Lydia woke up slowly. The sound of metal creaked around her. Slowly, she looked around to see what was going on. On her right, Eva was unconscious with her goggles ready to fall off her head. On her left, Akka was struggling to break free of his seatbelt. The young prince with a cut on his forehead. Lydia saw cracked monitors in front. She felt for her seatbelt. Thankfully, it wasn't broken. Lydia got her seatbelt off. Only to realize that she and the others were upside down. She landed on what seemed to be a hard stone floor. "I'm ok," She whispered.

Akka stopped struggling to look down at her. "Lydia?" He blinked for a moment. His eyes focused. "Lydia! Are you alright?!"

Lydia got up, her body throbbing. "I'm ok. Just simply fell." She looked around. A small green glint showed where her pig statue laid. She crawled over to it and heaved a sigh of relief. She tried to get up. Then stopped as the ship began to creak. "Uh oh...Akka...I think we better get out of here." She inched up to Akka. Once she found her knife, along with her bag of items she needed for the mission, she got a hold of his strap and began to saw. Little by little, the strap snapped.

Akka landed gracefully. He immediately helped Lydia get Eva free. They set her down on the stone floor. Thankfully, she woke up. Akka smiled. Then, a cry was heard. "G'dar! I must attend to him! Otherwise he'll tip the ship!" He ran as fast as he could. The ship barely moved under his weight.

Lydia propped Eva up. "How's your head?"

Eva rubbed her head. "Not the first time I've been through a crash." The two stiffened as a creak resounded in the halls. "Let's get outside." She fiddled with the suit until she found the button she was looking for. Her finger soon landed on a small octagon. A helmet soon formed her head.

Lydia followed suit. She and Eva crawled out of the hull of the ship. As they stood up, Lydia immediately took in her surroundings. The area was dark and dismal. Barely any light was seen on the planet. A few floating stalactites hovered in the air. She shivered under the gloomy atmosphere. Her glasses felt crooked but she could risk being exposed to toxic air.

"Where are we?" Eva asked. A heavy buzz sounded behind the wreck. They turned to see Akka standing on top of a large white beetle with hints of blue along its body. Just as it landed beside them, the ship rattled, creaked. Suddenly, the rock began to crumble underneath them. Eva grabbed Akka's extended hand and Lydia's.

The two girls were soon on the beetle's back just as the ship fell into darkness. Lydia gulped. She looked down into the chasm. "G-g-good thing that most of the stuff we needed is with me." She gave a nervous laugh.

Eva turned her attention to some movement that was found in the darkness. A few glints of gold below them. She touched the side of the helmet which provided a zoom in function. The image closed in until the shapes were now recognizable. She stiffened. "Guys...We have a problem."

Akka looked at Eva. "What is it, Molly?"

"There's a bunch of Crogs below us."

Lydia gawked at her. "What?!" She pressed the function on her helmet. Her face twisted in horror as she saw the same behemoths that Eva saw. Her whole body trembled as a realization came to her. "Oh no...Don't tell me… We're on…"

"Kraam…" Akka stated grimly. "The home planet of the Crogs."

Lydia froze. "C-c-c-c-c-c-c-" Her brain was total mush. The one alien race she wanted to avoid is now here. Worst of all…

"There's no place to hide." Eva said. "Now that they know a ship crashed here, they're going to hunt us down to find out where we are."

Akka thought for a moment. "It's true. Since the Nourasians have recently broke off the alliance with the Crogs, negotiations wouldn't be of much help." He steered G'dar away. Then, the insect flew toward an outcropping of rocks. "For now, let's go over there so we can 'hide' while we still can." Once they landed, Akka observed his arrows to make sure they worked.

Lydia began pacing. Her feet took five steps before she spun around. Her fingers clenched around the green stone. She kept doing for what felt like an eternity. Her heart drowned out the conversation that Eva might've been having with Akka. That's the last thing she needed right now. Dealing with the worst race of aliens in all the galaxy! Her pace went faster and faster until she was stopped by Eva.

Eva looked in Lydia's frightened eyes. She sighed. "Lydia...I know you've been through a lot but panicking isn't going to help us. Right now, our only course of action is to go to the Crog Palace to grab a Crog ship."

Lydia gulped. "Wouldn't it be better to fix the ship?"

Akka grimly shook his head. "We don't have a proper mechanic with us. Apparently, they didn't have time to find one." His lips drew a thin line. "I'm afraid this is our best option if we want to leave alive." He finished the last of his arrows and tucked them away in his quiver. He helped Eva climb up. His eyes flashed with concern upon seeing Lydia standing still. "Aren't you coming Lydia?"

Lydia gripped herself. She hears the words the children would whisper at her. Why is she so weird? Do we really need her? What a klutz! She gripped her arm. Her eyes down to the earth. "Wouldn't I slow you down?" Tears began to sting her eyes. "I'm a total klutz and the Crogs might hear me. I might not even be able any help for your escape if need be." Her cheeks were soon wet.

Eva reached out to her. "Don't say that. We'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Akka nodded. "That's right. We're a team. We have a mission to do. You are an important part of it."

Lydia stood there. Her eyes widened. She didn't even notice her braids were starting to come undone. All her life, no one but her mother would say that. The tears slowed but were bright in the low light. A smile crept on her face. Lydia reached out to them. In a matter of minutes, she was lifted onto G'dar. The wind whistled in her ears as they flew away. A weird sense of comfort crawling over her. A sense of belonging.

-(Outside Crog Emperium Palace)-

Rising in the dark horizon, A metallic castle with the color of blood stood. Each pillar stood like sharp briars. The flags of the Crogs billowed in the breeze of the poisoned air. Each entrance was heavily guarded. Whatever windows were actually there were closed shut. Much like the occupants of this dark planet.

G'dar hovered to an alcove. It was large enough to hide the alien beetle while they went in. Once they landed, Akka gave him specific instructions. The trio went down a small ravine. Lydia plastered her back just to avoid falling off the narrow ledge. Silently as they could, they reached the area where several guards stood at the entrance. They ducked behind a rock just as a Crog was about to spot them. Akka made a few gestures, then fired the first arrow. A spark of light hit a ledge which made the guards go in the intended direction.

The three ran into the entrance. They moved deeper and deeper until they reached a path that split into three. Eva groaned. She turned to Akka. "Do you know which way to go?"

Akka sighed. "I've only been here once. We may need to go at one at a time."

Suddenly, an axe suddenly swung at them. It barely missed Eva by an inch. Lydia screamed then immediately ran. The young linguist went into the third tunnel on the left. Before Eva and Akka would run after her, Crog guards were heading toward them. All readying axes and swords. Closing in on them. Eva looked at Akka. They didn't want to leave Lydia alone. However, they had to outrun the vast horde that outnumbered them. Another arrow activated. Then, another and another. The whole room lit with light.

Meanwhile, Lydia kept running. Her mind screamed to get away. Visions of teeth and yellow eyes staring at her. She soon heard more guards coming. From both sides! Her legs screeched to a halt in the hall she was in. "We're trapped. Eva wh-" She whipped her head around. Then, realization hit her. "AHHHHHH! I left them behind!" What do I do? She thought frantically. I don't have a proper weapon! My carving knife wouldn't even make a dent in their skin! Lydia tried to think of her options but nothing came to mind. She sighed and leaned back against the wall. Unaware of a hidden trigger behind it. "I'm doomed."

The wall opened behind her. She immediately tumbled backwards. The wall slammed up before anyone would notice the hole. In the dark, she kept rolling around until she hit a pillar. Her bag slid across the floor. "OOOOOWWWW!" She slowly got up from where she was. Her hand rubbing her head lightly. She got up from her spot. "Not what I had in mind." Her eyes looked around the room. It was a library. Small, simple. It had a few bookshelves. The room was dimly lit by candles. In the center was a desk with three Crog sized books resting there. A metallic chair also stood with a blood red cushion. Something about this room felt a little less foreboding compared to the rest of the planet.

Lydia stared in amazement. "Never thought it would be the day that I would see some decorations from the Crogs. Let alone any books." She went over to the chair. After a few attempts to get up, she began to admire the red, black and cobalt blue leather. Her hands follow the etching. The words jagged. She opened the first book on the desk. The pages opened to strange images of Crogs going on a harsh journey. Lydia pulled out her camera and began to take pictures.

Each page made her enveloped in the details. Vibrant reds, blues and yellows among the black. Crogs marching to places that are unknown. A strange horned deity gives blessings. Two Crogs, one male and one female, held hands while wearing formal garb. Despite not having been able to fully translate the language, Lydia could feel passion and ferocity in the passages. Her hands rubbed the pages despite her gloves. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. Tears sprang from her eyes. How could an alien race this violent would make books this beautiful?

She clutched her head and her heart. She didn't know why but they throbbed. Her skin crawled. Her camera clunked on the floor. A flash erupted in the room. Once the pain subsided, Lydia took several deep breaths. Her body shivering. A faint noise reached her ears. Footsteps. Heavy footsteps. It didn't take her long to realize what it was. She fell out of the chair, snatched the camera and put it back in her purse once she was able to locate it. Lydia only had a few seconds to head to the nearest bookshelf. She hid herself in a gap that was only big enough for her to squeeze through. Her breath held.

In the small corner of vision she could see, she saw a Crog that was way different from the other guards. He had a more regal manner to him. His size was still the same as an average adult Crog. However, his ears held a different story. They were like black lightning bolt against his head. The second pair is smaller with a small nick on the left ear. He wore a deep red cloak. His golden eyes scoured the room. He turned in each direction. Then, he went over to one of his books. "Hmmm…" His voice sounded smooth like silk. "I know you're in here, human."

Lydia held back a squeak. She cupped a hand over her mouth. She hid her camera in her bag. Her ears picked up the sounds of the steps coming over to the shelves. Her heart raced. Her throat tightened. As the steps got closer, only one idea of how to get out of this came to mind. Lydia placed her hands against the wood. Once the Crog was close enough, she pushed with all her might. She could feel some weight give way. "Al..most...Got it…" Her body suddenly felt a weird jolt like someone was helping her push it away.

"By Kraam!" The bookshelf soon collapsed on top of the Crog. It didn't pin him down, but it was a distraction enough.

Lydia burst out of her hiding place. She ran with all her might. A few feet from the hiding place, she could hear movement of something tossed away. Then, she jumped over a Crog with unnatural grace. For some reason, Lydia can't get rid of the sense that she's seen that Crog somewhere before. She didn't have enough time to think about that, Lydia had to get back to Eva and Akka.

-(Meanwhile)-

Eva threw one more statue at the oncoming Crog soldier. It did little to slow them down. Akka wasn't having much luck either. He was running low on arrows and spells. They had only been able to traverse half of the palace and were only able to scrap some metal. So far, Lydia wasn't anywhere in sight. All they knew was she might've been captured...or worse.

"We need to get out of here!" Akka said.

"But we can't leave without Lydia!"

"We'll-" The Nourasian prince was soon pinned down by one of the Crog guards. His bow broke in two.

"Akka!" Eva was soon knocked down as well. She struggled under the guard's grasp but nothing. Her helmet was knocked away. To her surprise, she found that she was able to breath. Doesn't change the fact I'm taken prisoner, she thought. Eva glared as she was taken away. Before long, she and Akka arrived in what had to be the throne room. Rows upon rows of guards glared at them. She got a better look at the throne that the Crog Emperor sat on as she was flung to the ground.

The throne was warped. Metal spikes jutted out like thorns. Red flags attached at the tips. Sitting tall was the emperor. His crown bore metallic spikes that jutted upward. His ears like large pairs of lightning, each of equal length. He wore the traditional crimson red. Armor clad. His shoulder pads spiked. A long red cape flowed out behind him like a river. His eyes glared at the two heroes before him. His fingers gripped hard on the armrest.

Akka looked up. "Emperor Dusk."

"Prince Akka…" The Emperor spoke with so much venom in his voice, it made all the guards around them silent. "I'm so glad you can finally come. What with your betrayal to the Crogs and your people."

Akka grunted. "You know as well as I do that the Nourasians didn't ally with you willingly." He soon received a hard kick that made him fly halfway across the floor.

"You will do well to hold back your tone." The Emperor turned to look at Eva. "So...This is the famous human, Molly, the one who raced under the Earth Coalition."

Eva got onto her feet. "How do you know about that?"

"Toros made a mention of you before his execution. Even now, you've robbed the Crogs of a very special power that would've changed everything."

Eva gave a smile. "Well. Sorry that you're met with disappointment." She jumped away before a kick landed on her side.

"Hold your insolent tongue." The Emperor said. His eyes went cold. Unaware that Lydia was up on a balcony, listening at every word. He walked down to them. "Your weak race had no place among the stars. Just as the Nourasians had no right to rise against us. Now the two of you will be made of an example of those that defy us." He reached for Eva.

Lydia stared in shock. Her heart grew louder. Tears pricked in her eyes. No...She couldn't lose them. Not after they reached out to after so many would leave her. I can't...They're counting on me. She instinctively reached out for a rope which had a chandelier high above the tree. Lydia got onto a ledge and swung without a second thought. In her bag, her green stone glowed. "Nooooooo!" In a matter of minutes, everything crashed together and a smoke of dust appeared.

After a chorus of coughing, everyone looked at Lydia. Most of it was anger but Akka and Eva looked at her in surprise. Lydia stood before the Emperor. Her whole body shook in fear and anger. Her breath was deep and ragged. Teeth clenched to give her a feral growl. "How...dare...you…" She looked at him square in the eye. In her hand was a rock. She threw it with all her might. It bounced off but she didn't care. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO THEM! The Noruasians weren't your allies by choice! You bullied and threatened them of extermination! You act like you have the power of the cosmos to decide the fate of others. You say Earth and the other races are weak." She took a deep breath. "Yet we still kept going. We'll not stop no matter how many times you attack us. I may not know your past but I don't doubt that it was no different from us. Neverending battles. Struggle for power! That will only continue if we allow it to do so. Tell me, if you're that powerful, why do you wish to take down the Earth Coalition? Afraid? Sounds like someone who's truly weak to me."

Without warning, she was soon smacked hard by the Emperor's fist. Lydia flew into the air and landed halfway across the floor. She coughed. Her body racked with pain. Her helmet flew off. The green stone vibrating. A soft glow started to draw whispers. Lydia slowly got up. She reached out and grabbed the stone. Her fingers curled around it. The energy of the earth calling to her. Beckoning to have a name. She stared up at the Emperor.

The Emperor glared at her. "Insolent human! You'll be the first I'll make example of!" He raised his arm high. The gauntlet he wore immediately produced a blade. "Any last words?"

"Ish...tar…"

"What?"

"Ishtaaaaaaarrrrrr!"

At that moment, green lights filled the room. Blinding everyone. A wind howled. Shapes disoriented the throne. Plants began to sprout everywhere. Flowers and small trees. Standing before everyone was a massive green boar. Lime green eyes glared at the surprised Crogs. Lydia sat on her back. The human looking like a mighty warrior.

The creature rammed at the Crog Emperor, returning his cruelty. She opened her maw to let out a roar. The tusks swung wildly. "I came to my mistress' call. Her heart yearns for me and I shall serve thee until I'm no longer needed. For I am Ishtar." She roared again. Lydia clung onto the creature as she lunged forward. It didn't take long for the Crogs to attack. They swung axes and swords. The weapons were deflected by thick pelt or destroyed by the wild plants.

"Eva! Akka!" Lydia yelled. She pulled them up onto Ishtar as they got closer. "Hang on! I think I need to tell Ishtar to get out of the castle." She patted Ishtar's side and pointed on where they needed to go. Ishtar did just that. They were only a few feet from the exit when Emperor Dusk intercepted again.

"You'll not get away!" He raised his blade again. He was soon met with Ishtar's tusks. Both of them barely gave an inch.

Ishtar glared. "I come to serve my mistress! I felt her sorrow and fear." She knocked him over with one firm jerk upward. Her hoof pinned the Crog down. She lowered her face to the point where her snout was only inches from his face. "You are nothing more than a monster that must be removed to prevent any more sorrow to all." Istar raised another hoof. It contorted and shifted into a dagger.

Lydia found fear in the Crogs eyes. I wanted them to stop being bullies, not this! She shut her eyes. "Ishtar STOP!" She felt a jolt. Her grey eyes opened to see everything frozen in place. Eva and Akka stared at her slack-jawed. The Crogs stood still. Ishtar's hoof hovered above the golden eyes of Emperor Dusk. Lydia soon spotted the Crog she saw at the secret library. A look of amazement and fear on his face. Her hands and shoulders shook. Tears sprang into her eyes. "Let's...just leave. Grab some metal as well." As Ishtar began to move, Lydia tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

-(A few hours later, hiding place)-

Akka and Eva tried to sneak back to the wrecked ship, but were only able to grab a few parts including a control console. As Ishtar walked, plants began to grow wildly on this hostile planet. They met up with G'dar as they made their way back to their hiding place.

Lydia slithered down Ishtar's back. She shivered. Memories of sharp teeth. Grinning men. The darkness surrounding her. Lydia had tears rushing back to her again. She sniffled. Unable to contain those feelings any longer. She sat down on a rock. "I'm so sorry you two. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn."

Akka gave a small smile. "Don't be. You basically voiced what I wanted to say. Except for them being weak. That took a lot of courage!" He laughed.

Lydia blushed. "Oh...I'm not that brave."

Eva moved forward. A big grin on her face. "Are you kidding me?! You dropped in like a super spy and owned that emperor guy! Then summon-her!" She then turned to Ishtar. "How did you come out of that stone?"

"She gave me a name." Ishtar stated simply. "I was alive but only given a name would I be truly whole."

Lydia fiddled with her glasses. "I picked the name after the Babylonian goddess of war and love. I thought it would fit since you're so fierce looking."

Ishtar simply rubbed the dirt nervously. "What now, mistress?"

Lydia turned to the scrap metal. "Well...We need to build our ship and fast."

Suddenly, Ishtar began to glow. She placed her snout on the metal. The metal rumbled. Vines popped out. Everything blurred as everything meld together. Screeches made it worse. In a matter of seconds, the glow faded and a spaceship now stood before them. Ishtar groaned and turned back into a small stone figurine. The ship was made out of plant material but the metal origins were still present. The symbol of the Earth Coalition, the Nourasians and a mysterious sign etched into its side.

Lydia picked it up. Her fingers curled against the cool, hard stone. She sighed. "Thank you, Mercu…" Tears ran down from her eyes. Her head began to sting as she started to hear something further in the distance. She turned to the direction of it. It sounded like large footsteps running toward them. "We need to go. Now!" She immediately ran to the door of the newly built ship.

Eva and Akka looked confused. Suddenly, an axe appeared next to them. Eva screamed. "Why does that keep happening to us?!" With that, the duo soon ran to the ship. In a matter of minutes, they took their seats. Buttons frantically pressed. G'dar immediately crawled into the further portion of the ship. Akka was ready to curse in his language when the ship roared to life.

The doors shut. The engines flared with fire. It moved with great precision. It took off just as a huge group of Crog soldiers appeared. A gust of wind forcing them to cover their eyes. The ship flew higher and higher. Almost above the horizon. However, the tritons, Crog ships, flew after them.

"What the-" Eva exclaimed. Her eyes widened in dismay. "They'll catch up to us. The thrusters aren't fully operational yet!"

"I'm out of arrows." Akka said. He pulled out his knife. Ready for the worst.

Suddenly, Lydia's eyes glowed. The braids of her hair came undone. Green veins appeared on her skin. Her lips moved but no sound came out. The lights leaked out of the ship. It struck the ground. Vines and thorns sprouted out, grabbing the ships. Trees tearing up the ground. Breaking the metal. The spaceships began to be pulled down to earth. Before long, Kramm was now covered in emerald carpet with dotted flowers. Lydia collapsed with Eva supporting her.

Lydia adjusted her glasses. Her mouth seemed to hurt. She looked up, dazed and confused. "What happened? Did I do something?"

"Well, whatever you did," Akka said. "It stopped the Krogs completely in their tracks. For how long I'm not sure. However, we're in the clear now."

Eva helped Lydia propped up. "Lydia, what was that?"

"I...don't know. All I know is that...I wanted the Crogs to just leave us alone." She looked through the nearest window. The sky was filled with nothing but stars. She smiled. Then, she looked at Eva and Akka. "Before we talk to the Earth Coalition, can you tell me what's going on? If we're going to do this together, I want to know what it's all about." Lydia made herself comfortable as she heard the reluctant explanation. Unaware that one of her stones was missing.

-(Back at the Crog Emperium Palace)-

The Crogs were hard at work chopping away the vines and roots that held their ships down. However, their efforts proved to be in vain. Curses and grunts explode in the air. Weapons break. Blades stuck in the green walls.

Emperor Dusk sat on his destroyed throne. His anger seething. His ears flicked with irritation. So far the reports had shown that all the ships around Kramm were immediately shut down. "How?" He growled under his breath. "How could that single human do this?" Her words raked through his head painfully. Suddenly, some footsteps broke his concentration. Emperor Dusk gazed at the Crog that stood before him. "Ah...Scorpio...What confounding reason would you reveal yourself?"

Scorpio sighed. "Please father. Not this again. You know that we have an unstable government as it is and you know my sister is way too young to take the throne." He reached into his pocket. In his large hand was a small orange stone. It glowed in the dim light. A fire pulsed on his palm. Scorpio moved it to his fingers, making sure not to crush it. He waved it against the plants. The closest vines moved away from it.

Emperor Dusk raised his eyes in surprise. "Interesting...With that stone we can fix this accursed plague and send the army to war."

Scorpio tucked his stone away. "Actually. It would be best if I go alone." His golden eyes narrowed. "There's someone in that little trio I want to have a word with."

* Cue dramatic music* Lydia's connection with the stones is just the beginning. Also, what is her connection with Prince Scorpio? It would've been so cool to learn about the Crogs once the sequel/spin off Oban show comes. Review, please!