** Disclaimer: I don't own Tenchi Muyo! or any of the characters created by AIC. I do own the unique plots, writings and original characters that I've created.
–-
Darkness is a force with no equal – thick and wholly encompassing.
Like tendrils of the netherworld it swirls, haunting, soothing, caressing in it's tight ephemeral embrace. There is no way to prevent the encroachment, as there is no way to fight to reclaim what was taken.
To do so only guarantees painful failure.
Tenchi Muyo! - Echoes of TwilightA Fan Fiction by Sebayn
Cycle Beta - Chapter 1: Unrealized Revelations
–
"Thus when able, manifest inability.
When near, manifest as far.
When far, manifest as near.
Thus when he seeks advantage, lure him. When he is chaos, take him.
When he is substantial, prepare against him. When he is strong, avoid him.
When he is wrathful, harass him.
Attack where he is unprepared.
Emerge where he does not expect it." - Sun Tzu
–
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Tenchi Masaki fell throughout the night.
Within the vortex of this blackness stirred forgotten images as emotions were summoned and freely exercised; bent and twisted in the most chaotic of fashions beyond imagination or reality.
All things are random – without order – in the wasteland of this solitary realm.
When the night swirls in it's full fury nothing is ever a constant, or remains still.
But the dream was always the same.
They didn't move. They never did. Arms by their side, they stared at him with eyes wide open.
Crimson, amber, emerald, azure.
The one trace of substantial life within them, and for that fact the colors always penetrated into far recesses of his bewildered mind.
Pleading, wanting, begging and above all else filled with hollowed hope and desperation.
The voices would materialize elicited only by pain. The sound would whip and sting while remaining unmatched only by the tenacity of the message itself.
Words never ruptured from their lips.
"You will always be the prince of my heart. Farewell, Lord Tenchi." Her full lips remained sealed as if frozen in a gracious smile, but Ayeka Jurai's voice gushed round about her but never from her. The princess' posture remained as pristine as ever, yet she always seemed propped up unnaturally. Her bright robes and intricate Jurian garb cascaded all around her, layer upon layer. They seemed heavier, more binding and constraining than anything she had ever worn before.
Sasami's voice radiated pure excitement. "Bye bye, Tenchi! I'll really miss you!" The voice too was from not her directly as her shut lips curled into a downtrodden frown. The younger Jurian princess was clad in similar robes as her elder sister, albeit much lighter and less burdensome apparel. Freckles dotted her checks obtrusively as stars in the sky do during a cloudy night. Yet the child seemed to age before him and whither away before him.
Mihoshi Kuramitsu stood at attention with her right arm melded into the prefect salute. Golden medals, rank insignia and dubious ribbons of valor donned her dress uniform. Around her echoed the haunting giggling that had once filled the Masaki home. The laughter was errie for it held no joy. Devoid. Another paradox or unexplainable contradiction that was chained to each them.
Bound.
Washu spoke plainly. "Some free advice? Never look back. Take care of yourself, Tenchi, and have a good life. Compendia?" She wore her normal Science Academy uniform with arms folded front of her. A sincere smile grazed her lips as she stared blankly past him.
Ryoko grinned, fangs barred. "I love you – I'll always love you, my Tenchi." Her red and orange traveling ensemble accentuated her curves in a way that always drew eyes to them. Just as always, at that the precise moment, her mouth burst open as she broke down and sobbed violently.
"It's too late...you're too late!"
He couldn't move. Couldn't rush beside them all, embrace them or reassurance them in a way only physical contact is capable of. Instead Tenchi screamed and shouted.
But the words never came.
One by one they slowly disappeared from sight. Vanishing into the swirling chaos and lost to Tenchi for eternity.
The voices would continue to echo like phantasms lost in the wind. Faces, memories, possibilities twisting and contorting like the ravages of a wildfire. All lost in the endless pursuit of the never-ending darkness.
Conquered, spirited and utterly eclipsed.
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Tenchi gasped out loud as he awoke with a start, a tiny amount of perspiration having gathered on his forehead.
He found himself sprawled out along a smooth floor and was greeted by the ambient hums filling the confines. Tenchi laid there, blinking slowly and until he began breathing more evenly, while allowing his eyes and mind to adjust to his new surroundings. After a minute, he arched his back forward bringing himself to a more suitable position to look at the immediate area.
The light was dim.
It always was.
A quick glance revealed it to be a oval-shaped room. The center was bare, but the floor was filled with complex circular patterns of differing shades. It was impossible to tell the exact colors with the room so dark. The runes outlining many of the circles added an even more surreal look to it.
Gradually, he titled his head upward. Endless stars reigned down above him joyously.
The brilliance of the sight and all that it represented caused him to choke back tears. He hadn't seen a clear night sky in years, but this was something else.
He had made it. Somehow.
The visceral reminder of all that had occurred flooded over him but for one singular moment in time Tenchi Masaki was filled with the hope of the infinite possibilities his view of the cosmos presented him with. It was real in a tangible way, so much in fact he felt like he could almost reach through the window and grasp the glimmering lights for himself.
Sometime later he found his eyes wandering.
This was indeed no ordinary room he was in.
The damning thing about every space ship he'd ever been in, whether it was Ryuoh, Souja or Ryo-ohki, was that things didn't look as popular imagination had previously defined it as. Command bridges didn't look like bridges, more like tropical rain forest preserves or barren observational rooms floored in stainless steel.
The bridge he was now in was more conventional in look, but just barely. Yes, Tenchi decided with a slight nod of the head, this was the nerve center of whatever craft he was now traveling in.
A sleek opaque chair bubbled upwards while bearing down on a console of the same color. There were no flickering lights, read-out monitors or control panels on it. There were, however, two dark gray circular balls silently hovering an inch above the console's surface.
He had something like it before decades ago. He remembered vividly the cyan-haired woman who had used them to control her own ship so fluidly as if it were part of her own persona.
Tenchi snorted as one of his Grandfather's more iconic lectures flashed through his mind. "The katana is merely an natural extension of the samurai's body." the elder Masaki had chided. "And the Samurai, Tenchi, is merely another extension of the Emperor," Tenchi finished out loud; finding it obnoxious that he even remembered it.
He lumbered over to the chair cautiously and peered at through hostile eyes. His last attempt to harness the power of a space vessel hadn't gone smoothly at all.
"This thing better come with training wheels," he sighed.
The back of the chair melded with the contours of his back precisely. It was like he was made to sit in this chair and he had to admit, it felt comfortable compared to the places he had rested over the last few days.
A warm light instantly washed over the room illuminating every square inch of the bridge. Over a dozen transparent screens materialized out of thing air around him providing sensor readouts, status reports and other information in a hyper quick fashion.
Weapons, life support, defense, stealth mode, sensors, damage reports, everything was there. The screens kept multiplying exponentially like jackrabbits in heat.
As quick as they had all come all vanished just as quick in a blink of the eye.
For a second, Tenchi sat there blinking and unsure of what he had just witnessed. All doubts were expelled from his mind as a new much larger transparent screen appeared in front of him.
The woman who stared back at him from the large view screen caused a loud gasp to escape his lips. Red shocks of hair arranged an intricately crab-like pattern flowed over her shoulders and a mischievous pair of emerald eyes winked as she flashed a grinned that the Cheshire cat herself would envy.
"Washu!" Tenchi couldn't believe his eyes.
"Hola Tenchi! Surprised? Of course you are!" she cackled not missing a beat. "If you're seeing this, as you might have just guessed, something big happened. Something no one, even yours truly, saw coming."
"That's putting it mildly what the–" Tenchi began shouting excitedly before being interrupted.
"Now, these are more elaborate measure than I would normally like to take, and we're all sorry we for the deception, but unfortunately the rules have changed beyond my control – beyond any of our control. But rules are rules and exist solely to be broken. You're living proof of that." The petite scientist's grin softened into a regular smile.
"It's a recording," Tenchi muttered to himself, but quickly become unconcerned with that trivial fact as the message continued to playback.
"This is your ship Tenchi, the Orca. It's based on the leftover shell of Funaho that was used to contain Ryoko for so long, along with a nice dose of my own magic to create an interesting spliced Jurian/Hakubi hybrid ship. In sort, it's a new breed of organic ship. That's right, it's organic and alive just like Ryuoh or Ryo-ohki."
Tenchi half nodded in feeble understanding.
"Now, as I said I'm technically violating some rules here. We made an agreement, mine going back a little further than the deal the rest of the girls made, but suffice to say if I don't do this the game's over. Done. El fin. The end. So get that through your mind and keep it there."
Tenchi could only blink as he tried to digest what was being told to him.
"It's bad, Tenchi, but things are only going to get worse unless we can fix it. I know *we* can. But if we don't put a lid on it now the whole universe is in for a world of hurt like nothing we've ever seen." Washu was determined, but he could see the shadows of doubt her eyes now reflected.
She was scared.
Washu the greatest scientific genius in the whole damned universe was frightened, Tenchi realized. But scared of what?
"This message is going to disappear, it won't be played again, it won't have technically even existed, so remember this. I've programmed the ship's computer to respond by voice command using your algorithms only. Everything's keyed to your genetic code. I've also taken the liberty to setup several tutorial programs to get you acquainted with your little ship. It's not very big, but it's small, agile, fast and packs a hell of a punch. Train, Tenchi, train like there's no tomorrow."
Tenchi agreed to the view screen. "I could use some training." The beating Jorandan gave him was still livid in his mind, from the smell of burnt flesh to the sight of severed limbs flying in midair.
So surreal.
"There's one more thing. I've left you an extra present, something you probably noticed missing for a while now. I've made a few improvements that I think you'll like along with serving as your biological linkup to the ship's systems."
From the console's center, a square section of the dark surface opened as small circular pole ascended a few inches into the air. Around it gleamed his golden Jurian armor ring that the goddess Tsunami had given to him during the battle with Kagato.
It was different now; the carved surface containing ancient Jurian tree patterns now featured a strip of pure ebony down the middle of the band.
"Always keep it on, you'll never know when you'll need it. The universe is more dangerous than it ever has been and your going to need every trick you've got up your sleeve to make it."
Tenchi detached it from the circular pole and slide it quietly onto his right ring finger. The pole silently descended back into the console from where it came.
"You have a lot of catching up to do, Tenchi, there's so much we need to tell you. I wish I could explain more to you now, but I'm out of time. We all are. The ship will be set to automatically travel to a certain set of coordinates, we'll be waiting for you there."
He gulped instinctively.
Washu voice was firm. "If my calculations are correct, and they're never wrong, you'll have received this within two weeks of our abrupt departure. Curiosity has always been your driving force."
Tenchi started going numb. His limbs barely registered, it was if the whole world had frozen in one fraction of a second. Everything was still, only the sound of his heart beating registered to him. Part of him realized that this ship, the Orca, was no longer moving. It had come to a silent halt minutes ago as the stars had stopped streaking past as unreal speeds.
Nothing was here. He was alone.
"All is not lost yet, but hurry. See you soon."
Some part of him picked up on her words, but couldn't understand them as Washu's image faded from screen.
Faded into darkness.
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"DAMN IT!" Tenchi shouted as he landed a hit dead center on the steel gray punching bag he was currently fixated on.
Cursing was largely foreign to Tenchi, every derogatory phrase he had ever muttered sounded unnatural on his lips. At a time like this though, not a whole lot did.
He tried to catch his breath while once again drenched in sweat. The castaway was brushing up on his skills in the ship's training room, one of the few "luxuries" Washu had deemed appropriate to equip the ship with. The room was relatively small, only about 50 square feet, but it was marvelously equipped. Bokkens, punching bags, focus targets; it was all there neatly stored.
It had been roughly thirty six hours since awakening on the Orca. Curious name for a ship, Tenchi thought, considering that particular flower's legacy on his home planet. It seemed contradictory given the ship's purpose, but then again, what wasn't these days?
Tenchi had gone over all of the available tutorials left for him in the ship's computer. He could fly the ship at will and utilize most of the ship's extra functions without many problems.
It would take some time to master completely, but time was a commodity he seemed to have plenty of at the moment.
Despite the unexpected changes in his situation, Tenchi Masaki lamented over the recent revelations given to him and all the implications it created.
Two weeks had turned into almost two decades.
No one had been waiting for him at the rendezvous spot. He never came until now. It was him who had abandoned them.
It wasn't them. It was me all a long! he gasped for the thousandth time in less than two days.
He had failed them. Him. Tenchi Masaki.
The person that the first crown princess of Jurai and the galaxy's most feared space pirate had lavished all their attention, hopes and dreams on had failed them.
How was I supposed to know I needed to go down into the cave?! he thought wildly as he executed a perfect round kick on the punching bag. The gym equipment Tenchi was using was more advanced than what had been found on Earth, but that was a given. The bag hovered in midair and countered it's own inertia.
"I always went to Ryoko's cave." It was a fact that seemed foreign to him yet held true. "I always went to Ryoko's cave." he repeated in a softer tone.
Why didn't I go then? Twenty years! Why didn't I go once in twenty years!
A new question that had no discernable answer. One of many that had filled his life for longer than he wished he could remember.
Above these questions new thoughts began bubbling.
Terrible realizations.
The universe was now a different place, whatever was going to happen probably had happened. The people who had counted on him might still be alive, but in what state? What condition?
But what had exactly happened and who was responsible for it?
Jorandan was an underling, he decided. A self-righteous one but a stooge all the same. He had admitted himself that he wasn't pulling the strings. He was someone else's errand boy.
But who?
Like gears springing to life in a dormant clock, Tenchi's mind began truly thinking. Three words began racing through his mind.
"Follow the trail."
That trail started with Jorandan. He would have to find him. But how?
"Orca, what's the long range sensor's status?"
:: Internal, short-range and long-range sensors functioning normally ::
Orca's mechanical voice had bothered him at first, but in the span of a few hours of studying and learning with it had made him adjust and adapt to it.
"When we departed Earth, a Jurian ship had already left a few hours before. Is there anyway you can track that ship?" Tenchi asked hopefully.
:: Affirmative. Energy trail recorded in sensor's logs. Calculating possible vector courses now. Stand by. ::
Tenchi's ears perked up. This was promising. There was, of course, the nagging issue of what to do with the man once he caught up with him but that didn't seem particularly important at the moment.
Then it hit him as his mind dipped back into the events of his final day on earth.
"I will of course convey your regards to your friends when I meet them. It won't be much longer now. How very, very sad and unnecessary this all was." Jorandan had grinned while towering over him with energy crackling in his hand. Draped in pristine robes tainted with his blood. "But if I can offer you one additional condolence. You won't be alone in death."
"Oh no."
Emotions are like a roller coaster, but unlike all good rides he didn't seem know when to get off. He didn't have an exit.
:: Analysis complete. Jurian vessel on direct course for Port Kane. ::
Tenchi was frantic. His body was shaking once more not from muscle fatigue but from the possibility that once again he had failed where he could have succeeded. "Orca, at his top speed how long ago did he get there?"
:: At top speed, the third generation Jurian treeship will arrive in approximately 1 day 14 hours, 21 minutes and 54 seconds. ::
Hope swelled in Tenchi's voice as the tremors in his body subsided. "What? He's not there yet?"
:: Affirmative. ::
Tenchi was scared to ask the next question, but what time he had was already running out. "Orca, at our top speed how fast could we get to Port Kane?"
:: At our top speed we can arrive at target destination in approximately 1 day 14 hours, 32 minutes and 23 seconds. ::
"That soon?" Tenchi blurted while wiping himself off with a towel he had set on the nearby bench. "How is that possible? He has at least a day's start on us!"
:: I am faster than a 3rd generation treeship. ::
Orca's response was as simple as it was brilliant. "Thank you Washu!" He felt like shouting for joy. "Calculate the course to Port Kane, I'm on my way to the bridge now!"
Tenchi's feet never touched the floor as he traversed the length from the training room to the bridge.
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His grip tightened on each of the twin control orbs. The sleek surface remained cool to the touch despite having been clasped by his hands firmly for the last hour. Sitting in the pilot's chair was exhilarating beyond words. The open view set him apart – nothing but open space upon the starlit horizon. Ryoko had called flying true freedom once before, a sentiment he could now understand and appreciate fully.
He had to turn around or look down to remind himself of where he was.
Tenchi had studied jet fighters and all of the sensations pilots encountered at high altitudes. G-forces were always intense, but thanks to the inertial dampeners the ride was always smooth no matter what maneuvers he performed.
Meanwhile his mind continued to accelerate sharply just as his ship sped through space. "Pull up any information on this place, will you Orca?" Tenchi inquired out loud. He would need technical readouts to formulate a plan. He needed to know what was there, why it was there and how it all was interconnected.
:: Standby ::
It occurred to Tenchi that the voice had lost all traces of being mechanical as if it had matured in someway over the last day. The former shrine keeper also realized that the voice was no longer emanating by sound waves from the deck's hidden onboard speakers, but rather reverberated from within his mind.
It could be the ring, he thought, or maybe a direct telepathic connection like with what Ryoko and Ayeka enjoyed with their ships respectively. He didn't care at the moment either way provided it worked.
He had more pressing matters to think about.
:: Port Kane stands on the threshold of the Aragoth, Cygni and Polaris sectors. The unique vantage point has made Port Kane the central hub for business, trade, leisure, re-supplying and other essential services and commerce. The name "Port Kane" originates 921 years ago when Azusa Jurai defeated the inter-dimensional being known as 'Kane' in a fierce battle around the region. ::
"Hmm interesting. Does the GXP or Jurian military keep a presence there?"
:: Both the Galaxy Police and Jurian Imperial Navy have frequently re-supplied at the station in the past, but only the Galaxy Police has an official office in service. Current information on the station's status is unavailable. ::
"And even that could have changed over the years that have passed," Tenchi conceded. Without current information and vital intel, he might as well be walking into an enemy stronghold.
When the options were weighed, he decided that ship-to-ship combat would be unwise. Although assured by Orca that her firepower was superior to that of the Jurian treeship, the controllable Lighthawk Wings Jorandan's ship was equipped with would prove to be a formidable challenge while he was still getting acquainted with the systems of his new ship.
No, best to keep things up close and personal, he decided.
He was well rested, healed and in slightly better mental and physical condition than the first time he had faced him, but with a little luck this would be a battle he wouldn't fight alone.
He hoped.
The trick was in timing all of this. The Jurian would beat him to the station a few minutes in advance, which meant that he would have to make up time in finding where exactly on the mammoth spaceport they were.
"What's our ETA now?"
:: 4 minutes, 32 seconds ::
Tenchi's heart began beating faster as adrenaline flowed unrestricted through his veins. The moment he had waited so long for was fast approaching and he hadn't the first clue of what to do.
His only condolence was the fact that any reunion speeches would have until ashen haired Jurian was taken care of.
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Port Kane loomed over him like the fabled dragon preparing to devour it's prey. Hulking masses of scrap metal intertwined with other parts and materials creating a behemoth of the likes Tenchi had never seen before. Around the Orca other vessels swarmed around. Big transport ships, smaller fighters to sleek pirate corvettes.
For a place that was hailed as one of the premiere and respected commerce hubs it looked more rundown and ranshackled than what he expected. Charring and blast marks were evident on many of the alloy platings that seemed unnaturally fused to the main bulk.
:: Incoming transmission from Port Kane. ::
"Put it through," Tenchi ordered. Just remember, it's probably only standard docking procedure. Relax Tenchi. Everyone thinks you're dead. "But audio only. No video feed."
Static filled the air before a voice overcame the distortion. "This is Enclave traffic control. We read you on our sensors. Identify yourself and state your intentions or leave immediately." The voice at the other end seemed tired and agitated.
Tenchi's eyebrow arched up curiously. "Enclave? Uh..yeah. This is Orca requesting permission to dock."
Moments passed before he received a response. "Docking costs 200 standard credits payable upon arriving. No tricks, no trouble. Violate those rules and you'll find yourself permanently expelled or worse. Are we clear?"
"Understood," he quickly agreed, putting no conditions on the arrangement. Weird, Tenchi thought. The station seems to have undergone a change in management judging by the paranoia and laissez faire attitude the trafficker had.
"Docking ring C, transmitting coordinates now. Dock master out."
The audio feed cut abruptly leaving Tenchi to wonder what exactly waited within the rotting station.
"It's nice to know that the concept of quality customer service is dead throughout the galaxy," he quipped.
A fast check of the navigational HUD revealed that the ship had indeed received the necessary information to navigate to the proper docking ring.
He had done this three times in simulation. Once successful, the other time he had exerted too much thruster power and had caused minor structural damage to the docking port and ship and the last time he had accidentally slipped and rammed into a row of fuel containers causing massive explosions and chaos, effectively ending the tutorial session.
Confident that he could pull off the feat without assistance, Tenchi grasped the gray control orbs and veered the ship forward into the hanger bay. Sparks flew from repair crews working on other ships overhead. Metal jetted out everywhere creating a labyrinth-like maze that demanded precise concentration. All around him zigging and zagging as people went about their business.
And I thought parking in Tokyo was bad, he thought to himself as he completed the final docking maneuvers.
A few moments later steam hissed loudly as the final rusty clamps latched firmly into position. The ship was secured.
"Orca, do you have a lock on that treeship yet?"
:: The Jurian vessel docked 15 minutes ago in a tier 25 levels above our current position. ::
Tenchi nodded mutely before rising from his seat to head towards the door. "Orca, please keep all systems on standby and be ready to depart at a moment's notice. We may need to get out of here in a hurry."
:: Affirmative ::
The airlock lay just outside of the ship's central hub that gave access to each of the Orca's major compartments. A quick check of his belt revealed the Tenchi-ken clasped firmly to his side while his Jurian armor ring gleamed brightly from the fingers of his right hand. Washu had provided a few sets of basic clothes, dark pants, boots and a white t-shirt. Given the desolate condition the clothes he had left earth wearing, the foresight had been much appreciated.
A chip containing 100,000 standard credits hadn't been a bad idea either. Thanks to the redheaded wonder, he would be self-sufficient for time being, not to mention law abiding.
At the airlock, Tenchi inhaled deeply. He was crossing another line today into an even more uncertain future. The thought that he could very well lose his life crossed his mind more than once, but after everything he survived it seemed an insult to life to stop now. Besides that, everyone knew when the moment was before them.
This wasn't it. Not yet.
With a swoosh, the airlock flew wide open flooding Tenchi's senses with the stagnant stench of old leaking fuel particles and half-emptied waste containers. A murky blue light bathed everything in sight with its eerie tinge on the hard metal surfaces.
"You the owner of this ship?" a gruff voice barked.
Tenchi turned his head to see a stubby looking bald man waddling towards him. A limp was evident in his right leg. He looked somewhat human, although unshaved and un-bathed for what appeared to be several days. A bent nose dotted his otherwise chubby face.
"I am. Are you here to collect the docking fee?"
"Yeah" he mouthed gruffly. "I'm here for the payment. 250 standard credits."
Tenchi frowned. "The dockmaster said 200 when I spoke to him."
"Dockmaster says a lot of things but I'm the one who collects, get my meaning?"
Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck. "Not entirely. But I would be willing to pay 400 credits if you could provide me some information."
The collector's eyes narrowed as his voice became more gravely. "What kind of information?"
"Nothing major. You see, I was traveling with a good friend and during our last stop we got separated. This was our next stop on our trip and figured he'd be waiting for me here."
"Well, what's he look like?" he grumbled.
"Young looking, like an older teenager, with long white hair normally dressed in exotic robes. Hard person to miss." Tenchi pulled out his credit chip to further entice him. Absently he dangled it back and forth between his fingers.
The crotchety man stroked his chin with his right hand. He was missing two fingers. "Haven't seen anyone like that," he admitted. Tenchi detected no apparent deception in his voice. " But I've been down all day. I do know some people who might be able to help ya. For a price."
"I could take you to him," a small voice blurted out of nowhere.
Tenchi's eyes darted to the source, only to find himself gazing at the shadows occupying the depths of a hollowed rusted tube that was perched on top of various other pieces of salvaged junk that lay discarded to his side.
A smile crossed Tenchi's face. "Do you know whom I'm talking about?" he asked.
"The Jurian," came the soft reply.
"Looks like I'm in luck then," Tenchi stated putting both arms on his waist and crouching down on one knee to get a better look at the darkened insides of the tube. The wobbly old collector looked as if he was about to protest but Tenchi paid him no mind. "Why don't you come out of there so we can talk, ok?"
"Okay!" the voice excitedly agreed.
Rustling resonated from within the dark as a small figure quickly slid out and into the light. She was small, no older than ten from the looks of her. A mop of dark black hair lay tangled atop her small head. She was wearing rags, he discovered, only a pullover white tunic that was a size too large and far too dirty and grimy. Her large silver eyes sparkled like diamonds as she blinked several times in rapid succession.
"Hello there," Tenchi greeted her warmly.
"Hi," she replied shyly as a faint blush crept it's way onto her cheeks.
"What's your name?" Tenchi asked while at the same time helping her get back on her legs and up from the unclean floor.
"Michiko," she stated proudly before dusting herself off. "All my friends call me Miko for some reason though." Michiko glanced upwards at Tenchi anxiously, "What's yours?"
"I see," he grinned while looking her over. "My name is Tenchi."
The collector, tired of being ignored, lost the last of his patience. "Now wait just a minute. You're one of those little blue skinned monsters who terrorizes B-deck!" He stared at her intensely through one bulging eye before moving in closer. "Yes, I was right, wasn't I? She runs with a pack of orphaned wolves. Operate in the shadows they do. Thievin' and conspiring and always drawn like Ziellwender Vultures to rotting flesh."
Tenchi looked for the girl in confusion. Abandoning all shyness, a warm grin appeared on her face.
"Nothing good can come from following her, Mister. Let me help you out and get you directed to some proper folks who are in the know."
"Can you show me where my friend is right away? I'm kind of in a rush," Tenchi asked sincerely.
"For a price...or presents," she replied cutely before wrinkling her nose. "I like presents."
The air seemed thicker to Tenchi suddenly. He was running out of time. "We'll talk about it on the way. Ok?"
She nodded sagely in agreement.
Tenchi took a step toward the balding collector. Sweat was now glistening on his oil-soaked skin. "Here's 300 for all you're troubles," he offered by extending his chip outward to him. He accepted it solemnly by scanning it through a rectangular device he had produced from within his pockets.
"Be on your toes, she's going to try to pull a fast one on you. Mark my words, Mister." With that he promptly turned on his heels and began limping back to the small office he had occupied, muttering under his breath the entire way.
"Lets get going!" Michiko declared offering her small hand to Tenchi. He took it hesitantly right before she broke into a full sprint with him in tow.
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Michiko traversed the endless corridors, rooms and markets with the skill and precision of a mountain goat on a steep ice-coated cliff. Nimbly she darted to and fro with Tenchi trailing behind her.
"Where are we going?" Tenchi shouted. People all around them were talking in the very crowded corridor they were headed through.
He hadn't been around so maybe people in such close proximity in a long time. He wasn't afraid of being in crowded situations, Tenchi was traumatized but not to that absurd degree. People were people.
Whether they had antennas, colorful skin and pointy ears or not.
"To VaBou's!" she chanted while in full flight.
Tenchi didn't struggle to keep pace, he was still in perfect physical condition, but wasn't as keen on pushing people aside and passing through people as the small blue skinned child was. "How far away is it?" he asked in-between breaths.
Black hair wisped behind her. "Not far, five more decks, not far at all!"
Tenchi moaned.
A tall vertical ladder stood erected in front them. Without pausing or missing a beat, Michiko jumped onto the ladder and scrambled upwards. Tenchi followed suit.
The hatch above popped open allowing the nimble girl to dart through it unhindered. The light in this area was no longer tinted in blue, but rather red.
A whole new smell greeted him after ascending the ladder and closing the hatch behind him. Music swelled in the background. A sultry sound full of rhythmic swings and echoed in far away moans.
"Where are we?" Tenchi wondered. Michiko ignored him while she quickly scanned the area. He knelt down beside her as she watched, obviously looking for something.
She turned around to face him. "Too dangerous. We'll have to take a shortcut."
"Huh?"
Before Tenchi could even mouth the question they were running again.
Everything was made out of metal or heavy plastic-like material of some sort. Stores, vendors and houses littered the sides of every wall. Bright flamboyant signs reminded Tenchi of the neon signs he had remembered from his many exertions into Tokyo.
Everything here was seamy and dark. He had his suspicions. The people roaming this district seemed to confirm them all and more.
It was a flesh show. From outfits that would have landed you in jail in most non-European countries, to suggestive gestures and looks he received from people of both sexes. Others were more blatant – more primal with no apparent reservations about conduct in a public place. He tried to shove them out of his mind only to turn the corner and see something much worse.
All bathed in the putrid red as the music cascaded over them all.
They arrived at the door minutes later. The entryway was laced in neon lights and alien symbols he couldn't begin to understand. All the same he had a pretty good idea of what it meant.
"Why are we here?" he asked concerned. A knot had been growing in his stomach at the uneasiness at being in such a sordid place. It kept getting bigger.
"The upper levels are restricted," she explained while bemused at the look on his face. "You're too big to fit in the vents so I'll have to slice access to the elevator."
"And in here is the only place you can do it?" he ask incredulously, not sure any of this was real suddenly - a small presumably innocent girl leading him through the valley of the damned.
"Yup," she grinned. "Let's go in and see Eolanda the Wise!"
Pressing her finger to the pad engraved to the side of the frame, the door opened permitting entrance. She scampered in, and for one brief moment all Tenchi could see were two aqua colored pigtails bobbing in front him.
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The knot that had settled into his stomach had grown exponentially in the last five minutes alone.
"What a strapping man you've found, Miko!" the voluptuous woman gasped. She rushed over immediately to look Tenchi from head to two. "Quite a find indeed, tell me, is he really yours?"
Other women darted past them in various stages of undress while cold sweat glistened on their skin. The modest-sized establishment was recently closed, or so it looked despite the parting glances given to him by the exotic ladies. Without a doubt, the whole place was indeed a flesh show that no one was excluded from. Bright white light beamed downward illuminating every nook and cranny in the place.
A bar lavishly gleamed to the far right while a stage was featured in the prominent center. The left contained a staircase that lead both up and down into unknown regions. The departing women all traveled up the stairs and not down. To the back, a hallway reached for several yards before coming to a dead end. Doorways labeled in numbers scattered the length of it.
Everything was pristinely polished underneath the bright white light marking a clear contrast to every other place on the station Tenchi had visited.
"Well sorta..." The shyness in Michiko's grin returned.
"I'll pay top dollar for him!" Eolanda gushed. "A fine specimen of manhood such as this would fetch top dollar on the market."
Her long flowing dark green hair and was reasonably well groomed along with the rest of her blue skinned body, Tenchi bleakly observed, aside from the little fact she was wearing nothing and was increasingly flaunting it before him.
Tenchi had always wondered how women tolerated high heels, especially the platform variety. By all accounts they looked painful to wear, awkward and above all else vain to the tenth degree.
He never liked them.
Men in his native country, Japan, had a particular fascination with women who had tiny feet, but that fetish along with this bizarre foot fashion had always puzzled him to no end.
Yet here stood a gorgeous woman, donned in a pair of arched red platform heels so advanced that the toe itself didn't touched the ground, pawing at him while purposely tapping her left foot in an even rhythm.
Tap shoes had also puzzled Tenchi a great deal. But they annoyed him far more than they intrigued him.
"Um...Michiko," Tenchi asked while scratching his neck aggressively.
"Yes, Tenchi?" she replied sweetly.
"We need to get moving. I have to find the Jurian, remember?"
Her face brightened as if she had momentarily forgotten the purpose of this venture. "Eolanda, we need to get to the upper decks but he's too big!" She turned to hop up on her lap. "Can you hack us access to one of the smaller lifts, prreettty please? It's really important."
"Hmm," Eolanda purred while staring at the dumbfounded man. "That would pose a problem," she quickly explained while flashing a dazzling smile. "Such a problem that I simply must insist on 25% of whatever you're paying her, and by my estimate that will be a nice sum if I know Miko's prices."
Tenchi glanced at Michiko who looked lost in thought.
"Deal," she agreed with a heavy sigh.
"Excellent, come right this way," she motioned with her left hand while Tenchi averted his eyes from the suggestive artwork that was displayed on all tables and that littered the walls.
The path led downward straight to the bottom of the stairs. Much to Tenchi's joy, it was a little darker than the blinding light that blanketed the area above.
Three sealed circular doors confronted them.
Eolanda gracefully walked up to the middle door and turned to leer at Tenchi. "One of these doors leads to a backroom elevator that will allow safe passage to the upper tiers of the station," she remarked casually before grinning wickedly. "Only one of the doors leads the right place, the others...will take you on a oh-so-fun-filled journey you won't soon forget."
Michiko skipped a head of Tenchi to stand beside the nude woman.
"Choose wisely."
Tenchi bore into her eyes. "You have to be kidding me."
Both females smiled and shook their heads in unison.
"Incredible," Tenchi decided. "What's really bad is the fact that even on my homeworld an idiot could figure this out."
Michiko and Eolanda exchanged glances.
It was Tenchi's turn to shake his head. "It's the middle door, the one you two are guarding," he said. "I mean, sheesh, anyone with half a brain could figure that out."
Eolanda giggled, as Michiko looked on amused.
"I'll go on a head and activate the lift," she announced. The little girl activated the door's opening mechanism and embarked down the long hallway a head of them.
"We weren't really going to let you go down the wrong path," Eolanda confided to him. "It's a tradition, you see, that has gone on around here for a very long time."
Tenchi shrugged unapologetically. "What is this girl to you? Are you related?" he inquired curiously.
Eolanda flashed him another quaint smile. "She's my eyes and ears on the street. Because of that, I look after her."
"You look after her?" he asked while watching the pre-teen dart down the hallway in her dirt caked clothes.
"She's an orphan, just like the rest of them. No parents, no real future," she replied. "I try to be a good influence on her," Eolanda tilted her head slightly while crossing her arms over her ample assets.
"A young girl can use all the good influences she can get," Tenchi agreed dryly.
"I would wager this is your first time on Enclave, tell me, why are you really here?"
"Looking for answers."
"I see," Eolanda said. "This is a very strange place to come looking for any kind of answers. People come here to become lost."
Tenchi began walking toward the lift at the end of the hallway before pausing in mid-step. He turned to face her once more. "Tell me something Eolanda, what happened here?"
"Here?" she repeated.
"Yes, wasn't this place called Port Kane? An important business hub in the the galaxy? Do the Galaxy Police even have an office here any more?"
"Port Kane?" she scoffed. "This place hasn't been called that in years since the pirate and smugglers moved in. Everyone from here to Jurai knows that." Her gaze became more intense as she continued, "And of course the Galaxy Police aren't here anymore."
"Why?"
Eolanda stared at him dumfounded. "The Galaxy Police don't exist anymore, you know that...don't you?"
"No."
"They disbanded over fifteen years ago. It's a non-existent organization now, officially that is."
"Officially?" Tenchi asked.
"There's rumors of a few scattered remnants – rogue remnants mind you – that still operate along the outer rim. Whatever forces they were able to muster together isn't much compared to the Jurian Imperial Navy and the X'vonian."
"X'vonian?"
Eolanda exploded. "What the hell are you talking about? How can you *not* know all of this already?"
"Been hiding under a rock lately I guess," Tenchi shrugged impartially.
"Who are you?"
"Just a guy trying to find some answers, just like I said." Tenchi took a few more steps down the hall before turning around again. "It's pretty obvious isn't it?"
"Nothing else would seem to explain it," she admitted not entirely convinced. "Go pick up a holonet archive or something. Sounds like you could use a history lesson."
Tenchi nodded his head in agreement. "A good idea."
From the end of the far hall Michiko yelled at the top of her lungs. "Heeelloo down there! The elevator's waiting!"
Tenchi and Eolanda both had a good chuckle. "She is a handful, isn't she?"
"Agreed," Tenchi concurred, having long since lost any sense of abnormality at having a conversation with a naked woman. "Take care of yourself, and thank you for helping me out. I mean it."
Tenchi's genuine sincerity forced a blush on her untamed cheeks. "You are most welcome. Come back again if you're looking for a good time...I'll give you one personally," she winked coyly.
Ever the fast the one, Tenchi had already sprinted down to the end of the hall and into the elevator lift. Michiko was about to close the doorway when they heard Eolanda shouting hysterically.
"Tenchi! Wait!"
Both peered outside the metal frame as Eolanda ran up to him, bouncing on high heels and forcing Tenchi to once more admire the well-cleaned ceiling.
"You mentioned a Jurian a few minutes ago," she panted trying to catch her breath. Sweat dripped freely from her off breasts and chin. "Don't get involved with any Jurian or any business with them, Tenchi."
Before he could ask why she put a finger to his lips.
"Ever since the coupe things haven't been safe anywhere, least of all for non-Jurians in Jurai space. These people are paranoid and dangerous, Tenchi, even away from their territory. Don't put yourself in harms way needlessly. Especially with the X'vonian slithering around their necks and calling the shots for them."
"The what?"
The countless questions that were poised to explode off his lips were sealed behind the dense metallic doors that suddenly closed in front of him as the lift sprung to life and lurched upwards.
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The lift propelled itself upwards silently as Tenchi contemplated all he had just learned. From his side Michiko hummed quietly, periodically bobbing up and down with a smile on his face.
"What is VaBou's?" Tenchi asked suddenly.
Michiko looked up at him. "Hm?"
"VaBou's – you said that's where my friend's at. What is it?"
Placing a finger on her chin, the small girl contemplated for only a moment before explaining. "It's a bar."
Tenchi was a little disappointed. "Just a bar? Drinks, food, friendly neighborhood gathering spot?"
"No. Not just any bar," she continued. "It's a very special one where only certain people can enter."
Tenchi scratched his forehead. "Oh so it's like a club?"
"A very, very important club," she stressed. "Only the most important traders, smugglers, mercenaries, pirates and assassins are let in."
Tenchi was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "How do you plan on getting me in there?"
The smile that spread on her lips was as innocent as it was devilish. "I know a secret way to get us in."
"I just need to get you to show me the way," Tenchi decided. "I'll give you the payment then."
Michiko's all-knowing smile said otherwise, but her lips remained sealed for the time being.
Tugging on her companion's arm, Michiko raised a hand to point at the door. Instantly the lift came to a complete stop and the doors swung open.
"This way," she continued to point. "It isn't far now."
The upper levels of Port Kane were vastly superior to the lower areas. Construction was more solid; the air was less dingy although it still permeated him with an unsavory fragrance. The people were not necessarily more high class, but definitely more lethal.
Everyone was armed.
Holstered blasters, miniature blast packs, to high-powered rifles slung across backs, Tenchi was convinced there was enough firepower and technology to take down a powerful country. He received a few glances from other people passing through, but by and by no one paid either of them much mind for likewise they gave them the same respect.
The crowd thinned as they approached what looked like an entrance to a hovel. Slabs of scrap metal lay plastered along the humble abode's doorframe. Above the main entryway, in simple black letters, read VaBou's.
No glitzy lights, no armed guards in sight.
Michiko spoke before Tenchi could. "We're here."
Brown eyes filled with puzzlement, Tenchi looked around. "What's the catch?"
"There is none. We walk in."
"But you said they didn–" he began before being cut off.
"I said they didn't let just anyone in, but they let me."
Tenchi only shook his head in amazement. "You are full of surprises, little one." He knelt down beside her to brush a stray strand of to one side of her head. "But it's time you received your reward for a job well done," he paused while looking into her bright silver eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
"But you said he was your friend?" she admonished with a cheerful smile on her lips.
Tenchi sighed. "It's complicated."
Silver eyes reflecting wisdom beyond her age, Michiko's look became serious. "Life is as complicated or simple as you make it, Tenchi."
"Wise words, Michiko," Tenchi smiled faintly. "But we must part ways now. Do you understand?"
Her smile returned in full mischievous force. "I understand that you won't be allowed in there if I'm not with you and that if we wait any longer the fireworks are going to be over." With gleam in her eyes, Michiko grabbed his arm once more. "C'mon, lets go!"
Against his better judgment, he followed her in.
Inside VaBou's a bartender greeted Michiko happily with a nod and a wave but Tenchi kept to the shadows. He was large, muscled and the spitting image of the stereotypical tough guy. The little girl darted on top of the one the stools and whispered something into the barkeeper's attentive ear and pointing to Tenchi's secluded spot. He nodded in apparent understanding and whispered something back to her.
The large establishment was made up of two central decks. One ground level and the other a good thirty yards above the ground. Tables and chairs were strewn everywhere providing ample opportunity to have a nice quiet talk with an acquaintance or a jovial dinner with a great number of people. Mirrors lined all the walls for whatever reasons Tenchi knew not.
It was well maintained, but the place was nothing out of the ordinary.
As for the people occupying VaBou's itself, there were plenty, although all seemed unusually quiet. Nothing was particularly extravagant about any of them, but the little girl hadn't led him astray yet, and experience taught him that even the most ordinary looking people could often be extraordinary. The silence was what keyed him off.
People who talk and make a show were easy to profile. Silence was like the cloak of obscurity. It revealed nothing but yet spoke great volumes about potential.
Yes, silent people were always the most dangerous simply because you couldn't ascertain what they were capable of.
It was always the quiet one, a fact Tenchi respected.
The pattering of feet announced that Michiko had returned from talking with the bartender.
"It's better upstairs," she revealed. "Follow me!"
As if Tenchi could do anything else.
Above the twisting staircase, Tenchi marveled at the view. VaBou's rustic atmosphere was vintage, but for a small moment he felt almost normal - just kicking back, having a drink and enjoying the company of friends. It was a mirage, and he dismissed it as such returning his focus back to reality.
"Your friend is a very important person," Michiko decided. "VaBou told me he even rented one of his backrooms to him. He's in there now waiting for someone to come, but who?" she asked curiously. She guided him to a table already occupied by an gray haired man wearing a well worn flight suit colored in gradient shades of green. His hands and face were both wrinkled, but his eyes revealed hidden energy.
"Yup," the man agreed. "Must be real important. VaBou hardly ever rents out those rooms."
"Stay here, Tenchi," Michiko ordered. "I'm going to go see who else is about."
She was already halfway down the staircase when she rushed back. "Oh! And say hello to Vaughn there, he's one of my friends!" As quick as she'd left and come back, she was gone once more.
"Yes, she's something else," Tenchi concluded, sitting down in the chair opposite of Vaughn.
He nodded with a smile creaking on his lips.
"You a friend?" he inquired offhandedly.
Tenchi considered the question for a moment. "I think I'm more of a client than friend. At least right now."
Vaughn shook his head in neutral understanding before raising his drink back to his lips to drink from it liberally.
A few minutes passed before a sound from within the wall grabbed his attention. Something was coming closer and coming fast.
"Do you hear that?" he asked his impartial drinking companion. He nodded mutely refusing even eye contact. Setting the glass of water he had ordered back on the table, Tenchi shifted his chair to face the wall.
Metal grinded against metal as a ventilation shaft just underneath where Vaugh had his legs propped up opened revealing an even dirtier looking Michiko.
"She's here! She's really here!" the girl exclaimed.
Tenchi's eyebrow shot up in confusion.
"I can't believe she's really here, Vaughn!"
Vaughn sat his drink down. "Bound to happen sooner or later," he mumbled.
"Who is here?" Tenchi asked, excitement was threatening to surface in full force at the very thought of the possibilities his mind was contemplating.
Michiko was practically jumping up and down, her now dull-white tunic drenched in dirt and grime. "She's headed HERE!" she struggled to keep her voice low.
"Who?" Tenchi repeated, having noticed the excited girl had now forcefully placed both hands over her mouth as here eyes went wide.
Vaughn's chair rattled as he moved it closer to the edge of the deck overlooking the entrance, bar and bottom tables. "Her idol of course." he said simply. "Who do you think could cause such a reaction? She's a kid ya' know."
Keeping to the long shadows cast on the upper deck, he moved his chair to get a better look at the floor below. Tenchi leaned forward momentarily toward Vaughn and repeated himself. "Who?"
His response was gruff and indignant. "The galaxy's most wanted criminal of course." Vaughn leaned back in his chair as he watched Tenchi's eyes grow wide with unbelief. "Yep, we're in for a real treat boy. Scourge of the civilized space, Queen of the Pirates, the acid coated barbed thorn in Jurain Empire's side; they call her. Word has it she's one of the most powerful fighter in known space."
A grin slowly crossed Tenchi's face as realization dawned on him of just who was approaching.
The woman Jorandan was meeting.
"And she's a real looker too, ya know? The holonet pictures don't begin to do her justice," his words took on an almost dreamlike tone. "Most beautiful woman in all of the galaxy."
"There she is!" Michiko announced in a reverently hushed tone, stars gleaming in her wide eyes.
Tenchi leaned back in his chair, concealed from spying eyes from ground, to observe her entrance. Loud murmurings erupted from all in attendance as heads turned to stare at the woman who had just set foot inside.
Hips swaying erotically with every step she took, she sauntered toward the middle table on the top part of the ground deck with all eyes locked on her and her alone.
Her legs were perfectly encased in glossy black thigh-length boots that magnified and accentuate her long toned legs. An tight, form-fitting one piece outfit of the same sleek color guarded her hourglass figure fleetingly, embellishing the lines of her curves and leaving her upper thighs and a generous portion of her round and shapely backside exposed in radiant splendor.
The dark material resembled something similar to latex or leather from his home world, but given way it hugged and melded to her skin pefectly suggested something far more advanced and exotic.
The front of her one-piece ensemble consisted of intertwining laces that wound upwards that stopped an inch from where it her held her generously endowed bosoms like a binding corset. The resulting enhanced cleavage showcased to all bounced alluringly as she took each precise step but remained under the strictest of control and discipline courtesy of her elaborate attire.
Each hand was adorned in an elbow-length gloves made out of the same material and color, but trimmed at the top in deep lilac, just as with the boots and straps. The contrast between smooth obsidian and creamy skin could not have been more potent. A thick band encircled her neck while jagged silvery spikes protruded from the centerline.
Attention gravitated to her not only because of her ensemble but also because of how she wore it and the way she carried herself in it.
She conveyed the most commanding of presences. The garb was the bait, but her regal movements and opulent mannerisms were the real trap.
Tenchi mouth laid a gape; eyes refusing to focus on anything save her. Michiko and Vaughn's ramblings were forgotten while he took in her every move.
Yes, Tenchi had to admit, the outfit he had somewhat expected in the back of his mind of remote possibilities.
The long flowing lavender hair lushly tied enigmatically behind her he had not.
Ayeka Jurai's lips curled into a pout as she thoughtfully surveyed her new surroundings like a predator eying claim to new territory. Dark crimson eyes sparkled mysteriously, blocking and utterly halting passage to the windows of her soul.
A million thoughts raced through Tenchi's mind as he beheld her. Understanding and comprehension abandoned him entirely, as if the two valued reasoning abilities had come to life, sprouted wings and taken flight.
Nothing made sense.
Nothing was right.
Minutes passed before words finally escaped his lips.
"At least she's not wearing heels."
To be continued...
Closing Song: Purify
Written by Balligomingo and performed by Kate Hunter
I kiss my window facing south
where endless rains are splashing blue
My mouth spills an ocean of words
crashing waves of intention
If I stood still
Under dark gray skies
Would memories flood me
With alibis
It's here where I stand
with time in hand
Prophesize those days
Rain on me
Wash the rain away my dear
Incandescence can dance
through white shades of sand
Perfects skies
tell the tides
Rain on me
A thousand days of rain
And I see the sunrise kissing my face
sometimes
And I know the sun shines down on me
Rain on me
Feel the sunlight in my face
See the sunshine in my grace
Now that I know I am here
Wash the rain away my dear
The cycle will continue in: Acquiescence.
--
Preview of next chapter: With destiny ruefully hijacked, Tenchi Masaki struggles to make sense of all that is happening around him. Meanwhile, Jorandan lurks in every corner as the game of cat and mouse comes to a dangerous close, but with the addition of a new unpredictable player who's loyalties are unknown things are bound to only heat up more.
Authors Notes: Lets all say it together, "this just ain't/isn't right!" Incidentally, the alternative title for this chapter was "Fallen Hero" but I found it too blatant and revealing and switched to the current choice. However, it does ask the central question in a straightforward and point blank manner, what happens when heroes fail?
There is much to say, but I feel I should instead focus on the fact that I've taken so insanely long between updates, apologize for it, and beg profusely for forgiveness. With New Years comes new resolutions; hopefully the one I made will prove fruitful.