"The Armored Artificer" by WatsonSword First draft - 8/22/10 Second draft - 8/23/10 Final draft - 8/26/10 Edited by Rygar SCENE 1 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE leans against the Chairman's desk, trying his best not to slam his paws on it. He opens his mouth to speak, but pauses. He breathes deep, and speaks. BUCKY (irritated) I already told you! I'm not going back there. Even if I did, I'd just cause more trouble for you than it's worth. I don't care how *stabilized* you say it is. CHAIRMANN FRITZ WARNER groans and rubs his eyes behind his massive semi-circle desk. He sighs and looks up at Bucky. FRITZ You'd rather face insubordination? BUCKY (irritated) Let me make this perfectly clear. Last time I stepped foot on Aldebaran, I was used as bait for a doomsday cult, had an assassination attempt on my engineer, and was nearly blown up by a suicide bomber! And when I tell the Security Council that I'm just protecting my crew, I'm pretty sure they'll let me off with an admonition, so yeah. FRITZ Suit yourself, Bucky, but this order's being issued individually to each crewmember, so it's up to them, not you. And I know at least two who'll go. Fritz leans aside to look at FIRST MATE JENNY and ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT, both seated in white armchairs behind Bucky. They look at each other and back at Fritz. They both just shrug. Bucky turns toward Jenny and Willy. He shakes his head at them with a desperate look. He turns back to Fritz. BUCKY What the frell is this?! Either I go to Aldebaran, or you split my crew up? FRITZ If there's one thing Dogstar was right about, it's Aldebaran being the potential tipping point in this war. If that doppelganger didn't teach you just how desperate a situation we're facing, nothing will. Bucky feels anger welling up inside him, but hearing Fritz mention the toad who impersonated him makes him catch himself. He remembers he's trying to repair his relationships with Jenny and Willy as much as we can. BUCKY (quietly) Look. Aldebaran will never join the war effort. Even if they were staring down the barrels of the entire toad fleet, they'd stay put and not do a thing. FRITZ (calmly) If that's true, then why did they just offer to negotiate for an exchange of embassies? BUCKY (blinks) What? Jenny and Willy stand and approach Bucky. JENNY We tried to tell you, but you wouldn't let us get a word past your ranting. Bucky pauses and blinks, speechless. He sighs and slumps his shoulders. BUCKY I'm sorry. I don't really think you can blame me, after what happened last time, but I should have been willing to listen to you. (beat) So how did this happen? FRITZ It was mostly Felicia's doing. BUCKY Felicia? JENNY It turns out she only joined that cult because they drugged her. WILLY A wandering merchant tribe kidnapped her and took her back to the palace, hoping for a reward. It took a while, but they managed to deprogram her. FRITZ Felicia's accounts of what the cult did to her created a lot of antipathy toward them in Aldebaran society. And it now seems they're starting to open up to us. Bucky falls into the white armchair behind him and drops his head into his paws. BUCKY (beat) It'll take a while to wrap my head around that one. FRITZ Well, you've got the whole trip to Aldebaran to do that. Bucky lifts his head and leans back against the chair. BUCKY I told you, I'm not going. FRITZ Oh, there's one more thing. Aldebaran said specifically that they wanted The Righteous Indignation for the negotiations. They didn't say who had to be aboard. I'll fly the ship there myself if I have to. Bucky stands and flips his paws into the air. BUCKY (irritated) You're kidding me! My crew *and* my ship? FRITZ Weren't you calming down? BUCKY (bites his lip) You told them exactly what to say just to make sure I'd come along. FRITZ It's working, isn't it? BUCKY You're the worst friend a guy could have sometimes, you know that? FRITZ Choosing the lesser of two evils is just the nature of politics. It's something you have to do without hesitating. That's what Dogstar never understood. BUCKY And who exactly has the right to do that? FRITZ No one has the *right*, Bucky, but that doesn't change the fact that it has to be done. So you do it, and you just hope that things work out in the end. I'm sure that's something you understand. Fritz's last sentence carries a suggestive tone. Bucky steps back and droops his ears. He looks at Willy, also with a suspicious expression. Jenny raises an eyebrow but says nothing. Willy steps forward. WILLY (to Fritz) And what happens if they don't work out? FRITZ Then you very quickly discover just how thin a line exists between hero and monster. You're dismissed. Jenny glowers at the bizarre exchange, its intimations clear. Bucky sits for another minute. BUCKY Give me a minute here. I have to get over this legal hijacking of my ship. Jenny and Willy cast a glance at Bucky, then leave the room together. BUCKY That really didn't help me, Fritz. FRITZ I'm not the one who shot Willy or who slept with ... well, you know what I mean. You've got to fix this yourself, and you can't hide from it. BUCKY Not on Aldebaran, I sure can't. FRITZ You're welcome. BUCKY If you were anyone else, I'd wonder just how the frell you knew those things. (beat) Congrats on being Chairman again, by the way. It's like the coat of slime never left you. FRITZ (smiles) Good to be back, Bucky. Now get going. SCENE 2 - DOCKING BAY, ORWELL STATION In a docking bay with yellow and green metal walls and red support beams, GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK and AFC BLINKY sit on wooden crates talking as Deadeye sips a mug of swampgrass. The powered door slides open. Bucky, Jenny, and Willy enter the hangar, catching Deadeye and Blinky's attention. Blinky hops off the crate and trots toward Bucky. BLINKY Greetings and salutations, Captain! May this humble android inquire as to our latest orders? BUCKY (resigned) We're going to Aldebaran. SCENE 3 - PALACE CITY STREETS, ALDEBARAN Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Deadeye, and Blinky walk slowly in a row with neatly pressed uniforms, and Blinky freshly polished, down the central street of Palace City. The Queen's assistant, PHILIP, leads them in a red and gold dress suit while a column of female white armored Aldebaran Soldiers marches on either side of them. The crew looks at the public buildings beside them. Many windows are broken, and walls are either cracked or defaced. Litter covers the streets. Nonetheless, hundreds of cats, male and female, work to clean up by sweeping litter, scrubbing and plastering walls, and removing broken windows. They stare in morbid curiosity as the crew pass. WILLY Why are we seeing this? PHILIP Politics, Master DuWitt. It is important for the Aldebaran people to know that you all personally witnessed the destruction of our past few months. It may help them trust you. After all, any treaty will be worthless if the violence continues. DEADEYE This place ain't cozy one bit. WILLY You can say that again. PHILIP After Princess Felicia disappeared, the tension broke, and Palace City became a near war zone. The truth of what happened sent our world into a state of shock and calm, though I don't know how long that will last. Bucky's ears sweep back, and he nervously looks from side to side as if expecting an attack until Jenny elbows his arm. BUCKY I thought you were taking us to a conference in the Capitol Building. PHILIP I am. It is just up ahead. Philip points forward to a massive circular cathedral of interconnected hexagonal towers taller than many high-rise buildings. It is built of opaque quartz and ceramic with mosaic stained-glass windows and copper highlights. PHILIP That cathedral was once the center of the Aldebaran church. The church has long since moved, and now it is the center of government. As the crew continues forward, more Aldebarans stare at them with a mixture of sorrow and curiosity, an expression Bucky mirrors. They arrive at a black stone pillar before the stairway to the Capitol Building. Flowers, silks, and glasses are neatly piled at its base, while many thousands of names are written in gold, spiraling from top to bottom. A female gray MAINE COON kneels at the pillar and turns in surprise at the approaching group. Two soldiers walk toward her but stop as Philip holds an arm to his side. PHILIP (to Bucky) Talk to her. Bucky looks at Philip with a raised eyebrow and shakes his head. Jenny elbows him again, and he sighs and approaches the Maine Coon, who stares at him in nervous curiosity. BUCKY What is this ... place? MAINE COON (waving at the pillar) The names of all the cats that died in the Palace City riots, or at least all the ones who were accounted for. My daughter's name is near the top. Jenny steps forward. JENNY What was it? MAINE COON Carmine. BUCKY Well, we'll ... we'll see to it that no one suffered in vain. MAINE COON (smiling weakly) Thank you. Bucky lingers for an awkward moment, then rejoins the group. PHILIP Thank you. Shall we attend the conference? SCENE 4 - CAPITOL BUILDING, PALACE CITY, ALDEBARAN In surreal contrast to the streets, the Capitol Building's foyer is luxurious and immaculate, with opaque quartz floors in a color mosaic, gothic black and gold architecture, and a doubly split round staircase leading to the second and third levels. All attendees dress with absurd lavishness. The multi-story double doors open, and all attendees turn their attention toward the two columns of soldiers escorting Philip, Bucky, and the crew inside. DEADEYE Now that's more what I'm talkin' about! Where's the buffet? Deadeye runs toward the circle of buffet tables between the split staircase. Bucky reaches a paw toward him as Willy covers his mouth to suppress a giggle. BUCKY Deadeye! PHILIP It's all right. He gives no offense. Bucky sighs and looks about the conference. To Bucky's chagrin, many of the same stateswomen from the royal mansion are here, and they all lock eyes on him, many licking their lips. Bucky nervously steps back and leans toward Jenny. BUCKY (whispering to Jenny) Could you please, please do me a favor and hold my paw. Jenny folds her arms and huffs. JENNY You might as well take advantage. Jenny walks away. BUCKY (shouting) Jenny, I'm just asking you to ... wait, what does that even mean? (to Willy) Willy, you've got to do something. WILLY I will. I'll go to the buffet. Willy walks away. Bucky flinches as an arm wraps around his. It's SELENA, the Abyssinian minister of Royal Libraries. She traces a finger up and down his uniform. SELENA (suggestive) Hello, Captain O'Hare. You know, I only got to say a few words to you last time. What do you say we find a booth and make up for lost time, hmm? A paw shoves Selena away as a larger, and familiar, female BALINESE takes her place. BALINESE Just ignore her. She's drunk. Bucky, ironically, twitches his nose at the smell of booze on the Balinese's breath. BALINESE (grabbing Bucky's tail) Now why don't you show me that famous bunny agility you didn't get to last time, eh, bunny boy? Bucky grits his teeth and shoves himself out of the Balinese's grasp. BUCKY (irritated) How about instead I ... Bucky glances around. Philip is busy shuffling through paperwork behind the reception desk at the foyer entrance, and Blinky is nowhere to be seen. Bucky turns toward the direction Jenny went. BUCKY Go that way! Bucky jogs after Jenny. Philip lifts his head and gasps as he sees where Bucky is headed. PHILIP (shouting) You shouldn't go there! You might not like what you ... (whispering) Dammit. Willy and Deadeye stand at the buffet tables, filling silver platters and tankards to their limits. WILLY Well, I told him his mother blows goats and probably shot up dope when she was pregnant with him. Deadeye laughs out loud and spills some of his drink as he stomps his foot. DEADEYE Now that's what I wanted to hear, Willy me boy! Willy laughs under his breath and shakes his head. He looks up and furrows his brow in confusion as he sees Philip climb over the reception desk and sprint across the foyer. WILLY What did I just miss? Deadeye looks up in confusion at the same sight. He suddenly looks down at Blinky walking by with a towel draped over one arm and a platter full of drinks held aloft by the other. DEADEYE Err, since when did they make Blinky a waiter? SCENE 5 - KITCHEN, CAPITOL BUILDING, ALDEBARAN The kitchen starkly contrasts with the foyer, being made mostly of white polymers, and the cooks in gray jumpsuits being mostly male. Jenny stares quizzically at a pile of flowers, cards, confections, and liquor flasks, among other things, on a counter. She crosses her arms and chews her tongue. Jenny turns as Bucky runs into the kitchen after her. BUCKY (angry) Don't think they weren't tempting me, Jen, but I don't want that. I want another chance for us. We both made the same mistake, so it's not like we can just blame ... Jenny silently turns back to the pile. BUCKY (irritated) What's with the silent treatment? The request was only practical. I wasn't ... (turning to the pile) What the frell is that? JENNY It's for you. Bucky progressively sneers and narrows his eyes as he looks at the pile. Most objects are labeled to him, and some are lurid photos female Aldebarans took of themselves. PHILIP They were at the doorstep originally. Bucky and Jenny flinch at the voice. They turn to see Philip standing behind them. PHILIP I placed them here figuring neither of you would have reason to wander into the kitchen. So much for that idea. My apologies. Jenny bites her lower lip as if upset, but she quickly sighs and shrugs, trying to hide it. JENNY What do I care? BUCKY (to Jenny) I care! (to Philip) Seriously, what's with all this? PHILIP The newfound absence of harems and brothels has left many Aldebarans confused and angry. And with most women on this planet unable to understand the concept of an actual relationship, Aldebaran popular culture has turned to you as a lust object. Bucky groans and lets his head fall back. JENNY Leave us, Philip. Philip bows and exits the kitchen. Bucky points to the pile. BUCKY That's why I wanted you to hold my paw. That right there. Jenny swats Bucky's paw away. JENNY You don't get it, do you? You've been under way more stress than any one person can deal with. I *want* you to go find some random stateswomen to sleep with! It'll be good for you. It'll ... get rid of all that tension in your shoulders. (beat) Hell, screw them all, I don't care. It'll certainly help the negotiations. BUCKY You're just trying to drive the last wedge ... JENNY (interrupting, shouting) Mimi and Mike already did that! (beat) I'm just trying to move on. BUCKY Jenny? JENNY (irritated) What? BUCKY Everyone's looking at us. Jenny looks around to find that all the cooks have ceased their work to awkwardly stare at Bucky and Jenny. Bucky, Jenny, and the cooks suddenly jump at the sound of screams and crashes coming from the foyer. Bucky draws his maser pistol, while Jenny's spell gems glow. They eye each other, both knowing this is a morbidly welcome turn of events, and dash out of the kitchen. SCENE 6 - CAPITOL BUILDING, PALACE CITY, ALDEBARAN Bucky and Jenny charge into the foyer. More than a hundred female Aldebaran civilians have barged into the Capitol Building armed with blunt makeshift weapons such as dowels, pipes, and chains. The civilians act without organization, attacking random attendees and breaking furniture. Deadeye is among the ruckus with the Aldebaran soldiers, throwing about or beating down offending Aldebarans. An Aldebaran with a bent pipe spots Bucky and charges. Bucky aims at her, but Philip grabs his maser pistol. PHILIP (shouting) Non-lethal force only! Bucky growls and pulls his blaster free. He readjusts it to stun and raises it to shoot the charging Aldebaran in the face just as she's about to swing the pipe down on him. She falls back, unconscious. JENNY I was never trained in non-lethal force. Philip removes an electric stun rod from his robes. PHILIP (shouting) Then get back in the kitchen! (to Bucky) Cover me. Jenny hesitates but runs back into the kitchen. Bucky and Philip charge at the horde of attacking Aldebarans. Bucky keeps just behind Philip, firing at offending Aldebarans. Those who get past Bucky's fire are thrown down by Philip and struck unconscious by his stun rod. Bucky and Philip reach Willy, who kicks an Aldebaran in the face before another one hits him in the back with a dowel. She swings at Philip, who kicks the dowel away and strikes her in the throat with his stun rod. Bucky runs to Willy, about to help, when three Aldebarans charge him. Bucky aims over Willy's back and shoots all three in the chest. Two Aldebarans with chains charge Philip. Philip jumps at one, wrapping a leg around her throat and taking both of them to the floor. He quickly jabs his stun rod up, hitting the other in the gut. The ruckus subsides. Deadeye has two Aldebarans in chokeholds. All others are either unconscious or restrained by the Aldebaran soldiers. Blinky looks up from behind the reception desk. Jenny peers out from the kitchen along with several cooks. Philip stands, and he and Bucky both help Willy up. BUCKY You OK? WILLY (rubbing his back) It'll leave a pretty nice bruise, but I'll be fine. (beat) Thanks. BUCKY (to Philip) Where'd you get moves like that? PHILIP One of my roles as a thrall was an incognito bodyguard. Jenny approaches Bucky, Willy, and Philip. JENNY What just happened? PHILIP In spite of recent news, many citizens still violently oppose cooperating with outsiders. They come with blunt objects, knowing we cannot legally use lethal force in such circumstances. BUCKY (irritated) If that's what's going to happen, then I'm not cooperating unless I'm in the Royal Palace. Philip purses his lips and nods. SCENE 7 - DINING ROOM, PALACE, ALDEBARAN Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Deadeye, Blinky, Philip, and QUEEN KATRINA sit around the familiar rectangular dining table with seating for eight. The fireplace crackles with embers to one side, while the grandfather clock ticks to the other. For a time, they all sit in silence. Finally, Katrina speaks. QUEEN It was a terrible mistake, not bringing you here immediately. I was more confident in my people than I should have been. There is no way to apologize. BUCKY Don't try. More time passes in silence. JENNY So the temple of Arkool just disappeared? QUEEN For the moment, at least, but they'll be back. They do control the Silvered Sisters, after all. BUCKY And that was another big mistake! Jenny elbows Bucky, who elbows her back. BUCKY (to Jenny) I'm not shutting up this time. I'm seeing it through. (to Queen Katrina) Why'd you stop at just their gems? Why didn't you arrest them all, or at least keep them under surveillance? Queen Katrina lifts her head and sighs. QUEEN I faced the threat of revolution, Captain. Any careless act could have sparked violence. My people revere the Silvered Sisters as heroes. I feared any act against them could only incite turmoil. But you're right. It was a mistake, possibly the greatest mistake I've ever made. But it's too late now. DEADEYE An' what's this cult I been hearin' so much 'bout? WILLY I'm curious, too. Who is Moashk'Arkool, anyway? JENNY (irritated) That's not for any of you to know! QUEEN Yes, it is. Jenny looks at Queen Katrina with a furrowed brow. QUEEN Aldebaran has little need for secrets from now on. We see where they have taken us, and now we are all here together. Jenny looks back down at the table, speechless. PHILIP There is no Moashk'Akool. She is a fictional warrior from a series of epic war operas written before the time of Male Thralldom. BLINKY Inquiry: Why would Aldebaran cultists worship a fictional character? DEADEYE Obviously 'cause they're all delusional. PHILIP I couldn't have put it better myself. Hidden from sight, PRINCESS FELICIA listens to the conversation with watering eyes and a trembling jaw. A single memory stone in a silver tiara upon her brow sparkles. Felicia hears the voice of TRISHA in her mind. TRISHA (into Felicia's mind) Felicia nods. TRISHA Felicia nods. TRISHA Felicia nods. TRISHA Felicia weeps silently. TRISHA Felicia breathes deep and frantically wipes her face with her paws to appear content. She snorts and shakes her shoulders loose. She opens the door beside her. FELICIA Come in now. Felicia walks into sight with a row of platter-carrying waiters following her. All seated look at Felicia with mixed curiosity and apprehension. Felicia smiles warmly, with bright eyes and smooth, glossy fur. She walks with strength and grace and appears the picture of health and happiness. She briefly bows as the waiters begin serving their guests. Felicia stands and clasps her paws in front of her. FELICIA I took care of the dinner arrangements. I hope you don't mind. WILLY Not at all. You look ... wonderful. FELICIA (giggling) Thanks, Willy. JENNY How did you get so well so fast? Felicia approaches Jenny and briefly hugs her, surprising Jenny, Willy, and Bucky. She holds her left shoulder with her right paw and looks away. FELICIA (somber) After what they did to me, I just find it hard to imagine that I should have anything to do with them, or any of the old ways, for that matter. Jenny narrows her eyes, doubting Felicia truly meant those words. Felicia turns to Bucky and bows briefly. FELICIA Captain O'Hare, I promise I'll do everything I can to make Aldebaran a full member of the UAC. Bucky raises an eyebrow, also doubting Felicia. BUCKY Thanks. Felicia approaches Willy, about to hug him, but she stops and averts her gaze, biting her lower lip. She extends a paw but quickly retracts it. FELICIA Um ... uh ... WILLY Just give me a hug. Felicia smiles and hugs Willy. Willy briefly looks concerned as Felicia rubs her cheek against his and smells his hair. He hides it when she lets go and bows to him. FELICIA It's always good to see you. WILLY (nodding) Same here. Felicia and her waiters exit the dining room as Bucky, Jenny, Willy, and Queen Katrina stare at the door she exited through. Willy looks around to see Deadeye stuffing his face but no one else eating. JENNY She's still suffering. She's not better by a long shot. QUEEN I know. She wants to be better, so I think the best course may be to leave Felicia to her own devices. WILLY I wouldn't be so sure about that ... SCENE 8 - CULTIST TEMPLE, ALDEBARAN Trisha sits in her gold robes on a giant red pillow, resting her chin on a paw, elbow propped on her knee. She stares into a crystal ball showing the image of Felicia walking through the royal palace. A pure white ASSASSINATION SISTER with charcoal gray armor and blackish-red spell gems enters the chamber and stands behind Trisha. ASSASSINATION SISTER May I make an inquiry, Balladeer? Trisha waves a paw through the air, not breaking eye contact with the crystal ball. ASSASSINATION SISTER Why did we abandon our primary temple to its junior? TRISHA I told Felicia to reveal its location so the Queen would have it searched to make her rescue story more believable. Don't worry. We'll live in the Royal Palace soon enough. ASSASSINATION SISTER But why go to such lengths for Felicia, of all cats? She has no real power, magically or politically. TRISHA She's royalty. She can access the Royal Archives. That's her only value. I'll kill her when she returns. The Assassination Sister turns toward three male cats: a white SELKIRK REX with curly fur, a silver polydactyl BURMESE, and a longhair TORTOISESHELL, all chained to the far wall, weeping and wearing only white shorts. ASSASSSINATION SISTER In that case, what of her harem? TRISHA Kill them. The Assassination Sister bows, then turns toward Felicia's harem. They huddle together in fear as her gems glow crimson and six-inch glowing red claws sprout from her right paw. They sob as she approaches. With a swipe, she cuts all three of their throats open. They die after mere seconds of gagging and gurgling. Their throats pour blood onto the floor. SCENE 9 - TOMMY'S QUARTERS, PALACE, ALDEBARAN Jenny opens the door to Tommy's quarters and steps onto the hardwood floor. She sees TOMMY, in casual clothes, sitting on a red wing chair, smirking at his odd-eyed son, HARRISON, who runs about on top of his bed wearing a glittery white cape and swinging a wooden rapier. HARRISON (excited) And then Danverhon held up his sword and cast a spell to make lighting strike it. And then he jumped off the cliff and impaled the Slaad on his lightning sword and turned it into fried fish! Harrison leaps and stabs at a pillow as he talks. Jenny looks over to see Artemisia in another wing chair, also wearing casual clothes and smirking at Harrison's antics. Jenny clears her throat, catching the attention of all three. TOMMY Oh, hi, Sis. (motioning toward Harrison) He can't stop yammering about all the ancient operas he digs out of the Royal Archives. HARRISON (beating the pillow with his sword) I'm not yammering! I'm reciting! TOMMY (to Jenny) He's yammering. Harrison growls and crosses his arms. Jenny chuckles under her breath. ARTEMISIA What brings you here? JENNY I just wanted to check up on Tommy. (to Tommy) Have you gotten any memories back? Tommy looks at Harrison, who fights off imaginary foes. He looks back at Jenny. TOMMY Most of them -- everything past the point where they made me a breeding stud. They say I'll never remember my kittenhood. That might be a good thing, though. They told me I had to pretend to be a girl? Jenny averts her gaze and nods. JENNY Yeah, that was true. Tommy, Jenny, and Artemisia flinch at a sudden cry. Harrison had fallen off the bed, and his knee now presses against the tip of his wooden rapier. He sits up and starts weeping as the sight of his knee bleeding. Jenny's eyes widen as she sees Tommy leap out of his chair to pick up Harrison and set the kitten on his lap. He whispers into Harrison's ear as he pulls a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and ties it around Harrison's knee. Harrison calms and hugs his father. Jenny approaches Artemisia. JENNY (whispering) I've never seen him act like that before. ARTEMISIA (whispering) He never has acted like that before. But Harrison ... he has changed Thomas. TOMMY (to Harrison) You're lucky to have a healing sister living in the next suite. Otherwise, I wouldn't let you *recite* anymore. Now get your tail over there and get that knee taken care of. Tommy shoves Harrison forward. Harrison runs toward the door but briefly stops to look at Jenny. HARRISON Hi, Aunt Jenny. JENNY Hi. Harrison runs out the door. Jenny enters Tommy's quarters, letting the door slide shut. ARTEMISIA You might not sense it, but that boy has more power coursing through his veins than Thomas and I combined. He might even be more powerful than the Queen. JENNY Well ... I guess I'm glad to see Aldebaran's got a bright future ahead of it. But what about you two? Tommy sighs and rubs his face before sitting on the bed. TOMMY Well, I guess I'll have to marry Artemisia, since she already had my kid. JENNY Do the Aldebaran people know yet? TOMMY About us or the kid? JENNY Both. Tommy shakes his head. ARTEMISIA I just hope when we do tell them, it won't cause more violence. TOMMY We'll never really love each other, or even sleep together for that matter. And we'll both probably cohabit with someone else in secret, but at least it'll *technically* satisfy Tae'Gwitz's contract. Jenny looks down and crosses her arms uncomfortably. Tommy's words remind her of Bucky. TOMMY (softly) I'm just glad Harrison doesn't mind. To him, it just means getting four parents instead of two. Jenny looks up, reminded of her nephew. JENNY (whispering) More powerful than the Queen. Tommy and Artemisia look at Jenny. JENNY It just reminded me of Willy. We still don't know the extent of his power, or even what kind of power he has. That, and he still hasn't been officially enrolled as an artificer apprentice. ARTEMISIA Well, I can at least cure that last problem. Jenny nods. JENNY By the way, where's Felicia? TOMMY Royal Archives. Said she'd be there all night and well past morning. Wouldn't say why. SCENE 10 - BUCKY'S QUARTERS, PALACE, ALDEBARAN Night has fallen. Bucky enters his quarters with caramel tile floors and green plaster walls. He approaches the bed. Bucky's brow furrows as he sees something laying on top of the sheets. It's an artist's illustration of himself nude, performing a lewd act. "Autograph? Pawprint? Please?" is written on the picture. Bucky growls, crumples the picture, and throws it on the floor. SCENE 11 - THRONE ROOM, PALACE, ALDEBARAN It is afternoon the next day. A circular, ornate glass conference table is in front of the throne on which Queen Katrina sits. On the table are the new heads of all four orders of magic, though only Artemisia is familiar to Bucky, Jenny, Willy, and Blinky, who also sit at the table. Philip and Tommy sit as well. Tommy holds Harrison in his lap. Negotiations have been underway for some time. BUCKY No, I'm not saying two hectares next to the Security Council Building is unreasonable. WILLY Yes, it is! BUCKY (to Willy, irritated) Would you *please* stop doing that? (to Aldebarans) I'm saying that space doesn't exist. There is no purchasable land close to the building larger than a quarter hectare. We couldn't give you that kind of property even if we wanted to. PHILIP If I may interject, Aldebaran could easily purchase twenty or even fifty hectares of land outside Capitol City. Proximity wouldn't matter because with that kind of space, the Aldebaran Embassy could install any security measures the planet can fathom. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER If we were to agree to that, the UAC Embassy here would have to be equally remote, and preferably overshadowed by an Aldebaran military outpost. Bucky drops his head into his paws. HARRISON Why don't you do what Kim'Qweyo did in "The Burning Tundra?" HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER This is no place for you to speak, child. QUEEN I disagree. Let him speak. The HEAD OF THE THOUGHT ORDER glances at Queen Katrina in disapproval. HARRISON Kim'Qweyo and her sister Tai'Eldo didn't want to fight, but their people hated each other so bad that they had to. So they both holed up in the same fortress so both sides would always know what the other was planning. The war ended 'cause you can't fight when everyone always knows what the other gal's gonna do next. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER (snide) And what are you suggesting? HARRISON Put the embassy *in* the Security Council Building. ARTEMISIA (stoic) That must be one of the more bizarre ideas I have ever heard. The HEAD OF THE HEALING ORDER leans toward Bucky and traces a finger up and down his paw. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER (suggestive) Maybe these negotiations might actually get somewhere in private. Hmm? Bucky droops his ears and looks at Jenny, who closes her eyes and nods in approval. Bucky briefly looks down in sorrow, but then looks at the Head of the Healing Order with a weak smile. BUCKY I'll give you my suite number once we call recess. Everyone flinches as the throne room's double doors are violently pushed open. Felicia, in a sparkling cyan gown and platinum tiara, enters the throne room with a Cheshire grin and a distant, intoxicated expression. Queen Katrina stands. QUEEN Felicia! What are you doing? FELICIA (blissful) I just wanted you all to know how perfect and beautiful my life is. Felicia draws a maser pistol and shoots Philip in the chest, killing him and knocking his chair over. Queen Katrina stands in shock, and all others duck by the table. Felicia continues shooting, grazing the Head of the Healing Order's shoulder. Harrison stands up in confusion, and Felicia aims at him. She fires. Tommy shoves Harrison out of the way, taking a grazing blast to his side. He falls over, growling in pain and clutching at his kidney. Artemisia and the Head of the General Order both extend a paw, and their gems glow. Felicia's maser pistol crumbles in her paw. Artemisia fires a concussive blast of air at Felicia, throwing her out of the throne room and knocking her unconscious. Everyone slowly stands, all speechless. SCENE 12 - PRISON, ALDEBARAN Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and Queen Katrina all stare at Felicia in her yellow prisoner jumpsuit through the force field of her cell. Queen Katrina tries her best to keep her composure, but her jaw trembles and her paws clench. QUEEN (angry, whispering) Felicia ... how did I ever treat you with anything but kindness? FELICIA (blissful) By being Queen of Aldebaran, of course. QUEEN KATRINA (angry, whispering) I don't understand. FELICIA (blissful) Moask'Arkool is Queen of Aldebaran ... forever! Bucky slams his fists against the force field. BUCKY (shouting) Nobody rescued you! You planned this from the start! FELICIA (pointing at Bucky) Moashk'Arkool will cast your soul into her forge and use its ashes to fertilize a new world! (pointing at Tommy) Bet you didn't know this, uncle, but Bobby, Jimmy, and Terry are alive and well. They're waiting for me, waiting to service me like they did in the glory days. (pointing to Willy) And you'll be with them soon enough, Willy. You'll be the shining star of my harem. I'll be the love of your life and the reason you live. Willy shudders and tenses. He averts his gaze from Felicia. WILLY (somber) What did they want from you? FELICIA They just wanted to know where Moashk'Arkool is buried. I found it in the Royal Archives, and they'll find her soon enough. She'll be so grateful to know I was the one who led the temple to her. She'll grant me any wish I want. Bucky hits the cell's comm panel, cutting the sound to and from Felicia. BUCKY I thought you said there was no Moashk'Arkool. QUEEN There isn't, but the operas of her mythos end with her enemies burying her in a glacier-covered mountain, from where she'll awaken when needed again. TOMMY She found *something* in the Royal Archives, that's for damn sure. JENNY We have to go there. We have to find what she found, whatever it is. Queen Katrina nods as she stares deeply into empty space. SCENE 13 - ROYAL ARCHIVES, PALACE, ALDEBARAN The deepest basements of the Royal Palace house the Royal Archives, with black ceramic floors, star-shaped steel support beams encased in glass columns, and endless rows of shelves curving through the circular archives. All the shelves are stuffed with ancient books, scrolls, or memory stones. Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, and Artemisia -- all in uniform -- work with Queen Katrina and a dozen of her assistants, scouring through the archives for clues. Harrison runs back and forth, pulling out and reading random operas, discarding most when they don't interest him. Blinky runs back and forth, frantically replacing each item that gets discarded. Bucky and Willy pour through a shelf of texts, using datapads to scan and translate their tables of contents for clues. Bucky replaces the current book and turns to Willy. BUCKY Willy? Can we talk? Willy scours through books as he talks, never looking at Bucky. WILLY About what? BUCKY (nervous) About what I did on the Toad Homeworld. I know I can't apologize, but I'm just hoping maybe you can help me understand what I was thinking when I did those things. WILLY There's no "why" when it comes to insanity, Bucky. The only reason you did those things is because you *weren't* thinking. And don't try to lecture me either. There's nothing you can say that I haven't already gone through a hundred times in my head. BUCKY (irritated) I wasn't going to lecture you. (beat) What do you think I should do? WILLY Tell Jenny what you did, and then get a psych evaluation. That's all I can say. Bucky sighs and lowers his head in sorrow. He looks back up at Willy. BUCKY You're right. I've been ... (blinks, head upright) Something just hit me. I haven't seen Deadeye at all today. WILLY He took off into Palace City last night. He's probably still wandering around somewhere. BUCKY (nervous) On the streets of Aldebaran? I just hope he's in one piece. Elsewhere, Jenny, Tommy, and Artemisia riffle through a shelf full of boxes of memory stones, briefly scanning and replacing them after finding nothing of interest. Jenny stops and looks toward Queen Katrina, who stares motionless at a shelf full of leather-bound catalogues of spreadsheets of Palace affairs from centuries past. She gazes with glazed eyes into empty space. JENNY (softly) How can she possibly keep her composure after what Felicia did? I mean, I can barely keep mine. I don't know if I want to console her or kill her, and I don't think I can stand that feeling for very long. TOMMY (grumbling) After taking a shot at Harrison? I know what side I'm leaning toward. Artemisia briefly eyes Jenny and talks while continuing to scan memory stones. ARTEMISIA (stoic) The crisis has slowly chipped away at Her Majesty's psyche since it began. She was trained throughout her life to keep tranquil and logical, no matter the circumstance. But I fear this may finally be too much for her to take. JENNY Maybe you should ask her to appoint a viceroy for the time being. HARRISON (shouting) I found it! Everyone turns toward Harrison as he runs to Queen Katrina, holding up a scroll in one paw. Bucky, Willy, Jenny, Tommy, and Artemisia approach them. Harrison unrolls the scroll in front of them. HARRISON It's a map of a mountain range, and look at the back! Harrison flips the scroll over; the back is covered in alien writing. HARRISON I'll translate. (clears throat) "In the abandoned zinc mines of the crown's most remote industrial venture is where I buried my enemy, the Armored Artificer. The tunnels dug through the glaciers to reach the mines will reform, sealing the enemy inside forever. No one can ever know the enemy's true intentions, for that will endanger the new and beautiful world I will create." It was written by Queen Zoda. BUCKY Who? JENNY That's ... QUEEN (speaking over Jenny) Zoda is the queen who established Male Thralldom and destroyed the male half of the Order of Silver. She was driven insane by King Hirocon violating her every night. BUCKY Does that mean there really is a Moashk'Arkool? QUEEN The map is inconsistent with the operas. Moashk'Arkool was supposed to be the Queen's most loyal servant. However, the final opera was written after Male Thralldom, and most likely not by the original author. TOMMY Zoda buried someone there. JENNY There can't be anything there but a corpse. I mean, that was three thousand years ago. TOMMY Whatever the hell's there, I don't wanna take the chance of the Temple finding it. We should use our satellites to find the spot that matches the map. ARTEMISIA (stoic) I will prepare my daughters for an assault. Thomas, Captain O'Hare, Master DuWitt, Highness Jennifer, you should all accompany me. Artemisia bows and takes her leave. BUCKY and WILLY Daughters? HARRISON I got twelve sisters, all thirty years older than me. They're the best fighters on the planet! JENNY I wouldn't say "best on the planet," but Artemisia's daughters are one of the Palace's most elite fighting squads. QUEEN (to Jenny) Could you follow me, please? Jenny follows Queen Katrina to a distant shelf. She briefly looks at Bucky, Willy, Blinky, Tommmy, and Harrison chatting with each other. QUEEN I found this image stone on your shelf in the uppermost level. I thought you might like to have it. Jenny turns toward Queen Katrina and cocks her head in confusion. Katrina holds a cloudy white gem in her paw. JENNY I have a shelf here? QUEEN It is very small. Jenny takes the gem and looks down at it. Her own spell gems glow. A three-dimensional image of two young male cats, identical twin Ragdolls, in opposite red and green silks, shows above the gems. Jenny's eyes water. She passes a paw through the image, and it flickers. JENNY (whispering) Edmund ... Edgar. Jenny snarls and throws the gem across the room, catching the attention of the others. JENNY (somber) Smash it. I can't stand looking at them. SCENE 14 - MAIN BAY, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION The Righteous has been emptied of cargo. Artemisia and her daughters stand ready in their black armor and blood-red spell gems. Jenny wears a suit of similar silver armor, while Tommy wears an overcoat over a suit of indigo armor fitted with the purple King's Gems. Bucky and Willy both stand among them, wearing UAC battle fatigues and heavy maser rifles. Willy's is bigger. BUCKY That's the rifle you built from scratch, right? What did you say you called it? WILLY Thumber. BUCKY Why's that? WILLY If I hold my thumb down on this button on the handle, it charges up. BUCKY And if it reaches full power? WILLY Let's hope we don't have to find out. Bucky nods. He steps forward and addresses the team, all of whom wear jetpacks. BUCKY When we jump out, keep your bodies stiff as a board, feet toward the ground. The jetpacks'll fire automatically once you're fifty meters from the ground. You have to keep proper position, because you can't control them. Right, Willy? Willy nods. A moment later, the comm panel lights up. BLINKY (over comm) I am now opening the loading ramp of The Righteous Indignation. The loading ramp at the back of the main bay drops open. Everyone squints briefly from the bright sun as the Righteous flies through the clouds. The team lines up at end of the open docking ramp, wind whipping at them and forcing them to grasp handholds. BLINKY Arriving over target destination in three ... two ... one ... go! The team steps off the docking ramp in unison. They tumble through the clouds, the drag deafening them. They emerge though the clouds over a glacier-covered mountain matching Harrison's paw-drawn map. They flail their limbs about, trying to get into proper position. One by one, they manage to stiffen their bodies, feet pointing downward. The team accelerates toward the mountain, the drag growing louder and blowing back their faces, fur, and ears. Willy and Jenny's faces grow tenser as the ground gets closer. Just as they are about to crash, the jetpacks fire white flairs, and everyone is thrown into a squat as they decelerate. Bucky lands gently on the frosted ground, while everyone else, not trained in this maneuver, lands with an awkward summersault. After some seconds of disorientation, Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters remove their jetpacks. Bucky and Willy pull their maser rifles from straps on their chests. ARTEMISIA (stoic) Where did we land? Bucky takes a datapad from a pouch and examines it. BUCKY About a mile south by southwest of the entrance on the map. ARTEMISIA (stoic) My daughters will take point, Tommy and I the middle. O'Hare, DuWitt, and Jennifer will bring the rear. For half an hour, the group marches uphill until they arrive at a massive precipice of gabbro with a cliff of ice at its end. A smooth, round tunnel two meters tall has been dug into the ice. A DAUGHTER of Artemisia rubs her paw along the wall of the tunnel, feeling it smooth and wet. DAUGHTER This tunnel is fresh. They're already here. SCENE 15 - TOMB, ANCIENT MINE, ALDEBARAN In a dome of gabbro, Trisha and a squad of eight ASSASSINATION SISTERS have already arrived to investigate what appears to be a tomb. On a rock pedestal is a plain rectangular sarcophagus of blackened brass. Above is a skylight of clear ice, the only light in the dome. The eight Assassination Sisters strain to lift the lid off the sarcophagus. Trisha crosses her arms and taps her foot in impatience. The Assassination Sisters drop the lid to the ground, causing all to flinch at the echoing crash. Artemisia approaches the sarcophagus and peers inside along with the other Assassination Sisters. Inside is an ARMORED FIGURE in a highly elaborate suit of full plate armor, covered in dust. It is stained black with red highlights. It is worn over black and red robes, and under black and red capes, both now tattered. Most bizarre is the set of sixteen gems in the armor: five in the helm, four on the shoulders, five on the breastplate, and one in each gauntlet. Nearly a dozen more apiece adorn an elaborate black necklace and black metal belt. Trisha and the Assassination Sisters stare quizzically at these gems, as they are darker than any other ever seen, so dark they appear to have no underlying color and instead are pure black. ASSASSINATION SISTER #1 Is it her? Is it really her? ASSASSINATION SISTER #2 The one who'll destroy this planet and rebuild it into our paradise. ASSASSINATION SISTER #3 Moashk'Arkool! Trisha lifts the helm's visor. Inside is hairless flesh, wrinkled and cracked like tree bark, black with bruising, and eyelids crusted over. She lays her fingers on the Armored Figure's skin as lightly as possible, and her gems glow. She smiles and lifts her fingers. TRISHA She's alive, but under stasis. ASSASSINATION SISTER #4 The same spell used to put Tae'Gwitz to sleep, when he awakens. TRISHA Fitting that only something that powerful could defeat our savior. I'll release her from stasis. Trisha lays a paw on the Armored Figure's breastplate and closes her eyes. Her indigo gems glow until they light up the dome, making the Assassination Sisters squint. Trisha's gems dim, and she lifts her paw. Trisha and the Assassination Sisters step back and hold their breaths. They smile and weep, and some fall to their knees as they wait for some world-splitting force to explode from the sarcophagus in front of them. Instead, the Armored Figure barely begins to shiver. Trisha approaches the sarcophagus in confusion. The Armored Figure struggles even to gasp for breath. Its arm shakes, as it barely has the strength to lift itself, and falls onto the rim of the sarcophagus. TRISHA (angry) Help her up! Three Assassination Sisters rush to the sarcophagus and help the Armored Figure sit up. The Armored Figure wheezes and squeaks in excruciating pain from being moved, but it has no strength to resist and leans against the Assassination Sisters. Trisha kneels before the sarcophagus and takes one shivering gauntlet in her paws. TRISHA Moashk'Arkool. We are your servants. Please, tell us your bidding and we will obey. The Armored Figure's head falls toward Trisha, eyes still crusted over, gasping for breath and wheezing words as if deathly ill. ARMORED FIGURE (wheezing) Moashk'Arkool? Oui drehg ... oui drehg E's dra lrynyldan vnus so ubanyc? Trisha blinks. TRISHA Does anyone recognize that language? The Assassination Sisters look at each other, and all shake their heads. ASSASSINATION SISTER #1 I'm sorry, Balladeer. ASSASSINATION SISTER #2 None of us can understand her. ARMORED FIGURE (wheezing) Hu syma juelac. Yna drana hu sah ysuhk draca lydc? Ryc dra bynyhuey vehymmo palusa tuksy? Famm drah ... cu pa ed. TRISHA I am sorry, my lord. I do not understand. The Armored Figure's wheezes and shakes become more labored. ARMORED FIGURE (gasping and wheezing) Cu hayn taydr. Haat meva vunla ... The Armored Figure struggles to lift its other paw but can only raise it a few centimeters before it falls. TRISHA Hold her paw! The first Assassination Sister gently lifts the Armored Figure's gauntlet-covered paw and clutches it to her chest. Trisha and the other Assassination Sisters back away as the Armored Figure's black gems come alive. But instead of glowing, they block the surrounding light, creating areas of darkness surrounding them. Trisha and all eight Assassination Sisters shudder as their bodies suddenly feel as if they are frozen and rotting. The Armored Figure struggles to open its paw and then fires an arcing stream of pure black energy from its paw into the first Assassination Sister. The Sister stumbles back against the wall and screams in agony as the black energy burrows into her body, literally draining the life from her. Progressively, the Sister's fur turns gray and coarse and then falls off her muzzle, ears, and fingers. The skin beneath wrinkles and grows liver spots. Her muscles thin, and her skin sags. Her voice breaks, and she can only wheeze as her eyes cloud over and her bones deform, making her hunch over. The black energy dissolves, and the darkness around the Armored Figure's gems disappears. The first Assassination Sister falls dead, apparently of old age. Trisha and the remaining seven Assassination Sisters gasp and step back as the Armored Figure pulls itself up by the rims of the sarcophagus with youthful strength and stands. Beneath the helm, Trisha can see smooth, youthful skin, coated in the thinnest layer of platinum fur, and clear blue eyes. The figure flips its visor back down. It steps onto the rim of the sarcophagus and over, landing gently on the ground. Trisha falls onto her knees and holds a paw to the figure. She weeps, and her whole body trembles. TRISHA (frightened) Moashk'Arkool! Was she not worthy of your presence? Should they all die? The other Assassination Sisters back away at Trisha's suggestion. The Armored Figure speaks clearly, but its voice is altered magically, with an unnatural backward echo and a distortion masking its gender. ARMORED FIGURE So you *do* believe I am her. TRISHA (frightened) Why wouldn't I? ARMORED FIGURE There is no reason. The Armored Figure turns toward the dead Assassination Sister. ARMORED FIGURE And she did no wrong. You found me on my deathbed, and I needed my youth back, along with your language and history. TRISHA (crying) Yes! Yes! She sacrificed her life to give your life back to you! She'll be honored for all history. ARMORED FIGURE (hesitant) Yes ... of course. Trisha crawls to the Armored Figure and holds its armored boot in both of her paws, pressing her forehead against it. TRISHA (crying) You'll incinerate this planet and reforge it with the souls of the damned into a paradise where grass grows as platinum, rivers flow with sweet cream, and fish swim through the sky! And we will be there forever as your servants. ARMORED FIGURE (hesitant) Yes ... of course. (looks up) But first. TRISHA (looking up) What? ARMORED FIGURE I sense intruders. On cue, the team of Artemisia, her daughters, Bucky, Willy, Jenny, and Tommy file into the room. BUCKY (aiming his maser rifle) All of you, freeze! Trisha stands with eyes wide and filled with wild fury. TOMMY (angry) Trisha! I knew it had to be you! TRISHA (shouting) You're too late! All of you! You know who this is? It's Moashk'Arkool! You're all crawling bugs to her! She'll pull your souls from your bodies and tear them to shreds! The Armored Figure briefly looks at Trisha with a cocked head and then steps forward. WILLY (whispering) It's ... it's the Armored Artificer. The one Harrison mentioned. JENNY That's impossible. No one can live that long. TOMMY I don't care who it is. Just blast the bastard! Artemisia, her daughters, Tommy, and Jenny raise their paws, and their spell gems glow. Bucky and Willy raise their maser rifles and aim them. The Armored Artificer raises a paw and projects a red warding around its body. Trisha runs to the side as the team unleashes a barrage of spells and maser blasts against the Armored Artificer. After thirty seconds of continuous fire, nothing has been accomplished. ARTEMISIA (stoic) Cease fire! The barrage ends. The dust clears after a time. The Armored Artificer stands without a scratch, still holding up its red warding. TOMMY (shaking head) That's not possible. No warding can survive an assault like that. Bucky growls, pulls a combat knife, and charges. He swipes at the Armored Artificer, but the knife passes through as if his enemy is only an image. Bucky is briefly stunned in confusion. BUCKY What the? ... The Armored Artificer takes advantage of Bucky's distraction and grabs his wrist with a solid paw. Bucky falls to his knees and screams in pain as his paw decays in the Armored Artificer's grasp, its fur falling out and black and orange ulcers sprouting all over it. JENNY (shouting) Bucky! The Armored Artificer throws Bucky to the ground. Bucky crawls back to the team, and the Artificer holds its arms out to its sides. Its black gems emit darkness, and the shadows of itself, Trisha, and the Assassination Sisters lengthen and lift off the ground. BUCKY (whispering) What the frell ... The shadows suddenly gain depth, detach from their bodies, and dash toward the team. The shadows move unnaturally fast and tackle the team to the ground before they can react. They struggle against the shadows that try to overpower them. A shadow sits atop Bucky, strangling him and wringing his head against the ground. Bucky does not struggle back but instead pulls a hidden maser pistol from his back pocket and shoots the shadow in the side. The shadow dissolves into smoke. Willy grips a shadow's wrists and finds himself stronger than it. He rolls over on top of the shadow and jams his knee into its throat, putting all his weight onto it. It eventually dissolves into smoke. Tommy struggles against a shadow but cannot overpower it. His gems glow, and his body separates into a series of transparent images. He jumps up through the shadow, which falls to the ground, and turns around as the images coalesce back into his solid body. He quickly fires a spell blast at it, dissolving it into smoke. Jenny's, Artemisia's, and her daughters' gems all glow bright red. Suddenly, they gain strength to easily overpower the shadows and beat them with fists and claws until they dissolve into smoke. BUCKY (shouting) Run! The team stands, covered in scrapes and bruises from the shadows, and runs out of the tomb, into the tunnels of the mine. The Armored Artificer points to the tomb entrance. ARMORED ARTIFICER Chase them. Draw them back into this chamber. Obey my commands at all times. (to Trisha) Except you. You stay with me. The Assassination Sisters look at each other and sprint out of the tomb. Trisha runs toward the Armored Artificer and kneels, grasping and pressing her forehead against an armored boot. TRISHA (whispering) I obey only you, my lord. SCENE 16 - TUNNELS, ANCIENT MINE, ALDEBARAN The team of Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters run through tunnels, trying to escape. Bucky whimpers and holds his rotted paw. BUCKY (shouting) What the frell kind of magic was that?! Artemisia answers with an energy betraying her usual stoicism. ARTEMISIA (shouting) I don't know! I've never seen or heard of anything like it! WILLY What do we do? JENNY I say we get to the Righteous and blast the hell out of this mountain while they're still inside! At an intersection, the Assassination Sisters suddenly run through the crossway while firing at the ceiling, collapsing it in front of the team, who nearly fall over to avoid running right into it. TOMMY The frell?! BUCKY That was the only way out. ARTEMISIA (stoic) Than we go deeper into the mine and try to split them up. BUCKY Pick 'em off one by one. Yeah. The team runs the other way and through a series of twists and turns until the Assassination Sisters suddenly fire spell blasts from behind them, making the team hit the ground to avoid them. Artemisia's daughters charge to the front and raise glittery white wardings, while Bucky, Willy, Jenny, Tommy, and Artemisia fire at them from over the daughters' shoulders. The team backs off quickly as they exchange fire with the Assassination Sisters, who suddenly turn and run down the crossway of another intersection. WILLY (panicked) What the fuck are they doing?! Artemisia again cannot remain stoic as she speaks. ARTEMISIA (nervous) I don't know! The Silvered Sisters' normal tactics are to surround and barricade their enemies. They've never used cat-and-mouse tactics like these before. BUCKY Cat-and-mouse tactics ... that means they've got the upper paw as long as we're in the tunnels. We've got to get back to the dome. WILLY (panicked) What about the Armored Artificer?! TOMMY Let's just hope she already left. WILLY How do you know it's a she? TOMMY I don't. The team runs through the tunnels back the way they came, toward the tomb. SCENE 17 - TOMB, ANCIENT MINE, ALDEBARAN The team of Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters file into the tomb, turning every which way, looking for any sign of the Assassination Sisters, the Armored Artificer, or Trisha. The tomb is silent. It is far darker than it was when the team first entered. JENNY Is there anyone here? WILLY Better question -- why's it so dark? Spell blasts suddenly strike the ceiling above the tomb entrance, collapsing it. The team turns toward the entrance. BUCKY (shouting) No! The darkness in the tomb suddenly lifts, and the team turns to see Trisha at the far wall with her smoking paws held over the Armored Artificer's shoulders. The team backs toward the collapsed entrance as the Armored Artificer approaches them. The team breathes heavily from exertion. ARMORED ARTIFICER Now that you are suitably fatigued, it is time to play my greatest paw. The Armored Artificer raises a paw. Its black gems emit darkness. Jenny, Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters raise their paws, while Willy raises his maser rifle and Bucky his maser pistol in his good paw. Willy begins charging his weapon. They all suddenly double over in pain, shrieking and crying while gripping their wrists as if trying to tear the skin right off them. Suddenly, bloody black wires sprout from their wrists, ankles, and necks, pulling them into the air and dangling them like marionettes. The pain now too excruciating for the team to even scream, they only wheeze and whimper while tears stream from their eyes. The Armored Artificer approaches the team until they are face to face. ARMORED ARTIFICER (whispering) The knowledge I took from the dead Sister showed me things I did not like. Do not fret over your cult. I will dispose of them when I'm through pretending to be their goddess. The Armored Artificer steps back. ARMORED ARTIFICER It was intended for me to die of old age in that grave. Had the Temple of Arkool arrived much later, I may have. Still, you wonder how I could live so long. Allow me to show you. The Armored Artificer lifts a paw. The black gems emit darkness, and the paw fires an arcing stream of black energy into Jenny's chest. Jenny gasps and seizes in pain as she dangles from the black wires. Jenny ages rapidly. Her hair and fur turn white, coarse, and brittle. Her nose dries and cracks. Her eyes fog over. Her muscles and bones atrophy, and her skin shrivels up around them. Witnessing this, Bucky's eyes grow wide and hysterical. He struggles against his wires and screams even through his incapacitating pain. BUCKY (screaming) No! Jenny! NO! The black energy dissolves, and the darkness around the Armored Artificer's gems disappears. The Armored Artificer lowers its paw. ARMORED ARTIFICER Your princess has only ten days to live. All the years she would have lived otherwise are now mine. The Armored Artificer removes a black gauntlet set with its black gem and casually lets it fall. Willy looks at the Armored Artificer's bare paw, with its slender fingers and the thinnest coat of platinum fur. Willy's fascination with the paw shows through his pain. The Armored Artificer points to the gauntlet on the ground. ARMORED ARTIFICER Take the gem, and know that its power will soon rule you all. The Armored Artificer turns and approaches the altar and extends the bare paw toward Trisha, who runs to grasp the paw and kneel before its owner. Spell blasts shatter the ice skylight, and ice rains down on Trisha and the Armored Artificer. The Assassination Sisters peer through the skylight and drop a rescue rope into the tomb. The Armored Artificer steps into its loop and holds Trisha as the Assassination Sisters lift them both out of the dome. Bucky weeps and struggles against the black wires holding him, struggling to reach out and touch the decrepit Jenny. He does not have the strength to resist them. Hour by hour, the team slowly succumbs to anemia as blood trickles from their wrists, ankles, and necks from where the black wires sprouted. Before they pass out, the last thing they see is a platoon of white armored Aldebaran soldiers pushing through the tomb's collapsed entrance. SCENE 18 - INFIRMARY, PALACE, ALDEBARAN Darkness. A horizontal line of bright light emerges. It's too bright at the moment. After some time, it dares to expand into a soft blur that eventually clears into an image of porcelain ceilings of gothic and floral architecture. Bucky sits up, groans, and clutches his head, feeling as if he has a terrible hangover. He looks at his paw to see it now healed, and looks around. He is in a sizeable canopy bed with white silk sheets and blankets, the same as his white silk scrubs. He is in a great hallway lined with similar beds where Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters try to rest, all seeming to endure similar hangovers, and most tended to by healing sisters. QUEEN I sent reinforcements after you failed to report back in time. Bucky turns to see Queen Katrina standing next to him. He struggles to speak. BUCKY (whispering) H-h-how long? QUEEN Three days. The healing sisters have been working around the clock to treat ... whatever happened to you. BUCKY (whispering) Where's Jenny? Queen Katrina steps aside, showing Jenny in the bed next to Bucky's. She is still a decrepit old woman, near death and struggling to breathe. Bucky scrambles out of his bed and falls to the floor. He crawls to Jenny's bed and sits up on his knees, weeping and holding Jenny's withered paw as she stares at him with fogged-over eyes. BUCKY (harried) Jenny?! Jenny, no! Jenny, please don't do this. Jen, please say you'll get better. Jen, please, just say anything. Jenny! QUEEN Her vocal cords are dried husks. She can't speak. Bucky looks up at Queen Katrina, his face filled with panic, despair, and confusion. BUCKY (near tears) You can save her, can't you? Please, Katrina, tell me you can save her! (looks at his paw) You fixed my paw! You can fix her! QUEEN Your paw was a localized and unfocused phenomenon, and even it was very difficult to heal. (beat) There may be a way to save Jenny, but I wanted to wait until you could witness it. BUCKY (desperate) What is it?! QUEEN There are just under one million artificers registered in the School of Healing. I will call a psychic conference of the entire order. If enough of them agree to donate one day of their lifespans, Jennifer may heal. (beat) May. BUCKY (quiet) Do it. Please. Queen Katrina nods. She holds a paw to Jenny's forehead and the other to her own. She closes her eyes, and her sea green gems glow progressively brighter until Bucky must squint. Queen Katrina speaks with an unnaturally great echo. QUEEN (to all) A time passes in silence and stillness, as if a picture. Queen Katrina's gems begin to pulse, and ripples of bright green light travel from her gems, down her arm, and into Jenny. Bucky's breath flutters as he sees Jenny's eyes slowly clear. Her nose smoothes, wets, and turns pink. Her hair and fur regain their color, strength, and softness. Her bones and muscles grow and harden, and her skin tightens and smoothes around them. Jenny returns to normal. Queen Katrina lets go of Jenny and steps away. Her gems fade. Bucky scrambles onto Jenny's bed. He throws himself on top of her, wraps his arms around her, and sobs into her neck. After a minute, Jenny looks down at Bucky. JENNY Bucky? Bucky suddenly stops sobbing and steps calmly off the bed. He and Jenny stare into each other's eyes for some time until Bucky blinks. BUCKY Jenny, I ... Bucky looks away. BUCKY (beat) I think I need a nap. SCENE 19 - THRONE ROOM, PALACE, ALDEBARAN Queen Katrina sits on her throne with the glass conference table in front of her. Bucky, Jenny, Willy, Tommy, Artemisia, and the heads of the other three orders sit at the table. Harrison is absent. The gem taken from the Armored Artificer's gauntlet sits in the center of the table. Discussions have been underway for some time. HEAD OF GENERAL ORDER No, it is a pure black gem, utterly opaque. There is no underlying color. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER That's not possible. All spell gems must have some underlying color; it taps into the force that empowers them. A colorless gem cannot be used to cast spells. WILLY If I can take advantage of Aldebaran's new freedom-of-information policy, what is a black gem? The heads of the magical orders look at each other and then at Queen Katrina. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER We will leave this matter to your discretion. QUEEN Then I will grant his request. The shade of a spell gem depends upon the history of its use. Creative histories will produce lighter gems, while destructive histories darker ones, though neither is truly good or evil, except for black gems. Creating one requires a lifetime of unprovoked violence and sadism, creating a taint that turns it black. TOMMY That's not entirely true. The Temple of Arkool can make black gems in just a few days using feline sacrifice. QUEEN But as Celeste pointed out, a gem's color is what taps into the force that empowers it. Tainted or not, a gem must have some underlying color to cast spells. WILLY Unless ... (points to the pure black gem) What if the taint itself *is* the power that thing taps into? The heads of the magic orders murmur amongst each other. HEAD OF THOUHT ORDER A force like that could only be from a lost school of magic, one that draws its power from death, suffering, and nihilism. ARTEMISIA (stoic) A "School of Death," as it were. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER It makes sense. The last time an Artificer stole another Artificer's power, it created the Voren. But the Armored Artificer, she can do that without consequence. WILLY It's a he, actually. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER (taken aback) How do you know? WILLY First, he plainly told us he *wasn't* Moashk'Arkool. But more important was his paw. His second finger was longer than his third finger. I've been in the aniverse for years, and I've never noticed that on a woman. Only men have had that. JENNY (concerned) Could the Armored Artificer be even more dangerous than the Voren? QUEEN Exponentially more dangerous. I believe the Armored Artificer may be the gravest threat this planet has ever faced. And he'll come back eventually. We must learn all we can about that gem, to prepare for that day. The room falls silent as all within stare morbidly at the pure black gem. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER To gain the most from studying the pure black gem requires a combination of Aldebaran *and* UAC methods. TOMMY Then it can only be done at an Aldebaran embassy on Genus. BUCKY Look, if space is the issue ... the bear and koala embassies were recently abandoned. They're right next to each other. There are plans for the buildings, but I can figure something out. If Aldebaran doesn't mind its own embassy being among the others, the planet can buy both properties and combine them. You'll have the largest embassy on Genus. HEAD OF THROUGHT ORDER (muses) As much I dislike the idea, I see no alternative. Aldebaran will purchase the properties. The UAC may purchase an equal amount of land just beyond Palace City limits. QUEEN Artemisia, I nominate you as Ambassador, unless you object. Artemisia nods. ARTEMISIA (stoic) I accept with pride and honor, Your Majesty. TOMMY I'm going, and I'm taking Harrison. JENNY Why? TOMMY Look, as long as Trisha, the Assassination Sisters, and the Armored Artificer are all here, I want Harrison over there. BUCKY We can take you aboard the Righteous, then. SCENE 20 - PALACE GROUNDS, ALDEBARAN Willy stands in a porcelain gazebo with a royal blue carpet. He is dressed in a larger, tailored version of white Aldebaran armor, with a scalpless white Spangenhelm. Sockets for spell gems are carved into the helm, chest plate, shoulder pads, and vambraces. As Bucky, Jenny, Tommy, Harrison, Queen Katrina, and Blinky in their very best attire -- and Blinky freshly polished -- watch from the sidelines among hundreds of other Aldebarans, seven artificers in glittery gold robes approach Willy, each carrying a blue spell gem on a blue silk pillow. The artificers surround Willy in the gazebo, and Artemisia, in her black armor, follows and stands in front of him. Artemisia holds out her arms and speaks as the others set the blue gems in Willy's armor one by one. ARTEMISIA (stoic) Being a scientist, I thought it appropriate that you pursue magic of the School of Thought. But have no concern, for while Princess Jennifer may be a practitioner of the School of Combat, she is dually versed by my paw in the School of Thought as well. (beat) That being said, William DuWitt, should you accept the title of Artificer Apprentice, you must swear an oath by your very life to obey and revere the teachings of your new mistress, Princess Jennifer, until such time as she deems you worthy of the title of Artificer Adept. Do you swear to this? WILLY I swear. Artemisia takes the last blue spell gem from its pillow and sets it in Willy's helm. ARTEMISIA (stoic) Then acting under the authority of the Aldebaran crown, I declare you William DuWitt, Artificer Apprentice of Aldebaran, under the guiding light of Mistress Princess Jennifer. (beat) May this be a banner moment for Aldebaran, for the greater UAC, and for Male Equality. Artemisia turns to the crowd, and both she and Willy briefly bow. The crowd applauds the end of the ceremony. In the distraction, Jenny grabs Bucky's arm and pulls him away. BUCKY What is it? Jenny looks into Bucky's eyes with a mix of solace and mourning. JENNY (whispering) Do I really mean that much to you? Bucky averts his gaze and scratches the back of his head. BUCKY (nervous) I, well ... it's just that ... with all that happened, I just got over ... (sighs) I'm not always good with words, so I'll just say it. Yes. You're that important. You know that. JENNY But Mimi ... BUCKY But Mike. But Genus. But a million tiny little things. I was wrong. It happens. It never made me love you any less. Bucky looks back into Jenny's eyes with a mix of hope and concern. BUCKY Listen, about the Armored Artificer. Katrina said he was the most dangerous thing that ever existed on this planet. I want to ask you, as an Aldebaran, could he be even more dangerous than KOMPLEX? JENNY (shakes head) I don't know. But I know I can't just sit and watch from the Righteous when he comes back. I have to be here. BUCKY Only if I'm here with you. Jenny bites her lip and nods. JENNY I want you by my side, Bucky. I just ... so much has happened. BUCKY We'll take our time. A white armored Aldebaran SOLDIER approaches Jenny and Bucky, holding a familiar animal by the arm. BUCKY (surprised) Deadeye?! SOLDIER I take it you know this duck, then? The soldier releases Deadeye, who stumbles forward and falls against Bucky, grasping his uniform to keep himself standing. Deadeye's eye is saggy and bloodshot, and his breath reeks of booze. He is dressed in a fine Aldebaran dress suit and wears several jeweled rings. DEADEYE Whoooh-doggy! I luf thish planet! I'm gonna come back 'ere every shoreleaf I get! SOLDIER It seems your friend here made a small fortune hustling drinking contests. Bucky groans and drops his head into his paw. JENNY (joking) You know, this kind of thing didn't happen before Male Equality. BUCKY No, this kind of thing didn't happen before Deadeye. (grabs Deadeye) Come on, let's get you home. THE END