Royal Throne Room, Royal Palace, Kaltaran City, Kaijex
The blow cracked hard against Nazz's skull. She was thrown across the room, slamming into the wall. The girl struggled back to her feet. As the immense frame of General Ml'tor came closer a sense of finality settled over Nazz's shoulders. Whoever won this duel would decide the fate not only of Kaijex, but worlds that would come after the Zygrans were done pillaging this one. Worlds like Earth. If she won, holding the capital city may give liberation of the entire planet a chance of success. If she lost, what planet would the Zygrans take next? She had a feeling she knew the answer…
"You are quite puny, Princess," Ml'tor scoffed.
"Yeah, well, that's gonna make me more agile, isn't it?" Before the massive Zygran could reply, Nazz sprung up and punched him the head. Dull pain rippled through her first, and she clutched it in agony. "But, that always works on television!" she whined. Again, Ml'tor swatted her away with contemptuous ease.
"You cannot harm me, tiny one," he sneered. Nazz shook her fist and blew on it. Still trying to get her breath back from the first punch, she retreated to the far corner of the room. "You make this too easy!" the general complained as he drew his sword. Nazz gave him a hard kick to the knee as he approached. Ml'tor roared in pain, retreating slightly.
"You've actually hurt me. Perhaps you're not quite as weak as I thought you were before," Ml'tor replied as he rubbed his knee. But he recovered and lunged towards the small Kaijexian. Nazz stood her ground and slashed her talons through his armor. Ml'tor snarled Zygran curses at the princess, who was almost giggling.
"S'matta, dude? Don't like claws?"
"No, I don't," the general replied. With that, he swatted Nazz across the room. She landed, hard, on a table. Grunting, she rubbed grit out of her eyes to see Ml'tor soaring in from above, ready for the final blow. With all her strength, Nazz double kicked him in the chest. The Zygran slammed against a column, purple blood trickling from a cut in his scaly skin.
"This is impossible," he growled. "Kaijexians are weaklings!" As he charged with his sword again, Nazz soared against the wall, bounced off it, and landed directly on the Zygran's shoulders. She tried to break Ml'tor's neck, but the larger Zygran's neck only moved slightly. The general responded with a back fist to her face, causing Nazz to tumble to the floor. Dazed, she struggled to get to her feet, but Ml'tor's massive foot pinned her to the floor.
"You put up a memorable fight, Princess. But, it's over now," Ml'tor said as he brought his sword above his head.
"Not yet!" a voice cried from the balcony. Ml'tor snapped his head up to see Katarn speeding towards him, blade at the ready. She slashed the Zygran across the chest, making his blood flowing freely. Reflexively staggering back, he released Nazz.
"Katarn? You're a traitor? I thought you were dead!" he snapped.
"I disappointed you, it seems" the young Zygran replied as she slashed Ml'tor again, this time across the shoulder blade. This same arm, however, shot out and grabbed Katarn by the neck.
"I should kill you now for your treason," the general snarled in her face. "But, I will after Nazz'Tara is our newest castle decoration." With that, he hurled the unfortunate Katarn through a window, landing precariously on a ledge. He casually picked up the young woman's sword.
"Decoration?" Nazz asked in confusion as Ml'tor approached her.
"Why, yes. Didn't you know it was custom to take the hide of our kills? I would direct your attention over there," the Zygran pointed. Nazz, her eyes a little blurry from fighting, craned her neck to see what he was talking about.
"All I see is a big chandelier, dude," she replied.
"Not there, you idiot. Down there," he pointed at the wall. Blinking her eyes clear, Nazz saw two large Kaijexian hides stretched out upon the wall. "I do believe the king and queen accent the room with a certain ambiance, don't you?" the Zygran said mockingly.
"...what?" Nazz said.
"Ah, that was a truly a great moment," Ml'tor said wistfully. My men found them in a hanger, and they were dragged upstairs to the balcony. I personally sliced off their heads before their cowering people."
"You… you killed them?" Nazz managed.
"But, what should we do about the bodies?" Ml'tor asked hypothetically. "So, after I had their hides removed, they were buried in a pit outside of town in a forest and were drenched in acid. The heads, we left for the birds."
"I never got to meet my actual Mom and Dad…" Nazz trailed off
"But, what to do with you," the general asked in mocking wonder. "Of course, I'll kill you first. Then I'll show your broken body to the citizens of this infestation before we obliterate it for its foolishness in supporting you. Perhaps I'll have you gutted and stuffed. And then there's the matter of your little friends. Katarn will be hanged by sharp wire, having the chance to rue her betrayal. As for your other friends," he continued as he nodded towards the trap door, "I will find out what planet they are from… and their people will sorely regret it. But I tire of this," Ml'tor replied as he raised Katarn's sword to stab the Kaijexian in her chest.
Nazz winced, knowing she had one chance. She summoned all of the adrenaline she had left and landing an uppercut to the jaw. The force of the blow prevented the pain from the first time and Ml'tor went sprawling. As Nazz landed, she hit a rope, causing a light tinkling from above. She looked up and smile crossed her face. Ml'tor scowled.
"What is wrong with you, Princess?"
Nazz kept smiling.
"Speak up!" he snapped.
Nazz waved with one hand, and slashed the rope next to her with the talons on the other. Ml'tor's looked up in time to see a massive chandelier hurtling down upon him. "Oh..." he mumbled to himself before the falling light fixture crushed the Zygran. Nazz managed to stumble to her feet, clutching at a wound on her arm, then grabbed Katarn and dragged her back into the building.
"You okay?" she panted.
"I'm fine, just a few cuts and exhaustion," Katarn said. "Your Earth friends...?" Before Nazz could answer, the floor burst and several Kaijexians crawled up.
"Stupid dungeon, stupid trap door," Eddy mumbled as he brushed himself off.
"A fair assessment," Ed replied. He noted the mess around. "Oh dear."
"What happened?" Sara mumbled. She saw Nazz, a weak smile on her face, hobbling over. "Oh no…"
"Nazz, are you all right?" Edd asked as they raced to their friend.
"Won," Nazz managed. Her eyes lolled back, and she blacked out.
"Nazz, Nazz! Can you hear me?"
Nazz opened her eyes to a sea of worried faces. She groaned for a moment before straining to sit up.
"How long was I out?"
"Ten minutes. Plank's been worried sick," Johnny replied.
"Ten min--" Nazz repeated as she struggled to her feet. She immediately felt woozy as she did. "That's not good."
"Be careful!" Kevin warned as he grabbed her arm.
"Indeed, you're rushing too much!" Edd chimed in as he grabbed the other. "Now, you mentioned something about 'winning.' What did you win?"
"The big fight. I totally kicked his butt. Well, crushed it, anyway," Nazz replied as she pointed to the smashed light fixture.
"That's... going to leave a mark," May said.
"Sorry we weren't there, Nazz," Jimmy squeaked.
"It's cool, dude. You were… detained."
"I thought you might wish to know the city has been taken by the rebels. The Zygrans haven't come to investigate yet," Katarn replied. "Your plan worked."
"That still leaves the entire planet. We can't beat a million people that have been bred for war," Edd sighed. Nazz looked idly at the chandelier and cocked her head in thought.
"Any way we can get through to Koax?" she asked.
"Limited internal communications have been re-established since Kaltaran City was cleared," Edd replied.
"How about transmitting something across the planet?"
"Perhaps… why?
"I have an idea..." Nazz replied.
Labam Stronghold, City of Hilfing, Kaijex
"Still no messages from Kaltaran City?"
"No sir, we're still unable to send or receive from there," the aide replied.
"Hmph," replied First Rank Neerb Toht. "Are you sure?"
"No sir, we're still unable to send or receive from there," the aide replied. He suddenly clutched his ear. "Sir! We're getting something from the palace!" he called out, pointing to one of the monitors.
The palace? Something must have happened, the first rank thought. Neerb strode up to the screen and was shocked to see a young Kaijexian female on the screen.
"Attention all Zygrans," the female said. "I am Princess Nazz'Tara. Yes, that Nazz'Tara. The citizens of Kaltaran City have liberated themselves, and your command structure in this city is dead or captive. To prove I'm not making this up, here's the body of the head of your occupation." With that, the female lifted a broken and bloody body into view. Those in the room mumbled or simply gaped at the image.
"That really is Overseer Ml'tor," an officer managed.
"Now, I'm gonna make this brief," she continued. "You dudes have one hour to leave this planet. If not, I will activate the doomsday device I have brought with me, for I would rather destroy this planet than let it remain in your slimy claws. You have one hour, starting now." The transmission cut.
"This could be a ruse," Neerb said.
"Sir, that really was the overseer. There was no way something could have been fabricated so well!" one officer cried. The first rank nodded for a moment before turning to his unit.
"The fact we have not heard from the capital suggests this is not a bluff. Tell the rest of our forces we leave for Zygra in fifteen minutes."
Across the planet Kaijex, the stunned population watched in utter confusion as the Zygrans suddenly began to flee towards their ships. Something had scared the Zygrans off, and good. But that mystery was put aside by the spontaneous celebration of their deliverance.
Royal Throne Room, Royal Palace, Kaltaran City, Kaijex
"What do you mean, you can't go home?" Nazz asked.
"As far as my world is concerned, I am dead," Katarn explained with a heavy heart. "And even if I was alive, I would be a pariah among my people for letting the princess of Kaijex live to retake her planet."
"That really bites, dude," Kevin said.
"Yeah, it does," the reinstated monarch agreed. "Well, jeez, you saved my life twice and got us here... you're welcome to stay here," Nazz insisted. "In fact, I, uh, order it. Someone write that down as a decree or something."
"I highly doubt that someone that your people see as a war criminal will be welcome here. Even if I hid in this palace, I would eventually be discovered."
"I think I have an idea to fix that problem..." Nazz said slyly as her tail sprouted two stingers. "I could use a security chief."
"Well, I am bound to your wishes for sparing my life..." Katarn admitted. "If this is what you truly want..."
"Yeah, it is. Oh, this'll sting." With that, Nazz's transformation stingers plunged into Katarn's thigh.
"That was very noble of you, Nazz," Edd commented.
"She seemed to be okay with it, passed out easily enough," Nazz replied. She paused, looking out over the city. "These people need a leader."
"And I do believe they have one in the wings," Ed replied. Nazz winced.
"Oh, dude, no way. No how. Not me."
"I don't see why not…" Kevin said.
"Dude, there's no way I could lead a planet. I don't have any expertise on leading anything. All I've done is—"
"Dealt with a life altering transformation, united a group that at best mildly tolerated each other, planned and executed not only a virtually bloodless liberation but refused to leave your friends behind," Edd finished for her.
"Maybe you're right, dudes…" she said to herself. "But, I'd need help. I've got a planet to rebuild, and no clue how to do it… I suppose you'll want to get back to Earth soon, anyway."
"It would be remiss to simply leave you here all by yourself," Edd replied. "I feel it my duty to help you restore this planet to some semblance of its former self."
"Double-D, you are the sweetest," she said as she gave him a big hug and a kiss on the lips. The boy stiffened for a moment, but then relented and hugged back.
"Would you two like to be alone?" Kevin drawled as leaned against a wall, arms crossed on his chest. The two blushed and let go.
"Er, uh," Nazz stammered.
"We were just... oh dear," Edd mumbled.
"Um, what princess business should I do?" Nazz said as she rubbed her neck.
"I propose the most important thing to do is to attend to things like infrastructure, food, and clean water. After fourteen years, I imagine there's a bit of work to be done," Ed suggested.
"Good idea, Ed."
"But first," he continued, "I believe that the people of Kaijex would like to hear their princess speak to them."