Alternative Urusei Yatsura Fanfic by *Lewis Burden* (file: jad5_uy.txt )
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This Fanfic is not yet finished and currently consists of 12 parts. Every
part will be uploaded and made available on a weekly basis on the Internet.
Files are available vie email request or ftp at world.std.com in:

ftp: world.std.com /pub/uy-fanfic    email request: uy-fan@lexicor.com
*********************************    *********************************

public ftp site for world is now ftp.std.com and not world.std.com <-- read


This Fanfic was first uploaded to GENIE and is now available on the Internet.

note: This is very alternative UY and highly recommendable UY fanfic
=====

Enjoy,

        Yat Siu

        - ysiu@lexicor.com

                                                Alt-Urusei Yatsura
                                                V
                                                "Dream a Little Dream with Me"
                                                __________________________

    "Everything is unraveling before I've even started!"
Lum shouted while pacing back in room 912A.
     "You should have let me kill him," Benten commented
while gulping down her drink.
     Security had arrived shortly after Sugoi pinned Cherry
down.   The report was that the princess had uncovered the
spy and needed assistance.    Cherry was taken into custody,
and was currently in the brig awaiting interrogation.
Interrogation was the last thing that Lum wanted to permit,
but stalling Cherry's case would bring the crew close to
mutiny.   Lum, as a good commander, was quite aware of the
edgy mood of her crew.   The forestalled invasion and
waiting around Earth had already disrupted their routine and
was straining relations, but the sabotage had galvanized
everyone.   The crew wanted blood.   The discovery that the
saboteur was indeed a Terran raised the volume of the
invasion cry to a fever pitch.   Lum couldn't ignore her
crew.
     No one knew about Ataru or Shinobu, yet, but Sugoi was
now on board.   That was the worst news of all.  Sugoi,
Rei's little sister, bore little resemblance to the dull-
witted pilot.   Sugoi was sharp, and not easy to manipulate.
Even Ten feared her.   She had a reputation throughout the
Empire for ferreting out secrets, and Lum knew that she was
not here on a simple family visit.   She was sent by the
families to find out what was going on.   Cherry picked the
worst person in the galaxy to choose to bump into.
     "Things have taken a bad turn," Ten said, "but they're
not hopeless.   We still have a lot of cards to play."
     "That won't last long once they get all that Cherry
knows," Lum said.
     "But won't you be leading the interrogation?" Ataru
asked.
     Ten took a breath.  "We have a very thorough method of
interrogation.   In the same way that we write information
to the brain, we can read it as well.    Uruseian
interrogations last about five minutes, and then
investigators will pour over everything that Cherry knows
downloaded into the computer."
     "What will happen to Cherry?" Shinobu asked.
     "Shortly after they sift his brain, " Benten
proclaimed, "they'll take him to the large fighter bay... "
     "Benten please don't," Lum interrupted.
     Benten looked hard at Lum.  "She has a right to know
what you Uruseians do to slaves and traitors.   After all it
might be our turn next."
     Lum said nothing.  She just lowered her head and turned
away.
     Benten continued her narration.  "They'll take him to
the fighter bay and display him naked in front of the
assembled crew.    Force beams will them gently lift him
into air and then when he's high enough, the beams, amidst
screams of agony, will rend him to bloody pieces."
     Shinobu's mouth hung open, her face had gone quite
pale.
     Ataru was also shocked.   Ten and Ran just lowered
there heads.
     "Why?" Ataru asked.
     Lum sighed.  "To make him an example.   To satisfy our
need for revenge."
     "It's horrible!"  Shinobu exclaimed, "What kind of
animals are you?"

  Lum  turned to Shinobu and met her eyes.   "We're a
violent people.  I make no bones about it, as you are.   We
studied your planet before we came.   I think what your own
people did to another nation, you call China, little more
than two generations ago could easily be comparable to our
method of execution."
     "But that was fifty years ago!" Shinobu protested.
"We're not like that any more."
     "Aren't you?" Lum questioned.  "Perhaps all you need is
another opportunity."   Lum suddenly recalled the faces of
Kakugari and the others and shivered.   She drew a breath.
"What do you think your people would do to me if they ever
caught me."
     Shinobu lowered her head.
     "All this philosophy is pointless!"  Benten exclaimed
standing.  "The Uruseian method of execution is horrible.
Horrible enough that I think we should be spending more time
figuring out how to make sure we're not next!"
     "Aren't we going to try and save Cherry?" Ataru asked.
     "Cherry made his own bed.  He deserves what's coming to
him," Benten stated flatly.
     "But if we don't rescue him," Ataru offered, "They'll
sift his brain and find us out."
     "If Cherry escapes,"  Lum returned, "They'll be nothing
I can do to stop the fleet from annihilating all life on
Earth."
     "But I thought you're the princess," Shinobu said.
     "No power is absolute," Lum said, "I just can't run
over the wishes of my crew.  I'd lose their respect, and
their loyalty."
     Suddenly Ten began to chuckle.  Everyone looked at him.
 "You find something fucking amusing?"  Benten said coldly.
     Ten smiled broadly at her. "Yes," he simply, and
continued to chuckle to himself.
     "Well, what is it?" Ran asked.
     "Oh nothing," Ten said leaning back further in his
chair.   His over-confident smile was really beginning to
get on Lum's nerves.   Ten continued, "I think I've just
figured out a way to save Cherry, save us, get Sugoi off our
backs before she even starts, deal the families a harsh
blow, and save the Earth, all in one stroke.   Interested?"
     "Ten, so help me!  Tell us!"  Lum shouted.
     Everyone in the room was reaching a boiling point.
Ten knew this and was enjoying it.   He looked around at the
anxious and angry faces and calculated whether he could get
away with one more delay before someone lunged at him.
Benten looked to be his most agitated listener.  He was
certain that she would go for his throat, or at least crush
the glass that she was already holding far too tightly.   It
belonged to an expensive set.    He didn't want to lose it.
     "Well," he began, "I'd be lying if I said that this was
an original idea.   I believe it was Redet Tel, my great
grandfather, who first . . ."
     "Ten," Lum interrupted, "please."
     "Okay, what if it turned out that Cherry wasn't an
Earth saboteur at all, but was sent by Pochik Vel."
     "Who's Pochik Vel?"  Ataru asked.
     "An old gnarly cantankerous geezer who delights in
foiling the plans of Azu Des,"  Ten explained.
     Ran spoke up, "But Cherry is from Earth, you can't lie
to a mind sift."
     "Of course you can!"  Ten exclaimed gleefully.
"Machines are the easiest of all to lie to, because they are
so trusting.   They believe whatever information you feed
them."
     Lum started to smile as she ran through the
possibilities in her head.   "Cherry's interrogation is in
less than two tenths.    Can you arrange everything by
then?"
     "Please," Ten said with feigned injury, "I'm hurt.
I'll need Ataru to help me."
     "What can I do?" Ataru said incredulously.
     "I need you to explain the plan to Cherry and get him
to trust us."
     "What if Sugoi sees him while you both are roaming
about the halls?" Lum asked.
     "Maybe the princess should welcome our guest aboard
ship properly and give her a tour, and afterwards maybe have
dinner with her," Ten suggested.  "After all you'll be
sisters soon,"  he paused.   "We do need to start now."
     Lum thought briefly.   "Okay."
     Ten smiled and got out of his chair.   "Ataru, my lad,
the empress commands."
     Ataru got up, as did Shinobu.
     "One is dangerous, two is impossible," Ten said to
Shinobu.  Shinobu was about to protest, but Ten turned on
his silkiest voice and took Shinobu's hand.  "My dear, the
thought of someone as beautiful as you possibly being
captured is too great for my heart to bear.   Someday I wish
to walk together among the gardens of your world and talk of
more pleasant things, but today I must work, which I could
not do forever thinking that you could be in danger."
     Shinobu was taken by surprise and stood stunned.   She
felt almost hypnotized by him.   She sat down quietly
rubbing the hand that he had held.

     Benten made a noise of disgust, and turned away from
the scene.   When Ten walked by her to go out, he lean over
and said quietly, "Jealous."    He and Ataru were out the
door before she could react.
     Lum turned to Ran.   "Ran, go find Sugoi and tell I
want to meet with her in half a tenth to welcome her
properly to the ship.    Tell her that she is invited to eat
with me afterwards, and the dress will be formal.  That
should give her something to do."
     Ran stood.  "My lady, and what of Rei?  Is he invited
also?"
     "No, tell her it's a night for future sisters to get to
know one another."
     "Yes, my lady," Ran said and went to leave.
     "And Ran you do know to behave yourself while she's
here?"  Lum called after her.
     "Yes, my lady," Ran said, obviously a little
disappointed, and continued out the door.
     Benten stood up, obviously excited.  "This is great, a
plan.   What do I get to do?"
     "And me?"  Shinobu said standing.   "You're not going
to leave me alone here."
     Lum studied both their faces, especially Benten's.
She remembered the simpler times, such a short while ago
when she could just sit and talk with Benten about conquests
that she never thought would happen.  She wished they could
sit and talk so freely again.   She looked at Shinobu.  She
guessed that Shinobu probably felt like loose baggage.
Everyone had something to do except Shinobu, who was just
waiting to be sent home . . . alone.
     Lum felt for Shinobu's loneliness.   She felt it
herself.   Here she had her dream in the flesh, on the ship
with her, but she was still lonely, because she couldn't
claim him.    She looked around the room briefly, as plush
as it was it was still a prison.   Ataru was a pet that she
had to keep in a cage.   He was less than a slave.  She
looked up at Benten who was waiting patiently for an answer.
     "Benten," Lum said finally, "I want you to sneak
Shinobu down to the surface.  I'll tell command that you're
following up a lead about Cherry.   Get back quick in case
all hell breaks loose."
     Benten saluted, "Right.  Come on Shinobu, at least
you'll be safe."
     Shinobu, when she heard Lum's words was surprised to
find herself torn.  Up until that time she was ready to go,
but now she felt as if she was deserting everyone when it
was most critical.
     Benten was making her way to the door quickly, anxious
to unload at least one of their problems.   Shinobu stopped
in front of Lum, and met her eyes.   They exchanged a
conversation of silent words.
     "It was good to have really met you,"  Shinobu said.
     "And you."
     "You'll see to it that Ataru is safe,"  Shinobu asked.
     "I love him more than my own life,"  Lum answered.
     "And you'll visit when everything is straightened out,"
Shinobu asked.
     Benten was becoming impatient at the door.
     "I'll invite you to my world for the wedding."
     Shinobu smiled, "I like weddings."
     Benten rolled her eyes, and started tapping her foot.
"Any fucking time now!"
     Shinobu went to Benten and they left.    Lum just stood
and watched them go.   At least Shinobu would be safe, she
thought.   Lum also left.  She had much to do.
* * * * *
     Ataru and Ten crawled through air ducts toward the
prison area.   They passed sensor after sensor, security
sensors which Ten had long ago disabled.   It is always a
good idea for a thief to have a prepared way out or into the
local prison.   Ten tossed a small stun field grenade down
to the guard below, and reset the cameras to Cherry's cell
to play a loop.   With everything set they dropped quietly
into Cherry's cell.
     Cherry glanced briefly at them, but said nothing.
     Ataru and Ten exchanged looks.  "You'd think he'd at
least be a little happy to see us,"  Ten said.
     Ataru went to Cherry.   "Cherry," he said, "we've come
to help you."
     Cherry studied Ataru coldly.  "I am prepared to die."
     All the memories of how much Ataru disliked the monk
came rushing back.   "Well I'm not!  When they interrogate
you they'll find out about Shinobu and me and then we'll all
die.   Do you want to let Shinobu die too?"
     "Do you see the wisdom of fighting these aliens now?
Do you renounce your demon?"
     "It's more complicated than that," Ataru explained.
"There are good aliens and bad aliens."
     Cherry looked at Ataru quizzically and then at Ten and
the scanning headset he was holding.   "You want to try and
brainwash me again, don't you?"
    "No, now listen, we're trying to save you.  I don't
totally understand this, but their going to read your brain,
and then change the record so that it says you're not from
Earth, and then when the soldiers come to read your mind
we'll give them the changed record.  This way they won't
blame the Earth for what you did."
     "I'm proud of what I did, and the Earth should get
credit for it.   I'm tired of hearing your lies Moroboshi,
and yet you are pitiable because you are just being
controlled.   Don't worry, if you survive this war, I'll . .
."
     Cherry was cut off when Ten came up and hit him over
the back of the head with the butt of his gun.
     Ataru looked questioningly at Ten, who smiled back at
him.  "I wanted at least try reason, though I never thought
it would work.   Come on, time is short.   Sit him up."
     Ataru sat the unconscious Cherry up and Ten placed the
reading device on his head.   "It'll take five thousandths
to get a full reading.   I hope we have time."
     "I knew he was stubborn,"  Ataru began, "but I thought
that eventually we'd be able to convince him."
     Ten looked up from the controls of the headset at
Ataru, "Perhaps you're have so much trouble convincing him
because you don't quite believe it yourself?"
     "You're saying that maybe I don't really trust you and
Lum."
     "Do you?"
     "She's not the Lum I remember in the dreams.   That Lum
laughed more.   This one doesn't."
     Ten finished setting the helmet and it began to hum
quietly performing its programmed task.   Ten went and sat
next to Ataru who had set down on the cell's only wall
mounted bench.  "All we can do it wait for the machine to
finish."    Ten glanced around at the walls of the cell and
shivered.  "Prison cells and me just don't get along."    He
looked at the brooding Ataru.   "Lum's had a hard life.
Her family made her enter the military academy when she was
barely thirteen.   She never had much of a childhood, there
were always lessons.   She learns very well, too well.
She might of had more of a childhood, if she wasn't such a
good student."
     "But the Lum I dreamt about. . ."
     "Is the Lum that she's always wanted to be.   This Lum
that you've discovered is meant to marry Rei, but the Lum
that she wants to be is meant to be with you.   That's why
she wants you so badly.    Her heart called out to you
across the light-years for you to save her from this life."
     "I'm not saving her from this life, she bringing me
into it.   Here I am already breaking into a prison on a
alien spaceship."
     "And loving it!"  Ten completed brightly, but realized
in Ataru's eyes that this really wasn't the time.   He
continued in a more serious voice, "but this isn't Lum's
life.  The old Lum followed rules.   This is part of
breaking the mold."
     "I thought this was just an act of desperation," Ataru
said.
     "It is, but a calculated one.  There are going to be a
lot more of them too.   You don't want your life to be
boring do you?"
     Ataru thought.  "Not boring, just a little safer."
     "Safe is boring," Ten said quickly and stood. "The
machine should be about done."   Jariten checked the
controls of the machine.   It was still reading information,
but it was about to the end of its cycle.   There was a beep
and the headset turned quiet.    Ten removed it and laid the
monk down on the bench.  "There.   Now a little editing, and
I just have to make sure that I'm available for the real
interrogation.
     "We have to go back to the room now, don't we?"  Ataru
asked as Ten reached to open the ceiling panel.
     "You don't like my room?" Ten asked after he had climb
up.   Ataru was very surprised at how agile the portly man
was.   Ataru, himself had a much more difficult time pulling
himself up.
     Once he was up, he said, "It's a nice room and all, but
I never get to leave."
     Ten went to repair the cell's cameras.   "Ahh, I can
understand your dilemma.   I hate being cooped up.   I have
been working on a few solutions."
* * * * *
     Ran delivered her message to Sugoi.   Sugoi was
studying a computer monitor when Ran came in.   It was a
full minute before she looked up and smiled at Ran.
"Hello," she said.
     "Hello, mistress Seq," Ran said shyly.
     "Can I do something for you?"  Sugoi asked.
     Ran took a breath.  "The mistress Redet desires your
company for a tour of the ship, and a formal dinner
afterward in the royal dining hall."
     "Does she?"
      Sugoi asked, standing.  "How interesting.   I would
think with alien spies on her flag ship she wouldn't have
time to entertain guests."
     Ran didn't like Sugoi's tone.  It made her nervous.
It was cattish, as if Sugoi had found some revealing
information that she was prepare to attack with.   "She's
quite busy to be sure, mistress," Ran offered, "but she
wanted me to convey that she felt it equally important for
future sisters to get to know one another."
     "Future sisters?  Funny she would think that was so
important.   My brother seems to feel that the Princess is
no longer interested in marriage to the Seq family."
     Ran felt her blood chill.   Sugoi had been talking to
Rei.  Of course, she would, she was his sister.   This
explained Sugoi's demeanor, but Ran wondered how much more
Rei had said.   Would he have betrayed Ran as well.   Not,
intentionally she felt, but then Rei wasn't very good at
secrets.
     Ran chuckled, trying not to reveal her inner tension.
She felt like an open book.  "I'm sure he misunderstood,
mistress.   Both the Princess and Master Seq have been under
such pressure lately, with the dreams and the spy.   With me
she talks of nothing but the Master and marriage."
     Sugoi smiled, "Perhaps he did misunderstand then.  My
family is very much looking forward to this marriage.   If
we thought something or someone might try to interfere with
it, we'd have to take serious action."
     She knew.  Rei had told her, or she had guessed from
what he didn't say.   Ran now realized why Ten had thought
Sugoi was so dangerous.  She had barely been here a few
tenths and already she was making close guesses.
     Ran bowed.   "Yes, mistress.   The princess will come
for you at point 65.   She is looking forward to talking
with you."
     "And I her."
     When Ran left Sugoi resumed studying the log records of
the past week.  They were generally unrevealing, which
considering the momentous events that had taken place about
this ship, told Sugoi much.    She also didn't believe Ran
for a second.   It was well known that Redet Lum didn't like
her brother, either politically or emotionally.   If Lum
talked about marriage to Rei, then she was talking about how
to get out of it.   And then there was Ran herself.   Rei
had not mentioned their evening tryst in so many words, but
Sugoi knew her brother.   He was preoccupied, and it didn't
take too many  questions to arrive at the truth at what he
was preoccupied with.
     Sugoi was no fool.  She knew that her brother liked to
fool around, and it would probably continue after the
wedding.   This was not uncommon and not always frowned
upon.  Even the current Emperor had a mistress for when the
Empress was not in the mood, but an affair before the
wedding with the princess' personal servant was not
something to be dismissed.    A personal servant of the
future Empress has too much to lose to risk displeasing the
Empress with an affair with the future Emperor.    Ran was
known not to be a political fool.   She had worked hard to
get her current position.   She had to have Lum's personal
permission, if not encouragement, and that too spoke volumes
to Sugoi.
     There was a lot of wholesome family politics going on
here.   Such was Sugoi's favorite meat.   And Redet Jariten
was here.   He was probably orchestrating most of what was
going on.    Sugoi was looking forward to locking horns with
him.   Most of the rest of the family leaders thought he was
some spoiled family embarrassment, but Sugoi knew better.
She had already dealt with him indirectly.
     Sugoi was already certain that there was no outside
control going on here.  The Princess was planning for her
own interests, not for those of some alien planet.   This
then opened up a lot of questions that needed to be
answered.   Did they have the secret of dream control?   Why
was Lum protecting Earth?  How did the terran spy get on
board?   Was there someone that she was going to replace Rei
with?  And what was Lum doing that she needed to detain
Sugoi for the evening?
     That was the most obvious.  "A time for future sisters
to get to know one another,"  Sugoi mocked.   It was all she
could do not to burst out laughing in front of Ran.   Lum
simply needed Sugoi out of the way, and this was the best
way of doing it.  Sugoi would have like to find out what was
going on, but the Princess called and Sugoi must obey.   She
would have to let Lum have her move for now.   She began
taking off her clothes.
     "Computer: time?" she called.
     "Point 62:19," the computer responded.
     She didn't have too much time.   She hoped there was a
real water shower, instead of one of those cleansers.   The
cleansers did a fine job.   Soap and water couldn't hope to
get one as clean as the complete sterilization process that
the cleanser offered, but Sugoi much preferred the feel of
warm water pelting bare flesh.    On a warship, a water
shower was quite a luxury, because of the need for water
conservation, but the upper rooms of family flag ships often
had them.
     Removing the last of her clothes, Sugoi entered  the
adjoining bathroom, and was delighted to find that it was
indeed a water shower.   She certainly couldn't fault Lum
for her hospitality.    As she washed herself she thought of
her upcoming meeting with Lum and which questions were
likely to produce the most revealing answers.
* * * * *
     Benten busily strapped Shinobu into the back seat of
her fighter.   Shinobu felt trapped underneath the flight
suit, helmet and the belts.  She was snugly contained.   She
wondered if she would be able to fight off the
claustrophobia when the canopy closed.    On her lap she
held a package that contained the dress that she had worn in
Ten's room.   She couldn't wear it with the jump suit.    It
was a beautiful dress and she was glad that she was allowed
to keep it.
     Benten finished tying the last belt and Shinobu heard
her voice in her helmet.   "I want you to know that you are
the only person besides Lum that I've ever let ride in my
bike,"  there was a pause.  "You and Ataru, you're okay."
     "Thank you,"  Shinobu said politely.
     "Yeah right," Benten said and got into her own seat.
She began strapping herself in and making the pre-flight
checks.
     Shinobu looked out at the flight bay, and then forward
to the view of open space and the Earth below them.  It was
beautiful, and also menacing that she was here with these
people, these invaders, to look at it.    She tried to take
account of where she was and what she was doing.   It had
all moved so fast.   She was actually leaving Ataru,
possibly forever.   She was being taken back down to Earth,
her home, but how could she ever live any kind of normal
life now.
     She thought about how she would be received at home.
She thought about her parents.  How could she tell people
that she had spent the last two days on an alien space ship.
 They'd believe her, of course.   The invasion was all the
proof she needed.   But how could she get them to believe
the rest of it?
     Shinobu was startled out of her thought by the roar of
the engines starting.   The canopy slowly came down and she
felt her stomach tie itself in knots.   She heard Benten's
voice again over the din.
     "I just want to tell you what's going to happen so you
won't be too scared.   The first thing, I'm going to lift up
and accelerate out the hangar doors.   I try to take it
slow, but my bike's got a lot of kick to him.   You're still
going to be shoved back into your seat.   Once we clear the
fleet then it gets easy.   I'm just going to use the
planet's gravity and coast down.   We'll be in free fall.
Unlike the shuttle you rode up in,  a fighter doesn't have
artificial gravity so you'll start to feel very light.
It's a great  feeling, your boobs tingle.   Anyway, once we
get low enough in the atmosphere I'll  turn the engines back
up and we'll find a place to land."
     "You're welcome to come to my parents house and get
something to drink," Shinobu offered.
     "I don't really think that'd be a good idea, do you?"
     "I suppose not," Shinobu said thinking about on and
suddenly felt the ground move.   The engines revved higher
and she could see that they were lifting into the air.
Everything was vibrating.   The fighter turned toward the
open door.   Shinobu felt a kick amidst the engine roar and
the opening rushed toward them.
     Shinobu had expected to be pushed back into her seat
like Benten had said, but she was only prepared for the
comparatively gentle acceleration that a car might offer.
    Instead she felt her whole body flatten to the point
that thought she might be crushed, and then as suddenly as
it had started, it stopped.
     The engines quieted down to a dull hum, and all
pressure disappeared from her body.   They were in open
space, with the giant Earth looming before them.   Shinobu
could feel them falling toward it.   It was a frightening,
out of control feeling.    They just kept falling and
falling, but the Earth didn't seem to be approaching them
too quickly.   Shinobu tried to get herself to relax with
the falling feeling.
     "Isn't it a great feeling?" she heard Benten call.
     "It's so strange,"  Shinobu admitted.
     "Yeah!" Benten agreed and then changed her tone, "Mind
if I ask you a personal question?"
     "No,"  Shinobu responded, a little apprehensive.
     "How 'cum you're letting him go so easy?"
     Shinobu opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it.
She looked out to the side.  Underneath the clouds of the
approaching Earth, she saw the island group known to English
speakers as Japan.   The answer was easy enough.  Ataru
didn't want her anymore, but it hurt too much to say.   The
fact simply was that he dumped her.   She thought about her
fits of jealousy and how she still took him for granted,
even when the dreams began.  She couldn't help but think if
she had been a little more tender, a little more giving
perhaps he would have stayed with her, or maybe he wouldn't
have dreamt at all.   Perhaps it was he needed someone else
so much, that's what started the dreams.
     Benten listened to Shinobu's silence.  It was answer
enough.   "It hurts quite a bit, doesn't it?"
     "Hmm,"  Shinobu said in agreement.
     "Hell!"  Benten said, attempting to cheer Shinobu up.
"You're not a bad looker, ya know.   There's lots  of guys
in the universe."
     "Do you have a guy?"  Shinobu asked.
     "No,"  Benten said feeling a little on the defensive
herself.  "I rarely ever get home, and I don't hang around
with Uruseians.  There hasn't been much opportunity."
     "Why do you fight for the Uruseians if you don't like
them."
     Benten laughed.  "I've often asked myself that
question.  It comes down to that they're the only game in
town.   Being a fighter pilot is in my blood.  I don't know
what else I could do.   Sometimes, especially after taking
another planet, I want to run, but then my bike calls me
back.   But it's okay, Lum's going to change things.   Maybe
in a year or so, maybe, I'll be fighting for something I
believe in.  Then those bastards with really see some
piloting!"
     "It's hard to go back down, knowing what I know now."
     "Oh?"
     "The world is so much bigger.   I trust Lum to leave
the Earth alone, but I think I feel like Ataru in a way.  I
died in the invasion.   I can't imagine going back to school
day in and day out and forgetting what I've seen and heard."
     "Not ready to bury your head in the sand, huh?   I can
respect that.  But it's not safe for you back on the ship.
There's not much you could do, anyway.   You don't know how
to fight, or pilot a ship.   You don't know anything of
family politics."
     "I'd be in the way, you mean,"  Shinobu stated flatly.
     "I didn't want to put it that way, but yes, or least
for now."   They had begun to enter the thicker part of the
atmosphere.   The fighter rocked in the turbulence.   Benten
turned on the engines.  She fighter jerked forward, and they
began controlled flight towards Tokyo.
     Shinobu didn't want to accept being in the way.   She
tried to think of ways she could be useful.    "The fleet's
going to be in orbit a few weeks, right?" Shinobu asked.
     Benten became worried.   "Yes,"  she said cautiously.
     "Well, then," Shinobu said, "you could teach me how to
be a pilot."
     "No I fuckin' couldn't!  How could I convince anyone
that I needed to go down to Earth everyday to teach one of
the natives to be a fighter pilot!"
     "There must be some way.   I want to help."
     "There's no way!  Look when things calm down, I promise
to come and get you, all right, but it's going to be months
before I could risk it.   You need to sit tight."
     Shinobu was about to protest when an alarm sounded.
"Damn natives!"  Benten shouted in response.
     "What?"
     "Oh, one of your fucking militaries shot a bunch of
missiles at us.   Hold on!  They're not much of a threat,
but it's going to get a little rough."
     When Benten finished her sentence, she kicked in full
atmospheric acceleration, and pulled up.   The missiles
tried to follow, but where left far behind.   One by one
their fuel supplies gave out and they fell into the water.
     "Assholes!  This is going to be a little more difficult
than I thought.    Normally I'd just wipe out the launchers,
but I suppose neither you nor Lum would approve."
     Shinobu remained silent.   Despite what Benten said
about being in little danger she had tensed up in full
realization that people were trying to kill her.
     "Hold on!  I'm going to whip around the city and fly in
low, coming from the other direction, maybe that will throw
them off!"
     The fighter dove down and accelerated faster.   They
passed over the island in a matter of seconds.   When they
crossed the sea of Japan, Benten looped the ship around and
dove to only a few meters above the water.
     Shinobu fought between terror and exhilaration.
     "You okay back there!?"   Benten called.
     "Yeah.  I think so.  Aren't you worried are running
into something?!"
     "Hah!  At this speed, if we did, you'd never feel it!
We're pretty safe over the water!   I bet we're making quite
a wake.  I'll pull up some when we hit land."
     "Mount Fuji's between us and Tokyo."
     "Oh shit!   I forgot about that stupid mountain.   Hang
on!"
     Benten lifted the fighter up a little as they came over
land.  She banked it hard to the right.   Houses and trees
sped under them in a constant blur.   Benten turned north.
Mount Fuji loomed up to their left.   Benten began
decelerating.
     "I'd like to see them get a missile lock on us now."
     She started to slow to a speed that Shinobu considered
reasonable as the outskirts of Tokyo passed under them.
     "Maybe you should drop me off away from the city, just
the same?" Shinobu suggested.
     "No way!   No one's going to make me land anywhere, but
where I want to land!  I'll put you down, exactly where I
picked you up."
     Soon they were over familiar territory.   The fighter
was almost hovering compared to the incredible  speeds that
they had experienced before.
     "Look's like they cleaned up the bodies,"  Benten
commented looking down at the streets.
     Shinobu had forgotten about the destruction, but there
it was again.   There were people in the streets, but they
ran into their homes as the ship passed over.
     "I believe that was the street," Benten said pointing
to the intersection where Lum had landed her shuttle two
days ago.   She nudged the fighter over and descended.
Once the fighter was on the ground, she opened the canopy.
     The street was empty, but Shinobu could feel eyes on
them.   Even more than in the fighter during the mad trip
down, Shinobu felt afraid.
     "Well, here we are!  You're home."
     Shinobu scanned the street.  She was approaching
terror.   It wasn't right.  "We're being watched," she said.
     "Damn straight!  What'd you expect.   They're still a
little nervous, but they'll be glad to see you.    However,
the sooner I get out of here the better.  So everyone out!
You never know what natives will do when they're nervous."
     Shinobu nervously began to climb out, when suddenly,
armed men appeared out of all the houses.   "Damn natives,"
Benten whispered.   She quickly assessed the type and number
of weapons trained on them.   Most of it was nothing of
consequence, small projectile rifles.   They would bounce of
the fighter's armor.   However, there were a couple with
what might have been missile launchers.   She wasn't as
certain about the missiles.
     Shinobu could feel Benten's anger.   She saw her hand
go quickly to her blaster, but she didn't draw it.   Shinobu
recognized most of the faces around her.   She thought about
what this must look like to them.   Shinobu was a guest in
an enemy ship.
     "Shinobu?"  she heard someone say.
     "Megane?  Please don't shoot."
     "So you're serving them too," Megane said moving to
where Shinobu could see him.
     "No.   I was accidentally taken with Ataru, they're
just bringing me back.   They've decided to leave the Earth
alone."
     "Sure, they'd figured they'd just kill a few thousand
of us and then leave us alone," Megane chided.   There were
a couple incredulous laughs from the crowd, in support of
Megane.
     "If they had wanted to finish the invasion, they'd have
won already,"  Shinobu argued, but to deaf ears.
     "What's going on?"  Benten asked in Uruseian.
     "Not much, but I don't think they're going to let us
go,"  Shinobu responded.
     "I wasn't considering giving them a choice,"  Benten
said dangerously.
     "Benten please don't . . ."
     "When did you learn to speak their language?"  Megane
asked suspiciously.
     "They have a machine that teaches you," Shinobu said.
     "Ah, a magic language machine, of course,"  Megane said
jokingly while pushing up his glasses.  "Where is the
traitor!"  he demanded, "and where is Cherry."
     "They're still on the ship."
     "The nice aliens just thought they would bring you
down.  Perhaps you forgot your hairbrush."
     It was obvious and sad to Shinobu that everyone had
already made up their minds.   Shinobu too, now had been
branded a traitor.   Why didn't she just let Ataru leave on
the shuttle, she asked herself
     Just then, a military jeep rolled up the street.
Professor Onsenmark was in it.   He pulled up along side of
the fighter.    He got out, and briefly studied the ship.
He consulted briefly with Megane and then turned back to the
fighter passengers.  "Both of you get out of there!
Slowly!"  he barked.
     "They want us to get out,"  Shinobu told Benten.
     "Curse me for a fool!  I should have known not to land
on a planet that wasn't firmly subdued."
     "Could we fly out of here?"
     "No, by the time the canopy closed, we'd have a missile
in the side.  I can't believe I'm going to die on the
fucking ground."
     "I don't think they'll kill us,"  Shinobu offered.
     "It's not them.   I can't let them have my fighter.
I'm going to self-destruct."
     "No!  I'm sure I can talk them into letting you go.
Give me a chance.   Think of Lum!"
     Benten turned and studied Shinobu's eyes.   She sighed,
push a couple buttons, and then put her hands on her head.
She stood slowly.   Her eyes showed nothing, but contempt
which didn't sit well with their captors.
* * * * *
     
     At the time that she had scheduled, Lum stood before
the guest room door.   Ran had gone out of her way once
again to dress Lum up.   Lum felt made up and constricted,
but the gown was gorgeous.    She was disturbed about what
Ran had said Sugoi already knew, but at least the data trade
on Cherry's scan had gone well.   She thought that it should
be interesting to see what the reaction to the news would
be.
     Lum pressed the door bell.   The door opened revealing
Sugoi, also dressed in a gown.   Sugoi was a  few years
younger than Lum, but she already had a mature figure.  Only
her eyes betrayed her true age.
        "Hiya princess,"  Sugoi said smiling.   "I glad you
decided to take time off to spend with me.   You must be
really busy running the fleet and all.   Especially with
spies and saboteurs."
     "Uh yeah.   Thank you for helping me capture him."
     Sugoi giggled.   "He just ran into me.  If I had known
he was a dangerous spy, I don't know what I would have
done."
     Lum nodded, smiling.   Inside she was rolling her eyes.
Sugoi had him pinned in less than a second.   Lum didn't
know how long she was going to be able to take Sugoi's cute
persona.
     "Let's start with the bridge," Lum said.
     Lum gave Sugoi the general tour.   Sugoi responded to
everything that Lum showed with almost genuine enthusiasm.
If Lum didn't know better she would have thought it was
genuine.    Sugoi was polite and attentive.   She was the
perfect audience.   Lum had to fight to keep from falling
into the trap of believing that this was the real Sugoi.
She knew that if she did, then she would be easy prey for a
few calculated innocent sounding questions, which were
Sugoi's most powerful tool.    Ten disarmed people by making
them think that he was a loser.    Sugoi, on the other hand,
disarmed people by making them think that she was young and
innocent.    It was difficult not to like her, although you
knew that you shouldn't dare.   She was dangerous.
     Finally after the tour, Lum lead Sugoi to the dinner
hall.  The table was already set for them.   Sugoi glided in
the room, her face glowing.   "This is just like the hall in
the palace!"  she enthused.
     "Except for the view, of course," Lum said following
Sugoi in.
     Sugoi smiled back at Lum, "Of course, it does lose a
little without the sunuka trees in the afternoon sun."
     "Yes, they're what I miss most about being off planet
so much,"  Lum said and remembered a time when she was
young, and allowed to play in the afternoon, only having to
take lessons in the morning.   She would run through the
great garden of the imperial palace.  It was only five
acres.  Small in comparison to some of the gardens of the
other families.   None of the emperors, for some reason, had
ever seen fit to expand it.
     But in any case, to a five year old Lum, it was
enormous, with endless places for her to hide from her
nanny.   While she was hiding, she would often spend time
with one of the gardeners, Leleel.   He was a slave and
Benten's grandfather.    Lum really wasn't  allowed to talk
with him, but she couldn't stay away from his stories.   Lum
met Benten when she came to visit him once.   They  played
until Lum's nanny finally found her.
     Lum was scolded and told strongly that persons of her
blood should never associate with slave children.   When
Benten came to visit her grandfather a second time, and
again Lum was found playing with the slave girl, the old
gardener lost his job.   Lum cried for the whole day when
she found out.
     It was probably spite that caused her to transfer
Benten to Lum's flag ship once she found out that Benten was
a fighter pilot.  At the time, it was a child's way of
getting back at her parents.   She never thought that a real
friendship would ever grow.   Lum thought about her
relationship with Benten.   It had changed her greatly.
Looking at Sugoi and who she really was, Lum realized how
much of her old self was in Sugoi.  Lum suddenly found
herself feeling sorry for Sugoi.
     Sugoi studied the pictures on the wall and stopped at
Yon Onhu.  She turned to Lum.  "She is my favorite," she
said.  "No one told her what to do!"
     Lum stopped short.   Alarms were going on in her head.
Did Sugoi know about Lum's own feelings for the ancient
Empress, or did she really have an interest?   She very well
could be trying to find where Lum's heart was by using the
example of the Empress who successfully rebelled against the
traditional path laid out for her.   Lum decided not to
reveal her hand in this matter.
     "They all were great in their own way.  They forged an
empire,"  Lum said and wanted to hit herself.  It was a line
straight out of a history textbook.
     Sugoi shot an incredulous look at Lum.  "Your stories
are similar in many ways, you and the Empress,  except your
father is still alive and will probably not leave the throne
for many years."
     Lum caught that statement.  There must have already
been rumors of her father stepping down.   It was obvious
that Lum was going to have to work as hard to find out what
Sugoi knew, as Sugoi with Lum.  Lum answered casually, "Yes,
my father is still in fine health, thank the spirits.  Come
sit down."    Lum went to her seat and motioned for one of
the servants to escort Sugoi to hers.
     Sugoi was courteously seated and the two young women
faced each other across the table.  "I had always
understood,"  Sugoi began opening a napkin, "that you had a
rather valuable collection of personal artifacts which had
belonged to the Empress Onhu."
     "I have some things.  The palace is full of old
memorabilia.   I am actually more curious about what  brings
you here, Sugoi.   There was no word of your journey.   Rei
never mentioned any plans."
     "My brother is notorious for not talking very much,"
Sugoi began.  Lum had to force back a laugh.  Sugoi
continued, "I hadn't seen my brother in awhile and thought I
would come and visit.  If I had heard that you were having
so many difficulties, though, I would have stayed away.  As
it is, I'll probably be leaving early.  I wouldn't want to
be in the way."
     "Nonsense," Lum said smiling and raising a glass to
Sugoi, "you've already helped us catch a spy."
     Sugoi smiled back, offering her glass, "But even there
I was just in the way.  I guess that's the only thing that
I'm good at."   Sugoi shot Lum a knowing wink.
     Lum took a drink from her glass, but never took her
eyes off Sugoi.
{End of Part 5}