This is the first part of the first chapter, so it's kinda short (compared to what I usually write). I'd like some suggestions, if you don't mind. I'm thinking of calling the senshi Dragon Stars but I'm still not clear on that yet. The scouts are: Sailor Vela, Sailor Centaurus, Sailor Ara, Sailor Scorpio, Sailor Lyra and Draco Kamen. I also need to decide on what the ultimate mission is, and a title for the baddies (triplets you'll meet at the end of this post). Any suggestions for titles? Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys and feedback is always wonderful.
During the age of the Silver Millennium, the Sol System was united in peace under the rule of the good and kind Queen Selenity of the Moon. But not just the solar system abided by the rule of the Moon Queen. The entire galaxy bowed to her will, each smaller system acting as smaller states under the federal rule. When the Silver Millennium fell, however, the galaxy was brought to ruination. Once united, now divided, each system retreated to it’s own individual rule. Broken beyond repair, exoplanetary travel ceased. The Sol System only managed to rebuild one planet…Earth. Other systems were not so lucky, and some died out altogether. The ones that did manage to retain one or two planets tried to recreate the beauty of the Millennium, but it was futile. Upsilon Andromedae, the only system to retain three of its original planets, did manage to unite a small group of the exo-systems into a vague mirror of the past, but it was nowhere near the same. Time passed, and slowly the Andromedae system pulled itself into a working order. All memory of the Silver Millennium was forgotten. Never again would the galaxy unite in such a way. Slowly, exo-planetary travel began again, though nowhere near as prominently as before. The galaxy was broken, true, but it was peaceful. Yet peace cannot survive without war, and it was only a matter of time before the galaxy would be tried against the hands of evil once again...
***
The station window looked out onto the vast desert that was Earth 314. The yellowed sand blew in raging storms across the dunes, obscuring the crater wall that surrounded the large city of Yisn. The girl standing inside the station leaned her face against the glass pane and closed her eyes, imagining the city, her home for the past seventeen years, with perfect clarity in her mind’s eye. The brown, jagged walls of the crater reached their sharp fingers to the stormy sky to protect the city built at the bottom of the large hole from the violent winds of the planet. The teen pictured her house, a large adobe mansion near the center of the city, her window overlooking the streets and always left open in the heat. Standing in the shuttle station, gazing out the window in longing, the girl was a vision of piety, albeit a strange one. At seventeen years of age, the girl stood tall and proud, her slender figure dressed in high black leather boots, black shorts and a bright pink sports bra. Her chocolate colored hair was a spiky crown upon her head, while two long ponytails swung down her back and around her knees. Tears collected somewhere in her soul, but long ago they ceased to visit her cool grey eyes. She placed a slender hand on the window, forever engraving the image in her memory.
"Departure flight to Earth 721 in Upsilon Andromedae now loading. Please enter into locking bay 4A with tickets readily available." A soft voice intoned over the speakers. The girl's eyes desperately searched through the gathering crowd of people at the dock, but they found no one. Disappointment clouded her eyes.
"Xi," a deep voice called behind her. "Hurry up, it's time to go." With a sigh, the girl picked up the bag that lay at her feet and swung it over her shoulder, heading towards the man and woman who had called her name. The man wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Xi leaned against his chest for support. The woman rubbed the teen's arm affectionately.
"I know you don't want to leave home, but your father and I need some time alone to work things out, and Upsilon has the best education process in our sector...Please don't think we don't love you, we'll miss you like mad. If all goes well, you'll be home by the end of the year, I promise." Xi nodded mutely to her mother's comforting words and nuzzled further into her father's chest. She felt silly, nearly an adult cowering like a babe in the arms of her parents, but leaving them was harder than expected, as was the thought of leaving her home planet.
"Xiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!" A shrill voice called through the crowd of people. Xi looked up hurriedly, and her eyes lit with happiness as she saw a figure racing towards her at top speed. Quickly she broke away from her father and dropped her bag, opening her arms as another girl leapt into them. This girl had blonde hair with orange streaked through it, and she wore a patchwork jacket that had the sleeves torn from it. The name embroidered on her bosom pronounced her as 'Tira'.
"I didn't think you'd make it!" Xi exclaimed, burying her face in the girl's neck as the newcomer's blonde and orange hair tumbled onto her face. The girl chucked and squeezed Xi tightly.
"I promised you I'd be here, Xi Lan, and I always keep my promises." The girl murmured, grinning broadly as she held Xi out in front of her. A look of sadness came into the girl's eyes. "But I didn't promise I wouldn't miss you. Here, I made this for you." She dug in her deep pockets and pulled out a small box that fit in the palm of her hand. Xi took it gently.
"Oh Tira…I'm going to miss you so much." She felt the threatening lump in her throat, but quickly pushed it aside. It wouldn't do to be emotional now; she needed to stay strong. "I'll never find a best friend like you. I swear, I'll be back within the year." Tira grinned and pulled Xi into another hug. Xi could feel the gentle drop of tears on her shoulder.
"Don't open it until you're on the flight. Promise me?" Tira choked out through her tears. Xi nodded mutely, hugging her best friend tightly. "It's something special, so you'll always remember me and so you can find me when you come back."
"Final call for flight to Upsilon Andromedae, Earth 721. Final boarding call." Tira released her friend and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
"That's you, huh." Xi nodded and tucked away the small present Tira had given her. "You have to write to me. I'll murder you if you don't." she laughed weakly.
"Only if you write to me too. And keep my parents company, will you? They'll need a juvenile delinquent around every one and a while, just to keep them in line." The girls forced a laugh and Xi picked up her bag and walked towards the locking bay. She fiercely embraced her parents and gave them her final kisses before stepping onto the loading platform. Three figures watched sadly as she was loaded into the shuttle. Final waves were exchanged, and Xi found herself completely alone, for the first time in her life.
She hated it.
***
Morgan O'Claire watched the people slowly boarding the shuttle. Tucking a clump of vibrant red shoulder-length curls behind her ear, she hunkered down in her seat and gazed out of the window at the vast expanses of sand, grimacing. So this was Earth 314. She was glad she was only staying for the cross flight. The thought of visiting, much less living in such a bleak place made her ill. The swirling green sky and grassy hills of her own home filled her mind and she avoided the morbid desert outside her window.
"Please fasten all items as we prepare for liftoff." The stewardess' voice said cheerfully over the intercom system. "You will find earplugs in the compartment over your head. We advise you to use them, as traveling through the atmosphere is quite noisy and the absence of earplugs may result in hearing loss. When we have reached space, the captain will turn on the lights overhead as a signal that your earplugs are no longer needed. Thank you!"
With bored motions, Morgan placed the plugs on her ears and waited for the liftoff. A few seats ahead of her, she noticed a girl about her age with spiky brown hair and long ponytails fumbling with the compartment lock. A look of determination was on her face as she pounded on the small door that was access to the earplugs. Morgan took off her earplugs, quickly undid her seatbelt and went over to the girl. With deft hands she popped open the compartment and handed the girl the plugs.
"The locks are kinda touchy." Morgan said with a smile.
"So I noticed." The girl said dryly, placing the plugs in her ears. With a nod, Morgan also placed her plugs back in, and all sound disappeared. The shuttle vibrated beneath her feet and she scurried back to her seat, buckling herself back in just as the shuttle began to take off. She leaned back into her seat, letting the cushions absorb most of the tremors of the take-off. After years of flying between home and Earth 721 she felt like a pro compared to some of the people on the ship. Morgan watched the girl ahead of her with interest. Everything in her manner was cool and collected, she didn't look phased by the take-off at all, yet Morgan could see by the grip she held on her armrest that this was her first time in space. A small smile played on her lips. She was beginning to like this girl already, though she couldn't exactly say why. Her cold mannerisms were completely in opposition to Morgan's own style.
The takeoff didn’t take long, and soon Morgan gazed out her window at Earth 314, growing steadily smaller as the shuttle began its route to Earth 721. Morgan looked over at the girl, who was gazing steadily at the seat back in front of her. The redhead could sympathize with the stranger. The first time she left home on a shuttle, she was too stunned to realize the beauty of a flight through space. The overhead lights came on and Morgan took off her earplugs and went over to the girl again.
"If you look out your window, you can see Earth. It always makes a lovely picture."
"I realize that. I don’t want to look. There is no need." Her cool grey eyes burned into Morgan’s blue ones and Morgan looked away, feeling abashed. This was absurd! She had done nothing to deserve this girl’s cold shoulder. Valiantly she pressed on.
"My name’s Morgan O’Claire." She held out her hand. The teen took it with a half smile and shook firmly.
"Xi Lan."
"That’s an interesting name."
"It’s my name."
"So you said." Morgan grinned, taking an empty seat beside Xi. "So why are you going to the Andromedae system? Or are you just taking a cross flight?"
Xi looked at this cheerful girl and sighed. After going through so much, this girl wanted to talk about all her problems. Well fine, she’d talk.
"My parents were having some troubles with each other and with me. It was decided that I should finish up my school term elsewhere. A very far elsewhere." Xi replied caustically.
"Ouch." Morgan winced sympathetically. "Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m going to visit my dad…my parents have been apart for the past few years and I guess being on the same planet was still too close for them." Morgan looked apologetically at Xi’s impassive face. "Sorry, I guess I’ve said too much. Didn’t mean to lecture you on my family history. Anyway, I’m sure things will work out eventually. They almost always do."
"Not for you." Xi observed, cocking an eyebrow.
"I don’t like to dwell on the past. I’d rather dwell on the future." Morgan said with a shrug.
"Dreamer."
"Label me as you will." A smile passed between the two. Morgan chuckled. "Maybe I’ll see you around when we get to Earth. It’s mostly ocean, so there are only so many places a person can be."
"Ocean..." Xi murmured, trying to picture it. Impossible.
"You should try to nap." Morgan advised as she stood to return to her seat. "Normally first-flighters want to see the journey, but I assure you, jet-lag is a pain. It was nice meeting you, Xi."
"And the same to you." Xi watched the other young woman retreat back to her seat. She looked out her window. Earth 314 was progressively getting smaller, and Xi smiled. Soon it would disappear into the blackness...maybe, it would take her with it. She settled back into her seat and tried to sleep.
***
The shuttle station on Earth 721 was directly joined to the airport, and hence was one of the busiest places in the city. It contained a small mall filled with overpriced souvenirs and plenty of food courts and bars. A young woman of nineteen sat languidly at the bar, watching as the people walked by. In one hand she held an empty shot glass, in the other a lit cigarette. Both were purely for show. A smirk was attached firmly to the woman's face as she watched with satisfaction the reactions from those around her. Her bleached blonde hair hung around her shoulders and was streaked throughout with highlights the color of fresh blood. Her thick body was clothed in a torn red T-shirt and baggy black pants with multiple pockets. A wide variety of necklaces adorned her neck, selected to match the jeweled earrings in her lip, nose and eyebrow. On her arm a black knotted tattoo resided, curving over muscle thick muscle. A pair of yellow tinted square sunglasses rested on her nose and her dark eyes watched people over their tops. Multiple colored and silver bracelets jangled effectively on her arms as she watched the gates. She was going to arrive any moment; the woman could feel it.
"Please stand clear, locking bay 17G is now opening. Flight 1064 from Earth 314 now unloading." The young adult sat up straighter and focused her attention on the gates. Slowly the people began to file out, but the one she was looking for never appeared. A nearby flight of passengers walked through her line of vision. With an exasperated sigh, the woman strained her neck to see about the crowd when a passing flash of light blue caught her eye. Startled, the elder teen focused her gaze on the passing crowd. There, the blue glow was apparent again. The teen quickly put out her unsmoked cigarette and hopped off her stool, shoving her way through the crowd towards the vision that only she could see. The color stopped moving, as it neared a side wall.
There stood a girl on the verge of eighteen, looking lost and forlorn as she leaned unsteadily against the wall. She was short and bordering between huggable and plump. Skin a golden brown color, she appeared Asian, with silky black hair hanging straight down her back and bangs ruffling over her eyebrows. Her dark eyes were slightly hidden behind a large pair of glasses and her full lips were set in a worried frown as she hugged herself tightly. Behind her thin-rimmed glasses, she scanned the crowd anxiously. Her observer smiled and chewed on her lip ring as she thought a moment. The coloring around this girl was so faint, she wasn't sure if perhaps she was hallucinating. This shy, insecure girl was a great leader? However, with a pushy traveler bumped against the frightened girl, blue color flared around her entire figure. There was no question. The elder teen approached her quickly, not forgetting that she still had another person to meet.
"Hello there, my name is Astraea. I've been looking for you, Miss..." The girl looked up, startled, shy and frightened.
"Oh excuse me." She said softly, pushing her glasses back upon her nose. "Are you the one I'm supposed to meet? A representative of my school was coming to meet me today..."
Astraea grinned. This was easier than she had expected. She knew exactly how to ruse this girl.
"That's me, I'm your representative." Astraea replied, the lie flowing smoothly. The girl's face washed with relief.
"Thank goodness. My name is Tien Sao." A blush crept across her cheeks and she gazed down in shame. "Forgive me, you do not look as I suspected you would. Is your attire normal school wear? It's...different that what I believed after receiving the list sent to me..."
Astraea cursed silently. She would have known that her eccentricity would startle such a shy creature.
"Don't worry, the school does issue uniforms that are quite conservative." Astraea grinned. Tien's blush deepened.
"I hope I haven't offended." She murmured. Astraea shook her head.
"No, no, don't worry about it. I'm not actually directly associated with the school." She grabbed Tien's arm. The girl looked up in shock as Astraea dragged her through the crowds. She had just remembered why she was here in the first place.
"Um, excuse me, Miss Astraea? Where are we going?" Tien asked as she followed behind the elder teen.
"I have someone else I need to pick up, I just hope we haven't missed her." She responded, shoving through people to get to gate and pulling Tien quickly behind her. She let go of Tien's arm when she stopped and yanked off her yellow glasses in frustration. Bay 17G was completely empty. "Shit, damn and fuck!" she cursed angrily, throwing her glasses on the floor.
"Are you quite all right?" Tien asked, placing her hand upon her chest in a motion of shock and concern. "I take it the person you were to meet has not arrived?"
"She's arrived, I can tell. I just missed her, that's all." Astraea sighed in frustration and picked up her glasses. She turned to Tien and smiled. "I can look for her as we head out. Let's get you back to the school so you can get situated." Tien gave a small smile and nod and Astraea shoved her hands in her pockets before heading towards the exit. Tien followed a short ways behind her.
"Miss Astraea? Don't we need to go get my bags?" Tien pointed out as they neared the exit. Astraea cursed. She had forgotten. Playing trickster was harder than she imagined.
"Of course, how silly of me." She turned towards the escalator that led down to the luggage collection area. "What gate did you come in from?"
"Shouldn't you know that, seeing how you were sent to pick me up?" Tien asked softly. Astraea choked. The girl had pinned her again. She was no good at lying about this. Still, she had to do something to keep Tien from realizing that she wasn't a representative from school. Astraea was determined to keep this foreigner with her. She was about to respond when a bright flash of red caught her eye. Someone was shouting angrily.
"Hold that thought..." Astraea demanded, rushing into the gathering circle of people. "Go find your stuff and meet me back here!" she called over her shoulder to Tien. She elbowed her way to the front of the crowd and saw the source of the red glow… a young girl of seventeen with spiky brown hair and two long ponytails arguing with a guard. Beside her, a girl with red curls and an abundance of freckles tried to calm her down. It seemed to be working, and slowly the red haze subsided into an almost invisible hue. In a huff, the girl shoved through the crowd. Astraea chased after her.
"Wait! Hey you, I need to talk to you!" the hustle of the crowd was too much, however, and the girl was lost. Astraea bit her lip in irritation. Today was just not her day. Dejected, she went back to find Tien.
***
Circling the planet Saturn was the icy moon of Titan. Cruel winds blew across the rocky surface, sending piercing shards of ice in violent winds across the moon. Not a soul was present.
Yet under the surface, a network of caves contained three prominent life forms. They were triplets, three women with cold green eyes and blonde hair. The eldest was Queen Regina, who sat upon her throne of ice with a cold expression, her blonde hair curling around her feet and a crown of stone upon her head. She and her sisters were watching a pool filled with water at her feet, encased by a circle of ice stalagmites. The water flickered with colorful images, and the triplets watched the show with dark blue eyes. Then the images disappeared and Regina turned to her sisters.
"So you see how we cannot yet win a battle in the Sol System. The Sailor Senshi are too powerful yet. We need target practice." The middle woman stood by her sister's throne, her hair pulled away from her angular face by two hair wraps on either side of her head that resembled elven wear. Her hair was cut short partially past her shoulders, and she tossed a blade back and forth between her hands.
"We could take them, Sister! You're too cautious!" she growled, snatching her blade from its flight and grabbing it angrily into the wall. The third triplet giggled childishly on the floor.
"Amazonia thirsts for battle..." She rocked slowly on the stairs as she toyed with her ragged blonde hair that hung in matted clumps around her ears. "Blood to drink, blood to smell, blood, blood, blood…" she giggled again and gazed up at her sisters with a devilish smile. Amazonia glared at her and yanked the blade from the wall.
"Shut your trap, Iaia." She snarled, raising the knife menacingly. Iaia giggled again, stuffed her fist in her mouth and continued to rock as she grinned like a mad cheshire cat.
"You'll have your battle soon enough, Amazonia." Queen Regina replied coolly, stoking Iaia's hair as the youngest triplet leaned against her leg. "I have chosen a system void of senshi to conquer first. It should be easy pickings to being our new empire, but not so easy that it will go without a fight."
"And where exactly is this system you speak of, dear Sister?"
"The babes will weep, the mothers die, and on the blood soaked ground I'll lie..." Iaia twittered in a singsong voice. The other two ignored her. Regina waved a hand at the pool and the picture shifted to a three-planet system.
"Upsilon Andromedae."