Moon Cats, Silver Millennium

Chapter Five

Artemis ducked as the huge blade passed overhead, before bringing his golden staff up to deflect the Glaive, the most feared of weapons, up. Sailor Saturn, not expecting the sudden shift of it's mass, staggered then tripped back, landing on her behind. She gasped as the end of the staff, the simple blue crystal in the tip glowing, came within an inch of her face.

Artemis held position for a moment, then chuckled and lowered his weapon, offering the small girl his hand. "You're improving!"

"You call that improving?" She mumbled, letting him pull her to her feet. "I don't see how. I ended up on my butt like every other training session."

"Yes, but it took longer, and will continue to take longer. Once you're lasting long enough, I'll make you use a staff!"

"Why?"

"Cause eventually you'll score a hit, and I don't want to explode."

Most people pointing out the destructive power of her weapon put her on edge. The Mau, all of them except Artemis, treated her like a ticking time bomb at best, and as a target for their hate at worst. Already she'd nearly been killed by one male who'd snuck into her rooms with a knife.

Artemis had saved her then, and unlike them didn't make her feel like a freak.

Of course, it could be because the staff he wielded, a weapon he'd seized from a rogue wizard on some adventure or another, was well known for its destructive power… though it wasn't even a meaningful fraction of the Bringer of Silences power.

Or it could be because he sincerely didn't care.

"Artemis… I was wanting to ask you a question."

The white haired man paused, as he towled off his forehead. "Sure, what's up?"

"Why do your lessons and Hecate's not agree with each other?"

"How do you mean?"

"Hecate says that when Tironia… I mean The Deathbringer…"

"Tironia… I'm not Hecate and don't insist you use that title for her."

Hotaru nodded. "When she came to Mau, her version of the history… and the texts she's having me read… claim that the Mau were preparing a counter strike against Earth, to preserve the kingdom when the other worlds were to blinded by their desire for peace to realize what was coming. You're lessons, on the other hand, either paint Earth as being a victim of a surpise attack, or else a tense political situation with the Silver Kingdom and the Terran Crown that was close to a shooting war, but for the hard work of some diplomats. Which is true?"

Artemis sat on a bench, and smiled at his young student. "All of them."

"How is that possible?"

"Did you ever read the forward of those books? Or the pages before the cover page?"

"No."

"The books Hecate is using are from Mau, or later the Heart Star's scholars. My books are from either the Lunar Libraries, or things I ordered delivered from Earth scholars. I'm sure you can guess which came from where."

Hotaru nodded. "But which one is the truth? They can't all be a true telling of the situation!"

"Can't they?" Artemis asked. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'history is written by the victor?" she nodded. "Well, that's not entirely true. History is written by the survivors, and in this case, all three groups survived, though obviously some in better shape than the others."

"At the time things were happening, the situation between Earth and the Silver Kingdom were very tense, but it was perceived as being more tense by those under the house of Serenity. This was due, if I've read the accounts correctly, to a recent development the Earth militaries had made allowing them to create a faster ship, allowing them freer trade with other cultures, and an easier logistical situation if a war did break out between Earth and the Kingdoms."

"But what about the Mau's claims that the Earth attacked first?"

"Earthlings attacked first, that's true. A small group of Earth zealots… not members of their government or military, just a group of self-described patriots… found out that the Mau had figured out the secret to the new drive technology. And no, I don't know what it was." He smiled, seeing the question forming on her lips.

"They blew up the research lab where the tech was being developed, in the name of Earth and 'all free peoples'. The Mau demanded something be done, the Earth claimed no responsibility for 'radicals' and the Queen of the time was young and new to her throne, so didn't know what to do. She sent Saturn, since the young Senshi would be 'less threatening' than the other fully adult Sailor Senshi would have been."

"What happened? Between the three, it gets confusing."

"Between the Metallia influenced ruler ship, and the Youma they'd raised in secret, the outright rioting that reports suggest were happening at that time, and one assassination attempt that no one ever quite figured out where it came from, Saturn found herself in an untenable situation. And she was too inexperienced to know it. An older diplomat would have pulled out early in, realizing that there was a problem they couldn't solve brewing. However, by the time it occurred to her, she was being attacked on all sides by Youma."

"But she Death Reborn Revolutioned the planet? Why would she do that for an attack?"

"According to her own claims? The advisor who was corrupted lead the Youma against her, and convinced her that the whole world was being overrun. Pluto confirmed this, though she also confirmed the girl panicked. She never forgave herself."

"Oh… "

"See, it's very rare that something's simple."

At that moment, a messenger, human, burst into the room. He wore the livery of the Moon Palace. "Lord commander. The Queen summons yourself and the Senshi Saturn to her. Something's happened."

Luna stood next to Serena, behind Queen Serenity, as she spoke to the King of Earth, his son behind him in the same way. Zoicite, the commander of the Princes Regiment, stood with the younger Terran Royal. The Holo communicator, how the two regents were talking, made it seem like everyone was in the room together.

"Both Jedite and Nephrite? How could they disappear?" Serenity asked, shocked. "They're powerful warriors, and would have had guards."

"They did, though most of them are dead, the rest gone." The king said gravely.

"Do you have suspects?"

"I do… but what my mages have found… I don't want to accept the possibility…"

Serenity frowned. "You detected Negaverse energies, didn't you."

"Yes… but since only one person has any reason to target my people… That would suggest Beryl is in bed with the Metallia cult, either as a member or just an alliance." The King sighed. "I have Kunzite running an intelligence gathering Operation now, since he and Zoicite just returned from their honeymoon. Hopefully I'll know more soon, but I think you should call your bodyguards to you, just in case."

"Ironic that we would have to protect our own guardians." Serenity said. "But I ordered a recall as soon as I heard about Jedite. Is there any assistance I could provide?"

"Directly, no, but could you send a Mau investigator? Their sensitivity to Nega-energy would be helpful."

Serenity nodded. "I'll send my best investigator down as soon as he arrives." She ignored the quiet intake of breath from Luna. "Do you need me to send him by private ship, or can he come down in a royal shuttlecraft?"

"With my current political situation, private. However, if I may I wish to send my son up to you on it."

"Father, no…"

"Endymion, be still." The older man growled. "He and Zoicite will come up, to get them out of the cross fire. If she is employing Metallia's Youma, I don't want both he and I in this palace. We lack the mystical defenses you Lunarians claim."

Serenity nodded. "He'll be given chambers in the Royal Tower, near my daughters."

"Not to near, I hope. We're still negotiating the marriage."

Serenity smiled, the levity not totally dispelling the dark cloud of the conversation. "Not to close."

"I'll be watching for your cat." The Terran king signed off. Serenity looked to Pluto, who stood out of view. "Did you not have any warning of this?"

"No, I didn't! And I would have warned myself if I could. Either someone is manipulating time, on some level, or it was not preventable. If we didn't know, for sure, what happened before the festival, however…"

"You couldn't contact yourself." Serenity nodded. "And it's just vague enough that we could find some other explanation."

Luna stepped forward. "Actually, my queen, the absence of Pluto's future self might suggest that very fact. Queen Beryll, for all she's ruthless and power hungry has never shown any tendency towards religions factionalism. Reports suggest she's more an agnostic than a zealot."

Serenity nodded. "I hope that's correct, Luna. I hope that's correct."

AN: I'm trying to get my feet under me again… this was more background than anything else, but I hope it was at least interesting to read!