Changes: Chapter 3
By: Mira Elizabeth
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is the property of Disney/Pixar. All other characters are mine.
"Okay Buzz, we're here. Now what?"
"What do you mean now what? You're the one with the sensors to detect Mira."
XR held up a finger. "Uh…uh…I said I might be able to."
Lightyear rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever. Now come on…"
The two rangers moved slowly along one of the palace's hallways.
"Nice place." XR said, his voice low.
"You've been here before." Buzz whispered, annoyance creeping into his voice.
"Yeah, but we never get to see anything. The Tangeans always kick us out and be…"
"Would you be quiet? Someone's coming." Lightyear said urgently, interrupting him.
The rangers crouched down behind a large potted plant, each praying that the guards passing by would not see them.
"That was close." XR breathed.
"Yeah. We can't keep this up. It'll take forever for us to get to Mira." Lightyear looked around before a Tangean woman in a pink dress caught his attention. He watched the woman ghost through a spot in the wall not far from their position and then a few moments later she ghosted back out into the hallway, this time she was wearing a shawl over her pink dress. Buzz smiled.
"I have an idea." He grinned at XR.
The little robot's optics went wide. "Oh no. Not again. Anything but that…"
"C'mon." Buzz pulled his robotic teammate down the hall and pointed to a spot in the wall. "There."
"I cannot believe we are doing this." XR said as he carefully cut a hole in the wall big enough for the two of them to fit through.
Mira sat on the edge of her bed, looking anxiously around her quarters. She had heard no news of her husband, Lord Beldan, her father, or anyone for that matter. She had no idea what was going to happen to her and that scared her. She wanted some answers.
"I have got to get out of here." She mumbled to herself and tried to pull herself into a standing position. Her baby kicked several times and Mira winced a little in pain.
"Okay, baby. I won't try to stand up any more." She sank back onto the bed and sighed. "I guess I am stuck here then."
She pounded her fist on the bed in frustration. Mira couldn't stand feeling so helpless and unable to control the situation. She leaned back on her elbows, staring up at the intricate design on the ceiling, trying to keep herself focused.
Suddenly she heard a noise coming from the far corner of her room. She struggled to sit up and saw the light from a laser coming through the wall.
"What the…?"
The Queen's eyes widened as two figures clad in lavender dresses fell through the wall and into her room. The two figures stood and she continued to stare in disbelief.
The taller figure stood, brushing dust from the ill-fitting dress and the poorly done hairdo. The smaller, rounder figure continued to lie on the floor for a few moments before sitting up. The taller figure moved towards her from the shadows and she could finally see who it was.
"Buzz?!" Mira cried out, shocked to see the face of her former teammate not just because he was standing there in her room, but because it was also sloppily covered in make-up. Then she smiled. "You look absolutely ridiculous."
XR rolled over to where Buzz and Mira were standing. The Queen looked down at the little robot and the back up at Lightyear.
She started to laugh. "Oh my…you are a sight. Both of you."
"I just want it to go on record that this was not my idea." XR said indignantly. "Especially lavender. It's just not my color."
"How did you get in here? There are guards posted everywhere." Mira asked.
"Look, I'll explain everything when we get to 42. But for now we have to get you off of this planet."
"And how do you propose we do that, Buzz?"
"Our shuttle. It's hidden down on the planet's surface." Lightyear responded. "XR and I will just have to transport you down to the shuttle using our jet packs."
A momentary look of nervousness passed over Mira's features and Lightyear patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you or the baby."
Mira relaxed a little and smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem, but we've got to hurry!" Buzz said urgently. "We don't have much time."
The queen frowned and pointed at her very round extended belly. "Buzz, look at me. Do I look like I will be able to hurry?"
"Okay, so I missed that one little detail."
"Little?!"
Lightyear sighed and grabbed her gently by the arm and led her towards the balcony. "C'mon."
He poked his head out of the door and looked around, checking for guards.
"There's no one there."
"Of course not." Mira whispered. "They wouldn't think of me escaping this way."
Buzz grabbed Mira gently underneath her arms and with XR helping to support her, the two rangers activated their jet packs and carefully lowered themselves to Tangea's surface.
Mira was relieved when her feet touched the ground and she turned to look back up at the royal palace and smiled. No one had followed. They had made it at least this far.
"The shuttle is this way." Buzz said, taking the Queen by the arm and leading her through the woods. "Once we get to the shuttle, we'll head back to 42. I'll explain how we found out about all of this and were able to get onto the planet. We'll also contact your father, I assume he has reached the station by now."
Mira smiled. "Thank you, but what about my husband? Has anyone heard from Terrin?"
"Not as of the last time we were contacted by Commander Nebula. But maybe that has changed. We'll find out once we're on the ship. Now come on, we've got to get going."
Arzekov ran through the hallway and ghosted into the council room.
"The Queen is gone." He said breathlessly. "She's escaped?"
"What do you mean she's escaped?"
"Just what I said, Reno. I had the guards check on her and she was gone."
"How did this happen? If those idiots had been paying attention to her, she would still be in her quarters!"
"Well, we do know she was helped by someone not Tangean." Arzekov said.
"What?!"
"We found a hole in the wall. Someone helped her escape."
"Then she cannot have gone too far! Find her!" Reno yelled. "And get the tracking systems up and running. I want the space around Tangea scanned for any ships! Now!"
The Queen was resting comfortably in her former chair onboard Star Cruiser 42. She looked around the bridge for a moment, smiling. It still looked the same, like she had never left. She continued with her story, her three former teammates listening intently.
"So that's what happened. Lord Reno turned the council and most of the population against me. I guess they had been planning this for months. I don't know." Mira shook her head. "I can't believe this. I can't believe my people would turn on me."
Lightyear patted her hand. "I know, but for now you are safe with us and we will get you back to the station. Everything will be fine, you'll see."
Mira sighed. "I hope so."
Buzz activated the comm channel to Star Command and waited. The Commander appeared on the screen and smiled when he saw Mira sitting next to Lightyear.
"I see your mission was successful, Buzz. Good to see you safe and sound, Your Highness."
"It's good to see you too, Commander." Mira smiled back. "Where is my father?"
"Here with us. He arrived a couple of hours ago and he's eager to see you."
"And my husband?"
"He's safe. We got a communication from the shuttle he took from your planet. He is on his way here to the station."
The Queen breathed a sigh of relief and Buzz watched her visibly relax. He knew she needed to hear that everyone she loved was safe.
"I would suggest you come back to the station, Buzz, and we will decide how to proceed as far as taking care of this resistance group. Hopefully we can end this peacefully."
"I don't know about that, Commander." Mira said. "I believe Lord reno is capable of anything. He believes very strongly in his postion that the Spirits are a danger to our world…"
He blue eyes dropped and she sighed. "…that I am a danger to our world."
The Commander sighed. "Buzz, just get her here to the station, all right."
"Yes, Commander. Lightyear out."
The screen went blank and Buzz turned his attention to Mira. He watched as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little uncomfortable, that's all."
Lightyear cast one more concerned glance over in the Queen's direction before activating the engines. He eased the ship from its position behind the moon, Ina, and the cruiser headed off into space.
"Sir, a ship has been detected."
"Where?"
"Heading from the direction of Ina, sir. Its signature matches those of Star Command star cruisers."
Reno growled in frustration. "Buzz Lightyear. I'm sure of it. Star Command sent him to get her and that must be where she is. Get the cruisers ready. We need to stop that ship before it gets too far."
"Yes sir."
Booster's eyes widened as he looked down on his console.
"Buzz! We've got company!"
"What?"
"Heading from Tangea. Five ships. Looks like Tangean battle cruisers."
'Well I guess they've discovered us." Buzz said angrily. "Hold on, everyone."
He maneuvered the ship into a series of complicated moves, dodging around asteroids and chunks of space rock in an effort to confuse the approaching ships.
Frantic beeping coming from Booster's console sent a chill down Buzz's spine.
"Buzz, they're preparing to fire!" The Jo-adian cried out.
"Get us out of here!" Mira screamed as she saw the first laser bursts from the Tangean cruisers explode in front of them. The baby stirred and she put a hand on her belly.
Laser fire continued fly past them, forcing Lightyear to put all of his skills to use in order to avoid the onslaught. The cruiser shook suddenly as it took a hit from the Tangean ships. Buzz pulled hard on the steering mechanism, but it was no use, the cruiser was hit again.
Mira held on to the arms of her chair and closed her eyes, wincing. She felt something strange within her.
"Uh Buzz, I think we have problem."
"Mira, can it wait a minute? I'm trying to deal with this problem first."
"No, it can't wait."
"Well, it's has to. I've got my hands full right now with trying not to get shot."
"I can see that, but I thought you should know I'm in labor."
Buzz's eyes went wide. "You're what?!"
"In labor."
"Mira, this really isn't a good time for jokes."
Before he could react, she reached out and grabbed his arm. The strength of her grasp caused him to turn his head and he looked at her. Buzz had seen many scary and dangerous things on his adventures and he had bravely faced them all, but the expression on his friend's face at that moment made the long-time ranger cringe.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" She growled and she tightened her grip on his arm.
Lightyear gulped.
"All right then." He said slowly. "We have got to lose those ships and land. Something tells me that you having a baby amidst a shoot out is a bad idea."
Mira rolled her eyes and then something caught her attention.
"There." She pointed to a swirling purple mass in front of them. "Khana'el 7. The storms will protect us."
"Yeah, if they don't tear us apart first." XR said.
"We have to take that chance." The queen said, her voice becoming distressed. Buzz opened his mouth as if to speak, but she stopped him. "Please Buzz. Khana'el 7 is our only chance. You know as well as I do that if the Resistance gets their hands on me, I'm dead. And so is this child."
"But Mira, I just don't see how 42 is going to make it through those storms. We've sustained enough damage as it…" His voice trailed off as the young woman's head lowered. Silence filled the bridge.
Finally she raised her head and looked at him. "Please."
"All right. XR, send a distress message to Star Command."
"Roger, Buzz." The little robot began puching buttons on the console in front of him.
Buzz sighed heavily, looked over once again at Mira, and then maneuvered the ship towards Khana'el 7. "Prepare for landing."
"Are you sure they won't follow us?" Booster asked nervously, the ship beginning to shake beneath them as they approached Khana'el's turbulent atmosphere.
"Positive. The cruisers the Resistance are using are not equipped to handle the storms around Khana'el. The hulls are not nearly as resistant as those of Star Command ships. Besides, once we enter the storm field they will be unable to detect us and will probably assume we've been destroyed." Mira said, trying to reassure her former teammate.
"Which we just may be if I can't maneuver the cruiser through all of this turbulence." Buzz said through gritted teeth. "Hold on, everyone!"
Mira grasped the arms of her chair and watched as Khana'el's surface came closer and closer towards them. Behind her she could hear XR praying and Booster fidgeting as the ship continued through the storms and towards the planet's surface. The queen squeezed her eyes shut as Buzz attempted to land the star cruiser on Khana'el's rocky terrain.
"My lord, we've lost their signal."
Lord Reno looked down at the young Tangean and frowned.
"What do you mean you've lost their signal? We were just firing at them!"
"I-I know, sir. But the star cruiser's signal just faded when it neared Khana'el and we haven't picked it up since."
Reno wandered back to the captain's chair and sat down. Arzekov leaned in next to him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Could they have been destroyed?"
Reno was silent for a moment. "No. I doubt that. Buzz Lightyear is clever for a human, I'll admit. And the Queen is well aware of how well these ships operate. I am sure she realized we would not be able to follow them into Khana'el's atmosphere."
The Tangean lord stared out at the storms surrounding Khana'el.
"They're on the planet. I am sure of it." He stood up and turned to Arzekov. "And we will wait for them to think it's safe and then we will rid ourselves of our problem once and for all."
Chapter 4 coming soon…
By: Mira Elizabeth
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is the property of Disney/Pixar. All other characters are mine.
"Okay Buzz, we're here. Now what?"
"What do you mean now what? You're the one with the sensors to detect Mira."
XR held up a finger. "Uh…uh…I said I might be able to."
Lightyear rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever. Now come on…"
The two rangers moved slowly along one of the palace's hallways.
"Nice place." XR said, his voice low.
"You've been here before." Buzz whispered, annoyance creeping into his voice.
"Yeah, but we never get to see anything. The Tangeans always kick us out and be…"
"Would you be quiet? Someone's coming." Lightyear said urgently, interrupting him.
The rangers crouched down behind a large potted plant, each praying that the guards passing by would not see them.
"That was close." XR breathed.
"Yeah. We can't keep this up. It'll take forever for us to get to Mira." Lightyear looked around before a Tangean woman in a pink dress caught his attention. He watched the woman ghost through a spot in the wall not far from their position and then a few moments later she ghosted back out into the hallway, this time she was wearing a shawl over her pink dress. Buzz smiled.
"I have an idea." He grinned at XR.
The little robot's optics went wide. "Oh no. Not again. Anything but that…"
"C'mon." Buzz pulled his robotic teammate down the hall and pointed to a spot in the wall. "There."
"I cannot believe we are doing this." XR said as he carefully cut a hole in the wall big enough for the two of them to fit through.
Mira sat on the edge of her bed, looking anxiously around her quarters. She had heard no news of her husband, Lord Beldan, her father, or anyone for that matter. She had no idea what was going to happen to her and that scared her. She wanted some answers.
"I have got to get out of here." She mumbled to herself and tried to pull herself into a standing position. Her baby kicked several times and Mira winced a little in pain.
"Okay, baby. I won't try to stand up any more." She sank back onto the bed and sighed. "I guess I am stuck here then."
She pounded her fist on the bed in frustration. Mira couldn't stand feeling so helpless and unable to control the situation. She leaned back on her elbows, staring up at the intricate design on the ceiling, trying to keep herself focused.
Suddenly she heard a noise coming from the far corner of her room. She struggled to sit up and saw the light from a laser coming through the wall.
"What the…?"
The Queen's eyes widened as two figures clad in lavender dresses fell through the wall and into her room. The two figures stood and she continued to stare in disbelief.
The taller figure stood, brushing dust from the ill-fitting dress and the poorly done hairdo. The smaller, rounder figure continued to lie on the floor for a few moments before sitting up. The taller figure moved towards her from the shadows and she could finally see who it was.
"Buzz?!" Mira cried out, shocked to see the face of her former teammate not just because he was standing there in her room, but because it was also sloppily covered in make-up. Then she smiled. "You look absolutely ridiculous."
XR rolled over to where Buzz and Mira were standing. The Queen looked down at the little robot and the back up at Lightyear.
She started to laugh. "Oh my…you are a sight. Both of you."
"I just want it to go on record that this was not my idea." XR said indignantly. "Especially lavender. It's just not my color."
"How did you get in here? There are guards posted everywhere." Mira asked.
"Look, I'll explain everything when we get to 42. But for now we have to get you off of this planet."
"And how do you propose we do that, Buzz?"
"Our shuttle. It's hidden down on the planet's surface." Lightyear responded. "XR and I will just have to transport you down to the shuttle using our jet packs."
A momentary look of nervousness passed over Mira's features and Lightyear patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you or the baby."
Mira relaxed a little and smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem, but we've got to hurry!" Buzz said urgently. "We don't have much time."
The queen frowned and pointed at her very round extended belly. "Buzz, look at me. Do I look like I will be able to hurry?"
"Okay, so I missed that one little detail."
"Little?!"
Lightyear sighed and grabbed her gently by the arm and led her towards the balcony. "C'mon."
He poked his head out of the door and looked around, checking for guards.
"There's no one there."
"Of course not." Mira whispered. "They wouldn't think of me escaping this way."
Buzz grabbed Mira gently underneath her arms and with XR helping to support her, the two rangers activated their jet packs and carefully lowered themselves to Tangea's surface.
Mira was relieved when her feet touched the ground and she turned to look back up at the royal palace and smiled. No one had followed. They had made it at least this far.
"The shuttle is this way." Buzz said, taking the Queen by the arm and leading her through the woods. "Once we get to the shuttle, we'll head back to 42. I'll explain how we found out about all of this and were able to get onto the planet. We'll also contact your father, I assume he has reached the station by now."
Mira smiled. "Thank you, but what about my husband? Has anyone heard from Terrin?"
"Not as of the last time we were contacted by Commander Nebula. But maybe that has changed. We'll find out once we're on the ship. Now come on, we've got to get going."
Arzekov ran through the hallway and ghosted into the council room.
"The Queen is gone." He said breathlessly. "She's escaped?"
"What do you mean she's escaped?"
"Just what I said, Reno. I had the guards check on her and she was gone."
"How did this happen? If those idiots had been paying attention to her, she would still be in her quarters!"
"Well, we do know she was helped by someone not Tangean." Arzekov said.
"What?!"
"We found a hole in the wall. Someone helped her escape."
"Then she cannot have gone too far! Find her!" Reno yelled. "And get the tracking systems up and running. I want the space around Tangea scanned for any ships! Now!"
The Queen was resting comfortably in her former chair onboard Star Cruiser 42. She looked around the bridge for a moment, smiling. It still looked the same, like she had never left. She continued with her story, her three former teammates listening intently.
"So that's what happened. Lord Reno turned the council and most of the population against me. I guess they had been planning this for months. I don't know." Mira shook her head. "I can't believe this. I can't believe my people would turn on me."
Lightyear patted her hand. "I know, but for now you are safe with us and we will get you back to the station. Everything will be fine, you'll see."
Mira sighed. "I hope so."
Buzz activated the comm channel to Star Command and waited. The Commander appeared on the screen and smiled when he saw Mira sitting next to Lightyear.
"I see your mission was successful, Buzz. Good to see you safe and sound, Your Highness."
"It's good to see you too, Commander." Mira smiled back. "Where is my father?"
"Here with us. He arrived a couple of hours ago and he's eager to see you."
"And my husband?"
"He's safe. We got a communication from the shuttle he took from your planet. He is on his way here to the station."
The Queen breathed a sigh of relief and Buzz watched her visibly relax. He knew she needed to hear that everyone she loved was safe.
"I would suggest you come back to the station, Buzz, and we will decide how to proceed as far as taking care of this resistance group. Hopefully we can end this peacefully."
"I don't know about that, Commander." Mira said. "I believe Lord reno is capable of anything. He believes very strongly in his postion that the Spirits are a danger to our world…"
He blue eyes dropped and she sighed. "…that I am a danger to our world."
The Commander sighed. "Buzz, just get her here to the station, all right."
"Yes, Commander. Lightyear out."
The screen went blank and Buzz turned his attention to Mira. He watched as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Are you all right?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little uncomfortable, that's all."
Lightyear cast one more concerned glance over in the Queen's direction before activating the engines. He eased the ship from its position behind the moon, Ina, and the cruiser headed off into space.
"Sir, a ship has been detected."
"Where?"
"Heading from the direction of Ina, sir. Its signature matches those of Star Command star cruisers."
Reno growled in frustration. "Buzz Lightyear. I'm sure of it. Star Command sent him to get her and that must be where she is. Get the cruisers ready. We need to stop that ship before it gets too far."
"Yes sir."
Booster's eyes widened as he looked down on his console.
"Buzz! We've got company!"
"What?"
"Heading from Tangea. Five ships. Looks like Tangean battle cruisers."
'Well I guess they've discovered us." Buzz said angrily. "Hold on, everyone."
He maneuvered the ship into a series of complicated moves, dodging around asteroids and chunks of space rock in an effort to confuse the approaching ships.
Frantic beeping coming from Booster's console sent a chill down Buzz's spine.
"Buzz, they're preparing to fire!" The Jo-adian cried out.
"Get us out of here!" Mira screamed as she saw the first laser bursts from the Tangean cruisers explode in front of them. The baby stirred and she put a hand on her belly.
Laser fire continued fly past them, forcing Lightyear to put all of his skills to use in order to avoid the onslaught. The cruiser shook suddenly as it took a hit from the Tangean ships. Buzz pulled hard on the steering mechanism, but it was no use, the cruiser was hit again.
Mira held on to the arms of her chair and closed her eyes, wincing. She felt something strange within her.
"Uh Buzz, I think we have problem."
"Mira, can it wait a minute? I'm trying to deal with this problem first."
"No, it can't wait."
"Well, it's has to. I've got my hands full right now with trying not to get shot."
"I can see that, but I thought you should know I'm in labor."
Buzz's eyes went wide. "You're what?!"
"In labor."
"Mira, this really isn't a good time for jokes."
Before he could react, she reached out and grabbed his arm. The strength of her grasp caused him to turn his head and he looked at her. Buzz had seen many scary and dangerous things on his adventures and he had bravely faced them all, but the expression on his friend's face at that moment made the long-time ranger cringe.
"Does it look like I'm joking?" She growled and she tightened her grip on his arm.
Lightyear gulped.
"All right then." He said slowly. "We have got to lose those ships and land. Something tells me that you having a baby amidst a shoot out is a bad idea."
Mira rolled her eyes and then something caught her attention.
"There." She pointed to a swirling purple mass in front of them. "Khana'el 7. The storms will protect us."
"Yeah, if they don't tear us apart first." XR said.
"We have to take that chance." The queen said, her voice becoming distressed. Buzz opened his mouth as if to speak, but she stopped him. "Please Buzz. Khana'el 7 is our only chance. You know as well as I do that if the Resistance gets their hands on me, I'm dead. And so is this child."
"But Mira, I just don't see how 42 is going to make it through those storms. We've sustained enough damage as it…" His voice trailed off as the young woman's head lowered. Silence filled the bridge.
Finally she raised her head and looked at him. "Please."
"All right. XR, send a distress message to Star Command."
"Roger, Buzz." The little robot began puching buttons on the console in front of him.
Buzz sighed heavily, looked over once again at Mira, and then maneuvered the ship towards Khana'el 7. "Prepare for landing."
"Are you sure they won't follow us?" Booster asked nervously, the ship beginning to shake beneath them as they approached Khana'el's turbulent atmosphere.
"Positive. The cruisers the Resistance are using are not equipped to handle the storms around Khana'el. The hulls are not nearly as resistant as those of Star Command ships. Besides, once we enter the storm field they will be unable to detect us and will probably assume we've been destroyed." Mira said, trying to reassure her former teammate.
"Which we just may be if I can't maneuver the cruiser through all of this turbulence." Buzz said through gritted teeth. "Hold on, everyone!"
Mira grasped the arms of her chair and watched as Khana'el's surface came closer and closer towards them. Behind her she could hear XR praying and Booster fidgeting as the ship continued through the storms and towards the planet's surface. The queen squeezed her eyes shut as Buzz attempted to land the star cruiser on Khana'el's rocky terrain.
"My lord, we've lost their signal."
Lord Reno looked down at the young Tangean and frowned.
"What do you mean you've lost their signal? We were just firing at them!"
"I-I know, sir. But the star cruiser's signal just faded when it neared Khana'el and we haven't picked it up since."
Reno wandered back to the captain's chair and sat down. Arzekov leaned in next to him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Could they have been destroyed?"
Reno was silent for a moment. "No. I doubt that. Buzz Lightyear is clever for a human, I'll admit. And the Queen is well aware of how well these ships operate. I am sure she realized we would not be able to follow them into Khana'el's atmosphere."
The Tangean lord stared out at the storms surrounding Khana'el.
"They're on the planet. I am sure of it." He stood up and turned to Arzekov. "And we will wait for them to think it's safe and then we will rid ourselves of our problem once and for all."
Chapter 4 coming soon…