anabana arrives. The inhabitants of Ataru's house become
restless. With the coffee shop closed for the day, Mal and the rest of
the Nendo-kata (with the exception of the still-catatonic Nokoko)
decorate the place for the festival. Reiko, Minami and Ten-chan help as
needed, especially hanging decorations in high places. Even Catty gets
into the act of decorating. Benten helps with phoning everyone she
wants to come to the party. The list is long: Koosei, Oyuki, Lan, Rei,
Sakura, Lum's parents, her parents, Hazel and the hybrids, the crew of
the "Hasei'cha," Mie and Makoto, the Avalonians, Pamanba, Clarisse and
many more. With each call, Benten gets more excited. Even her baby
seems excited.

"That's the last of them, I hope," Benten giggles with
anticipation over what is coming. "I hope they all come."

"I hope they behave," Catty sighs.

"Lufy's invited," Benten adds. "She'll make sure NO ONE acts up.
I can hardly wait."

Catty scans Benten. "Your baby seems to be active, too," the
medic reports. "I'm not surprised. This is her first party."

"True," Benten strokes her abdomen. "I hope I don't get a craving
for soap chips during the party."

"I wish Noa would come," Catty sighs. "We could use a little good
news today."

"She's busy," Benten adds. "Still, you and Lufy can work on your
relationship."

Benten noticed the first time Catty acted in anyway other than a
by-the-book medical officer. Koosei had informed her about the unusual
love polygon that developed amongst most of the "Hasei'cha's" crew.
True, almost everyone aboard are *marei'cha* with each other but that
didn't end the fantasies that they had for others outside their personal
bonds or for Ataru. The Sagussans seemed always to be rather open in
their attraction to one another. Perhaps that is a remnant of the
influence from the young, innocent Ataru. "Isn't the 'Hasei'cha' soon
returning to Sagussa?" she changes the subject.

"That's right," Catty nods. "At the end of the week." She gives
the pregnant hunter a cold glance. "But, you won't be free of me that
easily. We're assigning someone to look after you until you give
birth."

"Who might that be?" Benten asks.

"I don't know," Catty shrugs. "Koosei said he wanted some input
on it this time."

"I hope she's a better person than you."

"What was that?" Catty snorts.

Benten looks nervous. "I just said, 'I'm sorry to hear that.'"

"You better be!" Catty hums knowingly.

* * *

The party begins without any major hitches. Some feathers got
ruffled when Lan and Rei arrived, but Lufy kept her guns and bombs to
herself out of respect for the absent *daimon'cha.* The crew of the
"Hasei'cha" brought a Douglas Fir sapling direct from Canada to use. By
using their technology, they sped the growth of the tree until it was
tall enough to hold everyone's wishes. "What a nice party so far," Mie
quips to Benten, "despite Lan being here. How's living here with Catty
been, Benten?"

"She's driving me up the wall! She's always getting in the way of
my doing things."

"Catty has always been that way," Mie nods. "By the book." She
notices Catty is missing. "Where is she, anyway?"

"I don't know," Benten shrugs. "She's could be looking in on
Nokoko. How are you and Makoto getting on?"

"Oh, fine," Mie replies. "She's been keeping me busy."

"I see," Benten nods. "I guess things in Tomobiki must be quiet
since you got rid of that thing the Mikado sent."

"It is," Mie nods with a smile. "Makoto and I have been using
that time getting reacquainted. We've been separated for such a long
time both by distance and memories."

"Right," Benten nods before she notices Rabby sitting at the
farthest end of the room alone. "Say, Mie," Benten points out. "Isn't
that Rabby sitting alone over there?"

Mie glances a look at the Zeiwanite-turned-Sagussan. "It is," Mie
agrees. "She looks lonely. I hear she didn't take the news that Lufy
and Catty became *marei'cha* well."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Mie continues. "Almost the entire crew of the 'Hasei'cha'
are *marei'cha* with another. Rumour has it that morale suffered
somewhat when some of them formally became couples but it soon rebounded
after Ataru and the others disappeared."

"Jealousy," Benten nods in understanding before noticing Shildy
sitting nearby making hand signs at Rabby. "What's Shildy doing?"

"Trying to get Rabby's attention from the look of things," Mie
replies. "You know how much Shildy likes Rabby. When Lufy was single,
Rabby ignored her completely."

"This sounds like a bad soap opera plot. But isn't Rabby part of
the 'Hasei'cha?' I know she's a Gladiator pilot like you..."

"Yeah," Mie nods. "They're the only members of the crew that
haven't formed a *marei'cha* bond with anyone."

Benten looks at both girls and for once, feels sorry for them.
True, the type of love affair common on Sagussa is treated with scorn on
most other worlds. Benten could see the love Shildy held for Rabby. It
was as equally as intense at the heartbreak in Rabby's eyes over being
passed over by Lufy. This went beyond "morality" into an area that has
basis in all types of relationships. "Shouldn't YOU do something about
it?" Benten asks Mie.

"Why me?"

"You're one of them," Benten reminds Mie. "They'll listen to you
more than me."

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

Benten whispers into Mie's ear. A wicked smile appears on the
Terran-turned-Sagussan's face. "I like it!"

* * *

Minutes later, Rabby, looking as lonely and depressed as ever,
sits alone while having a drink. Then, Mie appears in front of her.
"Oh, Rabby," Mie says as she pulls out a note. "LUFY asked me to give
this to you."

"What is it?" Rabby opens the envelope.

"I don't know," Mie shrugs. "But she said this is a little
something that will get rid of your depression over her becoming
*marei'cha* with Catty."

Mie leaves to allow Rabby to read the note. Almost immediately,
steam billows from the pilot's ears. Mie could even see her nose bleed
with passion (NOTE: WE'RE all too young to know what is written on that
note...M.S.). Rabby furtively hides the note in a pocket of her uniform
and sneaks out of the house.

Mie and Benten signal each other.

"Objective One...achieved," Yamada says.

Mie then turns her attentions to Shildy who notices Rabby leaving
the house with a sly grin on her face. The former Fukunokami decides to
follow her but runs into Mie. "Oh, Shildy," Mie playacts. "Where are
you going?"

"I'm following Rabby, Mie," she replies anxiously. "Do you know
where she is going?"

"Something to do with Lufy I guess," Mie replies. "Rabby's been
very distraught over Lufy becoming *marei'cha* with Catty. Who knows?
She could do anything to herself."

"LUFY?!?!" Shildy yells in surprise. "What does that
unintelligent, uncouth, violent girl want with MY Rabby-chan?! I'm
gonna give that *de'ne* a piece of my mind!"

"Be my guest," Mie steps out of her way.

Like an out-of-control bullet train, the first officer tramples
anyone or anything that is in her way to reach her goal. Mie makes
another signal to Benten.

"Objective Two...achieved," Yamada says.

Once outside, Rabby makes her way to the beach hunting for Lufy.
Night has fallen and no clouds blot the moon and the stars. *Where is
she?* the question races through her mind as she remembers what she read
in "Lufy's" note. She found Catty to be as unemotionally cold as she
always appeared to be in person and wanted a REAL woman to replace her
as her *marei'cha.* Judging by the language in the note she received,
Lufy is desperate.

Rabby makes her way down the beach to find the *pirpirsiw'r*-
turned-*daishi'cha,* but there is no sign of her. The note did mention
something about taking a midnight nude swim. Maybe Lufy is already
doing so while she waits for her to arrive. Rabby removes her uniform
for an impromptu skinny-dip into the Pacific Ocean.

After wading out into the cold water, Rabby dives. Mere moments
later, Shildy comes out of the house looking for the pilot. "Where did
she go?" the Fukunokami-turned-Sagussan asks to herself aloud.

Then she sees clothing lying on the beach. *This is Rabby's
uniform!* she thinks. What is it doing here? Then she gets a vision of
Rabby skinny-dipping. Her vision is embellished a lot by her own
fantasies about how Rabby's figure looks without her uniform. *Skinny-
dipping?!* she then thinks. *Rabby NEVER skinny-dips alone!* Then a
horrible thought comes to her mind. *Maybe she's not skinny-dipping!
Maybe she's...!*

Rabby pops her head out of water. There is no sign of Lufy within
her swimming range. It is obvious that Lufy isn't in the ocean either.
So, she turns to swim back towards the beach. As she does so, she sees
someone on the beach bent over her clothes as if in mourning or
something. Coming closer, she hears her sobs. It is Shildy.

As she reaches shallow water, Rabby rushes up to her morose
crewmate. Once close enough, she notices Shildy is holding her uniform
as if it were Rabby. "Why, why, why, why did you do it, Rabby?!" the
first officer sobs uncontrollably. "Why did you drown yourself over
Lufy getting together with Catty?!" She looks to the sky. "Lufy
ignored you like you were a wall! Shit! If anything, I feel sorry for
Catty because that violent bimbo is hanging around her!! I love you,
Rabby!! I wanted you to be *marei'cha* with me!!! IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN
YOUR WERE GOING TO DO THIS, I'D COME FASTER!!!!"

"Why in Lyna's name are you carrying on like this, Shildy?" Rabby
snarls as she steps out of the water.

"R-rabby...?" Shildy stares at her then collapses into her arms.
"You're alive!!!"

"Who said I was dead?" the pilot asks.

"When I saw your clothes laying on the sand there, I...I..."
Shildy cries some more into Rabby's chest.

"I was only looking for Lufy," Rabby sighs. "Have you seen her?"

Shildy leans back to look at the pilot. Her face holds anger and
her eyes are filled with tears. "Forget Lufy! Be MY bond-mate!!"

"But..."

"No buts!"

"Aw..."

"No aws, either!! Be my bond-mate..." Shildy demands as she
transforms into a horribly angry monster, "...OR ELSE!!!!"

Rabby quakes. "O-okay," the pilot gulps, having never seen her
first officer act so aggressive. Shildy was once a Fukunokami and
despite the regeneration matrix, they still tended to be rather
aggressive.

"Fine," Shildy returns to normal. "Let's put our wishes on the
tree!"

She drags Rabby away to the tree. Unknown to them, Benten and Mie
have been watching the goings-on from nearby. "And that's the end of
that," Mie nods.

"I love it when a plan comes together," Benten hums, "...because
it rarely happens."

"Well," Mie leads the way. "Let's put our wishes on the tree and
call it a night."

"I almost forgot about that!"

When they arrive at the tree, Benten and Mie find it is already
covered with wishes from the other guests at the party. There is hardly
any room for more. "Looks like we're the last ones," Benten sighs.

"I'll put mine here," Mie puts her wish on an empty branch. "I
hope it comes true!"

"My turn," Benten smiles as she pulls out two wishes to put on the
tree.

"Why are you putting two wishes on the tree for?" Mie asks.

"One for me," then she indicates her stomach. "And one for this
one."

"Oh, right," Mie nods.

That done, Mie and Benten leave to rejoin the party. A slight
breeze moves them to reveal Benten's wish to be reunited with her
husband Nassur. The baby's wish is to meet her father and get Ten-
chan...

* * *

Somewhere, the "Renegade" continues its lonely trek towards the
Planet of Shadows. On the observation deck, Lum stands at the main
window watching the elongated flashes of light. Now back to full
strength after the transfusion she gave Ataru, Lum found the voyage very
comforting for the first time since it began. True, their destination
was still the Planet of Shadows, but now they are going on their own
free will.

But, other things are on the Oni-turned-Sagussan's mind. *I have
to tell him now.*

Lum is, of course, thinking about telling Ataru about nearly dying
on the operating table. The only other person who knows what she did is
Shinobu. True to her promise, she has not told anyone else. Although
since the transfusion, Lum has rarely talked to her former rival to make
sure she is keeping her promise. Junba requested Shinobu transferred to
her shift almost as soon as they left the Lannarkite planet. After the
initial nervousness between them, things between the former enemies
improved to the point that they acted like friends...or, at least,
allies.

In the corridors leading up to the observation deck, Ataru,
freshly showered and dressed, rushes. He is late and knows it. This is
to be their first date since this whole mess with the Mikado began and
he had a hell of a time trying to get dressed. The clothes coming out
of the replicator did not fit correctly and he wasted considerable time
recalibrating the machine's parameters. Vosian clothing styles...due to
their height and girth...were noticeably different than Terran,
especially to a Japanese. Things like ties and cufflinks are all but
unheard of to the Vosians...let alone a Vosian clothing replicator.
Finally, Ataru settles on an outfit similar to his orange baseball
undershirt and jeans and ran through the corridors to make up for lost
time.

He reaches Lum. "I made it finally. Sorry, I'm late, Lum-chan.
You won't believe the trouble I had with the replicators."

"You didn't have to go through all of that trouble," Lum pooh-
poohs. "You could've came in your uniform, Darling."

"The only uniform I wanna wear in my off-hours is my Sagussan
jumpsuit," Ataru replies. "But, I don't have it here and I can't get
the replicators to make one. So, where will we go tonight?"

"Well," Lum turns from him and leans against the bulkhead.
"Before we start, I have something to say to you."

A look of concern appears on Ataru's face. "What? Is something
the matter?"

"Not exactly. Darling, did you wonder about where we got the
blood to save you from those injuries the Lannarkite queen gave you?"

Ataru scratches his head. "Well, the thought had crossed my
mind."

"You had a transfusion from someone on this ship," Lum announces.

"Someone on this ship? Who?"

Lum's eyes open very wide, as she stares at her Darling. Ataru
looks surprised. "Y-you?!" he gulps. "But you're an Oni!" Ataru
checks his body for any changes. He had felt different since the
operation, as if his body was changing into something other than Terran,
maybe better. But, with all the weird alien things he had inside his
body, he is cautious to look for anything unusual nevertheless.

"The ship's Emergency Medical Hologram removed all the Oni
antibodies from my blood during the transfusion," Lum smiles. "She
couldn't get the Sagussan antibodies, so this might spare you a trip
into the regeneration matrix. It was like any transfusion done in a
hospital. You want to know what else?"

"What?" Ataru frets.

"I almost DIED giving you my blood," Lum answers. "That's why
I've acted so sickly lately. I was so weak from the loss of blood. If
it wasn't for Shinobu and the Emergency Medical Hologram, I wouldn't
have made it."

Ataru pales as he realizes how close he came to losing her.
Slowly, he looks relieved by the news Lum had given him. "Thank the
gods for that!" he turns to Lum again. "There's only one thing I can do
for what you've done..." He grabs one of Lum's hands and sinks to one
knee. "Marry me."

Lum faints! "Y-you mean it?!" she asks.

"Nothing stands in the way now," Ataru embraces her. "Not even
Grandma can stop us."

"Hai," Lum smiles. "Once we're free from this trip, let's do it
as soon as possible."

"Of course," Ataru smiles.

They both move to kiss...

...when without warning, the ship lurches. Ataru misses Lum and
kisses the deck, literally! "What the...?!!" Ataru yells, staggering to
his feet.

"We've stopped," Lum exclaims.

Junba's voice is heard. "Yellow alert! Ataru Moroboshi to the
bridge, please!"

Ataru groans as he and Lum rush to the bridge. When Lum and Ataru
reach the bridge, they find it already crowded with the rest of the crew
of the "Renegade." Junba and the members of her shift fill the bridge
positions while Nassur and Shinobu stand around waiting to take their
battle stations if need be. "What is going on here?" Ataru asks Junba.

"A Zephyrite battlecruiser has just come out of warp. It's headed
this way."

"Zephyrite?" Ataru asks.

"The sensors have identified it as the 'Windrider Dreams,'" Nassur
reports looking over Megane's shoulder at the scanner. "You remember
whose ship that is!"

"Of course," Ataru nods in anticipation.

"Incoming signal," Megane reports.

"Main screen," Nassur orders.

On the screen, Windy appears. "Hello, Nassur," she acknowledges
him. "I'm glad to see you and the ones in your care are well." She
gives Junba a cold glance. "Despite a follower of the Mikado on your
ship."

Junba looks suitably insulted. "Who are you?" she demands. "And
what do you want?"

"I am Captain Sunhair Windrider PRCZ," Windy replies formally. "I
wish to talk with Ataru Moroboshi."

"Me?" Ataru points to himself. "Why?"

"That's a secret for now," Windy replies. "According to the Non-
Aggression Pact between the Confederation and the Holy Republic, we
cannot fight each other." She glares icily at Junba. "Although with
the Mikado's outrageous kidnapping of the grandson of a Righteous
Gentile and his friends from a planet under our zone of influence, all
it would take is one word from Nagaiwakai-sama to the Holy Father to
ensure we no longer recognize the treaty when it concerns Mikado
supporters."

Junba looks uneasy. "But, such has not happened...yet," Windy
adds. "Therefore, I ask this favour in the interests of peace between
our peoples."

"You are interfering with a mission for the Mikado, who is still
the ruler of the Confederation...unless something happens," Junba
replies, her resolve returning. "It is within my rights to refuse such
a request." She then looks at Ataru. "Fortunately, my orders say
otherwise. You may come aboard this ship...but don't breathe a word of
what you see here to *anyone!*"

"Very well, then. Prepare to dock."

Three hundred years ago, the Vosians and the Zephyrites
established first contact. Since the Zephyrites were and remain the
more advanced of the two, the Vosians for the first time encountered a
race which could give them a real fight. Relations between the two
peoples began as a series of political and military jousts for almost
fifty years due to the differences in cultural mores. The Vosians, a
secretively spiritual race who are open-minded of the cultural mores of
other people, had problems coping with the less open-minded and openly
spiritual Zephyrites and the opposite was true. Throughout this time,
minor interstellar incidents took place which could be blamed on both
sides. Things came to a head when the Vosians began experimenting with
photon-based weaponry which could penetrate Zephyrite shielding systems
like so much tissue paper. The Zephyrites quickly compensated by
building cloaked self-replicating mine fields on their borders.

Unfortunately, something went wrong during the set up of one of
the mine fields. An ecological disaster ravaged across several nearby
Zephyrite colonies. Strangely, the Vosians assisted the colonies as
best they could. This caused a rethinking of priorities within the
Zephyrite leadership. Finally, a non-aggression pact was signed between
the two governments, and it remained in force today.

Paramount among the pact's agreements was respect for both races'
sovereignty over their own space, non-interference in their internal
matters and various other protocols which were followed to the letter.
In exchange, extradition rights would be respected by both nations for
criminals. Safe havens for legitimate refugees were provided by either
planet. Further, the other worlds of the local cluster were divided
into Zephyrite and Vosian spheres of influence. Under the pact's
clauses, Windy could legally seize the "Renegade" and have Junba face
the Holy Inquisition since Earth and Uru both fell in the Holy
Republic's sphere of influence.

* * *

After landing the "Renegade" on the main hangar deck of the
"Windrider Dreams," Windy, a couple of guards escorting her, arrives at
the frigate's dining hall where Ataru, Nassur, Lum and Junba await.
"Greetings all," Windy waves to everyone but Junba. "And to you, too.
Junba, wasn't it?"

"That's right," Junba nods. "I didn't know I gave you my name."

"We Zephyrites have our ways of getting information," Windy
replies.

"What brings you out here?" Ataru asks. "I thought you stayed in
Zephyrite space."

"Let's say I was passing through," Windy nods. "When I was told
of something important. Something that SHE..." indicating Junba,
"...should not be allowed to hear."

"I'll stand out in the corridor if it pleases you," Junba sighs as
she leaves. "Tell me when you're finished."

Once Junba is gone, Windy turns to Ataru. A look of relief
appears on her face. "I'm glad you're okay," Windy nods. "When I heard
the news from your grandmother, I feared the worse. The Mikado is
always hiding behind the Non-Aggression Pact when he does things like
this. All it would take is one vote of the Cabal of Archbishops and the
Vosian Civil War gets turned into a Holy Crusade."

"I'm fine...despite almost getting killed by the Lannarkites,"
Ataru scratches his head.

"And I saved him," Lum replies.

"I see," Windy nods in understanding. "Well, I can bring you all
back to Earth if you want. That Junba doesn't need to know."

Ataru looks tempted. "Does that include Lum, too?" he asks
finally.

"If you wish."

"Darling, if you want to go," Lum says, "...I won't stand in your
way."

Ataru thinks to himself. A part of him wants to return to Earth
with Windy and reunite with Reiko and begin the quick march to the
wedding altar with Lum. But, a part of him is curious about what lies
ahead on the Planet of Shadows. Sure, it really is none of his business
to risk his life over some old alien artifact some almost has-been
dictator wants. However, fascination pulls him after this thing they
were trying to find. After a long thought, Ataru voices his decision.
"If it's alright with you, Windy-chan, I want to stay and see this thing
out...for now."

Windy looks surprised. The Ataru she knew would never give up an
easy chance to escape something that doesn't directly concern him.
"But, Ataru-chan..."

Ataru takes Windy by the hand. "I'm sorry, Windy-chan. Part of
me wants to go home and part of me wants to find out what is so
important that the Mikado wants to risk our lives for. Maybe later,
after we find that Sceptre of Lecasur, I'll want to go home. Besides,
the Sagussans are close by. They won't let things get too out of hand."

Windy prepares to voice an objection, but no sound escapes. "I
understand," she nods. "I hope you're making the right decision."

"I hope so, too," Ataru smiles, then remembers something. "But,
before you go, I have a favour to ask you."

He whispers into Windy's ear. The Zephyrite looks surprised.
"You want me to perform THAT to her?!"

"She may seem to be a hard case," Ataru nods, "...but she's as
much a victim in all of this as we are. Actually, after that business
on the Lannarkite planet, she released us and permitted us the choice to
come with her or go back home on the Gatherer. She...may not be totally
on our side, but she's certainly no dark kami to be destroyed."

Lum looks confused. "Who are you taking about? What's going on?"

"You'll find out...maybe," Windy says as she exits the dining
hall.

Seconds later, a scream from Junba is heard through the closed
door. Immediately, Lum, Ataru and Nassur rush out and see...Junba
laying semi-conscious on the deck, seemingly unharmed, Windy standing
over her. "What happened?" Nassur asks Windy.

"It's for me to know and you to find out, Nassur," she replies as
she leaves.

As she leaves, Windy thinks to herself as she walks towards the
aft airlock and to her ship. *I wonder why Ataru wanted me to learn
that scum how to perform the passing-on? I can never understand his
motives...*

Minutes later, before Junba completely recovers, the "Renegade"
departs the "Windrider Dreams" to return to its journey. The Zephyrite
battlecruiser returns to its old duties mapping this sector of space...

* * *

Morning breaks at Ataru's beach house. Silence reigns
there...until Benten wakes up. "WHO THE HELL HAS BEEN WRITING WEIRD
THINGS IN MY DIARY?!?!?!" the pregnant Fukunokami hunter screams at the
top of her lungs.

Since she first discovered that she was pregnant, Benten had begun
keeping a personal diary on a datapadd. Keeping a diary during a
pregnancy is common among the Fukunokami. When the child is old enough,
he or she can read it to find out what was going on when the mother was
carrying them to term. Like all diaries, Benten made sure to keep its
contents a complete secret...so not to cause problems.

When Benten fell asleep last night, she stopped in the middle of
an entry. The next morning, she found something added to the entry.
Some childish scrawl written in it and addressed to Ten-chan!

Benten immediately yanked all three kids out of bed to find out
who the culprit was. "Someone wrote in my diary last night," she snarls
at them before reading it aloud. "'I likey Ten-chan 'cause he cute!'"
She looks at the three of them. "Okay, WHO did it?"

All look at each other nervously. They all had behaved themselves
like they promised Koosei and Catty, they thought. Plus, Benten keeps
the diary under lock and key all the time. They could not access it if
they wanted to. Something is strange about this...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

"All right!" Benten orders while pacing around the room like a
drill sergeant. "Who did it?! Did you do it, Reiko-chan?"

Reiko looks at Benten defiantly. "No, I didn't write that!" the
Noukiite replies sternly. "If it was about Yamasaki-chan, maybe. But,
I'd NEVER write anywhere that I like Jariten. I hate his guts!"

"You do?" Benten asks.

"Yeah," Reiko nods as she begins counting the reasons on her
fingers. "First off, he's an Oni! Next, he breathes fire on anyone who
yells at him! Then, he's the worst girl chaser I've ever saw! Also..."

"I get the idea," Benten sighs, figuring Reiko's alibis eliminate
her from being a suspect. She looks at Minami. Minami could be a prime
suspect because the Japanese girl arrived with Ten-chan and they act
like they are close friends. "What about you, Minami?"

"Gee, Benten-san," Minami looks nervous. "I like Ten-chan, but I
don't know how to use that calculator-book you've got in your hand."

Benten looks at her padd. It is simple to use, but to a race that
has yet to develop such things, it would be too much to ask one of their
children to try it. "Really?"

"Besides," Minami continues. "I'd write a love note on paper, not
someone's book."

"I guess you're right," Benten smiles, then turns to Ten-chan.
True to Nassur's training, Benten makes sure she talks with ALL
suspects, no matter how far fetched the reasons. "Okay, Jariten, why
did YOU do it?!"

"I didn't do it either!" he snaps. "If anything, it was probably
YOUR baby who did it. Ever since we played together psychically that
one time, she's had the hots for me ever since! She's worse than that
Mako was!"

Benten kneels down to look him in the eye. "So, you're blaming MY
baby for this?" she pats her stomach. "There's one problem with your
theory. My baby ISN'T born yet!"

"But, the baby HAS talked to me," Ten-chan protests. "I've even
played with her and everything! Why can'tcha believe that the kid can
take over yer body once in a while?!"

"I know that the baby has been giving me post-hypnotic
suggestions," Benten sighs. "But, she hasn't been taking me over..."

Then Benten's look changes suddenly. She looks childish.
"Momma's really mad," she says. "I hadda take over, so's she could calm
down, Ten-chan. I don't wanna see you hurt!"

Minami looks scared. "Who is that?"

"The baby," Ten-chan sighs. "Who else?"

"The baby?" Minami looks confused.

"Yeah, she's taken over Benten for a moment," Reiko nods then
groans. "I wish she wouldn't do it so fast. That hurts."

Benten then grabs Ten-chan and hugs him. "I'm sorry I gots ya in
trouble, Ten-chan," she says. "I was only seein' if I could write
somethin' in Momma's diary about ya. I didn't mean to make momma mad!"

"Hey, lay off the hugs!" he groans. "You're crushing me!"

"Sorry!" Benten lets go.

Catty enters the room looking like she just woke up. "What's the
yelling about? You woke me up!" She strides up to Benten. "Hey,
little one, your mother wants control again. Please return to your
proper place."

"Not until she agrees not to hurt Ten-chan," Benten replies.

Catty concentrates. "She wasn't going to hurt him," Catty says.
"Only punish him."

"Okay," Benten sighs...then returns to normal. "I'm glad that's
over. Jariten, please tell the kid NOT to do that again."

"I'll try!" Ten-chan says.

"Until then," Benten stands. "Let's get ready for Clarisse and
Pamanba's concert!"

All cheer.

* * *

In uncharted space, the "Renegade" crew nears a critical point of
their journey: finding the wormhole that leads to the Planet of
Shadows. Without it, the long trip there would take much longer.

Nassur's watch is on duty. Nassur takes the command chair while
Lum takes the helm and Ataru the scanner. The ship is on yellow alert
in case something dangerous happens. Flying through wormholes is like
taking a coin flip; you never know your final destination and when you
get there, whether you are going to be able to return to your original
point of entry. Some are so unstable that they can deposit you
anywhere, any time. Others are rumoured to send crews into other
dimensions, perhaps never to return. Once in a while, you come across
one that is stable enough for many trips to occur...but those are rare.

"We're arriving to where the wormhole should be," Lum reports. "I
hope it's there."

"Me, too," Nassur hums. "Ataru, keep an eye out for any change in
tachyon particle readings. That means we're getting close."

"Okay," Ataru nods, but then his console beeps immediately. "I'm
getting a rise in tachyon particles at about three light-years."

"Lum, ahead Warp One," Nassur orders.

"*Tcha!*" Lum replies.

Junba arrives. "Are we there yet?"

"I think so," Nassur nods. "Red alert."

Outside the ship, space looks as calm as always. Then suddenly, a
huge whirlpool of light and gas appears out of nowhere. The "Renegade"
immediately enters the tunnel created by this whirlpool and...

...exits. On the bridge, except for minor adjustments to the
inertia damping fields, the trip happens without disruption. In fact,
the ride was smoother than a normal cruise. "We made it," Ataru
announces. "The wormhole is closing behind us."

"Look ahead," Nassur orders Ataru. "Can you locate the Planet of
Shadows?"

"Scanning now," Ataru says.

Agonizingly long minutes pass. Ataru straightens to finally
report. "There's a huge ball of metal dead ahead about 44 light-years
from our present position."

"Close enough for visual?" Junba asks.

"Barely," Ataru replies.

"On screen," Nassur orders.

On the viewscreen, appears a small object which looks like a black
metallic baseball with the occasional light to make it stand out from
the starfield. "That's it!" Junba smiles. "It's the Planet of
Shadows!"

"Lum, full speed to the Planet of Shadows," Nassur orders.

"*Tcha!*" Lum presses the buttons on the helm to send the
"Renegade" to their target.

* * *

A very long hour or so later, Nassur's shift is joined by Shinobu,
Mendou and Megane. They watch in awe as the Planet of Shadows grows in
size. "So, that's the Planet of Shadows," Shinobu gasps. "Impressive."

"Who built it, I wonder?" Megane asks.

"Nobody knows," Nassur shrugs. "It's said to have be very old, so
it's possible whomever built it may have abandoned it millennia ago.
It's probably been used like a cosmic Stonehenge by anyone who came by."

Ataru notices Mendou looking in wonder at this mechanical marvel.
"Hey, Mendou, what are you looking at?" he sarcastically wonders.

"I'm looking for something very important, Moroboshi," Mendou
replies in his characteristic growl. "The entrance!"

"Entrance?" Ataru hums, then realizes Mendou is right. How do
they get into this place? "According to our intelligence," Junba muses,
"there is a sign that will tell us how to enter the Planet of Shadows."

Shinobu points. "I think I see a sign."

Everyone looks at the screen and sees a sign which says in bright
neon pink letters, WELCOME TO THE PLANET OF SHADOWS...THOSE WISHING TO
INVADE, PLEASE USE BACK ENTRANCE. "Well, there goes that myth," Megane
sighs.

Another anxious few minutes pass as the "Renegade" approaches what
looks to be the main entrance. As they near it, Nassur orders
friendship signals sent to whomever may be inside the Dyson sphere to
prove they are non-threatening. The signals work...sort of; a pair of
search lights shine upon the ship and a tractor beam strong enough to
hold the Gatherer seizes her to bring her inside.

Once inside, the crew of the "Renegade" gape in awe of the beauty
inside the Dyson sphere. All of them have been to so many worlds that
visiting them seemed now to be a dull routine. But, looking inside the
Planet of Shadows' metal skin, everyone feels like they did the first
time they came to an alien world. The feelings of wonder and of
anticipation about who or what may be hidden on this world. What
secrets lay on this planet waiting to be discovered?

The planet itself surrounds its sun completely with several large,
rectangular, black objects floating high enough to give some indication
of day and night. The planet's geographic features give no indication
of any civilizations present. The continents are as green as jade and
the seas as blue as the sky on a clear summer's day.

"It's so beautiful," Mendou says first.

"Almost like heaven," Megane adds.

"It's seems endless," Shinobu nods in agreement. "You could
explore this place for your whole life and still NEVER see it all."

"It's got to be heaven," Ataru says.

"If it is, then life is but a dream," Nassur looks at the
"Renegade's" plaque. It says WHERE EVER YOU GO, YOU ARE THERE.

"Speaking of life," Junba nods to Ataru. "Is there any so we can
begin our search?"

"Just a minute," Ataru scans. He yelps in surprise. "I think I
found something."

"The Crystal Palace?" Junba asks.

"I don't know," Ataru shrugs. "I'm making out a small building
with a pair of yellow arches. There's a sign in front."

"What does it say?" Junba asks.

"'Welcome to McDonald's,'" Ataru replies.

After the customary mass faint of surprise, everyone looks over
Ataru's shoulder to confirm his discovery. Ataru is indeed correct;
there is a McDonald's restaurant on the Planet of Shadows. "That means
there must be intelligent life on this planet," Lum says.

"Not necessarily," Junba shrugs. "Ever eat at one of those
hamburger places?"

"Never mind that," Nassur asks Ataru. "What else can you see on
the scanner?"

Ataru searches anew. "I've found something else, another sign."

"What does it say?" Mendou asks.

"'Crystal Palace, 3000 kilometres.'"

"A road sign?" Shinobu sighs. *This is too silly for words!*
thought the former student. She knew through their intelligence that
the Keeper of the Sceptre of Lecasur is a little strange but this takes
the cake. It seems he has turned the Planet of Shadows into a cheap
tourist spot like Tomobiki Marchenland or Tokyo Disneyland. What else
weird could happen here? "Do we follow it?"

"Do we have any choice?" Lum shrugs.

"I hope everyone on Earth is having a better time than we are!"
Ataru sighs.

* * *

In Sendai's indoor stadium, everything has in readiness for a
concert. The crowds slowly pour in avidly anticipating Clarisse's first
concert since being reborn. There has been many changes in Clarisse's
act. First, she left the artificial world of Western pop music and
returned to a more of an enka style with a basis in traditional folk.
This, of course, disappointed many of her old fans; mostly teenaged
males and young salarymen for whom the idol singers and metalheads were
designed. Older music lovers applauded the change and they came in
droves to replace the initial loss of interest.

Next came the changes to her management. Gone forever were the
skinflints who owned Clarisse with drugs and alcohol. Even her former
record label's contract was allowed to expire to prevent their continued
exploitation of every penny she earned. Clarisse now produces her own
records for a bigger slice of the pie in profits...with a fair dose to
various charities. A far cry from her life before the arrival of the
Bard.

The final change came in her back-up band, known now as "Rebirth."
Sure, most of them were veterans from her old back-up metalband "Boy
Knife," but there is one extra member this time...Clarisse's new life-
mate Pamanba Ike. She will work as a back-up to Clarisse until she
learns enough about music to deserve equal billing in future concerts
and records. As one can expect, the media is having a field day with
Pamanba's origins as well as her relationship with Clarisse. To them,
an alien hunter and a woman claiming to be taken over by another alien
in a lesbian relationship sounded like something out the psychedelic era
of the late 1960's.

Still, the crowds didn't care about the origins (however seemingly
far-fetched they sounded) of their favourite singer. She sang well
enough to put a big enough dent in the Japanese music scene to get
noticed by the masses seeking to escape their dull, dreary lives of
work, eating and sleeping.

Unknown, or unsuspecting, from the local crowd were small groups
of people who can verify that Clarisse and Pamanba are whom they say
they are. They included Mal and the rest of the Nendo-kata (Nokoko came
but still was catatonic though no one near her noticed much), some of
the Avalonians, Mie, Makoto, some of the crew of the "Hasei'cha,"
Abraham Shapiro, Benten, Ten-chan, Reiko and Minami.

Benten, at first, wondered why she was going. She didn't care too
much for the squeaks Terrans claim to be music (although some hard rock
groups like X-Japan piqued her interest at times), let alone attending a
concert where one of the participants served the Mikado as one of his
pet killers. Still she couldn't be left alone in Ataru's beach house
with her pregnancy moving closer to her due date. So, she went, while
protesting that the first person who sang a song from Minmay would get
shot on sight by her...personally.

Finally after an hour of waiting (which is right on time for music
concerts), the show started. Clarisse began the concert dressed in a
summer yukata and sang an enka version of "The Sukiyaki Song." The
crowd loved it.

Next came some original music using a blend of traditional folk
and enka. They too were hits with audience who beg for more.

Three hours passed like magic, and for a while the crowd forgot
their real problems in a world of peaceful song. By the time it was
over, Clarisse and her band were asked for not one but five encores.
Even Pamanba got into the act by singing a traditional Vosian hymn which
received great applause even though she sang it in her native language.

Finally, after the last song was sung, the last autograph signed,
and the last fan escorted out of the building, Clarisse, Pamanba, and
her band met with everyone else in Mal's coffee shop. "I'm wasted," the
Nendo-kata-turned-Terran singer groans as she collapses on a chair and
removes her shoes. "But, I'm glad we seemed to be a hit!"

"I thought being a hunter was hard," Pamanba groans. "This is
just as stressful."

"Nice show," Benten nods to them all. "Both of us seemed to enjoy
it."

"Thanks, Benten," Pamanba nods, then pats Benten's stomach. "It
seems your baby is anxious to come out soon," she smiles. "I hope
she'll be a credit to you."

"I just wanna see my feet again," Benten groans. "...and have my
mind to myself. Having a Vosian child can be such a pain."

"Maybe Clarisse and I will have children someday," Pamanba nods.

"Not during this tour," Clarisse groans. "Ten cities in nine
nights starting tonight. You Terrans really ask a lot of your bards."

"Be glad Terrans haven't developed teleportation yet," Benten
smiles.

Pamanba looks over the other Nendo-kata and sees that almost every
one's figure has altered. "What has been going on at Ataru's beach
house?" she asks jokingly. "Almost everyone of you is pregnant."

"That's right," Benten laughs. "The only ones in the house who
aren't pregnant it seems are Nokoko," she indicates the catatonic girl
lying on a table looking as lifeless as a dummy. "...Catty, Minami,
Muzainba and Reiko. I image if Nokoko wasn't catatonic, Catty such a
jerk and Muzainba, Minami and Reiko so young, we'd all be pregnant."

Catty looks upset. "WHO SAYS I'M A JERK?!?!?!" she snarls as she
stares into Benten's eyes. "I think you and the kids have been out too
late. You need your rest!"

"Who's tired?!" Benten responds.

Catty drags Benten away, trailed by Ten-chan, Minami and Reiko.
"C'mon, it's time to go to bed!" the doctor snarls.

"Er...right," Benten sighs before waving goodbye. "See ya
around!"

* * *

While Benten forcibly banished to the realm of the dreamworld, on
the Planet of Shadows, the "Renegade" continues the search. Since they
came across the sign telling them which direction the palace is, there
has been little sign of anything else. "Are we there yet?" Megane
groans bored.

"We must be soon coming up to it," Lum replies. "Something like
the Crystal Palace can't be missed easily."

"We've been travelling for hours," Shinobu sighs. "I thought
things would be easier once we got to this place."

"Me, too," Ataru groans...then his console beeps. "I've made
contact with something," Ataru smiles. "It's dead ahead."

"*Tcha!*" Lum nods as she manoeuvres the "Renegade" over the
mountains.

Once past, they see the Crystal Palace, as ethereal and as
majestic as in the holosuite showed it to be. "There it is," Nassur
smiles in awe. "The Crystal Palace."

"It's so beautiful," Mendou says with awe. "Even the holograms
don't do it justice. Who could have built it?"

"I don't know," Junba shrugs. "Too bad we're only here for the
Sceptre of Lecasur, not for an archaeological survey...it would take a
lifetime...several lifetimes...to find out its secrets."

Everyone nods. Ataru continues his scanning. "I think I found a
place to land," he reports. "If my scan is correct...there's a parking
lot on the other side."

Indeed, Ataru is correct; there appears to be a parking lot nearby
the Crystal Palace. Paved with some sort of alien asphalt, it is
covered with markings like any parking lots throughout the civilized
planets everywhere. But unlike parking lots in Tomobiki, no vehicles of
any type was parked save for "Renegade." Once the landing is completed
and the ramp is lowered, the crew slowly disembark the ship. On the
ground, everyone is happy just to be breathing real air, though the
Dyson sphere is just as artificial as the "Renegade." The air is
cleaner than any air they had ever breathed before, it almost seemed
intoxicating, especially with the faint scents of alien flowers nearby.

Moving away from the ship, apart from the palace itself, the only
other things around the parking lot are a myriad of alien plants, all
exotic enough to look not too out of place in the rain forests of South
America or the Terrible Fields on Uru. The only sounds they could hear
were of birds and small animals in the nearby forests and the sound of a
gentle breeze. Shinobu stops to let an alien butterfly, indescribably
beautiful, land on her hands. "This place is so beautiful," she sighs
as she watches the butterfly fly off into the air. "Who would want to
leave it?"

"There doesn't seem to be anybody around," Junba says as she uses
her powers. "Just us and the animals in the forest."

"That doesn't surprise me," Nassur says. "The legends speak of
the Keeper being the only person living on this Dyson sphere."

"I'm envious!" Shinobu adds. "Nowhere I've been has been the
equal to this place."

"*Tcha!*" Lum agrees.

"Let's just get this thing and go home," Ataru snorts as he walks
ahead.

"Darling, can't you feel at least something of awe about this
place?"

"I am in awe of this place," Ataru sighs. "But, I want to do my
job first then get out of here as fast as I can...so I don't regret
having to leave this place."

Lum blinks. "W-what do you mean?"

"Think, Lum," he warns. "This place is paradise...no, BETTER than
paradise. It's so good, I don't want to stay here because every place
I'll go to from now on will seem ugly."

"I understand, Darling," Lum hugs Ataru.

"Let's go!" Ataru points ahead.

Then move to a path seemingly leading towards the Crystal Palace.
When they get to the path, they find a large white sign:

WELCOME TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE
NO CAMPFIRES, LITTERING, WILD PARTIES, FEEDING
THE ANIMALS OR KARAOKE SINGING ALLOWED!
DOCUMENTARY FILM CREWS MUST PHONE AHEAD!
by order of the Keeper

Everyone blinks. "What is this? A campground or something?"
groans Megane.

"Looks like," Mendou muses.

"Let's just get moving towards the Crystal Palace," Junba sighs.

"We're off to see the Keeper..." Nassur sing-songs, eliciting a
chorus of groans.

"We have to be," Ataru adds.

After a long exhausting trek that nearly wipes out most of the
crew, they reach the front entrance. The double doors are ten metres
high and made of solid glass tinged with some brown pigment to make them
stand out from the crystal walls surrounding it and the steps leading up
to it. The palace appears to be made of an extremely thick crystal
which prevents them seeing inside. There are several windows, but they
are rather high and covered with some sort of stained glass. This gave
the place a holy feel about it. The palace itself looked at least ten
stories high and as majestic as a shrine or a church back on Earth and
on dozen of other planets. "W-we made it!" groans Shinobu. "We must've
hiked for hours. I'm beat!"

"I'm bushed too," Megane sighs as he sits on the ground in front
of the steps. "Too bad there's no hotel where we can stay."

"With all the signs we've seen," Mendou adds. "I'm surprised
there isn't!"

Ataru turns to Nassur and Junba. "Now, that we're here, what do
we do now?"

"We must ask permission to enter the Crystal Palace," Junba
answers solemnly.

"And how do we do that?" Ataru then asks.

"Damned if I know," Junba shrugs.

Ataru faints! "You don't know, half-life?!" Lum snarls at Junba,
before turning to Nassur. "What do the legends say about entering the
Crystal Palace, Nassur-chan?"

"Well, according to the legends," Nassur muses. "You must walk up
to the front doors and perform a very short incantation."

"Incantation," everyone says together.

"What sort of incantation?" Shinobu asks.

"Something like this, I think," Nassur walks up the steps to the
front doors, moves to the side of one of the doors, and presses a simple
doorbell.

"A doorbell?" Mendou groans. "You mean we just had to ring a
doorbell?"

"Apparently," Megane adds.

There is the sound of someone coming. Nassur walks back to the
group as everyone tries to look their best. Long minutes pass, until
finally, the Keeper, still looking exactly like the hologram aboard the
"Renegade," steps out. "All deliveries should be made in the back," he
announces.

After an explosion decks everyone, a pyxie-like smile appears on
the old man's face!! "Just kidding! Just kidding!" he laughs,
scratching his head. "I'm the Keeper of this place. What may I do for
you?"

Junba moves ahead of the group and bows down in front of the
Keeper. Despite his hologram, everyone, even Ataru, could feel the
power radiating from this old man. This power did not ask but DEMANDED
a certain level of respect from all who meets with him. "Keeper-sama,"
Junba bows as low as she can. "We have come from a great distance to
retrieve the Sceptre of Lecasur and return it to my people, so they
maybe reunited in peace once again."

The Keeper looks silent for several minutes. "You want that old
thing again?! Can't you Vosians make up your minds?! First you want
it, then you don't want it, now you want it again! No wonder I'm grey!"

"It's very important," Junba pleads.

The Keeper looks serious. "Well, in that case," he speaks. "I've
placed the Sceptre in the deepest confines of the Crystal Palace. So
deep, even I can't go in and retrieve it without getting killed. Since
YOU lead this group, you can try to bring it back."

Junba looks relieved. "Oh, thank you, Keeper-sama!" she sighs.

"But, there's some rules," the Keeper wags his finger. "First,
you must take only ONE of your group to assist you. Second, only one
attempt to get the Sceptre can be made per day." He points to the sky.
"Night" is falling. "Come back tomorrow morning bright and early with
your assistant."

Junba looks surprised, but this was accurate with the legends.
"I-I understand."

"Then, until tomorrow..." the Keeper disappears and the doors
close immediately.

"What a strange character," Ataru sighs.

"Yeah," Mendou shrugs. "I guess living alone in this place does
that to a person."

Unknown to all, the Keeper has not disappeared...only leapt up to
the highest row of windows over the front doors. He waits anxiously for
the group to leave. "Get going, you dorks!" he groans as he desperately
tries not to fall or be seen. "How can I fake an exit if you're still
here?!"

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

In Oshika, someone packs to leave. It isn't Benten leaving for a
hospital, nor is it Ten-chan or Minami returning to Tomobiki for school.
It is Catty preparing to return to Sagussa. "So, you're finally
leaving, eh?" Benten watches, all the while playing at looking
disappointed. "Too bad, we were just getting to know each other."

Catty snaps the suitcases closed, then looks cooly at Benten.
"Don't play the disappointed wife with me, Benten," she snorts at the
pregnant hunter. "The 'Hasei'cha' must return to Sagussa and I have to
go with them. But, don't worry! SOMEONE else is coming to watch after
you..." she points to Benten's rounded abdomen, "...and her."

"I can't wait," Benten sighs calmly. Right from the first moment,
Catty has been a nagging pain. She rarely permitted the Fukunokami any
freedom lest her baby be placed in jeopardy. Fortunately, the only
jeopardy for her or the baby was boredom...coming from the fact Catty
never letting her do anything to think about her pregnancy. Now, she
will be free from the "Medic From Hell" as Benten once described the
Sagussan in her diary.

"Well, I've got to go," Catty smiles. "I hope Reiko-chan and the
others won't be too hard on you and the other women here."

*They weren't that hard before you came!* Benten snorts as she
watches Catty vanish.

In the living room, Ten-chan and Minami play house together while
Reiko stares longingly out the window at the beach, waiting for
Yamasaki. Ten-chan himself looks bored at the game he and Minami play,
not because he didn't like to play house with Minami (unlike with Mako,
who always forced him to play), but because Minami wanted to play a
pregnant mother. To bring in some realism to the role, she stuffed a
pillow under her shirt and shorts to give that appearance. "Dear," she
says while she pretends to be knitting, "What would be a nice name for
our baby?"

"What's it gonna be?" he snorts while reading a storybook. "A boy
or a girl?"

"How should I know?!" Minami snarls back. "MY baby DOESN'T talk
to me!"

Before Ten-chan can respond, all three kids are nearly blasted out
of the house. "YAHOO!!!! I'M FREE OF THAT WITCH!!!!"

The doorbell rings. "Who could that be?" Benten sighs as she
walks towards the door. "I hope it's not Catty back again."

Benten opens the door and sees...

...*herself* standing there! However, this version of Benten
wears a Sagussan civilian jumpsuit in the colours of the Sagussan Navy,
not a maternity dress. She is not pregnant, but the other Benten looks
like she could be the Fukunokami's twin sister, right to the silver sash
chain and the hair chain keeping her raven trusses in a bun. "Yo,
spirit-sister!" she enters carrying a sack. "I'm here to watch over
you."

"Y-you're me...?!" Benten gasps.

"That's my line," the woman smiles. "I'm *Daishi'cha* Forty-four-
twenty-eight...but you can call me Benten-chan. I think I saw you at
the end of the Spirit War when we met Lum."

"Oh, I remember now," Benten nods. "But why did Catty assign a
Sagussan Navy officer instead of another doctor?"

"Koosei's idea," Benten-chan replies. "He thought you'd be more
open if you had someone who thinks along the lines you do."

"What if I go into labour?" Benten asks.

"Then, I'll get you to the nearest hospital," Benten-chan smiles.
"Oh, and another thing...I didn't come alone."

"You didn't?"

Benten-chan whistles. Another woman enters the house. This one
resembles Oyuki though she wears a blue trimmed snow-white jumpsuit
denoting she works in Education. Like Benten-chan, she too carries a
large sack. "Excuse me," Oyuki-chan smiles and bows to Benten. "Let me
introduce myself. I am *Daishi'cha* Ninety-nine-forty-three. You may
address me as Oyuki-chan."

"No kidding," Benten stares open-mouthed.

"There's more," Benten-chan announces.

"Another one?" Benten looks worried.

Another Sagussan enters. This time, it is a double of Lan, though
this woman does not disguise her ears or canines. She wears the red-
and-gold with black pants of an armourer and carries a big sack and a
large gun in her arms. "I'm *Daishi'cha* Twenty-three...or Lan-chan as
others now call me," she smiles. "A pleasure to meet you, Benten."

"Pleased to meet you," Benten groans. She could stomach a
Sagussan who looked like her and one who looks like Oyuki, but Lan?
That is a little too much to take.

Unfortunately, Lan-chan picks up on Benten's indifference. "Don't
worry about me, Benten," she says with a high loli-com voice. "I'm NOT
that vengeful monster who PRETENDS to be your friend..."

"Because she's WORSE than that vengeful monster who pretends to be
your friend," Benten-chan interjects.

"What did you say?" Lan-chan gives Benten-chan a withering glance.

Benten-chan ignores her. "And one more."

"One more?"

"That's me," a familiar yet accentless voice echoes from the door.

Benten looks to see an Oni-born girl who looks exactly like Lum
herself save for lighter green hair. "L-lum...?!" Benten looks
surprised. "Y-you're back! Is the 'Renegade' back too?! Where's my
husband?!!"

"Sorry," Lum-chan smiles. "I'm *Daishi'cha* Eighty-nine-seventy-
nine...now known as Lum-chan. I'm not the *daimon'cha's* Other." She
points to her light blue and gold uniform. "I work in Sciences."

"I see. Are you ALL staying here?"

"Yeah," Benten-chan nods, trying to cheer her namesake. "I don't
want to be alone."

"Besides," Lan-chan adds as she holds the piece of Sagussan
weaponry like a newborn in her arms, "...Benten-chan needs to be
supervised when she plays with my babies!"

"And I can help teach your baby," Oyuki-chan nods. "As well as
look after Reiko-chan, Ten-chan and Minami-chan."

"And keep your spirits up, too," Lum-chan adds with a very bright
grin.

"Well," Benten sighs. "I guess it's okay...since Koosei helped
chose you all."

"Good," Benten-chan grabs her and drags her into the living room.
"Time to party!"

* * *

Meanwhile, over Earth, the "Hasei'cha" prepares to leave orbit.
Eluza and Patty overlook the final checks of the systems. "Well, it's
back to Sagussa with us," Eluza sighs. "I'll miss Earth, but that's
life."

"We can always come back," Patty adds.

Then the communications panel beeps. "A priority one message from
the Gatherer," Rumy gasps, recognizing the beep.

Noa appears on the forward viewscreen. "This is the 'Hasei'cha,'
Noa," Eluza announces. "What can I do for you?"

"There's been a change of plans," Noa announces. "You've been
diverted from Sagussa to the Planet of Shadows. Get here as fast as you
can...and bring Tanoshii Seiryokuteki and Sil Dedron with you!"

"Understood," Eluza nods.

The screen goes dark. Shildy appears on the bridge. "What was
that all about?"

"We're ordered to the Planet of Shadows immediately and bring
Tanoshii and Sil with us," Eluza orders.

"I see," Shildy scratches her head. "I think Tanoshii is at
Sakura's shrine undergoing some training while Sil is talking to
Tobimaro and Yuukiki Mizunokoji."

"Find them and beam them up," Eluza orders. "I'll inform the
crew. Mie will like the fact that we'll be seeing Ataru again. So will
most of the other members of our band!"

In five minutes, the "Hasei'cha's" transporter sensors find both
Tanoshii and Sil and beam them aboard. Luckily, neither were in the
middle of anything pressing, although they were reasonably upset in
having their privacy violated in such a dramatic fashion. Once Eluza
explained why they were aboard, not even the "Hasei'cha's" warp engines
were fast enough to please the two anxious girls.

* * *

On the Planet of Shadows, everyone relaxes as Junba struggles with
who will be her partner to retrieve the Sceptre. The Mikado hunter
discovers that each member of the "Renegade's" crew has certain
advantages and disadvantages according to the computer simulations she
had been running non-stop.

Megane is intelligent and willing, but his tendency to overlook
important details could prove fatal. Mendou has the skills and desire
to be a good partner, but his claustrophobia and fear of the dark
eliminated him. Ataru has the ability to NOT get hurt when something
serious occurs (Lannarkites exempted). There was also his ability to
transform into the Cyborg (something Junba had privately dreaded), but
his desire to assist Junba is questionable. Shinobu has great strength
and is willing to trust Junba for what could be the MOST dangerous part,
yet her inexperience is a negative factor. Lum is both well-trained by
means she didn't quite understand and knowledgeable about retrieving the
Sceptre but the snarkiness that the Oni has been treating her as of late
could be fatal to both. Then there is Nassur...

Junba sighs when she thinks of Nassur. True, they have been
enemies until recently, but now Junba is hopelessly recognized to him.
Although the renegade hunter has been lax to admit it, he must feel
something...deep down inside. Junba knew Nassur is partnered now with
Benten Shigaten of Fukunokami, admittedly an EASIER target to eliminate
compared to Dakejinzou Shogai. Still, Junba couldn't even guess as to
the true nature of Nassur's and Benten's bond. Finally, she makes her
choice. "Computer. Where is Nassur?"

"*Nassur is in his cabin meditating.*"

"Good," Junba smiles as she leaves. "I'll go ask him right now."

Once outside her cabin, she runs across both Lum and Ataru. "It's
about time you wore that," Lum sighs as she hugs Ataru by the arm.
"They must have entered it in the replicator before Nassur-chan came
here."

Ataru had removed his usual uniform for his black-and-gold
Sagussan duty jumpsuit, a little gift from the Sagussan engineers who
secretly upgraded the "Renegade's" systems. "I just found it listed by
chance," Ataru scratches the back of his head dumbly.

Junba immediately notices the new clothes, not recognizing the
design. "What kind of outfit is that?" she asks.

Both Ataru and Lum look nervous. As true to Nassur's wishes, Lum
and the other kept as silent as possible about Sagussa as well as
Nassur's marriage to Benten. "It's just something we designed for a
school play a few years back," Ataru quickly lies.

"That's right, half-life," Lum nods. "Darling was playing an
alien. He liked the suit so much he kept wearing it all the time."

"R-right," Junba shrugs.

"So, Junba," Ataru asks. "Have you decided who you are going to
choose as your partner to retrieve the Sceptre?"

"I think so. I'm gonna choose Nassur."

"I see," Lum smiles. "I'm sure Nassur-chan will be a great
partner for you. Despite your being a half-life and all."

"I hope so, too," Junba replies, ignoring the insult. "I'm
recognized to him."

Lum and Ataru faint! "R-recognized?! To Nassur?!" they sputter
together.

"Yeah," Junba disregards the reaction of both of her shipmates.
"Maybe after all of this is over, I might ask Nassur to marry me."

*Oh, shit!!* Ataru gulps. *She's in for a BIG disappointment!*
Although Ataru had promised not to say anything about Benten to Junba,
in case Junba may turn traitor later, he finds that he must say
something now. "You CAN'T marry Nassur, Junba!"

Junba looks surprised. "Why not?!"

Lum tries to intervene. "No, Darling..."

Ataru ignores Lum. "Because Nassur's already recognized and
married to someone!"

Junba looks stricken, her face paling. "Already recognized and
married?! To whom?! Not to Shinobu, is he?"

"No," Ataru shakes his head. "To his partner, Benten. In fact,
the only reason she's not here on this trip is because she's pregnant
with HIS child!"

To Junba, this was horrible news. While affairs are rare in
Vosian society, it wasn't biologically impossible for someone to
recognize someone already recognized to someone else. The shock of this
news snaps something in her heart. "No! That can't be!" she denies as
tears well up in her eyes.

"It's true," Ataru pities her.

Lum looks at her with uncharacteristic disgust. "There, half-
life!" she snarls. "Nassur's already safe from you and the Mikado!!
And don't even THINK of asking us where Benten and her child are
hiding!!! They're both safe and we'd rather die than tell the likes of
YOU!!!!"

Junba says nothing. Her tears say enough as she walks away
towards Nassur's cabin. Unknowingly, she passes Shinobu's cabin just as
Shinobu is just coming out. She notices Junba's tears. "What's with
her?"

Lum walks up. "She just learned the truth about Nassur's marital
status."

Lum and Ataru leave immediately. Shinobu feels a sort of kinship
with Junba, even more so than before. She, too, was...maybe still
is...in love with Nassur, but someone beat her to the altar. She had to
do something to help Junba cope with the sadness in her heart.

Shinobu rushes after the saddened hunter. "Wait, Junba!" she
yells until Junba stops.

"What is it?" Junba tearfully snarls. "Coming to get your licks
in, knowing that I can't have Nassur either?"

Shinobu pauses. "No," she says. "I understand how you feel. I
discovered the truth about Nassur and Benten shortly after this began.
I was heartbroken and angry that I lost the person I gave my heart to.
But, he wasn't the only one I lost out on. I've been so unlucky in
love, it's not funny."

Surprised to hear that, Junba relaxes. "There were never many men
I was interested in on Vos," Junba sighs. "Most of them were recognized
or were such losers, NOBODY would want to recognize them. Nassur
reminded me of someone I knew. Someone I was separated from by force.
I never got the chance to say goodbye to him when we last parted. I'm
not even sure if he still lives or not."

*Just like Akisur...* Shinobu muses. "Have you decided on who
will be your partner to get the Sceptre?" she changes the subject.

"I was considering Nassur," Junba begins. "But after I found out
the truth about him, a partnership would be too heartbreaking for me. I
want a partner that I can trust and who can trust me in return. But,
among this crew, I don't know who that person could be?"

"How about me?"

Junba falls over. "YOU?!?!"

"That's right," Shinobu smiles. "I trust you. And you must trust
me because why would you have assigned me to your watch after we came
across those Lannarkites."

"But, you're too inexperienced..."

"I can GET experienced!"

Junba thinks. Shinobu reminds her of herself, once a happy,
anxious young woman looking for new challenges and trying to get away
from a lifetime of bad experiences. Yes, Shinobu is young and naive,
but even the most experienced hunters had to start somewhere. "Okay,"
she puts her hand on her shoulder. "...you can be my partner. I pledge
to protect you with my life if necessary!"

Shinobu places her hand on one of Junba's shoulders. "I pledge to
protect you with my life," she echoes. "Let's get that Sceptre."

"Yeah," Junba nods.

* * *

The crew of the "Renegade" return to the front door of the Palace
early next morning. "Are you sure you wanna do this, Shinobu?" Ataru
asks his former girlfriend anxiously. "Nassur said he would do it for
you."

"I gave my word," Shinobu exchanges looks with Junba. "I won't
break it."

"Then, good luck," Ataru smiles...

...then he kisses her. Shinobu's eyes pop open in shock. She is
further shocked that Lum, who was standing close enough to notice, did
nothing. "Y-you kissed me?"

"For luck," Ataru nods.

"Well, this is it," Junba says nervously to Nassur. "Hopefully
soon, we'll have the Sceptre in our hands and be returning to Vos."

"I hope so, too," Nassur frowns. "By the way, Lum told me about
your feelings for me. I'm sorry, but Benten was there first."

Junba tenses, then forces herself to relax. "That's okay,
Nassur," she says slowly. "I understand. You've been living among the
short-lives so long, it would have been a matter of time before you
recognized one of them. She is a lucky woman." She then stares
lovingly at him. "But remember, should she turn into little more than
recognition bait, I'll be waiting for you."

"You may have to fight Shinobu for that honour," Nassur smiles.

"Perhaps," Junba smiles, then turns to Shinobu. "Let's go,
Shinobu!"

"Right," Shinobu nods and the pair of them walk up to the front
door to perform the "ritual" that Nassur did the day before. Unlike the
last time, the door opens slowly with a creak and there is no sign of
the Keeper anywhere. "Where's the Keeper?"

"Enter," a disembodied voice announces.

Cautiously, the two girls enter the Crystal Palace. Upon
entering, the door slams shut. They hear the clunk of locks and know
now that they are completely cut off from Nassur and the others. Junba
and Shinobu gulp anxiously. Whatever game the Keeper is playing, he
wants no interference.

The foyer is huge, and like the outer walls, made of crystal.
There are some glass sculptures of humanoids lining the walls like armed
guards. The walls are bare save for a poster on one of the far walls.
Junba and Shinobu look at it: COMING MATCH...SHINOBU MIYAKI II AND
NASSUR VS. LUMSEI AND BENSAITEN...A REAL GRUDGE MATCH!!!

"What a weird poster," Shinobu sighs upon reading it. "It looks
like an advertisement for a pro wrestling show."

"It's actually a plug for another 'UY' series done by the
writers!" the Keeper announces after appearing out of nowhere.

After they recover from their initial surprise, they notice the
Keeper. "You're late," the Keeper says. "But, come, I'll show you
where the Sceptre is hidden."

An hour of walking through the crystal halls inside the Palace
follows. Junba and Shinobu look in awe at the beauty of the place. The
Keeper rattles on about how hard it is to keep the Palace clean, how
great it is to have visitors, and what they will face retrieving the
Sceptre. "I really set up a lot of traps to keep thieves from stealing
the Sceptre," the Keeper smugly nods. "I had help from an expert in
booby traps. A Terran named Umibozu, if I remember his name correctly."

Finally, they come to an entrance marked with a sign saying SEARCH
FOR THE SCEPTRE OF LECASUR MAZE. It looks vaguely like the entrance to
a haunted house ride in a fair. "There you go," the Keeper ushers them
ahead. "Good luck. And be careful of hidden traps."

When Junba and Shinobu walk into the entrance, the Keeper steps on
something that gives off a crack. Before he can do anything, a tanuki
statue attached to a chain lands on him and knocks him out!

The entrance is very dark and spooky, but for the most part, Junba
and Shinobu have avoided any traps. The two women can barely see a foot
ahead as they inch forward without setting off any booby traps.
Finally, they see a light at the end of the tunnel and walk towards it.
"A light," Shinobu points ahead. "Finally, we can see where we're
going."

"Let's be careful," Junba frets. "I don't want to lose you."

"Me neither," Shinobu replies.

But, as they near the light, Shinobu's foot brushes against a
near-hidden lever. Before they know it, two huge buzzsaws, one from
above them and one from below them shriek at them. Shinobu freezes in
horror.

Luckily, Junba doesn't. She lunges and grabs Shinobu away from
the path of the saws and into the light. "Thanks," Shinobu gasps. "I
hadn't realized I touched something."

Junba looks around scared. "Thanks are a bit premature, I think."

Junba points to a huge bottomless crevasse ahead of them. There
is an opening on the other side of the crevasse but no bridge or ledges
leading to it. Junba looks over the edge. "It's a dead end," Junba
looks defeated. "There's nothing to cross this and if we fall into it,
we're doomed."

Shinobu spots a sign nearby. "Look at this," she says. "'To
cross this crevasse, you must take a leap of faith.'"

"Leap of faith?" Junba blinks confusedly. "What do they mean by
that?"

"Well, don't you think we should find out?" Shinobu says.

Junba looks at the crevasse again and its lack of any noticeable
bridges or ledges. If Lum was here, she could fly them over. But she
isn't and they have to rely on themselves. "We have to try something,"
she sighs. "If we run at it, maybe that will be faith enough."

Junba and Shinobu hold hands, close their eyes, take a deep
breath, then leap. They feel themselves plummeting through the air
until their feet hit something. They open their eyes and find
themselves sprawled on the opposite side, before the entrance. Somehow,
they crossed the whole crevasse, without touching anything in between,
with the ease of a child jumping over a small puddle. "W-we made it!"
Shinobu says in relief. "But how?"

"Faith, I guess," Junba shrugs as she leads her into the entrance.

* * *

Even though they made it through the first two traps, Shinobu and
Junba had still more adventures to go through. The traps and dangers
seem to increase in regularity as they did in ferocity. Hidden land
mines, falling rocks, trapdoors, sliding spears, hidden laser placements
and much more appeared when least expected. Only luck, dexterity and
quick thinking kept both girls from getting killed or seriously injured.
Finally, they arrive at a small room marked with the sign THE SCEPTRE
ROOM. "W-we made it," groans Shinobu, who felt she had been through a
war.

"F-finally," Junba is much the same way.

Their clothes are badly in need of repair and bloody scrapes and
scratches cover their bodies. They limp towards the door leading to the
Sceptre room. Then a little voice in Shinobu's head tells her to duck.
"Wait!" the former Terran high schooler yells as she shoves Junba and
herself down to floor to avoid a large boxing glove which shot out of
nowhere and could have taken off their heads.

Once safe, they struggled to their feet. "I hope that's the last
trap," Shinobu groans.

"Me, too," Junba sighs. "And to think, we may have to go back
through all that!"

"Don't remind me," Shinobu sighs and she helps Junba into the
room.

The Sceptre room is about the size of a large closet, covered with
gold artwork on the floor, walls, and ceiling. The Sceptre itself,
which resembles an old flashlight used in emergencies fitted with a
large ruby-red crystal stands in the middle of the room on a jewel
pedestal. "That's it?!" Shinobu sighs. After all their struggles, they
were disappointed at its common appearance.

"Yep," Junba walks towards it.

"It looks like a flashlight," Shinobu groans as she takes
it...then the floor gives way. Junba and Shinobu drop through an
endless maze of chutes...

...until they are unceremoniously dumped at the feet of the rest
of the "Renegade's" crew! "Junba, Shinobu!!!" they say together in
surprise. "Did you get it?"

The Keeper appears out of nowhere and pulls out the Sceptre from
the pile of bodies. "THEY GOT IT!!!!" he announces through a
microphone. "THE WINNERS!!!!!!"

Fireworks detonate over the Crystal Palace as a celebration ball
explodes!! A sign declaring CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE A WINNER!!! flaps
in the breeze. The Keeper returns the Sceptre to Shinobu. "Finally,"
she groans. "It's over."

The Keeper immediately disappears, as everyone else surrounds
Shinobu and Junba to examine at the Sceptre. "So, that's the Sceptre of
Lecasur," Mendou whistles. "I'd never have thought it to be a
flashlight."

Ataru looks at the Sceptre, a bell of recognition going off in his
head. "That's a *haijo-ju!!*" he announces before grabbing it.

Lum screams, backing away. "A *haijo*-what?" Megane asks
confusedly.

"It's a high piece of Sagussan technology from the Fourth
Republic," Ataru answers.

"It still looks like a flashlight to me," Mendou shrugs.

"This 'flashlight' has enough power to turn this place into
ashes!!" Ataru warns, then with his left eye glowing, he gives it a
quick inspection. "**Hmm...its circuits seem burnt out; I suppose it's
safe.**" He then gives it to Junba, his eye reverting to normal.
"Hopefully, the Mikado's so stupid, he won't be able to repair it!"

"Right," Junba looks confused by Ataru's knowledge of a race she
has never heard of before. "Let's get going."

"Of course," Nassur says.

As the group goes, Lum pulls Ataru aside. "Darling, YOU have to
go!" she whisper to him.

"Go?! But, I already went before we..."

"Not that type of go," Lum hums. "*Go!*"

Ataru gets the message. Lum meant it is time for him to go to
Sagussa. *About time!* "I'll just stay here until they come."

"Try to keep hidden," Lum kisses Ataru. "With you out of the
Mikado's grasp, Sagussa and Earth won't be threatened."

"Won't you...?!"

"Darling," she gently grips his hands. "Chances are good the
Mikado knows about your connection to Sagussa. Why would he kidnap you?
I know you still find Nassur-chan hard to accept. Lyna knows, the
Sagussans haven't kept secret what they've been doing on Earth,
especially after destroying that Niphentaxian fleet and the Tripwire
thing. If we both disappear, the Mikado might assume the *daishi'cha*
are rigging this mess to their favour...and he might take it out on the
others. If YOU just disappear, he'll think the *daishi'cha* grabbed you
and took off, so he'll be less inclined to hurt us."

Ataru tenses, then nods. With that, Lum gives him a kiss. "Good
luck, Darling,"

Lum flies off. Ataru waves good-bye, saying nothing so he doesn't
raise suspicions among the others. "Be careful, Lum-chan," he quietly
sighs. "I wanna see you on Sagussa when all of this is over."

Ataru walks towards the Crystal Palace...

*** To Be Concluded ***