“Captain.”
“Wah?” Ya’Cahin sat up quickly from her make shift hammock in the trees. She rubbed her eyes and then looked at her shifting crewmate. Rizier held a tablet in one hand and had another pressed against it. But their eyes were turned to the sky. “What is it Zier?”
“There’s signals on the planet. Multiple. Legion is attacking again.”
“Where?” Jenny asked darting out of the ship.
They had done a mixture of working on the ship and streaming movies on a makeshift metal panel they put together. The sun had set a long time ago and things had been quiet. But now things were getting excessive again.
“Downtown, I believe it’s near your parents’ home,” Rizier said concentrating.
Alice joined them and looked at Jenny knowing her immediate reaction. Eyes widening, Jenny shook her head raising up her palm as her stone started to glow, “I’m going.”
“Wait,” Rizier narrowed their eyes. “There’s something else. Something leaving the planet. Going to the moon.”
“The moon?” Alice repeated. “To Legion’s ship?”
“That is a safe guess,” Rizier replied nodding. “The signature coming from it is familiar as well. It feels celestial in nature.”
“Let me get this straight then,” Ya’Cahin stood up slowly. “Legion is attacking our friends the Celestial Knights but in the same token has done something to transport or kidnap our friendly neighborhood Celestial.”
“That is correct captain.”
“Seh’hun.”
“We can’t sit around,” Jenny said quickly “We have to help them.”
Alice nodded, “I agree. Especially after what happened last time.”
“What shall we do captain?”
Ya’Cahin held up a blue hand to stop her crew for the moment. “We’re going to the moon. Now. Marco and his team are capable. They can deal with Legion down here. But whatever is going on on the moon cannot be good. And we’re the only ones able to stop it.”
“But,” Jenny began to say but Ya’Cahin cut her off.
“I know you want to help but trust your parents,” she said. “They’re legends in the making. And we have a different part to play. Besides there aren’t that many signals on the planet. They’ve got this.”
Uncertain but understanding her words, Jenny nodded quickly. “Okay captain.”
“We don’t have any time to waste. Astro Knights are you ready?”
Alice, Jenny, and Rizier stood straight holding their arms behind their backs. “Yes captain!”
“That’s what I like to hear! Astro Change!”
Their stones glowed to life and they shot into the sky. They hit the moon with a huge thud of force fully armored up and weapons drawn. The dusty grey rock was as welcoming to them as a warehouse but it was at the very least empty.
Ya’Cahin walked forward slowly both her pistols drawn. But she looked over her shoulder and watched a streak of red light race from earth to the moon. It soared over their heads, almost dragging them forward. She broke into a run, chasing after it the others on her heels.
They ran across the side of the moon sprinting after the streak of light but they saw it come down. Right into the crash crater of Legion’s ship, an imposing black shape on the surface. Spread out amongst the ship were rows upon rows of soldiers. All possessed and taken over by the alien hivemind.
The red light struck the top of the ship and the soldiers all turned to look toward it quickly. But then they turned to face the intruders. Alice crouched and then launched herself forward coming down machete first. She cut through them one after another carving her path in the rock.
Rizier picked them up off a gust of wind and sent Ya’Cahin and Jenny forward. Lightning arrows and flaming bullets provided the support for Alice to keep going. Once they landed Rizier took to the air whipping their arms forward like blades.
Combing her pistols into one hand cannon Ya’Cahin squared her feet and unleashed a concentrated beam of heat. Rizier stood behind her, spinning their arms and enhancing the blast with the wind. It didn’t stop at the ship and instead carved a neat flaming hole through the hull.
They grouped together, running to the hole in the ship jumping through and into its winding halls. But they knew how to navigate it. Ya’Cahin took the lead traveling through each of the hallways without too much issue. Jumping over crevices and sudden lapses in direction she pointed with her guns ushering them forward.
“Rizier which way to the Celestial energy is coming from?”
“The observation deck,” they said quickly. “We need to go up.”
“Up it is,” Ya’Cahin spun her gun and pointed. “Jenny with me!”
They fired together, sending a barrage of projectiles through the ceiling. Alice followed suit leaping toward the ceiling and striking it with her fist. It exploded outward and they clambered onto the next floor. The others followed suit and suddenly the corridor they were chasing through was replaced with a wide open room.
Above their heads was a thin bridge and glass that looked out into space above. Around them they were in something like a mess hall minus the tables or even people. “Captain,” Jenny said walking forward and pointed ahead. “I think I found the source of the energy.”
There was a large energy cell at the far end of the room and the shape within it resembled Ley almost perfectly. The pale flaming body of the celestial floated within it unconscious and almost chained up. But standing in front of the cage were a trio of shapes. Ya’Cahin walked forward and gasped softly.
Tahu turned standing beside two others. One that was blue and identical to Tahu, another zorg much like themself. In the center was one that was red, a pair of wings like an insects and thin arms ending in only a few fingers.
The red one raised its head and motioned toward them, “Long time no see Ya’Cahin.”
“Tahu. Ula. Xilo,” she mumbled. “Not the reunion I had hoped for.”
The Harlequin Library 