Lunar Andromeda

Chapters 1 - 14

 

Fandom: Andromeda/Sailor Moon
Disclaimer: All Andromeda characters are copyrighted to Tribune Entertainment. The Sailor Moon concept belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.
Rating: NC-17
Archive: Anywhere, just give credit where credit is due
Feedback: Yes, please! Send all comments to purenightshade@gmail.com
Author’s Notes: There are some severe spoilers for the entire series, especially concerning the character of Trance Gemini. You’ve been warned. Also, I don’t plan on using Doyle, as she’s a character I know nothing about. I’m pretending she doesn’t exist.
Summary: After a brutal attack by the Magog on a planet belonging to the restored Commonwealth, Dylan Hunt decides to get rid of the Magog threat once and for all. Trance has a plan

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Episode 15: Siblings

Authors note: I wrote all the poetry excerpts Jen is reciting in this particular chapter. For full versions of the poems, contact me.

The dinning hall they were taken to was a medium sized room with a single long rectangular table surrounded by low backed chairs. The large high backed chair at the end was empty. Chuuseki, dressed as he had been earlier, was seated in a chair to the left of the empty one, chatting amiably with Jason. Jason looked up as they entered. He waved happily at them before turning back to his conversation, toying with a strand of his short black hair. He was dressed in an all-black version of his usual clothes.
Tenshi was seated beside Chuuseki with Yumeko on her other side, and Okami was seated to Yumeko's other side. They were wearing fancier versions of the dresses they'd worn when they'd revealed their alien natures to the crew of the Andromeda.
Chuuseki stood and looked at them. "Please be seated. We're just waiting for StarFire to join us before we serve dinner."
"I do hope you remembered what I told you about their palates, Honored Consort," Jason told him. "They likely won't be able to tolerate the spices we commonly use."
Chuuseki shook his head. "How any species could thrive on such bland food is beyond me."
"Well, Rhade might be able to handle it, but the others won't."
"Rhade?" Chuuseki searched their faces. "Ah! I assume that you are Terazed Kamen?" Rhade nodded. "Good to have a name to go with this face. I can't always make the connection between a senshi's civilian form and their senshi self."
"I wasn't really aware that there was a difference," he said, sitting down beside Jason. Trance was careful to leave an empty seat between her and Rhade. Dylan took the other seat beside Trance and Beak sat beside Dylan. Harper sat on the other side of the table beside Okami.
"It's how senshi keep their identities secret," Tenshi explained. "The transformation sequence masks you in more ways than in just the change of clothes. The most drastic example of this that I've seen is with the senshi of the Sol system. For some odd reason, when we were there at least, they were all Japanese. When they transformed, their entire appearance changed. Their leader, Sailor Moon, went from having black hair and brown eyes to blond hair and blue eyes. It took some getting used to."
"The two of you can discuss this later," StarFire said, entering the room. "I'm starving!" The Andromeda crew stared at her. She'd abandoned her normal black uniform for one that was solid red. From the sound it made when she moved and how the light played across it, it was made of some kind of soft leather. Her boots had thinner heels than her normal ones. Her hair was tied back in a braid wrapped ponytail and her forearms were wrapped with red ribbons as had become usual ever since they'd left Callien.
"That's what happens when you head out into the Kanehr Shovasea," Okami scolded her teasingly. "You burn a lot of your energy just trying to move."
StarFire slid into the chair between Trance and Rhade just as the servers brought in platters of food. At Chuseki's instruction, they placed safe platters within reach of the guests. Once the servers had left, Chuuseki raised his glass. "Please, help yourselves."
Jason and StarFire each took a slice of the round, steaming flat bread and set it on the small plate above their larger main plate before taking spoonfuls of food from the dishes. There were meats in varying spicy-smelling sauces, vegetables in cream sauces, as well as steamed vegetables, smoked meats, things that smelled vaguely like pickles, and thinly sliced roasted meat.
StarFire took some of the meats in spicy sauces and some of the roasted meat, ignoring the vegetables. She tore a chunk off the flat bread and used it to pick up some of the meat in sauce and ate it.
Rhade watched her carefully, doing his best to imitate her actions. He chewed the meat thoughtfully, enjoying the unusual flavor. StarFire watched him expectantly for any reaction to the spice in the sauce. It didn't come immediately, but the more of it he ate, the redder his cheeks got until finally he coughed, reaching for his glass.
StarFire grabbed his wrist before he could get to it. "Much as I'd enjoy the show, that's not a good idea. The caverra in the sauce is oily, so drinking only makes it worse. Eat some of the flat bread or vegetables to soak the oil up."
"How can you eat this stuff so casually?" Harper asked her, more than a little red in the face himself. "It's tasty, but I've never eaten anything this spicy before in my life!"
"It would be best for you to avoid the meats in sauce," Okami suggested. "I have a high tolerance for spicy food, but I can't handle that stuff. What's it called again?"
"Chacarry," StarFire replied, tearing another piece of bread and scooping up some more of the food in question.
"It reminds me of that super spicy curry we had way back when. Remember? The one you had to specially order and took fifteen minutes to prepare?"
"You mean the one that killed your taste buds for a week?" StarFire asked, smirking. "I remember. It actually had a nice level of spice to it."
"This stuff is plenty spicy," Rhade commented.
"You think so? There's not quite enough caverra in it for my taste. They must have toned it down just in case one of you made the mistake of trying to eat it."
"It's not good form to make one's guests ill," Chuuseki told her. "No matter how little you like them."
StarFire stared down at her plate. "Yes, Honored Consort."
"You really don't need to call me that, StarFire. I've never understood why you insist on it."
She set her piece of bread down. "That's why I didn't want to come home. Jason is the only person who knows what's going on in my head."
"Perhaps if you'd talk to people, this wouldn't be a problem," a new voice said, entering the room. It was a woman with skin the color of milk chocolate and blond hair that was so pale it was almost white. Her eyes were a solid amethyst color with no visible pupil or white. She was dressed in a deep golden gown that left her arms bare. The deep scoop of the neck exposed part of her average cleavage. Her thin lips were painted a deep red. Her long hair was pulled up into a braided bun with a single braid trailing down her back from the base of the bun. She wore no jewelry. "I see you've finally returned. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming home."
"If I could have avoided it, I wouldn't have returned at all," StarFire said harshly.
The woman sniffed. "You would have been doing all of us a big favor but staying away."
Chuuseki stood. "Stop it, you two. Hihana, be nice. StarFire, the same goes for you. I know you two don't get a long, but could you two at least be civil in front of our guests?"
"Nice? To her? Why should I? She abandoned her family."
"Abandoned? I went on a mission. I was doing my job!" StarFire shouted angrily, jumping up out of her chair.
Jason got up and placed himself in between the two women. "Much as I hate to be the peacekeeper between the two of you yet again, it looks like I have to. Honestly! You two are far more mature than this, yet you constantly stoop to this insane sibling rivalry thing. It's getting old."
Rhade looked between StarFire and Hihana. So that's her sister? She's beautiful! This explains a lot about her. They're like day and night appearance-wise, but seem very similar in personality. Stubborn to the core.
"This wouldn't be a problem if mother would just accept me as her Heir instead of the prodigal daughter."
"You still think after all these years that I want any of this?" StarFire asked incredulously. "I don't. If it were up to me, you could have it. I just don't care."
Hihana looked at her younger sister thoughtfully. "There's something wrong with you. Why wouldn't you want it? You would never want for anything so long as you lived."
"My freedom," StarFire said quietly. "As much of a pain in the ass being a senshi can be, it still gives me more freedom than anything else." She moved away from the table and turned to Chuuseki, bowing formally. "My apologies, Honored Consort, but I must excuse myself. I find that I've lost my appetite." She brushed past Hihana and out into the hallway.
Hihana watched her leave and shrugged. "She's awfully temperamental today," she observed, taking the seat StarFire had previously occupied beside Rhade. "And who might you be?" she asked flirtatiously. "I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you."
Tenshi snorted. "Seeing as how he's from the Triangulum galaxy, that's something of an understatement, Hihana."
Hihana rolled her eyes. "Must you intrude on everyone else's conversations, Tenshi? It's quite rude you know."
"You would know," Yumeko said standing. "You wrote the book on that subject. My apologies. I should go and see if StarFire is alright."
"By all means, Yumeko. Please see if you can talk some sense into her."
"I don't think that's possible anymore, Honored Consort," she said, smiling wistfully before she left.

Three hours later, Rhade found her sitting up on the wall above the entrance to the palace, leaning her back against the statue of Kanehjer Sherakasei. The sun was setting, making the roofs of the houses below appear to be on fire. The statue behind her refracted the light. She was still wearing the red outfit that she'd worn to dinner, but for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, he knew that this was Jen and not StarFire. She looked up at him as he approached and then turned her head to look out over the city.
"Jason suggested that this might be a good place to hide," he said, sitting down beside her.
"It used to be," Jen said quietly. "Though somehow I figured that Okami would have been the one to point you in this direction."
"She thought you'd probably be in the library, but you weren't."
"So she is giving you advice. Figures."
"I didn't ask for her help; she offered it. Also, I wasn't looking for you. I need a place to hide."
"Hide from what?"
"Not what. Who. Hihana."
Jen looked at him. "Why are you trying to hide from her?"
Rhade shook his head. "She's the complete opposite of you. No inhibitions whatsoever."
"Throwing herself at you is she?" Jen sighed. "I suppose that means that you're attractive."
"You suppose? You don't think so?"
"Not particularly. You're not ugly, but not spectacular."
"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, which isn't saying much as you rarely speak to me."
"Don't get used to it." She looked back out at the city. "So she's set her sights on you. You should be glad. She's quite wealthy, you know, and in case you were wondering, she's an example of the ideal look for women here."
"I'm not really much for blonds. She's pretty, but she's a little too dark for my taste. She looks like she's been out in the sun too long."
"Dare I ask what you prefer, even though something tells me I already know?"
"I prefer lighter skin and black hair. How about you?"
"I would prefer to not associate with men at all."
Feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea to press her any further on that subject, even though he really wanted, to, he instead said, "Jen, I have to ask. Why did you come to dinner as StarFire and not as yourself?"
"Because StarFire is as close to my real self as I'm willing to get. I want to keep a distance between my family and myself. It won't last much longer. I want to cherish every last moment of freedom I have left before the Queen and my mother get here."
"They'll both be here?"
Jen nodded glumly. "Dealing with one or the other I could probably cope with, but both at the same time? I know I'll be pressured into doing things I don't want to do, but knowing that doesn't help me out any."
"What kinds of things?"
"The usual things that mothers want for their children. Retire from being a senshi, find a mate, have kids, settle down, stay close to home, take over when mother's ready to retire. That sort of thing."
"And your mother can pressure you into this? What about the Queen?"
"For once, she's in agreement with mother. I'm just lucky that this mission came up or they would have won." She snorted. "Lucky. Right. It's funny in a sick sort of way. After everything that happened to me, it's still better than the fate that awaits me."
"I thought you didn't believe in fate."
"Not the fate we were discussing at the time. Really, I'm not sure what word fits better."
"Future?" Rhade suggested.
"That's better I suppose." She sighed and curled her knees up under her chin. "Not that it helps me out any."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Nothing springs to mind. Besides, the last thing I need is more help from you."
They sat in silence. Rhade watched the light reflect on Jen's dark hair. In the dying sunlight, she appeared to be made of fire. The light added fiery red highlights to her normally pitch black hair and caressed her skin, giving her pale tone a glow that wasn't normally present.
He stood suddenly. "I should probably go," he said reluctantly. "I feel like I'm intruding on what little freedom you have left."
"You can stay if you want," Jen told him. "Despite the fact that I really don't like you all that much, you're the only person who seems to give to shakes of a sand rat's tail about me."
"Harper cares about you," Rhade reminded her.
"Harper is like a little brother. Your interest is different. Oh, don't get me wrong, he tried when we first met, but he gave up after a while. We've been friends ever since."
He sat back down. "I always enjoy spending time with you. It's not always pleasant because of your attitude towards me and all other Nietzscheans, but just being around you…I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear any of this."
Jen sighed. "Not really. I have a good idea what you're trying to say. I've heard it before."
"Really?"
"Twice. Ironically, the two people who said these kinds of things to me were identical in appearance: Seikou and Seiya Kou." She shrugged. "It was a long time ago, though. If anyone else has said any of it to me since then, I can't remember."
"I imagine that Gaheris said similar things to Valkyrie."
"You're probably right. I wonder if she laughed at him for it."
"Why would she have laughed?"
"If I wasn't so angry and depressed, I'd be laughing. I laughed at Seikou."
"But not Seiya?"
"I'd just lost Seikou when I met Seiya, so I was depressed and angry and trying very hard to loose myself in our mission at the time: destroy Kage Neko and return home to help rebuild everything destroyed in the war. Ultimately, we succeeded, but with unexpected consequences."
"You're talking about yourself. I don't know if I should be happy or afraid."
"Imagine that. A big tough Nietzschean afraid of a talking woman."
"I'm serious! You never volunteer information about yourself. Why now? Are you that depressed?"
"Yes," she replied bluntly. "Coming home was supposed to pull me together. As a senshi, I feel more together, but I feel worse otherwise. So bad, in fact, that I'm talking about myself."
Rhade scooted closer to her and carefully placed a hand on one of hers. "For once, I'm at a loss. I always wanted to know more about you, but this feels strange."
"You'll get used to it. Strange is a part of what we do. Worry when things stop feeling that way." She sighed, staring off into the distance. "I'd rather be anywhere but here/Far away from here/Come take a ride to the other side/Of life with me/Pack your bag, empty your pockets…/Anywhere but here." Seeing Rhade's puzzled look, her lip twitched in wistful amusement. "Seiya used to make a face like that when I was doing something odd. It's a part of a poem I wrote when I was on Earth that first time. It's the only part I can remember right now. To this day, I still don't know what caused me to write that."
"Tell me more about this Seiya guy," Rhade suggested. "Seeing as you seem to be in a very rare talkative mood."
"I'd rather not talk about Seiya right now. It's not a painful memory, but it's associated with Seikou and that's still painful after who knows how many thousands of years."
"Ok, then. You said you wrote poetry. Can you remember anything else you've written?"
"Most of what I write are song lyrics, but yes, I can. What subject are you looking for?"
"Something suiting your mood."
Jen thought about it for a moment and then said, "I feel like a bird/In a windowless cage/Bound and gagged/Denied crying out my rage/The ropes tying me down/Are what you claim is love/What you feel is a smile, I see is a frown/All I can do is stare at the sky above."
"That certainly seems to fit," Rhade agreed. "I think I'm depressed now."
Jen leaned forward and poked him in the forehead. "I doubt it."
Rhade smiled teasingly. "You're right. I'm not. I'm too busy enjoying being alone with you like this to be depressed."
"I could fix that," Jen said darkly. "There are things I could tell you that would depress even the ever cheerful Yumeko."
"So tell me," he suggested.
"And loose all of my last shreds of dignity? I don't think so."
"Don't feel much like talking anymore?"
"I do," she said standing up. "But if I stay here talking to you much longer, I won't be able to stop. The last thing I need right now is to be that vulnerable. See you around, Rhade."
Rhade watched her leave and then turned to watch the sun's final decent below the horizon, wondering if he'd ever know what was going on.

Episode 16: Garden

After the dinner, Beka had gone back to her room and changed back into
her regular clothes. The ones that had been provided for her were nice
and comfortable, but she didn't feel like they suited her at all. As
much as she disliked Jen, she had to admit to herself that the style
suited her better. She hung the clothes back up in the closet.
Of course the style suits her better. She comes from here. She
sat down on the bed and looked at the room around her. It was modestly
furnished with light hangings over the window. The setting sun cast a
fiery light on everything in the room, making her feel as if she was
in an oven. It's certainly hot enough to be an oven, she
thought, wiping her forehead with one hand. I know Tenshi warned us
that this place was hot on the way down, but I didn't expect this. I'm
glad I didn't wear anything black.
She stood up and headed out of the room. There has got to be
somewhere in this place that's cooler than my room. Besides, there's
nothing to do in there. I can't read the language, so the books aren't
any good. I didn't think that anyone still had books with pages
anymore. Everyone I've ever heard of uses flexis.
She headed down the stairs to the landing where the statue was and
debated on where to go. One of the hallways was heavily guarded, so
that was out of the question. One led to the Audience Chamber. She
didn't want to go there, so that one was eliminated. That left three
hallways. One ended in a staircase going up to a third floor. An
examination of the area around the statue yielded a faint breeze
coming from the hallway leading off to the left, so she followed it.
It led her past some doors with strange markings on them. Beka ignored
them in favor of finding the breeze that teased her short blond hair.
It ended in a gate made of elegantly twisted metal. It was slightly
ajar, so she pushed it the rest of the way open and headed out. She
followed the path on the other side, spurred on by the breeze and the
faint sound of trickling water.
The path led to a carefully manicured garden surrounded by a tall
hedge. Flowers that looked like roses were in full bloom, their scent
mingling in the night air with the scents from the other flowers, ones
she didn't recognize. There was a small pond on one corner with a few
fish swimming in it. The trickling sound she'd heard was the small
artificial waterfall that fed it. Beside the pond was a bush with
strange dark teal colored leaves and shiny silver heart-shaped
flowers. She knelt down beside it.
"I wouldn't touch those if I were you."
She spun around to see Jason standing behind her. "You scared me!"
"Better to scare you than to have you die accidentally from something
as innocent looking as a Shioye plant. The flowers are pretty
harmless; they'll only give you a mild rash. It's the leaves you need
to be careful of. There's a nasty poison coating on them. There are
some people who aren't bothered by it, but most have a fatal allergy
to it. We learned that the hard way when the plant was given to one of
the queens a few thousand years ago. We lost one of our better
gardeners, or so I'm told. It was a gift from the then queen of Ha'ven
to our queen at the time as a birthday present. The Laisheen are
immune to its poison and it hadn't occurred to her that we might
suffer ill effects from it." He shrugged. "Strangely, the fish aren't
bothered by it."
"I didn't think you had fish here, given that there are no bodies of
water anywhere."
"On the surface," Jason corrected her. "There is one large underground
lake way up north. These fish aren't from there, though."
"Another gift?" Beka guessed.
"Yes, but a more recent one and something of a joke between Tenshi and
Jen." Jason frowned at the cloud that passed over Beka's face at the
mention of his twin's name. "Is something wrong, Beka?"
"It's just that I'm getting very, very tired of hearing about Jen. I
don't see what the big deal is. As for the two of you being twins,
I've never met two siblings who are more different."
Jason's expression softened. "Ah. Jen and I aren't all that different,
really. I know you won't believe me, but underneath all the pain and
rage, Jen is really a nice person."
Beka rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. If you ask me, I think she's just
making all this stuff up about the Nietzscheans."
"Now you'd be wrong there. Because we're twins, we share a connection.
She told me what happened to her. She can't lie to me, Beka. I know
when she's hiding something and what she told me was entirely
truthful."
Beka eyed him. "You're very protective of her, aren't you?"
Jason shrugged, blushing. "Yeah, which is odd. She's actually very
protective of me. We generally wind up defending each other. It just
happened that way."
"And that other girl? Hihana? What's the deal with her?"
"Our not-so-beloved elder sister," Jason explained. "Neither of us
particularly cares for her."
"She's pretty."
"As far as Nomaien women go, her coloring is considered to be the
ideal. Blonds are favored quite highly. Personally, I prefer a lighter
skin tone, but that's mostly from my association with Jen and her
friends. There aren't a lot of senshi with darker skin tones, so I've
spent a lot of my life around paler women and have grown to appreciate
it." He stopped, looking her in the eye, and blushed, turning away. "I
also prefer blue eyes to amethyst. Being around Hihana has scarred me
on that score."
"So Yumeko is more your ideal?"
"Kitten?" Jason laughed. "I've known her since she was just a little
thing. I tend to think of her as a little sister. Okami is more like
the eccentric cousin who visits on occasion and Tenshi is a big sister
to me. Besides, Yumeko has far too much hair and her wearing down all
the time like that…not really my thing." He turned his back to her,
too embarrassed to say anything else. "I really shouldn't be talking
about this. It's not considered proper to discuss such things with
women."
"I'm not from around here, in case you've forgotten," Beka reminded
him. "It doesn't bother me to talk about things."
Jason gave a little half smile. "It's very hard to keep my cultures
straight some days."
"You travel around much?"
"A fair amount, yes. Don't get me wrong, I love my home and my people
despite what humans would see as an oppressive matriarchy, but I like
learning about other people. Humans in particular have always held a
fascination for me ever since I went to Earth that first time. I've
never quite been able to figure them out. Just when you expect them to
react one way, they turn around and do something completely different,
and that's just the men. You human women are even more unpredictable."
"Is that a bad thing?" Beka asked him, her head tilted questioningly
to the side, a smile on her lips.
"On the contrary. I think it's intriguing." Jason took a step closer
to her. "It's so different from the women here. You don't try and boss
me around or act superior to me just because you were born female. Oh,
there are a few Nomaien women here who don't do that, but they're a
distinct minority. Being around one woman who doesn't and isn't my
twin is a refreshing change." He grinned. "It's also a strange feeling
to be able to look a woman in the eyes."
Beka grinned back. "I'm only about a half an inch shorter than you
are," she pointed out.
"That and other things. It's rude to look a woman in the eyes unless
you're related to them. With women from other worlds and cultures,
it's fine."
"Well, you can look me in the eyes any time you want." Beka took a
step back and eyed him carefully. "You know, you look different
today."
"I've stopped attempting to look like a human man. It's not hard to
do, but it's been a long time since I've assumed my natural look." He
turned in a circle. "What do you think?"
"I'm not really sure what the difference is. I mean, your eyes are
solid black now, and I can see some red highlighting in your hair, but
that's all I notice. Am I missing something?"
"No, that about covers it, really."
"I liked how you looked before, especially in that tux you wear when
you transform."
Jason blushed, remembering her earlier praise. "It's not often I get
compliments from the opposite sex."
Beka laughed. "You blush like a school boy. It's cute."
Startled, he looked back up at her. "You think I'm cute?"
"Of course. Why should this come as a surprise? Don't you think you are?"
"Not to women, no."
"I've never met an attractive man who hasn't been aware of his looks
before. Dylan, Tyr, Rhade, they're all so confident and know they look
good."
"Not Harper?"
"Harper's cute in that little brother kind of way. Now you, you're
definitely not little brother cute. You're the kind of guy a girl
could take home to her parents."
Jason eyed he thoughtfully. "You're quite blunt, aren't you?"
"No sense in beating around the bush, is there? Besides, I think I've
been hanging around Nietzscheans a bit too much. I'm starting to sound
like them."
"Nothing wrong with bluntness," he said, staring at her as if trying
to come to a decision.
"You ok?"
"Oh hell…" he said, grabbing her shoulders and planting a gentle kiss
on her lips. When she didn't pull away and slap him, he wrapped his
arms around her while crying for joy inside. She tasted sweet to him,
smelling of sweat, sand, and something faintly floral.
For her part, Beka had been wondering how long it would take him to
get over his messed up culture and try something. She brought her
hands up to his chest and tugged on the collar of his shirt playfully.
He'd clearly had time to bathe after dinner, as he smelled clean and
somewhat spicy. He was warm and the bit of skin her fingers brushed up
against was soft and smooth.
Just when Beka was starting to enjoy herself, Jason pulled back. "We
should find somewhere a little more secluded if this is going to
continue," he whispered.
"I like this spot."
"Physical contact between members of opposite genders in public is
taboo here. If I were an offworlder, it wouldn't be so bad, or if you
were male or I were female, but we are who we are, so we'd best
relocate."
"Wait a minute," Beka said slowly. "Same gender relationships aren't
frowned on here?"
"Not at all," Jason said, sounding surprised. "They tend to be more
common, actually."
"That's strange."
"Well, not really if you think about it."
"It's not very good for the propagation of your species."
"You sound like a Nietzschean." He sighed. "You see, this is kind of
why Jen and I don't like to talk about our people."
"Well, let's go somewhere private and you can tell me more," Beka suggested.
Jason nodded. "Do you prefer my room or yours?" At her look, he
snickered. "What place is more private than a bedroom? In our culture,
it's one of the most private areas and is invaded only under the
utmost important of circumstances."
"Yours then."
They made their way back up to Jason's room. It was smaller than
Beka's but had a view of the garden. The breeze toyed with the light
curtains on his window and brought with it a faint floral scent and
the sound of the waterfall.
"Nice room," she commented, looking at his bookshelf.
"You think so? It's actually considered to be one of the worst rooms
in the palace because you can always hear the waterfall. Personally, I
don't mind the sound. It's soothing."
"So, about your people's odd views on relationships." Jason sat down
in a chair and invited her to take a seat opposite from him. "So
heterosexual relationships are in the minority?"
He nodded. "Before you tell me again that it isn't good for the
continuation of our species, let me explain something about the
Nomaien reproductive cycle. We don't have children easily and when we
do, it's not often. It's very rare for a woman to have more than two
children. For my mother to have had three is nothing short of amazing,
especially with Jen and I being twins. Twins are very special and
rare, but that's another story entirely. Anyways, back when my people
were still nomads moving from watering hole to watering hole, it
became clear to them that love between a man and a woman was becoming
more rare as the years passed. The women were finding it easier to
find love among their own gender. Marriage was becoming less frequent.
This came to the attention of the Queen. To make a very long story
short, what came of it was what we presently have. When a woman
decides to have a child, she finds a suitable man and they come to an
agreement. Sometimes they marry if they find that they like each other
enough. Most often, they stay together for a time agreed upon. For
reproduction, we seek the other gender; for love, we most often look
within our own."
"So if I understand correctly, the women see you men as breeding tools."
"That's not a nice way of putting it, but that's the general gist of it, yes."
Beka sat silently for a long time, just staring at him in disbelief.
"I can understand why you don't talk about yourselves much," she said
finally. "Do you...? Have you…?"
"Do I have a lover?" he asked bluntly. "No. Have I? Once, but it was a
very long time ago. It was very short lived."
"At least you're honest about this."
"My sisters have both ruined me that way," he said with a faint smile.
"I much prefer women. Despite my family connections, it's not likely
that I'll ever find a woman among my own species that would consider
me breeding material."
"I don't see why. You're very handsome."
"That's not the problem. It's the fact that I'm a senshi that keeps
them away. I attract men by the hoards, but not women."
"What does being a senshi have to do with anything?"
"I don't know if this holds true for the other galaxies, but here in
the Pegasus galaxy, the senshi only reproduce when they've stopped
being senshi. That doesn't happen often. Once a senshi officially
retires, their starseed becomes inactive. Sometimes, a replacement is
called. In other cases, that office remains open until the senshi has
a child. That child becomes the replacement then. If the senshi is a
woman, it's inevitable that the child is a girl, same with the men.
With both parents being senshi…I'm not sure. It doesn't happen enough
for a pattern to be seen."
"Lucky for you that I'm not from your world," Beka said, standing. "I
have no urge to reproduce any time soon."
Shocked, Jason looked up at her. "Pardon?"
"Well, you interest me."
Jason stood up slowly and took a step towards her. "Are you saying
what I think you're saying?"
"Your people don't have anything against relations with outsiders, do they?"
"It's not common, but because I'm a man I have more freedom in that regards."
"Good to know." She closed the distance and wrapped her arms around
his neck, kissing him hungrily. It took him a few moments to respond,
but he did, kissing her back just as hungrily, his tongue exploring
the inside of her mouth. He broke away and nibbled his way down the
side of her neck as his hands toyed with the hem of her shirt.
Beka's comm. beeped just as he was about to take her shirt off. She
cursed and answered it.
"Beka, we're meeting in my room in five minutes," Dylan's voice said.
"Can't it wait?"
"No, it's important."
She sighed. "Fine. I'll be there." She switched it off and turned back
to Jason. "Sorry about this."
He kissed her again, but gently this time. "There will be other
opportunities for us," he said. "Now that I know you're interested, I
will make myself available for you."
She smiled and headed for the door. "I'll see you later then?"
"My door is always open to you, Beka."
"Mine, too."

Beka burst into Dylan's room. "What the hell is so important that this
couldn't wait?"
Rhade looked up as Beka stormed in. Her skin was flushed and her pulse
was racing. She smelled like she was aroused. He blinked, puzzled.
Well, that would explain why she didn't want to come, but who
caused her to be in this state?
"We just got word that the Queen has returned from her meeting with
the other queens and brought them with her," Dylan said, oblivious to
her current state. "We've been summarily commanded to attend an
Audience with them first thing in the morning."
"That's your big important news that couldn't wait?" Beka asked
incredulously. "They didn't say anything else? Just commanded us to
attend?"
Trance nodded. "That's not the big important thing. Well, it is, but
I'm getting a very strange vibe all of a sudden, starting just before
we received news of Her return. It feels like something major is about
to happen. I wish we were back in familiar territory, where I can see
the possible futures, but it's like I'm walking through a dense fog
here. I can see something, but it's too far away."
"Any hints about this big thing?" Harper asked.
"None I'm afraid," Trance said apologetically. "I've tried talking to
some of the local scholars about that, but they haven't been very
helpful."
"Well, I guess we'll see what it is tomorrow morning," Rhade said.
"Until then, I suggest that we get some sleep.

Episode 17: Princess

The next morning, breakfast was brought up to their rooms with the
instruction that they eat and dress quickly. They knew where the
Audience Chamber was, so they were expected to make their own way down
there within the hour. It was made perfectly clear to them that the
queens would not appreciate being kept waiting long. They ate,
dressed, and headed down, wondering what was going on.
The guards outside the door let them in. Where there had been only one
throne the day before, there were seven large thrones. From left to
right they were light green, solid gold, iridescent grey, red, emerald
green, purple, and deep blue. All but the golden throne was clear
crystal. A regal-looking woman occupied each one.
The woman in the first throne was a Laisheen, her tail tip twitching
slightly as she watched them enter. Her gown was a darker shade of
green from her throne. Across her forehead was a silver band with a
single pale green stone set in the center. Her black hair was left to
hang loose while her cloudy grey eyes remained emotionless.
Beside her in the golden throne, a slight blond woman bearing a strong
resemblance to Yumeko gazed down at them with her light blue eyes. Her
hair was piled up on top of her head. Of the seven women, she alone
wore a golden tiara across her forehead. Hers was set with a pale blue
stone. Her pure white dress fitted her like a glove. Her hands rested
lightly on the throne's armrests. This then was the Queen of the Tora
home world.
The next woman appeared to be human. Her chocolate brown hair was
styled in a thin braid that was slung over her shoulder to hang down
her front. Her dark grey dress was of a simpler cut than the ones worn
by the other women, but the fabric was a soft velvet rather than silk.
Her tiara was set with a lighter grey stone. Her dark purple eyes
watched them with interest.
The Queen of Nomaie in her red throne had the coldest expression of
the seven. One hand toyed with the end of her long blond braid, her
solid gold eyes narrowed as they approached. The crimson colored gem
in her tiara was flat and lusterless. Her red gown had the most
elaborate styling of the seven.
On the emerald throne, the red haired woman looked at them warmly. Her
skin was a pale color with pointed ears that looked a great deal like
Trance's. She had green eyes that matched the emerald color of her
gown, tiara stone, and throne.
A woman with light grey skin and frilled ears sat in the purple
throne, ignoring them completely. She held her silver tiara with its
amethyst stone in her hands, rubbing imaginary spots off it before
putting it back on and smoothing the deep purple silk of her dress.
Her dark grey hair was elegantly coiffed.
The final woman was a Kal'tresh'nal with sea green hair and intense
blue eyes. Her hair hung loose around her in waves with a small
portion pulled back in a braid behind her head. Her deep blue gown
matched the style of the one Tenshi had worn when she'd first revealed
her true nature to the crew of the Andromeda just after they'd
rescued Jen. Her deep blue tiara stone winked in the light.
Jason was already there, dressed in a red silk version of his regular
shirt with black pants. He waited patiently for them to walk up beside
him before turning and bowing to the assembled queens.
"Revered Majesty of Nomaie, Revered Majesties of our allied worlds,
these are my friends, the crew of the High Guard warship Andromeda
Ascendant. They have brought my humble self and my honored sister
back home. They have been nothing but kind and helpful to us. One of
them, Seamus Harper, had befriended my honored sister during her
mission to Earth."
"Indeed," the woman on the iridescent grey throne said, arching an eyebrow.
"I will not tolerate this, Hibashira," the grey skinned woman said
acidly. "Why should we tolerate these strangers in our system?"
"Peace, Amejisetto," the blond Tora woman said calmly. "They have
returned Our children, and as such deserve to be heard."
"As you wish, Kinyuri, but you know how I stand on this issue."
The Laisheen rolled her eyes. "Oh for stars' sake, Amejisetto, open
your mind for once. The way I hear it, two of them are senshi."
"Ancient law clearly states that all senshi are welcome," the
Kal'tresh'nal woman reminded the fuming Amejisetto.
"Very well. Speak!"
"Being that they are outsiders, they naturally do things differently
than we do here on Nomaie. If it pleases your Revered Majesty, I'd
like to present Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant."
She nodded and gestured for him to continue. Dylan stepped forward and
bowed politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Revered Majesty."
The woman on the grey throne leaned forward. "Well, this is
interesting. A man commanding a warship. How novel!"
Hibashira looked down her nose at her. "Only you would find something
like that interesting, Kineko."
"Please continue, Captain," Kinyuri said to him. "You brought Our
children home?"
"Yes, indeed, Revered Majesty."
"Please tell Us the tale from the beginning."
Dylan cleared his throat and started from the Magog attack on the
Commonwealth world of Arntzed and told them of the discovery that two
of his crew were senshi, the meeting of the women who had introduced
themselves as Wolf, Yumeko, and Serenity, the rescue of Jen, and their
journey from Earth to Nomaie with all the pit stops in between.
Queen Kinyuri listened patiently, waiting until he'd finished speaking
before standing. Jason frantically indicated that they should kneel.
"Captain Hunt, my thanks to you for returning Our children and
rescuing one of Our senshi. We welcome you and your crew to Our
system. You may stay as long as you like. These are my fellow Queens.
On the far left in the light green throne we have Utano Mori of
Ha'ven, Kane Kineko of Taleer, Yoake Hibashira of Nomaie, Akai Hoshi
of Raiven, Nijishi Amejisetto of Dailen, and Namida Mizuumi of
Aiella."
"My thanks for your generosity, but we need to leave again as soon as
StarFire is ready to travel."
Hibashira stood and walked towards him, eyes blazing. "You will not
take her from this planet. She is needed here."
Trance stepped up beside Dylan. "My apologies, Revered Majesty, but we
have need of her strength and skills as a senshi. The Magog are a
threat to all life and the Abyss threatens to end all life in the
Tri-galaxies. They will not stop there, but will continue on to yours
once they have finished with us."
"Who are you to speak so brazenly to me?"
"My name is Trance Gemini, Revered Majesty. I am also known as Sailor Vedra."
"A senshi? So it is true, then."
"Yes, Revered Majesty," Jason said. "The senshi of the Systems
Commonwealth are in need of our assistance, as the only discovered
senshi in the Tri-galaxies are in this room: Sailor Vedra and Terazed
Kamen," he said, pointing to Rhade. "They are in need of experienced
senshi until they can find more of their own."
Hibashira looked at him. "You may go with them, but StarFire remains
here. That is my command and it shall be followed."
The doors opened again and Okami, Yumeko, and Tenshi entered. All
three were wearing the dresses they'd worn when they'd revealed their
true selves to the crew. They stopped beside the others and bowed
formally to the assembled queens. Kinyuri ran for Yumeko and wrapped
her arms around her.
"Welcome home, my daughter."
"It's good to see you again, mother."
"You've been away from home for far too long, Yumeko. Let me have a
look at you." Kinyuri pulled away from her, turning her daughter
around. "You look well."
"I am, mother."
"What is your opinion of these outsiders?"
"I have agreed to help them. I would not have done so if they were not
worth it."
Kinyuri turned to the other two. "Tenshi? Okami?"
"We have also agreed to lend them our assistance in defeating the
Magog," Tenshi replied.
Okami shuddered. "You should see those things, Majesty. They look like
teddy bears gone mad! Exterminating them might seem like genocide, but
that's what they will do to the rest of the universe if they remain
unchecked."
"Go. Help them. I won't stand in your way," Hibashira told them.
"Respectfully, Majesty, you are. You are aware that we need StarFire
to complete our team. Nomaie Kamen is skilled as well as a fire type
senshi, but he is, after all, only a Kamen," Yumeko said softly. "We
need our fourth in order to be of any use."
"You may not have her."
"With all due respect, Revered Majesty, it isn't your decision to
make," Jen said, walking in. She was wearing an elegant scarlet red
dress that clung to her torso, accentuating her curves and then
falling loose around her feet. The skirt swirled as she walked.
"I was wondering if you were going to show up," Hibashira fumed.
"You commanded me to appear and I must obey a royal command."
"My command is that you remain here on Nomaie and accept your familial
responsibilities."
"And, respectfully, I must decline as I said before."
"Kasei, it is high time that you retire from being a senshi and settle down."
"With who? Ryuujin?" She snorted. "The man is a sadist and a pig and I
refuse to have him anywhere near me."
"This was all settled when you were children."
"It's a custom that is long overdue to be removed from our society.
Who could have known that he would have turned out the way he did?"
"You can't tell how a child will turn out."
"This is the point I'm trying to make, honored mother. Besides, I'm
not in a position to be able to settle down. I gave them my word that
I would help them, even thought I think this is madness. Would you
have me break my word?"
Hibashira stiffened. "You gave them your word? Foolish child!"
"I'm not a child, mother! If I choose to assume the throne of Nomaie
in the future, I don't want the threat of these Magog hanging over my
head."
"You will stay here and obey my command, Kasei and that is final.
Ryuujin has been summoned to the capital."
"I am not in a position to marry, mother. You haven't yet asked me how
I am or what has happened to me."
"Captain Hunt has already explained the situation to us."
"Captain Hunt and the other members of his crew are largely unaware of
all that has happened to me."
"Oh? Do enlighten me, then," Hibashira said, returning to her throne.
She sat down, crossing her legs and resting her arms on the armrests.
"Most of it cannot be told in public, so I will save that for when we
have some time alone. Or, simply ask Yuki, as he knows most of the
details. Whichever. It matters not to me. There is, however, a part
that can be told and most everyone here saw what happened even if they
do not realize the significance of it. You see, while we were on
Callien, I fell into a lake that Tenshi inadvertently created."
"It was to save the Callien people as well as Dylan and Beka," Tenshi
added helpfully.
"As your Revered Majesties are well aware, I cannot swim. Rhade jumped
in after me. Yuki would have, but he cannot swim either. It is because
of Rhade's actions that I am able to stand here. You see, honored
mother, Revered Majesties, he saved my life."
The queens muttered in surprise amongst themselves. Finally, Mizuumi
of Aiella turned to Kasei. "So you are under a life debt to him,
then?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes. As you are all aware, according
to our laws I am not permitted to marry, hold official positions or do
much of anything until I have repaid the debt."
"I fail to see how this helps you out at all, Kasei," Amejisetto
commented. "According to your won laws, you cannot act as a senshi, as
that is considered an official position. Repaying the debt will allow
you act as a senshi again, but you will also once again be allowed to
marry and my honorable colleague of Nomaie will undoubtedly reinforce
your arrangement with Ryuujin."
"Ah, but Rhade is also Terazed Kamen; therefore, I must continue to
act as a senshi as it will give me more opportunities to repay the
debt."
Hoshi looked over at Hibashira. "She is right, you know. You can't
force her to do anything until this is all settled."
"Peace, Hibashira," Kinyuri said forestalling any further argument she
might have made. "Kasei, you have my permission to help the outsiders
even though you don't need it. Please rid yourself of this life debt
as soon as possible."
"It's not something I enjoy having over my head, Majesty."
Kinyuri smiled. "No, I don't imagine it is. You haven't changed in
eight thousand years."
"Has it really been that long?" Kasei asked with a rueful smile.
"Yes, indeed, it has," Hoshi said, nodding. "We of Raiven recall our
first encounter with you well."
"Now is not the time for reminiscing," Mizuumi chided her. "Now that
we have met with the outsiders, we have other things to discuss
amongst ourselves."
"Yes, indeed," Kinyuri mused. "I see no reason to go back to Kinshei
to do so when we are all gathered here. Besides, should we need to ask
any questions, we are conveniently located here with the Guardians,
the new senshi, and the rest of the crew of the Andromeda
Ascendant. I would advise none of you to leave the palace complex,
however. We have offered you hospitality, true, but we would
appreciate it if you remained nearby just in case. Kasei, if you could
stay behind, there are things we need to discuss with you."
Jason, or Yuki as they now knew his real name to be, bowed. "We will
remain near awaiting your summons, Revered Majesties," he said,
ushering the other out.

Outside, they immediately turned to Yuki. "So, that's your real name,"
Trance said, breaking the stunned silence.
He nodded. "Yes. Yoake Yuki."
Beka stared. "You're a prince?"
"We don't really define it as such here, but yes. I am the second
child of Yoake Hibashira and Akatsuki Yoake Chuuseki. My elder sister
is Yoake Hihana and Yoake Kasei is my younger twin sister."
Rhade leaned against the wall. "A princess."
"Not just the princess," Yuki told him. "She is the Heir to the throne
of Nomaie."
Dylan frowned. "Shouldn't the elder sister be the Heir?"
"Technically, yes, but for some reason that was never made clear to me
mother has favored Kasei since her birth." He shrugged. "It's not
really all that important in the long run. Kasei doesn't want the
throne. The problem is, she would rather slit her own throat than see
Hihana as Queen."
"And,being male, you aren't eligible," Tenshi added.
"Not unless both of my sisters die. In which case, I would have no
choice but to retire from my position as senshi, find a woman of
decent lineage, and marry her. She would then become the Queen. Nomaie
has never had a King, as you would define the term. It is always a
Queen and her Consort."
"Well, she did say things would make more sense once we got here,"
Rhade murmured. "Now I'm almost wishing that they didn't."
"Well, now you all know the truth," Yumeko said.
"As much of it as any self-respecting Nomaien will tell of it, that
is," Okami added. "There are some nuances that anyone who hasn't known
Kasei all that long will miss."
"Who is this Ryuujin guy they kept talking about?" Harper asked. "It
sounded like they're engaged or something."
"Oh, yes. That." Tenshi looked as if she wanted to hit something.
"Don't mistake me, I think of Hibashira as a second mother to me, but
on this I refuse to do so. It's an outdated custom. It was thought in
the old days that it was best to find a mate for the Heir early in
life so that the two could grow up knowing each other. It was felt
that doing so would allow them to come to love each other or, at the
very least, become friends. In theory, it's a good idea. In practice,
it's not.
"As a child, Sabaku Ryuujin was already an odd one, but was clever
enough to hide it from the adults. Hibashira believed the Sabaku
family to be a good match and so she made arrangements with his
mother, Sabaku Shugoryuu, for them to be betrothed. Now, a Nomaien
betrothal bond is something more than what you know as an engagement,
but still less than a marriage. It's long believed to be an
unshakeable bond."
"It's nonsense if you ask me," Okami snorted. "Anyways, as Ryuujin
grew older, it became clearer that he wasn't normal. A lot of people
shrugged it off, saying that it was just a male thing. His family
ignores it, but somewhere along the line he turned into the sadistic
man he is today."
Yumeko shuddered. "His reputation for enjoying the pain he inflicts on
his so-called lovers has reached beyond Nomaie. I'm pretty sure that
they know of it as far away as Ha'ven and Aiella."
"The problem is that no one really believes half of the stories about
him. Frankly, if I didn't know better, I wouldn't either. I've seen
the damage he's capable of."
"Not to you, I hope," Beka said.
Yuki shook his head. "No, he wouldn't dare touch me."
"This is a good thing, as he's expressed in you more times than I can
remember," Okami smirked. Yumeko laughed while Tenshi did her best to
keep it in.
Dylan, Harper, Rhade and Trance looked very confused. "Would you care
to explain what's so funny?" Rhade asked.
Beka took Rhade by the arm and led him away. "I'll explain up in your
room. I probably should have let you in on this last night when I
found out."

Episode 18: Musings

It was a good thing that Rhade was sitting down while Beka told him
what Yuki had told her the night before. None of it made any sense to
him. "How can a society thrive on this?" he asked numbly as his mind
raced.
"Apparently, it's a part of their biology. They don't have kids
easily, so it just made sense to them at the time and never saw any
reason to change it."
Rhade shook his head. "This can't be happening. It's bad enough that
she hates me, but to learn that, not only is she a princess and the
Heir to the throne, but she prefers women to men."
"I can only imagine how many lovers someone like her would attract.
She's strong, powerful, rich, high ranking, and not bad looking
either," Beka said. Outwardly, she was trying to be sympathetic, but
inside she was happy. She'd never much liked Jen, or Kasei as her name
turned out to be. Her personality grated and the way she treated Rhade
and Dylan irritated her to no end. This just gave her more reason to
not like her.
"This explains a lot. Her dislike of men, the way she watched those
dancing girls on Callien… Hell, everything about her makes perfect
sense now. Only one thing is missing, and that's what happened to her
in the Drago-Kazov camp. Yuki didn't happen to say anything about that
to you, did he?"
Beka shook her head. "No, but I didn't think to ask. I guess this
means that you should give up on her."
"I refuse to give up until I've talked with her about this."
"Now that her mother is here, I doubt you'll get much of a chance
until we get off this hell of a planet. I don't know why Yuki likes it
here."
"I can understand why Kasei doesn't, though," Rhade said, looking out
the window from his chair.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Just leave me be, Beka. Oh, if you could not talk about this with the
others, that would be good."
"Assuming that Okami, Tenshi, and Yumeko haven't already filled them
in," Beka said, reminding him that there were others that knew what
was going on. She got up and patted him on the shoulder before leaving
the room.
Rhade sat in shocked silence for several hours, trying to piece things
together. So. This is why she wouldn't tell us her name, why she
hates men so much. I'd hate women too if I were in this kind of
cultural position as well as being engaged to someone I hated. If only
I'd known about this from the beginning maybe it wouldn't hurt so
much. No, I think I still would have fallen in love with her. I tried
not to. I didn't even like her when I first saw her. She wasn't even
all that pretty.
He smiled a little at the memory of seeing her in the bed on the med
deck. Not bad, but nothing special either. If only I'd known how
she would look when cleaned up, or how she'd look in her senshi
uniform. Black leather. Just thinking about the few times he'd
seen her transformed made him sweat, never mind how he felt when he
was training with her back on the Andromeda. It was a good
thing that Tenshi was always there. Who knows what he might have tried
otherwise?
It's not my style to force myself on women, and the very idea is
abhorrent to me, but all sense or reason leaves my mind when she's
around. With the way she dresses and moves, her healthy figure, and
the way she smells, it's amazing that I've been able to keep my mind
so far. I don't know if it'll be easier or a lot harder now that I
know more about her.
He sat back and thought about it for a moment. None of this really
helps explain why she hates Nietzscheans, so it has to have everything
to do with whatever happened to her on Earth. That's the one missing
piece. Princess. Senshi. Woman. Man hater. There is no one word that
suits her more than the other.
Rhade got up out of the chair and walked over to the window. Judging
by the position of the sun, it was midday. Have I been sitting here
that long? he mused. He shook his head. I don't think that
there's enough time to fully come to terms with what Beka told me. It
goes against everything that I believe in. It makes me wonder how the
Nomaiens would take a typical Nietzschean family and the polygamy we
take for granted.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in."
Yuki came in and closed the door behind him. "I just thought I'd come
up here and see how you were doing."
"Not well."
"Look, Rhade, there are reasons why we kept this aspect of our culture
hidden from all of you. We've been judged very harshly for some of our
ways in the past and its led to long, bloody wars. I know it's not a
very good excuse, but that's how it goes."
"It's alright, Yuki," Rhade said without turning to look at the other
man. "Just answer me one question."
"The one question you don't really want to know the answer to. In all,
honesty, Rhade, I don't know. We don't talk about it. What I do know
is this; if she ever wanted a lover, she could have anyone she wanted.
Not for her looks, but for who she is."
"That's right. She keeps telling me that she's plain."
"She is, but she's pretty in her own way. Not many people see it. You
can, apparently. I'm glad I never really tried to make a pass at you.
My sister may not like you, but she gets cranky when people make
passes at anyone trying to get her attention. She doesn't share well."
Rhade turned to look at him. "Your sister is really quite strange."
"You don't know the half of it," Yuki groaned.
"Wait a minute. You tried to make a pass at me?"
"Can you blame me? Between how I was raised and you being a very good
example of Nietzschean physical perfection, it was hard not to be
interested. Besides, I seem to have found myself in a better situation
than I would be in if I had made a serious pass at you."
"I'm not sure if I should take that as a good thing."
Yuki blushed. "Umm, well, that really depends on how you look at it.
Hihana seems to have taken an interest in you. A word of advice, if I
may? Avoid her. She's what we call a trophy hunter. She collects
attractive men, adding them to her household. If she ever finds out
that you have a thing for Kasei, it'll make it worse unless, of
course, Kasei claims you for her own."
"And the likelihood of that is less than zero."
"You're quite the pessimist aren't you?"
"Given what I've just been told about her, I don't think it's all that strange."
Yuki gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"
"It's no wonder that she doesn't like men given her upbringing."
"Oh. That." Yuki shook his head. "Honestly, Rhade, don't let it get to you."
"How can I not let it get to me?" Rhade exclaimed. "I feel like I'm
trapped in a bad dream!"
"Has it occurred to you to just go and talk to her?"
"It's not likely that I'll have much chance to do that now that her
mother's here."
"Mother can't keep her busy forever," Yuki told him. "Kasei really
doesn't like being near her much." There was a knock on the door. "I'd
best be going. I have things I need to talk to Beka about."
Yuki left a pair of women wearing the uniform of the Nomaien Home
Guard entered. The blond watched Yuki leave while the redhead eyed
Rhade appraisingly.
"Rhade, you have been assigned new quarters in light of information
that has come to the attention of Her Revered Majesty and the council
of ruling queens. Please come with us."
"I don't understand."
"Of course not," the redhead said in a slightly condescending tone.
"You're just a man, after all. You aren't expected to understand, only
to obey the wishes of Her Revered Majesty."
The blond gestured at the door. "My apologies for the rudeness of my
colleague, but please do come with us."
He stood up. "It looks as if I have little choice in the matter,
though I must admit to a curiosity."
They led him down the hall and down the stairs to the main landing and
over to the guards blocking one of the hallways. They saluted smartly
and moved for them to pass. Rhade followed with a rising sense of
dread. At the end of the hallway was a large door carved with an image
of Kanehjer Sherakasei, the representative of the Queen and her
Heir, Hibashira and Kasei. Behind it was a staircase leading to
another hallway, this one lined with images of people. Some showed
pleasant looking women, others showed children at play. Few were
images of men. One large image showed a younger Hibashira with her
consort Chuuseki, both wearing very fancy clothes.
He was led into a room on the left side of the hall. The room was very
luxuriously decorated with silk hangings, tall shelves full of books,
musical instruments, plush couches and chairs, elegant looking
weaponry, and, strangely enough, a toy version of Kanehjer
Sherakasei sitting on one of the couches. Beside it was a very
strange creature that looked like a cross between a cat and a fox. It
looked up as they entered and hissed, unwinding its twin tails from
around its paws, jumping down and heading though a door leading into
an adjoining room.
"These are your new rooms," the blond informed him. She looked as if
she wanted to run from the room. She swallowed nervously. "I advise
you to not disturb the objects in this room." Both guards bowed and
left with a haste that made him wonder what was so special about this
room. Shrugging, he looked through the doorway the odd-looking
creature had gone through. In it was a single, massive four-poster bed
with silk hangings tied to the posts. It looked immensely comfortable.
In another room was a smaller daybed that looked slept in. The covers
were mostly on the floor. At the foot of the bed was a pair of boots
and a pair of leggings. The door to a closet was partially open. Rhade
peeked inside to find a few gowns, some fancy clothes, and plainer
ones like the kind he'd seen Kasei wearing.
Beside the closet was a vanity with a large mirror. Instead of the
usual feminine objects one might expect to find, he found a hairbrush,
some silken ribbons, a well-used book with a scrap of ribbon inserted
between two of the pages, an assortment of writing instruments, some
scraps of paper with things scribbled on them, and a short red stick
with a strange symbol on top. The stick shimmered in the light.
Inserted into the corners of the mirror were pictures of the four
Guardians in strange clothes. In one, Kasei had her arms wrapped
around Tenshi and Okami. All three were laughing. His eye was drawn to
one of Kasei with a tall, thin boy with long black hair drawn back
into a ponytail and blue eyes. He was wearing a red suit, green shirt,
yellow tie, and had a crescent shaped earring in each earlobe. Kasei
herself was wearing a pair of short red shorts and a white tank top
with a pair of knee high red boots. Both looked happy.
Rhade frowned at the image. It just occurred to him that this was the
first time he'd ever seen Kasei look happy and these were pictures.
Who is that? Why is she so happy with him?
"It's considered rude to enter a woman's private room without an
invitation," Kasei said, walking up behind him.
Rhade turned. "Could you explain why I was told that this is my new room?"
"It's because of the life debt. There were two options: I could move
into your room or you could come here. My mother is quite the snob at
heart and balked at the idea of her precious daughter living in guest
quarters in her own home. Personally, it matters little to me. These
may be my rooms, but I don't spend a lot of time here."
"Where do you spend your time, then?"
Kasei frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Just answer my question," he said impatiently.
"You're snappy today, aren't you? When I'm not in the library, I'm
usually, out in town, in the desert training, visiting my friends, or
training senshi or Home Guard members. I do a lot of things when I'm
at home. I don't sit in my rooms like some of those pampered, high
born halfwits who think their time is better spent putting on makeup
or having their servants twist their hair into the latest styles."
"You look nice with your hair done."
"Grow your hair out and I'll style it, cramming the required number of
pins into your scalp in order to keep it there. Then we'll see how
much you enjoy looking like that."
"You're in a bad mood today."
"I was forced to talk to my mother all morning. That's more than
enough to make me angry."
"Your mother is a strange person. She's very insistent on keeping you here."
Kasei smirked, sitting down on her bed. "In that respect, you actually
have a use. For the first time, I'm actually glad that you saved my
life. It's because of it that she has no choice but to let me leave.
Because you aren't Nomaien, she has no power over you. Even our senshi
council can't tell you what to do because you're from another galaxy.
She tried that, but the head of that council stepped in and told her
bluntly that she can't order you around. Granted, Himitsu can do
pretty as she damn well pleases, but I think she's taking some kind of
pity on me and won't. If she put her mind to it, she could make you do
things. She's our most powerful senshi."
"How powerful?"
"Let's just say that I she put her mind to it, she could probably hold
the Abyss at bay for a while. Her strength would fail eventually,
though, and she isn't strong enough to take it out on her own. The
problem is that she won't leave here, so it's not even worth asking.
It's because of her that Kage Neko wasn't able to destroy us even
though she tried and nearly succeeded."
Rhade nodded and sat down beside her. "I didn't think I'd get a chance
to talk to you before we went back to the Andromeda."
"Well, you ren't really getting one now. I have to pack a few things."
"Pack? Where are you going?"
"Yuki and I are headed back into the Kanehr Shovasea, to the
place we tried to find before we came to the capital. I've always
hated that damn spell put on it. It's nearly impossible to find."
"Tenshi said that you have a really good sense of direction."
"Direction has nothing to do with this. If you aren't welcome or
invited, you won't be able to find it. It's a very ancient place and
an equally ancient protection spell."
"What is this place you're going to?"
"If you must know, it's a place that senshi go when they need to. It's
very hard to explain."
"Well, if that's where you're going, then I should go as well."
"Only senshi can go."
"I am a senshi. Remember?"
"Oh. Right. Well, I suppose we should drag Trance along as well. She
might get something useful out of this. The two of you can keep Yuki
company while I do my thing."
"Are the other Guardians going as well?"
Kasei shook her head. "No. They don't like going out into the desert."
"Will we be taking Yuki's shuttle?"
"The people where we're going don't like technology. We'll be going
the old fashioned way. Oh, you'll also want to leave your weapons
behind. They aren't keen on those, either. Don't worry about being
defenseless. No one will attack you out there. Besides, you're a
senshi. You are a weapon."
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as Yuki gets his things together. I tell you, he can be worse
than those pampered noble women when it come to getting ready for a
journey."
"Is there anything I should pack?"
"You didn't really come down here with anything, did you?" Rhade shook
his head. "Right. Come with me. There might be some things in storage
that will fit you."
Rhade followed Kasei back down the stairs and into the main hall. They
went down the hall that led to the garden, but instead of heading
outside, she took him into one of the rooms. Inside was a desk with a
steel haired woman sitting behind it. She looked up at them, looked
from Kasei to Rhade and back again, and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Well this is unusual," she commented with a gruff voice.
"Save the commentary, Captain," Kasei told her. "We're heading out to
Senshino Garan with Yuki and he needs proper clothing and
supplies."
The Captain clucked her tongue. "I do hope you aren't in a hurry,
Kasei, as this may take a little time."
"Take all the time you need. You're well aware of Yuki's habits."
She laughed merrily. "That boy never changes. Go on then. Out with
you, Kasei. Go spend some time in the garden or library. When he's
ready, I'll send him to the stables."
Kasei left the room and she turned to Rhade. "Well, aren't you a fine specimen."
"My name is Telemachus Rhade. Most people seem to prefer calling me Rhade."
"It's certainly less of a mouthful to say. You can call me Hakusa."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You won't be saying that in a few minutes," she told him. "Now, take
off you shirt and pants. I need to take some measurements before we do
anything else."
Rhade was well aware of her appraising eyes watching his every
movement as he removed the indicated garments. She sat on the edge of
her desk with a long measuring tape in her hands. She looked him up
and down, making mental notes to herself.
"Turn around. Let me get a look at you." He did so, wondering what was
going on. She got up off the desk and took one of his forearms in her
hands, examining his bone blades. "What are these?"
"Bone blades," he explained. "All Nietzscheans have them."
"This means adjusting any clothes we have to fit them." She picked up
his discarded shirt, taking a look at the holes in the sleeves made to
allow his bone blades to poke through. "This will be useful as a
model. Now, hold your arms out parallel to the ground." She held the
measuring tape up, measuring his arms and chest. "Spread your legs a
little." She measured his instep, leg length, and waist. Nodding,
Hakusa took a step back. "You have very good measurements, better than
I usually get from the men that come through here. I may not actually
have anything suitable, but I'll look. Don't bother putting your
clothes back on. I'll have them cleaned and returned to your room."
"They've recently moved me to another room."
Hakusa waved dismissively. "That's not a problem. Doubtless, the
servants know where they put you. Have a seat and I'll be right back."
Rhade sat down in a chair against the wall, grateful for his
undergarments. Hakusa might have the outward appearance of a
middle-aged woman, but she certainly didn't act like one.
Admittedly, it is nice to be noticed by a woman for a change…
Hakusa came back a few minutes later with an armful of clothes. "Well,
we'll start with the leggings first as those will be easier to do."
She handed him three pairs and waited patiently as he tried on each
one. Two of them, a tan pair and a white pair, fit perfectly with the
third being a little tight. She discarded the tight ones and then
handed him a shirt. "We'll see if these fit before I adjust them."
The shirts looked like Yuki's. Some had no sleeves and fit like a
glove. Three had longer sleeves. Only one of those, a tan colored one,
was loose enough to accommodate his bone blades. The other two, red
and grey respectively, pinched uncomfortably but fit well otherwise.
Hakusa nodded and took those two to be altered. She handed him some
jackets. These were all very loose in the sleeves. One was much too
small for him, but the other three were fine.
"Take the white and tan ones," Hakusa advised, sitting down to adjust
the two shirts using his regular shirt as a model for where to put the
holes. "They'll go better with your leggings. As for shirts, take all
of them. It gets hot out there. I'll just get these adjusted and get
you the rest of the supplies you'll need. I know how Kasei and Yuki
travel."
"You seem to know Kasei very well," Rhade commented, putting on the
white leggings and a red sleeveless shirt. "Well enough to call her by
her name."
"She prefers it to being referred to as 'princess'," Hakusa told him
as she worked. "Ever since she was a small child, she's preferred it.
There are some people here who will always call her Princess, though.
Well, until she takes the throne."
"She says she doesn't want it."
"Yes, I know. The problem is, she won't really have much of a choice.
It's lucky for her that Hibashira is in good health. She has many
years left still. Kasei is a stubborn girl, but she's not stupid.
There is such a thing as a senshi queen; they just aren't common. She
can rule and remain a senshi. She knows that. She just prefers to be
able to leave whenever she likes."
"You think she will accept the throne?"
"It's that or Hihana. The people will more readily accept Kasei to her
sister. Kasei seems to care more for the people and less for the
titles and respect they bring." Hakusa looked up at him. "You're very
curious aren't you?"
"You're the first Nomaien who is willing to talk about things."
She smiled. "I'm an old woman. I'm free to say whatever I want.
Besides, you're an off worlder who knows little about us. I can't have
you making a fatal blunder, especially where our Princess is
concerned."
"How well do you know Kasei?"
"Fairly well. She always hung around the training grounds as a little
girl, watching the Home Guard train. She would always talk to me, as I
was more likely to listen to her than her mother. I love my queen, but
there are things she does that make me wonder. If she truly wants
Kasei as her Heir, then why has she done things that have caused Kasei
to dislike her?" She shook her head. "Not my business, really.
Anyways, I suppose I became a second mother to her after a time."
"Do you know much about her private life?"
She frowned. "That's a dangerous area to be poking into, young man."
"I'm a little afraid to ask her something, something I need to know
the answer to. By your laws, she has to answer, but it's a huge risk.
Yuki suggested that I talk to her, but I want to talk to her in
private about this."
"When you get to the Senshino Garan, you'll all be very busy.
The trip there, however, may give you an opportunity to get her alone.
I'll speak with Yuki before you leave. The trip will take at least a
full day, meaning you'll need to spend at least one night out in the
desert."
"Kasei did tell me that if I asked nicely, she'd show me a Nomaien
moon rise out in the desert," Rhade said, grinning.
"There you go. A proper Nomaien woman never breaks a promise. Call her
out on it, get her alone, and talk to her." She threw the shirts to
him. "There, I'll be back with the rest of your supplies."

Episode 19: Journey

While Hakusa was getting Rhade ready to go, Yuki was fussing over his packs, pondering if he should bring more or less clothing. He knew Kasei would laugh at him for it, but he couldn't help it. Conditions out in the Kanehr Shovasea were unpredictable, so one never knew what one was going to need. You could always guess, but things were constantly changing. Just my luck, he grumbled to himself as he tossed an extra shirt in his pack. The conditions out there are like a metaphor for my life. Constantly changing and wildly unpredictable. Someone knocked on his door and he called to them to come in. He smiled. I should also add dangerously beautiful, he added as Beka Valentine walked in and closed the door behind her.

"So I'm told that you're leaving for a few days," she said, getting straight to the point.

He nodded. "That's right. I'm going out into the desert with my sister to one of our most sacred places." He shrugged. "I'd invite you along as well, but you couldn't go in.; this place is only for senshi."

"That's alright, really. I don't fancy spending a couple days wandering around in the desert with that bitch of a sister of yours. I know you care for her a great deal, but-"

"It's ok, Beka," he said with a smile. "She's a difficult person to like. Frankly, I'm amazed that Okami, Tenshi, or Yumeko hasn't killed her by now."

She walked up to him slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "It's not really nice to start something with a woman and then leave her for an indefinite period of time, you know."

"I'm not going to be gone all that long, Beka," he told her.

"That's beside the point, Yuki. What am I supposed to do while you're gone, hmm? Sit around waiting for you to come back? For all I know, you won't feel the same when you return. Like I said before, I'm interested in you."

"I'm still in shock about that, you realize. This is a first for me."

"I don't know about you, but I think it's high time I staked my claim before some other woman sees the error of their ways and takes you away from me."

Yuki wrapped his arms around her waist. "Possessive, aren't you?"

Beka smiled. "Just ask Harper about that," she said kissing him. She ran her fingers through his short black hair, enjoying its softness.

"Beka," he whispered against her lips. "Stop for a moment."

She pulled away from him. "Now what?"

He took her hands and knelt, kissing the inside of her wrists. "Beka Valentine, I accept your claim on me and swear to have no other for as long as you'll have me.""What are you doing?"

He stood and kissed the side of her neck, still holding her hands. "I am yours, Rebecca Valentine. What do you wish of me?"

"Mmm. What you're doing now is fine," she said hoarsely as he kissed his way up the side of her neck to nibble on her earlobe.

Yuki pulled her close, running his hands over her waist and across her lower back, pushing up the bottom of her shirt. Beka ran her lips lightly over his cheek, pressing up against him, smiling as she felt him harden beneath her, enjoying his cautiousness. He was like a schoolboy. He'd already admitted to her that his only other lover had been a man, and a long time ago at that. Strangely, it didn't bother her at all. She brought her hands out of his hair and slid them down his arms. He wasn't as muscular as she typically liked her men, but his wiry slimness was appealing in its own way. Yuki got his hands up under her shirt and started to slide the fabric upwards, swallowing nervously. Trying to encourage him, Beka reached down and tugged his shirt up and off. His chest now bare, Beka could see a wide, angry red scar slashing diagonally across the left side. It wasn't very long, but it was still there.

Yuki followed her eyes. "Don't let it bother you," he said to her. "It's ten years old. Training accident."

Beka traced one finger over the surface of the scar. "It doesn't bother me. Scars are sexy as long as they aren't disfiguring." She bent her head to dance her tongue across his chest. Yuki threw his head back and moaned. She nibbled and kissed her way up to his throat. He let her be for a few minutes until he couldn't take it anymore. He slid her shirt off and tossed it into a corner, not really caring where it landed.

Smiling, Beka led him across the room to his bed and lay him down, straddling his groin area. He sat up as much as he could, caressing her face with a hesitant finger. Seeing that he really had no idea what to do, she took his hand and placed it on one of her breasts, moving his hand to show him how she wanted him to touch her. As his confidence grew, it showed in his touch. He reached up with his other hand to mirror his movements on the other breast, falling down to lie flat on his back so that he didn't loose his balance. Beka sat back toenjoy it, letting go of his hand entirely. As he moved his hands, she rocked lightly in place, enjoying the twin sensations of his hard maleness beneath her and of his hands on her skin.

Yuki's hands slid down from her breasts to her flat abdomen over to her hips, and up her sides. He pulled her down to him so that he could kiss her. His lips met hers in urgent, hungry kisses as his hands ran over her bared back. Beka straightened her legs so that she was lying flat on top of him, her hands cupping his face. His back arched beneath her and he moaned, whispering her name over and over between kisses. He moved his hands down to try and get her pants off. She obliged him by rolling off him to lie on her back beside him. He sat up and unfastened the belt holding them up and pulled them off. He sat back and ran his eyes over her nude body, licking his lips. It was the first time he'd seen a grown woman without any clothes on and he intended to savor the sight.

She sat up and touched her finger to his lips while her other hand slid across his chest. She leaned forward and whispered his name in the sexiest tone she knew, all the while slowly moving her hand lower, down his abdomen, to his stomach, and, finally, to his groin. He gasped in surprise, leaning forward and resting his head on her shoulder. This was a sensation that was a little more familiar to him, but coming from a woman it felt immensely better to him. It felt to him like she knew what he was doing. He'd figured that she'd been with other men before him and it bugged him a little. As her hand became more and more insistent, it was harder for him to form any coherent thoughts. His breathing became heavy and his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation.

A woman is touching me, he thought through his moans. An attractive woman who has expressed an interest in me, a woman I would never dare approach otherwise. His line of thought was interrupted by Beka throwing him back down onto the mattress and easing his leggings down over his hips. She discarded them over the side of the bed and ran her hands up from his feet, rubbing his skin in circular motions. She stopped at his waist, pulling herself up to lie on top of him, wriggling teasingly. Moaning, his hands shot up to grip her shoulders. Beka smiled and nibbled his neck, wrapping her arms up above his head."Beka," Yuki moaned, bucking beneath her.

"Want something?" she asked, continuing to nibble at his neck. Panting, he nodded, moving his hands to grab her ass. She rolled off him to lie on the bed, pulling him up on top of her. Figuring that he'd need some help, she guided him inside of her, enjoying his gasp of surprise. "There we go. How does it feel?"

"Like nothing I've ever felt before." Yuki looked down into Beka's blue eyes and ran a finger across her cheek. "You're so beautiful."

"You say that because you're inside me."

He shook his head. "No, I thought so pretty much since I met you. I would just never day such a thing to a woman unless she'd expressed an interest in me. As you can imagine, I'm not used to telling women what I really think. The only ones I can really talk to are other senshi. It's nice to talk to a normal woman for a change."

Beka thrust her hips upwards. "Less talk, more action."

He recovered quickly from the feeling of her moving against him and started to thrust back. It felt good. Really good. Between the physical feelings the act of making love to this incredible woman and hearing the moans of pleasure that were coming from her because of what he was doing, Yuki was happier than he could recall being in a very, very long time. She ran her hands down his back to grab onto his ass, digging her nails in to get him to move faster. A minute later it was over. He threw his head back and groaned as he came and then collapsed on top of her, gasping for breath. Beka stroked his sweat-dampened hair, holding him to her.

"I could die happy now," he whispered.

"Don't you dare," she threatened playfully. "I'm not done with you."

He looked at her in dismay. "You want more already? You do realize that I have to go soon."

Beka laughed, pushing him off in order to cool down. "Not right away, but I will when you get back. Think of it as an incentive to come back intact."

"We're on Nomaie. No one will harm me. After all, I am twin brother to the Heir herself as well as a senshi."

An expression of surprise crossed Beka's face. "You know, I completely forgot that you're a prince here."

"Not that it really means anything, but yes."

"Well, at least I liked you before I found out about all that," she said stroking his face. "You don't have to go right away do you?"

"No, but soon though," he said sadly, kissing her deeply.

"You'll just have to hurry back then, won't you?""Knowing that this is waiting for me? My feet will sprout wings to get me back here." He took one hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. "I am ever at your beck and call."

"So stay here."

Yuki sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, in this, my duty as a senshi and my duty to my sister must come first. I promise you this, though. I will always be yours. Well, for as long as you decide you want me around."

Beka looked at him thoughtfully. "That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Sweet Beka, anyone who would offer you less than complete devotion is undeserving of you."

She swatted him lightly. "You'd better get going before I start thinking that you have the energy for round two."

"I don't think I could find the energy, as enjoyable as it was.""You'll build up some stamina the more you do it," she told him encouragingly. "You just need more practice."

He got up to search for his leggings. Finding them, he turned around and put them on, grinning at her. "Are you willing to have that kind of patience? Kasei says that I'm a slow learner."

"Oh I don't think that would be too much of a hardship," she replied, stretching out. "Besides, you look good without clothes on."

He mock pouted. "I thought you said I looked good in my uniform."

"You do, but I think you look good without any on as well," she said sitting up. "I think your shirt is over by the bookshelf."

He went and retrieved the missing garment and put it on. "Going to come downstairs and say good-bye?"

"Any good bye I'd like to give you would by your own words be considered indecent." Yuki blushed furiously. "You're so cute when you do that." She got up and put her own clothes on. "I'll come down anyways. It'll be nice to be rid of Kasei for a while."

"A couple days at the least," Yuki said nodding. "I'm just worried about being stuck out in the middle of the desert with both Rhade and Kasei." At Beka's puzzled look, he explained. "Because of the whole life debt thing, anywhere one of them goes, the other has to go. There are few exceptions to this. Because Rhade is also a senshi, he can go into the place we're going."

"I see. Well, at least Kasei is your sister; otherwise I might get jealous."

Yuki shuddered. "That's not a very nice thought, Beka. I love my sister dearly, but if you ask me, Rhade is slightly crazy."

"He's Nietzschean. What do you expect? They're genetically engineered for perfection, but all the ones I've met are a little nuts."

He chuckled, picking up his pack. "We'd best get down there. Kasei gets very grumpy when people keep her waiting."

"It seems to me like a lot of things make her grumpy."

"That's Nomaien women for you. It's a wonder we still exist as a species with the way they act."

"Let's put it this way. The men are probably just so grateful for the sex that they overlook the rampant personality flaws."

He laughed at that. "You do have a point there."

Beka and Yuki met Rhade outside of the building Yuki called the stables. He was leaning against a wall, wearing a white version of Yuki's outfit. His packs were on the ground by his feet. There was an older woman standing nearby. Beka whistled appreciatively."Nomaien clothing suits you well, Rhade," she told him.

"Hakusa does nice work," Yuki said casually. "I take it that Kasei decided that since you needed supplies for the trip, she may as well get you decent clothing."

"Good guess," Rhade said, arching an eyebrow.

"Not really a guess. I know my sister quite well."

"Not as well as you'd like to think some days, elder brother," Kasei said, walking up, her packs slung over one shoulder. Beka and Rhade stared at her. Where Yuki and Rhade were both wearing typical clothing for Nomaien men, Kasei was in red leather pants and tank top with her arms wrapped in her usual ribbons. Her long black hair was braided with a long ribbon. Her solid black eyes looked at each in turn. Seeing Beka, she frowned. She walked up to Yuki, sniffing. She looked him in the eyes, her frown deepening. She looked between him and Beka, shaking her head. Turning to Rhade, she said, "I see that Hakusa came through, even thought I do question her choice of colors."

The older woman standing nearby cleared her throat. "I did the best I could given the haste with which you want to leave. We don't breed men his size very often, Kasei, so it's surprising that we had even this much in storage. I could have gotten him clothing in a color you would have deemed more appropriate, but would have taken all day."

Kasei waved dismissively. "Yes, yes, I'm aware of that, though why you would keep white clothing in store is beyond me."

Rhade turned to Yuki. "Is there some significance to this color that I'm missing here?" he whispered.

"I'll tell you later," Yuki whispered back, snickering.

"Yuki, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" Hakusa asked, leading him away. She took him out of both Kasei and Rhade's hearing ranges and spoke with him for a few moments before returning to the others. "You'd best be off," she said as the stable master and two of her assistants brought out three hulking beasts that had a resemblance to Terran horses in their general shape, but their four legs were wide past the knees with no discernable hoof, their tails looked like those of the Laisheen, and they had a pair of horns on their head, curling around each ear. The one brought for Rhade was a cream color with black legs and mane, Yuki's was a dusty color and Kasei's was a dark red with a golden muzzle. Hers also had a somewhat more elaborately decorated saddle. She patted the creature on the nose affectionately, whispering things to it in her native language before mounting. Yuki followed suit.

The stable master walked up to Rhade. "My pardon, but I doubt you've ridden one of these before. Would you like some assistance in mounting?"

Rhade looked at her. "Yes, that would be appreciated," he said, swallowing his pride. It wouldn't do him any good to attempt to do it on his own and fail, embarrassing himself in the process. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Yuki nodding approvingly.

Beka walked over to stand beside Yuki's mount, one hand resting lightly on his thigh, causing Kasei's eyes to narrow. Beka ignored her and spoke softly to Yuki. He smiled and bent down to touch her hair. Kasei urged her mount over to stand beside Rhade's.

"I'm glad they chose that mount for you. He's a very docile creature and will follow ours, so you won't need to worry about guiding him at all."

"Does he have a name?"

"Danterr. In Nomaien it means Gentle. They like it when you scratch behind their ears. They can't reach there themselves."

Experimentally, Rhade reached a finger in between the curling horns and the beast's ear and scratched. He was rewarded by Danterr leaning into the scratch, his eyes closing happily. "You're not so scary, are you?"

"Sandrunners are generally quite placid," Yuki said. "Well, with the exception of that fire eater Kasei is ridding." In response, the red Sandrunner snorted and danced a little in place.

"These things almost remind me of horses," Beka said, stroking the soft fur of Yuki's mount.

"Behaviorally speaking, they are quite similar," Kasei replied. "They have a basic herd structure and are herbivores. How they survive in the wild is beyond me. It's rare to see a wild herd in these parts. They're more common in the northernmost areas." She took up the reins of her mount. "Let's get going. I know the afternoon isn't the ideal time for traveling, but waiting until morning is unacceptable. Besides, it'll be dark soon and I'd like to make the most of the daylight we have left. Laiike, Sharahase!"

Kasei's red mount turned and headed for the large gate nearby that led out into the desert. The other two Sandrunners followed. Rhade clung to the beast's neck, unused to the speed with which they moved while Yuki turned and waved goodbye to Beka. Once they were out in the sand, their mounts took off. Kasei and Yuki gave them their heads and Rhade's mount followed, matching their pace. Danterr and Hijarr, Yuki's mount, fell into line behind Sharahase, Kasei's mount. Once he'd adjusted to the animal's movements, Rhade sat up and looked around him. His mount was directly behind Kasei's. She sat bent over Sharahase's neck, moving with her as she ran. Behind him, Yuki had the same posture but didn't look as comfortable as Kasei did. Rhade did his best to mimic them but it felt uncomfortable to him, so he just sat slightly hunched over and watched as the sand dunes passed by them. The palace fell behind them quickly.

They rode for hours through endless tracts of featureless desert. Each dune looked the same to him as the last. Every so often, Kasei would nudge Sharahase off to one side. Sometimes is was for no more reason that to avoid having to go over some of the larger dunes, but at other times her reasons weren't so obvious. The sun beat down on them relentlessly. Rhade could feel his skin heating up and his need for water grew more and more urgent as the day progressed. Shortly before sunset, he started to get dizzy and sleepy. It was very hard for him to sit and he had to force himself to stay awake. When they paused for a brief rest at a small watering hole he'd never been so glad to see a tree in his life.

With some help from Yuki, he dismounted, feeling stiff from the unaccustomed position he'd had to sit in all morning. He sat down in the shade of the tree beside the cool pond. Yuki brought him a cup full of water.

"Drink this slowly," he instructed. "I know you're thirsty, but if you drink as quickly as you think you need to you'll only make yourself sick." Rhade took it gratefully, taking slow sips of the cool water. "How do you feel?"

"Hot. Tired. Stiff. Very dizzy. My head is pounding."

Yuki nodded. "Before we head off tomorrow, I'll put together a head covering from you. There should be one in your packs if I know Hakusa. Kasei and I are used to the heat and don't need water as much as you do. I'll have to remind her of that fact later."

Rhade looked around. "Where is she anyways?"

Yuki pointed out at a dune not to far away from them. She was kneeling, facing the setting sun. As they watched, she put her hands together in front of her in a prayer gesture and bowed. "She's sending the sun off to sleep. I know it sounds like a silly superstition for a people with an understanding of how the universe really works, but it's comforting. It's a part of our tradition that will never die. We know that the sun doesn't really go away, but following the ancient customs and rituals is our way of honoring our ancestors and showing that we haven't forgotten our roots."

Kasei's voice carried across to them. Rhade couldn't understand a word of what she was saying, but he guessed that it was the words that went along with the ritual. He listened to it carefully. Nomaien could be a harsh, guttural language, but there were moments were it was supremely beautiful.

"If you're wondering, this is ancient Nomaien," Yuki added. "All of our rituals are, so not many people understand the full meaning behind the words. We're taught a simple translation of them, but Kasei tells me that some meaning is lost. Come on. She'll be up there for a while, so we may as well get things set up for the night."

"We're stopping for the day?"

Yuki nodded, rummaging through his packs. "It gets very cold out in the desert at night, so it's unwise to travel unless you're desperate. The twin moons don't give enough light to navigate to dunes by at any sort of quick pace. Kasei would much rather keep going I imagine, but she's not an idiot. Besides," he said with a smile. "I bet she's just as tired as we are. She hasn't ridden for a long time. While they say that once you learn, you never forget, what they don't say is that if you don't do it often enough, you get out of practice and your body forgets what it feels like." He winced. "Same goes for me. Help me get the shelters set up and I'll start cooking our meal."

"You cook?"

He nodded, pulling a roll of canvas out of his pack and some collapsible poles. "Not very well. I'm high nobility, so my tutors didn't really teach me the finer points of it. It's edible though, which is more than I can say for Kasei's few attempts at it. Tenshi and Okami always tease her about it. Women aren't expected to know much about domestic things. That's men's work here."

Rhade shook his head and helped Yuki get the one shelter up. He figured that it was large enough for two people to sleep under. He mentioned his observation to Yuki, who nodded. "If that's the case, then who sleeps under it? There are three of us."

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Under normal circumstances, we would share it, but with the life debt, I'm not sure about that anymore. I do know that Kasei has a shelter in her packs, though. We'll work this out when she gets down here." He went into his largest pack and brought out a pot and what looked like a portable cooking stove. At Rhade's look, he laughed. "What? Where you expecting a campfire? We don't have wood to burn. Our ancestors were very big into elemental magic and they came up with contraptions similar to this one. This version uses more technology than magic. If I felt a little more confident in using my senshi powers outside of my transformation, I could easily call a fire onto the sand and sustain it, but that's not really something I'm good at. Kasei can, but she doesn't like to."

As Yuki spoke, he filled the pot half way with water from the pond and put it on the stove, turning it on. When the water reached a boil, he tossed some precut vegetables in as well as some dried meat and a package of brownish sauce. He stirred the mixture for a few minutes before putting a lid on it. "There. We'll just let that be for a little while. Ah. Here she comes."

Kasei was heading for them. She got up to the stove and collapsed down into the sand beside Yuki. "It's so nice to be out of that oven they call a palace," she sighed, looking happier than she'd been since Rhade first met her. "I can breathe out here."

"I don't know how you people tolerate this heat," Rhade said, rubbing his forehead.

"A few million years of evolution," Kasei said bluntly. "Adapt or die. Such is life. Does your head hurt?"

"It feels like it's going to split open."

She got up and walked over to her pack and brought out a cloth and a small white container. She dipped the cloth in the pond and tied it around his forehead. Next, she opened the container and dipped her finger in the clear, sticky substance inside it. "Take your shirt off."

Surprised but not asking why, he complied. She eyed his bare chest briefly before touching her gel covered finger to the side of his neck. He flinched in pain, jerking away from her. "Don't be such a baby," she scolded, rubbing the gel on his burns. It hurt at first, but the more gel she applied, the better he felt. He watched her thoughtfully as she worked. Despite her expressed dislike of him and the gruffness she showed to everyone around her, her hands were quite gentle and she went about her work methodically, getting at the worst burns first. The cold cloth on his head was helping his sore head as well.

"Turn around so that I can get at the ones on your back. Honestly, I don't know what Hakusa was thinking, sending you out here with clothes like this. They're all well and good for city dwellers, but not so good for someone going for a journey."

"To be fair, she did give me some jackets. A large part of this is also my fault. I knew we were heading out here, but I never thought to put one on."

She nodded, smoothing the soothing gel over the burns on his upper back. "It's good that you realize that you are also at fault. I'm glad to see that you aren't an idiot. There. That should do it. Those burns aren't too severe, but they'll still be difficult to sleep with. In a few days, they'll start peeling. In the meantime, make sure that you're wearing decent covering when out in the sun. These will get worse otherwise."

Rhade turned to face her. "My thanks. You have gentle hands."

Kasei blinked in confusion and blushed. "I'm only doing my job. No need to thank me for it. If I didn't help you, there's a high chance that you could get sick and, in a worst-case scenario, die. It's my duty to keep you alive, remember?"

"It's considered polite where I come from to thank someone for doing something nice. I know you weren't doing it to be nice, but I'm grateful all the same."

Yuki looked up to see them staring at each other and coughed politely, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them. "Dinner's ready if you'd like to eat."

Kasei sighed with relief. "Good. I'm starving."

"You're always hungry, Kasei," Yuki admonished. To Rhade, he said, "Nomaien women are perpetually hungry. If it's known why, they aren't telling. At least K a sei has an excuse with her high metabolism. She burns a lot of energy just doing normal things."

"Yuki, must you explain such things? I highly doubt he needs to know such private matters as my eating habits and energy needs."

"It's interesting," Rhade told her.

She snorted. "Rhade, you'd probably find the length of my toe nails fascinating."

With a straight face, he nodded. "You're right. I would."

Yuki snorted at the expression on Kasei's face. "You walked right into that one, little sister."

"Shut up and serve dinner before I eat Rhade out of desperation."

"I don't think you want to do that," Yuki said, spooning food into a dish and handing it to Kasei. "For starters, there's the taste. Something tells me that no amount of spice