Ryuranger
11-30-2003, 04:23 PM
“It sickened me every time I saw it. Some were out there risking their lives to stop Sauron, while others just sat back and tried to make the biggest profit possible. Motivated by their selfish greed.”
-- Tommy Oliver, 2005
From the Megaship’s
log database
---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season 05
---Digital Task Force Astro Rangers
---Chapter Eight: The Phantom’s Message
A sleek amphibious-styled star craft sat amidst the jungles of Praetar IV’s northern continent. Small groups of creatures that appeared to be water dwelling marched around the craft, dressed in their slimy organic armor.
A transparent blur of motion crept through the purple and cyan tinted foliage, closely watching the soldiers as they stood guard over a cyndrical object covered in a dark black tarp.
That’s him, Phantom Ranger thought to himself after spotting the large tube. That’s Zordon…
He ran away from the star craft and patrols of Piranatrons to find a clearing where he could send a message into space. Hopefully the Rangers, or at least an allied group with enough strength to take Zordon back by force, would retrieve the message.
Rygarg, a general who oversaw the Piranatron army, spotted the Phantom’s blur deep within the jungle. It was a blur he recognized too well.
“There!” he shouted as he pointed into the distance. “All groups, surround that position! Bring me the Phantom!”
The Piranatrons converged near the site where the Phantom was spotted. They looked around for any clue of the Ranger’s presence. Their clues came in the forms of invisible fists slamming into their guts.
The Piranatrons tried to fight back, but they were ineffective against an enemy they could not see.
Rygarg sent a volley of crimson optic blasts in the direction of the attack. After blasting through a group of his own soldiers, one of his blasts struck the Phantom in the side and the Ranger’s cloak dropped.
The Piranatrons quickly regrouped and ganged up on the Phantom Ranger. He jump reverse side kicked a Piranatron in front of him, then swung his leg around to hook kick a soldier to his left. He backfisted a soldier to his right in the face, then launched a sidekick against that Piranatron’s chest.
Phantom Ranger reactivated his cloak and leapt for cover amidst the trees, running as fast as he could.
He reached a clearing, saw that the Piranatrons were out of view, and de-cloaked. He placed a small tube-shaped recording device into the ground. He activated the device and a red light on top of the tube began recording.
“This is the Phantom Ranger. Zordon is on Praetar IV. This buoy contains the spatial coordinates and data on Divatox’s ship.”
He picked up the tube and placed it in a small pistol-launcher. Just as he prepared to fire, small explosions slammed against his back, knocking him to the ground.
A squad of Quantrons materialized. Astronema and Eclipter led them.
A crooked smile spread across Astronema’s face. “Hello Phantom…get him.”
The Quantrons charged towards the Phantom Ranger with their long boomerang shaped staff blades. The Phantom tried to hold them off while keeping them from knocking away the transmitter. Unfortunately, this was the Phantom’s first encounter with Astronema’s foot soldiers, and they were giving him trouble.
The Quantrons tried to pile on the Phantom after damaging his armor with their blades. Phantom Ranger struggled to lift the probe into the air and fire it, sending it launching out of the planet’s atmosphere.
“No!” Astronema yelled as she extended her staff towards the Phantom and blasted the Ranger with strings of electric energy. Explosions rang across Phantom Ranger’s armor as he fell to the ground.
***
The Astro Megaship was on course towards its rendezvous in the Valjoran System at maximum hyper rush velocity. They were almost to their destination.
“Drop out of hyperspace just outside of the system,” Tommy commanded as he and the others manned their bridge posts. “I want to take a good look before we head in.”
The Megaship speared back into real-space at the edge of the Valjoran system. Chris activated the long-range sensors and scanned the area.
“Three planets, only one’s inhabited. Pre-industrial civilization. No ships within range,” Chris reported. “But…there is a small asteroid belt with high concentrations of verbazium. The verbazium is reflecting our sensors. There could be anything in that asteroid field and we wouldn’t know.”
Tommy sighed. “All right, take us in slow. We’re a minute or two early, so we have plenty of time to be careful.”
The Astro Megaship drifted into the Valjoran system on impulse power.
“Any comm. chatter?” Tommy asked.
Kat shook her head. “Nothing.”
“They should be here by now,” Justin said.
Tommy sighed impatiently. “Anything yet?”
“Just space dust,” Chris said, then something on his console beeped. “Wait…two signals just emerged from the asteroid belt.”
Justin analyzed the craft. “Hornet gunships. They’re charging weapons.”
“Polarize the hull plating,” Tommy said. “Bring the Megalasers online.”
The two gunships moved towards the Astro Megaship at full speed. Each ship had a two spheroid cockpits and two long wings extending backwards over a sloped hull.
“They’re hailing us,” Kat said.
“On screen,” Tommy said as he pulled down on his tunic to tighten it while assuming what he hoped would be an intimidating posture.
The viewscreen activated and young female’s face appeared. Her yellow skin matched her orange hair, which was tied back in a long tail. Her pupils were black diamond slits that stared forward like daggers. A short line was tattooed on both sides of her face. The black lines started an inch above her eyebrows, and extended down past her eyes to her cheekbones.
“Power down your weapons and come with us,” she said in a cold tone.
“Funny,” Tommy said. “I usually like to at least introduce myself before ordering people around.”
“I don’t find you amusing Terran. We would not even be speaking if my employer didn’t owe Ketarin a favor. I would be boarding your vessel and claiming it as my own,” she said.
“Some other time, perhaps,” Tommy said.
“Follow us to the asteroid field and slave your ship with our nav computers. We will take you to the rendezvous point,” she said.
“We thought this was the rendezvous point?” Tommy said.
“Ha,” a mocking smile spread across her face. “Did you really think we’d just send you coordinates to our base? Your ship will be slaved to ours so you won’t know the location of our rendezvous. The asteroid field will cover our exit vector. This is all for our safety. Come with us, or don’t come at all. I don’t care either way.”
The view screen blinked off.
Ashley shook her head. “What I really love about our mission is the people.”
Tommy turned to Cy. “What do you think.”
Cy nodded. “We should follow. This is how their kind usually operates.”
Tommy nodded. “Alright then, follow those gun boats.”
The Megaship fell in formation behind the two gunboats as the three ships blasted off towards the asteroid belt.
“Hey Cy,” Justin asked. “What was she?”
“A Taileon,” Cy said. “Their home world was lost in a supernova a while back. Only a few of them are left scattered across the galaxy.”
“Are they all as crabby as her?” Justin asked.
“They lost their home, Justin,” Kat said.
“No reason to be rude,” Justin grumbled quietly to himself.
***
Vea’ra watched on the small monitor attached to her command chair as the Astro Megaship fell into formation behind her two gunships.
“Get ready to lock onto that ship if we have to,” she informed her gunman, sitting to her left in the dimly lit bridge. “Let me know the second they start to try something.”
“Do you think it’s a trap?” her first officer asked from the forward navigation station. She was an Eltarian.
“One can never be too careful,” Vea’ra said.
Vea’ra stared ahead through her viewport, giving her an aft view of the Megaship. She’d heard stories of the Rangers’ exploits during their little crusade. She was not impressed, and viewed most stories as fabrications.
“Do you believe what they say?” the Eltarian asked. “That their leader is actually a slayer of gods.”
“Slayer of gods or not,” Vea’ra said. “A blaster bolt will kill him just the same.”
The three ships shot into hyperspace.
***
The Megaship speared back into real-space along with its gunship escorts. The vessels angled their heading towards a large rocky planetoid lined with several bio domes. In the far off distance was a wide expansive nebula of blue and purple energy clouds.
The three vessels cruised towards the planetoid and its network of interlaced, transparent domes. Each dome contained clusters of stone and metal buildings.
One of the smaller domes slid open as the Megaship and its escorts descended on their vertical thrusters, landing in an octagon-shaped docking bay.
After landed, Chris, Ashley, and Kat stayed aboard the Megaship while the other three were led through a complex array of walkways on their way towards the main dome.
The rangers entered a building of roughly cut stone and steel within the center dome. They entered a main office area, where their contact sat behind a curved wooden desk. The man sitting behind the desk appeared human, with a few minor differences. He had short dark hair graying above his temples. He had a slight ridge running down the center of his forehead and expanding across his brow. His name was Durak.
Behind Durak was his aide, a bald-headed woman with solid black eyes.
“Be seated,” Durak said as he extended his hand in a seemingly friendly gesture. “Ketarin’s people tell me you’re looking for Zordon…”
“That’s right,” Tommy said as he nodded. “He said you know where Zordon is.”
A grin spread across Durak’s face. “There is little I don’t know. Information is more valuable than gold-pressed latinum during these times.”
“So what can you tell us?” Tommy asked.
Durak picked up a small data pad to his right and looked it over. “What can you offer?”
Tommy wrinkled his brow. “Offer?”
“An exchange,” Durak said. “As I just said, information is not cheap.”
Justin shook his head. “What about Ketarin? I thought you owed him a favor?”
Durak nodded. “That debt was repaid simply by escorting you here. Now I ask again…what can you offer?”
“What is it you want?” Cy asked, figuring the criminal had something in mind.
Durak leaned back in his chair while lacing his fingers in front of him. “Your abilities put you in a unique position. I’d be most interested in a sample of your Ranger technology.”
“No deal,” Tommy said quickly.
Durak sighed. “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to be on your way.”
A small alarm on Durak’s desk beeped as a voice spoke through. “We have a situation sir…the Dark Fortress has just arrived in system.”
Durak activated the comm after cursing beneath his breath. “Send out the proper welcoming. Make sure our guests’ ship is hidden. If she finds these Rangers here we’ll all be dead.”
“Welcoming?” Justin asked in disbelief.
“I haven’t picked sides,” Durak said. “I don’t ever intend to.”
Durak looked back to Vea’ra. “Take our guests to the lower chamber.”
“No,” Tommy said. “We should go.”
“Not until its is safe,” Durak said firmly. “If she finds you here she will tear this outpost apart.”
“Huh,” Justin said. “Guess that would be bad for business…”
***
Vea’ra led the three rangers through a dimly-lit under ground passage as they descended underneath the compound.
“I don’t understand,” Tommy said as he followed Vea’ra. “With all the resources you seem to have, you’d make quite an enemy for Sauron.”
Vea’ra ignored the ranger as they continued forward.
Tommy shook his head. “You won’t be able to play both sides forever. Eventually, you’ll have to make a choice.”
“We won’t,” Vea’ra said firmly, breaking her silence. “Either Sauron will be defeated or he’ll control the entire galaxy. By ‘playing both sides,’ we’re guaranteed to be in favor of whoever wins this conflict while profiting from the business of both sides.”
“That’s crazy,” Justin said. “How could you help Sauron when his people are slaughtering thousands by the day?”
“We are neutral,” Vea’ra said with growing frustration. “Enough talking. I refuse to explain myself to a bunch of backwater Terrans.”
“Actually,” Cy said. “I’m Kerovian.”
Vea’ra stayed silent.
***
“Something’s going on,” Ashley said as she paced back and forth across the bridge of the Megaship.
Chris and Kat were at their stations trying to reach Tommy and his group. They weren’t doing well in their search.
“I don’t get it,” Chris said as he shook his head, his fingers dancing across the panel in front of him. “It’s like they just vanished from our sensors all of a sudden…”
“Kat,” Ashley said as she stood over them. “Try contacting Durak again.”
Kat shook her head. “I still can’t get through. There’s some sort of interference.”
Ashley sighed. “Okay…grab your blasters. We’re going to go see what’s going on.”
***
A landing pad was cleared in the center dome as Astronema’s personal shuttle descended. The craft was sleek onyx with sharp edges giving it a menacing profile.
Durak stood at the base of the platform with his aide off to his right. They watched as the shuttle’s boarding ramp extended and Astronema walked down alongside her android guardian Eclipter.
“Astronema,” Durak said. “I apologize for this less than formal welcome, but you weren’t expected.”
“Of course I wasn’t,” she said as she walked over to him.
“What can I do for you?” Durak asked.
Astronema stood with her back straight, assuming an intimidating posture. “You have a supply route established from the Tinaran Arm to the Prizelus Sector. I want it.”
Durak kept a straight face as he nodded. “I would be more than pleased to discuss possible arrangements. If you’ll accompany me to my office, princess.”
Astronema nodded as Durak escorted her back towards the main compound. “My time is limited. Resistance against Sauron is growing.”
“I see,” Durak said as they continued along. “That must be rather inconvenient.”
“They’re nothing but minor irritations,” Astronema said. “They will be removed.”
“I see,” Durak said again. “I’m sure your people will-”
“Perhaps you misunderstood,” Astronema said. “I came here for your supply route, not for pointless small talk.”
***
Ashley, Chris, and Kat were a safe distance away from the landing platform. They hid behind a pile of crates, watching the exchange between Astronema and Durak.
“I can’t believe it,” Ashley said quietly through clenched teeth. “He sold us out.”
“What now?” Kat asked.
Ashley turned to Chris. “Do you think you can work through their interference? Find the others?”
Chris pulled out his hand-held scanner and pressed a few small buttons. “No…but I can get us to the source of the jamming fields.”
“Good enough,” Ashley said. “Let’s get going…”
“This way,” Chris said as he nodded towards his right. The three rangers moved off, doing their best to stay hidden.
***
Durak sat back in his office chair as Astronema and Eclipter stood before him.
“I must admit, Astronema,” Durak said. “I am uncertain as to what Sauron wants with the Prizelus route. Surely there are more advantageous corridors through that particular quadrant.”
Astronema flashed Durak a wicked grin. “It’s not wise to question me, smuggler.”
Durak sighed as he nodded. “Very well…I am prepared to offer-”
“Quiet,” Astronema said. “You will turn over control of the route, its ships, and crews, to me. In exchange, I won’t turn this quaint base of yours into a smoldering crater.”
Durak stayed calm, giving Astronema his best poker face. “Such threats are not necessary, Astronema. And not productive.”
Astronema flashed Durak a cold smile. “It’s not a threat. Anyone standing in the way of what I want will be destroyed. That includes you.”
Durak nodded, lacing his fingers in front of him while leaning on his desk. “Anyone expect these Rangers apparently.”
Astronema snapped her staff forward, aiming its point towards Durak. He didn’t flinch. A look of amusement spread across Astronema’s face. “When most face the blade of my staff, I can sense their fear. It’s often palpable in those brief moments before their death. But not you…interesting…”
Astronema lowered her staff. “You would make a worthy business partner. Perhaps we can strike a deal.”
---to be continued in part two. This thread. Watch for it...
-- Tommy Oliver, 2005
From the Megaship’s
log database
---Ultimate Power Rangers
---Season 05
---Digital Task Force Astro Rangers
---Chapter Eight: The Phantom’s Message
A sleek amphibious-styled star craft sat amidst the jungles of Praetar IV’s northern continent. Small groups of creatures that appeared to be water dwelling marched around the craft, dressed in their slimy organic armor.
A transparent blur of motion crept through the purple and cyan tinted foliage, closely watching the soldiers as they stood guard over a cyndrical object covered in a dark black tarp.
That’s him, Phantom Ranger thought to himself after spotting the large tube. That’s Zordon…
He ran away from the star craft and patrols of Piranatrons to find a clearing where he could send a message into space. Hopefully the Rangers, or at least an allied group with enough strength to take Zordon back by force, would retrieve the message.
Rygarg, a general who oversaw the Piranatron army, spotted the Phantom’s blur deep within the jungle. It was a blur he recognized too well.
“There!” he shouted as he pointed into the distance. “All groups, surround that position! Bring me the Phantom!”
The Piranatrons converged near the site where the Phantom was spotted. They looked around for any clue of the Ranger’s presence. Their clues came in the forms of invisible fists slamming into their guts.
The Piranatrons tried to fight back, but they were ineffective against an enemy they could not see.
Rygarg sent a volley of crimson optic blasts in the direction of the attack. After blasting through a group of his own soldiers, one of his blasts struck the Phantom in the side and the Ranger’s cloak dropped.
The Piranatrons quickly regrouped and ganged up on the Phantom Ranger. He jump reverse side kicked a Piranatron in front of him, then swung his leg around to hook kick a soldier to his left. He backfisted a soldier to his right in the face, then launched a sidekick against that Piranatron’s chest.
Phantom Ranger reactivated his cloak and leapt for cover amidst the trees, running as fast as he could.
He reached a clearing, saw that the Piranatrons were out of view, and de-cloaked. He placed a small tube-shaped recording device into the ground. He activated the device and a red light on top of the tube began recording.
“This is the Phantom Ranger. Zordon is on Praetar IV. This buoy contains the spatial coordinates and data on Divatox’s ship.”
He picked up the tube and placed it in a small pistol-launcher. Just as he prepared to fire, small explosions slammed against his back, knocking him to the ground.
A squad of Quantrons materialized. Astronema and Eclipter led them.
A crooked smile spread across Astronema’s face. “Hello Phantom…get him.”
The Quantrons charged towards the Phantom Ranger with their long boomerang shaped staff blades. The Phantom tried to hold them off while keeping them from knocking away the transmitter. Unfortunately, this was the Phantom’s first encounter with Astronema’s foot soldiers, and they were giving him trouble.
The Quantrons tried to pile on the Phantom after damaging his armor with their blades. Phantom Ranger struggled to lift the probe into the air and fire it, sending it launching out of the planet’s atmosphere.
“No!” Astronema yelled as she extended her staff towards the Phantom and blasted the Ranger with strings of electric energy. Explosions rang across Phantom Ranger’s armor as he fell to the ground.
***
The Astro Megaship was on course towards its rendezvous in the Valjoran System at maximum hyper rush velocity. They were almost to their destination.
“Drop out of hyperspace just outside of the system,” Tommy commanded as he and the others manned their bridge posts. “I want to take a good look before we head in.”
The Megaship speared back into real-space at the edge of the Valjoran system. Chris activated the long-range sensors and scanned the area.
“Three planets, only one’s inhabited. Pre-industrial civilization. No ships within range,” Chris reported. “But…there is a small asteroid belt with high concentrations of verbazium. The verbazium is reflecting our sensors. There could be anything in that asteroid field and we wouldn’t know.”
Tommy sighed. “All right, take us in slow. We’re a minute or two early, so we have plenty of time to be careful.”
The Astro Megaship drifted into the Valjoran system on impulse power.
“Any comm. chatter?” Tommy asked.
Kat shook her head. “Nothing.”
“They should be here by now,” Justin said.
Tommy sighed impatiently. “Anything yet?”
“Just space dust,” Chris said, then something on his console beeped. “Wait…two signals just emerged from the asteroid belt.”
Justin analyzed the craft. “Hornet gunships. They’re charging weapons.”
“Polarize the hull plating,” Tommy said. “Bring the Megalasers online.”
The two gunships moved towards the Astro Megaship at full speed. Each ship had a two spheroid cockpits and two long wings extending backwards over a sloped hull.
“They’re hailing us,” Kat said.
“On screen,” Tommy said as he pulled down on his tunic to tighten it while assuming what he hoped would be an intimidating posture.
The viewscreen activated and young female’s face appeared. Her yellow skin matched her orange hair, which was tied back in a long tail. Her pupils were black diamond slits that stared forward like daggers. A short line was tattooed on both sides of her face. The black lines started an inch above her eyebrows, and extended down past her eyes to her cheekbones.
“Power down your weapons and come with us,” she said in a cold tone.
“Funny,” Tommy said. “I usually like to at least introduce myself before ordering people around.”
“I don’t find you amusing Terran. We would not even be speaking if my employer didn’t owe Ketarin a favor. I would be boarding your vessel and claiming it as my own,” she said.
“Some other time, perhaps,” Tommy said.
“Follow us to the asteroid field and slave your ship with our nav computers. We will take you to the rendezvous point,” she said.
“We thought this was the rendezvous point?” Tommy said.
“Ha,” a mocking smile spread across her face. “Did you really think we’d just send you coordinates to our base? Your ship will be slaved to ours so you won’t know the location of our rendezvous. The asteroid field will cover our exit vector. This is all for our safety. Come with us, or don’t come at all. I don’t care either way.”
The view screen blinked off.
Ashley shook her head. “What I really love about our mission is the people.”
Tommy turned to Cy. “What do you think.”
Cy nodded. “We should follow. This is how their kind usually operates.”
Tommy nodded. “Alright then, follow those gun boats.”
The Megaship fell in formation behind the two gunboats as the three ships blasted off towards the asteroid belt.
“Hey Cy,” Justin asked. “What was she?”
“A Taileon,” Cy said. “Their home world was lost in a supernova a while back. Only a few of them are left scattered across the galaxy.”
“Are they all as crabby as her?” Justin asked.
“They lost their home, Justin,” Kat said.
“No reason to be rude,” Justin grumbled quietly to himself.
***
Vea’ra watched on the small monitor attached to her command chair as the Astro Megaship fell into formation behind her two gunships.
“Get ready to lock onto that ship if we have to,” she informed her gunman, sitting to her left in the dimly lit bridge. “Let me know the second they start to try something.”
“Do you think it’s a trap?” her first officer asked from the forward navigation station. She was an Eltarian.
“One can never be too careful,” Vea’ra said.
Vea’ra stared ahead through her viewport, giving her an aft view of the Megaship. She’d heard stories of the Rangers’ exploits during their little crusade. She was not impressed, and viewed most stories as fabrications.
“Do you believe what they say?” the Eltarian asked. “That their leader is actually a slayer of gods.”
“Slayer of gods or not,” Vea’ra said. “A blaster bolt will kill him just the same.”
The three ships shot into hyperspace.
***
The Megaship speared back into real-space along with its gunship escorts. The vessels angled their heading towards a large rocky planetoid lined with several bio domes. In the far off distance was a wide expansive nebula of blue and purple energy clouds.
The three vessels cruised towards the planetoid and its network of interlaced, transparent domes. Each dome contained clusters of stone and metal buildings.
One of the smaller domes slid open as the Megaship and its escorts descended on their vertical thrusters, landing in an octagon-shaped docking bay.
After landed, Chris, Ashley, and Kat stayed aboard the Megaship while the other three were led through a complex array of walkways on their way towards the main dome.
The rangers entered a building of roughly cut stone and steel within the center dome. They entered a main office area, where their contact sat behind a curved wooden desk. The man sitting behind the desk appeared human, with a few minor differences. He had short dark hair graying above his temples. He had a slight ridge running down the center of his forehead and expanding across his brow. His name was Durak.
Behind Durak was his aide, a bald-headed woman with solid black eyes.
“Be seated,” Durak said as he extended his hand in a seemingly friendly gesture. “Ketarin’s people tell me you’re looking for Zordon…”
“That’s right,” Tommy said as he nodded. “He said you know where Zordon is.”
A grin spread across Durak’s face. “There is little I don’t know. Information is more valuable than gold-pressed latinum during these times.”
“So what can you tell us?” Tommy asked.
Durak picked up a small data pad to his right and looked it over. “What can you offer?”
Tommy wrinkled his brow. “Offer?”
“An exchange,” Durak said. “As I just said, information is not cheap.”
Justin shook his head. “What about Ketarin? I thought you owed him a favor?”
Durak nodded. “That debt was repaid simply by escorting you here. Now I ask again…what can you offer?”
“What is it you want?” Cy asked, figuring the criminal had something in mind.
Durak leaned back in his chair while lacing his fingers in front of him. “Your abilities put you in a unique position. I’d be most interested in a sample of your Ranger technology.”
“No deal,” Tommy said quickly.
Durak sighed. “Then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to be on your way.”
A small alarm on Durak’s desk beeped as a voice spoke through. “We have a situation sir…the Dark Fortress has just arrived in system.”
Durak activated the comm after cursing beneath his breath. “Send out the proper welcoming. Make sure our guests’ ship is hidden. If she finds these Rangers here we’ll all be dead.”
“Welcoming?” Justin asked in disbelief.
“I haven’t picked sides,” Durak said. “I don’t ever intend to.”
Durak looked back to Vea’ra. “Take our guests to the lower chamber.”
“No,” Tommy said. “We should go.”
“Not until its is safe,” Durak said firmly. “If she finds you here she will tear this outpost apart.”
“Huh,” Justin said. “Guess that would be bad for business…”
***
Vea’ra led the three rangers through a dimly-lit under ground passage as they descended underneath the compound.
“I don’t understand,” Tommy said as he followed Vea’ra. “With all the resources you seem to have, you’d make quite an enemy for Sauron.”
Vea’ra ignored the ranger as they continued forward.
Tommy shook his head. “You won’t be able to play both sides forever. Eventually, you’ll have to make a choice.”
“We won’t,” Vea’ra said firmly, breaking her silence. “Either Sauron will be defeated or he’ll control the entire galaxy. By ‘playing both sides,’ we’re guaranteed to be in favor of whoever wins this conflict while profiting from the business of both sides.”
“That’s crazy,” Justin said. “How could you help Sauron when his people are slaughtering thousands by the day?”
“We are neutral,” Vea’ra said with growing frustration. “Enough talking. I refuse to explain myself to a bunch of backwater Terrans.”
“Actually,” Cy said. “I’m Kerovian.”
Vea’ra stayed silent.
***
“Something’s going on,” Ashley said as she paced back and forth across the bridge of the Megaship.
Chris and Kat were at their stations trying to reach Tommy and his group. They weren’t doing well in their search.
“I don’t get it,” Chris said as he shook his head, his fingers dancing across the panel in front of him. “It’s like they just vanished from our sensors all of a sudden…”
“Kat,” Ashley said as she stood over them. “Try contacting Durak again.”
Kat shook her head. “I still can’t get through. There’s some sort of interference.”
Ashley sighed. “Okay…grab your blasters. We’re going to go see what’s going on.”
***
A landing pad was cleared in the center dome as Astronema’s personal shuttle descended. The craft was sleek onyx with sharp edges giving it a menacing profile.
Durak stood at the base of the platform with his aide off to his right. They watched as the shuttle’s boarding ramp extended and Astronema walked down alongside her android guardian Eclipter.
“Astronema,” Durak said. “I apologize for this less than formal welcome, but you weren’t expected.”
“Of course I wasn’t,” she said as she walked over to him.
“What can I do for you?” Durak asked.
Astronema stood with her back straight, assuming an intimidating posture. “You have a supply route established from the Tinaran Arm to the Prizelus Sector. I want it.”
Durak kept a straight face as he nodded. “I would be more than pleased to discuss possible arrangements. If you’ll accompany me to my office, princess.”
Astronema nodded as Durak escorted her back towards the main compound. “My time is limited. Resistance against Sauron is growing.”
“I see,” Durak said as they continued along. “That must be rather inconvenient.”
“They’re nothing but minor irritations,” Astronema said. “They will be removed.”
“I see,” Durak said again. “I’m sure your people will-”
“Perhaps you misunderstood,” Astronema said. “I came here for your supply route, not for pointless small talk.”
***
Ashley, Chris, and Kat were a safe distance away from the landing platform. They hid behind a pile of crates, watching the exchange between Astronema and Durak.
“I can’t believe it,” Ashley said quietly through clenched teeth. “He sold us out.”
“What now?” Kat asked.
Ashley turned to Chris. “Do you think you can work through their interference? Find the others?”
Chris pulled out his hand-held scanner and pressed a few small buttons. “No…but I can get us to the source of the jamming fields.”
“Good enough,” Ashley said. “Let’s get going…”
“This way,” Chris said as he nodded towards his right. The three rangers moved off, doing their best to stay hidden.
***
Durak sat back in his office chair as Astronema and Eclipter stood before him.
“I must admit, Astronema,” Durak said. “I am uncertain as to what Sauron wants with the Prizelus route. Surely there are more advantageous corridors through that particular quadrant.”
Astronema flashed Durak a wicked grin. “It’s not wise to question me, smuggler.”
Durak sighed as he nodded. “Very well…I am prepared to offer-”
“Quiet,” Astronema said. “You will turn over control of the route, its ships, and crews, to me. In exchange, I won’t turn this quaint base of yours into a smoldering crater.”
Durak stayed calm, giving Astronema his best poker face. “Such threats are not necessary, Astronema. And not productive.”
Astronema flashed Durak a cold smile. “It’s not a threat. Anyone standing in the way of what I want will be destroyed. That includes you.”
Durak nodded, lacing his fingers in front of him while leaning on his desk. “Anyone expect these Rangers apparently.”
Astronema snapped her staff forward, aiming its point towards Durak. He didn’t flinch. A look of amusement spread across Astronema’s face. “When most face the blade of my staff, I can sense their fear. It’s often palpable in those brief moments before their death. But not you…interesting…”
Astronema lowered her staff. “You would make a worthy business partner. Perhaps we can strike a deal.”
---to be continued in part two. This thread. Watch for it...