Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ Tales of the Daishi'cha: Newgrange ( Chapter 71 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A year ago. Shoghran'dai, Tere'na.

"Chief! Look at this!!"

Windy spits up a glob of dust-encrusted mucus from her mouth as she
crosses the wind-blasted plain toward one of the trenches the archaeology team
had drilled into the rock. The small group, investigating the plateaus north
of the Forge for the earliest signs of migration from the Fourth Republic's
birthplace, had been working over Shoghran'dai for the last two years.

Two things were against them. First, the once-fertile soil had been
dried and crushed into soft shale by a combination of thermonuclear bombs and
the detonation of Eisen'a millennia before in the Clone Rights War. Second,
even with the return of vast oceans and lots of water, the plateau was as
throat-scorching dry as the Sahara. Digs were only scheduled for the early
forenoon before the brutal heat and absence of moisture made any intensive
labour impossible.

"What is it?" the archaeology chief peeks into a trench. "Find
something interesting?"

"Look for yourself," the woman grins.

Windy steps into the trench. Awaiting the Terran-turned-Sagussan is
a menhir-like rock turned on its side, approximately five metres long by three
wide. Its limestone surface carved with a psychedelic scrawl of circles,
diamonds and triangles. Between the shapes were glyphs that seemed simple
compared to the modern form of Sagussan writing. "Did you date this?" she
inquires.

"Between the sixth and seventh ages of Parun'hwac," her companion
sighs. "Approximately 70,000 years ago."

"Find something?" a male voice parrots Windy's question as footsteps
are heard.

Windy smiles as Komeru Moroboshi leaps into the trench. For her and
the Archaeology Group of the Science Ministry, having a *daimon'cha* whose
uncle was a full-time explorer of lost places was a double windfall. Given
their lack of practical experience, Sagussa's small band of archaeologists
were always willing to turn to outside sources to assist them in better
understanding their world's shrouded past. And Komeru, who couldn't wait to
start breaking into other worlds' secrets, was always a phonecall away.

The archaeology chief and the digger give him a rundown of what they
found, then allow Komeru the chance to inspect it. "I doubt we could
understand these glyphs, right?" he traces his fingertip over the characters.

"I doubt they understood them millennia ago," Windy sighs.

"What can you tell me of Parun'hwac?"

"Socially chaotic, migratory time similar to the time between the
collapse of the Roman Empire and the start of the Middle Ages period on
Earth," Windy muses. "According to legend, the ancient kingdoms formed by
Ram and Atar just fell apart, allowing the people to discover their own path
to self- understanding. As a new social understanding grew, new nations
emerged and, with the advent of scientific understanding, allowed the Fourth
Republic to forge its first world government."

"Transitory time," he hums. "Curious. I'd say this was the guard
rock of a tumulus."

"You mean we're in an ancient cemetery?" Windy muses.

"I think so. Any idea what Shoghran'dai was used for back in those
days...or were those records lost?"

"Near as we could understand, it was the assumed centre of a semi-
nomadic kingdom called Nyoogranj'sha," Windy reports, then cups her chin with
her thumb and index finger. "S'funny. In the latter ages of the Fourth
Republic, many people looked on Nyoogranj'sha the way you look on Atlantis or
Avalon. No one had any real written documentation of its existence, but the
oral and written legends of the place were profound."

"All legends have some basis in fact, Windy," Komeru muses, then
notices the scorching white ball ascending over the western hills. "In the
meantime, we better find some way to protect this, then shut down for the day.
Sen'a's looking a little nasty."

The Sagussans nod...

* * *

Urusei Yatsura - Tales of the Daishi'cha: "Newgrange"
by Fred Herriot
**** **** ****
Edited by E.B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
A story based on the series "Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year," in turn based
on "Urusei Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi
**** **** ****

WRITER'S NOTES:

1) This story is inspired in part by my wanting to write a story on the
Classmates Daishi'cha (named from the "End of Summer" gang) and an interesting
book I just picked up called "How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Thomas
Cahill (ISBN 0-385-41849-3).

2) The people of Nyoogranj'sha (Newgrange) speak with an older dialect,
hence whenever they refer to any *daishi'cha,* I'll use the proper
Romanization of Sagussan sounds.

3) The historical Anghya is the first bard of the Fourth Republic,
having lived thousands of years before Lyna. Her name is derived from the
guardian goddess of Newgrange.

4) A reminder of Sagussan time:

hi - day = 20 hours 54 minutes
igh - tenth-day = 2 hours 5 minutes 24 seconds
fung - hundredth-day = 12 minutes 32.4 seconds
daigh - second = 7.524 seconds
matagh - tenth-second = 0.7524 seconds

**** **** ****

Today...

The winds blasting down the slopes of Tahrah'sha gently lift the
warrior princess' flowing hair as she strode purposefully to the line of
painted warriors. The rabble before here didn't scare her. Half were the
transformed insects who had been felled by arrows dipped in the magic elixir
the druids used in their healing spells, now slave warriors of Rooahan'ee.
The others were serfs, probably pressed by local lords to serve their idiot
queen Ahlil in lieu of sending their own children. No challenge.

Taking a breath, Math of Nyoogranj'ee focuses on the enemy force.
Exceptionally tall and broad-shouldered even for one of this world, she was
adorned in the light armour of a mounted warrior, perfect for fighting on and
off the backs of the long-necked reptiles everyone typically called
"five-feet" for their maddening gallop, which could at times discharge even
the most experienced rider. Already, she could smell their fear, their awe
on seeing who had come to face them.

Good. Time to press it home.

Drawing her windreaper, Math crouches in a two-hand block stance,
blade aimed at those before her. "Your sewer-queen failed to pay the proper
respect when she demanded we surrender our prize stormwalker for her use, not
to mention the proper payment for his use! If she is such a coward as to send
slaves to answer my response to her insult, then I give you one chance to lay
down your arms and walk away! If you don't take it...you die!"

She says no more. Wordlessly, the serfs and slaves drop their
pitiful weapons and bolt from the plain, leaving behind a lone man mounted,
suddenly wondering where his army had disappeared. Turning to face Math, he
cries out as she slams into him, knocking him off the quintopod to smash him
head-first against a rock! Math tumbles out, returning to her foot as she
sheathes her weapon, then looks at the small company of swordspeople who had
accompanied their princess to today's battle. "Have one of the druids put the
elixir in this one!" Math snorts as two carry the stilled man away. "I need a
new pet to amuse me."

"Princess, this is the Prince Ahlilrei!" one stares at her. "He is
the eldest of Ahlil's children!!"

Math sneers. "He WAS the eldest of Ahlil's children, Mahah! His
spirit fled him 'fore the rock stove in his useless brain! 'Sides, he was an
idiot; Anghya Herself wouldn't've allowed him to sit on Rooahan'ee's throne.
Off with him; I want to play with him tonight before Meehogh visits my
dreams."

"At once," Mahah nods understandingly as the corpse is dragged off...

* * *

...and Miho's eyes open.

Exhaling, the botany technician rises, stretching herself as she
slips out from under the covers, then crosses to the window to gaze on the
twinkling lights of Ly'sha City. Her curly rose-red hair cascaded haphazardly
over her creamy gold shoulders, in much the same style as Math wore her hair.

A year had passed since the dreams began, when Miho had begun to be
transported out of the Dreamscape to another world, a world that by all
standards of logic should only exist in myth. Yet the smell, the sweat, the
passion of the princess of Newgrange were too vivid for Miho to forget.
Sagussans remembered their dreams better than other races; the Dreamscape
guaranteed that. And Miho certainly didn't want to forget Math. Five
centuries of searching for her special soul-mate seemed at an end...

...if she could only figure out HOW to find Newgrange!

* * *

"Faster, Satomi."

The Gladiator pilot puffs as she picks up the pace on the treadmill,
hands to her side to keep balance as she pressed into the last hundredth-day
of her annual physical examination endurance test. Designed to last a
tenth-day, the run was equal to a Terran marathon. If you couldn't hold up,
you were deemed a risk to your squadron and denied flight status. Satomi,
one of Sagussa's ace of aces, had never failed once. She wasn't intent on
failing today.

The grey-haired woman concentrates as she allows her mind to slip
into the haze of the *te'a,* drawing Its strength to complete the test with
flying colours. Her legs become a blur as the treadmill is forced to catch
up to her. Seconds fly past until finally, a voice barks in her ear,
"STOP!!!!!!"

Satomi stops, forgetting she's on a treadmill. A *crash!* indicates
her in a pile of empty crates. "*Kide'ne!!!*" a voice snaps. "What were you
thinking of?!! Lyna's Soul, don't lose concentration like that!!"

"Th-thanks, Misa," Satomi takes the offered hand, then leaps to her
feet, wiping herself off. "Well, do I pass?!"

The chief physical education officer of the Defence Force stares at
her pad. "Yeah, you passed. Better than last year's test. Good work," she
pats her friend's shoulder.

Satomi nods, then walks over to take down a bottle of spring water as
Misa motions Tita onto the treadmill. "Now, cut it out with using the *te'a!*
This is an endurance test, not a chance to show off your mental skills!" Misa
growls, her brown eyes flashing in warning. "Understand, Flightmistress?"

"Aye-aye, Shipmistress," Tita grins. Technically a civilian, Misa
was given honourary shipmistress' rank by the Navy to mark her importance.
"Still, how did you suppose Satomi-chan and I managed to pull off all those
hundred-kill fights?!"

Misa mutters something incoherent under her breath, then hits her
stopwatch. "Go!"

Tita starts off. Satomi grins as she finishes the rest of the water,
then begins a cooling down exercise. Still in good shape, she congratulates
herself. Physically twenty now, she was still in her prime, perfect material
to pilot Gladiators. Her eyes, the shade of distant storm clouds, linger
longingly on the slender woman now being tested. Tita was physically two
years younger, her dark auburn hair cut short save for ridiculously long
sideburns she allowed to hang loose under her helmet, brown eyes now fixed on
the holovision cubicle before her.

Misa turns it on, displaying the tactical schematic of First Defence
Squadron's last fight, against pro-*Asan'on* pirates who'd got too close to
Earth for the United Nations' comfort. Between Tita and Satomi, they had
racked up a dozen frigates and sloops, which put their victory tally close to
the 500 mark, not to mention winning for both the U.N.'s Meritorious Service
Medal. It was a decent scrap, quite one-sided since the Ipraedies had no
supply line to support their pathetic rebellion against the *Dowe'on*-led
republic that had overthrown the late Emperor Schwartz.

Still some worlds couldn't accept that Earth wanted to follow its own
path, Satomi shakes her head. Seven years since the Battle of Uru showed how
much the Sagussans were willing to go to protect their distant kin elsewhere
and there were STILL people trying to revert things to the bad old days before
Foundation Day. Morons, the whole lot. Well, they'd get theirs soon enough.

"Tita-chan, I'm going to the cafeteria and get something to eat,"
Satomi rises. "See you in nine."

"Right," Tita nods.

"Want something, Misa-chan?"

"I'll be okay," Misa smiles.

Satomi nods, exiting the exercise room to one of the main corridors
bisecting Sen'sha Seven's main atmospheric dome. Constructed during the early
days of Stage One, the dome had been driven as deep as the Forge's dome
burrowed into the bedrock of Tere'na, guaranteeing its long life. Besides,
comets and asteroids were rare in the Fourth Stellar Cluster. Finding a
vending machine, she selects a can of himgh-tagh, then spots a slender woman
sunning herself under UV lamps in a nearby park. Smiling, she walks over.
"Hey, Mai, don't get burned."

"Hello, Satomi-chan," Mai gazes up from her book, smiling.
"Congratulations. You and Tita going to celebrate later?"

"Yeah, down to Otimtim's. You and Misa coming along?"

"Sure," Mai nods, stretching before slipping on her uniform. "You
want to do what we normally do?" she grins.

Satomi sighs. In the early days, the couples would do the wild thing
after Tita and Satomi breezed through their endurance tests. Now with nine
children between them, it was usually a quiet dinner in Ly'sha City, then
pick up the kids from school and the daycare centre. "Pity we can't do it
anymore."

"Pity," Mai straightens herself, then slips on her gunbelt. "Besides,
it's as enjoyable watching the little ones play. Still, I'm glad you and
Tita chose to live with us instead of elsewhere."

Satomi nods. The personnel of First Defence Squadron and the monitor
"Virgin'cha," the Fourth Fleet elements assigned to guard Sen'sha Seven, had
the choice of whichever province they could live on back home; space-warps
guaranteed that both crews could be on their ships and ready within minutes of
a muster call. Tita and Satomi chose Ly'sha since the latter was good friends
with Misa and Mai, along with a dozen others who'd taken their names from the
same video game/home movie Ataru had played long ago. "So am I," she notices
the book. "What're you reading?"

"'Patriot Games,'" Mai smiles. "I get books brought in on the
Tere'na-New York shuttle; can't stand reading a datapadd especially since he's
such a good writer. Movie sucked, though."

"Usually does," Satomi laughs as she relaxes, taking in the misty air
of a nearby fountain. She blinks on seeing Miho come up, an antigrav cart
before her laden with plants. "Hi, Miho-chan! What're you doing here?"

"Hi, everyone," Miho stops. "Just delivering some flowers to the
offices here. Mai-chan, is Misa-chan's office open. I'll get her flowers put
in right away."

"Go ahead," Mai nods, then blinks. "Wait a minute. Misa-chan didn't
order those windreed flowers, Miho-chan. She wanted the red sunflowers; she's
allergic to windreed."

Miho blinks, then gazes at the pale tan flowers on her cart marked
for Misa's office. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she claps her cheeks. "Silly me, my mind
slipped! I'll get those changed as soon as I can! Excuse me!!"

She heads off. Satomi and Mai watch concernedly. "You know, that's
about the sixth time I've seen her do that," the latter muses, turning to her
friend.

"What do you mean?"

"Mixing up her flower orders," Mai muses, her brown eyes narrowing.
Miho, as a botany technician, ran a small flower shop in Ly'sha City along
with a tree farm some distance from the provincial capital. "And it's always
windreeds she brings in."

"Isn't that funny," Satomi muses. "Before, she was always dead on
with her flower orders. What's up?"

"I don't know," the Force Two sergeant hums. "But I'm going to find
out..."

* * *

Later, Mai saunters down Tara'sharong, Ly'sha City's main strip, to
Anghya Flowers, Miho's shop. Already, the pink-haired botanist was
disassembling her stand for the night, her twin daughters Soo and Kee
pitching in. Mai quickly ducks behind a wall. "I don't know what got into
me," Miho chastises herself as she lifts the empty shelves into the shop. "I
should know by now that Misa-chan's allergic to windreed; I was the first one
to find out. What's wrong with me?"

"You were thinking of Mashi again, Mama," Kee grins. "You know Mashi
likes windreeds."

Miho blushes. *'Mashi?!!'* Mai gapes, her eyes widening.
*Impossible...Miho?!*

"I must have," Miho sighs, then gazes at her children. Her lack of a
bond-mate spelt few children for her family. That would hopefully soon
change.

Mai blinks as she scrambles away. Wait until the others heard this!

* * *

If there was one thing on Sagussa as strong as the *te'a,* one legend
said, it was the ability for rumour to fly across the planet at transwarp
speeds. Such is proven that evening when the news of Miho's supposed bonding
billows out. The *daishi'cha* had, in the wake of their reunion with Ataru,
formed cliques, groups composing of people who took their names from the same
TV show, movie, OVA or video game. Miho's clique numbered thirty-one people,
most living in Tere'na and Ly'sha. Two of those lived in a private home a
kilometre from Miho's apartment.

A unique family lived here. On rare occasions, the Gatherer found a
mother-daughter couple in his search for women. If the mother was still
quite young and matching all the other necessary criteria to be a
*daishi'cha,* Henry wasn't adverse to taking both the mother and the
daughter. The regeneration matrix regressed the mother's age, similar to
what happened to Honey's bond- mate Hunba. After they emerged from
cryosleep, the two living in this home elected to live together as a family.

Yui was now working the stove, preparing a nice meal for her, her
mother, three siblings and four children. The door opens as a voice calls
out, "I'm home!"

"Dinner's almost ready!" Yui calls out.

"Thanks," Misakonodokyuu...Misako to her friends...walks to her
bedroom, slipping off the lab coat she wore as a nurse at the Ly'sha City
Hospital. "How was work today?"

"Okay," the technician from the Second Fleet Construction Unit nods.
"We're building the mock ups of the new Class Three ships. Construction
should begin very soon."

"That's nice," Misako walks into the kitchen, then blinks as the
holophone rings. "I'll get it!" she walks over, then presses the
RECEIVE/TRANSMIT button. "Hello?!"

"Hi, Misako-chan," Misa appears on the screen. "You're not going to
believe this one! Miho-chan's got a dream lover!!"

"A dream lover?" Misako blinks, then turns to her daughter. "Did you
hear that, Yui-chan?! Good for her!"

"That's nice, Mom...wha?!" Yui stops, blue eyes widening, then she
bolts to the phone. "MIHO-CHAN'S GOT A DREAM LOVER?!?!?!"

Misa is blown down by Yui's shout! Ever since the Classmates clique
formed, the raven-haired Gomianite-born woman has held a crush on Miho.
Seven years later, Yui hadn't got much anywhere; both had been too busy. But
now...now, could it be actually happening? "Ouch!!" Misa groans, getting
back up. "Yeah, Mai-chan overheard her daughters talking about her Mashi.
You know Miho-chan wouldn't do anything without telling all of us now, so
that means she's dreaming about this one!"

Yui blinks, her eyes glittering. "Thank you, Lyna!!!" she leaps up
and down, then takes microphone in hand as a spotlight falls on her. "At
last! Seven years of lonely waiting over! My heart is whole, my children are
safe and finally, I can claim the one I love so much!! Oh, I knew my dreaming
of you would convince you of my true intentions, my beloved Miho! Soon, soon,
my precious one, I shall give myself body and soul to you...!!"

Sobbing interrupts Yui's soliloquy. She turns to see her mother on
her knees crying. "Mom, what's wrong?!"

"Oh, I'm so happy!" Misako sobs. "My sweet little girl's getting
bonded!! Oh, this is such a wonderful day!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because...because..." Misako sniffs, then wails, "...WHO'S GOING TO
TAKE CARE OF ME WHEN I'M OLD AND GREY?!?!"

Yui and Misa faint!

* * *

At the Ly'sha City Spaceport, Tita and Satomi sigh as they gaze on
the ship before them. A pre-Clone Rights War Type 63 courier, obsolete even
by Lyna's time, the vessel had been in storage aboard the "Gihan'cha" at
Den'sha Two. Considered unusable by the Navy when the fleet had been brought
back, Tita and Satomi saved it from the scrap pile by turning it into their
pet project. Now rechristened the Republic of Sagussa Starcraft "Cha Cha
Maru" after the ship Tita's namesake was captain of, the vessel had undergone
five years of heavy refitting. When both retired from being Gladiator
pilots, Tita and Satomi intended to open their own cargo business. Smiling,
the couple walks up to the woman now gazing at the avionics housing. "How's
she look?" Tita asks.

Izuminodokyuu shrugs. "Not too bad. If you ever get this hunk of
junk flying, Tita-chan, it'll be a miracle!"

"I thought you liked working on this old girl," Satomi hums.

"I do," Izumi sighs, wiping her brow, then pops open the access
panel. "But that doesn't guarantee something fifteen millennia old will
operate with any degree of success. We've had to replace 66 percent of the
parts on this tub...and there are few parts for this class of ship still
available; she was the only Sixty-three at Den'sha, remember?"

"It don't matter," Tita smiles. "You're the best engineer in Ly'sha,
Izumi-chan. If you can't get her flying, no one can!"

"Flatterer," Izumi laughs as she pulls out her toolbag. "Okay, Tita-
chan, pop up to the bridge and monitor the avionics panels. Satomi-chan, go
down to the main computer to make sure all the programs work. I'll do the
analysis here."

"Okay," both pilots head into the ship.

Izumi grins as she gazes at the nest of wires, motherboards and ODN
chips before her. Vosian-born, she was a scrappy tomboy with short black
hair and blue eyes. The mother of three, she was assistant engineer at
Second Fleet Construction. One of those children, Paran Aizudo Moroboshi,
now walks up to her, a basket full of cookies in hand. "Hi, Mama!"

"Hi, sweetheart," Izumi kneels to kiss her. "What are you doing
here? Is your homework done?"

"Uh-huh. Auntie Misa called."

"What did she want?"

"She says Auntie Miho has a dream-lover."

"Oh, that's nice...eh?!" Izumi stops, then gazes at her. "What did
you say?! Miho-chan has a...?!"

"Dream-lover!" Paran smiles. "Auntie Yui's really happy about it,
too! She's gone over to bond with Auntie Miho right now!"

"Oh!" she blinks, then turns back to the avionics panel. "Well, it's
about time...!"

She stops, eyes widening as her scream shakes the spaceport to its
foundations. "***WHAT AM I SAYING?!?!?!***"

You can guess what Izumi's feelings for Yui are!

* * *

"There you go!" Miho spreads the blankets over Kee's dozing form.
"All ready for another voyage to the Dreamscape."

She kisses her, then slips the covers over Soo before heading out of
the twins' bedroom. Sighing, Miho walks into her room, slips out of her duty
jumpsuit, then puts on her off-duty uniform. "Oh, what a day!" she yawns,
then heads into the living room. "Time for a good book, then bed!"

Before she could get far, a black-haired blur slams into her! Miho
then finds herself receiving a storm of Yui's kisses. "Hi, honey!!" the
latter grins. "I'm here!!!"

She swallows Miho's mouth wholesale. The botanist gags as the
engineer takes her breath away, then pulls back. "Yui!!! What are you doing
here?! Cut it out!!!"

"Oh, Miho, sweetie, I knew you'd come to see it sooner or later!!"
Yui sobs happily as she crushes Miho with a bearhug. "I knew you'd realize
how much I loved you and came to bond with me!! Now we can be together for
the rest of our lives!!!"

"Is that all...WHAT?!?!?!" Miho barks, throwing Yui off her. "WHAT'S
THIS ABOUT ME BONDING WITH YOU?!?!?!"

The brunette looks confused. "But... you've been dreaming about
me!! I'm your dream-lover, right?!"

"You?!" Miho blinks, then shakes her head. "What makes you think I'd
want anything to do with you, Yui?! You're a friend! I don't want you as my
bond-mate!"

A heart shatters on Yui's head. "You... don't...want...me?" she
gasps, her eyes glistening with tears, then she wails, drowning Miho with a
torrent to equal Niagara Falls! "WHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! SHE HATES ME, SHE HATES
ME, SHE HATES ME, SHE HATES ME!!!!!!"

"Wait, wait...!!!" Miho waves...

...then is blasted down when a monstrous head appears. "***MIHO, HOW
DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE MY LOVE AWAY FROM ME, YOU SANDPANTHER-THIEF?!?!?!***"
Izumi bellows imperiously.

"Who says anything about my...!!"

Izumi is bear-hugging Yui. "Yui-chan, you must reject her!!!" the
engineer pleads. "She's not fit to be your bond-mate!!! Let me fill the
gaping hole in your heart!!!"

Yui kicks Izumi into the ceiling! "I'd rather bond with a
nightlizard than you!!!" the technician snaps. "I want Miho!!"

"But it's not you...!!" Miho gasps.

The door opens to reveal Yoshikonodokyuu, Yui's co-worker. "Miho-
chan, is this true?!!" the bespectacled twentysomething Wasurite-born
technician hugs the surprised botanist. "So where is she?!! When did you two
get bonded?!! Well?! Well?!!"

"Um, she's not here...!"

"Yoo-hoo!!" Yoshiko calls around the living room, trying to overcome
Izumi and Yui screaming at each other. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Don't be shy!! We're Miho-chan's friends and we want to meet you!!!"

"She's not here...!!" Miho cries out.

"Miho-chan!!!" Natsukonodokyuu, a raven-haired Vosian-born
psychologist based in Ly'sha, races in next, party favours in hand. "We're
here!!! Where's the lucky girl?!!"

"She...well, you see...!"

"Miho-chan, you sly vixen!!" Chiharu, a green-haired Yaminokuni-born
external affairs official, races in next to embrace her friend, having flown
in from Tere'na when she heard the news. "You gorgeous girl!! Where's the
lucky lady?!! Well?!!"

"She...I, um...!!" Miho gasps.

Sure enough, everyone else of her clique stream in, jabbering
excitedly about Miho's good "fortune." The botanist shudders as several
stream into the kitchen to get snacks prepared, others move furniture around
to clear out a space for a party, and the rest try to calm Izumi and Yui.
Miho sits in the middle of this tornado, shaking her head as she is
overwhelmed by her visitors and buries her face into her hands.

Tita and Satomi then step in, staring at the wild scene around them,
then the shaking woman in the middle. Sighing, the former draws her pistol,
then fires a blast into the ceiling (fortunately, Miho had a top floor
apartment)! Movement stops as eyes turn confusedly to the two pilots. "I
think Miho-chan's trying to say something!" Tita sighs.

Everyone looks at Miho, who breathes out in relief. "Thank you! As
I was trying to say, I'm not bonded to anyone!!"

"What?!!" Mai blinks confusedly. "But Soo-chan and Kee-chan said
that you were dreaming about a Mashi!! That means you're either bonded or
about to be bonded...!"

"To me!!!" Yui bearhugs Miho.

Izumi grabs Yui and tries to yank her off. "Yui-chan, let her go!!
It's me you want, not Flower Child here!!"

Miho shoves them both off. "Get off me!! I'm not interested in you,
Yui!! Who gave you that crazy idea?!"

Yui stares at her, then starts to cry. "Why?! What's wrong with me,
huh?! I'm cute! I'm nice!! Why don't you want me?!"

"Because I want Math!!" Miho snaps.

"Who's Math?!" Natsuko demands.

Silence falls as thirty-one pairs of eyes lock on her. "My dream-
lover," Miho shrugs.

"So where is she?!" Yoshiko wonders, then blinks. "Wait a minute! I
don't recall a *daishi'cha* by that name!"

"Is she an outsider?!" Misa wonders.

"Um...y-yeah, you can say that!" Miho laughs embarrassingly.

"So where is she?!" Mia asks. "Who is she?! Is she someone you just
met?! Someone you heard about?!"

"Details, Miho-chan!" Karen, a blonde, brown-eyed Yehisrite-born
chief history tech from Tere'na, urges. "We want details, girl!! Where's she
from?! Who is she?! Well?!!"

Miho sighs. "Okay, okay! Math is a princess of Newgrange!"

Silence falls...

* * *

"My Princess."

Math smiles from her herb-scented bath, seeing her visitor. "What is
it, Mahah?"

Mahah bows, then waves in her companion. Math's eyes widen on seeing
Ahlilrei saunter in. Dressed only in a loincloth, the muscular lad, around
twenty by Terran reckoning, stares emptily at the princess. This was typical
of those who faced the burning fire of the magic elixir Karee and her fellow
druids used to heal wounds, even mortal ones...and erase memories. "Who are
you?" Math smiles lightly, relaxing in the bath.

"I am your servant, my Princess," Ahlilrei bows.

"And your name is?"

"I have no name, my Princess."

"Good. I will call you Rocgh."

"I am Rocgh, Princess," he bows. "Your humble servant. May I give
you pleasure?"

Math smiles. "You may."

Smiling blankly, Rocgh slips off his loincloth, steps into the bath
to prepare to please her. Mahah sighs as her mind drinks in her beloved
princess' growing lust. Oh, to be the mysterious Meehogh, wherever she lived,
and to be the one Anghya Herself promised to be Math's heart-mate. Such a
lucky woman.

She then blinks on realizing that she was standing in the princess'
privy watching Math have fun with her new servant when she should have
business elsewhere. Bowing respectfully, Mahah quickly makes herself
scarce...

* * *

"Newgrange?!!"

Miho nods, staring at the confused and surprised looks on her
friends' faces. By now, they had all shifted into the main part of the
living room. Misako and Sachiko, another mother-turned-*daishi'cha,* had
served snacks and drinks. Miho's daughters, awakened by the excitement, had
dozed off in Misa's and Satomi's arms. The botanist gazes at her friends,
sensing their reaction.

For many, the response is confusion; understandable since Newgrange
was seldom discussed among the modern Sagussans. Karen and Minori had very
surprised looks on their faces, screwed with a touch of concern. Natsuko was
more concerned; as the local psychologist, hearing of a dream lover who had
haunted Miho's dreams for a year could be seen as troublesome. Izumi smiles
with delight. Given Yui's behaviour from earlier, Miho understood why; if she
wasn't available, Yui was free to bond with her supervisor.

And Yui herself...

She surprises Miho. Instead of blind jealous rage or wild-eyed
sorrow, there is a melancholic acceptance. <<Forgive me,>> Miho gently prods
her telepathically, then nods to the others. "Yes. Math is a princess of
Nyoogranj'ee, a small kingdom on Newgrange. I assume it's a planet,
somewhere. As to the where or how, I don't know. But I'm convinced," she
turns to Karen and Minori, "that in spite the commonly held belief that
Newgrange is myth, it's there."

"We are not disputing your beliefs, Miho-chan," Minori draws off her
round-framed spectacles to reveal her wide brown eyes. The Vosian-born
archaeologist runs a hand through her rose hair, braided like Kuruminodokyuu's
into side pig-tails. "After our discovery at Shoghran'dai, we are convinced
that something like Newgrange did exist sometime in our planet's distant past.
As to what happened to it, that is the mystery. If this modern Newgrange
exists elsewhere, it would be quite exciting to locate it and study it."

Chiharu's golden eyes flash in warning. "I wouldn't advise it,
Minori-chan. In fact, I'd advise against that."

"May I ask why, Chiharu-chan?"

"Because if Newgrange exists, it must be at the post-Classical stage
of technological development," Chiharu warns. "Remember, we grade worlds
using the stages of Earth's development as a reference point. Even the
thought of GOING there is violating the Non-Interference Directive." She
then turns to Miho. "Miho-chan, the instant you realized that Newgrange was
real, you should've reported this to someone in authority."

"What?!" Miho snaps. "Wait a minute! I don't recall External
Affairs being elected to become the Thought Police! What gives you the right
to dictate what I should dream about?!"

Some of the others wince; to be called "thought police" was one step
above being a half-life on this planet. "I didn't say to break off contact
with this person, Miho," Chiharu sighs. "But what if some information has
leaked through your growing bond with Math? What if she spreads that
information out and that causes catastrophic changes in Newgrange society?
That would be OUR responsibility, Miho!"

Miho sighs. In spite her blunt approach, Chiharu had a good point.
"She doesn't care about technology, Chiharu-chan! I'm just a florist; what do
I know about Gladiators or building cities in the sky or anything like that?!
Besides, Math's a little too busy right now to concern herself with expanding
her knowledge. She's fighting for her kingdom's very survival right now!"

"What's happening?" Kurumi wonders.

Miho sighs. "Nyoogranj'ee, her kingdom, straddles some very
important trade routes between the northern and southern parts of her home
continent. Normally, most of the kingdoms treat hers with great respect to
keep those routes open. However, about three months ago, they got into a war
with their southern neighbour Rooahan'ee. In fact, she just captured the son
of Rooahan'ee's queen and turned him into her personal slave. You can bet
things are going to heat up very fast when Queen Ahlil gets wind of that!"

"What's this war all about?" Satomi asks.

"Well, near as I can figure, Queen Ahlil wanted Math to loan her
Nyoogranj'ee's prize stormwalker for a year so she could impress the southern
kings into how great she is...but because she didn't ask nicely or didn't
offer the right tribute, Math refused her. That's when it started."

Everyone looks dumbfounded. "Starting a war over THAT?!?!" Ako, the
brunette Yaminokuni-born personal assistant to Benten, gasps in shock, then
shakes her head. "Lyna's Soul, that takes the cake!!"

"It's true," Miho sighs. "Chances are good Ahlil might get some of
the neighbouring kingdoms into an alliance and take down Math all at once.
But...I don't know how successful she'll be."

Silence falls as everyone considers that. "Still, this will have to
be reported," Chiharu sighs. "If you are in psychic contact with another
race, it means they possess Sagussan-levels of telepathy and empathy. There
are grave implications no matter how they could look on us."

"If they are descent of Nyoogranj'sha, then they are Sagussan,
Chiharu-chan," Minori interrupts. "Perhaps the only intact sample of the
Fourth Republic still around."

"True," the external affairs official sighs. "I better call Kaede in
the morning and give her the news..."

* * *

Sometime later, Soo and Kee are laid under the covers. Miho sighs,
then gazes at Yui. "Thanks for helping clean up."

"My pleasure," Yui smiles as they step out of the twins' room,
relaxing on a sofa. "Tell me about her."

"Math?" Miho pours some tea. "She's very nice...and very brave,
too. A good fighter; she could probably give Lufy and Priss a run for their
money. But...she's sad, too."

"Sad?"

"Yeah," Miho sighs, gazing at the stars and the spirals of distant
galaxies through her veranda windows. "She didn't want to become the
kingdom's champion, to go out there to fight every creep that came along
wanting to prove how tough he is. Math wants to have peace, wants to live a
nice life. But...because of where she is, she doesn't know how to get it."

"That's really sad. So why you of all people? What made Math try to
contact you?"

"I don't know," Miho gazes at her guest. "Math attributes it to
Anghya, the goddess of Newgrange. Everyone there thinks that if something
happens, Anghya willed it."

"Any relation to our Anghya?"

"Minori-chan once told me that our Anghya took her name from the
ancient mother goddess of Tere'na," Miho muses. "I guess when Math's people
were moved to their Newgrange, the belief in Anghya went with them. I guess
Minori-chan's salivating at the chance to go to Newgrange and see it for
herself."

"Yeah, she would feel that way," Yui smiles. Every time the clique
got together, Minori wailed about the frustrations Sagussa's archaeologists
felt at being unable to dig up something that could hint at the civilizations
that lived prior to Gisan'cha and the classic age of unification before it,
Senhan'yuth.

An awkward silence falls as they gaze on each other. "Why didn't you
tell me?"

"I wanted to, so many times," Yui bites her lips. "Mom and I got
together after Foundation Day and went off to build our home. But as time
went on, I decided I wanted something for myself. I mean, part of me doesn't
want to leave Mom, but part of me wants to geton with it. I know Tomomi-chan
wants to bond with Mom but won't as long as I'm around. And...you are very
beautiful, Miho-chan. I can sympathize with Math because I know pretty much
what she wants."

"Thank you," Miho smiles, then stares at her. "Yui-chan, what about
Izumi-chan? You know how much she loves you."

"That girl?!" Yui snorts. "Forget it!"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Everything!" Yui stands, walking to the window to gaze at the city
around them. "Izumi's a pretty demanding person to work for under normal
circumstances. I can't believe Tita-chan and Satomi-chan sweet-talked her
into helping them get the 'Cha Cha Maru' into operation! She's such a damn
perfectionist! She's also violent! I don't understand why she doesn't
muster into the Pathfinder Brigade given the times she loves to get into
fights when she goes to Crossroads! I don't want that sort of girl as my
bond-mate; I couldn't trust my children with her!"

"Maybe she doesn't know how to be calm," Miho advises her. "Maybe
she's scared, like Lufy was before she bonded with Catty. You can't judge
someone by surface feelings, Yui-chan. Can't you give her a chance?"

"Maybe I could back when my children weren't involved. I don't think
so now."

"Koo-chan and See-chan go to school with Paran-chan," Miho muses.
"They say Izumi-chan's a very nice mother. She'll know how to behave when
children are involved."

Yui sighs. "Maybe I'm afraid. It...it doesn't feel right between
Izumi and me, Miho-chan. It does feel right between you and me," she gazes at
her. "That's what I feel."

Miho sighs...

* * *

"If what you've reported is true, this could be a very serious
problem."

Chiharu nods, sitting beside her two senior officers, Kaede and
Kaori. The three were in the council chambers of the Hall of the Republic in
Tere'na City. Across the round table, Sakura had her hands clasped together
in silent contemplation. Nearby, Benten looks agitated. "Damn right it's a
serious problem, Sakura," she turns to the prime councillor. "If someone has
that level of psychic power and is contacting us, what's to stop them from
contacting someone more knowledgeable than Miho?"

"Lum, what's your reading on this?"

The head scientist sits back for a moment. With her is her deputy
Wendy, Windy (representing Archaeology) accompanied by Minori, and Ifurita,
the chief of the Te'a Studies Group. As one of her sub-duties, the
Tritonian-born Ifurita analyzed the impact of foreign minds entering the
Dreamscape, which was ruled in part by the *te'a's* influence.
"Understanding the political situation on Newgrange should be a priority
here. Once we locate the planet, rover units should investigate right away.
Other than that, I refuse to speculate without additional data."

"Ifurita, how far could a Sagussan-trained mind transmit messages?"
Kaede asks.

Ifurita sits back. "Well, it all depends on the level of self-
control the subject would have. The more powerful the psi or the more she
could understand the *te'a* and Its impact on things, the greater the
distance. The most powerful psis on this planet have reached out to sixty
thousand parsecs on a good day when they threw all their concentration behind
it. For instance, during the Planet of Shadows mission, the *ashi'cha* was
distracted by Princess Kurama, which prevented her from learning of the
*daimon'cha* nearly getting killed in that Lannarkite hive. Only when she
could restore control was communication between her and the Other restored.
I'd say that this Princess Math must be a very strong psi or else Miho's
skills are growing."

"It should be investigated right away, Sakura," Benten hisses.

"We can't influence in any way the natural development of these
people!" Kaede barks. "We have to find some way to lessen the bond growing
between Miho and Math."

"They could teach us something about our past," Windy counters. "I
say let's open the door! They are Sagussans! They have every right to know
where they come from."

"How many will die for it?"

"It could be an excellent case study about understanding our exact
relationship with the *te'a,*" Ifurita adds. "We should bring Miho and Math
both in for study."

"Why do you want to destroy love?"

Everyone stops, turning to the other person in the room. "Noa, this
sure ain't the time to get romantic!!" Benten snaps.

Noa fires a withering glare at the defence minister, causing Benten
to sputter into silence. "Why are we having this meeting?" she sits back.
"Chiharu came here to inform us that we have made contact with a surviving
element of the Fourth Republic. Fine and fair. It's obvious that Miho and
Princess Math want to progress their relationship to the *marei'cha* stage.
Fine and fair. What gives all of you the right to pass judgement on that?"

Silence falls. Behind Benten, Ako passes an a-OK sign to Minori and
Chiharu. You could always depend on Noa to clear the table and make everyone
see the truth in things. "I propose that we send a ship. Miho and some of
her friends should be aboard..."

"That's out of the question!!" Lum barks.

Noa glares her into silence. "We should send someone from External
Affairs. After all, we are greeting a head-of-state. And we let things go at
that."

"Without understanding if there're others probing us for weakness?!"
Benten snaps.

"And possible risking the whole of Newgrange culture just to allow
two lovers together?!" Kaede adds. "We almost did that on Earth, may I remind
you..."

"I AM AWARE OF THAT, KAEDE!!!!" Noa barks, spinning on her. "I was
THERE, remember?!!" Taking a deep breath, she looks down, then smiles. "You
know, there's one thing I've always heard from people wherever I go. You want
to know what that is?"

"What?!" Chiharu blinks.

"I've always heard that governments exist only to serve themselves,
not the people who want governments to serve them," Noa stands up, then walks
out of the room...

* * *

"Hey, Noa, what are you doing here?!"

The *ashi'cha* saunters across the tarmac to stare at the "Cha Cha
Maru." The sloop's name and pennant number, CSS-092, had just been painted
across the forecastle. Satomi was doing some final wiring in the bridge while
Izumi was doing a static power test with the impulse drive. "Hi, Tita," Noa
walks up to the sloop's underside. "I hate to say this, but this is a hunk of
junk."

"Everyone says that," Tita laughs. "Her old engines were so useless,
I cannibalized a couple Gladiator warp-sleds from the recycle barn. We're
just about to give her a trial run. So, what did the geniuses in Tere'na say
about what Miho-chan's been going through?"

"Tried to turn it into a bureaucratic nightmare as usual," Noa twirls
her finger in disgust. "Benten's pissing herself over the fact that someone
can psionically communicate one of us with the same strength a T'Kon has. I
can't wait to see what Carmen says about it. Ifurita wants to test them both
and Kaede's ripping her hair out over possible NID problems. In the meantime,
Miho-chan and Math aren't getting closer together."

"I'd say the first thing we have to do is FIND Newgrange before we
worry about anything else. You don't think everyone's going to see this as a
threat, do you?"

"It's possible," Noa hums. "If you look hard enough for an enemy,
you'll find one."

"True," the pilot nods, checking out the portside landing gear.
"What would you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what would you do if you had a lover on a planet like
Newgrange?" Tita wonders. "Earth wasn't as primitive as what Miho-chan
described yesterday, but still..."

"Well, I do...or did," Noa sadly sighs, gazing at the disc of the
Milky Way five thousand parsecs away. "I wouldn't cloud my mind with other
things. All I was concerned about before Foundation Day was breaking Ataru
and Lum-chan out of Tomobiki. Does Miho-chan want to bring Math here?"

"Or does Miho-chan want to go to Newgrange?" Tita completes. "We
can't speculate too much, Noa. We just don't know."

Noa nods. Time for answers. "When can your ship be ready?"

"Whoa, wait a minute, what makes you think I want to go on this trip?"

"I can't trust those characters back in Tere'na. Besides, if Miho-
chan wants to go find Math, she might as well go with friends."

Tita nods. "Question is, how?!"

"Well, Ifurita does owe me a favour."

* * *

The next morning, a small crowd boards the "Cha Cha Maru." "Hi,
everyone!!" Satomi walks into the sloop's lounge with a tray full of ran-jugh.
"Take a load off your feet and relax! We'll get underway in a few minutes."

"Can this thing fly?" Mako, a Tere'na-based nurse, asks tenatively of
the pilot.

"We're about to find out," Satomi grins, then crosses her fingers as
she walks back up to the bridge. "Ready?!"

"Looks good," Tita stares at the controls, then her bond-mate.
"Okay, Flightmistress, start her up."

"Right," Satomi flips open the main power switch handguard, then
presses the button.

The sloop shudders as the engines cycle over, then the sound dies
away just as quickly. "Aw, shit!!" Izumi snarls as she looks at the controls
over the hatchway leading aft, then slams it with her fist.

The sloop turns over, the impulse drive sounding loud and clear.
"Alright!!" Satomi whoops as she retracts the boarding ramp. "Let's get out
of here!"

"Moving forward," Tita pushes the accelerator forward, then taps the
communications board to raise the spaceport tower. "Ly'sha Control, this is
Charlie-Sierra-Sierra-Oh-Niner-Two, requesting take off clearance for
shakedown mission."

"*Charlie-Sierra-Sierra-Oh-Niner-Two, this is Ly'sha Control,
clearance is granted. Depart on Runway Sixteen, level off at fifty thousand
metres for atmospheric departure. Have a nice day,*" the computer controlling
the tower replies.

"They should have human controllers."

"*I heard that!*"

Satomi snickers as the "Cha Cha Maru" rolls out onto Runway Sixteen,
then with a gentle push of the impulse drive, the sloop rockets down the ten-
kilometre strip before lifting off and clearing the Tara'sha before soaring
over the Pugh'haeng. In several minutes, the sloop rises to the prescribed
fifty kilometre altitude for groundships awaiting clearance to break into
orbit. Tita calls into Ly'sha Control, then gets clearance to enter space
just as the sloop crosses the North Pole. Satomi looks down to the slowly
forming ice cap as it falls behind the "Cha Cha Maru." "So far, so good,"
she muses, checking the warp flux monitors.

"Alright," Tita stands. "I'll get Noa's little present and get
started with Miho-chan. Set course for Sen'sha Seven as soon as we're given
permission to clear the gravity well."

"Right."

Tita heads for her personal quarters aft, pulling out a hatbox.
Inside is a helmet not so different from the one she wore when she flew a
Gladiator. Reading the instructions, she heads back into the lounge and hooks
it up to the 3D game table. "Miho-chan, you want to come over here for a
moment," she smiles.

"What's that?!" Miho wonders as everyone crowds around the machine,
the botanist sitting down beside the table.

"This is a visual memory scanner," Tita smiles as she slips the
helmet over Miho's curly hair. "Noa borrowed it from Ifurita for the
occasion. What we want you to do is get in contact with Math, ask her to go
outside and take a look around. It should be night on Newgrange about now,
right?"

"It should be...Math!" Miho blushes.

"What?!" Misa asks. "What's going on?!"

"Nothing you'd understand," Miho sighs. "Okay, I'm with her right
now. She's going outside..."

Her eyes flutter shut as Tita turns on the VMS, then powers up the
holovision. Everyone watches as the interior of a well-lit home appears
before them, the viewer...Magh...walking to an arched doorway. In a second,
she is outside staring at the countryside framing Nyoogranj'ee. It is early
evening, the sun having set two hours before. Already, the distant spirals
of galaxies were visible in the dark sky. "She's not in any galaxy...wait a
sec'!" Tita points at one. "Stop there! That's Andromeda she's looking at!"

"Close," Natsuko nods understandingly. "Can they see our galaxy?"

"Tell her to turn left slowly."

"Okay..." Miho nods.

The image changes, Andromeda swinging out of view as more galaxies
pass the viewer's line of sight. In a second, a much larger spiral comes into
view, orbited by smaller globs at close range and the diffuse stellar patterns
of the Magellanic Clouds some distance away. "Okay, she's off the base track
from our galaxy to Andromeda!" Tita punches controls, then looks forward.
"Satomi, I'm piping this into the navigation computer. Have it crunch through
until we get an idea where Newgrange is!"

"Working!!" Satomi barks aft.

Miho shudders as the viewer jostles, then collapses on the ground,
her eyes staring into the black night. "NO!!!!" she wails out, throwing off
the VMS and gripping her temples.

Natsuko, Mako, Yui and Misa are immediately at her side. "What is
it, Miho-chan?!" the physical education officer steadies her. "What
happened?!"

"She...she was attacked...!" the botanist pants, feeling her strength
go. "Math..."

"Get her to a bed!" Mako barks.

"Hai, Eii'sagh!" Yui nods.

She and Misa help the dazed Miho aft. "Got it!!" Satomi calls out
from the bridge.

"Show us!" Tita orders.

A stellar map appears, a line extending from Sagussa to a remote star
cluster about twenty thousand parsecs away. "Okay, we got them!!" Tita
whoops. "Satomi-chan, lay a course! Miho-chan's bond-mate just got attacked!
We better expedite!!"

"Right...wait a moment!" Satomi pauses. "We got a problem!"

Everyone looks at the holovision. The gold line marking "Cha Cha
Maru's" projected course comes very close to an area shaded in dark blue.
"Shit!" Ako snarls, recognizing the demarcated area. "That's getting us a
little too close to the Sihac group."

Everyone sighs. The Sihac were a race of amphibians that looked like
anthropomorphic salamanders. Normally sedentary creatures, the Sihac were
fanatically xenophobic, not understanding why other amphibian species hadn't
progressed as far as they. They didn't like people racing close to their
territory. With the course plotted, "Cha Cha Maru" would come within 200
parsecs of the nearest border post. "We'll be alright," Tita gazes at Ako.
"You've been hanging around those paranoids at HQ for too long, Ako-chan.
Relax."

"I'm just warning you of the danger," Ako reminds her.

"Warning appreciated, Watchmistress," Tita heads to the bridge. "We
clear?"

"Just past the outer marker and are clear," Satomi reports. "Izumi's
down in the engine room just in case."

"Okay," Tita sits in the pilot's chair, then calls up the secure
communications unit. "Red Baron to Alphonse. Found the Promised Land.
Princess in trouble; Flower Child sensed it. Proceeding to investigate.
We'll skirt close to the Frogmouths, but we should be fine. We'll call when
we get there."

"'Red Baron?!'" Mai asks.

Tita shrugs. "He was a cool pilot." She then looks at Satomi.
"Punch it!"

Satomi flips the controls, then throws the accelerator wide open. A
second later, "Cha Cha Maru" disappears...

* * *

"I protest this strongly!!!" Kaede shrills as she marches in Noa's
wake to the latter's office in Tere'na City. "You do not and cannot dispatch
a ship to an unchartered system until it has been properly examined by
science and defense teams to confirm non-belligerency!!! That is the law
here...!!"

"Kaede, either say something creative or shut up!!" Noa snaps at her
as she walks into the office, then takes the pile of notes from her secretary
Kana. "Besides, something's happened to Princess Math. If the bond between
her and Miho breaks because she dies, what happens to Miho?! I'm sure Lupica
could explain it to you in all the detail you need! Besides, Chiharu is on
that ship. I'm sure she can negotiate her way out of anything if they get
into any sort of danger! Relax!!"

"Do I look relaxed?!!" Kaede screams. "Well?!! Do I?!!"

Noa sighs, then groans as Benten marches in. "Noa, what the fuck are
you doing sending a civilian sloop into hostile territory?! The course Tita's
steering going to take her into Sihac space!! Tita didn't put guns on that
junkpile she and Satomi love so much..."

"Yes, she did," Noa smiles. "I got Carmen to requisition some quad
gun mounds, concussion missile launchers and military-class shield projectors
for the 'Cha Cha Maru' from Lan two months ago. After all, there are things
like pirates and hijackers out there."

"Hey, against the Frogmouths, I ain't going to..."

"Why do we call them 'frogmouths' by the way?!" Noa stares
quizzically at Kana. "Aren't they supposed to be salamanders?"

"Search me, ma'am," Kana shrugs.

"ARE YOU LISTENING?!?!?!" Benten screams.

"Yes," Noa sighs. "You're telling me you can't trust your two top
aces and your PA on a possible first-contact mission, much like Kaede doesn't
trust one of her best field diplomats. Next thing you know, Lum's going to be
in here wondering why no one more senior than Minori and Karen was sent on a
survey!"

"Actually, I wasn't going to ask that," Lum appears, arms crossed.
"I was going to ask you how you conned Ifurita out of a VMS, though. I could
use that at times."

Noa smiles. "I threatened to tell Shayla and Miz about a little hot
date Ifurita had with Afura three nights ago."

"You HAVE pictures, I hope!" Lum grins; trying to get Ifurita to
allow others to use her inventions was like extracting teeth from a very irate
sandpanther.

Noa tosses Lum a datachip. Giggling maniacally, the head scientist
saunters back to her office. Benten and Kaede glare at the Elder Mother.
"You mind telling us what you're going to do about everyone going to
Newgrange?!" the defence minister demands.

"What I'm going to do?" Noa muses, then looks at her wrist-chrono.
"Well, it's the end of the day and I'm tired, so I'm going to get out of this
stuffy office, get my little ones from the daycare centre, bring my other
children in from school, go home, make dinner for everyone, then watch a nice
movie and go to bed," she rises, taking her small carry-all bag in hand.
"Good night, Kana. Lock the office when you leave."

"Good night, Minister," Kana bows.

Benten and Kaede gape as Noa leaves, then turns dumbfoundedly to the
clerk. Kana blinks. "Don't look at me; I just work here."

The two ministers moan...

* * *

"My Queen, I cannot atone for this...!"

"Enough, Mahah," Bihac of Nyoogranj'ee sighs from on her wooden
throne. Meeting the queen, one could easily understand from where Math
inherited her looks in spite of Bihac's straight hair. "When one deals with
that witch, one can't anticipate everything, even one as gifted by Anghya as
I. Now is no time for recriminations. We must rescue my daughter at once."

"A volunteer force is at your command, my Queen," Mahah reports,
indicating a company of swordspeople waiting in the main courtyard.

"Good," Bihac grins. "Proceed at once, Mahah. I sense that allies
will soon come to aid you in your quest. Oh, by the way, was Math's new slave
taken?"

"Yes, my Queen."

"I see. It appears Ahlil had put a shielding spell around his spirit
to protect him when he suffered his accident. Mahah, when you see him next,
run him through."

"It will be my pleasure, my Queen."

* * *

Math's eyes open. "Where am I...?"

She sees a woman looming over her. With shaggy-short blonde hair and
the coldest blue eyes the princess had ever seen, she is dressed in luxurious
furs and leather breeches indicative of someone in high station. "Ah, our
guest is awake," she emotionlessly smiles. "Welcome back, Princess. Are you
well?"

"Queen Ahlil," Math sighs. "What may I do for you? Surely you're
not here to ask for our stormwalker again?"

"No," Ahlil stands, then beckons someone to enter. "I came to check
on my dear boy. What you did was nughty, throwing him against a rock," she
sighs as her son, restored to the clothes of a prince of Rooahan'ee, enters,
bending to kiss his mother's hand.

"It's not my fault that the idiot can't ride his five-foot properly,"
Math shrugs.

Ahlil's eyes blaze as she grabs Math by the throat and yanking her
out of the dungeon's bed with a stormwalker's strength. "I think it's time
you learned some respect, girl!" the queen snarls as her other fingers touch
Math's skull. "Right...about...now...!"

Math screams...

* * *

...as Miho's eyes open. "Math!!!"

Mako looks concernedly at her. "Miho-chan, what's wrong?"

The florist hyperventilates as her eyes narrow, a snarl escaping her
lips. "No...no...get out of her...get out of her now, you witch...get out,
get out, get out...!!"

"Miho!!" Mako kneels beside her, psi-probes investigating to sense
what is wrong. Revulsion then overcomes her as the scalding pain of a forced
mind-meld lances through. "Damn!! Misako! Natsuko!! Get in here!!"

Misako and Natsuko dash into the room. "What is it...Lyna!" the
psychologist kneels opposite Mako, her hand reaching out to augment Miho's
defenses against Ahlil's intrusion. "Easy, Miho-chan! Draw on us!! Don't
let yourself get sucked in!"

"Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out...!" Miho chants.

Misako adds her mind to Natsuko's as the three healers throw the full
weight of their powers through Miho to bolster Math's defenses against Ahlil.
Concerns of Non-Interference Directive violations are lost in the tussel.
Mind- raping a bonded Sagussan was doubly crippling, to victim and lover.
Feeling her friends' support, Miho concentrates, forging a psi-bolt of
titanic power. "***GET...OUT...LEAVE...MY...LOVE...BE!!!!!!***"

The bolt lashes out...

* * *

...and slams into Ahlil with the force of a Force Ten cyclone! The
queen screams as she is flung back, her mind reeling under the furiously
surprising attack. She collapses as Math drops to the bed. However, since
she was just a conduit for Miho's attack, the princess quickly recovers,
snarling as she grabs Ahlilrei and throws him against a wall. "You were a
lousy slave anyway!!"

Bolting out of the dungeon, she slugs one bodyguard with a backhand
fist, then kicks the other in the groin. Seeing the stairs, she grabs a
sword to sprint for freedom. Racing upstairs, she finds herself in the main
court of Ahlil's castle, a couple of couriers the only people about. Math
attacks one, then leaps on his five-foot, kicking the other away as she
charges for the front gate. "Hyaa!!!"

The princess races through the open gate into the mud village that
grew around Ahlil's keep. With little in the way of soldiers or militia to
stop her, Math charges for the north pike, leading back to Nyoogranj'ee. She
looks back to see Ahlil appear at the gate, then waving obscenely, takes off.
Hearing the queen's outraged cries, Math grins as she forces the five-foot
into a sprint. "Thank you, my love," she smiles.

* * *

"What else could I do, my precious one...?" Miho relaxes.

Sleep overtakes her as Mako, Misako and Natsuko exhale in relief.
"Lyna's Soul, that was too close," the psychologist breathes out. "This Ahlil
is one nasty customer."

"Well, she won't be doing that for a while...I hope," Mako heads for
some coffee...

* * *

"Idiot!!!" Ahlil screams. "Why didn't you tell me that Math had a
heart-mate?!!"

"I didn't know, Mother!" her son cowers before the queen's wrath. "I
had no idea!! I never saw anyone outside her friend Mahah, but she's just an
advisor...!!"

"Quiet!!" Ahlil snaps, then grates her teeth as she takes in several
deep breaths to regain her strength. "I will find this flower girl, this
Meehogh...and when I do, I will rip her heart out of her breast and feast on
it before her very eyes!!"

Snarling, she storms to her chambers...

* * *

"There it is," Tita smiles. "Newgrange."

The others crowd the "Cha Cha Maru's" bridge as the warpsloop
approaches a beautiful green world seemingly alone in the bone-chilling dark
of extra-galactic space. Satomi is already at work. "Commencing scans," she
announces. "I detect four continents, all good-sized ones. Only one
inhabited. Population about three million...including Lannarkites, humanoid
Lannarkites and Sihac!"

"Confirmed," Minori is at the science station. "Technology of
Continent Alpha appears to be at the level Miho indicated. Another, designate
Continent Bravo, bears no sign of any form of human intrusion. The others,
designate Continents Cassiopeia and Delta, are devoid of all humanoid
life...yet they appear to have been inhabited in the past. Sensors indicate
cities constructed using Gihan'cha-like building methods."

"Status of cities in Cassiopeia and Delta?" Chiharu inquires.

"Cities decaying. My estimate is, they were last inhabited about
20,000 years ago," Minori frowns. "This is very strange. One would think the
Newgrangites migrated to Alpha just to get away from technology."

"Or were transplanted for their safety, like Tarun-Chong transported
the clones from Tere'na-korgh to Zephyrus and Kurakoa as the Clone Rights War
started," Karen hums.

Chiharu gazes at Tomomi. As a judge, the bespectacled golden-eyed,
light brown haired alien-born woman...her birth race was unknown to this
day...had as much moral authority as the external affairs officer or the
three healers. "I need your opinion, Your Honour," Chiharu sighs. "Do we
press on?"

"Contact has been made, through Miho," Tomomi bites her lips. "The
Non-Interference Directive no longer applies."

"Another thing," Mako sighs. "This Ahlil seems to love mind-raping
people. From what little we could sense, she takes perverted delight in
bending people to her will. And she doesn't like people defying her; she
carves out someone's heart in punishment. You can bet after the headache we
gave her, she'll be salivating at the chance to find either Math or Miho for
some payback. Like it or not, Miho and Math are a bonded couple."

"By Sagussan law, Math is now a Sagussan citizen," Tomomi nods.
"We've always taken that stance with outworlder *marei'cha,* right from Lum
Moroboshi. We're involved, Chiharu."

"Then we do it by the book. Miho-chan, who is the present ruler of
Nyoogranj'ee?"

"Queen Bihac, Math's mother," the florist grins. "But there is
someone even higher: High Queen Anjoc. She lives on Tahrah'sha, which is in
Nyoogranj'ee. Very few people see her, so we have to go through Bihac."

"Very well, then," Chiharu sighs. "It's been a while since I last
greeted a queen. I need to look my best."

The others laugh as she heads aft. "Wait, you said something about
Lannarkites and Sihac being here!" Ako tenses. "Where's the hive?! If
they're here..."

"There is no hive," surprise flashes in Satomi's eyes. "None that I
can scan. The Lannarkites, both human and insectoid, are dispersed with the
inhabitants save for one region in the southern part of Continent Alpha. And,
not surprisingly, in that sector, the Sihac are all concentrated."

"Why?!" Yoshiko asks.

"You don't know?" Tita grins wolfishly as she guides the sloop to
Nyoogranj'ee. "Sihac are the only race outside us who can't be impregnated
with Lannarkite eggs. Even more, Sihac look on insectoid Lannarkites like
those bugs look on everyone else...as food!"

"You're kidding," Misa grimaces. The thought of actually EATING a
Lannarkite could churn anyone's stomach.

"No, I'm not," Tita snickers. "We were with Pathfinder Two on a
sweep in Omega Sector...you remember this, don't you, Ako?...when we stumbled
onto a Sihac cruiser capturing a Lannarkite hive ship. When we got aboard,
we saw the Sihac having a big feast. Seems the poison Sihac spit out is more
fast- acting than Lannarkite venom."

"One of them even told me that they consider Lannarkite venom as
tasty as we'd consider himgh-tagh," Satomi adds.

"Different strokes for different folks," Mai shrugs. "But it doesn't
explain how the Lannarkites could be dispersed among the local population.
>From what I heard, they wouldn't consider a Sagussan too appetizing."

"Not really," Tita sighs as the "Cha Cha Maru" slides into the
atmosphere.

Sagussans could thank the regeneration matrix for that. Their
healing enzymes released antibodies which violently reacted with a
Lannarkite's DNA structure. From the few times the pilot had seen an
insectoid Lannarkite bite or sting a Sagussan, the result was either a
gruesome death or spontaneous transformation into a humanoid Lannarkite.
This had inspired a new approach when dealing with the insectoids, one
similar to the cure unleashed on the Lost Ones of Zeiwan some years ago.
"Have to go down and find out what's going on. Heading down."

The sloop dives towards Nyoogranj'ee...

* * *

"Queen H'n!" Mahah reigns in her five-foot. "How fare you this
morning?"

The insectoid queen eyes the young rider, then clicks and chatters in
her native tongue. Mahah nods as her senses drink in the response, then
looks down. "I am truly sorry for your loss, Your Majesty," she frowns.
"Was it one of the Frogmouths?"

H'n responds angrily. "Then when we drive the slimy things off this
planet, we'll have a feast on that one's carcass!" Mahah snarls, patting her
sword in emphasis.

The swordspeople were now passing through a hamlet on the turnpike to
Rooahan'ee, some kilometres from the place where Math captured Ahlilrei. The
population was a mix of Newgrangites and both types of Lannarkites,
cooperatively working as one community. Stormwalkers are nestled in a large
barn nearby, both for their milk and their meat. Nightlizards slithered
through the tall grass searching for berries and other fruits. In the distant
trees, wingless panthers lounged in the morning sun, quietly monitoring their
kittens as they practiced hunting techniques.

It amazed Mahah that her people could accept the insectoids so
easily. When first they came, the Lannarkites did the same thing they did
elsewhere; try to impregnate as many as possible to turn this world into a
viable hive colony. But thanks to the druids' elixir, the hatchlings all
turned out to be humanoid. Before total war could envelop Nyoogranj'sha,
Bihac had confronted H'n and mind-melded with her, forging an understanding
with the hive queen.

As Lannarkites queens went, H'n was a radical. She remembered her
race's legends, those that spoke of a time when they were all humanoid until
a race of tailed mammals transformed them into deformed drones, then banished
them from their homeworld. The cure was to return to their home and seek out
a magic spell, similar to the druids' elixir, to revert them to normal.
According to H'n, the search was bearing fruit though the Great Hive was
still many years from reaching home.

Coming here, H'n's hive discovered that the Nyoogranj'sha were
descendants of the Lannarkites' lost homeworld also. Mahah's people knew it
as the Other Land. With that, Bihac and the other queens petitioned the High
Queen on Tahrah'sha to permit the insectoids to remain as guests. Over time,
more humanoid Lannarkites were born of H'n and her two dozen breeders, always
from the bodies of condemned criminals or the terminally ill (Nyoogranj'sha
plagues didn't hurt Lannarkites). However, try as the druids might, they
couldn't convert the elder Lannarkites; the elixir always killed them.
Worse, Ahlil, one who hated the Lannarkites, contacted the Frogmouths, a race
that looked on the insectoids as Mahah would look on cooked stormwalker meat,
to keep the Lannarkites clear of Rooahan'ee.

A healer-drone then lumbers up, pointing at the sky. One of the
swordspeople look up, then barks, "Mahah!!!"

Mahah spins about to see a bright star move to land on a prairie a
half-hour's ride from the village. "What is that...?!"

* * *

"That" is the "Cha Cha Maru," now landing in a glen 100 metres from a
well-travelled dirt road. As the sloop's engines shut down, Tita turns on
the cloaking device (another gift from Carmen), making the craft vanish. The
lower boarding ramp appears out of thin air as everyone disembarks. At
Miho's suggestion, everyone changed into rough woolen shirts and leather
pants with shawls to wrap around their shoulders, typical native dress.
Projectile weapons are secured though the nurses carry medikits and the
scientists tricorders. Tita, Satomi, Mai, Misa and Ako are armed with
windreapers. "Looks pretty peaceful," the watchmistress hums. "How far are
we from Math's home, Miho-chan?"

"About five hours' walk north from here; an hour's ride on a
quintopod," Miho heads to the turnpike, looking up and down to see if a
trader was heading this way. "Doesn't seem to be too many people around. I
guess the fighting's scared off the merchants."

"They're hunkering down for a storm, especially if Ahlil's as much of
a sleeze as we sensed," Natsuko does a casual sweep with her scanner. "I've
got someone coming from the south on a quintopod. Single Sagussan, female.
Range eight hundred."

Miho inhales as her eyes look south, the faint patter of quintopod
feet tickling her ears. "Confirmed...wait!" Minori warns. "I pick up a
second group, fifty metres behind. About a dozen altogether, all heavily
armed."

"She's being pursued!" Miho gasps, turning to Satomi. "Satomi-chan,
it's Math! She just escaped from Ahlil's castle!!"

"Everyone hide!" Tita barks, grinning in anticipation as her hand
runs across the windreaper. "We'll handle this!"

Izumi draws out fighting sticks...like Honey, the engineer is a
thoughtmistress in *eipang'togh,* twin-stick fighting...as the others quickly
hide. The five others who are armed move behind trees to form an ambush line.
Miho remains in the middle of the pike as a lone rider approaches. From her
place, Yui gapes in shock. "Miho, is that Math?!"

The others look. Math is a woman with long strawberry-blonde hair
and fuzzy-warm hazel eyes. Since she was caught in her own bedchambers, the
princess is dressed only in a wool shawl and a nightgown, neither which do
much for modesty or protection against arrows or swords. "Whoa!!" the
still-single Minori whistles. "How'd you like having someone like HER visit
your dreams?!"

"I can see why Miho-chan wants her!" Misako muses.

Math slows her beast down, her eyes widening in shock on seeing who
awaits her. Shaking her head, she dismounts, then runs over. "Meehogh!" she
grabs the florist in a tight hug. "What are you doing here?! This isn't the
time for you to visit...!"

"Math, shut up and kiss me."

The princess laughs as they kiss...just as the other riders slow down
on seeing their prey stopped. "Well, isn't this a sweet scene?" the leader, a
scar-faced middle-aged man, snorts. "Come along, Princess," he gestures with
his sword. "The Queen has business with you back in Rooahan'ee!"

"Excuse me," a voice calls out from behind him. "But where we come
from, it's considered rude to interrupt a reunion!"

The Rooahan'ee troopers cry out as six very well armed women charge
out from behind trees to knock them down from their mounts. Math and Miho
sigh. "Don't you just hate interruptions?!" the latter hums.

"So annoying!" the former grins as she leaps into the fray.

Given the superiority of Sagussan metallurgy, the Rooahan'ee swords
are easily shattered by Tita and her friends, then the troopers are quickly
run through. Izumi faces a brutish woman with a sword twice as big as her
staffs. "You want to fight me with those twigs, girl?!" she cackles.

Izumi smiles as her staffs catch the sword in an "X," then with a
sweep kick, she knocks the larger woman off her feet and delivers a quick blow
to the forehead to knock her out...just as a shadow falls over her. "Izumi-
chan!!!" Yui screams.

Izumi turns...before the trooper about to impale her with his sword
is run through himself. "Now, now, friend! That's no way to attack a lady!"
a young armoured man smiles as he tosses the dead trooper away, then nods
pleasantly to the engineer.

"Th-thanks!" Izumi smiles.

"My Princess!!" a voice shouts.

Math turns to see Mahah and her troopers ride up, slowing down as
they see who else has arrived. "Ho, Mahah! You're just in time for the clean
up!" Math walks over to her friend.

"Who in Anghya's name are these people?!" Mahah wonders, gazing at
the platoon of Sagussans standing around them, then blinks on seeing the frail
pink-haired girl beside Math.

"Relax, Mahah," Math smiles, waving to her bond-mate. "This is
Meehogh and her friends from the Other Land. They came to see me. Meehogh
helped me escape from Ahlil."

Mahah blinks, then smiles as she sheathes her weapon. "I'm glad for
that. Your mother was worried about you."

"Pah! Doesn't Mother understand I'm invincible?!"

"Just like they said the 'Titanic' was unsinkable," Satomi mutters to
Tita as the Sagussans gather.

Tita snickers. Math sighs, then gazes at Miho's companions. "My
friends, come. There are enough riders here to help you to the nearest hamlet
so we can get extra five-feet for you for the ride back to Nyoogranj'ee unless
you wish to ride your ship there."

"No, that's not right," Chiharu smiles. "We're not here to make
overwhelming impressions, Princess."

"I better put the 'Cha Cha Maru' into orbit then," Tita pulls out her
wrist-com and types some commands into the mini-comp.

Everyone blinks as the "Cha Cha Maru" appears, then lifts off,
turning to soar into the heavens as her wings unfold for proper level flight.
Mahah blinks, then turns to Math. "My Princess, is this normal with those of
the Other Land?"

"Quite," Math mounts her quintopod, then offers her hand to Miho.
"Come, my sweet! My mother can't wait to meet you!"

The florist laughs as everyone mounts up and rides off...

* * *

After a quick stop in H'n's village to pick up extra mounts for the
ride to Nyoogranj'ee, Math, Mahah and the Sagussans make their way into
Bihac's capital. Unlike Ahlil's capital, the village around Nyoogranj'ee's
keep is clean and very well built, definitely constructed on more enlightened
lines as Minori muses. Arriving at the castle, everyone dismounts, some of
the Sagussans moaning after riding a bouncing quintopod for over an hour.
"This reminds me of the time I was on hovercycle survey detail in Kyre'sha to
look for a place to build the construction yards!" Yooko, a crimson-haired
Vosian- born fleet engineer technician, grunts as she dismounts her
quintopod.

"It wasn't so bad," Kozue, a Yehisrite-born construction engineer
from Kyre'sha, smiles. "Very rustic."

"Easy for you to say!" Izumi snorts. "You were too busy drooling out
of one end to worry too much about your other end!"

The brown-haired Kozue flushes, her chocolate-shaded eyes dancing
over Mahah. "Wouldn't you, Izumi-chan?"

"I'm keeping my bond-mate prospects closer to home," Izumi sighs as
everyone walks enters the castle proper.

Bihac is now in an atrium, rising from her throne to embrace her
daughter. "Oh, you're safe!" she smiles. "Don't ever do that to me again,
Math! Did that witch hurt you?!"

"She tried," Math sighs, then smiles at Miho. "She failed."

The queen turns to the blushing florist. "So you're the one Anghya
brought to claim my daughter's heart. Welcome, Meehogh. My daughter speaks
very highly of you."

"I am honoured, *shima'cha,*" Miho bows.

Bihac gazes at the other Sagussans. "May I ask if any of you is a
herald?"

"That would be me," Chiharu bows as she gives the formal greeting.
"Peace, logic and harmony to you, Your Majesty. I am Chiharu, *daishi'cha*
#87010 of Sagussa-uisen'a."

"So the Other Land has a new Republic, now," Bihac nods, then resumes
her throne. "Welcome, Cheeharoo. Welcome to all of you. Our humble abode is
yours for a time."

The others smile. "In the meantime," Bihac turns to Mahah. "Have a
rider go to Tahrah'sha to inform the High Queen. Then have someone bring food
and drink for our guests. While we do not possess their metal magic, let's at
least make them feel more comfortable. And ask Karee to come here."

"At once, Your Majesty," Mahah bows...

* * *

"Dead?!!" Ahlil screams.

"Yes, Mother," his son sighs. "A roving patrol found what was left
of the group south of the hamlet of the insect queen H'n. It appears Queen
Bihac had an ambush ready for them north of the border. Math got away."

The queen then smiles. "Fine, then. We'll just have to go fetch her
once more..."

Ahlilrei shudders as his mother laughs...

* * *

"So that is how we came to be here today," Chiharu smiles. "Many
officials on Sagussa are concerned as to what are Newgrange's intentions
toward us. Perhaps they are a little too paranoid."

"Understandable, I suppose," Bihac covers her mouth in a polite
laugh. Everyone was now in the main reception hall enjoying a light snack of
fruits and cheeses, native wines and ale being served by young humanoid
Lannarkite servants. "We have always known of the Other Land. Our minds may
not be as well-trained as yours, but our ancestors sensed the death-scream of
your Fourth Republic as they were snuffed from Anghya's Realm. That is why
our ancestors chose to remain on this continent rather than proceed to the
other continents and reclaim the metal magic our cousins fought so long over.
Even now, we feel not ready to embrace that magic just yet."

"However you judge your affairs best is your business, Your Majesty,"
Chiharu replies. "We will happily respect that."

"Yet, I do sense that you would desire to have scholars and scribes
like your friend Minoghree remain to watch us," Bihac turns to the
bespectacled archaeologist. "Am I right?"

Minori blinks, then nods. "Yes, Your Majesty. Because the damage of
the Clone Rights War was so great, we are unable to find much hard evidence of
our planet's past before Senhan'yuth. Since your culture does preserve the
elements of the old Newgrange, we very much desire to study it to better
understand ourselves and how we came to be."

"So be it," Bihac nods. "I'll ask the High Queen to issue an edict
on that as soon as possible. Likewise, an exchange should also be extended
to Sagussa." She then gazes at her daughter. "Would you like to be our
herald to the Other Land, Math?"

"Mother!! My place is here! You need me to protect the land against
Ahlil..."

"That should soon be no problem," the queen counters. "I and the
other queens are growing tired of that one. As Karee here foretold some
nights ago," she turns to her chief druid, a blue-haired woman looking a lot
like Sachiko, "...the coming of Meehogh and her friends will spell Ahlil's
doom."

"If that is so, Your Majesty, some on my planet would declare that as
interfering in the affairs of your world," Chiharu warns.

"Oh?" Bihac blinks. "Cheeharoo, did your people proceed forth to
shield the Other Land called Earth from those who would conquer them and
enslave them? Do you not do so now?"

"Yes, but the Terrans invited us..."

"So do we now," Bihac smiles knowingly. "I'm sure Magistrate
Toghmoghmee will agree with me. I speak for the High Queen on our behalf.
Ahlil has defied the Circle of Queens for too long, by refusing to acknowledge
the High Queen's edicts and worse, allowing the Frogmouths who killed poor
H'n's heart-mate to come here when the others expressed opposition against it.
With the Frogmouths here, our very safety is threatened and our magic is not
strong enough to repel them. For aid, we must turn to you."

Chiharu thinks, then nods. "Putting it that way, my superiors would
certainly not object to a request for aid."

"Splendid!!" Bihac claps her hands. "I'll compose a message for your
Queen Sahkoorah detailing our desires. Tell me, would you object to being
your High King Ataroo's...ambassador...to the Circle of Queens and all of
Nyoogranj'sha, Cheeharoo?"

Chiharu gapes, then bows respectfully. "I would be honoured, Your
Majesty."

"So be it! I'll ask Sahkoorah to request your chief herald Kahede to
dispatch you then. In the meantime, once Ahlil is disposed, Math, you'll act
as our ambassador to Sagussa."

Math shudders. "Mother..."

"Math," Bihac blinks. "Do you wish to remain separated from your
heart-mate?"

Math blinks, then gazes at Miho. The florist smiles, hugging the
princess' arm. "Wherever you are, I'll be there for you."

Nearby, Yui looks away as her tears begin to flow. Math sighs, then
turns back. "I cannot leave her alone anymore, Mother."

"So be it!" Bihac beams. "Now, from what Math has told me,
Cheeharoo, the Other Land is dearthly short of young men by which you may all
bear good children. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is," Chiharu nods.

"Will you accept humanoid Lannarkite males? I do not recall Math
telling me if any now reside amongst you."

"We've always accepted humanoid Lannarkites," Chiharu smiles. That
policy had been in effect since the day Ataru and his friends stumbled onto a
Lannarkite hive on the Planet of Shadows mission. In fact, the leader of the
group of humanoid Lannarkites found there, Marcia Gyatan, now bond-mates to
SISF Police Chief Munba, was now Sagussa's Minister of the Interior.

"Excellent. We have quite an excess of unbonded males here on
Nyoogranj'sha. We'll put the word out if any wish to migrate to Sagussa. In
the meantime, Karee..."

"Yes, my Queen?" the chief druid nods.

"Prepare your druids for a bonding ceremony. I'll not have my
precious child remain single for a moment longer. Anghya brought Meehogh here
to make Math's heart whole. Let us confirm it before the Goddess before we
turn to deal with that witch Ahlil."

"It shall be done, my Queen," Karee bows.

Yui silently rises and walks away...

* * *

"Knock, knock!"

"Who's there?!"

"Your favourite Lannarkite."

Noa smiles. "C'mon in, Marcia. Take a load off your feet."

Marcia Gyatan grins as she enters the Elder Mother's office, now
adorned in a black-and-gold government uniform with minister's rank on her
sleeves. Her long brown hair, perhaps the one thing left of her old
existence, is braided around her skull, her crystalline eyes reflecting
Sen'a's bright light. As Minister of the Interior, the
Fukunokami-turned-humanoid Lannarkite formed a quadrumvirate with Lumunookaa,
Madoka and Sakura that monitored the growing progress of the Fifth Republic.
"So what did you want to see me about?" Marcia sits across from Noa.

Kana walks up to serve them tea. "We just got a message from the
'Cha Cha Maru' concerning Newgrange. The group made contact with Princess
Math early this morning. They just now established official contact with the
Queen of Nyoogranj'ee, Bihac. In exchange for allowing them to send an
ambassador here, they'll permit us to send a science team there to study them
AND allow their excess humanoid Lannarkites to migrate here."

"Men, I hope," Marcia smiles.

"You bet," Noa laughs, then relaxes. "However, there is a problem.
It seems the Sihac are moving into the system. They want us to help them
dispose of a queen who's been doing business with the Sihac, Ahlil, before
everything gets settled."

"Kaede might not like that."

"No, she won't," Noa sighs. "This isn't a good sign, Marcia.
Instead of simply allowing Miho and Math to get together and keep things low-
key, we turned it into a bureaucratic circus. That's not what people intended
when the Grand Design was launched."

"Not the way I understand it," Marcia crosses her arms. "Still, you
have to admit, being chief of something does fill people with a sense of
importance."

"A sense of self-importance," Noa amends. She counted Marcia as a
confidant because the Lannarkite was sharp enough to see the truth in all
around her. Originally, there were no plans for an Interior Ministry; tasks
of that nature were covered by Administration and Internal Security. But
with the Republic's first elections still many years away, some of the
ministers were getting too comfortable in their posts for Noa's liking.
Putting someone willing enough to stand toe-to-toe with them, force them to
back away from swaying Sakura too much, in the position of Interior Minister
only seemed logical. Marcia was Noa's hatchet girl in the bureaucracy and
the *ashi'cha* made it no secret that she would use her if people stepped out
of line.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want to review all External Affairs and Defence procedures on
first contact. Benten was willing to go in with guns blazing without
understanding what the other side really wanted. On the other hand, Kaede was
too cautious; she acted as if Newgrangites were diseased. That split in
opinion may preserve diversity but it'll also paralyze the government. That
won't serve the people at all. Some harmonization is needed, Marcia...but not
too much."

"Sometimes, I feel like we're on a tight-wire act running this show
here," Marcia sighs, sipping her tea.

"That's what government's all about, Marcia," Noa muses...

* * *

"My lady, are you well?"

Yui turns to see the handsome swordsman who saved Izumi's life
earlier staring at her. It was now late afternoon, the bonding ceremony
between Math and Miho scheduled for sunset. The engineer technician reaches
up to her eyes. "I'm fine."

"You're sad," he approaches her. "What ails you, Lady Yooee?"

"Nothing...nothing at all..."

Yui heads for her private quarters. The swordsman stops as Izumi
walks up. "Leave her be, H'bi. Yui-chan's not taking what's happening to
Miho- chan too well."

"But you desire her, Izoomee."

"I do," Izumi wraps an arm around his. "But I'll not force myself on
Yui-chan. If we are to bond, we both bond of our own free will. To do
otherwise wouldn't be right."

They gaze into each other's eyes. Izumi tries not to cry. The man
had, a year before, contracted a rare plague that was guaranteed to be fatal.
Deciding not to suffer, he elected to be a host for one of H'n's eggs. Soon,
his handsome face would transform, morph from mammalian to the mammalian-
insectoid features of a humanoid Lannarkite.

What did it take for someone to VOLUNTARILY host a Lannarkite egg,
Izumi wonders. While she herself was safe thanks to the regeneration matrix,
a Newgrangite wasn't so lucky. H'bi had absorbed the memories and knowledge
of his host, the two beings' *mei'na* merging into one new entity. Even
stranger, he happily risked his life to serve Nyoogranj'ee, protect it from
Ahlil's deprivations. If all Lannarkites could be like H'n's hive, could see
what other races were truly like, then things could be much more peaceful in
the galaxy.

They drift into a gentle kiss. "I've dated a few males back
home...what few ever survive when we stumble onto the hives," Izumi smiles,
tracing his lips. "You know, if a lot of you migrate, we could finally stop
the 'males preferred' immigration policy and open the doors wholesale to
everyone."

"Not all, I hope," he then tenses.

"What?!" she gasps.

"Forgive me, Izoomee...it's time."

Izumi blinks, then smiles contently. "Okay. I'll walk you to your
home. C'mon."

The two proceed out of the castle, heading to a simple wooden
structure some blocks away. Watching them from the main courtyard, Yui
blinks, then excusing herself from her mother, heads off to follow. In a
minute, Izumi and H'bi arrive. "You should stay out here," he gazes at her,
trying his best to keep the pain under control. "You wouldn't like to see
the transformation..."

"I'll watch," Izumi announces.

H'bi then kisses her. "Thank you."

They step inside. Several metres away, Yui stops, then concentrates,
her mind sensing what is happening. She then walks up. "Izumi-chan?! H'bi-
san?! You two okay?!"

"We're fine, Yui-chan," Izumi hums.

Yui sighs. "Let me in, please."

"You sure you want to see this?"

"He's letting you see it."

The door opens and Izumi smiles as Yui enters. By now, H'bi has
undressed, laying down on a crimson sheet blessed by a druid earlier. Many
of the medicine women saw the transformation from Newgrangite to humanoid
Lannarkite as Anghya's way of allowing either criminals to redeem themselves
or the terminally ill to continue to contribute to society. To that end, the
rebirth was viewed as something sacred, thus the red sheet.

He gazes at the two women with them. Izumi was passionate fire, a
warrior of considerable training and skill. Underneath was a woman who only
desired to open her heart to a select few...and would only open her heart all
the way to Yui. Yui was a gentle lass, one hesitant to give her heart unless
all she cared for and loved was safe. The gold-and-red plaid bows in Yui's
raven hair didn't only keep her side pigtails in their buns. Yui wore them
day and night, only taking them off when she was in the shower. They would
only be taken off by the one who claimed Yui's heart.

H'bi gasps as the first wave of pain sears through him, his skin
darkening to a brown shade mottled with gold. Muscles shift as tissue hardens
to the strength of diamond, forming exoskeletal bands that formed an outer
shield of armour against predators. Save for the head, all body hair falls
off. His black locks grow out as a pronounced bony ridge, similar to a
Noukiite's, grows from the nose and over the skull. Eyelids close as the eyes
morph into a crystalline ball like a pearl. Within those eyes, a pattern of
hexagonal lenses forms to give H'bi multi-vision.

Izumi and Yui remain rooted in place as the gold in his skin forms
the exotic pattern of a monarch butterfly. Their minds drink in the flow of
the *te'a* as the Lannarkite baby...outside the host, the one true victim of
whatever befell that species so long ago...is allowed to live his life as
Creation intended it. Their hands gently grasp as the waves of pain flowing
from H'bi recede, his laboured breathing reverting to a gentler flutter as
fatigue makes him fall asleep.

"Strange," Yui smiles. "In it's own way, it was beautiful."

"Yeah," Izumi nods. "Somehow, someway, justice has to be found for
his race...before we all destroy each other."

"Hai," Yui gazes at her. "Izumi-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like him?"

"Sure," Izumi nods. "He wants to come to Sagussa. He'd fit in among
the Pathfinders or in Intelligence. I've already agreed to host him. Do you
want to be his co-host?"

Yui blinks, then nods. "Hai."

They gaze at each other. "I always wondered why you had two ribbons
instead of one," Izumi smiles. "You weren't just looking for a bond-mate,
right? You wanted a permanent child-mate too."

Yui then turns away. "Izumi-chan..."

"I know you care for Miho-chan," Izumi squeezes her hand. "I care
for her too. But Fate threw you a curve ball, Yui-chan. Please don't keep
your life in a rut because you want someone you can't really have anymore.
Please...take me instead."

"I don't know why you don't just do *mavan'shagh* and get it over
with..."

"I won't win your heart that way, Yui-chan," Izumi shakes her head.
"Some people think *mavan'shagh* makes it all so easy. But there've been
times people've fought those who do that to them. It's not a good way to
start a relationship in my eyes. Yes, I fight. I fight, both in the
training hall and elsewhere, because it's a way to work off frustration. I
won't lose it in front of you, Yui-chan. I love you too much for that."

Yui smiles. "Oh, Izumivayae..."

They kiss, Yui guiding Izumi's hand to one of her bowties. The
latter draws off the cloth, allowing Yui's hair to tumble free. Izumi then
wraps the cloth around her head as a bandanna. Another kiss, then their hands
touch the other's face...

* * *

"My Queen," a courier bows.

"What is it?" Ahlil growls.

"The High Queen commands that you proceed to Tahrah'sha to attend a
meeting of the Council of Queens tomorrow at noon."

"What does she want?!"

"She did not tell me, my Queen."

"Oh, very well, then..."

* * *

"Ready?"

Miho looks up from her mirror to see Misa standing at the doorway to
her guest room. One of the assistant druids, Shayogh, was helping her with
her gown, a white one to symbolize purity of heart. Staring at the vision in
the mirror, she nods. "Yeah, I'm ready. Thanks, Shayogh."

"Anghya's blessings on you, Lady Meehogh," Shayogh smiles.

Miho rises, wrapping her arm around Misa's as the two head into the
centre court. Already present was a considerable crowd. "You scared?" Misa
wonders.

"Not really," Miho smiles, then looks around, trying to recognize one
particular face. "Wait! Where's Yui-chan?"

Misa looks around, then sighs. "Can't see her. I guess she decided
not to come."

Miho blinks. Outside Misa, Yui was her best friend. To NOT have Yui
here at this ceremony...! Did Yui love Miho so much that she would be so
broken-hearted by the florist bonding to someone else that she'd run away?!

Oh, Yui...

"Who says I didn't come?"

Miho brightens as Yui walks up. Slipping her arm around the
engineer's, the florist then looks at her...and stops, eyes wide. "Yui-chan,
your hair...!!"

Yui smiles. With her bowties gone, her hair now cascaded down past
her shoulder blades, a wavy mess of raven trusses giving her a wild look like
some of the Newgrangites around them. "You know what I said about my bowties,
Miho-chan," Yui kisses her.

Miho feels a touch of apprehension, then looks left to see Izumi and
H'bi in the crowd, Yui's bowties in their hair. She then gazes at her friend.
"Any regrets?"

"Hmmm...maybe," Yui hums.

They laugh as they walk into the crowd. Already by Karee and two of
her assistant druids, Math looked utterly ravishing in her white gown. Mahah
stood beside her in full armour, acting as her second, with Bihac to the other
side of her daughter. As Yui and Misa take their places, the chief druid
raises a white cloth. "Most dear friends, Anghya has drawn us here today..."

* * *

Next morning, Kozue yawns as she rises from bed, stretching languidly
as she walks to the window to gaze on the lovely day aborning. There was a
mist in the air, indicating it would rain just before noon. By then,
everyone would be on her way to Tahrah'sha to meet the High Queen and
solidify the bonds between Newgrange and Sagussa. Taking a deep breath, she
turns to dress.

Minutes later, she walks into the main reception hall, now being set
up for breakfast. Already there is Mahah, nibbling on some cheese. "Good
morning, Mahah-chan," Kozue smiles as she relaxes beside her, drawing a flask
out to pour some juice.

"Fair morning to you, Koghzooe," Mahah nods at her, then uttering a
depressed sigh, returns to her food.

Kozue blinks. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Mahah shrugs. "I should be happy for Math, what with
her winning Meehogh and all that. But I'm not."

"You wanted her, didn't you?"

"Aye," Mahah nods. "When she first told me of her dreams, I thought
at first she was dreaming of me. But I do not deal with flowers, Koghzooe.
It's been a long time and I still can't bring myself to accept that Math wants
someone else, loves someone else."

"I'm sorry," Kozue sighs.

Mahah stares quizzically at the engineer officer. During the trip
from the Rooahan'ee march, Mahah learned that Kozue had helped reconstruct
Sagussa's capital city, building houses and castles to ensure the growing
population would have good homes. Such an awesome task for one so young;
Kozue looked as if she was only seventeen summers old. She then remembers
the starry looks Kozue gave her on that trip. Could that mean...?

"Does my lady desire me?"

Kozue nearly spits out her cheese in shock, then she gazes at Mahah.
The surprise melts into admiration for the Newgrangite. As tall as Math,
Mahah wore her short-cropped black hair up, kept in place with a bandanna.
Staring into the other's deep hazel eyes, Kozue smiles. "If my lady desires
me."

"I could be persuaded," Mahah grins.

They kiss, then return to their breakfast. At that time, Tita walks
into the room. "'Morning, everyone."

"'Morning, Tita," Kozue blinks on noticing that the pilot had
switched to her normal civilian dress, a black bodysuit with a leather flight
jacket she bought on Earth. "Were you just aboard the 'Cha Cha Maru?!'"

"Yep," Tita pours herself some wine. "Noa's on her way here to meet
with the High Queen and seal the deal. I got the message declaring Chiharu
Ambassador to Newgrange."

"Who else'll be staying?" Mahah wonders.

"Minori'll stay, too," Tita bites into some bread. "A small science
team'll be assembled to act as cultural observers. Plus a nurse, a teacher
and a daycare officer since the kids'll be allowed to come out here, too.
Everything should be fine."

"Noa's coming here?" Kozue blinks. "Won't the Sihac notice?"

"She called Elder Kuk and Elder Tok to get the Concordat's
cooperation in keeping the Sihac in place. And she's on her way here with the
'Hasei'cha.' No need to advertise."

"I take it this Concordat doesn't like the Frogmouths," Mahah
scratches her chin.

"You call 'em that too?!" Tita grins. "Well, if you think the Sihac
have problems with us, they don't get along with the T'Kon. The Sihac believe
the T'Kon'll eat them!!"

Mahah and Kozue laugh...

* * *

Two hours later, a small progression heads up the slope of the
Tahrah'sha to the High Queen's castle. To ensure that latent hostilities not
erupting into bloodshed so close to the home of Newgrange's leader, the
subordinate queens approached by different routes to ensure they all stay
clear of each other. Accompanying Bihac are H'n, Minori, Math, Miho, Mahah,
Kozue, Chiharu, Tita, Satomi, Ako and Mai. The Sagussan warriors had pistols
under their jackets just in case Ahlil pulled a surprise. Despite the High
Queen's castle being neutral territory, Ahlil's previous defiance and the
possible presence of Sihac had even the natives tense.

"So what does this bitch look like?" Tita stares at Math. "I always
want to know what my target looks like before I ice her!"

"She's not ill-formed," Math smiles, herself looking for the chance
to see Ahlil run through. "In fact, one would say she uses her charms to draw
others into her web."

"Down, soldier," Satomi gazes at Tita. "Lufy and Priss'll be there,
too. Both of them've tossed around Lannarkite warriors like they were ten-
pins...no offense, H'n."

The Lannarkite queen chatters, her clawed hand making an "it's
alright" gesture. By then, the party from Nyoogranj'ee reaches the plateau
atop the dormant volcano everyone called Tahrah'sha. In the middle of this
sat a nice mansion-sized building reminding the Sagussans of the White House
in Washington. "This place's been around since our ancestors fled here many
generations ago," Bihac smiles. "Come, it's time to meet the High Queen."

"Yo, Tita, Satomi!" Lufy hails as she and Priss walk down from the
front door, both in dress uniform to mark the occasion.

Introductions are made, then the party heads into the main hall of
the High Queen's home. It is a circular room divided into thirty parts to
indicate the countries forming Newgrange. Already there, most of the other
queens were busy chatting animatedly with each other. Tita looks around,
then her eyes focus on the one queen seemingly separated from the other.
Beside her was a nice young man in battle armour...and a Sihac. "Uh-oh!"
Tita sighs on seeing the spotted humanoid with the wide dome-like head and
the huge mouth that earned the amphibians their nickname.

"Noticed, huh?" Priss sneers. "From what I can sense of the other
queens, Froggy there ain't so well liked."

"Who is he?"

"He's the ambassador to Rooahan'ee," Priss twirls her finger.
"Personally, I think he's here just to scope out how many Lannarkites can be
swooped up for dinner."

H'n chatters in a fit of anger and fear. "Hey, settle down, huh?!"
Priss stares at her. "Relax! Froggy there won't be getting dinner anytime
soon! Noa's got it cased."

"I hope so," Tita sighs.

A bell is heard. The queens take their seats. Math and Mahah stand
behind Bihac as the doors to the reception room open. A herald enters.
"Queens of Nyoogranj'sha, the High Queen Anjoc and her honoured guests..."

Ahlil blinks surprisedly. She hadn't been told about guests.

Everyone stands as a lithe form walks in. The queens and their
entourages bow as the High Queen, a middle-aged woman walking with the help
of a cane, walks in. Beside her is Noa, in dress uniform with skirt. Seeing
the *ashi'cha,* the Sihac's eyes bulge in shock...then his spots pale on
seeing the two other sentients accompanying the High Queen and Noa.

"...the Elder Mother of Sagussa, the Lady Noghah...and the Elders of
the Concordat of the T'kon, the Ladies Kuk and Tok."

The High Queen takes her seat at the head of the Circle of Queens.
Extra seats are brought up for Noa and the T'Kon, reptilians distantly
resembling Earth dinosaurs. They sit down to both sides of Anjoc. "Welcome,
my daughters," the High Queen smiles. "Today is a wonderful day for all of
Nyoogranj'sha. We have restored contact with our ancient homeland Sagussa.
Before we begin, is there any other business to be dealt with?"

"Yes, Oh Queen of Queens," Queen Sharoth of Kulthac speaks up. "I
once again voice my objection at *Queen* Ahlil dealing with the creatures like
the one now beside her!"

Ahlil remains surprisingly calm. "Do you hear me say anything about
you hosting your insectoid friends, Sharoth? Or the fact that Queen H'n is
permitted to attend these meetings with the High Queen? Ambassador Laron
means no harm to any Nyoogranj'sha, nor do they intend any harm to our
people. What his people do with the Lannarkites is of course business
between them."

"The objection is noted," Anjoc smiles. It didn't matter what Ahlil
said; after today, it wouldn't matter. "Is there anything else? No? Very
well, then. Friend Noghah, present your noble Prime Councillor's words to us
so we may understand what the Fifth Republic is willing to offer us."

Noa nods, then stares at the assembled queens. "I bring most sincere
greetings from your sisters and brothers on Sagussa. We're more than pleased
to note that this noble element of the Fourth Republic lives on. Until now,
Newgrange was but a legend to us, a fairy tale to entice our children. That
you do exist will help us better come to understand ourselves most of all,
which is the purpose of today's meeting.

"Know we mean you no harm. Whatever path Newgrange takes for itself
will be respected ...fully," her eyes fall on Laron. "That you have welcomed
the Lannarkites, made them feel a part of your society, will be of great news
to our many friends who look on Queen H'n's people with fear and terror. If
there is some way you can teach us how to better deal with the Lannarkites,
understand their needs and wants, we will always be willing to listen.

She rises. Chiharu stands, then walks into the circle, bowing to the
high queen. On her dress uniform sleeves were the looped braids marking her
as an ambassador. "To you, friend Anjoc, I now present our spokeswoman to
you, the Council of Queens and all the countries of Newgrange, Ambassador
Chiharu."

Chiharu presents a rolled scroll. Anjoc accepts it, then opens the
parchment. On it was a copy of the legislation passed by the Sagussan Inner
Circle recognizing Newgrange as an independent planet-state, etcetera,
etcetera. Rolling the parchment, she nods. "Welcome to Nyoogranj'sha,
Ambassador."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm very pleased to be here. May our
relations be peaceful," Chiharu smiles.

Anjoc claps her hand. Math then rises, walking into the circle to
bow before her queen. "Princess Math of Nyoogranj'ee," the High Queen
announces. "You will proceed at once to Sagussa and present yourself to the
Prime Councillor and her noble circle as our herald and ambassador. Speak
with truth and dignity, treat your hosts with honour and compassion. They
seek knowledge from us as we do about them. Let the truth be told."

"I shall do so, my Queen," Math bows.

Anjoc sighs, then claps her hands. "Well, then!" she smiles. "Why
don't you introduce your heart-mate to me, you silly girl?! You're not going
to leave your poor grandmother without letting me meet the girl who won your
heart, are you?!"

"I'm sorry, Grandmother!" she laughs, scratching the back of her
head, then smiles as Miho walks up to join her. "This is Meehogh,
Grandmother."

"Your Majesty," Miho curtseys.

"Don't be that formal with me, Meehogh!" Anjoc walks up to embrace
her. "Friend Noghah, what would be the term on your planet?"

"I think *eishima'cha,*" Noa muses.

"How about 'Grandmother?'" Miho proposes.

"Oh, I like that!" Anjoc laughs.

"WAIT A MOMENT!!!!!!"

Everyone turns to Ahlil, who now glares murderously at Miho. "What
is the problem, Ahlil?" Anjoc evenly demands.

"I have business with this one!!" Ahlil snarls, pointing at the
florist. "She prevented me from punishing your granddaughter after she nearly
killed my son...and nearly killed me along the way! Assaulting a queen's
punishable by death here!!"

"Mind-raping one's bond-mate is a capital crime where we come from,
sweetheart," Lufy icily smiles from one side.

Noa blinks as she sees people reach for their guns. A quick shake of
her head causes them to relax, though Mai fires Noa a very concerned look.
Miho was a civilian, no match for a warrior queen like Ahlil. Noa winks at
her, mouthing silently, "It'll be fine."

Miho stares contemptuously at Ahlil, showing no fear. "You, a
queen?" she crosses her arms. "You couldn't command a pottie detail in a
daycare centre, much less run a whole country! Don't make me laugh!!"

"You'll eat those words!" Ahlil hisses.

Lufy's and Priss' hands leap to their pistols...just as Miho's hand
arcs from behind to fill Ahlil's face with pale powder. The queen gasps as
she breathes in, then wheezes as she collapses to her knees, grasping her
throat. "Wanna bet? I remember Math telling me you don't like windreeds too
much. I can see why; you're allergic to them..."

A *thump!* distracts everyone. People turn to see Ahlilrei on the
floor, wounds miraculously sprouting blood as the power of his mother's mind
fades. With that, Ahlilrei's spirit flees for the *te'a,* unable to support
itself within its shattered mortal shell. At the same moment, Ahlil screams
as her whole body shakes, the skin darkening considerably. "Lyna's Soul!!!"
Miho cries.

Everyone watches Ahlil's clothes tear as her body morphs. "I'll be
dipped!! She hosted a Lannarkite egg!!" Lufy gasps.

Seeing this, Laron hisses as he lunges over, his mouth opening wide
to reveal row on row of very sharp teeth. H'n bounds over Bihac as her claw
slams into the Sihac's side, sending him sprawling some distance from her
freed child. Laron burps as he spins on the advancing queen, his mouth
shooting forth globs of white-green paste that upon striking the Lannarkite
queen, sear into her skin like sulphuric acid! "H'n!!!" Bihac screams.

Minori leaps over, grabbing Lufy's knife as she kneels beside the
fallen H'n. Cutting her skin open, the archaeologist allows her blood to drip
over the wounds. H'n's body convulses as the enzymes in Minori's blood go to
work. Seeing this, Laron howls as he leaps at Minori. "That's my lunch!!!"

A scaled, clawed hand grabs him by his thick throat. Kuk tsks as she
effortlessly raises the Sihac into the air. "And you just became my dinner!"
the T'Kon's eyes narrow.

"You want him cooked right, ma'am?" Priss walks up, knife out.

"No thanks. I prefer my kills fresh."

"No problem," Priss smiles.

Laron gags, then his eyes widen as the transformed Ahlil then rises,
glaring at him. "THAT'S MY MOTHER, YOU MURDERING SLIME!!!!" she screams,
leaping at the panicking Sihac.

Kuk backs off as Ahlil's hands grab his throat, her weight sending
him into an empty chair. The wood splinters, several jagged edges ripping
into Laron's skull. Since his skeleton is made of soft cartilage in lieu of
hard bone, the brain within the Sihac's body is instantly pulped! Ahlil
snarls as she raises a clawed hand, then jolts as Lufy grabs it. "Don't
bother, kid!" the pilot smiles, then helps her back up. "He's already dead."

Ahlil blinks, then sadly nodding, turning around...to see a beautiful
female humanoid Lannarkite where her insectoid mother once was. Minori is now
dressing her wound as Satomi scans her. "She's alright," the pilot announces.
"Nice thinking, Minori."

"We could do that for all the others," the archaeologist muses. "No
sense leaving anyone left behind here."

"Pity we can't do it for all the Lannarkites," Tita sighs...

* * *

Two hours later, the "Cha Cha Maru" and the "Hasei'cha" hover over
the High Queen's residence. Also there is a T'Kon cruiser. "Thanks for
coming," Noa waves to Kuk and Tok.

"Wouldn't miss it. See you next year," Kuk laughs as the two
disappear.

With that, the cruiser turns and proceeds back to Concordat space.
Noa sighs, then looks at Eluza. "You sent it off?"

"Just like you asked," the shipmistress beams. "What do you think
the Sihac will do when they see what's left of Laron?"

"Once they read the note, they'll be too scared to do much," Noa
muses, then heads over to Anjoc. "Are you okay?"

"I haven't had this much fun in years!" the High Queen smiles. "By
the way, what did you write in that note to the Sihac?"

"I told them that if they didn't leave Newgrange alone from now on,
we'd capture them all and ship them off to the Concordat so the T'Kon could
have fresh salamander cuisine," Noa grins. "We don't have the resources to
post a monitor or anything else here."

"We can take care of ourselves," Anjoc pats her hand. "Go take care
of yourselves."

"We will," Noa smiles.

Meanwhile, the Classmates clique is saying good-bye to two of their
members. "You take care of yourself," Ako kisses Chiharu. "I'll see you in a
couple of months."

"You bet," the ambassador grins.

Across the way, Yui embraces Minori. "You have a good time, Minori-
chan," she smiles. "Don't forget to contact us."

"I'll try, but I suspect I'll be too busy watching everyone here to
stay in touch," the archaeologist shrugs, then squeezes H'n's hand. "Not to
mention...other things."

H'n laughs as the two join the crowd staying behind. As everyone
streams to the "Cha Cha Maru" for the trip home, Math and Miho walk together
hand-in-hand. "So what does a florist do, anyway?" the princess asks. "It
doesn't sound too exciting to me."

"Oh?!" Miho smiles. "Well, to someone who's had to fight for her
very life at times, I wouldn't be so surprised. Still, it's nice enough to
bring beauty into people's lives..."

A great sneeze shakes the "Cha Cha Maru" from bow to stern.
"***MIHO, YOU KNUCKLEHEAD, GET THESE DAMN WINDREEDS OUTTA HERE!!!!!!***" Misa
screams out before sneezing again.

"...but I admit it does have its danger," Miho smiles as they step
aboard the sloop.

Math laughs as they head into the lounge. Misa is now being tended
to by Mako and Misako. Looking across the way, Math notices Yui and Izumi
fawning over H'bi. "So that's why Ahlil killed so many," she sighs. "She
needed power to keep that Lannarkite child within her from hatching."

"Awful," Miho sighs. "What happens to people when they confront
their own deaths? Why couldn't Ahlil come to terms with it like H'bi? It
would've made things a lot easier."

"It doesn't matter now," Math sighs.

Footfalls are heard. Everyone sees the girl born of Ahlil arrive.
"Sorry I'm late!!"

"What are you doing here, A'il?!" Miho bolts up, walking over to her.

A'il blushes. "I came to be with you, Miho. After all, if it wasn't
for you, I'd still be stuck in my host's body. Don't worry; Mama said it was
okay. Please?!"

"Oh, okay," Miho sighs. "I can use the help in the shop!"

"Thank you!" A'il produces a small bouquet. "Here, I got you and
Math these!!"

Miho pales on seeing the windreeds, then turns to Misa, who is now
shuddering as a new sneeze builds up...

"AAAAAH-CHOO!!!!!!"

*** The End ***