>This is mostly a question for anyone who has read the novels (which IIRC 
>prominently feature Azusa, Misaki, and Funaho)
i've heard of the novels...what are they are they actualy books, or manga?
I got the first two colections of the Tenchi manga. The first and second
volume...they were kinda cool, but i think there are only three colection
books...ah well

: what combat abilities do 
>they have? I presume as the head of the royal bodyguard that Misaki is no 
>slouch, but are there specifics detailed anywhere? Does she have the 
>ability to create a forcefield like Aeka does, for instance? 

hmmm....don't know but seeing her in the OAV i would asume she just kicks
the crap out of anyone who bad mouths her troops ;)   of course, why would
you want to beat up someone that hot? 

>
>And (now entering the realm of speculation) would Sasami (in either of the 
>TV series) be able to do so once she got older? Or are these powers unique 
>to the individual? 

well...i would assume so, but i havent read the novels, just seen all the
videos and stuff. and a couple volumes of the manga. So im just basing it
on that :P

>where Yakage (seeing Aeka protect Tenchi with her field) recognizes 
>it as "the forcefield inherited only by Jurai's imperial family" (my 
>wording may be off there).

oh yea.....thats right...well i guess if its inherited by Jurais imperial
family, Sassami would qualify then wouldn't she.

-Tenchi MP...got a damn headache..
"I'll tell you something my Tenchi...you know, the carnival comes and goes.
If you wait for a while it'll always come back to you.."
-Ryoko

"what do you mean capital punishment doesn't work? none of the murderers
we've executed have killed again have they?"
-Bill Maher