Robin...? At first I thought Raven's voice was coming over my headset until I realized that she was speaking directly into my mind. I sat very still. Raven knows how much I hate it when she does that. I don't like people playing around with my mind. You're emotions are so loud I can't sleep. I figured you didn't want me to mention your anxiety over the radio, especially now that we finally got him to sleep.
Wryly, I glanced over at Beast Boy's pod where he had curled up as a small kitten on his dashboard. I think we were all grateful that he'd stopped asking if we were there yet. Do you want to talk about it?
You know I don't. That's why you're in my head right now.
No. I'm in your head because I don't want to worry Starfire any more than she already is. Almost automatically I raised my head to look at her curled up in her pod. She'd been so still and quiet that I thought she'd gone to sleep too. But now that I looked more closely she had slipped her metal arm band from her bicep and was playing with it. She had her knees drawn up to her chin with her back facing me. I wondered what she was thinking.
Why is she worried?
For the same reasons you are. She's afraid her time on Earth has changed her and that her people will think she's weak.
She's not weak! I smacked my hand down on my dashboard, drawing a strange look from Cyborg. I threw him an apologetic smile and a half-wave.
Even Raven's silences could be sarcastic. You need to calm down. You knew this was coming. There's no need to be so defensive about it. If that was her idea to calm me down it was terrible. I swiveled in my seat but she had her pod enclosed in its privacy shield to block out the starlight so she could sleep. Knowing that she was really awake in there I glared.
Oh really? What about you? You've been even more sarcastic than usual lately. And what's with you manhandling Beast Boy with your powers all the time? You're worse than me and Star.
I do not manhandle him, she said pissily. It effectively got her out of my head though. Contrary to popular belief, I notice things. It's what makes me such a good detective. I may not acknowledge half of what I see going on right in front of my eyes, but that doesn't mean I don't see it. Raven definitely had a thing for Beast Boy. She reacted more strongly whenever he teased her than if Cyborg or I said anything to her. When Terra had joined the team she'd withdrawn a little. And after Terra sacrificed herself and turned into a block of stone Raven had gone out of her way to keep an eye on him. Now that I think about it, that must have been hard, sharing his feelings for some other girl... Maybe I shouldn't have teased her about it.
You think? She snuck back into my head just so she could get the last word in. When she left that time, I knew the conversation was really over.
"Hey guys, we're entering Tamaran's solar system," Cyborg announced softly. Starfire gave a small squeal and plastered her face to her window.
"Oh friends, I am so excited for you to see my home world. You will be treated to a gorkapipe greeting. It is reserved only for royalty and guests of high honor. Later we will drink jaarkna and feast on the hide of the kerfludel. It is a rare delicacy. Are you not excited?
"Uh, will there be a veggi menu available?" Beast Boy squeaked. For the first time I considered Starfire's strange food preferences on Earth. If that was a sign of the food we could expect here then we were in serious trouble.
"Of course, Beast Boy. You will have to try the Zebdorf salad. The leaves of the Zebdorf plant ooze a yellow pus that tastes quite sweet. You will like it even more than the green jello of which you are so fond." Beast Boy's gulp could be heard across each of our speakers. Looked like I'd be fasting for the foreseeable future.
"Ooh! There it is! Is she not beautiful? Tamaran." There was genuine joy in her voice and I felt a pang of guilt that we had kept her with us when this was where she truly belonged. It hadn't occurred to me just how homesick she must have been.
Two Tamaranian guards flew out to meet our ship. They both had long red hair though theirs was more orange than Starfire's ruby red. When they spotted her they both gawked in disbelief before the one on the left kicked his partner and the both went down on one knee in midair to give her a deep bow of respect. They were greeting their queen after all. A lead weight settled at the base of my throat. So it started...
The soldiers guided us to a safe landing pad. The Titans and I exchanged nervous glances.
"Will we be able to breathe on your world, Star?" I asked, thinking about it only when my hand was inches from raising the top of my pod so I could climb out.
"Yes. Our atmosphere is compatible with your biology. You may even find it more rejuvenating than Earth's atmosphere."
"You mean it will give us superpowers? Sweet!" Beast Boy cheered.
"No. Only that you will have more stamina here than on Earth."
"Besides, you already have superpowers," said Raven impatiently.
I was out of the ship first. I had the least amount of luggage to deal with and I went around to Starfire's pod to ask if there was any last minute details we should know about. She had her back to me, reaching for her orange satchel. I touched her elbow to get her attention.
"Star, is there-"
Before the question was even out of my mouth there were two spears lifting my chin to the sky.
"Unhand the Princess!" bellowed the guard who had greeted us. Instantly I lifted my hand from her arm. Starfire whirled, hands glowing and eyes ablaze.
"You will not threaten my fr-guest!" She would have sounded much scarier if she hadn't stumbled over the last word. I frowned. By now Cyborg had moved to stand behind me.
"Princess, you know it is forbidden for off-worlders to touch you. This human has dared-"
Starfire fired off a stream of Tamaranean that left both guards hanging their heads. Before my eyes she changed from the sweet girl I had known to the ferocious warrior I'd first met. It was so hot.
"KORIAND'R!"
The Titans and I jumped as an enormous Tamaranean blasted toward us down the gangplank. He looked like a red-haired Viking with his horned helmet and full red beard that reached his waist. A jagged scar ran down the side of his face over his empty right eye socket. His appearance had the effect of gasoline on Starfire's already fired up temper.
She rocketed toward him and they began roaring and gesturing aggressively. My hand reached automatically toward my belt for a weapon, though I knew my gadgets weren't very effective against Tamaraneans. This Goliath looked like he knew his way around a fight. Tamaraneans don't scar, not unless they're you know, missing an eye or something. I was about to order the rest of the team back on the ship for our own safety when Starfire's giggles filled the air. The Viking was tickling her!
"Um...should we help her?" Beast Boy whispered, uncertain. I didn't have an answer. Luckily, they broke apart on their own and Starfire gave the big man a hug. Starfire hugs can be painful if she forgets her strength, but it was the giant whose squeeze made me wince. If even Starfire looked squished then I wanted none of that. "So is that like her dad or something?"
"She's the only one of the And'r line left," Raven reminded him.
"Friends, this is Galfore! He is my knorfka!"
"Oh!" Beast Boy exclaimed with relief before he leaned over and elbowed Cyborg and whispered, "I have no idea what that means." Cy shrugged.
"I am honored to meet the brave warriors with whom my little bumgorf has trained. Please, let me escort you to your chambers. Princess, your bridegroom has arrived and awaits you in your bedchamber."
What?! We were all walking in single-file behind Galfore when I had a total body shutdown. Cyborg plowed into me, nearly crushing my foot.
"What's a matter, Robin?" he asked in a knowing, sing-song voice. "Hear something you don't like?" I ignored him, looking at Starfire who's face had gone stiff and unreadable.
"I will be with him shortly. I wish to see that my guests are settled first. Inform him that I look forward to our meeting." She didn't sound like it. In fact she couldn't even fake a smile at the idea. Galfore looked from her face to mine.
"There are other offers if Prince Glerk is not to your liking, Princess."
"I want only what is best for Tamaran," she said in a hollow voice.
"Starfire..." I started to say, but she ignored me and started walking again. Walking! How long had her feet been on the ground? It's not as though she never used her feet, but it usually happened when she was conflicted about something. Her flight came from her happiness and I couldn't remember a time when she had been happy that she had been able to stay grounded. Beside her, even Galfore hovered an inch off the floor. Poor Star. I needed to speak with her.
She didn't give me an opportunity. No sooner had Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg and I been shown to a huge room draped in brightly colored cloths that reminded me of an Arabian tent than Starfire disappeared to go meet her future husband.
"Wait!" I tried to open the door she closed behind her, but it was floor-to ceiling and my puny muscles weren't going to budge it. Angry, I punched it.
"You think he brought her flowers?" Cyborg called from across the circular room. "Robin, man, you are so obvious. Are you going to be able to survive this trip? I thought you were going to have heart failure when Galfore said her fiancée was in her room."
"I need to talk to her," I said, distracted as I scanned the room for alternative ways out. There was a balcony visible through a pair of crisscrossing sheer lavender drapes. I tore them aside and craned my neck to judge how possible it would be for my grappling gun to get me to the next ledge above mine.
"Raven, where is she? Can you sense her?" Seeing as how I had no idea how this castle was laid out, bringing Raven with me sounded like the smartest plan.
"And you're what, going to burst in on them to keep them from making out?" Cyborg mocked. "Even if you figure out which room is hers you're only going to make a fool out of yourself."
I snapped.
"This isn't funny! She's about to marry some guy she's never even seen before for a planet that sold her into slavery to save their own skins. She shouldn't have to do this. It's not right!"
"I know it's not, but this is her culture. You having a problem with it is not going to change it."
"She shouldn't have to get married. She's already their queen."
"She only becomes queen once she marries," said Raven in a tone that said exactly what she thought of that notion. "Besides, this is a warrior race. Starfire is the only member of the royal family left. They need her to give them more heirs."
"Plus, you never even met the guy. He could be cool," Cyborg said with a hopeful shrug. How could he be so blasé about this? Did he not care about Starfire at all?
"Hey, of course I care," he said sternly, reading my expression. "I'm not head over heels in love with her like you are, but she's still like a sister to me. I'm giving her people the benefit of the doubt. You think they would choose some monster for her to marry if it means he'll be their new King?"
It made sense. As much as I hated it, I saw his point, but he didn't see mine. The guy wasn't me, and that was all I needed to know he wasn't right for Star.
