Chapter Three: "Initiation"
An hour later, the Galactic Guardians were assembled at the hanger where the Starship Eternia, Starship Colossus, and a number of Astrosubs were kept. The ships were on stand-by as they stood in the prep area, watching the battle far above them.
The Patheon were, in one word, amazing.
Titan, Patriot, the magnetic Pulse, the electricity producing Surge, and Mystic were all in space itself, wearing cloth-thin space suits. They tore through the Terror Pods and were coupled by laser beams from the Carrier.
Huge portions of the Troop Transport exploded then, obviously from Patheon members from within.
All in all, in one hour, the battle fleet was decimated. The few remains of the fleet fell back, retreating to Denebria.
"Well," Flipshot commented as Patheon started to head back to the Carrier, "looks like we may be out of a job."
Two days later, the Patheon was once more called into the Inner Council's chamber. They stood together, united and proud as the Inner Council addressed them. He-Man, Master Sebrian, and Counselor Werban stood together on one side while some of the Senators stood on the other.
"After the Patheon's victory over the Mutants and after further interviews, we have decided to allow the Patheon to remain here on Primus. Hopefully, their peacekeeping abilities can aid us in seeking a peaceful end to the war. They have showed us both strength and loyalty, and when coupled with the courage and power of the Galactic Guardians as well as the determination of the Primian people, the end of this long conflict can finally be found."
The Senators clapped, as did Master Sebrian and He-Man – despite the reservations both men felt. Werban did nothing. Instead, he stepped forward.
"Inner Council, I would like to interject!"
"You protests are noted, Counselor Werban, but our decision has been made. If you seek to further debate the matter, then protocol calls for a formal letter of complaint and a request of change be made."
"Then I shall do that," Werban replied uneasily.
No one seemed to notice the look that went through Patheon.
The Primus press went nuts. As He-Man, Sebrian, and Werban left the Council Chamber, scores of news outlets stood waiting, yelling questions, and demanding answers and an all-so-nice quote.
"He-Man! He-Man! What are your feelings on the Patheon?" shouted one reporter.
"They seem like good warriors and from what I can tell, they are also quite determined to help us end the war," He-Man answered.
"Master Sebrian! Do you have any concerns regarding the presence of the Patheon?" yelped another reporter.
"They are strangers to our planet, so I do have some concerns. HOWEVER, I feel though, with time, those concerns will diminish," Master Sebrian replied.
"What about you, Counselor Werban? We understand you are quite against having the Patheon here," a reporter asked.
"Here we go," whispered Sebrian to He-Man.
"I feel as though this is a great mistake!" Werban shouted.
"Do you mean to say that the judgement of the Inner Council is wrong?"
Werban shook his head. "No, no. Far be it for me to question the wisdom of the Inner Council. The fact of the matter is, however, that the Patheon has no place here on Primus. The Galactic Guardians are tolerable, but the Patheon? Having aliens solve our problems for us? It's wrong and I for one will fight to have them removed!"
"You need to learn how to pick your words, Werban," Sebrian said, several minutes later. The three of them were heading to the Onnar transport station.
"I won't take any of it back, if that's what you're saying," Werban snapped. "I meant it. The Patheon is dangerous and untrustworthy."
"As are all off-worlders?" questioned He-Man.
"No, He-Man. I learned my lesson. There are some that can help. But to have them take the place of our military or to depend on them for everything and anything now . . . it empowers them and makes us weak. Then all we have to do is roll over and we've been taken over."
"That won't happen, Werban, and you know it," Sebrian returned. "Look, I don't trust Patheon and neither does He-Man. But that doesn't mean they're not genuine."
"Or that they don't really want to help us. They fought very well yesterday."
Werban shook his head and started to walk away from them. "Hopefully they won't be fighting as well when they battle it out with you."
"He really doesn't like them, does he?" asked He-Man once Werban was gone.
"He's an old man, He-Man, just set in his ways."
The next evening, yet another dinner party was thrown. This one, however, was to celebrate the arrival of the Patheon and their new alliance with Primus. As well, the guest list was much larger, consisting of various delegates and counselors. Werban, as was to be expected, was in not in attendance.
Unlike the previous dinner party, this one was much more formal. He-Man felt a little out of place amongst such finely dressed officials, as he only had his usual attire – blue pants and a bandoleer. He-Man couldn't help but think about the formal events he had attended back on Eternia. It had been rare for him to be at them as He-Man, though. Prince Adam was the more formal of his two identities. And here on Primus, Adam wasn't needed as often . . .
"He-Man, good evening," came the voice of Mara.
He-Man looked and stopped himself. The brown-haired Mara was wearing perhaps the most gorgeous dress he had ever seen. It was pale blue (the same as her eyes) and strapless. Her hair was done up in a series of braids.
"Mara . . . you look . . . um . . ."
She blushed a little bit and walked over to him. They were both standing in the foyer of the massive hall. Her arm wrapped around his.
"Thank you," she said. "Escort me in?"
He-Man nodded and walked forward, arm-in-arm with Mara. They entered, all the guests busy chatting it up with the Patheon members. Some of the off-duty Inner Council members were even present. Soft music was playing in the background and a few couples were even dancing to it.
"No Werban?" asked Mara as they walked to the other side of the room, where some of the other Galactic Guardians were. He-Man had noticed that Mara hadn't removed her arm. He didn't mind. In complete honestly, He-Man had developed a crush on Mara and she on him.
"I guess not," He-Man responded. "No big loss, though."
"Hey He-Man!" shouted Caz. "Hey Mara!"
Drissi and her younger brother Caz walked over to the pair. Mara pulled her arm from He-Man's reluctantly.
"Can you believe these guys, He-Man?" asked Caz harshly. "Trying to take the place of you and the Galactic Guardians?"
"Technically, Caz, they're not taking our place. They're a peacekeeping force. They're here to make sure all conflicts between the Mutants and Primus don't end with people losing their lives," He-Man corrected him.
"It's also very rude to talk about someone when they're in the same room," Drissi scolded Caz. Caz rolled his eyes and suddenly took interest in a small plate of cookies. Drissi smiled at He-Man. "Do you know where Adam is?"
He-Man blinked and played dumb. "You mean Master Sebrian's nephew?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. He's probably in Leviton."
"Oh," she responded, a bit disappointed. He-Man wasn't surprised. It had seemed Drissi had been a little smitten by Adam, even though he didn't return the feelings.
He-Man and Mara separated not long after that, each one going their own way and talking to friends and various officials. The Patheon team seemed to be having a good time, with everyone wanting to talk to them, hear about their previous adventures, and their associations with the Galactic Council.
Had He-Man been paying attention, he would have noticed something about the Patheon members as they talked.
But he wasn't. His attention was instead on one person and one person alone: Mara. She sipped wine and talked lightly with a few Senators. He couldn't stop gazing at her, thinking about her. She was so different than anyone of the other women he had fallen for. She was a career woman, unlike Kathryn, but not nearly as rough around the edges as Teela.
And she was very beautiful.
She turned then and caught him looking at her. Mara smiled and walked over.
"Hey stranger," she greeted, taking his hand. "You want to dance?"
He-Man smiled. "I would love to."
The pair walked over to where the small orchestra was playing. He placed one hand on her hip and took the other one. They began to sway to the music, their blue eyes locked onto each other.
"You ever have dances back on Eternia?" asked Mara. "Like when you were in education?"
"Uh, yes," He-Man said, though it was really Prince Adam that had been through that. "Every year, we have a festival. The Kissing Moon Festival. It commemorates the arrival of springtime to Eternia."
She smiled and they continued to dance. "Tell me more about it."
He-Man grinned, spun her away, then pulled her back. "Our three moons – Dark Moon, Bright Moon, and Org – intersect every year. When Dark Moon and Bright Moon start to intersect, it looks as though they're . . . kissing." She was close enough for he himself to kiss. Instead, he spun her away and then back. "It starts the official spring season. It's somewhat ironic because the kingdoms of Dark Moon and Bright Moon hate each other."
Mara nodded. "Funny."
"What about you?"
"Of course. Five dances a year, actually. They encouraged us to socialize. They were all kind of the same though. Nothing having to do with the moons or suns."
"Ah, I see."
"This is nice," she complimented as they continued to move to the music.
"Very nice."
Not far away, Genetix was busying herself with another drink when none other than Flipshot came straddling over.
"Hey there sweetheart," he greeted, sitting down next to her.
"Not you again . . ." she muttered.
"What are you up to? Wanna dance?"
"Absolutely not, leave me alone."
"Come on, Genny, let's get wild on the dance floor."
She stood up and slammed her drink on the table. "That's it, you insufferable creature!" she yelped. "I've had enough of your disrespect for women. I think it's time you got a taste of your own medicine."
"Huh?"
Genetix placed her hands on his cheeks, closed her eyes in deep concentration, then released and walked off.
"That was strange," Flipshot then commented.
"What was all that about?" asked Tuskador.
"I tried to melt the ice queen and she grabbed my cheeks."
"Might be some sort of insult on her home planet."
"Maybe."
Hours passed and the party began to dwindle. As midnight approached, the Patheon began to teleport up to the Carrier. Senators and officials set off for their homes. The Galactic Guardians went to their respective homes, some of them a little drunk.
He-Man and Mara, however, made every excuse to stay, to be with each other. Their dancing had led them to talking, which brought them to one of the balconies. The city lights of Onnar were laid out below while the stars hung above them.
"So you've never been in a relationship?" Mara asked, a glass of wine in her hand.
"Well, I have, but . . . I can't really talk about it."
Mara scrunched her forehead. "Why?"
"It's . . . I just can't," He-Man answered, but that begged the question. Why wasn't he talking about his past? Why couldn't he talk about his time as Adam and pass it off as his own past?
"So mysterious," Mara commented.
He-Man attempted a smile. "I've had some terrible things done to me in the war against Skeletor back home. My friends become targets. I . . ." He paused, but then continued. "I nearly lost someone very important to me. We ended it because of my time as He-Man."
"I'm sorry."
He-Man waved it off. "It was almost three years ago. I've gotten past it."
Mara finished her wine, then looked down at the empty glass. A thought and a question hung suspended in her mind and she wondered if it was the alcohol that made her now want to ask it.
"What about now?"
"Hrm?"
"What about having a relationship now, He-Man? I mean, Skeletor's on another planet, not a hemisphere away. A planet that's protected by a very powerful shield."
He-Man realized what it was she was saying. Mara set her glass of wine down.
"I . . . uh . . . Mara . . ."
Mara scooted closer to him. "I'm here. Now. No Skeletor. No Flogg. They're a solar system away. The Patheon are in orbit, making sure they don't come over here. The Galactic Guardians are mostly sober right now – though I did see Flipshot puking a lot before he left."
"I don't know, Mara . . . I mean, the Patheon could still be trouble."
She put her hand in his. To He-Man, it was soft. He stared at it, then looked back up at her. Her eyes told him exactly what he wanted to hear.
"It's okay," she said.
"Is it? I don't want to put your life at risk . . ."
"He-Man, this world has been at war for years. My life has been at risk since I was fourteen. And quite honestly . . . I really like you."
He-Man leaned over. "I like you too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Then what are you going to do about it?"
He-Man smiled. For the first time in a long time, he leaned in for a kiss. She responded in kind. Their lips met, a first kiss lit by the lights of the stars and the city.
Werban's front door slid shut as he came home. He had been in his office long after the close of business at the Council Chambers. While the Patheon team was mingling with Senators and the Galactic Guardians, Werban was doing everything he could to get them out of the solar system. He had spent hours drafting up a letter of protest.
As soon as the door closed behind him, a fist slammed against Werban's face. He went flying to the ground in a heap.
"Who are you? Who is there?" he shouted, reaching for the lights. A boot connected with his stomach. Two huge hands grabbed his shoulders and tossed him into the next room. He fell into his living room. Sitting in his favorite chair was none of than Patriot.
"Well, hello, Werban. Such a nice place you have here."
"What are you doing in my home?" Werban roared.
He received a kick to the face from Titan.
"Defending ourselves. Can't have you riling up the public against, can we?"
Blades suddenly appeared in front of Werban's eyes. Directly behind him was Fury.
"I was right! I knew it!"
One of the blades dug into Werban's shoulder. He screamed loudly as the metal pierced skin and muscle.
"Stupid old man. You just had to complain about us to the press, didn't you?"
"I have a right to! I have a right!"
Patriot slammed his fist into Werban's face. Werban went flying backwards into the wall. "Rights!" shouted Patriot. "Silly old man . . . under our rule, you have no rights."
Patriot, Fury, and Titan then went to work on Werban.
Flipshot awoke the next morning feeling very much not right. He knew from the moment he woke up that something was wrong. Hair hung in his face. His hair. Long hair, blonde strands of it. He could feel a strange weight pulling on his chest. Most of all, something was different . . . down below.
"What in the - " But Flipshot – his real name Icarius – stopped in mid-sentence. His voice was higher. He put his hand to his throat. Again, something was different. His hands felt slimmer, as did his neck.
Flipshot leapt out of bed, the weight on his chest shifting strangely. Flipshot realized then that he had lost at least 8 inches in height. He turned and faced the mirror . . . and saw a woman staring back at him.
"AHHHHH!" he screamed in a high pitch. "SHE TURNED ME INTO A GIRL!"