Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Psyche
(Disclaimer: Still own nothing from BLoSC. Reviews are appreciated.)
0000
During King Nova's subsequent ball, the chefs served wine early—Mira's wish come true. However, she refrained from drinking herself stupid; a faint buzz sufficed, granting her the sense of serenity she'd lacked since Darkmatter's trespass.
The perfect state of mind for accepting dance requests.
She now danced with her sixth consecutive noble, a guy named Orion Pleiades who owned two left feet, but giving a lesser bother by the wine's graces, she managed. Still, a lady could take only so many smashed toes during one orchestral movement.
Mira and her partner passed close to another couple, and she recognized both dancers: Elara Cressida and Altair Rigel. Of Altair, Mira knew little, but she and Elara took etiquette classes together during their youth, and the "blossoming gentlewoman" loved mocking her princess's spectacular embroidery failures when their group instructor turned her back.
"Hello, Lady Cressida."
"Oh, Princess Nova! You look well, my lady, and your ensemble is particularly stunning tonight."
"Thank you."
"Did you do the stitching yourself?"
Mira smiled. "Of course not; the royal seamstresses work so diligently, after all. It would be criminal to deny them the use of their hard-won skill, not to mention the source of their daily bread."
"Your wisdom and graciousness abound, Your Majesty," Elara replied.
"Thank you, Lady Elara." Toes throbbing, Mira turned to Orion "Foot Crusher" Pleiades and said, "It has indeed been a pleasure dancing with you this night, Sir Orion, but I have yet to include Sir Altair in my rounds. Would you mind too terribly if we parted ways here? I mean no insult, of course.
"Uh, no, of course not, Princess Nova," Orion replied. "Whatever Your Majesty desires."
With that said, the ladies twirled across the dance floor and into the arms of the men opposite them. Mira's seventh noble caught her without missing a beat, and they matched the orchestra's changing tempo.
Thanking the cosmos, Mira sighed, "Finally. My toes can recover."
Altair chuckled. "He took the phrase 'dancing toe-to-toe' a bit too far, huh?"
"A bit, yes."
Altair glanced over her shoulder. "There's one in every crowd. Poor guy—and gal, I guess."
"Yeah."
Mira and Altair danced in silence for a few moments. But maybe the wine affected her more than she thought, for the princess felt the strangest sense of…unease? Déjà vu?
Then, Altair lowered his head to whisper something into her ear:
"You're gonna have to try harder if you want to keep me out, princess."
Mira almost ghosted through her own skin.
"And before you think of calling security, you might wanna disable my latest 'safeguards' first." Warp grinned. "Good job last time, by the way. I was expecting at least one or two to be left over."
Anger drove away Mira's fright (and her buzz, fraggit) to the point socking Darkmatter's big fat jaw sounded like a fantastic idea. Warp must've felt it—his dance partner's left-hand nails digging into his shoulder probably gave her away—and he tightened his grip on her right hand.
"You're cute when you're feisty—" his metal hand squeezed hers, "—but don't push your luck."
"How, Darkmatter?" Mira lowered her voice enough for only him to hear. "How have you slipped past us again? What did you do with the real Altair?"
"You make it sound like it's a challenge. As for the Altair guy, let's just say he's blazing a trail and exploring new territory across the galaxy."
"Give me. A real. Answer."
"Secrets. Of. The trade."
Mira ground her teeth until they hurt. Then came perhaps the most ironic and upsetting realization of the moment:
Their dance, which Warp led with practiced ease, was a waltz.
Never mind the accursed stutter; Mira's twitching eye needed the bulk of her reflex control.
Warp spun her around. "Princess of Tangea, Queen of Mixed Signals."
Mira jolted and missed a step. "W-What? There's, there's nothing to mix!" she protested, resisting the urge to haul back and punch him. "Nothing!"
"Sure, because I, with my own personal moon and summer asteroid once staffed full of gorgeous female employees, wouldn't know a thing about women."
"I know for a fact you did not just relate me to your working girls, Darkmatter, and knowing all about cheap floozies doesn't come close to knowing anything about ladies—especially not princesses."
"One: Those floozies weren't cheap, which was kind of the point." Warp spun Mira back around again. "Two: You've had…eight chances to trade me off like Sir Stomps-A-Lot, and yet we're still dancing the night away. Any specific reason why?"
"Yes, actually. One: Keeping you here where I can watch you rather than letting you slip off somewhere is safer for Tangea."
"Not exactly true."
"Two:" Mira snarled, "I've got my 'how' answer, though certainly no sane person would ever―"
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm in perfect mental health."
Mira's fury blazed. "Because betraying the Galactic Alliance, Star Command, and your best friend just for some glitzy paychecks from Evil Emperor Zurg is what any psychologically stable person would do. 'To protect and defend all sentient beings against injustice'? What a joke, right? Who cares how many lives you ruin so long as you, Warp Darkmatter, get your cut at the end of the day? Money, toys, girls, and the lap of luxury—that's all that matters. Well, let's hope you can keep finding fulfillment in your bloody riches, because they won't mitigate the fact that in the end, you, Warp Darkmatter, are completely alone and unloved throughout the entire fragging universe. When your selfishness eventually gets you killed, I bet the entire Galactic Alliance'll rejoice over finally being able to forget about you and the miserable life you lived."
Warp gawked at her, and Mira almost swore she saw hurt flash through his widened eyes.
Good.
"Feh. So much for enjoying the evening," Warp muttered.
"And on that subject, I no longer need you to tell me the real reason you've hung around." Mira removed her left hand from Warp's shoulder and jabbed her index finger into his chest. "Listen and listen well, Darkmatter. I don't care how attractive your so-called 'staff' think you are; I'm never going to be another notch in your bedpost. You couldn't have read me more wrong. Princess I may be, but a conquest I most certainly am not. How fragging dare you even think so, you money-grubbing, backstabbing, womanizing swine."
Warp started objecting, but Princess Nova's riot act steamrolled over him.
"After tonight, you get off my planet and don't even think about coming back. If you do and I catch you, rest assured that I'll make you regret each and every moment you played the part of Zurg's lapdog. And if one of your 'safeguards' activates and hurts any of my subjects once we're done here, I will not rest until I put you behind bars for the rest of your traitorous life."
"I would love to see you try, rookie," Warp growled. "Oh, wait, your entire team has been trying and failing for literal years, or am I wrong?"
A few seconds earlier, the orchestra finished playing, and the Tangeans nearest the princess and her final dance partner listened in on their two arguing brethren curiously.
Using her most regal voice, Mira commanded, "Unhand me this instant, Altair Rigel."
"Gladly, Your Highness."
A tense moment passed, Princess Nova and "Sir Rigel" on the apparent verge of an even more gossip-worthy spat.
"Centuries ago," Mira snarled, "they talked about the Seven Wonders of the World. Buzz's faith in you is the eighth."
Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the ball room and gave no care for her father's orders for her to return.
0000
If anyone asked Mira who grew angrier at the situation: Commander Nebula or King Nova, she would have answered, "Neither." The shouting match between the two leaders compared not to her. Utter. Outrage.
When the princess stalked out of the command center and past Buzz, he asked, "What did he say, Mira?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing much," Mira replied with a too-wide smile. "Just enough to make my father impose a ban on traveling a-a-and moving goods to or from Tangea, which forced me to-to choose between my 'responsibilities to my planet' or, Commander Nebula's recommendation, remaining at Star Command." She threw up her hands and let them flop to her sides again. "Guess what I picked."
"You were upset before making your report." Buzz placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mira, tell me. What did he say?"
Her captain sounded so concerned, so willing to listen...
She almost hated him for it.
"Enough," Mira bit out, whirling away and heading straight for her quarters. She passed Booster and XR, but catching one glimpse of her face, they flattened themselves against the other side of the hall and said nothing.
0000
Not two weeks later, Team Lightyear interrupted a black market deal between Zurg and some goon on Tradeworld. There, the Rangers ended up facing Warp Darkmatter, acting as Zurg's middle-man—what a surprise—but the shrimp of an arms dealer stood no chance. Mira took him out first, squeezing his brain until he fell unconscious and then slapping on his brand new pair of cuffs.
When the princess rejoined her team against Agent Z, she fought like a demon. She seized every chance for a shot, sparing her personal safety negligible regard. As far as she was concerned, if she couldn't bring Zurg's pet mercenary down, then he'd flee in pieces.
Ultimately, Darkmatter cut his losses and carried out a tactical retreat, lugging off half of the weapons he came for. His cybernetic arm hung limp and sparking, and a burn from a wrist-mounted laser scorched through one eyebrow. Consumed by fury, Mira attempted pursuit, but Buzz caught her with an iron grip and forced her to the ground.
"Sweet mother of Venus, Ranger, what were you doing out there? Those stunts you pulled nearly got you vaporized!" he yelled.
"Although it made for some great footage for my first feature film, Rangers of the Lost Quark," XR announced.
"Th-Those 'stunts' also had Darkmatter on the ropes, if you didn't notice!" she yelled right back, ignoring XR. "If you'd let me go after him, I might, I might've a-a-at least been able to destroy―"
"No! Nothing is worth a Space Ranger acting like a fool! You know better, Mira!"
"I already have an infuriating father, Buzz; I'm not in the market for another!"
XR twiddled his fingers. "Yowch. Score one for the princess?"
"Mira, stop! Please!" Booster interposed himself between his arguing teammates. "We want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't―"
"Stay out of this, Booster! It's none of your business!" the princess snapped, regretting it when the gentle giant flinched away.
"Don't take your personal issues with Agent Z out on your comrades, Mira—and your attitude becomes Booster's business when it affects our performance in the field," said Buzz, patting Booster's arm. Then, he shook his head and sighed. "Look... I know Warp better than anyone here; and there's no denying he can be…extremely unpleasant when the mood strikes him."
"'Extremely unpleasant'? 'Extremely unpleasant'?" Mira rounded on her captain. "You know what else Warp Darkmatter is, Buzz? An unrepentant traitor and a narcissistic, womanizing thug! In some ways, he's worse than Zurg!"
Booster stared, both hands in front of his mouth, and XR's commentary consisted of: "Whoa."
Buzz narrowed his eyes and stiffened his jaw. "That's not true, Mira. Zurg is evil to the core, but I've seen good in Warp too many times to count—and so have you three."
"We did?"
Under his teammates' glowers, XR backpedaled and recanted, "Hey, I neither confirm nor deny seeing anything related to one Warp Darkmatter's moral character."
"Not helping, XR," Booster reproved through clenched teeth.
"Even if that's true, Buzz," Mira said, "Darkmatter doesn't need to be pure evil in order to be petty and selfish, the two qualities at which he excels and ultimately chooses over all others. He only acts the hero when it's convenient for his interests! No matter how much you believe in him, he'll never change. It'd save the Galactic Alliance and Star Command a heaping helping of time and energy if you'd just accept reality and move on already! Do you even know how childish if not outright stupid you make yourself look by still believing in him after everything he's done? He's feeding you lies, and you just eat them up like you're a complete sucker!"
Anger lit Buzz's eyes, and Mira froze, almost not believing what just came out of her mouth.
"Ranger Nova, the recent misfortunes with Warp Darkmatter have affected you deeply; and understandably so," Captain Lightyear said very, very carefully. "Nonetheless, that is no excuse to perform acts of potentially lethal recklessness when engaging an armed and experienced criminal, nor do the troubles of your planet give you the right to mistreat your teammates.
"Until such time as excessive emotions no longer impair your judgment, I'm suspending you from active Space Ranger duty. You will hang up your suit and report directly to your quarters upon our return to Star Command."
0000
Few times did Mira ever feel more miserable, sequestered inside Star Command for a second week. Her punishment didn't limit her to her room, though; she ate her meals in the cafeteria, blew bouts of steam off in the gym, and spent time visiting the lounge. Commander Nebula and his favorite LGM's even taught her several card games at their table, though how Nebula told the tiny green munchkins apart, Mira never knew.
Sadly, none of those freedoms cleared her head for long. Wherever Mira went, others—LGM's, her fellow Rangers, and the regular Star Command staff—watched her, and the consideration of the nicer ones who tried doing so on the down-low left her feeling worse. A handful of watchers offered her their ears or whatever anatomical part with which they listened, but she refused each offer politely.
Though just the sight of her quarters drove her up the wall, no other place provided total privacy. But leaving her alone and stewing…
"Buzz's got no right to stuff me away like this," Mira declared to the otherwise silent room. "He has no right!"
Her rational side chided her before the outburst's end. She acted beyond irrational on Tradeworld. No one could tell how many people her mission-long crusade for revenge might've hurt, or worse, and no amount of self-righteousness justified her ripping into her teammates, especially when they did nothing wrong. Both Ranger protocol and personal responsibility, to say nothing of the bonds of camaraderie, obligated Buzz to pull Mira from duty after the dangerous immaturity she displayed.
Mira flopped onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Why did she even care to let Warp Darkmatter get under her skin like this? He didn't double-cross her after several years of best-friendship, and she suffered plenty of less-than-savory folk who tried charming their ways into her good graces. Not to mention, dozens of planets failed noticing Agent Z come and go—
And there, Mira found an answer. Darkmatter's "visiting" Tangea stung because the planet in question not merely belonged to but partially relied upon her, Princess Nova. Then, like that little fact failed rankling her enough, Warp taunted her to her face about his trespasses while threatening her subjects at the same time.
Though her aggravation smoldered, Mira no longer blamed her father for declaring Tangea a no-fly zone. If she held King Nova's much more rigid political position, the stars above knew she'd err on the side of caution, prejudiced or not, if Agent Z bypassed heavy security twice like nothing more than air barred his way. Especially since both times, said agent found himself the perfect positions for the possible kidnapping or assassination of the Tangean throne's sole heir, all the while holding her people hostage without them even knowing.
Mira shuddered, remembering the distinct lack of space contained within the last niche Darkmatter carved for the two of them. Never did she wish to get so close to the man, and never did she wish to do so again. Certainly not with him trying to get her to act like the piece of meat he so obviously thought she was...
Her rage flared anew, and she wanted to beat Warp into paste regardless of anyone's orders. Immediately, her rational side analyzed the reasoning behind the emotion. Warp Darkmatter implied and then tried sparking base physical attraction in her for him before attempting to use it to his advantage. Something so altogether trivial made her angry enough to act like a nitwit while fighting on the Galactic Alliance's behalf? Not the threat to her planet? Or her people?
Really?
"…I've seen good in Warp too many times to count—and so have you three."
Mira huffed while squeezing her pillow's upper edge.
Beside her bed, the room's comm unit beeped, and a rough voice addressed her.
"Ranger Nova. This is Commander Nebula. Please respond."
The commander sounded subdued, and Mira went on high alert.
"This is Ranger Nova responding," she replied. "What are your orders, sir?"
"Report to Crit-Care on the double. It's an emergency."
Bounding out of bed, Mira spent more time ghosting than running to Star Command's medical wing. When she arrived in Crit-Care, she saw Commander Nebula, Booster, and XR crowded outside a room near the back. Taking a place beside them, she approached the viewing window, and her breath caught.
Lying unconscious within the hospital room was Buzz, attended by several Star Command medics. Barely an inch of his skin showed from under the bandages, gauze, and casts, and he was hooked up to life support.
0000
~Earlier In the Day~
"What did you say to her, Warp?"
"My line of work involves chatting up lots of ladies, Lightyear. You're gonna have to be a bit more specific."
"You are not dodging my question!"
"I can dodge anything you throw at me, Lightyear!"
"Great job on the banter, both of you! Now, if you wouldn't mind, a couple more explosions would make this scene!"
"Not the time or the place, XR!"
"I disagree! Ask and you shall receive, Tin Toy!"
"Terillium! Alloy! I am not―!"
**BOOM**
"YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Booster, fall back and retrieve XR!"
"Yes, sir!"
"It's just you and me now, Warp! Now, answer my question!"
"What's it to ya, Lightyear? The pwincess get her widdle feewings hurt?"
"Warp, what do you want from her? She doesn't fit the bill for one of your casual flings, and even you wouldn't stoop so low to defile royalty!"
"You do know about the dangers of assuming, right?"
"Blast it, Warp! I know there's good in you somewhere―"
"Oh, cripes, would you hop off the soapbox already? It got old on the first try; now it's just ridiculous! For the last time, we are not friends, and I'm not exchanging the life I was meant to have for a glorified civil service job at Star Command! Get that through your thick, idealistic head and go shove your oversized chin―"
"WARP, LOOK OUT!"
"Wha―CRATERS!"