A CHANGELING WALKS AMONG US

Tycho sat quietly in his room, turning the strange silver disc idly in his hands. It had been delivered to him an hour ago. A hologram projector left by Darius, his long time friend. Though the word 'friend' didn't even begin to describe their relationship. Guardian. Ally. Protector. Brother, that was the best word. Darius had been like a brother to him. He was gone now, save for the memories.

There was no point in delaying it any longer. Tycho pressed a small button on the disk and a miniature image of Darius appeared. His hands were clasped behind his back, a concerned look on his face. "Tycho. If you're watching this now, it probably means I'm dead. Either that or you're peeking. Somehow I hope it's the latter. I don't know how the upcoming battle against Aristarchus is going to go, but there is something you must know. I guess I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't. When you were first born, I made a vow to protect you as best I could. What you don't know is that ten years later my people made a decision. Luna was not the person they wanted on the throne. Another had to be chosen. You. To that aim a second changeling was selected to ensure, through any means possible, that Luna never took the throne. I am bound not to reveal the identity of that changeling, sorry, but I can tell you that they are on the Skycruiser right now." Darius' eyes flicked to the side. "Gotta go. Just got a summons to the bridge. See you soon."

Tycho put the little disk back down. He wasn't sure what to think. Another changeling? A whole race trying to get him on the throne? Legally he had no power. He'd signed a binding agreement with the late Aristarchus that saw his claim to the throne revoked. Not even Luna could overturn that without suffering repercussions of some kind.

This posed a problem. If there was another changeling running around, one who wanted Tycho, not Luna, on the throne, then it could lead to murder and anarchy. Luna had been one of three people eligible for the throne about a month ago. One now lay dead, and Tycho couldn't. That left Luna. He had to talk to someone he knew wouldn't be the changeling. Someone he could trust. But who?

* * *

Agris, a young Psi guard, looked up sharply as the door to the brig hissed open. "Bring him to the interrogation room," Tycho said, indicating Red Eye. Agris nodded and quickly keyed the sequence to drop the force field.

* * *

"Ok, Red Eye, here's the thing. We've got this shape changer running around as one of our friends, or so Darius says. I need to know who it is before he or she tries to kill Luna in order to put me on the throne. Darius said that his people want it that way," Tycho rambled when the bulkier man had seated himself.

Red Eye nodded, an odd look crossing his face. "I thought as much. I knew Darius couldn't be trusted. I told them, but they wouldn't believe me." Red Eye's face began to contort, elongating and turning a sickly shade of green. It was the changeling. Unlike Darius, though, this one was massive. Rippling muscles coupled with razor sharp claws caused Tycho to back up a step. "You know too much, now. I must inform my people at once!" The large creature changed into a hornet and zipped through the air vents.

* * *

Agris began sprinting down the hall. He had important news for Tycho. He opened the door and barely caught the tail end of the incident. "What was that?" he gasped.

"A changeling," Tycho cursed, "Red Eye is a changeling. Damn."

"No he isn't. That's why I came here, to report that I was about to clean a supply closet when I found him bound and gagged in there," Agris said.

"Then we're back at square one, with one less suspect. Great," Tycho muttered and then left.

Within an hour all of Agris' friends knew of the changeling that was wandering through the ship.

* * *

Cameo glanced up from the tactical officer's seat as an Ice Lunatak announced, "Admiral Tycho on the bridge." Tycho nodded politely and flopped down in a vacant chair. The title was honorary, given only for the blood that flowed through his veins. He had little real power here, just a chair really. "Status report," he inquired.

"Most systems fully operational. Minor glitch in the sensor arrays, though we expect that problem to be resolved shortly. Shuttles Ares and Duau will be docking in but an hour as scheduled. Five of our people were wounded in engineering during a training exercise," the captain, a woman from the Dark Moon named Stardust, replied.

"The Ares?" Tycho asked, an idea forming. "Who's on board?"

"Shuttle Ares. 1^st Moon to Excelsior. Crew; Knave Iespyk, Psychro Myntaello, Tug Mug Lybriem. Pilot Oris Zamier," Cameo said. Tycho smiled and left.

* * *

"All right then. Boron. Let's go with weird names he might name his kids," Knave said as the trio were once again playing a point-based game where one made witty remarks about their friends.

"You mean, as revenge for his own name?" Psychro asked.

"Yes," Knave replied.

"How about Cube?" Tug Mug asked.

"Nah... Koka Kola," Psychro snickered.

"Ugh! I can't imagine anything worse. Psychro gets the point," Knave gasped.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt your game, but prince Tycho is requesting permission to come aboard," Captain Oris said.

"Sure, why not? I was looseeng anyway," Tug Mug sighed.

* * *

"Okay... So, why did you come to us?" Knave asked after Tycho had explained the situation.

"It's obvious, mice for brains. Since we were onboard the shuttle when he saw the changeling, he knows it wasn't us. He still knows that. The question is, who is it?" Psychro replied, smacking Knave across the back of the head.

"Well. As I see eet there are eight choicees. Allooro, Cameo, Cheella, Cheetalia, Loora, Meestan, Psikarees, and Shade. Evereeone else has been eleeminated," Tug Mug said.

"What about Luna and Amok?" Psychro asked.

"The changeling wanted Luna dead. And Amok's the only one who's had the chance to kill her. He hasn't taken it. Must be someone else," Knave said.

"Well, it isn't Psikaris. Or Cameo either," Psychro said.

"It sure isn't Chilla, Cheetalia, or Shade," Knave added.

"You can't be sure. Maybe they were switched at some point. You never really know," Tycho sighed.

"It isn't Alluro. He hasn't been seen since Psikaris, Cameo and I ditched him on the Psi Moon," Psychro said, after a moment of thought.

"Great. Seven choicees," Tug Mug replied.

"We have to catch the changeling today, before he or she has the chance to contact their people. I mean, they'll wonder what happened, but they might just give the order to kill both of you," Knave said.

"Yes, but how?" Tycho sighed.

* * *

The three men had provided little in the way of suggestions for Tycho's weary mind, and he returned to his flagship. He had ordered the shuttle not to land or accept any passengers, except for Tycho or Luna. This way he would always know that those three were pure and untainted, as far as whether or not they were changelings were concerned.

Tycho's next stop was Luna's room. He found Luna looking rather startled as she lay on her bed. "What are you doing here?" she snapped.

"Grave news, I'm afraid," Tycho began, before detailing what had recently happened.

* * *

"Hmm... Those bunglers clearly have failed to see the obvious person to rule out. Mystan. Why would he go through all the trouble of betraying both of us when he wants you on the throne?" Luna asked.

"Perhaps to distract us, divert our attention away from him?" Tycho suggested.

"Foolishness. How would he know that we'd find out about him being a shape changer. No, I suspect that it isn't him. It must be someone that got close to Darius, someone that got a good position because they were a close ally of his. Probably one of your royal guards. Psikaris, Shade and Lura," Luna said.

"What about Cameo?" Tycho asked.

"He wasn't part of your guard for very long. He was almost an afterthought," Luna replied tersely. "Besides, think about what happened when Darius needed to confide in someone. Where did he go?"

"You mean, when he suspected I was being held under duress? He went to Lura," Tycho replied.

"Hmm... Seems odd that he'd go to her if they weren't close. She's the one I'd keep my eyes on," Luna replied.

"What do we do then? Group those six suspects into two groups of three? Two stay awake, and one sleeps. That way the changeling is always under guard?" Tycho asked.

"Don't be silly. As much as I hate to say it, I don't think any of our people would consent to that. How would Knave react to having two people watch him and Shade go at it like rabbits? Or Cameo and Psikaris?" Luna sneered.

"I guess you're right. Even the non-changelings would object. I mean, they aren't all changelings after all," Tycho replied.

"Not that we know of, no. Anyone can be a changeling," Luna said, watching as Tycho walked out the door. "Even someone right beneath your nose."

* * *

Tycho flaked down in the large arm chair that rested in the middle of his room. He hadn't really gotten used to the lack of Darius in the short time since his death. Even when the two had been serving in two different locations, Tycho on Third Earth and Darius still on the Moons, it hadn't felt empty. Tycho had known that Darius was still alive and that soon they would be together, drinking tea and swapping stories. Now? Nothing. There was nothing that could bring Darius back. Even as it was, Darius was merely a pile of ashes inside a glass jar sitting on his bedside table.

A beep from his comm. panel alerted to him to the incoming call. The screen flickered to life and Psychro's leering face appeared. "How can I help you, Psychro? I'm rather busy," Tycho sighed.

"Busy? Looks to me like you're moping. Oh well. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Short, round and ugly back there came up with a good idea. You got anyone watching the communications? I mean, this changeling guy of yours is supposed to make a call home. If any of our people makes a call, then whammo. We've got him or her right where we want them," Psychro replied as Tug Mug waved in the background.

"Not a bad idea. I've been wondering something though. The changeling revealed himself at the same time as a sensor glitch. Do you think they could have done it?" Tycho asked.

"Probably, but that won't help you much. 'Karis and Lura are the only ones we know can do that. But that's no reason to say that Cameo, Cheetalia, Chilla or Shade don't know how either," Psychro replied.

"True enough. Still, it's something to keep an eye on. It's bound to happen again," Tycho said with a resigned sigh.

"Guess that's all I needed to cover. Gotta get back to my game. I'm winning after all," Psychro snickered.

* * *

Cameo, Lura and Psikaris stood in the engineering section of the Excelsior checking the various monitors. Actually, Cameo was kind of sitting in one of those chairs with wheels and watching as the two women went about their work. Even then, it would be more fair to say that he was only watching one of them. The sway of Psikaris' hips, the gentle and easy grace that she looked up at the screen. Her fingers caressing the controls much like she would caress him. He snapped his head over to the side at the sound of Lura's voice. "What?" he asked.

"I said, I need that station. Would you do your ogling elsewhere?" came Lura's terse reply. Cameo blushed fiercely and rolled hastily away from the Psi Lunatak while muttering something of an apology.

"Oh, don't worry, Cameo. Tell you what. You can make yourself useful and make sure the numbers on this monitor and the ones on the printout match up. I've got something that needs to be done in the next room anyway. An important call to make," Psikaris said, rubbing his shoulders gently and handing him a stack of paper.

"Sure thing," Cameo called after her, "anything for you."

"Oh gag me with a spoon. Can you two get any more sappy? I think I'll file my report from my room," Lura said.

* * *

"Lura! Excellent. Just the person I wanted to talk to, sort of. I need you and Psikaris to drop what you're doing and do a little favour for me," Tycho said.

"You're going to have to wait on that one. Psikaris is off making a very important call. I can get someone else to work on it though, if you want," Lura suggested.

"A call? You're sure? Never mind. I'm wanting all calls on this ship traced. Origin point and point of destination since the start of today until further notice. I also want the sensors double checked. Once they're up and running, I want a dozen passwords of my choosing in place so that no one, not even you or Psikaris, can touch them," Tycho said.

"Sure thing. I'll get right on it," Lura said, shrugging and heading back into the room.

* * *

"It's Psikaris. It's gotta be. Who else could it be?" Tycho rambled to Luna, once again wakened.

"What in blazes are you talking about?" Luna asked.

"The changeling. It's gotta be Psikaris," Tycho said, "I've got the proof now."

"What changeling? Tycho, have you been drinking again? How many times do I have to tell you..." Luna began, before Tycho cut her off.

"The changeling. The one I told you about earlier today," Tycho said.

"This is the first time I've seen you all day, Tycho," she snapped.

"But, I told someone about the changeling, and they looked like you. Dammit. It must have been the shape changer. Where were you about an hour ago?" Tycho asked.

"Amok had put me in the bath and then helped me. Why?" Luna asked in turn.

Quickly Tycho detailed his conversation with "her" from earlier, concluding with, "so all that time the shape changer was here and now knows that I'm actively looking for it."

"But this evidence against Psikaris. What is it?" Luna asked.

"Quite simple really. Sensors have been tampered with. Psikaris can do that. The shape changer can change shape. We've all seen Psikaris do that. The shape changer had to contact his or her home. Psikaris had to make a very important call. Coincidence? I think not," Tycho explained to the impatient queen.

"Circumstantial. I may be absolute monarch of the Lunataks, but I can't just randomly arrest someone without concrete proof. Find me that proof, though, and I'll make sure that Psikaris spends a long time in a penal colony," Luna replied.

"It will be done, my queen," Tycho said with a bow.

* * *

"You what?" Psychro roared, pounding his fist against the wall.

"I believe that Psikaris is the changeling," Tycho replied over the video monitor.

"This can't be! You're wrong, you little bastard. When I get my hands on you, you'll wish that you had never been born. I'll make watching Tug Mug bathe look like heaven!" Psychro raged.

He and his sister had always been close, twins usually are, but these two were closer than most. Both were fiercely loyal and protective of the other. Psychro could remember beating men off of her with a stick. Sometimes quite literally. To hear such slanderous comments being made about her made him furious. He'd sooner have his vital organs removed than hear that said to him.

Slowly and determinedly, Psychro walked up to Captain Oris and gripped his shoulder. "Beam me off this shuttle and onto the Excelsior. Now!" he snarled.

Oris wasn't stupid. He made his living dealing with temperamental people all the time. Half the people he transported were temperamental, he would venture to guess. Often, the best thing to do was give into their desires right away and save himself some hassle. It had always worked before. A flip of a switch and Psychro had dematerialized.

* * *

Tycho was once again in his quarters. This time he was reading the preliminary report that Lura had sent him. The sensors wouldn't seem to come back online. The minor glitch seemed to be the thing with a password lock on it. Three people were working hard to crack the code, though no progress could be claimed thus far. As for the communication systems there had been three ship to Moon messages made. A crew member named Nawor had called his parents on the Ice Moon, Luna herself had made a call to the Royal Moon, and there was a strangely blocked message made from engineering to an unknown location. What was strange about this last one was that the person making the call couldn't be identified. This only served as more evidence to Tycho that it was Psikaris behind the whole thing. Who else could it be?

"Tycho!" a distinctly male voice shouted from the other side of his door, pounding on its surface. The young prince stood and opened it, only to find a very angry Psychro standing in front of him. "Uh, hi, Psychro. What seems to be the problem?" Tycho asked.

Psychro reached out and lifted Tycho up by his collar, holding him against the wall next to the door. "You made one very big mistake, buster. No one accuses my sister of being something she isn't," Psychro snarled.

"Oh no. How did you find out about that?" Tycho whimpered.

"You told me yourself, you little snot, and now you're going to pay," Psychro said, raising his fist back for a strike.

"Psychro! What are you doing?" Cameo shouted, running into the room.

"This little brat just accused Psikaris of being the shape changer. You can get your own shots in when I'm done," Psychro replied.

Cameo took a step back. He had been on his way down here anyway. The last thing he had expected to find when he got here were accusations about Psikaris being the changeling. She couldn't be a changeling.

"I think the little prince has lost his marbles. If Psikaris is the changeling then I'm a dung beetle, and I'm no dung beetle," Cameo replied.

"Look. Both of you. There's overwhelming evidence here. I'd show you it, but I'm kind of busy right now," Tycho pleaded.

Psychro let go and snickered when Tycho fell on his rear. It sure felt good to put the royals in their place on occasion. His face darkened, though, as he listened to Tycho detail the "evidence" against Psikaris. It did sound likely that she was the changeling, but she couldn't be. He'd know if she had been switched with someone, wouldn't he? "Screw this. I'm going down to the training room to work off a little anger. You coming, Cameo?" he asked, finally.

"No thanks. I've got to get back to work. Here's your report, your majesty," Cameo sneered, before exiting the room.

Tycho brushed himself off. Well, that had gone better than he had expected. He hadn't lost any blood for one thing. Cameo's report lay on the ground, so he picked it up and began to read it. His eyes widened as he saw a comment from Lura, telling him that she had managed to crack the password.

* * *

The bridge was bustling with activity. Psikaris and Cameo were sitting at their respective consoles doing engineering and tactical officer work. Boron was standing next to the captain, listening as Stardust explained what had happened in the last few centuries on the Dark Moon. There were others there too. A couple of Psis, an Ice Lunatak, two Gravitons working on repairing something along the ceiling, and a very distant relative of Tycho's was sitting in the communications seat today.

The doors opened and Tycho entered the room, flanked by two burly Dark Lunataks. "Psikaris Myntaello. You are hereby under arrest on the charges of treason. Surrender yourself now," Tycho said firmly.

Psikaris wheeled in her chair to stare dumbfounded at Tycho. Her? A criminal? That was impossible. Instinctively she motioned Cameo to remain seated and not make matters worse. Then she stood and allowed the energy shackles to be placed around her wrists. The four promptly left the room.

* * *

Psikaris stood shackled against the far wall, completely helpless. Tycho had sent the two guards to stand outside. "You might as well admit it now. The evidence against you is staggering. You don't really stand any chance of getting away scot-free. You're a changeling who is planning to overthrow Luna by killing her!" Tycho snapped, poking her stomach with his newly acquired whip.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a changeling," Psikaris said, shrieking as the whip snapped across her shoulder, drawing blood. "Sure. I can change shape with difficulty, but I would never dream of hurting Luna." The whip snapped two more times, once across her left arm, and the other across her abdomen.

"Confess!" Tycho said, the anger rushing to his face.

"I'm not going to, because it's not true," Psikaris cried, even as the whip caught her across the face.

"And I'm not going to stop whipping you until you admit that you're the changeling or you die," Tycho snarled. The whip cracked twice more before being wrenched from his hands.

Tycho turned and saw Cameo standing there, holding the severed heads of the two Darkness guards by their hair. The half Ice Lunatak glared daggers into Tycho. "I thought I told you she wasn't the changeling. Now I find you doing this? You are going to die!" Cameo said, dropping the heads.

Cameo's body began stretching, becoming larger and larger, filling the room with his massive bulk. Muscles grew and razor sharp claws were formed. One of these massive paws grabbed Tycho and began squeezing, intent on popping the head clean off. "Cameo?" Psikaris' voice gasped.

"Don't worry, 'Karis. Soon I'll have gotten revenge," Cameo replied as Tycho cried out in pain and agony.

Things didn't look too good for Tycho. Spots were dancing in front of his eyes and he knew that consciousness wouldn't last forever. Furthermore, he knew that if he did lapse into a coma, he'd never come out of it. His head would be too busy rolling separately for him to wake up. His head began to droop, and he said his prayers to his goddess, Selene. Which is when suddenly the pressure let up. He wasn't fully aware of what was being said around him, but it sure sounded like someone else had entered the room.

The scene before her was shocking. Cameo had been squeezing Tycho and then let out a howl of pain. He'd dropped Tycho and stumbled forward, shrinking his size down somewhat. When he turned to face the new opponent, Psikaris could see that there was a large gaping sword wound across his back. Silhouetted through the door was Boron, Lunar Defender drawn. It glowed a sickly green.

"Step away from Tycho and surrender. I don't want to have to hurt you any more than I have to," Boron said, crisply and evenly.

"You can't hurt me. Your powers don't work on Lunataks, remember?" Cameo snarled, turning one arm into a lengthy sword.

"That may be true, but you're only half Lunatak. I'm betting I can hit that other half pretty hard. Wanna find out?" Boron asked.

"Cameo, just surrender. I don't want to see you get hurt," Psikaris pleaded.

"Okay, 'Karis. Just for you," Cameo said, lowering his guard.

"Whatever works," Boron muttered. "Security and medical teams to detention room three. Pronto."

* * *

Tycho blearily looked up at Boron, who was standing watch over him in the med lab. "Why did you come? How did you know?" Tycho asked.

"Long ago, I too was in love. I knew that nothing anyone did would stop me from keeping my love safe from harm. When you took Psikaris away, I saw that same determined look in Cameo's eyes. I didn't know he was the changeling, but I knew he'd try something. Then he got up, claiming he had to use the bathroom. I explained my concerns to Stardust and followed after him. It would appear that I was right," Boron explained. "My question is, what made you finally think it was Psikaris?"

"Well. The sensors were damaged and locked off with a password. 'Psikaris.' I figured that she'd entered her own name as the password and left it at that. I guess that was Cameo's choice," Tycho replied.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Psikaris asked as she sat with him in his prison cell. The two had been permitted the time alone, with guards within sight.

"I couldn't. I made a promise to my people not to reveal myself unless it was absolutely necessary. If it had been anyone else under that lash, I wouldn't have, but I couldn't bear the thought of you being hurt," Cameo replied, back in his familiar form.

"Thank you, Cameo. I... I love you still," Psikaris sobbed lightly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I love you too," Cameo smiled, stroking her hair. "I will always love you."

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