"Yes, what?" Himalia asked dangerously.
"I've just gotten the word, you'll be allowed to date Sailor Uranus!" The emcee announced. "This should be good folks!"
"Hey now," said Bachelor One. "I don't think I'm that bad."
"Actually, Himalia-san, with both you and Sailor Uranus, it was a random pull of three letters from your stack." The emcee shrugged. "Apparently the vast majority of guys didn't want anything to do with this contest for some reason."
"Yes," declared Sailor Uranus. "You see. I'll lead us to victory yet!"
"How exactly do you plan on doing that?" asked Neptune, a certain icy quality beginning to form in her voice.
Sailor Uranus then turned and used a phrase known to inspire terror in those who understood its history. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Her name was Mary Anne Phelps and she was a good fourteen year old Catholic schoolgirl from a tiny little place called China Grove in Texas.
She hadn't thought much about aliens, spaceships, or anything of the sort until after the big alien spaceship had parked itself in orbit.
It had all been terribly confusing to her. Especially as the adults had clearly not had a grasp on the situation.
The first day it had all been a publicity stunt.
By the end of the first week, it wasn't a publicity stunt but it was the End Of The World with Satan Himself having arrived.
By the end of the second week it was pretty much complete chaos. Her father said one thing, her mother another, her brother a third thing, the church officials a fourth, and the TV seemed to change with every story.
It was during the battle for Africa that things began to settle a bit. Just a little.
The Vatican had decided to withhold comment. First it was the Prince Of Lies, then minor demon, then maybe none of the above. Finally they'd withheld comment.
Mary's family, as many others had, watched the Senshi tour Australia. Again opinions had changed.
Now here she was doing her part for hearth and home, God and country. When she'd been approached initially, she'd been pretty scared of it.
Then the Archbishop had talked with her father.
IF the alien turned out to be Evil and would break his agreement, then they'd have to use every element they could to fight him, wouldn't they? These Senshi fighting the alien weren't anyone that the Church would have felt confidence in backing. So how would they fight back if it came to that? This was an opportunity to have one of their own who could help them fight!
Mary had another motive, ever since she'd seen the pictures of Lake Alexandria and that white castle with the tower that seemed to reach up for the heavens. She wanted to go there. She wanted to see what things were REALLY like.
Standing there on a circular field of crystals feeling warmth and something flow through her, she prayed that she was doing the right thing - as a sincerely faithful member of her religion opened her heart to pray.
The world became white light.
When she stepped down from the field, her own Father could only stare. Gone were the buck teeth and the glasses. Gone was the slightly pudgy appearance.
The alien (a short potbellied creature who reminded many of those viewing him of a ceramic lawn gnome crossed with a teddy bear) who had been working the controls nodded and turned to the reporters who had been allowed to attend. "Mana infusion stable. Pathways functional. There she is, your first NorAm Senshi. With powers over nuclear fusion, Sailor Starheart."
Mary frowned. "Can I change my name? That one sounds kind of dorky."
"So Uranus has to date that one guy, and then comes her date with Himalia-san?" Moon looked over at Uranus. "Has anyone explained that killing her date would probably lose the match?"
"Think it would do any good?" asked Venus.
"Never mind," said Moon. "So we're going to lose this thing."
"I wouldn't say that is a given," said Kachoo.
"AAAHHHHHHHHH! Wheredidyoucomefrom?!" Moon asked from her strategic position behind Mars.
"Before we depart for the night, there is a matter I want to address," said Kachoo as he faced the Senshi under the studio lighting.
"You want to concede?" Neptune asked hopefully.
"Not quite. It has come to my attention that several agents of some related areas have gotten together and begun using rather extreme measures of interrogation on citizens of my little empire," said Kachoo. "To my standards, this is an act of war. As the area known as Russia has not been under either my nor your control, I was wondering what your stance on that would be."
Several nervous looks were exchanged among the Senshi.
Finally Mercury stepped forward. "Let me clarify. Are you stating that citizens of your territories were kidnapped and are undergoing questioning in Russia?"
"No, they're being killed by slow torture and the use of chemical interrogatives that are not designed for alien physiologies," said Kachoo. "As I stated, to the standards of my race, to those under my protection, I consider this an act of war. By the terms in the Treaty Of Valor's Star, which my race was a signator to, if the culprits are not surrendered within forty eight of your hours, that would make the nation-state in question accessories to the crime."
"Ah hah, and that would mean?" Mercury pressed.
"If I triggered a gravimetric shift in two fault-lines, the nation-state of Russia would be submerged under your Pacific Ocean within hours." Kachoo pointed out. "When a people are under my protection, I take that very seriously indeed."
"You'd do that?" Neptune asked, having little doubt that the alien was technologically capable of such a thing.
"Rather than allow my citizens to be continued to be attacked? Yes. Or I could simply send the boundaries and let the Bugs have free reign over the area." Kachoo mused. "It might actually be best that way. An example of what kind of problems can be found out among the stars if you do not deal from a position of strength."
"Ahhhh," said Mercury, glancing at her teammates for support or direction and finding just shock.
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(Posted Sun, 09 Nov 2003 13:15)
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