Nominated for TWO (2) Comic Book Fan Fiction Award
(http://www.subreality.com/cfan/cbffa/cbffa_vote.htm)! You know what to do...

Disclaimer: This story features Superman, which is a trademark of DC Comics, and the cast of the Tenchi Muyo! OAV series, which is a trademark of AIC/Pioneer LDC, Inc. This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made off this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don't archive it without my permission. Don't be shy.

Continuity Note: This story takes place between ACTION COMICS #773 and SUPERMAN v. 2 #165. And it also takes place some time after OAV Episode #13.

I Promise It'll Work This Time:
https://www.angelfire.com/md2/firebird308/index.html
Yeah, that's the link I've been trying to put up for the last three chapters. Will it work this time? Well, if it doesn't you can always go to http://www.subreality.com/cfan/cbffa/cbffa_vote.htm and follow the link from there, eh?


Original Tenchi Muyo! concept by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi
Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster


The Inhuman Condition: 20
THE WORLD OF JURAI

by Mike Smith


The local Fuel'n'Leave Station on Birn IV. The ship's power supply wasn't compatible with the fusionable materials offered inside, but everyone needed a bathroom break, and Washuu had thirty minutes to kill refitting the engine.

"You should be helping Washuu, apprentice!" Shoulderbot "A" scolded. It quickly disappeared before a hand could dart out and grasp it.

"Very very tardy of you! Downright naughty!" Shoulderbot "B" rebuked. Different hand, same result.

He sipped his coffee and sighed. This was Steel. He was presently on a mission to find Superman that involved taking on an apprenticeship under the alien scientist Washuu. Once when he was in college, one of his professors asked him to watch his five year old son for twenty minutes. Towards the end, he wound up running around with the boy riding on his shoulders and slapping him on the head like a horse.

"Hold real still, Boilerplate. They can hide in those subspace portals, but they have to come out sometime." This was Ryoko. Her game was trying to catch the pair of mechanical synchophants Washuu had installed into his armor. On the bright side, at least she had a stronger bladder than that kid.

Swipe, swipe, sip. Swipe, sip, swipe. He leaned back against the wall of the convenience store and tried to pretend that the coffee was relaxing him somehow. "Y'know, I don't care for them either, but you don't see me getting uptight about it," he offered.

"Way I understand it, you took these two down in one fell swoop without even trying," Ryoko said. "I'm impressed. These things don't go down easy--damn... so close--let's just say that's not the first Shoulderbot 'A'."

Part of the arrangement was that Steel help Washuu save Ryoko while they were at it. This should have been pretty simple, since she and Superman were together when they went missing, but things hadn't worked out that way. Still, it might have been nice to see something... anything that might make it look like he'd done either of them a favor. "So glad I could be of service," he muttered.

"You don't like me, do you?"

"What makes you say that?" Steel asked.

"You met Washuu first. Cowboy didn't like me much at first either. But I'm whatcha call irrepressible, so they all come around eventually. Now Tenchi, he met me first, and he LOVES me. Honest. People meet Washuu first, then they see me, they freak out. 'What the hell is that?! She doesn't even need to use the restroom? Washuu must be INSANE!' Am I close?"

"Not close enough to hurt your feelings, but close enough that I won't insult you by trying to deny it," Steel nodded.

"Uh-huh. I can become intangible... used the Men's Room, so don't be _too_ creeped out. See, you meet Washuu first and then you think of me as Science Gone Wrong. That's not me. I just wanna make sure you understand that."

"Loud and clear."

"We only met like a year ago. I can see it in your eyes. You're like Superman all over again. Looking for a fairy tale ending or something. Well, that's just not how it works. Thanks, anyway," Ryoko smirked.

"I guess I can live with that," Steel shrugged. "And I guess it explains why her main concern was making sure you didn't fall into the wrong hands or anything."

"She said that?"

"Something to that effect," Steel admitted.

"Heh. She really said that, huh? That's pretty cool. Nice to see it sinking in... You're OK, Boilerplate."

"Do you have to keep calling me that?" Steel asked.

"Hey, Superman gave you that cape, right? And Washuu gave you those stupid robots. I'm not much of a 'giver'. Besides, I left all my Ryoko decoder rings at home."

"Right. Whatever."

"You think he's OK?" Ryoko asked. "I mean, you know him better than me."

"I've seen the kinds of thing this Legion is capable of. Superman's handled worse in his time. He may be in bad shape right now, but he'll be all right. Trust me."

"Yeah... I guess so..." Ryoko mumbled.


This is the craziest thing I've ever done. People are screaming and flailing their hands up in the air. It's astonishing... just that moment of anticipation... and then it happens. Freefall.

"I! Will! Never! Get! Tired! Of THIS!" the lady to my left screams. She's grabbing the guardrail with all her might and gasping for breath as we dive a hundred feet straight down, rattling in time with the wheels of our carriage as they glide along the track.

And then, just when it seems like the descent will never end, we pull up at the last possible second and roll through a series of twists and turns that would impress even the hardiest flying ace. I should know. I can fly, and I'm impressed.

After about five more minutes, we pull into the station and disembark. Funaho's there waiting for us on a nearby bench. "I don't know which one of you is more silly," she laughs. "But I'll let the photos tell the story."

She hands us each a copy of a picture recorded while we were on the ride, and Misaki starts giggling. "Komorebi, you look as if you were bored! Then again, I suppose even the tallest roller coaster on the planet wouldn't hold that much thrill for someone like you, hmm?"

She's half right. A crowd of people passes by and some of them stop and stare at the three of us, maybe paying their respects to the ladies or trying to figure out who I am to be hanging out with them. And I realize that I must have the same look on my face as I did on the coaster. "Not at all, Lady Misaki," I tell her. "I was just... taking it all in."

"The view is quite lovely that high up, from what I understand," Misaki says with a smile. "I'm usually too busy screaming to notice, myself."

I shake my head, and for the fifth time this morning I thank whatever force must have made it possible for me to be delivered to this place... my home. "No," I tell her. "I was talking about the people. The planet... everything."


It's called Revelry. It's the biggest amusement park on a planet known for its great amusement parks. Juraian culture is based heavily on trees. They're used as spaceships, computers, robots. A person with a background in their technology is called a sculptor, as opposed to the engineers and smithies of outworlder civilizations. Small wonder that the people of this world would devote their recreational efforts toward something that uses a perfect fusion of woodworking and skillful design like roller coasters.

And it's a small wonder that the First Lady of Jurai would pick this place to begin our tour of the planet. Her planet. Ours. I'm still trying to get used to that.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

I force myself to stop daydreaming and realize Funaho's speaking to me. "Ah... yeah," I answer. "Was it like this for you when you first lived on Jurai?"

"Something along those lines," she says. Misaki would bring me out here sometimes when I would grow homesick for the Earth. It's one of her favorite places. She thought it might help you feel a little less alone yourself."

"Hmmph. It's certainly good for that. There must be half a million people here today!"

"Well, it's off-season, so attendance is a little light this time of year," Misaki explains as she arrives back at our bench with some sort of sugary confection. She pulls off a piece and hands it to me. "Frosted Cloud-Wisps," she calls it. "It's very good. It used to be all I could do to keep Ayeka from filling up on these things..."

The three of us kind of fall silent after that, and I don't think it's the food. That's what puts it into perspective for me. Here I am after all these years of being an alien--a strange visitor to other planets--and I've finally found home. But Funaho's lived here longer than I've been alive, and she's not even FROM this planet! And both of them have children living somewhere far away... all grown up I guess. They try not to let it show, but I can tell they miss their kids. Kind of strange, really. Two queens in the most joyful place in their whole kingdom, and yet they still can't quite forget the one thing they can't have. For all my power, I should try to do something, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what--!

"So tell us about yourself, Komorebi," Misaki says, breaking the silence. "Lord Fudou already explained that you were sent out into space from Jurai when you were only a baby, but we barely know anything about your life before we met you."

"Well... of course, I don't remember a lot of the details myself!" I explain. "But between what I still remember and what Fudou and I managed to piece together since he found me, I can say that I spent most of my life wandering beyond the farthest reaches of Juraian space. I grew up on the agricultural hubworld known as The K'ann Z'ass, where an elderly couple raised me as their own and helped me learn how to integrate with society in spite of my powers... As I understand it, between my genetically altered body and being separated from the life extending techniques of Jurai, I grew to maturity much faster than a typical Juraian would. According to Fudou, I'm younger than your daughter Sasami, and she's still a child! But around the time I reached manhood, my parents died, and I was left to find my own fate in the universe."

"What did you do?" Funaho asks.

"I wandered from planet to planet, mostly," I tell her. "Sometimes I would use my powers in secret. Other times I wouldn't reveal I had any powers at all, trying to find a place for myself among the indigenous peoples of the places I visited. Occasionally, I would work in the open, and people would treat me like a legendary hero. 'Faster than a bolt of lightning! More powerful than the pounding surf! Able to soar higher than any plane!' That was what some people used to say about me, I think. What I'm sure of is that I never really stayed in one place for too long."

"Why not?"

"When I was old enough to understand, my adoptive parents showed me the wreckage of the vessel that had brought me to their world. My name was written on the craft in several interstellar languages, but there were a few they'd never seen before. They named me accordingly, in honor of whoever had sent the ship to their world. And I've always thought of it as my responsibility to find out just where it was I came from. And so sooner or later I'd find myself wandering to somewhere else, trying to carry on the search. I guess if anyone ever did recognize me as Juraian, they'd have rejected that possibility because of my powers..."

"So that was why you were floating in the remains of that ship," Misaki concludes. "You must have hitched a ride with them to some new place."

"Maybe... I remember an explosion, but I can't recall what caused it. As I understand it, I was outside the ship when it blew, so I may have been trying to fix it when it happened. It's frustrating! I've finally found what I've been looking for my whole life, and now I've lost everything else!"

I clench my fists so tightly that I'm actually shaking when Funaho puts her hand on my shoulder. "It's all right, Komorebi. Your memory will return eventually. In the meantime you shouldn't try to force it." I turn to look at her and I see something about her hazel eyes tells me she can relate to what I'm going through. "Besides," she adds. "we have a busy day ahead of us and a lot more places to visit... if you're feeling up to it, that is."

"You're right, of course," I say, trying to prepare myself for what we're about to do next. "I think it's time we got going."

"Everything will be fine," Misaki assures me as we get up to head for the transport. "You're just tense from all the deep-seated emotions you're facing in all of this. Trust me, you've loosened up a lot since that duel yesterday afternoon. By the end of it you were almost enjoying it as much as Asuza was!"

I shake my head at this. Almost as soon as we got to planet Jurai, the King rushed me to the palace and ordered me to compete. Everything was ready on the spot, as if he had prepared it all in advance in anticipation of my arrival. "I still don't get it," I say to the queens. "What was the purpose of all that, anyway?"

They give me no reply, save for a knowing glance to one another which tells me that they know far more about it than they're willing to admit. They seemed to take a perverse pleasure in keeping it a secret from me, much the same way they neglected to tell my opponent what he was up against that day...


"I think you'll like this last part the best. I know it's my favorite--"

Asuza waved his hand and suddenly the musical accompaniment died down and the colored lights that had heralded the other man's entrance gave way to the more conventional ambiance of the palace gymnasium. The man called Seriyou pouted a little at this, but the confident look in his eye never wavered.

On the other side of the room, Komorebi stood with his hands hanging palms outward. "Your Majesty, I still don't understand all of this. I don't even own a sword!"

Asuza rolled his eyes and took a seat at the bleachers beside his wives. "Give me strength..." he muttered under his breath. "Komorebi, take a look outside the window. What do you see?"

The blue-haired man looked up at the sky through the large opening on the far wall and shrugged his shoulders. "Clear skies, nice sunny day, Sire. You couldn't ask for better weather."

"Yes, and the reason I can't is because increasing the temperature any higher would upset the climatalogical control system for the entire planet," Asuza explained in irritation. "I control everything that goes on on this world, Komorebi. If I want you to have a sword, you'll have a sword." And to illustrate his point, he gestured to a small robot towing a shining blade as it floated over to Komorebi's right.

"I'll give him credit," Seriyou taunted from the other side of the court. "He's got an excellent physique, but not a lot upstairs if you catch my meaning... but then, that's hardly unexpected considering his upbringing."

Komorebi shot the other man an annoyed look and returned his attention to Asuza. "That's not what I'm getting at," he protested, taking the sword from the robot and shooing it away. "I don't own a sword because I wouldn't know the first thing about using one! And now you want me to face the greatest swordsman on Jurai in a duel?"

"I wouldn't give Seriyou that much credit," Misaki chuckled.

"Now, now," Funaho shushed her. "He does have the home-field advantage this time."

"Alas, your words touch my gentle soul, simple bumpkin!" Seriyou said eloquently. "And yet, for all my skill comes a terrible price, for in all my years I have yet to meet an opponent truly worthy of facing me!" He put a delicate hand to his bright pink locks and sighed. "Still, I shall try to make the experience worthwhile for you. After all, this must be a great honor for you indeed..."

"Fella, I'm starting to think you don't like me," Komorebi grumbled. "Your Majesty, someone could get hurt from all of this. I really wish you'd reconsider--"

"Enough delay," Asuza snapped. "Komorebi, if you wish to live among the people of Jurai then you will have to learn to abide by our ways. Begin."

Komorebi noticed Lord Fudou standing in the doorway as he turned away from the monarch, but that moment of hesitation was apparently all the opening Seriyou needed, and in seconds the lithe Juraian had already struck the edge of Komorebi's sword with his own.

"You said you were inexperienced in the art of swordfighting, stranger!" Seriyou scoffed as he exerted additional pressure against Komorebi's sword. "I suppose I have time to give you your first lesson! For one thing... it takes more than mere strength... to keep hold of your blade!"

He suddenly flipped his sword around and bumped Komorebi's face with the hilt. The momentary distraction was all Seriyou needed to strike his opponent's sword once more and knock it free of his grasp while he had momentarily relaxed his grip.

Both of them watched as Komorebi's sword went tumbling to the ground with a clang and slid a few inches across the smooth hardwood floor. Komorebi looked off at Fudou who made no motion to acknowledge his situation, then back at Seriyou's arrogant smile to see what would happen next.

"As this is merely a friendly competition arranged by His Majesty," he proclaimed, "I see no harm in ending this with merely the flat of my blade. I sincerely hope the headache you wake up with will serve to motivate you in later training--!"

And with that, he struck him across the side of his head with his weapon.

And it shattered into seven or eight fragments upon impact.

Seriyou looked at the broken end of his sword and gasped in horror. "I... I don't understand!"

"Tsk, tsk," Komorebi smirked. "You can imagine how confused a simple country bumpkin like me must feel, then!"

"Who--WHAT is this creature?" Seriyou demanded, looking back to the bleachers in shock. "Begging Their Highness' pardon, but if this is some sort of practical joke--"

"I believe the duel was to be fought under submission rules," Asuza stated firmly. "Unless you are giving up now, I suggest you keep your eye on your opponent."

"I--I--!" Seriyou stammered. He looked back at Komorebi and watched him cross his arms casually.

"Shall we continue, then?" he asked.

"No--! I mean, wait right there! I need to replace my damaged weapon!" Seriyou quickly rushed to the other side of the gym where another small robot was floating with a carrying case of some sort. Seriyou slapped the robot across it's wooden exterior and grabbed the case from its tentacles, rummaging through its contents like a man possessed. "Oh, you may have fooled me earlier, stranger!" he gloated, "but now that I have the full measure of your strength, I can compose the final symphony of your demise!"

"Ho-hum," Komorebi scoffed. "I'm still waiting for that fencing lesson you promised me!

At last Seriyou produced the weapon he was looking for. It was another sword, only this one was composed of a dull red colored metal. "Heilzen!" Seriyou shouted. "Not the ultra-pure grade found in the more exquisite swords of bygone ages, but rest assured, the purity of this alloy is more than enough to carve that simpering smile from your face!"

"First symphonies, now metallurgy," Komorebi mocked. "All this hot air is making me sleepy."

Seriyou whimpered in frustration and ran headlong into his opponent, slashing wildly at him with the crimson sword. Komorebi simply ducked and sidestepped his attacks, until finally Seriyou managed to stab him squarely in the chest. This time the sword didn't break.

It bent.

"Y'know, I really hope you don't expect me to pay for all this," Komorebi said pleasantly as Seriyou examined his ruined blade. "I mean, none of this was my idea, you know. Maybe we should pack it in before any more expensive equipment gets damaged, hmm?"

"I--I can't believe this," Seriyou squeaked in amazement. "My finest swords... and they don't even pierce his--AAAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!"

His panicked chatter was cut off as Komorebi lifted him by his pantaloons and started swinging him around in a circle. "What are you DOING!?" he screamed in terror.

"I thought we'd go for a sudden death round," Komorebi explained. They began to pick up speed until all the spectators could see was a blur. "First one to say 'Uncle' loses. I don't know about you, but I could go on like this all day!"

"You--you monster! You've simply made a mockery of the gentlemen's art of dueling! P-put me down this instant!"

"What's that you say?"

"I YIIIIEEEELLLLD!"

"Come again?"

"UNNNNNCLLLLLE!"

And finally they began to slow down, until they had stopped completely. Komorebi dropped him to the ground like an old piece of luggage. "Satisfied?" he asked.

"Very much so," Asuza said, a wide grin forming under his thick purple facial hair. "I congratulate you, Komorebi. You not only possess great physical power, but you know how to use it in combat. And equally important, you know how not to use it. A lesser man might not have shown such restraint in the face of Seriyou's conceit."

"Mater...?" Seriyou croaked weakly. "I fear I'm about to make a mess on the good carpet..."

"He's not a bad man," Komorebi said. "And the rules only said I had to get him to give up, not hurt him. Now if I take him down a peg or two in the process... well, I think he can stand it."

Now Fudou finally approached the bleachers to speak with Asuza. "Your Majesty, I was told you wished to speak with me?"

"Yes..." Asuza confirmed as he twirled the edge of his mustache thoughtfully. "Lord Fudou, I have a further application of Lord Komorebi's abilities, but I wish to make certain that there will be no possibility of interference."

"Interference?" Komorebi asked. "Sire, I still don't understand all this. What is it you want me to do?"

"Soon enough, my boy," Asuza muttered. "You'll both learn the answer to that in good time..."


Something about that comment convinced me that there wouldn't be much point in pressing the issue. Let it come to light when he's good and ready. Right now, I have more important things on my mind.

The field of trees before us isn't like any other on the planet. Each and every one of them are the same species, the same age, and planted in the same precise grid pattern across the ground. Other than the occasional maintenance robot tending the grounds, and a handful of other visitors scattered across the forest, we're all alone here.

It's called Memento, Jurai's memorial to the people who died when the space pirate Ryoko invaded the planet seven hundred years ago. To commemorate their dead, the Juraians spent years gathering and identifying the casualties and marking their graves with a tree. Each tree is equipped with a small holographic projection that lists the name of the person it represents. Of course, for some, no body was recovered, and their tree is all that remains to signify their lives.

For the capital of one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy, devastation on this scale is rare, and when it does happen, it leaves a deep and lasting scar among the people for centuries to come. Case in point: When it was discovered that one of the names in this place was still alive, the King of Jurai himself went to investigate the matter personally.

And when I learned that it was here my biological parents were laid to rest, I made it a point to come here and pay my respects. Funaho and Misaki had offered to let me spend some time here alone, but now that I'm here, I'm glad I asked them to stay.

"We're not sure what to do about it," Misaki says solemnly. It's strange seeing her without a smile on her face. "I can only imagine how unsettling it must be for you."

"No... it's actually rather comforting in a way," I tell her. I should have expected there to be a plot for me, since I was presumed dead following the invasion, but I guess I was too occupied with the idea of my parents. "Somehow, it feels almost familiar... visiting my own grave like this. After all, cheating death had become something of a theme in my life. If it could be arranged... I'd like to leave this the way it is. It's kind of a testament to what they did for me, you know?"

"I think that would be for the best," Funaho concurs.

"No, what's really strange to me is this," I explain, pointing at the graves on either side of my own. "I've always thought of them as such abstract concepts. To actually BE here like this, it forces me to acknowledge them as real people. Did either of you know them?"

"We met a few times," Misaki says after a moment of consideration. "Your family had been one of the more prestigious on Jurai, partly because of your father's background in the sciences. They were nice... I visited them in the hospital a few days after you were born, actually. They were so proud of you, Komorebi. I suppose we had no idea..."

I can tell what she's trying to avoid. After all, if anyone on Jurai had really known what they were up to, my parents would probably have been arrested for unauthorized experimentation. I've always wondered about the kind of man my father was, to love his son yet go to such extreme lengths to save his life. To genetically alter his only son the way he did... did he somehow know Ryoko was coming? And if he didn't, then why make me the way I am? And while I may never know for sure, I can at least hope that he rests a little easier now that I've come circle and proven his efforts weren't in vain.

And somehow, that brings me back to Funaho. Because while my parents had worked to save me from Ryoko's onslaught, Funaho's son was the one who put a stop to it altogether. Everyone on this planet literally owes their lives to Prince Yosho--perhaps including myself, since there's no telling how far my escape craft would have gotten if he hadn't kept the demon occupied. His was almost the reverse of my story. He acted of his own accord, and despite his success in driving the monster off, he never came back.

"May I ask you a personal question?" I ask her.

"I suppose," she says in response.

"Like I told you before, I've never stayed in one place for very long," I begin. "I've always felt out of place, like an outsider looking in. Even here, my powers set me apart from the others. I was just wondering... How do you do it? How have you lived on another world for so long?"

A slight smile grows on her face. "You hear that, sis?" she quips to Misaki. "He really is a true son of Jurai."

"I didn't mean to offend--" I offer quickly, trying to extricate myself from the situation, but her smile broadens at this.

"It's all right, Komorebi. It's just that people have been asking me that for centuries. Of course, billions of Juraians live on other worlds throughout the galaxy, but the ones who live here feel it's only right and natural for everyone to live on his or her own home planet. I've never seen it that way. For one thing, I married the King of Jurai, and my place is by his side, of course. There's that above all else. And like you, Komorebi, I am unique among other humans. Living here and having access to Jurai's advanced scientific practices, I've been able to survive well beyond the normal lifespan of an Earthling. I have visited Earth on more than one occasion, and each time the people and the cultures look less and less like the world I knew. I don't think I'd know what to do with myself if I were to stay there. And so I've come to think of this as where I belong."

"I see..."

"No, you don't," she says candidly. "You've grown up as a wanderer. Tell me the truth, Komorebi. You've spent your whole life waiting for this moment and now what? A pair of graves and a pat on the back from the king. You thought it was as simple as putting a pair of clean socks in the right drawer, but even now you're not sure what to do next. You've seen what this world has to offer, and you're impressed--impressed and proud to be a part of it. But it's not a home to you--not yet. Something's missing, and you'll never be satisfied here until you find it."

I don't know what to say. I look to Misaki and she holds out her hands in resignation. "She has a way of doing that with people. Cuts right to the point."

"In that case," I sigh nervously, "what might you suggest?"

"I want to show you something," she offers.


Just looking at Jurai, you might assume the whole planet is covered with plant life and an occasional smattering of populated areas here and there. At first glance, you'd figure it was a primitive world whose civilization hadn't even discovered electricity, let alone hyperluminous propulsion.

Inside one of their research and development facilities, however, and you begin to see just what it is that put a Jurai flag on every planet in this part of space with an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. Like any building on Jurai, it looks unassuming on the outside with its stone walls lightly coated with moss. Inside... it's a miracle.

I look up at what must be hundreds of floating platforms scattered throughout the edifice, and each one holds a tree. Some are older than others, but they're all fairly young-looking as far as I can tell. Of course, the platforms were all designed for much larger trees, which leaves plenty of room for technicians and the equipment they set up to perform their work.

"And that work is learning as much as they can about the royal trees in order to find ways to make them even more effective than they already are," Funaho explains to me.

It's a scary thought, to be honest. It's the royal trees that comprise the backbone of Jurai's military. Royal trees are sentient, granted intelligence and awesome power by the original royal tree Tsunami. Fully grown and properly nurtured, any one of these trees could be converted into a powerful starship. The Lighthawk Wing defenses and self-aware computer banks would be unbeatable enough in a fight, and Juraians want to make them even stronger! All of this makes the name of this place, "Nursery", that much more of an understatement.

Joining us is the head sculptor of Nursery, a man called Hidemi. I can tell by the look on his face that he's not comfortable giving guided tours of such a classified area, but given how quickly Funaho and Misaki arranged to bring me down here it's clear that he's gone through this before. "Naturally, royal trees didn't always grow in platforms like the ones you see here," he explains. "It was about fourteen thousand years ago that Juraians figured out that space-trees would possess a greater navigational prowess if they spent their entire lives suspended in mid-air. And so we eventually developed the platforms to provide a completely self-sufficient environment for the seedlings."

"Necessity is the mother of invention, huh?" I say breathlessly. I don't really know how to react to all this, or even why they wanted me to see it, but somehow I think they don't expect me to.

"I was wondering, Hidemi," Misaki asks him. "What's been the latest challenge you folks have been working on here? As I understand it, the latest reports say that Jurai's military is currently enjoying a tactical advantage over most of our enemies. Is there anything left for Nursery to improve?"

"Sad as it is to say," Hidemi explained, "Biological weapons are the fleet's greatest weakness. It's widely known that Jurai ships are sentient and communicate with each other using chemical and genetic analysis. Enemy factions--especially those who employ more conventional vessels--have learned that while their technology might not be able to destroy a space-tree, they can find ways to make them sick or infect them with parasitic agents. And since they take so long to manufacture, and since the crews feel so strongly about their safety, that's often enough to force a Jurai ship to withdraw. We're trying to find ways to improve the trees' natural immune systems to counteract this sort of thing."

"Interesting," Misaki nods. "You know, that sounds similar to the work you had to do to bond Funaho's tree to her."

"As a matter of fact," Hidemi adds, "That research with Lady Funaho is proving invaluable to our work on this problem. And if our efforts bear fruit, the same techniques that allow the trees to recognize and respond to her human physiology will be able to classify and assess the damage done by a space-borne designer microbe. Errr... not to draw an unfavorable comparison of course, Lady Funaho..."

"No, I understand your meaning," Funaho says with a smirk to the sculptor. "And I'm glad that I could help your work in some small way. After all, the advancements made here are what determine the future of Jurai."

I'm about to ask what Funaho wanted me to see here, when a servitor robot flies over to interrupt our conversation. "Mr. Hidemi!" it cries. "Your presence is urgently requested in the special care unit! Protocol R-22 has been enacted!"

"R-22?" Hidemi asks with a bewildered look on his face. "Damn! I'm on my way! Please attend to Ladies Misaki and Funaho and their guest in the meantime." And as he rushes off--

"Komorebi, what did you think of this place?" Funaho asks.

"Beautiful," I reply. "Frightening. All this science and technology being used to make already powerful weapons even stronger... Is THIS why you choose to live on Jurai? Because of its power?"

"Hardly," she says sternly. "In fact I brought you here to break down the idea that Jurai is an unstoppable juggernaut in the universe. Our ships will never be absolutely invincible, and our people will always have to contend with a new enemy. That's just the way it is, both here and anywhere else in the galaxy. I come here to remind myself of that, and to remind myself of what I can do to help."

"Help?" I ask her.

"When I first came to Jurai as the emperor's wife, he made no secret of where I came from. But as time went on it became a political liability, so he took steps to... gloss over my true nature. Not cover it up, mind you. It was already well known that he'd taken an alien as his wife, but after many centuries he'd managed to make it less obvious so it wouldn't be such a problem. And of course, my end of that effort was to assimilate with the culture as best I could. I wasn't always easy, but I like to think I've fit in as well as I can."

Misaki takes me by the arm and draws me towards her. "She wasn't nearly so proper and composed when she found out Jurai custom allowed the emperor to take a second wife, but otherwise it was a smooth transition. In fact, there's only a handful of people on this planet who understand that Funaho is an Earthling. Most of them are either stuffy old politicians with long memories, or technical people like Hidemi who had to get full disclosure so they could outfit her with all the privileges of a Juraian Royal."

"That still doesn't answer my question," I argue. "For that matter, how can you stand being here if it's such a struggle?"

"Because it IS a struggle, Komorebi," she answers. "Asuza knew Jurai was too insular, too wary of other species. But he moved too fast in trying to counteract that. I've been carrying on ever since, trying to find my own way, setting the precedents that would hopefully make it easier for others. You've seen this world as the final destination, Komorebi. But for me, it's the beginning of my journey, and that's what's made it home. And any small thing I can do for Jurai--whether it's helping them re-evaluate their technology by changing the perspective, or gaining the acceptance of two or three people at a time, or being here to help you come to terms with what you are--that's what makes it all worth it. I've found my purpose, and even though it's cut me off from other humans, it's fulfilled my human nature. Does that make sense?"

"I... I think so," I say slowly. "But if what you're saying is true, then it's possible that I shouldn't even stay here at all... that my place is somewhere else altogether."

"It might be. As I said before, you're missing something. Until you find out what it is, and where it is, you'll never be certain."

And I start to think about what she's saying. There's a real seed of truth in what she's talking about, and I wonder if it was her convicting words that had made me so nervous about her. I've been trying to see this as the end of my long search and here she stands, everything about her defying the logic behind my motivations. And even if it means abandoning the prize after everything I've been through, I can't ignore that she's right. Something is missing, and I can feel its absence deep in my heart of hearts, even though I have no idea what it is. And just when I feel as if I've almost put my finger on it--

"Madams! Sir! I have received reports that Protocol R-22 has been upgraded to critical! I must urge you to seek shelter in the sub-levels of this structure!"

"Great Scott!" I shout, frustrated that the robot's cut off my train of thought. "What is this R-22, and why is it so blasted important?"

"It's the code for a Juraian vessel on a crash course with the planet," Misaki says, snapping her fingers. "I've been trying to remember since he brought it up, but it's been so long since it's been used..."

"Crash?" Funaho asks. "The Shimosato is scheduled to return here today following a long tour of duty, but there hasn't been a crash landing on Jurai since the Ryoko incident! And before that I can't remember how long ago it would have been!"

"Never mind the history lesson!" I say brusquely, grabbing the robot by its flanks. "It's happening now, and there's a protocol for dealing with it! What's being done?"

"Please, sir!" it squawks as I shake it. "Protocol R-22 states that if the vessel cannot be righted before it reaches the surface then a series of rescue crews will attempt to salvage the craft after impact. Said impact to take place in a close proximity to this location, and therefore I advise we seek shelter immediately--"

"Shelter nothing!" I yell, slapping the robot aside. "There are innocent crewmen aboard that ship! This is a job for-- for--! Well, I've got to DO something!"

"Komorebi, I know this is hard, but you have to let the proper authorities handle this," Misaki objects. "They're trained to deal with this sort of catastrophe. Besides, what can even YOU do?"

She puts her hand on my arm to stop me, but I shrug it off and head for the nearest door. "You'd be surprised," I tell her, and before they can object, I'm already on my way.


The local Fuel 'n' Leave station on Birn IV. The convenience store, to be specific.

"Oooh, Ayeka, these look delicious! Would you buy me one of these?"

She shook her head and something deep inside her cringed as she heard her mother's voice come out of her mouth. "Sasami put those down!" she commanded quietly but harshly.

"Aw, I'll pay you back when we get back to Earth," Sasami offered sweetly. "Pleeeeeeease? I haven't had anything to eat since Legion captured us."

"And that is the point, Sasami," Ayeka harumphed. "You went with Mr. Kal-El to Tribunal World after I had expressly forbidden you to go. I told you it was dangerous, and did you listen? Of course not. Instead, you worried me half to death and if it not for Mr. Steel and Mr. Cogito's kindness an empty stomach would be the least of your worries. You shouldn't have done such a thing, Sasami. And I refuse to buy you candy after all the embarrassment you've put me through."

"You bought Mihoshi candy..." Sasami pouted.

"To show my appreciation for looking after you on Tribunal World," Ayeka countered. "If not for her you might not be alive right now."

"Ryoko said it was the other way around," Sasami giggled. "So really, you should be glad I went with them!"

Ayeka rolled her eyes at this. "No. Candy. Sasami. If you like Ryoko's version so much then maybe you should ask her to steal some for you," she scoffed. "Assuming she hasn't already--"

"Something wrong?"

Ayeka looked up with a start in the direction of the cashier. She had been trying to keep her discussion with her little sister discrete, and the sudden interruption from the shopkeeper made her heart skip a beat. Before she could respond to him, however, she found that he was talking to someone else.

"Stubby..." Cogito whimpered as he passed the cashier on his way out of the restroom.

"I take it you don't have a force field generator set up between the interior walls of this place," Tenchi asked as he followed close behind the man from X'vyv'x.

"Nah," the cashier replied. "Setup like that's just too expensive for a place like this. How'd you know?"

"Oh... just a guess," he muttered, grabbing Cogito by the arm and leading him over to Ayeka and Sasami before he wandered into a magazine stand.

"Is everything all right, Lord Tenchi?" Ayeka asked him.

"Ah--no, no!" he said. "I mean, everything's fine, really."

"I'm barely four and a half feet tall!" Cogito grumbled. "What did she expect to see? Not that it's any of her business anyway--such deplorable conduct, Lord Tenchi..."

"So! How's Washuu coming with the ship?" he asked quickly.

"She said it would be done momentarily," Ayeka replied. "She also told me that Ryo-Oh-Ki's fix on Kal-El's location is beginning to waver, but we're close enough now that we should find him before she loses his scent, so to speak."

"Yeah, it's a good thing Ryoko knew about this place or we'd have had to turn back by now," Tenchi nodded. "Hopefully we can find Superman soon and this'll all be over."

"I hope so," Ayeka sighed. "I'm not thrilled with the idea of us wandering about outside of Jurai space. If this is a trap of some kind, we would be very vulnerable out here--"

"I thought you people looked familiar!" Ayeka's words trailed off as the shopkeeper suddenly leaped over his counter and rushed over to the aisle they were standing in. "I've only been dealing in Jurai currency for a couple of weeks, or I would have caught on sooner!" He held up a monetary note and held it up in her face. It was a one hundred jurai bill.

"They put your face on the money?" Tenchi asked with an impressed whistle. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Who else, right?"

Ayeka let out a forced chuckle at the sight of the bill. Not that she'd admit it to anyone else after all these years, but she never cared much for the picture they used. "Why, yes. That would be me. I didn't realize Juraian tourists patronized this region so often..."

"Tourists?" the man laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could call 'em that. Soldiers is more like it. Haven't you heard? Jurai conquered the surrounding systems in this part of space about a month ago."

"We did?" Ayeka asked. It was more than a little embarrassing for a complete stranger to have a better grasp of Juraian current events than she did, but her people's borders changed and shifted on a daily basis. Keeping track of it was difficult enough on Jurai, let alone on Earth.

"Yeah, and I gotta say, business has been doin' pretty good since then," the cashier went on. "Lot fewer transients and bounty hunters wandering through here and a lot more upstanding folks. There's talk of establishing Birn IV as a buffer zone between you guys and the Sole Jurisdiction. I'm thinking of setting up a Duty Free store."

"Wait," Tenchi said. "We've been moving away from the Sole Jurisdiction, right, Cogito? So that would mean the signal we're following would put Superman somewhere in Juraian space?"

"Yeah, those Sole Jurisdictioners are real high and mighty when they come in here," the cashier rambled on to Ayeka. "Now that Jurai's got a lasting presence around these parts, they'll know where they stand from now on, I bet. I just wanted to say thanks, Princess Sasami."

"Mister? That's Ayeka. I'm Sasami."

He looked down at Sasami to his left and he slapped his forehead. "Aw, right. Still getting the alphanumerics straight, y'know? Anyway, tell you what, just to welcome you guys to the region, I think I can extend a credit line to the Royal Family, right? Lemme ring up that box of Cloud-Wisps for you, hon."

"That's very nice of you, sir!" Sasami giggled, bounding after him as he headed for the register. Ayeka snapped her eyes shut and leaned her head back to face the ceiling.

"Well, at least we know Mr. Kal-El will be safe," Ayeka sulked. "And once we find him we won't have to worry about anyone else who might happen upon him first."

"Somehow," Tenchi mumbled, "I don't feel so sure about that..."


Funaho was right. The Juraians aren't infallible. As advanced as their technology is, it's allowed them to become complacent in some respects. Like that Seriyou fellow I "battled" in that duel. As talented as he was, he acted as if he was the most powerful force in the universe. One look and I could tell he'd never seen a funnel cloud looming over the horizon like a dark pall over the sky. Small surprise given that Jurai can control its own weather.

One leap and I'm already halfway through the atmosphere. I can see the Shimosato and my X-Ray vision can make out at least fifty crewmen inside, still working feverishly to change course or slow their descent or anything they can do to save their ship. If someone had put half as much hard work into maintaining a contingency plan for this situation, then maybe they wouldn't be in such peril now.

Juraian ships are sentient. Alive. Shimosato might survive the fall, and Juraian personnel might be able to save it, but there's too great a risk for me to just stand by and watch. And as I close in on its position I realize I made the right call. She's damaged.

Just like Hidemi said, it's a biological agent, although now that I'm close enough to examine it with my microscopic vision I can't tell that it's doing any harm to the ship. There's a visible fracture in the hull, though, which suggests that it was some sort of projectile that exploded and coated the ship with this gunk. Sabotage? A terrorist act? But why not just use a conventional explosive? Why all this--

I'm standing on the exterior of the ship when the whole thing shakes underneath me. I curse my ignorance as I realize what's hit us. We've entered the Jurai planetary defense perimeter. I saw it on the way over yesterday, but that was in its dormant stage. Now hundreds of small machines are popping open like ripe nuts and spraying us with laser fire.

And just like that it falls into place. Whoever planted this green goo on Shimosato knew they didn't have enough firepower to destroy the ship, and a toxic material might have been too conspicuous. Instead, they took advantage of Jurai's own technology. These unmanned satellites are designed to scan for alien life forms and prevent them from penetrating the perimeter and invading the planet. So all you have to do is cover a Jurai ship in alien biomatter and suddenly the machines are fooled into perceiving it as an enemy vessel on an bombing run. Forget salvaging the ship when it crashes--Shimosato won't even make it to the upper atmosphere against all this firepower!

At least, that would have been the idea until I showed up.

The defense units aren't unbeatable, and I recall that they would have been in place seven hundred years ago--the first line of defense when Ryoko invaded Jurai. Strange as it sounds, we've got something in common now, and with only seconds to act I realize she must have already solved my problem centuries earlier. Like me, she wouldn't have needed to waste time fighting the perimeter head on as long as she could just get her ship past them in one piece. That calls for a diversion, something strong enough to present a greater threat while the lesser one slipped past.

In a flurry of super-speed, I scoop up as much of the alien slime as I can and spread it onto myself. My Juraian clothing is a mess, but that's the least of my worries as I fly in to a cluster of defense robots and slam into them with my fists. To their credit, they stand up pretty well against my punches, and I'm starting to wonder if I even could beat them if I had to, but it's enough to get them to pile on me and ignore Shimosato, and that's all that matters. I get pummeled with plasma beams and laser fire from all sides for what seems like an eternity, but I finally catch a glimpse of the ship drifting past the perimeter and into the thick blanket of air below. I shake off the machines after they burn off the last of the gunk and head after the ship. Now comes the (hopefully) easy part.

I'm not so worried about the intense heat generated by re-entry. Most likely the crew was prepared for that from the beginning, and even if they weren't I doubt an advanced design like this would have any problems even in this state. So instead, I focus my strength on adjusting Shimosato's descent, angling their trajectory to make the landing as painless as possible. "What goes up must come down," is the phrase that keeps popping up in my head. It's clear that whoever said that never met anyone like me, or anyone else from Jurai for that matter. Shimosato and I have been fighting it every step of the way.

And where Shimosato is concerned, I can't stop fighting. Once royal trees take root in soil, they lose their power. While on the planet Jurai there might be steps to prevent this, I don't want to jeopardize a valued part of the fleet waiting for a repair technique that might not exist. Now that we're in the atmosphere I can hear the crewmen trying to repair the ship from the inside--fighting to save her even while I'm doing what I can on the outside. They would have given their own lives to keep her intact. I can't do any less. As we reach the surface, I ease the ship out of freefall and just a few feet from the ground I stop and bear the full weight of her in my hands. It's tough to balance her just so, but I should be able to hold her in midair long enough for that salvage team to arrive--

And that's when I hear the crack.

I look up and scan the ship with my X-ray vision to find that Shimosato didn't hold up as well as I'd thought. All that heat only served to exacerbate the damage sustained in space, and while it might have held together under normal circumstances, sitting on a man's palms just above the ground hardly qualifies for normal! It's like a man trying to stand on one nail. All the pressure is localized in one point and the ship can't handle the stress. As much as I hate to face it, that only leaves me one choice.

As I drop to the field of wild grass below I can hear the bustle going on in Nursery. I wanted to bring us down close by where they could get to us, but it looks like that won't do me any good now. They must have called off the alert, because I can hear Funaho and Misaki talking about the cloud of dust I kicked up as a land with a thud.

"Did you see that, sis? He not only caught the ship, but he held it in midair for at least ten or fifteen seconds!"

"Yes, but it must have been too much for him, I'm afraid. It's too bad. The crew is out of danger, but by the time anyone gets to the ship it will have taken root."

"Wait... what's going on? Do you see that?"

I can't help but chuckle as I eavesdrop on their conversation. They think I wasn't strong enough. They think I let the ship drop because there was no way I could hold it up. I can't blame them. They don't know me very well.

Back when I was growing up, I'd seen more than one twister tear through the countryside. It's nothing but wind, but it's so fast and so thick that it can tear almost anything from the ground and send it flying. Anything can take flight in a tornado. Barns. Livestock.

Trees.

It's the same principle behind aeronautics. You design a vehicle so that as it moves along the ground, it builds up more air pressure underneath than the pressure on top, so it begins to lift off. And whether it was intentional or not, Shimosato has a pair of curved outcroppings on either side that catch the wind as I run like a box kite. Soon, I'm running through the field at more than a hundred miles and hour, and there's more than enough lift on the ship to evenly support its weight. Now all I have to do is figure out where to put it!

That becomes more of a puzzle than I would have expected. After all, this is Jurai. There isn't a square inch of this planet that isn't dedicated to nurturing plant life one way or another. Anywhere I set this ship down it'll take root and that's the end. I could ask for help, but that would mean I'd have to slow down and then I'm back where I started. And I can't just keep running forever because sooner or later I'll run out of land--

And then it hits me. And I begin to pick up speed.

With a hard shove I release my hold on Shimosato and send it up into the air on its own. If my guess is right I'll only have a few seconds to pull this off, but I should be able to make it work. I dash ahead of the parabolic path of the ship and come to a dead stop at the spot where I estimate it'll land. As fast as I can, I spin around on my toes until the earth below begins to loosen and fly away against the relentless force. Jurai trees are like any trees. They take root in soil for one reason and one reason only.

Water.

Of course, I don't even know where the nearest body of water would be on this planet, but given the careful environmental control over this world, it only makes sense that there'd be an underground river irrigating the region. Sure enough, my makeshift well hits the mother lode and when I finally emerge from the ground there's a stream of fresh water close on my heels. And just in time, too, as I find the ship coming down on top of me. I take a deep breath and let it out just as Shimosato touches the improvisational geyser--

And it comes to rest on a cushion of slush. I use a few more blasts of super-breath and heat vision to shape the icy runway to my liking and then seal off the tunnel I made to turn off the waterworks. One more check to make sure the crew is still OK, and I even give the hull a once-over to make sure that green stuff burned off in re-entry. I'll have to stick close to keep the ice from melting until help arrives, but for the moment it looks like I can finally sit down and relax--

"Komorebi! You did it!"

I turn around and before I can even react Misaki is already on top of me, wrapping her arms around my chest. "That was wonderful, Komorebi! I had no idea your powers were so--so versatile!"

I look up to find Funaho at the controls of a personal transport cycle and she smiles at me in congratulation. "Nursery already has a team on the way to take it from here," she says. "But we decided we could head out here first and see how you did. Excellent job."

I wiggle an arm free from Misaki's grip and give Funaho a thumbs up. "Yeah. I was thinking... something like this might make a good beginning..."


It's been a long day, and the day isn't quite over yet. Asuza's summoned me back to the palace to discuss certain matters with me. And while he's at it, he decides to debrief me on the Shimosato incident.

"Ice... an intriguing solution," he muses. "Harmless to a craft that can stand the freezing temperatures of space, and yet plentiful beneath the soil in liquid form. In less than two days, you have already given a very favorable accounting of yourself, Komorebi."

"I appreciate you saying that, Sire," I reply. I want to tell him how I feel about Jurai's archaic an ineffective procedures for dealing with emergencies like what happened today, but I don't. It's times like this I wish I could pass as a normal man, so I could raise public awareness of these sorts of problems without using my notoriety to influence the people. But I'm hardly in a position to deny my powers now. Not after all the good they've done today.

"And you as well, Lord Fudou," Asuza now addresses the third man in the office. It's a shame Fudou couldn't have joined me and the queens on our tour of the planet, but Asuza had business with him all day. Apparently, it must have gone well. "You have done a great service to Jurai in returning our lost son to us. And in granting us permission to make use of your ancestral estate."

"It is nothing, Your Majesty," Fudou said reverently. He's a strange man, and not just because his half-R'Nagg features give him green skin and slick black hair that set him apart from the rest of us. He's distant around the other Juraians, and yet he always treated me with great kindness, even going with me to Jurai despite being obviously apprehensive about it. I suppose being the man who found me and returned me to the Empire makes him feel responsible for my well-being. He's a good friend. I hope he'll stay on Jurai when everything is said and done. "The property has lain unused since my family left Jurai and if it serves your purposes, there is no reason you shouldn't be allowed to use it."

"Property? Is this something I should know about?" I ask.

"It is connected, yes," Asuza admits. "Komorebi, I would imagine that my wives have mentioned something about our children by now. Am I correct?"

"As a matter of fact, yes they did, Sire."

"And I have already expressed my admiration and respect for you in light of your displays of great power and restraint."

"I did what anyone would have done in such a situation."

"Hmmph. What anyone would have done had they been blessed with the ability to see through walls and break swords across their bare skin. You are unlike any Juraian I have ever known, Komorebi. And I would be remiss both as a regent and as a father if I did not address this..." He pauses for a moment as if unsure how to broach the subject, and finally he blinks twice and continues. "I have a daughter who is about your age physically, Komorebi."

"Yes, I'd heard of her," I tell him. "Lady Misaki mentioned her when she paid for admission to Revelry with a hundred jurai bill. She has your hair, Sire." There's an awkward silence when I stop talking, and I start to wonder what I did wrong--

"Your Majesty, if I may...?" Fudou finally offers.

"Please," Asuza grunts in frustration.

"Komorebi, it is customary for royal families such as Jurai's to select suitors for the young maidens of the household. The Emperor is proposing that you might be a prime candidate to marry the Crown Princess of the most powerful imperial realm in this part of space. He is well aware that her image is printed on the legal tender. I would suggest you dispense with the small talk and accept his offer."

It's funny. I survived the sizzling temperatures of re-entry as I guided Shimosato to the ground and I didn't even break a sweat. But at a revelation like this, suddenly I feel a very uncomfortable warmth on the back of my neck. "Marriage? Me? Your Majesty, you've only known me for a couple of days! I've never even MET your daughter... that is to say I'd need time to consider all this... get to know her at least!"

"I am not an easily impressed man, Komorebi," Asuza counters. "If I feel you are worthy in a matter of hours, then I suspect you can convince Ayeka in half that time. In any event, I intend to arrange just such a meeting... here." He points to a location highlighted on a map sprawled across his desk. "The Boel System, part of the ancestral estate of Lord Fudou's family. Uninhabited, and located in a remote sector deep within Jurai space. There you will become better acquainted once certain... obstacles are dealt with. We will discuss those later on."

"You're a fortunate man, Lord Komorebi," Fudou adds. "Many a man has tried to win the heart of Lady Ayeka. I even put in an attempt or two in my younger days."

"This is all so sudden... I don't know what to say, but if you think this is what's best, Sire, then I'm certainly willing to meet with the princess," I stop for a second and put a hand to my chin to consider this further. It still doesn't add up, somehow... "One thing I don't understand, though. From what I hear, your children have been living on Lady Funaho's birthworld, Earth. Does she even know about this rendezvous you have planned in the Boel system?"

Asuza shakes his head slowly and points to the window. "Look, Komorebi. Look up in the sky. Everything you see is under my control. If I wish for my daughter to be wed to a man of my choosing, then not even your great power can hope to oppose me. Much less... hmmph!"

And I look. It's dusk by now, and the first few stars have begun to shine in what will become the night sky. Marriage... something about that has a certain rightness to it. As if I might finally find that missing something Funaho was talking about. Or perhaps not... but no matter how long that search is, the journey has to start somewhere...


NEXT: Reign of the Superman!

Continue To Chapter Twenty-One