses. "*I did save a group of them from the
Celestial Toymaker...*"

"I know. I read that report. Well, I guess we can help a little
bit."

"*May I remind you that our mission is to rescue the daimon'cha
and his Other?*"

"They don't seem to be in danger yet," Noa says. "'Sides, I want
some action!"

"*Moving to intercept the Mikado ship.*"

* * *

Things are not going well for Kurama's hardy band. Despite the
tricks pulled by the helmsman, the Mikado ship closes the range, weapons
ready. Kurama is at wits' end, trying figure out how to escape without
getting killed, captured, dishonoured or all three. "The Mikado ship is
closing!" the sensory officer reports. "Their weapons are locked!"

*Here it comes!* Kurama resigns herself.

Then, something blasts both ships!

When Kurama and her crew settle themselves after a seemingly
eternal rough ride, they look around. "What was that?" Kurama demands,
staggering to her throne.

"A ship knocked us and the Mikado ship in different directions,"
the sensory officer reports. "We're appear undamaged but too far from
each other to chase."

"Who did that?! The 'Renegade?!'"

The smoking Tengu looks out of a nearby porthole. "Looks like
THEY did it!!!"

All see the Gatherer. "The Gatherer?!!" Kurama gasps surprisedly.
"But, why?!"

"Princess K.!" the helmsman announces. "They're hailing us!"

Kurama is shocked by the sight of Noa. "A *daishi'cha?!!*" she
gasps, the first time any Tengu has ever seen one. Having been in space
for so long, Kurama has not heard about their recent activities on
Earth. "We've been saved by the Gatherer?!"

The other Tengu bow, averting their eyes in the presence of a
respected deity in Tengu culture. Kurama knew the Gatherer saved many
Tengu from the Celestial Toymaker. She thought those stories were mere
myths...yet the proof now stares at her. "Hello, there," Noa smiles.
"I'm Noa, *daishi'cha* #19282. Is everyone aboard your ship alright?"

*She spoke to me?!* Kurama blinks.

Feeling unworthy of such attention, Kurama bows low, averting her
eyes from directly looking at the viewscreen. "WHAT IN LYNA'S NAME ARE
YOU DOING?!?!?!" Noa snarls, looking annoyed by the Tengu's illogical
emotional display towards them. She expected Kurama's people to be
grateful, yet they seemed to be almost worshipping her.

"I'm averting my eyes from you, O Blessed Mother of Sagussa,"
Kurama intones.

"Stop it!" Noa orders. "I'm no deity! *Ki!* We even have Tengu
*daishi'cha,* for crying out loud!!!"

"Sorry," Kurama smiles. "Thank you for saving us from that Mikado
Marine's ship. Once again, you saved our people..."

"Enough of that," Noa hums. "Henry's ego is big enough as it is!"

"*I did not know I had any ego.*"

"What are you doing here?" Noa asks.

"We were going to another planet to find a suitable mate," Kurama
explains. "That's when I came across Natsu-kun's ship. There is
something going on there. Natsu-kun's chain-bitch of a wife is not on
board but the Ghost-Boy professing to be in love with him is. Plus
there was a Mikado hunter aboard..."

"Oh," Noa groans. "I know about *it!!*"

"'It?'" Kurama looks confused. "The Mikado hunter was a woman...a
very low and violent one...almost as bad as Benten!"

"Too bad." *What a dork!!*

"I was going to visit Benten on Home Base to find out what's going
on when that Mikado ship tried to destroy us," Kurama continues.

"Benten isn't on Home Base right now."

"She's not?!" Kurama looks surprised. "How do you know?!"

"Hey, I'm a *daishi'cha,* remember?!" Noa decides to yank Kurama's
chains. "We know everything. Benten is on Earth."

"Why is she on Earth?"

"Find out!"

"I will," Kurama turns to the helmsman. "Helm, take us to Earth."

The helmsman is busy trying to repair his station. "I'm sorry,
Princess," the Tengu scratches the back of his head. "The helm is
unresponsive. It seems whatever the Gatherer did to knock us away from
the Mikado ship has shorted out our warp drive controls."

"Will it take long to fix?" Kurama asks.

"About three weeks," the helmsman smiles.

"Three weeks?!" Kurama sighs. "Three weeks before I learn what's
going on with Nassur and the chain-bitch!"

*Lyna!* Noa's eyes roll. *I ALMOST feel sorry for the snob!!*
Then she gets an idea. "Say, Kurama. Like a ride to Earth?"

If Henry could faint, he would. "*Noa! You remember what WE'RE
doing here?!*"

Noa presses the mute button. "Don't worry!" she whispers. "The
'Renegade' will be fine. Besides, I wanna see that snob's face when she
finds out Benten's pregnant."

"Thank you!" Kurama nods readily. "We'll come aboard."

"No problem," Noa smiles. "Henry'll use a tractor beam to bring
you into the ship."

* * *

In Oshika, Benten, Reiko, Ten-chan and Minami are preparing for
the beach. "Ready?"

All are now dressed in bathing suits, carrying all the beach stuff
they can. "Yeah!!!" the children yell in unison.

"Then let's go!" Benten points...

...where Catty stands! "And WHERE are YOU going?!" the Sagussan
doctor snarls.

"To the beach," Benten blinks confusedly. "Is that a problem?"

"I don't mind Reiko-chan and the others going out to the beach. A
little exercise is good for them," Catty explains. "But I do have a
problem with YOU going with them!"

"Hey," Benten pats her stomach. "I could use the exercise as
well!"

Catty flushes with rage. "That's not what I mean!! You're
entering a dangerous phase of your pregnancy. And your refusal to place
the fetus in a gestation chamber is putting your child at FURTHER risk."

"What risk could be involved at a beach?"

"What risk?!" Catty looks ready to tear out her lavender hair.
"What risk?!! The beaches on this planet are filled with disease-
causing microbes, refuse from Lyna knows where, and atop that, there are
ultra-violet rays from the sun!!"

"No different from any other beach in the Universe," Benten sighs.

Catty glares into Benten's eyes. "I'm not joking!" she snarls.
"On Sagussa, women who refuse to place their fetus in a gestation
chamber are completely isolated from anything that may be dangerous to
the baby."

"That's on Sagussa. This is Earth."

"On Sagussa, medical personnel are given the proper respect...!"

"Big deal," Benten is unimpressed. "Look, Catty, I'm not planning
to do any swimming, mainly because I'm too big for any bathing suits. I
only plan to watch over Reiko-chan and the others and play my biwa."

Benten produces her biwa. She had practised with it since she was
a child. She had even thought of becoming a professional musician until
other things intervened.

Catty is not impressed. "That better be ALL you do," she snarls.
"I'll be watching you. Try to do anything else and you'll be up on the
'Hasei'cha' before you know it!"

"Fine," Benten sighs as Catty storms off. *Boy, whatta grouch!*

Benten then joins Reiko and the others to go to the beach...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

The "Renegade" continues its lonely voyage of destiny. In the
observation deck, Lum and Ataru watch the stars. "The stars look like
flashes of light passing by," Ataru contemplates. "Do you ever wonder
if each of those stars have planets with life?"

"Most probably do, Darling," Lum snuggles up close to him. "This
part of space is largely unexplored by even the Vosians and the
Zephyrites. Who knows what's out there."

"One thing I've got to hand Nassur," Ataru smiles. "His ship is
better at long range travel than Dake-chan's. She never had an
observation deck on hers."

"True," Lum nods. "She almost always travelled alone...even when
she was partnered with Nassur-chan. Nassur, on the other hand, liked
company with him."

Anger spreads across Ataru's face. "I can't believe he didn't
tell us the truth about himself! For all the years he was your mentor,
you'd think he'd tell you something!"

"Nassur has always been very secretive," Lum comes to her mentor's
defense. "His way of protecting us or something. Think about it,
Darling. How would you feel if what happened to Nassur happened to
you?"

"Wrong comparison, Lum-chan," Ataru groans. "I'm just as much an
orphan as he. The only difference is that I KNOW who my parents are.
Nassur could meet his parents, who MAY be half-decent people. My
parents, I'll not miss them after they're gone."

"I know what you mean," Lum hugs him. "But remember, they did ONE
good thing."

"What's that?"

"They had you."

Ataru thinks for a second. "That may be true," he scratches the
back of his head. "But it's what they did with Grandma, not to mention
what they did to Nokoko-chan, that still burns me up!"

"True," Lum smiles. "But, let's do something that'll further
cause waves."

"What?" Ataru says...before he and Lum look into each others'
eyes. They stare lovingly before they kiss then begin exploring
pleasure with each other's bodies....

[We'd continue but, this is getting close to a 'Lemon' fic. Skip
ahead a few stories to see what happens after this scene...M.S.]

* * *

An hour or so later, Lum enters the dining area alone dishevelled.
Her hair is messy and the Oni carries a goofy smile on her face. In the
dining room, Mendou and Megane are eating. "Lum," Megane smiles, then
notices her look. "What happened to you?!"

"Oh, Darling and I were playing strip poker," Lum announces before
blushing.

"STRIP POKER?!?!?!" the two yelp.

"*Tcha!*" Lum giggles. "Darling and I are always playing that! I
skunk him every time! Then, we pillowed each other!"

"PILLOWED?!?!?!" they yell in surprise.

"*Tcha!*" Lum giggles before taking a snack from the replicator.
"He's better than Noa-chan!! I'd better go on my shift now!"

Lum turns to leave when Mendou and Megane appear in front of her.
"Lum-san!!" Mendou pleads. "Did we hear correctly?!! You and Noa
pillow each other?!!"

"That's right," Lum smiles.

"When did this start?!" Megane demands.

"Oh, since the Spirit War."

"But Noa's been only around for the last five months!!" Mendou
gasps. "The Spirit War was two months before that!!"

"So?!" Lum shrugs. "Noa and I're bonded, just like I'm bonded to
Darling! If we can't do it physically, we do it in our dreams!!"

She laughs, then notices the air around Mendou and Megane boiling.
"What's wrong?"

"Pillowing Moroboshi I can see!!" Megane growls. "But, that
bitchy alien girl?!! We won't stand for it!!!"

Anger flashes in the Oni's eyes. "It's out of your hands!!" Lum
growls. "You can't stop us or even look in!!"

Mendou and Megane suddenly take Lum by the hand and look
pleadingly at her. "Reject Noa!!" they say together. "She is leading
you down the path of ruin!!!"

Lum crackles with electricity...

* * *

On the bridge, Junba is turning command over to Nassur, when...

...an explosion rocks the ship and knocks everyone to the deck!!
"What was that?" Junba yells while righting herself.

"*Warning: Hull breach in the dining area,*" the computer
announces.

"What is going on in there?!" Nassur yells, putting the
containment field on-line.

"Internal explosion," Shinobu reports as she looks at the
readouts. "Minor hull breach in the dining area but the containment
fields are keeping the atmosphere in."

"Who caused it?!" Junba asks.

"A massive electrical discharge."

"Electrical..." Ataru thinks aloud, then sighs. "Who's been
bugging Lum?!"

"Lum, Mendou and Megane were in there!" Shinobu continues her
scan. "But they're safe in the corridor leading to the dining hall."

"Thank the gods for that!" Ataru sighs in relief before looking
angry. "Too bad Mendou and Megane didn't get sucked out!!"

Junba cracks her knuckles. "Nassur," she orders. "Find a Class M
planet where we can do repairs. I'm gonna knock some blocks off!"

Junba strides off. Nassur and the others watch her. "Junba must
be really mad," Nassur quips. "She's not going to use the cardiac band
control on those knuckleheads!"

"Maybe she'll let me use it!" Ataru hums.

* * *

After landing on a desolate planet nearby, Nassur surveys the
damage Lum caused from zapping Mendou and Megane. In the brig, Junba
gives the three teens the tenth degree. "Never have I served with such
a bunch of incompetent, undisciplined, annoying morons in all my
life!!!" Junba snarls, causing all three to wince. "You're lucky that I
don't keelhaul you all!!!" She then turns towards both Mendou and
Megane. "Now, what caused Lum to use her lightning on you?!!"

Mendou, Megane and Lum all talk in unison and point at each other.
As expected, it sounds like gobble-dee-gook to Junba. "One at a time!!"
the Mikado hunter snarls in disgust.

"I was only trying to get Lum to see the light of reason!!!"
Mendou begins.

"So was I!!" Megane adds.

"I've seen the light of reason!" Lum snaps. "I decided to zap
their lights out!!!"

Junba sighs. "By all rights, I should use the cardiac band
control on you all until you are dead!!!"

Mendou and Megane shiver at the comment. Junba looks at Lum.
"But, I won't...for obvious reasons. Therefore, all three of you are
going to repair the hull breach Lum caused so we may continue on our
journey."

"Hai!" all three nod.

"Now, get to it," Junba demands.

"Well," Lum sighs as she leads the others out of the brig. "At
least we'll have a break from being in space."

"If you call this being a break!" Megane points to a nearby
porthole that shows nothing but sand dunes and a hot red sun.

* * *

Later on the bridge, Nassur and Shinobu are the only ones on
duty...not that there was much to do when the ship is planetside. Most
of the engine systems are turned off as are many of the main systems to
conserve power. Life support is only at bare minimum because despite
the looks of things, the planet can support humanoid life. "What a
depressing place," Shinobu sighs while looking out a porthole. "How can
people like us live here?"

"Well," Nassur looks at the long range scanners. "The sensors say
this place can, but from the look of things we're either too early or
too late for intelligent life here."

"True," Shinobu nods. The former high schooler hoped to see
something living, whether it is an alien lizard or plant, out there but
all that is moving is the sand being blown by the wind. *Still,* she
muses, *it beats looking at the endless black of space!*

Junba appears. "Did you find any sort of intelligent habitation?"
she asks immediately.

"Nothing yet," Nassur says without looking at her. "It seems this
planet is barren of life higher than microbes."

And speak of the devil, the sensor beeps. "Wait a minute," Nassur
says. "There's a settlement a hundred kilometres from here."

"A settlement?!" Shinobu gasps. "On this planet? Who would want
to live here?!"

"It's a huge structure," Nassur reads the report on it. "But it's
too far away for any accurate readings to tell us how advanced they are
or what they look like."

Junba looks over the renegade hunter's shoulder to confirm what he
said. "We'd better check it out," the Mikado hunter nods. "Most of
this part of space is unexplored. We may have come across someone's
colony. They may not take kindly to unexpected visitors. Do you have a
vehicle to send us over?"

"There's an airbike in the main cargo bay," Nassur hums. "It
carries three people."

"Make it so," Junba nods. "You, me," she blanches as she points
at Shinobu, "and her."

"Me?" Shinobu points to herself.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Junba snarls. "Lum, Mendou and
Megane are repairing the ship. Ataru can watch over them."

"Okay," Shinobu nods. "I'll go. But I hope they're friendly."

"That makes two of us," Nassur smiles.

* * *

Back on Earth, Benten sits on a beach blanket playing her biwa.
She notices Reiko, hiding behind a tree, watching Yamasaki, a deeply-
tanned, heavyset Japanese boy with short black hair and wearing only a
pair of shorts, working at the small beach teashop. Benten can tell,
even from that distance, that Reiko has the tell-tail signs of hearts in
her ears while she watches the eleven year old lad move boxes and crates
around with the strength of an adult. *So, that's Reiko's boyfriend!*
the hunter thinks. *He looks healthy.*

She sees Ten-chan playing with Minami in the sea. As long as
Benten had known the young Oni boy, he had always been a bit of a
ladies' man. Usually, it had been an older woman but this is the first
time she had seen him in love with a woman his age. But, for some
reason, her baby seems to be relaxed around Ten-chan. *I wonder why?*

Benten then takes a look at Ataru's beach house further down.
Although she is too small to see with the naked eye, Benten knows that
Catty is watching her every move...waiting for the right opportunity to
run her to a maternity hospital. *Let her look!* Benten thinks as
thoughts of her diving into the ocean immediately flashes through her
brain just to give Catty heart failure.

*No,* she changes her mind. That would only further strain their
relationship. *Besides, the sleeveless summer dress I'm wearing would
shrink in the water...and it's the only dress Mal has which can fit me
now!*

Finally, Benten finishes playing her biwa to hear the sound of
someone applauding behind her. Benten turns and sees a young, pregnant
Western woman dressed in a summer maternity dress standing nearby. She
had long brownish hair tied in a ponytail. She is quite attractive.
"Bravo! Bravo!" the woman says in English-accented Japanese.

"T-thanks," Benten acknowledges her applause. "I didn't know I
had an audience."

"I just happened to be walking around," the woman approaches
Benten. "You're really good. You must be a pro!"

Benten notices the woman carries her sandals in her hand so that
she could walk on the hot sand barefoot. Benten has a feeling of deja
vu staring at this young woman. She seemed to look so familiar to her.
"No," Benten replies. "This is only a hobby to me."

"May I sit with you a while?" the woman asks. "I'm a little tired
from walking around...and the baby's getting a little active all of a
sudden."

"Sure," Benten moves over on the blanket. "Suddenly, my baby is
getting active as well."

"My name is Regina McTavish."

"I'm Benten," Benten replies before she recognizes the name.
"McTavish? As in Jamie McTavish?" Benten remembers the man who came
from the year 2002 and said he knew the children of many of the hunter's
friends.

"Who's Jamie?" Regina asks. "My husband is named Scott McTavish.
I don't have any relatives by that name that I know of."

"Just someone I met," Benten hesitantly smiles. "Probably a
distant relative."

"Well, the only relative I have around here is my cousin Nicole,"
Regina indicates the crystal palace sitting in the bay by Ataru's home.
"I just came by to say hi."

"Oh, Nicole!" Benten nods. "Yeah, she's a friend of Ataru's
sister Nokoko. You mean you people actually speak to her these days?"

"Well, the Lady Nagaiwakai talked Grandma into accepting her
back," Regina muses, then stares at the hunter. "May I ask a question?"

"What?"

"Where are you from?! You don't look like you're Japanese at
all."

"I'm not," Benten thinks up of a good answer to explain herself,
then, remembering Regina's cousin, decides on the truth. "I'm a
foreigner. Actually, I'm from another planet. I'm in...law-enforcement
with my husband."

"I see," Regina notices her condition. "You must be on pregnancy
leave."

"Yeah, sort of."

"So am I," Regina sighs wishfully. "I'm a tennis player. I've
been playing since I was a girl...until I became pregnant."

*Tennis?* Benten thinks again. *Oh, a Terran sport. Not like
Setsubun at all!* "Is your husband a tennis player, too?"

"No," Regina nods. "He's an ice hockey player. In fact, he was
just hired as player-coach for a team here, Tokyo Seibu."

"How nice," Benten smiles as she tries to understand the local
references. "So what are you doing in Oshika?"

"Training camp in Ishinomaki," Regina smiles. "That's the only
place in the area that has an arena with ice in it this time of the
year! Scott has to whip the team into shape for the coming season."

"I see," Benten nods.

"Can I ask you to keep playing?" Regina then requests. "Your
music is so soothing."

"Sure," Benten smiles and nods...then strums her biwa again. *Why
is this woman SO familiar?!* the pregnant hunter wonders...

* * *

On the desert planet, Nassur, Junba and Shinobu fly high above the
dust storms on an airbike on the lookout for signs of the settlement
Nassur detected. It was not easy to find...not with unexpected
sandstorms popping up at a moment's notice. Junba sits in the side car,
while Nassur drives and Shinobu holds her arms around his waist hoping
not to be blown off by the winds. "Any sign of it yet?" Nassur asks
Junba.

"We're coming close to it," Junba reports as she looks at a
portable scanner. "These sandstorms are giving the scanner problems.
Whatever's out there is huge."

"I hope we can find them soon," Shinobu yells. "And that they're
friendly!"

Shinobu is not the only one hoping that whomever is out there is
not hostile. Nassur and Junba are thinking the same thoughts as well.
First contact missions were always tricky. You never knew how the alien
race was going to react to the fact that they are not alone in the
Universe. Some races react angrily, while others run and hide, and
still more greet their visitors with cautious open arms. Nassur is a
bit of an old hand at first contact, having made unexpected contact with
at least three alien races during his career. Luckily, all the meetings
were peaceful.

Nassur notices some huge shapes coming out of the duststorms in
front of them. "Looks like that's it there," he points out.

"It's huge," Shinobu gasps.

She had seen many things since Lum came, but nothing like this!
It is three very tall dark brown buildings, identical in height. The
buildings would make anything in Tokyo or New York City look short. All
three are perfectly rectangular proving whomever built them had some
sort of intelligence. Flying a little closer, the three explorers
notice there are no windows or doors which could be seen as well as no
exhaust pipes to divert heat and other waste elements away. Once they
were close enough, Shinobu notices both Nassur and Junba have anxious
looks on their faces. "Those buildings," Shinobu gasps in awe. "Who
could have made them?"

"Only one race could have made these," Nassur answers. "The
Lannarkites."

Shinobu could sense the fear in Nassur's thoughts via their
*pe'cha* bond, then remembers the Lannarkites from the Tomobiki gang's
first encounter with the insectoids on Shingetsu. Remembering the
information on the "Renegade's" computer, Shinobu knew they lived in
hives waiting for wayward starships to come by. Sometimes they landed
on planets with intelligent life already established on it and turned
the populations into cattle for their unstoppable appetites. There was
no proof of true intelligence in the insect Lannarkites, different from
their rumoured humanoid cousins, but still they are a threat. "What do
we do now?" Nassur asks Junba.

"I don't know," Junba scratches her head. She had seen pictures
of such hives while training but they are more awe-inspiring in real
life. Holos do not do them justice. She notices the hives seem to be
quiet...perhaps even abandoned. "Let's take a look on the ground from
behind some dunes to make sure this hive is active," she then orders.

Nassur lands on a large dune close to one of the hives. No
Lannarkite appeared as they landed...which was a good sign, all three
thought to themselves. Minutes after landing, Junba is watching the
hives with a pair of infrared binoculars. Nothing so far, she psi-
links to Nassur. Maybe we're in luck and these hives are abandoned.

I didn't think the Lannarkites got this far out, Nassur hums.
If it's abandoned, what happened to them and where did they go?

I don't know, Junba answers. "It seems there's nobody
here..."

Suddenly a Lannarkite appears from out of nowhere in front of her.
Its head is insectoid complete with a pair of sharp jaws, large enough
to cut off someone's head, to match. Junba falls back in surprise and
rolls down the dune helplessly. "A Lannarkite!!!" Nassur yells as he
grabs his gun to shoot it.

The thing falls to the ground bleeding something that resembled
blood, but the sound of Nassur's gun alerts other Lannarkites. "Let's
get out of here!!!" Junba orders.

Too late. Out of nowhere, dozens of Lannarkites surround them.
All resemble large mean wasps on steroids. Probably to them, the three
explorers look like lunch or at least a quick snack. Junba rights
herself and pulls out her gun. Shinobu grabs a large rock and prepares
to hurl it. "Couldn't you sense them?!!" she demands.

"Unfortunately," Junba answers Nassur's question, "...Lannarkites
can't be tracked."

"Now you tell me!!" Shinobu sighs.

"This is no time for trivia," Nassur barks. "We have at least a
dozen of those things between us and the airbike. Let's get rid of them
before the numbers increase!"

"Easier said than done!" Junba nods, knowing that Nassur is right.
They had to fight it out now or die.

The Lannarkites, sensing their quarry surrounded, leap to the
attack en mass. Nassur and Junba fire their guns at random while
Shinobu throws boulder after boulder in defense of herself and the
others. For a time, the three explorers seem to be holding their own,
but soon more Lannarkites appear just as others fall to the ground dead
or crushed. "We'll have to retreat while we still can!" Nassur yells at
Junba before shooting three Lannarkites who leapt at them, "...or we'll
be overwhelmed!"

"Understood!" Junba nods while busy taking out a huge Lannarkite
with a laser to its face. "You and Shinobu make your way to the
airbike!! I'll cover you!"

Nassur looks surprised. In all of this trip, Junba had never been
willing to be self-sacrificing for Nassur or anyone in the crew and had
not given any indication that she would...especially to Shinobu. But
here, they had a common enemy. Perhaps there is more of her twin sister
inside Junba than Nassur previously thought. "What about you?!!"

"Don't worry about me! Move it!"

Nassur reluctantly agrees and steps back to Shinobu, who sent a
troop of Lannarkites flying into orbit with a large boulder to clear a
way to the airbike. Nassur grabs the former high schooler and runs with
her to the airbike. "What the hell are you doing?!!" Shinobu yells
before she senses the answer in their *pe'cha* bond. "We're
retreating?!!"

"Junba's covering us!!!" Nassur answers.

Luckily, the way to the airbike is barely defended. Nassur easily
dispatches the few Lannarkites remaining. In seconds, both board the
airbike and Nassur turns the engines to prepare for a quick launch. He
notices Junba nearby working her way towards them while literally
holding off an army of Lannarkites marching towards her. Hurry,
Junba!! Nassur psi-links. We're ready to go!!!

I'm coming! Junba replies.

Junba turns to run to the airbike when...

...two Lannarkites with wings snatch her and fly off! Both Nassur
and Shinobu are shocked by what happened and are helpless as the
Lannarkites fly off towards the one of the hives in the distances. In
seconds, Junba is gone. "JUNBA!!!!!!" is the only word they can say in
response to what they have seen.

"We gotta save her!!!" Shinobu demands.

"We can't!!" Nassur points out at the hoards of Lannarkites
closing in on them. "If we do, we won't be able to save ourselves!!!"

"We can't just leave her!!"

Nassur answers by pulling the levers launching the airbike. The
Lannarkites watch as they escape. Some of the smarter ones try to fly
after them, but the afterburners of the airbike quickly outrun them.

Shinobu could not believe that Nassur, the man who would give his
life to see others live willingly, would not even try to save Junba.
True, Junba is an enemy, but she is a person like anyone she had ever
met in her life. "But, Nassur...?!" she begins to say...

Nassur turns to show tears rolling down his face. This and the
feelings she gets from their bond tells her all she needed to know.
Nassur did not like to do what he did...but it was necessary for both to
survive.

* * *

Both Nassur and Shinobu are quiet when they return to the
"Renegade." There, they find the ship almost completely repaired and
ready to go. But, congratulations have to wait...Nassur calls a meeting
of the entire crew to discuss what to do next while Junba was gone.
"Junba's gone?!!" Mendou asks.

"Her horror is over?!!" Megane adds.

Both of them lead into banzai cheers over the news...until they
notice Nassur and Shinobu are not joining them. "What's wrong?!" Megane
asks. "Why so glum, chums?! Nassur has rescued us, like he said he
would!! Now, let's go home and...!"

Cold looks from Nassur and Shinobu ends Megane's celebration in a
block of ice. "W-what cold looks...!" he shivers.

"Nassur-chan," Lum intercedes. "What's the matter?!"

"Can't you sense it through your bond with Nassur, Lum?" Shinobu
asks the Oni.

Lum remembers that since being healed from the wounds the Hustari
gave her, her *pe'cha* bond with Nassur was being suppressed by her
Sagussan powers, especially her bonds with Noa and Ataru. Before, she
could feel what Nassur was thinking without a second thought, but now it
was as if he did not exist. "W-what?!" she asks.

"I want to save Junba," Nassur announces.

Everyone but Shinobu faints! "You wanna rescue Junba?!!" Ataru
snaps. "Are you outta of your mind?!! Her?...the Bitch from Hell?!"

"I agree with Nassur," Shinobu pipes up. "We should save Junba."

Lum tears at her own hair. "Am I hearing you correctly?!! Junba
almost killed you a few weeks ago!! Now, you want to save her?! Are
you nuts or something?!!"

"No, Lum," Shinobu sighs. "Despite her affiliation with the
Mikado, Junba and Nassur are the same...all they want is to find their
family! At first, I thought I was having bad luck being with men, but
that is nothing compared with what both Nassur and Junba have happen to
them. We all have families who love us as we are. We know them! We
grew up with them! Nassur and Junba were cheated on the whim of a
madman!!" Shinobu points at them. "I'm going to help Nassur rescue
Junba," she declares, "...or die trying!"

Silence fills the room for several minutes before someone speaks
again. "Before I came here," Nassur breaks the silence, "...I had Noa
get Patty and Nene to augment a few systems aboard this ship. We have
Sagussan-style transporters which can move four people at one time.
We'll need one space for Junba, Shinobu and I will take the other two.
That means one more volunteer."

"How about me?" Lum volunteers.

"Sorry, Lum," Nassur replies. "I want an experienced hand to
command this ship to a safe port. Neither Ataru or the eggplants have
the experience to command a vessel yet."

"WHO YOU CALLING AN EGGPLANT?!?!?!" Mendou and Megane snarl
together.

"Well," Ataru volunteers. "I hope that I can be a help!"

Nassur smiles. "I'm sure you can. The Cyborg will come in handy!
Let's go!"

Nassur leads out everyone except Lum and Ataru. Once alone, Lum
and Ataru stare at each other. "What's the matter, Lum?"

"Be careful, Darling," Lum looks sad. "I have a bad feeling about
this."

Lum collapses into his arms and cries. "Hey," Ataru sighs. "I'll
be fine. I've got the Cyborg remember? Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying!" Lum says before nearly crushing Ataru with a
bear hug...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

The teleporter room is small with a transporter possessing a
capacity for four. The console, near the door, is manned by Lum.
Originally, the teleporter was designed only to move inanimate objects
between places. Patty turned this into a transporter capable of moving
people. The Vosians are ahead in teleporter technology, rivalling even
the Zephyrites. But it has only been recently that the Vosians could
teleport people and even then for short distances. With the Sagussan
transporter, the "Renegade" can be in orbit and still teleport people
down.

The "Renegade" itself, with its damage repaired, is in a
geosynchronous orbit over the Lannarkite hives. Thus far the
Lannarkites have made no move to attack them. Perhaps they thought the
"Renegade" was too small a meal to tempt them. "We're nearing the hive
location," Lum reports. "Too bad we were unable to raise Noa and Henry.
They would be helpful in this type of thing."

"I don't understand where they went to," Nassur scratches his head
in confusion. "Noa said they would be following us."

"Perhaps they got lost," Lum muses. "I've located a downbeam
site."

"Good," Nassur checks his weapons to make sure they're in working
order. *They'll need to be. That hive contains thousands of
Lannarkites as well as who knows what else.*

Nassur turns to Ataru and Shinobu. Both are dressed in dark green
rubber suits resembling wet suits. Like the orange outfits they wore
when they first boarded the ship, these suits show every bump and bulge
their bodies possess. Ataru is unconcerned about his outward
appearance, never really caring about such things unless wanting to
impress Lum or Noa. However, Shinobu, who had put on a little weight
since her encounter with Junba in the bathroom, is blushing. "Who
designed THIS monstrosity?!" Shinobu groans. "It makes me look like
I've got a huge rear end!"

"Sorry," Nassur says as he helps Shinobu put on a weapons belt.
"These are special suits to help protect you a bit from the Lannarkites
stings and bites. They're a lot better than those uniforms Junba gave
you!"

"How come you're not wearing one?" Shinobu asks as she takes a gun
in her hand.

"My battle suit is already designed with the Lannarkites in mind,"
Nassur replies. "Cinba designed mine. Your suits were destined for
Yukio and Hazel. Unfortunately, Yukio left to join the Executioners
while Hazel refused to even consider wearing hers."

Shinobu remembers the daring outfit Hazel usually wears whenever
she visits Earth. "I can see why!" she pats her bottom.

"Okay," Ataru hums. "Let's get going."

"Just a minute," Nassur adds. "First, I should tell you a few
things. We are heading into an area where the enemy could be anywhere
and everywhere and would not hesitate to kill you without a second
thought. The suits we wear can give you some protection from the
Lannarkites, but not from a direct hit. Be on your guard. Also, show
NO mercy to any Lannarkite you meet, no matter how injured or helpless
they may seem. A wounded Lannarkite is even more dangerous. Never turn
your back to one unless you're sure it's dead."

"What if we're too late?" Shinobu asks.

Nassur pauses. "Then we'll make sure she died with honour and
dignity," he replies.

"I understand," Ataru nods. "I may not like it. But I
understand."

"In the worse case scenario," Lum intercedes. "I'll send a volley
of photon torpedoes on this place to help you escape."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Shinobu shivers, hugging
herself.

"There are two things the Lannarkites will do," Nassur says as he
leads the others towards the teleportation unit. "One is to eat her
immediately. The other is to inject a Lannarkite egg into her body to
grow into another Lannarkite within a few months. If she's already
impregnated, then we'll have to show her the ultimate compassion."

Ataru and Shinobu look at each other warily at the term "ultimate
compassion." "W-what does that mean?" the latter gasps.

"What do you think?" Nassur replies. "Once impregnated, the egg
can't be removed without killing the host. Let's go down!"

Ataru and Shinobu join Nassur on the transporter. Lum throws the
switch...

* * *

In a heartbeat, the rescue squad materializes in a part of the
Lannarkite hive which seems to be unpopulated with the fearsome beasts.
It is dark and all three would-be rescuers needed time to adjust for the
difference in light. "Turn on your emergency beacons," Nassur orders as
he touches a stud on the crane emblem on his chest. "It'll make it
easier for Lum to find us should we get separated during the rescue."

Shinobu and Ataru comply immediately. "It's so dark in here,"
Shinobu gulps, gripping her gun. "I can't see a thing!"

"Put on your infrared glasses," Ataru says. "You'll see better
with them."

"Ataru's right," Nassur nods. "I didn't expect it to be so dark.
I'm glad Mendou didn't volunteer for this job."

"True," Ataru snorts. "We don't need his claustrophobic screams
to tell every Lannarkite that we're here."

Nassur and Shinobu put on their infrared glasses. It made a
difference. From the glasses, they could discern some of the details.
They are in some sort of corridor, but no Lannarkites were around.
Nassur pulls out a tricorder. "It seems that we're in an area that has
few Lannarkites," Nassur reports while scanning. "But, there's a group
of lifeforms ahead of us."

"Could it be Lannarkites? Or Junba?" Shinobu asks anxiously.

"It's hard to tell," Nassur nods. "The walls have some sort of
alloy preventing my tricorder from detecting anything definite. There's
a large group ahead, but I can't tell if they're an 'us' or 'them.'"

"What about your powers?" Ataru asks.

"They're unreliable, too."

"What could they be?" Shinobu wonders. "Shouldn't we find out
before moving on?"

"That may not be smart," Nassur muses. "For all we know, there
could be the entire compliment of Lannarkites ahead."

"But Junba may be in that group."

"True," Nassur nods, as he sees the logic of Shinobu's correction.
"It shouldn't be too dangerous to ind out who's there."

Nassur leads the group forward down the dark, cavern-like
corridors that seem to run on forever. Their infrared glasses help them
see minor details, such as the difference between an open space and a
wall, but the rescue squad is literally walking blind. The walls seem
made out of mud not unlike any insect on Earth. There seem to be some
logic to the corridor, but its true meaning will have to wait until the
rescue squad learns the identity of the lifeforms they discovered.

The scariest part is the silence. It is deafening. There are no
sounds of machinery, or of footsteps or even voices chattering in an
alien tongue. Everything is deathly quiet. Too quiet. Just the right
place for an ambush, all three members of the rescue team realizes. The
only things which broke the silence are the quiet beeps of Nassur's
tricorder and their own nervous footsteps.

To Nassur, this is quite routine. Not necessarily a desirable
situation, but something he'd grown accustomed to. His life was spent
looking for someone in dangerous areas, anticipating attack from every
quarter. Nassur never liked this. The stress alone gave him
headaches...not to mention what it did to his stomach.

Ataru had seen something like this with the Avalonians. While the
Niphentaxians are nowhere near as ferocious as the Lannarkites, they are
just as unpredictable. Still his relative inexperience shows. Ataru
holds his gun ready to shoot first without waiting to see if the target
is friendly or not. All he can think of is returning to the "Renegade,"
to Lum and getting home to Reiko.

Shinobu is just as frightened as Ataru is. Luckily, her *pe'cha*
bond with Nassur is enough to keep the stress of the situation from
getting the best of her...but still...

Finally, the corridor ends at what looks like a polished wall of
some kind. Nassur scans around for his lifeform readings. "The
lifeforms are behind this," Nassur announces.

"How do we get in?" Shinobu asks.

"Should we burst in?" Ataru asks.

Nassur hold the tricorder as close to the barrier as possible. "I
don't think we'll have anything to worry about," he allows himself a
slight grin. "It seems there are no Lannarkites in the room behind this
wall."

"Oh, thank Lyna," Ataru relaxes before blinking. "Then what is
behind that wall?"

"All sorts of humanoids from our part of the Galaxy and some I
can't identify."

"Is Junba among them?" Shinobu asks.

"I can't tell," Nassur nods. "The only way is to open the wall
and find out."

"Leave that to me!" Shinobu nods, then walks up to the wall...

...and smashes her fist through it! The wall was almost a foot
thick of some sort of material akin to concrete, yet Shinobu punched
through it like it was made of balsa wood. After another punch, a
couple of kicks, then some tearing, Shinobu makes a large enough hole in
the wall to allow Nassur and Ataru to enter. "There," Shinobu wipes
away the dust. "That should be big enough for us."

"Let's go in," Nassur leads the way.

Inside is just as dark as the corridor. Even their infrared
glasses are having trouble making out details of what is in the room as
Nassur leads the others inside. "Hello?" Nassur whispers low enough to
be heard.

The stench is hard to ignore and they could hear the shuffle of
several bodies looking for a place to hide. There are people here,
Nassur realized, but his powers could only guess as to how many. He can
hear their nervous breathing in the silence. They are on the other side
of the room, understandably frightened by Shinobu's impromptu demolition
of the wall, keeping as silent as possible until they could find out who
broke in. "I know there are people in this room," Nassur says. "We
mean you no harm."

"We're here to rescue a friend of ours from the Lannarkites,"
Shinobu blurts out.

Silence again, followed by the quiet mumbles of several voices in
the dark. Then a light turns on. After a moment of two of blindness,
the rescue squad notices that the people in the room are all humanoid
women, some from races they already know, others from races they have
never seen before. All are dressed in rags which were probably uniforms
of some kind. One of them, a Fukunokami girl barely older than Ataru or
Shinobu holds a lamp, probably something she managed to find after being
placed in this room, trying to look courageous. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Nassur of Home Base," Nassur introduces himself.
"These are my friends, Ataru Moroboshi of Sagussa and Shinobu Miyaki of
Earth. Who are you?"

The girl hesitates. In the weak light, Nassur could see her
attractiveness, beneath the dirt and rags. Her brownish hair is long
and unkempt and with the horror in her eyes, seem only to make her look
animalistic. Seeing this girl, Nassur could only think of when he and
Benten first found Hazel on Barsoom months ago...except Hazel did not
live with Lannarkites. "My name..." she blurts out with shame,
"...is...WAS...Marcia Gyatan. I was from Fukunokami."

"Why are you referring to yourself in past tense?" Ataru asks.

"Because everyone in this room is condemned to die a horrible
death!"

Ataru and Shinobu feel their blood turn cold. *What did Marcia
mean about that?!* both wonder. Despite the lack of personal hygiene,
all of them look to be healthy. "We are cursed!" moans a second girl
who looked like she might be a Zephyrite. "Leave us be!"

"You can't help us," one from an unknown race adds. "We're BEYOND
your help!"

Marcia turns to Nassur and grabs him by his tunic. "Please," she
pleads to the hunter, her eyes filling with tears. "You must put us out
of our misery soon. Should THEY hatch, we'll die horribly!"

Nassur is silent at first as he allows Marcia to cry into his
chest. *There was no doubt about it!* Then to Ataru's and Shinobu's
surprise, Nassur pull out his gun and points it at Marcia's temple.
"This will only take a moment," Nassur regretfully nods. "For whatever
it's worth...I'm sorry."

Nassur begins to pull the trigger.

***There is another way.***

Before he can fire his gun, Nassur receives a whack from behind
from Ataru's sledgehammer! "Don't do it!" Ataru pleads.

Nassur, with a large bump on his head, turns angrily toward the
*daimon'cha.* "Are you out of your mind, Ataru?!" he snarls at him.
"This IS the only way to help anyone impregnated with a Lannarkite egg!"

"No," Ataru nods. "I know a better way!"

"There can be no other way!" Marcia protests. "Once impregnated,
the egg cannot be removed without killing the host! I don't want this
THING within me to take my life! I'd rather DIE first!"

All the other girls voice their agreement to Marcia's demand.
Yet, the voice within Ataru is firm. "But, ladies," he smiles
earnestly. "I can show you an alternative."

Nassur and Shinobu notice Ataru's right hand glowing as he lifts
it up to show Marcia. "***I have the power to make sure that egg will
NEVER become an insectoid Lannarkite,***" he declares, both eyes
glowing.

"What's happening to him?" Shinobu gasps.

"I have no idea," Nassur scratches the back of his head. "That
voice doesn't sound like the Cyborg."

Marcia looks afraid. "What's wrong with your hand?!" she gulps.

"***Don't worry. Only the evil within you shall be harmed.***"

Ataru touches Marcia's stomach. The impregnated woman is bathed
in a very bright white light. Nassur, Shinobu and the others turn away,
their eyes unable to gaze into the light. Ataru seems not to care.
Then, there comes a sound which almost sounds like music and Marcia
begins to rise into the sky and hover for several minutes as the light
seems to envelop her and brighten even more until she is wrapped in a
cocoon of light.

Ataru gestures and the cocoon which holds Marcia lands softly to
the floor...then dissipates like a popped soap bubble.

After everyone's eyes readjust to normal, Marcia stands there, now
clean and well-groomed, awestruck. Staring at herself, she blinks.
Gone is the ragged Fukunokami. Standing in her place is a beautiful
humanoid Lannarkite, like the three Ataru and Mie encountered over
Shingetsu, looking approximately like Marcia, now draped in very fine
clothing. "Wh-wh-what happened?!!" Marcia gasps. "What did you do to
me?!!"

Nassur checks out Marcia with his tricorder after setting it to
its highest sensitivity. "I...incredible!!!" he gapes. "The Lannarkite
egg inside her is gone."

Everyone turns to Ataru, who seems bathed in the energy he used to
transform Marcia. "***I mutated the Lannarkite egg into what the
Lannarkites were before they were tampered with. I encountered three of
their kind,***" he indicates Marcia, "***over Shingetsu. This is what
the Lannarkites are SUPPOSED to be...but they were somehow changed into
the vicious beasts we know too well.***"

Marcia is flabbergasted by his actions. "Thank you! But, what
happens now?"

Nassur turns to Ataru. "Ataru, can you do the same to the other
people in this room?"

"***Of course,***" Ataru smiles.

Suddenly, the rest of the girls surround Ataru. "Please do it!!!
We WANT to live!!!"

"***No problem!***" Ataru nods. "***Who wishes to be first?***"

As the girls chatter, Nassur turns to Shinobu. "Since when can
Ataru do this?!"

"How should I know?!!" Shinobu shrugs.

* * *

While Ataru is performing miracles, in Oshika, Benten, Ten-chan,
Minami and Reiko are on their way home. It had been a long day and all
of them looked tanned from exposure to the sun. "For once, I feel
happy," Benten smiles. "I finally met a woman in the same boat as I!"

"That's nice," Reiko nods. "Maybe that will keep Catty-oba-chan
happy."

As soon as they reach the door, Catty is standing there waiting
for them. She wears a very angry frown on her round face. "It's about
time!" she admonishes coldly. "Are you through putting your child at
risk, Benten?!"

Benten looks at her. "For today, yes."

Catty whips out her tricorder to begin scanning Benten, who looks
annoyed by her actions. "You have a high rate of skin damage from
exposure to the sun," the medic snorts. "It won't affect the baby and
will repair itself within a few days if you stay indoors."

"That's a tan," Benten sighs. "I wanted to look healthy."

"Repeated damage to your skin will lead to skin cancer," Catty
stares Benten in the eye. "You must be careful out there."

"Hey, I wear sun screen!"

"Use a stronger one!"

"Er...right."

"Another thing," Catty begins scanning the kids, "...be careful
whenever you hang around any strangers. They maybe carrying something
that could be harmful to your baby."

"She means that other pregnant lady who was hanging around you,
Benten," Reiko says.

"Who? Regina McTavish?" Benten points to herself. "She's
pregnant, too!"

Catty looks annoyed. "Still, you don't know where she's been and
she doesn't know where you've been. You may be both carrying something
that could hurt your babies."

"Hey, I've had all my shots!"

Catty looks at the tricorder for the results of her scans of the
children. "Well," Catty smiles. "You three appear to be healthy
although you have some skin damage like Benten has and seem to have
gained some body fat in preparation for another growth spurt."

"Er...thanks," Minami smiles, not knowing if she had been
insulted.

"I've prepared some Terran food to meet all of your nutritional
needs," Catty then puts her tricorder away. "And I've added soap flakes
to Benten's portion as well,"

"Thanks," Benten smiles. "I am hungry."

"Let's eat," Ten-chan leads the group into the dining room.

Minutes later, dinner continues without any major blow-ups from
Catty. "You should've seen Yamasaki carry those crates," Reiko says in
awe. "They were as big as me and looked heavy but he carried TWO of
them at the same time. He's wonderful!"

"That's nice," Benten smiles, allowing Reiko to bask in the glory
of her "boyfriend."

"That's dangerous," Catty snorts. "He could give himself back
problems..."

"Put a sock in it, you idiot," Benten interrupts. "Quit being a
smothering mother and let the kids play!"

Catty, shocked that someone would DARE tell her to shut up, does
so. Ten-chan turns to Reiko. "So," the Oni boy says as he gulps down a
bowl of rice. "When are you gonna finally tell that Yamasaki you like
him?"

Reiko blushes. "I can't!"

"You're just a shy girl," Benten smiles.

"That's right," Reiko nods in agreement. "It's not easy being a
shy little girl."

*Sure!* Ten-chan thinks.

"Well," Minami blurts. "Maybe Ten-chan and I can get you two
together?"

"Well..." Reiko thinks.

Benten takes her chopsticks and reaches for some tempura. "Young
love," the pregnant hunter sighs. "There's nothing like it!"

Once Benten begins to pick up the tempura with her chopsticks, it
breaks and drops the piece of food on the table. *It broke...?* she
feels her blood turn cold.

Everyone looks concerned. "Benten?" Reiko asks. "Is something
wrong?"

Catty scans Benten with her tricorder. "She seems to be healthy,"
she reports. "DESPITE having another piece of tempura!"

"My chopstick broke!" Benten gulps.

Minami looks upset. "Oh, no! That means something horrible is
going to happen to either you or someone you know!"

"I know. My people have the same faith!"

"How illogical!" Catty snorts. "Breaking one's chopstick means
nothing except that you need a new pair!"

Catty offers Benten another chopstick. "Er...thanks, Catty,"
Benten says weakly as she takes it. "Y-you're right. It just broke on
its own. I'm sure that NOTHING is happening to Nassur and the others!"

Everyone at the table gives out a nervous laugh. *I hope...!*
Benten thinks...

* * *

In the bowels of the hive, Ataru has completed turning the last of
the impregnated woman into humanoid Lannarkites. Despite their new
physical features, one look in their hexagonally-segmented eyes shows
the relief from the horror the Lannarkites inflicted. "Thank you,
Ataru," Marcia smiles. "For once, I feel free from their terror. I
still wish my revenge upon those bugs!"

"Revenge will have to wait," Ataru smiles. "We're here to rescue
one of our crew, a Vosian woman named Junba, from them."

"Junba?" one, formerly a young Oni whose bikini barely covers the
generous figure the transformation gave to her, gasps. "I know her.
She was captured earlier today."

"Are you sure? Is she all right?"

"I don't know. The Lannarkites took her away shortly before you
three burst in here."

"Do you know where?" Shinobu asks.

"Probably to be impregnated," Marcia cuts in. "It seems it's
mating season!"

"Where do they do it?" Nassur asks.

Silence answers for a while before another girl, formerly a stocky
Ipraedies, answers. "I think I remember the way there."

"Lead on then!" Nassur orders her.

"What about us?" Marcia asks.

"If you want to fight with us," Nassur says to them all. "You
can."

"Of course!" Marcia nods.

Shinobu looks relieved. She didn't like being part of a small
group trying to fight an unknown number of monsters. But, with Marcia
and the other girls Ataru saved, the odds of survival were better. She
turns to Ataru, who looks like he just finished a long marathon on a
humid day. "Ataru-kun, are you okay?"

"Just tired," Ataru gasps. "The *te'a* took a lot out of me."

"*Te'a?*" Shinobu asks. "What's that?"

"I'll explain later, if there's a later."

The two Terran teens join the rush out of the room to find where
Junba is. As they go, Shinobu realizes there is MUCH more inside Ataru
than she previously thought.

* * *

While the rescue squad approaches, Junba lays strapped on some
sort of table like some sort of lab animal ready for dissection. The
straps seem to be some sort of sap, likely a very strong glue made by
the Lannarkites themselves to keep prey from escaping. It has been a
horrifying day for the Mikado hunter. She has seen death and torture
make everything she had done in the Mikado's name look tame. Many times
she tried to deny all of what is going on as a nightmare, but every time
she opened her eyes, the Lannarkites were still there, eating living
beings, impregnating them with their eggs and doing other unspeakable
horrors. Soon, it would be her turn.

Junba fought back...but her gun lost its charge after at a score
of Lannarkites fell. Weaponless, she tried to keep the monsters at bay
with her hand-to-hand combat skills. She managed to kill another dozen
this way, before numbers got the best of her. Before she knew it, she
was placed in a smelly room with a dozen other alien girls, all of whom
had been impregnated with a dreaded Lannarkite egg. She briefly made
friends with one of them...an Oni girl of all people...but she never got
her name before Junba was taken away.

Junba watches as the Lannarkite queen, a huge insectoid monster
with an abdomen the size of a small shuttle, impregnates a Vosian girl
who looks barely past Stop Time. The girl pleads to every god and
goddess in the Vosian spiritual world before the monster does her
horrible work. So horrible in fact, Junba cannot bear to watch and
turns away.

After the screams end, Junba opens her eyes and sees one of the
smaller Lannarkites, most likely one of the drones, look her over.
Junba didn't need to understand the squeaking to know what the drone
said...she was next!

* * *

The rescue squad lead by the Ipraedies girl draws nearer to their
goal. For the most part, the resistance from the Lannarkites had been
non-existent. While this settled the nerves of Ataru and Shinobu,
Nassur felt that they must be with blessed with VERY good luck or cursed
with VERY bad luck. The Lannarkites were never known to hide,
especially in their own hives. They must be around somewhere, and there
the battle will truly begin.

"Where are those bugs?" Shinobu asks. "I haven't seen any since
they took Junba away."

Shinobu gets her answer. Two Lannarkites come at them from around
a corner...

...and immediately are jumped by some of Marcia's group. In
seconds, the Lannarkites are beaten to death. The acidic ooze that
makes up an insectoid Lannarkite's blood is everywhere. "I'm NOT
satisfied yet!" Marcia wipes off some of the ooze that spilt on her.
"Not NEARLY enough! I want the queen who nearly turned me into one of
THEM!"

"You'll get it," Nassur pats her on the shoulder. "I promise!"

Shinobu looks closely at one of the Lannarkite's prone forms. She
had never seen one of the Lannarkite up close before...she had been too
busy fighting them to notice. Now, she has the opportunity.

What she sees is not a mindless monster, but a poor being not much
different than herself, maybe. She moves to touch it.

It moves slightly itself.

Shinobu leaps back as she remembers Nassur's warning about the
dangers of injured Lannarkites. Yet, the Lannarkite seems not to be
attacking her, but in too much pain...like a person would in a similar
circumstance. Shinobu decide to take out her first aid kit.

Nassur stops her. "No mercy, Shinobu!"

"But, Nassur-kun, it's hurt!"

"I know," Nassur replies. "But, once it's healed, it'll thank you
by killing or impregnating YOU! Let it die!"

"But..." Shinobu starts but then notices that the Lannarkite had
died. *Could I have saved it?* she thinks. *It wasn't a monster to me,
just an injured being!* "I'm sorry," she says with a tear in her eye.

Marcia walks up to her. "Shed no tears for these monsters," she
says coldly. "They're unworthy of your grief. Weepy for the people
they murdered instead!"

Shinobu looks at the Fukunokami-turned-humanoid Lannarkite.
"Unlike YOU, I can sense empathy for living things senselessly killed!"

Marcia shudders. She tries to attack Shinobu. Nassur and Ataru
block her. "Hey!" Nassur says. "We have a crewmate to rescue. Let's
talk about this some other time!"

Marcia relaxes. "Of course!" she snorts before they begin to move
on...

* * *

The queen moves towards Junba slowly, almost methodically. Junba,
helpless, can only close her eyes as the queen's abdomen moves closer
towards her own genitals. *Mother, Father, I'm guess I'll NEVER get to
meet you!* she thinks. In her mind, she thinks of a prayer.
Fortunately, she doesn't have to speak it.

Two orange laser beams strike the queen right in the lowest part
of her abdomen. Green, acidic ooze flies all over the place as the
queen drops to the floor like a stone and writhes in pain. Junba sees
Nassur, Ataru and Shinobu leading a group of women into the chamber.
"They CAME for ME?!?!"

Then it happens.

Junba recognizes Nassur.

Before she knew it, she was freed by the man she once boasted she
was going to kill. "You all right?" Nassur asks.

Junba blushes. "Y-yes," she mutters. "You made it just in time!"

"Thanks. But, it's not over yet!"

Nassur points to the main door of the chamber. Marcia and the
other girls were holding their own from the advancing and growing
numbers of Lannarkites. Ataru, now turned into the Cyborg, helps as
much as possible, while Shinobu uses whatever large object she can get
her hands on to take out dozens of Lannarkites in a single blow. "Looks
like the fighting begun!" Nassur nods before shooting three Lannarkites
that had entered from a back entrance.

The battle was even for a few minutes. But, as more and more
Lannarkites appeared, fatigue took its toll...including those of the
humanoid Lannarkites. Nassur had planned to bring everyone here on the
"Renegade" but knew that the transporter Patty installed could only take
four at a time. And during this fight, a decline in their own numbers
would be fatal for those left behind.

Then, Nassur gets an idea. He bring out his communicator.
"Nassur to 'Renegade,'" he yells while saving Junba from a Lannarkite
which had moved behind their lines.

"'Renegade' here," Lum replies.

"We need that photon torpedo attack!"

"Understood! Firing photon torpedoes!"

Nassur breaks off contact.

* * *

In geosynchronous orbit, the "Renegade's" torpedo bays empty
themselves on the hive below them. In seconds, the buildings are
hammered mercilessly. Lannarkites and non-Lannarkites rush for cover as
entire sections disintegrate. Finally, the whole hive seems to collapse
upon itself. Then, silence...

* * *

In the impregnation chamber, Nassur managed to psi-link a warning
of the coming barrage to the whole rescue squad. They managed to find
safe places. In seconds, the chamber collapsed within itself. From his
safe place under a table, Ataru could hear the screams both human and
non-human echoing through out the room. He could feel the building
lurch and fall. Luckily, he was still the Cyborg to prevent himself
from getting seriously hurt...if he didn't get hit directly from one of
those torpedoes Lum was raining down on him by mistake.

Then it was over. And the silence is deafening. He managed to
climb out of the rubble that had buried him and looks around.

*Where is everyone?* Did they die in the attack or when the
building fell down. Dust that seems to cloak the room like a fog, is so
thick that Ataru can't see anyone. Groans and sounds of digging
indicate survivors. Ataru relaxes and turns back to human. He could
tell the voices were human...Nassur and Shinobu busy trying to locate
Marcia, who was busy locating some of the other girls. He could hear
Junba's voice as well as some of the other girls the *te'a* turned into
humanoid Lannarkites. *I'm safe!* he breathes out in relief. *Thanks
for the help, Lum!*

Ataru hears something moving. Nassur's voice is heard coming
closer. "Ataru? Are you around here somewhere?"

"Nassur? I'm over here!"

Something else appears instead.

The Lannarkite queen!

Ataru hoped it had been killed in the bombing, but it is alive,
abet barely...and it is angry. Ataru leaps back in surprise then tries
to escape. Then he felt it...the queen's stinger going through his
chest and almost piercing his heart!

* * *

In "Renegade's" transporter room, Lum senses something ominous...

* * *

On the bridge of the Gatherer, thousands of parsecs away, Noa
feels something...

* * *

In Oshika, Reiko is awakened from her sleep feeling something has
happened...

* * *

It was quite a sensation, Ataru thought feeling the queen's
stinger through him. But, shock began to set in. Ataru feels himself
being lifted into the air. He looks and sees himself moving closer
towards the mouth of the queen. *One last meal before dying...*

It would be a meal the queen would never begin. Nassur blasts the
queen's head off with a huge blast from his gun. Ataru feels his body
fall...then darkness. He could hear voices talking about him.

"Jesu Cristo!!! ATARU-KUN!!!!"

"He's still alive!" Nassur reports as Ataru hears a tricorder,
then the snap of his communicator. "Nassur to 'Renegade!' Medical
emergency! Beam us straight into sick bay!"

"Understood!" Lum says.

Ataru feels himself falling apart and reassembling...he wishes he
knows where...

*** Not the Beginning of the End...But The End of the Beginning ***