Chapter 5 - Jurai Reborn
The man at the head of the table stood and everyone's attention went to him. He was tall and powerfully built; that was clear even through the semi-formal robe he was wearing. His hair was dark and close-cropped, with a short queue at his neck. His face was angles and planes, as if it had been hewn from a block of wood. The shockingly-blue eyes were wide set above a long, straight nose and startlingly full lips. He was considered handsome by most.
"I'm not going to waste all of our time. I'm going to come to the point immediately and then persuade you with my reasons."
Tar Arkibe looked around at the others in the room. They were petty nobles, rich merchants, important politicians. They were gathered around the large conference table; some seemed interested, some bored, a few angered and resentful. But regardless of how they were presenting themselves to the others in the room, Arkibe knew they all had one thing in common, else he wouldn't have arranged to invite them here: they felt disserviced by the Jurai royal family. They all saw Jurai as going down the wrong path. They all had personal ambitions and desires that needed a change in the leadership of Jurai. They would all be willing to consider treason.
Arkibe ended his dramatic pause by slamming his fist down onto the table and thundering, "The Jurai royal family MUST DIE!"
He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not that their reaction wasn't more pointed. Most didn't react at all. That meant either they weren't taking him seriously or they agreed with him so completely that there was simply no question that he was right.
"Our heritage is a proud one: a race of warriors that conquered all who stood before them. Our blood sings with centuries of victories and our hearts beat with the rhythms of countless battles. Our race even battled itself before thrusting outward from the world of our birth upon the unsuspecting stars.
"And then the stars trembled with fear at our might and ruthlessness. Entire clusters fell like ripe fruit from a tree and entire races were swept before us like leaves blown before the wind!"
Arkibe paused, thinking that he had perhaps gone a little too far with his hyperbole. But the die had been cast and he had no choice but to continue.
"Then, at the height of our power, the lead families were seduced by Tsunami; her power and promise of nearly eternal life. From the moment when the First Tree became the source of our strength, our strength has dwindled; our line has failed. The race of warriors has become a race of clerks, maintaining an empire that is such in name only and exists merely to serve as a source of trade and tax revenue.
"And, the unkindest cut of all, the Jurai royal line has dwindled to the point where those of mixed blood are poised to ascend the throne and rule over us all; poisoning our race and surely hastening our downfall as a people.
"I dream of a return to our ancient ways; when the strength of our race was measured in subjugation and tribute instead of diplomacy and taxes. When a man with dreams needed only strength to make them a reality.
"You are here because I know you all to be men with great dreams and greater strength. Men who feel the chafe of the Royal family's bit and bridle. Men who would be willing to risk all in order to gain all.
"I am willing to take the greatest risk upon myself. All I ask is for your support at the appropriate time and the Empire of Jurai will once again be what it once was.
"Can I count on you?"
Arkibe looked from face to face, his steely eyes missing nothing. Many were intrigued, some were eager, some were scared.
One was outraged.
"Are you mad, Tar Arkibe?" asked Rigo Teretsuma. "Everyone here is rich and powerful. We're rich and powerful because the peace of Jurai made us this way. What you propose is a return to savagery, not a return to greatness! What was so wonderful about the time before Tsunami, other than your twisted memories? Jurai was hated as well as feared and we took because we would not deal. Thousands of young people died in these wars you're glamorizing. Today, those same thousands attend Royal Space Academy, travel across the galaxy and get to know the cultures you want to conquer and destroy."
"I'll have no part of this," Teretsuma concluded.
Arkibe watched the eyes of those around the table flick back and forth from Teretsuma to him. Arkibe knew one or two of those he invited might not be convinced. He also knew that others would need more convincing than some. He had anticipated this, counted on it; he had already waved the carrot, it was now time to show the stick.
Arkibe stood, pushing back his chair. "Rigo Teretsuma: I never saw you for a coward; I had thought that you were a visionary. I see now that I was mistaken. But, before you take your leave, I must remind you that failure to recognize the future is to be trampled by it!"
And to punctuate his words he swept his robes aside, pulling a force sword from a concealed sheath. He activated it as he leapt upon the conference table and, with a deft movement, plunged it through Teretsuma's heart and into the chair behind him. Teretsuma's eyes widened in shock, his shout of surprise not even breaking from his lips, so quick was the attack. He then slumped forward, suspended in the chair by the sword's blade.
The room was completely quiet as Arkibe pulled his sword from Teretsuma's body, deactivated the blade and returned it to its sheath. The body crumpled to the floor with a dull sound. Climbing down from the table, he rearranged his robes and returned to his chair.
"Let that be a lesson to those who would stand in the path of Empire of Jurai REBORN!" He looked around at the table and was gratified to see excitement or terror on every face. They would all follow him one way or another now.
Arkibe nodded discretely to Deha Rueto, who stood and thrust a fist into the air, shouting, "To the Empire!" Soon everyone around the table was doing the same and the noise was deafening in the small room.
In a moment, Arkibe motioned everyone to return to their seats.
"Gentlemen, I have a plan to eliminate the royal family. However, that plan is not yet ready. In the meantime we have a pressing concern that will not wait."
"Even as we sit here, Princess Ayeka has been appointed ambassador plenipotentiary to the Letin system. She is expected to negotiate and enact a treaty which will give Jurai access to trade routes through their systems and mineral rights on some of their worlds.
"If you aren't aware of the situation, let me say that the Letin occupy only three star systems and have no standing military! It is inconceivable that Jurai should do anything so callow as to pay for permission to cross their space or to mine their worlds. This is the bottom of a long slide, there is no lower point for us to go; groveling before a race of weaklings.
"Gentlemen, the symbolism of our emasculation as a race must be avoided. That treaty must never be signed!"
He held up a data disc. "Here are the flight details for Ryu-Oh. Who among you has the resources needed to ensure that Princess Ayeka never reaches her destination?"
He looked around the table, pausing at those whom he knew made their living in 'trade'. If they were in this company then their 'trade' involved moving things illicitly and knowing the types of people who would take down a ship in deep space.
After a moment, one of them lifted a hand and Arkibe tossed him the disc. "Don't let us down," Arkibe said.
"Gentlemen, that is all. I will be in touch."
And with that, Arkibe stood and bowed to the group. As one, the group stood, and returned the bow. Then, with complete silence, they filed out the doors.
Arkibe left last of all and returned to his home. When he entered, Deha Rueto was waiting for him.
"It went well," Rueto said.
Arkibe gestured for Rueto to follow and led them into a comfortable room. Rueto sat while Arkibe poured them drinks. "It went about as I expected," Arkibe said as he handed a glass to Rueto and settled himself.
"Yes, right down to the killing. You definitely had Teretsuma pegged. But there were others that were showing some hesitation before you killed him."
"Yes, but that was the point."
A chime announced a call and Arkibe accepted it with a gesture. A holographic view screen appeared in front of him. "It's me," the man in the screen said. He was hatchet-faced with dark, thick eyebrows, a cruel slash of a mouth and a shock of thick, black hair.
"Tsimech. What is it?"
"I'm calling to find out how your meeting went. Are we still on?"
"Of course we're still on," Arkibe replied. "Are you on schedule?"
"Of course I'm still on schedule," Tsimech replied with an annoyed tone. "I'll be in touch."
"Do that," Arkibe said as the hologram faded.
"He's a problem," Rueto said.
Arkibe nodded. "Like most geniuses, he suffers from tunnel vision and a sense of his own importance. However, he has a distinct lack of morality and desire for reward that I find useful."
"Things which could easily be used against us."
"I've considered that," Arkibe said. "He will be dealt with."
Rueto grunted. "I still don't quite know what you're shooting for, Tar," Rueto said. "It's common knowledge that once bonded trees and humans are inseparable, and that one almost never survives the death of the other. You can't get the trees."
Arkibe grunted. "There are plenty of trees in the Royal Arboretum," he replied.
"Yes," Rueto admitted. "But those are mostly Fourth Generation with some Third Generation. They simply aren't as powerful as the Second Generation trees, which are almost all bonded with members of the royal family and will almost certainly die with their bonded humans."
Arkibe looked briefly at Rueto, then tossed back the contents of his glass. "That won't be a problem. After all, we were powerful before Tsunami came to us. And, ultimately, the First Tree is the most powerful and could perhaps be persuaded to produce a new series of generations."
Rueto stared at Arkibe for a long moment. "You're going to try to coerce Tsunami?" he asked, his voice betraying surprise and fear.
"Tsunami is a thinking being. Perhaps she'll listen to reason," Arkibe said. "Or, perhaps she can be convinced."
"You aren't seriously thinking you can threaten Tsunami, are you? Most people believe her to be a goddess! Even if you don't believe in her divinity, she is an immensely powerful being."
Arkibe chuckled. "An immensely powerful being who has constrained herself in our dimension. She has a physical presence here, Deha. A physical presence that has a particular location and a vulnerable form. There is no such thing as an indestructible tree."
The sun was high and hot and the breeze had the tang of the vast ocean and a hint of distant and exotic ports of call. It was high tide and the waves lapped gently at the shore, while birds wheeled and called in the blue sky. Ayeka sighed happily, digging her toes into the sand. The others had worked so hard to squeeze in a trip to the beach for her. They had literally unpacked and then repacked in hours. She could still hardly believe they'd done it.
She peered out from under her large hat at the row of bodies next to her. Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Mihoshi and Washu lay on blankets or sat in beach chairs. Some were sleeping, some were reading and Washu had actually pulled up her computer terminal and was happily typing.
Ryoko was lying on her stomach asleep between Ayeka and Tenchi. Sasami was sitting in a chair on the other side of Tenchi; Ryo-Ohki snoozed happily in the shade underneath her. She had been reading but now she was dozing with the book tented over her face to block the sun. Ayeka smiled at that. Tenchi had also been reading, but the book had been forgotten and he was regarding Sasami.
Regarding her very intently, Ayeka noticed. She watched Tenchi take in Sasami's body from head to toe. 'Is that curiosity, lust, or something more?' Ayeka wondered. She continued to watch Tenchi looking at her sister and decided the look on his face was more than curiosity and more than lust. After a few moments, Tenchi returned to his book.
'This is your doing, Sasami,' Ayeka thought. 'You are putting yourself between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. I hope you are strong enough not to get squashed.'
Ayeka sat for a moment longer, then stood and stepped over to Ryoko. "Come on, you lazy pirate," she said, toeing Ryoko's foot. "Let's go for a walk." Ryoko rolled over, shaded her face with her hand and opened one eye; she seemed about to say something but stopped when she saw Ayeka's expression.
"Sure," Ryoko said. She stood and brushed at the sand that clung to her and wrapped a towel around her waist.
They set off along the shore side-by-side, the waves lapping at their feet. They walked in silence for a few moments, then Ryoko said, "You want to talk about Tenchi, huh?"
"Am I that obvious?" Ayeka smiled.
"Hmm... Yeah," Ryoko replied, returning the smile.
Ayeka laughed lightly. "Yes, it is about Tenchi."
"You don't love him, do you?" Ryoko asked.
Ayeka stopped and stared at Ryoko with a surprised expression. "Am I that obvious?" she asked with dismay.
Ryoko shook her head, her expression serious. "No, you're not. But we've been friends for a long time, and rivals even before that."
Ayeka nodded in understanding. "How long have you known?"
Ryoko considered as they began walking again. "At least since Christmas the year before last. Maybe a little before," she said.
Ayeka sighed, "I only realized myself about a year ago; before the last summer break. How?"
Ryoko shrugged. "I'm not sure. Something changed. Your heart didn't seem to be in the fights, even when I was really pissed. I thought maybe you were trying reverse psychology or something, or maybe that Tenchi had gotten really good at handling you; I didn't know what to think. Then, I don't know, I sort of figured it out.
"Plus," she continued with a smirk, "there was that whole thing with that guy in your protocol class last year."
"Oh no!" Ayeka said. "We were so careful! Is that common knowledge?"
Ryoko laughed. "Relax! I think I'm the only one besides the two of you who knows."
Ayeka let out a breath. "Thank you for your discretion, Ryoko. It would have been... interesting if that had been known."
"How far did that get, anyway?" Ryoko asked with a smile.
Ayeka smiled in return. "Nosey?"
"I'm asking, aren't I?"
Ayeka smiled wistfully. "Let us just say that... No, let us say nothing at all."
"Wow, what a tease you are! But, back to the subject: Tenchi."
"Well, there it is then. You have won: you will not have me to worry about any more!"
Ryoko laughed lightly. "Oh Ayeka! I wasn't ever really worried about you."
"Liar," Ayeka retorted with a smile.
Ryoko smiled back, "Humph, maybe." Then her expression became serious again. "Anyway, even with you out of the running, I have to worry about Sasami now. Have you noticed her lately?"
"Yes," Ayeka replied. "She has grown very beautiful, as we knew she would. And I think she has a growing interest in Tenchi."
"You don't know the half of it! I caught her kissing Tenchi in the onsen."
"What?" Ayeka said in surprise.
"Yep. She claimed it was Tsunami's idea, but they're pretty much one and the same - or they will be soon. So, if Tsunami's got the hots for Tenchi that means that Sasami does - or will soon. And with her still living here and Tenchi maybe working at his father's firm... Well, let's just say this is not a good thing!"
"Especially since I believe Tenchi is aware of her as well," Ayeka said thoughtfully.
"Ugh! That's all I needed to hear," Ryoko complained. "I love Sasami, but I've got to do something about that kid!"
"Ryoko!" Ayeka stopped, putting her hand on Ryoko's arm. "You would not do anything to Sasami, would you?"
"Ayeka! Don't be ridiculous! I could never do anything to Sasami!" Ryoko said.
Ayeka relaxed and removed her arm. "I know. I am not even sure why I asked such a foolish question."
"I'm just talking about arranging a little more quality time for Ryoko and a little less for Sasami." Ryoko's expression grew thoughtful. "I've got to be careful, though; Tenchi never did react well to jealousy."
Their walk had taken them up the beach and to a snack stand. They bought ice cream and sat at a table with it.
"So, you are still set on Tenchi?"
Ryoko nodded solemnly. "Yes. There is no one else for me. It's that simple," she said.
Ayeka sighed. "I was hoping that our time at Space Academy would have given you some perspective and broadened your horizons where Tenchi was concerned. You did date at school."
Ryoko snorted. "Yeah, a few times. But none of those guys was Tenchi." Ryoko paused in contemplation. "I don't know what it is, Ayeka. It's like chemical or something. There's a spark there, some sort of force that pulls me to him. I'm a grown woman and a trained scientist and I can't figure it out." She looked off into the distance.
"And I can't fight it. I've tried," she concluded.
Ayeka nodded her understanding and put a hand on her friend's arm. "Then, I wish you luck," she said.
It was a typically seedy spaceport bar, almost a caricature of itself. The light was dim, the music was loud, the crowd was raucous and everything - especially the crowd - was filthy. But, he'd spent enough time in places like this so that it didn't bother him, even if he'd come to prefer something better.
He walked up to the bar, ordered a drink and paid for it. Taking the drink in one hand, he leaned back against the bar and scanned the crowd with a practiced bored expression. He caught sight of his contact on the first glance, but he took a few minutes to finish looking the entire bar over. When he'd finished the first drink and taken the second, he walked over to his contact who had ignored him just as effectively.
He eased into the booth across from a fair skinned man with short red hair. "Fleer," he said.
Fleer smiled. "Long time no see."
"Thanks for meeting me."
"What's the job?" Fleer asked.
A data disk was casually passed from one to the other. "It's all there."
"Give me a breakdown. If it's not interesting, lucrative and survivable; well, you'll get your disc back right now. I'm not a real big fan of dying young."
"Fair enough. The target is Ryu-Oh and its captain. Ryu-Oh will be alone and in a quiet sector. There's enough money for you and however many people you need."
"Quiet sector?" Fleer asked. "Every sector is patrolled."
"The only scheduled patrol in that sector should pass through days before Ryu-Oh gets there. It's all on the disk."
"When?"
"A few days. You don't have much time, but you're the only one I knew who would have a hope in hell of pulling this off."
Fleer nodded and thought for a moment, then said, "All three criteria. You've got yourself a deal."
"Right." He drained his glass and stood, "I'll be in touch. There will be a down payment deposited in an account listed on the disk. If you need me, you know how to get to me."
Fleer nodded and said, "Got it. And even if you are a big shot and mostly legit now, you could still send your only brother a birthday greeting." Fleer smiled.
He returned the smile and said, "You got it, little brother. Bye."
"Bye," Fleer said. He drank his drink slowly, watching to see who might have been interested in their little exchange. When he was sure nobody was, he set his glass down and left the bar. From the sound of it, he had a lot of planning to do.
The morning after their trip to the beach, Ayeka stood in front of the Okayama house with her things.
"Good bye, everyone," she said. "I wish I could stay."
"Oh, Ayeka!" Sasami cried. "This is just awful!"
"All part of being an adult, I'm afraid," Katsuhito said. "Take care, Ayeka and good luck."
Ayeka nodded to her brother and, in turn, gave everyone a hug.
"I will be back as soon as I possibly can," she said as Ryu-Oh descended, hanging hugely in the sky over them. A transport beam energized and took Ayeka aboard. Then Ryu-Oh ascended quickly and silently into the sky. Everyone watched until there was no possible chance that they could still see the ship, then went inside to begin their day.
Even though he was on vacation, Tenchi's responsibilities still included work in the fields and at the shrine. After Ayeka left he put on his work clothes, took the lunch Sasami made for him and left for the day.
Ryoko laid back down for a nap after Tenchi left. When she woke up, she found that Mihoshi was snoozing near the pond, Sasami wasn't around and Washu was nowhere to be seen and probably in her lab. Ryoko conscientiously looked for a chore to take care of, settling on cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the living room. When that was done, Mihoshi was still snoozing and nobody else had made an appearance. Bored, Ryoko began nosing through the rooms, looking for someone to spend time with. She heard Sasami humming in her room.
"Hi Sasami," Ryoko said, poking her head into Sasami's open door. "What're you doing?"
"Oh, hi Ryoko. I'm just going through my stuff. It's getting a little crowded in here, so I thought I'd put some of it into storage."
Sasami was sitting in the middle of the floor, carefully pulling things from her drawers and putting them into separate piles. Ryoko watched for a minute and decided that one pile was 'keep', one was 'store' and the last was 'get rid of'.
Ryoko sat down on the floor and started looking through the 'store' pile. "Do you mind, Sasami?" she asked.
"Oh no, Ryoko. Go ahead."
Ryoko picked up and examined some of the items in the pile. There was a postcard from a vacation they'd taken and a pin in the shape of a sailboat from the same resort. There was a small wood carving of Ryo-Ohki. "Where did this come from?" Ryoko asked.
"I did that in a class at school," Sasami replied.
"It's really good."
"Thank you, Ryoko."
There was a lacquered wooden box with a hinged lid. Ryoko opened it and found that it was full of pictures. On top was a picture of the entire family at her high school graduation. "I remember this," Ryoko said.
"Yeah," Sasami said, looking over. "That was fun, having everybody here."
The next picture was a photo club booth shot of Sasami and Ryoko. Sasami was smiling happily and Ryoko was mugging. "Now this was fun!" Ryoko said, holding it up for Sasami to see.
"Oh yeah, our trip to Tokyo! We need to do that again."
Ryoko next came upon a picture of Sasami and a boy standing with their arms around each other.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"Oh," Sasami said, glancing at the picture Ryoko was holding. "That's Ken, my last boyfriend. He broke up with me after Tsunami scared him off."
Ryoko chuckled and looked through the next few pictures. She came to another with a different young man. "Now who's this?"
Sasami looked. "Oh, that's Keitaro. He was my boyfriend before Ken. I sort of got tired of him."
Ryoko flipped through a set of pictures with Keitaro and came to pictures of a third boyfriend. Then, she noticed something. "Nah, can't be," she said under her breath. She began looking at picture after picture and in a few minutes she had flipped through the entire box. Each series of pictures was Sasami with her boyfriends, sometimes with other friends and sometimes not. Every time she came to a new boyfriend, her concern grew. Every boyfriend Sasami ever had looked a lot like Tenchi.
Sometimes uncannily like Tenchi.
"Uh oh," Ryoko mumbled under her breath.
Fleer stared at the display, puzzling the distribution of his forces and their effect on Ryu-Oh. He had set up the simulation with a solid estimate of the ships he would have available. He had contacted every independent fighter and mercenary squadron he could on such short notice; there weren't a lot of them. The computer systems told him that he didn't have enough fire power to destroy Ryu-Oh, but his gut was telling him he did.
He gamed the attack again and again, losing every single time. Then, he hit on a combination of four attack wings and found that seven out of ten times they won; Ryu-Oh was defeated.
He experimented and tried variation after variation and never got any better than a seventy percent chance of winning.
But it would do; it would have to do. He sent a final, coded message to the squadrons giving them the coordinates for the attack, as well as their part in it.
Once the plan was complete and sent, he thought about the ship he would need. Something small enough to be inconspicuous, but large enough for his crew and to support command and control of his attacking force.
And, perhaps, for something else as well...
Fleer encoded another message and sent it to a spaceship broker he trusted and who could work quickly. He would have to take possession of the ship and get his crew and equipment aboard in a matter of a few dozen hours. There was no time to waste.
Tenchi felt like he was wearing concrete shoes. The last few steps to the house seemed longer than all the rest of his walk back from the fields. He hated to admit it, but the long hours behind a desk had taken their toll on his muscles. His legs and shoulders ached; he was not looking forward to resuming his training with Grandfather.
He opened the door and stepped inside, taking off his shoes and slipping on his house slippers. "I'm home!" he called. Getting no response, he walked through the living room, finding Mihoshi asleep on the couch in front of the television.
Tenchi smiled and continued into the kitchen, finding Sasami busy with dinner. "Hi Sasami!" he said.
"Oh, hi Tenchi!" Sasami said brightly, turning toward him. "Um... Mihoshi is in the living room and Washu is in her lab. I'm not sure where Ryoko is. Father called and he'll be on time for a change and Grandfather will be here for dinner."
"Wow, okay," Tenchi said. He found he didn't want to leave just yet. "Do you have anything that I can help with?"
"Um, sure. Why don't you cut these," she said, pointing to a wooden board with a knife and vegetables on it.
"Great!" Tenchi said, smiling. "I'd better wash my hands first." Sasami turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, then stepped back so he could get in. "Thank you, Sasami," he said.
"You're welcome, Tenchi."
Tenchi washed his hands and dried them, then began cutting while Sasami worked on another part of the meal standing next to him.
"Isn't this just like being a married couple?" Sasami asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah, I guess it is," Tenchi replied, smiling.
They worked in silence for a few moments, next to each other at the counter; their elbows occasionally bumping. Tenchi thought about what Sasami had said, and wondered if this was what it was like being a married couple; if this is what it would be like to be married to Sasami. He found he was gazing at Sasami as he cut, watching her prepare dinner; the way her hands moved delicately and surely, her eyes following the movement and her bangs hanging over her forehead, her lips curved into a satisfied half smile. He realized he wasn't paying enough attention to his task as he felt the cold metal of the knife bite into his finger.
"Yowtch!" he said, pulling the finger away.
"What is it?" Sasami said. Tenchi lifted the finger to his face to get a look at it. The blood quickly welled and overflowed the cut. "Oh!" Sasami said. "Let me see that."
"It's nothing," Tenchi replied, sucking on it.
"Hush," she said, wiping her hands on a cloth. She turned on the cold water and took Tenchi's hand gently; guiding the finger under the flowing water.
"Cold!" Tenchi hissed.
"Don't be a baby, Tenchi," Sasami smiled. After a few seconds she pulled the finger out and looked at it. "That's kind of deep," she said. She wrapped it in a paper towel. "Press on it while I get the first aid kit, okay?"
Tenchi nodded, watching her walk away. After a moment, she returned and began cleaning his finger, gently swabbing it with antiseptic. "Does that hurt?" she asked.
"It stings a little," Tenchi admitted.
"Here," Sasami said. She lifted his finger to her lips and blew gently on it for a moment. "Better?" she asked, looking in his eyes. Tenchi nodded, his eyes on hers. She smiled and unwrapped a gauze pad from the kit, putting it over the cut and securing it with some tape.
"How's that?" she asked. Tenchi lifted his hand and inspected his finger, flexing it to test the movement.
"Good," he said.
Sasami smiled and nodded, closing the kit. "How did you do that?" she asked.
"I was... Uh... Distracted," Tenchi replied.
"By what?" Sasami asked, smiling knowingly.
"Oh, I'm not sure, really," Tenchi said. "My mind just drifted is all." "Well, you need to be more careful," she said, poking him in the stomach with a finger.
"Right," he agreed. "I guess we'd better get back to dinner, huh?"
"You can't be much help with that finger. I'll do the cutting and stuff; you can fetch for me, okay?"
"Mmm hmm," Tenchi agreed, nodding.
He stood at Sasami's side for the next several minutes, bringing things she asked for, watching her work; the two of them chatting idly, quietly, as the afternoon sun lit the kitchen.
That was how Nobiyuki found them. He entered the house without calling out and stood at the kitchen doorway for a few moments, enjoying watching them. Finally, he said, "Hello you two." Tenchi and Sasami turned together, smiling.
"Hi dad," Tenchi said.
"Hello Father," Sasami said.
"My, aren't we the happy couple," Nobiyuki said. "All we need are some grandkids for me to spoil and it would seem like a proper home!" Tenchi and Sasami glanced at each other. Tenchi laughed nervously and Sasami smiled.
Unseen by Tenchi, Sasami or Nobiyuki, Ryoko watched them from the living room, her expression somewhere between anger and panic. "Damn it!" she hissed and then phased away.
The crab bell rang and Washu turned on her cushion to see Ryoko step into her lab.
"Hello, Little Ryoko!" she said brightly. She saw Ryoko's expression was bleak and that she looked close to tears. "Oh, honey! What is it?"
Ryoko walked over to Washu, who jumped off her pillow and guided Ryoko to a couch. They sat and nothing was said for a moment; Washu looked at Ryoko and Ryoko stared at the floor.
"What is it, Ryoko? Let me help."
"It's Tenchi," Ryoko said finally.
"What about him?" Washu prompted.
"I think he's- He's-" she choked back a sob. "I think he's falling in love with Sasami!" Ryoko cried, dropping her head into her hands and weeping. Washu put her arms around her daughter and said sympathetic things, comforting her as best she could.
The man at the head of the table stood and everyone's attention went to him. He was tall and powerfully built; that was clear even through the semi-formal robe he was wearing. His hair was dark and close-cropped, with a short queue at his neck. His face was angles and planes, as if it had been hewn from a block of wood. The shockingly-blue eyes were wide set above a long, straight nose and startlingly full lips. He was considered handsome by most.
"I'm not going to waste all of our time. I'm going to come to the point immediately and then persuade you with my reasons."
Tar Arkibe looked around at the others in the room. They were petty nobles, rich merchants, important politicians. They were gathered around the large conference table; some seemed interested, some bored, a few angered and resentful. But regardless of how they were presenting themselves to the others in the room, Arkibe knew they all had one thing in common, else he wouldn't have arranged to invite them here: they felt disserviced by the Jurai royal family. They all saw Jurai as going down the wrong path. They all had personal ambitions and desires that needed a change in the leadership of Jurai. They would all be willing to consider treason.
Arkibe ended his dramatic pause by slamming his fist down onto the table and thundering, "The Jurai royal family MUST DIE!"
He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not that their reaction wasn't more pointed. Most didn't react at all. That meant either they weren't taking him seriously or they agreed with him so completely that there was simply no question that he was right.
"Our heritage is a proud one: a race of warriors that conquered all who stood before them. Our blood sings with centuries of victories and our hearts beat with the rhythms of countless battles. Our race even battled itself before thrusting outward from the world of our birth upon the unsuspecting stars.
"And then the stars trembled with fear at our might and ruthlessness. Entire clusters fell like ripe fruit from a tree and entire races were swept before us like leaves blown before the wind!"
Arkibe paused, thinking that he had perhaps gone a little too far with his hyperbole. But the die had been cast and he had no choice but to continue.
"Then, at the height of our power, the lead families were seduced by Tsunami; her power and promise of nearly eternal life. From the moment when the First Tree became the source of our strength, our strength has dwindled; our line has failed. The race of warriors has become a race of clerks, maintaining an empire that is such in name only and exists merely to serve as a source of trade and tax revenue.
"And, the unkindest cut of all, the Jurai royal line has dwindled to the point where those of mixed blood are poised to ascend the throne and rule over us all; poisoning our race and surely hastening our downfall as a people.
"I dream of a return to our ancient ways; when the strength of our race was measured in subjugation and tribute instead of diplomacy and taxes. When a man with dreams needed only strength to make them a reality.
"You are here because I know you all to be men with great dreams and greater strength. Men who feel the chafe of the Royal family's bit and bridle. Men who would be willing to risk all in order to gain all.
"I am willing to take the greatest risk upon myself. All I ask is for your support at the appropriate time and the Empire of Jurai will once again be what it once was.
"Can I count on you?"
Arkibe looked from face to face, his steely eyes missing nothing. Many were intrigued, some were eager, some were scared.
One was outraged.
"Are you mad, Tar Arkibe?" asked Rigo Teretsuma. "Everyone here is rich and powerful. We're rich and powerful because the peace of Jurai made us this way. What you propose is a return to savagery, not a return to greatness! What was so wonderful about the time before Tsunami, other than your twisted memories? Jurai was hated as well as feared and we took because we would not deal. Thousands of young people died in these wars you're glamorizing. Today, those same thousands attend Royal Space Academy, travel across the galaxy and get to know the cultures you want to conquer and destroy."
"I'll have no part of this," Teretsuma concluded.
Arkibe watched the eyes of those around the table flick back and forth from Teretsuma to him. Arkibe knew one or two of those he invited might not be convinced. He also knew that others would need more convincing than some. He had anticipated this, counted on it; he had already waved the carrot, it was now time to show the stick.
Arkibe stood, pushing back his chair. "Rigo Teretsuma: I never saw you for a coward; I had thought that you were a visionary. I see now that I was mistaken. But, before you take your leave, I must remind you that failure to recognize the future is to be trampled by it!"
And to punctuate his words he swept his robes aside, pulling a force sword from a concealed sheath. He activated it as he leapt upon the conference table and, with a deft movement, plunged it through Teretsuma's heart and into the chair behind him. Teretsuma's eyes widened in shock, his shout of surprise not even breaking from his lips, so quick was the attack. He then slumped forward, suspended in the chair by the sword's blade.
The room was completely quiet as Arkibe pulled his sword from Teretsuma's body, deactivated the blade and returned it to its sheath. The body crumpled to the floor with a dull sound. Climbing down from the table, he rearranged his robes and returned to his chair.
"Let that be a lesson to those who would stand in the path of Empire of Jurai REBORN!" He looked around at the table and was gratified to see excitement or terror on every face. They would all follow him one way or another now.
Arkibe nodded discretely to Deha Rueto, who stood and thrust a fist into the air, shouting, "To the Empire!" Soon everyone around the table was doing the same and the noise was deafening in the small room.
In a moment, Arkibe motioned everyone to return to their seats.
"Gentlemen, I have a plan to eliminate the royal family. However, that plan is not yet ready. In the meantime we have a pressing concern that will not wait."
"Even as we sit here, Princess Ayeka has been appointed ambassador plenipotentiary to the Letin system. She is expected to negotiate and enact a treaty which will give Jurai access to trade routes through their systems and mineral rights on some of their worlds.
"If you aren't aware of the situation, let me say that the Letin occupy only three star systems and have no standing military! It is inconceivable that Jurai should do anything so callow as to pay for permission to cross their space or to mine their worlds. This is the bottom of a long slide, there is no lower point for us to go; groveling before a race of weaklings.
"Gentlemen, the symbolism of our emasculation as a race must be avoided. That treaty must never be signed!"
He held up a data disc. "Here are the flight details for Ryu-Oh. Who among you has the resources needed to ensure that Princess Ayeka never reaches her destination?"
He looked around the table, pausing at those whom he knew made their living in 'trade'. If they were in this company then their 'trade' involved moving things illicitly and knowing the types of people who would take down a ship in deep space.
After a moment, one of them lifted a hand and Arkibe tossed him the disc. "Don't let us down," Arkibe said.
"Gentlemen, that is all. I will be in touch."
And with that, Arkibe stood and bowed to the group. As one, the group stood, and returned the bow. Then, with complete silence, they filed out the doors.
Arkibe left last of all and returned to his home. When he entered, Deha Rueto was waiting for him.
"It went well," Rueto said.
Arkibe gestured for Rueto to follow and led them into a comfortable room. Rueto sat while Arkibe poured them drinks. "It went about as I expected," Arkibe said as he handed a glass to Rueto and settled himself.
"Yes, right down to the killing. You definitely had Teretsuma pegged. But there were others that were showing some hesitation before you killed him."
"Yes, but that was the point."
A chime announced a call and Arkibe accepted it with a gesture. A holographic view screen appeared in front of him. "It's me," the man in the screen said. He was hatchet-faced with dark, thick eyebrows, a cruel slash of a mouth and a shock of thick, black hair.
"Tsimech. What is it?"
"I'm calling to find out how your meeting went. Are we still on?"
"Of course we're still on," Arkibe replied. "Are you on schedule?"
"Of course I'm still on schedule," Tsimech replied with an annoyed tone. "I'll be in touch."
"Do that," Arkibe said as the hologram faded.
"He's a problem," Rueto said.
Arkibe nodded. "Like most geniuses, he suffers from tunnel vision and a sense of his own importance. However, he has a distinct lack of morality and desire for reward that I find useful."
"Things which could easily be used against us."
"I've considered that," Arkibe said. "He will be dealt with."
Rueto grunted. "I still don't quite know what you're shooting for, Tar," Rueto said. "It's common knowledge that once bonded trees and humans are inseparable, and that one almost never survives the death of the other. You can't get the trees."
Arkibe grunted. "There are plenty of trees in the Royal Arboretum," he replied.
"Yes," Rueto admitted. "But those are mostly Fourth Generation with some Third Generation. They simply aren't as powerful as the Second Generation trees, which are almost all bonded with members of the royal family and will almost certainly die with their bonded humans."
Arkibe looked briefly at Rueto, then tossed back the contents of his glass. "That won't be a problem. After all, we were powerful before Tsunami came to us. And, ultimately, the First Tree is the most powerful and could perhaps be persuaded to produce a new series of generations."
Rueto stared at Arkibe for a long moment. "You're going to try to coerce Tsunami?" he asked, his voice betraying surprise and fear.
"Tsunami is a thinking being. Perhaps she'll listen to reason," Arkibe said. "Or, perhaps she can be convinced."
"You aren't seriously thinking you can threaten Tsunami, are you? Most people believe her to be a goddess! Even if you don't believe in her divinity, she is an immensely powerful being."
Arkibe chuckled. "An immensely powerful being who has constrained herself in our dimension. She has a physical presence here, Deha. A physical presence that has a particular location and a vulnerable form. There is no such thing as an indestructible tree."
The sun was high and hot and the breeze had the tang of the vast ocean and a hint of distant and exotic ports of call. It was high tide and the waves lapped gently at the shore, while birds wheeled and called in the blue sky. Ayeka sighed happily, digging her toes into the sand. The others had worked so hard to squeeze in a trip to the beach for her. They had literally unpacked and then repacked in hours. She could still hardly believe they'd done it.
She peered out from under her large hat at the row of bodies next to her. Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Mihoshi and Washu lay on blankets or sat in beach chairs. Some were sleeping, some were reading and Washu had actually pulled up her computer terminal and was happily typing.
Ryoko was lying on her stomach asleep between Ayeka and Tenchi. Sasami was sitting in a chair on the other side of Tenchi; Ryo-Ohki snoozed happily in the shade underneath her. She had been reading but now she was dozing with the book tented over her face to block the sun. Ayeka smiled at that. Tenchi had also been reading, but the book had been forgotten and he was regarding Sasami.
Regarding her very intently, Ayeka noticed. She watched Tenchi take in Sasami's body from head to toe. 'Is that curiosity, lust, or something more?' Ayeka wondered. She continued to watch Tenchi looking at her sister and decided the look on his face was more than curiosity and more than lust. After a few moments, Tenchi returned to his book.
'This is your doing, Sasami,' Ayeka thought. 'You are putting yourself between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. I hope you are strong enough not to get squashed.'
Ayeka sat for a moment longer, then stood and stepped over to Ryoko. "Come on, you lazy pirate," she said, toeing Ryoko's foot. "Let's go for a walk." Ryoko rolled over, shaded her face with her hand and opened one eye; she seemed about to say something but stopped when she saw Ayeka's expression.
"Sure," Ryoko said. She stood and brushed at the sand that clung to her and wrapped a towel around her waist.
They set off along the shore side-by-side, the waves lapping at their feet. They walked in silence for a few moments, then Ryoko said, "You want to talk about Tenchi, huh?"
"Am I that obvious?" Ayeka smiled.
"Hmm... Yeah," Ryoko replied, returning the smile.
Ayeka laughed lightly. "Yes, it is about Tenchi."
"You don't love him, do you?" Ryoko asked.
Ayeka stopped and stared at Ryoko with a surprised expression. "Am I that obvious?" she asked with dismay.
Ryoko shook her head, her expression serious. "No, you're not. But we've been friends for a long time, and rivals even before that."
Ayeka nodded in understanding. "How long have you known?"
Ryoko considered as they began walking again. "At least since Christmas the year before last. Maybe a little before," she said.
Ayeka sighed, "I only realized myself about a year ago; before the last summer break. How?"
Ryoko shrugged. "I'm not sure. Something changed. Your heart didn't seem to be in the fights, even when I was really pissed. I thought maybe you were trying reverse psychology or something, or maybe that Tenchi had gotten really good at handling you; I didn't know what to think. Then, I don't know, I sort of figured it out.
"Plus," she continued with a smirk, "there was that whole thing with that guy in your protocol class last year."
"Oh no!" Ayeka said. "We were so careful! Is that common knowledge?"
Ryoko laughed. "Relax! I think I'm the only one besides the two of you who knows."
Ayeka let out a breath. "Thank you for your discretion, Ryoko. It would have been... interesting if that had been known."
"How far did that get, anyway?" Ryoko asked with a smile.
Ayeka smiled in return. "Nosey?"
"I'm asking, aren't I?"
Ayeka smiled wistfully. "Let us just say that... No, let us say nothing at all."
"Wow, what a tease you are! But, back to the subject: Tenchi."
"Well, there it is then. You have won: you will not have me to worry about any more!"
Ryoko laughed lightly. "Oh Ayeka! I wasn't ever really worried about you."
"Liar," Ayeka retorted with a smile.
Ryoko smiled back, "Humph, maybe." Then her expression became serious again. "Anyway, even with you out of the running, I have to worry about Sasami now. Have you noticed her lately?"
"Yes," Ayeka replied. "She has grown very beautiful, as we knew she would. And I think she has a growing interest in Tenchi."
"You don't know the half of it! I caught her kissing Tenchi in the onsen."
"What?" Ayeka said in surprise.
"Yep. She claimed it was Tsunami's idea, but they're pretty much one and the same - or they will be soon. So, if Tsunami's got the hots for Tenchi that means that Sasami does - or will soon. And with her still living here and Tenchi maybe working at his father's firm... Well, let's just say this is not a good thing!"
"Especially since I believe Tenchi is aware of her as well," Ayeka said thoughtfully.
"Ugh! That's all I needed to hear," Ryoko complained. "I love Sasami, but I've got to do something about that kid!"
"Ryoko!" Ayeka stopped, putting her hand on Ryoko's arm. "You would not do anything to Sasami, would you?"
"Ayeka! Don't be ridiculous! I could never do anything to Sasami!" Ryoko said.
Ayeka relaxed and removed her arm. "I know. I am not even sure why I asked such a foolish question."
"I'm just talking about arranging a little more quality time for Ryoko and a little less for Sasami." Ryoko's expression grew thoughtful. "I've got to be careful, though; Tenchi never did react well to jealousy."
Their walk had taken them up the beach and to a snack stand. They bought ice cream and sat at a table with it.
"So, you are still set on Tenchi?"
Ryoko nodded solemnly. "Yes. There is no one else for me. It's that simple," she said.
Ayeka sighed. "I was hoping that our time at Space Academy would have given you some perspective and broadened your horizons where Tenchi was concerned. You did date at school."
Ryoko snorted. "Yeah, a few times. But none of those guys was Tenchi." Ryoko paused in contemplation. "I don't know what it is, Ayeka. It's like chemical or something. There's a spark there, some sort of force that pulls me to him. I'm a grown woman and a trained scientist and I can't figure it out." She looked off into the distance.
"And I can't fight it. I've tried," she concluded.
Ayeka nodded her understanding and put a hand on her friend's arm. "Then, I wish you luck," she said.
It was a typically seedy spaceport bar, almost a caricature of itself. The light was dim, the music was loud, the crowd was raucous and everything - especially the crowd - was filthy. But, he'd spent enough time in places like this so that it didn't bother him, even if he'd come to prefer something better.
He walked up to the bar, ordered a drink and paid for it. Taking the drink in one hand, he leaned back against the bar and scanned the crowd with a practiced bored expression. He caught sight of his contact on the first glance, but he took a few minutes to finish looking the entire bar over. When he'd finished the first drink and taken the second, he walked over to his contact who had ignored him just as effectively.
He eased into the booth across from a fair skinned man with short red hair. "Fleer," he said.
Fleer smiled. "Long time no see."
"Thanks for meeting me."
"What's the job?" Fleer asked.
A data disk was casually passed from one to the other. "It's all there."
"Give me a breakdown. If it's not interesting, lucrative and survivable; well, you'll get your disc back right now. I'm not a real big fan of dying young."
"Fair enough. The target is Ryu-Oh and its captain. Ryu-Oh will be alone and in a quiet sector. There's enough money for you and however many people you need."
"Quiet sector?" Fleer asked. "Every sector is patrolled."
"The only scheduled patrol in that sector should pass through days before Ryu-Oh gets there. It's all on the disk."
"When?"
"A few days. You don't have much time, but you're the only one I knew who would have a hope in hell of pulling this off."
Fleer nodded and thought for a moment, then said, "All three criteria. You've got yourself a deal."
"Right." He drained his glass and stood, "I'll be in touch. There will be a down payment deposited in an account listed on the disk. If you need me, you know how to get to me."
Fleer nodded and said, "Got it. And even if you are a big shot and mostly legit now, you could still send your only brother a birthday greeting." Fleer smiled.
He returned the smile and said, "You got it, little brother. Bye."
"Bye," Fleer said. He drank his drink slowly, watching to see who might have been interested in their little exchange. When he was sure nobody was, he set his glass down and left the bar. From the sound of it, he had a lot of planning to do.
The morning after their trip to the beach, Ayeka stood in front of the Okayama house with her things.
"Good bye, everyone," she said. "I wish I could stay."
"Oh, Ayeka!" Sasami cried. "This is just awful!"
"All part of being an adult, I'm afraid," Katsuhito said. "Take care, Ayeka and good luck."
Ayeka nodded to her brother and, in turn, gave everyone a hug.
"I will be back as soon as I possibly can," she said as Ryu-Oh descended, hanging hugely in the sky over them. A transport beam energized and took Ayeka aboard. Then Ryu-Oh ascended quickly and silently into the sky. Everyone watched until there was no possible chance that they could still see the ship, then went inside to begin their day.
Even though he was on vacation, Tenchi's responsibilities still included work in the fields and at the shrine. After Ayeka left he put on his work clothes, took the lunch Sasami made for him and left for the day.
Ryoko laid back down for a nap after Tenchi left. When she woke up, she found that Mihoshi was snoozing near the pond, Sasami wasn't around and Washu was nowhere to be seen and probably in her lab. Ryoko conscientiously looked for a chore to take care of, settling on cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the living room. When that was done, Mihoshi was still snoozing and nobody else had made an appearance. Bored, Ryoko began nosing through the rooms, looking for someone to spend time with. She heard Sasami humming in her room.
"Hi Sasami," Ryoko said, poking her head into Sasami's open door. "What're you doing?"
"Oh, hi Ryoko. I'm just going through my stuff. It's getting a little crowded in here, so I thought I'd put some of it into storage."
Sasami was sitting in the middle of the floor, carefully pulling things from her drawers and putting them into separate piles. Ryoko watched for a minute and decided that one pile was 'keep', one was 'store' and the last was 'get rid of'.
Ryoko sat down on the floor and started looking through the 'store' pile. "Do you mind, Sasami?" she asked.
"Oh no, Ryoko. Go ahead."
Ryoko picked up and examined some of the items in the pile. There was a postcard from a vacation they'd taken and a pin in the shape of a sailboat from the same resort. There was a small wood carving of Ryo-Ohki. "Where did this come from?" Ryoko asked.
"I did that in a class at school," Sasami replied.
"It's really good."
"Thank you, Ryoko."
There was a lacquered wooden box with a hinged lid. Ryoko opened it and found that it was full of pictures. On top was a picture of the entire family at her high school graduation. "I remember this," Ryoko said.
"Yeah," Sasami said, looking over. "That was fun, having everybody here."
The next picture was a photo club booth shot of Sasami and Ryoko. Sasami was smiling happily and Ryoko was mugging. "Now this was fun!" Ryoko said, holding it up for Sasami to see.
"Oh yeah, our trip to Tokyo! We need to do that again."
Ryoko next came upon a picture of Sasami and a boy standing with their arms around each other.
"Who's this?" she asked.
"Oh," Sasami said, glancing at the picture Ryoko was holding. "That's Ken, my last boyfriend. He broke up with me after Tsunami scared him off."
Ryoko chuckled and looked through the next few pictures. She came to another with a different young man. "Now who's this?"
Sasami looked. "Oh, that's Keitaro. He was my boyfriend before Ken. I sort of got tired of him."
Ryoko flipped through a set of pictures with Keitaro and came to pictures of a third boyfriend. Then, she noticed something. "Nah, can't be," she said under her breath. She began looking at picture after picture and in a few minutes she had flipped through the entire box. Each series of pictures was Sasami with her boyfriends, sometimes with other friends and sometimes not. Every time she came to a new boyfriend, her concern grew. Every boyfriend Sasami ever had looked a lot like Tenchi.
Sometimes uncannily like Tenchi.
"Uh oh," Ryoko mumbled under her breath.
Fleer stared at the display, puzzling the distribution of his forces and their effect on Ryu-Oh. He had set up the simulation with a solid estimate of the ships he would have available. He had contacted every independent fighter and mercenary squadron he could on such short notice; there weren't a lot of them. The computer systems told him that he didn't have enough fire power to destroy Ryu-Oh, but his gut was telling him he did.
He gamed the attack again and again, losing every single time. Then, he hit on a combination of four attack wings and found that seven out of ten times they won; Ryu-Oh was defeated.
He experimented and tried variation after variation and never got any better than a seventy percent chance of winning.
But it would do; it would have to do. He sent a final, coded message to the squadrons giving them the coordinates for the attack, as well as their part in it.
Once the plan was complete and sent, he thought about the ship he would need. Something small enough to be inconspicuous, but large enough for his crew and to support command and control of his attacking force.
And, perhaps, for something else as well...
Fleer encoded another message and sent it to a spaceship broker he trusted and who could work quickly. He would have to take possession of the ship and get his crew and equipment aboard in a matter of a few dozen hours. There was no time to waste.
Tenchi felt like he was wearing concrete shoes. The last few steps to the house seemed longer than all the rest of his walk back from the fields. He hated to admit it, but the long hours behind a desk had taken their toll on his muscles. His legs and shoulders ached; he was not looking forward to resuming his training with Grandfather.
He opened the door and stepped inside, taking off his shoes and slipping on his house slippers. "I'm home!" he called. Getting no response, he walked through the living room, finding Mihoshi asleep on the couch in front of the television.
Tenchi smiled and continued into the kitchen, finding Sasami busy with dinner. "Hi Sasami!" he said.
"Oh, hi Tenchi!" Sasami said brightly, turning toward him. "Um... Mihoshi is in the living room and Washu is in her lab. I'm not sure where Ryoko is. Father called and he'll be on time for a change and Grandfather will be here for dinner."
"Wow, okay," Tenchi said. He found he didn't want to leave just yet. "Do you have anything that I can help with?"
"Um, sure. Why don't you cut these," she said, pointing to a wooden board with a knife and vegetables on it.
"Great!" Tenchi said, smiling. "I'd better wash my hands first." Sasami turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, then stepped back so he could get in. "Thank you, Sasami," he said.
"You're welcome, Tenchi."
Tenchi washed his hands and dried them, then began cutting while Sasami worked on another part of the meal standing next to him.
"Isn't this just like being a married couple?" Sasami asked with a small laugh.
"Yeah, I guess it is," Tenchi replied, smiling.
They worked in silence for a few moments, next to each other at the counter; their elbows occasionally bumping. Tenchi thought about what Sasami had said, and wondered if this was what it was like being a married couple; if this is what it would be like to be married to Sasami. He found he was gazing at Sasami as he cut, watching her prepare dinner; the way her hands moved delicately and surely, her eyes following the movement and her bangs hanging over her forehead, her lips curved into a satisfied half smile. He realized he wasn't paying enough attention to his task as he felt the cold metal of the knife bite into his finger.
"Yowtch!" he said, pulling the finger away.
"What is it?" Sasami said. Tenchi lifted the finger to his face to get a look at it. The blood quickly welled and overflowed the cut. "Oh!" Sasami said. "Let me see that."
"It's nothing," Tenchi replied, sucking on it.
"Hush," she said, wiping her hands on a cloth. She turned on the cold water and took Tenchi's hand gently; guiding the finger under the flowing water.
"Cold!" Tenchi hissed.
"Don't be a baby, Tenchi," Sasami smiled. After a few seconds she pulled the finger out and looked at it. "That's kind of deep," she said. She wrapped it in a paper towel. "Press on it while I get the first aid kit, okay?"
Tenchi nodded, watching her walk away. After a moment, she returned and began cleaning his finger, gently swabbing it with antiseptic. "Does that hurt?" she asked.
"It stings a little," Tenchi admitted.
"Here," Sasami said. She lifted his finger to her lips and blew gently on it for a moment. "Better?" she asked, looking in his eyes. Tenchi nodded, his eyes on hers. She smiled and unwrapped a gauze pad from the kit, putting it over the cut and securing it with some tape.
"How's that?" she asked. Tenchi lifted his hand and inspected his finger, flexing it to test the movement.
"Good," he said.
Sasami smiled and nodded, closing the kit. "How did you do that?" she asked.
"I was... Uh... Distracted," Tenchi replied.
"By what?" Sasami asked, smiling knowingly.
"Oh, I'm not sure, really," Tenchi said. "My mind just drifted is all." "Well, you need to be more careful," she said, poking him in the stomach with a finger.
"Right," he agreed. "I guess we'd better get back to dinner, huh?"
"You can't be much help with that finger. I'll do the cutting and stuff; you can fetch for me, okay?"
"Mmm hmm," Tenchi agreed, nodding.
He stood at Sasami's side for the next several minutes, bringing things she asked for, watching her work; the two of them chatting idly, quietly, as the afternoon sun lit the kitchen.
That was how Nobiyuki found them. He entered the house without calling out and stood at the kitchen doorway for a few moments, enjoying watching them. Finally, he said, "Hello you two." Tenchi and Sasami turned together, smiling.
"Hi dad," Tenchi said.
"Hello Father," Sasami said.
"My, aren't we the happy couple," Nobiyuki said. "All we need are some grandkids for me to spoil and it would seem like a proper home!" Tenchi and Sasami glanced at each other. Tenchi laughed nervously and Sasami smiled.
Unseen by Tenchi, Sasami or Nobiyuki, Ryoko watched them from the living room, her expression somewhere between anger and panic. "Damn it!" she hissed and then phased away.
The crab bell rang and Washu turned on her cushion to see Ryoko step into her lab.
"Hello, Little Ryoko!" she said brightly. She saw Ryoko's expression was bleak and that she looked close to tears. "Oh, honey! What is it?"
Ryoko walked over to Washu, who jumped off her pillow and guided Ryoko to a couch. They sat and nothing was said for a moment; Washu looked at Ryoko and Ryoko stared at the floor.
"What is it, Ryoko? Let me help."
"It's Tenchi," Ryoko said finally.
"What about him?" Washu prompted.
"I think he's- He's-" she choked back a sob. "I think he's falling in love with Sasami!" Ryoko cried, dropping her head into her hands and weeping. Washu put her arms around her daughter and said sympathetic things, comforting her as best she could.