THE JOB, Chapter 17: Ministerial Justice.

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: Sorry about the long delay with this chapter. You may notice that the ministers seem a little more fleshed-out as characters. I just came up with the most interesting plot twist concerning them.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 10 July 2003

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com

BEGIN.

Prison was not as bad as Ryoko remembered. After a couple days in a temporary holding cell, the Galaxy Police had shown up to move her to a secure installation. She was getting her meals and rest; that was enough. She did not bother the guards, and they did not bother her. But now they were making an imposition on her. She had to talk to a lawyer. If then, she did not want legal representation, then fine. Not that it mattered, anyway. She was planning to plead guilty. She had done all those things. That stuff did not bother her as much as Tenchi's rejection. Ryoko took a deep breath. Every time she thought about Tenchi she just wanted to cry. In fact, she had been doing just that on and off for the last couple of days. She felt wasted and drained. As the guards escorted her down the hall, Ryoko blindly followed their directions without complaint.

"Right here." The guard indicated, holding open a door to an unoccupied room.

Looking about, Ryoko saw that the interview room had a table, a few chairs, and a pitcher of water. Cups were even provided. Ryoko shuffled into the room and plopped down into a chair. The door closed behind her, leaving her alone with one of the guards. Ryoko tensed, expecting the true interrogation was about to begin.

Her hands were encased in huge mitten-like devices that prevented her from using her offensive powers. She had experimentally tried a small jolt of power. The feedback had knocked her out for the better part of an hour. As for teleporting and phasing, the entire cell block was shielded. There was no way for her to use her powers to escape. Not that she really wanted to escape. But right at the moment, she was beginning to question the intelligence of her choice.

Opposite Ryoko, the only other door in the room opened. Since she had her head down and her hair was hanging down in front of her face, she could not see who entered. She could see the lower half of a person in a dark blue suit with a briefcase. He sat down opposite her and folded his hands on the table.

"Ryoko?"

Despite the grim situation, Ryoko almost smiled. She remembered that voice. It was full of warmth and kindness.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"Well, I heard you were around. So I thought I'd stop by for a visit."

"I'm afraid I'm not available, right now."

"Yeah, you look pretty tied-up at the moment."

Ryoko snorted in derisive laughter. She had never thought to see this person again. Lifting her head, she looked upon the face of Daisuke. He was a little bit grayer than she remembered. But his mature good-looks had not faded since she had seen him last. With a supportive smile, Daisuke slid a pile of tissues towards the white line on the table. The attending officer moved in. He took the tissues and searched through them. Finding nothing suspicious, he set them down in front of Ryoko.

"How are you?" Daisuke asked.

"I've been better."

"I'll bet. As much as I wish this were a social call..."

"Hey, now."

Daisuke held a hand up between them.

"...it's not. I might have forgotten to mention last time that I'm a lawyer by trade, and a damn good one. I'd like to represent you."

Ryoko laughed again.

"Are you nuts?"

"Maybe. But I don't think you turned yourself in because you wanted to pay for your crimes."

Ryoko looked away as the reminder of Tenchi's words promptly banished her smile.

"Or... did I just make a really bad joke?"

"It's not your fault."

"What happened, Ryoko? I heard you went straight."

"I did. I wanted to. But, some people just can't see through the past."

"It wouldn't have anything to do the young man wearing a groove in the waiting room, would it?"

Ryoko gasped in surprise. For just a second, she felt pleased that Tenchi had come to see her. But his visit did not really mean anything. It was in his natural character to show concern and compassion for someone. Maybe he had even forgiven her for slapping him. But she could not forget how easily he had dismissed her feelings. That hurt too much to forgive so easily.

"Tenchi's... here?"

"Is that the lucky guy's name?"

Ryoko slowly nodded.

"I had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes."

Ryoko's face began to take on a rosy hue.

"You did?"

"Yup. Want to know what he said?"

Ryoko would have fidgeted with her hands, except for the huge mitts covering them. Her face grew a little bit redder.

"Um... I guess..."

"Then I'll make you a deal. You tell me why you turned yourself in, and I'll tell you what he said."

Daisuke's offer did not seem to alter Ryoko's behavior any. She still looked just as nervous as before.

"It's... kind of personal."

"I'm sure it is. But that's the deal."

Ryoko's eyes glanced up at Daisuke through the hanging strands of hair in her face. She held his gaze for a moment, indecisive. Then she cast a quick glance at the guard. Daisuke caught the movement right away.

"Guard, you can leave, now."

"No, sir." The GP detective argued. "I can't do that."

"Yes, you can." Daisuke popped open his briefcase and began rifling through paperwork. "I've got a copy of the reg right here. Want to read it? Better yet, let me summarize for you. When an interview is of a sensitive legal nature and monitoring could be used against the defendant, audio monitoring may be terminated upon request. That means you can leave. And as long as you're at it, you can turn off the audio bugs, too."

The officer's jaw dropped as he heard the unusual request.

"Ah! Here it is." Daisuke held out a sheaf of papers. "Want to read it yourself?"

"Uh... no, thank you."

With a look of suspicious malcontent, the uniformed officer left the room through the door that Ryoko had entered. There was a click, indicating the door was now locked. Daisuke smiled when he heard Ryoko begin to snicker.

"Oh. I see you enjoyed that little display of legalistic prowess, hm?"

"That was cool."

"There's more where that came from. But you have to tell me what happened before I can do more for you, understand?"

As her cackling came under control, Ryoko looked at Daisuke, holding his gaze for several seconds. She did not really know him very well. But he was one of the few people in her life that she had only fond memories of. He had never come back to haunt or antagonize her. In fact, this was the first time she had seen him since they had met. With a sigh of acceptance, Ryoko decided that she had nothing to lose.

"All right. I'll talk."

Reluctant, but with honesty, Ryoko related to Daisuke the events which had led her into this predicament. While Ryoko did keep her story honest, she left out some of the juicier details concerning her own feelings on the matter. She tried not to look at Daisuke too much while she was telling the story. Seeing the way he kept his eyes on her made her feel too self-conscious. When she reached the end of her story, Daisuke sighed loudly.

"Ah. To be young and in love."

Ryoko's face turned bright red.

"Cut it out. If you're just gonna make fun of me, then get lost."

"Just trying to make you feel better. It's kind of hard to talk about legal matters when everyone's bummed-out."

"So, what did he say?"

"Not much, actually. He told me his name, of course, and that he was here to see a friend of his. When I asked whom, he looked at me kind of funny. Then, he heaved a huge sigh, and said 'The Space Pirate Ryoko.' This struck me as odd, since most people go out of their way to avoid you. So, just to see what kind of a reaction I could get, I asked him, "Why would you want to do a crazy thing like that?' " Daisuke smiled at the attentive way Ryoko was listening to every word. "He gave me a look that sent shivers up my spine. For a second, I thought he was going to kick my ass."

Ryoko actually smiled when she heard that. It was very out of character for Tenchi to show that kind of aggression. But, she supposed it meant he cared for her.

"Anyway, he sighed again, and then said, "Ryoko's a person, too. She has feelings and hopes and dreams, just like everyone else.' At that point, I started to realize that he was more than just a friend."

Ryoko looked down at her hands to hide her renewed blush.

"Am I right?"

"I was... kind of hoping..." When Ryoko failed to finish her sentence, Daisuke assumed the rest for himself.

"You didn't tell me the whole story, did you?"

Ryoko slowly shook her head.

"There's something more, right? Something personal?"

This time her head went up and down.

"Tell me what happened, Ryoko. Tell me the truth."

Ryoko spoke quietly, barely above a whisper.

"He... um... I..." Her breath moved in short gasps as she fought to control her surging emotions. "I... told him... how I feel, and... um... he said... he... said..." For a few seconds Ryoko remained silent, while Daisuke patiently waited for her to finish. Suddenly, Ryoko took a sharp breath.

"I told him I want to be with him and he said no. There, happy?" She glared accusingly at Daisuke as tears began to gather in her eyes.

"Are you?"

Ryoko's golden eyes shone with surprise for a second before she closed them. Forced out, the gathered wetness spilt over and ran down her cheeks. She bit her lower lip between her teeth in an attempt to keep herself silent. Despite her best effort, a small whine of pain escaped her lips. Daisuke was forced to sit idly by as Ryoko's normally iron will quickly eroded. Her head sunk down until he was left with naught but the top of her head to look at.

"Don't hold it in. It just gets worse."

Ryoko's shoulders began to shake as the dam she had built around her feeling finally crumbled. Her hold was still tenuous, though. The first sob sounded strangled and muted.

"It's not fair..." She managed before all control was lost. Then the wailing began in earnest. Her suddenly released emotions attracted so much attention that the guard actually opened the door and looked in on them. Although the source of the crying was a surprise, it was something he had seen numerous times in the past from other prisoners. He quietly shut the door. It went on for several minutes. Daisuke sat all the while, deploring the strict rules prohibiting contact between the him and the prisoner. In his judgement, this girl needed someone to show her that she was understood and appreciated. But, unless he missed his mark, she needed to have that from the young man pacing around in the waiting room. Another minute or two passed before the wailing sounds of pain gave way to depleted sobs. At this point, Daisuke knew that Ryoko probably would not respond vocally to any questions. But, she might answer through body language.

"Feel better?"

Ryoko shook her head. Although the movement indicated negative, there was a sense of acceptance to it, as if she were finally acknowledging her feelings, instead of burying them.

"Ryoko, I know you don't really feel like talking, right now. But, if you think you still have a reason to live, let me be your legal counsel. I'll do everything in my power to get you out of this."

After a few more seconds, Ryoko slowly nodded. She reached up, intending to wipe her face. But the feedback mittens prevented it.

"This sucks." She complained. "I can't even wipe my eyes. I must look like a total loser."

"No, Ryoko. You look like a young lady in love. And that's what we want a jury to see. But, before we get to that stage, I need you to tell me everything. And I do mean everything. Anything that might have anything to do with your case, which, even I have to admit, is going to be tough. Not only do I need to know the what, and the how, but I also need to know the why of it."

"A girl's gotta make a living." She offered as explanation.

"That is a very good legal excuse." Daisuke sat up a bit straighter as he offered Ryoko a friendly smile. "Are you ready to get to work?"

Ryoko nodded again as she felt some small glimmer of hope returning to her miserable life. Maybe, just maybe, with her friend Daisuke's help, she could beat the system and find a happy ending after all.

Aeka sighed in quiet contemplation as she stared out the closed window of an anti-gravity car. For some reason that she could not quite pin down, she had insisted on accompanying Tenchi to see Ryoko. Although she could not be seen entering the station for many reasons, most of them damaging to the royal family's reputation, Aeka was on the verge of going in, anyway. They had arrived first thing in the morning, and it was now nearly noon.

"What is taking so long?" She grumbled.

Across from the First Princess sat Azaka. He was doing his best to look at ease, but Aeka's impatience was becoming infectious.

"Kamidake is with Lord Tenchi." He politely reminded Aeka. "If anything at all were amiss, he would cause a very large scene, I'm sure."

"I'm about to cause a very large scene! I can't wait all day. There's entirely too much to do!"

The holo-phone chose that moment to ring. Surprised at the timing, they stared at the small device for a moment before Aeka leaned forward to jab an annoyed finger into the receive button.

"Yes? Oh, Minister Fujiyama. I hope you have some good news."

"Indeed, Highness." The corpulent man favorably responded. "We've discovered the whereabouts of the two space-pirates in the report. Coincidentally, they happened to be enjoying the hospices of the Jurai Prime GP branch office for other lesser crimes."

"Excellent!" Aeka smiled at that. Even the minister seemed to smiling a great deal more than usual. "Is there more?"

"I wouldn't normally bother her Highness with the details, but if she would indulge her servant?"

"Please."

"I was thinking I might see each of them privately, without the other's knowledge, and offer them an early parole in exchange for testifying against the other. I'll bet jewels to Jurai that they'll both accept the offer."

Aeka looked thoughtfully to the ceiling of the vehicle as she contemplated her minister's plan. After a few seconds of careful thought, she was able to discern his intentions. A benevolent smile spread across her face.

"Oh, my. That is very devious. It suits them perfectly. Please, continue."

"Also, Highness. We had a look at that data disk. While Professor Washu's intentions are likely to be questioned, there's no denying her technical expertise. I have no doubt the data is accurate. However, there's an issue."

"An issue? Explain."

"Actually, Highness, If I could impose," Fujiyama respectfully bowed his head, "I would like to ask for a private audience. What I have to say is of a sensitive nature."

"Sensitive nature...?" Aeka stared at the projected image as she tried to discern what could possible be so important, or perhaps embarrassing. "I see. Very well. I'll return to the palace at once. I've had quite enough of waiting in any case."

Fujiyama seemed to be very relieved that the princess would be returning shortly.

"Thank you, Highness."

"Continue with your efforts, Minister Fujiyama. I'm very impressed with your dedication to your office."

"I will. Thank you."

Aeka tapped the disconnect button using less force than what she had used on it's mate.

"I wonder who this has to do with?" Aeka sat still for a moment as she mentally reviewed a list of possible important persons who could be embarrassed by her investigation. None of them had any connection that she knew of. The minister must have found something on that disk that implicated someone important.

"Enough. Azaka, retrieve Lord Tenchi. I'm done waiting for that woman."

"Yes, Princess."

As Azaka opened the door to get out, he saw Tenchi exiting the large station with a middle-aged gentleman in a nice suit.

"Highness, I believe our waiting is over."

"Hm?" Aeka leaned forward so she could see out the door. When she saw it was Tenchi, she sighed in relief. At least Tenchi had had his talk with Ryoko, or completed whatever task he felt was necessary. She patiently waited for him to enter the vehicle. She was surprised when the man accompanying him entered first. Tenchi didn't even sit down before speaking.

"Aeka, this is Daisuke Karatai. He's going to be Ryoko's lawyer."

Kamidake followed Tenchi into the vehicle, closing the door behind them. Everyone sat and got comfortable before Aeka initiated conversation with the new-comer.

"I see. Pleased to make your acquaintance Mister Karatai."

"Honored, Highness. To be honest, there's a great many people I need to speak with regarding my client, especially those in this vehicle."

"Of course." Aeka promptly answered. She had spent a number of years in close proximity to Ryoko. It was to be expected she would be asked to testify, or at least provide some sort of signed affidavit concerning the woman. "I am prepared to cooperate to the fullest, so long as I'm not asked to reveal state secrets."

Daisuke caught her meaning easily. He nodded thoughtfully, not bothering to verbally acknowledge the limitation on what kind of questions he should ask her.

"However," Aeka continued, "I have a very important appointment at the palace. If you care to accompany us, I will make some time for you."

"I accept your generous hospitality, Princess."

"Oh, no need to be so formal. I'm sure we'll be speaking a number of times before this is all over."

"Ah, thank you, Princess. That will make things easier."

The vehicle surged forward with almost imperceptible momentum under the guidance of the vehicle's computer navigation unit. Under Daisuke's expert direction, they discussed the more legal aspects of the case on the way to the meeting with Jurai's Minister of Justice.

As soon as the screen went dark, Minister Fujiyama sat back in his chair with a sigh. He quickly reminded himself there was very little time until his real next appointment arrived, Minister of Social Services Sakahara. Sitting forward again, he quickly gathered up the documents in front of him and stuffed them into an envelope, along with a hand-scribbled note to a very close personal friend. With that concluded, he jammed the button on his phone that would summon his personal assistant. The buxom blonde lady entered his office in seconds.

"Yes, sir?"

"Take this to the address on the front. Don't let anyone see what's inside, understand?"

"Yes, sir." The woman took the yellow envelope and headed for the exit, taking only the time to grab her personal items from her desk.

Looking after the young lady through the window of his office door, Fujiyama could see his counter-part in this investigation approaching. Minister Sakahara was a tall, middle-aged man with good-looks and lots of money. He was single, with nothing to spend his money on but himself, fast vehicles, and faster women. He stared at the blonde as he passed her by. Fujiyama felt a twist of anger in his gut. The woman also happened to be his daughter. In the past, he had considered arranging a marriage between the two. But with what he knew now, he would die before ever allowing his precious child to marry that despicable man.

As Sakahara entered the room, he waved, pretending friendliness. Fujiyama was proving to be a very effective investigator. He'd taken the sketchy information provided by Ryoko and turned it into a legal crusade for young women every where. This was not conducive to his private business of selling said young women for profit. He did not oversee the selling personally, of course, that would make it too easy to get caught. Using a network of agents was much cleaner. All he had to do was manage the network and watch the profits roll in. But now, Jurai's Minister of Justice was starting to poke around in his special schools. That would not do, at all.

"So, Mister Fujiyama. How are things?" Sakahara blithely asked, closing the office door for privacy.

"Ah, well. You know how it works. Someone gives me a chunk of information and I have to turn it into a legal case. Nothing different, other than the people involved."

Sakahara chuckled as he drew the office blinds, as well.

"I see. So, who's involved now, eh?"

"Well, it seems that young lady, Ryoko, was a resident of a certain school for girls on Caladan."

"Nothing new, there." Sakahara said as he took a seat in front of Fujiyama's desk. "Caladan's a vacation planet. Lustful young men go there for a vacation and a fling, leaving behind single mothers who sometimes don't feel obligated to raise a child they didn't want. Hence, the need for a children's school."

"You mean an orphanage."

"What's in a title, anyway?"

"Let's look at that, shall we? I am the Minister of Justice, while you, sir, are the Minister of Social Services. So, tell me, what kind of services do you provide?"

Sakahara stared across the desk for several seconds, trying to decide just how much Fujiyama had learned. If he had everything he needed, this poor minister would likely be talking to an inquisitors' panel. What better way to get more information, than from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

"You still have that recording device in your desk, don't you?"

"Among other things."

The two ministers stared across the desk at each other, unmoving, and unflinching. In the Holy Empire of Jurai, guns were a very big no-no. Even possessing one was illegal. That meant that when one desired to kill another person, one had to go about it very carefully. Either eliminating the unwanted person surreptitiously, poison for example, or using an energy sword. Any royal minister who went about without some form of self-protection was a fool. Being acquainted with each other, these two men knew for a fact that the other carried a sword at all times, even if it was stashed away someplace, unseen. Guns could still be had for the right price, if one knew where to look or who to ask. What Fujiyama did not know, was that Sakahara was one of those who knew where to look. Concealed under the left side of his jacket was a small laser pistol. It was a one-shot model. The power-cells were rare and unstable due to their age. But it was powerful for it's size. In the kind of situation he knew he would be getting into, Sakahara knew he would only need one shot. Reaching into his jacket, Sakahara removed the weapon from its holster and pointed it at Fujiyama.

"You bastard." Fujiyama scowled hatefully at him. "You won't even give me an honorable fight."

"What's honor got to do with it?" Sakahara asked just before squeezing the trigger. A silent beam of coherent light lanced from the weapon's nose, piercing Fujiyama through the forehead. The beam was so strong it burned completely through the target's head and shot through the large window behind him, melting a circular hole in the unbreakable substance. Fujiyama sat still for a moment, seemingly unfazed by the shot. A small dribble of blood ran down his forehead, then he fell face-first on his desk.

Moving quickly, Sakahara went straight to the office's private disposal unit and dropped the weapon in. Jurai technology was blissfully efficient. The unit easily disintegrated the device, rendering it unrecoverable. He quickly took of his jacket, setting it aside away from the dead man at the desk. Removing the holster and its attendant straps, he dropped that into the disposal, as well. The holster disappeared in a puff of vapor. He moved behind his victim and stood just in front of the window with his head at the same level as the hole in the window. Looking directly where he had shot from, he found where an attacking laser shot would have struck the wall. Sakahara moved the place he had identified. He removed his energy sword and, igniting it, he drilled a shallow hole in the wall, making sure not to go all the way through. Shutting the sword down, he looked about, seeing if he had forgotten anything. Everything looked right.

Returning to his seat, Sakahara quietly shifted the chair a little to the right, just out of the path of the laser beam. He sat down. Steeling himself, he held the sword's emitter along his left side, just under the arm-pit. A proper assassination always had to have an innocent victim to look real. The sword ignited, and Sakahara yelled in pain, drawing the attention of those outside.

END.

AFTERWORD: How about that assassination, eh? Of course, Sakahara's gonna get nailed for it. The only question is how?