The Imperial Guards boarded the Valkyrie the moment she docked in Cyan Bay. Scantily-clad in intimidating shades of black and crimson, the squadron leader made her way across the deck to the haul of the vessel. The all- male crew exchanged confused expressions as the individual guards approached them. The middle-aged man dressed in dark brown trousers and brown leather flight jacket stepped out of the control room. "What's going on here?" he asked, pulling the toothpick from his mouth. His brown hair was slicked back from his face with what appeared to be engine grease, and a pair of old-fashioned aviator goggles rested atop his head. "Captain Cid Cloudrider?" the woman before him asked. "I am General Kitty of Supreme Emperor Chris' Imperial Guard." "Supreme Emperor who?" Cid asked, looking baffled. "Supreme Emperor Chris," General Kitty repeated. "He rules the world." "Since when?" "Since last Tuesday," General Kitty informed him. Cid scratched at the week's worth of beard he'd acquired during his travel. "You mean to tell me," he began, "that during the week the boys and I were gone someone managed to take over all of Gaia?" "Yes." Cid chewed on his toothpick for a moment. "I knew those morons in Alizarin were screwin' us all over," he remarked. "I told them turning these airships into freighters, and dissolving the army was a bad idea," he muttered. "Oh, sure, world peace, I said, how long can that possibly last? Why don't you just open the doors to the Gaia Council and invite the little buggers in?" He pulled his toothpick out of his mouth long enough to spit. "Well, that shows them, doesn't it?" "Your ship is the only that remains in its original warship configuration, isn't it, Captain?" General Kitty asked. "That's right, Miss Kitty," Cid replied. "Is the Supreme Emperor planning on changin' that? Gonna try and tame the Valkyrie, is he?" "It's _General_ Kitty, Captain Cloudrider," General Kitty corrected him. "Supreme Emperor Chris would like to employ you and your ship in his services." "Well, well, finally a leader that knows what he's doing," Cid remarked. "Assuming you and your crew meet the regulations for government employees," General Kitty continued, "we'll have you fly to Alizarin immediately." "New regulations?" Cid repeated. "What was wrong with the old ones?" "They've remained mostly unchanged," General Kitty replied. "There's just been a few little additions. Precautions Emperor Chris is taking to ensure his long and successful reign." She paused. "We'll need to ask your crew a few simple questions." "Like?" "Their names, where they came from, and if they are now or ever have been part of a resistance militia group." She paused. "We'll also be doing a routine check to see if any of them have silly hair, impossibly large swords, and some kind of deep set psychological problem." Cid blinked. "Uh...what?" "Supreme Emperor Chris' intellect is vastly superior to your average citizen's, so it's understandable that you may find his methods to sometimes be a little... odd. However, you can be assured that he knows exactly what he is doing." She paused. "It has been determined by his previous scientific research that the aforementioned characteristics mark individuals who would be dangerous to the well-being and security of Gaia." "Well, I guess it does sort of make sense," Cid agreed. "I know I wouldn't want any people with mental problems armed with large weapons running loose if I was emperor." "I can see you are a man of reason, Captain Cloudrider," General Kitty remarked. "Supreme Emperor Chris will be pleased to have you in his army." A lower-ranking guard appeared at General Kitty's side, saluting. "General," she said, breathless with excitement, "we've found a very suspicious individual below decks." "Do they match Supreme Emperor Chris' criteria for dangerous threats to Gaia's security?" General Kitty asked. "Is it silly hair or deep-set psychological problems?" "You'd better just come with me, General," the guard replied, unable to keep from grinning. "It's something you have to see for yourself."