4. Aborted mission





''I've found her!''

Amy and Rei who both had been hunching over the city map looked up with a start as Lita burst in to their room. Amy hurriedly went to the door. After seeing that the hall was empty, she closed the door quietly behind Lita. ''Are you sure?'' She asked as she joined them by the table.

''Where is she?'' Rei demanded.

Lita crossed her arms over her chest and braced herself for their reactions. ''At the palace. She's posing as one of the pageboys. And I'm definitely sure it's her.''

Just as she had expected they were shocked. Amy blinked several times and opened her mouth but no words would come out. Rei turned absolutely still looking like she had been frozen in time.

''She what?'' The sound came from Amy but it was no louder than a squeak.

Lita grinned. Seeing their reaction sort of made her feel better and she could even find the humor in the whole situation. ''Quite ingenious of her, isn't it? We've been so focused on looking for a girl that we never thought of the idea that she would disguise herself as a boy.''

''How is she?''

"Quite all right actually. Healthy and strong. Fast too. I've never seen someone disappear from sight quite that fast. If I hadn't known her as well as I did and recognized the way she moved I would never have guessed it was her.''

''She saw you?''

''Uhuh. I think she came to bring a message to Nephrite, you know the guardsman that I met the other day? Anyways when she saw me she started to run the other way. According to Nephrite prince Endymion saved her from an angry merchant who was going to have her hand for eating his food and not paying for them. A hefty sum too it was. He must have felt sorry for her, the prince that is, because instead of throwing her in jail he hired her and made her work off her debts to him. She's known as Stevie there.''

''I'm going to kill her. I'm bloody well going to kill her.'' This was from Rei who had finally managed to gather her wits. The words were hissed out through clenched teeth and her eyes were livid, burning with an inner fire.

They all knew her well enough to recognize the signs. So both girls kept quiet while she let her temper roll.

''Damn inconsiderate and selfish brat. We've been spending weeks worrying about her imagining her rotting away in a jail or something and all this time she had been living a pampered life at the palace. Playing a cross dresser, using an alias. Eating a royal dinner and expecting to get away with it. That is just so typical of her.''

She ranted and raved for fifteen more minutes and when she was showing signs of calming down, Amy approached the mission. ''So what are we going to do now?''

''Catch her by the scruff of her scrawny neck and stuff her in a bag and haul back to the Moon.'' Rei snarled. But at the steady patient look from Amy, she said in a calmer if sullen voice, ''We try to find away to get inside the palace and sneak her out before her cover is blown. Knowing meatball-head, it's a surprise that she has managed to keep the disguise this long.''

Because they had all thought the same thing, nobody commented on that. Instead they started out hatching up a plan to get themselves inside the palace so that they could get close enough to Usagi. After a lot of discussions, they agreed that they would go with Amy's idea of reasoning with Usagi to come home with them. It would mean less effort than stuffing her in a sack kicking and screaming, which was what Lita and Rei had been in favor of. Well Rei had been the one that had suggested the stuffing in the bag, but Lita was the one that had suggested knocking her unconscious to avoid the screaming and kicking. But that still left the part of hauling her all the way to the teleportation mode which after a lot of scanning on Amy's part had turned out to be about two miles outside the city.

Nephrite, the guardsman Lita had met during one of their searches around the city was going to have a vital part to play. Amy was still astound at her friend's ability to meet guys. Even at a serious mission like this Lita doesn't seem to be able to take a vacation off the romance front. Yet if he was going to help them achieve their goal, Amy was not disapprove this.

The plan was based on the fact that Lita and him were going to meet later today for a tour around the city garden and Lita was sure she can charm an invitation out of him to visit the palace. The problem would be to get out of the palace and the city with Usagi. That is when Rei's clairvoyant gift and Amy's scanner will come in handy. A missing page boy was not something that would be taken lightly. From what they had managed to find out since arriving to Earth, the royal family of Terra is very protective of their servants. Anybody working for the royal family was taken well cared of. With the frequent attacks lately towards the royal family and their subjects a missing page boy might cause a lot more uproar than usual.

"Well then it's decided. I'll be meeting Nephrite by the fountain and you two keep close by. Once we're inside the palace I'll find a way to distract Nephrite while the two of you track Usagi down. Afterwards I leave Nephrite and move around town and create a diversion and we'll meet up at the teleportation crest.'' Lita summed up their plan then casting a look out the window she added, ''Well I better get myself ready for the meeting.''

The two girls shared a meaningful look. Lita getting herself ready for a date was never something that should be taken lightly. They've seen her in action far to many times in the recent year. The only problem was that they did not have the time to waste on fixing up looks.

Rei opened her mouth and was just about to tell her friend that when the comlink that she always wore under her belt went off. Pulling out the small palm-sized communicator, Rei flipped open the lid and prepared to talk to Mina. Her eyes bulged though when instead of the youthful and sunny dispositioned face of Sailor Venus, the familiar face of a black cat with a moon crescent on her forehead appeared on the screen.

''Luna.'' Rei said recovering quickly. At the announcement of their instructors name, both Lita and Amy turned absolutely still and became alert. ''What a pleasant surprise. How's everything at the moon?''

''Not as active as where you are I'm sure.'' Came the dry reply. ''Mars, you are hereby ordered to return immediately and that goes for Mercury and Jupiter as well.''

''Is something wrong, Luna?'' Rei asked with a frown of worry.

''You'll have everything explained to you once you get back. So tell the other's to move it. You are to be back before the end of today. And that goes for all three of you.''

''Luna, I can't possible arrive back that early. Even if I take the fastest cruiser it'll take at least a week before I –'' Rei tried to stall but got cut of short.

''You can drop the charade Mars, I know all about what you've been doing for the past few weeks. And I can also tell you this, you are all in very big trouble. Venus is already getting her share of it but you three will get yours soon enough. So march!'' Luna told her bluntly. Her yellow eyes fixed on Rei's with a steely glint and Rei had a hard time fighting the urge to swallow.

Since it was obvious that Luna knew all about their mission there was no need to waste time pretending. ''Could that wait a moment. We just found her and – ''

''No!'' Luna's voice cracked like a whip. ''You are ordered to drop all your work and report at the throne room before the end of tonight or you will have your senshi-duties stripped. That's an order from the queen. So no more excuses.'' With those departing words, the screen went blank.

Rei moved her lips but no words came out. Luna couldn't be serious. They were so close. Why would the queen ask them to abandon Usagi? This did not make any sense.

''What do we do now?'' Amy asked softly. Her face was pale and the fear was easily to read in her eyes. Rei felt its twin at the pit of her own stomach. They were in serious trouble now and they all knew it. So far the queen had been quite lenient with them for past transgressions but even she had her limit and they knew that they had gone too far this time. Luna's tone of voice told them that.

Because she was the one giving command, she had to make the decision. Sighing she said, ''We have no choice. We leave.''

''But we can't just abandon Usagi!'' Lita protested. ''For God's sake Rei, I know you are angry with her but she's our friend! Besides we are sworn to protect her, that's our senshi duty.''

Hearing the accusation, Rei whirled around to face Lita. ''I am quite aware of what Usagi is to me – to us. We are the senshi, but don't forget that we are first of all oathbond to the queen. When the queen commands, even our parents have to obey her. And now she has ordered us to return. I don't know about you, but I am going to obey her even if it means abandoning a friend.'' Forgive me, Usa-chan.

For a minute the two most temperamental senshis faced each other, eyes battling their wills.

''Lita, Rei is right.'' Amy said softly joining the argument.

Lita whirled around to face her but it was hard staying mad at a person when that person was pleading you with her eyes. ''Amy, not you too.'' Lita said with a sigh.

''None of us like the order but we have to obey it anyhow. We don't have a choice.'' Amy told her mildly. ''It's a tough decision but we have to do it. This is what we were trained for, what we were raised to do.''

Looking at Amy's sad face, Lita felt the last of her battle spirit die. Letting her shoulder slump as a visible sign of her capitulation, Lita turned away to face the window.

Rei gave Amy a grateful smile. Her smaller friend's diplomatic abilities were always a blessing that she was grateful off. ''If we are to reach there by nightfall, we have to move immediately.'' Rei said to the room in general.

''I don't suppose I'll have time to say goodbye to Nephrite.'' Lita said a bit wryly as they started packing up their belongings.

Rei gave her an apologetic smile and shook her head regretfully. Lita shrugged and returned the smile. It was her way of showing truce.

Amy watched the two of them out of the corner of her eyes and sighed in relief. She admired her friends their spirits but sometimes their tempers did complicate matters. Right now was not the time for them to argue. She feared that they were going to need each others strength for whatever awaited them back at the Moon. She might not have Rei's sensitivity but Amy was good at listening to people's tone of voices and Luna had sounded worried not just angry. Hearing that had frightened Amy a lot more than the promised punishment that awaited them once they got back. Luna was never worried, angry yes and irritated most often.

They quickly gathered their things together and after having paid the innkeeper what they owed for the months rent, they moved out to the secret spot at the woods where the teleportation crest was. There was a brilliant blinding flash and soon the rich green foliage was replaced by the stark pale marble and great banners of the teleportation room at the Moon palace.

''Good, you've made it just in time.'' A voice suddenly said from Amy's left, which made her jump in startlement.

There was a movement and suddenly Artemis appeared. He had been sitting on a white tile and with his white furs he had successfully faded into the background.

''Come along. The queen is waiting at the throne room.''

Without another word he turned gracefully and headed for the doors. He did not look back to see if they were following. When he used this kind of no nonsense voice they obeyed without thinking. The three girls fell in after him, side by side. Amy found herself being placed at the center with Rei and Lita flanking her.

''Artemis, what's going on?'' Lita always the one to get directly to the point asked after having walked in silence for a while.

''You'll know when you get there. Until then I suggest you to keep silent and conserve your energy. You're going to need them once the queen's through with you.'' Artemis told her with a patronizing tone, the in a lower voice most probably thinking he wouldn't be heard he muttered, ''Sneaking away like common thieves. Lying and deceiving everybody. Irresponsible children.''

Despite the gravity of their situation, Amy couldn't help to share a knowing smile with her friends. Sometimes Artemis could be such a nag, even worse than Luna and she was bad enough.

Whatever high spirit they managed to accumulate ran out like water under hot desert sun though, once they arrived at the front of the throne room. Amy felt like a thick block of ice had settled at the pit of her stomach. Her palms were wet with perspiration from the dread that she was feeling.

Before they had left the Moon to go after Usagi, she had promised herself that whatever the punishment the queen saw fit to deal out to them once they were found out, she was going to accept it without the slightest resistance. Just please, please don't let them be stripped of their senshi roles. Anything but that. She would never be able to face her mother again if she dishonored her this way. Becoming a senshi had been one of the few things that had made Amy's mother proud of her. She just could not bare to see the disappointment in her mother's eyes.

Queen Selenity was sitting regally on the Crystal throne. Artemis was flanking her to one side and Helios the other. The addition of the old advisor Helios did nothing to settled down the riot in Amy's stomach. Mina was standing in front of the throne with her head bowed. She was having her hair the way she always wore them tied up with a single red bow and the dress she was wearing was also her own. Well that certainly told them that their scheme was exposed.

The three of them stopped beside Mina and bowed to their queen. Wearing pants it would have looked silly curtsying. Mina tried to shift her head slightly, no doubt to give them some sort of signal but Helios cleared his throat loudly and she quickly scurried back to keeping her head facing forward and respectfully bowed or maybe shamefully would be the exact words. Helios did have a certain way of making them all feel very guilty, Amy reflected as those silver-blue eyes passed over each of them.

One by one the girls shifted under his gaze and Amy was not the only one to exhale with relief when Artemis took words.

''Your majesty I have brought the three culprits to stand before you for judgment.''

At that phrase of word, Rei inhaled sharply and opened her mouth but whatever she was going to say was cut off by the queen roughly, ''Silence Mars!''

The four girl jumped simultaneously and despite their different looks they all wore the same expression of shock and wariness as they looked at the normally mild tempered queen that has acted like a second mother to them.

The queen held their eyes and satisfied that none of them were going to speak up, she continued. ''I don't suppose I have to remind you that using the teleportation device without my permission is a capital offense?'' She waited for a while and sensing their guilty silence she continued, ''Don't think that just because each of you are planetary princesses, you can get away without punishment. I'll let you know that even ruling monarch have been executed for entering the room much less using the device.''

The reaction she had hoped for was quickly evident as more than one girl lost the color on her face. Selenity knew that she was being hard but she had no choice, if she did not instill enough fear in them they will never learn their lesson and she wasn't telling them any lies. Maybe Luna was right and she had been too lenient with the girls, but they were only children. Some of them were relatives and others the children of her best friends. Having been put in a ruling position early in life, Selenity was more aware than most just how precious a girl's childhood was. She had wanted to give some of that to these girls, but she knew now that she was not going to be able to continue sheltering them. They have to grow up and they have to learn. Otherwise they will die and the hope of this galaxy with them.

Again the message that had been sent to her early this morning flashed in her mind and she steeled herself from revealing them on her face. Fear was like a bony hand holding a vise grip over her heart while dread slashed like cold knife in her stomach, but her voice was steady when she spoke.

''It seems I have been too lenient with your training. You do not seem to have any concept of following the law, perhaps you think that you are above the law? Hmm?'' She arched her brow at them.

They all shook their heads, Mina a bit sullenly. Of all four girls, Selenity knew she was going to have the most trouble with that one. Mina's instincts as a leader was good and she rises to defend her friends without much thought. The two of them had already had words earlier today when she had confronted her niece about their escapade. But Mina was young and she had not realized that being a leader sometimes also meant sacrificing your soldiers for the greater good. It was past time that she got her training in the greater responsibilities of being a senshi leader. It was time to move their training another step. A chain was only as strong as the weakest link and to make her chain strong she will have to forge the links individually and that meant separating them.

''Since you all seems to be so eager to take on your duties instead of vacation I'm not going to bother giving you any holiday this summer.''

Dismay crossed all the girls features aside from Rei's. Selenity was sure though that once she was finished all four girls won't like what she had planned for them.

''Amy.'' At the sound of her voice, Amy who had been mostly in a trance jerked and pulled herself together. ''From tomorrow on, you will be training under Helios. You will report to him and anything he tells you will be obeyed as if the commands came directly from me. Understood?''

Amy stared at the gruff looking advisor and felt like a brick had dropped over her head. Of all the advisors why Helios? Why couldn't it have been Luna or Artemis? She got along well enough with them. Helios was the only one that truly frightened her. He rarely spoke and he had a way of making one feel unwelcome. But a command was a command so she replied if faintly, ''Yes your majesty.''

She received sympathetic looks from Lita and Mina. Rei was keeping her eyes straight ahead as if sensing something coming and just then the queen turned her attention to the fiery princess. ''Rei, Luna will be going with you back to Mars.''

Rei licked her lips. ''If I may be bold to ask. Why is that, your majesty? Am I being tossed out of the senshi?''

''No!'' Amy and her friends cried out simultaneously. She had thought her fate was horrible but that was nothing compared to Rei's.

''Aunt, Selene. You can't do that to her!'' Mina, Rei's best friend spoke up in her defense.

''Mina, be quiet.'' Artemis having been present at the argument this morning, tried to save the girl from further wrath.

''No, I won't be quiet!'' Mina said and stomped her foot for emphasis. Then facing her aunt she said defiantly, ''If you are going to toss anybody out, then it should be me. I am the one who ordered them to go after Usagi. If anybody should be punished it shouldn't be Amy or Rei or whatever you have in mind for Lita. I –''

''Silence!''

The command cracked like a whip and Mina shut up, but her eyes were still defiant as she faced the queen.

''Don't think that just because you're my niece I will be lenient with you. Your punishment will be dealt out as well. Now I am dealing with Rei right now, so be quiet or I will guarantee you that being tossed out of the senshi will be the least of your worries, Venus.'' The queen told Mina with a steely voice. Amy had to admire Mina's courage she would not have been able to meet those cold blue eyes quite that long.

Finally though, Mina bowed her head in submission. Satisfied that she had made her point, Selenity turned back to Rei who had been quiet the whole time during the outbursts. ''Don't worry Rei, you are not being tossed out. None of you are.'' She looked at Lita and the tall girl exhaled in relief. ''The next part of your training will however be conducted on your homeplanet. You and Luna will leave at first light tomorrow.'' Her eyes softened and she added, ''The rest will be known to you once you get there.''

Because Rei looked like she had been poleaxed, the queen turned, to Amy's surprise, to Mina. She had thought that Lita would be the next. ''As for you, from now on I will take over your training. Believe me I won't be as lenient with you as Luna or Artemis. You won't be crossing me twice and I'll make sure you will learn to regret it.'' The hardness in her voice made Amy swallow hard. Lita looked from the queen to her friend and worry was written strongly over her face. Even Rei was pulled away from her misery and put a supporting hand on Mina's arms. The girl in question was in too much shock to react at all. The normally peachy colors on her face was all drained away and she looked frightened for the first time that Amy had seen.

''Amy, Rei. The two of you had better return to your quarters and pack. You'll be leaving at first dawn. Mina, if you want to say your farewells now is the time. You won't be seeing each other for a long while.''

They all looked at the queen with surprise, then shared a meaningful look between themselves before shifting to Lita. Having seen their exchange, the queen said. ''Don't worry. Lita will be joining you shortly. I need to talk privately with her. You will have time to say goodbye to her as well. Now go.''

At that command they made their last bows and curtsy before leaving the throne room each casting a supportive glance at Lita. Mina gave Lita a light squeeze on the arm for support as well as passing on a silent message. Lita smiled telling her that she understood both.

The three of them quietly left the room.