"LUNAR:  Starship Andromeda"

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LUNAR:  Starship Andromeda

By Jeffery C. Branch and Daryll Pung

Episode Ten:  The Eye of the Storm

Rated: R

Royal Hall, Marquis City, Pollus 4, inside the Alpha Zone, 14 March 2740 

            A sudden feeling of dread gripped Counselor Ventura, causing her to whirl around and she found herself staring down the snub-nosed barrel of Mularen’s weapon.  However, she displayed not one bit of fear at the situation.  If anything, Ventura expected that to happen.

            “I was wondering when you’d show your true colors,” the black woman said to him in a matter-of-fact tone.  “I take it then that you’re an Infiltrator like Carnus.”

            Mularen shook his head, a look of disdain on his face.  “Certainly not.  I’m very much a Pollusian.”

            “I see.  So, you’re a garden-variety traitor instead.  That makes you even more revolting.”

            “I disagree.  How did you find out about me?”

            “When Sailor Siryn announced to the council that she was taking control of the planet, everyone in the room went stark raving bonkers, everyone except you.  I pride myself on my powers of observation, and you gave yourself away by keeping quiet.  No one else in the room noticed that, but I did.”

            Mularen frowned and pointed his weapon right between Ventura’s eyes.  “How clever.  Sadly, my dear girl, that skill won’t help you after I blow your damned head off.”

            “Oh, really?  I’d think twice about that course of action if I were you.  Killing me would be the absolute worst mistake you could make.”

            “And why’s that?” a smirking Mularen wanted to know.

            Think fast, Bree.  Stall for time.  Your life depends on it.  “Because… I’m Sailor Siryn’s lover.”

            Mularen’s eyes widened from surprise as he was genuinely shocked.  His gun hand, once rock steady, wavered.  Ventura noticed that too.  “Lover?  But… you’re both female!  How is that possible?”

            I’ll be damned!  This moron actually bought it!  Okay, girlfriend, keep the bullshit coming!   “Quite easy.  Judging by your reaction, it’s obvious you’re unfamiliar with the concept of homosexuality.  Sailor Siryn and I are lesbians, meaning we’re women who are sexually attracted to other women,” Ventura casually explained, her imagination working overtime.  “Onboard Andromeda, I’m unofficially known as ‘the captain’s mistress’, her personal concubine.  In the two years I’ve been stationed on her ship, I’ve spent more nights in Sailor Siryn’s bed than my own.  She knows my body better than I do, and her lovemaking techniques are exceptionally remarkable.”

            “Lovemaking?  And you have the nerve to call me revolting!” an openly disgusted Mularen growled.

            “Sticks and stones.  Sailor Siryn is very protective of me.  Overprotective, in fact.  Kill me and there won’t be a safe place on this planet, if not the galaxy where you can escape her wrath.  She’ll hunt you down like the dog you are, then do to you what she did to Carnus, only a hundred times worse.  I’m curious; how many credits did it take for the Dark Kingdom to buy you like a common whore?”

            Mularen’s eyes narrowed to slits while his temper simmered.  “Enough.  Carnus promised me power, something I’d never have while working under Kodos.  I would become governor of this, Pollus’ largest continent, if I helped overthrow the planet’s rulers.  Carnus said he’d make me a king.”

            Ventura shook her raven maned head and laughed.  “And you actually believed him?  Not only are you Pollusians insufferably arrogant, but gullible as well.  Lies and deceit are the DK’s stock in trade.  You sold out your world for an empty promise that would never be kept.  You are such an incredible fool!”

            “Shut up!” yelled Mularen, striking Ventura in the face with the barrel of his weapon.  The black woman staggered backwards and nearly fell from the force of the blow.

            Regaining her footing, Ventura, blood pouring from an ugly gash on her left cheek was beyond enraged as she stared down Mularen.  “That’s twice you bastards struck me!” she hissed.  “Twice!  As I live and breathe, I won’t tolerate that anymore!”

            Mularen, seeing an inhuman fury blazing in Ventura’s dark eyes was shocked, and she took advantage by swinging her right foot upwards, connecting between Mularen’s legs, eliciting a howl of pain; and he doubled over.  She then chopped the weapon out of his hand.  Stunned, Mularen reached for his weapon, but Ventura kicked it down the hall behind her, and then sent Mularen to the floor with a spinning wheel kick to the side of his head, accompanied by a fearsome kai scream.  Flat on his back, Mularen was helpless as the maddened Ventura kicked him in the head a second time, followed by a third, then she pressed her right foot down hard on his throat, causing him to gasp as the spiked heel of her boot dug into his flesh.

            “Go ahead, you loathsome fuck!  Try to fight!  Give me an excuse to puncture your windpipe so you’ll choke to death,” the black woman snarled, her voice glacial cold, her eyes devoid of mercy.  To the battered and frightened Mularen, Ventura was like a demon.  “Seeing how you betrayed your people for your own selfish ends, I’ll probably be given a medal for ending your worthless life!”

            Suddenly, the deep rumble of an explosion from below distracted Ventura just enough for Mularen to push her off, and she tumbled to the floor.  The Pollusian traitor, a look of desperation in his eyes, scrambled to his feet and ran towards a fire escape stairwell, intent on getting out of the building and reaching his masters.  While he had the communicator with the secret code that could kill all the DK spies on the planet, he wasn’t ready to use it, thinking that if he played his cards right, he could still salvage the situation.

            Ventura, watching Mularen flee into the fire escape, growled low in her throat like a wolf, her expression more feral than human as she was still gripped by her dark rage.

            Oh, no you don’t!  No way in hell will I let you get away, thought Ventura as she leapt to her feet and dashed for the fire escape.  You’re up to something, you traitorous son of a bitch, and before I kill you for hitting me; I’m going to find out what it is- or die trying!

In standard orbit over Pollus 4, inside the Alpha Zone, 14 March 2740 

            Khatari, garbed in a fresh uniform, strode hurriedly onto the bridge where Sailor Eldrea and Setar patiently waited for him at the science station.

            “Nice of you to join us, Mr. Khatari,” the Senshi of Alchemy half-joked, a smirk on her lips.

            “Sorry, skipper.  I swung by sick bay to check on my men,” he replied sheepishly.  “They were cut up pretty bad by those Infiltrators, but they’ll all pull through.  Doc Ellie is working on V’lnova right now.  She’ll give you a full report on injuries later.”

            Sailor Eldrea nodded, feeling relief at the news.  She didn’t need more anguish heaped on her already wounded soul.  “Good.  Now, let’s see what’s on this cartridge Leftenant G’denel provided us.  Andromeda, science station monitor, please.”

            The screen winked on, revealing the solemn face of G’denel.  When Sailor Eldrea saw him, she felt a deep, razor sharp pang of guilt in her heart from having failed to protect him.

            “Good day to the representatives of the Royal Star Navy.  I am Leftenant Arvan G’denel of the Pollusian space fleet.  On behalf of Leftenant Eltriss V’lnova, I am here to warn you of a plot by deep cover agents of the Dark Kingdom to destabilize our world.  Approximately two of your years ago, V’lnova and I received confidential information from an intelligence officer assigned to our squadron that mentioned an intricate infiltration of the military by DK spies.  Upon receiving the information, V’lnova and I conducted an investigation of our own to determine its veracity.  Not only was the initial information correct, we had discovered it was larger than we thought as the Church and the council had also been infiltrated.

            “It had taken almost these last two years, and at considerable risk to both our very lives to obtain the names of the spies, either masquerading as Pollusian citizens, or outright traitors to our people.  While relations with the Golden Millennium have always been… strained due to the xenophobic nature of our race, this threat is so monstrously dire; we felt that it was imperative we find some way of getting this information to you, so action can be taken to stop the madness before it consumes our world.  Lastly, V’lnova and I fear some hideous endgame is in the works, but we have no idea what it could be.  And now, in your Lunarian language, are the names of the spies and traitors.  If you are hearing my words, please, help us.”

            G’denel’s face was replaced by a list of names which scrolled down the screen for Sailor Eldrea, Setar and Khatari to see.  Among the names were Commander Kestrel and Councilmembers Austrum and Mularen.

            Despite being a rock tough and uncompromising hardcase, Sailor Eldrea’s iron facade cracked.  Her throat tightened, her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes as the guilt she felt for not protecting G’denel pummeled her.  At the same time, she was deeply moved by the selfless dedication, and, in the end, the sacrifice G’denel made for his world and his people, and the courage both he and V’lnova displayed in obtaining that information, followed by the unimaginable risks they took to get it to the GM.  Once openly contemptuous of both men, her respect for them soared.

            Don’t worry, Leftenant G’denel, we will help you.  I will help you!  On my honor, and by everything I hold dear as a both an RSN officer, and a Sailor Senshi, I swear that your death will not be in vain!  I swear it!

            “This gets crazier by the minute,” Khatari grumbled.  He turned to Sailor Eldrea and was mildly surprised to see a single tear slide down her cheek.  I’ll be damned.  Never thought I’d see a hardass like Sailor Eldrea crying, the Isbanni thought.  My guess is she blames herself for G’denel’s death.  Well, even Senshi are human.  Sometimes, we tend to forget that.  Yeah, I finally do understand you… Audra.  “Captain, what do we do?  With ringers on the council, Sailor Siryn and the away team are in danger and probably don’t know it.  Who do we relay this information to down on the planet?”

            Sailor Eldrea, brows creased, quickly pulled a gloved forearm across her face to wipe away the offending moisture.  But nothing could wipe away the pain she felt.  Shunting her emotions aside as she didn’t want them getting in the way, the Lunar born Senshi willed the steel back into her demeanor, then became angry and embarrassed at having wept in front of her subordinates.

            Dammit!  Dammit!  DAMMIT!  Stupid, moronic bitch!  This is NOT the time to be weak, the Senshi of Alchemy silently admonished herself.  Thousands of lives, not to mention Fiona and the landing party are depending on you!  Straighten up, you dumbass cunt!  Straighten up and do your fucking job!

            Sailor Eldrea channeled her anger into righteous determination.  For several moments, she silently weighed her options, knowing that Pollus’ very survival depended on her next decision.  But she was resolute.  She made a vow not to fail.  “I’d say Admiral Wrajera is our best bet, Goran.  He’s not on that list, and appears to be more levelheaded than the other blowhards we’ve encountered so far.  What do you think, Setar?”

            Setar nodded.  He too had been mildly surprised at having seen his captain weeping, but since he was a Vulcan, it never showed on his face.  “I agree, captain.  But I strongly recommend we inform only him of our findings.  Since Dark Kingdom spies are in the military, we must find a way of relaying this information to Admiral Wrajera without alerting the enemy, who are, no doubt, monitoring the Pollusians’ communications network.  Should we fail to accomplish that task, disaster will be the end result.”

            “No shit.  Especially with G’denel having mentioned something about an endgame.  Frankly speaking, hearing that made my skin crawl,” said a scowling Sailor Eldrea.  Again, she paused to consider a plan.  “I think I’ve come up with an idea.  But it’s pretty damn risky.”

            The Senshi gave Setar a hard look.  “Setar, remember when we piggybacked on the scanning signal from Kestrel’s ship to spy on him instead?  Can we send G’denel’s information surreptitiously to Wrajera the same way, say, like, as part of those telemetry records I promised him?”

            Setar’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.  Then he nodded.  “An intriguing suggestion, captain.  Yes, I believe it can be accomplished.”

            “Captain!  Admiral Wrajera is hailing!” Kwan called out.

            “Put him on screen two,” Sailor Eldrea ordered.  Almost immediately, she felt a feeling of utter dread.

            Screen two winked on to show a stern faced Wrajera.  “Sailor Eldrea.  Four repair ships have just been dispatched to the combat zone to tend to our damaged vessels, along with a 20-ship battle group as an escort.  I certainly hope you’ve uncovered information about this unfortunate incident that will satisfy me.  Otherwise, I’m afraid there will have to be… further hostilities.”

Royal Hall, Marquis City, Pollus 4, inside the Alpha Zone, 14 March 2740

            Sailor Siryn had no difficulty guessing what had just happened.  Her mind registered an explosion, possibly more than one, just from the feel of the sonic aftereffects alone.  After the tremors passed, and the shockwaves dissipated, Sailor Siryn instantly spun to Drocargh.

            “Drocargh, get some of your people together to investigate; and get them downstairs immediately!” she ordered without preamble, all business.

            Drocargh immediately nodded at two of his subordinates, who readied weapons and marched for the doors.

            The doors opened before they got there.  Through the widening gap, a half a dozen armed Pollusian soldiers marched in, weapons leveled, guiding in the Andromeda landing party and one Pollusian, all of whom had their hands in the air and looked very much worse for wear.  They were dirty and disheveled, bloodied, and sporting an assortment of cuts, bruises, and other injuries.  In short, they looked like they’d been to war, and not necessarily been victorious.

            Rage spiked through the Sonic Senshi.  It suffused her features, and she could only think one thing.  “Where the hell do you get off attacking my people?  There’s a penalty to pay for that, and, by the Crystal, you’re going to pay it right now!”  She tensed her vocal cords to attack, motioning to the Andromeda party to get down.

            Ryvvius, thinking fast, dropped his hands and darted right in front of Sailor Siryn, a life threatening move as the Senshi was about to unleash her deadly sonic scream.  “Wait!  Don’t!  It’s not like that, captain!  They’re just doing their jobs… especially since the explosions were our fault!”

            Sailor Siryn paused, and narrowed her eyes.  “Explain,” she ordered curtly.

            “We got caught up in a series of skirmishes with Dark Kingdom agents, ma’am,” Ryvvius began.  “It started when Mr. Ursola sort of, er, kidnapped the Lieutenant and myself… but only because he wanted to beg for our assistance away from this hall.  Unfortunately for him, his fellow church members turned out to be garden-variety Infiltrators; fortunately, I had my communicator open and the rest of the security squad followed and ambushed the Infiltrators; they’re quite dead.  We then snuck back here in a delivery truck; and were fired upon by four more DK agents outside of the parking structure.

            “We took a secret back door inside, and as we exited into the main entry hall, were ambushed by yet another squad of DK agents.  They quickly pinned us down; and I saw no alternative but to have McDowell and his men use their grenades to turn the tide.  We then approached the elevator, which is when these soldiers intercepted us.”  Ryvvius paused, and took a deep breath, glancing around.  “We had to proceed in this fashion, captain, because we couldn’t trust communications enough to warn you that this council has been… infiltrated.”

            Sailor Siryn relaxed after hearing the story, and smiled slightly.  “I know.  Councilmember Austrum, who was actually a modified Infiltrator named Carnus, revealed himself.  But he has been… dealt with.  An unfortunate side effect was that the council chambers were wrecked, which is why we’re here instead.”

            Ryvvius smiled himself.  “That’s good to know, captain.”  He glanced at the soldiers, and the rest of the Andromeda party; a quick nod from Dorcargh, and the soldiers stowed their weapons, allowing the away team to relax as well.  “Then I take it you have also dealt with Councilmember Mularen, a Dark Kingdom sympathizer?”

            Sailor Siryn froze in shock.  “What!”  She felt a chill run down her spine.  “He left with Counselor Ventura to try and locate you!  You haven’t seen the two of them?”

            Ryvvius shook his head negative, his expression solemn.  “I’m afraid not, ma’am.”

            Shit!  Sailor Siryn activated her communicator.  “Sailor Siryn to Ventura.  Come in!”

            There was no response; the away team exchanged worried glances, and McDowell’s expression hardened.

            “Sailor Siryn to Counselor Ventura.  Come in!” the worried Senshi tried again, her voice rising slightly with her worry.  “Answer me, Ventura!”

            Abruptly, a highly annoyed sounding whisper came back over the speaker.  “Damn it, captain, keep it down.  I’m trying to be stealthy.  What is it?”

            Relief coursed through the Irish Senshi.  She fought to remain professional, and keep it out of her voice.  “Mularen is a DK sympathizer- a spy!  He could attempt to take you prisoner or kill you.”

            “I know,” Ventura replied coolly.  “I already had a confrontation with him where he pulled a weapon on me; he confessed then, thinking he’d have me dead.  Fortunately, I was able to distract him and turn the tables; and in the throes of the explosion, he seized his chance to escape the Hall.  I’m on his trail now.”

            “What is your current location?” Sailor Siryn questioned.

            “By my estimate, four kilometers east of the Hall,” Ventura answered calmly.

            Sailor Siryn turned to Drocargh, the unasked query in her eyes.  Before she could say anything, he spoke up.  “That’s near the location of Pollusian Military Headquarters, which includes the Army tank command, largest depot on the continent.”

            Sailor Siryn’s eyes widened as she rapidly put two and two together.  “That is not good.  Counselor, stay put until I arrive.”

            “Shouldn’t you stay put, ‘Praetor’?” came the silky retort.  “Captain, your place is there with the council.  After all, you are this planet’s new leader.”

            The away team, and the soldiers with them, exchanged open glances of shock at this statement, while Sailor Siryn angrily spoke up.  “Fuck that!  There’s no telling what that bastard Mularen is up to!  It could be a trap!  You damn well don’t have formal combat training, no matter how impressive your actions to this point have been; and may I remind you what happened in the chamber upstairs with Carnus?  Who knows how many Infiltrators you may be facing!  I’m coming, Gabrielle!  End of discussion!”

            “As you wish… captain.  I’ve activated my homing circuit.  I’ll be waiting.  Don’t be tardy,” replied Ventura, clearly stung.

            “I won’t!  Count on it!  Siryn out!” Sailor Siryn said hotly.

            Ryvvius gazed thoughtfully at Sailor Siryn.  When did she begin referring to Counselor Ventura by her first name? he wondered.  “I’m curious, captain.  Does this mean you’ve employed the Emergency Powers Act?”

            Sailor Siryn nodded.  “I have.”  She then gave him a quick overview of the situation.  “And what with the DK running wild, well, a firm hand is necessary to rein things in until the situation is resolved… whereupon a proper free election can restore the Council.”

            Ryvvius nodded thoughtfully.  “Then, captain, under the Golden Millennium Emergency Powers Act of 2357, section three, paragraph five, the Counselor is correct.  You must stay here with the council.  The security team can go after Counselor Ventura; as the new head of the Council, you can’t be rushing out into a perilous situation.”

            Sailor Siryn glared at him.  “Oh, really?  Drocargh, Kodos… are there video recording devices in the council chamber?”

            “There are,” grumbled Kodos, after a sharp look from Drocargh.

            Sailor Siryn pointed to the blank screen behind her.  “Play back the Infiltrator encounter, then; show Mr. Ryvvius just how dangerous Carnus was.  In the meantime, I said I’m going, Ryvvius, and that’s that!  Are we fucking clear, mister?”

            Ryvvius, startled, nodded in compliance.  He was deeply shocked to see Sailor Siryn in such a frenzied, almost volatile state.  Suddenly, he did desperately want to see the playback… if only to get some badly needed answers. “As crystal, captain.”

            Sailor Siryn took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down a little.  “Good.  Hold down the fort, Commander.  Get together with Drocargh and arrange to strengthen the Hall’s defenses in case of an enemy attack.  I’ll be in touch.”  She turned, and rushed for the door.

            “Captain!  One second!” Ryvvius spoke up.  As Sailor Siryn paused, half-turning, he glanced at Miriele.  “We recovered a DK communicator, encoded, that Lieutenant Miriele was able to decode.  She discovered that Mularen possesses a special DK communicator that can activate a signal which will instantly kill all hidden Infiltrators on or near Pollus Four.”

            Sailor Siryn blinked in surprise, and then a crafty smile spread over her face.  “Thank you.  That could be quite useful.”  She paused.  “I’m sorry for biting your head off, Arthur; but as you will see, things have been rather… unpleasant.  I’ll be back.”  She disappeared through the door, calling on her Senshi powers to move so quickly that she was merely a blur to those watching.

            “Sir?”  Miriele spoke up softly, her tone puzzled.  “Is the captain always this fanatical about the safety of her crew?”

            Frowning, the Cygnian shook his head.  “Not to this extent, Lieutenant.  Not to this extent.”

Pollusian Military Headquarters

            In a heavily guarded, plush private office on the sixth floor of the black marble structure, a huge, wide window behind them, three Pollusians in full military attire stood studying a holographic map of Marquis City.  Their expressions were grim.

            “The main boulevard will be the most difficult to secure,” grunted General N’mlota; he was older than the other two, with a scar running down the left side of his face.

            “Yes, easiest to counterattack, since it is so wide open,” agreed General Horos, rail thin and hawk-nosed.  “Blast the city architects for that.”

            “Why don’t we position tanks in between buildings, or right in front of them, then?” put in General Rakasgh, the youngest of the three, and heavyset.  “And put troops in the buildings with groups of hostages.”

            “Yes,” nodded N’mlota.  “An excellent idea.  That will certainly give pause to anyone targeting the tanks, for fear of damage to the buildings and, more importantly, the civilians.”

            “It will use up troops, though,” Horos pointed out.

            “We have them to spare,” N’mlota waved off that concern.

            Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Mularen, a harried expression on his face, rushed inside.

            N’mlota glared at Mularen.  “Why are you here?” he demanded.  “You were given direct orders never to come here.  Civilians!”  There was contempt in his voice.

            Mularen had a look of desperation on his face.  “Kodos has been overthrown.  Sailor Siryn has taken over the Council.  We may have to accelerate our timetable for the takeover!”

            Horos scowled at Mularen.  “It is the Dark Kingdom’s timetable, you wretch.  Not yours.  What about Carnus?”

            Mularen gulped.  “Sailor Siryn rooted him out and killed him after a brief battle.”

            Horos’ scowl deepened, to the point where Mularen began to fear for his own safety.  He took a few steps back, and produced the special communicator Carnus had given him to protect.  “It hasn’t been damaged.  I’ve done my part!  I’ve kept it safe!”

            Rakasgh glared at Mularen.  “Is your cover blown?  Were you followed?”

            Mularen found it very difficult to keep his nervousness out of his voice.  “No!”

            Rakasgh snarled, suspiciously.  “Then why are you even here!  They will notice your absence!”  He turned, and at a nearby control panel for the surveillance system, flipped through various recorders until he suddenly stopped, zooming one in.  “Well, well,” he commented viciously, transferring the feed to the large vidscreen mounted on the far wall.  It clearly showed Counselor Ventura crouching beside a building across the street.  Mularen looked shocked.

            “You’re a fool, Mularen,” snarled Rakasgh, pulling an energy pistol out of his holster and aiming it at the Councilmember.

            “No,” N’mlota growled, putting his hand on the barrel of the weapon and pushing it down.  “This scum is our only insider on the Council; we’ll need him to take control after we launch our coup.  Despite Kodos being ousted, the plan can still proceed… perhaps with an even greater chance of success.” 

            He paused, and turned to the viewscreen, glaring at Ventura’s image.  “Perhaps you are right, Mularen.  Perhaps we do need to act swiftly.”  The older man turned to Horos.  “Mobilize the tank battalion immediately, and the church rioters as well.  How long?” 

            “Ten minutes for the tank crews to mobilize.  The rioters, complete with video crews, are already in place and can move anytime,” Horos replied.

             “Order the rioters to the Royal Hall and have them start the protest, followed by the battalion to reduce it to rubble while the show is filmed live,” ordered N’mlota.  “Since that damnable Senshi is there, she’ll be killed in the attack and the coup can proceed on schedule, resulting in the destabilization of this planet, which the Golden Millennium will be blamed for, because their policies failed to work for the Pollusians.  The people will have no choice but to cast their lot with the military, and, in turn, with us.” 

            Pausing again, the older officer glared at Ventura’s visage on the screen.  “Send out a squad and bring that bitch here!  I don’t care what condition she’s in.”

            Mularen started in alarm, remembering what Ventura had claimed about the relationship between her and Sailor Siryn.  “That’s a bad idea!  She’s-”

            N’mlota spun in sudden fury, backhanding Mularen across the face.  “I am in charge, scum!  Besides, I do want her alive, to tell me everything she knows about our operation.”  He paused, and grinned, an inhumanly evil grin, even as he removed a long, serrated knife from a sheath on his hip.  “After I get my answers, I’ll spill her filthy Lunarian guts all over this floor!”