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Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1

PLANETOID OMEGA:

Laser fire erupted from every direction, hitting buildings, and causing the terrified citizens of Planetoid Omega to seek shelter from the laser bolts and falling debris. The metallic army responsible for the destruction advanced on the citizenry, each robotic soldier firing a bolt of energy with each step.

Amid all the chaos, the crew of Star Cruiser 42 stood their ground and returned fire to stop the approaching army.

"Buzz! There are too many of them!" Ranger Mira Nova cried, firing her wrist laser at one of the invading robots. "Where is that backup you said was coming?”

Lightyear didn't answer and pushed her and the other two members of his team behind a large slab of concrete that had fallen from one of the buildings. The team continued to fire from their makeshift shelter, but their efforts weren't having much of an effect.

"What are we going to do?" Booster asked, peering around the corner of the concrete slab, only to see more metallic soldiers approaching. "There's even more of them now!”

"Back-up should be here any minute," Buzz said calmly.

"Yeah, but if any more of these guys show up, we won't have a minute," Mira said, frowning. She fired her laser at one of the robots, causing it to fall in an explosion of sparks.

"No minute, no second, no nothing." XR chimed in. The little robot whipped out a pen and clipboard and began writing. "XR was a great ranger, but his glorious career was cut short because there was no…BACK-UP!”

"Hang tight, team. They should be…LOOK OUT!" Buzz yelled. Laser fire had hit the building behind them, causing a shower of debris to come crashing down. Booster, grabbing XR, dove out of the way of a large chunk of concrete. He heard a scream of pain and looked around nervously for his two teammates.

"Buzz? Mira?" He called out. "Are you okay?”

"I'm okay, Booster," Buzz answered, standing up slowly. His suit was slightly torn, and it was dirty, but otherwise, he looked uninjured. "Mira? Mira, are you okay?”

The only answer was a groan coming from a pile of debris. Booster quickly cleared away the rubble and found Mira lying in a heap, nearly unconscious. Buzz was at her side immediately, accessing her injuries.

"She's been hit," Buzz said, taking notice of the hole and laser burn on the left shoulder area of her suit. "Looks like she's got a leg injury from the debris falling on her, probably a fractured ankle.”

Lightyear looked at the other two rangers, concern registering on his face. He pressed the communication button on his suit. "Star Command, this is Lightyear. Do you read?”

"Yes. This is Star Command. Go ahead, Lightyear.”

"I need a medical unit to Planetoid Omega. We have a ranger down."

STAR COMMAND SPACE STATION – MED LAB:

Commander Nebula walked into the station's med lab, his artificial leg causing a noticeable limp in his stride. In all his years as the station's commander, he never could get used to seeing one of his rangers lying on a gurney, injured. He knew there were risks to military life, as did his crew, but he still could never get used to the sight.

Lightyear was standing at the glass partition that separated him from the recovery area where his teammate lay, completely unaware that someone had joined him.

"How is she?”

"Wha…oh, better. She hasn't woken up from surgery yet, but the doctor thinks she'll make a full recovery.”

"I contacted Tangea, Buzz." The commander said. "King Nova is on his way here now and I have a feeling that things are going to get a little messy. He kept saying he was going to take Ranger Nova home.”

Buzz sighed. "Mira won't like that. She knew the risks. She'll fight him on it.”

"I know, but I don't see how much good it will do. He seemed set on removing her from the station and Star Command entirely."

Lightyear frowned. He knew that Mira joining Star Command was a sore issue with her father and he knew that Tangea's ruler would do anything to separate her from the military organization. He had listened to Mira talk about her father on many occasions and knew that not having his approval on being a ranger hurt the young woman deeply.

"Buzz, she's waking up." Commander Nebula said, interrupting Lightyear's thoughts. The young woman stirred, her eyes trying to open.

Both men walked into the recovery area, relieved to see her coming out of the anesthetic. Mira managed to open her eyes enough that she could see the two senior officers. She looked around a little and then at the two men, confusion etched on her face.

"What am I doing in med lab?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

"You were hit by laser fire on Planetoid Omega and had to have surgery for the laser injury. Your ankle is broken too. But the doctor said you should be up and about in no time." Buzz answered, smiling.

"So, it looks like I'll have a few days of rest," Mira whispered. Buzz nodded and the Tangean sighed, clearly disappointed she was going to be stuck in bed and not out with her team.

"Your father's been contacted, Ranger Nova. He's on his way here now. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you're awake." The Commander said.

Mira frowned. "So much for resting. I guess the doctor will be adding a huge headache to the list of what's wrong with me.”

A tall red-colored alien wearing a white lab coat came into the recovery area. He was holding a piece of paper in one of his four hands. "Everything looks good. I'm sure Ranger Nova would be more comfortable in her quarters, so we'll move her there in a little while. I'll have her monitored for the next few days, just in case."

STAR COMMAND SPACE STATION:

After a few more hours in med lab, Mira was finally transferred into her quarters. Surrounded by familiar things and settled into her bed, she felt like she could finally relax - at least until her father came. The pain medication the doctor had given her was starting to take effect and the young woman began to drift off to sleep. Somewhere in her medication-induced fog, she heard voices and the familiar swish of the door to her quarters opening.

"Mira! Are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped open and somehow through her blurry vision, she saw a tall, well-dressed Tangean hurrying to her side.

"Father?"

King Nova took his daughter's hand in both of his, squeezing it. "You had me worried, dearest. I didn't know what had happened to you. I thought you had been killed.”

"Takes a lot to take me out of commission." She said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm okay. The doctor said I'll be able to get out of bed in a few days.”

Tangea's ruler enveloped his daughter in a hug, causing her to wince slightly from the pain in her shoulder. "I'm just happy to see you're all right. As soon as you can get out of bed, I'll take you home to Tangea.”

Mira pulled away suddenly, her eyes wide. “What?!"

"I think it would be better for you to return to Tangea and leave Star Command. You are heir to the throne, my dear, and this incident just proves that Star Command is too dangerous. Your life is precious, not only to me but to the people of our world.”

Mira narrowed her eyes, pressed her lips into a firm line, and raised her chin in defiance. "No. I am not leaving with you. I am an officer of Star Command, and I have duties that are important here. I have a life of my own here. I'm not going to give it up, Father.”

King Nova stood up from his seat on the edge of Mira's bed and stared down at her with the cold, hard gaze of someone who was used to being in control.

"You will go back to Tangea, and I will hear no more of this Star Command nonsense. You are the daughter of a king, and it is high time you took your duties as a princess seriously. There will be no more of this flitting around the galaxy, I will make sure of it.”

He turned and walked out of her quarters, not seeing the pained expression on his child's face or the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You'll never understand," Mira whispered as she watched her father leave, tears streaming down her cheeks. Years of feeling trapped and upset finally caught up with the princess and burying her face in her pillow, she cried herself to sleep.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 2

STAR COMMAND SPACE STATION:

Buzz looked up from the paper he was reading just in time to see the ruler of Tangea storm past the doorway to the lounge. The king looked angry and upset, moving quickly in the direction of Commander Nebula's office. Lightyear looked at the other members of his team, the expressions on their faces telling him that they had seen the same thing.

"I guess Mira and her dad had a fight." Booster said softly.

"When are Mira and her father not fighting? All those two do is fight. I'm surprised they haven't killed each other yet." XR said, shaking his metallic head.

Things were quiet for a few moments as the team sat in silence, each was thinking of what the consequences of this latest argument would be.

Booster looked at Buzz, his round, red face visibly upset. "He's going to force Commander Nebula to discharge Mira, isn't he?”

"I don't know, Booster. I hope not." Lightyear said, sighing heavily.

"Oh c'mon, Buzz. You saw the man as he walked past. He didn't look like he was going to talk to the Commander about the weather. Let's face it, Mira's career in Star Command is finished." The little robot said.

"XR! Don't say that!" Booster cried.

"Sorry, big guy, but it's true. We all know the man has been itching to get her out of the Rangers from the day she entered the academy.”

The Jo-adian opened his mouth to say something, but footsteps coming in their direction stopped him from speaking. The Commander appeared at the doorway with a very smug-looking King Nova standing behind him. Team Lightyear stood up from their seats and the Commander stepped forward, his expression clearly saying that what he was about to tell them was not going to be good.

"King Nova has convinced me that it would be in Ranger Nova's best interests for me to issue her a discharge." He looked directly at Lightyear. "I'm sorry, Buzz.”

Booster's face crumpled and he sat down, tears forming in his eyes. XR, for once, was silent. Buzz stood his ground, and his gaze moved from the Commander to the King, and finally back to the Commander.

"With your permission, sir, I would like to be the one to tell Ranger Nova." He said. "I think it would be better for her if I did."

"Providing His Highness thinks it is acceptable, permission granted."

Nova rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, whatever. I'll expect my daughter to be ready to leave once she can travel.”

The king turned and walked away, leaving the four officers alone. Team Lightyear looked at Commander Nebula and the elder officer sighed heavily.

"Buzz, would you join me in my office in a few minutes."

The Commander was sitting behind his desk, looking more tired and older than Lightyear had ever seen him.

"Have a seat," Nebula said, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk.

Buzz sat down. "Sir, if I may…”

Nebula held up a hand to silence him and shook his head. "I know that you are wondering why I discharged Mira. I had no choice, Buzz. King Nova threatened to pull Tangea out of the Galactic Alliance if I didn't. We couldn't have that happen. The Alliance needs the trade and travel routes around Tangea. With the constant disruptions by Zurg and the rest of his nasty little group lately, trade and travel between worlds has decreased. Planetoid Omega is a perfect example. The citizens are too afraid and too focused on rebuilding to worry about anything else. We need Tangea's cooperation and the routes around the planet to help keep things afloat.”

Buzz sighed. He knew the logic behind Nebula's decision to agree with King Nova's demands. Sacrifice the one to save the many. Sacrifice Mira's happiness to save the Alliance. But it still didn't make him any less angry.

"I understand the reason, sir, but this is going to destroy Ranger Nova.”

"Don't you think I considered her feelings? I know Star Command is where she wants to be. She was the top graduate of her class, an outstanding ranger, and an asset to this organization. But my hands are tied here, Buzz. I regret issuing the discharge, but I had no choice.”

"So, what's going to happen now?"

"Nova is going to keep his cruiser docked here at the station. He said he was going to stay on it, seeing as there are quarters for him and his attendants on board. I know he hopes to take Mira back to Tangea in three or four days.”

"I better tell her now and get it over with," Buzz said. The Commander nodded and the ranger moved towards the doorway.

“Buzz…"

Lightyear turned and faced the Commander.

"Tell her I'm sorry."

The captain of Cruiser 42 emerged from his teammate's quarters and leaned wearily against the wall. Telling Mira she was going to be discharged was probably one of the hardest things he would ever have to do.

Mira had sat there, listening to him say that her career was finished, like a statue. There had been no emotion in her face or in her eyes, just a stiff, cold sort of composure that had thrown Buzz for a loop. He had expected her at least to argue with him, but she didn't even do that. Just thanked him for telling her in a voice as emotionless as her face and then saying she wanted to sleep.

He moved away from the wall, squared his shoulders, and made his way back towards the lounge where Booster and XR were waiting.

Mira sat up in her bed, her mind was reeling, her emotions in turmoil. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks; tears she had tried desperately to hide from Buzz. She had not wanted him to see her cry. Everything important to her was now gone. Her accomplishments, her career, her friends, and most of all her freedom; it was all gone.

She would not go back to Tangea. She didn't care anymore about being a princess. Without Star Command, being a princess was like living in a prison. She didn't want that kind of life again.

Mira stopped crying long enough to realize the only way to escape her fate was to leave before her father came to take her away.

Carefully moving herself to the edge of the bed, the princess looked down at her broken ankle. It was being held in a cast of some sort. It wasn't bulky but fitted tightly around her injured joint. She figured she could probably get her space suit on over it and slowly eased herself into a standing position. Dizziness from lying down for so long took a brief hold of the young woman, but it passed quickly, and she stood up without too much difficulty.

Mira knew exactly what she needed to do and slowly hobbled over to the closet. She pulled a spare spacesuit from her closet and with a little effort she managed to put it on. She moved slowly towards the doorway and the door opened for her automatically. Peering out into the hallway, the young ranger was happy to see that no one was there.

The princess limped towards the shuttle bay and found to her relief that there was a one-man shuttle available. And no LGMs in sight. Pressing a few buttons on a console near the shuttle, Mira disabled the warning alarms that alerted the station when a spacecraft was being launched. She climbed into the shuttle and pressed the button that started the engines. The little ship moved out of the launch bay and sped off into space.

Commander Nebula looked over the station reports that dealt with station activity for the day. One entry caught his eye, and he headed towards the shuttle bay. Three LGMs stared at him with their large eyes as he walked into the bay.

"Oooooh Commander!" They all said in unison.

"Could you tell me what was wrong with shuttle 10? The report says it was launched for a maintenance flight.”

One of the little green aliens took the paper and looked at it. The other two peered over his shoulders, each wearing an expression of confusion.

"Don't know, Commander." The little alien holding the report said. "We didn't schedule any maintenance flight.”

Nebula thought for a moment and then he turned quickly and left the shuttle bay. "Have Lightyear and his team report to me in my office."

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 3:

"Mira's gone."

Team Lightyear stood in the Commander's office, expressions of shock registering on Booster and XR's faces. Buzz looked relatively calm, like someone who had been expecting to hear this announcement.

"How? When?" Buzz asked.

"She took Shuttle 10. Somehow, she disarmed the alarms and made it look like it had been scheduled for a maintenance flight. Happened about an hour ago.”

"Then she's got a little bit of a head start." Lightyear motioned for his team to follow him. "We'll take 42 and start the search. King Nova is not going to be happy about this.”

The three rangers left Nebula's office and headed towards their ship.

"Buzz, you knew she would do something like this, didn't you?" XR asked.

"I had a feeling," Lightyear answered. "You know Mira doesn't let anything stand in her way.”

"I hope she's okay." Booster looked worried. "She's still injured.”

"That's why we need to find her." Buzz opened 42's hatch and boarded the vessel. "C'mon team, let's bring Mira home.”

"Right!" Boosters and XR exclaimed in unison, rushing into the ship.

SOMEWHERE OUT IN SPACE:

Mira stared out into space, not knowing exactly where she was heading. Her head was pounding, and she slumped back into her seat, closing her eyes.

"Oh, I don't feel so good." She said out loud.

She opened her eyes and tried to focus on the star chart being displayed on her console.

"Wherever I go, it has got to be as far from this mess as possible." She muttered, activating the engines. But before she could leave her position, another vessel moved into her line of vision.

She grabbed the shuttle's controls and tried to evade the other ship. A warning alarm sounded informing the princess that the ship had locked its weapons on the shuttle. Trying desperately to escape, she saw a streak of light and the shuttle rocked beneath her. The little ship's alarms suddenly went haywire, and the engines shut down.

"Craters!" She screamed in frustration.

The larger vessel loomed closer, and Mira quickly identified the markings on the ship.

"Zurg."

STAR CRUISER 42:

"Keep your eyes peeled, Team," Buzz said. "She's out here somewhere."

"Buzz, I tried to trace the homing frequency for the shuttle, but I'm not getting anything." Booster said, looking up from his console.

"Blast!  Mira must have deactivated it. See if you can pick up the shuttle's energy trail. If we're lucky and it hasn't faded, we can locate her that way.”

"Got it." Booster began punching buttons.

"I don't know why we're even looking for her. Once we find her, we're not going to be able to convince her to go back with us, and she'll just run away again." XR said.

"She's our friend, XR. We can't just let Mira roam around the galaxy injured and upset." Booster said softly.

"That's right, Ranger." Buzz chimed in. "We'll find her and then worry about the rest later.”

"Whatever you say, Buzz," XR said. "But I guarantee that once we do get her back to the station, it won't be pretty. I am willing to bet there won't be a station left after all this is over.”

STAR COMMAND SPACE STATION:

"Commander Nebula, I want to know why my daughter was allowed to leave this space station!" King Nova shouted angrily.

The Commander stood his ground and frowned. "She was not allowed to leave. She disarmed the launch alarms and stole a shuttle. We don't know where she is. Lightyear has been searching for her and reported in a little while ago. Mira has deactivated the shuttle's homing signal, so it's going to make finding her a little hard.”

"What? You mean to tell me that only Lightyear and his crew are out searching for my daughter! That will not do, Commander.”

Nebula folded his arms. "Mira was part of Buzz's team and if anyone can find her, he can.”

"Correction," King Nova said. "If anyone is going to find Mira, it will be me. You…uh…space rangers do not have the mental powers we Tangeans have. We can track our own using our mental abilities. So, call back Buzz Lightyear, I do not need his interference. I will find her on my own."

ZURG VESSEL:

Evil Emperor Zurg watched as two of his Hornets led the princess, whose wrists and ankles were shackled together, into his throne room. The Hornets pushed the young woman forward causing her to stumble, falling to her knees.

"Ah Ranger Nova, so nice of you to join us.”

Mira looked up to see her enemy seated on his throne, looming high above her. He was looking down at her, smiling as much as his helmeted head would allow.

"Sorry about the shackles, but you rangers have a bad habit of escaping."

Mira frowned. "What do you want, Zurg? I'm not in the mood for games.”

The self-proclaimed ruler of the galaxy leaned back on his throne. "Nothing really. We were out testing my newest ship and saw your vessel. And well, you know, force of habit. Something about that Star Command logo makes me want to shoot at it.”

He laughed, causing the princess's eyes to narrow.

"And now that I have you, princess, I'll just have to come up with a diabolical plan to extract Star Commands secrets out of you. Yes, that's it! A plan that could only come from the evilest ruler in the universe.”

"Mm-hmm." A wicked little smile formed on Mira's face. "Real scary, Zurg, considering that this is coming from a guy who wears a dress.”

Zurg jumped out of his throne and raised his fists in the air. "It is a robe! An evil emperor's robe!" He yanked Mira up off the floor by the shackles that bound her wrists and glared at her. "I was going to get the secrets and then enslave you, but after that crack, I think I'm in the mood for a good old-fashioned execution! Hornets, take her away!”

Once Mira had been dragged off to await her fate in the brig, one of Zurg's little Grub helpers scurried up to his master.

"Um…Evil Emperor…sir…should we uh…make ready for the…uh…execution." The little bug-like alien stuttered.

"No, not yet!" Zurg said boisterously. "For some reason, Ranger Nova was by herself. Well, no matter, I'm sure the rest of Team Lightyear can't be too far behind and when they try to save their precious princess, I will be able to rid myself of them for good!"

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 4:

STAR CRUISER 42:

Buzz looked out into the vastness of space, angry and frustrated that they had found no trace of the missing Mira. The atmosphere on 42's flight deck was tense. Booster was doing all he could to find any trace of Shuttle 10's flight path and even XR was unusually silent.

They had been searching for hours, but their efforts had been fruitless. Buzz looked at the time indicator on his console and frowned. It was almost time to report back to the Commander and Buzz had hoped there would be some good news to tell him. Pressing the button that activated the comm channel to Star Command, he sat back in his chair and waited for the Commander to answer.

Nebula's face appeared and he did not look happy.

"Any trace of her?" He asked.

Buzz shook his head. "No, sir. We've tried everything we can think of. Booster has been trying to see if he can increase the power to the energy detectors to track faded energy signatures, but so far, he hasn't been able to.”

"Yeah, well we have another problem." The Commander announced.

"Oh, wonderful. How could this get any worse?" XR muttered.

"King Nova left the station about two hours ago and is now out looking for Mira too. He…uh…doesn't believe that we will be able to find his daughter." Nebula said.

"Of course. We're not Tangean and therefore we're lower life forms." The little robot said sarcastically.

The Commander frowned. "Buzz, he wanted me to order you back to the station. But I am not going to do that. I would feel better knowing that Cruiser 42 is out there, in case there is trouble. I'll expect you to contact me again in an hour.”

"Roger, Commander. Lightyear out." Buzz pressed the comm button and the Commander's face disappeared from the screen.

"How does His Royal Uppityness think he's going to find Mira? I mean we've had no luck so far." XR said.

"XR, don't you remember that time Zurg transported Tangea into another dimension and we thought it was destroyed?" Booster said.

"Yeah, what about it.”

"Remember Mira kept saying that felt her father's presence and you kept saying she was nuts…”

"Booster, would you hurry up and make a point? I'm beginning to rust here." The robot folded his metallic arms and glared at the Jo-adian.

"Well, maybe he can do the same thing. Maybe he can find Mira that way, like she did him.”

Buzz nodded in agreement. "I'm sure that's what he's thinking. And I'm willing to let him try."

ZURG VESSEL:

Grub ran through the main hallway of the large ship to Zurg's throne room. He found the evil emperor sitting on his throne, writing furiously, and laughing to himself.

"Um…sir…"

Zurg looked up and frowned. "What is it? Can't you see I am busy trying to think of fiendishly evil ways to dispose of Team Lightyear?”

"Yes, s-sir. So sorry to interrupt, but we have detected a ship in our vicinity. It looks like a Tangean royal cruiser.”

"Well go after it, you idiot! It'll be even more of a reason to lure Buzz Lightyear to me!" Zurg shouted.

The little Grub started to back away and nearly tripped over his own feet. "Yes, s-sir. Right away, Emperor Zurg.”

Zurg went back to his writing, chuckling to himself. "My horoscope said it was going to be a good day."

Mira sat on the plank that served as a cot and looked around the cell she had been thrown into. It was dimly lit and there were energy beams across the doorway, which served as bars. The Hornets had not removed the shackles, and they limited her movement quite a bit. Her ankle was throbbing, her head was pounding, and she lay back on the plank.

"At least it's dark and quiet. Maybe I can get over this headache.”

The princess heard movement outside of the brig and she sat up, watching the doorway open. She prepared for another verbal fencing match with Zurg, but her jaw dropped when she saw who was being led in.

"Father!" She cried. "What are you doing here?”

King Nova glared at the two Hornets that yanked him to his daughter's cell. They disarmed the energy bars, pushed the Tangean in, and reactivated the beams.

"Are you all right, Father?" The young woman asked, noticing her father's wrists and ankles had been shackled like hers.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine." He answered. "But the question should be: Why are you here, young lady? You should be back at the station preparing to return to Tangea.”

"Not this again!" Mira growled; her brows drawn together in frustration. "I don't want to go back to Tangea. I want to stay in Star Command. When are you going to stop treating me like a child?!”

Tangea's ruler frowned. "When you stop acting like one. Don't you think that running away was rather childish?”

"I wasn't running away. I was…uh…expressing my anger."

"Mira, I know you're upset about this, but once you get back on Tangea, you'll see that I'm right.”

"Yeah right. That will never happen." The princess muttered. She turned away and lay down on the plank. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. My head is killing me."

STAR CRUISER 42:

"Yes, Commander. Lightyear out.”

Buzz sighed heavily and turned in his seat. "No one has heard from King Nova's cruiser in hours.”

"Do you think that he's run into some trouble?" Booster asked.

"Nah, I bet he's found Mira and both of them are livin' it up in that palace of his," XR said with a grin.

Lightyear frowned. "I don't know, Booster. But I have a bad feeling about this.”

Suddenly the comm screen flashed on and the face of Evil Emperor Zurg appeared. A large "cat who just ate the canary" smile was plastered on his helmet.

"Ah, the source of Buzz's bad feeling," XR said.

"Lightyear, so what brings you out into the galaxy today? Cat stuck up in a tree?" Zurg laughed.

"Can it, Zurg. What do you want?" Buzz glared at the view screen.

"Oh, not much. Just wanted to let you know that I am holding two members of the Tangean royal family prisoner. Have a nice day, Lightyear." The screen went blank.

The flight deck of 42 was silent except for the occasional beeping of the instruments. Buzz sat at his control panel, fists clenched, his face rigid with anger.

"Zurg has them." He growled.

"Buzz, are you sure this isn't some sort of con job?" XR asked, finally breaking the silence. "How do we know that Zurg has Mira and her father?”

"Because I know Zurg and if there is one thing he enjoys, it's gloating. He has them all right and we're going after them.”

"It could be a trap. Zurg could be just trying to lure us to him." Booster argued.

"We'll just have to take that risk. Right now, the only thing that matters is saving Mira and King Nova.”

ZURG VESSEL:

"Mira! My dear, wake up!" Nova hissed urgently, shaking her.

"Wha…what? How long have I been out?" She sat up, a little disoriented.

"Not long. Someone is coming.”

They heard the door to the brig open and several Hornets appeared. One of the metallic soldiers deactivated the energy bars and moved into the cell, followed by the others.

The princess struggled as two of the robots grabbed her arms and dragged her from the cell. She saw two others grab her father and the pair was forced out of the brig towards Zurg's throne room.

The enemy of the Alliance was standing near the doorway of the throne room as if to greet them. "So nice to see you again, Princess. And welcome to you as well, King Nova. I am so glad you two could be part of the fun today."

"Zurg! This is an outrage! I demand you release us at once!" Nova cried.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but that just isn't possible." Zurg grinned wickedly. "You see, both of you are a vital part of my plan."

He motioned for the Hornets to drag the Tangeans to a large platform. One of the nearby Grubs pressed a button on a control panel and metallic tubes snaked down from the ceiling. Standing on a hovering platform, a Grub connected the tubes to the prisoners' wrist shackles. Then he attached a tube with a sort of suction cup to the back of their heads. The Grub at the control panel pressed another button and the panel came to life, lights flashing. Zurg stepped forward, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm sure you're wondering what this device is." He said, grinning devilishly. "I could explain it to you, but it would take too long and keep me from what I enjoy doing the most. So, I'll give you a short explanation. All I do is press this button and…"

Two red buttons were flashing on the control panel and Zurg pressed one of them. Mira's body went stiff, and she screamed as if someone had set her on fire.

"…I get to torment one very bothersome Tangean space ranger." The villain finished.

"Mira!" Nova cried out. "Zurg! Stop this! Leave her alone!"

The emperor released the button and the princess went limp, eyes closed, and trying to catch her breath.

"Wha-what was that?" The young woman managed to choke out.

"I just drained a portion of your energy. I understand that Tangeans have a special energy that allows them to "ghost" and sustains them. This wonderful device will drain that energy and use it to power the most devastating weapon in the galaxy."

"What weapon? What are you talking about, Zurg?" Mira was still trying to catch her breath.

"This weapon…" Zurg pressed another button on the control panel and a ray gun about the size of a shuttle appeared from a hatch in the floor. "It's impressive, isn't it? Only someone as evil as I am could come up with a weapon that will blow up entire planets."

He patted the side of the weapon with obvious pride not only in himself but his creation. "And after I have destroyed a few planets, I am sure the Galactic Alliance will come begging on its knees and then I will rule the universe!"

Zurg turned to face his captives, grinning at them evilly. "Of course, it will take all of your energy to power this thing up and that, I am afraid, will end your lives."

Suddenly an alarm beeped and one of the screens on a nearby console lit up. One of the little Grub helpers looked at it and turned to Zurg.

"Sir, there is a ship approaching. Looks like Star Cruiser 42."

"Ah. I see Buzz Lightyear took the bait!" He laughed out loud. "What a good day I'm having! I get to take over the universe, kill the annoying Tangeans, and destroy Team Lightyear!"

King Nova looked over at his daughter, who was still trying to recover from the effects of Zurg's machine.

"Mira, what do we do?" He whispered.

"I-I don't know," Mira whispered back. "Buzz will figure out something. I know he will."

"But if they board the ship, they will be taken prisoner."

"Give them a little credit, Father. Everything will be okay."

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 5:

ZURG VESSEL

"That was easy, Buzz." Booster said, gesturing at the pile of damaged Hornets.

"A little too easy, if you ask me. This is giving me a bad feeling." XR looked around warily.

"Keep your eyes peeled, team. Zurg is up to something." Lightyear said, his finger positioned on the control for his wrist laser. “C'mon."

The three rangers moved down the main hallway of Zurg's ship, encountering the occasional group of Hornets that were quickly dispatched. They quickly found Zurg's throne room.

"Be prepared to fire, team," Buzz whispered, pressing the button to open the doors.

The heavy metal doors moved apart, and Team Lightyear jumped into the open doorway, hands positioned on their lasers. They looked around in shock, not seeing anyone or anything coming at them.

"Well, that was a big letdown," XR muttered. "All that buildup and nothing. I was at least expecting cowering Grubs."

Buzz moved into the throne room cautiously, followed by Booster and XR. He looked around the dimly lit room, looking for any sign of Mira and her father. Suddenly the doors closed behind them and several Hornets appeared. A few Grubs crawled from their hiding places.

"Lightyear! What a pleasant surprise!" A voice said from above them.

The rangers looked up to see Zurg hovering above them on a small floating platform. He was grinning maniacally.

"Cut the pleasantries, Zurg. Where are Mira and her father?" Buzz glared at his enemy.

"Oh, they're here. I'm sure they would like to see you." Zurg gestured to one of the Grubs and the little bug-like alien pulled a lever. The platform that the two Tangeans were anchored to moved out of the shadows. The little platform Zurg was standing on floated to the floor and the emperor stepped off.

"Do you like it?" He asked. "It came out of the science department. It's amazing how those brain pods can turn one of my brilliant ideas into reality on an hour's notice."

"What is it? What are you up to, Zurg?" Buzz glared at his enemy; hand still positioned on his wrist laser.

"This, my dear Lightyear, is what is going to help me take over the galaxy. It's delightfully simple really. I drain the Tangeans of their energy, use it to power up my newest weapon, and then start blowing up planets from one side of the galaxy to the other using this…" He gestured towards the large ray gun that had emerged from its hatch.

"The alliance will surrender to keep any other planets from getting blown to smithereens and I will rule the galaxy!" He laughed boisterously. "Brilliant, huh?"

Zurg moved over the machine's control panel, his hand positioned above the two red flashing buttons.

"And now to rid myself of Buzz Lightyear!" He gestured to the Hornets, which had taken position around Team Lightyear. "Destroy them!"

Green laser beams from the Hornets whizzed past the Rangers. Buzz slammed his hand down on his wrist laser and returned fire, taking out several Hornets. New robots took their positions, firing rapidly. Booster, using his strength, managed to turn several of the robotic soldiers into nothing more than scrap, and XR, using his arsenal of weapons, fired at the soldiers.

"Buzz! Look out!" Mira screamed, as more of the Hornets advanced on Lightyear from behind. The ranger whirled around and fired, hitting several of the Hornets. Zurg shot the princess an angry look and took advantage of Lightyear being occupied. He slammed his hand down on the two buttons and the machine came to life. The Tangeans screamed in agony as the device did its work.

"Booster! Get them out of there!" Buzz yelled to the large red alien. The Jo-adian plowed his way through a group of Hornets, trying to reach the machine's platform. Several Grubs scurried out of the large alien's way as he reached Mira and her father.

"Get my father out of here!" The princess managed to cry out.

"Mira! No!" King Nova struggled against Booster, who ripped the tubes from the Tangean and pulled him from the machine. "Mira!"

Several of Zurg's metallic soldiers rushed the large alien and using his laser, Booster dispatched them quickly.

Having successfully fought off most of the Hornets that had kept him from helping to free the Tangeans, Buzz took aim at the machine's control panel and fired. The panel exploded, sending sparks everywhere, and the device shut down.

"Noooo!" Zurg bellowed.

Mira's body slumped forward; her eyes closed. Booster yanked her from the tubing and lifted her unconscious form into his arms. Continuing to fire, Buzz destroyed several more consoles in the throne room, sparks flying as the panels shorted out. Zurg managed to avoid the laser fire and the sparks, hopping onto his floating platform.

"Destroy them!" He boomed, but it was a fruitless command.

"Booster, you and XR get Mira and King Nova out of here! Startup 42! Go!" Lightyear ordered.

Holding Mira in one arm, Booster lifted the stunned king off his feet and carried the injured Tangeans out the doorway with XR following close behind.

Buzz looked at the remains of Zurg's diabolical plan and robotic soldiers.

"Guess it's back to the drawing board, huh?" He said, smiling up at his enemy. He turned and ran, leaving Zurg seething with anger.

"Curse you, Buzz Lightyear!"

Cruiser 42 sped away from Zurg's vessel, the crew eager to put as much distance between it and them as possible.

Buzz walked back to the crew quarters, anxious to see how Mira and her father were doing. King Nova was sitting next to his daughter's unconscious form, holding her hand.

"Are you okay?" Lightyear asked.

“Yes, I'm fine," Nova said softly. He squeezed Mira's hand. "She hasn't woken up yet. Will she be all right?"

"We'll get her checked out in Med Lab, but I'm sure she'll be fine." Buzz tried to reassure the worried man, but even he was uncertain as to whether Mira would recover. She had been attached to the machine longer than her father. "I…um…have to contact Star Command now. I'll make sure they have a medical team waiting to meet us when we arrive."

The king nodded and looked up at Lightyear. "Thank you."

He then turned his attention back to his daughter and Buzz left the two alone.

STAR COMMAND SPACE STATION:

Mira's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, slightly disoriented. Her whole body ached, and she tried to move, but her body wouldn't cooperate.

"Father? Buzz?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Nova was at her side immediately, taking her hand in his. "I'm here, Mira."

"Am I back on the station?"

"Yes, dearest. You've been unconscious for a couple of days. Gave us all quite a scare." The king patted his daughter's hand. "But you'll be all right. The doctor said there will be no long-term effects from the machine."

"Where's Buzz, Booster, and XR? Are they okay?" The young woman asked, looking for her friends.

"They're fine. They'll be in to see you in a little while."

Mira smiled a little. "I told you they would save us. I knew they would…"

The princess's voice trailed off, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 6:

King Nova sat alone in the lounge, staring out the window at the stars and the planet below. He had been ordered politely by the doctor to take a break from his vigil at his daughter's bedside and eat something. But he had been unable to eat, and a plate of untouched cafeteria food sat nearby on the table.

Buzz walked into the lounge, saw Nova sitting alone, and walked up to him.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"Huh…oh yes, yes." The Tangean looked at Lightyear briefly before turning his attention back to the stars. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Nova finally spoke. "Mira has always been fascinated by the stars. I used to always catch her out of her room after she had been put to bed, out on the balcony in the middle of the night, looking at them."

He sighed heavily. "My daughter is so much like her mother. I wish Mira could have known her, but she died not long after Mira was born. She had such a big heart. She loved to help people, loved seeing new places and things."

Buzz noticed the tears shining in Nova's eyes and he did not say a word. He just listened as the man continued to talk.

"She would've totally approved of Mira being in Star Command." He continued. "I'd bet anything that she would've joined if she could have. But she knew that her responsibilities lay in getting married and having children. I know there was so much she wanted to do and see. I guess in a way, Mira is doing that for her."

King Nova looked directly at Lightyear. "It is a highly known fact that I do not want Mira in Star Command. I don't like her putting herself in danger. I don't want to risk losing my daughter." He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "I lost my wife; I don't want to lose Mira too."

Things were silent for a moment and then Buzz spoke up. "Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I think you have a greater risk of losing your daughter if you force her to leave Star Command."

"I know. I'm beginning to see that now." He sighed and turned his attention back to the stars. The two men sat silent for a moment and then Tangea's ruler stood up. "I should go back to med lab. Mira could wake up at any time."

To Buzz's surprise, Nova stretched his hand out. Buzz grasped the man's hand and shook it.

"Thank you, Buzz. For everything."

Lightyear smiled. "You’re welcome, sir.”

The princess woke the second time to find her father sitting next to her bedside. He looked exhausted like he hadn't slept in days. She shifted on the gurney, relieved to find that she could now move and the aching in her body had dulled quite a bit. Nova smiled at his daughter, taking the hand she offered him in both of his own.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Better." She whispered. "I'm not as achy as I was earlier. Have you been here the whole time I was out?"

Nova nodded. "Most of it. I didn't want you to wake up and find yourself alone."

Mira smiled for a moment and then sadness suddenly swept across her face. She looked up at her father with tears shining in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Daddy. I'm sorry I worried all of you and put everyone in danger. I should've figured out some other way to handle my problem. I…"

"Hush now, dearest. I'm just as much to blame for all this mess as anyone. I should have listened to you, Mira. We should have been able to work this out without anger and doing foolish things."

King Nova leaned over and cupped Mira's face in both of his hands. "I don't want to ever lose you. You mean more to me than anything, my daughter, even Tangea."

The princess smiled through her tears, unable to say anything.

"I realize now that this Star Command thing is important to you, but it's interfering…" He continued.

"Yes, it is important. I'm happy here. I make a difference here." Mira sighed, interrupting her father. "And you're wrong about it interfering with my duties as a princess and heir to the throne. I think it will help me be a better queen when the time comes. Star Command has taught me how to defend what's important and helps me learn about other worlds and cultures. I think these are good lessons for any ruler to know."

Nova nodded and then smiled

"I guess I was just looking at this all wrong." He brushed a few stray strands of Mira's fiery red hair from her forehead. "You're so much like your mother. Just as beautiful as she was and just as quick to point out when I was wrong. She would have been proud of you."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yes, just as proud of you as I am."

Mira grinned. "Does that mean I can stay in Star Command?"

"Yes, yes…" Nova smiled back. "Just as long as you come home now and then for a visit."

"It's a deal!" The Princess threw her arms around her father. "Thank you, Daddy!"

King Nova wrapped his arms around Mira, hugging his daughter close.

Buzz stood at the glass partition, watching the father and daughter hug.

"Welcome back, Ranger Nova." He said with a smile. "Welcome back."