Disclaimer - What's mine is mine, what isn't has been borrowed.
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Mayhem, Chaos, And General Messes
Chapter 11
Some Things Resolved
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"Talia?" Keith breathed as the figure stepped into the light.
"Who?"
Keith concentrated a bit, and his pupils switched from their normal, human shape to something a bit more feline. That done he looked again at the woman who had entered the cell. She strongly resembled his dead wife, but some of the details were markedly different. For one, while she had the same downy fur that Talia had had, she was noticeably lighter in coloring. Similarly, her hair was a dark chocolate brown instead of raven black. Her face was a bit longer and her nose somewhat more defined, though the girls full lips and silver eyes were as close to identical to Talia's as they could be. Letting his eyes trail downward, he noted that her feet were more human than Talia's had been too.
She also looked to be several years to young, 15 at most, but compared to the rest of the differences, it was a minor detail.
"Never mind." He finally responded gruffly. "Who are you?"
"No one important."
"You were on the roof of that hotel." Keith stated after a moment of thought. The girl just nodded in response, stepping closer to scrutinize his face.
"And I'm still pissed at you for not dying like you should have after I shot and stabbed you." She replied flippantly. "I'll admit you're damned tough, but I still don't see what's so special about you that you're worth chasing around half the freaking galaxy."
"Just pissed off all the right people I suppose."
"What are you doing here my dear?" Heero's cold voice interrupted from the doorway, the sudden influx of light making Keith wince, his pupils reshaping themselves to their normal human roundness.
"Nothing Master!" The girl replied quickly, visibly wincing at the hint of disapproval present in the blonde man's words.
"Do not act on your own little one." Heero warned quietly, "You will not like the results. Now go, I will decide upon your punishment later."
"Yes Master." The girl replied meekly before fleeing the room as fast as she was able to without actually running.
"Such an irritating little child." Hero said into the silence that followed with an exaggerated sigh. "But I suppose that is what one should expect from your daughter my dear mongrel."
"My... daughter?" Keith asked, his heart tightening painfully in his chest.
"Yes, I thought you'd find that interesting." Heero mused, smiling cruelly. "I had her created from DNA found at the site where my men killed that bitch of yours. You see, I have been most frustrated these past years by your ability to escape my every attempt at capturing you... and nothing seemed capable of relieving that frustration."
"You fucking psychopath!" Keith snarled, only to receive a blow from the stun baton Heero had brought with him.
"I'm not done yet mongrel." Heero responded quite happily, grinding the stun baton into Keith's side for several seconds. "It is impolite to interrupt a superior when they are talking you know. Now, as I was saying... To relieve that frustration I took the opportunity that your bitches death represented and had that girl made. A little mongrel I could do whatever I wanted to when you eluded me... and she is completely loyal to me. I am her GOD, and she is mine forever."
"You fucking have me already you bastard." Keith snarled. "Let her go."
"And lose the pleasure of torturing a part of you for the next few millennia?" the blonde asked, a cruel sneer firmly in place. "I think not."
"I hope she kills you in your sleep you pathetic piece of shit."
"Now it's time for your medicine Mongrel." Heero hissed, ignoring the insult as he pulled out a large syringe and stepped closer."
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It was all she could do to hold back the tears that were trying to flow. It just wasn't fair! Damn her ears for being as good as they were. After overhearing that she couldn't even try and fool herself anymore. She'd always believe that Heero, the closest thing to a parent she'd ever had, cared about her somewhere down in the depths of his heart. But he hated her! He had created her just to relieve his own frustration!
She bit back a sob, sinking down into a ball in the corner of the ship she was hiding in. He had used her to hunt down her real father. She hadn't even known she had had a father.
It wasn't fair.
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"M'Lady." The young guard greeted politely, bowing. "The ship carrying the prisoner will be here within the hour and the King requests that you join him at the central amphitheater as soon as you are able."
"Has Lady Funaho been informed of this as well?" Misaki asked, her voice polite, but lacking even a trace of its normal cheerfulness. The elegant woman looked years older than she normally did, and the young guard could see the anger and anguish the normally emotional woman was feeling in her eyes.
"Yes M'Lady." The guard replied immediately.
"Then inform my husband that I will be there shortly... and not to start without me."
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"I apologize for the delay." The Captains voice boomed out over the passenger ships intercom. "But unfortunately several warships are moving through the area and slowing all us civilians down. We should be moving again shortly though, so have patience."
"Damn." Yosho muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration. "If the news reports have been accurate we are running out of time."
"I still can't get through to any of the news stations on planet." Kanno replied, equally frustrated. "Comm traffic's so cluttered that nothing without at least Beta clearance is getting through, and that code you gave me is coming up as invalid."
"We will simply have to hope that we arrive in time then." Yosho sighed.
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She should be ecstatic; Ryoko had essentially withdrawn from their long rivalry. All but handed her Tenchi on a silver platter. So why was it that the only thing she was feeling was worry? Ryoko did NOT just give up on such things; it was not in her nature. And Ayeka had never seen anyone as devoted to a single person as the space-pirate was to Lord Tenchi. It simply did not make any sense.
Unless...
"Lord Tenchi? Are you there?" the purple-haired girl asked quietly as she entered the bridge where the young prince was theoretically on watch.
"Yes Ayeka?" Tenchi responded, swiveling the control chair around to face her.
"Go apologize to Ryoko right this instant!" she all but shouted, fire in her violet eyes.
"Errr... what? Why?" was the confused young man's response.
"I do not know why and it does not matter." Ayeka lectured. "You must have done something rather horrendous to that girl to get her as mad at you as she is, so hurry and apologize. And do it right."
"Do it right?" Tenchi asked, completely baffled at the Elder princess's vehement insistence that he apologize to the girl that she regarded as a rival for his affections.
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"I will not call for help goddammit." Ryoko muttered under her breath as she paused to catch her breath, leaning heavily on the med-bay's wall for support. She had barely gone ten feet since getting out of bed, but her legs felt like lead weights and every inch was a struggle.
"Myah?" Ryo-Ohki asked, watching her sister's progress through her internal cameras.
"No!" Ryoko snapped in response. "I can do this on my own."
"Myah!" the cabbit reprimanded.
"I know I'm being stubborn." Ryoko growled, forcing herself to take another step. "But I can still do this on my own. So just let me be stubborn."
"Myah." Ryo-Ohki allowed with a sigh.
"Thanks little sister." Ryoko responded genuinely, all but falling into the small bathroom.
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At first glance it was a fairly standard amphitheater, much like thousands of sports arenas all across the galaxy, until one noticed that it had been literally carved from a stump of a single tree. Nearly a kilometer across along its long axis it could hold over two million people at peak capacity. In fact, it was so large that all but the front-most seats were equipped with automatic image enhancing equipment simply so that their occupants could actually see what was happening on the field. Today it's stands were filled.
Normally the crowds were largely happy, out for a good time even if their team was the losing one, but not today. Today there would be no game, no entertainment, no joviality. Today they were here to witness a death. An execution of a murder of the worst sort. The killer of two of their most beloved. And justice would be dealt by their King, the father of the victims.
The shuttle descended out of a sky that was much to bright and blue for such a grisly event, landing gently near the center of the great arena. After bare seconds, it's doors opened and several men stepped out, hauling a single tightly bound figure.
He wanted to puke, but there was nothing left in him to come out, and the constant, painful, cramping of his stomach muscles was making him strain against his bindings in an attempt to curl up. Of course, this wasn't quite enough for him to miss the irony of them having strapped the one and only Christian outside of the Solar system to a cross. His immune system had finally given up on healing the minor injuries that had been inflicted upon him, and was concentrating his vastly diminished reserves of energy on the ones that were potentially life threatening and trying to purge the drugs from his system.
Behind him, several figures left the shuttle and jogged to one of the arena's side passages, disappearing from sight bare seconds after the group moving him and the cross he was bound to what was apparently supposed to be his spot in the large field that was the stadiums focal point.
His eyes were blurring from the pain and drugs, but they worked well enough for him to see three regal figures enter the arena by way of a large door set below the large dais that dominated one end of the complex. As they approached he forced himself to look up to watch them, trying his best not to look too pathetic. When they were only about 10 meters away, Heero stepped forward to meet them.
"Milord, M'Ladies," he began, dipping into a formal bow, "may I present the criminal Mayhem. I regret that we were unable to bring him to you in better condition... but he put up quite a struggle."
"That is quite alright Mr. Karishima." Azusa replied, waving away the apology. "You did well. Now leave us. There is a place waiting for you and your men in the royal seating area."
"Yes, Milord." Heero responded with another bow, turning just long enough to gesture for his men to follow before heading for the door the Royals had entered through.
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She sprinted through the corridors that made up the underbelly of the gigantic stadium, bee lining for one of the security elevators. Just before entering one of the public areas she tossed aside the GP dress cloak she had been wearing, revealing the uniform of a stadium security guard and slowed to a more sedate pace, her long ears and tail hidden by her hair and the loose clothing, and a somewhat oversized briefcase in hand.
Slipping into the elevator barely 30 seconds later she stabbed the button for the roof, sliding her expertly forged ID card through the scanner when the elevators computer asked for verification. After a few brief seconds there was a chime and the elevator shot upwards.
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"Yes, that will be fine." Yosho responded, trying desperately to keep his impatience with the man behind the car-rental counter in check.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kanno asked from behind him. "And you're gonna keep your promise about the interview, right?"
"Of course." Yosho answered. "Now get moving." With that Kanno ran off.
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"Ryoko?" Tenchi called as he entered the med bay and noticed the empty bed. "Where are you?"
"Over here." As Ryoko's reply, her voice almost back to normal, but her tone betraying exactly how exhausted the girl was.
"What in Kami's name are you doing back there?" Tenchi asked, spotting her foot sticking out from behind some of the monitoring equipment on the far side of the bed. Circling around he found the girl sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, breathing heavily.
"Just taking breather. Not that it's any of your business." Ryoko responded, but the words lacked much venom, her exhaustion dampening their emotion. "I don't need your help."
"I think that may be the most you've said to me in days." Tenchi replied, taking a seat on the floor next to her. "I've missed hearing your voice."
"Don't let it go to your head Prince." Ryoko snorted. "And I still don't need your help."
"I know you don't." Tenchi affirmed. "But not needing is a completely different thing from not wanting. So if you want any help, I'm here for you. We all are."
"You're aware that I'm still extremely pissed at you, right Prince?" Ryoko asked with a sigh.
"I know." Tenchi sighed. "And I undoubtedly deserve it for being selfish."
"Selfish?"
"I was about to lose one of the single most important things in my life, and in that moment... I learned something." Ryoko turned her head, meeting his eyes. "I learned that I'd rather die than go on without you in my life, even if it meant that you might end up hating me for it, it was a chance I had to take, and I can't bring myself to apologize for it. No matter how much certain people insist that I should."
"Wha..." Ryoko started to ask, but was silenced by Tenchi placing a finger against her lips.
"I love you Ryoko." Tenchi whispered, barely loud enough for even her sensitive ears to pick up. "And I'm sorry it took nearly losing you to figure that out."
"Tenchi..." Ryoko started, her voice wavering with barely suppressed sobs, tears making her golden eyes shine.
"So am I forgiven?" Tenchi teased, smiling at the frail girl beside him as she struggled to keep her composure.
"It's a start." She laughed/sobbed, letting herself relax against him.
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It took them about an hour to list off the charges he had been accused and convicted of. When they were finished he found himself wishing there were more. Every minute had let him heal just a little more... get just a little more of the conflicting drugs out of his system. As it was, he wasn't sure if he could form a coherent sentence if he tried.
"Does the condemned have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?" Azusa asked coldly, staring intently at Keith.
"Ah..." Keith tried, frowning in frustration as he put all of his concentration into forming the words. "Alive."
"What?" Misaki asked, all but leaping between him and Azusa, her pink eyes blazing as they bore into his. "Who's alive? Who!?"
"Ay..." Keith tried, coughing loudly in an attempt to clear his dry, constricted throat. "Ayeka's alive."
"A feeble attempt to save your own worthless life." Azusa interjected, "One I should cut your tongue out for."
"R' you so sure?" Keith coughed, forcing a smirk onto his face. "Sure enough to risk leav'in 'er stranded on some backwater hellhole fer the rest of 'er life?" That many words at once hurt like hell, but he managed to get them out so they were mostly understandable. Azusa and his wives exchanged quick glances, and apparently coming to some sort of agreement the King drew his hand across his throat, signaling the techs to cut off all of their microphones.
"Talk you monster or..." Azusa began.
"You'll kill me?" Keith coughed, his grin widening.
"...or you'll wish I would." The regal man hissed.
"What kind of sick pleasure do you get out of tearing my family apart you beast?" Misaki hissed, before he could say anything in response. "Do you have some grudge against Jurai? Some agenda that you're trying to fulfill? Tell me or I start breaking bones."
"Just thought you had a cute daughter is all. Especially that birthmark on her..." . The subsequent blow snapped several ribs.
"You sick..." the queen growled, unable to finish the sentence. In frustration she took a second swing, this time hitting one of his outstretched arms just below the shoulder. He could hear the bone crack... but barely felt it through the mix of drugs and general numbness his struggling healing abilities were creating. In short, he was long past pain, but even so, it was hard to maintain the cocky grin after those hits.
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The girl had gone up those stairs.
Yosho had already determined that he would never make it through the security in time to intervene... but he might be able to help elsewhere. Jurian security almost never hired off-worlders. And even when they did, none would ever be allowed to stand duty over an event attended by the royal family.
Not that the girls disguise had been completely ineffective. No-one else seemed to have noticed anything amiss. And if she hadn't walked through that sunbeam and caused her extremely fine, almost non-existent really, fur to be noticeable for a brief moment, he would have overlooked her as well.
He just hoped that the boy was able to stall long enough.
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They didn't even get a chance to try and open communications. Immediately after entering the system Ro-Ohki was jumped by several patrol ships, too small to really hurt her, but more than enough to send out the call to the larger warships that were farther in system. It had been 700 years, but most of the captains were more than old enough to remember the last time the crystalline ship had visited.
After all, one doesn't easily forget the first warship to ever break through Jurai's rather impressive defenses and assault the palace.
The Jurian admiral on hand had seen the reports, knew that the ship and her captain were reformed... but such things didn't matter when said Admiral was busy attending the execution along with the entirety of the military high command.
So Ryo-Ohki flew on, Tenchi riding atop her crimson dome once again as beam after beam of energy slammed into the shining white wings that protected her and the people she carried. And ahead, the blue and green jewel that was Jurai grew ever bigger.
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"Sir!" We have a problem!" the tinny voice sounded in his ear.
"Report." Heero replied calmly, turning to leave the viewing box with a polite bow to the nobles gathered there.
"Sir, Ryo-Ohki has entered the system and is closing rapidly." The panicked officer reported, "The defense forces can't stop them at this rate, and people are screaming for orders! They'll be here in less than five minutes!"
"Have you jammed external communications like I instructed?" Heero asked calmly as the door closed behind him, leaving him alone in the hallway.
"Of course!" the officer responded, "no message can get into the arena without going through me."
"Is anyone else there?" Heero asked as he strode down the corridor.
"No sir." Was the simple, worried reply.
"Then you may leave." Heero instructed. "Just be sure to disable the door so no-one can accidentally undo things before it's time."
"Sir, thank you Sir!"
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Her spot in the rafters was less than comfortable, but it was well hidden and gave her a full view of the arena below. With the sniper rifle that had been hidden for her by some of the men infiltrated into the arena staff by her master, she could kill anyone in the arena... at least anyone but the Royals, who were all but immune to such a low-powered weapon.
"Aiken!" the call sounded in her earpiece.
"Yes master?" she answered diligently, wincing inwardly at the so-called name her master had given her. The one that basically meant, pet dog.
"We will be receiving some uninvited guests any minute now." he informed her. "If the mongrel is not dead before then, finish the job."
"Yes master." She responded, trying to ignore the feel of her heart clenching tight in her chest.
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"I will ask you one more time." The King growled. "If my daughter is alive, where is she and why does the evidence presented to us say otherwise?" Keith coughed, spitting up a good mouthful of blood from his damaged lungs. His healing abilities were all but spent. Even if they didn't kill him intentionally, he couldn't take many more of those punches.
"Rylos 9." He answered, barely managing to keep the grin in place... though it didn't have quite the desired effect given his blood stained teeth. "Under lock and key with some very nasty guys keeping watch over her." He was starting to feel more clear-headed, though he wasn't sure if it was because the drugs were losing effect or if it was just the barely noticed, but still present pain keeping him alert.
"And the evidence?" Misaki asked before her husband was able.
"Hey, I said she was alive... I never claimed she was intact." Keith shot back, attempting a shrug. The reflexive, angry, blows that followed wiped the smirk from his face... along with several teeth. Blackness started to creep over his vision, but he managed to hold on to consciousness. Though barely.
"Tell me EXACTLY where she is, and you might live to see one more sunset." Misaki hissed, drawing her light sword from her belt and activating it with a quick mental command.
"Kill me and you kill her." Keith slurred, blood dripping from his ruined mouth and nose.
"Monster." The blue haired woman hissed.
"I've been called worse."
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"We're almost there!" Washu shouted from her place on Ryo-Ohki's bridge. "Are you in place Ayeka?"
"I am!" the violet haired girl responded from the crystalline ships lower exit, decked out in her battle garb. "But are you sure that this is a good idea?"
"Given the bluff that the boy is trying to pull off, and the anti-teleport field they have set up over the arena, I'd say it's the only idea that's got a chance!" Washu retorted. "If we just do a fly-by, they'll probably just think you're safe and off him then and there."
Ayeka didn't bother responding, and readied herself.
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"What is that!?" Funaho asked, speaking for the first time since the ordeal began. Many in the crowd had noticed the same thing given the sudden commotion from the stands. With over a two million people in attendance, even a low murmur from the crowd was hard to miss.
Misaki and Azusa looked up to where the elegant woman was pointing, even as some of the people in the crowd focused their image enhancers upwards. That's when the screams started as people started recognizing the infamous crystalline ship that was diving towards the arena.
"Ryo-Ohki?!"
"Took them long enough." Keith groaned, spitting up another mouthful of blood. None of the royals noticed, and he let the darkness claim him.
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"Those must be our uninvited guests." She muttered to herself, taking careful aim at Keith's head. Her finger started to squeeze the trigger... and hesitated.
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The crystalline battleship pulled up bare meters above the arena's rim, roaring past at several hundred kilometers per hour. Almost to late a single, small figure fell away from the cabbit-ship's underbelly.
Barely a dozen meters above the ground, familiar power blazed around the figure, slowing her decent and redirecting her towards the center of the stadium where four figures, three free, one bound, waited.
"She's alive." The three breathed as one, the blue haired woman collapsing to her knees.
"Time to carry out the sentence then." Azusa growled, raising and igniting his sword.
"Father NO!" the princess screamed.
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"No, no more hesitation." She growled pulling the trigger, a bright bolt of plasma spewing from the weapons barrel.
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"What?" Azusa asked, but despite the incredulity he stayed his hand. Not even a second later a plasma bolt sliced past him, impacting the ground bare meters behind the bound man's helpless form and sending a geyser of dirt into the air.
The royals were moving a instant later, turning to face the source of the blast and taking defensive positions, their personal shields flaring into existence. Ayeka took the opportunity to sprint in front of Keith and raise her own shields to protect them both.
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"Didn't your mother ever tell you that it isn't nice to shoot at people?" Yosho asked, the barrel of the plasma rifle in one hand, his other hand twisting the young woman's arm behind her, effectively immobilizing her.
"Fuck." Was the simplistic response.
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"Oh Tsunami." Ayeka gasped, turning to look at Keith after it was clear that there were going to be no more shots fired.
"Ayeka!" Misaki shouted, grabbing the girl from behind, lifting her off her feet with the force of the hug. "I thought you were dead! Are you all right? How did you escape? Is everyone else alright?" the queen was babbling at that point, but she didn't particularly care.
"I'm fine Mother." Ayeka gasped. "We all are. Now put me down!"
"Thank Tsunami." She sobbed, the sentiment echoed by her sister and husband. With another quick squeeze she put her elder daughter down. Ayeka immediately placed her hand against the vine-like bonds holding Keith and released them with a mental command that was carried to them through her key.
The unconscious boy immediately collapsed, almost directly into her waiting arms.
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Mayhem, Chaos, And General Messes
Chapter 11
Some Things Resolved
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"Talia?" Keith breathed as the figure stepped into the light.
"Who?"
Keith concentrated a bit, and his pupils switched from their normal, human shape to something a bit more feline. That done he looked again at the woman who had entered the cell. She strongly resembled his dead wife, but some of the details were markedly different. For one, while she had the same downy fur that Talia had had, she was noticeably lighter in coloring. Similarly, her hair was a dark chocolate brown instead of raven black. Her face was a bit longer and her nose somewhat more defined, though the girls full lips and silver eyes were as close to identical to Talia's as they could be. Letting his eyes trail downward, he noted that her feet were more human than Talia's had been too.
She also looked to be several years to young, 15 at most, but compared to the rest of the differences, it was a minor detail.
"Never mind." He finally responded gruffly. "Who are you?"
"No one important."
"You were on the roof of that hotel." Keith stated after a moment of thought. The girl just nodded in response, stepping closer to scrutinize his face.
"And I'm still pissed at you for not dying like you should have after I shot and stabbed you." She replied flippantly. "I'll admit you're damned tough, but I still don't see what's so special about you that you're worth chasing around half the freaking galaxy."
"Just pissed off all the right people I suppose."
"What are you doing here my dear?" Heero's cold voice interrupted from the doorway, the sudden influx of light making Keith wince, his pupils reshaping themselves to their normal human roundness.
"Nothing Master!" The girl replied quickly, visibly wincing at the hint of disapproval present in the blonde man's words.
"Do not act on your own little one." Heero warned quietly, "You will not like the results. Now go, I will decide upon your punishment later."
"Yes Master." The girl replied meekly before fleeing the room as fast as she was able to without actually running.
"Such an irritating little child." Hero said into the silence that followed with an exaggerated sigh. "But I suppose that is what one should expect from your daughter my dear mongrel."
"My... daughter?" Keith asked, his heart tightening painfully in his chest.
"Yes, I thought you'd find that interesting." Heero mused, smiling cruelly. "I had her created from DNA found at the site where my men killed that bitch of yours. You see, I have been most frustrated these past years by your ability to escape my every attempt at capturing you... and nothing seemed capable of relieving that frustration."
"You fucking psychopath!" Keith snarled, only to receive a blow from the stun baton Heero had brought with him.
"I'm not done yet mongrel." Heero responded quite happily, grinding the stun baton into Keith's side for several seconds. "It is impolite to interrupt a superior when they are talking you know. Now, as I was saying... To relieve that frustration I took the opportunity that your bitches death represented and had that girl made. A little mongrel I could do whatever I wanted to when you eluded me... and she is completely loyal to me. I am her GOD, and she is mine forever."
"You fucking have me already you bastard." Keith snarled. "Let her go."
"And lose the pleasure of torturing a part of you for the next few millennia?" the blonde asked, a cruel sneer firmly in place. "I think not."
"I hope she kills you in your sleep you pathetic piece of shit."
"Now it's time for your medicine Mongrel." Heero hissed, ignoring the insult as he pulled out a large syringe and stepped closer."
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It was all she could do to hold back the tears that were trying to flow. It just wasn't fair! Damn her ears for being as good as they were. After overhearing that she couldn't even try and fool herself anymore. She'd always believe that Heero, the closest thing to a parent she'd ever had, cared about her somewhere down in the depths of his heart. But he hated her! He had created her just to relieve his own frustration!
She bit back a sob, sinking down into a ball in the corner of the ship she was hiding in. He had used her to hunt down her real father. She hadn't even known she had had a father.
It wasn't fair.
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"M'Lady." The young guard greeted politely, bowing. "The ship carrying the prisoner will be here within the hour and the King requests that you join him at the central amphitheater as soon as you are able."
"Has Lady Funaho been informed of this as well?" Misaki asked, her voice polite, but lacking even a trace of its normal cheerfulness. The elegant woman looked years older than she normally did, and the young guard could see the anger and anguish the normally emotional woman was feeling in her eyes.
"Yes M'Lady." The guard replied immediately.
"Then inform my husband that I will be there shortly... and not to start without me."
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"I apologize for the delay." The Captains voice boomed out over the passenger ships intercom. "But unfortunately several warships are moving through the area and slowing all us civilians down. We should be moving again shortly though, so have patience."
"Damn." Yosho muttered, his brow furrowing in frustration. "If the news reports have been accurate we are running out of time."
"I still can't get through to any of the news stations on planet." Kanno replied, equally frustrated. "Comm traffic's so cluttered that nothing without at least Beta clearance is getting through, and that code you gave me is coming up as invalid."
"We will simply have to hope that we arrive in time then." Yosho sighed.
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She should be ecstatic; Ryoko had essentially withdrawn from their long rivalry. All but handed her Tenchi on a silver platter. So why was it that the only thing she was feeling was worry? Ryoko did NOT just give up on such things; it was not in her nature. And Ayeka had never seen anyone as devoted to a single person as the space-pirate was to Lord Tenchi. It simply did not make any sense.
Unless...
"Lord Tenchi? Are you there?" the purple-haired girl asked quietly as she entered the bridge where the young prince was theoretically on watch.
"Yes Ayeka?" Tenchi responded, swiveling the control chair around to face her.
"Go apologize to Ryoko right this instant!" she all but shouted, fire in her violet eyes.
"Errr... what? Why?" was the confused young man's response.
"I do not know why and it does not matter." Ayeka lectured. "You must have done something rather horrendous to that girl to get her as mad at you as she is, so hurry and apologize. And do it right."
"Do it right?" Tenchi asked, completely baffled at the Elder princess's vehement insistence that he apologize to the girl that she regarded as a rival for his affections.
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"I will not call for help goddammit." Ryoko muttered under her breath as she paused to catch her breath, leaning heavily on the med-bay's wall for support. She had barely gone ten feet since getting out of bed, but her legs felt like lead weights and every inch was a struggle.
"Myah?" Ryo-Ohki asked, watching her sister's progress through her internal cameras.
"No!" Ryoko snapped in response. "I can do this on my own."
"Myah!" the cabbit reprimanded.
"I know I'm being stubborn." Ryoko growled, forcing herself to take another step. "But I can still do this on my own. So just let me be stubborn."
"Myah." Ryo-Ohki allowed with a sigh.
"Thanks little sister." Ryoko responded genuinely, all but falling into the small bathroom.
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At first glance it was a fairly standard amphitheater, much like thousands of sports arenas all across the galaxy, until one noticed that it had been literally carved from a stump of a single tree. Nearly a kilometer across along its long axis it could hold over two million people at peak capacity. In fact, it was so large that all but the front-most seats were equipped with automatic image enhancing equipment simply so that their occupants could actually see what was happening on the field. Today it's stands were filled.
Normally the crowds were largely happy, out for a good time even if their team was the losing one, but not today. Today there would be no game, no entertainment, no joviality. Today they were here to witness a death. An execution of a murder of the worst sort. The killer of two of their most beloved. And justice would be dealt by their King, the father of the victims.
The shuttle descended out of a sky that was much to bright and blue for such a grisly event, landing gently near the center of the great arena. After bare seconds, it's doors opened and several men stepped out, hauling a single tightly bound figure.
He wanted to puke, but there was nothing left in him to come out, and the constant, painful, cramping of his stomach muscles was making him strain against his bindings in an attempt to curl up. Of course, this wasn't quite enough for him to miss the irony of them having strapped the one and only Christian outside of the Solar system to a cross. His immune system had finally given up on healing the minor injuries that had been inflicted upon him, and was concentrating his vastly diminished reserves of energy on the ones that were potentially life threatening and trying to purge the drugs from his system.
Behind him, several figures left the shuttle and jogged to one of the arena's side passages, disappearing from sight bare seconds after the group moving him and the cross he was bound to what was apparently supposed to be his spot in the large field that was the stadiums focal point.
His eyes were blurring from the pain and drugs, but they worked well enough for him to see three regal figures enter the arena by way of a large door set below the large dais that dominated one end of the complex. As they approached he forced himself to look up to watch them, trying his best not to look too pathetic. When they were only about 10 meters away, Heero stepped forward to meet them.
"Milord, M'Ladies," he began, dipping into a formal bow, "may I present the criminal Mayhem. I regret that we were unable to bring him to you in better condition... but he put up quite a struggle."
"That is quite alright Mr. Karishima." Azusa replied, waving away the apology. "You did well. Now leave us. There is a place waiting for you and your men in the royal seating area."
"Yes, Milord." Heero responded with another bow, turning just long enough to gesture for his men to follow before heading for the door the Royals had entered through.
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She sprinted through the corridors that made up the underbelly of the gigantic stadium, bee lining for one of the security elevators. Just before entering one of the public areas she tossed aside the GP dress cloak she had been wearing, revealing the uniform of a stadium security guard and slowed to a more sedate pace, her long ears and tail hidden by her hair and the loose clothing, and a somewhat oversized briefcase in hand.
Slipping into the elevator barely 30 seconds later she stabbed the button for the roof, sliding her expertly forged ID card through the scanner when the elevators computer asked for verification. After a few brief seconds there was a chime and the elevator shot upwards.
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"Yes, that will be fine." Yosho responded, trying desperately to keep his impatience with the man behind the car-rental counter in check.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kanno asked from behind him. "And you're gonna keep your promise about the interview, right?"
"Of course." Yosho answered. "Now get moving." With that Kanno ran off.
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"Ryoko?" Tenchi called as he entered the med bay and noticed the empty bed. "Where are you?"
"Over here." As Ryoko's reply, her voice almost back to normal, but her tone betraying exactly how exhausted the girl was.
"What in Kami's name are you doing back there?" Tenchi asked, spotting her foot sticking out from behind some of the monitoring equipment on the far side of the bed. Circling around he found the girl sitting on the floor with her back to the wall, breathing heavily.
"Just taking breather. Not that it's any of your business." Ryoko responded, but the words lacked much venom, her exhaustion dampening their emotion. "I don't need your help."
"I think that may be the most you've said to me in days." Tenchi replied, taking a seat on the floor next to her. "I've missed hearing your voice."
"Don't let it go to your head Prince." Ryoko snorted. "And I still don't need your help."
"I know you don't." Tenchi affirmed. "But not needing is a completely different thing from not wanting. So if you want any help, I'm here for you. We all are."
"You're aware that I'm still extremely pissed at you, right Prince?" Ryoko asked with a sigh.
"I know." Tenchi sighed. "And I undoubtedly deserve it for being selfish."
"Selfish?"
"I was about to lose one of the single most important things in my life, and in that moment... I learned something." Ryoko turned her head, meeting his eyes. "I learned that I'd rather die than go on without you in my life, even if it meant that you might end up hating me for it, it was a chance I had to take, and I can't bring myself to apologize for it. No matter how much certain people insist that I should."
"Wha..." Ryoko started to ask, but was silenced by Tenchi placing a finger against her lips.
"I love you Ryoko." Tenchi whispered, barely loud enough for even her sensitive ears to pick up. "And I'm sorry it took nearly losing you to figure that out."
"Tenchi..." Ryoko started, her voice wavering with barely suppressed sobs, tears making her golden eyes shine.
"So am I forgiven?" Tenchi teased, smiling at the frail girl beside him as she struggled to keep her composure.
"It's a start." She laughed/sobbed, letting herself relax against him.
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It took them about an hour to list off the charges he had been accused and convicted of. When they were finished he found himself wishing there were more. Every minute had let him heal just a little more... get just a little more of the conflicting drugs out of his system. As it was, he wasn't sure if he could form a coherent sentence if he tried.
"Does the condemned have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?" Azusa asked coldly, staring intently at Keith.
"Ah..." Keith tried, frowning in frustration as he put all of his concentration into forming the words. "Alive."
"What?" Misaki asked, all but leaping between him and Azusa, her pink eyes blazing as they bore into his. "Who's alive? Who!?"
"Ay..." Keith tried, coughing loudly in an attempt to clear his dry, constricted throat. "Ayeka's alive."
"A feeble attempt to save your own worthless life." Azusa interjected, "One I should cut your tongue out for."
"R' you so sure?" Keith coughed, forcing a smirk onto his face. "Sure enough to risk leav'in 'er stranded on some backwater hellhole fer the rest of 'er life?" That many words at once hurt like hell, but he managed to get them out so they were mostly understandable. Azusa and his wives exchanged quick glances, and apparently coming to some sort of agreement the King drew his hand across his throat, signaling the techs to cut off all of their microphones.
"Talk you monster or..." Azusa began.
"You'll kill me?" Keith coughed, his grin widening.
"...or you'll wish I would." The regal man hissed.
"What kind of sick pleasure do you get out of tearing my family apart you beast?" Misaki hissed, before he could say anything in response. "Do you have some grudge against Jurai? Some agenda that you're trying to fulfill? Tell me or I start breaking bones."
"Just thought you had a cute daughter is all. Especially that birthmark on her..." . The subsequent blow snapped several ribs.
"You sick..." the queen growled, unable to finish the sentence. In frustration she took a second swing, this time hitting one of his outstretched arms just below the shoulder. He could hear the bone crack... but barely felt it through the mix of drugs and general numbness his struggling healing abilities were creating. In short, he was long past pain, but even so, it was hard to maintain the cocky grin after those hits.
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The girl had gone up those stairs.
Yosho had already determined that he would never make it through the security in time to intervene... but he might be able to help elsewhere. Jurian security almost never hired off-worlders. And even when they did, none would ever be allowed to stand duty over an event attended by the royal family.
Not that the girls disguise had been completely ineffective. No-one else seemed to have noticed anything amiss. And if she hadn't walked through that sunbeam and caused her extremely fine, almost non-existent really, fur to be noticeable for a brief moment, he would have overlooked her as well.
He just hoped that the boy was able to stall long enough.
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They didn't even get a chance to try and open communications. Immediately after entering the system Ro-Ohki was jumped by several patrol ships, too small to really hurt her, but more than enough to send out the call to the larger warships that were farther in system. It had been 700 years, but most of the captains were more than old enough to remember the last time the crystalline ship had visited.
After all, one doesn't easily forget the first warship to ever break through Jurai's rather impressive defenses and assault the palace.
The Jurian admiral on hand had seen the reports, knew that the ship and her captain were reformed... but such things didn't matter when said Admiral was busy attending the execution along with the entirety of the military high command.
So Ryo-Ohki flew on, Tenchi riding atop her crimson dome once again as beam after beam of energy slammed into the shining white wings that protected her and the people she carried. And ahead, the blue and green jewel that was Jurai grew ever bigger.
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"Sir!" We have a problem!" the tinny voice sounded in his ear.
"Report." Heero replied calmly, turning to leave the viewing box with a polite bow to the nobles gathered there.
"Sir, Ryo-Ohki has entered the system and is closing rapidly." The panicked officer reported, "The defense forces can't stop them at this rate, and people are screaming for orders! They'll be here in less than five minutes!"
"Have you jammed external communications like I instructed?" Heero asked calmly as the door closed behind him, leaving him alone in the hallway.
"Of course!" the officer responded, "no message can get into the arena without going through me."
"Is anyone else there?" Heero asked as he strode down the corridor.
"No sir." Was the simple, worried reply.
"Then you may leave." Heero instructed. "Just be sure to disable the door so no-one can accidentally undo things before it's time."
"Sir, thank you Sir!"
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Her spot in the rafters was less than comfortable, but it was well hidden and gave her a full view of the arena below. With the sniper rifle that had been hidden for her by some of the men infiltrated into the arena staff by her master, she could kill anyone in the arena... at least anyone but the Royals, who were all but immune to such a low-powered weapon.
"Aiken!" the call sounded in her earpiece.
"Yes master?" she answered diligently, wincing inwardly at the so-called name her master had given her. The one that basically meant, pet dog.
"We will be receiving some uninvited guests any minute now." he informed her. "If the mongrel is not dead before then, finish the job."
"Yes master." She responded, trying to ignore the feel of her heart clenching tight in her chest.
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"I will ask you one more time." The King growled. "If my daughter is alive, where is she and why does the evidence presented to us say otherwise?" Keith coughed, spitting up a good mouthful of blood from his damaged lungs. His healing abilities were all but spent. Even if they didn't kill him intentionally, he couldn't take many more of those punches.
"Rylos 9." He answered, barely managing to keep the grin in place... though it didn't have quite the desired effect given his blood stained teeth. "Under lock and key with some very nasty guys keeping watch over her." He was starting to feel more clear-headed, though he wasn't sure if it was because the drugs were losing effect or if it was just the barely noticed, but still present pain keeping him alert.
"And the evidence?" Misaki asked before her husband was able.
"Hey, I said she was alive... I never claimed she was intact." Keith shot back, attempting a shrug. The reflexive, angry, blows that followed wiped the smirk from his face... along with several teeth. Blackness started to creep over his vision, but he managed to hold on to consciousness. Though barely.
"Tell me EXACTLY where she is, and you might live to see one more sunset." Misaki hissed, drawing her light sword from her belt and activating it with a quick mental command.
"Kill me and you kill her." Keith slurred, blood dripping from his ruined mouth and nose.
"Monster." The blue haired woman hissed.
"I've been called worse."
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"We're almost there!" Washu shouted from her place on Ryo-Ohki's bridge. "Are you in place Ayeka?"
"I am!" the violet haired girl responded from the crystalline ships lower exit, decked out in her battle garb. "But are you sure that this is a good idea?"
"Given the bluff that the boy is trying to pull off, and the anti-teleport field they have set up over the arena, I'd say it's the only idea that's got a chance!" Washu retorted. "If we just do a fly-by, they'll probably just think you're safe and off him then and there."
Ayeka didn't bother responding, and readied herself.
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"What is that!?" Funaho asked, speaking for the first time since the ordeal began. Many in the crowd had noticed the same thing given the sudden commotion from the stands. With over a two million people in attendance, even a low murmur from the crowd was hard to miss.
Misaki and Azusa looked up to where the elegant woman was pointing, even as some of the people in the crowd focused their image enhancers upwards. That's when the screams started as people started recognizing the infamous crystalline ship that was diving towards the arena.
"Ryo-Ohki?!"
"Took them long enough." Keith groaned, spitting up another mouthful of blood. None of the royals noticed, and he let the darkness claim him.
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"Those must be our uninvited guests." She muttered to herself, taking careful aim at Keith's head. Her finger started to squeeze the trigger... and hesitated.
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The crystalline battleship pulled up bare meters above the arena's rim, roaring past at several hundred kilometers per hour. Almost to late a single, small figure fell away from the cabbit-ship's underbelly.
Barely a dozen meters above the ground, familiar power blazed around the figure, slowing her decent and redirecting her towards the center of the stadium where four figures, three free, one bound, waited.
"She's alive." The three breathed as one, the blue haired woman collapsing to her knees.
"Time to carry out the sentence then." Azusa growled, raising and igniting his sword.
"Father NO!" the princess screamed.
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"No, no more hesitation." She growled pulling the trigger, a bright bolt of plasma spewing from the weapons barrel.
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"What?" Azusa asked, but despite the incredulity he stayed his hand. Not even a second later a plasma bolt sliced past him, impacting the ground bare meters behind the bound man's helpless form and sending a geyser of dirt into the air.
The royals were moving a instant later, turning to face the source of the blast and taking defensive positions, their personal shields flaring into existence. Ayeka took the opportunity to sprint in front of Keith and raise her own shields to protect them both.
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"Didn't your mother ever tell you that it isn't nice to shoot at people?" Yosho asked, the barrel of the plasma rifle in one hand, his other hand twisting the young woman's arm behind her, effectively immobilizing her.
"Fuck." Was the simplistic response.
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"Oh Tsunami." Ayeka gasped, turning to look at Keith after it was clear that there were going to be no more shots fired.
"Ayeka!" Misaki shouted, grabbing the girl from behind, lifting her off her feet with the force of the hug. "I thought you were dead! Are you all right? How did you escape? Is everyone else alright?" the queen was babbling at that point, but she didn't particularly care.
"I'm fine Mother." Ayeka gasped. "We all are. Now put me down!"
"Thank Tsunami." She sobbed, the sentiment echoed by her sister and husband. With another quick squeeze she put her elder daughter down. Ayeka immediately placed her hand against the vine-like bonds holding Keith and released them with a mental command that was carried to them through her key.
The unconscious boy immediately collapsed, almost directly into her waiting arms.