Disclaimer: Hi again. Don't own Tenchi, don't own Spade. Incidentally, this is a collaboration between myself and my friend who I know only as LSSJ Spadesama. The original concept was his, but its been tweaked a bit. You might think Spade bears a remarkable resemblance to a generic Dragon Ball Z character, and, though these were originally his roots in my friend's mind, I shall try to minimize that effect. Reviews are always nice to receive, and constructive criticism is great too. If you think this is the worst fic you've ever read, its good to hear why you think that. I'm babbling now. Happy reading ^^.

The pair of royal guards stepped quickly through the familiar halls, their charge firmly in tow. Occasionally they turned to look at the cloaked man, his face, or what little was visible of it, completely calm despite the grandeur of their surroundings. Their pace was quick, but not enough to outdo the stranger, who seemed to float for all the noise he made. They drew to a halt as the large wooden doors loomed suddenly into their vision. The eldest guard turned to his companion, nodded curtly, and opened the doors, entering and closing them as quickly as possible. Nervously, the younger man fingered the carved wooden blade at his hip.

The stranger smiled. Such inexperience. These must be the Emperors new recruits. His heels touched the marble floors for the first time since entering into the guards custody, his leather soles making a small sound which echoed faintly in the massive hall. The guard jumped slightly, aiming his staff at the hooded stranger. His smile stretched a bit further at the thought of doing battle with this young man. "Have you any idea who I am?" he asked quietly.

"You are not to speak unless spoken to," came the curt reply.

The stranger's eyes flashed beneath the shadow of his hood. Before the young guard knew what had happened, his staff was in the other man's hands, pointed at him. He fumbled for his sword, igniting it and leaping back into a defensive stance. The man smiled, throwing back his hood. "I am the Lord of the Divine Wind. Do not try me with such petty games, for I know the rules, and am exempt from them. Replace your weapon."

At the sound of the man's name, and the authority in his voice, whatever resolve the young man had possessed was dashed. He replaced his sword at his hip and bowed on one knee. The man placed the staff at the guard's side and strode toward the doors purposefully, shoving the elder guard out of his way as he passed through them.

A regally dressed man stood at the center of the room, his long black hair pulled back and held in a pony tail with a bark patterned circlet. His stature was impressive, several inches taller than his new guest, and he stood as a man who is used to having his orders obeyed. The cloaked man approached him, looked carefully at him, then bowed.

"Stand up Spade, my old friend," said the emperor genially.

The cloaked man grinned and stood, embracing the emperor. "It has been too long, Kado."

"So it has, so it has," Kado replied, motioning to a cabinet of exotic liquors. "Do help yourself, Spade."

"I just might." Spade filled a decanter with Lexian aged Lloorian nectar, a particularly potent concoction, but took only tiny sips. "Now, my lord, why did you call me here?"

"Drop the formality, Spade, for Tsunami's sake," the emperor smiled. "How long have we known each other?"

"A few good years," observed Spade. His manner relaxed slightly. "Seriously, though, why am I here?"

The emperor's demeanor became more serious. "Another assassination attempt. They're getting more frequent. I worry."

"None have succeeded. You're the emperor of Jurai, you control more Jurai energy than any of us."

"Except for you."

"I have no Jurai energy."

"Perhaps not, but the power you control is quite impressive."

"So you invited me here to discuss battle strategies?"

Kado laughed. "In a way. I wish to procure your services. I wish you to be my personal guard. You've seen my other help, have you not?"

"Indeed," agreed Spade. "I wasn't terribly impressed."

"Now do you see why I want you as a bodyguard?"

"Shall we discuss pay?"

The emperor smiled.

Spade sat in the darkness of his chambers, all lights doused, the evening breeze blowing lightly through the half-drawn shades. His eyes were closed tightly, and his fists clenched, but otherwise seemed utterly relaxed, his body in the traditional lotus position. His cloak and shirt were draped over a nearby chair, and his skin twitched slightly as the air passed over it. He slowly reached back to grasp the hilt of his sword, which shone dully in the darkness, dimly reflecting the stars. A single word escaped his lips as he drew the blade over his forearm, across the artery:

"Ketsurui."

The blood glimmered black in the moonlight, weeping from his wound. As the liquid touched the sword, it was absorbed, and the blade began to glow, softly at first, then with increasing intensity. An aura of blue and black engulfed the sword. Spade noted with grim humor that blue, for others, was a pure color. He flexed his forearm and the wound began to close, causing the glowing blade to lose its intensity. Soon the wound was closed, and the room dark once again, save the moonlight reflected off of the trees.

Without opening his eyes, Spade replaced the sword, removed the scabbard from his back, and reclined on his new bed. "Damn sword," he thought before drifting into nothingness.

The curtains, as black as the night they shielded, slowly lifted as the wind continued to blow.

* * *

The man stood atop the Juraian royal palace, inhaling the sweet night air. The scent of grass and leaves and exotic flowers met his nose, causing him to smile against the black cloth covering most of his face. Soon the true beauty of Jurai would be freed from the tyrannical grip of the Emperor. Soon Jurai would be a free republic, the people would decide what was the right thing to do. Soon. With luck, tonight.

Of course, he had his own agenda as well. With the power of the Jurain emperor at his grasp, as well as his standing with the True Jurain Freedom Movement, he would be guaranteed a spot in the new senate. That's always a nice incentive for an assassination attempt.

He inhaled another full breath of the fragrant air and plunged into the royal hall, praying to Tsunami for her blessing in this task.

Spade's eyes snapped open. Someone new was here. Someone who shouldn't be. He quickly threw on his scabbard and slipped out the door, floating above the ground to avoid making any noise. He paused and listened for a full minute before hearing the sound of footsteps. "Whoever this is," he thought, "he's damn quiet."

Tracing the sound of the footsteps, he flew silently toward them, pausing now and again to ascertain the new location. Knowing the general layout of the palace, he could guess where the footsteps were heading.

"The throne room!" he whispered. Immediately he put on a fresh burst of speed.

The man moved quickly through the shadows, his black clothing melding almost perfectly in with the shadows. He moved purposefully, though it took more concentration than he would have liked. He had always been an admirer of architecture, and this was some of the finest he had ever had the pleasure of seeing. He shook his head and continued walking. He couldn't afford distractions.

The doors to the throne room loomed ahead, daunting and awe-inspiring. He smiled. Mission all but accomplished.

Spade raced toward the throne room, hoping to get there before the assassin, realizing stealth might have to be sacrificed for speed.

The assassin opened the great doors soundlessly, amazed at their lack of resistance. Undoubtedly they used some extremely light material to make these doors look marble. No stone on Jurai could be this light.

"STOP!"

The man gasped and spun around, seeing the figure racing toward him at an inhuman rate. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the emperor groggily rising from his bed. An opportunity not to be missed. The assassin raised his weapon. "For Jurai!" he cried, and squeezed the trigger, just as Spade knocked into him with the force of a freight train.

The strange weapon flew out of his hand, discharging the red beam at Spade, who grimaced and dodged the peculiar blast.

The man stood, unbelievably, and faced Spade. "You fool!" he exclaimed emphatically. "Don't stand in my way!" He charged at Spade, taking the warrior off guard. No one in their right minds would try this.

Spade rolled his eyes and brought his hands into a blocking pose, into which the man charged full tilt, expecting to knock his opponent to the ground.

Instead he bounced off of Spade's arms like he would a brick wall, and with all the apparent effects. His nose bled freely and rested at a strange angle across his face, and he spit out two teeth, coughing blood. He looked uncomprehendingly at Spade.

The warrior smiled. "Bad idea."

The man gazed dumbly around the room, then spotted his weapon just within reach. Spade followed his gaze, cursed, and launched himself at the man, who was pulling the weapon off the ground. The man grinned and fired at Spade, hitting him square in the chest.

A strange effect wrought itself on the warrior. Instead of blasting a hole where the beam struck, he began to crystallize. The process spread over his entire body, shrinking him as it progressed. In a matter of seconds only a red jewel existed where Spade had, which fell to the ground and bounced to the assassin.

The man looked to where the emperor was, and was confronted with a blow across the head that forced him into unconsciousness. Slowly, Kado picked up the jewel that had been Spade. A curious sensation came over him, as if the power of his bodyguard was contained in the gem. He smiled without a hint of humor and kicked the unconscious man on the ground. A brilliant PR spin was running through his head: "Assassination attempt thwarted by emperor, corruption runs through the highest levels". It was unfortunate his friend had to pay the price, but that was politics.