Of Pageantry and Tiaras….
A Star Blazers-based short fanfic focusing upon Katrina Savela….
By Frederick P. “Freddo” Kopetz
Part One: Entry
(Instigated thanks to a suggestion from Ami Meitsu….thanks, Ami-Chan!)
The date was Monday, July 1, 2211
It all started with a routine Press Release that read:
News Story: For Immediate Release!
Re: The Mrs. Federation Pageant of 2211.
The Mrs. Federation Pageant is a beauty and talent pageant meant to recognize the most beautiful, talented, poised, and committed married women between the ages of twenty-three to fifty-three across the entire scope of the Earth Federation. The pageant, which has been in existence ever since 2206, has recognized, thus far, three of the most distinctive, beautiful, committed, and heroic women in the entire Federation. There are no restrictions against women who have children or careers. In fact, we wish to recognize successful women who juggle careers and family responsibilities successfully. Our three previous winners are role models for women across the entire Federation.
There is a limited time period for the acceptance of applications. Interested contestants shall be given a week to apply, between July 6th to July 14th of 2211. Potential contestants, if accepted, may solicit assistance from any woman who has competed in the pageant before; even Mrs. Federation of 2210 herself (if you are lucky enough to know her!). As is well-known, our reigning Mrs. Federation of 2210 is already a role model for women everywhere in the Federation. Those who wish to follow in her footsteps are encouraged to apply at….
“And why are you dropping this release on my desk vid the other things?” asked Katrina Savela tartly in her office at Jane’s Aerospace as she looked up at Rear Admiral Wendy Singleton-Glitchman, the EDF Chief of Staff, who stood there in her office on a warm July day in 2211, looking very trim and pretty in her green EDF Headquarters summer uniform. Wendy wore a dark green jacket with medals, white ascot, white aiguillettes (or ceremonial braids) around her shoulders. She wore a short white skirt, kept her legs bare, and wore spit-shined black slingback sandals. Katrina wore one of her work outfits, which consisted of a black skirt, black sandals, cream-colored blouse that was open at the neckline, and a dark purple jacket that offset her lighter purple hair.
“Well, Katrina, you’re very pretty, and incoming by to give you these ship plans for your magazine, I thought you’d be interested,” said Wendy with a winning smile. She was, of course, now the Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Earth Defense Forces, her grandfather, Commanding General Hiram Charles Singleton, and she now held the rank of Rear Admiral. One had to be at least a two-star Admiral or General to be EDF Chief of Staff, as Rear Admiral Derek Wildstar had been when he had been Chief of Staff and had been wearing the green from mid-2209 to late 2210 after General Jackson Stone had finally been fired as Chief of Staff, busted down to Brigadier (one-star) General and assigned to an Intelligence post off Earth at Pluto Base…a place where he could not take his new wife, Jade, who sat alone waiting for his return…while, true to form, Stone dallied with another mistress at Pluto; a red-headed Ensign adjutant on his staff who share special privileges and his bed. Wendy and Katrina had heard about the situation, and it disgusted them; but, at least Stone no longer haunted Headquarters on a regular basis.
Wendy reached down to tickle the toes of one of her sons, Aaron, who giggled as his mother got his toes in his little sandal. Aaron and his twin brother Joshua were now close to three, having been born near the end of July of 2208, almost three years ago, around the time of the initial troubles with the Bolar Federation and the Spectra terrorist nation. Joshua jumped down from the desk to tickle his mother’s toes in her hot-weather sandal a moment later, making the young woman laugh. “Joshua! Quit it!”
“Quit it, quit it, quit it!” Joshua sang. “Quit it, quit it, quit it!” giggled the little brown-haired boy as he tried to strip himself of his t-shirt and run off. Wendy kicked off her heels and ran barefoot across the office to catch him, finally grabbing his hands as she sat barefoot with him on the desk. “I’m sorry. He’s picking this up from little Alex. You know him,” Wendy said, meaning Nova’s son Alex Wildstar III. Alex was now three going on four, and he had quite a mouth on him.
“Yes, I know Alex,” said Katrina. “I also know Ariel. I’m not sure which of those two kids happens to be worse,” said Katrina. “Alex, who tries to kill you with things he throws, or, Ariel, who tries to kill you with the wit and charm. Cute but challenging.”
“Don’t say that word!” yelled Aaron. “Not challenged!”
“You’re not?” said Katrina.”
“No. You is,” giggled Aaron.
“Aaron! Apologize to Auntie Katrina now!” snapped Wendy as she pulled his ear.
Aaron whimpered and then he bowed to Katrina. “Sorry, Auntie, love….”
“Better,” said Katrina as she kissed Aaron as Joshua looked on. The Glitchman kids saw quite a bit of the Wildstar kids in their play group at the day care center at EDF Headquarters, and sometimes, the naughty behavior of Derek and Nova’s kids rubbed off on Homer and Wendy’s kids. Of course, they were all getting Ariel Wildstar’s mouth, as well. Ariel had picked up the wittiness and mouthiness of both of her well-known parents in one uber-cute little package. It was widely assumed that Ariel was in the gifted range in intelligence.
“Now, this…this…pageant thing,” said Katrina.
“I think you should apply,” said Wendy, “Really!”
“You really think I should?”
Wendy nodded. “You’re very pretty.”
“Not a lot of people say zat,” said Katrina. “Nova always says I am pretty, but I think she is trying to flatter me, because…”
“You are pretty, Katrina, and more people like you than you think,” said Wendy as she slipped her slingback shoe back on. “More people like you, say, than like Aliscea. I have no idea what her problem is, lately. That Astra finally returned to Earth from Iscandar and she is nice and quiet but very gentle now. Aliscea, on the other hand…she came to my office the other day, demanding things as if she was the President of Earth. I called her on it, and do you know what that super-powered bitch said to me?”
“Vat?” said Katrina.
“She said she should be President of Earth someday, and not “frigging Cinderella” as she put it! I asked her who she meant and she went, “you know perfectly well who I mean, Admiral.” I told her she could never be President of Earth because she is not a natural-born citizen of Earth; that is what the Constitution says, and she has to be at least thirty-five. Then I told her she was being rude and to leave my office! You’re Pellian. Why is she doing this?”
Katrina bit her lip. She had remembered all sorts of things. “It makes no sense, but I think she is jealous of Nova for some reason. She really seems to hate her now. A pity. I even remember when they used to be good friends.”
“Why would someone with those powers, be jealous of a gentle, peaceful woman who has no powers and is too young to be President at thirty-two, and who has no interest whatsoever in politics because she just wants to be a doctor, EDF officer, and mother? Anyway, back to this thing on the pageant. Please consider it?”
“I will,” said Katrina as Wendy gathered up Joshua and Aaron and left with them.
That night, at home, while the servants were having a long meeting, Katrina was in the pool, skinny-dipping with Foxy. Kazuo smiled at Katrina as her slender from went through the water like a porpoise. She had been practicing her swimming over the years, and had gotten better at it.
When she finished her lap, she got out of the pool, and sat down by Foxy as he used a smaller towel to dry her off and begin kissing her naked body all over. “You’re very pretty, Katrina…”
“I know. Thank you. Do you think I am pretty enough to be a model?”
Foxy nuzzled her neck. “I certainly do…”
“And do you think I am pretty enough to be on stage in an evening dress?”
“Foxy kissed her breasts and said, “Yes, I do…I do…”
“Mmmmmmm,” Katrina said. “That is nice….I like zat…”
“You’ll like this more,” Foxy whispered as he put a hand between Katrina’s legs and began to run it up between her thighs from her knees up. He held her in his arms when he found the dewy rose between her legs and she almost fainted with delight when he touched her there. Her toes curled as they kissed and Katrina pulled him close and said, “take me, I am yours…”
“I am doing so now,” he said as he slid himself tenderly inside her and made love to her on the towel. “Yes, yes, yes, YES!” Katrina cried as they rolled together, united in their sweet, gentle sexy dance.
A long period of pleasure passed. When they were spent, done, and happy in each other’s arms after hitting a screaming climax, Katrina held onto Foxy and said, “I would prefer to wear a one-piece swimsuit in public, but do you think I am pretty enough to be on a stage in public in a swimsuit…even though I do not like that part much?”
“I sure do. Katrina, why are you asking these questions?”
“I would like to enter the Mrs. Federation pageant for this year. It will be in mid-August, so I won’t have that much time to prepare…”
“Can you win money doing this?” Foxy said as his eyes lit up with credit symbols. “Uhhh…more to invest…”
“Of course you win money, you Foxy Idiot, fifty thousand credits! But I am not doing it for the money! In fact, I found out that the winners usually give about half their prize money to charity or some cause after the first Mrs. Federation did that in late September 2206 when the pageant started. I want a tiara, the award, recognition as a beautiful person, and I like the idea of being a goodwill ambassador and inspiring other women to be the top in their field, which comes with the title, since I have to do some touring and give lectures. There is a talent portion, an interview one has to pass, an evening gown competition, a swimsuit competition, and a portion where one has to demonstrate an individual sport or physical discipline right after the swimsuit competition. I am already planning to demonstrate Pellian Demarta moves with a gravity saber during that part of the competition. You know that is a sword drill, right? Aliscea showed Nova and I how to do that before she turned cold towards us.”
“Aren’t all these girls who do this bimbos?” said Foxy as he yawned. “You are not a bimbo, and your friends Nova, Wendy, Diane, and Astrena are nowhere near that category.”
“Nonsense” said Katrina. “I do not remember who all of the winners exactly are yet, as I did not read all of the materials, but Mrs. Federation 2206 was a research chemist, Mrs. Federation 2207 was a film producer, Mrs. Federation 2208 was a music star who produced and wrote her own songs, Mrs. Federation 2209 was a ballet dancer, and the current Mrs. Federation 2210 is a medical student and noted military veteran. They are all supposed to be devastatingly beautiful geniuses in their fields and great wives and many are also mothers, juggling families with all the stuff they do. Do you think I could measure up to women like that?” said Katrina, almost weakly.
“I think you could,” said Foxy as he held her. “And now that I know what you want, and why, I think you can do it and ought to do it. We could also use the money,” he joked.
“You and your money,” said Katrina as she hugged Foxy. “I love you, though, you crazy person.”
“Even though you set half my wardrobe on fire with gasoline that time?” said Foxy.
“Yes. And I got you tasteful clothes, right?”
“I did buy a new Kentucky Colonel suit,” said Foxy. “You know…to replace the one you burned that time in 2209 when you went crazy?”
“ARRRRGH!” said Katrina as she started hitting him. “Damn you and your bizarre taste!”
Foxy just laughed.
Katrina had a four day-on (with a nine-hour day) and one-day off work week, with a floating day off.
This week, her floating day off was Tuesday. While filling out her application for the pageant, she watched a video capsule that went over some of the previous years’ winners.
Katrina wore shorts, a sleevless blouse, and the open-toe summer house slippers she liked. Foxy was not home; he was out in a nice suit meeting with some of his investment clients… and, collecting his commission, Katrina thought with a smile. I am glad he is supportive of my plan to enter this pageant, but I hope I am as supportive. Let’s see what these prior contestants looked like. They sound almost too good to be true.
As Katrina began to watch, Michelle came in, eating some ice cream. Michelle had on a bikini and went barefoot. “Hi, mum,” she said as she kissed her. “Are you looking at that pageant stuff?”
Katrina said, “Yes, I am. I want to see what the prior contestants looked like, and who they were…”
Michelle nodded as she kissed Katrina again and sat on the floor on a rug.
Katrina started the video. It soon seemed that the video was a series of vignettes about the contestants that were be used for the world video network showing the pageant; the video would also show at the pageant introducing the contestant.
Mrs. Federation 2206 was a dark-haired research chemist from France named Noel Arnoul. It seemed that Doctor Arnoul was, of course, married, and she had two children (who showed up briefly in the video, crawling on her and laughing). Doctor Arnoul was poised, beautiful, intelligent, environmentally concerned, and clips of her in a leotard doing a gymnastics routine showed up as her sports segment. Her talent segment was a poetry reading…of some of her own poetry.
Gorgeous, but quite intimidating, thought Katrina as she watched the video for Mrs. Federation 2207. Mrs. Federation 2207 was a posed, witty-looking African-American woman named Marcia Cantrell. Mrs. Cantrell had produced several documentary films, and she had produced a popular crime drama movie in 2207 known as The Brazilian Job that had won three Golden Globe Awards and an Oscar. The Brazilian Job was a movie about an elaborate mob scheme to rob a casino in Rio, and it seemed Marcia also played one of the leading women in the movie; one of the detectives who helped solve the crime. Marcia’s talent segment had her playing a guitar leading up a rock band and belting out two popular songs. Her sports segment had consisted of a dance number…that she did with flaming ribbons, just barely avoiding the fire. She had danced in her swimsuit, in which she looked gorgeous. Marcia, it seemed, was a war widow; her husband had died in the first war with the Comet Empire at Saturn-Titan (something that saddened Katrina as she realized that General Bleek had killed her husband, who had commanded a destroyer). However, she had a daughter, named Nicole, who appeared with her in the video.
“How can I compare with this?” said Katrina as she looked at Michelle.
“It says she worked very hard, Mum,” said Michelle. “You didn’t see that part in this video…”
“But she is such a natural,” said Katrina. “I can’t be her. Look at her in that damn white bikini swimsuit! Look at that! Perfect, gorgeous body…”
“They’re showing Mrs. Federation 2208 now; I admire her,” said Michelle. “I heard about her in school….music class…”
Mrs. Federation 2208 was a dark-haired Japanese woman in her early thirties known as Fujiko Shinsei. Fujiko was a singer and songwriter, and for her talent show, she sang one of her songs with no backup except her own strummed guitar. Fujiko was short, but she was a powerhouse of energy. Her athletic clip had her in a karate gi, demonstrating moves and breaking some boards with her bare hand, and then bowing to the group. She wore a dark blue one-piece swimsuit for her swimsuit segment, and part of her video focused on her with her husband in a romantic walk down the beach. They did not have any children, which relieved Katrina because she thought maybe the pageant judges had something against childless women.
Mrs. Federation 2209 was a young, blond French ballet dancer named Francoise Reynaud. She was a dancer, and the head of her company. She had not had had any children yet, either, but she presented a small play, with her husband, a French actor named Henri Reynaud, as her talent show. She was tall, beautiful, and witty. Her athletic clip portrayed her in a fencing routine, and she had done her swimsuit routine in a midnight blue one-piece suit and matching sandals. Katrina groaned at her. Francoise was so cute that she looked…unreal.
Finally, Katrina sat back and watched the opener of Mrs. Federation 2210’s video. “What sort of video is this?” she said. The opening of the video was…chaos.
It was apparently a documentary film, shot with a handheld camera…or the visual receptors of a robot? It was on the bridge of a space warship…apparently in action. A panel exploded in a shower of sparks as someone yelled, in a Texas accent, “My damn board’s burnin like a barbecue!”
Katrina was shocked to see Commodore Derek Wildstar in his Star Force whites clapping someone on the shoulder; it seemed that what was being shown was a battle on the Argo. “I’ll help Sandor with that fire! Nova! Keep her on course!”
“Aye, sir,” snapped Nova from her post as she worked the helm. There was a quick close-up of her at work, and then the scene switched as Katrina paused the video.
“What is this?”said Katrina. “Is Mrs. Federation of 2210 an actress playing Nova?”
“I think you’ll like this,” said Michelle with a giggle.
Katrina started the video again. To her shock, the video cut to Nova, in a black gown, playing the opening chords of “I’m Still Standing” behind a huge piano as she began to play and sing like a dervish. A shot of Nova poised and gorgeous in a white bikini and silver high-heeled sandals showed Katrina that Nova Wildstar was Mrs. Federation 2210 before the title giving her name appeared over her smiling image. There were shots of her playing with Alex and Ariel, a shot of her in a sundress walking in a garden holding hands with Derek, and then a shot of her athletic routine, which was a speedy, agile modern jazz dance routine taken of her in her white bikini, legwarmers, and bare feet. One of her questions was, “What was one of the greatest things you have ever done in your life?” and Nova’s answer was, “It’s simple. I was ready, several times over, to put my life on the line for all of your tomorrows; the tomorrows of the world.”
The last shot was of Nova in a white gown, looking utterly surprised as the tiara was pinned to her head. She then stood there were Derek, Alex, Ariel, and Jonathan, holding her youngest daughter Anya while Derek held her fraternal twin brother Steve in his arms; both Anya and Steve had been nine months old in that clip. Katrina had seen them enough to know that they were now each nineteen months old; and she knew they had just come off Nova’s breasts, and they were both also walking, talking, and potty-trained; in fact, Anya could barely be shut up at this point! However, Katrina liked Anya and got along well with her, even at her young age.
“I cannot compete with Nova…I cannot follow in her shadow,” moaned Katrina. “Listen to her description; Heroine, Sunburst of Honor winner several times over…interstellar diplomat whom I tried to assassinate once, and candidate for the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her stem-cell regenerative work…and in her last year of Medical School as of September. How can I compete with that?”
“I know she would love to see you compete. And win,” said Michelle.
“How do you know that?” moaned Katrina.
“I was at her house the other day hanging out with Jonathan, and your name came up. Nova had just come home from one of her Mrs. Federation appearances…”
“Vonderful,” said Katrina.
“And she said she’d prefer to see you win over several of the contestants, who are out-and-out bimbos. Including Jade Stone.”
“Her? That damn blonde slut?” snapped Katrina.
Michelle nodded. “She’s competing, along with her stupid friend Billie Neidermeyer. Neither one of those girls are very nice.”
“Understatement of ze year, Michelle,” said Katrina with a sigh. She got up and turned off the video. “All right. I am supposed to follow in the footsteps of a chemist, a movie producer, a singer-songwriter, and Nova, who will probably be laughing at me when I enter the pageant. It’s hopeless. I’ll complete the application, but…this says they will make a selection from among hundreds of potential candidates. I will not win, or even probably make that cut.”
No one else was around as Michelle said, “That does NOT sound like the Princess Invidia I know! How many times have you come back against impossible odds, survived, come through, and come out the other side? You are a Princess! You do not give up! Or, you used to be like that!” Michelle grabbed her almost-completed application and handed it to Katrina. “Complete this. Get it in.”
Katrina nodded, filling out the application in silence.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER:
Thursday, July 18, 2211
Katrina had gone to work again that day. Today, it was very hot, and she had worn a white sleeveless blouse, very light black jacket, dark red fitted shorts, and dressy thong sandals to work.
Katrina was in her small office working on an article on a planned upgrade to the Lexington-class spacecraft carriers of the EDF when a knock came at her door.
“Come in,” she said.
The door opened, and Wendy again came in, wearing a uniform identical to the sort she had been wearing the previous day, followed by Nova, who wore a Headquarters uniform like hers; in white, with white slingback sandals. “I have a new design that I’d like described in the next issue,” she said. “But I brought Commander Wildstar with me so she can brief you on it herself.”
“What sort of design is it?” said Katrina, trying to put the pageant out of her mind.
Nova smiled at her and said, “This is about the Cosmo Nightingale III Medical Rescue Boat, Katrina. I came up with a redesign of the main interior space to make the internal arrangement easier for doctors, medics, and nurses working with wounded or sick personnel. Since the beam of the shuttle was widened by three meters, we were able to fit in more access cabinets here, here, and here,” Nova said as she pointed at a blueprint she took out of a folder as Wendy shut the door of the office. Nova talked about the design for a bit as she sat on Katrina’s desk, pointing out other features on the blueprint. Then, she rolled it up and said, “I’ll leave this with you, okay?”
“Sure,” said Katrina.
Then, Nova smiled. “By the way, congratulations on your application for the pageant. “
“They…they accepted it?” said Katrina.
Nova nodded. “It was a nice thing you and Foxy were able to get your application to the office via private express courier.” She unfolded a list from a folder and looked at it. “I just received this today from Mister Gelsman, the Pageant Administrator. These are the fifty people that they picked to go on to the First Preliminary Round, to be held on July 27th; it’s a Saturday to accommodate those of us who work. Out of three hundred and five applications, Katrina, yours made the fifty.”
“It did?” said Katrina, shocked.
“What about me?” cried Wendy.
“You?” said Katrina.
“I entered too!” said Wendy.
Nova smiled. “Wendy, you’re on the list, too. Along with Haruna Tsukikage, Jade Stone, Billie Neidermeyer, Vanessa Crowley, Eiko Kiiyama, Samantha Ainsley, and the actress Patricia Hammerstone.”
“Tsukikage made the list?” said Katrina. “Isn’t she the mother of our friend Yuri?”
Nova nodded. “Do you two want some help with the pageant? Ask for my help, and I’ll be happy to give it.”
“Are you allowed to do that?” said Wendy.
Nova nodded. “Well, winners are not allowed to compete again, so, I won’t be affecting the current results. And I don’t have anything to do with picking the new Mrs. Federation. Unless the jury of twelve ends up in a tie. Then, I could be called upon at the pageant to act as the tiebreaker.”
“It sounds interesting,” said Katrina.
“I wish both of you luck,” Nova said. “Let’s get together next week. I have some things I’d like to go over with both of you.”
“That sounds great,” said Wendy. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I hope this goes well,” said Katrina.
“It will,” laughed Nova. “Trust me!”
“Why,” said Katrina, “Am I somehow afraid of that…?”
To Be Continued with Part Two: “Preliminaries”