The Moon Dragon's Lair

LUNAR: The Lost Episodes

By Jeffrey C. Branch

Volume Twenty-nine: Episode 2-14.23 "Idealism"

Rating: PG-13

Skunk Works, in high Lunar orbit, Sol system, 8 February 2738

For the Senshi of Omega Force, LISA agents Jonathan Grant and Karmella, and Sorcerer Spirit, to hear the traitorous Valeris admit that wasn't an Infiltrator stunned them all.

"You're- you're human?" a wide-eyed Trojan One asked.

Valeris, enjoying the surprised looks on the faces of everyone around her, grinned. "Most definitely. You automatically assumed that I was an Infiltrator when I was assigned to provide support and intelligence to you regarding the captured Slashers. That was your mistake, monster."

"Damn you! I am not a monster!"

Valeris, staring at the creature, chuckled. "I beg to differ."

Sailor Magneta's mind reeled at the implication that a Lunarian was the traitor. "I don't believe you, Valeris. Sailor Ebony, full bio-scan."

Sailor Ebony did as ordered. The readings she saw startled her. "There's no sign of the abnormalities inherent in the recorded biosignatures of the Doppelgangers or Infiltrators. Mother of Serenity! She's telling the truth!"

"Son of a bitch!" growled Karmella, back to her humanoid form.

"See? I told you," said Valeris with a girlish giggle.

Sailor Magneta was far from amused. Feeling a monstrous anger well up within her, she ached to kill Valeris, but resisted the urge. Barely. "Why?"

"The Dark Kingdom made me a better offer."

"Meaning they bought you, like your average, garden variety whore," Grant snapped. He expected another Infiltrator like Eliana Charvat, not a human being. The betrayal infuriated him as well.

Hearing that, Sailor Ebony stiffened. Sailor Cerebra, standing next to her, felt the turmoil in the blond woman's mind. The Asian Senshi wanted to comfort her teammate like she had on the trip to Los Angeles, but couldn't, given the circumstances. That confused her.

"Bought me? That depends on your point of view. I prefer to say that I offered my services to the other side," said Valeris.

"For what purpose?" Spirit wanted to know. "What reason could you possibly have for betraying our people?"

"Because my 'people', namely that arrogant bitch Serenity, betrayed me first!" Valeris hissed. "A man I was in love with was one of the video control technicians murdered on Christmas Eve! If Serenity had cancelled the Ball, he wouldn't have been killed! He was needlessly sacrificed so Sailor Mercury could have a guinea pig! I hated everything the GM stood for after that!"

"So you sold us out to the monsters responsible for your lover's death," said a thoroughly disgusted Sailor Ivory. "Lady, that doesn't make a fucking bit of sense!"

"I don't expect you to understand! You've got your heads so far up your asses that you can't see the forest for the trees! How many thousands, if not millions of lives, on both sides had been lost because of this senseless war?" Valeris shot back. "Serenity could've prevented it all if she used the Crystal to obliterate the Dark Kingdom! But she allowed, if not perpetuated centuries of pain and suffering! I tried to turn a blind eye to it all, until the suffering cost me the one person I cared for most!"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the hallway. At one time or another, everyone present had wondered what the universe would be like if Serenity had taken the ultimate step of annihilating the Dark Kingdom. But in the end, they all knew that for Serenity to eradicate an entire race would have made her no better than the enemy.

"There is much truth to what you said, Valeris. But genocide is not Serenity's way, or ours," Sailor Magneta said. "Despite the loss of so many lives over the centuries, grudgingly, I'm content with that realization."

"Well I'm not!"

Sailor Magneta shook her head. "That's your problem. Who recruited you? And what other espionage operations are in progress?"

"Go to hell! I'm not talking!"

"Don't be too sure of that. Sailor Cerebra?"

With a nod, Sailor Cerebra walked up to Valeris and stared hard at her. "I will endeavor to make this as painless as possible for you."

Grant, curious, turned to whisper in Sailor Ivory's ear. "Say, is she gonna do what I think she's gonna do?"

"Yup. Sailor Cerebra's a telepath," Sailor Ivory replied with a nod.

"Cool!" said a grinning Karmella. "Better than truth-telling drugs!"

Sailor Cerebra stared at Valeris and concentrated. Valeris tried to fight, but couldn't resist as Cerebra entered the woman's mind. But after only a few seconds, the Asian's hazel eyes widened from surprise and she quickly pulled away from Valeris who suddenly screamed from agony before her head lolled forward while an all too audible death rattle escaped her lips.

"What happened?" Spirit demanded.

"Valeris is dead. She suffered a fatal heart attack," Sailor Cerebra replied.

Trojan One smirked. "Good riddance to human rubbish."

Furious, Sailor Magneta wheeled around to glare at Sailor Ebony. "Dammit, Sailor Ebony! You said she didn't have any devices on her!"

"Wait. This was not her fault," Sailor Cerebra interrupted. "It would appear Valeris had been programmed to go into cardiac arrest via a sudden and lethal surge of adrenaline if her mind were probed; by the time I detected that anomaly, it was already too late. Furthermore, I never sensed that she had any prior knowledge about the programming that killed her."

"Meaning it was done subliminally," Karmella speculated.

Sailor Cerebra nodded. "Correct."

"Oh," said a wide-eyed Sailor Magneta. She then turned to Sailor Ebony, a guilty look on her face. "I'm sorry, Sailor Ebony. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Sailor Ebony grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "It's okay."

"Well, that's one way to keep the bad guys from talking. At least we've got this dirtbag left alive to interrogate," said Grant, staring at Trojan One.

"Over my dead body!" the Infiltrator snarled.

"Be quiet, creature!" Sailor Magneta snapped. "Magneta Blood... BURN!"

Trojan One screamed from the pain of its blood boiling and passed out.

"Heh. Nice trick," said Grant. "By the way, ladies, how did you know we were here when we weren't able to contact anyone?"

"I used my telepathic powers to link my mind to Sailor Magneta's and appraised her about the situation. It was the only way to bypass the enemy's monitoring of our communications," Sailor Cerebra replied. She turned to face Sailor Ebony. "That was why I was in such distress earlier. I had never done that sort of thing before, and the strain it put on my mind was tremendous."

Sailor Ebony nodded. She was proud of Sailor Cerebra. "But it worked. Clever."

"Oh, wow! So that's how you knew what was going on here!" said a stunned Sailor Ivory to her leader.

"Uh-huh." Smiling, Sailor Magneta put an arm around Sailor Ivory's shoulders. "I told you Sailor Cerebra would surprise us."

"No doubt about that," Sailor Ivory replied. Then, to Sailor Cerebra, she grinned and said, "all things considered, Sailor C, I'm glad you're part of the team."

Sailor Cerebra nodded. "Thank you. I too am glad to be here."

Sailor Magneta's communicator beeped. "Go ahead," she said.

" Sailor Sirius here. I did a full bio-scan of Lady Mercury. She was given enough septonodrine to keep her out for 24 hours, but she'll be okay. Director Jupiter's on her way with a medical team. I'll stay here until they arrive," said Sailor Sirius. "Lady J notified Mercury Knight, and he's plenty pissed. Seems he didn't know his wife had come here. From the way he sounded over the comm link, if those spies aren't already dead, they're gonna wish they were when he arrives."

"I'll deal with that when he gets here." Sailor Magneta then switched frequencies. "Sailor Britannica, what's your status?"

"Sailor Russia and I completed our sweep, commander. No other devices were found," the Briton replied. "We're on our way back."

"Speaking of Sailor Mercury, will you tell her about Valeris?" Spirit asked.

"Why shouldn't we? She deserves to know the truth," said Sailor Ebony.

"Maybe. But do you think she can handle it?" Karmella wondered.

"That's a fucking stupid question to ask!" Sailor Ivory snapped back at the Isbanni woman. "Of course she can! She's a Planetary!"

Karmella snorted from derision. "Big deal. So's Sailor Venus, and she went to pieces after learning the truth about Eliana Charvat."

"Tigress has a point. It's one thing to be stabbed in the back by a monster in disguise, we've come to expect that from the DK, but it's quite another when one of our own kind sticks the knife in," Grant pointed out. "In some ways, that sort of betrayal is far worse. Planetary or not, Sailor Mercury's still human, so the truth about Valeris is going to hurt. A lot. If I were in your shoes, I'd think twice before deciding on full disclosure."

Sailor Magneta dwelled on what Grant said. Remembering how anguished Sailor Venus had been in the aftermath of the Charvat affair, she couldn't help but agree with what the LISA agent had said. "I will... consider it."

"I hope you do," said Grant with all the sincerity he could muster for the Senshi, which, by his own admission, wasn't much. "Well, kids, it's been fun, but Tigress and I have to go to debrief. I never thought I'd say this, but I rather enjoyed working with you. We should do this again sometime."

"No, we should not!" Karmella snorted.

"Now, now. Be kind, pussycat." Grant then turned to Spirit and held out his hand. "Hey, Spirit, I'll look you up when we've both got some free time. I see some serious bar hopping in our future."

The Native American Sorcerer chuckled as he shook Grant's hand. "I'm looking forward to that. Take care of yourself. Same for you, Tigress."

Karmella purred sweetly and kissed Spirit on the cheek. "The pleasure was all mine, handsome. Be good."

"Hmph! And to think those assholes are on our side!" grumbled Sailor Ivory after the agents had left.

"Different strokes, Sailor Ivory. Well, ladies, we have work to do. See to it that the creature is sedated so he doesn't cause any trouble," ordered Sailor Magneta. "I'll go upstairs to meet Director Jupiter and Mercury Knight. Convincing him not to kill the remaining Infiltrator will take some work."

Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 9 February 2738

Mercury Residence

"How are you feeling, hon?" Etan asked Amy as he brought her a steaming cup of oolong tea.

"Miserable. Thank you for asking," said a glum faced Amy as she accepted the cup and took a sip. Laying in bed in the master bedroom, her face was pale while her eyes were dull and flat. "I've been sick to my stomach from septonodrine, I have to replace dozens of rare books from when my office was shot up, and then there's what happened with Valeris."

Etan looked at Amy in concern. He knew how depressed she had been after learning about Valeris. After Sailor Magneta had told him about the woman, the Omega field leader suggested that he not tell Amy that Valeris was human instead of an Infiltrator; Etan, furious at the German Senshi for suggesting he keep a secret from his wife, told Amy everything instead. In retrospect, Etan somewhat regretted his decision... even if he knew it was the right one.

"You can't beat yourself up over this, Amy. There was no way you could've known about Valeris," Etan said as he sat next to Amy.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't lessen the pain of having been betrayed by her. I sponsored Valeris into the Lunar Science Academy because she had so much potential. And this was the end result," said Amy, her eyes bright with tears. "Now I know how Mina felt after the Charvat incident. How can I trust the others after this, Etan? Who else at Skunk Works might be waiting to stab me in the back like Valeris had?"

"That's the problem; you can't know. It's the price we pay for living free like we do," Etan countered. "Look, this is exactly what the DK wants: to foment paranoia and suspicion, to make us distrustful of everyone around us and destroy ourselves from within like a cancer. If you allow that to happen, then the enemy wins, and we lose."

Etan paused to clasp Amy's hands in his. "Sure, it's risky as hell to open your heart and put your trust in someone, not knowing if that person will live up to your expectations or let you down. But the alternative is to close your heart and become lonely and bitter. Amy, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I never want to see that happen to you."

Amy sighed and nodded. "You're right. We have to be better than the enemy. I have to be better. I'll try my best." With a groan, she then sank back down on the bed as her stomach lurched. "But not today, beloved. I don't think I could feel any more sick if I were pregnant."

Etan, figuring his wife could use a laugh, faked a look of utter horror. "By the crown! NO! I'm not ready for the pitter-patter of little feet!"

"Coward!" Amy grumbled good naturedly, a wide smile on her lips.

Crystal Palace, Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 10 February 2738

Throne Room

"I am not pleased that another key department had been infiltrated," a glowering Neo-Queen Serenity said to King Endymion and Planetaries Sailor Uranus, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars; Sailor Mercury was listening in via viewscreen. She fixed everyone seated at the conference table a hard, blistering stare. "First our intelligence agency, now our science division. If it were not for Omega Force and two of Sailor Uranus' agents, we would have lost Amy, Skunk Works and who knows how many hundreds of lives. For that to have happened was absolutely unacceptable! Am I clear on that?"

The group, nervous from Serenity's baleful glare, collectively nodded.

"Good. Amara, were you able to determine how much information, if any had been leaked by Valeris?"

Sailor Uranus gulped before she spoke. Few things in the universe frightened her, but an angry Serenity was at the very top of that short list. "I'm afraid not, Your Highness. I had my people turn Valeris' apartment inside out, but we didn't find a blasted thing. Her workstation there, and at SW had been erased. She covered her tracks well."

"Lita, what about the captured Infiltrator? Were you able to get any information out of him?"

"Nothing, Majesty, not even a name. Sailor Magneta practically tortured him during her interrogation, but he still wouldn't talk," Sailor Jupiter replied. "And we didn't dare risk Sailor Cerebra reading his mind for fear he'd self-destruct like Valeris had. I'm afraid we came up short."

"Not good," said a frowning Endymion, his arms folded. "That means we've no way of knowing if there's any other DK sleeper agents, or traitors lurking in our government, waiting for orders to strike against us."

"That's why I asked in on this meeting. I think I have an idea that can help us ferret out those agents," said Sailor Mars in a confident tone.

Serenity turned to face Sailor Mars. "Let us have it, Raye."

"Despite our best efforts, DK spies have managed to sneak around undetected. But magic might well succeed in uncovering them where technology couldn't."

"How so?" Sailor Uranus asked.

Sailor Mars opened her pocketspace via flicking her wrist and produced a ward for everyone to see. "Back when we were kids, I used this to destroy evil forces. What I'm suggesting is that we use wards, charged with perpetual thaumaturgic energy from the Imperium Silver Crystal and placed in strategic areas on Luna and Earth to detect the enemy via their psychic auras."

Sailor Jupiter did a double take. "What? Are you saying we should junk our modern equipment and methods and resort to voodoo instead?"

"Yes I am! In case you've forgotten, your precious technology failed Amy and damn near got her killed!" an angry Sailor Mars shot back. As Serenity's Director of Occult and Paranormal Sciences, Sailor Mars didn't like anyone to belittle her field of expertise. "Open your so-called mind, Lita! Magic is what got us where we're at today!"

"Enough!" Serenity roared, slamming her hands down on the table. The women immediately fell silent. It was hardly a secret that Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter, proud, arrogant and hot-blooded, were never the best of friends, and after over seven centuries, little had changed between them. "Endymion, Amara, Amy, what do you think?"

"It has merit, Serenity. The DK have pretty much abandoned their mystical arts in favor of technology. Conceivably, this could throw them for a loop," the King of the GM replied.

"Maybe. But, like Lita, I'm skeptical," Sailor Uranus bluntly said. "Raye, could your idea actually work?"

Sailor Mars nodded. "Absolutely. Biology, as we've already seen, can be altered to hide a multitude of sins, but innate auras, especially evil auras can't be masked. After our past failures, it's high time to try something new before we're ambushed again."

"Actually, by engraving the areas we want protected with gestalt signatures in the pattern on the wards, from a series of field- and physically-protected wards, we can expand that almost everywhere; much like some of our other technology, combining both technology and magic," Sailor Mercury broke in.

Serenity, her slim fingers steepled, pondered over what she had been told. "You are right. We do need a new strategy to stay one step ahead of the spies and saboteurs. And this idea sounds as good as any. Objections?"

Everyone was silent, including a scowling Sailor Jupiter who couldn't think of anything better. Satisfied, the Queen nodded.

"All right. Raye, Amy, draft a plan for implementation of your idea. Lita, Amara, assemble a list of potential targets for placement of the detection wards. Put high risk areas at the top, starting with the palace, then work your way down," Serenity ordered sternly. "I'll expect the plan to be ready for my review at 0800 sharp tomorrow. No excuses. Dismissed."

The three Planetaries stood and, coming to attention, bowed before leaving the throne room. Sailor Mercury nodded and bowed as the viewscreen went dark. Once everyone had left, Serenity slumped in her chair, dropped her head and closed her eyes. Endymion, concerned at how incredibly weary Serenity looked, rose from his chair, walked behind her and gently massaged his wife's shoulders.

"Uneasy is the head that rests the crown," he said.

"That does not begin to describe how I feel. It is like the weight of the entire universe is on my shoulders, and it is crushing me," Serenity replied. "Some days, I just get so damned tired of it all and wish I could go back in time and return to being that gluttonous, carefree and boy crazed schoolgirl I once was. Life was so much simpler for me then. And happier."

"Happier? Before you met the girls? Before you met me?"

Serenity chuckled. "Jerk. Ask me the tough questions, will you? But I guess we cannot relive the past, can we?"

"Nope. The past is past and we can't ever go back. The best we can do is living for the present and work to build a better future." Endymion paused to lean close and nuzzle the nape of Serenity's neck. She cooed from how good that felt. "I know your burden is immeasurably hard, but you're not alone, darling. We're all here for you. I'm here for you. Together, we can create miracles. We've already proven that."

"Thank you for your encouraging words, my love. You always give me the strength I need to do anything," said Serenity who then kissed her husband. Invigorated, the ruler of the Golden Millennium stood, her eyes filled with their normal boundless vitality. "Okay, time to get cracking on today's schedule. I have a kingdom to run."

Endymion smiled. "Now that's the Bunny I know and love."

With that, the Royal Couple left the throne room to perform their sworn duties.

Crystal Tokyo Tower, Crystal Tokyo, Planet Luna, Sol system, 12 February 2738

Special Observatory Deck

When Serena Tsukino was a teenager growing up in late 20th century Tokyo, one of her favorite places to visit was Tokyo Tower. From its special observatory deck 250 meters above the ground, the wide-eyed and awed blonde could literally see for miles on a clear day. When Neo-Queen Serenity relocated Japan's capital to the Moon, one of the first things she did was build a crystalline version of the famed tower, which quickly became just as beloved a tourist attraction as the original structure on Earth.

Staring eastward at the skyscrapers of New Osaka, Beth Freeman, elegantly dressed in a navy blue suit with a short skirt was enjoying the view when she heard someone softly clear her throat from behind. Beth turned around to see Li Mei Cheng standing a few feet away. Garbed in a violet mandarin dress, the Asian woman bowed. Beth's heart raced at seeing her.

"Hi," she said, giving Li Mei a warm smile.

"Hello," Li Mei replied, returning the smile. She walked up beside Beth and looked out the window. "Impressive."

"First time here?"

"Yes. I've never been one for sightseeing. I am glad for the chance to meet with you."

"Same here. The team's been so busy; I never thought we'd get the chance to be alone." Beth paused to muster up her courage for what she would say next. "Li Mei, I won't beat around the bush about why I asked to meet you. I like you. I like you a lot, and I want to know you better. But there's something very important that you need to know about me first."

"I already know what that 'something' is," said Li Mei. "You're gay."

"Wha- what? How did you know?"

"I discovered that by accident. During that... moment we shared on our way to Los Angeles, my control momentarily slipped and I looked into your mind and felt the depth and strength of your feelings for me. The only logical conclusion I could draw was that you are a homosexual."

"I... see." Beth, feeling a brief pain in her heart, lowered her head.

"Beth, please, believe me, I did not mean for that to happen," Li Mei said hastily. "That is why I keep everyone at arm's length, why I am so guarded with everyone. Because I do not want to inadvertently pry into the minds of those around me. It is the price I pay for being a telepath."

"But, I don't want you to be distant, Li Mei. I couldn't bear for that to happen." Beth paused to place a hand on Li Mei's cheek. "In the short time I've known you, you've become very important to me. More than anything, I want you to become a part of my life."

"And I have come to feel the same about you, Beth, even though it is not something I fully understand." The Asian woman found she enjoyed the touch of Beth's hand. "Does Catherine know?"

Beth chuckled. "That I'm gay? Of course she does. It's hard as hell to keep secrets from your twin sister. However, despite her being such a loudmouth, Cathy's the only one who knows. Even though it's common knowledge to everyone that a good percentage of the Senshi are lesbians, I've kept my sexual preference a secret. Li Mei, I need to know, right here, right now, are you uncomfortable about this? About me?"

"No. In fact, I am flattered that you are attracted to me. Before becoming a Senshi, I lived a totally cloistered existence, so experiences like this are rare. I find this particular one to be very... intoxicating."

In spite of herself, Beth dared to hope. Memories of the distant past when she had been hurt flooded her mind. Yet, she had to press forward. "And what do you want?"

Li Mei was silent for several moments. The Asian knew she would have to make a very important decision regarding the course of not only her career with Omega Force, which she had come to enjoy, but her life in general. Finally, Li Mei took a deep breath and made her decision by taking Beth's hand in hers. "Beth, I would like to have a relationship with you. I want to understand, and appreciate the feelings you have for me... and the feelings I have for you."

Beth, tears filling her eyes, smiled wide and swallowed Li Mei in an embrace. "Oh, Li Mei! Thank you! Thank you! You've made me so happy!"

"You're welcome, Beth." When the women pulled apart, tears were pouring down Beth's face. Li Mei, her heart tugged, gently wiped them away. "Please, there is no need for tears. It hurts me to see you cry."

"I'm sorry. I can't help myself. I haven't felt this much joy in my life for a very long time." At that moment, Beth's feelings for Li Mei increased a hundredfold. "Hey! Now that we're a couple, let's celebrate by going out tonight. I know a wonderful restaurant in Tsukino City that serves the best Chinese food on Luna. Interested?"

"Yes. Any opportunity to be with you is more than welcome," said Li Mei with all too genuine sincerity. Decades of order and discipline for her melted away after staring into Beth's eyes. All Li Mei knew, or cared about now was Beth, and how much she had come to mean to her. "I hope we can be together for a very long time."

"So do I. So do I," said Beth with a nod, her wet eyes sparkling from deep affection. The two women sidled close to each other, clasped hands and stared out at the panorama below.

And the battle for love and justice continues...