Prologue..... On a perfect blue sphere, on a world that is as close to the center of all universes as possible, two goddesses hold conference. "It is almost time, sister," remarks the first one. She bears a striking resemblance to an adult Sasami, except the split triangle forehead marking is replaced with a pair of olive dots. Anyone who spends a few seconds around her begins to feel incredibly calm and serene. "Yes, it is," replies the other goddess present. This diety is possesed of pale brown hair in a complicated arrangement and narrowed purplish cat-like eyes. She exudes considerably less serenity; she is not evil by anymeans, but she is very use to getting her way and is more than happy to take advantage of any situation. "Are all the pieces in place?" The blue haired woman smiles and nods. "They are indeed." She makes a gesture, and a large bubble appears. Inside the bubble appear holographic images of various people: A young, adorable blue haired girl with cherry colored eyes and a irresistable smile; A regally beautiful teenaged girl who wears her long, amethyst hair in a pair of ponytails falling down her back; An older man who seems about the age for retirement and yet is in excellent shape and can handle a bokken better than many men half his age; A younger man who is in considerably less good shape, age and loss of love having caught up with him.... The collage of images ends with a young man and a young lady. The young lady is strikingly attractive with teal hair and bright blue eyes, and a red-orange sweatband wrapped around her forehead. The young man has short, slightly spiked black hair tied back into a short ponytail and eyes that almost match. The man is holding the woman tightly in his arms and the two of them are smiling at each other lovingly. The first goddess smiles at the image. "Soon, my children." * * * In another universe, in a dingy bar in an equally dingy spaceport town..... "What do you mean you don't know where she went?" The smaller of the two figures at the table shrugs. "Just that. It's not like the bitch confides shit in me!" The taller figure --obviously a well built male humanoid-- nods his head. "Very well then, can't be helped. Did you at least manage to trace her vector?" "Who do I look like?! Scotty from Star Trek?! I don't know a vector from a beer can! But I did manage to trace her exhaust trail." "Well, that works. Alright, let's go." The two figures rise from their table and begin to set off for the door when another conversation catches the taller one's ear. ".....yeah, that bitch Ryoko, whatever happened to her?" "Haven't ya heard?! She's on some backwater bopping some farmboy or something." Raucous laughter rises from the table. "Is this seat taken?" The group of pirates look up to see a tall, hooded figure looming over them. "Nagi?!" one of them cries out. "Can't be!" objects the second one. "Too tall and it's a guy, you dolt!" "Are you one of those deep space pirate monks?" asks a third. The figure chuckles. "Nice try." He throws his hood back-- --and all sound in the bar abruptly cuts off. The three pirates at the table look in fear at the intruder into their conversation. "It can't be!...." whispers the first. All three of them whip out their guns, positioning themselves to shot on the run-- But it's too late. A ball of energy appears in front of this intruder, one which immediately explodes into tendrils of laser energy. The tendrils impale the three pirates up against the wall. The intruder walks up to the center pirate, the only one still alive. "Talk now, scum! Where's Ryoko?" Even in death, the pirate is defiant; he spits in the intruder's face. "Your mistake." The intruder brings his fist back and punches it straight through the pirate's head, leaving a basketball-sized crater in the wall and sending brains and other tissues sailing into many people's laps. "GP! Everyone hold it right there!" Five uniformed GPs, carrying heavy assault weaponry, burst through the door. The apparent leader, an attractive Nekojin, survey's the interior with distain. "Looks like we hit the jackpot here, people." Her eyes then fall upon the tall, cloaked figure and they go slightly wide. "Oh, kamisama." The figure turns and smiles twistedly at the lead detective. "Ah, Lieutenant Demi, my favorite GP, right up there with Mihoshi Kuramitsu. Bed's been lonely without you." Demi glares at him, her cheeks reddening as she hears her subordinates whispering, "Demi's done a space pirate!?" "Go to hell. You couldn't touch me if I wanted you to." She aims her rifle at him. "Kyoto Minamoto, you are under arrest for twenty-five hundred violations of Galaxy Federation law." Kyoto smiles and starts to spread his arms in acquiescence, then yells a sends a blast of energy funneling out of his palms. This blast slices through Demi's chest, leaving a large bloody hole. Her eyes wide in surprise she coughes up blood as she drops to her knees. Kyoto smiles grimmly down at her as he grabs her by the neck and lifts her above himself, beginning to choke the life out of her. After twirling her around like a gymnastic ribbon for a few seconds, he pitches her like a fast ball, sending her slamming into the nearest wall with the force of a guided missile. Lieutenant Demi's career comes to a bloody end on the back wall of a bar. Clapping his hands together as if dusting them off, Kyoto turns to his smaller companion, who has by now finished off the less experienced cadets. "Ready to roll, Chi?" "Certainly!" responds Kyoto's partner, now revealed to be a fat, eye-patched Ohki with a black floppy hat on his head. Some how held in his paws are a pair of smoking Cougar Magnums. "There's a bit of a mess, though. I'm afraid a few cadets.... lost their heads." "Occupational hazard," quips Kyoto. "Let's rock." As they walk out of the bar Kyoto tosses a softball-sized sphere over his shoulder. A moment later, a bright light flashes behind them. Chi-Ohki smirks up at his partner. "Why do you use a cryobomb?" "There's no need for excessive collateral damage," replies Kyoto coolly. "Now, where did that fusion trail of Muriyaki's lead?" "Oh some real backwater. I think we've been there a few times. Place called Earth." The Beginning.....