Chapter 41: Basic Training

"Come back here!" Key commanded angrily, knowing it would go unheeded.

"Now why would I do something like that?" Tenchi sneered, continuing his retreat. "I'd only have to kick your butt."

"You just stepped in it mister mouth!" Kiyone added hotly, breaking into a run forcing Tenchi to wheel about and sprint.

"You should have closed your legs!" He taunted over his shoulder. "I could have broken my leg in such a deep hole!"

"Dead man running!" Key snapped as she advanced, getting full into their pre-training ritual. "No one speaks to me like that and lives!"

At fifteen feet from the cabin's front, Tenchi executed a long sudden dive. Digging hands into a patch of ground just to the side of the path. Amid a shower of loose topsoil he rolled into a crouched position facing her. Key had seconds to apply the breaks before findings herself at boken point.

"Minus one!" He sneered. Grinning knowingly gently poking the end of her nose.

"Low..." Kiyone breathed, astonished, clucking her tongue disgustedly. "Really low." When had he had the time to bury a sword? Key wondered

"Always be prepared for surprises." He smiled. "Isn't that what you're always telling me?"

"You are such a snake Masaki." She coughed dryly.

"Aww." He quipped. "Now my feelings are hurt! Do you yield?" Tenchi added.

Sighing Kiyone raised her hands placing them behind her neck.

"It seems I have little choice!" She called disgruntled, as Tenchi rose to his feet.

"Now," He sneered getting into the part. "What shall I do with you my proud beauty?"

He had a good second to gloat before Key made a sudden motion, whipping her right hand forward and down. No fool when it came to her tactics, Tenchi dropped into a stance as she dove into a backward roll. His confusion abating when his eyes darted, noticing a marble sized sphere below.

"OH SHIT!" He managed an instant before his world went white.

"As I was saying," Kiyone drawled unsympathetic, having rolled to her feet. "It seems I have little choice ... But to kick your ass!"

"Really pathetic there Tench!" She sneered, strolling around him leisurely making way to retrieve her waiting boken. "Forgot all about my flash grenade earrings?" She added, smiling anew when he whipped around facing her, he hoped.

"And you say I cheat?" He snapped. Waiting for the multicolored spots to stop their dance of love upon his retinas.

"Always be prepared for surprises." She intoned, gravely, really rubbing it in. Reaching out with sword tip, poking him lightly in the crotch.

"Damn it!" He swore, rewarded by a giggle when his violent downward block only served to 'ring both his bells', causing him to sink, moaning painfully to his knees.

"Serves you right!" She snapped uncharitably. "Burying a sword so you could sucker me like that!"

"I'm not the one who whipped out a gun when she lost last week!" He groaned.

"A target pistol you wuss!" she sneered. "And you are missing my point!"

"What?" He argued, attempting to gauge her location. "That you're a sore loser who will cheat her ass off?"

"I do not cheat!" Kiyone proclaimed. "Merely changed the conditions of the test!"

"We all saw 'Wrath of Khan' Key." Tenchi told her wryly, beginning to see more details surrounding him. Making an experimental jab.

"Among other movies." She grinned, easily avoiding his thrust. "Mr. Anderson." Key taunted.

"Just to make it look like you won?" He added angrily. A few feet away Kiyone placed hands on hips.

"Repeat, I do not cheat!" She informed him haughtily. "I masterfully innovate!" still on the ground Tenchi shook his head.

"More like consistently masturbate!" He told her grinning. "I'd say you really need a boyfriend." She launched forwards, attempting to hook his arm from under where it supported him, for a little payback. Suddenly finding his left hand fastened firmly on to her ankle. A single startled 'Eep!' managed to escape as Tenchi Struck like a cobra, whipping both legs from under, dropping her to the ground. Where he seized hold, twisting her right arm into an effective hammerlock behind her back.

The stunt wouldn't have worked on Ryoko, with Kiyone's two and half gee bred physique it was almost impossible. Sheer determination however won this time. As a direct consequence Detective first class Kiyone suddenly found herself about to suck soil.

"Quarter?" He inquired. Holding back of her head captive inches from the rich earth.

"DICK!" She seethed straining, given time she was reasonably certain she could break this hold. However, Tenchi had to just shove a little harder and she would experience a dirt sandwich.

"Quarter?" He repeated, when she stubbornly remained silent "I won't ask you again."

Tenchi leaned down just another inch and whispered into her ear.

"Numy numy! Just close your eyes and pretend Sasami cooked it!" He gave a little shove to punctuate the sentence.

"I YIELD!" She swore, watching minute particles of dirt dance in time with her breath. Just like that, he released her and rolled to his feet.

"Yeah!" He exclaimed raising his boken over head using both hands. Dancing as Kiyone rolled over and eyed his sourly from the ground.

"I AM THE CHAMPION!" He sang.

"Perfect victory song for a homo." She muttered.

"WHAT?" He asked astonished as Kiyone rolled to her feet as well.

"Nut'n honey." She told him shrugging, the picture of innocence, turning on heel and retrieving her boken. Once she had, Kiyone paused, looking over where he was cleaning his own with a towel from the training loge.

"Uh, look," She began, her voice sounding thick with emotion. "I'm sorry for being such a bitch back at the shrine Tenchi." She continued. "I guess I just went too far." Having applied a light coat of linseed oil, he tossed the towel Kiyone's direction.

"Apology accepted." Tenchi told her mildly. "Let's just get past it and on to the next disaster."

"Domo." She told him bowing deeply. Straightening she then assumed 'en garde' position.

"Whoa There!" He said smiling, obviously surprised. "Sure you're up to that?" Tenchi nodded at the tree with the chinning bar. "I know you were hard at it when I arrived."

"Still got enough to whoop your silly ass!" Key told him donning a nasty smile. "But thank you for your concern!"

"Ok." He shrugged, still mildly concerned. Walking over to stand opposite her. "So, what are we going to use for stakes this time?"

"Let's see..." She spoke dreamily. "You're still my slave for life? Remember you lost that match last week!"

"Bullshit!" Tenchi gruffed. "You pulled a gun on me!"

"You are such a lame pussy." She shot back.

"And I NEVER! Agreed to those terms anyway!" He said hotly.

"Details, details." Kiyone shrugged. "I got confused at the sight of your cute little rump diving over the hill for cover."

"Damn straight Annie Oakley!" Tenchi growled. "With you shoot'n up the place!"

"I keep telling you, it was a target pistol!" Kiyone sighed. "You couldn't hurt a fly with one." She eyed him over her raised boken. "Or a back woods 'pecker-gnat' for that matter."

"They still hurt!" He steamed, then fell silent, a moment of supreme calm before a certain storm.

"Wah!" Kiyone sneered, launching her attack.

...

Even with her higher 'g' physiology, Kiyone knew better from experience than to attempt to over power, Tenchi was simply too strong. Plus, all the years of training under Katsuhito had made him lightning fast as well!

Truth being told, before setting foot on earth, Key had never seen a boken. The fencing techniques acquired at the academy only applied in the grossest fashion.

Tenchi and Katsuhito used 'a blend of styles', terrestrial and Jurian. But then, Kiyone had always prided herself as a quick study.

"HAH!" She cried as their swords again locked. Grinning mischievously, almost maniacally at him.

"You know." He commented dryly his face inches from hers, not falling for her little 'fake'. "I'm surprised you know what a 'pecker-gnat' is." He bore down, testing. Seeing if she were foolish enough to try 'strong-arming'. Not surprisingly Kiyone held firm, only long enough to show she could before breaking. Whirling away in a maneuver he knew better than to press.

Outside of his grandfather, Tenchi knew of no one who could spin like that without becoming disorientated. It was one of the things that had cost Kagato his life.

"Well," She shrugged, coming to a picture perfect ready stance as she halted.

"I know what a 'gnat' is anyway." Several feet away, performing a classic 'cutting of the sleeve' Stance, a wry smile crept on to his face.

"And I'm sure you've seen your share of 'peckers' in your time!" He smiled.

"Are you implying" She asked hotly. "I have loose morals?" To which he quickly shook his head.

"No, I'm sure it's not your morals that needs tightening." He shrugged.

"LLLAME!" She called loudly. "Talking out the side of your head! My little virgin prince!" Tenchi stared back at her a moment, his expression faltering.

Kiyone had a moment of panic, worrying somehow she'd struck a nerve amid their usual crass banter. When much to her utter surprise, he lowered his guard.

"Uh, yeah about that." Tenchi stumbled, searching for words.

"What?" She asked concerned, over her own sword.

"What was it like for you Key?" He asked. "You know, the first time?"

"What?" Kiyone repeated, feeling her jaw go slack, allowing her own sword to lower.

"I'm sorry!" Tenchi said turning away, now seeming embarrassed. "Forget, just forget I asked." Shaking his head Tenchi seemed on the verge of leaving. Kiyone stood mutely astonished until he actually took a step away from her.

"No, wait!" She told him, pausing to see what he was going to do. After another long moment during which nether said a word. Kiyone glanced about to see that they had the grounds to themselves.

"The first question, before anything else, is why ask me this?"

"You should know the answer to that Key!" Tenchi told her sullenly. "No one else I can really talk to!" He paused smiling, eyes then seeking the ground before him. "Don't take this the wrong way, but Key you're the closest thing I have!"

"To a male companion." Kiyone finished silently for him.

"Gee." She grimaced mildly. "Thanks, I think."

With all that had happen in his life plus the responsibilities he had shouldered. It really wasn't that surprising Tenchi had found himself isolated.

Oh, he did have a smattering of male acquaintances. The usual school chum here and there. However, with the truly bizarre turns thrown him the last six years. Those were bridges Tenchi simply had not the time to properly rebuild.

"I can't ask dad these things, he always gets," He paused. "Weird on me." Kiyone found herself nodding sympathetically.

"Well that's just because he's..." She paused, blinked. "How?" Key asked looking at him curiously.

"He tries to show me these movies he has hidden under his bed and..."

"STOP!" Kiyone cried, smiling holding up her left hand. "That's all I wan'na know!"

"Then he tries to give me these books!" Tenchi continued.

"OK! I get the point!" She told him wincing.

"Then there's the peeping lessons!"

"FOR GODS SAKE! SHUT UP!" She cried, thinking. "Gezz! T.M.I!" While Kiyone was shaking her head, Tenchi shuffled his feet in the dirt.

"So like I said, just forget I asked."

"His name was Caleb." She said softly. Fixing Tenchi with a steady gaze.

"We were first year cadets." She then paused, flashing him a wane smile.

"That's B.M. incidentally"

"B.M?" He asked confused.

"Before Mihoshi!" She shrugged. "I did have a real life ... once, you know." Kiyone now faced him balancing her weight equally on both feet before she continued.

"We went through all the stages, note passing, cutting class just to see each other. It went on for about six some odd months." She paused, her eyebrows twitched. "Before..."

"You don't have to tell me about it." He told her trying and failing to mask his curiosity.

"No, its ok." She shrugged. "I'm not ashamed of it or anything. I really did love him!" She said. "After all." Kiyone added slowly, glancing down with the tinniest of smiles.

"I'm not the kind of girl, that would let just anyone, 'bang her' in an airlock."

"WH-WHAT?!" Tenchi stammered.

"Swear to god." Kiyone told him holding up a hand, palm out. "Whole class was on a training exercise." She continued. "They used to stick cadets on board these old tugs and rust buckets, usually one bolt shy of being derelicts. Considered it good field experience. Learning how to keep the old heaps going and complete an assigned task at the same time."

Tenchi's world was still tilting, it was rare Kiyone opened up, usually so tight-lipped about her past. Still something in her last statement struck him as odd.

"But, I thought the Galaxy police had all the ultra modern equipment?" He asked, feeling stupid, trying to fit everything he knew or perhaps only thought he knew about Kiyone, into an impossible mental picture ... involving an airlock.

Admittedly without much success.

"Bless your sweet little heart!" She smiled brightly. "You know something? They would've loved you down in the propaganda corps!"

"But surely Yukanojoe?" Tenchi continued, already he felt like he was yammering. "And, and your ship Yugami?"

"Nickel-blow-job." Kiyone snorted, then caught herself. "Sorry," She smiled apologetically. "I've just never cared for that yammering hunk of criss-crossed algorithms." She regarded him ruefully.

"However, believe it or not 'Yukanojoe' was supposed to be the next big thing." Key continued, emphasizing. "An advanced self evolving prototype. That wound up being converted into the galaxies most expensive baby sitter."

"I thought that was your J-O-B." Tenchi added dryly.

"My beautiful Yugami, on the other hand." She sighed, wistfully ignoring him. "Is a class one interceptor." Kiyone then paused for effect.