"The Day of Reckoning" Part 1 by WatsonSword First draft - 11/15/10 Second draft - 11/19/10 Final draft - 11/21/10 Edited by Rygar SCENE 1 - ALDEBARAN EMBASSY, GENUS It is midnight, and a grisly scene unfolds. Aldebarans stagger en masse out of the two cylindrical towers toward large transport ships on the embassy grounds. Many fall unconscious before they get there. Others, though barely able to stand, attempt to drag the unconscious up the boarding ramps. Screams, gasps, and murmurs from both the Aldebarans and the crowd gathered outside the embassy gate blend into white noise. The Aldebarans bleed from their mouths, nostrils, eyes, and ears. The crowd watches as the ships depart the embassy, leaving it empty. SCENE 2 - TRANSPORT SHIP, DEEP SPACE Lights flicker. Blood smears stain the steel walls. Bleeding Aldebarans wheeze and cry while hobbling about. Many are unconscious, some dead. TOMMY rests on a cot. His corneas are red. He rolls onto his side and coughs blood onto the floor. He shakes uncontrollably and reaches about as if blind. The memory stone in his leather headband is cracked. A pure white Birman healing sister rolls Tommy onto his stomach and presses a cold pack against his neck. She wheezes and bleeds from her orifices. Her sea-green spell gems are also cracked. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she falls unconscious atop Tommy. Various ALDEBARANS shout nonsense in their confusion. ALDEBARAN #1 Where's the Queen? She's dead! I have to help her! I have to help the Queen! She's dead! ALDEBARAN #2 Why are we leaving Aldebaran? Our link is gone! Why are we fleeing the planet? ALDEBARAN #3 Creelevard's attacking the embassy! Why are you just standing there? We have to stop him! HARRISON hides in the shadows beneath a pipe. His eyes and cuticles bleed. The blue gem on his pendant is cracked. He strangely suffers no additional effects, remaining strong and lucid as he watches the other Aldebarans. SCENE 3 - ALDEBARAN EMBASSY, GENUS It is dawn. The crowd outside the gates has grown to fill the streets. Their murmurs become a cacophony of sound. CHARIMAN FRITZ WARNER, KADAF WARNER, and DETECTIVE MULLER stand in a row on the embassy grounds, looking about with stern gazes. Blood drops dot the grounds. Muller holds and speaks into a pen-like comm. MULLER (into comm) How many? VOICE (over comm) Just one. It's the Ambassador. She says she's looking for her son. MULLER Bring her here. Now, could you summarize that report again? I couldn't hear you through the rabble. VOICE There's sporadic damage, but nothing more than a falling body can cause. There's blood everywhere, but spray patterns indicate everyone was standing still. It's as if all they suddenly froze at once and then started gushing blood and fainted. MULLER What the hell could do something like that? VOICE How should I know? Kadaf tugs on Fritz's collar and limps away. Fritz sighs and follows. Kadaf ducks behind a tree and lights a cigarette. KADAF You know, this may be a great opportunity to collect intel on the old war. FRITZ (irritated) Is intel the only thing you ever think of? Kadaf takes his cigarette in his paw. KADAF Of course not. I also think of cigarettes, chasing Ativan with vodka, and bootleg holovids, but at least this is something you might approve of. Fritz sighs and shakes his head. FRITZ Bucky'll be up in a few minutes. That should make you happy. (beat) I sure hope you know what the hell you're doing. Willy'll be roadkill if you don't. KADAF He'll be fine. That damn kid can survive anything. SCENE 4 - BUCKY'S APARTMENT, GENUS The alarm in the kitchen buzzes. CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE groans and opens his eyes. He reaches across the bed to lay a paw against the cheek of FIRST MATE JENNY, sleeping beside him. Bucky's paw comes back damp. BUCKY (still half-asleep) Are you hot, Jen? We coulda thrown the blanket off ... The alarm keeps buzzing. Bucky rubs his temples. BUCKY (sighs) Yeah, yeah. Bucky throws off the blanket. Wearing only blue pajama bottoms and a white undershirt, he traverses the few yards into the kitchen and hits the alarm button on the coffee machine. It silences. Bucky pours himself a cup of coffee and takes a sip. He winces. BUCKY (still waking up) Jen doesn't usually sleep through the alarm ... Bucky looks down to see blood on his paw. A look of concern crosses his face. He looks over at the bed to see Jenny wide-eyed and unconscious, bleeding from her eyes, ears, and nostrils. Bucky drops the coffee cup, which shatters in the floor, and runs to Jenny's side. He shakes her by the shoulders. BUCKY (screaming) Jenny! Jen! Answer me! Jenny! Jenny's clenched paw relaxes, and a cracked memory stone falls onto the bed. Bucky picks it up. His eyes water as he looks at it. BUCKY (whispering) Jenny, what happened? The comm on the end table by the bed buzzes. Bucky drops the cracked memory stone and crawls over to flip it open. Fritz is on the monitor. BUCKY (into comm) Fritz? FRITZ (over comm) Is Jenny OK? BUCKY What do you mean? How did you ... (shouting) What do you know?! FRITZ Probably less than you do. Bring her to the embassy right away. And take a shuttle; the roads are blocked. I'll pay for the rental. Fritz's transmission ends. Concerned about moving her, Bucky gingerly wraps Jenny in the bed sheet and cradles her in his arms. He makes his way toward the door, not concerned that they're still in pajamas. SCENE 5 - ALDEBARAN EMBASSY, GENUS Police herd the crowd away from the outside of the embassy while a small box-like shuttle flies overhead. It lands on struts on the embassy grounds, and its boarding ramp lowers. Bucky runs out of the shuttle carrying Jenny in his arms. Fritz and Kadaf immediately approach Bucky. BUCKY (shouting) What happened to her? FRITZ Whatever it is, it happened to all the Aldebarans at the embassy, too. BUCKY Do you know what caused it? FRITZ We're working on it. Bucky lays Jenny on the grass, then stands. BUCKY (whispering) Frell. (aloud) I don't know. I'm thinking maybe it was the Armored Artificer. But I don't know enough about Aldebaran to say for sure. What happened to everyone else? FRITZ They all took off for Aldebaran without any notification. You have any clue why? BUCKY No, I ... Bucky pauses and remembers Jenny's story of male liberation. BUCKY Actually, yeah, I do. They'd do that if they can't communicate with their home world. But wouldn't the UAC embassy report if anything odd happened? KADAF The embassy lines are all dead. And if that Aldebaran you always go on about did this, than they're all walking into a deathtrap, which I do not appreciate. A female Husky PARAMEDIC approaches with AMBASSADOR ARTEMISIA on a floating gurney. FRITZ (nodding toward Artemisia) She should have some answers. BUCKY What happened? PARAMEDIC I don't know. It's like her whole body was flooded with toxins for a split second, which all suddenly disappeared. Artemisia gasps, catching everyone's attention, and coughs up black bile. Her eyelids flutter open, and she weeps blood. She can barely breathe. ARTEMISIA (weakly) I was -- *huff* -- poisoned. But there's nothing -- *gasp* -- that UAC medicine can do ... Bucky lays his paws on Artemisia's shoulders. BUCKY Was it him? Was it the Armored Artificer? Artemisia nods and coughs. The paramedic shoves a tube down her throat that sucks up large amounts of black bile and some blood. She removes the tube and replaces it with a mask that forces Artemisia to breathe a blue gas. Artemisia breathes easier, but her voice is hoarse. ARTEMISIA The Queen called a global mind conference. She was about to warn us of something when a surge of energy rushed through the conference and destroyed the gems of every participant. It was the same energy I felt from him. Bucky pauses as his eyes widen and ears drop. He swallows and kneels down to pick up Jenny. He looks at her unconscious form for some time before speaking. BUCKY (whispering) What do we do now? ARTEMISIA Aldebaran. BUCKY What? ARTEMISIA I stayed behind to look for my son. But the search party could not find him. They said a blood trail led alongside child-sized boot prints to one of the landing sites. He must've stowed away. So I must go back to Aldebaran. BUCKY Without any gems? Are you crazy?! ARTEMISIA (weakly) What else is there to do? If every registered Artificer was disabled in that way, then there's no one left to fight him. They all stare at Artemisia for a time before she finally passes out. FRITZ She's right, Bucky. The Righteous Indignation has to go to Aldebaran and do whatever it can to help. Bucky bites his lip and nods, afraid but determined to do what he can. As the paramedic takes Artemisia away, Kadaf steps up to Bucky and speaks in a hushed tone. KADAF Now that she's gone, I can remind you to make good on our deal. BUCKY What deal? KADAF About Willy. Make sure he talks to the dragon. Bucky squints and looks to the side. KADAF (irritated) Let me guess. You don't remember? BUCKY (whispering) Vaguely ... barely ... something. (irritated) But why can't you just talk to him? FRITZ Unfortunately, that son of a bitch won't talk to either of us, so we have to use a go-between. Now, here's what you need to do. Take the Righteous and your crew to Aldebaran with Artemisia, and don't come back until you've fixed everything for both them *and* us. BUCKY You're a ... FRITZ (interrupting) Slimy, sleazy bastard, I know. But you would be too if you had *either* of my jobs, much less both. I'm going to have to make this an order, Bucky. Bucky sneers but does not object. SCENE 6 - COCKPIT, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Jenny and Artemisia sleep, restrained on cots attached to pipes by alloy zip ties on opposite sides of the cockpit. They both have tubes, IVs, masks, and vital sign monitors. AFC BLINKY keeps vigil over Artemisia while ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT keeps a concerned eye on Jenny. Bucky sits in the captain's seat, looking out at the swirling kaleidoscope effect of hyperspace. GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK sits next to him, temporarily taking the role of pilot. DEADEYE So just how powerful is this schmuck? BUCKY That's the thing -- we don't know. We *can't* know. He was able to take out over a dozen combat artificers like it was nothing, but that was the only time we ever saw him in person. DEADEYE And masers don't do squat to 'im? BUCKY Again, we don't know. I mean, the Righteous's shields could've taken that same firepower, but there's no way to know how close that came to his limits. Bucky stares into hyperspace, and his thoughts drift. WILLY Hey, Bucky! Bucky flinches. Deadeye suppresses a chuckle at the display. BUCKY What? WILLY We're just in hyperspace. Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Jenny? BUCKY (alarmed) I ... (beat) I just forgot. I'm coming. Bucky stands and approaches Willy and Jenny. He sits down cross- legged next to Jenny and eyes all the medical equipment hooked up to her. He bites his lower lip. WILLY Have you told her yet? BUCKY No. WILLY (irritated) You asked for my advice, and I gave it to you. BUCKY Look, this is all really hard for me. Can we just have this conversation later? Deadeye and Blinky both look at Bucky and Willy. Bucky and Willy look back but are briefly speechless. WILLY Private conversation. Sorry. Blinky turns back to Artemisia. Deadeye sighs, shakes his head, and starts from the pilot's seat to the ladder. Bucky and Willy watch him climb down. Bucky takes Jenny's paw in his and lays his other on her forehead. The monitors show a steady pulse and respiration. WILLY What are you thinking? BUCKY Too many things to list. (beat) I don't know what Aldebaran stuff Jenny has trained you for, but ... you wouldn't happen to know anything about talking to dragons, would you? Willy gives Bucky a funny look. WILLY That wasn't in the syllabus, no. Bucky pauses and shakes his head. BUCKY The dragon in the Aldebaran nebula. Whatever his name is. Kadaf told me you have to talk to it, and Fritz made it an order. WILLY Well, if it's an order ... and it'll help Jenny ... I mean, I'll try. If it even comes up. I'm not traveling to Aldebaran just to knock on the nebula's door. BUCKY (sighs) Thank you. Bucky looks at Jenny and strokes her forehead with his thumb. Jenny twitches her brow in response. Bucky and Willy both sit up at the sight. BUCKY That's a good sign ... right? WILLY I hope so. An alarm buzzes at the pilot's seat, catching Bucky and Willy's attention. Blinky trots to and mans the pilot's seat. Bucky and Willy stand and fallow. They look over the chair at Blinky. BLINKY The Righteous Indignation is approaching planet Aldebaran. Commencing hyperspace drop. Blinky works the controls, and the kaleidoscopic swirls flash pure white. The cockpit darkens as space appears outside the window. Aldebaran is close, and the Dark Heart Nebula shines in the distance. Blinky operates the controls. BLINKY Curious and mysterious. BUCKY What? BLINKY Neither the Aldebaran government nor the UAC embassy indicates any acknowledgement of our presence. BUCKY Fritz told me the embassy channels were dead. But if the same is true for the rest of the planet, then that means the whole population must've been affected. WILLY But how would that kill the embassy channels? BUCKY It wouldn't. The only explanation is that they were jammed and attacked. The embassy's safety is our first priority. Blinky, take us down. BLINKY Affirmative, Captain O'Hare. The Righteous Indignation dives down into the atmosphere. Its slow descent prevents the hull from enflaming. The Righteous enters the troposphere and flies toward the UAC embassy at dusk. The UAC embassy is an X-shaped beige ceramic building with vertically banded columns and gothic highlights. Its grounds are carefully landscaped and enclosed by an alloy fence. Broken windows and black scores cover the embassy. The grounds are trampled and the gate bent or broken in places. There are no signs of life. Inside the Righteous, Bucky and Willy lean farther over the seats. BUCKY They *were* attacked. WILLY The lights are still on; they have power. We should get some reading on their channels, open or closed. BUCKY Unless they're still being jammed. (into comm) Deadeye, suit up and meet us at the boarding ramp. DEADEYE (over comm) Aye, Cap'n. SCENE 7 - UAC EMBASSY, ALDEBARAN The Righteous Indignation lands in the embassy grounds. Its boarding ramp lowers, and Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy exit the ship wearing UAC battle fatigues. Bucky carries a heavy maser rifle. Willy holds his custom rifle in one hand and a sensor device in the other. Deadeye wields four maser pistols. Bucky briefly looks back. BUCKY Lock down the ship, Blinky. Man the guns if you have to. The boarding ramp closes. Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy sprint to the cover of a shuttle's burnt hull. They peer up at the embassy. Lights within the building flicker. Willy looks at his sensor and walks out from behind the wrecked shuttle. BUCKY (in a loud whisper) Willy, what are you doing?! WILLY There's no readings. No one's alive for a mile in every direction except us. BUCKY (whispering) Frell. They killed everyone. Bucky motions his head, and Deadeye nods. They stand and approach Willy. WILLY (looking at sensor) All the channels are dead. Looks like whoever attacked just left the jamming device here. BUCKY Well, we've got to find it. DEADEYE I don't think that's the best idea, Cap'n. We turn off that jammer, and they know we're here. Willy slings his rifle and puts away his sensor. WILLY He's right. There's nothing we can do here. Palace City's two miles away. That's our only option now. BUCKY (whispering) Dammit. (beat) All right, let's go. Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy exit the UAC embassy from a broken section of its gates. Once outside, they board the Righteous, which makes the short trip to Palace City. They disembark, the frigate tucked behind a building. A small forest sits in the opposite direction. Eyes watch The Righteous Indignation from the tops of trees. SCENE 8 - STREETS, PALACE CITY, ALDEBARAN Palace City seems a disaster area. Speeders have crashed and overturned, destroying whatever they collided with. Smoking wreckage litters the streets. Dead Aldebarans lay in crashed speeders or on the ground. There are no signs of activity. Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy race from cover to cover, weapons poised. They look out over Palace City as Willy checks his sensor. WILLY There are still people alive, most of them just barely. They're probably hiding. DEADEYE Hidin' from what? There ain't nothin' here! A thump startles Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy. They turn around, weapons poised, at two gray- and white-blotched Maine Coons, a MALE and a FEMALE. The male has fallen to his knees from carrying the barely conscious and bleeding female for so long. Her two golden gems set in a necklace are cracked. Bucky, Willy, and Deadeye put away their weapons and run to aid the Aldebarans. BUCKY What happened? The male raises a finger and catches his breath before speaking. MALE They took the palace. We need your ship. WILLY Why? FEMALE (weakly) We have to destroy the Royal Palace ... crash the ship on self- destruct. Bucky steps back and grips his maser pistol, turning its dial to stun. BUCKY I can't let you do that. Every inhabitant of the Royal Palace is a friend of the UAC. MALE It's too late for them. It's the only way. Bucky pauses and grips his pistol tighter. BUCKY I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. WILLY If you need any resources or medical help, I'm sure we could ... Before Willy finishes his sentence, both the male and the female leap toward Bucky, tackling him to the ground. Bucky immediately pulls his maser and shoots stun beams into both their chests before he hits the ground. BUCKY (blinking) I wasn't expecting that. They looked so weak ... Willy grabs Bucky's wrists and pulls him from beneath the two unconscious Aldebarans. Bucky, Willy, and Deadeye look down at them. DEADEYE What're they so afraid of? WILLY (looking around) Must be something we haven't seen yet. BUCKY The Assassination Sisters? WILLY Impossible. There's only a few hundred of them. That's not enough to occupy the city. Willy's gaze stops at an alley. Bucky and Deadeye look down it and see two orange tabby Aldebaran children, a BOY and a GIRL, staring at them. The boy motions for them to follow, and they then run into the shadows. DEADEYE Seriously? Bucky points at the unconscious Maine Coons. BUCKY Bring them with us. Deadeye heaves the female over his shoulder while Willy carries the male in his arms. They head down the alley after the children. The alley dead-ends into a building, which the crew watch the children enter through a broken window. SCENE 9 - ABANDONED BUILDING, PALACE CITY, ALDEBARAN Willy kicks open a flimsy wooden door with peeling paint, sending splinters flying. He carries the male Maine Coon into a dusty room with creaky wood floors, brick walls, and flickering lights. Bucky and Deadeye follow. Willy lays the male on a couch covered in a white sheet. Deadeye lays the female on the same couch. They look at the children in the corner of the room, who stare at them with a mix of dread and hope. Bucky approaches the children and crouches in front of them. BUCKY Are you OK? The children nod their heads. BUCKY Do you know what happened to Aldebaran? The children shake their heads. BOY The grown-ups do. BUCKY What grown-ups? The girl tugs on Bucky's sleeve. GIRL You can save us, right? You saved the mansion, didn't you? You can save us the same way. Can't you? Bucky shakes his head. BUCKY I'm sorry, but lots of people had a hand in saving the mansion, not just me. And this problem is much bigger than that one. DEADEYE We're gonna have t' bust into the Palace an' find help. VOICE I wouldn't recommend that. Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy turn to see a male BLACK CAT with amber eyes and a leather headband with two intact emerald spell gems. Bucky and Willy partly recognize the cat. His skin sags, and his fur is rough and fades into ash-gray tips. He is slightly hunched over and leans against the wall. Willy steps forward. WILLY Brian? Brian nods, coughing slightly when he raises his head. DEADEYE Who's Brian? WILLY (to Deadeye) One of the members of the Male Resistance, back when there was one. But he was younger than Tommy. (to Brian) Did the one in the black armor do that to you? Brian nods. BUCKY (stepping forward) Why can't we get into the Palace? Is he there? Brian's voice is hoarse as he speaks. BRIAN Him and all the Assassination Sisters. FEMALE VOICE He was there the whole time, and we didn't know anything until it was too late. Bucky, Willy, and Deadeye turn to see SICCA, a female silver cat with white hair and green eyes, in a tattered Aldebaran dress suit. BUCKY Sicca? DEADEYE Another ex-rebel? Bucky nods. SICCA The Armored Artificer controls the palace, the Assassination Sisters, *and* the Crown's Armed Forces. I don't know how he controls the army, though. But there's no way into the Palace, and we don't know if any of the Royal Family are still alive. BUCKY Look, Jenny's got it really bad, whatever he did. I need some way to help her. Sicca gasps, and her eyes widen. SICCA You didn't bring her here, did you?! BUCKY What else could I do? SICCA (shouting) She's in danger! They might be attacking her right now! DEADEYE They? Who's they? SICCA (hurried) No time to explain here. (to the children) You remember yesterday, when I said at any moment you might never see your mommy again? The children nod. SICCA That's now. (looks to the couch) You have to take care of them. And they have to take care of you, because I can't do that anymore. The children nod and look down as their eyes begin to water. They stay silent. BRIAN We have to get moving. We'll tell you what happened on the way. The children watch Bucky, Deadeye, Willy, Brian, and Sicca leave the room. The groups walks slowly to accommodate the aged Brian as they traverse a dimly lit brick hallway. WILLY Who were those kids? SICCA Street orphans. They ran to me and called me mommy, so I just sort of adopted them on the spot. BRIAN So, let me tell you what happened ... SCENE 10 - OUTSIDE THE ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN BRIAN (voiceover) It began just a few days ago, around dusk ... Brian paints a picture with his words. A crowd of protesters has gathered outside the gates of the Royal Palace. A group of white armored Aldebaran soldiers lines the inside as usual. The PROTESTORS now have a new target for their anger. They wave banners showing the UAC and S.P.A.C.E. logos defaced. A line holds a scrolling banner reading "KEEP ALDEBARAN OUT OF THE UAC!" PROTESTERS (chanting) Our sovereignty's not for sale! Our sovereignty's not for sale! Our sovereignty's not for sale! SICCA (voiceover) After Male liberation, Brian and I both found jobs at the Royal Palace. Brian became a nurse's aide, while I was a domestic servant. We all ignored the protesters until that night. Three protesters wearing large hats remain still and silent among those flailing and shouting. They exchange glances and nod. Their eyes suddenly turn silver, and they throw their hats off, revealing alloy headbands set with black gems. The Assassination Sisters fire spell blasts at the protesters. Aldebarans fall down all around them, dead with large smoking black scores on their chests and backs. The others scream and run. The soldiers open the gate and charge the Assassination Sisters, spell gems glowing, maser scepters poised. Dozens of guards surround them. The Assassination Sisters smile and kneel on the cobblestone with their paws in the air. SICCA (voiceover) We all knew how dangerous the Silvered Sisters were. The palace was instructed to use maximum force when dealing with even one. We didn't know that's what they wanted. The soldiers close in on the Assassination Sisters until each have several maser scepters pressing against their necks. The Assassination Sisters nod to each other. Their spell gems flash, and they explode in three massive green fireballs that consume and kill many soldiers, and severely burn many more. SICCA (voiceover) It was a suicide bombing. Sicca watches the carnage from a window on one side of the Royal Palace. She covers her muzzle with her paws. BRIAN (voiceover) I knew what they tried at the mansion, of course. But I never thought they'd try it again with no victims to show for it except civilians and security guards. Brian watches the carnage from a window on the other side of the Royal Palace. He furrows his brow and bites his lip. SCENE 11 - THRONE ROOM, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN BRIAN (voiceover) The Queen learned of this almost immediately, of course. She held a meeting to discuss it. QUEEN KATRINA sits in her throne. She leans to the side and holds her wincing face in a paw, her breath fluttering, as if suffering a migraine. The glass conference table is back. All four new HEADS of the Magic Orders sit at the table. Sicca walks around the table with a silver cart, serving them tea and pastries. SICCA (voiceover) Katrina had steadily worsened since the incident with Felicia. I ignored this. I hadn't the authority to concern myself with the Queen's health. But that day, it went critical. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER That was a paramilitary attack against civilian targets. It's the dictionary definition of terrorism, and it demands a response. HEAD OF GENERAL ORDER Even the Male Resistance limited their attacks to military and government targets. They at least kept the luxury of being called rebels. But the Silvered Sisters have just crossed a line no one else in a hundred years has. You have to form a force to counter them. HEAD OF HEALLING ORDER It's not just us. The citizens of Palace City are petitioning for this as well. Sicca serves tea and pastries to the new HEAD OF THE COMBAT ORDER, a brown-furred half-Abyssinian with orange hair and a black barbute set with crimson gems. HEAD OF COMBAT ORDER Thank you, Sicca. (to the others) Don't be so hasty to pounce. First, we must know why. What possible advantage could they gain from killing civilians, moreover ones that at least partly agree with their stance? SICCA (voiceover) Artemisia's eldest daughter was appointed Head of the Combat Order after her mother became Ambassador. I don't know if any of the ambassador's other daughters survived. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER (irritated) Since when did doomsday cults ever have enough comprehension to think of things like advantage? There is only one reasonable course of action. Assemble a new elite force to stalk and kill the Silvered Sisters! SICCA (voiceover) Something was wrong with the Head of the Thought Order. I didn't suspect anything then, but she'd never acted this aggressive before. Queen Katrina suddenly sits up and screams briefly, startling all present and causing Sicca to flinch and drop her teapot. QUEEN (angry) Shut up! Every one of you shut up! (weakly) Atalanta's right. If his tactics at the ancient mine are anything to go by, the Armored Artificer is trying to goad us into a certain response. *He* controls the Silvered Sisters. If we take the wrong course, we may play right into his paw. HEAD OF THOGHT ORDER Well, we have to fight them somehow. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER At minimum, we should put Palace City under constant patrol. Queen Katrina leans back against her paw and winces. QUEEN (in pain) Sure. Do it. Assemble the Royal Guard and patrol the city. Sicca stares at Queen Katrina in fright, then briefly glances at the Head of the Thought Order. SICCA (voiceover) For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes turn from brown to blue. SCENE 12 - STUDY, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) After the outburst, I decided to overstep my bounds. In the small octagonal study just beyond the guest dining room, Queen Katrina sits in a wing chair wearing a bronze-colored silk nightshirt and cap, with a blanket draped over her lap. She stares at crackling embers in the fireplace. Sicca enters the study, briefly startling Queen Katrina before she relaxes and stares back into the embers. QUEEN What are you doing here? SICCA (nervous) I realize this is beyond my authority, but I thought maybe, with all the burdens weighing on you recently, you might benefit from a mild tranquilizer. Queen Katrina glares in confusion and suspicion at Sicca, and then grabs her arm, digging her claws into it. Sicca cries and struggles against Queen Katrina's vice-like grip as her arm trickles blood. SICCA (crying) Please! Your Majesty! Let me go! QUEEN (hissing) The enemy's already here, Sicca! The Palace isn't communicating, isn't coordinating. Messages are sent and never received. They have to be blocking them! Sicca slaps Queen Katrina, shocking her into releasing Sicca and putting her paw on her cheek. Her face is wide-eyed, slack-jawed, and flat-eared. Sicca gasps and kneels before Queen Katrina. SICCA (crying) Your Majesty, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I should never have ... QUEEN (interrupting) No. I should be the one apologizing. Sicca looks up confused at Queen Katrina. She lays a paw on Sicca's bleeding arm. An emerald gem set in the Queen's pendant glows. Sicca's wound is gone as Queen Katrina removes her paw. QUEEN I'll take the tranquilizer. Sicca stands and hands Queen Katrina a vial of violet liquid. She pops the lid with her thumb and upends the vial. SICCA (voiceover) I was in a hurry to get away from her. That was a mistake. Sicca exits the study into the guest dining room. The table is unset, the fireplace empty, and the grandfather clock unwound and silent. She walks forward and bumps right into AURA, former Head of the Healing Order, in her usual green robes. SICCA Oh! Lady Aura, I'm so sorry! AURA (shakes her head) It happens. Think nothing of it. Sicca nods and then sports a quizzical expression. SICCA What are you doing in the Palace? I thought you retired. AURA I did, until the Queen asked me to be her personal medic. Is she in the study? SICCA Yes. I gave her a tranquilizer, so ... AURA Oh, good! That'll make my job much easier. Sicca stares with a furrowed brow as Aura enters the study. She blinks and shakes her head as the door closes. SICCA (voiceover) For the second time that day, I thought I was seeing things. I could've sworn that for an instant, the tip of Aura's ponytail turned from brown to platinum. I dismissed it, but I still felt something was wrong. Normally, I'd be reprimanded for what I'd just done, but she didn't seem to care. SCENE 13 - INFIRMARY, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN BRIAN (voiceover) Sicca brought up her concerns to me earlier that day. I told her it was just jitters. I should have listened to her. Nurses and aides are dressed in white mandarin-style suits, filling the infirmary of white walls and beds. A still-young Brian is among them. They stand in a group listening to the new Head of the Healing Order. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER The Royal Guard is now patrolling Palace City. In the case of another attack, the infirmary may be suddenly inundated with patients. So, the Palace healers will now work in shifts instead of being on call. (beat) I'll take suggestions on how to make this change more efficient. BRIAN I say split the healers into seven equal groups. Each group gets a four-hour shift, and each group gets one day of the week off. That way, the healers aren't overworked. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER Good idea, Brian. The infirmary doors suddenly crash open, startling all present. Queen Katrina stumbles, dizzy and swerving, into the room. Defensive wounds cover her paws. Her sleepwear is wrinkled and bloody and her hair messy. She stares into space with wide, unfocused, and dead eyes. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER (panicked) Your Majesty! The Head of the Healing Order rushes to Queen Katrina's side and lays her down in a bed. The healers, including Brian, follow and surround the bed. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER (panicked) What happened?! QUEEN (whispering) I don't know ... if it did happen. HEAD OF HEALING ORDER Tell me anyway. Queen Katrina looks at the Head of the Healing Order as if looking at something far away. QUEEN (whispering) I was in my study. A servant came to give some medicine. As soon as she left, someone else came in. HEAD OF THE HEALING ORDER Who was it? Queen Katrina squeezes her eyes shut and weeps. QUEEN (crying) It was Thomas. He came into the study while I was drugged. He ... he ... he raped me! All present back away from Queen Katrina. Murmurs sound throughout the group. BRIAN That's impossible! HEAD OF HEALING ORDER How could it be? BRIAN Thomas is still at the embassy on Genus. You can call them. They'll confirm he's never set foot outside the gate since he arrived. Queen Katrina gasps. QUEEN (crying) But if Thomas was never there, then what happened? SCENE 14 - THRONE ROOM, PALACE CITY, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) Something was very, very wrong. Queen Katrina sits on her throne. She is clean and in new royal garb. Sicca stands next to her, tending her and constantly refilling for her a cup of warm milk. The Head of the Thought Order stands before the throne, reading a scroll. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER Four months ago, the Silvered Sisters murdered a close friend of you and your son in the school that bore your son's name. Thereafter, they destroyed the school. (beat) Ten days later, your son almost died in a daredevil stunt to capture a Silvered Sister alive, nearly resulting in the deaths of over a hundred stateswomen, UAC representatives, and yourself. (beat) Three months ago, your granddaughter suffered a nervous breakdown and was thereafter recruited into the Temple of Arkool, a noted terrorist cult. At that same time, the cult kidnapped, drugged, and tortured your son, resulting in the loss of all his memories before the age of thirteen. (beat) Two months ago, Felicia returned under a false pretense, murdered a trusted assistant of yours, and aided the cult in reviving a presumed terrorist from the Antithesis Wars. (beat) Four days ago, the Silvered Sisters attacked civilians assembled peaceably outside the palace gates, in a ruse to lure the Royal Guard into a suicide attack. (beat) Last night, you claim to have been sexually assaulted by your own son, in spite of the fact that he was off-world at the time, and no evidence of any assault could be found. The Head of the Thought Order closes the scroll. SICCA (voiceover) I knew that last one wasn't true. Someone did enter the study after I left. I didn't know who, but *someone* was there. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER My only conclusion is that the monumental hardships you've faced have finally taken their toll and induced psychosis. For the sake of the Aldebaran people, I request that you temporarily relieve yourself of your royal duties until you regain your health. The Heads of the Orders will act as a Shadow Crown until your recovery. Queen Katrina swallows her warm milk in one gulp. Sicca refills it. QUEEN The Shadow Crown was enacted in the hope that it should never need use. A viceroy would be far more appropriate for your proposal. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER I agree, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, there is no living member of the Royal Family qualified to act under your authority. The Shadow Crown is the only alternative. Sicca leans over Queen Katrina. SICCA (whispering) Do it. The enemies really are here. They'll attack you again if you don't. Queen Katrina briefly looks at Sicca in confusion. She turns toward the Head of the Healing Order. QUEEN Very well, but I'll not allow someone else to make an arbitrary decision about me. I yield my power to the Shadow Crown for one month, after which I will retake it whether I have recovered or not. The Head of the Thought Order approaches Queen Katrina and bows. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER Thank you, Your Majesty. The Head of the Thought Order places a paw on Queen Katrina's shoulder. HEAD OF THOUGHT ORDER Take care of yourself. The Head of the Thought Order exits the throne room. Queen Katrina blinks and cocks her head as the doors shut. SICCA What is it, Your Majesty? QUEEN For a moment, I thought I saw her paws change color. SICCA I saw the same thing from her before, and from Aura. QUEEN What are you talking about? Aura is retired. Queen Katrina suddenly winces and rubs her shoulder. SICCA Your Majesty? QUEEN It's nothing. My shoulder itches. (whispering) It itches where she touched it. Queen Katrina stands. She and Sicca look at each other with wide eyes. SICCA (voiceover) There was no need for words. We both knew exactly what happened. Whoever was just in the throne room *wasn't* the Head of the Thought Order. QUEEN He's here, Sicca! He's here now, in the Palace! SICCA You just gave him control of the throne! What should I do? QUEEN There's not much you can do. But there may be one thing. Queen Katrina puts her paws on Sicca's shoulders. QUEEN Go to Felicia's quarters. Make sure they're still secured. SICCA (bows) Yes, Your Majesty. Sicca runs out of the throne room. SCENE 15 - OUTSIDE FELICIA'S QUARTERS, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) Scary as it was, Felicia was our only hope. Two white armored female SOLDIERS guard Felicia's door in a black- and white-tiled hallway. Sicca walks past the gothic black arches and gold-leafed walls. She sees the black-furred PALACE ADMINISTRATOR walking toward the quarters from the other direction. Sicca hastens to a jog. She and the Palace Administrator arrive at the same time. The soldiers stare at them quizzically. SOLDIER #1 Is something wrong? PALACE ADMINISTRATOR No. I'm just here to transfer Felicia to a more secure suite. SICCA Belay that order! The soldiers visibly startle. SOLDIER #2 Sicca, you don't have the authority to belay *any* order. The soldier looks back and forth between Sicca and the Palace Administrator. SOLDIER #2 But this is rather sudden. I'll have to clear the order first. The Palace Administrator suddenly grabs the soldiers' faces. They scream in pain as flames shoot out from the sides of the Palace Administrator's paws. The Palace Administrator lets go, and the soldiers fall to the ground. Only blackened skulls remain of their heads, with soft, candle-like flames in their eye sockets. The Palace Administrator looks at Sicca. Her eyes turn sky blue. Sicca stares back, shaking and whimpering. SICCA (voiceover) I was paralyzed in fear. I wanted to run, but my muscles wouldn't obey me. I knew he'd kill me if I stayed. Finally ... Sicca manages to will herself to sprint away. The Palace Administrator dismisses her and fires a pitch-black spell blast at the large alloy lock on the door. The lock and door handle disintegrate. SCENE 16 - FELICIA'S QUARTERS, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) I was scared, but I knew what I had to do. I secretly doubled back and remained in the shadows, observing what took place in Felicia's quarters. Felicia's quarters retain their carpets, fabric walls, and red and gold drapes. Most other possessions are gone, save furniture. FELICIA sits on her knees on her bed, in her yellow prisoner's jumpsuit. She holds up a cultist emblem with her eyes closed. FELICIA (chanting) Moashk'Arkool, my life for you. Lead me from lies, to the glory of you. Show me the path, to ultimate truth. Moashk'Arkool, my life for you. Felicia yelps and flinches as she hears a crashing and burning sound. She stuffs the cultist emblem in her pocket and looks toward the door. Her eyes widen and water, and her jaw quivers. The door is blown open, and the image of TRISHA, in her red and gold robes, stands in the doorway. FELICIA (nervous) Trisha? I mean, Balladeer? Is it really you? TRISHA (nodding) Yes. It's me. SICCA (voiceover) I could tell it wasn't really Trisha. Trisha approaches Felicia. FELICIA (whimpering) How did you? ... TRISHA Palace security isn't what it used to be when I was in charge. And now I'm here to take you back, Felica. Back to Bobby, Jimmy, and Terry. Felicia's jaw quivers, and her eyes water. She throws herself at Trisha and hugs her, sobbing into her shoulder. Trisha strokes her hair and shushes into her ear FELICIA (crying) Thank you, Balladeer! Thank you! Felicia stops crying and sits back on the bed. FELICIA But what about Willy? TRISHA Willy will join them soon enough. But first, there's something I need you to do. Trisha reaches into her robe, unclicks something, and removes a belt full of glass tubes with orange liquid inside them. TRISHA These are fire bombs. You'll burn strategic locations to signal the others. Everything will fall into place after that. SICCA (voiceover) I was frozen in horror, knowing that intervening would mean a painful death. SCENE 17 - THRONE ROOM, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN BRIAN (voiceover) I came to the throne room to get the Queen's signature on the infirmary's new schedule. Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw. Brian pushes open the throne room's arched white double doors with his back. He riffles through paperwork as he enters. He looks up to see Queen Katrina unconscious on the floor. Brian drops his papers and rushes to Queen Katrina. He turns her over to see her eyes wide and dilated. He pushes his paws against her shoulders and closes his eyes. His deep green gems glow, and his paws pour light into her body. Queen Katrina gasps and pushes herself up, blinking repeatedly. BRIAN What happened? Queen Katrina looks at Brian, for a moment not knowing where she is. She looks down. QUEEN (panicked) What time is it?! BRIAN Quarter after seven, why? QUEEN KATRINA (alarmed) I've been out for over three hours. What's happened in that time? BRIAN Uh ... well, the Head of the Thought Order summoned the entire Aldebaran Armed Forces to Palace City. QUEEN KATRINA No! He's gathering them here so he can wipe them all out at once! BRIAN Who? QUEEN The Armored Artificer! BRIAN The Armored ... you mean he's here? QUEEN He's here, and he can take the appearance of others. Help me up. Brian reaches under Queen Katrina's shoulder and stands her up. They begin approaching the throne room doors. QUEEN Suddenly, I doubt the claims of Queen Zoda. BRIAN What do you mean? Queen Katrina bites her lip and shakes her head. QUEEN Don't ask. Just take me someplace safe. I need to call a global mind conference and warn all of Aldebaran of this threat. Sicca suddenly barges into the throne room, startling Brian and Queen Katrina. SICCA (shouting) I saw him! He killed Felicia's guards and set her loose! QUEEN (concerned) To my quarters, immediately. SCENE 18 - HALLS, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN BRIAN (voiceover) We moved as quickly as we could ... Brian, Sicca, and Queen Katrina jog through the hallways, moving from carpet to stone and back in many colors, passing story-high windows and black-and-white arches of all variations. They come to a sudden stop when a wooden archway door bursts open and flames pour out. Felicia walks beside Trisha through the doorway. SICCA (shouting) The library! You're burning the palace library! BRIAN Trisha? SICCA (whispering to Brian) That's not Trisha. Felicia and Trisha turn toward Queen Katrina, Brian, and Sicca. Felicia smiles. Her eyes water in joy. FELICIA (blissful) It's too late, Mother. The Aldebaran Armed Forces are already at Palace City, and they're rushing to the Palace to stop the fires. You'll be dead soon, and Moashk'Arkool will reign supreme. Trisha smirks at Queen Katrina, Brian, and Sicca. Katrina steps forward. QUEEEN (stern) Felicia, that's not Trisha standing next to you. Felicia laughs. FELICIA You of all cats should be able to come up a better ruse than that! I mean look, she's right ... huh? Felicia looks up at Trisha, whose hair has turned platinum. Felicia yelps and jumps back from her. Trisha sprints toward Queen Katrina, Brian, and Sicca. They turn and run the other way. SICCA (voiceover) For a moment, I forgot how much danger we were in and wondered why he was chasing us but not attacking. I knew what he did in the mines; I should've known what he was doing then. BRIAN (voiceover) I, on the other paw, had no idea what was happening. But I knew another safe place to take the Queen. QUEEN We're barred from my quarters! Where do we go? BRIAN The Royal Archives! Follow me! Brian runs ahead of Queen Katrina and Sicca and turns down a hallway. For some time, they run through hallways and down staircases of all shapes, occasionally passing by other flaming rooms. After a time, Queen Katrina starts to tire. BRIAN (voiceover) I didn't know if the Queen could make it. SICCA (voiceover) Unfortunately, she did. After so long, Queen Katrina, Brian and Sicca run down a corridor of amber stone floors and black stone walls toward a giant alloy sliding door guarded by four white armored SOLDIERS. The soldiers rush to Queen Katrina and hold her up while she gasps for breath. SOLDIER #3 Your Majesty? QUEEN (gasping) I think we -- *gasp* -- lost him. *gasp* Let us in now. SOLDIER #4 Yes, Your Majesty. The soldier bows and runs to the door. She enters a password on a keypad, and the doors unlock with the deafening sounds of clanging metal and twisting gears. The doors slide open. Queen Katrina, Brian, and Sicca run inside. Queen Katrina walks to the center of the first floor of the Royal Archives and sits cross-legged on the floor, catching her breath. Sicca follows. Brian stops halfway. BRIAN I have to go back out and tell the guards to seal the archives with a random password. Brian runs out of the Royal Archives, and looks around to see all four guards on the floor, dead of old age, with steely white fur with missing patches, sagging skin, and bony, wrinkled fingers. BRIEN (whispering) The hell? Brian looks up, gasps, and steps back. THE ARMORED ARTIFICER stares at Brian with sky blue eyes through his visor. Brian freezes and looks up and down at his black plate armor, his robes with red highlights, and his pure black gems that look more like silhouettes than three-dimensional shapes. All of it is now cleaned and polished. The gems emit darkness. The Armored Artificer opens his palm and fires a stream of black energy into Brian's chest. SCENE 19 - ROYAL ARCHIVES, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) Inside the Archives, I helped the Queen prepare. Sicca stands above Queen Katrina, whose eyes are closed and whose paws are at her crown. Her gems glow in bright pulses. Queen Katrina doesn't speak, but her voice echoes through the chamber. QUEEN (telepathically) People of Aldebaran, your Queen addresses you. It's imperative that whatever you're doing, no matter how important you believe it is, that you stop right now and listen to my words. Images flash in Queen Katrina's mind. Female artificers teach a class of the basic uses of memory stones in a newly constructed school for males. The memory stones suddenly glow, and the class silences and looks up. An army of female artificers in uniforms and gems of all colors marches toward the Royal Palace that now billows smoke. Their gems light up, and they suddenly stop and look up. At the Aldebaran embassy on Genus, Tommy and Harrison lay on a bed, rifling through the pages of an ancient book together. The plain blue gems of their headbands glow, and they look at each other. In Bucky's apartment, Jenny stirs from slumber. She notices a glow from the drawer of an end table by the bed. She opens it and removes the memory stone inside. Brian steps back through the doorway and casually walks up to Queen Katrina and Sicca. Sicca looks up. SICCA Why didn't you shut the doors? You know once she calls a mind conference, she can't come out of it until it's finished. BRIAN Yes, I know. That's what I want. Sicca gasps and steps back, putting her paws to her muzzle. SICCA (voiceover) It was only then, after it was already too late, that I realized what he'd planned all along. Brian walks forward. His image peels into pieces that fall to the floor and fade away, leaving behind the Armored Artificer. SICCA (screaming) No! Sicca runs toward the Armored Artificer. He points a finger at her and lifts her into the air. A flick of his wrist throws Sicca across the Royal Archives. The Armored Artificer approaches Queen Katrina and lays his gauntlets on her crown. His gems emit darkness, and black energy streams flow from his fingers into Katrina's gems. Queen Katrina's eyes shoot open, and she screams. Sicca pushes herself up and watches in silent despair. At the class to teach males how to use memory stones, the students and instructors seize up. Black energy sparks from their gems, cracking them. They bleed from their mouths, eyes, ears, nostrils, and cuticles, and they fall to the floor. On the streets of Palace City, the Aldebaran Armed Forces run around and crash into obstacles and each other as they're blinded by pain. Their gems spark with black energy and crack. They bleed from all orifices and fall over at once. In the Aldebaran embassy on Genus, Tommy and Harrison seize and shake on their backs. Black energy sparks from their gems, cracking them. They pour blood onto the bed and book before going limp. In Bucky's apartment, Bucky sleeps as Jenny shakes silently but uncontrollably and foams at the mouth. Blood pours from her eyes, ears, and nostrils, and she falls back into the bed with wide, dilated eyes. Bucky snorts and rolls over, still asleep. The Armored Artificer ceases his assault and lifts his paws from Queen Katrina's crown. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she falls over. She crawls away and eventually rights herself and stands to face the Armored Artificer, who speaks with a magically distorted voice. ARMORED ARTIFICER I never expected those gems to survive my assault. They must've grown stronger since last time I saw them. QUEEN Last time? What do you mean last time? SICCA (shouting) Your Majesty! The Armored Artificer turns to Sicca. QUEEN Run, Sicca! He's not interested in you, and there's nothing you can do to help! Sicca nods and runs out of the Royal Archives. She trips over something and lands with a yelp. She looks back to see Brian, drained of his youth, gasping for breath. SICCA Brian? Brian looks at Sicca and then into the Royal Archives. BRIAN (voiceover) I wondered then why he left me alive. I know now it was because he wanted me to see his full powers in action, as a warning to anyone else who may challenge him. In the Royal Archives, Queen Katrina and the Armored Artificer slowly circle around each other. QUEEN You deceived my granddaughter and stole my daughter's very life force. You violated me and nearly murdered the entire population of my world. For what? The Armored Artificer points a finger at Queen Katrina. ARMORED ARTIICER For Aldebaran's day of reckoning, of course. Rule by bloodline is about to end. Rule by strength is about to begin. You are very powerful, Katrina. I'd ask you to join my governing body, but I know you'd refuse. QUEEN You speak of might equaling morality? ARMORED ARTIFICER I do. QUEEN Of course I'd refuse. The Armored Artificer stops and shakes his head, clicking his tongue. ARMORED ARTIFICER Willfully blind to the truth, just like all the others. QUEEN I'm not blind to the fact that representing my people ensures their prosperity. ARMORED ARTIFICER (irritated) The weak don't deserve prosperity, only servitude! But I suppose I can't convince you otherwise. The Armored Artificer suddenly thrusts a paw forward and fires a black energy stream at Queen Katrina. Katrina puts her paws out and raises a shining white warding. The stream hits the warding, splashing black energy in all directions and pushing her backward. Katrina grits her teeth, and her gems glow blindingly bright. She fires a pure white spell blast larger than herself at the Armored Artificer, cutting through the black energy stream. The Armored Artificer raises his paws and creates a deep red warding. The spell blast splashes off and showers the room with blinding sparks. Queen Katrina shields her eyes from the light. The Armored Artificer leaps forward, disappearing and reappearing right in front of Katrina. He grasps her throat in a paw. She shrieks as the fur on and around her throat shrivels and falls off and black-rimmed ulcers sprout on the skin beneath. Queen Katrina's gems flash, and white spell blasts form in her paws. She pushes them into the Armored Artificer's helmet, launching him backward as he growls in pain. Queen Katrina's gems glow, and green energy flows from all the tips of her body to her throat, closing the ulcers into dark bruises. The Armored Artificer shakes his head and stands to see Katrina still clutching her throat in pain. ARMORED ARTIFICER It takes more than that to heal my touch. QUEEN I don't care if I live, so long as you die. Queen Katrina launches two spell blasts at the Armored Artificer, who merely bats them away with his paws. They shatter glass casings around alloy columns. Katrina holds her paws in the air, charging another giant spell blast, and runs toward the Armored Artificer. The Armored Artificer stands still as Queen Katrina charges. When she is upon him, he jumps forward, disappearing and reappearing behind her. Katrina is wise to this and turns to throw the spell blast behind her. The Armored Artificer catches the giant spell blast in one paw. Queen Katrina pushes against it, pushing the Armored Artificer backward. With his free paw, the Armored Artificer fires a black energy stream into the giant spell blast, draining its power and shrinking it until there's nothing left. The stream shoots forward at Queen Katrina. She raises a paw, catching the black stream. Katrina screams as her paw withers in front of her. With her free paw, Katrina raises a white warding, shattering the black stream into a shockwave and throwing both combatants backward. The Armored Artificer and Queen Katrina stand and look at each other. The shockwave destroyed most of the shelves around them. Katrina pants and holds her withered paw. The Armored Artificer breathes heavily and shakes his head. Queen Katrina lifts her good paw and fires a volley of spell blasts at the Armored Artificer. He raises a red warding with one paw, splashing them all away as he charges Katrina. He rears his free paw back and forms a black spell blast within. Katrina runs backward and continues firing spell blasts. The Armored Artificer reaches Queen Katrina and strikes her in the gut with his black spell blast, throwing Katrina against the wall. She falls to her knees, clutching her gut and wincing as black energy streams arc through her body. The Armored Artificer points upward with one finger. His gems darken the entire room, and the black energy streams coalesce at Queen Katrina's paws and feet. She screams as black wires sprout up from her wrists and ankles, which bleed. The wires pull her into the air like a marionette. Katrina grits her teeth, and her gems shine bright enough to block out the Armored Artificer's darkness. A blinding flash of light floods the room, dissolving the black strings and forcing the Armored Artificer to shield his eyes. Katrina falls to the ground but forces herself back up. Her wrists and ankles still bleed. ARMORED ARTIFICER You're stronger than I expected. But every round so far has left you wounded and me unharmed. QUEEN I'm stronger than you can even imagine. Queen Katrina raises her good paw, and her gems flood the Royal Archives with green light. A white spell blast forms in her paw. It grows larger than her own body and takes the shape of a dragon's head. The Armored Artificer steps back in surprise. Queen Katrina launches the dragon spell at the Armored Artificer. The dragon spell roars and twirls through the air toward him. The Armored Artificer puts his arms to the sides, raising red wardings as the dragon spell clamps down with its jaws. The Armored Artificer struggles to push against the dragon spell's jaws. Queen Katrina limps toward the Armored Artificer. The dragon spell's jaws gain more force as she gets closer. As Katrina holds her paw to his helmet, the Armored Artificer's gems emit stronger darkness and black energy arcs from his eyes into hers. Katrina hobbles back, growling in pain and covering her face. The Armored Artificer thrusts his arms out, shattering the dragon spell, which floods the Royal Archives with pulses of blinding white light. The pulses fade, and the Armored Artificer stands with his capes and robes tattered and his armor scuffed. He leans over and heaves for breath but is unharmed. Queen Katrina furrows her brow and slowly shakes her head. QUEEN (whispering) Impossible. No artificer can withstand that. The Armored Artificer laughs and raises a finger. ARMORED ARTIFICER No *one* artificer can withstand that. But I am not one artificer. I am an army! The Armored Artificer raises a paw above him. His shadow splits into eight, which rise from the floor and take three-dimensional forms. They detach from the Armored Artificer and fly through the air toward Queen Katrina. They wrap their limbs around her, restraining her. Katrina growls and pours blinding white light from her gems that crush the shadows to pieces, which dissolve into smoke. The Armored Artificer runs through the light and, in her moment's distraction, seizes Queen Katrina by the head. Katrina drops to her knees and shrieks as the fur falls off her face and black ulcers sprout on her bare skin. In her last lucid moment, Queen Katrina reaches out and pulls off the Armored Artificer's helmet. She gasps at what she sees. The Armored Artificer lets go, and Queen Katrina clutches her face, crying in pain. The Armored Artificer kicks her in the head with an armored boot, knocking her unconscious. He kneels to pick up and replace his helmet. Brian and Sicca watch from outside the Royal Archives. BRIAN (voiceover) I only saw him from behind. All I could make out was huge ears and platinum fur thin as paper, thinner than anything else I'd ever seen on a cat. But I knew from her expression that the Queen recognized him, or something about him. SCENE 20 - OUTSIDE THE ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN SICCA (voiceover) I didn't want to stick around, so I took Brian through the old tunnels in the Palace I'd memorized from my time in the Male Resistance. When we arrived outside, we saw something even more shocking. Brian and Sicca hide in a ditch beneath a large bush just in front of a cobblestone-lined tunnel. They see Aldebaran soldiers littering the palace grounds, some dead, most unconscious. Smoke pours from several spires of the Royal Palace. A fleet of air ferries flies overhead and lands in the grounds. Their struts carelessly crush many bodies. Brian and Sicca grimace at the sight. The boarding ramps of the transport ships lower, and thousands of cultists in white tunics, sashes, and kilts march into the palace grounds, followed by hundreds of Assassination Sisters and, finally, Trisha. The Palace doors open, and the Armored Artificer emerges onto its white stairs, flanked by Felicia. The cultists, the Assassination Sisters, and Trisha roar with applause. The Armored Artificer raises one paw, and all suddenly silence and kneel, including Felicia. The Armored Artificer speaks with what seems to be two voices at once, one countertenor and one bass. Both have perfect pitch. ARMORED ARTIFICER Palace City has fallen! The Crown's armies are now our prisoners! And the Queen is now my captive! Brian and Sicca sport distraught expressions as they recognize what they hear, and see the Armored Artificer's audience relax involuntarily. SICCA (voiceover) He had the prismatic voice. It's an extremely rare innate magical ability, allowing the user to simultaneously harmonize their voice to two different frequencies. Most cats that have it are trained as opera singers. BRIAN (voiceover) The prismatic voice is hypnotic, and he was a master of its use. I understood then just how easy it must've been for him to control people. ARMORED ARTIFICER Aldebaran is now ours! And is it not I who gave it to you? Would you not give anything in return? The audience applauds in agreement. ARMORED ARTIFICER Would you give your lives for me? The audience applauds in agreement. ARMORED ARTIFICER Than do it! The Armored Artificer raises his paws. His gems emit darkness, and branching streams of black energy arc through his audience, piercing the bodies of all the cultists, who scream and writhe as they age rapidly. Soon, they all wither into husks and fall over dead. The black streams retract into the Armored Artificer's paws, and he lowers his arms. Felicia crawls away, while Trisha and the Assassination Sisters wander in confusion. TRISHA (foggy) Wh ... wha ... why? ARMORED ARTIFICER I need soldiers for my cause, not fanatics. And soon, the living among this mess will join my ranks, by free will or not. Trisha kneels to the Armored Artificer and reaches a paw toward him. The Assassination Sisters follow suit. TRISHA Yes, Moashk'Arkool! Those peons weren't worthy of your presence or even their own lives! But my warriors will prove themselves as your disciples! Felicia crawls further away. SICCA Come on, Brian. Let's get the hell out of here. SCENE 21 - UAC EMBASSY, ALDEBARAN Having heard Brian and Sicca's story, Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy stand outside the UAC embassy. They look away from each other with dejected and deeply contemplative faces. Brian and Sicca look at them with sadness, understanding too well their feelings. BUCKY How are we supposed to fight something like that? DEADEYE (scratching his head) If masers an' magic an' electric dragons ain't gonna hurt that prick, how're we supposed to? WILLY Not to mention he now controls the only fighting force left on Aldebaran. BRIAN There is a way! BUCKY Spill it if you got one. BRIAN There was something about him the Queen recognized. She must know something about him no one else does. It's a long shot, but you have to get her back ... somehow. BUCKY If she's still alive, that is. BRIAN It's the only thing we have. Bucky, Deadeye, Willy, Brian, and Sicca look each other over and nod. BUCKY OK then. You figure out exactly how we do that. But first ... Bucky takes a comm from his pocket and activates it. BUCKY (into comm) How's the ship, Blinky? BLINKY (over comm) Calamity and woe, Captain O'Hare! Aldebaran artificers are attacking The Righteous Indignation! BUCKY What?! SICCA That's what I was warning you about! Come on! Sicca begins running toward the ship. Bucky, Deadeye, Willy, and Brian follow. Brian shortly slows to a hobble and clutches his lower back in pain. Sicca, Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy arrive at their landing site. Female Aldebaran soldiers in uniforms of various colors stand around The Righteous Indignation, firing spell blasts that splash off its shields. More amble their way toward the Righteous from the forest on the other side of the embassy. Their eyes are pure white, with no irises or pupils. Blinky mans the gunner's pod and fires at the attacking artificers, who merely stand with wardings up as still targets. For every one Blinky kills, two more seem to make their way into firing range. BUCKY What are they doing? SICCA They're not conscious. They're like zombies. I don't know how he did it, but that's what I warned you of. Brian hobbles up and falls to his paws and knees, still clutching his back. Deadeye turns to him. DEADEYE What took ye? BRIAN (irritated) I'm not that young anymore, in case you haven't noticed. How's your ship? WILLY It seems OK, if we can get to it. Brian and Sicca look each other in the eyes. They both briefly weep, smile, nod, and then look at Deadeye. SICCA Deadeye? BRIAN Give us your guns. DEADEYE What now? SICCA We'll distract them from the ship long enough for you to board. It's easy to do. WILLY You can't be serious. You're both going to die if you do that. SICCA We know. BRIAN But there's no other way to get to the Queen. And she's Aldebaran's only chance right now. SICCA It's not about us anymore. It's about our planet and our species. A time passes in silence. Everyone's faces slowly become more and more sullen. BUCKY (beat) Yeah, you're right. Deadeye, give them your guns. DEADEYE (beat) Aye, Cap'n. Sure thing. Deadeye removes his four maser pistols and hands them to Brian and Sicca. Willy suddenly grabs their paws. WILLY (sullen) It was a real pleasure knowing you two. You were my friends. SICCA Thanks, Willy. BRIAN Thanks. We were always grateful to know you. Brian and Sicca stand, wielding maser pistols in each paw. Bucky takes his comm again. BUCKY (into comm) Blinky, in a moment, two Aldebarans are going to pop out with masers and draw the others away. When you get an opening, drop the shields and let us in. BLINKY (over comm) Affirmative, Captain O'Hare. The Righteous Indignation stops firing as Blinky climbs out of the gunner's pod. Brian and Sicca jog to another source of cover and stand up from it, firing their masers at the other Aldebarans. The Aldebarans turn toward them and shamble after, firing spell blasts, while Brian and Sicca jog to another source of cover, able to dodge the Aldebarans' poorly aimed attacks. Soon, none of the Aldebarans focus on the Righteous any longer. The frigate's shields drop, and its boarding ramp lowers. Bucky, Deadeye, and Willy run past the Aldebarans, who are barely cognizant of their presence, and up the boarding ramp as it rises. As the Righteous lifts off the ground and begins to fly away, the Aldebarans swarm Brian and Sicca. Their spell blasts destroy the cover, and the entranced Aldebarans strike Brian and Sicca repeatedly until nothing is left but blackened skeletons. SCENE 22 - COCKPIT, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Bucky and Willy climb into the cockpit. Willy runs to check on Artemisia, while Bucky goes to Jenny's side. Blinky hops out of the pilot's seat and trots toward them. Both are still unconscious. BLINKY Greetings and salutations, Captain O'Hare and friend Willy! (sullen) This humble android is sorry to report that no change in Jenny or Artemisia's conditions has been detected. Moreover, sensors indicate that Aldebaran friends' life signs have terminated. BUCKY (beat) Yeah, Blinky, we know. Bucky takes the captain's chair and Blinky the pilot's seat next to him. Willy leans over them, propping himself up by his hands on the chairs. WILLY So what do we do now? I mean, there's no way we can fight our way into the Palace, and if we try to sneak in ... BUCKY (interrupting) He'll find us, I know. It's like the son of a bitch is teasing us. (beat) Hmm. Maybe he is. WILLY What do you mean? BUCKY I'm contacting the Royal Palace. WILLY What? He might not even know we're here. Bucky works the comm. BUCKY If he didn't, why was our ship attacked? (beat) We're out of jamming range now. This Armored Artificer seems like a theatrical sort of guy. Maybe he's expecting us to contact him. (into comm) Aldebaran Royal Palace, this is the UAC frigate The Righteous Indignation. Captain Buckminster O'Hare speaking. Please respond, Royal Palace. Trisha appears on the comm screen. WILLY (angry) Trisha! TRISHA (over comm) Hello Bucky, Willy, and whoever the tin can is. BUCKY I take it you were expecting my call? TRISHA Absolutely. I have a deal to make with you. WILLY (angry) We're not taking any ... Bucky puts a paw in front of Willy's face. BUCKY What deal? TRISHA The great Moashk'Arkool has decided to grace you saw worms with our hostages. In exchange for the Queen, her abomination, and Artemisia's daughters, you will leave Aldebaran and never return. Oh, and be sure your entire standing crew is there for the reunion. BUCKY Deal. Bucky cuts the comm. WILLY Are you crazy? I mean, this has got to be one trap even *you* don't want to walk into. BUCKY The way I see it, either we get those hostages back, or we all die. And to me, either option's better than leaving the system empty-pawed. A worried look crosses Willy's face, but he has no better solutions to offer. Bucky presses the comm. BUCKY (into comm) Deadeye? DEADEYE (over comm, unenthused) Yeah, Cap'n. BUCKY I might be walking to my death in a few minutes. If you want, you can opt out and take the Toad Croaker out of here. DEADEYE I ain't never backed down from a stupid idea yet, and I ain't gonna start now. BUCKY Roger that. Bucky deactivates the comm. BUCKY Willy? Blinky? Same for you. BLINKY This humble android's loyalty lies with his crew and their missions. Willy sits in silence for a moment. WILLY I must be insane. I want to go just to make sure you keep your head attached. BUCKY Fair enough. Blinky, fly us toward the Royal Palace. SCENE 23 - THRONE ROOM, ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN The doors to the throne room open. Bucky, Deadeye, Willy, and Blinky stand in a row before them. They enter the throne room. Hundreds of Assassination Sisters line either side of the room. The Armored Artificer sits on the throne. Trisha stands beside him in her red and gold robes. Felicia sits to his other side in a cultist white tunic, sash, and kilt. Felicia looks up, and her face suddenly lights up with joy. FELICIA (squealing) Willy! Felicia stands and runs and leaps onto Willy, clinging to him with her arms and legs and trying to force him into a kiss. Willy startles and turns his head. He pushes Felicia off, throwing her to the floor. WILLY (startled) Felicia, what are you doing!? FELICIA (smirking) You'd better get used to that, Willy. You'll be the star of my harem soon enough. TRISHA Your harem is dead! I killed them myself. Felicia stands and turns toward Trisha. FELICIA (confused) But ... but in my quarters, you said ... ARMORED ARTIFICER (interrupting) Trisha was never in your quarters. The image you saw was an illusion. You were nothing more than a tool for me to capture the Armed Forces with. Felicia weeps, and her jaw quivers. She runs out of the throne room crying. Willy reaches toward her but doesn't follow. Trisha smirks. Bucky sighs and grits his teeth. BUCKY Where are the hostages? The Armored Artificer waves a paw through the air. Queen Katrina, Tommy, and Artemisia's daughters lower from the ceiling, dangling by black wires sprouting from their wrists and ankles. Scabs crust over the wires where they pierce flesh. Queen Katrina's face is hairless and covered in pitted scars. Bucky and Willy cringe at the sight but rush to Katrina's side. She lifts her head and flutters her eyes open. QUEEN (whispering) Bucky? Willy? (turns away) Don't look at me like this. WILLY No, Katrina! He's letting you go, and Tommy and Artemisia's daughters, too. QUEEN (whispers) What about my grandson? Willy steps toward the Armored Artificer. WILLY What about Harrison? TRISHA (stern) Harrison wasn't part of the deal. The Assassination Sisters on either side of the throne step toward the center. Deadeye and Blinky react in fear. DEAEYE Eh. Word of advice, Bucky, take what ye can get. BLINKY This humble android must concur. Bucky grits his teeth and growls, then sighs. BUCKY Fine. Give us what you promised, and we'll leave Aldebaran. The Armored Artificer waves his paw through the air. The black strings evaporate, and the hostages fall to the floor. Bucky rushes to Tommy's side while Willy rushes to Queen Katrina and Blinky trots to Artemisia's daughters. Bucky and Willy help the barely conscious Queen Katrina and Tommy stand. Blinky extends several tendrils for Artemisia's daughters to hold onto. BUCKY (to Queen Katrina) I'm here to take you to the Righteous. WILLY (to Tommy) We'll get you to a hospital. BLINKY (to Artemisia's daughters) Your mother waits for you aboard The Righteous Indignation. Bucky, Willy, and Blinky help the staggering, anemic hostages out of the throne room. Deadeye stays behind for a time before leaving and pulling the doors shut behind him. TRISHA If you don't mind me asking, my lord, why did you not kill them? ARMORED ARTIFICER They'll come back as long as I have Harrison and Felicia. And they'll bring my enemies with them. SCENE 24 - COCKPIT, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Blinky finishes salving and dressing Queen Katrina's face, but wrapped in bandages with only her eyes and mouth exposed, she looks no better than before. She looks at the still-unconscious Jenny. QUEEN (whispering) Jennifer. I'm sorry. Bucky sits in his seat, Willy in Jenny's seat. WILLY So is that it? Are we just going to leave like this? BUCKY Can we do anything else? Any offensive against the Palace will take the entire S.P.A.C.E. fleet, and I doubt that'll ever get clearance. (beat) It's too late, Willy. He already won. As the blue atmosphere of Aldebaran gives way to deep space, an explosion suddenly rocks The Righteous Indignation, nearly throwing Bucky and Willy from their seats. The comm activates. DEADEYE (over comm) Cap'n! What'n the blazin' hell was that?! BUCKY (into comm) I don't know! DEADEYE Well, these ladies don't look like they'd be gentle if they don't get answers. WILLY (looking at sensors) We've lost our main engines! Queen Katrina approaches Bucky and Willy. QUEEN Cryonite. BUCKY What? QUEEN An explosive that detonates when exposed to frigid space. Bucky hits his terminal. BUCKY Frell! They must've planted it while we were at the Palace. WILLY No wonder they wanted the whole crew there. Blinky trots up from behind. BLINKY Calamity and woe! The Righteous Indignation is falling back into Aldebaran's gravity! BUCKY I know! Blinky, Willy, get to engineering and prepare for a crash landing. BLINKY Affirmative, Captain O'Hare. Willy and Blinky race back and climb down the ladder. Queen Katrina suddenly takes the pilot's seat and mans the controls. BUCKY (shouting) What the hell are you doing?! QUEEN The Armored Artificer had a strange face. There's only one breed of cat I know of that matches those features. BUCKY Where are you taking us? QUEEN The largest desert on Aldebaran. The Inatura. Bucky growls and hits the comm. BUCKY (into comm) Everyone strap in! Bucky cuts the comm. He and Queen Katrina strap on restraints as fire flows over the cockpit window. WILLY (over comm) We're going down too fast! I don't have time to ... The comm cuts as The Righteous Indignation crashes. Thunderous rumbling and tearing sounds echo through the hull. The ship shakes almost to the point of falling apart as it skids over the Aldebaran surface. Bucky, unable to buckle his restraints before the crash, flies forward and hits his head against the terminal. SCENE 25 - DARKNESS Tommy lays on an invisible surface in darkness. Sicca cuddles him and lays her head on his shoulder. Only a silk sheet covering them makes them decent. SICCA You know, Tommy, I was wondering if our affair might be bad for Harrison. You're already married to Artemisia, after all. TOMMY We never consummated that marriage, and we never will. Besides, I think Artemisia's already screwing the head chef. SICCA No, that's not what I meant. I'm saying, what kind of message are we sending Harrison by going on like this? Tommy turns toward Sicca, smiles, and briefly kisses her. TOMMY It sends the message that being royalty means you have to put up a facade for public interest, which is true. SCENE 26 - MOBILE SHELTER, ALDEBARAN A paw touches Tommy's shoulder, startling him out of his daydream. Jenny sits next to him on an alloy chest. She wraps an arm around his shoulder and smiles sadly at him. Tommy turns back toward the mobile shelter's green tarp and polymer rod walls. JENNY What are you thinking about? TOMMY (whispering) First Ponce, then Philip, and now Sicca. And now the bastard's got my son, and I don't even know what he wants. Queen Katrina, fully healed, sits on the metal chest next to Tommy, opposite Jenny. QUEEN He told me his motives -- partly, anyhow. I don't believe he'll harm Harrison. In fact, I believe he may try to recruit him. TOMMY (whispering) That's no better. An audible sigh sounds from behind them. They stand and turn to see Bucky, with no head wound, stirring on his cot. His eyes flutter open, and he looks around. BUCKY Stars be damned, I'm starving. How long was I out? Jenny sits by Bucky's side. JENNY Three days. We were lucky the Righteous had a mobile shelter in its cargo hold. BUCKY (startled) Jenny? You're awake? How? JENNY (smiling) My mother *is* the most powerful healing artificer in recorded Aldebaran history, if you don't already know. BUCKY Is she OK? JENNY It took all three days, but she was able to heal herself physically. I don't know what I can say for the rest of her. Jenny looks over at Queen Katrina, as does Bucky. She stares somewhere beyond the field ration she holds while repeatedly stabbing it with a steak knife. BUCKY At least she's not hiding it anymore. That's a good thing. What about the Righteous? JENNY Aside from burned-up engines, it nearly got its hull sheared off, but all other damage is minimal. BUCKY That's good. And the others? JENNY We were hurt pretty bad, but Mother took care of that. I'll get you a field ration. BUCKY (beat) I never thought I'd actually be glad to hear that. Jenny approaches Queen Katrina, catching her attention. Jenny takes a field ration from a box and motions to Bucky. Katrina sighs and puts her ration down. She stands and approaches Bucky. QUEEN There's a camp a few kilometers from here. We'll head there once dusk falls. BUCKY Why? QUEEN Because they may know who the Armored Artificer really is. SCENE 27 - INATURA DESERT, ALDEBARAN Queen Katrina leads the trek across mild dunes. Bucky, Jenny, Deadeye, Willy, and Blinky follow close behind. Tommy, Artemisia, and her daughters follow some distance away. Over the next few dunes is a camp of taupe yurts with cloaked figures walking to and fro. Deadeye stares nervously at the camp ahead. DEADEYE So if they was just a few clicks from us the whole time, why didn't they come to us? QUEEN They don't do that. When others intrude on their territory, they set camp nearby and wait to be approached. They consider it safer that way. WILLY And why are we here in the first place? QUEEN Male thralldom was started by a conflict called the Doctrinal Riots. Before that was a conflict called the Antithesis Wars. Almost nothing is known about it except that it was fought between the Siamese and another breed whose remnants exist only in this desert. BUCKY And this is significant how? QUEEN I saw the Armored Artificer's face. He wasn't a purebred, but he had almost the exact same ethnic features as this tribe. I'm only hoping they'll know something about him. BLINKY Inquiry: Is said tribe belligerent or hospitable? QUEEN I don't know. They became isolationists after the Antithesis Wars and have stayed that way ever since. All their allocated resources are parachuted to them, and our only reliable contact with them is through the royal census. And even that's purely electronic. BUCKY Oh, that sure makes me feel welcome. The group arrives at the camp. Queen Katrina holds out an arm, signaling them to stop at its border. A dozen or so figures emerge from yurts. They wear hooded taupe cloaks and wide-brimmed, pointy reed hats. They approach the group and remove their hats and hoods. The group stares quizzically at their bizarre appearance. The cats all have bright blue or green eyes and enormous vein- covered ears. Their faces have sharp, angular features. Their muzzles are square, not tapering to a narrow point like most Aldebarans'. Most striking is that, aside from whiskers, they have no fur. Their bodies are completely bald. Queen Katrina turns to the group. QUEEN Allow me to introduce you to the Sphinxes. TO BE CONTINUED