Chapter Eight

Headquarters was quiet without Kiyone.

Mihoshi leant up against the big glass window, letting out a heavy sigh as she stared out across the expanse of space. She had wanted to accompany her friend to Jurai, but she had found herself held back by her Commander and she regretted the fact bitterly. That she couldn't even show her closest friend support as she took her leave bothered her, and ever since the craft had left, she had been worrying about Kiyone and whether or not she'd had a safe trip.

"I suppose they'll be back soon." She murmured aloud. "But she won't be with them. I wonder whether the Commander is right about her needing a holiday. She has had bad dreams, but still...I don't know. It's all so confusing and I really don't understand all this stuff about invisible people and Yagami."

The ship had, she knew, been pulled to the repair bay only that morning, and already investigators had been all over it, searching for some clue as to what force might have damaged the drive room. As far as she knew, their search had been inconclusive. Although Kiyone's prints had been found all over her computer console, there had been no evidence to suggest she had committed the violent attack. And yet they had found no trace of any other, either, and so the suspicion still rested uneasily on the troubled detective's head.

For some reason this bothered Mihoshi more than the rest.

"If she said she didn't do it, well, Kiyone isn't a liar and I believe her." She said firmly. "Which means that someone else must have done it, or it wouldn't have been done. Kiyone said she thought that it was whoever killed the people on the Seniwan ship, but that's strange...we didn't see anyone on that ship. So they must have been invisible, if Kiyone's right. But can people really go invisible? I mean, wouldn't that make them like a ghost or something? Oh, my head hurts - I can't figure this out. I promised that I believed her and I do...but how do you find invisible ghost criminals?"

"Mihoshi, why are you here?"

The commander's voice startled her and she spun around, saluting clumsily as she registered his presence.

"I was thinking about Kiyone." She said honestly. "I miss her, Commander. When is she coming back?"

"When she feels better." The Commander said vaguely. "Mihoshi, I know you and Kiyone are very close and you have a good partnership between you. I'm gratified to discover that when you work with her, you manage - somehow - to produce better results than you ever do on your own. But in this particular situation, she needs time alone to work things out. What you told me about Agent Tennan has upset her nerves more badly than she's let anyone see...she just needs a break from her workload, that's all."

"Seiryo Tennan attacked me, too." Mihoshi said thoughtfully. "With his weird magic from that demon lady person. But I'm not upset, Commander. Tenchi was there to protect me and I'm all right. I don't understand why Kiyone isn't. She's not a coward, after all. She's much braver than me and I don't think she wanted to go away."

"I think we have a lot to talk about, regarding Agent Tennan and his activities before he left the Galaxy Police." The commander said grimly. "But different people react to situations differently. I'm sorry you're worried about her, Mihoshi, and if you think I've been cruel. But I'm worried about her too. She's a damn fine detective and right now she needs support from the organisation to whom she has always given her loyalty. That's why we've done this. Not to hurt her. But to help her."

"But..."

"Mihoshi, Kiyone is a very distressed young woman at present." The commander said softly. "Aside from the things you've mentioned, there is the unsettled issue of Yagami, and the fact she was hearing voices when she was there. These things are not the actions of a normal, rational human being. It's a sign of someone who needs help. You have to realise that...your friend is unwell and we're doing all we can to ensure she gets well."

"Kiyone didn't wreck Yagami, sir." Mihoshi said flatly. "She said she didn't and I believe her."

"Well, I wish I could, but I don't see how I can." The commander sighed. "Not with the evidence we have."

"She said invisible people attacked Yagami and killed the people on the Seniwan ship."

"And you believe that, too?"

"Yes." Mihoshi said defiantly.

"Even though it's clearly illogical?"

"I believe it." Mihoshi folded her arms, glaring at her chief stubbornly. "Because Kiyone doesn't lie to me."

"I'm not suggesting she lied." The commander sighed heavily. "But that she's confused. That's all. What she said doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does." Mihoshi said stubbornly. "We went on that ship and there were dead people and we didn't see anyone kill them so the person who killed them must be invisible."

"Mihoshi..." The commander sighed again. "Never mind. Let it go, please. Kiyone will come back as soon as she's had a few weeks rest. I promise, she hasn't been sent away forever."

"Well, I miss her." Mihoshi pouted. "You could have let me go with her."

"Would that I could let you go and stay with her." The commander muttered. "But unfortunately, protocol disallows it. Besides, I'm sure you have plenty to do."

"Yes, but I can't work without Kiyone. I just can't." Mihoshi frowned. "We're partners. It's just always been that way."

"Commander?" Before the commander could respond, another officer accosted them, saluting sharply as they gazed at the chief with apprehension in her eyes. "Commander, I'm sorry to interrupt but you really need to come quickly."

"Has something happened, Mitsuki?" The commander frowned. "What's wrong? You look unsettled."

"That's an understatement." Mitsuki's gaze flitted briefly to Mihoshi, then, "Sir, we went to Kiyone's office to do as you said - file her outstanding paperwork and make sure the office was secured. But the whole place has been ransacked. It's chaos from top to bottom - boxes pulled from the shelves and stuff tossed all over the place. I never saw such a mess."

"I see." The commander looked grave. "Then I'd better come with you. Has anyone touched the scene?"

"No, sir. Once we saw what had happened, we locked the door and I came to fetch you." Mitsuki shook her head.

"Then you'd better come with me back there. Mihoshi, you too." The commander pursed his lips. "You might be able to tell us if anything is missing from Kiyone's office - although I do have my doubts. Still, it's worth a try."

"Someone's wrecked Kiyone's office?" Mihoshi's eyes became big with alarm. "But...who would do something like that? It's so weird...she's just gone away and now this happens?"

"It's certainly concerning." The commander acknowledged, as they made their way down the hallway towards the wing where Kiyone's office was situated. "Tell me, Officer Mitsuki, what were your impressions of the scene?"

"It looked like someone had just gone to town messing it up." Mitsuki frowned. "Just a total mess, that's all."

"I see." The commander shot Mihoshi an apprehensive look, then, "This office has been security sealed, hasn't it? Since I spoke to Detective Makibi late last night?"

"Yes, sir." Mitsuki nodded her head. "But...do you think she did it? Before she left?"

"She was told not to go back to her office, but she is the only other one with the override code." The commander said heavily. "And she was upset after our conversation. I don't like it, but it is possible."

"Kiyone was with me last night, Commander. Stop saying she did stuff that she didn't do." Mihoshi protested. "She's not even here and she was with me after she spoke to you. I came to talk to her because I was going to miss her and she couldn't have come back down here."

"And you didn't fall asleep at all, during that time?" The Commander asked quietly. Mihoshi frowned, shrugging her shoulders.

"Gee, I don't remember. It's hard to remember when you sleep." She said seriously. "Kiyone did, I know that. But she was there last night and this morning, too. So she couldn't have wrecked her office."

She spread her hands.

"Maybe it's the invisible person again." She suggested. "Maybe they were trying to find something in Kiyone's office or something."

"Invisible...people?" Mitsuki stared at her colleague in bemusement, and the commander let out a heavy sigh.

"We've already been through this, Mihoshi." He said wearily. "Even supposing there was an invisible person, what do you suppose they'd want to find in Kiyone's office? Do you know of anything that she had there that anyone would have wanted to steal?"

"Well, she had half a packet of biscuits in the top desk drawer." Mihoshi creased her brow in concentration. "And some of those chocolate candies from the Earth. And..."

"And you think some creature that killed three people hacked Kiyone's security code to steal her snacks?" Mitsuki snorted. "Mihoshi, what are you talking about now?"

"I don't know what they might be looking for." Mihoshi defended herself. "I'm not an invisible person and I don't know how they think. Maybe they really like chocolate candies. They might, you know. They do taste really good."

"This is getting us nowhere." The commander held up his hands as they reached the door of Kiyone's office, surrounded as it was by three or four other officers. "All right, let's see what the state of this place is. Open it up, please...I want to look."

"Yes, sir." The nearest officer saluted, then did as he was bidden, and Mihoshi peered into the office over her boss's shoulder, letting out an exclamation as she registered the state of devastation that lay before her. As Mitsuki had said, papers and boxes lay all over the floor, torn from shelves in some kind of wild rampage through the office. The computer system had been disconnected and the main monitor had an extensive crack in it that ran from left to right across the screen. Drawers had been pulled from the desk, their contents emptied unceremoniously on top of several criminal files, and writing implements were scattered all over the place, some leaking ink into the cheap office carpet that lay below. As they stepped into the room itself, something else caught Mihoshi's eye and she darted forward, scooping something up from off the ground.

"Mihoshi?" The commander sent her an inquisitive glance, and Mihoshi held it out, anger in her blue eyes.

"Kiyone didn't wreck this office, sir." She said firmly. "Because of this."

"Because of a picture?" The commander frowned, taking it from her and glancing at the cracked glass and dented frame as he carefully set it down on the edge of the desk. "I don't understand. What do you mean, Detective?"

"That picture was taken on Jurai, after Ayeka's wedding." Mihoshi said frankly.

"Princess Ayeka, Mihoshi. Let's not forget who we're speaking of." The commander reproached her. Mihoshi shrugged.

"Well, she doesn't mind if I call her Ayeka." She said carelessly. "But what I mean is, it's a picture taken of all of us together. Of Kiyone and her friends. She really likes this picture and she always keeps it safe...it usually sits on her desk and she gets really cross when I knock it flying off the desk. Sometimes that happens, you see, because I sit on the edge and I don't see where it is and then it goes flying and..."

"Get to the point, Detective."

"Oh. Well. What I mean is that even if she was angry, Kiyone wouldn't stamp all over that picture or let it get messed up. In fact, she'd probably have taken it with her, if she was going back into her office before she left." Mihoshi said quietly, her expression uncharacteristically solemn. "So she can't have done it, because she didn't take it with her and whoever came in here didn't know that this was Kiyone's special picture."

The Commander frowned, hesitating and then scooping the picture up once more, gently brushing the loose chips of glass onto the floor. For a moment he eyed it thoughtfully, then he turned his gaze on Mihoshi, a mixture of surprise and acknowledgement on his face.

"I don't often say this, Mihoshi, but you may be onto something." He said quietly.

"Really?" Mihoshi stared. "Are you sure? I mean, usually my theories don't go anywhere...do you think I might be right this time?"

"You are one of the most unfortunate detectives I know, most of the time." The Commander admitted. "But I will grant you one thing. You do know Kiyone better than anyone else at Headquarters. And so I'm prepared to listen to you as regards this picture. If you say she wouldn't have acted in that way...I'll believe you. She did get agitated when I told her she couldn't go back into her office. Maybe that was why. Maybe she wanted to retrieve some personal belongings before she quit the complex for Jurai."

"Does that mean she can come back?" Mihoshi asked hopefully. "That someone else wrecked her office and Yagami and she's not stressed out after all?"

"No...it's not so simple as that and I'm still not convinced this changes my opinion of Yagami's attack. It doesn't alter the fact that she was in a highly distressed state over Agent Tennan's attack before we spoke the other day, either." The Commander shook her head. "But it does look like...like someone set out to add insult to injury. Whether they were just vandalising this place, or whether they were looking for something specific, it's hard to say. But it's definitely something worth looking into."

He turned, meeting Mitsuki's surprised gaze with a sombre one of his own.

"Officer Mitsuki, I want every inch of this office examined for evidence. Fingerprints, DNA, anything that might give away the true identity of our intruder." He murmured. "If Kiyone didn't do this to her office...I want to know who did. And most of all, I want to know why."

---------------

"I'm sorry that this has taken so long, Washu."

Ayeka cast her companion a sheepish smile, as she slid the pass key into the big wooden lock, running her fingers over the scanner as she did so. "Father updated the security on all restricted archives like this after Sasami did her sleepwalking trick and blew apart half the locks in the vault. Uncle usually keeps the key somewhere at hand, since you can't open the new locks without a specific genetic marker, but this time I suppose he put it down on top of those court review papers and it just got filed by mistake. If Takeru hadn't been going over something for a meeting of his own this morning, I wouldn't have found it at all."

"I suppose even Emperors get absent-minded." Washu's eyes sparkled with amusement. "But I appreciate you giving me access to this part of the library. I know that usually it's off limits to anyone outside the royal bloodline, and I realise that your Uncle and I haven't always seen eye to eye on issues. But I'm hoping that the records I'm searching for might be in your vault. If they're not, they were probably destroyed with my planet or in the chaos before, and that would leave me at something of a loss."

"It seems a long way to come just to go over some old paperwork." Ayeka frowned, leading the way into the dim, dusty chamber as the door swung shut behind them. She pocketed the key, gesturing to the large filing cabinets that ran wall to wall along the back. "But all the data from the colonised worlds is over there, if you're brave enough to go searching. I'm not sure whether all of it ever got fully catalogued. My Grandfather began it, but then events happened with Kain and well, Uncle never got round to doing much with it."

"I suppose there's not much point in doing anything with archives you can't even read." Washu made her way across the chamber to the nearest filing cabinet, running her finger along it's smooth black surface. "You're not kidding either, are you? Ayeka, it doesn't look like this place has been touched since before you or Sasami were born!"

"Probably not." Ayeka looked rueful. "Honestly, Washu, Kihaku isn't really high on anyone's priority list here. It was consigned as a dead colony a long time ago - I read the reports when you wanted to dig out the file, just to make sure we hadn't jettisoned what little information we do have out into space to make room for other stuff. But according to the index this is where it is. Where...that's up to you to find out. But here - somewhere."

"I suppose I'm not in a tearing hurry. Proper research does take time." Washu acknowledged.

"Why do you want this stuff, anyway? If I may ask?" Ayeka leant back against the wall, eying her friend curiously. "I mean, Kihaku as an entity is gone and I would have thought it would only bring back bad memories to you, considering everything. Why the sudden interest?"

"Simple." Washu pulled open the nearest drawer, coughing as her action sent up a thick cloud of dust. "Hey! You could almost use this to ambush people! I'm interested because of Tokimi, that's why. I've given up on scientific remedies where she's concerned, and even though Jurai has some of the finest medical breakthroughs known to living society, none of them have done anything, either. Kihaku is my last resort. I'm hoping Kii magic might help my sister where nothing else has."

"Are you sure that raising Tokimi is a good idea?" Ayeka looked doubtful. "I know you and she were close once, but Washu, a lot of time has passed. Things have happened. Who knows what that magic really did to her brain? She could still be dangerous, you know. You said yourself that Kii magic drove her mad."

"Yes, it did, but I refuse to give up on her." Washu said sadly. "Would you give up, if we were talking about Sasami?"

"I guess not." Ayeka admitted. "All right. I suppose I see your point."

"I need to do this." Washu agreed. "And it's all right, Ayeka. Whatever has happened to Tokimi's mind, I'm sure that her magic was quashed with Kihaku's explosion. You saw how Seiryo Tennan was released from it almost immediately and Ryoko has told me how the Galaxy Police officers were also returned to themselves once the spell was broken."

"But you also said earlier on that you still had traces of your magic inside of you, when you first asked me for the key." Ayeka said quietly. "Doesn't it stand to reason that Tokimi would as well?"

"Not really. She never had any to begin with, whereas I was born with mine." Washu flicked carefully through the sheeted files, making sure that she did not send up another dustcloud as she examined the labels. "Do you suppose there's any order at all in this filing system? Alphabetised, perhaps?"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't like to guess which alphabet." Ayeka grimaced. "I think I'll leave you to it. Happy hunting, Washu...I hope you find what you're looking for. I have to go prepare for Council and Uncle has apparently brought back with him a lot of 'very important' documents. I'd better not be late."

"It's a laugh a minute, being Crown Princess of Jurai, isn't it?" Washu said dryly. Ayeka rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes, yes." She agreed. "Oh well. At least Council Session is better than mediating a dispute between two greedy noblemen. I'll see you later."

She made to leave, then paused.

"Oh, one last thing?"

"Yes, Ayeka?" Washu glanced up from the document she had been squinting at, eying the Princess quizzically. "What is it?"

"You spoke with Kiyone last night. Did she say anything about why she was here on Jurai? She seemed quiet at dinner, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her properly yet."

"Nor have I, honestly." Washu looked thoughtful. "She was very tired when I met her coming across the grounds towards the palace yesterday afternoon, so I let her sleep off her...her flight lag in my room, where it was peaceful. I told her we'd talk, but I got caught up in other things and if you remember, I missed dinner because I was with Tokimi. I didn't eat till much later and by the time I got back to my room and remembered about Kiyone, she had gone. I presumed you'd assigned her her own quarters and she'd gone to bed...why?"

"I don't know." Ayeka pursed her lips. "Just the girl I spoke to last night didn't seem quite...well...right somehow. She seemed...on edge. Angry, too, about something - though she didn't really elaborate on what. She spoke to me all right, when I addressed a comment to her, and she was happy enough to go with Sasami when it came to sorting out where she was going to stay. But there was something...did you notice it, too?"

"She seemed tired and fed up." Washu said simply. "But I wouldn't like to speculate too much. Kiyone would hate it, you know that. It's better to ask her straight - she wouldn't thank us for talking about her behind her back."

"No, I know. I'm just concerned." Ayeka flashed a tired smile at her companion. "All right. I suppose I'll try and make time after my session this morning to speak with her - if Suki and Sasami haven't found something else to occupy her. I did ask Sasami to take care of her, and my sister does believe in doing things thoroughly."

"Sasami and Suki are quite the little playmates now, aren't they?" Washu looked thoughtful, and Ayeka nodded, a flicker of pain crossing her ruby eyes. It was gone in a moment, but Washu had seen it and noted it, eying her friend keenly as she made her reply.

"It's nice for Sasami to have friends of her own at court." The Princess said slowly.

"But you don't like Suki?" Washu asked softly. Ayeka started, then looked guilty.

"It's not that." She admitted. "I just...well, call me overprotective, but I'm not sure how much I like Sasami being involved with the Tennan family. Uncle has forgiven Seiryo, and I haven't seen any indication that he's up to anything, which means I'm being paranoid and worse, prejudiced. But I never did like him, and his animosity towards Takeru is still there, flickering beneath the surface. You can see it, whenever they meet one another face to face. I can't forget how he tried to kill my husband, Washu - and even if he has remorse for his attack on Kiyone, I'm pretty sure that the only remorse he has over Takeru is that he didn't finish the job. That bothers me. With Sasami in as pivotal position as she is, I don't know if I like the association."

"Well, or maybe you're just jealous that she's found someone else to spend time with?" Washu asked glibly. Ayeka stared, and Washu laughed.

"I wouldn't blame you, but Sasami has to make her own inroads and friendships." She continued more gently. "And honestly, Ayeka, if it puts your mind at rest, I've seen nothing in either Suki or Seiryo Tennan that suggests Sasami is in any danger from either of them. I don't pretend Seiryo is perfect and it's quite likely he still harbours a good amount of resentment towards Takeru. Rivalries like that aren't destroyed overnight, as you should know from your own with my daughter. But I don't think he'll put your sister in any danger. Or, for that matter, Lord Takeru. I think he has a good deal too much sense to make the same mistake twice."

"It's a comfort to hear you say that, at least." Ayeka said pensively. "Maybe I am just a little jealous. It's hard to know for sure. But Sasami and I have always been very close - ever since she was a baby. I suppose with the big age gap...it just seemed natural that she'd look up to me and she did - she always has. But..."

"She always will, Ayeka-chan." Washu said quietly. "You have to give her her wings, that's all. Let her fly. She'll come back to you - she loves you. But she won't thank you for interfering in her friendships."

"I know." Ayeka looked rueful. "It's all right. I won't intervene. And now I really must go, before Uncle sends Azaka or Kamidake to find me."

She flashed Washu another tired smile.

"Thank you for trying to put my mind at rest, and I hope the records you seek are indeed somewhere inside this vault." She added.

Then she was gone, and Washu was left alone amid the dust and darkness. She glanced up at the cabinet, pursing her lips as she considered the problem.

"Well, I suppose all I can do is go through things, one at a time, until I find what I'm looking for." She mused aloud. "I just hope that it is here, somewhere...because if I can't find Kii records here, there's nowhere else left to look!"