Something slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Duke grunted and tried to look up, but whoever had hit him pushed him back down again. Duke stopped struggling as he recognized the weight on his back. Jen Lai slid off of him and flattened herself on the ground beside him, peering carefully over the long shipping crates that couldn't have been more than two feet deep. Laser bolts heated the air above them, and she ducked back down again. Duke spat a curse; they were pinned down. He couldn't get up long enough to get a clear shot, and all he had right now were bolo pucks anyway. Jen Lai didn't carry a blaster, and at the moment her blades were as useless as his. "We're really in it this time," Duke growled.

"Aren't we always," Jen Lai replied, her voice calm even in the heat of battle. Duke glanced sidelong at her, noting her expressionless face and not sure whether to smile or frown. Back in the Brotherhood, her rigid emotional control had not extended to her temper. She'd always been ready and willing to take on anyone who made the near-fatal mistake of arousing her wrath. That part of her personality had mellowed considerably in the months since she'd joined the Mighty Ducks, and now she rarely showed anger, even in the middle of a fight.

Something about that had been bothering him for a while now, and he wasn't sure why.

"Move," Jen Lai barked suddenly. Duke's body responded almost before his mind snapped back to the situation at hand, and he leapt up and to once side just in time to avoid the fireball that ripped apart the crates. He rolled and came up again, his saber already activated in his hand, and he swung it just in time to knock away a second arcane bolt. The blast knocked him a little off balance, and he could see Wraith forming another fireball, but there was the silver flash of light on metal, and the sorceror's hand was jerked back and pinned to the wall by a short throwing knife. Wraith snarled and reached to pull it out, but he jerked his hand back to dodge the second, and then the third.

Then Duke was on him. He grabbed the sorceror's free hand and pinned it behind his back, twisting him around and pushing him against the wall. Duke glanced back just in time to see Jen Lai raise her ancient blade to deflect a laser blast aimed at his back. Smiling grimly, Duke turned back to his prisoner and wrenched free the knife that pinned Wraith's sleeve to the wall. He bound the Saurian's hands, then stepped away and quickly fired a bolo puck to completly immobilize the evil wizard. "That out to hold you," he muttered, retrieving Jen Lai's knives.

They left her hands as soon as they reached them, startling the Chameleon enough that he morphed back to his normal size and dropped Mallory, who'd begun to turn blue in the lizard's embrace.

"Jen," Duke tapped her shoulder and pointed to Tanya, who was waving frantically for their attention. "On three," he told her, "I'll cover." She nodded. "One. Two. THREE." Jen Lai took off, sprinting across the open space between where the two former theives stood and the blond tech. Duke started running at the same time, but along the perimeter, staying near cover. Siege lifted his blaster to aim at the exposed duck, and Duke rushed him. Siege turned to face the new threat, but Duke ducked behind a stack of boards. The massive Saurian fired one shot before opting for the easier target again. Duke charged once more, and Siege turned, Duke ducked, and when the now furious lizard tried for Jen again, it was too late. Jen Lai had reached cover near Tanya. Snarling, Siege fired at Duke's cover, to angry to care whether or not he actually hit his target. A Gacian battle cry echoed across dock as Jen Lai charged from her cover, swords drawn. Siege whirled again, and Duke ran for Tanya. Jen Lai stopped her charge abruptly and reversed it, and Siege roared as both ducks reached safety. His fury was amplified when he realized that the distraction had freed both Wildwing and Grin, who'd been pinned down by his fire.

Duke grinned in satisfaction, muttering a degogatory remark concerning Siege's intelligence and parentage before turning to Tanya. "Need a hand, sweetheart?" She pointed to a lock on the device that the Saurians had been setting up when they arrived.

"I can't disarm it if I can't get to it," she told him. Duke examined the lock.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. "Jen, take a look at this."

Jen Lai looked at it and frowned. "It must be a trap," she said. "We need the Mask."

"I uh, think Wildwing is, well, occupied," Tanya said, and the two turned to see that she was right. Grin was down, stirring slightly but obviously hurt, and Wildwing was having to deal with Siege himself. Nosedive was doing his best to help, but the two were just barely a match for the muscle-bound lizard, and Mallory was still tangling with Chameleon.

"Great," Duke muttered. "I guess the best we can do is just pop this baby and be careful about it." He looked at Jen Lai. "You wanna take it, or should I?"

"You take the lock," Jen Lai answered, "I'll watch for traps."

"Stand back, sweetheart," he told Tanya, "This could get rough."

Tanya took what limited cover there was that would protect her from both the locked metal box and the battle going on behind them. She glanced back to see how the others were doing, and frowned. The Saurians were completely ignoring the three ducks trying to destroy whatever plan they had set into motion, focusing entirely on the four out on the battlefield. She had a bad feeling about this. Then again, the Saurians were outnumbered two point three three three three to one--three point five to one with Wraith out of the battle. Fortunately, neither Siege nor Chameleon had been able to free the sorceror. He was still sitting there, tied and looking extremely annoyed.

"Got it," Duke said shortly, "Get ready." Jen Lai knelt beside the box, so that her eyes were level with the lid. He began to ease the lid open.

"Stop," Jen Lai barked. Duke froze. "There's a pressure switch back here," she told him, "Something's going to go off if we open that lid."

"Any chance we can just blow this thing up, Tanya?" Duke asked, still holding the metal lid still.

"Sure. Of course, since we don't know what's in there, we could end up taking out most of Anaheim with it."

"So we're back where we started," Duke sighed, "We need the Mask, or we can't do squat."

There was a crash behind them, and someone yelled, "Get down!" but before they could react, the three were hit by a shockwave that threw them to the ground and blew the lid open on the metal box. A swirling vortex opened above them, and Duke felt himself lifting from the ground. He grabbed frantically for a handhold and found one, then reached out to grab Tanya, as she slid past him. He looked around as best he could, squinting against the wind created by the Gateway, but he couldn't see Jen Lai or the others. Then there was an explosion, and he lost his grip on Tanya and whatever it was he'd been holding on to. The world became a nauseating swirl of mottled purple. He spun crazily, glimpsing a flash of red here and a splash of orange there.

"What happened?" he yelled.

"I don't know," Wildwing shouted back. "Siege through a bomb at us and teleported away, then this thing appeared and something in one of those crates exploded." Duke started to ask another queston, but the vortex abruptly disappeared, and he landed on his back in something cold and wet.

Mud.

Duke groaned and sat up. "Not again," he muttered, pressing a hand to his forhead and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the world was no longer spinning, and he had a smudge of mud on his face.

Wonderful.

He stood up and looked around. The sky was dark and overcast. Trees reached towards the clouds, their branches bare. Duke frowned and stared. Those trees weren't like anything he'd ever seen on Earth, but they looked really familiar...

A string of swear words off to his left caught his attention, and he turned and tried not to laugh. Mallory had landed on her stomach, and the front of her uniform was covered with a thick layer of muck. Her eyes were murderous beneath her mud-spattered red hair.

"Oh shut up," An equally filthy Tanya told her, glaring as she sloshed out of the puddle she'd fallen into. She hugged herself, shivering, and Duke suddenly realized that it was a lot colder here than it had been in Anaheim.

Nosedive groaned and rolled over, covering his front as well as his back with mud, and stood up. "Awww man," was all he could say.

"Everyone all right?" Wildwing asked, looking in disgust at his right arm, which was caked even more liberally than the rest of him with the thick black mud.

"We're missing two," Duke said, looking around.

He saw Grin first. The big duck loomed against the gray sky as he climbed out of the ditch he had fallen into. He reached down and pulled Jen Lai out after him. Duke sighed in relief.

"That’s it, looks like everyone’s accounted for," he commented. The two ducks began to wade through the muck towards the others. Suddenly, Jen Lai stopped and stared at a large stone column.

"Renshael ni cortho lai," she gasped, trying to back away. She lost her footing and fell with an uncharacteristic lack of grace. She didn’t seem to notice, she just stared at the large obelisk.

"Jen Lai?" Duke picked his way through the mud towards the sound, worried at the shock in her voice. Jen Lai was never shocked. His boots sank with every step. “Are you all right?”

"Shinai," she shook her head, still staring. No. "Cortho lai shi cathas..." It was an oath Duke recognized; 'By the sword and the blood.'

"Jen Lai," Duke finally reached her, Wildwing right on his tail. She started at his hand, and seemed to come back to herself. She accepted his help up, and walked over to the stone column, laying a hand against it.

"Jen Lai, what's going on?" Wildwing demanded, already uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"I believe," she said, calm but a little unstead, "That I know where we are. But only one...what..." She frowned and wiped ice away from the column, studying the marks carved in its surface. Then she went behind it and knelt, examining the ground.

"What do you mean, you know where we are?" Wildwing asked.

"We are home," she said simply, standing and turning to face him.

Silence.

A moment passed. Then another.

"This," Jen Lai laid a hand agaisnt the pillar once more, "honors the ancients of my House. We are back on Puckworld, in my homeland. But," her frown deepened. "In my time, there are five that stand in a line, marking the descendents of the House of Ranshael since before the time of DuCaine. This," she nodded toward the ediface, "is the first in that line. And I see no signs that the others have been destroyed. Or that they were ever even built."

"What are you saying?" Mallory demanded.

"We've gone back in time," Wildwing said in disbelief. "Tanya, is that possible?"

"Well, I don't know," Tanya stammered. "I mean, yeah, I guess so, Dragaunus built the thing, he probably could have modified it to send us back. Or it could have been that the explosion destabilized the gateway temporarily and altered the space-time continuim."

"So how far back did we go?" Duke wanted to know.

"I believe I can answer that," Jen Lai turned to the pillar, running her fingers down the list of names. When she was a foot or so above the base of the column, she stopped. When she stood, she was frowning.

"The names of the Renshael rulers are carved into these pillars after their death," she explained. "This one is nearly complete. Only one is missing. Shen Mei, one of my ancestors who fought beside Drake DuCaine in the first Saurian Wars. She still lives."

"Tell me," Wildwing said with dread, "That we did NOT just land in the middle of another war."

"She survived the wars," Jen Lai told him, looking back to the pillar. "Her husband was killed in the final battle. He is listed here. The wars are over, but they cannot be long past. It is probably still very dangerous here."

"Great," Duke grumbled, looking around with a sudden feeling of extreme unease. Jen Lai must have felt it to, because she also tensed and surveyed their surroundings. The others fell silent, all looking for what their older members had seen.

There was nothing but bare trees and shining puddles, but Duke didn't feel any more comfortable. He felt the weight of his saber hilt in his hand, and glanced over to Jen Lai. She met his gaze, already in a defensive position, her knees slightly bent, one hand on her dagger and the other ready to go for her sword. They were being watched. He was certain of it.

"Wait," she told him. She strode away from them, out into the open, and drew her sword, lifting it above her head. She cried a challenge in her own language.

"What'd she say?" Nosedive wanted to know. Duke looked down at him.

"You're asking me?" he said drily. He looked back to Jen Lai as an answering cry rose up from the still empty landscape. Jen Lai called back to it, and Duke shifted his weight. He *hated* not knowing what was going on.

The whole team stiffened and felt for their weapons as a group of armed and armored warriors appeared as if from out of the ground. They carried swords, but most held a blaster of some kind as well, and the leader approached Jen Lai. She held her sword out, holding the blade horizontal with the flat against the palm of her left hand, so that the starstone hilt faced the warrior. He looked at the sword, and then at her. Jen Lai removed her sheath and snapped the blade home, then to Duke's shock, she handed it to the leader. He took it, and began to draw.

Electricity crackled blue around his hand, and he almost dropped it, but he pushed the blade back into place instead, and handed it back to Jen Lai. He turned to his soldiers and issued a command.

Immediately all the soldiers dropped to one knee and saluted with their swords. Jen Lai raised her sheathed blade, then drew the sword and held it high. "Ni yen cova, cortho lai shi cathas!" they cried in unison, as their leader knelt as well. Jen Lai lowered the sword, and they rose as she put her sword away.

"They will not harm us," she said, turning to her teammates. "They are of my House's clan, and they serve the blood."

The ducks could only stare, slightly openmouthed, and Jen Lai lifted an eyebrow. "Do we wish to stand here until our time comes around again, or would you like to go somewhere warm and dry where we can discuss the situation?" At the words 'warm' and 'dry,' the team snapped out of their stupor, and at Jen Lai's command, the company of warriors formed an escort.

"Do you trust these people?" Duke asked under his breath as the troops took positons around the small band of freedom fighters.

"Of course," Jen Lai answered calmly. "They are *my* people." Duke frowned. "I know my family's history, Duke," she told him. "Shen Mei was a fair ruler, and there were no insurrections during her time. The clan of Renshael was united by the Saurian Wars in a way that was inconceivable before the first invasion. Shen Mei's rule cemented that unity, as the rest of the clan began to trust the Renshael bloodline to be honorable as they said they would be when the Houses were formed." Somewhat placated, Duke fell silent, mulling over what he saw around him as they trekked to the ancient home of the Renshael rulers. After a moment he glanced back to Jen Lai.

'This is the home she lost. I wonder if any of this looks familiar to her.' He thought back to that day, was it only a month ago, when he'd finally made his peace with Jen Lai. Her words had been heated with pain and anger. They took my home, my past, my future, and left me, just a child, to fend for myself. They took the land that had been in my family since the days when my ancestors fought beside DuCaine to free our world--took it in the name of progress. Took it on the whim of a foolish beaurocrat, a fool blind to the past and its bearing on the future, took it and left it to rot, untouched and forgotton. Left my family shrines uncared for and forbade me to honor my ancestors as only I could. I am the last of the Ranshael blood and without a care they would have swept my line from the planet as DuCaine's was.

He looked to her now and saw none of the emotion that had overwhelmed her then. No pain, no sadness, no anger lingered in her eyes or the corners of her mouth. No joy, no memories, no sense of homecoming was there either. She was stone.

Duke realized what had been bothering him about her. Jen Lai rarely showed anger, anymore--but it was becoming just as rare for her to show anything else. She'd withdrawn from all of them, and it had seemed so much a part of her already cool demeaner that it had taken this long for him to notice it. Jen Lai had never been very open, but after she had settled in, she had become noticeably less cold and lessened her guard somewhat. Lately it seemed that the process had reversed itself, and while she was never cold or unfriendly, she was always on guard, hiding behind the same protective shields she had built back in the Brotherhood.

'What changed?' he wondered. 'What made her clam up again?'

They came to the top of a small rise in the plain, and six ducks drew their breath in sharply.

Duke didn't know what he'd been expecting. Definately not this.

"The House of Ranshael," Jen Lai said softly, "Home of the ruling family."

The pallace was low to the ground, a single-story building that was massive all the same. It was elegantly built, the main materials appearing to be wood and cloth. A stone wall surrounded it, encompassing an outer courtyard in a perfect square. Inside the wall, covered walkways connected four small buildings arranged in a square around the main building.

The palace proper was, for the most part, a large square building, surrounded by a deck protected from the weather by the overhanging of the pagoda-style roof. Open corridors were visible in places, and the walls were more like screens than anything else. In spite of its size, it looked open and airy.

"I can't believe a place like that survived the war," Duke marvelled.

"It is more defensible than it appears at first glance," Jen Lai told him. "There is no such thing as an easy victory against the House of Ranshael. Not in these days."

Duke looked sharply at her, but she was already moving down the hill. They were challenged well before they reached the wall, but the captain leading them was recognized, and they were admitted and led to a room inside the main palace.

"We must wait here for Shen Mei," Jen Lai explained. "I carry the Sword, but so does she. She will want an explanation."

"I wouldn't mind one myself," Wildwing muttered.

"She will doubtless wish to know as well why the Mask of DuCaine is being borne by another. Shen Mei fought by DuCaine's side, she will know you are not he."

"Great," Wildwing said sourly.

"I don't like this," Mallory said. "Should we be telling them anything at all?"

"Yeah, man," Nosedive added, "Didn't you guys see Back To the Future?"

"We have little choice," Jen Lai replied. "And anything we do here is already history anyway."

The screens that served as doors in the palace slid aside. Two soldiers stepped in and flanked the door, and a woman appeared in the doorway.

She was no older than Jen Lai, with cream feathers and jet black hair twisted up artfully, intertwined with strings of tiny pearls and silver combs. Her high-collared midnight-blue dress fell to her ankles above her sandaled feet. At her throat was a silver necklace bearing the Ranshael crest. Around her waist was the Sword of Ranshael.

Jen Lai sank to her knees and bowed low over them. "Ni yen cova, cortho lai shi cathas," she said calmly. "Lady, I give you greeting, as one of your blood." Shen Mei lifted her chin slightly.

"Rise," she said finally, "And prove your claim."

Jen Lai stood and drew the sword on her back. Shen Mei studied the sword and its bearer for a moment, then removed the belt that held her own sword and held it out, resting on the tips of her fingers. Jen Lai sheathed her blade and took Shen Mei's, drawing it swiftly. Duke would have held his breath had he been given time to realize what she was doing, but no lighting crackled around her hand.

Shen Mei did not visibly react. Jen Lai sheathed the sword and held it out to her. Shen Mei took it and replaced it around her waist.

Shen Mei's large, dark eyes flicked around the room, resting a moment on Wildwing before finally settling on Jen Lai. "Come with me."

"Yes, Lady."

"Now hold on," Wildwing broke in. "Jen Lai, I don't think--"

"We are safe here, Wildwing," Jen Lai insisted.

"She is right," Shen Mei said calmly. "She has proven herself of the blood and of no ill intent by drawing that blade and surviving. But if you wish, one of you may accompany her."

Jen Lai frowned. Wildwing ignored her. "Duke, go with her." Jen Lai's frown deepened. Duke ignored it as he stepped to her side. They followed Shen Mei to an inner room of the palace, one that was surrounded by stone walls and guarded by heavy doors. Shen Mei's guards opened it, and she motioned for them to sit. Duke lowered himself onto the cushions spread out for chairs, watching Jen Lai out of the corner of his eye as she knelt carefully among the silk pillows. Shen Mei walked to the small covered basket sitting in one corner of the room, dropping a hand inside to touch whatever was inside. Then she turned to them, setting a hand on the corner of the basket and raising an eyebrow.

"Need I even pose the questions?"

"Only if you wish them answered in a particular order, Lady," Jen Lai replied.

"Let's begin with who you are, and where you come from."

"I am Jen Lai di Ranshael, and I come from this place," Jen Lai answered steadily. "The sword was passed onto me by my father, and I am the last of your line."

"Explain."

"Hundreds of years from now, the last decendant of the Saurian Overlords will return. By then the memory Drake DuCaine will have fallen into legend, and the deeds of the Gacian Houses will be remembered only by the decendants of those who fought. Caught unprepared, Puckworld will fall.

"However, a Resistance will form, and among them will be those that remember what they believed to be fairy tales. One man will go in search of Puckworld's greatest defense against the Saurian invaders. The Mask will rise again, and the Saurian stronghold will fall. Draguanus, the last overlord, will escape with three henchmen and his command ship. Seven warriors will follow him through a gate to another world. One will be lost on the journey, the other six will carry on the fight against him, determined to end his tyranny for good."

Shen Mei cocked an eyebrow again. "One will be lost, you say, but there are seven of you."

Duke thought that Jen Lai might have stiffened slightly, but he wasn't sure. "I was not with the team on their initial mission," she said, her voice completely neutral. Shen Mei looked at her sharply.

"Explain," she said, her voice also neutral, but with the weight of one who carries authority. Jen Lai was silent for a moment, displaying the first uncertainty she had shown all day, as if trying to decide where to start. She glanced at Duke, but her eyes darted away again just as quickly. Resolve hardened in her face, her hands curling into fists on her knees.

"Speak up, child," Shen Mei said, her voice softening the slightest bit. Duke couldn't help thinking it was odd to hear Jen Lai called 'child' by a woman who was her elder by no more than a year or two, but at the moment, she did look like a scared child. He frowned.

"In the years just before the invasion," she said heavily, "The crops will fail, and the House will come on hard times. The labor of the people will not be enough, and money must be borrowed. Twenty years before the Saurians invade, there will be a great fire in the House that will spread to the fields. The people will rush to save the House and those of the blood who are trapped inside, and the crops will burn. The House will not give up the struggle, but sickness will suddenly spread. Those of the blood who were not killed in the fire will bow to the illness before a cure is found. When it is over, only two remain.

"My mother and I were not able to pay our debts alone, and we refused to sell the sword and heirlooms of our house. Our lands were siezed, all that the House has held since before the time of Ducaine. The other Houses were too deeply embroiled in their own troubles to aid us, but the House of Lencar took us in. My father's weaponsmaster came with us. For ten years he taught me to fight. When I was eighteen, he advised me to take back the land that was mine. I joined the Brotherhood of the Blade, intending to steal what I needed to reclaim my home." Jen Lai paused, her gaze dropping, as though she were expecting reproof. When none came, she continued.

"When the Saurians invaded, I returned to Gacia to defend it as best I could alongside Kai di Lencar. When Draguanus vanished, I left the Brotherhood for good, hoping I could reclaim my home from the ashes of the attack. Draguanus sent his henchmen to retrieve me, thinking that I would aid him destroy the six ducks that prevented him from achieving the conquest he desired.

"I refused. Renshael is pledged to serve DuCaine's Mask when needed. I stood by the pledge of honor and blood."

"I see," Shen Mei still showed no reaction. "How is it you have come here?"

"Dragaunus sprung a trap on us," Jen Lai replied, "And sent us through his dimensional gate. We landed at the Pillars."

"I see. Have you any way to go back?"

"No, Lady, not at this time. Dragaunus's gateway was created by a technology we do not possess."

Shen Mei turned back to the basket, gazing down into it. Duke glanced at Jen Lai. She was staring at the ground, her jaw set. Duke watched her, but she didn't look up.

"Very well, daughter," Shen Mei turned and offered an unexpected smile. "You and your friends have shelter hear until the Houses can be called and the circle formed."

Jen Lai stared at her. "I don't understand, Lady," she said cautiously, "Are you saying that you can send us back."

"I am saying that we will try," Shen Mei corrected. "It was we who sent the Saurians into thier prison between the worlds. The power of the four Houses, combined with that of DuCaine. He is still in Gacia, I believe, though it will take time to get messages to him and to the other Houses. In that time, you will stay with us. I will have clothing appropriate to your station supplied, my daughter, but I believe it wise that we not reveal too much about your presence. You may still carry the Sword, as is your right, but it should be swathed as any other visitor's would be."

"Yes, Lady," Jen Lai managed, rising. "Thank you."

Shen Mei nodded and turned back to the basket for a moment. She seemed to hesitate, then beckoned Jen Lai near. Duke went with her. Jen Lai looked into the basket and gasped. A perfectly formed, pearlescent egg lay on the silks within, seeming to glow against the blue and silver within.

"Isn't it beautiful," Shen Mei said proudly. "My husband's legacy. Our only child." Jen Lai reached out reverantly to run a finger down the smooth shell. "It won't be long," Shen Mei murmurred. "I can hear the baby within the shell, it is anxious to see the world." Jen Lai sighed, resting a palm against the warm globe. Shen Mei smiled. "But come, the pride of a new mother must not waste too much time." She turned and pulled a cord on the wall.

The heavy doors swung open as the guardsmen responded to her call. An elderly woman hobbled past them as they left, taking her station by the baby's basket to keep watch over the unhatched child.

The three returned to the room where the others were still nervously waiting.

"You are welcome here," Shen Mei told Wildwing, "Until we can find a way to return you to your own place. You are guests of my House, and accorded due respect. If you will follow, suitable clothes and rooms will be found for you. As for you, my daughter, please come with me, and we will dress you as the lady of the blood you are."

The six ducks followed Shen Mei's servants to adjoining rooms that had been hastily but thoroughly prepared. They were in the inner palace, where the walls were stone rather than wood and cloth. Clothes appropriate had been laid on the pallets that served as Gacian beds, and fresh water stood ready. Fifteen minutes later they met in Wildwing's room.

"I could get used to this," Mallory commented, looking down at wide-sleeved green silk dress she had been given. "A dress like this would cost a fortune anywhere else."

"It's amazing how they can hide their technology so easily," Tanya said, sitting (or rather kneeling, since the pale blue dress she had on made sitting akward) on one of the silk pads designed for that purpose. "Looking at this place, I wouldn't have even thought they had running water, but they're certainly not behind the times at all. Even if the times are ancient."

There was a knock, and a servant opened the doors and stood to the side, head bowed. The ducks looked up, and their eyes widened as Jen Lai glided into the room.

Her hair had been as elaborately coiffed as Shen Mei's, and her dress was the same style--sleeveless, high-collared, and cut into the hip, falling to her ankles and slit up her calf on one side to allow for movement. Instead of midnight blue, however, it was a delicate grey about a shade lighter than her feathers. Her sword had been belted at her waist rather than her back, and it was wrapped in deep blue silk.  Her shield dagger still hung openly beside it.

The six ducks stared at her in silence until she cocked an eyebrow at them and curtly asked them what was the matter.

"Ah...nothing," Dive was the first to get past his surprise. "Geez, Jenny-girl, Shen Mei sure treats her relatives well."

Jen Lai actually blushed. Duke couldn't remember ever seeing that happen before. "I would have insulted her had I refused. She would not let me accept less than what my station deserves."

Abruptly something clicked in the back of Duke's mind. "You're--you're like a princess to them here?"

"Cooella!" Nosedive grinned. "How come you never told us?"

Jen Lai's shoulders arched in a graceful shrug. "A queen without a land to rule is merely a woman living in the past," she said calmly. "Come, it is time to eat. Wildwing, I would ask you to keep the Mask hidden. It would cause awkward questions, since DuCaine is still alive and in possession of it." Wildwing frowned, but he put the Mask in a pouch he'd been given around his waist.

The other six ducks followed her, still trying to process the change. "Jen," Duke quickened his pace to get beside her. "How will Shen Mei explain--well, you?"

"She won't," Jen Lai replied calmly. "If she chooses not to. Her generals will probably know the truth. The rest will receive no lies. These people trust her. And you must all trust me, if we are to get home. We *are safe here.* As safe as Shen Mei herself. Someday, perhaps I will have the time to explain why. Not now, please. You must trust me or we will offend those who seek to help us."

"I trust you," Duke replied, almost automatically. It surprised him that the words came that easily; it surprised him even more that he meant them.

"Thank you," Jen Lai looked up at him for one moment. "Guests are usually expected to entertain their hosts; do not be surprised when it is required of us. I will take care of it." Duke thought the comment a little odd, but he nodded and dropped back again, thinking.

"Honored guests," Shen Mei smiled and bowed her head to them slightly as they came in. "Please, sit and enjoy our hospitality." Jen Lai bowed at the waist, and the others followed suit, though most of them felt rather awkward. They knelt at their places in front of the low table. Jen Lai was directed to a seat at Shen Mei's right, Wildwing to her left, Grin at the foot of the table, and the rest along the sides, beside the men and women already seated. "Allow me to introduce my generals," Shen Mei motioned to those around her.

"Lai Shei'ir shi Ranshael, the commander of my infantry." The tan-feathered man inclined his head. "Kiran Meilar shi Ranshael, mistress of our calvalry." She smiled at them (particularly at Wildwing, who reddened slightly) and bowed as well. "Mei Jin Corano shi Ranshael, our strategic expert." She was an older woman, grey-haired and light feathered. "Kian Vortha shi Ranshael, High General." He merely nodded, dark brown hair only a shade darker than his feathers.

"We are honored," he rumbled.

"As are we," Jen Lai responded. "My teammates," she motioned to each of them in turn. "Duke L'Orange shi Ranshael, an expert in covert operations." Duke managed to bow without looking surprised that she'd added her House name to his. "Mallory McMallard shi Ranshael specializes in combat tactics, Check Hardwing shi Ranshael--" Duke wondered what she would come up with for that one. And for Nosedive. Just what did those two DO on this team, anyway, he wondered with brief amusement. "--the student of a great hockey master, Nosedive Flashblade shi Ranshael, the younger brother of our Captain, Wildwing Flashblade shi Ranshael."

"We thank you for your aid and hosipitality, Lady," Wildwing said solemnly.

"You are welcome to it," Shen Mei inclined her head slightly. "Were my husband still alive, he would welcome you as well. All those who fight evil are welcome in these walls."

"Lady Shen Mai has told us of your battle," Mei Jin said. "I was dismayed to hear that our solution was not a permanent one, but I am pleased Puckworld's fighting spirit did not go the way of its legends."

"It saddens me that the people's memory is so short," Kian's deep, gravelly voice responded.

"The people's, perhaps, but not the Houses," Jen Lai answered. "Our heros are not forgotten. It is difficult, however, to take faith in something that there is no physical evidence of. In the eyes of the youth, at least, the tails of Drake DuCaine and his Mask were remembered and treasured as they should be." She smiled slightly at Nosedive as the food was set before them. A figure appeared in the doorway and bowed deeply.

"Your pardon, Lady, for delaying your dinner."

"No pardon necessary. Please, join us," Shen Mei waved him to the empty place next to Jen Lai. "Rian di Lencar, my kinswoman, Lady Jen Lai di Ranshael." Surprise touched his eyes, but only for a moment as he bowed to Jen Lai. She returned the bow and rewarded him, to her teammates surprise, with a genuine smile. Duke lifted an eyebrow, studying the newcomer. 'Lencar,' he thought, 'that's the House she said took her and her mother in. Of course she's grateful to them.'

Dinner was exotic by the team's standards but good. There were some of the more universal Puckworld dishes served as well, and it was all Duke could do to keep from stuffing himself in an extremely undignified manner. He hadn't realized how much he missed his homeworld's food until now. Talk around the table was for the most part lead by Shen Mei and Rian, exchanging news from their territories. Rian, it was revealed, was the heir to House Lencar. Duke glanced briefly at the wrapped sword hanging by his side and wondered if that were the Sword of Lencar, or if they even had a blade with the history of Jen Lai's.

"My father will no doubt respond to your message with all due haste, my Lady," Rian was saying. "The summons of this great House will not be ignored. The Lady has shown herself to be an excellent judge of the seriousness of a situation, and he will not question her judgement."

"Your father is a wise man," Shen Mei nodded. "May you grow equally wise when it is your time to rule."

"May the ancestors guide me, Lady," Rian lifted his cup before draining it.

When dinner was finished, Shen Mei and her generals emerged into the main hall, followed by their guests. The clansmen knelt as their ruler took her seat, motioning Jen Lai to her right, and Rian to her left. The rest of the team followed the generals to a row of seats below the raised platform where the Lady of the House sat.

Duke glanced around the hall, wondering what was next. Everyone's eyes were raised, waiting. Behind him, out of sight, Shen Mei lifted her hand. "Let all those who seek favor come forth for the glory of their family and clan! Step forward!"

The crowd rose, and cleared a circle before the dais where they sat, and a young man and woman came forward, both with sword in hand. Duke's hand itched for his saber.

"Who bears an open sword in these halls?" Shen Mei demanded.

"Markaso and Miaka Jeiman, seeking shi Ranshael."

"What?" Wildwing murmurred.

"They seek to claim the clan name Ranshael," Kiran whispered back, smiling at him once more. Wildwing tried not to blush. "It is not an uncommon request, or it was not, before the war. If the di Ranshael is impressed enough, they will be allowed to clame her name as their clan, as we do. Only shi Ranshael can serve the house in battle."

"*The* di Ranshael?" Duke raised an eyebrow. Jen Lai's quiet voice came from behind him.

"It is not my last name, it is my House title. The di Ranshael are the ruling family, they use the house name as their own. The rest keep their family name, as Kiran has, and take the House name as their clan name. She must have stood before this place as well, to earn the right to become shi Ranshael."

Kiran puffed slightly with pride.

"So the di Ranshael is like--like a queen?" Nosedive turned and looked at Jen Lai. She shrugged.

"I suppose that would make a rough translation, yes. 'di Ranshael' means simply that the person is of the House blood, a prince or a princess in a manner of speaking. *The* di Ranshael is the current House ruler." She nodded toward Shen Mei. Nosedive shook his head.

"I still can't believe you never told us you were royalty," he said with a grin. Jen Lai turned back to the floor.

The two youths raised their swords in salute before facing off with two of the House guards. Duke was impressed with their abilities, though Shen Mei called a halt before either side won or lost.

"The first test has been passed," Kiran told them.

A small group of House guards were their next challenge. Again, Duke was impressed. The siblings worked as a flawless team, holding their own against the older, more experienced, and more numerous opponents. Shen Mei waited longer this time but still ended the battle before a clear winner was decided.

"Second test down," Duke muttered. Kiran nodded.

The the two young warriors blanched at Shen Mei's next command. She wanted them to fight each other. They looked at each other, then Miaka's face hardened and she stepped forward.

"I refuse this challenge, Lady. I will not face my own blood in actual combat, even be it your decree."

Her brother hesitated only a moment before joining his sister's denial.

Duke tensed. Wildwing and Nosedive were frowning. Duke could almost see them thinking 'That's not fair, to make them fight each other...'

"Excellent." Duke's eyebrows shot up and he twisted in his seat to look at Shen Mei. Her chin was lifted proudly. "The House of Ranshael asks no warrior to follow will that is not their own. Your personal honor must come even before your duty, for it is not me you must face when you pass from this world. Your duty, however, must come before your personal glory. Those who follow me must follow because they believe I know what is best. Not because they seek fame for themselves. You serve the good of the House and clan now, Markaso and Miaka Jeiman *shi Ranshael.*"

For a heartbeat they were still. Then, in unison, they drew their swords and dropped to one knee. "Ni yen cova, cortho lai shi cathas!" The House guards echoed the cry.

Shen Mei motioned for silence and opened her mouth to speak again.  Before she could say anything, a harried-looking guard rushed in and blurted something in Gacian.  In the heartbeat it Jen Lai to jump to her feet, Shen Mei was through the door.  The ducks ran after their teammate as she followed her ancestor.

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The Mighty Ducks and all associated characters (except for Jen Lai di Ranshael and all original characters, who are the property of the author and not to be used without permission) are the property of Disney.  No copyright infringement intended.

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