Chapter Four
"Somehow it always feels better to be flying away from Jurai than it does towards it."
Ryoko leant on the ship's spherical controls, turning to send her companions an unrepentant grin as she steered the jagged craft quickly and deftly through the expanse of space. It was the next day and, after many heartfelt goodbyes, the small party of travellers had boarded Ryo Ohki, bound at last for the Earth and - to all intents and purposes - a return to the strange kind of normality that had become their every day lives.
"I still think thirteen is too young to be considered any kind of an adult." Tenchi sat down against the wall of the drive room, a frown on his face. "Even if she is a princess."
"Different worlds deal with things in different ways." Washu turned to send him a smile. "Be glad that her father has some sense and isn't planning to auction her hand in marriage to the highest bidder."
"Haru strikes me as the kind of man who'd run anyone through if they dared try it." Ryoko snorted. "Or he would, if he knew how. He's way too protective of his kids and that's for sure."
"I don't know. Having an overprotective father isn't always a bad thing, when you're a planetary goddess in training." Washu shrugged. She came to her daughter's side, glancing out beyond her to the stars.
"Maybe you're just jealous because I'm not more overprotective of you, my dear." She suggested, sending her companion a mischievous look. "Is that it? You'd like Mom to pay more attention to what you do and who you see?"
"Washu." Ryoko grimaced back at her, shaking her head. "Stop it. I'm trying to fly this thing and we'll wind up off course if I have to blast you across the drive room."
Washu tut-tutted.
"And is that any way to speak to your mother, Ryoko-chan?" She said mock-disapprovingly. "I can't think where you learnt your bad manners. It must be from your father's side of the equation."
Ryoko merely glowered, and Katsuhito laughed.
"It will be good to be back home again." He said reflectively. "Space travel is all very well, but for this old man it's starting to become a chore."
"There's someone else who doesn't like overprotective fathers, huh, Grandpa?" Tenchi shot him a teasing glance, and Katsuhito nodded his head in rueful acknowledgement.
"There are times when I think it better we stay so far apart." He agreed. "The Earth has made me old beyond Juraian years, but Father treats me just the same as he did when I was a reckless youth, chasing across the galaxy with Haruna to start my life anew. He has a very long memory."
"Well, for my part, I like Jurai." Noboyuki reflected. He grinned. "There are so many pretty ladies on that planet. I'm glad that the Earth and Jurai are now friends...maybe more of them will come visit us now."
"You have one thing on your mind, Noboyuki-san." Washu scolded. Noboyuki shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, it never hurts to take advantage of all the social opportunities you get." He said unrepentantly. "Perhaps you should try it too, Washu-san. After all, you're a pretty woman too...you should make the most of it while you can."
Washu looked startled, for once discomfitted by Noboyuki's words, and Ryoko caught her expression, letting out a low chuckle.
"You're going to have to deal with that from hereon in, Mom." She said playfully. "You're not a child any more. People are going to look at you and see a young woman, even if you are a million years old or something. There must be some guy in the universe who's desperate enough to try it."
"Well, I used to be very effective at repelling unwanted attentions." Washu re-gathered her composure, shooting her daughter a nonchalant grin. "I'm sure I can manage to do it again, if the need arises."
She rested a hand on Ryoko's arm.
"After all, Ryoko-chan, I wouldn't be so cruel as to inflict a step-parent on you when you're at such a delicate age." She added wickedly.
"Washu." Ryoko grimaced, rolling her eyes. "You never let up, do you?"
"Did you think I would?" Washu opened her eyes wide with surprise.
"No, but I'm starting to wish you'd taken a one way trip to Kihaku six months ago, if this is how you're going to be all the time." Ryoko muttered. "We already covered this whole mother-daughter ground. You didn't raise me, I didn't grow up with you and you told me yourself I don't need a mother. So that being the case, will you just back off and let it go? Bad enough you're still living in the store cupboard...I don't need the mock-mother routine and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Washu was silent for a moment, then she shrugged.
"Children can be so cruel when they grow up and fly the nest." She said philosophically. "So ungrateful. Oh well. Such is a parent's lot, I suppose. What do you think, Noboyuki-san? They forget they're born, sometimes."
"Washu, how was Tokimi, when you went to see her?" Tenchi interrupted hurriedly, before his father could be drawn into commenting on the scientist's words. "Is there any improvement at all?"
"No, none." The humour faded from Washu's eyes and she shook her head. "But she is at least well cared for. I feel very helpless where she's concerned - like there's something I should be doing, but can't because I don't know how. It's not something that happens to me very often - but there it is. Everything scientific that could be done to raise her has already been done. Seiryo-dono thinks it's a matter of time, and maybe he's right...but there's still that chance she'll never wake up again."
"Seiryo Tennan?" Ryoko eyed her sharply. "You consort with the enemy now, do you? Have you forgotten how he abducted Tenchi and tried to kill Kiyone?"
"He was possessed by Kii magic." Washu dismissed it with a flick of her hand. "He's not the same person now, I assure you. Besides, he and Suki-kyou have taken very good care of Tokimi since Kihaku's destruction. In my view, that's more than penance enough for the things done before. We all make mistakes, little Ryoko. As I'm sure you know only too well. I have no ill feeling for Lord Tennan or his family, regardless of the past. And you shouldn't either. Life's too short for long term recriminations."
"Well, you go all lovey dovey on him, then." Ryoko shrugged, turning her attention back to the controls as she navigated her way through a meteor belt with the minimum of turbulence. "Me, I'd sooner blast his head off than spend time talking to him, so it's probably a good thing I didn't see him during our visit. It could have been messy."
"I'm glad you didn't, either." Tenchi said ruefully. "Washu is right, Ryoko. Past is past and Seiryo Tennan deserves the chance to learn from his mistakes."
"Exactly." Washu flashed him a smile. "After all, none of us are exactly spotless, when it comes to the crunch."
"Some of us don't try to be." Ryoko shrugged. "But we don't go around attempting to murder people at random, and I'm sorry, it'll be a long time before I forget Kiyone the way she was when Mihoshi first sent out that distress flare. You might not want to remember, Washu, but I do and I don't forgive people who hurt my friends so easily. Kiyone's lucky she survived. Had she died, I might have been hunting Tennan down myself."
"Kiyone is better now." Washu smiled. "A little skittish, perhaps - she's been through a lot and it'll take her time to re-assess her priorities. But she's strong and she'll be fine. I have a lot of faith in her force of character."
Ryoko opened her mouth to respond, then frowned, faltering as she glanced down at Ryo Ohki's radar.
"Hey, it looks like we've company." She said quietly. "That's strange...we've barely seen a ship since we set off, and now I'm picking up several at the same time, all heading in our direction. Ryo Ohki, can you scent any of them, see what they're about?"
The ship sent up a yowl of agreement, and Ryoko leant on her controls, frowning as she squinted at the screen in front of her.
"I just have a feeling..." She faltered, and Washu came to her side, peering over her shoulder at the greenish blips that flickered to announce the presence of other ships. She frowned.
"Four or five of them." She observed. "Seems more than a coincidence to me, Ryoko-chan. What do you think? Have we stumbled into a busy space lane by mistake, or is it something more sinister you're thinking of?"
"I don't stumble into space lanes." Ryoko bristled. "My navigation skills are better than that, thank you very much."
"Well, and I'm sure you had plenty to drink last night, so forgive me for doubting how sharp your senses are." Washu said flippantly.
"What do you mean, something more sinister?" Tenchi was on his feet, anxiety crossing his expression. Washu turned, sending him a thoughtful gaze.
"Ryoko thinks they're pirates." She said simply. "And she might be right."
"Pirates?" Noboyuki looked confused. "But wait a minute, why would they be following us? Ryo Ohki is a pirate ship, after all. Wouldn't they know that Ryoko is one of their own?"
"No, not necessarily." Ryoko said grimly. "There are a lot of pirate groups out there, Otosan, and many of them have their own agendas and loyalties. They're not all allies, and there can be some vicious battles between them. Not to mention the fact that Ryo Ohki isn't the pirate ship she used to be. I've turned my back on that life and it can't have escaped their attention that I did. That makes us fair game...if it is pirates we're dealing with."
"How do we tell? They're still too far back to see them clearly." Tenchi squinted out of the window. "Please tell me we're not going to have a fight, Ryoko? I just want to get home and relax before I have to think about studying again - why can't we ever take a nice, relaxing trip through Deep Space?"
"Well, it keeps life interesting." Katsuhito remarked philosophically. "But Ryoko is a good pilot. No doubt she can outrun them if need be. You worry too much, Tenchi."
Ryo Ohki howled again at that moment, effectively preventing Tenchi from replying, and Ryoko glanced up, her brows knitting together.
"Daluma." She muttered. "Oh, brilliant. Just what we didn't need."
She brought her hand sharply over the controls, causing the craft to veer and shift violently onto a new course. Tenchi let out a yell as he slipped and fell headlong into his surprised father, sending both of them tumbling to the floor, while Washu gripped instinctively onto Ryo Ohki's angular frame. Only Katsuhito kept his footing, turning to gaze out into the expanse of space behind them.
"Daluma." He murmured. "Well, well."
"What does that mean?" Tenchi picked himself up, holding out his hand to pull Noboyuki to his feet. "And can you warn us next time you're going to do that, Ryoko? We'd like to finish the trip in one piece, if you don't mind."
"In that case, shut up and don't question my flight techniques." Ryoko snapped. "Better you fall over because I'm steering sharply than we have an encounter with a bunch of thugs who blow up spacecraft for fun."
"Who or what is Daluma, Ryoko?" Washu asked curiously. "You sound like you know them - or him."
"I do." Ryoko grimaced. "The Daluma Guild is one of the many pirate organisations out there. They're also the most notoriously violent...with a tendancy to fight first and ask questions later. They're not people you want to stop and chat with, basically."
The craft swerved again, as Ryoko doubled back on their route, swinging off to the left.
"And there's no way they'll just ignore you, for old time's sake?" Noboyuki asked apprehensively. Ryoko snorted, shaking her head.
"Not a chance." She said darkly. "There are no old times. I told you, there are a lot of pirate gangs and guilds. I was never officially aligned with any, but Haki was. He broke away from the Daluma guild and betrayed them for his own ends before he even met me. He fought for his own interests after he acquired Karasu, but they didn't forget his betrayal. Let's just say we had more than one run-in with Daluma ships in our time flying together. He killed a lot of Daluma members in that time, and the grievances grew between them. It's known I flew with Haki. They know Ryo Ohki as one of his ally ships. Whatever my new role and wherever I am now, they will still see me in those terms. I'm not just fair game. I'm the enemy."
"Oh, great." Tenchi ran his hands agitatedly through his hair. "Do you think we can lose them?"
"I'm doing the best I can." Ryoko returned. "Believe me, I'm not anxious to be caught by them either."
"The Daluma guild are notorious even as far as Jurai." Katsuhito remarked absently. "They became so bold that they even, occasionally, fought and killed military patrol vehicle crews, just as a matter of amusement. Very few pirates are foolish enough to invade Juraian space. But the Daluma guild are not swayed by good sense. Yes, I know the name."
"That makes me feel a whole lot better." Tenchi glared at his grandfather. "It's great to know that everyone's familiar with the bloodthirsty group of slaughtering monsters that are currently trying to catch up to us."
"Tenchi, calm down." Washu said firmly. "There's nothing we can do except try to lose their trail. Providing, of course, that they know we're here. They were heading in our direction, but Ryo Ohki is small and light. She may have evaded their sensors yet."
"No, I don't think so, Washu." Ryoko shook her head. "This area isn't usual Daluma territory. In fact, it's been fought over by Daluma and Balta pirates for as long as I can remember. Seems more likely to me that they came looking for a fight - or they heard that we would be heading back to Earth today. It wouldn't surprise me if they massed here simply to track us down - after all, Haki is out of reach, but I'm not. And they like blood."
"Can we go any faster?" Noboyuki demanded. Ryoko shrugged.
"Ryo Ohki's almost at full speed as it is." She said softly. "Technically speaking, she's faster than any Daluma craft. But if we go too far, they'll split and surround us, and cut us off when we leave this sector for the next one. I know pirate tactics, Otosan. They may not have speed but they have the advantage of numbers. We're going to take a wild detour and hope for the best...there's one place that very few pirate ships like to go, and I'm going to head for it. Hopefully it will put them off chasing us."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Tenchi looked relieved, and Ryoko sent him an affectionate smile.
"Trust me, Tenchi." She said softly. "I'm not going to be caught that easily."
"A zone pirates don't like, huh?" Washu raised quizzical green eyes to her daughter's. "Where might that be, Ryoko?"
"Sargasso." Ryoko said flatly, manoeuvring her craft deftly around some floating space debris.
"Sargasso?" Tenchi frowned. "Where's that?"
"The spaceship graveyard." Washu said quietly. "We came through it on our way to Jurai, when Kagato had control of the planet and we were trying to evade being captured. It's a dark, dead place full of rotting ships. Some people say it's haunted."
"That was where we found that ghost ship." Tenchi remembered. "And Sasami disappeared...we thought we'd lost her."
"That's right." Washu nodded, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I'm almost glad of the detour. There were some interesting spectral readings the last time we were there - it's just a shame I don't have my equipment with me."
"We're trying to escape bloodthirsty rogues, not conducting a scientific analysis." Ryoko said bluntly. "Sort your priorities out, Washu. Bad enough we have to go back through that zone as it is without your meaningless babble."
"Are you superstitious, Ryoko?" Noboyuki asked. "Do you think it's haunted?"
"I'm not afraid of it, if that's what you mean." Ryoko shook her head. "I don't care about ghosts, and if there are any, well, I'll just blast their sorry dead butts outta my way. But Ryo Ohki doesn't like it. She was imprisoned here once - the Galaxy Police have a confinement unit somewhere in the vicinity of the Sargasso Sea, disguised as a wreck to try and fool anyone who wants to break in. After we were arrested, they locked her up in it - cold, dark place. She remembers, and she doesn't like the memory. I feel bad enough making her do this, so I'd like to get it over with as soon as possible."
"Poor Ryo Ohki." Tenchi put a hand to the side of the spaceship, who mewed in response. "But noone's going to lock you up this time."
"So if you're not scared of ghosts, Ryoko, why will these Daluma people be?" Washu pursed her lips. Ryoko shrugged.
"There are old stories about raiding partners laid to rest in Sargasso." She said simply. "Pirates gather and when they do, they tell tales that get more and more imaginative and exaggerated the further on the rounds of drinking go. Many old ships in Sargasso are the wrecks of pirate vessels, moored there because there's nowhere else for them to be. Their owners are long since pulled into police custody, or killed in action. But they do say that a bonded pirate can never really be killed. That the spirits still walk the ships, waiting to claim the souls of those they once flew with. Guilds are especially prone to superstition. After all, when you consider that each guild can have forty or fifty members..."
She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.
"That could add up to a lot of ghosts, if things went badly in battle." She added flippantly. "Either way, very few pirates choose to fly through Sargasso."
"Well, your raiding partner is trapped in sub-space, so I can see why it doesn't bother you." Washu looked amused. Ryoko nodded, a faint smile touching her lips.
"Exactly." She agreed. "Haki is still alive, even if he is imprisoned and unable to get free. So no. I'm not scared."
"That's spooky, though." Tenchi pressed his face to the window. "I hope you're right. I hope it does deter them."
"Well, it's the best shot we have." Ryoko said grimly. "There's another reason I don't think they'll follow us and that's the magnetic pull of the dead craft. When Yagami flew through here, something stalled the engine and it took a while for Kiyone to get it moving again. Maybe it was ghosts, I don't know - but it's well known that flying through here is dangerous for the health of your spaceship. At least, it is for your average craft. Most sensible pirates wouldn't risk their motors by flying this way. It just doesn't make sense to get stranded in the middle of nowhere."
"Ryoko's right." Washu agreed. "Sargasso does have a strange kind of vortex. Many crafts have lost engine power and have been forced to call for outside assistance to rescue them from even the edges of Sargasso. I don't know what caused Yagami's power outage, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same kind of magnetic energy Ryoko just mentioned."
"And that won't affect Ryo Ohki?" Katsuhito asked softly. Ryoko shook her head.
"Ryo Ohki doesn't work on the same principles." She said, shooting her mother a wry look. "She's part organic, and her motors aren't tied in with magnetic coils. Her mechanics are immune to the pull of Sargasso's field...so we shouldn't have any problems."
"Well, of course not." Washu shrugged. "I know what I'm doing when I build a spaceship, Ryoko-chan."
"Well, there's only one way to find out if you do." Ryoko said grimly. "All right, Ryo Ohki. You know where we're going and what I want to do. Make for the Sargasso Sea - full speed. We can hide out among the wrecks until they've lost interest in us and gone away. All right?"
Ryo Ohki emitted a determined squeal and the ship jerked forward as she increased her tempo, sending Tenchi grasping for the sides of the ship once more.
"Ryoko, I wish this ship came with seats!" He exclaimed. "How is it you don't fall over when that happens?"
Despite herself, Ryoko laughed.
"Well, Ryo Ohki and I are used to the thrill of the chase." She admitted, as a surge of adrenalin pushed through her senses. "Normally it's the Galaxy Police we'd be trying to evade, but there's a certain excitement to being on the run."
"I'm glad someone is enjoying it." Tenchi muttered. Ryoko shook her head.
"I don't like being chased by Daluma pirates." She said frankly. "But we'll lose them in Sargasso. You'll see. They won't follow us there."
At that moment Ryo Ohki's communications screen flickered into life, and a scarred, battleworn face glared into the cockpit of the small craft. Beady eyed glinted from beneath his silver hair, and his lips were set in a thin, cruel line. He glowered at Ryoko, venom in his expression, and despite herself Ryoko felt indignation well up inside of her.
"Well, Ryoko, so you're running scared, are you?" He spoke in dark tones, his accent unfamiliar and thick. "Are you really so sure you can evade us?"
"Count on it." Ryoko raised glittering eyes to his cold ones. "Or have you forgotten the last time you and your scum tried to bring me down, Shank? If I were you, I'd turn back now. I'm not easy pickings...and Ryo Ohki doesn't like being hunted down."
The pirate's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head.
"This time you're mine." He warned. "You can't outrun me forever."
With that the screen went abruptly dark, and Ryoko muttered a string of unrepeatable words under her breath. There was a moment of silence in Ryo Ohki's drive room, then,
"I guess we can rule out the idea that they don't know we're here." Washu said flippantly. Ryoko scowled.
"What gave you that idea?" She demanded, bringing her hand roughly across Ryo Ohki's controls as she spoke. "I told you. Pirates don't forget things so easily."
"You knew him." Tenchi came up behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What did you mean, the last time?"
"Oh." Ryoko grimaced. "It was a long time ago. There was an exchange of fire...some of the Daluma pirates got sent off track and wound up right in the middle of a Galaxy Police patrol. Several were arrested and charged with multiple space offences. Most of them were killed when Headquarters was destroyed by Kain - although even if they hadn't been, they wouldn't ever have seen the light of day."
"You led them into a trap, didn't you?" Washu asked softly. Ryoko nodded.
"Of course." She agreed. "Why do you think the Galaxy Police are there? To protect the universe? Not when you're a pirate. No, then they're there to manipulate to your own ends. If they take home a healthy stake of Daluma pirates, they don't bother with you. That's how it works...and they should have known better than to come after me."
She flexed her fingers.
"Whatever Haki was, he taught me well."
"Well, now this guy's after your blood." Tenchi grimaced. "So maybe it wasn't such a smart scheme."
"He was after it anyway." Ryoko shrugged. "That's Tarant Shank - he's one of the captains in the guild. He's powerful, arrogant and greedy. And he's always picking a fight with someone or other. He crossed my path a few times when I was with Haki, and then a couple of times beyond that. He considers everyone to have committed a personal insult against him. His father was involved in the Daluma guild as well, as was his brother. Both of them were shot down by Karasu. He's not the kind to forgive."
"Haki sure killed a lot of people." Washu observed. Ryoko nodded her head.
"All of that happened before I flew with him. When he betrayed the Daluma guild and took off with Karasu." She responded. "But yes. He did."
"I can see something up ahead." Noboyuki pointed, and Ryoko raised her gaze, nodding approvingly.
"We're almost there. Good girl, Ryo Ohki." She said with a smile. "Even Shank isn't likely to come too deep into Sargasso...his brother's ship is here, as is the burnt out remains of his father's. He's superstitious as any of them. He won't cross Sargasso space."
Ryo Ohki mewed, and Ryoko patted her controls.
"I know, you don't like it either." She said gently. "But we have no choice, Ryo Ohki. Trust me, okay? You know I'm right."
Ryo Ohki did not reply, but she surged herself forward, closer and closer to the red-orange markers that flashed up the boundaries of the Sargasso Sea. Beyond the greyish hulls of dead ships loomed, pale and spectral against the blackness of space, and Ryoko frowned.
"They're still following, but they've slowed down." She said, glancing at the radar. "Guess they think I'm bluffing. Well, time to tell them I'm not. You know this area, Ryo Ohki. Don't falter. Let's move it."
"It's turning into an interesting sight-seeing trip." Katsuhito observed. "I've heard many stories about Sargasso - but I never had the chance to properly see it when we came this way the last time."
"Tree-ships don't lie here, do they?" Tenchi looked startled. Katsuhito shook his head.
"Jurai tree-ships are honoured on Jurai. They're never abandoned in the mists of space." He replied. "Military bugs and vessels, yes. Probably there are many. But the bond between a Prince and his ship is too strong...even after the death of the master, the ship is treated with the utmost care. You've been to the Old Palace of Jurai, my son. You've seen the dead forest, where Azaka and Kamidake lay sleeping for so long. That is where Tsunami's children sleep also. That is their final resting place - honoured vessels of Jurai."
"That's why that place was so creepy." Ryoko shivered. "I did wonder. I'm not usually freaked out by dead tree stumps."
"Well, they have to rest somewhere." Katsuhito shrugged his shoulders. "And in the shade of the Knights' tree seemed as honourable a place as any."
"I think it's a nice touch." Washu looked approving. "Due respect given to a well crafted spaceship."
"Exactly that." Katsuhito nodded his head. "Only those trees that are shamed - like Souja - are forbidden to rest there."
"This place is creepy enough without talking about my father's dead ship." Ryoko said firmly, as she navigated her craft carefully between the rusting, twisted remains of two ships. "Let's leave off the stories until we're safely through, okay? It's a big enough detour between here and the Earth as it is - and I want to concentrate."
"The radar screen has gone quiet." Washu peered over her shoulder. "I guess you were right, Ryoko. Pirates don't like Sargasso."
"I'm often right. People just don't listen to me." Ryoko sounded indignant, and Tenchi laughed.
"I listen." He assured her.
"So do I." Washu shrugged. "But it does help when you make coherent sense, masume-chan."
"Don't call me that." Ryoko glowered at her mother. "I'm not a child."
"You're my child." Washu was unperturbed. "Concentrate on what you're doing, else we'll hit a wreck. And then Ryo Ohki will have a bruise for a week."
"Oh, shut up." Ryoko grimaced, but obediently returned her attention to the minefield ahead.
For a while they drifted carefully between the remains of old spacecraft, as Ryo Ohki set about leaving a confused and jagged vapour trail in her wake. Eventually, Ryoko called on her to stop and they drew to a halt alongside the painted bulk of one of the vessels. It was large and, although areas of it had rusted and decayed, it was big enough to hide Ryo Ohki from view. Ryoko nodded in satisfaction, stepping away from the controls as she moved to peer out into the darkness.
"We'll wait here a while." She said. "Just in case they're surrounding the edges, hoping I'm heading straight through. We're in no hurry, after all - Ryo Ohki's stamina is pretty good, and we're in no danger of losing engine power here. Sooner or later they'll have to withdraw - they're wanted crafts and it's dangerous to stay too long in one zone of space. With the Galaxy Police having a containment vessel here, they won't want to spend too long in these parts."
"How long is too long?" Tenchi asked hesitantly. Ryoko smiled, gripping him by the hand.
"Long enough to have a break." She said simply. "We could go exploring the wrecks, if you liked. You know, if you were bored."
"We're not leaving the ship." Washu held up her hands. "You and I might not need to breathe to live, Ryoko, but Tenchi and Noboyuke-san both do, and most of these vessels haven't been oxygenated for a long time. It's risky. You don't know when you might end up in an airless pocket."
"Spoilsport." Ryoko pouted. "Fine. We'll stay here."
She dropped down into the pilot's chair, slipping her hands behind her head. "But it never bothered you when we went looking for Sasami."
"When we went looking for Sasami, we went looking on a craft that still had it's interior fairly well sealed." Washu shot back. "Do you think I'd have let anyone board it if it had been otherwise?"
She gestured towards the craft that shielded them from view.
"That one has holes all across the stern. It's probably a death trap."
"Fine." Ryoko shrugged. "Keep your hair on. We'll stay. It was just an idea."
"I'm not in any hurry to go hunting ghosts." Tenchi admitted. "Bad enough we're number one on a pirate's hit list."
"It's sort of ironic, really." Ryoko reflected. "After so long being a pirate, I'm playing cat and mouse from the other side of the equation. But at least I know if the Galaxy Police show up, they're on our side. Being on the right side of the law has its advantages sometimes."
"You think?" Tenchi raised an eyebrow. Ryoko laughed, nodding her head.
"Well, it has you." She teased. "Don't worry, Tenchi. A little while longer, that's all...and then we'll see if we can't sneak out the back and make a safe passage to Earth without them even knowing we've gone. If we're smart, they might be sitting ducks for a police patrol anyhow. Especially if they wait for us where we no longer are."
"Stop thinking like a pirate." Washu scolded. "We just want to make it back to the Earth in one piece. No smart games."
"Washu, if Shank tries it on with me, I'm going to give him a lesson he doesn't forget." Ryoko scowled. "Believe me."
"Sounds like there's more to that acquaintance than just rivals in battle." Katsuhito observed mildly. Ryoko bristled.
"Trust me, there isn't." She said frankly.
"Ryoko?" Tenchi looked quizzical. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Ryoko nodded her head. "I just don't like him. Him or any Daluma pirate. They're all scum. And if the Galaxy Police catch up with them, so much the better."
"You've tensed right up." Tenchi observed. "Is Grandfather right? Do you know this Shank guy some other way?"
"No, I don't." Ryoko shook her head. She sighed. "I just hate him for his methods in battle, that's all. When I was young and green, he took me hostage aboard his ship, in order to avenge himself on Haki. At the time, I didn't really understand all of the politics involved. I was maybe fourteen or fifteen, and it scared me - not that I let them see it. Even then I knew better than that. But they weren't nice - I think they would have killed me, regardless of whether or not Haki came to retrieve me. Some of the Daluma men intimated they wanted more than to kill me."
She shrugged.
"There aren't many women in deep space." She added softly.
"Ryoko..." Tenchi's eyes widened, and Ryoko shrugged.
"Oh, don't worry. They didn't get their chance." She said dryly. "They didn't realise that this little girl came equipped with powerful energy blasts and they took some scars for their trouble. And I had help escaping in the end. The ship was raided by the Balta, and in the chaos, I managed to get free. I snuck aboard the Balta ship when it left, and I managed to summon Ryo Ohki to come rescue me. She did...it was the first time we flew together. I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and nor did she. But we got away. Together. In some ways it was a defining moment in my life as a pirate. At that moment, I knew nobody was ever going to take me off guard again. Nobody was ever going to treat me like a prisoner or a slave...I was Ryoko, and I was going to call the shots, not submit to them."
"But you still went back to Haki?"
"We were bonded." Ryoko shrugged. "Plus, even though he was a jerk, I was safer with him then than I was on my own. So yes. We went back."
"What about these Balta, Ryoko?" Katsuhito turned at that moment, eying her quizzically. "If they and the Daluma are rivals, as you suggest, are we likely to meet up with them on our way out of here?"
"Well, the Balta aren't quite like the Daluma." Ryoko shrugged. "Yes, there's always a chance. But there's one thing I didn't tell you. The captain of the Balta ship that raided Shank's craft was Kyo Komachi - one of the few female pirate captains in any guild, and one known for her fairness. If they had wanted to keep me prisoner then, they would have done so. But she and one of her lieutenants helped me escape. I was a child, and she didn't want to involve children in the fights of adults. So she let me go. They both did. The Balta are different, because of her. They might be ruthless in their battles and raids, but they have honour. If we met them, I think we'd stand a better chance talking our way out of the situation. I might never have been aligned with a guild, but after I thought Haki died, I sometimes crossed paths and made deals with Balta pirates. I could trust their word, after all - honour among thieves and all of that."
"All these complicated social rules in deep space." Noboyuki remarked. "And we've been happily sitting down there on the Earth without a clue that it goes on."
"Well, that's the Earth for you." Ryoko grinned. "But it is part of the planet's charm."
"Ryoko, the radar!" Washu exclaimed at that point, and Ryoko was on her feet, glancing down at the black screen with a growing sense of confusion and alarm.
"Damn him!" She exclaimed, banging her fist down on the control panel and causing her ship to let out a reproachful mew of protest. "I thought for sure we were okay here."
"He's still following?" Alarm flooded Tenchi's features and Ryoko nodded her head.
"Or someone is." She agreed grimly. "There are only two blips now - Ryo Ohki, are they Daluma ships?"
Ryo Ohki yowled, and Ryoko's eyes darkened. She nodded.
"It's the Daidalos, all right." She muttered. "Shank's ship. Damn him. Of all places, I didn't think that he'd come..."
Before she could finish her sentence, there was a tremendous explosion and Ryo Ohki rocked backwards as the ship that, a few moments earlier had been their shelter blew into multiple pieces, shards of twisted metal shooting off across the galaxy. In the clearing smoke, Ryoko was aware of Shank's vessel, sleek and well kept despite the many scars of space battle that littered the front and sides, and she clenched her fists.
"Ryo Ohki, fire!" She exclaimed. "Fire at will!"
Ryo Ohki let out an eerie battle cry, as her lasers glowed with red energy, firing several beams towards the approaching enemy ship. Shank returned in kind, and it was all Ryoko could do to sweep Ryo Ohki around so that the blasts glanced harmlessly off the side of the craft.
"Fire again, Ryo Ohki. Keep firing." She said determinedly. "We're not going to let Tarant Shank beat us, are we?"
"How is he even managing it?" Washu stared. "The vortex should have stopped him...what kind of ship is he running, to avoid the problems of the magnetic energy?"
"Who cares?" Ryoko snapped. "He's here, that's all that matters to me. Ryo Ohki! Another volley, quickly!"
Ryo Ohki obliged, and an explosion from the rear of Shank's craft told the pirate that she had hit one of his engines. She grinned, nodding her head.
"That's what I want to see." She said decidedly. "All right, Ryo Ohki. Cripple his craft, if you can. Leave him stranded here. If he can't move, he can't chase us. Do you understand?"
Ryo Ohki yowled, sending out a fresh round of fire which glanced across the paintwork of Shank's vessel. As she did so, Shank's face loomed up on the communication screen once more, glaring at her through malevolent eyes.
"You thought you could hide among the ghosts of Sargasso?" He asked. "Do you really think so, Ryoko? The Daidalos isn't the ship she once was - Ryo Ohki isn't the only vessel who can speed through here unscathed. As you're about to find out."
"You're not afraid, then, of being dragged down by the ghosts of your past?" Ryoko shot back. Shank's eyes flickered slightly, then determination flashed across them.
"I can't kill Haki, but I will kill you." He threatened. "You and your pathetic crew. What kind of a pirate turns traitor anyway, Ryoko? It will give me a lot of pleasure to finally kill you."
"Well, you're going to have to wait a little longer." Ryoko snapped. "Ryo Ohki, prime your lasers. I don't care whether the Daidalos is made of gold. We're going to give it a remodelling you'll never forget."
"That's what you think." Shank's eyes glinted once more. "See you in hell, Ryoko."
The screen went dark once more, and another blast shook Ryo Ohki, causing the cabbit to let out a scream of pain. Red lights flickered across the ship's control panel, and Ryoko let out a cry of rage.
"Bastard." She exclaimed. "Ryo Ohki, are you all right? That was a low act - distracting me while he attacked from behind!"
"Her lasers are shot." Washu bit her lip, glancing at the flashing lights. "He's taken out her arms, Ryoko. We need to get her out of here - as fast as we can. We're defenceless otherwise - that's what happens when you stop to settle old quarrels with friends like this Shank guy. Ryo Ohki is hurt."
"Her lasers?" Fear flickered in Tenchi's eyes. "But then how are we going to...to fight?"
"We can't." Washu said shortly. "And judging by the manner of Shank's sneak attack, he means to do more than blow us up. I think he wants to take prisoners...else he'd have aimed for the central drive room when he fired that shot. He's nullified Ryo Ohki's threat, that's all."
"Nobody is taking any prisoners if I can help it." Ryoko said firmly. "Don't worry, Ryo Ohki. We'll get you safely back to Earth. Just hold your line, all right? And trust me. We'll be okay, just don't drop your guard."
"What are you going to do?" Tenchi demanded, but Ryoko ignored him. Glancing at her hands, she flickered out of the drive room, re-materialising in the space between Ryo Ohki and the approaching pirate ship. Oblivious to the panic she had caused in Ryo Ohki's drive room, she faced the Daidalos head on, spreading her hands out to her sides as she threw up a forcefield around herself and her ship.
"You're not going to take me that easily." She muttered. "Kill me, if you've the guts...or leave me alone. But I'm not the pirate I was when you took me prisoner last time, Shank. Believe me."
The pirate craft fired a round in her direction, but Ryoko just clenched her fists, pulling on her strength to increase the forcefield as she did so. Through the glass of the ship she was sure she could see Shank's angry, frustrated face, and she smiled, offering him a wink as she flickered energy from her fingers, sending a blast of her own out across the divide. It ricocheted off the side of the main thruster, causing a deep score in the metal, and for a moment the ship's engine faltered and choked as the vibration shook through it. In her head, she was all too aware of Ryo Ohki's pain, and it gave her renewed strength as Shank tried once more to blast her forcefield apart. She held it firm, determination in her amber eyes as she called on all of her strength to maintain it.
Then, from somewhere among the rotting hulls of the Sargasso, she heard an unearthly howl as another craft hoved into view, sending up a bevy of battle calls as it came closer and closer to the battlefield. Ryoko turned her head, staring in disbelief as she made out the jagged edges of an all too familiar ship.
"Ken Ohki." She whispered. "Oh, just what I need...a pirate and a bounty hunter on my back when Ryo Ohki's lasers are dead!"
She pulled her hands together, her forcefield faltering as she summoned her magic, preparing for an assault from either angle, but for a moment Shank's attention seemed to have been distracted by the sudden intruder on his tail. He sent a bevy of fire in Ken Ohki's direction, which the ship promptly returned, placing himself neatly between the Daidalos and Ryo Ohki as he sent barrage after barrage of laser fire in the pirate's direction. Ryoko stared.
"She must have been the other ship on the radar. Nagi was following Shank, hoping for his reward." She murmured. "But what will she do, now she's found him and me? I don't carry a reward on my head any more - but will it even matter? Focus, Ryoko. You have a hurt ship to guide out of here, and you need to take care of Shank's engines once and for all. One blast should do it - Ken Ohki's weakened his hull enough and you can push him back. You know you can! You're stronger than you've ever been...he's not going to take you or Tenchi out today!"
Buoyed by her pep talk, she summoned every inch of her magic, and it shone and grew between her fingers, spreading into a ball of prickling, crackling electricity as she launched it determinedly in the direction of the Daidalos's underbelly. At the last minute, Shank seemed to realise her action, and his own lasers glowed with an eerie light as a bolt of energy shot across space to meet it midway. As the two flares met, there was a tremendous pulse of energy, and Ryoko was aware of Ken Ohki's yowl. Then the force of the pulse pushed her back towards her craft, engulfing both of them in light. She fought to raise her forcefield once more, but it was to no avail, and as light overwhelmed her, she felt the world around her spinning. For a moment all she could feel was Ryo Ohki's terror at the back of her mind.
And then, all was black.