Cheyenne Mountain, United States, Earth
21 March 2017
The remainder of the previous day was filled with meetings, briefings, and general discussion. If Adrian felt any shock over seeing the woman about whom he had dreamt, he kept the emotion carefully masked. Sorceress spied his eyes wandering her direction numerous times, but darted away once caught. Most of that took place after watching the recorded sessions two years ago when Sorceress had been transported from her starship to the moon base for treatment for oxygen deprivation. She shuddered almost imperceptibly seeing herself weak as a newborn baby. Her answers barely coherent and making no sense to her benefactors until more information was discovered.
The time was nearing one o'clock in the morning when the last of the discussions were finished. Everyone retired to the cafeteria to grab a late meal before heading off to his or her respective quarters. Sorceress made herself a light salad and some fruit. She still wasn't sure how the animal flesh would effect her system even though she had been repeatedly assured her body could handle it without trouble. So Sorceress indulged in her one unwavering vise; a large Hot Fudge Sunday.
Though she had been awake for nearly eighteen hours, Sorceress did not feel like sleeping just yet. Since taking up residence in the Cheyenne Mountain facility, General Hammond had seen to it she received better quarters than the bare-walled, ten-foot by ten-foot sparsely furnished box she had lived in for seven months. Now, the quarters were nearly three times the size – almost as big as Hammond's – with a private bathroom, a sectioned off bedroom, and decent sized living room. Though the walls were still bare and the dresser drawers and closets practically empty of clothing, Sorceress did amass a collection of books brought in for her at General Hammond's request.
The various works ranging from William Shakespeare to Edger Allen Poe, Anne McCaffrey to Timothy Zahn, and a little of Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. All this, she felt, gave her at least a beginning to understanding her adoptive home. The different cultures and religions were especially confusing. Although this United States had its share of problems, many caused by its own desire for a world of peace and equality, Sorceress knew she was better off where she was than if she had been taken to some other country.
Once safely inside her quarters, Sorceress slumped against the closed door. So much was happening now that the impending return of the Horde was close at hand. These people were the key to the problem of the Horde. They had to be. No one else had even a remote chance technologically or otherwise of standing up to Horde Prime's empire. Sorceress fretted over all this while changing in a pink nightgown like the one she used to have when she resided in Castle Grayskull. She paused in the bathroom after filling a pitcher three-quarters full with cold water to stare at her reflection. The falcon-like headdress had been so much a part of her being Sorceress scarcely remembered her natural hair or color.
Choosing not to dwell on the mystery of why she retained the mantle of the Guardian of Grayskull while so far from the castle, she left the bathroom and walked over to the combination refrigerator/freezer for the ice to add to the water. Ice water and empty glass from a cabinet in hand, Sorceress retired to the bedroom to continue the Anne McCaffrey novel she started a week ago. Though no world even remotely like her world of Pern existed, there were dragons; like the wise, old Granamyr of Darksmoke Mountain.
Sorceress filled the tall glass and placed both on coasters on the nightstand, and paused, feeling an oddly familiar presence. The hardbound book she had been reading was nowhere in sight.
"My compliments on your nightmare. Adrian didn't take as much convincing as I had feared he would need to join us," Sorceress said to the empty room.
A book slapped closed from behind and to Sorceress' right. "I would take credit for that any day, if it were my doing," a soft feminine voice answered. "I had a very small hand it. I did enhance the intensity, but the armor, it seems, was way ahead of me."
Sorceress straightened and faced her uninvited visitor. "Then perhaps you can do something about my nightmares."
"You know I can't do that," the woman replied. She reclined in the only chair in the bedroom dressed in a white silk gown that accentuated the upper torso while flaring out into an ankle-length skirt currently draped over crossed shapely legs and booted feet. Straight brown tresses framed a face that showed none of the aging Sorceress last remembered seeing long, long ago.
"Still making unannounced appearances, I see," Sorceress replied smoothly, tucking one leg under her as she sat on the side of the bed, glass of ice water in hand.
"And you never have a nice greeting for your dear old mentor, Kodec."
"I would comment you are looking well, but you are as immortal as I because of the castle. So that is pointless."
"But your earth friends value such things since they are not immortal," Kodec replied, looking down at the book in her lap. "Interesting reading. A nice diversion from the musty old things in Grayskull's library." She looked up suddenly, arching an eyebrow. "And where have your manners gone? Aren't you going to offer a drink for your guest?"
A slight wave of Sorceress' right hand caused an identical glass filled with ice water to appear in the air close to Kodec's left hand. Kodec returned the favor in kind by magically sending the novel back to the nightstand where she'd found it.
"The Horde fleet is almost at the edge of this solar system," Kodec said almost casually.
"I know. The Hubble Telescope found them approaching on the same vector they used two years ago." Sorceress had found that out about six hours ago.
Kodec decided it was time to unload more misery, as if there wasn't plenty already. "The Horde would never have broken off the attack like they did unless something had happened." When Sorceress didn't reply, Kodec continued. "Something remarkable happened on Eternia. He-man finally showed up." Sorceress perked up at that, Kodec held up a hand to forestall any comments. "It took a lot of convincing, but he joined the battle to drive King Hiss from Eternia. I told you Teela's marriage to King Hiss was just a matter of convenience to save the people from further brutality by the Snake Men. She joined He-man in the fight, and after a lengthy battle, won the day. However, a fleet of Horde ships arrived just after the battle concluded to continue the fighting. He-man and companions fended off the new invasion force. However, the fleet under Catra's command – the one that left earth – arrived when the weakened heroes gained the upper hand, and delivered a decisive defeat. He-man was captured while many of the companions retreated into hiding. And Castle Grayskull sealed itself up so tight even Granamyr would be hard-pressed to gain entry."
Sorceress let the enormity of it all sink in before replying, "So they left because Earth was no longer a threat. For the moment, at least."
Kodec nodded. "But they are returning. And their technology has improved a great deal in those two years. Only the armor will stand a chance against it, however…"
Sorceress looked up from her glass. "What?" she prodded. How much worse could it get?
"The armor has not been used in a long time. Centuries, by earth time keeping. Vague rumors hinted at their being constructed of Etherium alloy. I don't know much more than that except that the durability may be diminished."
"You're saying the first battle using the armor suits may be the last." General Hammond was not going to like that.
Scientists discovered the molecular structure of Etherium alloy in the computer memory of her starship. The dynamics of the structure was still being researched, but these industrious and inventive humans figured out how to make more before fully understanding why the structure worked the way it did. There was just one minor detail. To unlock the full potential of the alloy, it had to be manufactured in zero gravity. The dynamics of this was a hotly contested issue. Bottom line, all the alloy made had been used in completely reverse-engineering and reconstructing her starship. If the armor had to be treated in a similar manor, Sorceress feared there would not be enough alloy or time to refurbish the armor.
"But we must take this one step at a time." Kodec rose from the chair and walked over to the nightstand, set the glass down after emptying its contents. "First, you must escape this world, evade the approaching fleet, and get a bearing on where the armor is hidden."
"I don't suppose you could tell me where?"
"I do not know the exact location. All I can tell you is I have been there. I have seen the armor from a distance. It seemed intact, but there is a power in the chamber where the suits reside that would not allow a closer inspection. Even an Elder could not approach without being seriously injured or even killed. Only those to whom the armor calls out to can get close. Use that to your advantage, and the way will point to itself." With that, the ancient woman left to bedroom in a swirl of silk skirts. It took Sorceress only a moment to get off the bed and follow her into the outer room, intent on asking more questions. Only an empty room greeted her.
Now I know why General Hammond hates my silent entry and exits. It's just so – irritating.
Area 51, United States, Earth
30 April 2017
For over a month, the Delta Force unit under the command of Colonel Markson, and five who would wear the mystic armor, trained long and hard for the unconventional war they would soon engage in. Colonel Markson's unit was not a true Delta Force unit. In actuality, the three squads were made up of army rangers, snipers, Navy Seals, and a few marines. Getting these different service backgrounds just to enter the same room much lest remain civil was a choir. Getting them to work together proved to be a near impossibility. Only the images from the Hubble Space Telescope of the approaching warships kept the peace. The rivalries and interservice bickering continued, of course, but it was markedly reduced. General Hammond left it to Colonel Markson to keep things under control while he dealt with another problem.
Hammond finally backed Sorceress into a corner, figuratively speaking, on the issue of the sixth armor-bearer. It was either reveal who the last individual was, or have her existence broadcast to the Horde. Hammond hated using that tactic, but Sorceress could be unreasonably stubborn. Never mind the fact he never had any real intention of revealing her presence to the Horde. Sorceress doubted the general would follow through with his threat, but his boldness in making it was enough to convince her it was time for more of the truth to come to light.
Sorceress revealed that she was the sixth person. Why the suit called to her was a mystery, but one she could not ignore no matter how hard she tried. Before she became the Guardian of Castle Grayskull, she had been willing to use any means necessary to protect her village from the Horde invaders. Now she had to make that choice again. There were sentient beings willingly serving Horde Prime. She would no doubt face them in battle, but like He-man and She-Ra, Sorceress adopted the law of never taking a life. Jake Rockwell pointed out there were plenty of robots for her to use her magic against while the others performed the unfortunate necessity of destroying those beings when left with no other choice.
And the Horde would leave them with no choice.
Once the Guardian armor was unleashed in the universe once again, the Horde would use any and all means necessary to destroy them. They had to deal with the fact that once the line was crossed and their existence was revealed, they would be committing to a course from which there would be no turning back.
That also meant Sorceress would have to learn some sort of self-defense fighting techniques that could save her life. Hohiro Takamora offered to train her and Adrian in several arts. A master of the bokken, kenpo, and several other martial arts, Hohiro was widely acknowledged as around the world as a master of each art. Sorceress, Adrian, and anyone else interested would learn the art of kenpo or karate. The sword training was reserved solely for Adrian. The only reason Hohiro would give for this was a premonition he had after first meeting Adrian Cobretti for the first time.
Despite her early reluctance, Sorceress came to like the discipline involved in the art of kenpo; and she proved to be a quick study. Adrian, on the other hand found handling a boken daunting. All the grace and finesse he displayed learning kenpo disappeared when trying to learn the use of the bokken.
The encrypted files previously unbroken from the Sorceress' starship were finally decrypted. The first thing pulled from the jumbled mass of data was design specifications of the six mystical suits of power armor. Hohiro's 'feeling' about Adrian proved correct when the specs on his armor revealed twin energy sabers called beam sabers. Through they would be lighter when wielded, Hohiro still felt he could train Adrian in their use utilizing earth techniques.
The other suits were all powerful in their own right with specialized weaponry. Sonya Boradni's armor utilized a kind of beam spear most reminiscent of a naginata-do, or samurai's halberd as it's primary weapon. Brad Johnson's armor utilized twin scimitars whose blades could be energized to red-hot temperatures to carve though most armor types up to three feet thick. Jeromy Ironwood liked the scythe utilized by his armor. Adrian's primary weapon turned out to be a rifle of unbelievable destructive power. Jake Rockwell's armor sported two twin gatling cannon assemblies. The designs also showed specs for some kind of miniature missile assemble. And Sorceress' armor appeared to act as some kind of amplifier for her magical abilities.
"In their day these suits must have been awesome," Colonel Markson commented at the briefing on the armor capabilities.
"Weapons like those could make very powerful enemies" Hohiro replied, hands steepled in front of him. "Or make someone a very powerful ruler."
"Exactly," General Hammond agreed. "If the Horde were to discover the existence of these, they would stop at nothing to acquire them. Or stop us from getting them."
"These suits predate the Horde," Sorceress supplied. "It's entirely possible Horde Prime knows about them. He uses magic as I do. He may even have knowledge, however inaccurate, of what we are doing."
"All the more reason to accelerate the preparations. Captain Majourny says the starship is ready to fly. Whatever other systems still below one hundred percent can be repaired while under way. With the Horde fleet just outside our solar system I have contacted the President with the intent of getting a 'Go' for launch." General Hammond slowly swept his gaze around the room. "We should hear something within the next few days. For now I am ordering everyone to begin departure preparations. Get all your gear checked and loaded onboard ship as quickly as possible."
The task of loading the alien starship proved to be harder than it first appeared. While the reverse engineering worked, it hadn't solved the problem of combining the traits of a warship and troop carrier into one. Not with the design available to them. A completely new design would be needed, and the time and materials needed for the construction. And then there were the test flights, weapons tests, and on, and on, and on.
Although listed as a Delta Force unit, Colonel Markson's command was in actuality one of the new Combined Forces units; a unit drawn from the best elements of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. The Air Force had the sole responsibility for the space fleet, although presently non-existent. Procedure for loading two dropships, two APCs (armored personnel carrier), munitions, weapons, tactical gear, and tactical database analysis dictated eight to twelve hours. Captain Majourny wanted to see it they could shave an hour or so off that. If they did, they all would get at least a day off.
They did it safely and efficiently in five.
Sol System, Coreward Rim
Horde Advance Fleet
1 May 2017
Catra prowled the corridors of the command ship like the ferule cat the mask she wore on her forehead turned her into. One might think the red outfit she wore revealing a lot of leg and arm would be appealing along with the shapely firmness of her sleek frame. One might even find the angled features pleasant. No one on this warship thought that, however, when exposed to her predatory nature. The only man humanoid onboard did not even give her attractiveness a first glance. His interest lay solely in what the unpredictable enemy on the third planet of this system was doing.
Like Catra, Rongar hated waiting. He had more than enough firepower at hand to smite Earth's defenses. And those nuclear weapons wouldn't even penetrate their warship shields. But Horde Prime gave strict orders to hold at the solar system's rim and wait for further orders, so that's what they will do.
"Rrrrrrooeeewwww," Catra roared from the open access hatch. "Why are we just sitting here? We have more than enough forces to take care of any resistance the humans can mount."
Rongar sighed. "Because Horde Prime ordered it. Something isn't right about these humans, something that concerns Horde Prime. After analyzing the battles I can begin to see why."
"They are nothing compared to the might of the Horde. They will resist, destroy some of our forces, but they could not hope to win," Catra countered.
"Nevertheless, we will wait a see what happens."
The trooper manning the communications equipment turned in a chair barely big enough to support the massive bulk of the standard model. "Sir," the machine replied, red-slitted eyes flashing as it spoke. "A signal from Horde World. Horde Prime commands you contact him immediately."
Dismissing Catra from his mind, Rongar faced the large table taking up the center of the command deck. The troopers manning the stations all around the deck continued in their assigned tasks oblivious of the holographic projector that came to life in the table's center. The image coalesced in the white globe showed only swirling purple mists. The tip of a clawed hand briefly appeared then disappeared. "Report," a gravelly voice rumbled from the speakers hidden in the table.
"We have arrived at the Terran system on schedule. We are currently holding just beyond the rim as ordered," Rongar replied clipped and crisp.
"Excellent. Keep a close watch on that system, commander. I have reason to believe those humans are up to something. The agent we left behind has indicated some unusual movements in personnel and material to a region in the North American continent."
Rongar's brow furled, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Any clue as to what it means?"
"None," Horde Prime replied. "Although I would suspect they plan to mount an expedition of some sort."
"There was no indication they have interstellar capabilities. Their shuttles are primitive as are the ships they use to travel to and from their moon." Rongar reviewed everything he had seen on the human culture. If Horde Prime was concerned, something surely must have happened. "With all do respect, My Lord, if you know or suspect something it might help our surveillance."
"I have felt…a…stirring in magical energies. One I have not felt in a long time. Someone of considerable magical ability is in that system. Someone of considerable magical ability is in that system, someone who will likely try to leave soon. Watch for it. I cannot be more specific. Report back when you have seen what I seek."
Rongar replied a touch nervously, "I am not sure of what I'm looking for."
"You will know it when you see it." The image of swirling purple mists faded away before Rongar could voice his concern.
Lost in thought, the towering humanoid wandered over to the expansive viewing ports. "What are you hiding out there," he murmured to himself.
Seeing she wasn't going to get any satisfaction from the fleet commander, Catra stalked off the command deck in search of hapless robots to vent her frustration on. When she was in this mood hapless robots were scarce because word spread like wildfire and no targets surfaced in her sights. Though Horde robots tended to be not to bright because of the limited programming put into them on the assembly lines, they were not stupid enough to get caught in Catra's gun sights.