THE ZADAVIA CHRONICLES by ontheair

Entry #1: "Zadavia."

SYNOPSIS: While attempting to escape an old enemy, Zadavia's ship is blasted out of control through a wormhole. She winds up on a strange planet, is rescued by one of its inhabitants, and inadvertently changes both of their destinies forever.

(Rated 'T' for language and situations still to come.)

ooooo

Chapter 1: "Scouting report (Phase 1)."

The fleet of Orion class dragon cruisers, so named because in shape that was exactly what they resembled, scouted the evening skies above planet Freleng. The ships were imposing in their size and firepower, and were of every conceivable color imaginable. In the red lead ship, a tall, muscular male sat in the command chair, his bionic left eye closely monitoring data from a small computer screen. He brushed a few strands of white and purple hair from his face and spoke into the audio communications module. "Red dragon leader to squadron, report."

"Green dragon, quadrant 7, no sign, your majesty."

"Purple dragon, quadrant 2, nothing, Optimatus."

"Yellow dragon to red leader, quadrant 5, no sign of him or his ship."

And on it went as all the other cruisers reported back to their leader. Whoever they were looking for, he was not to be seen, not this evening... or any of the other evenings they'd been searching. Optimatus made notes on his data terminal and waited for the last dragon cruiser to report in.

"Red dragon leader to blue dragon, report." Silence greeted him. He waited, and then repeated his command, with a fraction of impatience. Again, silence. If it were anyone else, Optimatus would have been concerned; however, since he knew who was piloting the blue dragon cruiser, he simply waited a few seconds more, and then yelled into his communicator. "MARSALLAS, REPORT... NOW!"

"Um... yes, your majesty," came the fumbling reply. "Quadrant 13, nothing to report, sir."

"That was all you had to say, Marsallas," Optimatus responded coldly. While Marsallas' combat skills made him indispensable, Optimatus felt that the Frelengian captain's communication skills were in serious need of a major upgrade.

"Yes sir... begging your pardon, but, are you certain the information we received was correct? I mean, we've searched the skies for a week now... "

"And turned up nothing, I know; however, Marsallas, the queen's informant is hardly ever wrong, seeing as he is one of the Guardians."

"And a rabbit... "

"I am well aware of what Ace is, Marsallas. Nevertheless, since he is one of the Guardians we must take this information seriously. According to his report, the Guardians lost his trail in the Screwball nebula." He took a brief pause before continuing. "If Zadavia's foe has indeed escaped his temporal prison, no matter how unlikely, then the queen's life is in serious danger. She will be the one he comes for first, make no mistake about that. Therefore, the patrols will continue until he is recaptured and banished forever to a black hole."

"Understood, your majesty." Marsallas paused briefly. "Um, your majesty... "

"Yes, Marsallas... " Optimatus sighed, his patience with the captain running thin.

"Do you think it was wise to let her join the patrol?"

"In the first place, no, I do not think it was wise, and second, I did not let her join the... " Optimatus' response was interrupted by another voice on the communicator; a voice that was soft, yet serious, and also very feminine.

"White stingray to red dragon leader... "

Optimatus replied sternly, "Red dragon to white stingray, respond."

"You don't need to take that tone of voice with me, brother."

"And you don't need to be making these patrols with us, sister."

"As long as the possibility exists that Deuce has escaped, I don't see how you can stop me. Just because you are older does NOT mean you have the right to boss me around! I am the queen, I am NOT a child, Optimatus!"

"Behave like one, Zadavia, and that's how you get treated. We will not have this discussion now."

"Give me one good reason why not?" Zadavia demanded, anger clearly evident in her voice.

Optimatus smirked and calmly replied, "You mean, besides the fact you're throwing a tantrum over open channels where all our dragon cruisers can hear you?" He chuckled while every dragon cruiser scanning the skies above Freleng could hear Zadavia seething over their communications systems. Optimatus waited a few more seconds, then commanded, "Marsallas, you will intercept the queen's ship and escort her back to the palace... immediately!"

Zadavia was not amused. She was the one used to being in charge of a situation, and having the tables turned on her by her brother did not bring her happiness. "This is not over, brother! I will have something to say to you when you return. Count on it!"

"Boy," Marsallas thought out loud, "no wonder she's never married... "

"What was that, Marsallas?" The angry response from Zadavia let the unfortunate captain know that he had been heard, and she was not pleased.

"Um, nothing, your highness, static interference... "

Zadavia knew better. Frelengian technology ensured that static interference over the ship's communications was impossible. She exhaled in frustration. "Well, Marsallas, don't just sit there. You have your orders. Escort me back to the palace... and then wait for me. Zadavia out."

The captain gulped quietly. It was the way she said "... and then wait for me" that worried him as he escorted his queen home.

ooooo

The reflected light of the stars gave an elegant brilliance to the planet below, with its pink and blue-banded surface orbited by three small moons, one orbiting in a different direction between the other two. This was the planet Freleng, a technologically advanced peaceful home to a race of intelligent beings, and even braver warriors.

The planet itself was shrouded from the rest of the universe in its own unique place in the galaxy, light years away from anybody. For eons, very few outsiders knew it even existed, until attacks on the planet led its leaders to seek alliances with others in the cosmos. Some of these alliances proved fruitful, like those with Acmetropolis and Blanc, while others proved short-lived. It was an attempt by the planet's former rulers to establish diplomatic relations with the lizard-like race called the Selzerians over 20 years ago, in fact, that led to Freleng reluctantly learning the ways of war, if only for self-defense.

It was also that attempt that led to the deaths of the ruling king and queen, thrusting their yet unprepared children into the roles of leaders. Wisely, the high council sheltered the children and taught them all that they thought they would need to know. As the male was several years older than his sister, the men of the council proceeded to teach him the ways of conflict, while the teaching of his sister was left to the women of the court, who preferred to instruct her in the ways of peace as her beloved mother had done. Ironically, it was the younger sibling who became the stronger leader.

Now, her brother waited patiently in the palace library. Optimatus could hear her storming through the halls and angrily throwing the library doors open wide. He didn't turn around right away, but waited until she was behind him. "So, dear sister, have a pleasant evening?"

"Optimatus, if you weren't my brother... "

"Save your anger for someone who deserves it, Zadavia." Optimatus held his gaze steady despite the fact that it was he who had slowly become corrupted by the ideas of using the knowledge of Freleng's scientific skills and discovery of the perfection of wormhole technology for the purpose of conquest; a corruption that brought about his sister's open defiance, resulting in her having to flee the planet she loved in fear for her life. His determination had been resolute. If he could not bend her will to his, then she must die, sister or not. Unfortunately for him, his growing hatred for his sister resulted in the permanent disfigurement he sustained when he accidentally got caught in the flaming blasts from the exhaust of her escaping cruiser. Yet now, all that was in the past. And no matter how angry she was with him now, Zadavia proved willing to let it stay there.

Although Zadavia was quick to reconcile with her brother once he had seen the error of his ways, their home planet was not so quick to forgive him on their return. It was only through Zadavia's passionate insistence that Optimatus was allowed to remain free to make amends, under her supervision. In time, he managed to regain the trust of the planet and resume his rightful place ruling Freleng alongside his sister, becoming the kind of ruler she knew he could be. She did love him, although at times he did things that, while less destructive than years gone by, still managed to annoy her.

Tonight was one of those times.

"Incidentally," Optimatus continued, "you did not give me a status report."

Zadavia glared at her brother. "Why should I give you... "

"Because this patrol is under MY command, not yours! As long as Deuce is free, your life is in great danger. It would be forfeit if you two were to meet, and you know this!" Back then, Optimatus tried several times to end Zadavia's life before, in one of the universe's great ironies, the exiled queen wound up saving him from the renegade Frelengian General Deuce, in what would become known as the battle for planet Blanc, leading to their reconciliation. Since then, he'd taken the responsibility to protect his sister from the renegade's vengeance very seriously. "Now, what was the status of your unauthorized patrol?"

Zadavia continued to glare. "No sign in quadrant 6, brother."

"That was all you had to say, sister. If there is nothing else... "

"As a matter of fact, there is. I wish to place Captain Marsallas on report and expect disciplinary action."

"Oh? And what is the reason?"

"Insubordination."

"Insubordination," Optimatus muttered, and then smiled. "Oh, do you mean his remark concerning why you've never married?" He chuckled, which infuriated Zadavia even more. "We all heard it. He's an excellent pilot, and a skilled combat leader, although he has an unfortunate tendency to think out loud, doesn't he? No action will be taken. Really, dear sister, you do tend to lose your temper over the strangest things." Optimatus paused for a moment. "Although he does bring up a valid point, Zadavia. I, too, have wondered why you have not yet married. You are still young, you are not unattractive, so why have you no husband in your 30th year?"

Zadavia looked at her brother stoically. "You know the answer as well as I, brother. I am concerned with the well-being of the universe. I have no time in my life for such distractions as... "

"That's not the reason and you know it. You might get away with telling that to others, and you can certainly make them believe it, but I know better. What is the real reason, sister?"

Zadavia bowed her head sadly. "Because those that have sought my hand did so not out of love, but merely for what they thought they could gain in power by being my husband. All of them..." She shook her head as a pair of crystalline tears escaped her beautiful green eyes and slowly made their way down her cheeks.

"Deuce included," her brother noted softly.

Zadavia sighed. "Yes, Deuce included. It's sad to think about, Optimatus. Every one of those suitors... and especially everyone who has ever sought to end my life... they have all been from Freleng. Deuce, Rupes Oberon... even you... tell me, brother, have I been so bad a queen to our people that I deserve such treatment?"

Optimatus smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. "No, Zadavia. You have not. The biggest mistake I have ever made was in being foolish enough to try to eliminate you. But maybe you should concentrate more on the needs of our own planet and leave the well-being of the universe to others. Nobody asked you to be the galaxy's protector, dear sister. This is something you took on yourself." He looked her in the eyes. "Try being the queen of Freleng instead of the universe. Then maybe a suitable Frelengian mate will surface."

Zadavia sighed again. "The way things have been going, I may have to find that mate on another planet, dear brother."

"You know very well the Frelengian constitution forbids it. If you are to marry... "

"If I am to marry he must be a Frelengian, I know what the constitution says, Optimatus. To think my own personal happiness must hinge on such an outdated technicality. As the queen I should have the right to marry anyone I please, Frelengian or not."

"Nevertheless, sister, the constitution also states that any heirs to the throne must be Frelengian by birth. If something were to happen to either of us, Zadavia, and we left no heirs, then who would be left of the Maxima line to rule?"

"Only the Princess Mellisandra, but she has no desire to be queen, brother, you know this."

Optimatus nodded in agreement. "Yes, our younger sister would much rather be 'Paula Hayes' and protect Acmetropolis as a member of the HOP Force. And since she's married to a citizen of Acmetropolis, that automatically rules her out for ascension to the throne."

Zadavia allowed herself a brief smile. "Lucky Mellisandra." She paused before throwing her brother an unexpected verbal curve ball. "By the way, brother, how are things between you and Lady Kassondra?"

Now it was Optimatus' turn to be uncomfortable. "Was there something else, Zadavia?" he asked, clearing his throat and quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, now that you mention it. My ship has been acting up lately, and I'm having trouble with the gyro stabilizer. It was not so much of a problem tonight, but any mechanical malfunctions in the future could be disastrous, especially if my path crosses with Deuce. Could you have our technicians take a look at it?"

"It will be taken care of immediately, sister," Optimatus smiled. "But now, the hour is late, there is still no sign of Deuce, and we both need some rest. Until the morning, Zadavia... "

Zadavia forgot her displeasure with her brother and hugged him warmly. "Until the morning, Optimatus. Good night." As she turned and left the library, she passed Captain Marsallas, who was still waiting for her as ordered. "Good night, Marsallas."

"Um, wasn't there something you were going to tell me, your highness?" In battle, Marsallas Marius was as brave as anyone; but somehow, dealing directly with Zadavia always made him slightly nervous. He ran a hand through his black hair, his brown eyes clouded with worry. Zadavia stopped and turned to face him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." She looked at him seriously. A sudden sense of déjà vu coupled with nostalgia struck Zadavia as she addressed the captain. She suddenly felt as if she were scolding Duck again about his costume requests. Or something. "In the future, Captain, please try to keep your opinions to yourself. Good night." And with that, she strode to her bedchambers, leaving the blue dragon captain feeling like he'd just dodged a laser beam.

Neither Captain Marsallas nor Zadavia - or anyone else, for that matter - noticed a lone figure in a purple and white outfit hiding in one of the recesses of the hallway, an evil smile on his face. "Heh-heh-heh," he muttered, stroking his white goatee, "so Blondie's ship's acting up, eh? Well, it's gonna do more than that when I get through with it... "