Shima Brothers

Of an unknown planet and race, the Shima Brothers first appeared on Kalta Thaea, apparently seeking a computer hidden on The Bebop II. They have shown themselves exceedingly powerful and a clear threat, yet do not seem to be truly evil...

Mushima
The oldest brother, Mushima is the shortest - Standing at about the size of a normal man, with a somewhat pronounced hunch. Like all of his brothers, he wears a long cloak complete with mantle, hood, and a sash trailing two ends. His cloak is dark green, however, and his face is covered by a mask that only exposes his right eye. Said eye possesses a golden iris, and below it is a line with two right angles that bend it inward then back down, as well as two reverse-direction branches just below and within this 'crook.'

Showing himself as honorable and cherishing a strong opponent, Mushima fought simply in hand-to-hand combat. His gangly, mechanical arms had many wires semi-exposed, and were both ended in a set of wickedly sharp talons; as well, Mushima's arms had an impressive reach for his stooped frame. Finding a worthy opponent in Anna Raregroove, she and Mushima had developed a mutual respect for each other.

After staying behind at the Teikoku-no-Kiroku Research Station to buy his brothers time to escape, Mushima was dealt a mortal wound by Anna's OverSoul. He was the first of the Shima Brothers to die.

Hishima
The middle brother, Hishima stands at the middle of height between his two brothers - Slightly taller than the average man - And his cloak is a dark red, covering his lean, muscular body. In addition, his mask largely matches Mushima's; save for the left eye being exposed, rather than the right. Unlike his brothers, Hishima's white arms resemble a muscular, organic being's limbs. He holds a certain presence unlike his two brothers, and it seems that either he or Mushima leads the group in their 'mission.'

Having similar traits to Mushima, Hishima has an extreme dislike of hurting the innocent. However, when it comes to the mission that Hishima's 'master' has given to he and his brothers, he will not compromise in the execution of their objectives on the basis of personal sentiments - No matter how much he would like to do what he feels is morally right. He seems to highly respect Mushima, and the two are keenly aware of each other's emotions.

Hishima seems to have an ability for detecting threatening intents, but any details on this are unknown at this point. In addition, he has displayed some kind of hypnotic powers, but as he has said with Tatetsuki - Ruler of Juraian Territory Planet Ryuten - An exceptionally strong will is much harder to keep under suppression.

Takashima
Easily the tallest brother, Takashima's bulky frame towers over most - Ironically, it has been revealed that he is the youngest. His cloak is a dark blue, and appears somewhat pressed to cover up his massive body; as seen with his largely-exposed arms. Said arms are large, mechanical, and armor plated, with cylindrical forearms and thick fingers. Takashima's mask possesses a beak-like structure near the center, yet both of his eyes are completely covered.

Capable only of saying "Glah" or making unintelligible grunts, nonetheless, his brothers's abilities to comprehend his intended statements show that Takashima is just as intelligent as the two of them are. While very little is known of his personality or whether he holds a sense of honor and justice like his brothers, Takashima has shown himself to be sympathetic to Hishima's plight of having to abandon personal sentiments in the name of their as-of-yet unknown mission.

History
Debuting on Kalta Thaea, the three brothers soon made it clear to the audience that they sought a certain computer onboard the Bebop II. Following this, Mushima appeared to the meditating Anna Raregroove where the two soon engaged in fierce combat. At the same time, Hishima and Takashima infiltrated the ship - Where it was thought that they had killed Chrome Dokuro on accident...

Having lifted the computer they came for, the Shima Brothers were quick to make their escape. As Anna said quite anxiously, if they fully know the nature of the computer they hold, countless galaxies could be turned on their head. Soon after this statement, it was made known as to why the computer is so dangerous: The Arboretum Notes, aka "The Jurai Book of Secrets," contains an incredible wealth of information on the Juraian Royal Trees. This information is highly sensitive and could do irrepairable damage in the wrong hands.

With this kind of information, as well as the simple weight that the Notes hold in Juraian society, theft of the Arboretum Notes would be the ultimate blackmail tool against Jurai. However, as Anna soon revealed, there is secret information within the Notes that could make the Shima Brothers's designs all the more sinister:

The Notes contain secret files on how to manipulate a Royal Tree's will.

An unknown amount of time after leaving the Bebop II, the brothers have retrieved a second object: The innocuous-seeming "Y-7 Core." On their way to an unknown planet, all three became aware of a strange construct pursuing their ship at observation distance...

Upon arrival to the planet Ryuten - A valued Juraian Territory Planet - Hishima engaged in a suspicious chat with their leader, a man named Tatetsuki. It seems that, in return for assisting in the protection of Juraian citizens passing through, the Shima Brothers are given clearance to keep a secretive room under their protection.

While one Commander Shishiyama clearly distrusted the brothers, he refrained from making his suspicions known. Following a brief, curiously idle chat, Mushima and Takashima have set out to retrieve "Program 32." At the same time, Hishima promised to keep an eye on the construct from earlier.

While Mushima and Takashima arrived on the planet Ghu'uhr with a group of Irumok hired muscle, it was revealed that Hishima holds Tatetsuki under some form of mind control. Yet, Hishima is finding difficulty in keeping Tatetsuki's mind under his sway.

After retrieving Program 32, the brothers have set out to retrieve the "final" component to their plans. However, they ended up crashing on an unknown, icy planet, where they assisted a village of tuskarr in fishing and repelled a party of vrykul raiders.

They next began battling Serecio's ship in the planet's orbit to defend its inhabitants. However, an unknown assailant hit Takashima with a warping-based device - Keeping him out of the battle for a time. It is possible that this assailant is also the female that saved Hishima and Mushima from a swarm of robots.

Following this, the Shima Brothers headed to the Teikoku-no-Kiroku Juraian Research Station, where they proceeded to unlock the Arboretum Notes. In the meantime, several fighters - Including Zev Raregroove, Ynot, and Klak - Were forced to battle the trio so as to stop the unlocking.

However, the Notes were unlocked successfully. Mushima stayed behind to buy his brothers time to escape, but a shot from Anna Raregroove's O.S.: Father's Gift left him mortally wounded. He used some kind of device to escape via teleportation, afterwhich he returned to the planet of Ryuten.

Mushima proceeded to leave Hishima with a "hard copy" of his entire combat experiences, before allowing himself to fall into the abyss alongside Ryuten's dock. Hishima and Takashima have taken time to grieve before finishing their mission.

Combat Abilities
While only Mushima has been seen in battle, each of the brothers can be assumed to be as formidable as he. Mushima himself is swift, perceptive, and highly skilled in combat. This is only complemented by his clear experience on the battlefield and broad scope of knowledge. In addition, the other two brothers were able to expertly open a hole in the Bebop's well-armored hull and retrieve a hidden computer unit while entirely escaping detection.

Trivia

 * Originating from the No Need For Tenchi! manga, each of the brothers holds the common naming scheme for Tenchi Muyo! characters in that they are named for famous locations in Japan.