To Elara- I'm glad you like it. Means I'm doing something right for once. As for the new scout, well, I can't say yet; that would be telling, after all. I love your name, by the way. Very poetic. May I use it? I'm going to. You'll be princess Jupiter for now, okay?

"Okay, not wanting to spoil your fun or anything, but what exactly are we looking for?" Sentra asked, following Serenity down a narrow, dimly-lit hall she hadn't known existed a few minutes ago.

"I'm not really sure myself." Serenity answered truthfully, glancing over her shoulder at her daughter. "But I do know it's somewhere in the subbasement, so that's where we're going." The queen paused long enough to punch in her personal security code and open the first door to the area below the palace, then continued. "I know you're going to feel ridiculous, but you'll have to take the lead. Go where your heart tells you."

"Where my heart tells me?" Sentra repeated, raising one eyebrow. "You're right; I'm going to feel like a horse wearing pants. But if it'll help, I guess I can manage."

"Good."

Heklia was steamed.

This should have been easy. It should have taken a, hour or two at the most. She should be sitting on the Crystal Throne by now. But what should be and what is rarely coincide.

So instead, she was storming about her mansion, breaking whatever and whoever happened to catch her eye, all because Serenity and Sentra were hiding in their palace like cowards and Helios was nowhere to be found.

"You!" She said suddenly, spying a servant trying to edge around her. "Go to the council chamber, and bring someone with you. Now!"

Without a word, the servant scampered off towards the council chamber, which would be empty and cold at this time of day.

Her mood improving already, Heklia studied the glimmer of an idea that had begun forming in the back of her mind and she walked casually past the body of a slave she'd choked to death not ten minutes ago.

"There's no way we got everyone to safety." Helios said quietly, studying the flickering wreckage of what had been a hotel only that morning. "We couldn't have even gotten half."

"Your majesty-"

"Please don't call me that." Helios interrupted. "There is no royalty right now, just those of us trying to survive."

"Well… Helios, you can't make yourself responsible for rescuing every single last citizen in the city proper! No one can do that!"

"I know," The king answered, still staring into the fire that engulfed the city. "Has anyone gotten through to the other planets yet?"

"I managed to link with Jupiter." One of the men gathered in the large ballroom said, raising his hand. "But only long enough for a 'mayday.' Whoever's upstairs is scrambling our signals; we can't get around them for more than a few seconds at a time."

"A mayday is all we need." Helios reassured the man. "If Jupiter managed to grab our mayday, they'll pass it on to the others and mount an expedition. In the meantime, keep trying."

Those who had been attempting to hail Earth's allies nodded solemnly, turning back to their motley assortment of vidscreens, boosters, and odd pieces of machinery.

"Now we need to see what we can do about food."

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Am I supposed to feel something pulling on me right now? Like there's a rope around my waist, and someone on the other end is tugging it?"

"Yes, dear,"

"Oh, good. For a second there, I thought maybe there was an invisible demon hugging me. We need to turn right up ahead."

"That's fine, dear."

"Good. Oh, and mom?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Stop calling me dear, okay?"

"Whatever you say, dear."

"Momma?" A small voice whispered, and something tugged on Queen Makoto's arm.

"Not now, honey," Makoto muttered, still half-asleep. "It's too early."

"Momma, what does 'may day' mean?"

Brought sharply awake, Makoto sat up, careful not to disturb her husband as she lifted their four-year-old daughter into her lap.

"Elara, darling, where did you hear that word?" She asked.

"On the screen Daddy gave me for my birthday. It went 'crackle, crackle, mayday!' and then it was quiet."

"Elara, dearheart, can Momma look at your screen for a minute?"

"Uh-huh." Elara agreed, wiggling her way to the floor and leading the queen of Jupiter down the hall. The night servants, used to their queen's absentminded ways, managed to find a robe for her before she'd gone more than a dozen steps. After all, it wasn't exactly common practice for women to wander the palace halls naked, no matter what planet you're from.

Heklia arrived in the council chamber to find two servant girls waiting for her.

With an inward smile that she would never show to anyone else, she closed the door, locked it, and moved around the table to where the servants stood.

"Thank you for coming, ladies," She said, stopping inches away and watching them squirm for a minute before continuing. "I have a very special job for the two of you. If my plan succeeds, you'll both be rewarded handsomely. Now, here's what I want you to do…"

Oh, this chapter is short! But at least I finally got something up on the story! You have to love that!

Heklia's got a diabolical scheme cooked up for our heroes, and there's no telling what it is! I can hardly wait! What do you think she's planning?

Review!