Season 2 -Part 40:The day of the pagent

Friday, the scheduled day of the pageant, arrived to boisterous fanfare. A record audience for the event, made up of over 300,000 people, began to arrive early in the morning until well into the afternoon. The Galaxy Police, including Mihoshi and Kiyone, arrived in full force and martial regalia to oversee the event while the media broadcast galaxy wide to a rapt 200 billion viewers who tuned in to watch not only the fifteen participants from other planets all over the galaxy, but the mysteriously exciting Lady Ami, who had appeared from nowhere to claim her status as an icon, and the universally beloved Princess Ayeka going all out in the pageant, showing off their beauty, grace and battle prowess. 

The main hall was a giant arena several dozen stories high and reminded Jerren of a sporting stadium rather than any pageant stage that he had ever seen. In the center, a stage had been erected with several tiers separating the different levels. Thousands of hovering cameras filled the airspace covering reporters, the crowd, their environs, and the young women on display from every conceivable angle.

Lady Seto, followed closely by her secretaries, Harada and Minaho, were walking up the main hall being bombarded with questions by reporters on all sides. 

"Back off you parasites,” Harada yelled at them, “Or would rather tour the inside of a cell? How dare you bother the Devil Princess of Jurai?”

A wide berth was given to Lady Seto’s entourage after that. 

"They are so noisy,” said Minaho, “they will do anything to get their ratings up."

"They serve my purposes,” replied Seto smiling beatifically, “you need not concern yourselves unduly."

Minaho pulled out a pad and viewed its screen for a few moments.

"Seina Yamada has given notice that he won't be able to join us since he's stopping a pirate raid in a sector not too far from here." Minaho intoned.

"Yes, I sent him there; better if he does not join us I think! A rather crude man!” replied Seto, “Is Ayeka wearing that dress I sent her?”

Minaho looked at her pad.

"Well I have just received notice that she is arriving in her ship as we speak, there is no word yet on what she is wearing.”

"Hmm…be a dear Minaho and inform the Princess Ayeka that she is to wear that dress, if she is not already,” Lady Seto made a casual gesture that belied the steel in her voice, “she is to meet up with her mother and father once she arrives in the main hall. I shall be along shortly.”

"Yes Lady Seto, at once.” Minaho bowed as she walked off.

Meanwhile Jerren and Ami were in their dressing room talking. Ami was powdering her nose while Jerren sat on a stool behind her fidgeting with a cosmetic applicator, feeling a little out of his element.

"So Ami, are you ready for the big night?” He said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Yes!”  Ami smiled into the mirror. “I’m ready to protect and defend our partnership."

"That’s my girl!” replied Jerren. “I have complete faith in you. You are beautiful and talented and you never give up!” Ami blushed as she heard the sincerity in Jerrens’ encouraging words.

"Why thank you Jerren,” Ami turned to face her friend, “that’s just the thing I needed to hear before I face princess Ayeka tonight. But now it’s time to get changed into my new dress." Ami rose to her feet and walked over to a separator. Without thinking Jerren followed. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” Ami smiled putting a hand up in front of Jerrens’ face. He recollected himself and gave a sheepish grin.

“Um, yeah I’ll just wait over here then.” He said blushing, walking back to his seat.

Ami walked behind the separator and started changing out of her clothes into her pageant dress. After a few minutes of silence broken only by little noises of exertion by Ami, she walked out in a new dress that made Jerren speechless.

"So Jerren, what do you think of my new dress?” Ami shyly twirled a corner of the dress. It was something a princess would wear, with its blue shade stretching from her shoulders to the tips of her feet which were only just visible. She had two long blue ribbons stretching down her dress almost to the ground, and she wore a golden tiara on her forehead.

"W...W...Well Ami, I have to say…” Jerren blushed and looked at the ground. “You look b...beautiful!"

"Why, thanks Jerren.” Ami blushed and smiled doing a spin that made the fabric billow. A mercurian servant gave it to me! Oh, but we need to go; I need to report to the staging area, failure to do so will mean being disqualified."

Walking in to the staging room Ami and Jerren were confronted by fifteen contestants from all over the Empire, each with a small retinue applying last minute touchups, that fostered a the feeling that the contestants were war machines, moments away from battle, rather than beauty queens. The director saw Jerren and Ami and ticked at the screen of his pad.

"Ah good, the contestant Ami Mizuno of Jurai is here.” said the director, “My, oh my, what an astonishing outfit, my dear you are positively radiant!” Everyone turned to look at her, some with open envy or admiration, others, with glares and haughty, icy exteriors.

"Hey Ami your making a scene,” whispered Jerren, “They love it.” Ami blushed as she heard this, but noticed, unlike Jerren, that the other girls were not happy with the competition Ami represented and knew there would be repercussions from the director’s comment.

"Alright…” said the director clearing his throat and holding his clip pad. “All contestants are here except Princess Ayeka of the planet Jurai, but concessions have been made for the Princess…oh well. Ok first of all I would like to thank each of you for participating in the 200th annual Galactic Beauty Pageant and I have to say you all do your respective sectors proud…” All contestants including Ami applauded.

"The first session will of course be the pageant itself where you will show off your figures in the outfits provided by your sponsors, dazzling the audience with your unique brand of beauty and grace. Then, in part two there will be the battle simulator where you will be wearing the GP’s new training uniform, a ploy devised by the pageants’ benefactors designed to raise enlistment numbers or some such malarkey, I’m sure.” They all nodded uncertainly at the director’s commentary. “And then you will be tested on your fighting skill. On a more practical note, the outfits are apparently extremely flattering so there is a little ray of sunshine. Hmm, okay that is all! Report to your stage entry positions, the show is about to start."

"Yes sir!” They all said in unison.