Chapter 2

Kagome had fallen asleep in her chair when the others came back. She woke with a start and smiled towards them (although they couldn't see it). Maru stopped her staring-game with one of the guards and Sango simply turned her head. However, the moment they entered, Kagome could feel something was wrong.

'They are your women,' Naraku whispered in Sesshomaru's ear. 'Look at her,' he nodded towards Maru, 'She's not wearing a Seka.'

Kagome saw Sesshomaru step up to Maru who immediately rose from her chair and backed a few steps at the strange look in his eyes. What he did next made Kagome scream right out in fear and surprise. He lifted his hand and punched her face hard. Maru fell to the floor and didn't move.

'What are...you doing?' Kagome stuttered while staring at Sesshomaru as if she thought she was having a nightmare. Bankotsu quickly moved forward and looked her sternly in the eyes.

'You shall be quiet.' Inuyasha nodded to Sesshomaru who lifted Maru'sunconscious form up from the floor and left the room, followed by Bankotsu who had a tight hold on Kagome's tail, Inuyasha who held onto a seemingly calm Sango who didn't try to fight him off and last of all Miroku.

'And don't you dare try to escape,' was the last thing they heard Inuyasha say before slamming the door shut. The room was almost completely dark, save one light in a corner. Kagome and Sango ripped off their Seka's.

'Maru? Hello?' Kagome shook her gently and it had effect. Her friend coughed a bit and groggily opened her eyes. Her hand went to her head as she tried to sit up.

'Gee,' she muttered, 'Who threw a rock on my head?' She moaned louder as she stood on her legs. 'Or a mountain.'

'Try to sit down,' said Kagome and Maru slumped down on the floor again.

'That ambassador,' must Sango. 'He must've done something to them.'

'Yes,' Kagome agreed, 'It seemed like they were all drugged, their eyes...well when Bankotsu talked to me, it was as if he just looked on the wall behind me, as if he didn't see me.'

'It was the same with Sesshomaru just before he hit me,' said Maru, 'but doesn't the Mandera do that to the women too?' Kagome shook her head.

'No, they don't. They look at them with despise as if they're not worth anything, but they do look at them. I think they are drugged to act like Mandera, but it did something to their eyes too.'

'Maybe they are blind,' Maru proposed but Sango shook her head.

'No,' she said, 'they're not blind. They do look at us when we talk to them, but the drugs make their eyes look strange.'

'A bit like flash,' Maru mumbled, shivering at the memory.

'Yes, it's actually a lot like flash, as they're both mind-altering drugs that makes you go...a bit mad.' She paused. 'No offence.'

'Talking about it,' said Kagome. 'Maru, your father was...addicted to drugs,' Sango looked surprised but didn't say anything. 'If they really are um, high,' Kagome continued, 'do you have any idea on what to do? I mean, what did you do when your father was like that?'

'Well,' Maru started slowly, 'when I was little I'd normally just hide away until he was normal again, but when I got older, me and Kouga could get him inside a room and lock it if we worked together.'

'Maybe that's what we need to do,' said Sango suddenly after a few moments of silence.

'But how?' asked Kagome. 'there's only three of us and they are five. Sure you could fight them better as you're an android but they've got the forcelances.'

'We'll just have to surprise them, prepare an ambush,' said Sango with her eyes gleaming in a way they never had seen before.

'Yes,' Maru continued, 'let's pretend we think this is completely normal, let's wear the stupid Seka's and do what they tell us to do and then overwhelm them when they least suspect anything.' Just when she had said that, they heard footsteps at the door. Kagome and Sango quickly put on their Seka's again and all three women stood up. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Bankotsu entered. Miroku was nowhere to be seen. Bankotsu was carrying a heap of fabric that could be clothes, probably additions to the Seka's.

'Your clothing is incomplete,' said Inuyasha and started walking in front of them. 'Especially yours,' he said and looked at Maru with unhidden despise. 'You will now be presented with more appropriate garments. Bankotsu dropped the pile on the floor and started to give out, or rather simply throw the different pieces of clothing on them. They all received another, thinner Seka, colored transparent fabrics to keep over their eyes and thick gloves. Maru also had the thick Seka and Kagome was told to keep that "weird blue tail-thing" inside her Seka. They all put it on and when they were finished, they all looked like Mandera women.

'Good,' said Inuyasha when he satisfied looked at the three of them. 'You can now start your duties.'

'Cleaning the ship, can you believe it?' Sango muttered. 'Hell, I'm actually cleaning myself!'

'Well, at least you don't have to serve them drinks and then stand there and be a nice quiet girl in case they need something else,' Maru answered. She was on her way to command to serve them some Mandera specialty. She had carefully checked so there were no drugs in it first and now she was on her way to command. She bumped into a wall on the way there and cursed the limited vision under her breath. Then she carefully checked so the drinks had not been spilled out, but they seemed okay to her.

'You! Hurry up!' She saw Sesshomaru standing a few meters away, so she half-ran up to him and handed him one of the drinks. Then she went to the others and gave them one each.

'Just go and stand over there,' said Inuyasha impatiently. He sat in the pilot's chair and seemed to be the "new pilot".

'I hope we can come up with a plan soon,' Maru thought, 'because I'm not sure I can do this for much longer.'