THE LEGEND OF GRAND MECHAPOLIS

STAR BLAZERS/GALAXY EXPRESS 999

Founding of the Dual Monarchy and Galaxy Express System

By: Frederick P. Kopetz

Chapter ELEVEN: Many Meetings Again…

Input contributed by Gail Kopetz, Jamie Tucker, and Margaret and Steven Diviney

Illustration “Concert” is © 2021 by AkiraDevilman666 based on rough sketches by Frederick P. Kopetz

Thanks to Gail Kopetz and DTill359 for Advice and inspiration.

All other original art is by Frederick P. Kopetz along with altered captures from the old and new Yamato series

PROLOGUE:

COSMOS DREAM (CONTINUED)

Planet Earth

Tokyo Megalopolis

The Undercity

June 20, 2972

-----------------------------------------------

It was well after midnight when Dawn took a lift to the one hundred and fiftieth floor of Paradise Tower, a huge apartment and office building in the Tokyo Megalopolis, built over seven hundred years ago, that had endured the vicissitudes of war, civil uprisings, and natural disaster to still stand firm and tall in the great City.

Dawn stopped before Apartment 150232 and looked at the keypad.

She punched the keypad, ignoring the numbers and letters, listening with a smile as she tapped out a seven-note musical phrase in a minor key, known well to her since she, her life mate, and a long-dead friend had written it, on a nearly forgotten voyage in a nearly forgotten time to most of Terra. Once an anthem, now almost forgotten.

The door opened. Thank the Lord, that was never programmed out of the system, she said to herself.

Dawn entered the room and kicked off her geta and sat on a bed on a suite in the apartment as she smiled, thinking of ancient days and better times in this place; Smoked Salmon, Brie cheese, music, laughter…food fights. 

Dawn almost lay back musing until she heard the door opening and sat up.

“So, you have come,” Dawn said in a flat voice, knowing who it was at once by her aura, with Dawn’s words echoing that of her long-dead Captain, mentor, and father figure; a tower of strength with a white beard.

“Yes, I have come…” Maetel said as she undid her boots, cast aside her somber black Astrakhan hat, and set down her suitcase.

Maetel gazed at Dawn’s sunglass-shrouded eyes and nodded.

Dawn stood. Maetel, the slightly taller of the two, genuflected before Dawn, the battered, apparent juvenile delinquent and denizen of the Undercity, seemingly as poor as Tetsuro himself.

Dawn carefully took off her shades and her battered Colorado Rockies cap, shaking her head, letting her slightly greater than shoulder-length honey blonde locks free from their bondage. The cheek curls fell into place, and the eternal lock of hair over her left eye also fell into place.

When Maetel stood, she was not gazing at a juvenile, but at a High Queen just a few years older than she, but with dark brown eyes filled with wisdom, regret, memory, power, and even joy under her long eyelashes. For the person Maetel faced was Nova Wildstar III, High Queen of the Pellian Commonwealth; one-time Head of State of Terra as well…before the Terrans had seceded and gone to war…a Head of State and Heroine subjected to damnatio memorae on Terra along with her husband, a Hero who had done far more for Terra than thousands. All this was done by the corrupt secessionist regime of the Solar Federation in an attempt to wipe her and him from Terran history itself. The effort to brand them as criminals and traitors to Earth had only made them martyrs in certain hidden circles on Terra who still toasted to their memory. 

“Do you have everything prepared, Maetel?” Nova said, flatly and baldly.

“Yes, Majesty. I am ready to travel again…I…”

“The time has come to demolish your mother’s corrupt Empire,” Nova said, “Even though the war shall go on for over a decade. You can make it shorter by decisive action.”

“I am not ready to face Her…yet,” Maetel said.

“Why not? You and she are mother and daughter. You know her better than I do.”

“Nova, we agreed that the slow plan was the best. You do not know how many brave men I have brought to the world named after me; at the doorstep of the world of Grand Mechapolis itself.”

“In this instance, we must bring down her Dol Guldur on Mechanized Planet Maetel; then her Mirkwood of Great Andromeda, before we besiege her Barad-Dur of Grand Mechapolis…before she can make that Monstrosity move through space and time in diseased emulation of her one-time Master,” Nova said as Maetel looked stricken. “It can go faster if you would just confront her. Bear in mind that when you do…I shall be there with you, in spirit, and probably in body, as well.”

“I have a child waiting to complete the Plan,” Maetel said.

“I know he waits in the wings to enter our play,” Nova said. “Indeed, I brought him to the stage. You two shall meet shortly. He, driven by his Revenge against Count Mecha, that old nemesis of mine…and the tormentor and slayer of his mother and dark friend of his father, who froze her when she was with child, dropped her back on Terra through the agency of his accursed Time Castle. Faust. The child of my womb who became corrupt.”

“I await the boy,” Maetel said.

“Yes, he. Tetsuro. The Son of Iron,” Nova said.

“The last part of my machine.”

“No. A human with a warrior’s heart!” Nova snapped. “My blood flows in that boy’s veins! Honor him or…”

“Or what?”

“Or I shall take him to Planet Maetel myself. By other means,” Nova said. “I only entrust you with this because of what I have foreseen.”

“You and your damned foresight, Majesty,” hissed Maetel as tears ran down her cheeks.

Nova said, “Stop crying, for you only weep for yourself! As for the boy, Maetel. The Son of Iron whom I foresaw centuries ago?”

“Yes?”

“I now charge you with his care because you know very well that I must be elsewhere! But you will tell him his mission. Tell him straight up. Get…as we physicians say…informed consent…”

“He’s a child, Majesty…”

“Informed consent. Do not lie to him. Or you shall account to me.”

“Need I ask why?” said Maetel.

“He is precious to me, Maetel,” Nova said as a tear ran down her cheek. “Even if his father became a very blighted weed…who became poisonous…a killer who slew she who was once even more precious to me to anyone save for my life mate…he, who shall…as I have foreseen, close my physical eyes in the End when I pass on in a love far greater than that of Tochiro and Emeraldas; a mythic love that has endured for almost eight centuries, now. A love that shall live even after our bodies become at last food for worms, dry bones, and dust.”

“But, that tale?”

“A tragedy I need not repeat here,” Nova snapped. “The killer I speak of…would have broken the soul of him whom I call my Adoptive Father, son by marriage and Friend…were it not for the very last offshoot of Rapa Nui…you met her, Maetel. I need say no more.”

Maetel said nothing more. Nova stood, put her hair back up in the hat, put on her sunglasses, and became Dawn once again.

“I will board the train as far as Pellias: Broad Street Station. There, you and I must part company. When you see me again…I will be back in my element.”

“Where, pray tell?”

“On the bridge of Yamato. With my husband.” At that, “Dawn” turned on her heel, kicked her feet back into her battered geta, and left Maetel in a flash. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

I. RIKASHA REDUX

Planet Rikasha

New Rikala

September 3, 2233

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Rikasha was a world of many contradictions.

Now a warm heaven and a place of trade and culture, it had once been a radioactive hell.

Now a place where many faiths flourished, its people had once been forced to bow the knee to Ekogaru, its genius, its destroyer, its so-called god, its Warlord.

The Yamato cruised through the clouds to one of the oceans, and she landed at a dock at the edge of Rikala City.

A group of Rikashans in red and black came up and saluted Derek, Nova, Presha, and Alex as they came down the gangplank.

A moment later, Lord Shiro Cha’rif came out, in white, trimmed with blue, with a black and gold cape trailing behind him as he walked.

He bowed to the four from the Yamato. Derek and Alex were in their shipboard uniforms with the appropriate peacoats. Presha wore a white macrame minidress, sun hat, and sandals.

Nova wore a Rikashan-style dress in light tan with an elaborate turquoise and silver necklace, red and gold serape, gold belt, and brown sandals. 

“A true lady of our deserts, Majesty,” said Shiro softly.

“The major issue at hand, Shiro is the threat from Larmetal and Promethium,” Derek said as they walked along into his palace.

“Tell me about it,” Shiro said as they entered a conference room, that, to Nova, looked just like something from Earth. When they sat down, after a serving robot brought them food and drink, they sat around the round table and Shiro said, “Our shipping from your star system has been attacked three times in the past month. We are no longer sending out commercial craft without escorts for that very reason.”

“I noticed that all of your ships have been coming to Earth and Pellias with escorts,” Nova said. “Now, I see why.”

“I have likewise noticed that your own latest shipping from your system to us has also been coming with escorts,” Shiro said as he sipped at his drink.

“Have you considered making application to join the Commonwealth?” Alex said.

“Alex, please!” Derek snapped. “Pardon our son, Lord, he…”

“The notion of joining the Commonwealth has passed my mind,” said Shiro. “I have not brough it up yet since I know that at least three of the Dukes on the Council of Six would not support it; they feel our old alliance is enough,” said Cha’rif. “I also have to move carefully since there is prejudice here, as well. Some members of the Council, as well as our Assembly, do not think well of me because I was and am a Terran adopted by the Cha’rif clan. They have reminded me I must move carefully…the darned traditionalists.”

Nova sighed. “Even after all I have already done for Pellias, some Pellians look askance upon me because I am part Terran and Iscandarian, and our Ruling Queen, Rezine, has a hard time getting the Pellian Parliament to consider her directives because she is so closely associated with me, so I understand your position,” Nova said as Derek patted her hand. “I would have an easier time on Earth, if it were not for a large group of conservatives who dislike everything I do. They dislike my speeches, my books, some of my social positions, and they even think I dress weird.”

“You mean Scott Foley, right?” Derek said.

Nova nodded.

“Who is this Scott Foley person?” asked Shiro.

“A very obnoxious reporter who was a boyfriend of my granddaughter a long time ago,” Presha said. “Even though Nova has been married to Derek for over thirty years and they have several children together, this man cannot leave well enough alone, and he makes trouble for Her Majesty everywhere he goes.”

“He is mostly a media annoyance,” Nova said. “He has challenged me to appear on his show several times, but I do not care to. He has a habit of slanting his questions and shouting down anyone who will not agree with him. He is not a fair or balanced journalist.”

The discussion went around politics for about another half an hour until Derek said, “We have come here to discuss something else, as well, Lord Cha’rif. The R’jkharraz order.”

“I understand Pellias has its own order of gifted beings and warriors, as well?” said Cha’rif.

“We do,” Nova said. “I have even begun to train Derek in these arts. We share the power of the Pellian Matrix, and he is becoming more adept day by day.”

“And you sent us a message asking if our Black Order can join your Pellian Brown Order and the Terran Blue Order, if I understand you correctly?” Cha’rif said.

“Yes…under my leadership as Grand Master,” Nova said. “I asked Iscandar to join, but Sasha refused, and the same goes for my daughter Starsha, the heir-apparent.”

“What is the reason?” said Cha’rif. “I ask this out of interest, even though I am about as gifted in these arts as a rock,” he laughed.

Nova said, “Iscandar told us that they are not a warrior people, and that most of their arts trend towards healing and other disciplines, even though Sasha is a skilled warrior and the reincarnated Starsha is becoming one.”

Shiro sighed. “Oh, yes, the infamous Iscandarian pacifism and neutrality. Odd for a world which is a part of our Alliance. Do they not know unless we hang together, Promethium shall make sure we all hang separately?”

“What is your answer?” said Presha.

“I do not make that call,” said Cha’rif. “What I will do is advise our R’jkharraz Master, Duke Eglin Esauda, to meet with you. He is on a journey but he should be home here in the city in a few days. In the meantime, there will be a music and talent festival here in the city. Majesty,” he said to Nova, “We understand that you are good at playing and singing with your Derek. Would you consent to playing and acting as Mistress of Ceremonies?”

“I’d be honored,” Nova said.

“Well, then, that is agreed upon,” said Shiro with a smile.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A while later on that day on the Yamato, at 1900 Hours, Deke Wakefield was up and about in Sickbay. He had suffered another reverse and passed out. It turned out there was internal bleeding in his body that hadn’t been detected previously. Nova had fixed him up after an operation and a second transfusion.

Wakefield felt better now, but he was very confused. Why? He had gotten a look at himself in a mirror and he had shocked by what he had seen.

His face looked a little thinner, and his eyes were no longer brown; they were, instead, an interesting shade of blue; almost purple.

“What the HELL?” he said in his strong accent. “Nurse Shala! Are you around?”

“Yes, I am,” she said.

“What the heck just made my eye color change?” he said. “And I’ve been having these weird dreams.”

“What sort of dreams, Mister Wakefield?” asked Nova primly as she came in, dressed again in her lab coat, scrubs, et cetera.

“Maybe you know some stuff?” demanded Deke as he sat up and grabbed Nova by her lab coat lapels.

“Hey!” she barked. “Hands off the merchandise, Mister Wakefield!” Nova barked as she pulled Deke’s hands off the lapels of her lab coat and shoved him back into bed. Deke noticed that for her slender, almost frail build, Nova seemed to have muscles somewhere.  “You do that again, I’ll have you put in restraints, buddy!”

“Sorry, ma’am. But I want some answers! Did I receive a blood transfusion?”

“Yes, one unit of my blood,” Nova said. “A positive. We had to find it somewhere.”

“Okay. What sorta blood makes your damn eyes go purple, makes you heal up really fast, and gives ya strength? What kinda place is this?”

“Well, let me check your blood in the lab and maybe we can get some answers,” Nova said, signaling for Shala to bring over a blood-draw kit. As the nurse did, Nova said, “And get me a second one. I want to draw some of my blood, too. See if something has changed about it.”

“What the heck woulda changed about your blood, ma’am?” said Wakefield, rather puzzled.

“Well, the day after we found you, I did a survey flight all on my own through a nebula that was mildly radioactive. I seemed to have a rather low radiation exposure, so I didn’t think much of it, and you needed a transfusion while you were out, so I had some of my blood drawn for you since we were lacking A positive in the blood bank, but lately, I’ve felt just a little…weird,” Nova said as she swabbed the inside of Wakefield’s elbow and put on a rubber tourniquet. “Make a fist, Mister Wakefield. I’m about to do the draw now,” Nova said. “Good vein. Here we go,” she said as she inserted a butterfly needle, making sure the plastic tubing was attached to a test tube. “There you go…hmm…your blood looks quite normal, but I’ll do some labs.”

“Why? And what does that have to do why I’m in this weird universe?”

“Well, let’s put it this way…if you didn’t end up here, you’d be having this conversation with me in Heaven, where we’d both be dead,” Nova said calmly.

“Would you be drawing my blood in Heaven wearing a long white robe?” Wakefield quipped.

“Maybe. I tend to get bored easily,” Nova quipped back. “Lay back; let me get this gauze on you,” Nova said as she withdrew the needle. “Press on that, please. Shala, get me some surgical tape.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” she said. When it was set up, Nova sat down in a chair after taking off her lab coat. Her green scrub dress had short sleeves, so she gave up an arm while Shala did a blood draw on her.

“We’re on a planet, right?” said Wakefield.

“Yes, Rikasha,” said Nova.

“I never heard of it. Where is this place?”

“Other side of the Galaxy from Terra,” said Shala. “I’m from that planet. It used to be a radiation-scarred desert until there was a war and the Star Force here brough the Cosmo-DNA to our planet after the war and healed us. We are eternally grateful to Terra for what it did for us. Doctor, I’m done. You know what to do with that gauze pad.”

Nova nodded, pressing down on her pad before Shala taped it up. “You’ll be in here for probably another day until I do these labs. Then, if everything is copacetic, I’ll discharge you.”

“Good. I hate hospitals and sickbays,” said Deke.

“I think we must agree to disagree, given my line of work. Tell me about your dream later, please. Take care,” Nova said as she patted his hand and took off, carrying her lab coat.

“Just as snappy as she was in our time, too,” said Deke. “But kinda nice. If possible, though, she’s weirder than the Nova I knew. Of course, this lady’s thirty years older…but why the hell does she still look twenty-two?”

----------------------------------------------------------------

That evening, Nova tested Deke’s blood and then her own. Doctor Jiménez was there to assist her.

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing with these tests,” said Doctor Jiménez.

“What are you seeing, Maria?”

“I’ve checked these twice. Now, you and Wakefield…you have no known blood type.”

“What? That can’t be right,” Nova said. “Well…for humans, anyway…Iscandarians and Pellians don’t have a blood type that we know of in our science. Their blood lacks the antigens we have…and has characteristics of being both a universal donor and universal recipient. Is there any blood left?”

“Plenty,” said Jiménez.

“Good…let me run these tests again.”

Nova ran the tests, and after about two hours of lab work, she found that both she and Wakefield now had no Terran blood type, and that their blood type matched that seen in Iscandarians and in the Pellian Royal Family. Nova checked her own eyes, though…and noticed that they remained brown.

She also discovered that her own hematopoietic stem cells could be used by anyone as well. She found by running more tests that the likelihood existed that her stem cells could cure cancer, metabolic disorders, autoimmune disorders...and radiation-related illnesses.

“Interesting. I wonder if I can earn another Nobel Prize for mutating a bit?” Nova chuckled to herself. “It also looks as if this means that any future children Derek and I have would inherit these characteristics,” she said as she looked at a test tube.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later, Wakefield sat down for a meeting with Derek, Nova, and their son Stephen.

Derek began by saying, “Mister Wakefield, we have, at best, an educated guess as to why you are here.”

“What is that guess?” said Deke.

Stephen spoke up and said, “Our new Cosmo Tiger Type II planes, and our new Type 53 Cosmo Zeroes have small wave motion engines now, provided for us by the Pellians.”

“Who the heck are the Pellians?” Deke said.

“Allies of ours,” replied Derek. “Long ago, before it became pacifistic, Iscandar had an Empire. Part of that Empire had contacts with a race known as the Rikashans. A Rikashan ruler known as Ekogaru and his wife Pellas discovered a fragment of the Spark of Creation, a leftover of God’s energy from the Big Bang known as the Matrix. Ekogaru went mad and bombed his own home world and attacked and killed Pellas to try to capture her power and he turned himself into a machine being with many of his followers. Pellas rose from the dead and declared herself Queen of her people, an admixture of Rikashans, Iscandarians who were not pacifists, and Terrans since Iscandar once had contact with Earth in Biblical times. Her new government was known as the Pellian Commonwealth, and it fought Ekogaru for ages. Ekogaru wiped out most of the High Royal Line, with one exception; the woman you met in passing known as Presha.”

“I know,” Deke said. “She looks like an Iscandarian, and like a human. How old is she?”

“Close to three hundred,” Nova said. She crashed on Earth trying to warn Earth of the danger of the Gamilons, and she was pregnant with three children; Teri, Louise, and Yvona Du Pres. She was critically injured and in cryo-freeze for many years and only recently revived. Some of her heritage passed down to her children, but more of it appeared in her first grandchild; myself. I was raised on Earth, believing myself to be a Terran, and I even married Derek under that belief. Another relative of the Royal Line, Aliscea, placed the Matrix energy in me in an attempt to kill me or drive me insane. It failed, and I lived, since I am part Pellian and Iscandarian, and I now hold the Matrix energy and I am the High Queen of what us now the Terran-Pellian Commonwealth.”

“Then why didn’t you do more to save Earth, damnit?” Deke said. “Couldn’t you have convinced Starsha to give us the Cosmo-DNA earlier if you’re so high and mighty? My parents and my girlfriend Dawn died because of your inaction!”

Derek was about to get up, but Nova got up first. She glared at Deke and slapped his face. “You evidently didn’t hear what I just said! When we went to Iscandar and beforehand, I thought I was just as much human as every other Terran! I only discovered my heritage ten years after the first mission to Iscandar, and I could only claim the throne after I died and came back to life, having dealt Ekogaru a major blow. I led him to repent before he died, and I was reinvigorated; that’s why I’m in my fifties but I look like I am in my twenties!”

Nova sat down with a huff and Derek said, “You owe her an apology.”

“She’d better apologize for slapping me,” snapped Deke.

Nova stood, sighed, and took Deke’s hands. “I’m sorry, Deke. I lost my temper after you accused me of sitting by and doing nothing. If you want to accuse anyone, that would be Queen Starsha. But if you meet her, please do it diplomatically.”

“Why?” Deke said.

“Starsha died in the war with Ekogaru but she reincarnated as one of our children,” Derek said. “Her daughter Sasha is currently the Queen, but Sasha wishes to abdicate and give the throne to her former mother when Starsha’s education is over with. Iscandarians mature quickly in their first year, so even though Starsha was reborn with all of her memories in October 2231, almost two years ago, she now has the appearance, intellect, and psychic ability of a young Iscandarian woman in her early twenties. She will probably be alive for centuries, like Nova and I.”

“Please explain?” Deke said, now thoroughly confused. “And if Nova is the Queen, what is she doing on the ship?”

Nova said, “After we finished off Ekogaru, who actually committed suicide by throwing himself on my sword in a duel, his second-in-command, Promethium, a woman from a world known as Larmetal, and once an ally, became a cyborg like Ekogaru and continued his war. Her forces were actually attacking us when you appeared. When I was resurrected, I was advised by the Almighty that I needed to share my energy with Derek, since we are not permitted to die until Ekogaru’s evil is wiped from the cosmos, meaning Queen Promethium and her forces. That is why I look so young and why Derek looks so young. We could live on for centuries, for all we know. Finally, I passed through a mildly radioactive cloud recently on a survey flight. It mutated my blood, but I didn’t know it at the time. We were short of A Positive Blood, which was my blood type, so I gave you a transfusion of my own blood, not knowing it had changed. That is why you are now part-Iscandarian. You may even develop the abilities we have, but we do not know yet. And I am the High Queen of the Terran-Pellian Commonwealth. Our governments merged after the war when Earth was moved next to Pellias closer to the Galactic Rim. Trelaina of Telezart and I did that. As High Queen, my position is sort of a religious and ceremonial post; I am the head of our psychic warriors and the forefront of the Resistance to Promethium. Earth and Pellias are now twin planets like Gamilon and Iscandar. We have a ruling Queen named Rezine who rules the Pellian side of the Commonwealth with her Parliament, and Earth has a Prime Minister known as Natalie Fisher who rules the Terran side of the Commonwealth with our Parliament. I am the Head of State of both halves of our interstellar nation. Derek is the Lord Admiral in command of our Fleets, and Stephen Sandor, on Earth, is the Commander of the Combined EDF and PDF, which we call the Commonwealth Defense Forces.”

“Do you…conquer worlds now…like the Gamilons or Gatlantis?”

“No,” said Derek. “Worlds petition to join us and we have many alliances against Promethium’s Mechanoids. We are allied with Iscandar, Gamilon…”

“You’re allied with the Gamilon bastards?” snapped Deke.

Nova nodded. “Desslok helped us defeat the Comet Empire, as…I understand…he did in your time-stream. If I understand what you told me before, didn’t he die?”

“He did,” sighed Deke. “And did you get shot by a Cometine Officer, Mortar, in your world?”

“Almost,” Nova said. “He took a shot at me, but Desslok shoved me aside and Desslok and I both pumped shots into him. Derek was wounded when we confronted Desslok but I protected him. Desslok is not only still alive but he has also resumed his old romance with Starsha after his Pellian spouse Astrena was assassinated. Our daughter Starsha and he are now engaged. The wedding should be in about a year when Starsha retakes her throne.”

“Do the Gamilons still conquer worlds?” hissed Deke.

“Yes, but not as much as they used to,” Derek said. “We fought together as allies against Ekogaru and the Rikashans soon after Nova and I got married in late 2201, the day after Christmas. We have several children now. Steven here is one of them,” Derek said as the young science officer stood and bowed. “We lost a daughter, Anastasia, in the war with Ekogaru. Have you met Alex yet?”

“Yeah, I did. I kinda thought he was your kid. He looks like you did in my universe,” chuckled Deke.

“We have other children,” Nova said. “Our daughter Ariel, now married to Mark Venture’s younger brother. They have a young child, so they’re home on Earth. We have many children because I had three sets of twins. Most of the kids came when I was in Medical School. Our other surviving children are Teresa; she’s an archaeologist down on Rikasha, also our ally now, and Starsha’s fraternal twin Theodore, who wouldn’t join the Defense Forces. He’s a stage magician now; an illusionist. I don’t agree with his act…it has creepy, almost occult overtones to it, and he dresses in black all the time.”

“We don’t get along that well with Theodore,” Derek sighed. “And if you meet Teresa, ask me first before you go out with her? She is…cute…”

“Does she look like you?” Deke said to Nova.

Nova laughed and said, “Yes, except that her hair is a much lighter shade of blond than mine. Did we answer all of your questions?”

“All but one,” Deke said. “Is there any way you can get me back where I came from?”

“No,” Steven said. “I ran all of the math and simulations. The warp you came through was one-way. And even if we could get you back, weren’t you in a kamikaze dive against the Comet City?”

“Yeah…so if you were able to send me back…”

“You’d be dead,” Derek said.

“Well…just have to get used to this place,” Deke chuckled.
----------------------------------------------------------------

II. RIKASHA FESTIVAL

Planet Rikasha

New Rikala

September 7, 2233

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, they were preparing for a Festival on Rikasha, in Lord Anton Cha’rif Memorial Colosseum; a huge sports venue dedicated to the memory of Rikasha’s long-time Lord and leader who had liberated the world from Ekogaru’s tyranny over thirty years ago.

“This is the festival lineup,” said one of Cha’rif’s men to Derek and Nova.

“I’m disappointed,” sighed Derek. He had on a two-toned tuxedo with a red bow tie as Master of Ceremonies for the show. He would be assisting Nova as Mistress of Ceremonies.

“What’s wrong?” Nova said. She had on a red floor-length gown and evening sandals, and she looked gorgeous. Both she and Derek wore blue contacts to shade their eyes blue under the lights tonight.

“We’re on first,” Derek said. “Followed by Color Us Red, and then by Occam’s Razor, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Demon Five. Nova, your younger sister Aurora won’t be playing, thank Heavens.”

“God. Aurora and I have had many differences lately,” Nova said.

“The last act though…it’ll be Illusionist Theodore Wildstar.”

“It’ll be nice to see Theodore again,” Nova said. “However, he has some dark stage presentation I do not like. What is it with that black robe, for one thing?”

“I don’t like that either,” Derek said. “I don’t like the dark music he plays, either.”

“Yes. Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor,” Nova said with a shiver. “His music, when he was evil.”

“I hope that doesn’t presage anything,” Derek said.

“Me too,” Nova replied. They held hands.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER…

Artwork Below: “Concert” is © 2021 by Akira Devilman666 based on rough sketches by Frederick P. Kopetz

When the concert began, Derek and Nova were behind a grand piano on the stage, both singing and playing together and banging away ABBA’s old song “Lay All Your Love on Me”, backed up by some players from Occam’s Razor, Color Us Red, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Together, they sang the refrain, and Nova sang the verses, with Derek harmonizing.

Don't go wasting your emotion
Lay all your love on me

It was like shooting a sitting duck
A little small talk, a smile and baby I was stuck
I still don't know what you've done with me
A grown-up woman should never fall so easily
I feel a kind of fear
When I don't have you near
Unsatisfied
I skip my pride
I beg you dear

Don't go wasting your emotion
Lay all your love on me…

The couple’s adoration was evident in how they smiled at each other and occasionally touched during their duet.

The song ended, and the applause was thunderous.

The Wildstars stood and took their bows.

They sang their second song, an original from Nova called “You’re My Best Friend”. The High Queen again sang where Derek and she traded verses. Nova began with:

You’re My Best friend

My Shining Star in the Night

Who makes me feel right…

You’re my best friend…

Even though you’re crazy…

I Love you….

They traded verses, and then the applause began when they stopped, but Derek raised his hand, saying “We have one more!” Then, he and Nova sang “The Lord Is My Light”, together, a true duet.

They stood and bowed and accepted the applause from the crowd. Nova kissed Derek, who took the mike and said, “For our next act, be prepared for something loud and crazy. Let us introduce…”

“Color Us Red!” Nova said with a flourish.

The punk band appeared and began to play their biggest appearance to date (the audience in the stadium was about sixty thousand, with many more watching on video throughout the Galaxy). The drummer began by counting down “one...two…three…HIT” Then, they blasted into a song by Big Black known as “Kerosene Atomizer”, playing as if they were mad. That was followed by an original from them known as “Experiment on Me, Baby!” followed by another original, known as “Cute But Toxic”.

Color Us Red were very well-received. When they were done, Nova introduced Occam’s Razor, a progressive rock band who began with a long number written by them known as “The Sea of Stars”, followed by a cover of “Roundabout” by YES. They were not as well-received as Violent Scientists, but many of those in the audience took the time to smoke some weed and some braver souls took small quantities of Rikashan Spice.

The bizarre, raucous air of the concert shifted gears when Derek introduced The Philadelphia Orchestra, who did a magnificent performance of Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion.

During the Bach piece, backstage, Derek and Nova had to break up a brawl between some members of Color Us Red and Demon Five. Demon Five was still popular, but were now held to be on the downside of their career. The fight apparently began when the organist for the Demon Five, Gray “Ratface” Shimayama, pushed Viktor Gamalt, the lead singer for Violent Scientists, after he asked him how the heck they got another band to support them. Ratface suggested to Viktor that they had gotten ahead by having carnal relations with that band’s female leader. Viktor protested, loudly. A brawl resulted, with Derek himself taking a punch or two from Shimayama, who even had the gall to try and slap Nova, who promptly stomped her stiletto heel into his instep. One of Lord Cha’rif’s men saw it all, and both Shimayama and Gamalt ended up spending some time in jail until it was all straightened out by Derek and Nova’s testimony. Gamalt was freed the next morning, but Shimayama spent thirty days locked up on Rikasha. Demon Five had to get another organist; a local Rikashan performer known as Baroness Hela Razir stepped in to take Shimayama’s place behind the keyboard for the concert.

Demon Five played next after Nova combed her hair and introduced them. They were NOT well-received. They were playing out of tune and their lead vocalist Melody “Missy” Hewlett looked utterly wasted on something. Nova noticed, with utter distaste, that Missy was wearing an EDF Officer’s uniform and peacoat, albeit an older style. Nova thought, You didn’t earn that uniform, Hewlett! What is wrong with you?

Hewlett slurred the lyrics to a new song they had written called “Sugar Crash” and then forgot the words and began to yell out obscenities. Nova and Derek shook their heads and groaned as the crowd began to boo. Melody stopped singing altogether and just screamed out curses at the crowd. They booed louder and began throwing rotten vegetables at Demon Five, who stalked off the stage, making obscene gestures at the audience. “I fart on you all, man!” yelled Paul “Dreamboat” Lelland, the other lead singer for the band, who ran when someone threw a dead chicken at his head!

In the meantime, Nova’s Shalanda ring, which she and Derek had found long ago on Saturn’s Moon Pandora, was gleaming. Nova wore that small ring, which gave her a link to the reigning Queen of Iscandar, on her pinky on her right hand, along with the Ring of Encouragement she had made from Ekogaru’s Ring of Domination years ago, which she wore on her ring finger on her right hand. Of course, she wore her wedding band on the ring finger of her left hand. The Shalanda Ring was very ancient and precious, because it had been held last by Queen Pellas herself, and placed in the vault on Pandora prior to her death.

At the same moment, Derek’s Protectors’ Ring, made with the Protectors’ Stone found on one of the necklaces in Pandora, and given to him by the brother Cody Tiriganiaq, burned with light. He wore that on the third finger of his right hand, near his Masonic Ring. The second Protectors’ Stone had vanished a long time ago when the second brother, Dexter Cross, had been Taken by an evil entity in combat and assumed dead for a while. When Dexter had been found again months later, his Stone was gone.

“I’m getting a signal from my Ring,” Derek whispered. He hadn’t always worn that ring, but he wore it now, now that he was fully aware of its function, and aware that it had been held long ago by Queen Pellas’ second bondmate, Lord Admiral Derel D’Shal. “Nova, you’re in danger…”

“I’m hearing from Queen Sasha on Iscandar,” Nova whispered back. She directed her thought towards that ring. Sasha?

I am picking up a very strange sense, Nova. Starsha and I may be in danger.

Where are you now? Nova thought.

The Academy of Sciences…but I have no idea what could be dangerous there…

I am at a concert now, Sasha…but keep me posted, please. If need be, Derek and I will aid you.

Thank you, dearest Aunt, Sasha sent back.

A few minutes later, the stage lights went down.

White fog began to fill the stage while an organist played Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. Some boos began in the audience as the music played; too many associated it with their one-time oppressor and so-called “god of war” Ekogaru the Great.

“They shouldn’t have played that,” Nova groaned as she put her face in her hands. “Not here!”

“I can put a stop to it,” Derek said.

Nova bit her lip and said, “It’s his show. But we’d better be prepared to stop it if he offends anyone.”

“Yes…he’s developed a dark habit of doing that,” Derek groaned.

Theodore appeared a moment later backstage.

He had been an attractive child and teenager.

Now, he did not look quite as attractive.

He had his mother’s fine hair, worn in her style, but dyed black. He had his mother’s nose, but his father’s burning dark eyes and general facial structure.

Now, he looked thin, and cheekbones showed prominently in his face. The slightly strange effect was only multiplied by a scruffy-looking goatee on his chin.

He wore an all-black robe over a chest that to Nova looked far too thin, along with a red sash, white slacks, and bare feet. He also wore a black collar of leather, and an all-black inverted pentacle necklace.

“How do you two like my stage costume?” Theodore said.

“You look weird,” Derek said flatly.

“Please take off that inverted pentacle, Theodore,” Nova said as she met his eyes. “It gives me the creeps. You know it is against our faith! And your life energy isn’t right. What have you been doing to yourself? Not even…the brothers…ever looked quite like this! You look wasted! Terrible! Far older than twenty-four already! What are you doing to yourself?”

“I am cosplaying a Warlock who controls demons,” Theodore said. “It is part of my act!”

“You are going to offend a lot of people, Theodore,” Derek said. “Especially using Ekogaru’s former music. He is not well-remembered here, to say the least.”

“The effect you are giving off here on Rikasha is about as tasteful as wearing a Nazi SS uniform in Tel Aviv,” snapped Nova. “Please change!”

“Mom, you’re not my manager,” he sneered. “I’m making my own money, now, and it’s an ACT. Wine, women and song for me,” Theodore said as a laughing woman in a blue dress with long blond hair ran up and kissed him. “Oh, Mom, Dad, this is Kanae Hoshino, my girlfriend. Isn’t she luscious?”

“Are you treating her like an honorable man should, son?” Derek barked as he grabbed Theodore’s robe.

“Of course!” Theodore snapped back. “I give her gifts, money…we got a place in New Los Angeles already and I just bought her a Jaguar Aircar; hottest model.”

“Do the right thing by her,” Nova said. “Please!”

But, Theodore, who was now the equivalent of twenty-four like his fraternal twin sister Starsha, turned away from his parents, dragging Kanae with him.

“He’d better not cause trouble,” Derek said.

“I think he will,” Nova whispered. “My God.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

Theodore walked out on stage under a spotlight. The organ chords played very loudly as he walked through white and green smoke.

Then, he vanished and reappeared in front of the smoke; using the very power in him and the skills his parents had taught him to fight Promethium. Only now, he was using his God-Given gifts to make only dark entertainment.

“I am a sorcerer!” he roared with an amplified voice. “Are you ready to be amazed!”

Many in the audience yelled “YES!” in Terranglish and Rikashan. Others yelled “NO!” Some yelled at him to leave.

“Why do you honor the deceased Dark Lord?” yelled a strong voice from the audience.

“Because I am a Dark Lord myself!” roared Theodore as he raised his hands and holographic demons appeared next to him. There were three of them.

One of them, thanks to lifts, anti-gravs and trickery, seemed to be holding a naked Rikashan woman, an actress, in his “claws.” Stage blood dripped from the actress’ mouth, and it looked as if the “demon” had just killed her.

There were some cheers, some gasps, and many boos. The spectacle was incredibly weird and sick.

“These are my friends, under my control!” roared Theodore as his parents were looking for Shiro Cha’rif with a request for this bizarre show to be stopped. “They have demanded and received a maiden in sacrifice! And now, these demons shall help me call up hellfire tonight. Do you see that statue of Lord Anton Cha’rif between the bleachers?” he roared as he raised his hands and fire and smoke blasted behind him and the woman vanished, teleported by him back to her dressing room, but it looked as if the “demons” had taken her.

Nova ran far backstage for a moment, with Derek in her train, looking for a corpse. Luckily, they found the actress unharmed, wrapped in a light black wrap in her dressing room. They continued looking for Lord Siro Cha’rif.

“Cha’rif Jak!” the crowd chanted, yelling “Hail Cha’rif” in memory of their great hero and liberator. Some of them yelled, “Theodore NAL!” in Rikashan, which meant, “To Hell with you, Theodore!”

Derek and Nova had found Shiro Cha’rif, and, backstage, Derek said, “Do you see the effect he is having on this crowd?”

“The aura is dark,” Nova said. “VERY dark!”

“I shall have a stop put to this,” said Shiro.

But, Theodore roared, “A curse upon you all! I shall make the statute of your great hero disappear! MENA!”

As soon as he yelled “AMEN” backwards, there was lightning, thunder and black smoke around the statue of Lord Anton Cha’rif.

And it VANISHED.

The organ began to blast Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D as Theodore laughed insanely over his PA.

The crowd gasped and then yelled “THEODORE NAL! THEODORE NAL! THEODORE NAL!” and began to throw things.

“Get him out of here!” Derek said.

The stage went dark and Shiro’s guards grabbed Theodore and dragged him off-stage.

Then, Shiro slapped Theodore across the face, and said, “Reverse what you just did to our memorial of our great Lord! And I want you off-world in the next twenty-four hours, never to return, damn you!”

“I’ve got it,” Nova said as she ran out onto the darkened stage. She used her own power to teleport the statute back where it was and to shut off all of the holographic effects and smoke machines. The spotlights hit the statue again as it reappeared.

The audience cheered, and Derek joined Nova on stage under a spotlight.

“It’s all right!” Derek snapped. “No need to riot, please!”

“It is over,” Nova said. “As you see…all he did…was a rather tasteless trick. The memory of your great hero, our friend, is safe!”

The audience cheered. As this happened, Theodore slunk off to his private ship with Kanae, avoiding his parents. He couldn’t face them now.

He was off-planet before the encore ended.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Soon, with that, the lights came up again, and Derek and Nova bowed, and sat down again behind the piano.

“We were talking with some of Color Us Red,” Derek said.

“We’re going to do an encore together. A cute song, for our other kids, written by a dear friend of ours that we prefer to keep anonymous,” Nova said. “We taught Violent Scientists the melody…so…we shall begin with…Derek…take it away!”

Back on Earth, Ariel Wildstar-Venture sat in front of the video screen with her husband Jordy and their child Samantha, and her mouth dropped open. She recognized those strange, lurching chords.

“NO!” laughed Ariel. “DAD! You’re not going to sing that?”

“He is,” said Jordy. “HE IS!”

And, at that, Derek Wildstar, paragon of dignity, began to sing….a very silly song indeed!

The song ended with a discordant chord from Derek, Nova, and the band.

They all bowed and the audience cheered.

Then, the lights went down and they vanished.

Backstage, Derek and Nova were laughing, popping a bottle of champagne as they celebrated with Color Us Red and the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Missy Hewlett came up to Nova with her eyes shrunk down to points.

“Hi, Missy,” Nova said as she extended her hand. “Hey…we’re all cool now…great show. No hard feelings?”

“You’re my Mother,” Missy ranted.

“What?” Nova said.

“You are my Mother!” Missy screamed. “Here come the Men in Black. And some of them are White Now! Here come the Men in Black! There ain’t no going back! I mostly get along well with Hitler’s disciples! They have shown me great kindness, unlike you, you damned straw woman and scarecrow who carries a gun!”

“Are you insane?” Nova said.

Missy screamed and went at Nova’s neck.

And thus started the second brawl of the night!

Missy strangled Nova and punched her in the mouth twice.

The inside of Nova’s lip bled, but she disregarded it as she punched back at Missy and shattered her nose.

Missy howled and said, “I am giving you to the corn, Laban, you ungodly, unseemly heretic!”

“You’re on drugs!” Nova yelled as Derek and Shiro Cha’rif prepared to step in as the two brawling women fell on the floor.

“I love Rikashan Sixer Spice!” screamed Missy. “You know why, Laban?”

“Why?” said Nova as she grabbed Missy’s flailing hands as she tried to rip the High Queen’s hair out.

“Because it helps me tolerate your ugly and accursed face!” Missy yelled as Nova grabbed her hair.

Derek tried to break them up, but Missy began throttling Nova again.

Nova had just had enough. Gasping, she stood up, dragging Missy with her…

…and she used her Power to give Missy a good push, where she bounced against the wall and fell into the arms of the Rikashan Police.

“Who started this?” yelled the Rikashan Police Lieutenant on the scene.

“She did!” yelled Derek, Nova, and Shiro all at once.

“Arrest her,” said Cha’rif. “Her Majesty Doctor Wildstar was only defending herself.”

Missy was promptly arrested.

And that was how the show ended.

-------------------------------------------------------

TO BE CONTINUED…