^^^^^
MAGARU: I'm sick of disclaimers.
RAYANI: Me too. Let's blow them up.
MAGARU: We can do that later. Oh well.
RAYANI: Oh, and for all you that think Magaru is the only one writing,
you're WRONG! YOU HEAR ME? WRONG! I'M HELPING, TOO, YOU KNOW!
MAGARU: I'm editor and idea thinker. Mwahaha.
RAYANI: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! Ahem. Okay, the disclaimer.
MAGARU: We don't own Tenchi and the others, since we're...aliens from
another galaxy! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!
RAYANI: YAY! Let's start the chapter!
^^^^^
Chapter Nine: Make War, Not Peace
"Fancy seeing YOU here, Washu."
"How did I know YOU were the one behind this, Yume?" Yume put her hands on her hips and laughed mirthlessly.
"You've got your assistant with you, I see. I thought you'd finished with him after he sealed you away." Yume's eyes darted from Washu to Kagato, then to Rayani. "I know you!" Yume exclaimed gleefully. "You're Kitsumuri-- the lowest one in the class!"
"Hey!" Rayani yelled angrily as she turned pink. "I wasn't completely at the bottom and I was Director of Defense, I'll have you know!" Washu began snickering uncontrollably, much to the amusement of the others.
"I'll have to agree with Yume on that one, Rayani," Washu said, grinning mischievously. Ryoko could be heard laughing as Rayani sighed in despair.
"Washu used to get into big trouble for running her experiments on me." Rayani shot an aggravated look at Yume. "She and Yume even teamed up once-- they were trying to shut me in one of their weird machines." Magaru began giggling as Yume and Washu grinned in satisfaction. Jakato smiled and nudged Magaru.
"Enough about her. What about you?" Magaru laughed and nodded.
"I think I was born on Jurai," Magaru explained thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure my parents were part of the Royal Guard at the palace. When Ryoko attacked Jurai, they were in charge of stopping her and protecting the palace, but Ryoko broke through the defense lines and their ship, along with many others, was destroyed. I was told to stay on Jurai, but I took a ship and left-they were so caught up with repairs that they hardly cared who came and who left.
"I had nothing to do, so I just wandered around. All of a sudden, I found myself in a Galaxy Police fleet. I was so scared when Soja started blowing the ships up, so I managed to get away, but my rudder was destroyed. I could hardly control my ship and I crashed on that ugly planet Tenchi and the others found me on when they crashed there." Magaru nodded as she sipped some tea. Ayeka threw an anger-laden glance at Ryoko and Kagato.
"Why do I get the feeling that all of Jurai's troubles are because of that demon woman and the evil scientist?" Ayeka muttered to Mihoshi. Mihoshi grinned and handed Ayeka a cracker.
Yume clenched her fist as she watched the little teatime circle. "Hey! Stop ignoring me!" Yume yelled. Her eyebrow twitched in anger as she watched Hishima join them. "Hishima!"
"Yes, Master Yume?" Hishima replied, shuffling back to Yume's side.
"Break up their litter circle, will you?" Seconds later, tea was seeping across the floor among porcelain shards.
"Hey! What was that for, Hishima?" Washu yelled furiously, gathering up the porcelain pieces so nobody would get cut. Ryoko and Magaru phased into their battle suit as Tenchi and Ayeka changed into theirs. Magaru had what looked like a modified acid green body suit--it covered her arms up to the elbows, where the white gloves came up to, but at the waist, the body suit turned into a tight skirt. She had shiny black boots that went up to her knees. If it weren't for the black cloak she wore, it might have been altogether too revealing. Ayeka glared at her furiously.
"WHAT KIND OF JURAIAN ARE YOU? WHAT SORT OF UNIFORM IS THAT?" Ayeka roared, a vein throbbing in her forehead. Magaru shrugged as Tenchi walked over to Kiyone.
"Kiyone, are Sasami and Kenny safe on Yagami?" Tenchi whispered. Kiyone smiled and nodded.
"Funaho and Yosho are taking care of everyone. Kenny wanted to come, but he might get hurt," Kiyone added fervently.
Washu gave Yume a calm but meaningful glare. "Yume, your machine is going to overload. It'll destroy the galaxy," Washu said, her voice dangerously composed. Yume laughed arrogantly.
"I don't care. I'll make a deal with you, Washu." Yume grinned as she ran her fingers through her hair. "If you beat me, you can TRY to stop it." Washu nodded grimly.
"Deal." Yume laughed again.
"I will begin with the formalities, then," Yume said, spreading her arms wide. "I have come to start a war on the Juraian Empire. So, I declare this war officially started!" The only movement was from the simultaneous production of swords from Tenchi, Ryoko, Rayani, Magaru, and Jakato. Yume's smile faded slightly. She walked over to Hishima and whispered something in his ear. "Um, Hishima, are those five too many for you?"
"Yes, Master Yume. If we assume that they are all skilled with their swords, I will be overwhelmed." Yume nodded and snapped her fingers. At once, the deck behind her opened up and forty bio-engineered humanoids were raised up to deck level on a platform. "How do you like my Shima army?" Yume cackled malevolently as she gave Washu a triumphant glare. "You will not get in my way again, Washu. Our wager from 20,000 years ago has--"
"My, my," Kagato interrupted. "Look at this. We're surrounded by old women." At this, Washu and Yume both went rigid with fury. Rayani gazed around, bemused, as Washu pulled out an oversized mallet and Yume a ray gun.
"Old women? What old women?" Rayani asked, grinning and still confused. Everybody, including Hishima, fell over. Ryoko pat Rayani's shoulder, shaking her head.
"He was talking about you," Ryoko muttered. Rayani gave Ryoko a quizzical look.
"I'm an old woman?" she asked, scratching her head. "Hey!" Rayani said indignantly as Ryoko nodded, struggling to stifle her laughs. "You think 20,000 years qualifies as old? Aw...thanks!" Washu and Yume both sighed in dismay.
"We should have locked her in my photonionic-metasyncho-antimatter-atom- combustile machine when we had the chance..." Washu said regretfully as loud arguing broke out between Ryoko and Ayeka.
"Enough!" Yume bellowed. "We have more important matters. I hope you've all said your goodbyes, because I'm afraid that we'll have to get rid of all you."
The front rank of Yume's Shima army leapt into action. Tenchi and Ryoko hurtled forward, obliterating the first rank with lethal speed. The second rank charged suddenly, catching Tenchi and Ryoko off guard. As if this was a signal, the other three ranks charged into the fray. Everyone leapt into the fight, brandishing their weapons as the whole deck became a mass of battling people.
Tenchi, Ryoko, Magaru, and Rayani fought as a pinwheel, circling and cutting down the Shima soldiers with frightening speed, yet ten bio-men seemed to spring up out of nowhere when they cut down one. Kagato and Jakato were cleaving down side by side, their almost identical robes swishing as their eyes glinted with battle lust. Washu and Yume went at it with only fighting skill; it was Washu's Sacred Genius Fist against Yume's Galactic Brain Stance. Mihoshi and Kiyone were blasting away with amazing accuracy that they did not seem to possess before.
At first, the going was easy for the group. But, as time slipped away, their muscles began to tense and their minds became bleary. Ryoko was getting weary and could hardly feel the sharp claw on a Shima's wrist embed itself in her upper arm and break off with a sickening crack. Tenchi gave a yell of cold fury and swung his sword in a glowing arc, completely hewing the Shima's arm off. The blood spurting onto their hands and faces were unidentified now; everybody began fighting with such ferocity that the blood beginning to fly everywhere somehow seemed to clear their minds. Although Yume's army was bioengineered, she had, for some reason, given them blood, perhaps to make them seem more lifelike, rather than just plain old robots.
The whole battle continued for another three hours. To everybody's dismay, the Shima soldiers kept returning regardless of the ferocity and force they used. Tenchi, Ayeka, and Magaru could feel the effects of the energy drain worse now that they were expending their energy faster. They suddenly began slowing down, unknowingly allowing for cuts and slashes from the opposing force. Magaru and Jakato were now side-by-side, protecting each other and hacking their way from the edge of the deck. After wiping blood from his eyes, Tenchi suddenly realized an important factor as he caught sight of Hishima. Yume's henchman was bellowing orders to the army, so if Hishima was taken care of, the army would stop.
Shoving his way through the melee, Tenchi found himself producing the Light Hawk Wings and was transformed to his true Juraian form. With newly found strength, he tore through the teeming masses of Shimas and lunged at Hishima. Hishima caught sight of him and slashed out with the claw on his elbow, cutting a deep gash from Tenchi's right cheek down to his shoulder, regardless of the prince's strong armor. Blood seeped down Tenchi's neck as he released all his skill and power against the henchman.
Ryoko spun around in a full circle, taking down all the soldiers around her. Rayani did the same. Rayani gave her a meaningful look and disappeared, reappearing next to Ryoko with a whoosh. "Blast Hishima with me!" Rayani said, somehow managing a cheerful smile. Ryoko nodded as they both positioned themselves, summoning their remaining power.
"Go!" Ryoko roared as a huge energy beam erupted from her hands and merged with Rayani's enormous green one, forming one buzzing beam of pure force and will. "Tenchi, get down!" Ryoko yelled as the beam drew closer with deadly speed. Tenchi gasped and ducked at the last moment as the beam exploded onto Hishima's chest, destroying his outer robe and sending him into the depths of space.
The Shima army stopped at once in the position they were in. Sweaty, panting, and with tattered clothes, everyone gazed at Washu, grateful for the cause of the cessation. Yume was lying, either half-dead or unconscious, next to the clean Washu. "I stopped their fight program, but I didn't really need to, since it terminated when Hishima went out of range," Washu explained. "Yume's not dead, but she'll be going to the Galaxy Police, I can tell you that!" Rayani gasped in shock as Bizen began shimmering brilliantly, removing the bloodstains from its trunk and flooding the deck with light. Jakato marveled at the beautiful unearthly sound that seemed to come from Bizen itself. Tenchi, Ayeka, and Magaru got up from where they were, yelling in joy.
"It's back! Our energy is back!" Magaru whooped, joyfully dancing about with Jakato. Rayani laughed and walked to the edge of the deck with Tenchi, looking at the stars. Ryoko flopped down in relief, grateful for a rest. Nobody was watching Kagato except for Ayeka, but she was half asleep because of her peaceful weariness.
Kagato walked up to Ryoko, producing his green sword. "Goodbye, Ryoko," he said, bringing his sword down. He blinked in shock as a cascade of blood showered his face and robe. Kagato growled in anger as Ryoko skidded to a halt next to Rayani, who had pushed her away and taken most of the force from Kagato's sword. She groaned and rolled onto her back while blood seeped onto the floor, joining with the tea that had been spilled a few hours ago. Kagato smiled. "Fool. Why risk your life for someone like Ryoko?" Kagato asked, cocking his head ever so slightly. "Since you weren't cooperating, I'll just have to take the precious boy instead." Kagato laughed cruelly and teleported away.
Ryoko got up, quivering with fury as she turned to Jakato. "Your fool of a father is going to take my son again!" Ryoko growled, producing her sword and lunging at Jakato. Ayeka grimaced as flood splashed to the floor while Magaru and Jakato slid painfully to her feet. Jakato moaned; Ryoko's sword had gone through his shoulder and also through Magaru's, since he had stepped in front of her. Ryoko snarled angrily as Tenchi dashed over to her.
"Ryoko, don't do it! I know what you want to do," Tenchi said grimly. "Please, don't kill anymore people than we have to." Ryoko gazed into Tenchi's meaningful eyes and broke out sobbing. Tenchi hugged her tightly and rubbed her back as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Rayani! Rayani, don't go to sleep!" Washu yelled suddenly, slapping her friend's face.
"I'm not sleeping..." Rayani murmured wearily. "Let me get up. Come on, I'm fine, stop fussing, Washu." Ryoko's sobs could be heard all the way from the center of the enormous deck as Rayani sat up, aided by Washu.
"I can't teleport! We need to get to Yagami, or Kenny...Kenny..." Kiyone tried calming Ryoko down.
"Come on, Ryoko. We're going to Yagami."
^^^^^
Kenny was gone from the ship, along with Sasami. Noboyuki, Yosho, and Funaho were unconscious, but all lying on something soft. Ryoko was about to blast a hole in Yagami's hull, but, luckily, Tenchi stopped her. "Ryoko, stop! That won't help!" Tenchi roared, shaking Ryoko by the shoulders. Rayani pushed Ayeka, who was helping her walk, off and summoned a holo computer. Within seconds, a ship about the size of Yukinojo loomed up next to Yagami. Rayani staggered to the window and put her hand on the glass.
"I'll go get Kenny. It's my fault...but I couldn't just let Ryoko get killed," Rayani said, her eyes glistening. She grinned at them and winced as she turned to the ship. "Takahi!" With a few glimmers, Rayani vanished, her hand leaving bloody handprint on the thick glass. The ship activated its rear thrusters and zoomed off. Washu shook her head sadly.
"Rayani is so weird. She somehow can smile like nothing happened, even when she's dying," Washu remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. Ayeka gave her a shocked look.
"She's--dying?" Ayeka sputtered. Washu nodded grimly.
"With a wound as big as that, I'll give her three days before she dies of blood loss unless she does something fast." Washu closed her eyes. "Why does everybody want to make war, not peace?" Ayeka sighed somberly and looked about the room. Her head count seemed to be down by two.
"Miss Washu, where are Magaru and Jakato?" the princess asked, turning to Washu expectantly. Washu opened her eyes and smiled at Kiyone.
"Kiyone, I set up a healing tank in the cargo bay. I hope you don't mind," Washu laughed, smiling innocently. Kiyone shook her head.
"No, it's okay. But why only one?" she inquired. Washu laughed gleefully.
"I set up a closed shell healing tank and put both Magaru AND Jakato in it," she giggled. "It's an experiment of mine, also." Ryoko sighed.
"And what exactly is supposed to happen?" Ryoko asked, giving Tenchi a tight hug. Washu burst out laughing, much to the displeasure of her daughter. After a few moments, Washu attempted to get her laughter under enough control to answer.
"I heard--funny noises coming from that--tank," Washu managed to say. Ryoko sniggered.
"Those two must be having fun..." she said mischievously. "Naughty, naughty..."
^^^^^
"Takahi, make way to sector C377. It should be at least 0.76 parsecs from Planet Earth," Rayani said, wrapping a strip of an old blanket around her back in attempts to stop the bleeding. A blue translucent sphere with a small cube embedded in its center hovered behind Rayani's back.
"But Rayani, you're hurt."
"That's an order, Takahi. Just because I haven't used you for 5,000 years doesn't mean that you question my orders!" Rayani laughed. The sphere went a downcast shade of blue. Rayani pat the sphere cheerfully. "Come now, don't be sad. I'm not angry. Just go--this is very important."
^^^^^
Kagato laughed maliciously. Kenuru and his little princess were now with him. If the person he expected to come was actually on her way now, he would be very pleased indeed, because he had an experiment to run on her. He had witnessed the true power of the gems, and now he wanted to test his theories.
^^^^^
Tenchi looked over at Washu. "Should we let Maggie and Jakato stay with us?" Tenchi asked, pouring himself a cup of tea. Ryoko snorted and downed more sake as Washu shrugged.
"Why not? They haven't done anything to be a threat to us, so I guess they should." The genius shuddered, trying to rid herself of the gruesome images from the battle. Tenchi gave his wife a sidelong glance and snatched the sake jug away from her. "Stop it! Enough sake. You can get liver problems from too much alcohol."
"Wrong, Tenchi! Ryoko CAN'T get liver problems!" Washu laughed, but it seemed rather forced. Ayeka sighed in despair.
"The nerve of that old man! Taking Kenny and Sasami--what will he think of next?" the princess snorted, straightening Ryu-oh's key on her head. Tenchi pat Ayeka's shoulder as she watched Misaki and Funaho depart on their ship.
"Don't worry, Ayeka. We'll get them back. We'll make Kagato pay!"
^^^^^
"There he is, just like I thought," Rayani muttered to herself as she caught sight of that simplified Soja. "Okay, Takahi, dock there and--" Rayani staggered sideways as she tried taking a step forward. The main unit darted about in alarm. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. Dock over there." Takahi reluctantly beeped and made its way towards the direction Rayani indicated.
She slowly limped through the passages of the ship, trying to leave any blood on the floor or walls. As Rayani turned a corner, two hands shot out from the shadows, pulling her in. It was Kagato. "You!" Rayani spat, squirming weakly. "Give Kenny back!" Kagato laughed darkly as he dragged Rayani through a door.
"I've been expecting you. I've got an experiment to run on you," Kagato said slowly.
The room was obviously a laboratory, judging by the odd machines and equipment. There was even an enormous pipe organ in the back. Smiling evilly to himself, he strapped Rayani's wrists to the wall. Kagato smiled, his eyes twinkling maniacally, as he slammed Rayani's waist to the wall. Rayani laughed as Kagato pulled a disgusted face when he withdrew his blood- covered hands. "Why are you so bloody?" he asked, removing his gloves and tossing them away. Rayani's eyes widened in amazement and ignored Kagato's question.
"What pale hands you have..." she said, grinning. Kagato sniffed, stroking her cheek. Rayani growled furiously and bit his finger. "Never touch me like that without my permission!" Rayani yelled, turning red. Kagato shook his head in mock severity.
"I would not bite other people's fingers if I were you. Right now, you are in no position to make demands." Kagato waved his hand, causing two force globes to appear; one with an unconscious Kenny inside and the other with an unconscious Sasami. "Or," Kagato continued, "if you wish to continue, I can destroy those two. Another alternative is that I kill you. Would that make you happy?" Rayani scowled.
"I can't believe you. You're so--oblivious to emotions, that's what." Rayani smiled at him. "You can let me help you. I know you've changed from what you were twenty years ago." Kagato narrowed his eyes contemptuously, causing the smile to fade from Rayani's face.
"Emotions? Love, hate--compared to the infinite power of the universe, human emotions amount to little more than dust. Stop talking or I'll kill you." Rayani snarled in fury and spat in his face.
"Fine! Kill me then! If it pleases your stupid desires, go right ahead!" she roared as Kagato wiped his face dry. The pirate was about to strike her in the face when her eyes unfocused. "How is it--that I--love--" Kagato cocked his head.
"Oh my, oh my. Now what do I do? Should I let her die, or should I put her in my healing tank? Decisions, decisions." He lifted her head to see if she was really dazed. Kagato's eyes widened as she looked at him and mouthed the last word of her sentence before blacking out.
^^^^^
Jakato paced impatiently behind Kiyone's seat in the cockpit. It was three days since the battle and he and Magaru were both healed to almost perfect condition. "Have you found my father yet?" he asked hopefully, peering over Kiyone's shoulder, then looking at Washu, who was in Mihoshi's customary seat. Kiyone's fist twitched irately as she looked over her shoulder, regretting Jakato's quick recovery.
"You been buzzing around behind us for at least five hours now! We will TELL you when we find your father!" Kiyone snapped. Jakato gave her an insolent look and resumed his pacing.
Washu and Kiyone were both grateful when Magaru came in and took Jakato away from the cockpit. Washu sighed in relief and glanced at Kiyone. "I found Kagato's ship." Kiyone shot her a despaired look.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kiyone groaned, shaking her head. Washu grinned and pat Kiyone's shoulder as the policewoman straightened her orange headband.
"Because I've got a feeling we should wait a while. You know, since he might have started forgetting about us. Then we can sneak up on him," Washu explained. "I know that sounds stupid, but who knows? We should try something new, instead of barging into his ship right away." Washu smiled in a relaxed way, giving off the false pretense that she was carefree when in face she felt rather worried.
Magaru walked with Jakato through the empty passages of Yagami, humming a Juraian song to him. She enjoyed the way her voice reverberated off the metallic walls. Jakato was enjoying it also; he never had anyone humming-- or singing, for that matter--to him, and only for him. All too soon, Magaru ceased her humming and looked up at Jakato. "You really care about your father, don't you?" Jakato looked at the floor.
"Y-yes." Magaru giggled and gave Jakato a fervent hug.
"Are YOU ready to be a father, Jake?" she asked. Jakato turned red and smiled.
"Depends on you, really."
Ryoko and Tenchi peered out the door to Kiyone's quarters, wondering who was making all the noise. Ryoko grinned when they saw Jakato and Magaru kissing in the hallway. "Let's not disturb those two lovebirds..." She laughed as Tenchi grinned and went back inside the quarters.
"So, are YOU ready to be a mother, then?" Jakato asked vehemently, picking Magaru up and carrying her to Kiyone's quarters. Magaru smiled and answered with a hug.
"Yes..." The peaceful reverie was shattered by a sudden wail from Mihoshi.
"That's so beautiful, that's so beautiful!" cried Mihoshi, wailing and clutching her mug of coffee. Jakato left Magaru on the couch; she looked rather tired and didn't object to a rest.
Wandering about listlessly through Yagami's passageways, Jakato came across a large double door. When he touched the keypad, the door slid open at once. He gasped in excited astonishment. It was the generator room, with a magnificent view of the stars outside. He could identify the massive antimatter engine and the buzzing electricity generators. There were the fuel tanks, and he could see a ship in the distance, doing nothing. Jakato choked. "That's my father's ship!" he yelled, dashing out of the generator room, tearing down the passage and bulling straight into Kiyone. She toppled over and shrieked as Jakato rolled over her, carried forward by his momentum.
"What's the hurry?" Kiyone asked, rubbing her head as she stood up and straightened her shirt. Jakato leapt to his feet excitedly.
"My father's ship! Why didn't you tell us you sighted his ship?" he asked, slightly annoyed. Kiyone sighed.
"I was just going down to tell you right now. Stop hopping around, I'm telling Tenchi and Ryoko, and I'm sure they'll want to get on his ship as soon as possible."
Tenchi and Ryoko reacted exactly as Kiyone thought they would--they wanted to search and destroy Kagato at once, or at least Ryoko did. Tenchi was more reasonable and just suggested invading. Magaru had woken up from a little nap and was very excited now that Jakato's mood had lightened.
"Jake," Magaru whispered as they walked out of the room," they're going to kill your father." Jakato smiled and shook his head.
"No they won't." Magaru gave his cheek a concerned pinch.
"I heard them talking. They're very angry with Kagato." Jakato have her a tight hug.
"We'll see. I won't let them."
^^^^^
"Come on, stop squirming and get into the tank!"
"No! Let go of me! Yeek! Don't touch me there!"
"How can I get your clothes off if you don't stop moving?"
"I don't want to get in the tank! Leave my clothes alone!"
"Fine, just leave your clothes on, but get in the tank!"
"Why? I don't need some--stupid--healing tank..." Rayani trailed off as she passed out. Kagato smiled and attached the oxygen mouthpiece to Rayani's face.
"How convenient. Well, at least she's not moving anymore," Kagato muttered as he dropped Rayani into the tall healing tank with a dull splash. Floating down from the platform, he summoned a holo-computer to monitor Rayani and walked away. He smiled when he heard a faint beep--the prince and Ryoko have arrived.
^^^^^
"Tenchi, where do you think he is?" Ryoko muttered. Tenchi shrugged and glanced into an open room. He didn't see anything terribly interesting and was about to move on when Washu yelled.
"Kenny! Sasami!" Washu exclaimed, dashing into the room. Tenchi walked in and was nearly thrown into a table of some odd looking tools as Ayeka rushed in. The princess pounded on the force globe imprisoning her little sister.
"Washu, how do we get them out?" Ayeka asked, stopping her futile pounding and rubbing her fists gingerly. Washu walked over to a console board and began typing slowly, scanning the screen for any useful information. After a few moments, the force globes faded away and dropped the two captives onto the floor. Sasami groaned and opened her eyes, but Kenny did not awaken. As Ayeka helped Sasami get up, Washu examined her grandson carefully. Kenny was shivering slightly, a cold sweat on his face. Washu glanced at Tenchi.
"Tell me, what has Kenny been eating?" Washu inquired, feeling Kenny's pulse, then his forehead. Tenchi gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"Let's see. Mihoshi made dinner last--Mihoshi!" Tenchi looked at the policewoman, who was prodding some strange beakers full of poisonous- looking chemicals. Washu sighed knowingly.
"Kenny's sick with food poisoning. It's a rare form of bacteria that only lives on a certain planet." Washu smiled cheerily. "He's got a fever, but other than that, he'll be fine." There was a sigh of relief from Tenchi and Ryoko. Kiyone shook her head and pulled the blonde ditz from a tank full of some liquid, not pausing to look at the contents of the tank. Tenchi picked Kenny up and jerked his head towards the door.
"Come on. We have to find Kagato and set him right," Tenchi said, making his way towards the door. Washu bit her lip.
"Tenchi--we're going to talk first, right? Let's not start another war." Tenchi smiled and nodded to all of them.
"Right!"
^^^^^
Magaru stared lovingly at her love as they strode through the corridor. They had lost the others in the mad rush to find the young ones. Jakato put an arm around her shoulder. "We're almost to the main chamber. I'm sure Father will be there," Jakato said encouragingly as he sensed Magaru's patience begin to wear thin. Magaru shuddered in joy as she leaned on Jakato.
"Okay. What do you think he'll say about--well, you know," whispered Magaru. Jakato laughed lightly.
"I'm sure he won't mind." This pleased Magaru and she did a little hop skip.
"Good! I'm so happy!"
^^^^^
The liquid in the tank bubbled as Rayani regained consciousness. Great, she thought angrily, I got stuck in a healing tank.
Removing the mouthpiece from her mouth, she managed to swim to the top of the tank, regardless of the searing pain in her back. Rayani gasped for air and clambered out of the tank, falling twenty feet to the floor. "Ow..." Rayani murmured, getting up. Before she could limp out, she caught sight of a blonde hair stuck to a beaker of a violet colored liquid. "Mihoshi..." Rayani clutched her side as she staggered out of the laboratory, trying to get to the main chamber with all haste.
Ryoko and Ayeka burst into the main chamber, looking about sharply. Kagato was standing in the center, talking with Magaru and Jakato. He caught sight of them and, after straightening his little glasses, bowed. "Welcome to my ship, Ryoko and Princess Ayeka," he said as Tenchi walked in, carrying Kenny, followed by Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Sasami.
"Why have you done this?" Tenchi growled. Kagato smiled spitefully.
Washu clenched her fist. Was this going to end with another mass slaughter?
^^^^^
Chapter Nine: Make War, Not Peace
"Fancy seeing YOU here, Washu."
"How did I know YOU were the one behind this, Yume?" Yume put her hands on her hips and laughed mirthlessly.
"You've got your assistant with you, I see. I thought you'd finished with him after he sealed you away." Yume's eyes darted from Washu to Kagato, then to Rayani. "I know you!" Yume exclaimed gleefully. "You're Kitsumuri-- the lowest one in the class!"
"Hey!" Rayani yelled angrily as she turned pink. "I wasn't completely at the bottom and I was Director of Defense, I'll have you know!" Washu began snickering uncontrollably, much to the amusement of the others.
"I'll have to agree with Yume on that one, Rayani," Washu said, grinning mischievously. Ryoko could be heard laughing as Rayani sighed in despair.
"Washu used to get into big trouble for running her experiments on me." Rayani shot an aggravated look at Yume. "She and Yume even teamed up once-- they were trying to shut me in one of their weird machines." Magaru began giggling as Yume and Washu grinned in satisfaction. Jakato smiled and nudged Magaru.
"Enough about her. What about you?" Magaru laughed and nodded.
"I think I was born on Jurai," Magaru explained thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure my parents were part of the Royal Guard at the palace. When Ryoko attacked Jurai, they were in charge of stopping her and protecting the palace, but Ryoko broke through the defense lines and their ship, along with many others, was destroyed. I was told to stay on Jurai, but I took a ship and left-they were so caught up with repairs that they hardly cared who came and who left.
"I had nothing to do, so I just wandered around. All of a sudden, I found myself in a Galaxy Police fleet. I was so scared when Soja started blowing the ships up, so I managed to get away, but my rudder was destroyed. I could hardly control my ship and I crashed on that ugly planet Tenchi and the others found me on when they crashed there." Magaru nodded as she sipped some tea. Ayeka threw an anger-laden glance at Ryoko and Kagato.
"Why do I get the feeling that all of Jurai's troubles are because of that demon woman and the evil scientist?" Ayeka muttered to Mihoshi. Mihoshi grinned and handed Ayeka a cracker.
Yume clenched her fist as she watched the little teatime circle. "Hey! Stop ignoring me!" Yume yelled. Her eyebrow twitched in anger as she watched Hishima join them. "Hishima!"
"Yes, Master Yume?" Hishima replied, shuffling back to Yume's side.
"Break up their litter circle, will you?" Seconds later, tea was seeping across the floor among porcelain shards.
"Hey! What was that for, Hishima?" Washu yelled furiously, gathering up the porcelain pieces so nobody would get cut. Ryoko and Magaru phased into their battle suit as Tenchi and Ayeka changed into theirs. Magaru had what looked like a modified acid green body suit--it covered her arms up to the elbows, where the white gloves came up to, but at the waist, the body suit turned into a tight skirt. She had shiny black boots that went up to her knees. If it weren't for the black cloak she wore, it might have been altogether too revealing. Ayeka glared at her furiously.
"WHAT KIND OF JURAIAN ARE YOU? WHAT SORT OF UNIFORM IS THAT?" Ayeka roared, a vein throbbing in her forehead. Magaru shrugged as Tenchi walked over to Kiyone.
"Kiyone, are Sasami and Kenny safe on Yagami?" Tenchi whispered. Kiyone smiled and nodded.
"Funaho and Yosho are taking care of everyone. Kenny wanted to come, but he might get hurt," Kiyone added fervently.
Washu gave Yume a calm but meaningful glare. "Yume, your machine is going to overload. It'll destroy the galaxy," Washu said, her voice dangerously composed. Yume laughed arrogantly.
"I don't care. I'll make a deal with you, Washu." Yume grinned as she ran her fingers through her hair. "If you beat me, you can TRY to stop it." Washu nodded grimly.
"Deal." Yume laughed again.
"I will begin with the formalities, then," Yume said, spreading her arms wide. "I have come to start a war on the Juraian Empire. So, I declare this war officially started!" The only movement was from the simultaneous production of swords from Tenchi, Ryoko, Rayani, Magaru, and Jakato. Yume's smile faded slightly. She walked over to Hishima and whispered something in his ear. "Um, Hishima, are those five too many for you?"
"Yes, Master Yume. If we assume that they are all skilled with their swords, I will be overwhelmed." Yume nodded and snapped her fingers. At once, the deck behind her opened up and forty bio-engineered humanoids were raised up to deck level on a platform. "How do you like my Shima army?" Yume cackled malevolently as she gave Washu a triumphant glare. "You will not get in my way again, Washu. Our wager from 20,000 years ago has--"
"My, my," Kagato interrupted. "Look at this. We're surrounded by old women." At this, Washu and Yume both went rigid with fury. Rayani gazed around, bemused, as Washu pulled out an oversized mallet and Yume a ray gun.
"Old women? What old women?" Rayani asked, grinning and still confused. Everybody, including Hishima, fell over. Ryoko pat Rayani's shoulder, shaking her head.
"He was talking about you," Ryoko muttered. Rayani gave Ryoko a quizzical look.
"I'm an old woman?" she asked, scratching her head. "Hey!" Rayani said indignantly as Ryoko nodded, struggling to stifle her laughs. "You think 20,000 years qualifies as old? Aw...thanks!" Washu and Yume both sighed in dismay.
"We should have locked her in my photonionic-metasyncho-antimatter-atom- combustile machine when we had the chance..." Washu said regretfully as loud arguing broke out between Ryoko and Ayeka.
"Enough!" Yume bellowed. "We have more important matters. I hope you've all said your goodbyes, because I'm afraid that we'll have to get rid of all you."
The front rank of Yume's Shima army leapt into action. Tenchi and Ryoko hurtled forward, obliterating the first rank with lethal speed. The second rank charged suddenly, catching Tenchi and Ryoko off guard. As if this was a signal, the other three ranks charged into the fray. Everyone leapt into the fight, brandishing their weapons as the whole deck became a mass of battling people.
Tenchi, Ryoko, Magaru, and Rayani fought as a pinwheel, circling and cutting down the Shima soldiers with frightening speed, yet ten bio-men seemed to spring up out of nowhere when they cut down one. Kagato and Jakato were cleaving down side by side, their almost identical robes swishing as their eyes glinted with battle lust. Washu and Yume went at it with only fighting skill; it was Washu's Sacred Genius Fist against Yume's Galactic Brain Stance. Mihoshi and Kiyone were blasting away with amazing accuracy that they did not seem to possess before.
At first, the going was easy for the group. But, as time slipped away, their muscles began to tense and their minds became bleary. Ryoko was getting weary and could hardly feel the sharp claw on a Shima's wrist embed itself in her upper arm and break off with a sickening crack. Tenchi gave a yell of cold fury and swung his sword in a glowing arc, completely hewing the Shima's arm off. The blood spurting onto their hands and faces were unidentified now; everybody began fighting with such ferocity that the blood beginning to fly everywhere somehow seemed to clear their minds. Although Yume's army was bioengineered, she had, for some reason, given them blood, perhaps to make them seem more lifelike, rather than just plain old robots.
The whole battle continued for another three hours. To everybody's dismay, the Shima soldiers kept returning regardless of the ferocity and force they used. Tenchi, Ayeka, and Magaru could feel the effects of the energy drain worse now that they were expending their energy faster. They suddenly began slowing down, unknowingly allowing for cuts and slashes from the opposing force. Magaru and Jakato were now side-by-side, protecting each other and hacking their way from the edge of the deck. After wiping blood from his eyes, Tenchi suddenly realized an important factor as he caught sight of Hishima. Yume's henchman was bellowing orders to the army, so if Hishima was taken care of, the army would stop.
Shoving his way through the melee, Tenchi found himself producing the Light Hawk Wings and was transformed to his true Juraian form. With newly found strength, he tore through the teeming masses of Shimas and lunged at Hishima. Hishima caught sight of him and slashed out with the claw on his elbow, cutting a deep gash from Tenchi's right cheek down to his shoulder, regardless of the prince's strong armor. Blood seeped down Tenchi's neck as he released all his skill and power against the henchman.
Ryoko spun around in a full circle, taking down all the soldiers around her. Rayani did the same. Rayani gave her a meaningful look and disappeared, reappearing next to Ryoko with a whoosh. "Blast Hishima with me!" Rayani said, somehow managing a cheerful smile. Ryoko nodded as they both positioned themselves, summoning their remaining power.
"Go!" Ryoko roared as a huge energy beam erupted from her hands and merged with Rayani's enormous green one, forming one buzzing beam of pure force and will. "Tenchi, get down!" Ryoko yelled as the beam drew closer with deadly speed. Tenchi gasped and ducked at the last moment as the beam exploded onto Hishima's chest, destroying his outer robe and sending him into the depths of space.
The Shima army stopped at once in the position they were in. Sweaty, panting, and with tattered clothes, everyone gazed at Washu, grateful for the cause of the cessation. Yume was lying, either half-dead or unconscious, next to the clean Washu. "I stopped their fight program, but I didn't really need to, since it terminated when Hishima went out of range," Washu explained. "Yume's not dead, but she'll be going to the Galaxy Police, I can tell you that!" Rayani gasped in shock as Bizen began shimmering brilliantly, removing the bloodstains from its trunk and flooding the deck with light. Jakato marveled at the beautiful unearthly sound that seemed to come from Bizen itself. Tenchi, Ayeka, and Magaru got up from where they were, yelling in joy.
"It's back! Our energy is back!" Magaru whooped, joyfully dancing about with Jakato. Rayani laughed and walked to the edge of the deck with Tenchi, looking at the stars. Ryoko flopped down in relief, grateful for a rest. Nobody was watching Kagato except for Ayeka, but she was half asleep because of her peaceful weariness.
Kagato walked up to Ryoko, producing his green sword. "Goodbye, Ryoko," he said, bringing his sword down. He blinked in shock as a cascade of blood showered his face and robe. Kagato growled in anger as Ryoko skidded to a halt next to Rayani, who had pushed her away and taken most of the force from Kagato's sword. She groaned and rolled onto her back while blood seeped onto the floor, joining with the tea that had been spilled a few hours ago. Kagato smiled. "Fool. Why risk your life for someone like Ryoko?" Kagato asked, cocking his head ever so slightly. "Since you weren't cooperating, I'll just have to take the precious boy instead." Kagato laughed cruelly and teleported away.
Ryoko got up, quivering with fury as she turned to Jakato. "Your fool of a father is going to take my son again!" Ryoko growled, producing her sword and lunging at Jakato. Ayeka grimaced as flood splashed to the floor while Magaru and Jakato slid painfully to her feet. Jakato moaned; Ryoko's sword had gone through his shoulder and also through Magaru's, since he had stepped in front of her. Ryoko snarled angrily as Tenchi dashed over to her.
"Ryoko, don't do it! I know what you want to do," Tenchi said grimly. "Please, don't kill anymore people than we have to." Ryoko gazed into Tenchi's meaningful eyes and broke out sobbing. Tenchi hugged her tightly and rubbed her back as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Rayani! Rayani, don't go to sleep!" Washu yelled suddenly, slapping her friend's face.
"I'm not sleeping..." Rayani murmured wearily. "Let me get up. Come on, I'm fine, stop fussing, Washu." Ryoko's sobs could be heard all the way from the center of the enormous deck as Rayani sat up, aided by Washu.
"I can't teleport! We need to get to Yagami, or Kenny...Kenny..." Kiyone tried calming Ryoko down.
"Come on, Ryoko. We're going to Yagami."
^^^^^
Kenny was gone from the ship, along with Sasami. Noboyuki, Yosho, and Funaho were unconscious, but all lying on something soft. Ryoko was about to blast a hole in Yagami's hull, but, luckily, Tenchi stopped her. "Ryoko, stop! That won't help!" Tenchi roared, shaking Ryoko by the shoulders. Rayani pushed Ayeka, who was helping her walk, off and summoned a holo computer. Within seconds, a ship about the size of Yukinojo loomed up next to Yagami. Rayani staggered to the window and put her hand on the glass.
"I'll go get Kenny. It's my fault...but I couldn't just let Ryoko get killed," Rayani said, her eyes glistening. She grinned at them and winced as she turned to the ship. "Takahi!" With a few glimmers, Rayani vanished, her hand leaving bloody handprint on the thick glass. The ship activated its rear thrusters and zoomed off. Washu shook her head sadly.
"Rayani is so weird. She somehow can smile like nothing happened, even when she's dying," Washu remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. Ayeka gave her a shocked look.
"She's--dying?" Ayeka sputtered. Washu nodded grimly.
"With a wound as big as that, I'll give her three days before she dies of blood loss unless she does something fast." Washu closed her eyes. "Why does everybody want to make war, not peace?" Ayeka sighed somberly and looked about the room. Her head count seemed to be down by two.
"Miss Washu, where are Magaru and Jakato?" the princess asked, turning to Washu expectantly. Washu opened her eyes and smiled at Kiyone.
"Kiyone, I set up a healing tank in the cargo bay. I hope you don't mind," Washu laughed, smiling innocently. Kiyone shook her head.
"No, it's okay. But why only one?" she inquired. Washu laughed gleefully.
"I set up a closed shell healing tank and put both Magaru AND Jakato in it," she giggled. "It's an experiment of mine, also." Ryoko sighed.
"And what exactly is supposed to happen?" Ryoko asked, giving Tenchi a tight hug. Washu burst out laughing, much to the displeasure of her daughter. After a few moments, Washu attempted to get her laughter under enough control to answer.
"I heard--funny noises coming from that--tank," Washu managed to say. Ryoko sniggered.
"Those two must be having fun..." she said mischievously. "Naughty, naughty..."
^^^^^
"Takahi, make way to sector C377. It should be at least 0.76 parsecs from Planet Earth," Rayani said, wrapping a strip of an old blanket around her back in attempts to stop the bleeding. A blue translucent sphere with a small cube embedded in its center hovered behind Rayani's back.
"But Rayani, you're hurt."
"That's an order, Takahi. Just because I haven't used you for 5,000 years doesn't mean that you question my orders!" Rayani laughed. The sphere went a downcast shade of blue. Rayani pat the sphere cheerfully. "Come now, don't be sad. I'm not angry. Just go--this is very important."
^^^^^
Kagato laughed maliciously. Kenuru and his little princess were now with him. If the person he expected to come was actually on her way now, he would be very pleased indeed, because he had an experiment to run on her. He had witnessed the true power of the gems, and now he wanted to test his theories.
^^^^^
Tenchi looked over at Washu. "Should we let Maggie and Jakato stay with us?" Tenchi asked, pouring himself a cup of tea. Ryoko snorted and downed more sake as Washu shrugged.
"Why not? They haven't done anything to be a threat to us, so I guess they should." The genius shuddered, trying to rid herself of the gruesome images from the battle. Tenchi gave his wife a sidelong glance and snatched the sake jug away from her. "Stop it! Enough sake. You can get liver problems from too much alcohol."
"Wrong, Tenchi! Ryoko CAN'T get liver problems!" Washu laughed, but it seemed rather forced. Ayeka sighed in despair.
"The nerve of that old man! Taking Kenny and Sasami--what will he think of next?" the princess snorted, straightening Ryu-oh's key on her head. Tenchi pat Ayeka's shoulder as she watched Misaki and Funaho depart on their ship.
"Don't worry, Ayeka. We'll get them back. We'll make Kagato pay!"
^^^^^
"There he is, just like I thought," Rayani muttered to herself as she caught sight of that simplified Soja. "Okay, Takahi, dock there and--" Rayani staggered sideways as she tried taking a step forward. The main unit darted about in alarm. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. Dock over there." Takahi reluctantly beeped and made its way towards the direction Rayani indicated.
She slowly limped through the passages of the ship, trying to leave any blood on the floor or walls. As Rayani turned a corner, two hands shot out from the shadows, pulling her in. It was Kagato. "You!" Rayani spat, squirming weakly. "Give Kenny back!" Kagato laughed darkly as he dragged Rayani through a door.
"I've been expecting you. I've got an experiment to run on you," Kagato said slowly.
The room was obviously a laboratory, judging by the odd machines and equipment. There was even an enormous pipe organ in the back. Smiling evilly to himself, he strapped Rayani's wrists to the wall. Kagato smiled, his eyes twinkling maniacally, as he slammed Rayani's waist to the wall. Rayani laughed as Kagato pulled a disgusted face when he withdrew his blood- covered hands. "Why are you so bloody?" he asked, removing his gloves and tossing them away. Rayani's eyes widened in amazement and ignored Kagato's question.
"What pale hands you have..." she said, grinning. Kagato sniffed, stroking her cheek. Rayani growled furiously and bit his finger. "Never touch me like that without my permission!" Rayani yelled, turning red. Kagato shook his head in mock severity.
"I would not bite other people's fingers if I were you. Right now, you are in no position to make demands." Kagato waved his hand, causing two force globes to appear; one with an unconscious Kenny inside and the other with an unconscious Sasami. "Or," Kagato continued, "if you wish to continue, I can destroy those two. Another alternative is that I kill you. Would that make you happy?" Rayani scowled.
"I can't believe you. You're so--oblivious to emotions, that's what." Rayani smiled at him. "You can let me help you. I know you've changed from what you were twenty years ago." Kagato narrowed his eyes contemptuously, causing the smile to fade from Rayani's face.
"Emotions? Love, hate--compared to the infinite power of the universe, human emotions amount to little more than dust. Stop talking or I'll kill you." Rayani snarled in fury and spat in his face.
"Fine! Kill me then! If it pleases your stupid desires, go right ahead!" she roared as Kagato wiped his face dry. The pirate was about to strike her in the face when her eyes unfocused. "How is it--that I--love--" Kagato cocked his head.
"Oh my, oh my. Now what do I do? Should I let her die, or should I put her in my healing tank? Decisions, decisions." He lifted her head to see if she was really dazed. Kagato's eyes widened as she looked at him and mouthed the last word of her sentence before blacking out.
^^^^^
Jakato paced impatiently behind Kiyone's seat in the cockpit. It was three days since the battle and he and Magaru were both healed to almost perfect condition. "Have you found my father yet?" he asked hopefully, peering over Kiyone's shoulder, then looking at Washu, who was in Mihoshi's customary seat. Kiyone's fist twitched irately as she looked over her shoulder, regretting Jakato's quick recovery.
"You been buzzing around behind us for at least five hours now! We will TELL you when we find your father!" Kiyone snapped. Jakato gave her an insolent look and resumed his pacing.
Washu and Kiyone were both grateful when Magaru came in and took Jakato away from the cockpit. Washu sighed in relief and glanced at Kiyone. "I found Kagato's ship." Kiyone shot her a despaired look.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kiyone groaned, shaking her head. Washu grinned and pat Kiyone's shoulder as the policewoman straightened her orange headband.
"Because I've got a feeling we should wait a while. You know, since he might have started forgetting about us. Then we can sneak up on him," Washu explained. "I know that sounds stupid, but who knows? We should try something new, instead of barging into his ship right away." Washu smiled in a relaxed way, giving off the false pretense that she was carefree when in face she felt rather worried.
Magaru walked with Jakato through the empty passages of Yagami, humming a Juraian song to him. She enjoyed the way her voice reverberated off the metallic walls. Jakato was enjoying it also; he never had anyone humming-- or singing, for that matter--to him, and only for him. All too soon, Magaru ceased her humming and looked up at Jakato. "You really care about your father, don't you?" Jakato looked at the floor.
"Y-yes." Magaru giggled and gave Jakato a fervent hug.
"Are YOU ready to be a father, Jake?" she asked. Jakato turned red and smiled.
"Depends on you, really."
Ryoko and Tenchi peered out the door to Kiyone's quarters, wondering who was making all the noise. Ryoko grinned when they saw Jakato and Magaru kissing in the hallway. "Let's not disturb those two lovebirds..." She laughed as Tenchi grinned and went back inside the quarters.
"So, are YOU ready to be a mother, then?" Jakato asked vehemently, picking Magaru up and carrying her to Kiyone's quarters. Magaru smiled and answered with a hug.
"Yes..." The peaceful reverie was shattered by a sudden wail from Mihoshi.
"That's so beautiful, that's so beautiful!" cried Mihoshi, wailing and clutching her mug of coffee. Jakato left Magaru on the couch; she looked rather tired and didn't object to a rest.
Wandering about listlessly through Yagami's passageways, Jakato came across a large double door. When he touched the keypad, the door slid open at once. He gasped in excited astonishment. It was the generator room, with a magnificent view of the stars outside. He could identify the massive antimatter engine and the buzzing electricity generators. There were the fuel tanks, and he could see a ship in the distance, doing nothing. Jakato choked. "That's my father's ship!" he yelled, dashing out of the generator room, tearing down the passage and bulling straight into Kiyone. She toppled over and shrieked as Jakato rolled over her, carried forward by his momentum.
"What's the hurry?" Kiyone asked, rubbing her head as she stood up and straightened her shirt. Jakato leapt to his feet excitedly.
"My father's ship! Why didn't you tell us you sighted his ship?" he asked, slightly annoyed. Kiyone sighed.
"I was just going down to tell you right now. Stop hopping around, I'm telling Tenchi and Ryoko, and I'm sure they'll want to get on his ship as soon as possible."
Tenchi and Ryoko reacted exactly as Kiyone thought they would--they wanted to search and destroy Kagato at once, or at least Ryoko did. Tenchi was more reasonable and just suggested invading. Magaru had woken up from a little nap and was very excited now that Jakato's mood had lightened.
"Jake," Magaru whispered as they walked out of the room," they're going to kill your father." Jakato smiled and shook his head.
"No they won't." Magaru gave his cheek a concerned pinch.
"I heard them talking. They're very angry with Kagato." Jakato have her a tight hug.
"We'll see. I won't let them."
^^^^^
"Come on, stop squirming and get into the tank!"
"No! Let go of me! Yeek! Don't touch me there!"
"How can I get your clothes off if you don't stop moving?"
"I don't want to get in the tank! Leave my clothes alone!"
"Fine, just leave your clothes on, but get in the tank!"
"Why? I don't need some--stupid--healing tank..." Rayani trailed off as she passed out. Kagato smiled and attached the oxygen mouthpiece to Rayani's face.
"How convenient. Well, at least she's not moving anymore," Kagato muttered as he dropped Rayani into the tall healing tank with a dull splash. Floating down from the platform, he summoned a holo-computer to monitor Rayani and walked away. He smiled when he heard a faint beep--the prince and Ryoko have arrived.
^^^^^
"Tenchi, where do you think he is?" Ryoko muttered. Tenchi shrugged and glanced into an open room. He didn't see anything terribly interesting and was about to move on when Washu yelled.
"Kenny! Sasami!" Washu exclaimed, dashing into the room. Tenchi walked in and was nearly thrown into a table of some odd looking tools as Ayeka rushed in. The princess pounded on the force globe imprisoning her little sister.
"Washu, how do we get them out?" Ayeka asked, stopping her futile pounding and rubbing her fists gingerly. Washu walked over to a console board and began typing slowly, scanning the screen for any useful information. After a few moments, the force globes faded away and dropped the two captives onto the floor. Sasami groaned and opened her eyes, but Kenny did not awaken. As Ayeka helped Sasami get up, Washu examined her grandson carefully. Kenny was shivering slightly, a cold sweat on his face. Washu glanced at Tenchi.
"Tell me, what has Kenny been eating?" Washu inquired, feeling Kenny's pulse, then his forehead. Tenchi gazed at the ceiling thoughtfully.
"Let's see. Mihoshi made dinner last--Mihoshi!" Tenchi looked at the policewoman, who was prodding some strange beakers full of poisonous- looking chemicals. Washu sighed knowingly.
"Kenny's sick with food poisoning. It's a rare form of bacteria that only lives on a certain planet." Washu smiled cheerily. "He's got a fever, but other than that, he'll be fine." There was a sigh of relief from Tenchi and Ryoko. Kiyone shook her head and pulled the blonde ditz from a tank full of some liquid, not pausing to look at the contents of the tank. Tenchi picked Kenny up and jerked his head towards the door.
"Come on. We have to find Kagato and set him right," Tenchi said, making his way towards the door. Washu bit her lip.
"Tenchi--we're going to talk first, right? Let's not start another war." Tenchi smiled and nodded to all of them.
"Right!"
^^^^^
Magaru stared lovingly at her love as they strode through the corridor. They had lost the others in the mad rush to find the young ones. Jakato put an arm around her shoulder. "We're almost to the main chamber. I'm sure Father will be there," Jakato said encouragingly as he sensed Magaru's patience begin to wear thin. Magaru shuddered in joy as she leaned on Jakato.
"Okay. What do you think he'll say about--well, you know," whispered Magaru. Jakato laughed lightly.
"I'm sure he won't mind." This pleased Magaru and she did a little hop skip.
"Good! I'm so happy!"
^^^^^
The liquid in the tank bubbled as Rayani regained consciousness. Great, she thought angrily, I got stuck in a healing tank.
Removing the mouthpiece from her mouth, she managed to swim to the top of the tank, regardless of the searing pain in her back. Rayani gasped for air and clambered out of the tank, falling twenty feet to the floor. "Ow..." Rayani murmured, getting up. Before she could limp out, she caught sight of a blonde hair stuck to a beaker of a violet colored liquid. "Mihoshi..." Rayani clutched her side as she staggered out of the laboratory, trying to get to the main chamber with all haste.
Ryoko and Ayeka burst into the main chamber, looking about sharply. Kagato was standing in the center, talking with Magaru and Jakato. He caught sight of them and, after straightening his little glasses, bowed. "Welcome to my ship, Ryoko and Princess Ayeka," he said as Tenchi walked in, carrying Kenny, followed by Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Sasami.
"Why have you done this?" Tenchi growled. Kagato smiled spitefully.
Washu clenched her fist. Was this going to end with another mass slaughter?