[FFML] [fanfic][UY/Ranma/SisPri] "Lonely Souls" Part 7 B Side (final draft)

[Frederick Herriot]

Getting a good head of steam going.  Break for dinner now, but do part 8 
after.

Fred

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

	"Whattaya mean they're not gonna let us go to Earth?!"

	Benten shuddered, her fists clenching as she glared at Nassur.  Standing 
beside the Fukunokami teen, Oyuki maintained her usual calm demeanour.  One 
look into her eyes, however, told the expat Vosian bounty hunter that the 
Neptunian crown princess was as upset as her friend about this turn of 
affairs.  They were standing in a hangar at Onishuto Revolution Spaceport; 
some distance from what was left of Uru's capital city.  Nassur's ship, ISS 
"Renegade," occupied this particular space.  Even several weeks after a 
makeshift antimatter bomb wiped out most of Onishuto, killing more than five 
million of its residents, the skies over this part of Uru were a slate grey. 
  People working outdoors within fifty kilometres of Ground Zero for 
protracted periods of time, to protect themselves from fallout, wore 
respirators and hazard suits.

	"That's right," Nassur confirmed, nodding.  "As far as the Noukiites are 
concerned, there's no reason for any of us to visit Earth."

	Benten crossed her arms.  "Oh?!  What about what Lupica wanted?"

	"The Noukiite government has promised a full and detailed explanation about 
all military and paramilitary missions run against elements of the Urusian 
government to the Federation and other interested parties."  Nassur then 
held up a cautioning hand.  "And yes, that'll include everything Moroboshi 
Ataru might've been directly involved with."

	"Dammit, Nassur . . .!"

	A touch of ice entered the Vosian's voice.  "Benten."

	Benten winced, though the flash in her eyes told Nassur that explanation 
had not gone far enough.  Taking a deep breath, he waved the two women 
towards "Renegade's" gangplank.  "I know you want to go to Earth and see how 
Lum-chan and Ran are doing," he said, lowering his voice in case any of the 
Noukiites serving as maintenance or security overheard them.  "There's 
nothing wrong with that.  But don't forget, as far as the Noukiite 
authorities are concerned, Lum-chan is dead.  Do you want me to try to 
explain to the Noukiites this 'crossing over' thing Lum-chan and Ran 
underwent as soon as they arrived in Tomobiki?"

	"Hell, no!" Benten snapped before she took a deep breath to relax herself.  
"Look, Nassur.  I personally don't give a fuck about Moroboshi.  Never have, 
to be honest with you.  If he helped these guys trace down the people who 
murdered his grandmother, it sure don't bother me!  But given how much Lum 
still likes the damned jerk, what the hell's gonna stop some Ip'ihu asshole 
from finally puttin' two and two together and make them decide to go after 
her?!  After all she's lost, Nassur, she don't deserve that at all!"

	Nassur gazed on her, nodding.  "Agreed, she doesn't."

	"If only Father hadn't promised the Zephyrites that I wouldn't use the Warp 
Chamber to travel to Earth again," Oyuki lamented.

	"Well, you have to admit, telling Lum-chan's friends about her 'death' 
ended up doing more harm than good, Oyuki-sama," Nassur warned.

	Oyuki winced.  In conversing with the women calling themselves Izumo Seiko 
and Izumo Sakiko sometime ago, Oyuki and Benten had learned of the terrorist 
attack on Tomobiki High School a week before.  An attack that, while 
launched in answer to the "space-taxi/world oil theft" incident just after 
the first Tag Race, had been directly prompted by the news Oyuki had brought 
to Earth concerning Lum's fate.  "Yes, that is true . . . "

	"Nassur-chan?!"

	He looked towards the closed doors of the hangar.  The Vosian's blue eyes 
glowed as his brainwave-tracking powers automatically locked in on the 
newcomer.  His bearded face broke out into a grin.  "Dake-chan, what in 
Lecasur's name are YOU doing here?!" he demanded as the newcomer slipped off 
her breathing mask, her hand moving to unzip her hazard suit to reveal a 
Fukunokami battle bikini.

	Benten and Oyuki were stunned on recognizing the elfin-eared, red-fur 
tailed bounty hunter, a woman whose origins had been lost in time for five 
million years.  "Dakejinzou!"/"Shogai-sama!" they blurted in sync.

	"Oh, no need to be formal!" Shogai Dakejinzou said as she slipped off her 
hazard suit, nodding thanks as a technician came up to take it away before 
she faced her old partner and his companions.  "Anyhow, it's come to my 
attention that you three want to visit Earth."

	"How'd you find out?" Nassur wondered.

	"The Inquisition.  When you spoke to the military governor yesterday about 
going to Earth to look in on what's going on there, one of the liaisons from 
the Holy Inquisition overheard it.  He relayed that information to 
Inquisitor-Bishop Owleye on Jiyuu.  Considering some of the more . . . " -- 
her cat-slit blue eyes twinkled amusedly -- "*Unusual* circumstances 
surrounding this whole matter, Firesky decided that this will, for once, be 
permitted."

	"We can go?!" Benten gasped.

	"Yes.  As long as you come with me on my ship."

	"Why?" Oyuki wondered.  Then, as Dakejinzou gazed on her, the princess 
added, "Well, not that we're not grateful, of course, but . . . "

	Dakejinzou held up a hand.  "Princess Oyuki, I should warn you that the 
Inquisition is aware of what happened to your friends now on Earth," she 
said, lowering her voice.  "They haven't chosen to pass it on to the 
Noukiites.  Nor will they do so.  And if you want to know why, you can thank 
Ataru for that if or when you see him sometime soon."

	Nassur blinked.  "He asked them to keep silent about it?"

	"Yes, he did," Dakejinzou replied.  "And while there's already enough 
problems when it comes to a 'first contact' with a race like these 
Nendo-kata, I got the clear hint from Firesky that there's something else 
involved in this.  Something even HE doesn't know about."

	Dakejinzou winked at Nassur.  The Vosian nodded.  Firesky Owleye, the 
senior Inquisitor in Jiyuu's sector, was one of the most famous lawmen in 
the local cluster.  A man who had hunted all sorts of malcontents for almost 
two centuries, rumour had it that soon, he would be elevated to 
Inquisitor-Archbishop and assigned the Inquisition's top job, Supreme 
Defender of the Six Churches.  Only one other law-enforcement officer in the 
local cluster was spoken of with the same respect the Zephyrite had gained 
from fans and detractors alike:  Nassur's and Dakejinzou's own teacher, 
Grand Duke Varanko of Kyotos, Lord High Executioner of the Royal Kingdoms of 
Yehisril.

	"Could it be perceived as a danger?" Nassur asked.

	A shrug twitched her shoulders.  "Hard to tell.  But I believe this is 
considered a very important secret deep within the Moroboshi family. If it 
is and if it's seen as non-threatening, that's that."

	"Oh, wonderful!" Benten spat out as she threw up her hands in frustration.  
"In other words, what you're tellin' us is that Lum's and Ran's lives now 
ride on Moroboshi's good fuckin' will!  Is that it?!"

	Dakejinzou's tail swished snappily to and fro.  Nassur's eyes rolled.  He 
knew that anyone who elicited THAT reaction from the older bounty hunter 
found themselves treading on VERY thin ice.  "Benten."  Dakejinzou's voice 
lost all its emotion as she fixed the younger girl with a penetrating stare. 
  "I should advise you to scuttle that attitude of yours right away.  Ditto 
with you, Princess!"  She swung on Oyuki, causing the Neptunian to wilt.  
"Before you two get any bright ideas, I should warn you this:  Some time 
ago, I agreed to go on retainer for Brother Darklight Sunfire.  He was Lady 
Nagaiwakai's chief advisor.  The job is simple:  I am to help ensure, when 
I'm needed, that Moroboshi Ataru AND members of his family are kept free of 
harm, both PHYSICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL harm!"  She held up a warning finger.  
"In other words, if either of you two pull any stupid stunts on Ataru or on 
any of his sisters, you answer to *me.*"

	Benten and Oyuki paled as they both ducked Dakejinzou's look.  "I see."  
Nassur then gazed on the younger women.  "By the way, girls, if you think 
I'm going to help you out in that case, you're both mistaken."

	Lum's friends moaned.  Everyone then jolted as a communications buzzer 
sounded off.  Dakejinzou tapped her earring.  "Yes, Ship?"

	"*Message from Ipraedos Listening Post Seven,*" the main computer of the 
hunter's ship, ISS "Goddess of Luck," replied.  "*They detected the Ellsian 
patrol monitor RENS 'Rose Emperor' having passed their area of operations 
twelve hours ago.  En route to the Earth-Neptune system.*"

	Everyone perked.  "Elle?!"

**** **** ****
"Lonely Souls"
By Fred Herriot
pyeknu at hotmail.com OR fherriot at yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2," created by Takahashi Rumiko; and 
"Sister Princess," created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.
**** **** ****

NOTE:  The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

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

THE SEVENTH PART, "B" SIDE - EMPTY DREAMS

	"THIS is your champion kendou-ka?!"

	Chikage shook her head as Kunou slowly staggered back to his feet.  Nearby, 
Marie exchanged a look with Nabiki.  "Nabiki-san, has Kunou-san there EVER 
faced a serious challenger?" she asked.

	Nabiki snorted.  "No, he faced Ranma-chan all the time, but he denied it to 
himself every time she plastered him all over the place."

	"You . . . "

	Kunou recovered his footing, turning to gaze dizzily on the young 
sorceress.  As Chikage's cool yet sensuous looks began to register in the 
kendou-ka's mind, a familiar surge of desire foamed from his heart.  "Truly 
impressive for one as lovely as you, my violet-haired goddess of night!" he 
declared.  "Yes!  Very impressive indeed . . .!"

	"Oh, shit!  Here he goes again!" Fujii Chieko groaned.

	"Chieko, there ARE children present!" Nabiki scolded her friend.

	Chieko acked, she glancing at Hinako.  The youngest of the sisters stared 
at the older girls with a giggle.  "It's alright!" she assured everyone as 
her hand rose to her mouth.  "Jii-san and Mamoru-chan swear even worse!"

	Marie snickered.  " . . . before I soundly deal with the traitors and 
backstabbers who've no doubt fallen under the spell of that wretch Saotome 
Ranma and your own perverted brother . . .!" Kunou growled before a stricken 
look crossed his face.  "Oh, the SHAME you must feel, Violet One!" he 
wailed.  "To be related by BLOOD to such a scoundrel as . . .!"

	*CRACK!*

	Kunou gasped as the end of Chikage's jou slammed into his breastbone, 
sending him faltering back two metres.  "First of all, *Sempai,* my name is 
not 'violet one.'"  The sorceress swung into a new ready stance.  "And 
secondly, I happen to be very content with my relationship with Ani-kun.  
After all, compared to a fool like YOU . . .!" -- in the flash of an eye, 
she was standing nose-to-nose with the kendou-ka, her dark-eyed gaze boring 
into him like twin amethyst drills -- "Ani-kun is TEN TIMES the man!"

	Kunou jumped back.  "WHAT?!  You DARE proclaim such a lie?!  No doubt, that 
black scoundrel has enchanted you to . . .!"

	*Tap!*  Shiatsu strike to the throat to freeze his voice box.  "You were 
about to say I've been enchanted by Ani-kun into saying such 'lies,'" 
Chikage mused as she stepped back from the kendou-ka, allowing the jou to 
rest in her hands.  "Spare me.  No, please!  In fact, spare us ALL your 
verbal diarrhoea, Tatewaki.  You wouldn't know real magic if it stripped you 
nude, deposited you in an amphitheatre in the middle of typhoon season and 
made you dance the Macarena in front of a crowd of sex-starved 
nymphomaniacs!"

	Gales of laughter welled up from the crowd as many of their minds quickly 
conceived of what Chikage's unique allegory would look like.  Hearing that, 
Kunou shuddered as the sorceress turned her back to him.  "Though 
truthfully, it shouldn't really surprise me that you've continued to live 
under the delusion that the male and female Saotome Ranma are two separate 
people.  You've had that curse demonstrated to you HOW many times to date?  
Five?  Ten?  Twenty?  Tell me something, Tatewaki:  Do you actually become 
AROUSED every time you see such a handsome specimen of adolescent manliness 
as Ranma-kun transformed into a bubbling vision of adolescent womanhood as 
Ranma-chan?"

	The laughter picked up, which made Kunou quake as Chikage continued her 
tirade, "Tatewaki, please!"  She shook her head, a *tsk-tsk* clicking her 
voice in the background.  "If you ARE bisexual, why, there's no need at all 
to feel ASHAMED about it!"  Hearing that, several viewing this gripped their 
stomachs as delirious guffaws shook them from head to toe.  "Being such 
doesn't make you the victim of some moral 'poison' as some of the more 
narrow-minded among us would fervently claim at the drop of the proverbial 
hat."

	A voiceless roar escaped Kunou as he lunged on Chikage, his bokken zinging 
for her forehead.  People screamed as the sorceress seemed to freeze in 
place.  She disappeared into a faint blur as the jou knocked the kendou-ka's 
weapon out of his hand.  The wooden sword flipped through the air in Marie's 
direction.

*    *    *

	"We got the ones at the shrine, Rose!"

	"Okay, ma'am!  Locking in on the one at the school now!!"

*    *    *

	Seeing the big stick fly through the air, Michael barked as he lunged for 
it.  "Ah, Michael!" Marie cried.

	She moved to restrain her pet.  Hinako swung to follow.  "Marie-chan!"

	People watched as Michael leapt into the air, snaring the bokken.  A whoop 
echoed through the crowd as the retriever made a perfect landing.  Marie 
moved to catch him as Kunou leapt at the dog to retrieve his weapon.  At 
that moment, Hinako reached the spot Marie was standing at when Seven Bake 
Rose, in orbit, locked in on her bio-signature and energized her ship's 
transporter.

	Instantaneously sensing the de-materializing energy seemingly focusing on 
its controller, the Staff of Gihan briefly flared as it formed a protective 
shield to prevent Hinako from being taken away from her sisters and friends. 
  That shield deflected the sensor trace off to Hinako's right, directly on 
Kunou Tatewaki.  The energy faded for a second as the sudden change of 
target coordinates was noted in the transporter's computer unit, and then 
de-materialization began anew.  This time without interruption.

	If he still had a voice, Kunou no doubt might have bellowed something 
rather inspirational.  Such as, "WHAT FOUL SORCERY IS THIS?!"

	People watched wide-eyed as the defrocked kendou team captain vanished in a 
shower of sparkles.  Silence fell over the front lawn of Fuurinkan High.  By 
then, Michael had turned to give his new prize to Marie.

	Hinako then asked, "A-ri-ri?!  Where'd he go?!"

	Marie looked, blinking on seeing everything in place save one kendou-ka who 
was in the midst of being humiliated by Chikage.  "Wha . . .?"

	Mutterings rose from the crowd as Hinako walked up to stare on the spot 
where Kunou had last been.  "Ne, ne, Chikage-chan?" she asked as she faced 
the sorceress.  "Why'd you make him go away like that?!"

	***Actually, Hinako, someone else took him away.***

	"Huh?!  What do you mean, Bou-san?!"

	The Staff whispered the answer.  Watching the young girl speaking to the 
magic wand in her hand, the assembled Fuurinkan High students and staff 
didn't feel any need to panic.  After all, compared to some of the things 
they had been witness to or been a part of -- including the welcomed sight 
of Kunou Tatewaki being made to vanish before their very eyes minutes before 
-- having kids speak to magic wands seemed . . . well, seemed NORMAL!

	"EH?!"

	Eyes locked on Hinako.  The youngest of the sisters was wide-eyed as she 
turned on Chikage.  "Chikage-chan!  Bou-san just said . . .!"

	"That someone in orbit over Earth just tried to abscond with Marie?"

	"Yeah, she . . .!"  Hinako stopped herself, sighing.  "Chikage-chan?"

	"Hai?"

	"DON'T DO THAT TO HINA!"

	"Do what?"

	Hinako moaned.  A cell-phone rang.  "Moshi-moshi," Marie answered it.  "Oh, 
Aneue-sama, is there a . . .?"  She stopped as Negako's voice cut her off, 
and then her eyes went wide.  "EH?!" she shrieked, making everyone stare her 
way.  "***SOMEONE KIDNAPPED OUR SISTERS?!***"

	As soon as that shout faded into the early afternoon air, another bellow 
echoed over Nerima from the general direction of the Tendou doojou.  "It 
seems that we don't need to inform Ani-kun about this," Chikage mused.

*    *    *

	"***ELLE, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!***"

	Kasumi and Shinshi, standing at the doorway leading into the latter's 
bedroom, exchanged a look as Ataru's outraged scream rocked the Tendou home.

	"I take it this must be a friend of Ataru-kun's," the former mused.

	The latter fearfully chuckled.  "Some friend!"

	"'Friend?!'"

	Both winced as Ataru marched up to them, finger rising in objection.  In 
his hand was a folded note of white paper embossed with a pink rose.  "Oh, 
no, NO, my friends!  This lady's NO friend of mine!"  He shook his head and 
finger before he turned to indicate the spot where Yotsuba last stood.  "No, 
indeed!  She's a lot WORSE than that!"

	"And she is?" Kasumi prodded.

	Dramatic pause.

	Ataru turned away.  "My fiancée."

	The Tendous gazed at him as he let loose another scream.  "Gee, and I 
thought RANMA had problems with fiancées?!" Shinshi muttered.

	Kasumi covered her mouth politely.  "Oh, my!"

*    *    *

	"Where am I . . .?"

	Karen looked around, surprised to find herself in a softly coloured room of 
white, light pinks and browns.  The room, possessing the same feel as a 
hotel room -- as the stepdaughter of a government official who often 
travelled overseas on business, Karen knew what *those* were like -- came 
with a bed, nightstand, work table and chair, what seemed to be a 
television/entertainment centre, a small wardrobe with vanity and what 
looked like a microwave oven.  Two doors lead from this room elsewhere.  One 
clearly was the main entrance while the other seemed to go into a bathroom.  
The room's stylishness, more advanced than anything Karen EVER had seen, 
sent chills through her.

	Where was she?

	One of the doors opened, revealing a middle-aged woman in a dark dress akin 
to what Guenevere wore when she tended to Aria.  "Good afternoon, 
Karen-sama," she hailed, bowing politely to her before she came up to guide 
the young woman to the bed.  "How are you today?"

	Karen was quick to notice the lack of lip-synch.  Realizing that, another 
chill ran through her, though she didn't resist the maid's guidance.  "Where 
am I, miss?" she then hesitantly asked.

	"You're aboard the Royal Ellsian Navy Ship 'Rose Emperor,' dear," the maid 
replied as she proceeded to the microwave.  "Your sisters and you are 
currently the guests of Her Majesty Queen Elle, your brother's betrothed.  
Computer, tea, Earth Japanese 'sencha,' one cup, serve standard."

	The microwave -- *A replicator?!* Karen wondered -- beeped, and then the 
door opened to reveal a cup of tea.  "Arigatou," she said as the maid handed 
it to her.  "Queen Elle?  Why would she want . . .?"  Her voice trailed off 
as it suddenly hit her.  "Onii-chan?"

	"I'm not aware of the exact circumstances surrounding your brother's 
betrothal to Her Majesty, but it seems she desires to press through with the 
matter."  The maid then gave her a sympathetic look.  "And I recommend that 
you do nothing which could anger the Queen, Karen-sama.  Many of us know 
that whatever Her Majesty desires, she gets."

	Hearing that, Karen shuddered.  "H-hai!"

	A content smile then crossed the older woman's face.  "If you require 
something else, please use the call button by the lamp."  She pointed to the 
object in question before bowing to her charge.  "Excuse me, please."

	The maid withdrew. Karen watched her go.  Setting the cup on the 
nightstand, she sank back into the bed.  "Onii-chan . . .!" she whispered as 
tears welled in her eyes, her arms wrapping around herself.

*    *    *

	"Rose?"

	"Your Majesty . . .?"

	"Why are there only NINE of Honey's sisters here?!"  Elle, she seated in 
the Flag Admiral's chair on the bridge of the "Rose Emperor," gazed intently 
at Seven Bake Rose.  "You guaranteed there'd be ten of them ready for 
transport to the ship when I wanted them brought here!  Where is Marie?!"

	"I . . .!"  The mercenary scratched her hair.  "I can't understand it 
myself, ma'am!  I had a positive transporter lock on Susumu, right to the 
point when I energized the system to bring her aboard!  She should've been 
beamed right into the guest cabin set aside for her!"

	The monitor's science officer came up.  "It's true, Your Majesty."

	The Rose Queen glared at her.  "What do you mean?"

	A datapadd was handed over.  "Transporter lock was confirmed as soon as 
Rose activated the system," the officer explained.  "But at the very instant 
the system was energized, the target moved away from the exact location she 
was when transporter lock was made.  At that moment, as you'll see, 
something got in the way and deflected the trace to the man now occupying 
Miss Susumu's guest room."

	Elle gazed at the readout, blinking.  "What caused this?"

	The science officer shook her head.  "Impossible to say at this time, Your 
Majesty.  I'm having it analysed right now."

	"I see.  Very well, then."  Elle handed the padd back, and then she gazed 
on Rose.  "Well, save for this problem, you did carry out the mission 
assigned to you, Rose.  Well done.  In the meantime, Captain, I think it's 
time we left.  Take us out of here and return us towards Toshitto."

	The monitor's captain nodded.  "Aye, Your Majesty."

	Rose perked as orders were barked to break orbit.  "We're not staying?"

	Elle shook her head.  "No.  I'm taking her into the Slot.  We'll place 
ourselves halfway between here and Toshitto to wait for Honey to react."

	The Rose Queen then stood, heading to the turbolift to carry her below 
decks.  Her entourage of aides and personal bodyguards moved to flank her as 
she stepped off the bridge.  Rose followed her.  "What makes you think Mr. 
Groom can follow you, ma'am?" she then asked.

	"A test, Rose.  Remember, Honey DID fight with the Noukiites when he 
decided to hunt down his grandmother's killers.  I want to know how well 
connected he is when it comes to the Dominion.  This might be turned to our 
advantage if we play our hand correctly.  After all, you know what might 
happen if the Noukiites carry out their threat and withdraw from the 
Federation, much less secure formal ties with Ipraedos and the Seifukusu.  
If that leads to the Federation's collapse, I want the Kingdom to be on the 
winning side."

	The mercenary considered that.  "Smart thinking, ma'am.  But what happens 
if Mr. Groom can't get any help to rescue his sisters?"

	"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Rose."

	"Yes, ma'am."  Rose then perked as she remembered something else.  "Oh!  
What about that guy who got snatched in lieu of Susumu?"

	"Throw him in with Miyake and her friends.  From what I've seen of him so 
far, he reminds me a little too much of Mendou Shuutarou."

	"Yes, ma'am!"

*    *    *

	"Headache, Ataru?"

	Ataru blinked before a moan escaped him as Negako tapped a couple points on 
his neck.  "Thanks, Onee-chan.  You're a life-saver."

	"I try not to be," Negako noted as she sat down beside him, canting her 
eyes to the shouting crowd in the middle of the old shrine's living room.  
"How quickly these fools so readily revert to type, ne?"

	He shook his head.  "Got that right."

	After giving Kasumi and Shinshi an explanation about his "betrothal" to 
Elle, Ataru received a call from Marie, relaying information from Negako 
concerning the Rose Queen's absconding with Kunou Tatewaki and all his other 
half-sisters save Chikage and Hinako.  Returning to the shrine, Ataru heard 
everyone's story, and then he sent Miree off to find Ranma.

	Those Ataru immediately thought of as the "Tomobiki Idiot Brigade" arrived 
two minutes after the Hollywoodite high priestess departed.  Deep down, he 
knew it wasn't fair to call them THAT, especially now with over thirty 
students somewhere in outer space, held hostage to make him surrender and 
marry that rose-loving twit.  But given the way that some of the people in 
that group -- Sakura, Cherry, Onsen Mark, plus a half-dozen Kuromegane from 
the Mendou estate -- began shouting demands at him the instant they passed 
through the front door, it was a relief when Negako came up and temporarily 
silenced them with shiatsu strikes to the throat.  At least Kotatsuneko had 
kept his peace, merely setting up a low table (complete with the requisite 
space heater) in the room, and then he began preparing tea for Ataru, 
Negako, Reiko and Kaneko.

	The local idiot brigade arrived a minute later, trailed by Chikage, Hinako 
and Marie, plus Michael.  Ataru recognized Tendou Nabiki in that crowd, 
though he strongly suspected that the old ninja in the dark green bodysuit 
was possibly Sarugakure Sasuke, Kunou Tatewaki's ninja retainer.  As Chikage 
tried to give Ataru a detailed explanation on events at Fuurinkan High, the 
crowd of boys in sports gear and martial arts uniforms began loudly begging 
him to find the kendou-ka in question.  When Ataru asked why, one of the 
newcomers, a kendou-ka himself, explained that, on behalf of Tendou Akane's 
school-wide fan-club, they were honour-bound to finish thrashing Kunou for 
all the bad things he had done to her.  Hearing that, the crowd of parents 
from Tomobiki -- Ataru recognized only Shinobu's mother and father -- 
readily laid into them, wondering what made a narcissist like Kunou more 
important than their own babies.  The shouting match started right then and 
there.

	"Hey, Ataru!"

	Ataru looked up, breathing out as Ranma slipped through an open window 
before making her way to the table.  "Hi!  Heard the news?"

	"Yeah, Miree told me everything."  She then blinked as a giant mi-ke cat 
handed her a cup of tea.  "Oh, um . . .!  Th-thanks!"

	"Ah, sorry," Ataru apologized before doing introductions.

	"Pleased to meet you."  Ranma shook Kotatsuneko's paw, and then she gazed 
on the small crowd of people screaming and yelling at each other by the 
front door.  "Man, what the hairy hell's wrong with them?!" she asked, 
pointing.

	"Trying to prioritize who should get rescued first, I think."

	"So what's the plan?"

	Another groan escaped him.  "Other than taking something for this headache 
I've got now?  Nothing at all," he confessed as he covered his eyes with his 
hands.  Then, as he pulled them away, he found himself staring at Cherry's 
face.

	"Ominous," the old monk grimly intoned.

	A sigh.  "Cherry."

	"Yes, lad?"

	"Get out of my face or get ready to meet the Buddha."

	Cherry jolted as the emotion on Ataru's face suddenly faded, leaving behind 
a steely mask which seemed to fit better on the face of the inhuman monster 
currently seated beside him.  Before he could respond, an invisible fist 
grabbed him, sending him flying.  "Heaven's Gate, monks weren't THAT pushy 
back home!" Reiko muttered as she took her place at the table.

	"You try not to get used to him too much, musume-chan," Ataru noted.

	A teary Hinako came up.  "Onii-tama, when are we going to get Karen-chan 
and the others back?" she moaned as she dropped beside him, leaning her head 
against his arm.  He wrapped his arm around her as a light kiss brushed her 
forehead.  "How can that girl be so mean . . .?"

	"No one, Hinako, has taken the time to imprint on Elle that kidnapping is a 
crime even a queen must be held responsible for," Negako noted.

	"I'll damn hell implant SOMETHING on that creep," Ranma snarled, her hands 
squeezing into fists.  "Let's see how Miss Rose Queen likes getting a taste 
of the Amaguriken or the Kaze-te at point-blank range!"

	"We have to be careful, Ranma," Ataru warned.

	"Why?"

	"Regardless of what we might think of her, she IS a queen."

	"So?"

	They exchanged a look, and then Ataru sighed.  "True . . . "

	Nabiki came up, sitting beside Reiko.  She soon found a cup of tea in hand 
thanks to Kotatsuneko.  "Why aren't you in Nerima?" she asked the cat-ghost, 
and then she took a sip.  Good tea the big guy made.  "So what's the plan?"

	Ataru nodded toward the shouting crowd behind Nabiki and his daughters.  
"Hard to conceive of one with all that in the background."

	"Right."  Nabiki then stood, turning to face the crowd.  "Okay!  OKAY, 
people!  Let's settle down here!"  She clapped her hands.

	No response; in fact, the crowd's words seemed to pick up in volume.  
Hinako sniffed.  "I don't think they heard you, Nabiki-san."

	Nabiki's eyebrow twitched.  In all the time she had used her "ice queen" 
image, this had NEVER happened.  Then again, she really couldn't blame the 
people from Tomobiki, especially the parents, for acting this way.  Taking a 
big breath, she moved to shout them down, and then she blinked as a hand 
fell on her shoulder.  Looking left, she saw Chikage standing there, a smile 
on the sorceress' face.  Recognizing what the younger woman might have in 
mind, Nabiki took a step back, waving Chikage into the batter's box.  
Nodding her thanks, the sorceress then faced the crowd, raising her right 
hand, her thumb, index and little fingers splayed with the middle and ring 
fingers tucked in.

	"***OSCULUM PAPILIONIS!***"

	Nabiki's jaw hit the floor on seeing a floor-to-ceiling, butterfly-shaped 
wall of ki appear out of nowhere to slam into the crowd, mowing them down 
like they were dominos knocked over by a strong wind.  As silence fell, 
Chikage lowered her arm, and then she gazed on Ataru.  "I believe they'll be 
willing to listen to you now, Ani-kun," she announced.

	"Thank you, Chikage-chan."  Ataru rubbed his forehead.  "So, atop nine of 
my sisters being kidnapped, everyone in Miyake-san's old class was also 
taken away?  Plus Mendou?"  He gazed on one of the Kuromegane.  Seeing him 
shakily nod, Ataru breathed out, "Okay . . . "

	"So how can we rescue them?" Ranma wondered.

	"Depends on what Elle might actually have in mind," Ataru mused as Marie 
stepped out of one of the guest bedrooms.  "If she knows about Karen-chan 
and the others, it means she probably had an agent active in Noukiite space 
when I was helping them put the Urusians down.  It was around that time that 
I was given honorary citizenship in the Dominion, plus was allowed to have 
everyone registered on the 'Nehek' family registry."

	Marie blinked as she sat beside Ranma.  "We have Noukiite citizenship?!"

	"Hai!  Papa needed that when he adopted Kaneko-chan and me."  Reiko then 
turned to Ataru.  "Ne, Papa, why would this Elle creep want to marry you?  
You told us in Sanctuary you never did step on her shadow!"  She then 
shrugged.

	"True."  Ataru sighed as the crowd by the door slowly stood, many of them 
shuffling closer.  A warning glance from Chikage ensured their good 
behaviour.  "So it'll be hard to determine why Elle would want me."  He then 
rolled his eyes as he added, "Unless it's just out of vanity or pride."

	Miyake Kimiki blinked.  "'Vanity?!'"

	"Hai.  After all, I DID defy her when I found out about the Refrigerator of 
Love.  And Lum and her friends did pretty much make sure that we never got 
married.  I don't know everything I'd want to know about Elle, but I do know 
she's pretty proud.  To lose face like that, especially in front of all 
those alien delegates at the cathedral in Baran . . . "

	"How many fiancés has this girl got?" Nabiki asked.

	"A hundred thousand."

	Silence.

	"A hundred . . .?" -- Nabiki's eyebrow twitched -- "THOUSAND?!"

	"Yep.  Matter of fact, Mendou would have been her one hundred thousandth 
'cute boy' -- that's what she calls all those lifeless dorks frozen up in 
her refrigerator -- had she been able to freeze him."

	Nabiki gaped.  "They're cryo-frozen?!"

	Ataru nodded, and then he jolted on hearing Hinako sniff.  Eyes locked on 
the youngest sister.  "Hina doesn't want Onii-tama to be frozen!"

	Ataru rubbed his sister's hair before playfully batting his nose on her 
forehead.  "Who says I'm gonna be frozen, Hinako-chan?"

	"So if this chick's got all these guys all stored up like sardines, why 
waste the time goin' after you?" Takuichi Daikun, leading the delegation 
from the Horde o'Hentai, wondered.  "I mean, pride's an important thing, but 
. . . "

	"Hey, Takuichi, remember Kunou with Ranma?" Daisuke, who had come with 
Hiroshi in hopes of talking to Ranma, cut in.

	Daikun gazed on him.  "And this chick's a QUEEN?!"

	"Daikun has a point," Negako mused.

	"What do you mean, Aneue-sama?" Marie wondered.

	"This all might be a test Elle desires to force on Ataru."

	"A test?!"  Sakura blinked confusedly.  "But why?"

	"Unless it's got something to do with Noukiios pulling out of the Galactic 
Federation," Kaneko then spoke up.

	"What does that mean?" Miyake Toshoba demanded.

	Kaneko reached into her shirt to pull out a circular device akin to the 
base of a sports trophy.  Placing that on the table, she tapped a control to 
turn the projector on.  Her eyes then glowed as she sent a psychic command 
to the projector's central computer.  A three-dimensional local galactic map 
appeared in the air over the table.  The domains of the different powers 
were shaded in individual colours.  A pair of thick, wavy red lines rose up 
from the bottom of the projection, nearly came together by one star, form a 
space "bridge" in the direction of a nearby star, and then spread off to the 
top and right side of the projection.  "Where are we?" Kimiki asked.

	"There."  Reiko pointed at a blinking star, right where the two thick lines 
first came together.  "Everything between the red lines represents member 
states of the Galactic Federation."  She then pointed to the gold space 
beyond the "bridge," a torrent of scorn appearing in her voice.  "Oh, if you 
all want to know -- much that I can't understand WHY! -- this is Urusian 
space."

	"Who are these guys?" Nabiki indicated the dark green area to the lower 
right of the projection.  "And them?"  She indicated the large mass of light 
blue that took up the upper left of the screen.

	"Ipraedies and Zephyrites," Reiko explained, pointing to the dark green 
area.  "The Ipraedies were the Urusians' other big enemies outside us.  The 
dog people managed to make the rest of the Federation hate them, too, but my 
people don't mind them so much.  They're pretty xenophobic, but once you get 
to understand them more, they're pretty alright."

	"And the Zephyrites are the local galactic superpower," Ataru added.  "My 
grandmother dealt with them pretty closely right up to her death; they're 
the ones who helped the Men in Black get all their special gear."

	"And they border this link between our solar system and the start of 
Urusian space."  Sakura pointed to the "bridge."  Light blue and dark green 
flanked both sides of it from one end to the other.

	Kimiki nodded.  "That explains the First Tag Race!  Ataru-kun, were the 
Ipraedies planning to invade us before the Urusians came?!"

	Ataru nodded.  "Yes, they were.  Reiko-chan, expand the map.  Show the 
whole galactic cluster from us out to Vos and Yehisril."

	"Hai."  Reiko tapped the projector, her eyes glowing.

	The image soon became the upper left quadrant of a much bigger map.  The 
viewers noted that the Galactic Federation states all formed a blobby, 
flipped-L shape around Ipraedies space.  To the "right" of the Ipraedies 
Empire was a massive field of turquoise.  Down "south" from that, touching 
both Ipraedies and Federation space, was a massive field of bright crimson.

	Nabiki pointed.  "Who are these guys?"

	"The other galactic superpowers."  Ataru pointed.  "The Confederation of 
Vos . . . " -- the turquoise -- "And the Royal Kingdoms of Yehisril." -- the 
red areas.  "All of them being enemies of the Ipraedies."

	"They're hemmed in on all sides," Onsen grumbled.

	"Yeah.  Our area of space just happens to be beside the only thin area of 
'enemy' territory their space borders."  Nabiki indicated the point of light 
symbolizing Sol.  "Unless these guys consider the Zephyrites enemies?"

	Her eyes fell back on Ataru, an eyebrow arching.  "Not really."  Ataru 
shook his head as he crossed his arms.  "Everyone, even the Vosians and the 
Yehisrites, would have to be totally out of their heads to challenge the 
Zephyrites head-on in an all-out sort of war.  What the Ipraedies want most 
of all is to see the Federation broken up.  Once that happens, their 
hostility to their neighbours -- save for Yehisril and to a lesser extent, 
Vos -- could then be dialled back somewhat. And the best break point is 
here."  He pointed to Sol.  "Fortunately for them, Uru's defeat makes things 
a lot easier."

	"What about their plans to invade Earth?" Onsen demanded.

	"It would now be seen as unnecessary."  Ataru stared at Reiko.  
"Reiko-chan, change the map to show Noukiios out of the Federation, plus the 
proposed demilitarized area between us and Toshitto."

	The map blew up to a close-up of the Earth-Triton area.  A small sector of 
Ipraedies space, it possessing no star systems, switched to jet black, 
merging with the "bridge" connecting Earth with Urusian space.  The 
Federation's space was severed at this area as the bridge faded from view.  
"North" of the soft gold area marking Urusian space, an area of emerald 
green lying alongside Zephyrite space was no longer framed in red lines.  A 
yellow zone appeared to encompass the black zone once part of Ipraedies 
space, plus the bridge and some sectors of Urusian space, including the star 
that had been at the "right" end of the "bridge," plus three stars close to 
Noukiite space.

	Sakura pointed to the areas of Urusian space marked as "demilitarized."  
"Noukiios is going to impose all THIS on Uru?"

	Ataru gazed knowingly at her.  "They have no choice in the matter."

	"So what happens in this area?"  Toshoba pointed to the zone in question.  
"'Demilitarized' means what in this case?!"

	"It means that Uru can no longer send ships into this area to ensure 'free 
trade.'"  Ataru smirked.  "Which actually meant that any trade from 
potential 'enemy' states like Ipraedos or the Seifukusu worlds -- and yes, 
Noukiios -- would be stopped and subject to inspection and seizure by 
Urusian authorities.  This is part of what's led to the famine on Noukiios 
and her colonies in recent years.  Other Federation states -- the big grain 
and food producers such as Spotak, Zeiwan and Phentax Five -- have tried for 
years to sell their surplus foodstuffs to Noukiios to help alleviate their 
crop shortages.  But all those states are in the out-spin regions."  He 
pointed to the bottom of the map.  "Once the ships got to Neptune and went 
through the Slot to Toshitto, they then had to face Urusian customs 
inspection."

	"And once they learned the food was going to Noukiios . . . "  Nabiki shook 
her head.  "They impounded it, right?"

	"Sometimes.  Worse, some of the sneakier of the bunch would find ways to 
spoil the shipment to ensure they couldn't be put to use when they arrived.  
If Noukiios tried to get food from Ipraedos -- and such shipments have been 
generously offered in the past given how much the Ipraedies wanted to stick 
it to the Urusians -- it wouldn't have happened since Federation-wide policy 
-- policy forced on the others by the Urusians, by the way! -- frowns 
heavily on any trade with the Empire.  The only other recourse for Noukiios 
would've been to deal with the Zephyrites, but the Holy Republic can only 
spare so much.  And Noukiios would never trade with Uru as long as the Union 
kept demanding the 'return' of three colony worlds they never had any rights 
to in the first place."  He indicated Okusei and her two sister worlds on 
the map.

	"They were being starved into submission," Sakura concluded.

	"Right," Ataru drawled.

	"You learned of this while you were working for them?" Cherry asked.

	"Yep."

	"I hate to say this, but with the way you've described them, Lum's people 
are a bunch of two-faced HYPOCRITES!" Nabiki snapped.

	"Focus that criticism directly on their government, Nabiki-san, not the 
people," he declared, reminding himself to keep mention of his former 
fiancée in past tense to maintain the illusion of her "death" to many of the 
crowd standing in his living room, especially those people from Tomobiki.  
"Lum would've not stood for any of this, so she was never told about it at 
all."

	Hinako gazed on her brother.  "Her papa lied to her, Onii-tama?"

	Ataru nodded.  "Yep.  About a lot of things."

	"That's fine and fair, but we've got a more important problem ahead of us.  
Namely getting everyone away from Elle," Ranma noted.

	He spared her a glance, nodding.  "True."

	"Ne, Papa?"

	"What is it, Kaneko-chan?"

	"If you need a ship to go after that baka k'uk'e, we have one!"

	Ataru blinked, and then he leaned up to his daughter.  "You mean . . .?"

	"Hai!"  Kaneko grinned.  "We brought it here with us!  It can't do you any 
good sitting in orbit over Noukiios, can it?!"

	"Nani?!  Nani?!"  Hinako looked at Kaneko, and then at Ataru, and then back 
to Kaneko again.  "What's Kaneko-chan talking about, Onii-tama?!"

	"Bring it here!" Ataru ordered as he gently squeezed Hinako's hand.

	"Hai!"  Kaneko nodded as she reaches into her jersey to draw out a flat, 
rectangular-shaped computer keypad.  Her fingers darted over the keys as she 
typed out a command code, and then she hit the TRANSMIT button.

	"Eh?!"  Hinako leaned close to gaze intently on the keyboard.  "Is this 
some new video game, Kaneko-chan?  Can Hina play with it?!"

	"Don't touch, Hinako-chan," Ataru warned.

	"But Hina wants to play with . . .!"

	Her voice was cut off as a rumble filled the air, it echoed by a tremor 
quaking the walls and floorboards.  "What the hairy hell's THAT . . .?!" 
Ranma demanded as she got to her feet, heading to the window just as a 
shadow masked the early afternoon sun.  "What the . . .?!"

	Everyone scrambled outside, looking up to stare at the keel of a Noukiite 
scoutship, it hovering ten metres off the ground!  As soon as she got 
outside, Hinako gushed, "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!  ONII-TAMA HAS HIS OWN 
SPACESHIP!"

	"And where exactly DID you get this ship, Ataru-kun?!" Nabiki asked, an 
amused twinkle in her eyes as her mind filed this new little factoid into 
the mental file she had been building on Ranma's new boyfriend for the past 
while.

	An embarrassed chuckle escaped him.  "Well, after all Onee-chan and I did 
for Reiko-chan's and Kaneko-chan's people, they felt we DID deserve a reward 
for our troubles."  He indicated Negako with a wave of his hand and a shrug.

	Marie contently smiled.  "Why, wasn't that nice of them?"

	"Indeed, it would offer an excellent view of the stars," Chikage added.

	"Hina wants to see Onii-tama's spaceship!"  Hinako grabbed Ataru's hand as 
she moved to drag him to the waiting ship so she could look around.  "Hina 
KNOWS there'll be lots and lots and LOTS of nice things for Hina to play 
with!  C'mon, Onii-tama!  Hina wants to see the spaceship!"

	"Hey!  Hey!  HEY!  Slow down, Hinako-chan!"  Ataru tried to yank his hand 
away from his sister's determined grip.  "We can't go yet!"

	"But Hina wants to see Onii-tama's spaceship!"

	Sensing their youngest aunt about to throw a fit, Reiko and Kaneko 
exchanged a look and a giggle before they dove in to rescue their hapless 
father.  "It's okay, Papa!  We'll take Auntie Hinako aboard!" the former 
promised as she and her sister guided Hinako away from Ataru.

	"Waaaaaaaai!  Hina's gonna see Onii-tama's spaceship!" Hinako gushed as the 
Noukiite twins telekinetically boosted their aunt into the air for the 
starship's weather deck aft of the main solar sail mast.

	Marie covered her mouth.  "Aniue-sama, Rinrin-chan is going to KILL you for 
keeping this a secret from her."

	He chuckled.  "Well, I only got the 'Windrider' the day I finished work on 
Noukiios!  That was just before I went to Sanctuary for a whole week!"  He 
waved his hand.  "'Sides, there's no dock for me to park the thing anywhere 
on Earth!  And I wasn't going to just plop it down anywhere, for heaven's 
sake!"

	Marie blinked.  "Maybe we can build a spaceship dock on the seashore beside 
Welcome House.  I'm sure the people on the Island won't mind."  She then 
gazed up, noting the solid metal hull lacking any sort of visible access 
hatches below what could easily serve as the "Windrider's" waterline.  
"After all, your ship does look like it can land on water."

	"A good point to consider," Chikage noted.  "Now all we have to do is 
decide who'll come with us to help rescue the others."

	Everyone blinked on sensing a large crowd of students, plus Sakura, Cherry 
and Onsen, loom over them.  "***WE'LL COME WITH . . .!***"

	"***MOOKO TAKABISHA!***"

	One ki blast later, the crowd of idi- . . .! -- er, would-be rescuers! -- 
was smashed against the fence.  "Thank you, Ranma."  Ataru took a breath 
before he gazed on Nabiki.  "Nabiki-san, please call your brother.  You'll 
both come with us.  Ditto with Miree and her daughters, plus Himiko-san and 
Mikiko-san if they're interested in helping out."

	"ME?!"  Nabiki balked.  "Hey, wait a minute!  I don't . . .!"

	"I can trust you, Nabiki-san!"  Ataru stared knowingly at her before he 
thumbed the crowd of people Ranma just blasted with the Mooko Takabisha.  
"Do you really, honestly think I can trust any of THEM?!"

	Silence fell as the middle Tendou daughter considered his words.  
"Ataru-kun . . . "  She flustered before nodding.  "Oh, okay!"

	"Relax, Nabiki-chan."  Ranma winked.  "If you want to be a full-time 
martial artist again, you HAVE to go on these jaunts!"

	Nabiki gazed at her, her body quaking.  "You just HAD to remind me of that, 
didn't you, Saotome?" she muttered.

	Everyone laughed.

*    *    *

	"So what's a Noukiite ship doing hovering over Nerima, Seiko-chan?!"

	Seiko hummed as she, Sakiko, Ten and the four replica-bioroids who brought 
him to Earth relax in Tomobiki's town park.  They had come here to enjoy a 
take-out lunch after finishing business with the SCAA downtown.  From here, 
they had seen the sleek Noukiite ship soar down swiftly from the general 
direction of Siberia, it coming to a stop over the central part of Nerima.  
Despite the ship's size -- it was about the length of the average jumbo jet 
-- it stood out clearly in the afternoon sky due to the lack of tall 
buildings in the skyline between Tomobiki and Nerima.  "I'm not too sure."  
Seiko's eyes narrowed as she focused her powers on the hovering ship.  
"Unless . . . "

	Her hearing picked up the murmurs of several boys walking past the main 
gates.  "Can you guys believe they cancelled classes 'cause the idiots in 
3-4 got kidnapped by that queen who wanted to marry Ataru?" one of them 
wondered over the derisive laughter of his friends.

	Seiko spun around, her eyes widening on seeing a small crowd of students in 
the Tomobiki High boy's uniform walk past the gates.  "Heard Mendou got 
snatched," another noted as they headed down a side street.  "Let's hope 
that queen'll keep the snob with her when she lets the others go!"

	"Amen to that, bro'!" a third whooped.

	"'Queen?!'" Seiko blinked as she exchanged a look with Sakiko.

	"Elle!"

*    *    *

	"AH-CHOO!"

	"Bless you, Your Majesty!  Are you alright?!"

	A handkerchief was offered to the Rose Queen.  "Yes, I'm fine, thank you."  
She wiped her nose, and then she gazed on the deckhead for a moment before 
they carried on.  "Have the dockyard maintenance staff look at the 
air-freshener units.  There must be something in the atmosphere . . . "

	"Of course, Your Majesty.  It will be done as soon," her chief servant 
replied with a nod as the small party passed through the door leading to the 
balcony overlooking the containment area holding Ataru's former classmates.

	And one other.

	"***WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!***"

	Guess which one of Chikage's shiatsu strikes had just worn off?

	"Kunou-san, please calm down!  There is an explanation . . .!"

	"***WHAT FOUL MAGIC BROUGHT THE BLUE THUNDER TO THIS PLACE?!***"

	"I don't think he's listening to you, Mendou-san."

	"***I DEMAND TO BE RELEASED AT ONCE!***"

	"Jerk probably doesn't get tired of listening to his voice, ne?!"

	"Got that right, man!"

	"***MOROBOSHI, YOU EVIL MAGUS!  SHOW YOURSELF!***"

	"How does this guy know Ataru-kun?"

	"***FEAR NOT, OH VIOLET ONE!***"

	"'Violet One?!'"

	"***THE BLUE THUNDER WILL SAVE YOU FROM MOROBOSHI'S GRASP!***"

	"Ne, Tomomi-chan!  You think he's talking about Chikage-san?!"

	"***OH, THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL!***"

	"Hard to say . . . "

	"***TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A VISION OF LOVELINESS IS ACTUALLY KIN BY* BLOOD 
*TO A LECHEROUS BEAST LIKE MOROBOSHI!***"

	"I guess he IS talking about Chikage-san, Kyooko-chan!"

	"***ALL THE GODS IN THE HEAVENS MUST* WEEP *AT SUCH A FATE!***"

	"Um, Shinobu-san.  Is he trying to insult Ataru-kun?!"

	"I think so."

	"Right . . . "

	*CRUNCH!*

	"V-v-violet one . . .!"

	Body dropped to the deck.  "Mie-san!  Why did you do THAT to him?!"

	"He was giving me an earache with his yelling!  'Sides, I don't think 
Ataru-kun would appreciate being insulted behind his back!"

	Silence.

	"Ye gods!  Is it POSSIBLE . . .?!"

	"That someone . . .!"

	"Actually LIKES Moroboshi Ataru?!"

	Dramatic pause.

	"IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!"

	Running footsteps, and then one man's hands grasped a woman's.

	"Mie-san!  You must not think of pursuing Moroboshi . . .!"

	*CRUNCH!*

	"MENDOU-SAN!"

	Multiple *thuds!* as many women fainted, overwhelmed by shock on seeing 
Mendou punched head-first THROUGH the containment area's deck.

	"Damned jerk!  Who gave him the right to touch me *there?!*"

	"He DID kinda deserve that, didn't he?!"

	"I can agree to that!"

	"Ditto!"

	Stunned silence.

	"Did you see that?"

	"Ye gods!  You mean there's actually a girl . . .?"

	"Who's IMMUNE to Mendou?!"

	Dramatic pause.

	"THERE IS A GOD!"

	"Hey, wait a minute!  She still likes Moroboshi!"

	Another pause.

	"OH, THE TRAGEDY OF IT ALL!"

	Most of the boys from Shinobu's class collapsed en masse to the deck, 
wailing at the heavens for cursing them with the presence of a young woman 
like Seikou Mie.  Above, Elle's eyebrow twitched as her mind tried to take 
in what she just witnessed, and then she gazed on one of her aides.  "I 
think I can now understand why Honey wanted to leave these people," she 
noted with a chuckle.

	"Agreed," the aide said.  "Shall I have Mr. Groom's sisters brought here so 
they can see these fools for themselves?"

	"At once."

	"By your command, Your Majesty."

*    *    *

	"This is your room, Auntie Hinako."

	"Waaaai!" Hinako breathed out as she walked into a small cabin located on 
the same deck as the "Windrider's" pilotage.  Looking around to take in the 
room -- it was fitted with a bed, nightstand and a large closet space, 
arranged not so differently from Hinako's bedroom at Welcome House -- the 
youngest of the sisters nodded.  "Hina likes this place!"  She then noted a 
side door situated next to the closet.  Walking to it, she opened the door, 
looking beyond to find a Western-style washroom.  "Oh, Hina even has her own 
bathroom on Onii-tama's ship!" she declared before turning to gaze on Reiko 
and Kaneko.  "Ne, ne, Reiko-chan, Kaneko-chan, how soon can we get going?"

	"We're going to go to the bridge to get things set up," Kaneko announced.

	With that, the twins withdrew, Reiko closing the door behind her.  Hinako 
watched her go, and then she sighed, staring at the Staff of Gihan in her 
hand.  "Bou-san, do you think we should tell Lufy-san and her friends what 
happened?"

	***It would be a wise idea,*** the Staff replied.  ***Given the 
Daishi'cha's own feelings for your brother, they would be concerned.***

	"Okay, let's go!"

	A flash of light later, Hinako's room was empty.

*    *    *

	"Eh?"

	Chikage had found her own cabin aboard the "Windrider" by simple deduction; 
the doors to each of the cabins on the main deck level had name plaques.  
Standing up after she slipped the dozing Tendou Akane under the covers of 
the comfortable bed there, the sorceress gazed in the general direction of 
Hinako's cabin.  Her eyes then narrowed as she quickly perceived the small 
space-warp that had teleported Hinako off the barque.

	"Hinako-chan . . . "

*    *    *

	"The 'Rose Emperor' is gone?!"

	"Yes, Linna.  It left orbit about a half-hour ago according to the decay of 
ion particles.  The trail leads from Earth toward the Slot," Sylvie reported 
after looking up from the "Kiboo'cha's" main scanner display.

	Presently sitting in the warpsloop's command chair, Linna hummed as she 
took in that information.  Before she could postulate what she should do 
next, a blinding flash of light nearly burned the eyes out of everyone on 
the bridge.

	"Lufy-saaaaaaaaaaaan!" Hinako screamed out as she materialized on the 
"Kiboo'cha's" bridge.  Then, when the light faded, she looked around.  
"A-ri-ri?!  Where's Lufy-san, Linna-san?!"

	"Hinako-chan!" the chief of Section One gasped as her subordinates leapt to 
their feet to salute Ataru's sister.

	"Hinako-sama?!" a voice called out from behind Hinako as Sylia stepped onto 
the bridge, she followed by Priss, Nene and Ayumu.  "What in Lyna's name are 
you doing here?!  We told you we would contact you when it was decided to 
open contact with your brother . . .!"

	"Hina knows that!" Hinako cut her off with a wave of her hands.  "It's 
terrible, Sylia-san!  It's terrible!"

	"What?!" Priss demanded.

	Hinako told them.  "***SAY WHAT?!***" everyone else screamed.

	"It's true!" Hinako whined.  "That baka-baka Elle kidnapped Karen-chan and 
the others to make Onii-tama marry her!"

	Silence fell as eyes focused on Sylia.  The Troop commander's brow furrowed 
as she considered the options she could take in the wake of this.  Taking a 
deep breath, she then turned to gaze on Priss and Nene.  "Priss, Nene, do 
you think we can handle a hostage situation like this?"

	The first officer and the coxswain exchanged a wary look.  "We can't," the 
former then said with a regretful shake of her head.  "We're nowhere near 
trained to deal with a situation like that.  You know that!  We're a special 
warfare force, Sylia.  Not the Hostage Rescue Team."

	"I don't think the HRT will be able to help out," the latter added.

	"Agreed," Sylia breathed out.

	A snap of the fingers.  "Ah!  Game winning auction wager!"

	Eyes locked on Ayumu.  "Ayumu-chan, you're supposed to say 'game winning 
home run!'" Hinako protested.

	The master chief petty officer of the Sagussan Navy gazed at her.  "But we 
don't play baseball on Sagussa, Hinako-chan."

	"What do you have in mind?" Nene asked in exasperation.

	"Simple!" Ayumu replied with a smile.  "This is kidnapping, right?!  Why 
don't we have Tomo deal with this?!"

	The other Sagussans recoiled in shock as the implications of THAT idea sank 
in.  "You CAN'T be serious!" Priss exclaimed.

	"There won't be anything left of any of them once Tomo gets through with 
them!" Linna protested, she grabbing her hair and yanking on it.

	"Left of what?!"

	Everyone screamed as a shaggy raven-haired, brown-eyed, Yizibajohei-born 
woman in the black-and-dark blue of the Internal Security Force stepped onto 
the bridge.  The four pips-and-windrider rank insignia of the SISF's senior 
non-commissioned officer adorned Tomo's collars.  Behind Tomo came a 
brown-haired and eyed, bespectacled, Yehisrite-born woman with a 
spatula-and-knife tattoo on her cheek.  Koyomi was draped in a gold-trimmed 
red coverall jumpsuit with dark brown leggings; this was the work uniform of 
members of the Engineering Ministry who were formally trained as 
construction engineers.

	"When did you get here?!" Priss snapped.

	"Just now!" Tomo innocently replied.

	"Ah!  Tomo, you're here!" Ayumu breathed out.  "It's terrible, Tomo!  It's 
so terrible!  Ataru-sama's sisters were just kidnapped!"

	Tomo jolted.  "KIDNAPPED?!  When?!  By who?!"

	"By that baka-baka creep Elle!" Hinako cried out.

	Koyomi blinked as something came to her.  "Oh, so that explains what that 
patrol monitor was doing heading towards Toshitto!"

	"Eh?!" Tomo gasped as she spun to look on her bond-mate.  "You mean we let 
criminals actually get past us?!" she demanded before grabbing Koyomi by the 
arm and dragging her off the bridge toward the "Kiboo'cha's" transporter 
room.  "We're off in hot pursuit!" she then bellowed.

	Koyomi cried out as she found herself being yanked through the air by Tomo. 
  The members of Pathfinder Troop Six watched helplessly as the two other 
Sagussans vanished around a corner.  Ayumu then stared at Hinako.  "There 
you go, Hinako-chan!" she assured her with a raised hand.  "Tomo's on the 
case!  Karen-chan and the others are as good as rescued!"

	"Yay!" Hinako cheered.

	Sylia reached up to her forehead.  *Dear Lyna, I beseech thee:  Why me?!*

*    *    *

	"Darling, that's horrible!"

	"Tell me about it," Ataru complained as Hensou and Kamen wrapped their arms 
around him in a supportive hug.  The Izumo sisters and their companions had 
just arrived at the old shrine.  Many of those who had come to speak to 
Ataru concerning the kidnappings had left, the parents from Tomobiki having 
being given personal assurances by him that their children would be rescued 
within the day.  Miree, Jonna, Orin -- plus Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa 
Mikiko, neither of whom had been seen by any of the people from their 
hometown -- had already boarded the solar-sail barque to help Reiko and 
Kaneko with preparations.  "No doubt, Elle must've had someone operating in 
Noukiite space when I was working with them."  Ataru paused for a moment 
before continuing, "Seven Bake Rose would be my first guess on that regard; 
from what I learned from the Inquisition about her, she is good at what she 
does.  After my family was added to the Dominion Family Registry when I 
adopted Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, it would've been simple for someone to 
tap into it and get the skinny on everyone else."

	"Darling, do you think you can rescue the others?" Sakiko asked.

	He considered that for a moment.  "It should be easy enough, especially 
with Hinako-chan and the Staff on our side."

	"Too bad we couldn't call Nassur-chan and ask for his help," Ten, he being 
held in Seiko's arms, mused.

	"Hey, you got the next best thing, Ten-chan," Kamen then spoke up, she 
thumbing herself.  "You got us!  We can handle this!"

	Ataru, the Izumos and Ten gazed on the four bioroids, all of whom had 
smiled at Kamen's assertion.  Seeing the casual pride flashing in their eyes 
concerning their connection with the expat Vosian, Ataru slowly nodded.  
Despite his assertion to his old classmates the previous Saturday that he 
personally never wanted to meet him, Ataru had -- while he was working with 
the Noukiites and the Zephyrites -- learned a lot about Nassur's reputation. 
  It was quite solid.  "Well, if you ladies would like to help us . . . "

	His eyebrow arched.  The replica-bioroids laughed.  "Of course we'll help, 
Darling!" Hensou said.  "After all, they ARE your sisters!"

	"Quite cute ones at that," Damasu added.

	Mienai gazed intently at Ran's replica.  "Flirt!"

	"Hey, I can look, can I?!" Damasu whined as she ducked away from the 
intensive stare Oyuki's replica was sending her.

	Laughter shook the crowd before a voice spoke up, "We'll have to give these 
girls a proper reward for their assistance, Ani-kun."

	The replica-bioroids gasped as they spun around to see Chikage standing 
there, the sorceress gazing amusedly at them.  "Hey, Chikage-chan, did you 
train under Nagaiwakai-sama's ninjas or what's the damned story?" Kamen 
asked.

	"I've had much more eclectic training, Kamen-chan," Chikage explained to 
Benten's replica, and then she stared at Ataru, her eyebrow arching in 
amusement.  "So what sort of reward would you girls desire?  A night of 
blissful snogging and shagging (as Yotsuba would put it) with Ani-kun?!"

	As Ranma and Marie walked up to join the crowd under the "Windrider," they 
trailed by Sakura, Cherry, Nabiki and Shinshi, Ataru acked, he taking a 
fearful step away from the four Avalonians in question as they turned to 
stare leeringly at him.  Seiko and Sakiko snickered on seeing him react THAT 
way to Chikage's suggestion, not to mention the replica-bioroids' receptive 
looks.  "I'd go for it," Hensou answered with a predatory grin on her face.

	"That sounds like a good idea!" Kamen added.

	"What idea?" Ranma asked.

	"Why, we giving Darling the time of his life, Ranma-san!" Mienai cooed.  
"And since we can sense that you ARE bonded to him . . . "

	"The more the merrier!" Damasu finished.

	"URK!" Ataru and Ranma acked in sync.

	More laughter.  Shinshi and Nabiki toppled over on seeing their late 
sister's former fiancé react as she did to THIS aspect of puberty.  "Ye 
gods, I can't believe it!"  Sakura sighed, she shaking her head in 
disappointment.  "There are actually MORE girls who're interested in 
Moroboshi?!"

	The laughter came to a stop with the speed of a falling guillotine blade as 
four sets of eyes locked on the priestess.  "Who wants to do this?" Hensou 
asked as her body flashed with the bio-electricity she inherited from Lum.

	"I'm in," Kamen asserted as she cracked her knuckles.

	The air around Mienai began to chill.  "I think we need some practice."

	Sakura blinked, and then she jolted as Ataru and Ranma quickly cleared the 
field of fire.  "Be our guest!" Ataru declared.

	A few seconds' intense violence later, the burnt, bruised, frozen and 
youth-sucked priestess was sent on a ballistic trajectory towards Tomobiki.  
"Now THAT, she had coming to her!" Seiko asserted as they watched Sakura 
disappear into the afternoon sky.

	"Nice moves," Ranma said.  "Need to work on your follow-throughs, though."

	The replica-bioroids stared at her.  "You think so?" Kamen asked.

	"Sure!  When we get back from this trip, I'll show you some things."

	"Sounds fair," Hensou asserted as she walked over to slip one of her arms 
around one of Ranma's.  "Shall we go aboard, Ranma-san?"

	Ranma nodded, and then she was boosted into the air by the disguised 
Oni/Avalonian for the "Windrider's" weather deck.  Sakiko then used her 
powers to boost Damasu, Kamen, Mienai, the Tendou siblings and herself 
aboard.  "Can I come, Seiko-chan?" Ten asked as he stared at his transformed 
cousin.

	Seiko and Ataru exchanged a look before both shook their heads.  "It's 
better if you stayed with Negako-san," the former asserted as Marie, Michael 
and Negako walked up to join them.  "Darling's daughters are going to be on 
this trip and they KNOW what you once were."

	Ten jolted before a sad look crossed his face.  Even if his just-acquired 
Avalonian powers were beginning to awaken, he had sensed enough of Reiko and 
Kaneko to know how the Noukiite twins viewed Urusians in general.  "Yeah, 
that's true . . . " he lamented with a frown.

	"He will be safe with me," Negako declared.  "Besides, I believe there is a 
young lady who would be more than happy to see Ten while you are off to 
retrieve the others."  On sensing Ten stare wide-eyed at her, the ninjutsu 
grandmaster added, "Modoki Mako."

	Ten jolted, his eyes going wide on hearing the name of the kindergarten-age 
girl who, shortly after he came to Earth, once tried to force Valentine's 
Day candy on him and -- as she believed -- make the young Oni her "husband." 
  Screaming out in wide-eyed fear, he leapt into Chikage's arms, reaching 
over to draw the sorceress' cape around him to hide him from Negako's view.  
"NO WAY!"

	"I suggest you change your viewpoint concerning Mako," Negako declared.  
"After the news of Lum's 'demise' was aired on the public news networks, 
Mako came to fear the worst about you.  Her feelings of over-possessiveness 
where it concerns you have evaporated since that time."

	Ten peeked out from behind the flap of Chikage's cape.  "Really . . .?"

	"It is true," Negako asserted with a nod.  "In fact, from what I have 
sensed about her, Mako's depression has grown to the point where it may come 
to harm her physically.  A visit from you would do much to restore her 
spirits."

	The young Oni-turned-Terran/Avalonian considered those words before he 
breathed out.  Slipping out from behind Chikage's cape, he leapt to the 
ground and walked over to stand beside Negako.  The ninjutsu grandmaster 
leaned down to boost Ten into her arms.  "Ten-chan, you make sure you keep 
an eye on Michael while we're gone, too," Marie told him, she holding up a 
finger.

	"Hai!" Ten affirmed with a nod, Michael barking in acknowledgement.

	"We'll be back before you know it!" Seiko asserted as she reached for 
Marie's hand.  "Marie-chan?!" she beckoned the other girl with her.

	Marie nodded before she found herself boosted into the air by Seiko's 
telekinesis, both soaring for the "Windrider's" weather deck.  "Shall we 
go?" Ataru then said as he gazed knowingly at Chikage.

	Before she could answer, a shrieking noise caused everyone to glance up.  
Soaring away from the "Windrider" towards Tomobiki was a smoking Cherry, he 
having received a demonstration of the Staff of Gihan's power.  "GET LOST, 
CREEP!" Hinako -- she having just returned moments before from her meeting 
with the Sagussans -- screamed.  "OR HINA'S GONNA GET REALLY, REALLY, REALLY 
MAD!"

	"It's Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!" echoed throughout the afternoon sky.

	Those still on the ground below the "Windrider's" keel blinked.  "That, he 
DEFINITELY had coming to him!" Ataru asserted.

	"Indeed," Negako affirmed with a smirk.

*    *    *

	"You want to know something, my friend?" Ono Toofuu mused from the front 
porch of his clinic, a delighted grin twitching the sides of his mouth.  
"Maybe giving that thing to Hinako-chan wasn't such a bad idea in the first 
place."

	[INDEED,] the panda signed.

	Yes, folks!  Even people in Nerima had heard of Cherry.

*    *    *

	"Papa, the ship's sealed for space flight!"

	"Waai!" Hinako gushed as everyone stepped onto the "Windrider's" pilotage.

	"What a set-up!" Nabiki stated before she noted the kanji and kana etched 
into the backs of every chair, each underlined with the han'geul-like 
symbols representing the Noukiite language.  "I take it you had this ship 
built with your sisters AND your daughters in mind?" she then asked as she 
gazed knowingly at Ataru, her eyebrow arching in amusement.

	Ataru scratched his hair, chuckling embarrassingly.  "Well . . .!"

	The others laughed.  The "Windrider's" pilotage was structured akin to how 
most university large lecture rooms were set up.  The main view screen was 
located forward.  It was flanked on both sides with small control station 
lecterns.  Three rows of work stations ascended a step at a time to the main 
entrance to the pilotage, that opening to the corridor that eventually led 
to the master's and commander's cabins at the aft end of the barque's main 
deck.  A half-circle stuck out forward from the second row of stations; this 
was where Reiko and Kaneko had positioned themselves.  A central chair sat 
behind the twins' stations, it marked with the kanji for "Ani" on the back 
of the chair.  Standing monitor stations and side exits lined both sides of 
the pilotage.

	"So where do we all sit, Darling?" Seiko asked.

	"Marie-chan, you're there."  He pointed to the far portside station on the 
third row.  "Chikage-chan, you're there."  He indicated the near starboard 
station on the second row.  "Hinako-chan, you're down front."  He indicated 
the near port station on the first row.  "Shinshi, you take Yotsuba's spot." 
  He indicated the far starboard station on the second row.  "Nabiki-san, 
take Rinrin's spot."  He indicated the near starboard spot on the third row. 
  "Mikiko-san, you take Sakuya's seat beside her. Himiko-san, you go here."  
He indicated Haruka's spot, the far port seat on the second row.  
"Seiko-chan, take Karen's place."  He indicated the seat between his own and 
Haruka's.  "Sakiko-chan, sit beside Hinako-chan." He indicated Kaho's spot, 
the far portside seat on the first row.  "Girls, you go to the spots by the 
view screen."  He waved Jonna and Orin forward, and then he pointed to 
Shirayuki's space beside Marie's.  "Miree-san, go there.  And for you four . 
. . "  He faced the replica-bioroids.

	"We'll take the side stations, Darling," Hensou -- she having taken the 
name "Nomade Shinobi" in partial tribute to the time Lum disguised herself 
as a Terran to go on a date with Ataru -- said with an understanding nod.

	Ataru nodded as people sat down.  "Thanks."

	"Who's piloting this thing, anyway?" Nabiki wondered.

	Reiko waved her hand.  "I am!  Where to, Papa?!"

	"Hina wants to fly Onii-tama's spaceship!" Hinako protested.

	"Hinako-sama, do you know HOW to pilot Ataru-sama's ship?" Jonna wondered 
as she turned to gaze amusedly on the youngest sister.

	"Hina . . .!"  Hinako stopped herself as she flustered.  "N-not really."

	Ataru sat at his chair.  "Oh, relax, Hinako-chan!  You'll all get the 
chance to fly her as soon as we get everyone else back . . .!"

	"Ani-kun."

	Everyone stared on Chikage.  The sorceress' crystal ball was sitting on a 
holder, it showing the image of the "Rose Emperor" in warp.  "I believe 
they've left the system," she reported as she stared narrow-eyed at the 
image.  "Heading into a very dark and remote area of local space . . . "

	Nabiki gaped.  "You're able to see THAT through your crystal ball?!"

	"Confirmed!" Kaneko called out as she gazed on her sensor readout.  "The 
sensors've picked up a faint ion trail heading in the direction of the Slot, 
Papa!  Isotopes detected are consistent with the warp drive of an Ellsian 
ship."

	"She's trying to drag you back to planet Elle, Darling," Seiko warned.

	"Then we play along," Ataru grunted.  "Pursuit course, Reiko-chan."

	Reiko tapped controls.  "Hai!"

	"Um, Ataru?"

	Ataru gazed on Ranma.  "Where do I sit?" the latter demanded.

	In answer, Kaneko pointed with her hand as she telekinetically boosted her 
into Ataru's lap.  "You sit with Papa, Mama!"

	Ranma's face flushed as she sank into Ataru's lap, the embarrassment of 
being seen so close to her new boyfriend in front of over a dozen witnesses 
preventing her from making an objection.  Seeing her flustering, Nabiki 
broke out in a peal of giggles.  She was soon joined by Shinshi, and then 
Miree and her daughters.  An envious look crossed Seiko's face before she, 
too, started to laugh.  Soon enough, everyone was laughing, even Ataru.  
Ranma ducked their looks with a chuckle, she rubbing the back of her head.

*    *    *

	Kasumi smiled, she on the porch of the Tendou home, as she watched the 
"Windrider" soar away.  "My, what a beautiful spaceship."

*    *    *

	"You think they're gonna be okay, Ku-chan?!" Ukyou wondered.

	The chef, Ranma's mirror-twins, Shampoo, Kodachi and Mousse relaxed in 
Hikarigaoka Park as they watched Ataru's ship race off.  "Yeah, they'll be 
fine."  Kumiko had an arm wrapped around Ukyou.  "It's this Elle who has to 
watch out.  For both Ataru-kun AND Ranma . . .!"

	Toshiko snickered knowingly.  "Agreed."

*    *    *

	"Good luck, Ataru," Inu Chigaiko said as she watched the "Windrider" soar 
from Nerima.  The expat Tomobiki native was with Tokoro Yuka and Asano 
Sayuri by Yamada Fred's yatai in a different part of Hikarigaoka.

	"Bring them back safe and sound," Yuka added.

*    *    *

	"Sylia, the 'Windrider' is entering the thermosphere over Tokyo.  She's 
moving to pursue the 'Rose Emperor,'" Nene announced.

	"Distance between her and the bioroid factory?" Sylia asked.

	Nene stared at the sensory readout.  The "Kiboo'cha" was at action 
stations, it having shifted itself over the Moon's north pole.  The 
warpsloop was still cloaked; when it had been built, it was fitted with a 
more advanced device than what the Avalon factory ship possessed.  The 
tactical display on the view screen was projecting a graphic of orbital 
space over Japan's capital city.  "She'll clear the factory by at least 600 
kilometres; Nerima's to the east of Tomobiki and the factory's only now 
shifting back to where it had first assumed orbit when it came here from 
Phentax Twelve," the coxswain reported.  "The 'Windrider's' now out of range 
of the factory's weapons systems.  But it's a fair bet that they were 
spotted by whoever's aboard the factory."

	A scowl turned her lips.  "We'll have to do something about that, then."

	"Already working on it," Nene asserted with a wink.

	"You always are," Priss said from her station.

	Everyone else laughed.

*    *    *

	"THAT SHIP BELONGS TO THE GREAT EVIL?!"

	"Confirmed, Mister President."  Otako turned to gaze on Oogi.  "According 
to its ID beacon, that craft is the ISS/C 'Windrider,' home-ported at 
Magairu.  Registered to Moroboshi Ataru of Japan, Earth.  It . . . "  She 
paused for a moment before she sighed.  "It was awarded to him by the 
Noukiite government in thanks for his assistance in their dealing with the 
Urusians, Mister President!"

	Oogi remained still as he digested that information.  He then shuddered, a 
fist quaking at the view screen as he gazed at the "Windrider's" image; the 
solar-sail ship had just warped out.  "A REWARD for destroying the Goddess 
and Her Faithful, you say?!" he snarled.  "Fine!  We'll destroy it when it 
returns and eliminate the Great Evil once and for all!"

	His maniacal laughter then echoed throughout the factory.

*    *    *

	Akane's eyes opened.

	Taking a deep breath, she sat up, glancing around the darkened space.  From 
what she could pick out in the very faint light, the room appeared to be 
about the same size as Hinako's room at Welcome House.  The absence of any 
of Hinako's toys dispelled any thoughts of her actually being in Welcome 
House, though.  Gently swinging her legs out onto the floor, she gingerly 
stood to stretch herself.  Gazing down at herself, she traced a hand over 
her breasts and abdomen before feeling her arms and face.  "Wow . . . "  She 
then closed her eyes as a storm of thoughts and images formed in her mind, 
relaying information she never possessed before.  Once that was done, she 
sat back on the bed.

	"So . . . "

	The lamp on the nightstand beside the bed flicked on, illuminating the 
space.  Akane winced as her eyes adjusted to the light.  She then noticed a 
folded note on the nightstand, her name in beautifully scripted hiragana 
there.

	Opening it, she read:

"Akane,
	"By the time you awaken, you'll find yourself aboard Ani-kun's starship, 
the 'Windrider.'  Please, do not be alarmed.  Shinshi and Nabiki are aboard 
at this time, as are several other Avalonians such as Miree, her daughters, 
Himiko and Mikiko, not to mention Ranma-anekun and Ani-kun.  While you were 
undergoing insertion into your new body, an old *acquaintance* of Ani-kun's 
decided to abscond with most of our sisters; only Negako-anekun, Marie, 
Hinako and myself were left.  We're now in pursuit and should get them back 
within the hour.
	"Rest up as much as you can; you still need time to adjust to your body.  
You may be needed.  As soon as I can, I'll look in on you.
"Chikage"

	"Starship . . .?" Akane whispered.  Then noting a curtained window 
overlooking the bed, she shifted over to pull the fabric back.

	"Oh, my!"

*    *    *

	"There she is!" Koyomi announced with an icy grimace.

	The construction chief engineer artificer's personal craft, RSS/C 
"Haengge'cha," was a modified two-man warp courier ship about the same size 
as the "Kiboo'cha."  It was one of dozens of such vessels that had been 
found by the Sagussans ten years before over a dead Class D planet near 
Spotak named Den'sha Two.  Having been extensively modified by Koyomi on her 
spare time, the "Haengge'cha" was considered one of the fastest ships based 
on that reborn world outside the Galactic Barrier.  Even so, given how slow 
ships from the races inside the Barrier were in comparison to anything from 
Sagussa, Koyomi didn't really have to push it to get her bond-mate close to 
the "Rose Emperor."

	As she manipulated controls to allow the "Haengge'cha" to parallel the 
Ellsian patrol monitor, Koyomi smirked.  "No shields up," she reported after 
taking a glance at the scanner readouts.  "Lucky thing I put those particle 
mufflers on this thing.  Even cloaked, we could be spotted by all the 
tachytron energy emissions our reactors and engines put out."  She glanced 
over her shoulder at Tomo.  "You set to go?"

	The master chief warrant officer of the Sagussan Internal Security Force 
took a breath as she finished buttoning her shirt.  On Koyomi's suggestion, 
Tomo had switched from her duty uniform to plain Terran Western-type 
civilians.  "Even if this is an undercover mission, I've never done 
something like this before," she asserted.  "Do you think we still have time 
to call in the HRT?"

	"They're not trained to handle a situation like this, especially when 
military personnel are involved," Koyomi replied, she trying not to smirk at 
Tomo's show of nerves.  She had long learned that her bond-mate, while 
always willing to project a mask of steely determination when in the 
presence of other people, was still human underneath.  It was a good thing, 
the Pirpirsiw'r mused as she began an internal scan of the "Rose Emperor" in 
hopes of locating Ataru's sisters and the other hostages.  Cautious 
warriors, warriors willing to question anything and everything about 
missions assigned to them, were often the ones who survived to tell the tale 
afterward.  "You can do it.  Don't go totally hog-wild.  When hostages are 
involved, you've got to be VERY careful."

	"I hear you," Tomo asserted with a nod as she picked up a web-belt holding 
three personal defence pistols, she moving to strap that around her waist.  
Once that was done, she stood beside her bond-mate.  "Where could I go in, 
anyway?"

	Koyomi's eyes danced over the display showing the interior of the "Rose 
Emperor."  "Okay . . .!  Ah, there they are!"  She tapped a point in the 
lower hull amidships.  "Terran life-sign readings.  That's where 
Ataru-sama's old classmates are being held, no doubt.  And . . . "  Her 
smile widened as the fingertip shifted left slightly.  "There're 
Ataru-sama's sisters.  On the move by the looks of things.  No doubt, 
they're being shifted over to keep them close to the other prisoners.  Now, 
let's find out what's around there . . . "

	She tapped controls.  Tomo watched as another hologram appeared by the 
first, revealing an Intelligence Ministry data file on the internal 
structure of an Ellsian patrol monitor.  "Enlisted crew quarters," she 
announced, pointing to rows of cabins close to the chamber where Ataru's old 
classmates were being held on the "Rose Emperor."  "Beam in there, get a 
change of clothes, then move in to deal with whoever's guarding Ataru-sama's 
sisters and everyone else.  Once you're there, I'll beam you all out."

	"Can the transporter do that?" Tomo then asked.  "You were gonna replace 
the pattern buffer before we came out here."

	"It should be okay."  Koyomi then sighed.  "I hope."

*    *    *

	"Aniue-sama, you didn't tell us there were other people aboard this ship."  
Marie gazed quizzically at Ataru.  "Who are they?!"

	The sisters, Ranma and Ataru were standing in what served as the main 
engineering control space aboard the "Windrider":  The solar sail control 
room.  Currently manning the stations that governed the winches, pulleys and 
feeds that gave the sail-barque her power was a team of golden-skinned men 
and women in utilitarian jumpsuits.  All of them had given Ataru respectful 
nods when he had stepped into the room with his companions, and then they 
returned to their duties.  "Well, Marie-chan, they're . . .!" He flustered.

	"Androids."

	Eyes locked on Chikage.  "Robots?!"  Ranma then peered intently at the 
crew.  "Yeah, they are machines, aren't they . . .?"

	"The Noukiites purchased them from the Zeiwanites when I told them I didn't 
want a volunteer crew assigned to my ship," Ataru elaborated.  "You just 
wouldn't BELIEVE the number of people ready to drop everything just to serve 
as crew on a ship I might not put to much use, even if the Special Committee 
DOES permit me to dock her on Earth!"

	"Rinrin-chan's going to be BESIDE herself when she finds out about them," 
Marie said with a chuckle, she covering her mouth politely as she gazed on 
her siblings.  "Could you imagine how fast she'll finish up her work on 
Mecha-Rinrin-chan when she gets a chance to examine them?"

	Chikage scratched her chin thoughtfully.  "Much less what she might do if 
Sakuya persuades her to create a 'Mecha-Anikun?'"

	Ranma blinked.  "'Mecha-Anikun?!'"

	Ataru flustered even more.  "That was a little idea Sakuya-chan came up 
with when Rinrin-chan first told us about Mecha-Rinrin."

	"Hina remembers when Sakuya-chan tried to play Mecha-Sakuya-chan!"

	"Hinako, DON'T remind me of that!" Ataru yelped.

	Hinako snickered.  "Bad?" Ranma asked.

	Ataru returned her look.  "What do you think?"

*    *    *

	"AH-CHOO!"

	"Bless you, Sakuya-chan!  Are you alright?!"

	"Ugh!"  Sakuya wiped her nose before she nodded assuredly at Karen.  "Yeah, 
I'm fine!  Someone must be talking about me."

	Shirayuki fretted.  "Hopefully, it's Nii-sama."

	Haruka nodded.  "I hope so, too."

	The sisters were being marched through the corridors of the "Rose Emperor" 
by a platoon of heavily armed guards.  Two of the maids assigned to them 
kept Aria and Kaho company.  Seeing the fearful looks on her sisters' faces, 
Sakuya tried not to scream out in rage.  DAMN that loony bitch!  Who the 
hell gave her the right to frighten them to their wits' end just to try to 
woo Onii-sama?!

	One of the guards stopped by a door to open it.  "Here."

	They were led through the door, finding themselves on the balcony 
overlooking Elle's other prisoners.  Quick to recognize some of the jerks 
Onii-sama once went to school with, Sakuya's heart sank on seeing Yoshino 
Tomomi and Ikusawa Kyooko in the crowd.  *When we get out of this, we 
DEFINITELY try to persuade them to come to the Island!* Sakuya mused.  *They 
certainly don't deserve to spend any time with THESE nuts!*

	"Ah, ladies, there you are!  How nice of you to join us!"

	They gazed right as a white-caped, green-eyed redhead with a 
white-and-silver headband stepped towards them.  Gazing at Elle, Sakuya 
tried not to whistle in admiration.  Damn, after seeing her in the flesh, 
she could understand why those idiots in the Rose Queen's refrigerator could 
fall for someone like this!  "Queen Elle, I presume," Sakuya hailed, the 
other sisters massing in a group behind her.  "So what's the idea?  You 
realize the instant Onii-sama finds out that you've taken us away, he'll 
come rescue us!"

	The other prisoners, including a recently recovered Mendou Shuutarou, were 
staring wide-eyed at the group of nine young women who had just joined Elle 
on the balcony.  Kunou Tatewaki was still unconscious on the deck, he being 
closely monitored by Tomomi, Kyooko and Sawada Minako.  Those from Tomobiki 
who had not learned of Ataru's sisters before -- not to mention those who 
hadn't known how MANY sisters Ataru had these days -- were whispering to 
each other.  Listening to what was being said by some of the boys close by, 
Miyake Shinobu could only shake her head in disgust.  If Ataru DID come to 
rescue his sisters, things could get very ugly.  VERY quickly.

	Little did she realize how right she would be.

	"Oh, I'm sure Honey WILL come after you girls."  Elle then tittered, the 
gleam in her eyes lacking any mirth whatsoever.  "As to his actually going 
all the way to rescuing you, that'll be a different story, I assure you."

	"Why?" Karen demanded.  "Onii-chan never stepped on your shadow when you 
played your shadow-tag game!  He has no right to pursue a marriage . . . "

	"Not that Aniki'd want to marry a girl who loves dipping all her boyfriends 
into cryo-tubes!" Rinrin snarled.

	Elle jolted, she gazing confusedly at the sisters for a moment before her 
eyes widened.  "Why . . .?" she whined, a flash of real pain appearing in 
her emerald eyes.  "Do you think I'd put Honey into my Refrigerator . . .?"

	"The evidence stands against you," Haruka icily noted, her eyes narrowing.  
"Much that it is something of a tradition for any ruling elite to possess 
their own harems to see to their intimate needs, the fact that you 
deliberately keep yours under such inhuman restraints . . .!"

	"I KEEP THEM WHOLE AND PURE!" Elle shrieked, the force of her assertion 
making the sisters balk.  "I freeze them to ensure their love for me is 
preserved, kept as fresh, as complete as the day I first met them!  What in 
the name of the Fates is wrong with that?!"

	"Do they actually AGREE to such treatment?!" Haruka pressed.  She then 
pointed to Mendou.  "From what Anigimi-sama told us, Mendou-san there didn't 
agree at ALL to being made a part of your collection of 'cute boys!'"  That 
comment caused Mendou to blink; he never expected Moroboshi Ataru of all 
people to stick up for him for any reason, even to these so-called "sisters" 
whom he hadn't known about until that very moment.  "And you honestly 
believe that we'd accept your word that you won't do the same to 
Anigimi-sama?!"

	Elle leaned back before a determined look crossed her face.  "It doesn't 
matter," she asserted, dramatically pulling her cape close to her.  "Honey 
and I will be wed as soon as he comes here, as I'm sure he's more than 
capable of doing given all he's done on behalf of the Noukiites!  I'm more 
than sure that he holds your lives dear, so keeping you under my thumb 
should force him to see reason.  A pity that I couldn't get hold of Negako, 
Chikage, Hinako and Marie; with ALL of you in my grasp, Honey's capitulation 
is assured!  Now . . . "

	An intercom whistled.  "Your Majesty, long-range sensors have now detected 
a small Noukiite solar-sail scoutship coming toward us from the direction of 
Earth," the monitor's sensor officer hailed over the intercom.  "Her 
identification beacon marks her as the ISS/C 'Windrider.'  She's registered 
to Moroboshi Ataru of Earth, home-ported currently on Magairu . . . "

	"Big Brother!" the sisters gasped.

	"She's approximately ten minutes from reaching our position at present 
speed," the officer continued.  "The captain wishes to know . . . "

	"Stop the ship!" Elle ordered.  "Weapons on stand-by.  Raise shields to 
prevent their beaming anyone out!  I'll be right there!"

	"Yes, ma'am!"

	The intercom clicked off.  Elle faced the sisters.  "Do excuse me, please, 
ladies.  I'm off to have a long chat with Honey!"

	She stepped through the doorway, her guards shifting themselves to ensure 
none of the sisters could try to escape with the door open.  In a minute, 
the nine young women from Earth were left alone on the balcony, the door 
leading out of this place locked.  Exchanging worried looks, the sisters 
then focused on the door.  "What do we do now?" Kaho pleaded, tears 
streaming down her cheeks.

	"Why don't you guys c'mon down here?" Ryuunosuke's voice echoed from the 
main deck.  "If we stay close together, we'll be a lot safer."

	The sisters glanced down.  "As long as Sword-for-brains and 
Bokken-for-brains behave themselves," Sakuya asserted as she pointed at 
Mendou and Kunou.  She then turned to Aria.  "Here, Aria-chan, you go first. 
  Tomomi-chan and Kyooko-chan'll catch you when you go down."

	Seeing the big drop to the main deck, the young Parisian shuddered 
fearfully as the others gently pressed her to the balcony rail.  "Aria . . 
.!" she burbled before she started to cry.  "Aria doesn't want to fall . . 
.!"

	Tomomi and Kyooko shifted themselves below her.  "It's okay, Aria-chan!" 
the former asserted with a bright smile.  "We'll catch you!"

	"Kusun!"

*    *    *

	"They're stopping!" Tomo reported.

	"I see that," Koyomi asserted as she pressed controls to de-warp the 
"Haengge'cha" close to the "Rose Emperor."  Glancing at the sensory 
controls, she then smirked.  "And there's Ataru-sama's ship.  Alright, 
here's our chance to get you aboard so you can rescue the others!"

	"Right!" the internal security officer said as she shifted herself to the 
transporter unit at the aft end of the pilotage.

*    *    *

	"Papa, they've raised shields and readied weapons."

	The "Windrider" was two hundred kilometres from the "Rose Emperor."  The 
solar sails had been drawn in, clearing the field for the ship's weapons, 
including a pair of swivel accelerator cannons amidships and concussion 
missile tubes located under the figurehead, to be used.  On the front view 
screen in the pilotage, the Ellsian patrol monitor, a ship roughly the size 
of Invader's "Kashin," glistened like a multi-faceted jewel in the 
pitch-dark of inter-system space.  "Are they scanning us?" Ataru asked.

	"They're trying to," Kamen -- who, these days, called herself "Fujikaze 
Nobuko" -- reported.  "Ship's ECM systems are blocking the scans easily."

	"They're blocking our scans too, Darling," Mienai -- she currently calling 
herself "Kanki Yukiko" -- reported from a port-side station next to Marie.  
"I'm trying to adjust the bandwidth to get around their ECM now."

	"Don't be too obvious, Yukiko-chan," Ataru warned.

	"Hai!"

	"We can't fight them flat-out, can we?" Ranma, having shifted herself to 
stand behind Ataru's chair, wondered.

	He thoughtfully tugged at his beard.  "No, we can't."

	"Darling?"

	"What is it, Shinobi-chan?"

	"Long-range sensors just picked up another ship heading our way from the 
direction of Toshitto," Lum's double said.  "It's a Fukunokami-type 
starship, frigate-class.  Trying to identify her now."  She then tapped 
controls.

	"What would one of them be doing here?!" Seiko wondered.

	"Do you think the Ellsians've picked them up?" Ataru asked.

	"Doubtful."  Shinobi then frowned as the readouts danced before her eyes.  
"You've got quite a powerful sensory unit for a ship of this size, Darling.  
I . . .!"  She paused.  "Wait!  The other ship just came to a halt.  She's 
about ten million kilometres from us now.  If I'm not mistaken, I think they 
just picked up the 'Rose Emperor.'  Hard to tell if they've been detected in 
return."

	"They haven't."

	Eyes locked on Chikage.  "Is that bankable?" Nabiki wondered.

	"Very."  The sorceress then smiled as images swirled in her crystal ball.  
"It appears, Seiko, several of your friends were on their way to visit you 
and your sister when Elle decided to change all our social schedules."

	Seiko blinked.  "MY friends?!"

	"Wait!" Shinobi cut in.  "Got the ID on the second ship.  She's the 
Independent Starship 'Goddess of Luck,' out of Bensaikyou."

	Nobuko stared at her sister Avalonian, her eyes wide.  "Shogai Dakejinzou's 
ship?!  You sure about that one, Hensou?"

	"Chikage-chan, isn't that the bounty hunter Brother Sunfire put on retainer 
just in case something happened to us?" Marie wondered.

	Chikage nodded.  "The same."

	"And the Ellsians haven't detected them?" Ataru asked.

	"No, Ani-kun, not yet.  But it could happen soon."

	"Right."  He then scowled, bracing himself.  "Reiko-chan, ready a spread of 
concussion missiles.  Use the subspace harmonic warheads.  Bracket Elle's 
ship on all sides.  I don't want them to see who else is out there."

	"Hai, Papa!"

*    *    *

	"You can't scan into that ship?!"

	The sensory officer shook her head.  "Negative, Captain.  She's got quite a 
powerful ECM system for a ship that size . . .!"  Her voice then trailed 
off, her eyes wide as a new reading came up.  "Captain, she's readying 
missiles!"

	The shock at that announcement was very brief as the captain barked, "All 
power to the shields!  Ready anti-missile defences . . .!"

	"She's firing!"

	Slender torpedoes lanced out of the "Windrider's" launch bays, darting to 
all sides of the "Rose Emperor."  Before the crew on the larger ship could 
realize what was happening, the first of the concussion missiles exploded, 
sending high-frequency subspace shockwaves all over the place.  Since they 
were presently both in normal space, neither the "Windrider" nor the "Rose 
Emperor" was affected by the strikes save for molecular debris from the 
detonated missiles showering the larger ship's shields.  It was in the 
various dimensions of subspace, where the most highly attuned of the Ellsian 
warship's sensors were currently locked, that the missiles had their full 
effect.

	"Damn!" the sensory officer spat out.  "He's blinded us!"

	"What?!" the captain demanded.

	"Long-range subspace, short-range subspace and weapons targeting sensors 
down!  Subspace communications are off-line!" the younger woman read off the 
litany of problems facing them now.  "Warp core's unaffected, but I'd 
recommend NOT going into hyperspace at this time, Captain!"

	The captain blinked before she turned to stare at the image of the 
"Windrider."  The view screen was showing the static after-effects of the 
missile strike from the Noukiite ship.  "What's he up to?" she whispered.

*    *    *

	"What's that idiot up to?!" Benten demanded.

	"Multiple subspace shockwave blasts," Nassur said as he adjusted controls 
on the "Goddess'" sensors.  Like what was fitted on the "Windrider," the 
sensory suite on Shogai Dakejinzou's ship was well above what was seen as 
standard for a vessel of that size.  "No doubt, they're pretty much blind 
save for normal-space scans, plus they can't risk entering warp unless they 
clear the disturbed area."  A nod of approval.  "Smart move on his part."

	"Why would Ataru do something like that, Nassur-sama?" Oyuki asked.

	"Elle has hostages aboard her ship."

	Eyes locked on Dakejinzou, the alien hunter's hand touching one of her 
earrings.  "How the hell did you know that?!" Benten demanded.

	"Signal from Brother Sunfire I just received right now, Benten.  Nine of 
Ataru's sisters, plus all his former classmates at Tomobiki High, were 
kidnapped shortly after lunch local time.  Elle demanded Ataru surrender 
himself to her in order for the hostages to be released."

	Benten and Oyuki exchanged a look.  "But Moroboshi never stepped on that 
idiot's shadow when they were kids!" the former said.  "Why the hell's Elle 
after him now?"  Her voice trailed as something came to her.  "Unless . . . 
"

	"With Lum-chan 'dead,' the Queen must have come to believe that no one else 
would desire Ataru," Oyuki noted.  "After all, we did make quite a mess of 
things when we helped her rescue him from the altar . . . "

	"Everyone knows how vain that woman is."  Nassur then gazed on Dakejinzou.  
"So what's Brother Sunfire going to do now?"

	"He said he would contact a crusade fleet on Magairu to help force Elle to 
release her hostages," the alien hunter reported.  "A message would also be 
passed to the Noukiites based around Toshitto to send their own force out.  
Hopefully, this can be done with as . . . "  She paused before turning to 
tap controls on her flight board.

	Everyone gazed on the view screen.  "Why's he approaching her?!" Oyuki 
demanded as the "Windrider" came in close to the "Rose Emperor."

	Nassur turned to his board.  "Shields still up; he's keeping some distance 
from the 'Emperor.'"  A hum.  "This is interesting . . . "

	"What's he tryin' ta do, anyway?" Benten wondered.

	The expat Vosian shook his head as he sat back in his chair.  "Hard to tell 
since I've no idea what he's capable of doing.  If he's got some hidden 
surprises up his sleeve and he's prepared to use them, Benten, I'd say his 
chances of rescuing his sisters and the others are very good."

	"Why say that?!  He ain't ever done this before . . .!"

	"True, which could potentially give him an advantage, especially dealing 
with Elle."  Nassur held up an objecting finger.  "An experienced warrior 
would know what sort of manoeuvres to avoid in a situation of this nature, 
Benten.  I'm willing to strongly bet that he wouldn't know what mistakes to 
make.  Atop that, Elle's probably still thinking of Moroboshi Ataru as the 
sex-crazed idiot she met a year ago.  I think after what you both saw happen 
on Phentax Two, that doesn't apply anymore.  Ne?"  His eyebrow arched 
knowingly.

	Benten moved to disagree before a thoughtful look crossed her face.  "Yeah, 
ya got a point."  She gazed out the front view ports of the "Goddess'" 
pilotage before she watered her response down with a muttered, "Still, it IS 
pretty hard to believe, ya know!"

	She smirked.  "Agreed," Oyuki affirmed with an understanding nod.

	"Wait . . .!"

	Eyes locked on Dakejinzou.  "What is it?" Nassur asked.

	"He's hailing her," the alien bounty hunter reported.

*    *    *

	"Beam-in successful," Tomo whispered into a communicator in her collar.

	"Gotcha," Koyomi's voice echoed through a speaker fitted in the patrol 
officer's right ear.  "Lucky thing we got you over before Ataru-sama fired 
those missiles."  A pause.  "Ataru-sama's starting a parlay with Elle right 
now, Tomo.  Get to the hostages and get ready.  I'm prepping the transporter 
unit now."

	"Okay."

*    *    *

	"Hello, Elle.  It's been some time."

	"Hello to you, too, Honey.  My, it HAS been some time since I last saw you. 
  The beard and moustache are very nice touches."  The Rose Queen seemed to 
quiver with typical delight on seeing her "fiancé."  A condemning glare then 
crossed her face.  "What you just did to us was very rude, Honey."  She 
wagged her finger at his image.  "It's not nice to launch subspace-harmonic 
concussion missiles at your fiancée, you know!"

	All emotion drained from Ataru's face.  "Kidnapping my sisters is equally 
rude, Elle.  Especially on the false pretext that we're engaged.  You WILL 
recall what we discovered when we took that small jaunt into the past after 
you and I nearly got married.  So what's the idea?  If you wanted to talk to 
me, all you had to do was call me direct."

	Elle seemed to freeze for a moment as she took in who and what sat alone on 
the bridge of the "Windrider;" before hailing the Rose Queen, Ataru had the 
bridge cleared out of everyone else, especially his sisters, his daughters 
and Ranma.  "Well, in spite of what did happen when we were children, the 
fact remains that I still do care for you.  And yes, I still wish to marry 
you.  And NO, you're not destined for the Refrigerator of Love.  Why in the 
name of the Fates would I place my husband inside the Refrigerator?"

	Ataru's eyebrow arched.  "And the Cute Boys?  What about them?"

	She made a dismissive wave with her hand.  "Oh, just fleeting liaisons that 
struck my fancy, Honey.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Besides, you yourself 
tried to gather your own harem.  Before, of course, you learned of that 
delightful family your late father parented on the side."

	"True, I was that way," he verbally admitted the hit, sitting back in his 
chair.  "However, I'd like to think I've outgrown that stage of my life.  I 
hope that one day soon, you'll be able to do the same, Elle."  A pause.  
"Besides, why is it you targeted boys who were, almost to the end, suffering 
from a host of incurable illnesses like Hifuto Syndrome?"  He ignored the 
shocked look on her face on hearing those words.  "Elle, if you were really 
trying to preserve their lives for a time when medical technology might cure 
them, it might've done you a lot of good to come out and admit the truth.  
Your people might actually respect you a lot more that way, you know."

	"H-how . . .?!" she sputtered.

	Ataru thinly smiled.  "There's little the Inquisition doesn't know."

*    *    *

	"Is he tellin' the truth?" Benten asked.

	Nassur's eyes were scouring the image of the Rose Queen on his board.  "By 
the looks of it, yes.  Hard to believe, ne?"

	Dakejinzou quirkily smiled.  "Agreed."

*    *    *

	"Sylia on 'Kiboo'cha' to Koyomi on 'Haengge'cha.'  Status report, Chief?"

	Koyomi tried not to frown on seeing Sylia's image appear before her.  
Everyone on Sagussa knew that when Sylia addressed someone by rank instead 
of name, she was clearly upset about something.  "The Master Chief's aboard 
the 'Rose Emperor' right now, Commander.  So far, so good.  Ataru-sama's in 
a parlay with Elle as we speak.  I'll pipe you the transmission."  She then 
tapped controls to link the transmission back to Earth.

*    *    *

	Elle quickly gathered control of herself, she making another dismissive 
wave.  "Well, that doesn't matter, Honey.  What does matter is you."  She 
winked at him, her lips widening in a smile.  "I WILL marry you, Honey.  I 
just can't imagine living another day without you at my side."

	Ataru then sighed.  "Elle, I AM quite flattered . . . "

	"You deserve it."  The Rose Queen then blew him a kiss before she sat back 
in her chair.  "Even better, the Devil's Daughter is now radioactive dust 
over what's left of Onishuto thanks to your Noukiite friends, so we don't 
have to worry about any interruptions from that quarter.  And with her gone, 
all her friends from space won't interfere since, as you and I are aware of, 
they never cared one bit for you, much less Lum's interest in you."

	He nodded.  "Yes, that is true, isn't it?  Hell, there are times these days 
that I kick myself for actually taking interest in the likes of Benten and 
Oyuki in the first place.  I mean, would you believe that the day Lum 
dragged me to their Setsubun festival, Benten tried to entice a kiss out of 
me just to help her side win that stupid ball-toss?  And Oyuki!"  He rolled 
his eyes.  "Other than dumping enough snow to sink the 'Titanic' into my 
bedroom every time she visited, there's that so-called 'bodyguard' of hers, 
B-Boy.  Sheesh!"  He threw up his hands before turning to wag a finger.  "I 
swear, Elle-chan, the NEXT time I see that pathetic imitation of a yeti, I'm 
gonna take my qu'f-piaqu'r and use him for BAYONET practice before using my 
eunuch swords on him!"

*    *    *

	"He WOULDN'T!" Oyuki shrieked.

	Dakejinzou gazed amusedly at the princess.  "Bets?"

	The Neptunian shuddered before she turned to look anywhere else but the 
view screen re-playing images transmitted between the "Rose Emperor" and the 
"Windrider."  Nearby, Benten was muttering a litany of dockyard-grown curses 
about Ataru.  Watching their reactions, Nassur tried not to fall over 
laughing as he exchanged a knowing look with his old partner.  Dakejinzou 
winked back.

*    *    *

	"Excuse me."

	Tomo tensed as the voice from behind her made her stop.  "Eh?"

	She turned to see a chief warrant officer step up to adjust something on 
the back of her uniform.  "You belt wasn't looped properly," the older woman 
declared as she made the necessary changes to the sleeveless bodysuit Tomo 
had appropriated from the cabin she had beamed into.  "This is the Royal 
Flagship.  You have to look your best, especially when the Queen's aboard.  
Remember that!"

	Tomo braced herself at attention.  "Aye, ma'am!"

	The older woman nodded before she marched off to carry out her rounds.  
Tomo watched her go, inwardly stunned that the Ellsian woman hadn't taken 
notice of the fact that the visiting Sagussan wasn't a local; all one had to 
do was look at the back of her thighs to find her Daishi'cha sequential 
tattoos.  *Guess people serving in this bunch ARE as pack of idiots,* she 
mused to herself as she waited for the chief warrant officer to disappear 
around a corner.  Once that happened, the patrol officer picked up her small 
duffle bag containing her weapons -- that was from the quarters where she 
had got her uniform -- and then she turned to head down the corridor to the 
holding area.

*    *    *

	"Oh, Elle-chan?"

	"Yes, Honey?"

	His eyebrow arched.  "Do you still wear that very nice perfume I smelled on 
you when we were dancing in the garden at your palace?"

	Elle's cheeks reddened.  "You still remember . . .?"

	"Hai, Elle-chan.  I haven't changed THAT much, you know."

	One of the Rose Queen's hands touched her cheek.  "Oh, Honey!"

	"I guess I'll just have to reacquaint myself with that lovely scent."  
Ataru then reached forward to tap controls at Reiko's station.  "See you in 
a couple of minutes . . . "  He fixed her with a wink.  "Intended."

	The screen blanked out on the "Rose Emperor," leaving behind a bridge full 
of stunned, wide-eyed women.  Their queen was quivering like a schoolgirl 
who just landed a date with the most popular sports star for the prom.  
"He's lowered his shields, Captain," the sensory officer reported, causing 
the others to blink, save for a very twitterpated Elle.  "All weapons now 
deactivated."

	"I . . .!"  The captain then nodded.  "Um, r-right!  Lower shields to allow 
him to come alongside, Pilot."  She then stared at the officer of the deck.  
"Tractor him into the portside quarterdeck airlock," she then ordered.

	"Yes, ma'am!"

	"Oh, Honey . . . "

	Eyes locked on Elle.  Her cheeks were still aflame like a pair of spring 
mountain roses after a morning shower.  "Are you alright, Your Majesty?" the 
captain gently asked as she approached the Rose Queen.

	The Rose Queen jolted before she noticed everyone staring concernedly at 
her.  "I . . .!  Ah!  Oh, y-yes!"  She cleared her throat with a discrete 
cough.  "Have a reception committee ready at the place Honey is to come 
aboard, Captain.  Let's be cautious."  She raised a finger in warning.

	The captain saluted.  "By your command, Your Majesty!"

*    *    *

	"He's surrendering that quickly . . .?"

	Seven Bake Rose scowled at the blank image on her view screen inside her 
private cabin, which was located not too far from where the prisoners were 
currently being held.  The unit had been tapped into the "Rose Emperor's" 
main transmitter unit, allowing the mercenary a chance to overhear 
everything that had been said between Elle and Ataru.  "Something's going on 
here," Rose muttered as she sat back in her chair, her mind calling up all 
the relevant information she had acquired about Mr. Groom in the last while. 
  It then focused on one interesting point about Ataru's time with the 
Noukiites.

	He was The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.

	That name had been bestowed -- according to Noukiite wartime propaganda -- 
to an Ip'ihu warrior who had personally gone to Uru and several of its 
colonies to deal with those high-ranking Oni officials who had escaped the 
atomization of Onishuto midway through that conflict.  Finding out THAT 
tidbit about Mr. Groom's secret life on Noukiios had been difficult for 
Rose, but not impossible.

	In fact, that action had proven once and for all how stupid the Urusians 
had been altogether when it came to the natives of the planet Earth.  After 
all, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru had been able to learn the 
intergalactic specialized warfare trade quite quickly.  Almost TOO quickly, 
Rose often mused from time to time during her recent investigative trip on 
Noukiios.  Then again, after learning the truth about his grandmother's 
murder at the hands of agents of the Devil Invader, adding that to his 
parents' betrayal of him three years before the First Tag Race, plus an 
understandable fear concerning the safety of the family he just acquired . . 
.!

	Well, that could easily prompt ANYONE to make himself the best 
unconventional warfare fighter in the local cluster.

	Yes, even a sex-crazed idiot like Moroboshi Ataru.

	The Brother Who Danced on the Wind.

	Rose's eyes then widened.  "Diversion . . . "

	Quickly, she bolted to her feet, reaching for her sidearm.

*    *    *

	"Tomo, Sylia, the parlay's ended," Koyomi announced over the communication 
lines to the transmitter in her bond-mate's ear and to the "Kiboo'cha" over 
the Moon.  "The 'Windrider's' moving to dock alongside the 'Rose Emperor' 
now."

	"Gotcha," Tomo whispered into her collar-mounted communicator.

	"Hey!  You're not supposed to be here."

	Tomo's eyes turned up to see two guards standing post by the entranceway to 
the holding area.  Noting that only one of them was facing her, the Internal 
Security Force's master chief warrant officer grinned.  "Actually, Sarge, I 
AM supposed to be here," she cheerfully announced.

	Both guards jolted on hearing Tomo's odd accent.  "Who . . .?" the other 
guard demanded as both turned to stare at her.

	Tomo's fist smashed through the first guard's face shield, pulping the poor 
woman's nose as she was flung into a bulkhead by the force of the blow.  
Before the second guard could grab her pistol from its holster, the 
Yizibajohei-born patrol officer's foot caught her under the jaw, sending the 
hapless woman slamming into the holding area's doorway with a broken neck.  
Catching them both single-handedly before they could slide to the deck and 
mark the scene with blood, Tomo drew out a small transmitter from her duffle 
bag.  Aiming it at the security lock by the doorway, Tomo pressed a button.  
The lock unsealed, the door opening in response.  Without pause, she threw 
the dead troopers onto the balcony deck before surging through herself, she 
closing the door behind her.

	"Hey!  Who're you?!"

	Tomo spun around to see the crowd some metres below staring wide-eyed at 
her.  Grabbing her duffle bag, she jumped down to join the prisoners.  
Opening her bag, she drew out a pistol as she headed over to Haruka.  "Here 
ya go, Haruka-sama," she declared as she stuffed the loaded weapon into the 
back part of the martial artist's waistband.

	"Ano . . .!" Karen then spoke up.

	Tomo grinned.  "It's okay, Karen-sama.  I'm here to help with the rescue."

	The hostages blinked as they took that in.  Some distance away from the 
Internal Security Force master chief, a brown-haired girl with wide blue 
eyes was staring in shocked disbelief at the newcomer.

	*I KNOW HER!* Seikou Mie railed in her mind.

*    *    *

	"To quote the great cartoon . . . "

	"'What a maroon!'" everyone in the corridor aft of the bridge chimed as one 
after Ataru closed the door behind him.

	"Will they be able to sense how many people're aboard this ship now?" 
Nabiki wondered.  "Especially since we're going to get . . . "

	The deck lurched slightly.  "Tractor beam," Kaneko warned.

	"Perfect."  Ataru glanced at the deckhead before he turned to Sakiko.  "You 
can use your powers to lock in on Ryuunosuke, right?"

	The flame-haired Nendo-kata winked.  "Easy as pie, Darling."

	"Okay.  As soon as we're aboard, Ranma'll use the Umisen-ken to snatch 
Elle.  I'll leave the moment to strike to you, okay."  He stared at Ranma 
before turning to Seiko.  "Seiko-chan, you stay with Ranma, help her as you 
see fit.  Reiko-chan, Kaneko-chan, you'll come with Chikage and I."  He 
looked to the others.  "Rest of you, stay here.  Hinako-chan, you keep the 
Staff locked on me."  He tapped the Staff.  "After I find the other girls, 
I'll give a signal and you use the Staff to bring us all aboard, okay?"

	Hinako sniffed.  "Hina wants to come with Onii-tama!"

	Ataru firmly shook his head.  "No.  I don't want any knowledge of Bou-san 
to be plastered from one end of the galaxy to the other, Hinako-chan.  
You'll never know a moment's rest if that happens.  Okay?"

	The youngest sister nodded.  "What of us, Aniue-sama?" Marie wondered.

	Ataru gazed on the others.  "The rest of you'll stay here.  Miree, you're 
in charge of a rescue party in case things get out of hand.  If I get caught 
-- which I'll try to avoid -- I'm counting on you to bail us out, alright?"

	The Hollywoodite chief priestess nodded.  "Of course."

	A grinding noise echoed through the hull.  "We're locking alongside, 
probably at one of their quarterdeck gangways," Reiko warned.

	"How many people might be on hand?" Ranma wondered.

	Seiko's eyes glowed as she directed her telepathic powers towards the 
patrol monitor.  "There's about forty people within ten metres of us right 
now, Ranma.  I . . . "  She then grinned.  "Good.  Elle's waiting."

	"Perfect."  Ataru stared at Seiko and Sakiko.  "Keep the use of your powers 
to a minimum.  They might expect it from Reiko-chan and Kaneko-chan, but not 
you.  Same deal as with the Staff."  He nodded towards Hinako in emphasis.

	Marie shuddered.  "Be careful, Aniue-sama."

	"Everyone, let's get to the bridge," Miree ordered, waving those remaining 
behind through the door into the sloop's pilotage.

	"Watch your back, Ranma-chan," Shinshi warned.

	"I'll be cool," Ranma assured before she slipped under the ki cloak.

	The grinding came to a halt.  A clanging noise echoed.  Ataru waved the 
others with him to the gangway.  Sakiko slipped up to the airlock controls, 
nodding on seeing the readout.  "Soft seal, Darling.  We can go in."

	She tapped controls to open the lock.  Ataru blinked as the darker light of 
the Noukiite ship was instantly chased away by a tidal wave of bright light 
flooding in from the Ellsian monitor.  His eyes quickly adjusted to the 
light as he stepped aboard the "Rose Emperor," finding himself in a 
breezeway leading to a circular reception area.  Placing Reiko and Kaneko 
before him, he motioned his daughters forward.  Seiko, Sakiko and Chikage 
fell in behind him, the invisible Ranma behind them.  "Let's go," he 
whispered, waving the others with him.

	Behind them, the "Windrider's" airlock automatically closed.  The small 
crowd boarding the "Rose Emperor" ignored it as they stepped out of the 
breezeway onto the monitor's quarterdeck.  Around them stood nearly three 
platoons worth of security troops, stun rifles at port arms.  By the main 
doors leading into the remainder of the ship, there stood a familiar figure 
in a lime green battlesuit.  "Oh!  Hello again, Captain!" Ataru hailed with 
a smile on remembering the first Ellsian he had met a lifetime ago at 
Tomobiki High's clock tower.  "It's been a while.  Oh!"  He caught himself, 
placing his hands on his daughters' shoulders.  "Permission to come aboard."

	The woman blinked.  "Um . . .!  Ah, granted, Mr. Groom!  Granted . . . "

	Her voice was cut off as the door behind her opened.  "Honey!"

	Reiko and Kaneko ducked as a white-and-red blur slammed into Ataru.  
Fortunately, since he was the only man standing on the quarterdeck at the 
time, Elle didn't repeat the faux pas she made when she first encountered 
Ataru (then accompanied by some of his classmates) back in Baran.  "Hey!" 
Ataru grunted as the Rose Queen squeezed him.  "Take it easy, Elle-chan!  I 
need to breathe!"

	Elle pulled back to give him a close look, a finger reaching up to stroke 
his beard.  "This IS a great improvement," she cooed with delight, leaning 
in to rub her nose on the end of his chin.  "It's been so long, Honey!  I'm 
so delighted you've decided to come join me!"

	He wriggled his eyebrows.  "Well, much that I hate to remind you, you 
didn't give me much of a choice, I'm afraid."

	"Oh, don't worry about that!"  Elle made a dismissive wave with her hand.  
"They're all safe and sound, Honey.  You needn't fear . . . "  Her voice 
then trailed off as she saw the young girls flanking Ataru.  "Who . . .?"

	"Ah, sorry!"  He then made introductions.

	Elle's eyes widened.  "Your daughters?!" she gasped before kneeling to gaze 
upon them.  "Oh, they're so precious!  And Yekhu, too!"  She tapped their 
golden sun caste tattoos.  "Well, only the best for Honey's babies, eh?"

	Reiko stared up at Ataru.  "She's really pretty, Papa."

	He nodded as Elle straightened herself.  "That she's always been."  He 
leaned forward, his nose flaring slightly.  "You remembered."

	Elle's cheeks reddened.  "You remembered for me, Honey . . . "

	"I was happy to.  Oh, good grief, I forgot!"  He then turned around to 
indicate Chikage.  "Since you've already met some of my sisters, here's 
another.  Elle-chan, this is Chikage.  Chikage, Elle."

	Chikage curtly nodded.  "Elle."

	"A pleasure, Ch-Chikage-chan," the Rose Queen sputtered, a shiver running 
through her as the sorceress' eyes seemed to bore into her very soul.  She 
then turned back to Ataru.  "But Honey, where are Negako-chan, Marie-chan 
and Hinako-chan?  And who are . . .?"

	She indicated the Izumo sisters.  Seiko and Sakiko then introduced 
themselves.  "One of the people you kidnapped from Tomobiki is my 
girlfriend, Fujinami Ryuunosuke," the latter announced, keeping her voice 
level as she fought down the urge to lash out at this sub-creature.  "A lot 
of people are very upset with you right now because of what you did, Your 
Majesty."

	Elle made a dismissive wave with her hand.  "Well, it was necessary.  
Besides, all the incidents provoked by the Devil's Daughter living there 
were worse.  And from what I've heard from them, you yourself don't seem to 
care too much about what happens to them, Honey."

	"What do you expect?"  Ataru shrugged, sensing Seiko quiver at Elle's barb. 
  "If it wasn't Lum they were fawning over, it was Mendou."  His eyebrow 
then arched.  "Oh, speaking of which, what about him?  Will you send him 
into the Refrigerator with the rest of your collection?"

	"No, of course not."  Elle then gave Ataru a thoughtful look.  "Unless you 
want me to dispose of him myself, Honey . . . "

	Ataru shook his head.  "Nah, don't bother.  Living well's the best revenge, 
after all.  And he DOES have to get married this Saturday or else he'll get 
tossed out of his family.  I don't want him to miss that."

	The Rose Queen then tittered.  "An odd revenge, indeed!"  She took a deep 
breath before snapping her fingers.  "Ladies!"

	The guards instantly levelled their rifles on Ataru and his party.  "I 
guessed you'd try that."  He then barked, "NOW!"

	Two telekinetically propelled waves of compressed air slammed into the 
guards and the captain, sending them flying into the nearest bulkheads.  The 
air behind Elle fizzled, revealing Ranma.  "***KACHUU TENSHIN 
AMAGURIKEN!***" she barked as she rained a storm of punches into Elle's 
back, sending her flying against the glass bulkhead beside the breezeway 
leading to the "Windrider."

*    *    *

	"PIG-TAILED GIRL!"

	Everyone shrieked as Kunou leapt to his feet, and then he lunged for the 
balcony.  Yanking out a spare bokken, the kendou-ka roared as he unleashed 
his storm of righteous vengeance on the door.  "***THE BLUE THUNDER WILL 
SAVE YOU, MY PIG-TAILED ONE!***" he bellowed as the door exploded from the 
air pressure.

	Kunou lunged through, racing off with a determined scream.  The crowd left 
on the main deck of the containment room gaped at the sight.  Yotsuba then 
turned to her sisters.  "Um . . . do we follow him out?!"

	People exchanged looks.  Noting this after she slipped the last of th