Jurai - Chapter 3, Part 2

Jurai Sagami could not turn his eyes away.  His brown gaze watched the screen before him, horrified as Tokimi's talons wrapped around Ayeka's face and temples.  He witnessed her body stolen from her, made into a mockery of all the noble tenets she had striven to uphold.

When the recording ended, the young captain sat in his seat in shock, dumbfounded.  His gaze slid slowly from the screen to the floor under his desk, his forearms resting on his thighs.  He drew breath shallowly, wanting to give his mind time to process what he had just observed.

When Ryu-Oh had relinquished this recording, Sagami had expected to see a battle against some Kain-like monster.  He had predicted witnessing the princess at war, fighting against visible foes that far outmatched her.  He had thought her spirit would have been broken by sheer might of her enemy.

His fingers ran through his hair, his mouth dry as he realized how mistaken he had been.

The captain had helplessly seen the princess systematically torn apart, both inside and out.  He had witnessed the black creature emerge from her, claw at her, torment her.  He had beheld young Sasami's might suppress the monster, encasing it within the keys.  He had watched the violet-tressed woman desperately push away her friends, to protect them, to face her fate alone, before it consumed her.

Sagami stood and went to the window of his study, gazing out at the moonlit landscape surrounding the palace.  Leaning on his arm against the window's frame, his thoughts raced, piecing together what he had seen and what he already knew.  He had heard gossip and rumors about Ayeka being injured on Earth in July 1997, about 17 months ago.  During the Jurai family reunion, he had asked Tenchi about the incident, and according to the prince, a creature had attacked the lady with NVO-type energy and nearly killed her.

Pouring a cup of sake, Sagami connected Ryoko's claim from the recording.  The attack on Earth had left Ayeka as host for that creature tormenting and controlling her.  From what he saw of her during the reunion, she seemed normal, though under duress due to Liaens's assault.  She never talked to him about it after the ceremony honoring all who battled the enemy.  When she returned to Jurai seeking aid against the NVO distortion, her determination appeared insurmountable each of the five times she approached the emperor.

And yet, he thought as he downed the shot, the monster was there too, beneath the surface.

Then, he heard Ayeka's sobbing pleas to the monster in his memory of the recording, begging for the torment to stop.  He recalled Sasami's tearful cries of her sister's name, Ryoko's crude but heartfelt arguments to the elder princess, and Nagi's sharp and deep inquiry to the regal-tressed lady.  A tear rolled down his cheek as he poured another two shots and drank them in quick succession.  His emotions surged reviewing those images again in his mind, angry at seeing a proud woman ripped asunder, saddened by her seemingly futile struggle, worried about her current state.

Questions also flooded into his head.  Was she purged of this cruel corruption?  Is her isolation to heal, or to hide her continued suffering?  What effect has her torment had upon her?

While his heart certainly went out to Ayeka, he thought too about the others in the recording.  What has become of Sasami?  Who was that Ryoan woman?  Why were both so immensely powerful?

Though he could not immediately ascertain the source of Sasami's power, the young captain did start compiling what was said about the Ryoan woman.  Ryoko stated the enemy was impersonating her mother.  Ayeka, however, addressed the woman as “Tokimi” and “Matron of Ryua”.  The woman herself spoke of “seeing into” Ayeka, comparing her to the knights, the usurper Kagato, as well as two others he could not immediately place.

Perhaps, he reasoned, tracking down those names will lead to answers about “Tokimi” and Sasami.

That would take time to research, and he currently had the immediate concern of his report on Ryu-Oh's status.  A couple hours would be enough to segregate Ayeka's plight from the facts needed for his superiors.  After all, the space-worthiness of the vessel did not depend on knowing the details of the princess's fate.

Sagami returned to his seat at his desk, where the recording had paused in the final frame, showing Dark Ayeka darting away from Tokimi.  Below the translucent display sat the data cell given to him by Ryu-Oh, wired to a simple projector unit.  Given the tree's insistence for discretion, he dared not access the cell with his network terminal, which was connected to the palace intranet.

He placed a finger on the display and dragged it to the left, reversing the video feed until it gave a clear image of Ayeka.  Bearing all five keys, she was clutching Tenchiken to her chest as he let the feed play for one line of dialogue.

“Know that I was Jurai Ayeka, daughter of the Jurai royal family.”

Maybe the alcohol was affecting his perception, but the sobering desperation in her voice cut his heart.  He extended his fingers to the princess's face on the display and traced the outline of her cheek.  Within, the captain could feel a heavy weight on his chest as he curled his fingers back from the image.  A wave of his hand dissipated the image as he downed another shot of liquor.

Keep your mind on the facts, Sagami, he scolded himself.

Realistically, Ryu-Oh was correct that this recording could be detrimental to the princess, but it also seemed to hold important information regarding the recent battle on Earth.  This “Tokimi” wielded the NVO energy naturally, and masterfully, as well as Kagato's sword.  He had little doubt that Ramia would be very interested in how “Tokimi” related to the distortion.  Moreover, Ramia had long been Ayeka's friend and, despite her aloofness on the matter, was likely worried about her as well.

But, he thought, how to broach the subject to her?

This entire affair would require tact and thought, both to solve the puzzle of the distortion and to preserve Ayeka's image.  As competent and cunning as Sagami was, he knew this task would necessitate an ally.  Ramia's tenacious dedication clearly ensured her thoroughness in her search, though her temper needed some restraint.

Then, he considered with a heavy sigh, there is the matter of Ayeka herself.

Ultimately, someone would have to address the princess, to know for certain her current condition at least.  All social etiquette aside, much of what this recording has shown delved deeply into her personal psychology.  At present, he was at a loss on the subject.  Perhaps his coming ally would have more insight into the matter.