Nineteen
Val-kyre City
Val-kyrie Homeworld
25 July 2017
The insurrection went off without a hitch, mostly. The only problem came in capturing the Earth starship. The groups away from the ship were warned despite the swiftness of Bregata's roundups. All of them managed to make it back on board before the security drones could capture them. The Earth people then sealed the ship up tight. Bregata would been forced to do considerable damage to the starship in order to force the Earthers to come out. So the drones took up station around the hangar to keep them penned up. The external power cable had been disconnected, however, the crew had already switched over to their internal fusion core for power.
On the surface all was peaceful. Life went on as usual for the Val-kyrie people. Only those closest to the circle of power had any idea what was really going on. Even then, only a select few who could be trusted on both sides knew. It quickly became clear to Bregata that Silvara had been preparing for something like this. Many of the Queen Mother's inner circle were in places that were too visible to have them removed without raising suspicions. Commander Fontaine was contained in the orbiting dock on a crippled warship. However, she would be working on gathering forces to oppose the six warships Bregata had burning in from the system's edge.
The senator really did not want this to turn into a shooting matching, but she steeled herself for the possibility.
Serenvee appeared to be pleased with the senator's progress thus far. She had consolidated here power base without alienating the senate or the majority of the military commanders. However, the cover story that the Queen Mother had gone into seclusion to negotiate with the Earth people would not hold up for more than a day, two at the most. Bregata had to have her powerbase secured by then or the whole plan could fall apart. Serenvee was confident the senator could do it.
Shiva was not so sure. According to the history disks she had viewed, the Val-kyrie had overthrown only two Queen Mothers in the ten centuries since the last war. On both of those occasions, the Queen Mother had been a clear and present danger to the standing direction from the first Queen Mother to prepare for the return of the Guardians, and be ready to aid them in next war against the Horde. While this paralleled with her people's goals, the Empress would go further and take Horde Prime's place as ruler of this galaxy. But that was only a start. They still had their ancient enemy to consider.
All that could wait. For now, the outcome of this venture was what mattered. Senator Bregata was confident in the plan she and Serenvee had put together. But Shiva knew of one factor they haven't considered which could end this insurrection in its tracks.
The Guardians.
A frustrated Serenvee threw down the data pad in disgust. The device skittered across the desk and clattered to the floor. "You were supposed to get us the current data on those battlesuits, senator. This data is what was on record a thousand years ago. I can't give you advice on how the new operators will act without knowing their new capabilities."
The senator glared back from the com screen. She was back in her office while Shiva and Serenvee were back in the industrial complex watching the insurrection unfold. "I can't give you what I don't have access to. Commander Harana runs the research complex where those suits are being upgraded. There is no way I can get the data you want without raising suspicion. Until I have control of the Senate, there isn't much I can do."
Serenvee suspected that even if the insurrection proved successful Commander Harana would not give up the data. The only other option would be to engage the Guardians in battle, however, Lord Malkor had explicitly ordered against such action.
There was another way. If their scout craft were moved from the outpost on the southern continent to somewhere within sensor range of the prison complex, it would be in position to take detailed readings of the Guardians when they showed up to break their friends out. Serenvee and Shiva were certain of that.
"Very well," Serenvee sighed. "You had better hope your coup succeeds, for your sake." She killed the connection before the senator could reply. "Do you really think these new operators of the suits will come?"
"What would you do if you were in their place?" Shiva asked.
Serenvee didn't answer. She didn't need to. "We'll need to prepare. Can you bring the scout ship up here while I keep the senator on course?"
Shiva nodded. She left to make the long journey to the abandoned outpost.
Serenvee would need to be close in case Bregata's resolve wavered to see her insurrection through to the end. When Serenvee had first brought this idea up to Commander Axerod over a year ago, she didn't have high hopes that this could succeed. When rumors first surfaced that the legendary Guardians had reappeared as foretold, the commander had been quick to confirm rumors. It wasn't long before the signal on a secret subspace wavelength had been picked up. The same signal was picked up by the Empress' fleet and started the revival process of the sleeping crews.
Once these new operators engaged in their first few battles with the Horde, Serenvee was sure Bregata's plan to seize control of the warrior women and keep them from fulfilling their destiny would fail. They had been waiting for this for almost a thousand years. Nothing would sway them from their course. Especially not with Queen Mother Silvara. There was always a chance, of course, but the more Serenvee gathered about these new Guardians, the more she became convinced that the plan put forth by Kragor and the other traitors a thousand years ago had actually come to fruition better than they could ever have hoped.
And that might accomplish what Horde could not. The total destruction of the Empress and what remained of her empire.
Prison Complex
Northeast of Val-kyre City
The prison didn't look like much above ground. Access was through a two-story structure housing separate personnel and freight lifts that serviced the true complex deep underground. There was also a large tarmac and runway on the east side. No parameter was in evidence such as a fence, but there were defenses hidden in the structure, underground around the tarmac and runway and an outer parameter five hundred yards from the structure.
The entire complex was underground with the maintenance and administration levels on top and the cell blocks underneath. The fusion reactor supplying power to the facility along with the waste management and environmental equipment were at the very bottom. Access to all areas was severely restricted with sensors and surveillance cameras everywhere.
A transport delivering the newest inmates departed after delivering their charges into the waiting hands of the security force. Frost and Dhalon had to wait while Anyssa was relieved of all her concealed weapons in the administration section. The pair knew that a Val-kyrie warrior hid many weapons on their person, but they were dumbfounded by the number of odds and ends piled up on the counter. Once assured that the prisoners had any concealed instruments with which they could attempt escape, four heavily armed warriors led the trio down to cell awaiting them. Anyssa had no idea how many cell levels the facility contained, but she knew they were being taking more than halfway down.
The lift doors parted and the leader of the detail ordered them out. Force fields were turned off and back on as they passed deeper into the level. This floor contained large chambers for housing groups of a dozen people at a time in each cell. There were no bars as in prisons on Earth. All the cells in the facility were equipped with force fields powered by the reactor, which was twice as large as was needed to ensure a sufficient power supply.
Frost caught sight of who occupied the cell at the end of the wing they traveled down. "Oh, no. We've been captured! Not to worry. The colonel's still out there. He'll rescue us." Said colonel, Captain Majourny, General Hammond and Gunnery Sergeant Apone all stared at the corporal. "Oh, well. Never mind," Frost finished as he followed Anyssa and Dhalon into the cell across from his friends.
Frost flung himself down on a bench mounted to the side wall while his companions took in their situation. After the escorts had left the wing, Dhalon tapped the force field experimentally. Anyssa told him not to bother as the cell was escape-proof.
The cell next in line to General Hammond's was occupied by the Queen Mother and Sera. Anyssa was relieved to see that her family was all right. Considering that the insurrection had just begun, Anyssa wondered how long until that changed. Senator Bregata could not leave the royal family alive for long if she intended to install herself on the throne.
"Well, this is a pleasant gathering, though I can't say much about the décor," Colonel Markson commented.
"It is a bit on the bland side," Captain Majourny chimed in.
"Just wait until you see the room service," Anyssa said.
Markson's brow furrowed. "What room service?"
"Exactly."
"Before this gets completely out of hand," General Hammond interjected, "we should discuss our situation."
"Indeed," Silvara agreed. "First, I must apologize for you and your people being caught up in our internal matters. I'm afraid Senator Bregata is going to use your presence here against me."
Sera scoffed, "She can try. The only way she could get this far is by claiming the roundup as an exercise." She noticed the inquiring looks from the Earth people. "We run exercises similar to this all the time."
"So impressionable young warriors like the ones manning this facility would have no idea that this is anything more than what they were told," Hammond observed.
"Clever, but the story won't hold up forever. This senator of yours will have to go public eventually," Markson pointed out.
"Only after she is sure that her powerbase is stable," Silvara mused. This still didn't feel right. Bregata had a limited number of supporters among military command. She was almost certain to have several battlestars supporting her. Silvara knew Commander Fontaine will take care the situation out in space. The commander had been quietly assembling a powerbase of her own on Silvara's behalf. Only the planetary action remained in doubt. Commander Harana was good, but her R&D command was too small to be of use.
"But I thought your people have been waiting for this for a thousand years?" Jo-jo said. "Why have such trepidation now?"
"Our people have been waiting for so long that many have begun to think the legend of the Guardians is just that – a legend," Anyssa supplied.
"Then how does this senator explain the battlesuits running about taking on the Horde?" Dhalon rumbled, whiskers twitching in irritation.
Sera sighed. "My guess would be explaining that they are simply an invention of a more advanced race the Horde has yet to conquer."
"And since they were sent straight to the research center on the west coast for upgrades upon arrival, it only adds validity to any claims Bregata makes," Hammond said.
Jo-jo, Markson, and Apone exchanged looks. The general had wanted their involvement kept to a minimum, but they were going to have to take an active role in order to get out of their current situation. Maddeningly, Corporal Frost appeared totally unconcerned.
"Well, if we are going to set things right, I don't see that we have any choice but to get involved, general," the colonel said.
"I know. But first, we have to get out of here," Hammond agreed.
Anyssa cast a sideways look at the corporal sprawled out on the bench, hands clasped behind his head. He appeared to be dozing, but the princess knew better. "You seem to be strangely relaxed about all this, Frost."
The young man yawned extravagantly. "That's because all of you are forgetting one thing."
"Do tell," Dhalon prodded.
"We have an ace up our sleeves. Six of them to be exact."
Jo-jo was the first to catch on. "They wouldn't really intervene, would they?"
Guardian Command had been set up to make use of the battlesuits, the starship Eternia and the technology adapted from the starship. As the Sorceress researched the legend of the Guardians, of which there was precious little in the vast library in Castle Grayskull, it became clear that the original Guardian Force was an army led by the six Guardians in war against the Horde. It was a forgone conclusion then that once the command was able to stand on its own, it would become a new Guardian Force picking up where the original army left off. Ultimately, the six warriors would have the autonomy to do whatever they felt needed to be done. This situation would fall squarely in that category.
Hammond, Markson, and Apone shared a knowing look. "Yes, they will," Apone answered. "They won't be able to do anything else."
"Why? General Hammond made it clear that we were not to get involved in what is an internal problem of these people," Jo-jo countered.
"Like it or not, we are now involved," Hammond said. "What we're really discussing is being responsible for altering the politics of another world."
Silvara spoke up from the adjoining cell. "All I need is a chance, General Hammond. If the Guardians can provide that chance, we can take it from there and bring about the appropriate result."
Dhalon tapped a talon against the force field of his cell playing with the generated cascade effect from the contact. "If there is one thing I can guarantee from seeing them in action, Queen Mother, it's that you shall have your chance."
Despite Dhalon's assurances, Silvara still looked worried. Bregata clearly had a core group of high-ranking officers to support her. The training exercise was just a smokescreen to get everything in place for the takeover. While a small percentage of the population had grown wary of the claims that the prophecy of the Guardians returning had finally come to pass, there was never any outright dissent until recently. Something – or someone – was driving this. Silvara considered one explanation that she fervently hoped would be proven false. The Val-kyrie could ill afford an appearance of weakness at this point. If the warrior women should suddenly appear fractured in their resolve to continue opposition against the Horde, Horde Prime might just take a chance on an all-out war in the hopes of emerging in better shape than computer models predict. If that happened, the galaxy could potentially fall into a darkness even the Guardians might not be able to drive back.
The next few days would decide if the warrior women continue down the path set before them a thousand years ago, or fall to the deadliest enemy of all. Themselves.
Battlestar Logoss
Orbiting Dry Dock
Commander Fontaine had secluded herself in her quarters moments after the quiet insurrection had become clear. Reports from agents on the ground slowly trickled in as the hours passed. The Eternia was on lockdown with the majority of her crew back on board. The principle members had been rounded up and were now languishing in the prison complex northeast of the capital. Not far away from the refugee camp that had been set up for the people liberated from the penal planet, as it turned out. There was also a disturbing report that He-man and She-ra had been forcibly removed from the camp and were now on their way to the prison. Evidently the senator was not taking any chances.
However, she was neglecting one important group. Even now, Fontaine was making sure the loyal commanders on the ground were getting the same reports so that they could plan their strategy. Fontaine's responsibility was the space operations. With six battlestars slowly making their way in-system, things were bound to get ugly if not handled carefully. Commander Harana would have to take care of herself without orbital support.
The identities of the battlestars and their commanders worried Fontaine. Their transponders were not broadcasting so she had been forced to send out cloaked recon ships to identify them. Once she knew who she was dealing with, Fontaine would be better able to decide how to deal with them. Logoss was in no shape for a fight, but the yard crews were trying to work a miracle anyway. Once Fontaine had brought the yard commander into the close circle of confidants loyal to the Queen Mother, she had been more than willing to drive her crews to get the battlestar into some kind of fighting shape. Even if it was only an appearance of being fully functioning, Fontaine knew she could trade on her reputation to do the rest. And for that, she needed her close circle of battlestar commanders to arrive. They, coincidently, were inbound keeping the home world between them and the unidentified warships. This gave the wayward senator the illusion of still being in control of the situation. Fontaine and Harana were determined to teach her that there was more to an insurrection than simply rounding up the rivals and taking all the power for herself. Holding onto that acquired power was more difficult. And if there was one thing Fontaine and Harana excelled at it was being difficult.
The door chime sounded shattering Fontaine's pensive mood. "Come," she called out. The hatched opened and Colonel Darius quickly stepped through.
The colonel looked as concerned as Fontaine felt. Silently, she held out a printout for her commander to read. Fontaine was almost afraid to, but took the proffered sheet, anyway. It was the report she had been waiting for on the identity of the approaching battlestar squadron. There were two columns of names printed on paper of ship names and their commanders. Fontaine's dread was realized. Like the commanders she had taken into confidence on the authority of the Queen Mother, Bregata's squadron was made up of commanders and crews who would follow the senator to whatever end awaited them. While they weren't quite as daring as Fontaine, they would not hesitate to fire the first shots that would plunge the Val-kyrie into a bloody civil war.
In an effort to balance that potential outcome, Fontaine had gathered a squadron of commanders who would not hesitate to do what was necessary to end a civil war before it got started even if it meant sacrificing ship and crew to do it.
The commander thanked Darius for the report, and the colonel left without a word. Nothing needed to be said because she knew the implications as well as Fontaine. Turning to the com panel, Fontaine called the bridge and ordered the duty officer to get her a secure channel to Commander Harana.
Pretoria Research and Training Complex
"She thinks I'm crazy," Jake said, jerking a thumb in the Sorceress' direction.
"Yes, I do."
"You could be a little slower on the agreement, you know. You aren't exactly the picture of sanity, yourself," Jake countered.
"Care to elaborate?" Sorceress demanded, glaring daggers.
"Single, white female living alone in a big, drafty castle for – how many years? And then there's your choice of wardrobe…" Jake trailed off as he realized he was talking himself into a corner.
Indignant, Sorceress placed fists on her hips and looked fit to kill Jake at any moment. The motion flared out the feather cape in a rather appealing way, to Adrian at least. "What's wrong with the way I dress?" she demanded.
Jake cocked his head to the side to look at Adrian and asked, "You wanna field that?"
"Uh-uh," Adrian answered. He turned and walked away, adding, "I like living." He noticed Commander Harana waving from the conference room window. She urgently beckoned for them to come up. "We're needed," Adrian told his companions.
It only took a minute for the six Guardians to climb the stairs up to the office level where the conference room and the administration wing were located. Colonel Miriam was seated at the main control panel setting up the briefing. Commander Harana had remained standing until the group arrived. She gestured for them to take a seat and sat only when the Guardians were all settled.
At a nod from Harana, Miriam reopened the channel to the battlestar Logoss. The main wall screen lit up and resolved into the image of Commander Fontaine.
"Now that we're all here, it's time to bring all of you up to speed," Harana said, opening the discussion.
Commander Harana began by reviewing the events on planet. The Guardians were relieved to hear that the Eternia was secure with most of the crew back on board. No one had been injured in the roundup, but the fact that all their friends were in a fiendishly secure prison facility did not bode well. While the operation had been carried out under the guise of a military exercise, that cover story would not last for much longer.
"Do you conduct exercises in the many often?" Sonya asked.
Miriam nodded. "We try to be as realistic as possible. The royal family, commanding generals, and the populace cooperate as much as possible. So this roundup will not seem out of the ordinary for the warriors manning the prison. But it will look suspicious after several days."
"Then it's settled," Brad declared. "We have to get them out."
Harana and Fontaine were studying Adrian looking for a reaction. After the no-win scenario testing had been completed, the Guardians, minus Adrian, had a discussion and came to the conclusion that he would be the ideal choice of lead the team. Adrian, of course, objected, but his reasoning was totally illogical according to the Sorceress. Even Jake had agreed with the decision, which was all more extraordinary since he was the one who had brought up the issue in the first place.
After a full two minutes of organizing his thoughts, Adrian finally spoke. "General Hammond was adamant that we not interfere with Val-kyrie politics. While I agree with Brad that we have to get our friends out of that prison, how will releasing the Queen Mother look when it becomes common knowledge that we were responsible?"
Miriam snapped angrily, "How can you ask that? After all we've done to upgrade and enhance the battlesuits, you suggest turning your back on us?"
"It's a valid question, colonel," Fontaine said calmly. "Since none of them have met Senator Bregata or Queen Mother Silvara, they have only our word to go on."
Suitably chastised, Miriam dropped her gaze the control panel.
Harana nodded. "What the Queen Mother needs is a chance to resolve this situation before it escalates into a shooting war. Can you provide that chance?"
Adrian looked to each of his companions in turn trying to gauge their position on this matter. Each one nodded their agreement. "All right," he said at last. "We'll help you to give the Queen Mother her chance to resolve this. While I admit that I don't like what I have heard about and from Senator Bregata, we have to remain as neutral in this as possible."
There were no dissenting votes.
A pleased Commander Fontaine signed off to attend to defending the orbiting docks. Somehow, she had to come up with a plan to prevent a shooting war from starting in orbit. Harana didn't envy her friend. Fontaine would have to sit and wait and plan until the approaching battlestars loyal to Bregata came within range. The senator was likely going to proceed cautiously until she was sure about her powerbase.
Harana, on the other hand, could act now. Hours passed as she and the Guardians hashed out a plan to liberate the prisoners, which, after a recent update, now included He-man and She-ra. Why the senator felt threatened by that pair was unknown, but it was clear from Adrian's expression that he was not thrilled about potentially meeting He-man again. In the end, they had a workable plan that included Captain Graza's squad. It was daring, audacious and even a little crazy, but it would sure be unexpected.
The meeting broke up so that everyone could make the necessary preparations for the assault on the prison scheduled for the next night. As the other Guardians filed out of the conference room, Commander Harana caught Adrian staring after the Sorceress. He didn't leer or gawk like a letch. There was something else in his eyes that Harana had seen a few times before. It was a kind of longing she herself had felt on more than one occasion. Adrian suddenly turned in her direction realizing he'd been caught.
"What?"
"Something on your mind?"
"Lots of things, but nothing that concerns the general public," he said, cryptic.
Somehow, Harana didn't believe him. From her observations of the interactions between Adrian and the Sorceress, the show of bickering notwithstanding, it was clear that the pair was in denial about their feelings. Harana suspected Adrian was simply disappointed that the feather cape hid the sway of the Sorceress' hips.
Hell of time to being having those kinds of thoughts, Harana mused. She returned to her preparations without giving it another thought. That pair worked so well together in the battle exercises that Harana hoped they would eventually figure their feelings out. Then the Horde would really be in trouble!
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