Previously in Apex AZ:
Sasami and Tsunami partially merged, both now possessing Sasami's body. The fusion was made all the more effective by Tsunami's appearance being pretty much exactly an older version of Sasami. That is, after all, why Tenchi created her like that. Tenchi proposed to Ryoko and Ayeka, who both accepted; the happy news soon gave way to the more sinister problem of the Borg. A meeting was held, during which all decisions about the galactic defence were left to Tenchi. Tenchi then left with the two bombs and a sensor beacon, while the others remained behind to await his return. Although why the sensor beacon still exists after Tenchi's evolution when, apparently, his nanoprobes were destroyed in a previous evolution (you know, the same reason as why he had to be healed by the Doctor after his last fight with Sel), is anyone's guess. Just something to think about.
Apex AZ, Part IV – Waiting for God
Blackness was there. It was all around them. In the extreme distance, brightly shining stars continued their fusion processes, converting hydrogen and helium into heavier elements. Closer by, another star, a white dwarf star, a brilliant white ball about a hundred miles across, that was burning the heavier elements already there inside it into even heavier ones. It was nearing the end of its life as a star.
Many millions of miles away, all in safe orbits around this star, were about a thousand space ships, all in minimal activity mode. From the small one-person Striker-class ships, to the huge Behemoth-class cruisers, they were all there, waiting. Waiting, because in about a week, the end would come, in the form of a five-mile-edged cubical ship controlled by a superior species known as the Borg.
/------------------------------/
"Breakfast!" Sasami's cheery calls echoed through the house. "The choice this morning is between fruit omelettes and fried sausages and eggs, with little tomato halves and a sprig of rosemary and/or fried mushrooms. Limited supply only; get them before they're gone!"
Everyone in the Masaki house flocked towards the kitchen. It was raining heavily outside, so Ayeka couldn't go outside, which is where she would have been, standing next to the lake and wishing for some sign that her former ship Ryu-Oh was alive and well, perhaps even ready to help fight in the upcoming battle. However, she made do with standing under the ledge outside the windows, gazing at the mist-covered water.
Mihoshi reached the kitchen first, and took an omelette and some mushrooms. As she sat down to eat, the others came in and chose their breakfasts.
"Good morning!" Sasami said brightly to those she hadn't seen today yet.
"Morning," Aki replied. Since Tenchi was away, Aki had been sleeping in Tenchi's room on a makeshift bed. Obviously he wasn't going to sleep in Tenchi's bed. It was just something he didn't do.
"Yeah, hi," Ryoko said, pouring herself a drink.
Sasami's smile quickly disappeared as she realised that everyone was again thinking about Tenchi. "Don't worry, everyone," she said, in another attempt to lift everyone's spirits. "Tenchi will be just fine, you'll see. He'll come home soon and say he's destroyed the Borg..." She said the word.
"But what if Tenchi was captured by the Borg?" Ayeka asked. "What if he was killed? I can't stand to think about it."
"Then don't," Aki said in a bored tone, fully knowing that she would. "Tenchi said the Borg drones are slow, and we've seen them ourselves. They walk. Tenchi would have to be a real idiot to get caught by them, and we all know he isn't."
"I agree with Aki," Mihoshi said. "We can't do anything to change what Tenchi's doing now. We might as well just trust him, and let him get on with whatever he's doing."
"Mihoshi's got a point," Washu said. "We can't do anything by worrying about him, so let's just stop, and we'll worry later."
"But you don't understand," Ayeka said. "Tenchi and I are engaged. We are to be married soon, and I care about him more than anything."
"So do I," Ryoko said, frowning slightly. "But even I agree that worrying like mad won't do anything. I'm just thinking about the battle strategies for later."
"Oh, that's right!" Mihoshi said. "I've got to do that too! I really should think about it."
"You mean you've not thought about the battle plans at all?" Washu asked.
"Well, yes, I have," Mihoshi replied. "But I've not really made any plans as such. I figured I might make it up as I go along."
"You can't do that," Aki said. "The Borg are the most dangerous beings that exist. We need carefully thought out strategies and tactics to beat them."
"That's only if Tenchi doesn't manage to," Mihoshi replied. "And if that big gunship doesn't work. What are the odds? I for one think that we won't have to do any fighting, because Tenchi will have sorted them out for us."
"It never hurts to be too prepared." Ryoko reached for another slice of toast.
And this was when the conversation died out. They finished their breakfast in relative silence.
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A few more days passed, and everyone then decided to go to the Resistance fleet and stay there, in anticipation of the impending Borg invasion. Ayeka, in agreement with her father and the GXP, shared command of the main command ship with the Marshal of the GXP. Ryoko, Mihoshi, Aki and Sasami also stayed on board the ship, until the time would come that they needed to take up their positions on their ships. Mihoshi was in command of a section of the GXP's fighter ships, and Ryoko a section of other ships, all outfitted with modified weapons systems, courtesy of Washu and Tenchi. Sasami, who due to her fusion with Tsunami now controlled the goddess's powerful ship form, was preparing herself mentally for the battle by meditation. Aki, though, wasn't suitable or able to be in command of a section of ships, or indeed one, so he would remain on Ayeka's ship during the battle. Nevertheless, he offered his help constantly, assisting jobs and maintenance checks.
Washu was busy at work on the OB gunship, sorting out the final minor problems, aided by a small group of the best technicians the galaxy had to offer. At the same time, she was still working with her enhanced Tricorder, now installed on the main command ship, constantly scanning for the signal Tenchi's homing beacon was giving off. When she wasn't doing that, the job was entrusted to an officer on board Ayeka's ship.
"Sir!" called the officer. He turned round and faced the Marshall. "I'm reading Lord Tenchi's homing signal again."
"Where?" the Marshall demanded.
"Two days outside the Galactic Border, sir," the officer replied. "As far as we can tell, he's now on the Borg cube."
"That means he's succeeded in destroying the Borg central hub. We have much to thank him for already. And also Lady Washu, for creating that galactic bomb."
Princess Ayeka and Admiral Ryoko walked in, each sipping a hot drink. They now dressed permanently in battle gear. Ryo-Ohki was perched on Ryoko's shoulder, nibbling a carrot Ryoko was holding up for her. The cabbit would need all the energy she had for the upcoming confrontation, unless of course if Tenchi managed to destroy the cube before then.
"Princess Ayeka," the Marshall said, standing up to greet her. "We have just received some very good news."
"So, tell us!" Ryoko demanded.
"Lord Tenchi's homing signal has just been detected on the Borg cube."
"That's great news!" Ayeka said. "Tenchi must have destroyed the base, and is now going after the cube."
"That's what we assumed," the Marshall said. "However, since we cannot contact him, we don't know for sure."
"No" Ayeka shook her head. "Tenchi isn't one to leave anything unfinished."
"She's right," Ryoko agreed. "However, I still think we should keep the fleet on standby, just in case."
"Of course." The Marshall turned to his chair and pressed a few buttons on the armrest.
/------------------------------/
Two days had gone by. Washu's enhanced sensors were still tracking the Borg cube, and there was still no word from Tenchi. The cube had shown no signs of changing course. Everyone at the GXP headquarters were getting very worried, as Tenchi hadn't returned yet. They were starting to fear the worst.
Main command operations had been moved to the lead ship at the head of the Resistance fleet. Ryoko was aboard Ryo-Ohki, giving commands to her section of the fleet. As Ryu-Oh's condition was unknown, Ayeka had chosen to be on the main command centre, the Marshall's ship. Sasami was aboard Tsunami, standing nervously in the goddess. Mihoshi was leading the Third Division fighters. Washu, of course, was busy on the OB gunship, performing final checks to see if it was still working. It was their last hope, if Tenchi had failed in his task.
Everyone was really nervous now. According to the latest reports, the battle was due to start within the next ten minutes. That meant the dying would soon begin.
The Borg cube had disappeared, as the sensors that had been tracking it were long-range, and only worked for outside the galaxy. The short-range sensors were scanning for it, but nothing had been found yet.
Ayeka paced nervously across the control deck of her ship. The entire Royal Family of Jurai waited in their respective treeships, clustered near the main command ship. Beyond those, nearly every ship in the galaxy waited, the occupants of which were waiting nervously for commands and signals that the battle was to begin. Sasami waited too, standing inside Tsunami's ship form, watching everyone else through view screens.
"Sir, a vessel is approaching at the tenth factorial of light."
"Identify," Ayeka demanded.
"Unknown," the officer said. "But the configuration is cubical."
"Comms," the Marshall said. "Send a message to Jurai. We have engaged the Borg."
/------------------------------/
The cube emerged into normal space. It was a big vessel, three times as long as a Titan-class vessel. It appeared to have no hull as such, but was solidly built with a framework of millions of pipes and panels, which weaved their ways across the surface, and no doubt inside as well. There was an eerie green glow to it.
"Captain, the Borg have opened communications with every ship," the comms officer said. "Visual contact enabled."
"On screen," Ayeka said.
At first the image appeared to be of a corridor, sparsely lit by green illumination. A person turned from a console in the background and walked slowly up to the screen through the corridor, glancing around. It was Tenchi.
"Tenchi!" Ayeka exclaimed. "How are you? Did you destroy the..." She stopped short as she realised something was wrong. Tenchi at first appeared to be in his third evolutionary form, as he was when he left, but something wasn't right. His right arm, which was supposed to be organic, was now completely artificial, made out of metal. The hand on the end seemed more claw-like than anything. The covering over his right eye was also different. It now passed over his entire eye, instead of just over the eyebrow like before. Other things were also different.
Tenchi spoke slowly. "I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us."
In the next episode of Apex AZ:
The assimilated Tenchi arrives aboard the command ship, demanding them to escort the Borg to the planet Jurai. As the shocked people try to come to terms that Tenchi has gone, Locutus injects Ayeka with some nanoprobes to assimilate her. The Borg then become strangely silent as an unknown force causes them to start regenerating. There is little time left before the cycle is complete, and no plan is useful here. But then, Tenchi wakes up.
All this and more in the next episode of Apex AZ: "End of Evangelist".