"And for thee, I tremble."
Uranus's smile was cold as space and twice as gleeful.
Space and Time rippled and turned inward, all around the Uranus section.
A*0-1 stared at Uranus. So that was what that old relic of a Crystal Satellite was for...
"You. Bloody. Insane. Bitch."
"Barrett Trap activating, Barrett Trap activating, move move move move now!"
Pluto did not need to be told twice, and rising her Key, started towing the "bubble" they were all in - well, elsewhere, as far as Ryouga could tell. Elsewhere was good.
Very good.
Ryouga swallowed.
" - Barrett Trap as in - what Sailor Barrett in the Nokia System used? When Galaxia came a-calling?"
Saturn's answer was simple.
"Yes."
The woman known as Sailor Pluto in the here and now closed her eyes, then.
A Barrett Trap. A Barrett Trap.
Uranus...
A memory was stealing it's way up too her mind, from deep inside, where those memories usually dwelt.
Sailor Barrett of the Nokia System. That had been that Senshi's name, yes...
It had been a very pretty Star System, Nokia. 4 major planets, 1 Lifebearing, 2 others with artificial Life Systems. Strong enough to defend it's resources, peaceful enough not to waste them in senseless conflict, and all over a rather nice place to life, even in the middest of the Sailor Wars.
Till Galaxia had come - and started eating away at the System's defenses.
A little here, a little there. Galaxia - or her Chaos-infested Starseed-less husk, anyway - often liked to toy with her prey, as long as they didn't seem to be strong enough to really hurt her forces, that is. In that case she usually simply smashed the System entire, and tried to pick up whatever Starseeds left that were still radiating energy above a certain level.
Though in this case -
Pluto bit her lip, then.
Oh, trying to toy with the Nokia System had been a bad mistake, as one Sailor Barrett had proved.
And therefore earned a name that still reasonated in infamy accross the ages.
First had come the shining bobbled bubbles of Starseeds, heading for in all directions into the OutDark, and then -
She would remember that ripple across Space-Time for a thousand lifetimes. Or maybe more.
Sacrifice Cannons - damnably nasty weapons that strip-mined any Starseeds or anything with Life energy at all in the vicinity and formed the energy into a massive blast - had existed before then, of course. They'd become much, much too popular during some stages of the Sailor Wars, and were a major reason that a large potion of formerly populated space was almost entirely de-Lifed to this day - Though that would hopefully change, with Galaxia de-Chaos'd and performing her duty again, she supposed.
As had been Space-Time englobers, and the so-called "energy suck field".
Sailor Barrett had been the first one - to the woman who was now called Pluto's knowledge, anyway - that had utilized all three in quite such a destructive manner.
Space and Time rippled and turned inward.
A*0-1 stared at Uranus.
"You. Bloody. Insane. Bitch."
"Hey, I told you I was Uranus, and then invited to over right next to the planet Uranus - what, I have to hold a sign saying "Trap over here!" over my head?"
Uranus smiled. A*0-1 stood tall, battle aura roaring.
"A Barrett Trap. A Barrett Trap. You'll kill your entire Star System, just to get me? If that doesn't fit the description of insane, what does, you murderous bastard?"
Uranus threw back her head then - and whooped.
"Oh, does it? Well, I used to know ole Barrett a long time ago, y'know - just a little bit. A tough old biddy, if a bit on the well, brittle side -"
"So did I."
A*0-1 hissed. Uranus sneered.
"She was one of the few who managed to slow down Galaxia even for a wee little bit, A*0-1 - don't you forget that."
"And she sacrificed the entire Star System she was supposed to protect for that, you bloody - "
"Nokia would've been gone anyway once Galaxia went through, you should know that, A*0-1."
Uranus sneered.
"And anyway -"
Pluto closed her eyes, remembering the Space-Time ribbon that had rippled across the starry skies.
A Space-Time englober, combined with a energy-suck, and using Sacrifice Cannons as both generator and weapon.
And her name - what had it been then? Sarika? Something like that.
She remembered seeing Galaxia's thralled hordes scream and fall to sparkling dust, feeling a little shocked that even those Starseed-less ones could be sucked dry by a Sacrifice Cannon field. It wasn't like they didn't have any Life energy at all, of course, once she'd thought about it -
And then Sarika had seen something she'd never thought to see.
One of Galaxia's braceleted thralls, a Senshi with short sandy hair had looked back, seen the great light eating through Galaxia's forces -
And started speeding through space towards till the ever-expanding sphere of destruction. Sarika had wondered what the hell had gotten into that one. She'd fought that one more then a couple of times, and running towards almost certain destruction didn't seem to be her style.
Not that she'd seemed really happy with her thralled braceleted half-life, either, but -
Pluto's past-self had followed her from some kind of weary curiosity more then anything else, and had been mystified to see her go floating off to something that looked like some kind of very large ornate treasure box, and put her head next to it.
And then, she had started to tow it.
Towards the sphere of destruction.
"...What in the million hells do you think you're doing?"
The thralled Senshi had twitched, and looked at her, bracelets glittering in the starlight.
"Sarika."
"Well, yes. - And this is?"
She'd been a bit shocked that the thralled Senshi had actually answered her, actually..
"It's - her spare Starseed container."
Oh.
Ooh. Galaxia's spare Starseed batteries!
"- And sticking it into a Sacrifice Cannon Field is supposed to be a good idea?"
"It'll break it, at least. I can't - "
Sarika had sighed, then. Well alright, not even a Sacrifice Cannon could really destroy a Starseed core, but still.
Really.
"I'll try breaking it, Lodnus, then. - For a price, of course."
'Lodnus' had hissed at that.
"What price?"
" - Your life, or whatever that's left of it, if you don't mind? You are one of Galaxia's Commanders, after all, and I can use all the 'rep' I can get."
Lodnus had smirked grimly at that.
"Mercenary to the core. Why'd you refuse Galaxia-sama's - invitation?"
Pluto's past-self had sighed, then. "I like my Starseed just where it is, thank you. ...You'd get that too, I think?"
And Lodnus had given her a look - and simply nodded at that.
" - I accept. - As long as you break it first."
- What?
To say Sarika had been flabbergasted would have been a understatement.
"I'm dead anyway whether this works or not, Sarika."
- True, she supposed. No doubt Galaxia had ways of telling if any of her thralls had been tampering with her Starseed container, of all things. But -
Ahh, it wasn't if there was any time to waste.
"Alright, let's get to it."
It took her no less then three major attacks to crack the box - Lodnus couldn't help, as the thing seemed to have been especially warded against tampering by Galaxia-thralls. Sarika watched with deep satisfaction as it spilled open at last, and countless Starseeds spilled out into the void of space, towards a hundred thousand different directions...
And then, two of the light-specks changed course, chasing around each other in a spiral. Lodnus looked at them, looking grimly happy.
"Alright, then. It's done."
Sarika nodded, at that.
"Alright, then..."
Well, it wasn't like she really thought Lodnus would keep her word, but - No, wait...
"Ahh, Lodnus? Does Galaxia have any other spare Starseed boxs?"
Lodnus looked at her, eyes widening.
The two of them librated 3 more Starseed boxs that day, working slowly and methodically while whatever that was left of the battle raged in the distance.
"Alright, that's done. - Can't get at any of the others, Sarika.."
Lodnus murmured.
"Oh, that's quite all right... Nobody's expecting you to get the ones Galaxia has on her person, Lodnus. - Thank you."
"Eh?" Lodnus blinked. "Thanks youself."
The sphere of destruction seemed to be waning and retreating, at long last. But the Nokia System...
De-Lifed. Empty. And full of Lifeless planets and shadowy de-powered Starseeds floating about aimlessly...
The two felt the destruction, floating through the dark.
"Sarika?" Lodnus murmured, eyes closed.
"Hmmmmmm"
"If you could do it - quickly, if you don't mind?"
Sarika looked at her. Oh. Their - bargain.
But. But -
And then she felt her brain come back on-line.
"Lodnus? Those two Starseeds are...following you, I think."
The two Starseeds she'd seen twirling around each other had been following them at a distance, twinkling green and amber.
Lodnus groaned. "I know. Bloody hell."
Then... Sarika swallowed.
"One of them is your Starseed, isn't it?"
Lodnus threw her head back. " - Yes."
"Then...Why..."
"It's the bracelets. They can't come near."
Sarika stopped, staring. Oh. It was logical, but...
Oh, she hated Galaxia. How she did. And she'd thought she'd hated Galaxia before...
"- I can try to - break those too, you know." Sarika offered, even though she was exhausted and something told her time was running out.
"I - don't think so, Sarika. The bracelets are much better warded then the spare boxs - "
Lodnus muttered. "But thanks for the thought."
"Let me try, anyway." Sarika offered, wondering just why the hell she was taking such risks. For one of Galaxia's thralled Commanders, no less.
But they had fought the good fight that day. Together.
"...Why?" Lodnus grinned. "I thought you needed every bit of 'rep' you could get your hands on?"
"Phooey. I'll get more 'rep' then I'll need in a thousand years if I was the first one who 'un-thralled' a Galaxia thrall, y'numbskull."
Lodnus sighed, and then smiled. "Well alright - try, then."
But that, sadly, was not to be.
Pluto closed her eyes tight, remembering...
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(Posted Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:38)
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