Fan Fiction ❯ Jet Force Gemini: Pest Control ❯ Jet Force Gemini: Pest Control ( Prologue )

Jet Force Gemini Pest Control!

By Megan Miller

Part 7

After Mizar has been defeated...

Back in their England home, Gemini relaxed. Weeks ago, the Earth had been saved; they had landed in London, and had finally been able rest their tired souls. Even though everything appeared normal, the team was feeling a strange disturbance. All of a sudden, there was a bright flash of green and blue light, and King Jeff appeared in the room before the team. "Hi," he said. "I figured I'd warp here rather than try to get a hold of you on that stupid phone again. It's a piece of junk anyway. They just don't make them like they used to, do they?"

Juno looked at Vela. "Um, what are you trying to tell us?" she asked the king of the Tribals.

"Well, everyone, it's time I meched you all up again. You'll need another set of equipment if you plan to face off in the second war against Mizar. The bugs are back, and this time it's not all Barry's fault. Somehow they brought back Mizar, and now they enhanced his intelligence and made him their leader. He's out after conquering the universe again!" Then he noticed Floyd for the first time. "How did you?" he began.

Vela cut in to explain. "We relocated Floyd's thinkchip and reassembled him," she answered.

Juno gave a snort. "We?"

"Well, he did," Vela admitted.

"Then I guess Floyd deserves a makeover too," Jeff smiled. "Come on. Set your coordinates for the palace and I'll meet you there." Then the king waved his old cane with a drone head mounted on it over his head and transported himself out of the room, the Gemini team close behind.

Jeff, Juno, Lupus, Vela, and Floyd all landed near a pyramid palace seconds later after an intense intergalactic warp field trip. The all-too-familiar structure sent shivers down Juno's spine. Jeff led the warriors over to the pillars where the Gemini Mech-Up Gear would soon be placed on their bodies.

The team slowly approached the strange machines and stood upon them. Instantaneously, the device whirred to life and a large steel door lowered over the team as lights flashed. Floyd watched intently. "You're next," Jeff said to the little droid as he stared in wonder.

After a short while, the panels lifted to reveal the new Jet Force. Lupus no longer had tank treads, but was seated in a mini-jet equipped with twin lasers and landing wheels. Vela walked out with a helmet similar to Juno's and a homing-missile launcher strapped around her wrist.

Juno looked somewhat the same. His breastplate was larger and he had a strange missile launcher attached to his right hand. "I feel like Samus Aran," he mumbled uncomfortably. "These uniforms were already too tight, and now look at me. What's with this thing?" he asked, holding up his hand. "Can you take it off?"

"Yeah, there's a button on your wrist. Just press it," Jeff answered. Juno did so and the launcher contracted and sort of folded up onto a band on his wrist.

"Cool," he commented.

Floyd whizzed back and forth. "What about me?" he asked excitedly. Jeff led him to Juno's empty stall and lowered the door over him, punching some buttons and pulling some levers. When the little robot emerged, metallic hands had been melded onto his sides. He zipped around happily with his new enhancement. Juno laughed as Floyd gripped his shoulder and landed. "Look! Look! I can hold things!"

An unexpected noise like the crack of lightning erupted outside of the magnificent Egyptian structure, and the team rushed out to see what was wrong. The force field protecting the planet from attack was being pummeled with fire. It was strong, but it couldn't take the pressure forever. Jeff knew the team had to do something quickly.

"Gemini, you have to get out of here. Your lives could be in danger. Get aboard the warp immediately." Jeff watched them leave, then raised his cane and began shooting powerful blasts through the force field to distract the attacker. Finally, after an hour or so of trying to hold back the ambush, the field gave way and troops descended upon the desolate planet to gain back Mizar's throne. Once again, the universe was falling to the hands of evil.

* * *

Lupus, Floyd, Vela, and Juno missed the fate of their king by a mile, but they understood what must have happened. "Well, that's that," Vela sighed. "Mizar's back. And we've got to stop him from claiming every living planet available."

"Better get loaded," Juno said, beginning to pull out their advanced weaponry. "We're going to need more than our missile launchers." Within minutes, the team had jetted out into space with their pod ships, ready for the fight of a lifetime.

Juno picked out the best hiding place he could find for the team to land. "It's going to be a bit of a walk, mates," he said. Vela groaned in reply. Jet Force Gemini slowly made their way to Mizar's Palace across the steaming desert.

Day soon became night, and the planet's thin atmosphere made it feel a lot cooler than the sunlight hours did. Everyone agreed that they needed to stop and rest for the night, so they found the most comfortable place they could out in the sand. Lupus turned on the heater in his jet and slept soundly. Floyd didn't mind the cold either. Juno and Vela curled up together and even Juno fell asleep after a few hours of lying awake.

That sleep didn't last long. He awoke to a rustling sound, and there before his very own eyes, a drone was standing over him! Before he had a chance to enable his weaponry, the ant shrieked and scurried off into the night. "Coward," the commander muttered, fumbling with a tiny light built into his left arm. He shone it around a bit, but there was nothing there. He nudged his sister, who began to shiver without any warmth. "Lay down; it's too cold," she mumbled quietly. All she wanted was to sleep a little more.

"There are drones in the vicinity," he said in a calm whisper. Now Vela was up and standing. "Get Lupus and Floyd up," he ordered. "Hurry. We don't know how many of them there might be out here. We have to keep moving."

After everyone was aroused, they all cocked their guns and followed their leader across the chilly landscape. Juno was tense from his experience, being especially careful not to overlook anything with his flashlight. But he didn't have his sights on the skies, and something plummeted into the atmosphere and crashed into the ground. The twins were knocked off their feet, and everything from that moment on moved too quickly to react. A blast of light absorbed them into the ship, Floyd and Lupus looking on, too petrified to make a move. By the time they shook off their shock, it was too late. The ship seeped into the ground as fast as it had landed. Lupus howled pitifully to the stars above him, his best friends lost and doomed.

Vela awoke dizzily in a cool, damp cell with inadequate lighting. She looked around the grayish-brownish rusted walls, but there was nothing in the room but a moth-eaten cot. A strange-looking drone opened her cell door to deliver a meal. "What'd you do to my brother?" she yelled out, rushing to the door as the drone quickly slammed it shut. It peered through the black window bars, its eyes only slits in its massive, hideous face.

"Don't know, but I'm sure he's worse off than you are," it snarled nastily. "Don't worry sweetheart, you'll get your choice of death soon enough. You just have to wait in line for your turn." Before Vela could reply, the evil creature turned on its heel and left without another word. Heartbroken, the Gemini lieutenant fell to her knees, completely hopeless.

* * *

After a sleepless night, another visitor arrived at her chamber door. A different drone jerked open the door. Vela gazed up at it with angry eyes. "Where is my brother?"

"He's dead. Mizar took care of him himself," the Sniper Drone hissed proudly. "And soon you'll be joining him." As Vela backed away, the ant gripped her tightly around the arm. "You're coming with me. You'll just love Mizar. I'll bet you're dying to meet him." It dragged her out into the dirty hallways of the ship.

Just then, a violent shove sent both the sniper and Vela sprawling onto the floor. She rolled over to see two snipers! "Huh?" she said groggily, still dizzy from the fall.

One of the drones lay on the floor, dazed. "Clumsy workers," mumbled the other. "C'mon, get up, you lazy rat, and get a move on before I have to whip you. Mizar's waiting."

Vela brushed herself off and stood up again. Once again her arm was gripped, but this time she didn't even try to struggle. It wasn't worth the energy. There was no escaping her awful fate. The other Sniper Drone slowly got to its feet, still a bit confused, rubbed its head, then eyed Vela and the drone leading her through the ship's halls. It took off around a bend and headed for a door.

Moments later, Vela heard scuttling sounds through the hull of the ship. The drone did too, because it stopped and raised its antennae, looking about itself. Just then, a troop of about twenty Soldier Drones came barreling towards them! The ant's eyes widened, then it grabbed Vela's arm tighter and took off like a speeding bullet as laser beams whizzed past them.

The drone looked left and right, seeming to try to find a way to escape the chaos. Finally, it just whipped out a Flamethrower and melted a panel of metal in the wall, jumping out with its prisoner. It yanked her around the pyramid where a large metal wire lay on the ground, attached securely to the building. It tightened the end with the noose around its waist and pulled Gemini's lieutenant to the side of a canyon.

Vela finally realized what it was up to. "No, no no no," she said. "You're crazy. We are not jumping down there."

"Oh, yes we are," the drone growled, grabbing her around the belt and jumping off the side. It swung them all the way across to the other side of the narrow canyon, then ejected the cord once they were on the edge. The sniper approached Vela carefully, kneeling beside her. "Are you all right?"

Vela slapped it across the face. "Stay away from me," she hissed. "Why would you care anyhow? And what is going on?"

The drone sighed and looked away, rubbing its cheek where it had been smacked. "I suppose you're a bit confused at this point," it muttered.

"A bit, maybe," she answered sarcastically.

"First of all, I'm not the drone who came to the cell to get you," it began. "I'm the one who knocked you down. I had all this planned--"

"Don't waste your air," Vela said softly. "I'm not sure whose side you're on, but you did rescue me from that musty prison and from death. I still owe you. Who are you?"

"If I told you, you'd probably never believe me," it said. "Just forget it. If we go into hiding, Mizar's fleet might not find us. Any bright ideas on where to head?"
"You've got to know your way around here better than I would," Vela said bitterly.

The drone sighed and stood up. "We better keep moving. Follow me."

By nightfall, Vela was complaining to stop. "Hey, bug, it's dark and cold and I'm starving. My water bottle's almost empty. We gotta take a rest now."

"All right." It stopped for a rest and sat down, pulling its knees up to its chest, gazing up at the stars. Vela shivered as she lay on the ground.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked it.

"Too risky," it replied. "Someone has to keep watch. You just relax for now."

Vela sat up next to it. "Hey, I'm sorry for hitting you. You're not like the other drones." She looked at the cheek she had hit, and noticed three marks on it, in a triangular shape. She gasped. "And that's because you aren't one!" she cried happily, wrapping her arms around its neck, then quickly pulling back, dripping in a thick, clear slime. Juno jumped back in surprise, then grinned as only a bug is capable of.

"So you figured it out, eh?" it smiled.

"Juno, what about Lupus and Floyd?"

"No clue where they are. We have to track them down." He laughed to himself as Vela tried to find a way to wipe off the gunk, pulling long, gooey strings of it out of her hair. "Sorry about that," he said. "Don't worry about it; it won't hurt you. You just got a little slimed. It's an instinct. It sort of goes off whenever something catches me off guard."

Finally, she gave it up. "Oh, what's it worth?" she muttered. Shivering, she snuggled up to his side to catch a few winks of sleep.

* * *

Vela awoke to a gentle licking on her face. She opened her eyes a bit to look up into the eyes of a very happy dog. He barked gleefully as she sat up.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Floyd called out, zipping back and forth. He seemed as happy as Lupus to have found the squadron's lieutenant. "Where's Juno?"

Vela looked left and right. Where had he gone? Then she saw him on a sand dune with a strange contraption. "He must be trying to set our coordinates," she answered. "He doesn't know where we are, and everything looks the same around here."

Lupus looked in the direction Vela was gesturing and growled. {You guys, we've got drones on the prowl.}

"That is Juno," Vela said. "He transformed into a sniper." Then she looked harder. There was more than one! Several large Stag Drones had surrounded him and were bringing him down!

"He didn't bring any weaponry!" she yelped, loading her built-in Homing Missile Launcher. "Floyd, Lupus, cover me. I'm going in." But she knew she would be too late.

* * *

Mizar drummed his three metal fingers impatiently on his throne. One of his Weevil Trooper servants approached his royal seat nervously. "Doesn't it feel wonderful to be back in your palace again, Sire?" he asked, trying to cheer the new king up a bit.

"Where are they?" he replied with a roar.

The trooper gulped. "Who, Sire?"

"The Jet Force, you idiot! There's only one of them fighting out there and we had them. How hard is it to rid us of two primitive humanoids? I want them dead!" In his rage, he swept his scythe across the room, slicing the weevil in two. Onlookers raised their heads at the sickening crunch.

"Have this cleaned up," the evil king demanded one of his guards.

"Yes, Sire, immediately, sir," it replied quickly.

A frightened Soldier Drone named Blue quietly made her way through the crowd towards her quarters. She ran right into a large stag that had stepped across her path. "Where do you think you're going, miss?"

"To my room to care for my child," she replied, looking the fearsome creature in the eyes.

"A child?" asked the drone. "Children will only get in the way. Mizar, sir?" he called, bravely walking up to the hotheaded tyrant. "Blue here's had a kid. Should we dispose of it?"

Blue knew the answer that was coming, but before she could hear it, she pulled out her pistol and shot Mizar several times in the face. Once he was distracted, she took off for her child, grabbing him and taking off for the exit of the palace. "I have to get out of here," she said through tears as she ran, but soon she was surrounded and she knew she was out of time. There was no chance of escape. She would remain a prisoner to Mizar's evil forces for as long as she lived, and she couldn't take it anymore.

Blue was thrown into a musty and dirty cell. "This ought to teach you to stay in line," growled a sniper, looking in through the bars. Then he walked back down the hallway. All Blue could hear was the tapping of his claws on the concrete floor and his taunting to other captives, carrying Blue's only joy in life by the antennae. She could hear her son crying softly as he was taken away to meet Mizar for the first, and as Blue feared, the last time.

Blue heard a tapping sound on her wall, and saw that a hole was being pecked into the wall with some sort of small tool. Finally, the tool poked through the wall. "Hello?" Blue called out. "Who's over there?"

"You okay over there?" a voice called from the other side. "Can you see the hole?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I'm going to drop something through it," the drone in the other cell called back. "Use it to start digging a way out of here."

"Are you crazy?" Blue said quietly. "Dig us out of here? What if we get caught?"

"We won't if you cover the hole with your cot when the guards come in," the drone replied. "Besides, even if you do get caught and they kill you, it's better than living in here and then going back to work for Mizar, isn't it?"

"Anything is better than slaving for him," she said angrily.

A scraping sound began in the next cell. The drone was beginning to dig with the tool. "I recommend you start digging now if you ever plan on finishing," it replied.

"Who are you?" Blue asked curiously.

"Who are you first?" it called back.

"My name is Blue," she said softly. "And I just lost the only member of my family."

The drone hesitated. Then it called out, "I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I lost my parents when I was very young."

"Who are you?" Blue repeated for the third time.

Finally, the drone answered. "My name is Juno, and I'm a sniper."

"I wish I could see you," Blue sighed. "I feel so lonely. Don't you?"

"Not really," he answered. "Explain your loss. What happened?"

"After I was thrown in here, they took my son away to Mizar," she said angrily. "He's only four years old, and he didn't do anything. Why must he die?"

"That was only about an hour ago!" exclaimed Juno. "There might still be a chance!"

"What?" Blue asked.

"There's going to be a change in plans," Juno said. "Just wait for the next guard." After a few minutes, as usual, a drone walked by the cells, inspecting them. Juno stuck his arm out of the bars and grabbed it by the throat, holding a sharp chisel under its neck. "Let us out. Now!"

"Never!" gasped the guard, trying to breathe.

"With one swift move, I could send your head rolling across the floor," Juno hissed. "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?"

It didn't take much thinking for the drone to whip out the key card and release Juno. Still grasping the drone's neck and holding his weapon, Juno led the guard to each cell, freeing all of the captives. Then he grabbed the key card and hit the drone over the head. After it had been knocked out, he dragged it into a cell and locked it in. He took Blue's hand and led the party of rebels down the halls towards the king's balcony. "We'll bring down Mizar and send him to where he rightfully belongs!" he yelled, and a cheer rose from the army of drones he had freed. It was time for Mizar to feel the sheer power of teamwork and integrity.

* * *

Vela, Lupus, and Floyd were on their own. They had defeated a few stags, but the remaining two had dragged Juno under the arms off to Mizar's Palace again. The team feared the worst--if Mizar and his fleet discovered whom the rebellious drone really was, he'd be sure to be killed. Even if he wasn't revealed to them, he may still be put away for his crimes to the empire. "We have to attack the base," she said heatedly.

"But it's crawling with drones!" Floyd exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

"He's always been there for us in our time of need," she said, "and now's his time. We have to get in there and fight for his life and Gemini's reputation." She began walking towards the direction in which they had come. Lupus and Floyd looked at each other for a moment and then took off to catch up to her.

In the meantime, Juno, Blue, and their little band of fighters had reached the door leading to Mizar's weaponry cargo. Juno, his back to the wall, quietly inched over to the door and ran the key card through the slot. The lock blinked red a few moments; then opened.

The weapons manager looked up in surprise. "What in damnation--"

A large Infantry Weevil lifted its arm and cracked it down on the manager before it could say another word. Juno and Blue slid into the room and began to cautiously search for the correct firearms to load up with. The rest of the gang followed. Juno walked up and down the aisles of weapons, slid his key card through the locks, and inspected each one before handing one to the members of the force. Once every drone was armed and ready, they listened carefully as Juno instructed them on the plan. Blue smiled to herself. This new Juno seemed to be quite a brave and loyal drone, and thoughts of her lost son led her into thinking. He appeared to be a trustworthy husband, and he was single, so maybe after this war they could get together, and perhaps get acquainted. These thoughts made Blue feel a lot better. She couldn't wait to get to know him.

Meanwhile, Lupus, Vela, and Floyd were breaking into the palace armed to the teeth. They hoped they'd be ready for the big battle ahead. The first place they broke into was the jail. Vela looked from cell to cell, but she saw no one but one soldier drone lying on the floor of a unit, apparently knocked out. "That's strange," she muttered. "I was just in here not too long ago and I swear, this place was nearly full."

The team walked on, their spirits down. If Juno wasn't in the prison, then where was he? The idea that he was gone forever haunted each of them as they continued the search for their lost teammate.

Now that the escapees were loaded, Juno led them back out into the hallway--directly into the clutches of several dangerous and skillful Cyborg Drones. They grabbed Juno and Blue aggressively and began firing into the team. The drones scattered, and Juno and Blue were led away.

Blue and Juno were held firmly as they were shoved into a large room of machinery where they were stripped of their weapons. Mizar sat in the corner of the room, a smirk on his face. "Ah, yes, I haven't lost you after all, Juno."

"How do you know my name?" he growled angrily.

"How did I know where you were? How you escaped?" Mizar laughed. "While you fell asleep out in the desert, I had a drone attach a small camera to you."

Juno looked down. Sure enough, a tiny device had been fastened to his left shoulder. The drone standing over him that night had been up to something.

"When you first escaped to help your sister, I let you run. I figured I should let you go a while. Allow you to feel like you're ahead of the game. But that went a little far when you actually freed her. So I got you back." The great ugly beast lifted its head to look up at a screen. "Here comes your little band of trespassers now. Looking for you, no doubt. Well, I'll give them exactly what they want. Almost." He laughed and picked Juno up in his three-fingered hand, setting him into a machine that looked like a telephone booth and punching some buttons. A beam of electricity hit the top of the machine and a sickening sound could be heard as Juno's exoskeleton slowly turned inside out and skin grew over it as it hardened into bones. His antennae vanished and a helmet replaced them while his large mandibles grew back into his now humanoid mouth, where they split and formed teeth.

Once he had returned to normal, the door of the machine flung open, and Blue stared in horror. What had Mizar done to him? "Return him to normal, now!" she demanded, overthrown with anger and sadness. "Please," she said, her eyes full of tears. "I love him. Leave him alone."

Juno looked down in surprise. Love? Not once in his life had he heard this from a drone, or anyone besides his sister and family. She didn't know that he was in fact human; she thought he was a bug. And now he had shown her the truth. He leapt down from the platform to face her.

"Back to normal?" Mizar burst out laughing. "This is as normal as they get! Pretty ugly creatures, aren't they?"

Blue shook her head, still gawking at the figure that now stood before her. "It's not true. Tell me it's not true."

"It is," Juno said almost inaudibly, as if ashamed of himself. "I'm the commander of Jet Force Gemini, Blue. There's so much I need to tell you--"

He was cut off in mid-sentence as a Rhino Drone grabbed him by the arm and held in place. It pulled out a long but very thin needle and injected it into Juno's neck, pulling out a small amount of blood. It barely broke the skin and he didn't bleed, but it hurt, and Juno yelped as the drone pulled it out of his neck and handed it to Mizar before taking pictures of him from different angles.

The evil leader took it carefully and motioned to one of his fellow drones. "Come here, you ingrate!"

"I have a name, you know," hissed a Sniper Drone, emerging from the shadows of the room.

"And soon it will be Juno," snapped Mizar. He poured the blood into a small metal container and began analyzing it on his computer. The DNA code showed up on the screen as well as arrangements of all of his genes. The Rhino Drone handed Mizar the pictures on disc and the ruler slid them into the drive. A 3D visual of Juno popped up on screen, and the machine that had returned Juno to normal whirred to life again.

"Give me a boost, why don't you?" the snobby sniper said. Mizar shoved it into the machine and moments later, it walked out as an exact replica of Juno. It hopped down off the platform to land in front of Blue and the real Juno. It set its jaw uncomfortably.

"You'll never pass for me," Juno growled.

"The magnificent Max can pass as anyone and anything," it replied hastily. "Mizar, as I am going to do you a favor and dispose of the Jet Force for you, can you do me just one itsy, bitsy errand?"

Mizar rolled his eyes. "What do you want now?"

Max lifted Juno's chin and made a face. "Turn this filthy rat into a cockroach. Capice?"

Mizar laughed heartily. "Will do."

* * *

Vela and Lupus ran through the passageways of the pyramid structure, Floyd above them. They were so busy looking for Juno left and right that they ran right into Max. He grinned and knelt to help her up. "Vela, wazzup?"

"'Wazzup'?" Vela asked. "What kind of word is that?"

"Uh, well--"

"You've been getting too much exposure to that American slang," she said, rolling her eyes. "Glad you're back to normal, though," she added. "It's great to see you again."

"Yeah, you too," Max replied quickly. That had been close. "Let's go get Mizar!" He held up his Plasma Shotgun.

Vela eyed him curiously. Juno didn't care for the shotgun. He loved his Machine Gun, and he never said `Let's go get Mizar!'. Something strange was going on.

Mizar left the room, locking it behind him. Juno the cockroach sadly scuttled up beside Blue. Though Mizar had spared his life for the time being, a part of his soul was dying. Vela and Lupus were going to be murdered by who they thought was their commander and friend. They trusted him with all their hearts. And soon Max would encounter them and appear to betray them.

Blue wasn't happy either. She was heartbroken. The last hope she had sought was Juno, the defiant drone who had freed her from her cold, dark prison and fought against the evil of Mizar, even though the tyrant was much larger and stronger than he. But he was nothing now. He was just a hideous earthling that had transformed into a bug to defy her.

"Blue," Juno began, but he had no clue what to say next.

"You lied to me," she said quietly. "You lied to all of us. You played along as if you were one of us. "

"But I am one of you," Juno sputtered angrily. "Can't you see that? We all want the same thing--freedom and power over Mizar. What makes me so different from you?"

Blue looked up and hit eye contact. He was right--they weren't really that diverse. Besides, beauty was only skin deep. He had never been mean and uncaring towards her. She knew he really was a good person. Maybe as a team they could save his family. She picked him up and hoisted him onto the platform and he helped pull her to the top. "So what do I do?" she asked.

"Heck if I know," he answered. "Try to find out how to reverse the transformation process."

Blue began to mess with the controls worriedly. After she was sure she had it right, she started the machine then hit a button on accident. The door opened, and Juno looked out at her, red in the face. "Did I get it right?" Blue asked.

"Nice attempt, but try selecting the right gender next time," he replied quietly.

"Oops," she said, trying to keep from laughing. After a quick tweak, Juno was back to his old self again. "Any mistakes this time?" she asked.

"I don't know. Let me check," he said sarcastically. "We've got to locate the others. Max probably already found them." He gently took her arm and hopped off the platform. Once he had removed the tiny camera from his suit, he climbed up to a vent in the wall and popped it open. Blue put her hands under his feet and raised him up into it. He helped her in next. They began to crawl through the tight duct when it took a sharp drop and sent both of them plummeting down into its dark depths.

Juno flew against the end of the vent on his back and Blue slammed into him, knocking the vent open. The two tumbled out of it and rolled onto the floor in a room that looked like an area out of a horror movie. Primitive weapons like axes and hanging nooses were stored here and a soft crying sound could be heard in the darkness.

Juno rustled through the vessel, stumbling in the shadows. As his eyes finally adjusted, he could make out the shape of a young drone, half of its right antennae broken off. Scenes of the previous war flashed through his mind--the devastation he had caused became clear to him. Juno wiped away a tear, thankful that it was dark so Blue couldn't see it, and picked up the child. "Blue, is this yours?"

Blue slowly approached him and tenderly took the child from his arms. She held him close. "He--he's alive," she cried. Juno turned away and began to search for a way out when something hit him over the head.

Trying to regain his balance, Juno steadied himself to get a good look at his attacker. It was like looking into a mirror! Max had arrived, and Vela, Floyd, and Lupus were with him. "Vela," he called out dizzily.

His eyes widened in horror as she pulled out her Tri-Rocket Launcher and aimed it at his head.

"Don't shoot!" cried Blue, rushing out to protect her friend. "You don't understand what you're doing! Please!"

Vela hesitated. Max encouraged her. "Go on, kill them both. They're just drones." Finally, he got impatient and grabbed the weapon from Vela and took aim. Blue yanked Juno out of the way as five Tri-Rocket rounds burst out at him. Furiously, Max tossed the weapon aside and began to stalk the Gemini commander. "You know, you can't run forever."

Juno pulled Blue to the vent and pushed her in. "Claw our way back up," he demanded. "Go as fast as you can." Before Blue could protest, Juno set the vent cover back in place and bashed it with his empty Homing-Missile Launcher to make it stay shut. He then began moving around the room quietly and cautiously.

Up in the shadows of the room, Max crouched poised to jump. As soon as he was in range, he leaped onto Juno's back and tackled him to the ground. He grabbed an axe and attempted to stab him. Juno slid out from under his nemesis and began to run, but he knew it was no use. He was trapped in a room full of killer tools and was facing off against a mad drone that Vela, Lupus, and Floyd trusted. There was only one solution--get his team to realize that he was the real Juno.

Max hunted Juno through the hellish room, waiting for a good attack point. Juno imitated his opponent and jumped on him from behind, wrestling him to the ground. The axe flew out of his hands and across the room, and Juno jumped up to sprint after it. He grabbed it and began hacking a hole in the wall. Vela, Lupus, and Floyd watched. "I can't tell who is who," whispered Floyd.

The hole was just wide enough for him to fit through. He gestured for the rest of the team to run through it. "Get out of here, and quick," he said.

"Why should I trust you?" Vela asked, still not sure who to believe.

Juno didn't know what to do. He had to prove he was who he said he was.

Max butt in. "Don't listen to him! I'm your commander!"

"And I'm your brother," he said, locking his eyes with hers. "Please. Trust me. You always have."

"Vela, don't listen to him!" shrieked Max. "Come to me!"

"Come to whomever you trust." Juno continued to look her in the eyes.

"Listen to me! I'm Juno, for cripe's sake! Use your head!"
"Use your heart," Juno whispered, his eyes misty. "Please. Make the right choice."

Max's rage was burning furiously. "This is pointless!" he finally screamed. "I'll kill you all now!"

Vela turned, eyes flaming, to Max. Lupus leapt in front of her and fired his twin lasers against Max's breastplate, and he staggered backwards, trying to catch his breath. He whipped out a Shuriken and hurled it at Juno as a last attempt. It nailed Juno in the chest and he stumbled to the side, leaning himself against a wall. In the chaos, Floyd slashed Max in the face with his metal claws and Vela slammed her Homing-Missile Launcher against his head, knocking him unconscious. Lupus and Floyd hurried through the hole in the wall and Vela knelt beside Juno. "What do you want me to do?" she asked, shaking in fear.

"Take it out of me," he said in a hoarse whisper. She did so, and he leaned over, grimacing in pain. "Now we have to get out of here."

Vela helped him to stand and supported him as they began to stumble and walk down the passageways to escape the palace. "Wait!" Juno yelled as loud as he could bear to. With the shout came a cough, and a trickle of blood seeped from the side of his mouth and ran down the side of his face. He spun around and began to stagger back to the room.

"No, Juno!" Vela cried, running after him. But Juno persisted. Blue's son was still in there, and there was no way he was going to leave him behind. He unsteadily limped into the room and found the child. The little ant looked up at Juno and scrambled off into a dark corner.

"It's okay, I want to help you," Juno managed to call out hoarsely. The young drone cautiously approached him. Juno weakly lifted him and stumbled over the cluttered floor when a hand reached out and grabbed his ankle. It was Max! He was going to fight to the death, no matter what it took. Vela jumped into the room, whacking him over the head. But Juno had fallen, and he could no longer rise. "Take the child," he whispered, knowing his time was soon to come.

"No," Vela said. "No. It won't happen. I won't let you die." Juno lay on his back, breathing shallowly.

"Go," he said softly. But Vela wouldn't leave his side.

"You were always so stubborn, weren't you?" he gasped quietly. Vela lay down beside him and held him close as she finally let go and allowed the tears to slide down her face.

"Don't leave me," she whispered.

"I never will."

* * *

Floyd and Lupus raced through the halls of the great pyramid, hoping they hadn't already run out of time. They gazed at each door's label--WEAPONS MANAGER, CAFETERIA, VEHICLE STORAGE... that was it! Lupus slid to a stop and Floyd halted beside him. Floyd burned through the lock and Lupus nudged it open. A huge takeoff pad lay before them. Cruisers, fighters, assault tanks, it was all here. Lupus hopped in a tank and Floyd flew over to the controls.

"I must warn you, I've never driven anything in my life," the nervous droid said.

Just then, someone knocked on the side door. It was Blue! She had escaped through the duct! Lupus allowed her to climb aboard.

{No time for a practice test now,} Lupus said. {We're in a bit of a hurry.} The tank took off down the narrow passageway toward the room where the wounded soldier had fallen.

Vela watched over her friend as he slowly bled to death. Lupus and Floyd rolled into the room and Lupus hopped out of the tank. {Get him in, quick!}

Vela grabbed the commander under the arms as Blue lifted his legs. Once they had gotten in, Lupus hit the acceleration and Floyd steered the crew back towards the vehicle storage. They could only hope they'd escape in time to save Juno's life.

Blue's little drone sat down next to him. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked Vela.

"I don't know," she replied truthfully. The team boarded a small ship and took to the skies in hopes of finding help. The jet flew at high speeds, radar screen beeping for any sign of assistance. A high-pitched blip sounded and Vela rushed to the radar. "Large cruiser at twelve o' clock!"

Lupus set off the distress signal. The cruiser slowed its speeds and opened its docking bay. The little ship flew beneath it and landed in the posterior end as quickly and efficiently as it could. Time was really running short now. Vela had placed a towel over Juno's chest and was applying pressure, but the towel was now stained red with blood. His breathing was slowing rapidly. "I'm losing him!" Vela called out fearfully.

The team supported their friend as they jumped out. A group of paramedics arrived within moments, ready to help Juno to the emergency room. Vela and the others could only watch and wait. With the right help, he might have a slim chance. But one chance was still an opportunity, and they weren't about to give up now.

After several intense hours, the ER doors finally opened. Vela, Lupus, Blue, and Floyd rushed in. "Hey, no animals--" one nurse began, but then she spotted Blue with Floyd and thought better of it. It wasn't a good idea to mess with people when they had a drone on their side.

One of the doctors removed her surgical mask and beamed down at Juno, showing off her teeth and perfect green eyes. She then glanced at the rest of the team, who stared in awe back. "Venus?" Vela said. "But I thought you wanted to stay on Earth!"

"I changed my mind," she replied. "I decided to help fight for your cause once I saw the news a long time ago." She smirked. "The Federation lost all of its squadrons, yet the Jet Force still won the war against Mizar! Or shall we say, more properly, it was a war against Barry, Jeff's own brother. What a pity. I wouldn't have guessed that one, would you?" She smiled again.

Venus' favorite activity seemed to be talking, and Vela didn't like her at all. There were several reasons why, but the way that Juno appeared to look up to her angered the lieutenant the most. She understood this; since he had never seen another human female since he was very young, and becoming attracted to someone was just a part of growing up. Even so, she didn't like it. But Venus had saved their lives time and again, so Vela put up with her anyway.

Juno glanced up at the ceiling and pressed a button on his hospital bed. It slid away to reveal an inky black sky dotted with stars and the nearby planets. "I survived," he sighed. "But so did Mizar. He's still out there, taking prisoners and slaves and controlling insectoids, like Blue. It's wrong. We have to go back and fight." He made a painful effort to sit up, but the ache in his chest forced him to stay where he was, immobilized and lying in a bed. He looked uncomfortably at his teammates. "You're going to need a new commander."

"You can't be serious!" Vela protested. "You'll be okay; you'll be fighting again really soon! I know it!"

"Yeah, maybe in a couple of months," he replied sarcastically. "When I'm better, I'll rejoin you. For the time being, you'll need a leader. And I think that you'd be a fine commander," he said, referring to Vela.

"Really?" she said, surprised. "But I'm only a lieutenant--"

"And a skilled copilot," Juno added. "Besides, I've seen your techniques in battle. You'll do great. Before you know it, you'll be surpassing me in skill."

"I just couldn't," she said softly. "You've always been the commander. You lead us in to battle, you instruct us on the plans, you direct our every move. Jet Force Gemini isn't a Jet Force at all without you."

"We can't just stop now because I'm out of the war," Juno said sternly. Vela could tell by his voice that he had already made his decision, and he always stood firm when he made a choice. There was no point in trying to change his mind now. Instead of arguing, she bid farewell to her brother and set off with Lupus and Floyd.

Blue hung back a few moments. "Thanks for everything," she said so softly she doubted Juno heard her at all. His eyes were now closed, but as Blue exited the room, a small smile curled at his lips. Her child tottered out after her, whining that it was hungry. The former commander relaxed, breathing deeply. He quietly prayed for his family and newfound friends, making a silent promise that he would one day join them again. And he knew it was a promise he'd never break.