THE LEGEND OF GRAND MECHAPOLIS
SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO/GALAXY EXPRESS 999
Founding of the Dual Monarchy and Galaxy Express System
By: Frederick P. Kopetz
Chapter TWENTY: …Farewell, Iscandar…
Thanks to Bells of Nevermore, Gail Kopetz, Margaret Diviney, Michelle Nutter-Lynd, Steven Diviney and Andrea Lyon for Advice and inspiration.
Bells of Nevermore’s Characters are used by permission. However, by mutual agreement, they may be written differently in the Galaxy Visions Saga than in Bells’ own works…
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I. A DARKNESS FALLS…
Planet Iscandar
Mother Town
April 21, 2235
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Darkness had fallen over Mother Town; the sky was black and barely any sunlight now reached the surface.
Starsha had clothed
herself again; all in black, with dark red jewels about her neckline that
resembled the color of blood.
She asked one of her droids, “How long until the internal pressure inside Iscandar is high enough to support the sort of reaction that I desire to initiate?”
“Three hours, Majesty,” said one of the droids.
A call came in.
“Yurisha,” Starsha said in a voice filled with acid. “Where are you?”
“Aboard the Yamato, as a prisoner of war,” she said. As Starsha watched, she saw that Yurisha was in a prison uniform under guard on the Yamato’s First Bridge. “I am a prisoner of war at the moment, but Abelt, Yuki, and Zworder are considering my request for asylum in the Pellian Commonwealth. Starsha, sister, I beg you. Reconsider this course of action and give yourself up as I did. They may even show you mercy.”
“It looks like they show you little mercy, Yurisha. Your wrists and ankles are fettered.”
“A necessary precaution,” Susumu Kodai said as he came within the frame. “Yuki and Atirangi proposed the idea.”
“Where is Her Majesty, so that I can speak with her?” said Starsha.
“I need not tell you that,” Kodai snapped.
“A message from the Black Mariah for Starsha,” said Miyuki Mori from Communications.
Kodai nodded.
The screen split as Atirangi, also clad in ornate black, came onto the screen. “I have been listening, Starsha. Who's worse—the guy that puts a tiger in your house, or the tiger? You put a tiger in our house to 'test' us, and because of that, my homeland was atomized. I don't blame Abelt. He's made things right. I blame you, Starsha, false Queen.”
“I had my reasons,” Starsha said coldly. “And you will never understand them, barbarian enemy. This conversation is ended.”
She vanished from the screen as Yuki came onto the bridge, looking exhausted.
“What have you been up to?” Susumu said quietly.
“Figuring out a way that we can attack Iscandar without her retaliating at once on Gamilas so that we can safeguard the civilian population that you and Abelt, even now, are ferrying to the Poike Nebula.”
“Do you have it?” Susumu asked.
“Do you think, dearest one, I would be here if I did not know? Please prepare the briefing room ASAP. I will speak to you on the way down. We need to speak with Ati, Abelt, and Zworder, whose fleet is indeed not far off,” Yuki said.
Admiral Kodai nodded. “Speak to me as we go down. Yvona, you have the conn,” he said.
Susumu and Yuki’s hands intertwined as they began to walk away. Thoughts passed between their minds through the bond, and then Susumu understood what she—and Atirangi…were considering.
The plan was audacious; some would call it cruel, but it was needed, both to end Starsha’s evil and to send Promethium a message.
What was that message, pray tell?
Do not fuck with us any longer, Susumu heard in his mind as Ati touched his own mind. She shocked him, but not Yuki, by sending, in a cold rage, Together, all of us are invincible. You and Yuki are angels of mercy for the Gamilas people. Zworder is an angel of judgment. Abelt is an angel of rage. And I am the Angel of Death; the Ariki who has had fucking enough of having Abelt and his people and all of us played for the fool by that abomination who calls herself a Queen. A False Queen. I am the Ariki. My people, as you know well, ate our enemies. So do I.
Susumu nodded grimly at this thought, and at Yuki, who was not smiling for once.
She was deadly serious, and in agreement with Ati.
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Space Battleship Yamato
Central Briefing Room
April 21, 2235
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In the Briefing Room on Yamato, most of the crew was assembled as Kodai, in the black peacoat and white slacks of his rank, and Yuki, in a pure-white gown, came into the room.
A large screen was open.
Desslar, in his uniform, Atirangi, clad in black, along with Talan and Cody Tiriganiaq, were on one screen.
Zworder loomed large over them on another screen.
Zworder began with, “Yuki and Atirangi have reached me mentally and advised me of the basics of the plan you have concocted. Admiral Kodai, brief us, young man, on the tactical fine points.”
“Of course,” Susumu said, staring hard into Zworder’s eyes. “Iscandar is here. Gamilas, as you seem is here. It may not be that obvious, Your Majesty but…”
“I am fully aware that Yuki is in touch with Starsha’s mind,” Zworder said scornfully. “It comes off in your eyes, Kodai and in your thoughts, which I can read like a huge neon hoarding on a boulevard! Yuki is somewhat more…guarded in what she sends, but you send forth your ruminations and fear like mental diarrhea. Yuki, you need to train him, and quickly, Majesty. He could ruin our plans.”
“He is not giving off that much. I know Starsha cannot read him,” Yuki said. “As our…daughter…she was once strongly linked to us. She severed that link.”
Zworder nodded. “Yuki, I take you upon faith. Do not, I pray, ruin my faith in you. Kodai. Speak, would you?”
Kodai gritted his teeth and nodded. “Our attack on Iscandar
will consist of three elements. Yamato, and what there is of the
Commonwealth Task Force, will remain here, by Gamilas. We have created a
barrier shield that we shall fire at Baleras, Desslar’s capital. It will shield
the capital, and Yuki will use her power to spread the shield planet-wide,
covering Gamilas like a cloak, and keeping it safe from Starsha’s attacks.”
“However,” Yuki said. “I can only hold that protection at that scale for forty
minutes. Beyond that time, I risk a stroke or death. I am greatly blessed by
the Matrix’s Power, but my mortal body can only control energies like that for
a limited time. We must act in those forty minutes.”
Abelt then said, “I have arranged that Atirangi and I will attack Mother Town in a surprise attack, with our chronentropic weapons to rot the city to death.”
Zworder shivered when he realized that Desslar and Ati would be using that morbid weapon again. Ati then said, “If Starsha tries fucking with us, I will sing her up a storm of rage that will rip apart her mind before our weapon rips apart her palace, body, and city.”
Zworder nodded at that, along with Susumu and Yuki.
Kodai then said, “Your Majesty, Emperor Zworder; we beg that you at that time come in with your fleet and simply glass Iscandar. Nothing must remain alive. We must have no pity. Starsha cannot be permitted to live or escape.”
“Boy, I respect that,” said Zworder with a dark smile. “It appears you possess a great deal of tactical wisdom after all. As much as you…sicken me…I will respect that. If this works.”
“It will fucking work!” Ati barked.
“How do you know that?” said Zworder.
“You have seen the power of Black Mariah for but a moment,” Cody said. “You shall now see it unleashed on a whole city. Please respect that,” Cody said with a dark smile.
“I shall consider it,” replied Zworder. “If this works, we will all meet to share a banquet together. Even you, young man,” Zworder said as he smiled darkly at Kodai.
Kodai returned that same dark smile.
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III. STARSHA’S CHASTISEMENT…
Space Battleship Yamato
First Bridge
April 21, 2235
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Exactly one hour had passed since the end of the briefing.
Yuki, wearing her white gown, brown sandals, and a black choker, sat at Engineering while Jiro Shima put the space battleship into geosynchronous orbit over Gamilas, not far from Baleras.
“Hold here, Shima,” Kodai said.
“Yessir,” he responded.
Miyuki Mori sent commands to the rest of the Commonwealth Fleet to turn and hold while Yamato held position and the revived and reformed clone of Yvona, at Artillery Control, prepared the barrier shield missile.
Shiro Kodai said to his father, “We are holding energy.”
“Fire the missile, Lady Presha,” Kodai said to the Pellian noble at Tactical.
“Firing torpedo,” she said.
The torpedo fired, and its field formed over Baleras as the sky went strangely grey.
Susumu nodded to Yuki. “Showtime.”
“Showtime,” Yuki responded as she put her hands on Engineering as she began to burn with light like a burning glede.
Energy shot from her body into Yamato’s systems, and then out to the shield. It expanded rapidly over Gamilas, covering the entire planet in shimmering blue and white light.
“Forty minutes, Susumu,” Yuki said.
“Miyuki,” Susumu barked to Yuki’s mother. “Tell Desslar we are ready.”
“Done,” she said.
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“Your Majesty, we received the signal,” said Talan aboard Black Mariah.
“Commence Phase Two,” said Desslar as he threw his arm out. “Advance on Mother Town!”
“That fucking bitch,” hissed Ati. “I’m picking up she’s about to attack Yuki and the Yamato.”
“That cannot stand!” barked Abelt.
“I won’t allow it to stand!” snarled Ati. “Open a channel to Starsha.”
Starsha was hailed.
She sat grinning. “Your scheme is about to fail. I am ready to kill my Mother.”
Ati just sang a high note in rage as her body began to burn red with the fires of a thousand volcanoes. It was an eerie and frightening sight that filled Abelt, Talan, Cody, and Dexter with awe.
Atirangi had never done this before. What the fuck was she tapping into?
Starsha fell back, stunned by this assault, screaming, “STOP IT!”
“Fuck you, bitch,” Ati said. “You’re getting a concert before you die, Starsha!”
She sang again.
Heaven’s Rage blew into Starsha’s mind and she stumbled and fell.
Desperate, she touched a gem on her neckline.
A pattern appeared around her.
The button she needed to press to destroy Iscandar and ALL of them and Gamilas.
Ati sang with a scream again as Starsha fell with her hands over her ears.
“Your mother is an angel of protection,” hissed Atirangi. “But, for you, I am an angel of death! Commence firing Chronoentropic weapons suite!” she roared.
A field of blackness like a heat-shimmer with red sparks in it roared down towards Mother Town and hit a moment later.
Starsha’s Palace began to crumble about her like dust.
Mother Town followed it as it became dust, nothing but dust that glimmered in the light of Sanzar that reached the surface since Starsha’s black cloud cover blew away.
Starsha screamed as her Palace crashed into her, decaying as it slammed into her body.
Her body itself then began to shrivel and decay. Her dress was gone. She was nude.
“No, No, NO, NO!” she screamed as she saw her flesh decaying into dust while she still lived. She saw the bones of her hands and feet, and felt immense pain as she turned into dust as she breathed her last, and her spirit began to pull away, screaming as Iscandar began to fade.
Somehow, Promethium reached into the dust and holocaust and decay and grabbed what remained of Starsha and took her away before anyone could notice.
Like Sauron of legend, it would take two hundred years for Starsha to resume existence of a sort in Promethium’s fiery planetary womb on Larmetal; a living hell for her, but a workshop for Promethium as she would turn what was left of Starsha into something…unmentionable. Starsha was dead, but today, a long hellish journey began for her into the realm of the Undead.
Ati then said, “She is dead. I think.”
She is, Yuki sent into her mind from the Yamato. I felt her die. We have slain my misbegotten child...the murderer of my true daughter, who rests in Peace in the Summerlands and who just smiled at Susumu and I. She is now totally free, the poor dear. So be it.
Abelt looked on, trembling as the very island shelf on which Mother Town had sat decayed into dust, and volcanic fire consumed what was left of the dust of Mother Town.
He smiled grimly as Talan said, “Zworder’s fleet has just warped in. Yuki has eighteen minutes left.”
“Good,” grinned Abelt as Ati held him and her red fire bled into his soul. “Inform his Majesty we begin Phase Three. Now.”
Talan saluted and nodded.
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General Garus, an officer on Zworder’s flagship, saluted and said, “We commence Phase Three, Your Majesty.”
“Excellent,” said Zworder. “Desslar and Atirangi have done their parts. So have Yuki and Susumu. Now, we finish it. Lower Siege Cannon. Full intensity. Target…Iscandar!”
Zworder’s Dreadnaught lowered its cannon and locked on, followed by two black Dreadnaughts behind her. One was in the command of an aging and slowly dying Radnar. The other was under the command of his Mistress Savela, on her last clone cycle.
The three cannons locked on Iscandar.
They fired; three salvoes each.
Yellow flame slammed into Iscandar nine times over.
Oceans boiled; continents and islands melted into fire; the very surface of Iscandar began to melt.
It took five minutes.
When they were done, nothing remained of Iscandar but a burning husk.
“Phase Three Completed,” Zworder said with a grim smile.
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On the Yamato, Yuki burned like an angel of light, trembling with effort as her clothing went semi-transparent and then burned off her altogether.
Susumu watched with
concern as she gasped and seemed to go translucent for a minute. “I…have…eight…minutes
left,” she gasped as Susumu stripped off his peacoat to cradle her with his
body warmth. “Susumu…I love you…I….”
“Captain!” barked Miyuki. “Zworder and Ati report success! They send their compliments and say they will be aboard Yamato in two hours with Dessler. The operation…is finished. My God. What did they do to Iscandar?”
“We stopped a great evil, Mother. Show…is over,” said Yuki as she shut her eyes and released the field.
It shimmered over Gamilas and disappeared.
Yuki stood up and smiled, but then she fell naked into Susumu’s arms.
“We did it,” she said with a smile.
“Damn straight we did it,” Susumu said as the bridge crew began to cheer.
Her Imperishable Crown burned at her brow as Susumu cuddled her and carried her to their cabin. “Presha,” he said. “You have the conn.”
“Yes, sir,” said the Pellian noble.
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Time passed.
Zworder verified that Iscandar was just beginning to cool.
Desslar and Ati received reports below from Gamilas.
No one on Gamilas had been harmed in the madness of the battle, and there was no further geological damage to the beleaguered planet.
“The evacuations shall proceed as planned shortly,” Desslar said as Atirangi embraced him.
Zworder came up on his screen. “I believe you may need our aid to evacuate Gamilas?”
“We shall,” said Atirangi. “However, each mission into the Poike Nebula, owing to the Nebula’s unique character, will have to be escorted by the Black Mariah. We have a means to enter and transit the nebula safely.”
“I would love to see how that works,” Zworder mused. “We considered using that Nebula as a base of operations thirty-four years ago when we were attacking Terra, but none of the vessels we sent in ever returned.”
Atirangi smiled darkly. “Once you transit that Nebula, you
shall learn why.”
“That is why I have chosen it as a haven for my people,” Desslar said. “I have
been there once with Atirangi. I can guarantee that once we are there, we shall
be free from attack. But the technology we use to transit the Nebula shall be
proprietary to my Empire. I will not give this secret to you or even to the
Commonwealth…”
Zworder snarled slightly at that.
“It is for our fucking safety, big dude,” said Atirangi with a wicked smile. “Although as I was coming out of that trance state I foresaw that Yuki, and only her, will find a method eventually so that the Yamato, and only the Yamato, can transverse the Nebula someday without one of our vessels as a pilot ship. It will not be a Goddamn tech solution either, dude! It will be a spiritual method that she will share as a deep secret with one other very close to her.”
“Kodai?” said Zworder.
“It will be beyond his comprehension. It will be shared with another figure who is rising…another Priest who will also perform…miracles,” Cody said as he smiled. “He will do this in the Name of the Masked Lady of Justice. But give that young man time to discover this, even though he is in our midst…”
Zworder nodded. For now, he would have to be content with this explanation, because he knew Arishna, somehow, was hiding this…even from him.
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In the Captain’s Cabin, Susumu and Yuki came to each other’s arms for
badly needed solace after the battle.
Yuki undressed Susumu. Given the events on the Bridge before, there was, of course, no need for her to undress.
“We defeated Starsha,” Susumu said as they were in the very act of love.
“I know we did,” Yuki said with tears running down her face. “But I’m so tired…and this is turning into something like a never-ending nightmare? Why can’t Promethium show up, and I defeat her and die, and be done with it?”
“You’re carrying our child, for one thing,” Susumu said. “And you saved millions of lives today, dear. Be proud of that!”
“I am grieving so much over one so-called child that I forgot about that, darling,” Yuki said as she grasped the bunk in the Captain’s Quarters with her toes. “My God…you sure know how to…make me happy….”
“What have you always taught me?” Susumu said. “Pain gives birth to happiness. Ashes give birth to glory. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. Yuki, you are immortal. You have been through the Door already and lived to return. You shall exist forever. And so will our love. We are immortal. We shall never be parted. Take heart from that.”
“I am, and I will,” Yuki said, smiling through her tears.
Soon, they exploded in mutual joy and pleasure and fell down cuddling over each other.
Yuki looked drowsy.
Susumu covered her so-fragile looking body with the top sheet as he cuddled against her as they went to sleep.
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Time passed.
Susumu woke up, dimly hearing a pounding on the cabin door.
“Yuki! YUKI!” he said.
“Whazzit?” she said, coming out of a dream.
The pounding turned to kicking, and a stentorian voice. “Admiral Kodai, if you do not open this accursed door, I will kick it open!”
“Oh my God,” Yuki said. “Emperor Zworder! We’re sorry, Your Majesty! We fell asleep. Give me a second!”
“Yuki, we need to get dressed!”
“We can cover ourselves with the sheet, hon,” Yuki said as she covered up a little more and used her ability to undog the hatch. “The hatch is open!” she sang out.
The lock clicked after Yuki raised her hand, and Zworder, Desslar, and Ati came in.
“Well, well, well,” said Ati with an almost twisted grin. “Did I catch Mom and Dad in the bedroom?”
“You did that thirty-two years ago when you friggin’ lived with us, and it wasn’t funny then, Ati,” Kodai growled.
“I’ve had you in my Palace and private Bath before,” Desslar said. “You two are shameless and do not care about an audience. Do you?”
“Please, Abelt,” Yuki said. “Passion overcame us.”
“Well, other than your odd…love life.” Zworder said with a sick grin. “I am here to compliment both of you for your parts in the battle. Yuki, I compliment you for your shielding Gamilas. Kodai, I compliment you for sticking to plan. Your plan was not half-bad. And, thank you for not flying off half-cocked like the emotional idiot that you tend to be,” Zworder added. “For your valor, you two are BOTH invited to a banquet I am holding aboard the Gatlantis as we head towards Earth to continue trade negotiations. How boring, really. Do not do anything…inappropriate. Are we clear?”
“Of course, Majesty,” said Yuki.
Kodai just gave Zworder a curt nod.
“If I’m invited, I will do something inappropriate, like your Priest and kinsman Var,” said Atirangi. “Susumu, Yuki, have you met him?”
“Yes, and several times,” said Susumu. “He is engaged to our daughter Teresa. The wedding will be later this year.”
“We know of his…puns…his…whoopie cushions,” said Yuki.
“As do I,” said Zworder. “I am…all too familiar with His Eminence’s antics. Most unfitting for a Gatlantean! We shall go now. Behave yourselves,” Zworder growled.
He motioned the Emperor and Empress out, and he smiled and slammed the hatch.
“What the fuck gives him the right to…to…walk into our fuckin’ bedroom?” Susumu yelled.
“He’s an overlord,” Yuki sighed. “What Zworder wants, Zworder gets. And lots of people have seen us nude before. What’s your complex about this, dear?”
“That he’ll see my…you know…and make all sorts of rude comments about it.”
“Well, don’t worry, hon,” Yuki said. “Because I like it!”
“How much do you like it?”
“Let me show you,” Yuki said as she reached for her husband’s manhood.
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IV. A VICTORY BANQUET…
Gatlantean City-Ship Gatlantis
On Course for Pellias
June 4, 2235
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The White Comet again streaked across the skies near the Milky Way as, within the mighty Fortress, a great Victory Banquet was in progress for the massive and startling Alliance victories at the Battle of Iscandar.
The majority of Gamilas’ population had already been evacuated to the Poike Nebula, most to one of the three habitable worlds located in the unique Nebula, which Desslar had renamed New Gamilas; the new seat of his Empire and home of his people, protected by the unique properties of the Nebula, which caused heavy interference and eventually led to severe damage to any vessel trying to transit the Nebula unless; it was a vessel with Chronoentropic Drive like the Black Mariah, which could lead a convoy in, or the Yamato herself, guided in with Yuki’s paranormal powers and shielding of the great ship.
New Gamilas was very lush and beautiful. It was temperate, and actually quite Earthlike. It was right in the middle of the 'Goldilocks Zone' for habitable life of the system. She had one large moon, and the sky had more of a violet cast, due to refracted light from the blood-red nebula. New Gamilas had two sister worlds, both also habitable; Rapa Nui Ho'ou or New Rapa Nui, which had been discovered by Atirangi and Cody, was a lush, but dangerous tropical world, and was now Atirangi and Septigram’s private preserve. Last of all was Aujuittuk, at the far edge of the Habitable Zone, it was a cold world somewhat like the Arctic Circle in climate. Cody had built a Lodge there, and he had fallen in love with the place.
These worlds stuck in Ati’s mind as she sang her heart out in the Gatlantis with Septigram, ending a very good set. She was barefoot, and clad in magnificent Rapa-Nui style clothing of black and dark purple, with feathers and a magnificent feathered headdress. Her exotic appearance was starling and yet beautiful.
Applause filled the large banquet hall as Atirangi crossed the banquet hall and returned to her seat at the head table beside Desslar, who kissed her as she sat down. It just so happened that she was seated to the left of Emperor Zworder himself, who was smiling just slightly at Septigram’s performance as he sat next to Savela, at his right hand. Atirangi noticed that Savela Shifual was coughing slightly and that one of her hands was shaking.
Yuki, who sat to Savela’s right next to Susumu, placed a hand on Savela’s hand and asked her, “Tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’m not feeling well,” she said softly. “It’s not Septigram’s music…it’s a bit of weakness; that is all.”
Zworder looked at Savela and said, “Dearest Consort and Concubine, if you need to rest, kindly let me know,” in a calm, compassionate voice that made Susumu’s ears perk up, because he had never heard Zworder speaking that way before.
“Perhaps the time has come for you to euthanize me?” Savela said weakly.
Yuki, who wore a red
gown to match the red that flashed in her eyes, looked at Savela and said, “May
it never be! Your doctors here have far better medical skills than I do. I can
also assist with your discomfort with my power if needed, whether I am near or
far from you.”
“I thank you, Yuki,” said Zworder. “I will not…cannot restart the karmic wheel again by killing Savela. I am past that long wheel of heartbreak and rage. This time, we have decided that Savela shall die naturally, and that she will not again be cloned, and I will finally mourn her decently.”
“Are you?” said an indignant voice as a woman in a blue gown, gleaming with light, appeared before Zworder at the head table, dragging a very reluctant Daisuke Shima with her.
“Teresa,” rumbled Zworder. “Even though I know that Yuki has installed you as the Princess of Telezart, you were not invited here. You shall leave!”
“And kindly turn down the display of your power?” Yuki said. “In mixed company, it is rather rude and off-putting. Do you see me displaying my gifts? No.”
“It surprises me, Yuki, that you show him such compassion, since he has started his warlike ways again.”
“As our ally against an overwhelming common enemy?” Susumu snapped as he stood up. “You know the situation, Teresa. We are all under threat from Promethium. Daisuke, what the hell is this? Didn’t she get the memo?”
“Nonetheless, he is again growing warlike. I do not desire that, Zworder. You told me you would indeed learn a new way, another way.”
Ati looked at the powerful mentalist, shoulders squared, azure eyes snapping. "You want to not do that, dude. A reprisal of hostilities is what we don't need right now. Get off the man's jock. You already taught him what he needed to know. Reopening old wounds isn't helping."
“And why is it that you advise me?” Teresa said.
“Because I am now Abelt Desslar’s Empress, and I am pregnant, and mad, and don’t need the shit!” Ati said. “Or, since you are so fucking cosmic, have you not yet sussed out that I carry Iscandarian blood, even though I am not particularly proud of it, along with some quantity unknown to you and even to Her Majesty over there?”
“But, Zworder…” said Teresa. “All right. Hear me out.”
“I am not sure I want to,” growled Zworder. “I asked you and Daisuke Shima to leave of your own accord. Or do I need summon my guards?”
“But, but…I am….” Teresa stammered.
Atirangi glared at Teresa and said, "No, I don't actually happen to care who you fuckin' are, why you Starsha’d your ass up in this banquet or what the fuck you fuckin' want. Who the goddamn hell do you think you are? How in the goddamn fuck is Z or Abelt or me or anyone else supposed to square their shit away and quit doing wrong shit if they don't get rewarded when they do something right? No one could have hated Z more than I did. But I watched him with these cold blue eyes. I see something different. Now... you can either apologize and mean it, or you can take your high-toned bitchy ass right the fuck on out of here."
"Teresa, may I introduce you to Her Majesty, Atirangi Dessler?" Zworder's delivery was completely deadpan.
“No. I say this to others, mostly,” said Teresa. “You Kodai, you sit by Zworder, calm and proud, wearing that strange symbol on that ring of yours?"
“You’re not gonna fucking apologize?” snapped Atirangi.
“Let Kodai answer and I will consider it,” said Teresa.
Susumu answered, "Teresa, listen to Atirangi and Yuki. Zworder has already learned what he needs to know. He is my ally now. We fight an even worse evil. And you apparently know nothing about the symbolism of my Masonic Ring, about encompassing your passions within due bounds; that is the meaning of the Compass. The Square means we square our actions according to the law of virtue. The Roman Letter “G” stands for the Divine as we all reverence the Light, whether we name the Name as Odin, Yahweh, Christ, Allah, or Arishna. I...pity you, Teresa. I am not even sixty and I have learned the virtues and strive to encompass them in my actions. People grow as they age. I have grown. Yuki has grown. Zworder has grown. He is not the same man we fought and despised once upon a time. Now…he is different…a good man, I will say. And I respect him.”
Teresa looked thunderstruck at this. So did Zworder. The boy advocates for me? Zworder thought. Perhaps he is far wiser than I thought!
Yuki stood, but she was gentle about it. “Teresa. Thank you for the input. Please consider our words, and please leave us in peace.”
“I think we should,” Shima said, winking at Kodai.
“Then, we shall leave,” Teresa said, turning away from all of them while holding Shima’s hand. She vanished.
“Yuki, is she playing any tricks?” growled Zworder. “Tell me, with your far sight.”
“No, she has returned to Telezart,” Yuki sighed. “Presumably to fucking strip naked, contemplate her navel and again neglect her husband and daughter,” she said with a note of disgust in her voice. “I have had differences with her lately regarding this. Her attitudes…worry me. One cannot neglect one’s loved ones, nor mock your friends.”
“That woman is no friend of mine,” snarled Zworder.
“But you are my friend, Zworder,” Yuki said as her eyes welled up with tears. “Do you think Susumu and I could put up with our friend being disrespected like that?”
“We all like you, dude,” said Ati with a smile. “Even if you have a look that would sour fresh coconut milk, man. You’re all right in my book, dude!”
“And in mine, Your Majesty,” said Desslar.
Savela smiled at Zworder. He smiled back at her, and said, “I am genuinely touched, Desslar, Atirangi, Yuki, and Susumu, by your regard and respect for me. After our past history, I would never have expected the four of you to have respect for me and to advocate for me before a hostile mentalist like Teresa, my…comrades. All of you. Even you, Kodai. By Arishna, do you know what a comb is for?”
They all laughed at that, even Kodai.
Then, at that, the handsome Gatlantian priest Var stood and handed Susumu a comb. “For my soon-to-be father-in-law, a gift,” he said, as beside him, Susumu and Yuki’s daughter Teresa rolled up her eyes.
“A comb,” said Susumu as Yuki giggled.
“Comb your hair,” Yuki said as she kicked off her sandals under the table.
Kodai combed his hair.
Glittery things began to comb out of the comb and got caught in his hair.
“AKKKK!” he yelled as he tried to shake the glitter out of his hair. Yuki put her head on the table and laughed herself silly.
“You’re laughing at me,” he sighed.
“But you look so cute with glitter in your hair, my darling,” Yuki said.
“I have a gift for you, Yuki,” Ati said with a twisted look on her face. She was holding something behind her back.
“Okay, what is your gift?” said Yuki.
“This!” screamed Ati, who smashed a pie into Yuki’s face.
“Mmmmph…mmmph…is this lemon meringue?” Yuki said. “My favorite!”
“Retaliate, Mum,” said Var as he handed Yuki a whipped cream spray bottle as soon as Yuki cleared her eyes.
“Sure,” Yuki said. She got up, stood on a chair, kissed Ati, and sprayed whipped cream in her hair.
“You bitch!” Ati squealed, laughing like crazy as she grabbed a spray bottle and added whipped cream to Susumu’s hair with the glitters.
“May I ask what this is, Savela?” Zworder said.
“Terron insanity,” she replied. She smiled and dumped a glass of juice in His Majesty’s hair.
“You are all mad!” laughed Zworder. “Totally mad!”
“Amusing, isn’t it?” said Desslar, who threw an apple pie at Ati. It hit her in the kisser.
She screamed and found some cranberry sauce (or the nearest equivalent thereof) and dumped it into Abelt’s hair.
Teresa Kodai screamed with laughter as Var and Cody Tiriganiaq held her down and sprayed whipped cream down the bodice of her gown.
“Dad! Mom! HELP!” Teresa yelled.
There was another loud SPLAT, and Zworder’s wild laughter.
Zworder had just thrown a pie into Susumu’s face. He thought it was amusing. “You FOOLS!” he yelled, lampooning himself. “Why don’t you give up? You’re beaten! There is no power greater than…”
“Yes?” said a Kenyan-accented female voice as Msiba, the keyboardist of Septigram teamed up with Savela to tackle Zworder and spray more whipped cream in his hair.
And, for the next hour, so it went.
Teresa of Telezart had been very wise to leave before the…madness…began.
“Atirangi?” said Abelt.
“Yes…dear?” she purred, with something on her mind other than a pie fight.
“I don’t think I can take you anywhere,” he said with a wicked smile.
------------------------------------
TO BE CONTINUED…