As everyone struggles to come to grips with the aftermath of Tracy Corporation's Manhattan headquarters destruction, the loss of Thunderbirds One and Two and Virgil's tale of the other dimension, Tin-Tin has to make a decision that could change her life – and the lives of the Tracys – forever.

Author's Note: The name of this saga, Diraja Satu, means 'Royal One' in Bahasa Melayu, Kyrano and Tin-Tin's native language.

Acknowledgment: Thank you so much to those who made this series possible, so many years ago all the way through to today.

ULTIMATUM

By LMC

Everyone was doing pretty well, all things told. At least, on the surface.

Jeff and his sons had been home for several hours and the multiple tasks of taking care of each of their special needs and getting them settled in was more or less complete. Brains and Virgil were in Brains' laboratory comparing the two inter-dimensional travel devices while Grandma fussed over Gordon, Alan and John, who were enjoying the attention.

Scott was dozing on the balcony of his bedroom suite while Jeff sat propped up in his bed staring out the sliding glass doors. The trip had been hell on his back, but he'd refused to be housed in the hospital ward in spite of Brains and his mother trying to get him there. He'd also asked to be left alone at last, for he knew that soon Kyrano would be coming to him.

There was a soft knock at his door. Right on cue, Jeff thought. Kyrano's timeliness had more than once prompted Jeff to wonder if he really could read their minds. He pressed a button near his bed and the front door to his suite hissed open. Slowly his friend walked through the sitting room and into his bedroom. A place, Jeff realized, Kyrano had not often been.

"Come in, Kyrano. Make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you, sir," Kyrano replied, but didn't move.

"Kyrano, sit down, would you?"

Kyrano looked around the room, then back at Jeff, who watched with amusement. He knew Kyrano didn't like the big, fluffy chairs, and nodded when he finally settled on a straight-backed chair at the foot of the bed. Pulling it up to Jeff's side, he took his place, but his eyes would not meet the ones of his friend.

"Are you and Tin-Tin leaving soon?"

He nodded. "We shall be ferried to Sydney by sea plane, where we will board an airliner for Malaysia."

"I'd take you there in my jet if I could."

"I know you would, sir."

"Kyrano, I'm...I've done a lot of thinking since you told me about being a prince and all. I'm no 'sir' to you. In fact, I'd like to think we're friends."

At last, he looked up, brown eyes meeting gray. "I believe we are."

"Then no 'sir' from you, okay? I feel like I should be bowing before you or something."

He chuckled. "No, please do not. I am only a prince in title. Nothing else."

"That's not true, and you know it. I can think of—"

"I do not wish to leave you!" Kyrano blurted out, cutting Jeff off.

Jeff stared at him for a moment, surprised. He'd never known Kyrano to interrupt anyone, especially with such force. "What?"

"I...I will abdicate, Jeff. I wish to remain here. For you," he responded, lowering his eyes.

My God, what is he thinking?

"No way, Kyrano. This is important to you. I saw it in your eyes, heard it in your voice when you were telling me about it over the vidphone."

"But you have so much to rebuild," he said, looking back up once more. "I thought perhaps..."

"Make no mistake, I do need you." Jeff leaned forward as best he could. "Kyrano, I can't even think of what this is going to be like without you. Rebuilding the Corp admin, rebuilding International Rescue. Trying to understand what Virgil's been through, what happened to him. All this inter-dimensional travel. A world without the Hood. It's mind-boggling, all of it. I need you now more than ever."

"Then I shall stay."

"No." Jeff shook his head. "Kyrano, you have lived your life on the run. Always in fear of Gaat finding you, of him finding Tin-Tin. You were born a prince, Kyrano. A prince! And from what I've heard, your country needs you. Both you and Tin-Tin."

Kyrano's eyes shined, emotions so evident in them. Jeff tried to keep his voice as steady as he could. I don't want you to leave us, was all he could think. But he knew it was pure selfishness to deprive Malaysia of one such as Kyrano.

"In any battle, in any crisis, there's no one I'd want by my side more than you. But what makes you so indispensable to me makes you invaluable to Malaysia. I think you know it as well as I do. And no one's brighter or more level-headed than your daughter."

Actually blushing, Kyrano looked away once more. "I do not know what to say."

"Say you'll go meet with them and think hard about it, Kyrano. You do what's right. You always do what's right. Just know if you ever need anything, I'm here. We're your family, prince or no prince."

Kyrano stood and smiled, laying his hand upon Jeff's. "We are leaving within the hour. I have only one request before I go."

"What's that?"

"Allow me to join with you one last time."

Jeff flinched. Joining was not his favorite thing to do. Kyrano always got more out of him than he ever intended.

"I do not wish to join for the normal purpose, Jeff. Not for assisting you with internal emotional distress."

Jeff breathed a sigh of relief.

"You and I...we feed off one another's energy. I wish only to establish a link, so the tether does not dissolve no matter how far apart we may be."

"I think I'd like that."

Kyrano rose to his feet and pushed Jeff's legs to the side enough that he could sit cross-legged next to them. He grasped Jeff's hand with his right, touched Jeff's forehead with his left. "I still do not wish to leave you."

"I know," Jeff smiled sadly. "But you don't have to hide anymore, Kyrano. You're free."

Kyrano swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "As with the energy that binds us all together in the expanse of the Universe, so now bind my energy to yours, a connection never to be broken, never severed." His voice dropped low as he opened his eyes, looking directly into Jeff's. "Remember me."

Somehow, Jeff knew exactly how to respond. "Remember me," he whispered.

Kyrano broke the link and physical contact and stood for a moment at the side of the bed. "I will be in contact with you."

Jeff nodded, marveling at how quickly the join had passed. Normally it took so long, them sitting together, working into a deep meditative state. This had been so fast. And yet, he felt stronger somehow than he had moments ago, and wondered what it was Kyrano had really done.

"Good-bye, Kyrano."

He stood there for a few moments more, penetrating Jeff with his gaze. Finally, he nodded slightly. "Good-bye, Jeff."

No...

Jeff frowned as Kyrano turned and walked away. He felt like jumping out of bed, stopping him, telling him he'd changed his mind. Telling him to stay. But half of him knew Kyrano had to go. He had to. He was needed, so badly, by his countrymen. It was the right thing to do.

But as the door to his suite swished shut behind Kyrano, he couldn't shake what the other half of him was saying.

Why does the right thing hurt so much?

"Good-bye," he whispered, eyes closing as he settled back into his pillows, "my friend."

"Alan, I...I don't know what else to say."

This has got to be a dream. It can't be real. It just can't be.

"Tin-Tin, you can't go!"

"I don't have a choice, Alan! Father and I are leaving in thirty minutes."

"I thought you were just kidding. About being a princess."

Her large, green eyes looked at him sadly. "That's all life is to you, Alan: a joke. You've never taken anything seriously."

"That's not true!"

Anger boiled within him. How could she say that to him? After what he'd finally said to her, after they'd made love for the first time when he'd come back from Five, only hours before? He knew the look on his face could kill an elephant, but right now he didn't care.

"I love you, Alan, I—"

"Oh, don't give me that! If you loved me, you wouldn't be leaving me!"

"We've been through this!" she replied, tears welling up in her eyes. "I have a duty, Alan, a duty to millions of people that I can't just ignore!"

"What about your duty to me? To our love?" She moved forward and tried to place her hand on his arm, but he jerked away. "Fine, Tin-Tin. If this is what you want, then go. I guess everything we said means nothing to you."

Two tears spilled over onto her porcelain cheeks. "That's not true," she whispered. "Alan, please try to understand."

"I understand perfectly. You would rather go become a princess than marry me!"

"Marry you?" she croaked.

"Yeah, now you know, don't you? I finally 'grew up' as Gordon put it. I'm finally becoming a man, as he'd say. I was going to find the biggest, most beautiful ring I could and ask you to stay with me forever. But I can't even get you to stay with me now. I was wrong about you, Tin-Tin."

She shook her head, tears coming more readily now. "Alan, I'm so sorry. But I must do this. I don't know what will happen, neither Father nor I do. But we have to at least meet with them."

At that moment, he hated her. Hated that she'd gotten him to this point, gotten him into a place where he had been ready for a real relationship. Where he'd been ready to do whatever it took to make her happy. Ready to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. And now she was ripping herself away. Tearing down his dreams, driving a knife into something he'd only just begun believing in: his own heart.

"Meet with them, stay, I don't care," he said hotly. He turned and the door to Tin-Tin's room swished open. "There's nothing for you here anymore, anyway."

With that, he was gone. Even through the soundproofed walls, he swore he could hear her cry.

But he didn't look back once.

Everyone was out on the beach as Kyrano's and Tin-Tin's things were loaded into the plane. There were hugs all around. Alan's brothers noted he was conspicuously absent, but no one said anything about it. They figured Alan and Tin-Tin had already said their good-byes by the state of Tin-Tin's red-rimmed eyes. And Jeff wasn't there, but he couldn't really be up and about enough to go all the way down to the beach.

And so the Tracys and Brains watched as Kyrano and Tin-Tin boarded the sea plane. Watched as its engines came to life, as it taxied out across the calm ocean and eventually became airborne. The silence left behind was deafening. Scott and Virgil eyed one another while John and Gordon did the same. Brains fidgeted nervously with his white lab coat, his hand on Ruth's back as she sniffled into her handkerchief.

They all felt the loss immediately, as though something tangible had been taken from their very marrow. But none could put voice to that which each felt, and so silence was their companion as they all headed back up the long, curved staircase and filed into the Lounge. Scott and Virgil sat on the couch, John took the settee. Gordon leaned against his father's desk while Brains paced near the portraits on the wall. Grandma headed for the kitchen, ostensibly to get some coffee and cookies, but the rest knew it was to have a good cry.

It was Scott who finally broke the silence. "Someone get Alan up here. We need to have a family meeting. One hour, Dad's room."

The others nodded in agreement as Gordon lifted his watch to try and contact his missing brother.

"Penny should be arriving soon," Scott said as he and Virgil headed out of the Lounge. "See to it she and Parker are met on the tarmac."

John nodded, turning on the radar that appeared in his portrait, as his two older brothers exited. Sighing, he flopped into his dad's desk chair and watched Brains as he continued to pace. Gordon's hushed conversation into his watch ended. "Any luck, Gordo?"

"Not much. I'll have him in Dad's room in an hour, though, don't worry."

"You do that," John replied. Now he and Brains were left alone as Gordon headed out onto the balcony and took the steps down two-at-a-time. "So," John said conversationally, "you and Virg figure out those arm devices yet?"

Surprised, Brains stopped and turned to face him. "Ah, yes, I-I believe we have them nearly figured out, ah, John."

"Seems pretty dangerous to me, all this dimension-hopping. I always thought if two of us ended up in the same place it'd be some sort of matter/anti-matter thing." John didn't really care too much about it, but he could tell the engineer was distraught, and knew that getting him onto some technical subject would keep his mind off the fact that his two most prized creations – Thunderbirds One and Two – as well as part of their family, were now gone.

The tactic worked. Brains' eyes lit up as he walked over and perched on the settee in front of John. "W-Well, ah, John, that theory, i-it seems, has been proven correct."

John couldn't help but smile as his friend started rambling about other dimensions and the inter-dimensional travel devices. But his thoughts strayed away from Brains' explanations and toward the ideas he'd come up with for how to get Tracy Corp back on its feet. He thought for the thousandth time how lucky they were that their father was a multi-billionaire. The millions the Corp had been losing had cost them, yes, but for a man with any lesser fortune that Jeff Tracy, it would've meant financial ruin. For them, it merely meant not as much in the piggy bank.

Before he knew it, a blip appeared on the radar. He grinned when he realized Brains was still on about the devices. He held his hands up in defeat. "I don't mean to interrupt you, Brains, but Penny and Parker are almost here."

The engineer clamped his mouth shut and nodded, rising to his feet. His demeanor changed instantly as his mind turned to the problem of the Thunderbirds. Side-by-side, he and John headed into the hall and entered the elevator that would take them down to the tarmac. Normally it was a fun and happy time when FAB One came to the island with one extremely colorful and another extremely beautiful occupant. Now, however, the pall that had settled over the island made even this occasion somber.

John sighed as he watched Parker drive FAB One up from the ocean. Brains' face was expressionless, but he placed a hand on his shoulder anyway. If Brains didn't need the contact right now, John did. Hell, they all did. In a moment of madness, he pictured the entire clan in a group hug, and had to stifle the resulting snort as FAB One came to a rest before them. Brains looked askance at him, wondering what had him sniggering, but said nothing as Parker greeted them. Even he seemed subdued.

These next few days are going to be a lot of fun, John thought as he shook Parker's hand. Just loads.

"Come on, Al. Penny's here, I heard FAB One come onshore ten minutes ago." Gordon frowned. Normally any mention of Lady Penelope would've had Alan there faster than he could've blinked. But this time...

Tin-Tin's leaving is hitting him a lot harder than he's willing to let on.

Alan pulled a large leaf off a nearby plant, then began slowly and methodically ripping it apart, strip-by-strip.

Boy, he's really chewed up.

Fingers grabbed one strip on the edge of the leaf, dislodged it, pulled it back slowly toward the center.

"Al?"

Ripped it off the stalk, went back out to the edge of the leaf, grabbed a strip, pulled it back slowly.

"Al?"

Ripped it off the stalk, went back out to the edge of the leaf, grabbed a strip, pulled it back slowly.

"Alan!"

"What?" Alan nearly shrieked, throwing the leaf to the sand and hopping to his feet. "I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Well, at least he's speaking now.

"I'm not here to talk to you about Tin-Tin, Al."

"Then what are you here for?" Alan ground out, his face etched into worse than his infamous pout. It was more of a scowl, Gordon thought.

"We have to double-time it to Dad's room." Gordon lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. "The others are probably already there."

"For what?" Alan asked, looking up at his slightly older brother. The scowl seemed to decrease somewhat.

"Family meeting. We've got to start figuring out how to put everything back together again."

Alan nodded, his face finally returning to normal. He brushed by Gordon, headed back towards the villa. "Some things aren't meant to be put back together," he mumbled.

Now what the hell did he mean by that?

Alan sighed as Gordon caught up to him and the two made their way along the beach. "Once they're broken, some things just can't be fixed."

Gordon had an idea that Alan was talking about Tin-Tin and Kyrano leaving the island. And he was probably right. After all, if Kyrano did agree to rule Sarawak, Gordon knew as well as the rest of them that would be the end of him being part of their little world there on Tracy Island. And for all intents and purposes, Tin-Tin's fate was the same. Even if her father didn't take the throne, Gordon figured he knew her pretty well, and that she probably would.

After all, who wouldn't want their own throne? Their own palace? Their own guards and people and the ability to make laws and see that justice was done for so many. That was enough to make any Tracy drool, let alone a young lady who'd never known she was royalty.

The loss cut deep. Gordon felt it, and although he wasn't quite as emotionally attached to Tin-Tin as his younger brother was, he missed her just like you'd miss a sister that had gone away. And Kyrano...well, Kyrano was Kyrano. The villa came into view and Gordon was glad. He didn't like the spiral his thoughts were taking. He would miss Kyrano as sure as the rest of them.

It hadn't happened often, but on occasion, Gordon and Kyrano had found themselves alone together here or there on the island. And though much of that time passed with few words, the words they had exchanged had been meaningful. Gordon had learned some about himself as an individual, as a man; Kyrano's words of wisdom had a way of making you see things differently than you normally did. At no time had that wisdom come in more handy than when Gordon had found himself contemplating his former life as a member of WASP vs. his current life as a member of International Rescue.

The one thing living on the island and having to be so secretive about your life did was wreak havoc on any potential love life. Every one of them felt it, except maybe for Alan...Gordon stopped that thought right there. He'd had Tin-Tin. He found the thought of Alan marrying a princess amusing, especially since it would make him a prince. Alan, a prince? Gordon all-out grinned. Now there was something to keep his brain occupied for a month. His GQ brother standing before hundreds of subjects with a turban wrapped around his blonde head. While Tin-Tin bestowed orders and made decrees from the throne, Alan would be headlining the hippest Malaysian fashion magazines with what was "in" at the palace.

He had to resist the urge to chuckle.

He watched Alan as he climbed the steps in front of him. His mood seemed to have improved considerably, though Gordon guessed it was because he'd just been given something new to think about – Thunderbirds and Tracy Corp – which allowed him to momentarily stop thinking about what everyone there knew was the love of his life – Tin-Tin Kyrano.

So he couldn't have been more surprised when, halfway up the stairs that led to the villa's second floor, Alan howled like a banshee, half-turned to his right and punched the wall. Eyes widening, Gordon took in the look of pain on Alan's face. "You idiot," he said. "You've probably broken your hand."

"Never mind," Alan said shortly, keeping his hand balled into a fist at his side. "Let's just get in there."

Gordon shrugged. Well, if Alan wanted to lose the use of his left hand forever, so be it. He'd done as promised. His baby brother was there. Scott hadn't said he had to be in full working order.

The door to their father's suite opened and they entered to find everyone seated or perched throughout the bedroom. Jeff was sitting nearly straight up in bed as they entered.

"Ah, boys, I'm glad you're here. Find a place if you can. And I hope you brought something to make notes on."

"Right up here, Father," Gordon replied, tapping his temple with his forefinger. "What's first up?"

"Well, I think we need to start with Tracy Corp. John tells me he's got some ideas, so we'll start with him. John?"

John picked a large three-ring binder up off its temporary resting place on one of the built-in bookcase's shelves and there were a couple of groans. "Hey, don't knock it. Pretty soon every one of you will have one of these babies," John said as he opened the binder. "I wanted to start with the presidents of the umbrella companies," he began, clicking open the three rings and removing a sheet of paper. "I've outlined some candidates to take over their positions. Dad and I have talked it over a bit, but I wanted your take on them as well. Scott, Virgil, you know a couple of these guys. What do you think?"

As Scott took the paper from his brother, John continued. "I also have a crew working triple-time to clear the spot where the Tower stood. We're going over plans to raise a monument to honor those who lost their lives that day."

"A lovely idea," Penelope murmured from near the head of Jeff's bed.

"And I've been specking for places to start the admin core all over again. I have five locations, which I'd like to scout with one or two of you. Dad's already weighed in, but we need a visual and some more information on three of the sites. Once Dad's better, he'll be helping us out on choosing the location, but we need to get out there and see what's what."

"I'll go," Alan piped up, raising his hand into the air. Everyone in the room was more than just a little surprised, but no one said a word. "Right, I appreciate it, Al. Who else is on?"

"I'll take it."

"Okay, Gordon. We'll get that underway next. Scott, Virg, what about those men?"

And so began the tedious process of rebuilding the largest conglomerate in the United States of America. The rebuilding of the Tracy family. Out of the ashes of death and destruction, the seeds of determination and fortitude were beginning to take root on Tracy Island.

Even as the seeds of turmoil were growing out of control half a world away.

"My daughter, this has been most difficult on you."

She smiled, her eyes tired, as she squeezed his arm. The jet hummed around them as all jets do. The first-class tickets had been at Jeff's insistence. Kyrano wasn't used to traveling in such style, but as the adopted daughter of the Tracy family, Tin-Tin was. She leaned over and put her head on her father's shoulder, sighing long and low.

"I don't believe I'm the only one this was hard on, Father."

"What do you mean?"

"I know how difficult it was for you to leave that island. I know how close you and Mr. Tracy are."

"And I know how close you and young Alan were becoming."

"I once heard a story, Father. A story about a man who was given a sack of gold in one hand and an injured bird in the other." Kyrano smiled fondly as she continued. "He was very poor, and had many in his family to feed. The gold would have given them sustenance for a year in his tiny village, and a place to live that did not leak when it rained."

She snuggled further into her father's native robes. "But the bird in his other hand gave him great sorrow, for it was injured and needed his help. He could not hold the sack of gold and tend to the bird at the same time. And so he made a choice."

"The bird," Kyrano whispered.

"Yes," she nodded. "He dropped the sack of gold, which disappeared as soon as it hit the dirt. But he was able to tend to the bird, and nursed it back to health. Meanwhile, his family continued to struggle each day just to find enough food for them to eat."

"What happened to the man and his bird?"

Tin-Tin smiled. "It turned out the bird was actually a Master in disguise, sent to test the man. Because the man gave up the security of gold for the uncertainty of tending to the injured, he was rewarded one hundred fold as the Universe brought him wealth and provided for his every need, and the needs of his family."

"And the point of this story, my daughter?"

"That making the right decision may be painful at first, but there is a reason for it, even if you do not know what it is."

He wrapped his arm around her. "How is it was I blessed with such an intelligent child?"

She giggled. "You told me that story, Father."

"Me?" he asked.

"Stop joking, Father, of course it was you."

Kyrano pushed her away well enough to look her right in the eyes. "I did not tell you that story."

She frowned slightly. "Of course you did, Father. When I was ten and we had to leave the village in Indonesia early in the morning."

"Indonesia?"

Tin-Tin thought her heart might stop. The look on her father's face...what was that look? She'd never seen it before. "Father, you're frightening me. My uncle found where we were hiding. We left with barely more than the clothes on our backs in the middle of the night. We went to Hong Kong that night."

"I..."

"Father, what is it? What is wrong?"

"I do not remember Indonesia," he replied. "Or...Hong Kong." He faltered, seeming to search inward for answers he could not find. "Is that what Jeff meant when he said we no longer have to hide?"

Tin-Tin stared at him. She couldn't think, couldn't even breathe. Here they were on their way to possibly rule a state in their native country, and he couldn't remember part of their life? If that was wrong, what else might be? And why?

"In fact," Kyrano continued, his frown deepening. "I do not remember anything before..." He stopped, looking more confused than she'd ever seen him.

"Before what, Father?"

His mouth opened and closed as he wracked his brain. "Before Jeff Tracy."

He paced the length of the cargo jet, having convinced the pilot that he was far more supernatural than was really the case. Belah himself had forgotten that he couldn't be touched by anyone in this dimension, though that lapse in memory had served to quickly right itself as soon as the pilot's bullet had sailed through him rather than into him.

"There must be a way out of this!" he growled. "Think!"

"We're running low on fuel!" the pilot called back, his voice laden with pure, unadulterated fear.

Belah ground his teeth. "I was not the same man here as I am in my own time. I therefore would not have built the temple to Darkness. That means I have hidden out elsewhere all these years. But where?" he asked himself, pounding his fist into his hand in frustration.

"I have to land in fifteen minutes!"

"Where are we?" he barked, entering the cockpit.

"Just about over Malaysia like you asked, sir."

"Hmmm. Very well. You will land at Sibu. From there you will take me to the palace."

"The palace? No! I cannot!"

Belah twisted his face into the most menacing look he could. "If you do not, you and your family will die!"

Trembling, the pilot had little choice but to obey. He had never before encountered one who could be seen but not touched, and the lives of his wife and five children were more precious to him than anything in the world. "I will do as you ask," he finally replied.

"Good." Belah returned to the center of the plane.

If anyone can get me back to my dimension, it is my half-brother. Whether he wants to or not.

"All right, based on your recommendations, I'd say the first order of business is to visit these men and offer them their new jobs," Jeff said, handing a piece of paper to John. "Then you, Alan and Gordon can move right to the location scouting."

"Yes, sir," the three men replied in unison.

"What of the remaining personnel, Jeff?"

"Well, Penny, the newly elected presidents can handle some of it. But I want the Tracy hand in this. I'll be handling most of that myself, including..."

His voice trailed off and Scott looked at him sadly. "Rosemary?" he asked.

"Yes, I-I'll need to find..." Jeff ran a hand through his hair. He was tired, and thinking about the woman who was not only his personal assistant, but also one of the paramount reasons the Tracys kept themselves separated so well from International Rescue, was difficult at best.

"You still haven't heard from her or her husband?" Penelope asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I haven't. Every time I try their home phone, it still says it's disconnected. And there's been no word in the accounting for the dead." He stopped and looked up. All eyes were on him. He composed himself, visibly returning to the steely exterior of Jeff-the-businessman. "But right now what I need to do is get some people into the Corp fold I know we can trust. Penny, that's where I'm going to need you."

She nodded and moved further along the bed so he wouldn't have to crane his neck around to see her. "Yes, Jeff, what can I do?"

"Penny, I want you to go through every one of our agents out there. If any of them have degrees or experience in any of these fields," Jeff paused as John handed Penelope a stapled set of three papers, "I want their name and resume within three days. I figure if they can keep International Rescue's secrets, they might be just what we need on the inside of Tracy Corporation."

"I shall get right on it, Jeff."

"Thanks, Penny," he said as she left the room. He watched Parker follow her then said, "Hey, Parker, could you hang back for a minute?"

"Yessir, Mr. Tracy, sir, wot can I do for you, then?"

"I...not that this is your job or anything, but—"

"H'I think H'I'm a bit famished. Wot say I whip us all up one of Cook's favorites, then? H'I do believe H'I 'ear a few rumbling stomachs in this room 'ere."

There were grins all around. "Bless you, Parker, you read my mind."

"No problem, sir. You'll 'ave full bellies inside h'an hour. Mrs. Tracy, H'I don' suppose you'd be willin' to 'elp me ou' a bi', then? H'I'm only used to feeding 'er Ladyship, you know!"

"Why, certainly, Parker, I'd be more than happy to. Jeff, if you need us, we'll be in the kitchen."

"Right, Mother. Thanks."

Everyone watched them go, then the boys' and Brains' eyes all turned to Jeff. "So what about International Rescue?" Scott asked. "With three of us out on Corp business, that only leaves me, Brains and Virg here for IR."

"A field commander, a genius and a top-notch engineer," Jeff said matter-of-factly. "Sounds like the right ingredients to me for getting Thunderbirds One and Two rebuilt."

The boys all looked at one another and smiled. Leave it to their father to make something so giant seem like nothing more than stepping over an anthill. "All right, Father. Virg, Brains, let's meet after dinner to get a plan of action together. John, Al, Gordo, since you won't be leaving until tomorrow, I want you to join us. And we'll stay in constant communication on everything. Distance can't keep Tracys separated."

"That sounds like something—" Gordon began to say, then clamped his mouth shut.

"Like something Kyrano would say?" Jeff asked, leaning back into his pillows. "Yes, it does. Now listen, boys, I know this whole thing is tough on us all, but I'm counting on you. We have an untold number of lives not being saved while International Rescue is non-operational, not to mention what's at stake where the Corp's concerned."

"Yes, sir!" they all replied.

As they filed out of the room, Jeff noticed that Virgil lagged behind. And when the door to his suite closed, he realized Virgil hadn't left at all, but was hanging rather nervously in the doorway between the sitting room and the bedroom. Nervous was not something Jeff was used to seeing on his second eldest. It didn't suit him at all.

"What is it, son?"

"Dad, I...I was wondering if I could have a word with you before dinner."

"Of course. But...if you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom first."

"Sure. I'm just going to grab something out of my room. I'll be back in a bit."

Jeff slowly eased himself out of bed and over to the mirror above his sink. As he took in his rather scruffy appearance, he wondered what it was Virgil wanted to talk to him about. Whatever it was, he hoped he had the strength to handle it. At the moment, he wasn't feeling very strong. Not very strong at all.

And that was tough for the man who was supposed to be the backbone of the Tracy family, Tracy Corp and International Rescue. He rubbed a hand down his face. Tough as hell.

"Just remember the plan, Father. Anything you cannot recall, allow me to speak."

"Yes, my daughter."

"I still wish you'd let me take you back to Tracy Island. I don't like this. Something is wrong, and we need Brains to figure it out."

"No, Tin-Tin. We are here, we must meet with the government. After that, we may talk of other needs."

"Yes, Father."

Tin-Tin and Kyrano stepped out of the plane's door and started down the steps, only to be instantly surrounded by armed guards. "What is this?" Kyrano asked. One man bounded up the steps toward him. "Badan?"

"Yes, my old friend. I am glad you have made a safe landing."

"Why these men with guns?"

"The situation has gotten worse much faster than we anticipated, Meor. Quickly, into the car."

Without any idea what was happening, the Kyranos were rushed into a waiting black limousine and spirited away, surrounded by a multitude of other black vehicles.

"Badan, what has happened?"

"It is the worst imaginable, my friend. The world around us is degrading and there does not seem to be anything we can do about it."

"Degrading?" Tin-Tin repeated. "In what way?"

"There is a coalition which has formed among some of the countries surrounding us. They are uniting, Princess. Uniting in an effort to rise up against the world."

"What?" Tin-Tin asked. "What are you saying?"

"Indonesia, Singapore, The Phillippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and China have all taken up arms."

"To what end?"

"They wish to end the western dominance over the world. We thought it was merely a few factions in these countries, but we are now receiving word that the heads of each, along with five more nations, are meeting even as we speak."

"Malaysia has always been neutral, Badan," Tin-Tin said. "What is the danger to our country?"

"Johor, Kedah and Kelantan, their rulers have all abdicated their thrones. There is talk of Labuan's Sultan Ajit leaving his palace, and Melaka and Selangor are certain to follow."

"But why? Why would they all leave?"

"They are afraid, Princess. Afraid of having to fight the battle it is almost certain we will have to fight."

"To keep the peace in Malaysia," Kyrano said softly. "My daughter, it seems my judgment in the matter of our coming here was in error. I have put you in grave danger."

"No, Father," Tin-Tin replied, raising her chin in defiance. "Don't you see? Our people need us now more than ever. Badan, what happens to the states who lose their rulers?"

"Sarawak is a very large and very powerful state. Within a fortnight, Prince Meor could easily annex the states and bring them under his rule."

Tin-Tin eyed her father, then looked away.

"I have not agreed to take the throne, my friend," Kyrano reminded him gently.

"Meor, there is little time for debate. Even now the television is rife with reports of uprisings along the coast of Indonesia. Anywhere there are Western sympathizers, the crowds are taking control by force."

"I must warn Jeff," Kyrano said suddenly. "Tin-Tin, he must know."

"Yes." She turned and reached into her travel bag, producing a small cellphone. "Call him."

But Kyrano didn't even have a chance to dial Jeff Tracy's number. There was a loud explosion, rocking their limousine. Tin-Tin screamed as her father pulled her down, laying his entire body over hers. The car screeched to a halt and smoke began filling the interior.

No one inside moved.

"So what's on your mind, Virgil?" Jeff asked, now comfortably reseated in his bed. "And what's that you've got there?" Virgil held out an opened, antique-looking photo album. He nodded to his father to take it. When Jeff's eyes fell upon the pictures on the right side, his eyes widened and he looked back up at his son. "Why are you showing me this?"

"That's Ben, isn't it, Father?"

"Yes. Yes, it is. Where did you get this album?"

"One of our forays up to the attic when we were younger. Scott and I found it one day at the farmhouse. I've kept it ever since."

"But why now, Virgil?"

"Dad," Virgil said, perching against the side of Jeff's bed, "I never really told you about the other dimension."

"No, I guess we haven't had a chance for that yet. What about it?"

"Well, we existed over there just like we do here. But things were different. For one thing, the Hood wasn't the same. He was...normal, almost." Jeff nodded in understanding. "For another thing, Kyrano was a sultan, and Tin-Tin was a princess. Well," he said, nervously running a hand through his hair, "I guess that's not so different from this dimension now."

"Go on," Jeff said evenly.

"Well, it was little things, things like your bedroom, Scott's bedroom...Grandma wasn't even here, and..."

"Son?" Jeff asked, laying a hand on Virgil's arm. "What?"

"Over there on that side, I watched...I watched both you and Scott die."

"Die?"

"Yes," he nodded. "You died rescuing them from Thunderbird Two, and Scott died later."

"That's it," Jeff breathed. "That's why you left the hospital with that device. You knew something bad was going to happen to Scott!"

"I suspected as much, yes. And thankfully, in our dimension I prevented it from happening."

"I guess something good came of it, then. But it must have been hard for you to watch us die."

"It was, Dad. It was the worst ever. But...that's not what I wanted to tell you." He pointed down to the picture of two tiny babies lying chest-to-chest, very obviously attached at that point in their anatomy. "I wanted to tell you about him."

"Ben?"

"Yeah. You see, there was another difference over there. In that dimension, Ben wasn't the one who died." Virgil paused, waiting until he had his father's eye. "I was."

"What?"

"I died as a baby. John and Ben were healthy fraternal twins over there. Instead of having me live, you had Ben live."

"He's...you mean...Ben's...alive?"

"Over there he is. I've seen him, Father. I've heard him talk, watched him move. He's a Tracy through and through."

"But...you weren't there."

"No. God, Dad, it took me forever to figure out why Alan was in the pilot's seat and not me when I woke up in Two. Why you weren't looking for me when you were trying to rescue everyone. Why my bedroom was so different, and who this Ben was who kept trying to get hold of the others."

"So you had to go through a place where you didn't exist?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Virgil sighed, running a hand through his already unkempt hair.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Me too, Dad. But...well, I guess it was good, like you said, because it saved my Scott's life. But it was also good because...I got to meet the brother I never knew."

Jeff swallowed hard, closing the photo album in his lap. "Tell me about him," he said softly. "If you don't mind."

Virgil smiled. He didn't mind one bit.

"Tin-Tin!" Kyrano exclaimed, pulling himself off his daughter. "Are you injured?"

"No!" she coughed.

"Meor!"

"Badan, you are not injured?"

"No, I am fine. Hurry, we must exit immediately!" The door was thrown open and guards helped them out of the limo and into a waiting black SUV. "Quickly!" Badan said. "The palace, now!"

"What happened?" Tin-Tin asked, still coughing a bit as a guard in the front seat offered her some water.

"There are Eastern sympathizers here in Sibu," the driver responded. "They placed a bomb beneath the hood of your car."

"But why?" Kyrano asked.

"Because they know if you take power, you will keep Malaysia neutral," Badan replied, placing his hand on Kyrano's leg. "Do you see now how critical it is that you take the throne? We must prevent Malaysia from entering this battle, Meor. We must, for our people!"

"I..." Kyrano faltered and looked at his daughter. "Things have happened, Badan, things of which you do not know. I fear I am...not in a condition suitable for ruling a country."

"Then you wish to abdicate?"

Tin-Tin's stricken face filled Kyrano's vision, but he had little choice at this point. Bits and pieces of memory, it seemed, were all he had left, with those fading quickly as well. "Yes," he finally whispered. "I abdicate."

Badan turned to face Tin-Tin. "My Princess, it is now in your hands. The fate of Malaysia, of her people. We have little time in which to act. You have a choice to make. Will you take the Throne of Sarawak as Sultana?"

"I..." Tin-Tin looked at her father, who could not meet her eyes. Alan, she thought. My God, what...this is happening too quickly. Too quickly!

"Princess, you must tell me now. If you do not take the throne," he finished softly, "then we have little hope of becoming anything but a casualty of war."

Tin-Tin's eyes filled with tears. How could she make this kind of decision now, like this, with so much on the line? How could she take the throne of a country she had barely lived in? How could she make a snap decision to leave Tracy Island and International Rescue forever? Yet how could she abandon this country? Now, when it needed her the most?

What do I do? she agonized. My God, what do I do?

Stay Tuned as the adventure continues in Arc 2: Permata Hijau