So... this is a short one, and I apologize for that. I kept trying to fill it with things, but nothing was working, so in the end I just left it as is. However, to make up for that, and the fact that I was gone for so long (real life is a biiitch), you get two updates instead of just one! And the next chapter has plot relevant stuff :D
The Cycle Starts Again
Lady Cravenheart
4.
Sprx cooks, and it's delicious. Salad, tossed in a thin layer of dressing and built with dried fruits, nuts, and croutons. A vegetarian pasta dish, with meat served on the side for those who wanted it. Charlie devours two plates of pasta and a large bowl of salad.
"Jeez, kiddo. Slow down," Sprx says. "You'd think you hadn't eaten in a week."
Charlie gulps down her noodles. "I haven't eaten since breakfast this morning," she says, shrugging.
Gibson sputters. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Charlie shrugs again and spins her fork through the pasta. "Not like we had any food," she says.
"You could have grabbed yourself something from the convenience store," Gibson says, still looking horrified.
"Don't worry about it, Gibson." Charlie stuffs another bite in her mouth; chews; swallows. "It's fine. I'm eating now, right?"
"Yes, but—"
"I take better care of myself usually," Charlie assures him. "I had a lot on my mind. Escaping from the formless, rediscovering the hyper force, an adrenaline crash, stocking up on supplies… all important things! The important thing is that I'm eating now." She spears a piece of meat with her fork and stuffs it in her mouth.
Gibson grimaces. "I suppose."
Charlie chews and swallows. "Never mind that. I'm sure all of you have questions. Twenty-one years in stasis means a lot's changed."
Sprx opens his mouth, but Nova beats him to the punch. "We did have some questions about these new enemies, but it can wait until tomorrow. It's been a very busy day."
Sprx scowls and side-eyes Nova. "I would also like to know more about the resistance."
Nova glares at him.
Charlie claps her hands together, startling both. Otto's fork clatters against his plate and he flushes, smiling sheepishly as he picks it up. Charlie smiles at him before addressing Sprx and Nova.
"Both excellent topics! I'll start with our new enemies, since that's the most immediate problem, but discussions of the resistance will probably overlap. What would you like to start with?"
"Who is this enemy?" Antauri asks.
Charlie shrugs. "She calls herself Queen Nakama the Undying. Her army, like Skeleton King's before her, is comprised mostly of formless minions, but she has three trusted generals.
"Zhang Jian. He controls most of the armies. He doesn't take prisoners unless explicitly instructed to, and he shows no mercy. He's undead—a lich, to be exact. My father killed him at the beginning of the war, only for Nakama to raise him again. Many of us believe that he may be her husband. He controls his own warship, which looks similar to the Citadel of Bone. His army is primarily made up of formless foot soldiers; crystal formless; formless war dogs; and giant ooze monsters.
"Antoine's warship is smaller. It's got stealth systems that can avoid even the most finicky of detection devices. He doesn't pop up in battle much. His formless, though, can be found pretty much anywhere. According to various sources, they weren't around during the first war. They're capable of collapsing into goo and moving around the battlefield as a liquid rather than a solid creature. They don't have any bone outer parts like a foot soldier does and are entirely just humanoid forms of ooze.
"Koizumi doesn't have a warship. She has a skeletal dragon. She's a spellcaster and a very powerful one. She's studied dark magic extensively, and can wipe out an entire battalion with just a few spells. Our Power Primate users are our first and only defense against her. Shielding has become their most important power." Charlie drums her fingers against the table.
"An entire battalion? Are you sure you're not exaggerating?"
Charlie grimaces.
"Pa-the-tic," Koizumi sighed, stretching out her hand.
A cloud passed over the sun. The battlefield grew darker. Ice began to creep around the corners of the battlefield; surrounding them at all sides. The tendrils began to grow; cracking and snapping. It snatched formless and resistance soldiers alike in its maw.
The battlefield was an icy sculpture; fighters caught in mid movement. The cloud slid away from the sun, and those left behind sparkled in the sunlight.
It was beautiful.
Koizumi made a fist and squeezed.
CRACK.
Tiny tendrils slid across each statue… and then they fell to pieces.
Charlie whimpered, and ducked further down beneath the windowsill. She covered her ears.
Fire would come next.
Charlie shakes her head, and tucks the memory back into the dark recesses of her mind. "I wish I was," she says. "Too many good people have been lost because of her surprise visits."
"How does she survive inter-planetary travel without a ship?"
"She uses portals to jump from planet to planet[LP1] ," Charlie says. "I also believe she's capable of creating a shield around herself."
"Why Koraladol?" Antauri asks, the question escaping as if he can't fight it anymore. "It fell, during the fight against Skeleton King. The Varons—they betrayed us all."
"I know," Charlie says easily. "But not every Varon supported—or even knew about—Master Xan's decision. You weren't the only one kept in the dark, Antauri. When the Robot left, the remaining Varons turned to rebuild. Koraladol is the planet with the strongest connection to the Power Primate. It flows there like nothing else, and all across its surface are monasteries—some forgotten, some still active—with records and books that speak, in depth, of the Power Primate's capabilities.
"Skeleton King targeted Shuggazoom because he wanted to rid himself of the last bit of humanity he had left. Nakama targets Koraladol because of its power. She wants to control or destroy the planet, and so… we protect it." Charlie shrugs again.
Antauri goes quiet, and nods. "I see."
"What else do you want to know?"
"Who leads the resistance?" It's Sprx this time, his hands braced against the table. He's halfway out of his chair. The stories said he was more volatile after the Fire of Hate incident, and Charlie sees its evidence firsthand.
"Mobius Quint, Super Quasar, and Sirthana command our naval divisions. Korlean, Oliana, and Aurora Six command our ground army. Johnny Sunspot commands the weapons division. Suupa our xenobiology division. Communications are manned by Jinmay. Xala, one of the few remaining Varons, is our spiritual leader. Chiro leads our army." Charlie bites her lip. "Those are the council members that most frequently comm in, and a lot of them are actually based on Koraladol. But the council spans the galaxy, and there are a lot more. The rest of Suupa's team has a place on the council, for instance." She shakes her head.
"What about your dad?" Sprx asks. "Where's he work?"
"He's a member of the council," she says.
They don't ask further. She likes that about the monkey team. They don't press for information—or, at least, they don't so far. Cool as it is meeting her childhood heroes, this is purely a business relationship.
She doesn't intend to get attached.
[LP1]We're going to conveniently ignore the fact that she would still need to produce oxygen.
