Starfall

Chapter 34 - Dimension MAB-3L

The stars flew by the cockpit windows in a blur as Cade piloted the ship they had commandeered from the planet they had escaped to. Dipper quickly explained what had happened with the reappearance of the infamous Anti-Mabel. In turn, Cade and Mabel filled everyone in on what they had missed after the platform and what was happening now with the fleet. Dipper, Pacifica, the grunkles, Cade, Zaharah, and her other crew member Korvack listened carefully.

Apparently, with the entire fleet destroyed enforcement was harder than it used to be. And for an empire built on fear and reprisal, it spelled certain doom...which was fine with everyone onboard. They would not have done it Anti-Mabel's way but having the CE savagely curtailed meant the rest of the sector was free to flourish, no longer threatened and harassed by the ever-growing reprobate jurisdiction of the CE. Reports of riots and the burning of government structures on the core worlds were already underway. Pirate bands and rebels were forming tenuous alliances and rallying under one banner and common interest to protect the people. 

In the midst of all this apparently, Anti-Mabel had been spotted stealing a CE science vessel. The crew had been dumped out over the bay. One scientist had seen the heading. It was charted to a remote and unremarkable section of space he was unfamiliar with but he showed it to Ford on a map. Ford perked up. "I know that sector. That's one of the dimensional breach points where Dimension MAb-3L is accessed. In the past I used the gate I created but since then I discovered that portal. It's one of the naturally occurring ways into that dimension. If Anti-Mabel is going there with a science vessel it can't be good."

Mabel's eyes lit up, "She means to wipe them out! So no one can threaten her reign of terror! Grunkle Ford, we have to save them!" Cade nodded, "We'll get there as fast as we can!" Ford gave Cade the heading and they were on their way stars blurring by.

Ford furrowed his brows in concentration as he hunched over the technical readouts of the ongoing scan, "Now where is that subtle rift located? We're close." Zaharah placed a hand on his shoulder as she leaned over and looked out the window. "There!" She said pointing out to the stars. A slightly warped section of space was blurring the stars behind it. Ford smiled proudly, "Good eye." He took the ship into the distortion. The rift emptied out near the planet she had visited in dimension MAB3L. She hoped all the other lost Mabels would be safe. Now most of them had returned to their dimension. But not all of them had chosen to return. Some wished to stay with their newfound friends. Some had no home to return to. It was those Mabels she had come to save; her sisters as she had come to think of them.

Mabel bit her lip in trepidation thinking of the threat. Dipper put two steadying hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. We will get there in time." Mabel leaned into the warmth and security of Dipper's shoulder. "I hope so Dipper...I can't lose my friends." Dipper smiled, "If you're strong enough to be the alpha twin what's this measly doppelganger got on you?" Mabel and Pacifica smiled at that. Mabel sat up, "You know what? Your right! She's going down! This shooting star shoots back!" Dipper laughed, "Show her what the Pines twins can do!" Mabel raised two fists and shouted emphatically, "CLONE WAR!!!"  Dipper and Pacifica laughed.

Ford navigated the craft as it approached a planet with striking similarities to Neptune. The exception was that the planet's horizontal stripes were a casual layering of blue and green rather than Neptune's traditional blue. The planet was much smaller than she remembered it being. Or it seemed that way at least. Dipper leaned closer to the glass. "So this is what the planet from Dimension Mab-3L looked like...fascinating." He started scribbling madly in his notebook. Mabel meanwhile had taken a notepad from next to Ford and was pretending to scribble madly on it in an unflattering imitation of Dipper. Pacifica was giggling softly trying to cover her mouth. Mabel started chewing on the pen. Pacifica lost it. She cracked up. Meanwhile, Ford looked in the mirror while Dipper turned around.