The Question of Allegiance

"I need you to come to my planet to help me." Azalyn repeated slowly.

"How the heck am I supposed to get to your planet? And why should I go to your planet anyway? Isn’t it enough that I have to take care of my people?"

"Lubic, I pledged allegiance to you, which means that -"

"Wait, yesterday? I never accepted."

"WHAT?"

Lubic grinned sheepishly. "Back in the park. I never accepted your allegiance."

"Then why the heck was I helping you with the witch?"

"I don’t know. Maybe you felt sorry for me?"

Azalyn rubbed her temples. "Alright then. I will re-pledge my allegiance to you. And this time you will accept it. Then we will talk about Imezza."

"Wait a second. Before any of this is finalized, what does this allegiance do for us?"

"Well, if I pledge allegiance to you, then you have to help me look after my people. And I in turn will come to your aide whenever you need me. That is the Spacelord/Starlord bond."

"Sounds kind of like the feudal system."

"Sure. Whatever. The point is, you have more power than me, so I need your help to deal with something."

"I have more power than you?"

"Yes. Lubic, do you remember when you stopped time? When Jaleesa said that Jared could not have stopped time? Well, that is the same as me. I can affect my planet, Imezza. But you, you can affect the entire Universe."

"Really? Why would someone give me that kind of power, but not you?"

"It is someone’s cruel joke on the universe. My people have not yet left Imezza under their own power. Your people have."

"Well, we did go to the moon."

"I don’t think that is what did it. Otherwise Jared would have been a Spacelord, too. But he wasn’t."

"Oh." Lubic thought about that for a bit. "So there are humans running around on another planet somewhere?"

"Can’t you tell?"

"Should I be able to?"

"Yes. Most Spacelords can feel where their people are if they try."

"Okay, that sounds kind of creepy. Let’s get your problem sorted out before I even think about that some more." He took a deep breath. "How do I get to Imezza?"

A Meeting of Minds

"Spacelord! It's Azalyn! Please, stop screaming!"

Lubic looked again at the reflection staring back at him. It was a bit distorted, and every so often the reflection seemed to ripple a bit, but yes, it was the fish woman. "Azalyn! What are you doing in my mirror? Get out of there!"

"Lubic, I am not in your mirror! I am just talking to you through it!"

"Then where are you?"

"I am on Imezza."

"Imezza?"

"My home world! Weren't you listening to anything I told you yesterday?"

"Quite honestly, no."

"LUBIC! You are a SPACELORD! How are you going to help anyone when you can't even listen when people introduce themselves?"

"Azalyn, look at it from my perspective for a minute. One day I'm a normal guy. The next, I have aliens and witches telling me I'm a super hero or something. Did you honestly think I would take that at face value?"

"But you should have been told all of this years ago! It should not have been a big surprise when I first showed up!"

"Look darlin, it is what it is. If you want my help, you're going to have to be really patient with me."

"Do you still think this is a dream, Lubic?"

"Honestly, I'm starting to have my doubts. I've never had a dream as long and crazy as this one. Although I guess it's possible I'm in a coma..."

"Lubic," a roll of midnight eyes, "why is it so hard to accept that I am real?"

"Remember, my perspective."

"Alright. I will try to be more patient with you. But you in turn have to try to have an open mind!"

"Deal. So what did you need?"

"I need you to come to my planet to help me."

"WHAT?"