Mick Cracken stood in front of the assembled crowd and basked in the glow of achieving his life’s dream, ready to give his acceptance speech. As Jacob braced himself for what he was sure would be an insufferable bit of oration, he wasn’t sure he had ever seen someone so satisfied, so happy, and so completely full of himself.

“This,” Mick said, unable to contain his biggest grin. “This is mind-boggling. This is unreal. This is history in the making. This is unprecedented. This is everything I hoped it would be and more. I’m… so incredibly awesome.”

He sighed and looked as if he might pass out from joy, but then he grew more serious and raised a finger. “But this isn’t about me,” he said unconvincingly. “No. This is about you, the Astral people, and…”

There was a gasp and a scream at the back of the crowd. People began shouting, and the lights in the room suddenly dimmed. The crowd parted to allow Patrick and General Gravy to walk to the stage. They seemed to have acquired still more medals and ribbons and were carrying very large blasters. Jacob glanced around as Valkyrian soldiers trained their blasters on the crowd. The monkeys hissed and screeched in displeasure.

As the entire crowd nervously watched the Gravys to see what they would do, Patrick slowly reached his hand up and snapped his fingers.

The window that had been showing the canopy of stars turned opaque and images of Earth flashed to life. Jacob recognized pictures of war on Earth, of bombs exploding, men shooting assault rifles, and nuclear missiles being transported on a huge truck. He also caught footage of an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie mixed in, and he wasn’t sure if the Astrals could really tell the difference.

“The Earthers are preparing to destroy us,” Patrick Gravy said. “We know their war-like tendencies. It is written in their destinies. Their history has been filled with nothing but war, which has just been practice for the battles they will soon bring to space. They think we’re nothing but aliens.” The crowd gasped at his use of the A-word. “And it is time we Astrals protected ourselves. The day for Earther Rapture has arrived.”

The window changed to show an image of Earth covered with crosshairs.

“A promise is a promise, President Cracken,” General Gravy said in his gravelly voice. “Our missiles are ready.”

Jacob locked eyes with the king, who nodded solemnly.

Jacob started walking toward the front of the stage. He had known this moment was coming. Everything was happening according to his plan.

The Gravys trained their blasters on Jacob. Patrick Gravy shouted, “Don’t you dare step up to that microphone!”

Jacob summoned all of his courage and steadied his nerves as he ignored Patrick and walked to the front of the stage. Patrick fired a shot that hit the lectern, and Jacob forced himself to face death and stand fast. He didn’t think that the Gravys would really shoot him in front of the largest television audience in Astral history, but it didn’t make it any easier to stand his ground. His heart pounded.

Jacob turned and pointed at the image of Earth.

“That is my home. That is where my mom lives, where my friends’ families live, and where I go to school. It’s a really nice planet, full of really great people. We’re not perfect, and yes, there are too many wars. But we don’t want to start a war with you. We want to live in peace.”

“Lies!” Patrick Gravy shouted.

Jacob snapped his fingers and an image of a puppy filled the screen, followed by a rainbow over a green hill, and then nice-looking people from Earth.

“If you destroy Planet Earth, my mom will die. My mom.” Jacob tried not to cry at the thought of his mom making a sandwich in the kitchen only to be blown up by crazy Valkyrians. “Lots of moms will die, and dads and friends and grandfathers and grandmothers and… just people. We’re just people.”

He snapped his fingers again, and the screen showed a corndog.

“And we eat corndogs too.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Patrick Gravy said. “That’s what the Earthers want you to think.”

“You almost elected me president,” Jacob said. “And that means so much to me. Astrals, you know me. I’m half Astral. You can trust me. Don’t do this.”

There was another commotion in the back of the room, and Officers Bosendorfer and Erard entered with a dozen similarly rotund space officers. They trained their blasters on the Valkyrians, who began yelling at each other to hold their fire.

Jacob turned to Mick, who was watching the scene unfold with his hands clasped. There was only so much Jacob could do. At the end of the day Mick was president, and Jacob could only hope that he would make the right decision.

“Your move, Cracken,” Jacob said.

Mick stepped up to the microphone and tapped his foot. He turned back to look at Earth and then looked out at the crowd, and after a moment Jacob realized he was staring at Sarah Daisy.

Mick glanced at Jacob and then shook his head slowly. “A promise is a promise,” he said.

Jacob clenched his fists. He had miscalculated. He should never have trusted Mick Cracken’s better judgment. That conceited space pirate was really going to…

“And I promised Sarah Daisy that I wouldn’t let Earth be destroyed.”

Jacob unclenched his hands in relief. Mick grinned at Jacob, gloating that he had tricked him.

Patrick Gravy gasped. “You promised us that you would let us destroy that stupid planet!”

Mick shrugged. “She’s prettier than you are.”

Suddenly Patrick turned and trained his blaster straight at Sarah, who screamed. Jacob dove off the stage and plowed into Patrick, pushing him to the ground. Patrick’s blaster scattered safely away. At that precise moment the monkeys began throwing chairs and campaign paraphernalia at the Valkyrian soldiers. Boris quickly descended on General Gravy and bit his right hand until the general dropped his blaster.

“Officers Bosendorfer and Erard!” Mick shouted. “Arrest these filthy Valkyrians.”

“On what charges?!” General Gravy scoffed.

Mick paused. “Destroying a defenseless moon that wasn’t bothering anyone.”

“Ha!” General Gravy laughed. “How about the fact that you ordered us to kidnap Jacob Wonderbar? I’m sure the courts will look kindly on that.”

“That’s not true,” Jacob said to the crowd, grimacing at the lie he was about to tell to help Mick Cracken. “I staged those kidnappings to try and win votes. It was a campaign stunt.”

“You…” Patrick Gravy muttered from underneath Jacob. “You liar!”

Officer Bosendorfer grabbed General Gravy roughly by the shoulders, and Officer Erard swung Patrick up into a standing position. Officer Bosendorfer had tears in his eyes.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long,” he wept.

Officer Erard nodded and held his hand to his chest. “I always get emotional during a good arrest.”

The space officers led the Valkyrians out of the room, and the audience cheered wildly. Jacob nodded his thanks to Mick, who looked happier than ever.

“Only five minutes into my presidency and already my first scandal!” Mick said.