"A few hours til our deaths." Bova said casually, moving a globe. The last few days had been tense. Very tense.
"I can't believe I don't get to go with you." Harlan pouted, leaning back into the circular couch.
"Don't whine, Harlan." Cat snapped. She nervously pulled her spectrum of hair back into a little ponytail. She wasn't certain that she could help much either, but she had to try. Suzee had been working nonstop on a means of closing the dimensional rift. "You get to go on all the away missions; give somebody else a turn!"
"I just don't understand."
Rosie looked up. She almost hadn't heard Radu's soft comment.
"What don't you understand, Radu?" She tilted her head in concern. Radu looked up and licked his lips.
"I hate fighting. I hate hurting people. How come you like it so much, Harlan?"
Harlan looked at the boy in surprise.
"It's aweful when people are hurting. I'd rather die myself than see people hurt."
"You realise, Radu," Catalina pointed out softly. "That Elmira expects you to fight the Geks."
"That's different."
"How's that?" Harlan did not know what to make of this. Radu so seldom shared things like this with them, him particularly.
"Th-they... they are a horrible race. They eat infants. They enslave their own and have ritualistic raping ceremonies for good luck. They're perverse and twisted. They'd make us like them if they could." Radu sighed and shook his head. "I don't know if I could ever bring myself to hurt someone, but if I can, the Geks would be it."
Rosie came over and hugged Radu.
"Do you ever know how to fight?" Harlan challenged.
"Of course. The Elders taught me when I was nine."
"I hope that will be enough." Catalina said suddenly. "The Geks sound tough."
"Yeah," Bova echoed her sentiment.
"Ellie has a plan, I think. She hasn't told me what's going to happen though."
"Well, it better be good, or we're Spung fodder." Bova muttered.
"Put her in a synchronious orbit with the planet." Commander Goddard said. Davenport looked apprehensively at him. She had serious misgivings about letting the children go to fight what would be, in essence, a little war. They weren't ready for this mentally, she felt, even if they were very powerful.
"Catalina, Rosie, Bova... Radu." She nodded to each in turn. "I want you to all be very careful. Commander Goddard and I will be waiting here with medical supplies prepared just in case."
"Don't go getting killed." Harlan said good-naturedly. He was quite nervous inside, however. He didn't want any of his friends to die. Not even Radu.
"You wouldn't be so lucky." Cat replied, grabbing her pack and climbing up to get into the jump tubes.
Bova pulled Rosie aside while Catalina and Harlan bickered.
"Since we're all probably going to die... I'm sorry." he said softly.
"For what?"
Bova gave her a sceptical look. "For that fight we had a few days ago. I didn't mean to imply that you were shallow. I meant... oh, it doesn't matter. It wasn't meant for you."
Rosie smiled. She gave him a hug.
"Thanks, Bova. That means alot."
"Alright you guys, that's cozy enough." Harlan laughed. Catalina smacked his arm.
"Not now, Harlan." she said tersely.
"Everyone ready to go?" Goddard asked surveying their faces. The kids nodded. "Then let's get you settled in the Starlings."
About an hour later, Starling 8 and 9 set down on the soft, grassy surface of the planet Namek. Catalina helped pull Bova out of the shuttle as Radu contacted Elmira.
Rosie strode over to the Starling 8. "What do you think Elmira has planned?"
"Something devious and mean." Bova grinned suddenly. "This might actually be fun!"
Catalina rolled her eyes and glanced over at the Starling 9, where Radu was still seated. His eyes were glowing a bit, but not as much as before.
"Look!" Rosie exclaimed. "The sky is purple. It's so pretty. Like cotton candy."
"Yeah," Bova said, thinking of the scattering of the visible light spectrum through the atmosphere. "It is."
"Elmira says that we should rendez-vous with her on the other side of that forest." Radu said, pointing.
"Well, that's not far," Catalina said. "Let's go."
"What if they see us?" Bova looked around furtively.
"Who?"
"The Geks. You know, the ones that want to kill us?" Bova arched a brow at her.
"Oh, um...hide?" Cat shrugged.
Bova groaned.
"They won't see us. We're being shielded from their sight." Radu pointed out. He began to tie back his hair. It got to be such a mess outdoors.
"By who?" Bova asked.
"By whom." Rosie corrected.
"Whatever." Bova rolled his eyes.
"By...me." Radu answered softly.
Bova rolled his eyes again at this revelation and threw his hands up.
"Well, um, thanks...Radu." Catalina looked around. "Let's go."
"I though that you would never arrive." Elmira said. She walked over and embraced Radu, who returned the sentiment. Her mass of red hair fell like a crimson wave across her face, giving the woman a look of grim determination. She wore a simple bluegrey shirt and black pants. It was a change from how the children were accustomed to seeing her, but somehow even in common clothing Elmira looked regal.
"We have much to do." she said resolutely. "How are thinks comming with Suzee?"
"She says that they're using a machine to keep the dimensional rift open." Catalina answered. "She can shut it down remotely."
"Good. No sense in putting her in any more jeopardy than necessary." Elmira turned to Radu. "How does your energy level feel?"
"Fine. No one noticed us on the way over here." Radu motioned to the cavernous surroundings.
Elmira nodded, playing with his mane. "Well, we should get down to business. What we need to do is to trick the Geks into making a head-on attack at me and Radu."
"You could stick your tongue out at them and yell neener-neener." Bova suggested. Elmira smirked.
"Catalina, you're going to have to be on your toes. You'll have to give Suzee the signal at just the right moment. We don't want the Geks to know that we're up to anything."
Catalina nodded. "Rosie, Bova, and I harry them from both sides?"
"Yes." Elmira agreed.
"Oh, well, it's a good day to die." Bova muttered. Elmira cocked her head.
"We're going to make the Geks think that there are thousands of you." She began to draw on the floor with a long tapered finger. Bova looked dubious.
"Yeah." Radu concurred, smiling softly. "Th- they'll never know what hit them."
A wry expression crossed Catalina's face.
Bova crouched in the foliage beside the Gek campsite. They almost looked like Earthers, Bova thought. With their broad, sloping foreheads and bulbous noses and scraggy facial hair. He wondered what the females looked like. Then decided that they probably looked the same.
He saw Rosie's pink heat signal shoot into the air.
"I hope Radu knows what he's doing." Bova grumbled, rising from his hiding place. He yelled as loud as he could.
The warrior Geks took stance for battle. Bova faintly heard Cat's sonic scream as he took off running.
"Aieeee!!" Catalina bellowed at the line of marching Geks. They fled and cupped their gnarled hands over their ears. She saw the commotion on the other side of the line as Rosie hotfooted several large soldiers, sending them blundering, weapons drawn, into their own men. Cat let another one loose.
"Do you hear them, Cat?" Suzee said jubulantly. "They think you're a banshee."
"Kewl." Catalina said, puffing. She was a little afraid she'd lose her voice before the plan was completed.
The Geks ran around in chaos, alternately making battle cries and crying out in despair.
"That's why they couldn't defeat us." Suzee scoffed. "Idiots. They have no real leader, so when something unexpected happens, they just go nuts."
"Isn't that how Andromedans do it?"
Suzee shrugged. "I don't know how they do it. No one does. From what I know, Andromedans just go. Just fight. Just adapt. And they do it together."
"Quite a collective." Catalina picked up a jog along the panicing line of Geks. "I suppose that's why they sent Radu to us. Their loss."
"Indeed." Suzee remarked. Cat sent out another piercing scream, and three or four Geks fell to the ground as their eardrums burst in a bloody pop.
"Ew." Suzee grimaced. She was very glad to be in her own dimension where everything was orderly and sterile.
"Did you see that, Suzee? That's the signal! Now! NOW!!"
Rosie and Bova ran to the rendez-vous point, trying not to be trampled by the grotesque warriors.
"Cat!" Rosie cried out. The Titainian came over to them.
"We're almost there. Suzee did it. They're all stampeding towards Radu and Elmira, but they won't be able to call on more troops."
"What's stopping them from fixing their machine and slaughtering our friends?" Bova asked. Cat shrugged.
"They're supposed to. I don't know what Elmira has planned, but she definitely wants the Geks to see the tail end of it."
"We're doomed." Bova sighed.
"Wow. Bova...Cat..." Rosie said in awe. "Look at that!"
An eerie blue light began to rise along the horizon. The three Rigelian-born warriors ran closer to see the unbelievable ongoing battle before them. Radu was attacking the Geks with a lithe, but complicated fighting style. Surprisingly enough, the blue light was eminating from his body. Every limb was alight with blue fire; his eyes burned even brighter in the glory of righteousness.
"Ra....Radu?" Bova gaped in shock at the sight he never thought that he would see. The boy's motions were like a graceful dance. There was no longer any inconfident tripping or fumbling. Only action and power.
"Where's Elmira?" Rosie asked. Catalina pointed at the sky, here eyes as wide as saucers.
"Grozit!!"
"A dragon!" Rosie exclaimed. The creature with shining scales and flaming quills was even more beautiful than the one from the Infocore. Bova shook his head.
"No, that's Elmira."
Elmira's fire accompanied Radu's as she flew above in an elegant aerial attack. The Geks really stood no chance against them, and as the sun turned into a melting coin against the darkening purple sky, all the demons fell and the dragon landed.
"This is the kewlest thing I've ever witnessed. Harlan is going to be so jealous." Catalina said pridefully as she approached Radu. He looked drained. And sad.
"All those lives." He said softly, then burst into tears. Elmira walked as softly as possible over to him. Rosie hugged him tightly, and Bova sat near.
"You did what you had to, Radu. Those monsters would have eagerly destroyed our world." Elmira told him.
"I know." He replied mornfully.
"How? What causes...? How'd you do that Elmira?!" Bova asked finally.
"All Spung can do this." She replied, though it was a little awkward to speak to a dragon on such familiar terms. "If their hearts are pure, and their cause is just."
"So, the evil Spung, that only crave power and wealth?" Catalina concluded.
"Cannot attain their ulitmate power. It's a shame really. We used to be such an honored race, but we've lost our way." she shook her elogated head. "Perhaps Emperor Dende and my brother can move things in a more productive direction."
"Hopefully." Catalina said dryly. Then turned her face to Suzee, who had just appeared. "What is it, Suzee?"
"You guys have got to get out of here." She said urgently. "The Geks have fixed their transdimensional machine and are on their way here now! I didn't have the time to recalibrate by remote control!"
"I hate to break it to you guys, but the Geks are on their way and Suzee's remote control isn't working!" Catalina told them.
"Did she call parts and services?" Bova quipped.
"Go, hide." Elmira said. "They'll be here momentarily. You shouldn't be in sight."
"But, Ellie-"
"You've done enough for one day, Radu. Take a break." Rosie encouraged as she, Bova, and Catalina tried to help him up.
"Radu, do you have any energy left?" Elmira asked. Radu looked up weakly and licked his lips.
"I- I think so." he flinched as Catalina forced him to lean back on a tree.
"Then put a shield up. Block out all sound and psychic energy."
Radu nodded and closed his eyes. A semi-sphere of translucent blue light appeared in Radu's hands, swelling and stretching until it created a bubble over the four children.
"Radu, stay still." Rosie order firmly. "You're hurt. I'll patch you up while Elmira's doing whatever she's going to do."
Radu grimaced as Rosie felt his bruised body for the worse injuries.
"You're next, Bova." she warned. Bova groaned, causing Catalina to giggle.
Then a spinning portal opened up and a dark mass proceeded to pour out.
"There they are." Suzee said grimly.
"What do you suppose she's going to do, Suzee?" Cat asked.
"Dunno. Look at them all!"
"She'll be okay." Radu muttered with certainty.
The Geks swarmed around the dragon. Then they stopped abruptly, surveying the carnage that the small army had left behind.
Elmira reared back, the remaining sunlight glinted ominously off of her scales, and she jerked forward, fangs exposed in a bloodcurdling roar. But of course, the chlidren couldn't hear this, being inside Radu's security-bubble.
The Geks stood hesitantly for a moment, then fled back into their transdimensional portal.
"I've got to alert the government." Suzee said suddenly. "They'll make sure the Geks can't try this again when they regain their nerve. I'll be back soon."
Catalina nodded and looked out onto their little battlefield. Elmira had reverted to her old form again while she'd been talking to Suzee and was approaching them. She made a knocking motion on the shield. Rosie nudged the sleepy Radu, and he looked up and released the shield.
"Well done." Elmira said, smiling. "Shall we return to the ship?"
"Definately." Catalina agree, shaking her head. "I think we could all use some rest."
"It's amazing we survived the experiance." Bova remarked later on at the Command Post. Rosie was still attending to Elmira and Radu in the Medlab, but as soon as they were out of the Quarton System, they could all take a well deserved rest.
"Not really, Commander." Catalina said, overriding Bova. "You should have seen Radu fight! It was... wow."
"Yeah," Bova agreed. Goddard shook his head.
"I can hardly imagine Radu fighting, though I should know better, I suppose. Any trained Andromedan can be a deadly force."
"But I've never seen Radu use a fighting technique of any kind." Harlan prostested. "Why didn't he use that stuff on me when he was sick, or on the Spung when we encountered them?"
"Probably didn't want to hurt anyone." Goddard speculated.
"Throwing me out the airlock would have definitely hurt me." Harlan pointed out.
"Never expect sense out of someone who goes around running into walls." Bova said. Catalina giggled. Just then the jump tubes activated. Elmira, Rosie, and Radu slid in.
"How are our patients, Rosie?" Davenport asked gentially.
"Tired, but they're reovering really well!" Rosie smiled. Elmira raised a brow at her. Radu yawned and stiffly made his way over to his console.
"So, Elmira." Goddard fought a smirk. "Will you finally be joining us?"
Elmira shrugged but fought a smirk of her own. "I have nowhere better to go. Dende and Praxt have things well in hand back home, for now. I might as well stick around and finish teaching Radu handle his power."
Elmira and Radu exchanged a brief, indiscernable look.
I know what you're up to. Radu sent.
Good. Not like you can stop me.
You are devious, but your purity of intention allows you to access you higher powers...
Your point being? she returned playfully.
Your heart is amazing. I'd be proud to continue lessons in realtime instead of dreams.
Oh, Radu...
"Would you be interested in receiving lessons as well? I'm certain you could catch up to the other students quickly." Davenport offered hopefully, not adding that she'd probably surpass them quickly if she to it into her head to study.
"Oh, certainly. You never know when an education will come in handy." She turned slowly and began walking to the wall. "Well, I do, but that's hardly the point."
She pressed her hand firmly against the wall, and it reacted promptly, pulsating in a welcome.
"Look's like the Christa likes you, too." Catalina said warmly. Elmira smiled back.
"Hey, Cat. Everything's go." Suzee said, appearing.
"Good."
"Who's that?" Radu said, mildly alarmed by the appearance of the girl. Catalina looked at him in surprise.
"You can see her now?"
Radu nodded, looking the strange girl over. Stripes in her hair and an electric blue jumpsuit with buttoned flaps in the front.
"This is Suzee, Radu." Catalina said congenially. Suzee shrugged and stuck out her hand though he couldn't touch it.
"Nice to meet you, big guy. I saw you fighting the Geks while I was shutting down their little machine. You have some smooth moves. We'll have to get together sometime for a game of Brains verse Brawn." She smirked. Radu narrowed his eyes and looked her over critically.
"Um, thanks." he said sceptically. "Cat, you said she was a genious."
"Yeah. What's wrong?" Catalina replied, a bit concerned her friends wouldn't get along with Suzee. She could be difficult at times.
"You didn't mention that she was beautiful!"
Harlan burst out laughing.
"Shut-up, Earther. This Drommerboy has good taste." Suzee said smuggly. Elmira smiled widely. She leaned over and kissed Radu on the ear.
"Good luck," she whispered almost in audibly.
Good luck, yourself, he thought. Then he said: "We'll on behalf of us...Space Cases..."
Goddard chuckled.
"Welcome to the crew. Both of you." Radu smiled sweetly. His baby blue eyes twinkled, full of life. Everything just felt right.