TENCHI WAKUSEI

by Joe Meadows

A sequel novel to "Tenchi Universe," full and complete.

20. CHAPTER 19: No Need For An Alibi

TENCHI WAKUSEI, BOOK ONE: "NO DREAMS FOR TENCHI"

By Joe Meadows (gpabn@yahoo.com)

NOTA BENE: This novel (comprising 24 chapters, a Prologue, and an Epilogue) is a sequel to the "Tenchi Muyo Television Series" ("Tenchi Universe"), with some "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki!" original OAV series characters and elements included where--in the author's opinion--they don't conflict with "Tenchi Universe." For example, in order to flesh out a family background for Ayeka and Sasami, rather than create new characters, I used the existing parental figures of King Asuza and Queen Misaki from the OAVs. In order to bring the Galaxy Police more into the story, I re-instated the Grand Marshall as Mihoshi's grandfather and used an existing character from the Tenchi Muyo mangas, Chief Tor Bodai. And so on.

AIC and Pioneer LDC, whose kind indulgence I am counting on, own the copyrights on the original Tenchi Muyo characters. The character of Chief Tor Bodai was created by Hitoshi Okuda for the Tenchi Muyo manga series and is also copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer LDC. All truly new characters are my creation. Those characters and the actual story are copyright 2002 by yours truly. The lyrics for both versions of the theme song for "Speed Racer," the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album, the Beach Boys' "Surfing USA," the theme to "The Brady Bunch," and "That's Amore" are copyrighted by their various owners. The events that comprise the "Tenchi Universe" series are discussed in this novel; consequently, spoilers lurk within. Be warned. Please check out the "Chapter Notes" at the end of some of the chapters. Feedback is very welcome! I can be reached at gpabn@yahoo.com and thanks for taking the time to read this novel.

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CHAPTER NINETEEN

No Need For An Alibi

____________________

"Is there any more ice cream?" Mihoshi asked, setting down her bowl and the plastic spoon that had been purchased at the confectionary

shop, along with numerous flavors of the cold, creamy confection.

"Mihoshi...you had four bowls already." Sasami smiled with fond exasperation at her friend.

"Oh. I'd just like some more." Mihoshi looked at Kiyone, expecting her partner to razz her about all the ice cream she had eaten, especially after she had really gone to town on the fish cakes and rice and vegetable pilaf Sasami had served for dinner.

However, Kiyone just smiled softly at her and said, "Of course you do, partner. There's plenty left."

"Really?" Mihoshi had not expected that response from Kiyone. In fact, Kiyone had been acting unexpectedly sweet to her ever since their confrontation over Tris. All the way to and from the confectionary store, Kiyone, riding in front with Tris, had even sung along to Mihoshi's new favorite song--"Octopus's Garden," by the Beatles. (Mihoshi's mind occasionally wandered back to Abbey Road. She had loved that album as well as the trip to the department store.) Mihoshi was happy about it, but she could not understand why Kiyone had suddenly become so sweet tempered.

"Really. In fact, I think Tris is already getting you some more--"

Almost immediately, Tris appeared from the kitchen with another Mihoshi "special"--scoops of chocolate and peach ice cream heaped in a bowl.

"Here you are," he told Mihoshi, walking to where she sat at the table and setting the ice cream down in front of her, beside her empty bowl.

"Gosh!" Mihoshi was gratified beyond measure. "How did you know, Tris?"

"I saw your bowl getting low," Tris explained. He slightly raised his voice. "How's everyone else doing?"

Everyone else just nodded, mainly because most of them had their mouths full of ice cream. They seemed fine for the moment--except Washuu, who suddenly asked, "Hey, is there any more of that cherry ice cream, Tris?"

"Yep," Tris said amiably. "How many scoops?"

"Just two, cutie. We girls have to watch our figures." Washuu grinned. She glanced sidelong at Nobuyuki. "So our fellas will watch our figures."

Nobuyuki laughed. He didn't notice that his son was staring at him. Tenchi was still a bit bemused over the rapid ripening of his father's romance with the red-haired super scientist. And they still needed to have that talk.

Lord Yosho asked, "Tristram, have you had any ice cream at all? You've been busy serving the rest of us, and I don't believe you have."

"Oh, I will in a moment, sir. I'll just get Washuu's order." Tris walked back to the kitchen.

"Can't someone get Tris to sit down and enjoy a little of the ice cream he got for us?" Sasami wondered aloud.

Almost simultaneously, Kiyone and Tenchi rose...then, seeing each other, they laughed.

"Okay, Kiyone." Tenchi grinned. "He's all yours."

Kiyone smiled. "That's right, Tenchi...he is."

Tenchi looked at her, puzzled. What did she mean by that? She had said it in such an odd way, as if she meant something by it. Then he felt someone tug at his arm. He looked down. It was Ryoko. She grinned up at him. "More chocolate, please, sweetums!"

"I'll get it, Ryoko," Kiyone said.

"Thanks, Kiyone, but I was kind of hoping Tenchi would."

"I'll get it, I said," Kiyone said firmly. She reached over and snatched up Ryoko's empty bowl.

"Uh...okay, girl." Ryoko looked a bit startled. Tenchi started to ask Kiyone if anything was wrong, but she was already on her way to the kitchen, carrying Ryoko's bowl.

"What's up with her?" Ryoko asked.

"I don't know," Tenchi admitted. He settled back down on his mat.

"Why should anything be up with Kiyone?" Ayeka asked, after finally swallowing the rather substantial chunk of strawberry ice cream she had crammed into her mouth (ice cream made her lose all decorum...she loved it so). "She merely wanted to get you your ice cream, so Tristram can finally have a chance to sit down."

"Yeah, but he had to go to the kitchen anyway to get Washuu's order," Ryoko pointed out. "Hey, I know--she wanted some time alone with Tris in the kitchen. Now I understand! Even ice cream can't cool those two off!" The space pirate smirked.

Ayeka noted the smirk. She bristled at what she felt Ryoko was implying. And after they had that discussion, too! "Yes, I am quite certain you understand, Ryoko. You would have us think they are going to make mad, passionate love on the kitchen table," she snapped. Then she blushed as she realized what she had said.

"Ayeka!" Tenchi cried.

"Hah, Princess! Get your mind out of the gutter!" Ryoko laughed with unholy glee.

"Good heavens!" Ayeka said, abashed. "Did I really say that?"

"Yeah, you did!" Ryoko tossed her platinum hair. "But you're right, really, Princess, about what you said before about those two. She's probably in the kitchen right now telling him to go sit down and have some ice cream and he's smarting off to her and she's about to belt him one. Real hot stuff!"

"Oh, Ryoko, I did not mean they do not get romantic. Of course they do. It is just that they are not--not--you know what I mean!"

"What do you mean, Ayeka?" Tenchi asked, curious.

"Why, Lord Tenchi...I...I could not discuss such a thing with you!" Ayeka was aghast. Oh, why did she say what she did? That Ryoko! It was all her fault.

"The Princess just means that Kiyone and Tris as a hentai book would bomb," Ryoko explained guilefully.

"Huh?" Tenchi asked.

"I do not! Oh, Lord Tenchi...you know I would not say such things." Ayeka felt miserable now.

"I know, Ayeka," Tenchi said placatingly.

"Hey, where's my ice cream? What's holding it up?" Ryoko asked. She glanced at Ayeka and winked. "Boy, I hope it hasn't all melted. It must be mighty warm in that kitchen right now, huh, Princess?"

Ayeka's face reddened with aggravation. She rose. "So, it is ice cream you wish, Ryoko? I shall get you ice cream!" She stalked to the kitchen.

"Remember...chocolate...at least two scoops!" Ryoko called after the Princess.

"Ryoko," Tenchi said, exasperated. "Why you must stir Ayeka up?"

Ryoko regarded him with innocent golden eyes. "But sweetums, if you had gone to get my ice cream like I asked you to..."

------

In contrast to Chief Bodai's cramped office, the office of Lord Kuramitsu, Grand Marshall of the Galaxy Police, was spacious, almost jarringly so. Yet, aside from a small desk and desk module, set on a jet-black marble-like platform with the oversized, high-back chair Chief Bodai had seen during his earlier one-sided comm call with the Grand Marshall, all the open space was basically bare. A few images dotted one wall, one of them a Kuramitsu family portrait that included Mihoshi (looking very young and sweet), and two couches squatted in the center of the room, facing the elevated desk and chair. That was all.

The four summoned officers stood before the desk of the Grand Marshall who was seated behind the desk. He had not invited them to sit and was not likely to. Never in the sweetest of tempers, Lord Kuramitsu was definitely not amused at the moment. He sat stiffly in his chair, staring at a report, ignoring the small group of mid-range Galaxy Police staff officers standing ill at ease before him. Chief Bodai recognized the technique with a tiny wry grin. It was one he used himself.

Chief Bodai had only seen the Grand Marshall up close and personal a few times. Now, once again, he could see the resemblance to Mihoshi, in that the Grand Marshall was tall and well proportioned, rather fit in fact. His eyes were blue and his gray hair had obviously once been as blonde as his granddaughter's. However, there the resemblance ended. The Grand Marshall was not the possessor of a cheery personality. Instead, he had permanent worry lines on his forehead and equally indelible frown lines at the corners of his thin lips. He boasted a rather full and luxurious moustache and a hint of a goatee showed on his chin. He must have been at a very advanced age, but he radiated such tension, power, and vitality that Chief Bodai was certain the Grand Marshall could keep up with the youngest and fittest GP officer in any physical or mental contest.

It was instantly obvious upon first acquaintance how Lord Kuramitsu had achieved his lofty post. He was a human dynamo who would never rest in accomplishing a goal. The contrast between him and his granddaughter was immense. Yet, Chief Bodai knew, deep within her, Mihoshi had the same iron resolution...she would always try, no matter how many failures she suffered, and she would never give up.

For a moment, Chief Bodai recalled an incident involving Mihoshi when she was a cadet at the Academy. In a training exercise, she had resolutely refused to destroy a "fugitive" while involved in a simulated starship pursuit. Her "partner" in the simulation had been, interestingly enough, Mitsuki. Mitsuki had raged at Mihoshi to destroy the fugitive when the fugitive had "fired" on them. But Mihoshi, who had been Weapon Systems Officer for the simulation, had refused, even though Mitsuki's harsh words had caused tears to stream down her cheeks. Instead, taking navigational control from Mitsuki, she had adroitly dodged the blasts from the fugitive, until the simulation had declared that the fugitive's weapons system was exhausted. Mihoshi had then fired into the fugitive's engines, rendering the ship helpless. The simulation had graded her and Mitsuki poorly (Mitsuki's only poor grade at the Academy) for their performance...but it did not flunk them, since the culprit had been neutralized and captured. It had taken real resolution for Mihoshi to absorb her partner's angry taunts and insults and manage to capture their simulated quarry in a way that spared the fugitive's life. It was not the GP way; when fired upon, GP officers were supposed to fire back. But it was Mihoshi's way. And perhaps, at least in that instance, it wasn't a bad way at that.

Now the Grand Marshall looked up from the report. His blue eyes were icy. His voice, however, was quiet and measured in tone.

"You are all here because in the course of carrying out your duties, you stumbled across something you were not supposed to. I am not pleased that you all have opened up the can of worms that you have. However, since you did it unknowingly and again, while performing your duties, I am not displeased with any of you. Please understand that."

He received tiny nods from the largely cowed and worried group of officers facing him. That the Grand Marshall knew so quickly what they had discovered was simply a testament to the fact that Lord Kuramitsu truly had eyes and ears everywhere at Headquarters.

"In our service, you have nothing to fear if you do your duty," he said. "But you must do your duty, whatever it demands of you. Now your duty demands that you keep what I am about to tell you a secret. This is not to be revealed to anyone outside of this office, and you are not to discuss it amongst yourselves once you leave this office. Is that understood?"

More nods.

"Very well. I want your words of honor to obey that last command."

Trying to be helpful (and to toady up to the Grand Marshall), Sergeant Katzaar said, "Excellency...I can prepare written affidavits for all of us to sign to keep the secret. I can have those prepared in five minutes."

It was a fatal blunder. Although Chief Bodai did not like Sergeant Katzaar much, he mourned for him now. He could see Lieutenant Zay're grimace. Even Sergeant Mitsuki Sakakibara showed a bit of animation, looking at Katzaar with deep pity.

The Grand Marshall aimed his frosty blue eyes at Sergeant Katzaar. "If I need paperwork, I have a staff," he rapped. "If I need something in writing from you that you will keep your spoken pledge-- if your word of honor is not sufficient--then you should not be in that uniform. You are dismissed. From the service."

Sergeant--now, no longer a sergeant or even a Galaxy Police officer-- Katzaar gaped at the Grand Marshall, open-mouthed.

The office door slid open. Captain Tookal appeared in the doorway.

"Will you resign? Or must we file charges for your dismissal?" the captain asked Katzaar mildly.

"I...I..."

"The Grand Marshall can dismiss any officer on the spot, as you know. Dismissal paperwork only confirms the decision and leaves you with a dodgy record for the future. Now...will you resign?"

Youri Katzaar looked at the Grand Marshall. Lord Kuramitsu just looked back at him with a stern expression on his face. Clearly, an officer's honor was a most important thing to the Grand Marshall and he was willing to make that point quite ruthlessly. This dismissal would reverberate in the ranks and enforce the concept that a GP officer's word was his bond and any officer who thought written reinforcement of that word was necessary would not be retained. It was an old-fashioned concept, but then, the Grand Marshall was an old-fashioned cop.

"Excellency," Chief Bodai spoke up. "This officer is in my chain of command. He made a grievous error, I know, but he did not do so intentionally. Staff work tends to make one think in terms of paper and records."

Now the Grand Marshall trained his cold blue eyes at Chief Bodai. "Bodai...yes, I've heard about you." He did not indicate whether he had heard good things or bad things. "Are you telling me that you defend this officer?"

"Yes, Excellency, because he only made a thoughtless mistake. He is a good officer. At any rate, he is my officer and I am responsible for his behavior."

The Grand Marshall's bushy gray eyebrows lifted, perhaps a millimeter or so. He was recognizing another old-fashioned cop--one that stood behind his people. He had also noted that Lieutenant Zay're had said nothing on behalf of Katzaar, although the Grand Marshall knew that Zay're was Katzaar's direct supervisor. So be it. He made a mental note that Lieutenant Zay're's career was finished at that point. He would not be promoted again, not while Lord Kuramitsu was Grand Marshall.

"Captain Tookal," he said quietly, "I don't believe we will need your services after all. Thank you."

"Very well, Excellency." Captain Tookal left. The door slid shut after him.

"Now, all of you please give me your word of honor to obey the command," the Grand Marshall resumed.

He got what he requested. Sergeant Katzaar was so relieved that his voice drowned out the others as he gave his oath.

"Very well. Now, I must tell you about a special case that some of your colleagues have been investigating without fanfare and without publicity. In fact, they have been investigating this particular case secretly and for a long time. The case is one that a certain junior-grade officer reviewed recently while on her Personal Time, and is the same one that some damned hacker accessed just now."

Chief Bodai, Lieutenant Zay're, Sergeant Katzaar, and Sergeant Sakakibara just stared at the Grand Marshall with varying degrees of disbelief. A secret investigation? Conducted over a long period? It seemed incredible--that sort of sub rosa activity supposedly ended with the old regime. Besides, the case the Grand Marshall mentioned was solved, with the culprit in custody.

"I know what you all must be thinking. I offer no excuses, but I will say that I and the High Commissioner inherited this case. When we did, it had progressed--perhaps I should say degenerated--to such a point that making it public would have caused serious damage to the service and possibly tipped off the villain whom we are seeking. There is more to the Professor Klove case than you know. Much more. I will enlighten you about it. And then you must refrain from accessing the case and also not reveal what I'm about to tell you to anyone. Understood?"

He was answered with silent nods.

"Good. Well, here is the real situation..."

When the Grand Marshall had finished, his audience appeared even more shocked and amazed than before. Of course, he was expecting such a reaction.

"Again, I will not defend what has happened up to now. The fact is, we have a serial murderer on our hands. The only connecting link is the fact that a family member of each of the massacred families once attended Professor Klove's ill-fated Lyceum on the planet Jurai. Since this Professor Klove is incapacitated for all intents and purposes, we have an unknown killer who possesses extraordinary power and is likely using the Lyceum's class list for whatever twisted reason. That's the challenge our investigative team faces. There are no further clues or leads. Nothing."

"Excellency, we are monitoring the surviving former students of this Lyceum and their families?" Lieutenant Zay're asked.

Lord Kuramitsu glared at him. "Of course!"

"Ayeka Jurai is on that list, Excellency," Chief Bodai pointed out. "She is on Earth and quite separated from our forces. Do I take it that her friendship with the two GP officers assigned to that sector suffices for keeping her under protective monitoring?"

"That, at least, is a sensible question. No, you may not take it that way. Princess Ayeka Jurai possesses the Juraian royal power, plus two well-armed robotic Guardians that monitor her constantly. She is safe. The other former students are not. Those are the ones we now have a constant watch on."

Chief Bodai nodded. He noted that the Grand Marshall did not mention the fact that Princess Ayeka was rather above the GP's area of responsibility, really. In addition to Princess Ayeka's protean power and her programmed bodyguard bots, she also had the Royal Yeoman available to defend her person. But having two GP officers living in the same geographical area as Princess Ayeka should count for something. Chief Bodai decided not to press the point, however.

The Grand Marshall continued:

"Now that you know...well, you also now know why this must remain close-hold information. That is why it disturbs me that not only a low-ranking GP officer has accessed the Klove case file, but also a hacker has delved into the very files which are most critical--the records of the dozen family massacres I've described to you all. And that hacker did so from Earth, where Princess Ayeka is...visiting."

Like many high-caste Union citizens, Lord Kuramitsu chose to regard the Princess's long sojourn on Earth to be merely a visit. The prospect that she would remain forever on that backwater planet and renounce her royal responsibilities (as in the case of Lord Yosho) was unthinkable to him.

Chief Bodai sensed that Lieutenant Zay're was bursting to tell the Grand Marshall about his suspicions concerning the hack on the close- hold records. Zay're would likely paint Kiyone as the real suspect, with Mihoshi as her unwitting accomplice, to avoid angering Lord Kuarmitsu. Bodai forestalled him, quickly.

"Excellency, I am convinced that Detective Makibi was simply looking up an old case, based on something her friend, Princess Ayeka Jurai, likely mentioned to her in passing. We are going to assign her and her partner"--Chief Bodai was careful not to mention the Grand Marshall's granddaughter's name--"to investigate the hacking. Personally, I suspect a member of the news media who has perhaps garnered a tip. Earth would be a good place to carry out a hacking attempt, since it is not normally within our jurisdiction."

The Grand Marshall regarded him coldly...then nodded. Chief Bodai was not sure then--and would never be sure--if the Grand Marshall really bought his story. But he certainly acted as if he did and that was all that mattered.

Standing beside Bodai, Lieutenant Zay're sagged inwardly. He had been out-maneuvered by someone who, in the final analysis, could not only out-police him but also out-staff him, too. That second fact was a prime humiliation to a born politician like Kamin Zay're.

Zay're had sensed that the Grand Marshall was not pleased with him, and tossing him Kiyone--but not his granddaughter--as a sacrificial lamb had been his last chance to make up for whatever mistake he had made. It was very much like Zay're and his ilk that he was ignorant of what had set the Grand Marshall against him.

Sergeant Katzaar just stood silently. He would never forgive Lieutenant Zay're for not sticking up for him before the Grand Marshall...and he would always be grateful to Chief Bodai for defending him. From that point on, Katzaar more or less mentally resigned from Zay're's clique.

He would never make high rank now, Katzaar knew...but better to be an old Sergeant, with a chance to make Lieutenant and collect his pension, than a fired and disgraced toady to an officer who would not lift a finger to help him when the chips were down. Katzaar also resolved then and there to request a transfer to field duty. He had changed his outlook--chasing crooks beat the hell out of paper pushing! And he would lay off Kiyone and Mihoshi. He still despised them for what he considered their breach of duty and still felt they should be dismissed, but he no longer wanted to be an instrument of their career destruction. When those two failed to turn up a suspect in the hacking case, the wheels of justice would grind them down. And that was more than all right with Youri Katzaar.

Sergeant Mitsuki Sakakibara continued to stand quietly and look over the Grand Marshall's head. She had kept silent and diffident throughout the meeting. Oddly enough, that ingratiated her with the Grand Marshall, despite the fact that she was instrumental in the career downfall of his granddaughter. Keeping quiet, after all, was what she was supposed to do, unless she truly had something to contribute.

"I will leave it to you, then, Chief Bodai and to you, Lieutenant Zay're. Once you have something concrete to report on the hacker investigation, contact Captain Tookal directly. Sergeant Katzaar, Sergeant Sakakibara...you know to keep silent. I think that is all."

The Grand Marshall bent over his report again. Slowly, the group of officers turned and walked to the door that had slid open for them.

Just as Chief Bodai reached that door, the Grand Marshall spoke:

"Bodai. Hold up a moment."

Chief Bodai stopped. He turned and walked back to the Grand Marshall's elevated desk. The others filed out the door.

"Let's talk," the Grand Marshall said. Chief Bodai nodded. The Grand Marshall liked that...wasting words galled him. He pressed a touchpad on his desk module.

The doorway now filled with the tall, reed-skinny form of Captain Tookal. He entered the office. The door slid shut behind him.

"When one of my officers thinks he needs to sign a piece of paper to affirm his honorable oath...and when his direct supervisor just stands there while his subordinate is being read out of the service...well, something is wrong. Horribly wrong." The Grand Marshall glared at Chief Bodai. "What is wrong, Bodai?"

Chief Bodai did not hesitate. "Too much emphasis on staff work, Excellency. Too much career credit placed on being on Headquarters staff as opposed to arrests and field accomplishments. Too easy to use a staff position to create a little empire and earn promotion for highfalutin programs that don't mean anything to our field officers."

The Grand Marshall looked at Captain Tookal. "What do you think about that?"

"I think he's right, Excellency. I want a transfer," Captain Tookal said mildly.

The Grand Marshall glared at Captain Tookal...then, unexpectedly, he roared with laughter.

"That's right! The only good staff officer is one who wants a transfer back to the field!" Lord Kuramitsu now looked at Chief Bodai. His expression was almost amiable. "That describes you, Bodai. You're a working stiff type of officer. I know all about you. You're considered old-line and reactionary by a lot of folks around here. I would please them very much if I sent you back to the field and or let you wipe noses at the Academy again. What should I do with you? Hey?"

"I'd be happy to go back to the field, Excellency. But if the Headquarters doesn't reform, I can't offer my people any incentive to stay out in the field and do the job we're supposed to be doing. So I think you should keep me here...and if I make a lot of staff weenies upset, well, at least I'm accomplishing that." Chief Bodai had decided to just speak his mind and not quibble or equivocate.

The Lord Marshall laughed again. "Zounds! What a fox amongst the chickens we have here, Tookal! Perhaps we do need a little chicken coop cleaning, at that. All right, Bodai, what would you do first if I gave you carte blanche as Director of Personnel?"

Director of Personnel! That was a command staff position--it meant promotion to Field Marshall! Chief Bodai was electrified. But he knew he had to answer the Grand Marshall's question. He also knew that his answer would determine his future in the Galaxy Police.

"Excellency, without undo disruption, I would reassign all Headquarters staff who have been here more than two Vestran years to field assignments and I would bring in officers from the field who have not had staff experience before. I would do this in a rotation that would ensure fifty percent of staff personnel are at least not brand spanking new to Headquarters. I would make a Headquarters assignment a controlled duty assignment, one that lasts only for two Vestran years. This would apply to all but command staff. That will demolish all present staff empires and prevent any more from forming. That way, we will regularly get fresh blood, new ideas, and field- trained staffers who know what works out in the field and what doesn't." Chief Bodai stopped. Well, he had shot his bolt. Now he would see where it landed.

The Grand Marshall turned to Captain Tookal. "Well, Tookal? What do you think? Shall we hire this madman to be our personnel chief?"

"Only if I can be his exec," Captain Tookal said. "Excellency."

The Grand Marshall laughed once more. He was in a rare good humor, it seemed.

"Forget it! I would never hamper a new field-grade officer with the likes of you!" Captain Tookal actually smiled at the jibe. Both of them had a sense of humor, after all...and both knew damned well what had been happening at their Headquarters. It was quite a revelation for Chief Bodai--and a welcome one.

"Very well. We must hold off until I can unload that political sewage that the High Commissioner forced on me," Lord Kuramitsu said. He was referring to the present Director of Personnel, probably the premier staff empire-builder of them all. "But he's played too many favorites and I have it all down on the record. Don't worry, Bodai. We'll announce his retirement before that blasted planet down below completes many more orbits around that sorry excuse for a sun. Tookal, start a rumor that the present personnel chief is being groomed as my successor--which he is, damn it--and that the only problem is that he lacks logistics experience, which he does. That'll get him in here demanding a reassignment to logistics, post haste! That, in turn, will clear the way for you, Bodai." The Grand Marshall smiled a wintry smile. "Of course, once he accepts the post in logistics that I'll offer him, which will be below his pay grade, he'll be subject to involuntary retirement. You'll see to it, Bodai, and never mind any protests from the High Commissioner. I need a personnel chief with guts and we need that sewage gone. Right?"

"Right, Excellency." Chief Bodai nodded.

"So...how do you like the way we really do things here?" Lord Kuramitsu looked at Chief Bodai narrowly.

"I could learn to like it, Excellency."

"Good enough! Now, off with you. Let Tookal know what your two detectives turn up about that hacker. By the way, once you become my personnel chief, your days of mentoring and sponsoring junior officers will be over. Right?"

Again Chief Bodai was caught by surprise. He knew the Grand Marshall was referring to his efforts on behalf of Kiyone and Mihoshi. Was there anything, even at the lowest level of the GP, which the Grand Marshall did not know about? Chief Bodai doubted it.

"Right, Excellency. If I do my job properly, such practices won't be necessary."

"You already sound like a personnel chief," the Grand Marshall growled at him, but not with anything resembling rancor. "Off with you!"

------

Meanwhile, another revelation was taking place...this time at the Masaki manse.

Princess Ayeka, in rather a snit, had walked into the kitchen--or, rather, had stormed into it. She was still upset about being bested by Ryoko--it always rubbed her nerves raw. Thus, she had almost reached the sink where the opened containers of ice cream were stored before she took notice of Tristram and Kiyone.

Tristram was scooping ice cream into a bowl...cherry, so it was Miss Washuu's order. He was whistling some tune, off-key of course. Kiyone stood behind him. She was staring at him. Ayeka realized that Tristram didn't know Kiyone--or she--was in the kitchen, thanks to his rather loud, discordant whistling. Kiyone seemed similarily unaware of Ayeka's presence.

Ayeka was puzzled by what she saw. Kiyone was just standing there, staring at Tristram, as if she had never seen him before. It was certainly strange behavior, particularly for Kiyone, who was hardly the shy type--not around Tristram, at any rate. Ayeka studied Kiyone's expression for a moment. It seemed vaguely familiar. Then Ayeka realized what she was witnessing. Good heavens!

Then Ayeka deliberately cleared her throat, loudly. Tris stopped whistling. Both he and Kiyone turned to look at her.

"Hi, Ayeka...Kiyone, hi, didn't hear you come in," Tris said. He began to walk out of the kitchen, carrying the bowl full of ice cream. "Can I help you, Ayeka?"

"No, Tristram. Actually, I need to ask Kiyone...something."

"Well, just don't ask her about her age, her career, her family, her school days, her thighs, or her favorite color." Tris grinned. "You should be safe then." He then dodged. But Kiyone hadn't moved at him. She just continued to stare at him. "You sure you're all right, Kiyone?" he asked, nonplussed.

"I'm all right, Tris," Kiyone said softly.

"Uh-huh. Okay. Well, I'd better get out there before Washuu starts screaming for ice cream. See you two in the funny papers." Tris left with the bowl heaped with cherry ice cream.

When he was gone, Ayeka said, "Well, Kiyone...when did you finally realize you were in love with him?"

Kiyone whirled to face her. "What? Ayeka--where do you get these notions?"

Ayeka smiled knowingly. "Kiyone, you forget. I am a woman in love, too. I can certainly spot it in another woman. I watched you just standing there, staring at Tristram with that expression, acting like butter would not melt in your mouth...Kiyone! I thought we were friends."

Kiyone smiled dolefully. "We are, Ayeka. All right...I'll come clean. Yes, I'm in love with that goofball. I've just never felt this way before and I didn't realize what it meant. Then tonight Tris went to get the ice cream and he took Mihoshi and me with him. Suddenly...it all just hit me."

Ayeka walked up to Kiyone. She took her hands gently. "What hit you, Kiyone?"

"Well...it just all became clear. There I was, surrounded by so much love and support, just as I had been the first time I came here, only I didn't appreciate it then and left it without a thought. Suddenly I knew I wanted it and needed it, just like anyone else. I realized I don't have to give up one thing to have another thing. You have to work harder to have both, but it's worth it. Someday, Tenchi will marry one of you two girls and this family will scatter. But it will still be a family. And I can have my own family too...you know?"

"I know, Kiyone," Ayeka said softly. She released Kiyone's hands. "Kiyone, I recall back when we were all caught up in that malfunction of Miss Washuu's dreadful Dimensional Tuner machine. I particularly remember when you were trying to escape Mihoshi. I felt your true desire then was to be part of a close and caring group of friends--to feel safe enough to open your heart. Do you recall that?"

"I sure do, Ayeka. That was a nice interlude--until Mihoshi showed up!"

Ayeka laughed. "Well, what you only fantasized about then has come true. That is all."

"Well...maybe."

"Undoubtedly, I would say."

Kiyone ruefully shook her head, causing her long dark teal hair to swirl around her shoulders. "But why him...that Earthling! That goofball! And why now? When I could end up losing my career if I don't concentrate completely on my job?"

"But why not him? I think I have had deeper reservations than even you about Tristram, Kiyone. But I have come to a realization, too. I had almost forgotten that I was attracted to Lord Tenchi, drawn to him, and yes, fell in love with him, long before I found out that he had royal blood in him. That Earthling! That...high-school boy! But he made me happy...gloriously happy. No one had ever made me so happy before."

Ayeka smiled tenderly, remembering. "And as far as the timing is concerned...well, back then I was supposed to be completing my marriage preparations so that I would be properly wed to a suitable Consort and take my place on the throne of Jurai. The notion that I would spend time away from my duties on some insignificant planet, romancing a boy who was not even a citizen of the Galactic Union...it was impossible. But the impossible happened. So do not talk to me about unsuitable swains or inconvenient timing, Kiyone!"

Kiyone now smiled, too. "Okay, you've made your point, Ayeka. I guess I've always wanted my life to be neat and orderly and to do things one at a time. You know, get my career firmly on track, dump that Mihoshi somewhere, then marry a guy, probably another GP officer, maybe have kids...like that. First things first."

"Yes, but life is not neat and orderly, Kiyone, and you either take the gifts that life offers you when they are offered to you, or you spend your life regretting that you did not. I have learned that, too. I know Lord Tenchi may not choose me. But if I had not come back and made a valiant attempt for him, I know I would have regretted it all my days. Kiyone, tell me...do you want to end up like that Inspector Maki woman?"

Kiyone shuddered. "God, no!"

"Well, then. The choice is clear, is it not?"

"Yeah...some choice!"

Ayeka shook her head. "Kiyone, some people do not even have that choice. Believe me, you are fortunate, even if you think you are not."

Kiyone sighed. "I still need to get my career back on track. I'll never give up my career, Ayeka, period. I think Tris understands that. His mother was an officer in the armed forces here, you know. That helps." Kiyone regarded Ayeka with deep warmth. "It also helps that I have you to talk it over with, Ayeka. It really does. I never thought that someday I would have a Princess for a friend--never in my wildest dreams."

"Well, Kiyone, I never thought I would have a police officer for a friend, a very dear friend. But thank heavens that life is so very unpredictable!"

Impulsively, the two women hugged each other. When they parted, Ayeka said, "Dump Mihoshi? You are no more going to dump her than I am going to dump Lord Tenchi. You and Tristram might as well adopt her. You will never be rid of her, Kiyone."

"Yeah, I know. I realize that now...damn it! Adopt her? I'll tell you right now, she's not going to live with me and Tris--she'll live in her own place, by God, and..." Kiyone's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her right hand. Slowly, she lowered that hand. "Yipes! What am I talking about?"

"The future, of course," Ayeka told her with a wry smile.

Suddenly the kitchen was invaded, noisily. Ayeka and Kiyone turned to look at the invader. Ryoko stood there.

"Hey, you two--where the hell's my ice cream?"

Ayeka and Kiyone both stared uncomprehendingly at the rather perturbed space pirate. Then they burst into laughter.

As it turned out, Ryoko was obliged to get her own ice cream. She was glad to. She wanted to get out of that kitchen, fast. She was convinced that the Princess and Kiyone had finally gone off their rockers.

------

Back at Galaxy Police Headquarters, Chief Bodai was deliberating a question posed to him by Sergeant Katzaar. He now announced his decision.

"No limit on their investigation time. They are not suspects, despite how it may look to some. We will not treat them as such. Do you understand, Sergeant?"

"Yes, Chief," said Sergeant Katzaar. He stood before Chief Bodai's desk, looking as squat and stolid as ever. But it was a different Katzaar, nonetheless...one that was respectful in his attitude toward the Chief, was completely correct in his manner, and seemed neither pleased nor upset at the change in orders.

Chief Bodai suspected Sergeant Katzaar would have preferred a short suspense for Kiyone and Mihoshi to complete their investigation of the hacker, but he had learned to keep such things to himself. Thanks to the Grand Marshall, Youri Katzaar would carefully weigh each word before he ever spoke to a superior officer again.

"I want you to inform your immediate supervisor, Lieutenant Zay're, of my decision. Understand, Sergeant?"

"Yes, Chief, I do." And Sergeant Katzaar did. Chief Bodai was purposely undermining Lieutenant Zay're's status. It was the first move in marginalizing the Lieutenant, until he became merely an entity filling a position, with no authority or respect. It seemed that Chief Bodai could play staff games, too. And he was obviously determined to get Zay're out of Headquarters. All of which now did not bother Katzaar a bit.

For his part, Chief Bodai was pleased with his decision concerning the hacker investigation. He had bought Kiyone and Mihoshi some more time. That time might provide a solution to their dilemma. At least, it would postpone their career execution. His decision would likely be questioned by some higher-ups, who would take the tack that Kiyone and Mihoshi were themselves prime suspects, but Chief Bodai knew now that he soon would be a "higher-up" himself. So let them question him! He would remind them that GP officers were entitled to a presumption of innocence as much as any citizen of the Union. Let them chew on that.

That reminded him. Mitsuki. He would have to deal with her swiftly, or not at all. Once he was promoted to a field grade position, he would be unable to pursue the re-investigation of the Slaakive mis- identification case. Perhaps Katzaar could help him with that.

"Sergeant Katzaar, I am going to ask you a question and I want a frank answer. Don't be afraid to answer honestly. It will not reflect on you."

"Yes, Chief."

"You know, of course, about the episode involving the arrest of a vagrant that resembled that fugitive kidnapper, Slaakive. It ended up with Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu both stripped of their Sergeant's rank."

"Yes, Chief. I worked very briefly with Kiyone here at Headquarters. I was in logistics then."

"Yes. In fact, you took her position when she was reduced in rank."

"That's corrrect, Chief."

"So I can assume you aren't exactly a partisan for her cause?" Chief Bodai asked.

Sergeant Katzaar obviously didn't like the question, but he answered it. "No, Chief. I'm no supporter of hers."

"Good. Then please think carefully and give me your frank opinion on this next question. If Kiyone was truthful in what she said at her hearing, someone must have produced a foolscap copy of a faked fully articulated ID-comparo report on that transient and the real Slaakive, one that said the two were identical. Kiyone testified she asked Mitsuki to generate that report. Which would mean that Mitsuki faked the report, again assuming that Kiyone is telling the truth. Now, Sergeant...knowing Mitsuki as well as you do...is she capable of such an act, do you think?"

The question rather stunned Sergeant Katzaar. Truly, he had not even entertained the notion that Mitsuki could have been lying. Mitsuki had been his ally, while Kiyone had been a pushy, brusque, unwanted newcomer to Headquarters. He had, of course, assumed that Kiyone had taken a chance that the preliminary comparo-ID was right on the money and grabbed her buddy, Mihoshi, to make a vainglorious arrest of a high-profile fugitive--and then had lied when it all had come a cropper. But now that he had worked closely with Mitsuki and seen Mitsuki's own overweening ambition...

Sergeant Katzaar nodded. "I have to admit, Chief...that, yes, I now think Mitsuki is capable of having faked that report. I do know she was horribly humiliated at being reprimanded and re-assigned as Kiyone's assistant after the Kagato rebellion."

"I can understand that," Chief Bodai said.

Katzaar now decided to make a clean breast of it. He owed the Chief that much. "In fact, a lot of us were upset at Kiyone's promotion, Chief. She had defied orders, was involved in attacking GP ships and officers only doing their duty, and seemed to have only stumbled into the right side of that conflict by accident. And she rubbed a lot of us the wrong way when she came to Headquarters. Frankly, since her partner is the granddaughter of the Grand Marshall, we suspected his influence had more to do with her promotion than any merit on her part."

"I see. Now that you've met the Grand Marshall...do you entertain those suspicions still?"

"No, Chief," said Sergeant Katzaar ruefully. "He's the last one who would act like that. I know that now."

Chief Bodai nodded. "Certainly, Kiyone could have handled herself better while she was here and I think Mitsuki was treated unfairly overall. And making her Kiyone's assistant--well, that was just asking for trouble." Those actions had been taken before Chief Bodai was assigned to Headquarters. "But none of that would justify a scheme to get Kiyone busted down in rank. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Chief."

"All right, then. I'm not asking you to spy on Mitsuki. But I would like you to keep an eye open for anything that may help bring new light to that Slaakive mis-identification case...either for or against her. Understood?"

"Understood, Chief."

Chief Bodai smiled. "Thank you, Youri." It was the first time that Chief Bodai had called Sergeant Katzaar by his first name. The latter seemed touched by the familiarity.

"Chief, you went to bat for me, and I..."

"I did what a supervisor is supposed to do, Youri. If you feel gratitude about it, then do likewise when you face a similar situation with your own subordinates. All right?"

Now Sergeant Katzaar smiled, and for once it didn't look a bit forced or unnatural. "All right, Chief."

------

"Well, Kiyone, now that you are certain...what do you intend to do about it?"

Princess Ayeka put the question to Kiyone as the two finished washing and drying the dinner and dessert dishes in the kitchen. Both had volunteered to do the dishes, an offer that Sasami had accepted with gratitude. She, Tenchi, Tris, and Mihoshi were now watching television in the living room. Ryoko had announced a desire to take a short walk outdoors, with a wink at Tenchi, which Tenchi had ignored, but she had gone outside, anyway. Lord Yosho, Nobuyuki, and Washuu had gone upstairs to Nobuyuki's home office to discuss a sub-contractor opportunity for his new firm that he wanted their feedback on before he discussed it with his partners. Ryo-Ohki, having been fed some nice crisp carrots, drowsed in a corner of the kitchen, mulling over whether she would sleep that night in Tenchi and Tris's bedroom or in the women's bedroom.

"Do about what?"

"Kiyone!" Ayeka exclaimed with fond exasperation.

Kiyone smiled. "Oh, all right, Ayeka. The fact is...I'm going to do nothing about it." She opened a kitchen cabinet and began placing freshly washed and dried cups in it.

"What?" Ayeka was dumfounded. "But, after you said..."

"I know what I said, Ayeka. But I'm not going to do anything. What can I do?"

"You could...well..." Ayeka considered. "I suppose you might...tell him?"

Kiyone shook her head. "No, Ayeka. I won't do that. I'm not brave like you and Ryoko. I'm too scared to take that gamble--and then have Tris say that he likes me a lot but he doesn't love me."

"But, Kiyone--he may say he does love you."

"Sure! But who knows what he'll say, the big stiff! He's so damned honest, he'll just blurt it out, the idiot. He's like that, Ayeka, you know that." Kiyone turned away from Ayeka as she closed the cabinet door and collected more dessert bowls to plunk into the sink's soapy water. "If he told me he doesn't love me..." her voice trailed off.

"Oh, dear." Ayeka understood now. She herself had gambled that Lord Tenchi would reciprocate her love when she had made her feelings quite clear to him. As it turned out, Ayeka's gamble had not paid off...not yet, anyway. Kiyone was a strong, proud woman and she did not want to risk the crushing defeat of rejection--even a mild rejection, spoken kindly by a typically well-meaning but clueless male.

"So you understand."

"I understand. But Kiyone, men are rather afraid themselves to say they are in love. It is due to some awful primitive instinct that urges them to run away from commitment. It is terrible! All of these centuries have passed and we have not beat it out of their stupid heads yet." Ayeka grimaced as she thought of how a few women of her acquaintence had actually been left--yes, even at the altar-- by men who had gotten an urge to flee matrimony. Some of those men were still fleeing. It was no small matter to break a matrimonial contract. The would-be bride's parents often felt they had the right to track down the departed swain. That formidable bounty hunter, Nagi, had made a small fortune out of finding and bringing back fugitive bridegrooms. And still they ran away! Ayeka herself had made it very clear to her father, the King, that Lord Tenchi had made no formal pact of marriage with her...otherwise, if Lord Tenchi chose Ryoko, he might end up facing Nagi.

"You're telling me, Ayeka? I'm a cop, remember? You know how many runaway groom reports we get in? Mihoshi and I used to laugh at them..." Kiyone wasn't laughing now. She plunged her hands into the soapy water of the sink and began scrubbing bowls with, perhaps, a bit more vigor than was called for.

"That is my point, exactly. Tristram may well wish to tell you that he is in love with you. But that stupid male instinct may be holding him back. It is up to us sometimes, Kiyone, to get such things settled. Otherwise, many couples would not be married now!"

"Who's talking about marriage, anyway?" Kiyone irritably handed a washed and rinsed dish to Ayeka for drying. But Kiyone was too impatient and the slippery dish dropped from her wet fingers before Ayeka could grasp it. It fell to the floor and shattered. In the corner, Ryo-Ohki hopped with alarm. "Meow-er?"

"Hey...you all right in there?" It was Tenchi's voice from the living room.

"We are fine, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said loudly. "Just a small mishap."

"Hey, tell that cop in there that she shouldn't juggle more than five bowls at a time," Tris's voice called out. Kiyone and Ayeka heard laughter now issue from the living room.

"That big stiff! Wait until I get my hands on him!" Kiyone grated. She attacked the dishes in the sink with renewed ferocity.

"Yes," Ayeka murmured as she bent down and collected the pieces of the shattered bowl. "No doubt you will kiss him until he begs for mercy." She smiled and carried the dish shards to the dustbin.

"I'll strangle him! I'll punch his gizzard out!" Kiyone vowed.

"You know, I never really understood the concept of "love taps" until I watched you jab poor Tristram." Still smiling, Ayeka dropped the dish pieces into the dustbin. She walked back to the sink.

"Ayeka!"

"Well? If you care for a man enough to turn him black and blue, perhaps you should not wait around until he screws up the courage to tell you he loves you. You may wait a long time, Kiyone. You may wait forever."

"Yeah, but..."

"Hey, want me to tell him?"

The voice asking that question seemed to have issued from thin air. Both Kiyone and Ayeka looked around the kitchen. They both saw that the ceiling appeared to have grown a head...a head with spiky platinum hair, golden eyes, and a wide grin. They groaned with comprehension. "Ryoko!"

"You called?" Ryoko now fully passed through the ceiling, righted herself, and floated down to the floor.

Ryo-Ohki was pleased to see her mistress. "Meow-er!" She trotted up to Ryoko and began to rub against her ankles with loving devotion.

Kiyone and Ayeka seemed distinctly less pleased. "Spying!" Ayeka exclaimed. "You...you spy! Ryoko!"

"That's me." Ryoko grinned, unconcerned with their displeasure. "Just call me Secret Agent Double O-Sexy."

"With a license to snoop, I presume?" Ayeka asked acidly.

"Whatever it takes, Princess--when it comes to getting some "gold" on my "finger"!" Ryoko laughed. "Tris told me that one!"

"It figures," Kiyone muttered.

"Well, it is not a bit funny, Ryoko. When will you learn to respect other people's privacy?" Ayeka demanded.

"Privacy? In this house?" Ryoko grinned and shook her platinum- haired head. She bent down and stroked Ryo-Ohki. "Aren't these girls silly, Ryo-Ohki?"

"Who's silly?" Kiyone snapped.

"You are! Mooning around Tris so that even Ryo-Ohki here can tell you've gone off the deep end over him. You're lucky he's as dense as a dark star--otherwise, he'd be skedaddling back to that college right now!" Ryoko rose and proceeded to do a fair imitation of Tris's voice: "'Uh, say, Tenchi, old buddy, old pal, I forget to turn off the shower back at the old dorm room. Bet the tub's real full now. Better go shut it off.'" She smiled sassily at Kiyone.

"Maybe I ought to shut you off," Kiyone told her.

"Ryo-Ohki--please protect me!" Ryoko snatched up the cabbit and pressed her against her ample bosom. "The mean cop's gonna hurt your mistress! Oh, save me!"

"Meow-er?"

"Can the comedy, Ryoko," Kiyone said gratingly. "You don't know if Tris would skedaddle--I mean, run off--or not. Besides, it's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is." Ryoko placed Ryo-Ohki back on the kitchen floor. The cabbit decided to check out things in the living room and trotted off. "I've just appointed myself the Love Monitor around here. I was going to fine the Princess two weeks of taking out the garbage for making cow eyes at Tenchi during dinner. But now I see I'll have to settle your case first."

"Love Monitor!" Ayeka exclaimed. "The Love Meddler, you mean! And I was not making cow eyes at Lord Tenchi!"

"Hah! Keep telling whoppers like that, Princess, and I'll have to fine you two weeks more. Cow eyes it was! Moo, Moo, see how I love you, Tenchi?" Ryoko laughed. "But you'll have to wait, Princess. This isn't the old maid docket. We're on the Case of the Dateless Detective now."

Ayeka's face purpled. But she collected herself. She was resolved not to let Ryoko prod her into another embarrassing outburst.

"Dateless! Like fun!" Kiyone snapped. "That sounds more like you, Ryoko."

"That actually sounds more like two weeks of scrubbing the toilet for contempt of court," Ryoko told her. "But the Love Monitor will be lenient. One week! And before you spout off again, even Mihoshi has said she's had as many dates with old One Dimple as you have--and you told her they weren't dates, anyway, remember? So...the Dateless Detective!" Ryoko smiled, obviously pleased with herself. "And now the Dateless Detective is the Clueless Cop." Ryoko clasped her hands together and assumed an expression of exaggerated yearning. "'Oh, I love the goofball, but I won't tell him so...he might not melt into a puddle at my feet. I shall become an old maid like my idol, Princess Spinster.'" Ryoko shook her head. "That's the way to fix things, Kiyone. Not!"

"Princess Spinster!" Ayeka rapidly lost her resolve to avoid a verbal confrontation. "How dare you! I was negotiating a marriage contract with Prince Seiryou before I even met Lord Tenchi. He could not wait to wed me! Now suppose you inform us about your past matrimonial prospects, Ryoko."

"Hey, we're not talking about your busted engagements, Princess," Ryoko retorted. She didn't have a good answer to that question, anyway. The last guy who had showed interest in marrying Ryoko was now serving twenty-to-life on a prison planetoid. "You're just waiting around until Tenchi chooses me and then you can go find some noble wet-smack who wants your money in his pockets. The court is considering Kiyone's case. The court has generously offered to tell that goofball in the living room about Kiyone's burning passion for him. The court is waiting for an answer."

"If you tell him, Ryoko--you're dead!" Kiyone all but shouted.

"Is that any way to speak to the Love Monitor?" Ryoko grinned.

Kiyone just glared at her.

"Princess, tell this cop that I'm talking sense. Even you know I am."

"You may be talking sense, Ryoko," Ayeka said. "But to mix in your insults and aspersions--"

"The court is entitled to a little fun, Princess. The court likes this cop and even likes that goofball in there. The court would really like to help a certain clueless couple." Ryoko smiled with genuine warmth at Kiyone. "Com'on Kiyone, lighten up. And wise up. In about a week or so, Tris goes back to college with Tenchi. A college full of co-eds. You want to let him go back there without telling him how you feel? I wouldn't! Not on your life!"

"I'm not you, Ryoko."

"Worse luck! If you were, you'd have him all packaged up, nice and pretty." Ryoko's voice lost some of its banter. "And maybe even I'd envy you, girl, for being able to have your guy and hold him, too."

Kiyone expression slowly relaxed. She managed to post a tiny smile.

"Well, perhaps I wish I were more like you, Ryoko...a little. But I'm not. Old One Dimple will have to tell me first how he feels. Maybe I can kind of hint to him where things stand. But that's all. That's just how I'm made, Ryoko."

Ryoko shook her head. "The court is not pleased, but the court understands--sort of. The court will remain silent on this case. Now..." Ryoko smiled saucily at Ayeka. "We have the Case of the Cow Eyes to finish."

"I shall finish you," Ayeka promised angrily, "if you do not drop this ridiculous charade right here and now!"

"Like you could! But okay, court's adjourned--for now." Ryoko turned to leave. "You girls go ahead and finish the dishes. Guess I'll go see what they're watching on TV. Maybe I can get them to watch a little wrestling."

"Ryoko! You will not!" Ayeka cried.

"Why not? It's a great sport. I'm going to teach Tenchi a few wrestling holds myself. I can see us now...just him and me on the mat. I'll teach him some nice holds, all right. Might even let him pin me. Be sure you get those dishes dry now, Princess. And don't drop any more dishes, Kiyone--we're on a budget, you know."

Ryoko left the kitchen with a smile.

"Kiyone...would you mind finishing up in here?" Ayeka asked grimly. "I believe I would like to watch a little television myself."

"I don't mind, Ayeka," Kiyone replied. smiling. "You go right ahead."

------

"It's a good thing I've finally landed this contract," Nobuyuki told Lord Yosho and Washuu in his home office/bedroom upstairs. "If they're going to break dishes like that!" He smiled. They had all heard the dish shatter in the kitchen.

Lord Yosho chuckled. He and Washuu had been studying the contract's terms on the screen of Nobuyuki's Apple. All three of them were sitting on chairs facing the computer screen.

"Dropping dishes...that's sure not like the Princess or Kiyone," Washuu commented with a grin. "Must be a disturbance in there--a disturbance spelled R-y-o-k-o!"

"Washuu, you're a most discerning young woman," Nobuyuki told her.

"You sweet-talking man." Washuu slipped her hand over his.

Lord Yosho smiled, amused. He said, "I think, and of course I am no businessman, that this contract offers a fair proposal. There does not seem to be a very heavy layer of processing between acceptance and payment. That is good, at any rate."

"You bet it is, father-in-law. We can't spend time drafting all the designs and working out all the specs and then wait months for payment. I just don't like the fact that we will be under the thumb of a bigger architectural firm."

"At least it's not your old firm," Washuu pointed out. "And you won't be performance-judged on what they do. Your work will be evaluated separately."

"That's true," Nobuyuki admitted.

"And you can't blame the developers," Washuu continued. "You're an unknown quantity to them--they'll take a chance on you because you'll work cheap, but they still want the security of an established firm over the whole project. You'll just have to prove you work cheap and good and later you won't have to have a bigger firm as a nanny."

"That is it exactly, Professor Washuu," Lord Yosho agreed. "These are early days for your new company, son-in-law. I would not be afraid to be wedded to another firm just now...just as long as you will be judged by your own efforts."

"That's right!" Washuu smiled coyly at Nobuyuki. "Grandpa is right. You shouldn't be afraid to be wedded." She winked. "You might like it."

Nobuyuki laughed. Lord Yosho uttered a small chuckle. Washuu was able to switch from practical business discussion to amorous joking in a twinkling. It was just a tiny indication of how razor sharp she was.

"And you're making money--good money--even at your low bid," Washuu added.

"Indeed?" Lord Yosho asked.

"Yes, father-in-law. Washuu and I worked out the costs and the office expenses and we threw in a decent profit, too. By working with a small margin, we'll able to make money on these low-end projects."

"That is excellent," Lord Yosho commented appreciatively.

"That's right, Grandpa," Washuu said. "Nobie here hit it perfectly. Slow economy, lots of renovation and repair instead of new building-- so, small contracts, but with low overhead--presto, decent profits. That's what I call making an opportunity where others see no opportunity at all. That's what I call being a winner!" Washuu squeezed Nobuyuki's hand.

"Absolutely," Lord Yosho agreed. "And this contract...I should say, perhaps, opportunity...is a start. It's more than you had a short time ago, son-in-law. And you made it for yourself. You won a victory in an arena I would not even presume to enter."

Nobuyuki smiled at his father-in-law. "Thanks. But it was done with everyone's help and support--especially a certain pretty woman who happens to be a real genius."

"Awww..." Washuu rested her head against Nobuyuki's arm. "You say the sweetest thing, Nobie."

Lord Yosho saw it was time for him to leave. "Well, I believe I shall retire to bed early this evening. Old bones need lots of rest, you know." He stood. "It's a fair contract, son-in-law, I believe. You will give them their money's worth, I know."

"That I will. Thanks again, father-in-law. Good-night."

"'Night, Grandpa," Washuu said cheerily.

"Good night to you both," Lord Yosho said. He walked to the door, slid it open, and departed.

As he walked down the hallway, Lord Yosho thought he heard some sort of commotion from downstairs. He shrugged, unconcerned. That was one thing he was certainly used to.

------

When Kiyone finally finished the dishes, she hung the towel over the sink to dry and wandered into the living room. She was resolved to get Tris outside, where hopefully the moon and her own stratagems might begin laying the groundwork for...well, for helping the idiot to get a clue and start thinking about three little words.

In the living room, she saw that Tenchi was standing before the television set, as were Ryoko and Ayeka. Ryoko held the remote control above her head, grinning.

"What democracy?" she was saying. "I'm the absolute ruler of TV Land. I have the remote!"

"Hey," said Tris from one of the couches. "Let's watch that channel, Ryoko. They show "Green Acres" sometimes. It kinda reminds me of this place." He was sitting with Mihoshi and Sasami, neither of whom looked pleased. He nudged Sasami. "You know, on that show they had a pig who hogged the TV."

"Really?" Sasami smiled. Mihoshi laughed.

"A pig! Did he grab the remote, too?" she asked.

"What? Who's a pig?" Ryoko demanded, having heard only part of their conversation.

"If the oink fits, say it," Ayeka suggested.

"Listen, Princess..." Ryoko began. She wasn't watching Tenchi now. He leaped and grabbed the remote control.

"Coup the grass!" Tris proclaimed.

"Huh?" asked Mihoshi.

"Something about grass," Sasami guessed.

"You have been de-throned, I see," Ayeka told Ryoko. "Pretenders usually are, sooner or later."

"I was robbed!" Ryoko smiled at Tenchi. "But my sweetums can have anything from me he wants...just anything."

"Okay, then," Tenchi said. "Sit down."

"But, sweetums..."

Tenchi gave her that very special look he reserved just for her. Ryoko quickly sat down on the couch opposite the one Tris, Sasami, and Mihoshi occupied. Ayeka sat down, too.

Kiyone smiled as she stood and watched her friends. Tenchi noticed her. He smiled back at her.

"Since Kiyone just finished the dishes, she should pick what we watch," he declared.

"That is right," Ayeka agreed virtuously.

"Stop trying to brown-nose Tenchi, Princess," Ryoko said, disgruntled. "All Kiyone wants to watch are cop shows--the boring ones. Where the cops just sit around and yak."

"Wrestling would be better, I suppose?" Ayeka asked with heavy sarcasm.

"Sure would, Princess. Lots of action and a lot less yakking...which is a good idea for this household, too."

Before Ryoko and Ayeka could get embroiled again, Tenchi asked, "Kiyone, what would you like to watch? A movie? A show?"

"Well..." Kiyone grinned. "Actually, a certain idiot boy promised to take me for a walk after dinner. I'm going to hold him to that promise."

"Huh?" Tris said. He didn't recall that.

"Idiot boy? She means you, Tris," Mihoshi said helpfully.

"Thanks a heap, Mihoshi!"

"You're welcome a heap, Tris." Mihoshi smiled, always glad to help. "What's so funny, Sasami?"

"Oh, nothing," Sasami replied, quickly stifling a giggle.

"Get up, you," Kiyone ordered Tris. "And take me for that walk!"

Tris rose. "How could I resist such a nice request?" He walked over to Kiyone. "You lead the way. If you don't hear me behind you, don't worry. I'll be walking real quiet. You just keep going."

Kiyone grabbed his arm. "March!" She dragged him to the front door and slid it open. They both disappeared outside, the door sliding shut behind them.

"How romantic," Ryoko cracked.

"Kiyone sure wants to take a walk," Sasami said, puzzled. "I wonder why that is?"

"Maybe she just doesn't want to watch TV," Mihoshi reasoned.

Ryoko rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Jeeze, but you two have a lot to learn!"

"Well, you are not going to teach them," Ayeka said. "And now that Kiyone has left, I believe Lord Tenchi should pick another person to decide what we will watch."

Ryoko grinned. "Me, Tenchi, pick me! Pick your love toy! She'll make you glad you did!"

"I am going to be ill," Ayeka said. "I just know that I am."

"Forget it, Ryoko," Tenchi said. "Sasami's the one to pick the program."

"Me? Really?" Sasami was excited. "That's cool!"

"Yay!" said Mihoshi, happy for her young friend. "What do you want to watch, Sasami?"

"Well...I guess it's too late in the evening for our pretty magical soldier show to be on, Mihoshi," Sasami deliberated.

"Thank heavens," Ayeka murmured.

"That's kid stuff," Ryoko snorted. "Like that "Doraemon" show...blue robot cats! Puh-leeze!"

"But "Doraemon" is cute," Mihoshi protested.

"It's Sasami's choice," Tenchi said firmly.

"Well...I'd kind of like to watch "Happy Family Plan"," Sasami said. "It's nice to watch a family work hard together and maybe win three million yen. I wish that our family could be on that show."

"We could use that three million yen, all right," Mihoshi agreed.

"Of course, you must use that money to order items from the "Happy Family Plan" catalogue," Ayeka commented. "I do think those catalogue prices are a bit inflated."

"Family shows," Ryoko muttered disgustedly.

"Somehow I don't think our family is quite ready for prime time, Sasami," Tenchi told her with a grin. "That show's on TBS, so let's check." He manipulated the remote control. The television screen blinked into light and slowly settled on a scene of a family talking excitedly to an announcer who kept popping jokes and looking at the camera in true Japanese mass-media style.

"It's on!" Sasami was pleased. "But what's the challenge this time?"

Tenchi punched up the sound from the remote control. They all listened to the announcer.

"What? Just sip a bunch of different teas and say what kind they are in three minutes? That's lame! Isn't the father going to fall off a cliff or anything?" Ryoko was miffed.

"We'll save that for you when we get on the show," Ayeka told her.

"Yuk, yuk, Princess. Well, I know where's there's something better to watch." Ryoko smiled slyly. She started to rise from the couch.

"No, you will not!" Ayeka cried. "Lord Tenchi--stop her!"

Tenchi walked to the couch where the two women sat. "Where are you going, Ryoko?"

"Just around...just want to get some fresh air," Ryoko said, not meeting Tenchi's eyes.

"She does not! She wants to go spy on..." Ayeka glanced at Sasami and Mihoshi, who were witnessing this exchange with great interest. "You know what I mean, Lord Tenchi."

Tenchi nodded. "Ryoko, sit down."

"I don't wanna."

"Ryoko...!"

"Okay. But you gotta hold my hand, then, Tenchi, or I might fly away."

Tenchi deposited the remote control on the sofa table. He sat down on the couch between Ryoko and Ayeka. He sighed inwardly. He took Ryoko's hand...and he also took Ayeka's hand.

"Hey, no fair, sweetums. Just hold my hand."

"But I may fly away too, Ryoko," Ayeka said, laughing.

"You promise?" Ryoko muttered.

"Watch the show," Tenchi ordered.

They all did. As it turned out, the father of the family featured that week in "Happy Family Plan" flubbed his challenge. No three million yen for the Hakudai family. But there was peace for a little while for the Masaki family...especially when Ryoko gave in and nestled against her Tenchi. He held her hand all the while. Now that was Ryoko's idea of a happy family plan.

------

Outside, Kiyone was still holding on to Tris's right arm and pulling him along. They had crossed the front lawn and were approaching the gate. There Azaka II and Kamidake II stood, stolid and solid, their sensing mechanisms always on and always directed toward the person of Princess Ayeka. Both Guardians blinked at Kiyone and Tris. It was a happy blink. They knew that it would no longer be dull with those two around.

"Help," Tris said to the two big wooden cylinders. "Save me. Save me from this nice walk."

"Beg pardon, Tristram Coffin, sir?" Azaka II queried.

"You do not appear to be in any difficulty, sir," Kamidake II noted. "Besides, we only protect the person of Princess Ayeka Jurai, unless she commands us otherwise. That is our programming. We offer our apologies."

"Great! Even the lawn ornaments have a union," Tris muttered.

Kiyone released his arm. "Well, if you want to go back in, buster-- go!"

Tris rubbed his arm. "What are you so sore about? You grabbed me, remember? I don't need an excuse to be alone with you, Kiyone."

"No?"

"No." Tris really did not understand Kiyone's sudden mood swing. "I wanted to get you alone myself, but I though you'd prefer to do it a little later. You know, watch a little TV with the gang and then kind of...slip out, quietly."

Kiyone looked at Tris. The moon had risen over the horizon and it was darkish, yet it was still somewhat early evening. It really was a bit early for them to go out walking, as per their usual custom. She knew she had been a little...abrupt. It was just that Ryoko had been right. Tris would be around only a short time longer.

"Well, I just felt like a walk. That's all. It doesn't matter what time we do it--we don't have to be so darned discrete, do we? Everyone knows we're a couple, don't you think?"

"No and yes," Tris answered. He slipped an arm around Kiyone. She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. "The question is...a couple of what?"

Kiyone laughed despite herself. "You!" She slipped her arms around his neck. "Didn't your Dad ever tell you what you're supposed to do when you have a woman and a moon and the place all to yourself?"

Sure, Tris thought. Run like hell! He grinned.

"Listen, my Dad was still trying to figure out how he ended up married with a family and a mortgage when we had that kind of talk. In fact, he never could figure out..." Tris stopped as Kiyone suddenly tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. She had decided to talk to him in another way. They kissed, and then kissed again.

The two Guardians took note of this development.

"It is about time he kissed her," Azaka II opined. "He does not seem to understand the protocol for such things."

"It appears that she kissed him," Kamidake II noted. "This never happens when the Princess and Lord Tenchi converse alone, even during the nightfall. Perhaps there really is no set protocol for this."

"Wow..." Tris murmured, as he and Kiyone came up for air. That had been some kiss. Kiyone had been particularly soft and warm against him and she had kissed him with a head-spinning emphasis. Again, she and he had French kissed as well, something they had to ration since it so intoxicated them both.

"That's just the warm-up, darling," Kiyone whispered to him. "Let's go find some place where we can...relax."

"Ummm...sure," Tris was eager to comply, but, "I'm not sure where. I mean, the grass is a little damp and the bugs..."

"There's the back seat of your car."

"Kiyone! The back seat?" Tris was galvanized. "You know what that means--the back seat?"

"It means we don't sit on the grass, goofy." Kiyone chuckled softly and kissed his big, stupid nose. He was so clueless, the darling. She was going to have her work cut out for her, all right.

"Oh." Tris had to remind himself that Kiyone was not from Earth. The back seat of a car held no significance for her, except as a place to sit. Down boy, he told himself. Don't get your hopes up.

"Of course, if we had our own place to go to, we wouldn't have to go around sitting in cars," Kiyone pointed out. She had decided to get the campaign rolling. She kissed his cheeks, little butterfly kisses. "Know what I mean?"

"Well..." Tris seemed uncertain.

"Don't you want it to be like this...well, forever, goofy?" Kiyone took another approach.

"We might get kind of hungry after a while," Tris said. "But if we can get this catered, I think you have something there, Blue Eyes." Now he kissed Kiyone and they wrapped around each other.

As they kissed again, dreamily, Kiyone was almost intoxicated with love and relief. This was going to be easier than she thought. No doubt after a few more sessions like this, he'd finally--

Something buzzed, loudly, insistently, on her left wrist. It was her GP alert bracelet. She wore the gold ID bracelet given to her by Tris on her right wrist. It didn't buzz, of course.

"Damn it!" Kiyone broke from Tris. "We have a call! I have to go! Where's Mihoshi?"

"Back at the house," Tris said, a bit rattled by the sudden change in the evening's agenda.

"Well, go get her, clown! Tell her I'll be at the big clearing by the lake. Make her come right now, Tris! I'm counting on you."

Kiyone scampered to the large open lawn area near the lake to use her earring to summon the Yagami. Tris, in turn, sprinted back toward the house.

The two Guardians watched the break-up with some enlightenment.

"Perhaps this is more like the Princess and Lord Tenchi's situation, after all," Kamidake II commented. "They get together, but nothing is accomplished."

"Yes, that does seem to be the pattern around here," Azaka II agreed.

------

Tris reached the house in record time. He pounded in, not even bothering to take off his shoes. He burst into the living room. He found Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka on one couch and Mihoshi and Sasami on the other couch still watching TV. They all stared at him.

"Mihoshi!" he panted. "You have a call! You know! From the GP!"

"Gosh!" Mihoshi sprung up from the couch. The bowl of ice cream that had been sitting on her lap sprung up, too--and plopped onto the floor. "Ohhhh...I didn't mean to do that."

"Don't worry about it, Mihoshi." Sasami rose from the couch, too. "I'll clean it up. You have to go now."

"Yeah!" Mihoshi stopped. "But go where?"

"To the lawn out there by the lake," Tris told her. "Kiyone's waiting, with Yagami."

"Right!" Mihoshi recalled how much under the gun she had Kiyone were. It would not do to be late in answering a summons by the GP. It could mean another write-up! Gosh!

She barreled out of the living room, thrusting Tris aside, so that he tumbled against the couch containing Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka. Mihoshi was a very powerful being, especially when she was excited.

"Sorry, Tris!" she called behind her, and then she was gone.

Tenchi helped Tris rise from where he had involuntarily sat on the Princess's lap. "You ought to watch where you sit down, bonehead," he said, grinning.

"Lord, I'm sorry, Ayeka," Tris told her, his face flaming.

"It is all right, Tristram. You did not do it intentionally." Ayeka rose and straightened the folds of her robed gown. She smiled at him to show she was not upset.

"Yeah, he was smack dab in the way of the Mihoshi Express," Ryoko cracked. "But at least the Princess got a little action around here. She can write it down in her diary tonight."

------

A little while later, the Yagami floated in deep space, a few thousand miles from Earth. Kiyone and Mihoshi sat in their cockpit seats on the starship's bridge, staring at their viewscreens. On each was the unlovely face of Sergeant Katzaar, about the last person either of them would wish to be staring at.

Both of the Galaxy Police officers were in their uniforms--barely. They were both disheveled, and Mihoshi had not tied her tie. Upon being transport-beamed up to the Yagami, they had raced into the bridge, grabbed the uniforms they had left there, and struggled into them, while Kiyone verbally commanded the ship to leave Earth orbit. The Yagami had responded instantly to the simple vocal command. Once she had her uniform tunic and her uniform trousers pulled on and had made a quick knot with her regulation tie, Kiyone sat down at the cockpit console and yelled for Mihoshi to do the same. Sure enough, the indicator was flashing that there was a call waiting for them. When Mihoshi, giving up on her tie, had punched the call in, Sergeant Katzaar had appeared.

Sergeant Katzaar seemed to be a bit subdued, however. There were no nasty looks or cracks about their appearance, nor comments about how long it took for them to respond. Instead, he quickly and concisely told them about the hack into the GP's confidential records. He also told them that the hacker had been traced to Earth, generally, and to the islands of Japan, specifically.

Kiyone could almost feel Mihoshi tense next to her. She prayed that Mihoshi would not say or do anything to register dismay...and Kiyone herself fought to keep a calm, neutral demeanor. The news of the trace was almost devastating, however. She had hoped that Washuu had successfully eluded the GP's security countermeasures while hacking those close-hold records. Well, Washuu had no doubt done her best. And Washuu had warned her of the possibility that her hacking efforts might be traced.

"Of course, since the hack came from the area on Earth you are home- based at, you will have that advantage," Sergeant Katzaar was saying, slowly and without inflection. "The hack itself was very expertly done. It was well above the technological capabilities of the Earthlings. You did encounter some youthful techie geeks once who traveled to Earth. Perhaps this is a repeat of that."

Sergeant Katzaar looked as if he did not believe that for a moment. Kiyone had the definite impression that Katzaar thought she and Mihoshi were involved in the offense, but was choosing to stay neutral. This was certainly a strange posture for Katzaar to adopt, considering his general antipathy to them. Now would be the moment for him to pounce and accuse them directly. Yet he was not doing that.

"Understood, Sergeant." Kiyone kept her voice and manner as neutral as Katzaar's. "When would you want a preliminary report?"

"There is no deadline, since there are no real clues to the idenity of the culprit," Katzaar said. "I would like an update, say, in ten days. But it would be an update, not a report, if you've made no progress by then."

Now Kiyone really was surprised. Katzaar would be well within his rights to demand a full report from them within those ten days, and then use their lack of progress as an excuse to request an independent investigative team to step in. Katzaar was cutting her and Mihoshi a lot of slack. It just did not add up.

Still, that was a minor conundrum. The real problem was that even if given a year to report, Kiyone and Mihoshi would have nothing satisfactory to turn in. The only way they could crack this case would be to confess--and implicate Washuu. That was unthinkable, of course.

"Very well, Sergeant," Kiyone told him. "If nothing comes up sooner, we will update you in ten days."

"That's fine, Detective Makibi. Uh, Detective Kuramitsu...about your tie..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Well...just tie it the next time. We know you don't spend every moment on your ship. We certainly will grant you time to dress properly. All right?"

"Gosh. All right, sir." Mihoshi was clearly taken by surprise by Sergeant Katzaar's manner, too.

"Sergeant Katzaar out." The viewscreens went blank.

"He...he almost sounded nice, Kiyone," Mihoshi said. "Why would he be nice to us? Is he sick or something?"

"I don't know, Mihoshi," Kiyone said impatiently. "That's not important now. We're in horrible trouble." Her voice was flat. "The worst. This is the end, partner."

"What do you mean, Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked worriedly.

"Mihoshi! Weren't you listening?" Kiyone rose from her seat. Her face was flushed and she was close to shouting. "Don't you realize-- we can't solve this case! We're the culprits! This is a major offense! They can and will send an investigative team to Earth to ferret out the truth when we turn up nothing. They'll find out what happened because the first thing they'll do is call on the Masakis and question everyone there. They know Ayeka and Sasami are there and it'll be their only lead. When they find Ryoko and Washuu there, too, that's it! That's all they'll need! Use your brain, Mihoshi!"

"But Washuu can hide away! So can Ryoko. No one will tell on them or us."

"Damn it to hell, Mihoshi!" Kiyone fumed as she paced the bridge. "You still don't get it! Just finding evidence of Ryoko's or Washuu's presence is enough to cook us. Even if they find nothing at the Masakis, that won't save our careers. You know they won't find a culprit even after they covertly search every damned island in Japan. So it will still end up on our laps, because we'll be the prime suspects--the only suspects! Do you get it now? We're sunk!"

Mihoshi did get it now. Tears streamed down her face. Kiyone was right. It was hopeless. It was the end. She would have to turn in the uniform that meant so much to her and leave Earth forever, and probably never see Kiyone again. Her grandfather would hate her. And she would have to live at home back on Kawaiidan, with all her brothers married off and her Daddy busy and everyone knowing she was a disgrace. She sobbed quietly.

"That's right, go ahead and cry," Kiyone said roughly. "That's all you ever do, anyway."

Kiyone's harsh words hit Mihoshi hard. But she stopped crying. "That's not true!" she said. "I'm as much in this as you are! We've worked a lot of cases, Kiyone, and I was with you all the time! And I'm with you right now!"

Mihoshi's outburst stopped Kiyone's pacing. She stared at Mihoshi, wonderingly. Mihoshi rarely spoke so forcefully. And...she was absolutely right. Kiyone realized that she had let her temper get away from her again. "Yeah, you are with me. We're in this mess together, all right." Kiyone's tone was apologetic. "Sorry, partner. Guess I'll have to go pet Trissy again, huh?" Kiyone managed a tiny smile.

Mihoshi smiled back sadly.

"The fact is, you're going to get slammed along with me even though you didn't consent to the hacking of those close-hold records," Kiyone pointed out. "You could turn me in right now and maybe salvage your career. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course, I do. I'm not stupid, Kiyone. But I never would do that. You're my partner and my best friend, and what you do, I'm responsible for, too. We're partners!"

"Yes, we are, Mihoshi," Kiyone agreed with sudden warmth. Mihoshi's simple, sincere loyalty had moved her. She walked over and placed a hand softly on Mihoshi's shoulder. "Thanks for reminding me of that, partner. I'm not alone in this and that helps."

"Of course we're not alone! We have all those people who love us and will stand behind us no matter what happens. That helps a whole lot!" Mihoshi smiled reassuringly at Kiyone.

"Yeah, it really does." Kiyone suddenly thought of Tris. Well, maybe she would end up staying on Earth, unemployed and unable to show her face back at her home planet. Both she and Tris would have to find jobs and they'd have Mihoshi with them--but she'd still have to get her own place!

God...! She was actually thinking about her and Tris being married. He would be her husband...and they would have kids. Kiyone suddenly recalled Sasami's dream. It set her aback--mainly because the idea did not displease her entirely. Kiyone realized that she had something real now, besides the GP, although she wasn't going to give up the GP without one hell of a struggle, even if it did seem hopeless.

"What are you thinking about, Kiyone?"

"I was thinking that I would survive, whatever happens," Kiyone replied. "We both will. But it hasn't happened yet."

"No...but it will probably happen, won't it, Kiyone?" Mihoshi's voice had a rare fatalistic quality.

"Yes, partner. I'm afraid it probably will."

"Should we...should we just admit everything now and resign?"

Kiyone shook her head decisively. "No. We haven't been found out yet. We can hope for a miracle. And we did commit a big offense, Mihoshi. It could mean arrest for us, not just dismissal. I don't fancy possibly going to prison. I've sent too many people there-- they'll remember me!" She smiled faintly at her bad joke. "There's still some time for us to maybe do something, before they get antsy over our lack of progress and send in that investigative team. Even if they do, assuming everyone at the house keeps quiet, we'll still end up being dismissed from the GP because they can do that without the kind of evidence they'd need for a trial--but we'll avoid jail, anyway."

"Gosh. Do you really mean...we could go to jail?"

"We could, partner. You know as well as I do that this is damned serious. Making an example of two rogue cops is just what the brass and the Adjutant General might do, to reassure the public that the GP keeps its skirts clean."

"Oh, gosh. You're right, Kiyone." Mihoshi sounded miserable and scared. "Prison!"

"But that's not going to happen--don't worry about it, Mihoshi. Besides, we have another reason not to bail out. There's that showdown with Professor Klove coming up. We know he's got some powerful weapon at his disposal and it's aimed at Ayeka--and the rest of us. We wouldn't be much good to the others stripped of our authority, our weapons, and our ship, would we? That's one fight I don't want to sit out on."

"Me either," Mihoshi said.

"Good. Then we're agreed. We'll just tough it out, hope for a break, and whatever happens, happens. Right?"

"Right." Mihoshi said it without much enthusiasm.

"Anyway, we've had about all the fun I can take for one evening. We'd better go back home, Mihoshi." Kiyone stopped herself. She smiled wanly. She had just referred to the Masaki house as "home." Well, maybe it would end up being home for her and Mihoshi. She thought about Tris again.

"Okay. Should we tell the others about all this, Kiyone?"

"Oh, yeah. They deserve to know, especially if they have to face that GP investigative team eventually."

"Do you think they'll be...real upset?" Mihoshi sounded worried.

"I hope not, partner. Otherwise, we may be sleeping on Yagami tonight," Kiyone joked feebly. At least, she hoped it was only a joke.

------

When Kiyone and Mihoshi presented themselves back in the living room, Tenchi immediately employed the remote to punch off the TV set. He looked at their faces and knew something was up.

"We need to talk?" he asked.

"We need to talk," Kiyone confirmed grimly.

"Then let's go to the dining room," Sasami suggested. She rose from the couch. "I'll make some tea. Don't you two want to change from your uniforms first?"

It was then that both Kiyone and Mihoshi realized that they hadn't even thought to change back into their street clothing before they left the Yagami. They were that upset.

"Well..." Kiyone said.

"Let's change, Kiyone," Mihoshi urged. "It will only take a few minutes. Maybe we'll feel better if we do."

"I doubt it." But Kiyone followed Mihoshi upstairs to the women's bedroom to change. Sasami walked to the kitchen to begin preparing the tea.

Tenchi and Tris looked at each other.

"They felt pretty low--I did, too--when they had to bring back that news about Professor Klove," Tris said. "But not this low. Something really rotten must have happened."

"I thought having to stand around and wait for that Klove to make his move was bad enough," Ryoko said. "I'd hate to think what could be worse."

"Perhaps it has something to do with them, personally," Ayeka suggested. "Perhaps some bad news about their jobs. They are on rather shaky ground, as I understand it, in regards to their careers right now."

"Roger that, Ayeka," Tris said. "I heard that jerk of a Sergeant chew out Mihoshi when I was on their ship. Yeah, it could be that, all right."

"I hope not," Tenchi said. "Those two have had enough grief over their careers."

Soon Kiyone and Mihoshi returned, wearing salcks and blouses. Tenchi led the way to the dining room. After Sasami come in with the tea, Kiyone told them everything.

"That's...that's just awful," Tenchi said after he had listened to Kiyone's summation of their new "case."

"Man!" Tris said, looking miserable. "That's as rotten a break as I ever heard of."

"No wonder you both looked like hell when you came in," Ryoko commiserated. "This whole thing stinks."

"Yes, this is most distressing," Ayeka agreed. "You did what you had to do and it is clear now that there really is a situation to justify it. Surely that will count in your favor."

"It has to!" Sasami insisted.

"It won't," Kiyone said flatly. "We're just not going to be shown that kind of consideration anymore. As I've told you all before, Mihoshi and I are on the very edge of being dismissed anyway. If we had sparkling clean records...well, maybe this would be forgiven. But we don't. And what situation? It's all speculation and it sounds kind of far-fetched. The GP is looking for--and will only look for--a real flesh-and-blood villain. Not some mind projection weapon wielded by a comatose invalid locked away in an institution."

"But we know it's a real threat," Sasami pointed out. "We know Lord Yosho's ability to sense such things. We have the overturned wardrobes, and..." she stopped.

Kiyone smiled wanly. "Uh-huh...you see? Pretty weak stuff. In a report, it will look like moonshine. Besides, Mihoshi and I could have traveled back to GP Headquarters on Yagami to review the records on the former Klove students the right way. The urgency of what we were discovering just sucked me in and I decided to take a chance and I got caught--Mihoshi and I got caught. Actually, Mihoshi is blameless in all this, you know."

"Kiyone, that's not important now," Mihoshi told her. "We're in this together and that's that."

"I know, partner."

Kiyone sipped at her tea. It was amazing how much all this helped-- the warm, cozy setting, the lovely tea, lovingly prepared, her friends all around her, who understood her and would do everything they could to help her and would never abandon her. She was finally beginning to appreciate all that...as well as to appreciate a boy's hand holding her hand beneath the table, saying so much with that simple touch. She looked at Tris, who looked back at her with understanding and commiseration. Then he grinned at her and winked. It was crazy, but even that made her feel a tad better. The big goof!

"Golly," Sasami said. She looked downcast. "All these bad things. I don't understand why so many bad things happen to us. We just want to live together and be happy. Now, with that Professor Klove and his terrible weapon, whatever it is, and what's happened with Kiyone and Mihoshi, it seems...well, I won't say it, but I sure feel it."

The others grew silent. Then Ryoko tossed her platinum-haired head and adopted her most sassy look.

"Come on, you all. Losers sit around and wah-wah about things they can't help. Remember, I told you we have the firepower to make that Klove creep turn tail and run without us even working up a good sweat. And as far as our two cops here are concerned, it's that Washuu who did the hacking and it's that Washuu who will have to get them out of this mess. And she'll do it, somehow! You all know Washuu."

"Your sudden confidence in Miss Washuu is startling, Ryoko," Ayeka commented dryly.

"Hey, Princess, I don't doubt she has the brains and the beans to get the job done. She just acts like a pain in the patoot sometimes and she shouldn't involve us in those crazy experiments of her. That Dream Machine bit still burns me up! Hell, half our problems are caused by her damned experiments! But she can come up with something to alibi Kiyone and Mihoshi. That kind of sneaky science stuff is right up her alley."

"That is not fair to Miss Washuu, Ryoko," Ayeka said. "And if you say one more time that you call them as you see them...!"

"Don't need to, Princess." Ryoko grinned. "You said it for me."

"Perhaps we should have Washuu with us now?" Sasami ventured. "And Lord Yosho and Mr. Masaki as well. Don't you think we should?"

Tenchi considered this. "Grandfather is in his bedroom, but he's probably reading and not asleep yet." Lord Yosho was an inveterate reader who consumed several volumes a week while awaiting sleep to come to him in the evenings. "Dad and Washuu are probably still up...at least we haven't seen Washuu come down from Dad's room yet." Tenchi chose not to elaborate on that situation, understandably. "But," he glanced at the clock, "it is late, you know. We'll all be at breakfast, anyway--even if Washuu doesn't show, we'll go get her. A night's rest to ponder over this problem may help. It can't hurt!" Tenchi smiled.

Sitting beside him, Tris suddenly realized how much like his venerable grandfather Tenchi was becoming. His calm and reasonable approach to the bombshell Kiyone and Mihoshi had just dropped mirrored how Lord Yosho would have handled it. And he was right--it had been one hell of a day and they were all tired. A night's repose and tomorrow they would all feel refreshed. All of this gloom--at least, some of it-- would likely evaporate like the morning dew.

"That is a good suggestion, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka approved. "Let us not bother the others tonight. We are all needing a rest and a break from these dire deliberations. Of course, I regret that a certain person will be obliged to lose some sleep tonight..." Ayeka smiled a bit superciliously at Ryoko.

"Don't worry about me, Princess. Watching you tonight will be a real treat. With Mihoshi back, I can compare you two at snoring. Who snores the loudest? Who drools the most? I'll announce the results of the snore-off tomorrow morning at breakfast."

Ayeka's face flamed in the usual manner. But she visibly took hold of herself. "That is exactly the kind of childish response I have learned to expect from you, Ryoko. If you dare allege that I snore, you had better have some proof!"

"Yeah, and I don't snore either, Ryoko!" Mihoshi said, peeved. Then she noticed all the women, including Ayeka, staring at her. "Well, I don't snore all that much...do I?"

"Like a buzz saw," Ryoko said. "I'm afraid the Princess faces some pretty stiff competition tonight."

Sasami made a snuffing noise as she used her hands to stifle a laugh that demanded to be heard.

"Forget the snore-off, Ryoko," Tenchi told her. He appeared quite stern, but his brown eyes twinkled.

Ryoko shrugged. She seemed oblivious to the thunderous look Ayeka directed at her.

"Okey-dokey, sweetums, whatever you say. But it would have been a duel of the titans, I'm sure. Anyway, I'll have a much more important thing to announce at breakfast tomorrow. It's a way to settle Klove's hash and none of you will have to lift a finger."

"What are you talking about, Ryoko?" Ayeka demanded. "If you indeed know such a way, tell us now."

"Yeah, Ryoko, maybe you should," Tenchi said.

Ryoko looked at Tenchi lovingly. "It hurts me to say no to you, sweetums," she said. "But I want everyone here when I announce my plan. It's kind of radical, I'll admit, even for me. I want everyone's input before I do it. Besides, I need to work out more of the details in my mind and I'll do that tonight--if all the noise in the bedroom doesn't distract me, of course." She smiled saucily at Ayeka.

"If you persist in this slander, it is not noise you need worry about!" Ayeka told her angrily.

"Ryoko...just drop that stuff," Tenchi told her. "I can understand why you would want everyone to hear whatever you've come up with. I'm sure all of us here understands, too." His eyes roamed around the table; everyone, even Ayeka, nodded assent. "Okay, I guess that's it. Sasami, thank you as always for the wonderful tea."

"You're very welcome, Tenchi," Sasami said. She rose to take away the tea things.

"You can leave those dishes until morning, Sasami. In fact," Tenchi added, standing up, "I'll wash them. It's not too late to still watch a little TV, Sasami. Why don't you do that and you pick the show again?"

"Can I?" Sasami smiled. "That's very nice! There is a funny cooking show on the American channels where a man runs around and shouts and somehow prepares a meal. That might be on."

"Oh, great," Ryoko groaned. "Well, I'll just help my sweetums in the kitchen."

"Then I shall help him, too," Ayeka told her.

"No one's helping me," Tenchi said firmly. "It's only a few cups and the teapot. I don't need six hands doing two hands's work. You two either watch TV with Sasami or go to bed."

"Awww..." Ryoko grumped, but she knew Tenchi meant what he said. She turned to Ayeka. "You going to bed now, Princess?"

"I think not. I believe I shall watch that cooking program with Sasami. It sounds charming."

"Charming!" Ryoko snorted. "Like an ear infection! But I guess I'll watch it, too."

"You'll like it, Ryoko," Sasami said. "The man is pretty handsome, I think, and the recipes are interesting, although there's usually too much meat and cheese in his dishes to suit our diets."

"Meat and cheese!" Mihoshi exclaimed. "That reminds me. Sasami, do you think you could make a pizza?"

"A pizza?" Sasami frowned, thinking. "I've heard of it. It's a dough crust with tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings. I suppose I could. Why do you want a pizza, Mihoshi?"

"Oh..." Mihoshi looked at Tris and giggled. "Someone sang about a pizza pie and it got me all hungry!"

"Sang about a pizza pie?" Tenchi, on his way to the kitchen, stopped and looked at Tris. This sounded pretty weird, even for his pal.

But it was Kiyone who said, flatly, "Don't go there, Tenchi. Mihoshi--hush up!"

"Okay." Mihoshi looked abashed. She had forgotten that Kiyone had not liked Tris's song.

"But I can make the pizza, Kiyone," Sasami said. "Maybe Tris will help me, since he seems to know something about it. It would be a change and a treat for us."

"Oh, all right." Kiyone gave in. Mihoshi always got her way--hadn't she learned that by now? "But pizza is for eating--not singing! Right?" She stared hard at Tris.

"Right, Officer," Tris agreed.

Kiyone was mollified. She could count on Tris not to do an encore of that stupid song. He knew what he'd get if he did!

Tenchi, sensing that another minor problem had resolved itself, carried the tea things to the kitchen.

Ayeka rose. "Actually, that sounds rather nice. I would like to try some of this pizza after seeing it featured in so many American commercials. And the local commercials mention pizza as well."

"Sounds good to me, too." Ryoko also rose from the table. "When do you plan to make this pizza, Sasami?"

"Why not tomorrow night?" Sasami proposed.

"Sure," Tris said. "Let's have a pizza party!"

"That's great! A party!" Mihoshi seconded.

"Hey, if it's a party, you know I'm in." Ryoko grinned.

"Oh, we know that," Ayeka said with resignation. "I am certainly up for such a party--although I would certainly amend the guest list." She looked pointedly at Ryoko.

Ryoko only wrinkled her nose at the Princess in response. She would just crash any party she wasn't invited to, anyway.

Inwardly, Kiyone groaned. Now they were making a party out of it! But she knew it was her friends' way. They celebrated even in the midst of crisis. It really did help get them through the worst of times. Like that occasion when they all were involved in the Kagato affray. Right in the middle of a crisis situation she at first hadn't been able to find any of them except Tenchi--and when she did finally track the others down, they were having a party!

Kiyone thought she understood that attitude a little better now. Being grim and pessimistic about problems only made you...grim and pessimistic. Even if you solved the problem, you ended up feeling no real joy in the aftermath. But if you kept a good attitude and allowed yourself some fun in the meantime, the problem certainly didn't get any worse; and when you did solve it, you also had the benefit of having enjoyed yourself a little along the way.

"Okay, so let's have a pizza party," Kiyone said. "Why not?"

"That's right, Kiyone," Tris agreed. "Why not?"

"Yay!" said Mihoshi, sealing the deal.

"Hey, Tenchi," Ryoko called in the direction of the kitchen. "Did you hear about the party?"

"Sure did," Tenchi called back. "Sounds great! Let's do it!"

"See what you started, ding-dong?" Kiyone asked Mihoshi

"Uh-huh," said Mihoshi. "It'll be fun!"

"Sure it will," Sasami declared. "Tris, will you help me go get what we need tomorrow?"

"Will do."

"Well, that's settled," Ryoko said with satisfaction. She rose. "Let's go look at that old cooking show...maybe the guy will do a pizza recipe."

"He just might, at that." Ayeka smiled.

They departed for the living room. Tenchi soon joined them. The cooking show featured lasagna instead of pizza, but no matter. They were all feeling more optimistic now and even looking forward, a little, to that pizza party. It was a shame that it would be prove to be so rudely cancelled.