THE JOB, Chapter 16: An Illegitimate Concern.

DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no rights to it. However, all events in this story are entirely of my own imagination. Please don't change them. Feel free to distribute this story as widely as desired.

FOREWORD: Tenchi's reaction to Ryoko's arrest.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 13 June 2003

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com

BEGIN.

Tenchi slumped down onto the end of his bed in the hotel room that he had been sharing with Ryoko. He had forgotten to turn on the light. Or, perhaps he just did not want to see the empty room. Anger and disappointment suddenly geysered from within, sending Tenchi shooting to his feet. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth trying to keep his temper in check.

"Dammit, Ryoko. Why'd you do that?!"

A strange sense of unease began to fill Tenchi as he realized he was more upset about Ryoko turning herself in, rather than the theft of the boat. Heaving a huge sigh in an effort to calm himself, Tenchi sat back on the end of his bed and tried to apply constructive thinking to the situation. Simplified, Ryoko was in jail because she was a space pirate. Most likely, she would be put on trial. That meant she would have an opportunity to defend herself.

"Yeah, right." Tenchi grumbled. "Like that's gonna help."

His mind exhausted of energy, Tenchi reached forward and groped for the power button for the video screen, hoping for some news, or something else that might settle his mind. The holographic image illuminated the room with a special report concerning the incredible news. A male anchor and a female reporter were discussing the event.

"That's a, uh, impressive list of charges, Nariko. Has the Accuser's office indicated what kind of penalty they'll pursue for all those crimes?"

"Well, Amano, I wouldn't be surprised if they asked for the death penalty. I mean, I've seen the hardcopy list of charges, and it is literally, this thick." The female reporter held a hand up with fingers extended. There was a space between her first two fingers as big as a dictionary.

Tenchi's fist came down hard on the control panel. Cracks jumped from his hand to the sides of the broken pane.

"No." Tenchi stood up. Frustration and determination were both smoldering in his eyes. "I refuse to let that happen." Moving quickly, Tenchi began packing his clothes. But before he could finish, there was a loud knock at his door.

"Crap!"

Grumbling aloud, Tenchi nearly ran to the door. Grasping the handle he flung it open. Standing before him were four men in black suits and sunglasses, and an older man, also in a black suit, but with a red tie, rather than the grey tie the others were wearing. Red-tie, as Tenchi mentally labeled him, bent forward at the waist, bowing eloquently.

"Pardon the intrusion, Highness. I am Kaneda Fujii, the manager of this hotel. It is my duty to protect all of my guests while they stay with us. I'm afraid the media has learned you have been staying here with the space pirate Ryoko. At the moment, security is holding them in the main lobby. However, it is only a matter of time before one of them gets up here. This is a hotel, after all, rather than a military post."

Tenchi sighed deeply as he realized his privacy was about to be shattered, rather than just disturbed.

"What do you think I should do?"

Red-tie straightened up, standing upright, once more.

"I would recommend His Highness leave, at once. We will, of course, completely refund the cost of your stay, as well as provide free transportation to Jurai, or any other system of your choice as compensation for the lack of discretion on our part."

Something stuck in Tenchi's mind about what the manager was saying.

"Jurai..." He muttered under his breath, recalling that Aeka was attending to some business on Jurai. "That's it!" Tenchi's head came up as he finally came up with a plan of action. "I'll go to Jurai."

"Very good, Highness. If it is allowed, my men will assist in packing."

"Fine." Tenchi immediately agreed standing aside so that the men in black could enter. He wanted to get to Jurai as fast as possible. Once he was there, he could talk to Aeka. She would help. Although Tenchi regretted having to impose on his friendship with Aeka, this was important. Someone's life was at stake.

Aeka was beginning to remember why she had left Jurai. The endless series of meetings. There were photo ops, security meetings, welfare meetings, political meetings, marriage meetings... the list was nearly endless. At the moment, she was in the middle of a financial meeting. The empire's budget was always a major source of concern for politicians, including herself. Technically, she could impose whatever kind of budget she desired. However, the ramifications of a harsh taxation policy to support the budget were important to consider. Basically, she had to determine how much she could squeeze the population and still get away with it. It was not exactly the sort of things she enjoyed. So, when a commotion from outside the meeting room disturbed the discussion, Aeka was quick to take advantage of the situation.

"What is all that racket!?"

Through the doors, an aide's voice could be heard.

"But, sir, you can't go in there!"

Kamidake quickly walked to one side of the door, while Azaka remained with the Princess. In the event of an assassination attempt, the tactic of a surprise attack from behind a door could save lives. As expected, the doors swung open. Kamidake swung his staff up to block the passage of the intruder. The weapon's bejeweled head stopped barely two centimeters from the face of Tenchi Masaki. The young man's eyes crossed as he instinctively tried to focus on the object that was suddenly thrust in front of his face.

"Lord Tenchi!" Aeka stood up with a pleased smile. "What a wonderful surprise! Azaka, Kamidake, you may stand down. Everyone else is dismissed."

The three government officials she had been meeting with, being accustomed to sudden changes in itinerary, bowed and then quickly exited the room, leaving Aeka with Tenchi. Kamidake lowered his staff.

"I hope there is no offense taken, Lord Tenchi."

Tenchi shook his head.

"No, of course not. In fact, I'm glad to see Aeka is so well protected."

"That I am." Aeka agreed. "To what do we owe the honor of this visit, Lord Tenchi?"

"Ryoko's been arrested."

Aeka groaned out loud as Tenchi approached her end of the meeting table.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"But it's my fault! I told her she should take more responsibility for herself, and... she got mad at me."

"Well, it sounds like perfectly good advice to me."

"Well, yeah. But, she turned herself in!"

Aeka fell to the floor, and her guardians' jaws dropped as Tenchi got to the heart of the matter.

"Aeka, isn't there something we can do to help?"

Aeka slowly righted herself by grasping the edge of the large wooden table and pulling herself up.

"Why... should I?"

"Aeka, she's our friend!"

"Your friend, not mine."

Tenchi paused for a moment when he heard Aeka speak so callously of Ryoko.

"She helped save your life."

Aeka plucked at the sleeves of her kimono as she spoke of her debt to Ryoko.

"I am in the process of discharging that debt even as we speak."

Tenchi could feel his patience wearing thinner by the moment. The trip from Caladan to Jurai had taken well over an entire day, and he had not been able to sleep from worry. Different scenarios ranging from Ryoko getting killed in an escape attempt to her being executed, post-haste, kept running through his mind the entire time. He did not want to yell at Aeka. But frustration made him grit his teeth to keep from raising his voice.

"I can't believe you're not going to do anything."

The strain in Tenchi's voice clued Aeka that there was more at work than simple concern for a friend. Looking closer, she could see dark circles under his eyes.

"Lord Tenchi, when was the last time you slept?"

"A couple days ago."

"You're going to get sick!"

"What does it matter, anyway? I heard on the news that they're going to have her executed." Tenchi clenched his fists with tired determination. "I won't let that happen, Aeka."

To Aeka's surprise, Tenchi dropped to his hands and knees.

"I'm begging you, please, help Ryoko!"

Aeka's normally iron-strong will quickly wilted in the face of Tenchi's heart-felt plea. Never in a million years had she expected to see someone begging for the life of Ryoko, one of the most villainous space-pirates in the history of the empire. She found herself grasping for ideas to ease Tenchi's unsettled mind. Meddling in an affair of such import to the people of her society could have far-reaching ramifications that even she would have difficulty settling. Fortunately, there were a few things she could remind Tenchi of that would help for the time being.

"Lord Tenchi, I can promise you that Ryoko WILL have a fair trial. Perhaps... we can see about getting her a lawyer, as well."

Tenchi remained prostrated on the floor.

"Lord Tenchi?" Listening carefully, Aeka could just make out the sound of Tenchi's soft snoring as he slept for the first time in two days. "Oh, my."

Jurai's Imperial Minister of Justice, a man of great importance and power, was running around like a well-fed chicken with its head cut off. Normally, things ran well in his department due to the well-concerted efforts of his staff. At the moment, they had several far-reaching projects going at once, all of which required his personal attention, due to the security requirements imposed by First Princess Aeka. This was not a crisis in and of itself, as they were used to things like this happening. But with Ryoko's arrest, the office was in an uproar. His First Imperial Prosecutor had already threatened to resign if he was not immediately reassigned to the prosecution of her case, rather than running around on shady cases that he was told very little about. Of course, he had already unwittingly gathered reams of evidence concerning the defendant.

With a heaving sigh, he closed the door to his office, shutting out the noise of his office staff. Before he could even get to his desk, he saw the stack of letters requiring his attention. Dropping his considerable bulk into the oversized seat, he pulled open the top drawer to his desk and fished out a letter opener. With this implement in hand he began tossing aside letters until he found the ones that required his personal attention. Most of them were official business, while there were also a few letters from persons unknown to him. Those were probably requests for legal assistance from persons who did not know who else to write to. One was from the president of a very prominent legal firm, who had worked in this very department before striking out on his own. With a flip of his wrist, the minister slit the envelope open. Withdrawing the letter, he quickly read through it. At each line his eyes got bigger, and his mouth fell open wider. When he had finished, he read it again, just to make sure he was not going to make a fool of himself when he called the First Princess to tell her that the best defense attorney in the galaxy had just requested to be assigned as Ryoko's public defender at no expense to the empire.

END.

AFTERWORD: I thought long about the defense attorney. He should prove to be an interesting character.