Episode notes: yeah it's short but it's been about four years and I'm just getting back into the swing of things.

Ranmatech ½

Episode 5 "Secrets of the Lynn Clan"

Minmei, Shampoo and Colonge

The amazon triumvirate?

--Jimmy Shiro

"The book of Threes"

Minmei jolted to her feet and inched away from the bed in the school infirmy, her hand rose to her cheek, which had Shampoo's lipstick on it. Shampoo had just kissed her; it was a promise, a pact to kill her. An ancient custom of the Chinese Amazons that if they were ever defeated by another woman they would have to hunt them down to the ends of the world and kill them. Apparently the fact that they were beyond the ends of the world didn't matter much, and in this fortress Minmei had nowhere to run.

Ranma knew what it was like to be faced with that, in his female body he had defeated Shampoo and had spent years chasing her, then Shampoo learned that Ranma was really a boy, by law that meant she had to marry him, and she was determined to fulfil her legal obligations.

Minmei tore off away from Shampoo; she knew that this would happen if she won, so why did she fight? She ran as fast as her legs would take her home, hopefully Shampoo wouldn't come right away and she'd have time to think. What if she was going to die today? She had brushed off Rick this morning and there was so much she wanted to do, she wanted to sing she wanted to get to know her new friends… she just didn't want to die.

Meanwhile Ryoga was lost, he was trying to find the White Dragon, cause he heard Ranma and Akane had been spending a lot of time there. Instead she found herself on an observation deck overlooking the Daedalus and watching the valkyrie fighters take off… the area wasn't off limits to civilians, which was a good thing cause Ryoga managed to wander off into restricted areas a couple times now. He overheard two men talking one of them was a pilot and one of them was a civilian."

" So how about it Rick why don't you sign up? Why don't you join the Robotech Defence Forces?"

"I dunno… Big Brother do you think a girl can change overnight?"

"What?"

"Do you think a girl can change completely one night from the way she was before?"

Roy burst out laughing, "Your talking about Minmei right? You don't have to worry about her, she thought you were a little down and she asked me to cheer you up. So go on back to her… oh and you better be careful some handsome devil in a uniform doesn't come and steal her from you, girls like her can be a little fickle sometimes."

Ryoga picked up on that last bit, "A man in uniform hey? I'm sure if I joined the forces Akane would see that I'm much better then Ranma. He walked up to Roy, "Excuse me sir, where are the recruiting offices?"

"Oh they're just straight down that way and then turn right," he watched Ryoga walk down the hallway, "No your turning left, I said right, right!"

Rick was walking back to the White Dragon in a much better mood… here he was worried about something else vying for Minmei's attention… maybe that Ranma friend of hers. But with what Roy just told her he was put at ease… surely there wasn't anything more pressing for her then the bond that had developed between them in two weeks bellow decks.

When he got to the restaurant he saw Shampoo standing outside it.

"Minmei come out now," the amazon bellowed. "Minmei must die is Chinese Amazon law, Minmei must fight Shampoo to death."

Rick ran over to the blue haired girl, "What are you talking about? Why do you want to kill Minmei?"

"Is Amazon law, Minmei beat Shampoo in fight, now Shampoo must kill Minmei!"

Minmei came out and faced Shampoo, "Listen Shampoo, I'm sorry I don't want to fight you…"

"Is to late for apologies, Shampoo kill you now," Shampoo rushed towards Minmei preparing to strike.

"Wait Great Grand-daughter, you can't kill Minmei," Cologne said hoping in on her staff.

"But Shampoo must, is ancient Amazon tradition passed through hundreds of years."

"Yes I know but that doesn't apply to other Chinese Amazons," Both Minmei and Shampoo were taken aback by the ancient woman's words.

"It was 35 years ago, when the Lynns left our clan… the four of them Lena and Max and Minmei's father the four of them were of the Chinese Amazon tribes… Minmei's father wanted to marry a Japanese girl he met against my wishes… and his brother Max left with him when he fled the clan taking Lena who is also of our blood. Max and Minmei's father are my grandsons you see… Minmei is your cousin Shampoo and you are not to harm part of our clan."

"No, is lies Minmei is no Chinese Amazon!" Shampoo had tears welling up in her face.

"She has not been raised as one but she is. How do you think she was able to fight so well? Simply by watching her cousin? No it's in her blood. And why do you think back then I had you compete against her in business and in every other way other then combat… I wanted to disgrace the outcasts daughter but I didn't want her harmed. And I didn't want her to know her true identity anymore then her parents did, but now it seems there is no choice. Minmei come here," Cologne waived her forward, "By blood you are of the Chinese Amazon tribe and if you choose you may take your place in it, and avoid the wrath of Shampoo… But you will have to swear to live by it's laws and uphold it's rules… do you swear this Minmei?"

Minmei didn't really see a choice; accept your birthright or die, that's the options she was given. "I accept my lineage, I will live this day forth as a Chinese Amazon."

"Very good, now great-grand daughters… both of you, I want you to embrace each other as fellow members of the same family, and fear not Shampoo Minmei is now honor bound to respect your claim to Ranma… She is no threat to you," The two of them hugged but Shampoo but a little more force into it then was necessary.

Rick ran up to Minmei, "Minmei what does this all mean? What are the laws of the Chinese Amazons?"

"Well the two most important are… I have to kill any woman who defeats me if she's not of the clan and I have to marry the man who beats me in combat… it's a pain really but it was the only way I could get out of this alive… I beat Shampoo by fluke, I'm no match for her," Minmei turned to Rick.

"You have to marry the man who beats you?" Rick asked.

"Yes, him and only him"

Episode Preview

Ranma Voiceover: On the next exciting episode of Ranmatech, Rick as asked for my help to learn the martial arts, Ryoga is a destroid pilot and I'm going to join the Veritech Crops… Will the Dimension Crux crew ever return? Find out in the next chapter of the continuing saga of Ranmatech