Titans Forever
by Blue Ten
Summary:
When the Titans defeat a mysterious assassin targeting Starfire, they are thrust into a journey to possibly save an entire system from destruction. Can the Titans' friendships and bonds survive in the harsh environment of war? RobxStar, BBxRae
Disclaimer:
I do not claim any ownership of the TV series 'Teen Titans', or any of its counterparts.
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Episode Two: Home
- - -
Act One: Liftoff
Beast Boy stood alone in his room, a wreck of discarded clothes encircling him on all sides, its multi-colored mass hiding most of the carpeted floor from view. In an alert stance between his bunk bed and the door, he looked from left to right across the area ahead with antsy, green eyes. Certain recent circumstances had forced a choice upon him. As he turned his attention back to the medium-sized suitcase propped open on the lower bunk, a question was forefront in the changeling's mind: what do you pack... when leaving the solar system for an indefinite period of time? The case's current emptiness beckoned to be filled. But with what, exactly?
In a hurried state due to Cyborg's imposed time limit of ten minutes, Beast Boy got the no-brainers out of the way and quickly tossed several changes of uniform into the container. Looking at the relatively vacant case once again, he scratched his head and figured a few more essentials were needed.
Beast Boy speedily moved over to his desk and cleared away some of the clutter. Previously hidden under a heavy coat were a toothbrush and a short comb... the essentials. Wasting no time, he tossed the two items into the suitcase and resumed his search. He knew he was looking for something, but its identity presently eluded him.
"Uh... guys. Clock's ticking. Head down to the launch pad in five," sounded Cyborg's voice over the loudspeaker. He seemed a bit impatient, having no doubt completed his packing already. Beast Boy saw this as somewhat annoying, considering everything Cyborg needed was pretty much already on, or in him... the big swiss-army knife.
'Tch. You can complain when we're all able to turn our fingers into blowtorches...' grumbled Beast Boy in thought. Suddenly, he slapped his hands on the side of his face, bringing himself back to the situation at hand. 'Focus, focus,' he told himself, scanning the room for anything else he might need.
Beast Boy's fidgety movements were brought to a halt by the sight of a quick copper gleam in the corner of his eye. Turning to his right, he knelt down and pushed some clothes away from the shiny object. A small chuckle escaped the green Titan's mouth as he looked upon the toy. It was a tiny, grinning monkey with a curvy tail, holding two cymbals in its hands. Without thinking, Beast Boy pushed a button on its back.
"Help me. Help me. Help me count. 1, 2, 3..." sounded a squeaky voice from the toy's recording as it bashed the cymbals together and moved its legs about.
"Well... at least I know what I won't be taking," said Beast Boy aloud, about to toss the plaything aside. It may have seemed like just a toy, but it always carried great sentimental value for him because of its origins, which is what now gave the boy pause. The Titans would soon leave Earth behind, heading straight into what could only be danger on a galactic scale. The possibility that he may not return suddenly hit Beast Boy like a speedy brick. What better to bring than a reminder of Earth?
After staring into the eyes of the toy for a while, Beast Boy shrugged and tossed it over his shoulder into the suitcase... just in time to hear Cyborg's final warning over the PA.
"If you don't get your green butt down here, we're leaving without you!"
- - - - - -
The T-Ship's cockpit was comprised of five seats: two in front for the pilot and co-pilot – separated in the middle by a rounded computer console of some sort, and three more spread evenly behind them. Summed up, they had the appearance of the points on a capital 'M'. Each had a clear view of the main windows, as well as the seemingly complicated control panels up front.
Sitting in the top left seat, the pilot's chair, Cyborg had his arms crossed, anxiously tapping a foot against the steel flooring. Beast Boy wasn't exactly late... but the fact that he hadn't already joined everyone else was currently bugging the hell out of the cybernetic Titan. Starfire's home planet was at stake here; there was hardly any time to waste... despite the overestimated time limit Cyborg had imposed. That... and he had been spending the better part of two years itching to take his crowning achievement for a real test drive.
Raven sat in the middle chair, already buckled in. With closed eyes, she waited patiently for things to go underway, a forced expression of calm on her face. She would say nothing, but space flight had always made her somewhat uneasy. The thought of being separated from oblivion by only a few pounds of steel, plastic, and insulation was unnerving, in the least. A single small hole in the ship, and whoosh, instant Titan-juicer... However, for the most part, she trusted in Cyborg's uncanny engineering skills.
Robin and Starfire presently stood by the cockpit's sliding door, several feet from the chairs.
"You feeling okay?" asked Robin, trying to meet Starfire's eyes. She had been somewhat reserved since the incident in the interrogation room. Starfire devoid of her normal, cheery disposition... something that always worried the Boy Wonder.
"I am..." started Starfire, right hand uneasily placed on her left forearm, "trying not to believe him. That... this is happening because of my actions in the past..." she finished, solemnly looking down to her feet. "But it is hard not to think that way--" Starfire stopped as Robin took hold of her hands. She looked up in slight surprise to see his sympathetic, smiling face.
Robin shook his head for a small moment. "I know that can't be right," he said, retaining his supportive expression, "because I know you. Everything you've done has always been for the best. I really believe that."
Now returning Robin's gaze, Starfire couldn't hold back a blushful smile. She shyly closed her eyes as a warm feeling rushed over her face. He may have been wrong, but simply his voice seemed able to quell her many doubts. "Thank you," she said, feeling her spirits rise as she opened her eyes once again.
Noticing how close they were now standing, Starfire gave Robin an unmistakable look and began to lean her face forward, letting her eyelids slowly fall as he returned the gesture. Just then, the adjacent door slid open with a shock-inducing hiss.
- - - several moments prior - - -
Modest suitcase in hand, the green Titan rounded the last corner to the T-Ship's secret docking bay. As he stepped through the tall and wide doorway, the aesthetic vehicle caught his eye. Propped up by its three landing boots, the ship's blue and silver hull shone brightly, reflecting the lights from below its center platform.
Beast Boy began to wonder, as he hurried down to the the connecting bridge, why Cyborg hadn't given it a fancier name. In his experience (watching sci-fi marathons), ships of this caliber were often named after the three b's: birds, bugs, or... babes. If Cyborg intended to name it after a girl one day, then he'd certainly have more than a few names to choose from; that is, more than Beast Boy or Robin could. The changeling chuckled to himself, crossing the bridge and turning his eyes to the lowered staircase under the left wing, which led up to the ship's interior.
Upon entering the ship, Beast Boy was faced with a steep flight of stairs, which he easily scaled up to the main floor. The interior of the ship was soft in appearance, with very few corners to speak of. The walls curved outward, effectively giving the illusion of open space. From where he stood, he deduced that the ship was split into several cylindrical compartments; the current one was plain, with only the stairs behind him and another set leading downward on the opposing wall – which led to an unknown area.
On either side of the changeling were two doors. Figuring he should head to the nose of the ship, he picked the door to his left and proceeded onward as it slid open automatically for him.
The room beyond the door was a peculiar one, something Beast Boy hadn't expected to see at all. Two on each side, cut right into the curved walls, were bunk beds – with ample head space. White mattresses, sheets, and pillows stood out from the plain, gray metal surroundings. Grinning, Beast Boy picked a top bunk and tossed his suitcase onto it. Cyborg had really thought of everything this time.
Wasting no more time, Beast Boy headed to the last door, watching as it slid open for him. His eyes were widened a bit by what he saw beyond it. Robin and Starfire's faces were inches apart, lips puckered. Seeing this, he immediately took an apologetic stance and smiled guiltily as the two turned his way, both looking surprised and embarrassed.
"Gah! Sorry!" he blurted, looking to the side and scratching the back of his head. "This seems... kinda familiar, doesn't it?" he joked nervously, sweating a bit.
Shrugging off the interruption, Starfire giggled and quickly kissed Robin on the cheek. Smiling, she happily floated off to the seats and strapped herself in at Raven's right.
Transitioning quickly from apologetic... to teasing mode, Beast Boy elbowed Robin in the side suggestively. "Smooth moves, Casanova," he said, grinning immensely.
Letting the red color slowly leave his face, Robin looked to his side at Beast Boy, nearly expressionless. Reaching out an arm, he pushed the green boy's elbow away and walked off to sit down in the co-pilot's seat without saying a word. He was just glad to see Starfire happy again. With that in mind, he could easily ignore Beast Boy's comments.
- - - - - -
"Thanks for showin' up. If it's okay with you, we'd like to launch the spaceship now," said Cyborg, glancing over his shoulder at Beast Boy, who now sat in the last remaining chair. The only response from the changeling was a sheepish expression as a bead of sweat rolled down his brow. "By the way. You might want to strap yourself in," he suggested in a serious tone as he began fiddling with the control panel.
"How come?" questioned Beast Boy, pulling the two seat belts across his chest and clicking them in place.
"If there's any time to wear a seat belt, it's during escape velocity..." replied Cyborg. "Unless you want to slip out of your seat and end up a greasy, green stain on the aft deck." If not for Cyborg's deathly serious voice, Beast Boy would have thought that was a joke. However, the realistic warning caused him to swallow hard and brace himself to the seat with fright induced enthusiasm.
"All right," said Cyborg, tapping away at the buttons in front of him. "Launch sequence initiated," he added. With a sudden rumbling, the platform beneath the ship commenced tilting backward, turning the ship's nose upward at a steep angle. Before long, the docking bay's enormous ceiling slowly began parting at its center, revealing the starry night sky above as dirt and small rocks fell through the increasing gap. Titans Tower was visible as well on the island, blocking the moon from view in the distance.
"Take a good look," he started, reaching down to his right and gripping a 'T' shaped lever, "wave the Earth goodbye," he continued, looking up to the clouds with determined eyes, "and hang on to your butts." With that, Cyborg swallowed a lump in his throat and quickly pulled back on the lever.
In an instant, the ship began to shake and each Titan felt as though they were sinking back into their chairs. The tower quickly vanished and the sky gradually grew darker as the ship passed through cloud after cloud, its quaking becoming more violent as its speed increased. However, after several minutes, the atmosphere gave way to a brilliant banner of stars and the rumblings came to a sudden, sobering stop. All exterior noises ceased as well, the only remaining sounds being the blip of electronics and the whir of a distant engine. Through the left side of the window, the sun could be seen peaking over the sphere of Earth.
Feeling weightlessness taking effect, Cyborg shook an amazed expression from his face and pushed a button on the console. Immediately, artificial gravity kicked in, seriously disorienting the Titans, but soon giving them a definite sense of position. At once, all crew members of the T-Ship let out a relieved sigh.
"...It worked?" questioned Cyborg, to everyone's bewilderment. "It worked! Ha ha!" he shouted happily, unbuckling himself and standing up to throw his hands in the air. "Boo-yah!" he cheered enthusiastically.
"...What do you mean 'it worked'?" asked Raven, looking at Cyborg suspiciously.
"Oh..." Cyborg stopped his celebration for a moment. Chuckling nervously, he scratched the human side of his forehead. "Well, I didn't really think the T-Ship was 'takeoff-worthy' yet. Matter of fact, I thought I'd have to work on it for another year before everything was in order. Double checking the engine, making sure the fuel cells won't overheat during liftoff, stuff like that," he explained, as if it was nothing. "But who cares? It worked!" he said, resuming his victory dance.
Suddenly, Beast Boy's skin tone shifted from normal light green to a sickly lime color. "I think I'm gonna be sick..." he said, removing his seat belts and walking away from the chair with a hand over his stomach, past the other disquieted Titans, wobbling as he moved.
- - -
Act Two: The Grand Tour
Not long after leaving Earth's atmosphere, Beast Boy ventured off to the other end of the ship, the final compartment, where a large glass window looked out into the vast emptiness of space. Looking beyond his reflection, he could see the blue trail of energy left by the engine, but most importantly... a tiny white speck in the distance. This speck, he had been keeping his eyes on for a while. This minuscule dot in a sea of millions more... was home. He had watched it shrink from the relative magnitude of a basketball, to its current size: that of a grain of sand.
Finally taking his eyes away from it, Beast Boy let out a prolonged sigh and looked to his feet.
"Problems?" came a low toned female voice from behind the downcast boy.
Knowing who it was, Beast Boy resumed staring out the window, seeing Raven's reflection step up beside his. "We just can't seem to stick around..." he responded enigmatically, intending to clarify. "I mean, how long has it been since we got back from Tokyo? Two... three weeks?" he explained, placing a gloved hand on the glass. "And now we're leaving again."
Raven found herself somewhat amazed as she looked to her left at Beast Boy, one eyebrow rising. He was being so serious, and not even a joke to--
"Except this time there'll be a lot less sight seeing, I guess," he added with a slight chuckle, slumping forward.
'Don't be so dramatic...' is the first reply that came to Raven's mind. However, her tongue was staid when she realized she felt the exact same way he did. Over the years, the tower had become her sanctuary, the one place in the world she could find an ounce of peace and quiet. And now, that place was over ten light years away.
Raven took in a breath and turned her eyes to the window as well, remembering what she had done to prevent homesickness from settling in... just in case. "The best thing to do when you're away from home, is to keep something that reminds you of it." She paused for a moment, wondering if she was about to make things worse for herself. "Here," she gave in, pulling something into view with her powers. "Cyborg brought it on with him for some reason..." Raven grimaced, trying to mask the fact that her original intention was to hide the infernal object.
Spending so much time around such friends had clearly softened her up a bit.
Skeptical at first, due to Raven's seemingly atypical gesture, Beast Boy examined the medium-sized, rectangular box floating in the bubble of dark energy. At a glance, it was hard to identify, but a second, smaller object made things clear. A controller floated about by the box, its cord wrapped firmly several times around its center.
The changeling's eyes gleamed for a moment before he reached out and took the objects in his hands. "Sweet! The Gamestation," he said, losing all his previous homesickness and hugging the machine tightly with eyes closed. It wasn't the Gamestation that brought his spirits up, but the thought of it, for it reminded him that he had taken along his own memory of Earth, which now rested, well-hidden in his suitcase. "You're the best," he continued, cradling it as though he had been reunited with a long lost friend.
"Um, thanks," Raven replied, looking away from the odd display of affection. Suddenly, her eyelids fell to half point. "...Are you talking to me, or the Gamestation?" she questioned, tightening her lips.
"Hey," started Beast Boy with a sudden, bright expression, looking up from the console as though he hadn't heard a thing, "I just thought of a great name for the ship." The green Titan paused for effect, setting the Gamestation aside on the floor. "The Raven," he said, holding his hands up in a 'picture this' manner. Seeing Raven's confused expression, he decided to elaborate a little more on his logic. "See, it works because it's both a bird and a b--"
"Knock knock," Cyborg cut in, suddenly leaning in through the doorway as it hissed open for him. "Come on. We got just enough time for a little tour of the ship before we reach Tamaran."
- - - - - -
"This is the flight control room," said Cyborg, gesturing his hands at the surrounding area, "...where no one will be touching anything," he finished, giving Beast Boy a stern look. Beast Boy responded with an annoyed expression that seemed to say, 'I wasn't gonna.'
Having gathered together for Cyborg's orientation, the Titans finally had some time to get a good look at the ship's interior. The stars could be seen well, glimmering outside the curved front windows, below which resided the pilots' controls and the five, heavy looking seats. Other various computer consoles hugged the walls; the Titans could only assume their usages. Relatively small, the room had little walking space except the area between the door and chairs, but the wide feel and rounded walls made it less constricting than one would assume.
Smiling as though he had just remembered something, Cyborg turned the attention to a round-top console which extended off from the dashboard, in an area central to all the seats. "I'm pretty proud of this one," he said, pointing to the glassy, bubble-like top part as the others encircled the device. "An advanced imaging system. It takes in any form of energy emitted by stars or planets, and translates it into a dynamic thee-dimensional image, using the strength and type of energy to determine distance, size, shape, and composition of external objects."
"Translation: it's really, really boring," commented Beast Boy, whispering behind his hand at the others.
Surprisingly, Cyborg simply turned his face up to Beast Boy's and grinned slyly in response. A perimeter panel of buttons and readout displays surrounded the bubble. Shooing Beast Boy away, Cyborg moved over to the keyboard section and began to type something in. As a result, the lights in the room shut off and the central device began to glow a light blue.
Not far above the device, a small, holographic image of the T-Ship flickered into view; it rotated in place, plain blue lines describing its shape and contours. Seeing this ushered forth a collective sound of awe from the Titans. For a computer generated image, it was simple, but the fact that it appeared to be floating in the center of the room... made it something else entirely.
"Here we are," said Cyborg, moving a finger toward the ship. As his hand 'met' the ship, its lines took on a brighter tint of blue. "And here's our path to Tamaran," he continued, dragging his finger to the right, causing the image of the ship to shrink and a lengthy green line to appear. One end of the line rested at the nose of the ship and the other led to a relatively large sphere, which was wrapped with a purple grid. A few small, red particles floated about in the space between. "Those red dots are probably space debris. Thanks to this system, we can avoid them without touching the controls." Cyborg patted the device with pride.
After pulling his wide eyes from the impressive display, Beast Boy, face tightened with thought, began to scratch his chin. "Okay, I take it back," he admitted, throwing his hands in the air. Seeing this, Cyborg crossed his arms and grinned triumphantly. "It's not boring... Cyborg just makes it sound that way."
Defeated, Cyborg lowered his eyebrows at the wisecracking Titan.
- - - - - -
"These are the bunks..." said Cyborg as he and the Titans passed through the first doorway. "Try and guess what they're for," he cracked sardonically, still a little put off by Beast Boy's remark.
"Uh... Cyborg," started Robin, looking around at the room. "How long did you think we'd be out here?" he asked, the question being in his mind since he first caught a glimpse of the room.
"You never know," responded Cyborg, shrugging nonchalantly. "Imagine if we got stranded on a planet again. Wouldn't you like a nice, warm place to sleep while repairs are being made?"
"Can't argue with that," said Robin.
Upon recollection of the stranded situation, Robin and Starfire traded smiling glances.
- - - - - -
"Those lead to the airlock," said Cyborg, pointing down the stairs to the right, cramped together with the rest of the Titans in the small area. "And those go down to the engine room... and brig."
"Brig?" questioned Beast Boy. "What is this? Warp Trek?"
"Ya can't be too careful," replied the mechanical Titan, holding a finger in the air justly. "It's only a single, reinforced holding cell. We might just need it one day. You'll be thanking me then."
As his speech ended, Cyborg took in a strained breath, feeling the weight of the others pushing in on him as they attempted to avoid plummeting down the steep staircases.
"Really should have thought this one out better, though..." he admitted.
- - - - - -
"The dining room," said Cyborg, happy to be in a more open space. He held his arms out to introduce the area as he stood away from the others.
The room was about twice the size of the cockpit, with plenty of walking space. To the right of the entered door was a plain wall, with four, evenly spaced, porthole-like windows looking out into the black. In the center resided a large, rectangular metal table, with five free stools lining its edges. On the left side was, surprisingly... pretty much everything the tower's kitchen had, only in a much more compact design. Further along the left wall, in the space not taken up by oven, stove, sink, and counter top, was a somewhat out of place, skinny door.
Starfire turned away from the larger door on the other end of the room to eye the small one on the left. "What of that door?" she questioned, not noticing Cyborg's somewhat embarrassed reaction.
"Oh..." he started in reply, scratching the back of his head nervously. "That's... um... just the... the bathroom," he coughed, quickly moving on. "All right, how 'bout we head further down to the--"
"Bathroom?" Beast Boy snorted, sounding amused. "This I gotta see."
- - - - - -
A lengthy silence ensued upon sight of the room.
"...Spacious," commented Raven, breaking the quiet.
The Titans peered through the doorway into the impossibly small area. On the right wall was a tiny sink and mirror, beyond which resided a normal toilet and its related items. Taking up a great portion of the left side, there stood a puny shower stall, its walls and sliding door made of textured glass. Even more peculiar, resting on the tiled floor between everything, was a minuscule, green rug.
Standing still, the Titans simply blinked, wondering whether or not they were supposed to take it seriously.
"It was an afterthought. Sue me," said Cyborg gruffly, standing away from the door, refusing to look upon the cramped space.
- - - - - -
The final room on the ship had undoubtedly the best view. The entire forward wall was a thick window, which looked out at the brilliant stars; beyond the glass, they were far brighter than an atmosphere would allow, some even seeming to shift position due to the ship's impressive speed. Quite an astonishing and otherworldly sight to behold. Far from the attention, at the base of the window, a trail of blue energy being left by the propulsion system was plainly visible as well.
"This is the viewing deck," explained Cyborg. "Perfect for getting a survey of the area, or..." he trailed off, grinning evilly at Robin, "spending a nice, romantic night under the stars. Am I right?" he queried, holding back his laughter at the Boy Wonder's embarrassed face. Beast Boy stepped away and attempted to keep his sides from splitting, in fear of Robin's wrath, and Raven pulled her hood up, masking her amusement – for similar reasons. Starfire, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the teasing, a sugary smile on her face.
Shifting the attention, a speaker system emitted a loud sequence of beeps throughout the compartments.
Beast Boy let go of his sides to look around himself inquisitively. "Wait, don't tell me. Cinderblock strikes again?" he joked.
- - -
Act Three: On the Horizon
Standing in the flight deck with the others, Starfire stared out the front windows as the ship approached the atmosphere of her home planet. Her eyes gleamed bright with love and pride as she saw it in its entirety, blue and purple stretches of land and sea, whole and undamaged. They had made it in time. She felt tears of joy beginning to well up in her eyes, but remained steady.
"Looks like there's a cluster of life signs... right down there," said Cyborg, pointing to a patch of land as the ship began to rumble, entering the atmosphere. He turned his head to examine the readout better on the dashboard, eyes widening. "Millions of 'em," he said, shocked. Attempting to find clarification, he looked over his shoulder to Starfire. "Any reason the Tamaraneans would gather there?" he asked.
Just as surprised as everyone else, Starfire simply shook her head. She could not understand why her people would be so far from the cities...
"I guess we should set her down there first, before the palace," Cyborg suggested, pulling back on the flight controls to align the ship with the approaching land. "Maybe they know something we don't."
- - - - - -
As Robin stepped off the ship onto the rocky ground, Starfire floating out before him, he felt his balance take a serious hit. He began to wobble as he repositioned himself, confused and somewhat disoriented. A strong arm reached out and settled the boy into place. Robin looked back to see Cyborg exiting in front.
"The gravity in the ship is different than out here. Y'all might want to keep that in mind before jumpin' out," he warned, watching Beast Boy have similar troubles exiting. Hovering her way out of the ship, Raven seemed far less affected.
Due to being a larger planet than Earth, Tamaran's atmosphere was thick and heavy. Even though it had a similar composition to their home planet, it was still quite a feat for an earthling to adapt to the air. The Titans had visited once before, so, despite the surprise gravity shift, they had anticipated the remaining adjustments.
The sky was currently a reddish purple. Mid-afternoon. Stretches of wispy, orange clouds slowly sailed across the sky, becoming like fire as they approached a setting sun. Surrounded by tall mountains, a dense forest on one side, the area was swept by heavy winds which kicked up sandy particles and sent them rolling over the edge of a harrowing cliff, atop which the T-Ship had landed. Gusts whistled about, leaves of tall, green flora rustled in the forest ahead, both being the most prominent sounds. It was quiet, barren, and strange.
"Check that out..." said Beast Boy, speaking above the wind as he guarded his eyes from the dust. He pointed up to a thin cloud of smoke rising from somewhere within the forest.
"Hm..." Cyborg let his speech trail off as he examined a readout on his arm. "That's them all right. All of 'em." About to step forward and lead the team... Cyborg realized he was in unknown territory, as were the other Earth Titans. Walking headfirst into a dense forest on another planet would be shortsighted, at best. "Hey! Get back here!" called Cyborg, reaching out and grabbing Beast Boy by the collar before he could go any further.
Coughing as Cyborg released him, Beast Boy looked up with anger. "What's the--" he started.
"We're the aliens now, got that?" Cyborg questioned seriously, getting the attention of Raven and Robin as well. "We don't know anything about how this planet works, or what could be waiting to eat us in there," he continued, pointing off into the shadowy areas ahead. Hearing that line, Beast Boy quickly stiffened up and turned his back away from the forest. "Star." Cyborg looked to the resident expert. "Feel free to lead the way," he said, motioning a hand to the forest.
Starfire smiled, more than willing to take the place as leader. "Do not worry, friends," she started, making her way to the front of the group. "Carnivorous plants are the only things to be feared at this time of year." Not realizing that her attempted consolation would have caused less fright had it gone unsaid, Starfire began to lead the newly hesitant team forward into the forest.
"Vegetarian gets eaten by carnivorous plants..." Beast Boy trailed off as he walked into the shadows of the forest with the others. "That's the definition of ironic isn't it?"
- - - - - -
Tamaran was clearly a planet of widely varied landscapes. Barely traveling a hundred feet, and crossing a stark border of strange trees – from desert-like to tropical rainforest conditions, the Titans were now severely aware of that fact. Heard on all sides, the fluttering and squawking of small avian creatures resonated throughout the canopy. The relatively dry forest floor was littered with short green ferns and other plants, whose leaves catered to peculiar shades of red, blue, and green. Scaly trunks of tall trees were spread out far and wide, their thick, round, and heavy leaves hiding the sky from view, but allowing dim vales of waning sunlight to pass through.
The heroes pressed on, guided by Cyborg's scanner and Starfire's wits. Robin stayed behind the leaders, finding himself oddly captivated by the surroundings; in his few off-world missions, he had never been given the time to appreciate an alien planet like this. Beast Boy was fourth down the line, wary of every big flower he passed by, trying not to let the final irony of ironies befall him. Lastly, Raven brought up the tail of the group, eyes scanning the distances cautiously; she sensed something strange in the air, but attributed it to being far from her normal comfort zone.
"Robin, be careful!" said Starfire suddenly, reaching out and stopping him from moving any further.
Robin's eyes widened as he wondered what he was about to walk into. An unseen pitfall? Quicksand? Or the aforementioned man-eating plant...? After wandering in every direction, Robin's eyes finally caught glimpse of a large flower at his feet, no bigger than a hibiscus. Backing away a little, he carefully knelt down to examine it; its five large petals were pure white, with crimson streaks of the same number decorating them. Robin looked up to Starfire for clarification.
"Is it... dangerous?" he questioned, slightly on guard.
"No," replied Starfire, smiling as she directed the others around the small plant. "It is delicate and very rare. This flower has been seen growing on many of the planets in this system, in very small numbers. Its petals can be used to heal severe wounds," she explained kindly. "Destroying one is seen as a... bad omen."
"Oh," was all Robin could find for an answer, eyes blinking as he stared at the flower for a few more moments. "Sorry, Star," he said, standing up to look at her. "I guess I could stand to learn more about your planet," he chuckled embarrassedly. "Thanks."
Starfire held her hands together and smiled shyly. "I am merely returning your favor," she said, reaching out and taking Robin's hand in hers. "Come. If there are any more questions, I will answer them happily."
"Whoa..." blurted Cyborg, turning everyone's attention his way. The mechanical Titan stared off at a clearing in the distance. Almost as though it had been burned away, the area was a perfect circle of bare ground... in the middle of which resided a large, tubular, gray object implanted several feet into the dirt. A plume of smoke continuously rose from its smooth, metal body. "I know it doesn't make sense, but all the readings are coming from right there," he explained, squinting at what appeared to be a crash site of some sort.
- - - - - -
"It's a downed ship all right..." said Cyborg, kneeling to get a closer look at the machine as the others watched from afar in the clearing. "Or a satellite," he added, tapping on one of the coffin-sized object's metal panels. As much as he thought about it, he couldn't understand why so many life signs had originated from this... thing, which, as far as he could tell, was entirely mechanical. At its best, a sensor misread, the thing should have given off only one signal.
"Well, I don't get it," he said, standing and shaking his head as he looked back to the Titans. Absentmindedly, he kicked at the side of the machine with the toe of his boot. "Anyway, it ain't what we're lookin' for," he started, not noticing a faint glow rising behind him. "How 'bout we just head to the palace and—look out!" he shouted, haphazardly leaping away from the machine as a mist of blue light began to seep out from between its panels.
Standing far back, the Titans each readied their fighting stances as the mist rose higher, illuminating the dark forest area. They each glanced at each other, wondering what it was they were in for. However, before long, the peculiar event took a turn for the outlandish.
'Mechanical one, we require your assistance,' the deep voice was very artificial, having no biological attributes at all; it droned as well, like several speaking at once.
"Now, hold on a minute there," said Cyborg with a defiant face, standing up and walking forward. Behind him, the other Titans looked to each other in utter confusion. "Why don't you explain yourself first. Just who, or... what are you?" he questioned, examining the blue mist as it floated about. Under closer inspection, he could see it was made up of small circular particles, all emitting a blue glow.
"Cyborg... who are you talking to?" asked Robin, looking a little worried, still holding his staff up defensively.
Cyborg's expression faltered as he turned back to face the others. "Don't you hear the--" he started.
'We are interfacing directly with your neural network. The humanoids cannot hear us,' thevoice explained with its emotionless droning.
"You're in my head?" Cyborg questioned with a spooked expression, turning back to the glow, feeling a shiver run up his spine. "What are you?"
'We are a branch of the Technis collective. Our purpose is to explore and catalog data in the galaxy, to expand our knowledge of the universe,'
"Okay..." Cyborg took the explanation in stride. "But why do you need my help?" he asked, feeling a little skeptical.
'Our probe crash landed on this planet. After careful calculation, we have determined that fully repairing the vessel will leave no time for escape. A mobile body is required for survival and preservation of the data.'
"Escape?" questioned Cyborg, pulling his head back in surprise.
'A great calamity approaches. Probability of survival is low,' the Technis explained enigmatically.
Cyborg looked over his shoulder to Starfire... who was staring at him with the same look of befuddlement as the others. Could this have anything to do with what Zoka spoke of? Or were the Technis referring to something destructive to themselves?
"And you want to use my storage banks?" Cyborg turned back to face the Technis.
'Correct. However, vast space is needed.'
After thinking on it for a while, something made Cyborg believe this entity was telling the truth. At this point, it seemed more harmful not to trust them. "I can spare... ten Terabytes. Any more and I won't have room for next year's memories."
A long silence followed Cyborg's words. '...Sufficient,' replied the collective being.
Cutting into the conversation, Robin reached out a hand and grasped Cyborg by the shoulder. "What's going on?" he asked, cautiously watching the blue mist from the corner of his eye.
"These things... they're some kind of artificial intelligence called the Technis..." said Cyborg, carefully considering the choice he had made. "They say something big and bad's going down, and want me to... merge with 'em," he explained as best he could, tapping on the mechanical side of his head, "so they can escape in time from... whatever the heck it is."
Hearing this, Robin looked back at the others. Having just taken in the information herself, Starfire seemed more worried than ever. "Do you think it could be what that guy..." Robin trailed off, whispering so as not to make things worse.
"For her sake... I hope not," replied Cyborg just as quietly, looking solemn for a moment. "Uh, maybe you oughta stand back for this..." he suggested, directing Robin back to the others with a hand. Cyborg shook his head at the leap of faith he was about to take. He couldn't understand why he was able to place so much trust in the... creatures, if they could be called that. Perhaps it was some sort of instant machine to machine bond; they were far easier to read than a human, after all. "Okay... do your thing," he said, hesitantly stepping forward into the mist.
Not long after the words exited his mouth, the blue mist immediately encircled Cyborg, obscuring him from view for a fleeting moment. During this time, the Technis' glow intensified as their mass enclosed the mechanical Titan. Finally, radiant light dying down, the only thing left beside the small spacecraft was Cyborg, whose glassy, blue parts seemed to have been the source of the illumination. He had fallen forward from his upward stance, hands and knees now on the ground.
The first to step forward, Beast Boy cautiously made his way to his friend. "Um... you okay, Cyborg?" he questioned, head tilted back, attempting to get a good look at Cyborg's face.
"Not Cyborg..." responded the metal man in a peculiar tone. As Beast Boy backed away, Cyborg brought himself to his feet and wobbled a bit. Eyes to the ground, he turned to face the Titans... a blank expression on his face. "CYBERION!" he suddenly shouted with a wide open mouth and closed eyes, fists held up at his sides, blue parts glowing brightly.
Raven looked Cyborg over for a moment after the outburst. There was... currently, nothing wrong with him... "Dork," she said plainly, crossing her arms.
"How about you keep calling yourself Cyborg and we won't make you go through initiation again," Beast Boy spoke in a mischievous tone, attempting to remind Cyborg of rubber chickens and tutus.
"Huh?" Cyborg stood still with his eyes slightly crossed for a moment. After a while, he slammed a hand against the left side of his head and squinted as if listening for something. "Sorry. Don't know what came over me there..." he said, sounding genuinely confused about his own statement. Facial expression tightened, Cyborg scratched at his human ear. "Can't hear 'em anymore. Must be conserving energy or something..."
"Anyway..." he spoke up again after a small awkward silence. "We should hurry to the palace. There may not be much time to waste."
- - -
Act Four: Where the Heart Is
A place Starfire had once called home, her family's palace on Tamaran, rose high in the light of the setting sun. Built within and astride a lofty plateau, its several large, disc-like structures jutted out from the faces of gray rock, like a spectacular extension of the land. It looked out over a colossal valley, rocky and lush mountainsides alike climbing in the distance. With pale stone walls and bluish gray rooftops, spires raised at their peaks, each section of the palace was connected – either by bridge on the outside, or step and hall within the mountain itself. The sections all led upward to the highest structure, which was taller and far more cylindrical than the others; its furthest rooftop held up the largest spire of all.
The T-Ship had been set down on a landing pad extending from the base of the highest structure. Before even stepping off the ship, the Titans could easily sense something was wrong... It was too quiet. The Tamaraneans were not a people who would let a strange ship land without sending out a greeting party.
The stark silence sent a chill coursing through Starfire as she stood in the airlock with the others, hand slowly reaching for the exit door's handle. Too afraid to say anything, the Titans merely stood back and let their friend advance at her own pace. Grasping the heavy handle, Starfire twisted it to the right and pushed the metal door outward, which creaked slightly, allowing a rush of heavy Tamaranean air into the otherwise closed-off room. Stepping down onto the immense, circular platform, Starfire took a few steps forward, staring off at the thin and lengthy bridge ahead...
"Where is everyone?" she wondered aloud, voice quieted by the wind sweeping over the lofty, open area. The last time they had visited, granted it was for a betrothal celebration, there were many greeters waiting. This time, she would have at least expected to see Galfore and the royal guard, as was customary. But not another soul stood in sight, even at the entrance arc across the bridge.
Stepping forward onto the walkway, Starfire peered over the edge at the many structures below... then to the heights above. Not a Tamaranean in sight, neither walking the bridges, nor navigating the winds. She let out a quiet breath as she turned to face the palace's entrance.
"I fear they have... abandoned," said Starfire, sounding somber and worried. However, she soon cheered up, turning around to face her friends with a smile. "If anything is to happen, then I will remain to protect my home from attack," she stated, looking strong and determined. "Will you provide assistance as well in such a case?" she queried hopefully.
"Of course," answered Robin with a supportive nod, the others in clear agreement behind him as he joined Starfire on the bridge.
Though the reason escaped her as to why the Tamaraneans, especially Galfore, would flee the city, Starfire felt a purpose in staying to defend it from what she assumed would be a Gordanian assault. Her eyes always looking to the brighter side of things, she wondered if perhaps the citizens and warriors alike were hiding in wait, hoping to catch any attackers by surprise. In fact, she was sure of it. In battle, her people were not to be trifled with. In such a case, in order to maintain the element of surprise, they would not break cover, even to greet a returning princess.
"Come," started Starfire with a glint of hope in her eyes. "I will give you a proper touring of my home," she said happily, lifting her feet from the ground and floating off toward the entrance. Following, though careful not to step off the unguarded edges of the bridge, the Titans looked to each other with surprise and relief.
- - - - - -
"This is our Grand Hall," stated Starfire, floating several feet above the others. Her voice resonated in the immense corridor.
Running straight through the lengthy area, splitting the reflective, dark marble floors down the center, an exquisite red carpet rested under the feet of the onlookers. Above, where the attention of all eyes currently rested, the ceiling rose to a high arc, lit up by bright, fiery torches on the walls. Ornate pillars lined either side of the hall equally, hugging the walls as they climbed to the top, connecting to their opposing counterparts by several curved extensions. The extensions, composed of the same glossy white rock as the pillars, criss-crossed one another in a symmetrical manner, like curved separators in stained glass. Where the walls met the curved ceiling, a dark balcony could be seen behind the pillars, its view designed to look out over the lower area. The gargantuan hall led from the main entrance to a short flight of stairs and another large doorway, the objects beyond which were too distant to identify.
"Here is where we hold many of our celebrations, from the festivities of Blorthog, to betrothal ceremonies," she explained, finally landing beside the others. At the mention of betrothal, Robin seemed to be recalling not-so-fond memories.
"Oh, yeah. I remember now," said Beast Boy, looking around himself as he recalled the feast that took place upon their last visit. He shivered. "Veggies that crawl like slugs..."
"But taste like chicken!" Cyborg added with a grin and a hefty pat to his belly, attempting, successfully, to gross out his green friend.
"Let's not forget the charitable table manners..." Raven commented blankly, remembering precisely where the large gathering had been, her fondest memory being that she ate nothing.
Moving away from the Titans for a moment, Starfire examined several decorations hanging low on the closest wall. She, of course, could name each one and its history without fault, but one currently stood out to her. A necklace of large, metal beads hung on a wall between two pillars, surrounded by various related items. It was a Tenabula... which her people would wear during Blorthog, the Tamaranean festival of friendship. Reaching out, she removed it from its hook on the wall and held it close, smiling as she decided to take it with her as a souvenir of sorts. The large circle of beads clinked together musically as she held them in hand, walking back to the others.
Starfire smiled at her friends with a warm expression, before quickly returning to her task. "Let us continue," she said gleefully, leading the others further down the hall. "There is much more to see."
- - - - - -
The next room on Starfire's tour was much smaller than the last... which meant absolutely nothing when comparing it to Earth structures. The throne room was still cavernous, with a wide open space and a ceiling that loomed high above. A red-carpeted floor cloaked the center of the room, continuing itself from the previous hall. In the upper middle of the room resided a series of stairs which formed a half-circle as they met the forward wall, in opposite corners of which were two more doorways, leading off into unknown areas. A pair of large thrones sat side by side in a flat area atop the flight of steps, long drapery with complex designs of gold and green decorating the wall behind them.
The Titans, excluding Robin and Starfire, had separated for a moment, admiring the architecture on their own.
"There's two..." said Robin, looking up at the thrones from his position at the base of the steps. "I thought there was only one Grand Ruler," he stated, looking to Starfire for clarification.
Starfire remained silent for a moment, looking down with a small smile. "My parents once resided here. Not since then... has there been a joined rule," she explained. "A council governed in their stead, as we were too young and inexperienced to assume the throne."
"Oh... um," Robin stuttered, massaging the back of his neck nervously. He realized the fact that Starfire's parents weren't around anymore could mean only one thing... and he had just brought up that tender subject. In her position, he would feel terrible... he knew that for a solid fact. What had he just done? "Sorry, I didn't mean to--" he started quickly.
"Do not be," replied Starfire, looking bright and cheery once again. "They were my parents... and I am proud to call them such. Nothing could change that. It is best to not dwell on past happenings, but to be thankful for sacrifices."
Robin knew, as he had for some time now, that he could learn a lot from Starfire's examples... How long had he dwelt on his own past before realizing what was more important? How much still haunted him despite that fact?
"I... understand," said Robin, keeping his gaze fixed on the two thrones.
- - - - - -
"There is one more thing I wish to show you, friends," said Starfire. Necklace in one hand and Robin's grip in the other, she led the boy through the top right doorway in the throne room, followed closely behind by Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven.
The hall behind the throne room was a sharp left turn, leading to a staircase that appeared to spiral around the interior perimeter of the palace. As the Titans walked along, they could see, as it was illuminated by well-placed torches, the entire right wall was decorated by a large, impressive painting. Images of Tamaraneans, young and old, were spread across the stone, ranging from very simple to realistic drawings. Along the way, Starfire explained that the wall was a tribute to all former rulers. Any Tamaranean who ruled at the throne would one day have their likeness displayed on the lengthy wall, in order of ascension.
Just before the paintings came to an end, leading into blank stone space, Robin looked up to see two Tamaraneans standing side by side, both wearing extravagant clothes – like armor and royal cloth meshed together. Unmistakable Tamaranean crowns decorated their foreheads. One was a tall and... reasonably intimidating man, his stature dwarfing that of his partner; his expression, however, described a wholly different being, one who looked proud and strong-willed. A beautiful woman stood beside the man, her long, fiery red hair falling at her back; her eyes, a spectacular green, were benevolent and full of emotion, in spite of her otherwise steady expression.
Robin, and, unbeknownst to him, the three following Titans, easily identified the two figures displayed. The resemblance was too much to ignore. Eyes away from the mural, all began to venture up the staircase.
"At the summit of this palace is a shrine to X'hal, the greatest warrior in our history," said Starfire, her voice echoing up the winding stairs.
- - - - - -
"That's... one big cat," said Beast Boy, staring at the large stone statue before him.
After winding several times around the castle itself, the staircase led to a lavish, circular room with numerous shining objects of gold and silver. Many antique weapons lined the walls as well, their blades dulled from use. Even in its waning state, sunlight allowed in from surrounding windows illuminated all objects to a radiant glow. They sparkled brightly, causing the eyes of unsuspecting Titans to squint upon entry.
Central to the decorations was a large statue made of dusky stone. It depicted a tall woman, clad in heavy armor, a dangerous looking blade held high in her clenched hand. Her expression was ferocious and daunting; though she looked up to the sky, her eyes were most prominent. Before the woman, carved well from the dark stone was a large, crouching feline which had its head turned to the left, glaring straight down the stairwell – directly at any approaching visitors. It was reminiscent of a sabretooth tiger in size, but more like a lioness in appearance. No matter how it was put... the portrayal was incredible: majestic as well as frightening.
"The cat," started Starfire, pointing to the animal in front, "represents X'hal's spirit in battle. For it is said her fierceness was unmatched, her eyes able to instill fear and ensure victory," she explained. "The feline is also believed to be... our earliest ancestor," Starfire added, giggling nervously a bit at the surprised reactions from her friends.
Robin looked around himself and thought of all the things he had taken in simply by walking from one point in the palace to another. "Now I know how you must have felt..." he said, receiving an inquiring glance from Starfire. "It's one thing to know about a planet... and another to actually understand it--"
Robin was cut off by a slight rumbling in the floor, which shook many of the loose weapons on the wall. Like thunder, however, the effect came and went quickly, returning everything to normal after a few short seconds. It was very subtle, but noticeable.
"Get many earthquakes around here?" questioned Raven, raising an eyebrow inquisitively at Starfire.
- - - - - -
Making their way out of the palace, the Titans stood together on the thin connecting bridge. At this time, the sun had set, leaving only a faint glow on the horizon, but Tamaran's two moons now loomed high above. The silvery light of the heavenly bodies projected the castle's shadow over half of the bridge. The Titans, however, had little concern with the sky, all eyes scanning the vast stretches of flat ground below for any indication of the peculiar rumbling.
"It does not happen often, but I suppose it could have been the... earth quaking," said Starfire, standing at the very edge of the bridge as she looked down. She, of course, didn't have to be wary of heights like Robin and Cyborg.
"Well," started Cyborg, looking to all the others, "if we want to find the Tamaraneans and warn 'em, it looks like we'll have some searching to do. We could get a survey of the area in the T-Ship and keep an eye out for any trouble at the same time. Star, is there anywhere you think they might..."
As Cyborg continued bouncing ideas off the others, Beast Boy drifted away from everyone, walking toward the area where the castle's shadow met the bridge. He knew the others could handle planning things out well enough without his... assistance (the occasional witty remark or pointless suggestion). Keeping that in mind, he stood before the light and held his hand out into it... narrowing his eyes a bit at something peculiar. The shadow seemed to be moving at a faster rate than before. Just as he placed his fingers into the light, the shadow spread past them and began to devour the rest of the bridge, moving on to the T-Ship.
"Starfire...?" he called his friend's attention, turning around. "How fast do the moons..." Beast Boy's speech suddenly cut off and blended into unintelligible sputtering. His eyes were wide open, pupils shrinking by the second, jaw dropping progressively as well.
"What?" questioned Cyborg, looking at Beast Boy in slight annoyance due to the interruption. "What are you..." he let his voice trail away as Beast Boy began to point a shaky finger to the sky. Still having little idea as to what was going on, he and the others slowly turned their attention to the stars. "Jeez..." muttered Cyborg as he saw it.
Looming just above the palace's highest tower like a dark cloud, a solid, titanic object was in the process of eclipsing the moons. A dense shadow on its underside, it seemed completely black. The foreboding mass was lengthy, the rest of its form stretching off toward the horizon, where a pair of wings could be seen at its end. It was a vessel... of indescribable proportions. The frightening beast was made ever more so by its circular front end, the edge of which was decorated by seven long, sharp looking spires – like the arrows on a compass rose.
Oddly enough, the ship came to a stop just as its circular portion centered over the palace. The Titans remained still, in silent reverence, like deer caught in the headlights.
The vessel's nose revealed itself to be spherical as two blue lines appeared to draw themselves across its surface, overlapping each other brightly at the center, splitting the object into four equal sections. Suddenly, the rumbling started up once again, subtle like before... but showing no signs of slowing down, only intensifying as the paralyzing seconds drew out further. Without warning, the sphere split open four ways at its new seams, revealing a blinding blue spotlight which quickly bleached the palace's image in its terrifying glow.
As the intense light reflected in his human eye, Cyborg found himself straining to move. Rarely could such a fear overtake him. As though time itself had slowed to a snail's pace, the robotic Titan looked around at his friends to see the same effect of fear on their faces. Opening his mouth and forcing his mechanical muscles to work, he began to turn around.
"Back to the ship!" he shouted, motioning for the others to follow with the powerful swipe of an arm.
Cyborg's words being enough to snap them out of their shock, the Titans all turned their back to the light and began running across the bridge... all except one. As the others continued on without notice, Robin looked back to see that Starfire had not moved at all. The fear that once filled her eyes had now turned to anger. A green glow was beginning to radiate from her hands, one of which still held the Tenabula tightly. She appeared as though she was about to fly off and try to fight the massive ship on her own...
Stopping himself, Robin quickly turned around to face her, dire confusion on his face. "Starfire!" he shouted above the noise of the rumblings. She made no response. "You can't stay here. We don't know what will happen," he said, attempting to keep himself steady on the shaking bridge, ambling over to Starfire's side.
"This is what he spoke of," said Starfire, clenching her teeth as she glared upward at the blue light, eyes beginning to glow. "I cannot allow this to--" she stopped with a gasp as she felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder. Turning her eyes away from the castle, Starfire saw a look in Robin's face she had not expected... and, immediately, her expression softened. He was worried... so worried that his eyes, masked as they were, pleaded desperately for her to reconsider.
"I won't leave here without you," said Robin. Though he spoke above the sound of the quaking mountain, his voice was soft, void of its usual tone... terrified. "I can't." He shook his head, making sure to look Starfire in the eyes. "Please, Star... don't do this."
Starfire felt herself pulled back to reality, her anger dissipating at the words presented to her. She realized this thing... this weapon, was too much for her to fight; she would only end up sacrificing herself for nothing. And Robin... he would have followed her right into the same fate. Without looking back to the vessel above, Starfire simply nodded, rendered speechless.
Across the way, faint due to the sound of shaking rock and rushing wind, a pair of voices could be heard shouting over the cacophony. The T-Ship had begun to hover several feet above the landing platform, wing engines oriented downward. Beast Boy and Raven could be seen under the left wing, in the airlock doorway, motioning for Robin and Starfire to come aboard.
"Hold on to me..." said Starfire, embracing Robin tightly. Taking to the air, she flew as fast as she could toward the T-Ship, propelling herself and Robin straight through the open doorway.
Beast Boy and Raven immediately stepped away as the two tumbled into the ship. Starfire's Tenabula fell from her grip, rolling across the floor with a metallic chiming. Still holding on to one another, Robin and Starfire slowly brought themselves to their feet as the artificial gravity took affect. No words were exchanged between the four Titans, only bewildered glances. What could be said? Nothing good was going to come of the situation.
Knowing the Titans were all accounted for, Cyborg had wasted no time and began to take the ship higher. Seeing the door wide open, and the landing platform moving away, Beast Boy quickly reached out and shut it tight, locking the mechanism. Leaning back against the door, he lowered himself to the ground and breathed heavily. As the sound and feeling of rushing air died down, the ship became deathly quiet, shaking as it continued further into the sky. At once, each Titan released the breath they had been holding in.
Looking to each other knowingly, Robin and Starfire ventured up the stairs and through the right doorway without haste. Raven began to follow, but caught glimpse of Beast Boy still leaning against the door, forehead resting in his palms. He obviously hadn't expected to witness something of this magnitude.
"Are you coming?" she asked plainly.
"...I don't know if this is something I wanna see."
- - - - - -
Watching the surface of Tamaran slowly shrink away, Starfire stood before the glass in the viewing deck, Robin by her side. Behind them, Raven kept an eye on the happenings... while Beast Boy stood in the doorway, clearly hesitant, though he couldn't tear his attention away. All eyes were focused on the palace, where the blue light from the titanic black ship had engulfed nearly the entire mountain, its glow almost blinding. The vessel's size was now even more clear, like a dark island floating above the ground.
Having set the ship to continue its ascent autonomously, Cyborg ventured to the back of the ship to meet up with the others. "What's happening?" he questioned, stepping past Beast Boy into the room. As he caught sight of the ground, any breath left in his lungs was immediately exhaled.
Almost on cue, as Cyborg took a step toward the glass, the blue light suddenly intensified, causing everyone in the room to shield their eyes. Strangely, as the light died down, the ship began to rumble as though it had hit sudden turbulence. But it was clear, once the light faded away completely... that the source of the quaking was far below. Even from its position in the high atmosphere, the T-Ship couldn't be spared from the effect.
Starfire's eyes widened with uninhibited shock.
As though Hell itself was attempting to break free, the surface of Tamaran was suddenly littered with bright red-orange cracks which continued to spread outward with frightening pace... the castle as their epicenter. Moving just as quickly, the clouds were abruptly pushed away from the black vessel as an immense shockwave was issued forth from it, leaving an unobstructed clear view of the ruined ground. Another intense pulse of light came from the weapon as the shockwave finally met up with the T-Ship, shaking it to no end. This was to be the planet's final aggravation.
Appearing to sink in on itself for a moment, Tamaran's surface was now glowing red with fissures... scars. And, all at once, the shattered land was propelled outward by undefinable force in a blaze of broken, fiery rock. The heart of the planet had detonated, sending plumes of its bright, molten blood far into space.
Eyes watching the remains of the planet speeding toward the ship, Cyborg quickly turned around and rushed through the open door. Trying to reach the cockpit before it was too late, he sped through the following rooms as fast as he could, paying no attention to any obstacles. As he leaped through the stairwell hall, there was only one thought on his mind: speed up the ship, or die trying.
Silenced by the sight before them, the remaining Titans stood still... waiting for the inevitable.
However, just as the brimstone came within inches of the ship, the razed planet suddenly shrunk away, becoming a large ball of orange light in the distance. As this happened, the Titans felt a strong force pulling them toward the window, nearly lifting their feet from the ground. Quickly, though, the effect disappeared, and the Titans were left to regain their balance.
"Everyone okay back there?" came Cyborg's concerned voice over the speaker system. None of the others could bring themselves to answer, leaving the dead quiet of space as the only response. "...Hello?"
Finally feeling some of their senses returning to them, Beast Boy, Robin, and Raven looked around themselves warily, almost as though they hadn't expected being able to do so. Starfire stood alone by the middle of the window, staring down at her feet; her hair had fallen in front of her eyes, making her expression unreadable. Seeing this, Beast Boy and Raven looked away, disheartened... knowing there were not enough comforting words in the universe.
Standing up straight, Robin made his way over to Starfire. Before any words could be said, he found himself embraced tightly. Starfire rested her head over his shoulder and trembled... quietly sobbing. Robin could say nothing, and so simply returned the embrace. Strangely enough, Starfire's cries slowly faded away... becoming shaky, labored breathing.
"Uh, Robin..." said Beast Boy, backing away slightly as he saw the furious look on Starfire's face. Her eyes glowed bright green, teeth clenched tightly. She began to breath louder, her hold on Robin clearly becoming stronger.
Thinking fast, Raven reached out a hand and placed it on Starfire's forehead. White light radiated from her palm, bathing the enraged girl's vision in a calming glow. After a moment, Starfire could feel her strength disappearing, her eyelids becoming heavy. Immediately, she collapsed in Robin's arms.
Kneeling on the ground and holding Starfire up, Robin looked at her expression with worry. Eyes closed, she seemed to have passed out but, inside, was still clearly struggling. "Raven?" he questioned, looking up for clarification.
Raven looked down at the two with a solemn expression. "I had to do it..." she said after waiting a moment. "She once told me her people can be overtaken by blind rage... Starfire couldn't control it anymore, not after seeing what she did." Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Raven looked to Starfire's distressed, sleeping face. "She has a lot to think about now..."
- - - - - -
Cyborg stood in the flight control room with the surrounding lights extinguished, a blue glow from the imaging console identifying him in the dark. For quite some time, he had been listening to Robin and Starfire talking in the adjacent room. Despite the thick walls of the T-Ship, sound traveled surprisingly well when surrounded by the silence of space.
The conversation continued on. Starfire was being unreasonably hard on herself, while Robin spent the entire time trying to assure her there was no fault to be had... Cyborg remembered the roles being reversed on countless occasions before. It hurt to know that Starfire was charging herself for the incident, when there was only one clear person to blame...
The real bad guy stood alone in the flight control room, staring down at his feet, too afraid to own up to his own stupid mistake. He had built up Starfire's hopes, saying there was nothing to worry about, claiming that there was enough time to do something... only to watch those hopes be destroyed completely because he hadn't been careful enough. These were Cyborg's thoughts.
'What's wrong with you, man?' he questioned himself harshly in thought, drowning out the voices that resonated behind him. 'Too proud of your own ship that you couldn't pull your eyes away from the controls long enough to see it coming?' he continued tearing himself apart, shaking his head. 'How hard is it to miss a big ship like that? If you had -- even once -- double checked the stupid sensors before--'
"Oh," said Cyborg, breaking free from his own train of thought, eyes widening in astonishment.
- - - - - -
"That is not true. If it were not for my selfish choice, this would not have happened!" stated Starfire, turning away from Robin and looking at the plain white sheets spread across one of the bunks. "I am to blame... I should have been the one to pay for my mistakes... not my people," she explained, feeling her eyes sting at the mere thought of her planet. Starfire closed her eyes, hugging her elbows. "I deserve this..." she spoke quietly.
"Don't say that..." Robin responded quietly, reaching a hand out. Closing his eyes, he shook his head for a moment, feeling almost angry that she could say something like that about herself. "I know you, Starfire. And the last thing you deserve... is this."
"Then," started Starfire, opening her eyes and turning away from the bunks; without looking at Robin, she made her way to the hallway door, allowing it to open for her, "perhaps I have given you... the wrong impression about myself," she said coldly, keeping her back to him, stepping into the corridor and letting the door slide shut behind her.
"Starfire..."
Standing alone in the quiet hall, Starfire stared forward at the door ahead as her vision began to blur over with moisture. She had never been so terrible to him before... and he was only trying to comfort her. Feeling a choking sensation in her throat, Starfire cupped a hand over her mouth as regretful tears spilled over her cheeks. In an attempt to keep herself from being heard, she rushed forward into the dining room.
Raven stood by the sink, getting herself a glass of water. Hearing the door hiss open, she turned around to see Starfire burst into the room, nearly tripping over her own boots. For a moment, the girl stopped and glanced at the empath; her face was wet, eyes slightly red from tears. Without saying a word, she closed her eyes and continued on.
"Starfire?" questioned Raven, setting her glass on the counter. "Starfire, wait," she called, stepping forward. However, Starfire was already through the other door before another word could be said.
- - - - - -
"AH!" squeaked Beast Boy in surprise, turning around and hiding something behind his back. Opposite from his position by the window in the viewing deck, he saw a shocked looking girl standing just in front of the closed door. "Starfire... Um, I was just--"
"Forgive me... I—I did not mean to intrude..." Starfire stumbled with her words, looking around herself for another way to go. To no avail, she attempted to hide her tears, wiping her face and breathing in through her nose.
Seeing this, Beast Boy's expression softened. Still keeping one hand behind his back, he reached out and took a step forward. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly, trying to get a better look at her face.
"I am..." Starfire trailed off, turning around to face the door before the boy could get any closer, "undamaged," she finished, unable to mask the sorrow in her voice.
Listening to the faraway sound of the engine while collecting his thoughts, Beast Boy let a moment pass before finally deciding to speak. He knew Starfire was feeling more pain than he could ever imagine. He knew there was little, or nothing, he could say to make things better. But it wasn't his way to just ignore things like this; he had to at least try.
"You're feeling alone, aren't you? Like there's someplace you need to run, but you can't find it... and no one's there to help." Beast Boy's voice, calm and atypically earnest, bounced off the circular walls of the quiet room. Hearing this, Starfire looked up from the floor. "It's not the same... but I felt that way when I lost my parents..." he said, pausing to take in a breath. "I blamed myself... kept saying, if I had just been there, there was something I could have done to stop it... something," Beast Boy stopped to scratch the back of his neck, wondering if he was doing the right thing. "I always felt like, when I was with them, I was home... Knowing they weren't there anymore, it took away my sense of direction, y'know?"
"...How did you go on?" Starfire asked quietly.
"I didn't," Beast Boy responded, smiling as Starfire turned around to face him with a surprised look. "Eventually, I realized... I never really left them, and they never left me. There was no one to blame. Some things just can't be helped." Grimacing a little, Beast Boy took his hand from behind his back and displayed the object he had been holding. He held up a small, toy monkey with cymbals in its hands; its soft face grinned widely, a curly tail rising behind its head. "They gave it to me when I was a kid... it was the one thing I held on to." Beast Boy looked up to Starfire. "Home is something you take with you, Starfire... even if it's just a memory."
"Beast Boy..."
"I know. It's stupid, and not even close to what you're going through--" he started, turning his head away.
"No. It is not stupid," Starfire interjected firmly. "You have reminded me of a saying on my planet... 'Where the heart beats and joy brings flight, such is home'," she recited with a faint yet growing smile, inhaling deeply and letting the breath go. "I did not truly understand it... until now."
The door to the viewing deck suddenly hissed open, revealing Raven in its threshold. She leaned against the doorway with closed eyes and held up a book in her hand for all to see. Strange letters were emblazoned in black ink across the volume's plain, gray cover.
"It's a book of poetry... from Azarath. My favorite one," said Raven, sounding a little embarrassed. Despite being somewhat uncomfortable, she merely wanted to contribute to what Beast Boy had started: showing Starfire she wasn't alone. After a moment in silence and receiving a smile from Starfire, Raven cleared her throat and brought something into the room with her powers. "I... think you dropped this."
Starfire's eyes widened as the object was lowered into her hands and released. The Tenabula chimed musically as its large beads rolled about and quickly settled into place. She closed her eyes and held the necklace close... thinking of what it now represented.
"Starfire," said Raven, getting the girl's attention once again. "I'm sure there's someone else who'd like to talk to you," she stated, stepping out of the way and motioning a hand at the door across the dining room.
"Of course," Starfire nodded, suddenly reminded of her cold words. Wasting no time, she began to make her way across the dining room and through the hallway door.
As soon as Starfire disappeared, Raven pulled her hood away and looked directly at Beast Boy, her stare unwavering. It was neither a frightening stare nor a disappointed one, and not even an annoyed glance... nothing Beast Boy was used to. Her expression was plain... like someone attempting to read a book from a distance.
"...What?" Beast Boy checked the area around himself nervously, feeling Raven's stoic eyes looking him over. "What is it?" he asked, the silence suddenly getting to him. "Raven, will ya cut that out already? ...Please?"
- - - - - -
As the door slid open for her, Starfire turned to the right side of the room and saw Robin sitting on the edge of the lower bunk. He rested his elbows on his knees, fingers interlaced and covering his eyes, hiding his face beneath them. The boy seemed deep in thought, perhaps thinking of something he could say... or regretting what he already had, wondering if he had done something wrong. His concentration on thought was so much that the sound of the door opening had gone entirely unnoticed.
Without saying a word, Starfire floated over, quietly set the Tenabula down on the mattress, and sat down on the edge beside Robin, gingerly leaning her shoulder against his.
Robin moved his hands away and looked to his left, surprised. "S--" about to speak, he found himself silenced as Starfire placed her index finger near his lips.
"You will do no apologizing," said Starfire in a firm tone. Reaching down, she took hold of his hand and looked in his eyes remorsefully, pausing to find her words. "Robin, I--"
"Everyone, head up to the Flight Room. You're not gonna believe this!" Cyborg's surprisingly enthused voice suddenly boomed over the speaker system.
Hearing this, Robin and Starfire merely looked to each other and laughed lightly. By now, they had almost come to expect such interruptions.
- - - - - -
Cyborg looked over the varied expressions of his Teammates as they all gathered around the imaging system in the flight room. Robin and Starfire shared looks of subtle disappointment, one more pronounced than the other. Raven, as usual, couldn't be read easily. And, lastly, Beast Boy... looked oddly relieved.
Clearing his throat, Cyborg punched something into the circular console's panel. "I went over the scan logs from before we entered..." the mechanical Titan paused, somewhat wary of his words, eyes turning to Starfire for a moment, "Tamaran's atmosphere," he finished, watching as the image of a planet drew itself up in the hologram. "The scanners came up with about 300 million major life signs, total."
"You... brought us here to tell us how many people... bit the dust?" questioned Beast Boy, whispering the last part so the others couldn't hear, narrowing his eyes at Cyborg.
"No," Cyborg shook his head vigorously, obviously getting to his point. "99.9 percent of those readings are all accounted for..." he trailed off, pointing to the left side of his head, "right here."
"The Technis," said Robin, suddenly standing up straight. After that comment, Cyborg received everyone's undivided attention.
"That's right," replied Cyborg, looking to the image of Tamaran seriously. "What if the Tamaranean's knew it was coming... knew they were being targeted?" he asked, hypothetically. "If they had no other choice, they'd try to spread themselves out, give their enemies no target to attack, right?" he asked Starfire.
"Yes, I believe so," Starfire responded, nodding. It seemed a reasonable enough explanation... not to mention an ideal one. She was just glad to know her people were not harmed, that her sorrow was in vain. However, the loss of her home planet could not be ignored...
"My guess is," started Cyborg, turning around to look out the windows, "they're somewhere out there, buying their time." He took a moment to examine the stars with curiosity. Shifting his attention back to his friends, he looked them each in the eye. "How 'bout it?" he asked, grinning and resting his hands on the console. "What do you say we lend 'em a hand?"
"We should get a message back to the other Titans. Tell them they'll need to watch the city a little while longer," suggested Robin, crossing his arms, feeling his 'leader' instincts coming back into play. Now that hope had been renewed, he found himself ready to take on a real mission. "Let's go for it." Reaching to his left, he took Starfire's hand in his and smiled, receiving the same expression in return.
"There's about twenty-two good hiding places out there," said Cyborg, bringing up a solar map of Vega on the hologram. "We'll need to save fuel if we want to check them, so it could take a while between planets," he explained, growing an adventurous smirk on his face. "This'll be great. It's not every year you get to spend a few months in deep space."
Beast Boy's expression suddenly faltered as the full breadth of the mission finally hit him.
"A FEW MONTHS!"
- - - - - -
Heavy footsteps resonated down a dark and lengthy corridor, rattling grated, metal flooring as they progressed from one end to the other. Few and far between, several bright lights shone down from the ceiling in the wide hall, spotlighting various areas of the floor in the otherwise pitch black hall. As the figure continued onward, his peculiar, gargantuan form could be seen passing under the intense white lights. His feet continued to stomp against the ground, slowing to a stop as he reached the end of the hall.
After several moments in silence, a large pair of doors slid away from each other noisily. Through the doorway was a much larger room, a single, bright pinpoint of illumination shining down from the tremendously high ceiling. Centered under the light was a heavy looking chair on an uplifted section of floor; its back facing the doorway, it looked out upon a tall and wide window, beyond which was the star-spotted void of space.
A tall man with long, gray hair had seated himself on the throne. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against his clasped hands in a very proper, staid manner. His face, due to the intense light from above, could not be seen in its entirety, merely a silhouette. The only distinguishing features about the man were his heavy, dark blue armor and red skin on his hands. Shifting his position, the man allowed two thick lengths of platinum hair to fall in front of his eyes.
The figure in the doorway continued onward, making his way to the edge of the light by the throne, where he came to a stop and knelt on the ground.
"Your eminence," spoke the large figure in a heavy, low tone. His voice echoed in the large room, sounding much like the scratchy growl of some frightening beast in the dark. "The operation was a success..." he spoke mysteriously. "Completed without error."
"Very good, Koza," responded the armored man, resting his hands at his sides as he looked out the window. He spoke with a deep voice, but sounded very calm and collected, almost welcoming... yet malevolent. "And what of the second objective?" he asked.
"We have tracked one to Okaara. It is being procured as we speak," replied the creature known as Koza. "...The princess was identified as well, seen escorted by four aliens on Tamaran."
A long silence followed.
"I see... so, Zoka failed. This certainly is unexpected news..." the man let his speech trail off, breathing in deeply, sounding more serious. "Keep a close watch and report your findings. When the opportunity presents itself... deal with them as you please."
Koza chuckled under his breath in response. As the creature stood up to his full, towering height, his most prominent feature was caught under the illumination. On his face, he wore a large black mask, the simple image of a toothy scowl and narrowed eyes portrayed in white on its spherical surface. He whipped his tail through the air once, signifying his eager acceptance of the mission.
"Yes, sire."
- - - End Episode Two - - -
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Author's Note: - insert dramatic sound effect here - The plot thickens :).
Ack. Another freakishly long chapter (almost could have been two episodes). I sincerely apologize for that XD. I had to cram in a lot of things, such as introducing the T-Ship, the Technis stuff, and Tamaranean history (most wouldn't make sense if I tried to insert them into future episodes instead; plus, if I left them out, it'd haunt me forever, lol). I can't seem to not write long chapters like this. But I suppose that's fitting for my farewell fic, though (don't want to leave anything out). The length would make sense, of course... if Teen Titans ever had hour long episodes :P.
Also, sorry for the long wait between this and the first episode. Between work and getting all signed up for school, I could only find small amounts of time to work on this. Hopefully that won't be the case with the next one.
There was a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter :). I put in a bunch of small scenes which might seem to have little meaning... right now.
If there are any big errors in this chapter, please feel free to point them out. Once a chapter reaches this length, it becomes a lot harder to proofread, you can imagine.
Thanks for reading :D.
Next Episode Preview: With new resolve, the Titans set off in search of the Tamaraneans, looking to aid in whatever way they can. On the planet Okaara, they happen upon a young boy with whom Starfire shares more than a resemblance. The trials of an unwitting leader in "Episode Three: Brother".
