The Brain's inane smile turned downward as he strained to grasp the gist of what Cheddar the Space Mouse was squeaking about.

Cheddar concluded his discourse, and then looked at the strangers with an expectant air and twinkling red eyes.

"Uh, Brain, aren't you going to answer him?" Pinky asked his mentor quietly, after several seconds ticked by.

"I'm working on it..." The Brain muttered. How humiliating! He was fluent in twenty- five human languages, but he hadn't understood a word of what a creature from his own species had said. He wasn't about to admit that to anyone, though, least of all, Pinky. "He spoke so softly... I couldn't hear everything clearly," he explained, the excuse sounded lame even to him.

"Poit! I believe he asked us if we were shot down by Zarkon's forces and if we needed assistance in repairing our ship." The gangly mouse supplied helpfully.

"That's a good guess, my linguistically challenged friend, but you don't really know what he said, do you?" The Brain arched an imperious eyebrow.

"Well actually, yes, I do. He's speaking a very common field mouse dialect, with a thick accent, similar to Arnold's, back at the lab."

The eyebrow lowered.

"Arnold? Who's Arnold?"

Pinky sighed, looking glum. "Narf. Arnold Schwartzenmouse. He's the one from Austria, that has huge muscles, with veins popping out all over him, icky poo!" The pink nosed mouse shivered in distaste. "He likes to bend his cage bars a lot."

"Oh, him," The Brain nodded. "Acme is using him to test those new steroids. He's a intelligent fellow, but all he does now is flex and throw out extremely catchy one liners."

"Yes, I always thought he's really too droll for the likes of our little network, he should be in the movies," Pinky said sadly.

For a moment, the two lab rodents pondered the injustice of it all.

An impatient sounding squeak interrupted their muse and they blushed.

"Apologize for our discourtesy, Pinky, and tell him we need help and materials for our 'ship'," The Brain murmured to his companion, hoping that he wouldn't be questioned as to why he was delegating any sort of authority.

No worries, his cheerful, but bubbled-headed cohort relayed the message without hesitation, amid several loud 'poits' and 'zorts'.

Cheddar nodded enthusiastically to whatever had been said, and rattled off a monologue that Pinky appeared to understand, but which also heightened the Brain's anxiety about what response his addled companion would give.

Pinky answered rapidly and assuredly in the same dialect. He smilingly listened to the rejoinder and then started to snort and chortle uncontrollably, with the Space Mouse heartily joining in the laughter after a moment of hesitation.

"What? What? What's so funny?" A seething Brain snapped, in an undertone.

"He's wondering, since we'll need replacement space suits, what helmet size 'Mr. Large Noggin' wears," Pinky giggled. "Oo, what a funny, funny nickname, can I call you that too, Brain, Mr. Large Noggin, sir?" His giggles quickly ceased as he saw the fierce scowl on his friend's basset-hound-like features.

"Don't make me hurt you in front of the Princess, Pinky," The Brain calmly said, through clenched teeth. "She'd probably faint."

"Oh no," Pinky whispered, casting adoring eyes upon the lovely Allura. "We mustn't have that!" He smiled at the ruler of Arus, his heart in his gaze. Fortunately, she was looking elsewhere.

"Was there anything else?" The Brain prodded him impatiently.

"Oh yes, we are to come back to the Castle with them now, Cheddar said he has a guest room in his quarters that we can use. Then they will find us the materials we need for our ship."

"The Castle? We are to stay in the Castle?" The Brain raised his little paws, about to warble his customary 'Yes!' but thought better of it, as he spotted the inquisitive looking humans. It was better if they didn't hear him speak their language. He'd be able to overhear so much more that way!

"Relay our thanks, Pinky, and let's go!" He chortled to himself. Everything was going exactly according to his master plan.

"Looks like Cheddar was able to get through to them," Pidge commented, watching the strange looking mice falling into step behind the Princess' tiny friend. "Look how they walk on their hind legs, it's almost like they're human!"

"They sure don't look any mice I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them." Lance agreed, closely scrutinizing the approaching critters. "The taller one looks like he has a screw loose," he chuckled.

"Oh look at the misshapen body the little one has, poor thing, I bet he was tortured by Zarkon or Hagar," the Princess said, her gorgeous eyes filling with tears.

She stepped forward and bent down to greet the little visitors.

"Welcome, little ones! If you come in peace, you are welcome on our planet. " She smiled warmly, her blue gaze limpid and friendly. Cheddar translated her words, and The Brain bowed courteously, while his companion just stood and stared.

"Bow, you dunderhead," his leader hissed at him, but the besotted mouse curtsied instead. Allura giggled as The Brain covered his eyes, and shook his oversized cranium in obvious disgust.

Pinky drew in a deep breath, utterly captivated at seeing his dream woman for the first time without glass distortion or bad reception separating them. He smiled broadly, his eyes glowing rapturously, for once incapable of uttering so much as a 'poit'. It was a situation that his intellectual partner silently gave thanks for; the less his peculiar cohort said, the better it would be for The Plan.

The Princess held out an elegant hand, palm up, and Pinky at once followed Cheddar aboard, with a reluctant Brain bringing up the rear.

"You poor creatures must have suffered horribly, oh dear, look at your tail!" Allura cried and pointed, turning her hand to better inspect the Brain's hindquarters and the extremity that resembled a jagged lighting bolt.

The brilliant rodent twisted around in bewilderment to stare at it, as she continued to murmur words of dismay. What was wrong with his tail? It looked the same as it always did!

"You needn't be afraid that anyone will do you further injury, my little friends. You shall be my special guests, and the boys will help you with rebuilding your transport, I am sure; Hunk and Pidge are especially adept at fixing things," The Princess informed them kindly. Cheddar translated for her, and the two visitors nodded, although of course they had understood her the first time.

"Sure thing, Princess," the one called Hunk boomed, "we'll be happy to help the little guys out."

The Brain looked around at the assembled group. Obviously, the affable looking dark haired chap was the leader, Keith; he had that unmistakable air of authority. Luckily, he didn't seem as distrustful or ill mannered as the brown haired guy with the perpetual smirk who was still boorishly staring at him and Pinky.

~You'd think the bumpkin had never seen real mice before,~ He thought with a snort as he returned Lance's intent scrutiny with a smirk of his own. ~Fool! No one can out- smirk the Brain!~

Lance's frowned at the sight of the avidly smirking mouse. "Looks like a touch of spasticity," he murmured to no one in particular.

Keith gave a small grin." I think he's just mimicking you, my friend. Isn't that clever of him?" His grin widened as the Red Lion pilot shot him a dirty look.

A piping voice cut off the exchange. "Hi, I'm Pidge, and I'm the only one around here that understands the mice besides the Princess, " the youth informed the visitors, a tad self- importantly. "Cheddar, tell the large headed one to say something, and I'll translate."

Cheddar rattled off the request, and The Brain felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. Now what was he going to do? He couldn't speak the mouse dialect either! Panic rose within him, and he recklessly decided to improvise. Striking a dramatic oratorical stance, one paw thrust into the air, the other behind his back, he intoned, "Squeak squeak, squeak, um.... squeak squeak, squeak...uh...squeak!"

Silence fell over the glen.

"What did he say, Pidge?" Allura asked, excitedly.

Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other in stupefaction, and then shrugged.

Pidge scratched his head. What the deformed rodent had just said was total gibberish, as far as he could tell, but dare he admit that and look bad in front of his buddies and the Princess? They probably wouldn't believe him, and his credibility would be shot to Hades. He tried to stall. "Uh, I think he's probably still in shock, because what he said was rather garbled."

"Aah, you never know what those creatures say, you're just a lucky guesser," Lance taunted the youth, and smiled broadly at the boy's put out expression.

"Quiet, Lance! Could you make out the general idea of it, Pidge? " Keith asked, soothingly. "He seemed pretty focused on what he was saying."

Allura gazed at the Black Lion Pilot with an approving smile and he blushed, which in turn made her blush. Their gazes locked for a moment, then both looked away, the ebony haired man seeming unusually unnerved.

Pinky and Cheddar saw this interesting byplay and exchanged meaningful glances. There was definitely something going on between the Captain and the Princess. You could just see it written in their beet red, flustered countenances.

~I just witnessed an authentic K and A moment, up close and personal, how absolutely divine!~ Pinky thought dreamily.

"Well, Pidge?" Keith prompted his teammate, his voice sounding a trifle husky.

"Um...I think he was vowing eternal vengeance against the evil Zarkon." The Green Lion pilot improvised, not wanting to disappoint his leader.

Pinky and Cheddar looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Brain took a deep, thankful breath and tried to look as innocent and as righteous as he could, as all eyes turned to him. Apparently, he wasn't the only individual around here not willing to admit to some shortcomings.

"Well, any enemy of Zarkon is a friend of ours!" Hunk said heartily. "Should we head back to the castle and get these two some food and some equipment?"

"Yeah!" The others exclaimed in unison.

"You can ride with me in Blue Lion," Allura said, gently setting her new companions on her shoulder.

With moments, they were airborne.

~What a splendid piece of technology,~ The Brain thought to himself as he sat ensconced on the Princess shoulder, watching the famous infracells, thrusters and dynotherms perform flawlessly. ~I must know its secrets for myself!~

Pinky leaned over and whispered, "Now what shall we do, Mr. Lar- I mean, Brain?"

"Just follow my lead Pinky, and keep your mouth closed."

To be continued...