Prince Charming - Part II
The Watchtower - the most advanced surveillance space station ever developed in the vicinity of the planet Earth. The station served as the home base of the Justice League, the most powerful and well-known team of costumed superheroes in the galaxy. The station revolved around Earth, the most wonderful planet to ever grace the solar system. And the Teen Titans were allowed to go to this station for the most undesired reason - to find out why Starfire's proposed marriage is somehow bad for her solar system, and probably Earth's too if the Justice League was involved.
"Javelin 5, you are cleared for docking," said an automated computer voice speaking to the ship via radio. The Javelin ships ferried people to and from the Watchtower on a regular basis. So much so that the Javelins were programmed for simple pick-ups, so that a superhero didn't have to waste time piloting the craft when they could be somewhere saving people's lives.
The Javelin finished its docking sequence without difficulty. The bay doors closed as the spaceship parked itself amidst a bunch of other Javelins, and the room refilled its oxygen supply.
The four Titans met outside the vessel, with Robin being the last to leave the ship. The other three were already outside admiring the other ships in the bay. Although all were Javelin model vessels, they each had a special design modification that made them each unique and invaluable in specific situations.
Some of his handiwork, Robin noted. His 'teacher' was a genius when it came to vehicular engineering. Combining his knowledge of reverse engineering with alien technology was a definite recipe for success.
"Where's the welcoming party?" Beast Boy said. He cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hel~lo! The Teen Titans are in the ho~use!"
In the blink of an eye, the Flash was standing right beside the green mutant. "Easy on the hip hop references, junior."
"WAH!" Beast Boy collapsed, his heart nearly leaping from his chest from the sudden surprise. He popped back up, making a quick recovery. "Dude! You... you're the Flash! THE Flash!"
"The one and only," the red-suited hero said. Flash was always a ham when it came to personal glory. "Well, at least in this hero team. There's a lot of wannabes out there trying to be like me. But you can't copy the best."
"Word." The cocky heroes bopped fists.
Flash turned his attention to the Titans' leader, who waited impatiently for the exchange to end. "Hey Robin, what's up? You've grown. The way Batman talks about you, I expected you to be less imposing."
Robin frowned. "Where is he?"
"He's waiting for you in the crow's nest." Flash zipped across the room to the elevator and pushed the button for the appropriate floor. The doors slid open, and he bowed like a butler. "Right this way."
The Titans entered the elevator, while the Flash remained outside. Beast Boy spoke up. "Hey, aren't you coming with us?"
"Naw, I've got business on Earth. Gonna help clear the rubble from an earthquake zone. Much faster if I do it. But hey, let's hang out when you get back."
Beast Boy's eyes lit up. "Really, you mean it!? I'm so gonna hold you to that!"
"You bet. Later!" Flash shot into the same Javelin they'd used, and the elevator doors closed. They rose to the top floor towards the central control room. Robin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his mood still worse than normal.
When they reached the 'crow's nest', the Titans walked across a massive drawbridge that led to the central meeting area. Several display monitors flashed different windows of information relating to off-world anomalies, communications, and general activity. The same was being done for Earth on different monitors, with even more information flashing at intervals. The data seemed to be glorified screensavers.
Robin and the others stopped in the center of the circular central area. Beast Boy continued a few steps forward and turned the only chair that had its back to them. He found the chair empty.
"I guess he's not here," Cyborg said. "My sensors pick up nobody except us. Maybe Flash was mistaken."
Robin turned his head slightly to the left. "He's here. He's just showing off."
"I never show off," a voice boomed. Robin remained cool and detached, while the other Titans jumped in surprise. They looked up towards the voice, and saw a shadowy figure perched amongst the mainframe support bars. He leapt from the beams and gently landed on his feet, barely making a sound.
The other Titans jumped back, unsure of what Batman was doing. By all accounts, he was insane. He was referred to as a 'part-time' Justice League member for a reason.
Robin remained motionless, his eyes locked with Batman's. The older hero stood up straight, held out his fist, and opened it to reveal a burnt computer chip. He tossed the chip to Robin and walked towards the other Titans. Robin tossed the chip off the edge of the central area in disgust.
"Whoa," Beast Boy whispered. "That was totally cool. I bet I could pull off that look."
"You'd have to be dangerous first," Raven muttered back.
"I am dangerous!" His whispered speech was cut short when Batman came close. The green mutant jumped behind Raven and turned into a monkey before cowering beneath the edge of her robe. Raven sighed.
"Let's get this over with," Robin declared. "You said that Starfire was in trouble. Tell us what the situation is and we'll go to Tamaran to save her."
"It's not that simple." Batman took a seat at one of the consoles and started typing rapidly, bringing up several windows of information relating to the mission. A window flashed by with a picture of Starfire and a list of information relating to her alien nature. Another window showed Tamaran, its moons and neighboring planets, and a summary of its evolutionary status as a planet. Finally, a window of the entire Vegan star system appeared, with all the planets and their allegiances color-coded into the map.
"You've got some major data in here," Cyborg said. "No way this is government-sponsored."
"We use a retrofitted Brainiac information pod as the basis for our Watchtower database." While Cyborg's head spun, Batman brought up a counter-window showing a Tamaran who looked very similar to Starfire. The two Tamaran images and their corresponding data were displayed side by side.
"Blackfire," Beast Boy said. "Star's big sister."
"Is she the one causing the trouble?" Cyborg added. "I thought she was in a Centaurian prison somewhere."
"She escaped shortly after she was captured," Batman said. "It seems she's allied with a group of aliens called the Psions, who helped her escape from a high security prison-moon before her sentence of personality reengineering could be carried out."
"Nothing like a little brainwashing to help our juvenile delinquents."
"We've intercepted transmissions between Prince Karras' private communicator and an off-world source." Batman uploaded one of these transmissions. Two people - one male, one female - were talking in the Tamaranean language. The female voice was definitely Blackfire; even in an alien language, she sounded brazen and easy-going.
"So this Karras is the guy Star is supposed to marry," Beast Boy said. "And he's plotting something with Blackfire?"
"It's an assassination attempt," Batman said. "Blackfire intends to use her mutant powers to crush the nobility in one attack, in exchange for the recognition of her birthright as the 'rightful' princess, which she lost to Starfire due to a birth defect."
"Birth defect?"
Batman glanced at Beast Boy. "She couldn't fly, making her a handicapped Tamaran and therefore unfit to rule."
"We saw her fly many times," Raven noted.
"At birth, Blackfire was born with a damaged photosynthetic system, making her unable to fly and physically weaker than other Tamaran. But the same experiment that gave your friend her thermonuclear powers also superseded Blackfire's weaknesses."
"...Experiment? Starfire was part of an experiment?"
Robin shook his head. "It's better if you not ask. It's... pretty bad."
Raven glowered, summarizing the general 'bad'-ness of her entire existence. "How bad can it be?"
Robin glared back. "Bad." The mystic frowned. She had no doubts about Robin's understanding of 'bad', but how bad could a bubble-headed alien's past be?
"The royal families refused to give Blackfire back her birthright," Batman continued. "They felt she was still handicapped mentally, if not physically."
"I'd be pissed off if people kept calling me handicapped for no reason," Beast Boy said. "Maybe that's why she seems like a bad guy."
Robin thought about what all this meant. "A wedding of this political magnitude would have the nobility of the entire planet in one place. These people have low technology and have strong traditional beliefs, so they wouldn't think to watch the wedding by camera."
"If Blackfire succeeded, then the planet could be in serious trouble," Cyborg added. "The entire planet would lose its leadership in one attack... except for Karras himself, who'd probably miraculously survive and assume leadership of Tamaran."
"You catch on quick," Batman said. "Civil war and political tradition has kept the planet from destroying the rest of the system. If Tamaran were ruled by Karras and Blackfire, they would quickly conquer the Vegan star system, and possibly the rest of the galaxy."
"So we have a dictator-in-training trying to use Starfire and her sister to take over the planet, and maybe even conquer the universe," Raven said in summary. "Just great."
"Can't we just call off the wedding?" Cyborg suggested. "If you can intercept transmissions from here, then you can surely tell Star's dad that the Prince is up to no good."
"The communication systems on Tamaran are primitive; they can't reach outside of their solar system. The Tamarans can fly between galaxies and thrive in space environments naturally, and their bodies draw strength and nourishment from sunlight like plants. They don't need technology to survive, so they've developed at a much slower pace compared to other species."
"Which means that our friend Karras is the only one with a communicator we could contact. Perfect."
"We have to go there and tell them ourselves," Robin said. "But by the time we reach Tamaran, it might be too late. Even with faster-than-light travel, it could take days. The wedding begins in less than a week."
"And Blackfire will probably try to stop us," Raven added. "She'd definitely have the advantage if she found us in space."
"The only one who could face her is Starfire. And she's not with us now. It's all so perfectly set up. It's like Karras and Blackfire are leaving nothing to chance."
"They are children," Batman said. "Powerful, but inexperienced. They couldn't have orchestrated a plan of this scale on their own. A bigger power is working behind them."
"Who?"
"That's what you'll have to find out," Batman said, turning his seat around and standing up. "The Justice League can't enter the Vegan system because of our ties to the galaxy's super-governments. Vega is a war zone with limited technology, so outside forces can't interfere."
"I thought that was just a Star Trek thing?" Beast Boy said, showing off his knowledge of all things pointless on television. "You mean aliens actually have rules like that?" Raven put a finger on his lips before he said anything else stupid.
Cyborg frowned at where this was leading. "So you want us to go there ourselves, into a place where even the Justice League isn't allowed to go? And hope nobody tries to stop us?"
"The Teen Titans aren't under constant surveillance. Using one of our disguised ships, you should be able to reach Tamaran without anyone trying to stop you. But once you enter Vegan space, you're on your own. And it's a very dangerous place for the inexperienced."
Robin took that comment personally. "We're not inexperienced. We may not be able to police the galaxy, but we're just as good as you are."
Batman's eyes thinned. He stared at his young apprentice, who remained stalwart in his conviction. The other Teen Titans, however, didn't look as confident as Robin. They didn't think they were even close to the Justice League's level.
"...You will use the Longinus," Batman said eventually. "It's an alien ship retrofitted with some of our technology."
"Fine."
Batman walked past the collected Titans and stopped by Robin's side. Neither of them turned.
"Good luck," the older hero said, before continuing across the bridge to the elevator.
Robin looked up at the others after a moment of silent reflection. "Let's go. Starfire needs us." The others nodded in agreement.
~~
Starfire looked at herself in the reflective surface of a water column in the garden of her father's palace. She was dressed in the garb of a Tamaran princess - a look she thought she'd never have to get used to. The gown was violet, much darker than her normal wardrobe, and intended to accentuate the elegance she was supposed to have. She felt awkward wearing it, since the skirt was too long and bulky for her to fly in. She felt like she was literally wearing a parachute.
"You look lovely," said Karras as he landed gently behind her. Starfire spun around, thinking it was Robin coming to play with her. It took her a moment to remember that her friends weren't with her anymore. She was alone, just like when she was a child growing up here.
Starfire looked down shyly. Karras was a stranger who treated her like they'd grown up together and fallen in love. It was his way of acclimating her to the idea of getting married, but all it did was make Starfire feel worse. She didn't like strangers to flirt with her.
"You are so quiet," Karras said as he walked towards her, his black Spartan uniform contrasting greatly with her own getup. "Your father always told me you were such an energetic girl."
"I am sorry," she replied softly. "I am just... thinking about my friends. I miss them already."
"It is I who should be apologizing," Karras admitted. "The decision for us to marry was decided very suddenly, and the marriage itself will occur very soon too. This is all happening so fast, and it must be difficult for you."
"I do not like what is happening," Starfire said without malice. "But I do want to help my father, and my people. Even if it means doing something like this."
Karras smiled gently. "I must admit, I was excited by this idea. I have often admired you from afar. Your father's stories of your activities on Earth have always entertained me."
"Your people are raised as warriors. I am not surprised my battles amuse you." Starfire said this with some disdain. While the southern continent valued strength in combat, the northern combat emphasized strength of mind. This often made it difficult for the two peoples to agree on things.
"I know our marriage is only political." Karras looked down as he spoke, as if it were his turn to be bashful. "But I would like to be your friend as well. Please Koriand'r, let me earn your trust."
Starfire wanted to dislike him, because doing so would make disliking this whole situation easier. But Karras had a gentle personality so unlike what a warrior was supposed to have. He was just like Robin... sort of.
"I would like that," she said with a smile.
Karras hid his amusement. It wouldn't be long before Starfire was pudding in his hands. With her as his 'friend', nobody would be able to stop him from achieving his destiny. He and Blackfire would rule the universe.
~~
The Longinus launched from port quickly, thanks to the anxiety each of the Titans felt for their friend Starfire. In record time, they cleared the dock and flew away from the Watchtower and Earth's orbit. Robin and Cyborg piloted their way out of the vicinity of the solar system and activated the navigation computer. It searched for a route through the galaxy that wouldn't result in their ship crashing into a larger gravitational field during flight.
"Navigational computer, tracking possible vectors," Cyborg said as he prepared the ship for FTL (faster-than-light) travel. It involved raising the subatomic deflector shields and reducing the ship's internal pressure in compensation for the speed. Basically, Cyborg was pushing a lot of buttons.
"Will I need to sit down for this?" Beast Boy asked as he watched over Cy's shoulder.
"We're going about half the speed of light right now. So why bother?"
"Good point." Beast Boy sat down at the sensor station anyway. He raised his finger to try out one of the buttons, but Raven caught with her mental powers. She wasn't even looking up from her book across the room. Beast Boy stuck his tongue at her, and her mental powers "flicked" him hard in the nose.
"You doing alright, bro?" Cyborg asked his co-pilot. Robin was silent ever since the conversation in the Watchtower. His expression was grim and thoughtful.
"I'm worried about what he said," Robin admitted. "That there's someone working behind Blackfire and the prince. I'm worried that Starfire is in real danger."
"I wouldn't worry about Star. She can bench press me for an hour and still sing one of her folk songs." Cyborg smiled at the mental image that conjured up. Robin wasn't amused.
"It's not that. Starfire is... trusting," Robin said. "Someone could take advantage of her and put her in a situation where she couldn't defend herself."
Cyborg glanced at the navigational computer; it was still clicking away, searching for possible routes. Tamaran was very far away, so the navigation would probably take a while to finish. Cyborg turned his chair to face Robin. "Do you know anything about that 'experiment' Batman was talking about?"
Robin froze for a second, then finished prepping the ship with a few button pushes. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah."
"Is it a touchy subject? I'm curious about Star's past, but I don't want to-"
"It's okay. Star confides in me, but she doesn't like keeping secrets. She was hoping to tell you guys one day, when the moment presented itself. A story like this isn't something you just drop on the table one morning."
Robin took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then began. "Eight years ago, Tamaran was invaded by a race called the Psions. These guys were nasty aliens that fought using genetic engineering and advanced technology. They conquered Tamaran with ease, and declared to the rulers of the planet that they would be spared only if their heirs were handed over as sacrifices. Otherwise, the Psion spacecraft would vaporize the planet and everyone on it."
"God... these Vegans really are dangerous. What'd they do?"
"They did the only thing they could do. Myand'r handed over his daughters. Star was only seven years old at the time."
Robin let that sink in before he continued. "For the first year, Star and Blackfire were in experiments performed by the Psion's chief scientists. They were looking for the ultimate bioengineered weapon. They knew that Tamaran genes were very strong, but they wanted to find out the limits of their genetic abilities. So they forced the girls to submit to strenuous living regiments every day, and forced them to bear scorching levels of sunlight that would burn human skin as well. It was torture, to put it mildly."
Cyborg could only imagine what it would feel like to undergo that kind of torture for a year. "So, this 'mutation' of theirs, is because of all that."
"Yeah. The Psions managed to evolve the Tamaran gene to its next level. Once Star and her sister were through the experimental process, they were forced to survive as Psion slave-warriors for five years." Robin paused sadly. "During this time, Star... suffered a lot."
A young girl in an army of soldiers. Cyborg knew what he was inferring. "...It must've been Hell."
"About two years ago, Star and her sister escaped when their slave rings were destroyed in battle. If they'd tried to escape without removing them, they would have died. They managed to flee to their home planet, which was fully recovered from Psion's invasion and could defend itself now. Needless to say, they were happy."
"Star came to Earth about a year ago, right? So this wasn't too long ago."
"Yeah. Star says her father sent her to Earth because our galaxy is a lot safer for a Tamaran girl when compared to the Vegan system. And even with everything that's happened to us the past year, I'd have to agree."
Cyborg smiled gently. "Even after all that, Starfire is such a caring, sweet girl. It defies the laws of conventional psychology."
"Star's people are extremely emotional. So keeping her mind on the positive side of life does wonders for her. I'm glad she can be happy on Earth, with all of us. And I want to keep it that way."
"So we've got to go get her back so she can get back to doing what she does best. Having fun!"
Robin smiled and slapped hands with Cyborg. "You read my mind!"
The navigation computer beeped as it completed its tracking program. It chose the best route through the galaxy's many obstacles and the shortest distance to the Vegan star system. The ETA (estimated time of arrival) was five days... assuming they didn't stop or get into trouble.
"Alright, let's get this bucket of bolts moving!" Cyborg whooped. "FTL, online!"
Robin's hand was on the throttle as he waited for the engine to power up. "Ready, steady, GO!" He pulled back on the throttle, and the engine roared to life. The Longinus slipped into hyperspeed and zoomed out of the solar system, leaving nothing but a twinkle of light behind.
~~
*krsh* ... [?] ... "They are coming."
*krsh* [Blackfire] "My old friends. I knew they couldn't resist. Who cares about intergalactic law when poor whittle Starfire is at stake?"
*krsh* [Karras] "They're mere humans. They are no match for us."
*krsh* ... [?] ... "Do not underestimate their abilities. And especially be careful of their leader. His training is comparable to your own, Karras."
*krsh* [Blackfire] "Yes, Robin is quite a guy. Jealous, Karrie? After all, he is Starfire's favorite."
*krsh* [Karras] "Enough! What is the plan?"
*krsh* ... [?]... "Our sentinels will plot an intercept course. You will continue as planned. Make sure the marriage occurs as scheduled."
*krsh* [Karras] "Koriand'r is behaving as expected. Soon, she will trust me completely."
*krsh* [Blackfire] "Good ol' baby sister."
** End Transmission. **
~~
"Man, this is so boring!" Beast Boy whined. "I can't believe I forgot my stuff! What am I going to do for two weeks without my Gameboy! Or my magazines!"
"Quit complaining," Raven chided without looking up from her book.
"Some of us can't summon junk from the netherworld whenever we feel like it." Beast Boy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "You don't even have to wash the dishes or clean your room with your hands. I wish I had magical powers."
"Magic isn't easy to learn."
Beast Boy smiled slightly. "I bet I could do magic way better than you."
Raven's eyes tilted up from her book with a loud creak. "...What?"
Poor, predictable Raven. She couldn't turn down a challenge like that. Beast Boy had his entertainment for the next few hours. "I bet you a million dollars, that I can do magic better than you."
Raven closed her book and made it disappear with a thought. "What makes you think you can do anything better than me?"
"I'm naturally talented in many ways," Beast Boy said, emphasizing the egotistical statement so that Raven would think he was serious. "There's no doubt in my mind that magic would come to a gifted child like me with ease."
Raven's eyes could pierce adamantium. Beast Boy smiled back calmly, which he knew would irritate her more.
"Sit," she commanded. Beast Boy plopped down, and Raven started teaching him a simple cantrip to prove her point. The green mutant smiled inwardly. Raven was always fun to play with. Especially when she didn't know she was being played. Unfortunately, his fun would be cut short by an alarm filling the ship's interior. The pair glanced at each other, then raced to the front of the ship.
"Trouble!" Robin warned. "Unidentified ships are closing in on us. And their prepped for battle."
"They've got Level 2 deflector shields and variable frequency hyper-laser turrets. And there's more than a dozen of them, all of 'em faster than us."
Beast Boy gulped nervously. "Yeah, that sounds like 'Trouble.'"
"What do we have?" Raven asked.
"Not much. Level 1 deflector shields and a pulse cannon. Good for blasting meteors, but not good for shooting at swarms."
"Incoming!" Cyborg shouted too late. The Longinus rocked as a series of laser blasts slammed into the ship's defenses. The navigational computer adjusted to the resulting shift in the ship's direction automatically. Fighting in hyperspeed made even the smallest hits extremely dangerous. That laser blast knocked them a light year off course and could have sent them crashing into a planetoid.
Robin switched the view screen to a tactical display for easier reference. "Cyborg, get that cannon primed!"
"What for? It couldn't hit these guys in a million years!"
"We've gotta fight back somehow!" Robin growled as another shot rocked the Longinus.
Raven closed her eyes. "Let me try." She folded her arms, like a genie waiting to grant a wish. She started to murmur her famous magic words, and her body started to crackle with power. In moments, a pair of glowing black wings flowed from her body and seemed to extend from her back like the wings of a demon. These wings floated out, revealing more of what appeared to be a giant, spiritual bird with four red eyes. Raven arched her back and let out a powerful gasp, and the bird cawed mightily as it erupted from her body with an audible snap. The spirit flowed through the ship's hull, the metal crackling with red lightning at any point the bird touched. Soon, it was flying over the ship at a speed faster than light, ready to do battle with the mechanized enemies.
"How's that thing moving as fast as we are?" Cyborg wondered. "It defies the laws of physics."
"So does a bird with four eyes that can move through metal," Beast Boy reminded him as he watched in awe.
"Right now, it's all we've got," Robin said. He played the guidance controls like a piano as he dodged the enemy attacks. "Let's go!"
The raven spirit flapped its wings and caught some imaginary wind, slowing it down enough for two missile-shaped ships to fly right past it. The raven resumed its original flight speed, and flashed its eyes red as its master called upon her magical powers. The bird chopped its wings forward like a massive pincer and launched a wave of red light that sliced through the two ships instantly. The Longinus dodged to the side as they exploded.
Raven clenched her teeth as she struggled with her magic. "Azorath... metrion... synthos... Azorath... metrion... synthos..."
"Spiral pattern, eleven o' clock!" Cyborg warned. Robin saw three ships through the tactical display, spinning around each other in a helix pattern to confuse Robin. He dove in a downwards direction, diving just under the southern pole of a dead planet as large as Earth, and narrowly flew between all three attackers as they swooped by at even higher speed. One of the ships crashed into the dead planet, obliterating it with the inertial force of something moving faster than light. It was like a focused black hole, completely destroying the planet itself. The remaining ships changed course and resumed the chase.
"This is insane!" Robin shouted.
"We're approaching an inhabited sector!" Cyborg warned. "At this speed, we'll be there in less than a minute! Raven, hurry up!"
"Azorath... metrion..." Raven panted for breath as her Soul Self continued its rampage, taking out two more ships with a fly-by slicing. Raven's knees buckled, but Beast Boy caught her before she fell. Raven muttered continuously, on the verge of incoherence, but she pressed on. Beast Boy held her tightly, hoping that his soul could support hers if he wished for it hard enough.
"Raven can't keep this up much longer. We've got to ditch these guys somehow," Robin said as he analyzed the navigational maps on a smaller scale. "There's an asteroid belt up ahead that we can use."
"You can't fly in there," Cyborg snapped. "You may be a bird, but you ain't a pilot. The turns in there are too difficult."
"Maybe I can't. But you can."
Cyborg blinked. "What!?"
"Between your reflexive sensor array and your hours of practice with those Star Fox games, you could navigate the asteroid belt no matter how tight the turns."
Cyborg smiled confidently. "Maybe. But the odds are against us, and the situation is grim."
Robin smiled back. "Then what've we got to lose?" He stood up and offered the seat to his fellow Titan.
The mechanical athlete eagerly took the chair. "Alright! Here goes nothing!" He switched the screen to pure visual, which showed stars and space debris wizzing by at breakneck speed like something out of a Sonic game. Cyborg's red eye glowed as it primed for action, and the Titan went to work.
Raven scream as her power gave out, and her head jerked back as her Soul Self was forcibly returned to its perch inside her mind. Beast Boy cradled her as she lost all her strength, and fainted. She'd given it everything she had, but came up short. Now, it was all up to Cy.
The Titans just prayed it was enough.
~~
Starfire shivered. Karras looked up from the card game of Kijam they were playing. "Are you alright, my dear?"
"I just felt a strange chill," she replied in her home language. She looked towards the bright, sunny sky, wondering how she could shiver with such a warm day surrounding her. "Perhaps someone is in trouble."
"The old superstition of the 'warning chill'," Karras laughed, friendly and charming as ever. "Do not worry. No danger will come to you or your loved ones, especially during the time of fasting."
Starfire looked down sadly at the cards in her hand. "...Not all of my friends are on Tamaran."
Karras put his cards down and placed a hand on Star's. She looked down at it with surprise, then at him as he smiled warmly. "Please understand something, Kori. I've loved you ever since we were children in the royal court. You may not treasure those childhood memories like I do, but I can assure you that my heart is filled with fond memories of you."
Starfire never imagined that was the case. She remembered seeing young Karras on several occasions in her youth, before their kingdoms were plunged into war. And she remembered feeling happy any time they were together. "K...Karras..."
The prince removed the cards from her hand and tossed them aside. "If your heart belongs elsewhere, please... leave this place."
Starfire gawked in surprise. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. "But, what about the wedding? I thought it was very important?"
"It is... to me," Karras said with a heavy heart. "It would certainly bring peace to our planet, but I am ashamed to say that is my secondary motive." He turned and faced Starfire, with eyes that screamed 'Love'. Star's face turned red at seeing such a fond look in the eyes of someone who she barely knew. "You are truly beautiful in all ways that matter. Any man would give his life to marry a woman like you."
Starfire's blush worsened. "I... I had no idea you had such strong feelings." She didn't know how to say that her feelings were much less intense than his own. The thought of breaking his heart like that was hard for Starfire to ignore. It was in her nature to do her best to make others happy.
"But if you wish, you may leave and return home to your friends." Karras bowed slightly. "I will convince your father to find another way to end the war."
"Is there another way?"
"...I don't know." He looked up again, with the same deep-hearted look as before. "I do not believe there is. But I'd rather continue this war than force a free spirit like yours to stay here against your will."
Starfire clenched her eyes shut. "Karras, please don't say things like that. I... I wish this were easy for me too. But I... I have so many things on Earth that I cannot forget. So many things that keep my mind off of Tamaran."
Karras sighed gently. "I understand. If that is how you truly feel, then you are free to go. Go home to your friends."
The alien girl looked at the sky with the intention of jumping and flying away. But a part of her held her feet on the ground. The part of her that wanted to protect Tamaran refused to let her simply jump and fly back to her friends. She was torn between two loves - the love of her home and its people, and her love of her friends and Robin. She was being pulled in two directions with such intense force, it threatened to tear her apart.
She clenched her teeth. She didn't know what to do!
"SIR!" A centurian flew from the direction of the palace and landed before running to where Karras was standing. Starfire turned around to see what they were saying. From Karras' expression, she could tell it was bad news.
"What is it?" She landed beside him once the centurian left. "Karras?"
The prince turned, but couldn't bring himself to look at the princess. "We've received word that... a ship from Earth has just been destroyed by one of our enemies, the Gordinians."
[Image of Cyborg dodging the Longinus through asteroids a'plenty. The drones are keeping up with him with impressive acrobatics of their own. Beast Boy is holding Raven and looking around with a worried look. Robin looks at the screen with a look of dread.]
Starfire gasped and covered her mouth. "Earth?" Her eyes asked the question that she was too afraid to ask.
"Our space scouts saw a giant earth bird - a 'raven' - flying astride this vessel before its destruction."
"NO!" Starfire screamed. Her friends had come for her! Why! Her dearest wish to see them again had turned into the greatest curse the galaxy could give her! Starfire sank to her knees. All of her friends, gone, just like that. Why had the great spirits done this? As if taking her away from her friends wasn't bad enough...
Karras kneeled down and put his arms around the weeping princess. "I am truly sorry. This tragedy is beyond comprehension."
"It is all my fault," Starfire whispered bitterly, tears falling through her fingers. "If I hadn't... If I'd done something to make them forget me, they would never have come after me. I dreamed of them following me - I'd even prayed that they would! Now..." Starfire's sentence trailed off into fitful gasps of sorrow as she buried her face into Karras' chest.
The prince held her tightly, a fiendish grin on his face as he whispered words of honey. "Do not blame yourself."
Starfire's fingers clutched tightly to Karras, seeking solace from his warmth. "...How could I have thought to go against Tamaran's wishes? He... they... gone forever."
[Image of the Longinus taking another heavy hit and bouncing off of the side of an asteroid as a result. The ship survives, thanks to its shields, but the ship is within a few hits of being crippled entirely. Cyborg and Robin looked at each other, and both had the same thought. This was it.]
Karras remained silent as Starfire wept for her beloved friends. But as he expected, her strength of purpose helped her recover her senses quickly. "... I know what I must do, now."
"What is that, my love?" he asked. But thanks to the diabolic plotting of his fellow conspirators, he already knew what the answer would be. Starfire's personality was so easy to control, and equally easy to predict.
Starfire slowly looked up, her eyes firm and brave, even when filled with tears. "I will do what I came here to do. Fate, it seems, has decided that for me. Just as it did when it brought me to Earth in the first place."
Karras nodded gently. "I will do everything to support you, Koriand'r. I just want you, and our people, to be happy."
The princess buried her head in Karras' chest again, her heart trembling from the sheer pain of loss she felt. She would never be happy again - the only boy she'd ever felt a true, pure bond with, was now gone. As had happened many times before in her young life, Starfire was forced to cope with the fact that horrible things happened in the universe every day - even to those who did their best to do what was right and good.
[Image of the Longinus being attacked by a final hail of hyper-light sprays, which destroy the last of the ship's defenses. The Longinus explodes in a fiery flash of light, totally silent in the vacuum of space. The drones destroy the remaining debris, leaving nothing but hundreds of handfuls of metal and dust. The Longinus was no more.]
TO BE CONTINUED...