Vagrant Queen

Say hello to our little friend.

Winnibot, meet Elida and Isaac.

I'm calling her Winnibot.

- That is a great name. -

Lovely to meet you both.

If the pleasantries are over, it would be wise for me

to list off technical faults in my system.

Sounds productive. Great idea.

Hydro-locked cylinders,

mass air flow sensors at 10% capacity,

damaged alternator, cracked camshaft,

loose combustion chamber, missing piston...

- Okay, turn it off. - We get it, man.

Honest, direct. I love her!

- - If you prefer,

I can start smaller.

Urgent refueling is required.

Yeah, okay. Let's get gas.

The refueling station on Planet Qualla

has excellent ratings.

Good job, Winni.

_

- -

Fill her up? Thanks.

I know what you're thinking.

Why was I running her so long on empty?

Destroying the pistons like that?

Yeesh.

We had a bit of a situation to get away from, okay?

You're judging me, aren't you?

It's okay, I judge me.

This looks like beef jerky.

Last time you said that you were on the toilet for a week.

Okay, Operation Rescue Mom.

This fuel will give us another hop,

but we'll need to stop off again before Planet Wix.

Ooh, Froguu!

- For the trip. - Stock up.

Still gotta figure out how we're gonna get into Republic Space.

I told you. Blast a hole in the force field surrounding it.

Putting an impenetrable force field around an area of space

is the most despicable waste of resources ever.

The Republic's more paranoid than the monarchy ever was.

And that's saying something.

And the idea is to go in stealth.

Explosions, not so stealthy.

No, but effective.

- Ooh! -

Aww. Why?

Right, well, if we're not gonna blast our way

into Republic Space, how else are we gonna

- get to Planet Wix? - I'm working on it.

This doesn't seem like a bad place to hang for a bit,

make a plan...

Well, not right here.

Way over there somewhere.

Oops!

- What is that? - Froguu!

You've never had one of these?

- What's the alcohol content? - None! It's pure sugar.

Chaz and I grew up on this stuff.

- Right? - I never had anything

- like this as a kid. - Really?

Didn't you kind of get anything you wanted as queen?

No. My food was hand-prepared

and then eaten by four royal tasters before it got to me...

Cold. Hmm.

World's tiniest violin?

You have to make sure you get the perfect flavor ratio.

- Are you kidding me? - Your Majesty.

Will you come with us willingly?

- - I take that as a no?

Whoa, whoa! These are just stun guns!

- No one needs to get hurt. - Well, these are kill guns!

- So leave! -

Will getting shot at be a regular occurrence with you two?

I mean, you get used to it.

Putting my gun down.

Let's just talk.

I think we got off on the wrong foot, Your Majesty.

So sorry, Your Majesty.

And sorry about the mess.

I'll take this.

And these.

Get something for me too.

- - _

You're doing great.

You are crowned Queen Eldaya XXIII,

Guardian of the House of Bel-Ior,

Empress of Arriopa and all her planets,

and Queen of Eternity.

- -

Holy Queen, my people send me to you seeking justice.

The Governor of Pallas thinks she deserves special attention.

Your Majesty, Pallas is a mining colony

that depends on food shipments to survive,

but transports aren't meeting our needs.

I'm not even asking for more food.

But please allow us to direct

some more of our industrial workforce to agriculture.

That doesn't sound like too much?

- It is. - Governor,

this is not the time for a petition.

But please, send your people the queen's blessing.

This dress is trying to kill me.

By royal decree, the queen can wear pants.

Thanks.

Why can't we help that woman who asked for help for Pallas?

Pallas is our largest neutral metals producer.

Any decline in production could cause critical shortages.

We need them as they are.

I thought the Queen was supposed to help people.

You are. But the kingdom is far more important

than any single part of it.

Every change has consequences.

Let Pallas lower their metal production

and the economy of Vorr collapses.

Redirect food transports, and Sestus starves.

But Pallas is already starving.

It's a complicated web you'll learn to weave.

Where are your shoes?

I don't like to wear anything I can't run in.

She's got a point.

What will I do with you two?

Why hasn't she woken up yet?

I'm not sure, it should have worn off by now.

Yeah?

Well, why don't we ask your buddy what the deal is?

_

Asshole. Why is she still out?

Ah, yes.

Well, the last time we knocked her out,

she woke up a lot sooner than we expected,

so we used a slightly higher intensity jolt.

- It shouldn't cause any... -

I mean, somebody had to punch that guy in the face.

That face was begging to be punched, right?

Ugh! I deserve it.

Yes, he did.

His orders were to bring Queen Eldaya...

Elida.

- Elida here, safely. - And not shoot her

with a blast of electricity, you fool.

She's not exactly easy to talk to.

We thought if we just get her back here, you could take over.

So, what?

You guys have just been following me since Varook?

Why didn't you just tell me your damn plan?

Coulda got her here a lot safer than these two lamebrains.

You were nothing more than a scavenger

with a loud mouth, selling information

on our queen to the highest bidder.

We weren't about to disclose

where our Loyalist base camp was.

Judgey much? I didn't sell her out, okay?

Not totally.

I took the brooch to her, didn't I?

Told her about her mother.

So maybe instead of berating me,

you should take a look at yourselves.

He's right.

You handled this in a really bad way.

I know. But she's here now,

with her people, and she'll be okay.

When she wakes, we'll explain everything.

In the meantime, make yourselves at home.

Damn right I will.

Where's the whiskey?!

Ow. Oh.

Creep.

You're her best friend?

Yeah.

She needs me, you know?

Taught her most of her moves.

Wow! So cool!

What?

I see that you are enjoying all that this camp has to offer.

Who doesn't love a uniform?

Can I get you anything else, Mr. Stelling, Miss Rali?

Just Amae. I'm good.

Running low.

Ihred! Did you know Isaac taught Elida

everything she knows about fighting?