"Okay -- spit it out."

Raye towered over Cassie and Peter threateningly, glowering at them. "What the hell happened back there?"

"Cut it out, Raye, they've been through a lot," Lita retorted as she handed the exhausted pair mugs of steaming hot chocolate. The senshi had abandoned the marketplace after Spirit's disappearance, and took refuge in Lita's apartment. Peter and Cassie looked exhausted, and the others hovered around them excitedly.

"Their energy levels are very low," commented Ami, reverting to her 'resident medic' mode. "They need sleep, and lots of it."

"No, something important happened," Cassie insisted. "You guys need to hear this."

Peter touched her arm gently. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Cass?"

She nodded emphatically. "They need to know what they're up against."

Darien was the first to catch on. "It's your memories, isn't it?" he asked Cassie quizzically. "You got them back during that little encounter?"

Cassie rewarded him with a dazzling smile. "Right. I think it's time you all understand what we're fighting -- now that I remember the details."

"It all started during the Silver Millenium, before Queen Beryl began to tighten her grip on the Earth..."

***History of the Star Empire, FLASHBACK***

Princess Cassiopeia, Jewel of the Star Empire and Special Ambassador to the Moon Kingdom, was angry.

"Of all the stupid times to be called home," she muttered as she hurried through the halls of the Silver Palace. "Just when my training is starting to pay off... just when Xander and I were getting along so well..." She trailed off, blushing slightly at the thought of her fiancé. Her parents didn't know she was betrothed.

*Ooh, Mother will have a FIT when she finds out I'm betrothed to a minor Earth Prince. There goes all her plans for an alliance with Betelguese...* Cassiopeia didn't doubt her father's support -- the Star king positively doted on his daughter.

Cassiopeia's glee at thwarting her mother's matchmaking attempts was short lived. She reached the throne room and entered, curtsying gracefully to Queen Serenity and her daughter.

A glance at the Moon Princess confirmed Cassiopeia's worst fears. Serenity had been crying, and her eyes filled again at the sight of her fiery-haired friend.

A note of worry crept into Cassiopeia's voice. "I have been informed that my mother the Star Empress has summoned me, Your Majesty. Is this true?"

Queen Serenity nodded gravely. "It is true, Cassiopeia. I'm afraid I am puzzled, though -- your mother is recalling all of her mediators from our court." The queen frowned slightly. "It's as if the Empress is severing her ties with the Moon Kingdom, which is unthinkable. The Star Empire and the Moon Kingdom have been allied for more generations than anyone can count."

Queen Serenity fixed Cassiopeia with a quizzical gaze. "I hope we have cemented the alliance into the next generation, Empress-Heir," she stated formally.

"The alliance stands, Majesty," Cassiopeia replied with an incline of her head. "The Star Empire will remain pacifistic under my reign as Empress." She flashed a quick smile and a wink at Princess Serenity, attempting to cheer the pale-haired girl.

The queen visibly relaxed. "That is reassuring. Let us hope that your mother remembers her pledge as well." She lifted a hand, and the doors to one side of the throne room began to open. "Your things have already been packed, Princess, and you leave at once."

Cassiopeia looked up, alarmed. "At once? Am I not to be permitted to say goodbye to my friends?"

Queen Serenity shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Once you have been dismissed from my presence, you are to go directly to the transport chambers and proceed to Cepheus." The queen's brilliant blue eyes sparkled slightly. "But I have not dismissed you yet, so let us see who interrupts us -- shall we?"

The other four princess of the inner solar system tumbled through the now open doors and into the throne room, seemingly unconcerned by their less than dignified entrance.

"Cassie!" Princess Makoto cried, rushing forward. She grasped Cassiopeia by the arms and swung her into a tight hug. The other girls slammed into them, giggling.

"They told us you're going home -- and you weren't even going to say goodbye!" Rei of Mars pouted slightly.

"Honestly, I just found out myself," Cassiopeia laughed. "I'm lucky you guys found me before I had to take off!"

Minako, the golden haired Venusian princess, sniffed. "Luck, indeed." She dropped her voice to an exaggerated stage whisper. "Queen Serenity sent for us -- we don't have time for a bon voyage party, but at least we can see you off."

The petite princess of Mercury bit her lip and forced back tears. "We're going to miss you so much, Cassie," Ami murmured. "I can't believe you're leaving."

"Me neither," Cassiopeia whispered, hugging Ami impulsively. "I'll miss you guys, too. There's not many princesses my age on Cepheus."

Princess Serenity had joined the group after a glance at her mother, and she enveloped Cassiopeia in a warm embrace as well. "You'll have to come back for my wedding, Cassie. You're to be one of my bridesmaids."

"Only if you'll be one of mine," Cassiopeia giggled. Their respective fiancés were close friends from Earth, and Cassiopeia didn't doubt that Xander would attend Prince Endymion as well.

Turning to the group of breathless girls, Cassiopeia twisted her hands nervously. She avoided Ami's eyes -- the blue-haired princess was her closest friend, and Cassiopeia would not forgive her mother quickly for this sudden departure.

Cassiopeia's spirits fell even further as she caught Makoto's eye. "Please," she choked, barely audible, "tell Xander I'll come back. Don't let him forget me." The tall princess of Jupiter was a distant cousin of Xander, and she was fiercely protective of her "little brother" -- despite the fact that Xander was her senior by three years.

"There will be no need for that," Queen Serenity broke in. The girls looked up in surprise, and the queen gestured toward the door.

Xander was peering around the open doorway, smiling slightly. "Is it safe to venture out into the gaggles of squealing girls yet?" he joked.

"Alexander will be accompanying you to Cepheus, Princess," Queen Serenity explained as Cassiopeia hurried to her fiancé's side. The Moon Queen was the only person to call Xander by his full, given name, but he never complained. "I don't understand what is happening, and I would feel better if you had him along -- just in case."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Cassiopeia replied, blushing prettily.

Xander leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I seriously doubt there's anything you can't handle, Cass -- but I'll admit, I wasn't about to let you leave me here alone."

"Nor was I planning on leaving you," she replied, contented.

Queen Serenity straightened in her throne. "Well, if we are quite done with the interruptions, you are to report to the transport chambers, Cassiopeia. And -- send your mother my greetings."

"I will, Your Majesty," Cassiopeia replied, sweeping another deep curtsy toward the queen of the Moon.

With the Inner Princesses calling after them tearfully, Cassiopeia and Xander left the throne room.

Cassiopeia pulled her cloak around her shoulders reflexively. "It's colder than I remember," she murmured, staring at the bleak golden landscape of Cepheus. The sands stretched out in all directions, only occasionally interrupted by a cluster of low buildings. Another quick glance out of the window, and two armed guards swept into the transport chamber of the Imperial Palace on Cepheus.

"Welcome home, Empress-Heir," they greeted her, bowing deeply. "The Andromeda Galaxy rejoices at the return of its princess."

"My mother has sent for me -- I assume she wishes to see me right away?" Cassiopeia queried.

"Yes, your highness," the shorter guard answered. He looked hesitantly at Xander. "May I announce your escort?"

"This is Prince Xander of Argos, a kingdom of Earth," Cassiopeia replied. "He is accompanying me as an ambassador of his planet and the Moon Kingdom."

With another bow, the two guards slipped from the room. Cassiopeia and Xander followed them.

A few minutes later, the two stood outside the monstrous golden doors of the Star Throne, awaiting an audience with the Empress.

"I don't understand this," Cassiopeia muttered. "I'm her daughter, she's never made me wait for an audience before. Especially after I left home."

"Maybe she's just busy," Xander assured her. "It does happen, being the Empress of such a large part of the galaxy, you know."

"Not that large," Cassiopeia smiled, relaxing slightly. "The Star Empire is larger then the Moon Kingdom, but we command less resources. Not much grows on stars, you know."

At that moment, they heard their names announced within the chamber before them. Xander offered Cassiopeia his arm with an impish grin, and she accepted it gratefully.

The Star Empress was not in a placid mood, that much was obvious upon their entrance. Her eyebrows shot up at the sight of Xander, and she pushed back a stray lock of midnight hair distractedly. Her piercing green eyes -- so like her daughter's -- surveyed him critically.

"Whom have you brought into my presence, daughter?" the Empress demanded icily.

Cassiopeia stiffened noticeably. "I bring you Alexander of the House of Argos, a prince of Earth -- and my betrothéd."

The Star Empress's beautiful face turned red. "Betrothéd? Without the consent of your parents? You go too far, Daughter-Heir." The barb stung -- she was reminding Cassiopeia rather pointedly that the fate of the Star Empire would soon enough lie in her hands.

"It was my own decision, Mother," Cassiopeia replied forcefully. "A more loyal man you will not find in all the Andromeda Galaxy. Or Betelguese, for that matter."

Outraged, the Empress glared at her daughter. Alarm gnawed at Cassiopeia -- her mother was substantially changed from the woman she had left a few short years ago. The Star Empress had always been proud, almost to a fault; Cassiopeia had been certain that a betrothal to anyone less than Prince Endymion himself would be considered beneath her status as Empress-Heir. But all trace of maternal love and kindness had vanished from her mother's face, and Cassiopeia's blood ran cold at the thought.

Her father was absent, Cassiopeia realized suddenly. His warm presence and deep laugh would have made the meeting much less tense. "Mother, where is Papa?"

"Your father? He left us some months ago, child -- the healers could not save him." The Empress related this heart shattering news almost absently, and Cassiopeia nearly collapsed. The thought of her cheerful, red-haired father's death twisted in her stomach.

"D-dead? Papa? Why didn't you send for me when you found out he was ill?"

"Really, Cassiopeia, I have had other things on my mind. Besides, he died quite painlessly -- his heart simply gave out one night, while he slept."

Tears streaked down Cassiopeia's cheeks, but she managed to lift her head and meet her mother's gaze. Was that a touch of malicious glee in the too-familiar green eyes? Cassiopeia's mind rebelled. *What has happened to her? Who has done this to my mother?* she thought despairingly.

"By your leave, Mother, I would like to settle Xander into his accomodations." Cassiopeia announced, her voice quavering.

The Empress waved her hand dismissively. "Very well, you may go. But I want you back here after you have taken your dinner -- there is someone you must meet."

Cassiopeia was barely out of the throne room before her legs gave way beneath her.

"This is wrong!" she cried, sobbing uncontrollably as Xander helped her to a nearby chair. "It's all wrong! Papa's dead, Mother's changed -- Oh, Xander, did you see her eyes? I'm frightened -- something terrible has happened here."

"Shh, it's okay, princess. We'll think of something." The meeting with the Star Empress had unnerved him as well. From Cassiopeia's stories, he had expected the Empress to be skeptical, even vaguely condescending -- but he had not expected open hostility.

"Come on, dearest -- let's get you something to eat." Xander helped Cassiopeia to her feet, and they soon reached the private quarters of the royal family, where they retired for a late dinner.

Cassiopeia faced her mother for the second time that night about two hours later, this time alone. Xander stayed in his chambers at her request; she didn't wish to anger her mother further, for she wasn't exactly sure how the Empress might react.

"You sent for me, Mother?" Cassiopeia questioned, curtsying slightly.

"Yes, I did." The Empress' emerald eyes gleamed. "There is someone I would like for you to meet, Cassiopeia -- someone who has come a great distance to see you."

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind the Empress' ornate throne, and Cassiopeia stifled a gasp at the sight of him. He did not look like a kind man. Greasy black hair framed his face, although it had been pulled back into a fairly neat braid. His swarthy features were twisted into a permanent smirk. But the most striking thing was his eyes -- twin slits of red that peered at Cassiopeia hungrily.

"Princess Cassiopeia of the Star Empire," intoned the Empress sweetly, "meet Spirit, Lord of the Elements."