Teknoman Fan Fiction ❯ Shara's Last Gift ❯ Enemy Beloved ( Chapter 5 )

[On the roof of the Space Knight command center, Warhammer sits atop the highest
point of a watchtower.]

WH: In war, the enemy is all around you... and what makes it even worse, is when
the enemy is someone you care for...

[Laughs hysterically as the sun begins to reach through the clouds of another
day's beginning.]

Teknos Warhammer

Presents:

Shara's Last Gift:

Chapter 5:

Enemy Beloved

A work of fiction based on the TV series, Teknoman.


*****

"With all the information we have concerning Lahdam technology, it is safe to
assume that anyone and everyone who is unfortunate to go through the
assimilation process is changed permanently. Everything down to the basic
genetics is changed enough so that they can use anyone that falls into their trap for whatever purpose they have in mind. Maybe the only way out of their web is death... it must be more merciful than to live as one of them."

-Jesse Lockhart, "Lahdam: The Poison of Life" Essay is copyright of Survivor Publishing, 2298

*****

In the commander's office, a single screen lit the darkened room on his desk. Speaking in hushed tones, Commander Jamison spoke with the image of one of his superiors. In fact, it was the same one, which had overseen the reconstruction and delivering of the supplies a few days earlier. The woman's face appeared tired and worn from recent events.

"We tried. In all honesty we tried to make sure nothing got out, but it looks like even we are starting to become sloppy. Now even the president is starting to get a little wary of us now. If it keeps going at this rate, we're all going to be in trouble."

The news was now pointing fingers in their direction of secret weapons
manufacture without the consent of the presidency. It was true to an extent, but
the fact of the matter was that the remaining six and a half billion people of
earth needed this new weapon as soon as possible, without need of protocol.

"What do you suggest we do to eliminate any more accusations from the rest of
the UEG army command?" Jamison asked passively.

For as long as Raye Hino had been living, it did not take her long to think of
something when it was this important. Without hesitating, she ordered, "Destroy
any and all evidence that we used a chamber for Ms. Corman. Gather up all the
information that was gathered on this project, then send it to one of our
umbrella accounts, but if you don't have enough time, destroy it all. I want no
traces.

"Also, send Slade and Ms. Corman to the research facility just off the coast of
western Greenland. Send along Mr. Carter's sister if you need to. They can use
that area for training and even if someone asks us what we're doing there, we
can tell them we needed to retrieve a certain set of plans for Hertz Z-Tron
Enhancement upgrade. We couldn't get it before because of the war, but since
things have quieted down for a while, it should give us the perfect cover."

Never ceasing to be amazed at just how cunning this woman could be, Jamison
nodded and said, "It shall be done."

"Good. Make sure that your crews are getting their training in. We've started
production on several Z-Tron powered gunboats, kind of like the one we sent you
before Mr. Carter's sister was brought in. Also, these are approved. When the
time is right, we're going to send them up and take out the enemy commander's
base. Mars out," She finished.

When her image faded, he frowned at the orders he had been given. "I swear,
Hino... one of these days all your politicking and under the desk games are
going to get you in trouble. But what do I know? I'm just your puppet."

He shrugged and began to work on the pretext that would be presented to the UEG
council, should they come and try anything.

*****

On the eastern side of the space knight command center, a figure began to stir
among scattered sheets on a bed as the sun started to reach the other side of
that person's room. Pulling the last sheet off of her head, Tina Corman stared
lazily at the ceiling and realized just how dull it all was.

Knowing that she would not get anywhere by just laying down, she leaned up and
stretched her arms above her head. Tina tried not to let too many things bother
her, but whenever her bones popped from stretching; she wanted to throw a fit.

However, seeing the sun through her window made her forget the annoyance almost
immediately. She smiled at the warm sunlight and whispered, "Nice morning."

Another voice purred, "Indeed it is."

She turned to see the same large tiger that she had met the day before,
stretching himself on her bed, yawing to reveal his sharp teeth, and startling
Tina off of her bed and onto the floor.
Picking herself back up, she knelt at the side of her bed, held up a few of her
sheets below her face, and snapped sourly, "What are you doing here?"

Not at all bothered, Kahn replied, "Even for teachers, there are times when we
must rest to regain our strength."

Standing up, she looked at the place where he had slept and realized that he was
the warm and fuzzy pillow that she had been sleeping against. The last thing she
needed was a large and overly intelligent animal sneaking into her bed everyday.

"That's nice and all that, but is there a reason why you did that?" she
inquired, scratching the back of her head through her messed up hair.

"I found that you were trying to experiment with your power before you could use
it properly. Such is a mistake. And it looks like I came at the right time as
well," He said, hopping off her bed and into the path of the rays of light that
came from the window.

Tina recalled the occasion where she had indeed tried to harness her power,
which enabled her to fly, but also bitterly remembered her failure as well.

Kahn turned to her again and continued, "You are capable of utilizing the wind,
my dear, but you just have not been shown how yet. That was why you failed." His
voice turned dire as the importance of his lesson increased, "What you will be
able to do is use this only in terms of a defensive capacity and for the
acquisition of knowledge. Should you try and use it for offense, you will lose
the ability just as fast as you have gained it."

It was not so much the idea of losing her power that scared Tina, but in the way
Kahn had put it. It almost sounded as if she would lose her life if she misused
this power. Even then, the idea did not seem impossible.

Still nervous from his words, she carefully inquired, "Then, how will I know
when I can and can't use it?"

Calmly, the tiger replied, "You will know. The Great Creator Himself gave you
this, along with the rest of all that lives, the ability to discern between good
and evil. When your mind is in harmony with the soul, the truth shall be made
known."

Tina breathed a small sigh of relief at those words, despite the fact she had a
bit of a hard time trying to comprehend it all. Knowing that Kahn would be there
to help her out, which gradually put her mind at ease. Sitting on her bed, she
waited from him to continue.

"So, what can you recall vividly from your last attempt?"

Looking back to him, she answered, "Well, I tried to imagine seeing the air that
made up the wind and tried to move it. But no matter how hard I tried, it
wouldn't budge."

Kahn sighed and with his head hung low, mumbled something about students not
being patient. "It's because you tried to force the wind to do what you wanted."

"Huh?"

"It's because you, like so many I've seen, tried to control the element. Not
cooperate with it."

"Wait a minute... are you saying..."

"Yes. Nature is not just a rock or a tree, but part of a whole. And when you try
to force something from it, you get nothing in return."

Tina felt the weight of her foolish actions from before fall on her head like a
pile of bricks. "So... how do I... uh, cooperate with the wind? Give an offering
or something?"

Kahn blinked at her answer and stammered, "Who would of thought you would guess
it right!"

Tina's face brightened and she started to jump for joy. "Coolness!"

She was about to celebrate more, but something else stopped her. It was Kahn
landing on her head, albeit, he had become a lot smaller than before.
Nevertheless, she fell onto the floor and made quite a mess as soon as the dust
from her not so gracious crash landing settled.

"Correct, but there is no need to make a fool of yourself! Now rise!" Kahn
growled after hopping off her head.

She frowned at him, but stood up regardless. "So... how do I get the wind's
help?"

He raised a paw and pointed to her. "You are aware that in most of nature,
everything has a symbiotic relationship, no?" Tina nodded. "This is no
different. If you wish to gain the assistance of the wind, you must give it
something first. Your power is what it will accept. Only then, will the elements
be on your side."

"Ok... so how do I do that?"

Kahn sighed again. This would take longer than he had hoped. "Imagine the
particles of nitrogen again, then offer the power that you have to them. It will
accept, knowing what you want. After which, you can utilize it."

Tina thought about trying it again, but with a frown questioned, "If I don't get
it right, will you jump on my head again?"

"No."

"Good!"

She took a deep breath and held out her hands in front of her. In her mind, she
saw the same particles as before. Moving enough so as to keep the temperature of
the room she was in constant. Gathering a bit of her mental strength, she let go
of a bit of her power. Within seconds, she could see the blue colored light
flowing from her hands and into the particles.

Almost as if he could see it as well, Kahn continued, "Good. Now, instruct it to
do something basic. Something small and simple."

Hearing his counsel, she focused on the particles that she had charged and gave
a small mental image for them to take shape into. Tina slowly opened her eyes to
see a miniature blue tornado, floating between her hands. She gasped at the
sight and the instant her breath came, the tornado vanished.

"Did... did I do it?" Tina asked her teacher, who merely nodded. "But, shouldn't
it have kept going?"

Kahn shook his head, "No, because you broke your concentration. Which is common
for anyone starting out. In time you'll be able to do more, but for now, simply
try to make that phenomena last longer than it did."

Tina rolled her eyes backward and groaned, "Oh geez, even after high school, I
still get homework."

Going along with Tina's comment, he continued with as sinister a grin as he
could. "I also expect you to do better than now, or else I'll be repeating what
I did to you earlier."

"Do you have to?" Tina whined, hoping that he was just joking.

"We'll see, my dear," he said before walking past her and into the shadows.

Sighing, Tina walked over to her bathroom, hoping that this was just her
imagination playing tricks on her again. As soon as she entered, her frown grew
when she saw in the mirror the horrid mess that was her hair. She never liked
looking at herself in the morning because she looked like she had been through a
war zone. She stuck her tongue at her reflection in disgust and walked into the
shower.

*

Brushing the last few strands of hair into place, Tina smiled at her reflection.
It looked much better, now that she was showered, dried, and dressed in her
standard orange uniform. She never thought so much about herself to actually
spend hours just trying to make herself look pretty. No, that was for the other
girls that actually got attention.

Instead, she simply tried to make herself clean and presentable. On top of that,
they were in the middle of a war! Fashion could take the back seat for a time or
for good as far as Tina was concerned. She was about to leave the room when she
stared a bit more intently at her reflection, feeling that something was amiss.

She looked down to discover that the high hemmed skirt that was part of her
uniform had not anticipated her growth spurt. She moved to the side and pulled
away the shower curtain to reveal her darkest secret!

A small mark made in the wall, placed at the top of where her head would be,
indicating how tall she was. She never spoke about it, but being short was
something Tina despised with a passion. It also brought back the memory of Shara
mistaking her for being a fifteen-year-old.

Her mind raced with the scary possibility that someone might actually try and
flip her skirt! This would not do at all! Running back to her closet, she went
through some of the stuff in the lower drawers, hoping that it was still there.

"AHA! Found it!" Tina announced to no one in particular and whipped out a pair
of black biking tights that would fit her just fine, even when she was growing.
She slipped them on and smiled as much as she could in front of her mirror. Her
anxieties faded and without another word, strode out the door, more than ready
for the Command Bridge.

On her way to the elevator, she only got a few glances of curiosity from people
who knew who she was. Seeing her wear the bike shorts made them shrug and go
about their duties, uninterested.

Leaning against the wall of the elevator, she stared into the lights on the
ceiling, lost in thought. She then, opened her hand, a small light flashed, and
a small blue crystal landed in her hand the very instant the flash ended.
Staring at the octagonal sapphire in her hand, several things went through her
mind at the same instant. Most of them had to do with what was to come from
this. Sighing, she returned the crystal to the nexus from whence it came and ran
as fast as she could to her position at the Central Command Room.

*****

At that time, Ness Carter had finished his morning preparation and headed
towards the room where his mother and sister were. Just the day before, the only
other surviving member of the Carter family was transported to the Command
Center for the purpose of reuniting them.

As grateful as he was, he couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong.
Was there a reason why the higher-ups of the Space Knights brought her here?
Surely there were many others who were separated from their families due to the
war, what made he and his sister different? Aside from the fact that they could
transform into armored fighters that were originally designed to attack the
world they were struggling to protect?

His thoughts were interrupted as another figure walked through the hallway and
waved a hand in front of his face to bring him back to reality. He blinked in
surprise and took a step back to see Starrick Summers was the one who woke him
up.

"Morning," she said with a small smile. "Sleep well?"

He nodded and asked, "How about yourself?"

"Pretty well. But waking up early to get a file for the Commander is not
something I'd recommend doing a lot," she said with a humorless smile.

Ness had much to think about when it came to this woman. When he had first come
into the service of the Space Knights, she had not hesitated to pull a gun out
and point it at him. When his crystal had been shattered several months ago, she
had not given up on him when he had given up on himself. She had also been there
for him more so when Balzac had verbally abused him, which in turn shattered his
confidence and nearly gotten them all killed.

The other day, she had become his confidant. Someone he could trust implicitly
and she the same of him. Whether she knew it or not, it meant a lot to him. The
war had taken so much from so many, he did not know what to do at times.

Coming back to reality again, Ness began to wonder about Star's assignment.
"Say, what exactly does the Commander need so early in the morning?"

Star shrugged, "All he said was that he needed to know the location of a certain
building once owned by a working associate of the Solar Moon. Probably has
something there the top brass want, I think."

"Let's hope it's not something the enemy may want as well," he noted.

She nodded and realized that he was heading in the same direction as she was.
"Ness, are you going to the infirmary?" He nodded. "I thought so, how's your
mother doing?"

Ness blinked at the fact that the news his mother's arrival was around the
compound. Regardless, he answered, "Well, she's as well as one could be, being
in her position." His gaze dropped slightly. "Being alone for as long as she
has, took its toll on her. I'm not sure if she's going to recover from losing
Shara."

Star sighed at the news. It was a common thing for her to see something go from
bad to worse. Despite all the situations that had gotten better, the ones with
the worse ending occurred far more frequently. She reached over his shoulder and
gave him a reassuring embrace with her free arm. She did not know how much good
it would do, but it was certainly better than doing nothing.

His demeanor slowly brightened and he whispered, "Thanks... again."

Her smile grew and she said simply, "Don't mention it."

As she soon as she vanished down the hallway, he had the look of wanting to say
something more, but the words would not come. Maybe it was not the time. Yet, he
wanted to tell her so much more of how he felt. The second she left his sight,
he inwardly kicked himself for not saying it earlier. He mouthed the words he
wanted to say several times, but for some reason they could get no farther than
his mind.

"Star... I like you, a lot..." was what he wanted to say. Through the furnace of
all they had gone through, he had found a trusted friend in her. He kicked
himself again for not being as appreciative and open to her as he was before.
And here he was, another opportunity to build something, lost.

When he resumed his trip to the infirmary, he made a silent resolution to tell
Star how he felt, even if it killed him.

*****

Staring at the ceiling, Ringo's mind raced over a single memory that had
continued to stay with him since his childhood.

It was the fall of 2083. He was just eight years old at the time.

He remembered walking from him home in San Francisco to meet with a few friends
of his by the bus stop. It had just rained and there were still a few small
puddles of water by the rocky path that lead through the park. He was excited
about meeting his friends, Bobby and Ace, because during the summer. His family
had been gone due to his father being relocated temporarily.

He wrapped his jacket about his small frame as he started to rush across the
grass. He forgot that one could slip a lot easier when the grass was wet. While
running by a tree, he began to slide and nearly fell onto the wet ground.
However, a low branch was within arm's length and so he was saved from the
potential humiliation from the other students from how soggy his clothes would
have become.

A snicker from above the large tree brought his attention from his last second
escape. He looked up to see who would dare laugh at Ringo Noal Richards.
However, the very second he saw the person standing in the tree, the memory
ended in a flash of light.

Ringo could not remember who exactly it was, but he did know that it was 'that
girl' that he had told Shara about a while ago. He had always wanted to know who
it was. Because of that, he felt that he had lied to her, in a way. He had said
that he had moved on when such was not true.

Time and time again he had tried to put the memory of this mystery girl behind
him, but it would not leave him be. The last thing Ringo wanted was to have
something as vague as this keep him from progressing in life.

Yet, there was an appeal, a desire to be more precise, to find out who and what
it all meant. One of the things that always drove his parents crazy was his
almost inherent tenacity to find out everything he could about something.

"Maybe I should move on," Ringo said to himself quietly before standing up.
There were some things that were worth pursuing, but he was having doubts about
this one.

He turned to look at his clock. 7:41 A.M. He would be needed at the training
center soon. Not enough time for breakfast. "Well, it's no use wasting time
thinking about it all." He grumbled while walking to the bathroom.

*****

In the infirmary, Harri Carter sat in a chair next to the cot that her only
daughter laid in. Despite her best attempts at explaining the whole process of
the Teknomen transformations, conversions, and what not, Shara was at a loss of
how to put it in as simple terms as possible.

"So... the armor that they wear... is it part of their body or something?" Harri
inquired.

"Not exactly," Shara answered a bit worried. "The armor itself materializes when
the matter around the subject is charged and the material it's made of is pulled
from a 'sub-dimensional pocket' of sorts. Then the material shapes into the
armor that they wear."

Both mother and daughter sighed. It appeared that it would take a while before
comprehension would set in completely.

"Is it really that hard to understand?" Shara inquired her mother.

A bit exasperated, Harri replied, "For heaven's sake, Shannon, I'm a doctor, not
a metaphysics professor."

Not wanting to continue a discussion where nothing could be gained, Shara
concluded, "Either way, the technology is way beyond anything that we've come up
with so far. So, with what they've been doing, using humans, they're going to
try and make an army of monsters like what Cain became."

Recalling the news of the mysterious hero that had helped push the invaders
back, she added, "And Ness would have been like that if it weren't for
Ulysses..." She sighed, remembering the fate of her husband before continuing.
"Do you know of anyone else besides Cain who became one of these things? Do you
think Conrad or Katherine might have survived?"

Shara deliberated the question for a second before answered, "I remember Fritz
was changed as well. But somehow he was able to escape their hold long enough to
save me... I don't know what happened to him." Her gaze dropped lower, as did
the volume of her voice, "I wouldn't be surprised if he died... Fritz... why did
you have to save me?"

Harri winced a bit at her remark. She knew why, but she had no idea how she was
going to take the news if she heard. It was something that everyone in the
family, save for Shara, knew.

Long before the Argos was to leave, Shara and Fritz had been dating ever since
they entered college. For three years they had a somewhat shaky relationship,
but the time they took to look beyond their faults resulted in something neither
wanted to lose. It was a secret that Fritz shared with the Carters for the
longest time.

"Shara..." Harri said with a serious face, "do you want to know the reason why
Fritz saved you at the possible cost of his life?"

Shara looked to her mother in shock. As much as she liked Fritz, they never had
the chance to go beyond a simple relationship. Was there something right in
front of her that she never saw?

Harri braced herself and spoke as calmly as she could. "Before the Argos left,
he told all of us that as soon as the mission was over, he... he was going to
ask you to marry him."

Her daughter's eyes widened even more at the revelation. The realization of just
how much Fritz really cared for her hit her as hard as an oncoming train. Now,
here she was, ready to perish to help save others, when the only other man she
cared for had given his life to save hers. Though it was not so, it felt like he
had given his life for nothing.

The impact was so heavy that tears began to form at the edges of Shara's eyes.
Her mother could do nothing more than hold her daughter in her arms as she began
to cry. It took several minutes of steady crying on Shara's part before the
tears finally dried out and the sobbing ceased.

The elder Carter laid the younger in her bed and adjusted the sheets so that
Shara could continue to gain her rest. It was not too hard for her to know that
her child's body was slowly dying. As much expertise as she had inside the
hospital as she had, it most likely would not help her trying to combat the
hostile alien technology that was destroying her family.

Without a sound, she turned and exited the room, only to meet her son on his way
to her room. She silenced him with a finger to her lips and brought him to a
location a distance away from the room.

"I told her about Fritz and the proposal that never happened," Harri said with
her head hung low.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. She told me that Fritz helped to save her. More likely than not, he didn't
survive long enough to save himself."

"I thought... could be that Fritz was able to get free?"

"That's what Shannon told me."

It never occurred to him that Gunnar had survived their last fight. What shocked
him even more was the idea that his last blow to him somehow brought his best
friend back to his senses before he died. If that were true...

"The following members are to report to loading bay 6 for briefing: Ness and
Shannon Carter, Tina Corman, and Starrik Summers. That is all." The speaker in
the ceiling announced.

Harri turned to her son and inquired, "Whatever could they be needing you for at
an hour like this?"

Her son shrugged and replied, "I only know about as much as you do." With that,
he exited the hallway and made his way to the loading bay with all haste.

*****

Tina overheard her name being announced over the comm system and turned to see
the commander walking out of his office and to the middle of the control room.
His gaze turned to Tina and said, "Ensign Corman, follow me. Ensign Yuuki, take
over for her."

"Yes sir," the other officer near Tina's age replied and left her post to take
over for Tina. "Good luck, Tina," she whispered to her friend when they had just
passed each other.

The commander turned and walked to the door, being followed by a confused Tina.
In one of the darker hallways, she wondered if she could ask him what was going
on, but did not dare. Even with her new power, his authority still stood above
her judgment. She kept her mouth shut for the rest of the walk.

Walking into the bay, she saw Ness and Star talking on the lower level. As
Jamison and Tina reached the two, Jamison finally broke his silence.

"As much as we tried, we were unable to prevent news of Tina's appearance
reaching the rest of the UEG command. Now they're up in arms over the fact that
we've been keeping secrets from them. As much as we would just love to let men
like Galt in on newer weapons, we had no time for protocol.

"My superiors have advised me that it would be best to let her go up to a
facility up north to lay low for a while. While there, they can be given a
chance to train since we now have adequate defense against the enemy. There may
be a chance that your abilities can grow when given the chance to train, which
is why I would also like your sister to go with you, Ness. If she cannot, I will
understand."

Ness silently debated about whether or not it would be better to go. The thought
of being able to control and expand his power seemed to be a chance worth
taking. Also, not having to worry about the SKCC's defense for a short while
would give him the breather he needed.

Shara's worsening condition clearly argued against the mere thought of going
north. However, his sister was grown now. She was able to make her own choices.
In the end, to go or not would be her decision.

Tina blinked at Jamison's orders. Not too many people were given the order to
lay low for a while. On the bright side, she would be able to improve on what
she had already. If she were fortunate, her teacher would stop jumping on her
head for good.

"Command acknowledged and accepted, sir!" Tina said with a salute.

"I have no problem with it, sir. But if Shara goes, it has to be her choice,"
Ness said, keeping the tone that he was confident about Shara's ability to make
a choice.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir. Why did you order me to come here?" Star
inquired.

The commander turned to her and replied in the same manner of speaking. "In this
laboratory, there's an experimental chip that was being developed before its
budget ran out and it was all abandoned when the war started. If we're right,
this chip will help the refining process of Z-Tron, resulting in more potent
samples of the element. Your job is to obtain that chip. In addition, this is
the only official reason why you are all heading up there. All information
regarding the Carters and Ms. Corman going up there is restricted. The files
that you delivered to me will now be passed back you, so you will know what to
do. Is that understood?"

Star didn't have to think hard about why they needed to keep this secret. From
her own experience, she had seen men and women in the world that were just as
bad, if not worse, as Galt about being power-hungry for new weapons to use.
"Understood, sir."

Jamison turned to the three members of his crew and said, "If there's no further
discussion, you'll leave within the hour. Make sure to pack what you need. Make
sure to head to the supply room for food-stuffs that will last you as you're
there."

All three nodded and went to their respective rooms to prepare, not at all
noticing one of the loading bay members had purposely overheard the
conversation, smirked to herself, and whispered as the commander left the bay,
"Perfect."

*****

In the room where Shara lay, she stared at the wall, still lamenting over the
loss of Fritz. Yet, she forced her mind to return to her real objective. If all
went well, she would not need to worry about anything. "It's almost over... Then
I can stop lying..."

The sound of the door opening brought her back to reality. She leaned up to see
her brother enter the door and sit by her bed. "What's going on?"

"The commander wants us to lay low for a while. We would be going to a rather
unknown science lab in the north. There, Tina and I would have a chance to train
and learn to control what we have, better than if we were to try here. The
commander is wondering if you would go too. If you don't, that'll be fine."

The trip itself would take some of it out of her, but for the most part, she saw
no problem with going with them to where ever this was. Also, it could possibly
give her some time to see how well her 'present' to her brother was working out.
The only problem she could see was what would her mother do while they were
away?

"I have no problem with going, but what about mom? Won't she get kind of lonely
here?" she inquired her brother.

"I've talked with her and the commander, she can stay as long as she works with
the medical crew, since she's a certified doctor. He's also considered letting
us talk to her over a coded frequency so no one can know that we're there." He
said inclining his head to their mother, whom was outside, speaking with the
commander.

Shara carefully considered the possibilities of going. True, it would be painful
to have to move about in her condition. Yet, it would let her see over the
development of Slade's upgrade a bit more. On top of that, the pain she had been
going through had desensitized her to the point where it did not matter as much
as it did anymore.

"Ness," she said softly, "Please tell the commander that I'll go. There's not
much here I can do now." Her brother blinked at her words, but fulfilled her
request regardless.

*****

Darkon's eyes flew open as his meditation ended abruptly. The disturbance was
all due to a reoccurring dream that he had for a long time.

All he could see was desolation.

He was standing in the middle of a field of death with countless bodies. He had
killed them all. All by his hand, they had lost their lives. He was staring at
his blood soaked hands, wondering how it came to be. He felt no different than
what he was before. Nothing from what he could remember had been changed.

Nevertheless, he had still ended their lives.

Shocked as he was, a smile began to develop across his face. Bit by bit, a
chuckle began to grow from his throat. The smile on his face stretched from ear
to ear. Turning to the face of a dead woman, his laugh only got louder and
louder until it was a full throated and roaring laughter at her misfortune.

It did not take long for him to know that all this was nothing more than a
fleeting thrill that demanded to be recreated. Like the affects of an addicting
drug, one could not stop. The only way he could go was higher with all that he
now loved.

Death itself was his mistress. Ever so eager to please her, he took every step
to ensure that she was. That was her pleasure, as it was it his own. He almost
quivered with the thought of being held in the loving embrace of his mistress.
Only she was capable of giving the pleasure that one could experience only once.

He, being her faithful servant and lover, would be rewarded with the true taste
of that which only she could provide. All would end and after that, he would
follow all those whom he had slaughtered. Then, and only then, would he be with
the one that he truly loved. She would be with his mistress. Living eternally
with her and no one else.

He turned to see the Earth ravaged thoroughly with the work of his hands. His
mistress was pleased indeed. Yet, it was not enough. More was needed. The Earth
had provided him with many and still had more for his to use.

He could hear the cries and pleas of those still living for salvation from the
death of their already miserable lives. Yet, only his mistress could give them
true salvation. Salvation from life. How foolish these humans were. Believing
that some sort of deity could save them when they had abandoned Him in the first
place.

Darkon loved every second of the atrocities he was committing.

The darkness that had enveloped his soul was greater than anything else was.
Whatever remained was consumed in a void that devoured anything that was foolish
enough to get near it.

Yet, it was a wonderful void!

Filled with nothing!

An all-consuming, indiscriminate, glorious nothing!

When his laughter had ceased, he looked about for more prey to try and satisfy
his lust for more death. So, the destruction continued. Hero after would be-hero
was cut down and sent to their doom by thinking that mere willpower or hope
could stand in his way. Heroes of all shapes and sizes rose and fell before his
power.

All this pleased his mistress, until one stood up. This one was different from
the rest. At first, Darkon could not tell how. He merely considered him as
naught and murdered the boy outright.

However, when he returned to his mistress, she seemed to have changed to him.
Something was not right. He turned to see that the boy he had just killed was
alive again. Angered once again, Darkon killed the boy again, leaving him to rot
with all the others.

This did not change the new demeanor of his mistress. She was no longer
interested in him anymore, but the boy, who had come back to life once more,
became the object of her desire. He could not stand being replaced by this one.

Without delay, he took the boy's head and with a sickening crack, broke his neck
and watched him like a hawk. Sure enough, the boy came back to life and started
to change.

It was not the change that started to make Darkon back off, but the boy's
ability to return from the dead. To all the members of his race, to encounter
such a monster was feared more than death itself. It was a symbol of the death
of the soul, from which no one could return. Therefore, his people did all they
could in life to ensure that they did not receive this death of the soul.

It did not matter that his mistress had chosen this undead one over him.

This man of the undead was now knowledgeable of his fear and started to give
chase. Darkon's fear had overcome him and now he was screaming for what little
control he had over himself.

Without warning, Darkon charged again and swiped the undead's head off with one
stroke. Still, the undead came back and started to reach out to claim him as a
victory.

That was when he had been able to escape from this nightmare.

He had no idea where that certain madness came from. The insanity he went
through was far too different from who he really was, yet in that dream he was
the genocidal maniac that he saw. There was something amiss. Kharusians had an
uncanny ability to recall their dreams vividly when they had them. And more
often than not, his dreams were signs of warning, for this was not the only
dream that gave him cause to fear.

He rested his arms on his crossed legs and contemplated the other dreams that
had been haunting him.

In one, a shadow that he knew all too well, with murder in its eyes, hunted him
and had nearly killed him.

In another, he heard screams of multiple voices. Voices he knew and caused him
grief. The screams continued until he could take it no longer and he had
destroyed himself.

Even fainter, was another dream where all was bright, he could see nothing, but
he could feel being with someone he knew. Also, this was the only dream where it
did not turn out like a nightmare. But what did it mean?

He turned to the Earth and frowned. He was unsure whether to conquer it for his
purposes, lay it to waste and just leave it, or just wipe the planet out of
existence. None of his earlier stratagems that assisted in the liberation of
many worlds took this long. Even that monarchy that received help against a
fleet of traders did not take this much time.

On the other hand, if the people of Earth were so intent on refusing him, he
would be more than happy to show them their place.

Standing up, his ethereal form walked through the wall of his meditation chamber
and into another that was connected to his throne room. Within this room, a
solitary Lahdam pod held a single occupant within. However, there was a definite
difference between this one and the rest of the thousand of pods that had been
placed on Earth.

This one in particular had been made to change one creature's DNA to the point
where it could no longer be what it was and into something else entirely. Here,
he was transforming this human's weak and brittle body into something much
stronger. In this case, it was an improvement. In addition, his body had been
destroyed all those many years ago. So, necessity became the mother of
invention. How pitiful... using a human body to change it into his own, when
there were more advanced species out there.

Since the last time he had come, his opinion of humans had not been, nor would
be, very high.

To him, humans were a lower species that was still in its infancy. When he had
left, he had hopes that this race would learn and possibly drag themselves out
of the egocentric pit they had a tendency to put themselves in.

However, his hopes were in vain. The people and their world had fallen into
shambles from countless wars, regardless of either the idiocy of their leaders,
religion, race, or what not. Also, in spite of the fact that they had
rediscovered space travel, they had grown cynical, depending only on the things
that they saw and nothing else instead of looking beyond.

Now, here they were, on the brink of extinction. Struggling for their lives was
a fitting end for them, if anything else.

However, despite his low opinion of them, he had to respect their courage for
holding out as long as they had been.

A stirring in the universe brought his attention back to the outer reaches of
space where he could feel 'her' approaching. Judging by how fast she was moving
it would take about seven rotations of the planet before she would reach this
world. Also, if she were no different than when he last remembered, she would
not like the local populace too much either. Being as haughty as they were, was
the failing of the Kharusian people... more so of those who traveled in space.

He folded his arms and sat against the wall of the chamber, waiting patiently
for the day where he would no longer be confined to the astral plane. It would
also mean having to not only confront his foes on this planet, but also the one
who had been following him like a shadow for who knew how long.

No doubt her intent was to avenge Neigas' murder... after all, she was the only
one who saw him do it. She was also the reason why his original body was lost.

*****

Around one of the smaller satellites around Jupiter, the silver light that had
entered the solar system a few days before dissipated and the armor-covered
individual within landed on the surface to rest from her travel.

Staring at the center of the system, she rested on her staff and tried to get a
clear view of the third planet, despite the glare of the sun. From what she
could recall, not much had changed when one could see from this distance. It was
still on its orbital path and the satellite was still there, yet not too many
people could tell every little detail about a planet when they were as far away
as she was.

For so long she had traveled the universe to search for him. It was not only an
act of vengeance, but also a search for the truth. Some of the final words of
her leader had left so many questions about who she was and where she truly came
from. Now, it would not be long before the truth would reveal itself. Yet, there
was a bit of fear in that desire. What if the truth turned out to be nothing
more than a lie? Or what if the truth were so dangerous that it would cost her
life to keep it secret?

For now she would have to rest. Being one such as her, concentration in all
things was vital. However, a rumble that came from her midsection broke all that
and she fell to her knees and sighed.

Even Kharusians had to eat and there was nothing edible for many light years,
save for what might be on the third planet! If worse came too worse, she might
even have to rely on eating those wretched Lahdam crabs. However, if the planet
was not as underdeveloped as she had thought, eating might not become a problem.

Curling herself up, she laid against the wall of a small alcove in the rocks
about her. Bit by bit, the exhaustion from the recent several short jumps she
had to make in this system had taken its toll on her. The last thing she saw as
her eyes closed was the beautiful sun in the center of such a wretched system.

*****

A few hours later, Pegas was loaded into the Blue Earth, the passengers strapped
themselves within the extra seats, the course was laid in the computer, and all
systems were checked and re-checked. Soon after, a rumble spread throughout the
bay, and then a fire erupted from the booster section of the ship. Throwing the
ship forward at an intense speed through the launching bay and on the ramp,
where section after section fell off until at the end of the ramp. Taking the
ship to an even higher speed, the Blue Earth flew north.

As the Blue Earth flew off into the sky, the same figure that was in the loading
bay earlier that day watched the ship with great interest. Now that the cat was
away, it was time for the mouse to set a trap.

*****

The farther north the Blue Earth got, the more snow-covered the scenery became.
Several hours had passed as it continued its trek.

Shara took a long look outside the front canopy to see the frozen Alps of
Europe. She had heard that a long time ago, men used to test their skill by
trying to climb these treacherous mountains. That was all over a century ago.
Now it was a shadow of its former glory. Nevertheless, Europe and Russia had
probably lasted the longest out of all the continents since the turn of the
millennium.

Even now, Russia was still recognized as the world's greatest super-power in
terms of money and technology, while Europe came in a close second, and what
remained of the United States was in no shape to be competing for being the
strongest in the world. That title now belonged to the Russians.

However, due to the war, it appeared that all the countries would get another
chance to see who would be the best again... provided the species survived that
long.

The destination was an abandoned research facility that had no strategic value
for anyone. It was abandoned several years before the invasion began, due to
bankruptcy.

The people here had researched about a new chip that could somehow enhance the
synthesizing process of Z-Tron. These few scientists were the only ones who knew
about Z-Tron's special properties, yet the rest of the world saw it merely as a
waste of time and money. So, the project was abandoned and the researchers
scattered and most likely lost due to the war.

Standing up from her seat, Tina took a look at the facility. "Is that the
place?" She asked.

Looking at the report, then to where the younger space knight looked, Star
replied, "From what this says, yes."

It was nestled comfortably in the nook of a pair of rock ranges, which was on
the edge of a large lake. The building itself was a small affair. With only two
stories, it appeared more like a well-constructed condominium than a laboratory.

Touching down in front of the facility, the Blue Earth began to unload its
supplies for the temporary residents. Packed with the supplies they received,
was a transceiver to call them back. As the last of the gear was unloaded, Ringo
found himself dragged to the Blue Earth's loading ramp by Ness to talk with him.

"Ringo. You remember that talk we had when we were playing racquetball?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, what you said. It was right. But the problem is how do I tell her? I want
to tell her how I feel, but I want to do it right."

"Ohh, going for gusto aren't we?"

"Stop it Ringo, you know what I'm talking about."

"All right, all right. Well, try doing something that seems out of the usual,
yet still show her what you mean. Understand?"

"I think so... but I'm still unsure."

"Well... how about this..." His voice became a whisper and he leaned in and told
Ness how to do it right in hushed tones. "Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now I leave the rest to you, kimosabe," Ringo said with a deep voice and
a hearty pat on the back. Ness smiled back half-humored and turned to see Star
walking back with the plans in the form of an old disk.

"What are you two talking about?" Star inquired.

With a pseudo smirk, Ringo replied, "Guy things. Nothing you have to worry
about. Now get back in the ship, we gotta get going!"

Rolling her eyes, Star walked back to the loading ramp, knowing that Ringo would
in no way tell her, and with him guarding Slade, she would never know. Maybe it
was better that way.

Despite the outside appearance, the complex was much larger than one would
think. With the quarters of the workers below ground, the rest of the facility
was large enough to be a well-equipped gym. Long straight halls and few spare
rooms, it almost had a frightening atmosphere about it.

While Ness and Tina had left with their supplies, Shara had taken the time to
see the Blue Earth just as the last of the equipment from the laboratory was
loaded into it. It was when she saw Ringo checking off the equipment with a
notepad in his hand, not appearing to have the best of a time doing it, that she
stopped in her tracks.

Why was she doing this? Why was she acting as if nothing was going to happen to
her? She was going to die in a time she could not tell, and here she was, acting
as if she were back in high school... with Fritz.

Those thoughts made Shara's head slump in shame. Yet the argument was that she
did not want to die when she was all by herself. A rueful smile soon developed
as she mumbled, "Well... I know I'm not going to die alone, that's for sure."
Recalling the plans she had in mind, she was not going to die alone, if she
could help it.

Returning to the matter at hand, she had found out that she could implicitly
trust Ringo. The only other person she could trust that much was Fritz. It the
kind of feeling that she had no anxieties about. It calmed her and put her heart
at ease. The best way to describe it was that she needed to be needed. Want to
be wanted. Like to be liked... and love to be loved

Her impending death meant little now. Since she was going to die, she wanted to
be at the side of someone she could truly trust.

Seeing the last of the equipment trays loaded, he was about to enter himself
when he saw Shara walking up to him a bit apprehensively. He knew that she
trusted him, but wondered why she was coming to him when she should have been
with her brother.

"Hey, Shara, what's up?" He inquired as she stepped up to him.

"Ringo, I may have already said this, but thank you, again," she said simply.

A bit taken aback by her words, he smiled back and replied, "Nothing to worry
about." He turned back to his note pad, "It's the least I could have done." He
looked back to her to see that she was smiling at him. Then, with no warning,
she walked up and kissed him lightly on the check.

"Take care of yourself, Ringo. Here's hoping time passes fast enough so I can
see you again." Without another word from either one, she ran off, leaving Ringo
rather surprised. It took him a second before his mind came back to earth and
Star was calling him from inside the Blue Earth, to head out.

Just before he entered the bay, he saw Shara at the compound's entrance, waving
at him. He was able to get a wave back to her just as the bay door closed.

As the massive ship began to take off, Ness and Tina walked out beside Shara to
see it disembark. Within minutes, the Blue Earth was off and out of sight,
leaving the three temporary residents to fend for themselves for the time being.

*****

Several hours later, the Blue Earth had returned and the engineering crews had
taken the equipment from the lab and started to work on what it had been several
years ago. Star had delivered the plans for the process to Maggie and was
heading to the mess hall for some dinner.

Along the way, she had to stop by her quarters to pick up a few necessary items.
Reaching for the door, she could swear that there was someone else there, despite the fact that no one could be seen. Before she could even turn, her arm was suddenly grabbed and a towel doused with chloroform was rubbed into her face. She was able to push the assailant away, but the chloroform had already done its job. She could not even get a look at her attacker before she passed
out.

*

Her eyes opened slowly to see the ceiling of what appeared to be one of the
lower levels of the facility.

"It's about time you woke up," a voice, showing impatience, said behind her.

She leaned upward to look around to find herself alone with her attacker, who
was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

There with a smug look on her face, was a rather tall, semi-tanned, Caucasian
woman, dressed in what looked like a stolen uniform.

"Who are you?" Star asked, standing up, taking a second to look at her
surroundings.

The woman stood against the side of what appeared to be a large container and
inside it was a pulsating pod that looked like the ones she had been sent to
study, but more matured and alive. Star did not like how the situation was at
the moment.

"Nobody important, but that's not the point. The point is that your boyfriend
has been giving us quite a bit of trouble in what we're trying to do. Also, I
find it a sad fact that not even his brother can beat him," the woman said with
a sneer.

Turning around, she touched several keys on the control pad and soon the
container opened. With a sinister grin, she continued, "So, my dear, you're
going to kill him for us." She turned to the pod, "GET HER!"

Star began to back up, but found little to no avenue of escape. Yet, she had no
desire to do any of their dirty work. So, when the pod lunged for her, she
jumped out of the way and ran past the woman, seeing the doorway, which lead to
the way out.

However, her escape was compromised as she tripped and fell as a single tentacle
from the pod wrapped itself around her ankle. Now desperate, Star grabbed at
anything she could get her grip on. It was then that the other woman had walked
up to her with the intention of assisting the pod in its assimilation of her.
Kneeling over Star's form, the woman grumbled, "You know you can't win this one.
So why struggle?"

"This is why..." Star growled before swinging her other still-free leg straight
into the woman's face, sending her onto the floor.

Getting up, Star figured she had clearly angered the woman and seeing the bruise
on her face finally made her notice the red eyes, just like Saber's. It was at
that time, she knew whom she was dealing with.

Struggling not to kill Star at the moment, Sword snarled, "You've got spunk..."
She raised her foot and slammed it on Star's hand. "I like that... and it's just
what we'll need." With that she kicked Star in the same place Star had kicked
her, and without any other holds for Star to hold onto, she was quickly
swallowed into the maw of the lahdam pod before she could scream.

Sword wiped the drawn blood from her cheek and moved the pod back into the
container from which it came. Yet, she still had one more thing to do before the
subterfuge could be complete.

"So... this is what you've been doing, Sword," a deep voice mumbled as Darkon's
ethereal image appeared on the other side of the room.

With a cordial bow, Sword answered, "Yes, Master. I've been cultivating a single
pod, accelerating its growth for the sole purpose of assimilating a human for
such an occasion like this."

Suspicion crept into his voice as Darkon continued, "You accelerated its
growth?" Sword nodded. "You realize how haphazard that is?"

"Yes, Master. It is, but I have thought of ways to circumvent the problems with
such an action."

Turning from the pod to her, Darkon said, "For your sake, it had better. There
are too many ways that such an action could lead to our destruction. For
example: You can't accelerate the transformation process like you did with the
growth, so how do you intend to cover for this woman's absence?"

Almost expecting such a question, she walked over to the pod, reached up and
with a mental signal, a single stream of the pod's material stretched out and
slithered around her forearm. Within the head of the stream from the pod, a
white needle like object pierced the skin and entered her blood stream. From
Star's body, several smaller streams of liquid emerged and entered the needle,
leading to Sword's arm.

"For the time being, I ask that no attack be made on this base because of that
fact that-AAAHH!!" Sword gasped and fell to the floor. Bewildered, Darkon
watched as Sword quivered in pain for a few minutes, wondering what she was
planning.

When her breathing settled, Darkon walked closer to see that Sword was changing
form. At the moment, Sword's blond hair was starting to darken, her height was
beginning to decrease, and shape of her face was also changing.

Standing up, she turned to a nearby window and smirked, "What they won't figure
out is if I take our friend's place for the time being. All of her thought
patterns, memories, and what not are mine to use for now. And when our little
friend comes out, I can return to how I was originally."

Darkon was still not convinced of the validity of the plan. "Even then, what
makes you think she's going to simply go along with it? The pod itself has not
had enough time to develop a strong enough symbiote for it to put her under. She
could turn on us."

Not at all concerned, Sword answered, "Nothing to worry, Master. I've placed
several special circuits inside this one to ensure that she does what I'm going
to tell her. Also, once she does Slade in, I've set the programming so that once
the job is done, she dies. After all, no use in keeping a rouge around."

Looking back to the unfortunate woman in the pod, Darkon still had doubts about
all this. "Is there any way to escape this programming of yours?"

"No, there's not."

With a sigh, Darkon relented, "Very well. You may continue and make sure that no
one here realizes that this has happened."

With her confidence still high, Sword boasted, "There's nothing to fear, Master.
Every possibility has been taken into account."

It was now Darkon's turn to smirk. "Very well then, Sword. But let's make it a
bit more interesting. Should your confidence compromise your plan, I am going to
simply blow up the base using you. I'd simply hate to see the human's actually
learning how much we know."

Sword's ego shattered and her face paled.

Darkon's dark smile grew. "Don't think you can insult me, Sword. I knew the very
second you intervened for Saber, it was for the sake of trying to gain my
favor." He extended a hand and suddenly, a sharp pain in Sword's midsection made
her convulse and fall to the floor in greater pain than the change in form did.

Standing over her, Darkon whispered with an eerie calm, "Don't think so highly
of yourself, my dear. The past has always been and always will remain as it is.
Now, I leave the rest to you." With that, his form vanished into the darkness
from whence he came.

*****

Time seemed to go by much slower for Star as she felt the process of the pod
drag her into darkness. She felt her ties to everything she knew and loved being
forced away from her. In the liquid, she struggled to become the victor in this
battle of wills.

"Ness..." she whimpered to the darkness as she felt her will fading to the
Lahdam. She felt something small clasp onto her neck and before she could even
think of reaching behind to take it off, it had latched itself into her mind.
Within seconds, the only light she could feel fell away at a rate so fast she
could not even try to reach for it.

*****

"Star! Hey, Star! Where are you? Our shift's going to start soon!" Ringo called
down the hallway to where Star was last seen. Ever since they'd gotten back, he
had been searching in vain for Star, due to the time that was not there, he had
to yell down the halls near her quarters.

"Did you call me?" Star said, appearing beside Ringo, which caused him to jump.

"Ah! Don't do that! You scared the living daylights out of me!" He snapped,
holding his chest.

"Sorry," Star said, trying to hold back a smile.

With a frown, Ringo grumbled, "Yeah, sure you are. Come on, we're going to be
late for our late shift. Or else the manager's going to go ballistic on us."
With that, he turned and started down the hall with Star close behind.

"Right behind you," she said keeping close to him. Within, Sword wanted to
scream in triumph at the prefect disguise. This man could not tell the
difference and if her guess was right, neither would any of the others.

Taking a look at Ringo from behind, Sword recalled all the memories she had of
him. Close friends for a long time, went to the same school for several years,
separated when they graduated, and met again when they came to the Space
Knights.

"Doesn't look too bad either," Sword whispered below her breath, making sure he
couldn't hear. "No..." she told herself, "Don't even think about it." The reason
was Darkon's threat, should her true identity ever be discovered. However, that
fear dissipated when she reminded herself of her ultimate goal.

She had every intention of gaining Darkon's favor, even if it killed her. She
would show her master that she was worthy to be his and no one else. Even if it
meant destroying the people she was once a part of, she would do whatever it
took to be at Darkon's side when he ruled the cosmos.

*****

Back on the moon, a large Lahdam pod pulsated rapidly in the incubation chamber,
practically bleeding as the occupant inside got even stronger than he was. Saber
screamed as loud as he could as he felt the upgrade begin to install itself in
his body. The red wires within his skin glowed even brighter then ever as a
greater power instilled itself in him.

Through the red lightning and painful surges of strength, Saber growled, "Just
you wait, Slade... the next time we meet will be your last!"



End of chapter 5

[Warhammer walks quietly from Saber's chamber.]

WH: Well, isn't this just peachy? While the cat's away, the mouse will not only
play, but also set a trap for the cat.

Anyway; for those who read the first edition of this, you will recognize next to
nothing in the chapter. There are a few things from the original chapter 5, but
not too many.

Jamison's scene with Raye is mere foreshadowing for this story and Z-Tron
Dreams. Also, look for more appearances of Sailor Moon characters in this fic's
in upcoming chapters.

In a future scene, Tina will show just how easily she can use this power, but I
needed her to be able to learn how to use it first. Also, many thanks to my
prereader, friend, and all around nice guy, Josh Green for listening to my ideas
about how to utilize the wind, it was also thanks to him that this idea got
cleared out.

It was also semi-inspired from a Star Trek; Voyager episode that I can't
remember now. :P Plus, if you really think about it, most operations like this
are of a similar nature. If something from nature is needed, it is given, but
something is also given in return to maintain the delicate balance that is
has... I'm not going to try and explain it further.

I am also aware that Tina's little scene is a definite Star Wars reference, but
it's more of the principle behind it is what makes it make sense. You keep doing
good things according to principle and control your passions, you learn and grow
more, if you act like the people on MTV do, you're going to be asking for
trouble. :P (In answer to any future questions, no, I don't like MTV as it is
now, only as it was in the 80's. Except for Daria, but I digress.)

As in earlier chapters, I'm trying to add more and more character development
between Slade and Star. I like them together, but the fact of the matter is that
I need to make them learn to like each other more before they can love. I read
that in the Robotech novels by Jack McKinney, believe it or not.

Next, Tina's new style of dress is due because I really don't like the fact that
a lot of women in anime are not given more clothes to cover themselves. Call it
strange, call it what you will, but character designers have got to stop
thinking with their hormones. And if this hope for common decency falls upon
deaf ears, I care not, for one day, someone will hear me! *Poses dramatically*

Next, Ringo's little dream is yet more foreshadowing of future fics, but at the
rate I'm going, it may be a while.

Also, if you can't recognize the Star Trek reference Harri made, where have you
been for the last couple of decades? But moving, on, there's going to be more
scenes with our new doctor for the sake of making new characters and making this
story longer!

Concerning Darkon's scene, it was inspired by a Rurouni Kenshin fic that I read
from the FFIRC about Battousai becoming Rurouni. It was mostly about satisfying
his sword's lust for killing, and I applied it somewhat to my own story. In a
way, it can also be a reference to that fic... if I can find it that is. Also,
'Mistress Death' and the 'Undead' shall be revealed at the proper time.

I'm also having a ball making up stuff for Darkon's home world race's
superstitions, if you couldn't tell already. ^_^ It's also an excuse to give
Darkon a more interesting persona than he had in the anime.

As soon as the fic is done, I intend to write an interview fic about the
original characters that appear in this story to further explain just what the
heck ramsey they are. I have no intention of leaving the readers in the dark.

Then, the 'Sword uses Star to kill Slade' bit was the only real material used
from the original chapter 5, well, that and the Blue Earth launching from the
command center too. And that's it! The rest is new material! Gasp in awe that
I'm actually thinking about this!!

(Darkon pops in through the wall.)

Darkon: Well, since you're using so much of your brain power to write this, what
do you intend to write after this one's done?

Why, your fic, of course. I won't be able to explain everything in this fic
alone, I need to write one about you. And it's going to be called 'Dark
Catalyst'. How does that sound?

Darkon: Hmm, not bad. Yet, for your sake, it had better be good.

Well... let's hope so... besides, it's not like anything can discourage me or
anything...

(Aeris Gainsborgh from Final Fantasy 7 hops, in but she looks evil, due to her
black jacket, gray skirt, and dark green eyes.)

E. Aeris: Oh, Warhammer.

Yes?

E. Aeris: (with a smile) You're ugly, stupid, a loser, and a failure. You'll
never amount to anything and you can't do a thing to change that. (Bounces off
happily)

Darkon: How did she get out early? She's not supposed to be out until 'Cursed
Redemption'! Warhammer... Warhammer? (looks about to see that our author is
gone.) Ah... well, just to make sure... all characters, concepts, ideas, series,
events, and what not, belong to their respective owners. And since WH's just a
poor college student, still looking for work and not getting anything for doing
this, he's not worth suing.

[A short time later, we see Warhammer sobbing in the corner, kneeling with his
face in his hands. Shaking his head, Darkon pats him on the head.]