Catalina calmly piloted the Christa with relative ease. Pretty smooth flying so far, since Harlan was off making a nuisance of himself elsewhere. Things had been static lately. No one trying to blow them up. No deadly space viruses. Cat couldn't help but feel that they were overdue for trouble.
"Whatcha thinkin?" Suzee asked, leaning on the helm. Suzee didn't realy have any physical ties to thier dimension, but when she was on the astral plane and connected to Catalina, she could manifest her body for Cat to see. Which helped Catalina tremendously, because sometimes she doubted her own sanity as much as the others did.
"Too quiet, Suzee." She said in a normal tone. No one was around to make fun of her, so she blantantly spoke to the invisible girl.
"Better than being attacked, I suppose." Suzee was bored, too. She wished someone at home would pay attention to her, but with two sisters and three brothers, that wasn't prone to happen.
"Yeah," Cat said noncommitally. She heard the jump tubes activate and turned to see Radu slide in. He walked silently to his post to the right of her.
"Hi!" she exclaimed. Radu arched a brow at her since he couldn't have know how bored she was.
"Hi." he replied softly. The Andromendan stared at her.
"Anything going on?"
"Not really," he shrugged. "Ms. Davenport made us clean the Pit because when she came in this morning she stepped in a pie that Bova left on the floor. It had been there a few days."
Cat giggled.
"I'm pretty sure I failed that engineering quiz, too. Was she messing with our heads on that matching section?"
"You know, I think so. The answers were in order, right?" Cat hated when Ms. Davenport did that. It wasn't fair to make them doubt themselves even more than they already did.
Radu sighed in relief. "Yes, I reread that part ten times. I bet I failed it anyway."
"He sounds like Bova." Suzee said, rolling her eyes.
"Suzee says you sound like Bova."
"No," he said slowly, narrowing his eyes, uncertain of how to address the imaginary girl. "I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic."
"Don't be down on yourself, Radu," Catalina said encouragingly. "I'm sure you did fine. You studied with me, remember?"
Radu half-smiled. He was trying to keep positive. He knew Rosie and Cat were worried about him, since he'd been so self-loathing lately. Something just didn't feel right. And he just plain felt worthless, like everyone would be better off if he simply weren't there. Or never had been.
"I bet Harlan said something nasty." Suzee said. She wanted Cat's attention, even if she didn't care whether or not the Andromedan worried himself to death.
"You think so?" Catalina turned to her. She saw Radu's body heave in an inaudible sigh out the corner of her eye.
"Doesn't he always? Besides, he probably failed, too. You know the cocky twerp didn't study."
"Of course not." Cat agreed.
Radu tried not to stare. The look she'd gotten in her eyes was similar to that of a telepath in listening mode. Except that he knew Cat wasn't telepathic. Whenever he saw her doing that, it made him wonder whether or not Suzee was really real. Not that he'd say anything. They all thought he was half crazy anyway.
How are you, Radu?
Alright, I guess. he answered his Spung friend. Elmira had been paying alot of attention to him lately too. How was the ball?
Wah. There was amusement in the sending. Maybe you should watch the news.
What did you do?
I bit Warlord Jeoff's son. Pretenscious bastard.
Radu laughed. Catalina looked at him quizzically.
"You didn't hear that did you?" she asked. Suzee narrowed her eyes. He'd laughed right after her last comment about Ms. Davenport.
"Hear what?"
Catalina craned her head a bit. "What were you laughing at?"
Don't tell them about me. Elmira warned.
You know I won't. Radu returned. What frequency would that be on?
Hmm. Neon's I think.
"Um, turn on the frequency for planet Neon?" Radu said. Cat looked sceptical, but complied.
"And here we are at the Annual Empirical Ball." An annoying voice boomed as the screen scanned a ballroom filled with Spung.
"Meaning standard Spung years, that is." Another voice announced.
"Of course." the first voice sounded jilted. "There is the honorable Emperor himself..."
"Grozit." Catalina said, making a face. "He's, like, five."
"Just love the monarchy." Suzee remarked.
"And Royal Regent Kratch. He's in a good mood." the first voice returned, knowingly. "Due to the untimely demise of his father at the hands of those savages, the Andromedans..."
Catalina caught Radu rolling his eyes and giggled.
"Kratch is now quite a power in the Empire. Should the Emperor perish, his family now has a strong claim to the throne."
"Well," the second voice said bemusedly. "That, and the lovely Sorola Elmira has been bought for a dance."
Both voiced whistled.
"Why do I sense something violent coming on?" Suzee asked.
Elmira walked resolutely toward Kratch, eyes down. A dress that would have looked like a plastic bag on anyone else envelopped the dignified Spung in a swirl of purple and blue, glitter sparkled over her body, and her hair burned like a waterfall of flame. Kratch stepped forward and took her hand, saying something in Spung.
"Oh-hoo-hoo!" the first voice barked. "Nice one."
The scene closed in on the look of absolute disgust on Elmira's face. She spoke quietly then nodded to the band to play.
The dance began. Kratch twirling her around, occasionally stepping on her feet. Irritated though she was, the woman stayed calm. Kratch dipped her, then leaned in for a kiss.
A resounding Spung scream rang out.
"What just happened?" the second voice said incredulously.
"She- she bit him." the first voice was stunned.
Elmira now stood apart from Kratch, blood dripping from her exposed fangs. She grinned at Kratch, who had his injured tounge hanging out. She snarled and began shouting in Spung.
"What's she saying?" Catalina looked to Radu. He smiled widely. Suzee was laughing her head off.
"She's revoking his Mandate of Divinity." he explained. "Saying that he has overstepped his bounds and now he, or any of his kin, cannot succeed the throne."
"Can she do that?"
"Her line has a stronger claim to the throne than Jeoff's did." Radu shrugged.
"Can she do that?" the first voice said.
"I don't know. It's practically heresy to violate the First Sorola. Warlord Shank seems to be enjoying this." the second voice said. "Wait- the Emperor is going to say something."
"The claim of the First Sorola is just. Evil will befall the Empire if any of Kratch's kin seceed the throne."
"But, Emperor, you cannot rule without me!" Kratch protested awkwardly.
"We choose Warlord Shank's son Praxt as our new regent. Perhaps that will repay the indignity that you have place on their house." the child beamed at Elmira.
Catalina giggled. "A coup d'etat!"
"Pardon?" Goddard asked walking into the room. Cat waved her arms to silence him. He looked up in disbelief.
A tall, lanky Spung ascended the royal stairs and knelt by the Emperor. The child took his sceptor and hit Praxt with it as hard as he could.
"Accolade." Goddard muttered. "That boy's just been knighted."
"Please do us the honor of serving us." the little Emperor said with a smirk.
"Thank you, Sire." Praxt rose stiffly and bowed to the onlooking congregation of Spung.
"Now that's how to deal with a pushy guy." Catalina remarked. Just then the jump tubes activated. Harlan slid in.
Catalina and Radu exchanged a bemused look.
"They won't know you're gone until you are gone." Praxt promised his older sister. "We'll stage a death so perfect, Shank won't blink twice."
"Yes!" the little Emperor concurred, hissing a little. "They won't use the First Sorola for evil while I'm in charge."
"I don't see how father will fall for it." Elmira admonished. "I've done this before."
"But last time there wasn't a body." Praxt put his arm around her as her eyes widened in alarm and curiosity.
Rosie gasped. Bova turned his head sharply to see the Mercurian gaping at a file she'd just opened.
"What's that?" he asked, leaving his snack at the table slowly across the lounge. He sat next to her.
"The file says that its something called a dragon, but I can't find what planet it comes from."
"Look at its teeth." Bova remarked, "I bet alot of furry animals go into that thing."
"Bova!" Rosie admonished. She didn't want to think about cute animals being eaten.
Bova shrugged. He grabbed the abandoned sandwich and munched on it as they looked the picture over. The vid had captured the irridescent light beaming off of the creature's scales. They were overlapped, creating a sleek armour of pearly light.
"You know, Bova," Rosie said bemusedly, "It's actually kinda beautiful, when you get past how fierce it looks."
"Yeah," Bova muffled. He'd forgotten to chew for a moment.
"Wait." Rosie gave him a funny look. "You're agreeing with me??"
Bova swallowed hard. "It happens. What? Can't you believe I can can find something beautiful?"
"It's not that, Bova." She leaned over in challenge. "Everyone finds something beautiful. I just didn't think you could admit it."
"I can!" Bova said jiltedly, getting in her face. "I can anytime I want. Mercurians aren't the only species capable of shallow lookism!"
"Lookism!" Rosie exclaimed. "Appreciation of the acetics is what makes humanoid life so special!"
Bova rolled his eyes. "Even the stupidest animal like pretty stuff. Humanoids just think they're all that casue they can talk about how cute or ugly or unfashionable . They're really just all shallow twits."
Rosie looked at him hard.
"Present company excluded, of course." Bova said, raising his hands in surrender.
"Of course," Rosie said stiffly, slowly standing and moving away from him. She was starting to glow.
"What?!" a small part of the console next to her was melting. "Putting everything and everyone down out of hand? You can see the simple beauty of something without it meaning that you're shallow! It just means that you notice what's going on around you, not just overanalysing everything with your nose in a Compupad."
"Rosie, that's not what I meant!" Bova reached for her but she stormed away, leaving burn marks on the floor.
"Yikes!" Catalina said coming into the teamroom. "I thought Rosie was going to mow us down their."
"Yeah, Bova, I've never seen her angry before." Harlan said lightly. "What did you say to her?"
"Something wrong." Bova shrugged callously, but his shoulders stayed tense. Cat sat in the chair Rosie had previously occupied and put her hand on his shoulder.
"What happened?" Catalina said with concern. Bova glowered at her.
"Stay out of it, Cat." Harlan warned. "You always botch things up when you get in the middle."
"I do not botch things up!" Cat spat. "I'm very helpful, I'll have you know!"
"Yeah, right." Harlan tugged his ears then waved his hands and jumped up and down. "Yes! I absolutely agree! I bet Radu thought you were having a seizure back there."
"Oh, stop it. There were extenuating circumstances between you and Radu that I didn't know about. I didn't know enough then to tell you the right way to act."
"I'd say not. Wait!" Harlan sat down next to them. "Do you know somehting now?"
"No!" Catalina protested. Harlan and Bova looked sceptically at her. "No, guys, I can't tell. I haven't even told Suzee."
"Come on!" The boys said in unison.
"No!" Catalina got up and placed her hands on her hips controposto. "Forget you. I"m not going to betray his trust."
Catalina shot a scathing look to Harlan before, taking after Rosie, storming out of the room. Bova sighed and looked at Harlan.
"I swear that Andromedan gets me into more trouble!" Harlan complained.
"Radu wasn't even here." Bova pointed out.
"Yeah, but it was his problem that got me in trouble."
"I wish I could rationalize like you Earthers. I just messed up."
Commander Goddard walked in with a grim look on his face.
"Your turn, Commander." Bova said cheerfully.
Rosie sat quietly beside the master protomix. She couldn't quite figure out why she and Bova couldn't communicate. She knew that they were different, but they were speaking the same language, at least technically.
"Shallow." she grumbled, knowing the action was so unlike herself. She wanted to go talk to someone, but she was still too angry. The engine room was the only place on the ship designed to take that kind of heat.
"Rosie?"
"Cat?" Rosie turned to see the troubled Titanian. "What are you doing down here?"
"Tinkering with the engine cools me down. Harlan's such a jerk."
"Bova's being mean today, too. Has Radu been infected? I think I might need to break out the vaccines."
Cat giggled. "No, Radu's acting weird, but I think he's just depressed."
"Why is he depressed though? I checked his chemical balance, and it's fine."
"Dunno. Grades, Harlan. Lonely, might be the closest guess."
"I'll give him a hug later." Rosie smiled. "That'll help."
"Maybe."
I wish all people were open and honest as Mercurians. Catalina thought.
"Girls?" Ms. Davenport called.
"Yes, Ms. Davenport!" They answered.
"Has the Commander done something stupid, too?" Catalina retorted. Ms. Davenport gave her a quizzical look, but ignored the comment.
"Please come with me to the teamroom." she said gently.
The girls looked at one another and followed their teacher.
Comander Goddard replayed that morning's newscast for the whole crew. He knew their reactions would not be good.
"Poison, plain and simple." the Neon newscaster announced. "Last night after the Spung's Annual Royal Ball, the First Sorola Elmira, drank poisoned Ocerian wine and died. Her suicide note will not be released for public viewing due to the extreme grief of her father Warlord Shank."
The Commander paused the vidcast.
"Warlord Shank was her father?" Catalina said incredulously.
"Yeah," Radu said, licking his lips. "You heard her title yesterday afternoon."
"Sorola. Meaning?"
"Princess. First Sorola, meaning, well, whoever marries her will have the strongest tie to the throne after Shank and her brother."
"You're taking this awefully well, Radu." Ms. Davenport said with concern.
"You don't need to worry." Radu assured them. "She's alright."
The other students looked around anxiously. Goddard knelt down to the level of the students.
"Radu," he said gently. "I know that you were close to her, but things happen to people in royal families. It...things are... complicated."
Radu turned his scrutinizing eye to them. They all looked so sympathetic, as if he were going to break down any minute. He was almost sorry he didn't have anything to show them. He wondered if he should just explain, or just let it be a surprise. They probably wouldn't believe him anyway. Oh well.
"I understand, Commander." he said blinking innocently. Goddard looked confused. Radu sighed. "She was a good person. She'll be alright."
Goddard furrowed his brow. He remembered something about Andromedans being a religious people, but the ones he'd fought in the war had never taken death so calmly. Though, so far everything he'd observed about Radu had been outside the norm of Andromedan expectations, so this shouldn't be any different.
"You're certain that you're alright?"
Radu nodded. Ms. Davenport sighed.
"Children, I know that death is a difficult concept. I want you to let one of us know if you are having problems, alright?"
The students nodded.
"You may return to your activities." She crossed her arms and gave Goddard a worried look. When the kids had left, she spoke again. "They took that surprisingly well."
"Well, they hardly knew her." Goddard remarked.
"But they've always been more empathetic than that. Particularly Rosie and Radu."
"We'll just have to watch for problems."
"What's up, Radu?" Cat demanded when they'd reached their posts. Harlan looked over in interest.
"Nothing." He answered softly.
"Nothing, my quazar. If Elimira were dead, you'd be sobbing your little heart out. Now spill. What's going on?
Radu sighed. "She faked her death to get away. They made a clone, but didn't activate it, then filled it with poison."
"How'd you know all that?" Harlan asked suspiciously.
"He's a telepath. I knew it." Suzee said smugly.
"Are you in telepathic contact with her?" Cat asked.
"Yes." Radu admitted uncomfortably. Rosie looked at him in shock.
"For how long??"
"A couple of months." Radu quirmed. He didn't like being grilled like this, and he'd been instructed not to say anything.
"And you were planning on telling us... when?" Harlan demanded.
"Eyes on the road, Harlan. I'll conduct this investigation." Catalina quipped. Rosie giggled. She was glad the mood had lighted up.
"Elmira said it wasn't safe for you to know." Radu explained. "I didn't think you'd believe me anyway."
"Should we be expecting a vistitor?" Bova asked.
"Probably."
"Goddard's gonna have a fit." Bova returned, smirking. Harlan snickered.
"He'll have a heart attack."
"Harlan, that's mean." Rosie protested.
"Okay, I'm sorry." Harlan sighed. "But he's not going to be happy with us for not tell him this."
Radu was more than a little relieved that he'd said us.
"So what should we do?" Radu asked with a slight begging for approval.
"Well..." Catalina grinned widely. "Rosie and I need to get No Man's Land ready for another roommate!"
"Great." Suzee muttered.
"Oh! That's great!" Rosie couldn't keep still. "We can redecorate!"
"And give her a STARDOG makeover!"
"And she can join our class!" Rosie paused. "What's se good at Radu?"
"She's a good pilot." he said. "She does pretty well at tactics, too, but that might be because she can see the outcome."
"Finally, the balance of power is shifting." Catalina smirked.
"What?" Harlan turned around to give her an are you crazy look.
"Now there are more girls than guys on the ship."
"Davenport, Rosie, Elmira, and you equals four girls. There are four guys!" Harlan argued.
"Thelma!" Cat pointed out. Rosie giggled.
"And me!!" Suzee snapped irritatedly.
"And Suzee." Cat added. Harlan rolled his eyes. Bova laid down on his console and pretended to nap.
"Red alert, adult on the Command Post." Goddard announced, walking in. Bova jerked his head up.
"I think the girls have something to say." Harlan said raising a brow.
"Harlan!" Cat admonished. Goddard would never believe this without proof. He'd just think they were taking Elmira's death harder than he'd thought.
"Men," Suzee sighed. "Hey, Goddard, guess what? Radu's girlfriend is comming aboard and taking over."
"is there something I should be aware of?" the Commander asked, folding his arms.
"Is there anything you are aware of?" Suzee retorted. She was bord with this situation.
"Suzee, stop it. You know he can't hear you." Catalina turned to her with an angry glare.
"Sorry, Cat. Not my fault if they're oblivious."
"What did she say?" Goddard ased, then mentally berated himself for feeding the girl's delusion.
"Nothing important, Commander." Catalina apologized. Suzee hoffed in protest.
Goddard gave them all a scrutinizing glance, but decided to let it be.
"We have an incoming message," Rosie announced. Goddard nodded to her. "Screen on."
The viewscreen swirled open to reveal the face of a certain dead Sorola.
"Elmira?" Goddard took a step back. "Is this what you were trying to tell me?"
They all nodded.
"I would have simply sent the message through Radu, but I needed for you to believe that I am actually alive." Elmira stated in her graceful monotone.
"Where are you?" Radu asked.
"I'm in the Quarton System, and I need your help. A dimensional rift has opened and the Geks are spilling into our universe. I can't stop them alone."
"Did she say Geks?" Suzee asked, intrigued. "As in those barbaric monsters from my dimension?"
"Suzee want to know if the Geks are from Yensid." Catalina repeated.
"Suzee is correct. The Geks, being unable to dominate her dimension due to their technological inferiority to the Yensidians, have chosen a more primative dimension. Us, because, not including the area of alternate realities, we are the closest dimension to Yensid."
"Are you saying that Suzee is real?" Harlan asked in disbelief.
"She is. And she may be able to help. I need Radu on this side to help me, but we do need someone on the other side to close the dimensional rift, cutting off their reinforcements."
"Well, it would take a matter/anti-matter explosion to open a rift, to eep it open, hmm..." Suzee put her head to the problem.
"She's thinking about it." Catalina translated. Elmira smiled serenely.
"Thank you, Catalina, but I can see her."
"What?" the crew of the Christa said in unison.
"I can see anyone who walks on the astral plane, provided that their sheilds aren't stronger than mine. Radu will be able to do this soon, too."
"Good." Suzee said. "It gets boring talking to just one person. No offense, Cat."
"What exactly do you have planned?" Goddard inserted himself. "I assume that faking your death was a part of this issue."
"By faking my death, Praxt becomes the eldest of my father's line. He now has the strongest tie to the throne. Stronger than Shank's even, because he's the regent. Praxt agreed to take care of my friends while I took on this mission."
"Your... friends?" Bova asked. What kind of friends would a Spung princess have?
"The Andromedan slaves and the abused women and children of the Empire that I've been trying to protect." she sighed wearily. "I suspect, however, that Praxt will be more successful, as he does not face a glass ceiling."
"Back to your plan." Goddard was all business. This sounded as if it required an all out STARDOG attack, but wouldn't be getting it.
"If you are willing, I need to get Radu to the planet Namek to help me fight them off." she caught the expression on Radu's young face. "Don't worry; I'll show you what to do."
"Two people against an army?" Goddard arched a brow sternly.
"Trust me, my people were a force to be reckoned with when we were virtuous."
Bova tried to imagine a virtuous Spung, but failed, smiling in wicked glee at the images of hedonistic Spung dancing around a bonfire upon which there were children waiting to be eaten.
"So one Spung and one Andromedan can defeat these horrible Gek people?" Bova then imagined Rdu holding his hands up and asking a group of monsters if they could talk it over.
"Probably. If the Christa had weapon systems, I'd ask you to help, but you can't. Catalina, Rosie, and you, Bova, might be able to provide some assistance, if you are brave. But the Earthers would be useless."
"Hey!" Harlan protested adamently. "I don't faint when I see a fight coming! I welcome it."
"Obviously." Elmira said facetiously.
Goddard put a hand on Harlan's shoulder to keep the boy from jumping into the screen.
"I assume blasters don't work terrible well against the Geks?"
"Not the ones from this dimension. Especially jerry-rigged ones. And they are too thick skinned for you to fight outright." ELmira scanned his honest, understanding face. Not all men were beasts like her father, she supposed.
"Then we'll keep the ship ready while you go." Goddard made a single nod. "Do you guys want to go through with this?"
The cacophony of response gave him the answer he was looking for.
"Great." he tilted his head with the word, as though it were dragging him down. "Now I get to break this to Ms. Davenport."
Elmira chuckled.