Author's Notes, 3.6. 2002:
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I have revised the story by correcting an amount of grammar error terrors (mostly) and somewhat rewritten the plot. There were some, ahem, Mary Sueish features in my long-time fanfic character Zarah, so she needed some reparation. I did not know anything about the concept of 'Mary Sue', when once writing this, and certainly did not mention the own-created character to be anything like that.
What comes to the grammar, I can't with these English skills do anything perfect. Foreign language is always a foreign language. But, I've given a try. With pleasure I take advise, in every case.
Thanks to Captain Buzz Lightyear for his help concerning this story.
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command © Disney/Pixar, Choi Zarah G'Deneb © Engineer Jess
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----Star Command HQ----
A low humming reached XR's ear sensors as he was rolling towards one of the stock rooms of Star Command HQ. These spaces were situated in the belly of the enormous space ranger base.
"Yea, right, as the big-an'-oh-I'm-so-brave-ranger takes a holiday, I'm here to continue the work!" the robot moaned to himself, carrying a large toolbox of hi-tech widgets.
Buzz Lightyear, Mira Nova and the third Team Lightyear member Booster were all taking a semester from their strenuous work. But XR did not care where they were, only cursed the fact that mechas were made to toil, not to idle.
"Ho, ho, ho! Sensitize your sensors! The slave comes again!" XR laughed and entered the door from where the silent singing was coming.
There, in this half-dim chamber, a young woman was kneeled upon a cylinder-looking gadget. She had oily overalls on, hands also covered with heavy, black grease. She tried to use a pressure wrench to build her apparatus, but found the tool incapable of that job. As she heard XR's joking, she raised her head and delight widened her smile.
"Great! Finally they borrow me some real tools!"
She took the box XR was carrying and assorted all the strange-looking devices on the floor.
"Believe me, Z, it took hours of cunning pretexts and begging to get those things from the LGM's!" he sighed and gave a glance around the modest work place.
"I know. They take care of all the technical things and are angry if someone else tries to touch their domain!" the young woman tittered and wiped her forehead with a rag.
"But... I've got my work order from the Commander to build and plan this thing! So, I don't care a blasting pulsar about the LGM supremacy!"
"Hee, hee, Z, fighting against the orders?" XR was amused.
"No, no! I just don't get the point, why they're so keen on their branch that even borrowing tools is so difficult. And... would you stop calling me Z, it sounds like if I was some henchwoman of Zurg!"
Choi Zarah G'Deneb, the tomboyish girl tinkering with the thingamajig, had just graduated from the polytechnics of d'Endor, her home planet. She was well-built, beautiful and slender, but had never caught up more height than barely five feet two inches. Her quite thick red hair ended a lot over her waistline and her green, profound eyes made a contrast with the copper colour of the lockings. A human she was, and that type that got burnt even after a small amount of sunbathing. Her ivory-pale skin did not tolerate much beach holidays. What came to her character, she was somewhat clumsy and occasionally absent-minded (like every technician tends to be). Ghosting skills would have come in handy at places, when she in her thoughts sometimes collided with doorframes and pot plants, while pondering some mathematical equation. As to make a conclusion about d'Endor, so that no one would not scratch his or her head why on earth she lived there, this rock in space had a small human colony among its natives, the Wewoks and Wungans.
As Zarah graduated, she had got almost the best grades in her major, the energy economics science. She had been a promising inventor already on her first year of studies; she had won the intergalactic 'green energy competition' with an idea of producing electricity with the help of solar wind. Now Zarah -with that name people usually called her- was 24 years old and had done a labour agreement with Star Command, to be an energy-tech advisor and independent researcher. So she had left her home and rented a cheap apartment on Capital Planet, to be able to avoid too-long work travels.
Her career had started with promising results. She had begun to make experiments with landanah. Landanah was a rare stone type that was found only in some parts of the galaxy. Nevertheless, the results had shown that it was an unbelievably efficient energy source, even more magnificent than the crystallic fusion crystals that were used this far. The complex flake structure of it could duplicate the energy of one laser beam to a million, maybe billion times more efficient. And it seemed that only a few kilos of it was needed, in order to produce the energy of an entire planet for fifty years.
"Okay... I think I have to stop my work for today... I know I won't get this thing ready still maybe in weeks, but I'm just too eager to try..." Zarah stood up and shook some dust particles away from her overalls. She was currently working with a landanah source cylinder; one of the main components of the possible new energy reactor.
"Hey, the Big Guy asked you to visit his office!" XR noted beside her.
"Wonder what he might want, now. I thought I could fly home to watch the holo-telly!" she snorted. Though she was a keen on pottering about circuits, she was not a workaholic.
"You at least can go home! I know the next thing I've gotta do, is to wax the floor of the main entrance hall! Guess if that makes me feel high..." the android protested, rolling his eyes.
"What if I smuggle you to my place and you have a relaxing bubble bath...?" Zarah sniggered back.
"Okey-dokey, after that I don't have to work at all. Well, I think I stay here. Better to keep my electric network dry."
Next, Zarah was taking long steps towards Commander Nebula's office. She had changed her shabby working clothes to her normal suit. This garment was a woman's suit costume, which made her look a bit coquette. But with that adjective no one could have actually described her, since her nature was quite shy.
She was directly invited to sit down as she entered Nebula's official sector.
"How's the building of the prototype reactor?" was the first question that was aimed at her.
"There we go... I can't get it ready by tomorrow", she sighed.
"I know that, but you don't have to worry about it. I'm not asking you to hesitate with it. I got something more urgent to tell." Nebula stood back against her, watching the galaxy shine through the large window. Now he turned about towards Zarah.
"Well...?" she spread her arms, looking shiftless.
"This information is highly classified. You must know that we sent an expedition group to the little moon of Xaneda... The geological measures had shown earlier that this bedrock would be an appropriate place to find the energy material we need..." he talked with a low voice, like being afraid of that the walls would have ears.
"Sure I do remember. It seems that there has been wished results, then, as you took this topic now forth", she assumed and crossed her fingers.
"Yes... yesterday I got an announcement that a huge occurrence of landanah has been found nearby the Deneverian cliffs, in the desert lands of the particular moon. The miners have dug a deep hole into the bedrock to get it out. But... there's always technical problems. So... I suggest that you would now quit your cylinder-building for a while and take a little trip to Deneveria."
"Me...? But I thought that..." Zarah raised her eyebrows with amazement.
"You. Yes. Craters, you're the best one to take the hegemony over there, now. You can put those workers in line and solve the so-called technical problems. I'm sure you can do that!" the Commander was at this instant very determined and would not let Zarah away from his office until she would agree to go.
"I guess I have no choice, then. But this is an enormous responsibility to a young engineer like me!" she shrugged.
"You can do it. Here's your visa and passport for the customs of Rigel System. A ship waits for you on dock fourteen." Commander offered her a plastic card a picture on it.
"You mean that I have to leave now? But... I got almost nothing with me... not even a toothbrush!" she gaped at him her eyes wide open.
"Don't worry about the sanity side, the ship is well-equipped. And I know that you have an enormous wardrobe in your little basement office, so there should be no hinder to leave immediately. You just go to pack your stuff." Nebula laughed, escorting her to the door.
"Yes, Sir." she sighed and left the office chapfallen. She apparently had to share the destiny of XR. No holiday ahead.
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"Muhahahhahhaa!"
"Hee, hee..."
Two deep and harsh laughs echoed in the air. A lonely grub in a murky hall got his feet fast of fear.
"Oh, the pathetic loons of Star Command... think that we know nothing..."
"Sure we do... a good thing to have infiltrators..."
Zurg and Warp Darkmatter were standing in front of a large screen that monitored Commander Nebula's office. The old man was at the moment walking nervously a circle.
"He senses that he's not alone", Warp commented.
"Maybe he senses it, but hardly shall find the hidden spyware. Oh, I am such a bad boy!" Zurg rubbed his claws confident together, making metal creaks.
Warp tuned his biotic hand with evil satisfaction.
"Might this work even better with a tiny landanah supply..."
"Sure, my loyal apprentice! With that kind of magnificent new invention, I can rule it all! It is just a little dream, but I shall carry it out sooner or later!" Zurg chanted. "And now it is going to be sooner!"
"Sure, boss. The only thing we need is a bit coal to the furnace... and the instructions how to build it..." Warp clanged at the other villain.
"And... that is why I am sending you in. I know that you cannot fail this mission, it is all too easy!" Zurg sprawled, in the middle of his usual gloating ceremony.
"So, gotta do the basic go-and-get-it, nothing more?" Warp astonished. "Aren't you underestimating me a little? Wouldn't it be easier just to put a couple of those metal junks on job and bring us the tootsie?" Darkmatter crossed his arms over his chest and was discontented, taking a side look through the window at the hyper-hornets that were flying outside.
Zurg took a short float across the dark throne room and landed beside the indifferent-looking alien.
"No, Darkmatter. This is maybe not as easy as it looks. Otherwise the Zurgean technology would have been enough. But, as you heard that poor Commander tell, it is the landanah. Remember that we need also it to build the magnificent dark future!"
"Oh, yeah, right..." Warp stroked his goatee. "Guess we gonna need to capture all the workers then, too?"
"Sure! I shall give you my best equipment with... and next stop: Deneveria. And what is your part, that is to get that woman, the know-it-all. I shall let the robots do the dirty job."
"Heh, heh, she'll get a nice wet-and-cold chamber under the Zurg tower... until she reveals the technical structure of her wonder-widget." Warp slapped the back of his Master. Another cataclysm of malevolent cackles was streaming in the air after this.
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XR was there to wave his arm for goodbye as Zarah embarked the private travelling ship. It was rather small, made for short flights between solar systems. Its hyperdrive was designed very efficient, for traveller's convenience.
"So, how long is your overwork?" XR asked before she shut the air lock.
"Two-three weeks... I think your crew'll be here before I get back." Zarah muttered.
"Too bad! I liked your processor work. More rapid than anyone has in my normal companion."
"Tired of hearing quotes from the space ranger manual, eh?" she chuckled uneasily. She too, liked the company of the little, wisecracking robot.
"It rusts me! And I want to hear no one ever say 'to infinity and beyond', again! Next time my short circuit current will burn my flip-flops, I swear!" the android mumbled and kicked a lonely nut on the floor.
"Try to keep your cables cool!" she winked and ultimately shut the ship door.
Choi flopped down into the pilot chair and typed the coordinates of Xaneda with the keyboard into the autopilot software. This trip was something she had least expected. Although she had been eagerly building the cylinder component lately, she suddenly now felt herself very tired and disappointed. One thing was that she was now alone. Again alone. The hollow hum of the gravitation rotor and the silent space around her made her feel so abandoned. And it was cold here, in the ship. She did not own a common space ranger uniform; one of those would have been warm and comfortable for warp travelling. Well, she was not a space ranger and wanted not to be; she was just a civilian help worker. Who would care about her ease?
There was at least a little but rather hard a bed in the other part of the vessel. She wrapped herself into the thin blanket that lied on it and tried to get some sleep before landing. The next stop would be on a small customs planet situating in the Rigel Constellation. There she might take a snack and some coffee before getting on the road, again. Still the journey to her aim would take at least 24 hours.
But the sleep never came. Her mind was empty and depressed. She rolled around on the bed, attempting to find some nice, relaxing position. But her sentiments let her not calm down. The shady and cold cabin, the pale twinkle of the distant suns through the window was only there to increase her emotion of sorrow. Well... could it have been any better at home? She had no relatives; no one was there to wait for her as she stepped over the threshold of her little apartment. Her parents had died a long time ago and a nanny cyborg had taken the care of her. Not even pets she had, one reason was her light allergy towards some species and the other that she was not the type that constantly would have remembered to feed a goldfish or sort.
No, there was no one. Actually she had no female friends, either. She had ended up with these thoughts once again, lying on the uncomfortable bunk. Once she had known a girl that was like a sister to her, but this person had died young, some kind of tumour had destroying her brains. After her death, Zarah had thought of suicide, but had luckily not slashed her wrists open.
She sat up to huddle on the edge of the bed, bowing her head to the knees. A starting migraine beat her temples. She left the bunk and entered the cockpit, turned the intergalactic radio on and tried to dispossess the gloomy thoughts by listening to some fresh hits.
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The next day Warp was having a lunch before he would take his speeder and head to Xaneda. He had an extravagant dwelling on one of the artificial moons of Planet Z. He was quite triumphant, thinking already the reward his master would give him. With a short contemplation, he went through his ended career as space ranger.
"Those do-gooders of Star Command... most of them are so easy to deceive. And they so pitifully try to defend the 'good'... why they just cannot see how intriguing the dark side is? You'll get ev'rything easily: cash, cool ships, luxurious apartment... and all you gotta do is to catch a couple of cowards sometimes... Still wonder why the Izzard gave me this easy gig. Just some gal! Would have been brisker to take a nice deathmatch with that silly ex-partner of mine... Lightyear has at least some potential. But a gal... and even some nerd! Bah, quasars! Women have been my domain, but not some annoying nerds."
With a swipe he flung the empty dishes to the floor from the table. The plates and cups cracked into hundreds of pieces.
"Hey, you brain-cart, I've finished my lunch! And I promise I'll finish you, too, if you don't clean this mess outta my floor!" he nastily shouted to a brain-pod that was already wiping the remains of his previous snack. He therefore placed his large boots on the table and opened a wine bottle, to take a snaps before getting into the heat of action.
"Ahh... this is life, if what..." The taste of the expensive drink was very enjoyable. "Oh, I have to go..." he took a leer at his wrist communicator timer. "The geek'll be moon-struck pretty soon, so gotta keep up my schedule. 'Cause Z seems to want her immediately here, gotta go."
The villain took a leap to the threshold of his dining room, pushing the cleaner out of his way.
In the launch bay Warp's new, shiny-black ship was waiting for him. A couple of grubs had designed for him this ultra-fast, streamlined fighter. He had taken a short test drive with it already, but this was the first time to try it in action.
"Oh, baby... with you I'm gonna be rapid!" he grinned self-satisfied and patted the lustrous metal surface of the vehicle. The hyper-hornets he was supposed to take with him stood in a line beside the ship. They had been last night programmed with the orders to capture every member of the small mining colony of Deneveria; transport the dugout landanah to Planet Z and basically do all the 'dirty work'.
"Okay, wrecks, put your motors rollin'!" Warp shouted to them and launched his ship.