Hi all, okay another update. I must admit sometimes I love having no internet, besides getting to do things with family it gives you a chance to just do things. Please R&R Peace :)
Ch 16 A New Mission.
Leo watched as the four bright lights shot out at him opening the gateway to Earth's landing bay. He carefully maneuvered the Futtokuran fighter ship down the brightly lit tunnel and within moments, was docked inside. He looked across the way and huffed as he saw Raphael and Casey make their way toward him.
"Ah crud," He muttered as he opened the cockpit shield, removed his helmet and black ninja mask then got himself out of the aircraft.
"The admiral is waiting to speak with you in his ready room captain," Raph told him curtly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Leo said ruefully as he followed them to the ready room where the large gator sat in a high back chair with a clear look of annoyance on his face.
"Well Captain," Leatherhead leaned forward and glared at him, "I'm waiting for an explanation…." Leo fidgeted nervously under his heated gaze, "And it had better be a good one."
Leo took the seat across from him and for the next several minutes, filled the admiral in on all that he had discovered since boarding the Futtokuran space ship but decided not to include information regarding Stockman.
Leatherhead narrowed his eyes as he listened intently to everything Leo had told him, after the turtle was done; Leatherhead pressed the button on his collar, "Mr. Slash, please have President Splinter come to my ready room as soon as possible," He requested then looked at Leo, "Prior to your return, captain, the video link in the observance room saw what happened aboard the Futtokuran ship's hangar bay," He stood and leaned heavily on his desk as he glared down at the small turtle, "You should consider yourself lucky if the Futtokurans do not decide to start a war with us," He growled, "And you should have consulted with me or at least one of my officers before doing something so rash and foolhardy," He nodded to Raph and Casey as he spoke.
"But Admiral, I didn't want to get others involved till I was certain," Leo stated.
"You chose to get my brothers involved," Raph stated angrily, "Did you not think what might happen to them if your information was wrong."
"They chose to help me," Leo told him sternly, "And it wasn't like they were directly involved with anything."
Raph started to open his mouth but Leatherhead quickly cut him off, "I understand what you're saying, Leonardo," Leatherhead told him, "But you must understand that our relationship with the Futtokuran planet is a very delicate one."
Leo looked away pensively, "That's something I don't understand," Leo muttered, "Why would the Futtokurans help the Kraang if they just signed an alliance treaty with Earth?"
Before Leatherhead could give him an explanation, Splinter walked in followed by Slash, "Because King Saki is one not to be trusted," He stated adamantly, "You see Leonardo; it was the planet Futtokuran where many of the Earthlings were sent to by the Utroms all those years ago and since it was one of King Saki's ancestors who were allies with the Utroms, they basically took control of the planet. After a time, The Orokus wanted to return to Earth but they felt mutants were a disease that needed to be eradicated and have been trying to do so for the last fifty years. King Saki recently took control after his father, Oroku Keiji, finally passed away and at first it seemed Saki was genuinely interested in making an alliance with us but…."
"But you were skeptical," Leo noted.
Splinter looked to where Raph was leaning heavily against the wall with downcast eyes and nodded in contemplation, "Very," He responded, "And although I still had my doubts about their sincerity toward an alliance with us, I had hoped my misgivings were wrong, but apparently…." He sighed dejectedly then turned to Leatherhead, "Mr. Slash advised me it was urgent I speak with you," He stated, "What is happening Admiral?"
Leatherhead quickly filled Splinter in on what Leo had told him, "Are you certain, Leonardo, there was a Kraang Communications Orb on board the ship?" Splinter asked as he stroked his long beard.
"Positive Mr. President," Leo assured him, "And unless I miss my guess," Leo said as he tapped his chin in contemplation, "If the Futtokuran's were sending some sort of signal to the Kraang, Earth could be in great danger."
"You say you sent the information to Donatello?" Leo nodded at Splinter's question, "Then come, we need to speak with him immediately."
Along with Raph, Casey, Leatherhead and Slash, the group of six made their way to Donatello's quarters, "He's expecting us sir," Raph told him.
"Very good," Splinter responded, "Let us hope he has figured out what was being transmitted."
"And let's hope it has nothing to do with any kind of invasion," Slash muttered worriedly.
The group made it to Donnie's quarters within minutes and was greeted by a very agitated Michelangelo, "You are never gonna believe what Donnie has found out about the transmission!" Mikey yelled out as he practically chewed on his fingers apprehensively.
"Calm down Mikey, it's going to be okay," Donnie told him then turned to Splinter with a more serious look, "Obviously, what I found out is not a good thing," He told them as they walked further into his room.
The group walked over to a large table filled with papers showing schematics and formulas. Donnie sat down and began pressing buttons on the desk and all eyes watched as his transparent screen came up and a long wavy line could be seen fluctuating along a grid, "It took some doing but I was finally able to decipher the code and," He pressed another button and everyone startled upon seeing the wavelength change to a clock counting down. Donnie turned to everyone with a very grim look, "The signal from the Futtokuran ship was a countdown and according to this, we have less than three hours before the Kraang attempt another invasion of our world!"
"Well, that's no big deal," Casey said smugly, "After all; the earth is surrounded by an impenetrable force field that the Kraang would never be able to get through!" Casey looked from one face to the other, "Can they?"
"How does the force field work?" Leo asked.
"Just after the first war with the Kraang, The Utroms set up several towers in various parts of the world," Donnie explained, "Just like the power cell keeps the compounds functioning, there's a power cell hidden in an underground tunnel station that keep the towers transmitting the force field," He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "As long as the power cell keeps functioning the towers will keep transmitting even if one tower happens to go down.
"So what you're saying is as long the power cell is active the force field around the Earth continues?" Raph reiterated.
"Correct," Donnie responded.
"But what if more than one tower goes down at the same time?" Leo asked.
"That is always a possibility," Splinter stated, "But there are several towers and to have each one go down before someone notices would be next to impossible, whether they go down at the same time or separately."
"Yeah, security would be on that before you could say 'Force Field Activate!'" Mikey stated proudly.
Leo chuckled, "So if there are several towers powered by one power cell," Leo rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Than the only way to have the all the towers go down at the same time before someone could fix it would be to destroy the power cell."
"Or the control station," Mikey stated.
"Also not possible," Leatherhead stated, "The control station and power cell is well hidden to where The Kraang could never get to it."
"And just where is this underground tunnel?" Leo asked.
"Deep beneath the city once known as New York," Raph told him, "And unless someone actually tells The Kraang exactly how to get to it," He glared at Leo, "There's absolutely no way they should be able to find it since it's covered by a lead casing."
"And that's the other part of the bad news I have to tell you," Donnie said hesitantly.
"What do you mean Donatello?" Splinter asked.
Donnie again pointed to his transparent screen, "The transmission is also showing a signal being broadcasted in that exact area and I'll bet anything it's giving the coordinates to where the power cell is."
"But how could someone have done that?" Casey demanded.
"Has the control to the force field always been there?" Leo asked.
Splinter stroked his long beard and nodded, "Always," He muttered.
"So anyone who knows it's there," Leo mused, "Could have gone there at some point and planted a broadcasting signal to show the Kraang where they needed to go."
"And if the Kraang are able to find it, they must be there within the next three hours to destroy the power cell or control station, drop the force field to allow Kraang Prime to invade," Leatherhead muttered than turned to Splinter, "Sir, we need to alert security and prepare our troops."
"While that's being done, someone should fly to the area right now and make sure the Kraang aren't already there," Leo said as the group started out of Donnie's room.
"Wait," Raphael stopped walking and looked at the others perplexed, "How could the Kraang already be on Earth?" He asked, "Besides the force field still being active as well as our pilots constantly patrolling around the Earth's perimeter, wouldn't we have detected their presence if they tried to get through it?"
Everyone looked toward Leo as a look of dawning crossed his face, "Not if they have a cloaking device," He muttered.
"A cloaking device?" Donnie looked at Leo worriedly.
"Why?" Mikey asked, "What would that do?"
"When I was abducted back in my Air Force days," Leo began, "I discovered they were attempting to create a cloaking device that would allow them not only to be invisible to Earth and other planets defensives but it would also keep their ships and signals from being detected by known Earth and other planets radar."
"If that's true," Donnie rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "The Kraang could have easily slipped in under our radar when…." He looked at the others with fear mounting in his eyes.
"When we opened the gate to allow the Futtokuran shuttlecraft to reenter Earth's Landing Bay," Leatherhead finished for him.
"We need to get going!" Casey suddenly cried out.
"Agreed Captain Jones," Splinter said then turned to Raphael, "Colonel, you and the captain get to your fighter jets and get to New York City," He ordered, "Contact us as soon as you arrive," He now turned to Slash, "Have Vice President Bishop meet us in the control room," He ordered as the large spiked turtle bowed his head and preceded to press a button on his collar.
"If the Kraang are here and have managed to get to the power cell, then someone should also be there in case the master controls get tampered with before we can stop them," Donnie stated, "I know how the control box works so I'll go and Mikey, I'll need your help too," He said as he turned to Mikey, "Get our weapons bro," He ordered, "We may need them to deal with any creatures that show up in the tunnels while were trying to fix it," He furrowed his eye ridges, "If it needs to be fixed of course."
"But my sons," Splinter looked at them nervously, "If the Kraang are there, it may be too dangerous for you," He looked at Leatherhead, "We should have Bishop contact the Utrom council and have them send in their troops to further aide us."
"There's no time for that father," Donnie pointed to the countdown, "We have less than three hours and it could take several for a message to get through and several more for them to get their troops here and the Kraang may already be on their way."
"Or they may already be here!" Mikey said nervously.
Splinter sighed heavily and clenched his fist and jaw; "Go then," He told them, "Take the Council's shuttlecraft and please," He looked at his two youngest with desperate eyes, "Be careful," He looked at Raph and Casey, "All of you, please be on your guard and come home."
"We'll be okay father," Raph assured as he and Casey started toward the hangar bay while Donnie and Mikey headed toward the instructing area.
"I'll take the Futtokuran's ship and go with them," Leo said as he started to follow Raph and Casey toward the hangar bay.
"You will stay here!" Leatherhead commanded him causing Leo to stop in his tracks, "You have caused enough trouble with the Futtokurans and if all this is some sort of misunderstanding, it's best if you aren't in the middle of it all."
Leo startled at Leatherhead's outburst, "But…..I may have just help to stop an invasion and now you want to bench me?"
"I do not understand your words Captain, but I am ordering you to stay here!" He yelled, "Do I make myself clear?"
Leo scowled at him and looked at Splinter, "Mr. President, please…."
"I believe it is for the best Leonardo," Splinter told him.
Leo looked from Splinter to Leatherhead in disbelief for several long seconds before narrowing his eyes at them, "I'm not part of this military," He stated defiantly, "And besides Bishop, I'm the only one who knows anything about the Kraang." With a determined step, he once again started toward the hangar bay.
"I gave you an order Captain!" Leatherhead shouted.
Leo turned back and glared at him, "To hell with your orders!" He yelled and continued on his way.
"Let him go Admiral," Splinter advised as Leatherhead was just about to take off after him, "He is correct after all, we do not have jurisdiction over him."
"And if he is wrong regarding the information with the Futtokurans and the Kraang?" Leatherhead asked.
They started toward the control room, "He knows what consequences may befall him if he is incorrect," Splinter told him, "And he is aware of the fact that nothing I or Vice President Bishop says will make a difference if the council determines that he is incorrect," Splinter stroked his long beard thoughtfully, "But something tells me….he is not."
Leonardo ran to the hangar bay and got to the Futtokuran ship just as Raph and Casey were getting into their own, "What are you doing here?" Raph demanded.
Leo glared at him, "What does it look like?" He replied sarcastically, "I'm helping."
Raph scowled, "Just remember who's in charge Captain," He told him as he placed his helmet over his head.
"You just remember who knows how to deal with the Kraang Colonel," Leo shot back as he too placed a helmet over his head.
Casey huffed and shook his head in exasperation, "Will you two just remember what we're fighting for and work together already!"
Just as Casey was about to place his helmet on, a young red haired girl came running over to his fighter, "Casey wait!"
"April?" Casey quickly jumped out of his fighter, "What are you doing here?"
"I just heard what's going on," She explained, "When I heard all the troops are being called to their fighters I had to come find you."
Leo watched as the two humans pressed their lips together in a deep kiss, "Please be careful," April told him with a fear in her eyes that reminded Leo of the look Lotus gave him as she watched him walk toward his shuttlecraft all those many years ago. He watched the two slowly separate, "And please come back to me," She called to him as he walked back to his fighter, April then looked over at Raph, "Good luck Raphael," She told him.
Raph nodded to her and Leo could see a deep anger stirring up beneath his green orbs as he watched Casey once again climb back into his fighter; "Is there something you want to discuss with me Captain?" Raph demanded of him.
"Let's just finish this mission and then we'll talk Colonel," Casey replied evasively.
Raph looked from Casey to Leo then nodded to the hangar bay workers who prepared the crafts for takeoff. Moments later, the clearance was given and the three fighters blasted off to open skies.
xxxxxxx
Please r&r, next chapter up soon!