Kasumi's New Friend or All Purpose Cultural Draka Girl Gwen Ingolfssen ***** A Ranma 1/2 - Domination of the Draka crossover fanfiction ***** Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the Domination of the Draka are copyright S.M. Stirling; the characters and situations of Ranma 1/2 are copyright Takahashi Rumiko. They may not be used or reproduced commercially without permission. The use of these characters and situations is not to be construed as challenge to said copyright. They are merely borrowed for this work of non- commercial fanfiction, from which the author derives no financial benefit. *************** Consciousness returned, and Gwen was falling, under gravity. Reflex spun her around, and bent her knees to take the impact as her bootsoles touched down on flagstone. Noon sun overhead. A courtyard, stonewalled, a garden and an ornamental pond, a two-story building of wood and concrete. Where was she? Samothrace? Surely not. Some odd version of _home_? No. The simple clean lines and bright flowers might please a Draka, but none of her race could inhabit such small spaces for long. She cocked her ears. A rumble of engines in the distance. And voices. Speaking Japanese. A tongue four centuries dead in her native timeline, vanished in nuclear fire with the islands that birthed it.. With an emotion akin to wistfulness, an ancient memory flickered in the back of her calculating mind: a language class at Baiae, light dancing on marble tiles and her first lover's laughing face. "Here, kitty-kit... Hello?" The girl wore a simple dress and apron, and her brown hair was tied with a white ribbon. Her smile was winsome, and her scent sweet, for a feral, reminiscent of a much cherished pet of Gwen's distant youth. There was another scent mingled with the human's. Sweet and earthy and intoxicating. Coming from the cloth mouse she held by its string tail. It was... ***** Tendou Kasumi thought, There'd been more of them lately. This one was subtly non-human, and very pretty. Her red hair was short in front, long and braided in back. Eyes a luminous green. Ears ever so slightly tapered. She wore form-fitting black coveralls, and sword and pistol hung at her belt. Kasumi had never seen an alien quite like her. It would be nice to ask her in, feed her tea and pastries, find out where she'd come from and what had brought her here. Hopefully she wasn't an invader. Hurting someone who'd travelled so far was always saddening. "Welcome. Would you like to come in?" "Meerrrroooowwww!" The stranger charged, moving with the swift economy of a trained warrior. Kasumi flipped the cloth mouse in her hand aside and swept into stance, her chi gathered for a lethal strike... And froze as the alien dove after the cat toy, completely ignoring her. ***** Some tiny portion of Gwen's mind screamed in horror, only to be instantly suppressed. _Drakensis_ were supposed to trust their instincts, after all. It was part of the genetic revision that made them what they were, the masters of the solar system. No _Drakensis_ had ever been tormented by doubt, no _Drakensis_ had ever been turned from duty by moral qualms or affection for some individual of an under-race. No _Drakensis_ had ever questioned the rightness of conquest or the basis of her society. The Draka genengineers had carefully selected only their favourite human characteristics, and added more useful ones from other species. A few minor vulnerabilities were a small price to pay. After all, it was easy to eliminate dangerous plants with tailored biocides. A human might have mused on the irony of a four- hundred-year-old conquerer, one of the oldest and strongest of her Race, the former Archon of an entire solar system, enslaved by a mere herb. A human might have wondered at the coincidence that saved an entire world from conquest. A human might have laughed or wept at the sheer absurdity of it all. She wasn't human. She was Gwen. And, for the first time in centuries, she was truly happy. ***** The alien batted the mouse around for some minutes, laughing and bouncing about the courtyard. Kasumi reminded herself. Just because an alien being was cute didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. The first invader she'd ever fought had looked remarkably like a character from _My Neighbour Totoro_. At last the being sat back on her haunches, sniffing occasionally at the mouse, now worn down to its kevlar undersurface. Kasumi cleared her throat. "Suh'vss....aaaam 'blayzhed..." the alien purred. Or something like that. Kasumi didn't recognise the language. "I'm sorry. I don't understand." "Thank you! Gwen likes catnip!" That was more typical. Many aliens spoke pidgin Japanese. "Gwen? Is that your name? I'm Kasumi." "Kasumi nice girl! Gwen likes Kasumi!" She sprang into the air. Only years of training kept Kasumi from being bowled off her feet by the sheer force of the hug. "Ummm, I like you, too, Gwen." She was cuddly. If a bit overwhelming. "Would you like to come inside?" "Sure!" Gwen nuzzled her cheek. ***** Tendou Soun wept tears of joy. Only great luck prevented the postcard in his hands from being smudged beyond recognition. "At last! Our families will be joined!" "Father?" "Wonderful news, Kasumi! My old friend is returning from China! He's bringing his son! Soon one of you will-- " His jaw dropped. "Father?" He was seeing things. His daughter was merely sipping a cup of tea and mending one of Akane's uniforms. The red-headed girl curled up asleep with her head in Kasumi's lap was an illusion brought on by too much excitement. "Ah. Hmm. Where was I? Oh, right. Soon my old friend Genma will bring his son Ranma from back from China. One of you will marry him." The illusion opened her eyes. "Wild Horse? Gwen likes horses!" Maybe he'd had a bit too much to drink last night. Perhaps he'd better go meditate. With a little more sake for company. Hair of the dog and all that. ***** Gwen closed her eyes again. Idly, Kasumi stroked her new friend's hair. "Things are getting interesting, aren't they?" she murmured to herself. "Gwen likes interesting." So did Kasumi.