The Pirate's Soldier

by operation meteor

Heero's career as a Preventers operative takes a strange turn when he gets caught up in a fight between a Juraian royal and a notorious space pirate. As the two alien beauties settle in with him on Earth and more soon follow, the former Gundam pilot soon finds himself to be the target of their affections, with a certain lovely outlaw at the front of the pack! M for some language.

15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: Whew, this one took a while! Lengthwise, it's not actually as large as some of the other chapters, but the reason I took so long to complete it is because it marks the official start of the Space Arc. I wanted to make sure that I kicked things off right, especially since this is the arc that'll be dominating the rest of the story.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: No Need For An Incursion!

January 28th, A.C. 199

Once again, many light-years away from Earth…

Cruising through a particularly lovely patch of the azure Crow Nebula, the Silver Hand was a marvel of modern engineering. Seed-like in appearance, its sleek and streamlined hull measured 500 meters in length. Although such measurements would qualify it under the classifications of Jurai's Imperial Fleet as either a light to medium cruiser or a heavy armored transport, in fact it was something more akin to an armed yacht. Concealed beneath its smooth hull-plating were rows of plasma cannons that could be revealed and brought to bear on would-be marauders at a moment's notice, and the vessel's shields were powerful enough to take salvos from warships twice its size. A small bulb towards the front of the craft held the main bridge, while the rear flared slightly outwards in order to accommodate the ship's powerful engines.

If the vessel's gleaming chrome exterior was impressive, then that was nothing compared to the yacht's interior. Every surface was lavishly polished and adorned. Hardwood linings that were worth more than entire transports could be found throughout the ship's corridors, and the floor had a crimson cover that was almost sinfully soft and comfortable to walk upon. High-class observation lounges could be found on both sides of the ship, each set up with its own bar and an attending kitchen. A small but elegant garden was located not too far back from the bridge, and there were enough luxury guest quarters to accommodate no less than a thousand affluent and influential passengers in sublime style. If they wished, said passengers could gather and mingle in a central ballroom with all the comforts one could hope for, including a panel that could retract and reveal the stars above; the guests would be protected by the combination of a thick, reinforced viewport and force fields.

All those features were more than sufficient to suitably impress anyone lucky enough to be invited aboard the yacht as a guest, but the two owners of the vessel had different sections of the ship that they favored. One preferred the highly sophisticated communications and map chamber, which was outfitted with the latest in military technology and would've been the envy of any warship's commanders. The other had a penchant for the hedonistically luxurious bath that was set up on one of the lower levels; it was large enough that it could easily have been mistaken for a pool, and it was lined with dispensers filled with the most expensive and decadent soaps and fragrances that one could find in the galaxy.

The bath only had a single occupant at the moment. This was to be expected; this particular woman wasn't the kind to hand out an invitation to join her lightly. Leaning back against the side, the water tantalizing revealing just the top-most portion of her breasts while further down one of her lithe yet athletic legs jutted from the surface, she luxuriated in both the cleansing and the solitude. Her silver hair flowed down to her waist and spooled freely around her in the water, while her eyes were currently closed, sparring the galaxy just for a moment their sharp and ruthless silver gaze.

Just because her eyes were closed did not mean that she was unaware of her surroundings though. Far from it; she'd had a very long time to sharpen her senses to the point that the temporary deprivation of one was hardly a hindrance. She could feel every ripple in the water, hear the whisper of the steam on the air, and smell and taste every nuance of the multiple fragrances that wafted about. She might've been stripped of her clothing and weapons, but she was far from vulnerable.

A small chime sounded from a speaker mounted on the nearby wall. Her eyes remained closed, but she could easily picture in her mind the screen next to the speaker coming to life…

…and her brother's face appearing on it.

"Sister," Kagato began.

"It's not like you to interrupt me here," she said, "Has the bounty hunter shown up on our scopes?"

"Yes," Kagato replied, and she could picture the small smile on his face, "She's heading right for us; Ken-Ohki's long-range detection capabilities are as formidable as we suspected."

"Even in the depths of the Crow Nebula, hm?" she said with a smirk, "How intriguing. I suppose you want me present for your meeting with her, then."

"That is why the two of us are out here, after all," he reminded her.

She nodded. "I know, although just one of us could accomplish this task. Still, with someone like her I suppose it's important to impress upon her just who she is really dealing with here. Very well, brother. I'll join you shortly."

"I'm looking forward to it," Kagato replied.

As he disappeared from the screen, Ragyō Kiryūin Jurai opened her eyes and smiled. Despite her earlier feigned indifference, in truth this was a meeting that she'd very much been looking forward to, and her brother had been well aware of that.

"Ah, yes," she sighed as she stood up in the bath and let the water run down the alabaster skin of her goddess figure, "Life is amusing."

Let the games begin!

….

Nagi's eyes narrowed as she approached the custom yacht. "Ken-Ohki, is he drawing a bead on us?"

"Meow," her living starship replied; there were no active weapon locks on them.

Nagi nodded. "All right, then. Let's get started."

Her right hand gliding across one of the crystalline orbs that served as controls for Ken-Ohki, Nagi set up a communications link with the Silver Hand.

A familiar face appeared on the monitor, but this time it was in full color. The silver hair, pale face, tiny dark glasses, and sharp silver eyes; it was the face of Kagato Kiryūin Jurai.

He smiled as his gaze met hers. "Welcome, bounty hunter Nagi. I've been looking forward to this day for quite some time now."

"There's no need to use my occupation as a title," said Nagi, "So, do I have permission to come aboard?"

Kagato nodded. "The starboard hangar has been cleared just for Ken-Ohki. Please, proceed at will. Upon your arrival, you'll be guided to the site of our meeting and the one-hundred thousand Imperial Juraian credits specified in the prior message will be transferred to your account."

"Understood," Nagi replied, "I'll see you shortly. Nagi, out."

Even though it had been two weeks since the initial message, Nagi still had a hard time believing her prospective client was willing to dish out so much just for a meeting. That sum alone was enough for some serious gear upgrades, and if he'd been telling the truth before then that would pale in comparison to the figure on offer to this job. Nagi idly wondered just who had pissed off this particular royal to the point that he was willing to go incur such expenses to seek retribution.

Well, branch royal might've been a more accurate term. Given that the history of the Empire of Jurai spanned nearly 150,000 years, it was hardy a surprise that there were multiple offshoots of the Jurai Royal Family. The main branch, which held the core name 'Masaki', was the one that had sat on the throne since the founding of the Empire, but the number of subordinate branches easily went into the triple digits. They all varied in power and prominence, with some having a few minor holdings while others maintained vast spheres of influence.

The Kiryūin branch was the latter. One of the oldest of the branch families, it was well established within the Empire of Jurai and enjoyed such prestige that it was about as close to the top of the aristocratic food-chain as a clan could get. It held multiple galactic commercial enterprises under its sway, was renowned as an exceptionally generous patron of scientific research, and the fleet that operated under its banner was one of the deadliest in all the Empire. Only the main branch of the Jurai Royal Family surpassed it and scant few of the subordinate branches could rival it.

What kind of a target Kagato had lined up for her Nagi could only guess at. The lengths he was going through to secure her services suggested that this would be far more than just another bounty.

"Meow…" her living starship murmured.

Nagi nodded. "Yeah, I'm getting those vibes too. Something's up here."

She could still turn back, and there was the temptation to do so. Nagi didn't like going into a potential job with so many unknowns, and the whole setup reeked of royal intrigue. Petty politics between minor nobles was one thing, but this was one of the most powerful branches of the Royal Family in the Empire. They wouldn't be calling her in just to go after a high-profile criminal when they had their own forces at their disposal.

By rights, I should walk away, she thought, I've always told myself that I wouldn't get mixed up with royal politics. Nothing good ever comes of it.

And yet…

A hundred grand just for a meeting was nothing to sneeze at. The Kiryūin branch had more than enough stashed away to back that, and if that was just the appetizer then Nagi could only imagine what the main course was.

Nagi smirked. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. What do you say, Ken-Ohki?"

"Meow!" her ship replied.

Nagi nodded. "Thought so. All right, take us in. First sign of trouble, we blast them and bug out."

Approaching the starboard side of the oversized yacht, Nagi saw a large panel retract and reveal a surprisingly spacious hangar. Even a ship the size of Ken-Ohki would fit comfortably inside, and only a few minor adjustments were required for their final approach. The crystalline craft smoothly slipped inside a minute later, and as soon as a containment field activated behind them and the panel began to close again Nagi was engulfed in brilliant violet light. A moment later she was standing on the gleaming deck of the hangar with Ken-Ohki perched on her shoulder. There were no other craft stationed there, and Nagi didn't see any signs of maintenance crews or anyone resembling a guide. In fact, the hangar was completely deserted save for the two of them.

Her hand hovered over the hilt of her saber. "All right, what's his game?"

"Meow…" muttered Ken-Ohki as he nervously looked around the hangar.

A moment later a door at the far side of the hangar opened. The person who stepped through was a young woman with raven hair tied back in a bun and sharp brown eyes. Her attire consisted of a black bodysuit similar to what Nagi wore, and she caught sight of an energy pistol holstered at her hip on a utility belt; she was part of the ship's security detail.

The woman approached Nagi and gave her a curt bow. "My name is Akiko. Lord Kagato has asked me to escort you to the ballroom. Refreshments are waiting. Please, follow me."

Nagi shrugged and fell in behind her. As Akiko led her though the ship, Nagi's eyes furtively darted around as she scanned the layout and internal security systems. They didn't encounter a single crew member or any other security personnel along the way, but Nagi wasn't fooled; spotting the sensors hidden throughout the ship's corridors had been easy enough, and she was sure that one wrong move would bring down every guard the yacht had on her head.

A small reception and no elaborate tour, she thought, I guess he's not in the mood to waste time and stand on ceremony. Fine by me. That's actually a step up as far as most royals are concerned.

It only took a few minutes for the two of them to reach the ballroom. As luxurious as the rest of the vessel was, it paled in comparison to the grandeur that Nagi beheld now. The chamber was spacious enough to hold several hundred people with room to spare. The dancefloor was composed of a very rare and finely polished wood which positively gleamed in the light of the crystal chandeliers that hung above. A stage was set up at the far end for a traditional band, although at the moment it was empty. Tables draped in exquisite cloth formed a perimeter, and Nagi saw that one held numerous appetizers and a few choice bottles of very high-end wine.

Akiko bowed again. "Please, make yourself at home. Lord Kagato will be with you shortly."

Nagi's gaze narrowed. "Hold on. I was promised a hundred grand for coming here. I want to confirm that's been delivered to my account."

Akiko nodded and drew a small tablet from her utility belt. "Of course. One moment."

Her fingers danced across the screen before she held out the tablet to Nagi. "Feel free to verify the transfer. Enter your preferred account number here."

Nagi did so, and her eyes lit up a moment later when she saw that the sum had indeed been transferred promptly upon her arrival. The rest of the setup might've had her on edge, but she would say this much for her prospective client; he paid his bills on time.

"Thank you," she said as she passed the tablet back to the guard, "That'll be all for now."

Akiko simply nodded before leaving the room. With nothing better to do, Nagi idly drifted towards the table with the food and beverages. Reaching down to her utility belt, she pulled out a small disk-like scanner and started sweeping it over the table. A tiny holographic display appeared on the top-half of the device, and Nagi's eyes narrowed carefully as she studied the readings. A moment later the display flashed green; no poisons or other harmful substances had been detected.

"Meow!" whined Ken-Ohki as he nodded at the feast before him.

Nagi smiled and gave her furry companion a pat on the head. "It's clean. Help yourself but try not to make a mess."

"Meow!" Ken-Ohki cheered as he hopped off her shoulder and went straight for a plate of assorted vegetables.

Nagi chuckled as she watched him dig in. "You never change."

Popping open a bottle of rice wine, Nagi poured herself a glass and indulged. It was a particularly savory vintage, and as she glanced at the label she saw that it was several centuries old.

Nice to know I'm worth the good stuff, she mused, I can't complain with the reception, although I would like to find out exactly why I'm out here sooner or later.

She limited herself to a single glass of the wine; it would hardly do her any favors to get intoxicated at a time like this. Idly sampling a few of the treats on the table, she was beginning to wonder how long her host was planning on keeping her waiting when he finally showed himself.

Or rather, when they finally showed themselves.

They both came through the central entrance to the ballroom, a gesture that Nagi immediately recognized as one meant to demonstrate strength in unity. On the left was Kagato Kiryūin Jurai, dressed in a dark purple tunic and leggings while a great cloak of varying shades of green was draped over his shoulders. He carried himself with the confident poise that Nagi expected of a man of his position, and she couldn't help but notice the dark, thick and elegantly flowing hilt of a royal's signature weapon at his hip; a Master-Key, more commonly known throughout the galaxy as a Juraian energy sword.

On the right was a woman that Nagi had never spoken with before, but she instantly recognized her as Kagato's sister. Ragyō Kiryūin Jurai moved with all the refined grace and strength of an apex predator, which the bounty knew described her perfectly; her reputation was that of the finest swordswoman in the galaxy, and it was one that had been well earned. Unlike her brother, her attire was much more provocative; a pure white backless dress with an opening that plunged down to her navel, revealing meticulously cared-for skin and leaving little to the imagination, with her prominent breasts almost straining against the straps that were the only thing containing them. A feathered 'coat' of sorts was draped over her arms and behind her, and it seemed as if it would slide to the floor if she so much as twitched the wrong way. A silver band encircled her waist and dangling from her hips was a pair of Master-Keys, each one slender and snow white in contrast to the darker and heavier one wielded by her brother. Her silver hair was completely unrestrained, and the way it fell back behind her and down to her hips was positively glorious.

Nagi set down her glass but otherwise did not show any overt signs of deference; she wasn't the type to bow. "Nice of you to finally show up."

Kagato chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that, as host, I should've been here from the start. You must understand that it was nothing personal; I'm a busy man, after all."

"Right," said Nagi dryly before turning to Ragyō, "I was under the impression that I'd be meeting just one of you."

The woman smirked as the siblings approached her. "Well, what can I say? We're both quite invested in this little job we want you to undertake, after all."

Ken-Ohki looked up from his plate and hissed as the two branch royals came up to the table. Nagi held out her hand; a gesture for her companion to back down.

Kagato looked more amused than anything else. "Quite the feisty little friend you have there."

Ragyō smiled. "What do you expect? He's one of her creations, after all."

Nagi's eyes narrowed. "Are you referring to Washu Hakubi?"

The two of them looked slightly taken aback at that. Clearly it wasn't a tidbit of knowledge that Nagi was supposed to possess.

Score one for me, she thought, and I think I just got a little bit closer to figuring our what this 'job' of theirs involves… or rather, who it involves.

The siblings recovered quickly enough, with Kagato being the first to respond. "Ah, yes. If you're already aware of that, then I suppose this will make things a little easier."

"Good," said Nagi, "Let's cut to the chase, then."

"Indeed," said Ragyō, "Tell us; what do you know about that infamous scientist?"

"Only that she's dabbled in pretty much every field of knowledge in existence and created some crazy weapons in the process," Nagi replied with a shrug, "Wasn't she supposed to be exiled several centuries back?"

Kagato nodded. "Quite so. Exiled and imprisoned in a stasis pod meant to contain her for several millennia, at the very least."

A fat load of good that did, Nagi mused as she recalled her encounter with Ryoko's companions on Earth, I'm pretty sure that pod didn't hold her for more than a few centuries…

"When the GIS exiled her, they sent her pod as far from the core systems as they thought feasible," Ragyō added, "It turns out they were rather lacking in imagination."

"I take it you want me to find her, then?" asked Nagi.

She wouldn't reveal that she already had a pretty good idea of where the target was. If she did, what was to stop her would-be client from simply sending their own forces out rather than hiring her?

That was why she was quite surprised by what Kagato said next. "Actually, although it took some doing, I believe we've already found the planet that her pod landed on."

Nagi raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept her expression as neutral as possible. "Really? How so?"

"When the GIS fired her pod into the void, the data logs of the vessel Discovery recorded the trajectory," Kagato answered, "However, they never bothered to actually follow up and determine where she ultimately touched down. Stealing the records from the data logs was easy enough, but even with the vector now in hand it took a considerable amount of time to narrow down just where she wound up."

Ragyō gave a theatrical sigh. "So many planets just along a single trajectory. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it took us centuries rather than millennia to suitably narrow it down. Still, you should know better than anyone that it's the persistent hunter that ultimately finds their prey."

Nagi nodded. "True enough. So, where'd she end up?"

"A little backwater of a world in the Outland Sector," said Kagato, "A speck of water and rock called Earth."

Nagi's eyes narrowed. "If you've already narrowed her location down to a single planet, then why call in a bounty hunter? Tracking down targets is the core of the job, but it sounds like you've already done that."

Kagato smiled. "Ah, and now we cut to the heart of the matter. Branch royals as powerful as us inevitably attract the spotlight. Any move we make that's considered unusual by our colleagues and the galactic gossipmongers inevitably draws close scrutiny. This is a matter that we're trying to keep under the table, though. Hence our need for a discrete and professional third party."

"You fit the bill quite nicely," said Ragyō.

"How kind of you to give me such consideration," Nagi quipped dryly, "So, how do you want her? Dead or alive?"

Kagato's eyes narrowed. "Ah, I'm afraid it's not quite as simple as that. While a live capture certainly would be advantageous, the truth of the matter is that it's not actually Washu herself that we're after."

Apparently, that was some sort of cue, because Ragyō then raised her right hand and made a very distinctive snap with her fingers. A door slid open along the right wall of the ballroom, and two figures walked in.

Unlike the security guard that had greeted Nagi, the two women that approached were not wearing such simple utilitarian attire. They were clad in black robes with purple trim, and the way they moved somehow reminded the bounty hunter of members of a religious order more than bodyguards. Although the cowls of their robes were up, Nagi was still able to identify their facial features. They both appeared to be relatively young, although given just how old many beings in the galaxy could get without looking their true age Nagi knew that didn't mean much. White bangs framed their faces, and their skin was almost deathly pale. Despite their robes, Nagi was able to discern just enough hints from their movements to surmise that both had quite slender figures and were certainly in shape. She was slightly startled to realize that they were twins, with the only way to tell them apart being their eyes. The one on the left had a green right eye and a blue left eye, while the one on the right had the same colors in the opposite order. No obvious weapons were displayed, but from the way they carried themselves Nagi was certain that they were concealing weapons in their robes. The one on the right carried a black box about the size of a melon, and the bounty hunter could only guess at the contents.

As they came closer, Nagi had to work to suppress a shudder. Something that she couldn't quite place felt wrong about these two. Their movements were perfectly in sync, and matters weren't helped by the small clasp at the front of their robes. Nagi instantly recognized it; a set of interwoven and crystalline black vines with crimson-tipped thorns.

Acolytes of the Necrosa Order, she thought, I never dreamed that Kagato would have the likes of them at his beck and call.

An ancient sect devoted to the worship of a death goddess from an archaic and obscure religion older than the Empire of Jurai itself, they were renowned in the galactic underworld. In order to financially support itself, the Necrosa Order offered up members of its exclusively female ranks to the highest bidder as assassins, bodyguards and spies. More often than not, the three categories weren't mutually exclusive. The sums required to hire even a single acolyte for one job were astronomical, but there was a reason for that; when they took on an assignment, they saw it through to the bitter end. They were dedicated, fearless, and utterly lethal.

"Ah, what wonderful timing," said Kagato, "My dears, if you would be so kind as to properly introduce yourselves to our guest?"

They both bowed, and the one on the left was the first to address her. "Greetings. My name is Kana."

"I am known as Kayda," said the one on the right.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, bounty hunter Nagi," the twins said together.

Well, these two are creepy as hell, she thought, I just hope they're only here for show. If I actually have to work with them on this job…

Unnerving as the twins might be, though, Nagi was still a consummate professional; she wasn't about to let her hosts pick up on her discomfort. She gave the two girls a cold and evaluating look, an expression that was meant as much to show that she wasn't intimidated as it was to size up the deadly ladies.

"I thought this was supposed to be a private meeting," she quipped, "What's with them?"

Ragyō smiled. "Let's just say that they serve a similar purpose to you in this affair."

Nagi folded her arms and glared at Kagato. "Did you double-book this job? I don't take kindly to clients who pull crap like that."

Kagato calmly shook his head. "Now, now, I can assure you that's not the case. Consider them to be assets rather than competition."

"Prove it," said Nagi.

"For starters, they're on a separate long-term retainer with us," Ragyō replied, "They're already being paid, and have been for some time now. If they were to retrieve the target, they wouldn't get the bounty, so there's no incentive for them to get in your way. The bounty is for you and you alone."

"I still don't even know how much the bounty is or what it's for," Nagi shot back, "You said it involves Washu but that it's not actually her that you're after. Care to clear that up a little bit?"

Kagato nodded. "Of course. Kayda, if you would be so kind?"

The girl on the right nodded. She opened the black box and held it out to Nagi.

"Look inside," she said.

Nagi glanced at Kagato, who gave her an amused smirk. "You suspect foul play? Come, now; if we harbored ill-will towards you, I can assure you that we would've made our move well before now."

"If you say so," Nagi quipped.

She leaned forward, and her eyes narrowed as she studied the container's contents. A palm-sized electronic device was inside. There was a very small control screen at the bottom, while above it was what appeared to be a scanning array of some kind. The array was set up in a gentle concave design.

One that Nagi realized was meant to fit a person's forehead.

She glared at Kagato; she knew exactly what she was being present with. "I knew some of you branch royals could be twisted, but I never thought you'd be this fucked up."

Ragyō gave her an amused smile. "That's rather bold of you, given where you currently stand."

Kagato chuckled. "Indeed. I take it you know what this device is, then."

Nagi nodded. "Yeah, and I bet you know that someone in my line of work can be arrested just for being in the same room as that thing. They're outlawed for a damn good reason."

Kagato gave a theatrical sigh. "I was hoping that a bounty hunter as renowned as you would see things differently. This device was outlawed only by cowards who feared its true power. Those with the will to use it should not be held back by weaklings bound by pathetic and outmoded notions of what's deemed ethical and proper."

"At least now I know what you're really after," said Nagi, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk away right now."

"Twenty-five million Imperial Juraian credits," Kagato replied, "That is what you will be paid once you have scanned and copied Washu Hakubi's memories with that device and return it to me."

It took all the professional composure Nagi possessed to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. The highest paying bounty she'd ever earned was less than a fifth of that amount. Caution and ambition warred within her. Part of her still wanted to walk away; the entire setup had her nerves on edge.

But the prize…

What could she do with twenty-five million? More like what couldn't she do? Completely overhaul her arsenal, set up a slew of new safe houses, invest in enough advanced gear and spare parts to keep her self-sufficient and in the hunting game for several lifetimes… the possibilities were endless. Hell, she could even buy a spare gunship or two just in case Ken-Ohki was under the weather, and she'd still have enough funds left over to maintain and upgrade it over the course of many years.

"I'm the only hunter you've made this offer to?" she asked.

Kagato nodded. "Yes. I accept only the best, and my research has told me that there is no other bounty hunter in the galaxy that can match you."

"Rest assured that, should you succeed, this will not be the last such job we offer you," Ragyō added, "In fact, you could consider this to be an audition of sorts. Bring us what we desire, and you'll find this to be the start of a very lucrative business relationship."

Nagi had suspected from the start that this wouldn't be like any of the jobs she'd accepted in the past, but now she was absolutely sure of it. This wasn't just another hunt; she was standing on the precipice of something big, something that was just tantalizingly out of sight. Whatever it was, once she took this step, she had a feeling that what she was about to set in motion would be far beyond the simple matter of bagging her prey and collecting the reward.

"What are you really after?" she asked, "What's in her memories that's worth all of this?"

Kagato chuckled. "Ah, now that would be telling. You wouldn't want us to spoil all the fun, would you?"

Ragyō smirked. "Complete this job and you may get the chance to learn. For now, suffice to say it involves shaking up the stagnant state of affairs that's currently suffocating our galaxy."

"Indeed," said Kagato, "The winds of change are about to blow, and this will be just the first gust. It's a change that can benefit you considerably, but only if you act now."

Nagi's eyes narrowed, and a moment later she nodded. "Very well, then. I'll take the job."

Kagato grinned. "Excellent!"

Ragyō smiled. "I knew you were smart enough to recognize this once in a lifetime opportunity."

Nagi rolled her eyes. "Sure. If you don't mind, I'll be going now. The hunt's not going to take care of itself, after all."

Kagato nodded. "Of course. I trust Ken-Ohki will have enough room for Kana and Kayda?"

"Sure," Nagi replied, "They'd just better not be expecting luxury suites."

"We require no such thing," said Kana.

"Only sufficient transportation and the means to carry out our mission of supporting you," said Kayda.

Nagi shot the two of them a stern look. "Let's get one thing straight; if you're joining me in the field, you're going to follow my orders. You got that?"

The two of them turned to Kagato, who gave them a nod and a smile. "They'll treat your instructions as they would my own. You have my word."

Nagi nodded before grabbing the memory scanner out of the box Kayda held. "All right, then. Let's get moving."

….

February 4th, A.C. 199

"Here you go!" chirped Sasami as she poured a cup of tea for their guest, "Let me know what you think!"

Heero watched as Katsuhito took a sip before smiling in approval. "My, my, this is quite good! You're very talented when it comes to making tea, young lady."

Sasami beamed at his praise. "Thanks!"

Heero couldn't argue with the shrine keeper's sentiment; Sasami had long ago surpassed him when it came to making tea, as well as the culinary arts as a whole. While he still did his part to help out in the kitchen, cooking duty had become almost completely dominated by the princess now. While Heero didn't want to have one of his guests doing all the work, Sasami seemed quite happy with her role as top chef in the household, and if she was so eager to cook high quality meals for the lot of them he certainly wasn't about to complain.

I wonder what her parents would think if they saw her serving tea to people that would be considered her subjects were we in the Empire, he mused, I bet it's something they would tell her to leave to the servants, as if we had any around here…

The shrine keeper had surprised him by suddenly popping up on Heero's doorstep just after lunch. The old man had never paid the residence a visit before; it was always Heero and the others journeying to see him at the temple. Fortunately, it wasn't like Heero was particularly busy at the moment.

Ever since the mission in the former Afghanistan, he'd essentially been benched. While Sally and Lady Une were pleased that the primary targets were eliminated and the hostages were saved, it was clear that they were less than thrilled regarding the manner in which Heero and Ryoko had accomplished the mission. Heero couldn't blame them; after all, Ryoko hadn't exactly been subtle when she'd wiped out the terrorists to the last man. The only witnesses to her power were the women they'd rescued, and while Preventers had taken measures to ensure their cooperation and discretion regarding Ryoko's abilities Heero knew that his superiors still weren't happy about how he had handled that particular portion of the operation. They'd thanked him and Ryoko for their efforts, but then they'd told them in no uncertain terms that they were to remain at the countryside safe house for the foreseeable future.

I actually don't mind it, really, he thought as he glanced at the lovely pirate sitting next to him on the couch, I get the feeling that she doesn't, either.

His gaze lingered a bit too long, and his friend-with-benefits caught him staring. She gave him that flirtatious wink and smirk that he'd grown accustomed to, always with that mischievous spark of energy in her eyes that he found so alluring.

"Something on your mind?" she asked as she batted her eyelashes at him.

He allowed himself a small chuckle. "Just enjoying this second vacation that I've got your penchant for destruction to thank for."

Ryoko grinned. "Almost as if I planned it that way, eh?"

The thought had crossed his mind before, but it wasn't one he lent much credence to. Ryoko could be cunning when the occasion called for it, but her impulsive nature had led Heero to rule out the notion of her making such a blatant display of her powers in Afghanistan with the idea that his superiors would bench him as a result afterwards. Heero being suspended from field operations was a happy byproduct of her explosive assault, no more and no less.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one that thought so; across the living room, he saw Washu smirk. "You might be my daughter, Ryoko, but I doubt you had the foresight to take something like that into account."

Ryoko scowled and folded her arms. "Bite me!"

"I'm just glad it made Heero's superiors decide to have you two stay here with the rest of us," said Mihoshi as she scratched Ryo-Ohki's belly, "I was worried about you when you were both out there."

Kiyone nodded. "That makes two of us. It's nice to have you back here full time, Heero."

Ayeka smiled. "I wholeheartedly agree! Your duties here with us are much more important; I'm sure Preventers has plenty of other operatives that can handle field missions while you look after us."

"You are vital for keeping the peace in this household," added Azaka.

"You are a crucial stabilizing element," Kamidake chimed in, "Princess Ayeka becomes much more irritable when you are not around."

Ayeka glared at her guardian. "Kamidake! How could you say such a thing about me?"

"He's got a point," said Washu, "You get wound up so tight when he's out on a mission."

"T-that's only because I was gravely concerned for Sir Heero's safety!" Ayeka protested as her face flushed red, "As skilled as he might be, he does not have my defensive powers. I-it's only natural that I should worry!"

Ryoko grinned. "Well, I was out there to take care of him this time, so you got all worked up for nothing!"

"You being out there alone with Sir Heero just makes things worse!" Ayeka snapped.

Katsuhito chuckled as he gave Heero a smirk. "Quite the feisty group of ladies you've attracted, young man."

Heero sighed; he didn't need to be reminded of that, and he certainly didn't need the two most combative women in the household fighting in front of their guest even if the priest found it to be amusing. "That's enough, you two. It's a moot point, anyway; I'm on indefinite standby out here now, so I won't be taking anyone into the field anytime soon."

He saw Katsuhito glance at Washu for a moment, and Heero swore he saw him give her a very small, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't the first time he'd caught something like that since the priest had come over to visit.

Am I just imagining things, he thought, or is there something between the two of them?

It was a rather strange notion to consider, but at the same time it was one that he couldn't quite dismiss out of hand. Ever since Washu had been released from her stasis pod deep within the cave that the shrine guarded, Heero had been struck by how remarkably calm the priest had been regarding the revelation that she'd been sealed by his temple. Hell, the old man's casual attitude regarding the women that made up Heero's household was strange in and of itself, especially since they were all quite clearly not from around these parts, to put it mildly.

He was distracted from pursuing that line of thought any further by a knock at the front door. Heero's guard was immediately up; Sally and Lady Une usually called ahead before coming out, and he'd received no such notice from them in recent days. Either they'd decided to forgo the warnings after his and Ryoko's misadventure in Afghanistan, or this was someone else entirely.

And Heero couldn't help but recall that the last time they'd had an unannounced visitor, he'd wound up unconscious.

The rest of the household seemed equally surprised, especially when the knock came again. Kiyone was already reaching for the sidearm holstered at her hip, and Heero saw Ryoko's eyes narrow as well.

"Heero?" she said, "Did you have plans for someone else to visit today?"

Heero shook his head. "No. Be ready, just in case."

He cautiously approached the door, bracing for a fight. When he opened it, though; he was pleasantly surprised; the figure standing on the doorstep wasn't hostile. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Smiling at him was none other than Quatre. "Hey there, Heero! How are you doing?"

Heero's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his fellow Gundam pilot. "Quatre? What are you doing here?"

He gave him a warm laugh. "I got a call from Sally. She was light on the details, but I got the impression that after your last field operation they've kept you on the backburner since then. Anyway, since I got along well with your guests when you came up to the colony for the Christmas party she asked if I'd swing by to visit and keep you all from going stir-crazy!"

Heero couldn't help but give his friend a small smile in response. "Well, I'm not about to turn you away, but couldn't you have called first?"

"I guess so," said Quatre, "Sorry about that."

Heero looked outside past him. "How'd you get here? I'm not seeing a car, and I would've heard a chopper."

"I wanted to travel incognito," said Quatre, "Rasheed wasn't happy about it, but I wanted to keep a low profile and avoid drawing the press down on your head. After the shuttle flight down, I took public transit to the closest town and then hiked the rest of the way up here. It felt really good, honestly. It's great to get some fresh country air for a change."

"This place does seem to have a renewing effect on people," he thought as he regarded the time that had passed since he'd moved out here from Brussels, "It really is something special."

Quatre grinned. "So, are you going to let me in? I'm afraid I didn't bring a housewarming gift or anything like that, but if you need something shipped down here I'd be more than happy to help out. After all, I'm sure Preventers has you on a budget out here."

"It's a substantial one," said Heero with a smirk, "We're not exactly lacking for funds, you know."

"If you say so," Quatre replied, "Still, if you ever want something that you think Sally and Lady Une might not want showing up on the official expense accounts, just give me a call."

"Have you been spending more time with Duo lately?" asked Heero as he stepped aside to allow his friend inside, "You're starting to sound like him."

Quatre laughed as Heero shut the door behind him. "Maybe!"

"Hold on a second," he heard Kiyone say from the living room, "I remember that voice…"

"Quatre!" cried Sasami as Heero and his fellow Gundam pilot walked in.

Mihoshi smiled and waved. "Hello! Good to see you again!"

"Welcome," said Azaka.

"A pleasure to see you," chirped Kamidake.

Ryoko grinned. "Hey, there! What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Meow!" cried Ryo-Ohki.

"Oh, just stopping by for a friendly visit," said Quatre.

Washu raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Ayeka's eyes widened, and Heero thought he caught a hint of red in her face. "Lord Quatre? Is it really you?"

Quatre smiled. "It is. By the way, remember what I told you at the party; just 'Quatre' is fine. There's no need for a title, Ayeka."

Ayeka nodded and smiled. "Oh… yes. Regardless, it's good to see you again… Quatre."

It didn't take Heero's friend long to spot the unfamiliar face in the room, and he turned to greet the shrine keeper. "Hello. I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."

The priest smiled. "Hello there. I'm Katsuhito Masaki, caretaker for the Masaki Shrine. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Quatre as he sat down on the couch, "Where's your shrine located?"

"Just up the hill," Katsuhito answered, "Your friend's been a regular visitor, so I thought that I should return the favor today."

Quatre turned to Heero, a little surprised by what the priest had said. "Really?"

Heero shrugged. "It's not for prayer or meditation. He's a good sparring partner."

Katsuhito chuckled. "At my age, it's good to have someone who can help me exercise. Your talents have grown considerable since we first began our matches."

Quatre raised an eyebrow. "What kind of sparring?"

"Kenjutsu," Heero answered.

"Their matches are quite stirring spectacles," said Ayeka, "You should watch one sometime, Quatre."

Quatre nodded. "I just might… assuming you two don't mind, of course."

Heero shrugged. "Fine by me."

"Indeed," said Katsuhito, "although I was not planning on engaging in a match with my young host here today. I'm afraid such a contest will have to wait for some other time."

Quatre smiled. "No worries. I'm the one that dropped in out of the blue, after all, so it'd be rude of me to demand a match that the two of you had no intention of engaging in today."

"How are things up in your colony?" asked Kiyone.

"Yeah!" chirped Mihoshi, "How are your sisters?"

"They're doing very well," Quatre replied, "They told me to say 'hi' for them; they had a lot of fun with you all when you were visiting us!"

Sasami smiled. "Tell them to come visit us sometime!"

Quatre nodded. "I will. I'm sure they'd like that."

"Just as long as they don't all come at once," said Heero, "This place isn't as big as yours, after all."

Quatre laughed. "Good point. I guess all twenty-nine of them down here at the same time would be pretty overwhelming."

Ryoko shook her head. "I still can't believe you have that many sisters."

Washu gave an all-too-devious grin. "Maybe I should get to work on making some sisters for you, Ryoko! What do you think?"

"No way!" she immediately replied, "One of me is just fine!"

"For once, I agree with you," said Ayeka, "The galaxy can barely stand one of you. I fear more would bring naught but a plague of destruction and vulgarity down upon us all."

Ryoko scowled at her. "Shut up. No one asked for your opinion."

"That's enough, you two," Heero cut in before turning back to Quatre, "How's the family business going?"

"As well as ever," Quatre replied, "Colony construction and maintenance is steady work, and it's not as though we lack for government contracts at the moment. Our asteroid mining operations are coming along nicely as well, and our subsidiary businesses are performing solidly. Things are good, but… well, it does get boring just overseeing it all from an office, no matter how nice the view is. That's why I wanted to get out for a little bit. After all, Rasheed and my sisters are well-equipped to manage day-to-day operations. It's not like they need me micromanaging them."

Ayeka smiled. "Quatre, I'm grateful that you were able to make the time to come visit us, but you must not neglect your responsibilities. Even if others are capable of managing your holdings in your stead, they are ultimately in your name. Your person, as it were, is inextricably linked to your conglomerate."

Quatre chuckled. "Now you're starting to sound like my sisters. Come on, Ayeka; aren't I allowed a little break every now and then?"

Ayeka nodded. "Of course. Forgive me; it's hardly proper for me to intrude on your affairs."

Quatre shook his head and smiled. "It's all right. I know you mean well, so I don't mind."

"How's everyone else doing?" asked Kiyone, "We met a lot of friendly people at the party, and I hope things are going well for them."

"They're doing all right," said Quatre, "Life has its ups and downs, but we're a pretty resilient crowd. We can bounce back from pretty much any setback."

"Can we come visit your colony again?" asked Mihoshi with a grin, "It was so much fun last time!"

Quatre laughed. "Well, I certainly wouldn't object, but I don't think that decision's really in my hands. Heero?"

Heero shrugged. "I'd be fine with it, although ultimately authority for that would be with Sally and Director Une."

"And you're kind of in the hot-seat with them right now thanks to my daughter," said Washu.

"Hey, I did what I had to do!" Ryoko shot back, "If they don't like it, too bad for them. We got the prisoners out alive, took out the bad guys, and I made sure that Heero didn't get hurt in the process. That's all that matters to me."

Quatre turned to Heero. "What exactly did she do, Heero?"

"What we did best back in the day, only without a mobile suit," Heero replied, "Her powers are very impressive, to put it mildly."

Ryoko gave him a wink and a playful peck on the cheek. "Aw, you're a real sweetheart, Heero!"

Heero appreciated the gesture, but he wasn't looking forward to Ayeka's reaction. Indeed, it was not long in coming.

"How dare you act so familiar with Sir Heero, you vile tramp!" Ayeka seethed, her face crimson with fury and sparks dancing in the air around her, "I shall punish you for your impropriety!"

"Oh, dear," muttered Azaka.

"Not good," added Kamidake.

Ryoko grinned as bolts of crimson energy crackled in her hands. "Bring on, Ayeka!"

Quatre looked nervously between the two powerful alien women. "Uhm, Heero? We might have a problem here…"

Katsuhito chuckled. "As lively as ever…"

Washu smirked. "That's an understatement."

"Please don't fight again, you two!" cried Mihoshi.

"Ayeka, Ryoko, stop it!" Sasami pleaded, "We have guests today!"

"Meow!" whined Ryo-Ohki.

Kiyone sighed. "Typical…"

Once again, Heero had to step in. "Back down, both of you. You should both have better self-control than this."

His sharp tone was enough to make the two combative woman blink, and much to his relief the sparks of energy that had been crackling around them died down. The two of them appeared suitably chastised, although Heero had to wonder just how long that would last.

"Very well," said Ayeka as she gave him a contrite bow, "Forgive me, Sir Heero."

Ryoko sighed. "All right, I'll dial it back. Sorry."

"Just try to exercise greater restraint," he said to the two of them.

Even as his focus was on keeping the peace between them, he could not help but notice something unusual. The sparks of power that had been flying through the air had been visible to all, but the shrine keeper hadn't so much as batted an eye. Quatre might've been nervous, but at least he'd mostly kept his cool, and he had an excuse; he'd been read in by Sally and Lady Une prior to the Christmas party. The priest was a different matter, though.

From the moment he's met all of us, he's been way too calm about what these girls are capable of, he thought, I'm sure this guy's no ordinary priest, but beyond that I've got nothing. What's his deal?

Heero doubted he'd get any answers out of the priest if he asked now, so he kept his curiosity in check for the moment. Besides, it would be rude to interrogate his guest at a time like this. It was better to wait for quieter circumstances.

Looking over at his other guest, he saw Quatre smiling at him. "What's up?"

Quatre chuckled. "I'm just amazed at how you're able to get them to listen to you despite the kind of power they wield. Sally and Lady Une weren't wrong when they gave you this job. You handle it pretty well."

Heero nodded. "Thanks."

Things quieted down a bit after that. The girls spent most of their time asking Quatre about the latest affairs up in the colonies, leaving Heero with some valuable breathing room. Quatre wasn't taking up all the attention in the room, though; Katsuhito seemed to be focusing on Heero more than his fellow Gundam pilot.

What was up with him? The old man wasn't being obvious about it, but to someone as good at observing and reading people as Heero it was clear that something was on his mind. Was there something more to his visit today than just being a friendly neighbor? For the life of him, Heero couldn't figure it out.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it, he mused, I've been wrong before, after all.

Leaning back on the couch, he idly glanced over his shoulder out the window. It was a lovely winter day, just as the past several had been. There was no fresh powder, but the snow already on the ground was still packed quite thickly. It would be quite some time before it would begin to melt, and Heero casually wondered if the girls would drag him and Quatre into a snowball fight before the day was done; he certainly wouldn't put it past them.

And that's when he saw them.

Three cloaked figures burst out from the tree-line and charged straight for the house. All three wore black cloaks that obscured most of their features, but in the brief instant that he spotted him Heero was able to make a few observations. Judging from the glimpses of their legs that he caught as their robes flapped with their rapid movements, the three of them were female. The ones on the right and left were of equal height to each other but slightly shorter than the one in the middle. As for the figure in the center, Heero immediately recognized her despite her concealing robe.

Nagi!

He took all this in with little more than the blink of an eye, and his reaction was immediate. Whirling around, he drew his pistol and took aim in a single fluid motion.

"Get down!" he shouted just before opening fire.

….

The three of them had actually arrived on Earth three days ago, but Nagi hadn't made her move immediately. Thanks to her previous encounter with Ryoko and her companions, she had decided to err on the side of caution and had taken time to scope out the area for signs of new defenses since her last visit. Her efforts had not gone unrewarded; she's picked up the telltale signs of a covert perimeter surveillance grid, one that was far too advanced to have been set up by this planet's natives.

Ryoko's not the type to take the time required to set something like this up, she'd thought at the time, I'm willing to bet that this is Washu's work…

After having carefully mapped out the grid, Nagi had cautiously moved her little party into position, keeping Ken-Ohki on standby at the rear for their getaway. There was also the fact that she didn't want her little furry companion to get distracted by Ryo-Ohki again. After all, they weren't exactly here for a friendly visit.

"Remember," Nagi whispered, "we're not here to kill anyone. You can incapacitate them if they resist, but no killing. Is that understood?"

The twins nodded and answered as one, something that never failed to creep Nagi out. "As you wish."

Privately, Nagi had her doubts. Kagato had said that they were under her command for this operation, but members of the Necrosa Order were notorious for their bloodlust. It wasn't that the Order went out of its way to recruit such acolytes, although it hardly turned them down either. Rather, it was more accurate to say that murder was something akin to a religious act for the sect, which was rather fitting since they worshipped a death goddess. For them, the kill wasn't just to be expected, it was to be savored like a fine wine. There were stories out there about acolytes who entered states of sheer ecstasy when they ended the life of someone they considered to be a particularly worthy sacrifice to their deity, and Nagi didn't need that happening on her watch. She hoped they could rein in their bloodlust and stay professional for this mission, but once the fighting started who could say what would happen?

They'd gotten as close as they could to the residence without being spotted, but the house was in the middle of a wide-open area no matter which way they approached from. Between the field and the lake there was very little cover once the tree-line ended, so it would be a matter of covering the distance as quickly as possible.

"Ready?" she asked her companions.

"Of course," they replied in unison.

Nagi nodded. "Go."

The three of them burst from cover and raced across the snow towards the residence. They'd barely covered a third of the distance when Nagi caught a glimpse of a familiar young man through one of the house's windows…

…and he was taking aim at her.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Nagi couldn't help but smile. The boy was as sharp now as he had been the last time she was here.

No wonder Ryoko's got the hots for him…

The window shattered a second later as Heero opened fire. Nagi wasn't concerned; the personal shield generators she and the twins were wearing were more than capable of stopping the bullet from such an archaic weapon. Even so, Nagi was impressed with his accuracy as she saw the air just in front of her face ripple when the shields blocked the rounds. Were it not for her taking such a precaution prior to the start of the mission, she would be dead.

It truly was a shame that he was just a peacekeeper on a backwater world. What she wouldn't give to take him under her wing as an apprentice hunter…

Too bad that wasn't on the agenda today.

….

Of course, she's still got shields, Heero grimly noted as he saw Nagi's advance continue unhindered, I mean, she had them last time, so why wouldn't she keep them?

He swiftly shifted his aim to the figures flanking her and fired a couple experimental shots, only to get the same results. That didn't bode well, but at least he had a better idea as to what he was up against.

He'd taken everyone by surprise with the sudden gunfire out the window, but to their credit his companions reacted remarkably quickly. As soon as he'd told them to take cover and drawn his gun, Quatre had already pulled both Sasami and Katsuhito down behind the couch, with Ryo-Ohki hopping down to join them. Sparks were dancing in Ryoko's palms as she braced herself for action, and the tell-tale floating rods that served to generate Ayeka's barriers had appeared as well. Azaka and Kamidake had moved to flanking positions, while Kiyone and Mihoshi had drawn their weapons. Washu was crouching near the rear in cover, her eyes narrowed as she focused on what was approaching.

Ryoko snarled as she followed Heero's gaze. "Nagi!"

Ayeka's eyes widened. "That troublesome hunter is back again? The nerve of that woman!"

"Oh, no!" cried Mihoshi, "Not again!"

"Meow!" whined Ryo-Ohki.

"She's not alone," said Kiyone, "Ryoko, has she ever attacked you with partners before?"

Ryoko shook her head. "She's a solo hunter, apart from Ken-Ohki. Not that partners will do her any good here!"

Heero looked down at Quatre; fast action was needed. "Take Sasami and the old man to the room on the top floor. In my closet there's a keypad on the left; the code is the launch date for Operation Meteor."

Quatre's eyes widened. "What do you have in there?"

"Firepower," Heero replied, already sighting down range again, "Go."

Quatre nodded and grabbed both Sasami and the priest by the arms. "Let's move."

Sasami nodded as she scooped up Ryo-Ohki, but the priest shook his head and firmly pushed Quatre's hand aside. "I will stay."

"This isn't your fight, old man," said Heero as he squeezed off a few more rounds, keenly aware that his ammo was running low.

The priest smirked. "I suspect that is, actually. More so than you know."

Heero didn't have time to argue; Nagi and her companions were practically on his doorstep. "Just don't get in the line of fire."

As Quatre rushed Sasami upstairs, Ayeka stepped forward. "I will not allow her to harm you a second time, Sir Heero. They shall not pass!"

The air before them filled with floating wooden rods as her barrier sprang to life. Heero was grateful for the cover, but he couldn't help but note that the shield only defended them from a frontal assault. All Nagi and her associates would have to do is break to the flanks to nullify its defensive power.

"Ryoko, cover the left!" Heero ordered, "Kiyone, Mihoshi, the right! Azaka, Kamidake; back them up!"

Looking over his shoulder, he nodded at Washu. "Get to your lab and hole up in there!"

Washu nodded. "Right!"

That was when Nagi and her companions finally closed the gap…

…and all Hell broke loose.

….

There was more to being the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter than just being able to track one's prey from one end of the cosmos to the other. Finding the target was certainly an important part of the equation, but that didn't mean much if a hunter couldn't successfully capture it. Whether it was an individual, an object, or something much more unusual like what Nagi was after today, a truly proficient hunter couldn't capture their target consistently without thorough preparation.

Part of that preparation was planning for the people that surrounded the target. Nagi's last visit to Earth might've been in pursuit of Ryoko rather than Washu's memories, but she had still remembered everyone else who was there apart from the lovely pirate, and she had taken that prior experience into account when outfitting herself for this mission. One of the obstacles she'd been particularly concerned about was Jurai's crown princess and the barriers she was known to be capable of creating, so she had made sure prior to coming to Earth to acquire a specific piece of gear designed to neutralize that exact threat.

That piece of gear was what she pulled from her utility belt. It was a disk-shaped device that fit into the palm of her hand, yet the price Nagi had paid to procure it was far greater than its small size might suggest. In a single fluid motion, she flung it forward, and the underside of it latched onto the invisible surface of the barrier. A series of slit-like openings appeared along the rim, and although she couldn't see it from her angle Nagi knew that another set of them had opened up on the bottom of the device as well. The purpose of those openings was revealed a moment later as they began drawing in energy from the barrier itself. It was a very rapid process, taking place over the course of just a few seconds. Once the device reached its peak energy capacity, it then violently expelled all the drawn power in a single extraordinarily volatile pulse.

Weakened by the draining action from just moments ago, the princess's barrier shattered completely under the power of the energy wave. The violent reaction was such that Ayeka, Ryoko and the rest of their companions were tossed about the room by the blast, and even Nagi and her companions struggled to keep their feet even though they had braced for the maelstrom of power that had been unleashed. The princess and the pirate were flung back against a nearby wall, while the two Galaxy Police officers had been thrown clear back to the kitchen. The two Royal Guardians had been knocked on their sides as well, completely overwhelmed by what they'd just been hit with. Nagi was mildly surprised to see that Heero and the old man with him were still conscious; despite displaying no powers like Ryoko or Ayeka, the two of them had only been thrown to the floor and were already starting to regain their footing.

That young man's really something else when it comes to resilience, she mused, and as for the old one, he's an unknown, but it seems he's made of sterner stuff than most. I should be cautious with him…

Young man or old were not her targets, though; Washu was. It only took Nagi a moment to find her sprawled out in the hallway. There was a significant bruise on her forehead, and the bounty hunter hoped that whatever jarring she had sustained hadn't damaged the goods she carried in her brain.

"I'll take the target," she said, "Watch my back."

The twins nodded. "Understood."

Her path was completely unobstructed. Her target was dazed, off balance, and ripe for plucking. Nagi's blitz of Washu's defenders had gone smoother than she could possibly have hoped for.

And that's when she was blindsided by the other guest in Heero's household.

….

Despite the fact that he'd been living in the corporate world for the past few years, Quatre's instincts and physical abilities hadn't dulled in the slightest. He'd already bolted upstairs with Sasami and hid her away in Heero's room, although he knew that if the enemy followed then she wouldn't stay hidden for long. After doing the best he could to calm her, he'd then gone to the closet and found the keypad Heero had mentioned. After he'd entered the password a wall panel had slid to the side, revealing an assortment of military-grade firearms and plenty of ammunition. Quatre immediately grabbed a rifle for himself, along with a few extra clips of ammo and some for Heero's pistol as well; he was sure that his friend was running low on bullets. He'd also grabbed himself a knife and a handful of flashbang grenades.

Preventers definitely wanted to make sure Heero was ready for anything, he thought as he raced back downstairs, or at least as ready as he could be given the nature of the company he seems to be attracting these days…

He made it back downstairs not a moment too soon. Heero and his companions were in complete disarray, and although Quatre hadn't witnessed what had actually happened he'd certainly heard and felt the blast that had likely caused it. Taking the situation in at a glance, he was relieved to see that none of them appeared to have any serious injuries. He could also see the one Ryoko had identified as Nagi closing in on a dazed Washu, while her two companions were covering her rear, ready to pounce the moment Heero or any of his friends tried to act.

Any of them but Quatre. With the way they were positioned they'd actually left the stairs and the hallway between them and the bounty hunter. Quatre had a wide-open shot at Nagi, and while he'd seen earlier that Heero's bullets had had no effect on her thanks to some form of shielding technology, that didn't mean he was about to let her get one of his friend's guests without a fight.

"Washu, close your eyes!" he shouted as he primed the flashbang grenade.

The red-headed scientist might've been dazed, but her hearing still seemed sharp enough. Nagi was distracted by Quatre's voice, and as she turned around he hurled the flashbang grenade right at her. The action caught the attention of her two companions as well, which worked out quite well for Quatre. He averted his gaze as the device detonated, but the bounty hunter and her subordinates got a face-full of blinding light.

"Damn it!" he heard Nagi snarl.

Normally, Quatre's next move would've been to fire a burst at her, but he fought the reflex to do just that since he knew bullets wouldn't get through her shield. Instead he opted for something that was much more effective.

Smacking her right in the head with the butt of his rifle.

….

Nice to see he hasn't lost his touch, thought Heero as he worked to regain his footing, I've got a feeling we're going to need more of his old battlefield gifts before the day's done…

The flashbang from Quatre had been perfectly placed, but its effects were already dwindling. Heero didn't know if Nagi and her associates had augmented eyes or something else of that nature, but the blinding light didn't seem to be nearly as debilitating as he'd hoped. They were still a bit shaky on their feet and working to regain their sight, but it was coming along much quicker than that of a typical human.

He quickly scanned the room to assess the situation. Ayeka had hit the wall harder than Heero had first thought; she was out cold. Ryoko was still stunned, but it looked like she was starting to come around. Azaka and Kamidake were down, and from the sparks that danced around their frames it looked like some of their systems had taken severe damage. Heero could only hope that Washu would be able to fix them later. Kiyone and Mihoshi were on their hands and knees in the kitchen, struggling to shake off the hits they'd taken.

Just me and Quatre against a pro galactic bounty hunter and whoever her hired help is, he grimly assessed, I don't want throw in the towel, but the odds aren't in our favor.

Quatre stood firmly between Washu and the bounty hunter, and the weapon was aimed right at her. He glanced over at Heero and tossed him a magazine, and the Preventers operative immediately ejected his spent one before slamming the fresh set home. It probably wouldn't do much good against the attackers, but it was better than nothing. With the gun in his right hand, his left drew the knife that he kept holstered at his waist. He wasn't sure how effective his close-quarters-combat training would be against the enemy, but he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

And that was when the shrine keeper rose to his feet beside Heero and stepped forward. "Help the others. Leave them to me."

Heero was known for keeping his cool under adverse circumstances, but even he had to raise an eyebrow at this. "I already told you that this isn't your fight. I appreciate the thought, but you're not even armed."

He was surprised to see the old man smirk. "Ah, I'm afraid you're quite wrong there, young man."

The priest reached into his robe and pulled out what looked like a small wooden rod, no more than a foot or so in length. It had an intricate weaving-design that made up the bulk of it, with one end being a rounded bulb while the other had what appeared to be a small black tuning-fork-like set of prongs. For some reason, when he looked at it, Heero's mind flashed back to the hilts of the beam sabers that his past Gundams had used, even though those were much larger in size and the bases were metallic rather than wood.

And that was when an absolutely insane thought went through his head.

He looked back and forth between the rod and the man himself, his eyes slowly widening in dawning comprehension. His calmness in the face of this attack, his utter casualness with regards to Heero's literally otherworldly houseguests…

No…

No fucking way…

All this time…

That was when Katsuhito brought the small rod up in a guard position that mirrored the ones he had used in their sparring matches…

…and a shaft of brilliant blue light burst to life.

….

'Be ready for anything' were words for pro bounty hunters to live by, but even Nagi could only prepare for so much. Two Galaxy Police officers? Check. Mad scientist with a reputation for creating insane superweapons? Tricky, but check. Incredibly powerful space pirate and her living starship? Check. Resilient and skilled local peacekeeper who was pretty easy on the eyes to boot? A mild temptation, but check. Cute blond houseguest who actually knew how to handle flashbangs and weapons? An outside factor that she hadn't planned for, but she was adaptable, so check. Two Juraian princesses and their Royal Guardians? Check and check, as her barrier-disabling device had aptly demonstrated.

Mysterious old man suddenly whipping out a legendary Royal Juraian Master-Key and looking like he actually knew how to use it?

That was a problem.

As if this job weren't complicated enough…

She'd been aware of the local shrine keeper thanks to the surveillance she'd conducted during her prior visit to Earth, but at the time she'd considered him to be a non-entity. After all, he hadn't interfered during her attempt to capture Ryoko, and apart from some interesting sword skills as demonstrated with the sparring matches she'd observed between him and Heero there hadn't been anything particularly noteworthy about him.

Clearly, she'd missed something big.

"Shit," she muttered as she drew her saber, "Of all the damn luck…"

The old man smiled at her, but the look in his eyes was all business. "Young lady, I think I have a good idea as to why you're here. I would advise that you take your companions and withdraw now while you have the chance. I have no desire to harm such a lovey woman, but if you force my hand I'll do what I must."

As if this new foe wielding a Master-Key wasn't bad enough, she saw Ryoko climb to her feet and shake off the earlier impact. "Nagi… you made a big mistake coming back here!"

"For what it's worth, I'm not here for you," she replied.

"No," said Heero as his sharp eyes darted back and forth between Nagi and the twins, "You're after Washu, aren't you?"

"You went right for her," said the blond young man that stood between her and the infamous scientist, "Don't try to deny it."

Nagi didn't reply. Instead, she quickly sized up the situation. Right now, it was three-on-four; her, Kana and Kayda versus Heero, Ryoko, the old man and the young blond one. That would be tricky, but still doable. Things would get more complicated if more of Heero's companions entered the fray, though, so this would have to be a fast fight.

She pressed a button on the hilt of her saber, and violet energy danced along the blade. "Sorry, but I'm here on a job, and I'm not about to back down. If you know why I'm here, old man, then you probably know who's backing me. Are you sure this is a fight you want?"

"It's a fight that's been several centuries in the making at the very least," the old man calmly replied, "I see no reason to put it off any further."

"Care to elaborate?" asked Heero.

The old man smirked. "Later, I promise. For now, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Can't argue with that," she heard the blond man mutter.

"Enough talk," snarled Ryoko as shaft of crimson energy sprang to life in her hand, "I'm gonna kick your ass, Nagi!"

Nagi quickly turned to the twins. "The old man and the pirate are mine. Keep the others off my back."

The two acolytes nodded. "Understood."

She didn't have time to issue further orders; her foes were already upon her. The old man had been closer, but Ryoko had charged headlong in her typical reckless manner. Nagi was prepared for that, fluidly parrying her rival's opening strike as soon as their weapons met. However, she couldn't transition to offense like she normally would, for the shrine keeper had made his move. Waiting for Ryoko to strike head-on, he had seized upon the opening created by the pirate to slip around and attack from the right flank. Unlike Ryoko, his wasn't a pure power strike; it was a very precise thrust, one that Nagi was barely able to deflect.

"Get out of my way, old man!" Ryoko growled as she attacked again with a fierce overhand strike that Nagi redirected, "She's mine!"

"Calm yourself," the priest replied as he slashed at Nagi's shoulder, only for the bounty hunter to parry, "Your anger only helps our foe."

The old man was correct, and in more ways than one. Ryoko's power was deadly, but it would've been even more so if the pirate were capable of using it with a cool head. Brute force attacks were something that Nagi could contend with. A far greater threat would've been her reining in her temper and actually cooperating with her ally. As it was, Ryoko's all-out head-on offensive was actually interfering with the much more measured and precise technique that the old man was wielding against her. The two of them weren't feeding off each other and properly coordinating their attacks because Ryoko's anger and impulsiveness was keeping her from accurately assessing the situation and finding the best way to win. Her pride meant that she wanted Nagi all to herself, and while other under circumstances it was a sentiment that the bounty hunter would happily embrace, right now the job came first. Her bounty this time was not Ryoko, and she was capable of putting her grudge on hold for the sake of the mission. The same could not be said for her foe; the pirate had put too much stock in defeating Nagi by herself rather than recognizing that it was more important to simply take her down as quickly as possible by any means necessary so she could help her friends.

And her friends were going to need all the help that they could get.

….

To say that Heero had questions about this string of developments would be something of an understatement. When Katsuhito had come to visit earlier in the day, the last thing the Preventers operative had expected was for him to be carrying an alien weapon. The implications that went with that were major to say the least, but now was not exactly the time to be focusing on those.

A much more immediate and pressing concern was the robed woman approaching him. He couldn't read anything from her gaze apart from the fact that she was clearly analyzing him, and the wicked curved knife she drew with her right hand was as obvious a sign as any that she had less than friendly intentions. Heero already knew from his earlier shots that bullets wouldn't do any good against her personal energy shield, but he still had his gun trained on her. He could shift seamlessly between the sidearm and his knife, and he had a feeling he'd need to quite quickly.

He doubted diplomacy would do much good here, but he still took a stab at it. "I don't know who you are, but I'll give you one chance to back down. I don't want to kill you, but I'll do what I must."

She seemed more amused by his words than anything else. "You can try. My sister and I are under orders not to kill anyone here, but that doesn't mean I can't play with my food."

Heero guessed that her sister was the other robed woman, who was currently facing off with Quatre. He could only hope that his friend hadn't been dragged into a fight that he couldn't win… and if that was the case, then he hoped that his foe would follow the same orders that her sister had just mentioned.

Glancing back towards the kitchen, he saw Kiyone and Mihoshi still trying to shake off their disorientation. Heero wasn't sure how much good the latter would do in a situation like this, but he knew the former was competent. If he could just hold out until the two of them were steady on their feet and able to engage, he'd have a shot.

It was fortunate that his glance was only momentarily, because his opponent chose that exact second to make her move. She lunged forward, moving with great fluidity and speed. Her knife flashed through the air in a streak of silver, but Heero was able to block it with his own blade before it could cut into his shoulder.

The girl gave him a small smirk from beneath the hood of her robe. "You actually blocked it… what's your name, warrior?"

"Heero Yuy," he replied through gritted teeth; their blades were locked together, but the girl was far stronger than her slight frame suggested.

She nodded. "I'm known as Kana. Let's see if you're skilled or just lucky, Heero Yuy."

She twisted the blade to free it, but Heero caught it between his knife and sidearm. This was only a temporary inconvenience for her, though, as she swiftly withdrew the knife before thrusting forward with it, slicing right into the gunbarrel and cleaving it off almost as easily as if she were cutting through butter. Dropping the wrecked weapon, Heero immediately shifted his knife to his dominant hand and caught his opponent's blade with it.

He had to suppress a chill as his gaze locked with that of his opponent. There was a hunger in her green and blue eyes that was very unnerving.

Quatre, I hope you've kept your skills sharp, he thought as he stared down his foe, I've got a feeling that you're going to need them…

….

Quatre had barely drawn a bead on his opponent before she rushed in. In the tight confines of the residence, he only had time to squeeze off a quick burst before she was upon him. As he'd expected, the bullets didn't do any good; they were simply deflected into the nearby wall by her personal energy shield. In response, Quatre shifted his grip on the rifle so that he could more effectively use it as melee weapon instead. He managed to block her opening knife strike, but he was shocked to see just how deep her knife cut into the gun. Another strike in the same area and she would cleave the weapon clean in half.

Quatre lunged forward, striking with the butt of the rifle. His foe twisted to avoid taking a direct hit, and the blow simply glanced off her shoulder. That was fine with Quatre, though, because it gave him the precious space he needed to draw his knife and discard the rifle before she made her counterattack. Her thrust was aimed at her leg, but Quatre managed to block it just in the nick of time.

That could've hit an artery, he thought, I need to be careful with her!

Her slender arms were surprisingly powerful, and she moved with the efficiency and grace of a seasoned fighter. Her knife flashed through the air, and it was all Quatre could do to deflect her strikes. His highly attuned instincts were serving him well, although the past few years in the corporate world meant that he wasn't as sharp as Heero right now. Each time he blocked one of her attacks he tried to go for a grapple with his free hand, but her movements were too swift. She clearly knew what she was doing, and Quatre had to wonder just what sort of training and experience she had.

As he blocked another knife thrust she suddenly dipped low, attempting to sweep his legs out from under him with a kick. She was only partially successful; she managed to trip Quatre up, but he was able to catch himself just in time to deflect her follow-up strike. He attempted to fall back, only to find himself hitting the wall.

There's just not enough room here, he thought, I need to find a way to take this outside!

That was a case of easier said than done, though. His opponent seemed determined to take advantage of his limited room to maneuver. She pressed hard, and Quatre could feel the sweat building upon his brow. She was relentless, her eyes searching for the slightest opening in Quatre's defenses as she kept up her assault. Still, he wasn't about to go down without putting up a fight.

She seemed to take note of that. "You're skilled. You're no ordinary backworlder."

Quatre didn't have time for flattery. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"We have a job, and we will carry it out," she replied as she kept up her offensive, "That is all."

The matter-of-factness of her tone was a sharp contrast to the ferocious knife strikes she was raining down on him. "Whatever you're after, I won't let you have it!"

She actually smiled at that. "You will try, if nothing else. What is your name?"

"Quatre," he answered.

She nodded, the gesture eerily serene when compared to her vicious assault. "I am called Kayda. Fight on, Quatre, so that your struggle may please our goddess."

His eyes widened. "Goddess? What the hell are you talking about?"

"It does not matter to you," she said, "The only thing that matters is that you must fight. I will accept nothing less."

She gave him a profoundly creepy smile, and Quatre had to wonder just what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

It's never a dull day around you, Heero…

I just hope I live long enough to see the end of it!

….

Adrenaline and fury coursing through her veins, Ryoko hammered Nagi with a devastating rain of powerful blows. Her crimson energy blade flashed through the air, seeking to batter its way through the bounty hunter's defenses with nothing more than pure strength. The memories of Nagi's last visit to Earth continued to flash through Ryoko's mind, with one in particular dominating them.

The image of Heero captured by the bounty hunter and at her mercy.

That won't happen again, she thought firmly, Nagi, if you so much as touch Heero this time, I swear that there will be nothing left of you by the time I'm through here!

With vengeful rage as her fuel, she had strength to spare, but her foe was not about to succumb so easily to the storm of her anger. As much as Ryoko might loath her opponent, she was still able to recognize the bounty hunter's skills. There was a damn good reason why she was at the top of her field in the galaxy; bringing her down was never going to be a walk in the park.

Although she wanted to take out the bounty hunter by herself, Ryoko would grudgingly admit that the old man fighting alongside her had some serious skills. She'd known thanks to the sparring matches she'd watched between him and Heero that he was talented, but seeing those abilities displayed in an actual life-or-death fight gave her new appreciation for them. There was also the fact that the last thing she'd expected him to possess was a Juraian Master-Key, which raised a ton of questions regarding who exactly he really was. That wasn't something Ryoko was particularly focused on right now, though; kicking Nagi's ass was all she cared about.

Slashing away with the energy blade in her right hand, Ryoko opened the palm of her left and shot a series of spheres of crimson power at her opponent. The blasts were dissipated upon Nagi's personal shield, but from the way the air over her rippled and sparks danced along the barrier Ryoko could tell that the energy field was struggling to hold up under the assault. If she could keep this up then the generator on Nagi's belt would short out and deprive the bounty hunter of a critical defense.

She wanted nothing more than to cut loose with everything she had, not caring in the least about how that would probably result in a considerable amount of property damage. Unfortunately, there was the old man to consider. She didn't want to risk hitting him with such a barrage; she might not have known him very well, but she was sure that Heero wouldn't be happy if she hurt him.

"Old man, get back," she growled, "I'm going to blast this bitch!"

"I would advise against that," he replied as he slashed at Nagi from the side, keeping the bounty hunter on the defensive, "It's what she's been waiting for."

"Bullshit!" Ryoko growled as she lashed out with a powerful overhand strike that Nagi was barely able to block, "I can blow her away and she knows it!"

"She knows what you're capable of," the shrine keeper countered, "Look at her; she's ready for whatever you can unleash!"

Ryoko smirked. "That's what she thought last time, and I still kicked her ass!"

"Last time was a fluke, Ryoko," Nagi replied calmly as she deflected strikes from the pirate and priest, "That surge of power was unexpected, but it won't do you any good this time."

"Young lady, I can handle her," said Katsuhito as he pressed his assault, "You are needed elsewhere."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Ryoko argued as she thrust her blade at Nagi, only for the bounty hunter to casually deflect it.

"You will if you care for the young man who has taken you in," he replied, "He needs your help far more than I do, and is his life not more important than whatever petty grudge you have with this woman?"

That hit Ryoko harder than any attack Nagi could unleash. Sparring a quick glance at the young man at the heart of their conversation, she saw Heero fighting for his life. He was holding his own, but the robed woman confronting him had drawn a second knife, and from the way she held her two blades it was clear that she definitely knew how to use them. Ryoko didn't know who they were, but if Nagi was willing to team up with them, then that spoke volumes regarding their level of skill. Heero was good, but was he that good?

More importantly, was that something Ryoko was willing to leave to chance?

When put like that, the choice before her was incredibly simple, and she knew in a heartbeat what the right call to make was. Her grudge match with Nagi could wait; she had something much more crucial to attend to.

"Old man," she growled as she blocked a slash from Nagi, "You sure you got this?"

Katsuhito nodded as he made a hard overhand strike at the bounty hunter, forcing her to deflect. "Yes."

Ryoko gave Nagi one last glare before pulling back. "She's all yours. Kick her ass."

….

Well… this is going to be a problem.

If there was one thing Nagi hadn't counted on apart from being confronted by an apparently incognito Juraian royal wielding a Master-Key, it was Ryoko actually stepping back to assess the situation before making the appropriate call. The bounty hunter had assumed that, based on her past encounters with the pirate, that her foe would prioritize defeating her for the sake of their rivalry above anything else. For her to actually abandon their fight and allow someone else to solo her was quite unexpected, and it certainly wasn't a development that Nagi appreciated.

Based on the look in the old man's eyes, he knew exactly what she was thinking. He didn't say anything; he let his blade do the talking.

And boy, could it speak.

While Ryoko had been in his way earlier, the old man had been relatively restrained in his attacks on the bounty hunter. With the pirate out of the way now, though, he had no more interference to worry about. The result was a fresh onslaught that was graceful, precise, and absolutely relentless.

This guy's definitely no amateur, she thought as she frantically defended herself, I've got no idea who the hell he is, which is just scary. A guy as good as this should've made some waves in the galactic community, so why the hell's he way out here in the sticks?

It was a question that she had no time to seek an answer for. Even in the confines of the residence, he seemed to be having little trouble in pressing his assault. His eyes were sharper than his energy blade; every minute movement of Nagi's frame was under scrutiny, and all it seemed to take was just the most miniscule bits of tension for him to completely read her moves. Every counterattack she tried was batted aside almost casually, while every strike the old man made in return took every bit of speed she could muster to block.

He gave her a knowing smile as he unleashed a sequence of slashes that she was barely able to deflect. "You have some real talent, young lady. It's been a while since I've met a woman who can give me a decent workout."

Nagi scowled; a casual observer might take his words as a compliment, but she knew better. It was taking every iota of skill she had just to hold him off, whereas he wasn't even breathing hard as he pressed his assault. As far as the bounty hunter was concerned, his words were downright mockery, and what pissed her off more than anything else was the fact that he clearly had the talent to back it up.

She took a deep breath as she kept her defenses up; it wouldn't do to fly off the handle at a critical moment like this. Keeping a cool head was more important now than ever, and she was going to need ever bit of her wits she could muster if she was going to figure out a way to salvage the situation and accomplish her mission.

Of course, that was a much taller order now than it had been just a minute or so ago.

….

Heero was in trouble.

It had been difficult enough to defend himself against Kana while she'd been using a single knife, but now that she'd drawn a second blade things had gotten exponentially worse. A dual-wielding style meant she couldn't deliver as much power to each individual strike since each blade was in one hand, and it also eliminated the possibility of her keeping a hand free for grappling purposes. However, her strikes were so swift and relentless that those weaknesses were more than cancelled out.

He rolled to the right and tried to flank her, but she was instantly able to adjust and counter him. Catching one knife with his own, he tried to grab her other arm with his free hand, but she lashed out with the second blade in the blink of an eye, and it was only thanks to his swift reflexes that Heero was able to avoid a serious wound. Still, the long and shallow cut that his foe had inflicted on his left arm was testament enough as to her abilities.

Come on, Kiyone, Mihoshi, he thought as he and his foe fought across the living room, I could really use an assist right now…

As it turned out, he got the help he needed, but it wasn't from either of the two Galaxy Police officers. As Kana thrust her right blade towards Heero again, she was forced to hold the left one back as Ryoko came barreling in from seemingly out of nowhere. She lashed out with her rod of crimson energy, and the robed girl was barely able to bring up her second knife in time to intercept the blow. Heero was surprised that the pirate's energy blade didn't just melt right through the metal one, but it appeared that the knife was either made of a metal that was resistant to energy weapons or had been coated in some sort of protective material. Either way, it was able to withstand the pirate's attack, although Kana still seemed to be taken off balance by Ryoko's sudden entrance.

"You all right, Heero?" she asked as the robed girl momentarily backed off.

He nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for the save."

He'd been sure that Ryoko would fight Nagi this whole time, but he wasn't about to object to her coming to help him. Sparring just a quick glance at the bounty hunter, he saw that she was engaged in a furious one-on-one clash with Katsuhito…

…and the old man was actually winning.

He had her on the ropes and was pressing hard. Heero had always suspected that the old man hadn't gone full-bore against him during their past sparring matches, and now he finally had proof. His azure blade streaked through the air like lightening, and the confines of the residence seemed to be of no hindrance to him. Nagi looked like she was giving all her focus to just fending off the shrine keeper's attacks; Washu seemed to be safe for the time being.

The infamous scientist was still disoriented from the earlier blast, but she at least was no longer sprawled out on the floor. She was on her hands and knees now, and she was shakily trying to crawl towards her lab, using the wall as a support.

We just need to buy enough time so she can get to her lab and hole herself up inside, he thought, I don't know if her defenses can dissuade Nagi and her accomplices, but right now that's our best bet.

He turned to Kiyone and Mihoshi, who finally seemed to have recovered from the earlier blast. "Kiyone, help Quatre! Mihoshi, get Washu into the lab!"

The two of them nodded in acknowledgement, and Heero returned his focus to Kana. It wasn't a moment too soon; she was lunging forward, although Ryoko blocked her path.

"You want him, bitch?" she snarled as she intercepted her blades with her shaft of crimson energy, "You're going to have to go through me!"

As much as Heero appreciated the gesture, he wasn't about to let her fight alone on his behalf. Double checking the wound on his arm to make sure it wasn't serious, he then struck at Kana from the left, forcing her to divert her second blade in order to block his strike.

"No," he said firmly as he glanced at Ryoko, "We'll do this together."

He thought she would protest, but instead she simply smiled. "All right, then. Together."

And with that, they attacked.

….

Quatre was on the backfoot. It was taking everything he had simply to defend himself from Kayda, and he had to wonder just how long he could keep this up. Her moves were fluid and precise, at times almost snake-like, as if the arm wielding the knife was a viper determined to sink its fangs into him. Quatre hadn't seen such blade-work since he'd last watched Wufei practice with his sword years ago, and he was pretty sure that his current foe could give his fellow Gundam pilot a run for his money.

The truth was simple; she was better than him. Maybe it'd be different if this were a mobile suit fight, but unfortunately that wasn't the sort of contest they were currently engaged in. Quatre had been given solid combat training prior to Operation Meteor, and that had naturally included lessons on close-quarters-combat and knife fighting, but his technique with the blade just wasn't as honed and refined as that of his foe.

As to emphasize the point, one of Kayda's thrusts slipped through his guard. Quatre jerked himself back, but the blade still nicked his right cheek, leaving a shallow and slender cut with a trickle of blood beginning to drip down the side of his face. It stung, but that was nothing compared to injuries Quatre had taken in the past.

What was much more troubling, and indeed downright disturbing, was how she quickly brought the blade up to her lips and licked the blood on it. Her eyes gleamed with something between ecstasy and madness; Quatre honestly didn't know which would be creepier at this point.

"Warrior's blood…" she murmured, and Quatre couldn't tell if she was talking to him or herself, "The taste… exquisite."

Before she could say anything else, her shield crackled as a bolt of yellow energy hit it. Quatre and his foe both turned to see none other than Kiyone taking aim with her pistol, and another lance of light splashed against the girl's barrier.

The Galaxy Police officer smiled. "Need a little backup, Quatre?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Quatre couldn't help but return the gesture. "I won't turn you down!"

"Keep her busy up front," said Kiyone, "I'll give you some cover."

It was a good plan; Quatre didn't seen any knives on her, so ranged support was the best he could ask from her. If he could continue to fend off Kayda's attacks with his knife while Kiyone took potshots, it was possible that they'd be able to split her attention and wear her down. Quatre didn't know how powerful her personal energy shield was, but he was sure that it couldn't last forever.

All right, then, he thought as he shifted his stance, ready to intercept his opponent if she tried to attack his ally, I guess my luck hasn't run out quite yet.

Let's do this!

….

Great, thought Nagi as she parried a slash from her devilishly skilled opponent, as if I didn't have enough to worry about….

Even as she was fighting with everything she had just to hold the shrine keeper back, the bounty hunter wasn't blind to the larger fight. Situational awareness was crucial in her line of work, and she'd taken great pains to keep hers honed to razor's edge sharpness. That was why she knew, even as she continued to block attacks from the old man, that one of the Galaxy Police officers had joined the blond man in fighting Kayda while the other was working her way around the fighting towards Washu. She wasn't deaf; she'd heard loud and clear what Heero's plan regarding Washu was. The young man had made the right call for the situation, which meant that Nagi was running out of time.

She had no idea wat kind of defenses Washu had in place, but if her reputation alone was anything to go by then Nagi was sure that breaking into her lab would be no easy feat. Setting aside the fact that she didn't know where exactly in the house it was, with the level of opposition she faced here she wouldn't have the space or time that would be necessary to force her way inside. Her surest bet was to claim the scientist's memories while she was still out here, and that meant it was time to whip out a few tools of the trade that she'd been holding in reserve.

Wrapped around her left wrist, quite easy to miss amidst the flashier weapons that she had at her disposal, was dark blue strap with a small triple-barreled dart launcher attached. It would be a simple matter to use it; the weapon was configured so that all Nagi had to do was take aim and flex her wrist just enough to trigger the firing mechanism. Each dart was tipped with a powerful paralytic agent, one that could immobilize a target for up to an hour.

Why hadn't she used this weapon before now? One, she only had three darts, one in each barrel. Two, each dart and the paralytic agent that came with them were exorbitantly expensive; each one carried a price tag equivalent to that of the high-end personal shield generator that protected the bounty hunter from energy blasts and the primitive bullets that officers on Earth were apparently so fond of. There was also the fact that they weren't effective against Ryoko since the energy fields she was capable of generating were capable of deflecting the darts, and the same went for Ayeka and her guardians, although the pulse from the shield-draining grenade she'd thrown earlier had helpfully knocked the princess and her protectors out of the fight.

No sense in holding back now, she thought, especially when there's a twenty-five million credit bounty on the line.

Shifting her grip on her saber as she continued to fend off the shrine keeper's strikes, she swiftly took aim with her dart launcher. Her first target wasn't the old man before her, or even Washu; it was the blonde Galaxy Police officer that was rushing to aid the dazed scientist. Nagi couldn't let her get Washu into the safety of her lab, so Mihoshi had to be taken down with haste. She fired a second later, and the dart nailed the officer right in the neck. The woman stumbled before falling headfirst to the floor a moment later, with her limbs already freezing up. That was one threat down.

It was time to deal with the next one.

….

Even as he and Ryoko continued to mix it up with Kana, Heero wasn't blind to the broader fight; he'd seen Mihoshi take Nagi's dart and drop in short order. He couldn't tell how bad the hit was, but the fact that she wasn't getting up told him that it was definitely serious.

Kana tried to take advantage of his distraction by lunging at him, both blades flashing through the air, but Ryoko intercepted her. Blocking her strikes with the crimson shaft in her right hand, she let fly with a blast of energy with her left. The power of her shot was dissipated by Kana's shield, but the way red sparks of energy continued to dance along it for a few seconds afterwards was hint enough that her blast had put some serious strain on the barrier.

Ryoko gave him a confident wink. "You owe me one!"

Heero wasn't about to argue. "Can you hold her off?"

Ryoko nodded as she blocked another series of slashes from Kana. "I've got this! Go check on Mihoshi!"

"Thanks," Heero replied before rushing over to the fallen Galaxy Police officer.

Checking her vitals, he was relieved to find that her pulse was stable. Her breathing was shallow but steady, and Heero carefully removed the dart from her neck. It had only left a very small puncture mark, and Heero was thankful that it wasn't fatal. Looking Mihoshi over, he realized that she couldn't move her limbs, and although she appeared to be trying to speak to him she couldn't quite form the words.

He put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "It's all right. Just stay calm and focus on breathing."

She tried to nod but couldn't quite do so. Still, the fear in her eyes seemed to recede somewhat, and that would have to be enough for now.

I've got no idea what Nagi hit her with, he thought, I hope Washu can figure it out and deal with it later. For right now, I need to get Mihoshi out of the crossfire.

He didn't like the idea of abandoning the fight, but he didn't need to go far; he just had to get Mihoshi to the sidelines. Picking her up and hoisting her over his shoulder, he rushed over to the kitchen and gently laid her down again. It wasn't perfect by any means, but at least she'd be out of the way until the fighting was over. He couldn't say for certain since the clash wasn't over yet, but despite the ferocity of their attacks it didn't look like Nagi and her companions were actually fighting to kill.

He could only hope that their restraint held.

As he moved to rejoin the fray he saw Nagi take aim with her dart launcher again. Parrying a diagonal slash from Katsuhito with the blade in her right hand, she fired another dart, this one at Washu. Just like Mihoshi, the small projectile struck the scientist right in the neck as she was crawling to the lab, and once again she wound up sprawled out on the floor.

Trying to make sure her target doesn't escape, he thought, I hope whatever those darts are packing doesn't have any permanent effects…

He took a moment to evaluate the situation. What was the best move? He could go back to fighting Kana, although Ryoko seemed to be more than holding her own against the robed girl at the moment. Helping out Quatre and Kiyone against Nagi's other companion was also an option, although for the moment the two of them seemed to have things under control. He could always try to attack Nagi, but if he did so he'd probably just end up getting in Katsuhito's way.

Pick up where Mihoshi left off; get Washu into the lab.

Washu was Nagi's primary target, so denying the bounty hunter her prize was the name of the game. How many more darts did Nagi have? Was there one with Heero's name on it should he approach the immobilized scientist?

It was a risk he'd just have to take.

….

The young man or the old one?

That was the question currently going through Nagi's mind as she fended off just the latest in a sequence of swift slashes from the latter while the former was making his way towards the bounty hunter's target. She only had one dart left, and while at first glance the man she was currently fighting was by far the greater threat, the choice wasn't actually that simple. If her hunch as to his true identity was anywhere close to the mark, then the dart may well prove to be much less effective against him than her previous two targets. It would likely slow him down, perhaps enough to give her a crucial edge, but there was no guarantee. By contrast, Heero was just a human, albeit a particularly skilled one; the dart would drop him as quickly as it did Mihoshi and Washu and prevent him from taking her target to safety.

Of course, lining up the shot was easier said than done. Not only did she still have to contend with the old man, but the way Heero was moving made it clear that he was well aware of the fact that he could be the next one she took aim at. He was using the overturned furniture and chaos of the fighting as cover, just like any trained professional would. She remembered from their little skirmish before just how sharp his reflexes were; not only would she only get one shot, but if she timed it wrong he'd likely either dodge or possibly even deflect the dart. Its paralytic agent was strong, but how quickly it took effect was predicated on where it connected with its target. That was why Nagi had aimed for the neck with Mihoshi and Washu; it was the best way to guarantee that they dropped swiftly.

I can still shock Heero with my saber, she thought, It did the job last time, although he made me work for it. It'd be much harder to pull that off against the old man.

She made up her mind a moment later; dart for the old man, saber shock for the young one. It would be tricky, but it was her best way forward. Besides, she could see Ayeka finally beginning to stir from where she was slumped against the wall; if she regained consciousness and rejoined the fray, then her job would get much more difficult. The device that Kagato had given her would only take a few seconds to view and copy Washu's memories, but that could be an eternity in a fight such as this.

Deflecting another slash from the old man, she dropped low and made a sweeping kick. Her foe simply jumped over it, but Nagi hadn't been trying to trip him, only distract him. It worked; as he avoided her foot, she took aim and let fly with the last of her darts. His reflexes were quick, but not quite quick enough; the dart didn't hit his neck, but instead the point wound up buried in his arm. The paralytic agent would take longer to go into effect, but Nagi knew that she could hold out until it did.

She kept up her defensive posture, biding her time and waiting for the dart's toxin to work its magic. The bounty hunter was straddling a thin line; all the while, Heero was still making his way towards Washu, and it would only be a few more seconds until he was upon her. She began to notice some increased tension in the old man's muscles; the paralytic agent appeared to be working, but it was taking its sweet time. Nagi suspected that his bloodline was playing a role there; since his powers had likely reached maturity long ago, one of the benefits that came with that was a certain level of resistance to debilitating substances. It wasn't complete immunity by any stretch of the imagination, but it did make him a tougher nut to crack.

Soon enough, though, the effects of the dart became more pronounced. The old man's strikes slowed significantly, and the power behind them was blunted. He was still a threat, but a much more manageable one, and growing more so by the moment.

The look in his eye was enough to tell Nagi that her foe recognized this. What came next, though, was something she'd most certainly not expected.

A slight smile appeared on his face. "Well, it's a bit earlier than I'd planned, but I suppose it can't be helped now."

Nagi's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she thrust her saber forward. "What are you talking about?"

Deflecting her strike by a thin margin, the old man chuckled. "I don't think you used that dart on the right target, young lady."

He stumbled backwards, and Nagi was about to reply that he was mistaken, but then he called out the name of a certain young man. "Heero! It's time!"

Nagi followed his gaze. The young man was practically on top of Washu now, but if he was in on some secret plan from the old man he was damn good at hiding it.

"Time for what?" he asked.

He seemed more surprised than anything else, and Nagi wound up joining him in that sentiment a moment later when the old man did the last thing she expected. "To awaken."

Then he threw his Master-Key at him.

Nagi's eyes widened as the blade deactivated and the hilt of the weapon sailed through the air as if in slow-motion. Had the old man lost his mind? Only a select few individuals could wield a Royal Juraian Master-Key, and of the two in the house who could've possibly qualified one had been taken to hide upstairs and the other was still dazed and slumped against the wall. If this was a joke, then it was a very disappointing one.

At least, that's what she thought at first.

Right up until the young man caught the Master-Key, seemingly by sheer reflex more than anything else…

…and its azure blade sprang back to life once more.

….

There were moments in a person's life that marked the point of profound transformation. Many of these went unheeded, while others were only recognized with the clarity of hindsight. It was rare indeed for someone to recognize one of these moments when it was actually occurring.

The second Heero's hand had grasped the hilt thrown by Katsuhito, he'd instantly realized that this was such a moment for him.

One that he'd never imagined in his wildest dreams.

As the handle of the literally otherworldly weapon had flown through the air, the Preventers operative had instinctively moved to catch it even as his mind analyzed the device and told him that it would not help him. After all, there was no obvious switch or other sort of activation mechanism on its surface; he had no idea how the shrine keeper had brought forth the blade of energy from it. For all he had known, it would just be a bit of dead weight, little more than a blunt object that he could wield alongside his knife.

The instant his hand caught it, though, he realized just how wrong he had been. It was as if the simple act of grasping it had unlocked something that had long been held dormant within him. He felt a new kind of energy flowing through him, as cold as a mountain river yet as refreshing as sweet spring water. The torrent that was unleashed flowed through every fiber of his being and swiftly rushed to the hilt that the old man had thrown to him. It wasn't a matter of flipping some switch on it, because the weapon didn't need it.

It only needed him.

His eyes widened slightly as they beheld the light of the blue blade, yet part of Heero wasn't surprised at all. He couldn't explain the why or the how, but it suddenly felt as if his entire life before now had been building up to this exact moment. The power that was coursing through him and into the blade should've terrified him; after all, he'd never experienced anything like this before, and for all he knew it could've been deadly to him.

And yet fear was the last thing he felt.

This power was new, and yet, in a manner that Heero couldn't begin to describe, it wasn't alien or threatening. He'd never experienced anything like it before, yet it had a strange sense of familiarity about it. It was if it were an old friend come to call after an absence of many long years, and at an hour of great need.

It was only now that he was aware of the fact that the whole chaotic clash in the living room had come to a standstill, with all eyes on him. At the very least, his companions seemed as shocked as Heero felt, and he could hardly blame them for that. The only exception appeared to be Katsuhito; despite the paralytic agent coursing through his veins, the old man was still able to give a very small nod and smile.

He'd known exactly what would happen when Heero caught the sword.

I suppose a long talk's in order later, he mused, I've certainly got my questions, but they'll have to wait until the immediate threat's been dealt with.

He turned to face Nagi, and in what must've been a very rare occurrence, the bounty hunter looked absolutely floored by what she was seeing. "I'll be damned… this whole time…"

Heero didn't have time for small talk, and he immediately pointed the sword at her. The blade was utterly weightless and should've required a great amount of training to wield effectively, but to Heero the weapon felt like a natural extension of himself. He wasn't worried about overextending or failing to properly compensate for the unique qualities of the sword; holding it and waving it about came as instinctively to him as breathing.

"Back down, now," he said firmly, "I won't give you another chance."

The bounty hunter shook her head, still clearly trying to process what she was seeing. "Boy… do you have any idea what it means that you were able to activate that blade?"

"Not a clue," he admitted casually, "and it's not something I'm worried about right now."

Nagi smirked. "Really? Well, well… you truly are just full of surprises."

She brought her saber up into a guard position. "If you want your second round, I'm not about to deny you. Come at me, Heero Yuy. Show me that you deserve to wield that blade!"

Heero didn't need her to ask twice.

….

As if today wasn't crazy enough…

That was as far as Nagi got before her new foe was upon her. He wasn't as skilled as the old man she'd faced earlier, but Heero had the speed and strength of youth on his side, and he took full advantage of it. His opening strike was a powerful overhand attack, one that stunned Nagi with the sheer level of force behind it. This wasn't just physical prowess at work, although she knew that Heero had more than his fair share of it.

"To awaken."

The old man's words had been echoing in her mind since Heero had caught the Master-Key. The boy might not have realized the significance of his ability to activate the blade, but the shrine keeper clearly did. In fact, if Nagi had to guess, she'd wager that he'd been anticipating a day like this.

The power that had awoken within the young man the moment he'd grasped the Master-Key was now aimed squarely at Nagi, and she would be the first to admit that it was impressive. It was raw and unrefined, but what it had already accomplished was startling. She doubted that Heero was even aware of this, but the cut that Kana had inflicted upon his left arm was already healing, a testament to the potency of the energy that was now flowing through him. His movements were reinvigorated, with any fatigue from earlier in the clash swiftly dispelled. From the look in his eyes as he pressed his assault, Nagi was willing to bet that his senses had become sharper as well, and he was reading her moves much like the old man had done, taking cues from the slightest hints of tension in her muscles.

He battered her defenses like a hurricane, raining swift and powerful blows upon her in rapid succession. Her saber weaved tight circles about her as she parried his strikes, and she shifted her stance to present a side profile to him, doing all she could to minimize potential openings. Her experience and training were more than earning their keep today, and even under circumstances as serious as hers had become she was still able to preserve energy and coolly evaluate her surroundings. The young man's power was yet another unexpected obstacle, but her mission objective was still obtainable. All she had to do was remain calm, keep up her defenses…

…and wait for the right moment to make her counterattack.

….

Her head was still trapped in a fog, but Ayeka could feel herself gradually regaining consciousness. She struggled to piece together just what had happened; the last thing she remembered was some strange device attaching itself to her barrier before everything had gone black.

Some… some sort of disruptor, she thought as she tried to bring order to the chaos that was currently her mind, I can't believe there's one powerful enough out there to destabilize one of my barriers…

If it was Nagi that they were up against, though, she really shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she'd proven that she was more than worthy of her reputation during her last visit to Earth. If anyone could somehow procure a device that was capable of taking down an energy barrier generated by a royal like herself, it was Nagi.

As her vision began to clear, she caught sight of Azaka and Kamidake lying on the floor not too far away. The occasional spark danced over their frames; whatever Nagi had unleashed must've shorted a circuit or two. Ayeka could only hope that Washu would be able to repair them later.

It was only then that she took in the rest of the fight. Ryoko was mixing it up with one of the robed figures that Ayeka had spotted earlier, while Quatre and Kiyone were engaging the other. Between Ryoko's energy blade and her opponent's twin knives, the pirate and her foe seemed evenly matched in skill, and Ayeka realized that it was only thanks to the latter's personal energy shield that the former hadn't overwhelmed her through raw power already. As for Quatre and Kiyone, Ayeka was impressed by the former's skill with a blade. She'd known that he'd been one of Heero's fellow colonial revolutionaries in the past, but that knowledge had not prepared her for actually witnessing his abilities in person. He was up against what appeared to be a highly trained assassin, yet he was holding his own with supporting fire from Kiyone.

And then she saw Heero.

Her jaw all but hit the floor when she saw what he was wielding, and she wondered if she was hallucinating. Had she hit her head harder than she'd first thought?

"Impossible…" she whispered.

She shook her head, and while her vision did clear further what she saw did not change. Blinking her eyes several times in rapid succession didn't change it either. There he was, engaging the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter in single combat…

…wielding a Juraian Royal Master-Key.

And not just any Master-Key.

One that had been lost for centuries.

Tenchi-ken.

For it to resurface on Earth after all this time was stunning in and of itself, but for Heero to be the one wielding it was something that Ayeka had not pictured in even her wildest dreams. All that she thought she knew about the young man had been thrown right out the window yet again, and Ayeka couldn't even begin to figure out how to process what she was seeing now. Her mind knew what the fact that he could wield that blade meant, but coming to terms with the massive implications behind it…

…well, that was a very tall order.

….

With as fiercely as her opponent was fighting, Ryoko didn't have too many opportunities to glance Heero's way, but the few glimpses she had caught ever since he'd activated the old man's blade had been nearly enough to take her breath away. Her powers extended beyond simply creating energy barriers, blasts and shields, flight, or phasing through solid matter; she could sense the kind of energy that flowed through other beings. It was a survival instinct, and one that had served Ryoko well over the years.

Which was why she was all the more stunned when she felt the power that was flowing through Heero now.

She hadn't detected so much as a trace of it in all the time that she had spent with him. It had actually taken her by surprise at first, especially when viewed in light of what he was capable of accomplishing without any such energy at his command, but she'd quickly seen past it. In her eyes, it had made him all the more impressive. His instincts and fighting skills had been the results of harsh training and a brutal past; he'd earned his strength the hard way, which was something Ryoko respected.

The power that was emanating from him now wasn't just new; strangely enough, it was also familiar. There was a simple enough explanation for that; Ryoko had tangled with Ayeka enough to recognize the feel of the energy wielded by someone like her, but for her to now be able to sense it in Heero was a major shock to the system.

Even as she deflected strikes from the assassin's twin knives with her crimson energy sword, Ryoko spared a quick glance for the priest sprawled out on the floor. Whatever Nagi had packed into her darts clearly had him down for the rest of the fight, but unlike Mihoshi or Washu he still seemed to possess just enough control to be able to lift his head and keep an eye on the clash between the young man and the bounty hunter.

He had thrown the Master-Key Heero's way, and Ryoko realized that he had known exactly what would happen when the young man caught it. Despite her typically impulsive and devil-may-care nature, Ryoko's mind could be quite sharp when she had sufficient incentive, and even in the midst of the hectic brawl that had engulfed the countryside safehouse and her fast-paced clash with the assassin she was already starting to put the pieces together. It wasn't enough to give her the complete picture, but even so she was still able to start making some key connections.

His sparring matches with Heero, the way he and Washu had been looking at each other before Nagi had attacked, the scientist's desire to run tests on Heero whenever she got a decent excuse… there had been much more going on there than had first met the eye. The rest of the household, Heero included, had been completely in the dark, but Katsuhito and Washu had recognized the potential of the young man now facing off with the deadliest bounty hunter in the galaxy, and they'd kept it quiet. They'd put whatever plans they'd concocted into motion behind the scenes, and no one else had caught on.

Was this attack connected to it?

Now wasn't the time to get distracted, and Ryoko would do what she had to do to survive and drive off Nagi and her accomplices, but she was not about to let Katsuhito and Washu off the hook. She had questions, and one way or another she would get answers.

….

Despite taking Nagi's dart right to the throat, Washu wasn't actually completely immobilized. Her body still felt as stiff as a board, but she had a very limited amount of mobility, just enough to move her head or shift her body slightly. Walking or even crawling was beyond her, but it was better than nothing.

I'll have to analyze what she hit me with later, she thought, I thought I'd immunized myself to just about every poison a professional would use, but I guess I got a little careless. Still, it doesn't feel like I took the full force of whatever that dart was packing; looks like my handiwork was able to lessen the effect, if only very slightly.

It took every bit of strength she could muster just to roll her body to the point that she was looking at something other than the floor. Combine that with the fact that she was laboring just to breathe, and she knew that she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. That was fine with her; she wasn't planning on leaving.

She just wanted a better view of the show.

She'd been immobilized, but her senses hadn't been taken away; she'd heard full-well what Yosho had said to Heero and knew what it meant. The sweet song of Tenchi-ken igniting again was music to her ears, and the only thing that had ruined the moment was the fact that she hadn't been able to see it with her own two eyes. She could go back later and check the security sensors that she'd installed in the house, but witnessing the event after the fact would cheapen some of the magic inherent to it.

Her facial muscles could barely move, but she managed to muster the faintest hint of a smile when she caught sight of Heero clashing with Nagi. Seeing him holding that blade and being able to wield it gave her the kind of satisfaction she typically only felt after succeeding in a groundbreaking experiment. In a sense, she supposed that was exactly what she was witnessing today. It had been dramatically accelerated by outside forces, but the result was one that validated all the data she'd been collecting ever since she'd been freed from her stasis pod.

Magnificent…

There he was, a young man from a world as far out in the galactic backwater as one could get, wielding the last weapon that anyone from the core worlds would've expected. Not only had the Master-Key responded to him, but he was using it to splendid effect against a foe that should've been way out of his league. The weightlessness of the blade should've been difficult for him to adapt to as a first-time user, yet he appeared to be able to compensate on a purely instinctive level. He had Nagi on the backfoot, which was far more than what Washu had expected from him at such an early stage.

The boy was a natural, that much was clear, but if he could do something like this after just awakening his latent powers, then it was almost scary for Washu to think of what his full potential could be. In just these few moments alone he'd already exceeded her expectations, and as he continued his clash with the renowned bounty hunter Washu felt a shudder go down her spine. This was a moment to be excited, sure, but she knew that it was also one that called for somber reflection and grim realization.

Heero, she thought as she watched him duel Nagi, I don't think you fully appreciate just what you've done here. Whether you realize it or not, today's the last day of the life you've lived up until now. The moment your hand grasped Tenchi-ken… well, I'm afraid you won't be able to go back to being just a Preventers operative after this. You're about to become something so much more…

…and you've just stepped into game with stakes higher than any you could possibly imagine.

….

It was a very strange thing to get all hot-and-bothered with regards to an opponent, but that was what Nagi had been experiencing since the moment Heero had engaged her with the Juraian Royal Master-Key. Her mind was still focused on the ultimate prize, yet at the same time it was hard to deny just how exciting her clash with the young man was. The skirmish they'd had during her prior to visit to Earth now felt in retrospect like the appetizer to a sumptuous meal, one that she was sorely tempted to savor for all it was worth.

Hot damn, she thought, unable to suppress a smile even as she furiously clashed with the boy, Heero Yuy… you really know how to show a woman a good time!

His skills had been readily apparent in their first encounter, but now that he had both the power and the weaponry needed to take her on head-to-head she was given a new appreciation for his abilities. He remained focused and level-headed even as newly awakened energy coursed through him. The young man was not being swept along in a heady rush of power and confidence; his wits remained as sharp as his reflexes. His technique was lacking when compared to Nagi's previous opponent, but only by a surprisingly small degree.

Swift and powerful were the blows that he brought to bear against her, each precisely targeted and calibrated to use no more energy than what was required. Nagi had taken on plenty of swordsmen in her time, and she could think of more than a few renowned masters of the craft who would've been given a run for their money by the upstart that she was facing off with now. His defenses were tight and readily adaptable, not impenetrable but not easily breached either. The boy's footwork was solid, and the way he moved indicated that he was keenly aware of his surroundings; forcing him off-balance would be no small task.

Unfortunately for Heero, as much as Nagi wanted to face him purely as one sword fighter to another, she did not have that luxury. She was on the clock, and the mission still came before her personal enjoyment, no matter how enticing her current opponent was. It was simply the cost of doing business, but there was no reason why she couldn't come back at a later date to test his mettle in a proper dance, so to speak.

She smiled as she elegantly parried a series of slashes from her intriguing foe. "It's been fun, Heero, but I'm afraid I don't have time to indulge you much further. Rain check?"

"If you want to withdraw, by all means," said Heero firmly as he pressed his assault, "If not, then you'll just have to make time for me."

Nagi smirked as she deflected his strikes. "Assertive, aren't you? And with the skills to back it up… I'm almost tempted to nab you instead of my target today! Oh, what we could do together, boy…"

"I'll pass," the young man deadpanned as he brought a powerful overhand blow down upon her.

Nagi gave a theatrical sigh. "Perhaps another time, then."

Flipping a switch on the hilt of her saber, the violet energy that surrounded the golden core suddenly extended as the weapon went into its whip configuration. Her opponent might've seen this before, but that had only been in a brief encounter; Heero didn't know just how great her mastery over the whip was. Even in confined quarters such as the living room they were dueling in now, she was more than capable of wielding it with supreme effectiveness, as her foe was about to find out the hard way.

The violet strand of energy cracked through the air, with sparks dancing all around it. It tore into the walls around them, but Nagi was careful not to damage any crucial structural supports; the last thing she wanted was to bring the place down on their heads while she was still inside, after all. The shift from saber to whip caused Heero to tighten up his defenses. Nagi now had the initiative, and she moved swiftly to exploit it.

It's been fun, Heero, but now it's time for endgame!

….

The moment Nagi's saber shifted to its whip configuration, Heero had realized that he was in trouble. His newfound power notwithstanding, he was being confronted by an unconventional weapon that he had very limited experience in dealing with. He didn't fully understand its capabilities, even though he quite clearly recalled just how painful the shocks it could deliver were.

The strand of energy twisted and twirled through the air like a thing possessed, snake-like in its movements and devilishly difficult to predict. No sooner would Heero bring up his blade to deflect what he thought was the main strike when the violet streak suddenly shifted and came at him from a new angle. Nagi's opening move had at first appeared to be a frontal attack, but then with a flick of her wrist the whip suddenly curved in the air and went straight for his back. Ducking and rolling to the side, Heero was able to dodge the attack, but it hardly ended there.

Her control over the weapon was incredibly precise, far beyond anything the young man had ever seen before. It lashed the walls and floors around him, peppering him with bits of debris in a manner that Heero instantly knew was deliberate. The pieces of wood stung but did little damage, yet that wasn't the issue. He had to protect his face in order to avoid taking a hit to the eyes, but doing so would obstruct his vision and give Nagi an even greater advantage than she already had.

A helmet and visor would be nice right about now, he thought dryly, along with body armor, for that matter. Too bad this new power of mine only extends to the sword…

That was hardly accurate, but Heero didn't really know just what he was capable of with the energy coursed through him now. He knew that it was invigorating him, boosting his movements and enhancing his already intuitive situational awareness, but there was no time for him to experiment and figure out just what it was capable of. Right now, he could only apply it as fuel for the fight and the energy blade he held, yet he knew that wouldn't be enough in the face of Nagi' fresh onslaught. No help looked to be coming from any of the others, either; they were all still locked in their struggles with the bounty hunter's associates. Heero was on his own, and despite the unexpected boost he'd received courtesy of this strange energy rushing through him he was still very much at a disadvantage.

The vector of her offense suddenly shifted, with Nagi swinging the whip along the floor and towards Heero's legs. He leapt over the first strike, but his left leg stung as the strand of energy brushed against it. That was just a grazing blow; a direct hit would hurt much worse.

Heero was barely able to find his footing before Nagi struck again, once more aiming for his feet and legs. He swiped at the whip with his blade, but the bounty hunter's weapon was frustratingly adaptable, and her control over it was exquisitely refined. It danced to the tune she called, with every minute twitch carrying a clear purpose.

Not good, he thought, I need to go for the decisive blow before she overwhelms me!

It would be a desperate all or nothing attack, and the trick would be setting it up. The strand of violet energy constantly contorting and twisting through the air around him made planning more than a move or two ahead all but impossible; he just didn't have enough practice in dealing with such an exotic weapon. Even his tight defenses could not fully protect him from such a fluid and malleable weapon, especially when combined with the highly refined skill and experience of its wielder.

Once again leaping over another low strike, Heero made a snap decision and lunged forward as soon as his feet hit the ground. The sudden surge seemed to momentarily catch the bounty hunter off guard, and the Preventers operative thrust forward with his blade.

Then she smiled, and he knew that she had him.

….

All good things had to come to an end, and Nagi had been laying the groundwork for the decisive finish to her duel with Heero since the moment she'd shifted her saber to its whip configuration. The boy had done exceptionally well to last as long as he had, but in the end, he'd played right into her hand.

She'd deliberately left some slack in the whip a moment before, enough to hint at a possible opening. Sure enough, grasping for a way to take her down before she could overwhelm him, Heero had made his move. The speed behind the lunge had been impressive, and with a little more experience Nagi believed that he actually could've made it work, but that wasn't in the cards today.

Maybe next time, lover boy, she thought as she flicked her wrist, bringing the violet strand of energy up and around his legs, I definitely wouldn't mind another dance when our paths cross again.

The instant her whip was in position, Nagi jacked up the power. She couldn't afford to hold back, otherwise the energy that allowed Heero to wield the Master-Key could allow him to endure and eventually free himself from the whip. As it was, he didn't fall immediately, a testament to his fearsome tenacity.

"Go down," she hissed as she tightened the whip around his legs, a torrent of energy now flowing down the strand and into her opponent, "I don't want to torture you."

"Heero!" cried Ryoko as the young man finally fell to his knees.

For a moment, Nagi feared that she'd have to deal with interference from the pirate, but Kana's skilled knifework was enough to keep her occupied for the time being. This was the best opening the bounty hunter had gotten since the clash started to seize her objective, and she wasn't about to waste it.

Keeping one eye on Heero and maintaining the flow of power down the whip to keep him down, she allowed the strand of energy to lengthen so that she could make her way over to Washu. Her handsome adversary struggled mightily against the bonds, but Nagi could tell that it was all he could do now just to keep from passing out from the constant flow of energy that the bounty hunter was sending into him.

This thing had better work quickly, she thought as she pulled out the device Kagato had given her prior to the mission, I've spent too much time here as it is…

Her target might've been paralyzed, but she retained just enough control over the muscles in her face for her eyes to widen in fear at what Nagi was brandishing. The bounty hunter couldn't blame her.

"Don't take this personally," she said as she knelt beside her, "It's just a job."

Much to her surprise, her target was actually capable of moving her lips, and although it appeared to take an extraordinary amount of effort she managed to utter a few words. "Kagato… you… fool…"

Nagi didn't have time to chat further. She pressed the device to Washu's forehead and activated it. Her target's eyes rolled back into her head, and a low growling sound came from her throat.

Nagi was sure that if her target was capable of it, she'd be screaming in agony right now.

….

Scanning and copying memories wasn't something that could be done gently. This was something that Washu knew full well; after all, she had been one of the designers of the device that Nagi was using on her right now. There was a definite irony to the situation that under other circumstances she might've appreciated, but it was a little hard to do that when her mind felt like it was on fire.

She'd known on an intellectual level what it was capable of, but to be on the other end of it was a wakeup call. It was a harsh reminder of past sins, yet one more device that Washu knew that she should never have let come into the world. There was a very long list of such creations over the course of her long life, but this one was one of the most insidious.

Even in the midst of the fiendish pain that was engulfing her head, Washu still possessed enough of her wits to recognize the device as a clue with regards to the identity of Nagi's client. It was a sign that her life of quiet exile on this backwater world had come to an end. The time had come to take responsibility for her multitude of sins in earnest…

…assuming she wasn't rendered catatonic by the excruciating torture that threatened to utterly consume her mind.

….

Bombarded by a constant stream of violet lightning coursing through the whip that bound his legs, it was all Heero could do just to maintain consciousness. However, if the look on Washu's face was any indication, whatever device Nagi had pressed to her head was capable of delivering a pain that surpassed what Heero was feeling now. He didn't know what the purpose of the tool was, and the effect it was having on Washu sharply contrasted with the bounty hunter's earlier statement about not wanting to inflict torture. Nagi didn't seem to be taking any pleasure in the act, but Heero doubted that mattered much to Washu at the moment.

Shake this off, he told himself furiously, She needs your help, damn it! You're better than this!

The Heero before today wouldn't have been able to do that. For all his endurance and strength, he was only human. All the training and combat experience under his belt could only do so much to help fight the pain that the whip was delivering to him.

But you're not really human, are you?

The thought sprang unbidden into his mind, and it seemed like such an outlandish one, but given the power that had been unleashed within him the moment he'd grasped Katsuhito's sword it actually wasn't that far-fetched. Of course, Heero knew that he was sorely lacking in knowledge when it came to the weapon that the shrine keeper had tossed him; maybe this strange device unlocked this sort of power in anyone who held it. If the earlier reaction of Nagi was anything to go by, though, Heero suspected that wasn't the case.

Get up, he mentally ordered his anguished body, Stand back up…

…and fight!

It didn't matter how much pain he felt at that moment. Before his eyes was a woman who was supposed to be in his custody and under his protection in what appeared to be utter agony. His own physical state meant nothing; he was going to help her no matter what it took. It wasn't because it was his duty, or even because he considered her to be a friend, albeit a rather strange one. He would help her because it was right.

The whip bound his legs tightly, so prying it off with his energy blade was out of the question; the last thing he wanted to do was lose a limb. All he could do was reach down and grab the violet strand with his free hand. It felt like a thousand knives were piercing his palm, and it took every ounce of resolve to keep the strand in his grip.

As if reacting to his plight, the energy coursing through him seemed to concentrate in his hand. It didn't numb the pain, but it fortified him enough for the task ahead. He was going to get out of this.

And he was determined to make Nagi pay dearly for her attack.

….

"Hurry up, damn it!" she hissed as she kept the device pressed to Washu's head.

I was told that this thing worked quickly, she thought, A few seconds, they said. Well, that might seem short to them, but it's a lifetime in a skirmish like this.

The situation was well in hand thanks to Kana and Kayda keeping the others at bay while Nagi still had Heero ensnared in her whip, but that could change at any moment. The bounty hunter didn't want to linger a second longer than was necessary, yet she couldn't until she knew for sure she had what she'd been hired to get. That wasn't exactly a simple matter when she didn't know which precise memories she was supposed to be copying. Supposedly the device could scan, duplicate and score a lifetime's worth of memories extraordinarily quickly, but given the nature of her target the definition of the word 'lifetime' was doing some serious work. The enormous payday notwithstanding, Nagi did feel more than a little guilty about what she was inflicting upon her target and sincerely hoped that she wasn't causing any permanent damage.

Even if her primary focus was on Washu, though, Nagi wasn't blind to her surroundings. One eye had remained on Heero even though he was caught up in her whip; the young man's resilience was not to be underestimated. Even so, she'd anticipated being able to keep him at bay long enough for the device she had pressed to Washu's forehead to complete its work.

Which was why she couldn't stop her eyes from widening in shock when she saw Heero grasp her whip barehanded…

…and free one of his legs from it.

No way…

You have got to be kidding me!

Despite her shock, she reacted immediately by flicking her wrist, manipulating the whip in an attempt to regain her hold on him. Unfortunately, he blocked her with his blade while using his free hand to disentangle the remaining leg. From the expression on his face Nagi could tell that he was in a great deal of pain, but he was powering through it just the same. The energy that was flowing through him had boosted his already incredible resilience, and while under other circumstances Nagi might admire him for it, right now she needed to keep him contained while she finished scanning and copying Washu's memories.

She swung the whip, making it dance through the air in front of Heero; if she couldn't ensnare him again, she could at least keep him at bay. However, since her attention was split between the young man and Washu her efforts to fend him off suffered as a result. Nagi couldn't manipulate her weapon efficiently from this position, and she was at an additional disadvantage due to Heero's focus being solely on her.

Normally I'd find that flattering, she mused, It's a little inconvenient right now, though.

She glanced down at the gauge on the small device. It indicated that 90% of the target's memories had been scanned and copied. Was that enough? It would've helped tremendously if Nagi had known exactly what kind of memories Kagato was after, not to mention if the device was capable of singling out those precise memories. Unfortunately, it was all or nothing; she'd have to hold out while it gathered the remaining 10%.

Heero's eyes met hers, and from his gaze Nagi knew that he could sense her vulnerability. "Drop the device and your weapon, step away from Washu, call off your accomplices, and you can still walk away."

Nagi raised an eyebrow. "Oddly merciful of you, all things considered."

"Answer," he said firmly, "Now."

Nagi shook her head. "Not happening. I took this job, and I'm seeing it through."

Heero raised his sword. "So be it."

….

The energy rushing through his body seemed to be corresponding to his determination to save Washu. Along with keeping the blade in his right hand activated and keeping him invigorated, it was also rushing to his left hand and seemed to be healing whatever wounds grabbing Nagi's whip had inflicted upon his palm. Heero didn't know the exact mechanics behind it, but he wasn't about to complain. He knew that he needed all the help he could get.

Thrusting forward with his energy blade, he fought his way through the writhing violet energy whip that was between him and Nagi. He still didn't have a solid grasp on what the weapon was capable of, but he knew enough to recognize that Nagi's position meant that she couldn't control it quite as effectively as before while she was kneeling beside Washu pressing that strange device to her forehead. If he was going to have a chance at forcing her to withdraw, this was it.

He pressed forward, his sword weaving a barrier around him as he attempted to push through her defenses. Her attacks weren't as fluid or precise as they'd been before, and in fact Heero could actually detect a hint of desperation creeping into her form. She was cornered and she knew it; he couldn't let this opening go to waste.

He thrust out with his blade, and for a moment it looked like he might actually land a hit. Heero was forced to pull back a split second later when the whip whirled around and raced for his head, and he was barely able to swat aside the bounty hunter's counterattack. His follow-up strike was immediate, and this time Nagi was actually forced to block it directly rather than counter. He had her.

Until he didn't.

A soft 'chime' sounded from the device Nagi had pressed to Washu's forehead, and a light on it flashed green. Apparently, that was the cue the bounty hunter had been waiting for, because she immediately stood up, put away the strange device, and parried Heero's next attack in a single fluid motion.

"It's been fun," she said as she reached for her utility belt with her free hand, "but I've got what I came for, so it's time to move along. Kana, Kayda; withdraw!"

For a split second Heero saw what appeared to be a small grey pellet or capsule appear in her left hand, and then the bounty hunter was suddenly engulfed in a rapidly expanding cloud of smoke. With a quick glance, he saw something similar happen with the two robed women that had accompanied her, and then the room was filled with smoke, eliciting coughs from Heero and his companions.

This should clear out quickly thanks to the windows that I shot out earlier, he thought, but not soon enough. Damn it, I was so close!

The light emanating from the blue energy blade provided some illumination, but the smoke was thick enough that it didn't do much good in helping Heero find his target. He did what he could to make his way through the living room; he knew the layout well-enough that he could find his way to the front door easily enough. He threw the door open, desperate to open up more pathways for the smoke to clear out and make it easier for his companions to breathe.

A cry similar to Ryo-Ohki's came from outside, and as Heero finally got clear of the smoke he saw a white crystalline ship racing up into the sky; Ken-Ohki. Nagi was making her getaway, and Heero knew that by the time Ryoko found Ryo-Ohki in the confusion that the safehouse had been throw into thanks to the attack the bounty hunter would be long gone.

Pursuit's not in the cards, he thought, I need to see to the others, especially Washu, Mihoshi, and the old man.

He rushed back inside. The smoke was thinning out, although his vision was still considerably obstructed. He needed to take stock of the situation quickly.

"Status report!" he called out, "Whose wounded?"

"I'm all right!" Quatre replied, "Nothing serious."

"I'm fine," said Ryoko, "Wish that bitch hadn't gotten away…"

"A little bruised, but I'll manage," said Kiyone, "I'm more worried about Mihoshi than myself right now."

Heero couldn't blame her. "I put her down in the kitchen after she got hit. She looked stable, but she still needs to be looked over."

"I've got a basic Galaxy Police first aid kit in our room," Kiyone replied, "I'll be right back!"

It was good to see that she could keep a level head in a crisis; Heero was sure that he'd be counting on her in the hours and days ahead to help manage things. An attack on the safehouse by a galactically renowned bounty hunter and two mysterious accomplices, multiple injuries combined with whatever Nagi had done to Washu; it was a complete mess, and he was already dreading reporting back to Sally and Lady Une.

Worry about the report later, he mentally admonished himself, You have more pressing concerns right now.

The smoke cleared further, and he saw Ayeka leaning against the wall. He wasted no time in heading over to check on her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, "That was a pretty solid hit you took."

Ayeka shook her head. "I'll be all right, Sir Heero. Your concern is appreciated though. Oh…"

He saw her eyes drift towards his right hand, and it was easy to see why; Heero belatedly noticed that the energy blade was still active even though the fight was over. Heero could still feel the strange energy coursing through his body as well, and although he didn't have a firm grasp on it he instinctively knew that it was feeding the weapon.

"Any idea how I turn this thing off?" he asked her.

Her eyes went back and forth between him and the blade, as if she couldn't believe that he was actually holding it. Heero was sure that there were good reasons for her confusion, but he didn't have time for that right now.

"Ayeka, I need to know how to power this thing down," he said, "It doesn't seem to have an off switch."

Ayeka blinked a few times before she finally answered. "Oh… well, I suppose you could try putting it down and letting go of the handle."

It was such a simple idea that Heero wanted to smack himself for not thinking of it earlier. Sure enough, when he went over to the kitchen and set it down on the countertop, the azure blade disappeared as soon as his hand left the weapon.

"Well, I guess that works," he said as he turned back towards her, "Thanks."

Ayeka nodded. "Of course. Still… Sir Heero… how in the name of Tsunami did you come into possession of Ten… I mean, of that weapon?"

Her hesitation was all Heero needed to realize that she knew more than she was letting on, but now wasn't the time for an interrogation; he had people he needed to look after. "The shrine keeper tossed it to me while you were out cold. Speaking of which, I need to go check on him; he took one of Nagi's darts."

He made his way over to Katsuhito and was relieved to find that he didn't seem to be in too bad of shape. His breathing was steadier than Mihoshi's had been when Heero had moved her off to the side earlier, although he still didn't seem to be able to move all that much. The old man was able to meet Heero's gaze and give him a very small nod, though, which he took to be a good sign.

Washu didn't appear to be in as good of condition as Katsuhito did, though. As Heero hurried over to her he saw her mouth moving as if attempting to speak, but she was only capable of a few grunts or moans. Her face was pale, cold sweat drenched her forehead, and her eyes were darting all over the place. Kneeling down next to her, Heero took her pulse. It was highly erratic; whatever Nagi had done to her with that strange device was infinitely worse than the paralyzing darts she'd used before.

"Shit," he hissed, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Got the med kit!" Kiyone yelled as she raced back downstairs.

Heero looked over his shoulder. "Check Mihoshi and then get over here as fast as you can; I think Washu got hit worse than she did!"

Kiyone nodded and rushed towards her partner. On the other side of the living room, Heero spotted Ayeka looking over her fallen guardians.

"Azaka, Kamidake!" she cried, "Are you two functional? Answer me!"

The lights on the two cylindrical guardians flickered briefly before fully activating. Azaka and Kamidake floated back into upright positions a few moments later, battered but not looking all that much worse for the wear.

"I'm terribly sorry about that, Princess Ayeka," said Azaka, "Rebooting my systems after that attack took much longer than it should've."

"Please, forgive us!" cried Kamidake, "We are failures as guardians! We do not deserve the honor of protecting you or your sister!"

Ayeka sighed with relief. "You mechanical fools… I'm just glad you're all right. You did nothing wrong; the weapon Nagi used to overload your barriers came as a shock to all of us. If you two are functional again, then all that I ask is that you carry out your duties as before."

"Of course, Princess Ayeka!" Azaka replied.

"We shall not allow ourselves to be defeated so easily ever again!" Kamidake declared.

Ayeka looked around. "Where's Sasami?"

"I took her upstairs with Ryo-Ohki, remember?" said Quatre, "She should be safe. I hid her in Heero's room."

Ayeka nodded. "Of course… I must've hit my head harder than I though. I'll go check on her."

She glanced at Heero one more time before she went upstairs, and it was hard to gauge the look in her eyes. It felt like a mix of curiosity and disbelief, and if Heero had to guess he'd say that whatever power the energy blade had awakened within him had something to do with it.

I can't exactly blame her, he thought, I need time to figure this all out, but that's not exactly something I have right now.

Kiyone came over to him, a small ovoid device with a thin needle sticking out of one end in her hand. "I took a blood sample from Mihoshi. It turns out Nagi was packing a powerful paralytic agent in those darts. It's very rare; it almost didn't register a database match. Washu and the old man probably got hit with the same thing."

"Check them both just to be safe," said Heero.

Kiyone nodded. "On it."

He then felt a familiar hand on his shoulder, and he almost jumped; he should've caught Ryoko's approach, but he'd been too wrapped up with the others. Turning towards her, he was surprised by the genuine worry in her eyes.

"Hey," she said softly, almost nervously, "You… you okay, Heero?"

He looked down at his hand, feeling the strange power still coursing through it. It had subsided somewhat now that the fighting was over, but it was still very much in his system. Heero had a hunch that it was here to stay.

"I'm… not sure," he admitted, "When I caught that blade, I… I felt something. Some kind of energy washed over me… I don't know where the hell it came it from."

Ryoko nodded. "I could feel it even while I was fighting that girl. Actually, I can still feel it in you right now. I can't believe I never sensed it before. It must've been really buried deep. I don't know how it was locked away, but I guess that blade was the key to setting it free."

"Seems that way," said Heero, "It's calm now, but it's still there, just beneath the surface… and I have absolutely no idea what I'm supposed to do with it. What happens if it flares up and… and I can't control it?"

He didn't like having to account for variables like this, and it was all the worse because he was dealing with something that was completely new to him. During the battle he'd been running on instinct when it came to the energy that had been unleashed by the blade, and it had served him well, but now that the fighting was over he knew that he needed to get a solid grasp on what exactly he was dealing with. He wasn't consciously controlling whatever had been awaken within him, and he didn't know what the consequences of that could be.

A weapon's all the more dangerous when the wielder doesn't understand it, he mused, I need answers if I'm going to get a handle on this and properly harness it, and I need to get them quickly.

He was startled by Ryoko suddenly grabbing his arm. "Hey, Heero. Look at me."

He did so, and he was surprised to see that she was smiling. There was a warm confidence in her eyes, and he wouldn't deny that it went a long way towards easing his anxiety.

"We'll get this figured out," she said, "Whatever you need from me, just ask. You're not alone here. If you think that you might lose control, I'll be right here to keep you steady. I'm not going anywhere, and that's a promise."

Heero gave her a small smile in return. "Thanks."

Ryoko winked. "Anytime."

It was at that moment Kiyone approached them. "Heero, we need to get Mihoshi, Washu, and the old man onto the Yagami. All Galaxy Police patrol cruisers have a medical bay, and she's no exception. They'll have the best chance of recovering there."

Heero nodded; it meant that Kiyone would have to disable the cloaking field that Washu had installed on the ship, but he figured keeping a low profile had gone out the window the moment Nagi had launched her attack. "Got it. I'll grab the old man. Ryoko, carry Washu. Quatre, carry Mihoshi while Kiyone gets us aboard the Yagami."

Ryoko nodded. "Got it."

"Understood," said Quatre.

"Wait," said Heero as he glanced over at the kitchen counter, "Quatre, can you grab that… weapon, as well? If I take it… well, the only way I know how to shut it off is to drop it."

Quatre nodded. "Sure."

As Heero went to pick up Katsuhito, he watched with curiosity out of the corner of his eye as Quatre went towards the kitchen. Sure enough, when he picked up the hilt of the energy sword the blade itself did not activate; apparently it was just Heero and the shrine keeper who had the magic touch, so to speak.

Quatre seemed to be reading his mind. "Guess it doesn't work for me."

Heero nodded. "Guess not. Still, it might be better if you hold onto that until the old man's back to normal."

"Got it," Quatre replied.

As his friend went to pick up Mihoshi, Heero headed for the front door. Ryoko had already grabbed Washu and was waiting for them outside, and Kiyone was right there with her. The Galaxy Police officer pulled out a small grey remote, and with a click of a button her crimson patrol cruiser seemingly materialized out of thin air over the lake as the cloaking device Washu had created for it deactivated. A hatch then opened and a ramp descended a few seconds later.

Focus on caring for our wounded right now, he silently told himself, and after Washu and the priest are well enough to talk... well, it'll be time to get some answers.

….

Getting away from Earth had been a breeze; Ken-Ohki had cleared orbit in a matter of seconds and was already well beyond even the most distant of humanity's orbital colonies. Earth was rapidly fading in the distance, and it wouldn't take long at all for Nagi's living starship to pass Mars and leave the last of mankind's settlements in the Sol System behind her.

About as clean an escape as I could ask for, she thought as she checked herself over, No wounds, although it wasn't for lack of trying on their part.

The job had certainly come with more than a few hurdles, especially with regards to the fight that the old man and Heero had been able to put up, but Nagi could pride herself on accomplishing her mission. She had checked the memory scanner as soon as she'd gotten aboard Ken-Ohki and confirmed that it was undamaged and its precious cargo was secure. The bounty hunter had done everything that her client had asked; she had more than earned her coming reward.

So why did she feel so uneasy about what had just happened?

Beyond the memories of Washu, she had no idea what Kagato was really after. That shouldn't have been a major concern for Nagi, but she had a hunch that this job went beyond the astronomical bounty that Kagato had offered. Her part in this affair wouldn't be over once she accepted payment; of that she had little doubt.

"Just like I suspected when I first took this job… something's been set in motion now," she mused aloud, "This is all way bigger than just some bounty…"

What part do I play next in this?

For that matter, what part will you play next…

Heero Yuy?

Preview for next time!

Washu: Shit, my head… that hurt like hell!

Ryoko: At least you're back to normal, although I'm sure you'll make us regret that pretty quickly.

Mihoshi: Yay, I can move again! That was not fun!

Katsuhito: I'm getting too old for this.

Sasami: I'm so glad you're all feeling better!

Ryo-Ohki: Meow!

Kiyone: I'm glad everyone's back to normal, but seriously, we need to talk.

Ayeka: Yes… about a great many things, it would seem.

Azaka: The long-lost Master-Key Tenchi-ken has been found!

Kamidake: It was here on Earth this whole time! Who could possibly have foreseen this?

Quatre: I don't think the sword's as important right now as the bounty hunter that attacked us. Heero, what the hell's going on?

Heero: That's what I want to know. Washu, old man, I think we deserve some answers after that mess back there.

Katsuhito: Very well, then.

Washu: Yeah, I guess it's kind of overdue at this point. You all might want to sit down; this is going to take a while.

Kiyone: Next time, in Chapter Sixteen: No Need For A Gun Pointed At The Head Of The Universe!

Heero: I think we're going to need some backup for this one.

Quatre: Wait, are you seriously considering what I think you are?

Heero: Time to get the band back together, so to speak.

Author's Notes: Well, that was fun! At long last, the Space Arc's underway! Some much-needed context and background will be provided in the next chapter, which I'm very much looking forward to working on.

A few quick things regarding the two primary villains of this story, who both made their grand debut at the start of the chapter. In the final episode of the third Tenchi Muyo! OVA, Kagato was revealed to actually have a female half, while in the Tenchi Universe continuity Kagato was strictly male. I decided to play with that a bit by keeping the Kagato in this story male while giving him a twin sister, and starring in that role is one my favorite anime villains of all time! Yes, I'm using as a base none other than Ragyō Kiryuin from Kill la Kill. I've been planning this for a long time, so it feels great to finally get both of them into the story. I'm also playing around by making the two of them members of the Juraian Royal Family, albeit branch royals rather than part of the main family that currently holds the throne. This is why they have their own Master-Keys, and their powers extend beyond just their blades. You'll see what I mean later on in the story.

More will be revealed in the next chapter, but I don't mind getting this bit out there; the original Kagato's role as a former colleague and assistant of Washu will be reprised by this story's Kagato as well, and it'll have a pretty big impact on the plot going forward. As the title for the upcoming chapter would indicate, they build something pretty big and insanely powerful way back in the day, and much of the Space Arc's basically a race to find it!

With regards to the manifestation of the powers of Juraian royals, I'm taking some liberties in this story, both for dramatic purposes and for variety's sake. Let's just say that we've only scratched the surface of what certain characters will be capable of going forward!

Hope you liked the chapter! Please review!