Episode 2: Soulfire
"Titans! Go!" Robin called out as his team expertly took up their stances against perhaps their most laughable foe, Dr. Light. The chronically incompetent villain had actually made an intelligent move and invaded a power plant, hooking himself up to the main generator and laying waste to anything in his path. Robin leaped over the other generators to attempt to deliver a bo staff blow to the villain's face, but Dr. Light used his whip to wrap around Robin's staff and fling him away.
Raven quietly hovered above the scene as Cyborg mounted a rhinoceros-formed Beast Boy and primed his sonic cannon. "Charge!" Cyborg called and Beast Boy galloped as fast as he could toward the villain. With Cyborg's lack of subtlety, Dr. Light had no problem deflecting both Beast Boy's charge and Cyborg's cannon, sending both of them flying backwards.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven whispered from above. She used Cyborg and Beast Boy's distraction to wrap electrical cables around Dr. Light's gloating form. At first it seemed to work and she floated down further to maintain control of the villain. But with a grunt, he superheated the wires, tore through them with ease, and blasted her straight in the chest with a beam of light, sending her flying as well.
"Raven!" Beast Boy called, turning into a grizzly bear and catching her. Robin used Beast Boy's larger form as a platform to leap off of and grab onto Starfire's hands as she flew over. Starfire then flung Robin towards Dr. Light, and the Boy Wonder flipped in the air before throwing three of his exploding discs toward him.
"The same old tricks won't work today, Titans!" Dr. Light gloated, his goatee bobbing while shooting all three of Robin's discs out of the air, "I have this entire plant's energy at my command!"
"It won't do you much good," Robin quipped, "if you're unconscious."
"Huh?" the reedy evil-doer asked stupidly a millisecond before Starfire's foot collided with his head in a tremendous kick that sent him flying across the plant. True to Robin's warning, he was now unconscious and being contained by a slightly wobbly Raven and a concerned Beast Boy. Cyborg dashed over to the control panels.
"Looks like power is returning to the affected areas of the city. He just rerouted it, not fully absorbed any of it," he informed the others as the police entered the building to collect the prone figure and send him back to jail.
"Glorious!" Starfire called, somersaulting in the air with joy, "Let us return home, friends! I am eager to partake in the breakfast at the incorrect time for breakfast feast that Cyborg had planned for us!" Robin quirked a smile and the others nodded in agreement, filing out of the door and into the T-Car.
After a short drive home, the Titans were sitting comfortably around the table, eagerly waiting for Cyborg to bring out the feast.
"Here we are, y'all!" he announced proudly, placing the platters overflowing with waffles, bacon, eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns on the table, "Dig in!"
The five were just about to do as instructed when they heard the shattering of glass coming from a nearby bedroom and the interior alarm start to blare.
"Dude! Nobody'd better be in my room!" Beast Boy said, angrily shifting into a dog and bolting towards his room.
"Nobody would survive," Raven remarked before phasing into the floor to inspect her own room. Starfire flew off quickly with Robin and Cyborg pelting behind her.
After a quick check, Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all exited their rooms and caught each other's eyes. Robin shut off the alarm, and it was only after the alarm stopped blaring that he and the others heard Starfire shouting in Tamaranean from her room.
"Starfire!" Robin cried, dashing with the others toward her room. After jamming in the lock override code, the other four Titans burst into the room to see Starfire angrily brandishing her starbolts and glowing green eyebolts at a man they had never seen before.
He had strangely familiar close-cut purple-black hair with bangs in a similar shape to Starfire's and slim emerald green eyes staring pleadingly at the angry alien. He was tall – shorter than Cyborg but only by two or three inches – with a stocky upper body tapering into a slim waist and muscular legs. His arms, raised plaintively in surrender, were also fairly muscular, but in a lean way like Robin's. He wore a purple tank top with two silver armbands on his upper arms, silver fingerless gloves with familiar green gems on them, purple pants slightly covered by a black loincloth attached to a silver belt, silver knee-high boots, and a black stud earring in his left ear. He looked like he could easily attack Starfire, even if it would be the last thing he'd ever do, but he didn't seem to be looking for a fight.
The other Titans watched, confused, as Starfire obviously knew the stranger. And apparently hated him, which was rare.
"Gokrashi tormatha, Soand'r! Agnatta yoraya!" Starfire bellowed, leaning into the man angrily.
"Toquet, Koriand'r, wanaga arnzar olanor!" the man replied as he backed away, and Starfire eased up. She lowered her arms and disabled her starbolts, but kept her normal green eyes fixed on him.
"It has been a very long time," Starfire said, an edge of bitterness creeping into her voice and worrying the other Titans.
"Y-Yes. Four years by Earth's cycle," the stranger replied. He seemed almost scared of Starfire, which was reasonable given her greeting, but there was a look in his eyes that practically begged forgiveness. Robin was getting insanely curious so he finally cut in.
"Star? Who is this?" he asked, lowering his bo staff slightly. Starfire only narrowed her eyes at the stranger, leaving him to answer.
"My name is Soand'r, Prince Regent of Tamaran. You may call me Soulfire."
"Wait, prince of Tamaran?" Beast Boy said aloud, piecing it all together, "So that makes you—"
"I am Starfire's elder brother," he replied, straightening to his full height now that he was nearly certain his sister would not attack. Meanwhile, the boys of the Titans' jaws hit the ground and even Raven managed widened eyes and a quirked eyebrow.
"WHAT?!" They all stared at Starfire, who relaxed ever so slightly but her anger was still apparent.
~ Insert theme song here ~
"You have a brother?" Cyborg asked, stunned.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Beast Boy asked, not very graceful about his indignation at being left out. Raven inclined her head to look at the Titans' leader.
"Did you know about this?" she asked, but the answer was obvious as Robin stared at Starfire's profile in shock mixed with just the slightest hint of hurt feelings. Soulfire cleared his throat.
"I am sorry for my intrusion, but—"
"Why are you here, Soand'r?" Starfire asked. Robin's ears perked up. She had not addressed him as 'Brother', even though she had called Blackfire 'Sister' after her cruelty had been exposed, so whatever her brother had done to make her angry must have been serious. Soulfire's shoulders drooped a little in guilt, but his voice carried no less gravity.
"Galfore is extremely ill and the Gordanians are threatening an invasion. Your planet needs you, Sister." This revelation finally shook Starfire out of her anger and all six of them returned to the living room to hear what Soulfire had to say. Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all took their places on the couch, plates piled with the slightly cooler but still edible breakfast for dinner feast, but Starfire remained standing and facing the wall so all Soulfire could see was her profile. (Because she was still hungry, she despondently munched on a waffle with mint frosting.)
"What's all this about the Gordanians attacking?" Robin asked.
"And why do you need our help?" Raven added in her monotone. Beast Boy glanced at her briefly – he could tell that she was still suspicious even though Soulfire was Starfire's brother because of how Starfire was still behaving towards him – and turned his attention back to Soulfire with a little bit of extra caution.
"When you all left Tamaran sixteen months ago, Starfire left Galfore as the interim Grand Ruler in my stead. When I returned to Tamaran two months ago, he explained to me what Kommand'r – I mean, Blackfire – had done and how Starfire and her friends – you all – had saved Tamaran from her tyranny. I thank you for my help, friends of my sister," Soulfire explained, bowing slightly with his thanks.
"No problem, man. We're the Titans," Cyborg said with a smile, "Saving people is what we do, no matter what planet."
"Wait a minute, hold on!" Beast Boy called out, waving his arms in confusion, "If you are supposed to be king or whatever, why haven't we heard about you before? Star hasn't told us anything—" Starfire winced at the mention of her name, though she was not angry at Beast Boy, "—and that gigantic nanny guy didn't say anything about you either!"
"As to why Galfore did not mention me, I do not know. But I have not seen either of my sisters in four years. I have been training on the Centauri Moons with the elders to hone my powers and learn how to rule Tamaran," Soulfire informed them, and looks of mild realization started to dawn on Beast Boy and Cyborg's faces.
"Four years," Raven said quietly, "so that means you haven't seen Starfire since…"
"Since the Gordanians took her—attempted to take her to the Citadel, yes," her brother affirmed, "And in that four years, the Gordanians have overthrown the Citadel and established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, especially in the last year or so. King Daktaal and his armies are now threatening the other planets in close proximity, starting with Tamaran… and the Earth shortly thereafter."
"Why Earth?" Cyborg asked.
"Gordanians do not forget easily. Especially when a planet that had bore no threat to them before somehow manages to defeat one of their best ships with ease," Soulfire replied, referring to how the Titans all met and their first battle.
"Earth will be ready," Robin muttered darkly, already priming for a fight. Starfire finally spoke up, the first words she had uttered in nearly fifteen minutes.
"Tamaran has a great army. I saw it myself the last time my friends and I were there. And Galfore is a wonderful general," she said flatly, "It will not be like last time, Soand'r. Not like the first war that brought ruin to our planet."
"Galfore is ill, Sister," Soulfire nearly pleaded, and Starfire finally turned her face to him, her green eyes meeting his own, "Very ill. I am in charge in his stead until he recovers and can officially return the crown to me. And neither of us wish to fight a full-scale war. I need your team's help." He looked imploringly at the Titans, whose frowns had severely lessened. "You are the only beings alive who have infiltrated a Gordanian ship and prevailed. You destroyed one of their battleships without a ship of your own! I need your help to spare my people the pain of another war. I need you… Sister."
Starfire finally turned her whole body to face the pleading prince in front of her. Her friends saw something inside of her soften ever so slightly before she turned her big green eyes imploringly on their leader.
"Robin, I must help Galfore. If he is ill and wishes for peace, I must help him. Please, may I go?" she begged, turning her friends into mushy piles of agreement.
"Of course you can, Starfire," Robin started, "and—"
"Please, could you all… lend your assistance as well? I do not know what will become of this mission… but I do know that we are heroes. We fight for peace. May we fight for peace on another planet as well?" Starfire looked at her friends so desperately that they all felt their insides melt into a little affectionate pool at the bottom of their stomachs. How could they ever refuse her?
"If she's going, I'm going too." Oddly, Raven was the first to pipe up, and she was shortly followed by Cyborg and Beast Boy's joint declaration of "Me too!" Robin stood up decisively.
"Titans, start packing."
Soulfire bowed once again. "Thank you, Titans of Earth. Our planet is indebted to you." The other Titans smiled at him while Starfire walked out of the room without another word or glance at her brother.
The next morning, after everyone had gotten some rest (Soulfire had insisted on staying on the couch), Beast Boy and Cyborg were down in the garage tuning up the T-Ship for interstellar travel once again.
"No, BB, put the pizza with the googly eye next to the thing that looks like an air freshener!" Cyborg barked at Beast Boy, who was crawling in the smaller spaces of the T-Ship as a guinea pig. Beast Boy's head popped up out of a panel and he asked, "Which air freshener, the pine tree or the weird mutated dolphin?"
"The mutated dolphin. The glowing green donut goes around the pine tree," Cyborg replied, devolving into the simpler version of the instructions that he had learned how to use with Beast Boy ever since their crash on the barren purple planet. "Is there anything else that looks empty?" A little green guinea pig tumbled out of the engine compartment and shifted back into the lanky green changeling.
"Nope! I think we got everything!" Beast Boy said, standing up and brushing himself off. "Dude, as much as I wanna help, I do not want to go back. I never got how to use their bathrooms! That's, like, vital!"
"Man, I'm sure Soul will tell you how to use them. He seems like a pretty solid dude," Cyborg replied, inspecting the oxygen tanks.
"I guess. But Star looked really upset with him," Beast Boy said, worried.
"I know. But she also asked Robin to let her help, even if she was mad at him. And she pleaded with us to come with her," Cyborg reasoned, "Until Star says something, we're going to be helping them. Besides, if the Gordanians are heading for Earth after Tamaran, it makes sense for us to head them off before they get here."
"I guess you're right," Beast Boy sighed, "She was just so… angry. And I know what she's like when she won't forgive someone. It's like you don't exist to her."
"It'll be okay, BB. We'll look out for her," the metal man said from the cockpit. Beast Boy nodded, transformed into a gecko, and began combing the exterior of the ship for any cracks that may compromise its ability to get the team to Tamaran alive.
Robin paced outside of Starfire's locked door. She never locked her door, aside from the one time she had gone through her Transformation, so he knew she was extremely upset. He knew he had to say something, but he was at a loss as to what. "Why didn't you tell me" seemed insensitive, and he knew she was hurting. "Why do you hate your brother" could cause her to shut him out more – if there was a reason she hadn't said anything before, then…
"Robin," Raven intoned from behind him, and he jumped a bit. "Sorry."
"It's fine. What is it?" he asked, turning to face his darkly clad teammate.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, not challenging him, but genuinely wanting to hear his thoughts. Robin knew that when Raven questioned him, it was never to antagonize him but to understand him better. He frowned.
"Not at all. But Starfire wants us to help him. We can at least start them with defense plans and we can even rally Earth's defense from there. But if there comes a time where she feels she can't do it—"
"We'll leave. Starfire comes first," Raven finished for him, and he gave her a half-smile. He still looked troubled that Starfire had withheld such important information from him, but he wouldn't let it get to him. Not until she had time to gather her own thoughts. He looked carefully at his darker teammate, but something seemed off about her.
"Are you all right? You seem a little—"
"I'm fine," Raven said quickly and with finality. Robin dropped it. He also knew better than to go down that road with Raven.
"All right. But you know you can come to me if you need to."
"I know," Raven said, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. Ever since the whole Trigon debacle, she had been more open with her expressions and even sharing a little more with her fellow Titans. But just barely. However, Robin and the others knew not to push it. She'd come to them more with time.
"Also, Raven," Robin whispered so that Starfire wouldn't hear, "could you keep an eye on Soulfire? I know he's her brother, but after Blackfire…"
"I understand," was all Raven said before she phased into the floor of the hallway. Robin sighed, returning his thoughts to the alien girl behind the door. He had thought he knew everything about Starfire after their many hours of talking and spending time together. But he realized, standing outside of the alien princess's door, that he hadn't really asked her much about her life before the Titans. If he did, it was about Galfore or Blackfire. He hadn't asked about her parents, how she grew up, or what Tamaran was really like. He hadn't asked about how she got on that Gordanian ship.
He hadn't asked her why she'd stayed on Earth. Why she didn't want to go back home.
Kicking himself, he turned to face the door, pressed a hand against it, and said, "Starfire? I hope you can hear me." He heard a small shift from inside. He hoped that meant that Starfire was coming closer to the door rather than trying to retreat. "We're here for you, Starfire. I can tell there's something going on with you and your brother. But I'm not going to ask. I know you'll tell me when you're ready." There was silence from inside the room, but it wasn't a bad one. "Cy and Beast Boy are finishing up with the ship. We should be ready to take off soon." With that, he walked back to his own room to finish packing.
Inside her room, Starfire held her knees to her chest and bent her head, fighting back tears. She felt guilty that she had never shared such a huge part of her life with her friends. She felt ashamed that she had to ask for their help and drag them back to a place that had treated them so poorly. She felt scared because she was returning to a planet she knew may not let her go back to Earth a second time. She also felt a little happy that her friends were not only going to Tamaran for her but, if she asked it, they would also leave if she started to feel uncomfortable. Tears spilled out of her eyes, hot mixtures of all those emotions, but one stood out most.
She felt a burning anger – possibly even a hatred – toward Soand'r for coming into her life again, not matter how necessary it had been.
"All right, guys, let's do this!" Cyborg called as he took his spot in the T-Ship. The other Titans took their own seats with a mix of trepidation and excitement (in Starfire's case, resignation). Soulfire waited patiently for them to get situated before flying ahead of them to be their guide. After the systems check and a very smooth takeoff, the five cruised toward their destination, a mere three-hour flight at the speed they were going, with Soulfire leading them easily.
The air in the ship was tense, however. Starfire was still sullen and the others were searching for a way to make her smile again (even Raven, who was oddly perturbed that Starfire wasn't perturbing her with her cheeriness). Finally Robin got up the courage to speak up.
"Starfire?"
"Yes?"
"Are you all right?" Immediately she plastered on a smile too big to be real and began to babble.
"I am feeling wonderful! I am jubilant to return to Tamaran and see my k'norfka! I wish he was in a more healthful condition, but I have missed him so!" she chirped a little too happily.
"Star—" Cyborg tried to interrupt.
"Perhaps I can show you more of Tamaran this time! We remained in the palace for most of our last stay—"
"Or the dungeon," Beast Boy muttered mostly to himself, but the three who weren't Starfire heard it.
"—but I wish to show you all what a beautiful planet it is! Not as beautiful as Earth, but still glorious in its own way. Oh! And perhaps we will get to see more of my friends!"
"More friends?" Raven asked, and Robin caught her meaning. The last friend Starfire had introduced them to was her hulking caretaker, who at first did everything he could to keep her separated from the rest of them.
"Yes! Now that Soand'r has returned, perhaps his guard has returned as well. His k'norfka is Galfore's other half, and the royal military advisor is Soand'r's best friend. And then there is the captain of the guard, and his personal bodyguard. They stay with him for much of the time, but I considered them my friends as well," Starfire sighed wistfully, "I have not seen them since… um, since Soand'r left for the Centauri Moons." Starfire glanced at her brother flying in front of them and sighed again before returning her eyes to the console in front of her. The other Titans exchanged looks; maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Star?" Beast Boy asked.
"Yes?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cyborg asked, already holding the controls to turn a sharp U if she said they should go home. After a few seconds, she nodded.
"My home planet is in trouble, and the Earth may be threatened next. My feelings are not as important as the people we protect," she said, sounding more confident than she had nearly all day. Robin shot a glance at Raven, and she spoke directly to his mind.
Let it come out on its own, Robin. She'll tell us.
Will she? That's exactly what she said when Val-Yor was calling her—
I know. But she told us eventually. Forcing her to tell us won't make anything better – it didn't then, it won't now, and it never will. Robin pursed his lips in frustration.
Do you know why she's like this? Raven hesitated before answering.
I may have an idea. But I don't know for sure. If it becomes necessary, I have no trouble if we have to force it out of Soulfire. Robin smiled at Raven's subtle malice until Soulfire's voice began to echo into all of their headsets.
"Gordanian drone fleet!" he yelled and the Titans saw a small squadron of green and black ships shaped like torpedoes. There were no openings, so Robin felt sure that the ships were unmanned. He watched as Soulfire diverged off course to follow after one.
"Titans! Separate!" Robin bellowed, and they did as directed. Beast Boy immediately made a front flip and caught a drone who had been following the ship as he was upside down. Starfire and Raven on the sides began to fire at the drones who had snuck up on their flanks. Cyborg rose from their earlier position and sent out a radial blast, catching about five drones in its way, and Robin barreled forward charging straight towards the largest drone in the fleet. The large drone seemed smarter than the others and began to lead Robin on a chase, and soon Soulfire joined in Robin's pursuit.
"If we take out the leader, the other drones will be deactivated!" Soulfire instructed.
"Got it!" Robin replied and bore down on the drone harder. Robin watched the others as they took some of the other drones out, but more soon replaced them. He gritted his teeth and focused on the leader drone, Soulfire matching his movements.
Soon Robin and Soulfire entered an asteroid belt Robin knew to be near Tamaran and the drone cornered itself by one of the larger ones.
"Ha! We have it, Robin!" Soulfire called triumphantly, but Robin noticed a drone heading straight for Soulfire and charging its shot. Robin opened his mouth to call to Soulfire, but he was beaten to it.
"SOAND'R!" Starfire's voice echoed over the headsets they all wore, and Soulfire turned around in time to see Starfire blast the drone to smithereens with her cannons.
"Thank you, Sister!" Soulfire called, but Starfire ignored him and sped off in pursuit of another one. Soulfire only had time to look crestfallen for a moment before the largest drone opened fire on him. Robin attempted to shoot back, but the ship was surrounded by some form of energy shield.
"Robin! We took care of the others! We're heading back towards you!" Cyborg reported over the headsets.
"Starfire, Raven, charge up your plasma blasters. Cyborg, boot up your sonic cannon. I can't hit it with my firepower!" Robin growled.
"But I can!" Soulfire responded, his eyes glowing a bright fuchsia color, similar to Starfire's when she was about to launch an attack. But instead of the starbolts Robin had come to expect from Tamaraneans, suddenly a large magenta blade erupted out of Soulfire's wrist. Avoiding the drone's projectiles, he launched himself toward it and sliced the drone cleanly in half as the other Titans, who had just arrived on the scene with their weapons primed, watched in awe. Only Starfire seemed unsurprised at her brother's different powers, but Beast Boy could not contain his shock.
"DUDE! You grew a sword out of your hand! How did you do that?!" he asked, miming Soulfire's powers with his own hands.
Soulfire smiled and answered, "Studying to become Grand Ruler of Tamaran is not just diplomacy and etiquette. It involves learning the Centauri Mind Arts as well, if one is not blessed with the powers my sisters inherited."
"Wait," Cyborg asked as the T-Ship began to reform itself since all the Titans were in close enough proximity, "you don't have starbolts and eyebeams like Star?"
"I do not. On Tamaran, though we are all blessed with flight, strength, and the ability to withstand harsh conditions, not all are granted the sacred powers that my sisters have been granted," Soulfire explained, "And never before have two children in a generation inherited it at the same time." Robin looked over at Starfire; she had obviously grown uncomfortable with the talk of her sister and her look of despondence was back. Before he could divert the topic, however, Soulfire informed them that there were Tamaranean vessels coming to escort them to the planet, and the Titans followed them without accidentally firing on them.
~ commercial break ~
The T-Ship and Soulfire gracefully landed in the front of the palace amidst a procession of important-looking Tamaranean officials and soldiers lining the pathway to the grand doors. Soulfire flew up to his sister's compartment to help her exit, but she ignored him and flew down herself as the others got out as well. The landing party walked to the front of the ship to be met with a hundred sets of eyes. There was a military shout, and all of them knelt to one knee and bellowed, "All hail Prince Regent Soand'r and Princess Koriand'r!" in English, which surprised the Titans.
"I had them use English for you," Soulfire whispered to the group before giving the reply, "Dal'ti awal!" This must have been the command for them to resume standing for the company did so. Starfire stepped forward, a smile on her face but steel in her eyes.
"Thank you all for your warm welcome. Surely you remember my friends?" She asked sweetly, and the Titans saw all the guards present gulp or exchange nervous glances with one another. Oh, yes, they remembered. Beast Boy and Cyborg gave them smug smiles before Soulfire spoke again.
"I have brought the Teen Titans of Earth to help us in this difficult time. Please treat them as you would my sister or myself," he intoned gravely, and Robin remembered that Soulfire had been informed of their last disastrous trip to Tamaran. The greeting party got the message and bowed to the other Titans quickly. Cyborg and Beast Boy both waved like beauty pageant contestants, and Beast Boy squeaked out, "All right, first thing's first; I need a bathroom and someone to teach me how to use it!"
"SOAND'R!" a loud female voice boomed from the entryway to the palace and the doors slammed open. A hulking female Tamaranean – one who looked disturbingly like Galfore but with all of her hair on her head instead of her face, an all-purple dress with a silver apron tied around it, and a robotic left leg and right eye on her body – glared angrily at Soulfire, who blanched. Beside her stood three others.
The first was a rather bulky man (Robin was reminded of Mammoth for a brief second) with a glistening bald head, a small goatee on his chin, and a full-body purple jumpsuit with black pelts dangling off his back in a cape. He had a long familiar spear strapped to his back, but his had a strange spigot near the point that Robin didn't understand.
The second man was tall and lithe, his abs showing underneath the purple cutoff shirt similar to Starfire's, with a long deep red ponytail tied tightly behind his head and black pants with silver armor on the thighs and shins. He had two very elaborate three-pronged daggers fastened to his sides and the bottom of his boots seemed to be spiked.
And the third was a slender but toned woman with pageboy cut brown hair, a bell-sleeved purple leotard that had a silver utility belt around her waist, silver gloves and knee-high boots, and a large scar from one cheek to the other that looked like it had come from a very large claw. Robin noticed that, on her utility belt, she had a short silver rod similar to his bo staff when he had it retracted for storage, but hers was a little thicker.
The large woman barreled quickly towards Soulfire, and even though the four non-Tamaranean Titans got into a battle stance, everyone else merely backed away without looking alarmed. But instead of attacking him with deadly force, she merely attacked him with a deadly hug, pinning Soulfire's arms against him and knocking the wind out of him. The three that were accompanying the large woman soon joined her.
"My beautiful little bumgorf! Are you injured? I've been worried sick! Why didn't you take someone with you when you went to Earth? You even ordered Darya to stay behind!" the woman cooed loudly as she cuddled Soulfire to her enormous body in an endearingly spine-crushing hug.
Soulfire sputtered, "Hello, Shiora. I am well, please do not fret. I am able to care for myself, and the Titans are excellent fighters." Shiora gave a great harrumph and hugged him even tighter (if that was possible).
"Hmph! I shall worry if my sweet boy gets into a fight with Gordanian scout drones if I so choose!" She then turned to the assembled greeting party and barked, "Get out of here! Prepare the princess's room and rooms for our esteemed guests! NOW!" Fearing the wrath (or even the affection) of the larger woman, the others quickly scattered, leaving only the Titans, Soulfire, Shiora, and the three that had arrived with her.
Finally, she turned to the Titans and laid her eyes on Starfire. Shiora's green eyes softened greatly when she looked at her bumgorf's sister, and she said gently, "Welcome home, Koriand'r. Galfore and I have missed you."
"It is good to see you as well, Shiora," Starfire said, looking genuinely happy to see the over-exuberant mountain, "May I introduce my friends?"
"Oh, there is no need, my dear. Galfore has told me all about them!" She turned her happy gaze onto Beast Boy, still not releasing Soulfire, who looked a little blue in the face. "This strapping green fellow is Beast Boy."
Beast Boy took this opportunity to voice a question he had obviously been dying to ask, "Are you Starfire's nanny too?"
Shiora laughed, "No, only my dear Soand'r's. But I did care for Koriand'r as well when Galfore was away." She then looked at Raven, who was eyeing the Tamaraneans before her with (what the Titans recognized to be) mild suspicion. "This young lady is Raven."
Raven spared her a cursory-but-not-quite-rude, "Hello" before returning to her mental analysis of the other three, who were in turn studying the Titans.
Shiora turned to Cyborg and her eyes lit up with excitement. "Cyborg! I must speak with you about how you maintain that excellent ship of yours. And perhaps pick up a few pointers on my own maintenance. As you can see, I too do not have all of my original parts," she said, pointing to her replacement right eye. Cyborg bravely walked up to her and motioned for her to lean down, which she did and released Soulfire at the same time. Soulfire took this opportunity to retreat to the woman with the pageboy hair that had accompanied Shiora and breathe. The woman patted his back as he gasped in air, but her face did not change its expression.
Cyborg looked over Shiora's eye and said, "I could probably come up with something for you. Any requests?" Shiora laughed loudly.
"Not right now! But I am sure we will have plenty of time to get to know one another." Finally, she turned to Robin. She examined him more closely than the other three, looking him up and down carefully, before beaming at him.
"And you must be the leader Galfore has spoken so highly of. Robin, is it?" Robin let out a little smile at Galfore's revealed praise and said cordially, "Nice to meet you. We're here to help."
"No wonder my husband has high hopes for you, lad! Oh, but where are my manners? I should have introduced the rest of the Prince Regent's company," she said, quickly digressing into a more business-like tone. She motioned to the bulky bald man, who grinned down at the Titans mischievously. "This is Firid'n, captain of the palace guard, though he's been serving as extra protection for Soand'r for the last few years."
Firid'n leaped forward and shook Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg's hands vigorously. "It's so great to meet you! You guys are legends in the guard! We've never had anyone break out of our cells before! Sorry that my men stuck you in there, though. I wasn't here, you know?" Beast Boy and Cyborg smiled, already liking the exuberant captain.
"No sweat, man. It's all good now," Cyborg said, waving off their previous adventure in the Tamaranean dungeons. Beast Boy gave him a big cheesy Beast Boy smile, and Raven rolled her eyes when Beast Boy turned that smile to her.
Shiora motioned to the woman standing directly beside Soulfire, "This is Darya, Tamaran's most brilliant combat scientist and Soand'r's personal bodyguard." As if to prove that she was more professional than Firid'n, who was still grinning happily from his place at Shiora's side, Darya merely bowed to the Titans.
Once again, Beast Boy piped up, "Do you have super cool sword hands like Soulfire too?" Darya looked at him, and the others thought her cool expression reminded them a little bit of their own resident dark sorceress.
"No, only my lord knows the Centauri Mind Arts," she replied, her voice low and silky, "My skills lie elsewhere."
"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked. Darya looked at Soulfire and he nodded. At his signal, she withdrew the silver rod she had on her belt and ejected the ends. But instead of a simple staff like Robins, the ends formed into a double-ended naginata, and she proceeded to demonstrate a few of her combat moves.
"Ice!" Soulfire called, and with the press of a button, Darya's weapon became able to send out little icy shockwaves and freeze any surface it touched. The Titans' eyes widened, and Robin especially was impressed. Similar results were achieved when Soulfire called "Fire!" and "Electricity!", and the demonstration ended with all four of the Titan newcomers clapping appreciatively.
"That was impressive," Robin said, and Darya turned her expressionless gaze on him, "Maybe you could help me upgrade my weapons, if that'd be alright. I could help you with something too." Darya gave him a quick once-over and, much to everyone's surprise, let out a small smile.
"Thank you for your compliment. Galfore spoke of your indestructible cape. Perhaps you could aid me in creating my own?" she suggested, and Robin nodded. Soulfire suddenly walked up and seemed to stand in front of her, blocking her from Robin slightly. (Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven were slightly amused by this; Soulfire's mild jealousy was very like his sister's over their leader.) Any signs of territorial behavior were only increased when he spoke.
"I chose Darya because she is the absolute best that Tamaran has to offer."
"I thank you for your words on my behalf, milord," Darya said from behind him. Raven was the only one in position to see her face, but she was sure she saw a mild blush grace Darya's cheeks for an instant.
Shiora interrupted the mild display of princely jealousy by introducing the final member of Soulfire's company. "This is my son and chief military advisor, Al'krr," she said proudly. The lean Tamaranean, who had yet to say a single word, paid no attention to the Titans as he walked over to Starfire. Without any preface, he leaned down and kissed Starfire directly on the mouth. She made no motion to stop him, nor did she even encourage him. He had simply put his lips against hers, and she just stood there. Nevertheless, for the second time in the last twenty-four hours, every single human Titan (especially Robin) was shocked by the sight before them.
Al'krr removed his lips from Starfire's and turned to face the other Titans. "I have heard much of the Titans. I bid you welcome to Tamaran," he said in a pleasantly deep voice.
"Hold on a second!" Beast Boy cried, "What's going on here?!"
"Who is this guy?!" Cyborg roared, confusion making him louder than he probably should have been.
"You never said you were engaged again," Raven said, the slightest bit of hurt sneaking into her statement at the thought that Starfire had hidden something from them again. Robin turned his face to Starfire, trying very hard not to show how hurt he was. Meanwhile, the Tamaraneans looked on at their strong reactions, confused.
"What is wrong?" Al'krr asked innocently. Robin tentatively placed his hand on Starfire's shoulder and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment.
"Starfire? What's going on?" he asked as calmly as he could, and a look of realization came over Starfire.
"Oh! I apologize, friends, for not explaining. The people of my planet can learn any language instantaneously through lip contact," she explained brightly, pointing to her lips.
"I needed to learn the language of the Titans in order to communicate with them, correct?" Al'krr asked, and Beast Boy and Cyborg shrugged their assent, still a little baffled that Starfire had this ability and never told them. Darya then piped up.
"Ah, I see the trouble. I have heard of this Earth custom called a 'kiss'. They believe that Al'krr is romantically involved or betrothed to milady because he initiated the knowledge transfer lip contact," Darya explained bluntly, and the others nodded in understanding. However, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg glanced over at Robin; he looked more crushed and deflated than he'd ever let himself look before. Not paying attention to the crestfallen look on the human leader's face, Shiora ushered them all inside, saying that she had a feast prepared in honor of their arrival.
Shiora, Al'krr, Darya, Firid'n, and Soulfire led the Titans through the palace, Starfire keeping as much distance between her and her brother, who led the procession, as possible. Robin stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him, startled.
"Robin?"
"Are you sure you're alright, Star? I know you keep saying you are, but…"
"It is nothing, Robin. We have a mission to complete. We are here not only because Soand'r asked, but because it will benefit the Earth as well. Everything is fine," she answered, smiling kindly at him before they resumed their walk through the palace. Robin wanted to tell her to stop pretending to be okay and talk to him, but he knew Raven was right and that pushing her would cause more problems than it would solve, so he just walked along beside her.
Meanwhile, Beast Boy had never been one to worry about the consequences of pushing people, so he slowed down to keep pace with Raven. "Hey, Raven, are you feeling okay?" he asked, walking backwards so he could face her.
She ducked her head down so he couldn't see her face and said, "I'm fine, Beast Boy."
"You just haven't been yourself lately, and I'm—"
"I said I'm fine." Beast Boy didn't believe her, but he dropped it for the moment and walked beside her. Raven was a little surprised that he dropped the subject – the hound in him always wanted the answers – but she appreciated the company as they walked through the ornate halls.
They arrived in the dining hall where an elaborate feast was set before them. This time, however, there were familiar Earth foods alongside the normal Tamaranean fare. There was a turkey beside the freshly squeezed glorg, salads sprinkled with zorkaberries, and – for some reason – a tall stack of pancakes topped with mashed potatoes. Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy began to drool at the sight of the Earth food (and the drinking glasses that they could actually lift), and they all took their seats at the table. The head of the table remained empty while Starfire took the first seat on its left and Soulfire took the one on the right. The Titans sat along Starfire's side and Soulfire's company sat along his with some other Tamaranean nobles scattered past them.
The feeding frenzy began, but thankfully none of the Tamaraneans touched the Earth food, so the humans were able to eat in relative comfort. Starfire refrained from reverting to her abysmal Tamaranean table manners and indulged in both kinds of foods happily. Dinner for the aliens was over in a matter of minutes, so the humans were forced to scarf down their meals in order to not be rude and make their hosts wait too long for them to finish.
After the meal, the nobles dispersed and Soulfire informed the Titans that Galfore wished to see them, leading them once again through the colossal palace. The walk would have been pleasant for Raven if not for Beast Boy constantly changing into cute animals and walking beside her, trying to get her to notice him. Raven had noticed that he was trying to get her to talk, but she was stubbornly refusing to.
The truth was, she hadn't been herself lately. But she couldn't talk to anyone about it until she figured out a way to deal with it herself. And she'd been trying for weeks…
Raven was so lost in her own thoughts that she bumped into Cyborg's back when they stopped in front of some grand doors that led to the royal chambers. Darya and Firid'n opened the doors and the rest filed in. The Titans formed a line in front of Galfore's bed and their hosts lined up behind them.
"Kadanir?" Shiora said softly, true worry etching her face for the first time since they'd met her earlier, "The Titans are here to see you."
The large mountain beneath the blankets began to move, and Galfore's impressive frame sat up against the pillows behind him. The newcomers all let out a little gasp; the valiant and vibrant Galfore they remembered was nowhere to be seen. Grey had begun to color his hair, overtaking his mustache and creeping over to the roots of his beard. His eyes were sunken in and paler, his muscles had shrunk, and his breathing was slightly labored. He looked smaller without all of his pelts and normal clothes, instead only wearing a simple purple nightshirt. The only thing that truly reminded them of the Galfore they had met nearly a year before was the soft smile he was giving them. Starfire's eyes began to tear up as he focused his gaze on her.
"Ah, my little bumgorf, you have come back. Thank you for returning when we need you so greatly," he said shallowly, smiling sweetly at his old charge. Starfire flew over to him and gave him a hug around his neck.
"How could I stay away from my k'norfka when he is in such a state?" she asked and he patted her head. She returned to her place beside her friends, trying very hard to hold back tears. Robin gently touched her wrist for a moment, and she gave him a small smile.
Soulfire addressed the ailing Grand Ruler from behind Starfire, "My sister has returned in order to help us stop the Gordanian threat before it devastates our planet once again." Galfore nodded.
"That is my aim. No more destruction. A quick end. Tamaran and its people have already suffered too much. First at the hands of the Citadel, now we face their old servants. We will not allow ourselves to be as unprepared as we were last time," Galfore said grandly, coughing nearly every other word. Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg looked confused and even Raven allowed her eyes to widen ever so slightly. The four of them turned to look at Starfire before Beast Boy addressed Galfore again.
"More destruction, Galfore, sir?"
"Yes, Beast Boy. Many years ago…" he began before coughing once again. He finished his coughing fit and sounded a little clearer and stronger when he began his story again. "Many years ago, Tamaran was a lush and densely wooded planet. Plants grew, rivers flowed, milnips sang, and there was no strife. Tamaran had never engaged in warfare, nor did we have an army; they weren't necessary. But about six years ago, the Gordanians invaded on behalf of the Citadel… and nearly destroyed all plant life on our planet, as well as a good many of our people." The human Titans looked out the window. Purple wasteland stared back at them, mountains in the distance. Not a plant they could identify in sight.
Robin was stunned; Starfire had never told them that the aliens that had captured her were capable of biological warfare. How had she survived? How would the Earth survive the onslaught?
"So they nearly destroyed your entire planet?" Cyborg asked gravely, and Robin's fists clenched. Beast Boy's chest rumbled in a quiet growl, and a small candle in the room became encased in hot black energy before entirely melting.
Shiora continued for her husband, "Our enemies devastated us. We were a peaceful people, only having a few guards to protect the royal family on diplomacy trips, and even then guarding them was their secondary duties. Among them were Firid'n and Darya. The post of military advisor had not even been created yet."
"We did not possess an army anywhere near what we needed to halt an invasion," Darya said coldly.
"Men, women… children… all lost to the slaughter," Firid'n nearly sobbed, making some of the others wonder if he had lost someone to the invasion.
"And after the people, they began work to destroy the land so we could never recover," Al'krr intoned. Soulfire took a deep breath before he continued.
"Until the Citadel offered my parents, the former Grand Ruler and Grandess, a deal. But they were away on a diplomatic trip to Vernathia in a vain attempt to ask for aid. So the decision fell to Blackfire and myself, Blackfire being the eldest and I being the only male," he explained, his voice tightening.
No one continued the story, and a small sob alerted the Titans that Starfire had sunk into a despair they had never seen before on her. Her head was bowed and her arms were wrapped protectively around her middle. Her knees shook and her breath came out in shallow gasps. She looked like she was crumpling under a weight they couldn't see, but they definitely could see the tears dripping off of her hidden face and they could hear her mumbling what sounded like the word "no" over and over again to herself. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked like they were going to cry just looking at her and Raven hid her face further back in the shadow of her hood. Robin slowly took a step forward, struck by the sight before him.
"Starfire…" Robin breathed as he reached out a hand to her. He barely grazed her shoulder before she let out a small "I cannot be here" and ran full-tilt out of the room.
"Starfire, wait!" Robin called after her, but Al'krr and Firid'n blocked his way. Soon they realized that they had been surrounded by their hosts, though they seemed to have no violent intentions. Nevertheless, the Titans huddled together and readied themselves to fight back and find Starfire if they needed to. Soulfire's voice from the foot of Galfore's bed drew their attention.
"Please, Titans. You must listen. You will understand then," Soulfire implored.
"What happened to Starfire?!" Robin snarled, his mind set on the look of agony on her face as she left.
"…We took the deal," Soulfire replied, all bravado he had instantly leaving him and despair taking its place.
"What was the deal?" Raven asked testily.
"What does it have to do with Starfire? Weren't you and Blackfire in charge of it?" Cyborg spat.
"They were," Darya replied, guilt appearing on her formerly expressionless face, "The Citadel agreed to cease all violent activity and withdraw all of their troops…"
"In exchange for one important person. Someone with the holy powers of X'hal herself, but young enough that they could mold into a weapon," Al'krr intoned. Realization dawned on the Titans. Cyborg looked incredulously at Soulfire. Raven's power melted all the other candles in the room. Beast Boy whispered, "No way…" and his arms dropped to his sides. Robin just glared angrily at Soulfire, knowing exactly what they all were trying to say.
"Yes," Soulfire sighed, "I had to choose to save my planet or my little sister. And I chose Tamaran."
~ commercial break ~
"How could you?!" Robin roared.
"Dude, she's your sister!" Beast Boy snarled.
"You gave her to your enemy!" Cyborg bellowed, "Did you think for a second about what they were going to do to her?"
"Of course I did!" Soulfire shot back, getting a little intimidated from being ganged up on by his sister's four angry and powerful friends. Darya edged a little closer to him, ready to act as his bodyguard if the need arose, as he continued, "What else could I have done? Keep my sister and let the entire planet – millions of people, all of the remaining plant life that had been spared – be destroyed?"
As much as they hated to admit, Soulfire had a point, though that did not mean that they forgave him. He continued, saying, "I didn't want to give her up. She is my family… now the only family I have left. Our parents were killed, and Blackfire is rightfully banished. When I returned from the Centauri Moons, I was overjoyed to learn that she was alive. …But I deserve every bit of hatred she feels toward me."
"Do you know what they did to her? What they were going to do to her?!" Beast Boy accused.
"That was not part of the deal!" Soulfire exclaimed, his capacity for remaining calm finally breaking, "It was agreed that they would take her, yes. But they did not state for what purpose, and… I hadn't gotten the chance to speak with her yet. It was a delicate situation – they would open fire on the planet if she did not go with them. And they do not know the meaning of patience. The second she walked into the room when the negotiations were over, they tranquilized her, locked up her hands, and took her onto the ship. I didn't get to say anything to her."
"She said that she was their prize. She knew you had allowed it to happen, that you had given her to them. And that she was going to spend the rest of her life doing what they told her to," Cyborg explained in an uncharacteristic near-monotone.
"I know! I know, and I am sorry! I had no other way of saving my people!" Soulfire burst out, his voice breaking with unrealized tears. They all could see that he was truly remorseful, so the boys eased up ever so slightly, but Raven was still not appeased.
"Then why did you think asking her for help was a good idea?" Raven asked, venom that would have scared Trigon dripping from her voice, "Of all the people in the galaxy you could call on for help – the Centauri people that you studied under, for example – you call on the one person that you sold into servitude." Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg could hear Rage start to creep into the forefront of Raven's countenance and they were tempted to let her take over and wreak havoc. But the others in Soulfire's company all rushed to his side to defend him; Darya took her place directly in front of him, Firid'n and Al'krr stood by his shoulders, and Shiora positioned herself next to her husband's bedside but still behind Soulfire. Firid'n broke the tension first.
"We are desperate!" Firid'n cried, "The Gordanians may not be as organized as they were when they were under the control of the Citadel, but they are more reckless and ruthless now. Scouts will come undiscovered and burn homes or attack citizens. Drones invade our airspace without notice – you just fought one of their fleets!"
"But you Teen Titans defeated the Gordanians before," Darya added, genuine respect echoing in her voice, "when you liberated Princess Starfire. You are the only ones who have ever taken down an entire Gordanian warship without a ship of your own."
"And that justifies bringing Starfire back here?!" Cyborg shouted, but Robin grabbed his arm.
"Wait," Robin said, realizing something, "she's here."
"Yeah, man, that's what I said!"
"No, Cyborg, she asked to come here. She wants to be here. She wasn't forced, and we've said that we'd go home if she wanted," Robin said, facing Soulfire, "Starfire is very honest with her feelings. I don't think she would have come to help if she didn't care. If she didn't want to forgive you, if she really didn't want to see you ever again, she wouldn't have begged to let her come." Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven completely relaxed and thought about what Robin had just said.
"Starfire doesn't like to hold grudges," Raven reasoned.
"She even gave Blackfire another chance the last time we were here," Beast Boy pointed out.
"She might have come to try to give you another chance, Soulfire," Robin told him.
"And we wouldn't have come if she hadn't asked," Cyborg said firmly.
"The simple fact that she asked us to help means that she does want to move forward," Robin addressed the other Tamaraneans, who were now staring at them in awe and relief, "and we are here to help her. But if you mess this up, if you hurt her again, if you do anything that stupid again—"
"You'll deal with us," all four of the Titans chorused menacingly, and all of the Tamaraneans remaining (except Galfore) flinched.
"I think that is fair," Galfore intoned sagely between coughs, "Princess Koriand'r has already proclaimed that Earth is her home now. It seems fitting that her new family protect her… as her old one could not." Soulfire looked at the floor, but Robin walked up to him – Darya kept a sharp eye on him – and clapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"It's not too late, Soulfire. We need to find her," he said, and his friends nodded behind him. Soulfire gave a little smile.
Starfire walked over the purple wastelands, magenta dust rising in little puffs with every step, considering her options. She could simply fly home! But she did not want to leave her friends behind… She could return to the castle. No, she thought as a searing pain burned in her chest at the thought, I cannot ever return there. I feel so… crushed there. I cannot breathe.
This left her with the option of waiting for her friends to find her. They would. Robin always found her. Even when she had been going through her transformation and fled Earth, Robin and her friends had found her.
Thinking of her friends made her smile a little as she continued to walk. She came upon a small hilled area in the wastelands, close to one of the settlements she remembered as being abandoned before she… left home. Suddenly, from behind one of the hills, three large green-and-black Gordanians flew up high and descended on her too quickly for her to react.
"Take her. Perhaps we could use her," one of them said, and the other two grabbed her tightly by her arms.
"As what? Another slave?" the one grabbing her left arm asked. Starfire struggled against them and managed to at least move them with her alien strength, but she could not shake them off completely.
"Release me immediately! You will be sorry if you do not!" she growled, thrashing as much as she could. The two holding her arms lifted her from the ground so she lost her leverage, and the first who had spoken considered her face.
"I recognize that voice. And this face," he said, and she blasted him back with her eyebeams. She then flew upward, dragging the two holding her with her, and threw them on the ground.
"She has royal powers!" the leader called, "Catch her! She is the escaped princess from the last peace treaty!" At the mention of who she was, Starfire unconsciously froze. They have not forgotten. Have they returned because I escaped? Is that what is behind all of this?
The two lizard-like aliens that Starfire had shaken off leapt up into the air, withdrawing spears from their backs, and tackled her out of the sky as she pondered a moment too long. With a resounding thud, they brought her back to the ground, struggling mightily. The struggle effectively ended when the leader grabbed her by her hair and yanked her head up to face him.
"Today is a joyous day. Our long-lost prize has been returned to us. The king will pay handsomely for you," he sneered, and Starfire tried her eyebolts again, but he easily dodged them. While she was distracted, one of the others came up behind her and put those horrible Tamaranean-proof cuffs that Starfire had desperately tried to remove on her last escape on her wrists once more.
"No!" she cried, continuing to struggle desperately, "I will never return to be your prize!" The leader of the little scouting band opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't get a word out before he was hit square in the chest with an exploding disc, dropping Starfire to the ground.
"STARFIRE!" Robin bellowed, leaping into the air and landing his foot right in the face of one of the other scouts. Beast Boy, as a rhinoceros, butted the third scout away from Starfire's arm, Cyborg blasted the recently-kicked scout, and Raven shielded Starfire with her body, her hands glowing with her black energy.
"You're not taking her again," Robin said forcefully. The three scouts, now fully recovered and not wanting to surrender their ultimate prize so quickly, all pulled out their electric spear weapons and charged once more. Robin whipped out his bo staff and went head to head with one of them, blocking and dodging while still getting in a few good hits. Beast Boy became a grizzly bear and swatted at one of the others while Cyborg tried to wrestle the spear from the third's hand. Raven knelt beside Starfire and attempted to use her powers to free Starfire from her cuffs with no success.
"Come on," Raven whispered, urging her powers to cooperate. But the black energy kept flickering until it gave out completely.
"Raven? Are you injured?" Starfire asked, worry in her eyes, not for her own safety but for the wellbeing of the enchantress before her. Raven shrunk her face further into her hood at Starfire's concern and sighed.
"I'm not hurt, Starfire. But we're going to have to wait to get those off you until—" Her sentence was cut off by the leader of the scouts whacking her in the head with his massive fist. He then used that fist to grab Starfire around the neck and took off from the ground, flying higher and higher. This gave Starfire the opportunity to look down at what had become of her friends.
The other two scouts had been apprehended, but Cyborg (who had been fighting the scout currently hoisting her up in the air) was lying chest-down on the ground, unmoving. She saw Beast Boy looking around frantically, trying to decide whom to help first – the fallen Cyborg, the unconscious Raven, or the kidnapped Starfire – and then she heard Robin call out, "Beast Boy! Gorilla!" Beast Boy heard the call and did as he was told, shifting into a mighty gorilla. Robin dashed toward Beast Boy and jumped up. Beast Boy then used his enhanced strength to spring Robin higher into the air in an effort to clasp onto either Starfire or the alien taking her away, but his fingertips just barely missed.
"No!" Robin grunted as he fell back to the ground.
"Robin!" Starfire whimpered, still thrashing her legs as much as she could.
"SISTER!" Starfire heard the voice before she registered that it belonged to the man tackling the Gordanian holding her. The scout released her neck and she fell to the ground, watching as Soulfire began to fight with a long magenta spear of his own. Robin caught her as she fell, using the same technique with Beast Boy that had failed the last time, and they landed easily. Darya, Al'krr, and Firid'n flew over from the same direction that Soulfire had entered and began to take the other two incapacitated scouts into custody.
"Starfire, are you okay?" Robin asked, quickly getting out his multi-tool to unlock her bindings as Beast Boy dashed back over to help Cyborg, who was beginning to get back up, and Raven, who was still out cold.
"Yes, Robin," Starfire replied quietly as she watched the battle above them. Soulfire had switched from a spear to a giant war hammer and was beating the scout soundly, but the scout refused to surrender.
"You will not take my sister from me again!" Soulfire roared, swinging his hammer and barely missing.
The scout swung with his spear, but he missed as well, snarling, "We did not take her. You gave her to us willingly, little prince! And now we shall reclaim what is ours."
Soulfire let out a raging battle cry as he enlarged his hammer and swung down onto the scout's head as hard as he could. It landed soundly and the scout crashed back down to the planet, sending out a shockwave. He looked down at his defeated opponent as he descended, looking the most like a true prince to the Titans since he had come to the tower, and he landed gracefully next to the lizard-eqsue brute. He put one foot on the alien's chest and leaned over him, eyes flashing with malice.
"She does not belong to anyone," he said with finality as Al'krr and Firid'n picked up the fallen scout and placed cuffs on him similar to the ones he put on Starfire. Darya walked over to Soulfire and tapped on his shoulder.
"Milord, we need to get Lady Raven back to the palace for medical attention. And Master Cyborg needs to be looked over by the Grandess," she said, and Soulfire turned to see a still-unconscious Raven being carried by Beast Boy (who looked extremely worried) and Cyborg checking his diagnostics.
"Yes. Please escort them back, Darya. I will be there soon," he answered. Darya nodded, flew over to Cyborg, and easily picked him up with her Tamaranean strength. Beast Boy held Raven protectively, seeming to be worried that Darya would take her from him, but Darya did not move to take Raven as well and simply gave him a small, kind smile. Beast Boy looked over to Robin and Starfire, who had been freed and both of whom were standing again, and Robin nodded for him to go with her. Beast Boy followed, but Starfire was sure she heard him whisper, "Please be okay, Rae. Please wake up soon."
Darya led Beast Boy back to the palace, flying in pace with his walking speed, leaving Robin, Starfire, and Soulfire alone. Starfire stared at her brother, who only looked at his sister's feet, and Robin kept his eyes on Starfire. After a fairly uncomfortable but mercifully short silence, Soulfire knelt down on one knee and bowed his head to Starfire.
"Soand'r—"
"Koriand'r… I do not deserve to call you my sister after what I did to you… But your friends have given me hope that we may someday come together as family again. Please, even if you cannot forgive me, I wish for us to spend time together so that I may show you how much I desire to repair the rift I have created between us. Let me try to reverse the rekmas, and let us save Tamaran… together," Soulfire said, his gaze never leaving the ground. There was another silence as Starfire considered his words until Robin put his hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him and he shot her a small smile, which she returned with an even bigger one of her own. She walked over to stand directly in front of the kneeling prince.
"I do not know if I will ever forget what has happened between us. There has been so much… And my days imprisoned on that ship still have not left my memory," she said quietly, and Robin frowned at this; he didn't know she was still haunted by her imprisonment and he mentally kicked himself for not being more observant and considerate. She continued, "But that does not mean you are not family, and it does not mean that I do not wish to be here. I have no plans to remain on Tamaran forever; my home is on Earth. But… the planet that raised me is in need, and I do not wish to lose any more family… Brother."
At this, Soulfire finally looked up, and Robin could see the unmistakable sheen of tears in his eyes. He stood and hesitantly extended his arms, but Starfire beat him to it. She hugged her brother, and he hugged back, tears falling into his sister's fiery red hair.
Robin looked on at them, smiling broadly, but in the back of his mind he couldn't help remembering that this – both the reparation of relationships and the oncoming war – was going to be a long road ahead of them all.