Calysta fell to her knees gasping for air. She hadn't expected Gelimer to release the gas on her when it all seemed so close to being done. The Resistance and the other Cygnus Knights had fought well, fending off the droids that inhabited the ship and Calysta had been the one to sneak aboard the Black Heaven, after leaving the Lumiere for disobeying orders and causing a little trouble, and destroyed the tower that had been sending droids up to the ship. Now she had fallen into Gelimer's trap. Green gas surrounded her and clogged up her lungs as she gasped, her throat aching from the sting of the devastating gas. She felt her strength fading as she looked up at Gelimer, a gas mask covering his face, chuckling evilly. "Soon, little hero, this gas will take its toll," he said, voice distorted by the mask. "This gas may kill you, but if you do survive you will be close to dead. You won't be able to think for yourself and you'll lose all feeling. You'll be like the droids, awaiting my command." He giggled maniacally.
"Is this what your plan was all along?" Calysta managed to gasp as she fell closer to the floor, strength leaving her. She grabbed her throat as it burned with the gas's touch. When she looked at her hand, it began to lose its peachy glow and fade to a sickly gray. She gasped painfully.
"Yes, hee hee hee," Gelimer chuckled. "All of Maple World will become my slaves, emotionless and unfeeling, doing everything I tell them to do. With just a push of a button all of Edelstein will become just like you are now. Hee hee hee." With that, he pressed a button that would release all the bombs filled to the brim with green gas onto Edelstein. "You won't get away with this," Calysta managed to gasp.
"Hee hee hee, I already have," he said smugly. "Now, we just watch as all of Edelstein becomes mindless zombies obeying my will and only my will." He turned to watched the giant monitor that hung from his wall. Calysta's strength was draining rapidly, she fell to the floor completely. I can't let him win, she thought. I have to do something. She turned her face to the monitor, even the simple action draining her. Suddenly, the bombs Gelimer had released stopped mid-air. "What?" He gasped. "What's happening?" They all began to detonate mid-air, missing the citizens of Edelstein completely. Gelimer slammed his fist down. "Dang it!" He shouted in fury. "I'll just have to make stronger bombs next time!" He turned his gaze back to Calysta. "At least I'll see the end of you. Xenodroids! Hold down her down!" He ordered his droids. Calysta gasped as the droids seemed to come from nowhere and form a circle around her. "Computer! Set all Xenodroids to self-destruct in two minutes!" He ordered the computer. Calysta watched as a red light lit up on all the droids as he instructed the computer. Strangely, Xenodroids looked at the red light and gave it what seemed to be a sad expression. Could they have developed emotions? Calysta wondered, exhausted, remembering One-Eye and what he had told her at the Edelstein scrapyard. Gelimer scurried to a ship which oddly looked a lot like his face and took a seat inside. "It was nice knowing you, little hero, but this is where I say goodbye." He said and closed the ship from overhead.
"Wait, father, don't leave us!" A Xenodroid said in a monotonous voice. He and the other Xenodroids, disobeying orders, hoped onto Gelimer's ship, grabbing onto the outside.
"No! What are you doing? I told you to stay here!"
"Father, don't abandon us," the Xenodroid continued. Calysta looked toward a lever that sat beside the ship. They're about to blow, if I hit that lever, Gelimer will take off with them. She gasped and with all her might, stood up. She stumbled, her feet heavy as she slowly walked over to the lever. Her body felt so heavy as she walked and it took all her strength just to lift one foot. Finally, she reached the lever and with all the strength she had left, grabbed it and yanked it down. Gelimer, shouting and screaming angrily, took off into the sky with his self-destructing Xenodroids.