Foreward
This story is dedicated to Glen Murakami, Tara Strong, Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Hynden Welch, and everyone else involved in the production of Teen Titans. A show that continues to inspire the imaginations of us all.
Prologue
It is the dead of night. A thick smoke covers the landscape. The smoke begins to dissipate as noises vibrate through the thick soup. As the smoke dissipates, the landscape becomes easier to see.
Or rather, what is left of it.
Craters are everywhere. Within those craters lie lifeless bodies of soldiers, wearing damaged armor of silver around their shoulders and torso, and the thick black cloth covering their chests and legs is torn.
To the rear of the immediate area are what appear to be the smoking remains of a city. Several buildings are little more than melting slag heaps.
These ruins themselves are the source for the noises, and the closer one comes to it the more clear the noises are.
And the clearer they become, the more one regrets coming nearer as they are the sounds of despair and anguish. Desperate cries for help in a vacuum where no one can answer.
One young man of medium height is running through the ruins, carrying a young woman in his arms.
From afar they appear human, but upon closer inspection one notices slight differences that set them apart from humanity. Their skin is slightly tinted orange and there are two thick marks, one above each eye, pointed towards their nose.
One other thing of note is that both are dirty and wounded, but it is the woman who appears to have the more severe injury.
The young man cries out as he runs. "Someone help! Please!"
Though there are others around, they all appear to be in similar straits as he and unable to lend any aid.
The young woman coughs. The man immediately stops and looks at his beloved bride. "Sarassha!" He lowers Sarassha to the ground and feels her pulse. "Please! Someone! Anyone help…"
A bright light shines up from overhead and the loud roar of engines fills the night sky.
"Gordanians! They're back! Run! Run!" shout a number of those nearby as the survivors scatter towards shelter.
The young man picks up Sarassha and runs with all of his might to nearby slabs of cement and hides himself and his wife behind it, along with a few others.
A large vessel, its edges brown and its circular core green, lands in the midst of the city. A ramp extends down and out walk five creatures. Lizard like in appearance with a fin protruding from each arm, a long tail from behind, and wings extending from their back. Their skin appears quite thick, especially around their chest area.
The only armor they appear to be wearing are black and gold helmets around their heads, contrasting with their red eyes and green gills. Their skin is dark green, except for their chest and wings which are a dark gold.
Four of the creatures are carrying heavy weapons and are following behind the fifth one, who is larger and bulkier than the other four but is carrying no weapon. They reach the end of the ramp and make a diamond formation on the ground immediately in front of their ship.
Those in hiding are whispering to run for their lives, while others say they should ambush them. The young man is watching the Gordanian soldiers very closely, holding his wife close to his chest and whispering in her ear to hold on.
All go silent as they hear the approach of a hovercraft from the opposite direction of the Gordanian ship.
The craft zooms past them and comes to a stop as it approaches the Gordanians. On the craft are six soldiers, all the same race as the young man and the others in hiding.
They are led by a girl, also of the same race. She has black hair, lilac eyes, and is wearing an outfit with grey fabric covering her arms and midriff, and black covering her chest and torso.
The seven exit the hovercraft, the girl first, while the six soldiers bring down with them a stretcher with an unconscious girl on it. The girl is nearly identical to the one leading them off the hovercraft to meet the Gordanians, except she does appear a bit younger. And has red hair and her clothing is purple not black.
The young man and those around him gasp, unable to believe what they are seeing.
"Princess Koriand'r!" one whispers.
"What's Princess Komand'r doing with her?!" asks another.
Princess Komand'r approaches the Gordanian commander. She gestures to the stretcher behind her. The commander looks toward it, then gestures to his soldiers who immediately approach it and take it from the guards.
The guards appear reluctant to acquiesce until Princess Komand'r shoots them a threatening glance.
The Gordanian troops take the stretcher on board.
One of those in hiding tries to get up to defend Princess Koriand'r, but the others restrain him.
"They're taking Princess Koriand'r! We can't just…"
A hand covers his face, restraining his voice.
The Gordanian soldiers carrying the stretcher enter the ship, leaving their commander behind. Princess Komand'r signals to one of her guards, who brings a thin data pad to her. The Princess grabs it and hands it to the Gordanian commander.
He looks at it, takes it from her and imprints his thumb onto the screen. He then hands it back to Komand'r who also imprints her own thumb onto the screen. A green bar appears on the screen as both thumbprints light up, the image of the owner of each print displaying alongside its respective print.
The commander then boards his ship. Komand'r, the guards, and all the rest watch as the ships engines roar to life, lifting the ship off the ground, then jetting it off into space.
The others notice that several lights in the starry sky also begin flying off, leaving the orbit of their planet.
"They're…they're leaving! The Gordanians are leaving!" a woman to the left of the young man cries out.
"But they took Princess Koriand'r!" another man shouts.
The woman approaches the young man holding Sarassha in his arms. She sees that he is holding her very close to his chest.
"Young man, is she…?"
She sees a tear fall from the young man's eye onto Sarassha's face. She sees no movement from Sarassha. No breathing.
Sarassha is dead.
The woman looks back toward the now widower. He is shedding tears, but his eyes are burning. Burning with hate and rage.
Earth Year 1998
The planet Gordania launched a surprise invasion of the peaceful planet of Tameran, catching them completely by surprise.
War ravaged the planet for the next five years, destroying nearly every vital source of industry and agriculture.
Earth Year 2003
Blackfire, one of the two princesses of Tameran, betrays her people and sides with the Gordanians. She negotiates a truce with them; in exchange for peace, her sister, Starfire, will be sold to them as a slave.
The Gordanians agree, take Starfire, and leave the planet.
Her parents, the king and queen, die of despair.
The Gordanians never returned.
Jump City, July 19, 2003
The slave ship carrying Starfire crash lands on planet Earth, where she meets a group of specially gifted individuals. Together, they defeat her Gordanian slavers and later form a group that go on to protect the city.
They are called the Teen Titans.
The year is now 2008.
TITANS: ANNIVERSARY