The Prisoner Agenda

"The Prisoner Agenda" is the second issue of Mari Solinski and The Wonder Kitty and details the first real adventure, a European Adventure, that Mari Solinski and Zandra Niko undertake. Like "Origins" it originally ran in the WEEKLY BRAHMA in 2016 in the Spring Semester and was given a facelift with extra elements in THE LION GAZETTE in 2021. The story is prior to the formation of the LION SQUAD, but introduces several characters, institutions and organizations that will appear in future stories. The action of the story takes place in April and May of 2009 with the Mari and Niko firmly employed by the LION GAZETTE as mail clerks and holding the rank of Captain in the US Air Force. This is the first time Mari and Niko wear US Air Force uniforms however, they are slightly modified.

Plot (2021)
The story opens in April 2009. It has been three months since Mari Solinski, THE IMPROBABLE GIRL, and Zandra Niko, THE WONDER KITTY, received their powers from Steve the Alien and things have been uneventful for the duo.

The girls arrive one morning at THE LION GAZETTE only to be greeted by Charlie Murphy who informs them that their "BOSS," Robert Seagull has requested to see them. They immediately assume the worst and Niko even has a bit of a meltdown believing she is about to be fired. Seagull informs the two that it is quite the contrary, they are getting an opportunity to travel to Europe. Major General Kawallis has requested that they accompany his staff as Public Affairs Officers to cover a NATO space conference in Paris.

While the news was welcomed not every one is happy with it. Peggy O' Shea and Bret Coogan expressed annoyance that the two mailroom clerks we getting a opportunity to go to Paris, France, with O'Shea citing the fact that she is the foreign correspondent with many more years of service. The girls then make their way to Seeligson A.F.B. hours early believing they have to undergo a security check like on a commercial flight. Major General Kawallis encourages them to get USAF uniforms since they are actually in the AIR FORCE. After mistaking the "PX" for a fancy store they load up and begin their trip. From Seeligson A.F.B they make a stop in London, England, UK to pick up the British Delegation where the girls are mistaken for flight attendants by Flight Lieutenant Sir Percival Forbes-Smyth, G.B.E. This leads to an "scene" where Mari rushes off as a mysterious figure dressed in a Germanic style military uniform notices her and report that she fits a certain modus operandi they need for an unknown plan. This individual turns out to be Captain Fritz Dreyfus, of the the Ruritanian Royal Protectorate.

After journalistically covering the NATO conference Major General Kawallis granted Mari and Niko a day's leave to see Paris. While visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral Dreyfus and his associates corner and kidnap Mari as she purchases a TIME MAGAZINE. Niko is able to evade capture by transforming into a KITTYFORM and is able, through communications with the neighborhood, to determine that Mari had been taken to the Catacombs.

There, Mari is tied to a chair as Dreyfus attempts to figure out this next move. It is then revealed that the true intelligence behind the matter was actually Colonel Ballistaire Zapt, Chief Protector of the Crown of Ruritania. Mari surprises everyone when she can suddenly speak Ruritanian, a dialect of German.

Upon returning to the NATO Conference Niko and Chief Master Sergeant Lewis Edward Barker interrupt Major General Kawallis' speech on Space Defense prompting the general to organize a rescue force made up of US soldiers and airmen attached to the NATO ligation. Niko becomes overwhelmed with guilt and breaks down crying citing that she did not do enough to prevent Mari's capture. Major General Kawallis consoles Niko telling her that she is in fact a hero in that her prompt actions allowed for a rescue to take place before the kidnappers had a chance to move Mari to a more difficult place.

The strike force is able to surround the Ruritanians in their makeshift catacomb headquarters where Colonel Zapt reveals the true reason they had to capture Mari. Mari is a doppelganger for Princess Maria Adelheid Von Arthur, who is to be crowned Queen of Ruritania the following day. She must be there at the coronation "one way or another" if not Duke Daniel Von Arthur-Stresfeldt of the Zanduh Region is would become the king by default. Zapt indicates that the Duke would be a tyrant, however Major General Kawallis is uninterested until he discovers that Duke Daniel is working for Organization ORKO, a terrorist organization of which the General had a history and which he had thought had been long defeated. Niko and Mari are reunited shortly after it is discovered that Mari, who broke free from her ropes with ease, has super strength powers.

At this point the entire group leaves Paris and cross out of France into Ruritania where they eventually make their way to Streslau, the Royal Capital. There, Mari takes on the guise of Princess Maria even riding on horseback in a parade along side Colonel Zapt. While a but unsure of herself, she is reassured by Zapt that she is doing well. This is even more evident when Mari contines speaking in Raritan without skipping a beat.

Meanwhile, Niko and Major General Kawallis take positions inside Streslau Cathedral as representative of the United States of America. Niko narrowly avoids embarrassment as she greets Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles accidentally mistaking them for Betty White and Mr. Bean. This turns out alright in that Niko's ignorance is misinterpreted as being clever and witty.

Mari encounters Duke Daniel of Zanduh as she, dressed as Princess Maria, ascends down the aisle toward the waiting dignitaries. The plan is for Mari to be crowned as Prince Maria, which foils the Dukes original plan. He intended to merely take her place when she did not show up. The rues works and Mari is crowned in the ceremony.

The Duke, furious that his well laid scheme had been dashed, returned to Zanduh Castle, where he began to berate now Queen Maria and question what he had witnessed. Now he, knowing that there was some chicanery afoot, intends to ransom Queen Maria for 2 Billion dollars, a figure he knows the Ruritanians and their American allies would never be able to play in time.

Major General Kawallis remarks on how Organization ORKO operates. They usually attract new high profile operatives by offering them high rank in their organization in return for power or money. Duke Daniel now has neither. Dreyfus pushes for immediate action, to which Zapt champions a more well thought out approach. Zapt then brings up the possibility of Mari masquerading as Queen Maria "for the rest of her life." Major Carrales rejects this

Meanwhile, Mari is being frustrated by all the duties that she must preform as Queen, including countless hours of sitting for portraits and photo sessions by intrusive photographers. She lashes out at the royal artists and photographers who Dreyfus, in a bit of an awkward display, orders out of the throne room. As this is happening, Colonel Zapt, Major General Kawallis and Captain Dreyfus discuss the situation.

As these things transpired a courier from the Zanduh Region delivered a letter from Duke Daniel outlining a ransom scheme. It is agreed that the Duke's true goal is to murder the Queen since there would be no way for either the Ruritanians nor Americans to get the 2 Billion dollars in time. This prompts a cunning plan designed by Zapt, Kawallis and Dreyfus.

Mari, using newly discovered empathic powers, confronts Dreyfus on his feeling for the Queen. Dreyfus, after first denying these feelings, gives in and says her loves the Queen, but that it would never work out since he was a commoner and she was a Royal. He warns Mari off saying he didn't wish to see Mari as a hateful thing hoping he would fall in battle to end his suffering.

In a three pronged attack, involving Kawallis, Niko and Mari sneaking into the castle, Dreyfus leading a distractionary frontal attack using the 45th Battalion and Zapt using long forgotten tunnels to insure the Queens location all goes well until Zapt realizes he moved too quickly. Finding Queen Maria he lets his guard down allowing the Dark Duke to ambush him and run him through.

Kawallis and Mari meet up with Niko outside the dinning hall where the Queen was being held unaware that Zapt lay dying on the floor. Niko had opened the drawbridge allowing the soldiers of the 45th Battalion to enter the castle. Mari, using her super strength easily bashes open the door to see the Dark Duke taunting the Queen and the fallen Zapt.

Dreyfus arrives seeing the scene playing out and rushes ahead of Kawallis to battle with the Duke. The Duke however nearly gains the upper hand until Queen Maria rises up and punches out the Dark Duke, who loses as tooth. With the Duke knocked out, Queen Maria and Dreyfus turn their attention to the dying Zapt who reveals his age to be 93 years old and his knowledge of the feeling Dreyfus had for the Queen. Zapt dies with his last words being for them to "love one another."

As this takes place the Dark Duke recovers and makes a jump from the window of the dinning hall and makes as escape in a rowboat. The Zanduh Guard, seeing the Dark Dukes cowardice, drop their weapons and surrender. Duke Daniel, having now been stripped of this titles and disgraced, leaves to join his Organization ORKO compatriots.

In the aftermath, Queen Maria offers the Duchy of Zanduh to Major General Kawallis. Kawallis states he cannot do so as an American Military officer however the Queen says it can and will be set up upon his retirement from the US Air Force. Kawallis quotes some Ruritanian laws which allow him, in his absence, to appoint a Viscount as a "shire reeve" to look after his properties. To everyone's surprise Kawallis appoints Captian Dreyfus to the position which elevates him to a title of Nobility. This move allows for Dreyfus to marry the Queen as the Prince Consort.

In a closing scene, Queen Maria awards everyone involved the Order of the Von Arthur Cross, the Highest Royal Award in Ruritania. Mari and Niko are granted the honorary position of Dame of the Kingdom. As things wrapped up and the trio of Kawallis, Mari and Niko returned home. Major General Kawallis indicated that President Obama and Prime Minster Gordon Brown had decided to create a join team known LION SQUAD which would include Flight Lieutenant Sir Percival Forbes-Smyth as a member, much to Mari's annoyance.

Characters (In order of Appearance)

 * Mari Solinski
 * Zandra Niko
 * Charlie Murphy
 * Robert Seagull
 * Bret Coogan
 * Peggy O'Shea
 * Major General Joseph Kawallis
 * CMSgt Lewis Barker
 * Flight Lieutenant Sir Percival Forbes-Smyth
 * Captain Fritz Dreyfus
 * French Newsstand Owner
 * Feldwebel Hans Dalrymple
 * Gefreiter Horst Schneck
 * Colonel Ballistaire Zapt
 * Unnamed NATO personnel
 * Conrad Wilhelm
 * Lt. General Arthur MacDouglas
 * Capt. Alfred Samson
 * Queen Elizabeth II
 * Charles Prince of Wales
 * The Bishop of Streslau
 * Frans Cardinal Breslau
 * Background Ruritanian Coronation attendees
 * Duke Daniel Von Arthur-Stresfeldt
 * Queen Maria Adelheid Von Arthur
 * Royal Painter 1
 * Royal Painter 2
 * Royal Photographer

Commentary
"The Prisoner Agenda" is loosely based on the 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. There are some key differences, however, in that the story has to be updated to a 21st Century setting.

By this point in the overall story, Mari and Niko are well settled into their jobs but still quite apprehensive about being fired. Also, the relationship between the girls and Charlie Murphy is seen to be one of jokes and endearment. Also, we see that Niko is somewhat anxious to the point of nearly freaking out over having to see this boss.

Bret Coogan and Peggy O'Shea are shown, albeit in more of a "cameo" than true appearance. Mai Renae Carrales wrote a short story outlining what happened between Peggy and the girls with an extended scene of Peggy covering the cat show and being disgusted that the winning cat won a trip to Paris. The irony being that Peggy was jealous about the girls trip to Paris.

This is the first time we see the girls dawn US Air Force style uniforms, however they are a variant of the US AIR FORCE heritage uniform. They have three ribbons, one USAF ribbon and two Civil Air Patrol ones.

Flight Lieutenant Sir Percival Forbes-Smyth is introduced with his pompousness being dialed up to obnoxious levels. His interaction with the girls borders on sexist and elitist. This is intentional to provide character growth.

Ruritania is based more on Germanic archetypes with the uniforms reflecting traditional German styles ranging from World War I to present. Ruritanian is based on German as well.

NATO is described as more of a joint alliance that it is in reality. This conference is based on Space related issues which will play into future plots, the United States and the United Kingdom are seen as being more connected than they are in reality. The European Union is not mentioned, however it was founded on November 1, 1993 and Great Britain has always been at arms length with Brexit eventually taking place much later. Ruritania is part of NATO, however, seeminly not part of the EU, or at least economically so, having its own currency

Many of the activities seen after the kidnapping are well beyond the scope of Major General Kawallis' authority. Devising and launching a "raid" on French soil would likely be a violation of several treaties. Therefore it can be assumed that this action was "off the record," with the NATO troops seen being volunteers. Based on their more ceremonial dress that seems like it was the case.

Niko's emotional state for her friend is touching, but necessary to show. The idea is that both the girls are totally alien to these events. They neither know what they powers are nor have ever even left South Texas to any great degree. They are overwhelmed.

Organization ORKO is referenced here with minimal details. Being a hold over from THE F.D.I. Files it will be fully fleshed out as the overall story unfolds. However, its affect on Major General Kawallis is worth note, this is a sort of dark element of the past that is resurfacing.

There is a cameo involving Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, at the time of publishing in 2021 many people mistook Charles for Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh who died 9 April 2021 around the time "The Prisoner Agenda" was published in THE LION GAZETTE.

Duke Daniel, the cousin of the Queen, is written as an unredeemable character and will only descend further and further away from decency.

Mari's empathic powers appear for the first time. It is unclear why she is compelled to tell Captain Dreyfus, however, it may be that she detected that Dreyfus may be developing feeling for her amid confusion over the situation. In the end, she tells Major General Kawallis about the matter off screen and the situation is given a suitable remedy. Mari is also extremely annoyed by trappings of being a Queen. This play against the realization that, if Queen Maria dies, she might have to become Queen Maria.

While not stated or implied, it may have well been the case that Zapt would have taken any length to insure the Crown was protected. The death of the Queen would likely destabilize the matter forcing actions of desperation as was already shown. There is a good chance that Mari would agree to live out her life as Queen Maria Adelheid Von Arthur out of sheer duty leaving loose ends in Kingsville where Mari Solinski would simply disappear. Fortunately these events do not take place.

Niko's role in "The Prisoner Agenda" is both subdued and key. Her quick actions result in Mari being found quickly and her KITTYFORM powers allow for the drawbridge to be lowered allowed the rescue. That said, she has few lines and seems more of a supporting character this occasion.

Zapt's death is also shocking, both in how it occurs and in his last words. The Queen's key punch, while seemingly a violent act, is one of empowerment as she sheds the "Damsel in Distress" mantle which Major General Kawallis states earlier in the story.

Everyone ends the story well, despite the losses, seeing the main trio awarded, the Queen in a confident state (addressing the question printed on the Time Magazine "Is she ready?"), Dreyfus becomes the Prince Consort and Dalrymple take one the roles of Crown Protector. It might be assumed that Horst became the "Captain of the Guard," however Horst was even more underused.

Percy joining the LION SQUAD should have had more play, but time simply ran out to flesh that out. However, this will be an ongoing and developing character for another story.