A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM EMPRESS GEELA:
This greeting is for all citizens living, working, and whining on the planets of the Pentangle: I am GEELA, and as of this moment I declare myself your new EMPRESS!
Henceforth, the planets of the Pentangle—Lunaria, Junoia, Rhealo, Heralda, and Athenia—will be under my control. The glorious, magnificent, and most adored Dark Empress of Evil has taken over.
Any questions or complaints should be directed to a member of my faithful Android army, who would be happy to find a new home for you in the DUNGEON OF DARK DOOM.
“And … cut!” Geela—the self-appointed Dark Empress of Evil—smirked as she finished recording her special announcement for the galaxy. “That should get the message across.” She turned to a guard and ordered, “Play that for the people of the Pentangle after we rid them of their filthy royalty!”
With a casual flick of her wrist, Geela dismissed her Android army. “Now, go! Go forth and take the royal families of the Pentangle prisoner. It is my turn to rule the Galaxy!” The imposing metallic troops scattered quickly. No one who worked for the evil empress ever wanted to be left alone with her. Geela had a creepy habit of melting creatures with her eyes when she was in a bad mood. She had also been known to wrap her tongue around her victims’ necks and squeeze them to death. Her razor-sharp fingernails could shoot out at 452 miles per hour to stop an enemy dead in his tracks. In short, she was not the kind of lady anyone wanted to mess with … not even heavily armed guards.
Geela stroked her small, winged sidekick. “Ah, Tibbitt,” she crooned, her face morphing into a gruesome smile. Tibbitt stood dutifully by her side. The dragon-like creature—with a disturbingly humanlike head—had been in Geela’s service for years. The empress’s late father passed him down to Geela, and during his years with the family, Tibbitt had become an expert listener and sounding board. “The time has finally come for my complete takeover of the Pentangle Galaxy.”
Tibbitt sighed happily in response.
“As soon as I’ve had my coffee and a doughnut,” she crooned. “I will attack each of the five revolting planets of the Pentangle, rule their people myself with a long magnificent reign as empress, and—just to make sure no one bothers me—I’ll lock the royal families in…” Geela paused dramatically, lifted her arms into the air and screamed, “… the Dungeon of Dark Doom on Sector Nine!”
She tipped back her head and laughed—a horrible, honking sound that almost made Tibbitt flinch. Geela sneered, “Oh yes, that’s right. All five of the ridiculous royal families are going down. The time for ‘getting along’ and ‘living in peace’ is over. Royalty-schmoyalty!”
Beside her, Tibbitt carefully matched his expression to Geela’s and snickered.
The empress switched over to a nasal, whining voice and went on. “All these silly princesses and kings and queens, who think they’re so special just because they were born royal. Ha!” She shook her fist in the air. “Royal blood doesn’t make you more deserving, more beautiful, or more loved. I’ll prove to all of them that I am a better ruler than any of them, even though I have no royal blood running through my ice-cold veins. Let’s show the planets of the Pentangle who their new ruler is.”
Tibbitt cocked his head curiously.
Geela violently twisted his ear and laughed her savage laugh. “I’m talking about me, you fool. After today, the new leader of the entire Pentangle Galaxy will be meeeeeee!”