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The Imperial Palace
Kawaii City, Planet Genevieve
Martina System, the Federated Shiratori
26 April 3025
Brigadier Ukyou Kuonji primped and preened herself in one of the many
full length mirrors found outside the audience chambers of the Empress. It
was vital to remember that there was but one law within the bounds of Azusa's
demense, and that law was Beauty. Those who were beautiful enjoyed rare
privilege, including, perhaps, the personal favor of the Empress. Those who
were not found only derision and scorn.
Upon receiving a summons from the Empress, she could not afford to be
anything less than stunning. She had meant to delay this encounter until
Ranchan and his party arrived from Tiber, but Azusa had learned of her
arrival on the planet, and was reputedly dying to speak to her cutest
general.
"How do I look?" she asked her adjutant. She didn't like the idea of
being Azusa's 'cutest,' but supposed she had better look the part.
Konatsu beamed at her.
"Fabulous, sir," the former kunoichi replied happily.
Ukyou had to agree. Konatsu's skill with cosmetics was considerable.
With a deft touch of his brush, her skin glowed with the inner radiance and
soft luster of fine porcelain. She had learned tricks with blush and eyeliner
from him that she had never before considered possible.
"I couldn't have done it without you, sugar."
"Well sir," he replied softly. "To be honest, I did have a lot to work
with."
She grinned at him, knowing that her skin was one of her best features,
and still regarding his accomplishments as nothing short of miraculous.
"Flatterer."
She was decked out in her full dress uniform, with all of her medals,
badges, and braid, and a gold satin ribbon bow in her hair. The ribbon was
strictly non-regulation, but also a personal touch that Azusa would approve
of.
Konatsu had spent a few hours with the hairdresser that morning to put
his long hair up into an extravagant coiffure that was sure to impress Her
Imperial Divinity, and in his own dress uniform jacket and skirt he cut a
figure of grace and demure beauty that had many heads turning in his
direction. Men looked upon him in awe, the women with an intense jealousy
that Ukyou herself often felt, and kept closely guarded within her today.
As they waited outside the Throne Room, one of the Empress' pages
approached them with the wide-eyed, even vacuous smile of a member of the
Cult of Azusa.
"The Empress will see you now," she said to them.
Ukyou cast Konatsu a brief look of dismay before smiling especially
brightly for the page, and following her into the place of Dreadful Cute.
___________________________________________________________________________
J. Austin Wilde and Fission Park Press proudly present:
BATTLETECH: THE SAOTOME GAMBIT
PART TWENTY
by J. Austin Wilde
Safety Control Rod Axe Man,
Fission Park Press
wildeman@psn.net
http://www.psn.net/~wildeman/
The characters and situations of Ranma 1/2 are the
creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi and
Shogakukan/KITTY/Viz Video. Battletech and its
related materials are the property of FASA, inc.
No infringement of copyright is intended nor
should be inferred by this work of fanfiction.
___________________________________________________________________________
Chapter One
The Throne Room of Her Imperial Divinity,
Azusa the First
The Throne Room was as plush, opulant, and harrowingly pink as Ukyou
remembered it. The air was thick with the tittering voices of Her court,
the rich sweet smells of freshly baked cookies and punch offered up in
extravagant arrangements from every corner of the Federated Shiratori, and
with the obnoxiously cloying feeling of being observed from all sides by
the dreaded Cult of Azusa.
Ukyou and Konatsu made their way into the cavernous chamber knowing
that the eyes of the Cult were upon them, appraising their looks, and judging
whether or not they would be found worthy for the beloved Goddess-Empress to
behold. The eyes of the Empress did not deign to look upon the common or the
profane. As far as the Cult was concerned, there was no place for ugliness
in Her perfect universe, and they ensured that it stayed that way.
Here there was only beauty, from the lowliest servant placing fresh
sugar cookies upon trays of platinum and burnished gold, to the chief
ministers to the Empress - whose vacuous stares and empty prattle emulated
the sublime beauty and grace of their liege lady. Compared to the lavish
garb draped upon the members of the Empress' Court, Ukyou felt rather plain
in her full dress uniform.
Though her eyes did not wander as she proceeded towards the throne, she
sensed with considerable relief that the court approved of her and of her
adjutant. Konatsu's gender was not seen as a liability in this place, indeed,
his stunning _bishonen_ beauty was a powerful asset to Ukyou. Many in the
court could only look upon the former kunoichi with a sense of heartbreaking
awe as he minced gracefully towards the throne at the exactly proper distance
behind his superior.
The Empress was seated upon Her throne of creeping vines, sunflowers,
roses, and lilies intricately wrought out of solid gold wire and leaded
crystal of many colors - looking for all eyes to be a fairy princess in Her
pink taffeta and white lace gown. An array of lasers and tiny incandescent
lights skillfully concealed within the gold wire backlit the throne, and cast
shards of radiance from her, adding to the sense of magic and fantasy that
surrounded her. Her luxurious mane of golden brown hair was fluffed up to
maximum volume, and held in place with a diamond tiara and such a light
touch of hairspray that it defied the laws of physics. In her right hand
was a winged-heart sceptre of finely wrought gold, platinum, and gems worthy
of the most revered characters from the Magical Girl comics. In her left,
a demitasse of hand-blown glass was filled with sparkling fruit punch that
shimmered in the light.
This nineteen year old girl, a girl the same age as Ukyou herself, was
the Goddess-Empress of a star kingdom over six centuries old.
As Ukyou knelt reverently before her Empress, she thought back to the
day Azusa's parents had died, and the turn of events that destroyed the old
Federated Shiratori.
The Shiratoris had been wealthy even in the days of pre-Jump Earth, but
it was the advent of star travel that catapulted them to preeminence in the
Inner Sphere. From their bold expansion into space, coupled with their
fortunes and their vast networks of influence, they had become the leading
noble family among a conclave of powerful states. The Shiratoris had been
the first ones to forge an alliance with their neighbors, thus creating the
first of the Great Houses. While the Kunos were still a second rate family
of landed sell-swords, the Shiratoris were setting in motion the overthrow
of the Terran Hegemony, and the ultimate creation of the Star League.
After six hundred years of glory, it had taken a single tragic accident
to reduce the power and majesty of the Shiratori family to what it was today:
an overdressed and endless tea party. Azusa had been ten when her parents
died in a car crash. Under other circumstances, there would have been an
orderly transfer of power to other members of the family until she came of
age, but instead the Cult had stepped in.
At first, the Cult of Azusa was nothing more than a glorified fan club.
It wasn't even called a cult back then. Azusa, as the only child of the
ruling family, had been in the public eye from the day she was born. Showered
with constant attention and near religious adoration from well-wishers,
afforded every luxury by parents who were often too busy with urgent affairs
of state to spend real time with her, and never expected to be anything other
than cute in the eyes of her people, Azusa grew up spoiled, vacuous, and
fearfully pretty.
When most of the nobles agreed that the power of the Federated Shiratori
be held in regency until Azusa came of age, the Cult whipped itself into a
sudden, unforeseen frenzy. Student groups, her primary supporters, began to
riot. Soon, general strikes were being called throughout the nation, and even
the military got into the act when it looked like they were going to be
ordered to violently suppress the revolution.
Initiated by what was little more than a rabid cult of personality, the
uprising would have died out shortly after its inception, had not a rival
faction within the Shiratori family seized upon the opportunity, and
pronounced their support. With the sudden backing of these Shiratoris, the
Cult found itself in command, and pronounced Azusa their Goddess-Empress. It
was no doubt the intention of these nobles to rule through the puppet Cult
of Azusa, and its shallow, naive, ten-year-old Empress. Even they could not
have foreseen the tragic results of their actions.
By allowing the Cult to transfer all power to this haughty, spoiled
child, they had sealed their own doom. The pronouncements of Azusa became
Law under the influence of the Cult, and all who denounced her were dealt
with harshly. Influencing this little girl - who took to her role as divine
ruler of the nation with a terrible resolve - was no simple task, and though
she was not clever, she was too stubborn to be swayed and too capricious
to predict. By the time she was twelve, all power was concentrated in her
pre-pubescent hands. Her enemies were either destroyed, or cowed into
submission by the mob rule of the Cult.
Being only ten herself at the time, Ukyou barely remembered the tumult.
She had studied it in school - the events carefully revised by the Cult and
its supporters to cast the revolution in a positive light - and had heard it
spoken of by older officers in the Army, but it was with little real
understanding of what the Federated Shiratori had lost until she herself
received a command. The gross incompetence the Cult had created and let
fester became shameful to her, and even more so was her recognition by the
Empress as a favorite.
Yet here she was, down on bended knee, offering homage to her Goddess.
"Oh, Ukyou!" Azusa squealed with uncontained glee. "You're so CUTE!"
A cold sweat broke out on Ukyou's brow as Azusa made this pronouncement
before the entire Court. Whispers of the Empress selecting human beings for
her Collection of Cute had been circulating for years, though none of Her
Court had dared to confirm or deny them. The thought of becoming a prisoner
of the palace, an object whose sole purpose for existence was to make Azusa
happy with her mere presence, was beyond horrifying.
"Thank you, your Majesty," she replied, her eyes lifted to Azusa in
what she hoped was an expression of gratitude, and not the abject terror
she really felt.
"Come!" Azusa beckoned prettily. "Sit with Azusa! Azusa simply *must*
have Her absolute cutest general by Her side to offer Her counsel."
Ukyou rose unsteadily to her feet as those around her oh'd and ah'd at
such an honor being granted her. More than a few grimaced out of jealousy.
"Thank you, your Majesty," she repeated, wondering what the hell was
going on, and incredibly relieved to find that she was still her own person
- more or less.
"Bring your little friend with you, too," Azusa effervesced. "He's such
a DARLING!"
Konatsu curtsied deeply for his Empress, and approached the throne with
Ukyou. Plush chairs were provided for them at Azusa's feet, and trays of
cookies and exotic candies were offered by servants dressed as fairies or as
cute furry animals. As they took their seats, Azusa's other ministers closed
ranks around them. Ukyou could tell that a few of them were miffed about the
presence of the two Army officers - no matter how cute they were - but did
not dare object to the whims of their Empress.
Azusa, as used to being the center of attention as she was to always
getting her way, was direct and to the point.
"It has come to the attention of Azusa's advisors that She must soon
marry," she declared, and there was much agreement from the sycophants who
surrounded her.
Ukyou nodded silently, noting that Azusa didn't seem to care one way
or the other about the issue so long as she got to wear the most beautiful,
extravagant wedding dress in the known universe when it happened.
"After much thought," Azusa continued, and were it not for the fearfully
dangerous position she was in, Ukyou might have laughed at this. "Azusa has
decided that Her loving subjects deserve to see their Empress get married.
It will take their minds off the dreadful war She wages against those nasty,
icky people in the Furinkan Combine."
Again, Ukyou stifled comment. Azusa was not prepared to accept the fact
that the only reason there was a war with the Combine was because she had
declared one. Furthermore, the Federated Shiratori Army would actually have
to fight the Combine for the war to become truly dreadful, as most of the
time they were content to sit in garrison. The war was such a non-event that
even an ardent hawk like Tatewaki Kuno refused to recognize its existence.
"What vexes Azusa," Azusa lamented, "Is that She cannot decide who
would be worthy of becoming Her royal consort." She put on a pouty face.
"Poor, poor Azusa..."
Her adoring minions clucked and sighed in chorus.
Ukyou nodded silently once more, a sloe-eyed smile lighting ever so
slightly across her lips. Though instinct often coached her to be silent as
much as possible in the presence of the Empress, this was one chance she
could not ignore.
"Perhaps I might be able to assist your Majesty," she offered demurely.
Azusa lit up like a pachinko machine 'catching fever.'
"Oh, could you?!" she asked hopefully. "Ukyou-chan, you are the absolute
GREATEST!"
Ukyou bowed respectfully at this remark. "Thank you, your Majesty...
Now the way I see it, there is only one man in the entire universe who
could *possibly* approach your sublime grace, your ethereal beauty, and your
magnetic charisma..."
"Yes?" Azusa asked expectantly.
"That is, a man to whom the people could look to as the country's very
own Prince Charming, right out of the fairy tales..."
"Ooo!" Azusa chirped, her excitement building. "Who-EVER could it be?"
Ukyou decided to push her luck. After all, she needed to butter him up
in the eyes of the Empress and her sycophants if her impromptu revenge was
to succeed. Konatsu blinked his eyes at her in disbelief, understanding
almost instantly where she was going with this.
"A man of noble blood, pure heart, and sterling reputation..." Ukyou
sighed. "They're hard to find, I know, but I think I can recommend one such
man to my Empress."
"Please!" Azusa pleaded with unusual humility, clutching urgently at
Ukyou's hands. "Ukyou dearest, Azusa-chan simply *must* know who this man
is!"
It was Azusa's abrupt use of the diminutive for herself which convinced
Ukyou that she had gone far enough. When Azusa became "Azusa-chan" about
anything and was denied, it usually got ugly shortly thereafter.
"That man can be none other than Chief of Staff General Mikado Sanzenin,"
Ukyou declared in a solemn voice.
"YESSS!!!" Azusa shrilled excitedly, more to have an answer from her
'cutest' general after all that suspense than any true satisfaction at her
recommendation.
Her response triggered an immediate reaction among her advisors, who
began bobbing their heads in heated agreement. Various remarks extolling
Mikado Sanzenin as the ideal mate for their divine Empress began to
circulate out to the Court itself, which murmured its own heady approval.
Azusa, caught up in the moment, smiled gleefully.
"Mikado Sanzenin it is!" she chirped. "Oh, Mickie...!"
Amazingly, one of her sycophants actually offered an objection.
"But, your Divinity," the man whined. "He's such a playboy..."
Azusa whirled on the man, fire practically shooting out of her eyes.
The sycophant paled with the expectation of being summarily beheaded.
Almost as quickly as she had turned on him, however, the fire seemed to go
out in her eyes.
"Oh, poop! That is soooo true..." she pouted.
Ukyou leaped into the breach. "But your Majesty, if I may?" she nearly
begged.
"Go ahead," Azusa replied crisply.
"My Empress," she began, thinking desperately about something positive
to say about marrying Mikado Sanzenin, something that might outweigh his...
*proclivities.* "Imagine how your conquest of Mikado Sanzenin, the great
lover of our age, will inspire your people to even greater heights of worship?
Who alone but you, O transcendent Empress, could possibly hope to make him her
own, forever more, forsaking all others?"
She could see the fires beginning to kindle once more within Azusa's
vacant eyes.
"How true!" Azusa cried. "Ukyou-chan, not only are you my absolute
cutest general, but you are also my smartest!" She turned to her subjects.
"It's settled!" she cried triumphantly. "Azusa shall marry Her darling
Chief of Staff, Mikado Sanzenin!"
Ukyou leaned back, basking in the adoration she received from Empress
and Court alike for her wise resolution to the issue. She caught an
incredulous look from Konatsu, and threw him a jaunty wink in return.
Come and get me, 'Mickie'...!
* * *
Aquila City, Planet Tiber
"Bless you!"
Mikado Sanzenin wiped blearily at his nose, ignoring the lovely and quite
naked woman with whom he shared his bed.
"What brought that on?" she asked him as he sat in troubled silence.
"I'm not sure," he replied dully. An inexplicable feeling of dread came
over him, effectively killing his usual amorous mood. He had been sensing this
strange premonition of doom ever since Brigadier Kuonji had skipped out on him
with phony travel orders to gods knew where, but until now had left the subject
of her desertion for his staff to handle. It was no surprise to him that very
little had come of it thus far.
That would have to change, he decided.
"Pack your bags," he told her. "I need an audience with the Empress."
I'll fix you now, Kuonji, he thought darkly. You should have known
better than to cross Mikado Sanzenin.
Chapter Two
Kentaro Tendo Starport
Planet Nerima, Capella System
The Nerima Confederation
27 April 3025
Grand Duke Soun Tendo, in the company of Nodoka Saotome, watched as
the DropShip _Autumn Mist_ settled down upon the tarmac of the landing pad.
It was the last of the DropShips bearing the surviving elements of Oni's
garrison to touch down upon the surface of Nerima. He remained tersely
silent as the convoy of ambulances approached the battered Overlord Class
vessel, for his daughter had insisted upon transporting the lion's share
of the wounded home aboard her own ship.
He watched from his limousine as the DropShip's crew began the ritual
of bringing on shore power, each man straining to lift and carry the heavy
power cables from the electrical bunker on the pad's perimeter to the
service trunk at the base of the ship. 'Mech Bay doors rolled open and
ramps were deployed as the first of the stretchers appeared. Men who had
lived in near darkness for weeks on end squinted in the harsh light of
day as they carried their own to the waiting ambulances.
When the living had been taken away, the dead followed. Soun forced
himself to watch as the bundled corpses were taken off the ship and laid
out in rows upon the tarmac to await the return of the ambulances. Though
he had read the casualty figures with a heavy heart, it was only upon
seeing them in their silent ranks that he could accept the magnitude of
his nation's loss.
This is what his pride had bought, he realized. Had he chosen to
surrender, as Nabiki had urged, these men and women who lay cold and
still upon the hard asphalt would be alive. The Capella system was in
Confederation hands, for the moment, but had their sacrifice bought the
Ryuugenzawa Expedition enough time? He feared that they hadn't.
Nodoka must have sensed his deep regret in that moment, for a
reassuring hand touched his shoulder.
"They served their lord to the end," she said to him. "Respect and
honor that loyalty, Soun."
"I know," he replied gravely. "I know..."
When the last of the dead had been taken off the ship, the crew and
the troops made their tired way down the ramps. Open-topped trucks were
ready to take them to a staging area where their families waited anxiously
to see them. Soun followed them with his eyes as they boarded the trucks,
recognizing a few of the surviving officers among them, but none of the
enlisted.
Kasumi walked down the ramp last of all. Soun started towards her
from the limousine, with Nodoka and the bodyguards trailing at a
respectful distance. She offered a weak smile to her father as she
saw him approach.
"Acting General Tendo of the Oni Expeditionary Force, returning as
ordered, Your Grace," she said to him, saluting.
Soun stopped a pace before her, and returned her salute.
"It's good to have you home," he said to her.
She nodded. "It's good to be home, sir."
A moment of absolute silence passed between them. Even the sounds of
trucks and the muted rumble of the _Autumn Mist's_ powerplant shutting
down were muted by the gravity of those few seconds.
"You've done your old father proud," he said finally.
"Thank you, Father," she replied, and then fell exhausted and nearly
sobbing into his arms.
* * *
The ride back to the castle was silent until Nodoka spoke.
"Kasumi, dear?" she asked her, concern in her voice.
Kasumi looked away from the window to face Nodoka. "Yes, Aunt Saotome?"
"Something troubles you, dear," she observed. "Is it all the casualties
we saw at the starport?"
"It's more than that, Aunt Saotome," Kasumi replied. "I'm worried that
all we did on Oni will be for nothing."
"Nonsense," Soun returned. "Between your resistance on Oni and our
guerrilla actions on the other occupied worlds of the Confederation, Prince
Kuno's hands are tied. And that's not counting what the League is doing to
him with its invasion."
"I know," Kasumi sniffed. She wiped at her nose with a handkerchief
and forced a smile. "I'm so tired," she remarked. "It's getting to me."
"It's nothing but rest for you, Daughter," Soun agreed. "I've arranged
for Colonel Birch to take over day to day operation of the 1st Nerima Guards
during their refit and recovery period."
"Thank you, Father."
She needed rest desperately. This war was draining her of all that was
good and vital within her. Leading the 1st Nerima Guards into combat was an
act that she undertook because it was her duty, not because she wanted to
do it, or that she enjoyed it.
It was the reason she had prevailed upon Father to make Akane the
Heir when her youngest sister came of age. For all of her misgivings, Akane
was the one who was both willing and able to shoulder the burden of power.
Kasumi would be there to offer her sister and her husband-to-be advice, and
to help with the administrative duties, but she knew better than anyone that
she was not suited to the throne.
She wanted to settle down. She wanted a quiet life and a family of her
own. Ten years spent helping her father run the Confederation had dampened her
search for a good man, but she was confident that whoever he might be, he was
out there somewhere, waiting for her.
"It was the least I could do," he replied, interrupting her reverie.
"I do have other good news as well."
She perked up. "Oh?"
"I received word shortly before your arrival from our Consulate in the
Palatine System that the _Dragonfly_ was nearly finished with its repairs.
They should be underway within the next few days."
"That's a relief, Father," she said, a ray of hope returning to her.
If her sister and the Saotomes could only find Ryuugenzawa a little faster.
Tatewaki Kuno could not be held in check forever, and that brought to mind
another concern, one closer to home than the fanatical Prince of the Furinkan
Combine.
"Where is Nabiki?" she asked him.
"Living in town," Soun replied. "I get daily reports of her movements.
She spends most of her time out on the town in the entertainment district."
Kasumi nodded silently. Since most of the intelligence network had been
hand-picked by Nabiki, any agents Father had on surveillance duty were either
low quality or else already compromised by her younger sister. She would have
to make a few phone calls on her own to see what was going on with Nabiki, and
pray that whatever plot her sister was nursing, it would keep until she could
be found and neutralized.
* * *
Nabiki Tendo awoke with a start.
Her cell phone was ringing from somewhere under the bed, where it had
been unceremoniously dumped during the rapid undressing she had received at
the oafish hands of Rolf Thuringia, Count Baldur's son. The dolt was still
sleeping as she fumbled clumsily with her hand under the bed for it.
She flipped open the phone, which thankfully muted the ringer, and
scanned the display to see who it was that had the nerve to call her at the
crack of noon, before deciding to answer it.
The number that flashed on her display gave her pause. It was the phone
number of her contact with the League of Five Nails, a man who had been
understandably silent since the failed summit and the subsequent siege of
Capella.
What could they possibly want from her?
She decided to answer the phone, but as soon as the man on the other
side started talking, she began to regret it.
Tetsuo Gosunkugi was due to arrive on Nerima under diplomatic truce in
less than a day. He wished to meet with her, apparently unaware that she no
longer had any authority to treat with him in an official capacity. He would
quickly learn the truth from her father when he arrived, and then she would
be cut out of the discussion for certain.
For whatever reason he had come to Nerima, it had to be important. She
wanted in on it, if only to see what it was.
"Tell him I'll meet him," she said crisply into the phone. "Consider it
a preliminary meeting before he can make his presentation to the Grand Duke.
We'll meet on Oyama Station, the Promenade Hotel, at, say, fifteen o'clock
local standard time... Yes, that's in less than three hours.... I realize
that. Good-bye."
She frowned at the agent's response.
"No, actually I *DON'T* think it would be very prudent for him to come
down to the planet at this time," she replied. "If he wants to speak to me,
that's when and where I'll see him. If Gosunkugi doesn't like it, he can go
right back to the League."
She closed the phone and set it on the nightstand. Rolf stirred briefly
beside her on the bed. She froze, and waited in silence until she was certain
that he had gone back to sleep, then she slipped out of bed to get dressed.
She needed a shower and a change of clothes, but she wasn't going to do that
here.
The last thing she needed was to make small talk with Rolf, let alone
try to get out of explaining why she needed to be in orbit above the planet
within the next three hours.
"Leaving me already?" he asked suddenly as she slipped into her black
denim jeans.
She cringed at the sound of his voice. Had he been pretending to be
asleep? She hadn't thought he was smart enough to try that trick on her.
"It's daylight," she replied crisply as she hooked her bra shut. "You
should probably be getting back to the Alcazar."
Rolf shook his head. "What's there that I can't get here?" he asked
her.
She was in no mood for this. Just because she needed him as leverage
against his father's wavering resolve did not mean that she needed to put
up with him for any longer than she had to.
"Rolf, I have to be somewhere, and I don't have a lot of time for
this."
He sat up in bed, the sheet draped carelessly over his nude form.
"Take me with you," he said to her.
She laughed harshly in return as she threw on her pullover sweater.
"You've got to be joking," she remarked.
"I'm not," he replied.
She gave him a hard stare. "Look, Rolf, just because I let you fuck me
every once in awhile, it doesn't mean I want you around me all the time. This
is business, not pleasure."
Rolf gave her a tight-lipped smile. "That's what I heard," he replied,
and Nabiki felt herself grow cold. "Does your father know that you're
planning on meeting with one of the Gosunkugis?" He returned her look. "I'm
willing to bet that he doesn't, and that you'd like to keep it that way."
She bit down on a curse. It was likely that he was joking, but she
simply could not afford to take the chance that he would go to her father
out of spite. One thing she had learned about Rolf Thuringia in the last
few weeks was that he was capable of just about anything when it was done
for spite.
"You're a real bastard, Rolf."
He slipped out of bed. "I learned from the best, Nabs. Don't worry,
I'll keep my eyes open and my mouth shut the whole time."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked him wearily.
"Because I'm bored," he replied, pulling on his own clothes. "I've
been waiting here for a month now while you worry about the best time to
depose your father, and now that the Combine has faced its little setback,
I'm starting to wonder when something interesting will happen." He gave her
a pat on the butt. "And I'm a little curious about the way you plan on
handling this Gosunkugi the League has sent to us."
"I don't know how I'm going to handle him yet," she returned, removing
his hand from her derriere. "First, I have to find out what he wants."
"Well, it just so happens that I'm curious about that, too."
She sighed with some relief. Rolf was just as shallow and reckless as
she had supposed. He was only looking for a new thrill, since the whole _coup
d'etat_ plot had been a bust as far as he was concerned. The scent of intrigue
had him anxious for the thrill of more danger.
"Okay, Rolf," she said to him. "You can come along. And if you behave
yourself, I might even let you pick up where we left off last night."
He kissed her on her neck. "You won't even know I'm there."
"Somehow I doubt that," Nabiki replied.
* * *
"Why did you tell him to meet you so soon? We'll barely make it in
time."
Nabiki turned her head to Rolf for a moment and regarded him. If she
didn't answer his question, he'd find another way to annoy her. It was one
of the reasons she despised him. If she wasn't already hip deep in trouble
with her machinations and needing his help, she would have been well rid of
him.
They were in the First Class section of the surface to orbit shuttle
that ran between Nerima and Oyama Station. The Station's population was
high enough at twenty thousand people, and its vital zero-gravity industries
important enough to the war effort, to warrant a regular service in spite
of the state of emergency that had come over the Capella System. Though
the seats cost a thousand apiece for First Class, Nabiki had bought up all
twelve of them to ensure their privacy in the cabin.
"It's simple," she finally replied. "The League doesn't know that my
plenipotentiary powers have been suspended, and I'd prefer to keep it that
way. By agreeing to meet them on such short notice, I keep them from making
unnecessary communiques to the castle that might bring this fact to light."
"There's a chance that they already know about you," Rolf pointed out.
"I'm aware of that," she sniffed. "Frankly, I don't have much choice
but to do this if I want to stay in the game. I have a bad feeling about the
League's intentions. Their timing is too opportunistic."
"What do you mean?"
She shook her head sadly. Not only was Rolf lousy in bed, but he could
be rock stupid at times. "I have the feeling that Tetsuo might be here to
propose a strategic alliance."
"You're kidding?"
She closed her eyes. "Why else would he be here? Why would they warn
us about the Combine's surprise attack from Capra? And why enrage Prince
Kuno with a futile invasion, unless they were trying to take the heat off
Capella?" She gave him a hard look. "Face it, Rolf. They want something for
all of this effort and sacrifice on our behalf."
Rolf leaned back in his chair. They were weightless pending their
arrival at Oyama, and he took a sip of his bourbon and coke from a squeeze
pouch.
"None of which falls into your plans for the Confederation," he observed.
"Remarkable," Nabiki snorted. "He can be taught. Yes, an alliance would
be a bad thing for my plans right now. It would give the people hope for an
eventual truce, perhaps even a victory against the Combine, and right now,
that's the last thing we need them to have."
"I don't see why," he replied. "Their opinions don't matter."
She let out a sigh of disgust. "Because, you idiot," she growled at him.
"Their opinions *do* matter. This whole plot depends on the perception that
we are beaten, and that continuing to resist will only throw their lives and
property away. All it takes is one loyalist officer or noble, plus a fired-up
rabble that thinks we're selling them out, and we've got a disaster on our
hands. We could find ourselves overthrown just as fast as my father."
"We'll have the Army backing us," Rolf said defensively.
"We'll have *most* of them on our side," Nabiki pointed out. "And of
those, perhaps half of them will be troops who would never support me if it
looked like the Confederation could win. Furthermore, there's no guarantee
that any of the troops will have the nerve to fire on their own population
in the event of a riot. I'm not willing to take that chance."
Chapter Three
Nerima Confederation JumpShip _Dragonfly_
Drydock Three, Palatine Yards
In orbit above Planet Tiber, in the Palatine System
27 April 3025
"Station the Modified Maneuvering Watch!"
Captain Hinako Ninomiya observed the Bridge silently as her crew went
into action. The repairs had been completed early that morning, the testing
of the circuit breakers performed satisfactorily mere hours ago, the ink on
the closeout inspections was barely dry, and they were already preparing to
leave the drydock. It cost money to sit in drydock, money Hinako was loathe
to spend if she could help it.
It would take the better part of the day remaining to them just to pump
out the drydock's atmosphere and tow the starship out into space, time that
could be spent by the shipyard's administrative staff to close out the ream
of paperwork generated by the job. When they were done, they could send it
over to the _Dragonfly_ by shuttle for her signature and her release from
escrow of the payment on the remaining balance due. There was no need to pay
for an extra day or two in drydock just so the bureaucrats could get things
squared away, and knowing that they weren't going to collect any more income
from her, they might just hurry the process.
She was eager to leave the system and continue with the expedition,
knowing that whatever reprieve they had been granted from the Combine's
wrath, it could not last indefinitely. Akane was in command now, which made
her feel more comfortable about the situation. Akane appreciated the urgency
of the Confederation's plight better than a wandering mercenary like Genma
Saotome.
Her faith in the young Heir to the Confederation was bolstered by the
return of Ranma. Not only had she persuaded the cocky mechwarrior to return
to the expedition, but she had even managed to make him a Confederation Army
Regular! Hinako had to snicker at that. With Ranma firmly in Akane's camp,
his father's cooperation was practically gift-wrapped.
"Engineering reports that the Main Engines are ready to answer all
bells," her Assistant Engineer announced. Hinako shook her head at how
eager her crew was to leave the system. It would be many hours before the
_Dragonfly's_ drives would be needed.
"Have a little patience," Hinako said to him, smiling. The Bridge crew
laughed good-naturedly at the Assistant Engineer's expense.
* * *
"We've just received word from the _Dragonfly_ that they are commencing
the pump-out of the drydock," Captain Grant of the _Palomino_ reported. "They
should be ready for rendezvous within eighteen hours." A little cheer went up
in Crew's Mess at this.
Akane Tendo was pleased by the news as well. "Thank you, Captain," she
replied. "What is the status of our own departure preparations?"
"Ma'am, we can be ready to lift in two hours from the time you give the
word," he replied. "The last of the consumables are being loaded now, we're
squared away with the hotel bills and the rental cars, and the crew is all
present or accounted for."
She took a sip of her tea. "So all we're really waiting on is word from
the Consulate regarding Tarou, and from Doctor Ono regarding our wounded that
are still in the hospital."
Grant nodded. "Basically."
"How long will it take us to rendezvous with the _Dragonfly_ in orbit?"
"Three hours at the most, ma'am," Grant replied.
"Very well. Plan for a reactor start-up and lift off by four o'clock
tomorrow morning."
"Yes, ma'am."
Grant left the Crew's Mess to carry out his orders.
Ryouga Hibiki wandered in as the Captain left. Akane waved him over.
"Y-Yes?" he asked her. Since she had assumed command of the mission,
he had hardly spoken to her.
"Hi, Ryouga," she greeted him. "I've been wanting to talk to you for a
few days now."
"R-Really? About what?"
She placed a hand on his at the table, making him turn red. "I'm really
glad that you came with us from Capra," she said to him. "You've been the most
tremendous help to us, especially during the fire on board the _Dragonfly._"
She laughed. "I'd give you a medal for it, if you weren't just a mercenary."
Ryouga blanched. "Just a mercenary?" Oh, Akane... is that all you think
of me?
"Ranma tells me you were born and raised in the Confederation," she
went on, ignoring his question for the moment. "I have to be honest with
you, Ryouga. Now that I'm in charge of this expedition, things are going
to be a little different around here. What I'm asking is that you join the
Confederation Army as a Mechwarrior Lieutenant."
He nodded slowly. After Ranma's return, he had been expecting something
like this. The Hibikis had always been independent mechwarriors within the
Confederation, taking work that wouldn't put them in conflict with the country
of their birth, but never actively seeking to defend it, either. It was the
wanderlust that all Hibikis seemed to feel that kept them from ever settling
down in one place for long.
Could he make such a commitment, knowing that sooner or later, he would
feel the urge to move on? If anyone but Akane had asked him, he would have
said no. He had been content to drift along with Akane and her mission to
Ryuugenzawa, even if Ranma was right and the place no longer existed. Now she
was making him choose.
"I don't want to sound pushy, Ryouga," she added softly. "I would never
do something like that to you. But at the same time, we are undertaking a
mission so important that the very existence of the Confederation depends on
its success. I can't have people aboard that don't belong with us."
He understood what she meant. If he agreed to join the Army as Ranma
had done, he could stay. If he said no, he would have to leave. Akari would
be devastated, he thought sadly.
"Just a Lieutenant?" he asked, his voice weak as he cracked his joke.
She smiled impishly at his remark. "We've already got more chiefs than
indians, you big silly!"
His heart skipped a beat. She simply did not realize what calling him
that did to him. He wasn't sure what kind of relationship she now had with
Ranma since his return - from what he had seen, the two were all business
in public - but Ryouga knew his own feelings in the matter, and he knew that
Akane held a place as dear to his heart as the place Akari now occupied.
Two women, he thought to himself. I love two women, and I can't bear
to part with either of them, much less make a choice between them.
"I'll do it," he found himself replying. As if he had a choice...
"Wonderful!" Akane cried. "Oh Ryouga, I knew you wouldn't leave us!"
She leaned over the table to hug him. "I'd like to swear you in before we
lift off. Is that okay?"
"Um, yeah," he managed.
Akane rose from the table. "This is great," she enthused. "I've got to
speak with the yeoman about this. I'll see you later, Ryouga, okay?"
He smiled weakly for her benefit, wondering how he had gotten into
this mess so easily.
He waited until she was out of sight before leaving. Before he knew it,
he had wandered into 'Mech Bay Four. His yellow and black trimmed BattleMaster
dominated the compartment, and especially dwarfed the Locust piloted by his
enemy, Happousai, who was still recovering from the knife wound that Tarou
had given him. As he looked up at the cockpit, he spied a familiar pair of
legs dangling from a maintenance hatch near the torso-mounted lasers.
He found himself drawn up the gantry to the cockpit. Akari appeared
from the maintenance hatch as he reached the upper level, her eyes shining
at having her two loves so near - Ryouga Hibiki, and his BattleMaster.
"Good morning, Ryouga dearest," she said to him in greeting. She brushed
aside a lock of pink hair from her temple, a gesture which always made him
blush with nervous excitement.
He bowed respectfully for her. "Good morning, Akari," he offered her.
"I have some good news."
She grinned at him. "Let me guess. You agreed to join the Confederation
Army, didn't you?"
His mouth fell open. "H-How?"
Akari set down the torque wrench she had been using to check the weapon
mount foundation bolts for his battlemech's lasers. "Lady Akane asked me about
it at breakfast this morning."
"A-Akane?"
"Of course," she replied, taking a step towards him. "Whenever she has
a question about you, she comes to me first. Isn't that sweet?"
Ryouga wasn't sure what to think of it. Were he and the lovely Senior
Technician that much of an item for the crew? They had only been on a few
dates this whole time on the planet! He'd only kissed her once - and only
after she had asked him to!
"I'm so proud of you, Ryouga dearest," she continued blissfully.
This made him take notice. "Really?"
"Absolutely," she returned. "A lady should always be proud when the man
she adores does something noble and proper."
She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips, the
effect of which nearly set off the Bay's fire suppression system from the
heat of his blush.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant Hibiki," she whispered to him.
Ryouga, his brain now the consistency of mush, nodded dumbly and stared
off into space with vacant bliss.
"Heya, Pig-Boy!" a voice called to him, snapping him out of his reverie
in an instant.
He spun around to see Ranma standing on the gantry. He seemed to have
been there for awhile.
"What do you want, Ranma?" he growled. Akari did not need to know about
his dreaded Jusenkyo body, and remarks like that were bound to elicit
questions.
"I knew you'd wander down here sooner or later," he replied. "Sometimes
it's easier to pick a spot and wait for you to blunder by than it is to go
out looking for you."
"Get to the point," Ryouga warned.
Ranma flashed him a jaunty wave. "I knew you'd crack," he said with a
grin. "How long did you last before she signed you up?"
"What difference does it make?" Ryouga countered. "Akane needed me, and
I was there for her." He looked away in condescension. "Unlike some people I
could mention, who ran away first."
Ranma flinched. "Ouch... Not bad," he conceded for Ryouga's benefit.
He leaped across the gantry to the battlemech to perch upon the upper torso
deck. "At least I outrank you," he pointed out with a smirk.
"You should be ashamed of yourself, Ranma," Ryouga replied coolly.
"You've only had your commission for a few days and you're already throwing
your rank around."
Again, Ranma flinched.
"Jeez..." he grumbled. "You aren't making this much fun."
"You mean you came down here just to taunt Ryouga?" Akari asked him,
amazed that anyone would want to give her beloved mechwarrior a hard time.
He shrugged sheepishly. "Not exactly," he answered her.
"Then what?" Ryouga demanded.
Ranma rolled his eyes. "I was just.. you know... I..." He tapped his
fingers uncomfortably on the armor plating. "What I'm trying to say is that
I... Well..."
"Spit it out already!" Ryouga snapped at him.
Ranma's eyes flashed at him in challenge.
"I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're coming with us, Ryouga!" he
yelled. "There. Are you happy I said it?"
Ryouga was taken aback by this.
"Captain Saotome!" Akari cried, her faith in Ranma restored. "That's
wonderful of you to say something like that."
"Yeah well..." Ranma muttered, his hand clenched behind his head. "It
ain't what I'm good at, so I hope you appreciate it."
Ryouga remained still, his face a blank mask.
"Well?" Ranma pressed. "Do you?"
"Of course he does!" Akari answered for him.
Ranma hopped to his feet and stood before Ryouga. "Hey man, you okay?"
He snapped his fingers in front of Ryouga's eyes, which did not even blink
in response.
"Ryouga dearest?" Akari asked worriedly.
"I think he's lost it," Ranma observed.
Ryouga abruptly turned to Ranma, and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Tell me you weren't just saying that!" he shouted in Ranma's face.
Ranma's head bobbed up and down as Ryouga shook him.
"I ain't just sayin' it!" he replied. Ryouga stopped shaking him. "I
meant it, man. It'll be good to have you with us." He looked sidelong at
him. "You'll remember that I said something like this back on the JumpShip,"
he added. "It wasn't THAT long ago..." He clapped him on the back. "Besides,
who do you think put her up to recruiting you, anyway?"
Ryouga closed his eyes.
"Thank you, Ranma," he replied quietly.
"Huh? What for?"
"For thinking of me like that," he said, his eyes still closed. "A
man gets to wandering, and soon he doesn't realize what he's missing by not
belonging to anything." He opened his eyes and looked at Akari. "It's good
to be wanted, to be welcomed and accepted."
Ranma nodded silently, knowing exactly how Ryouga must have felt. The
life of a wandering mechwarrior was a lonely one indeed, but he had always
had his father for companionship. Who had Ryouga turned to? That hairy freak,
Tarou?
"Hey now," he said to him. "Let's not get all mushy here. I'm glad
you're coming with us and I meant it. Don't go readin' too much into this."
With that he jumped off the BattleMaster to the gantry ladder and left the
'Mech Bay.
I really wanted to pull Ryouga's chain, he thought to himself. I'm losing
my touch.
As he climbed through the hatch to the connector tunnel that linked the
four 'Mech Bays, he nearly ran into Yuka, who was walking forward. She spun
on him, her eyes cold, but she did not say a word. He decided that was fine
with him and let her go without comment.
True to her oath, she had not spoken a single unkind word to him - or
even about him, as far as he knew - though that had meant that she hadn't
said anything at all to him. He was at a complete loss as to how to deal with
her. Short of having her come to a sudden and messy end, there didn't seem
to be any solutions other than ignoring her.
Sayuri on the other hand, was a little warmer to him, though that was
a matter of degrees. It helped that he and Akane had been able to procure a
surplus 30-ton Sparrowhawk fighter for her from Tiber's reserve garrison. It
wasn't in the best shape, but it was functional, and it kept her from being
Dispossessed. She at least would say hello to him in passing.
She continued to pay the price for the duel though, having suffered
some kind of personal rift between herself and Yuka, who was now totally
isolated in her contempt for Ranma. It was a tough break for her, but if
nothing else, splitting up the two fighter pilots had granted him a measure
of lasting victory in the wake of the duel.
* * *
Pansuto Tarou watched the crew load the last of the consumables aboard
the DropShip and knew that he had nearly run out of time to make his escape.
His Hunchback was still outside, which left him under the impression that
they were still trying to convince the Consulate to take custody of him. If
they didn't, would they just let him go, or would they decide to try him for
his attempt on Happousai's life once they were back on the JumpShip?
If he was going to make good on his plan, he had to do something, and
now.
Slowly, he rose to his shaggy feet. The man assigned to guard him was
busy talking to one of the crew as they tossed twenty kilo cans of flour and
coffee in a bucket brigade up the ramp. His guard quickly received word from
his fellows that the monster was moving, and spun around to place the muzzle
of his rifle where it would do some good.
"Easy, big guy," the guard warned. "Nothing funny."
"Man, I'll be glad to get rid of that freak," one of the crew added.
He looked around a moment, then sat down on the deck again, apparently
cowed. The guard returned to his conversation.
Tarou pulled quietly at his chains, knowing as he did that after weeks
of carefully straining at them with his powerful muscles, they were close to
failing. He would have to part them on the first try, as he would likely not
get a second chance.
He watched the guard closely as he flexed his massive arms with all his
might. The steel manacles dug into his wrists, drawing blood that soaked into
his shaggy brown body hair. With a terrifyingly audible *snap,* the chain
that linked his wrists parted.
The guard did not notice. With all of the activity in the 'Mech Bay,
the sound went undetected.
Next came his leg chains. With his hands free, he could apply very
carefully the force he needed to finish them off.
Tarou tensed, ready to spring into action as soon as they parted. Once
the leg chains were broken, the loop of additional chain that held him in
place to the deck would simply fall away. He had waited for weeks to get this
chance, and with the sedatives at their lowest levels thirty minutes prior
to Doctor Ono's arrival to administer more, he would not get a better one.
The leg chain parted with another snap. Ever so carefully, he slipped
off the anchor chain and prepared for his next move.
The guard with the rifle was his only threat. The rest of the crew
would flee in a panic as soon as it was discovered that he was loose. After
that, all he needed was hot water.
Chapter Four
"SECURITY VIOLATION!" the 1MC crackled, as the ship's General Alarm
klaxon sounded. "SHIP'S REACTION FORCE, LAY TO THE FLIGHT DECK! ...RIG SHIP
FOR SECURITY VIOLATION AND GENERAL EMERGENCY!"
Ranma Saotome started for the Flight Deck. It was his job as the Lance
Commander to lead the ship's reaction force against the intruder(s), a drill
he had observed once on the way to Capra, but had never experienced as the
Lance Commander. His mind raced at the possibilities for who the intruder(s)
could have been.
Unless this was just Akane running a stupid drill...
There was that possibility. She liked being in charge, and she had gone
on for some time about how they had all become complacent from their time
on Tiber. He agreed - to a point - but the middle of lift-off preps was no
time to get everyone back into shape.
Captain Grant had already unlocked the Small Arms locker, and the ship's
Copilot began issuing body armor vests, pistol-grip shotguns, and shells to
the handful of crew and techs who made up the reaction force. As their leader,
Ranma was entitled to carry a laser pistol, which he refused.
"What's going on?" he asked as the reaction force hastily donned their
gear. None of them looked up to the task of repelling an intruder.
"Tarou slipped his leash," Grant returned. "One of my crew is down, and
Tarou took a hostage."
"Did anyone see which way he was headed when he left the ship?"
Grant shook his head. "He didn't leave. He's on the Crew's Mess right
now, sitting at one of the tables with his hostage. He says he just wants to
speak to Lady Akane."
"Speak?" Ranma asked, surprised at this. Tarou wasn't supposed to be
able to talk in his Jusenkyo form. "You mean he changed back to a human?"
Grant nodded. "Looks that way."
"Well there ain't no way Akane's getting close to him," Ranma declared.
"Who's he got for a hostage?"
The Captain of the _Palomino_ tried to keep a straight face, knowing
that Ranma wouldn't like it.
"Aerospace Pilot Yuka."
Ranma slapped his forehead. "Shit... It figures that I would have to
save her sorry ass, wouldn't it?"
Akane stepped onto the Flight Deck, with Ryouga, Genma, and Akari in
tow.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Tarou's gotten loose," Ranma answered her. "He's taken Yuka hostage,
and he's sitting in the Crew Mess waiting to talk to you."
Ryouga cursed in disbelief.
"Can't we just shoot him and get it over with?" Genma asked.
"Not unless we absolutely have to," Akane replied. She looked to Ranma.
"And no provoking him, just because of who he has for a hostage, okay?"
Ranma put his hands up. "Cut me some slack, okay?" He turned to the
reaction force. "Let's go, people. Try not to shoot each other in the back as
we go down the ladder, all right?" He followed well behind them as they went
to secure the Crew's Mess.
Sayuri and some of the crew armed with fire axes, BFWs, and other
makeshift weapons of opportunity held the Crew's Mess when they arrived.
It looked like Tarou was in no hurry to leave, as he rested the muzzle of
his captured automatic rifle under Yuka's chin, his finger just outside
the trigger guard. As Ranma entered to take in the situation, he noted
that Tarou's finger slipped casually over the trigger. One false move,
and whatever passed for brains inside Yuka's head would be splattered all
over the ceiling.
It was tempting, *very tempting,* but he held himself in check.
"I didn't ask for you, Saotome," Tarou greeted him tersely. "I want
to speak to Akane Tendo."
Ranma pushed aside his fellows and started down the center aisle
towards Tarou.
"That's far enough," the _bishonen_ mechwarrior advised. His finger
began to curl around the trigger. Yuka, already pale with fear, became
absolutely terrified upon realizing that Ranma Saotome held her life in
his hands once again.
"Tell us what you want," Ranma said to him. "If you want to get off
the ship, that's fine with me. You want your 'mech back, that's cool too.
I don't blame you." He swallowed a little bile. "But whatever you do," he
continued, looking straight at the girl he had come to despise. "Don't
hurt Yuka... She's a total bitch, but she doesn't deserve to get her head
blown off over this."
"Thanks for your concern, Saotome," Yuka muttered sourly.
Tarou clucked at him. "I know," he said conspiratorially. "It's
tempting." He edged the rifle up a little tighter against her chin. "But
as you can see, I had my chance to escape, and I didn't take it."
"So what do you want?" Ranma asked him. Akane appeared at the door
to the Crew's Mess as he spoke.
"I have a business proposition for Lady Akane," Tarou replied.
"I'm not interested," Akane retorted sharply. "Let my friend go."
Tarou shook his head gently. "Oooooo, so sorry. There are too many
guns in the room for me to do something stupid like that. I do apologize
for the rude manner in which I've garnered your attention, Lady Akane,
but given that my other body doesn't permit me to speak, I had little
choice but to change back to a human the hard way."
Akane slipped up behind Ranma. "All right," she said to Tarou. "Let's
hear what you have to say."
"Akane..." Ranma muttered.
"Do you have any better ideas?" she challenged him.
Tarou cleared his throat to speak. "As amusing as it is to watch you
two spar, please allow me to come to my proposition. Now given my vantage
point in the 'Mech Bay and the fact that good Doctor Tofu underestimated
the dosage of sedatives he thought would keep me under wraps, I was able
to learn a great deal about the nature of your little expedition..."
Akane took this with a nod of acknowledgement.
"Go on..."
Tarou smiled graciously for her. "You don't know how happy I was to
learn that you had taken over command from that fat idiot Genma Saotome.
I feel much more confident in your ability to recognize a fair offer when
you hear one," he said to her. "As I was saying, I've overheard many things
about your mission, such as the location of this sixth crypto key that
you're searching for. No doubt the fifth one was on Capra, correct?"
"Get to the goddamn point, man," Ranma growled. "What is it that you
want?"
Tarou shot him a heated look. "The sixth key is in Empress Azusa's
Collection, correct?"
Ranma turned to look over his shoulder at Genma, who nodded.
"Yeah," he replied.
The next part was difficult for Tarou to speak of, and it showed in
his voice. "It just so happens that I have an intimate knowledge of that
place." He looked away for a moment. "You see, when I was younger, I was
part of her... Collection..."
Ranma paled in horror, and he was not alone. From the sound of just
his voice, much less his haunted eyes, he knew Tarou wasn't lying.
"I can guide you," Tarou went on. "Since I escaped from that hellish
place, I know of ways you can get inside without being detected. That's my
offer, Lady Akane. I'll guide you safely into and out of the Empress'
Collection of Cute so you can get what you need."
"And in return?" Akane asked him.
"A full pardon for any crimes I may have committed within the
jurisdiction of the Confederation," he replied. "It's true that I could
have escaped from the ship, but one phone call to the planetary authorities
would have ended my bid for freedom in a heartbeat. I want a legitimate
out. A clean break."
"That's it?"
"Let's make something clear," he told her. "I don't put down the
gun until you, acting on behalf of your father the Grand Duke, grant me
a pardon. Right here, right now."
"And then?" Akane asked him, her voice drawn and taut.
"Once you get what you've come for, I want off the ship - with my
battlemech fully repaired - on the first inhabited system outside of the
capitol that you come to."
"And that's all you want?"
"That's it," he confirmed. "There, I'm not asking for very much, now,
am I?"
Akane drew close to Ranma.
"What do you think?"
He looked at her as if she were on fire. "You're asking me?"
"Yes, I'm asking you," she snapped. "As my Lance Commander... No,
strike that. As my *friend,* Ranma... What do you think? Can we trust him?"
Ranma regarded Tarou for a moment, surprised by Akane's declaration of
friendship as much as he was pleased by it. The handsome _bishonen_ watched
them warily for any sign that he was about to be double-crossed.
"I don't know..." he replied. "It looks like a question of whether or
not *I* can trust him. I was the guy Pop picked to go in and get the damn
key, remember?"
"That was before I took over," she whispered.
"Look me in the eye and tell me you weren't planning on sending me
anyway," he replied in a deadpan voice.
"Okay," she relented. "So, can you trust him?"
Ranma shrugged. "Honestly, I ain't got a clue."
"Well?" Tarou asked them archly. He nudged the rifle into Yuka a
little harder to make his point, and she issued a frightened yelp.
"You've got a deal," Akane said to him, angry and frightened at how
threatened Yuka's life was in that moment. "But there are going to be some
conditions attached."
Tarou gave her a menacing look.
"Conditions?"
"Yes," she declared. "Conditions. First of all, we aren't all that
satisfied that we can trust you. I believe you when you say that you've
been there before. I've no reason not to believe that. You've made your
point clear on why you chose to remain onboard the ship when you had the
chance to escape with your battlemech, but once we leave, there's no
more threat from the authorities, either.
"Your knowledge is valuable to us," she went on. "I'm willing to
trade you your freedom for that knowledge, but for now, my conditions
are this: you will release your hostage and surrender to my crew."
Tarou wasn't pleased with this at all.
"Furthermore," she continued before he could voice his objection.
"You will remain under a form of house arrest, berthing in the forward
storeroom of the _Palomino_ as you were during the transit from Capra.
You will be in human form, and not under sedation. You'll get a period
of exercise in one of the 'Mech Bays for two hours every day - supervised
of course, plus three breaks a day for sanitary purposes - also under
supervision.
"When we have successfully recovered the key, and verified that it
is the one we need, I will grant you a full pardon, your freedom, and
your battlemech in addition to a modest sum of cash to assist you until
you can find work."
Tarou scowled at her, but he didn't refuse her offer outright.
"Consider my position," Akane said to him. "You've injured one of
my crew and taken one of my pilots hostage. You nearly murdered the master
of my school of martial arts. Now I don't particularly care for Master
Happousai, and I can't even say that he didn't have it coming to him, but
I also can't change the fact that he is one of my subjects, and you have
wronged him. I have no good reason to trust you, Tarou. Submit to my terms,
and earn that trust."
Ranma blinked in admiration for Akane. He had never imagined that
she could be so articulate in the face of danger.
Tarou gave her a grudging smile of approval. He lowered the rifle from
Yuka's chin and set it on the table. In a flash, Ranma snatched it away, and
tossed it behind him to Ryouga.
"You are a shrewd bargainer," Tarou replied. "I confess that I did not
expect it from you."
"Do we have a deal?" she asked him tersely.
Tarou extended his hand with all of his usual arrogance.
"I believe we do."
Ranma watched them warily, his muscles nearly singing with tension as
Akane took Tarou's hand and shook it. One false move, pal... he thought
grimly, and they'll be scrubbing you off the floor with a damp sponge...
"I submit to your custody," the _bishonen_ mechwarrior declared, and
offered his hands. Ranma could see the purpling bruises from where the
manacles had dug into his flesh.
"That won't be necessary," Akane told him. Ranma nearly came unglued
at her carelessness, but held his tongue. Tarou offered her a gracious smile
and started towards the door.
"See him down to his 'quarters,' Ryouga," Ranma told him.
Ryouga nodded grimly and took up the escort of his former companion.
Once Tarou was out of sight, Yuka slowly eased herself from the table.
"Are you okay?" Akane asked her friend.
"A little shook up," she replied quietly. "He took me by surprise in
the passageway."
Her eyes flicked over to Ranma. "I know you were tempted to try
something, Saotome, knowing that it would get me killed," she said to him.
"I could see it in your eyes."
Ranma didn't reply to her.
"Thank you for not doing it," she added quietly. "If our places had
been reversed, I don't know if I could have--"
"Save it," Ranma told her. "I meant what I said to Tarou. You're a
total bitch and I hate your guts, but no one deserves to get their head
blown off like that. Not even you."
Yuka inclined her head to Akane as if to say something, then changed
her mind. She stalked off the Crew's Mess in silence.
He watched her go, then turned back to Akane, expecting to catch hell
from her after insulting her friend. She gave him a cool, measured look
instead.
"What?" he demanded. "I meant everything I said. I ain't gonna pretend
otherwise."
"I know, Ranma," she returned. "But for the sake of morale, could you
at least pretend to get along with her?"
He folded his arms across his chest. "Maybe."
"Would you do it as a personal favor to me?"
He scowled at her. "Dammit, Akane, don't do that, okay?"
"Why?" she asked him with a pretty smile. "Because you know you couldn't
refuse me?"
"Put it that way and I might just surprise you," he retorted. He rolled
his eyes at her. "Would you settle for me staying out of her way?"
"You've been doing that," she observed. "Tell you what, I'll hold her
to the same standard of conduct that I hold to you."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," he groused.
"I hold you to a very high standard of conduct, Captain Saotome," she
said to him dryly.
He threw up his hands. "Tell me something I *don't* know."
"Where's all the action?" a wizened little voice demanded, making both
Ranma and Akane's blood curdle. "Everywhere I look on this pig, someone's
toting a shotgun."
The two mechwarriors turned around to see Genma cringing in the corner
of the Crew's Mess by the bug juice dispensers. Doctor Tofu stood in the
doorway, a look of dismay upon his face. In the center aisle stood Happousai,
looking as if he had never been on the very brink of death.
"Akane! My sweet!" Happousai cried joyfully. "Did you miss me?" He
launched himself at her, only to be slammed down against the deck by Ranma
in mid-flight.
"Lay off, old fart," he growled.
Happousai shrugged off the blow and popped up to his feet. Where Ranma
had expected him to start into a furious attack, he instead made him an aside.
"Heya, Hot Stuff! I'll get to you later... You bring the ice water, eh?"
"Forget it," Ranma said gruffly. "Aren't you supposed to be half-dead
in a hospital somewhere?"
"Gimme a break," Happousai cackled. "I've had worse." He gestured back
to Genma. "Tarou wasn't the first person to ever try and kill me. That oaf
you call a father and his friend the reigning Grand Duke gave it a shot, but
all they did was slow me down for a few years. Tarou's little stab in the
dark doesn't even come close by comparison."
He looked around. "Speaking of the big hairy devil, where is he? The
Doc and I get back to the ship from the hospital in time for your little
security drill, and all we hear about is how you let him escape."
Akane stepped up to him. "He's in custody," she pointed out. "I don't
want you going anywhere near him, do you hear me?"
Happousai affected a pout. "All I wanted to do was gloat a little..."
"That's the *last* thing we need," she countered. "I'm sure Doctor
Tofu filled you in on the current status of the expedition?"
The little freak's eyes went dewy. "That you're in charge now?" he
cried happily. "I'm ecstatic! Let it be made clear that I accept your
gracious offer to name me as your second in command."
"What?!" Ranma and Akane chorused. "No way!"
"B-But, Akane," Happousai grovelled. "Don't you want me as your--"
"NO!!!"
"Fine," he sniffed. "After all I've done for your family... Saved your
lives on Capra from Tatewaki Kuno..." He kicked at a table leg. "I see how
it is..."
"We appreciate your help," Akane soothed.
"We do?" Ranma asked, earning an elbow in the ribs from her.
"Yes, Ranma, we do," she said to him with a look that dared him to
defy her. He decided discretion was the better part of valor, and stepped
casually out of arm's reach. "Master Happousai, we do appreciate all that
you've done for us, but the position of second in command belongs to Mister
Saotome."
Genma whimpered from the drink machine, certain that Happousai was
going to beat him into surrendering what little power he had left to him.
"Even that's wasted on him," Happousai observed dryly. "Ah well,
perhaps I should content myself with being back in the company of so many
beautiful women. Where did that hot tamale in tech's coveralls go?" he
wondered aloud. "Ye gods, but I'd like to break me off a piece of *that*
action!"
Ranma was glad Ryouga was busy with Tarou, or else All Hell would
certainly have broken loose at *that* lewd remark.
"Let me make something abundantly clear to you," Akane warned. "Unlike
some people I could mention, who let you get away with doing or saying
anything you want, *I* won't stand for it! You'll behave yourself, Master
Happousai, or you'll find yourself thrown off my ship!"
Happousai nudged Ranma in the ribs, taking care to find the spot Akane
had so thoughtfully tenderized for him. "Please tell me that you're getting
some with her every night," he whispered to pig-tailed mechwarrior. "I can't
bear the thought of a hot sweet firebrand like her going to waste."
Ranma started at the thought, his face turning beet red. "You gotta be
kidding me," he replied nervously.
Happousai narrowed his eyes at Ranma. "Are you *sure* you aren't gay?"
* * *
Ryouga took Pansuto Tarou to the forward storeroom. It was filled with
spare parts and lubricants mostly, all under lock and key. Though it was not
the ideal place to hold a captive, it was serviceable.
"I never got a chance to ask why you attacked Happousai," he remarked
to his prisoner.
Tarou gave him an insultingly smug grin. "Need you even ask? You know my
feelings where Happousai is concerned. The question that begs to be asked is
why you did not?"
Ryouga looked away, shamefaced.
"Think about it, Ryouga," he said to him. "When you come up with an
answer, let me know. You know where you can find me."
"Step inside," he told Tarou. "I'll bring you a cot and some blankets
in a little while."
Tarou stepped backwards into the room, so that he could keep his
sardonic grin directed at Ryouga the entire time. The fanged mechwarrior
stabbed at the 'door close' button, and watched as it slid shut before his
former companion.
When he checked that it was locked shut on override, he stepped away
from the door with a troubled look on his face. He shouldn't have let the
question get to him, but it did. They had been together for several years
as fellow mercenaries, and though they did not get along that well, they
had always performed admirably under fire together. He felt like he was
betraying his comrade yet again.
As he made his way up the ladder to the Middle Deck, his mind lost
in thoughts of the past and of an uncertain future, he failed to hear the
sound of triumphant laughter that pealed from the storeroom.
Chapter Five
NCJS _Dragonfly_
In orbit above the planet Tiber,
Palatine System, the Federated Shiratori
28 April 3025
Shampoo's eyes adjusted to the dim light of 'E' Deck as the sounds of
water from the ship's tanks shifted around her. They were safe for the moment,
tucked between the nest of pumps and piping that handled the starship's
potable water and sanitary sewage systems. Here they had access to both hot
and cold water, and the galley on 'D' deck was only one level above them
in case the supply of compressed rations they had brought with them from the
_Domingo_ ran out.
They had made their way aboard during the confusion in the last hour
before the drydock was pumped down, and the various welding cables, nitrogen
lines, shore power cords and other detritus were being removed from the ship.
It had been a simple matter, not even requiring her to use her Jusenkyo body
to do it. Once aboard, they found a suitable hiding place, and began the
long wait.
She listened carefully to the announcements made over the ship's 1MC
system, and learned that the DropShip _Palomino_ had just docked. The Saotomes
were probably about to come aboard. The thought of crushing Ranma's windpipe
with her bare hand warmed her. Once they were dead, and the materials they
had on Ryuugenzawa safely in hand, her mission was complete and she could
return home in triumph.
Elder Peony's attempt to overthrow Cologne would be cut short, and
General Herb would be denied. With these two enemies of the state dealt with,
the Commonwealth could turn its attentions to what really mattered, namely
the Furinkan Combine.
As for Ryuugenzawa, she did not care. Someone else could go investigate.
If she never heard the name again after this mission, it would be too soon.
Her place was in a front-line unit on the border with the Combine, or else in
a raiding battalion whose exploits would become legendary in the estimation
of her people.
She felt Mousse stir beside her in the darkness, his body warm and at
the same time uncomfortable in its proximity. She could not deny that she had
enjoyed herself thoroughly with his body, and that he had experienced pleasure
far beyond his ken with hers, but that was where the attraction ended. He was
still Mousse, half-blind, a little stronger of will now, but still hopelessly
in love with her.
She found that his sentiments made him weak in her eyes in spite of his
new-found resolve. What good was love if it made you submit to your lover the
way he had so readily submitted to her? No, the man Shampoo would come to love
would not be so feckless. She wanted an equal - or near equal, truth be known
- not a slave.
"<I love you, Shampoo,>" she heard him whisper.
"<Mousse, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't ruin what we shared
together with those words.>"
Her rebuke left him cold, she could feel it now, and she regretted her
outburst. There were still many things she needed to know from him.
"<I'm sorry,>" she added. "<It's the stress talking.>"
He remained silent, and she cursed herself for a fool.
"<I'm going to explore,>" she said finally. She pulled herself in
free-fall over to a sampling sink, and ran a trickle of water from the
pressurized header. Once she had converted to a cat, it would be up to Mousse
to shut the valve.
She let the water splash her face, and winced at the cold and the vertigo
of her change. She emitted a meow of discomfort at Mousse, then bounded away
into the darkness.
Mousse watched her go, knowing that he was the reason for her abrupt
departure. Their time together before the Jump to the Palatine System seemed
to belong in another era. Where she had been passionate, she was now cold
and aloof.
He should have known that it couldn't last. That she had used him.
Sitting there in the darkness of an enemy starship, he accepted at long last
that she did not love him, and never would. Even in the throes of their
lovemaking, she had felt nothing more for him than she might have felt for
one of the clan's comfort men.
It was a terrible realization for him.
Since the time they were children together, he had suffered countless
indignities for her favor. He had felt the sting of General Herb's wrath for
helping her leave Lightoller. To save her from the Fated Circle, he had
forsaken his own career. Every sacrifice was for nothing. Each sacrifice had
brought him nothing but pain. The hybrid general had been right all along
about Shampoo.
He could endure no more pain. He would not.
There was only one course of action left to him. He would do as the
General had instructed him. The secrets of Ryuugenzawa would belong to the
Musk Dynasty. They would rise up to overthrow the Council of Elders, the
chains of servitude and inferiority would be broken, and the natural order
of humanity would be restored.
For the first time in his life, he would be proud to be a man.
* * *
Shampoo floated down a passageway on 'A' Deck. Though there were few of
the crew moving about, she moved along the baseboards to keep out of sight.
The ship was preparing to get underway, and soon its plasma drive would fire,
granting her a measure of blessed gravity. She scampered through an open
airtight door as the opportunity presented itself, and found that she was
on the Bridge.
"Captain Ninomiya, Tiber Approach has granted us permission to leave
orbit," one of the crew reported. Shampoo looked around for the Captain, but
did not see anyone fitting that description.
"Very well," a little girl's voice replied with surprising authority.
Shampoo watched as what appeared to be an eight-year-old floated into view
from behind the Captain's station. She gave a nod to one of the ship's
officers.
"Chief of the Watch, on the 1MC: Activating the Main Engines, all hands
be prepared for acceleration," the Officer of the Deck ordered.
The Chief of the Watch acknowledged the order, and passed it on the 1MC.
"Conn, Engineering; Main Engines ready to answer all bells."
"Very well, Engineering. Helm; All-Ahead Standard."
"All-Ahead Standard, Helm aye," the Helmsman replied. He adjusted several
controls at his station, and the ship lurched slightly as the Main Engines
began to fire well aft of them. "Officer of the Deck; Maneuvering answers
All-Ahead Standard."
"Very well, Helm."
Shampoo steadied herself under the gentle quarter-gee acceleration of
the ship, grateful to have something solid beneath her paws. She crept
farther into the compartment to get a good look at the Astrogation displays.
Perhaps she could learn something of the ship's next destination once they
emerged from Jump.
The displays were all in Standard, which she was better at reading than
speaking. She was no astrogator, but she knew enough about the Inner Sphere
to realize that the ship's next projected Jump would take it deeper into the
Federated Shiratori.
Why did they want to go farther into the interior of the country?
"Helm; set course laid in by astrogation control," the Officer of the
Deck ordered.
"Helm, aye. Officer of the Deck, the Helm is slaved to Astrogation."
"Very well, Helm."
Shampoo's tail swished in boredom. The Bridge of this ship was no more
interesting or helpful than any other.
As she turned to leave the compartment, she spied Akane Tendo entering,
and with her was Ranma Saotome. Her ears flattened at the sight of him, and
her fur began to bristle. She waited until they had passed her, her huge
violet eyes following their every move.
"Ah, Lady Akane. Captain Saotome," the eight-year-old greeted them.
"You'll be happy to note that we shall reach the Jump Point in one hundred
and nineteen hours at our present acceleration."
"Is there any way we could decrease that time?" Akane asked her.
"Within the limits imposed by our stores of reaction mass and what
our bodies can withstand, yes. If we increase thrust to one-half gravity,
we can cut our transit time by half, but we'll also consume twice the fuel."
Hinako did a quick calculation. "By providing close to three quarters of a
billion newtons of thrust for about sixty hours, our HEPLAR drive will use
approximately 140 tons of reaction mass, or about a third of our total
capacity."
Akane shrugged. "Guess it wasn't such a great idea."
"It was a fine idea," Hinako countered. "If you aren't concerned with
replenishing your fuel reserves. Considering our position, we have to be a
little more careful about it."
"Point taken," Ranma said to Hinako. "I guess that's why she's the
Captain, huh, Akane?"
She shot him a dirty look. "I was only trying to see if we could get
out of here a little sooner."
"It was a valid question," Hinako said to her. She favored Ranma with
a scathing glance. "The only dumb questions, Captain Saotome, are the ones
that are never asked."
Shampoo was utterly baffled by this. Was the Confederation so desperate
for good officers that it recruited children? The little girl was apparently
very intelligent, and her voice carried with it a maturity that did not match
her tender years, but did they actually expect her to be capable of carrying
out such demanding duties on her own?
"Well excuuuuse me!" Ranma retorted. He turned for the door, and froze.
Shampoo looked him right in the eyes, her ears flattened once again.
"What is it, Ranma?" she heard Akane ask him. He did not move, nor did
he make a sound.
Does he somehow recognize me? Shampoo thought in a panic. Is that even
possible?
"C-C-C-C-Cat..." he managed, his teeth chattering away madly. "Th-Th-
There's a c-c-ca-cat here..."
She hissed at him angrily, and was amazed when he flinched in terror.
Before she could press home her advantage and escape, she was scooped up
with lightning speed by the little girl.
"KITTY!" Hinako shrieked with joy. She presented it to Ranma.
"Ga-ga-get it away!" Ranma moaned, covering up and quaking as if he
feared it would rip him to shreds.
"Ranma?" Akane asked, worriedly. "Are you okay?"
"NO!" he screamed. "I'm not okay! Get that damn cat away from me!" He
backed up against the bulkhead as the crew looked on in surprise.
"Awwwww..." Hinako pouted as she held on to Shampoo with an iron grip.
Shampoo scrabbled and kicked and clawed desperately to escape, but the girl
was a veteran with fussy cats, and knew how to hold one without getting hurt.
"You don't like her?" she asked Ranma. "I think she's cute!"
"A purple Siamese." Akane observed. "I've never seen one like that
before. It must be some kind of mutant strain."
"Who cares what color it is?!" Ranma moaned, trembling mightily as he
cowered away from the hissing, spitting Shampoo. "Get rid of it!"
Hinako held up the cat to Ranma's face. "But isn't she cuuuute?" she
asked him. He slammed his eyes shut and began to gibber.
"Maybe you should do as he says," Akane said gently to Hinako.
Captain Ninomiya turned away from Ranma, still clutching Shampoo. "I
guess," she pouted. "She's a very pretty cat," she added. "I wonder where
she came from?"
"Who cares?" Ranma groaned, regaining only a little of his composure.
"Throw it in the airlock and blow it already!"
"Ranma!" Akane cried, shocked that he would even think such a terrible
thing.
"It's probably a shipyard cat," the Officer of the Deck pointed out.
"A lot of the yardbirds consider having a cat around a sign of good luck."
Hinako began stroking Shampoo's head roughly, earning another round of
irritated hisses. "Poor kitty," she simpered to Shampoo. "You're already
thousands of kilometers from home... Oh well! I guess you're the _Dragonfly's_
cat now."
Ranma took that moment to duck through the air-tight door in escape,
with Akane following after him.
"I didn't know you were afraid of cats?" Shampoo heard her ask him.
"I'd rather not talk about it," he replied gruffly. "Can't we just
forget that this ever happened?"
"No way," Shampoo heard Akane retort as the door started to slide shut.
She laughed just to spite him. "I think it's cute."
"Oh, ha ha."
Hinako continued stroking Shampoo's fur. In spite of herself, she began
to enjoy the sensation, and craned her head around in such a way as to
encourage the _Dragonfly's_ Captain to scratch her behind the ears while she
was at it.
"You're a good kitty, aren't you?" she asked Shampoo.
When I want to be... she decided, purring contentedly, and wondering
how she could exploit Ranma's new-found weakness to her best advantage.
END OF PART TWENTY