DIMENSION DILEMMA

Suni made a face and allowed the yellowish goop to slip from her spoon back to her plate. It landed with a wet thwack and sent small yellow splatters across the table. Tethys raised her eyes to her friend and wiped a droplet of the goop from her hand. She did not look impressed.

“Sorry,” Suni muttered. “What are you eating?”

“Salad,” Tethys replied, daintily spearing some purple leaves with her fork.

“How about you?” Suni asked, turning to Atreus with pleading eyes. “It looks good, anyway.”

Her Andromedan friend rolled his eyes in exasperation. “If you can’t eat your food, talk to the chef,” Atreus said. “He’s supposed to give you something you can eat.”

“I know,” Suni sighed. “I can eat it, but it tastes like a Martian lava flow.”

Tethys giggled. “I thought you liked it hot. Part of your Mercurian heritage.”

“Yeah, like complaining is the part of you from Uranus,” Atreus added.

“Very funny,” Suni said, moving her goop around some more. “Both of you are so witty first thing in the morning.”

Tethys raised her eyes to the large clock over the main doors of the cafeteria. The whole room was filled with half-asleep cadets preparing to start their day. The Neptunian watched the seconds tick away.

“Three… two… one…” Tethys counted.

As soon as the word left her lips, a figure materialized at the edge of the table. She folded back her black and gold checked cloak to reveal a Starcademy cadets uniform underneath.

“It is precisely 0825,” Alyna reported. “Time to go to class, Atreus.”

Suni smiled into her goop. Alyna was very punctual when it came to class and Atreus happened to share his first class of the day with her.

“I’m not done yet,” Atreus said. “Give me another minute or two.”

Alyna sat down next to Tethys, across from Atreus, and dipped her head in acknowledgement. Atreus began to shovel his food into his mouth more quickly.

“I do not understand why planet-dwellers must absorb their nutrient internally,” Alyna commented, watching Atreus eat.

“To each his own,” Suni replied, flicking some goop at the Guardian.

Alyna brushed the goop away mid-air with a wave of her hand. The yellow food instead splattered harmlessly on the table near Atreus’ elbow.

“Hey, I’m trying to eat,” Atreus objected.

“And you must try harder or we will be late,” Alyna said.

Suni laughed. “Your sense of humour is developing nicely, Alyna. I think we’ve been a good influence on you these past months.”

The Guardian smiled as Atreus put a last spoonful of food into his mouth and stood.

“Ready,” he said through the mouthful.

Tethys wrinkled her nose in distaste and rose as well. She had Spatial Botany first period, a class her mother had begun at Starcademy and one she knew better than the teacher. Suni had Diplomatic Relations, her favourite class, and Alyna and Atreus were off to study Alien Cultures.

“See you guys at Study Hall,” Suni called down the corridor as her friends separated to go to class.

Atreus waved back at her and Tethys nodded. When they were all out of sight, Suni joined the masses of cadets to her own class.

*****

Harlan spun around in his chair, a broad smile on his face. He permitted a soft “whee” to escape his lips as he spun himself faster and faster. The room around him passed in flashes; the door, his desk, his viewscreen, the window, the door, his desk, his viewscreen, the window…

A flashing caught his attention and he held out his hand to stop the chair. He caught the edge of his desk and sat still for a moment as his head spun one final time around the room. He hoped no one had seen his momentary act of childishness. Even an Admiral needs a break now and then. The flash continued, coming from his viewscreen and he realized he had an incoming call. Adjusting his jacket and clearing his throat, he turn the machine on.

“Admiral Band,” he said.

“Harlan!” Catalina said, appearing on the screen. Her expression was one of fear and her eyes moved constantly, checking the area beyond the viewscreen.

“Cat? What’s wrong?” Harlan asked.

“It’s chaos!” Catalina said. “The Yensidians are nearly in revolt! The Traders are angry with the UPP for some reason.”

“Calm down,” Harlan told his frantic friend. “I’ll organize a delegation to –“

“There’s no time!” Catalina interrupted. “The Council is choosing sides as we speak. If the Traders get their way, who knows what will happen to the UPP merchants here on Yensid. We need some help fast.”

Harlan put his hand to his chin in thought. “All my top diplomats are out on peace missions, Cat. It will take weeks for them to get back here.”

“I don’t know how long I can keep them out of the Council,” Catalina sighed.

“There is one diplomat I could call,” Harlan mused, “but I don’t know if you’d approve.”

“Anyone,” Cat pleaded, “as long as they can negotiate.”

*****

“Yahoo!” Suni exclaimed happily, waving her compupad in the air. “Time out of school and extra credit! Fabulous!”

Atreus and Tethys looked less than thrilled at their own compupads. Alyna, as usual, was expressionless. The four friends had been given an assignment in Yensid and had been specially chosen by Admiral Band for the job. Suni, who was earning the highest mark in Diplomatic Relations history, thought it was the ideal assignment. For Atreus, who was nearly failing the course, the idea of spending that much time on Yensidian negotiations was about as much fun as watching a black hole expand.

“I am curious,” Alyna admitted, glancing over the assignment again. “I have never left this dimension. Will I be able to leave the planet?”

“Probably not,” Tethys told her. “The Yensidians like exploring dimensions more than space. Not many ships leave the ground.”

Alyna frowned. “I will have to consult with the Guardian Council before I depart. They may disapprove of me abandoning my sector. I must also bring a suitable ration of nutritional supplements. Excuse me.”

Without waiting for a response, Alyna vanished from the biosphere where the friends met during their free time. Tethys blinked at the empty space next to her that had just been her friend. With an elegant sigh, she turned her attention back to Suni and Atreus.

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning,” Suni was saying. “At 0800 we’ll be in Yensid with Aunt Catalina, handling probably the biggest diplomatic negotiations since the Spung joined the UPP! We’ll all be famous!”

“We’re already famous,” Tethys pointed out. “Crown Princess of Neptune? First Andromedan raised by natural parents? Only known Mercurian-Uranusian crossbreed? A Guardian?”

Suni rolled her eyes. “All right. We’ll be famouser.”

Atreus winced. “I don’t think that’s a word.”

“Whatever,” Suni exclaimed. “Come on, let’s go pack!”

*****

The next morning, bright and early, Atreus, Suni, and Tethys boarded the transport ship heading for the UPP Headquarters, where they would pass through the portal to Yensid. Not many portals were in existence in the UPP – perhaps a dozen or so all in control of the UPP. The Yensidians had been reluctant trade partners to begin with, and it had taken most of Catalina’s career to persuade them that the UPP would not invade their dimension. All merchants who traded with Yensid passed through the UPP and smuggling was virtually nonexistent. The Yensidians seemed to dislike purchasing black market goods and the smugglers found their efforts better used elsewhere in the galaxy.

Admiral Harlan Band stood next to the shimmering pink portal, his hands behind his back and his expression stern. There were other officials with him, some holding compupads, others running errands, but the admiral ignored them all. His attention was focused on the three cadets standing in their dress uniforms before him. The trio saluted smartly and waited for their commander to speak. Harlan’s eyes glanced around the air lock where they stood, but he said nothing.

“Where is the fourth cadet?” he finally asked.

Suni looked embarrassed. “She was not on the transport with us, sir!”

“She required the permission of her people before leaving the dimension, sir,” Tethys added. “I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

Harlan nodded gruffly and looked at his watch. He sighed.

“Ambassador Catalina is expecting you any moment,” he said. “I would not like to make you three late. Perhaps Cadet Alyna’s request was denied.”

He motioned for the three cadets to step forward. As Suni moved to enter the portal, a fourth figure appeared behind Tethys. Alyna dipped her head in greeting and apology. She wore the jacket of a Starcademy cadet and tight fitting purplish-blue pants. Her black and gold cape hung loosely from her shoulders.

“I am sorry, Admiral Band. The Council demanded I wait until my replacement arrived before departing this dimension. I could not neglect my duty.”

Harlan nodded in understanding, then paused. “Replacement?”

“Every sector of space must be maintained, Admiral,” Alyna told him. “I did not know how long I would be away, therefore another guardian was sent to assume my duties temporarily.”

Harlan sighed and shrugged slightly. “All right. Step through the portal, cadets. Ambassador Catalina is waiting.”

Suni and Atreus passed through first. Tethys hesitated a moment, suppressing a shudder, before closing her eyes and stepping through. Alyna watched them curiously, before wrapping her cloak tightly around her body and stepping through.

She found the experience very unusual. She could faintly see Tethys in front of her, and she stepped without caution after her friend. A flicker of motion from the corner of her eye made her turn and, for a split second, she saw another figure moving between dimensions. Then, as quickly as the sensation had begun, she was free.

Alyna found herself in a garden. The sun was shining brightly and a faint breeze whipped through the leaves of the plants. Alyna brought her attention to the humanoids who were greeting each other in front of her. Atreus and Tethys were standing by as Suni hugged an older woman with multi-coloured hair. Alyna immediately recognized her species as Saturnian. She wore an orange jumpsuit, indicating her position as an Official of Yensid, the people who governed the dimension. The woman looked up from Suni’s embrace and smiled warmly.

“You must be Alyna,” she said.

Alyna dipped her head in acknowledgement. “Ambassador Catalina.”

“Drop the titles,” Catalina said. “A friend of these three is almost like family.”

Alyna smiled slightly and bowed her head. Suni took Catalina’s hand and led her to one of the outside chairs in the garden. Atreus and Tethys sat as well, but Alyna remained standing.

“What’s going on?” Suni asked.

Catalina sighed. “The guilds are up in arms. The Traders are being led by a newcomer by the name of Rael. He’s been making speeches, rallying the people, telling everyone who will listen about the evils of the UPP. The whole Trade Guild is behind him, as well as the Artists and the agricultural section of the Officials. The Elders are even starting to sway his way. The Healers and Scientists are speaking out against them, but Rael is using the people like an army and destroying anyone who gets in his way.”

“What about the Council?” Suni asked.

“The Council is divided,” Catalina said. “The Elders are managing to keeping the Traders from resorting to war.”

“As representative of the UPP, you must be at great risk,” Atreus commented, shivering slightly.

“Are you okay?” Tethys asked.

“I always forget how cold Yensid is,” the Andromedan remarked. “Excuse me, I think I’ll put on a sweater.”

As Atreus rummaged through his pack for extra clothing, Suni stood and began to pace.

“We’ll need to arrange a meeting with Rael,” she decided. “Perhaps we can come to an agreement. We may end up limiting trade, but it will be better than war.”

Catalina nodded. “I’ll propose that with the Trade representative in Council tomorrow. In the meantime, why don’t you four go to the market?”

“Is Cassi around?” Suni asked suddenly.

“She may be at the Science Hall,” Catalina replied. “I haven’t seen her since Suzee’s last birthday party.”

“Who is Cassi?” Alyna asked.

“Suzee’s younger sister,” Tethys replied. “She’s a member of the Science guild.”

“I also sent a message to Suzee,” Catalina said. “I don’t know if she got it or not. The Guiders are very much underrepresented in the Council since she left with her dimensional portal. I don’t know which side they support.”

Suni smiled. “Don’t worry, Auntie. You have us here now. We’ll solve this problem for Yensid and the UPP.”

“And extra credit in Diplomatic Relations,” Atreus added dryly.

Suni shrugged. “Every little bit helps, doesn’t it, Atreus?”

The Andromedan blushed.

*****

Suni led the way through the city to the Science Hall. Atreus and Tethys had rarely left Catalina’s small house on their previous visits, and they marveled at the market as they walked through. Alyna followed behind the group, her golden eyes forward. Tethys slowed to a crawl in front of her, fingering some jewelry at one of the stands and stopping to look at some exotic fabrics.

“This colour really brings out the blue of your fur,” Tethys said, holding an edge of the fabric up to Alyna’s face.

“What would I use this for?” the Guardian asked, puzzled.

“A new dress,” Tethys said. “You can’t always wear that cloak and those pants.”

Alyna looked shocked. “Remove my cloak? You cannot be serious!”

Tethys dropped the fabric and held up her hand daintily in surrender. “I’m sorry. I just thought you might like a change.”

“A Guardian is never without their cloak,” Alyna told her friend. “Not only does it keep me warm in space, it holds everything I need to survive.”

She moved past the Neptunian to catch up with Suni. Tethys caught Atreus by the arm and the Andromedan turned inquiringly to his friend.

“Don’t talk to her about her cloak,” Tethys warned. “She’s very touchy about it.”

Atreus blinked in surprise as the princess walked past him. With a shrug, he quickened his pace to catch up, sneezing lightly as he moved.

*****

The Science Hall was a large, domed building made of glass on top of a grassy hill. Inventions lay littered around it, some salvaged for parts and others in full operation. Suni didn’t even notice them as she headed for the door. To the right of the large glass doors was a statue of two men, each holding some sort of scientific invention and smiling. One man was tall and skinny, while the other was short and plump. They were in a relaxed stance, as if they had been friends for a long time.

“Who are they?” Atreus asked.

Tethys leaned closer to read the plaque at the base of the statue. “Martin and Timm, for their work in curing the Guider Plague, they will never be forgotten.”

“Come on,” Suni said.

She pushed open one of the doors and they stepped inside.

“This place looks like the chemistry lab exploded,” Tethys whispered.

“And for once, we didn’t do it,” Atreus agreed.

The whole Hall was a mess of experiments. Machines and tables littered the floor, papers and compupads were strewn about, and the air smelled faintly of smoke. Suni turned sharply right around a huge vat of bubbling purple and motioned for her friends to follow.

“Cassi will be in the Bioscience area,” Suni explained. “Life is her specialty.”

The foursome weaved through the disaster, Atreus and Tethys always looking around at the various procedures. Alyna moved forward with determination, almost herding her friends before her. At the edge of the Bioscience area, Suni grabbed the sleeve of a yellow garbed man, who glared at her impatiently.

“Is Cassi here?” Suni asked.

“She’s in the back,” the man said quickly before moving on.

Suni thanked his retreating form and headed deeper into the Hall. Here, there were animals and samples scattered about, along with many computers and monitoring systems. Tethys had to be dragged by Atreus when they passed through the plant area, and she gasped at the hundreds of species she couldn’t even identify.

Finally, they reached the back of the room where a lone figure was pouring over a littered table. She wore a white lab coat over her yellow jumpsuit, and had brown hair streaked with rainbow colours tied in a long ponytail.

“Cassi?” Suni said awkwardly.

The woman looked up and smiled warmly. “Suni! Nice to see you again!”

Cassi rose to embrace her sister’s niece. She was several years younger than Suzee, but looked almost exactly like a younger version of her sister. Her eyes were a deep purple naturally and she wore her hair very long. The rainbow streaks were more evident in her hair, and it was almost as if she had rainbow hair highlighted with brown.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Suni,” Cassi said. “I have a favour to ask – hello.”

Cassi looked up, noticing the other for the first time. Suni pointed to each of them in turn as she introduced them.

“These are my friends. Atreus from Andromeda, Princess Tethys of Neptune, and Alyna from space.”

Cassi looked at Alyna closely. “What a curious species,” she remarked. “No obvious respiration or cardiopulmonary system. Almost humanoid in appearance. What did you say her species was?”

“She did not say,” Alyna said. “I am a Guardian.”

Cassi stepped back and grinned. “Forgive me, Alyna, was it? Natural curiosity. I specialize in new and foreign species. The UPP records have been a delightful addition to my research, but I don’t recall reading about Guardians.”

“We are a solitary species,” Alyna said. “I am only the second of my kind to interact with planet-dwellers on an intimate level.”

“Fascinating,” Cassi breathed.

Suni tugged on her sleeve. “What favour did you want to ask me?”

Cassi turned to face the girl. “I’m sorry, Suni. Suzee dropped by a week or so ago and brought someone with her. She asked me to watch him, but I have too many experiments on the go right now to take care of him. Catalina’s been swamped with the Trade dispute. Do you think you could show him around? I bet he’s awfully bored at my house.”

“Sure,” Suni said. “Who is he?”

Cassi blinked. “You don’t know?”

Suni shook her head and the others stared at her blankly. Cassi sat back down and took a deep breath.

“His name is Xen. He comes from a place Suzee calls Vyrill. It was a dimension she came across around the time Suni was born. Anyway, the people of Vyrill had the ability to pass through dimensions without the use of a portal, so she stayed for a while to study them.”

“What are you trying to say, Cassi?” Tethys asked.

Cassi raised her purple eyes to meet Suni’s. “Xen is Suzee’s son.”

*****

The walk back to Catalina’s house was silent. Suni was in shock, and she moved quickly without thinking of her friends trailing behind her. They others said nothing, knowing Suni was best left alone with her thoughts. After Cassi’s startling news, they had agreed to allow Xen to come with them. She told them she would send him to Catalina’s house the next morning.

That evening after supper, talk turned again to the trade problems. Catalina had managed to persuade a Trader to speak to Rael, in the hopes of setting up a meeting. In the meantime, some Traders were refusing to sell UPP goods, or sell to non-Yensidians. The few people like Catalina who had emigrated to Yensid were terrified for their lives. Tension was very high and it was only a matter of time before something set it off.

A message arrived as they were preparing for bed. The messenger wore the brown suit of a Trader and regarded Catalina distastefully as she took the compupad from him. She brought it to the room where her guests were sitting by the fire and read it quickly.

“What is it?” Suni asked.

Atreus looked up from where he sat nearly inside the fireplace. Tethys gently put down her tea cup to give Catalina her full attention. Alyna stepped out from the shadows to listen. Catalina smiled.

“Rael will meet with the UPP representatives tomorrow morning,” she said. “The only other thing it gives are directions to the meeting place.” She frowned. “He wants to talk near the Out Reaches. I don’t like it.”

“We’ll be fine, Auntie,” Suni said, covering up a yawn.

“Here I am keeping you awake,” Catalina chided herself, putting down the compupad. “Off to bed, all of you.”

Suni, Atreus, and Tethys rose to their feet and headed for the stairs, where they would share Catalina’s guest room. Alyna headed to the garden.

“Where are you going?” Catalina asked the Guardian.

Alyna dipped her head. “I do not require as much sleep as you do, and I find the cooler atmosphere outside to be more comfortable. If I cannot return to space, I will rest there.”

Catalina nodded. “If you get cold, come inside.”

Alyna gave her a half smile. “I can assure you, Catalina, that I will not feel the cold.”

The Saturnian woman watched the young Guardian go, and felt the same suspicion she had voiced to Harlan when Alyna had asked to join the Starcademy. With a shrug, she sat down to wait for the fire to die down before going to bed herself.

*****

There was a knock at the door the next morning as Suni, Atreus, Tethys, and Catalina were eating breakfast. Alyna stood off to one side, rubbing a strange cream onto her arms and face. Suni and Catalina both rose to their feet at the same time to answer the door.

“I’ll get it, Auntie,” Suni said, heading down the hallway.

Catalina followed. Suni opened the door to reveal a humanoid male. He had shoulder length silver hair and silvery white skin. His eyes were a deep, dark gray colour and he wore a black jumpsuit. Four dragonfly-like wings sprouted from his back and he held a brown bag in his hands. He looked at Suni and smiled shyly.

“Xen,” Catalina said emotionlessly.

The boy looked up and his eyes widened. His wings quivered, as if he was going to launch himself into the air at any moment.

“You know him?” Suni asked.

Catalina sighed. “I assume Cassi told you. Suzee and I had great disagreements over this boy.”

“He’s still your nephew, kind of,” Suni objected.

Catalina sighed and opened the door wider. “Come in, Xen. Any arguments I have are with your mother, not you. I’m sorry if I’ve scared you.”

“I understand how I must make you feel,” Xen said quietly. Suni thought she could hear a faint buzzing when he spoke. He had a strange accent that made the language sound difficult to pronounce, like how Alyna had sounded when they had first met.

“I’m Suni,” the Mercurian-Uranusian said happily, extending her hand. “I’m your kind of cousin!”

Xen smiled shyly and took her hand. “You will have to explain to me what a cousin is, Suni, but I am pleased to meet you.”

Suni brought Xen into the kitchen to meet the others. He bowed to Tethys and Alyna, and shook hand firmly with Atreus. Catalina prepared him some food, and he joined the others for breakfast.

When they were done eating, Catalina told them how to get to the meeting place and warned them to be careful. Atreus was filling Xen in as much as possible about what was going on, and Xen told Atreus what he knew from listening to Cassi and the other Scientists. A few minutes after they left the house, Tethys turned to Alyna.

“Could I borrow some moisturizer?” she asked.

Alyna blinked. “Moisturizer?”

“You were smearing yourself with it this morning,” Tethys said. “I just want a bit for my hands.”

“That was not moisturizer. That was breakfast.”

Tethys blinked in surprise and Alyna smiled as she moved to walk with Xen.

*****

The group was very tired when they finally arrived at the meeting place. It was a small, isolate building far from the Yensidian market and close to the tall stone walls that separated Yensid from the Out Reaches. Suni suppressed a shudder as she gazed at the imposing building, then straightened her posture. She wanted to appear confident before her friends. She glanced over her shoulder to where they all gathered behind her.

Tethys was unconsciously running her long fingers through her hair, staring at the bleak building. Atreus was hugging himself and shivering, his eyes also on the meeting place. Alyna was expressionless, as usual. Xen’s delicate wings shook and his gray eyes were wide. Suni took a deep breath, put on a smile, and turned to her companions.

“Ready?” she asked.

Wordlessly, the nodded. Suni straightened the jacket of her Starcademy uniform and walked up to the door. She knocked three times and waited. A few minutes later, the door was opened and two men dressed in brown jumpsuits appeared. They looked down at Suni, and then at her friends. One of them began to laugh.

“Go home, children,” he said. “This is no place to play.”

Suni assumed an air of authority. “We are representative from the UPP here to negotiate an end to the Trade dispute.”

The other man chuckled. “The mighty UPP sent children to solve this? They must really think little of us.”

“We are not children,” Tethys spoke up, using her princess voice. “Inform your leader that we have arrived.”

The second man shrugged at the first and disappeared into the building. A moment later, he returned and told the first man to let them in. The door was opened wider and Suni led her friends into the dark interior.

They were taken to a long room that contained a single table and several chairs. A man dressed in brown with green and red hair was waiting for them there. The rest of the room was bathed in shadows.

“Careful,” Atreus whispered to Suni. “He’s not the only one in here.”

“Greetings, members of the UPP,” the man said, extending his hand. “I am Rael.”

“I am Suni Ianni,” Suni introduced herself, taking the man’s hand. “These are my companions. We hope to come to a resolution quickly, Master Rael.”

“Please, sit down,” Rael invited.

Suni did and Atreus stood protectively behind her. Alyna retreated to the shadows near the door, and Xen and Tethys sat on either side of Suni. The negotiations began in the typical way. Rael assured Suni he had no intentions of harming the UPP, but only wanted the people of Yensid to have the benefit of trade without taxes. Suni listened carefully to his words, while Atreus focused his keen hearing on the other figure in the room.

“The Traders of Yensid are only concerned that they are losing money by competing with UPP merchants,” Rael said for the tenth time. “If the merchants of the UPP would agree to pay a form of tax on their goods, I’m sure the Traders would back down.”

“That sounds like a workable idea,” Suni said cautiously. “If I might ask, how did this dispute begin?”

Rael’s eyes widened temporarily before her relaxed again. He launched into a long story about the people of Yensid buying UPP goods over their own people and even included several sad stories of impoverished Traders. Suni listened carefully, knowing that Rael was not saying everything.

He’s lying, a voice suddenly whispered through her mind.

Suni’s eyes widened for a split second before she forced herself to concentrate on Rael’s story. Her eyes darted momentarily to where Xen sat next to her, and she saw that he was staring intently at her.

He’s planning a revolt and an invasion of the UPP, Xen continued.

“That’s enough,” another deeper voice suddenly said.

Atreus’ grip tightened on the back of Suni’s chair. Rael broke off in the middle of his story. Suni squinted into the darkness at the back of the room, wondering who had spoken. She looked inquiringly at Rael.

“My apologies,” he said hesitantly. “That is our Master, the head of the Traders. He wished to be present at these negotiations but … “

“Enough!” the Master’s voice rang out. “You assured me the people from the UPP would be the ones to declare war on the Traders. You were confident that the revolt would begin by them.”

“Patience, Master,” Rael pleaded, looking from Suni to the darkened corner. “This is not the time to discuss this.”

“I have run out of patience, Rael,” the Master said. “We will kill these UPP citizens and claim it was self defense. The people of Yensid will flock to us and we will crush the UPP before they knew what hit them.”

Five Traders moved toward Suni, Xen, Tethys, and Atreus. Each held a blaster in his hand and they aimed them at the cadets.

“Run!” Suni exclaimed.

Atreus grabbed the front of the first blaster and twisted it into useless metal. He shoved the Trader who held it, causing the man to fly backwards and hit the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. At the same time, Suni let fly a burst of electricity from her fingertips, bringing the second man to his knees. Tethys kicked the third man in the chest and as he gasped for breath, she seized his blaster and aimed it at him. Xen rose into the air on his dragonfly wings and tried to stay out of everyone’s way.

Rael retreated further into the darkness to where the Master was sitting. Alyna stepped forward from the shadows. She made a sweeping motion with her arms and knocked the remaining two Traders to the floor.

“Grab onto me!” Alyna cried. “Xen, get out of here.”

The boy from the dimension Vyrill nodded and vanished in a flash of light. Suni, Atreus, and Tethys grabbed onto Alyna and the Guardian teleported them out of the building as ten more Traders marched through the door.

“Find them,” the Master snarled. “They must not be allowed to reached the UPP.”

The Traders nodded and left the room. Rael began to move with them, but the Master called him back.

“Go to the city, Rael,” the Master ordered. “Begin the revolution.”

“At once, Master,” Rael obeyed.

*****

Alyna reappeared next to the stone wall that separated Yensid from the Out Reaches. She collapsed to the ground in exhaustion as the others took in their surroundings. Atreus knelt by her side to make sure she was all right.

“We’re next to the wall,” Suni wailed. “We need to get back to the city!”

“I am sorry,” Alyna said. “I could not go farther than this.”

From the building, over a dozen armed Traders came out. They looked around for a second before one of them spotted the group. With an angry shout, the mob headed toward the wall. Atreus picked up Alyna easily and turned to his friends.

“We don’t have much of a choice,” he said. “Suni, will they follow us into the Out Reaches?”

Suni paled. “No, but – “

Atreus didn’t wait for her to finish. Shifting Alyna to one arm, he kicked the wall. It cracked slightly. He gently put the Guardian down and smashed the wall with his full strength. A hole large enough for a person to pass through crumbled under his fists. He motioned for Suni to enter. Reluctantly, the girl did. Tethys followed, and Atreus passed Alyna to his friends as the Traders approached. Dodging a few blaster bolts, the Andromedan threw himself into the hole and the group began to run deeper into the Out Reaches. The Traders stopped at the hole and watched them go.

“They’re as good as dead out there,” one of them sneered. “Let’s get out of here.”

The others agreed and the small army of Traders moved back to the building where their master waited.

*****

The Out Reaches was an area of pure desolation. The entire landscape was sandy dunes and a chill wind blew across them. No trees, grass, plants, or animals were visible as far as they could see. The group ran for a while until they had nearly lost sight of the wall. Finally exhausted after all that had happened, they stopped and sat on some rocks. Atreus put Alyna down and shivered.

“This place is horrible,” Tethys complained. “It’s going to take me weeks to get the sand out of my hair.”

“We have worse problems, Tethys,” Atreus said. “The man Rael called the Master was the same man who started the Andromedan revolt. I recognized his voice.”

“The same guy?” Suni repeated. “Why would one man be interested in turning the Andromedans against the Spung, and stopping dimensional trade with the UPP?”

“Could this Master also be behind the Neptunian revolts?” Tethys wondered. “It seems we may have a conspiracy on our hands.”

The wind picked up and tore through everyone like a knife. Only Alyna seemed unaffected by the chill. Atreus hugged himself tightly and sneezed, a light dusting of snow escaping his ears.

“If it gets any colder, I’ll freeze!” Tethys moaned.

“Don’t exaggerate,” Suni snapped irritably. “We’re all cold.”

“I’m serious,” Tethys explained. “Neptunians are mostly water. Very cold temperatures cause us to turn to ice.”

Alyna removed her Starcademy jacket and handed it to the Neptunian. Gratefully, Tethys put it on over her own uniform. Alyna began to rummage through the pockets of her cloak until she found a ragged blanket, which she offered to Atreus and Suni.

“I am afraid that is all I have,” the Guardian apologized.

“You seem better,” Suni remarked. “Can you teleport us back to the city?”

Alyna shook her head. “It is too difficult to pass through air. If we were in space, I could probably attempt it. At best, I could bring us back to the wall, after a few hours of rest.”

“We have to warn Aunt Catalina,” Suni said. “She’s in great danger right now. If Rael starts his revolution and claims that it was our fault, Yensid will wage war with the UPP.”

“Which is exactly what the Master fellow wants,” Tethys added.

The group fell silent for a few minutes, each lost in their own dismal thoughts. Suddenly, Atreus raised his head to listen. He closed his eyes in concentration, expanding his hearing as far as he could.

“Someone is here,” he said softly, still listening. “They’re getting closer to us.”

“More Traders?” Tethys wondered.

“If we’re separated,” Suni said quickly, rising to her feet, “make for the wall. One of us has to warn Catalina.”

The others nodded and rose to meet the approaching figure. Soon, they could all make it out in the dusty wind. The figure didn’t seem to be moving quickly, and it stopped every once in a while. Atreus tensed, ready for a fight. The figure walked through the wind and stepped into view.

“Xen!” Suni exclaimed.

The Vyrillian smiled at his new friends. He looked almost human with his wings folded down and out of the wind. Atreus and the others relaxed as Xen took a seat on one of the rocks.

“I looked everywhere for you guys,” Xen said. “I had to follow your thoughts to find you out here.”

“Can you get back to Catalina’s house?” Suni asked her cousin. “We need to warn the UPP about the revolt.”

Xen bit his lip. “I can try to bring you through the dimensions, but I don’t know if it will work. My mother needs a machine that cuts through dimensional space. I don’t know what the trip will do to you.”

“We have to try,” Suni said. “No matter what the risk. We can’t let this Master destroy the UPP-Yensid alliance.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Xen said hesitantly.

He held out his hand, which Suni took firmly. Tethys held onto Suni, Atreus to Tethys, and Alyna brought up the rear. Xen held up his free hand and it began to glow with a white light. The light expanded into a white portal.

“If anyone has any trouble,” Xen called back, “squeeze hands. I’ll set us down in the closest dimension.”

He unfolded his wings and stepped through the portal. The humanoid chain followed him, and the portal closed behind them.

*****

The Council of Yensid was in session. Representatives from every guild were there, with the Elders overseeing the meeting. Catalina had the floor, speaking on behalf of the UPP. She reminded the Yensidians of the benefits of trade with the UPP, how dimensional travel had helped everyone’s lives. She used the Guider Plague as an example of one dimension helping the other. The natives listened to her without comment. Many agreed with her, but the Traders remained firmly opposed. As Catalina concluded and returned to her seat with a roar of applause, Rael stepped up.

“Members of the Council,” Rael began. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Ambassador Catalina has been misleading us all.”

The Council gasped collectively. Catalina frowned, wondering what this Trader had up his sleeve.

“I have just come from a meeting with the UPP diplomats,” Rael continued. “They demanded no tax be issued to trade coming from UPP space, and ordered that we raise our own taxes to compensate. They demanded more portals and more representation here in Yensid. In short, they wanted to conquer us.”

The Council began to murmur among itself. Several members shot unpleasant looks at Catalina. Rael continued.

“I, naturally, refused these outrageous demands. The UPP representatives then declared war on Yensid. They sought to conquer us by force if not through trade. Regrettably, I had no choice by to kill them so they could not return to the UPP to muster their forces. I have bought us some time.”

Catalina paled and fell back into her seat. She noticed the room was slowly filling with people dressed in brown. They were blocking the exits and were armed.

“Members of the Council,” Rael was saying. “I call upon all of you to call for arms. We must not be caught unprepared when the wave of UPP soldiers comes pouring through the portals. We must shut them down. We must lock up any non-Yensidian who may be a spy. We must protect our way of life!”

The Council roared in agreement. Catalina rose to get their attention, waiting to be recognized by the Elders. Instead, someone seized her arm from behind and began to drag her out of the council chamber. She felt a blaster dig into her back, and she moved without struggling. She could only hope that what Rael had said was a lie.

*****

Suni kept her eyes closed as Xen led them across the dimensions. She felt as if she were walking through thick water. It felt warm, but moist at the same time. She hoped the others were doing well. The trip seemed to last for a long time, but finally Xen stopped moving. She felt Tethys bump into her as she stopped. Xen raised his hand once more to open the portal, and stepped through. The others gratefully followed.

The materialized in Catalina’s garden. Suni took a deep breath as she released Xen and Tethys’ hands. The Neptunian shuddered and began to rub her arms with her hands. Atreus shook his head as if he had emerged from a pool, and Alyna collapsed to the ground.

“Alyna!” Suni exclaimed, rushing to her friend’s side.

The Guardian was struggling to sit up, and Atreus helped her. She smiled at her friends.

“I am all right,” she managed. “My head feels as if it had gone through a black hole, and the ground appears to be moving.”

Atreus helped her to her feet. “The atmosphere between the dimensions was huge,” he said. “You probably just have a pressure headache.”

Alyna dipped her head, and nearly fell over again. She pressed one hand to her temple.

“Let’s go inside,” Tethys suggested. “You can sit down for a few minutes while we explain things to Catalina.”

The Neptunian led the way inside, but stopped and gasped in shock. The inside of Catalina’s small house was a disaster. It looked as if a mob of people had gone through, searching for something. Drawers were emptied and tossed aside, bookshelves were over turned, and her viewscreen was smashed to pieces.

“Looks like we’re too late,” Atreus commented as he helped Alyna to a chair.

“Where is Catalina?” Xen asked.

“They took her,” a familiar voice replied.

The group turned to see Cassi standing at the base of the stairs. She gave them a half smile as she walked forward and put her arm around Xen’s shoulder.

“The Traders have declared war on the UPP,” Cassi said. “They’ve imprisoned Catalina, and everyone else related to the UPP. They said you were dead.”

“Where is Catalina?” Suni repeated.

“In prison,” Cassi replied. “The Elders are trying to get the city back under control. The Officials are patrolling and arresting the Traders. The city is in chaos out there.”

“What can we do?” Tethys asked in a small voice.

Cassi shrugged. “They’ve got the portals guarded, so you can’t even go home. I’m sorry, guys. Maybe you can help the Officials get the city back under control. You need to convince the Council that the UPP is not preparing for war.”

“How do we do that?” Atreus asked.

“I don’t know,” Suni sighed. “But I know someone we can ask.”

*****

They waited until nightfall before they attempted to leave Catalina’s house. They headed for the Science Hall, where most of the people opposed to the Trader War were hiding, planning to take back their city. Several times, Cassi motioned for them to hide as Trader patrols crossed their path, but they managed to make it to the Hall without incident.

Once inside the dark building, Cassi led them to a hidden staircase that led to the basement of the building. She didn’t bother to light a lamp, and they were forced to move slowly to make sure no one fell. At the bottom, they suddenly found themselves in a group of Yensidians, not all of whom were Scientists.

“These are the diplomats sent by the UPP to negotiate with the Traders,” Cassi introduce them.

“Rael said they were dead,” someone spoke up.

“They tried to kill us,” Suni explained. “We managed to escape and make our way back here. Listen, we must convince the Council that the Traders are lying. If I can, I’ll send a message to Admiral Band of the UPP. Will his word be enough to convince the Council?”

“You’ll have to prove what Rael said was a lie,” another Scientists piped up.

Suni frowned. It came down to their word against his, and in the Council’s present state of mind, they would not take the word of a foreigner over that of a Yensidian.

“Perhaps we can trick Rael into revealing himself,” Xen said timidly.

All eyes turned to him. He blushed and cleared his throat.

“I mean, he takes orders from the Master, right? What if he thought he was speaking to the Master, and we trick him into admitting something? If the Council has a witness, it should be enough to discredit him, right?”

Suni smiled brightly. “Xen, you’re a genius!”

“But how do we convince him he’s talking to his Master?” someone asked.

Suni shook a finger at the crowd disapprovingly and shook her head. “Shame on you. Aren’t most of you Scientists? I’m sure you can come up with something. In the meantime, I’ll send that message to Admiral Band.”

The Scientists cheered at the plan and began to organize themselves. Suni smiled at her friends. Now all they needed was the Council to agree to hear them out, and the war would hopefully be adverted.

*****

Suni sat at Cassi’s desk, carefully crafting her speech. The Scientists were busily working around her, trying to craft a likeness of the Master’s voice as well as way to record what Rael was saying. Atreus was helping them with the voice, while Tethys continued to try to get through to UPP Headquarters.

Suni looked up from what she wrote and saw Xen walk by. She called to him, and he came over with an inquisitive look on his face.

“Xen, I need you to do me a favour,” Suni told him.

The Vyrillian nodded. “Atreus already told me. I’ll do what I can.”

“Thanks,” Suni smiled. “How long until sunrise?”

“A few hours, I think,” Xen replied. “Are you sure the Council will hear you?”

“I hope so,” Suni sighed. “It’s this dimension’s only hope.”

Xen took a seat next to Suni and began to read over her shoulder. Suni sighed as she also reread her speech. So much depended on chance, and there was so much to be lost. If the UPP went to war with Yensid, she would never get to see Suzee or Cassi again. Catalina would probably be executed, along with the hundreds of immigrants from the UPP to Yensid. Suni let her eyes wander around the walls of the Science Hall, knowing that this could be the last chance she would have to look at it. Xen placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Get some sleep,” he told her. “Tomorrow morning will be a busy day, and you need rest.”

“I need to finish the speech,” Suni argued, although she felt exhausted.

Xen took the compupad from her. “I’ll finish it off. You’re nearly done anyway. If our luck holds, you won’t even need to make this speech.”

Suni smiled and stifled a yawn. “You’re right. Thanks, Xen.”

The Vyrillian smiled. “Anything for family, cousin.”

*****

After careful persuasion, Cassi managed to convince the Council to hear Suni and her friends out. They walked from the Science Hall to the Council Hall unmolested, although mobs of angry Yensidians lined the streets. Suni walked with Cassi, and Xen followed close behind. Atreus, Alyna, and Tethys were nowhere to be seen in the procession of Scientists trying to advert war. Rael was standing on the steps of the Council Hall, looking pleased with himself. Suni shot him a dirty look as she walked by. A Trader tapped Rael on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and disappeared into the building. Suni smiled to herself and followed Cassi down the hall to the council chambers.

As she entered the room, Suni was surprised to see Catalina standing in chains to one side. She was dirty and pale, but she held her head up high and didn’t give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Suni looked at her, eyes full of concern, and Catalina gave her a slight smile to show she was unhurt. Relief swept through the cadet as she turned her full attention to the Council.

The members sat behind two high desks. The lower row was a rainbow of colour, the representatives from every guild showing their colours. Above them sat the orange suited Officials and the purple suited Elders, the two factions who oversaw the Council and ultimately made the final decisions. Suni gazed up at them and suddenly felt very small. Cassi squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and the meeting commenced.

Before Suni was allowed to speak, the Council conducted the daily business of Yensid. They discussed the day’s agenda, and Suni almost gasped aloud when she heard that Catalina was standing there for sentencing. Fortunately, Suni’s appointment was before Catalina’s, so she still had a chance to set things right. The business droned on and Suni found herself growing impatient. She sat between Cassi and Xen, and continuously glanced at the clock. The Vyrillian sat with his eyes closed in concentration. Finally, he smiled.

“They got him,” he whispered to Suni. “Atreus is setting up the recording right now.”

Suni grinned and Cassi looked at her curiously. The Official read Suni’s name, and the cadet rose. She straightened the front of her jacket and walked up to the double desks.

“Members of the Council,” Suni began. “I am Suni Ianni, diplomatic envoy of the UPP. I was sent here by Admiral Band to put an end to the trade disputes between Yensid and the UPP. Unfortunately, all of my attempts were balked by the Trader leader, Rael.”

A murmur passed through the chambers. One of the Elders banged a gavel on the desk to call for order. Suni waited for the murmuring to stop before she proceeded.

“Rael, however, was not the mastermind behind this dispute,” Suni continued. She noticed that Xen had disappeared. Everything was going smoothly. “Rael was taking orders from a man known only as the Master. This stranger has not only been responsible for discord in Yensid, but among the united planets of the UPP as well.”

“She lies,” a Trader spoke up. “It’s a trick to get us to lower our defenses.”

“I have proof,” Suni told the Trader. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a communication’s device. “Atreus, play the recording.”

The Council fell into a stunned silence as Rael’s voice filled the chamber. He was not alone, however. Another voice, which Suni identified as the Master’s, was also speaking.

“The city is ours, Master,” Rael was saying. “The portals are shut down and the non-Yensidians are imprisoned.”

“Where is the UPP Admiral?” the Master asked.

“He probably has no idea what’s going on,” Rael told him. “I’ll convince the Council to launch the first invasion, a pre-emptive strike. If I tell them the UPP is raising it’s army against us, the Council will vote for the invasion unanimously. Once in UPP space, it will seem like the Yensidians are attacking them and they’ll fight back. Both sides will be weakened.”

“Excellent,” the Master replied.

The recording ended and the people in the chamber began to speak. Rael shrunk lower into his chair, hoping to escape notice. Even the Trader’s seemed alarmed at the admission of their leader.

“Order,” the Elder with the gavel commanded.

The room fell quiet again. Several armed guards dressed in orange placed themselves around Rael, holding their blaster’s reading. Catalina was smiling.

“We have heard the lies of the one called Rael,” the Elder said. “We apologize for his action, yet we have no proof that the UPP is not mobilized against us.”

“I think I can help with that,” a new voice said.

Every head in the chamber turned to see Admiral Band, dressed in white, walking down the aisle. Xen walked behind him and took his seat next to Cassi again. Harlan winked at Suni as he stopped next to her to face the Council.

“As Admiral of the UPP, I can assure you we have no intentions of invasion or conquest. We hope only for the continuing good relations between Yensid and the UPP,” Harlan spoke up.

The Council was amazed. “The portals are closed,” the Elder gasped. “How did you arrive here, Admiral?”

Harlan gestured to Xen. “This boy is from a dimension called Vyrill. They are able to pass freely between dimensions, and apparently can bring guests with them.”

The Council chuckled. The Elder pointed to Catalina. “Release her.”

The guards quickly did as they were told. As Catalina stood rubbing her wrists, the Elder apologized on behalf of Yensid and asked that she help resolve any lingering problems between Yensid and the UPP.

“That’s why I’m here, Elder,” Catalina said. “To keep the peace.”

*****

Catalina, Cassi, Harlan, Suni, Xen, Atreus, Tethys, and Alyna all gathered at Catalina’s house later that afternoon. The portals had been reopened immediately, a new leader had been elected for the Trader’s guild, and life had returned to normal. After the storytelling, filling in Catalina and Harlan on what had happened, the group had decided to return to the UPP.

“I can’t wait to tell Mom about this one,” Suni said.

“She’ll probably pull you out of Starcademy and make you a nurse on the Starbase if you do,” Atreus warned his friend.

Suni shook her head. “I’ve always got one up on her. No matter what I do, nothing tops her adventures on the Christa.”

They all laughed at that, especially Harlan and Catalina.

“What I don’t understand is, how did you get Rael to say all that stuff?” Catalina asked.

“Easy,” Tethys said. “Atreus and I hid in the room next to Rael’s and hooked up a direct line to his view screen. We turned off all the lights, and Atreus used a voice transformer to make him sound like the Master.”

“Alyna was hiding in Rael’s room with a recorder,” Atreus added.

“I was not hiding,” Alyna objected. “I was invisible.”

“And let’s not forget Xen,” Suni piped up. “Without him, we’d never have got Uncle Harlan here to vouch for us.”

“Yeah, and my heart would still be whole,” Harlan added. “He nearly stopped it when he popped into my office.”

“Sorry,” Xen apologized. “It was urgent.”

“The UPP is in your debt, Xen,” Harlan told him. “Without you, two dimensions would have been at war.”

“May I make a request, then?” Xen asked timidly.

Harlan looked at him expectantly. Xen cleared his throat and lowered his eyes.

“May I join your Starcademy? There is little for me in Vyrill, and I can’t stay in Yensid,” Xen asked.

“It’s the middle of the year,” Harlan said.

“We’ll help him catch up,” Suni said.

“And we can arrange his schedule so he’s always in class with one of us,” Tethys added.

Atreus and Alyna nodded their agreement. Harlan sighed.

“I’ll talk to the principal and see what I can do,” he promised.

The group cheered.

*****

Alyna swam through space, enjoying being free from the oppressive atmosphere of planets. She found Yensid to be more of a strain than Starcademy and was grateful to no longer have to rely on nutritional supplements. Now back in her sector, she searched for the Guardian who had replaced her for the few days they had been gone. She was in no hurry, and her thoughts turned as they often did when she was alone to her friends.

The newest companion, Xen, was a remarkable creature. She found she could speak with him easily in her native telepathy, which was a lot less cumbersome than spoken words. Although she disliked passing between dimensions, she could see how it was similar to her teleportation. She decided the two of them were very similar, and she hoped they would become good friends.

In the distance, Alyna spotted another Guardian. With a short teleport, she arrived in front of it and waited for it to acknowledge her. The Guardian stopped in front of her and Alyna could see her clearly.

She was older, although age made little difference to the Guardians. She had long pink hair and blue eyes. She wore a black and white cloak and had a silver tail. Alyna dipped her head in greeting, and the other Guardian did the same.

Gyana, Alyna said. The Council thought you lost.

The Council knows little of what I do, Gyana replied. I am outside them.

Then how did you come to patrol here? Alyna asked.

Great Grandfather asked the favour, Gyana said with a shrug. I obliged.

Alyna smiled. It is good to see you again, Mother.

We will meet again, Gyana promised. Watch over them for me.

Without another word, the two Guardians parted. Alyna returned to the Starcademy where she knew here friends would be sleeping, and Gyana departed for space unknown.