Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Invader Zim.
Chapter 9
The Massive was in full alert mode. Unknown vessels had begun attacking the Armada, but they weren't doing a very good job. Splinter-shaped white ships were everywhere, but few actually fired. Mostly they just swarmed and dodged Irken fire. However, since the battle was occurring so close to the Massive, Tallest Red and Tallest Purple had been sent to one of many reinforced safe rooms hidden deep within the Massive's belly. Even if the gigantic ship crashed into a planet, chances were those rooms would remain in tact. They sat quietly in the room, completely alone while everyone else was rushing about. They stared at eachother for a while.
"This is boring!" complained Purple.
"Would you rather be blow up? Sit down…" Red was none too happy. He'd been a soldier once, and his old instincts were telling him to join in the fray, but he knew he had to stay safe with Purple. He looked over at his friend who was now pouting in the corner. His eyes wandered away and focused when he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. Peeking into the room was a very tall, lovely female with brilliant green eyes. Her cloths were a bit outdated, though, and he wondered who she was. "Hey! How'd you get in here?"
Purple turned and looked at the girl. "Jania! No, wait... she's dead…" He squinted at her and rose his arms up with glee. "Jania!"
Red raised one brow and glanced at Purple, confused. "You know her?"
The girl narrowed her eyes, leapt into the room, grabbed both their hands, and began to run like a madwoman. Since they hovered and therefore had no feet on the ground, neither of the Tallest could resist as she drug them along. All they could do is yell and ask what was going on. Guards tried to stop them, but none dared shoot near their Tallest. Jania merely shoved them all away as she headed for the docking bay. In order to do that, they had to board an elevator. She threw them in and then entered herself. She pushed a button and the doors closed. Soft yet annoying music began to play.
Purple put an arm around her. "Red! I'd like to introduce my sister, Jania!" He smiled proudly.
"Ehhh…you mean the one that died?"
"Yes! …isn't she cute!" He hugged her, and Red could see that the girl was happy to see Purple too. He shrugged.
"…Hey. Nice to meet you. But, could you please tell me what's going on?" He waved his arms for emphasis.
Jania wiped a tear from her eye and kissed her brother on the cheek. She suddenly became very serious an addressed them both. "My Tallest!" She saluted. "I've just returned from my investigation! I've discovered the Karmites' master plan! However, before I give you my information…we have to get out of here!" The door opened and she took their hands again. She rushed to an awaiting Voot, threw them in, and jumped into the pilot's seat.
The craft began to hover and head towards the battle that engulfed the Massive. Red turned to Purple. "Does she have the clearance to do this? You realize our snacks are in there…"
Purple looked around. "You know, this ship kind of smells funny … LOOK OUT!" Every white enemy ship in the fray seemed to turn their sharp noses toward them. Light blue blaster rays surrounded them as all the ships attacked at once. Jania didn't say anything, but sharply turned the ship and began to dive. Red and Purple held onto eachother and scream as she lifted the ship into a large arc, occasionally deflecting from her path to avoid enemy fire. She clenched her teeth as she looked at her monitor. Every single one of those space craft were on her tail, but the Irkens were having more success blasting them down now. Three of them had already exploded in a mass of smoke and fire when she jolted the Voot into a barrel roll and sped along the side of the Massive. "What's gotten into you?" yelled Purple as inertia smashed him against the wall. "Why do we have to leave like this?"
"I don't have time to explain right now!" she growled as she wrestled with the controls.
"Alright!" cheered Red as one of the white enemy craft exploded against the side of the Massive. Now only three more craft were behind them. She pulled on the controls and turned the ship back into the cloud of Irken fighters. "Ha! Let's see them survive the Armada!" she shouted. Two of the ships were immediately blasted into thousands of particles, but there was still that one last persistent vessel. Jania moved, then it moved. The craft mimicked her ship exactly. She tried to loose him in the plethora of Irken ships, but it was determined to stay on her tail. The ship rocked as one of the blue enemy blasts made a direct hit.
Purple held onto the back of Jania's seat. "We're going to die!"
"The shields are failing!" Now everybody screamed. Jania turned up the speed and wove between the mass of Irken fighters.
"You know," commented Red, "You're sister isn't that bad of a pilot…AHH!" Another blast rocked the craft and red lights began to flash from within the cockpit.
It was all Jania could do to keep this last craft from gaining on her. She considered retreating back into the Massive, but she wondered if it would be more dangerous within. More warning lights began to blare and she was about to make her decision when one of the Irken ships blasted the enemy into a ball of shrapnel.
Jania flipped on a communicator and Tak's face appeared on a monitor. "Was that you?"
Tak seemed slightly annoyed, but relieved. "Unfortunately not. But, I'll be more than glad to escort you to the Query."
Red and Purple both stared at the monitor. "You're the one who was going to fill Zim's planet full of snacks!"
Tak resisted a smile. "I am honored you remember me, my Tallest." She saluted and her picture disappeared.
Red looked out the window as the Massive grew smaller and smaller. "Someone's going to notice we're gone. Are you sure this is alright?"
Jania nodded. "I'm sorry, my Tallest. Those white ships were probably a distraction for something more sinister on the Massive… I had to get you off. We're dealing with the Karmites, after all." She pushed a few buttons and the last of the annoying warning signals ended.
"All the way out here?" Red looked at Purple, who merely shrugged.
Purple grinned happily at his retrieved sister, but then began to get angry. "Hey! It was reported that your ship was sucked into a black hole… everyone thought you were dead! Why didn't you send a message or something? We had a funeral and everything!"
Jania switched on the autopilot and leaned back in her chair. "As you'll soon see, I had work to do. Contacting you would have jeopardized the mission."
Purple crossed his arms and glared. "Work, shmork! You should have stopped by! You missed the coronation!"
Red looked at them both, feeling rather left out. "Where are we going?" he asked testily.
"To the Query, my ship," answered Jania. "There you'll be able to contact the Massive and let everybody know what's happened to you. You also need to review the information I've gathered and come to a conclusion as to what is to be done about the assassination plot."
"Assassination? Who's being assassinated?" Purple looked around the cockpit as if his assailant might be sitting next to him.
"…I'll just tell you when you get there… want something to eat?"
Chapter 9
The Massive was in full alert mode. Unknown vessels had begun attacking the Armada, but they weren't doing a very good job. Splinter-shaped white ships were everywhere, but few actually fired. Mostly they just swarmed and dodged Irken fire. However, since the battle was occurring so close to the Massive, Tallest Red and Tallest Purple had been sent to one of many reinforced safe rooms hidden deep within the Massive's belly. Even if the gigantic ship crashed into a planet, chances were those rooms would remain in tact. They sat quietly in the room, completely alone while everyone else was rushing about. They stared at eachother for a while.
"This is boring!" complained Purple.
"Would you rather be blow up? Sit down…" Red was none too happy. He'd been a soldier once, and his old instincts were telling him to join in the fray, but he knew he had to stay safe with Purple. He looked over at his friend who was now pouting in the corner. His eyes wandered away and focused when he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. Peeking into the room was a very tall, lovely female with brilliant green eyes. Her cloths were a bit outdated, though, and he wondered who she was. "Hey! How'd you get in here?"
Purple turned and looked at the girl. "Jania! No, wait... she's dead…" He squinted at her and rose his arms up with glee. "Jania!"
Red raised one brow and glanced at Purple, confused. "You know her?"
The girl narrowed her eyes, leapt into the room, grabbed both their hands, and began to run like a madwoman. Since they hovered and therefore had no feet on the ground, neither of the Tallest could resist as she drug them along. All they could do is yell and ask what was going on. Guards tried to stop them, but none dared shoot near their Tallest. Jania merely shoved them all away as she headed for the docking bay. In order to do that, they had to board an elevator. She threw them in and then entered herself. She pushed a button and the doors closed. Soft yet annoying music began to play.
Purple put an arm around her. "Red! I'd like to introduce my sister, Jania!" He smiled proudly.
"Ehhh…you mean the one that died?"
"Yes! …isn't she cute!" He hugged her, and Red could see that the girl was happy to see Purple too. He shrugged.
"…Hey. Nice to meet you. But, could you please tell me what's going on?" He waved his arms for emphasis.
Jania wiped a tear from her eye and kissed her brother on the cheek. She suddenly became very serious an addressed them both. "My Tallest!" She saluted. "I've just returned from my investigation! I've discovered the Karmites' master plan! However, before I give you my information…we have to get out of here!" The door opened and she took their hands again. She rushed to an awaiting Voot, threw them in, and jumped into the pilot's seat.
The craft began to hover and head towards the battle that engulfed the Massive. Red turned to Purple. "Does she have the clearance to do this? You realize our snacks are in there…"
Purple looked around. "You know, this ship kind of smells funny … LOOK OUT!" Every white enemy ship in the fray seemed to turn their sharp noses toward them. Light blue blaster rays surrounded them as all the ships attacked at once. Jania didn't say anything, but sharply turned the ship and began to dive. Red and Purple held onto eachother and scream as she lifted the ship into a large arc, occasionally deflecting from her path to avoid enemy fire. She clenched her teeth as she looked at her monitor. Every single one of those space craft were on her tail, but the Irkens were having more success blasting them down now. Three of them had already exploded in a mass of smoke and fire when she jolted the Voot into a barrel roll and sped along the side of the Massive. "What's gotten into you?" yelled Purple as inertia smashed him against the wall. "Why do we have to leave like this?"
"I don't have time to explain right now!" she growled as she wrestled with the controls.
"Alright!" cheered Red as one of the white enemy craft exploded against the side of the Massive. Now only three more craft were behind them. She pulled on the controls and turned the ship back into the cloud of Irken fighters. "Ha! Let's see them survive the Armada!" she shouted. Two of the ships were immediately blasted into thousands of particles, but there was still that one last persistent vessel. Jania moved, then it moved. The craft mimicked her ship exactly. She tried to loose him in the plethora of Irken ships, but it was determined to stay on her tail. The ship rocked as one of the blue enemy blasts made a direct hit.
Purple held onto the back of Jania's seat. "We're going to die!"
"The shields are failing!" Now everybody screamed. Jania turned up the speed and wove between the mass of Irken fighters.
"You know," commented Red, "You're sister isn't that bad of a pilot…AHH!" Another blast rocked the craft and red lights began to flash from within the cockpit.
It was all Jania could do to keep this last craft from gaining on her. She considered retreating back into the Massive, but she wondered if it would be more dangerous within. More warning lights began to blare and she was about to make her decision when one of the Irken ships blasted the enemy into a ball of shrapnel.
Jania flipped on a communicator and Tak's face appeared on a monitor. "Was that you?"
Tak seemed slightly annoyed, but relieved. "Unfortunately not. But, I'll be more than glad to escort you to the Query."
Red and Purple both stared at the monitor. "You're the one who was going to fill Zim's planet full of snacks!"
Tak resisted a smile. "I am honored you remember me, my Tallest." She saluted and her picture disappeared.
Red looked out the window as the Massive grew smaller and smaller. "Someone's going to notice we're gone. Are you sure this is alright?"
Jania nodded. "I'm sorry, my Tallest. Those white ships were probably a distraction for something more sinister on the Massive… I had to get you off. We're dealing with the Karmites, after all." She pushed a few buttons and the last of the annoying warning signals ended.
"All the way out here?" Red looked at Purple, who merely shrugged.
Purple grinned happily at his retrieved sister, but then began to get angry. "Hey! It was reported that your ship was sucked into a black hole… everyone thought you were dead! Why didn't you send a message or something? We had a funeral and everything!"
Jania switched on the autopilot and leaned back in her chair. "As you'll soon see, I had work to do. Contacting you would have jeopardized the mission."
Purple crossed his arms and glared. "Work, shmork! You should have stopped by! You missed the coronation!"
Red looked at them both, feeling rather left out. "Where are we going?" he asked testily.
"To the Query, my ship," answered Jania. "There you'll be able to contact the Massive and let everybody know what's happened to you. You also need to review the information I've gathered and come to a conclusion as to what is to be done about the assassination plot."
"Assassination? Who's being assassinated?" Purple looked around the cockpit as if his assailant might be sitting next to him.
"…I'll just tell you when you get there… want something to eat?"
