Chapter 26: Stormy Skies

February 27, 8983 – February 28, 8983

"What is their position now?"

"The Third Fleet has retreated behind Ganymede for now. The Jovian battleships have withdrawn to protect Io, and Saitou Kai's ships have cut off three of our capital ships near Europa. The ships will be captured in short order."

"This doesn't look good," the captain commented, glancing at the report. "Have we had any contact from War Queen Nishina Yuri on Io?"

"None. The Jovian Royal Guard refuses to disclose her location and we can't get a stealth squad past their defenses to retrieve her."

"Then we must take more drastic action. Contact War Queen Takeda Keiko and apprise her of the situation; once she brings her fleets into Jupiter orbit, we will attack the capital and retrieve our War Queen."

"You will do no such thing." The husky voice brought silence to the bridge of the huge battleship, every Uranian reacting automatically to the power and the threat in those six words. The captain turned, eyebrow raised, and faced the intruder, glancing at her white and gold accented navy armor, noting her short blonde hair and brilliant emerald eyes before turning away. She had to be a daughter of one of the other War Queens, a high noble woman certainly, but hardly worth her time. Her sajink seemed very strong. Standing on either side of her, she recognized a Martian and a Jovian, each woman clad in the traditional armor style of her planet but neither of them a threat to a ship full of Uranian warriors.

"And who are you to order me around on my own ship?"

The blonde grinned and drew her sword from a heavily jeweled hilt hanging from her belt, a collective gasp passing through the other warriors on the bridge as every Uranian hit one knee. They might not know her face, but they certainly recognized that glowing golden sword. The captain turned slowly and stared at the taller blonde, the tip of a very familiar weapon pointed at her throat. "P-princess?"

The blonde smirked, sheathing her sword as she strode past the frozen captain and grabbed the data pad she had been reading. "Let me guess; Saitou Kai has put herself forward as the next Sixth, and Nishina Yuri opposed her? Why did Yuri go down to Io if her fleet is fighting Kai's?"

"Saitou Kai jammed all communications within the Jupiter system, so the War Queen took a small ship to the capital to apprise Queen Meika of the situation and ask for her help. The Jovian fleet was deployed, but Kai scattered them and they withdrew to Io."

The princess nodded as her two companions joined her at the control panel. The captain realized that they had to be her partner princesses from the other warrior planets, Rei of Mars and Makoto of Jupiter. "We have to stop Saitou Kai and her fleet. Rei, I need you to identify which ship is carrying my errant Lesser War Queen."

"How?"

Haruka turned to her friend, head tilted slightly at the redhead's question. "Michiru says you have the ability to see things in the fire like she can see in her mirror. You should be able to find Kai through fire-reading."

Rei sighed and nodded, staring out at the three small moons filling the viewscreen. "Yes, perhaps. I need a fire, however."

Haruka glanced over her shoulder at the captain, raising one eyebrow. "Find her a fire. I need to know which ship to target."

"What about our War Queen? The Jovian Royal Guard refuses to let us land and retrieve her as long as Saitou Kai's fleet threatens their system."

"I'll take care of that," Makoto announced, raising her henshin stick to the sky. Sailor Jupiter vanished moments later, heading for the planet and her palace to retrieve the Fifth War Queen. Rei turned to follow the captain, leaving Haruka alone with her reports.

"Anything?"

Rei shook her head, staring into the depths of the fire as she tried desperately to see her opponent, but the fire refused to divulge any secrets. The more she pushed, the more her power seemed to resist. "I can't focus enough."

"When Martian priestesses use fire-gazing, how do they focus their mind?"

Rei shrugged, glancing up at the Uranian princess. "I think . . . they chant."

"Do you know the chant?"

Rei shook her head. "No, but I don't think it matters what words you use, as long as you can focus your mind. I'll try using one of the chants I learned years ago during my endurance training."

Haruka nodded and stepped back, leaning against the wall with a guard on either side. The captain had assigned her an escort, despite her protests, and the silent guards were determined to protect her against anyone on the ship that might be Kai's supporters. Rei began to whisper, her eyes closed as she templed her fingers before her chest and focused her will on the flames before her. As the Martian chanted, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the fire, Haruka sensed a buildup of power before her. She had been the only one to recognize the strength of Minako's power on Io, and she wondered if the age of her goddess gave her the ability to sense the flow of senshi power. That could come in handy, if it turned out to be true.

The fire began to flicker, growing toward the ceiling as Rei's voice softened. An image appeared in the flames, a cluster of heavily armored ships, and Haruka leaned forward as all but one disappeared. "That's the one," Rei whispered as the fire died, smiling up at her friend. "That's where your dissident is."

Haruka nodded and reached down, helping Rei to her feet as she nodded toward her two guards. "Mars and I will teleport over to The Hidden Blade and find Kai. Gather a group of warriors and follow us in fighters. The idea is to prevent bloodshed, but you have permission to use force if necessary."

"Understood."

The two women, tall and imposing in their black and gold armor, nodded sharply, leaving the room as Haruka and Rei transformed and vanished.

Nishina Yuri leaned against the console on the bridge of her flagship with her long arms crossed nonchalantly, watching her princess in action. She narrowed her greenish hazel eyes as Saitou Kai shook her head defiantly at Haruka's demands, refusing to disband her small fleet even under orders from her princess. After retrieving the Lesser War Queen and disabling her ships, Haruka had brought Kai to Yuri's flagship just in time to meet Makoto returning from Io with the War Queen herself.

"I am Yasuda Mari's third cousin on her mother's side and I have a right to her seat!"

"You have a right to nothing when you attack one of my War Queens while on guard duty in a time of peace," Haruka replied, her voice soft but full of steel. She was tiring of the argument, and the two princesses by her side were clearly even more annoyed than she was. "Because of you and other Lesser War Queens, I have not even had time to go to Uranus and properly mourn the loss of my Sixth War Queen. I'm out here, trying to prevent a civil war, and I couldn't care less who has the seat when this is over."

"Then you'll give it to me."

"I'll give it to no one," Haruka growled, leaning forward and grabbing the front of Kai's shirt, stormy eyes almost glowing in the artificial light. "As is tradition when a War Queen dies without an heir, every eligible titled noble woman may compete for Mari's seat, including you. If you expect to be present for that fight, however, I suggest you stop arguing with me, redeploy your ships as I ordered before the meeting on Titan, and take yourself peacefully home to await my return. Do I make myself clear?"

Saitou Kai nodded, only just realizing that Haruka was easily four inches taller than her and much, much more powerful. "Forgive me, Princess," Kai whispered, "for causing such trouble. I will redeploy my ships under Nishina Yuri's command and return to Oberon for the contest."

"Good. Leave." Haruka stood perfectly still until the Lesser War Queen had been escorted from the bridge, relaxing as soon as the older woman was gone. "There aren't words for how much I hate politics."

"I'm pretty sure that's half your job as Queen," Rei returned, grinning as she glanced out the viewscreen at the planet swirling gently beneath them. "So this should have been the last uprising we had to contain, correct?"

"How many others were there?" Yuri asked, stepping forward. "I heard about one of the Lesser Chiefs attacking Taichen Laira's fleet near the Sun."

Haruka waved her hand dismissively. "That was a minor skirmish. Laira happens to be dating one of the Mercurian Duchesses, so Queen Amami scrambled every war ship she had to Laira's defense, which was, surprisingly, quite a large number despite her planet's history of peace. Murata Ayumi's cousin Natako attacked the battleships near Venus when Ayumi refused to sponsor her for the Sixth Seat, but I was able to remove Natako from her ship and explain to her that I would not accept her bid if she insisted on fighting my War Queens. Hikari had no problem with her children, even though three of them have expressed interest in the empty seat, but Takeda Keiko was nearly killed when her warship was ambushed by the combined forces of three Lower Chiefs. Oreshi Tagae was killed in the counterattack, and I demoted the other two chiefs involved. I don't think they anticipated the fury that Keiko's Saturnian family could express. Tomoko managed to keep peace among her daughters and nieces above Neptune, for which I am grateful since the Queen of that world has been less than welcoming to my warriors and I had no interest in visiting her to explain a firefight in her skies. The Second Fleet got into a huge battle with the Seventh over Pluto, but Setsuna decided to make an appearance, helping Hiroko subdue the captains and end the fighting. From her initial report, there were no casualties thanks to Setsuna's foreknowledge about the coming violence."

"What about the ships over Mars?"

"Kimura Sanae was injured when the captain on her capital ship declared herself the next Sixth War Queen, but the bridge officers protected their War Queen. I collected the other five captains in her fleet and offered them a chance to declare their loyalty to her or die at the tip of my sword. They all chose life. Now that I've calmed the fighting everywhere else, I must return to Oberon and announce the rules for succession, hopefully ending the rest of the violence. I must admit that I am a little tired after all this teleporting."

Yuri nodded, brushing her long red hair over her shoulder before turning to her console and examining her own troop deployments. "How much energy does it take for you to teleport, Princess?"

"Yuri, please call me Haruka. I don't have time for all of these formalities among my War Queens. Until today, we have been restricting ourselves to three teleports a day, and we always travel in a group, which is much easier than solo teleports. We've done over two dozen today, and I'm not sure how many more trips we can make."

"Please be careful, then, on your last teleport. I will return as soon as you announce the contest for the Sixth Seat."

"Just keep your troops in line until then. I never want to have to quell an uprising like this again."

"How are they doing?"

"Tired," Michiru replied, staring into the depths of her mirror. "They've used a lot of power to teleport, and Haruka is worried that she's pushed them too far. It's not easy for three headstrong warriors to let their barriers down long enough to combine their power like they've been doing today, and they've done it over two dozen times."

"Why did she pick Rei and Makoto, then? She had to have known."

"She did, Serenity," Minako answered, staring out the window at Hikari's gardens spread across the landscape. Serenity's lesson's in Venusian were not advanced enough for Minako to be comfortable speaking to her in that language when the subject matter was so important. "She was hoping to use this as another training exercise. No matter what happens or where we are, any two or three senshi should be able to teleport together. Ami, Michiru, and I had no problem with that since we are all from peaceful races and are generally better at getting along than Jovians, Martians, and especially Uranians. I hope this test doesn't drain her too much."

"She will be fine."

The four princesses looked up in shock at the soft voice, staring at the intruder as if they had no breeding or manners at all. Setsuna smiled and took a seat on the couch opposite Minako, her dark green and crimson dress far less depressing than her usual attire, Time Key conspicuously absent. "You're surprised to see me." The Queen of Pluto did not bother to phrase it as a question.

"Very," Ami admitted. "Not to be indelicate, or any more rude than we have been to stare at you like that, but why are you here?"

"Haruka wants me here," Setsuna replied simply. "She has to quell the uprising here on Oberon when she returns from her ships, and she thinks that my presence will help." The dark queen turned toward the window and looked out at the golden sky, smiling gently. "And Yasuda Mari was my friend, too. She fought beside us in the battles on Pluto all those years ago, protecting me after Kazeko assigned her to be my personal guard during that bloody final battle. Without her, I would have died and my rebirth might not have occurred in time to affect the current crisis. I should be here to honor her memory."

"Sometimes I forget that you're one of us; that you fought the darkness and lost your friends just as we stand to lose ours," Minako admitted, switching back to speaking Venusian as per Michiru's training suggestion. She hoped that Serenity would forgive her for switching back to a language she only vaguely understood. Her words carried no emotion, and Setsuna raised her eyebrow at the oddity of a Venusian speaking without betraying her heart.

"Haruka never forgets," the older woman replied, smiling as she remembered that brave blonde girl determined to make a good impression on the Moon all those years ago. "Ever since the day of Serenity's Presentation, she has looked for me to stand with her against threats from outside the Solar System, as is proper for the Outer Senshi."

"And will you be standing with us?" Michiru's question was soft, but her teal eyes were serious. Setsuna nodded, and the younger princess smiled. "Good."

The five women looked up as a brilliant gold-red-green light filled the large sitting room, fading to reveal their missing team members. The three warrior senshi detransformed as soon as the light faded, Haruka turning to Setsuna with a smirk on her face. "I guess wishing for you does make you appear."

Setsuna shook her head, smiling in that secret way she had perfected over the last ten thousand years. "No, but I always hear when someone needs me. I knew that the ships you sent to guard my world would attack each other when Mari died, so I solved that problem for you and came here, knowing that you wanted me to be part of your senshi team. I'm glad to see that you managed to get the rest of your Lower Chiefs and Lesser War Queens to fall into line."

"Yes, they are back under control of the War Queens. I never expected Yasuda Mari to die, no matter how sick she has been, but I was expecting an uprising of some sort just before my return, so I was mostly prepared."

"Your people are born warriors, Haruka. You can never forget that their first instinct will always be violence, even more so than a Jovian's or a Martian's. If you plan to be a good queen, find a way to make them see and respect your strength."

"I have a way. That's why I wanted you here."

"And all of the fighting is on Oberon?"

"Not all of it," Haruka replied, glancing down at her blonde princess before turning back to the tiled courtyard before her. Behind them, the huge, ornate gates to Miranda Palace were closed, locked and guarded against the rioting horde that still filled the streets of the capital. According to the news reports from the other moons, every major city was in the midst of one of the bloodiest post-War Queen death civil uprisings seen in the last five thousand years; the lack of a sitting queen had left the people confused and angry enough to start killing each other. "If we can quiet the fighting on Oberon, the other moons will calm down, as well, since all of their leaders are certainly here. After we begin, I will analyze our power levels and see if we can push our solution to the other moons without hurting ourselves. Everyone, transform!"

The seven senshi, each woman holding her powerful talisman, formed a half-circle in front of Serenity, the petite princess watching her warriors anxiously. What Haruka was planning had sounded insane an hour ago, and it didn't sound any better standing before a shuttered palace with the harsh wind tearing at the skirts of their uniforms. Sailor Uranus, standing in the center as the focal point, raised her sword to the sky and waited, emerald eyes filled with power. On her right side, Neptune raised her mirror, aqua strands of her power swirling around her slender form while her talisman glowed anxiously. Jupiter planted the foot of her staff in the ground, green lightning crackling around her tall form, and Pluto raised her Time Key to the stormy sky, dark black and crimson energy cloaking her dark form.

On Uranus's left side, Venus wrapped her chain around her waist and arm, holding her fist out as light enveloped her. Mars raised her bow, no arrow present, and smiled as a tongue of flame danced along her arm. Mercury held her harp to the sky, ice covering her hand and arm while the ground at her feet developed a thin coat of frost. Behind Uranus, protected in the center of the arrow her senshi had formed, Serenity reached out and placed a hand on her protector's shoulder, closing her eyes to access that strange catalyzing power she had tapped into on Jupiter. Grateful for the extra help, Uranus took a deep, steadying breath before releasing her power into the clouds overhead. Six more beams of brilliantly colored light followed hers into the sky, and the lazy clouds overhead suddenly changed. A crack of thunder pealed across the land, lightning reaching from the clouds to the ground followed instantly by salty rain and sleet. The wind screamed across the dry ground, diving into the buildings of the towns and tearing at the battling mortals, halting their weapons as the rain chilled them to the bone.

Darkness followed the wind, cloaking the ground like a malevolent mist, whispering dark promises as it filled the streets and buildings, frightening the warring Uranians into dropping their weapons and running away, toward the palace and the brilliant orangey gold light illuminating the courtyard there. Fire flowed from the heavy clouds like lava, reaching almost to the roofs of the buildings despite the torrential rain, but it stopped just short of touching the flammable structures. As their city filled with darkness, rain and ice pelting them from above, wind tearing at their clothes and threatening to slam them into buildings, and the sky on fire, the citizens of the Oberonian capital did the only thing they could. They ran toward Minako's light, toward the only safe place they could see.

"Is it working?"

"Yes," Pluto replied, using her dark mist to push the crowd out of the city faster. It was not the largest town on Oberon, just a small home for all of the political leaders and war leaders away from their mansions and estates, but hundreds of thousands of people had converged on the ornate buildings to fight over the fate of the Sixth Seat, swelling the population well past its normal size. "The storm has enveloped this entire moon, and people are running for the safe spots marked by Venus's light, to places where they will see you when we begin the broadcast. We have enough power to copy this storm on the other three moons."

Uranus glanced over her shoulder at Serenity, but the young princess smiled and nodded. She had plenty of strength left, and she would be able to help them duplicate their storm on the other three inhabited moons. "Let's do it."

Over the next few hours, as the fearsome storm raged across Oberon, Titania, Ariel, and Umbriel, billions of people huddled in the safe havens marked by Venus's beams of light, staring at each other in fear as they waited for the end of their world. In the history of the Silver Millennium, there had never been a storm so violent and strange, filled with so many elements. In the skies of the moons, Uranus glowed an angry gold, none of her normal blue-green color visible behind her rings, and the people feared that their god was displeased and had chosen to destroy them all. Their wars forgotten, they huddled together and prayed to Uranus to save them, messages flying out to every ship in their fleet from people resigned to death.

When every last weapon was discarded, when every last person from the capital city knelt in the huge courtyard before her, Uranus lowered her sword and let the storms die. Weary but oddly enervated, the other senshi also released their powers, Serenity smiling as she let the link between herself and her warriors fade. She did not understand her own power, but she was glad that she could help.

Uranus stepped forward, sheathing her sword as Venus's light faded. No longer blinded, the people of Oberon looked up, Mercury activating the news cameras floating nearby and the holo screens at every gathering point across the four moons. She overrode the local news outlets and the broadcast feeds to the scattered fleets, making sure that every Uranian had their eyes focused on their blonde princess. A gasp of shock went up from the gathered crowd, and those few people who had stood immediately returned to their knees, supplicating themselves before their princess who resembled both her mother and their beloved goddess. As soon as the people's shock had faded, Uranus began to speak.

"People of Uranus, I am ashamed of you. I have been gone for only a month, and you have let yourself fall into civil war. The death of a War Queen is a time of grief, not a time to settle old scores! I cannot have a divided world when a great darkness threatens the entire Silver Millennium. You must set aside your differences and trust that I, your Princess, daughter of Queen Kazeko, will solve the problem of the empty Sixth Seat. On the next Traskius Moon, I will accept the Crown and become Queen, and until then I expect you to obey the War Queens without question."

Michiru watched her wife standing there, glowing with the strength of her planet's power, and she felt the urge to drop her jaw in shock. She was far too well-bred for that, but she had never felt so amazed by a single person in her life. Haruka was the perfect queen for a planet full of untamed but powerful warriors, and she would rule them well. One-by-one, the nobles and commoners alike bowed their heads, recognizing Haruka not as their princess but as their queen, silently promising to follow and obey her as they had her mother over twenty years earlier. The senshi relaxed, sensing that the danger was behind them, that these Uranians would no longer pose a threat to them or to the rest of the Silver Millennium.

"That went better than I expected."

Haruka snorted and glanced at Setsuna through her messy blonde bangs, emerald eyes dancing with amusement. "Uranians are a strange breed, and some of our customs give the false impression that we are wild, untamed creatures. That couldn't be farther from the truth. In point of fact, my people respect authority more than any other people in the system, but when they lack a strong, visible leader, they tend toward unfettered violence. As soon as they realized that I was strong enough to force them to submit, they willingly obeyed me. There will be no more fighting among my people, I can assure you."

"I'm still amazed by what we were able to accomplish," Ami murmured, staring at the data her computer had collected while their storm raged across the four moons. "There are no records of senshi combining their powers as we did."

"They never could before," Setsuna replied, finally beginning to understand the strength of her fellow warriors after merging her power with theirs. "The elements that each senshi can channel are natural enemies, so usually only two or three senshi can cooperate long enough to overcome that restriction. However, Serenity's unique catalyst ability has allowed us to combine our powers in ways that have never been seen in my ten thousand years, and I admit to being fascinated by the entire experience."

"Why do I have such a strange power? No Moon Royal has ever had such a gift before, not even the few that were able to transform into Sailor Moon."

Setsuna shrugged her shoulders, knowing that she could never truly answer the young princess's question. She knew, deep in her soul, the source of Serenity's power, but if she ever let herself speak the truth out loud, both of them would suffer the consequences. "I'm not sure, but the few princesses who became senshi did so during times of great stress and each of them had a unique ability tied to their heritage and to the dangers of their time. Perhaps you have this gift because it is the one you need to have."

Serenity stared at Setsuna, light blue eyes narrowed in contemplation as she tried to decide if the dark queen was hiding something from her. Haruka turned away from the other senshi and stared at Setsuna, shocked that she could almost see the turmoil in the older woman's soul, knowing instantly that Serenity's curiosity was the problem. The blonde knew that she might never understand her fellow senshi, but the least she could do was help the godling protect her secrets.

"If you have such a strange power, the best thing you can do is practice it." Haruka smiled as the young princess glanced up at her, breaking the tableau between Setsuna and Serenity and easing the tension in the room. "After a new Sixth War Queen is chosen, we will get back to senshi training and let you exercise your powers, as well."

"How does this work? There are no records of how War Queens are chosen."

Haruka shrugged as Minako adjusted her golden dress, Rei offering the taller warrior a selection of tiaras and jewelry. The blonde had chosen to appear before her War Queens as her mother would have, in a dress, and the other princesses had jumped at the chance to make her beautiful. "There's a good reason for that, Ami. Every selection is different. When the dead War Queen has a daughter or even a niece with the appropriate titles and honor, she is simply appointed to the empty chair by the Council. In this particular case, the Council found no clear line of succession and declined to appoint a new War Queen, leaving the choice to me. In a case like this, any eligible woman of good breeding with the Kazemaru title and at least two others either in war or arts may place her name into consideration for the seat, though the more titles she has, the better her chances. Hikari tells me that no less than fifty names have already been submitted. I will choose the ones who are honorable out of that list and devise a contest to select a single winner from among them."

"What defines honor among Uranians?"

Haruka glanced over her shoulder at the blonde Moon Princess, meeting thoughtful pale blue eyes. "It's hard to explain, Serenity. Our honor is intimately tied into the concept of sa'usikha and each woman's balance of sajink and saliis. I will judge each woman and decide if she has found her own balance and helped those below her to find theirs."

A sharp knock on the door stalled the conversation, Michiru straightening as she turned toward the noise. Haruka watched, smiling, as her wife's newly awakened warrior instincts took over despite the blue and green dress swirling around her feet as she moved to answer the door. She opened the door a crack, teal eyes glaring at the guard standing in the hallway. She murmured something to the Uranian, nodding at the answer before closing the door once more, still on alert as she turned back to her fellow princesses. "The Council has been called."

Haruka nodded as Rei placed a slender golden tiara on her head and Minako fiddled with her bracelets. "I believe we are ready, then."

"Not quite." Setsuna detached herself from the shadows cloaking the back of the room, still more comfortable in the dark even with the senshi standing nearby. She had chosen a dark burgundy gown for the meeting, even allowing Minako to augment it with strings of garnets hanging from her waist and black opals in her earrings and necklace. Setsuna lifted a small wooden box from Haruka's dresser, opening it to reveal a bright golden gem on a golden chain, Makoto's sharp intake of breath indicating that the princesses recognized the heirloom. "I spoke with Ono Hikari earlier today and she mentioned that, even though you carry the Space Sword and Uranus henshin stick, you were never given the keystone of Uranus. She took me to the armory and helped me find your keystone. I can see that your companion senshi have received them from their own mothers, so it is certainly time for you to wear your own."

Haruka smiled as Setsuna fastened the chain around her neck, her emerald eyes sparking with gold as the weight of the gem settled above her breasts. She felt a small surge of power, a tingle of electricity dancing along her skin, a whisper in the back of her mind as Uranus shifted in its sleep. Setsuna watched as the blonde flexed her fingers and her eyes turned dark gold for just a moment. She had seen that reaction before only once, when the first Sailor Uranus received her Planet Crystal and Talisman. Haruka had the strength of her greatest ancestors and power beyond anything Setsuna had seen in three thousand years, since that terrible day on Miranda's Chime Cliffs when Nao faced her and cursed her name, the wind screaming in her ears. The Queen of Pluto took a step back as she recognized Haruka's soul, knowing that Nao stood before her once more even though the blonde could not possibly remember her previous life.

"What?"

"Nothing," Setsuna replied, lying with the ease of long practice. "I just see so much of your mother in your eyes."

Haruka accepted Setsuna's word, leading the Outer Senshi into the hall as their Inner counterparts turned to follow. Ami lagged behind, having seen a flash of fear in the dark queen's eyes as Haruka accepted her keystone, wondering what Setsuna could have seen in that moment to frighten her so.

Haruka stepped into the Main Council Chamber and paused, watching the thinly veiled chaos that had consumed her court. The nine War Queens shouted directions from the high dais, futilely trying to organize the Lesser War Queens and Lower Chiefs as nearly a hundred women argued among themselves on the lowest level, ignoring their leaders as they made their bids for the open Sixth Seat. Michiru paused beside Haruka, glancing up at the blonde as she wondered how her wife would calm the chaos. Gesturing for the other senshi and their princess to wait, Haruka summed her Space Sword and stepped into the room, a blast of wind screaming through the chamber. Silence fell as all eyes turned toward the princess, every Uranian bowing as their princess walked across the gold and navy carpet to the high dais where her War Queens stood. Letting her sword vanish, Haruka climbed the last two stairs and took a seat on the throne above the War Queens' dais, gesturing for the members of the council to take their seats.

"That's better. Allow me to introduce my companions: Queen Setsuna of Pluto, High Princess Serenity of the Moon, and the princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Neptune. They will sit as judges with me today."

The room waited silently as Serenity and the senshi joined Haruka, a handful of servants finding chairs for them and placing them on either side of the throne. As soon as her friends were seated, Haruka leaned forward and gestured for her War Queens to begin.

Endou Ado bowed her head as she stepped forward, having exchanged her customary armor for a dark red dress, long hair hanging past her shoulders in a sharp contrast to the style she had chosen for Koshu's aborted trial. She spoke High Oberonian, as was expected in Uranian Court, and the holo-screens above the senshi's chairs translated her words into Sol Standard. "We welcome you to Council, Princess Haruka, daughter of Kazeko, descendant of Nao the Conqueror, child of the High Duke of Umbriel. Your recent absence from the Court created great turmoil, but your presence here today will end all of that. As First War Queen, it is my great honor to introduce your Council on this important occasion."

"Proceed."

"I begin by introducing myself, First Endou Ado, daughter of Anza, descendant of Nao the Conqueror, child of the High Duke of Umbriel. I introduce Second Kimura Sanae, daughter of Shira, descendant of Reiko the Fierce, child of the Sword of Ares. I introduce Third Tahara Hiroko, daughter of Barani, descendant of Setsuna the Great, child of the Dark One. I introduce Fourth Ono Hikari, daughter of Yumi, descendant of Nao the Conqueror, child of the High Duke of Umbriel. I introduce Fifth Nishina Yuri, daughter of Fumina, descendant of Queen Mariya the Just, child of the Wilds of Ganymede. I introduce Seventh Takeda Keiko, daughter of Yui, descendant of Natsumi the Silent, child of the Line of Cronos. I introduce Eighth Inami Tomoko, daughter of Naru, descendant of Yuuka the Magnificent, child of the Seas of Triton. I introduce Ninth Murata Ayumi, daughter of Ayano, descendant of Minami the Gentle, child of the Light of Aphrodite. Finally, I introduce Tenth Katayama Sayuri, daughter of Miwa, descendant of Chieko the Strategist, child of the Line of Hermes. Your War Queens stand with you, Your Highness."

"I accept the loyalty of the War Queens and invite them to stand judgment with me."

"We so stand." As one, the War Queens bowed before taking their seats, Ado gesturing toward the middle dais. Taichen Laira, her hair braided with chains of emeralds, smiled as she detached herself from the cluster of Lesser War Queens, walking up the two steps to the War Queen dais before offering a bow to her princess. "The Lesser War Queen Council has chosen Taichen Laira to speak today," Ado announced, smiling at the younger woman. "Do you accept her as Speaker?"

"I accept Taichen Laira as Speaker today," Haruka replied, the formal response matching her own personal reply. She was glad that the actress had been selected to introduce the candidates, knowing that she had been chosen because of the message she relayed from Mercury that led to Haruka's return to Uranus.

"I will organize the candidates for you, Highness," Laira replied, walking past the Lower War Queens, the Lesser Chiefs, and the Duchess Council to the lowest level and the warriors waiting in silence to be called.

Haruka leaned back in her throne to wait, gesturing for her War Queens to return to their conversations in the interim. "That's the most ceremony you will ever see on Uranus," she commented, turning to face Ami as the genius leaned forward. "Yes?"

"I was wondering about the introductions, actually. Most of your War Queens seem to have non-Uranian ancestry. Is that common?"

Haruka shrugged. "You have to remember that this is a planet of war, and the last major war other than the fighting on Pluto decades ago was the Antares Uprising. All of my War Queens and every warrior of note on Uranus trace their ancestry to the queens of that time. My lineage descends from Nao, of course, but most of the War Queens are more closely related to the other queens than to her. For example, Setsuna, Hiroko is a direct descendant of your lineage from the Uprising."

Setsuna nodded, garnet eyes distant. "Yes, I remember when her father's mother left my court to serve Chisaki. I do enjoy being called Setsuna the Great in a Uranian Council session, though I have never heard anyone being called 'child of the Dark One' in that fashion."

"We have a name for each of the major lineages. As the High Duke of Umbriel, I would think that you would enjoy the references."

Michiru's eyes widened as she leaned forward, smiling at the shock on Setsuna's face. "That's true, isn't it? You told us that you're the third god, the dark one, and you did father Kazeko, the first Senshi of Uranus."

Setsuna nodded, surprised that Haruka had figured it out before either of the geniuses, slowly becoming accustomed to sharing her secrets with the senshi. "When the Silver Millennium was first created, long before the first Serenity created the ginzuishou, we three divided the planets and agreed to father royal lineages on each one, creating children who would one day be powerful enough to channel the life-force of the planets. Tranquility chose only Earth, having little interest in our plans, so Serenity took the Inner Planets and I took the Outer. The children of Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn are all my descendants, while the children of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are all part of Serenity's line. Later, when the lineages became weak, the Patron Gods of each planet bred into the lines that we created, making you all true avatars."

A commotion from the lower levels ended the conversation, the senshi turning their attention to Laira as she returned to the War Queens' dais, taking the final few steps to stand before Haruka. "The list is finalized and ready for your approval, Princess."

Haruka took the data pad from Laira, scanning through the list slowly, a series of titles and accomplishments appearing beside each name as her eyes paused at them. Slowly, she whittled the list from over a hundred applicants to a mere twenty, handing the pad back to Laira. "I have chosen the best candidates and invite them to approach me now."

The first few candidates approached the throne with confidence, having been among the women Haruka subdued in her trip through the system. Murata Natako stepped up first, her long, pale blonde hair evidence of her Venusian ancestry while the fire in her dark hazel orbs marked her as a true Uranian and a powerful warrior in her own right. "I offer myself as the next Sixth War Queen. I have three war titles and one in the arts, and I have trained with my cousin for years so that I might one day be eligible to receive a seat on the council."

"And who speaks for you?"

"I will speak for her," Ayumi answered, standing from her seat. "She attacked my fleet in order to show her strength, and I believe that she is capable of sitting with us."

"I accept your offer. Next."

Saitou Kai, considerably more respectful toward Haruka than she had been at Jupiter, bowed to the princess, keeping her dark green eyes averted. "As a blood relation of the former Sixth War Queen, I offer myself as a candidate for her seat."

Haruka glanced at Nishina Yuri, silently asking the older woman if she would allow Kai to compete. The woman glanced at Kai and sighed, shrugging as she nodded. "I will speak for Saitou Kai."

Two more of the warriors involved in the disturbances were rejected, having no one to speak for them, then three of Hikari's daughters approached the throne. Haruka had never met Takako or Chiho before, but the twin sisters were tall and strong like their mother, both with her brown hair and golden eyes and both with sufficient titles to allow them to compete. Beside them, smaller and much leaner, Miki stood proudly, dark blonde hair tied out of her way and golden eyes sparkling fiercely. Haruka stood from her throne, hands behind her back as she considered the trio. "All of you have enough titles and accomplishments to be considered for the position of Sixth, but since you are daughters of another War Queen, only your mother can sponsor you. Hikari, you have three children here; whom will you sponsor?"

Hikari stood from her chair, running her long fingers through her gold-highlighted hair as she considered the question. "Takako, I speak for you."

Chiho nodded, accepting that her twin sister had been chosen over her, but Miki closed her eyes in despair, turning away from the throne. Haruka sensed Michiru rise, the War Queens looking up in shock as the Neptunian reached out and touched Miki's shoulder. "I fought you once, and you were an honorable opponent. You also recognized your princess while she was in hiding and helped her in her moment of great need. You have proven your loyalty to her beyond anything I have seen from these other candidates, and you deserve to participate in this contest. As a Princess of the Silver Millennium, I believe that I have the right to sponsor any candidate for a Seat, no matter her relation to any of the reigning War Queens. Am I correct?"

"You are," Ado replied, shock in her voice. "Princess Michiru of Neptune, do you speak for Ono Miki, daughter of Hikari, descendant of Nao the Conqueror, child of the High Duke of Umbriel?"

Michiru nodded as she pulled her hand back, smiling at the young warrior. "I do."

"Then Ono Takako and Ono Miki may both compete for the position of Sixth." Haruka waved her hand toward Kai and Natako, smiling as she watched Michiru return to her seat. Laira, having expected something like that from her princess's wife, smiled as she brought the next candidate forward.

How did you know?

I have studied every culture in this system, and I accessed historical records on the promotion of War Queens while you, Rei, and Makoto were out subduing your rebellious people. As soon as I heard that Miki had entered her name into the contest, I decided that she must be allowed to compete. She has already served you so well as just the daughter of a War Queen; imagine what she could be capable of as a sitting member of your Council.

She might not win, Haruka warned her wife, rejecting the next three candidates and accepting the following two as their silent conversation continued.

But she might. Even if she loses, I imagine I can convince the Princess of Uranus to offer her the position of Lesser War Queen.

Haruka glanced over her shoulder and smiled wryly at her partner, nodding in agreement before turning back to the stairs. Setsuna watched the silent exchange curiously, unable to understand the relationship between the senshi of Uranus and Neptune. Years ago, when she fought beside their mothers, she had been able to see that Kazeko and Shousha were lovers, even as she could see the bond between Rikuriko and Asakaze in those days and the relationship between Amami and Meika. But these senshi . . . they were the most open women she had ever served with, and at the same time they were the most secretive. From the interactions she had observed, it did not seem that they were lovers or even interested in each other, but if Haruka carried Nao's soul as she strongly suspected, then she should certainly have developed feelings for her Neptunian partner, almost certainly the carrier of Yuuka's soul. How, then, could they all just be friends when their ancestors had been so much in love that they nearly destroyed the Silver Millennium?

Haruka concluded the selection process, taking her seat once more and breaking Setsuna out of her thoughts. "You ten are the final candidates to take Yasuda Mari's empty seat. Now, I offer you the most interesting contest I could devise, and the warrior who provides me with the best show will be awarded the rank of War Queen. Anyone else who amuses me but does not win may receive the rank of Lesser War Queen."

"What is the contest?"

Haruka leaned forward at Sanae's question, grinning with a strange, insane joy. "They will fight two of my fellow senshi."

"Which two?"

Haruka shrugged, waving her hand at the cluster of candidates. "They can decide. Pick any two senshi you wish, and they will fight you."

Haruka!

It's brilliant, Michi. I will be able to assess their strengths just from the choice they make, and the battle itself will be magnificent. She glanced over her shoulder at the Neptunian, smiling as she gestured toward the War Queen dais. "Go and advise the woman you sponsored, Princess."

The nine War Queens and Michiru joined the ten candidates, listening as the women offered their suggestions. Kai and Natako both wanted to fight Rei and Makoto, opting for a fight of strength they were sure they could win. Takako and three of the other women wanted to fight Minako, the Leader of the Inner Senshi, since she was rumored to have a hidden reservoir of strength that few Uranians would ever see. One of the women, Haru Chikage, wanted to fight Setsuna, but Hiroko shook her head. "You do not want to fight her. Bravery is one thing, but that is simply suicide. She has powers you can never hope to understand and I promise that you would not survive the encounter. You need to choose another."

"Then I would choose the Princess of Mercury." Ami was the weakest of the senshi in physical combat, and clearly Chikage knew that. Two others, clearly influenced by their fellows, chose Makoto and Rei, leaving only Miki to offer her choice.

"Who would you choose to fight, Miki?"

Miki glanced up at her princess and the senshi sitting beside her, tilting her head to one side. "Choosing Ami is the coward's choice, since Sailor Mercury is known for her strategy but not for her physical abilities. Makoto and Rei are worthy opponents, but Martians fight best when enraged by injury and I have no desire to drastically injure one of the few defenses we have against the coming darkness. Jovians fight best in the trees and when they have cover, but here we are in the open where they have a disadvantage. I choose to meet my opponents on a level field, literally and metaphorically. I would never challenge Queen Setsuna, not after hearing of her exploits in the last war, and her wiping the floor with me would not provide a very interesting show for our princess. She herself would be the ideal opponent, but as final arbiter she is not eligible to fight. I agree with my sister that Minako would be an interesting opponent and I believe that she is stronger than her beauty would suggest. As for my second choice, I would fight you, Michiru."

"Me? Why?"

Miki grinned, her reasons having shamed most of her fellows and her choice shocking even the War Queens. "Because Sailor Neptune has the ability to mimic, to learn, and to evolve. I fought you once without realizing your full potential, and I would fight you again with both eyes open. I truly believe that you and Minako would be the most worthy opponents."

"I agree with my sister," Takako announced, smiling at Michiru. "And knowing that she has fought you before, I am now curious to see how a Neptunian could defeat a Uranian. How do the rest of you vote?"

Michiru turned toward Haruka, shock in her teal eyes despite the mask of calm on her face as the candidates endorsed Miki's choice. Haruka stood from her throne, eyes narrowed in response to her wife's surprise, having missed the entire conversation. "Who did they choose?"

"They chose to fight me and Minako."

Makoto let out a low whistle, shaking her head in disbelief as the War Queen returned to their chairs and Michiru moved to stand before her wife. "Well, we saw you fight against each other so now I guess we get to see you fight with one another."

Rei glared at Haruka from her chair beside Minako, fury swirling in the depths of her amethyst eyes. She had not wanted her soul mate to fight when the opponent was only another senshi, so the prospect of watching ten trained Uranian warriors gang up on her partner was not sitting well with the Martian. Minako turned to Rei and smiled, silently begging the red-head to trust that she could take care of herself, promising that she would not be harmed no matter the number of enemies pitted against her. Slowly, Rei relaxed, nodding her reluctant acceptance, closing her eyes as Minako stood and joined Michiru beside Haruka. The Uranian, unable to offer her wife a comforting kiss or even an affectionate caress with Setsuna and her entire court watching, settled for a reassuring smile. Good luck, my siren. I did not think they would choose you, but I cannot pretend to be upset that I get to watch you in action once more. Remember, you must match your partner's energy, even when that partner is Minako instead of me. Trust the instincts that you have copied from me and from the rest of our friends and you will win.

I will win, anyway, Michiru returned, flicking her wrist to summon her henshin stick as she smiled at her partner. As long as I am fighting for you, I can never lose.

Haruka smiled as she took her throne, watching the two senshi transform and descend to the floor. The rejected applicants spread out to the sides of the chamber, leaving the base of the tiered dais free to allow the princesses and War Queens unobstructed viewing of the combatants. The ten warriors entered the impromptu ring and stood opposite Venus and Neptune, each choosing a weapon from the racks available along the wall. Venus summoned her chain, a long sword appearing on her hip, while Neptune chose a pair of slender swords like Rei often carried, talisman hanging from her belt. Haruka and the other senshi stepped forward, walking down to the War Queen level as the two groups faced each other, waiting for the signal to begin.

AN: Yes, so, I've been gone a while. Ever since I finished training, I haven't really had a spare moment to write, and often I'm too tired after work to even consider it. Even now, I have to open in the morning but I wanted to get this chapter out. It's mostly a bridge to end the civil disturbance on Uranus and appoint the next Sixth so that we can finally move on to Haruka's Planet Crystal and Michiru's birthday. I'll worry about review responses next time, but thank you for everyone who has sent me messages over the past few months and for the birthday wishes in February. I hope to have the next chapter out a lot faster than this one.