Terran Knights: Chapter 41

“How?”

Sarah touched Jack’s face gently, as if he would disappear if she pressed too hard. Pop like a bubble. She couldn’t take her eyes off him because she thought he’d fade away if she looked anywhere else. Jack was smiling and kept one hand laced with hers as she touched him. She was too shocked to cry. Too scared to believe her eyes or her hands.

“You two really have been spending too much time together,” he said grinning. “You sound exactly like Marco did.”

She pinched his cheek hard glaring for a second and he all but yelped trying to pull away but she held on fast. She kept her glare on him but it crumpled away after only a few seconds as she broke into tears and pulled him against her tightly.

 When she finally pulled away from him and was content she looked him up and down and squeezing both of his hands. “How?” she said again.

“I’d like an actual answer to that too,” Marco added coming closer and took his other hand, “You were dead. Sarah saw you die. Everyone saw you disappear.”

“Well, as far as I know I was dead. At least I’m pretty sure I was. After the Taq-Law killed me it was like I was asleep. I think. Felt like I was asleep. And then suddenly I was in the dream place except it was different. Entirely white. My body was asleep but I was just aware of everything, able to see everything. Had my own pedestal and everything.

“And then Ley was there and they told me that I had died but I wasn’t dead. That I could be brought back. On a hard maybe. No guarantee that it was going to work. That’s why when I saw you both I was able to talk to you. But I figured it would be messed up if I said I was maybe coming back to life and then it failed and I died twice.”

“I can’t say I disagree with you,” Marco said and Sarah frowned hard. “So, when we saw you in our dreams you were what? Telling us what you thought we needed to hear?”

“Something like that. Sarah needed the pep talk and the team needed a real leader. And I couldn’t think of anyone better suited than you Marco. Plus you look damn good in red.”

“Trying to take care of us even then,” Sarah shook her head and squeezed his hand. “You still haven’t explained how you’re alive now.”

“That’s all Ley. I don’t know what weird celestial magic weirdness it used but it worked. Like a week ago Ley visited me in the dream place and told me this would be the last time we meet. Said I would be the last piece of help it could offer. And it put me to sleep for real. Next thing I know I’m waking up on the street, there was a space ship in the air, and I had this.”

Raising his hand, they both saw the ring on his finger for the first time. A simple material band but with a gleaming green gem. He turned it in his hand slowly feeling it pulse from the invasion going on around them. “Wait that flash of green light. Was that you?” Sarah asked.

A grin broke out on his face and he nodded. “Something told me I could take it down and turns out I was very right. Or at least tried to. Managed to slow them down a lot but the invasion was going to happen no matter what. I even had a feeling where you two were. And good thing I showed up when I did. Marco was almost toast.”

“Toast is an overstatement,” Marco said rolling his eyes but Jack was grinning. Sighing Marco looked around them and pointed. “We need to get moving. Find everyone else.”

“I think I can help with that,” Jack said and held his hand up. The green gem glowed bright like a beacon and Sarah and Marco’s stones glowed in response. Their helmets appeared on their heads and he said, “Hey team can you hear me?”

Both Sarah and Marco heard his voice two-fold, half in front of them but half echoing through their helmets. “What the hell? I’ve got voices in my head now?” Seth said and they could hear the scowl echoing in their mind.

“I can hear it too,” Kathryn said. “But was that Jack’s voice?”

“I think so,” Cal affirmed. “I don’t know how though.”

“Alien invasions and ghost,” Seth shook his head. “Just gonna be one of those kinds of days I guess.”

Jack laughed and looked over at Marco and Sarah. “Just talk. Helmets can do more than protect our heads and look cool.”

Sarah nodded and said, “Yes it’s Jack. He’s alive. Thank Ley for that.”

“More to the point,” Marco took over. “I don’t know for certain but I think the ship crash at the stadium. it’ll be a good place to start so we can end the invasion before it can get worse. The three of us are going to make our way there. You guys meet us there?”

Seth said, “We’re not far from the stadium.”

“Yeah we can get there fast and take stock.” Kathryn affirmed.

“I’m on my way there now but it’ll take me a minute,” Cal told them.

“Just get there in one piece,” Marco told them all. “We got this far working together and now that Jack’s back we’re going to make this happen. Let’s kick these stupid robots off our planet!”

They were silent for a while and Seth finally interjected, “Huh as speeches go that’s not bad.”

Cal laughed, “I don’t know. I think like the one from last week more.”

“Same here,” Kathryn agreed.

Sighing Marco rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips before saying, “I’m glad you guys can make jokes about this. We’ll see you at the stadium.”

Jack folded his arms and grinned at the both of them. He looked back and forth quickly and shook his head, “You guys are so awesome. We’re cool ass shit.”

“Can we do anything else you want to tell us about?” Sarah asked.

Jack winked, flexing his ring at her, “We’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeves. Probably.”

Marco looked back at them and just laughed, “You know, I was scared about whether or not we’d be able to do this. But I’m not scared anymore. I know we’re going to save the world.”

“Hell yeah we are!” Jack said pumping his fist. “Let’s go kick some robot ass!”

Sarah shook her head but the smile on her lips was the first one she’d made in while that was this warm. “He’s back and already getting ahead of himself.”

“Wouldn’t be Jack if he wasn’t.”