In the Theater:

Nicole, Yui, and Natsumi: <Glare at Brian>

Brian: What?

Nicole: No, the question is...When?!?

Brian: <grins> Soon.

Nicole: <blinks, then Fireballs Brian> Arg...enough with the Babylon 5 jokes!

Natsumi: Before this gets any weirder...

Yui: Too late.

Natsumi: ah-heh.  <To projection booth> Roll it!!

Tomoyo (NOT Madison!!! arrgggg.....): Rolling!!

At 09:34 AM 08/03/2000 -0600, Teknos Warhammer wrote:

I can only hope I did it right...enjoy.

'I have come to chew bubblegum and kick butt... and I'm all out of butt.'
                       -Don Microwavem, Duke's wimpy cousin

All: <facefault>

Brian: Arg...that was bad...

-Warhammer (ICQ#: 72406436)

http://www.geocities.com/teknos.geo/

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com


-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
-- File: SLG4.txt

Returning Pasts

[Taking a walk in the mountain range by the Space Knight Command Center,
Warhammer enjoys a walk in a cool autumn morning.]

WH: In all of nature's beauty, one could sometimes never tell that a war's
going on or if there was peace. (dives for cover as a transport ship flies
through the place where he was.)

Nicole: Aw, darn...it didn't hit him!

Brian: <sweatdrop>

Teknos Warhammer
presents:
Shara's Last Gift
Chapter 4:
Returning Pasts

*****

"There's something odd about that guy, Jamison. I've run as many tests as I
could about gene structure and to be honest, his baffles me. His DNA has all
the standard traits of everyday people like you and me, but I'm telling you
that there's something strange about him. I mean, how many albinos do you
see with skin that will not change in color when they are supposed to be
sunburned? "

-From the doctors log of Timothy Galloway, Solar Moon physician. Dated:
Februray 12, 2084

*****

On the eastern edge of the mountain range in northern Israel, the sun's
light broke through the clouds.  The night before, rain had fallen and gave
the earth the life-giving water it so desperately needed in a dry area such
as this.  Several animals that had taken shelter in a cave began to exit and
explore the surroundings of the area that was now drenched with water.

The peace and quiet of the morning was quickly shattered as a single CMF-456
transport ship flew over the horizon. The ship kept a steady course over the
top of the canyon ranges that lead to its destination. The storm from the
night before had left the wind silent, letting the ship go without
turbulence that would bring its passenger any discomfort.

The pilot, seeing his destination coming into view, activated the
transceiver and spoke, "Attention, Space Knight Command Center. This is
transport 456 requesting permission to board. I repeat, this is transport
456, requesting permission to land, over?"

With seconds, a reply from Ensign Yuuki came through his radio, "That is
affirmative 456. Direct your course to runway C-7." After a pause, the
ensign continued, "I believe your passenger has friends here, right?"

With a smile, the pilot responded, "That's what I heard. If my guess is
right, your guests will be pretty surprised who it is."

Nicole:<smiles> Yeah, they should be surprised.

>From behind the pilot, the passenger began to stir in her seat. She had been
sleeping in the chair for several hours and waiting for the signal to come
when the enemy had left had been a tedious experience for her. "Oh... what
time is it?" she said, rubbing her eyes, attempting to wake up.

"Around 9:30, ma'am," the pilot said, keeping his gaze straight ahead.
"We've almost there, so it was a good thing you woke up when you did."

The woman stood up for a second to stretch and took a look outside the
cockpit window to see the Command Center get larger as they drew closer.

"Could they still be alive?" She wondered hopefully. It had been so long
since they had left her alone and when she had heard that her family had
vanished, it nearly drove her to despair. Yet, upon receiving word that they
were here, her hope had been restored. In addition, the informant had
provided transportation for her to verify if the people here were the ones
who they claimed to be.

"Please... please tell me they're all right," she whispered below her
breath.

Brian: <informant> Err...define "all right"?

*****

In one of the hangar bays, the commander had invited both of the Carter
siblings to that particular bay at the time he had requested. They were both
able to make it on time, but the reason behind this rather impromptu meeting
had left them wondering why.

The siblings turned to see the stone-faced commander enter the bay and walk
towards a control panel nearby.

Natsumi: Heh, a master of showmanship...

Yui: Or keeping a secret.

Nicole: Now...which side did he get that from? <grins>

"Sir... I don't understand. Could you please explain why you brought my
sister and I here?" Ness had asked.

Brian: Hmmm...Couldn't you have just said "Shara and myself"?

As the massive doors of the loading bay began to open, Jamison answered
simply, "An acquaintance of mine gave me word on someone you two may
recognize."

The very instant he finished, the transport had entered the bay, sending a
strong wind every which way with the propulsion systems. The three shielded
their eyes from the sun and from the dust that was kicked up as the
transport finally settled down on the ground.

Shara, just as confused as her brother, turned to the commander and asked,
"Who's that?"

He only gestured to the transport as the hatch on the bottom began to open.
The platform, supported by two stretching beams, slowly reached the ground
and steam began to flow from exhaust ports nearby. The siblings edged closer
to see a single figure walking down the platform and into plain sight.

Despite how physically fit she may have been, the woman was clearly showing
signs of age. Her well-worn face would have led one to believe that she was
in her late forties or mid-fifties. Her light brown hair, now faded with
streaks of gray, was held in a simple ponytail that stretched from the back
of her head to the small of her back.

The woman's eyes locked on the Carter siblings, widened, and she gasped,
"Ness?! Shannon?!"

Hearing the woman's voice and seeing her face clearly made them both
remember who it was. "Mom?" they both exclaimed in shock.

Natsumi: <smirks> Yeah, I guess they know her...

<snip the reunion>

All: <bawling>

*****

Elsewhere in the command center, Tina still lay upon her bed, staring at the
ceiling, lost in thought.  She raised her hand and examined it carefully,
knowing that it was still human, though capable of much more than before.

"Wow... it's hard to believe that I'm a teknoma... er, Teknos,"  she
thought.  Being in the armor, wielding a scythe, and being able to fly on
the wind had nearly overwhelmed her sense of imagination.  A smirk began to
develop.  "I sure had those jerks surprised, that's for sure."

Nicole: And here comes the ego trip!

Almost as if her thoughts where spoken outloud, a voice responded.  "It is
never wise to think so highly of yourself when you are less experienced than
your opponent."

She bolted up from her position on her bed to see a tiger, sitting by the
foot of her bed. A tiger was sitting by the foot of her bed?

All: Yes, a tiger sitting by the foot of your bed!

"What the...? Did you just say that?" Tina asked the tiger, wondering if her
imagination was overworking itself again.

The tiger, having much more intelligence than one would first think, nodded
and answered in a deep and regal voice, "Who else could have?"

Brian: ....nah...that's TOO easy!

Tina was truly shocked now.  There was a talking tiger that seemed to have
appeared out of nowhere and for all she knew, it could have been smarter
than she was.  Her first thoughts were to either stop eating sugar
completely or finish reading that Tarzan comic book she had purchased
several months before.

Nicole: Oro? Wouldn't that cause *more* tiger hallucinations?

More than wondering where it came from, how was she supposed to get rid of
it? Even if she tried, would it try to eat her? Tina never thought enough
about tigers to consider herself as a food supplement.

<Myotismon (from Digimon) pops up>

Myotismon: Why not? You humans have such wonderful energy!

Natusmi: <on intercom> SECURITY!!!

<Seibzien comes down, flattens Myotismon, then jumps on him a few times>

Myotismon:<flattened crepes>

Brian: <as Catty calls the cleaning crew> Thank you!!

Maria: <on Seibizen> No problem!

A rational thought surfaced.  If she tried to reason with this tiger, which
clearly had the capacity to understand higher thinking, it might leave. But
first things first.

"Who... or what are you?"

"I am Kahn; teacher and guide. Yours to be specific."

All: <facefault>

Nicole: Arrrrggghhhh...You deserve extreme pain for that one, WH!

Tina blinked in complete confusion as a response.  A teacher and guide?  For
what?  Could this tiger be somehow related to what Konatsu had been telling
her about getting a teacher?  If it were so, it was far too strange for her
to ingest completely.

"But why would I need a teacher for? Didn't I already learn all I needed to
know from Konatsu?"

Kahn answered casually, "Quite to the contrary, you have much to learn about
what you can do.  I chose you because I can tell you have the potential to
become very powerful.  Which, of course, corresponds with the attributes I
teach: Power and Drive."

Natsumi: Which are probaly related in some way to her elemental Wind power, right?

Tina's shoulders began to slump.  "Oh great! Now I'm the middle of some
stupid D&D game."  She paused.  "Wait. Doesn't power corrupt?"

Nicole: Wow...D&D survived until their time. That's nice.

Kahn nodded.  "Indeed it does, has, and will corrupt.  However, when power
is given to those who are not in love with it, there's no limit to what it
can do for good.  That is what I teach."

Yui: perfect example: Darkon, right?

The whole thing had left Tina completely speechless.  How was she going to
explain to the commander about a tiger, living in her room... or was she the
only one who could see him?

Nicole: <as Tina> You see commander, my sister's cousin asked me to babysit her cat for a while.

Brian: <as Jamison> Really? What sort of cat is this?

Nicole: Well....<sweatdrop> it's...really big....

"Fear not, my dear.  You're the only one who can see me.  I can come an go
as I please, so you need not worry about me."  As if he was about ready to
leave, he asked, "Now that we've formally introduced ourselves, Ms. Corman,
have you any questions?"

She quickly searched for all the questions that she had been asking herself,
but none of them would come to mind.  "Well, not at the moment... Wait!
There's something I need to know.  Ever since I've emerged from the chamber,
my right leg's been hurting a bit, do you know why?"

"Ah, yes. It is growing pains, nothing more. Your body is starting to
undergo a change."  His response only made Tina blink in confusion.
"Meaning, since you've accepted the power, it has begun to affect your real
body as well.  Within a month or so, your body shall reach its full physical
prime."

Brian: <tap-tap-tap-tap>

Nicole: Oh stop it! <whaps him>

Hearing his words brought a glimmer of hope in Tina's eyes, "You mean...
I'll be taller?"  Kahn only nodded.  She gripped her fists and wanted to
scream in triumph.  Her smile grew as large as her face could hold as she
proclaimed, "At last! I won't be mistaken for being a kid anymore!"

Brian: <grin> Well...she didn't look like a kid in the TB2 tapes, that's for sure.

Nicole: <sits and processes that for a second, then...> DIL BRAND!!!

Brian: <somewhere in the stratosphere>

Kahn's tone grew impish as he added, "Oh, you'll be much more than that, my
dear."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is this," as he spoke, he opened his paw as if it were
imitating a flower.  "Your body will blossom and mature into something men
would lust after. A true beauty among beasts."

Brian: <falling back down> Amen to that!!

Nicole and Yui: FLARE ARROW!!!

Natsumi: Radiance Bolt!!

Angewomon: <flying by> Celestial Arrow!!

Brian: <drops back in the theater, burnt and shot with arrows> ...ouch...

Nicole: <evil grin>

All of a sudden, the thought of being taller lost its appeal. "Thanks for
telling me that!" she whined, slumping her shoulders again.

Kahn only laughed and replied, "Think nothing of it, my dear." He then
turned away, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

"Oh, wait! How am I supposed to find you?  How will I know when to talk with
you when I need to?"

"Don't worry. I shall find you when you need me." With that, he casually
stepped into the shadows and vanished.

She sighed in exasperation and fell backward onto her bed.  All this was
almost too much for her to take.  If she recalled correctly, her shift would
begin in about a half an hour, she needed to start getting ready.  Yet, a
thought that she'd been constantly putting away in the back had returned.

Brian:<as thought> HELLO!!! Did you forget about me!?!

"The Lahdam," she whispered.  "Darkon... if Slade was right and his
cruiser's just a probe... then that means..." Her eyes widened at the next
idea, "...more of them will come!"

Nicole: Many, many, many more of them...according to Brian's TB2 tapes.

She sat upright as a scary thought came about from all this.  "Even if we
can turn this one back, who knows how many more of them will follow?"  She
took the fastest shower she could, got dressed and ran out. All the while
thinking, "I've got to let the commander know about this!"

Nicole: <checking stopwatch> Woah...she beat the Queen's record!

*****

In his office, Commander Jamison sat silently in his chair.  Gazing at the
sky, his thoughts returned to the reunion of the remaining Carters.  He
didn't have to think hard about how painful it must have been for their
mother.  Suffering in isolation all this time, only to find that most of her
family was gone.

All: <wince> Ouch...

"In one event at that."  He moved his eyes to view the sun, breaking its
light through several clouds.  "Chaos and Order certainly play strange games
with us."

"Yes. I do." A voice replied simply from the shadows. Jamison turned to see
a man standing in the darkness by the door of his office.  What the man wore
appeared to be a jumpsuit, perfectly melded to the color of the walls,
making his appearance almost non-existent. From the shade, his face was
partially concealed, leaving only traces from his long, colorless hair
hanging about his shoulders.

Nicole: <checks her mother's notes> Oh joy, he's back.

Not quite thrilled to see strangers appear in such a manner and readying the
derringer in his sleeve to fire, Jamison asked, "And you are?"

"A little over a century ago, I was mostly known a rather feminine looking
young man in college, named Kisaragi.  Though that life has passed and now
I'm what I am, it has little to no relevance.  However, if you must know, I
am commonly referred to as Shun."

Brian: Or by some people as Shun-chan...

Still unmoving, Jamison questioned, "And is there anything else that you are
that I should be aware of?"

Shun only beamed and replied, "Other than the fact that I control all the
entropy in the universe, not really."

Yui: He took over the job from Lina Inverse, you see...

Nicole: Ah, that's why it's been so quiet.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

Shun's smile did not change at all, "No. That's why I prefer to talk to
people like you."

Jamison's patience was beginning to wear. "And your reason for being here?"

Brian: <as Shun, sanding away at Jamison's patience with sandpaper> Darn, I need a new sheet!!

Shun walked out of the shadows to show he looked no different than any other
person. Yet, the most startling fact about the stranger was that his person
had absolutely no colors whatsoever. No colors on his skin, clothes, face,
and eyes.  He ended up at Jamison's desk and stroked a finger across the top
as if checking for dust.

Brian: So...he's a mime? <WHAM!!>

<An anvil from the Mime's Union saying "We are NOT amused" falls on him>

"Personal in nature. Yet, it has quite a bit to do with this little reunion
of the Carters. It's about your own family, Nathaniel Jamison..." he leaned
over the desk, reached over, and placed the index finger of his right hand
on Jamison's forehead. "Or should I say..."

Shun's last words were lost as Jamison felt all consciousness fade into
darkness. Everything in his mind and body had suddenly shut down and was
taken to somewhere else.

Nicole: Heaven?

Yui: Hell?

Brian: South Dakota?

Natsumi: HUH??

As Jamison felt everything and nothing move past his being, he could hardly
describe the vortex that he had been sucked into. Everywhere he turned,
there was movement of light and darkness.  It seemed like he was falling
through a passageway though time and space.

After what seemed to be an eternity, all movement stopped and Jamison found
himself alone in what appeared to be a large and spacious, oval shaped room.
He shielded his eyes as best he could when he tried to look up at the source
of a great light that permeated the room.

The light was very powerful, but not so much that he could not see what
exactly was above him. It appeared to be a large blue flame, hovering in
mid-air below the great light that radiated the void. There seemed to be no
source from which the flame burned, yet it did not appear that it was going
to fade out.

An explanation was definitely in order. He looked over to his side to see
Shun looking up at the flame as well. What also surprised Jamison was that
Shun was a lot shorter than he was, more so than most of the members of his
crew.

Brian: <smirks> Guess Tina can't complain then...

Taking another look at the flame, Jamison asked, "But what does all this..."

"Shhh, listen." Shun interrupted.

The flame seemed to glow more brightly and a voice came from it and said,
"Mother."

The great light turned to the flame, "Yes, my child."

"It is still dark... yet I can see the light outside... why is that?"

"Because you have yet to be born, my child."

Jamison's ears strained themselves to place the voice of the light that
spoke to the flame. He was sure he had heard it before, but could not
remember where.

"I see... I have another question."

"Go on."

"This concept, marriage. What does it mean? You and Father often speak of
it."

"It is... somewhat hard to explain to one as young as yourself... but simply
defined... it is a promise. A very sacred promise. A while before you came
to be, your father and I made a promise in front of He who created all. It
is a promise that binds our souls to each other for the rest of our days.
And should we remain faithful to each other in life, even until our dying
day, we shall not be separated at death. The reason why is because I love
him... and he loves me. We both know it will not always be easy, but we both
work our hardest to make it right. It involves trust, friendship, and
sacrifice to name a few..."

The flame, a bit overwhelmed at the response, replied, "That seems very
complex, Mother."

The light stifled a giggle and said, "You will understand someday."

No sooner had the mother spoke her words, Jamison found himself back in the
office, with Shun sitting on the side of his desk. His face was a mask of
complete shock, after hearing the voice of the light, had brought back
memories he had thought lost. He knew whose voice it was.

Brian: Megumi Hayashibara?

Nicole: <Mega Flares Brian into the wall> NO SPOILERS!!!

Catty: <mutters> I wonder if I can hire This Old Dojo for the repair work...

He turned to Shun, "That was my mother, wasn't it?" Shun nodded in reply.
The stranger's interest in doing this sparked another question, "Why? Why
did you show me that?"

"A part of my compensation towards you. Your life was led in this direction
because this war and all that would occur within was foreseen long ago and
you were needed to be who you are now. However, you don't need to understand
everything at the moment."

All: <as Jamison: Yeah, right!

Jamison's face soon turned hard. "What you're doing is not exactly helping
me with this war."

Shun's smile never faded, "Be nice to me, Jamison or else you might regret
it. Besides, I've been wanting to show you this for years."

Xellos:<pops in> He learned to keep that winning smile from the best!

<Filia comes in, whacks Xellos out of the theater, and follows in Dragon form, blasting him>

Brian: <sweatdrops> Catty...we have *got* to get better locks.

Catty: <sweatdrops> ...Hai.

Jamison stood up and glared down at Shun, "What do you want? What is the end
you're trying to reach using me?"

Shun's smile faded slightly at his demand. He then turned and started to
walk away, "Something you cannot begin to understand, even if you tried."
Before Jamison could continue, Shun had walked out the door. He figured that
if he was who he said he was, Shun was most likely already gone.

Jamison leaned on his hands on his desk and sighed deeply. That vision had
caused him to think more deeply about who and what he was. He had been
separated from his real parents at a young age and had been raised by loving
foster parents. However, everything that had to do with his childhood was
lost from memory, due to the extensive injuries that he had received in the
incident which separated him from his parents.

"...mother..." he whispered quietly.

More questions emerged. Who was she? What was she like? Who was his real
father? How did she meet him? What was the meaning of the flame and the
light?

A knock on the door broke him from his thinking and he answered, "Enter."

The door opened and Tina walked in with a somewhat panicked look on her
face. "Commander. I need to speak with you. It's about the aliens."

Nicole: And now we switch one problem for another!

Jamison gestured for her to take a seat. "Continue."

"If what Slade said about Darkon's ship being a Lahdam probe, then there may
be a good chance that more of them will come after him."

Nicole: DUH!! It is called a "probe", I'd say it's more than bloody likely that more will come!

Brian: Earth seems to be a magnet for aliens, doesn't it?

Agent J: <pops in> Yeah, and who do you think get to take care of all of them? <pops out>

Yui: This is getting ridiculous.

The idea did make sense to Jamison, "So, when the Lahdam discover him not
reporting back, they're going to assume that this place is either too
dangerous or perfect for their designs."

"From what I've learned, the latter seems more likely. And what makes it
worse is that we have no idea when and from where they will come."

Jamison turned in his chair to the window, "Unless we happen to know someone
who's more than familiar with them."

"Should we let the UEG presidency know about this?"

Jamison's head shook after a moment of thought, "No. Not yet. Let's
concentrate on this war before rearming ourselves for another one."

Tina stood up, "Yes, sir. Anything else?"

He turned back in his chair, "At the moment, nothing. Return to normal
status."

"Understood." She then turned and made her way to the door.

"Ms. Corman," The commander asked before Tina could walk through the
entryway. She turned to him and acknowledged his call. "Have you grown? You
seem to appear a bit taller."

Nicole: And she already getting noticed! <grins>

The observation made Tina blush a bit and she said with a bit of
embarrassment, "Well... I am sir, I also found out that going through the
process does this to one's body." It also made Tina realize that if it was
going to continue at this rate, her clothes wouldn't even fit her anymore!
"No wonder my shirt felt a bit tighter than normal..." she wondered
silently.

Sensing her concern to the situation, the commander said, "If you need to,
get a change in size for your clothes." She nodded and hurried her way out.

Tina's face had gone several shades of red and now she was ready to smack
her head against the wall several times, but was too frustrated to bother.
"ARG! I can't believe that the commander was the one who had to tell me
that! I'm so embarrassed!"

All: LOL!!!

With her little tantrum completed, she sighed and figured it would help to
scream in her pillow later on. However, what she needed to do was get some
new clothes and since she did not have any days off anytime soon, she'd just
have to make do with what she had.

Brian: Which might become a problem a little later!

*****

On the outer part of the solar system, a silver light flew near one of the
rings of Saturn. As the light flew through the rings, it left a hole that
would be there until the debris closed it again. The light then stopped and
the figure within flew from the haze to examine a certain patch of space
with trained eyes.

"Yes... that's it. A Lahdam ship... looks like an Asyden-class probe used a
warp gate here...." The figure then cursed beneath its breath, "I should
have known it was going to come here. Why didn't the Noum-Ishoph get me here
sooner?!"

The figure turned again to where the only inhabitable planet in the system
was. The traveler found it ironic that Darkon would have decided to wipe out
primitive civilization to further his own ends. It never used to be that
way... It didn't matter. Soon the truth would be known and Darkon would be
punished for his actions.

"HALT!" A voice screamed over radio frequency that the traveler could hear.
"We are the Earthen Defense Fleet. You have entered Sol System Space. State
your name and business at once!"

Nicole: Err....wouldn't that be "Earth Defense Fleet"?

The traveler turned to see several arrow-shaped ships moving about it,
trying to close all avenues of escape, which came as no surprise. However,
more important business needed to be attended to, and now was not the time
for protocol!

"Ishatauw oun ijow oht heaman auw kareoam oun ijow ianawed!" it screamed
what sounded like a hiss, growl, and human vocal cords. Before the soldiers
could make heads or tails of what it had said, it sped off at speeds none of
them could match.

Had they the capacity to understand they would not have been pleased to know
that the stranger said, "My name and business are none of yours!"

Yui: Now that's rude!

Natsumi: <shrugs> She was in a hurry.

Turning on his radio, the leader of the squad announced to his commander.
"Captain Jessie! This is Private Wedge. Vicks' squad and my own found an
alien craft, or unit of sorts. However, before we could get a proper
identification, it flew away and we assume it's heading towards your
position!"

Brian: <blinks> Where have I heard those names before...?

The captain quickly responded, "Can you follow it?"

Wedge replied incredulously at the radio, looking at the space where he once
saw the stranger, "Follow it?! I can't even see it!"

At the bridge of the United Earth Government cruiser 'Churchill', Captain
Jessica Fielding raced to the communications officer who had received the
new alien craft on radar.

"Can you see it?" The captain asked.

"Yes sir! The object the squads found earlier is heading in our direction at
half the velocity of light. Our scanners say its dimensions are about the
same size and shape of a power suit. However, because of the strong energy
field around it, we can't get a reading on its power source or
configuration."

"Half the speed of light? How can an object no larger than a power suit be
capable of traveling that fast?"

All: Take a wild guess!

"I don't know sir, but its ETA to our position is less than a minute and a
half."

"Can you give me a visual?" The officer nodded and brought the single silver
streak speeding towards their position. "Have you tried to hail it?"

"Many times sir. But it does not appear to be responding."

The captain began to eye the streak with suspicion, "It doesn't appear that
it's after us... where would it course take if it continued as it is?"

"Computers are saying it will head straight to Earth."

All: Of course!!

The Captain frowned and ordered to the officer, "Hail it!" The officer did
so, rather quickly one might add. "Attention alien craft. You are entering
Sol system space without proper identification. State your business or else
leave this system immediately."

No response.

"I'm warning you! If you don't state your business, I'm going to open fire!"

Nicole: <Capt. Fielding> And I'm not going to be polite about it, either!!

Still, no repsonse.

With her patience gone, the captain turned to the officers on the deck,
"That's it! As soon as it's within range, I want all batteries firing at
that thing!"

All: Baka move, Captain...

The stranger was more than aware of the danger it was about to get itself
in. Nevertheless, its mission had to be completed.

Within the silver light, the source of the light itself, being a suit of
alien shaped armor, peered at all the gun batteries, pointing at it. A frown
crossed its face and braced itself for what might be a rather tedious
experience.

Natsumi: <winces> Got that right...

Within seconds, all the guns of the fifteen large cruisers, that had been
sent from Earth to assist in colonizing the planets several years earlier
opened fire on the stranger who failed to acknowledge them for what they
were.

The figure still kept to its course, while dodging lasers from every which
angle. Practically mocking the greatest weapons mankind had created, the
stranger almost casually danced around the beams of light from the ships.

It was about the time the stranger was within the very center of all the
ships when the stranger's patience had decided to run thin. Throwing a glare
at the ships, the stranger screamed, "Kareoam auw ishautauw oun naukiij owu
fuiruiguakaust!"

The stranger stopped suddenly and the sliver light about it gathered more
and more until it turned into a large and pulsating sphere of silver light.
The ships' lasers could not penetrate the sphere, no matter how much they
tried. And just when the lasers could no longer seem to do any effect, the
sphere burst and the fleet was showered with silver light.

The bridge on the 'Churchill' rocked this way and that as if it were a
building in the middle of an earthquake. The captain held on to the
guardrail for dear life as the ship slowly came to a steady position.
Looking to the frontal display screen, whatever the stranger had done, it
had knocked the entire fleet for a wallop.

Brian: Just like a "Star Trek" set!! <grins>

"Where did it go? What happened?" The captain demanded from what few
officers that were still standing or sitting at their consoles.

One officer replied, "We're not sure, but from what I can gather, it seems
to have emitted an EM Pulse. And a big one at that!"

Another continued, "We can't find it, sir! All scanners have been knocked
out."

Finally reaching her seat, she turned to the same officer from before,
"Can't we fire?"

"With all due respect, sir. It would be the best if we started repairs on
the more important systems. Or else we might find ourselves without
life-support."

The captain growled beneath her breath and then complied, "All right, begin
repairs, immediately." She hated leaving a situation like this left alone
because of the present circumstances.

Brian: She's just a one-shot character, right, WH?

Nicole: It'll be a shame if she is...

*****

On the moon, Darkon's astral form sat in silent meditation on the bridge of
his craft. Even though everything was operating smoothly, he could not help
but get an uneasy feeling that there would be some detail that would lead to
his defeat. He had used every bit of his mental resources to try and
discover what, but it lead to a conclusion that he was imagining it all.

Yui: <as the detail> <mallets Darkon> Hello, I'm here, you can be defeated now!!

<snip>

"I am not a child!"

Her remark did not support her claim as she continued to swing and miss.

"I'm not so sure about that."

Though at that time, she was not the fighter he was. Yet, as the years
passed, she proved herself time and time again to be more dangerous than one
would expect, and here she was, back to destroy him for what he had done to
her comrades.

Natusmi: <grins> The old grudges alway come back to haunt someone, don't they?

Before retreating back to his lair, he tossed a glare towards the location
of his foe and whispered, "I'll be waiting for you... just like I always
did..."

*****

<getting-late snip>

Ringo smirked, "Or maybe you think that way because of how you feel about
Slade."

Star's eyes leveled out quickly, "And what business of that is yours?"

Ringo only continued, despite the thin ice he was starting to walk on, "None
whatsoever. But you should hear what people are saying about you two
already. And all you two have just started to notice each other and people
are whispering that you've gone all the way with him."

Brian: <winces> That ice he's walking on isn't just thin...it's cracking.

Star's eye twitched murderously, "I'll pretend you didn't say that!"

Starting to pick up his tray, Ringo continued, "They're just rumors, Star.
Don't get so uptight! Besides, I don't really know who started them in the
first place."

All: <Mel Brooks "Bulls**t" cough>

Star's frown soon developed into an impish grin when she said starting to
stand up, "Ok then, how about I go and tell Slade how you and Shara have
been doing, hmm?"

Nicole: <announcer's voice> And Star makes a amazing comeback.  Can Ringo recover from this?

It was now Ringo's turn to twitch.

Star put her index finger on her chin and pretended to act as innocent as
possible, "Gee, I wonder how Slade would react to the thought of seeing you
getting pretty friendly with his sister, hmm?" She giggled a bit and put her
hands behind her back and continued, "Oh, I'd bet he'd just go nuts over the
thought itself!"

Both had played their hands and Ringo had lost hard. "ALRIGHT! I didn't say
a thing, Star! Geez!"

Natsumi: And he goes down!!

Yui: In flames!

Despite all his protests, Star was having too much fun torturing Ringo to
stop.

*****

"Ok, make sure and get those machines up and running as soon as possible, we
don't know when the aliens are going to attack again!" Ensign Yuuki cried to
the working bay crew that had finished unpacking all the materials that they
had received the day before.

Aside from food and other such materials, most of the shipment was comprised
of machines made for production of Zetronic antimatter and Teknosuits.

Brian: <grins> What? Nothing about a new set of clothes?

Nicole, Natsumi, Yui: <censored for your protection, although take our word for it, it was really painful>

Brian: <err...you *really* wanna know?>

Running to the ground level, she held the board tightly, which held the
orders for each team, hoping to get things started as soon as possible. The
team leaders gathered at the bottom of the stairs, all waiting for their
respective assignments.

Pulling out a single sheet of paper for each of the leaders, she called out,
"All right. Team one, you start with the production of the Z-Tron generator.
We're almost out of the stuff that came from the plant a few weeks ago and
we need more. We got enough materials to help us last a while so we got to
make it snappy."

"How long do we have?" the man asked.

Nicole: Dumb question.

"Before the aliens strike again," she replied promptly, then turned to the
next man and handed him a set of papers. "You guys got to start building the
production line that installs the energy to the suits and Z-Tron as well.
All the plans and procedures are in here."

Yui: Which will probally be modified before too long.  Engineers are famous for this sort of thing.

"Understood," the man said, taking the papers.

"Team three is to start the production and instillation of the recently
developed weapons that Ringo got on his Teknosuit. All the plans and such
are right here, so don't lose them." She said to the third team leader,
handing him the sheets of paper with the vital information.

Brian: <third team leader> <drops the plans> Ooops.

Nicole: <Ensign Yuuki> <demon head> WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!?!?

She then walked up the stairs a bit and reiterated to the crew, "Just to
remind you, we've been given orders from the top brass that we got to get
all these things up and running as soon as possible. We have no clue when
and where the aliens are going to strike so we need to keep everything
working as much as we can. Also, it may even result in all of you being put
into the teknosuits we're about to make."

<crash*boom*BellsofDoom>

"Are you serious?" said one worker.

"Ask the commander that. The aliens have been far too quiet recently.
They've only been attacking us. The commander is getting a bad feeling about
all this and he wants everything ready for something big," Miaka snapped.
"As soon as you're all done with making your respective machines, you're all
to report to the training facility as soon as possible."

Another worker from the bridge ran to the top of the stairs Yuuki stood on
and announced, "Everyone, to your stations, let's go! Ensign, you're needed
at the bridge."

Yui: <worker> The buffet table is here.

She nodded and ran back up to follow the other communications officer to the
main hallway that would lead to the bridge. When she reached the entryway,
however, she stopped to take a look at a member of the crew that seemed a
bit out of place.

When she ran back to the edge of the platform, she saw that the member was a
woman that appeared to be moving through all the crews, almost as if she
were trying to make herself blend in.

Nicole: She's...overdoing it quite a bit, isn't she?

The ensign made a note to check for that particular person before something
bad happened.

End of Chapter 4.

[Just outside the vicinity of the loading bay, Warhammer sneaks about from
crate to crate and sits in a chair in an office.]

Natsumi: <as engineer> HEY!! That's my office!!

WH: Ahh, don't you love this. Plot development is the stuff which dreams are
made of. It also makes the story much more enjoyable to read when you know
what's going on.

Brian: <vendor> Programs! Get your programs here! Can't understand the plot without a program!

Nicole: <groans>

First off; Mrs. Carter. The person I had in mind when I came up with the
character was based off the character from a book I read when I was a lot
younger. It came from Robin McKinley's newbary award winning book; The Blue
Sword. I liked it a lot and kinda modeled her after the character from the
book. And so, if by some chance you get a chance to read it, make sure you
read The Hero and the Crown first. It gives a bit of back-story as well.

Next; Tina's statement about D&D does not reflect the opinions of the
author. It just seems to me that Tina would know about it, but wouldn't
really get into it. I know a little about D&D, but I've only read The Legend
of Huma and that's it. I might go back and get started on it... but if it's
a massive universe that requires a lot of time to understand... we'll see.

Brian: Put it this way, WH...D&D has been around since the mid to late '80s.

...and yes, that Kahn is whom you think it is. Whether you curse my name for
using him is your own prerogative, but remember, this is the mere beginning
of a mega-xover universe where there are no established rules as to which
series' I can use. In other words; :p Biiida!

All: <groan>

Now, I for one liked Jamison's little visit to the past. There was never any
back-story given about him, save for the short event when he had turned his
back on an old friend and saw him leave Earth, meaning Doctor Random. I had
a little fun when creating his past and a few of your are probably going to
want to either lynch me or just think that I'm smoking crack or something
like that. For those of you who already know, DON'T GIVE IT AWAY! ...please?

Nicole: <reading her mother's notes> You mean <bleep!> and <bleep!> <bleep!>, don't you? <grins>

Also, Shun's involvement is nothing more than small parts of something much
more massive which is to occur later on in my universe. He will have the
appropriate explanations given and I assure you, it will be worth the wait.

The stranger and Darkon's memory of her were at one time nothing more than
just a passing mention in the script I wrote for this fic. How strange that
when I finished the chapter in the first place that that small idea demanded
to be expanded... I had no choice! It threatened to sue.

Nicole: <as idea> Expand me in the story or I sue for WH's brain!!

Brian: <as WH's lawyer> <deadpan> Would you really want it?

Nicole: Ano...

Also, everything that occurred after the fleet's little tryst with our new
guest wasn't there in the first place. The real reason for the expansion was
due to the fact that I felt that more could be done for this chapter. So,
for all I know, I may have to rewrite this chapter again. But if it test
well and no problems occur, I just might as well leave it as it is.

Before I forget, I intend to incorporate Tekkaman Blade II into my universe,
which is the reason that you're seeing a colony fleet in the outer solar
system. And for those who have seen TBII, like me, we all know what becomes
of those who aren't smart and stay on Earth, right? Right.

All: Ladam food, right?

As for Star's siblings. They'll get their chance in the spotlight, helps the
fic get larger. Yes, I know that the names sound odd, but hey. I've heard
stranger. At least the names here sound better than something like Squall!
Right? Right, Squaresoft? Huh?!

Brian: <bonks WH with a mega mallet> Ahem, I like FFVIII, alright?

Finally;
Teknoman belongs to Saban and all who are concerned.
Tekkaman Blade belongs to Tenkou Suzuki, he wrote the manga in the first
place.
Miaka Yuuki belongs to Watase Yuu-sensei.
Kahn belongs to Disney. (THERE! I said it! And I'm gonna say it again...
sometime.)

Nicole: When the suits aren't listening, that is...

Shun Kisaragi belongs to Yuki Nasae-sensei.
Any and all things related to Teknos belongs to me.
Any other reference not mentioned belongs to whoever made it in the first
place.
No cash received from this fic = no reason for being sued.

Yui: <as lawyers> Aw, d**n!!

'Till next time!
[Warhammer rushes away in a rush to finish his physics homework.]

Brian: And till next time...we're tired, so goodnight!!

All: Ja ne!!

<The lights dim...>


Brian Yaple
BYapes@erie.net
BA Comm Arts 1998
http://members.xoom.com/BYapes/Knight/
MoonieCode (1.12.05) SM:5m- F:sInSa:vMiLe:aLuAr:pClS X:*****a[Cl][R]Ss|ClRSd:2r|5s O:d+:s?:a-:h :x+ P:a24:s :w?:f?:eBrg:hBr-:t-:cWh:*Li:y--:r+|+
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IRC handle: Stardancer
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