Chapter Four: Dark History


Artemis swallowed as he looked around him at the men on the deck.
Many were helping their injured comrades as they watched the enemy
return to their submarine as if nothing had happened.

"This is great!" Sailor Venus said. "They're not our enemies
anymore. Maybe they can help us find out whatever it is on their base
that is doing all of this."

"The effect won't be permanent I'm afraid."

Everyone turned and stared at Sailor Pluto. She nodded. "They are
not evil, they are simply doing what is natural for them. They consider
us invading enemies and therefore, in a very short time, they will be
ready to attack us again."

Sailor Moon turned pale and, Sailor Jupiter swore. Artemis looked
at the other sub as it began to pull out. "How long do you think we
have? Long enough to find out what's going on?"

"I hope so." Pluto looked away out over the sea. "I wish I could
remember more."

Lt. Akano came over. "Where's the Captain?"

"He went below." Sailor Mercury said.

Akano climbed down the ladder. As soon as he was gone, Artemis
turned to Mercury. "Okay...tell everyone what you found out."

Sailor Mercury pulled out her computer. "Artemis asked me to scan
for information on this sub. Because we had already been from the
future, the information in the computer is accurate and wasn't altered
by the time shift. It shows what history was like before it was
changed.

Everyone watched as Sailor Mercury tapped on the keys and looked
up. "On August the 14th 1945, the "USN Hunter" was on a special mission
for the Department of the Navy. Only the Captain knew for sure and the
Pacific Command what the true nature of the mission was. It was sent
out to check rumors of a japanese empire project that was taking place
on a base in Hokkaido...led by a German scientist. The submarine was
sunk with a loss of all hands..with the exception of a few survivors
who became POW's and were totured to death." Her face winced. "One was
named...Ensign Jim Bell."

"Oh my god.." Sailor Jupiter looked down. "Poor Raye."

"What are we going to do?" Sailor Moon looked at everyone. "We
can't let this happen to our friends! They're too good to allow that
to..."

"It is what happened in history." Sailor Pluto sighed. "I
understand how you feel. But, the point is moot. History has already
been changed. It intended for this submarine to be sunk. Instead..it is
here in the future with us..a future that should not exist."

Luna shook her head. "Even if we set things to right...they have
to die?"

Artemis grit his teeth. "One of the reasons it's best not to know
the future. We'll have to worry about this some other time."

"And Raye?" Sailor Venus swallowed. "What about her?"

Artemis watched as the submarine began to move following the other
one in front of them. "We're underway now. We'll know soon what this
base looks like...

*****************************

"Are you okay?" Sailor Mars asked Ensign Bell as she steadied him
in a chair. He winced as the medic wrapped his arm and made a sling for
it. "I'm fine, Raye." He grinned at her. "You're really something when
you get mad."

"I..I just did what I had to do." Raye blushed. "We did what we
all had to. It's going to be okay. We'll get out of this...somehow."
Her voice fell.

Raye was surprised, her english was getting better. It must have
been the combination of her classes and the exposure to these americans
from the past.

Captain Jamison came forward. "Ensign Bell, are you alright?"

"Ready Sir!" Bell saluted with his free arm. "I regret I can't
salute properly."

"I wish things were different." Raye looked down.

Bell smiled and lifted her chin. "Hey... I don't care if you do
have these weird powers..or if you are from the future. I'm glad you're
here. Let's go topside and see your friends."

Raye smiled and helped him up. The two climbed the ladder....

Artemis watched as Sailor Mars and Ensign Bell came onto the deck.
Raye was in love... But..it was a love that was doomed from the start!
Why couldn't the Scouts keep their minds on what was important? There was
no telling what was going to happen in this alternate future. Would they
ever be able to go home again?

"Look." Sailor Pluto said.

Everyone looked forward and saw Hokkaido ahead. But..even from
here they could see it looked much different then what they had known.
A great black fortress was on the island and, it's battlements could be
seen even from their position as they followed the enemy sub in front
of them.

"Why do I have the feeling we're like a fly in a spider's web."
Tuxedo Mask said.

Sailor Moon saw a shimmering around the island. "What..what's
that?"

Artemis narrowed his eyes. "It...it looks like an energy field of
some sort. Perhaps a defensive shield! Their technology must be more
advanced then we thought!"

Ensign Bell looked briefly at Raye. "How are we going to fight
that?"

Sailor Mars took his uninjured arm and held it. Everyone watched
as the continued to close in on the island and the ominous black
fortress in front of them.......

Captain Jamison came up the ladder and stared at the approaching
fortress. "That's the base?"

"Yes." Sailor Mercury answered.

"Looks damn formidable." Chief Graham whistled through his teeth.
"I don't know if we have the firepower to take them on."

"We'll help you!" Sailor Venus smiled. She looked at Artemis and
nodded encouragingly. Artemis met her gaze then turned away. Mina
didn't feel as confident as she sounded...

The "Hunter" continued to follow the other submarine. Then, they
all watched as the shimmering in the air dissipated. The other sub
continued forward.

"The defense shield is opening. They're letting us through."
Artemis looked at Luna. "This doesn't feel right."

"A trap." Luna felt nervous. She watched as Captain Jamison
turned.

"Tell all hands to stand by their weapons..just in case."

Ensign Bell nodded and smiled at Raye before he went below.

They had entered the harbor of the Asian Empire base. On the
shore, they could see thousands of men moving around. The submarine in
front of them pulled up to one of the docks. Chief Graham swallowed. "I
think we should get the hell out of here."

Sailor Jupiter glanced at Sailor Pluto who stood dispassionately
watching. Sailor Moon clung to Tuxedo Mask. Ensign Bell came up the
ladder. "Captain, all hands report ready."

Captain Jamison nodded and looked through the binoculars that were
around his neck. "Looks like a welcoming commitee. And, from the looks
of it, it isn't a friendly one."

"CAPTAIN!"

Jamison turned and saw a crewman on the ladder. "What is it?" he
asked.

"Sir...we're receiving a transmission...to surrender!"

"So much for Sailor Moon's healing." Luna sighed.

Sailor Moon felt fear. "But...but they were friendly! It couldn't
have worn off that quick!"

"You changed the men in the other sub...not the people at the
base." Pluto looked grim. "I can feel the source of the time
distortions. I believe it's at the center of the base. But...we need
time to reach it."

"And leave our friends??" Mercury asked shocked.

"Leave Jim?" Raye echoed. She looked at Ensign Bell who was
talking to some men. "I...I can't.."

"Sailor Mars..." Jupiter began then stopped in midsentence. It was
impossible to think of the right thing to say at this time.

Artemis suddenly smiled. "Wait a second! I have a man on that
other sub who's mind I was into. Maybe I can use that to our
advantage."

"Oh?" Luna stared at him.

"I can have him maybe shut down their defenses in the sub. That
would give us a chance to get off a shot at them."

"We must find the central point of the distortions." Pluto looked
at everyone. "We must correct this twisted timeline before we all
spiral down into nothingness.."

"Nothingness?" Sailor Venus blinked. "What do you mean...?"

"If our timelines are not returned to normal soon...we may never
exist." Sailor Pluto answered. "At least...not the people we are now."

Captain Jamison came over. "So if what I'm hearing is correct, you
can maybe stop all this...and return things to normal?"

"If we can..yes." Artemis looked away knowing Jamison and the
"Hunter's" fate.

"Then let's give you the time." Jamison turned to everyone on
deck. "EVERYONE!! Get below. We're going to dive!!"

Men immediately began to move past them down the ladders at record
speed. Chief Graham came up. "Sir..that field has closed behind
us...we're trapped."

"Fine then..." Jamison looked at the Sailor Scouts. "If you have
the power to change all this, you do it. We'll buy you the time you
need. "Now, get below!"

He climbed down the ladder and, the Sailor Scouts followed him.
Tuxedo Mask sealed the hatch.

Artemis opened his mind as he felt the "Hunter" going
down....searching for the link to the soldier from the Asian Empire he
had stopped before. Finding it, he saw through the man's mind the
control room of the enemy sub..and commanded the man to move to where
the defense stations were. The man moved willingly as if under a spell
and, Artemis watched as his puppet distracted the crewman on duty and
deactivated the systems...

Captain Jamison reached the bridge. "Up periscope!"

The periscope rose and he turned till he saw the enemy sub and the
shoreline of the base. "Stand by all torpedoes!"

Torpedoes aye!" a man said.

"CAPTAIN! They're ordering surrender again!" Seaman Martin
reported.

"Tell em to go to hell." Jamison smirked.

Sailor Mercury began typing on her computer looking for a way to
hack into the enemy computers. She winced as she was blocked and tried
to move around it.

"Once we invade the base, we can shut down the whole place!"
Jupiter said excitedly.

Sailor Mars didn't answer still looking at Ensign Bell who was
talking to a crewman at his station. She swallowed feeling her heart
ache. How could things have turned out so bad for her?

"Captain," Artemis said, "I've been able to disable the enemy sub
defenses. Target the sub and the docking areas of the base."

Jamison turned and stared at him, "How the hell did you..?" his
voice trailed off and he smiled. "Nevermind." He hit the intercom.
"TORPEDO ROOM! TARGET ENEMY SUB!!!"

Jamison could see the sub pulling away from the dock and turning
to do battle. As it backed up, Jamison shouted! "FIRE ONE!!!"

The torpedo fired...it streaked forth and slammed into the enemy
sub damaging it's tail section.

"FIRE TWO!" Jamison shouted.

Another torpedo launched slamming into the docking area of the
base! Men on the bridge cheered as Jamison reported the damage.

Suddenly, Sailor Pluto winced as she felt a voice in her
head...then all the other Scouts gasped as they heard it too.

"SAILOR PLUTO!! SO THIS IS WHERE YOU WENT WHEN YOU ESCAPED THROUGH
THE TIME CORRIDOR! YOU WILL ALL DIE!!!!"

Sailor Pluto gasped as a flood of memories assualted her
accompanied by pain. She shook the pain off and stared wildly at
everyone. "I KNOW! I know now who our enemies are! It's the Temporal
Dominators! And, unless we do something fast, all our realities will
cease to exist!!!"

The impact of explosions rocked the "Hunter" as rockets slammed
into the water around it. The echo made a hollow sound and, the Sailor
Scouts all stared at Pluto's revelation!

"Tem...Temporal Dominators?" Sailor Venus whispered. "What are
they?"

"A terrifying enemy that attacked Crystal Tokyo in the 24th
Century." Pluto sighed. "It is all coming back to me now. I was sent to
investigate a disturbance that took place near the Gateway to Time. As
I arrived, I found the gate open..then I was attacked! I was unable to
defend myself as, they were too powerful." Her voice sounded grim as
she spoke. "They look like dark shadows..and their eyes glow green.
They have servants they call the Mystic Shadows. But, they are not as
intelligent as the Dominators themselves."

"Then they'll be easy to beat..won't they?" Jupiter hesitated as
she spoke.

"No..they will be..diifficult." Pluto looked at everyone. "Please,
we must go now! Every second we delay, all history will be destroyed!"

Sailor Moon looked at Sailor Mars who's face was in agony. She
could tell where Mars heart lay. "Can...can we delay even a second?"
she asked. "We can't leave our friends like this!"

"WE MUST GO!" Pluto reitirated. "Time is at stake here! ALL
TIME!!"

Suddenly an explosion hit the "Hunter" and men screamed as the
sound of water was heard. Raye gasped as Ensign Bell stumbled into the
room.

"Jim!" Sailor Mars shouted. She rushed over to him and caught him
as he fell. Ensign looked up in pain and saw the circle of Scouts.

"You...you need to get out of here!" he gasped. "If you don't and
what that woman says is true...you have to stop it!"

Artemis nodded. "Please Raye.."

Raye looked at Ensign Bell again and he smiled. "Go dear lady.
And, I'll never forget you." He hugged Sailor Mars close to him and
then broke away.

Mars stood with tears running down her cheeks staring at him.
Sailor Mercury's voice choked. "We have to teleport!"

Sailor Moon bowed her head. "Sailor teleport!" She ordered looking
up after a second.

Mars turned and joined the others still with tears in her eyes.
Luna jumped on Sailor Moon's shoulder and Artemis joined Venus...

SAILOR....TELEPORT!!!! the Scouts shouted as one. A glow formed
around the team as they began the teleport. As they did so, another
explosion hit the "Hunter" and they disappeared not knowing it's
fate.....

******************************

Sailor Moon blinked as the teleport ended. Sailor Pluto turned and
nodded. "We're close to the time distortion. Everyone...follow me!"
Pluto ran down a corridor with the others behind her.

Sailor Jupiter glanced quickly at Sailor Mars who's face was a
mask of grief. She grit her teeth wishing she could help. Sailor Venus
also looked concerned.

Sailor Mercury tapped on her computer as the group stopped at a
door. "There's an enormous power source behind this door. I can't
identify what type though."

Pluto nodded. "Temporal energy...we must be careful."

Sailor Moon smiled at everyone. "Okay then...let's go!"

Sailor Jupiter opened the door and they entered into a huge room
filled with computers and flashing light. In the center a huge column
of light filled the room....

"That's the time stream!" Pluto said.

The next thing the Scouts knew was a horrific explosion as three
shadowy forms appeared with glowing green eyes! All of them fell and
Sailor Venus screamed as the shrapnel from the explosion ripped through
her leg. Sailor Moon gasped as she slammed into a wall and, Sailor Mars
dove for cover barely escaping the fate that had met Venus.

The shadows advanced and Pluto stood up looking at them.
"Dominators! Everyone...get to the time stream! I'll block for you!!!!"

Tuxedo Mask gasped as he hit the floor feeling pain from the
near-miss energy bolt that had almost gotten him.

"RUN!!" Pluto shouted. "GET TO THE TIME STREAM!!!"

Sailor Jupiter winced in pain as she saw a Dominator hovering.
It's deadly glowing eyes fell on her. "DIEE!!!" it whispered in an
eerie voice.

Jupiter barely leaped clear as it let go with a powerful energy
blast that ripped a huge hole in the wall!

Artemis glanced quickly at Luna. "RUN!!"

Luna frozen with fear gasped as Sailor Venus tried to get clear of
another Dominator that was firing at her. Sailor Mars miraculously
unhurt moved behind a console trying to find a good place to strike.

Sailor Moon stood up. "MOOOOOON SCEPTRE....ELIMIIINATION!!!!!"

Her staff exploded with energy and hit the Dominator facing her.
Sailor Mercury stared as the Dominator glowed and, the energy vanished!

"WHAT???" Sailor Moon gasped. "OH NO!!!!"

Sailor Moon dove for cover and screamed as part of the wall
slammed into her that had been hit by the energy blast meant for her.
The Dominator laughed. "FOOLISH SCOUTS! YOUR POWER IS NO MATCH FOR
OURS!!!"

Sailor Mercury grit her teeth and swung her arms outward...
"BUBBLE...SPRAY!!!!!!"

Her attack launched filling the room with a thick fog. Sailor
Pluto shouted..."YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM IN THIS TIME PERIOD!! THEY ARE TOO
POWERFUL!! THE ONLY WAY IS TO GO BACK AND FIGHT THEM!! RUN NOW!!!!!"

Luna grit her teeth fighting her fear and dove into the glowing
column of light. Sailor Venus screamed as another explosion almost got
her. She ignored the pain in her leg and threw herself into the time
stream....

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon hesitated a second. Sailor Mercury
spun and cried out as the Dominator attacking her scored a partial hit.
She jumped into the time stream disappearing...

Artemis turned and looked wildly at Sailor Moon. She appeared
terrified. Sailor Jupiter grabbed her. "COME ON!!! RUN!!" The two ran
and Artemis followed looking back at Mars.

"RUN RAYE!!!" he shouted.

Sailor Pluto spun around facing three Dominators. She nodded to
Sailor Mars. "GET GOING!!!!" She faced her enemy.."Dead.....scream!"
she whispered.

The power ripped forth from her staff and Sailor Mars seeing her
opening ran hard for the time stream that was fluctuating with power.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Jupiter reached the time stream and Jupiter
cried out as one of the Dominators struck her! Sailor Moon grabbed her
and, the two faded out into the stream..

Sailor Mars reached the stream. She turned back seeing Pluto take
a direct hit. The three Dominators advanced on her.

"RUN!!!!!!" Pluto screamed in agony. "YOU'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T!!!
DEFEAT THEM IN THE PAST!!!!"

Sailor Mars torn between escape and helping Pluto turned in agony
and did as she was told. Her last sight of Pluto was the valiant
warrior being completely overun as she was forced into a corner.....