I do not own "Lilo & Stitch" or any of the characters therein.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:
DARK BEFORE DAWN

It did not take long for Le'Kruune to become exhausted from crying and fall asleep. The grand councilwoman continued to lay with him in her arms until their tears stopped flowing and Le'Kruune's breathing relaxed and he was silent and still. Though the last hour had been trying for her as well, she forced herself to remain awake for the sake of the ailing human girl tucked under the covers next to her.

Poor Lilo. How did you ever get mixed up in all of this? I placed you and your family under the protection of the United Galactic Federation, and what good has that done so far? It was I who issued that decree, and it is I who is responsible for you now.

ZaiLeia sat up slowly, carefully laying Le'Kruune back down on the bed as she did so, then turned over to look at Lilo. Still asleep. Good. Sitting up in the middle of the large bed between the two, she gazed about the darkened room as though searching for an idea of what to do next. She knew she could not wait around until 'His Majesty' woke up. There was no telling what mood he would be in, much less his level of sanity. It was just too risky, especially for Lilo. Thus far she had been lucky, but in the right state of mind he might easily view her as something threatening and - well, one did not have to stop and think about the possibilities. No, best to start formulating a plan now, while the big lug was still out. Come to think of it, a plan B wouldn't hurt either. ZaiLeia had a feeling they'd be up to plan X by the time they managed to escape. IF they managed.

After several minutes of pondering, she had an idea. Off of the top of her head, it wasn't a bad one, but it was quite risky nonetheless. It was really a two-part plan, and part one was getting Lilo out of Le'Kruune's suite and into young Agent Pleakley's care. She knew that, aside from the physician who had examined the girl earlier, that Wendy was really the best-qualified individual to look after her. There were only two ways that she could think of to pull this off. The first, and most obvious, was asking Le'Kruune, but again, she had no guarantee that he would be mentally stable enough to comprehend anything once he was awake. The second, and slightly less risky, was calling for assistance, but who aboard this ship would be willing to help? The answer was simple: Mackayl. But how to contact him from within Le'Kruune's private and heavily guarded suite? She had an idea, but would it work? There was only one way to find out.

Slowly, quietly, the grand councilwoman climbed out of bed and walked stealthily over to the other side of the room to where a small control panel rested on a desk. Reaching out a hand, she strained her eyes through the gloom until she was sure which buttons activated the intercom, then hesitated, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. If all went right, she would emulate Le'Kruune's voice and order the guards outside the suite to send for Mackayl. In truth, it would take little effort for her to sound like Le'Kruune, as his voice had a resonance that was not unlike her own, albeit deeper. Placing a finger on one of the panel's buttons, she hesitated again. She realized that she didn't know the names of the guards outside, but decided that it didn't matter. With Le'Kruune's erratic behavior as of late, they were unlikely to protest if she were to address them as 'Wingle' and 'Dingle,' or anything else, for that matter. All of Le'Kruune's men were afraid of him now, especially after his attack on Salwen and Murg.

Without further adieu, ZaiLeia pressed the button down and held it. Eyes locked on the slumbering lump on the bed, she cleared her throat and said in a deep, velvety voice "…Mackayl?"

She immediately released the button and held her breath, waiting. After a moment of deafening silence, the small speaker on the panel came alive with static and a man's reply: "Mackayl isn't here, Sir. He's gone back down to the bridge. Do you want me to send for him?"

"Yes. Tell him to hurry, and come straight in!"

"Yes, Sir!"

With a sigh of relief, ZaiLeia sat down at the edge of the bed and thought about her plan. She had known Le'Kruune to be a light sleeper, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he hadn't woken up to the sound of her voice. Perhaps, with his molecular map breaking down… He was doomed to a slow and (hopefully) agonizing demise, but waiting for him to pass from natural causes was NOT what ZaiLeia had in mind. For as long as he continued to live, he was dangerous, and even more so now than he ever was before. Best to do away with him while she had the chance. This was part two of her plan. But first she would see Lilo safely out of the way. That's where Mackayl came in. The minutes dragged on lamely as she waited for his arrival. And then - she heard it. The sound of a door, opening and closing, in the outer room.

Peering cautiously out from the bedroom, she saw him, and breathed a second sigh of relief. The young Kaizaxx man stood alone in the middle of the room, looking up with a mixture of shock and ill-concealed delight to see the grand councilwoman descend the three steps from the bedroom to greet him. Before he could even open his mouth, she raised a finger to her lips in an indication of quiet.

"I need your help, Mackayl."

"You've got it! But what about His High- I mean, Le'Kruune?"

"Don't worry about him. He's asleep. I'm the one who sent for you, not him."

"Really? But how?"

"Apparently I can pull off a pretty convincing Horsthar impersonation."

Mackayl couldn't help but laugh at this. ZaiLeia's hand went up to her lips again and he stopped.

"You know the little human girl?"

"Yes, ma'am. She's in Quarantine."

ZaiLeia shook her head. "No. She's here. Horsthar brought her back to his bedroom."

Mayckayl's eyes widened in horror.

"It's not what you might think," she assured him. "He was worried about her and wanted to take care of her."

Again Mackayl looked shocked.

"It's a long story," ZaiLeia said hurriedly. "Trust me. He hasn't harmed her, but I want to get her out of here before -" she paused, wondering for the first time if it was really safe to tell him these things.

"Before you kill him?" Mackayl finished for her. ZaiLeia said nothing. She just looked at him, but the truth was there in her eyes, and he read it clearly.

"Let me help you," he volunteered. "I want that bastard dead just as much as you do. Do you know what he did to my mother?" His voice cracked before he could regain his composure. "I mean, please. Let me help. You can't do this yourself. You'll never get out of here alive if you even try to kill him."

"No, Mackayl. I need you to take Lilo. She's very ill, and she needs to be with someone who knows how to take care of her, and the only person aboard this ship who can do that is Mr. Pleakley. They're family. Please, for my sake take her down to his cell so he can look after her. I will handle Horsthar."

A minute later the grand councilwoman reemerged from the bedroom bearing a small bundle wrapped in a large quilt from Le'Kruune's bed.

"Here," she said quietly, holding her arms out to Mackayl. He hesitated a moment before taking the child into his own arms.

"Take her straight down to Mr. Pleakley!"

Mackayl nodded and turned to go, but ZaiLeia put a hand on his shoulder and he stopped and looked back at her. There was a warm look in her dark, exotic eyes as she regarded the young man. On pure impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"You're more than welcome," Mackayl replied, blushing furiously. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

As soon as he was gone, ZaiLeia returned to the bedroom to find Le'Kruune still asleep. For a long minute or two she stood staring down at him, thinking. It was time. Time for part two of her plan. But was she really going to go through with it? For although she wanted him dead, she could not dispel the newly-revived feelings she had for him. He had given her the most precious gift in the universe, and he had shared her every joy and grief for that child from the day she was born until the day she had died. This same man who had fawned over their daughter and treated her like a princess had also raped, tortured and murdered countless individuals. Although he had always been the roguish type, it was not until after Taisiya's death that he had begun to let his true colors show. But were bloodlust and hatred really his true colors? Or wasn't there something more to him than that?

Overwhelmed by these thoughts, the grand councilwoman sat down on the bed next to him, then reached out a hand to touch his face. He looked more peaceful now than she could ever remember seeing him, except… except for when Taisiya was alive. Those were his best years, as far as she knew. But after she died, he was never the same again. Oh, Taisiya, are you what all the fuss is about? Did your leaving drive your father insane? I wouldn't doubt it. I almost went insane myself. It's funny, yet sad, the reasons for which most people turn out to be monsters. …Pain. It's always pain that turns to fury and hatred; that turns a loving father into a ruthless murderer. We all will lose someone along the way, and those who can't cope with the loss… she gazed down at the sleeping Le'Kruune … become someone like you.

ZaiLeia thought for a long time, struggling with herself, before finally deciding to proceed with her plan. Leaning over Le'Kruune, she picked up a pillow and hugged it to her chest like a baby. She saw his plasma cannon and hunting knife dangling from his belt, which was draped over a nearby chair, but did not go for either. Best to make it look like an accident. Like he had died in his sleep. The pillow would do nicely. Who would suspect Horsthar Le'Kruune to die of asphyxiation? If she wanted to make it out of there alive, she would have to appear innocent of his death at all costs.

Now, as she leaned toward him with the pillow in hand, she could not stop a small tear from streaming down her face. Forgive me, God, for what I am about to do. Forgive me, Taisiya. I must free your father from his terrible existence. Forgive me, Horsthar, and may God have mercy on your soul.