"LUNAR:  Tales From Crystal Tokyo"

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LUNAR: The Lost Episodes

By Jeffrey C. Branch

Volume Fourteen: Episode 2-11.6 "Retaliating"

Rating: PG-13

RSN Listening Post Seven, on the border of the Alpha Zone, 10 January 2738

            Sailor Magneta groggily opened her eyes, and was immediately surprised to have done so, not expecting to still be alive.

            Looking around her, the white haired Senshi found that she was back in the post's command center along with the rest of her team.  Facing the doorway, Sailor Magneta saw the monstrous Slashers, glaring hungrily at the women, as if they ached to tear them to pieces.  And standing in the center of room, grinning evilly was Sailor Europa, her eyes a disturbing, solid black.

            "Welcome back, Sailor Magneta," she said, her voice, deep, guttural, and unmistakably male.  "Surprised to alive?"

            "Considerably," Sailor Magneta replied.  Her head throbbed and it was hard for her to concentrate.  "I assume it was never intended for us to die.  And you've put a telepathic block on our minds, keeping us from using our powers."

            Sailor Europa nodded.  "I have.  You're very perceptive, Sailor Magneta."

            "It's a gift.  I've also perceived that you're not Sailor Europa."

            The others gasped.  "What do you mean by that?" Sailor Sirius asked.

            "Something Sailor Britannica said about having detected another set of brainwaves within Sailor Europa's mind," Sailor Magneta replied.  "The only logical conclusion is that a separate entity is in control of Sailor Europa.  So who are you exactly?"

            Sailor Europa came to attention and clicked her heels.  "I am Korgun, a soldier of the Dark Kingdom at your service!"

            "A male soldier from the sound of your voice," Sailor Ebony observed.

            "You are correct.  But I had no choice about the shell I was ordered to inhabit."  The being called Korgun paused to fondle his breasts.  He smiled from how good it felt.  "Still, as human forms go, this one isn't too... disagreeable."

            "Disgusting!" Sailor Ivory grumbled.

            "Stop it, you bastard!" Sailor Britannica shouted, outraged to see her old classmate being debased.

            Korgun chuckled.  "Tsk.  Such nasty thoughts.  Oh, yes!  I forgot.  Sailor Europa was a friend of yours.  I apologize for being too... forward."

            "Deplorable monster!  I'd love to tear you apart!" Sailor Russia growled.

            "But you can't.  As long as Sailor Europa's telepathic abilities keeps you from concentrating long enough to use your powers, there's nothing you can do, except sit pretty," said Korgun.

            "And wait for what?" Sailor Magneta wanted to know.

            Korgun's lips spread wide in the most evil grin the Senshi of Magnetism had ever seen in her life.  "Why, to become Trojan Horses.  Just like me."

Somewhere Else

            The consciousness of Sailor Europa lay in stasis while Korgun used her body, but it was not dormant, as the fiends who tormented her thought.

            In their arrogance, the enemy failed to gauge the true power of a natural telepath like Sailor Europa.  Even though her mind had been supplanted by Korgun's mind, it wasn't completely shut down.  While Sailor Europa was aware of everything she had done while under Korgun's control, she was helpless to stop him.  However, she had formulated a plan to defeat him.

            Ever since Korgun's foul presence invaded her brain a month ago, Sailor Europa steadily and stealthily built up her strength for a counterattack.  Now that other Senshi had fallen into his trap, the Frenchwoman prepared to fight back.  She would not let them suffer the terrible fate she endured.  Ready or not, she would have to strike, and soon.

            Korgun, you son of a bitch, Sailor Europa thought.  I will make you pay the price for evoking the wrath of a Sailor Senshi!

            "Trojan Horse?  What are you talking about?" Sailor Sirius demanded.

            "Our plan to use Serenity's soldier cunts as sleeper agents to infiltrate her inner sanctum, and then kill her!" said Korgun.  "The... acquisition of Sailor Europa gave us the inspiration."

            "Acquisition?" Sailor Britannica asked.

            "Yes.  Sailor Europa was telling the truth about how she survived the destruction of her ship.  A DK cruiser found her shuttle, adrift and powerless, past the border of the Alpha Zone," Korgun explained.  "The scorching of its hull was consistent with it having been blown free of the Constellation in the initial explosion when its engine core breached.  As Sailor Europa herself had said, a freak occurrence."

            "After the shuttle was brought aboard, Sailor Europa was discovered inside, barely alive, but in a deep coma.  After an examination by the ship's physician, he theorized that Sailor Europa put herself into that state, essentially going into a sort of hibernation, lowering her bodily functions to bare minimum in order to sustain her life.  It was surmised she had been out there for ten days."

            "Mein Gott!" whispered Sailor Magneta, her heart in her throat.  She tried to envision the nightmare Sailor Europa had experienced.  Her imagination failed to do the job.  "What that poor woman went through!"

            "I agree.  No food, no water, fading air and heat, no way to pilot the vessel to a safe harbor, or even call her people for help.  All things considered, it's a miracle Sailor Europa survived," said Korgun.

            "That is because we were trained to survive.  At all costs!" said Sailor Russia.

            "So I've heard.  Elated to have finally captured a live Senshi, Sailor Europa was brought to the DK homeworld where scientists poured over her.  Exploratory surgery, blood tests, and spinal taps were performed, as well as having opened her skull to examine her brain," said Korgun.  "Once she regained consciousness, Sailor Europa was subjected to months of physical and psychological torture in order to test her limits.  She was driven to the brink of insanity and despair, yet she wouldn't break.  Still, it was a grand experiment."

            "So was Frankenstein's monster!" Sailor Ebony hissed.  Like the others, she was enraged at how a fellow Senshi had been tortured by the enemy.  "Is it any wonder you fiends are so despised throughout the galaxy?"

            "But what's with this Trojan Horse business?" Sailor Ivory wanted to know.

            "The DK scientific community was tasked to come up with a way to use Sailor Europa against her people.  After months of trial and error, we came up with this."  Korgun snapped his fingers, and two of the creatures wheeled in a large, six foot tall electronic device consisting of a control panel, a plastic chair with shackles on the armrests and a transparent semi-globe situated above the chair.  "This, ladies, is the fruit of our labors.  The Transmutatron."

            Sailor Sirius, unimpressed, snorted.  "Big whoop.  It looks like a twentieth century hair dryer."

            Korgun chuckled.  "I assure you, it does much more than that, my dear.  This device can transfer the engrams of a functioning mind into another body."

            The Senshi were stunned.  "Mind transfer?  That's impossible!  It can't be done!" Sailor Magneta argued.

            "But it can.  I'm living proof of that.  By uploading the engrams of a brain into a computerized holding bank, it's stored as a data file," Korgun explained.  "The device then downloads the file into a host mind, but the new mind establishes total dominance, taking control of the body.  The host maintains its full memories and abilities, but is never aware of a second mind within it."

            "And how did you wind up in Sailor Europa's body?" Sailor Ebony asked.

            "Fate.  You see I was the captain of the ship that found Sailor Europa.  I volunteered to be the first test subject as a means of gaining revenge on the Golden Millennium."

            "Revenge?  For what?" Sailor Russia asked.

            "My wife commanded a cruiser that was destroyed during the final battle of the war.  I watched helplessly as her ship was blown to bits by the Destiny," said Korgun, his eyes bright from sorrow, and rage.  "I vowed to do whatever it took to exact revenge.  You shall become the weapons of my vengeance, and the engine of Serenity's destruction."

            "So you're gonna turn us into zombies like Sailor Europa," said a worried Sailor Sirius.

            "Exactly.  I had Sailor Europa pilot the stolen Skylark to this station.  From there, she purged the ship's AI, altered the log entry files, and then gained access to the station where she released the creatures.  Sailor Europa never even knew what she had done.  The carnage was a beautiful sight to behold."

            "Then you laid a trap to lure us here," said Sailor Magneta.

            Korgun nodded.  "Precisely.  The siege of one of your precious listening posts would certainly warrant an investigation by the Senshi.  And you lot unwittingly walked into my trap."

            "How convenient.  What happens to you after we've been corrupted?"

            "I'll become a mercenary, selling Sailor Europa's powers to highest bidder," said Korgun.  "The process is, as you humans would call it, a one way street.  It burns out the brain of the transfer subject as the... data is extracted.  I can never return to my real body.  I'm stuck in this form, for the rest of my life."

            "And you still had that done to you?" a shocked Sailor Ebony said.

            "Yes.  I would have done anything to avenge my wife."  Korgun then leered at Sailor Magneta.  "Since you're Sailor Jupiter's assistant, you have access to Serenity herself.  You will be first."

            "Never!  I'll kill myself before I betray my queen!" Sailor Magneta snarled.

            Hearing that, Korgun chuckled.  It was a chilling, evil sound.  "That's exactly what Sailor Europa said before she was taken over.  She was helpless to prevent the inevitable, and so are you."

            Korgun motioned to one of the creatures, which picked up Sailor Magneta and slammed her into the chair, and the shackles fastened to her wrists and ankles.  Korgun ran a thick cable from the back of the device to a power port at the engineering station.  He then flicked several switches and the machine came to life with numerous winking lights.  The semi-globe lowered over Sailor Magneta's head.  Korgun smiled.  "The digitized mind of an assassin awaits its new home."

            "Oh, no!  He's gonna brainwash Ronni!" cried a terrified Sailor Sirius.  "We've gotta do something!"

            "We can't!  Sailor Europa's telepathy is blocking us from using our powers!" a frustrated Sailor Britannica snapped.  "We're helpless!"

Somewhere else

            Sailor Europa was ready to act.  Within her mind's eye, the Frenchwoman could see Korgun preparing to use the device his masters invented to place an entity into the mind of Sailor Magneta.

            Sailor Europa overheard Korgun's twisted plan of vengeance, to turn Sailor Magneta and her friends into thralls like she had been, to be used as a weapon to kill an unsuspecting Neo-Queen Serenity.  Seething from righteous anger, Sailor Europa would not permit this to happen.

            By all I hold dear, I will not allow you to corrupt another Senshi, Sailor Europa thought angrily.

            Sailor Europa cleared her thoughts and concentrated, knowing she would only have one chance to disrupt the telepathic lock placed on the minds of the Senshi so they could be free to use their powers.

            It is time.  Time for good to triumph over evil, Sailor Europa thought, feeling her power surging.  Time for you to fall, Korgun!  Europa Mindblast... ATTACK!

            "By the way, the transfer process is very painful for the receiving vessel as the data is downloaded into the host mind," said a grinning Korgun to Sailor Magneta.  "I hope you don't mind the discomfort."

            Sailor Magneta, realizing she was helpless to prevent becoming a zombie like Sailor Europa, reacted to Korgun with steely-eyed defiance.  "Fuck you."

            Korgun chuckled.  "Human.  To the last."  Just as he was about to hit the switch to begin the transference, he suddenly clutched his head and screamed from agony.  "NO!  Not now, you bitch!  Not nowwwwwwww!"

            When Korgun screamed, his concentration was broken as his brain exploded from white-hot pain before he crumpled to the floor.  As the Senshi looked on, Sailor Europa's eyes returned to normal and she gazed up at Sailor Magneta.

            "Hurry, cherie!  I have restrained Korgun," Sailor Europa said to her in a pain filled croak.  "Deal with the monsters while you still have time!"

            All at once, the Senshi felt their minds clear, as the telepathic lock was broken, returning their full ability to use their powers- with a vengeance.

            "We're free!" shouted Sailor Magneta.  With but a thought, the metal shackles confining her broke open.  She saw the two Slashers in the room, and those out in the hall froze, unsure as to what happened to their leader.  Sailor Magneta used the opening to her advantage.  "Sailor Russia!  Armor up!  Clear the room!"

            "With pleasure, commander!" growled Sailor Russia, a shark-like grin on her black painted lips as she rose to her feet.  "Russian Armor... ENGAGE!"

            In a flash of golden light, Sailor Russia morphed into her towering, indestructible armored form.  The creatures charged at the chrome skinned berserker, swiping at her with their claws and bladed forearms.  But they couldn't scratch Sailor Russia's gleaming skin as she drove a huge right fist squarely into the face of one monster, shattering its skull like an eggshell, killing it on contact.

            Sailor Russia's left hand penetrated the breastbone of the other creature, and it screamed from pain as the armored giantess pulled out a brownish-black, pulsating organ that dripped dark blood.  The beast, dead on its feet, collapsed.  Sailor Russia stared at the monster's still beating heart for several moments, before casually letting fall onto the corpse of the Slasher she removed it from.

            "Ewwww!  Gross!" Sailor Ivory whined, her face pale.

            Korgun, fighting the crippling pain in his head, regained control of Sailor Europa's body.  The Dark Kingdom soldier jumped to his feet and staggered out into the hall before the Senshi could stop him.  He hated having to run- a chore made all the harder from the high heels Sailor Europa wore- but the woman's telepathic assault severely weakened him.  Korgun would need time to recover his strength before he could deal with the Senshi.

            "Kill them all!" he shouted to the Slashers crowding the hallway.

            Snarling, ravenous for blood, the mass of creatures crowded the doorway in a mad dash to enter the room, their eyes filled with mindless rage.

            "Hardly an original strategy!" an indignant Sailor Britannica snorted.  "We'll need breathing room in order to battle those horrors!  Britannica... WINDS OF RAGE!"

            At the Briton's command, a tightly focused blast of hurricane force wind hit the monsters like a battering ram, blowing them into the hallway where they bounced hard off the bulkhead.

            "Let's go get 'em!" Sailor Sirius shouted.  "I owe those suckers some pain!"

            "We all do, girlfriend!" snarled Sailor Ivory, hot for battle.

            "However, before we do," growled Sailor Magneta, staring at the mind transfer device.  Her eyes glowed and the machine crumpled like tinfoil from a magnetic field.  "C'mon!  We've got work to do!"

            The Senshi rushed into the hall and were surrounded by Slashers, hissing and snarling and growling at the six women, who glared back.  In that frozen moment, both sides ached to kill each other.

            "Sailor Ebony!  Sailor Ivory!  Sailor Russia!  Break right!" Sailor Magneta barked.  "Sailor Sirius, Sailor Britannica!  With me!  Scorched earth, Omega!  Leave nothing alive!"

            With the invulnerable Sailor Russia leading the charge, she and the twins plowed headlong into the mass of monsters, bringing their powers to bear in a cacophony of destruction.  Solid light beams and black lightning bolts blasted monsters to bits while Sailor Russia, roaring like a maddened bull smashed creatures to ichor covered pulp with her near immeasurable strength.

            Sailor Magneta and her team were no less busy, ruthlessly killing the monsters they faced.  The Senshi of Magnetism made the walls and floors come alive with her powers, enveloping the beasts in thick folds of steel that crushed the life out of them.  Meanwhile, Sailor Sirius used her terrible gravity beams to destroy her share while Sailor Britannica roasted more of the horrors to smoldering ash.

            The Slashers fought as rabidly as they could, but failed to kill as they finally faced an adversary that matched, if not surpassed them, in brutality.  The longer the fight raged, going from one end of the main deck to the other, the more the Senshi reveled in the savagery that gripped them all, driving them to fight all the harder, not letting up for a second while the enemy still lived.

            Finally, all was quiet.  The only beings still standing were the Senshi, knee deep in the carcasses of the creatures.  Breathing hard, their uniforms tattered, and covered in blood, both theirs and the monsters, the women looked about them for any creatures that were still alive.

            "Ahhh!  That was most enjoyable!" said Sailor Russia, a sadistic smile of satisfaction on her face.

            "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Cossack!" Sailor Britannica growled.  "I never want to go through anything like that again!"

            "Hey!  Waitaminute!  Where did Sailor Europa go?" Sailor Sirius cried.

            Sailor Magneta walked to the lift shaft where she found a pair of green, knee-high boots on the floor.

            "I have an idea, and it worries me."  Sailor Magneta fixed Sailor Ebony a hard stare.  "Beth, when you and Cathy were in Engineering, could you tell if the reactor fail safe controls had been damaged?"

            "I'm not sure.  I didn't think to check."  Sailor Ebony then gasped from shock as the realization set in.  "By the Crystal!  You don't think...?"

            Sailor Magneta nodded slowly.  "I'm afraid I do.  I'm going to Engineering!"

            "Not alone!  I'm coming with you!" said Sailor Britannica.

            "Negative!  Get to the ship, Alison!  That's an order!"

            "Shove your orders!" Sailor Britannica roared.  Her face then softened.  "Look, Giselle saved us from becoming zombies.  If I can still get through to her, maybe we can stop this!  Ronni, I'm begging you... please!"

            Sailor Magneta nodded.  "All right, Alison, with me!  The rest of you, go!"

            "Watch your asses, guys!" said Sailor Ivory.

            "We intend to."

            On the floor of the engineering room, Sailor Europa's body lay in the fetal position, eyes closed and twitching occasionally.  Inside her mind, a fierce battle raged between her and the evil entity joined with her.  Nearby, several lights on the damaged main control panel flashed and a digital readout was counting down to doomsday.

            "Damned bitches!  They foiled my grand plan for revenge!" a furious Korgun roared.

            "It is our duty to fight monsters like you," Sailor Europa then countered.

            "Then we will fight in the afterlife, Sailor Europa!  For I will blow us all to bits!"

            "If we have to battle each other in hell, I'm prepared to just that!"

            "Giselle!" a desperate voice shouted.

            Korgun/Sailor Europa whirled around to see Sailor Magneta and Sailor Britannica rush inside.  "Alison!" Sailor Europa cried.

            "Die, you cunts!" Korgun shouted.  "Europa Telekinetic... BLAST!"

            The two Senshi were pummeled by a mind blast that pinned to the bulkhead, feeling thousands of pounds of pressure crushing them.  "I've set the reactor on overload!  When it blows, you'll die with me!" Korgun roared.

            "Giselle... if you... can hear me... don't let... him win!" Sailor Britannica pleaded.  "Remember who... you are!  You're... a Sailor Senshi!  Don't let... this bastard... defeat us!"

            "It's too late, cunt!  DIE!" yelled Korgun.

            "NO!  I won't let you kill my friend!" Sailor Europa cried.  "Sailor Magneta!  Hit him with an embolism!  Hold nothing back!  Hurry!"

            The white haired Senshi, barely able to breathe, nodded.  "Magneta Blood... BURN!"

            All at once, Korgun and Sailor Europa screamed from the same throat as one as their blood boiled like lava in their veins from Sailor Magneta's attack, and the deadly pressure killing the Senshi was broken.  While Sailor Britannica went to the side of her old classmate, Sailor Magneta checked the main control panel.

            "Giselle?" asked Sailor Britannica, cradling Sailor Europa's head in her lap.

            Sailor Europa's eyes opened, and she smiled at the Briton.  "Alison.  Thank you for giving me the strength to fight."

            "My pleasure.  Is Korgun gone?"

            "No.  He is stunned, but still exists.  I can feel him.  The madman is permanently linked to my mind.  Only death can release me from him."

            "You may just get your wish!" Sailor Magneta growled.  "Korgun's smashed the reactor bypass circuits!  I can't shut it down!"

            "Serenity's Crown!  How much time have we got?"

            "Sixty seconds!  Not enough time to get back to Draco II, launch and put distance between us and the station before the core blows!"

            "What about frying the system with an EMP?"

            "I don't dare!  In the condition this equipment's in, a pulse could well trigger the blast!" Sailor Magneta activated her communicator.  "I'll order the others to leave without us!"

            "Wait!  There's another way!" said Sailor Europa.  "I'll use my powers to slow down the computer.  That'll give you time to get back to your ship and escape!  But I'll have to be in tactile contact with the panel for this to work!"

            Sailor Britannica was horrified.  "No!  Giselle!  You'll be killed!"

            A terrible sadness filled Sailor Europa's eyes.  "I've been prepared for death ever since I lost my crew.  And, it is the only way to destroy Korgun.  I already feel him trying to re-establish control.  If I don't act now, he'll kill us all.  Alison, please, allow me this last chance to regain my honor as a Senshi."

            Tears spilled from Sailor Britannica's eyes as she embraced the Frenchwoman.  "Giselle.  My friend.  May Serenity be with you!"

            "Likewise, Alison.  It was good to see you again," said Sailor Europa.  She then winced from a stabbing pain in her head.  "Korgun is fighting harder to regain over!  He knows what I am planning!  GO!"

            "We will remember you... Sailor Europa," said Sailor Magneta, her throat tight and her eyes wet.  She and Sailor Britannica then left.  Taking a deep breath, Sailor Europa placed her hands on the control panel and concentrated, bringing her powers to bear as she interfaced with the computer and ordered it to pause in its countdown.  The strain of the effort was tremendous, but she swore not to fail.

            "Retract chamberway, Sailor Sirius!" yelled Sailor Magneta as she and Sailor Brittanica rushed onto the bridge.  "Get us out of here!  Full sublight!  Sailor Russia!  Shields up!  Sailor Ebony!  Ready the RIFT!"

            "What happened to Sailor Europa?" Sailor Ivory asked.

            "She's performing her duty.  One last time," said the somber Briton.

            "Alone again," Sailor Europa murmured.  The pain and pressure on her mind was monstrous, and twofold, as she concentrated on maintaining the telekinetic stasis on the computer, and keeping Korgun at bay.

            Stop, you bitch!  STOP!  Don't you dare deny me my revenge, a furious Korgun screamed in her mind.

            "Never, you monster!" Sailor Europa hissed.  The pain in her head became unbearable, but she refused to yield.  She would hold the line until her fellow Senshi were clear of the station.  "A long time ago, I pledged my life to Neo-Queen Serenity when I became a Sailor Senshi.  I vowed to fight the enemies of the Golden Millennium to the death.  I will now keep that promise!"

            NO!  YOU CAN'T!  YOU CAN'T!

            "Yes!  I can!" shouted Sailor Europa, feeling no fear, as death was seconds away.  But she eagerly awaited the sweet release from the torment her life had become ever since the destruction of her ship.  A smile of pure bliss creased her face as her strength finally gave out and her consciousness began to slip away.  She would soon rejoin the brave crew of the Constellation on its eternal patrol of the cosmos.  And that thought made her very happy.

            "For love... and... for justice..." Sailor Europa whispered.

            "Distance from LP-7?" snapped Sailor Magneta, seated in her chair.  The main viewscreen showed the station, fast receding into the inky blackness of space.

            "Four thousand kilometers," said Sailor Britannica, her stomach in knots.  "We have to reach ten thousand before we can safely use the RIFT."

            "Shields at full power, commander," said a stone-faced Sailor Russia.  "But it will not be enough to withstand the force of an exploding reactor core."

            "In other words, we're screwed," said a sullen Sailor Ivory.

            Her face hard, Sailor Magneta stood up.  "Not yet, Cathy.  Not yet!"

            Sailor Sirius' eyes widened from horror as she guessed what Sailor Magneta was about to do.  "Ronni!  NO! DON'T!"

            "Magneta... FIELD OF FORCE!"

            Spreading her arms out wide, Sailor Magneta enveloped Draco II in a protective magnetic field.  Seconds later, the station exploded.

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