Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Aurora of Rainbow Fire ❯ Games of Power and Dominance ( Chapter 9 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

The story arc Aurora of Rainbow Fire is part two of an
ongoing series called The Odd Man Out. All current parts can be
found at http://members.tripod.com/fanservicelimited/index.html




Aurora of Rainbow Fire chapter six: Games of Power and
Dominance.

A Tenchi Muyo TV series lemon comedy by Ragun P. Moody.
Email the author at kichigai@tds.net with any comments.
All characters and situations copyright their creators,
Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima, and AiC and Pioneer and are
used without permission. This is a nonprofit work only.





"So this is what spacetravel looks like," Tenchi murmured
as he peeked over my shoulder.

I was floating in my seat on Ryo-Ohki's bridge, plotting
our course when I heard him approach and speak. I turned and
gave him a reassuring smile. "Yep. Not very much different from
insystem travel, is it?" I knew he was nervous, and figured I'd
better remind him that he'd been in space before.

I followed Tenchi's gaze to the big screen in front, where
Ryo-Ohki projected a simplified version her view of space. A
vast field of stars stretched out before us, nearly merging into
one massive wall of light. The Centauri system flashed by below
us, close enough to distinguish the sole gas giant the system
had, which was a little bigger than Saturn. They had some good
bars on the rocky little planet farther in, but it really wasn't
on our route.

It was just as well. That had been where my partying had
been interrupted by Mihoshi so many months ago.

"Not quite like going to Mars," Tenchi replied. "I don't
think I'll even get used to watching the stars flash by like
that."

I said nothing. It was only the first one, and the only
reason we even saw it was because it was all but directly in our
path. Still, this was all new to him, I was sure he'd relax when
we made planetfall in about thirty five hours. Ryo-Ohki was
really moving, too. It had only taken us five hours to go four
light years, subjective. All those carrots must have been good
for her.

"Have you decided where we're going?" Tenchi asked, again
looking over my shoulder.

"Sure have!" I replied happily, pointing at the holographic
readout over my lap. From the side it was little more than a
shallow band of light grey hovering in the air. Look in it from
the top and it was like looking into a well of stars. "Planet
Mariposa, located in the Arcturus system." I highlighted a large
red globe with a yellow circle so he would see it.

"Ah. What is it like?"

I smiled, remembering. "Arcturus is a giant sun, probably
a hundred times the size of yours, and it's bright red. The
planet orbits pretty far out, but still, when the sun comes up in
the morning it fills half the sky. Pleasant weather, of course,
they make minor adjustments to it every now and then. It's a
very old system, and they've had their own civilization long
before the Juraians arrived on the scene and took over every
other system for a couple of thousand light years in all
directions."

Tenchi's eyed widened at the scale of the thing.

I caught his look of surprise. "Don't be so impressed,
it's smaller than you'd think," I admonished. "It's as much as
they can patrol effectively with their navy, and even then they
mostly restrict themselves to the areas close to the systems, of
which there are only a few hundred important ones. Mariposa, for
all it's smack dab in the middle of their empire, isn't actually
part of it. That's why I like it: They make their own rules.
Here, I'll show you."

I expanded the star map and caused a pale, translucent
green skin to cover all of the area claimed by Jurai, which
promptly became labled with 'Empire of Jurai'. It looked like an
amorphous green amoeba, swallowing any helpless star systems it
could catch. A smaller red amoeba appeared beneath it, labeled
'Alliance of Re%blig'. Another amoeba appeared after that, a
huge yellow thing bigger than Jurai's and partially pressed
against it, but curiously pocked and spotted with black,
indicating areas they didn't really control. It was the Republic
of Caucsa, and while big, they were generally outclassed. Ryo-
Ohki also made a blob of translucent grey, with one rounded end
extending into Jurai's territory and the rest extending back to
another blob of nasty, swirling colors, which had a solid black
ball at the center. None of these were labeled, but I knew what
they were.

As Tenchi watched, I zoomed it in again, stopping when the
Arcturus system was centered in the screen. A green circled
outlined the system, leaving the outside with a green tint and
the inside as a clear picture. "Mariposa doesn't recognize Jurai
law, nor that of the Galaxy Police. It's the perfect place to be
if you're the most wanted space pirate in the universe."

Tenchi nodded, smiling slightly. I was glad, too, because
sometimes I think he's a little too obsessed with obeying others.
Of course, that same trait had worked to my advantage, so perhaps
I shouldn't complain.

"But what about those others?" he asked suddenly.

"The other empires?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, the ones that didn't say
anything."

The picture changed again, showing the grey blob merged
into the side of the swirling area. Ryo-Ohki miyahed loudly, the
sound coming from everywhere at once as she expressed her
loathing.

I tapped a key. "Here were dragons," I said, reading the
words that popped up over the grey. "And 'Here be the things
that ate the dragons.'" The swirls of nasty hued colors of all
descriptions did a remarkably effective job of conveying the
danger.

"Dragons?" he asked, looking back up to meet my gaze.

"Space dragons, the only natural enemy of a wild cabbit.
They're all dead now, as far as I know, but Ryo-Ohki still won't
go near there." I pointed at the little black sphere, barely
visible in the swirl. "That's where the things came from, we
think. Few have made it there and none have ever returned, a
pretty accurate description would be 'Abandon all hope, ye who
enter here.'"

"What killed the dragons?" he asked wonderingly. Poor guy
just didn't get it.

"_Things_," I replied, supressing a shudder. "There are
things in space you really really don't want to meet, and those
Things rank pretty far up the list." I kept my voice calm, which
made me a little proud of myself. That place had been the source
of my childhood nightmares. I still wake up in cold sweats
sometimes, although not in a long while.

"Oh. Are we likely to have any trouble?" he asked,
concerned.

I shook my head. "Not likely. Ships come through here all
the time, and, well, to be honest, the only space pirate anywhere
near this region of space is me, 'cause I ran off the rest." I
sniffed. "Bunch of morons, anyway. Not one of them had any
style."

He nodded, deciding to drop it, I guess. "So," he began
again, "what are we going to do when we get to Mariposa?"

I grinned widely, and laughed for good measure. Wouldn't
the both of them like to know.


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


"You expect me to wear this. IN PUBLIC?!" The 'this'
Ayeka was referring to was a loose, filmy wad of somewhat
translucent yellow gause. When worn, it would have large, baggy
sleeves, loose pants, and just enough material left over to cover
from the throat to just under the breasts. In short, it was a
Hyrinian slave outfit, similar in design and function to Earth
harem clothes. It was certainly not the kind of thing a princess
of Jurai would wear, unless she had been captured and forced to.

Which, of course, was the effect I was going for.

"You want to trade?" Tenchi asked hopefully.

Hey, now. That's a bit ungrateful. Me an' Ayeka spent
most of our last Earth money on that strip of leather and fur.
It was a good thing we both had a few small gems we could part
with, or we wouldn't have enjoyed our stay on Earth as much. The
slave outfit probably wasn't cheap, either, as it had some nice
jewlrey with it, but I'd scored that one in a raid on a private
planetoid a few years ago. I guess the occupant had strange
tastes.

We were still in Ryo-Ohki, and we had a few hours before we
were actually scheduled to arrive. I was glad to see that both
of them no longer looked around warily when she said something,
and barely blinked when one of her crystals floated by.

Ayeka's jaw snapped shut. "Ah... No thank you, Tenchi-
chan. I have no intention of trading. In fact, I have no
intention of wearing anything but the clothes that are fitting
and proper for my rank and station."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hey, that was actually a pretty neat
idea. The first Princess walking around in public wearing a
loincloth... Hey, Tenchi, doesn't that shiver your timbers?"

He gave me a level stare, indicating that his patience was
wearing thin. "Better her than me."

Ouch. Usually he was more willing. I'd have to try hard
to make sure he had fun and enjoyed himself. Forcing Ayeka into
it is one thing, Tenchi quite another.

"You see?," Ayeka said. "Even Tenchi agrees with me. Be
realistic, Ryoko. You're got us to agree to be your captives for
the evening, in public no less..." Ayeka trailed off, her eyes
narrowing. "Hold it. Just how public is this? I'm perfectly
willing to submit to you for a few friends, so long as they don't
take any pictures and don't tell anyone. But I'm not walking
around on a leash in front of half the Empire!"

More's the pity, I thought. That'd be kinda fun. But
still, "Relax, Princess. I know as well as you do that your
parents wouldn't like it. It's just an exclusive club I like to
hang out with."

She was still frowning. "I'm still not wearing that
ridiculous outfit!" she declared adamantly.

I laughed. "And that bit of leather you're so fond of is
the height of style?"

"Ah, a good point," she admitted.

Tenchi had stripped down forcefully, almost violently, I
thought, his movements tense and jerky. He wasn't happy, and I
started reconsidering the whole idea. "Hey," I said aloud,
"we've both got something planned here where we need slaves,
right?"

"Yes?"

"But what can we do for Tenchi?" I nodded toward his back,
which was turned to us while he was completely nude. He was
fumbling with the ties at the moment, and I wasn't sure if he'd
heard me or not.

Ayeka followed my gaze and ahhed in realization. I swear,
sometimes she could be so oblivious to Tenchi's feelings.

"Hmm, I don't know. So, Tenchi, what have you decided to
do for your turn in charge?" she said loudly, making sure she got
his attention.

Clever, I noted. She phrased it so that it seemed like his
turn with us was a given.

Tenchi stiffed abruptly, pausing in his attempt to figure
out the loincloth.

"You have decided on something by now, haven't you?" I
asked, furthering the ruse.

"Something normal," Tenchi said quietly, not turning
around. "A regular date, I mean. But I don't know where to go."

I smiled. There had been a note of relief in his voice,
and from the promptness of his answer he had clearly been
thinking about that for a while. And he did have a point. All
this master-slave business was a bit tiring, but me and Ayeka had
aready agreed that we really wanted to humiliate each other. Bad
enough, in fact, that we were willing to put up with the
humiliation dished out by the other. Sometimes I wonder how we
come up with this stuff.

"Oh, don't worry, Tenchi," Ayeka said reassuringly. "I'm
sure Ryoko knows some good places for a date on this planet."

"Sure..." I replied smoothly, racking my mind for an
answer. "I know lots of places we can have a normal date." Too
bad none of them were on Mariposa.

This was a tourist planet, and the reason Juraian tourists
came here was to be lightly mugged, swindled, served overpriced
liquor and exotic drugs, and infected with unusual venereal
diseases. After years in the orderly Empire, a near-anarchy like
Mariposa was the most exotic place most of them could hope to go.

"Don't worry, Tenchi, we'll take care of it," Ayeka assured
him.

"Right," I agreed, trying to keep the despair out of my
voice as I watched the fascinating sight of Tenchi bending over
and pulling the loincloth on. It really didn't cover all that
much, at that. Both the front and the back were identical pieces
of foot and a half long inverted triangles of cured animal hide,
what kind I didn't know. I never did learn all the Earth
animals. They started at each hip and tapered down to the knees,
kind of like a really big bikini that didn't join between the
legs. They also had holes in various places, simulating
primitive craftmanship and doubtlessly adding to the draft. I
wasn't worried, though, Mariposa was a particularly warm planet.

Watching Tenchi get dressed caused something to occur to
me. This _was_ my show.

"Now," I said, grinning and turning to Ayeka, who was still
holding the harem outfit. "Are you going to put those on now, or
am I going to have to do it myself?"

Ayeka raised one eyebrow: pretty insubordinant for a
captured princess. "You think you can make me?"

I grinned just a little bit wider. "You think you can stop
me?"

She shifted her stance slightly, allowing the wisps of
gause to fall to the crystal floor. "Oh, I'm pretty confident.
Come on, then, if you think you can."

So I did.

Twenty minutes later, Ayeka gave me a sullen look. "You
didn't have to be so rough, you know," she griped, rubbing her
arms through the translucent gause as she looked down and away.
Beaten, but not broken- just the way I like her.

Tenchi sat quietly to one side, having watched the whole
affair without much comment. He also had a woody, which is also
just how I like him.

I held my hands in front of me and concentrated, linking
with Ryo-Ohki's power and bringing some of my stash of loot out
of subspace. A small pile of jewelry, clothes, and other odds
and ends appeared on the floor in a mixed wad. It wasn't the
biggest hoard I'd ever had, but I'd been taking it easy on Earth.
The clothes were mine, and included the fur-kini and other bits
of lingerie, and a few full outfits I wore occasionally. The
jewlry included loose gems, but was mainly bracelets, hair-clips,
and the odd broach. The rings I tended to sell immediately and
necklaces were out of style. The odds and ends were just that:
valuable statuettes, interesting hand-blasters, and tools for
breaking and entering.

I withdrew the one thing I had never had a use for. An
energy collar, complete with remote. "You'll be wearing this," I
said, presenting it to her. It looked like a thin band of metal
with a thick cubical section that contained the circuitry and
could split to put it on.

"An energy collar?" she asked, taking it from my
outstretched hand. She turned it over a few times, inspecting
the cube part. She shook her head and looked up. "I'll wear it,
but you know that I could easily break it if I wanted to."

Energy collars, when activated, glowed white and hovered a
few milimeters away from the skin. They could supress most
subspace powers, such as teleportation, flight, phasing, and
energy manifestation. When a button was pressed on the control,
they would also give a nasty jolt of power. But Ayeka was right,
this one would fry to a crisp if she actually exerted herself
against it. It wouldn't work on me, either.

"Yeah, I know, but it goes along with my story," I
explained. "They all know about you anyway, so I'm going to tell
them that I finally caught you and now you're my pet."

She growled slightly, and the air crackled.

"A very very _dangerous_ pet," I added hastily. "But you
know me, I like to live on the edge." I selected the best hair-
clip and walked over to tuck it behind her ear. It was a
gorgeous, elaborate platinum flower an inch and a half across.
The stem and sepal were encrusted with hundreds of natural
emerald chips and the flower's many, convoluted petals were set
with tiny rubies, all the same bright red.

Ayeka's eyes were drawn to it as soon as I picked it out,
but I didn't give her time to examine it. Instead, I opened the
clip and slid it into the hair above her ear, bunching a little
more hair in and closing the clip so it would stay in place.
"Hey," I said as I stood back. "I take care of my pets."

Ayeka gave me a small smile.

I sidled over to Tenchi and floated down beside him,
wrapping him up in a hug. "Just you wait, Tenchi," I breathed
huskily into his ear. "The girls in the bar won't know what hit
them. Everyone is going to want you, but you know what? They
can't have you, and they'll find out what'll hit them if they do
more than just look and drool." I nibbled on his ear and started
kissing around his jawline. As I did, I glanced at Ayeka.

She was picking through the jewlry, and had already put on
one glittering bracelet.

Perhaps it was because he looked hot in a loincloth.
Perhaps it was because I hadn't been allowed to sleep with him
for weeks. And perhaps it was just because, but at any rate, I
couldn't resist sliding my left hand under that bit of leather as
our lips finally met.


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


We teleported directly down from space and landed in front
of the seediest of all seedy bars. Even the neighborhood was
seedy, just by being around the bar.

The reason for all this seed business was, of course, the
fact that the Hardwood bar was a giant tree.

The trunk was highly irregular, with craggy, thick bark and
folds that were large enough to hide in and fornicate. At about
three-hundred feet tall and as big around as a medium warehouse,
it wasn't the biggest building in the city, but it certainly
stood out more than the rest.

Holographic effects showed three neon-hued beings of
indeterminant sex and species intertwined in lewd poses, then
changed to show them pulling a barstool from nowhere and sitting
down for a drink. For the more literate clientel, a sign placed
just above the door flashed 'Drinks!', 'Girls!', 'Guys!', and
'Other!' at regular intervals. Every shag-barked inch was
covered in various gang graffiti, one nine-hundred numbers, and
shockingly graphic artwork. A smaller, more discrete emblem was
embedded into the frame beside the sole door, indicating to my
eye that this was a neutral zone for various crime syndicates, a
condition not observed by the Galaxy Police. The GP uniformed
corpse swaying gently in the breeze as it hung on a rope from a
pole imbedded beside the door indicated quite another message,
which was, in fact, recognized by the Galaxy Police.

"Ignore that, he wasn't really a GP officer," I said,
hurrying them into the bar.

We paused in the entryway and I stepped to the front. I
was wearing my battle outfit, both because it looked good on me
and that it showed that I was willing to fight if provoked.
Normally they wouldn't, but with Tenchi and Ayeka with me I
wasn't sure. It was usually just friendly fire, anyway.

The first room was a kind of bulletin board, with contracts
written out on paper tacked to the walls. One of them caught my
eye.

"Hey!" I complained. "Did they have to take a picture when
I was sneezing?"

My pets peered over my shoulder at the wanted poster. It
wasn't a real, sanctioned wanted poster, which usually say 'dead'
or 'alive'. This was a private one, offering a fair amount of
money for information only. The annoying thing was that it was a
particularly unflattering picture of me, with my shoulders
hunched up, my eyes squinched closed, my nostrils flared, and my
lips pursed in mid-sneeze. I looked constipated.

"You look constipated," Ayeka commented. She shrank under
my glare. "Well, you do!" she said defensively.

I snatched the poster off the wall and tucked it away into
subspace. I'd revenge myself on the person who'd posted it
later.

"Come on." I proudly led the way into the bar proper.

It was a big brown cavern. Everything that could be wood,
was, and that that wasn't was usually covered in vines.
Concealed lighting was soft and discrete, giving it a dim
atmosphere. A small stage was set up to one side, but no one was
on it now, and occasional holographic screens popped up here and
there as people did business or watched the video networks.

Everyone looked up, and I could see a few eyes widen in
recognition.

"Ryoko!"

I didn't need to look to see who that was. Zeke,
pronounced zee kee, was my oldest and dearest friend. He was
also the head bartender.

Sure enough, I spotted him waving to me from behind the
bar. He was middle-aged but muscular, with short black hair and
pale skin. His apron was clean and white, and he held a bottle
of zenintoniku in the air.

I had to restrain myself, truthfully. I just wanted to fly
right over there and give him a big hug. Sadly, I had a scene to
make first. I contented myself with waving back, and strolled
casually in that direction, all the while looking around to see
who else I recognized.

The place was pretty packed. Many of them were regulars
who I knew in passing, but it also looked like they had let in a
lot of new people. Most were ape-huminoid, but there were a few
avian species, two cat people, and a canid of some sort. The
last caught my eye the most, for she was rather short, with
digigrade legs and a long, silky coat of white fur standing on
end. Except for the black shorts and short jacket, she looked
like a powder puff pomeranian, but her expression looked like it
wanted to be on a pit bull. She gave me an evil look as I
passed, but I ignored her.

As we walked through, more and more eyes fell on us. I
must admit, we made quite a sight. Tenchi looked every inch the
barbarian, and Ayeka looked like a jewel on a leash, all hard
edges and reeking of refinement. I don't know what they thought
about me, but I'd long since proved myself as someone you didn't
trifle with.

I sauntered up to the bar and took a seat, but not before
shooting Tenchi and Ayeka a look that told them not to sit. They
accepted that well enough, and stood more or less at attention
close behind me. "Hiya, Zeke," I said, playing it cool. "ACK!"
I said a moment later, shortly after he dragged me across the bar
and started squeezing the life out of me.

"You're gone for months on end and when you finally get
back, all I get is a 'Hi'? What the hell's wrong with you?" he
yelled, shaking me at arms length. I wasn't complaining, at
least I could breathe.

"Nice to see you, too, Zeke," I gasped. "I've been a
little busy lately. How's it been going?"

He glanced at the others, who were tense and on the balls
of their feet. I guess they thought I was being attacked, which
was silly. Just lightly choked. He considered it for a moment,
then let it go and answered my question. "It's going. We've got
a whole new crop of young pirates running around now, after you
disappeared." He easily sat me back down on the other side of
the bar, back in my seat.

Newbies. It figured. "Well, that's fine. In with the new
and all that. How's the rankings?"

He winced. Uh oh. "Well, surprisingly, some of the
newbies are pretty talented."

"Just how... 'Talented', are they?"

"What he's saying is that you're no longer the most wanted.
As you said, in with the new, out with the old." The new voice
was high and a little squeaky, with an annoying edge to it.

I turned to see the little pomeraniod swagger up with a
smug, toothy smile on her short muzzle. I decided to ignore her
and see how she reacted. "So, I guess I'm no longer in the top
slot, huh?"

He shook his head slowly, and called up the big holoscreen
that covered the back wall behind the bar.

It scrolled quickly up a list of names, a longer list that
I was used to, and slowed down as it reached the top ten. Each
of the top ten had a picture beside it, with the number one slot
bigger than the rest.

The ranking system itself was a bit convoluted, and while
widespread, it originated in this bar. It wasn't just who had
the greatest reward out for their capture, it was also style,
number of successes, most loot stolen, most daring escapes, and
most ingenious plans. Most of this was on an informal scale,
with the scores being a consensus among the patrons, the owner,
and the bartenders. Zeke had more clout than most, but he could
be overruled if enough people agreed, and he also rarely showed
bias just because he wanted to. His word was respected.

And sure enough, I was number two. Boy was I pissed. I'd
held the number one slot for the past six years and if I'd kept
it for another two I'd have had the all time record.

The face corrisponding to the number one slot was furry,
white, with a short muzzle and a nasty, smug expression. The
name was Hirame. Of course, I had already figured out all but
the name.

"Hmmph," I replied, seemingly unconcerned. "How about a
drink?"

"I'm sure you need one. It must be quite a shock for you,
to come back and find that someone has replaced you so easily."

I didn't bother to look at her as she was speaking, either.
This was as much a part of the game as anything else. I waited
until Zeke had poured me a drink in a tall crystal goblet and
accepted it with a word of thanks. "Oh, and two more for my
pets," I added. "Make 'em mild, the girl's got a delicate palate
and I don't think the male has had very much firewater." By
mentioning them, I had officially opened them up for public
discussion.

Zeke's eyes flashed with curiousity, and he poured two
plain glasses full of a kind of fermented fruit juice similar to
wine. "Interesting 'pets' you have there. I don't believe I've
seen them before." After a few seconds, the holo-screen blinked
out.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the pomeranian
fluff with anger at being ignored, and the rest of the bar looked
our way entirely too much for them to be ignoring us. I
suspected that they were hanging on my every word. "Oh, you'd be
surprised," I noted, passing the drinks back. "But yes, they are
recently acquired. I spent most of my time on a pre-contact
planet. Real wild, primitive place. This guy caught my eye, so
I bought him."

"Slave trade? I didn't think you went for that kind of
thing," he replied with a hint of disapproval in his voice.

I shrugged. "He was just too delicious to pass up. I got
a good deal too, he only cost me seventeen goats." Heh heh,
sometimes I kill me.

Zeke choked on a laugh and turned it into a noisy snort.
He probably figured that it was total bullshit, but was too into
it to say anything.

"The girl, on the other hand," I continued. "Well, I'm
sure you've seen her on the vid-streams before. Real famous, you
know?"

"The cheesy Princess Ayeka lookalike?" the lapdog
interrupted. "Big deal, every rich pervert in the galaxy has an
'Ayeka'. So you stole one, so what."

I just smiled as the air jumped and the walls swayed.
Everyone that could would be feeling the sense of barely
suppressed power coming from the girl behind me, and even the
great tree that made the bar was responding to its mistress,
which was probably a bit of a surprise to the Juraian expatriate
that actually owned it.

My only worry was that she would get so angry she forgot
and fried the collar. That would sort of spoil the ruse.

I quickly withdrew the remote and held it up for all to
see, and hopefully remind Ayeka of her place, and pressed the
button.

The power stayed active for a moment more, and then
abruptly cut off. There was a quiet "ah!" from behind me and I
released the button. She was going to be mad: I hadn't told her
about the jolts.

Every jaw in the place sagged, except for myself and my
pets. I laughed. It felt good, to laugh like that. I hadn't
laughed much since I teamed up with Ayeka, although I admit I've
smiled quite a bit more. A few more sighs, too. Now, though, I
indulged myself in it.

You see? You know, don't you? See what I have caught!
See what I have on a short leash!

Zeke could hardly believe his eyes. "You... You kidnapped
the First Princess?!"

I smiled and turned to give the pair of them a proprietary
look. "Yeah, it turned out that she had an interest in the guy,
too. Didn't want to take no for an answer. She put up a good
fight, but, well..." I spread my arms helplessly, at a loss as to
how she could have expected to beat me, the greatest space pirate
in the galaxy. Inwardly, I winced. Ayeka was going to have my
tail for this.

"Damn!" one guy exclaimed from the back. "That takes
nerve! I heard the Princesses were second only to the Emporer in
power! And now she's your slave!? HAH!"

I immediately looked back at the laugh, and wasn't
surprised to see Ayeka turn and give him a glare that promised
grevious bodily harm. He wouldn't have been so cocky if he'd
known the collar was just for show, but now I needed to save his
miserable life.

I slid off the stool and grabbed her chin in one hand,
catching her head in a firm grip. Leaning very close, I
whispered, "Bad girls get tied up and tickled with feathers _all_
_over_ for _hours_ on end. Good girls get used for pleasure by
barabarian slaves and happy Mistresses. Be a good girl and I'll
work you all over with the love cream and baton until you scream
for _Mommy_." Where the hell did that come from?

She stared into my eyes in shock, her anger gone and a
radiant blush lighting up her cheeks. Admittedly, I sort of
surprised myself, I had only planned on saying something vague
about reward and punishment.

"You turned her into a _Pleasure Slave_?!" screeched the
pomeranian bitch in a voice so high it was hard to hear.

Whoops, I forgot how sensitive some ears were. I let go of
Ayeka's chin and she dropped her eyes to the floor. "I'll be
good," she squeaked.

I whirled and hopped back up on the stool. "Well... Uh...
Yeah!" I replied lamely, even to my ears. "She still fights it a
bit, but she's learning her new submissive role pretty well. I
hardly ever have to punish her anymore." Oh. My. I'm going to
be in SO much trouble for this one.

"I didn't know you swang on that branch, Ryoko," Zeke
commented, deceptively mild.

"I don't! It was her idea!" I most carefully did not
exclaim. "I don't, really," I said in a more calm tone of voice.
"But I had this nice virile male here and thought about breeding
her... And there were complications and all..." I trailed off
into silence, because I realized that I was babbling. Their
faces showed shock, curiosity, lust, envy, a virtual stew of
emotions. "But hey, that's none of your business," I concluded.
"Zeke? Another drink?"

"So, what you're saying is," he said, fishing out a wooden
bottle and holding it up for my inspection.

Oh, wow. I didn't even know they had that here. The
distinctive one-piece wooden bottle indicated that it was very
fine, aged Juraian sweetwood wine, made from the sap and aged in
bottles made from the wood. Expensive as hell, which was why I'd
never had it before, although I'd heard it was one of the top
five drinks in the galaxy. I'd always wanted to try it. Oh,
yeah, it would do.

"Yes...?" I agreed, turning it into a question with a hiss
as I realized he was talking to me.

"You captured the First Princess,"

"Yes."

"kidnapped her, collared her, and kept her as a pet against
her will,"

"All true!"

"and turned her into a Pleasure Slave?" he finished, giving
me an incredulous look.

"Yep!" I replied smugly. "She comes when I call, does what
I tell her to, and is getting _so_ much better at not trying to
kill me in my sleep!" I continued brightly. "Basically, I OWN
her ass."

I _must_ be masochistic. Ayeka wasn't going to look on
this lightly. Although, come to think of it, it gave the already
fun situation a sharp edge of spice and danger. It felt good to,
not step over the line, but to jump across and do a rude little
dance on the other side, knowing the whole time I was going to
pay for it later. It was kinda like drinking. You know you're
going to feel it in the morning, but you just grin and chug
another bottle anyway.

Speaking of another bottle, Zeke silently passed my
elegant, fluted crystal glass of sweetsap wine to me. I took a
careful sip. It was nearly clear, with only a faint tinge of
amber, and had a fragrant, flowery aroma with only a hint of
alcohol, delicate and sweet like the flowers of the tree it was
made from. Then the taste, so cleverly masked by the delightful
smell, hit my tongue.

Without another word, Zeke flexed his fingers and called up
a holographic keyboard. A few keystrokes later, the big ranking
screen was back on the wall behind the bar, with one little
change.

My name and picture were back in their proper places. All
was again right with the world.

It was just too bad I was too busy choking, gasping for
breath, and trying to work up saliva to salve my burning tongue
to notice. Talk about ruining your precious moments.

"Does anyone dispute this?" Zeke asked aloud, according to
the ritual.

"But... But... I do!" whined the newbie. She was the
only one, though. I earned that place fair and square, and
everyone knew it. Seeing most of the immediate entertainment
fade, they resumed their own conversations.

Seeing no one speak up, Zeke finally noticed my asphyxiated
condition. "Oh, geez," he exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Ryoko! I
should have given you the chaser!" Yeah, way to go, Zeke. What
a pal. He quickly popped the top on another, smaller bottle
actually made of glass and passed it to me.

I tossed it back and instantly felt cool relief wash over
my tongue. Where the sweetsap wine had been a ball of liquid
fire that clung like napalm as it coated my mouth, throat, and
stomach, this stuff was a cool, moist breeze, light and
refreshing. It even settled my aching stomach and stopped the
first drink from eating through the lining. Suddenly I liked
Zeke more.

"Damn, what was that stuff?" I gasped.

"Just what you thought it was," Zeke replied innocently.
"Juraian Sweetwood Wine."

Behind me, Ayeka choked on a laugh. She had probably known
the entire time. I decided to ignore it and let her have her fun
for now.

I shook my head. "I thought that was supposed to be one of
the best drinks in the galaxy. It felt like I had just drank
hydrochloric acid mixed with industrial strength floorwax
stripper."

He nodded, amused. "Self-torture in a bottle, always
popular on Jurai."

Oh. Yeah. "Oh, yeah," I replied, conceeding that he had a
point. "Howabout a regular drink?"

He waved vaguely at my glass. "But you haven't finished
that one, first. That stuff is expensive, I can't just throw it
out." He grinned, clearly expecting me to finish it. I guess he
was a little sore I hadn't been by lately.

"Hmm, well, hey! I have an idea!" I did, too. "Princess?
Would you like a drink?" I grinned. Serves her right for not
warning me.

Ayeka looked up, having recovered from her embarrassment.
"Of Sweetwood wine?" she asked, momentarily confused. "You mean
you don't want the rest?"

I shrugged. "Self-torture isn't really my thing."

She raised one eyebrow, and I winked in reply. I knew that
she knew that I knew. "Well, if you're not going to finish
it..."

I immediately handed the fluted glass to her. "Be my
guest."

She started to raise the glass to her lips, then paused.
"Excuse me," she said to Zeke. "Do you have any fresh tio
berries available? The juice will do, but I'd much prefer
fresh."

"Umm, yes," he affirmed, shooting me a glance. I shook my
head to show that I had no idea what she was up to either.

"May I have two please?"

He had to go to the back to get them, but he returned with
a small bunch. They were dark purple fruit, round, firm, and
very juicy, but rather tart. They mixed well in many drinks.

She thanked him, made a show of selecting the darkest and
plumpest, popped it into her mouth, and took a slow, deep drink
of the horrible, horrible wine. And smiled, because I could
already see where this was going. Zeke offered a chaser, but she
politely declined. Of course, why would she need one? She had
probably already made it taste like nectar. Sneaky, sneaky
people, hoarding all the good stuff for themselves.

She caught my look of disappointment as she reached for
another berry. "Oh, the tio berries? I just like the flavor
they add. Would you like to try it with them? There's still
some left." She held up the remaining third and swirled it
gently.

Would I ever! "Yeah, gimme that glass." I took the glass
and berry she had already selected when she handed it to me.

"Put the tio in your mouth, then crush it slowly as you
take a drink. It does simply wonderful things."

I bet it did. Wonderful enough to stay a secret only the
rich knew, probably by telling each other, all so they could keep
their precious wine for themselves. I put the berry in my mouth,
rolled it around for a second, closed my eyes, and turned up the
glass as I squished the berry between my teeth.

The taste was... Well, indescribable is a pretty good word
for it. I could believe an advertisment that described it as a
startling sensation in your mouth, as well. My mouth was
blistering. My face was melting. My tongue was writhing in
agony. Against my will I gulped, and the firey slug of torment
slid down my throat, leaving a slime trail of activated enzyme
mucus to dissolve its way through the sides of my esophagus. The
horrible pain faded as it hit my stomach, but I immediately
burped and brought up a whole new world of fetid gas that
assailed my nose and my lungs when I gasped for breath for the
second time that night. It was even worse than the first drink,
and it was made even worse by the sour feeling in my throat that
came from the knowledge that I had been had.

"Well, I suppose it _is_ an aqquired taste," Ayeka said
innocently, eyes alight in amusement. How she had been able to
drink the stuff with a straight face was beyond me. Delicate
palate my sore throat.

"Heee..." I wheezed, grabbing at the bar to keep it from
rushing up and hitting me.

"You tricked her?" Tenchi asked, finally understanding what
was going on.

Zeke glanced at him in surprise. It had been the first
time Tenchi had spoken since we entered. Zeke, the ungrateful
bastard, threw back his head and whooped, then poured her a
drink, albeit a cheaper one than I had just had.

The news of what had happened circulated the bar, and
suddenly everyone was laughing at me. I guess it's true, people
are fickle about their heroes.

Several free drinks came our way as I gasped in my near
coma, but it was Zeke who flipped me over and Tenchi who poured
another bottle of chaser down my raw throat. Some time later,
when I could speak again in a hoarse croak, I confronted the
traitorous princess.

Now she was sitting beside me, having appropriated a stool
of her own, and was nursing a glass of tup, another mildly
alcoholic drink, as she talked quietly with Tenchi. Zeke had
already left to fill other orders.

"HOw-" I coughed and tried again. "what wasss that?" I
managed to get out.

She glanced my way, not even giving me her full attention,
as if I was the slave and she the mistress. "Sweetwood wine, of
course, just like your friend said. Very popular at royal
balls."

"And the berri..ry?" I wished my voice would quit
cracking.

"Only the weak drink it straight. To be a true connosuier,
you add tio berry juice. Enzymes combine, proteins rearrange...
Gives it quite a kick, doesn't it?"

"and YOou drink that stuff for fun?" I demanded, my voice
smoothing out.

She nodded. "No one said politics wouldn't be painful."

Juraians. Go figure.

Zeke noticed my reanimated state and polished his way over,
using a soft cloth on the beloved living wood of the bar top.
"You know, I think I'm starting to get an idea of just how
dangerous it must be to keep a Princess as a pet," he remarked
conversationally. "That must have been quite a struggle indeed."

"You have NO idea," I replied wearily.

"By the way, the lady in blue wants to speak with you when
you come around."

I perked up and looked around, forcing the fog away with an
act of will.

Zeke stretched out a finger and pointed helpfully, but his
hand wobbled and seemed to be pointing in three directions at
once. I squinted, but finally made out that it was me who was
wobbling. As such, I didn't resist when he grabbed my head and
turned me in the direction of the woman.

She was tall, with shimmering black hair and a navy blue
body suit much like mine, only hers was topped with an stealth
cloak so black it seemed to suck at the light. It hurt to look
at, and my eyes watered.

"Hello," she said formally, bowing to me. "I am Lady
Fontain, from the Sovereign State of Kawalish. I am most pleased
to meet you, Ryoko."

"Yeah, hi. What's on your mind?"

She tugged at her collar uncomfortably. "Forgive me for
intruding... I could not help but overhear your earlier
conversation between yourself and the bartender."

I nodded. That explained why she was uncomfortable. She'd
been evesdropping, even if I had fully intended for everyone in
the bar to hear. I swear, some cultures and their silly ideas of
propriety. "That's okay, don't worry about it. About the
Princess, right?" I asked, hoping to spur her on.

"Ah, no. About the young barbarian. Did I hear you
correctly when you said that you paid seventeen goats for him?"

I accidently let a snicker slip by, but I replied with a
perfectly straight face. "Yep. Hell of a deal, let me tell
you." I winked suggestively.

"I'll give you thirty," she said bluntly.

I nearly fell off the stool. I'd figured something like
this would happen, but it still cracked me up to hear it. "I'm
sorry, but he's not for-"

"Thousand," she said quickly.

"Really, I'm not-"

"Hold it! I'll give you thirty million!" The newcomer was
another human-type woman, cloaked, hooded, and flanked by either
a couple of bodyguards or two of the burliest personal assistants
I had ever seen.

I laughed and shook my head. "Come on, don't be silly.
What would I do with thirty million goats?"

"In cash!" Lady Fontain rejoined.

Whoa. A slow grin crawled onto my face. I wonder how high
I could get them? I noticed Tenchi's growing look of horror and
I patted him on the shoulder. He ought to know I wouldn't
actually sell him.

"Forty million!" yelled a man, waving a holographic card
with only a single green leaf to proclaim its backer.

"Forty-five!"

"Fifty-five!" yelled another new bidder, this time a woman.

"Sixty and my vacation home here on Mariposa!" cried the
woman with the bodyguards.

"That run down shack?!" exclaimed the man with the card.
"Well, I've got a, err, _hypothetical_ load of asponion extract.
Purely hypothetical, of course."

Everyone stared at him.

"You can't prove anything," he said defensively.

The first lady to ask was right in front of me, so I was
close enough to see her sigh and reach into her clothes with one
hand. It emerged and held aloft a cut yellow jewel the size of
an egg. A cool blue fire danced within its depths, and everyone
fell silent. "This for one night," she said cooly.

Erk. Renting him, on the other hand... I glanced
helplessly at Tenchi and Ayeka. Wordlessly, they both shook
their heads slowly.

"Sixty million for one night?" asked one skinny, nerdy
looking guy who'd gone unnoticed until now. Someone backhanded
him casually.

I gritted my teeth. That jewel was worth a lot of money.
Still... "You drive a hard bargan, Lady. I'm really sorry, but
I'm afraid I don't want to rent him out for stud, either." I
watched as she twisted her hand, letting tiny shafts of light
leak out around her fingers. "I guess I'm just jealous that
way."

She frowned and lowered the fabulous gem. "You sadden me.
He looks like a wild ride in bed. What about for six CC's of
semen? Your method of collection, so long as it's viable."

"DeaACK!" I cried and flew into the air before I could help
myself. Ayeka had kicked me hard in the butt.

A collective "OOOooooohhh..." rose from the crowd. "She's
gonna get it now!" one wag called.

Uh oh. She's done gone and done it now. I could get away
with not retaliating for the fiasco with the wine, but this was
an outright attack on her mistress, in public no less. She had
to be punished for this.

Not to mention that she kicked me really _hard_.

I remained floating in the air as I rubbed my bruised
posterior. "Listen, Lady," I said, ignoring Ayeka for the
moment, "I'm afraid I still cannot accept your offer for Tenchi."
I gently floated back to the ground, facing Ayeka. "I'd take
half that for the Princess, though," I muttered under my breath.

"I'll bet." Fontain appeared to be smiling when I glanced
at her.

I advanced menacingly on the Princess.

Ayeka's expression was neutral, and she was once again
sitting on a bar stool.

"That was a very naughty thing you did to your mistress."

"You needed it," she replied levelly, crossing her legs.
"You should know better, Ryoko. I would never stand for you to
pimp out Tenchi." Admittedly, she had a point, and I could tell
she was pretty angry, but she could have picked a more tactful
way of reminding me.

"You wouldn't really have...?" Tenchi asked, leaning in.

I scratched the back of my head. "No, no, never, Tenchi,"
I assured him. "Now, be a good boy and let me take care of
Ayeka's little attitude problem."

He sat back down with a resigned expression and signaled
Zeke.

"And just what do you think you're going to do,
_Mistress_?" Ayeka asked, making 'Mistress' sound like an insult.

"Beat her!" cried a high, female voice.

I smiled, appearing as if to consider the option.

"Whip her!" yelled another.

Actually, that was a thought. She'd probably like that
one.

"Kick her ass, Princess!"

My smile disappeared as Ayeka giggled behind her hand.
They were cheering for HER? I turned on the crowd. "Hey! Just
a minute here! Who's side are you on, anyway?!"

There was a lot of murmurs and wild gestures amongst
themselves, but the general consensus was that Ayeka was a little
bit more popular than I was, what with her abject refusal to
submit. Although many worlds allowed slavery, everyone still
rooted for the underdog.

Ayeka, by playing on their sense of irony and respect for
someone who wouldn't give up, had managed to become more popular
than I was at my own bar!

Enough was enough. I took out the remote for her collar
and pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

I held the button down and glared at her. Much to my
surprise, she glared right back. The white band of energy
encased metal glowed even brighter, and wisps of smoke started
rising off of it. If Ayeka hadn't been forcing its power away
with her own, she probably would have been badly burned.

She stood up, impossibly regal in a slave outift, and
tossed her hair. "You may have said you owned me, and in truth
you thought you did. But no one ever truly owns a princess of
Jurai. You caught me, but did you really think you could keep
me?"

I recognised the act for what it was, but I also knew that
she'd like nothing better than to finish turning the tables and
have ME on a leash. This was a delicate game we played.

"I've just been waiting for the right moment, and right
now, I think it's time I removed this little accessory you put on
me." Ayeka's face was calm and composed as she reached up and
grabbed the white band with one hand. Power crackled and flared,
a harsh, actinic glare which lit her face from below and gave it
a spooky quality. Her hair rose and rippled in the air from the
force spreading from the tortured collar, and she casually
twisted it in two to the accompaniment of 'oooh's and 'ahh's from
the crowd.

I yawned theatrically. Ayeka always did have a tendancy to
overdo the drama. "I put you in one collar, and I can put you in
another."

"Maybe." Her expression clearly showed that she didn't
think so. "But where are you going to get a collar I can't
break?"

Damn. She had me there. "Princess, I don't need a collar.
By the time I'm through with you, you'll come to me willingly."
I smirked at her. "Don't be so cocky. You invited me to your
bed, not the other way around. After all, who's going to pet
you, hold you, and stroke you in places no one knows if you're
not with Tenchi and me?"

Ayeka blushed bright red in anger and embarrassment. A
real blush, unless I was mistaken, and she was definitely angry.
Her hands clenched into fists and her voice rose about two
octaves until she had a very shrewish voice. "That has nothing
to do with this!" she shrieked.

"Oh, but Ayeka-chan, that has _everything_ to do with this.
You can whine and complain and fight all you want, but you won't
run away. You can't, it's just that simple. Now drop those
pants and come bend over my knee, you've got a spanking coming."

She spluttered in indignant fury for several moments,
speechless with anger.

"You should have thought about the consequences before you
kicked me," I continued. "There are some things that simply
cannot be tolerated out of a slave."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Daren't I?" I replied.

Her eyes narrowed abruptly, and the air hummed with power.
"Only if you win, only if you win. But if I win... Well, I'm
sure your so-called 'friends' would be quite amused to see you on
the other end of the leash."

"That's true," one man remarked.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" we both yelled together.

"Zeke, do you mind?" I asked. "This could get messy."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, pausing with a double
handful of cash. "With the house taking ten percent of all bets?
Not to mention the distribution rights? Go for it."

I nodded in thanks, then launched myself at Ayeka,
intending to end this quickly. I was going to slam into that
forcefield, power my way through, and get a good, solid chokehold
on her until she passed out. It should have worked, too, but I
think she was expecting it, since she slammed me toward the
ceiling with what felt like an invisible hammer.

That old tree that housed the bar has seen many fights in
the few thousand or so years it's stood there. There are black,
scorched areas in the wood, and one corner of the bar was taken
off by an energy blade. The only thing that has kept it intact
is its own power, much like that of a treeship. I slammed into
the ceiling above the bar pretty hard, but the only thing dented
was my pride.

I fell several feet before I stopped and hovered. I had to
rethink my plan. Energy blasts never seem to work against her,
they're just not powerful enough. My sword can usually penetrate
her shield, but it's a near thing, and I didn't want to kill her.
I'm stronger than she is, and better at fighting, but that damned
shield of hers is too good at keeping me away. And when she
summons those logs I can pretty much forget it. I hate to admit
it, but she's a little bit more powerful than I am.

Still, I'm the better fighter. I have beaten her, I can
beat her, and I will beat her. I just have to get her too mad to
use her powers and she's mine.

"I can't believe you're being so stubborn about this," I
called down. "You've never complained about being spanked
before." No reaction. "You've liked everything I've done to you
so far, even when I made you call me Zuul the Conqueror and
spread your legs for Tenchi every time I said 'feather'. And you
did it, too, and begged for more." That brought a flush to her
cheeks, as well as some elbow prodding amongst the crowd.

"Shut up, Ryoko," she growled. "Remember our agreement."

"Hah! She can't even deny it!" Oh, what a snarl. "Admit
it, Princess, you're so much a pervert you even liked it when we
had the threesome in the branches of the tree. Come on, make the
'ook' 'ook' noises again and scratch your head. You were so good
at it, I'd say you were a natural." Perhaps that was a little
vicious. I wouldn't want her saying some things about me in
public, either.

"Hah hah! Yeah, Ryoko! Spank that monkey!" cried the guy
that couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Ayeka's temper, already frayed, snapped like a dry twig.
"I am a Princess of Jurai, and I demand the respect I am due! If
you will not respect my station you will respect my power!" She
advanced on him, madder than I'd ever seen her before, intending
to torture, maim, or kill, it's hard to say which.

As dim as he must have been, I'm sure the drunken moron was
bright enough to realise he'd just made a bad, bad mistake. I
bet he saw his own death in Ayeka's face.

It was a good thing for him I picked that moment to tackle
her from behind. I hit her fast and hard, just above her knees.
We tumbled wildly into the crowd, skidding across the wooden
floor mostly on me. I released my grip and let her roll into a
group of people who didn't dodge fast enough. I was over her in
an instant, snatching her arm and jerking her out of the tangle
of bodies.

It only took a few moments to get wrap my legs around her
from behind and put her in a full-nelson with my arms, but those
were a few moments I almost didn't have. She kicked off the
floor with one leg and hit my chin with the back of her head, her
fingers digging into my sides, but I was too fast and too strong.
What I did next was something I'd been contemplating for a long
time.

I flew up into the air about seven feet, and when I was
clear, I started spinning. Spinning doesn't really bother me, I
don't have the same kind of organs for balance like Ayeka and
Tenchi do. Ayeka, on the other hand, started screaming about the
tenth revolution. I don't know how fast I was going, but it was
fast enough that it was hard to hold onto the princess and she
was sagging pretty far out. Fifteen or twenty seconds later she
stopped screaming and struggling, so I stopped abruptly.

The crowd was laughing and cheering at the sight, and money
was changing hands so fast I couldn't see the denominations.
Clearly, the odds were in my favor now.

I lowered her slowly to the floor, setting her more or less
on her feet.

Much to my surprise she planted her feet and stood there
for a moment, breathing heavily with her head bowed and her hands
on her hips. Then she straighten slightly, took one half-step,
fell on her side, and threw up noisily. "Huuulllgggppp!"

Oh, the crowd liked that one.

I gave Zeke an apologetic look and he gave me his bar rag.
I gently turned Ayeka over and wiped her mouth with the cloth.
Unsure of what to do with it, I tossed it back to Zeke, who
caught it with a rueful expression. "Come on, up and at 'em," I
coaxed, helping her to sit and then stand on weak-kneed legs.

Ayeka whimpered slightly, and her complexion was decidedly
green. I felt a little bad, but it quickly passed. After all,
it was her fault for being such a insolent little shrew.

Ah, well, no time like the present. I crouched down and
tugged on the pants, pulling them down so that her light-skinned
butt was bare to the air.

Whistles, hoots, and catcalls filled the bar at the sight.
I hesitated again. Ayeka was not going to be happy about this.
This went way beyond simple games; this was humiliation of the
worst sort. Unbidden, a recent memory of my second taste of
sweetwood wine rose in my mind.

Ayeka was pretty well out of it. She was conscious, but
too weak to resist and too groggy to fully understand what was
happening when I rose into the air in a seated pose and leaned
her across my lap.

Actually, I only leaned her across my right leg. I put my
left over her back and hooked my ankles together, ready to
squeeze out her breath if she struggled too much.

The first strike was loud and clear in the bar, even over
the excited chatter of the drinkers. They cheered me on as I
continued the punishment, turning Ayeka's pale posterior a
fetching shade of red.

Ayeka screamed and struggled, but I had her right where I
wanted her. There was nothing she could do about it.

When it was over I released her from my grip and put my own
feet back on the floor. I wasn't sure how she would react, but I
hoped she would take it with some grace and dignity, the way I
would in a similar situation.

Ayeka stumbled and fell to her knees as she scrambled away,
and that hurt me more than it hurt her. The crowd roared with
laughter as she quickly jumped to her feet and pulled her loose
pants back up to cover her modesty. She abruptly ran into the
crowd in the general direction of the door, but they pressed in
too close and wouldn't let her past. One heavy, meaty hand
shoved her hard in the chest, pushing her back into the cleared
area where she tripped and fell again. She climbed to her feet
once again, slowly this time.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw tears on her face.
Dammit, I'd gone too far, and I knew it.

She turned in a slow circle, no doubt seeking some escape
from the leering, laughing mob I called friends. Tears streamed
down her face, and for a moment I was afraid she was going to
lash out, but her heart wasn't in it.

I caught her gaze with my own and she stopped, staring
hopelessly back. I closed my eyes for a moment and bit my lip,
hard. When I opened them again I saw her sniff and dab at her
eyes with her wrists. I felt sick. I took one step towards her
and opened my arms wide, inviting her into my embrace.

She glanced at the crowd once and shuffled sideways in
indecision.

"Please," I said, barely loud enough to be heard over the
crowd.

One hesitant step led to another, and the rest of the
distance was covered almost in a run as she rushed into my arms
and buried her face under my chin, hugging me like I was her last
refuge from the universe.

I stroked her hair and whispered soothing nothings into her
ear as I guided her gently back to the bar, where Tenchi was
waiting.

Or, more accurately, where Tenchi had passed out, snoring
gently with a half-empty glass in his hand.

I sighed and pulled Ayeka around to my side so I could
speak to Zeke. "I think my pets are tired," I explained. "Is
there a room free?"

He smirked. "Not free, but after that performance you can
have any one you want for as long as you want." He tossed me a
small block of wood. "Two levels up, to the right, second door
on the right. Come on back down if you feel like it."

I nodded. "I'll do that." To Ayeka I said, "Come on,
stick close to me. We'll get you two to bed." I picked up
Tenchi and led the way, the noises from the bar fading as we
climbed.

It didn't take long to put them to bed, tucking them in
togther in the room's single large bed. Tenchi snoozed deeply,
and even Ayeka's puffy eyes had closed soon after I lay her head
down on a pillow. I stared at them for a few brief moments, then
returned to the bar.

It seemed like everyone wanted to buy me a drink when I
returned, but I had to turn most of them down. Some of them kept
pestering me about 'renting them for a night', but I ignored
them. Even more kept wanting to hear the stories I'd accumulated
while I was gone, but I didn't feel up to bragging.

Still, I didn't really feel all that bad about humiliating
Ayeka in public. More like, quiet. I guess I didn't need to
brag anymore. I had attempted the impossible, taken on the
unbeatable, and came out on top despite it all. Heh, my number
one spot was assured for good, now.

Zeke and I talked idly for a while as I soaked up free
drinks and salty snacks. I told him some of the things that had
happened on Earth and he told me some of the more interesting
bits of news that had happened while I was gone. People
circulated in and out, most dropping by at least once to
congradulate me. I shrugged their praise off. I didn't need it
anymore.

At some point a few hours later at some unholy time in the
morning, I happened to remember the wanted poster.

"Hey, Zeke, you seen this?" I asked, then hiccuped as I
waved it in his face. I wasn't really drunk, yet. Too much
talking, not enough swallowing.

He nodded. "Yeah. Been up there for over a month. You
worried?"

"Nah," I replied easily. "I just want to know who picked
out this picture so I can beat the hell out of them. I mean, the
least he could have done is used the same one on the scoreboard!"
I complained.

He smirked. "Yeah, you do look kind of constipated."

I frowned. "I was sneezing."

He shrugged as if it didn't matter, and I let it drop.

"Anyway," I continued, "I think I'll call this number and
see what they do. You know, hint that I might know where I'm at,
but I'll only talk to them in person with the money sitting in
front of me. It's local, so I bet they bite."

"I dunno, someone has probably already called, if he
haven't heard from somewhere else," he pointed out. "And you
might not want to meet him in person."

I waved my hand dismissively. "I can take care of him,
whoever he is. 'Sides, I think it'll be fun. You got a phone?"

He chuckled and waved his hand in a certain way, causing a
holographic keyboard and screen to appear in front of me.

I keyed in the number for audio only and waited while it
connected. In almost no time a smooth, polite contralto answered
the other end.

"Greetings," she said formally. "May I ask the name and
purpose of this call?"

I deepened my voice and spoke in quick bursts. Cheesy, I
know, and it wouldn't fool voice recognition, but I doubt they
had a recording of my voice. "Yeah, uh... Who is this? I'm
calling about the reward poster. The one for Ryoko."

"Yes, Ma'am. We are indeed offering a substantial reward
for information as to the whereabouts of the space pirate Ryoko.
If you or someone you know has information as such, we would be
very happy to negotiate."

"Yeah, uh, sure. I know where she's at." I snickered
behind my hand. I loved messing with people's heads. "Look, are
you the one that put up that poster?"

"No, Ma'am," she replied contritely. "I'm just a
secretary, and I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss my
employer."

Figures. "Well, look. I know where she's at _right now_,
and if you hurry you can catch her before she leaves. But I'll
only talk to your employer, IF he's got the cash with him."

"Certainly. My employer prefers to investigate all leads
personally. I must warn you, however, prank calls and false
leads are not tolerated and are dealt with very harshly."

"Whatever. It's cool, I'm legit."

"Very good, Ma'am. I will need a location that you can be
reached at and if not your name, at least your description so
that my employer will be able to locate you."

"Fine. I'm at the Hardwood bar. You know, the giant tree?
I'm sitting at the bar, sixth seat from the right. How long is
this going to take? I ain't got all night."

"My employer already has the location and will be there in
fifteen minutes. I will let you discuss the details of the
transaction with her directly. Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks." I disconnected the call and waved the
console away, a little surprised. Her? "Hey, Zeke," I called,
getting his attention again. "The guy that put up that poster
was a woman."

He shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Well, no," I had to admit. "Let's see what happens when
she gets here."

I waited quietly, sipping at a lightly intoxicating drink
to preserve my wits. I had a feeling that this was going to
result in a short, funny fight.

Fifteen minutes passed to the dot, and in that time only
three people entered the bar. None of them even glanced my way
as they made for various groups, so I ignored them. It was the
fourth person to enter the bar that was the one I was looking
for. She was tall, almost regal, as she stalked into the bar,
wearing a full-length cloak that hid her body and a hood pulled
over her head. She was looking right at me, so I could see the
tattoos on her cheeks clearly as her eyes widened in recognition.
I leaped onto my stool and pointed one shaking finger at her.

"YOU!" both Nagi and I cried together.

In retrospect, I really should have seen that coming.


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


Back in the room they had been allowed to use for the
night, Ayeka sighed and squirmed in the dark, giggling softly to
herself as soon as Ryoko left.

"My Lord," Ayeka cooed to herself. "Did you see that,
Tenchi? Damn what a rush!" She giggled again, massaging and
tweaking her breasts. "I am just so turned on. That was
incredible!" She ran her hands over her body, pressing her legs
together and sliding them back and forth. "Tenchi?"

Her only answer was his deep, alcohol fume-laden breath
rythmically whispering into his pillow.

"Tenchi? Come on, Tenchi! I'm too aroused to sleep!" she
complained, shaking him roughly. When no response was
forthcoming, even after a few light, well, hard, slaps, she gave
it up.

"Ooooh... Damn it!" Ayeka's thoughts, but unfortunately
not her hands, turned to other methods of release not forbidden
to her. "Sometimes I hate being a Princess," she groused
bitterly.

And then she had an idea for the next day.