Chapter 75: No Need for Negotiations
Ayeka says into the studio microphone, "We are Ayeka, queen of Jurai, and Dragonwiles has requested that we present this chapter's theme song. For this chapter was selected 'Ranbu no Melody', by the artist 'SID'. Dragonwiles doesn't own any of the intellectual property involved, and neither do we."
The cool strains of the opening song for the latter portion of the fifteenth season of 'Bleach' (also not owned by Dragonwiles) begins to play. The danger and promise inherent in the strong combine to create intense conflict, leaving us to wonder what will transpire.
Was the hum under the ground just his imagination?
That was what the director of the team of Juraian documentary filmmakers was wondering. Their alien host was about to begin his demonstration for the team in a courtyard behind the offices of his small business. The pavement was occasionally interrupted by large glass enclosures, at the bottom of which were soil. Some of these enclosures contained growing plants of various kinds. The alien directed the cameraman's attention to the largest of these enclosures, which contained vines supported on trellises, as well as a tree about twice as tall as a Juraian, with a few ripe fruits hanging from it.
"Now we'll begin with the vorapa, on the trellises, there," the alien said. He pressed a control at his belt, and vents opened in the soil. He whistled, and immediately after, a dark swarm hurled itself out of each vent. The swarms churned and frothed near the various plants, but held themselves back. Occasionally larger insects could be seen hovering between them and the plants, darting back and forth, and occasionally snatching in midflight those insects that dared to get too close to the plants.
The director looked at his cameraman, who gave him a thumbs-up without looking away from the preview of the footage he was taking. The director looked to the alien, who said, "And now, we unleash them."
The larger insects plunged through the crowds of larger ones at one point, and the smaller insects made way for them, forming holes in the swarm with startling rapidity. Now the predators were between the enclosure and the swarm, and the predators herded the swarming insects forward. The cloud settled on the vines, turning them black for a moment, and in just a moment more, the swarms departed, trying to get to the tall tree, which was still guarded. A few motes of floating dust were all that was left of the vines: but they might've been stragglers of the swarm.
"And now for the gatakya," the alien continued, "it'll take them a little longer."
The predator insects pulled away from the large tree. In a rush of wings, its magnificent crown and glorious fruit were engulfed by the swarms. It did take the swarming insects longer to devour here - perhaps as much as a minute longer. The tree appeared to implode as they ate leaf and bough, then proceeded to eat the trunk from the inside out. In the end, only a few twisted bits of root showed above the ground.
"So the farmers here face this threat regularly?" the director asked the alien.
"Oh yeah, since ancient times," the alien agreed. "That's why we started taming the hunters, you see. Even with modern pesticides, there are still some advantages to guarding your fields with groups of hunters."
They went on to another building to look in on the school where a local branch of the insect tamer guild trained apprentices in how to control the hunter insects. As the alien escorted his guests out, he said, "It's a real honor to have people all the way out from Jurai interested in how we do things."
"The honor is ours," the director replied. "I just wish we had time to learn more."
The alien passed him a data crystal and said, "That there should give you some background on some of the finer points. Have a safe journey back!"
The director and the documentary team thanked him and walked away, deep in thought. They needed to report to Lady Rin and the rest of their comrades at Juraian intelligence as soon as possible. The space trees were in worse danger than they'd thought.
Tenchi looked over at Lord Haruhi in concern as they both stood on Umino's bridge. They were just about to get to the meeting point with Z. It was supposed to be a little-used prospecting station floating in space near some asteroids, and only rarely populated. So why was Lord Haruhi's expression so disturbed, and why was he gripping his space tree key so tightly? What could Lord Haruhi and Umino be talking about?
Lord Haruhi murmured to Tenchi, "My lord, Umino can detect quite an extensive minefield around the space station: I can only conclude that they were able to set it up because this region is lightly traveled. My apologies, Prince Tenchi: we've slipped up, not watching the meeting site before this."
"No, no," Tenchi demurred, "I mean, who would expect that he'd ask to meet in a minefield?"
"I shall send word to Z, and inform Princess Ayeka, as we depart," Lord Haruhi concluded.
"Wait, but, isn't there some way I can get in there?" Tenchi protested.
Lord Haruhi stared at him, then asked, "I beg your pardon, Prince Tenchi, but: you wish to join Z in the minefield?"
"I have no choice," Tenchi sighed.
Lord Haruhi thought a moment, then offered, "Prince Tenchi, your courage is inspiring. However, no one could be honor-bound to agree to these outrageous and disturbing terms, especially at the final moment. If I may be so bold, my prince, you do have a choice, and that choice is to take this opportunity to leave Z and his mad demands and his mines."
Tenchi answered, "Really, I get it, it's crazy, but people are gonna die if I just let a war start. And it's looking more and more like this guy's gonna start it whatever happens, which means I gotta reach him and stop him. So, it's a terrible situation, but I gotta ask you and Umino to lend me your power and send me into it."
Lord Haruhi took a deep breath, then forged ahead. "Prince Tenchi, I hesitate to even raise this possibility, but I consider it part of my duty to present options to my superiors. I think it sane, let alone prudent, to insist that Z defuse the mines before sending your person, or indeed anyone, in that vicinity. If he refuses, we can wait. If he attempts to outwait us, and his faction begins hostilities, we can discover whether Umino can detonate the mines at range with beam weaponry." Acknowledging Tenchi's reaction, he allowed, "Distasteful, yes, but in such a situation, he would have thrown away any chance at peace himself. I think it more likely he will leave when he sees he is refused, as a lone ship is docked at the station."
"Then he's not planning on killing himself," Tenchi insisted.
"I fear that may change when you enter the space he controls with the minefield," Lord Haruhi noted grimly.
After further discussion, Tenchi prevailed upon Lord Haruhi to hail Z aboard the station. Z responded promptly, and when they came to the matter at hand, replied, "Ah, yes, the mines. I apologize, for I should have explained. I thought them useful proxies for our peoples. Ordinarily, both sides to agree to only bring so many men to such a meeting. It's also ordinary for both sides to bring more men than they swore to. I felt that we might well reach a point where each side would actually bring enough men to make this place a battlefield in and of itself. Hardly a way to lessen hostilities, I think you'd agree. So, I took this unique-" (Lord Haruhi choked here) "-method of preempting such impulses. I assure you, Prince Tenchi, the mines will not attack you on your approach."
"I'll be over shortly," Tenchi declared, "and look forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is mine, Prince Tenchi," Z acknowledged with an odd smile.
The communication ended, and Lord Haruhi smiled sadly. "Then I shall say no more, except that we shall do our part, my lord. And, Prince Tenchi, may your sword have success."
"Thank you," Tenchi replied. "And stay alive tell I get back, OK?"
"We're rather hard to kill ourselves, my lord," Lord Haruhi answered, this time smiling more proudly, but with a somewhat far-off look in his eyes.
With that, Umino also wished Tenchi success, then teleported him into a Juraian shuttle that was aboard. Tenchi noted as it traveled to the rendezvous point that the shuttle's insides looked rather like a seed husk, and wondered if it was.
"Prince Tenchi," Z greeted him as Tenchi came out of the airlock. Tenchi could see him better than he had in the earlier communication. He seemed more normal than Tenchi expected: not only humanoid, but also not really all that different from a human, apart from some details.
"Mr. Z," Tenchi responded. Some level of respect seemed appropriate in the circumstances, without giving him status he hadn't earned, so "Mr." seemed about right.
"I assume you have been informed about the customs involved here," Z said solemnly. "We meet as equals on a field of truce, champions of our peoples, and our actions here can turn this place into a turning point for our peoples, or a field of battle."
Tenchi nodded and replied, "I'm here because I don't want a war that doesn't need to be fought."
"That is excellent," Z approved. "I am heartened to hear you say that, Prince Tenchi. My people, I am certain, prefer that warfare not ensue. In fact, in our hearts, we feel that it is not that great a thing we ask. Not an unjust thing, certainly not something beyond the power of the mighty Juraians. We wish to chart our own course, unmolested, independent. It is possible, even now, for this to happen without violence, so let us speak of it."
Though he was embarrassed at feeling distracted and ill at ease, Tenchi felt it was somewhat justified, too. The sterile hallway had nowhere to sit. Were they going to stand around talking all day in a corridor in the middle of a minefield?
"Prince Tenchi," Z said, and Tenchi hoped he hadn't noticed the distraction, "I wonder if I may introduce a subject that may appear irrelevant, but I assure you that is not the case. Are you aware of the intentions of the Chousin?"
"The what?" Tenchi asked. He hadn't heard of that name before.
"I refer to the race of beings to which Lady Tsunami and Lady Tokimi belong," Z clarified. "If not their intentions as a group, has Lady Tsunami, perhaps, revealed to you her position on my people's wishes?"
Tenchi said slowly, "I don't know. We haven't talked about the matter."
Z noted, "There is much that the Chousin do not say, eh? I hope I didn't embarrass you; the truth is that we are quite alike. Though Lady Tokimi has given me gifts similar to those Lady Tsunami gave you, Lady Tokimi has yet to reveal to me that she is a Chousin: I had to diligently study galactic history to realize that. They reveal not even their race's name to their greatest allies, those they give the Light-Hawk Wings to! One can only wonder how they treat their enemies. Their whims affect entire planets, and yet they rarely divulge their existence, let alone their intentions."
"It's not a good idea to say everything you're thinking," Tenchi asserted. "Maybe the Chousin simply live by that principle."
"True, but," Z countered, "what a man does not say can be just as important as what he does say. And what purpose is served by hiding their race's very name from the galaxy? In any case, it is widely known that Lady Tsunami's backing of the Juraians is one of the major reasons they have so much power in the galaxy. Her intentions affect a good many beings, and her words could sway many. If she and the Juraians were to see the rightness of what we seek, then there need be no battle at all.
"But I feat that will not be the case," Z continued. "My people, and many others in our coalition, have long been subject to the Juraians. They have refused to allow us to chart our own course, and instead abuse us as worthless slaves. But this I assure you, Prince Tenchi, we are not. Though the Juraians found us when we had less might than they, this does not make us their lackeys, much less their doltish inferiors, their menial laborers, their garbage to be crushed for leisure. The power, however, of Lady Tsunami, was on their side, and so we could do nothing till now. Now, at this time, we have at last the power to change the situation. The disdain, the subservience, we have already suffered, I fear, may soon spread to others. This is where I must urge you to hear me."
Tenchi held up a hand. He was strangely grateful to have his confusion clamoring louder in his heart than the anger and faint doubts provoked by Z's words.
"I was told that you were acclaimed as the hero who wielded the power of Lady Tokimi," Tenchi stated. "I'm surprised to hear that you distrust the Chousin if that's the case."
"Certainly I have been granted her power, Prince Tenchi," Z assured him, "and I am proud to be among the leaders carrying the hopes of my people, but I don't recall having stated that I volunteered to receive Lady Tokimi's power."
Washu, Nagi, and Ryoko sat together on Ken-Ohki's bridge, where they had been searching for Lady Tokimi ever since leaving the bar in rebel space that Ken-Ohki had infiltrated.
"No need to look so nervous," Nagi told Washu. "Either we find Lady Tokimi here, or we don't."
Washu sighed, "I have faith in your abilities. But if we don't find her before she makes contact with the rebels, it may be too late, since it sounded like they were close to making their move. And if I guessed wrong, if she isn't coming from Varata to rebel space, we can't intercept her on this course, so we'll have to hope she's going to the rebel fleets Ken-Ohki heard rumors of." She shook her head. "So, you know, everything'll go wrong and it'll all be my fault."
Nagi insisted, "Finding people takes patience. I wish I could say we caught all our targets before they did further harm, but I know that's not the case. We'll be more productive if we focus on how to find her than on problems like those."
Ryoko said, teasingly but encouragingly, "Mom, listen to the experts. Isn't that what you're always wanting us to do when you're the expert?"
Ken-Ohki's voice resounded in his own bridge, "I came on this journey knowing I might have to face something on the level of Lady Tsunami's power. She's dangerous enough to meet alone, so much that it matters little whether we meet her accompanied by a rebel fleet or not. But as to Nagi's point, I wanted to get the group's input about some of the data we have on Lady Tokimi which intrigures me, and may help us anticipate her movements. Though legends were devoted to her, she always seemed to keep a low profile, even in the legends. Why?"
Nagi allowed, "I noticed in the legends that Lady Tokimi always seemed a bit understated, expecting other people to do things for themselves. That was my interpretation. I rather admired that about her. It's a pity we can't meet under better circumstances. I couldn't get more than that, though."
The others considered this for a time, but Ken-Ohki interrupted all their contemplations with a warning: "There's something coming up fast on my stern. Too fast for any ship I know of, and doesn't match a normal ship's signature. I can't outrun it, and it'll overtake us in minutes. Correction - multiple signatures."
Nagi fingered her whip, then her energy saber generator, and asked, "Are they listening to hailing frequencies?"
"No, but I can hear them," Ken-Ohki told her. "Can't you?"
Nagi looked at the others as they started to hear dim whisperings in their minds. "I do. Any tricks to keeping them out?"
"I always wondered if thinking boring thoughts would make annoying telepaths go away," Ryoko cracked, but beneath it, she readied herself for whatever was next, and generated her own saber.
Tenchi gaped at Z. "Is it true that Lady Tokimi saved your life?" he asked.
"As surely as Lady Tsunami saved yours, Prince Tenchi," Z again assured him, "but why I alone? My family, my friends - there were many on that battlefield who should've been spared. Why assist just one lone fighter pilot? I could've accepted meeting the same fate as the rest of my squadron, but to continue existing when my comrades and those we swore to protect had been slain by brigands; this I cannot endure, and certainly never requested.
"Besides, if Lady Tokimi insisted upon interfering, she could easily have blasted those space dogs single-handedly. How many people died that day who shouldn't have, who wouldn't have if she hadn't decided to be stingy with her power? Arriving late to a battlefield she never belonged upon, she did not deign to dirty her hands or take responsibility, leaving it to me to rally our forces and throw back the pirates before they overran our world entirely.
"Do you not yet think this enough, Lord Tenchi?" Z asked, shaking his head in disbelief at Tenchi's expression. "Lady Tokimi, in order to give me this power, altered me, thoroughly. I appear still to be one of my people, and my trusted physicians tell me that I am - almost. I am something different now, and how to undo that, I may never learn. I am glad my foes may never learn how to strip me of an advantage, but it is small consolation. Do you suppose, Prince Tenchi, that it would not have been reasonable for Lady Tokimi to ask me before wreaking such a great change? She did not even deign to tell me what has happened to me. I have had to grope blindfolded to find the answers. Has Lady Tsunami ever told you what she changed about you to make you fit to hold the Light-Hawk Wings? What consequences or risks there might be to such alterations?"
Unbidden, Tenchi remembered his desperation to find any way to win against Kagato. He had been delighted to find the Light-Hawk Wings; what if he had not found them in time, or had activated them in a way that killed everyone? And there was all that arguing with Washu about those tests she kept running on him. She wouldn't share all the data, and Lady Tsunami had never even offered to talk about it. Even his own father had been worried that something as powerful as the Wings resting inside him might someday be harmful. Then, when they had been accused of being usurpers, he'd had to struggle and train to find out how to use the Wings properly. It was one thing to train, but to train in something so necessary and dangerous without a teacher, with so many people he held dear nearby - what had Lady Tsunami been thinking?
Tenchi then remembered how he and Washu had also discussed whether he had always had the Wings, or been given them. He still didn't know. And how did he know that Lady Tsunami even was a Chousin, or that Chousin gave Light-Hawk Wings? All he had for evidence was the word of a man that he didn't know if he could trust. Lady Tsunami had saved his life, and this man was prepared to take it.
"As sincerely as I know how," Z told him, "I hope that Lady Tsunami has answered those questions. But the fact remains that Lady Tokimi has not for me."
Tenchi inquired, "Did you ask?"
Z smiled thinly. "I see you've never met Lady Tokimi."
Tenchi had met some people like that, but still - "She did save your life."
Z regarded him a moment, then asked, "I hope you will forgive this impertinence, Lord Tenchi, but I have heard that you lost your mother when you were young. Is this so?"
Tenchi felt hairs standing up on the back of his neck as he said carefully, "Yes."
"My condolences," Z said. "I hope I do not seem insincere when I say that. As you may have heard, I lost my wife, my boy, and my infant daughter in the battle where Lady Tokimi intervened. Their names were E'lata, Farron, and Leffen. I sound cold and reserved, or as though talking about strangers, when I say their names, don't I? It's part of the reason why I stopped going by my own name and became Z. When your mother died, you grieved, did you not?"
Tenchi nodded.
"We both know what loss is like. But Lady Tokimi stole from me even the ability to grieve. I reveal to you what others have guessed at, because we have both lost, so you are among the few who could understand the violation. I didn't lose a piece of my heart in that battle when my family died. Lady Tokimi stole something deeper from me when she granted me power on that battlefield. The grief I had been feeling was entirely replaced by the calm knowledge of what needed to be done to stop those pirates. Days turned into months, and I reassured myself that it was the stress of organizing the hunt for the remaining pirates, the preparation of funerals for my family and comrades, that was keeping the grief at bay. But it never returned. I was unwillingly given by Lady Tokimi an iron discipline. That is my power. Love, fear, hope, they are strangers hurrying past me in a crowd, all subordinated to what I know must happen next. Think what it would be like, Prince Tenchi. To never grieve for those you most cared for. For every flicker of sympathy for a fellow's plight to turn into cold, rational knowledge of how much or how little you can solve his problems. To see everyone around you begin to regard you as a heartless machine. To have to strain to remember childhood joy, to sail to your goals easily while others founder on rocks an ocean away from you. I am forever apart from my people, Prince Tenchi, and Lady Tokimi never concerned herself with that or any other consequence.
"There are advantages to it, surely, and I shall take any I can. But to realize the discipline an alien gave you prevents you from spending a sleepless night mourning the love of your life, for the sole reason that you need a good rest to achieve what you need to the next day - that is tyranny of a sort not even a Juraian dreams of."
Tenchi stared at him, horrified and disbelieving. "It's all true, Prince Tenchi," Z solemnly assured him. "The rumors about me, on this matter, are correct. I cannot let myself feel. Because of Lady Tokimi."
Misao and Mataran were feeling relieved. They'd been working hard to trace how the crystals had been smuggled out of the lab, and had just managed to apprehend two smugglers in their base on a hollowed-out asteroid in the middle of the Uninhabited Zone. The inspectors reentered the base after securing the smugglers in the brigs on their GP cruisers. The smugglers had managed to vent their cargo into space before being boarded, but in the living area there were several datapads still open to documents that ordinarily would've been encrypted.
"This must be our lucky day," Misao observed cheerfully.
"I still say only a day off is a really good day," Mataran countered as he simultaneously downloaded the datapad's contents onto a data crystal and began to thumb through it on the datapad itself.
The best retort Misao ever had or ever would have entirely departed from his mind as he began to comprehend what he was reading on one of the other smuggler's datapads.
He and Mataran didn't even realize they had communicated with their eyes. All they knew was that Mataran was sending a priority signal to HQ and transmitting the documents to them while Misao opened a channel to his sister.
Mihoshi and Kiyone had decided to return to Varata, in case there was more they could learn from the ruins. They were now nearly certain that Dr. Clay and his shipbuilding company, and the rebels, had been contacting someone there. While they were en route, Yukinojo announced, "Mihoshi, there's an incoming transmission from your brother." He patched it in, and Mihoshi and Kiyone heard Misao saying, "Mihoshi, Kiyone, do you copy?"
Mihoshi answered, "Copy, Misao. What's wrong?"
"Sis," Misao answered, "can you get in touch with Washu quickly? She's in danger."
"No, and we haven't heard from her in awhile," Mihoshi answered seriously. "Nagi dropped us a line awhile back, said she and Washu and Ryoko and Ken-Ohki were doing something important, and they'd be away for awhile."
"I can believe it's important," Misao responded. "Sis, the rebels are targeting Washu specifically. If you can think of a way to reach her, tell her the rebels have developed a new weapon, using the imitation crystals, from the battle for Jurai. And not just that. They're sending void specters, too. Check the GP secure documents as soon as you can, Mataran uploaded some captured stuff with details."
"We will," Mihoshi told him, speaking for herself and Kiyone. "Stay safe, little brother."
"You be careful too, sis," Misao told her.
Kiyone looked at Mihoshi. "Not the void specters from the time of Kain."
Mihoshi said, "I thought you were going to say, not the ones from the Lady Tokimi legends. I mean, they didn't call them void specters, but they match the reports from Kain's time - the whispers in the mind, the -"
Kiyone put up a hand and nodded. Mihoshi looked at her in concern, but Kiyone shook her head and said, "I'm gonna be OK, but - whew. All my life, I was glad those were consigned to the past." A thought occurred to her. "What did Washu do to make the rebels so mad?"
"I dunno," Mihoshi answered as she began to call up the documents Mataran had uploaded.
Mataran looked around the cramped common room of the smugglers' asteroid base, then said, "Hey, Misao?"
Misao looked up from a datapad.
"Why do you think they were looking at this stuff, anyway? It looks like they've been doing this gig for awhile. So why would they need to be reading the documents now?"
Misao gestured at his datapad. "Wasn't that the document up on your pad? These are specific manifests, and mission parameters, too, showing where they believe Washu is going." Misao paused, then realized aloud, "They were planning to meet the clients any minute now."
The two ran back to their respective GP cruisers and unmoored from the asteroid, weapons hot, hoping they'd be able to fight what was coming.
Then the whispers started in their mind.
Mataran muttered into the comm, "You know, I was hoping when those documents said the weapons were powered and piloted by void specters, it was propaganda or code for some elite unit of rebels."
Their sensors lit up with incredibly fast signals moving in from the dark of space.
"Not long to strategize," Mataran reminded Misao over the comms between their cruisers.
"You're not going to like my idea," Misao warned him.
Z gestured and rallied, "Still, we are met to consider what we can do for the future." He looked at Tenchi intently. "There is a concern I have about Earth, Prince Tenchi," Z told him frankly. "At the moment, Earth is kept safe by Jurai, undiscovered, unmolested, but it will not always be so,"
Tenchi's hands tightened into fists. "Are you threatening Earth?"
"If I may be allowed to finish," Z said dispassionately. He waited a beat, then continued, "I am not at this time threatening Earth. The true threat is Jurai."
He made himself relax his hands, but Tenchi was still somewhat angry. He was also beginning to get annoyed - apparently there was going to be yet another accusation against Jurai.
"Your people are so young, so naive right now," Z said, and Tenchi wondered if he was quite heartless; the words at least seemed genuinely sad. "You would know better than I, but they imagine that taking their first steps towards the stars will lead to their independence and strength. Is that not so? The truth is the opposite. Yes, the opposite," he continued, evidently catching Tenchi's confusion and disbelief from his face. "Is not the very reason that Jurai protects your world because it has not yet developed far enough, that it does not yet know enough of starfaring or medicine or war or xenobiology to possibly exist as an equal in this galaxy?
"For now, the Juraians can cordon off the galaxy from you, and only a few like you even know the rest of the galaxy is peopled. There will come a time, however, when your people will start to see glimmers of Juraian ships even through storming levels, or reach inhabited planets. Yet even then, your people will not be ready - they would only be beginning to do what is commonplace for everyone else, babes amongst colossi. The Juraians would conveniently find themselves forced to annex your planet, acting once again as your pretended protectors. All your people's ideals of freedom, of standing as equals with other sapients amongst the stars, will be smothered as you are forced to bow to foreign overlords."
Tenchi shook his head. "That's assuming a lot about the future. How can you be so sure?"
Z stared at him, unshaken. "Prince Tenchi, I think you know that your people couldn't make anything like Officer Mihoshi or Officer Kiyone's GP cruisers in the next century. Do you really think your world could stand against an armada of them, let alone of Juraian space trees?" He let the rhetorical question hang a moment, then continued, "My people, and the other peoples who have joined our cause, understand the pain, the humiliation, the frustration, of being the subjects of foreign domination. Our best people and technical advancements, when acknowledged at all, are claimed by Jurai, along with the glory of them. Refusing to submit to this parasitism, this indignity of predation pretending to be protection, we entrust our fates to one another. We acknowledge one another as equals, and instead of oppressing the weak, will help them rise. Our alliance invites Earth to join us. Just one word from you, Prince Tenchi, and Earth will be a full partner in our grand enterprise. Your acceptance will free Earth from the coddling of Jurai, from the trampling of all your people's hopes, from the fading of glory."
A frown remained on Tenchi's face as he asked, "You'd really do that? You really wouldn't do just the same thing yourselves?"
"We would not," Z intoned solemnly. "So fresh in our memories are the Juraian cruelties that nay, we could not. In fact, as a sign of good faith, upon your acceptance, we would immediately provide not only finished products, such as remotely piloted starships to defend your world as you join our cause, but also fundamentals your people need to stand as equals in knowledge and power - some of the most useful scientific concepts, medicinal formulas, and blueprints that would benefit your people. Think of some of your world's most deadly diseases, its most pressing problems, solved. Meanwhile, your skies would be defended not by foreigners, but by starships controlled by you, yourselves, in a facility that humans build and operate."
Tenchi frowned - it was starting to get tempting despite his resolve and distrust, but - "How would this happen without the people of Earth going into a panic because of aliens?"
Z said grimly, "The day your people learn of aliens will surely come, Lord Tenchi, but I share your concern. That is why our alliance intends for you and your advisors to be the focal point for this effort. It would be at your discretion as to how and when and where and to whom all of these things are entrusted. We would not meddle, though I think I speak for common sense itself when I behoove you to install defensive weaponry or the remotely piloted spacecraft control center as some of your earliest operations - Juraians can be vindictive. Also, in the political instability after the civil war, some pirate fleet may hope they can get away with raiding even the protected area - two GP officers, however skilled, are rather outmatched against a true pirate armada."
Tenchi frowned. It was bad enough facing occasional supercriminals attacking Earth, and they only came in ones or twos. He was so used to Ryoko that he had forgotten that there could be real space pirates out there - and that there could be enough that two GP officers wouldn't be able to handle them. Again he felt torn - he didn't trust Z, and was tired of all the jabs at Juraians, but the point about the pirates, at least, was a good point.
Yukinojo announced, "Inspector Mihoshi, GP dispatch is calling for backup for Inspectors Misao and Mataran."
Kiyone and Mihoshi stared at the tactical readout based on data Misao and Mataran's cruisers had sent.
"At least we'd be coming in behind the void specters," Mihoshi said brightly, having noticed Kiyone was a bit pale.
"Sorry," Kiyone apologized, "you'd think I'd be used to odds like this."
Mihoshi pointed out after Kiyone boarded Yagami and they'd punched in their flight paths, "You know, last time you were facing a bunch of space trees. This time, we're facing boogeymen. It feels different."
Kiyone swallowed, "I should be the one bucking you up, so I will. We're going to do everything we can for your brother." She cracked a grin and added, "And whatever's left over, we'll do for Mataran."
Mihoshi chuckled more than Kiyone had expected - apparently she had been bottling up her own nervousness. Mihoshi replieid, "Let's do a lot for Mataran, so we can remind him of it later. We'll get to make him feel guilty every time he pranks us!"
"We're not going to emotionally blackmail him into not pranking us?" Kiyone wondered aloud.
It was frustrating, not being able to work in more than a few odd thoughts at a time about how to warn Washu about what was coming for her, but hearing Mihoshi's voice and seeing the information about what Misao and Mataran were facing, she knew she was doing the right thing.
She only hoped everyone got to walk away from this instance of "doing the right thing."
Tenchi felt worn down, though he and Z had been doing nothing but standing and talking. He wanted to protest that he didn't know enough or have enough authority to speak for Earth or Jurai. That seemed just plain silly, however, given that the queen of Jurai had personally asked him to speak for Jurai. Tenchi decided he had to take the responsibility seriously. How was a guy like him supposed to do that, though? He wasn't a diplomat, a spymaster, or even cunning.
So maybe he should just take a straightforward approach.
"Excuse me," he said politely but firmly, "but I understood that we were here to discuss a way to settle your differences with Jurai before going to war over it. Let's get back to that subject."
Z appeared surprised, and perhaps finally a bit more respectful, and responded, "Of course, of course, Prince Tenchi. I'm fully prepared to discuss that if Jurai is. Please do consider the offer of myself and our comrades. There's no telling how long Jurai will allow you the freedom to accept it."
"What are your requests?" Tenchi asked stiffly, trying to keep his temper under control.
There seemed to be honest disappointment in Z's eyes, but he smoothed it over and continued gamely, "To be entirely frank with you, we want self-government, and full self-determination, without Juraian control, claims, military presence, or officials."
"And if you get that, there'll be no war, no attacks, just peace?" Tenchi inquired seriously.
"We are as prepared for peace as Jurai is," Z told him.
"This is an important point I need to understand," Tenchi insisted.
Z elaborated, "My comrades and I insist upon the ability to defend ourselves, and to respond with war if war comes to us. If peace is honored by Jurai, however, we intend to honor it also."
The offer sounded halfway reasonable, but the situation was still insane. Tenchi still didn't know how far he could trust Z, given how he'd spoken of the Juraians, nor was he at all sure Ayeka would accept the deal, given how she'd spoken of Z and his side. Besides all that, if this was all so reasonable, why were they meeting in a minefield?
A chance to solve a problem by talking rather than cutting short a life - it had seemed so close this time. But in the end, if Z didn't trust Jurai, and Tenchi didn't trust Z, how could this peace ever work? There was no guarantee that Z was any less a monster than Kagato, or that he was any less cunning than Dr. Clay. Even if Z was an honorable man, everything he'd told Tenchi indicated that Z was opposed to Tenchi's friends, and as Lord Yakage had proven, that could be dangerous enough. Once again, it was kill or be killed.
"I'm truly sorry that we can't make an agreement," Tenchi told him sincerely. "So, we'll have to settle this with blows. How does the duel portion begin?"
If Z was further disappointed, or if he was delirious with joy, it didn't show on his face this time. Instead he returned, "Very well, sir. We draw our weapons, and since we have no witnesses or seconds, we strike when the time is right, and fight to the death or surrender."
As they took up fighting stances and drew their weapons, Z added, "As a point of interest, Prince Tenchi, I have, on my own initiative, added a rule to our particular contest. Should my life signs cease, every mine in this minefield will trigger, destroying this station and all persons aboard. I thought you might want to be aware of that."
Next Chapter
Tenchi shakes his head. "What has Dragonwiles gotten me into this time? Now the mines will blow me up even if I win?"
No one is listening; he realizes they're all in a knot discussing things like the upcoming story-wrap-up party, and what they're all going to do after the story is done.
"It's lonely being the protagonist," he says resignedly to himself.
His father walks up and protests, "But, Tenchi: girls!"
Tenchi replies skeptically, "But, Dad: minefield!"
"That's why you should find a girlfriend while you can, before the minefields happen!" his dad insists.
"Minefields happen to everyone?" Tenchi asks rhetorically.
"You'd be surprised," Nobuyuki tells him.
"Anyhow," Nobuyuki continues, "in the next chapter, the rebellion begins in earnest. The battle begins in 'No Need for A Deathmask'."
Continuity With Dragonwiles
Dragonwiles reposes in state in the library of his lair. Looking up from his book, he greets, "Welcome to this special segment, in which I give a few brief continuity notes.
"Most of this chapter is entirely made up, at least as far as I know. I don't think it bears much resemblance to any canon Tenchi events. Some elements are entirely made up by me, like the rebellion itself, the hordes of insects and hunter insects, and the void specters.
"I'm not sure what Tenchi might call Z in the OVA, but Mr. Z seemed about right, given that in this fanfiction, I haven't been using English translations rather than Japanese suffixes. Not that I'd know how to do more than parrot the latter anyway!
"I'm not sure that the Chousin really do hide their name or that their existence is so hidden in canon; given that it didn't come up in two seasons of OVA, I thought that some level of intentional hiding might explain it, and thus wrote it that way.
"Also, much of Z's speech, motivation, powers, and family here are not necessarily even remotely related to canon. I'm not totally sure what they are in canon, since I didn't actually watch most of the OVA season that included him.
"Also, I'm fairly sure that the ruins where Dr. Clay contacts D3 and Lady Tokimi, according to the OVA, is among debris that Lady Tokimi trails behind her. However, I decided to write it so that the ruins are on an ordinary planet, Varata, and that Lady Tokimi doesn't have a debris trail, but instead keeps a low profile. I'm intentionally characterizing her differently to tell a different story."