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The characters depicted in this story are not mine. Sue me and you get nada, cuz that's how much I own. Blah.
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Unlikely Companions
A fiction novella by Dave Zhang (dzhang@its.caltech.edu). Comments and criticisms welcomed. Copyright 2003.
[This text is in English.] "This text is spoken." 'This text is thought.' =This text is telepathic.=
Chapter 12: The Test of Mettle, Part II
Haruka was on course to the Outer Sectors, where Beryl reigned. She decided it was best to see for herself whether Beryl really had been amassing troops and fleets for an attack--that would sway her opinion of matters substantially.
She was napping while her vessel was on auto-pilot when alarms woke her. On the main screen, Haruka saw Beryl's flagship and about a dozen battle-cruisers heading straight to her. Realizing that she was definitely outgunned, and doubting that she would be able to escape under the collective fire of all those ships, Haruka sighed and decided that she would have to put up with being a prisoner for a while.
A communications hail from the flagship arrived, and Haruka answered it. She found Beryl at the other end of the connection smiling benigning at her, with no trace of the darkness that infested Beryl when she served (will serve?) Metallia. "Greeting, Princess Uranus!"
"Greetings, Princess Beryl."
"That's Queen!" shouted one of Beryl's bodyguards, but she gently signalled for the man to stand down. "Uh-uh, not yet. Not for another two years."
Haruka froze. "Queen? Two years? You're rebelling!?"
Beryl gasped, and held her hand to her mouth. After taking a moment to recollect her calm, she spoke to Haruka again. "Immeda? You don't know? Serenity didn't tell you?" She shook her head gently, and muttered to herself, "Not telling the civilians quite yet, I can understand... but the Princesses too?"
Haruka heard an elderly man grumbled from offscreen about how he expected Serenity to try something like this. Beryl motioned for him to be silent, before speaking to Haruka again. "Immeda, why don't you come aboard my flagship, and I'll explain everything to you?"
'Funny. The way Beryl put that, it actually sounded like a sincere offer for me to visit her, instead of a threat.' Haruka decided not to tempt the fates though, and nodded in agreement.
***
When Haruka arrived on board Beryl's ship, she found herself surprised to be greeted personally and warmly by Beryl, instead of being handcuffed and led to the cells.
"Immeda!" said Beryl, grasping Haruka's hand. "It's been so long! You never come to visit! I guess that's partly my fault too, since I'm usually all wrapped up in work, with the astral mining and terraforming and whatnot. But still! You could at least come by a couple time a decade! It's been, what? Thirty-seven years now? And last time was on business, so we didn't have much time for catching up."
Haruka wondered to herself is Beryl had really been this friendly in the Silver Milleneum, before she responded, somewhat coolly, "You could have joined us at the Moon Balls if you wanted to socialize."
Beryl looked at Haruka, at bit stunned, before releasing Haruka's hand and taking a step back. Facing down, she replied in the barest of whispers. "I never knew you had those... I've... I've never been invited."
Haruka was about to cry out "You're kidding!" but the saddened look in Beryl's eyes told Haruka her sincerity. "I'm sorry... I didn't realize. The rest of the Princesses and I just assumed you were always busy." Feigning cheerfulness, Haruka continued, "I'll be sure to let Serenity know to invite you in the future!"
One of Beryl's bodyguards grumbled, "She can do that for all two years she has left in power."
Haruka raised an eyebrow at this, but it did not give her the same level of shock as when she had heard it earlier. "Could you tell me what that in about, Beryl?"
"You really don't know? I'm sorry, I don't mean to doubt you, but I thought Serenity wouldn't have kept this a secret from her nieces. Should I tell you from the beginning then? Come with me to the lounge," said Beryl, waving off some of her retinue. "I'll tell you over some snacks. Any preferences? Make yourself at home."
***
"So, undoubtedly you know that you and the other Senshi are all sisters, some full and some half, and that your common mother is Harmony. Aunt Harmony was the oldest, and had two sisters, Serenity and my mother Amity. So that makes Serenity is our common aunt, and I am your cousin. I guess the story really starts about eleven hundred years ago, when our mothers and Serenity, and our grand-mother, battled against the evil forces of Yindar."
"As to how exacly the empire of Yindar was evil, I don't think anyone really knows with certainty anymore. Most likely there was a strong abusive slavery practices, abundant corruption, and just about everything else you can think of in a regime gone wrong. The details of the battles you can find in our libraries, so I won't bore you with those details. In any case, aunt Harmony died in battle before the war was won, while you and your sisters were all still young. My mother Amity and aunt Serenity eventually rallied enough support and commanded enough tactics to win the war and permanently banish the threat from the Yindar empire, and set up the current benign reign known as the Silver Reign. My mother was the elder sister, and was the high commander of our forces during the war, so it was decided between the sisters that she would reign as Queen."
"She reigned for about a hundred years before giving birth to me. Unfortunately, one of my mother's enemies, possibly a remant of the Yindar, masqueraded as a mid-wife and attacked my mother. The palaces guards quickly found out and killed the attacker, but my mother had been fatally wounded, and died not long after giving birth to me."
"I was obviously too young at the time to inherit the throne, so Grandmother decided that aunt Serenity should reign until I grew older and acquired education and experience. Aunt Serenity agreed, and she formally signed a contract declaring that rule of the Moon Kingdom will revert to me after nine hundred years. The deadline, as you can gather, is in two years."
Haruka was shocked beyond words. Certainly, she had known that the Inner Senshi were her sisters during their Silver Milleneum life, but she certainly did not know that they were cousins of Princess Serenity, as well as cousins with Princess Beryl! Not to mention the even more unbelievable relevation that Beryl was rightfully reclaiming her throne! "Could you..."
Beryl nodded in understanding. "Of course. I wouldn't ask you to just take my word on a matter of such severity."
***
Beryl provided all the necessary evidence. Holorecordings of the Serenity's vows, with several as witnesses. Documents authenticated with Serenity's own mitochondrial DNA code and lymphocyte amino acid sequencings. Beryl's crown that bore the symbols of Harmony, Amity, and Serenity.
Haruka knew what could possibly be fabricated from that which is beyond a doubt genuine, and she was convinced everything she saw of as of the latter. 'I see... so Mara and Pansom are indeed playing this game with me. Well, so be it. I will stand on the side of right, even if that means going against the woman to whom I normally owe my loyalty. It is, after all, but a test.'
"Beryl... there is something very important that I need to tell you."
"Yes?"
Haruka went on, and described how Serenity used her right-hand man Quiem to spread rumors of a supposed ambush by Beryl, and how Serenity and the other Senshi were mobilizing fleets and armies discreetly as they speak.
"You... Immeda... you're betraying your Queen for me?"
"No, though one day you may have my trust and loyalty. Right now the reason for my actions is because I refuse to serve under someone who would renege on her own word and try to ambush her own niece and the rightful Queen. I'm turning against Serenity because my conscience dictates so. Call me an idealist." Haruka mentally added, 'I don't know why Quiem was so steadfastly loyal, but I swear I'll never be blindly loyal to anyone again.
Beryl smiled. "When this all is over, I'm inviting all of you to a ball of my own!"
***
Despite what Haruka said, Beryl still tried to settle matters peacefully with Serenity. It was not so: shortly after that episode, Serenity and the Moon Kingdom opened fire on Beryl's flagship as Beryl tried to peacefully land on the Moon and prepare for the Ascension ceremony. Thanks to Haruka's warning and constant advising and protection from the shadows, Beryl was able to retreat to the Outer Sectors without harm, but many of her escort battle-cruisers were not to fortunate.
Immediately upon returning, Beryl and Haruka made plans for war, but they were already at a hefty disadvantage in terms of units. Fortunately for Beryl and Haruka, the Outer Sectors were decentralized because of their vast expanses, and while Beryl did lose many strongholds in the first year of battle, Haruka's superior combat ability eventually showed its strength, and Beryl's forces began pushing Serenity's back. All this time, Serenity still was looking for her Senshi of Uranus, wondering what had befallen her, and not knowing that Haruka now voluntarily served Serenity's enemy.
One and a half years after the official start of hostilities, Earth and the Moon were all that remained in Serenity's control, Mercury and Venus having been conquered when they were on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, and thus too far away to effectively reinforce from the Moon.
***
"Beryl-chan," said Haruka.
"That's Queen!" shouted Beryl's ever-irate bodyguard.
"It's Beryl-chan to her," said Beryl cheerfully. "As my most trusted advisor you've earned at privelege, Imme-chan. What do you wish to talk about?"
"We are going to invade the Moon soon. I have a request."
"Go ahead. Anything that's reasonable I'll allow."
Haruka nodded. "You are most kind, that I know from your treatment of the other planets we have conquered. I am most pleased, I must admit--even the best commanders cannot prevent some of his troops from plundering right after a victory, but you inspire such confidence and respect in ours that they did not."
"My people or Serenity's... they're still people. There's no reason a war fought over purely political ends should hurt the people any more than necessary. What was your request?"
"The Senshi... my sisters. I know they have been fighting vehemently against us, and even killed several of our more important generals. By any standard code of law they should be executed for war crimes. But..."
"I understand," said Beryl without needing for Haruka to finish. "They are ignorant of the circumstances, and fight us under a misconception. For your sake... when the time comes, I will grant them a pardon. But, in memory of the valiant warriors who perished by their hands... I'm afraid I cannot allow them to retain their positions as Princesses of their respective planets. Maybe some years after, when memories of the war have faded from the minds of most, we can appoint them into nobility again."
"Allowing them to live is already more than kind. I thank you, my Queen."
"Call me Beryl-chan, Imme-chan. You are my cousin and friend--I cannot bear to think of you as a subordinate. From this day until forever, we are friends... and equals."
***
Haruka stepped off the dropship in Senshi uniform. Most of the sectors of the Moon had been conquered now, all that remained was the palace. She didn't come to fight. She came, because she was troubled by a particularly bad possibility.
Lasers and plasma bolts continued to be exchanged before her, but Haruka ignored them, knowing them to be insufficient to hurt her, and continued toward the palace.
"Immeda!" Haruka turned and saw someone she hadn't for a very long time, and missed dearly. Cephio, Princess of Neptune.
The events that occured in the next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion. Haruka turned and saw the battle-worn form of Cephio, relieved beyond words to see her favorite sister again. Then Cephios eyes suddenly went wide, and she dove straight into Haruka.
Haruka was too stunned to get out of the way, and was shoved some distance away by Cephio. Then a powerful plasma bolt fizzed out, and hit Cephio squarely in the chest. Normally, the Senshi battle armor would have certainly absorbed the full damage, and Cephio would have been unharmed, except hers had already been worn to the point of ineffectuality from prolonged battles. Haruka saw the bolt scorch a substantially large chunk of Cephio chest, and then Cephio fell forward, dead.
Haruka snapped her head around to see who dared attack her favorite sister, and immediately saw the attacker--her own bodyguard assigned by Beryl to protect her. Haruka's intellectual mind realized immediately that the man had interpretted Cephio as trying to attack Haruka, and promptly fulfilled his duty as bodyguard. That would explain why that plasma bolt was so powerful; Beryl highly valued Haruka's life, and so Haruka's bodyguard was the fastest draw and best shot in all of the Outer Sectors, and carried a sidearm not normally allowed for even military.
It wasn't the man's fault, really. But Haruka, in her grief of seeing her favorite sister die, had no time to control her rage, and struck out immediately to the uniformed man, and jabbed her fingers straight through the surprised man's throat, killing him instantly.
Unfortunately for her, one of Beryl's artillery division, whose commander's rank was only a lowly major, not realizing Haruka to be Beryl's most trusted advisor, and seeing Haruka (similarly dressed as the enemy) killing a highly-ranked member of Beryl's forces, opened fire on her in retaliation.
Haruka, for her part, was hypnotized by the man's dying word... "Why?" As a Senshi, Haruka had often killed before for Serenity, so it was not the act of killing that stopped her cold. Rather, it was killing someone who trusted her, and would have used his life to exchange hers, that shocked her. It was something that made even Haruka sick to the stomach, and she never wanted to do it again. It made her feel like Serenity, who ordered the death of Quiem. And instantly she wanted to die. Because of her, Cephio was dead, and then she had killed with her bare hands her own loyal bodyguard.
She sensed the artillery shell approach. She smiled, and did not dodge.
From the palace, Serenity saw Cephio and Immeda die. Since Immeda disappearance, Serenity had always the sneaking suspicion that perhaps she was betrayed by the Princess of Uranus. Now, seeing this turn of events, she had no doubt that Immeda had her own reasons for not appearing, and had been, to the end, steadfastly loyal. Immeda would be reincarnated with her daughter as well.
***
Haruka felt a warm tingling, and then felt herself rise. She opened her eyes, and saw herself to be translucent, and the blacked remains of her real body some ten feet down.
'So, I'm to be a spirit and watch out the rest of the events?' Haruka was actually happy with that arrangement. Unlike when she died in the modern day, her spirit here maintained focus, and was aware of its surroundings.
She then suddenly saw from her peripheral vision that the Moon Palace had begun to glow with a silver light.
"No... No!" screamed out Haruka, except no one could hear her incorporeal self. "Serenity couldn't have... she wouldn't!"
Haruka flew at top speed toward the source of the glow from the palace, and saw Serenity sitting on her throne, and the Senshi of Saturn standing beside her. In Serenity's hand was the Silver Imperium Crystal, and in the Princess of Saturn's was the Silence Glaive.
Already, Serenity was starting to release the power from the crystal and channeling it into the glaive.
"It couldn't be!" cried Haruka in desperation. "The planets are fine! The people are a bit worn, but happy! Beryl-chan is just! Don't do this, Serenity!"
Not hearing her, the crystal finished discharging all its power into the glaive, leaving behind only a grayish rock. The Princess of Saturn tightly gripped her glaive, and raised it above her head. She looked to Serenity for a final confirmation, which Serenity gave with a single, determined nod, and then brought catastrophe down upon the world.
***
As the world whited out, Haruka continued crying out desperately, "How could you, Serenity!? For being ousted out of power, you would try to destroy our corner of the galaxy!? To prevent Beryl from being a kind ruler that she should have been, you would set all of mankind back more than ten-thousand years!? To win a failing war that you brought down upon yourself, you'd banish your niece into the darkness!?"
Haruka's monologue was cut off by the appearance of her demoness host, Mara. "Congratulations, Haruka, you have passed your second test, the Test of Mettle."
Haruka was snapped out of her reverie. "Oh right, that was only a test." She sighed in relief. "Right. Beryl's really an evil woman who tried to resurrect Metallia, and not the kind Beryl-chan I knew here. Serenity was really a just ruler and not the viper she was here. It was all just a test. It wasn't real."
Mara smirked. "If it was real, would you have chosen differently?"
"Huh?" Haruka then hesitated to ponder Mara's question. "No, I would have done the same. A person's virtue is determined by her actions and not her reputation. I think I see the point of this test now... I have learned my lesson from this. From now on, I won't let myself be blindly biased again, as I was with Yuu."
Mara smiled cheerfully at Haruka as Haruka continued. "Wow, that was quite a long test... two years. Boy, you guys can really do simulations; towards the end I was completely convinced that everything was completely real."
"Who told you it wasn't?"
Haruka froze. "What?"
"Simulation is reality and reality is simulation. Like you said, the value of a person is determined by her actions, and you have already said that even if it had been real, you would have done the same. So, in a way, it *was* real."
"But... but was it really real? Was that really what happened ten thousand years ago, or was it merely a could-have-been? Tell me! I need to know!"
Mara smirked deviously. "I'll let you find that out on your own when you get back to Juuban. Get a good night's rest; tomorrow we start your third test."
Haruka's mind continued to be active long after Mara left. The more she thought about it, the more likely it was that everything was real. She hated it.
Earth. The only planet to contain life after the Silver Milleneum--the reason for that was something Haruka had always wondered about. Now she knew. She remembered that Earth had been working with some experimental cryostasis systems, and it must have been the men and women who were sealed away in those that survived the Fall, and rebuilt Earth. That also explained what even the Beryl-controlled Outer Sectors had become devoid of any life. It was all because of Queen Serenity. Serenity would destroy all her subjects, if they did not serve her.
'Serenity,' Haruka decided with finality, 'was vile.'
Though, in one corner of her mind, a ray of hope shone. If even the Silence Glaive empowered by the Silver Imperium Crystal could not kill Beryl, then it was very likely the Inners would also have not. From what Haruka's heard from the Inners, it seems Beryl was a ruthless witch--but that's also what Queen Serenity would have her believe of the Beryl Haruka spent the last two years with. Perhaps, just perhaps... Haruka can be reunited with her good friend Beryl-chan when this all was over.
--End Chapter 12--
// Most of you probably think I either pulled the plot of this chapter out of my ass or from some soap opera. It's actually taken from the history of the Chinese Sung Dynasty. The throne was passed from the dying king to his brother because his son was too young. The brother, of course, refused to return it. In history it didn't quite make civil war, though it was pretty close, and several famous military leaders did switch sides.
// I don't know. I was never happy was the explanation the canon series gave. If Serenity *was* good, then how could all life have been wiped out other than on Earth? Surely Beryl, even if she was evil, is wiser than to kill off the entire populations of the planets! The only logical conclusion is that Queen Serenity wasn't quite as benign as the series made her out to be, and the very best that one could view her as, in light of the evidence, is that she was very political, and would destroy her enemy's populace just to indirectly hurt her enemy. Kind of like Sherman's March to the Sea. There's a reason Sherman never ran for President, even though most war heroes do.