Chapter Four
So now she knew.
Washu settled herself more comfortably in the deserted forest clearing behind the house, poking idly at her dying fire as she sat back, staring up at the mass of stars that twinkled overhead. The night was beautiful and peaceful, but her thoughts were a million miles from the Earth and it's beautiful scenery. In her mind, she could still hear the last angry words Tokimi had spoken to her when she had refused to leave her studies to become Kihaku's Priestess, and the empty desolation of her world when she had finally braved the surface to see things for herself.
"How long, exactly, was it going to be before you told me who you really were?"
The scientist started at the sound of her daughter's voice, a frown touching her features as the space pirate flickered and blurred into view before her, setting down gracefully on the mossy ground. She lowered her gaze, shaking her head slowly.
"My life has been long. There are many things that never need to be unburied." She said simply. "Have you managed to contact Jurai?"
"Yes. Ryo Ohki sent a message just half an hour ago." Ryoko nodded. "And don't change the subject. I asked you a question...don't answer it with one of your own."
"Like you, Ryoko-chan, I prefer not to delve." Washu looked pensive. "Let history lie...the present is all that matters."
"You don't really believe that." Ryoko's eyes narrowed as she dropped down to the ground, coming to Washu's side. "If you did, you wouldn't be out here, alone under the stars when there's work to be done and a mad woman to be tracked down. It's almost as if you don't want to face this Tokimi...I thought family bonds were something quite alien to you. Are you that afraid of what she can do?"
"I'm not afraid of Tokimi." Washu raised her green eyes to her companion's accusing gold ones, shaking her head slowly. "Perhaps I should be, since I alone know what she is capable of doing. Her involvement simply brings back memories, that's all."
She cast a glance down at the fire that was slowly going out, shrugging her shoulders.
"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I don't really believe my own words any more."
"This doesn't sound like you." Ryoko frowned. "There's something you still haven't told me, isn't there? With you there invariably is something else...you never do give the full truth, no matter what question you're asked."
"Would you like to see the full truth, Ryoko-chan?" Washu asked softly.
"For once, it would be nice." Ryoko nodded her head. "To at least know where you're coming from, if nothing else."
"Then I will show you." Washu got slowly to her feet, a troubled expression on her face as her body became enveloped in a soft whiteish light. Her form blurred and changed, shifting her youthful features and drawing her upwards. The light became more intense, then, in a moment, it was gone, and for the first time Ryoko found herself at eye level with her mother, meeting face to face not the girlish scientist she had come to know, but a young woman instead.
"Washu?" She murmured. The apparition tilted her head, eying her companion's bemused expression and humour glittered in the depths of the green eyes. She nodded.
"Yes, Ryoko." She agreed. "Now you see me as I really am."
"Well, at least now I know for sure my mother's not in kindergarten." Ryoko muttered. "But if you really look like that, why do you choose to look like a little girl? It makes no sense."
She frowned.
"You're not unattractive. You could even pass for young still, if you didn't tell everyone you were more than twenty thousand years old. I don't understand it. Why do you want to be a child?"
"Oh, that's such a long story." Washu sighed, looking pensive as she kicked idly at the ashy remains of the fire. "I'm not sure you'd understand all of it. And even if you did, you might prove angry at me if you knew everything. You might think it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black - and that's not been my intention at all."
"Well, you're going to try me." Ryoko said firmly. "Because you've gone this far. And if anyone has a right to know, I think it's me. You don't tell me anything unless someone's in mortal danger and it's usually me who winds up getting in the midst of all the flame throwing. I thought I knew where my magic came from and what I was, but now I'm finding out you're something more than just a mad scientist...and I'm confused. I'd like an explanation...and I'd like one soon."
"All right." Washu pursed her lips. "But what I tell you is between us. Between mother and daughter, and not to go beyond. Is that understood?"
"Not even to Tenchi?"
"No. Not even to Tenchi." Washu shook her head. Ryoko sighed.
"Okay." She said at length. "I'll keep my mouth shut. But I want to know, regardless. It makes no sense - you make no sense. None of it does. All these powers Tokimi has - they should have been yours but you turned them down? And now you live your life in the body of a child, as if...well, as if what? If there's any logic in it, point it out to me. I'm having trouble finding it myself."
"I told you Tokimi and I were once like sisters." Washu said softly, settling herself back against the trunk of Ryu Oh's tree as she recounted her story, eyes becoming dreamy as memories flooded her senses. "As little girls we were close. I was older than she was by four summers, but she was only a baby when my father took her in, and it was like she was really a part of my family. My own mother died when I was only two, so there was just the three of us. Father, Tokimi and me."
She sighed.
"As we grew older, of course, it became apparent how important my father's role was in the safety and security of Kihaku." She continued. "That his soul and the planet's were intertwined somehow, much in the way Sasami is connected to Tsunami, but in a far less sophisticated way. Kihaku's spirit was strong and potentially volatile. It took someone of stronger will to master it and keep balance across the land. Such a man was my father."
"And then he died?" Ryoko asked. Washu nodded.
"Yes. Then he died." She agreed. "And what made it worse is that his death was inadvertently caused by the settlers and their technology...a misunderstanding which blew into a full scale conflict. As I'm sure you can imagine, it took some considerable power to slay an anointed Priest. The act was tantamount to a declaration of war - the rifts between settler and natives grew to such immense proportions that breaching them was probably impossible. And then there was the emotional effect of it, as well. My father's following was great, and when he died..."
She sighed.
"Tokimi took it a lot worse than I did. You have to understand, Ryoko, Father and I were not close. You might think we should have been, given my mother's passing, but we never really were. He was bound in his spiritualism and I..."
She sighed, shaking her head.
"I was drawn to this new, evolving world of science that was reaching out to touch even our world with it's innovation." She murmured. "Ships came...they came from Jurai and they settled on our world, bringing with them all kinds of developments like we'd never seen before. Medical advancements. Transport. So many things. Jurai's faith in Tsunami was something alien, but their gains in other areas were always breathtaking to me. I saw how they treated people with serious injuries and these people lived to walk among us again. I saw women survive the births of babies that, before they came, would have resulted in tragedy. I saw ways to transfer power and water from the plentiful to the needy. I saw all these things and in it all I saw a bright future for Kihaku. The Kihaku I was to inherit, on father's death."
"So what went wrong?" Ryoko settled herself more comfortably on the ground, leaning back on her hands as she gazed up at her companion. "Something must have. That doesn't sound quite the same story as the one you told us before."
"It isn't." Washu sighed. "I was not alone among my people in my desire to sample this new way of thinking. But my father forbade it me. He told me that, as his heiress, I had a different destiny to follow. That this was my path - the path of Priestess - and that there was no room in my life for anything else."
"Your destiny?" Ryoko's eyes became big. "But..."
"I know." Washu nodded, looking rueful. "Do you recall me saying to you something about heroes who follow their paths and villains who don't...who run kicking and screaming until the consequences overwhelm them?"
"I think I remember something about it." Ryoko's eyes narrowed. "But I thought you were talking about me and Kagato."
"Words can have many meanings." Washu inclined her head slightly. "I am one such villain. I ran away from my destiny. I abandoned my duty and my people, and went underground - literally, in fact - denouncing my heritage and refusing to carry on the role of Priestess that had been sacred to my world for generations. In my absence, the honour was conferred on Tokimi...and though she was strong, her bloodline and her nature meant she could not harness or subdue Kihaku's more volatile traits. The greater her anger, the worse the world became...and the worse the world got, the more angry she felt. It was a vicious circle...and in the end, all life on Kihaku died out."
She swallowed hard.
"All because I ran away from my destiny, instead of facing it like I should have done." She whispered. "All these years, and all these things I've created...but I've never found a way to reverse that act, Ryoko. I can't bring Kihaku back to life. For generations I've not even thought about it - I made myself forget."
She sighed.
"But with Tokimi looming on the horizon, I suppose my mind has been drawn back."
"I see." Ryoko pursed her lips, falling silent for a moment as she digested this. "So basically you're telling me you nagged me and guilt tripped me about Kagato over and over again because you have a bee in your bonnet about choosing your own life thousands of years ago? Is that about the size of it?"
"When you say it like that it seems almost unimportant." Washu eyed her companion ruefully. "I wish I could find the lives of so many innocent people such a minor matter."
"And I still believe that you should choose your own life, not be forced into another by someone else." Ryoko said frankly. "So you chose not to be a Priestess. Well, that was up to you. Tokimi is the one who went nuts on your planet and killed all the people."
"But I would have been strong enough to keep Kihaku in balance. Maybe even found a way to make inroads between the settlers and the native population." Washu sighed. "I have a very strong will, Ryoko-chan. I would have succeeded where Tokimi failed. In a sense, I condemned her to her madness also."
"You're determined to feel sorry for yourself, aren't you?" Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "You really aren't yourself tonight, Washu."
"But you've said on many occasions that you don't know who I am, anyway." Washu shrugged, a slight smile touching her lips. "So who knows? Perhaps this Washu is just another illusion. Or perhaps it isn't. You might never know for sure."
"This still doesn't explain why you live your life in a child's body." Ryoko pursed her lips. "And to tell you the truth, if the adult you is always this morose and self-pitying, I'm starting to prefer the other Washu. At least she doesn't sit in corners moping."
"Image is so important to people...but few are exactly as they seem."
"Stop talking like one of Katsuhito's shrine babbles! What do you mean?"
"My father once told me that I needed to grow up - that when I did, I'd realise what my people needed and make the sacrifices I had to for their sake." Washu said slowly, her form shimmering and changing as she spoke from the woman back to the child. "But I never understood what he meant. And when I discovered the consequences of my decisions - that Tokimi had run riot on Kihaku and caused the planet's death - I suppose I realised it for the first time. So many things happened...it seemed that whatever I did as an adult, I tainted people with the curse of knowing me...trusting me, and becoming involved somehow in my world. Kihaku's ghosts haunted me whichever way I turned. In the end, it seemed so much easier not to try and live in that world any more. There are so many things expected of grown ups that aren't expected of a child. I never grew up when Kihaku needed me. And when I gave you to Kichi, I turned my back on the last person I knew I could trust. I made the decision then that from then on I would be Washu-chan instead of Washu-san. I would stay a child forever, and never involve myself in the ties and responsibilities of the adult world. After all, it didn't seem to matter either way."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"I had no husband, no family, no world to call my home, and my only child had been spirited away to be trained in the art of assassination. All I had were my toys and my gadgets, so I suppose I devoted my existance to playing with them first and foremost. They were, after all, the only strength I had. I made a choice, and I shut the door on the world."
"You are one twisted up individual, in fact." Ryoko said bluntly. Washu spread her hands.
"A life as long as mine is great enough to throw up many mistakes and regrets." She said simply. "As I told you, sometimes it's better not to unbury them. Safer for peace of mind. But Tokimi's involvement worries me. It wakes up old feelings - old regrets."
"Sometimes you just have to deal with them head on." Ryoko mused. "I had to do it with Haki, and you have to do it with Tokimi."
Humour flickered in Washu's eyes at this irony.
"To think that it would be you, of all people, pointing out such things to me." She said, amused. Ryoko snorted.
"I'm not a complete flake, you know." She said frankly. "I do think."
"Well, you are my daughter." Washu acknowledged. "And you're right, of course. I do have to deal with this head on."
She sighed.
"I'm not as strong as Tokimi, and my magic has been suppressed for centuries. I shut it out of my life and being imprisoned on this planet stalled it further." She reflected. "Even so, I suspect I have to face her nonetheless. Somehow. Though I'm not sure I can kill my sister, Ryoko. Not even if that's the only thing that stands between us and the security of the universe."
"Well, with any luck, Ayeka and Sasami will be here before long and we'll have Tsunami on our side in strength." Ryoko said with a shrug. "Between Sasami and Tenchi, you might not need to stir your magic at all."
"But this is my fight, just like Haki was yours." Washu met her daughter's gaze with a grave one of her own. "And this time, I'm not running away."
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Planet Earth.
Seiryo gazed out at the hazy atmosphere of the blue planet, derision in his heart as he ran his gaze over the primitive satellite systems that rotated around it's mass.
"Such a waste of good space." He muttered. "And to think this is the place a Prince of Jurai calls his home. The Royal Family really are going to the dogs - maybe it is about time Jurai had a new Emperor. Certainly one who is above mixing with these savage people. If he had anything about him, he'd have taken control of this miserable world a long time ago. If he possesses half the magic Tokimi believes he does, Tsunami must be a pathetic force indeed. A world right there for the taking...and he just lives among them like another common earthling."
"Captain, we've entered the Earth's gravitational field." An officer pushed open the door, saluting him sharply as he turned. "Do we advance?"
"No." Seiryo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, touching the perspex absently as he considered. "The Masaki boy hides out at his grandfather's Shinto shrine. Mountainous terrain is not a good place for an assault - we might lose people and even more likely, we could lose our target as well. Remember, this is no common Earthling that we're seeking. This is the great grandson of Jurai's Emperor. He has magic and we could take losses if we are not careful about how we approach it."
"Then what do you suggest, Agent Tennan?" The officer asked softly. "Do we wait here?"
"Yes." Seiryo frowned, rubbing his chin. "Yes, for the time being. I must get a fix on Masaki's movements, and wait until he is away from his safe haven. My intelligence reports tell me that he makes regular trips into a local town for shopping and supplies. That is when we will strike. When he is in open streets and when we can pursue him without the cover of the hillsides to protect him."
"What of the native Earth folk, Captain?" The man looked startled. "Won't they become embroiled in the fight as well?"
"Earth is a primitive planet and they won't put up much opposition."
"But what if we hurt someone? Galaxy Police directive 9954 states that the Solar System is a prohibited zone for violent incidents. Earth is protected under the Primitive Life Forms act, section 294. Surely to go into an Earth settlement in such a way would contravene our own bylaws?"
Anger flickered in Seiryo's eyes for a moment, then he got a grip on himself, shaking his head.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." he said softly. "This man Masaki has powerful supporters, both on the Earth and on Planet Jurai. That is how he has been able to evade justice for so long. We have evidence that he might be responsible for many innocent deaths already. Using his status as a shield from prosecution is a deplorable act. We must try not to engage Earth people in our conflict, but we must bring Tenchi Masaki back to Headquarters at all costs. He might yet kill again - and I won't have it said against my name that I let him."
"Yes, Agent Tennan." The officer saluted sharply once more. "I'll tell the rest of the men."
He turned to leave, then paused, turning back.
"Oh, by the way, Captain...navigation have picked up an anomaly on the Unko's radar." He added. "I thought you should know...nothing's showing up on visible, but there's definitely a blip on the scanner."
"A blip, huh?" Seiryo looked startled. "All right. That's all - you're dismissed."
The officer saluted once more, then withdrew, leaving the captain to mull over his words carefully.
"A blip on the radar." He mused, reaching across the control panel to flick through the navigation screens, pausing as he found the one he wanted. "And he's not wrong. Something is in the Earth's orbit - or very near to it. Something big, but invisible to the naked eye. I wonder...have they put on a welcome party for us?"
He frowned, keying in a series of characters, focusing in on the anomaly as he traced his finger around the edges of the screen.
"Large enough to be a spaceship, but expertly cloaked." he murmured. "The work of Tokimi's scientist friend, no doubt - the Professor Washu. I can't pick up an ident - are they planning to attack us? Fools if they are. The Unko is the finest craft in the Galaxy Police fleet, and very few people ever get the better of Seiryo Tennan."
He got to his feet, pushing open the door and making his way down to the main control room, where navigators, officers and other crew were busy carrying out his orders. At his entrance the hubub of noise ceased, and every man and woman stood, saluting their captain. He smiled drolly.
"Are we stabilised in this position for the time being?" He asked softly.
"Yes sir. Unko is ready and standing by for quick movement towards the Earth's surface." One woman confirmed.
"Good." Seiryo nodded. "Then I have another job in mind. There is a town named Kurashiki in the vicinity of Masaki's mountain hideaway. I want it watched. The instant that boy leaves the safety of his hovel and steps out into open streets, I want to know about it. Intelligence has told me that he generally makes these trips alone, and we want as little trouble as possible. An encounter with the Space Pirate Ryoko might result in many native population deaths or injuries and that's not what we're here to do. I don't want complications. Just a quick, easy intervention and the removal of our suspect to Headquarters for questioning. Is that clear?"
"The holding unit is prepped and ready to contain the prisoner, Agent Tennan." Another officer assured him. "As soon as he's brought aboard the Unko we should be able to subdue any subversive behaviour on his part."
"Fine." Seiryo inclined his head slightly. "And the other thing...this blip on the radar scanners. Have we managed to track down what it is? The Earth are not supposed to be in possession of galactic class spacecraft or sophisticated cloaking devices. This could be in breach of the space protected zone laws - and more, it could indicate potential hostility from Masaki's entourage towards the Galaxy Police. I think it's imperative that we discover what this cloaked object is...not much fools the Unko's radars, so even if we can't see it, I'm pretty sure that it's there."
"We're working on it as we speak, Agent Tennan." A man raised his hand from the furthermost corner. "It's a sophisticated cloak all right - any lesser ship than the Unko wouldn't have pulled up it's presence at all. As it is, we're having trouble breaking through the encryption. It's certainly of a higher level science than the Earth is meant to be capable of producing...but we have managed to extract a few digits from a ship ident."
"Have you managed to make a match?" Seiryo crossed the room towards him, and the man frowned.
"Well, what we've discovered doesn't make a lot of sense." He admitted. "Maybe you'd better take a look at it for yourself, sir. We can't make head nor tail of what it means, although the digits we pick up are the same each time we try."
Seiryo leant over the man's shoulder, resting his hand on the desk as he scanned over the findings carefully. He bit his lip.
"It isn't much." he said at length. "You could be mistaken...you don't have a whole ident."
"No, Agent Tennan, but there are only two ships registered on our system whose ident codes start with that particular combination." The officer said with a shrug. "One of those crafts is the Yukinoyjo - a derelict reported destroyed some years ago. It's never been restored or returned to active service. And the other..."
He faltered, and Seiryo pursed his lips, anger flickering in his teal eyes.
"Yagami." he muttered. "But how is that possible?"
"Nobody has found head nor tail of Yagami nor Detective Kiyone Makibi since the day the electronic security system at Headquarters was last compromised, Captain." The man bit his lip. "This is a long way from the Galaxy Police, and we're picking up no life signs from the craft...if it is indeed the Yagami. No engine emissions, either. If it wasn't for the ident, I'd have said it was a derelict itself that had just drifted here by coincidence. But there are only two crafts that fit the profile. Either someone has dredged Yukinoyjo from it's watery grave, or Yagami is right here, within touching distance of Planet Earth."
Seiryo clenched his fists, fighting hard to control the mixture of anger and apprehension that swirled up inside of him. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he took in this information.
"You say whatever it is has no energy emission." He said slowly. "And that there are no signs of life, even considering the shield that the cloaking device has provided?"
"Yes, Sir. That's right."
"Detective Makibi is known for her diligence and her reliability. If that were her ship, she'd be aboard it and we'd be able to make contact." Seiryo said simply, standing upright and folding his arms across his chest. "Therefore it cannot be Yagami, and if there were plans to raise Yukinoyjo my intelligence would have reported as much. The cloak must be fooling the Unko's sensors after all- a trick to throw us off our trail."
"Do we approach the derelict, or let it be?"
"There are no survivors on board. Let it be." Seiryo said decisively. "It does not concern us."
He frowned, narrowing his gaze.
"For now, our only target is Tenchi Masaki." He added softly. "But when we return to Headquarters, I shall make it my business to speak to Detective Kuramitsu about the whereabouts of her missing partner."