This is the sequel to my surprisingly successful Fanfic, The Protectorate of Light, and upon the egging of my friends and... "fans...", I've begun my sequel!
Prologue-
The fall of Dark Falz at the Protectorate of Light's hand allowed not only the Pioneer 2 to begin plans to land on their destination of Ragol, but brought back the thought-to-be-lost Hunter Red Ring Rico to the living and informed world. When Hikara had walked out of the teleporter room with Red Ring Rico at his side, everyone rejoiced, and Principal Tyrell cried at the revival of his daughter. Hikara and his team, the Starlight Runners, became well known all throughout the Pioneer 2 as the heroes of the planet, and ones who were going to make it possible for the Pioneer 2 to land.
Yet, 2 years had passed, and the ship had yet to land. For some strange reason, Tyrell refused to land unless he knew it was safe, and that not a single monster could appear and destroy everything they had hoped for. Hikara reassured the Principal that not a single creature could match up to the power of Dark Falz, and that even the spirit that had created Falz, IDOLA, had been defeated as well. He knew! He happened to be the one that had killed it! And still the Principal refused...
But to put plans in action, Tyrell put Hikara in charge of the "Excavation Team" of Pioneer 2, that would select a good spot for the Pioneer 2 to land and make sure that it was safe. Unfortunately, he had created this team only after the civilians of Pioneer 2 began to complain that they hadn't landed yet. So, they had been spending the last 3 months attempting to get a landing location ready for the ship to land with great progress, but not fast enough in Hikara's eyes.
Yet, there was something that was bugging Hikara in the back of his mind. It felt like... the presence of D-Cells somewhere far, far away. It was far enough that Hikara didn't worry about it, but it just kept bugging him, making him uneasy at times...
Luckily, the site was almost ready for the landing, somewhere in the Forests, so the Pioneer 2 had been moved from Orbit into a geosyncronis hover while in the Atmosphere, so whenever Hikara looked up into the sky, he could see the huge ship hovering, waiting. This cause the entire Team to want to work faster, so as for it to land. It was almost time. Almost time...
Now if everything would just keep running as smoothly as they were...
-----------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1- An Unwanted Presence
Garanz Mk. II, the Sub-commander of the Starlight Runners, had been put in charge of the Military when Hikara was made Commander of the Excavation Team, just as the other members of the team had either been put in important positions or became famous Hunters in the Hunter's Guild, and was assigned the duty of protecting the newly implanted Seabed Base off the remote island of Gal Da Val, off the coast of the central continent of Ragol. Something important and top-secret was being conducted in the labs that Garanz did not know much about because the scientists kept hiding it under the waters of the Ocean; he just knew that he was supposed to be protecting it from anything or anyone to invade the area. So, he stuck to his duty as Commander of the Military, and did it with great effiency, becoming well known as the greatest Commander of the military in recorded history.
Garanz walked slowly down the hallway of the Seabed Labs, glancing left and right while keeping his Final Impact in his right hand. He and his Final Impact had seen much while Garanz was a member of the Starlight Runners, and he refused to let the weapon go to anyone else, especially after Hikara had cast some kind of Grants spell that gave it extra power. It had his best friend's mark on it, so it would be his most favored weapon. But contrasting with the older weapon was Garanz' newer medallion just opposite of his Section ID tag on his chest that showed his rank in the Military. It was a 4 pointed golden star in a black circle that reflected light quite well, drawing attention to Garanz every so often with a trick of the light.
Garanz then took a right at an intersection in the hallways, his loud footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. As he reached a door, he punched in the keycode and the door opened, allowing him into the main research facility. When he entered, the scientists all gasped and spun around to face him, but when they saw it was only Garanz, they sighed a breath of relief.
"Oh," one of the scientists laughed. "Commander Garanz! It's only you! We thought you were an intruder!"
"If I were an intruder, the alarms would have gone off by now, Doctor," Garanz replied. "I just came to check that everything was alright."
"Yes, yes. Everything is fine here, thank you Commander."
"Very well. I'll just continue my patrols." He nodded to the Scientists, who nodded back in reply, then he exited out the opposite door and back into another hallway. The door slammed and locked itself behind him as Garanz took another turn towards the heart of the area.
While Garanz was walking, though, he reflected back on what had happened only 2 years ago. Vol Opt having corrupted all the bots' minds in the Mines, while a Vol Opt version 3.1, a walking version, at that, had attempted to kill the team. Then, the team finding the Sil Dragon captured in a frozen cube of ice... They're "adventures" were strange ones, including an attack by a Giant Crimson Assassin that almost led to their friend Zi'Zuku's death after he cast the world's largest Megid. The team had even managed to survive being infected by D-Cells at the hands of Hikara. Their team Commander was really something. But the Commander kept insisting during those 2 years of praise that he'd be nothing if it weren't for his team. Garanz then gripped his golden Starlight Runner's medallion hanging around his neck on a necklace; his proof that the team still exsisted, and that he was one of those amazing people.
But Garanz' thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the alarm on his BEE link went off, and he activated the Holographic image. The picture of a turquoise and silver RAcaseal appeared before Garanz.
"Commander Garanz Mk. II here," Garanz said.
"This is Lieutenant Rachelle, Commander," the RAcaseal said. "We've got some rather strange readings coming from sector 32 that we haven't been able to identify. Visual Contact would be appreciated if you could spare the time."
"I'll get on it, Lieutenant, thank you for imforming me. Get you and your squad down to Sector 32 armed and ready to go. I'll be there shortly."
"Very well Commander." The BEE link shut off.
"Finally," Garanz muttered. "Something interesting."
-----------------------------------------------------
Hikara watched over the preparations with great enthusiasm as another tree came down and was vaporized. The Landing Location was finally clearing up. Then, Hikara pointed to the next tree that was in the way, and the Garanz Tank behind him twisted its head and unloaded a series of Rockets at the base of the tree, also blowing that one down while a second Garanz Tank fired special equipped Heat Lasers that vaporized the tree before it could hit the ground.
"Master Hikara!" a construction worker shouted from across the clearing. Hikara looked up at the worker who was kneeling on the head of a Garanz. "This wall here doesn't quite fit! It's 7 meters too far in!"
"Well, then drill it away!" Hikara shouted back. Then he activated his own BEE link, causing a female construction worker hologram appear. "Get a few more Drill Garanz down here working on this wall. It's 7 meters too far in. I want it cleared back 9 meters so to give us a little more room, understood?"
"Yes, Master Hikara. We'll get right on it."
"The Pioneer 2 needs to fit in nice and easy on its first try. Give it some leeway, so we won't have to do this again. Hikara out." He clicked off his BEE link, then looked up at the progress. They had originally planned on putting the Pioneer 2 in the area where Dark Falz had fallen, since that seemed to be the only place untouched by technology, but with Red Ring Rico's refusal, saying it could be a place of enjoyment for the civilians instead of a living place, Hikara decided to move it closer to the landing sight of the Pioneer 1. They couldn't put it right down on top of it, of course, but they could get close.
Hikara then felt a soft hand rest on his shoulder as he turned his head to see the owner. It was his girlfriend, Sabrina, now the lead Medical Assistant on Pioneer 2. No one could compare to her amazing Resta skills.
"How goes the work, Hikara?" she asked, surveying her surroundings.
"As well as could be expected," Hikara replied, taking her hand off his shoulder and into his own. "I still can't believe that I'm only 18, though, and running this project."
"Many people find it hard to believe that you were 16 when you defeated IDOLA, and that you are the Protectorate of Light. The other Protectorate of Light on Ragol was somewhere in his late twenties." Then Sabrina smiled. "I reserved us a date place, tonight. I got reservations to Akiko's cafe at 200 beats. How's that sound?"
"It sounds wonderful, Sabrina. It'll be good to get out of the work place and back to the ship." Hikara smiled at Sabrina, who smiled back, and the two kissed lightly. Hikara then looked back at the work with the Drill Garanz drilling away at the wall, causing sparks to fly every which way. "Well, I've got to get back to work. Send my regards to the team, will you? I'll be at Headquarters at 185 beats sharp, alright?"
"Alright. I'll see you later, then." Hikara waved as Sabrina walked off towards a Telepipe she had used to get down here, then hopped up onto the top of the Garanz he commanded.
"Come on, Garanz," he ordered. "Let's loosen that wall for the group, shall we?"
-----------------------------------------------------
Garanz Mk. II finally reached Sector 32 about 5 mins. after the summon transmission he had recieved, his Final Impact armed and ready in case anything should happen unexpectantly. A group of RAcaseals, all varying different colors but bearing the same ensigna next to their Section ID Tag, were waiting at the door label Section 32.
"Commander, this is where the readings were coming from," the RAcaseal that had spoken to Garanz over the BEE said. "They were some odd reading that our computer's couldn't pin down, and when sent to Vol Opt 4 back at the Mines, he only replied that he had no idea what it might be, either."
"So, Vol Opt 4 is still himself, then?" Garanz asked. Vol Opt 4 had been created as a Central AI for the Mines and the Seabed 2 years ago, and being one of the fighters who had downed Vol Opt ver 3.1 those 2 years back, Garanz was at first a little worried. But for 2 years, Vol Opt 4 had not gone corrupt or mad, and had actually generated a wise personality for himself.
"Yes sir, he's still alright. But what are your orders?"
"Well, if we need Visual Contact for this reading to identify it, we might as well get the Visual. Keep your weapons at the ready in case this is something we need to shoot down." The RAcasaels all nodded and drew out their Hell Lasers, Rifles with the ability to destroy creatures in a single shot, then stepped aside as Garanz moved in and punched in the key code for this door. It unlocked and opened slowly, permitting the group inside. The 7 RAcasaels all flodded into the room, moving their Lasers back and forth, searching for a target, while Garanz walked in behind them, looking about. His sensors told him that something was here, it just wasn't visible...
"It's kind of hard to get a Visual on something when you can't find it," Garanz muttered. But then he heard a sound he hadn't heard for 2 years. The sound of a creature warping in. Garanz spun to his left and found a huge dog like creature in the room now, having markings that looked oddly familiar on its skin.
"Visual contact made!" a RAcasael reported. "Classification Hostile! Orders?" Garanz waited a moment, looking into the Dog's eyes, and when it charged, he shouted "FIRE!!" Everyone fired their weapons at the same time towards the advancing dog, pelting it on all sides, but it seemed to blow the shots off and continued running. Garanz, as well as the 7 RAcasaels, had to dodge out of the way in order to keep from being smashed, and when Garanz finally hit the ground again, he jumped up to his feet and fired his huge cannon at the enemy. It slammed into the monster's side, but he seemed almost immune to that as well, as it turned and charged towards Garanz again. Garanz managed to jump over the beast, causing it to slam its head into the wall, as he opened a BEE link to central command.
"Get me 2 Beam Baranz's down here now!" Garanz shouted before shutting the BEE off and firing again. The Dog now had a RAcasael in its mouth and was shaking it around madly as if trying to tear it apart. Garanz again fired at the creature, managing to distract it as it dropped the female android and turned to charge again. But as it came close and Garanz dived to the side, it got smarter and changed its course, slamming into Garanz' right arm, sending his Final Impact spiraling away from his reach. Another Hell Laser shot got the dog's attention, allowing Garanz to pull free, until the heavy sound of crashed came into the room as the two Beam Baranz Garanz had called for arrived. The four beam cannons that were attached to their sides activated, sending eight beams at the unknown monster, pinning it against the wall with a RAcasael behind it, crushing her, while the dog howled in pain. Garanz used his left hand to draw out his Varista and pointed it at the monster's head and firing, causing the golden bullet to sink into the dog's brain, killing it instantly. The Baranz then shut off their beams as the dog slid onto the ground. 3 RAcasaels ran to help their smashed friend, as Garanz inspected his arm.
"Ladies, get her to the Medical Room as soon as you can, and that's an order," Garanz said to the RAcasaels. They saluted to him and picked up the harmed android while telepiping to the Medical Area of the Seabed. Garanz, on the other hand, dropped a Telepipe to the Pioneer 2. He had to tell the Principal about this. That creature was not native to this area, or any other area around.
And if Garanz' hunch was correct, that monster may not be a good sign of what's happening in the Seabed...
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hikara on 2004-01-28 11:32 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hikara on 2004-01-29 14:07 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hikara on 2004-02-09 11:26 ]</font>
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Hikara on 2004-02-10 11:29 ]</font>
Reply With Quote
Connect With Us