View Full Version : The Keeper's Tale
GoldPhoenixRanger
04-20-2008, 05:16 AM
Prologue
I am The Keeper.
The Keeper of what you might ask. The Keeper of knowledge; the Keeper of power; the Keeper of hope. I have guarded the galaxy’s last chance for liberation for many millennia now. How I have lived so long I cannot say. I have seen so many things in my infinitely long life. The age of innocence, back before this all started, when the galaxy was peaceful. The age of technology, which has since been halted except in the labs of Carnac’s Fortress; The age of defiance, when the planets united in an attempt to stop Carnac. The age of destruction, when Carnac’s forces annihilated all that stood in their way.
I am from a small planet known as Earth. Of course the name of a planet makes very little difference these days. Ever since Carnac came to power, all the planets are the same. Nothing but slave camps and refineries designed to further empower Carnac’s evil empire. From Aquitar to Triforia to Miranoi, all have fallen before his evil forces. His power is seemingly limitless, and it very well may be. Only I know of the one way to stop him. I possess this knowledge because…because it was I who caused all this. Carnac was not always the evil, insane dictator he is now. I knew him before all of this destruction and pain, before all the chaos and ruin. He was my friend. I truly believe that he may still be alive somewhere deep within the vessel of hatred and anger that he has become. I think there is a way to save him and the galaxy, but it would be a most dangerous journey, one which I am far too old to embark on myself. But there may be others that can save us. Earth is a base for a resistance to Carnac’s rule. They must always be in hiding to prevent Carnac’s soilders from finding them. There aren’t very many of them, but there are enough. I can only hope they aren’t too late.
This is my Tale
I am The Keeper
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Chapter 1
The camp was strangely peaceful that night. The only sound was the crackling of the campfires. It was hard to believe that the Legions hadn’t found this new hideout yet. With their massive computer network watching the whole planet, it wasn’t hard for the Legions of Carnac to locate rebels and eradicate them. These however, were no ordinary rebels. David Westing had been fighting against the Legions for about a year and a half now, and his courage and determination had not gone unnoticed. David was a slim 5’ 9’’ with dark brown hair that was cut short, and a thin goatee. His work for the rebellion had kept him in good shape, which was obvious by his well toned body. The leaders of the rebellion has taken a liking to David and he was now part or the rebellions inner circle. At only 20 yrs old, David was the youngest member of the inner circle and he was proud to be there. He had gained the attention of the leaders about a year earlier when he risked his own life to save the daughter of one of the rebellion leaders from a Legion officer. Not only did he save a life, but also that particular Legion officer was inadvertently destroyed as the soldiers attempted to stop David.
The rebellion leader, Adrian Rogers was so grateful to David for saving his daughter, that he allowed him to join the inner circle. Adrian had once been a member of the Legion, but one night upon seeing the prisoners that were to be executed, his heart got the better of him, and he secretly helped them escape. Unfortunately, he was caught helping these prisoners. Rather then kill him, the Legion leaders decided on a worse punishment. Adrian was brought into an encased room where his wife, Anna, was killed in front of him. Adrian was distraught. The combination of the prisoner escape and his wife’s murder made him realize that he was on the wrong side. By cover of night, Adrian took his daughter, Emily, and fled the Legion Headquarters. He joined the rebellion and had become one of its most influential members. With Anna gone, Emily was all Adrian had left which is why he was so grateful to David for saving her.
David wandered among the tents and wondered how long it would be before they had to move to another new hideout to avoid capture. There was no doubt that it would be soon. It was difficult mounting any kind of offense against an enemy as seemingly unstoppable as the Legions, and moving around so much didn’t help matters any. He stared at the stars as he walked alone. He heard a noise and turned quickly, expecting to find legion soldiers. The person behind him, however, wasn’t an attacker; she was 5’4’’ with long reddish blonde hair and soft blue eyes that stood out against her light skin.
David: Emily, what are you doing out here?
Emily: I came out to see you. You look like you could use someone to talk to.
David: There’s not much to talk about. It’s always the same in this war. We do what we can but it’s just never enough. I wish there was something more we could do. All this running and hiding isn’t going to beat Carnac.
Emily: David, you know we’re doing the best we can. My father said that if we disrupt the Legion forces enough on earth, we can get the attention of other rebels on other planets. Then we can band together and defeat the Legions.
David: I know what he said, but it seems impossible. I mean members of the rebellion have been fighting against Carnac for centuries and look where they’ve gotten.
Emily: Don’t worry about it. Let the leaders be concerned with those kinds of things. You’ve already made a huge impact in this war anyway. Not to mention the impact you’ve made on me.
As she said these last words, she leaned in close to him, but he turned away. Emily couldn’t say this surprised her, but she had been hoping that maybe he would warm up to her on this beautiful night. Instead he headed off across the camp leaving Emily standing alone in the moonlight.
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The atmosphere in this part of the castle was calm. Eerily calm. Ava Admunson was in her quarters attempting some of the homework she had been given. The children of the soldiers usually got their fair share of work, sure, but being the daughter of one of Carnac’s highest ranking generals, she was expected to excel even further. She ran her fingers through her dark black hair and she glanced to see her piercing green eyes staring back at her from the mirror next to her bed. She admired her tan skin as she rose to her full 5’ 7’’. She would have taken a break, but there wasn’t much else to do around the castle besides work. That was all that mattered in the castle was work, and advancing the empire. She wished she could have some fun for once. She decided to take that break after all and take a walk to stretch her legs. She headed out into the corridor and followed it toward the library. As she passed it, she glanced toward the door and found it slightly ajar. Ava peered inside to see who had left the door open.
Normally, the Master Library was off limits to everyone except the official library staff, unless they had a direct order from her father, one of the other generals, or Carnac himself. Ava knew if she got caught here, she’d be in big trouble. The other, smaller libraries in the castle were usable by anyone, but they only contained information on how Carnac had come to power and how he conqured each planet. The Master Library, on the other hand, contained records and information from countless planets throughout the galaxy. Many of these records dated back to before Carnac’s rule even began. Carnac had locked these records away and left a few trusted soldiers as library staff to watch over it. Ava saw several men looking at a large book on a table. The book’s pages were being projected onto a screen from which the men were reading.
Guard #1: Can you believe this?
Guard #2: I know. To think that someone would actually claim that the galaxy was better before Carnac. It’s crazy.
Guard #1: Anyway, we better get out of here before we get caught without orders to be here.
Guard #2: Good idea.
One of the guards shut off the projector, while the other put the book away on a shelf. Ava panicked as the guards headed toward the door. She darted around the corner and hid behind a statue. The guards, however, went the other way down the hall and out of sight. Ava came back around the corner, and snuck into the library. She picked up the book the guards had been reading and opened it. In addition to the stories the guards had been reading, it contained pictures. These were pictures of such beautiful things. The mountains and clouds of a planet called Earth, the amazing oceans of a planet called Aquitar, the bountiful forests of a planet called Miranoi, and the powerful cities of a planet called Eltar. The pictures following these were of the same locales, but were very different. The planets were all wastelands, rules by military forces, all controlled by Carnac. She had never known that Carnac did such things to the planets he conqured, she thought he simply controlled them. The pictures also depicted slave camps, and the poverty that had stricken these planets. Ava was horrified. She couldn’t believe that her own father helped to cause these things. She turned and ran from the room.
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It was hot. Very hot. Then again it was always hot in the slave camps. Joshua Courter’ had been in the camps all his life. He had been born there, and wasn’t really aware of any other kind of life. He was 5’6’’ with a good physique and sandy blonde hair. It was horrible being a slave. They were forced to build weapons and vehicles for Carnac’s legions. Outside in the pounding sunlight, it was not easy work. He was just glad it was the end of the day. He headed back into his tenement and collapsed on the bed. His parents had been sent to another camp when he was very young, so he had really never known them. He had basically raised himself and was quite confident in his abilities. He secretly longed however, to be free. He wished there was some way to fight back against Carnac’s forces, or at least to escape this camp. His prayers were answered in the form of a new roommate that night.
He came in around midnight. Apparently he has just been captured and sent here for defying the legions. His name was Tyler Braxton. Tyler was 5’11’’ with dark brown skin, short black hair, and deep brown eyes. He was gruff, but smart. When he arrived, Josh asked him what it was like outside of the camps.
Tyler: Life out there isn't much better than it is here kid. The Legions control everything. There really isn't anywhere to hide from them. It might even be better off in here.
Josh: Even if that’s true, I still wish I was out of here. If I were out there, then I could help fight against the Legions and help free the other slaves.
Tyler:If I were out there, I could find my younger sister, Sharon. I was captured and brought here trying to save her. She escaped, but now I have no idea where she is. But, if anything has happened to her, the Legions will pay.
Josh: Man, that’s too bad Tyler. Well, let's sleep on it, and maybe we can think of something in the morning.
They drifted off to sleep dreaming of freedom. Together, they would accomplish more then they ever thought possible.
Onlyne
04-28-2008, 10:35 PM
awesome, its back now! Keep it up man.
GoldPhoenixRanger
04-29-2008, 04:47 AM
Chapter 2
Ava sat in her room crying, the images from the book still running through her mind. She still couldn’t believe that her father had helped cause all that devastation. She tried to think, find some logical reason why her father would have been part of such heinous actions. Her mind was spinning, and she was beginning to feel sick. She went over to her bed and lay down. As she continued to think about what she had seen, her father entered the room.
General Admunson: Ava, what’s wrong?
Ava: Daddy! How could you!?!
General: How could I what?
Ava: How could you do that to all those planets!?! All those people!
General: What in the name of Carnac are you talking about?
Ava: Those planets! The ones you said that you were helping Carnac to make better! I saw the pictures! Those planets are horrible now! I can’t believe you!
General: WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN THE LIBRARY!?!?!?! You know that place is forbidden without explicit orders! There is a reason I didn’t tell you what happened. It’s because I knew you wouldn’t understand! Carnac’s rule is best for everyone!
Ava: Are you out of your mind?!? His rule is horrible! I just wish I had known it sooner!
The General swung his arm at Ava in anger. Ava was shocked.
Ava: You aren’t my father! Not anymore!
As she said this, she ran out the door and down the corridor. She found herself at the stairs and began heading down. When she reached the bottom, the alarms went off and a computerized voice was heard over a loudspeaker.
Voice: Attention all personnel! The general’s daughter is missing. Ava Admunson is to be apprehended on sight and returned to her father. Attention all personnel…….
Ava realized that if she was going to escape, she was going to have to do it fast. She ran into the transport room. There were several teleporters in the room, but Ava had no idea how to work them. She heard footsteps heading her way and knew she had to act fast. She ran over to the control console and began pressing buttons. One of the teleporters activated. She had no idea where it would take her, but she didn’t have time to find out. As she ran across the room, several guards entered. One of them pulled out a tranquilizer gun and fired. The dart hit Ava and she began to fall. She managed to get to the transporter just as she lost consciousness. She used the last of her energy to throw herself into the beam, and she was gone.
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Josh woke up early the next morning. He hadn’t really intended to, it just sort of happened. He went outside to get some air before the foremen arrived and put them to work for the day. Josh was still thinking about escaping, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem likely. The compound was surrounded by an electrified barbed wire fence with armed guards at the gate. Without armaments, it was impossible to escape. Josh headed back inside to find Tyler just waking up.
Josh: Morning
Tyler: Some morning. Stuck here in this hellhole, sweating like crazy. I have got to get out of here.
Just then the guards came in and escorted the slaves to the work areas. The newer slaves and those with less musculature were sent to work in the weapons factory, while those that were stronger and had been there a while were directed to the vehicle assembly yard. Josh followed the line to the assembly yard, as he did everyday, and saw Tyler in the other line going toward the factory. Josh arrived at the vehicle area and began welding sheet metal into interior walls. After about 3 hrs of welding, he was switched out to the other side of the yard, where the ground based vehicles were constructed. He was put to work on some armored jeeps that were used to transport the high ranking officers around if other transportation couldn’t be arranged. After 2 hrs of this, things were getting quiet. Almost too quiet. Suddenly, several of the guards were summoned to the factory. Loud noises could be heard coming from inside the factory like there was a struggle going on.
Then, out of nowhere, there was a huge explosion from the side of the factory, leaving a massive hole in the wall. Prisoners came streaming out of the hole in an attempt to escape. Josh couldn’t believe his eyes. Leading this rebellion, armed to the teeth with blasters he had obviously stolen from the factory lines, was Tyler.
Josh realized that this was his chance. He could escape and find a way to help other slaves in need. Unfortunately, the guards were gaining on Tyler fast. There was no way he would make it. Unless…. Josh looked at the jeep he had just finished.
The jeep’s twin engines roared in his ear, as he tore across the camp toward Tyler. He blasted guards out of the way with the jeep’s front mounted blaster cannon. Tyler saw Josh heading toward him in a high powered jeep, and leapt aside to avoid it. Josh pulled a 360 and stopped next to Tyler.
Tyler: Nice ride!
Josh: Nice moves. But maybe we should talk later. Let’s get out of here!
Tyler: You read my mind!
Tyler climbed into the jeep and Josh hit the gas. They rocketed across the camp, Josh driving while Tyler fired at the guards. They could see the gate coming up fast. Tyler began firing straight ahead and cleared out most of the guards. Suddenly, large steel doors closed over the gate from either side. Josh spun the jeep at the last second, and headed the other way.
Tyler: We’re trapped!
Josh: No we’re not, look!
Josh indicated a large pile of parts near the far fence. The pile leaned up toward the fence. Josh aimed directly at it. Josh revved the engine to full and hit the pile like a jump. They went flying over the fence and landed outside with a thud. The jeep roared off into the distance, leaving the sounds of guards and escapees far behind.
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Emily looked out to the sands wondering where David could be. He and several others had gone out looking for supplies hours ago, and she was getting worried. Ever since he had saved her from the legions, Emily had been drawn to David. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have the same feelings for her. He was reserved for some reason, though she couldn’t imagine what that was. She heard someone approach from behind and turned to find her father standing there.
Adrian: What’s wrong Emily?
Emily: Nothing, I was just thinking about David.
Adrian: Don’t worry about him. He can more then take care of himself, I assure you.
Emily: I know. But I can’t help wondering why he’s so reserved. I mean, he knows how I feel about him, but it’s like he can’t return the feelings.
Adrian: I know, I’ve seen it too. His heart has been hardened by this war. There may be something else contributing to it though.
As they spoke, they heard something rumbling out in the sand dunes. A cloud of smoke was tearing across the desert extremely fast. It roared into the campsite and came to a screeching halt. Once the sand had settled down, they could see two young men in a jeep.
Emily: That’s a Legion jeep!!
Adrian: Who are you and why are you here?!
Josh: Please, don’t be alarmed. I’m Joshua Courter’ and this is Tyler Braxton. We just escaped from a legion slave camp. We’ve been driving for hours. Please tell us, where are we?
Adrian: You are at the main campsite of the Resistance. I’m afraid I can’t let you leave now that you know where we are.
Tyler:The Resistance? Maybe we could join you? I want to get back at the Legions and find out where they took my sister.
Josh: and I want to find a way to free the remaining slaves, and any other slaves, so they don’t have to endure what I have gone through my whole life.
Adrian sensed the sincerity of their words.
Adrian: Very well, you may join us. That jeep of yours may come in handy. As soon as the others return, we will formulate our next plan. I am Adrian, one of the leaders of the resistance, and this is my daughter Emily.
Emily: Pleased to meet you. We can use all the help we can get.
They went inside one of the tents to discuss further plans and wait for the others to return.
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David just couldn’t figure out what was going on. He and several others from the resistance had gone out looking for supplies, and had been out here for quite some time. They had found some fresh water from a spring, which they used to fill their canteens. David had a tracker with him, and it began picking up some strange energy readings. This made no sense, as the area they were searching had been abandoned for millennia. He began searching for the source of the readings. He had been searching for almost half an hour and had found nothing. He was about to give up when he spotted something in the sand. He ran over to find a young girl half buried and unconscious. He pulled her out and tried to wake her up. Unfortunately, she was out cold.
David: Hey guys, come here!
Resistance Member #1: What is it?
David: I found someone.
RM #2: Who do you think she is?
David: I’m not sure, but we can’t leave her here. We better bring her back to camp.
David and the others picked the girl up and loaded her onto the small wagon they had brought with them. The put their canteens away and headed back toward the camp. David looked back over his shoulder, still pondering the mysterious energy signature, and wondering what could possibly be out there, beneath the sands.
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Ava tried to open her eyes, and found that they hurt. She managed to open them to find herself in a tent of some kind. She rubbed her eyes but that only hurt them more.
?????: Here, wash them out.
Ava: Who’s there?
Emily: My name is Emily.
Ava was handed a container of water, which she used to wash her eyes out. She looked up again and saw a girl about her age sitting next to her. She was in a tent of some kind, and it was hot.
Ava: Where am I?
Emily: You’re at the Resistance campsite. Some of our members found you passed out in the sand. Who are you and what happened?
Ava: I ran away from my father.
Emily: You ran away? Why?
Ava: You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.
Emily: Try me
With that, Ava recounted to Emily everything that had happened between her and her father. Emily was stunned. She called her father in and told him everything.
Adrian: Ava, is it true that you are the daughter of General Admunson?
Ava: Yes, but I will never help him again. Not when he causes so much pain.
Adrian: Ava, you may have information that could really help our cause. Would you be willing to join us?
Ava: If I can help all those people my father hurt, then yes, I’ll join you.
The three agreed on Ava’s arrangements and then left the tent to introduce her around. They ran into David near the center of the camp, speaking with Josh and Tyler.
David: Emily, do you know these two?
Adrian: There are two new members that just recently escaped from a slave camp. They have agreed to help us, as has this young lady here.
Emily: This is Ava Admunson.
Ava: Please to meet you.
Tyler: Did you say Admunson? As in General Admunson?!
Ava: Yes, he’s my father, but I ran away from him.
Tyler: You let some Legion scum in here!?!
David: Calm down. If Adrian says she’s ok, then she’s ok.
Tyler: She’s the daughter of one of Carnac’s highest ranking Generals, how can you say she’s ok!?!
Josh: Tyler, calm down. If she’s on our side, then she should be able to help us.
David: You should listen to him.
Ava: Please, don’t fight. I really am here to help.
Adrian: Ok, everyone calm down. Let’s not forget that we’re all on the same side here.
Everyone sort of looked at each other uncomfortably for a few minutes. David looked up at the sky. It was getting dark.
David: Alright everyone, it’s getting late. I think we could all use a good night’s sleep, especially the three of you (he indicated Ava, Josh, and Tyler). Tomorrow morning, I want to go back out and check on a strange reading I picked up earlier.
Emily: I’ll go too.
David: Emily….
Adrian: I think all five of you should go. David knows where the reading is, Josh and Tyler could use this as a good first mission, and Ava might be able to identify it, since she’s spent more time around technology then most of us. Emily will go along to make sure you don’t all kill each other on the way. Now, everyone get some sleep, we’ve got a big day ahead of us.
Little did Adrian know that for these five teens, tomorrow being a “big day” was the understatement of the century.
GoldPhoenixRanger
05-03-2008, 02:51 AM
Chapter 3
Emily was the first one up the next morning. She went outside and looked at the campsite. It was hard to believe that such a ragtag group of people could make a difference against Carnac. Well, they were accomplishing more then they would have had they done nothing, and that was solace to her for now. She thought about what had happened last night between the guys and she worried what she would do if it started again today. Her father had said that she was going along to keep the others from fighting again, but she had no idea how to do that. She didn’t have anymore time to think however, as Josh came up behind her.
Josh: Morning Emily. Why are you up so early?
Emily: Oh, no reason really, Just thinking about you and Tyler and Ava; wondering if we might be able to make a difference with a few more members.
Josh: Oh, I’m sure we can find a way to help fight Carnac. Everything we do can inspire the next generation to follow in our footsteps. Eventually, one generation has to be able to do something more.
Emily: Yea, I guess you’re right. Thanks Josh.
Josh: Anytime
As they spoke, David, Tyler, and Ava appeared from their tents.
Tyler: So are we gunna go check out this reading thing or what?
Ava: Patience, we have to be sure we have everything we need.
David: She’s right. Now, I packed the supplies last night, so we just have to make sure we’re all ready.
Emily: We should also agree not to fight. We’ll need to be able to depend on each other out there.
Tyler: Alright then, let’s just get going.
David: Agreed, let’s move out!
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The five unlikely companions headed through the desert to find the source of the strange signal. David was holding the tracker while the others followed. The source of the energy seemed to be coming from everywhere at once and the tracker could no longer pinpoint the right direction.
David: Man, what the heck is wrong with this thing?
Ava: Maybe the power source is too close, so it’s scrambling the tracker
Tyler: Close? There’s nothing here, it’s just sand.
Voice: Looks can be deceiving.
The five spun at the new voice and found themselves staring at an old man. His clothes were slightly tattered and he walked with a cane. He had a long grayish white beard and long hair that matched. His eyes were set back a bit making it hard to see them. He hobbled toward the five teens and stopped just short of where they stood.
Old Man: Who are you?
David: We’re from the resistance camp. I was out here yesterday when I picked up a strange energy reading. We came back today to examine it further. We were hoping we might find some source of energy or power that we could use to aid us in our struggles against Carnac.
Old Man: Hmmm, I know where you can find what you seek; a power that could stop Carnac and liberate the galaxy.
Tyler: Wait, you have a power that can stop him and you haven’t used it?!
Old Man: I am far too old to use it myself. That is why I was hoping to find someone younger who could.
Josh: We’ll, we’re younger. Why not let us use this power?
Old Man: I will help you. I will give you this power and the knowledge to use it. I will also give you more knowledge on Carnac then you will find anywhere else.
Emily: That’s great! So, where is it?
Old Man:Not so fast my dear. If I am going to help you, then you must do something in return for me.
Ava: What do you want us to do?
Old Man: I wish for you to retrieve an item for me; A book to be exact. Unfortunately, it is located inside the Legion Castle. The book resides in the deepest bowels of the main library. It is one of the oldest and most valuable books that can be found.
David: You expect us to go on some suicide mission into the Legion Castle just to get some book for you!? Just to get some power source you claim can defeat Carnac? No offense, but this whole thing sounds way too “out there” to be true.
Old Man: I had a feeling you would say that. It is your choice. I cannot and will not force any of you to go. But, you will only receive this power source if you retrieve the book and bring it back here.
Tyler: How do we know that you even control this supposed power source?
As he said this, the energy reading on David’s tracker spiked.
David: Whoa! This thing is off the charts!
No sooner had this been said then the energy reading returned to normal.
Old Man: Well?
The five teens huddled in an attempt to decide what to do.
Josh: I say we go for it. We have no better leads to go on and if this is real then it really could free the galaxy.
Ava: And, since I’m from the castle, I know right where we need to go. That’s an advantage he doesn’t know we have.
Tyler: If I get into the castle, then I might be able to find out where my sister is. I say we do it.
Emily: We may also be able to find some other useful information that could help us, like the whereabouts of legion soldiers.
They all turned to David
David: I still think this is crazy, but with all the positive arguments, I say we go for it. (turning around) Alright, we’re in, but………..
David stopped short when he realized he was talking to nobody. The Old Man had vanished just as mysteriously as he had appeared.
David: Man, we didn’t even get that guy’s name.
Old Man’s Voice: I am the Keeper.
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The teens arrived back at the camp curious and confused. Adrian greeted them as they entered.
Adrian: Hello everyone. Did you find the source of that strange signal?
David: Sort of.
Adrian: What do you mean “sort of”?
Emily: Well, we followed the signal and ran into this old man. He said he had a power that could stop Carnac. But he’ll only give it to us if we do something for him in return.
Tyler: He wants us to break into the Legion Castle and steal a book for him.
Adrian: What? That’s a suicide mission!
David: That’s what I said. But if he really does have something that can defeat Carnac, I think we have to take a chance on it.
Adrian: I don’t know about this.
Ava: Adrian, I lived in the castle all my life. I know where everything is. I can guide them to the library and then back out. That’s an advantage that no one will expect us to have.
Tyler: And we have stealth on our side. If this power will help me find my sister, then I’ll help in any way I can.
Josh: I’m in too
Emily: I’m in too Dad and don’t try to stop me.
Adrian: Alright, Alright, everyone calm down. Give me a little while to think about this. Go have some lunch and then we’ll regroup.
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A few hours later, the group had reconvened in the center of the camp. Adrian had been considering what the teens had told him and he had come to an inevitable conclusion.
Adrian: Since I know you aren’t going to listen to me if I say no, I’m going to allow you to go. But I want to all to be as careful as possible. I’ll help you map out a plan so that you can get in and out with the least resistance. Ava, can you help me with a floor plan? You know is better then anyone.
Ava: Sure, let’s get to work!
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An hour later, Adrian and Ava had finished the plan. It was fairly simple, but there were a few things that could cause major problems if they didn’t go right. They called the others into Adrian’s tent to explain the plan.
Adrian: Alright, here’s what you’re going to do. We have some solider uniforms that we have obtained from defected Legion members, me included. The five of you will dress as soldiers and take the jeep that Josh and Tyler arrived in. A real jeep will be returning from its mission soon. There’s usually one around nightfall. We will detain and capture them while you take their place at the castle. Head in through the side vehicle passage where the jeep is expected. Once inside, Ava will take over.
Ava: Right, once we’re inside I’ll lead you through the castle and up to the library. I know some of the access codes, provided they haven’t changed them since my escape. We have to try to avoid being spotted because we might look out of place. We also have to hope that there isn’t anyone in the library, because we can’t afford to have anyone call the guards. Once we have the book we’ll sneak back out the way we came in.
David: Sounds like a plan. The only downside is that we don’t know where in the library the book is. It could be anywhere in there.
Emily: Well, with all five of us looking, we’re bound to find it sooner or later.
Adrian: Alright everyone, you’ll have to go by nightfall so go get ready.
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Night had fallen on the campsite and the rumbling of a jeep could be heard getting louder in the distance. The teens, Adrian, and some men selected to help stop the jeep were waiting near a dune where the jeep would cross. The teens’ jeep was nearby, refueled and ready to go. The legion jeep was getting louder
Adrian: Alright everyone, this is it. Do you all remember the plan?
David: We wait until you ambush the jeep and then move out.
Adrian: Right…………Here comes the jeep, everyone hide!
The jeep roared over the sand as it neared the ambush site. They headed around a large dune when a group of men leapt out of nowhere. Adrian grabbed the driver and pulled him out, stopping the jeep. The others went for weapons, but were blasted by the other resistors.
Adrian: Now! Go!
Josh revved the jeep and the teens were off. Adrian continued to speak through an encoded radio signal in their helmets.
Adrian: Alright, we have the soldiers detained. We’re going to take them back to the campsite along with their jeep. We might be able to get some useful information out of them. I’ll have to engage and maintain radio silence once you get close to the castle, or their sensors will detect the signal and they’ll know you aren’t real soldiers.
David: Affirmative.
Adrian: Ava, are you ready?
Ava: Yes, I’m ready. We should be able to get in with no problem. It’s getting out that might be difficult.
Adrian: I trust you; All of you.
Josh: We’re approaching the castle.
Adrian: Alright, I’m going to engage radio silence. Contact me when you get back out. Good Luck! (to David only) and David? Please, protect Emily.
The radio went dead as radio silence set in. They headed around the castle to the entrance they were supposed to use. Josh pulled the jeep up to the gate where some guards were scanning and inspecting each vehicle before it entered.
Guard: Stop for Inspection.
The guards scanned the vehicle with some nearby equipment. Once the scan was over, they allowed the jeep to enter the complex.
Tyler: How’d we get past the scanner?
Josh: I modified the jeep to match the specifications of a real one, and I downloaded the signal from the jeep we jumped so that the scans matched.
David: Good work Josh. Alright, let’s get what we came for and get out.
Josh parked the jeep in an open maintenance area and lifted the hood, to make it look like it was being worked on.
Josh: There, now no one will be suspicious.
David: Ava, lead the way.
Ava and the others headed out of the garage area as casually as possible. They headed toward an elevator. They entered and Ava pressed the button for the floor the library was on.
Computerized Voice: DNA Sequence required to access this area. Please place your hand in the DNA analyzer now.
Emily: You’ll have to do it Ava. You’re the only one whose DNA has a chance of matching.
Ava: Alright, here goes nothing.
Ava placed her hand in the scanner. It took a few moments to compare her DNA to those programmed into the system. Once it had finished, the elevator began to move.
Comp Voice: DNA sequence approved.
The group breathed a collective sigh of relief. The elevator rose to one of the top most floors and stopped. The doors opened.
Tyler: Keep quiet, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.
The group slowly moved down the hallway. Ava stopped in front of a set of large double doors. Suddenly, they heard voices from around the corner. General Admunson and an associate were talking about tactical strategies. The General spotted the teens near the library doors. Ava, playing the role, saluted the General as he walked by. The others followed suit. The General gave a curt nod of approval and moved on. Another collective sigh of relief followed. The teens turned and entered the library. Luckily, it was empty.
David: Ok, we’re here. Good work Ava.
Ava: Thanks. Now we just have to find this book. Did the Old Man say anything that might help us find it?
Josh: He said it was old and valuable.
David: Most of these books look old and probably valuable. We need something more to go on.
Emily: Oh, he said it was in the deepest bowels of the library!
Tyler: Right! Let’s look for some kind of lower area or stairs or something. It must be well hidden.
Ava: Good luck, this library expands down to every floor beneath us. That’s five stories of library total. The only entrance is up here though. Pretty lousy design if you ask me.
David: Alright, let’s head down to the lowest floor. We’ll probably find it down there.
The teens headed down some stairs to the bottom floor. The shelves on this floor seemed to be older and the books didn’t look like they had been read in decades.
Josh: Oh yea, if there’s an old valuable book, it’s got to be down here.
David: Alright everyone split up and start looking for suspicious books.
The teens began investigating the many shelves of books on this floor. There were books on magic, technology, animals, plants, famous individuals that lived centuries ago, and on the rule of Carnac.
Tyler: Man, it could be any of these books!
David: There must be something we’re missing. Maybe there’s another room below this one. Everyone look for a passage of some kind.
The teens began searching the shelves in search of a secret passage. Emily was still looking at the titles of the books as she went. She came across one titled “To Find The Way”. She pulled it out to take a look, but it was stuck. She pulled harder and it came out halfway. When it did, she heard a low rumbling. The others heard it too.
David: What was that?
As he asked this to no one in particular, the bookshelf began to move. It split in half and opened in the middle, creating a doorway.
Ava: That has got to be what we’re looking for!
David: Right, let’s go, everyone stick together.
The teens headed into the passage and followed it downward. They arrived in a large but seemingly empty room. It was dark, and the teens began searching for a light switch.
Tyler: Man, where are the lights in here?
Suddenly, torches along the wall lit themselves automatically. When they did, the teens saw that the room was not as empty as they had first thought. In the center of the room was a pedestal. On it laid a book. It was a large leather book that looked unbelievably old. They walked up to it and found that on the cover was a curved gold lightning bolt.
David: This must be it!
Ava: Good, get it and let’s get out of here before we get caught.
David picked up the book and found that it was heavier then it looked.
Josh: I say we go back out the way we came.
Emily: But what if someone seen us with the book? It’s too risky. Maybe there’s another way out.
As she said this, a door on the other side of the room slid open. The teens headed through and followed a set of stairs upward. When they reached the top they found the opposing door stuck.
Tyler: Oh great, now what do we do?
David:Let’s all push together and see if we can get this open.
They all pushed together and the door moved slowly. They got it open enough for them to slide through and found themselves in a familiar hallway. They walked around the corner and found themselves back in the garage area.
David: Good, let’s get the jeep and get out of here.
They approached the jeep and Josh closed the hood. They all climbed in and prepared to leave. It was midnight by this time, so most of the guards were asleep. The two at the entrance had also fallen asleep while on duty. Josh pulled the jeep passed them as quietly as possible so as not to wake them. Unfortunately without scanner approval the gate had its laser sight active. As they pulled through a blaze of alarms went off and the guards jumped awake.
Guard 1: Hey! Where do you think you’re going! There are no missions this late at night!
The guard cry was drown out however, by a combination of the alarms and Josh revving the jeeps twin engines and blasting out of there as fast as possible. They tore across the desert and back to the campsite. David activated the radio to contact Adrian.
David: Adrian, are you there? We have the book and we’re on our way back.
There was no response.
David: Adrian, are you there?
Still no response.
Emily: Where is he?
Josh: I don’t know, but we’re almost back to camp.
They rode over the dune to the campsite to find…….nothing. The campsite was gone.
Ava:Where are they?!
Tyler: This is not good.
David: Everyone calm down. They probably had to move on to avoid the Legions. I don’t see any signs of a struggle so I think this site is safe for now. Look, we’re all tired and we’re not going to be able to find them in this darkness anyway. I say we camp here for the night and find the others in the morning.
Emily/Josh/Tyler/Ava: Agreed.
They built a small campfire and pulled some blankets out of the jeep. Emily slept near David, and Tyler and Josh were in front of the jeep. The book sat wrapped in a blanket inside the jeep. The campfire slowly dwindled as they drifted off to sleep. As they did, David’s tracker, also nestled in the jeep, began picking up a signal again.
GoldPhoenixRanger
05-09-2008, 03:41 AM
Chapter 4
Josh was the first to awaken the next morning. He looked around so make sure everything was in tact. The jeep sat in the same place with the book nestled safely inside. He heard a sound though; something making a beeping noise. Josh looked into the jeep to see what was making the noise and found David’s scanner. It was picking up the same signal as before. The signal of the power source the old man seemingly controlled. He went over to David to wake him up. He shook David lightly.
Josh: David, wake up.
David: (groggily) huh? What’s going on?
Josh: Your tracker is going off again
David got up and walked over to the jeep. He picked up the tracker and examined it for a minute. As he did, the others woke up as a result of David brushing by them as he crossed their campsite.
David: It’s picking up the same signal as before. We should follow it. Hopefully it will lead us back to the old man so we can give him this book we risked our necks for.
Emily: Good Morning everyone.
Tyler: Morning
Ava: Are we going to look for the campsite?
David: Not yet. I’m picking up the signal again. Let’s find that old man and get this power source. Then we can find the camp.
The teens climbed into their jeep and headed off. David sat shotgun while Josh drove. He pointed the tracker out the front of the jeep and Josh did his best to follow the signal. They drove for about twenty minutes before they had to stop. David stepped out of the jeep and walked around for a few minutes.
Ava: What is it David?
David: It’s just like before. The signal is everywhere. The old man should be nearby.
They all looked around but the old man was no where to be seen. David looked back down at the tracker for a second.
Tyler: Maybe he’s not h……
Tyler was cut off when the ground suddenly started to shake. The ground underneath the jeep began to give way as the teens struggled to get out of the way. But it was too late. The ground gave way and the teens, along with their jeep, fell down the massive hole that had formed under them and plunged into darkness.
The teens awoke in a small room with very little light. They were on the ground, and had obviously fallen a long way, though no one was hurt. David looked around and saw the jeep nearby. He got up and walked over to see the book was still inside. Just then a door opened on the far side of the room. A small amount of light emanated from the door as a figure appeared.
Keeper: Ah, you’re here. I’m sorry I had to bring you down so abruptly but I had to make sure you weren’t seen coming down. Welcome.
Emily: Hey, we’ve been looking for you. We have your book.
Keeper: Excellent.
Tyler: Ok, do you mind telling us why the heck this book is so important
Ava: I’m with him. I think we deserve to know what it is that we risked our lives for.
Keeper: You’re absolutely right. You deserve an explanation for everything. I’m sorry I had to send you out with so little information, but I had to test you. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s head inside where it’s more comfortable.
The Keeper led the teens through the door he had entered from and headed down a short hallway. They found themselves in a small room where the Keeper seemed to live. There was a small makeshift bed and a table with a few chairs. There was also a small fire to cook food. The teens found the fire to be strange due to the fact that whatever underground structure they were in, it had the feel that modern lights and other devices were there but not were being used for some reason.
Keeper: Come in everyone. Please, sit. Now, you all deserve an explanation for everything that’s going on. First of all, I would like you to know that retrieving that book was a test. I need to see if you were worthy of the power. Many have tried before you and many have failed.
Ava: Of course! So that’s why they said that no one was allowed into the library without a direct order! They were trying to prevent all these break-ins.
Keeper: Yes, that makes sense. So tell me, did you read the book?
David: We didn’t get a chance. We were too focused on getting it back here to you.
Keeper: Well then, why don’t I read it and explain why it is so important. Hand me the book please.
Josh passed the book over to the Keeper.
Keeper: Thank You. Now, this all began millennia ago. It started with a game of coins. An intergalactic being known as Zordon played a game of coins with the evil witch, Rita Repulsa. Using five magic coins, Zordon won and Rita was banished, never to return. Before being banished however, she trapped Zordon in a time warp, which his life became dependant on. She managed to escape her confinement however, and she attacked earth. Zordon summoned a group of teenagers much like you and endowed them with great power. They used this power to fight Rita and defend the earth. As time went by, many other villains also attacked earth. Zordon’s powers passed from person to person, and new powers were discovered when old ones were either destroyed or were obsolete. After six years of fighting, Zordon was captured and his power was being drained. The universe was under attack by all the villains from the past. Those wielding the power at the time, fought bravely, but the only way to defeat the evil was for Zordon’s time warp to be destroyed. It was so, and Zordon’s energy cleansed the universe of all evil attacking it at that time.
Josh: That’s incredible! Where are the current wielders of the power, maybe they can help us!
Keeper: Alas, the powers came and went and most were used up. After Zordon’s sacrifice, his energy formed what was known as the Universal Morphing Grid. The powers had always been based off of a morphing grid, but it was confined to Zordon’s command center. When Zordon sacrificed himself, however, his energy created a Universal Morphing Grid which could be used by anyone with a way to harness the power. As further evil forces attempted to attack the universe, other teams harnessed the power of the grid to fight them. They used a variety of devices including swords, gems, and wrist mounted devices. As time went on, technology developed to the point that someone with enough money could build devices to tap into the morphing grid, and these types of devices eventually became standard use by various galactic police forces. These teams fought aliens, demons, mutants, orgs, and an assortment of other despicable creatures. All evil fell before these groups of young warriors. Except one.
David: Carnac
Keeper:Precisely. You see, Carnac was once a normal humanoid like you and I. He was a very good friend of mine. His name was Charles. I met him millennia ago, when I was still fairly young. Then again considering I’ve been around for thousands of years, anything is young compared to me. Well, anyway, he and I traveled the galaxy seeking to further understand the sciences of the universe. We were exploring a planet that seemed to have been abandoned, only to discover that it was the original home of Rita Repulsa, her brother Rito Revolto, and their father, Master Ville, one of the great evils of the universe. While searching the empty castle, we picked up a massive energy signature. Upon following it, we discovered something we never thought we’d find. It was a coin. Judging by its age, it had to be one of the coins Rita used in her game against Zordon. It seemed to have an evil power emanating from it, and after a quick study, I decided to leave it there. Charles on the other hand, was mesmerized by its power. He seemed drawn to the coin, and he took it, despite my warning. Afterward, he began trying to tap into the coins power, the power of the grid. He became almost obsessed with that coin. It consumed him and he became darker and darker. Eventually, one day, He managed to access the power of the coin, and it took him over. I found him in his lab, keeled over his table. When I turned him around, I saw pure darkness in his eyes. My friend Charles was gone. On that day, Carnac was born. He attacked me claiming I was trying to steal his power. I barely managed to escape. Carnac continued his experiments in an attempt to increase his power. He managed to amplify the connection between his coin and the universal morphing grid to immense proportions. He then used his coin to drain the grid of all its power, and destroy it. This immense infusion of power, turned evil by the coin, transformed him into the Carnac we know today. He grew larger and stronger, and his skin turned a dark purplish black, and became almost scaly. He holds great power on his own, but his true power comes from his staff. Inside the top of his staff is the source of his strength, the Dark Power Coin.
Emily: This is an amazing story. But how does it help us?
Keeper: Ah, of course, let me get to today. This book details the entire history of those warriors that once held the power. They are all chronicled here. This book is an invaluable historical resource, but its true use lies on its cover.
The Keeper touched the front cover and detached the lightning bolt. An outline of the bolt remained on the cover, so as to retain its original appearance.
Keeper: I believe there is a way to stop Carnac. If we can drain the power from his coin you should be able to defeat him. But to even get close to him, you’ll need to access the power yourselves.
Ava: But I thought you said the morphing grid thingy was destroyed. If it was then how will we get any power?
Keeper: Ah, that is the question. And here is the answer. If you recall, there were wielders of the power before Zordon’s sacrifice. The first morphing grid wasn’t universal, it was much smaller.
Josh: Yea, you said it was controlled from Zordon’s command center, right? But that was thousands of years ago so what does that have to do with us?
Keeper:The command center was destroyed, but underneath was the even more complex Power Chamber. This was used by Zordon’s warriors after the destruction of the command center above.
Tyler: I still don’t get it
Keeper: Where do you think we’re standing?
David: You mean we’re in the power chamber? Zordon’s Power Chamber!
Keeper: That’s right, and with this power source *indicates lightning bolt*, I should be able to reactivate the computers.
The Keeper placed the lightning bolt into an appropriately shaped port on a computer. It lit up instantly and suddenly everything around the teens seemingly came out of a long slumber. Bright lights suddenly snapped on overhead as computers hummed to life. The room was much larger then it had originally seemed. Along the back wall were several clear tubes that appeared to be display cases of some sort, though they were empty. A large table sat in the center near several computers. A circular piece of glass sizzled to life next to a large cylindrical tube. The room had gone from ancient ruins to high tech headquarters in a mater of moments.
Keeper: Yes, it all still works! Now, for the plan.
Ava: What plan?
Keeper: You see, with the Power Chamber up and running, we can also access the original Morphing Grid. It still holds power, which we can use against Carnac. It won’t be anywhere near the power he has, but perhaps we can drain some of his.
Tyler:This is all fine, but don’t we need something to harness the power?
Keeper: Right you are. I believe I have just the thing over here.
The Keeper walked across the room to the large glass cylinder in which sat a pedestal they hadn’t noticed earlier. He walked up a set of small stairs which were obviously not part of the original design. He removed an old dusty box from the pedestal and walked toward the teens.
Keeper: It took me far more years then I’d care to count to track these all down. I believe you are the ones who are destined to use them now.
He opened the box to reveal five coins laying on a velvet pillow.
David: No Way!
Josh: Amazing!
Emily: Whoa!
Ava: Wow!
Tyler: Are those actually the original coins?!
Keeper:Yes, they are, and it is time they were used again. I cannot force you to take on this responsibility, so the choice is yours.
The teens looked at each other for a few moments.
Tyler: I say we do it.
Emily: Me too
Ava: I’m in
Josh: So am I
David: …Alright, Let’s do it
Keeper: Very well. To start, you’ll need these to control the coins.
He walked over to a small panel which slid open to reveal five power morphers, He then handed one to each of them. He walked back over to the box of coins on the table, handing them each a coin as he spoke,
Keeper: Now, for the coins. Tyler, you shall have the black power coin and wield the fierce power of the Mastodon. Ava, I give you the pink power coin and the grace of the Pterodactyl. Josh, the blue power coin is yours as well as the strength of the Triceratops. Emily, you will control the yellow power coin and the speed and swiftness of the Saber-Toothed Tiger. And David, you will lead the team with the red power coin, and the ferocity of the Tyrannosaurus.
The rangers placed their coins into their morphers and their colors swept over them in a flash of light.
Keeper: Now, when Zordon created the original team, he gave them three specific rules to abide by, or lose the protection of the power. There have been exceptions over the years, but they do not apply here. One, never escalate a battle unless Carnac forces you to. Two, never use your power for personal gain. And Three, keep your identity a secret. No one may know you wield this power.
David: So, how do we use these things?
Keeper: Ah, that’s right. To activate your powers, hold your morpher in the air and call out the name of your dinosaur. Now, I recommend you return to your camp. I will summon you here when the time is right.
Tyler: So, how do we get out of here?
Keeper: Head back to your jeep and you will be brought back up the same way you entered. Until we meet again, may the power protect you.
The teens got into the jeep as the ground suddenly rose beneath them. They soon found themselves back where they had fallen while following the signal. By now it was late afternoon. David’s tracker began going off again but this time with a different signal.
David: I’m picking up a signal from the campsite. We should be able to find them.
Ava: Aren’t you even going to address what just happened? I mean, we were just given powers that could potentially defeat Carnac.
Josh: Yea man, this is a big deal.
David: Are we sure these powers actually work? I mean so far all we saw was a shiny room with computers and a flash of light around us. He could have been faking us out with that whole story. For all we know these things are cheap toys.
Emily: You may doubt this, but I don’t. I know it’s real.
David: Maybe. It just seems too good to be true.
Tyler: Let’s get back to camp and we can talk about it there.
David: Good idea. The signal is coming from the northeast. Hit it Josh.
Josh: You got it!
Josh revved the jeep and they tore across the sands, and toward their destinies
GoldPhoenixRanger
05-15-2008, 07:06 AM
Chapter 5
The jeep tore through the sands following the signal from David’s tracker. The teens were still in shock over what had just happened. Some strange man had just given them the power to liberate the galaxy from the dictator that had ruled it for millennia. It was unthinkable and yet it was true. They each thought about their role in this situation as they began coming up on something in the distance.
Josh: Look, it’s the campsite!
David: Alright, we found them!
The jeep pulled into the campsite and was immediately surrounded. The resistance members lowered their weapons upon seeing who was in the jeep. Adrian stepped out from inside one of the tents and rushed over.
Adrian: You’re Alright! Thank God, we were so worried.
He ran over to Emily and embraced her in a hug.
Emily:Its ok dad, I’m alright.
Adrian: So I see. Where have you all been? Did you get the book?
Tyler: Yea and we gave it to that Keeper guy.
Ava: What happened to you guys? We came back and you were gone.
Adrian: Well, we were almost found by Legion forces. They came very close to finding the campsite and capturing us.
Voice: Closer then you think!
At the sound of the unknown voice, everyone spun around to see General Admunson and a troop of Legion soldiers on the ridge just above the new campsite.
General: The last time we came upon you was by accident, this time we had a lead.
Adrian: How did you find us?!
General: Simple, when your little spies here escaped the castle they set off the alarm. The sensors picked up the signal from that stolen jeep and we followed it straight here. Interestingly enough, you disappeared from our scanners for almost a whole day. I’m curious to find out how that happened. Now then, where was I before you distracted me with all these explanations……ah yes…..ATTACK!!
The soilders charged down from the ridge and attacked the resistance. The resistance members grabbed their weapons and began a counter attack. Laser blasts fired everywhere and blades slashed the air. Adrian pulled out his own sword and went for the General. They clashed and fought on top of the ridge. Adrian swung high and was blocked, then kicked in the stomach. He fell back and barely managed to block another blow from the Generals sword. Their swords met one more time as Adrian attempted to prevent the General from slitting his throat. As he did, the General pulled out a hand blaster and pointed it at Adrian’s head.
General: Looks like this is the end for you, traitor!
Before he could fire however, a blast hit him in the side and he fell sideways down the ridge a few feet. He looked up to see where the blast had come from. He was shocked to say the least.
General: Ava!? What are you doing here?
Ava: I joined them…I’m going to help stop all this evil.
By this time the General was back on his feet and was headed up the ridge toward Ava. She kept her blaster pointed at him.
General: You? Ava, listen to reason…if you come back home with me then I’ll forgive you for running away and joining these rebellious scum.
Ava: I AM home…..
Before she could say another word the General lunged and grabbed the blaster from Ava’s hand. He turned and aimed it at her.
Ava: You wouldn’t….your own daughter!
General: I have no daughter!
Ava cringed back and prepared for the impact of his blast, but she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to find that Tyler had tackled the General and they were now fist fighting on the ground.
By this time Adrian had regained his composure. He surveyed the battlefield and saw that it was not going well. The resistance was vastly outnumbered and most of them were either captured or dead. He spotted David holding his own against about five soilders near the center of camp. He realized that David was trying to keep them away from Emily, who was dealing with three soilders of her own. Adrian leapt from the ridge and ran into the fray. He took out two soilders behind them only to have David swing at him without realizing it. He blocked the shot, and as soon as David saw who he was swinging at, he turned back toward the front. The two of them began clearing soilders out and fought over to Emily. She was disarmed by a solider and was about to be finished. But when the solider lifted his weapon to swing the final blow, he found Adrian’s sword in his throat. Emily got up, saw her savior, and gave him a quick hug before picking up her blaster and continuing the fight.
Josh had managed to stay near the jeep, and was using its cannon to take out as many soilders as possible. Unfortunately, the cannon had a wide blast radius so it was hard to get a clear shot without taking out resistance members too. The soilders were closing in, and one managed to get a blast in on the jeeps fuel tank. Josh barely managed to escape the jeep with a small sack that had once contained the book. It now held the morphers they had been given. The jeep exploded into flames behind him taking out everyone around it. He looked at the sack in his hand and reached in for his morpher. Before he could get it however, he was grabbed by two soilders.
He was brought to the center of the camp where the others were also being held. Adrian and Emily were huddled together on one side while guards had blaster rifles pointes at David, Tyler, and Ava. The other resistance members were being rounded up and put in mobile prison units, which would take them to the castle. The soilders had outnumbered them and the battle was over. The General walked down from the ridge and looked at the captives before him.
General: Well, it looks like you won’t be stopping anyone anytime soon. I should have you all killed right now. Especially you…..
He leaned in toward Ava as he said these last words.
General: Instead, I think I’ll torture you for information first. It’s more fun that way. Once I learn how you evaded my scanners for so long, no resistance will be able to hide from us. So, who should I start with…..well, we can decide that back at the castle.
David: We won’t tell you anything, so you might as well kill us!
General: Heheheh….as you wish.
He swung his sword toward David’s neck, planning to decapitate him. It happened so fast that the General couldn’t stop his sword and he decapitated that guard that had been behind David instead. Before it could strike David, a beam of red light shimmered around David, and looking around he saw the others shimmer in black, yellow, pink, blue, and one in a grayish color. They glowed for a few seconds before becoming completely light and then zooming off through the sky.
The colored lights zoomed across the sky and began descending near the old campsite. A passage in the ground opened up and the lights went in. The lights emerged in the Power Chamber and rematerialized into the teens and Adrian. The looked around and realized where they were.
Tyler: Whoa, how did we get here?
Keeper: I teleported you here, and it looks like it’s a good thing I did.
David: Yea, thanks. We really owe you one.
Keeper: Well, I highly doubt you would have defeated Carnac without your head.
David: True…but most of the resistance has been captured.
Adrian: Wait, where are we?
Emily: Oh, right! Daddy, this is the Keeper. He’s the one that we got the book for. *turning to the Keeper* This is my dad, Adrian.
Keeper: Pleased to meet you
Adrian: And you as well. Now what are we going to do about the captured resistance. We don’t stand a chance without them, no matter what powers you have given these teens.
Keeper: You’re right. If you’re going to defeat Carnac, you’ll need more forces then just the six of you. Since space travel in this quadrant is limited, you’ll have to lure him to Earth of you’re going to take him out.
Josh: What if we take over the castle? That would bring him here for sure!
Tyler: How would the six of us take over the entire Legion castle?
Ava: It wouldn’t be just the six of us. The rest of the resistance members are inside. If we can free them and gain access to some Legion weaponry, we can take over the castle from the inside, instead of trying to storm it from the outside.
David: That might actually work. The only problem will be getting back into the castle. After our first little escapade, they’re bound to have tightened security. They’ll be waiting for us.
Keeper: I might be able to teleport you in, but there would need to be an open area. The only problem is that the teleportation grid is weak from not being used in so long. I can probably get you in, but without some altercations to the computers, there won’t be enough power left to get you back.
Emily: So, what does that mean? Can we do it?
David: It means we either take over the castle or die trying.
Adrian: I say we do it. I want to get my members out. Not to mention that there are women and children in there as well.
Ava: But how will Carnac know that the castle has been taken if he’s not here?
Keeper: Believe me, Carnac will know. Even is he’s light-years away, he’ll know. Speaking of knowing, I recommend you find a way to connect his computer system there with the Power Chamber so that we have a better sense of his empire. The more information we can get the better.
Ava: There’s a communications room on the third floor. We should be able to use it to connect the computers there with the ones here.
Tyler: Right, but first we’ll need to break the others out.
Ava: Right, the detention areas are in the basement, below the garages. Come to think of it that book was probably somewhere on the same floor. If we can break them out, then the alarms will definitely sound, so we’ll have to fight our way up to the third floor.
Josh: I say we do it. It’s our best chance of getting in and freeing the rest of the rebellion.
Emily: He’s right, let’s do it
Tyler: I’m with them.
David: Agreed. Let’s do it.
Adrian: Then it’s agreed. Let’s save the galaxy.
Keeper: Very well. I suggest you rest up. There are some bunks in the back where you can get some sleep for a while. I’ll prepare the transporters to get you into the castle.
Adrian and the teens went into the hallway the Keeper had indicated and found two rooms containing bunks. They separated into the two rooms, with the girls in one and guys in the other. They drifted off to sleep as they thought of liberating the world, and then the galaxy.
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