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| The Forgotten |
| Episode Forty-Two |
| Blood Knight was talking to his advisor, Axem Opaque. AXEM BLOOD KNIGHT: Are you sure this was wise? What if they attack us? What if Bob and Diputs rescue the Dorian system? AXEM OPAQUE: Don�t worry. How could they know about this attack anyway? AXEM BLOOD KNIGHT: I guess you�re right� It�s just I feel like something�s going wrong� MEANWHILE: Axem Inferno was in the Brighid�s bridge. Over Flame and Tarn were playing Ping-Pong on a makeshift table in another room. AXEM INFERNO: What�s the ETA? A Toad sitting at some controls answered. TOAD: Of who? Iondross or Bob? AXEM INFERNO: Both. TOAD: Bob�s is in approximately 56 minutes. Iondross� is not as exact, because we don�t know when they embarked, but it should be within- Suddenly a beeping sound arose from the screen the Toad was at. AXEM INFERNO: What is it? TOAD: Some blades�I don�t think it can be Bob�s� It�s too soon. They are coming from the other side of the planet. If we circle around, we will meet them in about 6 minutes. AXEM INFERNO: TARN! OVER FLAME! GET IN HERE! MEANWHILE: Over Flame was serving the Ping-Pong ball. Tarn returned it with a perfect shot, but Over Flame�s Axem reflexes let him knock it back even better. Tarn didn�t have a chance to return it. AXEM OVER FLAME (thinking): Objective: Act like Over Flame would in as many situations as possible. Over Flame did a victory dance. AXEM OVER FLAME: Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah! Tarn picked up the Ping-Pong ball and threw it back to Over Flame. TARN: Here you go� dork� AXEM OVER FLAME: Uh�what�s the score? Tarn rolled his eyes. TARN: 20 to 1. Stupid Axem reflexes� Inferno�s voice rose from the bridge. AXEM INFERNO: TARN! OVER FLAME! GET IN HERE! Tarn and Over Flame finished their game (Over Flame won 21-0) then walked to the bridge. AXEM OVER FLAME: So, what�s going on here? AXEM INFERNO: We�ve got some blades arriving. It�s probably too early to be the Bobans� TOAD: Visual contact in�5�4�3�2�1. Around the planet came a blade, carrying the insignia of Iondross, a gray lightening bolt over a circle of chain. After another few seconds, more and more blades came around the corner. Soon they were looking at 4 Alpha blades, surrounded by scores of normal ones. AXEM OVER FLAME: Uh�this isn�t good�Is it? AXEM INFERNO: No�No it isn�t. TOAD: We�ve got approximately 45 minutes until reinforcements arrive. TARN: How are we supposed to last that long? We couldn�t survive more than 10 seconds in a firefight. AXEM OVER FLAME: Well isn�t it obvious then? We don�t get in a firefight�Duh� Over Flame stuck out his tongue. Inferno rolled his eyes. AXEM INFERNO: Well, that was a stroke of genius. TOAD: Radio broadcast Sir. The screen switched from the view of the Iondross flotilla to the face of an Axem. He was a plain, gray, Axem. He had on a ragged old cloak, and he had a hollow black circle on his hands. This circle was a symbol of his rank in the Iondross Empire. NOTE: His axe wasn�t described because it couldn�t be seen. So there! :P IONDROSS AXEM: Hello. I am Axem Mercenary, Captain of the Crusher, commander of this armada, and most intelligent Iondrosser within several dozen light-years. AXEM INFERNO: I am Axem Inferno�uh�Axem from Earth� AXEM MERCENARY: Do not speak unless asked a direct question or given permission. I am the leader of this invasion force. Surrender now and we�ll let you live in the service of the Empire�as slaves. AXEM INFERNO: We will not surrender. Mercenary laughed. AXEM MERCENARY: What? Why not? You have no hope. AXEM OVER FLAME: Oh really�. Mercenary�s face became confused. AXEM MERCENARY: Identify yourself! AXEM OVER FLAME: My name is� Axem Mercenary. Mercenary raised his eyebrows at Over Flame. AXEM MERCENARY: Well, that�s an unusual coincidence. What do you mean by �oh really�? AXEM OVER FLAME: Look over there�By the moon� The radio broadcast cut off for a moment, then resumed. AXEM MERCENARY: I saw nothing. You lied. AXEM OVER FLAME: No I didn�t. You just missed it. Just a minute. Over Flame hit a button to cut off the broadcast again. He waited two or three minutes. AXEM INFERNO: What the heck are you doing? Over Flame shrugged. AXEM OVER FLAME: Stalling. Inferno nodded his agreement. Over Flame poked the Toad. TOAD: Hey! That hurt! Why do you always have to poke stuff? NOTE: Stupid Over Flame�Always poking me and making me melt�. The Toad made the broadcast go back. AXEM OVER FLAME: We just checked. It�s right there by the moon. Just to the left. Maybe you can�t see if from your position. The moon might be blocking�uh�the�uh�radar�thingies� AXEM MERCENARY: You�re starting to wear my patience� For a third time, radio broadcast was broken off. Some more time passed while the blade moved to get into position to see�the �thing�. TOAD: 25 minutes left� Mercenary�s face appeared. AXEM MERCENARY: You have humiliated me! Now you will pay�with your lives! MWUAHAHAHAHA- AXEM OVER FLAME: Well�Uh�You see� TARN: What he�s saying is that you should just surrender now! You�ve been looking at the wrong moon the whole time! AXEM MERCENARY: HAHAHAHA- What? ELAPSE TIME: 20 minutes later: AXEM MERCENARY: I will not fall for these tricks any longer! AXEM OVER FLAME: Your fly�s unzipped! AXEM MERCENARY: Really? How embarrassing� He looked down, then realized he didn�t have pants on, being an Axem. AXEM MERCENARY: You cease to amuse� AXEM INFERNO: Very well� We will negotiate our surrender� AXEM MERCENARY: That is better� Inferno and Mercenary talked for several minutes. A load beeping emitted from the Toad�s console. The Toad cleared his throat. AXEM OVER FLAME: Hey! Check it out! We�ve got company! AXEM MERCENARY: I�m not falling for your tri-WHAT? Who is this that just appeared on my radar? AXEM INFERNO: Oh�that�It�s the combined forces of Bob and Diputs�I�d suggest you leave before they kick some butt� AXEM MERCENARY: Never! They can�t have that many! Mercenary made a hand signal, and one of his crewmembers fired his Alpha blades main weapon. At that moment, Over Flame tripped and hit the controls, causing the blade to violently circle and go out of control. The large yellow beam missed. AXEM MERCENARY: You think that because you�ve got the skills to dodge one blast, you can win? Never! MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- The Toad cut off the transmission. TOAD: Allied blades arriving in 3�2�1�now. Suddenly, blades came from around both sides of the planet. There were twice as many blades as the Iondrossers had, enough to rival those that were still protecting Iondross. A radio broadcast came out from one of the Alpha blades, and went out to all ships. AXEM FAST: Axem Fast says, �Hiya!� A firefight broke out, and having double the numbers, the allies were annihilating the Iondrossers. The Iondross losses were double or triple the allied loses. Another broadcast went out from an Alpha blade to all ships. AXEM MERCENARY: How did you know to come? HOW! Iondrossers, retreat! The remaining Iondross blades, approximately half of their original numbers, started to flee. A few blades started to give chase, until Strife and Fast told them not to bother. Chasing them would only lead to Iondross, where things would be in the Iondrossers� favor. A victory celebration commenced, but some blades immediately took off to fortify Bob and Diputs (not many blades were left behind to protect those worlds). MEANWHILE: On the surface of Aquador, people were celebrating the victory. However, not everything had stopped. A Toad traveling from Quandike arrived. The guards instantaneously questioned him. GUARD: What are you doing here? TOAD: I�ve been transferred to Aquador, due to my studies of water-fueled engines. The guard checked some papers. GUARD: Yes, we�ve got you coming here�What�s your password? TOAD: Globargh. GUARD: Correct� The Toad looked up and saw the palace, where Axem Rain (a.k.a. King Rain) was living. TOAD (thinking): Ah� the palace�My goal is right there� Not long now� If it�s as easy to get in there, as it was to kill the real Toad and trick those guards, I�ll have my mission completed in no time� End of Episode 42 |