Dynasties Chapter 1: Reign, a defenders of the earth fanfic

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"Reign"

There were only two planets in the entire galaxy that Hadea hadn't conquered. But in ten seconds, the number would be down to one.

A huge crowd of commoners eyed their new queen from behind, her golden locks swaying as she ascended to the stage.

As she came to a halt before her latest throne, a breeze arrived, as though just for her, ruffling her long hair and regal gown.

And then Hadea turned around, revealing a calm expression as she claimed her seat.

A golden tiara glittered in her hair. Two pale subjects stood at her sides...and the Necklace of Oros sparkled on her chest.

As a gleam from the jewel caught her eye, Hadea couldn't help but take a moment to reflect.

It was one year ago when her loyal subjects had found the Kingdom of Oblivion and freed their queen.

Hadea was many things, but she wasn't careless. Prior to losing the necklace, she'd used its power to create a mystical link between herself and the jewel.

She wasn't very surprised by where its trail had ended: the home base of the Defenders.

While her soldiers kept their opponents busy, Hadea's senses led her to the base's depths. Before long, she'd realized that someone had attempted to melt the necklace in lava. Unbeknownst to that person, however, the most powerful weapon in the galaxy could not be so easily destroyed.

With a mere gesture of her hands, Hadea used a telekinetic pull to summon the necklace. The jewel hovered before her, undamaged by the heat.

On the floor above, she could hear the battle raging on. And with the power she'd reclaimed, she knew that she could join her forces and easily end the conflict.

However, the queen had other things planned for her earthly enemies.

Tapping into the necklace, Hadea teleported herself and her troops back to the Netherworld. The Defenders lowered their weapons, gazing about in confusion.

Soon afterward, Hadea's conquest had begun. The Necklace of Oros had granted her incredible power — power which she'd used to crush several armies, and to multiply her own.

Once a planet fell, Hadea used the necklace to create statues of herself in that world's largest cities. Nations and kingdoms no longer had 'leaders'; each of them merely had councils that answered to Hadea. She'd made sure that on every planet she'd been to, throughout all of space, there were no kings, queens, presidents, emperors, empresses, or other heads of state. Hadea wanted everyone in the galaxy to know that there was only one monarch: her.

After nearly a year, there were only two worlds that she hadn't conquered: planet Mongo, and planet Earth. These were the homes of her greatest enemies — which was why she'd chosen to save them for last.

That way, Ming and the Defenders would have plenty of time to think about what was coming.

They'd know what she was doing. They'd know that they would be next.

And above all, they'd know that there was nothing that any of them could do to stop her.

The Present

Hadea sat before the largest public gathering in Mongo's history, resting her arms on those of the throne. Though she and her guards were easily outnumbered, no one in the crowd dared launch an attack. If the necklace had defeated countless armies across the galaxy, including their own, then what chance did any of them possibly have?

Using only her thoughts, Hadea had sent huge bursts of power through waves of soldiers, incinerating each of them in seconds. She'd lifted hordes of troops to unseen heights, letting their bodies find their own way down. And she'd taken would-be assassins and made examples of them in public displays.

She'd even been able to transform a good deal of Mongo's environment, replacing the icy areas with lush green valleys and brown plains.

Suddenly, the crowd broke into a series of tense whispers and shocked stares. Two muscular guards were carrying someone to the stage.

Ming had been treated quite mercilessly. His ankles were shackled, his wrists were bound, and the guards had stripped him down to a loincloth, revealing a slew of fresh scars.

As he faced Hadea, trembling where he knelt, his expression swayed between hatred, disbelief...and what almost appeared to be fear.

The ruler of the galaxy eyed Ming smugly, brushing back a lock of her long hair. Then she extended her legs, waiting patiently as she looked downward.

Ming shook while flashing tears of anger, hesitating before he lowered himself.

Hadea smirked. She didn't usually gloat, but today was well worth an exception. Raising her gaze, she faced the crowd with a smug grin. "Behold, people of Mongo. There can now be no doubt as to who your ruler is. Kneel now before your queen, as Ming himself has done."

All the green-skinned commoners in tattered robes and old gowns dropped to their knees and lowered their heads. Hadea couldn't see a single face.

The queen smiled. Before long, she realized that she might come to miss moments like this.

Hours later in the royal palace, Hadea stepped onto the balcony just outside of her chambers. She stood naked, one foot perched, the wind blowing back her hair as she looked upon the kingdom. The Necklace of Oros lay at her breasts, gleaming against its familiar home.

As a girl, she'd always heard that she'd rule the Netherworld — but she'd always known that she was fated for grander things. If she could rule her kingdom, then she could rule others as well. And it appeared that she'd do so for as long as she pleased; the necklace had allowed her to stop ageing.

Hadea lowered her gaze with a soft chuckle, letting herself grin at the simplicity of it all. Every child dreamed of what they wanted to be when they grew up, and she'd gone out and made her dreams come true: little Hadea had become queen of the galaxy.

And yet, she found that she hadn't done this for the reasons she'd once imagined. She hadn't done it out of pure vanity.

Of course, Hadea had always known that she was one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and powerful women in the galaxy, and she fully believed that she deserved to reign as she now did. But she was also far from the pampered little child who'd dreamed of ruling just to satisfy her ego. Upon reaching maturity, she'd found that her goal was the same, but her motivations were different.

She'd been searching for something over the past year, and it appeared that she was coming closer to finding it. Her desires were nearly satisfied...but not fully. Not yet.

There was only one world left to turn to now.

After wiping his brow, the president ran a sweaty palm across his white hair. He rose, beginning to pace slowly throughout the Oval Office. "You and your team know more about this woman than the rest of us, Mr. Gordon. Why hasn't she made a move on our world yet?"

Donned in a military jacket which bore numerous stripes, Flash Gordon stood at attention. "We still haven't figured that out, sir." His fist tightened. "However, I remain firm in my assertion that we've gotta hit her before she hits us."

"No," the president snapped. Seconds later, he shook his head with a tense chuckle. 'It's been two years since we tangled with Ming. We've left him alone and he's left us alone. For the time being, I've got to assume that all of these alien threats need to be handled the same way."

"Ming and Hadea are not the same. He's never done anything as ambitious as what she's doing."

"There will be no preemptive strike, Mr. Gordon. If she comes here, we'll defend. In the meantime, I want you and your team at the ready — and I need you to learn more about what her next move might be."

Flash nodded, looking off as a hint of disappointment crawled over his face. "Sir."

The guards began moving to escort him out.

Soon afterward, Flash was riding in the back seat of a car, letting his bold eyes drift to the stars now and then. Street lights gleamed across the windows. Raindrops tapped against the panes.

After throwing a cautious look at the driver, he pulled out his phone and began dialing.

In a large apartment on the other side of the country, another cell phone began sounding off. On the third ring, someone's hand reached from a bed and pulled the phone under the covers.

"Yeah?" said the young man who answered.

"Rick, it's me," Flash muttered.

Rick pulled the blanket from his bare chest, sitting up a little. A faint ray of sunlight illuminated his blonde curls. "How did it go?"

"The president won't budge."

"Didn't I tell ya'?"

'But I want you to stay ready...just in case."

Rick blinked, wiping the sleep from his eyes. " 'Just in case'? What does that mean?"

Flash eyed the driver, lowering his voice even further. "You know what it means."

"Dad, you know that we can't make a move anymore without the president's consent. And maybe you don't want to hear it, but he has a point. Hadea hasn't even done anything to us yet."

"Maybe not, but are we just supposed to turn our backs on all the other worlds out there?"

"Dad- -"

"Just be ready. I'll talk to you later." Flash hung up.

Rick held still...then lowered the phone with a sigh, shaking his head as he eyed the wall.

A feminine voice came from beneath the covers. "Why is he so desperate to zoom into space and save other planets?" Jedda pulled the sheets aside. "You're not the Defenders of the Galaxy, you're the Defenders of the Earth," she said.

Rick leaned toward his knees. "You know him. This sort of thing is simply in his blood." He turned and touched her shoulder with a smile. "I think that you two sort of have that in common."

Jedda pulled herself up, wrapping a sheet around her skin. "Don't even try to woo me back on that team." She stepped over to a tall window, her long black locks swaying around her shoulders. "I told you before. My mind is made up."

Rick propped himself onto an elbow. "I'm still trying to figure out why."

Jedda stared down at the city. "All my life, people have been telling me what I was meant to be. First I was destined to become the Phantom. Then I was fated to join a super team. And then your father gets a call from the president, and suddenly my new calling is to be a government agent." She shook her head. "I left because I was ready to choose my own destiny."

"But you didn't have to move all the way out here to do that." A slow frown crossed his face. "Are you really that desperate to run away from the team?"

"I'm not running away, Rick. I'm growing up."

"Well, whatever you want to call it...it's made your father sad."

She chuckled. "I didn't quite get that impression the last time we talked. The only thing he's 'sad' about is me breaking the family tradition."

Rick rolled his eyes and nodded. "He's disappointed, but he still misses you. The guy just has a hard way of saying it."

Jedda paused, a hint of longing flashing through her eyes. "I simply needed to move on." She gripped the sheet a bit tighter now, feeling a pang of nervousness stir her spine. "Actually...I think it's time for you to try doing the same." Jedda took a deep breath and turned around. "Why don't you move out here?" She looked down as shyness overtook her tone. "Why don't you come and live with me?"

Rick lifted an eyebrow.

Jedda licked her lips.

"Whoa..." He chuckled. "How long have you been waiting to say that?"

She nodded and glanced at the ceiling. "You don't want to do it."

"Hey. Don't put words in my mouth." He began standing.

"I know you." She turned back around. "When you don't want to give an answer, you start asking questions of your own."

"Jedda..." He placed his hands over her shoulders. "We'll build our happily ever after when the time is right...and if I have my way, that'll happen sooner than you think." He wrapped his arms around her chest. "But we both know that it can't happen just yet — not with Hadea closing in on us.

"Right now, I've got to do everything I can to help keep this world safe."

Jedda held still, letting her gaze settle on the sky.

"That's what it means to be a Defender of the Earth."

Scene Commentary

Dynasties began as a collection of random DoE scenarios that I'd been thinking about for a number of years. After being inspired by the work of Marzena, a fellow DoE fanfic writer, I finally found the courage to try writing my ideas out as part of an actual story.

One of those scenarios in my head featured Queen Hadea taking over the galaxy. I then imagined her ruling for various periods of time — days, months, or even centuries (that last one always ended with her getting bored and going back in time). I was fairly young when I first saw Hadea in the TV series, and I found her so alluring back then that I probably didn't care that I was supposed to be rooting against her.

As I matured, I began to find Hadea genuinely fascinating (I've always had a thing for regal figures and lore), which led to me imagining various layers and motivations with regard to this character.

Ming had been treated quite mercilessly. His ankles were shackled, his wrists were bound, and the guards had stripped him down to a loincloth, revealing a slew of fresh scars.

This scene establishes Hadea as the head antagonist. I tried to make things about as humiliating for Ming as possible.

In the TV series, the Necklace of Oros is said to be an object of great power, but the power itself is left ambiguous at times. In this story, it's revealed to be a near-omnipotent weapon of the mind, which makes its owner the unofficial ruler of the galaxy (though Hadea removes the prefix from that sentence...)

This is another scene that had been in my head for a while — Hadea standing in this powerful, portrait-like pose. The nudity is yet another way of expressing that she's free to do whatever she wants, wherever she wants, as she's crowned herself queen of the galaxy. I definitely wanted to include this one at some point.

A feminine voice came from beneath the covers. "Why is he so desperate to zoom into space and save other planets?" Jedda pulled the sheets aside. "You're not the Defenders of the Galaxy, you're the Defenders of the Earth," she said.

It goes without saying (though I'll say it anyway) that Jedda and Rick's bond has matured since the days of the TV series. The show hinted at a romance here and there, so I wanted to explore that possibility as well.