Chapter 2: "Sabotage (Phase 2)."
The purple-and-white clad figure moved stealthily through the Frelengian palace, following Zadavia's every move. He took great care not to be seen, which was odd, considering how much he craved attention. Zadavia stopped in the hallway to greet one of the members of the High Council, who was also heading to bed after a long day. The intruder seized the opportunity and slipped unnoticed into Zadavia's bedchambers and hid in the shadows, just as the queen made her way into the room. He held his breath while she slipped out of her skin-tight uniform, stretched, and then grabbed a pink-and-amethyst colored bathrobe and towel.
She stopped momentarily, thinking something was wrong somehow, and then dismissed the thought. After all, she was in the palace, and guards were all around to ensure her safety. And besides, she had her incredible light powers. What could be wrong?
She paused before heading into the shower to summon a glass of warm milk from the royal kitchen. Ever since this business of Deuce possibly reappearing, Zadavia had endured several sleepless nights. Of all her enemies, General Deuce was the one that she feared the most, although she would never say so publicly. Her younger sister Mellisandra, known on Acmetropolis as "Paula Hayes-Paine," had suggested that warm milk would help her sleep. "I really need to try that tonight," she thought to herself as she disrobed and stepped into the shower. As the queen thought she was alone, she left the door to her shower chamber open.
The silent intruder was temporarily mesmerized by her beauty, but only temporarily. "Wow," he thought, "this chick is hot! Too bad the boss man wants to 'off' her, but then, I ain't that great a fan of hers, either." He frowned at the memory of her rejection of his offering of a new anthem for Freleng. The sound of her chamber door sliding open forced him back into the shadows, as one of Zadavia's handmaidens dutifully left a glass of warm milk on her bedside table next to a book the queen had been reading, and then left.
After he made sure she was gone, he removed a vial from his left front pocket and poured a colorless, tasteless liquid into the drink. He was about to slip back into the darkened corner when he was stopped by another sound. It was Zadavia, singing.
He listened as her voice rose above the rush of her shower. "Man, I never knew she could sing," he thought. "That chick's got a groovy voice!" Then the shower stopped, although her singing continued. He watched as she stepped out of the shower, toweled herself off, then slipped into her bathrobe. Quickly, his mind returned to the task he'd been given and returned to his hiding place just as she emerged. Zadavia went to her wardrobe, picked a diaphanous pink nightgown, dropped her bathrobe, and leisurely slid into the sheer, almost translucent nightgown. From his vantage point, the intruder was getting quite a show.
The queen brushed her hair, and then held her hands over her blond locks. Two beams of rainbows emerged from her hands. She chuckled to herself, "Who needs a hair dryer when I can do this?" Running her hands through her now dried hair, Zadavia strode slowly across the inlaid marble-and-ivory floor, climbed into her bed, and reached for the milk.
The Frelengian queen then picked up the book she'd been reading, a gift from her younger sister. Zadavia always appreciated classic literature, and the complete set of Sherlock Holmes books that Mellisandra had sent her after their battle the previous year on Acmetropolis against General Qurrg and the Selzerians really piqued her interest. It was the deductive reasoning of the character that the queen found most fascinating.
The intruder grew restless as he watched Zadavia drink, then settle in with her book. "Why can't she just head to dreamland already," he thought. But soon, his patience was rewarded, as Zadavia's eyelids grew heavy, and she slipped into a deep sleep, dropping her book on the floor. He waited for a few more seconds, and then quietly went to her. Satisfied that the drugged milk had done its job, he took a flower with large white petals from a pouch he'd been carrying, and placed it into the sleeping queen's right hand. He watched as the flower began to do its work, absorbing Zadavia's powers, multi-colored streams rapidly leaving her body, the white petals slowly gaining all the colors of the rainbow. Her body shook violently as though she were experiencing a seizure, wrapped in a transparent symbiotic cocoon. Had she been conscious, the pain of her powers being forcibly drawn out would have caused her to scream in terrible agony, thus bringing help; so the intruder felt it was a good thing for him that Zadavia was in her drug-induced sleep.
It was only through sheer chance that the intruder had come upon this unusual flower. It worked in two stages: it could not only absorb light, like the black dwarf daisy that he, through his mannequin Bootes Belinda, had tricked Zadavia into touching in her underwater grotto the last time they encountered each other on Acmetropolis, making her think it was the Lumerius flower of Freleng; but also her powers, bypassing the need for a separate receptacle... like the Cosmic Guitar.
It was a brilliant plan his boss had come up with... or rather, that he had come up with, he thought; a plan he'd formulated after the last time he'd stolen Zadavia's powers. His boss wasn't the only one who had a grudge against her, or could think of unusual ways to destroy her. Soon, when phase 3 of his plan was launched and Zadavia awoke, she would simply attribute her tiredness to the effectiveness of the warm milk. And since she had no need to use her powers at this time of night... well, when she would need them, she'd be in for quite a surprise. He watched as the cocoon surrounding her disappeared, her body went limp, and a small natural red light lit up in the center of the flower. It was done.
Zadavia was now powerless, and she wouldn't even know it... until it was too late.
Just like he had planned.
The intruder chuckled quietly, "So much for phase 2." He removed the flower from Zadavia's hand and placed it carefully into its pouch, taking care not to touch any of the green leaves underneath the petals, then silently crept out of her bedchambers and, making sure no one was in sight, headed unnoticed towards the docking bay where her pearl white cruiser was waiting to be overhauled. Stopping to hide in another hallway recess, he activated a wrist communicator. "Keyboard Man to the General Dude... " he whispered.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me General Deuce?" came the annoyed reply.
Rupes Oberon chuckled. "Whatever. Just checkin' in to tell you phase 2 is complete. She's out cold and completely powerless."
"Well done, Rupes. You will be rewarded for this," came the reply.
"Like you 'rewarded' me on planet Blanc?" he asked skeptically. "No way. You're gonna have to do better than that, dude... a lot better."
"I give the orders, Oberon, you just need to follow them," the voice of Deuce replied.
"Okay, General Dude, whatever. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go sabotage Queenie's ship. Don't want her to have an advantage when you two finally meet up," the musician chuckled. "Keyboard Man, out."
Rupes Oberon soon found himself in the docking bay, where one of Zadavia's technicians was going over a checklist of problems the queen had reported with her cruiser. There was no one else around, Oberon noticed. The technician was roughly Rupes' height and build, and with a protective helmet on, no one would notice the difference. This was going to be easier than even he thought. Frelengian security measures really sucked, he thought, but he wasn't about to complain. He stood behind the technician, reading over his shoulder. "Hmmm... gyro stabilizer's gone wonky, huh? Think it can be fixed?"
The technician shrugged. "If not, I'll have to replace it... " Then he stopped and turned around. "Who the devil are... ?" He didn't get to finish his question as Rupes zapped him with a laser pistol. He dragged the unconscious tech into the shadows and prepared for phase 3...
ooooo
The sentries nodded in polite acknowledgment as a young woman in her mid 20s strode through the palace halls, wearing the blue and red cloak of the planet's chief healer, the hood only partially covering her auburn shoulder-length hair. She smiled and returned the sentries' greetings, then made her way into the main command center, the heart of Freleng's defense system. She had one more appointment to keep before going home for the night.
She silently approached the tall figure observing multiple video displays showing various quadrants surrounding the planet. "Optimatus... "
"Greetings, Lady Kassondra," he replied, still staring at the various view screens.
The gentle young woman observed the various locales of Freleng as well, guessing what Optimatus was looking for. "Still no sign of Deuce. That's good, isn't it?"
"I take it you do not remember him, Kassondra."
"I remember him only too well, Optimatus. Such cruelty in one so young. Why did you ever make him a general?"
"Because he showed talent, and what I thought was a real understanding of military procedure." Optimatus sighed briefly. "I did not take into account his ambitions... or his treachery."
"Talent without discipline is a sure recipe for disaster," the healer observed. Then her attention was drawn towards another view screen. "What's happening there, Optimatus?"
"That is one of our technicians. Zadavia has reported mechanical problems with her ship, so I gave the order for repairs to begin immediately."
"I see. Could you, her own brother, not talk her out of going on these patrols with you?"
"Kassondra, you and I have known her for a long time. We both know how headstrong and stubborn she can be. When she is that way, you cannot talk her out of anything."
The healer exhaled a brief sigh. "This is true. Where is she now?"
Optimatus punched up the surveillance camera in the queen's bedchamber. "As you can see, sleeping soundly," he said before shutting off the video link to his sister's room.
"I thought Zadavia would not allow surveillance video in her bedroom."
"She doesn't know it's there. I am taking no chances as far as her safety is concerned. Even with Zadavia's powers, Deuce remains our deadliest foe. I learned this for myself on planet Blanc. No, our powers are not enough to protect us where he is concerned, and so I will take whatever means I deem necessary to save her from Deuce, whether she wants them or not."
"Quite a change from a few years ago when you sought to kill her yourself, Optimatus, wouldn't you say?"
"Lady Kassondra, I have freely admitted that that was a mistake, for which I paid dearly." His features turned cold as he looked at the Lady's hazel eyes. "I do not enjoy having these prosthetics, this bionic eye and headgear... "
"I know, Optimatus, but it was the only way I could save you. And how did you reward me? You turned on me, made me a virtual prisoner in this palace. If Freleng had no need for my talents as a healer, you would have ordered my destruction, merely because Zadavia was my friend. You had already started to become distant, but that was the point when I knew our romance had ended."
"Another mistake for which I have paid dearly," Optimatus replied quietly. "I had hoped... "
"As had I, Optimatus," Kassondra noted sadly, "as had I." She paused momentarily. "Well, I must be on my way home. The hour is late."
"Yes," the king of Freleng said. "Give my best to your good parents, and have a good night, Kassondra." With that, he softly took her left hand in his for a moment. It was only for a moment, but it was enough for Kassondra.
"No, Optimatus. The time is not yet right. You must learn patience. If there is a chance that what we once had can be restored, it will come in its own time. Let's not rush this." With that, she smiled softly and turned to go.
"My sister did well to choose you as a friend," Optimatus observed.
Lady Kassondra looked over her shoulder and flashed an impish smile as she left. "Tell me something I don't know. Good night, Optimatus."
"Good night, Kassie," he whispered. Then he looked at his timepiece, noted the lateness of the hour, and went off to his bedchambers for the night.
ooooo
Zadavia's personal Stingray cruiser was a smaller version of the white ship she had fled Freleng in several years ago at the time of her brother's overthrow of the High Council. It carried defense mechanisms similar to those in the larger ship, plus the latest Frelengian communication systems, a vastly improved wormhole generator, and in case of emergencies, a negative energy beam capable of destroying an enemy's ship with uncanny precision. A small kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom with shower were located in the rear, and any problems with the ship could be fixed in a matter of moments by simply replacing key motherboards located within the consoles. Leave it to the Frelengians to make something so efficient in such a compact design.
All of this was lost, however, on the figure in the technician's uniform as he made his way to the cruiser, clipboard and toolbox in hand. He stopped for just a moment as Captain Marsallas stepped out of an elevator, then stood at attention and saluted. Marsallas nodded in reply to the helmeted technician, then headed to his own dragon cruiser.
"That was almost too close," Rupes thought to himself. Apparently, all these weeks of hiding and observing all sorts of protocols within the supposedly secure structures of Freleng were paying off, as he went to work sabotaging Zadavia's ship, loosening motherboards ever so slightly, so that they would still be functional unless something happened to the ship to dislodge them, such as a collision with a meteor, asteroid... or train.
When that was done, he opened the panel next to the direct communications link to Freleng and did some creative rewiring. Before he left, Rupes opened a small compartment on the main dashboard, which contained six spare Frelengian power chips. They were based on a universal code, and could be used to power anything, from a simple child's toy to something technically advanced like a spaceship or even a wormhole generator. Without the chip, the ship would never fly, so he left just the one in its recessed place on the dashboard and pocketed the rest.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he took out a small device, pointed it at the power chip, and pressed a green button. When the device beeped, he then pressed a red button on the device and scanned the ship. There was a series of beeps as the device was pointed at her quarters. He entered and scanned her bedroom until the beeps pointed him to a small nightstand. Opening the drawer, he discovered a second hidden cache of power chips, which he promptly pocketed.
Finally satisfied that his work was done, Rupes disembarked from Zadavia's cruiser and made his way to a hidden recess near the docking bay entrance. Checking a wrist timer, he saw that enough time had passed that the sleeping drug Zadavia had ingested was starting to wear off. "Time to get Blondie out of bed," he chuckled, and pressed a large blue button on a remote control device...
ooooo
Zadavia's drug-induced sleep was interrupted by the sound of the alarm on her private communication screen. "Ace to Zadavia... Ace to Zadavia... this is urgent!"
The queen groggily shook her head and yawned, trying to rid herself of a sudden headache. "I must remember to try this with skim milk next time," she muttered, then slowly made her way to the communicator. "Zadavia here, Ace... "
The face of the Loonatics' leader appeared. "Zadavia, we just got confirmation of Deuce's whereabouts. His train's been spotted halfway between Acmetropolis and Freleng, and he appears to be headin' in your direction. I think we can take him out if your brother can spare a few of those dragon cruisers... "
Suddenly Zadavia was wide awake. "No, Ace, this one is mine. Deuce has much to answer for, and I want to be the one to make sure he does, but stand by to assist just in case."
"Uh, ain't ya gonna tell your brother?"
"No, Ace, our dragon cruisers just got back from patrol and our Captains need rest. I will handle this myself. Zadavia out." With that, she shut her communicator down, doffed her nightgown and dressed in her skintight uniform. "This is certainly going to be a night to remember," she said to herself, as she donned her traveling cloak and made her way to the docking bay. She passed a helmeted technician but gave him no thought as she entered her cruiser. Pressing the launch button, she powered up the ship and it took off through the Frelengian night sky.
The helmeted technician, in reality Rupes Oberon, chuckled to himself. Returning to his hiding place, he activated his wrist communicator. "Keyboard Man to General Dude, Queenie has left the building, heh-heh-heh!"
"Excellent, Rupes. Now, leave before you're detected. We'll meet at the rendezvous point for your reward... after I destroy Zadavia. Deuce out."
Rupes smiled wickedly as the communication was terminated. "'Reward,' huh? Well, General Dude, we'll see who gets rewarded, 'cause I'm about to rewrite the music score." So saying, he chuckled again as he made his way to the evidence room, passing Captain Marsallas in the hall.
"Hmmm, wonder where he thinks he's going," Marsallas thought out loud. That was when the Captain heard a strange thumping coming from a nearby storage locker...
