A War For The Death of A Boy

Princess Vicky had been with the tribe since the very beginning. She had known Bajarat and Byakou long before either of them had left their tribe. She had stood by Queen Cyan in every battle towards their freedom. She had been as fierce as any other warrior on the battlefield had; but the years, and her daughter Marissa, had tempered her. She had never been as battle hungry or singularly focused as Cyan, but she always understood and believed in what she was trying to accomplish. Sometimes she was amazed that they had even survived. But through all of it, she had never left the Queen's side, and had served as their princess for many years.

Princess Eponie had finished packing and was walking through the corridors towards Princess Vicky's room. She knew exactly where to find her. It was mid-afternoon, and she and Marissa would be playing in the giant playground the Queen had had built for the little princess. When Eponie had first come to the tribe, she had been intrigued by the first princess. She had known what to expect from the Queen; Cyan did not see the need to be mysterious; but Princess Vicky was often absent while she took care of Marissa. It did not take Eponie long to realize that Princess Vicky was indeed blessed with the gift of wisdom. She had amazing insight into all members of the tribe; even Cyan. This one thing had intrigued Eponie the most, and was the reason for her visit. Eponie didn't understand how Vicky so easily understood both herself and Cyan. It was obvious that the Queen would do anything for the Princess or Marissa. Eponie never saw them argue, and more importantly she always saw Cyan listen to her advice without hesitation. Eponie had trouble believing anyone was capable of such balance with every member of a tribe; but without fail, Princess Vicky did. If anyone could help her understand how she and Cyan must change, it would be her.

"Hello Eponie" Vicky said as she looked up from the giant sandcastle she and Princess Marissa were playing with.

"Hey Vicky. Hi Marissa. Looks like you two are building quite the Royal Palace. Mind if I help?"

"Sure!" Marissa said, "you can start building your room."

Eponie sat on the opposite side of Marissa, admiring the talent of the young Amazon.

"I think the Queen is really going to like this" Eponie said.

"Of course she is silly; she's the one that helped me build it."

Eponie and Vicky laughed; the Queen indeed had many talents. "So, what's troubling you Eponie?"

"It shows that much?"

"Well, I have to admit that it is quite uncommon to find an Amazon Princess out building sand castles the day before an important realm travel; if nothing were on her mind. Come; let's go inside and talk. Marissa, let's go get a snack huh?"

The three Royal Amazons walked back inside the Palace towards Vicky's hut. Marissa went off for her snack while Vicky and Eponie stayed to talk. "So, what is troubling you? Is it the mission?"

"In a way. I'm sure you know the Queen and I have not exactly been seeing eye to eye lately. The fact is, I'm not even sure we completely agree on this mission, and I'm concerned. The Queen's decision to eliminate the child is not the right one. I know she is Queen; but her decisions affect this whole island; doesn't she see that?"

Vicky let out a heavy sigh. "You don't know how hard it is to wage a good war and still run an island now a days."

Eponie chuckled at the joke, which probably had more truth to it than she cared to acknowledge.

"I'm not saying it isn't hard to do her job, or that she doesn't do it well, I just don't understand why it seems so much harder for us to get along lately."

Vicky had caught a glimpse of Cyan standing just outside the doorway while Eponie had been speaking. Without the slightest hint of acknowledgement to either party Vicky turned to look out her window. "You are in a constant tug of war Eponie; virtually battling one another for control. Not for the tribe, or even for balance, but for control of each other. The problem is your both just grasping at an illusion. You can only control yourself, your own emotions, and your own balance."

"But that's what I am doing Vicky, trying to find my own balance."

"No, you're not. Both of you are attempting to find your balance in the other, where it is easier to be seen. When Cyan expects you to just jump into battle, you instinctively refuse, thinking somehow she is gaining the upper hand. And that Eponie, is the real illusion. It's not your battle to make Cyan more like you; but your own internal battle to accept how you are like her. That is the only way you both will find your balance.

"But I know I'm a warrior," Eponie argued "I accept that as a part of who I am. We clash because Cyan refuses to believe I can be both."

"You clash," Vicky snapped, "because you yourselves, refuse to believe you can be both!"

Both Cyan and Eponie winced as Vicky delivered her words. Cyan prepared to leave as Vicky turned to face them both. Her voice softened as she addressed Eponie, but Cyan knew she was speaking to her as well. "There are many members in this tribe and just as many individuals. Everyone must struggle to find a balance within themselves; to understand and except who they truly are. You and the Queen are no different in your search Eponie; you must find and accept your own balances."

"I understand" Eponie said slowly "the more I accept and understand my own balance, the easier it will become for Cyan to accept it as well?"

Vicky smiled and turned back to look out the window. "I do believe the clouds are clearing," she said with a smirk. "There will always be a line Eponie, that both you and the Queen will share; your lives becoming more and more inter-twined as you lead this tribe. But be cautious, although the shared line of balance will grow wider and stronger over the years, there will be times that it will divide you. It is then, and especially then, that your own friendship and love for this tribe must be your guide."

Eponie waited for Vicky to say something more, but it became obvious that the Princess was done. Cyan chose the moment wisely, and slipped away unnoticed.

"Thank you Vicky. I sometimes wonder where we’d all be without your words of advice. I have to meet Cyan and prepare for the briefing. I also...." Eponie paused momentarily deep in thought, "... have quite a lot to think about." Eponie turned and passed through the door as Vicky spoke quietly to no one in particular.....

"A Queen who will go to war to defend any cause; and a Princess who must have a cause to defend any war..... I pray they do find a balance, or God help us..... God help us all."

Cyan had walked back to her part of the Palace huts, and finished packing what she would need for the trip. She knew Eri would bring her the cloaking device later on, after the briefing had taken place. The Queen stood on the main balcony opposite the waterfall balcony, which the Enforcer had designed to over-look the entire island. She was deep in thought replaying Vicky's words over and over again in her mind. Maybe she was assuming too much of Eponie's actions, and it was really her own desire for peace that was troubling her so much. But Cyan did not think that she would ever see the day when her desire for peace would come close to balancing her desire to punish the gods and evil of all the realms. Mankind deserved better than their treachery and games, and her tribe was going to see to it that they all got that chance!

Off in a distance she spotted Saran, Corde, and Tinka leaving the Java Hut. "Here comes a trio if ever I saw one," Cyan chuckled to herself. When the Enforcer had first mentioned who was going, she had been slightly taken a back. After the incident with the coffee stirrer boat, she was sure that the Enforcer would have insisted it best to keep them separated for a while. Cyan recalled the first time she had laid eyes on that boat. Saran had actually talked her into getting on the thing; which had honestly left the Queen quite impressed. Regardless of all else, these three were fun and intuitive, and the Queen was looking forward to having them on the team!

Visioness and Labris watched Saran, Corde, and Tinka leave the Java Hut; then turned back to their fresh cups of coffee.

"Probably the last good cup we'll get for a while unless Matt has time to brew some as well as watch the portal." Labris said.

"Well, I know for one, I am really going to be needing the caffeine each morning. You should see the training schedule the Enforcer has left for me to implement in her absence. The only thing that makes me feel better is that Ashana will have the Jacuzzi ready to go!"

Labris laughed as Larc walked in and headed to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Hey Larc, How did it go over to the Academy today?" Visioness asked.

"Went pretty well. The kids are all hyped up about the details on the new realm trip. Half of them have already asked Eponie to bring them back a light saber; others think Darth Maul is way tougher than Darth Vadar; you know, same 'ole, same 'ole."

The three Amazons nodded as they sipped on their coffee. "Ashana should be here momentarily" Larc said, "I saw her on my way over."

"Hey! With the away team leaving first thing tomorrow morning, I think we should have a big beach blast in the afternoon. What do you guys think?" Labris asked.

"Great idea!" the three responded in unison, as Ashana walked through the door of the hut.

"I don't think the Queen would mind" stated Labris, "and if she did, we'll say it was Vicky's idea."

All four of the warriors burst into laughter at the thought of Queen 'let's just pick a fight so we can have a little action' Cyan coming back to a beach full of volleyball & hamburgers.

"Besides, what could possibly go wrong with a simple trip to stop a boy………"

The briefing room conference table was covered with statistical data and holo-maps when the Queen and Princess arrived. All the other members of the away team were seated and ready to begin. The Enforcer was at the head of one end of the massive table. Once the Queen had taken her seat, the Enforcer began.

"My Queen, all relevant research has been gathered and organized as requested. We have prepared holo-maps for each team member as well as a full manual of statistics, and necessary data relevant for the trip. We would like to quickly address all the data, and then answer any additional questions if that is okay with you?"

"Proceed Olympia."

"Matt will cover the layout designs of the two Starship vessels; Stud Boy will briefly detail the crew aboard the Starship Voyager; Corde will address the crew of the Starship Raptor; Tinka will brief us on all weapons technology; and Saran will address present and future "actuals" in regards to the mission and extraction site."

Mad Matt walked the entire team through the two comprehensive holo-maps he had designed with Stud Boy's help. They detailed the full layouts of each ship as well as interactive over-rides in case of ship integrity failures. The holo-maps and data would be easily transportable in their individual holo-computers.

Corde's summary of the Starship Raptor was quite comprehensive, but it’s main focus was the elimination of it’s crew as a potential threat of interference once aboard the ship. The boy was obviously not well protected, and should pose no threat to the team.

Stud Boy's briefing was a bit more alarming. The crew of Voyager was quite efficient and not so easily dealt with. If there were going to be problems, it would be here. The Captain was a woman by the name of Kathryn Janeway, and from all accounts, she would have to be watched closely. The Captain had also separated a Borg, Seven of Nine, from the Collective; not an easy feat by anyone's admission. Careful examination of the personnel records of the Starship Voyager did nothing but uncover one superior crew member after another.

"Terrific!" Cyan mumbled, "just when you were hoping laziness and stupidity were taking over the galaxy, one lady has to come along and ruin the odds."

Tinka's briefing was even more impressive. Each of the ships had firepower far superior than what they had originally thought. "The technology is manageable to control once we are aboard" Tinka said, "but timing will be key. There is one thing that was rather odd however."

"What is it Tinka?" Cyan asked, leaning forward in her chair.

'Well, the initial scans of both ships do show that the technology aboard Raptor is quite a bit more advanced than that of Voyager; especially in the weapons area. The fact is however, Voyager has been displaced from the Alpha Quadrant, and earth, for over four years now; it could be simply that technology has surpassed them. It does fill in the gap however of why Voyager was unequipped to deal with the impending attack of the Starship Raptor."

Saran was the last to go. She covered all present details as they stood, as well as the past and future. "As the realms timeline stands today, the Starship Raptor destroyed the Starship Voyager on stardate 2492. The source of conflict is still unknown. The entire crew of the Voyager was lost, as well as all data collected to date on the Delta Quadrant and it’s species. The Starship Raptor is well armed, as Tinka pointed out, but not considered a military ship. It’s present course and mission in that sub-space were never completely determined. The child known as Aniken Skywalker, was definitely aboard, and gaining passage to the planet of Naboo." Saran continued to fill in the necessary stardates, and galatical data needed for the portal coordinates of extraction. Eri finally spoke laying out the full mission schedule and objectives.

"We will be transporting ourselves on to the Starship Voyager. Each one of you has a designated task and objective once there. The Queen will need to seek an alliance with the Captain of the vessel, and convince her of the authenticity of our mission objective. Once given the okay, we will need to begin work on the weapons and tactical upgrades on Voyager, as well as all systems engineering and astrometric data. Each crew member must be fully trained before the encounter with the Starship Raptor. Unless Voyager’s entire ship is upgraded, and crew trained, they again will be no match for the Raptor. We have set the timeline to give us exactly seventeen days to complete all objectives and training. Are there any questions?"

The room was silent as each member signaled their full understanding of what needed to be done. Cyan rose from her seat, and all eyes fell on her.

"Alright then. Each one of you has the full material necessary to complete their objective. The team departs through the portal opening at first sun. For those of you refusing to switch away from your sundials to the new watch system we have, that’s when the little bitsy shadow is on the sixth twig. I expect the entire mission to be executed just as we have laid it out here," Cyan chose her next words carefully as she was sure they were about to go over like a lead balloon, "with one minor change, we will be transporting to the Starship Raptor briefly before beaming aboard Voyager."

The silence in the room was loud enough to echo off the walls. The Queen continued, "No one is to interact or harm the boy, or any crew member aboard the Raptor, until I have given the go ahead. Is that clear?"

All eyes in the room fell back down towards the table, except for Eri, who stared hard at the Queen. "Understood." Eri said, "but may I ask why?"

Cyan took a deep breath. She had been prepared for this reaction, but was not sure the resolution in her voice would come across as strongly as it needed to. "Yes Eri, you may. I have decided that there is ample time to inspect the Starship Raptor, and talk with the boy. I have agreed to give Eponie 2 days to evaluate the situation. At that time, I will either continue with the full plan we have laid out here today, along with his elimination, or initiate my counter-plan. (whatever the hell that might be, she said to herself). So, again, do we understand one another?"

The entire team eventually mumbled an understood in one way or another…..everyone but the Enforcer that is.

"You are dismissed then." Cyan said.

Each member of the team gathered their data and headed to their huts. There was a lot to learn and study before they left. Cyan sat back down in her chair, and folded her hands in front of her. The Enforcer was slowly gathering her things, but refused to make eye contact with the Queen. Cyan allowed the silence to continue until the Enforcer attempted to walk past.

"Please sit down Olympia."

"I still have a lot to do Cyan, and I am not sure this is the time."

"This is the time, because I have said it is the time."

The Enforcer put down her things and sat in the chair next to the Queen. "How could you have changed the plan so drastically without informing me Cyan?" she finally said.

"I was not aware that I needed to inform you of all my decisions before hand Olympia; but, I do not think that is what you are truly saying. Is it maybe that you are wondering how I can chose a plan for Eponie, which seems so contradictory to what I, or you, would have done?

"Maybe it is. And maybe I should have asked this question a while ago. Eponie is an Amazon, and I do except that; but she is not like us. There are so many things she believes, that she does, that don’t fit here. We are a warring nation Cyan, with the responsibility to bring judgement and wrath to all the realms, holding all accountable for their actions – you taught us that!"

"And you are the one that said we must also show mercy, or never know the peacefulness of sleep again! Our clashes with Eponie are the same Olympia, and if I must find a balance, then so will you! Do you understand?"

"Of course my Queen." Olympia rose and left the military room, still leaving Cyane seated as she watched her go. The line Vicky had talked about was not just going to divide Eponie and Cyan; there would be others.

It was just after dusk when Eponie walked into the Queen’s room. Cyan was looking into her gardens by the waterfall, as she so often did. The Enforcer and Mad Matt had done a good job in designing such a beautiful palace; but the waterfall is what had won the Queen and Princesses’ heart. "Hello Eponie."

"Hello Cyan. Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I do need to review the linguistic notes that were generated to match theirs."

"Me too," Eponie paused, contemplating whether to continue, "You seemed less than convinced that your decision to go aboard Raptor was a right one."

"Please Eponie, if you’ve come for a fight, I am fresh out. I made my decision, and my promise to you; I will stand behind it and support you."

"I did not want your support begrudgingly Cyan; I wanted it because you believe in it."

"Well, I did it, because I believe in you." Cyan turned back towards the waterfall and looked out into the night. Eponie said nothing, and walked up to stand along side the Queen, her Queen.

"Look at Labris will you?" Cyan said with a chuckle, "sneaking around as if I had no idea of her plans for tomorrow."

"What are you talking about Cyan?" Eponie asked sheepishly…

Cyan laughed, "Please Eponie, I know you planted the ‘let’s have a beach party plan’ in Labris’s head, and to tell you the truth, it was a good one."

Eponie and Cyan both leaned on the railing peering into the coming night; watching Labris "sneak" from hut to hut spreading the news.

Cyan woke from her nightmare soaked in sweat. The tears were still wet on her face, and her heart was pounding and racing as usual. "I wish I could just blame this on Corde’s coffee being too strong," Cyan joked to herself; but she knew sleep would not come again, at least not tonight. She rose from her bed and walked out under the waterfall to try and wash the visions away. How long had it been since she had had one restful night’s sleep? The days had become months, and the months blurred into years. Eri herself was sleeping in the loft of the Royal Palace tonight. Cyan had left the room as it was, even when Eri had decided to go and live amongst the warrior huts, as she had grown older. The girl often returned to her loft though, especially when she had trouble sleeping, or on the night of a trip. Eri was a warrior at heart, but she was also all that remained of Cyan’s family, and many, many secrets. All of Shatan and Davu’s things were kept there, locked away from the rest of the Palace. No one but the Queen or Eri themselves ever entered the room. Cyan doubted if the girl was sleeping any more peaceful than she was.

The Queen grabbed her cape and leaped over the balcony effortlessly into the gardens below. She was careful to make no sounds in order to avoid the Enforcer’s guards. The Queen was in no mood to be slowed down or followed to where she was going.

Cyan entered the Healer’s hut calling for Ashana. The healer came into the room, dazed and confused at the time and Queen’s presence. "What is it my Queen?"

"I need you to do me a favor while I'm gone Ashana. I have tried everything you have given me for sleeping, including your latest Valerian root, and still I have the nightmares. I have told Vicky to grant you access to the Cavern of Crystals in order to find a cure. She will be expecting you and unlock the Gates while you work. And, if it’s all the same to you Ashana, I would rather no one know about this."

Ashana knew that the Queen’s nightmares must have become increasingly more frequent and vivid to cause her to grant access to the Crystals. The Cavern was sealed off to all except the Royal Family, and those that bared the Royal mark; as Gatekeepers, they were the only ones who could unlock the crystal’s powers. Ashana had no idea what was driving the nightmares of the Queen, but the memories had to be more than any the tribe were carrying. The one thing the Healer did know, was that there was another who suffered those same memories…..

"I will get started on it first thing in the morning my Queen."

The Queen headed out the door of the hut, "Oh, and by the way Healer," Cyan said without turning back or breaking her stride, "you can start on it tomorrow night, after your beach party…."

Before Ashana could answer, the Queen had disappeared into the night, leaving the Healer with a slightly baffled look on her face, "I guess Labris invited everyone…."

The sun appeared on the horizon, and the team stood at the entrance to the portal. Mad Matt had arrived early, and all systems were on and ready. The team lined up in order of rank to await the portal opening. Finally the whoosh of the gate door opening came and the team proceeded ahead. Cyan walked through first, followed by Eponie, The Enforcer, and so on down the line…….

……..The Enforcer knelt down quickly behind the rows of crates, beside Eponie and Cyan, aboard the Starship. They were in what looked to be some kind of cargo area.

"Where the heck are we?" Eponie whispered "this doesn’t look anything like the Raptor's engine room."

As much as Cyan and The Enforcer hated to admit it, Eponie was right. "And, more importantly" Eponie continued, "where’s the rest of the team?"

Cyan looked over at The Enforcer, "I don’t know Cyan, they were right behind me."

Cyan pulled out her holo-map and switched the schematic screen on. She had a bad feeling about this. The holo-image of the Raptor appeared on line, and the three Amazons looked at it closely.

"Well, I’m no holo-guru, but I don’t think we made it to the Raptor." Cyan whispered. "so where the heck are we……….?"

"One more question, since I’m on a roll" Eponie smirked, "who the heck is cryo-chick over there in the super tube?"

Both Cyan and The Enforcer looked up from the holo-image and over to where Eponie was pointing.

"Hoo boy! Hold on a minute" Cyan said as she switched the holo-image to show that of Voyager. Three bright red heat sensors appeared in the bottom of the image, "Good news is, I found us! Bad news is…….wrong ship!"

Chapter IV