Should I or shouldn't I....
Feh, why not! You guys are eating it up anyhow.
A week goes by and I did not make things any easier on Yuki. I added
mental disciplines to her routine... but at the very least I made
them fun. I began with puzzle games like Bejewled and Hexic as well
as a real brain-squeezer in the form of Brain Age. I also had copies
of her homework transmitted from Earth so she wouldn't fall behind on
her classes.
Physcially, she was starting to progress at a phenomenal rate.
During calisthenics Yuki would grind away with over fifty kilograms
hanging off her petite frame. For her swordsmanship and staff
lessons, the weights came off so she wouldn't be thrown off by their
absence if she got into trouble.
Minagi was impressed as was Sasami. It still hurt Sasami to do what
she was doing to Yuki, but she bore it well – much like a person
with an infected wound and is resigned to cleaning the wound daily.
By the end of that week, though, Mimisaka was forced to land
on Yatsuka. A planet rich in mineral wealth, it was located halfway
between Earth and Ryuten, and therefore well within the confines of
the Empire of Jyurai.
I had my own ideas about how to handle the situation.
“So,” said Seto with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, “in order
to maximize the evidence we'll have against Lord Ohsa, you'll have
Minagi make recordings of everything that happens, as well as steal a
copy of his hidden ledger. Meanwhile, Tenchi and his group will
distract him by playing as a group of unwitting travelers, and you,
my devious little grandson, will go raise merry hell performing
hit-and-run raids against his guards.
“As much as I love this plot of yours, Grandson, I do wonder why go
through so much trouble for just a little more evidence.”
“Because, Grandmother, as an American by birth, I find tyrants to
be utterly disgusting and reprehensible worms that aren't even worth
target practice. They should all be bled out like pigs at the
slaughter.”
Seto gave me an approving smile. “Well spoken my darling grandson.
You will indeed make an excellent addition to the family.” Seto's
smiled took on a slightly more devious edge. “Just be careful or
else you may earn the title 'Devil Spawn of Jyurai'.”
I grinned back at her – here was a woman after my own heart. “No
offense, Grandmother, but I will always be a man of Earth. Devil
Spawn of Terra has a better ring to it, I think.”
Seto laughed. “Indeed! By the way, I heard from my little
Sasami-chan that you have a bit of an issue with the name of Yuki
Mihara. Is she available by perchance?”
I nodded. “Yuki, you may come over now.”
Yuki stepped into the field of the communication's visual pick up.
“Oh my!” Seto said with a gentle smile. “Why, you remind me of
Funaho... only so much younger than when Asuza brought her home. My
granddaughter tells me that you're in trouble, little one. Now, I've
heard the story from her side, but I would like to hear it from you
now. What did you do, little Yuki-chan?”
“I... I sneaked onto Minagi's ship. And I broke my promise with
Sasami-chan. I know that both things were very wrong. I really do.
But... I don't want to be treated like a child anymore, Seto-sama. I
want to be strong like everyone else is. I don't want people telling
me what to do... except maybe Gar-kun... because... I really do love
him.”
Seto nodded. “And tell me... why exactly did you do what you did?”
“I... I wanted to prove that I can be strong... and I wanted to be
with Gar-kun.”
“Hmm... Grandson, what are your thoughts on the matter?”
“She has potential, Grandmother, but physically, Yuki-chan is still
a child, no matter how quickly she desires to be grown up. She may
earn as much respect as she wants, but it will take time to
cultivate, especially considering her betrayal of Sasami-chan. She's
quite impatient in that regard. However, I must add that she is a
remarkably hard worker. Once she sets her sights on a goal, she does
not give up and she gives it everything she has.
“Also, I must admit that I've grown fond of her. She's a very
sweet and loving girl despite her stubborn determination. She wants
to be best friends with Minagi and already thinks of her as a
sister.”
Seto chuckled. “That is something else we'll need to discuss.
You, my Grandson, are a shameless thief, stealing the hearts of all
these women.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn't say shameless.”
Seto laughed again. “As for you, Yuki-chan... Garrick, when all
this business is over with, I would like to interview Yuki-chan and
Minagi-chan in person. Please have Ayeka bring them and yourself to
Jyurai. I feel that we will soon be able to resolve your adoption
and it will be best if you are here for it.”
“Of course, Grandmother. I look forward to my first time on
Jyurai. Just don't sic too many nubile young bachelorettes on me.”
Seto laughed uproariously at that before she cut the channel with a
wink and a smile.
“Would... would she really do that?” asked Yuki nervously.
“In a heartbeat,” I answered. “But don't worry, Yuki-chan.
They'll never know what hit them. Because I am Garrick Grimm.”
Touchdown was uneventful. I unpacked all of the weaponry from
Scooby, knowing that we wouldn't need them right away. I went only
with a Calico-replica of the M300 chambered for Forty-Caliber S&W
Magnums with solid steel penetrators. The cartridge itself may not
be the best man-stopper out there, but fifty rounds of semi-auto
armor piercing firepower is hard to argue against.
With Scooby emptied, I deployed the bed seats, activated the camper
shell's AC unit,and had everyone load up. Of course, Washu and Asahi
stayed behind to make repairs, and Minagi went to scout ahead, so
there was plenty of room for everyone.
“It's beautiful out here,” I said at one point where we stopped
at the edge of a bluff that overlooked the valley.
“There's nothing out here, Dear Brother!” said Ayeka in shock.
“How can you say it is beautiful?”
I looked to my sister and smiled. “It's a desolate sort of beauty.
Empty, yet serene. Look out there, My Sister. The wind blows
across this dusty land, slowly shaping it over time. If you were to
come back here near the end of your life, it will have changed
completely as the wind has etched new formations into the sandy
stone. And the night sky here would be beautiful. With no light
pollution and very little moisture in the air, the stars would shine
here like as though you were standing on the hull of a starship. It
is utterly breathtaking.
“It's a good place to find your inner peace.”
I turned to look at the others and found them all looking at me in
awe.
I smiled and then tapped my C-pod, bringing it up to my face.
“Minagi, how far are we from that trail you found?”
“It's about three kilometers to the south of you,” came Minagi's
voice over the link. “Once you reach it, bear east and that should
bring you to the village.”
Scooby had traction control that rivaled the finest four-wheel drives
out there, thanks in no small part to the traction control computers
in each of the four direct-drive wheel motors. Calculating the exact
amount of torque needed for the acceleration that was demanded on the
terrain at hand every hundredth of a second, Scooby would move
quickly and quietly over the rugged land, not one erg of energy
wasted on needless wheel spin.
With this, I negotiated the terrain readily and found the trail
easily. From there, I was able to take the diesel-electric truck up
to something like highway speeds and we reached the village in
minutes as opposed to hours.
And as I had expected, the village was like a ghost town.
Once we had set to calling around, a man did appear – a large and
broadly built, handsome man with black hair and skin just a shade
darker than Mihoshi's.
“Who are you people? Where did you come from?”
“We're just some travelers passing through,” I said peaceably.
“Our ship broke down and while our friends make repairs we came to
see if we can restock our provisions. We have plenty of money if you
trade on the Royal Credit, or we can even barter if you like.”
“Provisions?” creaked an ancient sounding voice from one of the
hollows. An equally ancient woman emerged. Her skin was as dark as
the man's, and her hair was white as snow. She was small statured –
something that wasn't helped by her slightly stooped posture.
Mihoshi cried out thinking she was seeing a ghoul at first. I knew
better, though. I could see, deep inside the weathered face, that
this had been a beautiful woman once.
“You folks're too late fer t'day. Market's only open in tha
mornings during shift change a'tha mines. Not th'there's many people
left to actually buy anything. Well, c'mon in. You folks might as
well git comfortable. Git's colder an'a witch's back side out 'ere
at night.”
“But mother! One of them's armed!” cried out the man.
“Now don'tchu start tha malarky there, boy!” snapped the elder
woman. “Would you go out into tha wilderness out there withou'a
weapon? Boy's got a good head on them shoulders o'his fer packin'
heat. Give 'im an edge ifin' 'ee ever run inter trouble 'round
here!”
“If it makes the man of the house more amenable, I'll gladly
disarm,” I said.
“Y'see?” creaked the old woman. “Well mannered, too, knowing
it ain't polite goin' inta 'nuther person's home wi'a loaded gun.
Could learn sumthin frum the whippersnapper. C'mon in, y'all. Ye
can jus' leave tha gun on thar table. Jus' ma son-in-law and mah
girl inside.”
“Hot damn,” I said with a grin as I removed the magazine from my
Calico and made sure the chamber was clear. “Feels almost like
home here.”
“You mean there's people like her where you come from?” asked
Yuki.
I grinned down at the girl as I set the weapon and magazine on the
table. “Yep. She's what we call the mother of the household.
Even though she's not really in charge of things anymore, she'll make
damn sure people do as they're told and behave like proper men and
women. Can't be tarnishing the family name with any poor manners.
And they will especially pick on the son- or daughter-in-law because
they'd be the most likely ones to screw up some form of family
etiquette. Not too different from what you have in Japan, but with a
flavor I'm more familiar with.”
“I think,” said a lovely little soprano voice, though stressed
and strained, “it's time.”
All of us looked and there, leaning in one of the doorways was a
woman. She would be petite and dainty if not for the burgeoning
pregnancy that was resting in her pelvis. Otherwise she would have
been the perfect picture of a Svartelf. But more importantly was the
fluid between her legs, staining her clothes.
Before I knew it, I was across the room and had one of her arm over
my shoulder and her husband was on the other side.
“This way,” said the elder woman guiding us to a bedroom where we
gently laid the belabored woman down.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“We're travelers,” I answered. “Fortunately, I know how to
handle this sort of situation. Oldest of seven children. May I ask
a personal favor, though?”
“What?”
“The two youngest girls... they're coming up on marriageable age
and they need to know what the pain of a mother is. Would any of you
mind if they watched?”
The mother to be smiled and shook her head. “I was no older when I
saw my cousin's birth. It would honor me.”
“You have my gratitude,” I said as I bowed. I then turned to the
elder. “I'll go make sure my family is making themselves useful.”
As I turned and left the bedroom, I heard the crone muttering, “Smart
whippersnapper.”
“Sasami! Yuki!”
“Yes Nii-san?”
“Yes Gar-kun?”
“You two go inside the bedroom there and do exactly as Grandmother
tells you.”
“Yes Nii-san/Gar-kun,” came the synchronized reply, and the two
girls took off at a barely restrained gallop.
I then looked to Tenchi. “Brother, we'll need a fire going for hot
water.”
“Got it!” Tenchi replied and made a beeline for the hearth.
“Ryoko, Ayeka, Mihoshi? We'll need every clean blanket and towel
in this home. Bring them to the bedroom, quietly, and place them
wherever the Grandmother wants them to be.”
“Got it!”
“Right!”
“As you wish!”
Once everyone else was busy, I went to get the water. A few minutes
of searching led me to find a suitable pot and a water cistern. Pot
filled, I went to set it by the hearth and began to help Tenchi with
the fire. Before long we had one roaring inside the oven with enough
logs to settle into a proper cooking fire.
“You knew about this?” asked Tenchi.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Anything else I need to know about?”
“Guardsmen are gonna show up eventually. They'll be looking for
the off-worlders that breached their pathetically non-existent
planetary shields – damn thing is only good enough to keep smaller
space rocks out.
“I'll go on the run to distract the guards, but you need to
surrender nice and quiet like. Tell Ayeka to take care of Yuki for
me – she'll be safer with her than with you or me.”
“What about you?” Tenchi asked.
I smiled. “I can take care of myself. Besides, Minagi's scouted
the terrain and she's been uploading maps and intel reports to my
C-Pod. I'll be fine. You just make sure that Ryoko doesn't do
anything too rash, and maintain the charade we got going.
“Aside from this moment, this is where you should be taking charge,
my Brother.”
Tenchi sighed. “Of course.”
In what must have been record time for a new mother, the infant was
born with both mother and child happy and healthy. While the others
all enjoyed drinks together and Sasami gently played with the
newborn, Yuki watched quietly from the sidelines.
“Penny for your thoughts,” I asked her.
“That was scary looking.”
“It is,” I agreed. “But then, when you decide the have a child
you would be on the opposite end, so it's not like you'd have to
watch.”
Yuki watched Sasami play with the infant. “The mother looks
happy.”
I nodded. “She's fortunate. First time child births are usually
difficult things. She knows this. But most of all, she's happy
about finally having a child.”
“That's the part I like,” she said. “After all that hard
work... getting to hold the baby...”
“It's more than that, though,” I told her. “Over there at the
table is the man she loves. She loves him enough that she offered up
her womb for him to plant his seed in. From that seed, she nurtured
a new life within her for however many months it took. She felt the
child's first movements within her, felt it grow, getting stronger
every day... until today. And with great effort, she brought the
child out into this world. Her child. And his child. A new life
with a little bit of them both mixed together.”
We were silent for a moment and I went on, “You're not ready for it
yet... but you want it someday, right?”
Yuki nodded next to me. “Some day...”
“Good,” I said as I gently scruffled her hair, earning a
raspberry from her. I smiled back at her. “Stay with Ayeka. And
don't forget... being strong isn't just the ability to defeat an
enemy... it is also the ability to endure any hardship, just like
that woman did over there.”
“I won't forget.” I smiled as I got up and made my way outside.
I was not disappointed.
“Halt in the name of Lord Ohsa!” cried out the leader of the
guardsman with the high-collared shirts. They all had staffs.
I didn't stop walking. In fact, I grinned as I walked right into the
leader's range of attack without slowing down or hesitating.
He, on the other had, did, and it cost him dearly. With a deft grab
and squeeze of his hand I relieved him of his staff, taking it in my
own hands. He went down quickly as I brought it down over his head.
I then tossed the weapon aside.
You see, the funny thing about staffs... you get someone that really
knows how to apply leverage – someone like me – and suddenly your
fight becomes a thousand times more difficult because the only way to
really hurt your opponent is to keep them at the extreme boundary of
your attacking range. And those strikes can be easily avoided.
Especially by a traceur like myself.
The second guardsman I mowed down like he wasn't even there. I just
ducked his first swing, pushed his staff aside, dragged him down by
his collar (which was actually some kind of plate armor, go figure)
and punched his lights out.
The other four guards were now looking at me with terrified
expressions. I simply walked by them, totally unchallenged, got into
Scooby and drove off.
“Minagi,” I called after activating the comm link. “They
should be rounding up Tenchi's group now. How are you?”
“I got a good overwatch position. That was incredible, by the
way.”
“Simple psychological warfare. Take down the leader and make it
look easy, the others will be cowed. They'll be happy with Tenchi
and the others not putting up a fight.”
“Aaaaannnnd... Yup, you're right. No trouble at all.”
“Great! I'll fire up my storming field then head back to Hinase
and arm up, then start raiding the guard posts. Wish me luck.”
“Happy hunting, Gar-kun!” I then grinned as right before the
line was closed completely, I heard Minagi cry out, “EEEEEEEEE!
HE'S SO COOOL!!!”
Coming up next, Garrick plays merry hell with the Guardsmen... And just how much he likes to cheat is revealed!
Feh, why not! You guys are eating it up anyhow.
A week goes by and I did not make things any easier on Yuki. I added
mental disciplines to her routine... but at the very least I made
them fun. I began with puzzle games like Bejewled and Hexic as well
as a real brain-squeezer in the form of Brain Age. I also had copies
of her homework transmitted from Earth so she wouldn't fall behind on
her classes.
Physcially, she was starting to progress at a phenomenal rate.
During calisthenics Yuki would grind away with over fifty kilograms
hanging off her petite frame. For her swordsmanship and staff
lessons, the weights came off so she wouldn't be thrown off by their
absence if she got into trouble.
Minagi was impressed as was Sasami. It still hurt Sasami to do what
she was doing to Yuki, but she bore it well – much like a person
with an infected wound and is resigned to cleaning the wound daily.
By the end of that week, though, Mimisaka was forced to land
on Yatsuka. A planet rich in mineral wealth, it was located halfway
between Earth and Ryuten, and therefore well within the confines of
the Empire of Jyurai.
I had my own ideas about how to handle the situation.
“So,” said Seto with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, “in order
to maximize the evidence we'll have against Lord Ohsa, you'll have
Minagi make recordings of everything that happens, as well as steal a
copy of his hidden ledger. Meanwhile, Tenchi and his group will
distract him by playing as a group of unwitting travelers, and you,
my devious little grandson, will go raise merry hell performing
hit-and-run raids against his guards.
“As much as I love this plot of yours, Grandson, I do wonder why go
through so much trouble for just a little more evidence.”
“Because, Grandmother, as an American by birth, I find tyrants to
be utterly disgusting and reprehensible worms that aren't even worth
target practice. They should all be bled out like pigs at the
slaughter.”
Seto gave me an approving smile. “Well spoken my darling grandson.
You will indeed make an excellent addition to the family.” Seto's
smiled took on a slightly more devious edge. “Just be careful or
else you may earn the title 'Devil Spawn of Jyurai'.”
I grinned back at her – here was a woman after my own heart. “No
offense, Grandmother, but I will always be a man of Earth. Devil
Spawn of Terra has a better ring to it, I think.”
Seto laughed. “Indeed! By the way, I heard from my little
Sasami-chan that you have a bit of an issue with the name of Yuki
Mihara. Is she available by perchance?”
I nodded. “Yuki, you may come over now.”
Yuki stepped into the field of the communication's visual pick up.
“Oh my!” Seto said with a gentle smile. “Why, you remind me of
Funaho... only so much younger than when Asuza brought her home. My
granddaughter tells me that you're in trouble, little one. Now, I've
heard the story from her side, but I would like to hear it from you
now. What did you do, little Yuki-chan?”
“I... I sneaked onto Minagi's ship. And I broke my promise with
Sasami-chan. I know that both things were very wrong. I really do.
But... I don't want to be treated like a child anymore, Seto-sama. I
want to be strong like everyone else is. I don't want people telling
me what to do... except maybe Gar-kun... because... I really do love
him.”
Seto nodded. “And tell me... why exactly did you do what you did?”
“I... I wanted to prove that I can be strong... and I wanted to be
with Gar-kun.”
“Hmm... Grandson, what are your thoughts on the matter?”
“She has potential, Grandmother, but physically, Yuki-chan is still
a child, no matter how quickly she desires to be grown up. She may
earn as much respect as she wants, but it will take time to
cultivate, especially considering her betrayal of Sasami-chan. She's
quite impatient in that regard. However, I must add that she is a
remarkably hard worker. Once she sets her sights on a goal, she does
not give up and she gives it everything she has.
“Also, I must admit that I've grown fond of her. She's a very
sweet and loving girl despite her stubborn determination. She wants
to be best friends with Minagi and already thinks of her as a
sister.”
Seto chuckled. “That is something else we'll need to discuss.
You, my Grandson, are a shameless thief, stealing the hearts of all
these women.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wouldn't say shameless.”
Seto laughed again. “As for you, Yuki-chan... Garrick, when all
this business is over with, I would like to interview Yuki-chan and
Minagi-chan in person. Please have Ayeka bring them and yourself to
Jyurai. I feel that we will soon be able to resolve your adoption
and it will be best if you are here for it.”
“Of course, Grandmother. I look forward to my first time on
Jyurai. Just don't sic too many nubile young bachelorettes on me.”
Seto laughed uproariously at that before she cut the channel with a
wink and a smile.
“Would... would she really do that?” asked Yuki nervously.
“In a heartbeat,” I answered. “But don't worry, Yuki-chan.
They'll never know what hit them. Because I am Garrick Grimm.”
Touchdown was uneventful. I unpacked all of the weaponry from
Scooby, knowing that we wouldn't need them right away. I went only
with a Calico-replica of the M300 chambered for Forty-Caliber S&W
Magnums with solid steel penetrators. The cartridge itself may not
be the best man-stopper out there, but fifty rounds of semi-auto
armor piercing firepower is hard to argue against.
With Scooby emptied, I deployed the bed seats, activated the camper
shell's AC unit,and had everyone load up. Of course, Washu and Asahi
stayed behind to make repairs, and Minagi went to scout ahead, so
there was plenty of room for everyone.
“It's beautiful out here,” I said at one point where we stopped
at the edge of a bluff that overlooked the valley.
“There's nothing out here, Dear Brother!” said Ayeka in shock.
“How can you say it is beautiful?”
I looked to my sister and smiled. “It's a desolate sort of beauty.
Empty, yet serene. Look out there, My Sister. The wind blows
across this dusty land, slowly shaping it over time. If you were to
come back here near the end of your life, it will have changed
completely as the wind has etched new formations into the sandy
stone. And the night sky here would be beautiful. With no light
pollution and very little moisture in the air, the stars would shine
here like as though you were standing on the hull of a starship. It
is utterly breathtaking.
“It's a good place to find your inner peace.”
I turned to look at the others and found them all looking at me in
awe.
I smiled and then tapped my C-pod, bringing it up to my face.
“Minagi, how far are we from that trail you found?”
“It's about three kilometers to the south of you,” came Minagi's
voice over the link. “Once you reach it, bear east and that should
bring you to the village.”
Scooby had traction control that rivaled the finest four-wheel drives
out there, thanks in no small part to the traction control computers
in each of the four direct-drive wheel motors. Calculating the exact
amount of torque needed for the acceleration that was demanded on the
terrain at hand every hundredth of a second, Scooby would move
quickly and quietly over the rugged land, not one erg of energy
wasted on needless wheel spin.
With this, I negotiated the terrain readily and found the trail
easily. From there, I was able to take the diesel-electric truck up
to something like highway speeds and we reached the village in
minutes as opposed to hours.
And as I had expected, the village was like a ghost town.
Once we had set to calling around, a man did appear – a large and
broadly built, handsome man with black hair and skin just a shade
darker than Mihoshi's.
“Who are you people? Where did you come from?”
“We're just some travelers passing through,” I said peaceably.
“Our ship broke down and while our friends make repairs we came to
see if we can restock our provisions. We have plenty of money if you
trade on the Royal Credit, or we can even barter if you like.”
“Provisions?” creaked an ancient sounding voice from one of the
hollows. An equally ancient woman emerged. Her skin was as dark as
the man's, and her hair was white as snow. She was small statured –
something that wasn't helped by her slightly stooped posture.
Mihoshi cried out thinking she was seeing a ghoul at first. I knew
better, though. I could see, deep inside the weathered face, that
this had been a beautiful woman once.
“You folks're too late fer t'day. Market's only open in tha
mornings during shift change a'tha mines. Not th'there's many people
left to actually buy anything. Well, c'mon in. You folks might as
well git comfortable. Git's colder an'a witch's back side out 'ere
at night.”
“But mother! One of them's armed!” cried out the man.
“Now don'tchu start tha malarky there, boy!” snapped the elder
woman. “Would you go out into tha wilderness out there withou'a
weapon? Boy's got a good head on them shoulders o'his fer packin'
heat. Give 'im an edge ifin' 'ee ever run inter trouble 'round
here!”
“If it makes the man of the house more amenable, I'll gladly
disarm,” I said.
“Y'see?” creaked the old woman. “Well mannered, too, knowing
it ain't polite goin' inta 'nuther person's home wi'a loaded gun.
Could learn sumthin frum the whippersnapper. C'mon in, y'all. Ye
can jus' leave tha gun on thar table. Jus' ma son-in-law and mah
girl inside.”
“Hot damn,” I said with a grin as I removed the magazine from my
Calico and made sure the chamber was clear. “Feels almost like
home here.”
“You mean there's people like her where you come from?” asked
Yuki.
I grinned down at the girl as I set the weapon and magazine on the
table. “Yep. She's what we call the mother of the household.
Even though she's not really in charge of things anymore, she'll make
damn sure people do as they're told and behave like proper men and
women. Can't be tarnishing the family name with any poor manners.
And they will especially pick on the son- or daughter-in-law because
they'd be the most likely ones to screw up some form of family
etiquette. Not too different from what you have in Japan, but with a
flavor I'm more familiar with.”
“I think,” said a lovely little soprano voice, though stressed
and strained, “it's time.”
All of us looked and there, leaning in one of the doorways was a
woman. She would be petite and dainty if not for the burgeoning
pregnancy that was resting in her pelvis. Otherwise she would have
been the perfect picture of a Svartelf. But more importantly was the
fluid between her legs, staining her clothes.
Before I knew it, I was across the room and had one of her arm over
my shoulder and her husband was on the other side.
“This way,” said the elder woman guiding us to a bedroom where we
gently laid the belabored woman down.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“We're travelers,” I answered. “Fortunately, I know how to
handle this sort of situation. Oldest of seven children. May I ask
a personal favor, though?”
“What?”
“The two youngest girls... they're coming up on marriageable age
and they need to know what the pain of a mother is. Would any of you
mind if they watched?”
The mother to be smiled and shook her head. “I was no older when I
saw my cousin's birth. It would honor me.”
“You have my gratitude,” I said as I bowed. I then turned to the
elder. “I'll go make sure my family is making themselves useful.”
As I turned and left the bedroom, I heard the crone muttering, “Smart
whippersnapper.”
“Sasami! Yuki!”
“Yes Nii-san?”
“Yes Gar-kun?”
“You two go inside the bedroom there and do exactly as Grandmother
tells you.”
“Yes Nii-san/Gar-kun,” came the synchronized reply, and the two
girls took off at a barely restrained gallop.
I then looked to Tenchi. “Brother, we'll need a fire going for hot
water.”
“Got it!” Tenchi replied and made a beeline for the hearth.
“Ryoko, Ayeka, Mihoshi? We'll need every clean blanket and towel
in this home. Bring them to the bedroom, quietly, and place them
wherever the Grandmother wants them to be.”
“Got it!”
“Right!”
“As you wish!”
Once everyone else was busy, I went to get the water. A few minutes
of searching led me to find a suitable pot and a water cistern. Pot
filled, I went to set it by the hearth and began to help Tenchi with
the fire. Before long we had one roaring inside the oven with enough
logs to settle into a proper cooking fire.
“You knew about this?” asked Tenchi.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Anything else I need to know about?”
“Guardsmen are gonna show up eventually. They'll be looking for
the off-worlders that breached their pathetically non-existent
planetary shields – damn thing is only good enough to keep smaller
space rocks out.
“I'll go on the run to distract the guards, but you need to
surrender nice and quiet like. Tell Ayeka to take care of Yuki for
me – she'll be safer with her than with you or me.”
“What about you?” Tenchi asked.
I smiled. “I can take care of myself. Besides, Minagi's scouted
the terrain and she's been uploading maps and intel reports to my
C-Pod. I'll be fine. You just make sure that Ryoko doesn't do
anything too rash, and maintain the charade we got going.
“Aside from this moment, this is where you should be taking charge,
my Brother.”
Tenchi sighed. “Of course.”
In what must have been record time for a new mother, the infant was
born with both mother and child happy and healthy. While the others
all enjoyed drinks together and Sasami gently played with the
newborn, Yuki watched quietly from the sidelines.
“Penny for your thoughts,” I asked her.
“That was scary looking.”
“It is,” I agreed. “But then, when you decide the have a child
you would be on the opposite end, so it's not like you'd have to
watch.”
Yuki watched Sasami play with the infant. “The mother looks
happy.”
I nodded. “She's fortunate. First time child births are usually
difficult things. She knows this. But most of all, she's happy
about finally having a child.”
“That's the part I like,” she said. “After all that hard
work... getting to hold the baby...”
“It's more than that, though,” I told her. “Over there at the
table is the man she loves. She loves him enough that she offered up
her womb for him to plant his seed in. From that seed, she nurtured
a new life within her for however many months it took. She felt the
child's first movements within her, felt it grow, getting stronger
every day... until today. And with great effort, she brought the
child out into this world. Her child. And his child. A new life
with a little bit of them both mixed together.”
We were silent for a moment and I went on, “You're not ready for it
yet... but you want it someday, right?”
Yuki nodded next to me. “Some day...”
“Good,” I said as I gently scruffled her hair, earning a
raspberry from her. I smiled back at her. “Stay with Ayeka. And
don't forget... being strong isn't just the ability to defeat an
enemy... it is also the ability to endure any hardship, just like
that woman did over there.”
“I won't forget.” I smiled as I got up and made my way outside.
I was not disappointed.
“Halt in the name of Lord Ohsa!” cried out the leader of the
guardsman with the high-collared shirts. They all had staffs.
I didn't stop walking. In fact, I grinned as I walked right into the
leader's range of attack without slowing down or hesitating.
He, on the other had, did, and it cost him dearly. With a deft grab
and squeeze of his hand I relieved him of his staff, taking it in my
own hands. He went down quickly as I brought it down over his head.
I then tossed the weapon aside.
You see, the funny thing about staffs... you get someone that really
knows how to apply leverage – someone like me – and suddenly your
fight becomes a thousand times more difficult because the only way to
really hurt your opponent is to keep them at the extreme boundary of
your attacking range. And those strikes can be easily avoided.
Especially by a traceur like myself.
The second guardsman I mowed down like he wasn't even there. I just
ducked his first swing, pushed his staff aside, dragged him down by
his collar (which was actually some kind of plate armor, go figure)
and punched his lights out.
The other four guards were now looking at me with terrified
expressions. I simply walked by them, totally unchallenged, got into
Scooby and drove off.
“Minagi,” I called after activating the comm link. “They
should be rounding up Tenchi's group now. How are you?”
“I got a good overwatch position. That was incredible, by the
way.”
“Simple psychological warfare. Take down the leader and make it
look easy, the others will be cowed. They'll be happy with Tenchi
and the others not putting up a fight.”
“Aaaaannnnd... Yup, you're right. No trouble at all.”
“Great! I'll fire up my storming field then head back to Hinase
and arm up, then start raiding the guard posts. Wish me luck.”
“Happy hunting, Gar-kun!” I then grinned as right before the
line was closed completely, I heard Minagi cry out, “EEEEEEEEE!
HE'S SO COOOL!!!”
Coming up next, Garrick plays merry hell with the Guardsmen... And just how much he likes to cheat is revealed!