Chapter Four: Trouble
"So, Rei, tell me why you were in such a hurry to cast off?" questioned Minako. She leaned back in her giant Captain's chair and marveled at the large map on the main screen in front of her.
"Yea, Rei, what's the big fuss?" asked Ami who was on the far wall, glued to another large screen and typing away at the keyboard below it.
"What big fuss? I was just getting some bad vibrations, and I thought it would be best to cast off as soon as possible! Besides, the sooner we're off the planet, the sooner we can relax!" Rei sat down on a small end table and took a sip of her iced tea.
"Maybe you can relax, Rei, but Ami-chan and I have a lot of work cut out for us! We've got to run this ship!" Minako replied.
"What do you mean, 'we' Minako? I'll be running the ship, all you have to do is steer!" argued Ami.
"Well. yea, but that's hard work!" Rei and Ami sweat-dropped.
"I guess for you Minako, that is hard work," agreed Ami. Minako just smiled.
Just then, the intercom blared, "MINAKO!!! MINAKO, WHERE ARE YOU?" It was Makoto's voice. The three girls all jumped and snatched for the receiver. Minako got to it first.
"I'm right here Mako, what's wrong?" yelled Minako.
"Minako! Transform quick, and find the others! We've got big trouble!"
"They're all right here!" blared Minako
"Then hurry up to the deck!" yelled Makoto
"Makoto. Makoto!!" bawled Minako.
"She's gone, c'mon, we've got to hurry!" shouted Rei. "Mars Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
"Mercury Crystal Power!"
"MAKE UP!"
The three transformed and took off. They flew through the twisting halls until they emerged onto the deck. The scene was a mess. People were running everywhere, but the first things that came to the Senshis' attention were Sailors Iron Mouse, Aluminum Siren, Lead Crow and Tin Nyanko. The four of them were standing back to back in the center of the confusion.
"WHAT THE?" the three cried in unison.
"Galatica Crunch!" shouted Iron Mouse as she fired her attack at the giant glass dome encasing the ship. Her blast shattered the bubble and suddenly everything was in the air and sucked out the opening. Only the Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru were still there. Because they all had crystals, they didn't need to breathe. They could survive in outer space where there was no air. The crewmates, however, were not so fortunate. The Senshi were floating in the air while Usagi clung to Mamoru, and he clung to the deck.
"B-but how?" shouted Mars, "You're supposed to be dead! We destroyed you all! And Chaos, we destroyed her, too! How can you all be alive, and here?"
"Stop jabbering! We don't know what you're talking about. We came for the starseeds. Give them to us now!" shouted Lead Crow.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars fired, but Crow easily dodged her attack.
"You insolent fool!" shouted Crow, "Give me the starseeds now! Galatica Tornado!" Crow fired and Venus was smashed against the side of the bridge. "The starseeds, NOW! Give them to me!" Crow held out her hand to Usagi and Mamoru. The others all noticed that she was not wearing bracelets.
"How DARE you! Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus fired from one end. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter fired from the other. Crow could not dodge and was hit on both sides. The black collar on her neck shattered, and Crow screamed as she imploded. Only the broken remains of her choker were left.
"Lead Crow!!" shouted Iron Mouse, "You'll pay!" Mouse took Nyanko's hand and they attacked together. "Galatica Crunch!" "Galatica Puppet!"
Again, Venus and Jupiter sounded their attacks, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The four attacks met each other and there was a giant explosion. The huge swirl of energy quickly died out.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
Mercury and Mars's attacks flew towards Iron Mouse from opposite angles, just like what had happened with Crow. Mouse could not dodge the attacks and she imploded just the way Nyanko had. Her black collar also floated in ruins.
"YOU!" shouted Tin Nyanko as she pointed at Mars, "Crow just killed you! You're supposed to be dead!"
"So are you, Tin Nyanko! It takes more than that to kill us! Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Crow dodged Mars' attack but was pummeled into the glass dome by Jupiter's.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouted her assault and Crow's choker shattered. She imploded like the others.
"That attack." said Aluminum Siren, who through this whole mess had not moved an inch. "Why is that attack familiar?"
"Siren!" said Mercury. "How did you come back? Why did you come back?"
Siren shook her head. "The starseeds. GIVE ME THE STARSEEDS!" Siren lashed out her hand. "Galatica Tsunami!"
Mercury was hammered into the opposite side of the glass dome.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
Siren was hit by all three attacks and her collar shattered like the others. She imploded with a hideous scream. They waited for other enemies to show.
"How did this happen? The Sailor Wars are over!" shouted Usagi from down on the deck, breaking the silence.
"This is something new," explained Venus, "they weren't wearing Galatica Bracelets, yet they were using their old attacks."
"And those chokers!" Shouted Mercury, "They didn't have chokers before!"
"Are we going to be alright? Can we still steer the ship back to Earth?" asked Usagi.
"Yes, there was only damage to the dome. We might go a little slow, but we can still get home," said Mercury. But there was a shadow on her face. The glare in her eyes began to cloud over as she assessed the damage to the ship with her computer.
Mars suddenly had a vision. She screamed in terror, but it was too late. Mercury's body was ripped apart by an invisible force. A tall lady with white hair and a golden staff appeared behind Mercury and snatched her starseed before it died out.
"MERCURY!!" everyone shouted at once. But before Usagi's eyes, the Senshi's bodies ripped apart, one by one, and all in a split second. Usagi could do nothing but scream in horror.
Usagi held on to Mamoru and cried, but soon his body tore open and the lady snatched his starseed. She grinned devilishly at Usagi and looked deeply into her eyes. Her face was not even a few inches from Usagi's.
"Now I am the strongest Senshi," she whispered.
"What?" cried Usagi before her body tore apart and the lady snatched her starseed.
"NOW I AM THE STRONGEST!" she answered. The lady disappeared back into the shadow from which she came.
"So, Rei, tell me why you were in such a hurry to cast off?" questioned Minako. She leaned back in her giant Captain's chair and marveled at the large map on the main screen in front of her.
"Yea, Rei, what's the big fuss?" asked Ami who was on the far wall, glued to another large screen and typing away at the keyboard below it.
"What big fuss? I was just getting some bad vibrations, and I thought it would be best to cast off as soon as possible! Besides, the sooner we're off the planet, the sooner we can relax!" Rei sat down on a small end table and took a sip of her iced tea.
"Maybe you can relax, Rei, but Ami-chan and I have a lot of work cut out for us! We've got to run this ship!" Minako replied.
"What do you mean, 'we' Minako? I'll be running the ship, all you have to do is steer!" argued Ami.
"Well. yea, but that's hard work!" Rei and Ami sweat-dropped.
"I guess for you Minako, that is hard work," agreed Ami. Minako just smiled.
Just then, the intercom blared, "MINAKO!!! MINAKO, WHERE ARE YOU?" It was Makoto's voice. The three girls all jumped and snatched for the receiver. Minako got to it first.
"I'm right here Mako, what's wrong?" yelled Minako.
"Minako! Transform quick, and find the others! We've got big trouble!"
"They're all right here!" blared Minako
"Then hurry up to the deck!" yelled Makoto
"Makoto. Makoto!!" bawled Minako.
"She's gone, c'mon, we've got to hurry!" shouted Rei. "Mars Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
"Mercury Crystal Power!"
"MAKE UP!"
The three transformed and took off. They flew through the twisting halls until they emerged onto the deck. The scene was a mess. People were running everywhere, but the first things that came to the Senshis' attention were Sailors Iron Mouse, Aluminum Siren, Lead Crow and Tin Nyanko. The four of them were standing back to back in the center of the confusion.
"WHAT THE?" the three cried in unison.
"Galatica Crunch!" shouted Iron Mouse as she fired her attack at the giant glass dome encasing the ship. Her blast shattered the bubble and suddenly everything was in the air and sucked out the opening. Only the Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru were still there. Because they all had crystals, they didn't need to breathe. They could survive in outer space where there was no air. The crewmates, however, were not so fortunate. The Senshi were floating in the air while Usagi clung to Mamoru, and he clung to the deck.
"B-but how?" shouted Mars, "You're supposed to be dead! We destroyed you all! And Chaos, we destroyed her, too! How can you all be alive, and here?"
"Stop jabbering! We don't know what you're talking about. We came for the starseeds. Give them to us now!" shouted Lead Crow.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" Mars fired, but Crow easily dodged her attack.
"You insolent fool!" shouted Crow, "Give me the starseeds now! Galatica Tornado!" Crow fired and Venus was smashed against the side of the bridge. "The starseeds, NOW! Give them to me!" Crow held out her hand to Usagi and Mamoru. The others all noticed that she was not wearing bracelets.
"How DARE you! Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus fired from one end. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Jupiter fired from the other. Crow could not dodge and was hit on both sides. The black collar on her neck shattered, and Crow screamed as she imploded. Only the broken remains of her choker were left.
"Lead Crow!!" shouted Iron Mouse, "You'll pay!" Mouse took Nyanko's hand and they attacked together. "Galatica Crunch!" "Galatica Puppet!"
Again, Venus and Jupiter sounded their attacks, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The four attacks met each other and there was a giant explosion. The huge swirl of energy quickly died out.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
Mercury and Mars's attacks flew towards Iron Mouse from opposite angles, just like what had happened with Crow. Mouse could not dodge the attacks and she imploded just the way Nyanko had. Her black collar also floated in ruins.
"YOU!" shouted Tin Nyanko as she pointed at Mars, "Crow just killed you! You're supposed to be dead!"
"So are you, Tin Nyanko! It takes more than that to kill us! Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Crow dodged Mars' attack but was pummeled into the glass dome by Jupiter's.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouted her assault and Crow's choker shattered. She imploded like the others.
"That attack." said Aluminum Siren, who through this whole mess had not moved an inch. "Why is that attack familiar?"
"Siren!" said Mercury. "How did you come back? Why did you come back?"
Siren shook her head. "The starseeds. GIVE ME THE STARSEEDS!" Siren lashed out her hand. "Galatica Tsunami!"
Mercury was hammered into the opposite side of the glass dome.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
Siren was hit by all three attacks and her collar shattered like the others. She imploded with a hideous scream. They waited for other enemies to show.
"How did this happen? The Sailor Wars are over!" shouted Usagi from down on the deck, breaking the silence.
"This is something new," explained Venus, "they weren't wearing Galatica Bracelets, yet they were using their old attacks."
"And those chokers!" Shouted Mercury, "They didn't have chokers before!"
"Are we going to be alright? Can we still steer the ship back to Earth?" asked Usagi.
"Yes, there was only damage to the dome. We might go a little slow, but we can still get home," said Mercury. But there was a shadow on her face. The glare in her eyes began to cloud over as she assessed the damage to the ship with her computer.
Mars suddenly had a vision. She screamed in terror, but it was too late. Mercury's body was ripped apart by an invisible force. A tall lady with white hair and a golden staff appeared behind Mercury and snatched her starseed before it died out.
"MERCURY!!" everyone shouted at once. But before Usagi's eyes, the Senshi's bodies ripped apart, one by one, and all in a split second. Usagi could do nothing but scream in horror.
Usagi held on to Mamoru and cried, but soon his body tore open and the lady snatched his starseed. She grinned devilishly at Usagi and looked deeply into her eyes. Her face was not even a few inches from Usagi's.
"Now I am the strongest Senshi," she whispered.
"What?" cried Usagi before her body tore apart and the lady snatched her starseed.
"NOW I AM THE STRONGEST!" she answered. The lady disappeared back into the shadow from which she came.