Author: Nadz
Email: vegitto02 at yahoo dot com

Disclaimer:
The title "DragonTek" is owned by the author.
Any characters owned by the producers of Tekkaman, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, or Rurouni Kenshin are, of course, the property of those respective individuals or companies. Any original characters are strictly owned by the author of this fan fiction.
The story line of the entire DragonTek series is also owned strictly by me.
This story may not be distributed to anybody without the author's permission. However, the author does encourage you to welcome your friends to read DragonTek on FanFiction dot net. Much thanks...

DragonTek (Part IV: The Justice Saga)

Chapter 39 - Secret Twin

(Author's Note: The two gangsters that had taken Alena captive in Part III had mistaken her for a girl named Shura, the girl they were truly seeking. Shura and Alena look almost identical – just in case the reader had forgotten. :-)

"Bezel-sama, what is this?" Alena, in human form, asked as she looked at Shinya resting peacefully in his pod. She observed thin veins connected to several regions in his body and saw them pulse with pinkish energy. Blood also observed that the man had gotten stronger; his muscles had become noticeably bigger and had increased in tone. What were they doing to Saber?

"Young Alena," Bezel, now in his regular body form, turned towards her. "Do not touch that."

"What are you doing to Saber?" she asked curiously.

"I am making him stronger," Bezel replied. "At the end, he will become as strong as you."

'Strong as me?' Blood asked herself. 'Am I not strong enough for Bezel-sama?'

"But don't worry about it, Alena," he continued. "It'll just make things more convenient for me."

"O… okay," she responded before pausing. Bezel resumed conversing with Omega.

"Lord Plague, the tenth hive is almost done charging. We have pumped all the energy we could out of those two young boys in the pods," Omega reported, his eyes continuing to glow.

"Excellent," Bezel responded with a grin.

"Then when should they be deployed, my lord?"

"Well, Warlord Omega, as you reported to me before, the plants have successfully bloomed and captured their prisoners, is that not correct?"

"That is correct."

"We will then have to release our little pets in the areas not already covered by the plants. That way, if there is any damage due to retaliation from their side, the plants currently down there will not be disturbed," Bezel explained, and Omega could have rolled his eyes in frustration. He was smart enough to have thought that out; Bezel didn't need to spoon-feed it to him.

"I understand, Lord Plague," Omega answered. "So when should we deploy them?"

"First I want to be certain that nobody will be in the way… and I mean nobody," Bezel said, turning and narrowing his eyes at Alena, who gulped. "Alena, make sure Kenshin is out of the way. Only until I have proof of his death will I consider promoting you to Radam Empress. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," she responded, bowing her head.

"Then go make sure that he is dead."

'Where in the hell…'

"Take it easy, young man; you've been roughed up quite a bit," the nurse said to him.

"Where am I?" he asked, noticing the bandages over his body. It hurt for him to even raise his arm. The last thing he remembered was trash-talking Alena even though she wasn't there. She had almost blown him away with her blast, but the man had miraculously survived yet again.

"You're in a military medical facility just outside of Narrabri," she replied. "Here in Australia."

"Australia…" Shinjo remembered. 'Yes, I had been fighting Alena here. I failed…'

"That little girl sitting over there found you," the nurse pointed towards a ten-year-old sitting on a chair, reading a book. Shinjo turned his head to his right and looked at the girl with bright red-purple hair. She seemed thoroughly engrossed in what she was reading and didn't realize that they were looking at her.

"Natasha," the nurse said sweetly. "The man here wants to talk to you."

"Eh?" the girl asked, putting her book down. Running her hand through her hair, she walked over to the injured man lying on the bed. She looked directly at Shinjo, frowning as she examined him. Shinjo returned a surprised look but remembered what he wanted to tell her.

"Thank you," he said, smiling sadly. The girl just squinted at him.

"I love you," she said suddenly, smiling. "How much do you cost?"

"Cost?" Shinjo replied quizzically.

"Yes, my father says he can buy anybody with his money, and I want to buy you."

"Her father, Glieff Pablochiva, is a highly ranked officer in the Allied Military. Since the Headquarters was destroyed recently, there have been a massive number of promotions to replace those that died," the nurse explained. "He received one, and he's leading the station out here for the time being."

"Then what is she doing out here?" Shinjo asked.

"I'm here to visit my father; he's really powerful and strong," Natasha cut in.

"She lives in Russia, but her father allowed her to come here last week," the nurse said. "Natasha has been with our medical team for a while now. She accompanied us several days ago when we went exploring the area where a huge explosion had occurred."

'Alena's Nova attack,' Shinjo realized but stayed silent.

"I came along with the team that had gone to explore the area, just in case anybody was injured. Upon surveillance of the area, we thought that there could be no survivors. But Natasha went searching on her own and found you," the nurse continued. "We couldn't believe it when we found you; that blast would have killed anybody. What were you doing there? And how did you survive?"

"God is on my side," Shinjo chuckled. 'If God was really on my side, Alena would be dead.'

"What has happened since you found me?" Shinjo asked.

"A disaster," the nurse answered, and she described the wakening of the plants along the eastern coast of the Australian continent, along with those around the world.

"You should get some rest, Aki," Milly said as the young woman stepped into the Secondary Facility's Mission Room. Takaya and Noal had not yet returned, and Aki needed a way to pass time. She decided to come in and talk to Milly about an issue that had been bothering her for several days now.

"I don't think anybody can rest after seeing what they saw that night," Aki responded. "Milly, can I speak in private with you? It's about something very important."

"Sure, there's a small conference room right over this way. We can talk there," Milly nodded.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Aki?" Milly asked her as she closed the door behind her.

"I want to talk to you about the leadership of the Space Knights, Milly," Aki replied.

"Go on," Milly said as her eyes emitted a tired look. She let out a breath as she sat down.

"I know you've been taking this job seriously, Milly, but I worry that the stress involved is taking its toll on you," Aki replied gently as she sat in her chair.

"Aki, let us not butter this up," Milly sighed. "I have a feeling that you would rather be Commander of the Space Knights, right?"

"Milly…"

"I got that feeling from our previous discussions," Milly continued. "You sounded like you really wanted to lead everything, conversation and missions included."

"Milly, you don't…"

"No, I understand everything fully, Aki," Milly replied, sounding hurt. "I thought I could count on you as a friend to support me through this, but the only person you really care to support is yourself."

"Milly," Aki sighed as she tried to explain her side, "the only reason I brought this up is because I am worried about you. Your outburst of emotions just now proves to me that you're having trouble handling all the work that needs to be done. I think anybody would have trouble, especially with the main command center destroyed, and it wouldn't have been easy for Commander Freeman either."

Milly refused to respond and continued to look down at the table.

"I know your will is strong, Milly, but all this stress on your mind is only going to undermine your strength," Aki said gently. "I don't want to see that happen to a friend of mine."

"So what do you want me to do?" Milly said, raising her eyes as her scowl lightened.

"If you divide your responsibilities between two people, I think the burden would be manageable."

"Aki," Milly started, pausing before continuing, "does this mean that you want to be Co-Commanders? To divide the leadership of the Space Knights?"

"Only the responsibilities of a leader would be divided between two people, but the Space Knights and personnel would be united," Aki responded, closing her eyes and hoping Milly would listen to reason.

"I don't know if it can be done," Milly replied, relaxing her features. Aki certainly was right; there was too much work to do, and the younger girl was not sure that she would be able to handle all of it. She began to see the motivation behind Aki's request – if Aki wanted the glory of commanding the Space Knights, she would have asked Milly to step down directly. However, she realized that Aki had truly wanted to help her by sharing the work.

"Aki, if you don't know already, the Space Knights are truly owned by an organization called OEDG, Outer Earth Development Group, and we are heavily funded by the government in order to develop new equipment for them. The government also grants us access to some of its classified information," Milly explained. "When Honda and Levin decided to instate me as Commander, I looked through many of Freeman's files. To be specific, I was looking for the bureaucratic protocol needed for one to be promoted to Commander. When I read it, I tried to contact OEDG and ask for approval of my leadership. Normally, they would have sent a replacement, but after having seen reports of the base's destruction and… Chief Freeman's demise… nobody was ready to come."

"So, it basically sounds as if they are leaving it up to us for the time being," Aki responded.

"I suppose," Milly said as she began to smile. "Aki, then let's Co-Command together."

"Only with everybody else's approval, of course," Aki nodded.

'Who would refuse her leadership? I doubt anybody would be against the idea,' Milly thought as she began to spill the details of her work to Aki, who began to wonder if offering her help was a mistake. The two young women continued the discussion.

"I'll try to understand that," Bokkai said, rubbing his head.

"I know it must sound implausible," Kenshin responded. "But it happened."

"Incredible," the elderly man said as he raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath.

"Imagawa-san, thank you," Kenshin said, bowing his head and getting up. "I will not forget your kindness, but my revenge against Alena must be achieved. I have one more favor to ask of you."

"Yes, Kenshin-chan," the man grinned. The boy gulped at having been addressed as "chan."

"My katana is probably lost in the ocean somewhere. Could you tell me of a good sword-smith who can make a new one? They're hard to find since people use laser-technology weapons these days."

"You want to get a sword? Why not just use the new weaponry available?" the man asked quizzically. "You'll be able to do much more with those than with a katana."

"A gun may carry more firepower, but anyone can pull a trigger. The beauty of fighting, if it exists, lies in the handling of the sword. Besides, I know how to fight better with a katana than a gun."

"Perhaps that is why you were beaten?" the man asked.

"No, Alena used a sword as well… a very elegant sword," Kenshin sighed. "A sword far superior to mine, but that shouldn't be an excuse for my defeat."

"No, it shouldn't," the fisherman replied interestedly. "Hm, but can you describe that sword?"

"It was made with mastery of sword craftsmanship. The blade seemed so smooth and deadly, designed to kill with extreme efficiency. The head of the hilt seemed to be covered with a golden plating, and the sword's sheath had an intricate design carved out of what looked like gold," Kenshin explained.

"Is it…" the man trailed. 'Impossible… Could it really be Kotukari?'

"Bokkai-san, have I said…"

"I have something to show you," the man interrupted. "Please stay here. It won't take long."

Kenshin waited patiently as the elderly man opened a door and walked into the basement. The boy heard him rummaging through whatever was down there, and several minutes later, the man walked back up the stairs. Kenshin's eyes ballooned upon seeing what the man was carrying. It was a sword whose sheath was almost identical to that of Kotukari.

"Alena's katana?" Kenshin asked, completely confused. "How did you get it from her?"

"No, this is not Kotukari at all," the man responded as he held the sword across his spread hands. "This sword is called Akoutari. If you look carefully, you'll notice that the designs on this sheath are plated with silver, not gold."

"Then that means…"

"Kotukari and Akoutari are twin swords. They were made to be identical in every aspect, save for the metal on their sheaths. The only difference is that the head of the hilt of Akoutari is made of silver, which means that it is slightly lighter than Kotukari, whose hilt is golden," the elderly man explained, and he extended the sword towards the boy. "I want you to have this sword. Defeat the Radam with it."

"Unbelievable," Kenshin whispered, accepting the blade and bowing in thanks. The boy unsheathed the sword and examined it thoroughly. He admired the mastery that went into its crafting, and he realized its lightness and exceptional handling as he cut the air with several strokes.

"How do you have this sword?" Kenshin asked in wonder.

"Grandpa," a young voice squeaked. Kenshin and Bokkai turned their heads to see a young girl of roughly eleven years of age. She sported a long skirt and a green button-down tee shirt. In her right hand was a rose, and in her left was a tulip.

"Grandpa, I'm hungry," she smiled. "Can you make me some food?"

"Oh, Rinako-chan," Bokkai said lovingly. "I told you not to steal flowers from our neighbors."

"Sorry, grandpa," she said sweetly. "But they looked so nice."

"Ok, go to the kitchen; I've made some food for you," Bokkai smiled and waited until she left. He did not want her to be there when he explained how he had possession of Akoutari. He nodded for the boy to sit down, and Kenshin obliged.

"I've always had that sword," Bokkai started. "In fact, I used to have possession of both swords, Kotukari and Akoutari. They were made by the same craftsman, and they had been used by my ancestors over three hundred years ago. The warriors that actually used the swords were a husband and a wife, both samurai during the reign of the Tokugawa. The husband used Kotukari while the wife used Akoutari. Both weapons were completely identical except for the different metals used in their hilts.

"I guess it's reversed now – with Alena using Kotukari and me using Akoutari."

"Exactly. Well, both swords had tasted blood on more than one occasion; during that period, death by the sword was more common. The husband and wife had used their swords to kill, and when they died, their children decided to sheath the swords until the blades would be purified," Bokkai said, pausing before continuing his story. "The only solution to purifying those swords would be the long passage of time. Keeping them sheathed throughout the generations would help fade away the auras of death and blood that had stained the weapons of my ancestors.

My father had entrusted me with the twin blades and told me that in ten years, the swords would be clean again. After that, I kept the blades untouched for thirty years before handing them to my son, Haruki. Unfortunately, he wasn't so careful with those swords. One day, he decided to clean them in front of his house. Somebody must have seen him doing it, because after that day, tragedy struck.

That fateful night occurred two years ago. Around midnight, several gangsters visited my son's house and demanded that they be given the swords. Haruki refused adamantly, and they killed him along with his wife. My granddaughter, Shura, had been awake at the time and witnessed her parents' murder. She ran and got Kotukari, and she tried to kill the men using it. However, she had never used a sword prior to that, and the men easily defeated her. Satisfied, they kidnapped Shura and took Kotukari as well."

"I'm so sorry," Kenshin said softly as he looked down at his new sword.

"Thank you…" Bokkai said. "The only reason I know that story in its detail is that Rinako-chan had witnessed everything as well. She is still traumatized because of it, poor girl; she is still frightened from that nightmare. I never want her to have to live through that again, which is why I am giving you Akoutari. If I continue to leave it in my house, our family may be threatened ag—oh Kami..."

Kenshin noticed the man's eyes widen, and the boy turned his head to look at the entrance of the door. The Saiya-jin's face immediately turned into a glower upon seeing the grinning young woman standing on the porch outside. She ran her hand through her hair and looked curiously at him. In his mind, she must have been wondering how he was still alive.

'How did Alena find me here? That murderer!' Kenshin seethed. Seeing her smile, Kenshin flew into a rage and lunged towards her, his eyes burning with hatred as he unsheathed Akoutari.

"ALENA!!" he roared as he flew through the air, raising the blade upright above his shoulder.

Bokkai's eyes widened in horror at what he saw; he could not believe that this was taking place before his very eyes. Kenshin reached the girl and violently swung his blade down at her terrified form.

"SHURA!!" Bokkai screamed, holding his head with his hands.

A bolt of horror shot through Kenshin as he realized that this girl was not Alena at all; rather, she was Shura, Bokkai's granddaughter. But this realization arrived too late – the momentum loaded in his swing was far too great for him to stop in time.