"Justification" Part 2 by DJ Clawson Outline by Claudia Carranza First Draft - 4/25/06 Final draft - 4/30/06 Edited by Rygar 4/26/06 SCENE 1 - HANGAR BAY, MALE RESISTANCE HEADQUARTERS TOMMY enters to find PONCE on the ground, his clothing and gear covered in grease, attempting to wipe some of it off with a clean towel. TOMMY So ... PONCE It's fixed. Whether she's gonna leave or not is ... FIRST MATE JENNY appears from behind The Valkyrie, an unusually stymied look on her face. PONCE ... her prerogative. TOMMY Yeah, especially now that everything's fine on Aldebaran. Thanks for the stopover, Sis, but things are under control, and I'm sure you'll be running back to your green boyfriend. JENNY Don't call me Sis. (without missing a beat) How's the ship, Ponce? PONCE I think it's ready. JENNY Can it be fueled and ready to go? TOMMY (interrupting) So you *are* just leaving. JENNY (coldly, right back at him) No, but if need be, I'm getting the Queen off this rock. Tommy blanches. TOMMY "This rock?" JENNY From the way you guys are handling it, that's what it's going to be reduced to. TOMMY Very funny. JENNY I wasn't joking. Where's the Queen? TOMMY In the palace, I assume. JENNY You "assume?" (shakes her head) I'm taking charge of this. TOMMY What? Suddenly *you're* going to lead the Male Rebellion? JENNY Can't you see that this isn't about your little rebellion? I've been watching the newsfeeds. Planted bombings, riots -- someone's making you take responsibility for putting a planet in chaos, and even *I* know you're not dumb enough to do that. So who's the one person who could possibly be behind this? TOMMY ... Cassie? Jenny looks ready to smack either his or her own head in exasperation. JENNY Well, it's clear who got the brains in the family. TOMMY So you admit that we're family? JENNY I'm still waiting for the blood tests to come back. Tommy can't tell whether Jenny's joking as she storms off. TOMMY Wait. Where are you going? JENNY I already told you. Or implied. I'm going to the palace to rescue ... Mother. TOMMY Who says she needs rescuing? JENNY I can't believe I even have to explain this to you. Obviously, she's surrounded by traitors. (pauses) Are you coming or not? TOMMY Frell yes! Tommy races after his sister, leaving Ponce in a confused huff. SCENE 2 - FELICIA'S SUITE, PALACE In her private suite, FELICIA is pacing impatiently, her books and scrolls untouched, when CASSIE enters. FELICIA (surprised) Aunt Cassie! (beat) You're a traitor to the Queen! CASSIE But apparently, enough people in this palace are loyal to me that I was allowed to enter freely. FELICIA You realize I could call for the guards and have you arrested for treason. CASSIE Of course. Whether they would listen to you or me would be the question that could only be answered by the summons, of course. FELICIA They would listen to their Queen! CASSIE Are you so sure? Felicia hesitates; it is clear that she isn't. FELICIA What do you want? CASSIE You requested a tutor. I consider myself very knowledgeable. FELICIA You can't be serious. CASSIE Princess Felicia, I am *always* serious. Felicia steps away from Cassie. FELICIA What do you *really* want? CASSIE Now you're asking the right question. Took a moment, but I had faith. Now, let's speed this up a bit. You've surmised that I'm not here to kidnap you, or I would have already done so, or kill you, as I would not do something so vulgar myself. I would have had an Assassin Sister do it while you slept. Whatever you believe about me, you realize that where I stand now, I am no threat to your person. After all, I am your aunt. FELICIA And you're such a good niece that you must be a great aunt indeed. CASSIE (smiles) Very clever. You will make a wonderful queen indeed. FELICIA Well, that's what *I* thought ... Felicia's voice trails off. CASSIE (finishing Felicia's sentence) ... when the Queen didn't have any heirs. Now, she does. Two, to be precise. The only thing that has kept up this charade all these years that you were her heir was that even she has the wits to realize Thomas could never rule Aldebaran, and she refused to admit her shame of abandoning her real daughter, even if she did train her and have her train you. But now all that has changed, and *you* are the discarded heir. FELICIA (thinking quickly) What you say may be true, but I'm not stupid. You want to put yourself on the throne, even if it means passing over me. That's why you put grandmother on trial and why you challenged Master Jenny. CASSIE So you still call her Master. FELICIA She trained me. CASSIE And now she stands in the way of all your ambitions ... FELICIA She would never betray me! Besides, Master Jenny has no desire to rule Aldebaran. (pauses) Or, she never expressed a desire to do so ... CASSIE So why did she not merely yield to me in combat? FELICIA Because ... because she had to defend her mother! CASSIE I had no true desire to kill Aunt Katrina, Felicia. You must realize that. The trial was merely a show to draw out the conspiracy and prove my point: A legitimate heir should rule Aldebaran, not one who props up her thrones with lies and deceit. If Jenny had yielded to me and my aunt had yielded to me, there would have been no trial in the first place. FELICIA And so you would rule. CASSIE I would have made my point, which was more important. Some things are more important than power. We are a great dynasty founded on a great heritage, blessed by Tae'Gwitz Himself. We must honor that heritage. I will not see it tarnished. FELICIA And you think you can restore this great dignity to the royalty of Aldebaran by being queen? CASSIE (laughs) Don't be ridiculous. Of course not. My own reputation has been tarnished beyond repair. The most loyal of Aldebaran would never follow me, and they would be right to do so. They need a pure, well-trained, respectable candidate for their queen. (beat) Like you. Felicia has nothing to say to this yet. CASSIE Think about it. Can you find a more worthy candidate, now that we have established that Aunt Katrina and I are both dishonorable, Thomas is a male and a fool, and "Master" Jenny has no interest in ruling, as you say -- and if it is really true? You are the granddaughter of the Queen, who, despite her actions, is still heir of a noble line -- and so are you. FELICIA (unsure) And that is your aim now in ... all this? To put me on the throne? CASSIE Do you see any other possible outcome? Felicia, despite her inherit mistrust, cannot find a way to contradict her. SCENE 3 - THE STREETS OF ALDEBARAN There is chaos everywhere. Things are on fire, people are running in the streets, and scenes of unimaginable violence abound. Through this chaos slip Jenny and Tommy, disguised in ordinary, nondescript robes. Unfortunately, when they try to enter the Palatial District, they are stopped by ATHER and her squadron of Silvered Sisters, wearing shimmering silver body armor. ATHER Halt! Who goes there? TOMMY (in a girlish voice) Merely passing servants ... ATHER I cannot allow ... (pauses) Tammy? JENNY What? TOMMY What? Ather takes a brief strike and pulls the hood off of Tommy's robe. His fur is mostly returned to white now. ATHER It's ... you. TOMMY (softly) Yes. ATHER But -- I'm sorry. (shakes her head) This isn't right. You're Tommy, the bastard Prince of Aldebaran. TOMMY Wow, Athy, I've never heard anyone call me a prince. Sounds kinda nice. JENNY What the frell is this about? Ather, still thrown off guard, barks quick orders to her silvered guards to do their work in the city, leaving the three of them alone. She removes Jenny's hood and immediately recognizes her, but without the same emotion. TOMMY Jenny, surely you know Ather, Head of the Combat Order. JENNY Yes, of course I know her. I interviewed for her order and was rejected. ATHER We didn't know ... we had no idea of your heritage at the time. You were an orphan -- with exceptional skills, I admit, but admission was very tight that year, and you showed ... I remember you showed a particular interest in off-world activities anyway. You were ready to walk out and sign up with the UAC, so I let you. JENNY I suppose I'll believe that. For the sake of brevity. How do you know Tommy? ATHER Tammy -- I mean, Tommy -- and I grew up together, in the Palace. I'm a very distant relation. TOMMY Second cousin, or something. ATHER We were playmates. That was when, I thought ... well, to be blunt about it, I thought you were female. TOMMY That's why it's called a "disguise." ATHER But then you died suddenly of that illness ... TOMMY Which was called "puberty" ... ATHER And that was the end of that. (shakes her head to refocus) But that's ancient history now. TOMMY (smiles) It doesn't have to be. ATHER Forget it, Tommy. Even if you are prince. TOMMY C'mon, Athy. I bet I could still beat you at battle chess. ATHER We're too old for games now. But Ather does seemed to have softened at the mention of the game. ATHER I assume, now, knowing you who you are ... (gives a pointed look at Tommy) ... that you're going to the palace to protect the Queen. JENNY Yes. ATHER I assure you, she is perfectly safe. JENNY You trust everyone there? ATHER I trust myself and my squadrons. JENNY But they're not in the Palace, are they? It takes Ather a moment to realize this. ATHER I can't possibly believe ... JENNY Master Ather, I honestly don't care what you believe or where your loyalties lie. All I know is that there are very few people on Aldebaran I trust, and that does not include everyone in that palace. I have come to protect the future of Aldebaran -- and my mother. ATHER They are one and the same. JENNY So we can trust you. TOMMY I would bet on it. JENNY *You* are a terrible gambler. ATHER You have no idea, Master Jenny. I mean, Princess Jenny. Ather bows. Jenny clearly has no idea how to take this. JENNY Just get us in to see the Queen. Please. ATHER Of course. Right away. The three of them head to the Palace. SCENE 4 - THE PALACE With Ather at their head, the trio are able to bypass the numerous guards and head straight to the Queen's chambers, where they encounter a very stern MARA all alone, protectively guarding nothing. MARA Who ... (beat) Oh, Master Ather! (bows) And who are these? Jenny and Tommy remove their hoods. MARA Your Highnesses! Mara kneels on the floor. TOMMY A guy could get used to this. JENNY Shut up. (to Mara, kinder) Where is the Queen? MARA In the Circle, preparing for the transmission. JENNY What transmission? MARA Of the Oracle's Web. It is being prepared for her and all of Aldebaran as we speak. ATHER Yes, of course. Jenny turns to Ather. JENNY Who authorized this? ATHER Master Trisha of the Thought Order, of course. TOMMY Trisha? Athy, are you crazy? MARA "Athy?" ATHER Stop calling me that! (steadies herself) Yes. Trisha is a head of the most powerful order of Aldebaran and a member of the Queen's privy council. Of course she is to be trusted. TOMMY So I have to be the one to point out that the *previous* head of the Thought Order is perhaps the biggest traitor in Aldebaran history? Cassie? *Hello?* JENNY (eyes him in frustration) Thank you for so eloquently stating that. Your tact never fails to amaze me, brother. TOMMY Hey, at least you're calling me brother. MARA What is going on? ATHER Between these two? I have no idea. But as to the matter at hand -- Trisha. Can she be trusted? TOMMY I would vote "no." JENNY And since when is Aldebaran a democracy? TOMMY Hey, you tell me, Miss UAC Offworlder. JENNY I am not an Offworlder! Jenny's attempts to deck her brother are only stopped by Ather's careful intervention. ATHER Please! (to Mara) We *must* see the Queen. MARA She is in the Circle ... ATHER We are aware. This does not change the fact that we must see her, even if it means bringing her out of it. MARA I will have to speak to the guard ... ATHER You, the Queen's chambermaid, cannot bypass a guard? MARA She is a member of the Thought Order ... TOMMY Wow. Just wow. (beat) We are so screwed. JENNY Once again, my point is proven. TOMMY Which one? JENNY That the intelligence fell on *my* side. Or at least the eloquence. (beat, takes Mara's arm) The Thought Order members are not to be trusted. I would bet my spell gems that they are under Cassie's direct commands. Whatever they are doing to my mother with this Oracle business, we must stop it at once. MARA (trembling) Your Highness, you cannot interrupt the sanctity of the Circle ... Jenny releases Mara. JENNY I must. TOMMY Because if there's anything the UAC's good at, it's stepping in where they're not wanted and violating sacred ground! JENNY (turns to him angrily) Do you want me here or not? TOMMY (quietly) I want you here. JENNY Then *shut up* and help me! Jenny storms out of the chambers, and he follows her, as does Ather as they head to the Circle Chambers. ATHER Your Highness, with all due respect ... JENNY (spins around with fill indignation) WHAT? ATHER I ... cannot violate the Circle. I can hold off any intrusions, but I cannot enter with you. It would go against everything ... Jenny softens her expression. JENNY I know, Master Ather. Just help us from the outside. I have a feeling the palace is going to be receiving a lot of visitors. They finally reach the giant bolted doors of the sacred Circle Chamber, where a THOUGHT ORDER SISTER stands guard. THOUGHT ORDER SISTER I'm sorry, Master Ather, but I may not allow you to pass. (beat, looking at the others) And I *certainly* may not allow the others to pass. Her Majesty is in deep concentration as she prepares her connection to the Web of the Oracle. JENNY We can't let that happen. THOUGHT ORDER SISTER I am under strict orders ... TOMMY From Cassie, we know. We're pages ahead of you, drone. Recognizing the voice, the guard's spell gems light up. THOUGHT ORDER SISTER Abomination ... But before the Sister can cast a spell, Ather decks her and she collapses to the ground, something the Sister clearly did not expect. Jenny and Tommy look at her in shock. ATHER Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose. (bows to them) Good luck. TOMMY Same to you, Athy. ATHER (nods) Tammy. Master Jenny. Using the key from the belt of the Thought Order Sister, Ather unlocks the doors and slides them open just enough for them to slip through. So much light shines through that it blinds them to what is inside before they step in. TOMMY Well. JENNY Well. Together, Jenny and Tommy enter the Chamber. SCENE 5 - THE CIRCLE CHAMBER Past the initial brightness, Tommy and Jenny can see into the pristine circular chamber, where QUEEN KATRINA sits on a simple wooden throne in the direct center. More accurately, she is slumped into the chair, her head to one side, her crown barely hanging on. Behind her is Cassie, who sneers when she spots the intruders. CASSIE I would say I was waiting for you, but this actually makes things more complicated. Jenny ignores Cassie almost entirely and rushes to the Queen, checking her pulse. She is still alive, but her signal is faint. JENNY (angrily) What have you done? CASSIE Connected her to the Oracle's Web. The power of a thousand Sisters at once can be quite overwhelming, especially when they direct all of their energies at one person. JENNY (more to herself) I can't believe Master Ather agreed to this. But I suppose Trisha can be very persuasive. (beat) I should have never left Aldebaran. CASSIE And why not? You are clearly doing much better as an Offworlder than as heir to the throne of Aldebaran. You have your ship, your fleet, your war, your Outsider screwtoy ... Jenny instantaneously sends a blast Cassie's way, but it can't touch her. It bounces harmlessly off the shield Cassie has created for herself. TOMMY You can't face us both. CASSIE (smiling) I do believe I can. Cassie flicks her fingers, her spell gems glitter, and Tommy and Jenny are both thrown by an invisible force against the opposite wall. CASSIE This is called "checkmate." Jenny looks at Tommy, who shrugs helplessly and attempts to get up to move toward his mother but is held back by another invisible swipe from Cassie. TOMMY (grunting) Any ideas? Jenny takes a moment to concentrate -- but not with her spell gems. She appears to be just thinking, her face pensive, before she looks up at the glowering Cassie in all seriousness. JENNY My mother is the Queen of Aldebaran -- or she was, at one time, at least. She deserves the proper royal burial. CASSIE You are quite quick to dismiss her as dead. JENNY (a bit weak) I know as well as you do that she will be soon. Please allow ... please allow me to escort her to the Dark Heart Nebula, so that she may be reunited with our ancestors. *Our* ancestors, Aunt. Cassie laughs. CASSIE And I am to let all three of you escape in this fashion? JENNY Fine. (beat) If my understanding of royal protocol is correct, and I am her heir, I can willingly relinquish my claim on the thrown, as can my brother, so that only Tae'Gwitz himself can reinstate it. CASSIE ... this is true. But you would never do so. JENNY I would. (turns) Tommy? TOMMY (not sure where she's going with this) Well, considering I could never have been King of Aldebaran anyway ... yeah, I guess I would agree. This, Cassie did not expect, but it hardly causes her to lose her composure. CASSIE So this is your proposed trade. JENNY Yes. Since you have essentially rendered our mother ... brain dead ... she is not eligible for the throne. And if we relinquish our positions, it goes to you. So we do it. I renounce my claim to the throne. TOMMY As do I. CASSIE (warily) ... then I accept your sworn terms. You realize you are nothing now, especially the male. You are commoners. JENNY Well, I was raised to believe I was an orphan. So I think I've actually moved up. Now, please, let us take our mother in peace. CASSIE In a moment. Cassie steps up to the unconscious Queen. CASSIE I wanted to do this with more ceremony, but ... I suppose I could always do that later. You realize all of the Oracle's Web heard your proclamations. JENNY Yes. CASSIE Then so be it. Cassie removes the crown from Katrina's head, working around its connection to her spell gems, and places it on her own. The look on her face as she does cannot properly be described by either observer. CASSIE (smug) Now bow to your Queen. Jenny gets to her knees, dragging Tommy down along with her. Cassie is satisfied. CASSIE (dismissively) You may go. In her regal posture, Cassie does nothing to stop them as they remove Katrina from her throne and escort her out of the Circle Chamber. They are greeted by a shocked Ather. ATHER Your Highnesses ... JENNY Not now. Just, please, as a favor to your former queen, can you get us a ship capable of flying into the Dark Heart Nebula and three suits? Immediately? ATHER Of course, but ... TOMMY Long story. Bullet points: Cassie Queen, mom brain dead, Jenny has a plan she hasn't told me yet. Wish I could tell you more. Ather nods and decides to fulfill their request. SCENE 6 - ORBIT ABOVE ALDEBARAN In the chaos on Aldebaran, Jenny, Tommy, and the unconscious Katrina manage to slip off-world without any commotion on a small ship. Inside, Katrina is on the only cot, and Tommy is nursing her nervously while Jenny confidently pilots. TOMMY So, Sis, what's the big plan? JENNY I suppose I should tell you in case you want to bail. TOMMY That dangerous? JENNY Remember what I said about Tae'Gwitz? TOMMY You mean the great dragon god of legend who granted us our powers, sleeps in the Nebula, and is a raging monster when woken from slumber that takes all of the power of Aldebaran to subdue? Yeah, you said something about him restoring our right to rule. So? That's totally not possible. JENNY This isn't quite about that. He's also probably the only one who can restore our mother. Think of it as her second soul quest. Tommy pauses, trying to understand her logic. TOMMY You think that could work? JENNY I'm willing to try. Seeing that his mother is stable and that the machines can handle her, Tommy gets up and takes a seat next to Jenny. TOMMY Why are you doing this? JENNY I think the logic should be obvious at this point, even to someone like you. TOMMY Nice. I mean, why did you so willingly renounce your claim to the throne and now you're risking your life for the mother who sent you to an orphanage so she could raise an inferior male son instead? JENNY Because ... I don't know. Maybe I've learned something from living offworld. TOMMY What do you mean? JENNY I mean, on other worlds, people have almost obsessive attachments to their families, whether they're loving or not. Bruiser will never stop looking for Bruce. When Willy woke up in the hospital, all he talked about was going home to his parents, who apparently have such a distant relationship with him that they left him alone for a summer and he's never trusted them with knowledge of the aniverse. When they showed up, they were genuinely shocked at this whole world their son didn't tell them about. And Bucky ... Bucky idolizes his dead father, who emotionally abused him. He's based his entire life off of a false memory of who he thinks his father was. He won't even acknowledge that Fritz has been a better father to him than his actual father was. (beat) There's something about blood relations that's ... indescribable, but it's there. Maybe it explains why Mother had me train Felicia, knowing that both of us didn't know we were related. Maybe it's why I didn't kill Cassie when I could have. Or didn't take my numerous opportunities to kill you, my rival in every way. (shrugs off her sentimentality) It doesn't matter. Let's do just do this. For Mother. TOMMY For mom, OK. Any ideas on just *how* we're going to do this? Jenny turns to him. JENNY (honestly) No. TOMMY Then this really is a suicide mission. JENNY Very likely. Do you want to bail? TOMMY Are you frelling kidding me? (buckles his seat belt) Lead on, Sis. SCENE 7 - THE DARK HEART NEBULA Pink clouds surround the ship as it delves deep into the Nebula. Tommy and Jenny put on their suits, carefully fit their mother for one, and open the upper hatch as they approach the ball of mystery that is supposedly their ancient sleeping god. TOMMY Well, I didn't go on a soul quest, but I know from people who did that if we wake him, he'll be severely pissed at us and probably eat all of existence. JENNY (looking ahead) I can tell you as an eyewitness that that's accurate. TOMMY So -- once again, your amazing plan? JENNY How do you contact someone while they're sleeping? TOMMY Uh ... basic telepathy? (beat) On a *god*? JENNY Well, our ancestors must have spoken to him somehow, and yet he was always the "sleeping god." TOMMY But that was centuries ago. JENNY And I don't think he's changed much in that time. And we're their descendents. They pulled it off. TOMMY Maybe they knew what they were doing. JENNY (slightly annoyed) I told you, you don't have to be part of this. But I'm going to do it. If you want to join me, it'll help. TOMMY Hey, for the woman who saved my life at the risk of her own, I'll do anything. Tommy pats Katrina on her head. Or, more accurately, on the glass helmet that protects her from the vacuum of space. TOMMY Let's do this. Jenny and Tommy activate their spell gems, which glitter in concordance as they open their minds and reach into the void, hoping to pick up on a signal. There is one out there, tiny in its desire to be probed, and they approach it gently, nudging it with the gentlest of invitations for a connection. It finally responds, even though there is no physical manifestation of this. The intensity of the deep voice that answers them throws them both back -- physically -- into their seats and out of their meditative stances, but does not break the connection. They are not sure whether they are hearing him with their minds or their ears. TAE'GWITZ (telepathically) JENNY TAE'GWITZ TOMMY (respectfully) TAE'GWITZ JENNY (cautiously) Now free of her meditative stance, Jenny tries to lift her mother's limp body up but cannot do it alone. Tommy has to help her. TOMMY JENNY There is no immediate answer from TAE'GWITZ, or any visible response from the curled-up dragon ball before them. Eventually, he speaks again. TAE'GWITZ JENNY TAE'GWITZ Tommy and Jenny exchange glances. TOMMY TAE'GWITZ The dragon seems lost in himself, and the connection quietly severs. There is no more. Wordlessly, Tommy and Jenny set their mother down and close the hatch, then remove their headgear in the restored artificial atmosphere. They remove Katrina's helmet, but there is still no response. TOMMY Mom ... Tommy is about to cradle the Queen's head when the siblings are knocked to the ground by a throbbing from their spell gems. The three sets of gems are all aglow with a blinding light of alternating colors, and Tae'Gwitz's voice intrudes, and the experience is too intense to tell whether he is just talking or transmitting thoughts. TAE'GWITZ It is not an offer. Jenny and Tommy are suddenly in a different space, the three of them, floating in a place that looks much like the Nebula, in their normal clothing, but their bodies are indistinct and transparent, aside from their spell gems. Katrina is between her children, looking very awake and aware. TOMMY Mom! Tommy reaches for her but finds that with a total lack of gravity, he can only stay in place. KATRINA I am quite all right, Thomas. JENNY Where are we? KATRINA I have no idea. Wherever Tae'Gwitz wishes us to be, I suppose. TAE'GWITZ TOMMY So we shouldn't ask how it came about? The dragon's voice is everywhere, his form invisible. TAE'GWITZ TOMMY But ... won't existence end? TAE'GWITZ (growls impatiently and licks his lips happily) Nobody wants to push him further on this topic. JENNY So you chose us. TAE'GWITZ (not sounding so humble) <... myself. Only Death. Him you cannot defeat.> KATRINA Why do you tell us this? TAE'GWITZ JENNY We're sorry to intrude. TAE'GWITZ KATRINA We are *very* grateful, Honorable One. TAE'GWITZ (laughs) They look toward the light. SCENE 8 - QUEEN'S PALACE, ALDEBARAN Three weeks have passed. A great assembly of magical females sits in rows and rows of chairs before the dais, where all the heads of the Orders are assembled. Trisha holds the crown of Aldebaran on a pillow in her paws as Cassie walks through the middle in the formal royal robes. TRISHA Queen Cassie, restorer of the land, rightful heir to the throne of Aldebaran ... No one raises dispute. The fires have stopped burning, and in the palace, it is a beautiful day and no one present can raise a complaint. All appears well on the beautiful planet of Aldebaran. Cassie ascends to the throne but does not sit down or take the crown that she has in fact been wearing, informally, for several weeks now. She turns, still standing, to her loyalist crowd and speaks. CASSIE Sisters of Aldebaran! In all fairness and without fear of persecution, I ask you, have I not brought peace to Aldebaran? (beat) Have I not destroyed the Male Resistance, banished its leader, and had its members imprisoned and scheduled for execution? (beat) Have I not confined the male population to more respectable quarters for them to be breeders, instead of having them cause trouble? (beat) Have I not brought the rioting to an end and brought all of the Orders together to accomplish this? Have the Silvered Sisters not made it safe to walk the streets at night? Up on the podium, Ather briefly looks down in shame but picks her head up again when she thinks Cassie might be looking. CASSIE Is there anyone who can dispute that I have not righted the wrongs brought on by the former queen and her deception? Is there anyone who can dispute that I am not fit to sit on the throne of Aldebaran? (beat) No? Also on the podium, Felicia is too terrified to say anything. CASSIE Then we shall continue life as it should be! Cassie takes the crown from the pillow and raises it over her head. CASSIE Are there any objections, loyal subjects! VOICE (calling) We object! All eyes turn to the three who have appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, in the middle of the walkway, about thirty feet from the podium. In front is Katrina, wearing regal robes, her voice steady. She is still the same age, but she is not the wilting flower that she used to be, her voice full of obvious power and confidence. She walks without a cane, which she needed in the past, standing tall and proud. Flanking her on each side are Tommy and Jenny, both in similar beautiful, shimmering robes of royalty, their gems matching and glittering. KATRINA (stepping forward) I am the rightful Queen of Aldebaran, and my children are the Prince and Princess. You will not deny the authority of the royal line, niece. This conspiracy has gone far enough! To say Cassie is shocked by her appearance -- her changed appearance as well as Katrina's appearance at all -- is putting it mildly. CASSIE (recovering quickly) You have been tried as ruler and found wanting, Katrina! KATRINA The only thing I lacked was the confidence to act on my suspicions and my instincts. I blinded myself to others' faults and accepted things as they were to be. But no longer. (narrowing her eyes) I challenge you, Cassiopeia. CASSIE You have to be ... TOMMY She isn't kidding, Cassie. She's twice your age, and she'll fight you. JENNY You would be wise to step down and relent, Aunt Cassie. CASSIE And on what authority do you challenge me? KATRINA On the authority of the Master of the Dark Heart Nebula. This gives Cassie considerable pause, as there is an audible hush in the crowd. There is no way for this to be possible, and yet Katrina gives every indication in her unwavering stance that it is. KATRINA I repeat: I challenge you to a duel. You may name the terms. CASSIE And if I said physical? I would worry for your health, aunt. KATRINA Worry not. Physical it shall be. CASSIE (getting a little nervous) We do not duel for crowns! KATRINA We also do not challenge the authority of a ruler, and I seem to recall spending decades on the throne. So today, we will be a bit unconventional. CASSIE How do I know that your traitorous children will not just slaughter me while I am distracted? KATRINA Then on the astral plane, if you wish? Or do you not trust your hundreds of loyal subjects that surround us right now? They could challenge us all at any time and win. It is we who place ourselves in danger for our convictions, not you. You are well protected by your cronies, are you not? CASSIE Fine. (beat) Astral plane, it shall be. KATRINA Visible to all? CASSIE Of course. Guards! Cassie puts the crown back down on the pillow and snaps her fingers, and the Thought Order Sisters run to her side. CASSIE Guard her children while I duel Katrina. The guards surround Jenny and Tommy, who don't look the least bit afraid of the normally intimidating Sisters of the Thought Order. TOMMY Thought Order, huh? Read my mind now! Tommy's gems glitter, and one of the females cries out. SISTER Ew! That's disgusting! JENNY Tommy! Stop messing around with her head! What did you send her? TOMMY Do you really want to know? (gems glitter) Here. JENNY (blanches) Inappropriate. And you're the one who has to produce an heir! TOMMY What? Why me? JENNY You think a hare is going to sit on the throne? (shakes herself out) I'm never going to look at Ponce the same way again. Meanwhile, while they are held back mainly by their agreement to be so, former queen and attempted queen take their places, kneeling before each other. Above them, a transparent plateau appears visible and floating far above the crowd. SCENE 9 - ASTRAL PLANE Cassie and Katrina appear on the plateau, which to them is solid. CASSIE You really wish to do this? At your age? KATRINA I will do what I must for Aldebaran. CASSIE Did you really speak to Tae'Gwitz? KATRINA Yes. CASSIE And so, you would kill your own niece? KATRINA You have given me no other choice, Cassie. I am sorry for it, but this is a disaster of your own making. CASSIE (eyes narrowing) We shall see whose disaster it is. Cassie's gems light up, and she tosses a bolt of fire at Katrina. Katrina doesn't bother to get out of the way. She holds up her paw, and a basic blue barrier appears just in time to block it. CASSIE Are you just going to block? KATRINA Surely a queen can get around a simple barrier spell. Cassie grows and tosses a boomerang attack, meant for Katrina's back. Again, it bounces harmlessly off her. Cassie curses and dissolves the ground beneath Katrina, who merely levitates in place as if there was no problem with the ground -- or lack thereof -- beneath her. CASSIE And you do nothing. KATRINA I wish to give you a fair chance. It is the polite thing to do, especially for a relative. Cassie is not amused. The former Head of the Thought Order projects herself into Katrina's mind, only to rebuffed before a true invasion by the blinding image of the face of a dragon. This alone knocks Cassie back. She is not wounded, but surprised. Katrina still has not changed stance. CASSIE Dammit, do something! KATRINA Very well. (beat) I was the first to hold you as a child after the midwife. I passed you to your mother. Did you know that? CASSIE No. KATRINA (serenely) That is why it pains me so to do this. Katrina's gems glittering, she slams her paws together, then kneels and slaps them onto the ground. There is a resounding blast from beneath, and several feet away, the ground below Cassie's feet begins to change. Before she can move, she finds herself engulfed in the jaws and emerging snout of a dragon, which snaps shut over her, and she disappears entirely within it. When the dragon reopens its mouth, there is only a gaping hole that it dissolves back into, and Katrina stands up. From this hole flutters a quark demon -- a playful, delightful object that Katrina regards with some affection. SCENE 10 - QUEEN'S PALACE, ALDEBARAN Katrina returns to form; Cassie does not. In her place is the quark demon, a ball of fuzz that flies briefly over to Katrina's open paw, then heads slowly upward into the blue sky like a lost balloon. With all her regal authority, Katrina turns around to face the Thought Order Sisters, who get out of her way, and she is quickly overwhelmed by a hug from both of her children. Eventually it has to be broken off, and Jenny quietly wipes a tear from her eye when no one is looking as Katrina turns her attention to the dais. The pillow with her crown sits on the throne, and Trisha looks at the crown, then Katrina, then the crown again. There is no decision to be made. Trisha steps aside, terrified of this mysterious new person who was Queen Katrina, and it is Ather who steps forward and offers Katrina. ATHER Your Majesty ... Katrina smiles at Ather and takes the crown, holding it up before the crowd of Aldebaran Sisters. KATRINA Sisters! And the Brothers who could not be here today, due to unfortunate circumstances ... The Queen smiles at Tommy, who returns the favor as he kneels before her. KATRINA Is there no one here who will deny that I have come to restore Aldebaran to its former glory and bring peace to the land? (beat) Is there no one here who would say that I did not root out the traitors and conspiracies that have tainted us all? (beat) Is there anyone here with any objections to my rule? There are no objections. There is only a stunned silence at the events that have unfolded. KATRINA Then let it be so. Katrina places the crown on her head and seats herself on the throne. Everyone gets to their knees and bows with their foreheads almost to the ground. ATHER Long live the Queen! CROWD (calling) Long live the Queen! For the first time in ages, there is a contented smile on Queen Katrina's face. SCENE 11 - QUEEN'S PALACE, ALDEBARAN In the private royal chambers, Queen Katrina is taking her regular afternoon tea, served to her by a visibly nervous Mara -- not because of being feared as a traitor, but because of the Queen's obviously newfound power and authority, which can only be divine. Around Katrina sit the heads of the various orders. Beside her, also regally, sit Tommy, Jenny, and Felicia. QUEEN It has been a long, strange day for Aldebaran, and there is much to do, so I will be brief. There will be many changes made, all to the specifics of our lord and master, whose name we do not speak lightly. All males will be released and retested for magic. All female prisoners will be released on a case-by-case basis, because I understand there were problems on both sides, and we are not to excuse violence just because of some chaos. Order will still rule Aldebaran, even if it will be a slightly different order, but the people will adjust. As for those here who may have, in a weak moment, doubted my own authority -- whoever they may be -- they are forgiven. Katrina does not glance at Trisha. She does not have to. QUEEN I have many written orders to compose, but first, am I to understand that communications were restored with the Offworlders during my considerable absence? ATHER Yes. QUEEN Good. Now, if you don't mind, I need a few moments with my family. The various heads and ministers nod and bow themselves out. There is a quiet silence before the Queen speaks. QUEEN Felicia, it is good to see you. FELICIA You were gone so long, grandmother! No one has been in the Nebula that long, especially on such a small ship. QUEEN We were not on in the Nebula precisely the entire time ... but it is something to relate at length, at a time of greater leisure. I know Jenny is already dear to you, but I hope you will embrace you uncle with the same love and respect, despite all that you have been taught by our misguided ways. FELICIA Of course, grandmother. Felicia looks at Tommy with some wariness, then embraces him, though it is a little awkward. FELICIA Do I call you Thomas or Tommy? TOMMY Call me whatever you want. JENNY Ask Ponce what he calls him. Tommy responds by shooting a look at his sister, who just smiles. FELICIA Oh, Master Jenny! I mean, Aunt Jenny! I mean, Your Highness ... JENNY (smiling) Just get on with it. FELICIA I forgot. Your ship is ready to go, since you'll be wanting to get to Warren as soon as possible. JENNY Warren? Why, did Bucky leave a message for me or something? Realization dawns on Felicia's face. FELICIA You don't know. Genus has been invaded! Suddenly, the room gets serious. JENNY (startled) WHAT? FELICIA The toads overran it weeks ago. The UAC has reassembled on Warren. I don't know much about it beyond that ... JENNY (grabs Felicia) Is everyone OK? FELICIA You mean from your crew? I don't know. I heard something about Captain O'Hare in the news, so I assume he's alive -- him and that fox captain ... JENNY Mimi. Thank the Stars, we have at least two functioning captains! (turns to the Queen) Mother, I have to return to Genus -- I mean, Warren -- at once! Surely you understand. QUEEN (smiles serenely) All of this was worth it to hear you call me that, Jennifer. Katrina and Jenny embrace -- very quickly. JENNY I have to go. QUEEN I know. TOMMY I'll see her out, then I'll be back. Apparently I have all of this "royalty" stuff to do now ... Jenny grabs Tommy by his royal robes and drags him out. FELICIA Grandmother, may I see them off? QUEEN Of course. I have many letters to compose anyway, so I need some time to myself. FELICIA Thank you. Felicia kisses her grandmother on the cheek and leaves. Katrina smiles peacefully. SCENE 12 - THE DOCKS The Valkyrie sits on the strip, ready to go. Jenny stops only to speak to Tommy. JENNY The toads have attacked Genus so many times before. I never thought they'd actually succeed. (deep breath) So. I have to go rebuild the UAC, apparently. And see who's alive. TOMMY And I have to rebuild Aldebaran. And see who's alive. JENNY If you don't have the Male Resistance to run, how will you have an excuse to steal women's clothing and dye your fur? TOMMY I never should have showed you that memory. JENNY Just remember who has to produce an heir. TOMMY You really love that rabbit? JENNY *Hare*. It's in his name! Why can't anyone get it right? TOMMY Because I love making fun of you. JENNY At least now I can do it back. TOMMY I love that, too. Jenny and Tommy hug, with real affection. TOMMY Call me if you need any help. Seriously. I may actually be bored being Prince of Aldebaran. JENNY You'll just have to find out. But I promise, I'll call you. Jenny climbs into the ship, and Tommy waves her off as The Valkyrie takes off into the sky. Tommy watches it disappear, then turns away, back toward the palace and his many waiting attendants. He does not notice Felicia, who is keeping herself far aside. FELICIA (a dark, jealous glint in her eyes) This isn't over, uncle. This isn't over. THE END