Chapter 2: Civilization?
Aerrow and Piper made their way across the deserted piece of Terra. Thoughts filled their minds. Pipers mind was thinking about what sort of crystals could be found on this particular Terra, whilst Aerrows mind was on where were all the people? There must be people here somewhere, perfect temperature, maybe not much water or wildlife, but there was no explanation for the fact that there wasn't even a bird flying around.
"Aerrow, this doesn't feel right. There should be at least some sort of sky rabbit down here, but there isn't. It's empty." Piper whispered as she moved closer to Aerrow for protection.
"Don't worry. If there's nothing here, then there's nothing to harm us!" Aerrow comforted whilst trying to prove to himself that what he'd just told Piper was true.
Just then Piper turned to Aerrow and said "Did you hear that? Aerrow, did you hear that?"
"Hear what Piper?" he replied, his senses on high alert.
"Behind the boulder there," she said pointing a finger to a nearby boulder, "something moved."
Aerrow felt Piper tense up next to him, he wanted to see what was there, but then again, maybe it was something that should be left alone. Suddenly Aerrow saw it, something black move from behind the boulder.
"Stand back!" Aerrow whispered to Piper as he pulled out his blades, then he ran forwards and sprung into the air letting his fury go as he plummeted towards the boulder. In a few seconds, the boulder was in pieces and behind it lay an electrified Radarr. "Radarr!" Aerrow and Piper yelled simultaneously as they gazed at the blue ball of electrified sky monkey.
"What are you doing here buddy?" Aerrow asked his furry co-pilot as he returned his blades to their place and went to picked him up. Radarr squealed, and then pretended to flop unconscious.
"Aerrow, don't question it. He probably just didn't want to be there when Finn wakes up from his hypnotized either!" Piper suggested as she stroked a hand over Radarr's belly.
"True! Okay buddy, if you want to tag along feel free to, but in the future, don't hide behind rocks, okay?" Aerrow said plopping Radarr onto the floor by his side.
As they carried onwards, Aerrow noticed Radarr's ears pick up on something that made him growl.
"What is it buddy?" Aerrow asked bending down to Radarr's level. He watched as Radarr sniffed the ground and followed the scent of something around a tree and then stopping straight in front of a cave. "Is there something in the cave Radarr?" Aerrow asked as he and Piper walked over to where Radarr stood glued to the spot.
"Cyclonians? Ravess? Snipe? Dark Ace? " Piper asked only to see Radarr shake his head in disagreement with every name she went through.
"Whatever it is, we won't know unless we go in and see for ourselves!" Aerrow said turning to Piper who stood hands on her hips trying to guess who or what Radarr had smelt.
Aerrow started to walk forward into the cave when Radarr suddenly darted deeper into the cave, "Radarr!" Aerrow called after his friend only to hear a shrill shriek from further inside the cave.
"Come on!" Piper called to Aerrow as she raced forward to investigate the noise.
"Get off me you stupid rat!" Came the mysterious voice from inside the cave.
Aerrow could tell now that it belonged to a girl. How old exactly, he didn't know, but she sounded young.
"Okay, who are you?" Aerrow asked gruffly as he pulled out his blades again. The light from the crystal he used illuminated the cave, and he saw to his disbelief, a young girl, probably not much older than eleven years old.
"Aerrow! She's just a little girl!" Piper said confused.
"Hey, who are you to call me li'l, and for your information, I aint a girl, I'm a Sky Knight! Well, I'm goin' 'a be one when I'm older." The girl barked out at them in a strong cockney accent.
"What's your name kid?" Aerrow asked as he ordered Radarr off the girl and back onto his shoulders.
"Luna. Luna Star. And who are you?" She replied with a tone of dignity in her voice.
"I'm Aerrow, of the Storm Hawks, this is Piper my navigator and specialist, and this is Radarr, my co-pilot!" Aerrow replied holding out his hand for Luna to grab hold of.
"Weird co-pilot!" Luna sniggered as Radarr growled at her.
"Careful, Radarr has a very short temper." Aerrow said as he helped Luna to her feet.
"Are you on your own here?" Piper asked looking around the cave for any signs of other people.
"No! We 'av a 'ole village down 'ere, but we 'ide underground, so we can't be seen. Cool 'ey?" Luna replied reaching into a pouch on her waist, and taking out some sort of biscuit and offering it to Radarr as a gesture of friendship.
"A whole village you say?" Piper amazed.
"Oh ye! Were real safe underground" Luna replied with a giggle as Radarr grabbed the biscuit that she held out to him.
"What do you mean "real safe", who are you hiding from?" Aerrow asked confused.
"D' Cyclonian Talons o' course!" She replied a slither of worry in her voice.
"You mean the Cyclonians are here! On this Terra." Piper asked sounding very worried.
"Aye, well, deir not actually on 'd Terra, but dey've been tryin' for ages to get us. Dey want our Terra for some'in, I don't know what, but we won't give up widout a fight." Luna replied a touch of boldness and courage in her voice as she pounded a fist into her open palm.
"Well, with a spirit like that, I honestly think you have a good chance of becoming a Sky Knight when you're older! Tell me, where is this village that you live in?" Aerrow commended Luna whilst trying to keep to the plan of finding civilization.
"Not far from 'ere. I'll take you to it!" Luna replied gaily as she grabbed Aerrows hand and started to drag him into the cave. Piper and Radarr followed quickly behind them.
Luna led them through many different dark passages until she finally led them over a very sturdy wooden bridge. On the other side of the bridge lay a horribly made but solid wooden doorway with a small glass panel in the middle. Whilst Aerrow and Piper contemplated about what was going on with Luna's people and the Cyclonians, Luna gave three loud knocks on the wooden door which summoned the doors open. Piper gripped Aerrows arm as the doors opened to reveal a tiny village of no more than a hundred people.
"Dis is my village!" Luna explained a beaming smile on her face.
"It's so…nice!" Piper said in awe at the amazing structures that were hidden from the world by two large wooden doors.
"Luna, is this all you have? Is this all of it?" Aerrow asked unsure of himself.
"If you mean de town, den ye! We haven't got much to offer. Only a few stores here and dere, but we do have a library. Dat was one of de t'ings dat didn't get destroyed when de Cyclonians raided de Village." Luna explained as she took them through the middle of the village that was now crowded with people who just stood in amazement at the sight of Aerrow, Piper and Radarr being led through their town by one of their own.
"Why are your people looking at us weirdly?" Piper asked Luna, a bit afraid now.
"Not many people come round de's parts, and we haven't had any people other dan Cyclonian Talons pay us a visit lately." She giggled, turning to Piper who had a look of fear on her face.
"Don't worry Piper, we'll be fine." Aerrow comforted grabbing Pipers arm to get her to keep up with Luna who was dragging Aerrow fiercely by the arm through her village.
"So where are we going Luna?" Piper asked trying to wipe the look of fear off her face.
"To de Grand Council of Terra Cavernia. My Da's d Mayor. He'll wan to speak to you both. You being a Sky Knight and all!" Luna replied leading them up a stone stair case to the entrance of, what Aerrow and Piper thought, must be the High Council's Court Hall.
Aerrow kept hold of Pipers hand to pull her along as Luna led them all through the entrance of the building and along well paved corridors until she finally stopped outside the entrance of a room with an open door. "Da, I have some people here dat have come from anoder Terra called…" She began but then stopped, turned round to Aerrow, Piper and Radarr and asked, "Where are you from again?"
"We are The Storm Hawks. We came to ask for provisions for our ship, but it looks like you could use some help here with what Luna told us, you have a bit of Talon trouble." Aerrow said letting go of Pipers hand and proudly stepping forward into the view of the Luna's father who sat behind a judge's desk shuffling paper of some importance.
"Storm Hawks you say. I thought you were more than a Sky Knight, a girl and some sort of blue fluffy mascot!" He said looking in disproof at the threesome that stood before him.
"Easy Radarr." Aerrow said petting Radarr on the head at hearing him growl at the mayor's explanation of him. "The rest of our squad is back on our ship. We came out to look for people, and when we find some their in trouble, we are offering help in return for some fuel for our cruiser and food to last until we find a trading port Terra."
"What Aerrow means is that we are offering to help you with your Talon problem in return for a bit of supplies." Piper butted in.
"Piper…" Aerrow whispered into Pipers ear, "Why did you butt in."
"You do it enough to me Aerrow, besides; you don't want to get on their bad side do you? Who know when we'll ever get home if they throw us out?" Piper whispered back to him.
"Da, listen to dem, dey can help us with de Talons. Dey're de Storm Hawks!" Luna pleaded to her father.
"I see you have faith in them Luna. Let's hope the people of Terra Cavernia feel the same way about them as you do." The Mayor said running his gaze over them again.
Aerrow turned away from Piper to the Mayor and said, "Just tell us what you want us to do."
