Thank you all for the reviews.
Thanks Hellacre for her editing.
Chapter 13 - There's Something about Maxie.
Day 8
Almerac - City of Potentoris - Ancestral Hall
Hour of Tarin
Maxima was seated at the central table, inside the Conference Room where Peace Negotiations were taking place. Her boredom was way beyond her tolerance threshold.
"This is pointless! Both sides are purposely making demands and setting conditions they KNOW the other part will never accept. What is it they want? If they don't want peace, then why did they agree on meeting here?" She understood the need of each government to save face, diplomatically speaking, but this was getting ridiculous.
Her thoughts went back to the day before yesterday. Her Schedule Keeper had informed her that the Justice League requested an audience with her and they mentioned the name Darkseid.
Damn Darkseid. And damn Suupra for dealing with his minions to get Apokoliptian technology.
She conveniently left out the part that he did so to satisfy her whims. She wondered what the Leaguers had found out. Her obligations to the peace meetings had kept her unavailable to see those meddling intruders. Still, she wanted to know how far they went with their investigation, and her excuses would only work for so long. Hiding her head in the sand, like an Iscrovis bird, wasn't the answer.
"Think, Maxima, think," she urged herself. "You can blame this whole thing on Suupra and then get him killed. The idiot has outlived his usefulness, anyway. He wasn't able to find out if my beloved Kal-El was destroyed in that explosion or not. He is not even capable of recovering our missing scout ship!" A smile stretched her full lips, and a satisfied look illuminated her amber eyes. "Yes, disposing of Suupra would buy me some precious time."
The Queen slapped both hands on the conference table and stood up. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems we are arguing in circles here. We suggest we take a recess to reconsider. We, as moderator, must urge you to find a common ground. The Court specialists in Interplanetary Law will have a first draft of an agreement tomorrow. We suggest you do the same with your own terms, substantiating your demands. We don't need to tell you how important this Peace Treaty is for the entire sector. Very recently, the name Darkseid has come to Our attention. I believe you all know what that means. It's better if we all stand as a united force or render the whole quadrant to him for the taking, while we are engaging in our own petty and childish arguments. But know this: in a divided quadrant Almerac will only stand for itself. We will fall fighting, if we must. Your worlds have been weakened by years of war, and Darkseid will find it all too easy to submit you and add you to his possessions." All voices rose in an attempt to protest, the Queen held her hand up and everybody got silenced. "This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow at the Hour of Hann." She took a small golden hammer and struck a little gong in front of her. Everybody stood up as the Queen abandoned the room, followed by her entourage.
As the Monarch was leaving Ancestral Hall in route to the Royal Palace, she instructed her Schedule Keeper, "Contact the League. Inform them We have an opening of fifteen chrons to receive them at Hour of Tersus. Tell them to be on time."
"Yes, Exalted One. Immediately," said the Schedule Keeper and went in the direction of the League quarters.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Triad" team quarters.
Hour of Valkriss
The Martian Manhunter thanked the Schedule Keeper, assuring their presence at the Palace, and sending him on his way.
"Maxima will receive us in...," he checked his watch, "three hours."
"Finally! That woman makes everything ten times more difficult than it should be! We could have seen her two days ago!" snapped Zatanna.
"Every second wasted is a second Darkseid gets a step closer to destroy any chance of peace in the sector," added GL.
"Unfortunately Rann and Thanagar delegates aren't doing anything to help speed up the peace negotiations. I'd say it's the opposite, really" said Zee.
"Yes..." J'onn was rubbing his chin. "Which gets me thinking: is it possible that both delegations had been infiltrated by Apokoliptian agents?"
"Sounds very plausible. I see Glorious Godfrey written all over it. It's clearly his M.O.," stated John.
"We must tell Hawkgirl and Adam to open their eyes and ears to see what they can find. I'll call them." The sorceress moved to a side tapping her communicator.
"This is another issue we'll have to discuss with the Queen," said GL to the Martian.
"Agreed. If there is any spy among the diplomats, with free access to the negotiation room, who knows what drastic action this person may attempt to end the conference. May even be carrying a bomb to detonate inside the room," answered J'onn.
"This is getting more complicated by the minute. I don't think Maxima is aware of all the ramifications that Darkseid's involvement implies. We must insist her cooperation with our investigation is in hers and the whole quadrant's best interest! She must let us search the delegates before they enter the conference room!"
Zatanna coming back from her talk with the other members interrupted Stewart. "Impossible. I've been through that with the Ancestral Hall security. Once all members of the delegacy were cleared by their respective government, they have diplomatic immunity, therefore, they can't be searched, detained or molested in any way," she said.
"Damn diplomatic immunity! It leaves our hands tied!" snapped John.
"In that case, we can't be absent from the conference table anymore. We've been excusing ourselves from assisting because of our investigation, but now it demands our presence where the danger might be," stated the Martian.
"Agreed," GL and Zatanna replied at the same time.
"Hawkgirl and Adam have been alerted and they are looking for any infiltration sign," Zee added. "Shayera is pretty sure this attitude from the Thanagarians is part of their usual charm. Still she'll be on her toes in case something suspicious happens."
Green Lantern looked at his watch. "It's still one hour until our report to the Watchtower and two and a half to see Maxima. Do we have all the evidence to present her with our case?"
"All here. 'Telbat'!" Zatanne pronounced, and a hand-held pad appeared in her hand.
"Good. We can take a moment to eat something. Any suggestions?" GL asked.
"'Slegab elub nezod a flah'!" recited the magician, and a tray with blue bagels materialized in front of them.
"Oh! You are terrible, Zee! These things are a vice!" lamented Stewart.
"And with good reason," informed J'onn. "I found out that the biqves, the blue fruit that constitutes the main ingredient is highly addictive, it affects the pleasure centers of the brain, pretty much like chocolate, but six times more powerful. In fact, its juice, once fermented, is a potent liquor they call 'mead', a favorite of the monarch. " The Manhunter took one from the tray.
"You mean that harpy is hammered when she's in her throne?" Zatanna asked in shock.
"No. Not with her superhuman constitution." J'onn eased her concerns.
"Pity," added Stewart. "That could have explained a lot." The three shared a laugh.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Royal Palace
Hour of Tersus
J'onn, Zatanna and John waited outside the Throne Hall to be summoned by the Queen.
The golden doors opened.
"The Exalted One will receive you now," the Schedule Keeper informed. The three walked in line towards the throne and stopped six yards from it, awaiting orders, as protocol demanded.
Maxima whispered some instructions to one of her advisors, and, turning her attention to them, said with a gesture, "Approach". The Leaguers took a bow and moved to the steps in front of the Queen's seat. "We've been informed your investigation led to some discoveries," the Monarch began.
"That is correct, Exalted One," said the Martian, who had been appointed as spokesman. He presented all the evidence to the Queen. To say Maxima was shocked when she saw the origin of the attacking missile was an understatement. She never thought their planetary defenses could be trespassed by any means of teletransportation.
"A boom tube!" she exclaimed.
"A mini boom tube," Brega corrected her.
"Silence! How could this device breach our fortified perimeter?! Schedule Keeper! Cancel all Our next meetings and call the generals immediately to the situation room!" Maxima exploded. Changing her tone, she asked "Do you have any theories about this, J'onn?"
Martian Manhunter told her about their concerns and suspicions of an infiltration among the delegations, and the need to take decisive actions at once.
"But our conclusion, Exalted One, is that none of this would have been possible without inside help." The Queen was about to protest. "No, not necessarily a traitor. Darkseid's people are very resourceful. Sometimes, when they sell technology, they also include a 'Trojan Horse' hidden in it, which can invade Almeracs' systems, sending intel back to Apokolips about your defense grid, among other things. A year ago, the Justice League sent a message to all our allied worlds with a warning to prevent this situation from happening. Have you any knowledge of any recent acquisition any of your subjects could have made, Exalted One?"
If Suupra's execution was a matter of convenience up to this point, now it was completely justified in the ruler's eyes. 'Stupid fool! He should know whom he was dealing with' "It has come to Our attention that one of Our advisors, Lord Suupra, recently purchased technology from outside our world. The details of the transaction are in his possession."
"Then we'd like to interrogate him, with your permission, to find out about those details," J'onn requested.
"Certainly." 'In your dreams', thought the Queen. "He is on a mission outside the Capital. We'll send for him at once." She said instead, "We don't think he'll be back before tomorrow, though."
"As soon as possible, then, Exalted One. Thank you. In the mean time, we will resume our duties at the peace conference." To emphasize the seriousness of the situation, the Martian Manhunter, lowered his voice, adding with a rather ominous tone, "Maxima: this is Darkseid. No precaution is too much against him, and time is a luxury we don't have. The future of this entire sector depends upon our next steps. You know that."
The breach of protocol J'onn committed by calling her by her name took her by surprise, bringing her back to her brief period inside the League, but it achieved the desired effect. With a preoccupied expression, Maxima said, "T-this will be dealt with at once." 'Well,' she thought, 'it's not completely a lie, anyway'. "You are dismissed."
"Thank you, Exalted One. With your permission." With another bow, the three left the Hall.
Outside the Palace, Zatanna asked, "Do you think she finally got the seriousness of the situation, J'onn?"
"Yes. I believe this time it really sunk in," he answered.
"For all our sakes, let's hope so. Now what?" asked GL.
"Now we prepare for another boooooring day at the Ancestral Hall." Zatanna rolled her eyes.
At the Royal Palace, Maxima reunited with her generals in her situation room, scolding them for not preventing Darkseid's infiltration,
"This is unacceptable! Our planetary defenses rendered useless!?" She ordered the projection of the surveillance videos. "See that? That, ladies and gentlemen, is our worst nightmare came true! Almerac doesn't need this right now, in the middle of the peace negotiations. How can we provide security to the attendants when our own isn't guaranteed? And it had to be outsiders the ones to find out. Outrageous! We want immediate action in order to fix this enormous mess. Today We were using Darkseid's menace to help Us convince the ambassadors of the urgency of the situation we're facing. We don't want Almerac to be the entrance for that monster into this sector, is that clear?" Her eyes were two burning embers. "Order a complete and thorough search of every system on the planet to find the invading programs and to eliminate them. Consult with the League, if you must, since they have experience in the matter. Failure is NOT an option. Your positions...No, YOUR HEADS are at risk here, Generals. Is that understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Check and double check every step you take. Keep Us informed at every instance." She commanded, "Leave Us now".
Then she sent for Sikaruss, her most trusted hitman.
"Exalted On..." Sikaruss started.
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Your mark is Lord Suupra." The hitman was genuinely surprised, but he knew better than to ask anything. "This is his current location. It has to happen tonight and it must look like suicide. Get it done," she ordered.
"It shall be done," he answered.
"Good. Go," she dismissed him.
The Queen returned to the Throne Hall. Instead of going to her place, she approached the Mead Page, to his surprise, and poured herself a glass of the blue liquid, which she finished in one gulp and then another, taking the second with her to the throne. Maxima was uneasy. The complications kept piling one upon the other. So far, everything was under her control, or so she thought, but, for how long? Darkseid's hold on Almerac was an unforeseen consequence of her plan to eradicate Kal-El from her life. And a most unwanted one, at that. And Suupra, as stupid as he was, was still his wisest advisor. A waste to be forced to dispose of him.
The Queen descended her throne and went to the terrace, dismissing every courtier or servant who approached her asking if the Monarch wanted or needed something. The blue sun of Almerac will soon disappear under the horizon
"Oh, mighty Kloss, shine your light for me. Show me what path I should follow. My heart still aches for Kal-El and my mind is in fear for the future of my world. What should I do?" Maxima took to the skies. A little flight would help clear her thoughts. The view from above always soothed her head. A flock of marus came near her with their red feathered wings, bringing a smile to her face. When did she stop enjoying simple things? The voice of her father, King Maximino, sounded in her ears still. "Maxie, every morning Kloss shows his face to us is a miracle, and we must be thankful and praise our ancestors for it. Don't let it go wasted, my beautiful princess." She could feel the caress of his red beard against her chicks. Tears clouded her vision and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. On her short period on Earth, she tried to read as much as she could about kings and kingdoms of that world. She found herself taken by an author who seemed to have captured the thoughts, feelings and ambitions of the rulers better than any other, a certain Shakespeare. A phrase of him was the one which described her current state of mind perfectly: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown..."
"Uneasy indeed...," she said to herself.
Two hours later the ruler returned to palace, and went directly to her chambers. Once there, she ordered her main Chamber Aid
"Aleena, inform Manthus (the Schedule Keeper) that We will spend the rest of the evening in Our chambers. Have Our dinner served in here as well in one hour. But first, prepare the bath and help me out of this clothes."
Aleena removed the green and gold outfit while the other aids where taking care of the bath preparations.
"Which garments would you like me to get ready for you, Exalted One?" the aid asked.
"None. Only the silk robe. The light one," and added, "We want to watch the holo-records of Our childhood. Only the ones with my parents. Get them ready for Us."
"At once, Exalted One" Aleena answered.
After dinner, Maxima saw the holo-records, with special attention in the one where her father taught her how to fly. Feeling a little better, she decided it was time for bed. Her aids helped her to it. She always slept in the nude, saying she couldn't stand anything against her skin other than the silken sheets 'And, perhaps, Kal-El's body' The thought of him brought a warm feeling to her stomach, and the Monarch fell asleep with his image in her head.
"Max..." the voice sounded familiar. Soft and gentle.
Max. Open your eyes." She obeyed and saw Kal-El floating above her bed, completely naked and already aroused. With a gentle blow he removed the sheet covering her body. Her skin was tingling and the wetness between her legs was a clear sign of how ready she was, as well.
"It is you, my beloved Kal-El! You are alive, praise the ancestors! Oh, please, forgive me! I didn't..." she said. Her voice was shaking, part desire, part weeping.
"Shhhh...It's okay. We're together now. It's all that matters."
"It's all that matters." she repeated.
He descended over her until their bodies touched. His big hands began to roam her body, making her moan and tremble. His mouth was getting closer to hers and he captured her upper lip between his. Always slowly, he parted her lips with his tong and invaded her mouth in a passionate kiss to which she responded in kind, closing her flooded eyes. After a while, their mouths separated and she opened her eyes.
"Yes. You will provide me with a strong progeny." Darkseid rocky features were less than two inches from her face, and his rasping voice hurt her ears.
"AAAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEHHHHH H!" Maxima woke up screaming so hard that every single crystal in the room shattered into a thousand pieces.