Act XIV: Tragedy Hope Tragedy
     The ship is forced back to Mars. They land on a pad and speak to the mechanics.
     "Can you fix her?" Keiji asks.
     "I don't think so," a mechanic answers.
     "Sure you can," Aritsune speaks.
     "No, we can't. It would be better just to scrap your ship instead of fixing it."
     "But we need a ship," Naitsuu breaks in.
     "It is not going to cost all that much more to buy a new one than fixing this one."
     "We don't have enough money to buy a new one," Akari says.
     "Then you don't have enough money to fix this one. They would both cost about the
same."
     Giving up, the group heads to a nearby park and settle by a bench. Aritsune sits with her
against an armrest and he knees bent up with her feet on the bench. Keiji sits next to her.
Munenori is lying on the ground next to the haburi kedemonos. Akari sits cross-legged on the
ground and Naitsuu leans his back against the back of the bench.
     "So now what?" Munenori asks.
     "I am not sure," Keiji answers.
     The group just stare blankly at each other. Naitsuu chimes in, "I'm hungry. Let's get
something to eat."
     The group is surprised by him, but they decide that they are hungry also and follow him
into a diner. They all grab menus. The girls sit at a booth with the haburi kedemonos hiding
beneath the table. The guys sit on stools at the counter.
     Keiji talks to Naitsuu, "So, do you have a plan of how to get a ship, with the other one
that we had to drag back here in disrepair?"
     "No."
     "We need to find a way to get a new ship."
     "Yeah, know. There has to be someone who is not friendly with the empire who can help
us."
     An old man has snuck up behind the guys and taps on Naitsuu's shoulder. Naitsuu jumps
a little and turns around to him. "Yes?"
     "I could not help but overhear your problem."
     Naitsuu gets off the stool and says, "What do you want?"
     "Just to help."
     "I'm listening."
     "Well," the man comes close to Naitsuu's ear as he bends over. "There is a cave
somewhere in the crater's wall where a special ship is hidden."
     "What?" Naitsuu asks unbelieving.
     "It is called a special Ankh class ship. Built by the first people of Mars.
     "And how long ago was that?"
     "No more than eight years ago. It was right around when the empire was establishing it's
rule in space. I was on the crew that built it. It was meant to be a prototype. It was planned that
each colony would eventually have a fleet of these powerfully designed ships."
     "What happened to the project?"
     "Well, there was a man who was the main hope to be our leader. He ran into trouble at
the emperor's palace and was killed. With his death, the project was stopped."
     "So, at what cave is it hidden?" Naitsuu asks.
     "There are not many now. The empire heard of it an tried to find it. They began
searching and then destroying caves. The remaining few of us who still believed there was hope
kept moving it. We stayed one step ahead. Soon, there were few caves left and the empire
decided it was just a myth the people created. I was not the last one to move it, so i so not know
what cave it is in. There are eight prominent caves left. One in each direction. N, NE, E, SE, S,
SW, W, and NW."
     "We'll find it, if it exists."
     "Trust me young one. It is there."
     "One problem," Naitsuu mentions to the old man. "How are we suppose to get to the
caves, we do not have a ship."
     "I believe I heard that other young man," the old man points at Keiji. "mention you had a
ship you dragged back here."
     "Yeah, we do have one we dragged back, why?"
     "So," the man looks at Naitsuu with a sparkle in his eye. "Drag it to the caves."
     Naitsuu stops a moment to think. He then motions to his group to forget the food and
come with him.
     Outside the diner, Keiji asks, "What did the old man say?"
     "He told of a special ankh class ship in one of eight prominent caves in the crater's
walls."
     "So what are we doing?" Aritsune asks.
     "Heading back to our ship to ‘drag' it to the caves."
     "What?" Keiji asks.
     "We will take what little transportation our now broken down ship can offer us, and visit
these caves until we find the one with the ship in it."
     "Well, if you say so," Keiji comments. "It's your mission."
     "You are going nowhere," a female voice announces. "Except to the land of the dead."
     "Who's there?" Keiji calls out.
     "No one you want to know," the voice answers as a woman drops down to the street from
her perch above the diner. "But you do deserve the right to know your killer. I am Nyoko Ogyu."
     "And you're going to stop us?" Keiji questions of the unarmed maiden.
     "Hopefully I will not have to," she answers. Two dark looking men rise up from the
shadows behind her. "These are my servants, Oda and Ogai. They should be enough."
     They both step out in front of their mistress. Oda has a tonfa in each hand as Ogai draws
out a spear-like weapon.
     "This lady is really making me angry," Keiji says. "Let me take care of this."
     "But Keiji," Aritsune begins to complain.
     "You guys get to have all the fun," he responds. "Now it's my turn."
     Ogai attacks first. He thrusts his spear towards Keiji. He sidesteps, wraps his arm around
the weapon, and kicks Ogai in the chest. Ogai continues to hold on to the spear, and Keiji pulls
the spear towards the ground, making Ogai let go and roll on the ground.
     From his side, Oda attacks, twirling one tonfa above his head and guarding himself with
the other. Keiji slams the spear sideways towards Oda who blocks it with the tonfa down low.
The twirling one attempts to come down on Keiji's head. Keiji catches Oda's wrist and stops his
attack. He then knees Oda in the stomach, disarms the one tonfa he has a hold on, and throws
Oda backwards on the ground.
     Ogai is back on his feet and making a physical attack. Keiji throws a backfist while
holding on to the disarmed tonfa, knocking Ogai on the side of the face with it. Blood begins
streaming down the side of his face. He runs towards Keiji again. Keiji is about to deliver a big
kick. When he attempts to do so, Ogai drops down, slides on the ground, kicking out Keiji's
other leg that was supporting him.
     Keiji falls to the ground and Ogai gets up. He does a cartwheel to pick up his spear and
recollects himself next to his partner, Oda, who has risen to his feet with his one tonfa. Keiji
climbs back to his feet holding on to one tonfa as well.
     "Come on," Keiji shouts. "You can do better than that. I'm handicapped here."
     Ogai and Oda look at each other. Ogai suddenly throws the spear at Keiji, who falls
backwards to dodge it. Oda charges forward with the tonfa spinning. Keiji quickly jumps back
up to his feet and blocks the tonfa attack with his own. Oda's momentum carries him past Keiji
who slams him in the back of the head with a roundhouse kick. Keiji quickly turns back to Ogai.
Keiji starts running towards him. He throws the tonfa at Ogai's feet.
     "What kind of move is that?" Munenori questions.
     Ogai jumps in the air to dodge the lousy attack, but Keiji has jumped into the air. Ogai is
slammed in the face with a jumping sidekick. Ogai falls down unconscious. Oda is still
struggling to regain his senses. Keiji backs off a moment.
     "Enough," the woman says. "Oda, go help your brother. And go back to our ship."
     Oda regains his balance and picks Ogai up and disappears into the darkness.
     "Are we just going to let them get away?" Akari asks.
     "Let them go," Naitsuu answers. "They are not our problem."
     "Correct," the woman says. "I am your problem. I will just have to defeat you myself."
     "With what?" Keiji asks.
     "With more than you can imagine."
     The woman clasps her hands together and closes her eyes as if in prayer. She suddenly
opens her eyes staring the group down. She then brings one hand up behind her head still looking
concentrated. She suddenly thrusts her hand forwards. A bolt of ice launches out of her palm
aimed directly at Keiji.
     He does not know what to do. Just as he is about to be hit, a transformed Chuuwa jumps
in and freezes the ice bolt in the air.
     "H-how?" the woman questions.
     "You were not expecting that, were you?" Keiji questions.
     "Now you can get a little taste of your own," Aritsune states.
     She falls back into stance, an orb developing in her hands.
     "Who are you people?" she asks mostly to herself.
     "Your problem," Aritsune shouts as she lets a bolt of lightning rip out.
     With fast reaction, the woman jumps up, spins in the air, and lands to the side of the
group. She then starts backing away into an alleyway.
     "Come on!" Munenori shouts. "Let's chase her!"
     The group seems willing but Naitsuu stops them, "No, let her go. Chuuwa and Aritsune
can not protect all of us."
     Nyoko Ogyu slips away. The group just stand there startled as she calls out one more
thing.
     "The empire wants your head," she says. "There will be others to do it. Do not get
cocky."
     "Come on guys," Keiji says to them. "Let's get out of here."
     The crew gets into Bikutori-Kyou. The beleaguered ship takes it's punishment and
rumbles off the launch pad. They first head west. The engines are forced to move slow due to
their damage. 
     It takes an hour, but the ship reaches the cave. Using the ship's lights, they can quickly
see there is nothing in this cave. They lift out from it and head to the northwest cave. It takes
half an hour until they reach the cave. When they enter it, the ship's lights reveal a structure
within it. Keiji and Naitsuu leave the ship in the ship's suits and explore the structure. They
spend another half an hour out of the ship before they come back with nothing. 
     The ship lifts off again. Another half an hour passes until they reach the north cave.
Again, there is a structure and they explore it with no success. The ship takes off and heads to
the northeast cave. 
     They arrive at the northeast cave to find another structure. They notice that this one has a
door going into a lighted path deeper into the cave. The group leaves their ship and enters
through this door. Once within the tunnel, they take off the suits since there is oxygen within the
tunnel. They descend deeper into the cave. 
     Eventually they reach another door. Naitsuu opens it and they enter into a large room
with a door on the other side of it. The group forges ahead with Naitsuu staying a couple steps
behind the group. A man dressed in black with a mask on charges through the door and nearly
slams Naitsuu in the head with a black-bladed sword, but Aritsune sees what is happening and
sends the  man tumbling to the ground with one of her bolts. Naitsuu stays in place pulling out
his hanbo from his back. The man gets up and launches in attack towards Naitsuu. Naitsuu uses
the hanbo to block the man's black sword. With each block, the hanbo splinters a little until
finally the man's sword snaps through the hanbo, and Naitsuu falls to the ground.
     Naitsuu starts to crawl backwards on his back as the man makes a lunge with his sword.
Suddenly, another young man from out of nowhere cuts in and blocks the sword, The two men
stare at each other. The first takes a step back facing the other.
     Naitsuu calls out at the first man. "Who are you?" Then he calls out to the second, "Who
are you?"
     The first man speaks through his mask, "I was hired by someone who shall remain
nameless to assassinate Naitsuu Hachimonguu."
     "What?" Naitsuu says surprised.
     The second man says, "I am the prince and guardian of the Ankh ship. These people do
not seem harmful, but you do. You must not leave here."
     The second man charges at the ninja with his two-handed sword. The ninja does a
backflip while sheathing his sword. He tosses blinding powder into the second man's face. He
then hurls a giant kunai at Aritsune for interfering before he leaves the room.
     Aritsune is frozen where she stands as the throwing knife nears her. Keiji suddenly jumps
in front of her. He screams as the knife cuts into his back and pierces his heart. Keiji falls into
Amdare grasp. She slowly brings him to the ground with a small pool of blood forming around
him, she kneels beside him holding his hands. 
     "No, you can't leave me now," says Aritsune through her tears.
     "I am sorry," Aritsune says while wiping a tear from her cheek just as another one slides
down.
     "You can't die!" Aritsune half shouts while being choked by tears.
     "I'm sorry," says Keiji as his voice starts fading away. His hand falls to the ground limply
as his struggle to breath can be heard by all around him. He closes his eyes as Aritsune draws
near. He gives her one final kiss. Aritsune brings her head up as Keiji opens his eyes once more
and he tries to say, "I love..." but then he closes his eyes as his head falls to one side. Aritsune
starts crying, placing her head on his and her hands which are resting on his chest. She talks to
herself, "No, no, this can not be happening. No."
     The group stays silently watching. Naitsuu stands and walks over to Aritsune, placing his
hand on her back. She looks up a him and says, "Now what am I suppose to do?"
     Naitsuu answer as best he can in a quiet voice, "You come with your friends and
complete the mission we set out on."
     "But I can't," she says crying more and looking back at Keiji's lifeless face. "Not without
him."
     Naitsuu kneels by her side and says, "Think. Keiji would not forget if you were the one
who died, but he would continue on. Be strong, for him."
     Aritsune reluctantly nods wiping away her tears while she takes off Keiji's jacket and
places it as a shroud over the top part of his body. Naitsuu helps her stand up while she chokes
back more tears. With arm around her shoulders, Naitsuu helps her turn and face the group, head
down. Naitsuu hands Aritsune over to Akari.
     Naitsuu turns to talk to the second man. The second man is a slight bit taller than
Naitsuu. He wears a chain around his neck, with a blue pendant on it. He also wears a chain, a
sort of crown, around his forehead that has an ankh pendant that dangle on his right side of his
face in front of his ear. He also carries a large two-handed sword that has two points along it's
blades with an inscription that acts as a blood groove.
     "Thank you for your help," Naitsuu calmly says.
     "I am sorry for the fate that has happened to your friend."
     Naitsuu looks to the ground. He says, "We came looking for a ship."
     "What is your purpose for it?" the man asks.
     "We need a ship so that we may rally up the people of the space colonies against the
empire."
     "Well, that is it's purpose. How can I trust you?"
     "I do not know. Can you?"
     The man stares at Naitsuu and his crew. The man takes off his chain crown and grabs
Naitsuu's hand. He places the pendant part in Naitsuu's palm and closes it.
     "This will start the ship. I will accompany you to make sure you are what you say."
     Naitsuu looks up surprised. "You trust us so readily?"
     "You seem pure of heart. I trust your words, now uphold them The ship lies after the next
door."
     The group turns and looks at the door. Munenori opens it and they see a relatively large
ship.
     "Wow!" Munenori exclaims.
     The man continues, "She can best be considered an H class ship."
     "Up to 240 people?" Naitsuu questions.
     "No, it goes up to 160 people, but it is run with as little as three people. At least half of
the 160 is through transportation," the man answers. "She was built to be a multipurpose fighter
and transport."
     The group piles into the new ankh class ship.
     The cockpit keeps the same general idea as their previous ship. There are two lower seats
which Munenori and Aritsune take. Then there are there is a captain's seat. On another slightly
raised level are six more seats. Three on each side.
     "This ship has six aether chemical guns. Three on either side."
     Akari sits by the first gun on the right side. Naitsuu and the man stare at each other.
     Naitsuu speaks, "You give us control of this ship, yet we do not even know you're
name."
     "My name is Quitus Festinius Lutherius."
     "Okay."
     Naitsuu looks at the captain's chair.
     "Who is going to be captain?"
     Quintus Festinius Lutherius sits by a gun and says, "I am just here to make sure you use
the ship right. This is not my mission."
     Naitsuu looks at the captain's seat again and says, "Keiji acted as captain on our old
ship." 
     The crew bows their heads and Chuuwa howls. The amplitude of Keiji's death has finally
sunk in fully into Naitsuu's mind. He is just about to break down when he gets a friendly tug on
the arm. He turns and sees Akari smiling at him.
     She says, "Naitsuu-sama. This is your mission."
     Naitsuu smiles back and sits in the captain's seat. He stares around at his crew which are
staring back at him.
     "Chuuwa's howl reminded me of something. He does not have a master now," Naitsuu
says. He looks at Munenori thinking about how much he has spent with the haburi kedemonos as
of late. Then he looks at Aritsune who Keiji use to protect as Chuuwa tried to protect him.
Naitsuu announces, "Both Aritsune and Munenori will be Chuuwa's master. Munenori deserves
a haburi kedemono as he has taken care of them. But Aritsune has had trouble with protecting
herself, she needs a guardian in Chuuwa."
     The crew seems to agree with Naitsuu. Chuuwa walks over and places his head in
Aritsune's lap while whimpering. Aritsune smiles at the husky and pats his head. Natsuu knows
that Aritsune and Chuuwa will keep each other company.
     "Okay, everyone. Time for our next stop," Naitsuu announces. "I feel like visiting
someplace more like Earth. Let us go to Transmuted Venus."
     Aritsune brings up the map and punches in the code. A computerized female voice
announces, "Course set. Transmuted Venus."
     The new ship blasts out of an opening very powerfully. They set out for Transmuted
Venus.