Chapter 17

"Hamsterviel! Give us back our experiments!" Lilo yelled at the huge screen. Stitch, was horrified at the sight of his family locked up, jumped instantly toward the screen. Trilby and Sparky were on guard ready for danger. Hamsterviel appeared to lounge on the other side of the screen, a sense of accomplishment plastered across his face.

"Oh no angry little earth girl, you are not understanding zi situation you delivered to me, the two experiments I could not get. So thank you."

"Stitch will not let you take his cousins and I won't either."

"Little girl, you won't have zi opportunity." Lilo caught his drift, she spun round in time to see the door slam shut behind them," You see, all zi experiments shall be mine. Including your precious 626." He pointed to a cell along the wall. Underneath the numbers 626 stood out in black against the white walls." Gantu! Knock those experiments out, now!"

Gantu appeared at the other end of the circular room through a door, he sauntered up to the desk of controls taking the time to smirk at the experiments. All four of them realised the situation they were in. Gantu pressed a few buttons on the desk. All around the room speakers appeared from the walls. Panels opened to reveal the large Clearly they would use to sound to knock the experiments out. Stitch began sprinting up to Gantu, but the room was too large. A hundred metres from wall to wall, and circular. Sparky growled in annoyance- the speakers were not metal he couldn't short it out. Lilo was scouring the walls for a way out.

"It's is time to pay you back for all the times you humiliated me!" Gantu called his large finger hovering over a button on the panel."

"We'll find a way out of this Hamsterviel!"

"HA HA you are delusional, earth girl! Gantu! Now!"

Gantu pressed the button. A screeching noise pierced the room, all around the room experiments were knocked out in their cells. Stitch, who had been running full pelt, tripped as consciousness evaded him. Sparky, covered his ears but couldn't resist the noise. Lilo watched as her experiment friends fell to the floor writhing in unconsciousness. She had led them into a trap. She should have made a proper plan before this but she was so angry at Hamsterviel, that she had run head- first into a trap. Now Stitch would be caught. Sparky would be caught. Trilby would be…

Trilby had seen the whole thing coming. As Gantu wasted time strolling to the controls Trilby had been pressing buttons on the helmet Stitch had taken from the guard. As they wasted time, making comments and savouring premature victory. He had his own cunning scheme. Obviously the whole thing was a trap. He had seen the whole thing coming. Obviously the guard who knew the EXACT route to this room was meant to say it. Trilby jammed the helmet onto his head. Pressing a few more commands he felt it tighten around his neck. Becoming waterproof, heatproof and more importantly… Soundproof. When Gantu hit the button and his brother and acquaintances fell to the floor, he was ready. He leapt as a bolt of lightning toward Gantu, snatching Jumba's computer as he went. A small group of three guards entered, clearly to collect them once they had fallen. He bolted to the floor rolling. He swept the legs out from one, snatching his blaster. He tossed it to Lilo who was watching him. She caught the weapon, and since he couldn't speak through the helmet, gave a nod- which in the context clearly meant 'cover me'. She fired at the other two guards. Who were drawing weapons of their own. Hamsterviel face twisted in annoyance as he watched Lilo blasting his soldiers and Trilby bolt toward the controls;

"Reinforce!" He howled. Gantu heard. He picked up a communicator and started yelling commands into it, as he drew his blaster he levelled it at Trilby.

Trilby's adrenaline ran wild, he could hack into Hamsterviel's mainframe form that panel using Jumba's computer. He just needed time to do it. He could control all the doors and commands on the ship once he did. Then he could pick up his brother and make a break for the exit. But first… Gantu fired rounds at Trilby, but with Sparky's speed he dodged every round of plasma. He touched the barrel of the gun frying the internal functions, then he flew round his head frying the communicator. Then he jolted the big grey alien. His size sent him tumbling to the ground. Ripping open a hatch on the control panel he snatched a connection wire he plugged it into Jumba's computer. The computer was high tech and made the connection to the mainframe instantly. Trilby began hacking the ship's mainframe. Lilo was crouched over Stitch, firing the plasma at the soldiers- who returned the fire. The wailing noise still permeated the air, screeching. Lilo was determined to protect Stitch. She fired again and again. The guards fell. But more appeared at the doorways. They funnelled through But fell over their own comrades. Trilby had hacked into the ship, pressing the download button he saw all the information being downloaded onto Jumba's computer once it was finished they could leave. He disabled the speakers. The noise died. Even then it would take a while to wake Stitch and Sparky. The room had doors at regular intervals. Lilo had run out of ammunition, and had dragged Stitch to a wall sheltering him from the confusion. Once again she sprinted to Sparky who was snoring oblivious to the turmoil around him. Guards entering through opposite sides of the room ended up hitting others on the opposite side. In retribution, they fired back. The room was rife with friendly fire. These mercenaries, people who were only in it for the money, believed other mercenaries were shooting them to make their share bigger. On the screen, Hamsterviel hopped, fury imbuing his features.

"Get zem he shouted." His face was growing redder by the minute. Trilby flew down to where Lilo was crouched, unscrewing the helmet he threw it off.

"Lilo we can escape though the ventilation system. I will open it but I need you to push them in too. Then wait there for me. I shall distract them with a little light show." She nodded,

Trilby sat beside Jumba's computer, he was in control, most of the ship's minor appliances he could command. First, he opened the ventilation hatch for Lilo, once she disappeared down the chute, he turned out all the lights. The room was plunged into total darkness. The only light coming from the red face on the screen. Then he closed all the doors locking them. All faces turned to Hamsterviel's face, filled with anger and frustration.

"You are zi most incompetent soldiers I have ever hired, I don't know why I ever did, you cannot catch a little girl…" clearly this would last for a while.

Trilby carefully unplugged the computer, in the dark he crept round the wall toward the vent. No guards noticed, the face of Hamsterviel dominating the wall. In the darkness, he felt his way round the room letting his night vision kick in. As he crept round he relaxed. A mistake. He was almost to the vent when a body slumped in front of him. In surprise he tripped, the computer sliding out of his hands clattering. Hamsterviel's face- along with a hundred pairs of eyes turned to see him on the floor.

"Zat experiment- zis is all his fault catch him!" The men piled on top of him, trying to catch him.

"Whoever catches zat experiment shall have a massive bonus." Goaded by this prospect the pile grew higher and higher, Trilby felt the air flush out of him. Then he calmed allowing the electricity to snake through the bodies. He found the computer- upside down a metre away. The vent was just beyond that, he let the stored electricity concentrate. Gaining power, he felt his pores fill with pure energy, lightning of vast power. Then he let loose. The lightning blasted the pile apart. He tried to fly but tripped again. He lifted his hand-red- the power, Sparky's power, had run out. Despite this he started to roll. Soldiers dived, trying to predict his movements. He swerved, stopped, changed direction, bodies fell in front, behind, by his side. He felt the sweat from a hundred swarming bodies. Piling, blocking him. He grabbed the computer, standing he swung it. Hitting a soldier in the knee. He fell into his comrades, causing them to fall. He jumped toward the vent- just out of reach. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain up his leg, blistering heat. Plasma. They had shot him. Unfortunately this upset his balance- it sent him tumbling. Another hit, splashing across his back and shoulder. The fur unpowered, unresisting blistered flesh, immediately he felt his muscles grow weak and weary. A last push sent him through the vent hatch, pulling the computer with him. He tumbled the short distance into the arms of his brother, he felt the pain of hands on blistered skin, he felt powerless the plasma encroaching on his mind. He felt faint, then his body switched off for repairs- it was his brothers turn now.