The Wrong Hands

Chapter 2: The Light of Orion

It might have been night on the planet LegoEgo but if there's one thing I know about evil it's that evil never sleeps. Well at least not during the night anyways. And Planet Z was just the place were you find these wakeful villains. Planet Z was the most vile place in the universe. The sun never rose on Planet Z, and never set for that matter. All the smog created from the factories and machinery gave the planet a maroon colored sky the blocked out the sun. But that was no problem for the Evil Emperor Zurg and his lackeys.

The Evil Emperor was watching the screen on one of his many video screens. He was conversing with one of his spies.

"Darkmatter, have you found anything useful?" The Emperor asked his number one agent.

Warp Darkmatter, the full-blood Turanian, was indeed spying on the dig an the planet LegoEgo. He was masqueraded as one of the diggers. With his hologram-projection disguise he could mask himself to blend in with the others. His camouflage was that of a human male with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in jeans a short sleeved shirt and a cargo pocketed vest with a base ball cap turned backwards. The hologram could even mask his right arm.

"Well they keep chatting about this ultimate weapon thingy," Warp reported as he let his hologram switch off. Since everybody was asleep and he was in his own tent he didn't need the mask.

"Yes, go on," Zurg was very interested in hearing about this weapon. He leaned in closer to hear what Darkmatter had to say.

"Something called the Light of Orion," he went on, "From what I could gather this thing has the destructive capacity to slay an entire planet." Zurg rubbed his clawed hands together with glee as Warp continued, "Supposedly being able to shoot the death ray over a span of a galaxy long."

"Excellent! Capital! Superb!" Zurg went on excitedly waving his arms in the air, "I want that weapon!" he slammed his fist onto the arm rest of his throne, "Darkmatter! Bring me the Light of Orion!" Zurg commanded his servant.

"One more thing," Warp had something to ask of his employer. His face sly and greedy, "The chick in charge of this operation here is pretty hot, I want the woman!" Warp demanded.

Zurg just waved his hand at the screen, that wasn't important to him, "Fine fine, whatever, pilfer, plunder, see if I care. Just bring me that weapon!" Zurg reiterated himself hollering at the top of his lungs over the video screen.

"Oh and another thing," Warp added in.

Zurg sighed, "What is it now Darkmatter?" Zurg was getting a bit annoyed with all the questions. He just wanted an ultimate weapon to rule the universe with.

"Umm sir," Warp pulled at the collor of his uniform, "Lightyears here," he slunk down.

"LIGHTYEAR! LIGHTYEAR!!"Zurg roared out in rage standing up from his throne. Warp on the other end cringed back away from the screaming speakers. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS LIGHTYEAR!!??" he snaked back into his throne disappointed, "He's always around to spoil my evil fun." The Emperor pouted like a child.

"I'm terribly sorry Evil Emperor, I couldn't feel any worse, really," Warp apologized just to adhere to Zurg's temper.

"Make sure Lightyear is out of the way! Understand? Nothing shall meddle with this mission!" Zurg wasn't about to let Buzz and his crew demolish his plans that easily.

Warp nodded with a sly smile, "Consider it done Evil Emperor," He saluted his boss and turned off the communication device.

Zurg leaned back on the throne and moaned as if he were in agony "Why do I get the feeling this will end in disaster?'

"Maybe because the last 3012 times you tired to destroy the Galactic Alliance it ended in disaster my Evil Emperor?" a Grub spoke up thinking he was doing something good.

Zurg grabbed the Grub by his neck and lifted the bug up to meet his helmeted face with glowing red eyes, "Never remind me of my failures AGAIN!!" Zurg roared into the face of his Grub. The little bug like creature cowered back with fear grabbing at Zurg's hand to let go before he choked him to death.

"Ye..yes Evil Emperor," the Grub cowered in terror. Zurg let go his grip and the bug fell to the ground with a crash on the metal floor.

"Soon my fortune will change," he talked to himself, "I will have the Light of Orion and then I will destroy every planet who dares to deny me as their master! Muwahahahahaha!!!!!!" Zurg threw his head back and raised his hands to the sky and laughed manically.

Soon the dawns first rays reached the camp site on LegoEgo bringing forth life to the sleepy band of volunteers. Within an hour the camp was buzzing as the workers awoke and came together in the kitchen tent for a morning's breakfast. Lex Morgans was standing in front of the coffee maker pouring herself a big cup of black coffee. After only getting a few hours of sleep last night she could use a heavy dose of caffeine. She sighed with satisfaction as she sipped her mug. As she drank her coffee she looked around for Buzz. 'Good no sign of him.' she thought to herself. After last night a meeting with him might be awkward. She thought she was safe until someone bumped into her. She jumped thinking it was Buzz, spilling a bit of her coffee on the sandy ground. She turned around to see a man with brown hair and blue eyes though. She sighed with relief. 'Just a digger.' she placed a hand to her heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Oh I'm sorry. How clumsy of me," the worker smiled, but the smile had more of an evil tone to it.

Lex looked at him. She hadn't remembered seeing this one around before, "I'm sorry I haven't seen you around here before." she looked at him strangely. "What's your name?"

"Praw Rettamkrad," the worker replied with a smirk.

Lex thought for a moment, "I don't remember seeing your name on the list, are you sure you're at the right dig?" she thought maybe this guy got lost on his way to another dig, or was sent the wrong paperwork. Or maybe she had just skipped his name, who knows maybe the agency forgot to place his name on her copy of the list.

'Oh I think I'm in the right place,' Warp, the digger in disguise thought with a grin, "I'm new here. I got transferred to this site yesterday. Sorry I didn't check in with you but it was late at night." he quickly without hesitation thought of a believable story to tell her.

"Umm excuse me," she bent her head down to were his gaze was focused, "Yeah, hi there. My face is up here." she brought Darkmatters eyes back up a foot or less. "So you came in last night?" she asked him. There was something fishy about his story. "I didn't hear a ship land."

"Oh my engine is one of them new ones, you know the kind that is quiet as a mouse and doesn't make quiet a commotion when landing or taking off," it was as if Warp had already had his stories preplanned in his brain. But that's all part of being an evil genius, you can do things like that.

Lex gave up her arguing with him. Hey he was here to dig and with a man down she could use all the help she could get. So why not just let him work? "OK well I'll start you off in sector 7G. See you later." Lex gave him one more strange look before she walked away from him. There was something about him that gave her the creeps and made her feel uneasy, but she just couldn't put a pinpoint on what it was.

Warp watched her walk off grinning evilly at her. "She sure is a tough one," he spoke in a undertone whisper, "I like that." while he was at it he decided he should get a cup off coffee too. He sighed in agony as he thought of what he had to do for the sake of power, money, and women. He had to work. He would actually have to go out there and pick up a shovel. But to Warp maybe it was going to be well worth it. Zurg was going to pay him top Unibuck for bringing him the Light of Orion, once Zurg took the Galactic Alliance under his control with it Warp surely would be given a slice of the pie, and he wanted Lex Morgans to add to his collection. The thought of all that out weighed the having to do work part, of course he could always just ditch it. Nobody knew he was even there since 'he wasn't on the list.'

Lex was on her way out of the tent to go uncover her tools from beneath the sand where she had been digging the previous day. She didn't know how much sand she had to dig through just to gather her back pack from the sand storm the Ranger's star ship had created. But she must go on with her work. She had walked out past the first dunes where a band of workers were working when she heard a voice calling her name.

"Lex! Lex! Wait up!" Buzz was calling behind her. He was running full speed in her direction through the desert sands shouting her name.

Lex wasn't stopping, she picked up the pace to get away from him. Or at least to a spot where no one else would be around. But Buzz had finally caught up with her and grabbed her arm to get Lex to stop walking away.

"Wait stop! Please! Just listen!" he said panting from his long run. He wheezed getting the sand out of his lungs as he still held onto her arm. Lex stood waiting for the Space Ranger to catch his breath and speak. Once Buzz got his poise back he straightened up and began to speak. But his facial expressions showed nervousness and embarrassment. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, about well you know, last night."

Lex wasn't as diplomatic either, she was a bit mortified herself to be standing there with him, and the Ranger's kind actions of apology caught her off guard. "Me too." she meekly replied back to him, although not sure why she was sorry also. She thought that this would be the end of it but he kept talking and apologizing to her.

"I let my emotions get the best of me, I don't know what came over me back there," he kept going on and on. Mostly he was talking out of nervousness, something told him to shut up and leave it but he just couldn't. "Raging hormones, no self control, I don't know."

Lex watched him intently, trying and put his affections into words. No other man would have done this. Well none that she knew anyways.

"I guess I'm more a man of action then words," he rubbed the back of his neck not knowing what to do and turning red in the face, "But I guess you know that already." Lex shook her head yes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that well.. I guess I umm, I have these feelings for you, Lex." there he said it, and he wasn't stopping there. "Your smart, beautiful and you are a take charge kind of gal. That's something that I admire in a woman." Lex watched Buzz express himself. She had never heard such kind words before. Most guys wanted her for her body but he liked her mind. These kind gestures furthered her feelings for him. He could be 'Mr. Right." It almost brought tears to her eyes when she thought that even so she couldn't be with him.

"I guess what I'm really trying to say is, well I" he had to say it. He would feel so much better if he would just get these few small words out of his mouth and off his chest, "Well the thing is I love you Lex Morgans." his face was lowering as he thought maybe that was pushing it. She seemed to maybe forgive him for the kiss, but this? This might just drive her off.

Lex didn't know what to say. For the first time in her life she was stuck for words. Did he just say I love you? "I...I..I don't know what to say." she looked around as if looking for words she could use to tell him what she thought but she didn't find them.

"I'm sorry I'm pushing things too far," Buzz turned away and started to walk off fearing he was just rejected. But hands were grasping his jet back pulling him back to stay and face Lex once more.

"No, don't go," Lex felt compelled to tell him her feelings for him, it was only right wasn't it? After the little speech he made in his confession that she should return? "Buzz, I have feelings for you also," she didn't say Love, she didn't really know if she loved him, and maybe if she said that she would be making a commitment to him when she still felt they couldn't be together. "I don't know how to explain myself as beautifully as you did. I mean no one's ever said anything so sweet or caring to me before like that." she said turning her glance sideways so not to meet his gaze. "You're sweet and kind, sensitive to me, but.." she hugged her arms around her torso.

"But what?" Buzz asked her. Had he done something wrong? He walked up behind her, he would have put a hand to her shoulder but remembered last time it was flicked off.

"We can't be together," she told him almost in tears. What was she doing? On the threshold of crying over some guy? That wasn't the Lex Morgans she used to be. She had to pull herself together so she swallowed the sobs to regain her reputation.

Buzz looked confused, he didn't understand what she meant. All he knew is he loved her and nothing was supposed to come between them, "What do you mean?"

Lex turned around to face him, "Your job, my job. It wouldn't work out." he still wasn't getting what she was saying, "I mean come on. Your job takes you from here to there, same with mine. We wouldn't have time to be together," she told him sadly. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be good for either of us."

Buzz's heart sunk as he knew her words were true. They would hardly ever have a moment just to themselves, and a relationship over video phone would just be hectic. "I see your point." he said regrettably.

"I do like you, Buzz, don't think I don't. But, I just want what's best for you and me. Understand?" Lex figured she had broke his heart. All that courage worked up to tell her how he felt and then she was telling him basically no, even though it was going against what she felt? It had to be crushing.

"I understand," Buzz lowered his head. But his determination should not be underestimated. When Buzz was passionate about something he was going to stick to it to get what he wanted. He looked up with a determined face at her, "But you understand me. I will work something out so we can stay together," he grabbed her shoulders as he said this to her. "I promise you I will find a way for you to be with me."

"Yeah OK," she said in a depressed tone. She would like that very much if he would, but some how she knew that even though he may try he wouldn't be able to succeed this time.

He leaned in to kiss her one more time as he pulled her into his tight embrace again. Their lips were about to meet when a shout was heard. "Mis. Morgans!! Mis. Morgans!" a digger came racing over the dunes. Buzz let go his enfold as the significance was lost.

"What is it Patrick?" Lex asked as she reeled around. She so needed something to take her mind off of the melancholy conversation she was having.

"We've found it! We've found the Light of Orion!" Patrick screamed. "Over in sector 9D! We found what you narrated as the Light of Orion. They're heaving it up out of the ground now!"

Lex's frown turned upside down into a wide smile, "We did it!! We found it!! The Light of Orion! Oh my gosh! This is phenomenal!" she grabbed Buzz as she jumped up and down with excitement.

"We better move! Zurg could use this as the impeccable window for an attack!" Buzz said turning his remark to the new situation at hand. He,Lex, and Patrick took off across the sand to where the rest of the dig workers were raising the find out from the primordial sands.

And that's exactly what Zurg planed to do. Strike now before something could happen to stop him.

"Sir!" Warp shouted over his tiny portable video communicator to Zurg, "They've found it, the Light of Orion."

"Ahahahahahaha!!" Zurg laughed with beatitude. "Super! BRING ME THAT WEAPON!"

"I'll get right on it!" Warp switched off the communicator and shoved it into his pocket as he got closer to where the rest of the camp was surrounding the actions.

"Alright now slowly, carefully," Lex commanded the workers who were on the ropes that held the giant prism above their heads. They swung it wide to the right, "Ok now lower it!" they started easing up on the ropes when the workers just couldn't hold the weight of it any longer.The ropes started slipping from their grasp and it crashed the last three feet to the sand. The wieght and force of the object gyrated the sand around it up, but when it settled the power of the object could be felt.

The Light of Orion was a giant crystal shaped into the form of a 12 foot high pyramid. In it were etched ancient markings, obviously Egoian language. The markings covered every inch of the huge crystal that set on a stone slab. Lex ran up to the tall prism and embraced it.

"I found it! I actually found it! This is marvelous!" she shouted out. Buzz stood watching with a smile, but then his senses went on tocsin.

"What's the matter Buzz?" Booster asked his Captain.

"Something isn't right. Zurg's here," Buzz noted to his large friend. "Alright! I want this thing loaded onto my ship ASAP!" Buzz spoke up. "Rangers! Get to work!"

The rest of Buzz's team saluted their chief and headed to establish a team to move the rock.

"Sorry! Can't let you do that Lightyear!" Warp's voice chimed out above everything else. He was perched on top of the Light of Orion and out of disguise.

"Warp!" Buzz scowled with anger towards his ex-friend and ex-partner. "Rangers! Mobilize! Attack formation Alpha! NOW!" the troops stopped their previous orders and begain to mesh in a fight with the pirate.

"Hornets! Destroy Lightyear!" Warp commanded his robotic insect army.

To be continued.....................