"It was you. You were the one who directed us to that underground place. Why?"
The Radam Empire is a danger to your planet. I merely wanted you to have a chance against them.
"Radam Empire?"
Yes. They are ancient creatures. Nearly as old as we Tekkamen, but they are evil. And far more powerful than the Yeerks which you face now.
Starfire turned back to the wide expanse of stars behind him, reaching out his right hand, he seemed to tap on the sky. The entire sky in front of him rippled like a liquid, changing from a serene view to one that was decidedly less so. There were hundreds of them; armored figures who at first glance looked almost like Starfire.
But there was something different about them. Something, Jake knew, that was evil.
"These are Radam," Jake said.
Yes.
The scene shifted again, and Jake now saw that Tekkaman Starfire was fighting what almost looked like another of his kind. But this one was armored in black, and did not possess the 'hair' that Starfire himself had. And, Jake couldn't understand why, but the black armored figure had an evil aura that clung to him like a shadow.
"Is that a Radam?"
Yes. It is one of their soldiers. They call themselves Teknomen, in mockery of us.
Jake watched as Tekkaman Starfire and the as-yet-unnamed black Teknoman fought. No quarter was given and none received as the two alien warriors battled. Jake saw their weapons, a curved longsword for Tekkaman Starfire and a double-edged lance for the black Teknoman, as flashes of blue and silver as they repeatedly slammed them against the other's.
The two opponents backflipped away from the other, flaring their rockets and charging back in to attack again. They seemed to be pretty evenly matched, but the Teknoman seemed to have a grudge against his blue opponent. Jake thought it was because he was a Radam, but this fight seemed… personal somehow.
As Jake watched, he began to get a sense of just how powerful the Radam were.
"You've fought them before," Jake affirmed. "Will you be able to help us?"
No, I will not.
"Why?"
Because I, my child, am dead.
What?! Jake screamed silently. He had been under the impression that Tekkaman Starfire was out in the cosmos somewhere, and that he had somehow sensed that the Radam had come to Earth.
"How did you end up here, if you died?"
My spirit is bound to this planet, because this is place is where I lost my life.
Starfire swept his right hand across the sky again, and the ripples spread out from the center, the sky shifting fluidlike to become another scene. Tekkaman Starfire and the black Teknoman were fighting again, but this time, the Teknoman seemed to be more confidant.
As Jake watched, the Radam's eyes flashed bright red, and then he… disappeared? Even Starfire seemed confused by this action, whipping his head around as if trying to pinpoint the now invisible Teknoman. Seconds later, the Teknoman reappeared. But it was too late for Starfire to fight back, as the Teknoman had already rammed his double-edged lance into Starfire's stomach.
The long blade stuck out through Starfire's back, and the Teknoman kicked Starfire's still-living body off the end of his lance. Throwing him into the atmosphere of the planet that had provided a backdrop to their latest confrontation.
"That's Earth," Jake said, having been too absorbed in the battle to notice that fact sooner.
Starfire said nothing, but Jake knew that he had guessed right. The sky rippled again, and the Earth faded from sight.
"Not that I'm not grateful, but why did you lead us to the Radam's base? More than that," Jake looked right at Starfire. "Why did you have us rescue Ness, or Slade or whatever his name is now?"
I made a promise… and that was all Starfire would say about Slade.
Jake knew better than to ask more about Slade, and so he changed the subject. "Why did you come to us?"
The Radam are a danger to you, and now you have been given a weapon to combat that danger.
The sky rippled again, this time showing Slade, asleep in the barn under the blanket Cassie had gotten for him. Jake wondered why Starfire was showing him this, then he realized… Slade was the weapon that Starfire had obliquely referred to. It made sense, since Slade had been transformed when he was in the Radam base.
"So, we have a Teknoman with us now. How can you be sure he won't fight for the Radam when he wakes up?"
Starfire turned his head slightly, looking at Jake out of the side of his left eye. Jake got the feeling that the Tekkaman had been offended by this question. But then he chuckled softly, and Jake knew that he hadn't taken the query personally.
"I was wondering when you would ask me that question, child," Starfire said, speaking out loud for the first time. His voice was muffled in the same way Jake's had been. "Every one of the Radam's servants carries within their bodies a specially engineered parasite to ensure that they never defect. Somewhat like the Yeerks, only these parasites are able to feed off their host instead of having to leave the host to feed."
Starfire sounded mildly sad, as if he pitied them. The host, that is.
"I was able to deactivate the teknopod that held Slade before he was implanted with the parasite."
Jake nodded, knowing that Starfire wouldn't lie after helping him so much. Jake turned to look the Tekkaman in the eye, which was a bit difficult since Starfire was at least eight inches taller than him.
"So, what do we do now?"
"I would advise that you grant Slade the same power that you yourselves have been given."
Jake nodded, somehow not surprised that Starfire knew about that. He had told Jake to morph, after all. Starfire put his hand on Jake's shoulder, and Jake turned to face the Tekkaman.
Have hope, Jake. It is all that sustains us in such times.
Jake nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could really say to that. Starfire's eyes flashed, both of them glowing this time, and the entire world was washed away in a flash of bright blue light…
*** ***
