(Fights way out of layer of dust and debris choking; takes a huge breath of air) I'M FREE!!!!! My enemies tried to keep me away, but I have returned to you, my beautiful audience! (Applause, roses, lighters, bowing)

Okay, for those of you paying attention, this is the chapter where we meet the galaxy-famous Queen Karen of Yort! I tell ya; this place rocks! Know why? 3 words: Perpetual Toga Party!

"Ain't no need to watch where I'm goin'...just need to know where I've been."- Larry the Cable Guy as Mater, Cars

Chapter 21: Landing On Yort

By now the Campers' mechanics had repaired the engines on the Moyer, but some important parts to the defenses had been burned, so they made ready to head for Yort immediately.

Jimmy and April now stood in front of the ship across from the Chief's family. Kirby had Vagan perched on one of his shoulders, and Katie had Vince. Similarly, Jimmy had Coraham sitting on one of his shoulders. She and Vagan shared a wink.

"Once again, we can't thank you enough for what you've done," Chief Corin said as he shook hands with Jimmy and April in turn, "We'd been about to confront Kan-Core when your ship popped up. If you hadn't drawn him from the Monks, we might have accidentally hurt them."

"Oh, goodness," said Queen Mary, "What a horrible turnout that would've been!"

"And now," Corin smiled, "my children wish to present the two of you with parting gifts. Kids..."

With their little siblings still on them, Katie and Kirby stepped forth and handed Jimmy and April each a silver lightsaber.

"From the bottom of our hearts," Katie smiled, "my twin and I thank you for our brother and sister."

"The lightsaber is used in defense of the innocent, protection of the weak, and distribution of justice throughout the galaxy," Kirby added, "We ask only that yours be used for these very purposes in humility and honor."

"We will," said April, "and we thank you." Kirby and Katie nodded (Katie also curtsied) and Kirby put Vince down. He hugged his family and stood with Jimmy and April. Then they boarded the Moyer and took off.

"Officer," Kirby politely instructed, "you'll need to set a course for the Athenian system."

Athenian? Jimmy wondered. It sounded like Athens.

April unsheathed (turned on) her lightsaber. The blade was gold. Jimmy looked at his, too; it was icy blue.

"Tell me, sir James," Kirby approached him, "Where do you come from?"

"Earth," he answered, "The 3rd planet in the Milky Way galaxy."

"The Milky Way?" Kirby was surprised. "How in the stars did you get way out here?" Jimmy sighed and turned off his saber.

"It's a long story..."

And so Jimmy told the prince all about his adventure, his friends, and his fiancee (is that spelled right?).

"Do you think they're looking for you now?" Kirby asked.

"Without a doubt," he answered, "I just don't know where they are."

"Well," Kirby replied, "if ever I see your blonde love, you bet I'll send her along."

"Thanks, Kirby," Jimmy said, "Now, uh...How about you show me a few moves with the lightsaber?"

They had scarcely finished sparring when Coraham skipped into the room with Leriah and tugged on Jimmy's shirt like the tiny child she was.

"Master, Master!" she chirped with flushed cheeks, "Ms. April says we're here!" They all ran out to the cockpit and Jimmy stood by the helm with April while the children chattered actively.

"We're there?" Jimmy asked.

"We are!" April nodded, smiling.

"But how do you know?" Jimmy was confused. "I thought only Kirby knew how to get here!"

"Everyone knows about Yort!" April said, astonished, "It's the most famous planet in the system! They excel all in music, poetry, dance, health care, fashion, and philosophy! Their immortal queen is one of the sharpest, most influential minds of the galaxy. And she's a divine singer with the favor of Ayne upon her. (She caught his eye.) It is even said that she has a voice to draw a thousand tears when she sings sad songs."

While she'd been talking, Jimmy had watched as they approached the golden-colored planet. It had a metallically shiny moon like a disco ball, and the atmosphere they were now breaking through was sparkly gold with a bit of white. When they got through to the clear sky, they saw a vast, gigantic, pillared building resembling the Parthenon. All around were stone pillared houses inhabited by beautiful people wearing togas and/or toga-like dresses.

They came to land in a pillared landing dock wide enough for ships ten times the Moyer's size!

"Caltor," April ordered the First Officer, "You and the engineers stay with the ship. I will take Jimmy, the children, and the Away Team to request an audience of Queen Karen."

"Aye, captain," he nodded and lowered the ramp underneath the ship. Jimmy and April took the lead; he was carrying Coraham with Taram and Marthis flanking him. The rest of the girls trooped behind them with the Gorlock Away Team on the outside and Kirby between April and Jimmy.

"Follow me," Kirby said quietly as they approached a young man in a brown toga. Kirby raised his right hand in formal greeting.

"Ho, brother!" he said happily, "Prince Kirby of the Camper Tribe with visitors in need of help from her Divine Majesty, Queen Karen of Yort!"

"Ho, Prince," the man nodded, "Every rose has its thorn..."

Kirby recognized this last sentence as a request for a password and finished, "...just like every night has its dawn." The man nodded, opened the door, and led them in.

He took them down a torch-lit marble hall and conversed with Kirby.

"I was hoping to see you again, Kirby, especially after your Tribe helped my family," the man said gratefully, "Prince Icarus has been asking about you up and down since you left, you know. He misses your brotherhood."

"Excellent," Kirby grinned, "My brother-in-mischief. And speaking of mischief, what of little Diana? Vagan has missed her as well." The man smiled.

"You will soon see for yourself," he said as he led them into a brightly lit, larger pillared hall with a long red carpet embroidered with gold running between the pillars to a pair of huge stone doors. The man in the toga boldly marched up the few stairs that led to the doors and halted the group.

"If you are unused to particularly enthusiastic revelry," he warned them humorously, "then cover your ears." Then he firmly gripped the door handles and with unusual strength threw them open as a golden light flooded over the group.

When he no longer had to blink, Jimmy saw yet another pillared hall, larger than the first, and it was gold! Solid gold! There were two long tables near the walls (in front of the many pillars); one on the left, one on the right. They were low, and the people eating at them were perched on cushions and pillows of all sorts of colors, all with gold tassle for the trim. The middle area was a dance floor; in the middle of this was a 10ft.-diameter 5ft.high circular platform with stairs as the outer part and was flat on top. This was called the Pillar of Performance, and on this pillar was a young toga-dress bedecked lady singing with a silver microphone while a large crowd got down on the dance floor. Beyond that was a white marble throne with red cushions, but it was currently empty.

The pandemonium came to a pause, however, as they had heard the huge doors to the Revelry Hall open.

"My friends!" the man declared, his voice echoing slightly, "I have visitors from out of our system that seek the aid of our noble queen! Their vessel is damaged, and our guests are weary with hunger and fatigue. If someone would fetch her Highness?"

"I will!" a boy volunteered from near the throne and ran out through a door behind him.

Jimmy, April, and the others were graciously herded to the long table on their left, where they were served with exquisite Earth food. The boy who had volunteered rushed back to them. He was a handsome boy Kirby's age with black hair, gray eyes, and a blue toga.

"I am Prince Icarus," he said, "My mother will be with you shortly." Then he saw the Camper prince and brightened.

"Kirby!" he said, punching his arm, "You old sneaker! I didn't see you there!" The two princes shook hands and embraced briefly and roughly.

"What are you doing back here, Kirby?" the Yortian prince asked, "It's been ages!"

"I know!" Kirby smiled, "I've acted as a guide to sir James and Ms. April here. Sir James is trying to get to his home on Earth, and Ms. April is helping him." Icarus' eyes widened.

"James?" he echoed, "Earth?" Then he looked at Jimmy for a moment.

"Forgive me, honorable guest," he asked, "But are you not Jimmy Neutron of Earth, that selfsame Jimmy Neutron who defeated Yolkus and shut down that treacherous game show as a child?" Jimmy's face started to flush.

"Heh, heh," he chuckled nervously, "Yeah, but I wasn't alone."

But before any outbursts could be made, Queen Karen's arrival was loudly announced by a herald in a green toga.

As every knee in the place bowed, Jimmy froze in place and drew in a short breath with shock.

She was a beautiful woman, that was for sure. She had pale orange hair down to her waist and only a breath of a tan on her otherwise pale skin. She wore a golden crown with the ring shaped like laurel leaves, and an opal set in a fancily-patterned frame. Her long-skirted toga dress was goldenrod, but what shocked Jimmy the most was her face! The structure of it was annoyingly familiar, and her eyes were a startling sparkly green.

Then he thought of something: The Athenian system was named after Athens, Greece. The whole planet was fashioned after ancient Greece. Everyone wore togas. They ate Earth food; they were humans! So someone from Earth must have started this kingdom, Jimmy realized. Even more specifically, though, was this beautiful queen who looked so achingly familiar.

'Karen of Yort,' he thought, 'Yort? Wait a minute! Yort spelled backwards is...'

"Troy," he whispered in his paralysis of shock. Of course! The hair color was only a shade lighter, but everything else was hers: The posture, the face structure, the owl-like gaze, the green eyes, the opal in the crown...

Jimmy couldn't move from the astonishing realization...

He was looking at Karen of Troy, the ancestor of Alex's family!!!!!

Author's Review:

Sorry so late, y'all! Holy crap, how's THAT for a shocker!!!

In case anyone's confused: April knew ABOUT Yort, she'd just never been before, so she didn't know how to get there. Other than that, I think I got nothing. Later, Mater!