Ch 7 No Need For A Kidnapping
As Zack predicted, hours passed by. Days worth of hours. The Yagami and Zenith floated about space for a day or so. Glowing light could be seen in cracks of the Yagami's exterior as they were being sealed from within. Zack busied himself trying to repair the Zenith's reactors himself. It was until the beginning of the second day they were adrift in space that Washu came over to his ship via the dimensional door.
"Hm, not bad, kid. It's a bang up job, but not to shabby." Washu said as she inspected the damaged reactors of the Zenith. Tenchi was looking about the ship, enthralled by the differences it had with the Yagami or for that fact, any other ship he had been on. The interiors of the Zenith were much more angular and not so bright in fashion, but darker colored. Lights glowed all over the corridors and hall ways of the ship, giving it a different type of atmosphere then the Yagami. Small gems glowed all sorts of colors, pending on the door they were attached too. They seemed to act as locks, sealing up parts of the ship.
"I tried my hand at it and got a bit of it fixed. I can move again, but there are a lot of parts that need to be replaced." Zack said in defeat. Washu climbed into one of the cylinders that housed the reactors. After a moments time small parts began to be thrown out the small hatch she climbed in through. She peaked her head back out.
"Oh yeah, theres a lot of stuff here that needs to be changed it seems. The Yagami is the same way. We have to find a planet or something near by to do repairs. Kiyone is working on our current position, and the nearest planets we could stop at." the scientist said. A beeping noise came up from Washu's wrist. Her wrist band displayed an image of Kiyone.
"You should come back, Washu. I've found out where we are." Kiyone said. The image fizzled out.
"Well back to the Yagami." Washu said jumping of the reactor cylinder. She walked back to her dimensional door and opened it. Zack followed her through it. He was taken back when he realized he was on the Yagami.
"H-how did you do that?" Zack said. "Know what, never mind. It seems like your capable of anything..."
"Isn't it the truth" Washu said smiling maniacally. They proceeded to the bridge of the Yagami, where Kiyone was sitting. Ryoko and Ayeka were there also.
"Er wheres Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked noticing he wasnt there.
"Oops, err, I guess I left him on the ship...sorry" Zack said realizing his blunder.
"Oh my, How could you leave Lord Tenchi on that dreadful ship." Ayeka asked in worry.
"Its not dreadful.." Zack replied with a small bit of annoyance in each word.
"So where we at?" questioned a scientist.
"We're in the middle of no where, to be frank. Closest system is the Cistin System. I think I heard things about that area, but I cant remember what. I know that its located somewhere along the edge of the division between the Jurai and Dracadia Empires." Kiyone stated. "Yet neither one lays claim to it."
"Its because its Pirate Paradise" Ryoko said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Zack inquired.
"The system is a pirate haven. The planet that's virtually in charge of it is a large planet called Balboas. It's swarming with pirates, thieves, murders, gangs. The whole lot. I remember hearing about that place before being sealed away by Yosho. Its pretty much the run down part of the Galaxy. No one wants part of that place." Ryoko explained. " Its pretty bad, that Jurai ignores it like death, and the GP stay as far away as possible. Only the bravest bounty hunters dare go in there. A lot don't come back. The planet itself is run by a few syndicates that are waring with each other over control. Or they were atleast. I don't know the situation now, but it would be the best place to get repairs, since you can virtually get anything from weapons to lives there."
"Isnt there a better choice?" Zack asked again.
"Not really. Its best to go there since we wont worry about Juraians or GP following us." Ryoko said.
"It certainly does sound like your kind of trash hole, now doesnt it, Ryoko?" Ayeka commented maliciously. "You may want to go there, but Im sure theres a better and safer place."
"Oh Im sure you would love it there too. You see they got a thing for Juraian Royalty there. You will just fit right in." an angered Ryoko replied.
"As reluctant as Im to say this, she does have a point, Ayeka. It will be harder to track us and we may learn something about what were up against if we do happen to go there." Kiyone said.
"Nya nya, See." Ryoko said to Ayeka. She gave a 'hmph'.
"We just have to keep our eyes peeled and on our toes at all times when going there, so we don't get conned or what not." Washu said.
"Uh, one question. If they don't like the GP, then what about the Yagami. It's a police cruiser, isn't it?" "Hm, guess we will have to remove the tags and license before going there, and say the ship is a hijacked one." Washu said grinning with anticipation. "And I know exactly how we could do that. I invented something for just this."
"Oh no, not my precious Yagami." Kiyone muttered as she slumped back in her chair.
Soon enough, the Zenith and Yagami were making their way towards Balboas. Both ships tried to look as stable as possible, making them less of a target from pirates as they approached the system. A few hours passed by before they actually saw the star system. It was rather small. Only 4 planets and a small dwarf star.
"The planet second closest from the dwarf is Balboas. The big black looking one." Ryoko said pointing it out. Within time, they were within sight of the planet. Debris and ruined ships were littered about the region. They were GP and Juraian in origin, along with a few indistinguishable ships. It was like a sign for the Galaxy Police and Jurai to stay away. They passed through the debris field. Ships darted about, to and from the planet, as the Yagami passed through the dense black atmosphere of the planet. The cloud cover covered the view ports and nothing was visible. Thunder roared inside the cloud cover, causing brilliant neon blue flashes every now and then.
Soon enough, the Zenith and Yagami broke through the cloud cover and continued their descent. The place had the look and feel of piracy, as the darkness seemed to reign supreme over the cities below. Bright street lamps and building signs seemed to illuminate a vast majority of this always dark planet. It shimmered in a golden glow of light, to sum it up in simpler terms.
It was not to hard to find a suitable dock for the Yagami and Zenith. It looked run down, but Washu said it had all the necessary machines to do repairs, and it was considered to be cheaper then its competitors, though Kiyone took note that the dock fees were outragous.
"Now thats much better for you Ayeka. Makes you look good. I must say though, that tank top does look awfully baggy for you." Ryoko mocked as she looked at Ayeka's new outfit. Being from Jurai, it was suggested that Ayeka not walk around in her usual attire as she was easier prey. For Kiyone and Ryoko, it didnt matter to much because their clothes were more street apparel and would blend in better then Ayeka would. She was forced to borrow some clothing from Ryoko as a result, since Kiyone's clothing didnt fit right and was somewhat limited. Ayeka wore what was like a black tank top covered up by a red mini jackat. She wore shorts and knee high black boots that matched along with the get up.
"Oh shut up, Ryoko. I swear, as soon as we get off this god forsaken rock, Im going to bath myself for hours to get off the smell. I mean look at me! I look like a tramp!" Ayeka said in disgust.
"Eh? What smell, you pompous princess?" Ryoko bit back with anger.
"Now now girls, Tenchi said trying to calm the two, but he apparently never learned that such words were futile to the two alien girls. Washu stepped in to end the dispute.
"Will you two put a sock in it, for once. We still need to get some parts so we can repair the reactors of the Zenith and some of the computer systems on the Yagami. Kiyone, you should go with Ryoko and Ayeka to get the parts I need. While your at it, go see if you can pick up any information on who were up against" Washu said as she gave Kiyone a list of supplies and a small black sphere. "You girls stick together now, we don't want any kidnapings now, do we?"
Ryoko, Kiyone, and Ayeka walked off into the darkness of the city. Washu went back to the dock and looked up at the sky. "Boy, cant really tell day from night here, can you. Hmm.."
The sky rumbled above and a neon blue streak of light moved across it.
"Hey a night club. How bout stopping here first" Ryoko said with a smile, obviously having alcohol on mind. Ayeka also knew what Ryoko wanted.
"Good heavens, cant you go more then 24 hours without getting liquored up?" Ayeka said.
"Your obnoxious, you know that. Besides, we can get some good info here." Ryoko said proceeding through the bar's double doors.
"I am not obnoxious." Ayeka yelled as she stormed off following Ryoko. Kiyone sighed and follow the two inside. It was musky as the smell of smoke filtered through the air. As one would expect it to be quiet in a melancholy way, it wasnt. It was loud, as exotic music roared in the background. It was generally dark however, as a blue tint from neon lighting encircled the place. Ryoko sat at a stool at the bar. Ayeka and Kiyone sat next to her. A 'tv' monitor was blaring in the background. It was on a news network, as ironic as that was. Kiyone thought about it.
(Maybe they get a kick from seeing their wanted faces on the news...) She thought to herself. The barkeep served Ryoko some alcoholic beverage. Kiyone got herself bottle of some brand name beer, and took a sip. Tasted foul at first, but was slightly addicting in some sense. She made a mental note not to drink to much, for she predicted that Ayeka and Ryoko would get into a drinking contest and be drunk off their seats for the rest of the evening. It wasn't long till things turned out just that way. Ayeka and Ryoko drank away cheerfully without a care in the world.
"Excuse me, Barkeep. I've got a few questions. You know anything about this war between the Dracadians and Juraians?" Kiyone questioned as the barkeep stooped down to hear her. He was probably an out of place fellow, when Kiyone really saw him. He was old, maybe 65, with big bushy white eyebrows and mustache. He was very slim as his cheek bones seemed to almost poke through the skin. Bald as well, other then the mustache and eyebrows. He had small soft grey eyes and wore a red velvet like dress pants and vest, with a crisp white dress shirt underneath and a small tie. Kiyone felt this was a person that could probably be trusted for information, and was not someone to take easy either.
"What kind of information are you looking for, ma'am. Here on this planet, anything can be bought for a price. Information is no exception." The barkeep said in a low voice, while cleaning a glass mug with a hand towel.
"Whats the odds of the Juraians winning, or have anything began yet? The fighting that is? I've heard that they issued a War decree, but havent heard of anything since." Kiyone replied, pulling out 100 Jurai and handing it to the barkeep. He pocketed it.
"Nothing much has happened, if anything. Its eerie, if you think of it. The Dracadian fleet has already pulled up to the division but is actually hesitant to attack, since they are not greeted by the Juraian fleet. Really out of the ordinary. I've also heard rumors that the Dracadian fleet is short 2 of its fleets. They say that two of its fleets moved to investigate a possible pre-emptive strike that Juraian's were making, and didnt come back." the barkeep informed Kiyone.
"Hm, have you heard anything about Jurai itself and its government's status?" Kiyone asked.
"Ahem." the barkeep said motioning with his hand. Kiyone gritted her teeth and pulled out 100 more Jurai and handed it to him.
"I've heard theres been some kind of coup at the top, with the top military officials trying to over throw the control of the Royal family." said the barkeep. He got real close to Kiyone. She leaned over to hear him better. "I've also heard, from a now dead pirate, that the Juraian military is after something precious to the Dracadians. I cant really think of anything the Dracadians have that is real precious, though, so it may just be a rumor."
"Thanks," Kiyone said.
"You seem like a nice girl," the barkeep said. "Ill let you in some information that may pertain to your safety. Get out while you still can. This planet's syndicates are out of control and are raging a war. Of coarse, most don't think twice about it, but I can tell your not from around here. So its important you leave when you can."
He glanced around and resumed cleaning like nothing ever happened. Kiyone gave a weird expression but he didnt seem to notice. She went back to sipping at her drink. The news continued to drone on.
"...In recent news, a funeral service for the princesses of Jurai will be held within a week. The bodies of both Ayeka Jurai and Sasami Jurai were found earlier this week in the the ruined Juraian ship, Cestal, which was found on the colony planet of 0315, or Earth by local officials," the news reporter stated. A cheer rose of from a near by crowd of pirates. They murmured obscenities about Ayeka and Sasami amongst themselves. "Both were killed by an collaborative attack from a Dracadian Assassin and two Galaxy Police Officers. The pilot of the unknown dracadian ship which assisted in the assassination of the two royal princesses is still to be determined, but Mihoshi Kiramitsu and Kiyone Makibi are the two ex- Galaxy Police officers sought after by Juraian military. A bounty of 150 million Jurai is on their heads as of this report for information or the capture of these two felons." Pictures and diagrams of the Yagami came up, followed by pictures of Mihoshi and Kiyone. Kiyone began to feel uneasy, and felt it was time to leave.
"Wow Ayeka, that sure does look like you. They say camera'sh add 10 or 15 pounds, but it looksh just like you hic. Nice an' plump" Ryoko teased.
"Ill have you know that I am not plump. Im well toned and have thish gorgeous smooth skin, unlike your sagging, old, rough skin, you crone" Ayeka retorted.
"What'd chu say, wench?" Ryoko said getting in a drunken rage.
"My my, what are fine ladies like you three doing in a place like this." A tall scruffy, but well built pirate said, with a few others standing behind him.
"What'sh it to you?" Ryoko said spinning around in her bar seat.
The tall pirate leaned down real close to Ryoko. The other pirates circled around close to Ayeka and Kiyone.
"Well, a sweet thing like you is worth a lot to some people it seems? Im no bounty hunter, but I don't regret turning in other killers for my own gain." The tall one said with a smile.
A skinny pirate stroked Kiyone's hair. "Besides, before we turn you 3 ladies in, we could have some real fun."
Ryoko was filling with anger, along with the other two girls and was about to horribly maim the tall pirate before hearing a click over her head. The tall pirate was now looking down the barrel of some sort of weapon. Behind it, the barkeep held it steady.
"Take your trash and get out of my bar. I wont have any fighting or detainment in my bar." the barkeep threatened. The scruffy tall pirate stood upright. He towered over the barkeep but it didnt seem to even make the worlds of a difference to him.
"And what if I don't." he said in defiance.
"You'll be leaving here in a plastic bag." the barkeep replied, not giving an inch of ground to the pirate.
"You don't know who your messin' with, old man!" said the skinny pirate that was touching Kiyone a moment before. He drew back and pulled out a pistol, but took his attention off Kiyone who promptly got up and knocked him down with a hard jab the stomach, followed by a kick to the face. He doubled over into a pile on the ground, unconscious. Ryoko followed suit and took out the tall scruffy pirate in a second. He tried to stab at her with a concealed knife, but she grabbed and broke the blade with her bare hands. They checked over to see if Ayeka was alright, but she had already taken care of her business with the last remaining pirate. The tall scrawny pirate crawled across the floor and got up. He ran out the door, saying something like he would get them for this.
"Thanks again" Kiyone said to the barkeep.
"You girls can certainly handle your own. Him and his cronies are just low level syndicate trash on this planet. Though my advice is still the same. Now even more urgent with a bounty on you. You should definitely take the princess away from here. There are a lot of unscrupulous people that don't like Jurai royalty around here. The syndicates for starters." said the barkeep putting away his rifle. He picked up his rag and mug and began cleaning it again.
"How'd you know?" Kiyone asked. The barkeep just smiled at her. There was definitely much more to the barkeep then meet the eye, Kiyone thought. They gave their thanks, payed the tab and left. Ryoko and Ayeka had sobered up pretty quick, though both were still 'giggly' from the drinks. They made their rounds and came back to the Yagami.
"Welcome back girls. Did you girls get everything?" Washu said greeting them "Urk, have you been drinking again, Ryoko?"
Ryoko didnt answer, but passed by boarding the Yagami. Ayeka tried to look some what dignified again, but it was apparent that at least she had one drink to many.
"Ill take that as a yes...Anyways, did you get everything?" Washu asked again.
"No, we asked around for some of the parts, but we will have to come back tomarrow morning for them. Some of these places arent open 24 hours exactly." Kiyone said handing Washu a small black sphere. Washu had given her it before leaving so she would have some place to store all the needed materials. It was a device that could store nearly an infinite amount of materials, no matter the mass. Washu tossed it up in the air and caught it again. "Excellent. So we will continue with repairs then tomarrow and maybe we can leave after tomarrow. We best hurry now. Its near dinner time, I think. Cant really tell on this planet other then by watch. Which isnt reliable since the clouds of there create a soft EMP every few hours. Just enough to throw off minor electronics." Kiyone followed close as they boarded the red GP cruiser. More lightning and thunder roared in the clouds again, briefly illuminating the dark corners of the dock. A figure drabbed in a black suit could be seen. The shadows returned and fled yet again from another flash of light, but the figure was not there the second time.
The usual 'evening' routine progressed, to some degree. Ayeka and Ryoko fought over trivial things at the dinner table, Sasami cleaned dishes, Mihoshi slept and Ryoko flipped through channals. Kiyone, Tenchi, Washu, and Zack sat at the emptied dinner table listening to what Kiyone learned.
"Hmm. Thats interesting news to hear." Washu said after hearing all the days events. "So they set up the deaths of Ayeka and Sasami. That would definitely further fuel the war effort. Make things much easier. Though Im sure they are searching frantically for those two as of this moment."
"So what are we going to do then?" Zack asked.
"Well we should leave as soon as possible. That bar keep is right, I think." Tenchi said. "I don't like the feel of this place."
"Me neither, but we cant leave till we have all the repairs done. Tomarrow we will get the last of the needed parts and finish the repairs over night or day or whatever." Washu said.
"Zack, what do you think that bar keep meant by something precious to the Dracadians?" Kiyone asked.
"I don't know, really. I mean theres a lot of things that can be seen precious to us. Our phantom and jump technology is something that could be cause us destruction if Jurai were ever able to learn how it works completely. I mean, Im sure they've tried to replicate it in some degree, but it doesn't seem to work for them." Zack explained. " I really don't know. Could be technology, resources, or what ever. Though we do lack resources...so it cant be something we mine or harvest for that matter."
"Hm, well no matter. The sooner we get to Jurai and fix this calamity, the better." Washu said getting up from the table. "Im going to get some shut eye. Need to be up bright and early to finish repairs."
Washu walked off, and Kiyone and Tenchi also agreed to do likewise.
"Im going to go back to the Zenith." Zack said walking back to the dimensional door. Was a faster way to get back to the Zenith without going outside. When he got back to the Zenith, a troubled look crossed his face. He went to the bridge to see if anything was wrong there, but of coarse there wasnt anything wrong. (They are after it, I have a gut feeling on this one...) He thought to himself. (Not much I can do though at the moment. If I try any contact, it may be intercepted...). He walked back to his quarters on the Zenith and went to sleep.
The next morning came, sort of. It was still bleak outside. Light did not penetrate the cloud cover it seemed. Kiyone was already off with Ayeka and Ryoko to get the supplies. Washu and Sasami saw the off with Tenchi.
"Tenchi, lets go somewhere when I get back." Ryoko asked in her usual demeanor. Ayeka was hung over and really didnt feel like giving any objections to Ryoko's usual behavior.
"Im going to go now too, and pick up some of the other supplies." Tenchi said, also leaving.
"Be careful, Tenchi. Keep your eyes open." Washu warned him.
"Hurry back soon." Sasami waved them good bye. "Come on Ryo-Oh-Ki. Lets go look around a bit. Gak!"
Washu had grabbed her by the back of her collar as she was about to walk off. "Now you wait just a sec. You should go wait inside the Yagami. This isnt a place that you should be wondering about."
"Aw, it will only be around the hanger." Sasami pleaded. "I've been on the ship for a while now. And Im not a little girl any more."
"Nuh-uh. Back to the Yagami." Washu said, adamant about her decision.
Zack came down on a lift, wearing some dirtied overalls and a smudged up grey shirt.
"What are you two up to already?" Zack asked.
"Sasami, its dangerous out here." Washu said. She was getting to lose her temper on the issue. Even though she is usually nice with Sasami, sometimes she needed to be assertive for Sasami's better good.
"Oh fine." Sasami said and went back up the platform elevator to the Yagami.
"What was that?" Zack asked.
"She wanted to explore the dock. I told her no because its dangerous around here. I don't want anything to happen." Washu said. She pulled out a hammer that had 'Genius Hammer' carved into it. "Ready?"
Sasami watched Washu and Zack from a port view until they boarded the Zenith. "Come on Ryo-Oh-Ki, now's our chance."
"Meow mreow!" Ryo-Oh-Ki protested. "Mreow meoww"
"Oh come on" Sasami said smiling. She went down to the hanger elevator platform and took it back down. "Im only going to go take a look around the hanger for a few minutes. Nothing bad could happen."
On the Zenith, Washu was working on the reactor cylinders again with Zack.
"Im really surprised you can even find some of this stuff here. I mean, its hard to get ahold of some of the materials on this ship even if you were a fleet mechanic." Zack said as he was loosening a bolt on a small panel. Wires spilled out when he removed the panel.
"Yeps. Everything and Anything can be bought at places like these." Washu said. Her stomach growled with hunger. "Oh, heh heh. I didnt eat breakfast again. Its becoming a bad habit it seems."
"Then lets go grab something to eat." Zack said. He got out of the reactor cylinder and Washu did likewise. They talked while walking back to the Yagami.
"Interesting bracelets. I never knew you were into womens jewelry." Washu teased noticing the duel bracelets on both his arms. "Kind of industrial in design, don't you think?"
"Oh these, err yeah. Supposed to be for medicinal purposes. Ya'know relieve stress and all." Zack said quickly.
"If you need stress relievers, you could have just asked me. In fact, I've got a new type that I need someone to try out. Was going to have Tenchi take a few, but he tends to stay away from my lab..." Washu said in disappointment.
"Err, N-no thanks. I think Ill just stick with these for now." Zack said, turning down her offer.
They were walking across a catwalk in between the Yagami when a scream echoed through the hanger.
"What was that?" Zack said becoming alert.
"It sounded like Sasami. We have to hurry." Washu said sprinting off down the catwalk. She climbed down a ladder to a lower cat walk and ran around a small corner which allowed her to see the whole dock. There was a piece of rolled up paper on one of the lower catwalks. Washu quickly climbed down a few more ladders and raced towards it and unrolled it.
'Meet at the Renevire at 7 pm.'
A peice of blue hair was stuck to the paper. It was Sasami's. Zack caught up.
"W-What is it?" Zack said. Washu was on her knees, tears in her eyes. She handed the letter to Zack. "Oh no... We've got to get the others here back on the double."
"I should have just let her come with us, so she would have been somewhat satisfied and we could keep on eye on her."
"Come on, we don't have time."
"Y-your right." Washu said, getting up. She summoned her holo computer. It beeped a few times before some screens came up with the face of each member of Tenchi's entourage. "Everyone get back to the Dock, now. Something has happened."
She closed the communication and wiped her eyes clean. She took the note in hand and smashed it with her fingers.