Restless: Part One

Sailor Element stalked through the dimly lit corridors of the Star Strike. She found the passageway confining and depressing. Everything was the same dull gray: floors, walls, overheads, even the hatches were the exact same shade. Only the glaring red and yellow danger and warning signs gave any sign that she was actually moving along rather than pacing endlessly in the same place. It was ‘ship-night’ so the few crewmen still awake were at their duty posts. Her fellow Senshi apparently had something else to do besides standing in an empty hallway. The cat padding along at her heels really wished that a Senshi, any Senshi, would pop out of the metalwork. Element was in a bad mood and needed to vent, preferably at anyone other than him. Fortunately, for his peace of mind (and an increased likely hood of a peaceful catnap in the near future) a Senshi did come into sight when they rounded a corner.

“Seda, Adamis! I did not expect you for another month at least,” the copper haired woman said.

“It wasn’t my idea, Galaxia,” Element replied, her tone just short of harsh.

Galaxia’s brow crinkled with confusion; Element like the vast majority of the Sailor Senshi in the army was always careful to show her respect. After all, she was not only their leader, she was the Ultimate Soldier. “Alright. Why don’t you step in here?” Galaxia led the way into a nearby officer’s lounge. She settled down on padded bench in front a pair of small round viewports.

Element paced restlessly around the small compartment. Adamis sighed and leapt on a table to sprawl and wait for the ranting he was sure was on the way. It was very rare that Sailor Element got this worked up, but when she did, oh boy!

“How much longer?” she spat out suddenly, never slowing her impatient stride.

After a moment, Galaxia flicked a confused glance at Adamis who simply shrugged. “Seda,” she said softly, “what are you talking about? How much longer for what?”

Element stopped her back to Galaxia, her shoulder hunched as if expecting a blow. “How much longer will this war go on? How much longer will we be out here chasing after an enemy that never seems to run out of followers? One that just slips through our fingers again and again and again!” Her shoulders shook faintly and her head dropped. “I’m tired, Galaxia, so very tired.”

Galaxia stood slowly. “You can leave at any time, Seda. Nothing holds you to this task. It is mine, not yours.”

Element glanced back at her leader, her green eyes dim with an old bitterness, not directed so much at Galaxia as at fate, life in general. “How could I walk away? You may be Chaos’ sworn enemy, but however powerful you are you can only be in one place at one time. Chaos has minions and armies all across the known universe. You need every body, especially every Senshi you can get your hands on, just to face the portions of his army that you can bring to battle.” Element leaned heavily against a bulkhead. “If I was just another soldier, I think I would take a few years off. It’s not as if this war is going to end any time soon. But I’m not just any soldier, am I?”

“No, you’re not,” Galaxia agreed, “but I do have other forward scouts.”

“How many? Four, five if you count me? And don’t say that you can find others. How many other Senshi are capable of, much less comfortable with working so far out on their own?” She sighed and pushed herself upright again. “Never mind. I’m just bellyaching. Is there a star chart somewhere? I’m ready to give my report.”

On the table and largely forgotten, as he all too often was, Adamis heaved a sigh of his own. Once again, Seda had worked herself out of the worst of her fugue, but he was still worried for her. She had been embroiled in the Sailor Wars for nearly thirty years now, almost non-stop. Breaks of a few weeks or even months did not count as any significant rest. She needed to go home for a while, really go home and stay there for a few years. Maybe find a boyfriend. Put down some roots of some sort. Give herself a reason other than ‘duty’ to keep on fighting.

The cat stretched and rolled over. There was practically no chance of Seda being that sensible. He watched his Senshi giving a clear, precise summary of the last six months their lives. He waited patiently until she worked her way through the whole messy thing. It had been a particularly busy and dangerous scouting trip, especially that all too memorable day just last week. He and Sailor Element had been ambushed by an entire Chaos Destruction Squad on a squalid little backwater planet. They had barely escaped with their lives and the Squad itself was barely inconvenienced by Element’s attacks. A Destruction Squad could lose a half dozen monsters and still be a fighting force. They had been forced to flee; Seda hated retreating more than anything. Doubtless, that had contributed to her ill mood. That and the damage her staff had received during that running battle.

“That’s about it,” Element said.

“You’ve had an interesting time,” Galaxia said, her mind clearly focused on Chaos’ recent activities and not on the woman standing beside her. Adamis heaved himself to his feet, shaking his head. It was Galaxia’s greatest fault as a leader that new information on anything pertaining to her enemy shoved everything else from her thoughts, including the well being of her underlings.

“Come on, Seda,” Adamis said, “Let’s get something to eat and some sack time before heading toward Vulcan.” Element nodded and the pair headed toward the passage hatchway.

Galaxia jumped slightly and called after them. “Wait! Why are you going to Vulcan?”

Adamis and Seda exchanged a quirk of eyebrows. The cat twisted around to look at their leader. “Seda’s staff was damaged by the Destruction Squad, as she just reported. We need to get it repaired. And since it is well known that Sailor Vulcan never leaves her planet, we have to go to her so she can fix it.”

Galaxia’s lips twitched, caught between chagrin and amusement. “You don’t have to go all of the way to Vulcan. Try Deck 17, Compartment C.”

“You can’t have found someone else capable of repair Talismans!” Seda protested.

“Deck 17, Compartment C,” Galaxia simply repeated before returning to the star charts. Guardian and Senshi shared a puzzled frown as they exited the officer’s lounge.