by M. Shaunessy
A holographic screen appeared in front of them showing a menu:
* RECALL
FIND
LIST
SPECIAL
She jogged down to SPECIAL and hit the return key, and then another screen appeared. She typed in HADES and said, “These are stolen structural plans for the star ship Hades. A few weeks ago before the battle we had one of our spies retrieve them for us.” She frowned of what happened, “He didn’t quite make it back from Mars, so he transmitted some of its data. What we got wasn’t enough to find a weakness or anything, but it was enough to find out what we were dealing with.” The screen then changed into a complex map formation. She scrolled around the screen until she found what she was looking for. “Our specialist examined the plans for any outer defense weakness, but they were unsuccessful. My brother should be held here,” Tygla pointed and continued, “At Prison Center #5. My plan was to go through the air ducks and surprise the guards. My only problem is getting into the ship. As far as I know the ship’s impregnable.”
“That’s where we come in huh?” Mike said.
Tygla replied, “Yes, any ideas?”
“Hmmm, well this is not the temple on Mota but,” He paused a bit thinking, “The problem is not getting in the ship, but getting near it. I am sure that ship got a long-range scanner. Say Justin, did you ever get that Ghost Shield of yours working yet?” Mike asked.
“It still has few bugs in it,” he replied, “But I suppose I can work on it before we leave.”
“Good,” Mike said as he looked back at the screen.
“Ghost Shield?” Tygla inquired.
“It’s a new cloaking program that works on scanning systems. Now, what’s that?” Mike asked pointing a small rectangular door at rear of the ship.
Tygla looked and answered, “Why that’s a garbage chute. You’re not thinking of entering through there, are you? That’s crazy, the only time that door is open is when they go into Hyper Flight.”
“Well then, we got to be quick, don’t we,” Mike replied.
Tygla added, “If we gonna be quick, then we should find a safe place to hide.”
“Where’s the ship now?” asked Justin.
Tygla exited the program and brought up a space grid map showing Hades moving upward besides a large asteroid field. “It’s a good thing one of our best pilots placed that homing signal on it before it departed. It looks like it’s still in the outer reign of the Deneb System, near a Xatu space station,” she said.
Mike started, “Justin, remember that time we were being chased by Tuskin in that asteroid field in the Solar System a few weeks ago?’
“Yeah,” Justin replied, “What about it?”
“Do you remember what happened?” He asked.
Justin answered, “Yeah, we hid in one of the asteroids and waited for him to leave. You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
Mike replied, “Yeah, we’ll just hide and have them come to us.”
“And when they do,” Tygla added excitedly, “We enter with no one knowing it. Oh Mike, it’s brilliant. Okay,” she turned off the Electronic Graph Grid and continued, “We’ll leave tomorrow morning at o’six hundred hours,” she got up and they left the command room as Tygla turned out the lights she said, “You better get a good night’s sleep, because we a got long day ahead.”
“Hey? What’s this we stuff?” Mike said, “I thought you were grounded.”
“I am,” she replied, “You don’t think I actually listen to my father do you?”
“Well I…I don’t want you to get into any more trouble that’s all.” Mike said awkwardly.
Tygla replied confidently, “Mike, I will be with my private guards, and I am sure my new private guards will protect me from harm?”
“Of course,” Mike replied.
“Good,” she said as they looked into each other’s eyes for a moment. “Now goodnight you two.” She trotted off to her room smiling.
“Sweet dreams my princess,” Mike said dreamily.
Chapter 4
The Rescue
Early that morning, Justin and Mike were already on board the Golden Condor and Tygla just walked up the ship’s ramp that led the small area that adjoined two other small rooms, the cargo bay and the lounge. She could not wait to see her brother again. She barely got sleep last night thinking about it and about Mike. She thought how wonderful to go out on a date with him, if he asked. She wondered where they would go and what they would do. Probably something exciting, but her brother must come first. She wondered about Xman, what the Xatu must be doing to him. She thought that they must pay dearly for taking him away from her, just as they did with their mother.
“Morning,” she said nicely.
Mike and Justin was in the cockpit, turned to her voice and replied, “Morning.”
“I like to thank you two for being here, fifteen minutes early,” Tygla remarked.
Justin replied, “No problem, I had to finish this stupid shielding system before we leave,” he then attended to his controls trying to debug the Ghost Shield.
Mike then noticed her baggy eyes and said, “Didn’t get any sleep?”
“No,” she replied sadly, “I kept thinking about my brother. I miss him.”
“I know you do,” said Mike admiring her cat eyes. He never knew that Felinis’ eyes were ever more beautiful and exotic than human’s eyes.
Justin turned his head towards them and said, “Ahem, can we get this bird flying now?”
Mike, not looking at him asked, “Is the Ghost Shield working?”
“I’ll get it working before we get there, don’t worry,” Justin replied.
Mike and Tygla made their way back into the cockpit and got to their seats, but just before they took off a panther-like Felinis royal guard came running out. He hoped to catch the princess, but it was too late.
“Princess, princess!” he shouted. The ship lifted off the ground turned to the cloudy sky and took off. The guard sighed and mumbled, “King Rymu is not going to like this.”
He turned around and went back inside to tell Rymu. Rymu did not like the idea that Tygla could leave whenever she likes to, especially when he had grounded her. He was afraid that she might lose her just like his son and his wife. When the guard told him what happened he was in shock. He wanted someone to go after them, but he did not have many soldiers to spare at that time. He had just hoped that her new guards were the best.
Meanwhile Xman could not sleep either. His thoughts were more on Drax than his family. What in the galaxy, did Drax have in mind he thought, as he sat in the prison center on Hades? Then, Xman’s cell door suddenly opened and two guards entered harshly.
“Get up you slime,” the guard ordered as grabbed Xman’s arm pulling him up.
Xman awoke, looked at the guard unpleasantly and replied, “Couldn’t you just knock first?”
Xman kicked one of the guards in the gut as he fell back. The other guard used his stun stick and prodded Xman in the shoulder. Xman cried slightly, and then his body went limped. They then dragged him out of his cell. A portable screen hovered in front of him, and then Drax’s face appeared. Xman slowly raided his head and saw his enemy. He narrowed his eyes at him. He knew that what he was going to say was not pleasant.
“I will give you one last chance, Where is the colonials’ secret base?” Drax said. Xman did not say a word, but stared at him like hungry wolf. Drax continued, “Well, if that how it’s going to be, Guards, prepare him.”
“For what?” Xman inquired.
Drax replied, “Don’t worry my friend. I have special plans for you. We’re going to continue where we left off two years ago. That’s right a battle, a battle of strength, wit, and fate to the death. Just you and me alone, Mono è mono.”
“Ok Drax,” said Xman, “What’s the deal?”
“Deal?” he replied, “If I wanted to kill you I would of done it a long time ago. No, if you win, I let you go, and if you lose,” Drax heckled and
continued, “Well, you know the answer to that.”
CRAIG peek out of is tiny cell window, witnessing the scene and said to himself, “No.”
The screen vanished as it moved aside. Hiss stood behind it grinning like a Cheshire cat. Even though Drax told him that he must be at his best, he did not say he could have some fun with him first.
“We musst prep you up for the sshowdown Xman,” Hiss remarked. Xman growled at him and struggled again trying to regain his strength from the stun stick. Hiss then ordered to the guards, “Take him to the chamber.”
Meanwhile, back on the Golden Condor still in Hyper Flight, the three space adventures waited to arrive to their destination. Justin was still fiddling with their new equipment. Tygla however, was a bit anxious to rescue her brother.
“Can this thing go any faster?” Tygla remarked impatiently.
“What’s your hurry princess?” Justin asked as an electric spark shocked his hand “Ow!”
“I have this gut feeling he’s in big trouble,” she replied nibbling on her fingernail.
Justin said, “Don’t worry. You’re looking at the fastest ship on this side of the galaxy.”
She just wished that she were with him right now. The Empire captured him for some reason and she wanted to know why. She looked out towards the streaming stars and wished on one of them. Mike looked at her and felt so sorry for her, but he promised that he would get him back for her even if it were going to get them killed.
On the Hades, The guards forced Xman in to a circular room. There was a coffin like chamber in the middle, made of metal. Xman did not know what that was, probably some kind of torturing device. Something he already did not like.
“Get in there,” ordered the guard, as he pushed Xman in the chamber.
The door then slid closed as Hiss attended the controls. It was pitch back inside and could not see a thing. It was as if he was blind. He pounded on the dark black walls, but it did not help him at all.
“I know you’ll get a charge out of thisss,” Hiss remarked as he chuckled.
Just then, he heard a hissing sound. No, it was not Commander Hiss, but something else. Gas poured in the chamber, shocking Xman as he saw flashes of light flickered all about him.
“Noron gas!” He cried painfully.
Tygla suddenly woke up from her daydreaming as Mike turned to her and asked worriedly, “What is it Tygla?”
Tygla replied unsurely, “I don’t know. I-I thought I felt a sharp, shocking, pain down my side,” she then relieved herself and asked, “Are there yet?”
“In just a couple of minutes we will,” replied Justin.
Mike then said to Tygla, “Are you sure you’re ok?”
“Yes,” she replied, “I’m just...Never mind. I really appreciate what you guys are doing. This means a lot to me and my home planet.”
Mike placed his hand on hers and said, “Don’t fret about it. It’s our job.”
She smiled to him as if suddenly all of her worries were gone. She never felt like this to another man before. She had other relationships, but they did not turn out what she wanted. Some of her past boyfriends were either boring or just after her family’s money. All she wanted was someone who knows how she feels. Michael might be that man.
The two guards took Xman to the ship’s arena, and then threw him to the ground as the door to the arena closed. He looked about and saw that the room had empty seats. The arena itself was oval shaped, and there was wall-to-wall grey tarmac on the floor that reached the bleachers. He then got up, but before he got his thoughts together, a giant large bat swooped down trying to claw at him. Xman ducked quickly as he wondering what that was. It could not be Drax, he thought. It then landed on the ground and transformed its body in to the figure of Drax.
“Welcome my old friend,” Drax said evilly, “Let the battle begin.”
He then morphed in to a spider like creature with sharp metal legs as he attacked Xman. Fortunately, he rolled out the way as Drax’s razor sharp tarsus landed near him, as he did not believe what he was seeing. How could this be Xman thought? He then remembered of the vat he had through him into. That vat must have given Drax morphing powers.
“You know this is not fair to me!” Xman shouted as he quickly got up, “You have enhanced human power.”
Drax turned around and looked to him and he morphed back to human form and replied, “Fair? I was human once! Normal! And you. You were stronger and bigger than I was. No, I think the playing field has been leveled.”
Drax’s lower half has morphed in to a snake like form. He then quickly wrapped his slithery tail around Xman and squeezed his body, crushing every bone in Xman as Drax chucked at his pain. Xman struggled and grunted, as with his tiger humanoid strength, finally broke free of Drax’s hold. Xman fell to the ground tired as ever, but he had to continue. Drax, hoping that his enemy was out of action, whipped his snake like tail at him, but Xman saw this, grabbed the tail, and started to swing Drax like the hammer throw event, with all his might. The gravitational pull threw Drax from Xman’s hand as he flew in the air and crashed in to the empty seats. Xman panted and was still weak from the Noron gas treatment as he looked at his nemesis. Drax then changed in to a bear like creature, charged, and pounced on Xman. Xman grabbed Drax’s paws as he fell on his back.
The prince kicked with all of his might and forced Drax from his grip and he fell on the ground. He turned into a hungry mean wolf and lunged at Xman. They both fell down again while Xman grabbed the wolf's paws and threw him off once more as the wolf tumbled.
Drax then turned in to a tiger and remarked icily, “I hope this shape will makes you more comfortable.”
“Nothing makes me comfortable with you around,” Xman replied puffing.
His scars were shown all over his body, but he was not ready to give up yet. Even though Drax was stronger than he was, Xman was more cunning. He had to catch him off guard somehow.
However, before Drax attacked again one of his guards informed him over the intercom, “Sir,” he said as Drax turned to speaker, “You have a transmission call from the Emperor himself. He said it is important.”
Nothing is more important than this he thought, but he did not want to ignore the Emperor’s request and submit himself to his torture. He then morphed back into himself and looked at the speaker.
“Tell him I will be there in a few minutes,” He replied.
This was it, Xman ran, then leapt in to the air with his foot up front. Xman kicked him hard in the chest as Drax fell down. Drax slowly got up, quickly shaped his hand into a metallic hammer-like shape and slapped Xman as he fell to the ground unconsciously. He glared at his opponent. He hated to be interrupted, and someone was going to pay for it.
The guards came in as Drax ordered, “Take him back to his cell. We will continue this later Xman. Right now, I have more important matters to deal with.”
Drax then left to his office to receive the Emperor’s call as the two guards dragged Xman back to his cell. Once in his office he turned on the VidCom screen and saw Mi’Tuk waiting impatiently.
“Sorry M’Lord, I had to attend to some unfinished business,” Drax apologized.
“You were supposed to take control of Felinoron, not play with them,” he started sternly, “Now I hear the king is still alive!”
“I-I am sorry my lord,” Drax replied, “I- AAAARGG!” Drax’s mind was suddenly in pain as he shrieked madly. It felt like he was being stabbed with a cold sharp knife through the ear.
“You are a fool Drax,” the emperor said. Drax didn’t realize that the emperor’s mind-bending power could reach across the galaxy. “I should’ve sent Hur’Sjo instead. At least he follows orders.”
“Please M’Lord,” Drax pleaded, “I-I have, have everything under c-control.”
“You have disobeyed me Drax, so I am reassigning you to another mission I have in mind, but don’t worry. We will deal with the Felinis in time. I have another task for you instead.” Drax glanced up to him wond
ering what he wanted him to do. “A more important task. You remember why I have come to your galaxy Drax. Power, ultimate power.
“Twenty years ago my soldiers had captured a human who had been searching for the ultimate power. I had tried to extract information from him, but he had resisted my power somehow. He only carried a few pieces of information that I sought.
“Years now I had you going to different science facility to retrieve any information leading to this power, now after years of waiting. My spies have told me an old Lizzian explorer named Uno Pu’Do, led a one-man expedition to find this power. His last known location was somewhere in the Norma System.
