"Somebody, help me!"

Tanya had never felt so frightened in her life. One moment it seemed she had escaped and would soon be reunited with Josh and Fievel, and the next she'd found herself caught in this death trap. The pod remained airborne, flying level and on course, but all the communications had gone dead. With sickening dread, Tanya realised she was on her own, trapped inside this flying machine high up in the air and with no way of getting down. Now what was she going to do?

"Josh, please answer me! Please!" she cried desperately, fiddling with the controls on the panel, but to no effect. All the comms were all dead. Panic gripped her.

"What am I going to do? Oh, whatever am I going to do?" she sobbed, tears of fear and anguish rolling down her face. There was no other way to put it; she was trapped up here, with the prospect of falling back to earth at any moment and ending up mouse jam. With no way to even let Josh know she was in trouble, they would never find her. She would never see him or Fievel again. Her poor baby brother would now be growing up all alone, without a single living relative in the world.

Giving herself up for lost, an anguished Tanya buried her face in her hands, sobbing her heart out. The now pilotless pod flew on into the night, waiting to either run out of fuel and crash or end up in a million pieces on the first mountainside it encountered...

Back in Thorn Valley, everyone had gone frantic the moment Tanya had gone off-line. For the past hour, Josh had been trying every procedure in the book to re-establish contact, but without success. His radar scope indicated the pod remained airborne, but there was response from the remote override, the uplink lost. All data streams read zero. The radio was silent as a grave. Whatever the hell had happened, it had completely knocked out the communications array.

"Can't you do something?" asked Bernard desperately, refusing to give up hope. "Please, there has to be something you can do!"

"She hasn't got a working comms system," said Josh in exasperation, "Without the array, there's no way to transmit or receive. I even tried bypassing it by rerouting the comms through the global surveyor's dish, which has the most powerful transmitter, on low frequency. Nothing. We'd need a signal powerful enough to penetrate lead shielding for her to hear us. I'm sorry..."

The news was absolutely devastating for the Mousekewitzes. Bernard sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands. Over at another console, Emily was sobbing hysterically.

"You led our daughter into this!" she screamed at Josh, tearful eyes glaring accusingly at the man, "You killed her!" Josh couldn't ever bear to look at her, knowing she was right; it had been his insane plan to bust Tanya out despite knowing full well of the dangers involved. He had screwed up and screwed up bad! Beside him, Elizabeth gently took his hand, to comfort him.

At that moment, a warning appeared on the radar screen; one any pilot dreaded seeing: 'PROXIMITY WARNING!' The pod was on a collision course with the Dark Mountains and they had no way to warn Tanya, let alone alter her course! Josh paled.

"No, no, no, no, no...!"

They all stared helplessly at the screen, watching the dot marking the pod's flight path getting closer and closer to the mountains. Even if Tanya could see the mountain in time, what good would it do if she didn't know how to fly the pod? Only one word spelled out her fate: doomed. Perhaps, if she was lucky, the crash would be instant so the end would come quickly and painlessly.

But just as the pod and the mountainside were about to touch, a familiar fearful voice was heard over the radio...

Up in the air, Tanya sat sobbing, not knowing what to do. No one was going to help her, not up here. But she couldn't just sit here, waiting to die. She'd promised Fievel they'd never be apart again. But what could she do?

At that moment, a warning light began buzzing on the console. On the nav screen in front of her, she saw a dot which she recalled marked the position of the pod on the map approaching the outline of something big right ahead, as if about to collide. Looking out of the windshield, she felt her stomach bottom out as she noticed the outline of a huge mountain against the night sky dead ahead. She was flying straight into a wall of rock!

Panicking, Tanya turned to the pilot's console in front of her, frantically trying to figure out how to make the pod change course. In an effort born out of sheer panic, she tried throwing different switches and pressing buttons, but nothing happened. The pod was still on remote override mode, which meant all the controls were locked. Up ahead, the mountain loomed dangerously close.

Losing it completely, Tanya reached up, trying to open the hatch and get out. Of course it would be suicide, but she'd rather fall to her death, than be splattered all over the side of that mountain. But the hatch, designed to automatically lock during flight, wouldn't open. Screaming and crying, she pummelled her fists all over the fuselage, seeking a way out of this death trap, anything... Then, suddenly, something fell out from under her dress; the makeshift radio Josh had given her, which she'd been carrying on her all this time and forgotten all about!

Grabbing it, silently praying to the Great Mouse of Minsk that someone would answer, she switched it on, calling frantically into the microphone.

"Help! Josh, can you hear me? Help!"

Back on the bridge of the Nimh-One, the group jumped at hearing Tanya's voice suddenly reappear on the radio. Although the signal was weak, distorted by static, it was definitely her.

"...Help! Josh, can you hear me? Help...!"

How's this happening, thought Josh in amazement. I thought the comms were all dead... Then, he remembered the radio he's left her. But an amazing stroke of luck, they had re-established communication!

Josh wasted no time. The pod was less than two minutes away from impacting the mountain. Grabbing his headset, he tuned in to Tanya's frequency.

"Control to Scout! Yes, Tanya, I hear you!" he called, "Can you hear me?"

"Josh, you've got to help me!" called the crying voice of Tanya, "This thing is about to crash into the mountain and I can't make it stop...!"

"Turn the switch back to pilot mode!" called Josh urgently, "The switch, Tanya! Quick, do it now!"

Just as the pod was about to hit the mountain, its radar signal suddenly changed course, missing the mountainside by inches...

"...The switch, Tanya! Quick, do it now!"

A tiny ray of hope breaking through her despair at the sound of Josh's voice, Tanya reached for the switch as instructed and turned it back to pilot mode, restoring control to the pod's own systems. Up ahead, she could see the dark outline of the rocks on the mountainside, rushing up to meet her head-on. Too late. She shut her eyes in terror. This was surely the end. But the impact never came.

The onboard computers, sensing the danger, instantly took over and plotted an evasive action. In the blink of an eye, the pod rolled sideways, its wake turbulence sending several loose rocks rolling down the mountainside, as it narrowly dodged the mountain, moving onto a new, safe course between the peaks, guided by its automated anti-collision system.

Slowly opening her eyes, wondering why she wasn't dead, Tanya saw the pod had changed course in the nick of time. Pale and trembling, she muttered a silent prayer of thanks to the Great Mouse of Minsk. For the moment, she was safe. The sound of Josh's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Tanya, you still there? Tanya, answer me, please."

Still shaken, she turned back to the makeshift radio - her last hope of getting out of this mess in one piece. She knew full well she wasn't out of the woods yet. Despite having re-established contact with Josh, there was still no guarantee that he could help her get down.

"Yes, I'm here, Josh," she answered, trying not to sound as frightened as she felt, "I...I think I'm all right."

"What happened?"

"A spear hit the machine," she said, looking outside the canopy, "I can see it. It's still wedged in the back. Oh, what am I going to do, Josh?"

"Stay calm, Tanya. We're going to get you down from there safe and sound, I promise. Just hold on."

In Thorn Valley, the momentary relief of having re-established contact with Tanya was quickly replaced with a sense of urgency and worry. They might still be able to talk, yes, but they no longer had any control over the pod. Would Josh be able to talk Tanya through landing that thing on her own? Would Tanya be able to pull this off with absolutely no past flying experience?

The Rats gathered around, watching in anticipation as Josh frantically went over the pod's schematics, scribbling down a series of complex calculations on paper. The console in front of him was displaying no data feedback from the pod's systems; all he had left to work with was the radio and radar. Those allowed him only a limited amount of information to work with and Tanya would have to relay everything else to him by radio.

"All right, Tanya, we're going to have to do this the hard way," said Josh, carefully refraining from using the words 'you're going to have to fly the pod on your own'. She was already well on edge as it was and if she lost her nerve now, she'd had it. He had to give her some sort of encouragement.

"Look at the console in front of you," Josh instructed, "The first thing we need to do is get you a little more familiar with your ship. The blue screen on the left is your attitude control, the one on your right, your fuel regulators. You use them to tell if you're flying correctly and if your engines are working. The big centre screen is your flight computer. That's what you use to navigate with."

Up in the air, Tanya carefully went over every instrument on the console with Josh, doing her best to memorize everything he was saying, half of it not making any sense to her whatsoever. Following a brief crash-course on spacecraft flight theory, it was time to try practical.

"Grab hold of the control sticks on each of the armrests," said Josh. Tanya complied, feeling her hands trembling in anticipation. She wasn't ready for this, she didn't feel ready, not in the slightest. But, like it or not, it was her only chance, if she wanted to see Fievel again.

"The stick on the left is your pitch and trim," Josh continued, "The one on the right is the yaw. These make the pod go up and down. Do you understand?"

"Pitch, trim and yaw," repeated Tanya, feeling a nervous wreck, "Josh...I...I don't think I can do this..."

"You can and you must do it," said Josh, quickly cutting her off. He hated to be firm with Tanya, but he couldn't let her get discouraged now. Her life depended on it.

"Come on, sis, you can do it!" called Fievel's voice over the radio. She heard the voice of Justin in the background, telling Fievel to be quiet so Josh could concentrate. The sound of her little brother's voice gave Tanya new strength. She grasped the controls firmly.

"All right, Josh, I'm ready."

"Very good. Now, on the count of three, I want you to release the autopilot switch. It's the small red switch on the centre of the panel. Ready? One, two, three, now!"

Tanya flipped the switch, disengaging the flight computer and switching to manual control. Instantly, she felt the pod start to shake and vibrate, now entirely under the control of the rookiest of rookies pilot. One mistake and she'd fall right out of the sky and that would be the end of it.

"Ease a little on your pitch and try and keep the nose level," said Josh, monitoring the pod's attitude on radar, "That's it, good. Right, now we need to set a new course for Thorn Valley. You ready?"

Following Josh's directions, Tanya made a turn, setting a new course for Thorn Valley. The pod had diverted quite a distance from its original flight path since going off-line, placing it on the edge of an uncharted mountain range situated between it and the Valley. And Josh would have to guide her all the way through it using only his radar.

"Aaargh!" she screamed as she went too hard on the roll, causing the pod to go tumbling over into a barrel roll. The klaxon alarm went off again, warning of an imminent stall, "I'm turning over!"

"Pull back! Pull back!" Josh called back urgently, "That's better, you go it. Now, we have another peak coming up right ahead. When I say, I want you to make another turn of twenty degrees to the left. Easy does it..."

For a hectic half hour, Tanya, with Josh guiding her over the radio, dodged one mountain peak after another, flying for her life. With every passing second, she expected to lose control of the pod and crash. But Josh was always one step ahead. At last, the mountain range cleared and the edge of Thorn Valley appeared ahead. She was almost there!

"I see the Valley!" she called to Josh, feeling like she was about to cry with relief. At last, safety was within sight!

"You're almost home, Tanya," Josh urged her on, "Now, the pod can't land on autopilot, so we need to go over a few things. First, I need you to activate the speed-brakes and slow down to 90 knots. It's that black switch on the left corner of the console." Tanya hit the switch as instructed. On the tail fins, the spoilers deployed, slowing the pod down.

"Excellent. Now, we need to trim the altitude assist jets vertically, in preparation for landing. These will have to be fired in sequence, to slow you down during your final descent for touchdown. Do exactly what I tell you."

On Josh's command, Tanya set the controls. The four atmospheric jets, normally aligned horizontally for flight, trimmed vertically, outlets facing down, in preparation for final descent. On the ground, Josh signalled to Justin, who activated the marker lights of a makeshift helipad he and Brutus had been hurriedly setting up in a nearby clearing close to the Hab, where the pod could land...or crash.

Josh directed Tanya, until the pod was hovering directly over the helipad. Doing a brief final checklist, making sure all the systems were set and Tanya fully understood all his instructions, he was just about to give her the go-ahead for touchdown, when trouble struck again.

"Everything's set, Tanya," Josh was saying, "Now, the second you start to sink, you fire up the jets on full power, until your descent speed has dropped to at least 8 feet per second. That should be enough for a safe touchdown. Then, you can lower the landing gear. It's the...on the right..."

"The what?" asked Tanya, "I can't hear you, Josh. Josh? Oh no, not again!"

All of a sudden, Josh's voice had become garbled. Glancing at the makeshift radio on her lap, Tanya saw a tell-tale red light blinking on the circuit board, warning of a low battery. Josh's voice grew fainter and fainter until it died completely.

Tanya tossed the now useless radio away in frustration. At the worst possible moment, she was left on her own again. It seemed almost as if fate was determined not to let her get out of this alive. Then, she realised the pod was dropping like a stone; she had delayed the firing of the jets too long, causing a stall. With death only seconds away, she hit the jet firing switch. The jets fired up on full blast, protruding a powerful counterthrust and arresting the fall with only a few feet to spare.

With the pod hovering around above the ground like a rogue drone, the jet blast cooking the ground below like a blast furnace, Tanya fought to keep her steady. She remembered Josh saying she had to lower the landing gear, whatever that was, to land. Only problem was, the communication had been lost before he could tell her the procedure. Meanwhile, the jets, not meant to be kept burning on full for prolonged periods of time, were quickly draining the remaining fuel reserves. On the fuel indicator panel, a line was slowly dipping on the graph, warning that the fuel was down to 10% and dropping.

With time running out and with no one left to help her now, Tanya resorted to trial and error. Keeping her clammy hands clutched firmly on the controls, her eyes feverishly scanned the console for the landing gear. Nothing seemed to be marked by that description. Tanya started growing desperate. She was only one switch away from getting back down on level ground again, and she couldn't find it! Meanwhile, the fuel indicator panel readouts had dropped to 5%. Then, suddenly, she saw it: a pair of switches on the base of the console marked LND GEAR ARM/DEPLOY.

With only seconds till jet flame-out, followed by a catastrophic smash-down, Tanya hit the switch. Outside, the pod's landing gear deployed, its sturdy steel struts extended and ready to absorb the shock of the impact. Tanya reduced the thrust, letting the pod glide down. She hit down hard, bouncing roughly off the ground several times before finally coming to rest on the edge of the clearing, still in one piece. Tanya only had a second to register she was alive and safely back on firm ground before she fainted.

On the flight deck of the Nimh-One, Josh and the others held their breaths, watching on radar as the pod came in to land. After losing contact with Tanya again, and with no way to help her now, they watched in anticipation as the pod descended. Josh could tell Tanya was desperately trying to land the thing herself. But without having had the chance to relay the rest of the instructions to her, things didn't look good.

Come on, Tanya, you can do this...

Through the ship's scope, they watched in horror as the pod slammed down, hitting the ground hard. The Mousekewitz parents gasped in horror as it bounced all over the place, looking as if it might break up at any second. Josh was expecting to see a large explosion, but it never happened. At last, the pod came to a stop and its engines died down. He turned to his friends.

"Fire extinguishers, first-aid and blankets! Hurry!"

Grabbing the emergency equipment, they hurried outside to the crash scene. The pod had only narrowly missed the helipad, instead coming to rest in a deep snow bank on the edge of the clearing. That had coincidently cushioned the impact, preventing it from breaking up. It now lay half-buried in snow, amidst clouds of smoke and steam. The ground all around it was scorched and sizzled from the jet-blast, but at least there was no fire.

Motioning to the others to stand back in case it exploded, Josh scampered onto the fuselage and opened up the hatch. Tanya was there all right, unconscious, but she didn't seem to have been hurt. Quickly unlatching the harness, he grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the cockpit. As he passed her down to Justin, she came round.

"Wh...where am I?" she muttered blankly, before things suddenly came back to her, "Oh, no! What happened? Did I crash?"

"It's all right, you did it. You're safe," said Josh, wrapping a thermal wrap around her, while Justin helped her to her feet. Tanya wrapped her arms around him, sobbing with relief. Josh could feel her trembling in his arms, clearly in a bad state of shock from her ordeal.

"I was so frightened," she sobbed, "I thought I was going to die..."

"It's all right, it's over now," Josh reassured her, gently patting her on the shoulder, "You're a very brave girl, Tanya."

Fievel came running, wrapping his arms around his sister. Tanya picked him up and hugged him tight.

"I thought I'd never see you again, little brother. And after I'd promised you we'd never be apart again... I missed you so much!" Then she noticed Fievel winking at someone over her shoulder. Looking, the sight nearly took her breath away as she laid eyes on their supposedly long dead parents. She gasped.

"Mama? Papa?"

"Oh, my child, you're safe!" cried Emily, running forward to hug her daughter, followed by her husband. After being apart for so long, the Mousekewitz family was finally whole again. They all gave Josh looks of deep gratitude for restoring their family's happiness, just as he'd promised he would. The man nodded curtly.

"You've grown so much," said Bernard close to tears, hugging his daughter tight, "I missed you both so much, Tanya." Tanya kissed her father on the cheek.

"You too, Papa."

"I say, take a look at this!" called Josh, who had climbed back into the pod to complete the shutdown and found something interesting under the seat. He passed Justin an oilcloth package.

Opening it up, the spectators all gasped in surprise as they laid eyes on the two pieces of the Stone, which they thought they'd lost forever. So that's where they had been hidden all this time, right under Jenner's ugly nose!

"Great Jupiter, I don't believe it!" gasped Mr Ages, picking up and holding the two pieces of the Stone as if they were his firstborn child. He was so excited, he seemed ready to dance a jig. By an unbelievable stroke of good luck, the pieces of the Stone which they'd toiled so hard to find were back in their possession, putting them back in the search. But who could have hid them inside Josh's pod of all places?

"Don't look at me, I didn't put them there!" said Josh, looking just as baffled as everyone else.

The riddle was quickly answered however when Justin found the folded letter tucked inside the package, bearing Nicodemus' familiar handwriting. It seemed their late king and mentor, even in death, had rendered them one last service. Josh grinned.

Nicodemus, you sly old dog! I might have known you'd be one step ahead of Jenner...

They led Tanya indoors and into the Hab's infirmary for treatment. Luckily, she hadn't been hurt, save for a few bruises and a bad shock. She would recover with some good bed rest.

Her parents wasted no time in introducing their daughter to the latest member of the family who had been born during their imprisonment and whom Tanya had never met. Tanya was overjoyed as her mother showed her her new baby sister.

"Oh, Mama, she's so sweet!" exclaimed Tanya, gently picking up little Yasha for a cuddle. She remembered back when she was a child and Fievel was a baby, how she'd initially been jealous towards her new sibling who had been getting all the attention but eventually warmed up to him, up to the point of dotting on him to no end. She promised herself she'd be the best big sister in the world to Yasha.

"Everything's in order," said Josh, who had just finished treating her bruises and the ugly rope welts on her wrists, where the guards had tied her when trying to arrest her, "What savage scum gave you these?"

"Jenner found out I was helping you," explained Tanya, "That Rat, Sullivan had been watching me all along..."

"Sullivan did this?" asked Justin sharply, starting to have second thoughts about sparing his former comrade's life that night on Elizabeth's farm. If Sullivan could sink so low as to condemn poor Tanya to certain death by ratting out on her, then he deserved no more mercy than Jenner did. But what Tanya told them next shocked them all.

"Yes, but he then saved my life," she said, explaining how he'd stabbed that guard dead once they were out of earshot from Jenner and letting her make a break for it, "If he hadn't intervened, they'd have tortured me... And Isabella, I left her behind..." She held back a sob, a wave of guilt sweeping over her. He parents held her close to comfort her.

Justin and Brutus' expressions softened somewhat; whatever role Sullivan had played in Nicodemus' death, he'd certainly earned some form of redemption by helping Tanya escape. No doubt he'd be feeling Jenner's wrath for what he'd done and there was absolutely nothing they could do for him or poor Isabella.

"There was nothing you could have done to save her, Tanya. You're safe and that's all that matters," said Josh, feeling rather guilty for putting Tanya through such a terrible ordeal in the first place, "I'm so sorry I put you in danger." But Tanya had a very different opinion.

"Sorry? But I owe you my life, Josh," said Tanya, standing up and hugging him tight, "Jenner would have had me killed if you hadn't gotten me out when you did. And I'll never forget that!" She reached up and kissed him on the cheek in gratitude. Her parents were beaming. Whatever doubts they might have had about trusting Josh were now entirely forgotten.

Giving Tanya a mild sedative and letting her sleep, the colonists gathered in the kitchen to examine their prize. Mr Ages placed the pieces of the Stone on the table for all of them to see. They all stared at the two gold pieces etched with microscopic writings, which amounted to the total sum of mankind's knowledge, and for which so many had already died over. Yet, without the missing third and final piece, it was little more than a broken ancient relic. Josh read Nicodemus' letter aloud.

"'If you're reading this, then the Stone has found its way into the right hands. This document shall serve as my last will and testament, my legacy to all those who stood by my side in my long quest to unlock our ancestral secret. I therefore bequeath one piece of the Stone to Mrs Elizabeth Brisby, whose brave husband Jonathan's work made the discovery of Thorn Valley and its secrets possible.

To my dearest granddaughter Lady Isabella, I bequeath the second piece, in the hope that you will be a part in continuing my work and ultimately benefit from the great changes it will bring to our world. I furthermore give my blessing to any suitor, whether of humble or noble blood, whom she chooses to be her husband.

As for the third and final piece, I bequeath it to Fievel and Tanya Mousekewitz. My research has led me to the conclusion that a piece of the Stone has indeed always been the property of your ancestors and therefore Mice are rightfully entitled to equal rights as Rats. To anyone who discovers the Stone, it is my dying wish that it be reinstated to the Mousekewitz family, where it belongs. I also request that all Mice be granted full civil rights as free citizens of the Empire.

Finally, to my royal Quaestor, Captain Joshua Anderson, I bestow upon you the honorary title of Keeper of the Stone, with grants you full power over the Stone's secrets and how they may be used for the benefit of all of our people. This privilege is a reward for your loyalty and loyal service. I have full confidence that, in your hands, the Stone will be used safely and responsibly.

In closing, as my final act before death, I decree that, upon my passing, the Rosebush Empire and its ruling system be dissolved, and the formation of a new republic, where Rats, Mice and humans may govern themselves as free individuals and with equal rights.

I sign this final testament whilst of sound mind and body and in the name of the Great Owl and all of His graces.

Signed,

HRM Nicodemus IX, king of the Rosebush Empire and the Rat dominions'"

The colonists observed a moment of silence for their departed leader. This letter was a last message to them all, entrusting them, his friends and loyal subjects, with protecting his legacy and continuing his work. Their mission to find the Stone was still incomplete; the third piece of the Stone remained missing and it was their duty to find it. Finally, Josh spoke.

"I think it's best to postpone any further searching for the Stone until spring," he said, "There's no point traipsing around this planet in freezing weather. This will give us enough time to prepare and also work out where to start looking." This last statement was direct at Bernard, who slowly nodded. After Josh had saved his daughter, coupled with Nicodemus' acknowledgment of Mice being the equals of Rats, it was time to reveal his ancestors' secret. But all of this could wait until spring.

The colonists had a big feast in the Hab's kitchen the following evening to celebrate. With the addition of Tanya to their little colony, their number had increased to fourteen. The colony of Thorn Valley was slowly growing, although it would take some time before it morphed into an entire community, as Nicodemus had envisioned it. Tanya, on her part, was delighted to be part of this new colony, even more so because she was together with her family again.

Elizabeth had baked her special corn and cheese cake and Josh uncorked a 2,000 year old bottle of champagne he'd found in Commander Fitzgibbons' stuff. It seemed his esteemed former commander, who firmly disapproved of his crew drinking alcohol, couldn't resist his little earthly luxuries and had smuggled onboard a bottle of the finest Dom Perignon for a little private victory celebration after the landing on Nimh-Beta, as well as a box of Cuban cigars. How ironic he never lived long enough to enjoy either of them.

According to Josh's calculations, tonight, on the eve of Sol 89, coincidentally marked the planet's aphelion – Nimh-Beta had reached its farthest point from Centauri-A and would now start making its way back towards the sun. His first ever New Year on this new world was at hand and Josh was determined not to miss the spirit of Christmas.

Since he had no Christmas ornaments of any kind and there were no evergreens around the Valley for a tree, instead he'd cobbled together an artificial one using some bits of antenna and green wire, while the children made ornaments out of leftover electronic components. A survival blanket was also cut up to make a star. A playlist of Christmas carols he'd found in Lt Stacy's files playing on the Hab's public address system added the final touch to the atmosphere.

Josh raised his glass to propose a toast.

"To the new year!" he announced, "And to our colony and all of its members! Long may we prosper together!"

After dinner, it was time to open presents, albeit five days late. Josh had been busy all day in the Hab's workshop, preparing gifts. For Timmy and Martin, he'd made a pair of junior-issue survival kits, not unlike his own from the pod, using spare components from the Hab's stores, complete with matching nametags. For Teresa, who was more studious than adventurous, an HHC, loaded with a wide selection of adventure e-books he'd taken from Strauss' personal collection. As for Cynthia, he had reprogrammed a data cube to project a hologram of a terrestrial mouse demonstrating dancing moves, complete with voiceover music.

For the Mousekewitz children, Josh had designed a toy spacesuit for Fievel using a spare visor, collar and Hab canvas, complete with an in-built radio and battery pack. Finally, for Tanya, he'd built a miniature glass likeness of her and her parents, which he'd made in the workshop's 3-D printer. Both of them were ecstatic, thanking Josh repeatedly. Then it was Elizabeth's turn.

Elizabeth opened the box to find a bracelet Josh had made for her using several blank dog-tags soldered together on a chain. Each one bore a printed image of her beloved ones, which Josh had recreated using photographs from his suit camera: Teresa, Cynthia, Martin, Timmy and even herself hugging with Josh. Overwhelmed with joy, Elizabeth threw herself into Josh's arms, hugging him tight.

"Oh, this is so beautiful! Thank you, darling!" She pulled Josh into a passionate kiss, "Could you put it on for me? Please?" Josh was only too happy to oblige.

That night, the colonists gathered inside the Hab's observatory to catch sight of Proxima Centauri red dwarf making its annual pass across the night sky. Josh had set up the base's telescope and everyone was allowed to take a look. Josh zoomed in on the edge of the luminous Nimh-Alpha.

"There it is! I see it!"

Through the telescope, he saw the outline of a pale reddish star, much larger than its surrounding counterparts because of its relative close proximity of nearly two trillion miles from Nimh-Beta, yet lacking the luminosity of a sun. The red dwarf moved into view from behind the gas giant, casting its dim light upon them and turning the night sky into a faint green twilight. Outside, the dark, icy wasteland which was now Thorn Valley suddenly lit up as far out as the horizon.

The Rats stood mystified at this amazing phenomenon, which their ancestors had always interpreted as a sign of good fortune by the Great Owl. Not so long ago, this would have been a cause for giving praise to their deity, but now they knew it was just a trick, a silly optical illusion of the universe, as explained to them by Josh.

"Could we journey to that star?" asked Fievel curiously. Like all the children, he had dreams of exploring the far boundaries of the universe. Who knew what other strange worlds could exist out there? Josh smiled.

"Someday, laddie," he said, playfully ruffling the boy's hair, "Someday..."

That night, Josh, finding it difficult to sleep because of the Proxima Centauri light shining through the windows, rose from his bunk and went to the kitchen to get some tea. Mixing up a hot brew, he was on his way to the control room, to do some inspections on the Hab's heating systems, when he spotted Justin sitting on the stairs that led up to the observatory. He seemed lost in thought, watching the sky through the dome.

Justin had been mysteriously quiet all day, ever since Tanya had brought them the news of Isabella's grim plight. Something was troubling his friend badly and it didn't take a genius for Josh to figure out what it was. The sound of his voice snapped Justin out of his thoughts.

"Can't sleep?" he asked, handing Justin a mug.

"I was thinking about Isabella," said Justin, looking terribly downcast, "We failed to get her out, Josh. I've been Captain of the Guards for 12 years and I let her down; let Nicodemus down."

"You love her, don't, mate?"

Justin was completely taken aback by his question. After all, Isabella was a princess and he was an officer of the court, bound by his code of honour. Admitting that he harboured romantic feelings for his king's granddaughter was treason on its own.

"I don't quite follow..."

"Come off it, Justin," Josh urged him on, "You obviously like her. And, guess what, she loves you too."

"A young lady Rat's crush, that's all," said Justin, now feeling really uneasy, "A royal officer can't pursue a romance with a member of the royal family, Josh! It's an outright violation of our sworn duty to serve and protect them!"

"Tanya told me how she feels about you," persisted Josh, "Apparently, the thought of seeing you again was what won her over in our plan to bust them out. She's free of her royal status now, Justin; you heard Nicodemus' letter. Hell, if anything, I'd say Nicodemus was actually hinting on the two of you hooking up," he chuckled. Justin was torn between admitting his feelings for Isabella and telling Josh to stop being so presumptuous before he thumped him one good.

"If Jenner hurts her," he finally said, "I'll never forgive myself." Josh patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.

"We will get her out of there, somehow..."

Meanwhile, back in Rosebush City, things were on edge inside the palace, its inhabitants all on the receiving end of Jenner's wrath. The news of Tanya's escape had spread like wildfire, spreading wild rumours about what had happened. Some said she was an undercover spy, working for Anderson, while others argued she had been framed, like so many others before her.

Jenner was furious beyond belief when he heard the 'spy' had escaped, even more so by the news that one of his guards had been killed in the process, not to mention his prized trophy of a flying machine had been stolen. The fact that the pieces of the Stone still remained inexplicably missing only added to his rage.

Sullivan had of course been questioned and given his own version of the story of how he and the guard had been ambushed by a masked Rat, supposedly an accomplice of Tanya's, who had killed the guard and then he and Tanya had escaped before he could stop them. When asked why his dagger had been mysteriously bloody, Sullivan had claimed he'd managed to injure the assailant in an attempt to prevent the escape, but had been overpowered before he could stop them.

Jenner of course had been sceptical, especially since no one else had seen any 'masked Rat' lurking about. The Mousekewitz girl could have led him to that accursed human who continued to evade him, maybe even the Stone too, and now his only leverage had slipped right through his fingers. And whoever was responsible for this would pay! Suspecting foul play, he had decided to get to the bottom of this his way.

Everyone had been assembled into the great hall. The palace household staff stood fearfully, not saying a word, dreading what was coming. This sort of summons could only mean that someone had been suspected of wrong-doing and would soon be publicly punished, as an example to the rest of them. Most likely, they would be forced to admit to someone's guilt, whether it was true or not, or risk punishment themselves. Such was Jenner's way of enforcing discipline and obedience.

The King strode before them, his black cape sweeping behind him like a wave of darkness. His expression told them he wasn't pleased at all – a bad sign.

"It has come to my attention that there is a traitor among us," he said, his sinister green eyes hungrily surveying the crowd, making anyone under his gaze cringe. "Tanya Mousekewitz, who had served my family for years, was in fact working with the murdering human Anderson. It seems they were trying to kidnap Princess Isabella!" There were tense whispers and muttering all around as Jenner's lies sunk in.

"Unfortunately, that traitorous mouse, to whom my Uncle gave a job and extended every courtesy, wasn't working alone. She had an accomplice, who helped her escape before we could apprehend her. In the process, one of my men was murdered and a very valuable piece of royal property was stolen. As you all know, both these crimes carry the death penalty. That accomplice is still lingering among us." He fixed them all with an accusatory glare.

"One of you helped the Mousekewitz girl escape," he growled, "If anyone here has any information as to the identity of that traitor, step forward now!" Nobody moved. Jenner wasn't pleased. It seemed he would have to do this the hard way.

"Arthur, step forward!" he ordered the royal major-domo, who was in charge of all the palace staff. Arthur stepped forward and knelt before his king. Although he retained his calm and disciplined demeanour, the rest of his staff could tell he was very frightened.

"The Mousekewitz girl was under your charge," said Jenner, "How come you never noticed she was working for the NIMH human? Were you trying to conceal her?"

"Your Majesty, the Mousekewitz girl had never displayed any behaviour out of the ordinary before," Arthur desperately tried to appease his master, "She's always followed orders and tended to her duties promptly. If you recall, she's the favourite of her Royal Highness..."

"Except Princess Isabella is now in a bad state of shock after nearly being kidnapped by her precious 'favourite', from which she might never recover!" thundered Jenner, obviously failing to mention the fact that he'd ordered Isabella locked up for trying to escape. "You knew that little wretch was friendly with Anderson and it never crossed your mind that she might be his agent?"

"It was only a child's foolish crush, Sire. Surely, just because she looked up to Anderson, doesn't mean that she would betray her mistress to the enemy..."

"Liar!" shouted Jenner, grabbing Arthur by his collar, nearly chocking him in the process, "She's a mouse! Mice are unreliable tramps, who sell themselves out at the highest bidder!" Several angry whispers were heard all around, mostly from the servants, many of which happened to be Mice themselves. But the warning glares of the Rat guards quickly silenced them up. Jenner ignored them. "Or perhaps you are her accomplice who helped her escape?"

Arthur never had a chance to say anything to his defence. At the snap of Jenner's fingers, the guards seized him and forced him down on his knees, his neck sticking out. Jenner removed his cloak, lazily drawing his long sword from its sheath. He approached Arthur, who shut his eyes in terror. Several of the female servants began to whimper, realising their head of house's fate. Jenner smirked, enjoying their fear. He positioned his sword right over Arthur's neck.

"No, stop!" called Sullivan, stepping forward, "He had nothing to do with it, Jenner! It was me! I helped the Mousekewitz girl escape!" Everyone looked at him in surprise. Sullivan, Jenner's loyal sidekick, a traitor? Jenner however, didn't seem all that surprised.

"I was wondering when you'd decide to come clean, Sullivan," he said, marching up to his former aid-de-camp, "I'd have thought you'd be willing to let someone else take the blame to save your own neck." He seized Sullivan by the throat, "You traitorous worm! I offered you an easy way to power and you chose to throw it away over a traitorous mouse girl! I should have known you didn't have it in you!" He punched Sullivan hard, sending him sprawling on the floor with a blooded nose. Nobody dared move to help him.

Jenner was in a murderous rage. Grabbing his sword, he was about to hack Sullivan clean in half, but hesitated. Sullivan might have turned traitor, but he could still be of some use to him. Lowering his sword, he grabbed his intended victim by the hair to face him.

"You shall suffer a thousand deaths, Sullivan, before I'm done with you!" growled Jenner sadistically, "But first you can experience what it's like to be on the losing side." He turned to the guards, "Take this snivelling sack of dirt down to the dungeons and lock him up with the others!" Poor Sullivan could do absolutely nothing as the guards dragged him away. He wouldn't even be allowed the mercy of a quick death.

"What about this one, Sire?" asked one of the Captains, gesturing at Arthur, still held in a kneeling position by the guards. "Should we detain him too?" But Jenner had different plans. Grabbing his sword again, to everyone's horror and outrage, he swung hard, chopping Arthur's head clean off.

The spectators gasped and screamed in horror as the royal major-domo's headless body fell to the floor in a river of blood, his severed head rolling away before coming to a stop in an upright position. Arthur's dead, unseeing eyes stared back at the horrified spectators, a vacant expression written forever on his face. Several chamber girls fainted.

"You killed him!" screamed one of the cooks furiously, bursting into tears. Although Arthur had always been firm and a stickler for rules, he'd always treated his staff well, always managing to keep up morale during troubled times such as this. She continued to scream hysterically, "You knew he was innocent and you still killed him! Murderer!" But Jenner couldn't care less.

"Let this serve as a message to all traitors!" he called, "Any hint of disloyalty will be dealt with swiftly and harshly! Furthermore, anyone who has knowledge of any other conspirators and fails to report it, shall be punished in a similar manner." The message was clear: anyone who dared question Jenner's authority in the slightest wouldn't live to see another day. The death of Arthur had crushed any will for rebellion. And that still wasn't enough.

Isabella lay shackled in a small secret dungeon beneath Jenner's quarters. She was terribly battered and bruised and her once beautiful dress was torn and filthy. Abandoned and all alone in the dark, the former princess had lost all sense of purpose, reduced to a ball of misery.

Following her failed escape attempt three days ago, the guards had locked her up in here like some common criminal. They wouldn't speak to her, much less obey her commands, her authority over them entirely revoked. They wouldn't even tell her what had happened to Tanya.

Jenner had wasted no time in shaking her down for the whereabouts of the Stone, as well as demanding her hand in marriage once again, warning her of the dire consequences if she refused. When she'd flatly refused him again, he'd flown into a rage and beaten her savagely to what had felt within an inch of her life. Then, stripping her naked, he'd forced himself on her.

The agony and helplessness she had endured all those hours in Jenner's hands would stay embedded in her memory forever. Her will was completely broken; once a proud and strong-willed princess, she now felt like a helpless child thrown in the cat's mouth with no hope of rescue. No one ever answered her cries for help. Nobody was going to save her. After all, who'd want to save some damaged goods like her? And it only got worse.

The pattern had repeated itself the next day and the next. Every night, Jenner would take her from her cell, beat her and rape her for his own amusement or just to burn off steam and then chuck her back into this living tomb with some scraps for food. He'd often torment her about how he had enjoyed killing her grandfather and how the old fool had never even suspected him until it was too late. He'd even taunt her about how Justin would never want her now that she had become his new pleasure toy.

Broken, violated and her spirit crushed, poor Isabella could only lie there, waiting for the end to come. She would never see Justin or Tanya, or any of her friends again. Her dreams of escaping to a new life of freedom with her beloved Justin were shattered. All she wanted to do was die. Her future seemed so bleak now...

Author's note: My apologies for the delay, but this chapter had to undergo several rewrites before I was satisfied. As always, enjoy and please review!