Green Star Chapter 4, Terra Cyclonis, a storm hawks fanfic

"Green Star"
Ch. 4-- Terra Cyclonis

Quick note: I want to apologize for taking three weeks to post a new chapter. Worst month of my life, ever. Deep thanks to everyone who's named the story in favorites --it really did a lot to keep me going. Didn't intend this to be a cliffhanger, but I promise it won't take as long to get Chapter 5 up here.

"…I have a lot of questions, but I don't know if I should ask any of them."

Piper had waited until they were both safely on the bridge of the Condor and well underway for Terra Cyclonis before she spoke; even now she wasn't sure she shouldn't just hush. But Stork didn't hesitate.

"Ask anything."

"Um--" she hadn't expected that. "--you mean it?"

He glanced up from the scope. "After the terrible ordeal you just passed through for me, it's the least I can do."

(Wasn't that bad…) "Fair enough." She leaned on her console and watched him. "OK, simplest one first. Why did everyone at the ceremony treat you like that?"

Judging by the pressure behind his exasperated sigh, that was one he didn't mind answering. "Because Merbs are supposed to stay in their caves, clinging to the past. Merbs…" he pressed his palms to the ship's control bar, slowly closed the fingers tight---"Merbs are not supposed to fly."

To fly…she could hardly imagine what it meant to a cave dweller. Piper felt a rush of affectionate pride: he was so... brave, really; so stubbornly determined to use his fears and go beyond them.

"--I'll just bet you aren't. Did you always want to?" She could just see tiny Stork --aw, too cute--on some rare trip to the surface, staring aloft in awe.

"As far back as I can remember." He checked the scope again, frowned at still not seeing Aerrow and the others ahead. "I was terrified--of course, I was terrified--but…I knew there was no other way to get what I wanted."

There was a hard undertone in his voice that she hadn't expected: more than a dream of independence and freedom, it was grim determination to reach a goal. She was suddenly, awfully sure that was connected to her next question.

Deep breath. "So…what did happen to your family?"

Long silence, so long she thought he wouldn't answer. "My family…was all killed in a single night. Along with the whole population of Verdevale."

Piper flinched: she knew he wasn't going to say it'd been an earthquake.

"An enemy…" Stork's gaze stayed straight ahead, tightly controlled. "…a dark, powerful enemy…one that wanted our mine."

"Not-- the Cyclonians?"

"Yes, the Cyclonians." The word trailed off into a hiss. "The Merbs refused to surrender the mine, and paid with their lives. Every one…almost."

Every one...

"…except… you."

"I was three," said Stork much too softly. "It was easy for me to hide."

She could see it all, with terrible clarity. The Talons' arrival, the demand, Verdevale's defiance, the ultimatum, the massacre…the tiny Stork she'd imagined before, huddled in a corner while this horror went on outside…Piper covered her eyes.

"Stork…I shouldn't have asked. I'm so sorry."

"I said you could ask me anything, Piper." The big eyes met hers, unexpectedly gentle and serious. "I trust you."

He trusted her. Stork, who'd survived such a nightmare, who seemed to trust nothing on Atmos but the Condor and the cruelty of fate. She wanted to hug him, but she pushed back the impulse; it might seem like pity, and he'd hate that. With an effort she caught her breath.

"…I'm still sorry I asked. It must be hard to remember."

"Ohh, I've always meant to tell you all eventually." Little knife-edge of a smile. "Besides…I don't dream about it nearly as often as I used to…not since Aerrow gave me this chance to hunt them." Another peer forward. "Ah. There they are."

She wondered if Aerrow knew that was what he'd done.

"--One more question?"

"Of course…"

"Well…the Cyclonians...if they did that, why didn't they get the mine?"

The Merb's grin was downright sharklike. "We blew it up."

"What?!"

"Heh...they gave the village a deadline, and when they returned--no mine. I imagine that's why their revenge was so drastic…" he tapped the radio button. "Condor to Aerrow."

"Aerrow to Condor. Glad to have you back there, Stork. We've got visual on Ravess."

The sharklike grin stayed and got sharper; Stork leaned forward over the controls. "This is the last time you steal from me, " he said quietly.

"Please repeat, Condor, didn't get that."

"Nothing. Condor out."

No other way to get what I wanted… Piper bit her lip. Revenge.

"So, this is the Great Star…" The Cyclonian princess balanced the staff in her hands, admiring the blazing green crystal. Its alien fire danced eerily on the craggy walls of the cavernous throne room, throwing deep shadows and brilliant lights. Cyclonis held her palm over the stone, savoring the warmth and power. "Perhaps you deserve more assignments without your brother, Ravess. Things seem to have gone smoothly with you in sole command."

Deep breath. "Not entirely smoothly, Highness, but it may play to our advantage." She swiftly described the unexpected battle. "The brats are doubtless on their way."

Cyclonis tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the polished metal. "Yes, they do have a Merb in their squadron, don't they? …We'll have to prepare a welcome." She turned away with a swirl of her dark cloak. "The Dark Ace is off dealing with the rebellion on Terra Zephyris, so I'll leave the first line of defense to you, Ravess. If they pass you, I'll see to them myself." Her smile was like a panther's purr. "Don't harm them too badly; I want a little fight left in them. I do get bored sometimes..."

Ravess felt like purring herself: the successful mission had decidedly raised her Master's opinion of her. If she was able to deliver the Storm Hawks, who knew what favors Cyclonis might grant…perhaps even personal ones…

All right. We'll batter them a little, then offer them as toys to Her Darkness. It could put her in a very…interesting…mood.

There was no point in stealth, they agreed, since Ravess would certainly have raised the alarm, and anything from the Dark Ace and the Talon Elite to a wing of airship destroyers should be waiting at the front gate to greet them. Might as well just sail brazenly up to the door and barge in. Aerrow sent Junko and Finn back to the Condor to man the gun turrets, leaving himself out front as point guard and first assault. Just like him, thought Piper…

Finn, at his station, grinned. "Gonna break our leader's heart if his date's not there to dance with him."

"Him and Dark Ace? Y'think?" Piper rolled her eyes. "Oh wait, they're rivals. UH-huh."

Finn snickered. "Ri-ight. He's practically got the guy's picture pasted on his control panel." (Junko blushed; they all pretended not to notice.) "I've heard of love-hate relationships, but c'mon--"

"--excuse me? Incoming?!" Stork threw the Condor into an evasive maneuver as a red bolt blazed past the bridge. Gossip time was apparently over: a phalanx of Talon fliers was bearing down in tight formation. Piper hunched tensely over her navigation console.

"Azimuth 45 degrees, elevation--nope, I don't see Dark Ace--"

"Awww."

"--just Snipe and the Bluster Talons--"

"Hah." Finn cracked his knuckles, grin turning wicked. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's rock."

The Condor plunged through the Talon phalanx, shuddering with the simultaneous vibrations of her own guns and the hits she sustained from the Cyclonian fliers. Stork twisted the ship from side to side, up, down, piloting with jaw-clenched body language as they battled forward. Piper, fighting to keep balance as the old ship rocketed along, began to pick up her comrades' crazy exhilaration--Finn and Junko whooping and yahooing as they landed a telling shot, Stork totally at one with his ship, flying in the Zone--and in this heightened mood she was suddenly sure of something:

"They're letting us through."

"Say what?" Finn twisted to look back at her.

"They're not really trying to stop us, just shake us up. There's something worse ahead, got to be."

"I did kinda think they weren't aiming very well," remarked Junko, "even for these guys--"

"Something worse?!" Stork gave a slightly mad laugh, eye twitching. "Bring it."

On cue, Aerrow's voice came over the speaker. "Nice work, team, we're through. Going in now."

Stork gunned the Condor, and they roared after their leader.

The yawning black chasms of Cyclonia were no less awesome the second time you saw them, towering cliffs and bottomless canyons, an endless, dark metropolis. Stork chose a crag to suspend the Condor from, swinging over a ravine that made the Black Gorge look like a puddle, and they deployed, all five. Aerrow was surprised to see Stork climb onto Piper's scooter, determinedly gripping the staff she'd been combat-training him with: that crystal must be priceless to the Merbs for Stork to take such a risk. Piper noticed the staff and frowned, hoping he wouldn't have to fight with it. It was sturdy enough, but it was only loaded with a chunk of that harmless blue crystal she'd mined on the snow terra. She'd named them flash crystals, since their only apparent ability was generating a burst of bright light. No weapons potential, but nice to have if the power went out, and at least they'd be useful for cave exploring...

"Now, for once, stick to the plan." Holding a chip of flash crystal, Piper studied her hastily sketched map. "We've been here before, the layout can't have changed much. She'll probably have it in that big throne room where the Storm Engine was. These are all natural passages, but as soon as we hit one that's obviously been used we should follow it---are you guys even listening to me?"

"Actually," said Aerrow, reaching back over his shoulder, "I was kinda listening to the violin."

"Something worse…" whispered Stork.

With an echoing roar that drowned out the music, a flight of Talons blazed down the tunnel toward them. Radarr took the controls of Aerrow's skimmer as he leapt up to face the attack, blades glowing.

"The Mistress wants you to play with," called Ravess mockingly, drawing her bow, "so my orders are not to beat you too badly, Storm Hawks." With lightning speed she loosed a flight of arrows. Radarr tried to evade, but one struck the skimmer, rocking it sideways, as Aerrow batted off the rest. Finn picked off a Talon guard who didn't even have time to crack his parachute before thumping into a rock ledge.

Aerrow nudged Radarr to maneuver closer, bracing for a leap. "Where's the staff, Ravess? With Cyclonis?"

"Yes, and she's very pleased with it. Its power was wasted on those cave lizards."

Piper heard Stork snarl softly, gritted her teeth and concentrated on outrunning the hunt. It was dark, unpredictable flight space, widening and narrowing unexpectedly, jagged and treacherous crystal outcroppings everywhere--there had to be a way to lose them in this maze--

Out of nowhere a Talon dove from overhead and roared towards her.

Clash and blaze of blue light from far back as Aerrow went hand-to-hand with Ravess-- Piper gunned the scooter as the Talon closed in, drawing back his blade--

--Stork caught her around the waist, leaned back and swung the staff hard, and there was a dazzling glare of clear light, so bright she half-squeezed her eyes shut and flew on pure luck for a second. The blinded Talon yowled and veered out of control, plowing into the cave wall. The flash crystal did that?!--she tossed a quick glance over her shoulder to see Stork staring at the energy staff as if it had turned into a dragon, and grinned.

"Fast thinking there."

"It, ah, it never looked that bright on the bridge--"

"It wasn't. Maybe it adjusts to ambient light levels. We'll have to check it out later."

Piper peered into the darkness, still a little amused. Stork didn't seem inclined to let go of her, which was actually kinda--

With no warning an energy bolt blazed up from the cavern floor, slamming into the underside of the scooter. Oh no--should'n't've counted that guy out so easily--Piper fought to steady her ride, but a second bolt tore the controls out of her hands, and two more Talons closed in as they plunged. No--

Something hit the back of her head, and everything went black.

--so dark--for a moment Piper wasn't sure she was conscious.

She could feel the rough rock surface under her, half-sat up, glad to have a bank of large boulders for cover. She found the flash crystal chip and used its light for a cautious look around, holding it low, mind racing. Was anyone hurt? Where were the guys? Where was Stork?

Something bright caught her eye and she moved toward it, keeping low, then froze. Silver metal, gleaming in the light.

She inched closer, holding up her little light. A small, silver hoop, pinned to the rock by a crystal-tipped arrow, hanging on the steel shaft. An-- Piper started to shake --an earring--

--streaked with blood---

--only Ravess could have landed such an amazing shot--

--where was Stork?

Her heart filled with a fury like nothing she'd ever felt before. If that flying harpy has hurt him--or---

She had to find him, now. She pushed aside caution and climbed to the top of the boulder, raising the little crystal high to look around. Instantly an arrow whizzed past her head, and she dove back under cover, but not before a second followed it, tearing through her shoulder from behind. She gasped in pain, trying to keep silent --the crystal darts were steel sharp and hot, some kind of blazers--

"Shouldn't have given away your location, silly girl!"

Ravess. The pain was nothing next to the clenched fist of fear and anger gripping her heart.

Piper pressed herself down into the rocks, thinking faster than she ever had in her life.