Cosmic Squadron Stellarman Phase 3: Broken
Disclaimer: I do not own or make any claim of ownership upon the Super Sentai series, which belongs to Toei. Stellarman and its various characters are mine, and if you're interested in using any elements from it, just ask me.
Note: For clarity's sake, Stellarman's real names will be used even when transformed for a while.
He scraped lightly at the cracked soil with his father's shovel. It was all he could manage; he hadn't tasted water in almost four days. But if he couldn't dig deep enough, that wouldn't change for him or anyone who lived in the village on the hill.
The merciless sun continued to beat down on the desolate African village. Children clustered in the feeble relief provided of the shade cast by a ramshackle hut. He wiped the sweat off his brow, looked at the glistening on his wrist longingly then went back to work.
All at once the children jumped to their feet and started to chatter excitedly. Against his better judgment he stopped and looked to where in the sky they pointed, then dropped the old shovel in surprise.
Floating down toward the village was a man in dazzling golden armor. He touched down and stood motionless while the villagers gathered around him. After a minute he spoke, and the villagers couldn't help jumping backward in surprise.
"I've found the secret of salvation," he said simply, "a secret I intend to share."
An old man spoke for everyone. "Does it save us from drought?"
The man clapped his hands and thick black clouds crept in from the horizon. Within minutes the sky was completely covered. He clapped again and thunder rolled. Then, rain poured from the heavens.
A woman wailed in disbelief and almost dropped her baby. The children started to jump and dance through the mud forming at their feet. Most of the villagers fell to their knees and bowed to the armored man over and over.
"Rise," he commanded. "Repay the favor you've been given by helping me build a world where famine is an obsolete word…"
The Reaves Academy clock tower issued the sound the privileged students had been waiting to hear all day. The week was over. Classrooms opened and students filed into the halls. Among them was Cliff, who allowed himself a smile as he folded the World History test with the bright red "A" on top into his bag.
"Let mom and dad say why I don't deserve that Mercedes after they see this."
"Cliff? Is that you?" someone asked. He groaned and Aki skipped into view, grinning as usual. "I didn't recognize you with a smile on your face."
"Think there's a reason for that?" he growled.
"Maybe you think I'm out of your league?"
Cliff looked her in the eye without saying anything for a long minute, then let loose with a loud, snide laugh. He kept laughing as he shouldered his bag and walked away.
Aki skipped in front of him wearing an amused expression of her own. "What's the matter, kid? Am I too much woman for you or something?"
"You can say that again," Cliff mumbled.
"Lighten up, kid. You just got an A. Know how many I get? You should be celebrating."
"I'm used to getting them," Cliff snapped and tried to push her away. "That's not bragging." He dodged around her and pushed his way into the after school crowd as it spilled outside.
The courtyard was especially lovely just then, the overhanging trees had been trimmed and the white stone tiles had just been cleaned for the visit of a wealthy investor. Cliff couldn't have cared less. His good mood was ruined. "I bet when I get home dad's having a bunch of his friends over for dinner."
"Cliff!" a girl yelled over the chatter of students. Cliff cringed.
"Don't you know when to quit?!" Cliff yelled and turned to face her, but Aki wasn't alone. Two heavyset men in suits were flanking her on either side in an isolated corner of the courtyard. One of them flashed a badge at him that read SDA. "What's going on? We're not training today."
"You're not," one answered. "There's a mission, and the Commander wants everyone to stay off the comm."
"Maybe we can save this day after all."
The two skull-shaped craft zoomed low over the hills. Their engines were going full burn, and the reason why came hurtling over the hill after them. An enormous robot wolf covered in red armor landed from a jump and sped after the strange ships.
"We got 'em on the run," Daniel as StellarRed said inside Wolf's cockpit. From what the SDA techs had told him it probably couldn't hear him, but he didn't care. His own giant robot! Daniel pushed the throttle forward and Wolf ran even faster. The gap between his robot and the flying skulls narrowed and Daniel hit a button. Laser batteries mounted on Wolf's back fired and blew one of the ships to bits. The other swooped back and fired back with beams from its eyes but he was ready.
Wolf lunged to the left and the shots went wide. The skull roared past and ascended then opened its jaws and spat a cloud of bombs at Wolf. Daniel was jostled around in the cockpit but held his ground. The skull started to come around again, but in that split-second Daniel urged his robot forward. Wolf charged then jumped. It slashed with one giant claw and battered the final ship out of the air.
"Come on! I'm the newest Stellarman and I still busted you guys up!" Daniel challenged. "Are flying skulls the best you can do?"
"Hardly!" a voice like metal on metal answered. Daniel just had time to register it before he heard an explosion and Wolf cart wheeled into the air. It landed upside down with a crash. Through the windscreen Daniel could see a giant robot with a cannon for a head. Prox Cannon.
The barrel flashed as he fired another shot and Daniel desperately wrestled with the controls. Wolf scrambled to its feet just in time to only dodge the explosion.
"You ready to do something stupid, buddy?"
"Say goodbye, Stellarman!" The monster aimed and blasted his cannon straight at Wolf but the robot charged him and dodged the shot that blew a smoking hole in the ground.
Prox Cannon aimed again but Wolf jumped straight at him. Wolf's weapons fired. The barrage of lasers hit the shell just as it left Prox Cannnon's head. Not surprisingly it went off, and took the monster's head with it. Prox Cannon collapsed.
"Interesting strategy!" Bohdi called. The monster's body flickered away. From behind some trees Bohdi's Hydra slithered into sight.
The big alien was waiting when Daniel, reverted to normal, stepped out of Wolf. He was recording something in a handheld gadget, but looked up as he realized he wasn't alone. "So…how much was that 'interesting strategy' worth?" Daniel inquired.
"A lot," Bohdi replied. "But it looks like they're docking you for letting the monster catch you by surprise." He held up the gadget for Daniel to see the number 87 blinking on the screen.
"Eighty-seven?! The paint isn't even scraped on my robot!" Daniel protested.
"If it was up to me I'd give you more, but it's up to a computer back at the Dome. You did well, Daniel. So far my best is only eighty-nine," he said with particular pride. "If you don't mind my saying so, you certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself back there."
"What can I say? I wanted my own giant robot since I was a kid. I didn't even know people could make things like this yet."
"You're going to see plenty of other strange things as a Stellarman, Daniel."
"Hey, I've known about my powers since I was a kid. I'm prepared for a lot."
Bohdi made an amused "hmmm" noise. "You should try growing up on Chahi." "That's what part of the hood you're from, huh? What's it like?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
"You never asked about it before."
Daniel shrugged. "It never came up. I didn't want to seem nosy."
"You didn't want to seem…" Bohdi trailed off then shut his eyes and shook his head. "You're an unusual specimen, Daniel."
"I wouldn't be here otherwise."
Bohdi gave Daniel a strange look out of one side of his flattened face before he answered. "There isn't a lot to say about Chahi. It's mostly gray rocks and sand as far as you can see. There used to be cities, the adults say, but they're just ruins now. There are a couple of little villages, but there isn't much contact between them. The barasts are too numerous these days."
"The barasts?"
"Yes. They're huge, black things as big as lions. They can take your arm off with one bite. I've seen it happen. Sometimes they even sneak into the village at night."
"So you got sick of it and left?"
"More or less,…yes."
A moment passed in silence. "You gonna unpack that?"
"No. Not right now."
"Okay, man," Daniel said and adopted a thoughtful expression, then a smile lit up his face. "Race you back to base!" he called and darted into Wolf.
"Wait a minute!" Bohdi replied but the hatch had already closed. Wolf hummed to life and thundered away a second later. Bohdi shook his head and boarded Hydra. "Can someone so carefree really be the edge we need against Proxordo?"
Daniel grinned as he and Bohdi walked through the hangar into the main base. "Thanks, Bohdi."
"I wasn't racing you."
"No, you weren't. You were behind me the whole way back. I meant for the practice."
"If only the rest of the team booked time for practice on Friday afternoons. Or at all," said a voice behind them and the two turned to see Commander Thebes standing there. "Come on you two, there's a briefing."
"You didn't call us," Bohdi pointed out.
"No I didn't and I'll tell you why if you'll follow me," she replied and walked off. Daniel and Bohdi exchanged puzzled glances but followed. She led them to the briefing room where the three others had already found seats. Bohdi found a place in the back and Daniel sat near Caitlin.
"Where were you guys?" she asked.
"Practice," Daniel said simply. Caitlin gave him a strange look but said nothing. Thebes cleared her throat and all eyes rested on her behind the podium.
"Everyone, I'm sure you're wondering what this meeting is all about. I won't waste time; it's because Proxordo knew about the freighter transporting the Ptolemic Machines. We believe our communications have been compromised."
"We're talking about them noticing a giant spaceship entering the atmosphere, right?" Cliff pointed out.
"It had radar deflection technology installed, Cliff," Thebes explained. "That's not our only concern, anyway. About a week before the Ptolemic Machines were shipped to Earth there was a brief period of interference during one of the moon base's regular status reports. At the time we thought it was just a fault with their equipment, but now we think it was Proxordo intercepting the signal.
"The SDA are implementing a plan that we hope will upgrade our communications network so Proxordo is unable to break our transmissions. That's where the five of you come in."
"So what are we doing?" Daniel asked.
"You can find out your objective on the way over. Valentine will meet you in the hangar," Thebes responded with finality.
"And I thought this weekend was off to a bad start," Cliff chortled as he brought up the rear while the group made their way to the hangar. He spared a glare in Aki's direction.
"Perhaps you should wait until we actually know what we're doing, Cliff," Bohdi admonished him.
"Why would Thebes even bring us here if she didn't think a monster was gonna get in the way?" Cliff countered.
"The kid has a point. She probably wouldn't put us in charge of this if she didn't expect Proxordo might try something," Daniel put in, and Cliff grinned. "But he could stop acting like this is a video game."
"Listen buddy, where do you get off saying that? You're the new kid, remember?"
"The new kid who had to remind you about the objective, remember?" Daniel fired back.
"Speaking of, why don't we find out what the new one is before Thebes wonders what's taking us so long?" Caitlin suggested.
Daniel turned and led the way to the hangar without saying another word. Aki smirked at Cliff and followed, and the fuming teenager stomped down the hall. Bohdi was about to follow too but Caitlin grabbed him by the wrist.
"Can I ask you something, Bohdi?" she asked quietly.
"Of course."
"You went to practice with Daniel. Why did he ask for his own session?"
"Honestly? I think he wanted to have a chance to pilot his Ptolemic Machine again."
"That's all?"
Bohdi shrugged. "He's only been with us for a week, Caitlin. Besides, it's good to be back up to full strength." With that he strode purposefully down the hall after the others. Caitlin shook her head and followed.
A minute later the Stellarmen arrived in the hangar where Valentine had indeed been waiting for them. "Greetings, Stellarman," she said in her cheerful synthesized voice.
"Hello, Valentine," Bohdi returned. She seemed to smile at the acknowledgement.
"So what are we taking?" Daniel inquired. "The Advancer?"
"Oh no, we're using that," Valentine indicated a blue van with a few scattered dents nearby. She touched Daniel's communicator which glowed for a second then climbed in the back. "Daniel, you're in charge of navigation. Just push the yellow button.
"Aki, you're driving," Valentine added. "Please hurry, Stellarman. The sooner we arrive at the rendezvous point, the better." Aki grumbled and got into the driver's seat while the others piled into the back and slammed the doors. A minute later they were driving along an abandoned dirt road.
Daniel hit the yellow button and from one end of his communicator a holographic disc jumped, showing a map of the area. A light blue line marked the path they'd already traveled and a darker blue line the route they were taking. It led up into the seedy south part of town, and ended in the middle of a deserted old rail yard. Not a bad place, he supposed, to conduct business undisturbed.
He knocked on the door separating the front from the rear compartment. Bohdi opened it a second later. "Hey Valentine, what are we doing out here anyway? Thebes wouldn't tell us," said Daniel.
"We're going to meet someone from another branch," she lilted mechanically. "They'll be giving us the key part of a signal boosting system that, hopefully, will keep Proxordo from being able to intercept our communications from now on."
"Just what can these guys do, anyway?" Daniel wondered aloud and put the map on the dashboard so Aki could see. "They have guys made out of metal, they can turn their dead members into giants…hijacking calls doesn't sound like anything special."
"Yes, but you defeated them, remember?" Valentine pointed out. "We aren't weak or backward either, Daniel."
"Tell him, Val," Cliff grinned.
"I guess not," Daniel replied, sounding unconvinced.
"Don't worry, Daniel," Caitlin said reassuringly. "It was overwhelming for all of us at first."
"Maybe you kids were," Aki chuckled to herself. "This is nothing compared to what I have to deal with at home."
"Yeah? You seem to cope pretty well," Daniel noted.
"Yeah, 'cuz I don't go home if I can help it," Aki replied. "What's it like when you go home?"
"I haven't gone home since I was eleven," Daniel replied.
Talk was sparse for the rest of the drive. Daniel spent it gazing out the windshield and occasionally telling Aki which way to turn. Every once in a while Cliff thought he saw something zip across the sky out of the corner of one eye, but when he turned to get a closer look it was gone. By the time the van pulled to a stop, the silence inside was deafening.
Daniel and Aki motioned for the others to stay in the van and jumped out themselves. It didn't take long to spot their contact; the only other person around was a bony man in a worn out business suit and a five o'clock shadow. He was sitting on a battered bench with a battered briefcase beside him, looking like he was waiting to catch a battered train.
"Hey kids," he called. "One of you got the time?"
"Depends, you got the energy?" Aki smirked.
Daniel shot her a look of annoyance and replied to the man what he'd been told to say on the way over, "Don't know, man, my cell phone's busted."
"Maybe you should get a watch."
"Maybe, if a war wasn't on."
"You must be Daniel," he said. "And this comedian must be Aki. You took your time getting here."
"Got our gizmo, pal?" Daniel reminded him.
"Show me the robot, son. I have to know for sure."
Daniel waved to the van and the others opened the rear doors and piled out. Valentine wordlessly approached the contact and held out her hands, into which he placed the briefcase. The other Stellarmen warily glanced around in case Proxordo was nearby as she opened the case, surveyed the tube-shaped device inside, then tucked the case under one arm and bowed to the contact.
"Thank you sir. You've saved the lives of many brave operatives," she said with a bow. He nodded and walked off down the platform without saying a word. Valentine started back toward the van. Daniel was about to follow when he spotted Cliff sneaking behind a building. He started to call out but stopped. Why would Cliff listen to an order from him? Instead he whistled to make sure he had everyone's attention then darted around the side of the building after Cliff.
Daniel found Cliff crouched behind a dumpster that smelled like it hadn't been emptied. Ever. Cliff's glasses were aimed skyward, however, completely oblivious to the stench.
"Did you see that?" he asked.
"See what?" Daniel answered, but his question was answered even as he did. A small dark shape cruised silently toward them. It was a red bullet-shaped ship, with a glistening yellow P emblazoned on the side. From around the corner of a disheveled old warehouse came a group of people, all ages and ethnicities. They paused in front of the ship as a ramp lowered and a pair of Risen disembarked.
"Picking up some new recruits, huh?" Daniel whispered.
"Looks like we get to crack some skulls after all," Cliff grinned.
"I have a better idea."
"Huh?"
"Look at it. People are going into the ship, nobody's coming out. They're obviously here to pick up new members, not attack us, so why should there be anything to fight inside?" Daniel answered. "I'm gonna sneak on board. After Valentine gets that thing going, you guys call me and I'll tell you where I am."
Daniel didn't wait for an answer. The ramp was lifting and he bolted for it. There was no one in sight as he reached a branching hallway but he heard excited murmuring coming from one direction so he went the other and ducked into the first door he saw.
Daniel half-expected to find out he was wrong, to find himself face-to-face with another one of their monsters like Prox Chain, but all that was on the other side was an empty room with a small circular window. He could feel the ship starting to ascend, so he sat against the window and watched as Cape Lombard grew smaller below then shrank into the southeast.
It felt like a long time passed as the ship zoomed at incredible speed over wilderness, broken only by the occasional highway. Daniel was realizing just how futile it would be to keep track of his position went when he heard a fierce whisper at the door.
"Daniel, where are you?"
"Bohdi?" He slipped the door open a crack to see that it was indeed the pale hulk. A second later the others had gathered behind him and Daniel let them in. "What are you guys doing here?"
"This is a team, remember?" Caitlin said pointedly.
"Did any of you guys tell Valentine what we're doing?" Daniel persisted.
"She's smart, she'll figure out it was important then call us when she can," Bohdi assured him. "I wish I could say the same for what we're doing."
"How is this not smart? This'll take us to their base. We can end this now, or at least do a ton of damage."
Cliff looked at Daniel and made a thoughtful noise. Caitlin and Aki exchanged uncertain looks while Bohdi said nothing for a minute, then sighed. "Daniel?"
"Yes?"
Bohdi clapped a giant hand on his shoulder. "I wish I could make decisions the way you do."
Daniel studied Bohdi for a long moment. His lipless mouth was closed tight, as if from worry, and the lids of his tiny eyes were sagging, as if from fatigue. Probably wasn't dealing with the stress of Daniel's rash decision too well.
"Guys, you probably wanna see this," Aki interrupted as she peered out the window. The others crowded around it and without exception gasped at what they saw.
Sprawled out below them was a massive city. It was full of gleaming towers capped with silvery pyramids, while elsewhere were golden cylinders rising toward the sky, but most were only half-completed skeletons of the majestic buildings around them. In the skies above the strange city were other ships like theirs, and at that moment there came the unmistakable feelings of deceleration and descent.
"I don't believe it," Daniel whispered.
"Me either," Aki added. "There's no way this could be out here with nobody knowing."
"Maybe we can only see it because they're letting us in," Caitlin suggested.
"Their mistake," Cliff said quietly.
The city grew larger, and slowly crept to a stop in a neat row alongside others like itself. After a minute the five of them could hear the shuffling of feet and murmured voices coming toward them from the other side of the ship, then disappearing into the distance. Daniel slowly slid the door open a crack, then tiptoed out. The others followed him toward the boarding ramp, glancing around anxiously, but the only people they saw were disappearing through an arch at the edge of the landing strip.
"Stay out of sight," Daniel warned.
"We're not idiots, you know," Cliff huffed back.
"We ARE right in the middle of Proxordo's base," Caitlin said.
Aki turned to Daniel. "This was your idea, kid. What do we do now?"
"Find something that looks important, and break it," Daniel shrugged. He jogged toward the arch and peered through. The streets were full of people, all ages and ethnicities, some wearing suits that cost more than his tuition at Armstrong, some wearing nothing more than ratty loincloths. A line of Risen were gently herding them down the street.
"What do we, Bohdi?" Cliff asked, as if he hadn't heard Daniel.
"Since we're here, we might as well see what all the noise is about," the alien replied. He pulled out his communicator and just as Daniel was about to snatch it from his hand in alarm Bohdi pressed a button and vanished. In his place was a broad-shouldered black man with no hair and a black suit on.
"What the…??" Daniel sputtered.
"I don't like being the center of attention," Bohdi said with a smile.
"What about the rest of us?" Daniel tried to warn them.
"Daniel, have you noticed how overconfident they are in Proxordo?" Bohdi said matter-of-factly. "The only ones who got a good look at you are a few Risen and a dead monster. Do you think any of them bothered to make a record of your face, in case you got away?" Without waiting for a reply he stepped into the street and joined the procession. Bohdi made a motion with one hand and the other Stellarmen spread out a little from one another as they joined the crowd. So as not to attract attention, Daniel guessed as he did the same. Was that the same Bohdi who'd panicked in the depths of the ship the last time they'd faced Proxordo?
Why did we sneak in if we're going to join the stupid parade? Daniel thought. He stepped into the crowd, expecting a blow to the head any second. It didn't come. The Risen only shot him annoyed glares, he assumed for lagging behind. Maybe Thebes had put Bohdi in charge for a reason after all.
"Hey," a young woman nudged Daniel and smiled. "What's the matter?"
"Not sure this is for real," he said.
She smiled even wider. "I know, it's like we're in a movie or something. But if they can build this city, maybe they can save the world."
Wonder if you've seen the same side of them I have, Daniel thought. They entered a massive square, dominated by a high stone pedestal that looked like it should've supported a statue. Suddenly there was a flash atop the pedestal and standing on it was a man standing a good fifteen feet tall, his face hidden behind a golden visor.
Amro Vayon.
"Welcome!" he called in a booming voice. If indeed it was him. Peering harder at the towering figure they could see he was just barely transparent. "Welcome, all of you, to Haven, home of the new order!
"I apologize for the week between contact and allowing you entrance, but I had to be sure your conviction was strong enough to withstand it. Our cause is not for the impatient, the quitters, and those looking for a new thrill. The problems facing the world are real. Deadly real, but, if you have the will to seize control of humankind's fate, I can provide the power to do it."
"I'm ready to take charge!" a man's voice rang up from just below the pedestal. Vayon let out a great, bellowing laugh.
"Then you shall be the latest!" Vayon's image pointed his staff at the speaker and there was an eruption of golden particles. When they cleared, he stood up, his skin a dull metal sheen. A Risen.
"This is…amazing!" he declared, opening and closing his powerful new hands. People all throughout the crowd murmured excitedly.
"Any whose heart is truly set on the salvation of our world may share in this power!" Vayon declared. A scattered cheer went up. "Know this, though," he said, his voice grave, "Among you are intruders who snuck into our city unbidden, hoping to achieve who knows what."
A dry breeze blew through the square, quiet yet deafening.
Daniel's blood ran cold. This would be a day to remember.
If they lived to remember.
