"Cormos!"
Blake's horrified voice rang out through the golden paved "Palace" where the mysterious "Emperor" had been revealed as Cormos, the man Blake had been imprisoned for killing, two years before.
"We meet again 'Admiral' Randor. However, this time will be different. I will kill you before long."
"Not if I have anything to do about it." Blake's British-like accent rang out through out the hall where the Guardsmen had forcibly placed him.
Cormos commented on the past, "You know they never found my body under that avalanche!"
"I remember well how the prosecutors, for the trial, came up with pretty graphic stories to enslave the jury's minds against me," said Blake.
"And they succeeded. Little did you know, they were agents of mine."
"So that was the plan! To pretend you're murdered to excite a jury against me so I would be convicted of a crime I never committed!"
"Good, good, 'Admiral!'" sarcastically giving Blake his former rank back, "Nevertheless, you did really come close to killing me when you used that machine to cut the hill in half. When it started to fall on me I used my transporter --the same one used to take you from your friends' ship -- to escape."
"And you're behind the sudden renewed activity in this sector, controlling the Empire and all that!"
"More than just that, my dear old adversary, I am behind the invasion force now on its way to Mandis.
"No!" Blake threw himself at Cormos who kicked him in the stomach. Blake swung his fist at him but a Guardsman suddenly showed up and blocked the blow, hurling Blake backward onto the floor.
"You slime-ball!" spat Blake.
"Flattery will get you no where, 'Admiral.' You should have known. As we speak your friends have by now encountered a Meraccian Star Fighter which will kill them all."
"You're mad!"
"Then so are you! I control all of this space, Randor! I have the power to rule! Now I shall kill you!"
Suddenly, as he finished speaking, Cormos produced a Laser and fired at Blake. Blake went down in a pool of blue blood, like his people who had descended from England and settled on Earth Colony Echo, his heart pumped blue blood.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Cry of the tiger, my foolish opponent! Now you di... arggghh!"
A figure stepped from the shadows followed by another.
"Henri! Tony!" Blake laughed so hard he could cry, "You're alive! How did you escape the invasion fleet?"
"Simple," Anthony's eyes lighted up at the memory, "Henri took a look at that chip he and Luke stole from Lunar Five. It contained all the secret plans of the invasion effort, even naming Cormos as the mysterious 'Emperor.' We contacted Ambassador Wyllam and he got Gregor to send an armada of Fleetships, which devastated the Meraccian fleet. As you see we won in the end!"
"Not yet," Cormos rose from the floor, Laser in hand. A flash of energy shot from his eyes, hurling Blake through the hall. Standing back up, Blake met the challenge, Laser in hand -- set to disintegrate.
As Cormos, the mad Emperor ran forward to find the job he had set out to do, a guardsman shot Henri, he fell, in pain.
"I thought we won!" Blake exclaimed to Anthony as he ran over to his fallen comrade.
"I'm all right! Just let's get out of here."
"Will do," turning around, Blake was caught in a headlock with Cormos.
"This is the day of reckoning, 'Admiral.' Either you or I will die this minute."
Anthony knocked the Guardsman down and pulled its Laser-Cannon out of the socket. He aimed at Cormos. It was hard to get a proper aim. Blake screamed.
Henri, a hole in his jacket, rose. Guardsmen surrounded him. After using up the Devastator's charge destroying them he continued to beat on their heads with the butt until they wrested it from him and forced him to put his hands up in the air.
Blake cried out as Anthony fired at Cormos. Cormos staggered for a small moment, then fell down, lifeless.
But the friends still had the Guardsmen to deal with. They battled their way to the docking bay and suddenly a loud sound picked up from overhead. Blake recognized the transport as he hurried the others toward it. It landed and they ran toward the opening hatch.
"Luke, I've never been so glad to see..."
"Do not move!" A trio of Meraccian soldiers greeted them.
"Meraccians!" Henri cried out in disgust. They looked for both of the Lukes but were overruled by Meraccians.
"Our fleet has been disabled. We are the remaining survivors of the invasion effort. You are our prisoners. You will die for killing Cormos!"
Laser fire filled the room. Blake ducked into another room with Henri and tried to tend to Henri's wounds.
"I'm all right, I tell you. The shot barely penetrated the armor."
Suddenly a familiar sight greeted them as they moved into the cockpit.
"Luke!" Cried Anthony.
"Luke!" Cried Henri.
"It's good to see both of you again! How are you?" Blake asked.
The younger Luke answered, "The Meraccians ambushed the ship. And during the trip here we hid in the lounge. When we arrived we moved to the cockpit we hid in the back while they flew the ship to this place. When you guys came in they moved back to the door so we moved back to the cockpit! Simple, Really!"
Arrogance flashed through Blake as he simply stated, "If it hadn't been for me they would have killed you already!"
"Easy Blake," said the older Luke.
"Yeah," said Anthony, "We're all friends now!"
"All right then, let's see the salute!" exclaimed Blake.
"The what?"
"Something some friends and I came up with when I was at the Command Center. Like, high-five." All five raised their hands and slapped each other's hands.
During the trip back to Mandis, young Luke told the story of how he and his friend had traveled to the future. They were all fascinated, especially Blake and Henri, who had not heard the story before.
"But how are you going to make it back to your own time?" asked Blake.
"I don't know," answered Luke Owens, "I never figured on building a second time machine."
But none of this really mattered right then. They were happy to have escaped the mad emperor alive and victorious.
All of them eagerly waited to return home. But none more so than Blake. For the first time in many years he was finally going home.
Copyright (c) 2000 by Jakim Friant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced in full or in part without written permission.