Chapter 1: Traitor's Welcome

"Unhand me! Do you know who I am!"

The guards ignored the mayor's outburst as they dragged him by his arms along the dimly lit corridors. Naffid had given up struggling a while ago, knowing that his feeble strength was no match for the iron grip of the guards. He didn't know what to expect upon his sudden arrival on Cignus, but he had hoped for a more pleasant welcome.

'That damn weather witch,' he fumed, thinking of Princess Leda Kino-Rodan. 'You should be the one groveling at Hadrian's feet,not me. Jupiter should be mine!'

However, Jupiter was far, far away. All his schemes and years of patience had been for nothing. His thoughts turned briefly to his family, wondering whether the princess would punish his loved one as harshly as she had punished him. For their sakes, he prayed she would not.

His concern for his family disappeared as they approached a set of doors. The doors swung open and Naffid's eyes immediately fell on Hadrian. The would-be emperor sat on his throne, staring down at the unfortunate mayor.

The guards dragged the man to the edge of the platform, where they stopped. They shoved the mayor forward, sending him to his knees before Hadrian. With a wave of his hand, the king sent the guards away.

"Naffid, why are you here?"

The mayor swallowed, dozens of possible replies racing through his mind. His life could hang in the balance if the proper thing wasn't said. "I’m reporting the situation on Jupiter, sire."

Hadrian raised a dark eyebrow. "Reporting your failure in person? That takes more courage than I thought you had."

Naffid jerked his head up in surprise, his eyes wide with fear. How could Hadrian have learned of his failure so quickly? "Sire, I . . . I . . ."

His heart sank as Hadrian raised his hand, stopping the older man's stuttering excuse. "I know that Jupiter banished you. I know how easily she and her warriors were able to defeat you. The question now is what to do with you, Naffid."

"Sire, please, I followed the plan perfectly. I did everything . . ."

"Perfectly!" Hadrian interjected, his bored look disappearing to be replaced with anger. "The curse was placed on a sister and not the princess herself. You capture another sister, again not the princess, and warn the others of your coming attack, allowing them to gather their forces, which were far more powerful than yours. Yes, you did everything and you did it wrong."

Naffid shook with fear. It hadn't been all his fault. Duthbert or whatever his real name was had been the one responsible for the curse. He hadn't allowed Lady Caitlyn and her husband to escape; apparently one of his men had turned traitor. However, such arguments he knew would be pointless.

"What? No new excuses, Naffid?" Hadrian asked, the anger fading back to boredom. "Why should I spare your life?"

He took a deep breath. "Sire, I have remained loyal to you. I . . ."

Again, the king cut him off. "You remained loyal as long as it would get you what you desired: the throne of Jupiter and your revenge against the princess and her family. You only served me as a mean to an end."

The mayor's mind raced. How could he convincingly counter the claims? What could he say to save his life?

"Yet," Hadrian continued, "I have trusted officers in my army who have less foundation for their loyalty. Perhaps I may have some other use for you, yet."

Naffid bowed, wondering what task the king would have for him. "Sire, I thank you."

"As you should," Hadrian said. "Jaten, take our guest where he can be more comfortable. We may need his help when we arrive on Jupiter."

The mayor glanced up at the king, his eyes wide. Hadrian still wanted Jupiter? Was the crown still within his grasp?

"I said take him away, Jaten."

With a scowl, the royal advisor bowed before taking the mayor's arm. He caught the smirk of the sage as he left the throne room. He knew that his lack of favor with Hadrian resulted from Werla's influence. 'Now I'm just a babysitter,' he fumed, dragging the older man to the living quarters.

* * * * *

[Author’s Note: Again, this conversation should be in the Cignus language. Yet, I don’t have the time or the energy required to translate it. Enjoy it in English, and maybe someday I can come back and write it properly.]

Carina gaped, clearly surprised, when Cassandra entered the room. However, her military training quickly took over as the captain regained her composure. ‘She truly didn’t expect us to win,’ Cassandra realized, taking a seat across the table from the other woman.

“Carina, do you still view us as your enemies?”

The captain studied the Guardian with narrow eyes. “Do you usually keep friends under such careful guard?” she countered.

“Only under special circumstances,” Cassandra murmured, thinking of Scylla. “Friendship requires trust, Carina.”

“I have told you that you are not my friend, you or your precious princess. I don’t trust you, and you clearly do not trust me.”

Cassandra sighed. “I’m willing to trust you, but you have to be willing to trust us as well.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Why should you stay loyal to Hadrian when he was ready to throw you away?”

The question clearly hit a nerve. The captain’s dark eyes flashed angrily as her balled fists connected with the surface of the table. “I gave him my word! I pledged my loyalty!”

“What good is an oath to a man of lies?” Cassandra asked, deliberately pressing on. “You have been used by every person you have encountered, betrayed and lied to too many times to count.”

“You know nothing about me!” Carina shouted. All pretense of composure was gone, leaving an angry and scared woman in place of the captain.

Cassandra softly shook her head. “I know more about you, Carina, than you probably know about yourself.”

“I doubt it,” she replied bitterly.

“You always were a bit of a skeptic,” Cassandra commented. “Maybe that’s why you have survived as well as you have. Trust must be a dangerous thing for you, given the lies told to you and the secrets you hide yourself. Very few complete the army’s officers program, but after the beatings you received from your father, it probably seemed like paradise. Then again, you were careful to hide your past before joining. Hadrian values purity of blood and a low-born commoner like you should have never been made an officer.”

All color drained out of the woman’s face as she openly gaped at Cassandra. “How could you know? I was so careful. No one should have ever known.”

“How I know is not important. What I am offering you is.”

“What exactly are you offering?” the captain asked, her tone guarded.

“A chance at peace, something Hadrian can’t offer you. You can let the demons of your past rest and enjoy a bit of happiness. The choice is yours.”

“I don’t deserve happiness.”

“Everyone deserves some happiness, Carina,” Cassandra said, rising from the chair. “Even people such as you and me.”

The Guardian paused as she came to the door. Carina was still watching the Guardian carefully, clearly wondering why Cassandra had included herself with the captain. ‘If only you knew,’ the Guardian mused.

“Just think about it, Carina,” Cassandra said aloud. “It’s a chance at freedom with few strings attached. I’ll be back to visit you soon.”

“I suppose I’ll be here,” the captain replied, but the words were not as cold as she had intended.

* * * * *

Dido frowned as she studied her twin. Scylla had been preoccupied with her thoughts for most of the day, unable to concentrate on her duties. With Lady Ilene mending quickly and Iphigenia fully recovered, Dido was at a lost for her sister’s worry.

“Scylla, what’s wrong?”

The Guardian of Mercy jumped, surprised by her twin’s voice. “Nothing, Dido,” she replied quickly. However, a glance at Dido’s face told her that Dido wasn’t convinced.

“Why won’t you tell me?” Dido pressed.

“It’s nothing important.”

“If it’s got you this worried, it’s important. Did something happen when you treated Lady Ilene? Iphigenia seems fine.”

“No, everything with treating Lady Ilene went better than I had even hoped.”

“Then, what is it?”

Scylla folded her arms as she glared at her twin. “You’re not going to let this drop, are you?”

“Not if I can help it.”

Shaking her head, Scylla sighed. She knew that Dido would hound her until she confessed what was bothering her. She would find out sooner or later. “I’ve been thinking about our return to Cignus, Dido.”

“Why would you be worried about that?” Dido asked. “We’re its Guardians. We have a duty to the people to free them from the Shadow Moon.”

“Surely you haven’t forgotten what happened our last trip there?” Scylla asked, stopping both Dido’s words and her feet.

‘The conversion,’ Did realized, understanding her sister’s worries. Scylla had reluctantly told Cassandra and herself that Werla was right in stating that the change was easier to make each time. By returning to Cignus, Scylla would make herself vulnerable to that kind of attack and, if the magic succeeded, lower their chances at stopping Hadrian.

“By the House of Light, Scylla, what are you going to do?”

Scylla shook her head. “I haven’t decided yet. No matter how it goes, it would help to have at least one healer with the group. If I stay on Jupiter, that leaves either Sailor Europa or Sailor Boreas to act as healer, and Lady Elara is still weak from working with Lady Ilene and the other patients. However, if I go on to Cignus, I could put us all at greater risk.”

Dido put a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders. “What do you think you should do, Scyl?”

The childhood nickname made Scylla smile. “I’m just as confused about that as well, Di. I am a Guardian of Cignus, and you’re right about us having a duty to free our people from the Shadow Moon. I feel that I should fight for that freedom. But is that feeling enough to risk me being changed by Werla and becoming another enemy? I can’t seem to justify that.”

The sisters were silent as they continued walking. Each was lost in her thoughts, wondering what the Guardian of Mercy should do. They had almost reached their destination when Dido finally broke the silence.

“You’re going to have to tell Cassandra, Scylla,” she said. “She’s the leader. It will be her decision as to which of us will go to Cignus.”

Scylla shook her head. “That almost seems the easy way out.”

“I doubt that Cassandra will see it that way.”

With somewhat lighter burdens, the sisters resumed their duties.


Traitor's Welcome "Unhand me! Do you know who I am!" The guards ignored the mayor's outburst as they dragged him by his arms along the dimly lit corridors. Naffid had given up struggling a while ago, knowing that his feeble strength was no match for the iron grip of the guards. He didn't know what to expect upon his sudden arrival on Cignus, but he had hoped for a more pleasant welcome. 'That damn weather witch,' he fumed, thinking of Princess Leda Kino-Rodan. 'You should be the one groveling at Hadrian's feet,not me. Jupiter should be mine!' However, Jupiter was far, far away. All his schemes and years of patience had been for nothing. His thoughts turned briefly to his family, wondering whether the princess would punish his loved one as harshly as she had punished him. For their sakes, he prayed she would not. His concern for his family disappeared as they approached a set of doors. The doors swung open and Naffid's eyes immediately fell on Hadrian. The would-be emperor sat on his throne, staring down at the unfortunate mayor. The guards dragged the man to the edge of the platform, where they stopped. They shoved the mayor forward, sending him to his knees before Hadrian. With a wave of his hand, the king sent the guards away. "Naffid, why are you here?" The mayor swallowed, dozens of possible replies racing through his mind. His life could hang in the balance if the proper thing wasn't said. "I’m reporting the situation on Jupiter, sire." Hadrian raised a dark eyebrow. "Reporting your failure in person? That takes more courage than I thought you had." Naffid jerked his head up in surprise, his eyes wide with fear. How could Hadrian have learned of his failure so quickly? "Sire, I . . . I . . ." His heart sank as Hadrian raised his hand, stopping the older man's stuttering excuse. "I know that Jupiter banished you. I know how easily she and her warriors were able to defeat you. The question now is what to do with you, Naffid." "Sire, please, I followed the plan perfectly. I did everything . . ." "Perfectly!" Hadrian interjected, his bored look disappearing to be replaced with anger. "The curse was placed on a sister and not the princess herself. You capture another sister, again not the princess, and warn the others of your coming attack, allowing them to gather their forces, which were far more powerful than yours. Yes, you did everything and you did it wrong." Naffid shook with fear. It hadn't been all his fault. Duthbert or whatever his real name was had been the one responsible for the curse. He hadn't allowed Lady Caitlyn and her husband to escape; apparently one of his men had turned traitor. However, such arguments he knew would be pointless. "What? No new excuses, Naffid?" Hadrian asked, the anger fading back to boredom. "Why should I spare your life?" He took a deep breath. "Sire, I have remained loyal to you. I . . ." Again, the king cut him off. "You remained loyal as long as it would get you what you desired: the throne of Jupiter and your revenge against the princess and her family. You only served me as a mean to an end." The mayor's mind raced. How could he convincingly counter the claims? What could he say to save his life? "Yet," Hadrian continued, "I have trusted officers in my army who have less foundation for their loyalty. Perhaps I may have some other use for you, yet." Naffid bowed, wondering what task the king would have for him. "Sire, I thank you." "As you should," Hadrian said. "Jaten, take our guest where he can be more comfortable. We may need his help when we arrive on Jupiter." The mayor glanced up at the king, his eyes wide. Hadrian still wanted Jupiter? Was the crown still within his grasp? "I said take him away, Jaten." With a scowl, the royal advisor bowed before taking the mayor's arm. He caught the smirk of the sage as he left the throne room. He knew that his lack of favor with Hadrian resulted from Werla's influence. 'Now I'm just a babysitter,' he fumed, dragging the older man to the living quarters. * * * * * [Author’s Note: Again, this conversation should be in the Cignus language. Yet, I don’t have the time or the energy required to translate it. Enjoy it in English, and maybe someday I can come back and write it properly.] Carina gaped, clearly surprised, when Cassandra entered the room. However, her military training quickly took over as the captain regained her composure. ‘She truly didn’t expect us to win,’ Cassandra realized, taking a seat across the table from the other woman. “Carina, do you still view us as your enemies?” The captain studied the Guardian with narrow eyes. “Do you usually keep friends under such careful guard?” she countered. “Only under special circumstances,” Cassandra murmured, thinking of Scylla. “Friendship requires trust, Carina.” “I have told you that you are not my friend, you or your precious princess. I don’t trust you, and you clearly do not trust me.” Cassandra sighed. “I’m willing to trust you, but you have to be willing to trust us as well.” “Why should I trust you?” “Why should you stay loyal to Hadrian when he was ready to throw you away?” The question clearly hit a nerve. The captain’s dark eyes flashed angrily as her balled fists connected with the surface of the table. “I gave him my word! I pledged my loyalty!” “What good is an oath to a man of lies?” Cassandra asked, deliberately pressing on. “You have been used by every person you have encountered, betrayed and lied to too many times to count.” “You know nothing about me!” Carina shouted. All pretense of composure was gone, leaving an angry and scared woman in place of the captain. Cassandra softly shook her head. “I know more about you, Carina, than you probably know about yourself.” “I doubt it,” she replied bitterly. “You always were a bit of a skeptic,” Cassandra commented. “Maybe that’s why you have survived as well as you have. Trust must be a dangerous thing for you, given the lies told to you and the secrets you hide yourself. Very few complete the army’s officers program, but after the beatings you received from your father, it probably seemed like paradise. Then again, you were careful to hide your past before joining. Hadrian values purity of blood and a low-born commoner like you should have never been made an officer.” All color drained out of the woman’s face as she openly gaped at Cassandra. “How could you know? I was so careful. No one should have ever known.” “How I know is not important. What I am offering you is.” “What exactly are you offering?” the captain asked, her tone guarded. “A chance at peace, something Hadrian can’t offer you. You can let the demons of your past rest and enjoy a bit of happiness. The choice is yours.” “I don’t deserve happiness.” “Everyone deserves some happiness, Carina,” Cassandra said, rising from the chair. “Even people such as you and me.” The Guardian paused as she came to the door. Carina was still watching the Guardian carefully, clearly wondering why Cassandra had included herself with the captain. ‘If only you knew,’ the Guardian mused. “Just think about it, Carina,” Cassandra said aloud. “It’s a chance at freedom with few strings attached. I’ll be back to visit you soon.” “I suppose I’ll be here,” the captain replied, but the words were not as cold as she had intended. * * * * * Dido frowned as she studied her twin. Scylla had been preoccupied with her thoughts for most of the day, unable to concentrate on her duties. With Lady Ilene mending quickly and Iphigenia fully recovered, Dido was at a lost for her sister’s worry. “Scylla, what’s wrong?” The Guardian of Mercy jumped, surprised by her twin’s voice. “Nothing, Dido,” she replied quickly. However, a glance at Dido’s face told her that Dido wasn’t convinced. “Why won’t you tell me?” Dido pressed. “It’s nothing important.” “If it’s got you this worried, it’s important. Did something happen when you treated Lady Ilene? Iphigenia seems fine.” “No, everything with treating Lady Ilene went better than I had even hoped.” “Then, what is it?” Scylla folded her arms as she glared at her twin. “You’re not going to let this drop, are you?” “Not if I can help it.” Shaking her head, Scylla sighed. She knew that Dido would hound her until she confessed what was bothering her. She would find out sooner or later. “I’ve been thinking about our return to Cignus, Dido.” “Why would you be worried about that?” Dido asked. “We’re its Guardians. We have a duty to the people to free them from the Shadow Moon.” “Surely you haven’t forgotten what happened our last trip there?” Scylla asked, stopping both Dido’s words and her feet. ‘The conversion,’ Did realized, understanding her sister’s worries. Scylla had reluctantly told Cassandra and herself that Werla was right in stating that the change was easier to make each time. By returning to Cignus, Scylla would make herself vulnerable to that kind of attack and, if the magic succeeded, lower their chances at stopping Hadrian. “By the House of Light, Scylla, what are you going to do?” Scylla shook her head. “I haven’t decided yet. No matter how it goes, it would help to have at least one healer with the group. If I stay on Jupiter, that leaves either Sailor Europa or Sailor Boreas to act as healer, and Lady Elara is still weak from working with Lady Ilene and the other patients. However, if I go on to Cignus, I could put us all at greater risk.” Dido put a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders. “What do you think you should do, Scyl?” The childhood nickname made Scylla smile. “I’m just as confused about that as well, Di. I am a Guardian of Cignus, and you’re right about us having a duty to free our people from the Shadow Moon. I feel that I should fight for that freedom. But is that feeling enough to risk me being changed by Werla and becoming another enemy? I can’t seem to justify that.” The sisters were silent as they continued walking. Each was lost in her thoughts, wondering what the Guardian of Mercy should do. They had almost reached their destination when Dido finally broke the silence. “You’re going to have to tell Cassandra, Scylla,” she said. “She’s the leader. It will be her decision as to which of us will go to Cignus.” Scylla shook her head. “That almost seems the easy way out.” “I doubt that Cassandra will see it that way.” With somewhat lighter burdens, the sisters resumed their duties.


Chapter 2: Second Guessing Jupter's Gone