Tenchi Muyo and its characters are property of Pioneer although any original characters are property of the Author. This fic was made for fun and in no way am I making money out of it.

What Tomorrow Might Bring

Part 4

Everyone, but most importantly Aeka and Sasami, felt as if their hearts would stop after hearing this terrible news.

Aeka: No, it can't be true!

Azusa: I wish it wasn't…

Aeka: How did it happen?!

Azusa: From the information that I have been able to gather, it seems that Yosho, along with his tree ship Funaho, were captured. This happened after a long battle at his shrine, and then they were sent off to a research base. There they treated them like guinea pigs in attempts to find ways to kill Juraians.

Aeka: What type of experiments?

Azusa: I have not being able to find out much about them, only that they were fatal. As for your mothers, their ship was attacked and destroyed when they were returning from a diplomatic mission.

Sasami, not being able to bear it any longer, started to cry. Aeka went to her to comfort her, but she too started to cry. Everyone gave the sisters time to cry for a while, until they seemed to be a little calmer.

Tenchi: Aeka, Sasami, I know how you feel, but we have got to be strong and finish this before anyone else suffers.

Aeka: You're right, Lord Tenchi.

Sasami: Yes, Tenchi.

Lord Azusa did not like hearing the title Aeka had called Tenchi, but said nothing about it. Knowing that this was not just a leisurely visit, Azusa decided to ask them the question that was on his mind.

Azusa: What is the reason for your being here? You should be going back to the past, and perhaps preventing this war from beginning!

Aeka: That was our original plan, but something kept us from doing so.

Azusa: Such as?

Aeka: We found out that the Earth forces are planning to attack Ryuten.

Azusa: Is that all? If it is, then there is nothing to worry about, we have increased our defenses around that sector. It will be impossible for them to do any harm.

Aeka: That might be true in normal circumstances, but they have the master key!

Azusa: WHAT? How were they able to obtain it?

Aeka: Lord Tenchi had to exchange it for Ryoko's life, Father, so he had no choice in giving it to them.

Lord Azusa did not speak, but his expression on his face showed that he was not pleased. He then turned his attention to Tenchi.

Azusa: Foolish boy! Do you know what you have done!? You should have not given up the sword to that space pirate!

Everyone was surprised at what had just been said, most of all Washu, who was now furious that the king wanted her daughter to have died.

Sasami: FATHER!

Aeka: Sasami, please watch your tone. Father, it had to be done. Lord Tenchi would never let anyone of us get hurt if he had a way of preventing it.

Azusa: That might very well be the case, but that decision has put the lives of many people at risk just for the sake of one person.

Aeka: If you were in Lord Tenchi's place, would you have not given the sword up, if it had been me or Sasami instead?

A brief moment passed as the king thought.

Azusa: No, you are right, I would have done the same thing…. but this still leaves the matter of many Juraians' lives being put on risk.

Aeka: That is why we are here. If peace talks were to be opened, more bloodshed would not be needed on either side.

Azusa: This would have been true in the beginning, but like I already mentioned, it is far too late for that. The Terrans have committed too many crimes against the Juraian Empire to let them go unpunished. They have killed many Juraian citizens and destroyed the GP headquarters- and those are the only the major charges against them.

Aeka: Father, I know you are upset about our the deaths of…..

Azusa: ENOUGH! I can not waste time talking about this anymore! I must make preparations to have the area around Ryuten heavily guarded. If it were to fall, Jurai would soon follow, due to not having any more ships being produced to defend it.

Aeka: Father, please listen!

Azusa: The best thing for you to do now is to get the master key back and then go back to your time. That way you can change the past, and this will never have happened. You have my permission to go to Ryuten, since I have no doubt that the person who has it will show up there eventually. I'll inform the Juraian forces there that you'll join them, so that you will have no trouble.

Aeka, seeing that there was no way of convincing her father, said no more and left with the others, back to the Yagami. Ryoko said nothing, since she sensed that it did not go well. Taking off from the surface, they discussed the issue.

Aeka: Maybe I should have tried harder to convince him….

Tenchi: You tried all you could to change his mind.

Aeka: Maybe, but I still feel I could have tried harder.

Tenchi: It is done with, so let us not dwell in it any more and do what King Azusa suggested.

Aeka: You are right, as always, Lord Tenchi.

Ryoko: So we now have to go to Ryuten and get the master key by force if needed, right?

Tenchi: It seems that way, but let's not get carried away in doing so. We do not need to cause more violence then there already is.

Ryoko: Whatever you say is OK with me, Tenchi.

Kiyone: Let's go, then, so that we can get the sword back and go home.

Ryoko: Right, and we'll also get to settle the score with John at the same time!

Kiyone: You are forgetting that we will have trouble getting to him, since he will be coming with help.

Ryoko: No, I have not. Me and Ryo-Ohki will deal with them if they get in our way. Isn't that right, Ryo-Ohki?

The small cabbit meows in response after having reunited with Sasami.

Tenchi: OK, now that is all settled, let's get going.

Kiyone nods and sets the Yagami's navigational controls to head in the direction that Ryuten was located. During the trip there, Washu suddenly got a bad feeling that she could not shake off. She thought that it might be about how John knew about them, even though they had never met him before. She could only hope that it was something that they could handle. Looking at Sasami, Washu could tell that she too was worried about something, which most likely was the same thing that she was worried about. When they reached Ryuten, the number of ships that they saw surprised them. They varied in size and shape, but all were capable of defending the planet.

Mihoshi: Wow! I have never seen that many ships in one place before!

Sasami: Me neither!

Aeka: It seems Father is not going to take any chances with the Earth forces getting through.

Tenchi: That is true, which makes it more important that we get the sword and leave immediately afterwards.

Ryoko: Don't worry Tenchi, we will.

Tenchi: I have no doubt in that…. is just that I feel something bad will happen….

Ryoko: I am sure it is nothing we couldn't handle. Whatever happens, we will face it and we will pull through. We always have.

Aeka: I hate to agree with her, Lord Tenchi, but Ryoko is right.

Washu: Let's be careful though, just in case.

Everyone nods in agreement.

Ryoko: …So now that we are here, what now?

Kiyone: We wait. It's all we can do for now.

Ryoko: Oh, great. I just hope it is not a long wait….

Some time passed, and just as everyone thought nothing was going to happen, several ships suddenly appeared. The Juraian ships opened fire on the intruders, who returned fire at them. As this was going on, the attention of everyone in the Yagami was on a ship that looked like the one that had attacked Mihoshi.

Kiyone: That must be John's ship! It seems to be breaking through the ships and is going to the planet below!

Tenchi: Then let's follow it.

The Yagami tried to follow, but it got delayed when other ships prevented them from doing so until they had moved out of the way. The Yagami didn't manage to catch up to the ship until it had landed on the planet's surface.

Tenchi: I do not think anyone is in the ship. He must have gone into the facility, so let's follow.

Once inside the facility where the Juraian ships are made, they followed the path of destruction until they came to a wide room. In this room, John was waiting.

Tenchi: Stop right there! We will not let you continue this any longer! Your days of causing destruction are over!

John's reaction to Tenchi's comment surprised them- he was laughing.

Ryoko: …And what the hell is so funny!?

John: You guys. You think that I am just another megalomaniac out to destroy the whole universe. Just like the ones you see in a cartoon or movie. But let me assure you that that is not what I am after. In reality, my goal is to end this war.

Tenchi: It does not appear that way to me. It seems like you just want to cause more pain and death!

John: It was not me that has caused pain and death.

Tenchi: Then who would you say is responsible?!

John: The one and only Juraian empire.

Everyone: WHAT?!

John: Yes, the Juraian Empire fired the first shot, killing the many people that lived and worked there.

Tenchi: Including your parents, which is why you are doing this- for revenge!

John: I admit that was my original goal, as it would be for anyone who would have been in my place, but it has become more than that now. My goal now is to end this war so no one else has to suffer.

Tenchi: If that is true, then the way you are trying to accomplish it is wrong!

John: Right or wrong, it's all in the perspective. The Juraians will not allow peace to happen, since they believe that the Earth is theirs to rule over, and, due to the power they possess, they see themselves being higher than any other race in the universe.

Aeka: That is not true!

John: Not true? Then I guess they mean something else when they call a species who is not as advanced as them barbarians.

Aeka becomes silent after hearing this.

John: Besides, we have tried to do this peacefully, but Juraian is not willing to hear what we have to say. The only way this can be resolved now is through action, even if those actions are questionable in the eyes of others. There are two ways this war can end now, one side surrenders, or one side is destroyed. I do not see the first happening. And besides, the biggest bigot Juraian has would have it no other way. I am, of course, talking about that bastard of a king, King Azusa.

This made Aeka so mad she launched herself at John.

Tenchi: AEKA!

Just as Aeka seemed about to strike John, she was stopped in mid-air by an unseen force field.

John: Woah …déjà vu…

Aeka: What in the..?

John: You asked me how I knew all about you, and now it seems you have your answer.

John responded to Aeka with a new tone in his voice that was familiar to them. It was arrogant, but supported by self-confidence, which they quickly recognized. The voice that was coming out of John's mouth was that of someone they thought they would never hear from again. Tenchi confirmed it by saying his name.

Tenchi: Kagato….