-Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Masters of the Universe world. The only things that are mine are the new characters I introduce. I am making no profit by playing with someone else's toys.-
-1- From the stars
The royal family of Eternia sat outside in the palace gardens around one of the stone tables as the sun set on the horizon. The evening was calm and relaxing. Skeletor hadn't been heard from in several weeks and the anticipation of attack was beginning to fade. Orko was entertaining the King, Queen and Prince while Cringer napped at Adam's feet. Man-at-Arms and his daughter Teela joined them as Orko showed off his newest trick. A handful of birds perched on Orko's outstretched arm. He cued the birds to sing as a conductor cues and orchestra. As the birds finished they each bowed to the audience and received a round of delighted applause.
"That was a very impressive trick Orko." Man-at-Arms said with a smile.
Orko bowed to the warrior. "Thank you – I have been working on it for sometime now." As the small wizard straightened he startled the birds into flight. Everyone laughed and ducked as the birds scattered, one of them leaving a spot on the top of Man-at-Arms helmet with a splat as it flew away. Teela fought to hide a laugh as her father fumed at the magician.
"ORKO!"
The Trollan streaked behind Prince Adam for protection but before anyone could say another word a bright light streaked across the dimming sky. Cringer ducked under the garden table as a large crash sounded in the distance.
King Randor turned to his long time friend, mild concern coloring his features. "A meteor perhaps, Duncan?"
"I'm not sure, Sire. If you wish, I can take the Attack-trac and check it out."
The King nodded his agreement and Adam stood, stepping forward. "Would you like some company Duncan?"
"Certainly Prince Adam. Teela, are coming as well?"
Teela shook her head. "Not this time, I should stay here. I have some new guards on duty this evening."
Man-at-Arms nodded and the two men left King and Queen with Teela in the clearing.
----- -----
After several minutes of traveling into the Evergreen Forest in the Attack-trac, Man-at-Arms and the Prince reached the top of a ridge bordering a valley on the edge of the forest. The sight that met their eyes shocked them. There was a deep trench cutting across the valley floor and at the far side of the valley half embedded in a hillside was a large metal ship. The craft was unlike anything they had seen before and it was smoking, being on fire in several places. Without a word, Man-at-Arms put the Attack-trac into high gear and sped across the valley through the trail of debris.
"You don't think anyone is in there yet, do you, Duncan?"
Man-at-Arms looked grim as they approached the wreckage. "I certainly hope the pilot got out but we had better check."
Adam nodded and they began climbing out of the armored tank. "We'd better hurry. That ship doesn't look real stable."
The two of them pried on the smashed escape door trying to get into the ship but the door wouldn't budge. A small explosion near the tail of the craft spurred the prince into action. He stepped back from the burning wreck and drew his sword. "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!"
Man-at-Arms raised his arm to shield his eyes as lightening enveloped the prince and he morphed into He-Man. He stepped forward and pulled the door off its bent hinges. They both ducked inside to check for the pilot, trying not to inhale the smoke that was filling the ship. They found two prone figures slumped in the pilot chairs. He-man pulled the nearest person from the chair. Man-at-Arms went to the other. The other pilot was slumped forward and he had to ease him back into the chair to unbuckle him from the chair. A low moan issued from the helmet the pilot wore. Man-at-Arms carefully unlatched the helmet from the flight suit the pilot was wearing and eased the helmet off to see how badly he was hurt. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down into the face of a young woman. She looked at him with disoriented, unfocused grey eyes.
"Man-at-Arms!" He-Man called from outside the wreckage.
Man-at-Arms finished unbuckling the woman. He started to pick her up and she began struggling against him. "Easy," Man-at-Arms said as he caught hold of her shoulder. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You're safe." She stopped fighting him and her eyes slid closed. Another explosion rocked the ship as he rushed out the door carrying the woman. He rushed towards the Attack-Trac when He-Man yelled out.
"DUNCAN! Get Down!"
He dropped to the ground and shielded the woman from the blast as the ship exploded. Several large pieces of metal clanged against his body armor. As the metal quit raining down, He-Man rushed to his friend's side. Kneeling beside Man-at-Arms he looked down at the unconscious woman. "We need to get them back to the palace. The other pilot is in really bad shape."
Duncan nodded and scooped up the woman. He carried her with ease to the Attack-trac and laid her gently down, trying to make both injured pilots as comfortable as possible while He-Man turned the trac back toward the palace.
----- -----
The royal family of Eternia weren't the only ones to see the streak across the sky. Skeletor and Evil-lyn stood looking off in the distance from the top of Snake Mountain. Evil-Lyn had conjured a window to see what had caused the light in the sky. They had watched as Man-at-Arms had carried the woman from the wreckage and dropped to the ground to protect her as the ship had exploded.
Skeletor now stood thoughtfully contemplating. Evil-lyn knew better than to interrupt until her master was ready to speak. He suddenly turned to face the witch. "Evil-lyn. I want you to get inside the palace and find these two foreigners. With the power that ship had when it exploded, they must know some way to breech the defenses of Greyskull. I want to know what it is."
"But Skeletor, they will be under heavy guard in the palace hospital. I can get into the palace but… how will I get past the guards?"
Skeletor leered at her. "With this." He reached his hand and pulled a cloak from his shoulder. He flipped the cloak around the witch and she disappeared.
"What is this?" she asked.
"An invisibility cloak. Tri-clops found it hidden in some ruins in the Symian Jungle. You can get into the palace in disguise and use the cloak to get close to the foreigners. When you have the opportunity, bring them back here to Snake Mountain. I am looking forward to having a long chat with them." Evil-lyn shrugged off the cloak, draping it carefully over her arm and changed her appearance with magic to that of an old woman. With a nod to her master that she was ready, Skeletor opened a space portal and she stepped through to the fertile plans not far from the palace.
----- -----
There was an enormous flurry of activity within the palace when the heroes returned. Man-at-Arms had called ahead for Teela to ready the healers for incoming wounded. The guards were waiting with the healers in the courtyard as He-Man stopped the Attack-trac. The injured pilots were carefully taken to the medical wing to be tended. Duncan stopped one of the healers briefly, questioning the status of the two foreigners.
"We need to get the man taken care of immediately. He has severe internal injuries. It will be a very tenuous situation, I don't know if he will be strong enough to recover."
Man-at-Arms slightly lowered his voice. "And the woman?"
"Her injuries aren't as severe but she is also in critical condition right now. I must go to help my colleagues, sir. You can check in on them both later this evening."
As the young healer jogged to follow his departing fellows, Man-at-Arms closed his eyes briefly, unable to shake the vision of a pair of grey eyes from his memory.