GALACTIC UNITY

By:  Mark J. Hadley

 

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CHAPTER 15:

“Elder”

 

 

Curiously, they wandered over to the cloaked figure.  Bubbles, the most hopeful, spoke up first, “Ghoraan?”

There was no answer.  She flew down near the ground, trying to fly into his field of view, and she got a clear look at his face.  It was Ghoraan…he looked like he was a Zadron, just like the person who had written the journal from the Hkratth library.  He wasn’t lost in thought, however…he was asleep.

The other girls noticed this as well, finally, and Buttercup said, “So…do we wake him?”

Xianea reached out, placing a hand gently on his shoulder, and said, “Sir…”

With a start, Ghoraan woke up, jumping slightly.  It was so sudden that it scared everyone else a little, causing them to jump also.  He mumbled, “Hm?  Wha?”

“Pardon us for waking you up, sir,” Blossom said, “but…is your name Ghoraan?”

He looked back at her with his large, bulbous eyes and said, “Yes…yes, that’s me…and who are you?”

Smiles crossed all three of the girls’ faces, and Blossom said, “My name’s Blossom…this is Bubbles and Buttercup.  We’re from the planet Earth…er, the former planet Earth…our planet was recently destroyed by a collision with an asteroid.”

Bubbles pointed to Xianea and added happily, “This is Xianea…she’s been helping us look for you…and now we finally found you!”

“Eh?  Xianea?”  He looked up at her, and said, “Ah…a Centraxian, yes…hm.”

Xianea said, “It is an honor to meet you, Ghoraan.”

Straining a few muscles, Ghoraan pulled himself to his feet from where he was sitting.  The girls flew over to help him up, but he shook his head, “That’s very kind of you, but I can make it…”  He stood up straight, stretching for a moment and massaging his back with one hand.

“Are you all right?” Buttercup asked.

“Bah, don’t worry about it, I’m just old…” Ghoraan insisted.  “Now…why were you looking for me, hm?”

“Well…you’re the last remaining Zadron, and…” Blossom began.

Ghoraan’s eyes widened slightly, and he interrupted, “Ah, so you know.  That’s right, I’m the eldest Zadron.  Well, that goes without saying, since I’m the only Zadron.  Of course, I’m a little surprised…not too many people know about us.  Not too many people even know the name of our race, let alone that we exist.”

“We read a journal at the Hkratth Library,” Blossom said.  “It mentioned you and the Zadron.”

“Yes, of course, now it makes sense,” Ghoraan said.  “You’re probably looking for the Omega Particle, then, are you not?”

Blossom brightened up, and said, “That’s right!  Do you know where it is?”

Half turning from them, Ghoraan cleared his throat and said, “Of course I do.  But that doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you where it is.”

“What?  Why not?” Buttercup exclaimed.

“Because,” Ghoraan said, looking back at them, “I need proof first that your intentions are good.  Evil must not be allowed to obtain the power of the Omega Particle…the results could be disastrous.”

                “Well, we were superheroes back on Earth…” Bubbles said hopefully.

                “Superheroes, eh?” Ghoraan said, not entirely convinced.

                Xianea stepped forward and said, “Allow me to explain.  You see, I have only known these three girls for a short while, but already I have seen the good in their hearts.  They try to do what’s right whenever it is needed.  Since they’ve been out here, they’ve managed to avert a war between two species and brought about the capture of the head of the most dangerous criminal organization in this part of the galaxy.”

                Ghoraan studied Xianea for a moment, and said, “You are a Centraxian, yes?”  Xianea nodded, and Ghoraan continued, “In all my travels, I’ve encountered many Centraxians.  And in all that time, I have never heard of any Centraxian that would attempt to deceive anyone more than a simple lie or a few hidden truths.  The scale you’re talking about is huge.  Entire organizations and species.  And I am aware that someone brought peace between the Hkratth and the Sanhreni.”

                “That was us,” Bubbles said.

                “Indeed…well…” Ghoraan said thoughtfully.  He paced for a moment, then said, “Based on the sincerity of the Centraxians, I’m inclined to believe you.  There is still the question of your intentions with the Omega Particle.”

                Blossom said, “We only want to bring back our home, the Earth…and this is the only way that we can do it…”

                Buttercup added, “We really miss it, and all the people on it…”

                Bubbles begged, “Please?  We need your help…”

                “I see,” Ghoraan nodded.  He took a seat again and sighed wearily.  “You know, long ago I used the stone’s power to give myself a long life…and it has worked.  I have lived for many millennia.  All that time, I have guarded this secret, waiting for someone worthy of it to come along and relieve me of its burden.”  He looked up and continued, “When I look into your eyes, I see something that I haven’t seen in centuries…true virtue and righteousness.  So many would use such a power for selfish gain, but few would forgo that and use it to save a species.  I am most impressed by your outward dedication to this…and because of that, I will tell you.”

                The girls were overjoyed, and listened eagerly to what he had to say.  Buttercup thought, This is it…he’s gonna tell us exactly where to go, and we can go right there immediately…we could have the Earth back in no time!  I can’t believe it!

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, preparing to tell the secret that he had guarded for so long.  “Go to the abandoned planet of Vahlexei.  There, you will find an ancient temple, built by the former inhabitants of that world.  Within the temple is a large pedestal…align the stones on the pedestal with the position of the moons above, and it will unlock the adjoining chamber, where you will find what you seek…the Omega Particle itself.”

                “Thank you,” Blossom said, shaking his hand.  “You don’t know what this means to us…”

                “Oh, but I do,” Ghoraan said back to her.  “I wish you luck…but, beware, for we had left a powerful creature to protect the Omega Particle and act as its guardian.  The creature is ageless, and should still be there even to this day.  The other Zadron did not tell me what the Guardian is, or what it can do, so that I would not give out its secrets.  I urge you to be careful.”

                “We will.  Thanks again!” Buttercup said.  Ghoraan nodded, and started walking off.  Buttercup watched him leave for a few seconds, then turned to the others and said, “What are we standing around here for?  Let’s get going!”

                Xianea nodded, “I agree.  The sooner we secure the Omega Particle, the sooner you three will have your Earth back.”  She watched as Ghoraan disappeared into the docking bays, and sighed, “Someday, I hope to speak with him further.  He has lived for thousands of years.  The things he must have seen…I would be thrilled to add his knowledge to the Repository.”

                Bubbles suddenly realized something, and said, “Shouldn’t we try and find Mojo?  We owe him, after all…”

                “No need,” came a voice.  They turned and saw Mojo walking towards them from the terminals.  He said, “I knew where to find you, so I decided to come.  Well, I have helped you…I have rendered assistance to you in the rescue of your friend.  So now you must uphold your end of the bargain, and supply me with a reward.”

                Xianea looked puzzled for a moment, then said, “Oh…you must be the other Earthling the girls told me about.”

                “That is correct,” Mojo answered.  “Mojo Jojo is my name…that is what you will address me by, for it is who I am.”

“Well, I’m happy that you were able to help,” Xianea said, “but…what kind of reward were you looking for?”

“The Powerpuff Girls promised me that your home planet would be able to supply me with a sufficient reward, seeing as you had some information in your possession that they wanted.”
                “Oh yes!  The Hkratth Library…” Xianea said.  “In that case, I can say for certainty that you will receive a great reward for your efforts.  I can authorize Centraxia to give you four hundred thousand galactic credits.”

Mojo slapped the side of his head, “Four hundred thousand?!  If I had known that, I would not have been so hesitant in accepting the job!”  He was grinning widely.  “You know, I was pretty upset at first that your ‘rescue operation’ caused the downfall of the Gyahembu, for I had hoped to become involved with the organization as a mercenary…but now, with that much money, and the lack of leadership in the remainder of the Gyahembu, I can now step in and assume control of the entire organization!”

Buttercup narrowed her eyes, “Easy there, Mojo...”

“Yeah,” Blossom added.  “If you’re going to do something like that, you’d better try to run it more respectably than the last guy did.  Don’t break the law and stuff.  Otherwise, we’d just have to come after you, as usual.”

Mojo gave a ‘hmmph’, and turned back to Xianea, saying, “All right, I will accompany you to your planet.  There, you will give me the galactic credits, right?”

“Right,” Xianea promised.

Mojo said, “Fine.  Your ship will lead the way, and I will follow you there.”  Without another word, Mojo started heading back for the docking bays.

Bubbles looked a little concerned as he watched Mojo leave, and asked, “Can’t we go to the other place first?”

Xianea shook her head, “Actually, this works out better for us.  Vahlexei is a long trip from here, well outside the borders of controlled galactic space.  There are no stations out that way.  We’ll need to stock up heavily on supplies first, and Centraxia would be the best place to do it.”

“Sounds good.  Let’s do it!” Blossom said.

“All right!” Bubbles exclaimed happily.  She thought, Two more trips, that’s it!  We’ll be able to wish the Earth back in two more trips!  I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait…

 

*              *                *

 

                Xianea’s ship departed the checkpoint station, and aligned itself for the singularity jump.  Behind them, they could see Mojo’s tiny ship getting into a similar position.  This was the first time they had actually gotten a look at it.  It was shaped almost like a standard rocket, but bore a resemblance to many of his previous robot designs as well.  A pair of wings stuck out from the sides, and the nose was actually a big glass bubble, revealing Mojo seated at the cockpit.

                “Are you sure we can trust him?” Xianea asked, preparing the calculations for the jump.

                “I think so,” Blossom said.  “He’s not the nicest person, but since the Earth’s been blown up, he seems a lot more mellow than he used to be.

                “Yeah…I mean, he helped us,” Buttercup added.  “He used to hate us…guess a tragedy can really change a person, huh?”

                Bubbles looked out of the window at the ship and said, “I guess you never know…”

                Xianea activated the singularity generators, and the ship kicked forward into faster-than-light speed.  Their sensors indicated that Mojo wasn’t too far behind them.  “You know,” Xianea said, “this is going to be cause for a great celebration.  The Centraxians have been waiting to retrieve the information from the Hkratth Library for a long time now.”

                “They’ll really be that happy to get it?” Bubbles asked.

                “They certainly will,” Xianea answered her.  “This much information added to the Repository at once is considered a grand event.  I know you’ll want to get going right away to Vahlexei, but we must stay for the festivity.  I’m sure they would also like to celebrate the imminent return of the Earth, and all the knowledge that will come with it.”

                “A party does sound like fun…” Blossom admitted.

                Buttercup seemed the most eager about it, “Let’s do it!  It’s about time we did something like this out here!  It’ll be cool!”

                Bubbles hugged one of Xianea’s arms and said, “Xianea, you’re the best…I don’t know what we would have done without you…”

                Xianea smiled, “Traveling with you three has been one of the most enlightening experiences I’ve ever had.  We’ve been through a lot in the past few weeks…it hasn’t been that much time, but I’ve felt almost my entire life.”

                “I feel the same way with you,” Buttercup said.  “You’re the greatest thing to happen to us out here…”

                “Thank you,” Xianea said.  She cast her eyes down slightly, “I feel a little sad though…”

                “How come?” Blossom asked, concerned.

                “Well…”  Xianea looked back out of the window, at the stars streaking by, and said, “Once the Earth is brought back, you’ll be going home…but from the sound of it, there really isn’t a place for me there…”

                Buttercup was a little shocked, “What do you mean?”

                “Earth, as you said, hadn’t developed interplanetary space travel yet,” Xianea explained.  “So contact with another species in the galaxy like the Centraxians is unusual.  The Earth wouldn’t be ready for it.  I would be out-of-place…”

                “Nonsense,” Blossom said.  “The city of Townsville, where we live, is used to seeing some of the strangest things come through it…everything from rampaging monsters to bizarre villains.  Most of them are bad, but they’re still not out-of-place in the context of things.”

                “You’ll be fine,” Bubbles promised.  “They’ll get used to you really fast!”

                Xianea brightened a little, “The people who live there are that open-minded?”

                “Of course!” Blossom said.  “They accepted us, even though we look a little different from them, and have superpowers and stuff.”

                “Yeah, relax, you’ll be okay there,” Buttercup said.

                With a smile, Bubbles said, “You just gotta meet the professor…you two’ll get along great!”

                “And think of everything you can learn while you’re there,” Blossom added.

                Xianea looked at them, and said, “Girls…I think you’ve got me almost as excited as you are to see the Earth.  I promise, once we finish our task on Centraxia, we’ll go directly there, without wasting any more time.”

                The girls shouted, “Yay!” and all three hugged her from various sides.  Xianea smiled proudly, placing her arms around them to return the embrace.  It was a happy moment…everything was finally working out perfectly for them…

                The moment was interrupted by a beep on the radar.  Curiously, Xianea looked down at it, and saw another ship, traveling along at a similar speed as them…it wasn’t on an intercept course, but rather, it was traveling parallel, on its way to the same destination.  Who could that be? Xianea thought.

                She started to reach for the communication’s panel, but before she could, the screen lit up.  Alyxk’s face appeared on it…a line of text rolled across the bottom of the screen, and a synthetic voice pronounced it aloud, “Hello, Xianea!  Hello, girls!”

                “Alyxk!” Blossom said, looking at the screen.  “How are you?”

                More text scrolled by and was pronounced, “I’m doing fine, thank you.  I figured you’d be on your way to Centraxia after rescuing Xianea, so I thought I’d start heading there.”

                “Great!” Buttercup said.  “We’ll meet you there!”

                Xianea nodded, “Alyxk…thank you for helping with the rescue.  That was very kind of you.”

                “Not a problem,” Alyxk printed.  “As I told the girls, I still owed them for the rescue of Ykrsk.”

                “How is Ykrsk?” Buttercup asked.

                “He’s doing fine,” Alyxk printed.  “He’s doing some maintenance on the engine room at the moment.”

                As the conversation went on, Bubbles leaned over to Blossom and whispered, “What’s with the words on the screen?”

                Blossom whispered back, “Remember?  He’s telepathic…he probably can’t talk normally.”

                “Ooh, that’s right,” Bubbles nodded.

                Alyxk looked down at the panels in front of him and said, “Well, keep in touch.  I’ll see you at Centraxia!”  The communication screen went down.  Blossom smiled and thought, We’ll all be there…the three of us, Xianea, Mojo, Alyxk, and Ykrsk…what a celebration we’ll have!  And then, it’s off to Vahlexei, and the Omega Particle!  Everything’s so perfect right now…and it can only get better…

 

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Xianea's ship sped on its way towards Centraxia, and both Alyxk and Mojo weren't far behind.  What none of them could see was the fourth ship, masked from their sensors, tailing them like an invisible shadow.  The lone occupant of the ship tightened his grip on the controls, and said, "There may no longer be anyone to deliver you to...but Drax Kanard never gives up his quarry...never..."

 

TO BE CONTINUED…