Chapter 6: Strange Allies

Planet Arbaro was very similar to Earth in size, atmosphere, and the star it orbited. But to Buzz and his fellow crew members, it was more reminiscent of Earth centuries before the growth of their civilization. Arbaro was a jungle planet swathed with miles of trees and dotted with grasslands and rocky plains. Buzz, Luna, Dr. Metropolis, and the landing party were on the eastern half of the northern hemisphere, searching for any sign of the reported missing ships. After an hour, they stopped to rest, and Buzz said to Luna, "I wonder if we have any robots with us who can scan for any life around here."

"I know one who could," Luna replied. She called, "T.E.X! Your captain needs you!"

Buzz looked to his left and saw a robot as high as his shoulders come up to him on a large wheel-tread. It had a domed head with a squarish face atop a steel prism-shaped body ringed with several compartments. The robot saluted Buzz and Luna, then said in a metallic voice, "T.E.X. at your service, sir and ma'am."

"T.E.X, do you think you could scan for life signs while we scout this planet out?" asked Buzz.

"Yes, sir!" the silvery android replied.

With that, Buzz led the group onward through the jungle while T.E.X. scanned for any sign of trapped space travelers from the Federation or from the local solar systems. The crew was not picking up any signs of the missing ships, but their scanning instruments showed that Arbaro's jungles were teeming with animal life like Buzz had never heard of before. The landing party scoured the jungle up until noon, with no trace of the missing ships or any survivors. Eventually, Luna said, "Perhaps we should set up camp here before continuing the search, Captain."

"I agree, Lieutenant," Buzz replied professionally. With that, he ordered the landing party to set up their camp in a nearby clearing while he and Luna patrolled the perimeter with T.E.X. roving at their sides. But little did they know that they too were being observed.

…

A band of fur-covered creatures clad in animal-skin pants and waistcloths followed the Excalibur landing party from the treetops, making sure to keep out of sight while keeping the group in theirs. They were the native inhabitants of Arbaro, living far beyond the reach of space colonization, but they were no strangers to outsiders. They had seen from afar and heard accounts from other tribes of mysterious invaders in dark uniforms coming out of the sky in flying ships armed with weapons of frightening power. They didn't know who these invaders were or where they came from, but they could tell that the strangers were not friendly- destroying portions of jungle land, harming innocents everywhere, taking captives for unknown and unsavory purposes. The natives neither liked these invaders nor welcomed them.

However, the native band got a great surprise when they saw this new band of strangers wandering in their home jungle. For one thing, these particular invaders weren't wearing dark uniforms but colored uniforms, some of which were protected by armor over the chest. Though most of them were armed, the weapons of these strangers looked more gently made. But the thing that surprised the natives watching them was that most members of the group were humans while the others were beings of several shapes and features, and beside them were these strange creatures that moved on wheels and spoke in ringing voices. The natives were sure that the pale and dark members of the group were humans, but they didn't assume these strangers were friendly. They kept their distance as Buzz, Luna, and T.E.X. led their landing party to their campsite.

On their arrival in the clearing, Buzz had some of the crew set up shelter and prepare the necessary equipment for their first stay on this foreign planet. While that matter was being handled, Buzz had security measures set up in the form of motion detectors, visual and auditory sensor units, and alarm units. He grinned to himself and chuckled, "Fort Knox itself couldn't have done better."

Unfortunately, the happy mood wasn't to last long. The rest of the day progressed with no sign of missing ships and every patrol Buzz sent out came back with the same reports. By evening, Buzz was impatient. He had a mission to do and it seemed that he had run into a dead end. After a long talk with Luna and Dr. Metropolis, Buzz decided to let his landing party call it a day. However, they were about to receive quite a surprise.

…

The natives returned to their hidden dwelling and told the elders of their village of Buzz Rogers and his landing party. The chief and his fellow leaders listened, and they were disturbed by what they heard. If these new visitors were anything like the ones who had harmed them and their allies, encountering them wasn't a risk worth taking. With that, the chief told his tribe, "We cannot risk revealing ourselves to these strangers. No one is to approach them."

However, there was one individual who was not afraid of the newcomers. In fact, she thought, how could they possibly be a threat if they hadn't been introduced to the tribe?

The girl resolved to find these outsiders and see for herself if they were friendly or not. It was risky, but she had to try.

…

Buzz was about ready to turn into his camo-tent for the night when he heard a beep coming from T.E.X. He beckoned to Luna and Dr. Metropolis, and they came to find out what was happening.

"Captain Rogers, sir, I'm detecting an unknown lifeform approaching the campsite from the northwest," T.E.X. reported.

Buzz said to Luna and Dr. Metropolis, "We'll scout this one out ourselves. It's best if we don't give the rest of the party a fright."

Luna and Dr. Metropolis nodded, and then Buzz instructed T.E.X. to lead them to the unknown being. The four then went a short distance from the clearing until they came to a natural reflecting pool under Arbaro's two moons. Then Luna pointed toward the pool and whispered, "Guys, look."

A solitary figure sat on a tree stump beside the pool, seemingly unaware of the space agents' presence. The group slowly approached when the figure turned towards them, and Buzz, Luna, and Dr. Metropolis were amazed at what they saw. The being was a humanoid female about their height, with light blonde hair in pigtails and brown eyes. She had a rather plump body and wore a one-strap top and waistcloth of green fabric. But the most intriguing thing about this girl was that she had cat-like ears and little whiskers on her face.

The cat-like girl hopped from her seat and approached Buzz and his companions with a curious expression. Buzz and Luna stepped forward to meet her, but she shrunk back in fear as if she thought they would harm her and wrapped her arms around her bare stomach.

Dr. Metropolis put out his arm and said to Buzz, "Sir, you and Luna are frightening her."

Then he turned to the cat-girl and said softly, "Please don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt you."

The girl then said to them, "Who are you?"

"We're officials of the Galactic Federation of United Star Systems," Dr. Metropolis explained. "I'm Dr. Teddy Metropolis, and this is Captain Buzz Rogers and Lieutenant Luna Silverstar of the starship Excalibur. Who are you?"

The cat-girl had little idea what the Federation was, but she could see that Buzz, Luna, and Dr. Metropolis seemed friendly after all, so she said, "I am Princess Elana. My people's village lies a short distance from your camp."

Buzz and Luna shared intrigued glances at this, and Buzz asked, "I don't want to sound rude, but what are you?"

To Buzz's great relief, the princess Elana didn't seem offended at all. She replied, "I'm a Felinn, which is what the females of my species are called. My people are named the Mammlins."

"Do you suppose you could take our crew to your village, Your Highness?" Luna interjected.

Elana felt a little nervous at this request, but she explained the situation at her home. "I can guide you there, but my people may not be pleased to see you. My father the chief has told us not to reveal ourselves to you and your companions for fear that you will harm us."

Dr. Metropolis told her, "We're not here to hurt you or anyone else on this planet. We're on a mission of keeping the peace."

Princess Elana had the feeling that Dr. Metropolis was telling the truth, so she thought that maybe these strange ones should let her father know why they had come to Arbaro. After a moment of thought, she said, "I should take you to speak to my father. It's the only way he can know for sure that your story is true."

Buzz and Luna thought this was a good idea, and so they brought Elana back with them to their camp where the rest of the crew had been waiting for them. They introduced Elana, who was quite impressed at meeting humans and other beings she never knew existed, and Buzz's landing party greeted her with respect. Then after a lengthy conversation, Buzz said, "Now that we've gotten off on a good foot, will you please bring us to your village?"

"Of course I will," Elana replied. "But I'm warning you. Mammlins aren't comfortable around outsiders, so don't expect a warm welcome from the others."

"We'll keep that in mind," Luna said softly.

And with that, the landing party of the Excalibur followed Princess Elana off into the dense jungle to meet her tribe.

...

Elana led Buzz and his crew members on an hour-long trek through the jungle until they reached the dwelling of her tribe. To the landing party, it didn't look like a village but a primitive city. The buildings were towers made of rock with torches to provide light. They were spaced decently apart with some smaller buildings between them, and Buzz could have sworn he saw smoke rising from one of the larger towers as if from a chimney.

"I'll go in first and let my father know that I'm safe," Elana said to Buzz. "He may not be pleased to have you in his company, but hopefully seeing me alive will ease him."

Dr. Metropolis smiled at her and encouraged, "Do what you have to, Your Highness."

Elana smiled and went inside the stone tower, where at that moment, her tribe was having a celebration dance to honor what she said was the living soul of their world, who gave the planet its jungle environment. She made her way to her father, the chief, who smiled when he saw her and said, "Elana, my dear. I trust you are enjoying the celebration?"

The princess replied, "I just arrived, Father. And I've brought some new friends with me."

The chief looked intrigued and said, "It sounds wonderful, my child. I'd like to meet them."

With that, Elana beckoned to Buzz and his landing party, who slowly entered the large chamber. All at once, the music in the room faded and there were surprised murmurs whispered among the crowd of Mammlin natives. Most of them looked quite unnerved at seeing Buzz, Luna, and Dr. Metropolis in particular, but for others, the humans and aliens of the landing party were even more unsettling to see.

Buzz, Luna, and Dr. Metropolis noticed that the female Mammlins had cat-like features like Elana did, but the males had faces like dogs. It was curious to say the least, and Buzz said to Luna, "What the Federation wouldn't give to know about this planet's inhabitants."

"They will need to be informed about our mission's progress, Buzz," Luna reminded him.

Then the group became quiet when they reached the chief, who had Elana under his arm and was looking at the landing party with a cold expression. He had hoped that his daughter had brought a few of her local friends or even a youth from another nearby tribe to attend the festivities. Instead, strangers from another planet were standing before him. He turned to Elana and said, "Daughter, what is the meaning of this?"

"Father, these outsiders are not with the invaders who have caused so much trouble on Arbaro," she tried to explain. "They are from the Galactic Federation of United Star Systems on a peaceful mission."

The chief replied, "It matters not. Our brothers have suffered much because of invaders from elsewhere. These strange ones must leave or face the consequences for their intrusion."

Elana gulped when she heard that, for she knew it meant that the landing party from the Excalibur would be held prisoner for life. The Mammlins were a peaceful people and the taking of the life of an individual was shameful to them, but they were not without laws and preferred to deal punishments that would not have the offender's death on their hands.

Buzz decided to speak for his crew and he said, "Good Chief, if your world has been attacked, then that's why we're here. Several vessels from our civilization and others in this area of space have been disappearing and innocent lives are in danger or lost at worst. We merely came to this planet to find the cause of this problem and stop it if we can."

The chief gave a disbelieving chuckle and replied, "You talk of valuing life, yet you bring weapons."

"They are meant only for self-preservation," insisted Buzz. "We are not conquerors, not thieves. Our only interest is peace, justice, and freedom."

"We'll gladly find out who or what attacked your planet if you'll let us," Dr. Metropolis added. "Either way, we leave the planet."

This set the chief to thinking. Dr. Metropolis had shown a great deal of respect and honesty to match. If Buzz and his crew truly wanted to help, then perhaps it would be worth trusting them. He said, "Your boon is granted. If you can prevent the invaders who threatened us from harming us again, you will have earned our trust."

"Thank you, Chief. We promise we will find whoever did this and stop them before anyone else gets hurt," Buzz assured.

And so, the landing party stayed with Elana's tribe for that night. the next day, the whole Mammlin tribe went with them to the jungle to see them off. The crew packed their campsite up and then Buzz sent a message to the Excalibur.

"Captain Rogers to Excalibur. We're ready to beam aboard," he said.

"Aye aye, Captain. Stand by," came the voice of one of the transporter chiefs.

With that, the landing party stood in a few different groups to beam back to the ship. But before they left, Elana came to Dr. Metropolis with something in her hands. She slipped the object into the young medical officer's palm, and when he uncurled his fingers, it was revealed to be a pale-yellow stone that was very much like quartz.

"It's a charm for luck," Elana told him. "You'll need it if you're going to seek out the ones who have attacked our world and yours."

Dr. Metropolis blushed at Elana's gift and said, "Thank you, Princess."

"You're very welcome, Teddy," she replied. "But please be careful out there."

Dr. Metropolis nodded with a smile and held Princess Elana's hand for a moment. And then a moment later, the landing party was transported back to the Excalibur five crew members at a time along with robots and their supplies. Once everyone was on board the starship, Buzz and Luna returned to the bridge and the Excalibur moved away from Arbaro with a new step of the mission to pursue.

A/N: As this is a Chipmunks Go to the Movies parody, Eleanor is playing a revamped version of Princess Ardala of the Draconian Empire. Ardala is the main antagonist of the original Buck Rogers storyline, but as the main antagonists of this fanfiction will be different, Eleanor is playing a role with the princess as a supporting character.

Here's the updated cast of the story:

Alvin Seville- Buzz Rogers
Simon Seville- Dr. Simonex
Theodore Seville- Dr. Teddy Metropolis
Brittany Miller- Luna Silverstar
Jeanette Miller- Dr. Jenn Miles
Eleanor Miller- Princess Elana
Dave Seville- Commander Dwight McRadion
Principal Lawrence Talbot- Grand President Talbotinne

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and have fun reading. Chapter 7 is where the fun continues!