PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY

An AU Battle of the Planets/Star Blazers crossover

By Frederick P. Kopetz

Inspired by "Yuki Wildstar" and Gail (Fluffy) Kopetz.

Thanks to “Bells of Nevermore” for additional beta-reading and the use of her characters Dr. Atrirangi Rapahango and Septigram.  

To Review the origin of this fic: My recent partner-in-fanfic-crime, beta reader, and Visions Project fellow author "Yuki" and I were going along in a chat session and the incredibly wacky idea of putting the worlds of Nishizaki/ Matsumoto and Yoshida together again in a fic occurred to both of us. I have done this before, with Star Blazers & Speed Racer (Attack and Counterattack, and my current ongoing Unexpected Allies). I had sat back on this story for a while, and almost abandoned it, but joining some new BOTP pages on Facebook stirred my creative drink again. I’ve also been working on my original novel: Ecce Homo today. I’m busy. Onwards…

CHAPTER EIGHT: OF JOY AND SORROW….

I.  A TANGO AND A WALTZ…

The Tokyo Megalopolis

The Wildstar Residence

Thursday, April 25, 2222

2330 Hours: Local Time

It was dark and a million stars were shining in the sky as Mark carried Princess across the threshold of the Master Bedroom in the renovated Wildstar home, which Nova was teasingly referring to now as “Brandy Hall” (after the huge Brandybuck hobbit hole in Lord of the Rings). They were allowed to use the Master Bedroom since the Wildstars themselves had decided to sleep in the guest room that night.

When they got into the bedroom, Mark dropped Princess on the bed with a good “whoomph!” Princess laughed at that. The young couple was now back in their regular civilian clothing with their numbered t-shirts and Mark’s white jeans and Princess’ striped pants.

 “What a big bed they have,” said Mark with a low whistle as Princess kicked off her shoes and looked around the room as she got up and stretched.

She noticed a lot of certificates on the wall, and a small shelf of models; models of the Argo, the Arizona, a spacecraft carrier she didn’t recognize, along with models of a small patrol cruiser, the Andromeda-class space battleship North Carolina, and a missile destroyer, the Yukikaze. “Nice models, Mark. These must be models of vessels Derek and Nova commanded or served on in the past.” Princess would later find out that Derek had commanded the Argo, Arizona, and the carrier, and Nova had commanded the patrol cruiser, the North Carolina, and the missile destroyer. Then, she sat down on the bed beside Mark after doing a somersault on the bed.

“As I said, Princess...they have a cool bed. Look-they even have a little stereo in the headboard below that bookshelf.”

“Why are you so interested in the bed?” Princess said with a wink.

“I haven’t been in such a big bed for years,” said Mark.

“What about the lady who is IN the bed?” said Princess. “You know…the woman you just married today? Hint, hint, HINT?”

“The bed is nice,” said Mark. “Because I’m going to need a LOT of room to make you happy, Jun, dearest.”

“Mark,” Princess said with a soft smile. “You remembered my request! You’re so cute,” she said.

They shared a long, searching kiss that made them shiver.

“How was that?” whispered Mark.

“Like magic,” whispered Princess. “I’m hot in this…shirt,” she said.

Mark pulled her shirt off, revealing a white lace bra.

“Now...that’s…”

“Shhh…. let’s get rid of yours,” said Princess as she pulled off Mark’s shirt. In the distance somewhere in the large house, they heard a song that began with soulful piano chords. Then, there were lyrics in Japanese. “Someone’s playing something romantic,” she said. “I wonder if it’s for us?”

“Maybe,” said Mark. “We’re not the only couple in this house, you know. And I know the kids are asleep.”

“It sort of reminds me of Anderson’s mansion-back in training,” said Princess.

“The nicest home I had,” Mark said. “Although I could hear a million things at once at night before you got your apartment; I could hear Jason cursing in the gym, Tiny playing that goofy heavy metal he likes, Keyop bouncing a ball like mad…and you…singing.”

Princess ran her hands over Mark’s chest as they kissed again. Mark then said, “May I?” as he reached around for Princess’ bra.

Princess nodded and kissed him yet again. “When were you first attracted to me?” she asked.

“When were you attracted to me?” Mark asked as he kissed Princess again and then kissed her breasts.

“When I first saw you,” said Princess. She whimpered as Mark kissed a nipple and loved her. “You?”

“When I first saw you in the mansion,” Mark said.

“Really?” she replied with wide eyes. “You sure did a good job at hiding it.”

“Duty, duty, duty,” he said. “Us men have to be good at that…unfortunately. Ever read the Wildstars’…I mean Dad and Mom’s…joint autobiography of the mission to Iscandar?”

“I did,” said Princess as she playfully pulled at Mark’s hair. “You men are alike. Your samurai honor! Your…dad…did a great job at hiding his feelings from your Mom for ages…he only got the idea she loved him near the end of the mission, and, especially…when he thought she was going to die…how have you felt when you thought I was dead on a mission?”

“The Fierce Flowers,” said Mark as he kissed her again and then kissed her breasts again. Outside, the music was a little louder, and Mark thought he heard the man and lady of the house singing together and harmonizing in Japanese. “I was desolate. I thought I’d lost you forever…Jun, dear. And I knew then I could never live without you.”

“When we got back together, I knew I could never live without you, Mark…” Princess said, gasping as he kissed her breasts again.

Mark nodded. “My pants are getting tight.”

“Mine, too,” said Princess as she knelt before Mark on the bed.

Mark helped Princess out of her slacks and underwear in a single motion. Then, Princess undressed Mark, as well. “My God,” she whispered. “Look at that,” she said as she bounced his maleness around gently. “That’s bloody huge…”

“Do you want this Bird Missile?” whispered Mark.

Princess whispered, “Yes…but…I’m not one hundred percent ready for you yet…”

“Does this help?” Mark said as he began to kiss his way up the inside of Princess’ thighs.

Suddenly, the stereo system in the headboard snapped on of its own accord. The song that was playing was Ravel’s “Bolero”.

“How did that happen?” whispered Mark.

“Get back down to business; we can analyze this problem later,” said Princess.

Mark began to kiss Princess down there again.

He drove her softly mad as he kissed his way around and then between her thighs, parting her most intimate parts with his tongue. She tasted like salty honey to Mark.

Princess gently grasped his muscle again, teasing and touching him as Mark drove her mad….

Out in the Wildstars’ living room, at the same moment, Derek was doing something quite similar to Nova on the couch. An old song known as “Two Loves” played in the background as Derek kissed and nibbled at the inside of Nova’s thighs. They had been waltzing to the music they had been playing, shedding clothes romantically as they danced.

“Love is in the air tonight,” Nova gasped as Derek kissed her hidden rosette.

“Couple on their wedding night,” gasped Derek as Nova teased him. “You dancing around the living room in that dress after playing your piano…”

“You in your dress uniform, sir,” Nova said. Then, she added, “I’m so sorry, Derek.”

“For what?” Derek whispered.

“For…our…argument…it was just twenty-four hours ago…”

“It was a terrible misunderstanding, Nova. Forget about it, neh?”

Derek then went against his wife’s thighs again and he dove back down there with his tongue.

Nova cried out and curled her toes against the arm of the velour couch.

How close are you? Derek sent through their bond.

Jiminy Crickets, I’m about to explode…Nova thought back. I…I…I…

Derek needed no bond to know what happened next as Nova cried out and rolled her head around. When she caught her breath, she said, as she grabbed her husband, “Now, Derek. I want you in me…and now…”

The Admiral smiled and said, “Ma’am, your wish is my command,” as he gently but firmly took her…

In their room, Mark and Princess were now engaged in a fevered tango as time seemed to speed up while Mark had taken Princess in a bold yet joyful move.

“God…God…yesss,” gasped Mark as Princess kissed him and then gasped and cried out as they danced like mad, bodies joined so close, so warm, so tight…

Bolero was near its final crescendo on the stereo as they rolled back and forth, going like mad as Princess’ legs flew up as Mark drilled into her so deeply, she thought she’d blow apart.

She did a moment later…crying out in almost musical tones…

Mark yelled, and then kissed Princess as he then gasped, and yelled.

They floated on the waves of pleasure…it was so good…so good…so damned good….

When they were done, they were worn out.

Princess then said, “Mark, please carry me to the shower? We need to clean up.”

“Already?” Mark said like a boy denied his candy.

“We can have more fun in the shower,” Princess whispered.

Mark kissed her and picked her up.

In the living room, the Admiral and the Doctor were lost on their own wave of joy and pleasure, their long, slow bit of lovemaking making their terrible fight a distant memory as they looked at each other with love and joy in their eyes as a soft light came from Nova, from deep in her naked skin.

They cuddled each other as their living room stereo began to play “Galaxy Legend” again.  

Derek sat up a little as he said, “Nova, I hear the same song starting up in our bedroom. And it’s quiet…”

Nova shut her eyes and blushed. “Our newly discovered son was up to the same thing we were, dear. Only, they were in a rush…poor kids…”

“Reminds me of us at that age,” Derek said as he played with Nova’s honey-blonde bangs. She smiled…she liked it when he did that.

“We had dinner just now,” said Derek. “Nova, what do you want?”

“Dessert,” she said firmly as she kissed her husband again.

“Dessert is coming up,” Derek whispered.

It was now past midnight and it was now Friday, April the 26^th.

They would be up most of the night…at some point, Nova gently phased then into the guest bedroom so they’d have a bed to do it in again, as she was getting a little crick in her neck.

THE NEXT DAY (APRIL 26, 2222)

Sunrise was coming through the windows of the master bedroom the next morning as Mark woke up. He panicked.

There was no sign of Princess.

“Princess! Traci Jun! Where are you?” he yelled.

“In the shower,” she said as Mark heard water running.

“Can I jump in there with you again?” Mark yelled.

“I was wondering when you’d wake up,” Princess said.

HALF AN HOUR LATER…

Mark was brushing Princess’ ebony locks as he ran a chrome-plated hair dryer over them. She was dressed except for footwear; he was in the same state.

“What a major mess,” he said as he looked at the bed. It was almost destroyed and was rather untidy.

“Well, given what we were up to last night, Commander, sir,” said Princess coyly.

Then, a moment later, there was a loud banging at the door, and a little girl’s voice was screaming, “Mommy, Daddy, I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! Are you working on my baby brother in there?”

“What…the…?” said Mark and Princess as the doors opened and a little black-haired tornado screamed in.

Mark knew that due to his wacky family situation, he now had three sisters; Ariel, an elegant honey-blond image of her mother, little Teresa, who was just cute and shy, and…the third one…Anastasia…usually known as Anya.

Anya was neither elegant nor shy. The little girl ran into the room wearing a pink-t-shirt that said “Creeping Death” on it, and her mop of dark hair, so much like her father’s, was an insane mess as she jumped up and down in her black shorts and yellow sandals.

“You little imp!” yelled Mark. “Do you have a habit of barging in on your parents like that?”

“Once a week,” sang Anya.

“Does your mother spank you when she catches you?” said Princess.

“YES,” said Anya.

“What do you do?” said Mark, sort of amused at this little sprite as she twirled around her parents’ bedroom and then kicked off her shoes and began to jump up and down on the bed!

“Sometimes I cry,” sang Anya. “Sometimes, I dump milk in Mommy’s hair! Sometimes I even make it…CHOCOLATE!” she sang as she did a flip on the bed.

A moment later, footsteps came fast as Anya’s mother, clad in a black sweetheart-collared sleep shirt, ran into the room, and stopped with her hands on her hips. “ANATASIA WILDSTAR!” Nova barked. “Stop acting like a delinquent Space Marine, young lady!”

“What’s delinquent?” Anya sang as she jumped on the bed and made a face at her mother, whose sleep shirt read “Queen of the House” in silver script letters.

“You know what I damn well mean!” Nova barked. “Get off that bed and get over there! Mommy is very mad at you!”

Anya came over with her head bowed as Nova bowed to Mark and Princess and said, “I’m so sorry about the intrusion…really. She barges in on us all the time and she knows that she’s not supposed to do that,” Nova said as she spun Anya around and gave her a hard slap on her bottom. “Now, get into your room and consider your actions, Miss!” Nova snapped.

“Mommy is mean,” whined Anya as she wandered out.

“Daddy is MEANER,” said Derek as he came into the room and clapped loudly. “Listen to what your mother told you!!”

“Okay…” she sniffed as she shuffled out.

Derek’s hair was a total mess as he came up by Nova and their hands linked. He had on a white t-shirt with a black anchor on one breast and red warm-up pants. “Wait until you two have kids,” Derek said.

“I don’t want to think of that yet…given that we don’t even have a decent place to live yet, sir,” said Mark. “I’m sure that you and Nova love us but you don’t want us sleeping on your couch.”

Derek and Nova looked at each other and blushed deeply. Then, Mark blushed as he saw that his mother was bearing a nice big red hickey on the right side of her slender neck.

“Yes…you will need a place to live,” stammered Nova. “I think I have a solution,” she said.

“And…that is?” said Princess.

“She wants us to live on the couch or in the basement,” teased Mark. “Look at me…Commander of G-Force, living in my Mom’s basement!”

Nova and Princess giggled at that as Derek rolled up his eyes. Derek then said, “She means an apartment for you two.”

“Where?” said Princess. “I have an apartment now, but I share it with Keyop and it’s small…”

“My father owns some properties,” Nova said. “I got on the phone to him this morning…he has a nice vacancy…a three-bedroom penthouse at the top of Regency Tower downtown in Shibuya.”

“What?” gasped Princess. “With all respect, ma’am, the rent on a place like that would be outrageous!”

“Dad and I will cover it for you until you want a house,” Nova said. “And the place is furnished…and it would be great cover for you two, fifty stories up in the air…and private. If you really like it, some of the apartments in that building are co-ops, and arrangements could be made for you two to buy it.”

Nova knew the place well. She and Derek had used it as a love nest one night when they were downtown after they had seen a musical play and Annie had been tending to the kids. She also had considered moving herself and the kids downtown to that place when she had been thinking in her rage of splitting from Derek. Given that she had no such thoughts now, she had suggested to Derek it had a better possible use. He agreed, and so did her father in an early morning phone call as he was already up in his office dealing with some constituent’s issues. Mark and Princess didn’t yet know that Nova’s father had recently been elected to Parliament and that, as such, Karl Forrester, Senator in the Federation Parliament, had a ton of stuff to deal with.

Then, the phone rang.

Derek answered it. “Wildstar residence,” he said crisply.

“Admiral, this is Commanding General Singleton,” said the voice on the other end as his image came up on the screen.

“Sir,” said Derek in a low voice.

“Admiral, I’ll have to ask you to come by ASAP. Bring Nova, Mark and Princess with you.”

“Why, sir?” Derek said as he switched the phone to speaker.

“Before you go into battle…well…all four of you, along with Anderson, were discussed in the Defense Council this morning. Before that meeting you arranged with the Press, we must clear the air about a few things; especially the recent behavior of most of you. Anderson will be there, too. His own supervisor, Rikus Kane, will be there, along with Rikus’ brother Franklin.”

“How did President Kane get mixed up in this?” Nova snapped.

“Phone calls from your father and the Pellian Embassy, Doctor,” Singleton said. “The President is a very busy man. I need you here in thirty-five minutes. Drive here, please. Anderson doesn’t need another display, young lady, of your…abilities. He’s seen quite enough.”

“Why is he meeting with us?” snapped Mark. “Sir, permission to speak freely?”

“Granted,” said Singleton.

“I mean, sir…after all the crap he’s pulled in my life…and the lives of my real parents,” Mark snapped. “He has a lot of nerve.”

“We had our reasons,” said Anderson’s voice over the phone as Derek turned his face into a mask. He looked at Nova. He realized she was gritting her teeth in a snarl. Then, she spoke in a low growl unlike her. “I’d love to know what your reasons were, Anderson, for taking my son from my own womb in an experiment, you…bastard. The only other person with that kind of nerve was Aliscea D’Shal, and she caused me to lose another one of my children. Do you know what it’s damn well like to have your own body interfered with without your knowledge or informed consent, Doctor? So far, Commander, the only man who has understood or cared about how I feel or has been the least bit supportive in the past seventy-two hours or so has been Mark’s father, and our eldest son himself, both of whom were played just as dirty as I was,” Nova hissed the last few words as Derek’s fingers intertwined with hers. She kissed him on the nose and made sure Singleton could see it.

Singleton took a deep breath as Mark glowered at him and Princess took his hand. “Get here in thirty-five minutes. The President can’t be kept waiting.”

“Understood,” said Derek as he hung up.

“Permission to speak freely…Dad?” said Mark.

“Be my guest,” said Derek.

“When I heard Anderson, I was this far from telling him to go fuck himself,” Mark said.

A low, ironic chuckle came from Nova’s chest as she turned to Mark after Derek wiped some angry tears from her eyes. “You’re not the only one, Mark,” she said. “I was about to say the same thing to Anderson; in the same exact words.” Nova then kissed Derek on the lips and then spun around and kissed Mark on the cheek.

Princess almost hissed like a cat with jealousy until she realized that Mark was just getting a kiss from his mother. Then, she looked down at her feet and looked very ashamed.

“Derek, find Annie and tell her to watch the kids,” Nova said. “I need to reclaim our bedroom and put some pants on. I can’t go to HQ half-naked in a sleepshirt.”

“Nova, if I can ask, who’s ‘Annie?’” said Princess.

“Our current au pair, Angela Beckman,” Nova said. “Live-in, and very helpful. She’s a former girlfriend of Jonathan’s. He doesn’t mind having her here because she is great with kids. All my kids adore her, just as much as they love Fela, our usual nanny; a Pellian who had to go back to New Pellias on business,” Nova added.

“Nannies,” said Princess. “Lucky you can afford one,” she said. “Like…my mother…before she went off the rails in St. Petersburg, Russia, before she lost the old homestead.”

“You never told me that,” said Mark.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Mark. We can discuss it in the car.”

“I’ll be driving in the SUV,” Derek said. “I know the fastest way to HQ from here.”

TEN MINUTES LATER…

Nova had pulled on blue jeans and white New Balance sneakers for their trip to Headquarters. She sat in the front passenger seat of the silver 2220 Subaru Forester she and Derek had picked up as the kids were getting bigger. They needed the third seat in the back, and Nova thought it was sort of funny that Derek had picked a vehicle that happened to have her maiden name on it. She was the usual driver, driving the kids around in it like an archetypical “soccer mom”.

Mark and Princess were in the first back seat. Princess was the only one talking as she said, to break the tension, “This is very tough, dealing with Anderson. He adopted me after I became an orphan.”

“What happened to your parents?” Derek asked.

“I’ll get to that in a moment. The team called me “Princess” when they met me because that’s what I reminded them of,” she said. “Mark, I never got into this, but I am a Princess, by descent; Princess Traci Jun Yussupov, descendant of Prince Felix Yussupov, the man who killed Rasputin in Russia long ago. Since the last of the Romanovs died when the Gamilons hit Moscow, I am also the pretender to the Russian Throne. Not that it matters; there’s been no Tsar or Tsarina for over three hundred years. My father, Prince Dimitri, I barely knew. The Russian Mob killed him in 2207, three years after I was born. My mother, Diana Louise, as it turned out, had a liking for Rikashan spice; too much of a liking.”

“She was a sixer addict?” Mark said as he held Princess’ hands.

She nodded through her tears. “Mom tried to be nice to me, but it was rough. She came into a lot of money after Dad died. She trained me in dance for as long as the money held out; wanted to make a prima ballerina out of me, I guess. I danced in two shows by the time I was ten in 2214. At eleven, we lost our house. Anderson spotted me in one of my shows and he had been sending my mother fan letters, of all things. Mom’s health was fading due to cancer, aggravated by the spice, when we got the apartment, although she tried to hide it. Then, Anderson was involved in her care along with the doctors; and he became my foster father when Mom went into the hospital for the last time. I stood with Anderson’s arm around me when we buried Mom. Then, I went to Utoland. I never saw Russia again. I started to get trained in his project before I turned twelve. I met you a year later, Mark, when you were brought in after I met Jason and Tiny. Keyop showed up a year later. Until then, I was the youngest kid…and…”

“An acquaintance of mine died from spice,” Derek said. “That’s a nasty drug.”

“So, you’re royalty?” said Mark.

Princess nodded. “Not…that it matters much,” she sighed.

“You’re not the only lady in this car with Royal blood,” Nova said. “Don’t ask me right now; it’s…complicated…and I didn’t even know myself until a few years ago. But there’s a reason I look so much like Queen Starsha of Iscandar and Ruling Queen Astrena of New Pellias. You might hear about it in the office soon. Especially since I have the feeling my adopted godfather is involved,” Nova said as she looked hard at Derek and sent him a single word, followed by whistling a few notes of something that sounded oddly like a bolero.

“Nova, dear, this could be one hell of a meeting if he gets on the horn…or shows up,” Derek said.

“Who?” said Mark.

“Seven foot two, skin of blue,” Nova said mysteriously. “Oh, shit.”

II.  CLEARING THE AIR

The Tokyo Megalopolis

Earth Defense Headquarters

Friday, April 26, 2222

1100 Hours: Local Time

The group entered General Singleton’s office about twenty minutes later.

“Right on time,” said the Commander as they sat down after shaking hands with President Kane himself. “All of you know ISO Security Chief Anderson, currently in charge of several other secret projects.”

“Love to know what they are,” Nova said dryly as she glared daggers at him. Behind his glasses, Anderson met her and sent the daggers back.

Anderson took a very deep breath. Next to him, Rikus Kane was shaking his head. “I refused your resignation, Anderson, and you damn well know why. After your team of kids is done assisting General Singleton and Admiral Wildstar, congratulations, you get them back again, Anderson.”

“Hopefully, to demobilize them after this offensive,” said President Franklin Kane. “Singleton, tell our little crowd what’s involved.”

“I will after our last guest comes in,” sighed Singleton. He hit an intercom on his desk. “Admiral, send him in from the lounge.”

The Chief of Staff didn’t answer because his guest answered for himself over the intercom. A melodious voice at the other end purred, “Thank you, General. You really have no idea what a vile and uncivilized lounge you have.”

“Oh, shit,” Derek and Nova said together, quite aloud.

“Do you know that man?” said Mark.

“Yes, we certainly do,” said Derek. “When he gets involved…things can get messy…”

A side door of Singleton’s office opened, and a blue-skinned Gamilon strode in with a sharp snap of his voluminous cape lined in red.

Anderson turned very pale when he recognized the visitor. So did Mark and Princess as they all stood.

“Emperor Desslok, welcome to Earth,” said President Kane formally. Desslok gave his hand a perfunctory shake as he then turned to Derek and Nova.

“It’s been a couple of years, Desslok,” Derek said as he shook hands with the tall Leader of Gamilon.

“You…you know him?” squeaked Princess as she glanced at the handsome, yet hard face of the very man who had begun the first major intergalactic war with Earth years ago.

“It’s a very long story,” Desslok purred. “We met in battle, enemies, then as allies. I have a lot of history with these young Terrans.” Then, he turned to Nova, and he unexpectedly went down on one knee and took her hand and kissed it. “My dear adopted Te’la,” he said formally. “Foe in battle, and ally in peace, and yet you bear the face of she whom I once loved beyond the Universe, and you are tied in blood and tears to her; Starsha, who saved Earth.”

Then, Desslok got up, turned on his heel, and stared hard at Anderson. “I am led to understand, Anderson, that you once trifled with the only Terran woman I consider kin?”

Anderson swallowed. “Lord…you must have many secret projects. Surely you would understand…”

“Never have any of my projects involved taking a child from a woman’s body,” Desslok purred dangerously. “She unburdened herself upon me after she did the same with her beloved Wildstar and her father by blood. A man whose actions can make my godchild cry until she can barely speak is a man I hold in contempt. Yet, I will aid you with your secret team since you are not in current command. This business with Spectra has gone far beyond that. Their mecha have begun to attack my worlds, as well. I am very possessive of them.”

“Desslok, be seated,” said Commander Singleton.

“Admiral, may I impose?” he said as he sat next to Derek, who nodded.

“Good,” said Singleton. “Now that we’re all here, I need to advise the young man and lady who are under the code names G-1 and G-3 and who…are related, as I have myself just discovered, to Admiral and Doctor Wildstar by way of an experiment the ISO pulled off with a heavy cover of plausible deniability, that they are still attached to the military and that all we are about to discuss is highly classified and must never leave this room. I have given them a fraternization waiver under the same regs under which I have given the Wildstars their fraternization waiver, on account of their current service. However, I must emphasize that you two are responsible to both Admiral Wildstar, for now, and Security Chief Anderson, after this crisis ends, hopefully with a victory. This is under direct Presidential order. Do you understand?”

“Yessir,” said Mark and Princess.

“I understand that…given the unique situation that has recently come to light…that you and Anderson have differences and that he likewise has differences with you. For the sake of our cooperation, and your future command of G-Force, Commander Mark Anderson Wildstar, you and G-3 will bury said differences with the Chief, now. You may be working with him in the future and we need a degree of professionalism. Commander James Anderson…?”

Anderson slowly rose and offered his hand to Mark. “I know the past hurts, Mark…twice over, regarding your surrogate father Colonel Cronus, and your late surrogate mother. I have people I had to answer to, as well. If I had my way, your true mother would have happily given birth to her son, and you would have had a different upbringing.”

Mark took his hand and said, “Yes, as long as the charade of your adopting me passes into dust, I can live with that and work with you on a professional basis, sir. You are my commander, sir. But not my parent any longer. It is quite bittersweet, to find my true parents here, very much alive and well.”

“I will work with you on that basis, Mark,” said Anderson. He turned to Princess, and said, “I give my reluctant blessing, but blessing, nonetheless, to your marriage with Mark. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Princess in frosty tones.

Anderson then sighed and turned to Derek and Nova. “We owe you both a thousand apologies,” he said as he offered his hand. “But you two owe me some, too. Especially…you, Doctor,” he said in a frosty tone as he turned to Nova. “I have decided to…forgive you for your rage the other night.”

“Rage is not the word,” said Nova in a low tone of voice. “I don’t think you’ll ever truly understand what you…”

Commanding General Singleton raised his hand. “Mr. President, we have received a formal diplomatic complaint from the Pellians over this. Do you wish to lodge a counter-complaint?”

“Not if we can peacefully resolve this. All of us should be fighting Zoltar. NOT each other,” he said. He then turned to Nova and said, “Your Ladyship; your majesty, kindly listen to what the General is about to tell you, as the top of your chain of command as an officer in the Earth Defense Forces.”

“Sir?” said Nova.

Singleton cleared his throat. “Captain Nova Wildstar, I’ve respected you and loved you almost like a second daughter for many years. I was shocked but rejoiced in my heart when I found out about your abilities and then your office as High Queen of the Pellians in Exile. Please understand I went to bat for you to allow you to retain your commission and work with your husband, and appreciated the fact that you didn’t scurry off to New Pellias to take a crown or whatever and sit on a throne. In that role, as an ally, I offer my deepest regards.”

“You…you really are Royalty!” gasped Princess.

Nova nodded. “Thank you, sir. But, as an officer, I take it I’m on the carpet, too?”

“You and Jim Anderson. Neither of you should have let that argument get as far as it did the other night. You both know better! Also, you, Nova Dawn Yukiko Wildstar, MD, should have never spoken to me like that, young lady!” snapped Singleton. “I know you have a role to play; but I can’t figure out what it is. But remember, you are a dual citizen of Terra and New Pellias. If you ever pull a sneaky diplomatic trick like you and your husband pulled again behind my back, and especially if you ever act like Darth Vader by playing nasty games with your abilities upon someone above you in your civilian or military chain of command again as long as you are an EDF Officer, you will no longer have a commission, and you will be up on appropriate insubordination and attempted murder charges unless you can flee to New Pellias or the Embassy fast enough to claim immunity, in which case you will be persona non grata on Earth for the rest of your damn life!” Singleton barked. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yessir,” said Nova.

“What about me, sir?” said Derek.

“I need you too badly, but the same applies to you, too, young Admiral! Especially because you let someone under your command get away with that garbage and tolerated it!” barked Singleton. “You two are to get your tails over there right now and shake hands with Anderson and then listen to me about your cover story regarding Mark and his young lady after we talk some strategy with Emperor Desslok and President Kane. Are we clear?”

“As clear as a sunrise, sir,” said Derek. “Nova, get in line.” Derek went up to Anderson and said, “Sir, for the sake of future cooperation between my EDF units and ISO, I will shake hands with you and forgive you for our…differences.”

“And the same goes for you, Admiral,” said Anderson as he shook hands with Admiral Wildstar and clapped him on the back. Derek then turned while Nova turned to the ISO Security Chief.

Anderson extended his hand to Nova, who slowly took it. She then said, “I forgive you…sir, for your part in this unpleasantness, and state that you are welcome in my home as well as on New Pellias. But I will not forget…However, I promise you, sir, I will be a very good mother to your adopted son…as I should have been from the beginning,” Nova said as she then hugged Anderson.

“Thank you, your Majesty,” said Anderson as he then formally kissed Nova’s hand as she stepped away. “Please allow me to make this up to you, your husband, and Mark.”

“Thank you,” Nova said as she turned on her heel and grabbed Derek’s hand, hard. Derek then picked up through her bond that she wished to both cry and whip one of her sneakers at Anderson. He hugged her and nodded. “Yes, I get it,” he whispered in her ear.

President Kane then said, “I consider this diplomatic gaffe ended.”

“As do I and Mrs. Wildstar,” said Desslok with a formal bow. Desslok then smiled at the Wildstars. “Interesting that you are both here in your…what do you call it…bum-around attire? Really, Derek? Sneakers and red warm-up pants? They don’t become you, Admiral.”

“Short notice, Desslok,” said Derek as he got up and patted the unpredictable Leader’s arm. “Sorry.”

“Me too,” said Nova with a cute little curtsey.

“Actually, M’Lady, your bum-around clothes become you,” Desslok said with a smile. “These teenagers…I find interesting as well. How to describe you two…cute?” he said as he smiled at Mark and Princess who were holding hands. “Enough. Let’s get on with it,” he said as he sat down and turned icy cold again.

President Kane said, “Commander, please advise us what Earth Defense and ISO are contributing to the operation, code-named “Operation Righteous Justice.”

“Sir,” said Commanding General Singleton. “We are contributing a special force, Task Force Alpha, consisting of the following; the space battleship Argo as flagship, followed by the spacecraft carriers Shangri-La and Aquila, ten patrol cruisers, ten destroyers, and ten of our new refitted missile destroyers. Pellias is sending two space battleships, and Riga is also sending one spacecraft carrier. Including the Special Ops vessel Phoenix, loaned by ISO, we are sending thirty-seven warships in to attack Spectra, under the command of Admiral Derek Wildstar. Emperor Desslok?”

He stood and bowed. “I am committing thirty destroyers, ten attack cruisers, five battleships, four spacecraft carriers, and an attack carrier, the Rotstod. A total of fifty vessels, which we have decided will be designated as Task Force Gamma, under my personal command from the Rotstod, which has a Desslok Cannon aboard. Our joint objective will be the surrender or destruction of all Spectran mecha and state sponsored terror and military forces. I have already sent Zoltar a surrender demand; personally, via faster than light video. You do not wish to know what he said to me in return. It was rather rude.”

“What did you say back to him, Desslok?” said Admiral Wildstar.

“I asked him in which religious form he desired his funeral to be conducted in, my friend,” Desslok said with a dangerous smile. “No one speaks to me like that and gets away with it.”

“Before you four young Terrans leave and meet up with Anderson and myself downtown,” said Singleton, “We need to discuss the cover story you will give the Press for the addition of Mark and Princess to your family, Admiral. Listen closely…this is how it will go...”

_____________________________________

Later that morning, after going home for a delayed breakfast, Mark put a grey suit on that Derek had loaned him with a red tie, and Princess changed with Nova in the master bedroom into a powder blue shirtdress of Nova’s with matching sandals. Nova herself changed into a white dress trimmed in pink, a pink choker, and cranberry-colored boots.

“Like my dress?” Nova said. “It looks cute on you!”

“Yes! I think Mark is going to love this,” Princess said. “Right down to the fancy heels.”

“Go ahead and keep it,” Nova said as Princess’ mouth fell wide open. “I’m not going to have my own daughter-in-law running around all the time in that cute but silly outfit with the numbered shirt. You’ve got your bracelet on, right?”

Princess nodded, hoping she wouldn’t have to use it. Anderson had sent a test transmission to her before, which she had formally answered.

Princess walked out of the bedroom, and she again greeted Anya with a hug. The tension between mother and daughter had lifted, since Nova hugged Anya, and then, with a slight effort, picked her up and twirled her around as the girl giggled. Nova had nudged Anya into changing into a sailor top rather than her previous t-shirt that said “Creeping Death” on it.

Teresa ran into the bedroom around her mother, wearing a little white dress with a pink sash and white sandals. She was carrying a small bouquet of dandelions and she handed them to Princess after she came back into the room as she said, “I understand you’re a Princess, big sis?”

“I sure am, thank you!” said Princess as she accepted the flowers. “You’re so cute!” She then kissed Teresa, who giggled.

Ariel came into the room, next, wearing a white sweater, black miniskirt in simulated leather, and black boots. She also had on pink-tinted round sunglasses.

“Well, look at the young sophisticate!” smiled Princess. “Do you like the Demon Five?”

“Sure do,” she said with a grin.

“I was to one of their concerts,” said Princess.

“I’ll be helping to produce their next album in a few weeks in New York,” Nova said.

“COOL!” cried Princess and Ariel together. Then, they both laughed. Then, Ariel said, “Mom, please get me autographs! I LOVE that dreamy Paul, and I even like Jocko! He’s funny! But, that Missy? She can’t sing! All she does is screams and moans. Or, it sorta sounds like it.”

“Will do,” said Nova. “I might even be able to arrange a meeting in the studio. I know I’ll be playing piano on one of their songs. I like someone named Paul, too. Unfortunately, he’s…uhh...sort of dead now. For real, sadly,” Nova said as she walked up to a framed cover of Abbey Road on their bedroom wall and she kissed the glass above Paul McCartney’s image.

“Nova, I’m getting jealous!” teased Derek as he came in, also in a suit with a navy-blue blazer, white slacks, and a pink dress shirt and sky-blue tie.

“Derek, you can’t be jealous of a man who died centuries ago,” Nova teased. “Where’d you get that weird pink shirt from?”

“You bought it for me three months ago,” said Derek. “Along with the green one. Don’t tell me you’re going colorblind, Doc.”

“No, Derek…just a bad memory. Too much to think about, lately,” Nova said. “Demon Five: Paul “Dreamboat” Lelland, lead guitar and vocals. Hans “Jocko” Reinhardt, drums. Melody “Missy” Hewlett; tambourine, bongos, and lead vocals-or is that screaming and moaning? Phillip “Baggy” Sorin, bass guitar all that. And, Gray “Ratface” Shimayama, organist, looks like a member of the walking dead, and said to have snorted his own father’s ashes. What a weirdo! Usually produced by their manager, Mickey Vector, a legend in his own time,” Nova said with a mild note of sarcasm. “Known for wearing a weird top hat, breaking windows, and scaring babies.”

Then, Stephen Wildstar came in, wearing his glasses and in a suit jacket in dark blue with a large bow tie, sky-blue shorts, and loafers with knee-high socks. He had his nose in a book.

“Oh, how cute!” laughed Princess. “Nova, did you pick out these clothes?”

“No, he did,” she replied. “So what are you reading during Spring Break, Stephen?”

“Particle Physics, Electrical Engineering, and You,” said Stephen. “Uncle Steve wrote this.”

“Sandor?” said Derek.

“Yeah, Dad. I’m reading about particle dimensions in an nth dimensional imaginary space inside a hyperspace. These equations are cool! Miss Litchtfelder at school says I confuse the science class when I talk about these hyperspaces and she doesn’t believe me when I said I was on the Argo once on a trip and Uncle Steve let me track the readings and graph them at his console.”

“What do you…think?” said Derek.

“He has me lost,” said Mark.

Nova looked over her son’s shoulder at his book. “Steve, where does Uncle Stephen get these coefficients? Out of his butt? And where’s your big brother?”

“Alex is on the phone talking with some girl,” Steve said.

“Alexander, get in here!” Derek yelled.

“Coming, Dad!” he said.

About two minutes later, Alex came in, wearing a white dress shirt, plaid sweater vest, and black slacks with brown docksider shoes.

“Oh…LORD, you look like a NERD!” yelled Anya.

“Would you like to clean the kitchen for Mom after we get home?” said Alex.

“Uh, no,” said Anya.

“Then behave yourself,” snapped Alex. “Listen to your senpai.”

“Understood,” said Anya with a slight bow to her big brother.

“C’mon…let’s get in the SUV and get going,” Derek snapped.

Mark and Princess followed along while Princess whispered in Mark’s ear, “There are times when your…real…Dad can be almost as persuasive as the Chief.”

In the meantime, back at Center Neptune, maybe a half an hour later, Keyop and Tiny were engaged in a friendly contest regarding how many space burgers they could eat.

“That’s six, Keyop,” said Tiny. “On to Number Seven.”

“When are you going to belch?” said Keyop. Not far away, Jason was engaged in an angry game of table tennis with 7-Zark-7.

“I am much faster than you, Jason, and I have a far better reaction time,” said the robot as he played with two paddles, one in each hand.

“Yeah? What reaction time, Bud?” snapped Jason as he parried each serve with high speed. “HAH! Got that past you, buddy! What’s the score now?”

“Five to two. You are ahead, but I can’t compute why!”

“Because I’m royally ticked off, that’s why!”

“Let me put some music on!” said Keyop in mid-bite with his burger. Keyop flicked on his laptop and the sounds of a female singer began to fill the room, backed up by a band playing a heavy beat on various electronic instruments.

“Who’s that?” said Tiny as he burped.

“Aurora Forrester, who’d you think?” snapped Jason. “The latest blond pop sensation. She sorta sounds like that old 21^st century singer; what’s her name?”

“Brittany somebody?” said Keyop.

“Turn that up!” yelled Tiny as he worked on Burger Number Eight. Then, he burped again. “She’s doin’ “Black Starlight”. That’s my favorite song by her.”

“Another idol singer, yeah,” snorted Jason. “There you go, Zark! We’re at ten now!”

“She’s hot,” said Tiny as he belched loudly. “And she’s cute. And available. And she’s just nineteen!”

“Who’s playing that piano behind her on this song?” mumbled Keyop as he burped on Burger Number Seven.

“Some session chick, I bet,” said Jason as he snorted and hit the ping-pong ball really hard. “Give up, yet, Zark?”

“Princess sounds better when she plays her guitar,” said Keyop as he burped in Tiny’s face.

Tiny winked at Jason and he belched in Keyop’s face.

“Eeeeeeeewwww,” said Keyop as he fanned the air. “You need to brush your teeth, dude!”

“You do,” said Tiny as Zark gave up the game and glided off.

“I beat him, and I beat him good!” laughed Jason. He grabbed the video remote and put on a music channel on the rec room video screen as Keyop switched off his computer. “Look at this crazy-ass video. Aurora’s dressed like a flight attendant in this one.”

“Yeah, a clumsy one,” said Keyop.

“She’s dancing,” said Tiny. “Look! She’s cute! You should get her number; ask her out for a date!”

“Not my type,” snorted Jason. “Too cute. I like my women dangerous, with an edge to them,” he said as the view in the video switched to Aurora dancing on a stage in a red dress with her strawberry-blond hair flying all over the place before she sat down and crossed her long legs to keep on singing. “Okay,” admitted Jason. “She is cute. Kinda foxy, even. Stop drooling, Tiny!”

“If you compete in the Tri-Star 300 race next month, you will get a kiss from her if ya win,” said Tiny.

“How’d you know that?” said Jason.

“It’s running across the bottom of the screen, Jayce. I take it you can read?” said Tiny.

“Beep-beep, CUTE!” said Keyop. “I want to kiss her first.”

“Like she’d be interested in you, squirt,” said Tiny as he mussed Keyop’s hair. ”Where’s the Commander, again?” he said to Jason.

“Off in the Tokyo Megalopolis, playing around with Princess,” said Jason. “Earth’s Newest Space Chick better not transport me all over the place again like at that damned wedding yesterday, or I’ll transmute right in her face!”

“And burp?” said Keyop.

“You’re getting mad at hearing about Mark and Princess being together,” said Tiny. “Do I have a guess, or is Condor Jason Asakura getting jealous?”

“No comment,” snorted Jason. “I have my own love life, and Prin’s always been like a sister to me. Legally, isn’t she?”

A Ricky Rucker video came up. He was a recent heartthrob singer that many girls liked. Princess had a poster of the Latin singer up in her room here, as well as in her apartment above Jill’s Place.

“Look at that,” said Jason as he watched Ricky singing a salsa piece in a duet with Aurora Forrester. “Those two are an item.”

Tiny ate another burger and belched very loudly. Keyop drank some chocolate milk and belched loudly, too.

Another video came up with a new group called Jeff’s Band singing a cover version of an ancient ELO song “Don’t Bring Me Down.”

“Who’s that guy?” said Jason.

“Jeff. I don’t remember his last name,” said Tiny as he watched a curly-haired singer who had on shades and a beard.

Then, a video of the band known as Infinity came up. After some CGI psychedelics, a door opened and showed the band in stylized animation playing loudly on an anime-style stage as the lead singer flipped his long chestnut brown hair around as he played a bass guitar, as behind him, an equally animated sylph-like girl danced and played a white Fender Strat and harmonized against the mike with the lead singer, who sounded like Freddie Mercury; appropriate, since they were playing an old song by Queen called “The Show Must Go On.”

“Hey, look, I think she’s Aurora Forrester,” said Tiny.

“No, she’s someone else, whose name escapes me at the moment,” said Jason.

The curly-haired animated drummer hit the skins very hard, as a girl whose blond hair was so long, she could have been an Iscandarian played a keyboard.

“What do you think of them?” said Keyop.

Jason grabbed the remote and flipped at random to the news.

Then, the faces on the screen were none other than Mark and Princess, with a crowd of kids behind them applauding as the announcer said, “As you see, in a very magnanimous gesture, Derek and Nova Wildstar have completed the adoption of war orphan Mark Anderson and his young bride, Traci Yussupov. As you’ll note, Earth Defense Commander Charles Singleton and Galaxy Special Security Commander Dr. James Anderson have approved of this adoption, and they’re shaking hands with the Wildstars.”

“Tell me,” said a reporter. “How can you possibly open your home to another pair of mouths, Admiral Wildstar?”

“He’s got a job,” said Derek as he nudged Mark while Princess giggled and made bunny ears over his head and then over Nova’s head. “He’ll be moving out soon after we arrange an apartment, right, dude?” said Derek with a grin.

“Yeah, right…Dad…” said Mark with a smile.

Chief Anderson shook hands with Mark as someone whispered something in his ear. He nodded and mumbled something inaudible to Admiral Wildstar, the EDF Commander and Nova, and he ran off.

“Uh-oh,” said Jason. “Something’s up; the Chief’s flown the coop.”

Jason’s guess proved to be right when the video screen was taken over by a Bird Scramble Signal.

Jason, Tiny and Keyop ran before the screen and saluted.

As Jason guessed, Anderson came up on the screen.

“What’s the buzz, sir?” said Jason.

“There’s a suspected Spectran mecha attacking Planet Alpha in the Centaurus System,” he snapped. “Earth Defense lost five fighter planes, a gunboat, and a PT Boat to the attackers. There are civilian casualties. Get to the Phoenix ASAP,” said Anderson. “Mark and Princess will be joining you in Birdstyle in twelve minutes before you warp away from Earth,” he said. “Get on the move now!”

“G-Force!” snapped the three teens before Anderson cut off.

Entry sourced from Wikipedia 23.

Aurora Forrester (born November 25, 2202) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Noted for her distinctive contralto voice, her music over her first four albums spans a range of styles, from pop and country pop to hip hop, experimental and rock. Aurora has attained the four US Billboard 200 albums with a total of four entries in a row with her albums, Aurora, Piano Chick, L’ il Sister, and her latest, Painting in Sound. Her personal life, public image, and performances have often sparked controversy and received widespread media coverage, with a meteoric rise in popularity since her professional career began in 2220.

Miss Forrester, the second daughter of noted attorney Karl Forrester and artist, photographer, art critic, and academic Teresa Forrester, and younger sister of the galaxy-renowned military officer, doctor, physicist, and author Nova Forrester-Wildstar, emerged as a teen idol while portraying the title character of the hit Can-Am Network tri-v series Kristi’s Adventures in New York (2219–2221). As fictional up and coming singer Kristi Strickland, she attained two number-one soundtracks on the US Billboard 200, including the US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single "Jewels of the Skyline”, which rushed to number one within two weeks of release…

…Aurora was sued by her elder sister Doctor Nova Forrester-Wildstar for unauthorized appropriation of her visual image on the original cover of L’il Sister and unauthorized sampling of her sister’s piano line and vocals in her hip-hop number Me in Da Megaloplis (sic). Matter settled out of court: song and album cover altered.

…Aurora currently is a part-time drama student at Columbia University in New York City, Can-Am Eastern Seaboard, United States.…reportedly turned down in 2221 for study at Juilliard School of Music, New York. Failed audition administered by famed musician Doctor Atrirangi Rapahango; recently arrested for getting into a shouting match with new band Septigram at Max’s New Gamilstadt Club in Greenwich Village.

Zoltar looked at his computer and grinned as he and Brock were having fun tearing Alpha City to pieces.

“Look at this girl, Brock. Our next attack will have to be in New York,” laughed Zoltar. “She’ll be perfect bait.”

“Bait for who?” said Brock as Zoltar laughed like a lunatic and played Lou Reed’s “Take A Walk on the Wild Side” while shooting missiles from his latest mecha; a bizarre thing that looked like a Praying Mantis.

“Bait for G-Force and for her big sister,” said Zoltar with a grin. “If we can suck her up and torture her, G-Force and the Wildstars will come running to her rescue, and I can bag all of them in one bag; the G-Force brats, Earth’s strategic genius who defeated Gamilon and the Cometines and Rikashans, and Little Miss Psychic Surgeon, whom I sang with at that club a while back while I was trying to kill her and she was trying to kill me. All of them have embarrassed me for the last damned time!”

“M'Lord, please concentrate on the attack,” said Brock, who was again wearing the bug-like mask he secretly thought was theatrical and stupid. “You might bag G-Force today if you stop drooling over pictures of that strawberry blond Aurora Forrester. Even if she is a fox with that little flip in her hair…”

Lord First Chairman Zoltar, once known as Berg Katze in his previous life, just grinned as if he was crazy. Which he was. His near-death in 2072 and then being placed in suspended animation by The Great Spirit for almost 122 years afterwards had totally warped his (or her) mind. Born in 2040 by the Great Spirit’s manipulative experiments, he was now far worse at 182 than he had been at 32 when he had tried to turn Earth into a Black Hole and had seemingly been left behind by the Great Spirit, who toyed with him and saved him right before he fell into the lava at Cross Karakorum.

“I know where I am at, Brock, and I know the score better than you do, you ignoramus!” Then, Zoltar pulled out a whip from an inner pocket of his cape and snapped it at his second-in-command, and sometimes lover…whom he had known in the carnal sense as a male and whom he had made wild, crazed love to as a female. When Zoltar’s female side took over and he became a she, the potentate and terrorist leader wondered if she could sleep with the Condor of G-Force before she killed him. In fact, Zoltar changed gender as he thought about it, and his laugh became higher and more feminine as her female side took over.

“M’Lord!” barked another green-clad goon on the bridge. “The Phoenix has just been detected coming out of warp!”

“Ohhhh…lovely,” Zoltar hissed as she licked her lips.

Then, an explosion rocked her precious new mecha’s topside…and the Eagle flew in through the gap first, heading right for Zoltar.

Mark jumped up and executed a perfect landing, smacking his heel right into Zoltar’s mouth as Brock and the Spectran troopers began shooting at all of them.

Princess spun around behind Mark and aimed her yo-yo right at an advancing trooper’s throat, cutting it open in a bloody mess as he screamed.

Another trooper ran at Princess, followed by a second. Princess drop-kicked the first one,  and she swung her yo-yo at the second with a determined, grim look on her face beneath the visor of her Birdstyle.

A third one raised a blaster to shoot at her, but he never got anywhere since he fell with blood spurting from the back of his neck from a feather shuriken.

Mark then saw Jason standing behind the dead goon with a sort of “aw, shucks” look on his face as he forced Zoltar down and ground his heel into the madman’s face.

“Listen, you son-of-a-bitch!” Mark snapped. “Where is the master off switch for your damn Mantis Mecha, and where are the prisoners you took?”

“Vengeful today, aren’t we?” whimpered Zoltar as Brock began to flip some switches on a control panel. Jason caught Brock by the neck and said, “One more move, and I’ll twist your head off, fat boy!”

“Zoltar!” gasped Brock. “The girl is planting charges!”

“I…have this…almost under control,” hissed Zoltar as she reached into the voluminous blue and scarlet cloak she wore, digging for a gas charge so she could get out in the confusion.

Then, Princess noticed a blip on the radar. “Mark, right near the Phoenix! Some ship just warped in…it’s…”

Then, something hit the side of the mecha’s head at the port side; a huge pointed ramming capsule came right through the mecha’s hull, smashing through a panel and disemboweling a green-clad goon.

The probe withdrew slightly, and something irised its way open as a reddish gas filled the mecha’s head.

Brown-armored troopers, eight of them, ran in, with light reflecting off the clear visors of their helmets as the massive blue-skinned troopers began to fire at the remaining Spectran goons that rushed into the very crowded room.

“Capes UP!” yelled Mark as he, Princess, and Jason covered the lower parts of their faces to ward off the noxious tear gas as a final figure, very tall, came out of the boarding capsule, wearing a grey uniform, black cloak lined in red, and a mask and mirrored visor. Something like spurs rang at each footstep.

To Mark’s surprise, the tall man bowed slightly to him and said in a muffled but very mellifluous voice, “My friend and ally, do not be concerned with this gas. We fine-tuned it so that it does not affect Terrans. G-1, I take it that the man you are about to put through the bulkhead is First Chairman Zoltar?”

“I AM!” Zoltar yelled. “But who are you, barging in on my battle and shooting gas at me?”

“There is an old saying,” said the tall alien calmly as he pulled down his mask and pushed up his visor and then pushed a button to activate what Mark assumed was a protective field of some kind. “The saying goes, and I quote, the only battle that counts is the last one. And, my dear Zoltar, I have long waited for this moment. You have been a thorn in my allies’ side and my side for far too long. Today, I, Desslok of Gamilon, assure you that this battle shall indeed be…your last.”

For once, Zoltar was at a total loss for words as the Gamilon Emperor calmly levelled his blaster at him….

TO BE CONTINUED…

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