Lime flopped into a seat and Thena exclaimed,"I have GOT to PEE! Right now!" Bluebell put the high-chair down by the door, and said while pointing,"Go through that door and turn LEFT. It goes to the head off the kitchen." Thena smiled at Sunshine and ran off, almost cross-legged. Sunshine sat down and asked Lime,"Think she'll make it?" Lime hooked her arm over the seat-back and said,"She has a better bladder than Starshine! She'll make it." Starshine walked up to Lime and exclaimed,"I has good bladder! Shut up!" Bluebell said,"Starry! INSIDE voice! Have a seat, please." Sunshine asked,"WHY are we here? Why is everyone so excited?" Lime said,"Dunno. I was on the bridge when we went to Condition Alert. That Haen woman called up the captain and told him that a Tapponock battle group was about to confront us because no one from the other terminal planet called to warn them some one was coming! SO we might be pirates or smugglers or something. That is NOT why we're HERE,though!" About that time, Prince walked into the room in a brightly colored costume. He said,"Hey,babee! What do you folks think of my 'princely finery'? Haen had it made for me over on the Naga Corvette. It's based off of a design she saw on Earth a hundred years ago!" Lime said,"You look like a clown." Sunshine laughed,"You sounded just like daddy! 'Royalty dresses like clowns to amuse the masses for the same reason.' Prince, Lime is right...you do look funny! Did she do something ELSE to your hair?" He frowned at Sunny and exclaimed,"EVENED IT UP! Now it doesn't look like Typhon scalped me! Thank you!" Starry said, after climbing up on the table top,"Prince looks very handsome!" Bluebell whipped around from tending to her baby,China, and exclaimed,"BAD! You are acting bad, Starshine! NO climbing on furniture! C'mere!" She reached over and scooped Starry off the table and set her down on the deck. Sunshine asked,"ANYWAY--WHY ARE WE HERE? I wanna see what's going on!" Bluebell said,"Haen told Mother that she should 'Lock up your children! Do not let them out until the adults have a handle on the situation. You do NOT want them exposed until you understand what's going on down-planet.' Unquote! She was REALLY insistent about ONE thing, 'Lime--do not scan ANYONE outside the ship! It will mess you up for life!' THAT seems pretty dire, to me!" Prince said,"Do you think they EAT children?" Bluebell shrugged. "The Sururin and Naga are acting VERY mysterious about terminal planets in general, and this one in particular, so I'm not sure what's going on." Thena came back from the head with a satisfied smile. She asked,"Did I miss anything? Find out what's going on,yet? Hey, Prince! Like the new hair-style!" She looked over at Sunshine and winked, laughing. Sunny said,"Oh, SHUT UP! I never cut hair before! I recorded what Mommy did to mine and did something similar to his! He asked for it!" Lime said,"That's what prisoners say about people they stabbed in jail! 'He asked for it!'" Lime made stabbing motions and went,"Huh!Huh! GAaaahh! Flop!" They all had a good laugh, except for Sunshine, who just frowned and muttered,"Aw, you're ALL clowns! It's not that funny!" Starry looked around and asked,"Can I have some pudding? AND a cookie? Do we have CAKE? That YELLOW CAKE?" Bluebell asked, "The lemon cake with butterscotch icing? Heck, I could go for that myself!" She got up and said to Prince,"YOU are in charge until I get back with cake! Don't let anyone do anything! Except go to the bathroom." Halfway across the mess, she turned and said,"An update from Rose! Wait..." She listened and after a moment she looked shocked. Lime asked,"WHAT? WHAT?" Bluebell swallowed and said,"I'll get you all cake. I've been ordered to keep you all in here until we leave system, if necessary." Thena said,"I'd have brought a change of clothes, if I knew that!" Sunny said,"This sucks." --TO BE CONTINUED!--