Chapter 24: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Katy has no idea what she has gotten herself into when the man Marshall approached them again. Laserbeak was in chains when they brought him around between the claws of another zoid.

Above them the Stargate was slowly lowered into the room.

On the pedestal that it was lowered on Marshall ushered them closer.

"My men found this device in the area that you worked and the power readings from it were incredible," he said.

"Tell me then how did you activate it?" he asked

"It is a machine that travels through planets," Icarus stated

"Really now? How does it work?" he said

Icarus shrugged before he replied, "By using the patterns on the inner circle they represent star patterns. Get the correct sequence and you can find yourself on another planet or another galaxy,"

"Amazing?" he said

"The only problem is I don't know where I am because the gate address that was input into the gate was accidental and I don't know the exact coordinates that I used to get here," he lied.

All Icarus had to do is look up the last number of addressed on the device that he had but he would not tell Marshall that.

"How do you plant the coordinates?" Marshall asked

"Simple there are six symbols that represent the destination but the last oddly shaped on represents the point of origin and according to that gate is the one right there with the triangle and the three suns with the strange symbol inside," Icarus explained.

"I tried to get it to work but it won't do," he said

"You need a massive power output into the machine to power it because it acts like a super conductor only then will it work. And you all need a DHD or Dial Home Device," Icarus also explained.

"Why are you so freely telling me this?" he said

"Because you and I can accomplish the same goals my friend for if the Stargate is here then perhaps your enemies will think it is also a weapon and wish to use it," he said.

Just as he said it the ground shook and everyone was scrambling for their Zoids.

"Take cover and take these two to the brig we will deal with them once we get this taken cared of," Marshall said.

And that is what Icarus anticipated when they grabbed his wrists.

They dragged Katy's body away into prison and locked the door.

The fighting could be heard from above.

Why the hell did you do that? Katy demanded from the back of their shared mind.

While they are fighting they forget that Laserbeak is not an Organoid. I saw them try to restrain him earlier and while they are occupied we make a run for it Icarus replied

So in other words you purposely got us in here to save us right? Katy said sarcastically

Yep was the reply from Icarus.

Right as he said it there was an explosion and Laserbeak flew in from above.

"We don't have much time reinforcements are on the way and I don't like the way that bomb looks in one of the flying zoids," Laserbeak said

"Then we shall leave," Icarus stated and climbed onto Laserbeak's back careful of the circuits and armor plating.

Laserbeak flapped his wings and activated his antigravity thrusters to propel them to the surface.

Once at the top the battle was going bad as rubble lay everywhere and soldiers shot weapons from both zoids and hand held. The Stargate was in view and Icarus pulled out the device.

It was a good thing that I hid this from prying eyes he said and activated the switch.

The gate came to live dialing random coordinates and came to life instantaneously killing several men that used it as a shield. It also vaporized part of a zoid.

Laserbeak blasted his thrusters and shot towards the gate.

Just before he reached it however he was hit from behind by a random zoid. Screeching in agony they fell through the gate and the gate closed behind them.

MEANWHILE

Deep in space evil seemed to stir. For a long time after its defeat at the hands of the singers of Delphi a wounded queen emerges. She was dead but her companions managed to heal her wounds to bring her back.

Her children and her mate had brought her here to this desolate planet the world of her kind where nothing grows any more.

"I will crush those that sent me here!" she screamed

Her mate smaller then her but just as dangerous nodded.

"It shall be done my love those that have made you suffer shall pay for what they have done to you," with that he was gone.

The Vortex queen emerged from her healing tank a deep growl in her voice as she swung her scorpion-like tail around in anger.

"Find the ones who did this to me and kill them! They are the ones who shall pay for what they have done to the Vortex!"

TBC