Captain Planet: When Twixt Two Lovers Shall Meet

Written by: FossilQueen1984

Disclaimer: Hey again! Whoa nine reviews, you guys are really enjoying my space opera! Hooray! Still own nothing mentioned. On with the story.

Suggested soundtrack: Chez Olaf from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Emperor's Theme from The Empire Strikes Back, Land of the Impure from Princess Mononoke

Chapter 7: Where is Lilandriel? Minerva's Anxious Quest

While Laila and Callan were recuperating back on Earth, it had been an entire month since anybody on New Gallifrey had heard from her, and people were starting to get worried. After a day had passed, Odysseus had begun to worry: Laila's transmission had been cut off!

Worried, he immediately sent word from General Pericles. The esteemed General was surprised by Odd's amount of concern, he said she was fine. After a week, he demanded Pericles send out a rescue party, however Pericles refused.

"How can you stand by, and not do anything? What if something has happened to her? Lilandriel Hector is this city's finest pilot. People are starting rumors, and they are not going away. If you don't start an investigation, I will go to the Council of Elders myself."

Pericles sat up from his desk, and launched himself atop of Odd. Grabbing the man by his throat he hissed, "Listen to me, Odysseus.

I am the one running the defenses of this city, not you. One missing pilot is of no concern; now leave me to my work." Standing up, he threw the retied hero from his office, and returned to his work. Once he was alone, he turned his attention to an ancient map display.

Once Hector and Andromache heard what had happened, Pericles's behavior frightened them. Pericles had always been power hungry, but a capable leader, why would he not look for their daughter? Of course, missing pilots were always rescued, but as the weeks passed, everyone in Sinam Luar assumed Laila died by the hands of the Troika. Only Lilandriel's family refused to give up hope.

After Laila had been gone for a month, Minerva had had enough. Surely, Laila had to be somewhere, and nobody was owning up that Laila could still be alive.

She has to be alive; if she were dead the Valkyries would have returned her to us. I'm going to find out what happened, Minerva decided.

The following afternoon, Min trekked to the downtown library to research recent missions regarding Troika raids. The reports were censored, but she could make out coordinates behind the black ink. Taking a picture with her recorder, she uploaded it and managed to get back home before her parents' learned she was out.

After going to bed, Min slipped out onto the stair landing, and listened in on her parent's conversation. As any child knows, listening in to your parent's over stair banisters is a good way to find out if something is going on. Indeed, she heard plenty and recorded what she felt was important.

"It's been a month Hector, a damn month, and no word on our Laila! Why won't anybody look into it?"

"Odd says he has, many times. But, the regional bureaucracy is keeping him away with logistical red tape, and Pericles refuses to budge on the matter. Speaking of that, he looked rather strange today during the debates over trading rights in the Peloponnesian Colonies. It was like he was for and against it, which is unusual."

"According to the papers, he has been under a lot of stress lately. Supposedly, he has been fooling around with arcane artifacts…"

"Artifacts that belong in a museum, not for personal use. I have seen too many people fall into darkness with those."

"Yes, but not here in the Capital! Is it possible?"

"Not now! For all we know, Min could get the wrong idea and go off on damn idealistic crusade! I just don't know."

Arcane artifacts? Where do you get those? Man, Laila was overhead, I have to find out what happened, Min thought grimly. The only thing to do now was to head off to Earth, but it was so far away?

Staring up at the bedroom ceiling, Min mused on her predicament. Earth was off limits, so why was Laila sent there? As far as she was concerned, it had something to do with Yourimori, not just Troika. They were too easy of a scapegoat. Her sister wasn't the only pilot, it just didn't seem right. Whatever was going on could wait until morning.