AIC/Pioneer own the amazing characters in this story. However this fan fiction came from my imagination any resemblance to real life or to another fan fiction is merely coincidence. What can I say, after reading other great stories late at night, there is bound to be something similar to another story- for that matter its not impossible to think we might all be on or close to the same wave length. Great minds think alike, right?

This story takes place after the "No Need for Ryoko" episode…and everything after that changes.

****************** Prologue

Nagi sits down in the "Cat's Eye Lounge" and tells her story to a young bounty hunter, about the only bounty she never collected.

"I never would have believed that I would find a kindred spirit in someone who was once my enemy.

It all started when I tracked Ryoko to earth and captured her man, Tenchi. After observing their family for a while I quickly realized that he was her only weakness-so naturally, I exploited it. I wanted a showdown between her "the most notorious space pirate" and me "the greatest bounty hunter" He was my leverage; I knew if I had him, she would come. What I didn't know was how much he meant to all of the other people living at that house. I also never thought that people who were so different could get along- that and be in love with a simple earth boy. Anyways, the whole "family" came to the battle, at first I thought it was because of Tenchi, but I saw the fear in their eyes when they thought Ryoko was losing. By some miracle she bested me…and bitterly I left, vowing that there would be another day.

Well, "another day" came along rather quickly. Ryoko and her family ended up being the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, I laugh now but back then it wasn't funny. As far as I knew, they had been living an uneventful life on that small blue planet, "what kind of crimes could they have committed from there," was my only question. Since Ryoko was involved my interest was immediately captured.

After a very interesting chase through the galaxy, I finally caught up to them, as they were about to reach Jurai. By that time I had figured out the current emperor wasn't the real Yosho (hey- you don't become the greatest bounty hunter by being stupid). I decided that I would help them get to Jurai, otherwise I might not get my chance to fight with Ryoko- that and Ken Oki would stop nagging me about helping them on their quest and seeing his beloved Ryo Oki again.

What I didn't expect was to find when I caught up to them was to see my rival so badly beaten; in fact she had been fatally wounded. The strange thing was that not even one of her family seemed to notice; sure she had been hiding it well enough. However, when I confronted her and told her I expected to fight me, she said, that I would have to wait until after she took Tenchi and the Knights to Jurai. That's when I saw the pain in her face as she tried to stand. I couldn't believe it, "Space Pirate Ryoko," was willing to give her life to help that earth boy save the princess who competed against her for his love. I stood there stunned as she left her room. Watching her leave for Jurai was when I decided to help. I played decoy for the Jurai fleet and Ryoko made her way to Jurai.

After the battle was when my relationship with Ryoko changed forever."