Chapter 28
Today was Saturday, and the previous week had been miserable for Danny. All he had heard all week was speculation about him and Sam doing what they had agreed not to do until after they got married. The fact that everyone and his brother knew about the "Phantom Family" really wasn't helping matters any. Many wild theories were flying around the town and, it seemed, the entire country about why his appearance was changing. Some of the theories were so bizarre and perverted that Danny shivered just thinking about them. The theories about Sam and Danielle's origins were equally interesting. There were only three good things about the past week in his opinion.
The first was the fact that Danielle was now living with him. He did have to reprimand her a couple times, but the both of them knew that he loved her. His Mom and Dad were having fun spoiling their granddaughter, and Danny had to growl at them a few times when he thought that they were going overboard. He did almost murder Skulker when he slinked out of the Ghost Zone and tried to hunt Danielle. The media got an eyeful from that little encounter about how powerful the town hero really was. Danny destroyed Skulker's suit and almost lit the fearful little Skulker on fire. Sam showed up late to the fight, and Danny actually had to protect him against her wrath.
The second was that the Guys in White were starting to be questioned on their theories, ethics, and methods. Videos were mysteriously released to the public of them ripping apart the ghost of the President's grandmother, destroying all manner of public property to capture Danny Phantom, vaporizing a ghost that was bleeding out on the ground by putting a stick of ecto-infused dynamite in his weakly pulsing core, and many more equally disturbing videos. They were know considered the villains by most of the people in the US, and there was talk of them being disbanded and the anti-ecto laws being rescinded.
The third good thing was also a bad thing; Vlad had been missing since Tuesday. Now the good part about it was the fact that he was not in the area to mess around with Danny and his family. The bad part was that he was somewhere plotting some revenge scheme or something. Vlad seemed to have been really out of it the last time Danny saw him. When talking about it with Sam, she had said that he seemed to be really fixated on gaining one of Danny's feathers in ghost form. When they asked Visio about it he just said to hope that he was wrong in what he thought.
Today though, Visio was taking Danny, Sam, and Danielle to the Halfa Meeting. He said that it took place once every five years, had a few leaders, and if any new halfas were found during those five years, they were presented before all of their kind then. To say Danny was frightened to go to this meeting was an understatement, and Sam had to smack him in the back of the head a few times when it leaked over their link a little too strongly.
Visio didn't tell them where they were heading, so it was a great surprise when they landed in front Tucker's church. Visio chuckled at their puzzled reactions and said, "Let me do the talking once we are inside, because, after all, I am one of the leaders."
All three of them just looked at each other and shrugged, and then they walked in and saw what appeared to be a hundred plus ghosts. Up front they saw a gathering of three ghosts and what appeared to be a human, except he had silver wolf ears and tail with white tips. His grey eyes also seemed too old for his fourteen-year-old body.
The female ghost who had a lightning-like T on her chest smirked at Visio and said, "Late again Nightshade, and you brought a couple guests this time." She pointed at the wolf-boy next to her, "You know that Jakob is the only non-halfa allowed at these meetings."
He smirked at her, "Tempestas, I am well aware of that fact, and Jakob is still the only non-halfa in the room."
The other two ghosts, who looked vaguely similar with their blue-green fiery hair, light armor, and grey cloaks, looked at the three newcomers in surprise. The one with a red visor over his eye spoke first, "You have to be kidding. Danny Phantom is a halfa. Why were we never notified?"
Danny spoke up before Visio could say anything, "Considering the only other halfas I knew about before a couple weeks ago were Danielle and Plasmius, I would say that my enemies didn't want you going after them for attacking me."
The cloaked halfa without the visor snarled at him, "Learn your place in this meeting young one. I am the first-born halfa Malbenita, brother of Pariah Dark, and the leader of our race. Do not speak out of turn."
Dannielle and Danny's hands started glowing and Sam's vines started twisting in the air and the ground shook a little from her powers. She snarled right back at Malbenita, "Don't talk to him like that."
Visor-ghost spoke up again in defense of his "twin," "Why not?"
Visio decided to butt in before things could get violent, "Everyone calm down." Once all the leaders and Phantoms were looking at him he continued, "Danny just so happens to be an angel halfa and the Prince of the Ghost Zone. It would not go well for you if you decided to fight him, especially since he defeated all our relatives and has no control over some of his more recently acquired and supercharged powers."
The woman Visio had called Tempestas spoke up in a very deadpan monotone, "You are all forgetting what the purpose of this meeting is. It isn't the chance to determine our pecking order. You of all people should be aware of this Ectospawn."
Visor-ghost, now Ectospawn, frowned and looked away from everyone at the meeting. Some halfa in the "audience," who looked suspiciously like Ember, yelled out, "What is the purpose of this meeting again?"
Jakob spoke up, "To ensure peace between ourselves and to make sure that each halfa is given an equal chance of survival in a world that is against all things 'non-human.'"
Visio said jokingly, "Says you, Jakob Lawrence, the only non-halfa at this meeting."
Jakob smirked at him, "I am still two-hundred years older than you, and I am pretty sure that I can still kick your butt."
Visio laughed, "Touché."
Dannielle's eyes widened in surprise, "You are three-hundred years old!"
Jakob smirked, "I will tell you three more about myself after the meeting, which needs to get started. I will open in the customary Prayer to our Heavenly Father. Now please everyone bow your heads. Dear Lord…"
-DP-
The people on board the Ghost scrambled to their stations. Galen sat up front and helped Hera pilot the spaceship. Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb all went to the various guns on the ship, and Chopper went to his place at the terminal in the cockpit. They had just finished a raid on a group of fuel freighters. When they were about to head back to base a destroyer showed up, and intercepted them. Galen could feel the darkness on board that ship, and he knew that they were dealing with Vader's personal Star Destroyer.
They managed to shoot down about ten TIE Fighters when a strange pink light seemed to come out of the Fighter Bay. All three Jedi sensed through the Force that it was a person, but the thing that worried them was the fact that, even though its feelings were as dark as the Emperor's, it wasn't a force wielder and their danger sense was going crazy.
All three Force wielders said at the same time, "Hera, we need to get out of here, now!"
She grumbled as she engaged the Hyperdrive, but before they left, their holo-camera took a picture of the creature moving towards them. When asked about it at a later meeting Galen would tell them, "Though I have no clue what that thing is supposed to be, I do know this. Vader and the Emperor have gained a very powerful Ally, one which we should take great pains to avoid."
