INTENSITY (Part 2) by Sievert Dinar
Disclaimer - Sailormoon is owned by a lot of people, most of whom
are not me, so don't get all worked up about my using the characters
in ways they weren't meant. I'm just a common or garden fanfic
writer without a hope in this dark and cruel world. Maybe.
THREE YEARS AGO....
"Eleni...." Kristen mumbled softly as she leant over the
railing of the Royal Transport. Below she could see the growing
Martian capital of Tharsis Basilica, its tiny little organic-looking
dwellings rolling underneath as if on a conveyor belt. It was so
hypnotic that it came as a shock when some relief in the landscape
rolled by, usually in the form of the slurry canals, a system
devised the extract water from the permafrost within the Martian
soils.
"Hmm?" Came the voice from the tan-skinned Senshi standing
next to her, with an equivalent softness that Kristen found
difficult to hear. Kristen turned to Eleni Kostakidas, studying
the distant stare of her friend.
"Do you believe in the afterlife?" Kristen's question
naturally roused Eleni from her musings.
"Hmm? The afterlife?"
"That is what I asked." Kristen turned back to the view as
the Western Battalion's tower rushed by. Several Senshi, manning
the tower, waved at the transport, obviously not recognising the
presence of two superior officers. Both Kristen and Eleni waved
back, happy for the distraction. "The troops are pretty informal,
these days."
"Comes with not having to face the enemy. Nine out of ten
recruits, these days, don't get to see action." Eleni turned back
to Kristen. "Anyways. What brought up the subject of the
afterlife?"
Kristen looked evasive. "Nothing. It's nothing, really...."
Eleni rolled her eyes.
"Oh come ON, Kristen.... You NEVER start in a philosophical
tone unless there is something on your mind. It's in your genes,
for Serenity's sake." Kristen winced. What Eleni said was true....
She had been a very cold and rigid character during her long
lifetime. She didn't make friends easily, mostly because she'd
always had such strict guidelines about what divided friends and
mere acquaintances.
And she had taken to the rest of her life with the same sense
of overorganisation. It was what had made her such an ideal
commander and tactician within the army of Crystal Tokyo. But it
had also left her with a reputation for being fairly unsympathetic
towards the more romantic aspects of what she was part of. So much
so that it would come as a surprise to others when she DID start to
become reflective.
"I'm sorry..." Kristen mumbled. "I guess it's old age
finally catching up with me." She paused, thinking. "I was
wondering what Fariah and Kimiko would think of Mars, today, if they
were around to see it."
Eleni bit her lip, gently placing a hand on Kristen's
shoulder. "Do you miss them that much?" Kristen didn't turn to
her, nor did she answer... immediately.
"Perhaps... I've been feeling strange, ever since Enceladus.
Ever since I was promoted to the position of General... I've been
having strange thoughts." She paused. "Dreams. Sometimes when I'm
asleep, but more often when I'm awake. I'm living my current life,
but they're here to enjoy that life with me. They're very different
to what they were, then... No longer the playful young girls they
were when I knew them. They were like me... Older, more reserved,
more... dignified, in a way." She paused again. "We would talk and
laugh about the things we went through during the war...."
Eleni swallowed, watching as Kristen's eyes started to water.
She placed her arms around her, holding her, tightly. "It's alright
to have those dreams, you know. We all have them, or something
similar."
"Eleni...." Kristen's voice seemed to break with some
emotion. "Was all of this really necessary?"
"Hush."
"Were their deaths really rewarded with something better?"
"Hush." Eleni clasped Kristen even more tightly, and
eventually guided her back into the enclosed compartment of the
transport, where they stayed for the rest of their journey.
TODAY
"So..." Mars fingered through the documentation that sat on
the table before her. "Now you know my feelings on the matter. The
position of Field Marshal will be reallocated at the end of the
year. Does anyone have any objections to this?" She looked around
the conference table, set within the inner walls of the Palace of
Crystal Tokyo. To her right, maintaining an air of distanced
elegance, Serenity rested her chin against the back of her hands,
watching the four Senshi seated at the table. Venus, opposite Mars,
was leaning back with her arms crossed, expressing her disdain for
her counterpart.
"I take it that you have some objections, Venus?" Serenity
said softly, looking at her. Venus turned to Serenity, then to
Mars.
"I realise that the process of government must go on.
However, until Fomalcaut... the Field Marshal, recovers, it would
look bad if we were to go through with the handover ceremony,
especially as it would be in the absence of the retiring office
bearer." She leaned forward, tapping a finger on the table in front
of Mars. "We should also NOT forget that she is one of the more
highly regarded members of the royal hierachy amongst the general
populace. Such an action would be damaging to the reputation of us
all."
"Then you aren't going to like my next proposal." Mars
sniffed, staring Venus down.
"What proposal might that be?" The woman sitting next to
Mars, who had been silent up to now, turned her seat to face Mars.
"To strip Fomalcaut of her official Senshi designation?"
Mars took a breath. "Antares... As an old friend of
Fomalcaut, you would know that she had been, in her time,
responsible for stripping other senshi of their official
designation."
"During occasions where they had abandoned their duty and
honour, yes." Antares, aka Eleni Kostakidas, gestured with an
imploring hand, pointing towards Mars.
"I don't get it..." The fourth Senshi, Aldebaran, seated
next to Venus, scratched her head. "Why should we just strip
Fomalcaut of her designation? I mean, most keep their designations
until death."
"Mars is saying that the Field Marshal's current condition is
LIKE death." Antares turned to the red-headed Aldebaran.
"Certainly, it could be described as an abandonment of life, however
unwilling. It all equals a kind of abandonment of her duty."
"But it's UNFAIR." Aldebaran stared at Mars. "And so UNLIKE
you to come up with such a suggestion, Mars."
"I didn't." Mars sighed, rubbing her face with a hand, then
glancing at Serenity, she gestured to her. "Our gracious Queen
did."
"But... WHY?" Venus stood, staring at Serenity. The Queen
sat back in her seat, placing her hands in her lap with a sense of
poise.
"For discussion, Venus." Serenity nodded at her. "In
preparation of an emergency, should it ever arise." Before Venus
could answer Serenity's statement, a messenger entered the
conference room, deferentially bowing to his five superiors before
crossing over to Antares, whispering into her ear before once again
bowing and retreating from the room.
Antares stood, shuffling her paperwork into a neat bundle.
"It would appear our discussion is moot." She picked up the
paperwork, placing it underneath her arm. "Fomalcaut has regained
some of her senses."
Aldebaran and Venus turned to her, excitedly. "She HAS?"
They said in unison as they grabbed each others' hands.
"Indeed. Her careworkers have reported that she has started
to register their presence, and even attempt to speak to them,
although her interaction is very limited."
Serenity stood, smiling. "This is very good news." She
clapped her hands together. "However, I still want all of you to
take my suggestion into account. If, for any reason, Crystal Tokyo
is threatened, then the position of Field Marshal must be filled.
If Fomalcaut cannot do it, then someone else shall have to. Do you
all understand?" She looked at Antares and Aldebaran. "Especially
you two, as the Secretary and Projects Manager of the Department of
Social Welfare and Conditioning, I have left her in your care. I do
not wish to have her undergo another purification."
"Yes, your majesty." They both chimed in unison.
"On top of this, I wish this information to be kept secret,
for the time being, from my daughter. Is that understood."
"Yes, your majesty." Venus and Mars joined in this time.
Serenity smiled, waving them away.
"This meeting is now closed. We shall meet in two days time,
after a proper assessment is made of the Field Marshal's current
condition."
Antares walked through the gardens at the front of the
Palace's Grand Hall, staring into the moonlit sky as vast transport
ships flew overhead, guided by smaller tugships, making their way to
and from Crystal Tokyo's spaceport. A half-forgotten memory, of
flying over the capital of Mars, on such a vessel came to mind.
"So, the afterlife wasn't to your taste, was it, Kristen?"
She whispered to herself. Then she moved on.
The End of Part Two
Sievert Anathea Dienar sievertd@start.com.au
Disclaimer - Sailormoon is owned by a lot of people, most of whom
are not me, so don't get all worked up about my using the characters
in ways they weren't meant. I'm just a common or garden fanfic
writer without a hope in this dark and cruel world. Maybe.
THREE YEARS AGO....
"Eleni...." Kristen mumbled softly as she leant over the
railing of the Royal Transport. Below she could see the growing
Martian capital of Tharsis Basilica, its tiny little organic-looking
dwellings rolling underneath as if on a conveyor belt. It was so
hypnotic that it came as a shock when some relief in the landscape
rolled by, usually in the form of the slurry canals, a system
devised the extract water from the permafrost within the Martian
soils.
"Hmm?" Came the voice from the tan-skinned Senshi standing
next to her, with an equivalent softness that Kristen found
difficult to hear. Kristen turned to Eleni Kostakidas, studying
the distant stare of her friend.
"Do you believe in the afterlife?" Kristen's question
naturally roused Eleni from her musings.
"Hmm? The afterlife?"
"That is what I asked." Kristen turned back to the view as
the Western Battalion's tower rushed by. Several Senshi, manning
the tower, waved at the transport, obviously not recognising the
presence of two superior officers. Both Kristen and Eleni waved
back, happy for the distraction. "The troops are pretty informal,
these days."
"Comes with not having to face the enemy. Nine out of ten
recruits, these days, don't get to see action." Eleni turned back
to Kristen. "Anyways. What brought up the subject of the
afterlife?"
Kristen looked evasive. "Nothing. It's nothing, really...."
Eleni rolled her eyes.
"Oh come ON, Kristen.... You NEVER start in a philosophical
tone unless there is something on your mind. It's in your genes,
for Serenity's sake." Kristen winced. What Eleni said was true....
She had been a very cold and rigid character during her long
lifetime. She didn't make friends easily, mostly because she'd
always had such strict guidelines about what divided friends and
mere acquaintances.
And she had taken to the rest of her life with the same sense
of overorganisation. It was what had made her such an ideal
commander and tactician within the army of Crystal Tokyo. But it
had also left her with a reputation for being fairly unsympathetic
towards the more romantic aspects of what she was part of. So much
so that it would come as a surprise to others when she DID start to
become reflective.
"I'm sorry..." Kristen mumbled. "I guess it's old age
finally catching up with me." She paused, thinking. "I was
wondering what Fariah and Kimiko would think of Mars, today, if they
were around to see it."
Eleni bit her lip, gently placing a hand on Kristen's
shoulder. "Do you miss them that much?" Kristen didn't turn to
her, nor did she answer... immediately.
"Perhaps... I've been feeling strange, ever since Enceladus.
Ever since I was promoted to the position of General... I've been
having strange thoughts." She paused. "Dreams. Sometimes when I'm
asleep, but more often when I'm awake. I'm living my current life,
but they're here to enjoy that life with me. They're very different
to what they were, then... No longer the playful young girls they
were when I knew them. They were like me... Older, more reserved,
more... dignified, in a way." She paused again. "We would talk and
laugh about the things we went through during the war...."
Eleni swallowed, watching as Kristen's eyes started to water.
She placed her arms around her, holding her, tightly. "It's alright
to have those dreams, you know. We all have them, or something
similar."
"Eleni...." Kristen's voice seemed to break with some
emotion. "Was all of this really necessary?"
"Hush."
"Were their deaths really rewarded with something better?"
"Hush." Eleni clasped Kristen even more tightly, and
eventually guided her back into the enclosed compartment of the
transport, where they stayed for the rest of their journey.
TODAY
"So..." Mars fingered through the documentation that sat on
the table before her. "Now you know my feelings on the matter. The
position of Field Marshal will be reallocated at the end of the
year. Does anyone have any objections to this?" She looked around
the conference table, set within the inner walls of the Palace of
Crystal Tokyo. To her right, maintaining an air of distanced
elegance, Serenity rested her chin against the back of her hands,
watching the four Senshi seated at the table. Venus, opposite Mars,
was leaning back with her arms crossed, expressing her disdain for
her counterpart.
"I take it that you have some objections, Venus?" Serenity
said softly, looking at her. Venus turned to Serenity, then to
Mars.
"I realise that the process of government must go on.
However, until Fomalcaut... the Field Marshal, recovers, it would
look bad if we were to go through with the handover ceremony,
especially as it would be in the absence of the retiring office
bearer." She leaned forward, tapping a finger on the table in front
of Mars. "We should also NOT forget that she is one of the more
highly regarded members of the royal hierachy amongst the general
populace. Such an action would be damaging to the reputation of us
all."
"Then you aren't going to like my next proposal." Mars
sniffed, staring Venus down.
"What proposal might that be?" The woman sitting next to
Mars, who had been silent up to now, turned her seat to face Mars.
"To strip Fomalcaut of her official Senshi designation?"
Mars took a breath. "Antares... As an old friend of
Fomalcaut, you would know that she had been, in her time,
responsible for stripping other senshi of their official
designation."
"During occasions where they had abandoned their duty and
honour, yes." Antares, aka Eleni Kostakidas, gestured with an
imploring hand, pointing towards Mars.
"I don't get it..." The fourth Senshi, Aldebaran, seated
next to Venus, scratched her head. "Why should we just strip
Fomalcaut of her designation? I mean, most keep their designations
until death."
"Mars is saying that the Field Marshal's current condition is
LIKE death." Antares turned to the red-headed Aldebaran.
"Certainly, it could be described as an abandonment of life, however
unwilling. It all equals a kind of abandonment of her duty."
"But it's UNFAIR." Aldebaran stared at Mars. "And so UNLIKE
you to come up with such a suggestion, Mars."
"I didn't." Mars sighed, rubbing her face with a hand, then
glancing at Serenity, she gestured to her. "Our gracious Queen
did."
"But... WHY?" Venus stood, staring at Serenity. The Queen
sat back in her seat, placing her hands in her lap with a sense of
poise.
"For discussion, Venus." Serenity nodded at her. "In
preparation of an emergency, should it ever arise." Before Venus
could answer Serenity's statement, a messenger entered the
conference room, deferentially bowing to his five superiors before
crossing over to Antares, whispering into her ear before once again
bowing and retreating from the room.
Antares stood, shuffling her paperwork into a neat bundle.
"It would appear our discussion is moot." She picked up the
paperwork, placing it underneath her arm. "Fomalcaut has regained
some of her senses."
Aldebaran and Venus turned to her, excitedly. "She HAS?"
They said in unison as they grabbed each others' hands.
"Indeed. Her careworkers have reported that she has started
to register their presence, and even attempt to speak to them,
although her interaction is very limited."
Serenity stood, smiling. "This is very good news." She
clapped her hands together. "However, I still want all of you to
take my suggestion into account. If, for any reason, Crystal Tokyo
is threatened, then the position of Field Marshal must be filled.
If Fomalcaut cannot do it, then someone else shall have to. Do you
all understand?" She looked at Antares and Aldebaran. "Especially
you two, as the Secretary and Projects Manager of the Department of
Social Welfare and Conditioning, I have left her in your care. I do
not wish to have her undergo another purification."
"Yes, your majesty." They both chimed in unison.
"On top of this, I wish this information to be kept secret,
for the time being, from my daughter. Is that understood."
"Yes, your majesty." Venus and Mars joined in this time.
Serenity smiled, waving them away.
"This meeting is now closed. We shall meet in two days time,
after a proper assessment is made of the Field Marshal's current
condition."
Antares walked through the gardens at the front of the
Palace's Grand Hall, staring into the moonlit sky as vast transport
ships flew overhead, guided by smaller tugships, making their way to
and from Crystal Tokyo's spaceport. A half-forgotten memory, of
flying over the capital of Mars, on such a vessel came to mind.
"So, the afterlife wasn't to your taste, was it, Kristen?"
She whispered to herself. Then she moved on.
The End of Part Two
Sievert Anathea Dienar sievertd@start.com.au