DARK FUTURE
Chapter 1: Hope Springs Eternal.
As Starfire made her way up to the command deck, many confused thoughts were running through her mind. Val-Yor, after pointing her and her allies to the medical bay, had rushed to the bridge to get them away as fast as he could. The fact that the ship now had the gentle, almost imperceptible vibration from the hyper drive running through it indicated he had succeeded, a fact that was of great relief to her but at the same time raised more questions.
The last time she had seen Val-Yor was several years ago, back on Earth. Her and her friends, the Teen Titans, had aided him in vanquishing a horrible threat to the Galaxy. He had treated her poorly, even going as far as to use the reviled word 'Troq' in reference to her...a word she had heard far too often over the past five years. He was the last person she had expected to come to her aid, and the thought that this was all an elaborate trap hadn't left her mind. Still, if he was truly intending on helping her and her comrades, then she at least owed him a thank you for the rescue he had executed.
She approached the entrance of the bridge, she could hear the distinct sounds of arguing, along with the faint static often associated with long-range communications in hyperspace. Starfire paused, pressing herself against a wall and peering inside to spy upon the proceedings. Once, she would have avoided the deception...now, it was a part of her. Looking inside, she saw Val-Yor sitting in his command chair, a look of anger on his face while an equally angry member of his race stared back at him from the view screen.
"Val-Yor, what are you thinking? To defy a direct order and associate yourself with those Troqs you have truly sunk lower than low...you're even WORSE than a Troq!" said the man on the screen, his teeth gritted together in anger.
Val-Yor was much more composed, but anger could be seen smoldering in his eyes,"By what right did we have in getting involved in the whole-sale enslavement of a people, Kur-Tal? The Tamaraneans harmed no-one, and the thin line of them 'preparing to attack several nearby worlds' was hardly a justification for the act."
"They are NOTHING! We proved that when we took their world! You used to know this yourself, I don't know what happened to you," muttered Kur-Tal, frustrated, as he ran a hand through his short hair,"You should be ashamed of yourself for turning your back on your people."
Val-Yor laughed harshly, bitterly,"Ashamed? Of course I'm ashamed," he chortled, before growing serious and leaning forward at the screen,"I'm ashamed that my people took part in what can only be called a crime against sentience. I learned some time ago that most, if not all the negative things we were fed about Tamaraneans were lies from small-minded people, and I'll be damned if I have a part in this. The Princess and her friends are under my protection. If you come after them, be fully prepared to fight me as well."
This is a black day indeed. To have our finest warrior turn his back on us...this treachery will not go unpunished, Val-Yor. Mark my words, you will regret your choice," finished Kur-Tal, the screen going black moments later.
Starfire was taken aback. She still had her doubts, but she was still surprised to hear such a defense of her people coming from one whom she had always assumed despised her and her people. She watched as he slumped down in his chair, resting his head in one of his hands. Val-Yor looked pained, but determined at the same time, his eyes closing as he entered dark and brooding thought.
Slowly, she pushed herself away from the wall and made her way over to the man, tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder. He started, his head looking back over his shoulder, but when he saw who it was he relaxed. Starfire offered him one of her now rare smiles,"I thank you for your rescue and your defense of my people. I am surprised that you would do such a thing, however, considering your beliefs the last time I encountered you."
Val-Yor stood as she withdrew her hand, turning to face her. He still wore the same black and silver combination, the red four-point star still brilliant on his chest,"If you're wondering why I changed my mind...well...let's just say I've had a long time to think about the last time we met," he began, clasping his hands behind his back and making his way over to the navigation station, his back to her,"After our last meeting those years ago, I started to question the whole 'Troq' thing my people, along with several other races, had towards your people. I had heard the Tamaraneans were cowards, stupid, and weak. That they abandoned their friends at the least sign of danger. You did everything totally opposite to what I had heard, what I had believed, and that made me think," he said, reaching onto the console and making a few course corrections to help throw off pursuit,"It was about a month later, I'm ashamed to admit, before the doubt finally managed to break down all my beliefs about your people. I wanted to head back to Earth and apologize in person, but a new threat reared its ugly head in another part of the Galaxy and I had to go help fight it. When I got back, the so-called 'Alliance' had already conquered your world and enslaved your people as 'punishment' for your evil plots."
Starfire nodded, listening to his story intently. She could detect no falsehoods in his voice, but she could not bring herself to trust him entirely,"I see. I am glad that your beliefs about my people have changed, although I am saddened that you will now be an outcast amongst your people. Such a fate is a terrible one, and I could not imagine how it must feel."
Val-Yor shook his head, turning to face the Tamaranean once again and waving his hand in a dismissive manner,"Don't worry about it. They can think what they want, I know I'm doing the right thing," he replied with a smile, although Starfire could see the pain in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject,"I'm a little surprised. I expected your friends from Earth to try and rescue you. Never thought they'd leave you in the clutches of your enemies like that."
Starfire suddenly grew quiet, the smile that she had had on her lips dying at the mention of her friends. She looked down at the deck, her right eye closing as she brought a hand up to her ruined left eye, rubbing the scar that ran over her permanently closed eyelid. Val-Yor grew quiet, sensing the immediate mood drop at the mention of the other Titans. He walked over to Starfire and gently placed a hand on her shoulder,"What happened to your friends?"
"They died. They died five years ago near the beginning of the occupation of my home world," she said, her voice quiet and sad,"They died trying to prevent my capture by those that conquered my world, and I could do nothing to stop it."
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It was a bright and beautiful day. The Titans were having a barbecue on the roof, the smell of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs wafting in the breeze, tended lovingly by Cyborg. Beastboy was sitting upwind, avoiding the smell lest he throw up, while shooting evil glares at his semi-mechanical friend. Raven hovered in mid-air, cross-legged, near the southern edge of the roof repeating her mantra as she remained in deep meditation. Robin and Starfire were on the other side of the roof, leaning against the edge and quietly looking out over the city.
"Its been really quiet lately," said Robin at length, a slightly bored note in his voice,"No activity from Slade, the Hive, or even the other petty crooks we've run into. Even -normal- crime has been low...it feels like the calm before the storm."
Starfire smiled brightly and shook her head,"Friend Robin, you worry far too much. We are much deserving of a break, and no doubt the criminals that we have beaten time and time again desire a break from defeat," she floated into the air, giggling and spinning around for a moment before turning her attention back to the boy wonder,"If you continue to worry so much, you will end up looking like an old gomthrop!"
Beastboy grinned and called over to Robin, adding his two cents,"Yeah, man! Even if something big IS gonna happen, there's no way we'd lose!"
Cyborg flipped a few of the sizzling burgers over, inhaling their scent deeply before piping in,"Yeah. I hate to admit it, but Beastboy's right for once. We've given every crook in town a major butt-kicking, an' their probably just tired of gettin' beat!"
Raven, predictably, ignored what everyone was saying and continued with her meditation.
Robin sighed and shook his head, smiling a bit,"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. Hey Cyborg, how long until..." he began, before the sound of a high-pitch whine filled the air around them. They looked over at Beastboy who, after glaring back at them for immediately assuming the whining was coming from him, looked up into the sky and squinted.
"Hey, look! There's something coming this way, fast!" he exclaimed, point into the air at the object.
They all rushed to the edge of the tower closest to the approaching object, the horrible sound getting louder and louder as it screamed closer and closer to the ground. After a few moments, they were able to see that the object was a barely-in-control spaceship, its flight path severely disjointed. It also looked to be damaged by weapons fire, no doubt a contributing cause to its out of control state. They watched with morbid fascination as the crafts breaking thrusters fired in an effort to slow the careening craft down, barely having an effect.
A gasp from Starfire drew everyones attention away from the ship for a moment. The startled, worried look on the alien girls' face caused many questions to roll through their minds. However, the questions would have to wait as their attention was drawn back to the alien ship by a loud roaring sound. The ship had lost one of its breaking thrusters and was now spinning out of control. Oddly enough, this helped slow the craft down enough that it didn't break apart when it hit the ground next to the tower, causing the tower to tremble slightly and leaving a deep impact crater.
Starfire flew down towards the smoking hole as quickly as she could, followed closely by Raven and Beastboy (who had transformed himself into an Eagle). Robin and Cyborg both took the elevator down to ground level, quickly running out of the tower towards their friends. All stood on the edge of the crater, looking down at the ship with concern and caution..though in Starfire's case, more concern than caution.
The side hatch of the craft opened, thick black smoke pouring out as a form stumbled out into the open air and collapsed. There were gasps as they noted it was a Tamaranean, horribly wounded, blackened from the smoke inside the craft. His chest moved up and down irregularly, indicating troubled breathing, while thick blood oozed from the gashes and wounds along his body. Tattered rags were all that was left of what appeared to have been an official uniform of some sort.
Starfire leapt down into the hole, followed quickly by her friends, a look of shock on her face,"Sebastial!" she called out, landing next to the man and gently cradling his head in her lap. His eyes opened and he coughed heavily, barely able to stay focused as he motioned for Starfire to lean down closer to his face.
The Titans watched as she leaned close, her ear just above his lips. Sebastial whispered to her, his lips moving in Tamaranean. With each passing moment, Starfire's face became paler and paler, a horrified expression settling in her eyes. Leaning back up, she asked him something in her native tongue, to which he nodded grimly. Then, smiling in a faint, apologetic way, he added something else before he exploded into another fit of coughing. This time, however, blood ran down from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes suddenly lost focus. Starfire gasped and shook his shoulders, but when there was no response she began to tear up, softly reaching up with her hand and closing his eyes.
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"Sebastial was one of my fathers' retainers...I had known him ever since I was small. He had fought his way through the invaders and escaped in order to warn me of what had happened to Tamaran. It was a week later when the first starships entered orbit over Earth, the skies filled with their dark shapes," she said, opening her eye and looking up, letting her hand fall to her side once more,"They demanded that I be handed over to them. Earth's governments could not deny them, since Earth did not have the technology to repel them...but they would not help them capture me, and thus helped me the only way they feasibly could...by remaining neutral. The enemy began hunting me, sending massive numbers of troops to the surface and scouring every part of the world. It was only a matter days before they found us. They stunned me early into the fight, and my friends fell one by one as they fought to protect me...their deaths were horrifying to watch, but mercifully swift compared to what was going to happen to me."
Val-Yor looked grim, the look of smoldering anger returning to his eyes. He had liked Starfires' friends, believed them to be full of potential. He had especially liked Robin, respecting the teen for his leadership abilities despite his young age. He released her shoulder and looked away, stepping over to his command chair and sitting down heavily.
"That...wasn't what I was hoping to hear. I'm sorry you had to lose your friends, and I'm sorry my people had a part in it," he said, staring blankly ahead at the empty view screen, his hands gripping the arm-rests of his chair tightly,"I have rooms ready for you and your friends with fresh clothes, and the shower room is at your disposal. You should go rest; I have something I need to show you, but it would probably be better to wait until you've all had a chance to recover from your recent battle," he said, turning to look at her again over his shoulder with a faint smile.
Starfire blinking, narrowing her eye suspiciously,"If it is so important, then why must we wait? I am sure we could see it now if it is so important."
Val-Yor shook his head,"It's not immediately important, since it will take us awhile to get where we're going," he said, looking back at the view screen,"I'll tell you this: some people I ran into have taken an interest in you, and want to help you. I have a message from them detailing what help they're willing to give, but it's a little...strange. That's why I want you to rest; it needs to be seen with a clear mind, and right now you and your friends are too tired to think properly."
She sighed and nodded, relenting,"Alright, I shall listen to your recommendation. However, I do not wish to delay too long...any help that my people can receive is of importance to me, and I do not wish wait too long before seeing what it is," she adds, turning around and walking out of the bridge,"Give us four hours to rest...I will wait no longer than that."
As Starfire left, Val-Yor nodded, pressing a button on his chair. A compartment opened on one of the arm-rests, revealing a small silver data cylinder. He lifted up and held it in his palm, looking at it intensely,"Whatever you guys are planning, I really hope you're going to help these people...and that you're not just toying around with them like pawns," he muttered darkly.
Author's notes: Yay, the first chapter up Hope everyone's liking the story so far. Remember, reviews are welcome, flames are not. Thank you :) I apologize for the lack of formatting...I tried, but doesn't seem to want to let me :P