SMSTSS 6: Blue Moon! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST, Avatar and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story; this chapter is a 1000-plus word edition.
Special Note: This story takes place shortly after the founding of the United Federation of Planets, circa Earth Year 2161 CE, but before the "deaths" of Akane Tendo and her children at the hands of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan version of an intelligence apparatus.
Part 11
Meanwhile, in high orbit…
"What do you mean my husband is not here?" said Princess R'maind'r of Tamaran (aka "Redfire"), from within the Greater Vega Star System. She was a trained warrior, but she was known as a socialite of sorts. She looked like a very tanned Ranko Tendo with an extra-long red-hair, and whose mother was a tyrant…on her best days.
"Princess, Will and his expedition are down on the planet below," said Colonel Samantha Carter (USAF), commander of the USS "George Hammond", a Daedalus-class starship that was in the employ of UN Spacy, but assigned to the American governmental agency Department of Homeworld Security. As far as the general public knew, Earth did not possess starships, a decision that was made to prevent mass-hysteria (although it has been difficult to maintain due to increase alien activity).
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"Your father and step-mother are trying to find them even as we speak."
"Good, because if anything harms my husband, I'll make a formal request my mother to send a fleet to deal with the crisis."
"That won't be necessary-"
"Ma'am, we got an incoming hail from 'Pandora'," said the communications officer. "It's from Commander Ranko Tendo."
"Patch it to my office," Carter said, as she heads to a nearby room for some privacy.
"Not without me, you're not!" Redfire said, as she followed a frustrated commander to her office…
"Talk to me," Carter said, as she brought up a visual link to the planet's surface.
"Sam, I have some good news and some bad news," Ranko said.
"Father, I'm telling mother that you've shun your natural role as a man-amongst-men," Redfire said.
"Um, you're back early, 'sparks'," Ranko said, as she broke out in a sweat. Any time her mother 'Blackfire' finds out that Ranko is in her female guise, the Tamaranian queen gets mad at her, beats her up, then uses sado-masochism to teach Ranko that being male is the proper guise for HER husband. It was the main reason why she only visits Blackfire on her birthdays and wedding anniversaries…
"Yes, because I have news for MY husband," Redfire said. "Now, where's William?"
"Yes, did you find Will and the others?" Sam asked.
"Usagi and I found only Will…sort of."
"What do you mean by THAT?" Redfire asked. "WHERE IS MY HUSBAND, FATHER?"
Ranko sighed.
"Sam, have a medical bay prepped and ready to go," Ranko said. "I'll explain more when we get up here, and use only authorized medical personnel for Will."
"I'll be ready shortly," Sam said. "Carter: out…"
Redfire grinds her teeth, knowing that the culprit of whatever happened to her husband will pay dearly.
Thirty minutes later…
"Alright, activate matter transportation sequence," Carter said, as she directed a lab tech to beam the arrival to the prepared medical bay.
When the process was over, Redfire freaked.
"A monster-!" Redfire said, as she gets ready to blast the creature with her natural bio-energy discharges.
"Redfire, don't!" Ranko said, as she spoke through the glass. "It's Will?"
"What?" Carter said in shock.
"Will?" Redfire said, as she powers down a bit. "No, Will-!"
"It's okay," Seren said, as she spoke through the glass.
"How is THIS okay?" Redfire yelled. "My husband is a monster!"
"We can reverse the process through a variety of means. In this particular case, we can clone up a new body for William, since we have a copy of his genetic template."
"Oh, I see…"
The Metzla drone turns towards Redfire.
"R'maind'r," the Metzla managed to say.
"Will," Redfire replied, as she placed her hands on the glass surface. "My dearest William…"
Pause.
"I told you what would happen if you get too curious for your own good, you weakling," Redfire said with a gentle smile. Redfire calls her husband 'weakling' as a term of endearment, not a put down.
"I…love you, too, hon."
"Ranma, I need to know what the hell happened to my people," Sam replied.
"Yes, you do, and it's something BIG," Ranko said.
While Redfire stayed with her husband Will Robinson, a debriefing was initiated, including documentation of what has happened.
"Unbelievable," Carter said, as she read the report. "So, according to Will, thanks to his link with the Metzla, these are the same invaders that attacked Los Angeles back in 2010."
"At least, the ship that remained behind to set up the jump point to Earth," Ranko said. "They didn't make the jump back to their homeworld, but, instead crashed on Pandora."
"Complicating matters is the fact that the Metzla cruiser is self-repairing itself," Seren said. "Furthermore, the Metzla are swiping brains to fuel their war-machine, including the inhabitants. It'll be only a matter of time before that ship is fully operational. After that, who knows?"
"What are resources like to address this?" Ranko said.
"I can call upon the assistance of the Twelve Colonies, that's for sure," Carter said, referring to the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, who originally fled to that part of the galaxy from a machine race known as "The Cylons". Since then, the Twelve Colonies have found a home in Alpha Centauri Prime, on one of the planets that they have named "New Kobol"…
"And I can certainly get back up from Osiris and Hathor," Ranko said. "What about UN Spacy?"
"Considering the fact that we're still cleaning up from our skirmishes with the Zentraedi, our resources are stretched," Sam said. "But I can call upon the Atlantis Expedition for back from the fleet there."
"Then we should get started," Seren said. "While you get things prepped up here, we have to organize the resistance down there."
"You think the natives will be up to the task to hold things off before we're ready up to?" Sam said.
"We have a plan," Ranko said. "All we have to do is implement it-"
"And I'm going to help, Father," Redfire said, as she enters the briefing room.
"You sure?"
"I am. I'll make the Metzla pay for what they did."
"Then, that's settled then," Sam said. "Keep me in contact as often as possible, guys."
"Hey, not a problem, Sam," Seren said with a broad smile. "As long as we know what we are doing, we'll be fine."
"IF we know what we are doing," Ranko said with a smirk…
Later, back on the planet…
"This plan of yours is fraught with danger, little sisters," said Chief Otakhana said, as he, Ranko, Seren, Redfire and a hunting band finished climbing the peak of the Floating Mountains.
"Father, what are we doing up here?" Redfire said impatiently. Being part Tamaranian, she didn't need to worry about the atmospheric conditions of the planet.
"While we are 'sight-seeing', my husband is suffering, and the culprits are getting away with it!"
"We need help from all the tribes around us," Seren said
"And in order to do that, we need to do an impressive feat," Ranko said. She then turns towards Otakhana.
"You're sure that the 'Last Shadow' has a nest here-"
"SKREEEE!" said a large, reddish-orange pterodactyl-like winged creature flies overhead.
"To answer your question: yes," Otakhana said. "Many brave warriors have died trying to tame that creature."
"Then, we'll be the first…sort of," Ranko said. She then turns towards Seren.
"Ready?"
"Ready," Seren said, as she closes her eyes. She accesses her shape-shifting skills and genetic memory to change into her na'vi form.
"Augh!" Usagi-Na'vi said, as she grew taller and stronger. Her hair was white, her skin was blue, and she had cat-like/lemur features.
"You are a true representation of Eywa's will, Moon Princess," Otakhana bowed.
"Think nothing of it, Chief," Usagi-Na'vi said.
"And you changed forms because…?" Redfire asked.
"In order to tame the creature we need, Usagi has to establish a mental link with it, by way of the Na'vi's braids," Ranko said. She then sees the passing Last Shadow (called a "Toruk" by the natives).
"Usagi, get ready," Ranko said, as she raised he hand.
"Okay," Usagi-Na'vi said, as she recalled how Jake Scully managed to tame a Toruk, during the Na'vi's time of need…
"Go!"
"Geronimo!" Usagi-Na'vi yelled, as she leaped into the abyss. "Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!"
Tbc.
