Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ Endings and Beginnings: Nassur's Story ( Chapter 48 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Vos...fifty years ago...

As the sun sets in the countryside surrounding the Vosian capital
city of Lecashuto, a young Nassur, perhaps no more than fifteen or
sixteen Earth years old, watches lost in thought. He gazes in the
direction of Lecashuto...its tall skyscrapers visible from his vantage
point...as if inviting him to come closer.

*My destiny doesn't lie there.*

After a few more seconds of staring at the distant buildings, the
young Nassur then looks up at the darkening sky. The stars are
beginning to wink in. Their blinking lights, also inviting him to come
closer.

*THERE is where my true destiny lies.*

* * *

Urusei Yatsura - Endings and Beginnings: "Nassur's Story"
by Mike Smith
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
Thirty-seventh of a series based on "Urusei Yatsura" created by Rumiko
Takahashi
**** **** ****

WRITER'S NOTES: Well, here is the first instalment of the "Nassur
Saga." We hope that it's worth the amount of hype we've been giving it
in the previous stories.

And now some announcements:

1) Lecasur: Lecasur is responsible for uniting Vos into one world
government nearly 2,000 years ago. After Unification, Lecasur spent
some time as Vos' first President before retiring from politics to go
into deep-space exploration. Among the planets he visited were Earth,
Uru and Fukunokami. Lecasur was lost with most of his crew in an ion
storm. Whether he died or not during that storm is conjecture. A
novelization of his voyages became popular on Vos.

2) The Sceptre of Lecasur: This was one of the most sacred objects
on Vos. Its true origins are unknown but according to legend, Lecasur
discovered it during one of his early space voyages and used it as proof
of the Vosian president's right to rule. When the Mikado took power,
someone took the Sceptre and returned it to the Planet of Shadows.

3) Planet of Shadows: A sort of cosmic Stonehenge, its beginnings
lost to history. A dyson sphere (see Niven's "Ringworld" series)
located in Delta Quadrant (next over from Gamma, home to Nagussa),
accessible only by a wormhole (the Bajoran Wormhole, perhaps?). It has
been used by several races for several reasons...including gladiatorial
combats.

4) The Keeper: Another mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one is sure
who the Keeper is.

**** **** ****

Earth...today...

A small starship with Vosian markings enters the solar system. A
youthful crew of Mikado Marines captained by only a lieutenant man the
ship. The mood on the bridge is sombre, for Earth has always been a
source of trouble for the neighbouring planets...despite its lack of any
true deep space capability or a world governing body. Several members
of the Mikado Marines and some of the Hunter Corps have gone to Earth
and never returned.

But finding out what happened to those who came before is not why
this ship is here. "Nearing Earth," announces the helmsman. "No signs
of any pursuit nor any attempts at attacking us. We'll be in teleporter
and drop off range within a few minutes."

The young lieutenant looks relieved. It had been a harrowing
journey. They had left what was left of Mikado-controlled Vos, gone
through Rebel-controlled space without escort, and reached Earth without
being discovered by anyone. Although the voyage was half-finished,
everyone could relax only for a few moments. "Thank you, helm," the
lieutenant smiles. "Inform Junba that she may leave the ship to carry
out her part of the mission while we carry out our part."

"Understood," the helmsman announces.

Minutes later, from the underbelly of the ship, an object the size
of a truck ejects and immediately enters Earth's atmosphere. As soon as
the object leaves, a white beam is emitted from her bow and heads to
Oshika while the object heads towards Tomobiki.

* * *

Oshika...a few minutes later...

At the home of Ataru Moroboshi, there is a scene most unusual:
Lum has a cold.

It was hard to say HOW Lum was exposed to the virus that brought
on her cold. It could have occurred while she was recovering from her
injuries. There had been a virus around and even Nokoko and the other
Nendo-kata had been stricken with it...and they caught it from
Reiko...who got it from Ten-chan...who caught it from...(You get the
idea...M.S.)

Ataru was been the only one not stricken with Lum's cold (no jokes
about disease not visiting the fool...M.S.). Since then, Ataru himself
has been playing nursemaid to almost everyone on the Moroboshi property
in Oshika.

"AH-CHOO!!!!" Lum sneezes loud enough to make the windows wobble
violently from the sound waves. "I feed do awbul, Darsing!" she gasps,
her eyes red and her nose running.

"You look terrible, Lum," Ataru notices her pallor. "This cold is
knocking you out."

"I neber been sick libe dis beforb," Lum gags, blowing her nose
loudly. "I hope I ged bedder soon. I can't breathe, everyding tastes
libe paper, and I feed do hot!"

Lum sneezes again so hard that it produces a wind that sends
Ataru's hair flying. "Not to mention the fact that your sneezing is
hard on the house."

Ataru produces a small bottle of red cold medicine and a spoon.
"Take some of this," he pours some of the medicine onto the spoon.
"It'll make you feel better, I hope."

"Promizez, promizez," Lum snorts as she takes the medicine in one
gulp.

Meanwhile, outside the house, light sparkles and a young blonde
Vosian woman wearing a green and orange outfit similar to Nassur's
appears. She holds in her slim hands a box wrapped in a colourful paper
accented by a ribbon. Once fully materialized, the woman warily sneaks
up to the front door of the house to place the box on the step before
ringing the doorbell. She presses a hidden button on her uniform and
dematerializes.

Reiko opens the door and looks around. "Hello?" the Noukiite
wonders, looking around for whomever rang the doorbell. "Strange,
there's nobody here." Then she notices the box. "What's this?" she
asks herself. She stoops over and picks it up to read the note attached
to it. TO LUM FROM A SECRET ADMIRER.

Reiko enters the bedroom just after Lum has knocked Ataru over
with a heavy...and this time, messy...sneeze. "Sorry, Darsing," Lum
apologizes as Ataru wipes himself off.

"It's okay," Ataru sighs. "I needed to change this shirt anyway."
He notices what Reiko brought in. "What's that, Reiko-chan?"

"I don't know." Reiko replies as she hands it to Lum. "It's for
Lum."

"Me?" Lum points to herself with surprise as she takes the gift.
"Who coulda dent it? Nadzur? Benden? Ryooki-zenzei? Gramma?"

"Open it and find out," Ataru demands, his curiosity getting the
better of him.

"Dure," Lum tears open the wrapping paper and opens the box it
covered. "Whad is it?" she removes the object from the box.

The object is round, thick and about the size as a small plate.
It is gold in colour, except for a small round, red button in the
centre. "Don't look at me," Ataru touches Lum to get a better look at
the object. "You know more about this stuff than I do."

Lum notes button. "Dis red buddon," she muses. "Whab habbens
when I touch it?"

*What if it's not a gift?!* Ataru realizes, then tries to stop Lum
from pressing the button. "Hold it...!"

Too late. Lum touches the stud. Both she and Ataru
dematerialize, leaving their clothing. Reiko stands still, shocked. It
then registers what happened. "They're gone? What happened to them?
Why did they leave their clothes behind?! What do I do...?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

In Tomobiki, Shinobu makes her way to Tomobiki High for the latest
in a series of cram school sessions newly-graduated Japanese high
schoolers must take to prepare for university or college. No longer
dressed in her high school uniform, Shinobu wears a pink blouse with a
green plaid skirt. In her arms rest some books necessary to study for
the entrance exam of the local nursing college. But, her head is not
filled with thoughts of a future nursing career...it is filled with
thoughts of romance. To be specific, a romance with a man whom she
doesn't know is already happily married.

"It's springtime," Shinobu sighs, noticing the buds of trees
beginning to open their leaves. Soon the sounds of summer birds will
warble through the air in Tomobiki. "Maybe this summer I'll get Nassur-
kun to notice me. But, how can I get his attention?"

Without warning, Cherry pops up in from of the lovesick young
woman! "Today is going to be a VERY bad day for you!" the old monk
points at her. "A VERY, VERY bad day!!"

She gives the usual response...punching the old monk into orbit!
"Didn't you get enough of that when Ataru was here?!"

"It's fate...!!" the monk yells as he approaches escape velocity.

Shinobu's annoyances don't end there. As soon as Cherry reached
the ionosphere, a pair of strong arms appear from behind her and the
hands attached to them move towards her breasts. "Oh, a nice young
woman," a man's voice says sweetly. "She's so soft and warm."

After clobbering the offender with a tanuki statue, Shinobu
discovers her 'chikan' is Chiezou Budou. "Chie Budou?!" Shinobu gasps.
"What were you trying to do?!"

"Oh, Shinobu," the middle-aged priest groans. "I thought you were
someone else."

"Who DID you think I was?" Shinobu growls back before walking
away.

Chie appears before her. "You mustn't go to the school today," he
states. "Something unbelievably horrible will happen to you...!"

Shinobu clobbers him with a larger tanuki statue! "Yeah, sure,"
she storms off. "I don't go and I'll fail my entrance exam and have to
take it over again!! Beat it!!!"

Moments later, Shinobu arrives at the front gate of Tomobiki High
School. Standing there, smoking his pipe, is Kotatsuneko. Shinobu was
used to the presence of the cat-spirit but it was unusual to see him
standing at the front gate alone. "Oh, Kotatsuneko," Shinobu bows to
the cat-spirit. "What are you doing out here?"

Kotatsuneko shows a sign: SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN TO YOU TODAY!
TURN BACK NOW!!

"Forget it!" Shinobu snorts.

YOU'LL BE SORRY!!!

Unfortunately, the warnings didn't end there. Next came Kitsune,
then a couple of Yamadas carrying a poster telling Shinobu to return
home. Sakura then had a turn, then finally Q from "Star Trek: the Next
Generation" appeared (but he thought Shinobu was Captain Jean-Luc
Picard). Choosing to ignore the demands to turn back, Shinobu finally
enters the classroom and walks up to Mark Onsen. "Oh, Miyaki-san,"
Onsen smiles upon seeing her. "There you are."

Shinobu gives the vice-principal a horrible glance. "LOOK!!!!"
she screams at him. "I KNOW SOMETHING HORRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME
TODAY!!!! SO SHADDAP!!!!!!"

"Hey!" Onsen reeling beck, intimidated, "Relax, I didn't say
anything about that!"

Among the surprised students in the classroom, Mendou, Megane and
the guards watch as Shinobu storms in to take her seat. "Why is
Shinobu-san so upset?" Mendou asks Megane.

"I don't know," Megane shrugs. "Tan-chan was upset about
something bad that's going to happen to me at school. She said that
you, Shinobu and I should be wary today as well."

Mendou doesn't look impressed. Sure, Tanoshii is an apprentice
Shinto priestess, but even she makes mistakes interpreting what she sees
in the flames of the altar fires. "You don't say," the scion of the
Mendou clan nods in polite understanding.

Once the last of the students enter the classroom to take their
seats, Onsen begins with the lesson. "We'll start today with Question
Forty-four," the vice-principal begins. "Who will do it on the board?!"

Before any hands go up, a low, but increasingly loud, rumble
interrupts the class. Suddenly, the whole building begins to shake as
if one of Japan's many tremors had begun. "What is it?" Chibi yelps as
he dives under his desk. "An earthquake?!"

Kakugari looks out of the window to see a box-shaped object
landing in the front yard of the school. "There's a rocket landing on
the front yard," he points.

Everyone spots the object immediately, including the residents of
the Seikou home. "What in Buddha's name is going on here?!!" Mie yells
as she rushes into the living room half-dressed. "What is that
thing?!!"

"Looks like a Vosian space probe!" Makoto uses a small tricorder-
shaped device to identify it. "It's an old model, for sure."

"Where is it landing?!" Mie asks.

"Where else? Tomobiki High School."

"Why am I not surprised? Too bad the Troop went back to Sagussa
to get ready for Ataru! Sylia could get Priss out there for a recon and
find out what its true nature is."

"That is if she isn't sleeping off one of her binges," Makoto
sighs.

"Well, I'd better get up in my Gladiator and do a recon job," Mie
sighs. "This could be important!"

* * *

While Mie heads for her Gladiator, the object lands right in front
of the startled faces of the staff and students of Tomobiki High. None
are no more startled than those in Onsen's class. "W-what is this
thing?" gasps Ryuunosuke, wiggling from so much tension.

"I don't know," her father gasps fearfully. "But, why don't you
go look at it closer...it's a *man's* job!"

"I'M A GIRL!!!!" she belts him.

"This is an old joke...!!" Mr. Fujinami yells while approaching
escape velocity.

"What do we do now?" Lan shivers. "That thing looks nasty."

The object is rectangular, about 20 metres tall by ten in width.
Its metallic skin, pitted and burned from the heat of entering Earth's
atmosphere, makes it look even more intimidating than it actually is.
After landing, the object remains quiet save for the sound of its
engines shutting down. "Maybe it's just a greeting from some other
planet?" Lan hopefully muses.

Unfortunately, Lan is wrong. A hatch on top of the object lifts
open, allowing a gun to deploy. It begins to point toward the school.
An infra-red beam shines on the school as if it were looking for
something. Everyone froze as the scanner searched through every room
and hallway of the school before stopping at Onsen's classroom. "It's
pointing that gun this way!!!" Paama screams.

In seconds, the nervous quiet in Onsen's classroom is destroyed by
a crashing retreat by most of the people in the classroom! Among the
first ones out are Chibi, Lan, Paama and Kakugari. The gun fires an
orange beam which immediately hits Shinobu, Mendou and Megane. In a
wink of an eye, all three dematerialize into nothingness, leaving their
clothes behind!! Once the three victims are gone, the gun then turns to
a nearby windowless wall. With a red beam, it writes SEND NASSUR HOME!

"Send Nassur home?" Sakura blinks. "What does that mean?"

"Search me," Koosei hisses. "But, if it's **who** I think it is,
we're in trouble!"

* * *

Home Base...

Things are quiet. Nassur, Benten and Hazel dine together.
"Nagaiwakai-oba-chan wants me back at Rishiri-tou to continue my social
training," Hazel mutters between bites. "She seems to know a lot for
someone living on a backward place like Earth."

"Nagaiwakai Moroboshi seems to know more than what she tells us,"
Nassur muses. "And she seems only to want to tell us what *she* wants
us to know."

Benten eats another bowl of rice, this time with soap flakes
sprinkled on it. Nassur and Hazel look at the Fukunokami hunter
strangely. "Say, Benten," Nassur quips. "Since when do you eat rice
with soap flakes?"

"I don't know," Benten shrugs. "I just wanted to eat it, that's
all."

"Funny," Hazel sighs while watching Benten eat. "Whenever I saw
someone eating soap that way, that meant they were pregnant."

Benten nearly chokes! *Pregnant?!* she gasps. *Impossible!
Nassur and I have only pillowed twice since he recovered from that weird
time-trip he took with Lum and Ataru!! But, I never craved soap
before...and this battle suit has been getting a little snug lately!*
"Perhaps I'm getting used to living with Vosians," Benten muses.

A communicator beeps. "Darsei to Nassur," a voice announces.

"Nassur here," the hunter replies.

"You have two Priority One messages coming from Earth," the oldest
hybrid says. "One is from Tomobiki, the other from Oshika."

"Tomobiki I could expect," Nassur muses. "But Oshika?! I thought
Lum and Ataru would want Dake-chan to see to their needs."

"It must be important," Benten nods. "Or else they wouldn't call
by Priority One."

"True," Nassur excuses himself to go to the communications room.
"I shudder to think what's been going on Earth now!"

Later, the silence of space rocks from the vibrations from the
yells from Nassur and Benten. "***THEY'VE BEEN WHAT?!?!?!***"

* * *

Hours later on Earth, news of the disappearances in Oshika and
Tomobiki is disclosed to the world. In Tomobiki, everyone is horrified
upon the discovery Lum missing from Oshika. In Oshika, Nokoko is doing
a perfect imitation of Souun Tendou once she discovered both Ataru and
Lum have been kidnapped. It took both Ten-chan and Reiko to calm
Ataru's sister to the point that she could take a trip to Tomobiki where
both groups planned to meet with Nassur and Benten to discuss what has
been going on.

The meeting takes place at Tomobiki High School, where Shinobu,
Mendou and Megane were absconded. Among the people waiting there are
Koosei, Mie, Paama, Kakugari, Chibi, Lan, Ryuunosuke, Sakura, Onsen,
Cherry, Chie, Nokoko, Ten-chan and Reiko. "Ataru-chan!!! Lum-chan!!!"
Nokoko incessantly cries.

Everyone tries to ignore her. "I hope Nassur and Benten get
here," Sakura sighs.

"So do I," Koosei nods. "I've haven't seen Nokoko so upset since
Ataru, Lum and Nassur took that trip into the past."

"You shoulda seen her when I first told her what happened to Daddy
and Lum," Reiko adds. "I thought she had gone mad."

Finally, the sounds of thrusters are heard in the failing
daylight. Everyone looks up into the sky, relieved that the source of
the thrusters is Nassur's "Renegade" making its final approach towards
Tomobiki High School. "About time," Mie snarls.

Meeting in one of the classrooms, Nassur, Benten and the others
discuss the facts as they know them, still ignoring Nokoko's continuous
Souun imitation. "So, Lum, Ataru, Shinobu, Mendou and Megane all
disappeared in a similar way?" Nassur checks his facts.

"That's right," Sakura nods. "But, it's only here that they left
any evidence."

The priestess points to the teleporter and the message it left
behind, both of which could be seen clearly from the windows. "I see,"
Nassur nods in understanding.

"Do you really think it's *him*, Nassur?" Koosei asks. "Not
someone else."

"Who else is so bold? And so ruthless?"

Confusion crosses most of the other people faces. "Who are you
talking about?" Paama yells. "Who is responsible for stealing our dear
sweet Lum-san and the others?!"

"My greatest enemy, Paama," Nassur looks to the sky. "The
Mikado."

"The Mikado?" Kakugari gasps. "Isn't that a Gilbert and Sullivan
play?"

"No, it's not," Benten corrects him. "The Mikado makes those
people Ataru killed on Noukiios look like angels. He's the leader of
Nassur's homeworld of Vos. Although, I thought he would have been
finished by now."

"So, why don't we get him?!!" Chibi announces. "Let's free Lum-
san!!!"

A roar of acceptance is added to Chibi's declaration from Paama,
Kakugari and Lan. "It's NOT that easy!!" Nassur announces.

Everyone shuts up. "The Mikado isn't a person to take lightly!"
Nassur turns to the remaining bodyguards and Lan. "He'd torture the
likes of you in public for nothing more than a moment's diversion!!"

"Shit," Mie snorts. "I'd torture these goons in public for
something like that."

"Who asked you?" Lan snarls.

"I asked me, airhead!" Mie snaps back before turning to Nassur.
"Don't worry, Nassur! All I have to do is call Sagussa and this Mikado
is history!!"

"Much as I'd like you to do it, Mie," Nassur smiles, tempted by
Mie's offer. "I'm afraid that I must do this alone!"

Mie faints! "What do you mean?!!" she yells. "This Mikado took
the *daimon'cha* and his Other, both citizens of Sagussa...!"

Nassur looks at Mie sternly. "Despite that, the Mikado is STILL
the ruler of Vos...and I'm afraid to say, Vos' destiny must be carried
out by the Vosians...alone."

"That's an arrogant thing to say," Mie counters. "But I can see
your reasons. If half of what you're talking about is true, then I'LL
keep out of direct involvement. But, I can't say about Noa and the
other *daishi'cha.* If Ataru-chan is hurt...or worse...the others'll
blast Vos to stardust!!"

"Unfortunately," Nassur nods, remembering the tales of the War of
Clone Rights. "But call them and tell them to meet me outside this
solar system as soon as they can."

"Of course," Mie nods.

"We're leaving already?" Benten gasps.

"I'M leaving already," Nassur announces.

"B-but, why?!" the Fukunokami hunter snarls with anger. "I'm your
wife!! I SHOULD be fighting at your side!!!"

"Not while pregnant with our first child, you're not!" Nassur
counters.

An explosion occurs!! "Pregnant?" Benten gasps with surprise.
"H-how do you know?"

"Two sets of brainwave patterns within you," Nassur point to
Benten's forehead. "One here," then points to Benten's protruding
stomach. "And one here. Plus, I talked to Naosu after he did his last
exam on you."

"That moron!" Benten snorts, remembering the only hybrid who
developed healing powers. "He promised to keep the news secret until we
were sure of the facts!!"

"I thought Benten was looking a little pudgier since I last saw
her," Lan quips.

"I knew she was pregnant," Nokoko blurts. "My powers could sense
the child as well."

"I thought you were mourning Lum-chan and Ataru's disappearance?"
Ten-chan replies.

"Oh, yeah," Nokoko replies and returns to her blubbering. "Ataru-
chan!!! Lum-chan!!!"

As everyone ignores Nokoko's blubbering, Benten grabs Nassur by
the arm. "Please, Nassur!!" tears well up in her eyes. "Let me go with
you! I'll be fine!! I promise!!!"

Koosei takes Benten by the hand. "You know the dangers the Mikado
can dish out, Benten," the teacher calmly states. "If the Mikado finds
out that you're pregnant with Nassur's child, that baby won't live long
enough to make you a mother!"

"But...!"

"No buts, Benten," Nassur turns to his wife and looks into her
eyes. "You must stay here on Earth to keep a lookout over everyone.
Koosei can get you accommodations anywhere he can. I'll call Varanko
and he'll take care of the hybrids while we're gone." He then holds
Benten close to him. "I'll be sure to be back in time for the birth of
our baby."

Before Benten can voice a reply, Nassur kisses her on the lips
then leaves the classroom. "Take care."

Mie stops Nassur. "Hold it," the Sagussan points to the
teleporter. "What about that thing in the front yard?"

Nassur looks at the teleporter. "For safety's sake," the hunter
muses, "...you'd better take your Gladiator and get rid of it, Mie. The
Mikado has a reputation of leaving 'surprises' in things like this."

A broad smile replies. "Oh, great!! I've been wanting to use
that new kicking program Patty installed in my Gladiator!"

"Knock yourself out," Nassur replies.

* * *

Minutes later, the "Renegade" and its sole passenger leaves while
Benten watches from the safety of a classroom. *Be back soon,* the
Fukunokami hunter thinks to herself. *For our child's sake.*

As the "Renegade" disappears from sight, the ground rumbles as
Mie's Gladiator lands on school property, then alters to Battledroid
mode. Everyone remaining on campus looks surprised to see the sixty
metre tall hominoid machine walking towards them. "What's that?" Lan
gulps before seeing the Gladiator.

"Mie-oba-chan's Gladiator!!!" Reiko yips.

"Cool!!!" Ten-chan adds. "Where does she hide that thing?!!"

"On Monster Island," Reiko reports. "Gojira's always trying to
wreck it!!"

"No kidding," Paama mutters.

* * *

In the cockpit, Mie is strapped to the Battledroid tracing
monitors as she sets the targeting computers for the teleporter.
"There's the target. Now, kicking mode!"

Mie presses a button...

...and the Gladiator transforms from normal Battledroid into a
monster wearing a rugby uniform consisting of a red and white striped
long sleeved shirt, red shorts, white socks and black shoes! "She's
using the kicking mode," Makoto watches from the safety of their home.
"Looks good so far."

Mie makes the Gladiator take a run at the teleporter. Like a
rugby player, she kicks it into the sky where it disappears with a
flash! Everyone looks in awe over what Mie just did.

"GOAL KICK!!!!" announces a Yamada dressed like a rugby referee.

The teleporter narrowly misses the "Renegade," a couple of
commuter jets, some satellites and the space station Salyut before
flying uncontrollably into the sun!

"I DID IT!!!!" Mie yells in celebration in the cockpit once her
sensors confirm where the teleporter ended up...

...but somewhere on Sagussa, a group of Gladiator engineers are
crying over the abuse one of their machines has just taken...

* * *

An hour or so later, outside the orbit of Pluto, the "Renegade"
waits for the Gatherer to arrive. Nassur is not long in waiting as the
monstrous ship appears out of warp. "About time," Nassur thinks aloud
to himself before answering a hail from Henry.

It is Noa. "***WHAT'S THIS ABOUT THE MIKADO KIDNAPPING ATARU AND
LUM-CHAN?!?!?!***" the Seishin-turned-Sagussan snarls loud enough to
push Nassur across the bridge.

"Oh, I see you got Mie's message."

"Got it?! I nearly had kittens when I was told what happened!
Doesn't that old fool know whom he's dealing with?!"

"Apparently not," Nassur hums. "So, I'm going to need some help
from you, if we're to see Ataru, Lum, and the others again alive."

"We don't need a cheering section," Noa grins. "We can blast this
guy's buns off without your help!"

A dozen *daishi'cha* suddenly appear behind Noa, roaring their
approval. Some carry high tech weapons and look ready to fight at a
moment's notice. "And HOW do you plan to do what you boast?" he asks.

Silence for a moment, then Noa looks innocently at the screen. "I
don't know," she reluctantly admits, causing everyone there to faint in
realization about how inexperienced they are about such things!

"Just as I thought," Nassur sighs. "You have the technology and
the training but you don't have the experience to use it. No matter;
I'm going to Vos alone...but you can use the Gatherer as an emergency
back-up just in case anything goes wrong."

"Okay," Noa nods. "What else?"

"We must be ready for anything," Nassur replies. "How about
asking your engineers to give my ship a quick refit to keep out any
hidden bugs or other surprises?"

A sly smile comes to Noa's face. "I think that can be arranged,"
she says.

* * *

Meanwhile, Benten moves into Ataru's house in Oshika. With some
of her belongings fetched by Koosei from Home Base, the hunter enters
the house under the tow of both Koosei and Reiko. As one can expect,
Benten is not happy with her surroundings. "Why am I being placed here
and not in Tomobiki?" the Fukunokami demands immediately upon arrival.

"Because you're less likely to be a target for any Mikado
supporters here," Koosei responds. "Besides, Reiko-chan could use a
babysitter until Ataru and Lum come back."

"What about the Nendo-kata?" Benten asks.

"They're...indisposed," Koosei answers.

Reiko takes Benten by the hand. "Lemme show ya why Nokoko-oba-
chan can't babysit me."

Reiko takes Benten to Ataru's and Lum's bedroom and inside they
see Nokoko sitting on the bed looking like she is in some sort of coma.
Mal is beside her mate, trying to break the matriarch out of it. "Now,
Beloved, you must put this grief aside for the moment," Mal consoles her
life-mate. "Neither Ataru-kun nor Lum-chan would want you to act this
way."

No response. "Shit," Benten looks on, having never seen anyone
react in such a fashion to a pair of disappearances. "I thought Ataru
and Lum overreact to everything that happens to them. Nokoko's
catatonic."

"The scary part is," Reiko frets, "it's like Nokoko-oba-chan's not
in her body any more. I can't sense anything in her mind."

"According to Mal," Koosei adds. "This is common as far as Nokoko
is concerned. She can be this way for WEEKS at a time."

"No kidding," Benten shuts the door to give the Nendo-kata some
privacy.

"Now you see why I brought you here?" Koosei smugly adds. "Mal
and the other Nendo-kata have their hands full running the Tiger Cub and
bringing Nokoko back to reality without the added responsibility of
looking after Reiko-chan."

"Okay," Benten sighs. "I'll stay. But, remember, if something
happens that I have to save Nassur and others, I'm gone."

Koosei puts his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. If that
occurs, I'll go with you to protect that child of yours. Until then,
relax and have a healthy baby."

"That's easy for you to say," Benten thumbs the closed door. "You
don't have to live with THIS!"

"True," Koosei nods. "I'll make sure nobody disturbs you and
makes things worse. The only exceptions are myself, Ten-chan, Oyuki,
Mie, her shipmates and Sakura."

"Sakura?!" Benten looks confused by why the priestess would be
included. "Why her?"

That is when Sakura suddenly appears in front of everyone! "I'm
here to protect your baby from untold harm!" she announces, pointing her
spirit sensor at Benten.

"What untold harm?!" Benten snarls.

"Nassur's told me about your occasional drinking binges, Benten,"
Koosei reminds the Fukunokami hunter. "Although the baby's part-Vosian,
alcohol could still damage it. Sakura has nurse's training and will
make sure you won't have another drink while pregnant."

Benten looks upset. No one, not even Nassur, has prohibited her
from drinking. "But Earth alcohol is like pop to me!"

"No matter," Sakura makes a sudden swipe of the house to remove
EVERY single container of alcohol. In seconds, Sakura places the
bottles onto a large blanket and ties it into a makeshift bag to be
carried on her back. "I'll make sure these are NOT replaced."

Benten looks ready to explode. "Wait a minute! Who gave you the
right to do this?!"

Sakura turns into a huge scary monster. "I WAS GIVEN THIS RIGHT
THROUGH BOTH KOOSEI AND YOUR HUSBAND!!!!" the priestess screams. "I'VE
ALSO GOT PERMISSION FROM NAGAIWAKAI-SAMA TO USE THE KUROMOROBOSHI TO
MAKE SURE MY ORDERS ARE CARRIED OUT!!!! UNDERSTAND?!?!?!"

"Y-yeah," Benten replies.

Sakura shifts to normal. "Good," she turns to leave. "I'll also
return in a couple of days to give you a complete examination."

Once she leaves, Benten turns to Koosei. "Was she that scary when
she was my age?"

"She was worse!" Koosei sighs. "She could make someone leave a
puddle behind."

"I nearly left one," Reiko shivers.

* * *

While Benten settles in Oshika, in a room somewhere unknown, Ataru
wakes up in a bed covered with white sheets from head to toe. "Oh, what
a party," he groans before noticing he is no longer in his home. "Where
am I?"

He sits up and notices his clothes are missing while having gained
a white watch-like device on his left wrist. "What the hell is this?"
he mentally notes before scanning around the room to see where he could
be.

The room was sterile white and resembles some sort of hospital
room. Ataru notices a couple of machines nearby that looked like some
sort of replicators and monitors if he knew his machines correctly. He
also notices another four beds, all occupied. All the bodies were
covered like he was so he could not tell who is in the room with him.
Ataru then notices at the foot of each bed, orange clothing neatly
pressed, folded and ready for use. *Could we have been taken back to
the Twentieth Millennium?* Ataru remembers the adventure in the far
future where Lum is a religion. He then notices his nudity and quickly
drops that notion quickly.

Ataru then stands and looks around the room. He felt a little
dizzy, more likely drugged by whomever brought them here, but he seemed
fine. After scanning the room, Ataru notices there are no windows, no
works of arts, or anything that could tell the *daimon'cha* of Sagussa
where he was. There was only one door, and in Ataru's current dizzy
state, it seemed miles away. *It will be awhile before I can think of
escape!* he moans. *Let's see who else is here with me.*

Ataru dons the clothing provided him. It was a one-piece outfit
of bright orange with boots sewn on the legs. It looked vaguely like
the outfit Hazel wears, except not as daring. It was easy to slip on
and it stretched over Ataru's body where it needed to and felt like it
was a wet suit. Despite that, it fit comfortably although it showed
every bulge and flaw his body had.

Then, Ataru turns to the bed on the right of his. *Who could be
here?* Slowly, as the dizziness in his head allowed him, he walks up to
the bed and removes the covers...

...revealing Lum. She was as nude as Ataru, save for the same
watch-like object on her left wrist, but looked healthy. "Lum!" Ataru
wakes his girlfriend. "Wake up!"

Slowly, Lum opens her eyes to look at Ataru. "Darling?" she says
clearly, then blinks. "My cold! It's gone! Who did that?"

"I don't know," Ataru shrugs before handing Lum the clothes. "The
last thing I remember is getting teleported from home."

"So do I," Lum nods. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Ataru replies before pointing towards the other
beds. "But, we're not alone either."

"*Tcha!*" Lum gasps noticing the other occupied beds nearby.
"What's going on?"

The covers on bed to the left of Ataru's bed begin to stir. Ataru
notices the groaning sound very familiar to him. It was Shinobu for
sure. "Don't talk so loud, Ataru..." she moans before noticing where
she was and her current state of undress. "Where am I?! WHAT AM I
DOING NUDE?!?!?! ATARU?!?! LUM?!?! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?!?!"

"We're in the dark like you, Shinobu," Ataru tries to calm down
his former girlfriend while Lum dresses. "What are you doing here? How
did you get here?!"

"I was heading for cram school," Shinobu discretely covers
herself. "When some weird rocket landed at the school and zapped me and
some others from the school."

"Others from Tomobiki High School?" Ataru gulps before smelling
something burning.

"Moroboshi, you animal!" the familiar voice of Mendou, who is
burning with anger, is heard coming from behind. "I KNEW you were
involved in this!"

Mendou had dressed quickly upon waking and, though he was
weaponless, grabbed Ataru by the shirt and started shaking him
violently. "How dare you take liberties with the next heir of the
Mendou Corporation?!" he snarls with his characteristic anger.

Ataru clobbers Mendou with a hammer! "I DIDN'T have anything to
do with this, you moron!" Ataru retorts. "Of all the people to grab,
why you? Who else did they take?"

"Is that Ataru?!" Megane's voice is heard from nearby. "Where is
that reprobate? I wish I had my glasses so I can see him and give him
heaven-sent punishment for this!"

"It's Megane," Lum announces.

Megane, who's glasses are as missing as his clothes, looks happy.
"Oh, Lum-san," he smiles. "You're here?! You must reject Ataru and
return to Tomobiki where you belong!"

"Doesn't Megane know he's talking to the wall beside his bed?" Lum
sighs.

"I guess he really does need his glasses," Ataru shrugs.

"I don't understand," Shinobu finishes dressing. "Who brought us
here and why?"

Suddenly, the door to the room opens and someone enters. "I'm the
one who brought you here," a woman's voice declares.

Everyone turns to see a blonde Vosian standing there. Lum notices
a resemblance between her and someone else she once knew...but who?
"Who are you?"

"I am Junba," Junba says. "You are now prisoners of the Mikado of
Vos. You will be taken care of until the renegade hunter Nassur arrives
to surrender himself."

"Why would Nassur-kun surrender to the likes of you, bitch?!"
Shinobu snarls.

Junba responds with a slap to Shinobu's face which floors the
Terran immediately! "So, you are SHE that the renegade has recognized,"
Junba looks at Shinobu with disgust. "So small busted and large
bottomed. I thought Nassur would pick someone better looking to replace
my sister."

"S-sister?" Lum gulps. "You mean..."

"Cinba," Junba declares. "The woman Nassur corrupted into
becoming his wife."

Lum feels angry. She had met Cinba before and felt she and Nassur
were the most perfect couple she'd ever seen. "That's not true!" she
retorts. "I knew Cinba before and she and Nassur loved each other
dearly. But, what does a Mikado hunter know about love?"

Junba looks at Lum. "Oh, yes," the hunter sneers. "You're the
flighty Oni girl whom is Nassur's first student. Pathetic."

Mendou and Megane appear. "You dare call Lum-san pathetic?!!"
they yell together.

Junba floors both of them with ridiculous ease! "This is what Lum
calls guards?!" she hums. "No wonder you're always in trouble. No
trouble for even a novice hunter!"

"Okay, Junba," Ataru sighs. "What the hell's going on here? Why
did you kidnap us?"

"Why else?" Junba answers coolly. "To bring Nassur to Vos. He
has been a renegade from the Mikado for nearly sixty Earth years and
needs to be punished."

"R-renegade?" everyone gasps as they sense everything go dark
around them.

"That's right," Junba adds. "Now, stay here and you MAY live to
see him." She then turns to leave. "Bye, now."

Once Junba is gone, everyone relaxes for now. "Small bust and a
large bum?!" Shinobu snorts as she rearranges her assets. "Who says I'm
like that? I'LL show her!"

Ataru turns to Lum. "What did Nassur do to make the Mikado so mad
at him, Lum?"

"I wish I knew," Lum shrugs.

* * *

A few days pass and at the Lecashuto Spaceport, the routine
shuttles filled with people leaving the besieged capital city are
stopped to allow one ship to come in. This ship is, of course, the
"Renegade."

The control tower crew was surprised to hear a starship requesting
to land at their spaceport. Most of their traffic had been leaving the
spaceport as per the request of the rebel forces now coming closer to
this final stronghold of the Mikado's influence. A city of twenty
million people, weakened by shortages and illness, began to leave any
way they could as the imposed deadline neared. Still, the person in
charge of the control tower called the Mikado's office and a squad of
Marines were ordered to arrest the one many believe caused the civil
war.

In fact, the squad arrived just as the "Renegade" had landed and
taxied to the main terminal. Filled with refugees and Mikado personnel,
anyone inside the terminal who did not get out of the way in time were
cruelly shoved aside by the incoming squad. The squad is lead by a
young colonel, an average-looking thirtysomething man dressed in a finer
uniform than the faceless, armoured enlisted personnel that made up the
rest of squad. Quickly, they make their way to the gate the "Renegade"
is docking at and move to board the ship.

The Colonel and his troops were surprised to find Nassur alone.
They had heard rumours he had a new partner plus a large group of
trainees. The ship itself is built for a twelve-man crew. Still, the
squad had their guns ready when they arrived on the bridge to capture
Nassur. "Hold it!" the Colonel orders as he and his squad surround the
hunter to disarm him. "You're now a prisoner of the Mikado of Vos.
Resistance is useless."

"I don't plan to resist...yet," Nassur responds. His tone carried
enough menace that the younger members of the squad look nervous. There
had been enough stories circulating around the Marine units about how
Nassur had evaded capture from units larger than this one to embarrass
the Mikado more than once. Those stories are more or less true, but to
see such a man surrender so peacefully was unexpected. He must be
planning something.

"I am Colonel Sussur," the Colonel postures before Nassur. "I'm
to take you personally to the Mikado's own office where you're to have
the privilege of being personally tried by the Great Leader himself."

"I know you, Sussur. Didn't I fight you ten years ago on Reiner's
Five?"

"That's right," Sussur nods. "I was only a lieutenant then under
Colonel Arunba. You wiped out my whole squad except for myself."

"You tried to ambush me," Nassur smiles. "It was Cinba who wanted
me to spare you."

"True. But, I still must take you to the Mikado...just like I was
ordered to then."

"Lead on, then, MacDuff," Nassur nods.

Minutes later, Nassur rides through the shattered, near-empty
streets in a Vosian hover-limo under a heavily armed escort. His
appearance in the spacedock shocks even the most sickly of refugees.
They are silent as he is escorted to the Mikado's office by Sussur and
his squad. Even the soldiers, mostly recruits from the street kids from
the city are shocked to see what was thought to be impossible for such a
man...to be captured by the Mikado. "So, how goes the Mikado's 'just'
rule?" Nassur asks Sussur finally.

"Not well, I'm afraid," the Colonel sighs, knowing what he says
may get him in trouble. "The rebels control everything: the colonies,
the fleet, the people's minds, and most of the homeworld except the area
around Lecashuto. From the look of things, this stronghold isn't going
to lasting much long. The Mikado has been in hiding since the remaining
officers of the Hunter Corps were assassinated and he sees only his
cabinet. There's rumours the Mikado has lost what sanity he had after
you went renegade and he still thinks of plans to win this civil war."

"It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," Nassur quips.

The building housing the Mikado and his cabinet is unusually well-
maintained standing out among the burnt-out and abandoned ruins that
once were buildings and homes. Before the civil war, this section of
Lecashuto was Vos' equivalent to the more affluent sections of Tokyo or
Kyoto. Now, the buildings stand as a mockery to what they were,
forgotten and uncared for. During the last few months the rebel forces
routinely attacked this area with their bombers. Save for the forces
guarding the Mikado's building, no people or animals were about when the
hover-limo carrying Nassur and Sussur arrived at the front steps. When
they left the hover-limo, there is deafening silence around the area, as
if even the very air was abandoning the Mikado.

Nassur is escorted into the building through the front doors. The
headquarters of what is left of the Mikado's government is still a bee-
hive of activity with officers rushing about their business of preparing
for the inevitable fall of this place. Although no one voiced it,
Nassur could sense the despair of a group of people whose time in
history is all but over, yet like most of their kind, they wished for
something to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

After a seemingly long elevator ride to the offices on the 100th
floor, Nassur and Sussur arrive at the Mikado's main office. There,
they are met by a secretary, a young, brown-haired, chubby-faced woman
barely out of her teens dressed in an ill-fitting marine uniform.
*Obviously, she was a new sudden recruit,* Nassur muses. The Mikado
Marines are noted for the amount of effort in keeping the look of
professionalism.

Upon seeing Sussur, the girl immediately stands and salutes her
superior officer. "Is the Mikado in, Private?" Sussur asks.

"Yes, sir, he is," the girl replies.

"Tell him we have Nassur," the Colonel then orders. "He's ready
to meet with him."

"I'll tell him right away!" the girl salutes before diving into
the room. Seconds later, she returns. "You may enter now, sir!"

"Thank you," Sussur returns the salute before nudging Nassur
towards the door. "You may return to your duties."

The Mikado's office is a huge room with dark oak panelling on the
walls and a dark stucco ceiling lit by small lights and a huge picture
window overlooking the ruins of the city. The walls themselves were
covered with many photographs and paintings, all of which had something
to do with the Mikado and his long military career. There were
bookcases filled with books and files, too numerous for Nassur to put
into order in his mind. The Mikado's desk was huge and grandly designed
with only a small, neat pile of papers and reports and a small flag of
Vos sitting on it.

The Mikado himself, a roguishly, bearded, grey-haired man between
fifty or sixty, sits behind his desk waiting patiently. He is dressed
in a black uniform roughly designed like an Earth general's dress
uniform complete with naval-style black cap and a barrage of medals.
More piercing than Nassur's, his eyes make people think there was
something mentally wrong. "There you are finally, Nassur-san," a
churlish smile comes to his bearded face. "You were overdue for this
visit!"

Nassur notes there was no sign of Ataru, Lum, and the others. It
was not beyond the Mikado to kill prisoners that had loyalties to the
hunter for some imagined slight Nassur had performed...but to act like
this was a visit to a social visit is laughable. "All right, Mikado!"
Nassur snaps back. "Where are Lum and the others you kidnapped? I came
as soon as I was told about what happened on Earth."

The Mikado looks serious then presses a hidden button on his desk.
A television screen begins to lower down from the ceiling. On it is a
live feed from the room which Lum and the others were held. They seemed
fine, all dressed in their orange wet-suit-like outfits. sitting around
waiting for action. Shinobu was busy trying to improve her looks by
stuffing her bust with tissues, Lum was trying to keep Ataru and Mendou
apart, and Megane was holding a conversation with a replicator thinking
it was a person. "As you can see they are fine," the Mikado says.
"They've been model guests so far."

"So I see," Nassur nods in agreement. "So send them back to
Earth. They're innocent in this war between ourselves..."

The Mikado bangs his fist on the desk, then looks Nassur in the
eye. "There ARE no innocents in our war, Nassur," the Mikado says with
a taunt in his voice. "Surely, you should know that by now. Besides
they are still useful to me to get you to obey."

The Mikado then produces an object out of one of his uniform
pockets. It is white and looks like the size and shape of an Earth
walkman but with several buttons clearly marked where an audio tape
would be. *A cardiac band control?!* Nassur looks nervous. He had seen
them used before; a sadistic weapon only one better than the pregnancy
bombs which were used on condemned female criminals before the time of
Lecasur. Pregnancy bombs were banned, of course, but cardiac bans were
still legal. "I take it you know what these are! In case you've
forgotten, let me show you how they work!"

The Mikado presses a large red button on the cardiac ban
control...

...and in the room below, Shinobu feels chest pains. "I feel
funny," she says before the pain of her own heart stopping strikes her.
"Oooh!! I think I'm having a..."

Shinobu collapses clutching her chest. Everyone else looks at the
former high school classmate in horror. "Shinobu!" Ataru yelps, the
first one beside her. "What's wrong?!"

Before Shinobu can answer, Megane is stricken next. "M-my heart!"
he groans before turning purple and falling to the floor.

"Megane!" Lum gasps in horror.

Then Mendou. To his credit, the scion of the Mendou clan tried to
ignore the pain the cardiac band on his wrist causes to his heart. But
finally, he collapses. "My heart!!!" were his only words before he too
fell.

Lum and Ataru look at each other. Of everyone in the room, only
they were unfazed by the cardiac bands. "Darling," Lum whispers to
Ataru, notices a small red light on her band glowing. "...these things
are causing everyone to have heart problems...except us!"

"It's probably what the *daishi'cha* and the Cyborg did for both
of us made us immune to these things," Ataru whispers back.

Lum looked concerned. Sure, they were immune, she thinks, but
Shinobu, Mendou, and Megane were not! In spite of being morons, she
couldn't let them die...especially since Ataru had tried to get his
'revenge' on them all. "Darling," she whispers. "Whomever is doing
this wants us to act the same way, too. Until we can find out what's
going on, let's play along...if not for the others' sakes, but for
Tanoshii and Sil-chan's sakes."

"Okay," Ataru sighs, after seeing Lum's logic. "But I'm not much
of an actor."

In the Mikado's office, both Nassur and the Mikado notice Lum and
Ataru's lack of acknowledgement. "Hmmm," the older Vosian snorts. "It
seems the Oni and her mate are a little more resistant than I thought.
No matter, I'll set their's a little higher."

But, as the Mikado attempts to play with their controls, Ataru
swoons like a puppet with no strings. "Oh," he says woodenly. "I think
I'm having a heart attack!"

"Oh, my," Lum adds. "So am I."

With a pair of groans which would be REJECTED from a Gojira film,
Lum and Ataru fall to the floor to play dead. The act is convincing
enough for the Mikado...but to Nassur, he had seen better. "And I
thought all the plays and movies those two were in high school," he
mutters to himself, "that they would be better actors!"

"Now, Nassur," the Mikado turns to his enemy. "Are you going to
do what I say? Or do all five of these people have to die?"

Nassur looks silent for what seems like an eternity to himself.
To help the Mikado in ANYTHING was against everything the renegade
hunter had fought his whole life to prevent. Yet...refusing this offer
of clemency would surely doom at least three of the five people to a
very painful and long death. "Okay," Nassur lowers his head in defeat.
"You win for now. What do you want me to do?"

The churlish smile on the Mikado's face grows in the knowledge
that for the first time in sixty years, he had Nassur right where he
wanted him. First things first, the tyrant thinks. Pressing a green
button on the control, he ends the torture on the five teens from Earth.
Slowly, they recover their health but a look at Shinobu's eyes tells
Nassur that this was a near thing for them all.

"I want you to find the Sceptre of Lecasur," the Mikado announces.

"The Sceptre of Lecasur?!" Nassur replies in surprise. The
Sceptre had been missing ever since the Mikado came to power. No one
was sure where it went to or who took it. "That myth? You must be mad
if you're looking for lost ceremonial objects!"

"It's no myth!" the Mikado counters. "We have received
information that the Sceptre was returned to the Planet of Shadows and
given to the Keeper of that place. Your mission is for you and your
friends to retrieve it for me!"

"Why?" Nassur asks.

"Why?" the Mikado counters. "I'll tell you why. Since the
Sceptre was taken from Vos shortly after I took power, there has always
been a perception that the people never truly accepted me because I
never held the Sceptre. Proof of this is how they embraced the
Rebellion although it took a long time to come to the Homeworld. If I
can get the Sceptre back, then the people will abandon the rebels and
return to my side once more...and if YOU bring it for me, the key piece
to the rebel's existence will be destroyed!"

The Mikado laughs maniacally. *His waves are crashing against the
breakwaters!* Nassur thinks. "So, who are you making go with us? You
don't expect my friends and I to go to the Planet of Shadows unescorted,
do you?"

"Of course not," the tyrant looks into Nassur's eyes. "I've found
the perfect person to watch over your group." The intercom buzzes.
"What is it?" the Mikado answers.

"Hunter Junba is waiting for you, sir."

"Bring her in," the Mikado smiles then looks at Nassur. "You'll
find that Junba looks a little familiar to you."

The door to the Mikado's office opens and Junba enters
immediately. Nassur is shocked first by the brainwave pattern then by
how much Junba looks like Cinba, his dead first wife. "C-cinba?" he
gulps in shock.

"My name is Junba," Junba looks at Nassur as if the hunter was a
piece of refuse. "I am Cinba's twin sister."

* * *

Nassur looks confused. Cinba never mentioned a twin sister, nor
had her parents, with whom Nassur had lived several years before he and
Cinba married. "It seems your late wife had a sister who passed the
power tests when she was born," the Mikado triumphantly explains.
"Cinba probably never knew of her existence. Unlike you and she, Junba
is totally loyal to me."

"So I see," Nassur sighs unable to get over Junba's brainwave
pattern being an exact duplicate of Cinba's. Twins were similar in
looks, but genetically and mentally, they were as different as those not
born twins. *So, why are Junba's brainwaves so much the same?*

"I was told about Cinba and how you corrupted her into becoming a
renegade," Junba points an accusing finger at Nassur. "It was YOU who
led her to an early death!"

"If I led Cinba to anything," Nassur counters. "...it was to a
life full of happiness...DESPITE all the horrors visited by the Mikado
and his followers on us!"

Nassur and Junba spend what seems like an eternity staring at each
other. Finally, the Mikado intervenes. "Enough!" the dictator barks.
"Junba'll be your commanding officer. She'll make sure that you and
your friends go to the Planet of Shadows and retrieve the Sceptre of
Lecasur. To keep you all honest," the Mikado hands the cardiac band
control to Junba. "...Junba will have the cardiac band control," the
Mikado continues. "Plus, I'll have other ways of making sure you obey."

"I have no qualms about using this, Nassur," Junba taunts Nassur
with the cardiac band control. "Those five morons who say they're your
friends mean nothing to me...especially the one called Shinobu."

"I understand," Nassur nods, unimpressed by her taunting. "So
when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," the Mikado says. "Just as soon as we...get
your ship ready."

"I see," Nassur snorts. He knew most of the tricks the Mikado
could pull. That is why he put some 'safeguards' aboard the "Renegade"
before he came. But, that is a digression. "Even though I am in no
position to demand anything...I would like to visit someone."

"Out of the question!!" Junba screams.

"No, it's not," the Mikado interrupts. "I understand Nassur.
With his friends in our care, he won't trick us."

Junba looks confused. "But, sir..."

"Nassur and I have been enemies long enough to develop respect for
one another," the Mikado counters. "You are new to this game. You
wouldn't understand us."

Junba looks surprised by the Mikado's statement...he admitting
that he respects Nassur in spite of the years and lives he spent trying
to destroy him. But, the Mikado is right. Junba is a newcomer in this
battle. "Okay, you can go," Junba sighs without looking at Nassur.
"But be back at your ship by ten o'clock in the morning...or else."

Nassur nods. "I'll be back by then," he says. "Don't worry."

Nassur then leaves the room. Junba then looks at the Mikado
anxiously. "Why did you let him leave?! He could be setting us up."

"If he does," the Mikado looks uninterested in Junba's question.
"He does! I may be a dictator...but I have honour!"

* * *

Meanwhile in Oshika, it is Sunday. The sun is up high in the sky
and deliciously warm. Benten wakes up in Ataru's guest room to yet
another day of watching over Reiko while everyone tends Nokoko. After
dressing in a plain T-shirt and gym shorts left over from Lum's high
school days, Benten breakfasts with Reiko. "Mal says Nokoko's getting
better," Benten reports while serving Reiko a bowl of rice. "She
actually blinked her eyes last night. Another few weeks and she'll be
back to normal. I didn't think she'd take Ataru's and Lum's
disappearance so hard."

"Nokoko-oba-chan likes both Daddy and Lum," Reiko quips. "To see
them disappear like that is scary."

"To see Nokoko like that," Benten thumbs Nokoko's bedroom. "...is
scary..."

Reiko finishes her breakfast then looks at Benten's ballooning
waist. "What's the matter?" Benten looks self-consciously at the
Noukiite. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm just trying to listen in on your baby's thoughts," Reiko
replies. "I'm already beginning to pick some up."

"I'm not surprised," Benten pats her stomach. "Vosian babies come
to full term in seven months, not nine. But surely you must be used to
pregnant women by now with Mal and most of the other Nendo-kata
pregnant."

"Oh, yeah," Reiko nods. "But they're not Vosian. Nendo-kata
babies are too serene. This is the first time I've encountered a baby
Vosian. They're so noisy."

"Er...right," Benten blushes, remembering Reiko's limited
telepathy. "So, since today's Sunday, what are we going to do?"

"Well, since it's a nice day," Reiko hums. "Why not go to the
beach?"

"I guess we could."

The doorbell rings. "Who's that?" Benten wonders. "I hope it's
someone with some good news about Nassur and the others."

Benten opens the front door and sees Ten-chan, standing there with
his school chum Minami Michini. Both are dressed in T-shirts and shorts
while carrying small bags. "Hiya, Benten-chan!" the young Oni lands in
the Fukunokami's arms. "We're here!"

"Jariten," Benten smiles. "What brings you here? Hi, Minami."

"I just came to get away from those weird parents Ataru has," Ten-
chan explains. "We just wanted to on a day trip together."

"You mean run away together!" Reiko hums. "I planned a quiet day
until YOU came!"

"I'm glad to see you, too, Reiko," Ten-chan snarls at the
Noukiite.

Minami bows. "Good morning, Reiko."

"'Morning," Reiko bows back. "How come you're hanging out with
this fire-bug?"

"I like him," Minami smiles, causing Ten-chan to blush. "Plus, he
asked me to come. Ryooki-sensei said it was all right."

"What's the plan?" Benten asks Ten-chan.

"Well, we did bring our bathing suits..." Ten-chan scratches the
back of his head.

"Okay," Benten nods. "As soon as I can get a bathing suit, Reiko
and I'll join you!"

Reiko looks horrified by what Benten said. "Me, go to the beach
with this fire-bug?" she gasps. "No way!"

"Do you want to stay here and look after a catatonic Nokoko?"
Benten asks.

"It's better than playing with a fire-breathing Oni!" Reiko
retorts.

Benten tries a different tact. "Okay. Then I guess what Mal says
is wrong?"

Reiko stops. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she tells me that you go to the beach a lot," Benten
dramatically pauses, "...to see that twelve-year-old boy who works at
the tea shop there."

Reiko blushes twelve shades of red at once. Shortly after Ataru
and Reiko moved to Oshika, she noticed a Japanese lad working at a local
beachside tea shop. His name is Yamasaki and for some reason, Reiko has
a crush on him. Every day she can, she goes to the beach to see
Yamasaki. Of course, Yamasaki is too busy to pay much attention to the
young Noukiite, but that does not stop her from going to watch him work
or, on occasion, help him by secretly using her psychic abilities. It
was Lum who noticed first and brought it to Ataru's attention. Since
then, Ataru has found the whole thing more proof of Reiko becoming a
normal little girl.

"Well..." Reiko gulps nervously, knowing she would lose an
opportunity to see Yamasaki.

"Go get changed into your bathing suit, Reiko-chan," Benten
announces before walking towards the guest room. "We'll be leaving as
soon as I can get one that fits."

* * *

A hour later, after Benten wrestles with four or five bathing
suits, she finds one that fits right. At the beach, she suns herself on
a beach towel while Ten-chan and Minami play in the water and Reiko has
gone to the tea shop further down. She chose a one-piece blue tank suit
from Mal which hid her pregnancy enough. As she watches the Oni and his
girlfriend play together, she slides into contemplation. *How carefree
those kids are. Could the child I'm carrying have such a life? Or will
this child have problems from people like the Mikado all the time? Who
knows?*

Then Benten feels a shadow creeping over her. She sees that the
shadow belongs to Lum's father, Captain Invader. Benten always
respected Lum's dad, mainly because of his size and strength. Few dared
get on his bad side. Even those who would cat-call him "Pig-Boy" during
the yearly Setsubun Festival never said it to his face. But, most of
the time, Captain Invader was a gentle man...however, this did not seem
to be one of those times. Lum's dad is so angry even the sky seems to
cloud over menacingly. "Benten," he snarls, his eyes glowing red and
steam coming out of his nose. "How DARE you and your husband NOT tell
me about what happened to my daughter and her future husband?!!"

Benten nervously sits up. Deliberately, she and Koosei tried to
keep Lum's and Ataru's disappearances secret from Invader to avoid his
trying to rescue them by himself and make things worse. "W-who told you
Lum and Ataru were missing?" Benten gulps.

"Lan did," Invader replies.

*Lan!* she thinks. *I knew she'd find a way to get around
Koosei's jamming.* "Well, it's true," Benten says simply. "Lum, Ataru
and some people in Tomobiki were kidnapped by the Mikado. Nassur went
to rescue them."

"I don't mind his going to rescue them," he nods. "But why
without ME as a back-up?"

"Mie Seikou tells me Noa's backing him up," Benten remembers the
Gladiator pilot informing her of the "Hasei'cha's" deployment to Earth
prior to coming to Oshika. "Their technology for rescues is better than
yours."

"I don't dispute that," Invader growls. "But Lum is STILL my
daughter!" He then blinks, realizing who he is speaking to. "By the
way, Benten, why are you here in Oshika and not with Nassur on Vos?"

"Because I'm pregnant, that's why!"

Invader faints! "P-pregnant? You?"

"You have a problem with that, too?"

Suddenly, Invader's angry scowl turns into a happy smile. "Oh,
how nice. It's about time you and Nassur-kun had children!"

Invader playfully slaps Benten on the back which sends her face
first into the sand! "Oops," Invader realizes what he has done.
"Sorry, Benten. I hope you're all right."

Benten pulls her face out of the sand and sighs. "I think I was
SAFER when he was mad. I hope Nassur's doing better than I am."

* * *

Night has fallen on Lecashuto. Nassur wanders around the ruins
aimlessly. He remembers this section of Lecashuto being filled with
shops of all kinds. Now, the only things sold here are memories. The
fading light of the sun blunts most of the harsh wreckage which
surrounds the renegade hunter as he chances upon a huge building which
bears more than a passing resemblance to a shopping mall on Earth. Like
most of the buildings in Lecashuto, it is a ruined mockery of itself.
Its windows and doors are broken and burned from fire and explosions.
The walls are covered with dirt and ashes from fires around the area and
bombs landing nearby. Whatever was inside was long since looted by
gangs or burned to ashes. Nassur stands in front of this building and
looks at it. *This is the place!* he thinks as a tear falls down his
cheek. *It was here that all of you died.*

Nassur's mind races back through the years and to a woman who
looked vaguely like a younger Shinobu. He remembers five other people
with them, all fugitives from some prison, happy to be free, yet all
cautious about losing their newly-won freedom. Nassur remembers the
building being a mall that would put anything on Earth to shame in terms
of beauty and amount of goods on sale. To the young Nassur and the
others...this was Heaven.

But it turned out to be Hell. A troop of Marines attacked the
seven young people in the mall. They tried to make a stand...but one by
one, they fell until only Nassur and the girl who looked like Shinobu
remained. Nassur remembers her. Tenba. Unfortunately, a sniper would
diminish that number. Nassur remembers the pain of seeing Tenba cut
down in front of him, then the further pain of getting winged in the
shoulder before he managed to shoot down the sniper. He remembers the
horror of every brainwave in Tenba's mind turn off like someone turning
off a light.

Then it happened...

In his haze of semi-consciousness, Nassur noticed a huge, glowing
rectangular shape in the sky. He remembers the Mikado Marines he was
fighting stopped to look in awe of this thing. Then a light came from
the shape and shone upon Tenba's still form as if it were the light from
Heaven itself. A British-accented voice then rang out. "*You have been
chosen to be the final servant of the Grand Design. Congratulations.*"

Then Tenba's body, the light, and the shape in the sky disappeared
in a colourful flash. Nassur...unaware that what he just saw was the
Gatherer obtaining the final *daishi'cha*...somehow managed to escape
the Marines to hide further into Lecashuto...

Then, Nassur senses a group of people surrounding him, ending his
reminiscences and is on his guard. "Hold it, you!" a male voice yells
from behind some rubble. "Hands up!"

It is a group of rebels...probably on a recon mission. He sensed
about a dozen of them and by the sounds of it, only lightly armed. One
brainwave pattern seemed to be familiar. Nassur feels a point of a gun
on his back. It is obvious they did not recognize him due to the
darkness of the shadows, so Nassur mentally prepared for the worst as he
raised his hands in the air.

"You're now a prisoner of the Rebel Alliance Army. Don't try to
resist, hunter!"

Nassur feels a hand turning him around so that he could see his
captor face-to-face. He was a man only a few years older than himself.
A thin, but muscular young man with black hair and the stubble of the
beard on his mildly handsome face. He was dressed in dark clothes as
most covert operatives wore in the field. He had some sort of handgun
in his hand with a silencer on it. "Who are you?" the man demanded.
"And what's a hunter doing wandering around without any weapons?"

Nassur remembered his gun was confiscated by Sussur. "Would you
believe I'm already a prisoner...of the Mikado?" Nassur answers.

Then a woman's voice is heard. "Hold it, Hessur," the voice
pleads as it nears the two Vosians. "That's Nassur."

"Nassur?" he gasps as turns to the woman. "But, Commander
Hunba..."

"But, nothing," Hunba admonishes Hessur. "He's the person
responsible for our getting to this point. Treat him with respect."

Hunba is an attractive woman Nagaiwakai's age, despite an eye
patch over her right eye and some minor scarring around that portion of
her face. Her brown hair is tied into a long braid, the symbol of
widowhood. She wears the same type of black uniform worn by the rebels.
Nassur remembers meeting her before. She was once a reporter for the
Vosian News Service. Her husband Ninsur was a Captain in the Vosian
Navy. She later joined her husband as a leader of one of the largest
rebel sects...run by the Vosian Defence Force...shortly after Nassur and
Cinba left Vosian space. Despite the scars of battle on her face, Hunba
still had the look of a civilian about her. "Sorry about this, Nassur-
san. We're on a recon mission to gauge the Mikado's strength."

"No problem," Nassur nods. "I'm here on the Mikado's request, it
seems."

"He wants you to find the Sceptre of Lecasur, doesn't he?" Hunba
asks.

"You know?"

"Our spies have reported such rumours as have rumours that the
Mikado is secretly moving his forces away from Lecashuto to a more
secret location," Hunba reports. "The Mikado must be desperate if he
needs you!"

"Well," Nassur sighs. "He kidnapped some of my friends to bring
me here."

"Really," Hunba gasps. "So, do you want us to rescue them?"

"I already have a plan," Nassur shrugs at her suggestion. "But,
until I get back, why not hold off any attack on the Mikado? I want the
Mikado for myself...and some friends who're not pleased by his actions."

"I understand," Hunba smiles. "A hold on direct attacks won't be
popular with the other commanders, but I can convince them."

"I'm sure Ninsur wouldn't mind."

"I guess you don't know about Ninsur."

"I guess not," he hums, seeing her frown.

"Ninsur died in our last major engagement before we invaded the
Homeworld."

"I'm sorry to here that," Nassur frowns. Ninsur was a very good
man with a strong sense of honour and integrity. For the most part,
both he and Hunba were the leaders of the rebellion, facing the hard
task of keeping the various factions together. It was not easy to,
especially in the early days of the rebellion. Nassur felt as if his
father had died when Hunba told him the news.

"He died a hero," a tear escapes her good eye. "That's what he
would have wanted."

"I must go," Nassur sighs. "Good luck."

"Good luck to you, too," Hunba nods.

Nassur disappears into the night. Hessur walks up to Hunba.
"Hunba-san. Why didn't you tell him that Ninsur was his father?"

"The civil war isn't over yet," Hunba sniffs. "When it is, I'll
tell him that Ninsur and I are his parents."

* * *

"Get up!!" Junba screams as she literally kicks Shinobu out of her
bed the next morning.

Shinobu winds up on the floor from the force of Junba's kick and
looks sleepily confused by such treatment. "What's going on?" the
former high school girl yawns.

"'Renegade' is here," Junba announces as she gets everyone up.
"We're going aboard."

"'Renegade?'" Lum hums. "That means..."

"...Nassur's surrendered to the Mikado," Junba finishes Lum's
sentence. "We're going aboard with him on his ship in about an hour!"

"What for?" Ataru yawns.

"The Mikado wants us to find the Sceptre of Lecasur and bring it
back to him!" Junba answers. "The mission is a long one and you five
have volunteered to be part of the crew."

"But, only Lum-san knows how to fly a starship!" Mendou announces.

"You'll learn!" Junba snarls before pulling out the cardiac band
control. "Now move it before I activate your cardiac bands and we have
to recruit more crewmembers!"

The threat of the cardiac band controls is enough to spring
Shinobu, Mendou, and Megane into action. Lum and Ataru take their time.
"Another space journey," Ataru ho-hums. "Why can't I be left in
peace?!"

"I know what you mean, Darling," Lum sighs. "But at least both
you and I are together...unlike last time."

"True," Ataru kisses her.

Observing this, Mendou is struck by a touch of envy, remembering
Sil back home...

* * *

Later, after Ataru, Lum, and the others are loaded onto a
personnel carrier, the group is escorted by a squad of Mikado Marines to
the "Renegade." A group of technicians finish overlooking the ship and
preparing her for the long voyage. Junba salutes an older woman who
looks like she is in charge. "Have the modifications been completed?"
Junba asks.

"Yes, Hunter Junba," the head technician salutes. "Nassur is
aboard familiarizing himself with the new technology. We have planted
plenty of listening devices aboard his ship. But, we can't break
through his computer codes to insert a remote self-destruction program.
Something wipes the program out every time we put it in."

Nassur appears. "Oh, Junba," Nassur nods to the hunter. "You're
late. I've been busy getting ready. The 'Renegade' is a good
ship...which runs better without *these!*"

Nassur drops a handful of listening devices into the startled
technician's hand. "Our listening devices?!" she gasps. "But, they're
undetectable...!"

"Not with the new scanners I had installed in the 'Renegade' a
while ago," Nassur smiles. *Thanks, girls.*

Ataru, Lum, and the others come out of the personnel carrier and
all look glad to see Nassur. Especially Shinobu, who immediately runs
into Nassur's arms. "Oh, Nassur-kun!" she cries into his chest. "It's
been so horrible! They kidnapped us and have been torturing us with
these things!"

She shows Nassur her band. "I know. I've seen cardiac bands work
before."

Junba then looks over her "crew." "All right," she begins. "I'll
be the commanding officer of this ship from now on! Our mission is to
go to the Planet of Shadows and retrieve the Sceptre of Lecasur for the
Mikado. The voyage will take a long time... almost six months round
trip, if our intelligence is correct. Since you're all friends of
Nassur, you will be crew. But, just because there is only **one**
Mikado agent coming with you, doesn't mean I'll be helpless." She shows
the cardiac band control to everyone. "Everyone on this mission is
expendable...save for me! Obey me and you'll live to tell the tale!"

She stares at Shinobu cruelly. "Don't and you die! Be warned. I
do NOT like Nassur or anyone affiliated with him...especially those
PERSONALLY affiliated. If it were up to me, this would be a suicide
mission for you all. Now, get aboard this ship and let's go!"

Slowly, everyone boards the ship. "She's a great motivator,"
Ataru muses.

Shinobu sticks close to Nassur. "That girl doesn't like me at
all! Please protect me, Nassur-kun." She hugs Nassur tightly.

"Relax," Nassur smiles. "I plan to have everyone...Mikado
supporter or not...survive this mission and come back home."

"Your concern is touching," Junba snarls. "But, I don't share
that concern."

After everyone boards the "Renegade" and the ship taxis to a
nearby runway, the ship launches itself into space and history. On the
bridge, everyone is anxiously quiet as they wonder what Fate has in
store for them...

* * *

After the "Renegade" leaves the Vosian solar system, the Gatherer
watches, cloaked and from behind the outermost planets. On the bridge,
Noa watches alone. "So, where are they going now?" she asks Henry.

"*If our intelligence is correct,*" the Gatherer's central
computer states. "*...to a stable wormhole about three months from this
system at 'Renegade's' maximum warp.*"

"Wormhole?" Noa thinks aloud. "The only wormhole I know is the
one to that mysterious dyson sphere in Gamma Quadrant...where that
creepy Keeper lives. Why are they taking the *daimon'cha* and his Other
with them?"

"*As insurance, I believe. Orders?*"

"Nassur wants us to follow them," Noa replies. "So, let's make
sure we're well out of Nassur's scanning range and cloaked, too."

"*Understood.*"

The Gatherer goes into warp...

* * *

On Earth, a few days have passed. At Tomobiki High School, things
are as normal as they could be...even with workcrews cleaning up the
damage the Mikado's teleporter left to the building and the grounds. In
room 337, Onsen-sensei continues with his entrance exam teaching
although three students are missing. "Even though we're busy cleaning
up from what happened over a week or so ago and we're missing a few
students," the vice-principal announces grimly. "...we are continuing
with this cram school class regardless of the difficulties. Any
questions?"

Everyone groans a "no." "Fine," Onsen nods before taking the
textbook in hand. "Now open your books to page 44..."

In the nursing station, Benten, dressed in a hospital gown, is
having a check-up from Sakura. Koosei watches, giving advice to the
Shinto priestess on what to expect from a Vosian-based pregnancy. "Your
weight has increased by a kilo," Sakura happily reports, "...and your
healing and immune systems are increasing in speed and strength."

"That's natural," Koosei smiles. "When a non-Vosian woman gets
pregnant with a Vosian child, her metabolism changes to that of a
Vosian. She'll even age like a Vosian."

"Really. I didn't know that."

"That's why Vosian men are so popular with non-Vosian women,"
Koosei reports.

"But, what about the baby?" Benten asks.

"Chance are that baby of yours will inherit both a Vosian lifespan
and the psychic powers," Koosei smiles.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asks Benten.

"Apart from wanting to eat detergent all the time," Benten
reports. "I have a gassy feeling in my stomach."

"Do you feel nausea?"

"No, more like..." Benten burps...loudly. "Excuse me," she
blushes.

"That's a normal sign," Koosei smiles. "Vosian women start to
burp when they get to this stage of pregnancy...like Terran women get
morning sickness. Don't worry, that will go away in about a month or
two and you'll be fine...unless you develop a case of hiccups."

Benten burps again. "Thanks a lot," she sighs. "I thought
Fukunokami women did weird things when they got pregnant."

Sakura finishes. "You and the baby seem to be fine...just take it
easy and keep to your diet and you'll stay that way."

"Promises, promises," Benten sighs.

Lan then enters the room. "Oh, there you are, Benten," the
Seishin girl smiles upon seeing her. "I hope you're not mad about me
telling Lum-chan's dad that Darling and Lum-chan were missing?"

"Apologize to my back," Benten snarls back. "It's still sore from
where he slapped me when he found out I was pregnant."

"If you were still a student here, Lan," Koosei growls, "...I'd
give you a YEAR'S detention for doing that. But, no harm's done.
Luckily, Benten was able to convince him to go home and wait for news."

"Yeah," Benten changes into a T-shirt and gym shorts. "I hope we
hear something soon. Lum's dad isn't known for his patience."

"Don't remind me," Koosei says.

Sakura looks at a nearby clock. "Well, I have to go," she hangs
up her lab coat.

"Something important?" Koosei asks.

"I have a meeting with the principal," the Shinto priestess
answers. "He wants to meet with Onsen and I for something."

"What is it?" Koosei asks.

"I don't know," Sakura replies. "I won't know until I go to the
meeting."

"Good luck then," Koosei nods.

"Yeah," Sakura replies.

* * *

Sakura enters the Principal's office to find him and Onsen with
Kotatsuneko. "You wanted to see me?" the Shinto priestess bows.

"Oh, Sakura-sensei," the Principal smiles as he sips some tea.
"You're just in time. We were just talking about you."

"I see," Sakura nods before helping herself to a cracker. "So,
what's up? It's unusual for you to ask me into your office."

"It seems the Principal has something to ask you," Onsen replies.

Sakura turns to the Principal. Since she became the nurse and
health teacher, she had few direct dealings with him. The Principal was
a hard man to understand, but he always gives his employees a fair
shake, even if he is a little bizarre. "As you know, Sakura-san, I've
been the principal of this school for a long time. I've outlasted at
four vice-principals who have either retired or taken jobs elsewhere. I
think it's time for me to step aside and let someone new take over."

"Why," Sakura blinks, "I'm surprised." She waits a respectable
time before she continues. "So, who is taking over your job?"

"He's recommending me," Onsen coughs.

"That's nice," Sakura smiles. "The extra money will come in handy
for you and your wife...plus any additions to the family."

"Let's not get into that, please."

Sakura takes another cracker. "So," she asks. "Why are you
telling me? I'm one of the newer teachers around here."

"Well, I..." Onsen nervously starts.

"What?" Sakura eats another cracker.

"I want you to be my vice-principal."

Congratulation banners burst over Sakura, who looks more shocked
than touched! "You want ME to your vice-principal?!!" she gasps.

"Are you a parrot or something?"

"But, I've only been here for three years," Sakura replies.
"Surely, there must be someone around here who has more qualifications
to be vice-principal!"

"Oh, there's plenty," the Principal sips some tea. "But, NONE of
them want to be vice-principal here."

"I'm the nurse and health teacher," she hums. "Why not Koosei-kun
or Mitsu Hanawa?"

"Mitsu-kun's too much of out of reality to make a good vice-
principal," Onsen replies.

"We're sitting here having tea with a six-foot cat spirit in a
school that had aliens as students," Sakura counters, "...and Mitsu's
too much out of reality?"

"And we asked Koosei Ryooki...but he recommended YOU to take the
post."

"I see," Sakura nods. *Koosei-kun must be thinking about his
relationship with Oyuki to turn down the job!* "Give me a while to
think about it."

"Take all the time you need," the Principal says.

Sakura bows to her superiors. "Thank you," she says before
leaving.

Once out of the office, Onsen turns to the Principal. "Do you
think Sakura-sensei will accept the job?" he asks tensely.

"It's hard to say," the Principal muses. "I think she'll make a
good vice-principal. She's has been good at her job as nurse..."

"YAHOO!!!!" Sakura's voice suddenly explodes from behind the door.
"I'M GONNA BE THE VICE-PRINCIPAL!!!! YAHOO!!!!"

The sudden yell nearly sends both Onsen and the Principal crashing
through the floor in surprise. "I think she has accepted," the
Principal says while he adjusts his glasses.

"I think so, too," Onsen nods.

Kotatsuneko sips his tea.

* * *

While Sakura celebrates her coming promotion, in the "Renegade's"
dining area, Nassur gives Megane a new pair of glasses while Shinobu,
Lum and Ataru watch. "Here you go, Megane," Nassur says. "I hope
they're close to your original prescription."

He looks through the lenses, seeing Lum clearly for the first time
in days. "Oh, Lum-san," he smiles weakly, then looks sad.

"What's wrong, Aisuru?" Lum asks noticing the frown. "Are your
glasses not correct?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that the more I look at you, the
more I miss Tan-chan."

"That's all right," Ataru pats Megane on the back. "I miss Reiko-
chan as well."

"Thanks, Ataru," Megane acknowledges the gesture. "I'd better get
back up to the bridge. Junba and Mendou are waiting for me."

Megane leaves the dining hall. "I never thought I'd see Megane
act like normal around Lum," Nassur quips. "I guess Tanoshii really
broke him of his infatuation with Lum."

"Well," Ataru scratches his head. "Tan-chan could always crack
the toughest nuts."

"I wish all our problems were so easy to solve," Shinobu moans.
"Junba really hates me and goes out of her way to make me feel bad."

"She thinks you like Nassur," Lum says. "And she doesn't like
Nassur."

"But, I DO like Nassur," Shinobu says while putting her arm around
the hunter's.

Everyone sighs by Shinobu's display of affection towards a married
man. "Say, Nassur," Ataru changes the subject, "...what is going on
between you and the Mikado? It is the bitterest feud I've ever seen.
It makes the fracas between Mendou and me look tame."

"'Feud' isn't the word for it," Nassur sighs. "'War' is a better
description."

"So what's the story?" Lum asks. "You've never told me about why
you became a bounty hunter or why the Mikado hates you so much."

"My story..." Nassur looks sad. "It started shortly after I was
born. I grew up in a school for the Special Hunter Corps."

"You're an orphan?" Ataru blinks.

"Maybe...maybe not. On Vos, every newborn child is tested for
tracking powers ability. Those who have the highest potential are
'recruited' into the Hunter Corps."

"It sounds like the parents weren't given much choice," Lum quips.

"They weren't. As soon as the results were known, the child was
removed from the parents...by whatever means possible."

"So, all this time," Shinobu sniffs, "...you never knew your
parents?"

"That's right. Living in the hunter's school wasn't easy. You
think Tomobiki High was tough, Ataru? This school was tougher. If it
wasn't bullying students, it was abusive teachers. I mean abusive! The
most abusive teacher or bullying student at Tomobiki High School you
could think of was an untalented amateur compared to those in hunter's
school. And there was no way to stop the abuse...save for the ultimate
defense. The worse person was the Commandant...a psycho named Osur."

Silence rules the room as the three think of the "ultimate
defense." "In that school," he continues, "I grew up."

"What about this Osur?" Ataru asks. "What made him so special?"

"Osur was 'the Mad,'" Nassur explains. "He was a great teacher
but psychologically, he should have been committed. He was a Silent
One...a sect of highly-trained martial artists, the equals to your
Kuromoroboshi. He was unbeatable because it seemed his madness helped
him utilize moves no other person would make. He wasn't above
personally killing a student who displeased him outright...or even a
teacher. The whole school feared him."

"Then you had no childhood," Lum states.

"That's right," Nassur nods, bitterness and anger radiating from
his eyes as he recalls his youth. "Then came graduation. I was
sixteen. My classes graduation mission was to storm a house occupied by
'anti-government rebels' and leave NONE alive. Osur supervised the
mission personally."

"That doesn't sound like a happy time," Shinobu says solemnly.

"It wasn't," he continues. "The 'rebels' we found out during the
fighting were street kids rounded up from local cities. They were about
as rebellious as anyone aboard this ship. But, by time we discovered
this fact, it was too late...all were dead...except one."

"Just one?" Ataru asks.

"She was a kid about twelve years old," Nassur remembers as the
sound of the fighting rings in his memory. "A girl, half-starved and
dirty from life on the street. She was trying to escape, but I stood in
her way. I stood there and saw that there was no way she could be a
rebel. I wanted to let her go, but my training at that time wouldn't
let her. She was paralysed because she was too terrified to run. So,
we stood there for an eternity...until Osur found us. Osur grabbed the
girl by the arm and shoved her in front of my gun...and ordered me to
shoot her or die."

"So, what did you do?" Lum asks.

"I shot her to death," Nassur answers.

Everyone is stunned. "Y-you shot her to death?" Shinobu sobs in
horror.

"That's right," Nassur continues, memories of the yells of the
girl he killed replacing the sounds of fighting in his ears. "I tried
to resist, but couldn't. The girl pleaded for her life...even offering
sex to both of us to survive. But, all I could do was close my eyes and
pull the trigger..."

Silence falls over the room. "It was then I started to rebel,"
Nassur continues, his eyes watering. "I managed to get at least twenty-
two of my classmates to join me...but the school was heavily fortified
and protected. Only seven actually made it out."

"Not good odds," Lum replies.

"Not at all," Nassur nods in agreement. "The remaining members of
my group continued until we got to Lecashuto."

"Why did you go there?" Ataru asks.

"Well," Nassur shrugs. "According to the Constitution, military
formations composed solely of psi-hunters are illegal. The Mikado got
around that rule. We planned to make our feelings known to the media,
thus embarrassing the Mikado and his government. But..."

"There's always a 'but,'" Ataru adds.

"We got lost. You have to know how we felt. All things you're
used to...the ability to come and go as you please, to play, to live
without fear, to be free...we never had. Coming to Lecashuto...we
quickly got lost in those freedoms denied us. We soon lost our
way...and that was our downfall."

"What happened?" Shinobu asks.

"We got cornered in a shopping mall one night by a troop of Mikado
Marines led by Osur himself," Nassur sniffs. "And we were massacred.
Only I survived. Barely."

More silence. "I was badly wounded and wandered through the
streets of Lecashuto," Nassur continues. "I don't remember much about
this time because I think my mind closed down. But, somehow I made it
to a hotel where a man named Bishop Namasur was staying with his wife
and daughter."

"Namasur," Lum hums. "Wasn't he...?"

"He was Cinba's father and the governor of Colony Seventy-one,"
Nassur adds. "The Bishop was on Vos for a conference. Somehow, Cinba
found me and brought me into the hotel where she helped bind my physical
wounds. It was on that night we recognized each other."

"So that's how you met Cinba!"

"Namasur was a kind-hearted man and approved of me immediately
when I told him my story," Nassur relaxes. "He knew I was telling the
truth. He fooled the immigration department by saying I was a part of
his party so I could go to Colony Seventy-one. Once there, I could
begin to heal some of the mental scars. Cinba helped me."

"So, what happened next?" Shinobu asks.

"Well," Nassur continues. "It took a few years for the Mikado and
Osur to find me...but by then I was married to Cinba and Namasur
wouldn't CONSIDER extraditing me, no matter how much the Mikado begged,
demanded or threatened. Unfortunately, this only further advanced
events. Finally, Osur came with a Vosian Defense Force task force lead
by Captain Ninsur and Lieutenant-Colonel Dosur to get me back to
Vos...any way he could. Three hundred thousand people died, almost the
entire population of the colony, in a surprise attack that couldn't have
been authorized by Ninsur. Ninsur was known as a top diplomat
throughout Vos and the Galactic Federation. Luckily, both Cinba and I
were among the survivors...Namasur and his wife were not."

The silence is almost deafening as Nassur continues his tale.
"Osur and his troops captured the remaining survivors, Cinba and I
included, and planned to execute us all. But, Ninsur intervened and had
Osur executed. He announced that his fleet would rebel against the
government. Once news about the massacre of Colony 71 spread, other
ships and whole colonies joined. We wanted to join the fighting but for
some reason, Ninsur and his wife Hunba would have nothing to do about
it. Ninsur gave us a ship...that was the original 'Renegade'...and told
us that our destiny laid in the stars, not on Vos. So we left, made our
way to Reiner's Five, which is where we met Varanko...and the rest is
history."

Silence continues as Nassur's origin sinks in. "All that you went
through," Shinobu breaks the long silence. "I feel so inadequate to
even think I had a bad life!"

"So do I," Lum adds.

Ataru nods. "No wonder you and the Mikado hate each other! I
can't believe a person would do that to his own people!"

"Believe it, Ataru. Believe it."

"Why did they tolerate him for so long?"

"When the Mikado came to power," Nassur tries to remember the
history he was taught, "Vos was a stale power. There was a lot of
corruption and inefficiencies in all sectors of society. The Mikado,
then a general in the Defense Force and a hero of the Vos-Ipraedos War,
understood this. He took power in a bloodless coup. He brought in
reforms which removed the corruption and staleness that had built up.
That made him popular with the common people. No one questioned a few
bends of the Constitution at the time...until the Colony 71 massacre
occurred."

"In other words," Ataru sums, "the people accepted him, even if he
was a dictator, because he 'made the trains run on time.'"

"That's right."

"So, why does he want this Sceptre of Lecasur?" Ataru then asks.

"According to Vosian tradition," Nassur answers. "the leader of
Vos was given the Sceptre of Lecasur. It was something Lecasur
discovered while exploring. The Sceptre was proof of a president's
right to rule. It is said that Lecasur gave the Sceptre as a gift to
the person who succeeded him. The people of Vos weren't sure of
accepting the new president until in a ceremony, the incumbent
personally gave his successor the Sceptre."

"So, how come the Mikado doesn't have it?" Ataru asks.

"Someone stole it before the ceremony," Nassur answers. "In over
a century of his rule, the Mikado has been without the Sceptre. Because
of that, many have always thought that the Mikado's rule illegitimate."

"So, that's why he's sending us to bring it back," Lum says.

"That's right," Nassur nods. "And until I can find a way to get
rid of those cardiac bands...we'll have to do what he wants."

"I'm not effected by them," Ataru says.

"Me neither!" Lum adds.

"Hey!!! I AM!!!!" Shinobu snarls.

"True," Nassur pats Shinobu and Lum on the back. "But Junba
doesn't know Ataru and Lum are immune. Let's keep it that way...just
like I want to keep secret that Benten's on Earth pregnant with our
first child..."

Silence falls as Shinobu gapes at him. "'F-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-first
child?!!'"

"I knew she was pregnant," Lum smiles. "When I saw her on Home
Base, I was surprised to see her eat soap chips. I mind-scanned her and
well..." she shrugs, chuckling.

"Congratulations," Ataru shakes Nassur's hand. "I hope the baby
will be healthy! So that's why she isn't here."

"WHAT FIRST CHILD?!?!?!" Shinobu screams. "Nassur, you and Benten
aren't married!!!"

He blinks. "Didn't you know? We married shortly after that trip
into the far future."

Shinobu points to her angry face. "Does my face look like I
knew?!!"

Nassur notices Lum and Ataru failing to look innocent. "Why
didn't you tell me?" Shinobu spins on them. "I could've stopped them
from doing such a bad thing!"

"We were going to," Ataru snarls. "By the time Lum and I heard
about it, it was a done deal! No one wanted to tell you because they
were afraid that you'd kill them!"

"Besides," Lum snorts, "Nassur RECOGNIZED Benten, NOT you!!"

The anger in her face turns to sadness. "R-recognized?" she sobs.
"It can't be." She turns to Nassur, grabbing him by the tunic. "You
didn't recognize Benten, did you?!"

"Sorry, Shinobu," Nassur removes her hands. "I did. There's
nothing you can do about it," he shows Shinobu his wedding ring.

Horrified, she runs out of the room crying. Nassur looks at Lum
and Ataru strangely. "I thought she knew Benten and I were married,"
the hunter muses.

"She knows now," Ataru shrugs, then gazes out the window. *Now
that she knows the truth, why don't I feel happy about it?*

* * *

A few hours pass. Shinobu spends the rest of her night crying in
her cabin. Her sobs are audible all over the deck. Even Nassur, Lum
and Ataru can hear her in their adjoining cabins with the door shut. In
their cabins, all three felt guilty.

In Lum's cabin, the Oni tries to sleep but with Shinobu's wails,
sleep is impossible. *Poor Shinobu,* Lum shakes her head. *She's lost
TWO people recently...Inaba and Nassur. I want to go to her and help
her get over this sad time in her life...but I can't! I'll only make
her even worse.*

Lum closes her eyes and tries to ignore the world around her...

* * *

In Ataru's cabin, Ataru feels even more guilt-ridden than Lum. *I
wanted to make sure she'd never control me again,* he rationalizes his
behaviour towards Shinobu since the Spirit War. *Was that so much to
ask?*

*Was that so much to ask?*

The question echoes mentally in his mind. *Didn't she have a
right to know Nassur and Benten were married before this? If I really
loved her, shouldn't I've told her regardless of the consequences? Why
did I blow it?*

Ataru remembers growing up with Shinobu, how she tried to be more
than a friend and a playmate. She didn't care that at the time, he was
a skirt-chasing moron who DESERVED the blame Tomobiki heaped on him.
She was one of the first girls to love him for himself. Not Elle and
long before Windy, Shinobu was always there when he needed a shoulder to
cry on. In some way, Shinobu was Ataru's sister after Nokoko
disappeared. She always thought of him...and only him it seemed.

Then Lum came, followed by Mendou.

Still, she didn't forget him and tried to do things for him that
Ataru could not do for himself. *And how did I repay her?* A tear
slips down his cheek as he remembers when he and Windy broke up the
first time, Shinobu was there to give her support. When Ataru
mistakenly thought Lum had left him, but only went to get her visa
renewed, Shinobu was there. Every time Lum and Ataru were close to
breaking up, Shinobu was there.

*And what did you do in return? Where were you when Mendou
announced he was getting married to Asuka and broke Shinobu's heart?
When that delinquent from another school began harassing her, where were
you? Where were you when Inaba got transferred? And in your grand
scheme of 'revenge,' what was going to be your 'revenge' on her?* These
and other questions filled Ataru's mind so full that they even drove out
the sounds of Shinobu's sobbing.

*Would it have hurt your fragile ego to TELL her? It wasn't
Nassur's responsibility nor Lum's nor anyone else's job. They didn't
know Shinobu as well as YOU do. But, for all SHE did for YOU...YOU
betrayed HER!!!!*

*Happy?* he asks himself.

*No,* he answers.

* * *

In his cabin, Nassur tries to ignore Shinobu's crying. Vosians
were used to lots of 'noise' when they slept. Some can sense even small
animals with their powers...but brainwave patterns are different than
spoken noise. Finally, Nassur's conscience can stand no more and he
dresses into his duty uniform, and walks down the corridor towards
Shinobu's cabin. Once there, Nassur presses the doorbell. "Shinobu,"
he asks anxiously. "It's me, Nassur. Can I come in?"

Inside, Shinobu stops crying and a nervous silence appears.
Finally, an eternity later, the door slides open. "Sure," Shinobu says,
her voice hoarse from crying.

Nassur enters. It is undamaged even after hours of Shinobu's
sadness. Shinobu lays on her bed, her uniform and hair are a little
dishevelled, her eyes red from crying. Nassur feels nervous when she
looks at him. For once, Nassur is at a loss for words. "I'm sorry,
Shinobu," Nassur tries to break the silence. "I thought someone had
told you that Benten and I were married."

"Why?" Shinobu snarls. "What does Benten have over me? I'm cute!
I can be tough when I want to be! I can fight if I have to! Why did
your genes chose Benten and not me?!"

Nassur finds he cannot answer those questions. Recognition, like
love, is hard to control and even harder to explain. Nassur remembers
Tenba, a girl he grew up with in the hunters school, much like Shinobu
in looks and attitude. They never recognized each other even though
they were *pe'cha.* "That is the way things are," Nassur answers. "We
Vosians can't control recognition any more than you Terrans can control
your falling in love."

Nassur was right, Shinobu realized. But being right did not take
away the pain. How could she face the fact that the man she gave her
heart to...more than anyone else...married someone else? What is worse,
that woman is now pregnant and thus Nassur is even further from her.
And because of recognition, Shinobu had learned from the "Renegade's"
computer, an affair is next to impossible...not to mention shameful to
her and her own family. With Mendou and Ataru with their mates and
Inaba gone to Sagussa, what happens to her now?

"Does Benten love you?" she asks.

"Yes! I think she does," Nassur answers immediately. "Besides,
she IS going to have my child. That means she must like me."

Shinobu looks seriously at the hunter. "Let me tell you one
thing," she warns. "If anything happens that causes Benten to betray
you or break your heart...I'LL make sure that she'll never lives to
enjoy it!"

"I see," Nassur says. "I have something to ask of you. Do you
want to be *pe'cha?*"

Shinobu looks surprised. "*P-pe'cha?*" she stammers. "What's
that?"

"*Pe'cha* is equal to your Earth term, 'blood brothers,'" he
explains. "It's given to those we think are our closest allies. Lum is
*pe'cha* as was Benten before I recognized her. It's only a simple
thing, but it's all I can give you to say 'I'm sorry.'"

Shinobu thinks to herself. *Pe'cha?* Lum had spoken of that when
talking about the close bond the Oni and Nassur shared with each other.
"What does it do?" she asks.

"It's sharing our innermost thoughts and desires with each other,"
Nassur explains. "And an expression of our love. Think of it as a
milder version of the *marei'cha* bond Noa has with Lum. You can say
'no' to it if it's too embarrassing for you."

"What do you have to do?" Shinobu asks after a long pause.

Nassur simply touches Shinobu's forehead with his finger. In
seconds, Shinobu feels a rush of thought entering her head. Then, she
feels it stop. She turns to Nassur and senses...his loneliness for
Benten and his coming child. "I can sense how you feel!" she says
excitedly. "You miss Benten, don't you?"

"I do," Nassur nods. "And I sense your heartbreak and your fear
around Junba."

"Is that all *pe'cha* is?" Shinobu asks.

"*Pe'cha* is anything you want it to be."

Then the intercom goes off. It is Junba. "Nassur," the Mikado
hunter announces. "We're passing Colony Seventy-one. You can look at
it for a remembrance if you want."

"Okay. Sorry, Shinobu. I've got to go."

"Well," Shinobu replies, rising to follow. "We'll always be
together."

* * *

Some distance away, the Gatherer follows the "Renegade." On the
bridge, Noa sits alone looking bored. "So, they're going to the Planet
of Shadows," the *ashi'cha* snorts. "I hope it's soon. I'm bored of
waiting and anxious to get both Ataru and Lum on Sagussa!"

"*The 'Renegade' is slowing down.*"

"What for?" Noa looks at a scanner.

"*It seems it's passing by a Class M planet that has a high
radiation level,*" Henry reports. "*My records show it is Colony
Seventy-one, a Vosian Colony destroyed several years after I picked up
Gilnira and Tenba.*"

"Oh," Noa remembers. "This colony was the one that started the
Vosian Civil War."

"*Correct. Nassur and Cinba once lived there,*" Henry adds.

"While they're stopped," Noa presses a few buttons. "Let's get an
accurate DNA scan on who's aboard the 'Renegade.'"

"*Beginning DNA scan,*" Henry reports.

In a matter of minutes, hundreds of data readings flash across
Noa's screens with a speed faster than any computer on Earth. "Let's
see," Noa hums. "Ataru is there. Lum is there. So are Shinobu Miyaki,
Shutaro Mendou, and Aisuru Megane. Lyna's Soul, what persuaded that
*kimei'ne* to get them for this job?! Nassur is there...WHO'S
THIS?!?!?!"

"*Is something wrong?*" Henry asks.

"There is only ONE other person aboard the 'Renegade,'" Noa yells.
"And SHE...I mean IT...has the same DNA as Cinba of Vos!!"

"*That is impossible,*" Henry replies. "*Cinba of Vos died seven
years ago.*"

"I've checked the scan three times," Noa reports. "It's Cinba.
The only explanation is...that thing...is a clone!!!"

"*A clone? Are you sure?*"

"*There is little genetic deviation! Some of that thing's strands
match Cinba's precisely!! Even identical twins vary in some way!" Noa
explains as dark thoughts storm through her mind. "It's a clone!
Cinba's clone is holding our *daimon'cha* and Lum hostage?! Lyna's
Soul, this is an outrage!!"

* * *

From the "Renegade's" observation deck, Colony 71 looks like a
barren red dust-covered world too hostile for humanoids. Nassur and
Shinobu look at it through the windows of the observation deck and feel
sad. "You and Cinba lived on this dustbowl?" Shinobu asks.

"It wasn't a dustbowl when I arrived," Nassur answers. "Before it
was attacked, Colony 71 was once as beautiful as Earth is."

"It looks like Mars now."

"I know," Nassur nods. "Maybe someday after the Civil War ends,
the Vosian Colonial Settlement Commission will try to terraform it to
what it was before the attack."

"If it does," Shinobu quips, "I wouldn't want to live there.
Living in a place where so many people were massacred without mercy.
Brr! It makes my skin crawl!"

"I know what you mean, Shinobu," Nassur puts his hand on her
shoulder. "It would be better if it remained a memorial to the
senselessness of war."

Junba's voice comes through the intercom. "If you're finished,
Nassur," the Mikado hunter snorts. "May we continue on our journey?
We've got a long way to go!"

"Go ahead, Junba," Nassur replies.

In seconds, Nassur and Shinobu notice the stars elongate and
Colony 71 disappears into the star field where it looks like the other
points of light into space.

"Goodbye, Colony Seventy-one," Shinobu quietly says to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile in Oshika, a visibly pregnant Benten relaxes in Ataru's
living room while writing a diary. She is alone in the house...save for
a still-catatonic Nokoko. Mal and the others have gone to work while
Reiko is at school. "'Phew, kid,'" Benten writes. "'You're really
growing fast. They always say Vosian children spend seven months in
gestation, two or three months sooner than most other races. It's only
been a couple of weeks since I discovered I was pregnant...but already I
can't even see my toes, let alone touch them. Sakura has kept her
pledge to keep me dry but I'm bored. I didn't know having a baby was so
draining of my energy.'"

There is a knock on the door. Benten stops writing to answer it.
"Coming!" she announces. "Who could that be?"

It is Hazel. "Hiya, Benten-sensei," the hybrid smiles. "I was in
the neighbourhood and I thought I'd stop by."

"Oh, Hazel-chan," Benten smiles finally to see a familiar face.
"Come in, come in!"

Hazel enters the house then touches Benten's protruding stomach.
"And how are you, step-sister?" she asks Benten's stomach.

It was through Sakura that Benten found out that her coming child
will be a girl, but how did Hazel know? "How do you know the baby's
going to be a girl? I only found out the baby's sex yesterday through
Sakura."

"Easy," Hazel looks at the Fukunokami hunter and her step-mother
in the eye. "Her brainwave pattern is a girl's."

"Figures," Benten sighs.

Hazel then notices that Benten is alone. "Where is everyone?" she
asks.

"Oh, Reiko's in school and the other Nendo-kata are working at the
coffee shop...except Nokoko, who's still catatonic," Benten sits down.
"I was just looking after Nokoko and writing my birth diary."

"I see," Hazel smiles. "You look well."

"I feel like a bloated hot water bottle," Benten sighs. "Nobody
told me having a baby would be this way."

"Well," Hazel smiles, "...no one told us having children was
easy."

"So, how is it with Varanko?"

"Oh, Great-grandpa is okay," Hazel sighs. "In some ways he's
harsher than you or Sensei...but in others, he's nicer."

"Really?" Benten says. Many legends have arisen around Varanko,
more than with Nassur or Dakejinzou combined. Almost all of them NEVER
use the term "nice" to describe the Lord High Executioner. Then again,
Varanko always seems to defer to Hazel. "I take it you're not here to
talk about Varanko."

A sly look appears on the young hybrid's cute face. "That's
right," she says. "I just come to say that the 'Perseverance' is
ready."

"It is?"

The "Perseverance" is the sister ship to the "Renegade." Larger
and designed for a crew of fifteen, Nassur had her built for the
hybrids. She did not take long to build; the Home Base computer, with
some supervision from Nassur, built it alone using nearby asteroids and
some of Nassur's friends in shipbuilding for materials and expertise.
When Benten and Nassur left, the "Perseverance" was nearly ninety-five
percent complete.

"So, what's the plan?" Hazel asks.

"The plan?" Benten looks surprised.

"You know," Hazel winks. "When are we going to rescue Sensei and
the others? Everyone's getting antsy."

Benten considers the matter. *Hazel IS serious! She plans to
send herself and some of the hybrids to rescue Nassur and the others.*
She could sympathize with the young girl's desire to be reunited with
her foster father and friends, but despite her training she, Hazel is as
green as her uniform colour. *She is only fourteen,* Benten frets.
*She isn't ready to fight someone like the Mikado, no matter how bad off
his forces are!*

"You mean that?" Benten looks serious.

Hazel looks angry. "What's with that look?" she asks. "With you
and Great-grandpa to help us, we'll be fine."

Varanko is one thing, but Benten can tell looking at herself that
a direct battle with ANYONE will be suicide for both her and the child
she is carrying. "Hazel," Benten sighs. "What you see is a woman who
is pregnant and out of shape. I'm not in any condition!"

"You don't have to fight," Hazel corrects her foster mother. "You
can stay aboard the 'Perseverance' if you want."

Benten falls over in surprise over how naive Hazel is! "Do you
honestly THINK that being on a starship in a middle of a firefight is a
safe place?!!" she screams. "That's as dangerous as being in a land
battle!!!"

"But, I'LL protect you!" Hazel pledges.

"Look," Benten holds her anger in check. "You're too young for
such battles! You're hardly trained to fight the Mikado!"

"But, I beat the *saikoo jinseijitsu!*" Hazel corrects Benten.

"That was by luck," Benten remembers. "...and with Lum's help, if
I remember."

"I lived in the wild for years..."

"You only had to hunt dumb animals!"

"Great-grandpa says I'm the best of the hybrid hunters since
Yukio."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Benten sighs, seeing that this line of
questioning going nowhere. "But, look, Hazel, even Varanko would refuse
to let any of you go on such a mission...even Yukio."

"I'd offer him the command seat."

"Even if you offered him that!" Benten feels her control slipping.
"Hazel, Nassur said we were to wait until he returned."

"What if he doesn't come back?" Hazel asks, eyes filling with
tears. "I've lost my real mom and my real dad is hard to keep track
of...I don't wanna lose Sensei or you!"

Benten feels sorry for her, probably for the first time since she
was sent to Nagaiwakai for personality lessons. For the first time, the
pregnant Fukunokami hunter sees the hybrid not as a hunter in training,
but a child growing up. "Hazel," Benten tries to comfort her. "Nassur
can take care of himself and has since LONG before any of us were born.
He doesn't need your help. You may make things worse. You understand?"

"Yes," Hazel nods. "I'll go myself!"

Benten faints! "THAT'S NOT IT!!!!" she transforms into an
incredibly angry monster. "YOU ARE NOT TO GO TO RESCUE NASSUR AND
OTHERS AT ANY TIME UNTIL YOU'RE FULLY TRAINED AND READY!!!! DO YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT?!?!?!"

Too scared, Hazel nods. "Y-yeah."

"Good," she pulls Hazel over her knee and begins to spank her.
"Now, this is for even THINKING of such a thing!!!"

"Owch!" Hazel yells. "That hurts! Benten-sensei! Please don't
spank me!"

* * *

Several days later in space, Nassur enters the dining area alone
to see Mendou and Megane lunching together. Nassur notices Mendou is
reading a readout on a nearby computer terminal. "Oh, Mendou," the
hunter looks at the screen with interest. "Reading up about warp theory
and other ship systems?"

"Yes, Nassur-san," Mendou smiles. "I asked Junba to access the
computer so I can learn the basics of faster-than-light travel."

"You must find it hard, coming from a planet just barely going
into space."

"Actually, it's easy once you start at the beginning. The texts
seem to be written for the simplest mind to understand."

Megane stifles a laugh. "I didn't know it was so easy flying in
space either," the former leader of Lum's bodyguards adds.

Nassur hums. "Even the Vosians were once at your planet's stage
of development. In our early space travel voyages..."

Before Nassur can continue, he notices Megane's and Mendou's faces
go blank. He turns to see Shinobu standing there looking deathly pale
and very tired. "Shinobu?" Megane gasps. "What happened to you?"

Shinobu rushes into his arms. "Junba's torturing me," she gasps,
"...with that cardiac band control of hers as I sleep."

"I see," Nassur says after sensing the brunt of Shinobu's horror-
filled night.

Shinobu cries. "She hates me! She's gonna kill me! You gotta
help me!"

"I wish I could," Nassur sighs, knowing that nothing except
killing Junba will change her mind...and that was dangerous because she
holds the cardiac band control. "But, with that control, it's nearly
impossible."

"Can't you remove these things?" Megane points to the band on his
wrist.

"It's unwise," Mendou hums. "They're designed to explode if
tampered with."

Megane grabs Mendou by the tunic. "How do you know so much about
them?!"

"I've been studying about them in the ship's computers," Mendou
states.

"That's right," Nassur sighs. "The best way to remove the cardiac
bands is with the control that Junba now has."

"Then, we have to find a way to get it away from her," Shinobu
says as a sly look appears on her face.

"It's soon time for our shift," Nassur reports. "If you want,
Shinobu, you could go down to engineering to relax."

"Sure," Shinobu nods, her mind planning.

* * *

Hours later, Junba, Mendou and Megane are asleep. In the engine
room, Shinobu sits alone looking at the displays at the main console.
In her limited on-the-job training, Shinobu can barely understand what
each display tells her, but that did not matter. Shinobu is too busy
planning revenge to care if the warp engines are in operating normally
or if the phase inducers are on-line. After a few hours of planning,
Shinobu gets off her chair and puts her plan into operation.

First, Shinobu stops at the armoury to design a twelve-inch dagger
which a hero of a samurai drama would only dream to own. Because of the
'Renegade's' internal dampening fields, a laser gun set higher than stun
would not do the job without being detected. But, it would be better
this way, Shinobu thought to herself, there would be a body for proof.
After several minutes of plotting the weapons' replicator to make the
dagger, Shinobu finally succeeds and moves to the second objective...

...Junba's cabin. This is where things get harder. Junba can
sense brainwave patterns just like Nassur, but that is when she is
awake. By now, Junba should be deeply asleep. If she is fast enough
and lucky enough, maybe she can do the damage before the Mikado hunter
could retaliate. Overriding the cabin's lock, Shinobu enters the dark
room as quickly and as quietly as she can.

The room is very dark, Shinobu notices. Only the light from the
corridor at the door gave any definition to anything inside. Still,
Shinobu creeps inside with her dagger ready to strike. The soft sounds
of Junba's snoring guide Shinobu to her. Even with the absence of
light, Shinobu can make out the Mikado hunter's prone form under the
covers. Slowly, Shinobu's eyes begin to adjust to the darkness as she
move beside the bed.

*There's no turning back now!* Shinobu thinks as she pulls out the
dagger and lifts it as high in the air as she can. Junba is laying with
her face and upper half of her body pointing towards her and her lower
half pointing the other way awkwardly. One quick stab into either the
heart or neck and Shinobu's problems would be over.

But, before Shinobu could strike, Junba mumbles something.
"Momma...Papa...I finally am going to meet you when this is over...just
like the Mikado promised..."

Shinobu freezes. It is obvious Junba is dreaming, but it never
occurred to Shinobu that the Mikado hunter would be an orphan just like
Nassur and Pamanba. Since she met her, Shinobu always thought Junba an
evil person. But those few mumbled words, barely audible to the former
high schooler, tugs at her heartstrings. *I can't do it!* she thinks to
herself. *Junba's just as much a victim as Nassur. I can't kill her.
I can't!*

Shinobu lowers her hands and walks out of the room. Later, she
places the dagger into a nearby recycling bin and finishes her shift.

* * *

The next morning, Junba wakes up to find her cabin door lock has
been tampered with. "Who could have done that?" Junba asks herself.
"Computer: check your records, who has been in my cabin since I went to
bed?"

"Shinobu Miyaki entered your cabin at 1530," the feminine voice of
the computer replies after a few seconds.

"Shinobu Miyaki?" Junba wonders aloud. "What was she doing in my
cabin? Computer: where is Shinobu Miyaki?"

"Shinobu Miyaki is in the main bathroom taking a bath," the
computer replies.

"Taking a bath, eh?" Junba gets a sly grin on her face. "No
matter how long you soak, you will never take the stink of that traitor
Nassur off your person. It looks like Nassur will have to find another
woman."

Junba pats the uniform pocket where the cardiac band is hidden.

* * *

It was a long shift for Shinobu, soaking in a hot bath to remove
the stiffness caused from hours of sitting behind a console watching
readouts flicker. "I'm beat," she sighs as she sinks down to her neck
into the water. "I hope Junba isn't going to torture me again like she
did last night."

Then, Junba bursts in. "Miyaki!" she yells at the former high
schooler. "Why did you break into my cabin last night?!"

Shinobu sits up. "H-how did you know?"

"I found my door tampered with," Junba explains, "...and I asked
the computer!" she pulls out the cardiac band control. "Tell me why you
were there or I'll use THIS on you!"

*What do I tell her?* Shinobu frantically thinks. *If I tell her
the truth, she'll kill me for sure. She may kill me anyway.* "I won't
lie," Shinobu finally says. "I broke into your cabin to kill you for
torturing me."

"You were going to kill me?!" Junba looks taken aback. "Owning to
the fact that I'm still alive, what made you change your mind?"

Shinobu pauses. *I have to tell her what I know,* the former high
schooler thinks. *She'll only keep hounding me until I do tell her.*
"I found out the real reason why you're on this mission," she finally
says weakly.

Junba blinks. "Y-you know? How?"

"You mumbled it in your sleep," Shinobu answers. "I found you
that you weren't doing this for glory, but to meet your parents."

Now Junba is on the defensive. "That's right," the Mikado hunter
admits. "The Mikado told me that if I oversaw Nassur and his allies in
bringing the Sceptre of Lecasur back, he would let me meet my parents."

"Your parents are dead, aren't they?" Shinobu blinks confusedly.
"Didn't they die on Colony Seventy-one?"

"I don't know," Junba replies. "The Mikado said they were alive."

Unknown to both young women, Lum arrives at the bathroom, dressed
in a tiger-striped bathrobe and carrying a towel. She hears voices.
"What's going on in there?" Lum listens in. "Isn't that Junba and
Shinobu?"

"Look," Shinobu sighs. "I understand how you feel. Nassur is the
same way..."

Junba gives her a horrible glance. "Nassur and I share NOTHING in
common!!! Do you hear?!! NOTHING!!!!" She points to her face. "Do
you know why I got this scar?!"

Shinobu shakes her head. "I was a member of Nassur's class was
when he deserted!" Junba declares. "I was one of the few who refused to
desert with him. You know what else, I tried to stop him...but in the
fighting, he gave me this!" she points again to the scar on her face as
a bitter look appears in her eyes. "He destroyed my beauty. Now, no
man will come close to me or even recognize me! All this time I have
been alone and unloved!"

*'Alone and unloved?'* Shinobu thinks to herself. *I know how
that feels.* Shinobu remembers her own numerous failed attempts at
finding a soulmate and senses Junba is a kindred spirit. *It's true
that I'm not in Lum's class of beauty,* she rationalizes internally.
*But, I'm far from ugly...and I'm not marred by that scar on her face.*
"I know how you feel," Shinobu replies.

Saying that only serves to make Junba angry. "You do, do you?!"
she points an finger at Shinobu. "You have Nassur as your boyfriend.
You, with small breasts and large hips, are NOTHING compared to my
physical attributes!"

Junba unzips her tunic to show her ample chest. Shinobu finds
herself VERY wanting. "My twin sister was built similar to myself!" she
adds. "You are just recognition bait!"

"So, what if I am?" Shinobu had never heard the insult Junba threw
at her, but understood the meaning. "At least, I think of myself as
beautiful INSIDE!!!!"

"Perhaps," Junba looks slyly at the cardiac band control. "But, I
can make it so you will never enjoy that deserter's caress again or feel
his children in your womb!"

Junba presses the button controlling Shinobu's cardiac band.
Immediately, Shinobu feels the effects. "You...aren't...a monster," she
groans while clutching her chest. "Stop...acting...like...one."

Shinobu then loses consciousness and slips under the water. Junba
looks over the tub and notices the former high schooler didn't get much
of a chance to hold her breath...not that she could with what the
cardiac band is doing to her heart. Air pours out of Shinobu's semi-
open mouth. "I wonder," Junba says admiringly to herself, "...will she
drown first or die of heart failure?"

Then the door to the bathroom explodes from the force of Lum's
lightning bolt. By time, Junba can defend herself, Lum has entered the
room glowing with electricity. "YOU BITCH!!!!" the Oni screams before
letting Junba have it with a lightning bolt that possibly could fry the
*saikoo jinseijitsu!*

Junba is hurled across the room by the force of the blast so hard,
she dents the bulkhead. Unconscious, Junba falls to her knees
helplessly, dropping the cardiac band control from her fingers. Lum
pays little thought to the Mikado hunter at this time to focus on
pulling the unconscious Shinobu out of the bathtub. "C'mon, Shinobu,"
Lum says motherly. "You're safe now."

Shinobu does not respond. Lum notices the paleness in Shinobu's
skin and can't even tell if she is even breathing. "Shinobu, wake up!"
Lum gasps. "Don't die on me!"

Still no response. Lum picks Shinobu out of the bath and lays her
gently on the floor. "Shinobu! Open your eyes! Damn it!"

Shinobu still makes no move to awaken. Lum tries to resuscitate
the stricken former high schooler, first, with a chest massage, then
with mouth-to-mouth. "Breathe, you hussy!!!" Lum growls as her first
attempts at resuscitation fail. "BREATHE!!!!"

Lum gives Shinobu a mild electric shock. It is enough to wake
her. Shinobu coughs up some water as she looks up to her surprising
saviour. "L-lum? Y-you saved me?"

"Yes! You have me worried there."

"Thanks," Shinobu hugs Lum.

After the hug, Lum stands up. "You're welcome," she nods...

...before getting punched in the face by Junba! "Bitch!!" Junba,
now burning in anger, screams. "Who asked you to interfere?!"

Strangely, after a punch that should have taken off Lum's head,
she reacts as if it were only a minor slap. "Are you trying to provoke
me?" Lum turns to the startled hunter.

"What?" Junba gasps in astonishment. "That punch should have
broken your jaw and knocked you out! What kind of Oni are you?!"

"You might say I'm not the Oni as your intelligence says...I am
more!"

Lum and Junba go into defensive modes as they study each other for
weakness. Shinobu, grabbing a towel, watches from the sidelines, hoping
that Lum will come out on top. With a yell, Junba attacks first with a
kick towards the head but Lum blocks it and sends Junba into the bathtub
with a judo throw. Water flies everywhere as Junba nearly breaks the
tub with the force of the throw. Fortunately, the water cushions the
blow for Junba and she stands up immediately in the tub as determined as
ever to continue the fighting. "Try that again, bitch!" Junba demands.

"I don't have to," Lum replies...

...then zaps the water Junba stands in!! Junba is fried again
into semi-consciousness (NOTE: Do NOT try this at home!!...M.S.).
"That's that!" Lum smiles, knowing the fighting is over for the moment.
"Come on, Shinobu, I'd better escort you to your cabin."

"S-sure," Shinobu nods. "I didn't know you such a good fighter."

"Just something Lufy taught me."

"Wait!" Junba groans.

Lum and Shinobu turn. Junba, although badly hurt, stands up and
holds out the cardiac band control in her hand tauntingly. "This can
still hurt you!" she taunts Lum.

"It doesn't," Lum looks indifferent to the threat. "And if either
me or Nassur-chan catch you trying to hurt Shinobu again, NOTHING will
stop me from killing YOU!!!!"

Lum escorts Shinobu out of the bathroom. Junba is intimidated by
what Lum has said to her. *What kind of girl is this?!*

* * *

After a short visit to the sickbay to get patched up, Junba
wanders lost in thought. *It was like I couldn't touch her!* Junba's
thoughts race through her mind like an out of control race car while she
walks down a corridor. *She IS better than I've been told!! And how
can she be immune to the cardiac bands?!! Cardiac bands have been known
to lay low the toughest Yehisrite!!*

Junba hears someone whistling. Stopping to look around it, she
sees Ataru working on repairing an internal sensor which had broken
down. *That's Ataru Moroboshi!* Junba recognizes his face. *The one
the Mikado says I should be nice to beyond all else.*

Junba remembers the order her leader gave her shortly before
Nassur surrendered. The Mikado shows a photo of Ataru on the screen.
Junba remembers her first impression of the future *daimon'cha*...a dim-
witted homely boy. "Of all of Nassur's allies that will come on this
journey," the Mikado points, "...HE'S the one you MUST keep happy and
alive above even Nassur or yourself!!!"

The Mikado never explained why he wants Ataru to be treated in
such a fashion and for the most part, Junba has complied with his
orders. *Still,* she reasons within herself, *...if I can't torture Lum
to behave...I can try torturing Ataru to MAKE her behave.*

Junba presses the button and...

...nothing happens.

Junba looks shocked. She increases the cardiac band control
output to its maximum...

...and still Ataru continues on as if nothing is wrong.

Junba looks at the control. *Could it be that Lum did something
to the control so it didn't work on her or Ataru?!! Is it
malfunctioning?!* Questions fill her mind until she notices Mendou
walking by getting ready to stay his shift. *I'll try him!* Junba
presses the button on the control again.

Mendou shrieks in pain from the torture the control is giving his
heart. "Sil-san," the scion of the Mendou family cries to the ceiling.
"Help me!"

*It works on him!* Junba ends her "test" before walking away in
astonishment. *What is going on here?* is the question on her mind.

Mendou looks relieved that the pain is gone. "Thank the gods that
is over."

Then, he notices Ataru look over him holding a sledgehammer.
"What are you going to do, Moroboshi?" he asks his rival coldly.

"I was going to put you out of your misery," Ataru sighs, putting
the sledgehammer down. "It looked like it was going to be curtains for
you."

"Be glad we have to work together in this," Mendou stands up. "I
would gladly make you a head shorter for even thinking of that!"

"Try," Ataru looks uninterested by Mendou's threat, "...and Sil
will be a widow before she's a wife!"

Ataru returns to work and Mendou leaves him be...wanting the
restoration of the Mendou Clan's honour to come soon...

* * *

Morning in Oshika.

It was like any other morning since Benten began looking after
Reiko. Nokoko is still in a catatonic state, "but getting better,"
according to Mal. The rest of the Nendo-kata are at work at the coffee
shop in Oshika and Reiko is home on summer vacation.

Benten looks well, but the strain of carrying a child is beginning
to take its toll. Sleeping is a chore, the baby's mass making a
comfortable position next to impossible. Clothes were another matter.
She had to borrow Lum's old gym clothes since growing too large to fit
in her regular clothes and Sakura would not allow her to wear her battle
suit. Now, Lum's old gym clothes were too small. Mal managed to obtain
clothes from the other Nendo-kata, now in various stages of pregnancy so
the Fukunokami hunter could have variety in her wardrobe.

The pregnancy also takes to its toll on Benten's energy level.
Once she was able to dance all night. Now walking up stairs tires her.
She could barely keep up with Reiko, almost as if the Noukiite is on
mayaku dust. At least Nokoko was easy to care for.

But, more and more, Benten began becoming concerned about the act
of giving birth. Granted, the event is a couple of months away, but
most of the time, Benten is alone. There was a chance that Benten could
go into labour with only Reiko to help her. While she is an
intelligent, resourceful child, to expect her to be a midwife is asking
too much. She asked Koosei and Sakura to do something about it.

Benten and Reiko breakfast together in the living room. Benten is
wearing a yellow sundress. Reiko is dressed in a cute, one-piece
bathing suit, obviously planning to got to the beach to visit her
"boyfriend." "Going to spend the day at the beach?" the hunter asks
while munching on her now-favourite meal of beef and noodles topped with
soap chips.

"Yeah," Reiko nods, finishes her breakfast. "I'm gonna pledge
this summer to make Yamasaki notice me."

Benten notices her lovesick look. She had yet to meet this
Yamasaki boy, but he seemed to take up much of the Noukiite's free time.
Since the tea shops are at their busiest during the summer and Reiko did
not have to worry about school, this was probably her best opportunity
to experience her first boyfriend free from the Masters of Noukiios.

Benten remembers when she was that age. She had a crush...on
Nassur. She remembers a time visiting Lum and her friends when they
were racing boats on Uru's Lake Psychic. This lake, it was said, had
the power to foretell where someone's future spouse would come from.
Lum put her boat in first. It floated to the other side of the lake.
This meant her husband would come from another planet but they would not
marry for a long time.

Lan tried her boat, and it floated ahead a few feet then came
right back. This meant her husband would be someone she already knew.

Oyuki was next, and her boat seemed to take a long time before it
too stopped on the other side of the lake. This meant she would marry a
man from another planet...eventually.

Finally, it was Benten's turn. Before she placed her boat in, she
noticed Nassur walking toward them, visiting the Invaders. Benten
placed her boat into the water...

...and it floated to Nassur's side.

*The Lake Psychic prophecy was correct!* Benten muses before the
doorbell rings. "Now who?" Benten shuffles to the door.

"It's them again," Reiko snorts.

'Them,' Benten discovers are Ten-chan and Minami. "Hiya, Benten-
chan," the Oni boy smiles, floating at her eye level.

"Oh, Jariten, Minami," Benten smiles. "What are you doing here?"

"We're moving in," Ten-chan announces. "Koosei-onii-chan already
gave his approval!"

Benten looks shocked. "M-moving in?" she gulps. *Koosei!!* she
mentally growls, *this ISN'T what I was talking about in having someone
look over me in case of emergency!*

"That's right," Minami bows to Benten, then walks in. "My mom
approves so long as I get my homework done. Beside, the old woman Ten-
chan lives with does nothing but moo!"

"Well," Benten scratches her head, "...I guess it's okay as long
as you behave."

"That fire-bug behave?" Reiko snorts. "I'll believe it when I see
it!"

"Who asked you?!" Ten-chan growls.

Benten sighs. "How am I gonna look after THREE kids when I can
barely handle ONE?!"

That is when a pile of suitcases with a pair of slim legs appear
in front of the pregnant Fukunokami. "I'm here," a woman's voice says.
"Where do I put these?"

"Catty?" Benten blinks. "Is that you?"

Benten removes a suitcase to reveal the "Hasei'cha's" senior
medical officer, now bearing the two wreath-of-laurel stripes, caduceus
and phoenix marking her Physician to the Head-of-State. "Hello, Benten.
I can handle this. You just sit down."

Catty trucks the suitcases away and moves further in the house.
"What's Catty doing here?" Benten asks Ten-chan.

"Koosei-onii-chan asked her to come," the Oni scratches the back
of his head. "He said you asked for someone to look after you. Catty-
onee-chan's a doctor, ya know."

"Yeah, I know," Benten relaxes, having witnessed the doctor's work
on Reiner's Five and elsewhere. In her opinion, the Tritonian-born
physician is one of the best medical officers she has ever encountered.

"Sit down," Catty orders as she guides Benten to a nearby chair,
drawing out a tricorder. "Everything looks fine so far," she reports
after making her scan. "Sakura's edict keeping you from alcohol is
working. No alcohol or any derivatives in your blood or your liver.
The baby is growing at a steady rate. No abnormalities developing that
I can pick up. Your metabolism is stabilizing itself and by time she's
born, you'll live as long as a Vosian. She is almost developed enough
to be removed from your womb and placed into a gestation chamber."

"A gestation chamber?!!" Benten gasps, her eyes widening.
"Whatever for?!!"

"On Sagussa, for the convenience of engineers and defence
officers, it's customary for a fetus to be removed from the womb and
placed into a gestation chamber so the mother can return to her regular
duties. We brought one from Sagussa just for you. I assume you're
anxious to rescue your husband."

Benten looks surprised. Nothing sounded so repulsive than what
Catty herself had just described, even if it was milked with the promise
of rescuing Nassur. "That's NOT what I want to have done with me!!!"
she exclaims. "I helped make this kid, I'm going to hold her in my
belly until she's ready to be born!!!"

"But, you'll be exposing the fetus to so many dangers," Catty
muses.

"I don't think so!" Benten snarls.

Shaking her head at the illogic of it, Catty relents. "Okay, you
can carry the fetus to term. What do you plan to name the child?"

"Well," Benten hums. "Vosian fathers name the child, while on
Fukunokami, the mothers are responsible for the name. So, her
Fukunokami name will be 'Aiotoga'."

"Oh, 'love-song.' How quaint," Catty ends her scan. "Now,
relax," she orders. "And let me look after things."

"Sure," Benten nods.

Catty turns to Ten-chan, Minami and Reiko. "I will be running
this household from now on. Please behave...or I shall bring in Lufy to
keep you in line! Understand?"

They shiver; the mere threat of the pilot was enough. "Y-y-yeah!"
all three nod.

"Good," Catty smiles. "Now, Ten-chan, Minami-chan, after you
unpack, go out and play. You, too, Reiko-chan."

"Okay!" all three bow, then skidaddle.

"Now that the children have been taken care of," Catty says as she
moves to Nokoko's room, "it's time to check on Nokoko."

"What about me?" Benten asks.

"You just sit right there and relax," Catty leaves the room.

* * *

While Benten obeys Catty's order, Shinobu relaxes herself in her
cabin recovering from Junba's torture. It has been a couple of days.
Junba has been keeping a low profile. *At least she's leaving me
alone,* Shinobu thinks while she lays in her bed. The doorbell rings.
"Come," Shinobu orders.

Lum enters the room. "Oh, Lum!" Shinobu smiles. "What brings you
here?"

"I came to see how you're doing," Lum smiles before scanning
Shinobu with a medical tricorder. Lum checked her out shortly after the
incident with Junba, discovering strained heart muscles. She ordered
Shinobu to remain in bed. "The damage the cardiac band did your heart
muscles seems to be healing."

"Thanks," she smiles. Luckily, she has a strong heart. "When can
I get back on duty?"

"Now, I say."

"Good," Shinobu sighs. She spent the last few days exclusively in
bed, mostly reading material on the databank. Unfortunately. the
databank contained old mission reports by Nassur and technical data on
the "Renegade." To Shinobu's surprise, the odd Vosian novel was
available, translated into Japanese at a press of a button. "I'm
getting stiff from all this inactively!"

Shinobu climbs out of bed, stretching. Not being able to exercise
made her feel weak. To be able to move around like before is a godsend.
Lum smiles. "Just make sure you take it easy at first," she scolds
Shinobu like a doctor. "Your heart muscles are still weak. No heavy
lifting...of ANYTHING!!!!"

"Right," Shinobu begins to change. "Hopefully, I won't have to
lift too much."

"Also," Lum adds. "If Junba bothers you again, tell me...and I'll
punish her."

Lum closes her eyes. In her mind, the word FLASH blinks for a
second.

That is followed by a scream of horror from Junba, presently on
the bridge. "***WHO JUST FLASHED ME?!?!?!***" the Mikado hunter yells.
"***DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!!***"

"What did you do to her?" Shinobu blinks.

"I flashed her," Lum grins. "Actually, it's called *mei'kogh,*
'illuminating the mind.' It's a Sagussan psi-trick Noa taught me. It's
like sneaking up on someone and screaming into their ear when they least
expect it. It's not life-threatening...but it gives a person a fright
for a few seconds. Unfortunately, I can't teach it to you; a Terran's
mind isn't strong enough to do it."

"I...see," Shinobu nods.

Suddenly, the yellow alert klaxon goes off. "Yellow alert!" Junba
announces. "This is no drill! Lum and Nassur to the bridge!"

Shinobu quickly finishes dressing. "What could that be?" she
asks.

"I don't know," Lum shrugs. "Maybe it's Noa coming to save us."

* * *

Lum and Shinobu join Nassur, Junba, Mendou and Megane on the
bridge. "What's going on?" Lum asks as she takes the helm.

"A starship has appeared in front of us," Junba reports while
sitting on the command chair. "It's just entering sensor range now."

"Who could it be?" Nassur asks as Ataru enters the bridge, fresh
from the shower.

"I'm scanning it," Megane reports. "It's Kurama's ship."

"Kurama?" everyone wonders.

"What's she doing here?" Ataru wonders as he walks onto the
bridge.

"Princess Kurama of Karasutengu?" Junba asks Nassur. "You know
her?"

"Unfortunately," Nassur scratches the back of his head nervously.

"Incoming signal," Megane reports.

"On screen," sighs Junba.

On the main viewscreen, Kurama appears, flanked by Old One. The
other Tengu are busy working except for one who is smoking a huge
cigarette in a corner of the bridge. "Oh, Natsu-kun, what a surprise!"
Kurama giggles gleefully...then notices Junba. "WHO is THAT woman?!!"
she points her leaf fan. "Where is the usual slut that THINKS she loves
you?!!"

Everyone on the bridge looks tense. Kurama is one step from
revealing the secret everyone is trying to keep from Junba. Shinobu
picks up the opportunity. "I'M right here!" she yells while grabbing
Nassur's arm.

Kurama isn't impressed. "What is this?!" she demands. "Ghost-boy
isn't the one...!!"

"Never mind that," Junba interrupts. "You're interfering in an
important mission for the Mikado of Vos! Back off!"

Kurama looks taken aback by Junba's demand. "Who are you?!"

"I am Junba of the Special Hunter Corps. I am the commander of
this ship and this mission. Leave or be destroyed!"

"'Special Hunter Corps?'" Kurama laughs, clearly not impressed.
"I didn't know they were still around. I thought they were destroyed
months ago in that bombing."

Junba snarls. "Not the hunters. Now, do you back off or do we
get rough?!"

"Anyone who still supports the Mikado and enslaves my Natsu-kun is
my enemy!"

"You asked for it," Junba slyly smiles. "Red alert! Shields up
and ready torpedoes!"

The red alert klaxon goes off. Everyone looks nervous. Junba
looks at them. "Do it!"

Shinobu, Megane, Mendou and Ataru rush to nearby stations to get
to the engineering and weapons sections. Nassur takes over the scanner.
Lum prepares the helm. "Shields up and photon torpedoes are ready," Lum
reports.

Old One looks at Kurama nervously. Kurama's ship may be well-
armed but against the "Renegade," there is no match. "Princess K.!!"
the old Tengu pleads. "Back off! The 'Renegade' is too powerful for us
to fight!"

"But..." Kurama starts.

"Fire one across the bow!" Junba orders.

Lum looks nervous. The Oni didn't like Kurama that much, and the
Tengu princess does not care much for her either. *Still!* Lum
rationalizes, *she deserves an explanation of what is going on...not a
punch in the face.*

Lum hesitates and angers Junba further. "Are you deaf, Oni?!" she
snarls. "Fire!"

"Firing torpedo," Lum sighs.

A torpedo launches from the "Renegade," exploding off Kurama's
bow!! The flash blinds everyone watching it. "Looks like another
pebble we forgot to notice!" the smoking Tengu quips before taking
another drag.

"Princess K.!" Old One pleads. "We must back off or we won't have
to worry about you having an heir!"

"We're not getting paid to fight in space!!" a technician adds.

Kurama looks confused. She never gives up...even a one-sided
fight as this. Still, it would be in her government's best interest
that she live to have an heir. "Okay," Kurama looks down to the deck.
"We'll retreat!"

* * *

"Kurama's backing off," Nassur announces.

"End red alert," Junba orders. "Warp two point five, return to
base course!"

"Understood," Lum reluctantly obeys, wishing there was some way to
apologize.

* * *

Aboard Kurama's ship, everyone looks relieved. "Glad that's
over," a technician sighs. "Where to, Princess K.?!"

Kurama remains silent, staring at the deck. "Princess?" Old One
asks concernedly.

"There's something going on here!" Kurama exclaims. "Nassur is
NOT involved with that Ghost-Boy!! I'm getting to the bottom of this!
Full speed to Home Base! I wanna talk to his chain bitch wife
personally!!"

A scanner beeps. "Uh-oh," the science technician gulps. "We've
got problems."

"What do you mean?" Kurama asks.

"A large Mikado Marine battleship has just come out of warp,
heading this way!"

Knowing her ship is no match for a vessel of that nature, she
orders, "Run for it!"

Unfortunately, the Marine ship locates them and gives chase...

* * *

Nearby, the Gatherer continues to monitor the situation. Noa
tries to fight off boredom by scanning through a music file. "This is
about as exciting as watching paint dry."

"*If you want excitement,*" Henry intercedes. "*There is a
Karasutengu ship being chased by that Mikado Marine ship following the
'Renegade'.*"

Noa falls off her chair. "Karasutengu?!" she yells. "The only
ship I know is the one owned by that stuck-up *kide'ne* Princess
Kurama!! What are they doing here?!"

"*They're doing Warp Three, trying to stay out of the Mikado's
ship's photon torpedo spread,*" Henry reports.

"Should we save them?" Noa asks.

"*Well,*" Henry muses. "*I did save a group of them from the
Celestial Toymaker...*"

"I know. I read that report. Well, I guess we can help a little
bit."

"*May I remind you that our mission is to rescue the daimon'cha
and his Other?*"

"They don't seem to be in danger yet," Noa says. "'Sides, I want
some action!"

"*Moving to intercept the Mikado ship.*"

* * *

Things are not going well for Kurama's hardy band. Despite the
tricks pulled by the helmsman, the Mikado ship closes the range, weapons
ready. Kurama is at wits' end, trying figure out how to escape without
getting killed, captured, dishonoured or all three. "The Mikado ship is
closing!" the sensory officer reports. "Their weapons are locked!"

*Here it comes!* Kurama resigns herself.

Then, something blasts both ships!

When Kurama and her crew settle themselves after a seemingly
eternal rough ride, they look around. "What was that?" Kurama demands,
staggering to her throne.

"A ship knocked us and the Mikado ship in different directions,"
the sensory officer reports. "We're appear undamaged but too far from
each other to chase."

"Who did that?! The 'Renegade?!'"

The smoking Tengu looks out of a nearby porthole. "Looks like
THEY did it!!!"

All see the Gatherer. "The Gatherer?!!" Kurama gasps surprisedly.
"But, why?!"

"Princess K.!" the helmsman announces. "They're hailing us!"

Kurama is shocked by the sight of Noa. "A *daishi'cha?!!*" she
gasps, the first time any Tengu has ever seen one. Having been in space
for so long, Kurama has not heard about their recent activities on
Earth. "We've been saved by the Gatherer?!"

The other Tengu bow, averting their eyes in the presence of a
respected deity in Tengu culture. Kurama knew the Gatherer saved many
Tengu from the Celestial Toymaker. She thought those stories were mere
myths...yet the proof now stares at her. "Hello, there," Noa smiles.
"I'm Noa, *daishi'cha* #19282. Is everyone aboard your ship alright?"

*She spoke to me?!* Kurama blinks.

Feeling unworthy of such attention, Kurama bows low, averting her
eyes from directly looking at the viewscreen. "WHAT IN LYNA'S NAME ARE
YOU DOING?!?!?!" Noa snarls, looking annoyed by the Tengu's illogical
emotional display towards them. She expected Kurama's people to be
grateful, yet they seemed to be almost worshipping her.

"I'm averting my eyes from you, O Blessed Mother of Sagussa,"
Kurama intones.

"Stop it!" Noa orders. "I'm no deity! *Ki!* We even have Tengu
*daishi'cha,* for crying out loud!!!"

"Sorry," Kurama smiles. "Thank you for saving us from that Mikado
Marine's ship. Once again, you saved our people..."

"Enough of that," Noa hums. "Henry's ego is big enough as it is!"

"*I did not know I had any ego.*"

"What are you doing here?" Noa asks.

"We were going to another planet to find a suitable mate," Kurama
explains. "That's when I came across Natsu-kun's ship. There is
something going on there. Natsu-kun's chain-bitch of a wife is not on
board but the Ghost-Boy professing to be in love with him is. Plus
there was a Mikado hunter aboard..."

"Oh," Noa groans. "I know about *it!!*"

"'It?'" Kurama looks confused. "The Mikado hunter was a woman...a
very low and violent one...almost as bad as Benten!"

"Too bad." *What a dork!!*

"I was going to visit Benten on Home Base to find out what's going
on when that Mikado ship tried to destroy us," Kurama continues.

"Benten isn't on Home Base right now."

"She's not?!" Kurama looks surprised. "How do you know?!"

"Hey, I'm a *daishi'cha,* remember?!" Noa decides to yank Kurama's
chains. "We know everything. Benten is on Earth."

"Why is she on Earth?"

"Find out!"

"I will," Kurama turns to the helmsman. "Helm, take us to Earth."

The helmsman is busy trying to repair his station. "I'm sorry,
Princess," the Tengu scratches the back of his head. "The helm is
unresponsive. It seems whatever the Gatherer did to knock us away from
the Mikado ship has shorted out our warp drive controls."

"Will it take long to fix?" Kurama asks.

"About three weeks," the helmsman smiles.

"Three weeks?!" Kurama sighs. "Three weeks before I learn what's
going on with Nassur and the chain-bitch!"

*Lyna!* Noa's eyes roll. *I ALMOST feel sorry for the snob!!*
Then she gets an idea. "Say, Kurama. Like a ride to Earth?"

If Henry could faint, he would. "*Noa! You remember what WE'RE
doing here?!*"

Noa presses the mute button. "Don't worry!" she whispers. "The
'Renegade' will be fine. Besides, I wanna see that snob's face when she
finds out Benten's pregnant."

"Thank you!" Kurama nods readily. "We'll come aboard."

"No problem," Noa smiles. "Henry'll use a tractor beam to bring
you into the ship."

* * *

In Oshika, Benten, Reiko, Ten-chan and Minami are preparing for
the beach. "Ready?"

All are now dressed in bathing suits, carrying all the beach stuff
they can. "Yeah!!!" the children yell in unison.

"Then let's go!" Benten points...

...where Catty stands! "And WHERE are YOU going?!" the Sagussan
doctor snarls.

"To the beach," Benten blinks confusedly. "Is that a problem?"

"I don't mind Reiko-chan and the others going out to the beach. A
little exercise is good for them," Catty explains. "But I do have a
problem with YOU going with them!"

"Hey," Benten pats her stomach. "I could use the exercise as
well!"

Catty flushes with rage. "That's not what I mean!! You're
entering a dangerous phase of your pregnancy. And your refusal to place
the fetus in a gestation chamber is putting your child at FURTHER risk."

"What risk could be involved at a beach?"

"What risk?!" Catty looks ready to tear out her lavender hair.
"What risk?!! The beaches on this planet are filled with disease-
causing microbes, refuse from Lyna knows where, and atop that, there are
ultra-violet rays from the sun!!"

"No different from any other beach in the Universe," Benten sighs.

Catty glares into Benten's eyes. "I'm not joking!" she snarls.
"On Sagussa, women who refuse to place their fetus in a gestation
chamber are completely isolated from anything that may be dangerous to
the baby."

"That's on Sagussa. This is Earth."

"On Sagussa, medical personnel are given the proper respect...!"

"Big deal," Benten is unimpressed. "Look, Catty, I'm not planning
to do any swimming, mainly because I'm too big for any bathing suits. I
only plan to watch over Reiko-chan and the others and play my biwa."

Benten produces her biwa. She had practised with it since she was
a child. She had even thought of becoming a professional musician until
other things intervened.

Catty is not impressed. "That better be ALL you do," she snarls.
"I'll be watching you. Try to do anything else and you'll be up on the
'Hasei'cha' before you know it!"

"Fine," Benten sighs as Catty storms off. *Boy, whatta grouch!*

Benten then joins Reiko and the others to go to the beach...

* * *

The "Renegade" continues its lonely voyage of destiny. In the
observation deck, Lum and Ataru watch the stars. "The stars look like
flashes of light passing by," Ataru contemplates. "Do you ever wonder
if each of those stars have planets with life?"

"Most probably do, Darling," Lum snuggles up close to him. "This
part of space is largely unexplored by even the Vosians and the
Zephyrites. Who knows what's out there."

"One thing I've got to hand Nassur," Ataru smiles. "His ship is
better at long range travel than Dake-chan's. She never had an
observation deck on hers."

"True," Lum nods. "She almost always travelled alone...even when
she was partnered with Nassur-chan. Nassur, on the other hand, liked
company with him."

Anger spreads across Ataru's face. "I can't believe he didn't
tell us the truth about himself! For all the years he was your mentor,
you'd think he'd tell you something!"

"Nassur has always been very secretive," Lum comes to her mentor's
defense. "His way of protecting us or something. Think about it,
Darling. How would you feel if what happened to Nassur happened to
you?"

"Wrong comparison, Lum-chan," Ataru groans. "I'm just as much an
orphan as he. The only difference is that I KNOW who my parents are.
Nassur could meet his parents, who MAY be half-decent people. My
parents, I'll not miss them after they're gone."

"I know what you mean," Lum hugs him. "But remember, they did ONE
good thing."

"What's that?"

"They had you."

Ataru thinks for a second. "That may be true," he scratches the
back of his head. "But it's what they did with Grandma, not to mention
what they did to Nokoko-chan, that still burns me up!"

"True," Lum smiles. "But, let's do something that'll further
cause waves."

"What?" Ataru says...before he and Lum look into each others'
eyes. They stare lovingly before they kiss then begin exploring
pleasure with each other's bodies....

[We'd continue but, this is getting close to a 'Lemon' fic. Skip
ahead a few stories to see what happens after this scene...M.S.]

* * *

An hour or so later, Lum enters the dining area alone dishevelled.
Her hair is messy and the Oni carries a goofy smile on her face. In the
dining room, Mendou and Megane are eating. "Lum," Megane smiles, then
notices her look. "What happened to you?!"

"Oh, Darling and I were playing strip poker," Lum announces before
blushing.

"STRIP POKER?!?!?!" the two yelp.

"*Tcha!*" Lum giggles. "Darling and I are always playing that! I
skunk him every time! Then, we pillowed each other!"

"PILLOWED?!?!?!" they yell in surprise.

"*Tcha!*" Lum giggles before taking a snack from the replicator.
"He's better than Noa-chan!! I'd better go on my shift now!"

Lum turns to leave when Mendou and Megane appear in front of her.
"Lum-san!!" Mendou pleads. "Did we hear correctly?!! You and Noa
pillow each other?!!"

"That's right," Lum smiles.

"When did this start?!" Megane demands.

"Oh, since the Spirit War."

"But Noa's been only around for the last five months!!" Mendou
gasps. "The Spirit War was two months before that!!"

"So?!" Lum shrugs. "Noa and I're bonded, just like I'm bonded to
Darling! If we can't do it physically, we do it in our dreams!!"

She laughs, then notices the air around Mendou and Megane boiling.
"What's wrong?"

"Pillowing Moroboshi I can see!!" Megane growls. "But, that
bitchy alien girl?!! We won't stand for it!!!"

Anger flashes in the Oni's eyes. "It's out of your hands!!" Lum
growls. "You can't stop us or even look in!!"

Mendou and Megane suddenly take Lum by the hand and look
pleadingly at her. "Reject Noa!!" they say together. "She is leading
you down the path of ruin!!!"

Lum crackles with electricity...

* * *

On the bridge, Junba is turning command over to Nassur, when...

...an explosion rocks the ship and knocks everyone to the deck!!
"What was that?" Junba yells while righting herself.

"*Warning: Hull breach in the dining area,*" the computer
announces.

"What is going on in there?!" Nassur yells, putting the
containment field on-line.

"Internal explosion," Shinobu reports as she looks at the
readouts. "Minor hull breach in the dining area but the containment
fields are keeping the atmosphere in."

"Who caused it?!" Junba asks.

"A massive electrical discharge."

"Electrical..." Ataru thinks aloud, then sighs. "Who's been
bugging Lum?!"

"Lum, Mendou and Megane were in there!" Shinobu continues her
scan. "But they're safe in the corridor leading to the dining hall."

"Thank the gods for that!" Ataru sighs in relief before looking
angry. "Too bad Mendou and Megane didn't get sucked out!!"

Junba cracks her knuckles. "Nassur," she orders. "Find a Class M
planet where we can do repairs. I'm gonna knock some blocks off!"

Junba strides off. Nassur and the others watch her. "Junba must
be really mad," Nassur quips. "She's not going to use the cardiac band
control on those knuckleheads!"

"Maybe she'll let me use it!" Ataru hums.

* * *

After landing on a desolate planet nearby, Nassur surveys the
damage Lum caused from zapping Mendou and Megane. In the brig, Junba
gives the three teens the tenth degree. "Never have I served with such
a bunch of incompetent, undisciplined, annoying morons in all my
life!!!" Junba snarls, causing all three to wince. "You're lucky that I
don't keelhaul you all!!!" She then turns towards both Mendou and
Megane. "Now, what caused Lum to use her lightning on you?!!"

Mendou, Megane and Lum all talk in unison and point at each other.
As expected, it sounds like gobble-dee-gook to Junba. "One at a time!!"
the Mikado hunter snarls in disgust.

"I was only trying to get Lum to see the light of reason!!!"
Mendou begins.

"So was I!!" Megane adds.

"I've seen the light of reason!" Lum snaps. "I decided to zap
their lights out!!!"

Junba sighs. "By all rights, I should use the cardiac band
control on you all until you are dead!!!"

Mendou and Megane shiver at the comment. Junba looks at Lum.
"But, I won't...for obvious reasons. Therefore, all three of you are
going to repair the hull breach Lum caused so we may continue on our
journey."

"Hai!" all three nod.

"Now, get to it," Junba demands.

"Well," Lum sighs as she leads the others out of the brig. "At
least we'll have a break from being in space."

"If you call this being a break!" Megane points to a nearby
porthole that shows nothing but sand dunes and a hot red sun.

* * *

Later on the bridge, Nassur and Shinobu are the only ones on
duty...not that there was much to do when the ship is planetside. Most
of the engine systems are turned off as are many of the main systems to
conserve power. Life support is only at bare minimum because despite
the looks of things, the planet can support humanoid life. "What a
depressing place," Shinobu sighs while looking out a porthole. "How can
people like us live here?"

"Well," Nassur looks at the long range scanners. "The sensors say
this place can, but from the look of things we're either too early or
too late for intelligent life here."

"True," Shinobu nods. The former high schooler hoped to see
something living, whether it is an alien lizard or plant, out there but
all that is moving is the sand being blown by the wind. *Still,* she
muses, *it beats looking at the endless black of space!*

Junba appears. "Did you find any sort of intelligent habitation?"
she asks immediately.

"Nothing yet," Nassur says without looking at her. "It seems this
planet is barren of life higher than microbes."

And speak of the devil, the sensor beeps. "Wait a minute," Nassur
says. "There's a settlement a hundred kilometres from here."

"A settlement?!" Shinobu gasps. "On this planet? Who would want
to live here?!"

"It's a huge structure," Nassur reads the report on it. "But it's
too far away for any accurate readings to tell us how advanced they are
or what they look like."

Junba looks over the renegade hunter's shoulder to confirm what he
said. "We'd better check it out," the Mikado hunter nods. "Most of
this part of space is unexplored. We may have come across someone's
colony. They may not take kindly to unexpected visitors. Do you have a
vehicle to send us over?"

"There's an airbike in the main cargo bay," Nassur hums. "It
carries three people."

"Make it so," Junba nods. "You, me," she blanches as she points
at Shinobu, "and her."

"Me?" Shinobu points to herself.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Junba snarls. "Lum, Mendou and
Megane are repairing the ship. Ataru can watch over them."

"Okay," Shinobu nods. "I'll go. But I hope they're friendly."

"That makes two of us," Nassur smiles.

* * *

Back on Earth, Benten sits on a beach blanket playing her biwa.
She notices Reiko, hiding behind a tree, watching Yamasaki, a deeply-
tanned, heavyset Japanese boy with short black hair and wearing only a
pair of shorts, working at the small beach teashop. Benten can tell,
even from that distance, that Reiko has the tell-tail signs of hearts in
her ears while she watches the eleven year old lad move boxes and crates
around with the strength of an adult. *So, that's Reiko's boyfriend!*
the hunter thinks. *He looks healthy.*

She sees Ten-chan playing with Minami in the sea. As long as
Benten had known the young Oni boy, he had always been a bit of a
ladies' man. Usually, it had been an older woman but this is the first
time she had seen him in love with a woman his age. But, for some
reason, her baby seems to be relaxed around Ten-chan. *I wonder why?*

Benten then takes a look at Ataru's beach house further down.
Although she is too small to see with the naked eye, Benten knows that
Catty is watching her every move...waiting for the right opportunity to
run her to a maternity hospital. *Let her look!* Benten thinks as
thoughts of her diving into the ocean immediately flashes through her
brain just to give Catty heart failure.

*No,* she changes her mind. That would only further strain their
relationship. *Besides, the sleeveless summer dress I'm wearing would
shrink in the water...and it's the only dress Mal has which can fit me
now!*

Finally, Benten finishes playing her biwa to hear the sound of
someone applauding behind her. Benten turns and sees a young, pregnant
Western woman dressed in a summer maternity dress standing nearby. She
had long brownish hair tied in a ponytail. She is quite attractive.
"Bravo! Bravo!" the woman says in English-accented Japanese.

"T-thanks," Benten acknowledges her applause. "I didn't know I
had an audience."

"I just happened to be walking around," the woman approaches
Benten. "You're really good. You must be a pro!"

Benten notices the woman carries her sandals in her hand so that
she could walk on the hot sand barefoot. Benten has a feeling of deja
vu staring at this young woman. She seemed to look so familiar to her.
"No," Benten replies. "This is only a hobby to me."

"May I sit with you a while?" the woman asks. "I'm a little tired
from walking around...and the baby's getting a little active all of a
sudden."

"Sure," Benten moves over on the blanket. "Suddenly, my baby is
getting active as well."

"My name is Regina McTavish."

"I'm Benten," Benten replies before she recognizes the name.
"McTavish? As in Jamie McTavish?" Benten remembers the man who came
from the year 2002 and said he knew the children of many of the hunter's
friends.

"Who's Jamie?" Regina asks. "My husband is named Scott McTavish.
I don't have any relatives by that name that I know of."

"Just someone I met," Benten hesitantly smiles. "Probably a
distant relative."

"Well, the only relative I have around here is my cousin Nicole,"
Regina indicates the crystal palace sitting in the bay by Ataru's home.
"I just came by to say hi."

"Oh, Nicole!" Benten nods. "Yeah, she's a friend of Ataru's
sister Nokoko. You mean you people actually speak to her these days?"

"Well, the Lady Nagaiwakai talked Grandma into accepting her
back," Regina muses, then stares at the hunter. "May I ask a question?"

"What?"

"Where are you from?! You don't look like you're Japanese at
all."

"I'm not," Benten thinks up of a good answer to explain herself,
then, remembering Regina's cousin, decides on the truth. "I'm a
foreigner. Actually, I'm from another planet. I'm in...law-enforcement
with my husband."

"I see," Regina notices her condition. "You must be on pregnancy
leave."

"Yeah, sort of."

"So am I," Regina sighs wishfully. "I'm a tennis player. I've
been playing since I was a girl...until I became pregnant."

*Tennis?* Benten thinks again. *Oh, a Terran sport. Not like
Setsubun at all!* "Is your husband a tennis player, too?"

"No," Regina nods. "He's an ice hockey player. In fact, he was
just hired as player-coach for a team here, Tokyo Seibu."

"How nice," Benten smiles as she tries to understand the local
references. "So what are you doing in Oshika?"

"Training camp in Ishinomaki," Regina smiles. "That's the only
place in the area that has an arena with ice in it this time of the
year! Scott has to whip the team into shape for the coming season."

"I see," Benten nods.

"Can I ask you to keep playing?" Regina then requests. "Your
music is so soothing."

"Sure," Benten smiles and nods...then strums her biwa again. *Why
is this woman SO familiar?!* the pregnant hunter wonders...

* * *

On the desert planet, Nassur, Junba and Shinobu fly high above the
dust storms on an airbike on the lookout for signs of the settlement
Nassur detected. It was not easy to find...not with unexpected
sandstorms popping up at a moment's notice. Junba sits in the side car,
while Nassur drives and Shinobu holds her arms around his waist hoping
not to be blown off by the winds. "Any sign of it yet?" Nassur asks
Junba.

"We're coming close to it," Junba reports as she looks at a
portable scanner. "These sandstorms are giving the scanner problems.
Whatever's out there is huge."

"I hope we can find them soon," Shinobu yells. "And that they're
friendly!"

Shinobu is not the only one hoping that whomever is out there is
not hostile. Nassur and Junba are thinking the same thoughts as well.
First contact missions were always tricky. You never knew how the alien
race was going to react to the fact that they are not alone in the
Universe. Some races react angrily, while others run and hide, and
still more greet their visitors with cautious open arms. Nassur is a
bit of an old hand at first contact, having made unexpected contact with
at least three alien races during his career. Luckily, all the meetings
were peaceful.

Nassur notices some huge shapes coming out of the duststorms in
front of them. "Looks like that's it there," he points out.

"It's huge," Shinobu gasps.

She had seen many things since Lum came, but nothing like this!
It is three very tall dark brown buildings, identical in height. The
buildings would make anything in Tokyo or New York City look short. All
three are perfectly rectangular proving whomever built them had some
sort of intelligence. Flying a little closer, the three explorers
notice there are no windows or doors which could be seen as well as no
exhaust pipes to divert heat and other waste elements away. Once they
were close enough, Shinobu notices both Nassur and Junba have anxious
looks on their faces. "Those buildings," Shinobu gasps in awe. "Who
could have made them?"

"Only one race could have made these," Nassur answers. "The
Lannarkites."

Shinobu could sense the fear in Nassur's thoughts via their
*pe'cha* bond, then remembers the Lannarkites from the Tomobiki gang's
first encounter with the insectoids on Shingetsu. Remembering the
information on the "Renegade's" computer, Shinobu knew they lived in
hives waiting for wayward starships to come by. Sometimes they landed
on planets with intelligent life already established on it and turned
the populations into cattle for their unstoppable appetites. There was
no proof of true intelligence in the insect Lannarkites, different from
their rumoured humanoid cousins, but still they are a threat. "What do
we do now?" Nassur asks Junba.

"I don't know," Junba scratches her head. She had seen pictures
of such hives while training but they are more awe-inspiring in real
life. Holos do not do them justice. She notices the hives seem to be
quiet...perhaps even abandoned. "Let's take a look on the ground from
behind some dunes to make sure this hive is active," she then orders.

Nassur lands on a large dune close to one of the hives. No
Lannarkite appeared as they landed...which was a good sign, all three
thought to themselves. Minutes after landing, Junba is watching the
hives with a pair of infrared binoculars. <<Nothing so far,>> she psi-
links to Nassur. <<Maybe we're in luck and these hives are abandoned.>>

<<I didn't think the Lannarkites got this far out,>> Nassur hums.
<<If it's abandoned, what happened to them and where did they go?>>

<<I don't know,>> Junba answers. "It seems there's nobody
here..."

Suddenly a Lannarkite appears from out of nowhere in front of her.
Its head is insectoid complete with a pair of sharp jaws, large enough
to cut off someone's head, to match. Junba falls back in surprise and
rolls down the dune helplessly. "A Lannarkite!!!" Nassur yells as he
grabs his gun to shoot it.

The thing falls to the ground bleeding something that resembled
blood, but the sound of Nassur's gun alerts other Lannarkites. "Let's
get out of here!!!" Junba orders.

Too late. Out of nowhere, dozens of Lannarkites surround them.
All resemble large mean wasps on steroids. Probably to them, the three
explorers look like lunch or at least a quick snack. Junba rights
herself and pulls out her gun. Shinobu grabs a large rock and prepares
to hurl it. "Couldn't you sense them?!!" she demands.

"Unfortunately," Junba answers Nassur's question, "...Lannarkites
can't be tracked."

"Now you tell me!!" Shinobu sighs.

"This is no time for trivia," Nassur barks. "We have at least a
dozen of those things between us and the airbike. Let's get rid of them
before the numbers increase!"

"Easier said than done!" Junba nods, knowing that Nassur is right.
They had to fight it out now or die.

The Lannarkites, sensing their quarry surrounded, leap to the
attack en mass. Nassur and Junba fire their guns at random while
Shinobu throws boulder after boulder in defense of herself and the
others. For a time, the three explorers seem to be holding their own,
but soon more Lannarkites appear just as others fall to the ground dead
or crushed. "We'll have to retreat while we still can!" Nassur yells at
Junba before shooting three Lannarkites who leapt at them, "...or we'll
be overwhelmed!"

"Understood!" Junba nods while busy taking out a huge Lannarkite
with a laser to its face. "You and Shinobu make your way to the
airbike!! I'll cover you!"

Nassur looks surprised. In all of this trip, Junba had never been
willing to be self-sacrificing for Nassur or anyone in the crew and had
not given any indication that she would...especially to Shinobu. But
here, they had a common enemy. Perhaps there is more of her twin sister
inside Junba than Nassur previously thought. "What about you?!!"

"Don't worry about me! Move it!"

Nassur reluctantly agrees and steps back to Shinobu, who sent a
troop of Lannarkites flying into orbit with a large boulder to clear a
way to the airbike. Nassur grabs the former high schooler and runs with
her to the airbike. "What the hell are you doing?!!" Shinobu yells
before she senses the answer in their *pe'cha* bond. "We're
retreating?!!"

"Junba's covering us!!!" Nassur answers.

Luckily, the way to the airbike is barely defended. Nassur easily
dispatches the few Lannarkites remaining. In seconds, both board the
airbike and Nassur turns the engines to prepare for a quick launch. He
notices Junba nearby working her way towards them while literally
holding off an army of Lannarkites marching towards her. <<Hurry,
Junba!!>> Nassur psi-links. <<We're ready to go!!!>>

<<I'm coming!>> Junba replies.

Junba turns to run to the airbike when...

...two Lannarkites with wings snatch her and fly off! Both Nassur
and Shinobu are shocked by what happened and are helpless as the
Lannarkites fly off towards the one of the hives in the distances. In
seconds, Junba is gone. "JUNBA!!!!!!" is the only word they can say in
response to what they have seen.

"We gotta save her!!!" Shinobu demands.

"We can't!!" Nassur points out at the hoards of Lannarkites
closing in on them. "If we do, we won't be able to save ourselves!!!"

"We can't just leave her!!"

Nassur answers by pulling the levers launching the airbike. The
Lannarkites watch as they escape. Some of the smarter ones try to fly
after them, but the afterburners of the airbike quickly outrun them.

Shinobu could not believe that Nassur, the man who would give his
life to see others live willingly, would not even try to save Junba.
True, Junba is an enemy, but she is a person like anyone she had ever
met in her life. "But, Nassur...?!" she begins to say...

Nassur turns to show tears rolling down his face. This and the
feelings she gets from their bond tells her all she needed to know.
Nassur did not like to do what he did...but it was necessary for both to
survive.

* * *

Both Nassur and Shinobu are quiet when they return to the
"Renegade." There, they find the ship almost completely repaired and
ready to go. But, congratulations have to wait...Nassur calls a meeting
of the entire crew to discuss what to do next while Junba was gone.
"Junba's gone?!!" Mendou asks.

"Her horror is over?!!" Megane adds.

Both of them lead into banzai cheers over the news...until they
notice Nassur and Shinobu are not joining them. "What's wrong?!" Megane
asks. "Why so glum, chums?! Nassur has rescued us, like he said he
would!! Now, let's go home and...!"

Cold looks from Nassur and Shinobu ends Megane's celebration in a
block of ice. "W-what cold looks...!" he shivers.

"Nassur-chan," Lum intercedes. "What's the matter?!"

"Can't you sense it through your bond with Nassur, Lum?" Shinobu
asks the Oni.

Lum remembers that since being healed from the wounds the Hustari
gave her, her *pe'cha* bond with Nassur was being suppressed by her
Sagussan powers, especially her bonds with Noa and Ataru. Before, she
could feel what Nassur was thinking without a second thought, but now it
was as if he did not exist. "W-what?!" she asks.

"I want to save Junba," Nassur announces.

Everyone but Shinobu faints! "You wanna rescue Junba?!!" Ataru
snaps. "Are you outta of your mind?!! Her?...the Bitch from Hell?!"

"I agree with Nassur," Shinobu pipes up. "We should save Junba."

Lum tears at her own hair. "Am I hearing you correctly?!! Junba
almost killed you a few weeks ago!! Now, you want to save her?! Are
you nuts or something?!!"

"No, Lum," Shinobu sighs. "Despite her affiliation with the
Mikado, Junba and Nassur are the same...all they want is to find their
family! At first, I thought I was having bad luck being with men, but
that is nothing compared with what both Nassur and Junba have happen to
them. We all have families who love us as we are. We know them! We
grew up with them! Nassur and Junba were cheated on the whim of a
madman!!" Shinobu points at them. "I'm going to help Nassur rescue
Junba," she declares, "...or die trying!"

Silence fills the room for several minutes before someone speaks
again. "Before I came here," Nassur breaks the silence, "...I had Noa
get Patty and Nene to augment a few systems aboard this ship. We have
Sagussan-style transporters which can move four people at one time.
We'll need one space for Junba, Shinobu and I will take the other two.
That means one more volunteer."

"How about me?" Lum volunteers.

"Sorry, Lum," Nassur replies. "I want an experienced hand to
command this ship to a safe port. Neither Ataru or the eggplants have
the experience to command a vessel yet."

"WHO YOU CALLING AN EGGPLANT?!?!?!" Mendou and Megane snarl
together.

"Well," Ataru volunteers. "I hope that I can be a help!"

Nassur smiles. "I'm sure you can. The Cyborg will come in handy!
Let's go!"

Nassur leads out everyone except Lum and Ataru. Once alone, Lum
and Ataru stare at each other. "What's the matter, Lum?"

"Be careful, Darling," Lum looks sad. "I have a bad feeling about
this."

Lum collapses into his arms and cries. "Hey," Ataru sighs. "I'll
be fine. I've got the Cyborg remember? Don't cry!"

"I'm not crying!" Lum says before nearly crushing Ataru with a
bear hug...

* * *

The teleporter room is small with a transporter possessing a
capacity for four. The console, near the door, is manned by Lum.
Originally, the teleporter was designed only to move inanimate objects
between places. Patty turned this into a transporter capable of moving
people. The Vosians are ahead in teleporter technology, rivalling even
the Zephyrites. But it has only been recently that the Vosians could
teleport people and even then for short distances. With the Sagussan
transporter, the "Renegade" can be in orbit and still teleport people
down.

The "Renegade" itself, with its damage repaired, is in a
geosynchronous orbit over the Lannarkite hives. Thus far the
Lannarkites have made no move to attack them. Perhaps they thought the
"Renegade" was too small a meal to tempt them. "We're nearing the hive
location," Lum reports. "Too bad we were unable to raise Noa and Henry.
They would be helpful in this type of thing."

"I don't understand where they went to," Nassur scratches his head
in confusion. "Noa said they would be following us."

"Perhaps they got lost," Lum muses. "I've located a downbeam
site."

"Good," Nassur checks his weapons to make sure they're in working
order. *They'll need to be. That hive contains thousands of
Lannarkites as well as who knows what else.*

Nassur turns to Ataru and Shinobu. Both are dressed in dark green
rubber suits resembling wet suits. Like the orange outfits they wore
when they first boarded the ship, these suits show every bump and bulge
their bodies possess. Ataru is unconcerned about his outward
appearance, never really caring about such things unless wanting to
impress Lum or Noa. However, Shinobu, who had put on a little weight
since her encounter with Junba in the bathroom, is blushing. "Who
designed THIS monstrosity?!" Shinobu groans. "It makes me look like
I've got a huge rear end!"

"Sorry," Nassur says as he helps Shinobu put on a weapons belt.
"These are special suits to help protect you a bit from the Lannarkites
stings and bites. They're a lot better than those uniforms Junba gave
you!"

"How come you're not wearing one?" Shinobu asks as she takes a gun
in her hand.

"My battle suit is already designed with the Lannarkites in mind,"
Nassur replies. "Cinba designed mine. Your suits were destined for
Yukio and Hazel. Unfortunately, Yukio left to join the Executioners
while Hazel refused to even consider wearing hers."

Shinobu remembers the daring outfit Hazel usually wears whenever
she visits Earth. "I can see why!" she pats her bottom.

"Okay," Ataru hums. "Let's get going."

"Just a minute," Nassur adds. "First, I should tell you a few
things. We are heading into an area where the enemy could be anywhere
and everywhere and would not hesitate to kill you without a second
thought. The suits we wear can give you some protection from the
Lannarkites, but not from a direct hit. Be on your guard. Also, show
NO mercy to any Lannarkite you meet, no matter how injured or helpless
they may seem. A wounded Lannarkite is even more dangerous. Never turn
your back to one unless you're sure it's dead."

"What if we're too late?" Shinobu asks.

Nassur pauses. "Then we'll make sure she died with honour and
dignity," he replies.

"I understand," Ataru nods. "I may not like it. But I
understand."

"In the worse case scenario," Lum intercedes. "I'll send a volley
of photon torpedoes on this place to help you escape."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Shinobu shivers, hugging
herself.

"There are two things the Lannarkites will do," Nassur says as he
leads the others towards the teleportation unit. "One is to eat her
immediately. The other is to inject a Lannarkite egg into her body to
grow into another Lannarkite within a few months. If she's already
impregnated, then we'll have to show her the ultimate compassion."

Ataru and Shinobu look at each other warily at the term "ultimate
compassion." "W-what does that mean?" the latter gasps.

"What do you think?" Nassur replies. "Once impregnated, the egg
can't be removed without killing the host. Let's go down!"

Ataru and Shinobu join Nassur on the transporter. Lum throws the
switch...

* * *

In a heartbeat, the rescue squad materializes in a part of the
Lannarkite hive which seems to be unpopulated with the fearsome beasts.
It is dark and all three would-be rescuers needed time to adjust for the
difference in light. "Turn on your emergency beacons," Nassur orders as
he touches a stud on the crane emblem on his chest. "It'll make it
easier for Lum to find us should we get separated during the rescue."

Shinobu and Ataru comply immediately. "It's so dark in here,"
Shinobu gulps, gripping her gun. "I can't see a thing!"

"Put on your infrared glasses," Ataru says. "You'll see better
with them."

"Ataru's right," Nassur nods. "I didn't expect it to be so dark.
I'm glad Mendou didn't volunteer for this job."

"True," Ataru snorts. "We don't need his claustrophobic screams
to tell every Lannarkite that we're here."

Nassur and Shinobu put on their infrared glasses. It made a
difference. From the glasses, they could discern some of the details.
They are in some sort of corridor, but no Lannarkites were around.
Nassur pulls out a tricorder. "It seems that we're in an area that has
few Lannarkites," Nassur reports while scanning. "But, there's a group
of lifeforms ahead of us."

"Could it be Lannarkites? Or Junba?" Shinobu asks anxiously.

"It's hard to tell," Nassur nods. "The walls have some sort of
alloy preventing my tricorder from detecting anything definite. There's
a large group ahead, but I can't tell if they're an 'us' or 'them.'"

"What about your powers?" Ataru asks.

"They're unreliable, too."

"What could they be?" Shinobu wonders. "Shouldn't we find out
before moving on?"

"That may not be smart," Nassur muses. "For all we know, there
could be the entire compliment of Lannarkites ahead."

"But Junba may be in that group."

"True," Nassur nods, as he sees the logic of Shinobu's correction.
"It shouldn't be too dangerous to ind out who's there."

Nassur leads the group forward down the dark, cavern-like
corridors that seem to run on forever. Their infrared glasses help them
see minor details, such as the difference between an open space and a
wall, but the rescue squad is literally walking blind. The walls seem
made out of mud not unlike any insect on Earth. There seem to be some
logic to the corridor, but its true meaning will have to wait until the
rescue squad learns the identity of the lifeforms they discovered.

The scariest part is the silence. It is deafening. There are no
sounds of machinery, or of footsteps or even voices chattering in an
alien tongue. Everything is deathly quiet. Too quiet. Just the right
place for an ambush, all three members of the rescue team realizes. The
only things which broke the silence are the quiet beeps of Nassur's
tricorder and their own nervous footsteps.

To Nassur, this is quite routine. Not necessarily a desirable
situation, but something he'd grown accustomed to. His life was spent
looking for someone in dangerous areas, anticipating attack from every
quarter. Nassur never liked this. The stress alone gave him
headaches...not to mention what it did to his stomach.

Ataru had seen something like this with the Avalonians. While the
Niphentaxians are nowhere near as ferocious as the Lannarkites, they are
just as unpredictable. Still his relative inexperience shows. Ataru
holds his gun ready to shoot first without waiting to see if the target
is friendly or not. All he can think of is returning to the "Renegade,"
to Lum and getting home to Reiko.

Shinobu is just as frightened as Ataru is. Luckily, her *pe'cha*
bond with Nassur is enough to keep the stress of the situation from
getting the best of her...but still...

Finally, the corridor ends at what looks like a polished wall of
some kind. Nassur scans around for his lifeform readings. "The
lifeforms are behind this," Nassur announces.

"How do we get in?" Shinobu asks.

"Should we burst in?" Ataru asks.

Nassur hold the tricorder as close to the barrier as possible. "I
don't think we'll have anything to worry about," he allows himself a
slight grin. "It seems there are no Lannarkites in the room behind this
wall."

"Oh, thank Lyna," Ataru relaxes before blinking. "Then what is
behind that wall?"

"All sorts of humanoids from our part of the Galaxy and some I
can't identify."

"Is Junba among them?" Shinobu asks.

"I can't tell," Nassur nods. "The only way is to open the wall
and find out."

"Leave that to me!" Shinobu nods, then walks up to the wall...

...and smashes her fist through it! The wall was almost a foot
thick of some sort of material akin to concrete, yet Shinobu punched
through it like it was made of balsa wood. After another punch, a
couple of kicks, then some tearing, Shinobu makes a large enough hole in
the wall to allow Nassur and Ataru to enter. "There," Shinobu wipes
away the dust. "That should be big enough for us."

"Let's go in," Nassur leads the way.

Inside is just as dark as the corridor. Even their infrared
glasses are having trouble making out details of what is in the room as
Nassur leads the others inside. "Hello?" Nassur whispers low enough to
be heard.

The stench is hard to ignore and they could hear the shuffle of
several bodies looking for a place to hide. There are people here,
Nassur realized, but his powers could only guess as to how many. He can
hear their nervous breathing in the silence. They are on the other side
of the room, understandably frightened by Shinobu's impromptu demolition
of the wall, keeping as silent as possible until they could find out who
broke in. "I know there are people in this room," Nassur says. "We
mean you no harm."

"We're here to rescue a friend of ours from the Lannarkites,"
Shinobu blurts out.

Silence again, followed by the quiet mumbles of several voices in
the dark. Then a light turns on. After a moment of two of blindness,
the rescue squad notices that the people in the room are all humanoid
women, some from races they already know, others from races they have
never seen before. All are dressed in rags which were probably uniforms
of some kind. One of them, a Fukunokami girl barely older than Ataru or
Shinobu holds a lamp, probably something she managed to find after being
placed in this room, trying to look courageous. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Nassur of Home Base," Nassur introduces himself.
"These are my friends, Ataru Moroboshi of Sagussa and Shinobu Miyaki of
Earth. Who are you?"

The girl hesitates. In the weak light, Nassur could see her
attractiveness, beneath the dirt and rags. Her brownish hair is long
and unkempt and with the horror in her eyes, seem only to make her look
animalistic. Seeing this girl, Nassur could only think of when he and
Benten first found Hazel on Barsoom months ago...except Hazel did not
live with Lannarkites. "My name..." she blurts out with shame,
"...is...WAS...Marcia Gyatan. I was from Fukunokami."

"Why are you referring to yourself in past tense?" Ataru asks.

"Because everyone in this room is condemned to die a horrible
death!"

Ataru and Shinobu feel their blood turn cold. *What did Marcia
mean about that?!* both wonder. Despite the lack of personal hygiene,
all of them look to be healthy. "We are cursed!" moans a second girl
who looked like she might be a Zephyrite. "Leave us be!"

"You can't help us," one from an unknown race adds. "We're BEYOND
your help!"

Marcia turns to Nassur and grabs him by his tunic. "Please," she
pleads to the hunter, her eyes filling with tears. "You must put us out
of our misery soon. Should THEY hatch, we'll die horribly!"

Nassur is silent at first as he allows Marcia to cry into his
chest. *There was no doubt about it!* Then to Ataru's and Shinobu's
surprise, Nassur pull out his gun and points it at Marcia's temple.
"This will only take a moment," Nassur regretfully nods. "For whatever
it's worth...I'm sorry."

Nassur begins to pull the trigger.

***There is another way.***

Before he can fire his gun, Nassur receives a whack from behind
from Ataru's sledgehammer! "Don't do it!" Ataru pleads.

Nassur, with a large bump on his head, turns angrily toward the
*daimon'cha.* "Are you out of your mind, Ataru?!" he snarls at him.
"This IS the only way to help anyone impregnated with a Lannarkite egg!"

"No," Ataru nods. "I know a better way!"

"There can be no other way!" Marcia protests. "Once impregnated,
the egg cannot be removed without killing the host! I don't want this
THING within me to take my life! I'd rather DIE first!"

All the other girls voice their agreement to Marcia's demand.
Yet, the voice within Ataru is firm. "But, ladies," he smiles
earnestly. "I can show you an alternative."

Nassur and Shinobu notice Ataru's right hand glowing as he lifts
it up to show Marcia. "***I have the power to make sure that egg will
NEVER become an insectoid Lannarkite,***" he declares, both eyes
glowing.

"What's happening to him?" Shinobu gasps.

"I have no idea," Nassur scratches the back of his head. "That
voice doesn't sound like the Cyborg."

Marcia looks afraid. "What's wrong with your hand?!" she gulps.

"***Don't worry. Only the evil within you shall be harmed.***"

Ataru touches Marcia's stomach. The impregnated woman is bathed
in a very bright white light. Nassur, Shinobu and the others turn away,
their eyes unable to gaze into the light. Ataru seems not to care.
Then, there comes a sound which almost sounds like music and Marcia
begins to rise into the sky and hover for several minutes as the light
seems to envelop her and brighten even more until she is wrapped in a
cocoon of light.

Ataru gestures and the cocoon which holds Marcia lands softly to
the floor...then dissipates like a popped soap bubble.

After everyone's eyes readjust to normal, Marcia stands there, now
clean and well-groomed, awestruck. Staring at herself, she blinks.
Gone is the ragged Fukunokami. Standing in her place is a beautiful
humanoid Lannarkite, like the three Ataru and Mie encountered over
Shingetsu, looking approximately like Marcia, now draped in very fine
clothing. "Wh-wh-what happened?!!" Marcia gasps. "What did you do to
me?!!"

Nassur checks out Marcia with his tricorder after setting it to
its highest sensitivity. "I...incredible!!!" he gapes. "The Lannarkite
egg inside her is gone."

Everyone turns to Ataru, who seems bathed in the energy he used to
transform Marcia. "***I mutated the Lannarkite egg into what the
Lannarkites were before they were tampered with. I encountered three of
their kind,***" he indicates Marcia, "***over Shingetsu. This is what
the Lannarkites are SUPPOSED to be...but they were somehow changed into
the vicious beasts we know too well.***"

Marcia is flabbergasted by his actions. "Thank you! But, what
happens now?"

Nassur turns to Ataru. "Ataru, can you do the same to the other
people in this room?"

"***Of course,***" Ataru smiles.

Suddenly, the rest of the girls surround Ataru. "Please do it!!!
We WANT to live!!!"

"***No problem!***" Ataru nods. "***Who wishes to be first?***"

As the girls chatter, Nassur turns to Shinobu. "Since when can
Ataru do this?!"

"How should I know?!!" Shinobu shrugs.

* * *

While Ataru is performing miracles, in Oshika, Benten, Ten-chan,
Minami and Reiko are on their way home. It had been a long day and all
of them looked tanned from exposure to the sun. "For once, I feel
happy," Benten smiles. "I finally met a woman in the same boat as I!"

"That's nice," Reiko nods. "Maybe that will keep Catty-oba-chan
happy."

As soon as they reach the door, Catty is standing there waiting
for them. She wears a very angry frown on her round face. "It's about
time!" she admonishes coldly. "Are you through putting your child at
risk, Benten?!"

Benten looks at her. "For today, yes."

Catty whips out her tricorder to begin scanning Benten, who looks
annoyed by her actions. "You have a high rate of skin damage from
exposure to the sun," the medic snorts. "It won't affect the baby and
will repair itself within a few days if you stay indoors."

"That's a tan," Benten sighs. "I wanted to look healthy."

"Repeated damage to your skin will lead to skin cancer," Catty
stares Benten in the eye. "You must be careful out there."

"Hey, I wear sun screen!"

"Use a stronger one!"

"Er...right."

"Another thing," Catty begins scanning the kids, "...be careful
whenever you hang around any strangers. They maybe carrying something
that could be harmful to your baby."

"She means that other pregnant lady who was hanging around you,
Benten," Reiko says.

"Who? Regina McTavish?" Benten points to herself. "She's
pregnant, too!"

Catty looks annoyed. "Still, you don't know where she's been and
she doesn't know where you've been. You may be both carrying something
that could hurt your babies."

"Hey, I've had all my shots!"

Catty looks at the tricorder for the results of her scans of the
children. "Well," Catty smiles. "You three appear to be healthy
although you have some skin damage like Benten has and seem to have
gained some body fat in preparation for another growth spurt."

"Er...thanks," Minami smiles, not knowing if she had been
insulted.

"I've prepared some Terran food to meet all of your nutritional
needs," Catty then puts her tricorder away. "And I've added soap flakes
to Benten's portion as well,"

"Thanks," Benten smiles. "I am hungry."

"Let's eat," Ten-chan leads the group into the dining room.

Minutes later, dinner continues without any major blow-ups from
Catty. "You should've seen Yamasaki carry those crates," Reiko says in
awe. "They were as big as me and looked heavy but he carried TWO of
them at the same time. He's wonderful!"

"That's nice," Benten smiles, allowing Reiko to bask in the glory
of her "boyfriend."

"That's dangerous," Catty snorts. "He could give himself back
problems..."

"Put a sock in it, you idiot," Benten interrupts. "Quit being a
smothering mother and let the kids play!"

Catty, shocked that someone would DARE tell her to shut up, does
so. Ten-chan turns to Reiko. "So," the Oni boy says as he gulps down a
bowl of rice. "When are you gonna finally tell that Yamasaki you like
him?"

Reiko blushes. "I can't!"

"You're just a shy girl," Benten smiles.

"That's right," Reiko nods in agreement. "It's not easy being a
shy little girl."

*Sure!* Ten-chan thinks.

"Well," Minami blurts. "Maybe Ten-chan and I can get you two
together?"

"Well..." Reiko thinks.

Benten takes her chopsticks and reaches for some tempura. "Young
love," the pregnant hunter sighs. "There's nothing like it!"

Once Benten begins to pick up the tempura with her chopsticks, it
breaks and drops the piece of food on the table. *It broke...?* she
feels her blood turn cold.

Everyone looks concerned. "Benten?" Reiko asks. "Is something
wrong?"

Catty scans Benten with her tricorder. "She seems to be healthy,"
she reports. "DESPITE having another piece of tempura!"

"My chopstick broke!" Benten gulps.

Minami looks upset. "Oh, no! That means something horrible is
going to happen to either you or someone you know!"

"I know. My people have the same faith!"

"How illogical!" Catty snorts. "Breaking one's chopstick means
nothing except that you need a new pair!"

Catty offers Benten another chopstick. "Er...thanks, Catty,"
Benten says weakly as she takes it. "Y-you're right. It just broke on
its own. I'm sure that NOTHING is happening to Nassur and the others!"

Everyone at the table gives out a nervous laugh. *I hope...!*
Benten thinks...

* * *

In the bowels of the hive, Ataru has completed turning the last of
the impregnated woman into humanoid Lannarkites. Despite their new
physical features, one look in their hexagonally-segmented eyes shows
the relief from the horror the Lannarkites inflicted. "Thank you,
Ataru," Marcia smiles. "For once, I feel free from their terror. I
still wish my revenge upon those bugs!"

"Revenge will have to wait," Ataru smiles. "We're here to rescue
one of our crew, a Vosian woman named Junba, from them."

"Junba?" one, formerly a young Oni whose bikini barely covers the
generous figure the transformation gave to her, gasps. "I know her.
She was captured earlier today."

"Are you sure? Is she all right?"

"I don't know. The Lannarkites took her away shortly before you
three burst in here."

"Do you know where?" Shinobu asks.

"Probably to be impregnated," Marcia cuts in. "It seems it's
mating season!"

"Where do they do it?" Nassur asks.

Silence answers for a while before another girl, formerly a stocky
Ipraedies, answers. "I think I remember the way there."

"Lead on then!" Nassur orders her.

"What about us?" Marcia asks.

"If you want to fight with us," Nassur says to them all. "You
can."

"Of course!" Marcia nods.

Shinobu looks relieved. She didn't like being part of a small
group trying to fight an unknown number of monsters. But, with Marcia
and the other girls Ataru saved, the odds of survival were better. She
turns to Ataru, who looks like he just finished a long marathon on a
humid day. "Ataru-kun, are you okay?"

"Just tired," Ataru gasps. "The *te'a* took a lot out of me."

"*Te'a?*" Shinobu asks. "What's that?"

"I'll explain later, if there's a later."

The two Terran teens join the rush out of the room to find where
Junba is. As they go, Shinobu realizes there is MUCH more inside Ataru
than she previously thought.

* * *

While the rescue squad approaches, Junba lays strapped on some
sort of table like some sort of lab animal ready for dissection. The
straps seem to be some sort of sap, likely a very strong glue made by
the Lannarkites themselves to keep prey from escaping. It has been a
horrifying day for the Mikado hunter. She has seen death and torture
make everything she had done in the Mikado's name look tame. Many times
she tried to deny all of what is going on as a nightmare, but every time
she opened her eyes, the Lannarkites were still there, eating living
beings, impregnating them with their eggs and doing other unspeakable
horrors. Soon, it would be her turn.

Junba fought back...but her gun lost its charge after at a score
of Lannarkites fell. Weaponless, she tried to keep the monsters at bay
with her hand-to-hand combat skills. She managed to kill another dozen
this way, before numbers got the best of her. Before she knew it, she
was placed in a smelly room with a dozen other alien girls, all of whom
had been impregnated with a dreaded Lannarkite egg. She briefly made
friends with one of them...an Oni girl of all people...but she never got
her name before Junba was taken away.

Junba watches as the Lannarkite queen, a huge insectoid monster
with an abdomen the size of a small shuttle, impregnates a Vosian girl
who looks barely past Stop Time. The girl pleads to every god and
goddess in the Vosian spiritual world before the monster does her
horrible work. So horrible in fact, Junba cannot bear to watch and
turns away.

After the screams end, Junba opens her eyes and sees one of the
smaller Lannarkites, most likely one of the drones, look her over.
Junba didn't need to understand the squeaking to know what the drone
said...she was next!

* * *

The rescue squad lead by the Ipraedies girl draws nearer to their
goal. For the most part, the resistance from the Lannarkites had been
non-existent. While this settled the nerves of Ataru and Shinobu,
Nassur felt that they must be with blessed with VERY good luck or cursed
with VERY bad luck. The Lannarkites were never known to hide,
especially in their own hives. They must be around somewhere, and there
the battle will truly begin.

"Where are those bugs?" Shinobu asks. "I haven't seen any since
they took Junba away."

Shinobu gets her answer. Two Lannarkites come at them from around
a corner...

...and immediately are jumped by some of Marcia's group. In
seconds, the Lannarkites are beaten to death. The acidic ooze that
makes up an insectoid Lannarkite's blood is everywhere. "I'm NOT
satisfied yet!" Marcia wipes off some of the ooze that spilt on her.
"Not NEARLY enough! I want the queen who nearly turned me into one of
THEM!"

"You'll get it," Nassur pats her on the shoulder. "I promise!"

Shinobu looks closely at one of the Lannarkite's prone forms. She
had never seen one of the Lannarkite up close before...she had been too
busy fighting them to notice. Now, she has the opportunity.

What she sees is not a mindless monster, but a poor being not much
different than herself, maybe. She moves to touch it.

It moves slightly itself.

Shinobu leaps back as she remembers Nassur's warning about the
dangers of injured Lannarkites. Yet, the Lannarkite seems not to be
attacking her, but in too much pain...like a person would in a similar
circumstance. Shinobu decide to take out her first aid kit.

Nassur stops her. "No mercy, Shinobu!"

"But, Nassur-kun, it's hurt!"

"I know," Nassur replies. "But, once it's healed, it'll thank you
by killing or impregnating YOU! Let it die!"

"But..." Shinobu starts but then notices that the Lannarkite had
died. *Could I have saved it?* she thinks. *It wasn't a monster to me,
just an injured being!* "I'm sorry," she says with a tear in her eye.

Marcia walks up to her. "Shed no tears for these monsters," she
says coldly. "They're unworthy of your grief. Weepy for the people
they murdered instead!"

Shinobu looks at the Fukunokami-turned-humanoid Lannarkite.
"Unlike YOU, I can sense empathy for living things senselessly killed!"

Marcia shudders. She tries to attack Shinobu. Nassur and Ataru
block her. "Hey!" Nassur says. "We have a crewmate to rescue. Let's
talk about this some other time!"

Marcia relaxes. "Of course!" she snorts before they begin to move
on...

* * *

The queen moves towards Junba slowly, almost methodically. Junba,
helpless, can only close her eyes as the queen's abdomen moves closer
towards her own genitals. *Mother, Father, I'm guess I'll NEVER get to
meet you!* she thinks. In her mind, she thinks of a prayer.
Fortunately, she doesn't have to speak it.

Two orange laser beams strike the queen right in the lowest part
of her abdomen. Green, acidic ooze flies all over the place as the
queen drops to the floor like a stone and writhes in pain. Junba sees
Nassur, Ataru and Shinobu leading a group of women into the chamber.
"They CAME for ME?!?!"

Then it happens.

Junba recognizes Nassur.

Before she knew it, she was freed by the man she once boasted she
was going to kill. "You all right?" Nassur asks.

Junba blushes. "Y-yes," she mutters. "You made it just in time!"

"Thanks. But, it's not over yet!"

Nassur points to the main door of the chamber. Marcia and the
other girls were holding their own from the advancing and growing
numbers of Lannarkites. Ataru, now turned into the Cyborg, helps as
much as possible, while Shinobu uses whatever large object she can get
her hands on to take out dozens of Lannarkites in a single blow. "Looks
like the fighting begun!" Nassur nods before shooting three Lannarkites
that had entered from a back entrance.

The battle was even for a few minutes. But, as more and more
Lannarkites appeared, fatigue took its toll...including those of the
humanoid Lannarkites. Nassur had planned to bring everyone here on the
"Renegade" but knew that the transporter Patty installed could only take
four at a time. And during this fight, a decline in their own numbers
would be fatal for those left behind.

Then, Nassur gets an idea. He bring out his communicator.
"Nassur to 'Renegade,'" he yells while saving Junba from a Lannarkite
which had moved behind their lines.

"'Renegade' here," Lum replies.

"We need that photon torpedo attack!"

"Understood! Firing photon torpedoes!"

Nassur breaks off contact.

* * *

In geosynchronous orbit, the "Renegade's" torpedo bays empty
themselves on the hive below them. In seconds, the buildings are
hammered mercilessly. Lannarkites and non-Lannarkites rush for cover as
entire sections disintegrate. Finally, the whole hive seems to collapse
upon itself. Then, silence...

* * *

In the impregnation chamber, Nassur managed to psi-link a warning
of the coming barrage to the whole rescue squad. They managed to find
safe places. In seconds, the chamber collapsed within itself. From his
safe place under a table, Ataru could hear the screams both human and
non-human echoing through out the room. He could feel the building
lurch and fall. Luckily, he was still the Cyborg to prevent himself
from getting seriously hurt...if he didn't get hit directly from one of
those torpedoes Lum was raining down on him by mistake.

Then it was over. And the silence is deafening. He managed to
climb out of the rubble that had buried him and looks around.

*Where is everyone?* Did they die in the attack or when the
building fell down. Dust that seems to cloak the room like a fog, is so
thick that Ataru can't see anyone. Groans and sounds of digging
indicate survivors. Ataru relaxes and turns back to human. He could
tell the voices were human...Nassur and Shinobu busy trying to locate
Marcia, who was busy locating some of the other girls. He could hear
Junba's voice as well as some of the other girls the *te'a* turned into
humanoid Lannarkites. *I'm safe!* he breathes out in relief. *Thanks
for the help, Lum!*

Ataru hears something moving. Nassur's voice is heard coming
closer. "Ataru? Are you around here somewhere?"

"Nassur? I'm over here!"

Something else appears instead.

The Lannarkite queen!

Ataru hoped it had been killed in the bombing, but it is alive,
abet barely...and it is angry. Ataru leaps back in surprise then tries
to escape. Then he felt it...the queen's stinger going through his
chest and almost piercing his heart!

* * *

In "Renegade's" transporter room, Lum senses something ominous...

* * *

On the bridge of the Gatherer, thousands of parsecs away, Noa
feels something...

* * *

In Oshika, Reiko is awakened from her sleep feeling something has
happened...

* * *

It was quite a sensation, Ataru thought feeling the queen's
stinger through him. But, shock began to set in. Ataru feels himself
being lifted into the air. He looks and sees himself moving closer
towards the mouth of the queen. *One last meal before dying...*

It would be a meal the queen would never begin. Nassur blasts the
queen's head off with a huge blast from his gun. Ataru feels his body
fall...then darkness. He could hear voices talking about him.

"Jesu Cristo!!! ATARU-KUN!!!!"

"He's still alive!" Nassur reports as Ataru hears a tricorder,
then the snap of his communicator. "Nassur to 'Renegade!' Medical
emergency! Beam us straight into sick bay!"

"Understood!" Lum says.

Ataru feels himself falling apart and reassembling...he wishes he
knows where...

*** Not the Beginning of the End...But The End of the Beginning ***