Galaxy Police Complex

by DishonorableKnight

Often abbreviated as "GPC"; defined as "confidently convinced as being better than every other law enforcement agency in the galaxy". Their proof? Four letters: S.I.F.O. Starring Kiyone and Mihoshi as they join a squad that solves cases more subtly than most. With teammates like an academy classmate, a short lieutenant, and an eccentric detective, they're ready for anything.

2. Operation Hangyaku

"Yagami," Kiyone called out as she walked into the cockpit and made a few final adjustments to the collar on her uniform vest. Right away, a hole in the cockpit's ceiling opened up and out came a mushroom-shaped robot. It's two large eyes quickly adjusted and focused on the officer.

"Hello again, Officer Makibi. Where shall we be off to now?" Yagami asked.

"Headquarters, just as soon as Mihoshi returns."

"Very good… then again, I'm sure you don't NEED to bring Officer Kuramitsu every single time we have to depart this system. I've been theorizing that perhaps her performance will increase if she's given more time to rest on Terra."

"Negative. You call it 'rest', but I call it being 'Mihoshi'. I don't need to remind you of her certain 'tendencies' when she's alone, do I? Besides, I do have a reason to bring Mihoshi this time. Now, hurry up and run diagnostics." She commanded.

"Of course, Officer Makibi. Just a suggestion."

Only Tenchi remained outside near the house and looking into the forest; the others had gone back inside to continue with dinner. His patience was rewarded when Mihoshi emerged from the house, haphazardly holding a bundle of clothes and Galaxy Police gear.

"So, you're leaving Earth for now?" Tenchi asked. "GP business I imagine."

"Yeah, Kiyone and I have to return to Galaxy Police Headquarters for a special assignment; they didn't tell us much about it though. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll both be back very soon!" Mihoshi said happily.

"That's good to hear," Tenchi replied. "It's just too bad you have to go, but I guess that's a part of your job. Alright, I'll give the news to everybody else inside; you shouldn't keep Kiyone waiting. Stay safe out there, Mihoshi."

Mihoshi raised her right hand to her forehead in a salute to Tenchi before she rushed back to the Yagami.

"Oh, and Mihoshi?" Tenchi began, catching Mihoshi's attention just before she disappeared into the forest again. "Never mind. It's not important right now."

"Mandatory electrical systems safety check, complete, dual ultra-energy reactor stabilization, complete; artificial gravity generator, online; navigation computer set to Galaxy Police Headquarters in Sector 00, inputted; interstellar communication equipment, online; cabin pressurization systems, online; armaments and shields; fully charged and on standby. All systems are fully functional, as usual." Yagami answered.

"Good." Kiyone turned around in her swivel seat and looked at Mihoshi, who was walking by and looked to be nearly overwhelmed with a hapharzardly-gathered bundle of clothes. "Are you ready to leave, Mihoshi?"

"Yeah," She said. "I told Tenchi that we're going to Headquarters. I already have what I need on the Yagami, too, so we can launch right now!" Mihoshi said enthusiastically.

"You're sure you didn't leave anything behind, again?" Kiyone asked Mihoshi suspiciously. "Anything at all?"

"No, I didn't! I have my control cube with me and…" Mihoshi leaned back too far in her attempt to see around the bundle of clothes, and she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor. She quickly stood up and looked at her partner as if nothing happened. "What else does a Galaxy Police Officer need?" She asked innocently.

Kiyone chuckled. "I hear balance and common sense are bargain these days, but what do I know? Alright, we're launching." She turned back around to Yagami and nodded to the robot.

From the surface, Tenchi saw the Yagami as it roared into action. The branches of nearby trees were bent away from the force coming from the thrust of Yagami's engines, and the whole of nature woke up from its slumber by the loud noise. Slowly, the crimson starship lifted off the forest floor into the air. Then the ship tilted upwards toward the stars above the heavens and slowly climbed into the sky. It rapidly picked up speed and instantly broke the sound barrier with a huge crash in the air and whizzed away from Earth faster than a bullet.

Tenchi looked on as the ship soared above and beyond his imagination and became a flickering light that slowly faded away before being swallowed whole by the darkness.

"If only I could be like them for once… if only I could be…" His train of thought was interrupted by familiar feminine voices coming from the house.

"Tenchi! What the hell are you still doing out there? Come on! There's still plenty of sake left!"

"Dump it in the lake for all I care! I won't let Lord Tenchi taste a single drop if he doesn't want to!"

"Oh... coming!" He said as he walked back into the house.

---

Episode Two:

Operation Hangyaku

The National Assembly's speaking chamber that earlier was alive with noise and debate was now eerily silent and lifeless, as though not a single soul remained. Most of the lighting had been shut off, leaving much of the large room bathed in darkness save for the windows that let in the moonlight and the lights from the authorities just outside. In the pristine seat reserved for the prime minister, Kagato rested his chin on his hands as he silently stared into the darkness.

The deputies comprising the National Assembly sat petrified in their seats; they knew that they couldn't be seen individually, but they felt as though they were the prey being continually stalked by the predator known as Kagato. Every sound or motion they made could attract the attention of this predator; and given the fact that one of their own has already perished, it was not shy to show its fangs.

One of these men was Deputy Kiro. A fellow deputy sitting next to him leaned and whispered into his ear. "You... you don't think that madman is going to kill the Prime Minister, do you?"

"Why not?" Kiro whispered back. "He's already killed Suboru without hesitation, so he's not afraid to carry out his threats. But what worries me is that if he does kill him, the authorities outside will hasten their folly plans and get the rest of us killed."

The man nodded slowly. "Yes. It just fills me with fury to know that we are entirely powerless. Being pawns in a madman's game does not sit well with me."

Kiro patted his fellow on the shoulder. "I suppose it is best to not think about it. Just pray to Tsunami that we don't meet our end here. At the very least, I suspect Kagato will not penalize us for praying."

One of Kagato's men walked entered the room and approached him quickly. When the man walked into the faint light, the blue and gold colors that symbolize Jurai's Republican Guard caught Kagato's attention.

"I assumed you would have discarded that silly outfit by now," Kagato commented with a tint of laughter.

The henchman shrugged "Honestly, it's very comfortable to wear. Anyway, boss, it looks like the Emperor isn't going to pay us and the National Assembly a visit after all."

"Yes, that has become exceedingly clear to me now. Emperor Azusa disappoints me immensely, but there is little we can do about that now."

"Well… what ARE we supposed to do now?" The man asked assertively. "We're surrounded, you know. The JCDP have this entire district sealed off, we're stuck here. Eventually, they're going to try to force their way into here too."

Kagato waved a hand in front of his subordinate's face and weakly smiled. "The situation is not that simple. They have completely blocked us from exiting, true, but we have completely blocked them from entering; I made you see to that, didn't I? They also know, or at least think they know, that we brought an explosive with us as insurance. They obviously would not want to risk the lives of innocent politicians, so they are going to stay right where they are, for now."

"That makes me feel a little better, but still, what is our goal here? If the emperor is not going to show, what's the point of this whole thing? This just seems like a waste of time!" He said with annoyance.

Kagato laughed softly, "On the contrary, my friend, our time has been most productive. My main task has already been fulfilled, believe it or not. In starting this little incident at the heart of the Juraian Empire, I have caused a name, 'Kagato', to ring soundly at every corner of this city and soon this entire Galaxy."

The man was now incredibly confused by Kagato's answer. "You did all this just for media attention? I don't get it. Not one bit."

Kagato smiled. "Do not underestimate the power of words. Now, think about it from their perspective; today, a group that everyone thought was relegated to the annals of history has suddenly returned and taken hostage Jurai's National Assembly, almost without effort I may add. That fascinates and boggles the average Juraian's mind, wouldn't you agree? To them, we appear as magicians; we just made the impossible possible."

The man nodded his head slightly in agreement, but he wasn't satisfied completely. "But… but that'll all go to waste if we don't get out here! The clock is ticking, and we'll be exterminated for good this time if we don't come up with any more magic tricks!"

"I do not require magic to solve this problem. But, if you are still worried, then perhaps you can go and decorate the interior with the 'gifts' we brought with us." Kagato said as he pointed towards the rectangular object sitting inert nearby.

"Wait, you're telling me those are...? S-so you want to pull the old…? I understand. Of course, boss, I'll get right to it." He said hurriedly as he walked over and examined the object.

"Have faith, my friend. No matter what happens here, this is not the end of anything, only the beginning... oh how have I not noticed that horrid stench right next to me?" He asked in surprise. "Be so kind as to get rid of it!"

---

Across space, a red streak known as the Yagami soared past stars and planets at an impressive speed. At the top middle portion of the ship was the cockpit, currently occupied by Kiyone. She had her legs stretched out over the dashboard and her hands were holding the back of her head as she leaned in her swivel chair. The Teal-haired GP Officer was silent as she stared into the vastness of space whizzing by in front of her.

Apart from the low, ambient noises coming from various electrical equipment, things were silent. She found this silence comforting, especially after another day of hearing heavy construction equipment, angry customers, and the roars of Ryoko and Ayeka as they tried to kill each other. Indeed, Kiyone could now slowly slip into the depths of her consciousness; she felt the tense muscles in her body gradually loosen and relax. Unconsciously, her eyelids began to shut and...

"WAAAH!"

A loud crash broke Kiyone's trance. Her eyes flung open and her mind instantly became alert as she sprang up in her chair and spun around towards the noise. Unsurprisingly the sound came from Mihoshi, now dressed in her uniform. Her blonde hair was strewn all over the floor and covered her face right outside the Yagami's cockpit.

"Let me guess, those new pairs of boots they issued us last month are still giving you trouble?" Kiyone remarked, turning back around to the view of the stars. "What did you want, anyway? I don't need any help piloting right now."

Mihoshi took gave herself to slowly stand back up before she said, "Oh, I just wanted to ask: was GP Headquarters ALWAYS this far away? When are we going to get there?"

Kiyone rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Yagami emerged from the ceiling again and quickly turned to Mihoshi. "If my navigation data is correct. We've just passed by the outer reaches of Seniwa's territory and GP Headquarters is 184.1 Standard Interstellar Units away now. At our current speed through Ultra-Warp, we should arrive at Headquarters in approximately twenty-eight minutes, thirty-five seconds and counting."

"That good enough for you, Mihoshi, or do we also have to remind you of the ratio of light-years to SIU?" Kiyone chimed in while Yagami quietly retreated into the ceiling.

"N-no, I remember the ratio. Thirty-six to one."

"Thirty-eight, Mihoshi!" Kiyone shot back. "That's one of the first things we were taught in our naval course, thirty-eight to one!"

"Alright, alright, I'll remember from now on." She responded defensively. "Oh, I just wish that we were there now! I'm hungry!"

One of Kiyone's eyebrows raised itself as she turned and looked back at Mihoshi with confusion. "What, all the snacks you keep stashed in your room isn't enough? Besides, you just ate dinner at Tenchi's house, didn't you?" Kiyone asked.

"Well, I was, until we were interrupted. I can't believe it, the day we have to return to Headquarters and Sasami made really good miso soup for dinner!"

Kiyone sighed. "Admittedly, that miso soup was very good," Kiyone said. "Look, just hold off on your appetite for a little longer, alright? The last thing we need is for you to get distracted when we're meeting with the Superintendent."

There was silence between the two for a while, but while Kiyone was calm and absorbed by her thoughts, Mihoshi was timidly pivoting in her seat and lightly scratched her head as she looked down at the floor. Kiyone eventually noticed her behavior, knowing that Mihoshi was trying to say something. Eventually, Mihoshi cleared her throat quiet and spoke up. "You know." she began. "What you were talking about at dinner..."

"Drop it, Mihoshi." Kiyone immediately interrupted. "I don't want to talk about it."

Mihoshi looked away in disappointment. "I… sorry I brought it up. Um… I should probably take a shower before we arrive at Headquarters," she said meekly, knowing full well that Kiyone would see through that excuse. She stood up from her chair and walked out of the cockpit and again left Kiyone alone in silence.

"Was I just cranky from a bad day at work, or did I mean it?" Kiyone asked herself. "Oh, it doesn't matter anymore. I just need something else to think about."

More time passed before the navigation computer showed that they had nearly arrived at their destination. The ship immediately dropped itself out of space-warp and soon a great structure came into view from the cockpit. Kiyone was now sitting straight up in her seat and Mihoshi walked back into the cockpit, her golden hair glistening slightly from recently being washed.

A red light then began blinking from one of the screens- a hailing order from headquarters. Kiyone maneuvered in her seat and pressed on the button. On the main view, a tired-looking man tore himself away from his holographic computer and addressed them.

"Incoming Galaxy Police vessel, please identify yourselves." A cold, monotone voice said.

"This is Detectives First-Class Kiyone Makibi and Mihoshi Kuramitsu on board the Yagami- Designation Four-Seven-Zero-Five-Eight-One-Zero-Three. Requesting permission to board GP Headquarters. Over." Kiyone replied.

He turned back over to his computer and typed in the provided designation. "Standby. Identification has been confirmed. Permission granted, Yagami. Your arrived has been predetermined; you will land in Hangar 5, Platform D."

"Understood. Out." Kiyone said, switching off the transmission. "Alright, Mihoshi, make sure you keep all of your Earth snacks on the Yagami, otherwise we'll get swamped with security thinking it's narcotics... Mihoshi, did you hear what I… Mihoshi?" She looked over at her partner, who somehow fell asleep in her chair. For some reason, Kiyone was tipped over the edge from seeing Mihoshi dozed off while she was talking to her. She faced Mihoshi in her swivel chair and firmly kicked her in the shoulder, sending the officer tumbling to the floor.

The shock from the impact onto the floor immediately woke her, and Mihoshi yelped in surprise.

"Huh, what's going on?! Wait… why are we at Headquarters, Kiyone?" She asked her partner.

"Get up, you bubblehead," Kiyone said casually, wearing a faint smile on her face. "And strap yourself in while you're at it."

"Huh? What for?"

The blue exhaust from Yagami's auxiliary engines soon dissipated. Two smaller ships- evidently towing ships- maneuvered to the sides of Yagami and shot out large beams that immediately forced the ship to a complete halt in space. The cockpit shook with the sudden stop, and Mihoshi, reluctant to strap herself to her seat like Kiyone, was thrown from her seat violently and landed back onto the floor. She winced in pain as she slowly stood back up and sat in her seat.

"For that," Kiyone replied, trying harder to contain her enjoyment.

Mihoshi slowly rose from the floor and sat back in her seat she noticed the two small ships that were towing the Yagami into headquarters. "Say, why are we waiting for towing ships, anyway? We used to land the Yagami manually, didn't we?"

"We did, at least until that little incident we had last time," Kiyone replied.

"Last time? What are you talking about?" Mihoshi asked.

"You don't remember how we rammed a towing ship and crashed into the far wall of Hangar 7 because you accidentally set the Yagami's auxiliary engines to full power?" Kiyone asked her, annoyed again. "We were put on desk work for a whole month because of that!"

Yagami chimed in. "It's also the reason I was removed from the retired frigate Yukinojo and reinstalled onto the Yagami. I have no complaints about the arrangement, as I was about to be used in target practice right before that incident!"

"Oh… that? I already told you that it's not my fault the color-coding is wrong!" Mihoshi protested. "If blue means 'go' and red means 'stop', then why is the 'Full Stop' button blue and the 'Full Speed' button red?"

Yagami interjected. "The GP's naval color coding does not correlate with Terra's primitive locomotive regulations and…"

"Because WE'RE NOT ON EARTH, MIHOSHI!" Kiyone interrupted, too frustrated to let Yagami give the standard response. She let out a sigh of defeat, realizing that it would be pointless to try and make her partner remember anything from the past week, let alone year. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now. Let's just meet the Superintendent."

A set of wide doors larger than the Yagami opened up and the crimson ship was slowly dragged near the second set of doors that remained closed. The first set of doors then closed shut, and after a moment of re-pressurization, the second set of doors opened into a large hangar bay. The Yagami was carefully dragged inside before landing on the floor of the hangar bay. A hole on the bottom of the ship opened, and a blue hue of energy came through. Stepping into the opening. Kiyone and Mihoshi slowly descended to the floor of the hangar. The blue energy went away as soon as the two officers stepped away from the ship.

As they landed and took a second to look around, they notice they were surrounded by other Galaxy Police vessels nestled tightly in the hangar, many of them being surrounded by massive metal structures with sparks flying off periodically- the sign of repairs and maintenance checks. In the distance, an elevator on the far side of the hangar's wall descended from above down to the floor, and a single woman walked out, quickly walking up to Kiyone and Mihoshi. When she came closer, the woman's amber eyes and crimson, short-cut red hair, and easy, entrancing smile we're unmistakable. "Mitsuki? Is that you?"

"Of course it is," Mitsuki answered. "What, did you have to think to remember who I was?"

"Maybe... for just a second," Kiyone said innocently. "It's been over a year since I've even looked at you."

"I'm hurt, Kiyo, but you'll have to make up for it later. The superintendent asked me to come over and fetch you two as soon as you got here."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Kiyone replied. "Thanks for the welcome. It's good to be back here."

Mitsuki nodded. "I bet it is. Must be a nice change of scenery from that backwater of a system that you got assigned with…" She glanced over to Mihoshi for a second. "I'll give my condolences for that. You know, I suggest you start praying to Tsunami more often. I think you're just a few strokes of luck away from a brand-new career in the GP, don't you?"

"Sure. It must be divine intervention that I'm here," Kiyone said, playing along with the joke. "But we better not test the Superintendent's patience."

The three walked back to the elevator that Mitsuki came from. Once inside, Mitsuki quickly operated the control console and soon the trio was lifted upwards out of the hangar completely. From their clear glass comprising the elevator, Mihoshi and Kiyone looked on as they passed level after level of people bumping into each other and haphazardly carrying their equipment as they strode through the halls of Headquarters. Kiyone saw it as just one step above pandemonium.

"Headquarters appears to be busier than ever these days," she remarked. "Did something happen while we were away?"

"Yeah, there's a new war between Seniwa and Renoir in Sector Six and it's caused a surge of piracy and smuggling. We've been working 'round the clock to try and stop it, but as long as those wrinkly cranks keep squabbling over a bunch of rocks, we're not going to make much headway."

"War? Why is my homeworld fighting a war?" Mihoshi spoke up.

"If I remember right, they're feuding over a border system, and I suspect just for the fun of it, too," Mitsuki answered before she looked at the blonde woman in confusion. "I'm confused actually, how do you, of all people, not know about this? I mean, you're a Kuramitsu; your family rules Seniwa!"

"Sure, but I was never told by anyone from there about it. Come to think of it, they never talk to me about anything!" Mihoshi said.

"Hold on… do you mean to tell me that your own family doesn't contact you, like at all? Not even just a quick 'hello', or 'how are you doing'?" Mitsuki pressed.

"Not even once. I mean… I don't even know who rules Seniwa!"

"Really?" Mitsuki said, sounding unconvinced by Mihoshi's answer. "Now why would that be? Oh, don't answer! Let me guess: you got disowned from the Kuramitsu after joining the GP, didn't you?"

Mihoshi scratched at the back of her hair, completely lost for an answer. "Um… I don't think I was." She said with uncertainty. "Or maybe I was and nobody told me? Wait... why is Seniwa at war with-"

"Finally," Kiyone interrupted as the elevator came to a smooth stop.

They walked out of the elevator. Mitsuki guided Mihoshi and Kiyone through the crowded maze of doors and hallways. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a long hallway with just a single set of double doors at the end. Mitsuki approached the small terminal at the side of the door and pushed a button on the touch-console.

"Come in." A voice from inside commanded, and the door quickly opened. Inside the dimly-lit room, a woman drank tea in a large armchair as she looked at the stars from the exceedingly large window opposite the doors.

Mitsuki announced their presence as the three officers walked inside and stopped in front of the desk in front of the woman. "Superintendent Fujiwara. I brought Mihoshi and Kiyone here, just like you asked."

The woman slowly turned around in her chair and rested his elbows on the desk in front of her. She had long emerald hair tied in two buns and down her back in a ponytail, and her uniform was white and adorned with medals on the left breast. Her golden eyes glared intently at Mitsuki and Kiyone as saluted the Superintendent as they saluted her; Mihoshi saluted soon after being elbowed by Kiyone.

"At ease." She said, clearing her throat and taking a sip of her tea. "I've been eager to speak with you in person."

"It is likewise an honor to speak with you in person, Superintendent," Kiyone replied.

Fujiwara waved her hand dismissively. "Formalities are for the grunts. If we're going to know each other, I'll give you three special permission to call me 'Airi'. And I do mean it's special; I don't even let the General Secretariat or Vice Superintendent call me by my first name."

"Of course, Super… Miss Airi." Kiyone corrected herself. "Now what sort of crisis on Jurai did you want to talk to us about?"

Airi took another sip of her tea before she answered. "Well, maybe 'crisis' was an exaggeration; it's just that Jurai's entire National Assembly has been taken hostage by a group of militants."

"What?!" Kiyone and Mihoshi yelled out simultaneously.

"That's just about the reaction I expected," Airi said with a small smile. "The leader of this group, Kagato, has been kind enough to announce his presence to the entire galaxy. Watch his message for yourself, and you'll see he's quite a charismatic fellow." The lights in the room darkened, and the space seen through the exceedingly large window was replaced by a video recording. On display was a man with silver hair and dressed in exotic clothing who called himself Kagato and who fervently demanded that the emperor come and face him personally. Kiyone and Mihoshi were shocked slightly when the camera moved down and showed the corpse of a politician and worried when Kagato threatened to blow up the entire National Assembly if his demands are not met.

"What'd I tell you? Very charismatic." Airi commented as the video when dark and the lights in the room brightened again. "The trouble is that he's serious, too. If he's already killed one man then he'll probably make good on his promise to kill the Prime Minister and everybody else if nobody stops him. So we're going to stop him, and that's why you three are here."

"Us three?" Mitsuki repeated.

"Yes, Mitsuki. It has been decided that you will accompany Kiyone and Mihoshi for this operation."

Mitsuki was flabbergasted. "Wha... since… since when was that decided?"

Airi made a long pause as she took another sip of her tea. "Since just now. You don't think I needed an errand girl to escort two Detectives First-Class to my office, did you? I've looked into your records as well, you know, and your performance is impressive… even if Major Kusanagi has less-than-stellar things to add personally regarding your conduct."

"Forgive my tone, Airi, but Major Kusanagi is a complete tool! He's just jealous and feels like I don't deserve to be promoted to a rank higher than his own. He'll smudge the reports as much as he can just to keep me a Detective-Sergeant!"

"Well, that's something I ask him about if you're serious, but for now, you three will report to Lieutenant Ryoji Ishizuka in Jurai City, and believe me, you'll know him when you see him. I have given him full control of this operation, so you'll be taking orders from him when you arrive."

"We understand, Superint... Miss Airi," Kiyone corrected herself again. "Is there anything else we should know before taking our leave?"

"Sure." She answered. "I don't want to say this, but I am ordering you three to NOT fail in this mission. Not only are the lives of innocent people at stake, but I have personally promised the Emperor of Jurai that we would be successful. I would hate to disappoint him."

Mihoshi spoke up suddenly. "W-wait, don't tell me you're going to FIRE us if we fail! We just arrived from Earth… sorry, I meant 'Gaia'... or was it 'Terra'?" She interrupted herself, putting a hand to her chin in confusion. She shook her head and continued with her original thought. "Well, it just doesn't seem to be very fair..."

Immediately, Mihoshi's mouth was closed shut tightly by Kiyone, who wasn't about to allow her partner to defy the Superintendent of Galaxy Police herself. "Oh, don't mind Mihoshi." She said casually. "She's just trying to give herself a few laughs before the mission; it helps ease her stress. Right Mihoshi?"

"But, but Kiyone!" Mihoshi forced out of her mouth. "This isn't protocol, it's not r..."

"Your partner is more perceptive than you think," Airi said to Kiyone, who finally let go of Mihoshi. "Under normal circumstances, I would never do something like this; I find it very unprofessional of me to blackmail officers just to do their job. However, this case is unique. Never before have the Galaxy Police been given such a vital task as rescuing an entire governmental body from terrorists. And while the Emperor didn't threaten this when I spoke with him, I guess that Jurai will cut its funding of the Galaxy Police if we make a mess down there; it wouldn't be the first time, you know.."

She now stood up from his chair and walked around his desk to face the three officers on level ground. Her voice now seemed divine in its delivery, as a goddess commands his disciples to do her bidding. "I have personally selected you three to participate in this operation because you have all proven time and again to be of an exceptional breed of Galaxy Police Officer that can be counted on to get results. More importantly, I selected you three because I trust that you will not fail." She cleared her throat before continuing. "Granted, if you fail anyway, I'll hold no qualms about pulling enough strings to put you three on trial for negligence and get dishonorably discharged from the Galaxy Police. I suggest that you make sure things don't come to that."

"We understand, Miss Airi. I thank you for putting your trust in us." Kiyone said.

A smirk grew out of Airi's face before she walked back around the desk and sat in her chair again. "That settles things. You have your orders: make the GP look good and rescue the National Assembly, then come back to tell me all about it. Dismissed."

---

A man lay still on the ground right outside the massive doors of Jurai's National Assembly. Slowly, his eyes opened themselves and saw the small stars in the night sky and he breathed in the cool midnight air. Then he smelt a strange, disturbing, and familiar scent. Right away he realized it was blood, his blood.

"Oh… what am I doing here?" He asked himself. The man put his hands to the ground and pushed up, trying to get up onto his feet. An intense and sudden bout of pain made him fall over on his back and he groaned quietly in pain. He looked down at himself and saw an ominous handle in his lower abdomen, with blood very slowly trickling out from it and staining his clothing.

Then he remembered the story. He was stabbed right here not too long ago when a mysterious man wearing the uniform of Jurai's Republican Guard walked up to him. At the moment right after being stabbed, a plan quickly formed in his head to improve his chances of surviving by laying still and making the wound seem fatal, which it almost was.

He remembered that being just before dusk, but now he saw that the rays of the star Taiyo had long ago fallen below the horizon. His original plan was to get up shortly afterward and alert the authorities, but his body evidently couldn't take the pain and he passed out.

"Ah, you idiot! You were supposed to play dead for a few minutes, not hours!" He chastised himself. "I must be getting rusty."

The man again ran the events through his head, and he remembered another part of the story, that there was also the young guard who stood on the opposite side of the set of doors when he was stabbed. Sure enough, he turned his head to the left and he saw the corpse of a man wearing the same clothing as he did. He grunted fiercely and he made a greater effort to stand up in spite of the pain, this time succeeding. He wobbled over to the corpse, nearly falling over again before looking down upon the man.

He saw his young, smooth face and open eyes that were traumatized by the stabbing wound that tore through his chest. He looked near the body and saw a sword that was caked in blood, evidently the murder weapon. Then he looked over at the young man's sword, still held in his cold, dead hands.

He knelt next to the fallen man and carefully moved his hand over the man's eyelids, closing them. Then he closed his own eyes and moved into a praying stance; his head bent down and his hands pressed flat against each other. He said, "You poor soul… far, far too young. But don't worry, I'll make things right and bring your killer to justice, it's the least I can do."

Moving out of his praying stance, he took the sword from the fallen man's hand and placed it into his empty sword sheath attached to his uniform; he had already noticed that he lost his sword in the darkness. In the distance past the winding marble pathway, he could hear the low roar of sirens and the lights of the authorities.

As he put two and two together, he realized that there was a hostage situation just inside the National Assembly. He needed to act, but 'how' was the question. He was too injured and ill-armed to take on whatever assailants were inside; but, the authorities could use whatever information they could get. Fortunately, he knew that he knew one bit of information that would certainly be useful.

"Detective Yoritomo, it looks like you have a new case on your hands." He said to himself as he walked down the long set of stairs down into the path. But then he heard a loud creaking noise of the heavy doors behind him, and he darted down the steps- that is, as fast as he could move without causing himself pain from the blade still in his body- and he made his way into the foliage and out of sight from the door. He heard two men talking from there.

"Hey, did you hear something out there?"

"No? Is it the police?"

"Eh, I don't think it was; it might have been an animal or something... wait, wasn't there two bodies out here, not one? Damn, I'd check but I'd rather not get shot by a sniper, you know?"

"Right. Just keep watch from the nearest window and stay out of sight."

When the voices died down and he heard the heavy doors shut again, he got up and continued to walk into the foliage, hoping that he would reach the nearest street without the risk of getting spotted on the path.

---

As Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Mitsuki were walking back through the halls of Level Eight on their way back to the Yagami, a man quickly walked up to them. He was pushing a large cart with boxes towards them. "Excuse me, are you three the officers headed to Jurai?" He asked plainly. "There's something I need to give you."

The man knelt and opened one of the boxes on the ground. He removed the top and he pulled out black and grey uniform and what appeared to be a helmet. Mihoshi moved forward and took both from the man's hands, nearly dropping the helmet.

"What are these?" She asked. "Presents? Oh, that's sweet of you. I mean, we don't even know your name yet!"

"What?" The officer asked in embarrassment. "N-no, the officer you're scheduled to meet with on Jurai contacted Logistics just now. He requested that you three come outfitted with these Type 89 Special Forces Combat Suits. He said you'll need them for your operation." He placed the other two boxes on the ground and hurried away.

"Oh, thank you," Kiyone called out. She snatched the uniform and helmet from Mihoshi and analyzed it herself. "Type 89? I assume these are new."

"It's so new I've never even seen them," Mitsuki said. "I overheard some of the rumors, though, that R&D was supposedly making a brand new combat suit to replace the old Type 85s, and this time they were adding a brand new Helmet that also functions as a HUD. You know, scanners, comms, the works. This must be it."

"I'll try it on for myself as soon as we're on the Yagami," Kiyone said.

The trio continued through level seven and back down the elevator where the Yagami was parked in the hangar. Once inside, Kiyone took the helm of the vessel and steered it out headquarters and back into open space. After inputting the coordinates for Jurai into the navigation computer and getting the ship began its journey, Kiyone made her way into Yagami's onboard equipment room to change into her brand-new combat suit.

It was not the most comfortable place to take one's clothes off, but Kiyone was so used to the cold metal floor and bright lights that she could hardly complain. She carefully unbuttoned her standard GP Uniform and took it off. When the outer vest and shirts are removed, all GP uniforms are single-piece, one-size-fits-all suits, and the combat suit she was now holding in front of her was no exception. It slid on just like her regular outfit, but once she pressed the button on the back of the right sleeve and the suit quickly shrunk to fit her, it was unlike anything she wore before. This one felt firmer and sturdy, but just as flexible and elastic as her regular uniform, perhaps even more elastic. The outfit also came with a utility belt and pockets for holding tools such as her control cube.

And then there was the helmet, laying on a bench to the side. She was still surprised by how lightweight it was when she picked it up and examined it. She found a short cord that was just long enough to connect to the combat suit's modular input on the back of the neck. Then her fingers ran up and down the helmet until they stumbled upon the activation switch near the left ear. She put the helmet on, and the clear pane of glass in front of her eyes immediately activated and closed in on her face, like a pair of glasses. She saw the corners of her vision being covered by dark green letters and symbols.

Out of curiosity's sake, she took her handgun from its holster and pointed it at the door. Kiyone saw that her HUD had adjusted to accommodate the use of the weapon, with a brand-new cursor in the middle of her view and a small window at the bottom left of her view that detailed the weapon's energy status.

Then the door opened and Mihoshi curiously stepped inside the room. Kiyone quickly holstered her weapon, and she saw that her HUD had zeroed-in on and quickly identified the officer as "Kuramitsu, Mihoshi, DFC."

"Woah! You look strange in that outfit, Kiyone!" Mihoshi remarked, walked towards and around Kiyone in fascination.

Kiyone felt for the switch and took the helmet off. "I imagine, it looks nothing like our regular uniforms. You'd think they would've at least given us an instruction manual or something on how to use it, but I guess this operation will be our real test with it."

"But how does it feel?" Mihoshi asked. "Is it like our regular uniforms?"

"No. It feels… better. This doesn't feel like a regular uniform, but it's more like I'm wearing a weapon. The HUD that comes with it will take some getting used to, though. Alright, you and Mitsuki get outfitted too." Kiyone made her way past Mihoshi and toward the cockpit.

A short while later the Yagami had reached Jurai. Kiyone looked out at Jurai City- a city which wasn't too hard to spot from orbit. Yagami emerged from its spot in the ceiling.

"Lieutenant Ryoji Ishizuka is currently located in the Imperial District near the center of Jurai City. I'll guide us in." It said.

The Yagami touched down carefully on the pavement. Kiyone and her two fellow officers, now dressed in combat suits themselves, descended from the Yagami and landed on the ground, and for a moment they all took in the air and looked around at the nearby building. While they adhered to a classical style that predates the massive skyscrapers in the rest of the city, they were still marvels in their own right.

"Wow, Jurai City is larger than I could've ever imagined!" Mihoshi said out loud. "It's certainly bigger than Okayama, don't you think?"

"Okayama?" Mitsuki asked.

"Ah...a Terran city we chose as our base of operations," Kiyone answered before turning to Mihoshi. "Remember, we didn't come here to do window shopping. We're here to do our job. Remember what the Superinten… what Miss Airi said," She corrected herself again, "if we mess up the three of us are done for!"

"Of course, it's not like I'd forgotten. Let's go find that lieutenant person we're meeting with." Mihoshi replied.

They walked down the street in the final stretch of their journey. As they neared a collection of people, ordinary citizens clambering to get a closer look at the situation and Jurai City Police officers- identified by their plain white and green fatigues and gold badges- looked in awe and surprise at the three GP Officers as they casually walked by clad in their dark military-style attire.

Right in front of the gate and front pathway which leads to the front doors of the National Assembly was a small shuttlecraft parked in the middle of the street. There was a large retractable door that was open, and just inside a man was sitting in place and looking at a projected screen right in front of him.

The three women in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and he stood up facing them. The man was wearing a grey trench coat that covered most of his thin body, but what little skin that was exposed was remarkably pale, even compared to Kiyone's white skin. His eyes and brows were narrow and dull; his nose was small and pointed, and his lips were thin; his dirty blonde hair was short and poorly combed; overall, he looked like he was not a regular field officer.

"Oh, I assume you looking for me? Welcome to Jurai City. I'm Ryoji Ishizuka, Lieutenant Ryoji Ishizuka." He said, emphasizing his rank. "It's about time you showed up."

They all gathered around the lieutenant, and Kiyone was the first to speak. "Greetings, lieutenant. I'm Detective First-Class Kiyone Maki…"

"Makibi, I know." He interrupted. "While I was waiting, I looked into files for all three of you, so I know everything I need to know for now. Needless to say, I hope the Superintendent is right about trusting you three because I requested at least eight operatives for this operation."

Mihoshi keenly noticed how they were all standing at least half a head taller than him. "Wow, for a lieutenant, you're a lot shorter than I imagined!" Mihoshi said. Immediately she felt pain in her ear as it pulled hard by Kiyone. "Ow, ow ow! Hey, what'd I say?!"

"What? It's not like she's wrong or anything!" Mitsuki said to Kiyone, chuckling.

The lieutenant put a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But me being just 159 centimeters tall doesn't make me any worse at my job, which is why the Superintendent chose me to lead this operation. Now if you're all done with the mundane observations, Detective Kuramitsu, we have a National Assembly to rescue."

"Of course, lieutenant. Just tell us the plan you had in mind," Kiyone answered, wanting to speed things along.

"Alright. Well, since we didn't even know about this incident until Kagato conveniently told us he and his buddies were here, we have no clue how many are inside the building; it could be as low as ten or as high as fifty for all we know. Therefore, our objective our Operation- Codename: "Hangyaku"- is strict elimination."

"Elimination?" Mitsuki repeated. "So, we're not busting through the front door?"

"Unless I didn't care about getting fired for your incompetence, then no. I have a better idea," He said. Then he reached into his trench coat and whipped out his pink control cube and began twisting and turning it until a few small metallic objects fell right into his hands. "These are attachable grappling hooks that you're going to use to scale the National Assembly building from the southwest corner up to the third-floor windows and break your way inside. From there, you'll need to stealthily enter the building's central chamber, apprehend Kagato, and disarm the explosive device he showed off in his video recording. Do that and you'll give the Jurai City Police the all-clear to make a breach from the front and clear out the rest of the building."

"That sounds too convenient," Kiyone protested. "What if they anticipate us coming from above? We'll be putting ourselves at risk from the start."

Ishizuka sighed. "Sorry, but nothing else will do. Believe me, I've spent the past hour running the calculations through with every other possible point of entry and most have such a low chance of succeeding they're not even worth mentioning. But I've tested an infiltration from those third story windows again and again with multiple variables at play and I'm getting a mean success rate of sixty-five percent. Not ideal, obviously, but I'll take what I can get. There's no other choice but to-"

"You don't understand how important this is!" A voice rang out, breaking Ishizuka's concentration.

The group looked over and spotted a floating gurney nearby. Laying on the medical bed was a man dressed in blue and gold clothing whose face was full of fury towards the medic who was pushing the gurney.

"What do you mean we have to go now? I told you already the bleeding is under control! I just need to speak to the head honcho here." He begged the medic. His eyes then turned towards Ishizuka and others near the shuttle. "Wait, the GP is here? Medic, push me over to those GP officers!"

"You're telling me you want that thing in your body longer!?" The medic asked, referring to the blade. "I'm sorry, but what you need to worry about is getting immediate treatment at a hospital, not GP Officers!"

"This is an emergency, don't you understand?!" The man yelled at the medic." As a member of Jurai's Republican Guard, I order you to move me over to those GP Officers!"

The medic sighed. "Suit yourself, but don't act surprised when the wound gets infected. Five minutes."

"Greetings, officers. Junichiro Yoritomo of Jurai's Republican Guard, at your service. How's your first time in our fair Jurai City going?"

"Wait, Republican Guard? We thought they all got killed when the building was taken over," Ishizuka said to the man.

"I thought so, too, but I woke up with this blade in me a little while ago and I managed to wobble my way over here without passing out again. It's not so bad, really; if the blade went a little deeper it might've pierced my kidney or something. Lady Tsunami must have a thing for me, eh?" Yoritomo said jokingly.

Mitsuki was not impressed with the man's boasting. "Don't press your luck, old man. You should be in a hospital right now, not talking to us. Besides, we're very busy trying to save the National Assembly if you haven't noticed; as in, we're doing the job YOU were supposed to do!"

"You try getting stabbed in the gut all of a sudden, why don't you? It's hard to keep thugs out when you can't even stand up!" He replied harshly to the red-haired woman. "Just listen to me, you need a way into the National Assembly, right? I'm guessing you were planning on using the roof to get in; not bad, but I happen to know another way that will work guaranteed."

Ishizuka opened his eyes wide from that last point. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"There's a passage underneath the building. It's old, probably built alongside the National Assembly all those years ago. Nobody ever told us about it, either; I only found out after poking around the place while on duty. Anyway, the passage leads from out of the National Assembly into Jurai City's old sewer systems. If you want, you guys could enter the old sewers and use the passageway yourselves to get inside; Kagato and his boys would be none the wiser."

"Well, that changes things. If you're serious about it, then where can we find this passageway?"

Yoritomo pointed to another tall building in the vicinity. "Look over to the Ministry of Energy, the one right down the street. In front of the building is an old manhole which is one of the entryways into the sewers. Once you're inside, head north until you reach a fork that divides the path into three directions; west, north, and east. Go east until you reach a dead-end, and near there is a false wall that's the end of the passageway. Now, this passageway is made of bricks, obviously, and of the bricks on the side is a button that opens the wall up when pressed. I marked it with a little scratch myself, so you'll know which one it is. Go in through that narrow passage, and you'll open a door that leads into a small basement-level room inside the building. What happens after that is up to you."

"North, East, a brick… I understand. Thank you, sir," Kiyone replied. "You may have just saved countless lives with what we know now."

"No… no," He said dismissively. "I've done nothing. You are the ones who'll be using my knowledge. Hopefully, you guys can sort out this mess. Good luck. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take care of this blade in my gut." He waved his hand over to the idle medic, who took the gesture as to continue with their journey to the nearest hospital.

"You've got to be kidding me! I didn't spend years training at the GP Academy just to crawl around in some dank sewer! Forget that half-dead old man, I'd rather just go in from the ceiling!" Mitsuki said loudly. "I mean, what if he's wrong and we get lost down there?"

Kiyone crossed her arms as she looked at Mitsuki in contempt. "If you want to risk getting shot at, that's your business, Mitsuki. However, Mihoshi and I are looking to get this done right, even if it means crawling through a sewer."

"Yeah!" Mihoshi agreed. She walked over and confidently put her shoulder around Mitsuki. "Anything is worth keeping the jobs we earned only after years of hard, grueling training, don't you think? Besides, what's the problem with the sewer? You can take a shower the second we get back to Headquarters, so it's not so bad! Let's do it!"

Mitsuki sighed and admitted defeat as she grabbed Mihoshi's arm and freed herself. "Damn it, fine! I suppose it won't kill me. Alright, I'll do it."

"Good, if we're all ready to begin," Ishizuka took out his control cube again and twisted it. This time, a headpiece device suddenly appeared onto the front of his face; it looked similar to that of the Officers' HUD helmet but smaller and more like a headpiece than military equipment. The lieutenant officer spoke up, "Follow me, we're starting this operation." He began walking down the street with the three in tow behind him. Soon enough they found themselves standing in front of the Ministry of Energy, and just as Kuro claimed, there was a single circular manhole in the middle of the street. Walking over to it, Mitsuki and Kiyone walked to opposite ends and grabbed the openings in the manhole and pulled up, raising the metal cover out and revealing a ladder that leads down into the darkness below.

"It's… it's so dark down there." Mihoshi commented.

"Your HUDs are equipped with built-in night vision that activates in dark environments, so you won't get lost down there," Ishizuka informed Mihoshi before turning to the other two officers. "Also, I'll be able to hear and keep track of you three once you're inside; if you need any help just call my name and I'll do what I can. Just don't ask me to come in there with my gun, alright? My aim isn't exactly up to par with field officers like you two… three, I mean." He said, looking innocently at Mihoshi.

Mihoshi rushed forward and fiercely shook Ishizuka's hand, taking him by surprise. "Don't worry, Ish… Ishi…" She stammered, struggling to remember the Lieutenant's name.

"Ishizuka." He finished. "Or Ryoji if you can't…"

"Don't worry, Ishizuka! We'll be extra careful once we're inside! You can count on us!" Mihoshi said joyfully, finally letting go of Ishizuka's hand.

"You're pretty enthusiastic about risking your life, but sure, I might as well pray that this doesn't end my career with the GP. As of right now, Operation: Hangyaku in effect. Good luck, and… ah, you probably heard that from the Superintendent already. Just get in there."

The three officers nodded, and Kiyone took the initiative and lowered herself into the manhole first, finding her grip on the ladder and quickly being followed by Mihoshi and Mitsuki. Before they even made it to the bottom of the ladder, their HUDs had activated their night vision mode, and their view was bathed in dark green and black.

Once inside, they looked around and found their bearings in the new environment. Despite Mitsuki's fears, the old sewer was dry and not offensive to the nose. They were in a single corridor that ran North and South. Kiyone followed the instructions given by Yoritomo and lead the trio north for a little while until they reached the fork in the road, just like the man had claimed there was.

"East," Kiyone said to herself.

They continued walking in silence for more minutes until they found themselves at a wall; it was a dead end. Kiyone scanned around the walls until she came across a door-wide opening in the wall.

"Wait, it's already open? Didn't he say we needed to touch a stone or something?" Mitsuki asked, confused.

"He did. Maybe he thought he closed this opening shut when he didn't. It doesn't matter now, let's just go in." Kiyone said.

She slowly turned the hand and the door slowly creaked open. Passing through the three found themselves inside a small room, perhaps a storage unit for sanitation equipment. There was a single staircase that led up. Kiyone took out her blaster from her holster and grabbed it with both hands.

"Get ready, you two." She ordered, and her two comrades took out their pistols. Kiyone soon made her way up the stairs and turned to her left. There was another door.

"Ishizuka," Kiyone said. "We've made it through without any problems. Does this door I'm looking at lead into the main building?"

"Affirmative," Ishizuka answered. "I'm looking at a map of the building's schematics, you'll be stepping into the hallway of a large rotunda, a circular hallway. You should find a single doorway that leads into the chambers where Kagato and the hostages are. Also, don't walk down any of the long hallways that leading out from the rotunda, you'll just end up at the front of the building. That's probably where most of the crooks are."

"Understood," Kiyone answered before turning to Mitsuki and Mihoshi. "Alright, we're going to split up and secure this hallway before closing in on Kagato. Mitsuki, you're going to…"

"Who are you giving me orders, Detective First-Class?" Mitsuki interrupted with a hint of annoyance. Kiyone was not having it, however.

"I am Detective First-Class Kiyone Makibi, and we don't have the time to argue about this. File a complaint to the lieutenant if you care that much." Kiyone answered sternly.

"N-no, please don't." Ishizuka chimed in over the comms. "I'm going to get swamped with paperwork as it is. Detective-Sergeant, I'm ordering you to follow Makibi's orders."

"Thanks, lieutenant. Now," Kiyone continued. "Mihoshi, you're going to stay right here and guard this hallway and doorway. Once I disable and apprehend Kagato, we're going to move him through here and get him out of harm's way. This is important, so I'm counting on you."

"All right! I won't let you down, Kiyone!" Mihoshi said happily.

Kiyone turned to Mitsuki. "And you're covering the eastern hallway, facing the front of the building. Now, I haven't forgotten what you were like in the academy, so try and keep a level head and just keep watch, got it?"

"All right, all right. I wasn't promoted to Detective-Sergeant by being an idiot, you know." Mitsuki replied, slightly annoyed.

With their objectives in order. Kiyone slowly opened the door and peeked out both ways. No hostiles. She turned back and nodded to her partners before entering the hallway. She moved cautiously, taking care to keep her eyes peeled for both hostiles and the nearest entrance into the speaking chambers. She couldn't find the first, but she eventually found the second. The right wall sank inwards and a set of double doors was isolated into its miniature hallway. Kiyone took a second look around before sitting down inside the miniature hallway, sighing relief.

"Getting restless, Kiyo? This is the easy part, you know." Mitsuki commented.

"I didn't ask for your opinion." Kiyone shot back, getting back up and walking towards the doors. "Do you see anyone coming from your position?"

"Nope," Mitsuki answered. "They must all be holed up near the front of the building."

Mihoshi spoke up," Same over here, I don't see anyone… and I can check my thermal optics if you don't believe me, too!"

"I believe you, Mihoshi, just stay where you are. Alright, I'm going to see if our target is in there." Kiyone immediately noticed a small metal grating on one of the doors-likely for ceremonial purposes- with holes that allowed her to see into the chamber. She tried looking through, but it was simply too dark for her to make out anything inside.

Undeterred, she knelt and pulled out her control cube from one of the suit's pockets. After a few twists and putting the cube away, she was holding a small blocky object in her left hand. Kiyone noted the two control sticks and four buttons laid out on the side of the block she was looking at, as well as the trio of cords coming out of one side. She grabbed hold of them, trying to insert them into the inputs on the left arm, but they weren't there. Remembering how she looked over the top of her combat helmet on the Yagami, Kiyone removed it and found a small input that fit with the cord.

"You know, lieutenant, you should tell those R&D scientists to make a version of this suit without all the wires. It feels like I'm hooked up on life support right now." She commented as she put her helmet back on.

"The Type 89 suit is supposed to be completely wireless, but it also wasn't supposed to be approved for manufacturing for another three months. I needed a suit, R&D said they wouldn't mind some field data, so I got prototype models for you three. Please bear with it, Officer Makibi." He said.

Kiyone sighed and went back to what she was doing. A small door in the blocky object opened and out came a tiny insectoid-like machine- the GP's standard aerial infiltration camera. Kiyone took a firm hold of the block and started controlling the tiny machine; the tiny rotary blades on either side of the robot began their revolutions. The glass on Kiyone's HUD glass went black before switching to the view of the machine's camera. With everything up and running, she began flying it. The robot carefully flew through the metal grating and entered the chamber itself. Soon, she managed to locate two people of interest.

"Alright, I see Kagato inside the chamber. I can only see another man standing next to him-probably the prime minister." Kiyone said, turning the drone towards the rest of the chamber. "The rest of the National Assembly are here, as expected… except for that one deputy who got killed."

"That's fine and good, but are you sure you can apprehend him alone?" Mitsuki asked. "I mean, he's must seem very confident in himself if he didn't want anyone guarding him."

"I'll fire a tranquilizing dart at him; a good hit to the neck and he'll be asleep before he hits the ground," Kiyone said confidently but then she took a second look at the drone's view and she noticed something. She remembered during Kagato's message that there was a rectangular object that was supposed to be a bomb, but now she found that object again and it didn't seem that way now. She could see three large holes on the top of the object. It seemed that this bomb was a container, a container for...

"Wait, what about that object we saw in the recording? I can see it now, but I don't think it's a bomb. No… it looks like a container that can fit exactly three smaller objects inside."

"Yes, I see that, but what are you thinking?" Ishizuka asked. "You suppose those objects are bombs themselves?"

"I'm not sure," Kiyone answered, disconnecting from the aerial drone and discarding the controller. "Lieutenant, can you look over the schematics of this building again? Exactly how many main supports keep this rotunda structure up?"

"Good question. Alright, I'm looking at it right now. It seems like… three, there are exactly three main supports distributed in a triangle along the rotunda. If they blow, it won't be enough to take down the entire building, but it will collapse the middle-section that houses the chambers and everyone inside."

"Damn!" Kiyone cursed. "It looks like my hunch was right. What we saw earlier was a ruse. Kagato probably wants to draw us in him and then he'll blow it!"

"Wow, this guy loves his little games," Mitsuki remarked. "Must've had a pretty bad childhood if he thinks playtime involves bombing a… alright, that would've been one of my worst jokes this year; good thing I caught myself!"

"Focus, Mitsuki," Kiyone commanded. "We'll need to find and disarm those explosives before we can apprehend Kagato. Let me think… alright, we can probably find and disarm them before anyone notices. Mihoshi, Mitsuki, you two are going to search for them for me. I'll keep an eye on Kagato."

"Sure, that beats sitting here and looking at an empty hall. Where to?" Mitsuki asked.

Ishizuka answered. "Well, Officer Tsukushi, from your current position, the nearest structural support should be… twenty meters northwest. Now, this support should come in the form of a large angular pillar, so it won't be too hard to spot. And Kuramitsu..."

"Yes?" Mihoshi answered. "The closest one to you is forty meters southeast."

"Got it," Mitsuki said. She took one last glance over at the hallway, seeing that there still wasn't any activity. "Going now."

The floors of the National Assembly were lined with thick, lavish carpets that greatly deafened any footsteps. Added to the noise-deafening soles on the bottom of their standard-issue GP boots there was virtually no chance that anybody would be able to hear either Mitsuki or Mihoshi approach as long as they were careful.

Mitsuki was the first to find her target. There was indeed a large pillar coming out of the wall and occupied a large part of the hall as it extended up into the high ceiling. She got close to the pillar and saw that Kiyone's fears were confirmed. She was looking right at a large, star-shaped object that was attached by wire to a smaller device. "Looks like I found something. Judging from the remote detonator wired to it, it's a bomb, and it's wired to explode at any moment."

"At least we know that my worries were warranted. Can you defuse it?" Kiyone asked.

"We're going to find out," Mitsuki answered. She rummaged through her control cube and was soon holding a multi-purpose tool that carefully pried off the outer layer of the detonator. "Well, this is odd. Very odd."

"How so?" Kiyone asked

"Well you see, Kiyo, the detonators we're trained to defuse activates when they receive a wireless signal from a linked device. For those, it's easy to sever the link between the detonator the wireless receiver…but this… I can tell this is different."

"How different?"

"Hmm…I guess you could say these things work oppositely. The detonator is receiving a constant wireless signal, but if it's interrupted, then the thing will go off. The source of the signal is probably some sort of device that Kagato is holding down inside that chamber you're looking at. If his hand lets go of that device and it stops sending the signal… well, I'm sure you get it."

"Are you sure that we're dealing with that sort of device? You could just be wrong."

"Yeah, I could, but I've seen a few of these before in some of my fun, little adventures. I have a good feeling that I'm right. What do you think we should do with them?"

"If you're right, then we can't do anything. The JCDP will have to deal with it when we're done here… wait a minute, I have a better idea. Mitsuki, can you store that bomb inside your control cube?"

"Uh… assuming that the time it takes to transport the bomb between dimensions… is less than the time it takes for it to detonate once the signal is cut… I guess it could work."

"Then do it," Kiyone ordered. "Mihoshi, how are things going on your end?"

"Well, I'm almost there, but somebody is standing nearby. Do you think I can ask them to help me with disarming the bomb?"

"What?!" Kiyone and Mitsuki said simultaneously.

"Absolutely not! That's a hostile you're looking at, Mihoshi!" Kiyone spoke angrily into her comms. A moment later she calmed down, realizing that no disaster has happened just yet. "Alright, good job on reporting in before doing anything. Now, do you see anyone else nearby? It's dark, so make sure you check using your thermal-optics too."

"No, I don't see anybody else… I checked on thermal-optic mode too, and there's nobody nearby. What should I do now?"

"Take him down," Kiyone said plainly. "Tranquilizers are fine... you did bring a tranquil-launcher, didn't you?"

Mihoshi rummaged through her control cube's inventory and managed to find every item under the sun… except for the one she needed. "I have a syringe, but no launcher. Uh…was I supposed to have both of them?"

"What do you think?!"

"Eh, don't be so hard on her, Kiyo. She can just chokehold him from behind. Classic CQC. You do remember your training, right Mihoshi?"

"Well, I remember the parts where I kept getting sent to the infirmary for bruises and cuts, and that one time I lost my last baby tooth from getting punched in the jaw… come to think of it, Mitsuki, weren't you the one who punched me?" Mihoshi asked.

"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about!" Mitsuki answered. "It wasn't a punch, though. I distinctly remember giving you a hard kick to the jaw. It was such a good kick, I'm surprised I didn't break your neck in the process! Sorry about that."

"It doesn't matter! Just hurry up and take him out!" Kiyone pressed. "We're running on a schedule here. Every second wasted is another second putting the National Assembly at risk!"

"Um, okay. I think I can do it. I will do it!" Mihoshi answered. She got stood up from her crouch behind the corner, looking at the masked man and noticing that he had turned his body and was looking in another direction.

"Come to think of it, why does that guy have silver hair anyway?" The man asked himself. "Does he dye it? To each his own, I guess."

Mihoshi carefully snuck over to where she was right behind him. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Mihoshi made her move…!

And then one of Mihoshi's boots tripped up on the carpet while she attempted to jump the man from behind. She lost balance and fell over and on top of the man, causing him to fall hard onto the floor face first. He was not finished, however. As Mihoshi was in the middle of standing back up on the floor the man turned his body around and kicked hard at the side of Mihoshi's legs, causing her to fall over again. He pressed his advantage, pushing his left arm off the floor to support himself while his right hand reached for the knife held at his side in a quick motion. He lunged onto Mihoshi and began to bring down his knife right near Mihoshi's neck, but then Mihoshi used her left hand to connect with the man's wrist and deflect it away. She brought up her right hand for a punch, and her fist struck home square in man's temple, knocking him unconscious and causing his limp body to fall on top of Mihoshi. She mustered her strength and pushed the body off her, allowing her to take several deep breaths before standing up. The Detective reached for the syringe she pulled out and injected the liquid right into the man's neck, putting him to sleep. "I… I did it!"

Mitsuki saw the entire ordeal from her synced HUD. "Well, all things considered, that was a nice sucker to the temple!"

"You're giving her too much credit," Kiyone said. "If there wasn't any carpet here we'd have already been spotted for the racket Mihoshi made." She sighed. "Give me an update, Mitsuki."

"Surprisingly intact. You were right, we can store them. More than one, since I already moved over and removed the second one. There's still the problem of trying to take them back out without causing an explosion, but one step at a time, I guess."

Mihoshi spoke up. "Um, Kiyone? I can't find the third bomb. There is a third one, right? Right?"

"There should be, keep looking!" Kiyone ordered.

"I am!" Mihoshi cried out. "But I can't find it anywhere near where it's supposed to be! Do you have any ideas where…" She stopped as suddenly a blast of energy came veering toward her. Mihoshi barely managed to dodge in time, the bolt of energy tearing through the outer fringes of her hair that couldn't fit in her helmet.

Mitsuki heard the commotion and instinctively leaped to the nearest cover, just as a flurry of energy flew past and hit the wall. "Uh oh. Kiyo, we have a problem." She said as she reached for her gun and started shooting back.

"We've run out of time, Makibi. Apprehend Kagato right now!" Ishizuka ordered.

"What about the last explosive?" Kiyone responded.

He sighed. "We don't have to think about that! Kagato needs to be taken out, that's our objective."

Kiyone nodded and stood up facing the door. She aimed her pistol and shot at the latch holding the double doors together, kicking them inwards and rushing inside the chamber. She immediately spotted Kagato, who was in the middle of struggling with the Prime Minister. He overpowered the politician and dragged him in between Kiyone and himself, blocking a clean shot.

The deputies started up a commotion from the scene and few of them stood up in astonishment. "Ah! Rescue at last! Praise Tsunami, we are saved!" one cried out.

"Stay right where you are! None of you are leaving until I leave!" He yelled towards the deputies before turning back to Kiyone. "And as for you, it's about time you showed up! The truth is I was beginning to worry that the Galaxy Police wouldn't be visiting and that I would be trapped here with nothing but boredom and politicians. Thankfully, once I heard a loud thump on the carpet just now, I knew my patience was rewarded."

Kiyone took a step forward. "I'm only giving this one chance to settle things peacefully, Kagato," Kiyone stated clearly. "Let go of the Prime Minister, deactivate the final explosive, and tell your men to stand down. Now!"

"Aren't you forgetting something? Kagato teased. His arm, previously stuffed inside layers of clothing was now out in the open. His hand was clutching a remote device and pressing down on a button, and there was a star-shaped object strapped to his right breast. "One innocent slip of my finger off this remote is all that it would take for this whole chamber to billow with fire and ash. I daresay you are the one who should stand down!"

Kiyone took another step forward, ignoring his rebuttal. "I'm not taking threats from a terrorist! I'll shoot you dead right here if you won't comply!"

He laughed, annoying Kiyone. "Enough with the empty threats. Do you think you have any power over me? You do not, and even if you did, I am not going to stop what has been set in motion. This note is just the prelude to the main symphony, it would be utterly shameful to stop. Unfortunately, I have run out of time to chatter. I shall take my leave and take the Prime Minister along with me."

Kiyone did not respond. She couldn't, as she did not know what to say or do. She was dumbfounded at her situation. Slowly, she felt her blood begin to boil, her gun tremble fiercely in her hand, and a surge of anger overtake her as she realized the horrible situation she was forced into.

It would be impossible to apprehend Kagato and shooting him wasn't a much better idea. Besides killing herself about a hundred-innocent people from the explosion, she knew it would also cause a major scandal for the Galaxy Police.

On the other hand, letting Kagato escape with the Prime Minister would not only cause a scandal for the Galaxy Police as sell, but it would get herself and her two partners Mihoshi and Mitsuki a court-martialed and expulsion from the Galaxy Police, as promised by Airi. For her, letting Kagato escape guarantees her losing her hard-earned position.

Now, she saw her predicament as a lose-lose situation: she could lose her life right now or lose it within the next two weeks. A terrible, twisted thought which ran through her mind. It was enough for her to make a decision.

She took a deep breath and steadied her trembling hands and aimed for Kagato's head with the assistance of her HUD's assisted targeting feature. She could still hear the ringing of energy weapons from her partners and Kagato's men going off in the distance, but they seemed like an afterthought now. Kagato said nothing, instead, he raised his eyebrows and smiled with one half of his mouth, curious if she was going to shoot him. Kiyone exhaled and closed her eyes, preparing to face the judgment for her sins as she pulled the trigger and fired.

The bolt of magnetized plasma emitted from her pistol passed harmlessly through Kagato's face and hit the wall.

Metaphorically, her jaw dropped to the floor. She didn't expect Kagato to take the liberty of bending the laws of physics just to toy with her.

Kagato laughed softly at Kiyone's anguish. "As I said, you have little input in whether or not I am leaving, but what you just did was… very interesting. You were prepared to sacrifice yourself and everyone here, just to kill one man? That's not something I expected. As I said, I have run out of time to talk. Fear not, I'm sure fate will acquaint us again, some other time. Goodbye." To Kiyone's surprise, Kagato and the Prime Minister began to fizzle out of reality before abruptly disappearing.

"Holograms. Of course, holograms," she muttered.

Ishizuka interrupted, "There's no way he can escape this building. Find him and eliminate him!"

"Right. But where could he have gone if… oh no." Kiyone muttered.

"What is it?"

"What if… but that would only make sense if he was the one who opened the..." She gasped and realized the depth of her discovery. Just then, one of the deputies of the National Assembly walked up to the officer with joy on his face.

"I sincerely give my thanks for you to undertaking the dangerous of rescuing us. Now then, I request that you escort us out of here at… once." He only now noticed that the woman had already rushed back out into the halls. "Why... the nerve of cretins!"

A fellow deputy put a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't be so picky with your saviors, Kiro!"

Pinned down and firing blindly into down the hall, Mitsuki was not happy about her situation. She fired another volley of shots before retreating to cover. She reached for her control cube and skillfully operated it with just her left hand. A grenade soon appeared on the floor and Mitsuki quickly snatched it up, pulling the pin and throwing it down the hall. To her surprise, the halls didn't ring from an explosion but filled with a plume of dense smoke.

"Smoke? That'll work too." Mitsuki switched on the infra-red mode on her visuals, and once there was a lull in the incoming fire she leaped out into the hall and aimed for the bright red targets, three of them. She hit two of the three targets before again dodging out of the way.

"Ishizuka? What's the matter with you?!" She yelled. "You said there would be JDCP waiting for us on the outside. I'm waiting!"

"I'm waiting for Officer Makibi's confirmation that she has eliminated Kagato." The lieutenant answered.

"Oh, that's great, lieutenant, really is. In the meantime, what am I supposed to do? My gun is running low on charge here!"

"Officer Makibi will soon deal with the situation. Try to maintain some level of composure until then."

"Composure," Mitsuki repeated with disgust. "Why, I'll show YOU my 'composure' when I get out of here!"

"Hmm… on second thought, I'm sending in the JCPD. Right now. Standby."

---

The henchman in the Republican Guard's uniform was inspecting his work as he finished planting the star-shaped bomb on the wall of the basement-level room. "I got to say, that was a very convincing performance you two put on for that officer. Completely fooled her." He commented, looking over to his master.

"I have always had a certain gift for acting. Perhaps I am a celebrity of such caliber in another universe." Kagato responded, then looking over the Prime Minister. With his non-occupied hand, he grabbed hold of the man's left shoulder, looking down into his brown eyes. "But we have no time to discuss such things. Now, shall we take our leave… you know, I never learned your real name."

The Prime Minister sighed as he felt his shoulder being squeezed hard by Kagato. "Hideaki Tojishima."

"Well, mister Tojishima, has our time come to leave yet?"

Tojishima was about to open his mouth to protest when he felt an incredibly overbearing chill run down his spine. There was something about Kagato's stare that penetrated all his layers of mental and physical fortitude, and he suddenly felt very weak. "Y-yes. Let us leave this place."

"Excellent," Kagato said, looking and nodding toward his henchman. With the Prime Minister opening the door leading the trio through the passage, they found themselves walking through the old sewers.

"But… tell me, why would you bother with a bomb when you could've taken the time to escape through here already?" Tojishima asked.

Kagato looked back at him. "It's a simple reason, really; my hand is unbearably tired from holding down a remote detonator for three whole hours."

"Y-you mean that you weren't bluffing!?" Tojishima asked, startled.

"I am a murderer, a thief, a brigand, and many more distasteful occupations that you will soon learn about; yet, in spite of all that, I will tell you right now that I am not a liar. Fifteen men followed me into the National Assembly, and of them," he nudged his head towards his fancily dressed henchmen, "he is the only one who will make it out alive. Do you think I could have convinced them to throw away their comfortable, tranquil lives and become my martyrs if my ideas rang hollow?"

"I suppose not. So shall I become another one of your martyrs?"

"No." He answered quickly. "Fourteen men will die for you, Prime Minister; your one life is not equal to all theirs. To compensate, I have a vital task that you will accomplish for me. Oh, and before I forget…"

---

The antique lock on the door was not going to stop Kiyone from apprehending Kagato. Again, she shot through the relic without a second thought and kicked the door down. She rushed down the stairs and was in sight of the door that led into the passage. Her rush forward stopped dead in its tracks, however, when she heard an ominous beeping sound. She only glanced a brief look at the bomb on the wall before her academy training kicked in. She bolted for her only path to safety, the stairs...

Mihoshi, hunkered down behind cover and hoping that the bad guys wouldn't figure out that her weapon had run out of charge, didn't need her communication systems to hear the huge explosion that shook the entire building and nearly toppled her over. As she recovered her bearings, she unconsciously looked towards the source of the explosion, which happened to be the area that she and her partners had entered. Remembering her partner Kiyone's conversation with Ishizuka a few minutes that she picked up from her HUD a few minutes ago, Mihoshi's eyes slowly filled with terror at the possibility of her partner being…

"Kiyone!"

---

PREVIEW OF

NEXT PROGRAM

Mihoshi: Well, I have no idea how we managed to get entangled into that national… something business, but I'm just glad that it's over! Now I can go home and tell Tenchi and the others all about what just happened!

Mitsuki: "Hey, hold it! I haven't seen you in a year and you're just going to leave like we didn't even meet? It's a wonder how Kiyo puts up with you! Besides, I hear that Airi is opening up a brand new special ops division for gifted officers. Now use that beautiful head of yours and think, wouldn't this be a great chance to climb the ladder?"

Mihoshi: "What are you talking about, Mitsuki? There aren't any ladders at headquarters, maybe elevators, but not ladders! Wait, are these SECRET ladders you're talking about? We'll find out in the next episode of Tenchi Muyo: Miho-Kiyo Complex:

Special Intelligence Field Operations

"It's unquestionably an intriguing proposal!"

---

Authors Note #2: Among Other Changes…

While I was typing this episode, I realized that one of my original characters, the Galaxy Police Superintendent, was very similar in personality to Airi Masaki, a character in the OVA continuity and Tenchi Muyo GXP who also happens to be a high-ranking member of the Galaxy Police. In light of this, I've elected to do a bit of a switch. The previously male and nameless superintendent has been replaced with Airi, as she can fill the role just as well. However, since I want Miho-Kiyo Complex's story to be as far removed from the OVA series as possible, I've decided to change her surname in Miho-Kiyo Complex to "Fujiwara". Otherwise, Airi is the same character you're familiar with from the third OVA and GXP. I apologize for the confusion and I'll soon make edits to the first episode as to maintain consistency going forward.

I'll also apologize for the extreme delay in releasing this episode. I wanted to finish it within a month of episode one, but as I kept working on it, I continually introduced more and more ideas and concepts that delayed my progress on the actual content of the episode. However, I would not necessarily see this as a bad thing, because overall this episode is now more complete and satisfying than what I would've rushed out due to an arbitrary deadline.

I may also apologize for the increased length of this episode. To keep myself from draining the reader's resolve and patience, I originally wanted a hard-limit of 12K words per episode. However, I soon realized that would not be possible for this episode, especially since this one is particularly important for the introduction and development of a few characters who will play major roles from this point forward. Time will tell if I can still keep to the 12K limit.

Another thing; I've decided to scrap the title naming convention of "No need for..." that's used in Tenchi Universe. I realized that it would've gotten old after a while and it wouldn't be funny.

In any case, if you're still around and willing to continue reading, then I insist that you favorite it; give a comprehensive (please tell me what you liked and suggest improvements) review; tell your friends, fellow fanfiction connoisseurs, and Tenchi Muyo fans who might also be interested; and stay in touch for the next episode, which will (hopefully) come out in the near future.