Sailor Moon Forever: Genesis, by Rush_Hardroc

[Lady Regina Jane]

Part 1

Chapter 1


It was a time of terrible despair throughout the Galaxy. Although the Sailor War had ended years ago, a new threat had surfaced. The once-good Queen, Galaxia, had defeated the source of all evil only to have it corrupt her when she sealed it away within herself. She sought the powers of the Galaxy, the starseeds of the Sailor Senshi protecting the thousands of planets, conquering world after world.

In due time, Galaxia’s forces were led to the Planet Freejia. She had heard of the Imperial family’s powerful starseed, collectively known as the Imperium Silver Crystal. Her craving for this crystal is what brought Shadow Galactica down upon the Freejians with out warning and without mercy.

*****

The dead and dying bodies of soldiers lay across the battlefield. The one-sided battle was over shortly before it began. Immense explosions bloomed in the sky. Mortar tanks began firing at large buildings indiscriminately. Galactican soldiers marched their way into the city, killing anyone whom dared stand in their way.

Princess Serenity had packed only belongings she could fit into a backpack. She heard a desperate knocking at her door. The door opened to reveal her best friend, Apollo, whose face was wrought with panic. "Serenity, we've gotta get outta here immediately. The enemy is in the city and is headed this way! If they catch you, were all totally screwed!" he said in the rather undignified manner he often used. He was famous on Freejia as the guitarist and lead-singer for his band, Millennium. Apollo carried only his guitar on his back and his standard-issue side arm at his hip. Aside from being a musician, he was also a fighter pilot in the Freejian Aerospace Corps, a subsidiary of the Freejian Navy.

Behind him, The Freejian Empress, Selene and an armoured Knight were waiting. "Let's go, Serenity! We haven't much time." Her mother said impatiently. Serenity took one last look at her room and then left with the rest of them.

As the hurried down a flight of spiral stairs, a woman’s voice reported over an intercom, "Warning: Galactican Stingers are attacking the escaping ships. Repeat, Galactican Stingers are attacking the escaping ships."

All they could do is hope their warships could hold out against this onslaught. In orbit, several Freejian warships fought back against Shadow Galactica's destroyers with great tenacity, to clear a path for more escaping ships. Fighters and cruisers alike on either side erupted in flames during the battle. The faster ships had no choice but to retreat from the planet's orbit to a relatively safe location around the larger of Freejia's two moons.

Back on the ground, Galactican troops soon began storming the palace. Warning klaxons blared while the woman on the intercom said, "Warning: Enemy troops have entered the palace! Repeat, enemy troops have entered-PSHHHHHHH..." only to be cut off in a burst of static as an enemy soldier broke into the room she was working in and shot her with a paralysing EMP burst.

The outside of the palace took a mortar shot and shook violently. Just as the escapees were running down the corridor to the North Hangar, several of the large pillars came down, separating the group. Serenity and Apollo were stuck on the wrong side while Empress Selene was at a clear shot to the last transport offplanet. Apollo took out his communicator and contacted the captain of the cruiser Velocity, the Empress's flagship. "Velocity, this is Lieutenant Solaris. We are separated and I cannot get the Princess to you at this time. She is safe for the time being, but I'll have to get her offplanet myself."

Hearing this and seeing that there was no other option, the Empress warned, "If she has so much as single scratch on her, I'll personally jettison you into a black hole without a second thought!" As if to confirm the ominous threat, the palace walls shook again as she and her guard continued down the corridor.

Considering this threat, he was now a little anxious. "C'mon!" he said as he took Serenity's hand and they ran down the opposite direction to an intersection between two corridors. In the second it took to decide which way to go, two Galactican soldiers in full armour came down the corridor to the right. One of them appeared to be Human, but the other one was clearly a large, bipedal canine being; a species hailing from the planet Canis.

The Human soldier shouted, "There she is! Set for stun!" upon seeing the Princess and fired at her. His shot missed as they managed to backpedal behind the corner. Apollo immediately drew his laser pistol and returned fire, but his shots hardly pierced their armour.

As a stun burst barely missed them, he fired at the Human soldier's faceplate and he fell on the spot. The Canian howled as he saw his companion fall and began to charge at Apollo and Serenity. Luckily, Canians don't run very fast on two legs and the armour the Galactican military used made it difficult for one to get into a decent running position.

Apollo and Serenity outran their pursuer and rounded a corner. Soon, they came to another intersection and stopped. Serenity reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of expensive perfume. "What're you doing? They're using Canians! If you put that on, they'll be able to track us better!" Apollo reasoned.

But Serenity had ideas of her own. Instead of spraying the perfume on herself, she threw the glass bottle down to the floor and broke it. A flowery, feminine smell quickly filled the immediate area. "Now they will have a hard time tracking us at all." she said smugly.

Meanwhile, just as the Empress and her guard were about to board the Velocity, a group of enemy soldiers surrounded the ship and one soldier managed to squeeze off a single shot at the Empress as the ramp was being raised. The shot hit her through her back and burned it's way through the other side of her body. Her Knight bodyguard caught her as she fell and carried her to the ship's infirmary with the aid of a Freejian soldier.

As if speaking to the atmosphere, Selene painfully groaned, "Please be safe, Serenity... And don't let Apollo do anything stupid!" She could feel the strength slip away from her body. In a fit of sheer desperation, she drew energy from her Silver Crystal’s Holy-elemental powers to heal the wound. Her vital signs had stablised, but in due time began to decline. Medics rushed to treat her with the finest of their medical supplies.

Soon the ship blasted away from the palace's North Hangar and into space. As the ship cleared the planet's atmosphere, a blockade of Galactican ships began firing. The Velocity fired back as Stingers started to engage the ship directly. Deflector screens went up at maximum power and weapons fired their full salvos as the Velocity's engines brought it to full speed.

*****

Four Canian soldiers had been following Apollo and Serenity by scent, but once they reached an intersection in the corridors, the trail was interrupted by a strong, girly smell. The one in front took a step forward and heard a crunch beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw a broken bottle and a mess of perfume on the floor.

He growled in frustration and barked to his comrades to get their attention. "Split up and hunt them down! One of you go down the right hall and another go down the left." he ordered, pointing out directions with the gun integrated into his armour. Then he added, "and you with me." He said to the remaining soldier. They then went their separate ways.

Serenity and Apollo soon ended up at a dead end in the passageway. "You know, for someone who grew up in this palace, you don't seem to know your way around too well." Apollo criticised.

Serenity glared at him and replied, "So sue me! I made a mistake! Let's go!" they turned to backtrack, but two of the Canians rounded the corner up ahead. Apollo pulled Serenity out of sight and looked around for any possible escape. Looking up, he found a ventilation shaft that appeared to go through the dead-end wall.

"C'mon! The vent!" he said, pointing up. He carefully climbed up on a nearby machine, jumped up to the vent and crawled inside.

"Oh yeah, they'll never think of looking for us in the vent.” Serenity said sarcastically. Then she heard heavy footsteps approaching and one of the Canians saying that they never checked the corner she and Apollo happened to be occupying. She saw she had no other choice. She used her Senshi powers to jump up to the vent and climb inside after Apollo. The alien soldier in front glanced up at the vent just in time to see the soles of Serenity's designer boots disappear inside.

For a moment they thought they were safe, but soon gunshots were fired at them from one of the pursuing alien soldiers. As they hurried down the ventilation shaft, all but a single shot missed the two. Just as the hot blue plasma bolt grazed Apollo's shoulder, he shoved Serenity in front of him and fired back at the soldier struggling to get into the vent to chases them. Serenity found a grate that opened up in the South Hangar and, thinking quickly, took Apollo's pistol and shot it out. "Come on!" she ordered, as she dropped down. Taking his gun back, he fired one last shot at the pursuing soldier and he, too, dropped down to the Hangar below.

Upon arriving in the hangar, a woman in a gold-armoured Senshi uniform turned to face them with a menacing glare. Serenity immediately recognised her. "Galaxia..." she said, her voice barely the ghost of a whisper.
In her right hand, Sailor Galaxia brandished a longsword. She raised it, preparing to strike Apollo down when a man in armour different from the rest of the soldier's walked up to her. Serenity also recognised him and couldn't believe her eyes. The man was a Knight, a male counterpart to a planet's Senshi guardians. And what's worse is that he was a Freejian Knight!

"My queen, let me handle them! They don't look worthy to die by your hand." said the man in armour to Galaxia. Galaxia lowered her blade and hesitated for a second, as if to consider the man's proposal. Finally, she answered, "Very well. Eliminate the boy, but leave the princess alive. She has something I want." And with that, she vanished, teleporting to another part of the palace.

"Come... Bring it on, son!" said the man, arrogantly gesturing with his hand, displaying the life-sustaining bracelets that Galaxia gave him. He drew his own sword and prepared to attack. The blade began sparkling and crackling with electricity as he charged it with his electric powers.

Serenity, completely appalled at her guardian’s betrayal, immediately protested. "Garrik, what is the matter with you? Why have you joined forces with the enemy?" Sir Garrik didn't answer, but instead attacked Apollo with brutal force. Instinctively, Apollo dodged the attack and shot at him. The Knight's armour was too strong; Apollo's shots didn't even pierce it.

Now Serenity knew what she had to do. She clutched her glowing Silver Crystal in her hand and called out, "Freejia Heavenly Charm!" A pure white flash of holy light filled the entire hangar. The attack stunned the traitorous Knight by targeting the dense darkness in his heart. He lay on the floor, trembling and hyperventilating from the holy power that pierced his dark soul.

Now was their chance to escape. Fresh, red blood stained the sleeve of Apollo's grey-blue uniform. He gripped his shoulder as he led Serenity to a small maintenance ship. They boarded the ship, started the engines, and blasted their way out of the hangar, running down a few approaching soldiers of several species in the process.

Then Galaxia reappeared in a furious rage. Recovering from the short-lived battle, Garrik stood to face his Queen. "You let them get away?" Galaxia yelled. As Sir Garrik attempted to explain, Galaxia snapped her fingers and the bracelets that he wore to sustain his life were removed and he immediately disintegrated. "Useless fool..." she muttered under her breath. “If they are leaving the system, they'll never get past my fleet!"

Once they cleared the atmosphere, Apollo immediately saw the blockade and veered up in an attempt to avoid it, but to no avail. Once they came in range, the enemy ships began firing at them. As a fighter pilot, he had knowledge of evasive actions. He put the ship into a roll at full speed. They took only a few hits because of this, but one of those hits was directly on the viewport, cracking it. The vacuum of space pulled at the cracks, making them worse as the ship tumbled forward, past the blockade.

"Uh oh...." they both said in unison. Red energy bolts still continued to fly past them into space as the viewport grew increasingly weaker. The ship’s weak deflector screens were now completely dead.

Apollo took out his comlink and said, "We're in serious trouble! We need a pick-up right away!" The communications officer onboard the Velocity got the call and passed the word on that the Princess and Lieutenant Commander were in danger. An officer on the observation deck saw their small maintenance ship hurtling into space, barely under control, and gave the order to pick them up.

"Roger, Lieutenant. This is the Velocity. We're right above you. We're opening the mooring field now." was the communications officer's response. He gave the order to an officer in the ship’s docking bay, who began to activate the artificial gravity field that would bring in the ship.

Upon hearing this, Apollo suddenly realised that this may make their situation worse. "No wait! Just open an airlock hatch and prepare to close and pressurize it the moment we get in." He suggested. The officer wasn't sure what Apollo had in mind, but complied anyway. Serenity was now both confused and scared. How was he going to go about saving them? If the gravitation field pulled at the cracking viewport, it might burst pulling them out into the vacuum of space. However, if they were prepared, this could be a good thing after all.

Suddenly, Apollo grabbed her around the waist and said, "Exhale!" As he took a deep breath, she immediately knew what he was planning to do and started to struggle screaming, "Apollo, what are you doing? If we jump, our lungs will explode!"

"Exhale... slowly!" He said. He inhaled deeply and added, "Trust me! Hold on... and steadily exhale as soon as we break through!" Serenity felt she had no choice. She did as she was told and they jumped out into the void, using inertia to pull them into an open airlock hatch. The Velocity's main airlock hatch opened to receive them and then quickly closed and pressurised just in time to save them from asphyxiation.

"Let's… not... do... that... again!" Serenity gasped. Apollo just nodded his agreement, gasping heavily. Just then, a medic and another military officer came rushing into the airlock.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" the medic asked Serenity while the other officer helped her to her feet. Apollo slowly got up on his own and followed the group to the infirmary to have his arm looked at. "Send a message to Weapons to load and fire one last salvo before we jump into hyperspace." commanded the officer to a subordinate.

"Yes, sir!" the other officer replied with a salute and turned on his heel. Minutes later, the ship vibrated as its cannons fired their rounds and whined as its engines were pushed to full power. No one onboard knew if they’d ever see their homeworld again.  

[Lady Regina Jane]

Chapter 2

“Dammit! We’re losing her!” exclaimed a medic as he watched Empress Selene’s failing vital signs on the bioscan. Though her wound was dressed and treated, the gunshot had severed a main artery. As strong as she was with her Holy-element Senshi powers, she failed to stop her own internal bleeding. There was little the medics could do.

Princess Serenity was led into the infirmary where her mother lay. When the Empress saw her, she was overjoyed to the point of her pain temporarily disappearing. She wanted to get up to embrace daughter one last time, but the medics urged her to stay put.

“Mother! What happened?” Serenity asked in shock.

“She’s been shot by enemy soldiers.” The senior medic answered for her. Selene struggled to find her voice and said, “I could have her that myself, thank you… Serenity, I’m not going to be able to hold on for much longer… when I’m gone, the burden I once bore will fall upon your shoulders… I expect great thing from you… Serenity… do you understand?”

“Yes, Mother!” replied Serenity with tears welling up in her eyes. Selene gently ran her fingers across her daughter’s cheeks, wiping away the tears the rolled down them.

“Be Brave… Be strong… Lead our people to victory and prosperity once more…” With those final words and a grunt of pain, Selene’s body relaxed and in moments, breathed her last. The nearest medic pulled the sheets over the dead woman’s body only to have them fall flat moments later as her body disappeared, which the bodies of all Senshi have a tendency to do when they die. Serenity wept harder than she ever had as far back as she could remember.

The responsibility to lead was hers now. She gradually stopped crying as she boldly took up her mother’s burden. She knew what she must do. “Assemble everyone on this ship on the main deck and open communication links to the other ships. My mother deserves a proper funeral service.” was her first order as leader of the Freejian Remnant. The two officers that led her into the infirmary saluted and carried out her order.

*****

“… And in her memory, let us share a moment of silence.” Serenity stated as she stood at the podium in front of a large holoprojector. Holocams drifted by on their grav-repulsors, broadcasting the event live to the other ships. Every head was bowed, every eye closed, every hat over its owner’s heart. The room was as silent as the void of space itself.

Moments passed and Serenity’s head was the first to rise. She broke the silence with a final statement, “and now, I leave you to your duties… Dismissed, carry on!”

As the crowd dispersed to their respective places throughout the Velocity, one among them remained. Replacing his uniform beret over his blonde hair, he approached Serenity saying, “Hey… I… I’m sorry to hear about what happened.”

Serenity looked up at him, staring into his amber-coloured eyes. She shook her head slowly and replied, “Don’t worry about it, Apollo.” She began to walk off toward a nearby corridor when she stopped suddenly. Then, over her shoulder, she added, “Please accompany me to my quarters.” Apollo nodded solemnly and followed close behind her.

A few moments passed without a word to break the silence. “So…. What is it you wanna talk about, Serenity?” asked Apollo nervously. They were now walking side-by-side.

Serenity held her silence for a moment, as if to think up something to say. Then she replied, “I want to talk about a promotion for you.” She paused for a few seconds, sensing his excitement upon hearing those words, before adding, “ You were very brave to put your own life on the line for me. You’re a true friend, Apollo, and as a military officer, you should be rewarded for that bravery.”

Apollo’s pride was building up. Captain Apollo Solarum… he thought to himself, trying on the next rank in his mind. “Thank you.” was his only verbal remark.

They entered Serenity’s room, which oversaw the bridge of the ship. It was her mother’s, but Selene’s responsibilities were now hers, so Serenity took it upon herself to have what belongings she had onboard to be brought to this room from the one she formerly occupied down the corridor. She pulled up a chair and seated herself in front of a table with a small holoprojector in the centre, giving a hand gesture to Apollo to do the same.

The door opened again and two men entered. Admiral Poseidon was a middle-aged man with a strong build and the mind of a brilliant tactician. General Zeus was an older, taller, and more decorated man, with the demeanour of one who had seen many battles. They, too, took seats around the table. Serenity nodded in greeting.

“Excellent. Now then, the main issue we need to discuss is what we’re to do next.” Her sapphire-blue eyes glanced at each man. After a brief pause, Serenity continued. “We are in no way safe out here. For all we know, Shadow Galactica could well be following us. I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but we shouldn’t be so foolish as to rule out the possibility. Therefore, we need to find somewhere go. You three are the highest-ranking officers in our remaining forces. Captain Solarum has just now obtained his rank.” She paused again for emphasis, gesturing to Apollo.

The other two officers glanced at Apollo expectantly. Feeling pressure, he spoke up first. “Well, first we need to find a safe port… any ideas?” His eyes met Serenity’s, whose gaze was already on him. She nodded in agreement and turned her eyes to the other two men and listened to what they had to say.

“Captain Solarum and Her Highness bring up good points.” Said General Zeus. “By now we should be just outside the Freejia system. Are there any nearby places we can go that aren’t already occupied by Shadow Galactica?”

Admiral Poseidon activated the holoprojector, which was previously calibrated to mark their current co-ordinates and trajectory on the star map. “We are here.” He said, pointing out a pulsating marker on the star map before continuing. “Now I suggest we hide our ships in this nebula until we can locate a safe port.” He pointed to a nebula some light-years away. All nodded in assent.

Serenity called the Velocity’s captain on her communicator and instructed him to prepare for another jump to hyperspace, uploading the co-ordinates to the ship’s navicomputer. The captain then uploaded the co-ordinates to the other two ships, the Valkyrie and the Vigilant, awaiting instructions. Moments later, the ship’s engines began to whine and the ship lurched forward suddenly. Outside the viewport, the stars became long streaks, which swirled into the blue-white vortex of hyperspace.

When the meeting was adjourned, Apollo remained with Serenity in her quarters. He hadn’t been able to spend any personal time with her since their senior year in high school. He eased his way over to her side as she stood at the viewport, staring off into the swirling void. He could tell she was still a little depressed. “…So…” he began, not really knowing what to say. “…What do you want to do now?”

Serenity’s eyes never strayed from the viewport; she didn’t even blink. “Build a base somewhere far away and strengthen our forces… It’s our only option.” She answered. Her voice was hard and monotone, denoting her emotions, or lack thereof in this case.

Apollo couldn’t help but look at her. She was a beautiful woman. He had dated her once before and part of him wanted desperately to do it again. They had been best friends for a long time, since their sophomore year, when his band, Millennium, was just starting out. She would see them perform in front of hundreds of their fellow students during lunch and watch them practice in Apollo’s basement. She was even the first to purchase a copy of their two albums. Such fond memories made him smile. He loved her, but knew not how she felt about him, and was, for the moment, too afraid to ask her.

Finally she turned around to face him, her face still emotionless. Apollo could feel the tension on her mind. He couldn't bear to see her sad, so he got an idea.
"I saw Gemma onboard." he began. "More than likely she's in the mess hall. You wanna go se her? She'll make you something to cheer you up." Serenity's lips barely moved, but a smile did appear. She walked with Apollo down to E-deck, where the mess hall was.

In the past, Serenity would be the one to bring Apollo and his friends to Gemma's kitchen for a drink at the bar that connected the dining room to the kitchen. Gemma was almost like a second mother to Serenity. When her mother couldn't, Gemma would be the one to give advice, help with various things, and bring a smile to her face when she was feeling down.

Sure enough, Gemma was in the kitchen, preparing meals for the crew and passengers. She had just finished what she had been preoccupied with when she looked up to see Serenity and Apollo. She smiled and came out of the kitchen to meet them.

"Hey, you two!" she greeted. She gave Serenity a warm embrace, like two good friends would after being apart for ages. "I'm so happy you're safe!" Apollo just stood there watching them.

When Gemma finally let go of Serenity, she gestured toward the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I just baked some galaxy-rolls." Apollo and Serenity both had a fondness for Gemma's masterful cooking. They both nodded like two youngsters would after being offered milk and cookies. Gemma smiled and brought out a whole sheet of galaxy-rolls, set them down at a table, and all three started eating.

Apollo licked the sugar off of his fingers and said, "I told you that Gemma works miracles." Gemma blushed and laughed modestly. Serenity just smiled and continued eating.

"So, Princess... what's the matter? Are you still down because of your mother?" Gemma asked, using her finger to pick up little grains of sugar that fell off of a galaxy-roll. Serenity nodded slowly. "Hey, your mother was a great woman! You probably don't even know how great. She was kind, strong, wise, and just.... I dare say she rivaled Sailor Freejia herself!"

"Well, our family line is descended from Sailor Freejia. Her blood runs in my veins..." Serenity trailed off. She finished the last bits of her roll and swallowed. Gemma's cooking was indeed the best. "But that's not all I'm worried about." she added.

"You're nervous, I can tell." Gemma noticed. "You're not sure if you're up to the challenge of being the gaurdian of our way of life. I appologise for putting the pressure on you, but wake up Serenity! It is the Galacitic Year 3043! Your mother would expect you to do a better job than she did. Make her proud!"

Serenity felt a little embarrassed, especially since Apollo was listening to every word being spoken. Looking over at him, he didn't appear to be paying much attention, playing his guitar but with the power switched off, so the only noise made was the quiet twanging of the strings without amplification. Hearing the conversation suddenly go silent, he felt awkward and his eyes met Serenity's. He smiled and continued playing.

Serenity, in an attempt to advert Gemma's attention from her, reached over and flipped the power switch on Apollo's guitar and the electronic riffs issued forth from the built-in amplifiers on the instrument's body. Apollo jumped with a start and gave his friend an irritated glare.

"What the hell?" Apollo interjected.

Both women laughed and shared a high-five over Serenity's prank. Apollo quickly got over his anger and chuckled. "Good one... but if you want to hear a song, why don't you just ask?"

Serenity raised an eyebrow and got an idea. "I think that's just what we need to boost the people's morale. Apollo, why don't you hold a concert on the main deck?" she suggested.

"I saw your other friends on the ship and, if my memory doesn't deceive me, they all have their instruments with them." Gemma added. "You should get everyone together. It wouldn't be the same with out the whole band."

Apollo smiled nodded his approval. He stood and went to gather his comrades. After a half an hour of searching the ship, all four band members were reunited. Apollo: Human guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist; Calliope: Zhellone keyboardist and assistant lyricist; Eurydice: Human backup vocalist and drummer; Orpheus: Human bassist. Together they were the popular rock band Millennium. The better part of the population of the ship turned out to see them perform. Holocams drifted around the deck to allow for the people on the other ships to see the show. Beginning with a screeching pick slide, they started their first song.

Serenity and Gemma sat together at a table watching the show, drinking a greenish, caffeine-loaded, carbonated drink known commonly on Freejia as "Spaz-Juice". Serenity didn't derive a sudden burst of energy from caffeine, like most people, but rather a relaxing sensation similar to a sleep medicine.

"Tell me honestly, Serenity. What do you think of him?" Gemma asked. Serenity blushed and couldn't bring herself to look Gemma in the eye.

"I....Ah....Well, he's..." she stuttered. She remembered the dance they went to together. She remembered being happy, happier than she had been in a long time. What was it about this man that made her feel this way? She never really thought of Apollo as more than a good friend.

Serenity said nothing more and Gemma apparently grew impatient. "Come on, Serenity! Tell me... You like him, don't you?" She prompted with a smile.

"Alright! You want the truth?" Serenity answered. "He's a great guy. He really is. He's talented, smart..... attractive...." Hearing the confession, Gemma's eyes went wide and her smile grew bigger. Just then, Apollo finished his song and the whole crowd erupted in applause. Serenity and Gemma joined in, too.

"I see... so, when are you going to tell him that?" Gemma asked when the noise level died down. "I'm sure he'd like to know what you really think of him. I'll tell you a secret: he likes you, too." Serenity gave her an unsure look. Another song was beginning, a slower one. It brought back more memories of their teenage years. Gemma's suggestions were starting to sound like a good idea.

While Apollo was singing, he got to a part of the song that brought forth good, memories for both he and Serenity. Apollo had been watching her the whole time, and when her eyes met his, they both smiled.  

[Lady Regina Jane]

Chapter 3

The party ended with lots of frowns turned upside down. It made this escape look and feel almost like a pleasure cruise. Millennium played wonderfully and the morale of the dismayed population of the three escaping ships soared. Their hyperspace route had ended at the Vela Supernova Remnant.

Princess Serenity, once again, stood staring out at the crimson wisps of hot gas outside her veiwport. So peaceful..., she thought. She was mesmerised by the surreal beauty of the nebula. She had never been inside one before, but had seen pictures and heard stories from those who have. Her father, Hyperion, was one of those people. She had looked up to him all her life and was thoroughly devastated when she heard the news that his warship was destroyed at the Battle of Coronis. The only time she cried harder was just recently when her mother, the last of her immediate family, passed away. She was an only-child, and this bothered her. Who did she have left to lean upon? Then she remembered Apollo. She couldn't stop thinking about him ever since the concert. She started to blush, even though she was alone.

Just then, she was startled by a sudden flash, tell-tale of another ship exiting hyperspace. It zoomed toward the Velocity with threatening speed.

Meanwhile, the bridge was busy with routine scans and check-ups when the sound of the incoming-ship alarm was heard. Commander Urania, the ship's astrogator, noticed something coming up behind the Velocity at an unusually fast speed on her radar screen.... the speed a fighter craft normally reached when attacking. She fought to hold her panic in check as she yelled, "Galactican Stinger!!!"

Admiral Poseidon rushed to a side window to confirm the sighting and immediately contacted Captain Solarum.
"Captain! You're needed in the main hangar. We need a decent pilot to fix a slight... problem."

"You mean that Stinger I just saw fly by my window? I'm already on my way!" Apollo responded, running down the corridor toward the hangar. He was already suited up and ready to fly.

He thumbed off his communicator just as he approached the hangar bay's open door. There, his wingman was already waiting for him. Second Lieutenant Ric Daxen climbed into his fighter and donned his helmet, activating the built-in headset. "Ready to fly, Sir?", he asked as he fastened his restraining harness.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Daxen." Apollo replied as he did the same. As the canopies of their cockpits closed over them, they exchanged a thumbs-up, which was a Freejian sign of impending victory. The launch signal was given and the two men flew out into the void.

"Targeting computer activated... Getting a signal..." Came Apollo's voice over the bridge-speakers. Serenity soon entered the bridge to see what was happening. Anxiety began to creep into her emotions as she watched her friend fly out among the stars into battle.

Inside Apollo's cockpit, his radar locked onto the fleeing enemy fighter. "Arming concussion missiles..." he announced, pressing a button on his control-stick. His finger hovering over the firing trigger, he waited for just the right moment and gently squeezed. "Fire!"

Two concussion missiles made the first salvo, spiraling toward their prey. The Stinger erupted in a blazing fireball. With a smile, Apollo banked to the side and came back around to return to the cruiser. "Target confirmed destroyed... returning to-" No sooner than he turned around did he see an enemy warship looming behind the Velocity.
"Admiral! There's a Galactican destroyer right behind you guys!"

Admiral Poseidon already knew about the incoming warship before Apollo had even shot down his target. "We see it. I'm scrambling all available pilots as we speak. You'll get your help in a few moments." he replied. Then, hearing the tone of an incoming message, he turned to Communications and ordered a channel be opened. The Captains of both the Valkyrie and the Vigilante were on the line.

"Admiral, we'll provide support. We are in attack position now, sir." Came the voice of the Valkyrie's Captain. The Vigilante's Captain made a similar comment. Admiral poseidon, however, had a plan already formulated.

"Negative, Vigliante. Cover fire only. Defend the Velocity! Valkyrie, you are clear to engage." he instructed with great authority. After a breif pause, he added, "Launch all available pilots on all cruisers!"

Several kilometres away, the enemy was formulating plans of their own. Priam, captain of the Dreadnaught, strutted into the bridge. "We are in attack position now, sir!" informed Lieutenant Hector with a stiff salute.

"Hold here, Lieutenant. They are launching fighters. I think we should play their little game, do you think?" the Captain asked with a cocksure grin. Just before the Lieutenant could respond, the Dreadnaught violently shook under the impact of what was obviously a solid object.

Captain Priam rushed to the side veiwport to see what hit them and found another warship stopped beside them... close enough to board them. "We're being boarded! Arm a response team immediately!"

Meanwhile, Admiral Poseidon's eyes never left the veiwport of the Velocity. "Who are those guys and why would they help us?" Then he got a look at the ship's insignia and knew then who they were.

*****

"Now, set the charges and get out of there!"

The satchel charge was set, as requested, at the side of the Dreadnaught's hull inside the cofferdam. The Spartan shock-troops scattered back into the safety of their cruiser and awaited the charge's report. A klaxon blared, signaling the charge's fuse was running while the cofferdam was pressurised to greater than the pressure on the inside of the Dreadnaught, so that when the explosion occured, the hull would break to the inside.

Three minutes passed and the set-up worked like a charm. As soon as the hull plate was pierced, an entire legion of Spartan shock troops stormed the ship and a violent gunfight ensued. Deadly projectiles of various types flew throughout the cramped corridors of the Galactican warship when through the din of battle came the loud, feminine voice of a Senshi.

"Sparta Laser Slash!"

From the right index finger of a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a scanty Sailor suit, a brilliant beam of light ran across the enemy soldiers, ending their lives with a forceful explosion a split-second later. The few Galactican soldiers left alive fled in the opposite direction only to have the Spartan soldiers give chase.

After eliminating the fleeing enemy soldiers, the Spartan battalion split up into smaller squads, separating into the bowels of the Dreadnought. One particular team, led by none other than the sultry Senshi herself, headed for the bridge of the ship with the intent to take control of it.

Along the way, all bulkheads that opened up into branching corridors suddenly closed off. The small group was barred from the helm by metre-thick blast-doors designed to withstand demolition-grade explosives. A soldier tapped the door with his gun and, judging by the dull sound he heard, inferred as much. “Princess Aphrodite, we haven’t enough satchel charges to do any kind of real damage to these doors. We used them in order to get into the ship in the first place.” He reported.

“We need to get into the ship’s helm.” Aphrodite stated. A look of frustration crossed her face. She pursed her lips and began plotting a way beyond the door. A young technician with a scar on his face standing nearby stepped forward. “Well, in this case, I suppose I can hot-wire this thing. ” He said, fingering the cybernetic MMI jack implanted at the base of his skull, just behind his right ear.

Aphrodite nodded her approval saying, “It doesn’t look like we have much of a choice. Very well, Hephastus, but do make haste. The sooner we take control of this ship the better.”

Hephastus nodded also and drew his pistol. He shot at the control panel in the wall and then started to fiddle with the exposed wires. Aphrodite just stood by and watched him intently. His dexterity was indeed impressive. A high-ranking soldier quietly volunteered to cover them, moving to the edge of the bulkhead and holding his impact-rifle in readiness for when the door opened. The markings on his armour denoted his lofty rank of Major General. The name Ares was embossed on his breastplate.

“I think I’ve got it!” announced Hephastus a few moments later. In his hands were a pair of superconductive wires which led to the servomotors that opened or closed the blast-doors. He could see that they were live by the readout on the tactical display screen over his right eye. “I’ve got it!” he shouted as he touched the two wires together. The doors opened and General Ares was first to rush in, gun pointed straight at Captain Priam. The rest of the squad followed close behind.

Priam grinned maliciously, his right hand hovering over the holstered blaster pistol at his side, hesitant to make any sudden movement. Instead, he said, “My, my… how brave we are to defy Queen Galaxia! Have you no respect for the galaxy’s supreme leader?” He signalled with his left hand and most of the officers around him reached for a weapon and prepared to fight. Then he added, “Any time you want to put your weapons down is fine with me.”

“I tire of your arrogance! I hope you realise that I can wipe all of you out in a single sweep!” an angered Aphrodite warned. As she focused her energy in preparation for battle, her right fingertip began to glow. Her hand twitched, eager to release the energy built-up therein.

“And I tire of you damned resistance groups!” Priam retorted. “I’m debating whether we should be merciful and kill you all now or have you arrested along with the rest of your friends and send you to Cress for the rest of your lives.” He paused for a moment to let the thought of being forced to mine iridium on a barely hospitable world sink in. Then he addressed Aphrodite, saying, “We’re awfully far from Sparta, aren’t we? I have a feeling your powers won’t be as effective as you seem to think. I think you’re the arrogant one.”

That did it. Enraged, Aphrodite shifted into her battle stance and shouted, “How dare you speak to me that way! I wasted that sorry excuse for a defence squad and I’ll do the same you! ” Despite hearing the sound of the Galactican officers’ weapons powering up, she proceeded to cast her spell. “Sparta Laser Slash!”

In a rather cowardly defensive manoeuvre, Priam used one of his subordinates as a shield, just as Aphrodite’s beam crossed his path. He cast aside the dead officer with the rest of the fallen and quickly drew his pistol. Aphrodite was so beside herself with rage that she fearlessly charged at him. Anticipating a gunshot, she performed an aerial somersault opening up into a powerful kick directed at Priam’s face. The force of the kick sent Priam off-balance, making him drop his gun. Aphrodite then followed up with a nose-braking punch and a palm-thrust to the solar plexus. He fell to the floor apparently stunned, but not yet dead.

The Spartan soldiers present jumped down into the pits on either side of the helm where the ship’s main control consoles were located. The remaining Galactican officers occupying these controls were forced out of their seats and unarmed. One officer in particular, however, had the audacity to key in a self-destruct sequence before being stripped of his console. He laughed while General Ares attempted in vain to deactivate it. Angered by the man’s mocking laughter, he shot him with his rifle and yelled, “Hephastus! Get over here, now!”

Hephastus came running and jumped down to where Ares was. “Yes sir?” he answered with a salute.

“This b*****d just activated a self-destruct sequence.” Ares explained, pointing to the dead officer that lay at his feet. “You’re the only one among us who can get into the system and override the sequence. Move it, kid!”

Hephastus nodded and saluted again, taking out of his pocket a special cable. He plugged one end into the corresponding port on the console and the other end into his cybernetic jack, saying aloud, “Jack in! Active Interface, Execute!” In an instant, his body went limp and his consciousness went into the computer.

*****

Admiral Poseidon and Princess Serenity watched the Spartan and Galactican ships through the viewport of the Velocity’s helm. The entire room was silent with maddening anticipation. Poseidon had been on edge for several minutes, expecting just about anything to happen, but did a fine job of hiding his anxiety. He just stood staring at the two cruisers, just waiting for an excuse to give an order. Serenity also stared out the viewport, but instead watched the Freejian fighter she was sure belonged to Apollo. The fighters’ engines were cooled and so they just floated there in space. She had decided to tell him how she felt if he got back in. “No… when he gets back in…” she corrected herself, pushing the possibility of Apollo being shot down out of her mind.

Corporal Aoite’s communications console made a tone indicating an incoming transmission. The computer revealed the transmission came from the Dreadnought. “Sir! We’re getting a call from the Dreadnought. Shall I put them through?” She asked Admiral Poseidon.

The Admiral nodded. “Put the audio on speakers.”

Serenity turned around and approached the communication console. It was her job as her mother’s successor to take care of diplomatic issues such as this. Aoite answered the call and a beautiful blonde woman’s face appeared on the video screen. Poseidon looked at her and nearly had a nosebleed along with the rest of the men in the room. All eyes, regardless of which gender they belonged to, were on the video screen awaiting diplomacy to commence. The blonde woman spoke first.

“Greetings. I am Aphrodite, Princess of Planet Sparta. To whom do I speak?”

“I am Princess Serenity of Planet Freejia.” Serenity answered. “Please state your business.”

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. She had heard of the Freejian Navy and how it was supposed to be unsurpassed. “We have managed to capture the bridge of this Galactican cruiser, but I don’t know how long my remaining forces can hold out. I request assistance in repulsing our common enemy.”

Serenity looked to Poseidon, who stopped staring at Aphrodite to lock eyes with her. Poseidon considered for a minute and then spoke up. “We can send our available pilots to enter through the ship’s docking bay, but our armoury is limited. Each ship among us can only able to equip about a hundred men and we only have about half as many fighters we can use as transports… ”

Aphrodite turned her head and shouted something indistinct, as it was directed away from the unidirectional mic; something about holding the helm of the ship at all costs could barely be made out. The faint sounds of gunshots could also be heard. “I apologise for that, Princess. So you say you can only supply 150 soldiers? We may not need that many, but whatever you can spare will be fine. Are you willing to ally with us?”

Serenity thought for a few seconds before giving her answer. What choice did they have? They were obviously going out of their way to help them. It seemed foolish to refuse a potential ally. “Agreed. I shall make preparations for our attack at once! Exactly how many additional soldiers do you need? Just give me a rough estimate.”

Once again, Aphrodite turned her head to talk to someone next to her. Although indistinct conversation could be made out, it sounded like agreements were being made between them. Aphrodite nodded to whoever she was consulting with and turned back to Serenity. “I have consulted with my Major General and he thinks only 50 additional soldiers should be more than enough. I imagine half that will do the trick. At any rate, I hope your pilots know something about infantry combat.”

“We will send a marine detachment in a few hours. Can you hold out that long?” Admiral Poseidon asked.

Aphrodite’s eyes glanced at something off-screen for a second and then back to Poseidon. “I think so. The sooner you get here, the better off all of us are.”

A loud rumbling sound was heard along with a corresponding vibration. Aphrodite turned around and shouted something that sounded like a question of uncertainty. A few Spartan soldiers rushed by with guns at the ready, apparently in response to the commotion. Aphrodite stopped shouting orders and turned back to the communicator. “Hurry up. We’re losing!” was all she said before closing the channel.

Serenity gave the orders and the best of the marines were selected to go in. they were issued pistols, rifles, additional power packs, and battle armour. The fighters took off from each of the Freejian ships and headed straight for the Dreadnought‘s docking bay. There were surprisingly few Galactican Stingers inside the docking bay, despite the vast amount of room. Only ten Stingers hung from the ceiling while the floor remained clear. There was room enough for about a hundred fighters on the docking bay’s floor alone. It wasn’t long before the docking bay filled up with Freejian ships and the marines that flew them stormed the Dreadnought.

The Spartan troops fought hard against the Galactican soldiers with many casualties on both sides. The corridors were so cramped that the fighting had in some cases resulted in alternative forms of combat. Spartan soldiers traditionally carried swords as well as guns, so some chose to put heir guns away and fight by the blade instead. The white walls pulsated red in time with wailing klaxons during the fighting. Knowing what the alarm meant, the Galactican soldiers fought to get the ship’s escape pods while the Spartan soldiers fought to contain or otherwise eliminate them.

It was beginning to look as though the fear-stricken Galacticans were going to have their way when the blast-doors blocking off the passageways opened up, allowing the Freejian reinforcements in to help fight. What was left of the Galactican legion was now boxed in and in a shower of plasma bolts and bullets, were soundly eradicated to the last man. They lay in a bloody heap in the midst of the corridor.

Meanwhile, Hephastus worked diligently on overriding the reactor-meltdown command. “Password bypassed… access approved!” His voice resounded over a speaker built into the terminal, the computer struggling to synthesise his Spartan accent. “I’m in!”

“You had better hurry, Hephastus! The clock is ticking.” Aphrodite warned, not knowing if he could hear her or not.

He did and thus replied, “I’m going as fast as I can, Ma’am. Please bear with me.”

Aphrodite cocked a wry smile. “If you want a body to come back to, I suggest you don’t forget to whom you speak, my friend.” she threatened. Hephastus sighed and continued entering the last few commands. In the reactor room, temperatures were rising to such extremes that he technicians maintaining the reactor were forced to abandon their posts.

“Total system failure in 10 seconds…” warned a computerised voice, counting down the last few, precious seconds everyone on board had left to live.

“Not if I can help it!” Hephastus thought out loud. He desperately entered in the last of the override commands in just the last nanoseconds after the voice counted the last digit. The lights all throughout the ship flickered out. The glowing streams of data surrounding Hephastus likewise went black. A few seconds felt like an eternity while he and everyone else was surrounded by darkness.

Then all of a sudden, the lights flickered back on and the data flowed once more. “System rehabilitated!” announced the computer. At that moment, all on board cried out in sheer joy. Hephastus, still in the main computer, reached up to where the cable connected to his jack and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Jack out!” he said, making a slight pulling motion. In the next instant, he was back in his own body being crowded by hysterical compatriots. Struggling to get free, he pulled out the access cable while protesting, “Get off! Let me go! Hey, back off!”

He climbed out of the pit onto the walkway only find himself in the embrace of Princess Aphrodite, who literally lifted him off the ground, joyously laughing. She released him, saying, “Hephastus, my friend, you’re a hero. You have saved us all!” Then he felt an interesting tingle on his cheek. His eyes went wide as he saw Aphrodite’s face withdraw from his.

“Princess, we’ve received a transmission from the Velocity. Princess Serenity requests permission to dock.” Informed a soldier, shouting over the applause and other noises.

Aphrodite nodded her approval, saying, “Tell her she may dock at the starboard hatch.” The soldier at the communication terminal nodded and relayed the message.

A little time later, Serenity had entered the Dreadnought, escorted by some of the Freejian marines. Apollo, Admiral Poseidon, and General Zeus were also among them. They walked through the carbon-scored corridors, seeing numerous scorch-marks, bullet-holes, and even a particularly large hole with many wires sticking out; damage left from the detonation of a concussion grenade. Scarlet blood still stained the white walls not far from the bodies it came from.

Serenity thought about what it must have been like to die in such a terrible way. She wanted badly to get out of sight of this wretched scene, so she quickened her pace. Serenity walked through the helm’s bulkhead and looked Aphrodite in the eye. The two princesses shook hands as a sign of the unity their newly formed alliance would bring.

“Victory is sweet, isn’t it?” Aphrodite mused.

Serenity thought once more about the cost of that victory, but then smiled and replied, “Indeed, but was it really worth the price we paid?”

Aphrodite appeared to give the question thought. She turned around and walked a few steps toward the forward viewport. “The casualties were most unfortunate. It’s good to know, however, that our men didn’t die in vain.” She paused for a moment and then changed the subject. “We should start moving out of the area. I’m more than sure Galaxia knows what happened here. Any ideas as to where we can go?”

General Zeus stepped forward. “Ma’am, if I may, I’ve already thought ahead for our next destination.”

“Very well. What planet do you suggest?” asked Aphrodite.

Zeus produced from his pocket a small holoprojector and activated it. It displayed a map of the galaxy with on particular system highlighted. “Planet Mau. It’s a planet in a system beyond the Mid Rim territories. It’s out of the way and Shadow Galactica has no presence there. There’s a good chance we can stock up on supplies there, If everyone pools their credits together.” He explained, pointing to the highlighted system, then zooming in on the planet for further information.

Aphrodite considered the proposal and agreed. “Sounds good to me. I should tell you all now, though, the ship docked on our port side isn’t the only one we brought. There are two colony ships and another warship. We plan to build a base on some remote planet, build up our military forces and reclaim our world.” She pointed out the viewport just as the ships she just mentioned came out from behind a violet cloud.

Serenity looked to both Zeus and Aphrodite and put in the final word on the matter. “It is decided, then. Mau is where we will go. It’s not like we’re going need our money where we’re going anyway.”  

[Lady Regina Jane]

It's a fragment...and up for revising... I also need to revise the first chapter.  

[Lady Regina Jane]

Chapter 4

“Tell me, Sailor Gold Wasp… why isn’t the Imperium Silver Crystal in my hands?” Sailor Galaxia, Queen of Shadow Galactica, sat upon her throne, her chin resting on her gold-armoured fist. Her voice was calm, but threateningly firm. Before her, one of her Animamates grovelled in humility.

Sailor Gold Wasp was, like all Animamates, born a normal being with no special powers of any kind. When Shadow Galactica invaded the planet Cocoon, they had also struck its moon, where her kind lived. She was what was commonly known as a Hornet, as the proper name for the species was difficult to pronounce in Basic. She had won Galaxia’s favour by helping to assassinate the leader of the Hornet’s communal utopia, Queen Lynnak. It was then little Mindy became Sailor Gold Wasp by swearing her allegiance to Galaxia. Her starseed was immediately replaced by gold bracelets, which gave her the powers of a Sailor Senshi, but also stripped her of freewill.

“P-please, my Queen, d-don’t be angry…” She stammered, trembling in fear. She dared not look her Queen in the eye for fear she may take it as a challenge.

Galaxia glared at her servant and shouted, “Why not? Am I to assume I should be happy to know there is one who is an actual threat to my supremacy; one who, if allowed to freely roam the galaxy, could potentially challenge me?”

Gold Wasp bowed her head as the angry barrage of words blasted her ears. “N-no! Of course not… Forgive me. I-I spoke out of turn. I just didn’t want you to take your frustration out on me…”

Galaxia’s expression softened a little. “Sailor Gold Wasp, if I were going to take my anger out on you, I’d have done it by now and you’d be nothing more than a pile of dust. However, don’t you think for a second that I’ll tolerate failure.”

“Y-yes, Ma’am…” Wasp replied. “May I ask what you have called me in for, my Queen?”

Galaxia stared down at her insectoid servant and asked, “Do you know where Princess Serenity is right now?” She made a hologram star-map appear between Gold Wasp and herself and gestured for the Animamate to rise and provide the requested information.

Wasp stood up on her weak legs and pointed with her three-fingered hand to the Vela Supernova Remnant, where the Dreadnought was last seen. “I-I heard from Naval Command that the Spartan Federation has taken control of one of our warships in this nebula. The last report we heard from this ship was that they were chasing the escaped Freejian vessels. It has more than likely left the area by now, but we don’t know where. We lost contact during the fighting.”

Galaxia straightened herself in her seat, then leaned forward as she thought about the situation. After a moment of silent consideration, Galaxia finally made a decision. “You’re going to go find out.” She dictated in a monotonous voice.

“Huh? M-me?” a confused Gold Wasp asked, although her gut told her Galaxia was serious despite her voice’s sudden lack of emphasis. “B-but I-” Wasp immediately shut up when she saw Galaxia’s hand rise up in a gesture that demanded silence.

“You seem to already know what you’re looking for. Therefore, I’m placing you in command of a whole legion of troops. However, you will report your findings before you engage in battle. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Sailor Gold Wasp replied. As she straightened her back, she teleported to Infantry Command to ready her troops.

*****

“We’re entering Mau orbit now, Ma’am.” Commander Urania announced as Princess Serenity entered the Velocity’s helm. Urania was a noblewoman of relatively small stature, standing only 150 centimetres tall. She looked like a young teenager, despite her true age of 28. Outside of the Navy, she was called Baroness Urania of Blacksand Beach. She had a fascination with the stars and knew many of their secrets, making her a prime candidate for the task of being the Velocity’s astrogator. Some information on Mau appeared on the tactical display mini-screen she wore over her right eye, attached to her headset. Its green-tinted plastic concealed her blue eye’s colour, which differed from her green left eye. When asked about her eyes, she always joked that her parent’s genes fought an evenly matched battle over dominance.

Outside the viewport, the Planet Mau shone like a greenish brown isle in the star-studded sea of space. The group of ships hung in relatively low orbit as they searched for a city with a spaceport. Communications contacted one in particular in a city called Calico City, which happened to be the planet’s capital. They were given clearance to land and Serenity went from the bridge to her stateroom, calling for a mandatory meeting of the highest-ranking officers, including those of the Spartans.

A group of seven gathered around the round table, where Serenity posed the question, “Who is going down to the surface?” She glanced at Aphrodite, who sat across from her, and then added, “Princess Aphrodite has been kind enough to offer us a light freighter, but it can only seat four safely. So, among us seven, who is going?”

Aphrodite nodded and waved her hand. “I volunteer.” She said firmly.

“You’re gonna need a pilot, obviously… of course, I’m in.” was Apollo’s reply.

As Hephastus leaned back in his seat, Aphrodite kicked him in the leg to get his attention. “Ow!” he interjected. Aphrodite gave him a look, which reminded him that she had told him to volunteer. “I’ll tag along, too, I suppose.” He said flatly, rubbing his shin to dull the pain. Although he didn’t rank very high, Aphrodite wanted him to be there anyway.

An awkward silence set in for a minute as no one else volunteered. Serenity looked at each of those who had not said anything and they stared back silently. It was clear that she would have to pick out someone herself. She stood up and once again eyed everyone at the table. “I’ll go.” She said, to the surprise of everyone.

Zeus stood up and attempted to talk her out of it. “But Your Highness, you mustn’t.” He began. “You’re the last of your family line. If something were to happen to you, we-” Serenity put her hand up in a gesture of silence and he stopped talking.

“I’m going and that’s final. My mind is made up, General.” She stated firmly. “Besides, I think I can take care of myself. We even have Aphrodite, who is very powerful herself.” Just as she finished talking, Hephastus also stood up, placing a full clip into his shredder pistol and loading it. The gesture was meant to mean that he was ready as well. Apollo followed suit, checking the power pack on his blaster.

Serenity smiled, then looked to Poseidon and Zeus. “I’m placing Zeus in charge while I’m gone and Poseidon shall be his second in command. Understood?” Both men nodded solemnly.

Aphrodite did the same with Ares, placing him in charge of their people in her absence. “Yes, Ma’am!” he replied, clapping his right fist over his heart, a gesture that functioned as the Spartan salute.

“Perfect! It’s all settled then.” Serenity concluded and adjourned the meeting. Those not going down to the planet left the room, leaving the four of them.

The Spartan ship was relatively small for a freighter, but big enough for the job it was to be used for. At first glance, Apollo wasn’t quite sure it would be able to comfortably seat the four of them. Of course, “comfortably” was the keyword. Stepping inside, he found the hold to be of a decent size, essential for the amount of cargo they were going to be transporting. Going down a short corridor, he found the cockpit to be smaller than he imagined. He sat down in the pilot’s seat with a sigh and warmed the engines up. The others soon came in behind him and found their seats, Serenity sitting in the co-pilot’s seat next to his.

As Serenity found her seat, Apollo began to space out, staring out the viewport toward the docking bay doors. Thoughts of the two of them together filled his mind. Although he had no noble blood in him at all, Apollo had a feeling he had a chance with her yet. Then it suddenly occurred to him that if he married her, he would become not just any nobility, but the new Emperor of the Freejian people. The thought discouraged him a little, as there hadn’t been a union between a princess and a commoner since the establishment of democracy within the constitutional monarchy, when Sailor Freejia herself broke tradition as a form of open protest. However, thinking of the beautiful princess, whom he had been a friend to for years, somehow raised his spirits again.

He then felt a nudge in right arm, the one that had been shot the day before. A sharp pain made it spasm slightly, shaking Apollo of his reverie. “Hey, are you wake?” Serenity asked.

“Yeah…” Apollo replied, coming back to his senses. He pressed a few keys on the console, starting the ship’s ignition process and everyone buckled their restraining harnesses. “Okay… let’s go.”

The ship rose up from the floor and slowly flew out into space as the pressure shield was temporarily disabled. Apollo directed the ship in the direction of their prescribed vector and soon found that he wasn’t fond of neither the control settings nor the ship’s overall handling, but nevertheless flew it down to the planet below. As they entered the atmosphere, the hull began to glow neon-orange due to the friction of re-entry. A homing signal guided them to Calico City Spaceport, where an open landing platform awaited them.

Apollo brought the ship down to rest upon the platform after several minutes of fighting with controls he wasn’t used to. He sighed at the realisation that he’d have to be the one to fly the thing back into orbit, wondering how much harder it would be going up than it was coming down. The freighter was old and obsolete by modern standards. It was in no way fast, not even sporting a hyperdrive generator. Clearly it was made in peacetime, as its deflector screens were weak and were only good for cutting the amount of damaging heat from re-entry, giving one an idea of just how old the craft really was.

The group disembarked the ship and went on into the open spaceport. The place was bustling with Humans and feline-looking humanoids: the natives of this world. Mauians have the general body-shape of Humans except they lack Human ears, instead having cat-ears on top of the head, have naturally long and sharp finger and toenails that function as claws, have cat’s eyes, and have cat-like tails. Serenity tried not to be so rude as to stare but found it difficult, as they were so unique and interesting to her.

Shops of various kinds were lined up all along the streets. Apollo noticed a jewellery shop and slipped into it when no one was looking. Serenity looked around and noticed Apollo was missing. “Where’s Apollo?” she asked, looking all around. The others shrugged as they knew not where he went.

A few minutes passed before Serenity saw Apollo walking away from the jewellery shop he found. She couldn’t imagine what he, of all people, was doing at a jewellery shop, but she stopped worrying about it when he located a supply shop that might carry what they were looking for. Apollo whistled loudly to get the others’ attention, then motioned with his head toward the shop he found. “Let’s try this one.” He suggested. It looked like a good place to start, so the others agreed.

*****

The Conqueror flashed out of hyperspace to appear in the exact area that the Dreadnought was last known to be. Instead of a group of cruisers, all the crew found there were the dead bodies of both Spartan and Galactican casualties jettisoned into space. They will forever drift aimlessly among the multicoloured gasses of the nebula until the birth of a new star is triggered to vaporise them into their most basic elements or their organic matter disintegrates; whichever one came first.

Sailor Gold Wasp stood staring through the viewport at the grisly sight. She couldn’t say she felt anything inside. Neither fear, nor pity, nor any other emotions permeated her stone-cold heart. Perhaps it was the bracelets, or maybe it was her ignorance of Human behaviour. She never really cared much for them. From her point of view, Humans were ugly, had little sense of altruism, and were exceedingly arrogant. The only Human she respected, or rather feared was Galaxia.

She turned to face the mostly-Human crew working the ship’s helm. “Is there any indication as to where they may have gone?” she asked impatiently.

A Human officer sitting in front of the monitor linked to the ship’s scanners spoke up without facing her. “Nothing yet… No sign of life or anything else for that matter.” He slouched a little in his seat from boredom when his console emitted a tone, to which he immediately straightened.

The screen showed what looked like a trail of some kind. “Wait! I’m picking up something on the scanners.” He announced as information on his tactical display mini-screen showed details on the anomaly. Then he remembered hearing that there was a minor problem with the Dreadnought’s fuel cells. He pulled up the brief summary of the report he was authorised to view and realised what it was the scanners were reacting to. “The Dreadnought is leaking mesons… a lot of them. The trail leads out into Sector 3.”

The trail was disappearing quickly as mesons are unstable particles, decaying into light energy after a few billionths of a second. Nevertheless, the computer recorded the direction the trail pointed, revealing the Dreadnought’s trajectory. Sailor Gold Wasp thought the information through and asked, “What planet lies in the direction of the trail?”

The ship’s astrogator, whose console was in the pit to her right, looked at his star-map and replied, “Planet Mau. It lies about 6 parsecs from here. It seems a likely place to go…many planets in the outer reaches of the Middle Territories are known to be havens for those who don’t wish to be found. This one is no exception.”