Chapter 2. God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen...
Day 1. (cont.)
Potentoris, Almerac's Capital City - Royal Palace's Throne Hall
Three hours after the Javelin's crash
Maxima looked very uneasy and uncomfortable on the throne. She had shifted positions numerous times and her expression was that of an angry dog chained at the backyard. With a worried face, Ceremonial Responsible, Lord Brega, lean to the throne asking the Queen in a low voice, "Anything wrong with the seat, Exalted One?"
"Everything is wrong! This chair is the worst we've ever sat upon," she exploded.
"But it was made by the finest artisans and craftsmen in all the Queendom, Exalted One, soon after you destroyed the previous one," Brega responded timidly.
"Then perhaps we should have their heads at the top of spears, alongside with yours, Lord Brega, if you keep arguing with us! Do you wish to continue," she hissed.
"I'm sorry, Exalted One. Didn't mean to inconvenience you with my nonsense. I'll be at the entrance, welcoming your guests, if you need me."
"Pray the Ancestors we won't" she looked at him as he distanced himself from the Throne, facing her and bowing every five steps.
"Hour Page! What's the time," she shouted.
"It's two chrons past the Hour of Belm, Exalted One."
"At last! It is done," she thought as a half smile twisted her beautiful lips. "All my problems concerning the kryptonian are finally over." "Mead Page," she ordered out loud. "Pour us a glass. We wish to drink to absent friends. Hurry!" her eyes began to flood with tears as she emptied her glass "My beloved Kal-El," she mused. "My lovely, lovely Kal-El!"
Lord Suupra, Royal Advisor, came hastily into the Hall from the Communications Center. He looked very agitated and his face exuded fear.
"Exalted One, may I approach the Throne," he courteously asked.
"You may, Suupra. Be warned, though, We're in the mood to hear only good news," she told him, narrowing her amber eyes.
Suupra took a look at the nearest exit, trying to calculate if he could reach it before the Queen ordered a guard to shoot him. He concluded he'd never make it on time.
"Exalted One, we've received word from our watchers at the designated point." He tried to swallow, but his throat was as dry as desert's sand.
"And?" Her patience was running scarce.
"They've waited until twenty chrons past the 'H' hour." His forehead was moist in sweat. "The JL vehicle never showed."
"What do you mean 'never showed'? Couldn't it have been blown before getting to the designated point?" her voice, although it sounded upset, had a slight ring of hope to it.
"An explosion of that magnitude would have been noticed by our watchers, unless it occurred much earlier in their route," Lord Suupra tried to explain.
"Could they have found the device and deactivate it?" If someone could do it, the kryptonian and his friends certainly qualified, she thought.
"Not according to that weasel Desaad. And if they did, it would be too late to try anything" The advisor was confident in the device he himself had purchased.
"You put too much trust in those Apokoliptians. Never underestimate Kal-El. He's a very resourceful man." There was some kind of pride in her tone.
"Still, they would've passed in time by the designated point for our watches to see them, Exalted One," he said.
"However, one way or the other, we need confirmation. Send our watchers down the route of the Javelin to see what they can find. The Leaguers were not to arrive here for another couple of hours, so we still have time before the league deploys their forces, so let's try and find them first, understood?"
"Understood, Exalted One," he replied. He turned and began to move away, with a relieved expression.
"And, Suupra," she called him back.
"Yes, Exalted One?" he faced her again.
"We are NOT pleased." she punched him, sending his body to the end of the Hall."Mead Page!"
After that, her mood improved greatly.
-0-
Potentoris - Almerac - A few hours later
Shayera was tired of dealing with her own people. Thanagar was always at war. Ultimately, the reason was not important: conquest, religious differences, territorial or commercial disputes. They enjoyed short periods of peace and then it was back to hostilities again. The faces of the enemy varied, but the rage and hatred remained.
She wanted to make them see the error of their ways, but being labeled as a traitor didn't help. She rebelled against her own government when they tried to take over the Earth to destroy it for their own agenda. She'd been banned from Thanagar ever since.
In fact, her being here in representation of the Justice League was at her own request. She really wanted to help. Now all she wanted was to finish this stupid assignment and return home. Yes, as weird as it sounded, Earth was Home now and the Justice League her Family.
"Hey, Shayera!" Adam Strange's voice took her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, Adam. Hi! I was lost in my own ruminations." She dragged herself back to business "Still no news from 'Trinity', I take it"
"Nothing. They should've arrived five hours ago. It's time to contact the League and start a search," he said.
"Are you sure? These are our three more capable members. Maybe they're attending to some emergency," Hawkgirl ventured.
"It seems more like they ARE the emergency. It's been six and a half hours since they should've exited the last wormhole on their way here, still, there's no communications from their part and the Javelin transponder remains unreachable," stated Strange. "I've waited as long as I could. It's not like them to cut all communications all of the sudden. Especially not Batman."
"Let's call the Watchtower, then. The Communications Center is on the east wing of the Palace." They got on their way.
At the C.C., and after obtaining the usual permits and signing the usual agreements, they finally got a booth to establish a link to the Watchtower.
"Link on. Begin scramble,r" Said the Martian Manhunter from the other side of the communication.
"Martian Manhunter, this is Member 0.08, Hawkgirl, from Almerac. A situation has arisen: Away Team 'Trinity' didn't arrived as expected, in fact there is no news of them or Javelin JL003." Shayera told him about the delay and the lack of communications.
"Acknowledge. We were expecting their comm-link five and a half hours ago as well. We just needed confirmation from you.
Everything is prepared to depart on Javelin JL011. Away Team 'Triad', composed by Green Lantern 2814.3, Zatanna and myself will leave the Watchtower in one hour. Has any member of the government contacted you about this absence," asked J'onn. "I believe they were awaiting their presence too."
"Strangely, no. And they should be concerned, since we are here on behalf of the Queen" She looked over her shoulder at Adam. He shook his head confirming he hadn't been contacted either.
"Ask for an audience with Queen Maxima and find out what do they know," J'onn suggested.
"Roger. Will do that." 'Great! Now I'll have to deal with Maxi-bitch. Oh, no! On top of that, I'll have to face my ex. This mission keeps getting better and better' "That's all from here. Your ETA to Almerac?
"Hopefully, we'll be arriving in little more than nine hours"
"Roger that. We will talk then. Hawkgirl out" The comm-link was ended.
-0-
Royal Palace - Throne Hall - same time
Maxima was attending some matters of state with her cabinet with her natural efficiency. Contrary to appearances, she was a capable and expeditious ruler, with a strong sense of balance and justice. Keen enough to spot a rotten fish whenever her cabinet tried to take her for a fool (A few heads had rolled because of that), but she had her people's interests and wellbeing always in mind. A completely different thing were her personal affairs, in which she was capricious, unpredictable, unstable and violent whenever she couldn't get things her way.
Lord Suupra asked her to have a private conversation. The left side of his face was swollen and the eye black and blue. She dismissed her other personnel, and when they were alone, she said
"What did you find out? Speak!"
"Our watchers found traces of an explosion down on the route of the Earth ship." Maxima was hoping that, somehow, the Leaguers discovered her plans and Kal-El would still be alive. Her hopes rapidly vanished with these news. "All the debris was collected. It's theirs apparently, but further analysis is required. All evidence was erased and there's nothing that could lead the Justice League to us."
"Did they give you a location?" She must see for herself. She would go there and look for him.
"They said it was in the proximity of a binary system, and then we lost communication." Suupra was certain these would be his last words.
"You what! How is this possible! I must have proof!" Her royal 'we' slipped. This was never a good sign for Lord Suupra. She grabbed her advisor by the neck. "Do you know how many binary systems there are between the Earth and Almerac? Hundreds!"
With half a voice, Suupra tried to explain. "That route is frequently followed by our ships, Exalted One, therefore, a common target for pirate ambushes. Almerachian vessels are often sought after for their advanced technology and precious cargo!"
"We don't care how, but you better find them," her voice was rasp and menacing. "Or we will be drinking our mead from your hollowed skull!" Maxima released his neck. "Schedule keeper," the ruler ordered ."Cancel all our meetings for the day. we don't want to see anybody!"