"JUMBA!"
The shrill cry that rang through the house reached the tall, four-eyed alien male, alright, but he was too engrossed in what he was doing to give an immediate response. He almost had it... just a few more little tweaks and it would be perfect.
"JUMBAAA!"
"What NOW? I am evil geniusing up here!" he bellowed at last, but he knew it'd be no use unless he actually confronted her. She was the older girl, the bigger sister Nani and he supposed she'd again taken fault with something he did... or something involving him. No respect for genius scientists anymore!
He flung open the door downstairs to see a red-faced Hawaiian woman with wavy brown hair and a livid glare on her face. In one hand she held experiment 626, also known as Stitch by the scruff of his fuzzy blue neck. Stitch, to his credit, was making no attempt to get down but giggling maniacally.
"CAN'T you do something about him? Ever since that Angel experiment decided to go help Lilo on her latest little job, he's been nothing but a home-wrecker!" Nani complained.
"He is probably just acting out," Jumba shrugged. "626 has confessed to being in love with one called Angel, why not let him go?"
"You KNOW why we couldn't let him go, we needed him here to meet with the grand councilwoman whenever she chooses to show up, so we sent Pleakley and Angel with her instead..." Nani scowled, tapping her foot. Stitch finally wriggled his way to the ground and skittered into another room. "Yeheehehe!"
"Uuuggh...". Nani flopped onto the couch.
Jumba sighed. Life had changed a lot since coming to stay here on Earth. He liked some things about it, tolerated the rest and truly only a few things really aggravated him about it. No matter what he said.
"Stitch will being fine as soon as Angel and little girl return. In meantime I am doing something super important and wish not to be disturbed!" he called out, and with that he shut the door and went back to his project.
Nani just flung a forearm over her eyes to shut out the light and groaned. If Lilo and the rest of their chosen ohana's lives had changed, hers certainly had. She'd had to go from a carefree 17-year-old to mom, guardian and responsible bread-winning big sister all in one twisted turn of fate, a feat she was only now getting into a rythm for. But she could do it. She had no choice. She couldn't very well let Jumba and Pleakley raise her; Pleakley, though responsible to a degree, was... well, Pleakley and Jumba would let her play with chainsaws if it were up to him.
From just outside she heard the telltale sounds of very large engines, and distantly, the high pitched cackle of Stitch exclaiming over something. The grand councilwoman must be here.
"I'll be around back!" she called to Jumba's closed door, and she jogged out the front door and around into the back acre or so where Jumba normally kept the giant red monstrosity of a ship stashed. It was still a "bed and not-breakfast" for whatever reason. Parked not that far away from it was a smaller but no less grand ship and standing in front of it was a very tall, slim, athletically-built alien woman. She had legs sort of like a dog, ending in hooves and olive-shaded skin with a bald head and a regal facial expression. Her voice normally inspired calm whenever Nani had heard it. She was speaking to Stitch, two silent white-garbed aliens at her side.
Nani jogged up and the councilwoman fixed her with a penetrating black gaze. "Ah, you are Nani Pelekai," she said.
"Yes, I am Nani," she replied, trying to look gracious and not stressed, which was how she felt.
"Yes. As I told Dr. Jookiba when I contacted you all last week, I come here with a favor to ask of you in the hopes you could... assist me. It's a matter of somewhat delicate proportions and I don't wish it to become bigger in the eyes of the galactic federation...".
"Anything, ma'am," said Nani kindly, though she was intrigued. Some other dangerous mission for her seven year old sister to venture into outer space on with her genetically modified invincible koala?
The councilwoman handed Nani a small manilla folder with a stamp bearing the galactic federation's logo on the front. "I would like either Dr. Jookiba or Stitch and whomever he chooses to go on a ... a sort of rescue mission if you will for me. You will find all you need within that folder, and what ever you do, do not let its contents fall into bad hands. It should not be too difficult for one with your particular expertise,..." she looked now to Stitch with a ghost of a smile.
"Rescue? Lilo?" Stitch asked.
"No," said the councilwoman. "A scientist that we suspect is being forced to work under duress on a planer called Volenar, by the name of Dr. Fay".
Nani opened the folder out of curiosity and the first thing she was met with was a glossy eight by ten photograph, a very clear one, of an alien that looked so shockingly familiar that she almost dropped it.
"I see you grasp the delicacy of this operation then," nodded the councilwoman. "Good day, and good luck. I expect a full report within a week".
Nani didn't even watch her leave, or notice when Stitch clambered up onto her head to read over her shoulder. She was too shocked by the photograph of the scientist.
"It COULDN'T...".