No Need for Destiny
Chapter 7
No Need for Battles
Disclaimer: I donÆt own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave. If you find any, let me know, and I will correct them and repost the chapters.
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Nabiki shook her head, having just read the newest batch of reports from their information network.
The Rezma Union was beginning to show signs of cohesion. With any luck, the early signs of a stable Union government would be showing up within a century. Afterwards; depending on which political forces could gain control, there would be a need to either establish a larger diplomatic presence, or prepare for a war. It was too soon to tell which.
As for the Jurai Empire, things were getting better. The Royal Family was currently on pretty good terms with Seniwa, and showed signs of deepening. With any luck; any agreements for trade and other alliances could be kept once Mikado stepped down and allowed his son Genji to ascend.
It was that final thought that had shaken Nabiki. She had always known that she and Ranma would live longer than anyone, even longer than a Jurai citizen, even longer than those fortunate to be bonded to a space tree.
While family would continue on, friends and allies would grow old, die, and the process would repeat itself. Barring any extreme circumstance, the Kuramitsu line was basically immortal.
ôMan; what a downer,ö she muttered.
It also meant that should they be able to return home; all those she knew as well, including her sisters and father, would be ash long before she even thought about her own death. That also included the fiancÚes; from those that they knew of, to those that decided on their own, to even those they didnÆt know about.
Not that she minded living as long as she would. She could still die, and thus had some measure of mortality. There was also the promise of waiting for Washu to reawaken, and thus complete their family.
And thanks to the gifts of all Three Goddesses, even WashuÆs son would be around to finally meet his mother.
She wasnÆt MikumoÆs biological mother. On some level, she felt it did separate them. It didnÆt take a genius to tell he wanted to be in WashuÆs life. But he understood, and was not about to breach the seal again.
Smiling now that her thoughts switched to happier tones, she stood up, stretching, as she went to the wall, looking at the photos of their children. They chronicled the developments of the little trio.
It made her wonder what the seven little embryos in stasis would develop as. They would be the first group of children that she and Ranma had that were their own. She wondered what adventures the seven would have.
ôKami-sama,ö she muttered, ôI hope theyÆre normal.ö
Then again, there was something to be said about a nice, boring life.
She did wish they could have stored them at the Temple. But given the constant flux of the Temple and its jumping to random locations for protection, it was about as secure as any.
Then again, she did wish Tokimi would have granted permission anyway. Surely they would have had less of a chance of being stolen at a temple of a Goddess that leapt to random places within the Milky Way, than at a facility within Seniwa Headquarters, under seventy-nine separate layers of security and protection.
Sighing, Nabiki returned to the reports. Aside from a severe decrease in attacks against the family, things were the same.
So why did she have such a sense of dread?
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ôI donÆt care how much you beg,ö said Chibi-Ranma, ôIÆm not telling them.ö
ôPLEEEEEASE!ö cried Miyuki. ôDo this for me!ö
ôHell no!ö
ôCome on, be a man,ö said Mikumo.
ôFuck you; I ainÆt taking the bullet for you.ö
The couple sighed, as their brother continued to drink his liquor. ôYou owe us, man,ö said Mikumo.
ôAnd how do you think that?ö said the Godling.
ôWhat about my friend Yuna that I set you up with?ö asked Miyuki.
ôYou mean the girl that wanted me to dress up as her ôslave girlö that needed punishment?ö
Miyuki blushed, remembering when she had come home early from class and found said girl chasing her little brother with the slave outfit in hand. ôThere was Natsume.ö
ôShe wanted me to take genetic stimulants because she wanted us to be ônaturalö to the point we were more animal than human.ö
ôOkay, but you really enjoyed Juri.ö
ôYes, until she tried to get me involved in her planetÆs mating rituals, which require the male to sacrifice one of his testicles.ö
ôOkay,ö said Mikumo, ôso we all agree Miyuki has the worst taste in finding girls for you.ö
ôThey werenÆt all bad,ö mumbled said girl.
Chibi-Ranma shrugged. ôMaybe, but they werenÆt the ones for me.ö
Mikumo and Miyuki sighed. ôWe canÆt get you to do this?ö they asked together.
ôNope,ö said Chibi-Ranma, turning back towards the television. ôYou just have to tell them youÆre getting married yourselves.ö
As the saddened couple made their way back to their bedroom, Chibi-Ranma smiled, turning back to the show he was trying to watch. It wasnÆt that he was cold hearted.
But it would be a cold day in Hell before he would be the one to tell his parents the wedding plans of the two love birds. ôI may be a Godling, but I ainÆt stupid enough to test my immortality out like that.ö
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At the Academy House, time had passed, with graduation having finished a few days ago. The parties were winding downùand people were being found, many with no idea how they had gotten where they wereùand families were packing to take children home.
Some would be returning within a few weeks, working on Masters Programs or Doctorates. Mikumo and Miyuki were two such students. Chibi-Ranma was going to spend some time with his birth mother, wanting to learn more about his potential.
Some suspected it was because despite his heritage, he was still having trouble defeating his Father in combat. And as par for a Saotome, that meant it was time for a training trip.
ôSo son,ö said Ranma, looking at his child with Tokimi, from across the table, ôany plans for afterwards?ö
Chibi-Ranma shook his head. ôNot really certain. I mean, yeah, I have a good education. But IÆm not really certain if Seniwa is for me, or if I might be better suited for something like Mother.ö
Ranma shook his head. ôJust as long as the path you choose is what you want, we will all support you.ö
ôOf course,ö said Nabiki, setting down a bottle of wine to chill in a bucket, before retaking her seat, ôif you do go into business, we wonÆt be too enthusiastic.ö
Chibi-Ranma chuckled. ôOh; so you want me to be a pirate of the corporate seas?ö
Nabiki smiled. ôOf course; nothing quite like it. Why, I think we could have made excellent pirates.ö
Ranma chose not to react to that. He knew all too well about the pirate life; Nabiki did quite a bit of research for her ôbedroom gamesö, and he had no intention of being the ôred-haired wenchö anytime soon.
Chibi-Ranma snorted. ôAnyway, I think Mikumo and Miyuki have something important to tell you.ö
The two in question paled, before sending dual death glares at their brother.
He ignored it. After all, he was getting sick and tired of hearing them debate about how to tell their folks.
ôOh,ö said Ranma, pausing in his meal, to look at the two children. ôWhat is it?ö
ôWell, you see,ö stumbled Mikumo, scratching the back of his head.
Miyuki just looked off to the side, her fingers going tip-to-tip, as she fidgeted.
Nabiki sighed, before placing down her utensils and observing the two. LetÆs see; theyÆre both very nervous. TheyÆre both sitting close to each other for support, and very worried about weÆll react. ôAre you pregnant?ö
ôWHAT?ö came the yell from the couple in question.
RanmaÆs reply was to fall backwards while still in his seat. ôOwie.ö
Chibi-Ranma just smiled, stealing the chicken of his fatherÆs plate. I always did love a show with dinner.
ôIÆm not pregnant!ö screamed Miyuki.
ôThen what is it?ö asked Ranma as he returned his seat to the upright and returned to eating, wondering what happened to his chicken.
Taking a deep breath, Mikumo said it. ôI asked Miyuki to marry me.ö
The table got very quiet, as the happy couple stared at their quiet parents; Nabiki with her eyes wide, and Ranma the same, with the exception he had his food halfway to his open mouth.
Slowly, he put his food down, wiping his mouth with a napkin, before turning to stare at the two, taking a pose Nabiki referred to as ôbastard Ikariö. As he looked over his clasped hands, he noticed not only how nervous the two were, but how determined they seemed to be.
He had allowed them their relationship, since he was the last person who should be giving any suggestions on relationships. After all, it took him a spell mishap, several years of education, and a lot of luck before he found even one woman he could truly love.
Practically, there was nothing wrong with it. They may have been raised as brother and sister, but they shared no blood. And while he was certain the practice of step-siblings being wed was rarely done on Earth, even blood siblings got married in their current galaxy. In a way, it could be seen as the second joining of the Saotome/Tendo lines.
Hell, Jurai royals tended to do it to keep a main family line.
That made him shiver a bit inside, thinking of his cursed form being wed to his normal form.
Were they happy? Were they in love? Would it still work out?
They seem happy and in love. Nabiki says they have been since they were first put together.
But is this the right things? Will they still be like this after they are married?
He turned slightly to Nabiki. Of course, who would have ever thought the Wild Horse would be happily married to the Ice Queen of Furinkan High? Or that she would be happily married to me as well?
He turned back towards the very nervous couple before them. Do I have the right to tell them no? They have proven to me that it is love ... at least as far as they are concerned. ôIf it makes you two happy, then you have my blessing.ö
The others stared at him. ôReally, Dad?ö asked Mikumo.
Ranma nodded. ôYou two have proven to me that what you have is love. Throughout all the hardships, you stayed together. Just donÆt lose that spark after you tie the knot.ö
Nabiki smiled, grabbing RanmaÆs hand under the table, she suspected it was in much the same manner as two kids had done. Now that is the man I fell in love with. ôSo, whenÆs the wedding?ö asked Nabiki.
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ôHe threw up?ö asked Nabiki.
Ranma nodded, both sitting alone at the table for the wedding reception. ôI warned him that alcohol was specifically for Hitosians, but he swore he could do it.ö
ôHe was drunk, wasnÆt he?ö
ôAs drunk as a Kuno is crazy,ö said Ranma, eliciting a giggle from his wife.
The two looked over fondly to the dancing newlyweds, as the celebration started to wrap up. ôI hope they make it,ö said Ranma. ôThose two were lucky to find each other from the beginning; they deserve happiness of their own.ö
Nabiki nodded. ôThey will. They love each other beyond all else. Sort of reminds me of how we looked at each other when we got married.ö
Ranma nodded. ôRight; then I should give him a ship and tell him to run away now.ö
Nabiki gasped, before playfully swatting Ranma. ôBaka; you know you love me.ö
ôI know,ö said Ranma pulling her closer to himself.
Looking at them, he decided to talk about something else. ôSo, have you decided which weÆll have first?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôI chose to go in order. How about twin girls?ö
Ranma smiled, kissing her neck. ôI would love them, no matter what.ö
ôGood,ö smirked Nabiki. ôTheyÆll be over at ten; wear your Tarzan costume.ö
Ranma blinked, before tickling Nabiki a bit. ôSorry, but I want you just to myself tonight. Tell the twins theyÆll have to come over tomorrow.ö
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Mikumo and Miyuki looked towards their parents, as the couple laughed and played around. ôYou ever think weÆll be that happy?ö asked Miyuki.
Mikumo smiled as he lightly kissed her. ôI already am.ö
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Kain slowly crept around the hallways, barely certain about his path. He cursed himself for the simple fact that he had no underlings to do this for him; all either dead, captured, or missing.
But it was all he had left. He had a ship in orbit, currently cloaked, as he prepared for what he needed to do.
It was a simple plan really. It was true that the facility was damn near impossible to break into. Multiple checkpoints, scanner, shields, and defensive systems, kept him from his goal.
Of course, he was always good at planning.
It had taken years, but he had acquired part of a damaged Jurian Tree Ship. With it, he managed to cobble together a very powerful teleportation system. One that if programmed correctly, could use what remained of the shipÆs core to neutralize and beam up whatever he targeted. He had already spent several days placing scanners and pattern enhancers around the facility; a difficult task for a man of his physical age to handle.
ôIf I canÆt remove the obstacles before me, I will remove the ones yet to be put in the game,ö he muttered, as he finished setting up the last piece of equipment.
Moving away from the building, he smiled. All that remained now was for him to get far enough away where his teleportation would go unnoticed or would assume to be common, and activate the Jurian teleporter.
And when he was finished, he would have not only the future children of the Kuramitsu line, but the perfect hostages to gain even more power.
ôSometimes, I enjoy winning the game.ö
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Ranma kept pacing within the living room, clenching and unclenching his fists. ôThe nerve of these bastards ... to attack us like this!ö he screamed.
The sad thing was that they were on their own with this. Galaxy Police was currently analyzing the scene, Chibi-Ranma had gone to the Temple after the wedding, and the happy couple was on their way for a cruise on a luxury liner called the NovaÆs Blessing.
He tried to calm himself; but found it was mostly a futile effort. His aura was already beginning to leak out, the desire to rip those who were captured apart until they confessed what he desired to know, flooding his mind.
ôCalm down,ö said Nabiki, working at a terminal.
ôI know that,ö said Ranma with a small bit of anger and ki leaking into his voice. ôBut they ... they have gone too far.ö
ôI know,ö said Nabiki, working on her terminal. ôIÆm just hoping they are sloppy.ö
Blinking, Ranma turned to his wife. ôSloppy?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôI put in one finally bit of security on the canister before they inserted our embryos into it. It has a nice little subspace transceiver.ö
ôWonÆt they find it?ö
Nabiki smirked. ôI made it from the advancements Washu gave us. There is only one thing that can track it, let alone notice it, in the entire universe.ö
With that, they turned towards the doorway leading to their secret weapon.
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Kain looked towards the cylinder holding the embryos, wondering what he could do with them after he eliminated the current family.
He could raise them as his own, giving him some legitimacy with ruling Seniwa. After all, he should prepare in case the parents that birth the current foe returned.
Perhaps, they might even be malleable enough for him to form his own harem. It was not unheard of for such, even within the space governed by Seniwa.
Smirking, he wondered what wonders the Kuramitsus had within their mansion, what technological wonders they had for the taking.
That was also another reason to keep the embryos. He might need them to get past some security.
ôYou shouldnÆt stare at those too long,ö said a voice, causing Kain to swivel around, seeing his male enemy, ôor youÆll go blind.ö
Kain glared at the man who had thwarted many of his attempts for control. ôYou play a dangerous game, Kuramitsu; coming here.ö
ôMaybe,ö said Ranma. ôBut you played a foolish game; coming after me and my family. That was just as good as signing your own death sentence.ö
ôHow did you find me?ö Kain asked with some fear in his voice. Had he really gotten so lax?
Ranma waved a finger at him. ôA master never reveals his secrets.ö
Kain smiled, as he pointed to the canister. ôYou say so, but one word from me destroys the precious embryos you and your wife hoped to give a chance at life to.ö
ôPerhaps,ö said Ranma as he fell into his usual stance. ôThen again, maybe weÆll just do something weÆve never done before.ö
ôSuch as?ö asked Kain with amusement.
Ranma smirked, as the canister faded from sight. ôSuch as use a ship capable of teleporting any object through any field you have.ö
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Nabiki smirked as PI held the canister before her within a scanning bubble, just before it was transported to a holding facility.
The Tree Ship was still very new, making it a miracle they had been able to move from the Kuramitsu home to this flying station as fast as they did. Add to the fact it was the first one to ever have two trees as its operating systemsùeven Jurai ships of the married royals only had one space tree as its controlùit was a flying miracle. She was also very glad that it had developed enough where the canister could be kept within it.
Before, the possible life force contamination made such an idea a poor and dangerous choice at best ... unless she wanted her children to be part-plant.
Nabiki turned to observe the holographic screen that was from RanmaÆs point of view. ôThat old fool assumed just because he had a brain, he could outdo us?ö Smirking, she had PI dig into the computers of the starbase.
In truth, she wasnÆt hoping for much. While she knew the firewalls and encryption programs would be intense, they were nothing that the Space Trees and WashuÆs upgrades couldnÆt handle. Already, the files had been broken into, scanned, copied, decrypted, rescanned to prevent virus infection, and were now being sorted through for information on members, contacts, associates, and studies he had done as well on what he could do to achieve more influence.
ôPersistent little bastard,ö she muttered, looking quickly over some of the reports she found, until one caught her eye.
Eyes wide, she screamed. ôRanma; kill that bastard! He put a graviton bomb on the kidsÆ ship!ö
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RanmaÆs eyes widened as well. Graviton bombs were very dangerous. They used not only the mass of the target, but energy pulled in from subspace to create a temporary black hole. The size and length the black hole would last was dependent upon what all it was placed in.
ôWhy?ö he growled.
Kain merely smirked. ôBecause I want no lasting relatives to pop up when I win, fool.ö
ôRanma, IÆm taking PI to save them!ö
Ranma nodded, tapping his Comm. badge. ôGo ahead, Nabiki. IÆll take care of our common pain in the ass here.ö
Slowly, he began to growl, as he shot a M÷ko Takabisha at the man, only to see it impact a force field.
ôFool,ö smiled Kain. ôYou should have run while you could. Now IÆll have the pleasure of killing you at my leisure, before that bitch might ever get back ... assuming she survives the explosion.ö
Growling louder, Ranma cupped his hands forward, no longer caring to hold back. Kain had become the final straw that removed whatever limitations Ranma still had left, even after all the attacks.
ôM÷ko Takabisha!ö he screamed, as the energy slammed into the force field, sending a shower of sparks down on KainÆs side.
The man could only stare in amazement, as the field slowly faded in strength, before he dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast of energy as it finally broke through his forcefield. Never in the previous encounters that he had been able to acquire records fromùa little less than a thirdùhad he ever seen such raw power.
Ranma ceased the blast after the field came down, only blowing through seven walls behind the man, exposing the interior of the station. Slowly turning to the desk, he smiled like a feral cat, playing with a mouse. ôYou like playing games with peoples lives, old man,ö he semi-growled, his eyes taking on a red tone, as his aura began to resemble more of a cat than his usual form. ôThen letÆs play æCan You SurviveÆ. ItÆs real simple. If you survive until my wife gets back from saving our children, you get to live and rot in a cell on some Kami-forsaken planet. If she doesnÆt come back or the kids are dead, then you die.
ôReady? Begin!ö he yelled, launching a M÷ko Takabisha at the desk, blowing it to scrap as Kain dove for the whole.
Damn it! HeÆs too strong for me now! I need an ace! Kain began to run through the station as fast as his withered form could carry him. If I can make it to the lab, I have a shot. ThatÆs my best hope now. I canÆt even depressurize the station after his little stunt.
I will win! I will have my prize!
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Nabiki sat nervously in her seat, waiting patiently as PI hacked in the linerÆs parent company, trying to locate the route the ship was taking. They were running low on time, and she truly had no idea of what stops the cruiser would make to give the passengers pleasant scenery. For all she knew, the bomb could go off in orbit of a planet, and kill millions.
ôThe planned route of the ship has been located,ö said PI. ôHowever, the vessel is not responding to any and all hailing attempts.ö
Nabiki growled. ôWhy wonÆt they answer? DonÆt they know what sort of trouble they are in?ö
ôData on the captain indicates higher than average paranoia. Even though the ship is not near normal pirate staging grounds, he may choose to ignore all calls that do not confirm with standard communications from the home base.ö
Nabiki sighed. ôGreat, so either heÆs too paranoid to trust us, or too stupid to care.ö
ôWe are currently unable to respond to that inquiry.ö
Lowering her head, Nabiki released a breath. Great; forgot how new the interface is.
ôPI, prepare for emergency transport of all individuals that should be aboard the ship. Make certain we have everyone by comparing it to the passenger and crew lists. If they are near a planet, prepare to drag them into hyperspace. Hopefully we can get the ship far enough away not the take any innocents with it.ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
Nabiki nodded, hoping she wasnÆt too late ... and hoping that this Kain person didnÆt have any tricks up his sleeve.
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Kain had made it to the lab, having activated some defense systems that still worked. But all they were doing was annoying Ranma, and only giving the elderly man a few extra seconds.
Looking around, he tried to see what he could use. Thinking on the fly had never been his strongest suite. He knew of a few of his experiments that might have provided some use, if for nothing else than a minor distraction to get to an escape pod and remotely detonate the station.
It was his own fault, really. He stayed in one place for too long, so of course they would have eventually tracked him down.
But before he had too many more free moments, the doors exploded, allowing a glowing Ranma to stalk in. ôWhatÆs the matter, old man; get lost?ö
Fear began to grip Kain, as he reached out for anything that was available, and came up with a weird gun; an experiment that had been done so long ago, even he had no idea what it would do.
Pulling the trigger, he smiled at what he hoped would be the last moments of Ranma KuramitsuÆs life.
Sadly, fate did not agree, as the weapon blue up in his face, covering him with a chaotic field of energy.
Ranma smirked, watching as the man slowly paled, screaming as he fell to the floor. ôWhoops, looks like you lost. Please accept this painful death as a parting gift.ö
Of course, not even that could go right for him, as the figure began laughing as it stood up once again. Aside from the palms of its hand and its face, its body was blacker than the darkest space. It now sported a third eye in the center of its forehead. As it placed a hand on the table, a pool of black shot forth, enveloping the table; before it seemed to all disappear inside the monster.
Mental note: stop playing with the bad guys and just kill them! ôM÷ko Takabisha!ö
Kain took the blast head on, showing no signs of damage as the blast impacted. Looking at the area it had struck, the figure merely chuckled.
Ranma sighed, as he fired a M÷ko Takabisha Double, one aiming for the creatureÆs head and the other for his midsection, as he took off, narrowly avoiding a wild tentacle that nearly speared him.
Oh; Nabiki is going to so yell at me for this. I just know it!
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As PI exited hyperspace, Nabiki immediately had it scanning for the liner that her children were on.
Quickly, she spotted the NovaÆs Blessing. Fortunately, they were at a stop in empty space, their last stop before moving onto a nebula. ôPI, get them on the link!ö
Soon, the captain of the ship came on the screen. ôWhat is it that you want, madam?ö
ôSir; we have evidence a terrorist has placed a Graviton Bomb onboard your ship. Prepare for emergency evac!ö
ôNow see here,ö yelled the captain, not used to people ordering him around. ôI will have to see this evidence beforeùö
Nabiki cut the link. ôPI, begin teleporting them to the beach room with Miyuki and Mikumo here, begin scanning for the bomb.ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
Nabiki fidgeted in her seat, even as her children teleported beside her ... nude.
ôEep!ö they squealed, before darting behind a console.
Nabiki snickered a bit, before having PI replicate some clothes for them.
ôMom,ö said Miyuki, not happy about her honeymoon being interrupted, ôwhatÆs going on?ö
ôWe found the asshole whose been trying to kill us,ö said Nabiki. ôRanmaÆs fighting him, but his records showed he had placed a Graviton Bomb onboard your ship.ö
ôWHAT?ö yelled the two.
Nabiki was about to respond, when PI spoke.
ôThe device has been found. However, it is beyond our current capabilities to deal with. Detonation in T-10 seconds.ö
Eyes wide, Nabiki took the controls, sending the ship into a physical one-eighty as it flipped over, and took off in the opposite direction as the liner. ôPI; get those shields up! I want as much power to the engines as we got!ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
The couple ran to some open stations, doing what they could to help.
ôIÆve reduced all systems to minimum,ö said Miyuki. ôDiverting that power to engines!ö
ôAltering shields layout to give us better protecting from the explosion!ö yelled Mikumo.
It was a few seconds later the space formerly occupied by a luxury travel liner seemed to shine, as the ship appeared to quickly collapse in upon itself. Very soon afterwards, the space around it began to warp as energy was drawn in from subspace. It wasnÆt even a microsecond afterwards that the bomb had finished doing its job, turning the liner and some of the surrounding space into a black hole.
ôHOLD ON!ö yelled Nabiki, as she saw the approaching shockwave. As much as she wanted to, she knew that entering hyperspace at this point was suicide. If she did so before the bomb exploded, the shockwaves would breech subspace, and rip them apart with a multitude of gravitational eddies.
There best chance was in normal space, and to hope they could get far enough away from the small black hole before they could jump.
She also hoped PI survived the approaching shockwave. The ship was still quite young, and she had no idea if it would make it.
ôShockwave will hit in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1...ö
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Ranma dodged another strike, wondering how he kept ending up in fights like this. Sure; the embryos were safe aboard PI, but he still had to get away from the fluid-based freak to watch them grow up.
ôDIIIIIIIEEEEE!ö screamed the monstrosity as it launched another tentacle at Ranma, as he back-flipped away.
Ranma smirked. ôImagine; going from trying to rule the galaxy to being a sideshow freak. I guess you wonÆt be very public, will you?ö
The monster roared, as it shot several tentacles at Ranma.
He dodged as best as he could, releasing several vacuum blades as well as high powered and nearly pure-ki M÷ko Takabishas.
Sadly, the creature showed no signs of being hurt; merely ... inconvenienced.
Ranma leapt around the scaffolding, dodging down open hallways and corridors, as he tried to avoid being absorbed by the entity that seemed to be slowly absorbing the station itself to give itself more mass. Even directly coming into contact with an exposed EPS conduit seemed to merely upset the creature, as the highly charged plasma seemed to not even burn the abomination.
He bobbed and weaved around the corridors, trying to delay the creature until he found a way to hurt or kill it. He felt no pity for the former man who had been trying to murder him and his family, nor did he spar a thought to wonder if Nabiki had made it in time to save their children. He couldnÆt even spare a moment to hope that it was the correct canister that had held the unborn embryos of Nabiki that had been transported aboard the ship.
As he entered a cargo bay, his prayers were answered.
Before him, and down the cargo bay walls for sixty meters, were graviton bombs.
Now, one bomb, depending on mass and energy it could pull in from subspace before its matrix collapsed, could generate a micro-black hole that could last for a few years, depending on decay of the time dilation.
With the amount present within this cargo bay, the black hole would remain for centuries, if not longer.
ôCan that thing survive a black hole?ö wondered Ranma, as he pulled out a scanning tool, and tried to bring all the bombs online at once. He could only hope that this thing that had once been named Kain would be killed within the center of such a natural phenomenon.
Besides, he had only a few minutes before said enemy would be here, and if these bombs werenÆt ready by then, Ranma would lose his best chance to silence this threat to his family ... permanently.
Within a minute, his tool had linked with every active gravitational bomb. Seconds after that, they synced up and began a minute countdown. Afterward, he darted from the cargo bay, making enough noise for Kain to find him. After all, it would be a bad idea for Kain to end up absorbing the bombs before they had a chance to rip his to shreds.
As he passed, he shot random bursts of energy behind him, thankful for the technique that would have killed him had he not eventually found a way to control it. With the massive reserves he had, he was barely winded.
But even those reserves were being taxed as he fought Kain.
But all good things must end, and he reached a room on the station where he could go no further.
Ranma turned around, focusing towards the door and two air vents that Kain could enter through, and charged his ki. He had less than twenty seconds before both Kain and the starbase would be imploded and form a massive black hole, one that would either kill or trap the fluidic entity forever.
He watched as all three areas flooded with the dark purple form of Kain, as his face slowly formed within the glob.
ôNoooooow, yooooouuuu diiiiiiiieeee!ö it screeched.
Ranma launched an energy wave attack with as much power as he had left, hoping it would do enough damage for him to perhaps find an escape pod and be gone before the blast hit.
But Kain reformed quickly, as if he no longer cared about what Ranma vaporized.
Soon, the face reformed, smiling. Soon it lunged at Ranma again.
But it was to be denied, as Ranma faded from sight, as it crashed into the wall, screaming, as the graviton explosion overtook it and the station.
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ôIs it over?ö asked Nabiki, as she and Ranma looked out upon the black hole formed by the imploding station.
ôHopefully,ö said Ranma, as he stared at the area that had once been the based of their greatest enemies, ones who tried to kill or control them through any means. ôThat thing was beyond anything I could have dealt with, Nabiki,ö said Ranma in full honesty. ôIf it could survive that, is there really anything we could do to it?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôMikumo and Miyuki are okay and enjoying their own room. We have several ships ready to arrive and take the rest of the passengers off our hands. By the way, the captain needs to have his ass kicked. He tried to quote protocols to me when I informed him of what was on his ship.ö
Ranma nodded, pulling his wife closer to him.
After all, they had finally finished an enemy that had been after them for more than twenty years, had enough evidence to locate all of his conspirators in Seniwa, the Rezma Union, and the Jurai Star Empire, and ensured the safety of their family.
ôRanma?ö
ôHmm?ö
ôI think weÆll start with twins,ö she said, looking at the table holding the embryos in stasis.
Ranma nodded, rubbing her back, as he stared at the black hole.
It was the end of one chapter.
And he prayed it was the end of such an enemy.
Of course, anyone who knows about power vacuums knows that just because you have defeated one enemy, it didnÆt mean you would never face the next.
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Next chapter; Jurai sends Ranma and Nabiki to establish trade with Earth. When they discover the Silver Millennium, can the two change destiny somehow?
Next episode: No Need for Queens.
Chapter 7
No Need for Battles
Disclaimer: I donÆt own this series or any other series. I am just floating an idea. I am making no money, nor plan to, off this venture. If you think of suing me over this, then grow up.
I would like to first personally thank all of those reviewing my stories. I enjoy reading your comments, and try to correct the grammatical errors I miss with my final read-through as well as my spell checkers. The suggestions you all make will help make this story better for everyone to enjoy, as well as allow my to fix some plot holes I may unintentionally leave. If you find any, let me know, and I will correct them and repost the chapters.
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Nabiki shook her head, having just read the newest batch of reports from their information network.
The Rezma Union was beginning to show signs of cohesion. With any luck, the early signs of a stable Union government would be showing up within a century. Afterwards; depending on which political forces could gain control, there would be a need to either establish a larger diplomatic presence, or prepare for a war. It was too soon to tell which.
As for the Jurai Empire, things were getting better. The Royal Family was currently on pretty good terms with Seniwa, and showed signs of deepening. With any luck; any agreements for trade and other alliances could be kept once Mikado stepped down and allowed his son Genji to ascend.
It was that final thought that had shaken Nabiki. She had always known that she and Ranma would live longer than anyone, even longer than a Jurai citizen, even longer than those fortunate to be bonded to a space tree.
While family would continue on, friends and allies would grow old, die, and the process would repeat itself. Barring any extreme circumstance, the Kuramitsu line was basically immortal.
ôMan; what a downer,ö she muttered.
It also meant that should they be able to return home; all those she knew as well, including her sisters and father, would be ash long before she even thought about her own death. That also included the fiancÚes; from those that they knew of, to those that decided on their own, to even those they didnÆt know about.
Not that she minded living as long as she would. She could still die, and thus had some measure of mortality. There was also the promise of waiting for Washu to reawaken, and thus complete their family.
And thanks to the gifts of all Three Goddesses, even WashuÆs son would be around to finally meet his mother.
She wasnÆt MikumoÆs biological mother. On some level, she felt it did separate them. It didnÆt take a genius to tell he wanted to be in WashuÆs life. But he understood, and was not about to breach the seal again.
Smiling now that her thoughts switched to happier tones, she stood up, stretching, as she went to the wall, looking at the photos of their children. They chronicled the developments of the little trio.
It made her wonder what the seven little embryos in stasis would develop as. They would be the first group of children that she and Ranma had that were their own. She wondered what adventures the seven would have.
ôKami-sama,ö she muttered, ôI hope theyÆre normal.ö
Then again, there was something to be said about a nice, boring life.
She did wish they could have stored them at the Temple. But given the constant flux of the Temple and its jumping to random locations for protection, it was about as secure as any.
Then again, she did wish Tokimi would have granted permission anyway. Surely they would have had less of a chance of being stolen at a temple of a Goddess that leapt to random places within the Milky Way, than at a facility within Seniwa Headquarters, under seventy-nine separate layers of security and protection.
Sighing, Nabiki returned to the reports. Aside from a severe decrease in attacks against the family, things were the same.
So why did she have such a sense of dread?
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ôI donÆt care how much you beg,ö said Chibi-Ranma, ôIÆm not telling them.ö
ôPLEEEEEASE!ö cried Miyuki. ôDo this for me!ö
ôHell no!ö
ôCome on, be a man,ö said Mikumo.
ôFuck you; I ainÆt taking the bullet for you.ö
The couple sighed, as their brother continued to drink his liquor. ôYou owe us, man,ö said Mikumo.
ôAnd how do you think that?ö said the Godling.
ôWhat about my friend Yuna that I set you up with?ö asked Miyuki.
ôYou mean the girl that wanted me to dress up as her ôslave girlö that needed punishment?ö
Miyuki blushed, remembering when she had come home early from class and found said girl chasing her little brother with the slave outfit in hand. ôThere was Natsume.ö
ôShe wanted me to take genetic stimulants because she wanted us to be ônaturalö to the point we were more animal than human.ö
ôOkay, but you really enjoyed Juri.ö
ôYes, until she tried to get me involved in her planetÆs mating rituals, which require the male to sacrifice one of his testicles.ö
ôOkay,ö said Mikumo, ôso we all agree Miyuki has the worst taste in finding girls for you.ö
ôThey werenÆt all bad,ö mumbled said girl.
Chibi-Ranma shrugged. ôMaybe, but they werenÆt the ones for me.ö
Mikumo and Miyuki sighed. ôWe canÆt get you to do this?ö they asked together.
ôNope,ö said Chibi-Ranma, turning back towards the television. ôYou just have to tell them youÆre getting married yourselves.ö
As the saddened couple made their way back to their bedroom, Chibi-Ranma smiled, turning back to the show he was trying to watch. It wasnÆt that he was cold hearted.
But it would be a cold day in Hell before he would be the one to tell his parents the wedding plans of the two love birds. ôI may be a Godling, but I ainÆt stupid enough to test my immortality out like that.ö
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At the Academy House, time had passed, with graduation having finished a few days ago. The parties were winding downùand people were being found, many with no idea how they had gotten where they wereùand families were packing to take children home.
Some would be returning within a few weeks, working on Masters Programs or Doctorates. Mikumo and Miyuki were two such students. Chibi-Ranma was going to spend some time with his birth mother, wanting to learn more about his potential.
Some suspected it was because despite his heritage, he was still having trouble defeating his Father in combat. And as par for a Saotome, that meant it was time for a training trip.
ôSo son,ö said Ranma, looking at his child with Tokimi, from across the table, ôany plans for afterwards?ö
Chibi-Ranma shook his head. ôNot really certain. I mean, yeah, I have a good education. But IÆm not really certain if Seniwa is for me, or if I might be better suited for something like Mother.ö
Ranma shook his head. ôJust as long as the path you choose is what you want, we will all support you.ö
ôOf course,ö said Nabiki, setting down a bottle of wine to chill in a bucket, before retaking her seat, ôif you do go into business, we wonÆt be too enthusiastic.ö
Chibi-Ranma chuckled. ôOh; so you want me to be a pirate of the corporate seas?ö
Nabiki smiled. ôOf course; nothing quite like it. Why, I think we could have made excellent pirates.ö
Ranma chose not to react to that. He knew all too well about the pirate life; Nabiki did quite a bit of research for her ôbedroom gamesö, and he had no intention of being the ôred-haired wenchö anytime soon.
Chibi-Ranma snorted. ôAnyway, I think Mikumo and Miyuki have something important to tell you.ö
The two in question paled, before sending dual death glares at their brother.
He ignored it. After all, he was getting sick and tired of hearing them debate about how to tell their folks.
ôOh,ö said Ranma, pausing in his meal, to look at the two children. ôWhat is it?ö
ôWell, you see,ö stumbled Mikumo, scratching the back of his head.
Miyuki just looked off to the side, her fingers going tip-to-tip, as she fidgeted.
Nabiki sighed, before placing down her utensils and observing the two. LetÆs see; theyÆre both very nervous. TheyÆre both sitting close to each other for support, and very worried about weÆll react. ôAre you pregnant?ö
ôWHAT?ö came the yell from the couple in question.
RanmaÆs reply was to fall backwards while still in his seat. ôOwie.ö
Chibi-Ranma just smiled, stealing the chicken of his fatherÆs plate. I always did love a show with dinner.
ôIÆm not pregnant!ö screamed Miyuki.
ôThen what is it?ö asked Ranma as he returned his seat to the upright and returned to eating, wondering what happened to his chicken.
Taking a deep breath, Mikumo said it. ôI asked Miyuki to marry me.ö
The table got very quiet, as the happy couple stared at their quiet parents; Nabiki with her eyes wide, and Ranma the same, with the exception he had his food halfway to his open mouth.
Slowly, he put his food down, wiping his mouth with a napkin, before turning to stare at the two, taking a pose Nabiki referred to as ôbastard Ikariö. As he looked over his clasped hands, he noticed not only how nervous the two were, but how determined they seemed to be.
He had allowed them their relationship, since he was the last person who should be giving any suggestions on relationships. After all, it took him a spell mishap, several years of education, and a lot of luck before he found even one woman he could truly love.
Practically, there was nothing wrong with it. They may have been raised as brother and sister, but they shared no blood. And while he was certain the practice of step-siblings being wed was rarely done on Earth, even blood siblings got married in their current galaxy. In a way, it could be seen as the second joining of the Saotome/Tendo lines.
Hell, Jurai royals tended to do it to keep a main family line.
That made him shiver a bit inside, thinking of his cursed form being wed to his normal form.
Were they happy? Were they in love? Would it still work out?
They seem happy and in love. Nabiki says they have been since they were first put together.
But is this the right things? Will they still be like this after they are married?
He turned slightly to Nabiki. Of course, who would have ever thought the Wild Horse would be happily married to the Ice Queen of Furinkan High? Or that she would be happily married to me as well?
He turned back towards the very nervous couple before them. Do I have the right to tell them no? They have proven to me that it is love ... at least as far as they are concerned. ôIf it makes you two happy, then you have my blessing.ö
The others stared at him. ôReally, Dad?ö asked Mikumo.
Ranma nodded. ôYou two have proven to me that what you have is love. Throughout all the hardships, you stayed together. Just donÆt lose that spark after you tie the knot.ö
Nabiki smiled, grabbing RanmaÆs hand under the table, she suspected it was in much the same manner as two kids had done. Now that is the man I fell in love with. ôSo, whenÆs the wedding?ö asked Nabiki.
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ôHe threw up?ö asked Nabiki.
Ranma nodded, both sitting alone at the table for the wedding reception. ôI warned him that alcohol was specifically for Hitosians, but he swore he could do it.ö
ôHe was drunk, wasnÆt he?ö
ôAs drunk as a Kuno is crazy,ö said Ranma, eliciting a giggle from his wife.
The two looked over fondly to the dancing newlyweds, as the celebration started to wrap up. ôI hope they make it,ö said Ranma. ôThose two were lucky to find each other from the beginning; they deserve happiness of their own.ö
Nabiki nodded. ôThey will. They love each other beyond all else. Sort of reminds me of how we looked at each other when we got married.ö
Ranma nodded. ôRight; then I should give him a ship and tell him to run away now.ö
Nabiki gasped, before playfully swatting Ranma. ôBaka; you know you love me.ö
ôI know,ö said Ranma pulling her closer to himself.
Looking at them, he decided to talk about something else. ôSo, have you decided which weÆll have first?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôI chose to go in order. How about twin girls?ö
Ranma smiled, kissing her neck. ôI would love them, no matter what.ö
ôGood,ö smirked Nabiki. ôTheyÆll be over at ten; wear your Tarzan costume.ö
Ranma blinked, before tickling Nabiki a bit. ôSorry, but I want you just to myself tonight. Tell the twins theyÆll have to come over tomorrow.ö
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Mikumo and Miyuki looked towards their parents, as the couple laughed and played around. ôYou ever think weÆll be that happy?ö asked Miyuki.
Mikumo smiled as he lightly kissed her. ôI already am.ö
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Kain slowly crept around the hallways, barely certain about his path. He cursed himself for the simple fact that he had no underlings to do this for him; all either dead, captured, or missing.
But it was all he had left. He had a ship in orbit, currently cloaked, as he prepared for what he needed to do.
It was a simple plan really. It was true that the facility was damn near impossible to break into. Multiple checkpoints, scanner, shields, and defensive systems, kept him from his goal.
Of course, he was always good at planning.
It had taken years, but he had acquired part of a damaged Jurian Tree Ship. With it, he managed to cobble together a very powerful teleportation system. One that if programmed correctly, could use what remained of the shipÆs core to neutralize and beam up whatever he targeted. He had already spent several days placing scanners and pattern enhancers around the facility; a difficult task for a man of his physical age to handle.
ôIf I canÆt remove the obstacles before me, I will remove the ones yet to be put in the game,ö he muttered, as he finished setting up the last piece of equipment.
Moving away from the building, he smiled. All that remained now was for him to get far enough away where his teleportation would go unnoticed or would assume to be common, and activate the Jurian teleporter.
And when he was finished, he would have not only the future children of the Kuramitsu line, but the perfect hostages to gain even more power.
ôSometimes, I enjoy winning the game.ö
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Ranma kept pacing within the living room, clenching and unclenching his fists. ôThe nerve of these bastards ... to attack us like this!ö he screamed.
The sad thing was that they were on their own with this. Galaxy Police was currently analyzing the scene, Chibi-Ranma had gone to the Temple after the wedding, and the happy couple was on their way for a cruise on a luxury liner called the NovaÆs Blessing.
He tried to calm himself; but found it was mostly a futile effort. His aura was already beginning to leak out, the desire to rip those who were captured apart until they confessed what he desired to know, flooding his mind.
ôCalm down,ö said Nabiki, working at a terminal.
ôI know that,ö said Ranma with a small bit of anger and ki leaking into his voice. ôBut they ... they have gone too far.ö
ôI know,ö said Nabiki, working on her terminal. ôIÆm just hoping they are sloppy.ö
Blinking, Ranma turned to his wife. ôSloppy?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôI put in one finally bit of security on the canister before they inserted our embryos into it. It has a nice little subspace transceiver.ö
ôWonÆt they find it?ö
Nabiki smirked. ôI made it from the advancements Washu gave us. There is only one thing that can track it, let alone notice it, in the entire universe.ö
With that, they turned towards the doorway leading to their secret weapon.
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Kain looked towards the cylinder holding the embryos, wondering what he could do with them after he eliminated the current family.
He could raise them as his own, giving him some legitimacy with ruling Seniwa. After all, he should prepare in case the parents that birth the current foe returned.
Perhaps, they might even be malleable enough for him to form his own harem. It was not unheard of for such, even within the space governed by Seniwa.
Smirking, he wondered what wonders the Kuramitsus had within their mansion, what technological wonders they had for the taking.
That was also another reason to keep the embryos. He might need them to get past some security.
ôYou shouldnÆt stare at those too long,ö said a voice, causing Kain to swivel around, seeing his male enemy, ôor youÆll go blind.ö
Kain glared at the man who had thwarted many of his attempts for control. ôYou play a dangerous game, Kuramitsu; coming here.ö
ôMaybe,ö said Ranma. ôBut you played a foolish game; coming after me and my family. That was just as good as signing your own death sentence.ö
ôHow did you find me?ö Kain asked with some fear in his voice. Had he really gotten so lax?
Ranma waved a finger at him. ôA master never reveals his secrets.ö
Kain smiled, as he pointed to the canister. ôYou say so, but one word from me destroys the precious embryos you and your wife hoped to give a chance at life to.ö
ôPerhaps,ö said Ranma as he fell into his usual stance. ôThen again, maybe weÆll just do something weÆve never done before.ö
ôSuch as?ö asked Kain with amusement.
Ranma smirked, as the canister faded from sight. ôSuch as use a ship capable of teleporting any object through any field you have.ö
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Nabiki smirked as PI held the canister before her within a scanning bubble, just before it was transported to a holding facility.
The Tree Ship was still very new, making it a miracle they had been able to move from the Kuramitsu home to this flying station as fast as they did. Add to the fact it was the first one to ever have two trees as its operating systemsùeven Jurai ships of the married royals only had one space tree as its controlùit was a flying miracle. She was also very glad that it had developed enough where the canister could be kept within it.
Before, the possible life force contamination made such an idea a poor and dangerous choice at best ... unless she wanted her children to be part-plant.
Nabiki turned to observe the holographic screen that was from RanmaÆs point of view. ôThat old fool assumed just because he had a brain, he could outdo us?ö Smirking, she had PI dig into the computers of the starbase.
In truth, she wasnÆt hoping for much. While she knew the firewalls and encryption programs would be intense, they were nothing that the Space Trees and WashuÆs upgrades couldnÆt handle. Already, the files had been broken into, scanned, copied, decrypted, rescanned to prevent virus infection, and were now being sorted through for information on members, contacts, associates, and studies he had done as well on what he could do to achieve more influence.
ôPersistent little bastard,ö she muttered, looking quickly over some of the reports she found, until one caught her eye.
Eyes wide, she screamed. ôRanma; kill that bastard! He put a graviton bomb on the kidsÆ ship!ö
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RanmaÆs eyes widened as well. Graviton bombs were very dangerous. They used not only the mass of the target, but energy pulled in from subspace to create a temporary black hole. The size and length the black hole would last was dependent upon what all it was placed in.
ôWhy?ö he growled.
Kain merely smirked. ôBecause I want no lasting relatives to pop up when I win, fool.ö
ôRanma, IÆm taking PI to save them!ö
Ranma nodded, tapping his Comm. badge. ôGo ahead, Nabiki. IÆll take care of our common pain in the ass here.ö
Slowly, he began to growl, as he shot a M÷ko Takabisha at the man, only to see it impact a force field.
ôFool,ö smiled Kain. ôYou should have run while you could. Now IÆll have the pleasure of killing you at my leisure, before that bitch might ever get back ... assuming she survives the explosion.ö
Growling louder, Ranma cupped his hands forward, no longer caring to hold back. Kain had become the final straw that removed whatever limitations Ranma still had left, even after all the attacks.
ôM÷ko Takabisha!ö he screamed, as the energy slammed into the force field, sending a shower of sparks down on KainÆs side.
The man could only stare in amazement, as the field slowly faded in strength, before he dived to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast of energy as it finally broke through his forcefield. Never in the previous encounters that he had been able to acquire records fromùa little less than a thirdùhad he ever seen such raw power.
Ranma ceased the blast after the field came down, only blowing through seven walls behind the man, exposing the interior of the station. Slowly turning to the desk, he smiled like a feral cat, playing with a mouse. ôYou like playing games with peoples lives, old man,ö he semi-growled, his eyes taking on a red tone, as his aura began to resemble more of a cat than his usual form. ôThen letÆs play æCan You SurviveÆ. ItÆs real simple. If you survive until my wife gets back from saving our children, you get to live and rot in a cell on some Kami-forsaken planet. If she doesnÆt come back or the kids are dead, then you die.
ôReady? Begin!ö he yelled, launching a M÷ko Takabisha at the desk, blowing it to scrap as Kain dove for the whole.
Damn it! HeÆs too strong for me now! I need an ace! Kain began to run through the station as fast as his withered form could carry him. If I can make it to the lab, I have a shot. ThatÆs my best hope now. I canÆt even depressurize the station after his little stunt.
I will win! I will have my prize!
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Nabiki sat nervously in her seat, waiting patiently as PI hacked in the linerÆs parent company, trying to locate the route the ship was taking. They were running low on time, and she truly had no idea of what stops the cruiser would make to give the passengers pleasant scenery. For all she knew, the bomb could go off in orbit of a planet, and kill millions.
ôThe planned route of the ship has been located,ö said PI. ôHowever, the vessel is not responding to any and all hailing attempts.ö
Nabiki growled. ôWhy wonÆt they answer? DonÆt they know what sort of trouble they are in?ö
ôData on the captain indicates higher than average paranoia. Even though the ship is not near normal pirate staging grounds, he may choose to ignore all calls that do not confirm with standard communications from the home base.ö
Nabiki sighed. ôGreat, so either heÆs too paranoid to trust us, or too stupid to care.ö
ôWe are currently unable to respond to that inquiry.ö
Lowering her head, Nabiki released a breath. Great; forgot how new the interface is.
ôPI, prepare for emergency transport of all individuals that should be aboard the ship. Make certain we have everyone by comparing it to the passenger and crew lists. If they are near a planet, prepare to drag them into hyperspace. Hopefully we can get the ship far enough away not the take any innocents with it.ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
Nabiki nodded, hoping she wasnÆt too late ... and hoping that this Kain person didnÆt have any tricks up his sleeve.
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Kain had made it to the lab, having activated some defense systems that still worked. But all they were doing was annoying Ranma, and only giving the elderly man a few extra seconds.
Looking around, he tried to see what he could use. Thinking on the fly had never been his strongest suite. He knew of a few of his experiments that might have provided some use, if for nothing else than a minor distraction to get to an escape pod and remotely detonate the station.
It was his own fault, really. He stayed in one place for too long, so of course they would have eventually tracked him down.
But before he had too many more free moments, the doors exploded, allowing a glowing Ranma to stalk in. ôWhatÆs the matter, old man; get lost?ö
Fear began to grip Kain, as he reached out for anything that was available, and came up with a weird gun; an experiment that had been done so long ago, even he had no idea what it would do.
Pulling the trigger, he smiled at what he hoped would be the last moments of Ranma KuramitsuÆs life.
Sadly, fate did not agree, as the weapon blue up in his face, covering him with a chaotic field of energy.
Ranma smirked, watching as the man slowly paled, screaming as he fell to the floor. ôWhoops, looks like you lost. Please accept this painful death as a parting gift.ö
Of course, not even that could go right for him, as the figure began laughing as it stood up once again. Aside from the palms of its hand and its face, its body was blacker than the darkest space. It now sported a third eye in the center of its forehead. As it placed a hand on the table, a pool of black shot forth, enveloping the table; before it seemed to all disappear inside the monster.
Mental note: stop playing with the bad guys and just kill them! ôM÷ko Takabisha!ö
Kain took the blast head on, showing no signs of damage as the blast impacted. Looking at the area it had struck, the figure merely chuckled.
Ranma sighed, as he fired a M÷ko Takabisha Double, one aiming for the creatureÆs head and the other for his midsection, as he took off, narrowly avoiding a wild tentacle that nearly speared him.
Oh; Nabiki is going to so yell at me for this. I just know it!
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As PI exited hyperspace, Nabiki immediately had it scanning for the liner that her children were on.
Quickly, she spotted the NovaÆs Blessing. Fortunately, they were at a stop in empty space, their last stop before moving onto a nebula. ôPI, get them on the link!ö
Soon, the captain of the ship came on the screen. ôWhat is it that you want, madam?ö
ôSir; we have evidence a terrorist has placed a Graviton Bomb onboard your ship. Prepare for emergency evac!ö
ôNow see here,ö yelled the captain, not used to people ordering him around. ôI will have to see this evidence beforeùö
Nabiki cut the link. ôPI, begin teleporting them to the beach room with Miyuki and Mikumo here, begin scanning for the bomb.ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
Nabiki fidgeted in her seat, even as her children teleported beside her ... nude.
ôEep!ö they squealed, before darting behind a console.
Nabiki snickered a bit, before having PI replicate some clothes for them.
ôMom,ö said Miyuki, not happy about her honeymoon being interrupted, ôwhatÆs going on?ö
ôWe found the asshole whose been trying to kill us,ö said Nabiki. ôRanmaÆs fighting him, but his records showed he had placed a Graviton Bomb onboard your ship.ö
ôWHAT?ö yelled the two.
Nabiki was about to respond, when PI spoke.
ôThe device has been found. However, it is beyond our current capabilities to deal with. Detonation in T-10 seconds.ö
Eyes wide, Nabiki took the controls, sending the ship into a physical one-eighty as it flipped over, and took off in the opposite direction as the liner. ôPI; get those shields up! I want as much power to the engines as we got!ö
ôUnderstood,ö came the shipÆs reply.
The couple ran to some open stations, doing what they could to help.
ôIÆve reduced all systems to minimum,ö said Miyuki. ôDiverting that power to engines!ö
ôAltering shields layout to give us better protecting from the explosion!ö yelled Mikumo.
It was a few seconds later the space formerly occupied by a luxury travel liner seemed to shine, as the ship appeared to quickly collapse in upon itself. Very soon afterwards, the space around it began to warp as energy was drawn in from subspace. It wasnÆt even a microsecond afterwards that the bomb had finished doing its job, turning the liner and some of the surrounding space into a black hole.
ôHOLD ON!ö yelled Nabiki, as she saw the approaching shockwave. As much as she wanted to, she knew that entering hyperspace at this point was suicide. If she did so before the bomb exploded, the shockwaves would breech subspace, and rip them apart with a multitude of gravitational eddies.
There best chance was in normal space, and to hope they could get far enough away from the small black hole before they could jump.
She also hoped PI survived the approaching shockwave. The ship was still quite young, and she had no idea if it would make it.
ôShockwave will hit in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1...ö
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Ranma dodged another strike, wondering how he kept ending up in fights like this. Sure; the embryos were safe aboard PI, but he still had to get away from the fluid-based freak to watch them grow up.
ôDIIIIIIIEEEEE!ö screamed the monstrosity as it launched another tentacle at Ranma, as he back-flipped away.
Ranma smirked. ôImagine; going from trying to rule the galaxy to being a sideshow freak. I guess you wonÆt be very public, will you?ö
The monster roared, as it shot several tentacles at Ranma.
He dodged as best as he could, releasing several vacuum blades as well as high powered and nearly pure-ki M÷ko Takabishas.
Sadly, the creature showed no signs of being hurt; merely ... inconvenienced.
Ranma leapt around the scaffolding, dodging down open hallways and corridors, as he tried to avoid being absorbed by the entity that seemed to be slowly absorbing the station itself to give itself more mass. Even directly coming into contact with an exposed EPS conduit seemed to merely upset the creature, as the highly charged plasma seemed to not even burn the abomination.
He bobbed and weaved around the corridors, trying to delay the creature until he found a way to hurt or kill it. He felt no pity for the former man who had been trying to murder him and his family, nor did he spar a thought to wonder if Nabiki had made it in time to save their children. He couldnÆt even spare a moment to hope that it was the correct canister that had held the unborn embryos of Nabiki that had been transported aboard the ship.
As he entered a cargo bay, his prayers were answered.
Before him, and down the cargo bay walls for sixty meters, were graviton bombs.
Now, one bomb, depending on mass and energy it could pull in from subspace before its matrix collapsed, could generate a micro-black hole that could last for a few years, depending on decay of the time dilation.
With the amount present within this cargo bay, the black hole would remain for centuries, if not longer.
ôCan that thing survive a black hole?ö wondered Ranma, as he pulled out a scanning tool, and tried to bring all the bombs online at once. He could only hope that this thing that had once been named Kain would be killed within the center of such a natural phenomenon.
Besides, he had only a few minutes before said enemy would be here, and if these bombs werenÆt ready by then, Ranma would lose his best chance to silence this threat to his family ... permanently.
Within a minute, his tool had linked with every active gravitational bomb. Seconds after that, they synced up and began a minute countdown. Afterward, he darted from the cargo bay, making enough noise for Kain to find him. After all, it would be a bad idea for Kain to end up absorbing the bombs before they had a chance to rip his to shreds.
As he passed, he shot random bursts of energy behind him, thankful for the technique that would have killed him had he not eventually found a way to control it. With the massive reserves he had, he was barely winded.
But even those reserves were being taxed as he fought Kain.
But all good things must end, and he reached a room on the station where he could go no further.
Ranma turned around, focusing towards the door and two air vents that Kain could enter through, and charged his ki. He had less than twenty seconds before both Kain and the starbase would be imploded and form a massive black hole, one that would either kill or trap the fluidic entity forever.
He watched as all three areas flooded with the dark purple form of Kain, as his face slowly formed within the glob.
ôNoooooow, yooooouuuu diiiiiiiieeee!ö it screeched.
Ranma launched an energy wave attack with as much power as he had left, hoping it would do enough damage for him to perhaps find an escape pod and be gone before the blast hit.
But Kain reformed quickly, as if he no longer cared about what Ranma vaporized.
Soon, the face reformed, smiling. Soon it lunged at Ranma again.
But it was to be denied, as Ranma faded from sight, as it crashed into the wall, screaming, as the graviton explosion overtook it and the station.
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ôIs it over?ö asked Nabiki, as she and Ranma looked out upon the black hole formed by the imploding station.
ôHopefully,ö said Ranma, as he stared at the area that had once been the based of their greatest enemies, ones who tried to kill or control them through any means. ôThat thing was beyond anything I could have dealt with, Nabiki,ö said Ranma in full honesty. ôIf it could survive that, is there really anything we could do to it?ö
Nabiki nodded. ôMikumo and Miyuki are okay and enjoying their own room. We have several ships ready to arrive and take the rest of the passengers off our hands. By the way, the captain needs to have his ass kicked. He tried to quote protocols to me when I informed him of what was on his ship.ö
Ranma nodded, pulling his wife closer to him.
After all, they had finally finished an enemy that had been after them for more than twenty years, had enough evidence to locate all of his conspirators in Seniwa, the Rezma Union, and the Jurai Star Empire, and ensured the safety of their family.
ôRanma?ö
ôHmm?ö
ôI think weÆll start with twins,ö she said, looking at the table holding the embryos in stasis.
Ranma nodded, rubbing her back, as he stared at the black hole.
It was the end of one chapter.
And he prayed it was the end of such an enemy.
Of course, anyone who knows about power vacuums knows that just because you have defeated one enemy, it didnÆt mean you would never face the next.
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Next chapter; Jurai sends Ranma and Nabiki to establish trade with Earth. When they discover the Silver Millennium, can the two change destiny somehow?
Next episode: No Need for Queens.