- - -

◇◆◇

- - -

【Vision of an Alternate Future】

Arc 2: Return of the Crystal Guardians

- - -

◇◆◇

〚『~』〛

【VAF】Chapter║: 59 ─ Diac

〚『~』〛

◇◆◇

Everyone onboard the CCS Nalen reacts to Naole’s crash as his Escorts react to protect him while he recovers. There’s another Lightning Flash as Naole restores his core Energy. General Holnari, an Armoured Aloran and Commander Elrig Arrive on the CCS Nalen’s command Deck.

Cmdr-Elrig : “ Naole is something else isn’t he?”

Gen-Holnari : " He’s actually going one on one with a Diac!"

Cmdr-Elrig : “ Can he win?”

Elnami : “ Naole’s on the run; he’s completely defensive.”

Omnala: “ Makes sense; he can’t match Zadoc blow for blow given the intensive energy level, so he’s making Zadoc burn off his energy by chasing him.”

Gen-Holnari : " Why aren’t you two on Atlas alongside your Compatriots?"

Elnami : “ Orders!”

GCapt-Bruce : “ Not all Green Guardians can be at risk at the same time.”

GCapt-Atola : “ It’s a proclamation from the Council of Elders on rare abilities.”

Cmdr-Elrig : “ Isn’t Naole a rare power?”

GCapt-Bruce : “ Naole possesses amongst the rarest abilities! However once Aurora engaged the Diac Naole’s involvement became inevitable.”

Gen-Holnari : " All of you should prepare yourselves; this fight can only end one way."

Omnala: “ General; Are you saying that even the additional Energy being channelled to Naole won’t be enough?”

Gen-Holnari : " It’s not about how much energy Naole has it his disposal but about how much damage his body can take. The Diac has a rugged and durable body; capable of absorbing tremendous damage; I should know!"

Elnami : “ You fought a Diac?”

Gen-Holnari : " A long time ago! His name was Ginod, and I barely made it out of the Fight alive. Ginod was extremely powerful; definitely Stronger than I was at the time; a lot stronger. This is back when we thought that we could free Migon slaves from subjugation; before we realized that freeing Migon captives was impossible. But now we know better!"

Cmdr-Elrig : “ How did you do it? How did you defeat the Diac?”

GCapt-Atola : “ Is it how you became infamous as Zadoc said?”

Gen-Holnari : " The truth is I couldn’t defeat Ginod! I became infamous for Killing a Migon Principality."

Cmdr-Elrig : “ Migon Principality? That’s the Migon Ruling Class!”

Gen-Holnari : " It turned out one of the Migon Principalities ventured into the planet targeted for liberation; Ginod was his protector. We targeted the Migon structures from space; killing the Principality, but his protector survived. So when ground operations started we had to confront remnants of the Migon force, and that’s when we came upon the kind of power we could not have foreseen. In the end we had to lure the Diac into the open where one of our ships could target him; that’s how we killed Ginod."

Guardian Omnala uses her Chest Crystal to make a Psionic Communications Link through the Spirit Stone Fragment on the CCS Nalen to Knora Hilan.

Omnala: “ Dad; General Holnari says that Naole will lose.”

Hilan : “ I know! He knows it too! We all know!”

Omnala: “ Dad; he will die!”

Hilan : “ I know Son! I know!”

Omnala: “ Should I do something?”

Hilan : “ Hold on Son; I am coming!”

Knora Camin, Knora Savan, Knora Peo and Knora Rilen join the Psionic link.

Rilen : “ We are all coming!”

Peo : “ We must all be there!”

Savan : “This is our fight know!”

Camin : “ Our Duty!”

General Holnari links up through Guardian Omnala.

Gen-Holnari : " As long as you understand that a Diac is Empowered by the fighting; somehow absorbing the Negative Psionic Energy generated by any form of physical combat. As a consequence numbers become largely irrelevant; because the greater the number of warriors fighting the Diac the more Empowered the Diac becomes."

Hilan : “ General; this has to happen! It was always going to come to this!”

Rilen : “ The Knoras of Crystalorb must confront this monstrous power!”

Peo : “ It’s meant to be!”

Gen-Holnari : " Why? You will all be killed!"

Savan : “ It is up to us to find a way to defeat the threat!”

Camin : “ We must use Elder Might to find a path through this Forest!”

Gen-Holnari : " Elder Might?"

Hilan : “ Elder Might is the Powers of an Elder! More specifically the Collective of Powers of Elders; manifested when all Eleven Elders are engaged in a singular battle. These powers were extended to Knoras after the formation of the Knowledge Council and Proclamation of the Order of Knoras!”

Rilen : “ General; we have to fight this Diac! We have to defeat this Diac so that we can absorb his knowledge and the Secrets of his Physiology, then add the Special Abilities of the Diac to that of all Crystalans!”

The Psionic Communications Link is cut as the Knoras enter Inter-Dimensional Vortexes to CIDR.

Cmdr-Elrig : “ By the Stars!”

Gen-Holnari : " Is that even possible?"

Elnami : “ Knoras are the most powerful Class of Crystalan!”

Gen-Holnari : " Even more Powerful than your Elders?"

Omnala: “ Orders of Magnitude more Powerful than Elders!”

Gen-Holnari : " And Crystalans are OK with this?"

GCapt-Bruce : “ The primary role of Knoras is to Actualize the wishes of the Crystalan Collective! To transform Thoughts and Ideas into Substance! Expanding the Powers and Abilities of Crystalans is a part of that duty; something Knoras are very adept at!”

Cmdr-Elrig : “ Of Course! They knew that this Day would come! They’ve always known that they would have to go hand to hand with the Migon!”

GCapt-Atola : “ None of us ever Imagined it would be this soon!”

General Holnari talks privately to one of the Alorans.

Drako : “ I’m going down there!”

Gen-Holnari : " What? If you go down there you’ll Die!"

Drako : “ They are Children General! And they’re dying while we stand Idle!”

Gen-Holnari : " Children?"

Drako : “ Because of their Strength we often forget how young they are, but they are Children! We can’t let them die alone; they must know that we are with them!”

Gen-Holnari : " If you go you’ll expose the Aloran Enclave!"

Drako : “ It’s time General!”

Gen-Holnari : " Are you Sure?"

Drako : “ This War is as much our Fight as that of any of the Vulnerable Species!”

Gen-Holnari : " Is it the right time?"

Drako : “ All I know is that the Crystalans are in need Now! They could have walked away and left the people of Atlas to suffer, but they chose to put themselves in danger. It’s one thing for the Migon to attack from Space, but it’s another thing entirely for them to kill the population of a Planet one person at a time; this slow and protracted slaughter is offensive in the worst way.”

Gen-Holnari : " Do what you have to; I have my orders!"

Drako : “ And I have my orders!”

Gen-Holnari : " Then perhaps it is the right time!"

◇◆◇

Back on Atlas the tremendous battle between Naole and Zadoc rages on unreservedly.

Naole knew that the others were on their way and that the potential for victory was at hand, but Zadoc somehow sensed Naole’s optimism, and that triggered a special ability of a Diac; activating his killer instinct. With Zadoc’s killer instinct active Naole found it increasing difficult to find the rest he needs to rebuild his core energies, and that meant that the balance was tilting heavily in favour of Zadoc.

Naole was keenly aware that Zadoc was closing down his ability to rebuild his energies, but even as his Energy Reserves were rapidly depleting Naole could not conserve Energy and he had to keep up with the rising intensity of the fight. However Naole knew that at some point he would have to back off and let his Escort Guardians take over as he rests and restores his Core energies.

Unfortunately for Naole and his Escort Guardians Zadoc had an accurate understanding of Crystalan Physiology, and he knew that a Crystalan operating at Naole’s energy level burns through a large amount of energy to maintain the abilities and powers of a Crystalan. Just as Hodians had discovered in the past the Migon knew that the key to defeating a Crystalan lies with Depleting Core Energy Reserves.

On Crystalorb or any Crystalan structure or ship Crystalans can rebuild their Energies relatively easy, but on Foreign Planet with no Crystalan infrastructure a Crystalan would have serious difficulties sustaining combat energy levels. Not even an Ascended Crystalan can maintain Combat energy Levels for protracted periods without Crystalorb’s support infrastructure.

Realising that he can no longer stall an energy rebuild Naole signals his Escort Guardians.

Naole : “ Now!”

Naole’s Escort Guardians move in to relieve him.

The switch where Naole’s Escort Guardians take over the fighting thus allowing Naole a moments rest while he rebuilds his Core Energies had been successfully done several times before and it had been done for Aurora. What Naole and his Escort Guardians did not anticipate was that Zadoc had become aware of their strategies and had now formulated a method to use the switch to his advantage.

As Naole’s Escort Guardians executed a coordinated attack on Zadoc using Lightning Wave attacks General Zadoc generated a Psionic deflector Shield essentially deflecting the attacks of Naole’s Escort Guardians onto Naole. The combined energy of the deflected attacks depleted Naole’s primary Shield allowing Zadoc to make his move against Naole.

A Claw went into Naole’s Forehead essentially ripping his head apart and a Hand went into Naole’s Chest ripping out his chest cavity. A weapons discharge from Zadoc’s blaster and his tail completed the attack Vaporizing Naole’s Chest and Head. The shock of Naole’s death reverberates throughout the Crystalorb Network as Crystalans everywhere feel Naole’s passing.

Onboard the CCS Nalen those near the medical facility hear Aurora’s Howling Scream as she feels Naole’s death. A deep sorrow falls over all Crystalans inboard, and an inalienable sense of loss washes over Naole’s friends and colleagues.

◇◆◇

What remains of Naole’s lifeless Body falls to the Ground. Isis; an un-Ascended Apprentice Guardian with a Clear Crystal assigned to heal the injured reacts to Naole’s death.

Isis : “ No! It can’t be!”

Her distress and agony combined with her outrage summon Energy from the Fragment of the Spirit Stone to her; triggering a rather Special Event; the Spontaneous Ascendance of a Clear Crystalan.

The Ascendance of any Clear Crystalan is a Special Event, but the Spontaneous Ascendance of a Clear Crystalan is an extremely rare Special Event, and such events usually signify the Maturity of an Exceptional Crystalan on the scale of Naole, Casara, Aurora, Dirang and Nasara. Lodians once likened the Ascendance of a Clear Crystalan to the birth of an Angel; this in reference to the enormous amount of Positive Psionic Energy released at the moment of Ascendance of a Clear Crystalan.

The Spontaneous Ascendance of the Clear Crystalan Isis releases so much Positive Psionic Energy that it forced Zadoc to move away from the Crystalans because as a Negative Psionic large amounts of Positive Psionic Energy are hazardous to him. The Positive Psionic Energy released by Isis’s Ascendance rejuvenated all the Crystalans on Planet Atlas; healing them and restoring their energy levels, and this applies to the Humans on Atlas.

As the Positive Psionic Energy begins to dissipate Inter-Dimensional Vortexes Form in the skies above them, and 10 Knoras and their support personnel emerge from CIDR.

Isis : “ Knoras; you are here!”

Hilan : “ You did great kid!”

Isis : “ I tried to heal him, but I couldn’t!”

Rilen : “ The damage to his body is too extensive!”

Isis : “ So there is no Hope?”

Hilan : “ I’m afraid not!”

As the Knoras move closer to Naole’s body massive Electrical Energy Arcs on the scale of Lightning connect the 10 Knoras to Naole’s body.

Gen-Zadoc : “ What sort of unnatural Power is this?”

The Diac Zadoc speaks as a little over a Hundred Migon Warriors emerge from the Migon ship wreck and form up around him; the new Migon Warriors had been in stasis and so it took them a while before they were fully restored.

The Knoras seem unperturbed by the additional Migons.

Hilan : “ You have just activated an Ancient and Deadly Power!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ An Ancient and Deadly Power you say? Really?”

Rilen : “ Knoras wield Elder Might! As such Knora are protected by a powerful Bonded Energy Charm!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ You threaten me with Magic? Superstitions and Hokum are your weapons now? Pathetic!”

Hilan : “ You have just activated an Elder Might Bonded Energy Charm called Power Balance!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ Which means what?”

Peo : “ When a Knora is killed in battle the Knora’s power divides equally amongst the surviving Knoras!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ I don’t see how that’s a problem for me?”

Hilan : “ It seems simple; except the longer a Crystalan fights the Stronger that particular Crystalan becomes!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ It’s a multiplier Effect! Brilliant but One flaw in your logic!”

Rilen : “ What flaw?”

Gen-Zadoc : “ The more of you fight the stronger I become!”

Peo : “ We are well aware of your Evil Power! You are Empowered by the Fighting!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ This is why the Diac were created! Numbers mean nothing in this fight!”

Hilan : “ You think you’ll be able to handle what ever energy we can master, but what you fail to comprehend is that because when a Knora is killed in battle the Knora’s power divides equally amongst the surviving Knoras we have to go through Spontaneous Evolution to accommodate the new energy!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ I’m over a million years old! You think you can become in an instant what I’ve become over eons?”

Peo : “ We have seen a Crystalan Power that can Burn through the Shadows; a Power that can Defeat any Foe and Vanquish Evil!”

Rilen : “ Whatever door we open lets every Crystalan through! Whatever we become they become!”

Camin : “ Even if you can somehow overpower all of us, every Crystalan will gain the Power level of the last Knora, and all Crystalorb needs to do is appoint a new Knora and Power Balance makes sure that the new Knora is battle ready within minutes!”

Savan : “ Naole knew that if he entered this fight the rest of the Knoras would have no choice but to also join the fight!”

Dirang : “ Thus setting the stage for Accelerated Crystalan Evolution!”

Camin : “ By the time this battle is over the Average Crystalan will have the potential to be stronger than the Average Migon!”

Rilen : “ All Thanks to You!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ I see what you are doing! You’re trying to intimidate me into surrendering by convincing me that giving up is the best thing for the Migon Federation; in the best interest of all Migon, but it’s not going to be that easy, and it’s not in the nature of a Migon to give up without a fight!”

Peo : “ I didn’t think you’d be reasonable! I fully expected you to fight till the end!”

Rilen : “ And when you Die we will Absorb your genetic material and Add the Special powers of a Diac to the Powers of a Crystalan!”

Hilan : “ Making Crystalans that much more Powerful!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ We will just have to see about that!”

Hilan neglected to inform the Diac that there are three Bonded Energy Charms that protect the Knora.

Just then Viceroy David Ralefa of the Hand of Destiny and 100 Grandlord Supported by 1000 Enforcers, Under-Lords and Overlords land. Shortly after the Hodians Land a 5 member Aloran Team Lands nearby.

Lord-David : “ Is this a private party or can anyone join in?”

Hilan : “ We welcome your assistance your Lordship!”

Lord-David : “ So you deliberately picked a fight with the Ultimate Monster?”

Hilan : “ They didn’t give us much of a choice!”

Lord-David: “ They are a despicable bunch these Migons, but their latest actions take it to a whole new level. They’ve unleashed a wave of Death across the region the likes of which none has seen before! It’s one thing for the Migon to attack from Space, but it’s another matter entirely for them to kill the population of a Planet one person at a time; they want a slow and protracted slaughter; perhaps the most offensive act I’ve ever witnessed!”

The leader of the Alorans approaches.

Drako : “ My sentiments exactly!” Drako removes his Armour’s Helmet “There’s something extremely disgusting and odious about what the Migon are trying to do to this region!”

Lord-David : “ Drako?”

Peo : “ The legend Himself!”

Drako is surprised that they recognize him.

Drako : “ I am Drako; Commander of the 4th Legion of the Aloran Enclave and military liaison to the Andronian Federation!”

Hilan : “ It is you!”

Drako : “ It is surprising that any of you know my name!”

Lord-David: “ You are Drako; Guardian of the Sky! You defeated the terrible white Dragon in the battle for the Soul of Mankind!”

Hilan : “ There is a hundred thousand year old sculpture of your face on Earth!”

Camin : “ Not to mention countless drawings depicting the battle for the Soul of Mankind!”

Drako : “ In the old days Humans called me Dragon of the Sky, and the enemy of Humanity was called the Great Beast!”

Lord-David : “ Great Beast? The Evil Dragon who terrorized humanity!”

Drako : “ In the old days Rogue Migons would set up camps on primitive planetary Civilizations, and once these camps were established the Migon would subjugate, feed on and systematically terrorize the planet’s population. Earth once had such an encampment of Rogue Migons!”

Hilan : “ How did you get involved?”

Drako : “ As you can imagine leaving Alora is an incredibly difficult choice for Alorans, and many refused the assignment as military liaison to the Andronian Federation, but I felt a calling to the Stars. So when I was asked to be Alora’s military liaison to the Andronian Federation I accepted with honour and embraced my destiny. From that moment onwards I would represent Alorans, and that means confronting the evil of the Migon where possible!”

Lord-David : “ We are grateful Commander!”

Hilan : “ Indeed!”

Lord-David : “ Now; where do you want us?”

Hilan : “ There are Crystalans Fighting and Dying all over this planet; we are in desperate need of reinforcements!”

Lord-David : “ Got it!”

Lord David issues instructions to the Hodians.

Drako : “ We’ll help with the Diac!”

Lord-David : “ Desperate need of reinforcements? I’m given to understand that you have a Four Billion Strong Army?”

Peo : “ Four Billion Crystalans trained to fight Space Battles!”

Hilan : “ Only a tiny fraction of the Crystalorb Force is properly Trained for Ground Operations!”

Drako : “ Four Billion Strong Army? That’s a Quarter of the Aloran population! Totally inconceivable!”

Hilan : “ Ooh! I’m going to like these Alorans!”

Drako : “ Did I misspeak!”

Lord-David : “ You just Gave us an important detail about the Aloran Enclave!”

Drako : “ What? The population Size?”

Savan : “ Older Civilizations never Reveal anything about themselves!”

Drako : “ They’re afraid that they younger Civilizations will be able to extrapolate data on capabilities from population Size! Alorans believe in being honest with our Allies”

Rilen : “ You are already a favourite!”

Savan : “ Only the O’con Federation has ever been completely honest with us!”

Hilan : “ But then again the O’ltana have only ever been completely honest with Crystalans!”

Lord-David : “ Looks like the White Dragons are getting Rowdy!”

Drako : “ Let’s get to it then!”

They hear a voice as Lord David joins his Grandlords.

Gen-Zadoc : “ You must be extremely desperate to call upon Abominations to Defend you? You Efilim are indeed Pathetic!”

Drako : “ So you know about us?”

Gen-Zadoc : “ I have nothing to say to you Abomination! It’s an affront to us for you to be in our presence!”

Savan : “ So you know about the Alorans?”

Gen-Zadoc : “ What’s there to know? The Andronians got a hold of Migon DNA, and then proceeded to pollute it by mixing it with Andronian DNA to produce all sorts of Abominations! Halflings, Weaklings, Half-breeds; Abominations!”

The other Migons let out a powerful roar, and the Alorans respond with a roar of their own.

Camin : “ The Alorans are proof of the possibility of a different path for Migons!”

Gen-Zadoc : “ You are beneath us, all of you; without exception! We will tolerate no usurpers!”

With that the battle begins again.

◇◆◇

- - -