A knock on the door wake Don. The room was still dark due to the curtains blocking out the sun. Don lifted his head from the pillow and squinted at the clock with sleepy eyes. It was almost 7 am. Don tried to ignore the knocking and go back to sleep, but the knocking continued insistently. Don moaned and pulled the blanket over his head. No, it was much too early for him.

The knocking finally stopped, much to the Turtle's relief and he tried to back to sleep.

"Donatello?" a voice called. Don ignored the voice at first, but then he heard someone enter the bedroom. Judging by the voice, it was Tarq. "Donatello, are you still asleep?"

It was obvious that Don wasn't going to sleep in the extra hour he normally would. He pulled the blanket away from his face.

"Not anymore."

"I apologize for coming in unannounced, but you must get up. Lady Nhura wishes to discuss a few things with you over breakfast privetly by her lake.

Don wanted to know why he was a servant here more than anything, so the idea of being rudely awoken was no longer a bother for him. He didn't want to risk angering his new mistress.

Before Don could give an answer, Jarq walked over to the window and pulled away the curtains.

Don shielded his eyes from the blinding sun and moaned as he rubbed his eyes. He sat up from the bed.

"I will wait outside for you," Tarq told him. "She expects to see you in 15 minutes and does not appreciate tardiness. I shall escort you to the lake when you are ready."

That wasn't much time for Don. After Tarq left, Don began to prepare for the day. With a sleepy yawn, he went to the closet and winced at the formal attire he still wasn't used to seeing. He didn't like the idea of putting on fancy clothes again, but it was obvious this was what Nhura expected from him.

He was in the new set of clothes within a few minutes and went to the bathroom to give his teeth a quick brush. He doubted Nhura would appreciate morning breath. He gargled before spitting into the sink and left the bathroom to join Jarq out in the hall.

With five minutes left to spare, Jarq lead Don out to the lake. They exited the building through a back garden, which soon narrowed into a pathway leading to a bridge. The bridge stretched out to the center of the lake where Nhura was waiting.

Nhura was standing by the patio rail overlooking the water and she turned as she heard Tarq and Donatello approach.

"Donatello, my lady," Tarq greeted her with a bow. Nhura smiled as she looked down at her pocket watch.

"And still a minute to spare. Excellent, Tarq. It's nice to know our Turtle friend is punctual."

Don noticed the three of them were not alone on the patio. Lady Nhura had three other guards surrounding their sitting area, all wearing serious faces.

"Four guards, including Tarq," Don thought to himself. "It's difficult to take down one Triceraton. They probably know this, which is why I won't stand a chance if I even risked to threaten her."

"Please, take a seat," Nhura gestured to the table that was set for only her and Don. Don accepted the chair in front of him, but could not relax.

"Uh...I hope this doesn't sound rude, but I thought you wanted to discuss things with me...privetly?"

"Everyone present is trustworthy, Donatello," Nhura assured him as Tarq poured her a cup of tea. "I'm valuable to the Republic. I must have some kind of protection with me at all times. The question here is this; can I trust you?"

Don hesitated before answering.

"No, we are strangers. You have no reason to trust me yet."

"Well, I hope that will change." Nhura began picking out the delicacies she desired and put them on her plate. Don waited for her to finish before deciding when it would be polite to take whatever he desired.

"Why did you stop Commander Erkon yesterday?" Don asked. "I'm a prisoner. I shouldn't be here."

"Erkon was out of line on many things, Donatello. He had to be punished," Nhura told him.

"But why?" he asked again. "I'm just an alien from another planet. I'm no one to you."

"You're wrong on that notion, boy. In fact, you're actually valuable. Very few know that, and I prefer it stays that way."

She took a bite from her pastry before continuing. She could tell by the look on the Turtle's face that he was still confused. She swallowed.

"Donatello, I know who you are. Last time you were here on this planet, you and your brothers succeeded in making a fool out of Zanromon. I'm sure you're aware there are not many who are pleased with that. It was because of you, you managed to bring Zanromon to his knees. He's in hiding now, but he stil, holds a grudge of what you all did to him. I must say, you pretty much insulted our whole empire."

Don felt uneasy hearing this, but tried not to look nervous. "My brothers and I only did what was necessary to escape."

"And yet, it's because of you that we are a divided planet now," Nhura smirked. "No one is quite sure whom to follow and are scared and confused."

Don felt defensive and nervously swallowed his pastry. Suddenly, food didn't sound so appetizing.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble, but I...," he slowly began to stand up. "I think I should go."

Nhura frowned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am not finished speaking with you. It's rude to leave so suddenly."

Don backed away, hoping he could make a quick get away, but he bumped into Jarq. The Triceraton wore a frown as he crossed his arms. The other guards began to approach as well.

Don's heart rate had increased. He could not fight them all on his own and he had no weapon to defend himself. Nhura stood up.

"Stop it, everyone. You're scaring him. This meeting will not go well if you gang up on him like that."

One by one, the guards resumed their previous positions around the patio. Nhura sighed.

"I apologize if they made you feel uncomfortable. I have no intentions of harming you, Donatello. Why don't we try this conversation again, but I'll get to the point?"

Don stared at her for a minute and decided that she really meant what she said. Or maybe he knew he wouldn't be able to escape. Either away, he nodded and sat down again.

"You want to know why I decided to buy you? It's because I wish to know about you and your brothers," Nhura answered him. "I want to know if what Zanromon says about you is true."

"You want to know if we're a threat, or if we can be an ally?" Don guessed with a raised eyebrow. Nhura nodded.

"More or less. Right now, I'm not sure if you plan on being an enemy, or if there is more to you than meets the eye."

"Ma'am," one of the guards beside her approached. "I apologize for interrupting, but you have a meeting in 30 minutes."

"Oh," Nhura frowned. "I've almost forgotten about it. Very well, I will prepare." She then returned her attention to Donatello.

"I'm afraid we must continue this discussion some other time. As a public official, I have many scheduled meetings today."

"Wait a minute!" Don frowned. "I still have so many questions. What do you want with me? Who decided to give the order to kidnap me and my brothers? When will I see them again? When can we return to earth?"

Nhura did not answer any of his questions and left without another word. Don started to go after her to press her again with his questions, but Tarq stopped him.

"Enough! You've had your time with her. You should be grateful she managed to arrange to speak with you on such short notice."

"She didn't explain anything!" Don protested. "All she told me was that she knew about my brothers and I taking down Zanromon, nothing more! I still don't know anything!"

"Silence!" Tarq glared down at him. He gave Don a slap, which caused Don to fall silent. "You may not be trapped in the 'slaughter house' anymore, but you are still nothing more than a servant. Know your place!"

He then left down alone on the patio. It was then that Don allowed himself to feel the pain and rubbed his sore cheek. He growled in furstraion.