Meanwhile the voyagers on Isgurda had toiled for Buzz Lightyear's possible healing, the man of speech himself grew more mighty in power. He had found a way to gather uni-bucks to stream towards him by giving shelter to some very wealthy criminals, who were at the moment wanted by the police. Buzz' new quarters was their asylum, and they paid bananas so that they would be able to enjoy the protection of the Imperial Stormtroopers (so Lord Zenith now called his loyal grubs). And beside that, with the aid of those criminals, he had started a smuggling business. Unbelievably fast the shiny coins found their ways into Buzz' pockets, making him gain more dark majesty. In addition, he had an army of skilled henchmen licking the dust in front of him. As Zenith had asked Torque, thus the space biker had pulled his socks together, and brought scum in front of his master. Pickpockets, con artists, bounty hunters... Trade World was full of everything like that. If someone was in the search of evil, he was able to create his own paradise in there. A gangster's paradise.
What came to Lightyear' s new habitat, he had conquered more buildings to his own use, either with contracts or just by snapping his fingers and a couple of lackeys had banished the former residents with the menace of ion blasts. If Zenith was not obeyed, neither would he be interested in one's well being. Still... there was something left of the old, heroic Buzz Lightyear inside him. For instance, he could not tear anyone's life away, although he did not anymore get compunction about hitting someone. However, all in all he was a better Master for the beetle race than Zurg ever had been. He did not use them as evil bowling balls or char them with laser regard, neither kicked them around like the amiable Father had done. Actually, Lord Zenith somehow respected those, who served him, although he kept himself as a supreme overlord (next to Zurg).
One day, in a large flight hall on the roof of one huge skyscraper, which Buzz had just proclaimed to be his until the dusk of time, he was eyeing his new vehicle.
Beside this robes-dressed Empire Z Prince, was standing Rentwhistle Swack, licking his teeth and rubbing greedily his fingers together. "Yes, your Highness! This is the very best issue I can provide. This was once one of the spare ships of Emperor Zurg. Our finest men have smuggled it from Planet Z, and renovated it. You see, the cushioned seats are covered with genuine ermine, there are also..." However, the charlatan's fluent bragging was cut short, as Zenith collared the man.
"You better sell me proper goods or you shall taste the revenge of the dark side!" Buzz hissed from between his teeth, lifting the trickster up to the level of his face.
"Uh... your Highness, I swear I..." the man between the ceiling and floor sweated in panic. Lightyear knew this person over and out, so there was no easy trust existing toward this bloke.
"Check the ship. If you find even one rust spot, you", he shook his finger in front of Swack's nose, "You will suffer. No one will sell or even try to sell Lord Zenith useless junk. Not today."
"Sir, it'll take a few hours to overhaul the ship", one mechanic noted.
"Very well, then. You put this man under control. He will not go anywhere from this room before you have surveyed the things he tries to sell me", the royal gave a dark glance at a couple of guards behind him. Thus he marched loftily away, his nose pointing at the ceiling.
The space ship, however, turned out to be in good condition. A queenly vehicle it indeed was. Not even near the size of the Dreadnaught it gained, but at least there were more room than in a common Star Cruiser. And the Son of the Emperor decided that this would be enough glorious for starters.
"Groh groh ruwahhaaah! This is just what I wanted!" Zenith, his arms in the air, admired his noveau imperial flagship. As to make a small note about his current laughing style, he had on purpose practised a similar chest-laugh as his Father used to have inherently. With such an evil laughter, he thought he sounded more powerful and that it would cause awe in his minions. Oh the idiocy, oh the idiocy...
Nevertheless, the chariot of the so-called royal at least had ostentatious frames. The black-purple massive spacecraft was polished shiny, it had a stylized golden Z-letter painted into the hull.
"Ahh, my Imperial Insignia!" Buzz almost danced with his hems. "I'm buying this ship. Pay this man the sum." A guard came with a purse and passed it to the complacent Swack. He had for a nanominute ago wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, when apprehending that no one was going to put his head on a silver plate for this.
"Ahh, Mister Lord Zenith, I would have also other very interesting ware to sell! I have a good stock of Imperial Hornets that are very illegally transported also right from the core of the Zurgean Empire..."
"No. I have nothing to do with those robots. Not today", Buzz concluded. As he had come to know those metal wrecks in the years of Universe Protection Unit service, he knew they were unreliable in every possible way one could calculate in his brains. As the malfunctioning shortcuts did not interest Zenith, Rentwhistle attempted to hawk him a dozen other objects pilfered from Zurg Tower a bit after the destruction of the Empire, like a tea-set, Imperial purple slippers, a violet bath-tub, a Z-decorated beach ball and even old bread that had been found from the kitchen premises (although the food item resembled now mainly a black, stony clod). After that suggestion, nonetheless, Swack was kicked out of main door.
----------------------------
Slowly the weeks crept by, as the winter planet travellers toiled on their return journey. Their nice friends were the blizzards, the stinging frost, the blizzards, the lovely poisonous snow, the blizzards... and were the blizzards already mentioned? However, nearly as troublesome it was to creep back along that defile as the single ticket had been. Security was kept as precise as before. Namely, some other yeti clans were plaguing the encampment during several nights. No men were luckily lost, but in every case it was not a nice surprise to find one of those blue-haired gorgons breathing straight behind your back of the neck.
The most bitter backlash was the disappearance of Buzz. Behind the tents, some kept cursing that what benefits were there in this voyage, if the patient was possibly already somewhere in Andromeda? Commander Nebula was only able to flood his apologies, that his troops could not get the trace of that mentally ill. Even Zora's temper was heavily on ordeal. Sometimes the Zurg in him flared up, flaming the poor Commander to the lowest infernos anyone could even invent. Often smoke coming out of his ears, Father Lightyear slammed the communicator lid shut after a fruitless conversation, only then sitting on the edge of his camp bed, cursing some ancient oaths of Planet Z.
But there was one person that was keenly interested in listening to these swearings and tantrums behind the tent canvasses. A pair of hearing organs that belonged to ranger Huuhkaja, recorded every at least dubious strain spinning around Zora. And a certain Na-Vetta was very pleased to come across these features that gave boosts to his suspects. Half a step closer to Emperor Zurg, again... day by day it became clearer that there was something peculiar in the old man.
One, very late night Warp was visiting Zurg's tent. Almost gnawing the nails of his flesh hand, walking a circle across the marquee floor, he was at least as indignant as his former dark master. The elder man kept bellowing into his wrist communicator, the bothered Nebula in the other end.
"Now shall we ever get any sense to this situation, by quasars' knitted tails! Have I done all this for nothing? Cannot the pathetic Star Command even trace one missing person?"
"Uhh... please try to relax, there", Zeb shook his head in the vid screen. One time in this galaxy he had confronted a man who was a million times more powerful than he in his rigour. Everyone else he was able to smother with his austerity and authority, but not Zora Lightyear.
"Krghgrrrgghhhh..." Zurg creaked his teeth together. "One, two, three, four, five, six..." Attempting to use the old mantra of calming-down, namely the counting to ten, he gradually got the smoke of hatred somewhat whiter. "Ahh... where were we... Yes, now shall you tell me, WHAT is hindering you there in Trade World?"
"There's some kind of new mafia opposing us. Our hands are almost tied because of that, because that planet is not completely under our control."
"A mafia? Some puny pathetic mafia is putting whole Star Command into a brain pod? Listen you pathetic minions over there when the Evil Emprr... ah, excuse me..." Exhaling deep, Zurg wiped sweat off his forehead. "I am sorry, I should not get inflamed like this", he apologised Nebula, "...however, one mafia should not be an obstacle. I am expecting that you shall bring my son back so that he can be healed."
"That's easier said than done. If we had Team Lightyear on job, I bet they could find their Captain in no time. But they're there guaranteeing your safety."
Thus the conversation was drawn to its end. Taking a little mirror and comb, Zora began to trim his coiffure that had gone a bit messy, because he had nearly been ripping his hair off under the huff.
"Uh-uh, what would Smoopsiepoo say if she saw my glorious hair like this?" Taking some gel, he spread it across his thick, black locks. Finishing the whole show, he checked out that the long sideburns were perfectly in positions.
Darkmatter gave a guffaw as the response, "Weren't ya worrying about your sonny? Now you're suddenly more interested in your hairdo!"
"Darkmatter. Never underestimate the impression of a perfectly-done combing. Have I not taught you to check out the harmonious balance of the hair at least every ten minutes from a mirror? That was one of the first things I advised you to learn at the very beginning of your apprentice times."
Outside the tent, a shady figure was pricking up his ears. It was crouching between the canvas and a huge water barrel, hidden from the extraneous eyes.
"Well well! This turns out to be like really interesting..." the shadow thought, a wide grin revealing his teeth. "I bet Na-Vetta's gonna pay pretty good bucks about this... Buzz Lightyear really is Zora Lightyear's son! At least ev'ryone can get that out of that conversation, if equipped at least with a li'l wit..."
Reparing a bit his spying position, Puu-Cee continued his clandestine actions. However, an intense interjection got him wince.
"Cadet Huuhkaja! What are you doing?" Ranger Kaadu stood behind him, hands on hips.
"Ah... ehhehe-hee... I was just... eh..." So that Kaadu did not notice, the lurker kicked one of the tent pegs so that it came unstuck. "Ah... lookie, I saw this one loose peg here and thought I'd put it back..." Puu-Cee nervously smirked.
"Hmm... alright, but I won't spot you the second time here behind this tent. Is that clear?" Kaadu snorted.
"Sure, sure!" Hence the spy slinked away like some weasel.
Knocking the marquee door, Kaadu then decided to report about this oddity to the travel leader.
"Yes, come in", came the answer.
"Look, Mister Lightyear. I just shooed Puu-Cee Huuhkaja away from behind your tent. I think that man was spying you," the ranger announced.
Shaking his head, Zurg grunted, "I have noticed the certain sedition that has reigned during the return travel. I shall not tolerate that. We have had setbacks, but indeed the peace must stay as it has been this far. I shall take that ranger into an apostrophe tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Sir. It's my watch. I'll keep it clear that nothing happens in the small hours." The ranger left, zipping back the tent door.
Inside there, Zurg collapsed to sit on the bed. "Cursed coronas! Shall nothing prosper in this universe? My Son is in the dark side, Star Command seems to have learned its detective skills with the aid of a postal course, and now this... as if the whole galaxy is going to drop itself onto my head!" The old man clenched his fists.
First thing on the morning, before the breakfast and loading was Zurg's grave speech for the whole camp. He managed to hammer at least some sense into the heads of the rangers, so that the worst grouses stopped. But scolding Puu-Cee, or trying to inquire what he had been snuffing behind the tent, did not give any results. He only whined something back, pretending to be completely innocent. And that harsh address of the leader only made this unsound ranger hate him more. So, the haul was even better for the botanist to find out all kinds of monsters in the closets.
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---Somewhere in Killersville------
"The meeting of the Imperial Council is now opened." A knock of a little wooded hammer hitting the table told that something pivotal was going on. But when the aliens around a long table were examined further, someone might have gotten his feet, tentacles or wheels rapid with fear. All kinds of evil-looking creatures sprawled in their chairs, some of them fiddling papers decorated with the Imperial insignia 'LZ', or making little model aeroplanes out of them. At the gable of the table sat the well-known Mister Overlord. A vehement regard in his eyes, he ordered the fellows to draw together their attention. These rabbles were Buzz Lightyear's loyal henchmen.
"Citizens of Z Empire! We have gathered here to negotiate about the glorious future of the raising, new reign! I, Lord Zenith, have decided to heave up the once-so-majestic Zurgean rule from the grey ashes, where it has been sunken!" Buzz knocked the hammer once again.
"Cool!"
"Yay!"
"Yippee!" came some miscellaneous whoops from the side of the scum.
A complacent smirk drew Buzz' mouth from ear to ear. "Ahh... I see loyality around me, that's excellent! And now, to the brilliant purpose of this meeting! The conquering of the Galactic Alliance. We will deliberate how to do that."
More enthusiastic yells answered,
"Let's build a Death Star and blam Capital Planet to ions!"
"No, let's build a Death Star and make Star Command HQ go kaboom!"
"Let's like build a giant shower and drown all the idiots on Capital Planet!"
"No, let's take a black hole and bring it near Capital Planet and suck it in there!"
A meditating expression shadowing Zenith's face, he listened carefully to every suggestion.
"Excellent this far, citizens. But, we cannot destroy Capital Planet, since how will its citizens become the peoples of our magnificent Empire?"
The same scoundrel choir answered,
"Oh, yeah..."
"Too bad. There would've come a cool boom-boom!"
Lazily Torque, who was sitting near Buzz, raised up his hand.
"Yes, Imperial Advisor Torque. What is your proposition?"
"Alright, lis'n babies... Straight action plus some cunningness. That's the deal, baby. What if I'll take a bunch of these guys and infiltrate the Capital, get the baby president an' we'll arrest her. Other folks go to smash Star Command, or at least make a nice bonfire outta that baby."
Zenith smacked his lips a couple of times, staring at the furthest corner of the room for a few seconds, "This has been the best scheme this far. I'll take this into the most serious consideration. Then we do have the second problem. How to bring my Father Zurg back to his throne." These last syllables, again articulated with the huskiest and sternest voice he could find, caused actual fear among the council members. Although the Alliance had been able to take the lands of Zeta Quadrant into its supervision now, Zurg had still his reputation. Nothing faded the darkness and malevolence that furthermore floated around this notorious name.
"Uhh..."
"Umh..."
"Yeah..." the near twenty aliens in the room began to leer at the floor lightly scared.
A deadly silence filled the dusky, purple chamber for a while. No one had a piece of asteroid crater to pronounce, how to put the Emperor back to his seat. But Buzz' brains had for once buzzed, although his wit cannot be called the most bright in this universe.
"Ah, of course!" His interjection awakened the rest from their dreams. "We'll do it like this. We'll form three armies. One for Capital Planet, one for Star Command, and one for my purpose. While your Lord is on his way to search for your Emperor, the other two troops do their tasks, as the Imperial Advisor here suggested", he pointed at the space biker.
Actually, Buzz was completely aware of what happened on Isgurda and beyond. His minions had wiretapped the frequencies of Star Command and found an algorithm to decode the encrypted messages. So, he knew where Zurg was, and what his commissions were. If Zenith wanted to pick him up, it would mean arranging a travel to the winter planet with appropriate armament. And now it seemed that the destiny of the Alliance was decided here in this Imperial Summit. Besides, what came to destroying that mighty space ranger base orbiting Capital Planet, it had the same major weakness as in the days of Zenith's residence on Planet Z. The shield frequencies were furthermore the same... and the lunatic knew them by letter.
In every case, the conclusion was followed by cheerful shouts. Torque was pleased to hear that he would be promoted to Imperial Military Commander (A note about his cloning abilities: the engineer grubs had not been able to restore the powers of his cloning device. So it was quite useless.). All the ramshackle riff-raff swarming around Buzz would be thus under his order, except Zenith's Imperial Stormtroopers and that the latter man had of course the supreme authority.
"Excellent, excellent. So I close this meeting. Lord Zenith has spoken." A click of the hammer was the sign that the skunks were able to get back to their own businesses. It would be decided later, when the Day of Attack would happen.
...to be continued...