Lunar Showdown 5: Elyon Yerah

 

      Aristarchus was not a happy man.  Luna's Ice Fleet had stuck twice before his army had a chance to retaliate.  She had again contacted him, asking if he'd like to surrender.  He didn't.

 

      He was well aware that Luna's claim to the Lunar Throne was greater, but he didn't care.  It was the principle of the thing.  Luna was not born on the Moons.  She wouldn't have any idea how to make them great again.

 

      That the Moons were one great and that the Lunar Empire one covered a third of the galaxy, Aristarchus knew.  The voices in the Lunar Blade had told him so, telling him of the past, the stories not written in the history books.  Now if only he could remember what he did with that sword...

 

      Old glories... once we ruled all the stars we could see...  our history is lost... once we were great...  On and on the voices whirled, telling him of the past greatness of the Lunar Empire.  Ah, but the yerin were powerful once.  Now they had to put up with Thundera and Plundarr... no one ever did explain how Thundera reformed and pulled the Moons into its orbit.  Something about the great magical field generated to pull the planet back together.  It didn't matter.  As soon as Luna was defeated, he would move on to conquer Thundera.  The Lunar Empire would again flourish under his rule.

 

* * *

 

      "Where's the Goliath?"

 

      "Low orbit around the Third Moon.  You want us to go for big boss Aristarchus himself next?" Psychro asked.  The ice hybrid was in high spirits.  He had been given an offer to fly one of the little fighters, but passed it up.  There was something indescribably cool about flying an Imperial Warship.  This little honey was the Bechira by name, 'Chosen One' in the old language.  The other ex-Skytombers had other jobs.  For instance, his sister Psikaris was still back in Tycho's base, doing repair work.  Which suited Psychro just fine.

 

      "No.  I can't just go and kill Aristarchus for the same reasons he can't just kill me," Luna explained.  "If I kill him, he'll get the martyr vote and his supporters will kill me out of spite."  She sighed.  "Politics are stupid."

 

      Psychro agreed with that one completely.  "How are we supposed to know when the war is over if you two can't be killed off?"

 

      "One of us has to surrender."

 

* * *

 

      "You sure you're okay to fly?"

 

      "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.  You're as bad as that nurse," Cameo griped.  He enjoyed flying.  He had made an impassioned speech about how he would never heal his wounds if he was taken from the job he loved.  Either nurse Lura bought it, or she just wanted to get rid of him.

 

      Knave raised an eyebrow.  "Am I as bad as Psikaris?"

 

      That hit a nerve.  Cameo shot the ice cheetah a quick scowl for reminding him.  Psikaris... well, that just gave him one more reason not to get himself killed, now didn't it?  "You're the one bugging me right now," the icewalker shot back.

 

      "Yeah, yeah.  If it makes you feel any better, my sister railed me out for taking this job, too," Knave grumbled.  Usually 'remorse' wasn't in his vocabulary, but he liked Cameo.

 

      Cameo picked up on the grudging apology and smiled.  "What else is your crew doing?  I only met a few of them."

 

      The ice cheetah ticked them off on his fingers.  "Luna and Amok are captaining a warship, Psychro's piloting it, Mystan's playing second-in-command to Captain Nissinah on his ship, Chilla's taken over as security chief here while Valkyrie takes an assignment elsewhere, Alluro's an engineer on some other ship, Tug-Mug's got a fighter ship in the North Hangar, Red-Eye is on the Dark Moon, and 'Karis is here fixing whatever gets dragged in after a skirmish.  I think that's all."

 

      "Tycho and Darius?"

 

      "I don't really count them as 'our crew'.  They've got a warship somewhere," said Knave with a shrug.

 

* * *

 

      Said warship was called the Skycruiser, and it swung in a lazy arc around the First Moon.  Only a few of Tycho's ships were in New Thundera's Moon-system, most others were off chasing Aristarchus' ships at the other planets.  Just because only Plundarr, New Thundera, and her Moons were the only habitable worlds in the system didn't mean that other worlds could be mined for their natural resources.

 

      Tycho had a headache.  His sword, the mystical Lunar Blade, had some sort of tie to the Lunatac race, and hated the war.  Of course, he had never actually had it during a time of peace.  His rival Aristarchus had sent it to him as a gift when Tycho had first ascended the Lunar Throne.  Two years later, Aristarchus showed up with a small army and took over the Empire.

 

      So why send him the lousy sword?

 

      If you asked Tycho, Aristarchus was unbalanced.  Maybe it was the Blade that did it to him; it was certainly driving Tycho batty.  Even if Aristarchus' plan was to drive Tycho crazy before taking over, why do it that way?  Tycho would certainly never give up such a powerful weapon to an enemy.  Just in case he figured out how to use it.

 

* * *

 

 

      Chilla looked over with mild annoyance when she heard the door to the training room open.  Practice was something she preferred to do alone.  She finished her set, and turned to face the newcomer.  "Psikaris."

 

      "Need anything done around here?"

 

      "Not that I can think of," Chilla replied, curious at the offer.  "Isn't there enough to do in the hangar?"

 

      Psikaris sighed.  "They kicked me out and told me not to come back until my shift."

 

      "When is that?"

 

      "In ten hours.  I only need to fill two of those, though."

 

      Chilla blew a mist-ring in mild annoyance.  "Most of us would be happy with a little free time.  Why don't you try to relax?"

 

      "Relax?" Psikaris snapped.  "How am I supposed to relax with a war going on?  Cameo and Psychro are up there getting their fool selves shot at, so either I work or I worry.  At least if I'm working I get something done.  But I'm not allowed anywhere near a ship until morning shift, and you're the only person I know in this place.  So set me a task!"

 

      "Cool it," the ice woman hissed warningly.  "Don't think you're the only one who stands to lose someone."

 

      Psikaris flinched under the verbal assault, then looked down at her hands.  "S-sorry, Chilla.  I forgot about Knave."

 

      Knave, and perhaps one other, Chilla thought, then pushed the thought aside.  Then aloud, "Give the security system a once-over, make sure everything is working at maximum efficiency."

 

      Having at least a working understanding of Chilla, Psikaris refrained from smiling, instead turned crisply on her heel to head to the security office.  "I'll get right on it."

 

* * *

 

      You know you're having a bad day, Alluro thought, when you find yourself thinking of your time fighting Thundercats for a deranged sorcerer as 'the good old days'.  The hypnotist's thoughts were calm only by virtue of his mental training.  The scene around him was anything but.

 

      The Ice Fleet warship Cold Vengeance had taken a severe beating.  Of course, the graviton ship that was fighting them was just as damaged.  However, while the Vengeance's shields were holding, their weapons were not.  The graviton warship had the opposite problem.  However, under the continued assault, the ice ship's shields wouldn't last long.  If only we had some kind of weapon - anything! - we could take out the other ship.  But our cannons have been fused, it would take hours to get even one working again... fused, but not destroyed.  Like everything else on this ship, they run on dyskoenium, which isn't the most stable of elements.  It reacts quite badly with certain substances...  Of course, there's going to be a lot of luck involved...

 

* * *

 

      Kigrevan, captain of the graviton ship Stormhammer, was in decent spirits.  His ship would need major repairs, but it would still work.  Not like the ice ship he was fighting.

 

      He was pulled from his thoughts of hard-won victory by the psi-woman running the scanners.  "Captain, they've just fired off an escape pod.  Capture or destroy?"

 

      "Let eet go."  His job was to destroy the ship.  It had been a good battle; any survivors deserved a chance.  Kigrevan returned his attention to the viewscreen.  It wouldn't be long...

 

      An explosion rocked the ship and knocked Kigrevan from his chair.  "Merzhansee, report!"

 

      The sandweller picked herself off of the ground and ran back to her console.  "The escape pod rammed us."

 

      "What!?  Where?  Right up thee tailpipe?"

 

      Merzhansi almost responded that warships didn't come equipped with such outdated things as tailpipes, but instead pulled more information from the scanners.  "Sensors indicate high amounts of dyskoenium, as well as several other trace elements."

 

      So, the ice Lunies had rigged up an escape pod into a bomb.  Kigrevan would have chuckled at that, if it wasn't a very real threat staring him in the face.  "Conteenue thee attack!  Destroy any other escape pods that they throw at us!"

 

      "Sir, we can't."

 

      "We what!?"

 

      "Can't," Merzhansi replied.  "Damage reports say our main power relay grid is blown.  The auxiliary one still works, but it doesn't cover weapons.  Don't even ask to re-route the weapons system through it.  Ten-to-one you'd blow any systems left working."

 

      Kigrevan sighed.  "How long to feex eet?"

 

      "Tsaa's estimate is six hours."

 

      "Damn.  Communeecations?"

 

      "Still working inside the ship.  We can't call anyone else, though."

 

      "So no back-up," Kigrevan muttered.  "Propulsion?"

 

      "We have thrusters.  We will be able to limp to the Third Moon if nothing else tries to kill us."

 

      The captain sighed again, and waved one hand dismissively.  "Helm, back us up a few hundred metres, then set a course for thee Third Moon."  No shields, no weapons, no speed.  Kigrevan may have been a betting man, but he knew better than to play impossible odds.

 

* * *

 

      Had Mystan been there to witness the fight between the Cold Vengeance and the Stormhammer, he would have warmed to know that the Lunatac species was not entirely without honour.  As it was, Captain Nissinah's ship, Za'afiel, was taking a major beating from two smaller ships of Third Moon design.  There had been a third - the Za'afiel crippled it and Nissinah gave them a chance to escape, but they didn't take it.  Nissinah had been forced to destroy the craft when it tried to ram his ship.

 

      Mystan wasn't much of a warrior.  He disliked physical danger and spilled blood made him ill.  But the main problem of the Ice Fleet wasn't that there wasn't enough ships, but not enough people to run them.  So the telekinetic found himself second-in-command to icewalker Captain Nissinah.

 

      Now the Za'afiel was almost crippled.  Sometimes the winner would let you go if your ship was damaged to the point of no longer being a threat.  Of course, sometimes they would just destroy you.  Both sides had both types, so you could never be sure that you could throw yourself on the mercy of whoever you were fighting.  It didn't seem like the elyon captains had any interest in letting their prey go.

 

      Which meant that the Za'afiel had to attack with intent to destroy.  Which wasn't easy, given that the elyon ships were more manoeuvrable and were possessed of a type of displacement cloak that made manual targeting necessary.  So shooting to cripple was out anyway; you were lucky if you hit at all.  And while the Za'afiel was heavily shielded, the frequency of the Third Moon ship attacks were steadily wearing it down.

 

      Nyxi, who had been reading off numbers with unnerving regularity, finally said, "That's it.  We've lost our shields."

 

      "We can still fire back," Nissinah replied.  "We still have a chance to take them down before they get us."  Though he was neither happy about nor sure of that prospect.

 

* * *

 

      All internal defences were working properly, so Psikaris turned her attention to the external scanners.  "Chilla, are you picking up any fluctuations in the sensor relay?"

 

      Chilla tapped a few keys on the security office computer.  "No."

 

      "Then we're in big trouble."

 

      "What!?"  Chilla practically vaulted the table to look at whatever Psikaris saw.  "Oh, hells..."

 

      Laserfire tore through the Ice Moon's atmosphere, and slammed into Tycho's base.

 

* * *

 

      "There's nothing out here, sir."

 

      "Impossible," Tycho snapped at his subordinate.  "Right now, this sector is right between the First and Third Moons.  If Aristarchus has any traffic, it would be heaviest in here.  Even if he tried sneaking around, we'd still be able to detect his ships."

 

      "They must have guessed our plans and are lying low," said Darius.

 

      Tycho harrumphed.  "Then waiting won't help.  Let's swing around New Thundera's south pole and head home."

 

* * *

 

      The Za'afiel lurched under another assault.  They had tried to retreat, but one of the elyon ships blasted the engines, so now they were stuck dead in the water.  So to speak.

 

      Mystan had taken over scanning duties when the darkling at the controls was hit by some random shrapnel and taken to the medlab.  He would read off the damage reports, but skipped the casualties.  Captain Nissinah had enough on his mind without hearing about the deaths of his crew.

 

      The ship rocked again, and Mystan automatically set up a telekinetic field around himself.  It only stopped shrapnel; he had a few burns from where the heat from an explosion got through.

 

      Like the explosion that shook the control deck now.  Mystan gasped as his back was scorched, but it was drowned out by a scream behind him.  As soon as he could, he turned to assess the damage.

 

      A power coupling in the wall had blown, spewing fire and metal across the control deck.  The helmsman ( Mystan never learned his name ) was the one who screamed, as well as took the brunt of the explosion.  Two others were down, and at least one was still alive.  Captain Nissinah as well had been knocked from his seat.  After summoning a med team to the control deck, forcing down his hemophobia, Mystan went over to check on Nissinah.

 

      There were a few pieces of metal lodged in the man, but nothing fatal.  However, Captain Nissinah was an icewalker.  The heat had killed him.

 

      I'm in command, thought Mystan as the knowledge sank in.  He had always strived for leadership, but always found himself second to someone, be it Yerith or Luna or Tycho.  He regretted that it was at the loss of Nissinah, but there was no time for mourning.  He was in command of a sinking ship.

 

      "You," Mystan snapped, pointing at a random crewman, "Get to the sensors.  I want a full damage report.  Algid, keep firing."  Mystan telekinetically moved the dead helmsman before taking his seat at the controls.  The main engines were offline, though there were still manoeuvring thrusters.  For all the good they would do.  Shields were down.  Weapons still worked, communications... Mystan wasn't used to space battles.  When forced to fight, he used telekinesis to defend himself and throw his opponents around...

 

      Telekinesis!  He wasn't powerful enough to affect the elyon ships, but the Za'afiel had something much like it: tractor beams.  They could be set at a wider angle than the laser cannons, and could slow the quick Third Moon craft.

 

      A ray of blueish light lashed out at the closer elyon ship, which tried to dodge, but underestimated the width of the beam.  It was slowed only slightly, but enough for a second tractor beam to capture it properly.  Stuck as it was, Algid was able to pump it full of laserfire.  "Great idea, sir!," cheered the weapons officer.

 

      "Not soon enough," Mystan snarled back.

 

* * *

 

      "We've been boarded."

 

      "What do you mean 'we've been boarded'?"

 

      "I mean," hissed Chilla, "that our external defences have been trashed, one of Aristarchus' warships is parked outside, and said warship is spilling troops into the base."

 

      Psikaris' first instinct was to panic, maybe go hide somewhere, but Chilla was disgusted enough with her as it was.  "What do we do?"

 

      "Fight," replied Chilla, opening a closet and taking out a few items.  "Are you any good with a laser rifle?"

 

      "I've done target practice with Psychro before..."

 

      Chilla tossed her one, then took a few weapons for herself.  "Good enough."

 

* * *

 

      "Incoming transmission from the Skycruiser, princess," said the icewalker Azhith at communications.

 

      Tycho's ship.  Luna hoped it wasn't bad news.  "Patch it through."

 

      Her cousin's voice filtered over the comm unit: "Luna, we've found the Goliath."

 

      "So did we.  It's orbiting the Third Moon."

 

      "Not any more.  It's at the Ice Moon.  With back-up."

 

* * *

 

      The Bechira drew up alongside the Skycruiser.  Neither ship attacked.  There was no point.  Not only was the Goliath there, but at least a dozen other of Aristarchus' ships.  The rest of the Ice Fleet were chasing around the edges of the system, likely drawn there for just that purpose.  Now, as long as Tycho and Luna kept their distance, Aristarchus' ships didn't attack them.

 

      Communications were open between the two ice ships, with neither captain pleased with the new development.  Both Luna and Tycho realized what Aristarchus was doing: Tycho's base was their only stronghold.  If that was taken out, Tycho's Rebellion would be doomed.

 

      For his part, Psychro sat at the helm and stewed.  If any of Aristarchus' soldiers so much as looked at Psikaris the wrong way, there'd be hell to pay.

 

* * *

 

      For her part, Psikaris stuck with Chilla.  While Chilla may have waded into the thick of the battle, at least she knew what she was doing.  Chilla didn't seem to mind having someone watching her back, even if that watcher was the next best thing to incompetent, warrior-wise.

 

      Chilla mostly used Psikaris as another set of eyes.  If the ice hybrid squeaked, it meant someone had snuck up behind them.  Then she would get out of the way so that Chilla could properly chop through the attacker.  Even without weapons, the ice woman was a formidable opponent.  Add to that a laser rifle slung over her back and a staff with a hooked blade on each end, and she was unstoppable.

 

      Psikaris had no idea where Chilla was going or if she even had a plan, but she followed her anyway.

 

      Unfortunately, that happened to be right into a trap.

 

* * *

 

      The remaining elyon ship, having watched the defeat of its companion, stayed out of the Za'afiel's tractor beam range.  In his frustration, Mystan had tried to throw a couple pieces of space junk at the smaller craft.  One hit.  It didn't help.

 

      Mystan was by degrees growing more and more furious.  Only two others were left on the command deck: Algid at the weapons and Iecina at the scanners.  All others were either killed or sent to deal with other crises throughout the ship.  Helm control being virtually non-existent, Mystan had gone to another station, trying his hand at cutting through the elyon ship displacement cloak.  It didn't help that the Skycruiser had minutes ago sent out a recall order, saying that the Second Moon was under attack.

 

      Iecina spat frost at yet another small console fire.  She had long since stopped reporting damage to Mystan, though she continued to read it with a sort of horrified fascination.  Algid didn't bother asking for new orders.  He just kept trying to hit the other ship.  If Mystan wanted to go down swinging, well, it wasn't as if there was anything else to do.

 

      As the elyon ship swooped back for another strafing run, it exploded in a flash of fire.  "Yes!" shouted Mystan, long past the point of dignity.  "Good shot, Algid!"

 

      "It wasn't me, sir."

 

      "What?"

 

      "We're being hailed."  Without waiting for Mystan's order, Iecina patched it through.

 

      A gravelly accent came over the airwaves: "Ice Fleet ship.  We have decided to aid your cause."

 

      "Red-Eye!" Mystan cried, sagging against his console in relief.  "Wonderful, exquisite timing, old friend!  Now, if you could possibly give us a push to where the action is..."

 

* * *

 

      Aristarchus himself walked the halls of Tycho's base.  His soldiers had killed or captured most of the crew, which really wasn't all that many to begin with.  The Moonking strode into the large room where most of the captives were being held.  Looking over the assembly he asked, "Which one of you is in charge of this place?"

 

      An icewalker immediately stood and glared directly at him.  "I am.  Chilla of the Clan Iespyk.  Even though you strike here, your cause is finished and your reign is over."

 

      "I think not.  Tycho and that Luna woman have no other strongholds, no place else to rally their forces."  Aristarchus stepped directly in front of her, calmly meeting her cold gaze.  "It's over, but I remain the winner.  All that remains now is for them to surrender."

 

* * *

 

      "It's no good," reported Azhith at the comm unit.  "The closest ship to our position is the Cold Vengeance, and even that needs to go through about an hour of repair before it can help.  The others are even farther away... Princess, we're receiving a visual transmission from the surface."

 

      "Damn."  Usually the Lunatacs just used audio transmissions, though visual was possible.  Aristarchus must want to gloat now, Luna thought tiredly.  She knew full well that Tycho's base hadn't stood a chance.  "Open an audio channel to the Skycruiser so Tycho can listen in.  On screen."

 

      As predicted, it was the Moonking.  In the background were his own soldiers, as well as many of Tycho's under guard.  Among them were Chilla and Psikaris.  Chilla was standing next to Aristarchus.  Aristarchus smiled.  "Ah, Luna.  I trust you understand the implications of this little skirmish?"

 

      "Fully."

 

      "Care to surrender?"

 

      Chilla cut in before Luna could answer.  "He's fanatical, Luna.  Madness lurks within his..."  She was cut off by a laser rifle cracked across her head.

 

      Aristarchus scowled at the fallen icewalker, then turned back to the viewscreen with a smile.  "Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?  Ah, yes.  Cease your hostilities and surrender your claim, or I give the order to kill the remaining survivors.  Because I wish to be fair, you have five minutes to make your choice."  The screen shut off.

 

      The Lunatac princess cut off Psychro's protest before he could even voice it.  "Yes, I know your sister is there.  No, I don't want anyone else killed, either."

 

      "There will always be another day to fight," sighed Tycho from the Skycruiser.  At his side, the Lunar Blade psychically hummed with its myriad angry voices.

 

      Luna shook her head.  "It's finished.  We're finished.  Azhith, contact the surface."

 

      The icewalker tried.  "I can't.  Something's overriding our..."

 

      "Surrender, Aristarchus."

 

      A new face appeared on the screen, and according to Azhith, the signal had intruded itself upon Tycho's base and all ships above it.  The overrider was gray, worn, charred, and a general mess.  "Mystan!" Luna gasped.  Not because of Mystan's arrival, but because the Za'afiel was barely holding together.

 

      The telekinetic spoke again: "Surrender, Aristarchus, or we will tear through your ships like so much paper."

 

      Aristarchus' reply could be heard over the airwaves.  "'We'?"

 

      On cue, twenty darkling ships shimmered into view, silent, armed, and waiting.

 

      Again the Moonking spoke.  "We will fight."

 

      "Indeed we will."  Were she physically able, Luna would have drawn herself to full height and stalked over to the viewscreen.  As it was, she sat in her saddle and bristled.  "We will fight, Aristarchus, you and I.  By right of my birth, I challenge you for the Lunar Throne.  Single combat, Aristarchus.  Refuse me and all will know you for the charlatan you are."

 

      Silence.  Then, "Will you be coming down?"

 

      "I will be on the surface within the hour."  Conversation over, communications were cut.

 

      Psychro swivelled in his chair to glare at Luna.  "Mind if I have a short audience with her majesty alone?"  The request held a distinct sneer.  Luna glared right back, but turned Amok to go into a side room.  Psychro signalled another crewmember to take his place, then followed the others.

 

      The second the door was closed behind him, the ice hybrid began his tirade.  "Mystan's not here to tell you when you're doing something stupid, so I'll just take that job for a minute.  What the hells do you think you're doing, Luna?  You're tiny, you can't walk without assistance, you haven't had your magic abilities that long, plus you're five months pregnant!  If there's such thing as worse odds, I've never heard of it!"

 

      "If you can think of a better way to end this stupid war, I'm listening.  Don't go all protective on me now, Psychro," Luna sneered.  "If this is some kind of weird paternal thing..."

 

      The ice hybrid hissed warningly.  "Low blow, princess."

 

      "Hitting below the belt, am I?"

 

      "I didn't expect you to reach much higher."

 

      Luna bit back the order that would have caused Amok to beat the ice hybrid into so much blue paste.  Right from the start, the two hadn't got along, though she sometimes found his blunt honesty a welcome change from the more subtle machinations of Alluro or Mystan.  And while he had many times deserved it, she could never bring herself to allow Amok to trash him.  Much as she hated to admit it, Psychro always was the best-looking man in Skytomb, and you don't just break a body that looked so nice.

 

      Which caused her no end of trouble when she was possessed by her grandmother.  One thing Queen Luna had done to keep her granddaughter Luna's body was to get her pregnant.  And since she knew Luna's preferences, the ice hybrid was targeted.  Queen Luna had since been destroyed, Luna remained pregnant, and her fights with Psychro had become that much nastier.  Although the entire Skytomb knew of Luna and Psychro's short relationship and of Luna's condition, there were still things they didn't know.  It was those things that Luna and Psychro held as blackmail over one another.

 

      Psychro had been absolved from the start of all parental responsibility, had no real emotional attachment to the unborn child, wasn't terribly fond of Luna, but liked suicide missions even less.  "Tycho says Aristarchus is a trained mage.  You can't beat him."

 

      "Hnh.  Despite what you think, I learned more from my time possessed than the fact that you're blue all over," Luna sniffed.  "She spent much of her time practising her magic, and I learned from her.  If you're quite through ranting..."  With that, she steered Amok around and headed back for the control deck.

 

      "And how do we know this isn't a trap?"

 

      "Like I told Aristarchus, if he refuses, people are going to think he's scared of me, thus proving that he's an imposter.  Also, we've got twenty Dark Fleet ships hanging over them."

 

      Psychro rolled his eyes.  "Ooh.  I tremble before your brilliance."

 

* * *

 

      Luna and Amok weren't the only ones to go down to the captured base.  Tycho from the Skycruiser, Psychro from the Bechira, and Red-Eye and Shade from the darkling ship Meridian also arrived on the Ice Moon.  Another came on the Meridian, but he was invisible, and his work was done.  Psychro immediately went to find his sister.  The others went to wander amongst the crowd that gathered about the hangar.

 

      Tycho would have been surprised if a man had appeared from nowhere, but the man was there all along.  Still, something about the sandweller tugged at the young prince's memory.  He saw that psychic somewhere before, and it was important.  The Lunar Blade didn't seem fond of him either, though its psychic mutterings implied 'nuisance' rather than 'threat'.

 

      Curiosity piqued, Tycho watched the psi-race walk over to Luna and start talking.  Normally he wasn't the type to eavesdrop, but he decided that he’d make an exception, just this once.

 

      "Princess Luna?"

 

      Luna turned to the man with a voice like poisoned honey and the smile of a Fallen angel.  Hypnotist, she thought instantly.  But Amok was immune to such things, and working with Alluro had taught him to recognize when his mistress was under thrall.  Amok merely grunted.  Luna asked, "Who are you?"

 

      The hypnotist bowed in a manner that reminded her of Mystan.  "Tanthas Loraelin.  I was Aristarchus' second aboard the Goliath."  That second bit of information was added for the guardian's benefit; Amok had seen him pretending to be the Moonking's aide.  And while it wasn't true, Aristarchus wouldn't dispute it.  The first bit sounded odd to him, being quite unused to using his real name.  "Despite my employment, I wish you luck in the coming battle.  I wish this war over with, and Aristarchus has been becoming more unbalanced of late."

 

      Chilla said much the same thing, Luna thought, Even more reason to stop him.  Uncertain of the proper protocols, Luna merely thanked the man and steered Amok off to deal with something else.

 

      Of course.  I must have seen him in the background of one of Aristarchus' communications, Tycho reasoned to himself.  If the Lunar Blade could speak, it would have said "Hmph."

 

      Tanthas chose that time to turn to Tycho with an expression that clearly said, "I know you're watching me, and I don't care because you'll never catch me doing anything wrong.  And I dare you to keep it up."  Then he turned and walked off into the crowd.

 

      See if I don't.  No use trying to be sneaky, he just followed the sandweller.  If he got a chance to talk to him, he could try his Lunar Blade mind-reading trick on him and learn his plans.  Or even if he just got close enough...

 

      The sandweller stopped to talk to a darkling woman, so Tycho hung back, pretending to just watch the crowd.  The young prince rested is hand on the Lunar Blade's hilt, focused his thoughts at Tanthas...

 

      The Blade screamed a warning in his mind, snapping Tycho's concentration, but not before he got a look into the mind of... something.  Not Tanthas.  The Blade didn't like Tanthas, but it didn't hate him.  The thoughts he touched were ancient, alien... "The thing grew up on evil, adolesced slowly roasting alive the local equivalent of kittens, and amused itself through maturity on new and ingenious torture..."  Tycho didn't know where he'd heard that before, but at the moment he didn't care.  Apparently someone noticed his distress, because he felt a pair of hands catch him under the shoulders as his knees and consciousness gave out.

 

      With Amok's aid, Luna easily made her way to where the commotion was.  "Tycho!  What happened here?" she demanded.

 

      "He looked ill suddenly, then collapsed," said the woman who had caught him.  Lura.  "I'll take him down to the medlab."  With that, she easily lifted the smaller Lunatac and carried him off.

 

      Tanthas felt some slight remorse at Tycho's plight, knowing it for what it was.  Not much, but some.  When he felt the mental touch of the Lunar Blade, he shifted its focus to the darkling Shade, and the wraith had responded with perfect predictability.  This solved two of the hypnotist's problems: It kept the curious Tycho away from him, and kept Aristarchus away from the Lunar Blade.  There was no telling how the Moonking would react if he saw the weapon again.

 

* * *

 

      Aristarchus returned to the base's large foyer at the end of the hour.  Approaching Luna, he nodded slightly and said, "Now, do we really have any reason to put this off?"

 

      "None."  She didn't want any time to think over her decision.

 

      "I do have a question, cousin," Aristarchus said, gesturing vaguely to Amok.  "Your bodyguard.  I thought this battle was to be between us alone."

 

      Luna scowled.  "Amok isn't only my bodyguard, but my transportation.  I can hardly walk...  Though despite that, I will defeat you.  Set me on the ground, Amok."  Aristarchus was playing directly into Luna's little hands.  There wasn't much dodging to be done in a magical battle anyway, and being alone gave the princess two advantages: One, that her cousin would underestimate her.  Two, that she was a smaller target.  Aristarchus would have a hard time hitting her, plus her shields needed to cover less area, saving her energy.

 

      The crowd had been subtly drawing back by degrees when they noticed Luna and Aristarchus talking, and when Amok set Luna down, Tanthas took that as a signal to clear more space.  Luna wished Tycho or Mystan or even Darius were around, but they were all otherwise occupied.  Besides, Tanthas was the official one, anyway, being second to the current Moonking.

 

      At Tanthas' signal, the battle was engaged.  Aristarchus attacked immediately, but the flare fizzled harmlessly off the little green bubble surrounding Luna.  She wanted to figure out his tactics before attacking, anyway.  If the way he was willing to attack the Dark Fleet was any indication, he would just continue the attack until either Luna was destroyed, or he was.  She could let him wear himself out, but what if he was more powerful than she was?  If only he would let up his attack for a second, I could drop my shield and shoot back...

 

      Who says you have to?

 

      The thought dropped casually into her mind.  Wasn't that something her grandmother said once?  That different kinds of magic had different triggers?  Mumm-ra had to chant and gesture, but he drew his power from the Ancient Spirits of Evil.  Demons had no such needs, and Luna's magic was inherited from her demon grandfather...  Pointing was just a focus, it wasn't actually necessary...

 

      Aristarchus staggered under the sudden assault.  There was no warning to the attack.  Luna hadn't moved, there was no flare from the tiny Lunatac, but three green bursts of magefire flared up on the Moonking as if bolts had struck him.

 

      He tried to counter, but it was impossible to stop what he couldn't see or predict.  Furious, he lashed out with his magic.  However, if he calmed down and set up a shield of his own, he might have figured out a new attack.  As it was, several more bolts slammed into him before any thoughts of defence crossed his mind.

 

      Luna didn't let her shield drop until she saw Aristarchus fall, and the second the bubble dissipated she found herself swept up by unfamiliar hands to an unfamiliar height.  The voice was easily identified, though.  "Hail Luna, Queen of the Moons!" Tanthas called, and the sentiments were echoed by most of the assembly.

 

      Tanthas jumped slightly when a large finger tapped him on the shoulder.  He turned, and with a slight smile placed Luna back on Amok.  The guardian merely grunted his acknowledgement; Tanthas couldn't read the creature's mind exactly, but knew distrust when he saw it.

 

      Another voice cut through the din: "Outta my way.  Coming through.  Close personal friends of the l'il goblin.  Luna, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I swear I will come up with a suitably nasty punishment for you."  Psychro shoved through the crowd, Psikaris in tow and looking embarrassed at the trouble her brother was causing.

 

      "Don't you threaten me," Luna huffed.  "I could have you arrested for treason."

 

      "What's a few threats of bodily harm between friends?  Nice work, by the way."