Chapter 22

The next day, when Amelia awoke, she felt Kitty´s arm around her. It was that moment that suddenly she remembered everything that had occured the previous day.

She remembered when Kitty had said many years ago. "Well, I suppose that now all I have to be afraid of is pirates and supernovas."

"Supernova?" Amelia had asked. "How did you come to know about those, Kitty? Were you studying astrophysics on your own home world?"

"No, It's just that in that movie I'm always telling you about, the Legacy gets caught in the blast of a new supernova. Well...that was before it exploded and transformed into a black hole, I guess..."

Amelia remembered getting bit wild-eyed at that, and that was when Kitty had realised she'd probably said too much. "Whoops! Sorry 'bout that. Can´t really say any more," she had said apologetically,"Hey, look, Amelia...the story goes as it goes, and I´m not changing everything about to let you get prepared for it, okay? It would ruin the whole ending of the story, trust me."

She had known all along, Amelia thought to herself. She then got up out of bed, and gently woke Kitty. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Amelia greeted with a fond smile.

"Hello, Amelia," Kitty replied in nearly a whisper. Kitty got out of bed, looked down at herself, snapped her fingers, and suddenly she wearing her usual attire.

Amelia looked over Kitty, then sat down, beckoning her to do the same. Once Kitty sat, she said, "You knew that he was going to die all along, didn't you?"

Kitty looked back into her green eyes. "I'm so sorry, Amelia. But, I can´t change the story...I just can't."

Amelia closed her eyes, and swallowed hard. Kitty put her hand over Amelia's, smiling gently at her. "But, if it will make you feel any better, I fully intend to get him back for you sometime after our adventure."

"You can?" Amelia blurted in amazement, her eyes snapping open. "Just how long after?" Amelia asked.

Kitty shook her head, smiling. "If I told you that, then it wouldn't be a surprise," Kitty said impishly.

Amelia smiled for the first time since Arrow´s death. Kitty hugged Amelia for a long while, then helped her dress. After that, both girls properly attired, made their way out of the stateroom.

Once there, Kitty saw Amelia's eyes go wide suddenly, seeing the spotless condition of her stateroom. Kitty grinned, "I guess I decided to help you out a bit." The two then made their way to their positions on the bridge, and got to work.

It was then that Kitty spotted Delbert gazing out into the Etherium at the main deck rail. "Oh, by the way," she said cleverly. "Am I wrong, but didn't I see Doctor Doppler coming out from your stateroom yesterday?" She smiled, being the rogue she was, raising a blonde eyebrow.

Amelia promptly blushed, and looked away a moment. "Um, you see, he was just wondering how I was feeling," Amelia mumbled to her. "It was all done very gentlemenly, you understand..."

Kitty grinned impishly again. "You are so in love with him," Kitty declared, chuckling.

"You watch yourself, young lady," Amelia cautioned. "Please do remember that aboard ship the walls have ears." She gestured with a jerk of her chin toward Turnbuckle.

Delbert saw the two felinid officers, and wandered his way up to them. "Good morning, Captain. Ms. Petro," he said, bowing his head to each in their turn.

"Good morning, Doctor," Amelia said, giving him the benefit of small shy smile.

"I just wondered how you were feeling," Delbert asked solicitiously, his brown eyes just the slightest bit worried. Both Kitty and Amelia were charmed.

"Oh, never fear, Doctor, both Kitty and I shall be just fine," Amelia reassured the man, smiling. Their special moment was broken, when all three of them werer forced to look up as Mr. Onus yelled "Planet Ho!"

It was then that they all saw Treasure Planet for the first time. Both Delbert and Amelia watched the sight in awe, but surprisingly enough, Kitty scowled. "All right, you with me...now," she commanded, and dragged the both of them inside Amelia's stateroom. The two followed Kitty, both gazing at the young woman with puzzled looks on their faces. "Trust me, it's for your own good. You´ll see," Kitty said. "Oh, and Amelia, one thing..."

"Yes, Ms. Petro?" Amelia said, curious.

"Try not to be so hard on Jim. It wasn't his fault that Arrow died. That you can thank Mr Scroop for, who cut his lifeline. Trust me, I saw the whole thing," Kitty informed them, then looked down, as a little tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, as both Amelia and Delbert looked like they woud give her a hug right there and then, and she frankly, she didn't have time for that just now. She could get all sentimental later.

It was then that Jim burst inside, panting, obviously excited. Amelia and Delbert exchanged a look, both raising their eyebrows. Jim (still panting) managed to blurt out, "Doc, Ma'am...the crew, well, they're pirates! And they're going to mutiny right NOW!"

At that, Amelia murmured something that sounded like 'I knew it!' as she headed over to her weapons locker with determination. "Pirates on my ship?" Amelia declared in ire. "I´ll see them all hang!" She retrieved a laser flintlock from her locker and tossed it butt-first to the clearly astonished Delbert. "Doctor, familiar with these?" she asked, without even looking.

Kitty suddenly realized precisely where she was standing, and jumped away quickly, as soon as Delbert responded most hesitantly. Suddenly the globe behind where Kitty was only moments before exploded from an errant laser burst. Kitty just heard the Doctor's most sheepish, "No, I´m not."

Kitty knew what was happening next, so she whispered something, and was suddenly heavily armed as she dared to be. Amelia removed the map and threw it toward Jim Hawkins. "Mr. Hawkins...kindly guard that with your life," she instructed, her ears angling back in anger as the pirates began to shower the armored door trying to get in to them.

While Amelia hefted a rather nasty-looking laser musket, Kitty used her own to make a crude hole in the deck, allowing them a get-away. She dashed through the hole, followed by Amelia, then Jim and finally Delbert. They ran towards the longboat bays that were located below deck amidship. Once there, Kitty leapt up into the boat, then helped Delbert and Jim up, as Amelia worked the handle to open the bay doors. She looked down and saw the surface of Treasure Planet lighten the inside the bay. Amelia, once she was certain the door was working, perform an acrobatic jump into the longboat. Kitty caught a glance out of the corner of her eye of Morph, who had taken the map from Jim's pocket, and took to flight, wanting to play.

As Jim struggled to retrieve the map---and Morph---an all-out shoot-out began. Amelia kept the pirates honest, and even Delbert contributed. His well-placed shot quickly dispatched four pirates to their doom, much impressing Amelia. Later, Kitty couldn't remember all the details, but she did remember Jim hopping into the boat---map in hand, or so he thought!---and Amelia shouting "NOW!". Both her and Delbert's shots severed the lines holding the longboat in its bay, and the boat plummeted precipitiously out into the atmosphere of Treasure Planet. Amelia quickly started the longboat's engine, and they began to fly an erratic course away from the mutineered Legacy. It was then that Kitty heard the crack of the Legacy's laser cannon, and called out, "Laserball at 12 o´clock Captain!" Kitty watched in mute horror and fascination as Amelia attempted to maneuver away from the projectile. However, unfortunately, the laserball hit them dead-on, destroying their engine and solar sail, causing them to hurtle---barely in control--- toward the ground. Kitty knew that this was going to hurt...