Jonakhensu: It'll figure in later on.
Jez: 1) She made the choice, later on that, she would have been better off never giving Adam false hope. It didn't work out, so she tried to spare him the pain. I'm not sure which chapter you want rewritten. 2) There was an exact number of powers, in four different categories, depending on genetics. He wasn't affected except for extended life. The majority of the population was affected, but the US population wasn't affected as much. They were trying to keep the country pure. 3) Thank you. 4) Lots of people wandering around the trophy room. Finding something involves packing as if for a trip up Everest, without the heavy clothing.
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"How are we supposed to get there?" Kim asked. Adam shrugged. "Does that mean you don't know? Or don't care." He shrugged again. "Is Andrew going to see us before we go?" He snorted.
"Don't bother, he hates these kinds of parties." Andrew laughed. Adam said nothing, but turned to the window, and put his hands behind his back. "I've had the Avant Guarde brought around to the forward dock, you'll be able to leave from there. I've also had the gifts placed on board. You'll leave in two hours." He nodded. "If you'll excuse me."
"Of course." She waved. She had yet to change into her party attire, which was what Ron and Shego were doing. She flipped a coin, trying to decide what to do about Andrew's advice. It landed on edge. She stopped herself from swearing. She took a breath, watching. Two sides of her mind waged an argument.
"It's just not you, you're too nice of a person to do that." Her light side commented.
"But if it'll get the bloody jerk to be a nice person, or nicer, why the hell not?" The dark side argued in return.
"Because it would be wrong to attack someone like that." The light answered. "Besides, I'm not sure we can win."
"Of course we can, and besides, Andrew told us it would work. Why shouldn't we believe him?" The dark side asked.
"I believe him, but I don't agree with him." The light replied. "It's not polite in any case."
"In our world, yes, but here?" The dark countered. "Here, it's almost a point of law. Read the memories." Kim had the image of a dark figure of herself waving a sheaf of papers. She did, and found he wasn't completely right, but that Andrew was. She took a breath, and started into motion. She came up behind him, and attacked, knee aiming low on his back. He seemed to forsee the attack, and stepped sideways across his own right foot. She reversed the direction of her attack, into a sharp kick, that caught him in the side of the stomach, and caused him to fall, and roll. He came to his feet, and attacked, swinging low, catching her in the stomach. She found the breath driven out of her, and she fought to stay conscious, driving her own elbow into his back, dropping him to the floor. She stopped for a second to catch her breath, and then kicked out, catching him in the face, as he charged again. He slipped and fell on his back. She tried an elbow drop, but smashed into the ground instead, as he rolled away. A kick aimed for her back, as he rolled back, but she caught it, and twisted his foot. He yelped in surprise, then twisted against the motion, using his weight to force her to release he grip. He yelped again for a second, as the ankle bumped the couch, but ignored it, punching down at her head. She twisted, and brought her knee into his groin, doubling him over. She came to her feet for a moment, but he scissored her legs from under her, dropping her to the floor. As she hit, he lashed out with his right hand, palm first into her breastbone, rolling her back, against the wall. She hit, and lashed out with both legs, catching him in the chin, as he lunged at her. The attack spun him, and he bounced off the wall, rolling to a gentle stop against the couch. She rubbed the spot he'd hit her, as she stood up. He seemed to be out cold, but recovering rapidly.
"Took..." He stopped to cough. "you long enough. Thought..." He coughed again, pushing himself to his feet. "the memories would have given you the clue, that Ron and Shego didn't." He grinned.
"Andrew explained it to me." She replied. He smiled, nodding. "Need help?" He shook his head.
"Sorry, for..." He coughed again, there was a bit of blood this time. "not telling you earlier. Ron said he would, but it seems you make his brains fly out the window." He grinned.
"Speaking of. RON!" She bellowed. He poked his head out of his room.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Lotus Blade please?" She asked. He nodded, and disappeared into the room. There was a rattling noise, and a bang, then he reappeared, only half dressed, carrying the sword. He took Kim's hand healing her, then helped Adam. There were several audible snaps, as the glow wrapped him. He winced each time.
"Damn, I didn't think you'd broken that many ribs." He rubbed his chest.
"Who?" Shego asked, appearing from her room. The dress was perfect, a sweeping neckline, with steel lace bands across the front. The back was open to her waist, with more steel bands across the back, all enchanted for flexibility, along with a flowing skirt.
"No one." He replied. "Damn." He commented.
"Guess I should go change." Kim smiled, heading into her room. She stopped at the door. "Don't wrinkle her dress." She told Adam. He smiled expansively. She sighed.
---
"That's the Avant Guarde?" Ron asked. We were standing on the platform leading to the ship, sitting in it's dock. Andrew nodded. "Why doesn't it match the image I'm seeing then?"
"That's probably the star cruiser Avant Guarde." He answered. The ship in question, was almost seven hundred feet long, and three hundred feet wide. Two long masts, lay across the deck, lashed down by ropes. The rigging, and cross bars lay beside it. The edges of the deck were lined with seventy some odd crystals, that the memories identified as part of the solar engines. A bridge extended out to the platform, and it was easy to see the cannon ports along the side of the ship. Sixteen twelve inch ports, and two sixteen inch ports bow and stern of the rest. It was the flagship of the house fleet, the most powerful ship currently flying. Andrew introduced the captain, a young woman only noted in the memories, after he'd spoken.
"This is your Captain, Fleet Admiral Noreen Ardala dul Marcae. Lady of the North Isle, and one of the two sitting High Ladies." She bowed low.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to oversee the launch." She apologised. "The launch pilot is new at this, and I'd rather not crash, trying to leave." She smiled as she walked out. Andrew nodded.
"I'll be going now as well. Have fun, and don't let him kill anyone, will you?" He asked Kim. She laughed.
"I promise." She replied, as he headed back out the door. "How long should it take to get there?" She asked.
"Depends on how long it takes us to launch, and how many people are there." Adam replied, flopping onto a couch. He was still unarmored, though why, she didn't know. She turned instead to the window to watch the launch, if only from inside. The ship hummed, a low, resonant sound, as the crystals took load. The dock supports creaked quietly, as they moved away. The motion of the ship was smooth, and in near perfect control, as the ship moved forwards and began to sweep upwards out of the docks, rising almost vertically once the tail end was clear. There was a rushing sound, and lowering in the hum, as the crystals turned from moving and lifting to just lifting, and the solar engines took over, two long turbines drawing air. She closed the window, and the sound deadened. The scenery as they lifted over the fortress, around past the mountain, and swept north, was breath taking. She'd flown before of course, but since the only noise was the hum of the deck boards, the ride was impressive. Even hang gliding, or parachuting, there was a rushing noise, and other sounds, as well as the need to keep making adjustments to maintain height. This was, she found the most peaceful flight she'd been on, in a long time. After a few minutes, Ron joined her.
"Amazing view, isn't it?" She asked. He nodded.
"KP? What was that about with Adam?" He asked, wrapping his arms carefully around her, to avoid wrinkling her dress.
"The injuries?" She wondered. He nodded again, kissing her neck. She squirmed a bit, since it tickled. "Andrew pointed out about needing to beat him within an inch or so of his life, to prove he doesn't have to try and protect me. Not fight him, but just unmercifully beat him. I won." She replied, twisting to kiss him back.
"Oh. I was supposed to mention that, wasn't I?" He asked. She nodded, eyes sparkling.
"Guess I make you lose all focus, don't I?" She asked.
"No, you just make me focus totally on you." He replied, still kissing. The door opened to admit the captain.
"I estimate another two hours until we arrive at the house staging area." She commented. "Advance wing reports sighting the Wahari, and the Nafar, as well as the Dragoria." She informed them. "The Wahari uses much the same design we do, though she's over twice as long, and twice as wide. It mounts thirty-two light cannons, that's the twelve inch guns, and twelve heavy cannons, the sixteens. She also holds a gate buster. A massive steel tube, with a spring mounted inside. The idea is to winch it back, and drop a steel rod in. The tube runs the length of the ship, and the spring contracts to about a third of the tube. It'll punch through most gates. The Wahari is the only ship that'll dare to fire it in air." Kim stared at her, wonder if she was serious. "The Nafar is smaller than the flagship, only nine hundred feet or so, but she's also twice as wide as we are. She mounts the same sixteen guns we do, but she's got two rams on the bow, making her dangerous to most of the ships. The Wahari is underlaid with steel ribbing to enforce the hull, so it's not vulnerable, and we can out maneuver her." Noreen smiled. "As for the Dragoria. It's a neat little ship, only four hundred feet and change, but she's fast, and mean as hell. It's shaped like a dragon, becase they're the house of the Dragon Lords. The main weapon is known as the dragon's breath. It lauches a flaming cannon ball, from a mount in the throat of the dragon's jaw. They've even articulated the neck. It's dangerous to even the Wahari." She noted the rather worried look on Kim's face. "Don't worry, they wouldn't consider it, not with the Wahari, and the Nafar around. Besides, we're on good terms with them. As long as they don't find out he's on board." She glared at Adam.
"That wasn't me, it was another me." He replied defensively. "And we didn't know she was already married." He crossed his arms, and looked at the ceiling. The room broke down in laughter.