Chapter Four

The bridge of the spaceship was silent, lit only by a single dim light at the furthest end that flickered and danced at intervals, spreading intermittent light across the craft's upper level as the young woman slipped carefully through the wreckage to the main control centre. Her weapon in her hand, she pushed carefully on the door, turning to signal to her companion that it was safe to follow.

A clatter and a muffled 'ouch!' told the woman that her partner was on her tail and she rolled her eyes, hesitating and then slipping back the door, jumping into the drive room as she cocked her stun gun, every inch of her prepared for action.

"Stop!"

The voice of her commander jerked her back to herself and she hesitated, lowering her weapon as the ship's deck was suddenly bathed in bright light and the simulation faded around her. Frowning, she slid her weapon back into its holster, turning to send her superior a questioning look.

"Sir?"

"Mihoshi, you're still not quite getting the hang of this business of stealth, are you?" The commander's eyes were trained on her companion, and the fair woman smiled sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, but I got my finger stuck in my belt clip." She said contritely. "I dropped my gun, but it was an accident."

"Well, she only dropped one thing this time, and she didn't trip over the door step." The young woman leant up against the wall, faint amusement in her blue eyes. "So that's got to be seen as progress."

The Commander shook his head slowly.

"Kiyone, I want to spend some more time on this with Detective Mihoshi." He said wearily, and deep down Kiyone knew that he was not relishing repeating the training exercise with one so clumsy as her partner. "You might as well head back to Yagami and check the scanners for any incoming data. There's nothing wrong with your stealth movements - in fact, I think you've improved by leaps and bounds in many disciplines in the course of the last year. There's no need for you to repeat the exercise and it would just be a waste of your time."

"Yes, sir." Kiyone saluted her superior, then cast Mihoshi a sympathetic smile.

"You're almost there." She said amiably. "I'll see you back at Yagami, all right? And we'll go grab some lunch."

"All right." Mihoshi looked resigned. "Don't go to eat without me, Kiyone - I'll work really hard but don't leave me behind - I'll starve!"

"I promise. I won't leave Yagami without you." Kiyone nodded solemnly. Then she saluted her commander again, slipping out of the training suite and back along the hallways towards the docking bay where her spaceship was moored alongside its many sister ships. As she stepped out onto the landing gantry, she stopped, staring up at the gleaming red hull with a sense of satisfaction. She and her ship had been through many trials together, but despite it, both of them had survived.

"But if I really have improved so much in so many areas, that's not entirely down to my own hard work." She acknowledged, boarding her ship and heading up the steps to the main drive room. "I don't know what the Chief would say if he knew that once or twice a week for the past twelve months I'd been slipping out of Headquarters for training on board the Unko. It's a good thing that Mihoshi sleeps so soundly next door, else I'd never stand a chance. She tends to have a sixth sense about me when she's awake, but while she's sleeping, she's dead to the world."

She stifled a yawn, looking rueful.

"Although late night training sessions take it out of you." She acknowledged. "It might be doing my career a lot of good, but sometimes I really need to get a full night's sleep!"

She ran her fingers over the scanners idly, dropping down into her chair as she checked over the various incoming messages. Most of them were just general alerts, and she dismissed them, knowing that duty patrols would already be on their way to investigate and that the Yagami was not on shift to leave Headquarters itself for another twenty four hours.

One final message remained, and she frowned, recognising the incoming transmission frequency as that of the Unko itself. She pursed her lips, then reached over to hit the dial, waiting impatiently for the big screen to flare up before her, and the grainy image of the Unko's pilot, Seiryo Tennan to materialise on the monitor before her.

"Seiryo?" She asked hesitantly. "What gives? It's the middle of the day - why are you buzzing my ship?"

"Kiyone." The man's features flickered into the screen, and in an instant Kiyone knew something was wrong. Although he offered her a greeting smile, there was a dazed dullness to his normally sharp teal eyes, and she bit her lip, her mind racing as she contemplated the possibilities.

"How are you? It's fortunate that I caught you so easily - you are alone this afternoon?"

"What on earth's the matter with you?" Kiyone demanded. "Mihoshi's still at training, so yes, I'm alone. And don't waste time with all that how are you rubbish - something's upset you and you might as well tell me what it is! I'm guessing that whatever it is is going to interfere with our scheduled training session tomorrow - that's why you're calling me, right?"

There was a long pause, and then Seiryo let out a heavy sigh, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm afraid that I'll have to cancel that." He admitted. "If it it's not inconvenient for you, I may have to...to cancel more than one. I'm not sure that it will be easy for me to..well...it's just difficult at the present time."

Kiyone's eyes narrowed as she ran her gaze over him carefully. Then she shook her head.

"Tell me." She said frankly. "No secrets, Seiryo - you should know by now that you can trust me. Tell me what's going on."

Seiryo hesitated again, then he spread his hands.

"I suppose I didn't just call you to tell you that." He admitted. "I called you because...because I wanted to speak to someone who's not wrapped up in everything. Someone away from it...some kind of distraction."

He bit his lip, then,

"Kiyone, my mother passed away late last night." He added quietly. Kiyone's eyes became big with alarm.

"Your mother? Oh no...Seiryo, I'm sorry!"

Seiryo sighed again.

"Well, it was to be expected. She lived longer than any of us really thought she might, so for that I should be grateful." He confessed. "But in truth, I don't. I feel angry, more than anything. I'm not sure I totally believe it - even though I hear myself saying it to you, it's still not quite real."

"How is Suki taking it?" Kiyone asked softly. Seiryo pursed his lips.

"Better than I am, I think." He admitted. "She spent most of the night crying, but this morning she seems more...more focused on what we need to do."

He frowned.

"I don't know why I'm bothering you with this, to be truthful." He added. "Since it's not really your problem at all. But I suppose I needed to speak to a friend...someone I thought might understand. I've tried to get in touch with Washu on the Earth as well, but the Unko seems to be too far out of range - or she just is too busy to make any kind of contact with me. I've been trying to buzz you on and off for a while - I'm sorry to bother you when I know you're working."

"No, forget about it." Kiyone dismissed it with a flick of her fingers. "It's all right - it's fine. Really. But are you sure you're okay, Seiryo? You look shell-shocked - completely dazed, if I'm honest. You said Suki has cried - what about you?"

"Crying isn't something I do."

"Oh, you men and your fragile egos." Kiyone sighed. "You can't keep it bottled up, and we both know it."

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm doing that exactly." A humourless smile touched Seiryo's face. "The old tool hut in the grounds of the Tennan Estate is rather the worse for wear. I was so angry, I didn't really think about what I was doing - the thing is entirely in splinters, now."

"I see." Kiyone drummed her fingers on the dashboard, casting a fleeting glance behind her as she remembered Mihoshi would soon be on her way up. "Listen, Seiryo, do you want me to come out there? I mean, to the Unko -or to Jurai? I promised Mihoshi to wait for her and that we'd do lunch, but I know she'd understand if I explained it to her. She might be the most airheaded member of the force, but she has a big heart and she wouldn't mind, if she realised a friend was in trouble."

"I'm not sure that I could stand Mihoshi-san's particular brand of bigheartedness right at the moment." Seiryo shook his head. "And it would be wrong of me to tear you away from your duties, Kiyone. Though I appreciate the thought - just talking to someone outside this house has helped."

"Well, talk to Suki." Kiyone told him quietly. "If she's keeping it together, you might want to take some tips from her. And what about Tokimi? How is she dealing with the whole thing?"

"Tokimi is..." Seiryo faltered, the he shrugged. "She seems to have accepted it as some kind of, well, natural turn of fate. She's been twisting together flowers all morning, which she says are for...for Mother. I guess that it's some kind of Kii thing...I don't know. But she seems best prepared of all of us. Like she knew that it was coming more than Suki or I did."

"Maybe she did. She is Kii - perhaps she saw it in Lady Kaede somehow."

"I don't know. Tokimi is still an enigma in so many ways - I don't pretend I always understand." Seiryo sighed.

Kiyone frowned, sitting back in her chair as she pondered things in her mind.

"Mihoshi's on her way up. I can hear her steps on the gantry from here." She said at length. "So I have to cut this short. She has no idea that I've been meeting up with you so often, and I'd rather she didn't know about our secret training sessions. Even though she doesn't hate you any more, she's indiscreet, and the Chief was mad enough about me teaming up with you to rescue Washu from Rikishouki. He definitely would not understand why I'm breaching regulations and taking secret training from a former Galaxy Police Elite who once tried to kill me. I don't need him questioning my sanity a second time. But..."

"But..?"

"I will find a way to slip away from here later on this evening. And I'll come to Jurai. Alone." Kiyone made up her mind. "No," as Seiryo opened his mouth to protest. "I'm decided. You called me because you wanted my help somehow, even if you didn't ask for it directly. And you've more than given me help over the past few months. I owe you that much. So expect to see me this evening."

"Kiyone, I..."

"Shh." Kiyone shook her head. "I have to go. But I will see you later. I promise."

Seiryo sighed, then nodded his head and Kiyone saw a faint flicker of relief pass through his troubled teal eyes.

"All right." He agreed, and the detective knew she had called the situation right. "Thank you, Kiyone. Goodbye."

"Bye." Kiyone hesitated, then flicked off the communication switch as the door of the drive room slid back to reveal her tousle-headed companion.

"Well?" She asked quietly. "How did you do the final time around?"

"Better, I think. I didn't drop my gun." Mihoshi seemed pleased, but at the sight of her friend's expression she frowned. "Kiyone, what's wrong? Did we get a bad message?"

"Sort of." Kiyone nodded. "Mihoshi, I had a communication from a friend. He...he needs me to travel to see him today, if at all possible. So after lunch, I need you to cover for me with the Chief. Tell him that I've had an urgent call out or something. Okay? Can you do that for me?"

"A friend?" Mihoshi looked alarmed. "Not Tenchi and the others?"

"No." Kiyone shook her head. "Not them, Mihoshi. Another friend."

"Has something bad happened?"

"Yes." Kiyone agreed. "He...well, someone close to him has died, and I think he needs some company. I'll probably be back tonight, but in case I'm not, you're not to worry about me. I won't be away long, and I can't abandon him when he needs me."

"All right." Mihoshi agreed soberly. "I'm sorry for your friend, Kiyone. It really sucks...of course you must go to see him. And I'll tell the Commander what you said."

"Good." Kiyone looked grateful. "Then let's go find some lunch, okay? Then I have to think about fuelling Yagami and shipping out into space, so I need to make a good meal before I do. I'm not quite sure what I'm going into, in truth - Yagami isn't the only thing that needs fuelling."

"Then let's hit the sushi bar." Mihoshi suggested, grabbing her friend by the arm and Kiyone allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Because the sooner you eat, the sooner you can go see your friend and make everything all right!"

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

"Something's eating you this morning."

Kane glanced up from where he had been curled up beneath the branches of the big tree, frowning as he lowered the screen on his laptop. It was two days since the graduation party, where he and Tenchi had so nearly come to blows, and as he made eye contact with his companion, he found the memories of that evening flooding back. He sighed, setting his computer aside as the young man dropped down onto the grass, sending him a friendly, sympathetic grin.

"What's the matter?" He asked playfully. "Graduation is over and you're already writing up your resume?"

"Something like it." Kane grimaced, nodding his head. "Although now you've broken my train of thought, Kenichi-kun, I doubt I'm going to get it finished today. You always have the worst possible timing, I swear you do - not all of us can afford to live in this city off our father's earnings indefinitely, you know."

"Your family are in the wrong business." His companion's smile widened and he stretched out on the grass, reaching idly for the computer and lifting the screen before his companion could stop him. "Let me see that, huh? Maybe I can give you a few tips - after all, I know a lot of things about business and getting in at the right level. Maybe I can help you out - you know, it's sometimes who you know rather than what you know."

"I'm doing okay, I think." Kane frowned, grabbing his computer and sliding it back into its protective bag. "Though thank you for the offer. Right now I have a couple of places I'm looking into applying with - so I'll see how that pans out first, if it's all the same to you. Not that I want you to get the wrong idea - but I'd rather get a job under my own steam, if I can."

"Admirable." His friend laughed. "Though really, Kane-kun, you know that finding a job in this rat-race city isn't as easy as just pushing forward a resume and hoping for the best. Where did you finish in your class again? Fifteenth? Sixteenth? Something like that?"

"Twelfth." Despite himself, a flicker of annoyance crossed Kane's features. "Not that it's any business of yours. We may have gone to the same high school, Ishida, but we've had very different college careers. We both know that you have a place waiting for you in the family business now graduation is done with...class position isn't important to you."

"As you say." Kenichi eyed him speculatively, then, "What about that friend of yours?"

"Huh?"

"Masaki." Kenichi's eyes twinkled with humour as Kane's brows drew together in consternation. "I almost wish I'd bothered going to the graduation shindig. Far as I heard it from Kamikura, you and Masaki almost smashed one another's lights out - I missed an event, didn't I?"

"Masaki and I are not exactly friends." Kane said stiffly. "Not these days. People change, and not always in the way you expect them to. But that's none of your business, either. Masaki and you have never had much in common - and my friendships aren't your business, Ishida-san. We both know that's the case."

"Sometimes you can be so cold." Kenichi did not seem at all perturbed. "I guess you'd rather I didn't remind you of the fact that I warned you about Masaki's type when we all first enrolled. He's a country boy. Wound up in mountain shrine ritual and weird superstition. You're a city kid - and you've always had your head screwed on straight."

He paused, sending his companion a sidelong glance.

"I bet Masaki didn't finish somewhere round fifteenth."

"I finished twelfth." Kane bristled. "And Masaki finished third, if it's any business of yours at all."

"Only third?" Kenichi's eyebrows disappeared into his fringe at this. "Gee, he must have been distracted. I wonder what by."

"Can it, Kenichi. I'm not in the mood."

"No, I'm sure." Kenichi pursed his lips, and for a moment there was silence between them. Then he shrugged his shoulders.

"Still, now we're open season on visitors from other worlds, the job competition is going to be something manic." He said speculatively. "My father's already talking about the possibilities of outsourcing, and looking further afield to see if he can get a cheaper deal on the kind of electronic equipment he's looking for. It's the way it's going to be, I suppose, from hereon in. Now that the government seems to have accepted that these Juraians mean us no harm, it's bound to cause massive immigration. I heard a report on the radio this morning that in the United States they're already looking at setting up specific alien zones, and all of that. Areas where they can come and settle and be a part of society. It's a matter of time before the same thing happens here. After all, considering that Masaki's chick has been living here all along - don't the Japanese government think she's some kind of emissary or something? They're bound to take the same line as America, in the long run."

Kane clenched his fists, his eyes darkening at this.

"Japan is not going to become a base for every alien under the sun." He said quietly. "Whatever happens in other places, that's just not going to happen here."

"That's naive, if you ask me." Kenichi spread his hands, casting his friend a playful grin. "Hey, and who says it's a bad thing, right? Competition is good for business, so my father says. And I'm sure you stand as good a chance as anyone. I mean, some of this alien technology is out of this world - literally. But you've the homegrown charm, and I'm sure that it won't get in your way, now you're looking at finding a job."

"Ishida, are you just here to annoy me or what?" Kane demanded impatiently, and Kenichi laughed, shaking his head.

"No, of course not." He said lightly. "I only came to speak to an old friend about prospective job opportunities. That's all."

"And what do you gain from it, if you helped me out?" Kane frowned. "I don't understand. If your father's company is all gung ho about this alien business, can you really see me being a part of that? No offence, Kenichi, but I'm not sold on the idea and I'm sure that most ordinary Earth-born folk arent. Masaki might be a freak, shacked up with that girl of his - but he's an exception. People won't stand for it. Not in the long run."

Kenichi's smile widened, and slowly he shook his head. He slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to his companion.

"Father's interest in the aliens is more than just business." He said softly. "He hopes to exploit what he can find out about them. His belief is that, if we know what we're dealing with, and they become a threat, well, we can deal with that threat. They're being real obliging, giving us all this technology - but do we really know what any of it is for? That's why Father's so keen to get a finger in the pie. Know your enemy - isn't that how the saying goes?"

"You mean...when you say your father is outsourcing..." Kane's eyes widened, and he took the paper hesitantly from his friend's fingers. Kenichi laughed, nodding.

"He's conducting some secret research into them, under the guise of doing legit business." He agreed. "Earth people aren't stupid, Kane, and we're not going to be duped into believing all of this can possibly be good for our future or our freedom. But it's a risky business, getting involved in something like that when you consider that the government are all set to be friendly and accomodating to these Juraian creatures. That's why I sought you out. I know you have grievances, and you and I, we go way back. I'm not trying to screw you over or wind you up. But I do know you're smart, Kyoda-kun. And I do know that you're not easily swayed by popular opinion. If you believe in something, you hang onto it. That's why we've always been such good friends. Even if I am a spoiled little rich boy in your eyes."

"But I..."

"Am I wrong?" Kenichi asked softly, and Kane frowned, shaking his head.

"In that light, what you say makes sense." He said quietly. "But I'm not sure whether or not I want to be involved in whatever your father is cooking up. He's rich, Kenichi, and you have his protection. I don't have that, and I've seen with my own eyes how dangerous these creatures can be. I know what they can do - and it's not pretty."

"Read that." Kenichi indicated the folded sheet. "I think you'll find it interesting, when you know exactly how dangerous. Not pretty is an understatement, I think you'll agree...if you read that, you'll realise that the Earth might already be under assault. This is serious stuff, Kyoda...and I need to know I can rely on you."

Kane bit his lip, slowly unfolding the sheet of paper and smoothing it out on the grass. His eyes widened in alarm as he registered what it was, and he gazed at his friend in horror.

"But this is...?"

"Ryoko Hakubi's charge sheet." Kenichi nodded his head grimly. "Fresh from the archives of these Galaxy Police people Father has been talking to. A friend of his travelled to Jurai on the first goodwill mission, and he discovered that there were a few Earth-born officers working in this organisation...so he's been able to find out a couple of things about space and the peoples that inhabit it from them."

He tapped the photograph in the top right corner.

"She's Masaki's woman, isn't she? I am right - that is the same girl?"

"It's the same girl." Kane swallowed hard, running his finger down the extensive list of crimes. "Heist at the Galactic Bank of Jurai, raids on planets, random vandalism, theft, destruction, general antisocial behaviour...Masaki can't know about all of this. If he did...if he did..."

"Ryoko Hakubi is what's known as a space pirate, or so I've been informed." Kenichi shuffled into a more comfortable position, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know quite what that means, but it's a pretty impressive resume."

"When that man came...the night the club was destroyed...he was with the Galaxy Police." Kane whitened as fresh memories flooded his senses. "He called Ryoko some kind of criminal then...I remember it now. He said...something about...about the scum of the universe. Is that why he came here, in the end? My memories of what happened are a little fuzzy - but did all that happen because he came to the Earth to arrest a dangerous space criminal?"

"No doubts in my mind." Kenichi nodded his head. Given that kind of record, no wonder he was full on. And there's more, too."

"More?" Kane glanced up in horror. "More than this, you mean? Isn't this bad enough?"

"Yes." Kenichi agreed. "But this...here. Look at this one."

He handed over a second sheet, and Kane unfolded it with trembling fingers, reading the words with an unsteady gaze.

"Haki." He murmured the unfamiliar name, then, "Oh God. Are you for real?"

"Unfortunately, I am." Kenichi said grimly. "According to my father's sources, this Haki guy has murdered and slain his way across the universe for generations. Longer than any of us have been alive, even. It's well known with these Galaxy Police people that Haki and Ryoko were associates. Haki taught Ryoko to be the same kind of creature he is. We have a real demon in our midst, Kane. A true viper. And unless we act now, we might just find the Earth becomes the latest victim of a vicious pirate assault."