Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ Great Father Ataru Stage Four: Reunion ( Chapter 57 )

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

"Well?!" Mikan wonders.

In the Project Four laboratory in the Chamber of Eternity's maintenance
engineering department, Ataru's bodyguards complete work on a device akin to a
virtual reality simulator. Kiiwii relaxes in the chair, a life support system
helmet around her head. "Just a sec'," Zakuro adjusts some leads in the panel
behind Kiiwii's head. "There!! Ready!"

"Commence the operation," Mikan orders.

Badoka keys a control on her panel. Mikan stares at the Phantom space
combat armour suit sitting in a programming chamber next to Kiiwii's control
station. The bulky suit is over three metres tall, shaded dark blue with
overlapping armoured plates and three darkened face-mounted camera-sensors.
Suddenly, the sensors light up...as Kiiwii's voice echoes from the machine.
"*I'm in!*"

"Vitals?" Mikan stares at the unmoving engineer.

Badoka stares at the readouts. "All vitals nominal," she smiles.

"Move around, Kiiwii," Mikan orders.

"*Okay!*" the mechanically-filtered voice echoes from the Phantom.
Servomotors kick into gear as the armour walks out of the programming chamber.
Arms move up, sweeping around. The torso twists left and right. The knees
bend. "*Mobility's okay,*" Kiiwii reports.

"Life signs still nominal," Badoka reports.

"Control mechanisms nominal," Zakuro adds.

"Okay," Mikan nods. "Return, Kiiwii. Get out of there."

"*Right,*" Kiiwii returns the Phantom to the programming chamber. A
moment later, the armour shuts down as the engineer's arms move to unfasten
the helmet from her face. A second later, she shakes her head. "Whoo!! That
was fun!"

"How do you feel?" Mikan kneels beside her.

"A little sleepy," Kiiwii stifles a yawn. "Other than that, I'm okay."

The four exchange looks. "It works!!" Badoka giggles.

"Yes!" Mikan's glasses glitter. "The first step is passed!! We have
proven that combat armour can be moved via CT technology! Once we've tested
this in battle, then, THEN Ataru-sama's enemies will topple over like dominos
in a line so he can claim his rightful destiny for himself and Sagussa!!"

Their leader brays out a laugh. The other guards sweat. "Mikan-chan,
get help!" Zakuro sighs...

* * *

Urusei Yatsura - Great Father Ataru: "Stage Four: Reunion"
by Fred Herriot
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
Forty-third of a series of fan-fiction stories based on "Urusei Yatsura"
created by Rumiko Takahashi
**** **** ****

WRITER'S NOTES:

1) The conscience transference (CT) technology employed in Project Four was
first postulated in the Tanith Lee story "Electric Forest."

2) The android codes used on Zeiwan run in the following format (I also use
them in my regular short stories) using Ayara (10G-76283-27) as an example:

10 - Unit model type
G - Sentience classification (not always included as you
may have noticed from Vivian's example in "Darling's
Other Girlfriend")
76283 - Unit lot series
27 - Unit number

3) A fan of this series makes a guest appearance in this story thanks to
his giving three of the *daishi'cha* names. Thanks, Sean!

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

"I'm going out for a while!" Shinobu announces.

Her parents stare at her. "Be careful, Shinobu," Kimiki smiles, pleased
that her daughter seemed happy.

"I will!" Shinobu waves as she leaves the house. Taking in a breath of
fresh air, she finds herself staring at a beautiful day over Tomobiki. "Ah!!
What a wonderful day! Might as well go see if Pamanba's around!"

She proceeds to Shapiro's Ice Cream Parlour. Truthfully, Shinobu had
much to be happy about. Although still hurting over Junba's demise, as long
as the hunter's *mei'na* was within her, she would always remain a part of
Shinobu's life. Junba visited her in her dreams mostly, interesting episodes
which caused the Terran to blush whenever things became...intimate. Further,
Junba reminded her that somewhere out there was Akisur, someone she had been
bonded to for a long time. If the chance came, Akisur and Shinobu could
reunite, explore a life together. If not, Shinobu could survive. Failures in
previous attempts at finding a life-mate had dulled her reaction to the
resultant pain. It was the process of growing up, Shinobu realized. Fantasy
lovers were great for romance novels. They never occurred in real life.

In addition, establishing a real friendship with Lum had become
possible, as well as re-establishing a rapport with Ataru. Although the Oni
remained incapacitated, thanks to Yethis Seq and his conspirators, Shinobu had
heard from Suzume Seikou that Lum was on her way to Earth so Noa and Ataru
could restore her. Shinobu hoped to spend time with Lum, Ataru and Noa before
they left for Sagussa. Time seemed to be going so fast. Shinobu had put in
her name at a local nursing college. Soon, she would take the exam and get on
with her life, just like everyone else was doing.

Shinobu blinks as she hears someone fly up. "'Morning, Shinobu," a
voice calls out.

"Oh...'morning, Sil," Shinobu smiles as Sil lands beside her. "Come to
see Mendou-san?"

"Yep!" the Oni nods. "Actually, it'll be a short visit. Did you hear
what happened in Onishuto yesterday?"

"We don't get INN here, remember."

"Ah, right!" Sil shudders with excitement. "It turns out that Yethis'
mansion was destroyed by a bauximite flash-bomb!"

Shinobu blinks, remembering how Pamanba's superiors had been eliminated.
"Looks like Sylia and her friends are having fun."

"You bet!" Sil laughs. "No one has any idea what's going on! I guess
by the time Yethis figures it out, Sylia-san's friends'll be measuring him for
a pine box!!"

Both howl with merriment, realizing that the victory of the Democratic
Alliance...by extension, the preservation of galactic peace...was closer at
hand. "So, you're only here for a bit," Shinobu muses. "What next?"

"I have to go back to Uru," Sil sighs. "The Alliance needs me to sit on
the Plenipotentiary Council, administer the referendum campaign."

"That's pretty open, you know," Shinobu looks worried. "Do you think
Yethis' friends know where you stand on reform?"

"If they don't, they will soon enough," Sil muses. "But I can't hide
behind this facade anymore. People have to know the truth. If I can help,
all the better."

"Sil, you be careful," Shinobu warns. "You know what Yethis did to Lum.
He could do worse to you...and you don't have Sagussa backing you, remember?"

"I'll be fine," the Oni gives the Terran a warm squeeze. "Anyhow, I
have to go see Dear! Take care!"

"Come back soon!" Shinobu waves as Sil flies off to the Mendou estate.
As the Oni disappears, a chill runs through her heart. "Buddha, watch over
her, please," she prays. "Mendou-san is happy with her. Don't take her away,
please..."

Her petition is interrupted by a shuffling noise behind her. Shinobu
jolts, then spins around to see someone stagger from a side alley. The woman,
a golden-skinned beauty with long wavy brown hair, stares at the Terran, then
collapses to the ground. "Help...me..."

Shinobu gasps, dropping down and commencing first aid. "Are you okay?!
What's wrong?!" she gently shakes the woman. "Hey!!"

She places two fingers on the woman's neck pulse. No feeling. Shinobu
gasps as she arches the woman's head back, pumping in five quick breaths, then
moves to administer CPR. The air does not make the woman's chest rise.
Shinobu's hands fall on her sternum, then she gently pushes down. The
movement causes a hatch to open in the woman's chest above her bosum. Shinobu
looks, her face frozen with shock on seeing complex micro-circuitry and energy
conduits affixed to chainmail musculature and a metal breastbone. "Oh, gods!"
she gasps, feeling bile rise from her throat. "Y-you...you're a machine...!"

Shinobu jolts as the woman's hand gently grasps her arm. Pleading green
eyes stare at her. "Help...me...please..." she begs the stunned Terran...

* * *

A moment later, Shinobu carries the unmoving woman into Shapiro's.
"Shapiro-san!!" she calls out. "Are you here?!"

"What is it?!" Shapiro runs up from the basement, worry on his face.
Rarely had anyone called out for him so urgently.

Fortunately, the parlour is empty as Shinobu lays the woman on a table.
"Can you help her?!" she stares at the Vosian.

"A Zeiwanite...eh?!" he blinks on seeing her open circuit hatch. "An
android?! What's one doing here?!"

"She just came out of an alley begging for my help," Shinobu frets.
"Can you help her? I don't know how to do first aid on an android!"

Shapiro hums, then switching the sing to CLOSED, begins to rifle through
the android's dress. Shinobu is curious to see that she is overdressed by
Terran standards. Frilly blouse, long skirt trimmed in crinole lace, bobby
socks, mary janes, neck choker with pendant, wrist warmers with cut-out holes
for the fingers...not to mention beautiful eye shadow, blush and lipstick. A
powerful yearning fills Shinobu on seeing this defenseless android, her aura
of purity, of life and joy drawing the Terran like a moth to a flame. Sensing
this, Shapiro, though thorough in his examination, does not expose the woman
more than necessary.

"Well, she seems in good shape," Shapiro muses, reaching up to close the
circuit hatch. "No visible damage. It could be some internal program,
perhaps a slave circuit trying to draw her back to where she belongs."

"A slave circuit?!!" Shinobu exclaims. "Who would do such a thing?!!"

"Shinobu, even on Sagussa, androids are kept on a leash," the Vosian
warns. "Zeiwanite androids are top-of-the-line when it comes to sentience,
but they have little in the way of legal or moral rights. They're servants,
pure and simple. I can guess this one is a very expensive love-toy."

"A sex slave?!" the Terran blinks, staring at the unmoving form before
her. "Why?! I don't understand...!"

"Search me!" Shapiro shrugs. "Androids were never popular on Vos. I
can't conceive of why people would want them in the first place. This really
isn't my area of expertise. Listen, let me call the Gatherer and ask someone
to come look at her."

"Please," Shinobu nods.

Shapiro heads downstairs while Shinobu sits beside the android, gazing
intently into her face. Finely sculptured, fragile like an expensive
porcelain doll's...or a mannequin's. Whoever built her spent a lot of time on
detail. Freckles dotted her cheeks and nose. Shinobu felt a strange feeling
course through her. Before she realized what she was doing, she was leaning
down, placing a tender kiss on the android's lips. She then looks up and
around, wondering if someone saw her.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Shinobu yelps as the android's eyes open, staring at the Terran. "S-
sorry!" Shinobu stammers, waving her hands. "I...I was...well, er...you
see...you understand, don't you?!" she babbles incoherently.

The Zeiwanite blinks. "You find me attractive."

"Ah...um..." Shinobu stammers, then nods. "Yes."

The android smiles. "So are you," she muses.

Sensing the growing strength in her words, Shinobu gently grasps her
hand. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?! Who are you, anyway?!"

The android blinks for a moment, then sits up. "Internal systems are
operating below-nominal levels," she reports. "I came here to escape an
abusive supervisor. My name is Ayara, serial code 10G-76283-27. My friends
call me Aya."

Shinobu stares at her. "I'm Shinobu Miyaki," she indicates herself.
"Are you sure you're okay?"

"No," Aya hums. "My power grid has a virus in it trying to shut me
down, leave me vulnerable. A slave-circuit, your friend calls it. It's an
attempt to prevent me from...re-...por-...ting..."

Shinobu yelps as Aya collapses on the table, energy draining from her
body. At that moment, a transporter beam sends in Marianoshoo, a green-haired
Oni-born robotics specialist with Internal Security. Without further ado, she
runs a diagnostics scanner over the unmoving android. "She said something
about a slave-circuit trying to shut her down!" Shinobu reports.

"I see it," Maria nods, then checking her readings, lays Aya on the
table, pulls open her shirt, then pops a circuit hatch above her belly-button.

Shinobu shudders, appalled that Maria would treat Aya like some broken
toaster instead of a sentient being worthy of respect and privacy. Staring at
the circuits, the Sagussan whistles. "Wow!! Class Ten personal companion
android! This is a classic model on Zeiwan!!"

"Help her!!" Shinobu pleads.

"Relax!" Maria calms her, then staring at the gear-boxes in Aya's
stomach, disconnects two, then does a quick re-wiring job. "There!" she
closes the android up. "That should do it."

Aya's eyes open, then she sits up. "Power systems...nominal," she
blinks. "My slave-circuit's gone."

"You'd think Zeiwanites would work on programming their love-toys a
little better instead of putting those things in them," Maria muses. "If you
want, Shinobu, I can take her to the Gatherer and run a detailed diagnostic on
her systems, just to make sure other bugs aren't going to surprise you later."

"I'd appreciate it," Shinobu smiles, gently taking Aya's hand...

* * *

"Very nice," Maria muses as she stares at the diagnostic diagram of
Aya's systems in her research lab aboard the Gatherer. "Gotta admit, the
Zeiwanites sure know how to build them. If you want to know, Shinobu, this
unit's over a hundred years old."

"Eh?!" Shinobu stares in disbelief at the cyberdoctor. "A hundred years
old! No way!"

Her eyes turn to Aya. She is now on a diagnostic bed, her body
discreetly covered by a sheet. Several circuit hatches are open, allowing
probes to scan her systems. Aya is down to secondary power, still awake by
organic standards but unable to move, much less feel discomfort when Maria
worked on her systems. "So, where does she come from?" Shinobu wonders.

"According to her master control system, she was the property of a
pleasure house in Zeiwanopolis, Zeiwan's capital city," Maria hums. "But this
was fifty years ago. Someone put an override code into that and inserted new
instructions. It's no wonder she decided to bolt from her supervisor. The
supervisorship conflict alone could've caused serious problems in her ethics
program...not that there's enough problems already there."

"Like what?"

Maria sighs, her eyes flashing with disgust. "Her new supervisor is a
woman by the name of Henra," Maria sneers. "Near as I can tell, she's the
leader of a band of outlaws calling themselves the Lost Ones. What's worse,
Henra's quite perverted. What she's done to Aya is gross...but what she's
forced Aya to do to others...especially children...is really sick!"

"What?!" Shinobu turns sheet-white. "You mean she's...?!"

Maria nods, staring sympathetically at Aya. "The compassionate side of
her has rebelled every time someone underage has been 'targeted.' However,
all her supervisor has to do is either verbally or physically switch off her
higher brain functions, then let her go to work. Her sexual intercourse
programs run on a different system, so you can literally shut her mind off and
she'd still be able to please you in ways even I can't imagine. That's how
they keep their androids under control on Zeiwan."

"Sick!!" Shinobu stares at the Zeiwanite. The very thought of Aya with
someone Reiko's age caused her to feel nauseous. "Can you help her?"

"Well, I can do some quick rewiring of her circuitry, erase all her
prior supervisor codes, then install some new moral programs..." Maria hums.
"I haven't finished with the diagnostic, so it'll be a while. You want to
stay here or do something else?"

"I'll go visit Ataru-kun," Shinobu smiles, leaning down to kiss Aya's
forehead. "I'll be back in a while, Aya-chan."

"Okay," Aya smiles.

Shinobu steps out of the laboratory, then asks Henry to transport her to
the main bridge. Stations are quiet as she walks up to the door leading to
Ataru's suite. Before she can ring the doorbell, the door opens, revealing
her own spirit-sister and Sagussa's Prime Councillor. Both appear refreshed.
"Hi!!" Shinobu-chan beams as she embraces Shinobu. "How are you, spirit-
sister?!"

"I'm okay!" Shinobu returns the embrace, then embraces Sakura-chan.
"What are you guys doing here?!"

"Oh, we're busy," Sakura-chan slips an arm around her bond-mate. "We're
here to elicit additional genetic samples from Ataru's old classmates. Most
of the Inner Circle's already in Tomobiki soliciting volunteers."

"Eh?!" Shinobu jolts. "You mean...?"

"People like Mendou, Megane and his friends," Shinobu-chan smiles.
"We've already got some from Mark Onsen, not to mention those young men Noa
found when she rescued Lum. But, still, it's not enough."

"Wow!!" Shinobu whistles. "Is Lum-chan with you?"

Both Sagussans nod. "And Ataru-kun wanted to ensure people didn't
regress," Shinobu hums, crossing her arms.

"Well, if they have potential life-mates who don't want them to
misbehave, we can make sure things don't get too out of hand," Sakura-chan
smiles. "Anyhow, we have to go. Take care, Shinobu."

"You, too," Shinobu waves as the Sagussans head to the turbolift, then
looks back in. "Ataru-kun?"

"C'mon in," Ataru waves her inside.

Shinobu notices he is dressed in a yukata. "Oh, my!" she gasps in mock
indignation. "Ataru-kun! You mean you actually do it with those girls?!"

"I've been doing it with them every spare moment since I left you guys
on Colony Seventy-one," Ataru sighs. "Even when I haven't been in anyone's
company, I've been taking drugs that're firing my sperm counts through the
roof. Geez, wishing for a harem's one thing..."

Shinobu laughs as she sits beside him. "Where's Lum?"

"She's on her way here from Shingetsu," he smiles. "Noa also found a
group of abandoned children there, people left behind after the Lannarkites
hit the place. Guess some people on Sagussa're going to be mothers sooner
than expected."

"That's good," she shudders. "I just ran into an android from Zeiwan
who was used by a pedophile."

His eyes widen, then he nods. "Ah! Henry told me about that. Don't
worry. We have the best cyberdocs around. What're you going to do with her
once Maria's finished?"

"I don't know," she shakes her head. "If I let her go, she might fall
into the hands of some other pervert. This reminds me of that time I was in
Nerima when I learned of that sicko fan club who saw me as some warped
reincarnation of Kali."

"Noa told me about that," he reaches over to softly brush her cheek.
"It's bad enough you have problems in the present. You don't need the future
crashing down on you, too."

"Yeah!" she stares at him. "So what are you going to do?"

"Me?!" Ataru sighs. "Well, once Lum's back to normal, return to Sagussa
and try to re-establish some sense of normalcy in our lives. If Yethis and
his clowns want to make an issue of it, I'll make an issue of them!"

"Good," Shinobu nods. "Oh, Sil's heading back to Uru. She's going to
help out with the referendum."

"Hope she doesn't go back too soon," Ataru muses. "Her Sagussan spirit-
sister's just been made Deputy Prime Councillor of Sen'sha Seven..."

The door swooshes open, revealing Ayesha. "Ataru, I have those notes
from Intelligence on trying to locate the fleet...oh!" she stops, then smiles.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company."

"C'mon in, Ayesha," Ataru sits up. "This is Shinobu Miyaki, a classmate
and my former girlfriend. Shinobu, this is Noa's adopted sister Ayesha."

"Hi," Ayesha walks up, giving Shinobu's hand a friendly squeeze. *Wow!!
She's cute!* the acting Executive Assistant feels her cheeks redden on seeing
Ataru's former girlfriend up close.

"Hi," Shinobu smiles, then turns to Ataru. "She's one of the people Noa
found when she went after Koibito Otaku, huh?"

"Yep," Ataru nods. "Ayesha's mind was badly damaged when Noa found her,
so Noa's companion android volunteered to have her memories copied into Ayesha
when she was regenerated. We're trying to trace down relatives, but so far,
nothing..."

Ataru and Ayesha tense. The door opens, revealing Noa. "Lucy! you got
some s'plaining to do!!" the *ashi'cha* declares in a thick Spanish accent.

"You've been watching too much TV, Noa," Ataru smiles, then blinks.

Lum walks in. "Hello, Darling," she drones neutrally.

He stops, horror crossing his face on seeing her. "Ataru-kun, are you
alright?!" Shinobu stares concernedly at him.

"Ataru, what's wrong?!" Ayesha walks up.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, he screams, "***WHY, WHY, WHY DO
PEOPLE ON URU ALWAYS DRESS HER IN A GODDAMNED BIKINI?!?!?!***"

Everyone faints!

* * *

"Impossible!!" the shadowy figure on the viewscreen replies.

Yethis' eyes narrow. "What do you mean 'impossible?!'" he sneers. "I
want to know if you can arrange a hit on Nagaiwakai Moroboshi!"

"And I tell you it's impossible!" the leader of the Urusian Assassins
Guild replies. "She's a Righteous Gentile, remember?! The woman is under
surveillance by the Holy Inquisition! She also has her own personal army and
assassins corps! On top of that are her personal martial skills. They're
formidable! And there's her grandson to consider! He's the repository of a
martial arts form which puts the Silent Ones to shame...and let's not forget
the Sagussans!! If you want to kill her to avenge the death of your lover,
General, you'd better find someone else! I've already told my compatriots
that they're to ignore your offers and anyone else wanting to target any of
Moroboshi's relatives! Good-day, General."

The screen goes dark. Yethis bolts to his feet, his eyes flashing with
murderous rage. Although technically outlawed since the Union Revolution, the
Assassins Guild had always made themselves available for Uru's leaders in case
something quick and direct required doing. If the Guild were scared of the
Moroboshi clan, that meant Nagaiwakai and her accursed grandson were even more
powerful than rumour postulated. That was not good.

Quaking with sullen rage, Yethis storms out of his personal cubicle in
the Tribal Council chambers. Already, the other councillors were moving to
their seats. "If we can get started," President Lana sighs. "We have some
things to discuss."

Yethis assumes his chair beside the president. His eyes narrow, taking
notice of Invader glaring at him, a wry smile twisting his mouth. The captain
was obviously delighted in the general's recent misfortune. Yethis stares at
him, then returns his attention to Lana. Whatever gloating that fat fool
could make would not be relevant in a short while...as soon as Lum was again
in Imperial hands.

Soon...

* * *

"'Morning, Priss-chan!" Sugoi's voice cuts through the fog.

Priss groans, rubbing her forehead, as she opens her eyes, beholding her
bond-mate in the crook of her arm. "Hi, honey," the coxswain kisses her.
"Missed you."

"Missed you, too," Sugoi rubs her forehead under Priss' chin. "I'm so
glad you're here. Things've been lonely since we were last together."

Over six months before when they bonded, Priss sighs. Not a good way to
start a relationship. "Well, we might as well catch up," she purrs, her
tongue flicking at the Oni's horn.

Sugoi yelps with delight...but before things could get more intimate,
the door flies open, revealing Kanari. "Sugoi-chan...ooops!!" the biodroid
stops on seeing her friend in such a compromising position.

"What is it, Kanari?" Sugoi sighs.

"Sorry!" Kanari blushes. "But Priss-san's friends are here. They want
to see her."

"Okay, okay!" Sugoi dismisses her. "Go bug Manju!"

"Hai!!" Kanari bows, then flies out of the room.

Priss and Sugoi share a communal sigh. "Well, can't sit on my ass all
day," the coxswain mutters as she sits up, then starts dressing.

"Oh, when?!" the Oni-Avalonian embraces her bond-mate from behind.
"When can we have time to ourselves?!"

"Soon, honey!" Priss kisses her. "But right now, we've work to do if
those people are to have a quiet life."

Sugoi sighs, then begins dressing. A moment later, both emerge from the
bedroom, proceeding to the living room, where Priss' troopmates were waiting.
"Hey, stranger!" Linna waves. "And what were you doing?!"

"None of your business!" Priss growls, then looks at Homeri. "Can I get
a coffee with milk?"

"Right away, Priss-san," the biodroid nods, then heads into the kitchen.

"So what's the plan?" the coxswain relaxes in a chair, Sugoi sitting in
her lap.

"Nothing right now," Sylia sighs. "With Lum soon to recover, Ataru
might decide to go open with what we know and allow things to fall into place.
The chances are good we'll be back home in a week."

"That's good," Priss yawns, embracing her bond-mate. "What about these
two? I'm not in the mood for a long-range relationship, you know."

"Well," Sylia stares at Yedris, "we'll just have to persuade them to
come live on Sagussa with us."

The Oni-Avalonians blush while everyone else laughs...

* * *

...while unbeknownst to them, a small listening device in a plant
transmits the conversation to a listening post several blocks away. Hearing
the words, a member of Uru's Defence Intelligence Directorate jots down notes,
then sends a recording of the message to his superior, who in turn passes it
to Des Azu...

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Gatherer, Lum, once again in her tiger-striped
Sagussan jumpsuit, reclines on the bed in the master bedroom. Ataru and Noa
lay on either side, their hands poised over their lover's face. Shinobu and
Ayesha sit at Lum's feet. "Neither of you can interfere," the *ashi'cha*
instructs. "We have to give this all our concentration. Understood?"

"Understood," Ayesha nods. "Be careful, sister."

"We'll be fine," Noa smiles, turning to Ataru. "Ready?"

"Ready," he nods.

Shinobu prays as Ataru's and Noa's fingertips touch Lum's face. Psi-
probes lance into the Oni's mind, seeking the cocoon where her *mei'na* was
stored. Time suddenly stands still as Noa and Ataru find their astral selves
floating before the trapped Lum. <<Wow!!>> he whistles. <<It's no wonder
everyone's had so much trouble trying to get control of her! I've never
sensed such willpower in my life!!>>

<<No wonder she was so much trouble for you,>> Noa muses. <<Ready?>>

<<Ready,>> he nods.

The two place their astral selves against the cocoon, summoning all
their power to crack the shell and allow Lum to escape. The cocoon vibrates
as the psi-probes lance in. Cracks appear. <<We're...doing...it!>> Noa
gasps.

<<Lum-chan...c'mon out...>> Ataru pants. <<It's okay! You're...safe!>>

* * *

In realspace, Noa and Ataru heavily perspire. Several minutes have
passed. "Are they alright?!!" Shinobu panics.

Ayesha runs a medical scanner over them. "They're about to go into
shock!!" she gasps. "Lum's defenses must be tougher than they suspected!!"

"What do we do?!" the Terran wonders.

Ayesha stares at her sister. Biting her lip, she holds out her hand.
"Join in and help!"

Shinobu blinks, then nods...

* * *

Inside Lum's mind, the assault against Lum's protective cocoon
continues. <<How...long...?>> Ataru feels faint.

<<Not...much...longer...>> Noa grits her teeth. <<I think...it's about
...to give!>>

Suddenly, two additional astral forms appear: Ayesha and Shinobu.
<<Ataru-kun!! Noa!!>> the Terran panics, then floats to his side. <<Here!
Use me!! I'll help you!>>

Shinobu places herself behind Ataru, supporting him as he continues his
assault. Ayesha replicates the action with Noa. Combined, the four press on.
<<Lum-chan...come out of there, love...>> Noa pleads. <<You're safe now...>>

<<C'mon, *koishii*...>> Ataru grits his teeth. <<We need you back in
the real world!>>

<<Lum, please!>> Ayesha pants. <<Everyone misses you. All your friends
are worried. Think of your parents? What will they do if you don't come
back!>>

<<Lum, come out!>> Shinobu gasps. <<Feel everyone's love for you!
Please, please...please come out!>>

Suddenly, the cocoon glows star-white. The four astral forms back away
as it shatters, revealing Lum...

* * *

...then everyone returns to realspace just as Lum's eyes open. "Wha...
*tcha,* what's going on here...?!" the Oni groans, looking around. "Darling
...Noa...Shinobu...?" she blinks. "Where am I?! What's going on?!"

Seeing her eyes sparkle with the zest for life Lum has always had, Ataru
and Noa howl with relief as they embrace her. "You're home, Lum," Shinobu is
on the brink of tears. "You're safe now."

Lum blinks, then smiles, wrapping an arm around her fiance and bond-
mate...

* * *

"Gone?!" a gravelly voice demands. "Where?"

The man shudders under that cold gaze. "She escaped, Lady Henra," he
averts his eyes from her. "Took a warpshuttle and headed in the general
direction of Triton. We've lost all telemetry on her. The chances are that
she's been destroyed..."

"I cannot afford to take chances!!" Henra bolts to her feet. Dressed in
a black leather strapsuit intensifying her aura of a dominatrix, her golden
skin seems gaunt, pale. "WE can't afford those chances!!! Send ships to find
her shuttle!! Don't come back until you've found her!!"

"Y-yes, my lady," he stammers, then quickly withdraws.

Henra growls as she feels the hunger surge from her abdomen. Rising
from her throne, she marches into a private chamber. There, chained to a bed,
is an Ipraedies girl even younger than Hazel, naked except for a pair of lace
panties. Licking her lips as her eyes swim over the girl's budding features,
the leader of the Lost Ones lays beside her latest prize. "There, there,
sweetie," she coos, shifting the dazed girl's face towards her. "Don't be
afraid. This won't hurt a bit."

"No...please, don't..." the girl weakly pleads.

"Hush!" Henra's tongue traces her lips. "Soon, you'll appreciate this
hunger, lust for the thrill becoming one of us gives you! Now, just relax..."

Her mouth encompasses the girl's. The Ipraedies jolts as the Zeiwanite
sucks her very life energy into her. Her olive complexion then fades,
transforms into a sickly gangrene shade. The girl gasps as the transformation
completes, then effortlessly shatters the bonds, embracing Henra. "How may I
serve you, mistress?" she hums, humanity gone from her eyes, her soul.

Henra lays back on the bed. "Torture me!"

"As you command," the girl takes whip in hand...

* * *

"It's like I was watching a videotape of me sleepwalking," Lum admits as
everyone relaxes in the Gatherer's main cafeteria, nursing her tea. "I had no
idea I killed those people, much less that pervert Otaku, while I was asleep.
But when my *mei'na* reunited with my body, everything came to me."

"That's expected," Noa nods. "I tried it some years ago when I was Duty
*Daishi'cha.* Gave Honey such a fright when I did it, too!" she giggles.

"Especially meeting you," Lum turns to Ayesha, then stares at her bond-
mate. "Noa, we have to get this girl united with someone!"

"Any suggestions?" Ataru wonders.

Ayesha stares at Shinobu. "There's one," she playfully winks.

"Hey!!" the Terran suddenly flushes. "You mind?!"

"You're currently single, recovering from the loss of your last bond-
mate," Noa explains. "On Sagussa, people would be automatically attracted to,
as Mendou would say, fill the gaping holes in your heart."

"Oh!" Shinobu blinks in surprise, then sighs, staring at Ayesha. "If
you don't mind, Ayesha-san, I'll keep my options to this side of the Galactic
Barrier."

"Pity," Ayesha ho-hums. "It would've been dreamy!"

Shinobu turns beet-red while everyone else laughs. "She must've got
that from my companion droid!" Noa snorts, then sighs. "In the meantime, what
do we do next?" she stares at Lum.

"I just want to stay here and be with you and Darling," the Oni sighs,
then stares at Ayesha. "Not to mention getting *mashoi'cha,*" she uses the
term for bond-mate's sister, "...her own lover."

An intercom alarm sounds off. "Marianoshoo to Shinobu," the cyberdoctor
working on Aya calls in. "Please come to my lab. There's something I have to
tell you about Ayara."

"On my way," Shinobu stands...

* * *

"***SHE'S A CYBORG?!?!?!***" everyone exclaims.

Aya now sits on the diagnostic bed, dressed in a jumpsuit. Marianoshoo
shows a diagnostic map of the Zeiwanite's central nervous system. "Afraid
so," she sighs. "Her body is the standard Class Ten companion android...but
her mind, spinal column and supporting structures to keep them alive are fully
organic. I carbon-dated her. She was born over two hundred years ago."

"Just before the Atomic Wars," Noa whistles, then stares at Aya. "Do
you have any idea where you came from?"

"Maria-sensei cleared out some memory blockages which prevented my
remembering my past," Aya smiles. "I'm from North Zeiwan. When the Atomic
Wars started, I was a civil defence official. I...was nearly killed in an
atomic attack. My superiors saved me by extracting my brain and inserting it
into the body of a cyborg soldier."

"I've heard of them!" Lum shudders. "They were nasty!"

"True," Aya nods, clearly not proud of her previous life. "When the
Post-Atomic Horror set in, I was assigned to peacekeeping and intelligence
duties. Then someone got the brilliant idea of mating my mind to the body of
a sex-droid. And...that's how I came to be here."

"Wow!!" Shinobu gapes, awed by Aya's eventful life. "So...what brought
you here to Earth?! Maria told me about Henra..."

"Please," Aya shudders. "I really don't want to talk about her."

"Don't deny your past, Aya," Maria warns. "Your central mind might be
organic, but it's mated to very complex cybernetics. You'll be facing a
cascade failure if you're not careful."

Aya blinks. "Yes, Sensei," she nods, then faces Shinobu. "Henra is the
present leader of the Lost Ones...the most vicious by far."

"The Lost Ones?!!" Ataru exclaims, then blinks confusedly. "Who are
they?"

"Life-energy vampires, Darling," Lum sneers in disgust. "They suck out
a person's life-force, thus creating a new vampire, just like your planet's
legends. They're another by-product of the Atomic Wars. Originally mutated
victims of thermonuclear radiation, they became a pack of scavengers. They're
like the Lannarkites; preying on normal humans for sustenance. When Zeiwan
broke into space, they seized ships and pirated everyone that sailed past. To
this day, they remain a big problem."

"Ouch!!" Ataru winces. "So, what's with this Henra?"

"She's a pedophile," Aya shudders. "Even before she became a Lost One,
she...preyed on innocent children. Reprogrammed me to be her 'helper' when
taming her 'pets!'" she spits out. "Her...habit became acute when she became
a Lost One. Over the years, I've tried to break free. Every time, Henra or
one of the others've caught me, dragged me back and had me reprogrammed. But
...they never knew I had a soul, that I was a person with a subconscious which
remembered everything. Then, recently, I learned of what was happening to
Earth," she stares at Ataru. "I realized that there's no way Henra could come
after me here with Sagussa standing in the way. Earth...was my sanctuary."

"And you found it!" Shinobu squeezes the cyborg's hand.

"What do you mean?" Aya stares at the Terran.

"You can become human again!" Shinobu beams. "The Sagussans can do
almost anything they want!! If they could resurrect a hundred thousand women,
they can certainly help you!"

Ataru, Noa and Lum exchange looks. "Um...don't be too sure of that,
Shinobu," the *ashi'cha* warns.

"You can, can't you?!" Shinobu faces her with anticipation.

"Can it be done?" Lum stares at Maria.

"Well, medicine isn't my specialty, but I can tell you this," the
cyberdoctor sighs. "Given Aya's current organic state...just a brain and
spinal column...there's very little we can do. Cloning a body is out; that's
outlawed. We don't even have a cloning machine even if the Surgeon-General
would authorize an exception. Finding a donor body to transplant Aya's mind
into would be next to impossible. You're risking organ rejection even if the
genetics match up perfectly, which is a million-in-one long shot. The
regeneration matrix MIGHT help, but it's so powerful, it could just turn
around and wipe Aya's mind clean."

"In other words, Aya's stuck where she is," Ataru concludes.

Shinobu looks dejected. "Shinobu, it's okay," Aya smiles. "I've been
this way for over two centuries. I consider it a blessing that I've been
allowed to live for this long. Please, there's no need to do me any special
favours. You've already done more than enough for me."

"Well..." Shinobu sighs. "I'm training to be a nurse. I've...caught
the life-saving bug from people like Catty, Pony and Misato. They don't give
up when it comes to treating other people. Besides, you've suffered way too
much as an 'android.'"

Aya embraces her. "The Mother Goddess bless you," she kisses Shinobu's
forehead. "Your words are kindness and healing enough."

"In the meantime," Maria cuts in, "...I've eliminated all possible ways
the Lost Ones could employ to regain control of her. Since her mind's still
organic, Aya is recognized by Sagussan law as an organic, with all the rights.
I'veset up special guards to ensure her not falling victim to viruses and any
other surprises people could consider. With that, she's free to go!"

"Thanks!" Shinobu beams, then turns to Aya. "You want to come down to
Earth, Aya-chan? I'll introduce you to everyone!"

"Please," the cyborg stands.

They depart, hand-in-hand. Concern crosses the others' faces. "Lyna, I
hope she doesn't suffer another heartbreak," Lum sinks into Ataru's embrace.
"After what she went through with Junba, will she be able to take it?"

"Let's hope so," Ataru sighs...

* * *

"Are you sure about this?!" Des Azu grumbles.

His senior lieutenant grimly nods. "Yes, sir. The Democratic Alliance
is now working hand-in-hand with Moroboshi's agents to bring down General
Yethis. Those people're at Lady Yedris' house now."

Des' eyes narrow as he turns his chair, staring at the cityscape beyond
his office window. The red-haired Oni had supported Yethis' efforts since
they were high school students. Theirs was a long and fruitful friendship,
beneficial to both as they advanced through the ranks, then diverged into
different fields. Des was always around to prevent Yethis from facing
political embarrassment, like the time the general lost nearly half his
personal squadron thanks to a renegade Niphentaxian System Destroyer. The
right words, the right evidence at the right place and time always worked.

There was one thing which Des and Yethis always disagreed: Yedris.
Yethis, despite his ambition, loved his older sister dearly, was loathe to see
her or her children hurt. However, Des knew how cunning Yedris was, how
dangerous she could be when cornered. Des had tried eliminating Yedris on
several occasions, the most recent being seven months before. Des had
arranged with Uday Renning to send troops down to eliminate Yedris and Sugoi.
That failed, but Des had fled while Uday had been hunted down and beheaded,
his troops slaughtered.

Des suspected that the Sagussans had been involved in that, not to
mention the Alliance's meeting with the Avalonians. Now, he had hard proof
that Yedris was collaborating with Ataru Moroboshi to stop the Imperials.
That was treason...and as head of the Defence Intelligence Directorate, Des
was charged with combatting those who would betray Uru.

"Send a squad to Yedris' home," he orders. "Covert approach. Yedris
has turned traitor. Deal with it."

"Yes, sir," the lieutenant salutes, then walks out of the office...

* * *

<<Well, well, well,>> Priss hums as she stares at the bug in the living
room. <<We've been having an eavesdropper spy on us for some time by the
looks of things.>>

Nene had just done a security sweep of Yedris' home, finding a half-
dozen bugs and other listening devices. Presently, everyone surrounded Priss
as she lifts the bug out of the plant, then crushes it. "All clear," Sylia
sighs. "Well, now people know we're here."

"What do we do?!" Reinoevan wonders.

"Who planted those things?" Yedris interrupts.

Nene scans one. "They appear to be standard listening devices used by
your Intelligence Directorate," she hums, then tosses it in the garbage can.

"Des Azu!" Sugoi gapes.

"Hey, he's on our hit-list!!" Linna blinks surprisedly.

"That's right," Sylia nods, staring at her bond-mate. "Well, love, you
have a decision before you."

The matriarch of the Democratic Alliance blinks as she senses what Sylia
means, then sighs. "No, there's no decision to make, Syl-chan," she sinks
into her bond-mate's embrace. "It's time for me to go."

"Mom..." Sugoi's eyes moisten. "What about Rei-chan and Lan-chan?"

Yedris stares at her daughter. "Rei and Lan have their own destiny
before them, Sugoi," she smiles. "Besides, even if Uru believes us dead, they
don't have to live with a lie. The Alliance needs a martyr, just as the Union
revolutionaries had a martyr in Syl Aruka. I couldn't ask for a better 'fate'
as long as it helps people. But right now, let's see to everyone's safety and
let's let Syl-chan's people do their jobs."

"O-okay," Sugoi nods.

Sylia presses her wrist-communicator. "Rover Uniform Two-fourteen," she
sighs. "Signal Techno-Entertainment Services and the Central Armoury. We
need some stuff brought here and we need it quickly."

"*Ready to relay information, Commander,*" the rover unit replies...

* * *

"There you are, stranger!!" Sakura smiles as Lum appears in the foyer of
Tomobiki High School. "Welcome back! You look well!"

"Thanks to Noa-chan," Lum smiles at her bond-mate, then embraces the
nurse. "Anyhow, how is everything?"

"Okay," Sakura waves them to the nurse's station. "Life goes on. C'mon
in and let's have some tea."

As the three women walk down the hallway, the freshmen students stare in
awe at Lum. Having heard all the tales about the Oni, they realize how easy
it was for people to fall in love with her. Lum ignores them as she did with
people she did not know. Stepping into the nurse's station, the three relax
around a table as Sakura pours them tea. "I see the new crowd's fitting in,"
Noa muses.

"Yes," Sakura smiles. "It's refreshing, staring at new faces, wondering
what fates await them. And...it's sad, too. There is a longing, even with
me, to relive the old days. But you wouldn't know things like that, would
you?"

"No," the *ashi'cha* admits. "People never left while we were in
cryosleep. They just came in. New faces, new minds. The only time we ever
faced someone leaving us is when Mie disappeared...but that was one of one
hundred thousand. Save for Mie's sister and friends, it hardly affected us."

"Still...there's something missing," Lum muses. "I guess we haven't had
the chance to adjust to not being students anymore. Vacation on Reiner's
Five, the problem with Shinobu, Darling going to Nekotengu Four..."

"Well, let's hope you'll get it soon," Sakura gazes at the tea leaves in
her cup. "According to this, your problems aren't over yet."

"Understandable," Lum muses...then blinks as a commotion is heard.
"*Tcha,* what's that?!"

The three head to the door, peering outside...to see several of the
Inner Circle amid a crowd of anxious male freshmen and junior students.
"Please, please, one at a time!!" Nagisa-chan calls out. "You have to go to
class soon! We can handle this after school!"

"Nagisa, Ryuunosuke, what are you guys doing here?!" Lum flies up.

"Oh, hi, Lum," Ryuunosuke-chan shrugs. "What does it look like? We're
here to get some more contributors to the Grand Design!"

"Could you save it until after school?!" Sakura moans.

"Tell it to them!!" Elle-chan indicates the other students.

Lum and Noa sigh. "Well, their hearts are in the right place," the
latter muses. "Let's go look in on everyone."

"Right," the Oni nods...

* * *

"Shutaro, it is bad enough that you're cavorting with this Oni instead
of fulfilling your obligation to your clan by marrying Asuka!" Haruka Mendou
shudders, trying to maintain decorum. "But to actually sew your wild oats by
being with these women is a real dishonour!!"

Sil's eyes flash. "Who asked you?!!" her hand melts into explosive
energy which blasts Mendou's mother out of the atrium! "Dear is doing a noble
thing!!! Back off and leave him alone!!"

"Thank you, Sil-chan!" Mendou sighs, then turns to his fiancee's spirit-
sister, a government official now serving as Deputy Prime Councillor of
Sen'sha Seven. "Now, what is it exactly that you wanted?"

The Oni-turned-Sagussan politician smiles. "Well, there are many of us
who want to have children with you. Since my spirit-sister would probably be
loath for you to have intimate contact with us, artificial insemination is
permissible. So, if you agree, we'll get started right away. Also, you'll
have the chance to give some of us names, if you're so inclined."

"Ah!!" Mendou nods understandingly. "Well, the idea of helping a race
grow and expand is noble in and of itself! If Sil-chan doesn't object, I'm at
your disposal!"

"If Lum's letting her Darling do it, I can do the same!" Sil nods.

"Lyna bless you, spirit-sister!" Sil-chan smiles. "So, do you want us
to come down here or do you want to come up to the Gatherer?"

"Sir!!" Haruka's retainer suddenly appears. "You cannot continue with
this madness! What of the clan...?!"

Sil blasts him into orbit! "Get lost!!!"

Mendou sighs. "It's best that I come up."

"Okay!!" Sil-chan nods...

* * *

"My!!!" Sakura gapes as a mob has coalesced around Tomobiki High School.

Terran men and Sagussans freely intermingle. The largest mobs are
naturally around Lum-chan and Sakura-chan. However, no girl is alone. The
bodyguards meet with Tanoshii-chan, Aijooa-chan, Kenmei-chan and Yasashii-
chan. At another corner, Tobimaro Mizunokoji finds himself in a four-way tug-
of-war between Ryooko-chan, Asuka-chan, Yuukiki-chan and her bond-mate Windy-
chan. Nearby, Yuukiki Mizunokoji has a "why MY husband?!" look on her face.

Across the way, Fujimi Fujinami sobs as dozens of girls chat with Nagisa
Shinowataru. Ryuunosuke is falling over laughing at the sight of his "wife"
facing such scrutiny and how that is affecting her father. Tsubame Ozuno and
Chiezou Budou are not safe as Kurama-chan, Elle-chan and several unnamed girls
swarm around them. And, to Sakura's total surprise, Lan is attempting to
solicit some girls to meet Rei, who is eating a five-course meal as a tiger-
bull. "Why're they not looking at Rei?" the nurse turns to Noa.

"Hey, we know bad genetics when we see them!!" the *ashi'cha* laughs.
"I don't want my kids to be idiots!"

Sakura laughs...then blinks as a moan emanates from behind her. She
spins around to see Koosei flat on his back, a dazed look on his face. "O-o-
oyuki-chan..." escapes his lips as he melts down the stairs.

Behind him, Benten-chan and Oyuki-chan look disappointed. "Now, is that
'yes' or a 'no?'" the thoughtmistress-prime wonders.

"Search me!" the defence minister shrugs.

"Well, everything seems okay," Lum muses. "Let's head back up to the
Gatherer."

"Fair enough," Noa nods, then notices Shinobu and Aya walk up. "Oh,
Shinobu, Aya!" she smiles. "What brings you here?"

"We just came to see what all the commotion was about," Shinobu smiles,
staring at the *daishi'cha* mingling with students. "Looks like Ataru-kun
might get some competition."

"Darling could use the break," Lum admits. "Did you tell your parents
about Aya, Shinobu?"

"Uh-huh," Shinobu nods. "They're...surprised. The idea of having a
cyborg live with us is...unique. But after I explained what Aya went through,
they were supportive."

"Just as long as I support things in the house," Aya smiles. "After
what I've been through, acting as a domestic servant will be refreshing."

"As long as they realize you're a person, not a servobot," Noa warns.

"They know," Shinobu laughs.

* * *

Unseen by any of them, a pair of binoculars focus on Aya. Standing atop
the Toranoseishin Finances tower, a gaunt, pale man glares lasciviously at
Henra's former love toy, now dressed in plain civilians. "So, you're trying
to run away again, huh?" he sneers, focusing on Shinobu. "We'll just have to
remind you of your proper place in this existence, Ayara."

With that, he fades into the shadows...

* * *

Mihoshi relaxes at a ramen stand close to Tomobiki High School, taking
down her third bowl of soup as she waits for her partner and their two friends
to finish with the man who just named them. Of the four, only the sergeant
from Force One received her name through the *daishi'cha's* empathic
connections with Ataru. Hoping her teammate and friends would stand better
luck of getting their own names if they met someone, they came to Earth and
went hunting. As luck would have it, they encountered an American from
Connecticut, currently in Tokyo attending an anime convention. So, while
Mihoshi waited, her friends were "rewarding" him. Finishing her bowl, she
calls out, "Another, please?"

"Boy, Sergeant, you sure can pack it away!" the ramen stand's matron
muses as she replaces her bowl.

"Oh, I'm nervous," the blonde-haired Ellsian-born woman smiles. "After
my partner gets her genetic samples, it's my turn!"

"Whoo," the matron muses aloud. "I've heard of desperate, but THIS is
ridiculous."

Mihoshi smiles, digging in. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices
Shinobu and her new cyborg friend depart Tomobiki High School. Like most of
the *daishi'cha,* the sergeant knew little about Ataru's former girlfriend.
Having heard about Aya through the Gatherer's grapevine, Mihoshi knew about
the cyborg's previous affiliations. Smiling, she returns to her ramen.
*Let's hope they make it this time!*

She then blinks as her internal senses pick up something...odd. Mihoshi
tenses as her eyes fall on a dark alley. She gasps, dropping her chopsticks
as the shadows melt into a man dressed in protective, dark clothing, his pale
gold skin sticking out like neon. Gazing on him via her inner senses, Mihoshi
feels bile rise from her throat, reminded of the time Noa and Nene encountered
a victim of Kali, one of Shinobu Miyaki's future-selves. The same absence of
the *te'a* was present, but this time, the life-energy which would normally
exist in a Zeiwanite was replaced by energy more common to inorganic matter.

Catching her breath, Mihoshi watches as the man falls into step behind
Shinobu and Aya. Tapping her communicator, she hisses, "Mihoshi to Kiyone!
Come in, please!"

"Mihoshi..." an annoyed, tired Yehisrite-accented voice groans, "...wait
your turn! Akari, Satoko and I're almost done."

"Y-you d-don't understand, Kiyone-chan," the sergeant shivers. "Th-
there's s-something h-here...and it's st-stalking Shinobu Miyaki a-and her
friend!"

Silence. "What sort of something?" Kiyone inquires, her firm voice
denoting that she was now paying full attention to her partner.

"Some...creature," Mihoshi shakes her head. "Looks like a Zeiwanite
man...but...the feel's wrong...it's like he...isn't human..."

"Follow him!" Kiyone orders. "Stalking may not be illegal in Japan but
it's certainly immoral. And who knows what that thing is. I'm on my way;
keep your homing beacon on."

"H-hai," Mihoshi taps her other wrist-bracelet, modified to carry a
homing signal. Drawing and charging her pistol, she leaves behind some
change, bows to the matron, mutters, "Excuse me, please," then races off after
Shinobu and Aya.

The matron blinks. "What was that all about...?"

* * *

Metres ahead, Shinobu and Aya window-shop. The Zeiwanite is awed at the
bounty of goods available, remembering rationing, contamination and famine in
North Zeiwan during the Post-Atomic Horror. Unseen by either of them, the
pale man observes the pair. He had already relayed Aya's location to Henra,
knowing the Lost Ones' leader would want to come to Earth to administer
punishment for the "android's" disappearance. Of course, he did not care
about the six enormous alien starships presently surrounding Earth. Normal
mortals did not concern the Lost Ones.

After stopping in Esmerelda's to purchase some clothes, Shinobu and Aya
proceed home. The stalker falls in behind them. Mihoshi is ten metres behind
him, her hand sitting on her holster. After the initial fear the sergeant
felt concerning the stranger, she allowed her training to take over. Stalking
was considered a serious crime on Sagussa; it usually was the prelude to rape.
Strange most other races had not come to notice the connection between them.

Ahead, Shinobu and Aya walk right into a construction zone. "Oh, poo!"
the former sighs. "We'll have to take a short-cut! Here, this way," she
indicates an alley.

"Okay," the latter nods, falling in behind Shinobu.

Behind them, the stalker smiles. What luck! Eliminate the Terran and
seize Aya. He wondered what Terran life-energy was like. Guess he would find
out soon. He enters the alley, now ten metres from his targets.

Behind him, Mihoshi pales. A secluded alley was the perfect place for
an ambush. Picking up her pace, the sergeant charges into the alley, drawing
her gun. "Hold it right there, perp!!!" she barks, taking aim.

Shinobu, Aya and the stalker spin around, shocked to see the Sagussan
policewoman there. "What's going on?!" Shinobu demands.

Aya jolts on seeing the stalker. "Vysha!!" she gasps. "What are you
doing here?!!"

"What does it look like?!" he hisses, spinning on them. "You're coming
back with me, Ayara!"

"Freeze, buster!!!" Mihoshi barks. "On the ground, hands away from the
body!! Now!!!"

Vysha sneers as he leaps at Shinobu. The Terran screams as the Lost One
grabs her by the throat, slamming her against a wall with unholy strength.
Mihoshi howls, opening fire. The bolts slam into Vysha's back, perfect kill
shots. They have no affect as Vysha forces Shinobu to her knees, his mouth
opening in anticipation.

Emitting a cry, Aya grabs Vysha, then slams him against the wall,
pitting her cybernetic reflexes against the Lost One's chemically-induced
strength. Roaring, the Lost One elbows her cheek, sending the cyborg flying
against the other wall. Vysha is immediately on her, his hand pressing a spot
over the bridge of her nose. No effect. "Sorry!!" Aya cold-cocks him. "They
took that out!!!"

Vysha is slammed against the wall, stunned that the "android" had no
convenient off-switch. Mihoshi drops to one knee. "Get back!!!" she barks.

Aya leaps clear as the policewoman fires. Ten shells tear into the Lost
One's chest, slamming him down the alley away from Shinobu. Mihoshi bolts to
her feet, leaping over the prone Terran as she draws her stun-baton from her
belt, igniting the powerful electric charge which could fell anyone. Before
the dazed Vysha could recover, Mihoshi slams the prod into his chest. The
Lost One howls as twenty thousand volts burn into him. "Stay down, you
creature!!!" Mihoshi screams.

Before she could react, Vysha's foot trips her up. He is on her before
she could get hands on pistol or stun-baton. The policewoman watches in
horror as Vysha's wounds stop bleeding, the holes beginning to mend. "You're
interfering, girl!!" he growls, then presses his mouth against hers.

"Mihoshi!!!" a startled voice cries as Kiyone, a raven-haired Yehisrite
warrant officer, bursts into the alley. Seeing what is happening, she draws
her weapon and takes aim. "Get away from her, you slime!!!"

Blood leaks from Mihoshi's mouth as Vysha's teeth tear at her gums, the
first step in the process of converting the Sagussan into a Lost One. He
tastes her blood, just several drops...

...then screams, reeling away from her, as if he had just drank a bottle
of sulfuric acid. Mihoshi punches him across the jaw as the Lost One falls to
the ground, then rolls away to give her partner a clear shot.

"Hold it right there, pal!!" Kiyone growls, then blinks. "Eh...?"

Vysha convulses in numbing pain, a strangled scream barely escaping his
throat. Everyone watches in morbid fascination as the wounds Mihoshi gave him
sprout blood, flowing rapidly from his fatally compromised cardiovascular
system. Shinobu turns away as the Lost One's body begins to lose tension,
sinking into Aya's embrace. Mihoshi is pale, horrified at the damage she had
unleashed, only now taking effect.

Her eyes lock with Vysha's. Once, there was nothing save an animalistic
lust. Now, beyond the pain, there is a sense of...freedom. Drawn by that,
Mihoshi moves to him, gently taking his hand. A faint smile crosses his face
as his eyes flutter. "Thank...you..." barely escapes his lips.

Mihoshi cries in surprise as Vysha's eyes close, all muscular tension
fading. At that instant, his body collapses on itself, flesh disintegrating
into dust. The policewoman emits a strangled cry as she backs away, shaking
her head in disbelief. Kiyone runs up to embrace her partner, turn her head
away from the horrid scene before them...

* * *

In Onishuto at that time, night has fallen. At the darkened townhouse
of Yedris Seq and her family, a sextet of dark shapes makes it way onto the
property. Dressed in non-reflective dark clothing, they move with well-
trained precision to the back door. One passes a scanner over the lock, then
keys in a combination. The door opens without resistance, allowing the strike
team to enter.

Once inside, night-vision goggles are slipped over eyes. The strike
team moves stealthily to the living room. There on the floor, four sleeping
female forms lie on futons, covered by blankets. The point man flashes four
fingers, then indicates the direction. The team braces themselves, then burst
in, silenced weapons tracking on target. A muffled burst later, the four on
the floor are riddled with shot.

With that, four of the team race upstairs. Two locate the guest room
where Sugoi's three biodroid friends currently sleep. They are quickly shot
down. The other two break up, one to Sugoi's room, the other to Yedris'. The
two forms on each bed are drilled. Once that was done, the four enter the
main hallway. "Well?" one hisses.

"Clear!" a voice barks from below.

With that, tension fades as the strike team reunite in the living room.
"Well, that was simple enough!" the lieutenant who reported to Des earlier
takes off his balaclava. "Let's check the bodies."

The others grimly nod. The Intelligence Directorate strike team shift
themselves to kneel beside the four shattered forms on the living room floor.
The lieutenant draws back the cover on Reinoevan...then jolts. "What the
hell...?!!"

Instead of a dead Pathfinder, all he finds is a well-constructed bio-
organic double of Pathfinder Troop Six's first officer, a meticulously
constructed target dummy put together by the Tere'na Techno-Entertainment
Systems Datacentre. Built with actual DNA samples inserted in its organs, it
served as a non-robotic fake whenever people needed others to believe they
were actually there. The other strike team members stare in disbelief at the
dummy as the lieutenant spins on them. "Check the others!!"

Blankets are yanked away as two sprint upstairs to look in on the
bedrooms. "They're fake, too!!" the point man cries after uncovering "Linna"
and "Nene."

The others quickly return to the living room. "The ones upstairs are
fake, too, Lieutenant!!" one reports.

The strike team exchange looks. "It's a setup!!" the lieutenant cries.
"Shit!! Get out of here!!!"

They scramble for the front door, throwing away discipline as fear takes
over, thus making them not notice the outline of a pressure pad under the
front doormat...

* * *

A safe distance away, everyone watches with morbid fascination as
multiple explosions erupt from Yedris' house. Strategically placed explosives
ensure that the simulated "people" in the house are consumed by the flames and
thermite, leaving behind the trace DNA which would identify that Yedris Seq,
her daughter Sugoi and her houseguests died in the blast. Of course, the
thermite would not burn away the bullets used by the strike team on their
"targets," practically guaranteeing that whenever this crime was investigated,
the evidence trail would lead right back to the Urusian Defence Intelligence
Directorate...and Des Azu.

"Oh, my," Yedris gasps as the shock sets in, watching her home of twenty
years go up in flames. Having shed her normal Urusian clothing, she now dons
a Sagussan jumpsuit, the same uniform Hunba now wears. "I see thoroughness in
destroying your enemies is a virtue among your people, Syl-chan."

Sylia walks up, embracing her bond-mate from behind. "You wanted the
chance to get away," the troop commander sighs. "You wanted to give the
Alliance a martyr for people to rally around. You gave it to them, Ye-chan."

"I know," Yedris nods.

Asukanoevan runs up. "I have transportation scrounged up," she thumbs
behind her. "Let's get out of here."

Everyone nods as they turn away, ignoring the sounds of the fire brigade
and the city police...

* * *

"What in Lyna's name is this thing?!" Lupica exclaims as she stares at
the pile of ashes and dry bones which was once Vysha.

Surrounding the examination table on the Gatherer with the Surgeon-
General is Ataru, Lum, Shinobu, Aya, Noa, Mihoshi and Kiyone. Several nurses
and doctors are busy examining the remains. "He was one of Henra's closest
friends...if such a thing existed among the Lost Ones," Aya sighs. "He was a
Lost One for a century."

"What exactly happened, Sergeant?" Lupica stares at Mihoshi.

The sergeant explains the fight in the alley. Lupica blinks in
surprise, then runs a scanner over Mihoshi's mouth where Vysha bit her. "Some
foreign contaminants in the mouth," the surgeon stares at her tricorder
readings, "...but nothing in the blood stream itself."

"I heard the Lost Ones inject an enzyme into their victim's bloodstream
when they make new members," Lum explains. "It destroys certain elements in
the DNA makeup which has them consuming energy at an unbelievably accelerated
rate. Every week or so, they need new sustenance."

"Like the vampire legends here on Earth," Shinobu explains. "But,
Sensei, what was it about Mihoshi's body which made Vysha react like that?"

Lupica crosses her arms. "The only thing I could conceive is the
regeneration matrix," she muses. "When we were put through regeneration, our
bodies were converted to produce natural regenerative enzymes which work just
as well as the matrix. Ataru had something like this done to him when he
first visited Sagussa; it's how he was able to recover so quickly from massive
injuries. The enzyme's in our blood stream. I think when Vysha tasted
Mihoshi's blood, he ingested the enzyme and it reacted violently to his
altered system, destroying his invulnerability and restoring him to 'normal'
...and because he's been a Lost One for over a century, what is normal to him
is being...this!" she waves at the corpse before them.

"So we can use this to go after the other Lost Ones," Ataru muses.

"I could cook up an enzyme which could be inserted in darts fired out of
pistols," Lupica smiles. "I need Lan's help. Henry, where is she?"

"*The Armourer-prime's indisposed right now, Madame Surgeon-General,*"
the Gatherer's central computer reports.

"Well, UN-indispose her and get her down here!!" Lupica growls. "I have
a job and I need her help!"

"*Immediately, Madame Surgeon-General.*"

A partially-dressed and angry Lan-chan appears, immediately launching
into an argument with Lupica about butting in while she and Lum-chan had
company. Everyone moves out of the medical station, heading into Ataru's
bedroom. "Well, now that's taken care of, what next?" the *daimon'cha*
wonders as he sits on his bed.

"Let's just hope Henra and her friends won't cause us too many
problems," Lum sighs, staring at Aya. "Aya, what do the Lost Ones have in the
way of ships and all that?"

"They have five warp-capable monitors from several decades ago," Aya
muses. "Lots of fighters, automated ground-walkers, some old cyborg soldiers,
even...it's quite an arsenal."

"Won't be too much for Leona, Miranda and Rayna to handle," Noa muses.

"We better get them ready," Ataru stands. "Find Benten and Elle then
tell them to get everyone to alert status. We can worry about getting more
genetic samples later; our obligations to Earth's security comes first."

"Right away," Noa stands, heading out of the bedroom.

"*Tcha,* it never stops!" Lum sighs. "The Niphentaxians, the Hustari,
the Mikado, the Niphentaxians again, Yethis, now this! What next?! Elle?!!"

"Please, don't say that!!" Shinobu groans.

"*Ataru,*" Henry cuts it at that time. "*Lan is calling.*"

Ataru and Lum exchange looks. "Lan?!" the former blinks. "What does
she want?!"

"Put her on, Henry," the latter orders.

A holographic viewscreen appears, revealing a damp-faced Lan. "Lan-
chan!!" Lum gasps. "What's wrong?!"

"L-l-lum-ch-ch-chan..." the Seishin teenager sniffs. "It...it's the
worst news..."

* * *

"...the latest from Onishuto," the INN broadcaster announces over the
galactic airwaves. "Shock grips the capital of Uru as news comes of the
assassination of the leader of the Democratic Alliance, Lady Yedris Seq, who
was killed in a terrorist bombing alongside her teenaged daughter Sugoi and
several houseguests. A state of emergency has been declared in Uru's capital
today as the Alliance's leaders demand the resignation of the Tribal Council
and an immediate referendum on changing Uru's Union constitution. We go to
Milan Domo in Onishuto for developments."

Everyone stands on the Gatherer's bridge as the scene switches to the
burnt wreckage of Yedris' home. Milan stands before it. "This is Milan Domo
for INN in Onishuto," the reporter announces. "A world is in mourning as one
of the most dynamic political reformers in recent Urusian history is dead, the
target of a terrorist bombing supposedly launched by rogue elements of Uru's
own defence intelligence agency. With me today is Professor Tei, the current
leader of the Alliance's Plenipotentiary Council," she turns left as Tei
enters the camera's view. "Professor, what have you discovered?"

For once, the former calculus professor is shaken, pale. "Our private
investigators have examined the wreckage," he shudders, trying to maintain
some decorum. "They have confirmed that Lady Yedris, her daughter Sugoi,
Sugoi's three houseguests and six innocent visitors were killed in the blast,
along with six Urusians who have been positively identified as members of the
Defence Intelligence Directorate. We've found various weapons and ammunition
which were DID standard issue. I have asked for Nassur and Dakejinzou Shogai,
both well versed in criminal investigations, to come and independently confirm
our findings. President Lana has already summoned them."

"So, if you believe the DID is involved...why would they be involved?"
Milan wonders.

Tei's eyes narrow, outrage radiating from those brown orbs. "It's been
long known that General Des Azu has been an avid and willing supporter of
Imperialist ambitions to overthrow the Union. A man like that has no place in
Urusian society. This is what we've been preaching for so long. What type of
just, democratic society has as its leaders active military officers who
believe that because they have soldiers under their command, they can act like
God?! The Plenipotentiary Council demands the resignation of the entire
Tribal Council and an immediate referendum on changing Uru's constitution to
better reflect a truly equal and democratic society be held immediately!"

The screen changes to the INN broadcaster. "That was Milan Domo with
Professor Tei, leader of the Democratic Alliance of Uru," he announces. "So
far, President Lana has refused to authorize any referendum. However, many
experts believe that it is only a matter of time before Urusians take matters
into their own hand and force change..."

"That's enough," Ataru sighs.

The screen goes dark. Muffled wailing emanates from Lan, who is being
comforted by Megane. Rei sits still beside his girlfriend, eyes wide with
horror as it registers that he no longer has any family to speak of. Aijooa
holds the Oni pilot's shaking hand. Others hover between mute sympathy and
disgust. "All she wanted was people gaining a say in how their society runs,"
Sakura shakes her head. "I can't believe this. You'd believe that an
advanced society like Uru's wouldn't have this."

"Oh?!" Koosei states at his fellow teacher. "Look what just happened on
Vos...or what's going to happen on Ipraedos...or hell, what ALWAYS happens on
Yehisril! There, *laqu'rs* come a dime a dozen!!"

"We get the idea!" Shinobu sighs, turning to Lum. "Lum, everyone's said
that if you throw your support behind the Alliance, Yethis and his friends'll
be fish out of water! What're you doing standing there?!"

"Shinobu, after what just happened to me, if you think I'm going to deal
with any part of Uru's government, you can think again!" Lum snarls.

"That's why we need you, Lum!!" Sil walks up to her friend. "Look what
they did to Lady Yedris, who, you'll happen to recall, is your great-aunt's
daughter, your mother's cousin! You can't sit there and leave family to
suffer just because they hurt you once! You have all these people protecting
you, so why are you still scared?!"

"I'm not scared!!" Lum growls. "I'm sick of people always wondering
what I want! Ever since people asked me to be the tag champion when we first
came to Earth, they've thought I'm someone special! I'm not someone special,
I'm not someone to be put on a pedestal...and I hate the fact that people keep
doing this to me, even after I've asked them again and again to stop!!"

"Okay, okay, already!!" Ataru snaps. "So, if you're not going to Uru
overtly, what're you going to do?"

Everyone blinks. A huntsman's look crosses Lum's face. "I'm going to
dish back what Yethis and his playmates gave me!" she snarls, turning to Sil.
"Sil-chan, you and the others do what you have to do to get the referendum
going. I'll be with Noa and the others tracking down people who'd want to
stop you...and stop them!"

Sil stares surprisedly at her friend, then nods. "Okay."

* * *

Sometime later, Mendou returns to his estate. "Oh, Young Master, there
you are, sir!" his mother's retainer races up to him. "Your mother wishes to
speak with you..."

"Leave me alone!!" Mendou snaps. "I'll be with my fiancee in my
quarters for the next while!"

The retainer blinks with surprise. "You mean you're going to marry
Mistress Asuka, sir?! Wonderful!"

"No, you idiot!!!" Mendou growls. "MY fiancee is named Sil Dedron, not
Asuka Mizunokoji!!" He turns to the chief of the Kuromegane. "When Sil-san
arrives, see to it she is brought to my quarters!"

"Yes, sir," the bodyguard nods, then heads off.

"Sir, you can't...!!" the retainer pleads...

...then finds himself facing the point of Mendou's katana. "I don't
recall asking you for your opinion on my love life!" the scion of Japan's
richest family snarls. "Now, LEAVE...ME...ALONE!!!!"

"Y-y-yessir," the retainer feebly mumbles as he backs off.

With that, Mendou storms into his private quarters. Closing the door
behind him, he emits a groan as he feels his legs go. Suddenly, a voice calls
out from his bed. "You look tired."

He blinks, seeing Sil relaxing on his bed. "Hi," he smiles, walking
over to sink in the Oni's embrace. "Gods, it seems as if we have so little
time with each other!"

"Hush, Dear," Sil kisses him. "It's alright. I don't have to go until
tomorrow, you know."

They stare at each other. "We've only been together for the past seven
months...and for three of them, I was on the 'Renegade,'" Mendou sighs. "Why
is it we can't seem to press on with our lives?"

"Because we have other commitments...and neither of us wishes to shirk
them," Sil beams. "But once this is over, then you and I can be together."

"Yes...together," he nods, staring at her. "So, Mrs. Mendou...what
plans do you have for tonight?"

Sil blinks with surprise. Mendou smiles. "I remember Lum and Moroboshi
in the early days," he explains. "Right after that first incident with Elle,
she started calling herself his wife. Since we entered this willingly,
there's no reason to refer to ourselves as anything less."

She nods. "By Urusian law, we are a consenting married couple," she
smiles. "Okay, Mr. Mendou...what do you want to do tonight?"

"Anything that comes to mind," he playfully growls.

"Oooh!" she meows as they kiss. "I like that part!"

Suddenly, the door bursts open, revealing Mendou's mother with a platoon
of clan soldiers. "Just a minute, here!!!" she growls, storming up to the
young couple. "You get away from my son this instant, young lady!!!"

"Sorry!!" Sil tightly embraces Mendou. "We're on a date! Bye!!"

The two disappear via a teleport beam. "Wait!!!" Mendou's mother cries
out to no avail...

* * *

"Vysha is dead," a white-skinned woman announces.

Henra relaxes on her throne. In her lap is Shakki, the young Ipraedies
girl who is the leader's latest toy. "Who killed him?" she growls.

"He was slain on the planet Earth," the woman reports. "He encountered
the Maidens of the Eternal Voyager. They've taken interest in that planet."

"Returning Ayara to us is no concern of their's!" Henra growls. "Have
the fleet prepared!! We're going to Earth to teach these Maidens a lesson!"

"As you command," the woman bows, then exits.

Henra and Shakki stare at the other. "Mistress, why won't you play with
me more?" the young girl pouts, kissing the Zeiwanite. "Don't I please you?"

"In more ways than you realize," Henra purrs as she guides Shakki's
hands to her tunic buttons...

* * *

The next morning, Sil's private scout rockets away from Earth for Uru.
Also leaving is the "Hasei'cha," transporting Lum and her "investigations
team" (Noa, Honey, Hunba, Lufy and Catty) to Uru to begin prying into the
lives of Yethis and his allies. At Shapiro's Ice Cream Parlour, Shinobu and
Aya relax, heartened by the beautiful day. "Well, let's hope this can be
settled as soon as possible," the former muses, then blinks on seeing Mihoshi
and Kiyone step into the store, a slender blond-haired bespeckled American
with a large black leather hat between them. "Oh, Mihoshi-san, Kiyone-san!!
Good morning!"

"'Morning," the two policewomen chorus, then stare at their companion.

"Thank you so much, Sean-kun," Kiyone kisses him. "It was wonderful."

"Ditto!" Mihoshi kisses him.

"M-my pleasure," he stammers deliriously as he saunters out of the
parlour. "T-tell Akari-chan and Satoko-chan I said 'hi!'"

"We will!!" the two smile as he leaves.

"Who was that?" Shinobu wonders as Mihoshi and Kiyone join them.

"Just an anime fan getting some personal attention!" Kiyone smiles.

"So what brings you here today?" Aya wonders.

"Well, since it's almost guaranteed that your friend Henra will attack
here," Mihoshi stares at the menu, "...we were assigned by Ataru-sama as your
personal guards until the threat has passed."

Shinobu blinks. "Um...oh, gee, I don't know what to say!"

"Just relax," Kiyone squeezes the Terran's hand in reassurance. "In the
meantime, let's get something to eat! I'm starved!"

"Yeah!!" Mihoshi nods, summoning Shapiro over.

Soon enough, four Mount Fujis are on the table for the four to consume.
"Ah, a true Terran delight!" Mihoshi beams...

...then both policewomen jolt as relay alarms sound. "Attention all
internal security personnel!" Makinoshoo's voice echoes over their wrist-
communicators. "Intelligence reports the Lost Ones have just entered Earth's
solar system. Defence units are scrambling. Proceed to your patrol stations.
I repeat, intelligence reports...!"

"Aw!!" Mihoshi pouts. "Can't they've waited until we had breakfast?!!"

"Never mind!" Kiyone stands, charging her modified pistol. "Let's go!"

Aya and Shinobu stand. "But we can't leave all this alone...!" Mihoshi
protests.

"Never mind!!" Kiyone yanks her partner out of her chair, dragging her
to the door. "He can always make a new one! Let's go!!"

* * *

"So how in Lyna's name do these things work?!" Leona growls as she
stares at Oryuu over the intercom.

The Warsuit Brigade were now mounted in their armour, floating in space
as the five bright lights indicating the monitors serving as the Lost Ones'
mobile bases loom before them. Between them float the units of the Hovercycle
Brigade. The Pathfinder Brigade, joined by Internal Security, was in Tomobiki
ready to repel ground assaults. "Each bullet is fitted with a small amount of
regeneration matrix, Leona," the Inspector General explains. "You fire your
missiles into the monitors, the warheads go off and the Lost Ones get a bath
in the matrix. It should either kill them or restore them to normal."

"Why don't we just use annihilation warheads and get it over with?!"
Leona demands. "There's no need for this sissy stuff...!"

"Hey!!" Ataru's image appears on the screen. "Belay that, Leona! Aya
said there're innocent children on these tubs!! I don't want them hurt!"

Leona jerks. Remembering her own bandanna stating THE BOSS - DON'T PISS
ME OFF!, she knew not to piss off *her* bosses. "Yes, sir," she nods.

"Good!" Ataru nods. "Now, get to it!! I'll be with you shortly!"

"Yes, sir!" Leona straightens herself. "Warsuit Brigade, move out!!"

The Warsuits and hovercycles race off at the monitors...

* * *

"What are they?!" Henra demands.

She sits in the command chair on the bridge of the Lost Ones' flagship.
The image of a thousand rampaging Warsuits and two hundred hovercycles racing
at them fills the screen. "Some sort of large personal combat armour," a
sensory officer reports. "Can't seem to scan inside them..."

His words are echoed by a transporter beam. Appearing in their midst is
the same type of Phantom combat armour Ataru's bodyguards were using in their
work for Project Four. "*Surprise!!!*" Ataru's voice echoes from inside the
armour. "*Now, which one of you sickos is Henra?!!*"

The Lost Ones jolt, surprised by such a sudden attack. "And why do you
ask?!" Henra bolts to her feet. "Who are you?!!"

The Phantom raises an Urban Assault Cannon. "*I'm Ataru Moroboshi, this
is MY home planet and you're trespassing!!*" he fires.

The bolt hits one of Henra's guards, knocking him down. He convulses as
the regeneration matrix goes to work, cleansing him of the chemical poisons
instantaneously. Steam billows from him as he reverts to a normal Zeiwanite,
obviously having only recently become part of the Lost Ones. Seeing this,
Henra turns white. "No...!"

"*C'mon in, girls!!!*" Ataru barks.

Bulkheads explode as hovercycles rocket in, the pilots emerging from
their cockpits to drill the other bridge crew. Henra screams as she races off
the bridge. "Ataru, she's getting away!!" Miranda points.

"*I see her!!!*" the Phantom's head turns. "*Take care of the rest!!*"

"Yes, sir!!" the brigade commander remounts her machine as the last of
the bridge crew drops.

As the Lost Ones either disintegrate or revert to normal, the Phantom
turns and runs off the bridge. By this time, the monitors have been pried
open at dozens of locations, Warsuits and hovercycles running amuck as the
Lost Ones are mowed down, unable to resist the regeneration matrix's effects.
Meanwhile, the Phantom under Ataru's control races down a hallway, heat
sensors tracking Henra's retreat. "*Boy, this is better than actually wearing
the damn thing!*" Ataru comments. "*Hey, Mikan, how're things?!*"

* * *

In Ataru's private quarters on the Gatherer, the Project Four conscience
transference machine is currently occupied by the *daimon'cha,* his self-
appointed bodyguards monitoring the controls. "Everything's okay, Ataru,"
Mikan smiles. "Life signs show nominal. How's the suit?"

"*It's easier to move around now that I don't have to play with pedals
and all that!*" Ataru comments. "*Hold on a second here, Mikan...*"

* * *

The Phantom is stopped before what appears to be the entrance to private
quarters. "*Hmmm...what's behind here, I wonder,*" Ataru muses, then rips
open the door with one arm.

Looking inside, Ataru emits a shocked gasp as he sees dozens of alien
children laying on the deck or stretched on beds. All are either nude or
dressed very scantily. All are between Reiko's and Hazel's age. The Phantom
shudders as Ataru walks his machine in, staring at the hollow, drained forms.
"*Lyna's Mercy...!*" he exclaims. "*What sort of bitch is she...?!*"

Suddenly, Shakki appears from behind a bed, a rocket launcher in hand.
"Die!!!"

The round goes off. Ataru is able to duck the Phantom in time, his own
weapon levelling on target. "*Sorry, I intend to live!*" he quips, firing.

The bolt knocks the Ipraedies off her feet, slamming her against another
bed. She sinks to the floor, staring in shock at the dart now injecting the
matrix into her system. "You...actually shot me..." she mutters, then falls
to her side.

The Phantom pauses. "*Sorry about that...*" Ataru mutters as he turns
his attention to the other children...

* * *

Henra appears on the roof of Tomobiki High School, having made her way
into a teleport room, then beaming out before the Sagussans cut off that route
of escape. An assault rifle in hand, the Lost Ones' leader hungrily looks
around. "Now, where are you, Aya...?!"

Suddenly, beads and ofuda cards fly at her. "Evil spirit, begone!!!"
Cherry roars as he and Sakura race at the Zeiwanite.

Henra laughs as she makes an impossible leap to the ground, avoiding the
oncoming spiritual attacks with ease. "Fools, get out of my way!!!" she sends
rounds flying at the two priests.

Cherry and Sakura scatter...just as an explosion rips up the ground at
Henra's feet!! "It's a sin to attack a priest!" Lan growls.

The Lost One rolls with the explosion, sending a spray of ammunition
toward the Seishin teenager, causing Lan to scramble for cover. "Butt out!!!"
she snarls. "I want Ayara!!"

"I'm right here!!" a voice intones from above.

Henra is slammed into the ground as Aya pounces on her from a nearby
tree. The cyborg rips away the Lost Ones' weapon as she rolls to her feet,
dragging Henra into a merry-go-round spin. Henra is sent crashing against a
tree as Aya homes in on her like a bloodhound. "What's wrong, Henra?!" the
cyborg grabs Henra by her hair and arm, then sends her careening against the
school wall. "Can't take the heat?! You should've stayed out of the
kitchen!"

Henra shakes her head, then draws a remote from her shirt. "Good night,
Ayara!" she keys a control.

Nothing happens as Aya tramped toward her, snatching the remote away,
then crushing it. "Oh, there's another thing you should know!" she smashes
her fist into Henra's nose. "I'm a cyborg, not an android!! And you can't
control me anymore!"

Another punch sends Henra flying through a window, right into the middle
of a freshman class. Students scream as the Lost One regains her footing,
then grabs a boy, drawing him to her as she yanks out a knife. "Stop right
there, Aya!!" she snarls, pointing the knife at his throat.

Aya pauses. "Now..." Henra purrs as she licks her tongue on his cheek,
"...do you come back with me...or do I have him for lunch?!"

The response comes not from the cyborg...but from Shinobu, who had
slipped in behind the Lost One as she was facing off against Aya. "You die,
you kami!!" she draws a pistol and fires.

The dart slams into Henra's back! The Lost One howls as she lets the
boy go, staggering toward Aya. The cyborg, contempt twisting her face into a
hideous sneer, grabs Henra and hurls her at the broken window. She rams into
the frame, causing a large piece to dislodge from the top, slamming down into
Henra's back!!

The students cry as the Lost One drops to her knees, staring at the
protruding glass punching out of her rib cage. "Oh, my..." a smile twists her
lips as she feels her body fall apart. "How...exquisite..."

Soon, nothing remains of her save her clothes and ashes. "Good-bye,
Henra," Aya sighs as Shinobu walks up to embrace her...

* * *

Within the hour, the Lost Ones have been cured of their deadly sickness.
All children and many young adults were able to return to normal life while
others, too many others, died. As the survivors are rounded up and brought
aboard the Gatherer for processing, the "Lyna'cha" disintegrates the energy
vampires' ships via her proton cannons, thus ensuring that any possible
contamination would not later come to haunt Earth.

On the Gatherer's bridge, Ataru relaxes in the shipmistress' chair,
staring at the stars beyond Earth's horizons. He had already sent a message
to Kimaenowakai on Tofunokoibito to inform the Zeiwanite government that the
Lost Ones were no longer a problem and that those who survived would be
repatriated as soon as possible. Another problem averted, he sighs as Mikan
arrives on the bridge. "Well?" he stares at her.

The maintenance engineer smiles. "Everything worked perfectly, sir,"
she reports. "Stage One of Project Four is an unqualified success."

"Yes, it is," Ataru straightens himself. "Do you have the medical notes
you need for Stage Two?"

"Catty gave them to me before she left with Lum," Mikan smiles.

"Very well, then," he nods. "Proceed with Stage Two."

"Yes, sir!" she beams, then skips off the bridge.

Ataru sighs, wondering what he just unleashed. At that moment, Misato
steps onto the bridge. "Well?" he stares at the psychologist.

She smiles. "We're in the midst of processing everyone right now," she
reports. "Most of the Lost Ones were Zeiwanites, so we'll just transfer them
to the 'Lyme'cha' for a quick trip home."

"What of the rest?"

"Most of them are children," Misato sighs. "We're processing them as
fast as we can. Those we can identify as having living relatives will be
repatriated as soon as possible. But, there are some who might not have homes
waiting for them. I've heard of some cases where the children drifted into
the Lost Ones because they fled broken homes or else came from poor regions
where they were literally sold so their families could earn some extra income
to support the others. I've talked to Chara and Kurama and they've said that
those children should be adopted by us and resettled on Sagussa."

Ataru wryly smiles. "Here we are trying to help people bear children
and we're too busy adopting them," he chuckles, then nods. "Okay. I'm sure
there're a lot of people wanting to care for someone. Do the kids have any
problems with coming to Sagussa?"

"Not really...except for one," Misato hums.

"Who?"

"That one girl you found...Shakki," the psychologist sighs. "It seems
that despite all of Henra's abuse toward her, a rapport developed between
them. She's been asking for Henra ever since she was cured."

"She would've died anyway," he mutters. "Any suggestions?"

Misato shrugs. "I really don't know," she sighs. "I'm not sure how
she'll react if we tell her..."

"I'll tell her," Ataru stands...

* * *

"No!!!" Shakki cries. "She can't be dead!!! She can't!!!"

The girl wails as she sinks into Ataru's embrace. "It's okay, Shakki-
chan," he gently rocks, allowing her to vent her grief. "But, you have to
understand, Henra was a bad person. She did awful things to you and so many
others..."

"No!!" Shakki snaps, glaring resentfully at him. "Henra loved me!!!
She...she...loved me...!"

Her voice failing, Shakki wails. Nearby, Misato watches, then kneels
beside her. "Shakki-chan, I'm sure Henra wanted you to go on," she softly
intones. "Can't you do that...?"

"I want Henra..." Shakki moans. "I want Henra...I want Henra..."

Ataru and Misato share a communal sigh. Who knew what sort of life
Shakki lived before becoming a Lost One. Perhaps she had always associated
love with various forms of sexual torture, something which grossly perverted
the intimacy between sentient beings. Ataru stares at Misato. "What can we
do for her?"

"I really don't know," Misato shakes her head.

"I want Henra..." Shakki sniffs. "I want Henra..."

Ataru blinks, then stares at Misato. She stares at him with a knowing
smile, then nods, rising to step out of the room. A moment later, she
returns. "Shakki-chan!" she smiles.

"Wh-what...?" the Ipraedies blinks, staring at the psychologist.

Her eyes widen in surprise as someone in the uniform of a Fourth Fleet
flight commander steps into the room. Shakki pulls away from Ataru as her
eyes drink in the lovely golden skin, the braided brown hair and crystal blue
eyes. "Henra...!"

Ataru and Misato quickly withdraw as the pilot walks up, sitting beside
Shakki. "I'm not the Henra you knew," the woman who was once known just as
*daishi'cha* #23621 sympathetically smiles. "I just look like her."

Shakki blinks. "Why are you here?"

"Because you need someone to teach you what real love between people
constitutes," Henra smiles as she gently squeezes Shakki's hand.

"Does that mean you'll love me?" Shakki wonders.

"Yes," Henra nods. "Not the same 'love' my departed spirit-sister gave
you...but the love a mother would always give a daughter."

Shakki fidgets. "But...I don't know how that works..."

"We'll work on it," Henra smiles as she draws the young girl into an
embrace...

* * *

"Was that the right decision?" Ataru stares concernedly at Misato as
they return to the Gatherer's bridge.

"Shakki-chan needs the chance to explore other ways of caring and loving
people," the psychologist crosses her arms. "She won't trust us, especially
since Henra died fighting us. So, since she wanted Henra back, she got her
back...but a Henra who won't torture her or degrade her self-esteem like
Shakki-chan's endured before."

"That's good," Ataru sighs, rubbing his forehead. "I just hope it
works."

"Well, only time will tell," Misato sighs...

* * *

"Mom's dead!!" Lan sniffles. "Sugoi's dead!! This isn't fair!!!"

The Seishin teen wails as she sinks into Rei's embrace. Both are in the
living room of the latter's scout, having been there almost constantly since
learning of Yethis' "demise" on INN. The Oni pilot remains silent, finding it
very hard, as always, to properly express himself. However, even if his mouth
says nothing, his moist eyes speak volumes. "Mother..." he sadly shakes his
head. "Sugoi-chan..."

"It's okay, Rei-chan!" Lan sits up, kissing him. "It's okay! We're
gonna get through this...th-this..."

Another wail cuts off her voice as she feels her strength go. Rei holds
her as Lan continues to mourn. Suddenly, the space-telephone rings. "Wh-who
could th-that be...?" Lan wonders as she shuffles over to answer it.

The screen comes on, revealing Sylia. "Hi, Lan!" the Pathfinder
commander smiles, waving at her, then blinks. "Now, whatever is the problem?"

Lan shudders. "You bitch!!!" she screams, baring her fangs. "How can
you say 'what's the problem' when your own bond-mate's just died...?!!"

"Lan-chan!!" an incensed and VERY familiar voice cuts in at that moment.
"I will NOT tolerate you calling MY bond-mate names!!!"

Lan's voice catches as Yedris walks into view, her eyes widening in
disbelief and shock. "M-m-mom...?!"

"Well, don't look at me as if I've just risen from the dead!!" Yedris
smiles as she draws Sugoi into the camera's view. "There are ways to survive
terrorist attacks, you know!"

Lan shakes her head, utterly speechless...

*** To Be Continued ***