The Moon Dragon's Lair

LUNAR: The Lost Episodes

By Jeffrey C. Branch

Volume Twenty-three: Episode 2-14.17 "Rationalism"

Rating: PG-13

City of Los Angeles, Planet Earth, Sol system, 8 February 2738

Los Angeles International Shuttleport, main terminal

Of the hundreds of travelers who made their way through the cavernous main terminal of the largest shuttleport in North America, no one paid much attention to two people in particular.

The couple in question were a roguishly handsome, dark haired man in a stylishly tailored, navy suit; while his companion, her arm linked with his, was a tall, leggy, and strikingly gorgeous Isbanni female with waist long dark hair, garbed in a low cut, skin tight, black leather minidress and spike heeled, lizard print boots to match. Both wore sunglasses and carried garment bags.

"I have to say I was surprised you got us first class seats on such short notice," Jonathan Grant said to his partner. "Not that I'm complaining. The French champagne they served was top notch, even for a forty-five minute trip."

"You know me, darling, I always insist on traveling in style," said Karmella with a throaty growl of a chuckle. "Admittedly, the trip could've been more enjoyable without that flight attendant who kept trying to hit on me."

Now it was Grant who chuckled. "Well, I've warned you about the reactions people have to those pheromones you give off. Especially lesbians. That pretty blonde with the purple eyes and killer legs had the hots for you from the moment we boarded the shuttle."

"I know. Not to worry, dear. I'd never leave you for another woman. Your poor male pride wouldn't be able to handle it." Karmella's expression then turned serious. "So, how do we handle our little field trip?"

"With time at a premium, we'll go straight to Compton, where the illegal space flights leave from. Once we find the bad guys, we take a prisoner or two for questioning, whack the rest, then call it a day."

The Isbanni woman nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. But that still doesn't answer the question of how the DK found out about this mystery cargo those goons are after. Or what the hell it is. And the late, unlamented Mr. Brak wasn't at all helpful."

"Can't argue that, Mel. After all, you can't squeeze blood from a stone," said Grant. He gave only a passing thought about Brak, the DK thug whose neck Grant broke before dumping the body in a sewer prior to he and Karmella leaving Philadelphia. "Obviously the goons hunting for us weren't told about this operation. Ignorance: the perfect redundancy to prevent against secrets being leaked under duress. Gotta love this cloak and dagger stuff!"

"Well, it certainly keeps life from getting boring," said the gorgeous catwoman. "Hopefully, one of the goons here will know who the insider is on Luna. You still think the leak came from LISA?"

"Had to, kitten. All intel on RSN missions goes through LISA, especially top secret info like the cargo that came in on the Isis," Grant replied. "My guess is the mole who impersonated Eliana Charvat had a partner who hasn't been rooted out yet. It's the only viable explanation."

"Delightful. Nearly two months after that disaster, and all the holes still haven't been plugged," Karmella growled, her face a mask of disgust. "Planetary or not, Jonathan, Sailor Venus fucked up, and the grunts in the field, us, are paying the price for her mistake. That empty-headed bitch made a royal mess of everything."

Grant just shrugged as he let his partner blow off steam. He knew Karmella was openly contemptuous of the Senshi, almost to the point of hatred, and nothing he could say would ever change her mind about them. Not that Grant would bother trying, since he had a less than stellar opinion of them as well. "Maybe. But that's a problem for another day. Right now, we need to get to Compton, and fast."

"No problem, darling. I've rented us the fastest hovercar available. We'll get there with time to spare." Her mood changing, the Isbanni woman's glossy red lips curled into a wicked, hungry smile. "If we do have to go to Luna, I know a nice, out of the way resort far from the palace where we can have some... fun after this is over."

Grant smiled, well aware of what Karmella meant by 'fun'. The prospect of post-mission, stress relieving bedplay with his seductive, feline lover aroused him as well. "You're on, kitten."

As the duo left the main terminal and headed for the rental car center, a voice called out to Grant. "Jonathan? Jonnie? Is that you?"

Scowling, Grant turned to glare at the person who called out to him. The LISA agent's eyes widened and his mouth fell open at seeing the person. He was a Native-American man, tall and lean muscled with dusky skin, long, straight black hair tied in a ponytail and piercing brown eyes. Wearing a dark green shirt and jeans, the man broke out in a broad smile as he walked up to Grant.

"Yes, it is you. It's been a long time, Jonnie. A long time indeed," said the civilian-garbed Sorcerer Spirit.

Skunk Works, in orbit of Planet Luna, Sol system, 8 February 2738

Skunk Works Research Facility, Cryonics Department

The process of extracting fluids from the captured Slasher wore at even Sailor Mercury's near infinite patience.

In the confines of 'The Fridge', the Ice Planetary and five of her technicians were hard at work on the creature for the last hour, discovering first hand just how difficult it was to penetrate its remarkably resilient exoskeleton. Even using high powered surgical lasers of her own design, Sailor Mercury scowled at how hard it was to get under the creature's external armor without seriously damaging the specimen's flesh or bodily fluids.

"Power level at sixteen point five, ma'am," said Lieutenant Kathryn Janeway, Sailor Mercury's chief technician. Smoke rose from the area that was being drilled. "The surface has been penetrated. Interior fluids now at boiling point. Degradation beginning again."

"Shit!" a frustrated Sailor Mercury snapped, switching off the laser and slamming it down on the table. Everyone around her did double takes, as it was exceedingly rare for the Planetary, always under control, to lose her temper and curse. Feeling her cheeks burn from embarrassment, Sailor Mercury grinned sheepishly at the others. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay. No one's perfect," said Janeway, trying hard not to smile.

Frowning, Sailor Mercury examined the creature's arm under a magnifying scanner. She saw a one-millimeter hole bored into the exoskeleton by the laser and steaming black fluid bubbling out from the hole. Sailor Mercury needed the creature's blood intact for study; boiled away by the laser like water rendered it useless to her.

"The creature's exterior surface is harder than steel, yet the epidermis beneath it is extremely fragile, and its bodily fluids surprisingly thin. Thinner than ours, in fact," Sailor Mercury mused aloud.

"Just like an insect, Lady Mercury," said Ensign Benjamin Sisko, another of the technicians.

Sailor Mercury nodded. "An excellent hypothesis, Ben. Kathryn, prepare a vacuum probe. We'll insert it through the hole we bored and extract fluids from another area of its appendage that, hopefully, was unaffected from the heat of the laser."

Janeway nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"What about skin samples, ma'am?" another technician asked.

"One thing at a time, Ensign Valeris. Kat, let's try a one quarter centimeter probe," Sailor Mercury said.

After Sailor Mercury was given a thin, hollow, and tubular probe that was attached to a two-meter hose, connected to a small vacuum tank with a transparent casing. The Planetary, looking under the magnifying scanner, carefully inserted it into the hole she had bored with the laser, and gently pushed the probe deep into its arm, which the team had been working on. Once she was satisfied with the insertion of the probe, Sailor Mercury nodded. "Activate the vacuum, and let's see what happens."

Janeway flicked a switch on a motor unit beneath the vacuum tank and, with a soft whirr the unit came to life. After a few seconds, dark, thick, brackish fluid slowly began dripping into the tank. The Slasher's blood pooled and smoked slightly at the bottom of the tank, eliciting curious stares from everyone. Even Sailor Mercury, who, in her seven centuries of dedicated study in medicine and science, had never seen anything quite like that before.

"Temperature of the fluid?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"65.5 Celsius," Janeway replied, looking at readout on a monitor screen next to the tank. She found the readings remarkable. "I don't think the heating is the result of the vacuuming, Lady Mercury."

"Hmm. That can only mean the creature's internal system must operate at an incredibly high temperature," Sailor Mercury speculated. "No wonder the laser superheated the creature's blood so easily. It was already extremely hot to begin with."

"It stands to reason that the monster's exoskelton also serves to effectively mask its blood from infrared scanners," said Sisko. "The reflective edges would bend scanning beams, sort of like the old stealth technologies."

Sailor Mercury nodded. "A most intriguing hypothesis, Ben, and very logical as well. Okay, freeze dry the sample for later analysis."

Janeway flicked another switch on the unit and the blood sample in the tank was immediately frozen as jets from the top of the tank shot freon gas, siphoned from the room's cooling coils, into the casing, and the creature's blood was instantly frozen.

"Well, that's one task completed," said Sailor Mercury. She was only marginally satisfied; given the time it had taken to accomplish what little that they had. But there was still so much to do. "Now that we've drawn blood, we'll work on a sample of the exoskelton. Activate the particle beam cutter. We'll need something more powerful than the laser for that job."

City of Philadelphia, Planet Earth, Sol system, 8 February 2738

Lieutenant Jack Friday had seen a few grisly sights in his twenty years on the Philadelphia police department, the last fifteen spent in Homicide. For the most part, his job was fairly boring, considering how few murders were committed any more. There was something to be said for high citizen morale.

But the horrific murder of five men in the alley he was in made even him pale. What was more ominous was that none of the five men were human.

"Blue skin, black blood, twelve fingers and toes, no genitals," said Detective Webb Smith, Friday's partner, looking at one of the murdered men while a team of forensic investigators poured over the other bodies. "I'm sure these guys don't have much of a love life. But seriously, Jack, I've seen clowns like these before when I served in the RSN. These are, or rather, were, Dark Kingdom soldiers."

Hearing that, Friday scowled. Unlike Smith, who was ten years his senior, he had never seen an extraterrestrial before, and he found his first encounter disconcerting. Even though it was widely known throughout law enforcement agencies (though never revealed to the public for fear of panic) that DK spies lurked in many major population centers throughout the GM, it bothered Friday that enemy agents were loose in his town.

And had been killed by an unknown force.

"So, what do we have here, Webs? Three men ripped apart, a fourth leaking blood out of his ears while the fifth looks to have died from a heart attack. Strange," said Friday.

"And then some. Even though they had weapons, it looks like they never got to use 'em," said Smith. "Whoever hit these guys sure as hell didn't waste any time taking them out."

"Which makes this all the stranger. From everything we've been told in briefs by LISA spooks, DK thugs are supposed to be mondo tough. What could've done in these goons?"

"That's what we're here to figure out, Lieutenant," said a female voice from behind him. Friday and Smith whirled around to see two women, clad in sailor suits, walk up to them. One, dressed in white and black, with knee high black boots, was a tall Caucasian with waist long blond hair and bright green eyes. Her companion was garbed in red and orange, with shiny red pumps, was a petite Asian with shoulder length black hair and piercing hazel eyes. The detectives gave them wary glances.

"I wasn't told to expect the Senshi," said Friday to the two women in a curt tone. "This is nothing more than a routine murder investigation."

"There's nothing routine about this. Otherwise, your Commissioner wouldn't have called us," said the blonde in an equally no-nonsense tone. She could see from the expressions of the two cops that she and her partner were not welcome. The woman paid it no mind. She knew the Senshi weren't universally loved, so she was prepared for such reactions. "I'm Sailor Ebony, and my partner is Sailor Cerebra. We're with HOMESEC, and you've got dead Dark Kingdom agents on your hands. Have you ascertained what killed these men?"

"No. Admittedly, we've never seen anything like this before," said Friday, with a frown. He lifted the tarp on one of the mutilated bodies for the Senshi to see. He noted that the women displayed no emotion at what they saw. That impressed him. "You have any ideas what did this?"

Sailor Ebony knelt by the body, and looked it over, while Sailor Cerebra stood rigidly at ease behind her. After five hundred years of combat experience, including most recently the nightmarish bloodbath on Listening Post Seven, horrors like this no longer fazed her; at least, not publicly. "Not yet," she said.

From within her pocketspace, Sailor Ebony produced a microcomp, thickened with the addition of a mobile scanner system, designed by the Skunk Works. After activating it, the Senshi of Darkness scanned the chest cavity of the victim and arched an eyebrow at what she found. "The furrows are sixteen centimeters deep. Astonishing. The flesh was ripped like paper, while the breastplate bones were sliced clean through. Whatever killed this man was huge and possessed enormous strength. The only certainty is that the attacker wasn't human."

"A Slasher?" Sailor Cerebra speculated.

"I hope to hell not!" Smith growled. "I've heard the horror stories about how deadly those monsters are!"

"Apparently, so did Commissioner Wayne. That's why he called us," said Sailor Ebony. She found it all highly disturbing. Could a Slasher have been brought here by DK agents and released to commit mayhem? But, if that were the case, why kill its handlers? Sailor Ebony wondered. "And no, they aren't very fun at all."

"This doesn't make sense. Two other men weren't ripped to pieces," said Friday. "See for yourself."

Friday and Smith led the Senshi over to where two more bodies lay under tarps. When the bodies were displayed, Sailor Ebony was perplexed at their condition, mainly because they were fully intact; but Sailor Cerebra, who knelt down next to the bodies, wasn't. In fact, she had seen this very thing before. She gently touched the bridge of the man's nose with an index finger and felt it give way under her touch. That told the Asian Senshi all she needed to know.

"This man died from bone shards driven into his brain," said Sailor Cerebra. "Most likely from a palm thrust blow to his nasal cavity."

Friday arched an eyebrow. "A martial arts move?"

"Yes. The angle of the blow was delivered to just the precise spot, both shattering the cavity, and sending the broken bone upward into his brain. Death would have been virtually instantaneous."

"What about his friend?" Friday asked.

The Chinese Senshi looked long and hard at the other dead man. When she saw two small bluish-black bruises on the right side of his chest, she immediately had the answer she sought. "This man's heart was stopped by a nerve strike. His assailant used the index and middle fingers of his right hand to deliver the deathblow."

"More Kung-Fu shit, huh?" Smith asked, his voice dripping sarcasm.

Sailor Cerebra's eyes narrowed and she gave Smith a cold, harsh look. "Just like with the other man, the attacker knew exactly where to strike in order to cause his heart to go into fatal arrest." The Senshi of the Mind stood and walked up to Smith. "If you like, I can give you a demonstration."

"That will do, Sailor Cerebra," said Sailor Ebony in a sharp voice. Sailor Cerebra nodded slightly and backed away from the detective. Sailor Ebony, taking it all in, was privately intrigued by what she had just seen. Hmm, Li Mei's not so impenetrable after all. Something can get under her skin. Fascinating, she thought. "Opinion. Was this carnage caused by more than one attacker?"

"Unquestionably. These two men were killed by a human, someone with extensive unarmed combat skills," said Sailor Cerebra. "The other three were slaughtered by some sort of beast. What kind, I cannot say."

At that moment, a uniformed officer walked up to Friday and whispered something in his ear. "Ladies, we might have a lead on who the attackers were," he said to the Senshi. "The valet attendant at Il Magnifico, a restaurant around the corner from here, said he had seen two people leave there before... this happened. A Caucasian male, and an Isbanni woman."

Sailor Ebony and Sailor Cerebra looked at each other while Smith's eyes widened. "I thought those catpeople weren't capable of this sort of thing," he said.

"Not the established species, anyway. Lieutenant, we greatly appreciate your cooperation. We'll investigate this further, then get back to you," said a thoughtful Sailor Ebony. "Oh, and it might be advisable to keep this incident out of the press. Just saying 'D' and 'K' in the same breath is an invitation to trouble."

Friday nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice, Sailor Ebony."

Once Sailor Ebony and Sailor Cerebra left the alley, the Chinese Senshi turned to her partner. "Judging from your expression, Sailor Ebony, you suspect the same thing that I do."

"That a Clan-warrior was responsible for that butchery? Yes." The blonde Senshi activated her communicator. "Sailor Ebony to HOMESEC. Come in, please."

"Sailor Magneta here. What did you find, Beth?" came back the voice of Sailor Magneta, HOMESEC's Deputy Director.

"Five DK undercover agents, just like the report stated," said Sailor Ebony. "Three of them were torn to pieces, by an Isbanni Clan-warrior we suspect, and the rest neatly killed by a pro according to Li Mei."

"Explain," Sailor Magneta ordered curtly.

"The attacker used martial arts techniques," said Sailor Cerebra. "The method was clean, highly efficient, and exceptionally deadly."

"An eyewitness saw a man and an Isbanni woman leave a restaurant literally right around the corner from where the killings took place," said Sailor Ebony. "Ronni, I'm starting to think we may have stumbled onto the aftermath of a DK encounter with LISA's Section Delta agents."

"Hmm. Section Delta is the best of the best, not to mention the most lethal. We're talking stone killers and assassins, in addition to being top notch spies," said Sailor Magneta. "Some of their agents are said to be ex-Senshi and Sorcerers, a few of whom retained a portion of their powers when they joined LISA. And yes, Isbanni Clan-warriors, perhaps the most ruthless killing machines in the galaxy after Slashers, are among their number. This is most ominous."

"Does this mean that a LISA operation is underway?" Sailor Cerebra asked.

"Could be. I'll inform Sailor Uranus about this after she returns from her daily briefing with the Queen," Sailor Magneta replied.

"In the meantime, what do you want us to do?" Sailor Ebony asked.

"Do some digging. Delta agents are notoriously discreet when it comes to wet work. Leaving bodies strewn all over a street is not their style. Something ugly is going on here. I want you to get to the bottom of it. Understand?" Magneta answered.

"Yes, ma'am. Sailor Ebony out." After deactivating her communicator, the blonde Senshi turned to her partner and grinned. "Well, Li Mei, it looks like we're going to be playing detective. You up for the challenge?"

Sailor Cerebra nodded. While it didn't show on her face, the Chinese woman was beginning to enjoy her new assignment with HOMESEC. "I am, Elizabeth. This should be most interesting."

City of Los Angeles, Planet Earth, Sol system, 8 February 2738

Los Angeles International Shuttleport, main terminal

Perhaps the last person Grant expected to see in the 'City of Angels' was his old classmate from his days in the Army. That brought up memories the LISA agent would sooner not revisit.

"By the Crystal! It's so good to see you, Jonnie!" said a smiling Spirit, swallowing Grant in a bear hug. "You look good, old buddy! How long has been since our class graduated?"

"Fifteen years give or take a day. You look good too, Will," said Grant in a flat tone. He was immediately uncomfortable with this impromptu reunion. Spirit was his roommate at the Academy, and later became his best friend; this was after suffering together through the often-brutal grind of Boot Camp and the equally grueling years of apprenticing to fulfill their dream of becoming Sorcerers. But for Grant, the dream soured when he learned the price involved in reaching the Army's top rank. In the end, it was a price he was unwilling to pay.

Karmella, sizing up the handsome Native American cleared her throat. Clearly, she liked what she saw. "Darling. You are going to introduce me to this fine specimen of manhood, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. This is William Tecumseh Proudstar, better known in military circles as Sorcerer Spirit. Will, this is my partner, Karmella."

Spirit took Karmella's right hand and kissed it. "Enchanted. You are quite an exotic beauty, my dear."

Karmella purred, loud enough for passersby to hear. "Ooooh! Already, I like you, Mr. Proudstar. You and Jonathan old friends?"

"Yes. We were classmates at the Academy. And please, call me Will." Spirit then turned to Grant and gave him a mischievous smirk. "Partner, eh? I never figured you for the marrying kind, Jonnie."

"Mel's my business partner. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what that business is," said Grant, feeling a sudden urge to leave. "In fact, we're rather pressed for time. We should be on our way."

"No need to rush, darling. It'll take a few minutes for me to get the rental car," said Karmella. "While I take care of that, you boys can catch up on stuff. Be back in a few."

"Thanks a lot," Grant grumbled. After the Isbanni woman left, he turned to face Spirit. "I've heard you were the XO on the SLS Panther. You've done well for yourself."

"Actually, I'm the acting skipper right now. Our captain was transferred to headquarters. I was on my way back to Luna after visiting some relatives out in Encino." Spirit then gave Grant a serious look. "It's been eight years since you walked away, Jon. You never wrote, never called. For a while, I didn't even know if you were alive. You could've dropped me a line, let me know how you were doing. I thought I was your best friend."

"You were, Will. But I didn't think I was worthy of your friendship after I up and quit."

"Because you were uncomfortable about becoming immortal? Newsflash, old buddy. You weren't the only one who felt that way. I had reservations myself, but decided to go ahead and fulfill my dream." Spirit then squeezed Grant's shoulder. "You could've talked to me about it, Jon. I would've respected your decision if you felt it was what you had to do. What hurt was your leaving without telling me why."

Grant dropped his head, guilt written all over his face. "Yeah, you're right. Dammit, Will, I feel like a jackass. I'm sorry for running out on you."

"No problem, paleface," said Spirit with a smirk. "Because I'm such a generous man, I'll forgive you."

Hearing that, Grant chuckled as his mood brightened. "Paleface, huh? Get screwed, you heathen savage!"

At that moment, Karmella drove up in a dark green hovercar. Grant's mind returned to business. "All done with the man talk, boys?" she asked.

"Yeah, we are," said Grant in a sad voice. Suddenly, he was sorry to be parting from Spirit. He had missed his old friend. "It was really good seeing you again, Will. I wish I could stay, but duty calls."

Spirit nodded. His senses, superhumanly acute, detected the sharp smell of blood on the Isbanni woman from the moment he met her, despite having scrubbed herself clean and doused herself with perfume. There was an air of death and violence about the woman. And Grant as well. Suddenly, he had a suspicion as to what Grant's 'duty' was. "I understand."

"The next time I'm on Luna, I'll look you up, then we'll go to Greynn's and drink ourselves into jail, just like in the good old days," said Grant as he loaded the luggage into the trunk. "You have my word."

"That you'll look me up, or get roaring drunk after you do?" Spirit held out his hand to Grant. "Seriously, take care of yourself, Jonnie."

Grant smiled as he shook Spirit's hand. "I always do. And for the record, I always could handle firewater better than you. See you around, old buddy."

After Grant hopped in the car, Karmella put it in gear and left. Karmella carefully eyed Grant. Beneath his casual demeanor, she sensed something troubling her partner.

"So, what did you and Will talk about, or is that private?" she asked.

Grant shook his head. "No. I may be a spy, but I'd never keep secrets from you, kitten. Will and I were more than classmates; we were best friends. We rose through the ranks together, laughed, cast spells, fought bad guys, drank ourselves stupid, screwed anything in a skirt- including a few feeble attempts on a Senshi or two- and just plain enjoyed life together. Will would have died for me, and I would've died for him."

"However, I sense a huge 'but' coming," she prompted.

"I got cold feet when it came to the immortality issue. Like I told you back in Philly, I just wasn't comfortable with the idea of living forever." Grant paused and a sorrowful look came over his face. "I took the coward's way out, Mel. Resigned my commission and ran out on Will. Never even told him why I left. Despite that, he never held what I did against me."

Karmella smirked. "Must've made you feel about an inch high, didn't it?"

"And then some. I wish I could have told him what I'm doing now, or why I left him in such a tearing hurry," Grant muttered.

"Such as is the life of a spy, darling. Secrecy cuts both ways, protecting us, and insulating us from the rest of the world. In some ways, we live a very sad and lonely life," she shrugged.

Grant smiled and placed his hand on Karmella's. "I'm not alone as long as you're by my side. I love you, Karmella."

"And I you, Jonathan. From the day we met on Rigel Four, you captured my mind, my heart, and my very soul. From now until the end of time, I'll never love anyone but you." Karmella then grinned mischievously at Grant. "Did you really try to bed a Senshi? What in the world were you thinking?"

Grant laughed out loud. "That's just it, honey. I wasn't thinking. I told you I was a rogue. I never said I was smart!"

Watching the car recede into the distance, Spirit frowned. He knew that ex-Sorcerers were recruited into LISA to become spies and, in some cases, assassins in the super secret Delta branch. Spirit had an increasingly bad feeling about this situation.

Is Jon a LISA agent? A Delta operative? For certain that woman he's with is a killer. Is that why he was so secretive? the Native-American Sorcerer wondered. Suddenly, he felt a need to find out what was going on. He activated his communicator. "Spirit to Panther. Come in, please."

"SLS Panther, Lieutenant LaSalle speaking," came the French accented voice of Panther's comm officer. "What can I do for you, Captain?"

"Is Commander T'Kira available?" Spirit asked.

"She's in Engineering, assisting Hitch with the RIFT engine stress test simulation. Shall I summon her?" came the reply.

"No, don't bother. Those engine tests are important. When she's finished, let her know I'll be ashore a few hours longer. Something's come up, and I'll be delayed in returning to the ship," Spirit said.

"Nothing serious, I trust, sir?" Henri asked.

"At the risk of sounding vague, Henri, I'm not sure. From this point on, I'm incommunicado. I'll call when I'm ready to return. Spirit out." Spirit deactivated his communicator, took it off his wrist and put it in his shirt pocket. With the now distinctive, though troubling scent of the Isbanni woman fresh in his mind, Spirit headed off to the car rental center.

TO BE CONTINUED...