Dedication

To everyone that has read these books so far: Thank you! I appreciate it! I hope you stay with this series till the end!

Author's Note

The Spectrum Force and all related characters belong to me. It takes place a few days after "Genesis."

Please note that words between asterisks are telepathically communicated, while italics denote either emphasis, or thoughts (you'll be able to tell which by context)

.

Part One

Chapter One

All the Blue Enforcer could muster in time was an intensified body shield. The iridescent blue aura grew blinding and he instinctively closed his eyes as a pulsing sphere of heated red energy plowed into his body. The force of the blast knocked him clear out of the air, sending him catapulting several yards back.

Craig glowered at his attacker, who floated yards above him, his arms crossed with an air of superiority.

"Let's see how you like this," Craig muttered, his fists clenching. He then lunged forward, streaking through the air at phenomenal speed. He moved in an irregular pattern, circling his attacker at surprising angles before finally making contact with his fists.

The opponent was hit by several fierce jabs, before he retreated by dropping beneath the Blue Enforcer, landing on the snow-covered cliffs far beneath them.

Fueled by adrenaline, Craig zipped towards the enemy, his body glowing as he prepared an energy assault.

He yelped in disbelief as a wave of snow leapt from the mountain to greet him. He began tumbling out of the sky, crashing into the mountain in blind confusion.

He felt his fall stop suddenly, as a pair of arms grasped his torso and helped him sit up on the cold, rocky earth.

Slowly, his vision returned as the snow disappeared from before him, revealing the masked visage of the Orange Enforcer.

"Are you okay, Craig?" she asked.

Despite himself, Craig frowned at the concern in her voice. "Of course I'm okay," he grunted, carefully rising to his feet. "Stupid snow," he snarled.

"Don't be like that, Craig," Jocelyn sighed, "The Himalayans are an excellent training spot. Little life to get in the way, plus a freezing atmosphere to help prepare us for fighting in the climate the Denebian's prefer. Spectra did say Denebia is the furthest planet from their sun. And space is cold, too."

Craig exhaled sharply, wiping off the snow that clung to his uniform. "But... how did that snow stick to me like that? I couldn't get it off!"

Jocelyn shrugged. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Together, the pair slowly floated off the cliff and into the freezing skies above, where the remainder of the Spectrum Force, along with their mentor Spectra, waited.

Craig approached Keith, forcing himself to smile as he offered his hand. "Good round, man," he conceded, "That was a nice trick you pulled with the snow."

He could see Keith's proud smile pull against his facemask. "Thanks! I was wondering if that would work."

"How'd you do it?" Matthew wondered, "How'd you get the snow to obey you?"

"Do not answer, Keith," Spectra commanded. She pressed a button on her hover-chair, and approached the Green Enforcer. "Try to guess. Imagine how you would perform such a move with your own powers."

Matthew frowned beneath his mask. "I... um..."

Spectra's peach gaze passed along the entire assembly. "Do any of you have a guess? Remember... the first key to mastering the Spectrum Stones is to use your imagination. New ideas and the courage to try them will result in a surprising repertoire of attack and defensive tactics. You must always be prepared to throw the Empire off balance with innovative strategies, or else you will become predictable... which will ensure your failure."

"Well, it looked like he pushed the snow off the cliff with his powers," Tamara offered off-handedly, "But how did he make it stick to Craig's body?"

After a few more moments, Spectra turned to Keith. "Explain it."

Keith nodded. "I decided to hold the snow to Craig's body," he revealed. "I basically mixed the snow with my own power shield, and collided it with Craig's. Since our energy signatures merge when they join together, the snow basically stuck to his defensive shield, turning him into Frosty the Snowman."

"You won't be able to use that attack when fighting the Denebians, though," Rachel realized, "Our energy shields can merge because our powers fit together. But the Denebians have different powers. There's no way our shields will merge with whatever black magic they have."

Keith shrugged. "True. But the exercise was to attack each other, and never to use the same attack twice. I just thought I'd try something... unexpected."

"But Keith... how'd you know that would even work?" Tamara inquired.

Keith grinned. "I didn't."

"Confidence is an important weapon," Spectra announced.

Matthew smirked. "In that case, Keith's the best armed out of all of us!"

Jocelyn, Matthew, Rachel, and Tamara shared a brief snicker at the Red Enforcer's expense.

"Yeah, yeah... laugh it up," he said, shaking his head, "But you'll be appreciating my confidence when I save your butt!"

"Be sure not to confuse confidence with arrogance," Spectra advised. "Confidence may be your weapon, but arrogance will surely be your stumbling block. An arrogant man is sure to underestimate his opponent... a fatal mistake."

"I was just kidding, Spectra," Keith defended, "I'm not arrogant."

He looked to the others for support, but all fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Keith frowned slightly, shrugging once again. "Okay, okay... maybe a little. But nobody's perfect!"

Spectra smiled. "All of you have made excellent progress these few days. You have taken advantage of Phaedra's silence by spending several hours each morning in training. I can see your confidence grow by the steadiness with which your use your powers. Now, tomorrow we shall convene at my ship, and I shall bring us to the martial arts training site."

Matthew grimaced. "Martial arts? You mean like Kung Fu?"

Spectra nodded.

"But why?" Jocelyn asked, "I thought we were supposed to use our rings in battle. It's hard to kick and chop when you're in the air!"

"You must be prepared for every situation. You know that the power within your Spectrum Stones is abundant, but limited. Without direct sunlight, the energy levels of your rings will weaken, perhaps even to the point where you will not be able to Spectrum Sync."

"Really?" Rachel marveled.

"Absolutely. If you were ever faced with a situation in which your Spectrum Stones wear down, or if the Empire devises a spell to nullify your powers, what will you do?"

Matthew frowned. "But what can we do without our powers? Humans are much weaker than Denebians."

"That's why you need to train your bodies. You shall stand a much better chance of success if you have trained in fighting with your bodies as well as your imaginations."

Rachel nodded. "Then we'll get to it."

Spectra waved her hand. "You are all dismissed."

The assembly waited for a few moments, before Rachel finally floated forward. "Aren't you going to teleport us back?"

She shook her head. "Your next test is that of navigation. You must fly back to Langstrum Alps yourselves. Another key element to your success is familiarizing yourself with the entire planet. Remember, you are not only the defenders of Langstrum Alps, or California. You will protect this entire planet from the Empire. You cannot defend what you cannot locate."

Jocelyn nodded. "Good point." She looked into the air, peering at the overcast sky. "Oookay... which way?"

"Earth is a globe," Matthew pointed out, "so whether we go east or west, we'll hit the Americas eventually."

"But will we recognize them?" Rachel asked, "And what if we wind up going north or south?"

"Do we even know what hemisphere we're in?" Tamara sighed.

"Okay, okay... one thing at a time," Keith said, "I'm pretty sure we're in the northern hemisphere. And we're probably far enough into Asia that it doesn't matter whether we go east, over Europe, the Atlantic, and America, or west, over the Far East and the Pacific."

"Good," Rachel decided. "And it's definitely night time here... so there's no sun to tell us east from west."

"Well, it wasn't this dark when we got here," Jocelyn pointed out, "Anyone know which way the sun went?"

"It's hard to tell; there are so many clouds in the sky," Matthew realized.

As five Enforcers continued to work out the direction home, Craig remained in a pensive silence. Spectra observed him carefully before deciding to approach him.

*Are you well, Craig?* she thought.

Craig jumped, startled by the telepathic voice in his head. He cocked his head toward Spectra, nodding.

*Think the answer,* she advised.

*I'm okay,* he insisted.

*You have been distracted this entire practice session,* Spectra observed. *That is why you could not react quickly enough to Keith's attacks. And you seem distant from us all. Something plagues you.*

Craig sighed to himself. *I'm just a little tired is all. Don't worry... I'll catch on to all this training. I won't let you down.*

Spectra smiled mildly. *I'm not worried about your performance. I am concerned for your well being.*

Craig couldn't help but grin. *I'll be fine,* he assured her, *I just need to get adjusted.*

"Craig?" Rachel called, turning back to her missing teammate, "Ready to go?"

He nodded, joining with the group. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to fly into the atmosphere, just to get a better look around," Jocelyn explained. "We'll be looking for a large body of water, hoping it's the Pacific. That's the quickest way back to California."

Craig frowned slightly. "How will we know the Pacific Ocean?"

"There are two oceans near here," Keith explained, "the Pacific and the Indian. Now, there're a lot more islands in the Pacific, since there's the Indonesian archipelago. We're gonna fly over the archipelago, and then keep moving towards the sun. It's early morning in California, so the sun will be over the United States. In fact, it'll probably be directly overhead the East Coast now. I think it's around noon there."

Craig nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Chapter Two

"Hey Craig?"

Craig startled, his gaze lifting from the perfect blue blanket of the Pacific Ocean to his side. He waved at Keith, who had fallen into place beside him.

"What's up?"

"Wanna come to the lot with me? I need to pick up my Baby when we get back."

Craig shook his head. "Sorry, Keith, but I've got practice at nine. Why don't you bring Tammy?"

Keith shrugged, casting his gaze forward to the Yellow Enforcer, who flew several yards ahead of them with the Orange, Green, and Purple Enforcers. "She's... busy."

Craig's eyebrow arched at the tone in which his best friend spoke. "Busy?" he repeated with interest.

"She has a practice session for her Renaissance Drama course," he elaborated, "She's reading lines with Chris."

Craig stared at his friend in surprise. "You're not... jealous...?"

Keith scoffed. "Of Chris Greyson? Get real! What's he got on me?"

Craig smiled to himself. He was quite familiar with Keith's unique brand of arrogance. He usually used it to mask insecurity.

"Listen, Keith... if Tammy had any feelings at all for Chris, she would've done something about it a long time ago," Craig pointed out. "Those two have been friends since way before you met her. So relax... he's got nothing on you."

Keith chuckled. "You always know just what to say. You'll make a great psychiatrist some day."

While Keith couldn't see Craig's masked face, he could sense the shadow that seemed to pass over Craig's soul at that moment.

Keith blinked in surprise at the intuition. "You... okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered, his voice laced with surprise, "Why?

Keith shrugged. "You seem a little... sluggish. If that's the right word."

"Just a little tired."

Keith's smile was perceptible through his mask. "Don't nod off in mid-flight. It can't be good for you."

Craig fell silent again, absently staring at the ocean beneath him. Keith frowned to himself.

"What's eating you?" he ventured, "You're just not... yourself today. Something's on your mind."

"For a change, eh?" Craig cracked. Keith didn't smile.

"No jokes, Craig. Just tell me what's going on."

Craig sighed inwardly. "I... don't want to talk about it. Not right now."

Chapter Three

"What's with you?" a voice said, startling Keith out of his reverie. He turned from the window of the bus, and glanced at Matthew, who had fixed him with a powerful stare.

"N...nothing," he answered. Matthew's eyebrow rose.

"If you were going off to La La Land, why'd you want me to come with you?"

Keith grinned. "Well, Craig has basketball practice, Tammy's working on a play, Rachel had class, and Jocelyn had to go the library."

Matthew smirked. "I get it... I'm your last resort, eh?"

Keith mirrored his expression. "You know it."

Matthew chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "What're you thinking about, anyway? You're not usually very pensive... that's more my department."

Keith bit his lip before turning to his young roommate. "I don't know. Craig's just not... right. Didn't you notice?"

"You mean because he couldn't keep up with you in practice? Maybe he's upset about that. After all, he's a lot more athletic than you."

Keith shook his head. "It's not that. I was talking to him on our way home, and I... felt something. I'm not sure what. I just felt a darkness in him."

Matt's eyes widened in horror. "You think he's under some sort of Denebian spell?" he whispered.

The Red Enforcer's eyes narrowed as he toyed with the idea. "Wow... that never even occurred to me. But, it's not like he's crazy, or evil or anything. There's a sense of... darkness. Like depression."

Matthew considered it for a moment. "Well, we do have limited telepathic abilities. Maybe that includes some degree of empathic power?"

"Empathic?"

Matthew grinned. "How'd you get into college, anyway?"

Keith jabbed his elbow into Matthew's rib. Matt grunted, smiling in amusement before he explained. "Empathic. Like... sensing one another's feelings instead of thoughts."

Keith nodded. "It's possible. We should probably ask Spectra about it tomorrow."

Matthew grimaced. "Jeez... these five a.m. training sessions are gonna kill me. I feel like a dead weight afterwards, and when we finally get home it's time to start the day."

Keith rose to his feet as the bus slowed to a halt. "Well, can you think of a better time of day to practice?"

"Yeah... during my Organic Chemistry lecture?"

Keith chuckled as the pair stepped off the bus and began walking along the sidewalk. "The bane of your existence, huh?"

Matthew scoffed. "I'd rather face one of those Phlegnin all by myself than next week's lab exam."

The pair laughed together as they quickly approached their destination. Keith's face lit up with excitement as he entered the small building, and stood at the desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" the attendant inquired.

Keith grinned as he handed over a data sheet. The attendant glanced at it quickly, and punched some keys on the computer.

"You're late," she noted, "You were supposed to come by on the 28th."

He shrugged. "Some things came up. But I'll pay the extra fee." And with that, he slid a platinum card across the desk.

Matthew smirked. "It's nice to be the son of a company president, huh?"

"It's got its ups and downs."

The attendant then handed Keith another sheet of paper. "Just fill this out, and I'll send for it."

Keith quickly filled out the form, and he and Matthew stepped out of the building, and onto the curb.

After a few minutes, Keith's smile lit up. "There's my Baby!"

Matt chuckled. "This is definitely

one of the 'ups'."

Both men watched as a steel gray 1997 BMW Z3 pulled along the curb. A driver stepped out of the small convertible, and held the driver's side door open. "Have a nice day, Mr. Maloy, and thank you for choosing Scletcher Auto-Storage."

Keith tipped the driver and slid into the leather interior. He immediately pressed a button, automatically lowering the material cover.

Matthew shook his head as he sat in the passenger's seat, and watched as Keith meticulously examined the car.

"How's my Baby?" he cooed, "Miss me?"

Matthew couldn't hold the laughter in any longer. "You're nuts, Keith!"

Keith smiled insanely, shrugging his eyebrows. "Absolutely!"

And with that, the small convertible zipped onto the street.

Chapter Four

"She's not still

in the bathroom, is she?"

Rachel sighed deeply, pausing her routine to take a sip from her water bottle. "She's got to be done soon," she breathed, "I think she's got a study partner coming."

She then noticed the books cradled to her roommate's chest. "You don't have a research paper already, do you?" Rachel asked with a slight frown.

Jocelyn shook her head. "No, but I figured I'd get some vital research done for us."

"Us?"

Jocelyn laid her burden on the couch, selecting one book to show the leader of the Spectrum Force. Rachel shook her head as she took the book.

"A photo collection of the Earth from NASA?"

"Absolutely! Spectra was right... we really need to be able to navigate the planet. What if Phaedra decides to attack, say... Tokyo, Washington, London, Paris, Sydney, and the Hague all at once? We'd need to split up, and then zip to other locales at light speed to help each other out, right?"

Rachel swallowed another long sip of water. "Right."

"So, how do we do that without knowing where we're going? We need to be familiar with the topology of Earth. With a bit of study, we should be able to recognize different island clusters, shorelines, mountain ranges, cities, and forests... all from a great distance."

Rachel nodded her consent. "Good thinking, Jocie."

Jocelyn smiled, taking back the book and sitting on the couch. She watched as Rachel then stood in a fighting position, and began slowly repositioning her arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Just brushing up on some karate Keith had shown me," she responded, lunging forward to deliver a punch to the air.

"I thought you kick-boxed."

Rachel smirked as she launched a powerful front snap kick. "Why limit myself?" She then returned to a tiger stance. "Besides, I've got nothing better to do until Tammy gets out of the shower."

After a few more minutes, Tamara emerged from the bathroom, her long black hair styled into a tight French braid down her back.

"Finally," Rachel sighed, stretching her arms and legs.

"Sorry about that," Tamara murmured, tightening the cloth belt of her fluffy white robe.

"It's okay. I still have over half an hour before Econ."

Tamara stopped, and glanced at Rachel curiously. "You're leaving? For how long?"

Rachel's eyebrow rose. "Class is two hours, and I've got work after lunch. Why?"

Tamara shrugged innocently, opening the refrigerator and selecting a can of Diet Coke. "I invited Chris to come by to read lines in 'A Winter's Tale.' Thanks to the Phlegnin keeping me up all night, I canceled on him last time and rescheduled for today. I wanted to make sure we wouldn't be bothering you."

"Nope, I'll be out of the way."

With that, Rachel disappeared into her own bedroom. Once she was gone, Tamara hurried to the couch, plopping down beside Jocelyn. Jocelyn looked up in surprise from her book.

"You know Chris, right?"

Jocelyn blinked. "Sure."

"What do you think of him?"

"Nice guy, really cute, fun... easy to get along with." Jocelyn frowned slightly. "Why? He's a senior... that's a little old for me."

"But not for Ray," Tamara pointed out with a devilish smirk.

Jocelyn stared at Tamara incredulously as she took a sip from her can. "You're not thinking of setting them up, are you? You know how she is about that stuff."

"Not setting them up, persé. Just... facilitating

matters."

Jocelyn's eyebrow rose skeptically. "Meaning...?"

"You know... holding study sessions here, preferably

when Ray's actually around. That kind of stuff." She leaned closer to Jocelyn, an excited glint in her eye. "I'm almost positive Chris is interested."

Jocelyn struggled against laughing aloud. "How do you figure? Chris Greyson strides around campus like he owns the place. I've seen him at Xando's with at least eight different girls since I met him. Why would he be interested in a girl who's so wrapped up in her own world she probably doesn't even know he exists?"

"Maybe for the challenge?" Tamara proposed. She waved her hand dismissively. "I don't know... but I really think he is. I just know

these things."

"You two look like your planning something," Rachel noted. Both girls jumped slightly, and looked behind them. Rachel stood at her door, her arms folded and a slight frown on her face.

"Wow... all this alien invasion stuff really has you on edge, Girl!" Tamara exclaimed, standing up from the couch. She threw a rather obvious wink at Jocelyn before disappearing into her own room.

Rachel moved closer to the couch, leaning against its back. "What's going on, Joce?"

Jocelyn smiled innocently. "I have no idea."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way."

Jocelyn watched as Rachel moved toward the bathroom.

"Hey Ray? What do you think of that guy Chris?"

Rachel frowned thoughtfully. "Who?"

Jocelyn was astounded. "Chris Greyson. Dark hair, gray eyes... Tammy's favorite Study-Buddy."

Rachel shrugged her ignorance, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Jocelyn giggled softly, opening her topology book once again. It figures. Rachel Castaneda wouldn't notice a hot guy if he fell onto her lap!

Chapter Five

"Sorry I'm late, Coach... I..."

Coach Teddy MacKenzie took a long look at his star player, and one of the best power forwards in the NCAA. "No excuses, Gillis. This is the third time this week you've been late to practice. And you always show up tired!"

Craig grimaced.

"Just get on the floor."

The athlete nodded, jogging onto the basketball court to join his teammates, who had already broken into two teams for a scrimmage. Teddy watched incredulously as Craig deposited his gym bag on the bench.

"Don't you think that belongs in the locker room?" he growled.

Craig frowned worriedly. "I guess..."

Teddy's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Craig bit his lip. "Yessir."

Teddy sighed in exasperation as Craig strode back into the locker room. His hard eyes widened in shock as the athlete passed.

"That's not a ring, is it?"

Craig halted, his gaze dropping to the silver band on his finger. "Uh... yessir."

"Not only is it a ring, but it's got a stone on it too. You know the regulation... no jewelry. You could cut someone with that thing!"

Craig sighed in silent defeat as he turned back into the locker room.

"Dammit," he grumbled, once the swinging door had closed behind him. He hurried to his assigned locker, stifling a yawn that threatened to erupt from his throat. He begrudgingly pulled off the Spectrum Stone, gazing at the blue crystal for a long moment.

I wonder if Spectra can reach me without this?

He shrugged, slipping the ring into his outside pocket.

"Maybe I'll be lucky," he assured himself as he closed his locker, "Phaedra hasn't attacked in awhile. Maybe she gave up?"

Chapter Six

The empress' cold blood eyes narrowed. "You called me over 2300 light years for this."

The statement was muttered with the most dripping malevolence the listener had ever heard. The aged man lowered his face to the cold marble floor.

"My Empress... I have reason to believe the Diadem is hidden somewhere on this planet-"

Phaedra huffed with impatience as she turned to the tinted window. Through it, she saw a small planet, snuggly settled in an orbit around twin stars, that themselves orbited each other in an intricate celestial dance. The planetoid itself was covered entirely with either lush greenery or large pools of crisp blue water.

"The Diadem," she repeated in a deadpan. She clasped her ashen hands behind her back, and turned once again, her flowing velvet gown cascading on the ground. "You are a fool, Mor'se, to beg my presence. If you wish to follow those foolish fairy tales of Deneb Prime, you'd be better off summoning my husband. He may chase fables, but my feet are firmly planted in reality."

The scholar suppressed a shudder as grim light flowed from the empress' eyes.

"Empress, the Diadem isn't a fairy tale. It is real! It is the gateway to the Inner Sphere... an ancient universe of infinite power. The elemental force it contains can feed the Empire for centuries!" He then raised his face slightly. "Besides... there is a personal matter you may wish to attend."

Phaedra's ears perked at that. "Explain."

"There is a member of the Remnant on the planet."

"There seem to be traitors everywhere."

"But this one may be of particular interest."

After he had clearly gained the monarch's interest, Mor'se opened his hand, creating a sphere of dark energy that soon flattened. On the magical screen, an image slowly took shape.

Phaedra openly gaped at the man depicted, fighting an army of Shadows with surprising ease. He whirled with grace that would rival an eagle, his flowing mane of perfect platinum blonde hair floating through the air with him.

An almost imperceptible smirk twitched the corner of her lip. "Lord Gaius..." She paused, considering. "Why would Lord Gaius be on this empty planet? There is no one here to protect."

Mor'se lifted his head with a measure of boldness. "Unless... he is protecting the Diadem."

Phaedra snarled at the man, inspiring him to bow even deeper.

"Clearly, his presence deems this planet worth investigating," Mor'se uttered, keeping his voice meek, "And that is why I needed your assistance... my scouting party is in no way a match for him. His power is phenomenal."

"For a White Denebian," Phaedra corrected. She then gathered the long skirts of her gown, and moved toward her shelf of magical volumes. "But can he stand against me

?"

Chapter Seven

A scowl marred the man's smooth, sharply featured face. He raced up the winding stairs of hard granite, his hair tumbling behind him in waves of platinum. The flare of blazing torches glinted in his cool blue eyes.

They will never

find the Diadem!

he decreed.

Everything depended on the Diadem. If the Empire ever learned of the true power behind the legend, all hope for repairing the universe would evaporate like the dew in morning.

The war would be over forever, and Death would come in its final form.

The very thought sent shivers through the warrior. He grimaced, pushing through an ornate door of heavy oak into a large chamber, completely barren save for the high pillar that sat in the exact center of the marble tiles, the glowing onyx pyramid that hovered above it, and the small fireplace against the innermost wall.

Gaius rose to his feet unsteadily, forcing back the panic that had touched his mind just moments ago. He felt the fear of the Midjinari- his secretive allies in his singular duty to protect the Diadem- and it drowned his calm resolution in an ocean of unwanted distraction.

*Have faith in me, friends,* he soothed the echoing voices, *I will not fail you.*

His eyes snapped open when he felt a sudden encroaching darkness on all his senses. They've found me…

Escape was impossible. Initially, he had chosen to face the oncoming hordes of the Empire. After all, the two suns blanketed the entire planetoid in perpetual daylight, limiting the options of a race that thrived on darkness. However, the Empire must have learned of his presence... or else they wouldn't have persisted so diligently.

"I'm running out of time," he realized, his mouth going dry. This was the moment of truth. He reached for his belt, pulling out a small sphere of smooth silver. He gripped it tightly, snapping his gaze to the empty fireplace.

Exhaling slowly, he dropped the sphere to the ground. It exploded into a fine dust of chalk white, flooding the small room with an eerie cloud of faintly glittering energy. Then, the mighty Gaius fell to his knees before the pedestal, touching his forehead to its ornate base.

He held his breath as footsteps became audible from the halls.

Chapter Eight

Spectra gingerly moved about the small white space, her form-fitting uniform and flowing ivory hair making her body almost imperceptible against the gleaming white walls.

She flipped in the air, planting her feet against the ceiling and launching herself toward another wall. She somersaulted, her feet reaching out just in time to catch herself, and leapt toward the opposite wall.

Again and again she sailed through the air of the white box, each time crouching against the wall just to launch herself once again.

Finally, she allowed herself to fall, her hair drifting behind her as she crouched on the floor. Sweat glistened on her face, now flushed faintly pink with the exertion.

She breathed deeply, carefully stretching her arms, legs, and back. She grimaced when she aggravated a sore spot.

It was hard to believe the fight with the Phlegnin had taken so much out of her. True, the creature had nailed her with what easily could have been a fatal blast, and then forced her to use her magical power strenuously when she coaxed the beast out of the subterranean tunnels to the surface for the final battle.

Also, with all the training she had arrange, just to insure the Spectrum Force would be better equipped for the next strike, she had painfully little time to recuperate. In fact, she had opted to use the hover-chair, a mechanical device created by the Fespin, in order to conserve her own energies and allow her body to heal.

She would continue the routine until she was completely healed. Her nights were spent sleeping in the bed in the medical ward, the faint healing beam set on low to keep its power sources maximized in case any of the Force were wounded in training or battle. The early morning was devoted to the Force's training, while conserving her own power by using the hover-chair. Immediately afterward she spent as much time as she could bear working out in the compact makeshift exercise room on the ship, making sure to keep her muscles loose in case she was forced to fight. Once fatigued, she invested the rest of the day studying Earth's history and records, in order to determine if there were any indigenous resources that would prove helpful against the Denebians.

One such resource needing her study was a diligent practice of the English language. While the headset she had acquired from Phaedra's soldier was infinitely useful in translating the alien language for her, it was highly possible that the machine would eventually be damaged or inaccessible. And relying on the Force's limited telepathy could prove fatal, for their telepathy only worked in their transformed state.

Spectra wasn't one to take chances. Communication between herself and her team was vital to their very survival. She would force herself to learn the puzzling native language, and eventually she would coax the Force to study Denebian. Once the physical training became less demanding, the speech training would begin in earnest.

Spectra eased herself toward the bathing room, when suddenly a chalky white dust flooded her vision. She gasped, her knees buckling as her mind was swept to another place, light years away.

Chapter Nine

Gaius didn't struggle as two imperial soldiers held him to his knees. One grabbed a handful of his hair, yanking it back to incline the rebel's gaze.

His eyes glinted with the surprise the empress could feel burn just beneath the surface.

"Good evening, Lord Gaius," she purred, a smirk of reserved glee on her lips, "Surprised to see me?"

Gaius stared at the familiar visage of the mighty empress, meeting her almost hungry appraisal with no fear. "I am not a Denebian Lord, Phaedra," he affirmed.

One of the soldiers snarled, striking the back of Gaius' neck with his powerful energy rifle. "You will never

address Her Majesty so familiarly, Traitor!"

Phaedra sighed, waving her hand absently. The offending soldier released a scream of burning anguish as his flesh melted off his bones.

The other soldier backed away, horrified.

"Leave us, Warrior," she demanded coolly, "I do not need your assistance."

The soldier needed no more prodding. He bowed low to the empress, saluted, and strode out of the chamber as quickly as possible without breaking into a run.

"Why did you kill him?" Gaius asked, his piercing gaze never leaving her, "He struck me for my impudence. He was justified."

Phaedra's amused smirk returned. "Are you still

trying to be my conscience, Lord Gaius? I haven't laid eyes upon you for over a century, and since then I have killed billions of innocents, often merely on a whim. Am I not beyond redemption?"

Gaius' gaze remained steady, as if he could look deep into her very soul. "I am not the Judge."

Phaedra released a mocking chuckle. "Really? And have you found the Judge yet? Poor little Warrior-Priest, searching for higher meaning within chaos. Which god do you serve now?"

She folded her arms, striding toward him. Her skirts slid across the smooth ground as she approached the pedestal just a few feet from her prisoner. Sharp fingernails traced the shape of the perfect pyramid, about a foot high, black as pitch and glistening with silver energy twinkling within like stars.

She pulled the object off the marble, cradling it with both hands. "So, this is your god now. And you think you've found the Midjinari, don't you?"

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "The tireless crusade has finally ended. You've found something to dedicate yourself to." Her gaze slid toward him again. "Though, I thought you were too rational to blindly put faith in some silly ancient legend."

Gaius remained on his knees, noting the faint chalky cloud waft into nothingness. "I never lacked a purpose. I have always had a truth to fight for... and an enemy to fight against."

Phaedra's eyes narrowed, continuing to gaze into his in a stubborn battle of will. She then smiled gently, gliding toward him.

"Not always," she whispered, stroking his cheek with a feather-light touch, "Lord Gaius."

To the empress' frustration, the man made no reaction whatsoever to her caress. "I have seen the Light, Empress," he stated coldly, "Long

ago."

Her fingers tensed. What was a gentle caress instantly became slow torture as she dug her nails into Gaius' cheek, drawing rivulets of thick blood.

He winced at the sudden pain, but his penetrating gaze never left hers.

Phaedra smirked triumphantly, delicately licking the blood that had trickled onto her fingers. "We'll see."

Chapter Ten

Spectra inhaled an unsteady breath as the chalky white faded. She leaned heavily against the nearest wall, shaking with frightful cold as consciousness merged with body once again.

"Gaius..." she exhaled weakly.

She hugged her body tightly to ward off the cold that had settled within. Through the magical mind-link Gaius had created, she could feel his every sensation.

The panicked thoughts of the Midjinari that flooded his mind. The shock that froze his soul when he laid eyes on the empress. The burning her icy touch had ignited in his heart. And interestingly, the smugness he felt when Phaedra triumphantly carried the black pyramid away from the podium.

There was only one conclusion to be reached: the pyramid wasn't the true Diadem.

That meant the Denebians hadn't yet procured the fabled power of an enclosed universe. But… how long until Phaedra realized the truth? However irrational the empress might be, she was no fool.

Spectra's eyes narrowed.

Chapter Eleven

"I can't believe this," Tamara groaned, absently toying with the tip of her braid as she gazed at the pages before her, "We get to put on one

Shakespeare play, and it's some crummy melodrama."

Chris glanced at her, a mischievous glint in his gray eyes. "Tammy, 'A Winter's Tale' isn't a melodrama. It's a romance." He stood up, puffing his chest and holding his head high. "It's a tale of adventure!" he declared, unsheathing an imaginary sword. "Of love!" he continued, bowing gallantly. "And of redemption!" he concluded, falling to one knee and clasping his hands. "The story of the fair princess Perdita, sentenced to death as a child due to her father's jealous suspicion of her mother. Thanks to the Gods, the princess is spared, banished to a foreign land and raised by kindly shepherds, completely ignorant of her royal blood. She encounters the dashing prince Florizel, who falls so madly in love with her he is ready to sacrifice his kingdom just to marry a lowly shepherdess."

Tamara struggled against a fit of giggles as Chris smirked rakishly at her, holding out his hand invitingly. "My fair Perdita, more divine than the Queen of the Heavens, I gladly trade my princely crown for a pauper's rags just to see your radiant smile grace my every morn."

Tamara glanced at his hand, a small frown wrinkling her brow. Chris noticed her hesitation, and instantly slipped back to reality.

"You didn't read the play," he realized.

"I'm… working on it," she corrected.

"Tammy, casting is in a week! How are we supposed to practice if you haven't even read the play? You can't get into character unless you know who the character is."

"I know," she said quietly.

Chris regarded her for a moment, a confused frown on his face. He then sat back down on the couch, trying to catch her gaze.

"Something's wrong," he decided.

Tamara did her best not to overtly show her panic. She frowned, as if the very suggestion were absolutely ludicrous.

"Tamara, something's wrong

," he repeated, this time more urgently. Tamara practically gulped. "I've known you since you came to Dreiser. You're a great actress, but you're a lousy liar. Something's up. You've been acting weird the past few days… and you look dead tired, too."

Her mind raced. What was she supposed to do? How could she wiggle her way out of this predicament?

"Hi guys!" a rushed voice called, as the front door yawned open. Both turned around, and watched as Rachel hurried past them, closing her bedroom door behind her.

Tamara's gaze quickly shifted back to Chris. She couldn't begin to hope that momentary distraction was enough to veer him off course...

She blinked in surprise when she noticed Chris' gaze remain on the door Rachel disappeared in.

Tamara gaped for a moment, rising to her feet. She walked around the couch, leaning her elbows against the back and grinning at him.

Chris rolled his eyes at the gleeful expression on Tamara's face.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" she sang triumphantly.

Chris' eyes widened, mortified. "SHH! She can hear you!" he rasped.

Tamara leaned closer to him. "What's with all the secrecy, anyway?" she whispered, "I mean, what's the big deal? She's not the first girl to catch your eye. Why not get her attention?"

Chris smirked at the challenge. "I'll show you why."

With that, he jumped off the couch, and stood right outside Rachel's door.

Both heard the sounds of shuffling, and closet doors opening and closing. Finally, the door slid open, and Rachel stepped out in a neat gray pantsuit, frowning as she struggled with a disobedient earring.

She blinked as Chris fell to one knee. "Fair princess, you blind us mere mortals with your ethereal beauty. May minstrels sing your praises for generations without end, and tales of your grace and power over men transcend those of Helen of Troy."

Rachel stared at him as though he were speaking Swahili. Then, she slipped past him and grabbing her coat. "I'll be back at six, Tam!" she called.

Tamara watched wide-eyed as the front door slid closed behind her. She then shook her head, forcing her mind to recover from the surprising scene before her, and glanced at Chris.

"I'm sorry about that. Rachel doesn't intend to be mean... she's just... uh..."

But Chris didn't seem phased at all by the rude rejection the object of his affection rewarded him with. His smirk returned, a mirthful glimmer in his gray eyes.

"I know." He leaned against the wall, folding his arms almost pensively. "When I turn on the 'actor' charm, most girls are flattered or amused... usually both. In either case I got their attention, and that's how I get their numbers, and get the process going. Most girls love the idea of a bold, romantic guy with a sense of humor."

"Rachel's not like 'most girls'," Tamara pointed out.

"Exact

ly. That's why she's so interesting

."

Tamara laid a hand on his shoulder, the gears in her mind kicking into high gear. "I'll put in a good word," she suggested, "I'm good at that. And once I figure out what her schedule's going to look like this semester, I'll make sure our study sessions are at a time she'll actually be around-"

She lost her train of thought when she noticed Chris' incredulous expression.

"Oh no, Tammy," he stated, shaking his head, "I can handle this."

Tamara frowned. "How?"

Chris grinned. "Adapt, that's how. Trust me, it's all about getting her attention. And when I've got that, I've got a shot."

His eyes met Tamara's. "Her birthday's coming up. What's the date?"

Tamara's jaw dropped. "How'd you know that?"

He pointed to the ring on her finger. "Ray's got one just like that. But it's an amethyst... the February birthstone."

Tamara smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. She then pointed her finger in his face, eyes narrowing. "You're good

," she accused.

Chris shrugged. "I just notice things. We'll see how 'good' I am when she

notices me

."

Tamara giggled, her imagination running wild with different reactions Rachel would make when she finally caught on. "It's the 24th," she answered finally, "We'll have a cake for her... she doesn't like it when we make a big deal about it... you're welcome to join us if you'd like."

"I think I'll-"

Chris stopped abruptly when he noticed the worried expression kill the mirth in Tamara's face. He was baffled as she suddenly clasped her hands tightly, chewing her lips furiously.

"Tammy?"

She blinked. "I... um... I've gotta go," she said hastily, "Gosh, look at the time!"

Chris watched in bewilderment as Tamara turned her back to him. She grabbed her jacket, sliding it on carefully and stuffing her right hand in her pocket immediately. She pulled open the door with her left hand, glancing at him impatiently.

Chris didn't budge. "Where are you going?"

Both heads turned when they heard the distinct sound of heels clapping against the hardwood floor of the hallway outside.

"Tammy," Rachel breathed, "I'm really sorry; I can't believe

I forgot we had to pick up Jocelyn from downtown!"

Tamara blinked in confusion before finally catching on. "It's okay, I forgot too. But knowing Joce, it'll probably take her longer than she expected."

With her back turned to Chris, Tamara could smile her appreciation at the rescue.

"I hate to cut your study session short," Rachel said, turning her eyes to the young man standing near them, "but Jocelyn went to some museum downtown, and I don't know how to get there. Tammy needs to come with me. I'm just awful

with directions."

Chris watched Rachel, a smirk rising on his lips. She smiled persuasively as she spoke... it was so different from the impatience he was used to seeing. She was definitely capable of being charming, when she wanted to.

"Don't worry about it," Chris said finally, returning to the couch. He rapidly gathered his notes, and slid on his leather jacket. "Tammy and I need to do a bit more independent work before we can really benefit from a group session."

Tamara glanced away guiltily.

"Hey, it's no big deal," Chris assured her, "Call me later, okay?"

He then turned to Rachel, and much to her surprise, he grinned warmly at her. "Next time, I hope you smile again."

Rachel blinked at the odd comment. "Uh, okay..."

"Chris," he finished, grasping her hand firmly, "I don't think we've formally met."

After a brief moment, he released her hand strode down the hallway.

Rachel frowned her confusion, gazing at the retreating figure for a moment. "What's with him?" she wondered.

Tamara fought against a snicker at the expression on Rachel's face, pulling her hand from her pocket. Her mirth quickly switched to worry as she considered the pulsing yellow energy that glowed from the gemstone. "We've got to move."

Rachel nodded, closing the door behind her. She reached into her blazer pocket to retrieve her ring.

Tamara smirked. "Clever," she complimented.

"Can't run around with a glowing ring, now can I?" Rachel pointed out as she slipped it on. She then lifted her fist above her head. Tamara immediately mimicked her movement.

"Spectrum Sync!" both called.

Both young women disappeared as opaque cloudy energy bathed them, replacing loose clothing with molded armor shimmering with the rich hues of their distinctive energy signatures.

Tamara giggled slightly as she gazed down at her armored form. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that!"

Rachel nodded her agreement, and the two touched the center panels on their silver belts.

Chapter Twelve

The Red, Orange, and Green Enforcers waited in the empty main chamber of Spectra's vessel. The silence was disturbed as two more members of the Force materialized.

"Where are Spectra and Craig?" Rachel asked after a brief glance at her team.

"Good question," Keith muttered, "If I knew it would take this

long for everyone to assemble, I would've brought my car home instead of abandoning it downtown!"

Matt sighed. "Abandon it? You left it in an enclosed parking garage with twenty-four hour security!"

The team fell silent again, all turning toward the sound of footsteps originating down the narrow hall. Spectra emerged from what looked like a closet, her expression frustrated as she toyed with a machine in her hands.

"Spectra?" Keith gawked.

The Force all stared in surprise at their mentor. Her bright pink eyes were wide with intensity... whether fear or anger was impossible to tell.

She glanced up from the machine, and quickly surveyed the team. "Craig?"

"He's probably still at basketball practice," Matt offered.

Spectra leaned over the main computer in the hub of the ship, and pressed a few commands. A grid-map of Langstrum Alps materialized on the screen, with a single blue dot of light flashing in one rectangular box.

"One of you must go retrieve him from this location."

"Yeah, he's in the coliseum," Keith mused, "but can't we just call him?"

"You can try if you wish."

The Red Enforcer shrugged, closing his eyes as he reached out with this newly-acquired sixth sense. He pushed passed the doors into the conscious minds of the rest of his teammates, searching for the blue-tinted signature.

He blinked in surprise. "I... I can't find him."

Jocelyn gasped. "You... you're right! Me neither!"

"Don't worry," Spectra advised. She sat down at the console, settling the black device on the control board. "Craig's telepathic faculties are the result of the Spectrum Stone. You can only make contact once you are synced, and only to a synced member."

"What about you?" Rachel asked, "You spoke to me telepathically before I even got the purple stone."

"Only because you were physically near me. Now, Craig is distant, and he is not wearing the blue stone. His mind is deaf to my calls as well."

She bit her lip, trying to bite back the worry that was becoming visible to her youthful team. "We don't have time to delay," she noted.

The Red Enforcer stepped forward. "I'll go."

Chapter Thirteen

Keith wound his way through the dim halls of the Danbury Coliseum, the facility that housed all indoor sports competitions, ceremonies, and even a few concerts throughout the year. He followed the sound of rubber soles squeaking against polished wood until he found the door leading to the court.

A dozen or so young men were each dribbling his own ball, and in quick succession each ran to the net from center court, firing a foul shot, catching the rebound, and dashing in for a swift lay-up. Keith skimmed the group until he found Craig, his shoulders hunched as he faced a shorter man with a gut too large to be a basketball player.

Keith strode toward them.

"...late for practice, and playing like a kid out of middle school!" Coach Mackenzie growled. He glared up at the sour expression on the young man's face. "You're on something, aren't you?"

Craig stared at him, aghast. "You're not serious...!"

Teddy's eyebrow rose. "Can you

give me a better explanation?"

Craig opened his mouth, but instead clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing.

"Uh... Craig?"

Both infuriated men whirled, their heated stares causing Keith to take a step back in surprise.

"Who the hell are you?" Teddy growled.

Keith quickly regained his composure, and met the coach's glare coolly. "Craig's roommate. Sorry to interrupt practice, Coach, but he's got an emergency to deal with."

The coach huffed mockingly. "More important than his future at this institution?"

Keith blinked, his jaw hanging open in naked surprise. "What?"

"You heard me. Gillis here is a basketball player

, Kid. When you're on an athletic scholarship, practice is not optional." His harsh glare returned to Craig. "And if you think you can skimp on practice right before the Lexford game-"

"Let's go, Keith," Craig declared, marching past his flustered coach. Keith stared dumbly at Coach Mackenzie before hurrying to follow Craig into the locker room.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly, sitting on a bench. He watched as Craig turned the combination lock, and hefted the heavy gym bag.

"Figures," he said with an ironic grin, as he stared at the flashing blue stone on his ring.

"Craig?" Keith said, standing up.

Craig smiled wanly to his best friend. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Keith opened his mouth to protest, but Craig cut him off. "Later. I promise."

Keith dismissed the matter with a shrug, and the two young men hastily found a secluded corner to transform.

Chapter Fourteen

"This is the transmitter that activates the Hyperspace Portal."

"The what-now?" Matthew repeated, staring at the black box Spectra held out before them. It almost looked like a Game Boy.

"Hyperspace Portals have been constructed throughout much of the galaxy," she explained, "They create a wormhole in space-time, which reduces the time required to travel between systems to a mere fraction of light speed. It is this technology that has opened up this part of the galaxy to the Triolian sector, where Denebia lies."

Jocelyn nodded thoughtfully. "Even with light-speed travel, it would take over two years to go from Earth to even the nearest star. There's just too much space between systems."

"Hyperspace technology was developed by the Fespins, a race renowned for their mechanical expertise and intellectual curiosity. They are also considered to be the galaxy's greatest explorers. Several thousand years ago, the Fespins constructed a Hyperspace Portal in this system, enabling easy access to their home planet for their periodic visits. That portal is also the means by which Phaedra and I arrived here."

Spectra held the device out to the Purple Enforcer, who gazed at it in amazement. "I already input in the destination code. All you need to do is press the red button to activate the portal, and then the white button to transmit the coordinates."

"What does this portal look like?" Keith wondered, "How will we recognize it?"

"The portal is extremely large: several thousand miles in diameter." Spectra turned to her monitor, pressing a sequence of buttons that caused an orange-white swirl sphere to appear.

"Isn't that Jupiter?" Tamara marveled, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"This planet's atmosphere houses the Hyperspace Portal. It is located here, in this atmospheric storm."

Jocelyn gasped audibly as she gazed at the location Spectra indicated. "You mean the Fespins hid the Hyperspace Portal in the Great Red Spot?"

Spectra shook her head. "There was never any reason to hide the portal at all. The portal itself causes the tremendous updrafts that result in the cyclonic storms you refer to as the 'Great Red Spot.' The portals cannot exist in outer space, as it ionizes particles in the atmosphere to create the wormhole. Jupiter was likely selected because it resides in the center of this system, and is a large, gaseous planet. Even gargantuan space ships can fit through the portal if need be."

"Where are we going

, anyway?" Craig suddenly asked. "I'm sorry I got here so late, but did I miss something? I mean, I thought we're supposed to protect Earth... that doesn't require interstellar travel."

Spectra slowly exhaled. "I have received a distress message from… an associate of mine."

She turned away from the Force. "There is a planet named Edenia thousands of light-years from here. It is bereft of indigenous intelligent life, but another member of the Remnant, Gaius, has stationed himself there for quite some time. He relayed to me that Phaedra has arrived, seeking a great power source that planet is said to possess."

Matthew blinked. "So Phaedra gave up on Earth?"

"I don't think she has... at least not permanently. But I do feel Earth is safe for the moment. Phaedra is not here to command any attacks, and while her ship is still here, I would be surprised if her servants act at all during her absence. Phaedra can be very... erratic, and her soldiers are fearful of ever acting on their own judgement, for fear she will punish them for lack of respect."

Keith chuckled coldly. "What a way to run an empire."

Rachel smiled as an idea struck her. "But Spectra, if Phaedra's left, maybe now's our chance to destroy her Flagship! We can bring the battle directly to the Denebians!"

"It makes sense," Matt contributed, "The Denebians must be much weaker without Phaedra and her magic around."

Spectra shook her head sternly. "No, we cannot leave Phaedra to her own devices. If Gaius has contacted me for help, then his situation is grim. If Phaedra does find the power she seeks on Edenia, when she returns to Earth she will demolish all our defenses easily. Now her spells are limited by her energy reserves, but with limitless energy comes inexhaustible power. Eventually all the Remnant will be overwhelmed."

She then smiled gently, locking her gaze with each of the Enforcers individually. "You six must travel to Edenia, and do your utmost to stop Phaedra from succeeding. She has already captured Gaius, but she has not yet found the true Diadem. You must seek Gaius' allies on the planet, and let them see the power you hold. They will trust you if they know you are of the Light. I will remain on Earth. If the Denebians do anything, I will halt them."

Craig glanced worriedly at Spectra. "Will you be able to reach us if you need us?"

"Not via telepathy, nor mechanical device. The Hyperspace Portal cannot carry transmissions... only physical objects... and the distance is just too great otherwise. But I do have a Mind Merge technique that can do the trick."

She moved away from the screen toward the hall, once again disappearing into the storage closet. She pulled out a leather pouch, and selected a small silver marble.

"This sphere is made of compact Ireli powder. When crushed, it creates a Mind Merge with the person who crushed it, and the individual they consciously reach to. But it doesn't communicate messages... only sensations."

She moved closer to Rachel, lying the sphere in her palm. One by one, she distributed spheres to the entire team. "If you use this, and envision me, I will see what you see, feel what you feel, and even experience your emotions. The spell works only as long as the dust remains in the air, so perhaps a minute or two. If a situation occurs that you need me to witness, use the sphere. To my knowledge Phaedra does not know about the Ireli spheres."

Matt frowned thoughtfully, sliding the sphere into a small compartment in his belt. "And what happens if we do call you? The only way you can help us is by following us through the portal. You can't send us messages."

"No. But if you need me to come, I will follow you."

Keith exhaled slowly, his muscles tensing in preparation. "As a last resort then. And we can use these spheres with each other too, if something happens to our powers."

Craig then approached the hatch to the flying vessel. "Let's go."

The team watched as the entrance hatch opened. Craig's aura blazed as he leapt into the upper reaches of Earth's breathable atmosphere, closely followed by the remaining members. They immediately converted their bodies into streaks of colored light, and sailed through the vastness of space, completely unimpeded by the lack of air or the cold temperatures.

Chapter Fifteen

In just under an hour, the six individuals slowed down their transit, and transformed back to human form, each enclosed in a colored aura to provide oxygen and warmth and to protect them from the inhospitable environment of the gaseous giant. They gazed down at the red giant in awe.

Jocelyn broadcast to the team. *We can't speak to each other. There's no air to carry our words between us. We'll have to use telepathy.*

*This is... oh wow!* Tamara reacted, *We're so far away from Earth that we can't even see it!*

*We are the first humans to ever see Jupiter close up,* Matthew noted reverently.

*Yeah,* Keith responded, *Too bad our mission isn't sight-seeing. We still haven't found the Great Red Spot.*

*Let's circle the planet,* Jocelyn recommended, *We can't miss it.*

The group moved together, circling around the massive orb until a rather large brown and white elliptical storm came into view.

*Jeez,* Craig gawked, *I had no idea it was so... big!*

*When you think about it, a Hyperspace Portal has to be huge, or else large interstellar ships can't pass through,* Jocelyn commented.

*Huge is an understatement,* Matt added, *This thing can hold an entire planet

!*

Rachel began descending toward the storm slowly. *Let's take a closer look.*

The six sailed down into the violent storm, gathered tightly together in a rainbow cluster. Once they passed about two miles of harsh winds, the storm died down fractionally, and from above the Spectrum Force could see a silver metallic ring about four miles thick and about 5,000 miles in diameter. Rachel held out the control, and pressed the red button. Instantly, the area inside the metal ring converted from white-brown gases to a black surface.

Tamara began to giggle silently as a thought occurred to her. *Guys, this is so 'Stargate SG-1.'*

The team shared a brief snicker as Rachel pressed the white transmit button. Concentric white circles moved from the outside of the ring into the center of the black space, creating an almost dizzying effect.

*The Portal's ready,* she reported, *Keith, you go first. Then after five seconds, Jocelyn goes in, and then so on. I'll bring up the rear. Okay?*

The Spectrum Force nodded. The Red Enforcer glided closer to the black surface, and finally plummeted through the center of the portal.

Five seconds later, the Orange Enforcer followed. Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple followed suit, and then the black surface vanished, allowing the white and brown gases of Jupiter to once again pass through the empty center of the metal ring.

Part Two

Chapter Sixteen

The tapping of heels against cold marble echoed in the spacious chamber.

The empress circled the obsidian podium, hands clasped thoughtfully behind her back. Ruby eyes stared into the opaque pyramid that sat boldly on the raised surface, a self-derisive smirk on her lips.

When she finally broke the silence, her voice dripped with mockery. "Oh great Diadem... gateway into a universe of primal energies... why isn't there anything in you?"

She stepped away from the object of analysis, arms folding. I always knew that stupid fairy tale had no base in reality. It still astounds me that both Gaius and Acheron are so willing to chase myths and legends to the end of the cosmos.

She huffed disdainfully. "Men."

If the legends had

been true, her hours of intense examination would have wielded something... some kind of sensation that the stone housed infinite elemental power for her to tap.

Snorting with annoyance, she marched away from the podium. "I'll make that peon suffer

for dragging me here..!" she growled.

Just as she approached the exit, a chime indicated someone wished to be granted entrance. "Enter!"

The door slowly slid open, and just outside the chamber stood an officer wearing the deep green tunic of the Sciences. "What?" she hissed.

The man swallowed, his every effort forcing his body to maintain his attentive stance as he prepared to relay the message.

"My Empress, our ship has detected the use of the Hyperspace Portal in this system," he related, "but we could not detect a ship. We believe the Star Riders have come."

The empress stared at the scientist for a few moments, her eyes narrowing. "No...I doubt the Riders could be spared from their current mission, even to save Lord Gaius. But Spectra..."

Her face collapsed into a bitter snarl. The messenger stepped back, making room between himself and his queen. "Spectra no doubt sent those six humans that somehow managed to destroy my Phlegnin."

Phaedra forgot about the messenger completely, her eyes closing as she withdrew into contemplation. "There must be something here," she reasoned, "Something worth keeping Gaius from the front of the war. Something worth sending backup... even at the risk of leaving Earth undefended." Her eyes slid open, piercing gaze falling upon the "Diadem" that, come to think of it, Lord Gaius didn't protect with quite the fire Phaedra knew him to possess. "Something... something still on the planet..."

Phaedra's face lit up into a cold grin of anticipation. Very sneaky, Gaius,

she admitted, A deception truly worthy of a Denebian Lord. But you forget that the Monarchy have mastered the art of foul play.

She then addressed the scientist who still lingered in the room, awaiting his instructions. "Can you still detect the humans?"

"Our energy sensors are attuned to the Star Riders unique wavelengths, but only when those energies are in use. These... 'humans' with the Star Riders' powers descended toward the planet, and then disappeared from our sensors. We conclude that they have stopped using their powers."

The empress huffed. "No wonder it took this squadron decades to find Gaius! You are ill equipped to handle much of anything, aren't you?"

The officer bit his tongue.

"Get out of here," Phaedra hissed, "Summon Mor'se. Tell him I will deal with this latest development."

Chapter Seventeen

"This is so funky

!" the Blue Enforcer declared, staring at the horizon, "This planet's got two suns!"

The Spectrum Force stood together in the dense foliage of the planetoid, covering the terrain on foot as they searched for any signs of sentient life. After several hours of diligent marching, all they had uncovered was the peculiar trek of the suns through the sky.

"This binary system is so incredible," Jocelyn breathed as she gazed into the cloudless, rich blue sky, "The suns are in such perfect synchrony that when one sets, the other rises. The darkest it gets is twilight!"

"That's good," Tamara decided, "Then we won't have to deal with prolonged darkness. So no worries about draining our stored power, or of Phaedra launching an all-out attack."

"We'd better not assume that," Matt noted grimly, "If Phaedra came here to find the Diadem, then she probably knew about the binary suns. She must have figured out a way to compensate for it."

Craig suddenly frowned. "Matt's right. If Phaedra was able to take down that Gaius guy, she must have developed some kind of attack strategy... a damn good one."

"We... definitely need... a plan," Keith panted, heavily sitting on a fallen tree trunk. He cradled his head between his hands, his shoulders heaving as he sucked in gulps of air.

"Oh, poor baby," Tammy cooed, only half-mocking. She sat beside him, her arm draped around his shoulder, "Still nauseous?"

Matt couldn't help a wry grin. "Keith Maloy, Fearless Speed Demon and Terror of the Turnpike, is the only one of us who got sick in that portal!"

Keith grimaced. "Dude, I don't wanna know how fast we were going! And that Hyperspace Portal thing bent space-time... ugh... just thinking about it makes my insides flip..."

The Green Enforcer began to snicker mercilessly. "Just be sure to take your mask off before you hurl, or things'll get sticky in there!"

Craig frowned curiously, his hand reaching to his neck. He gingerly slid his fingers along the molded armor, from the side of his face all the way down his opposite arm. "I don't think this armor has any seams. If Keith has to toss his lunch, he'll have to un-Sync."

Keith whimpered pathetically, resting his head on Tamara's offered shoulder.

Jocelyn giggled. "Un-Sync? Is that the official term?"

"Definitely not. Sounds too much like a boy-band."

That comment won the Purple Enforcer the surprised stares of her entire team.

"Whoa, did I hear Rachel Castaneda crack a joke

on a mission?" Keith muttered, "Guys, I think the heat finally got to her."

The team fell into laughter... until a sudden, faint quaking shook the ground on which they stood. Immediately, the six youths gathered into a tight circle, muscles tensed and senses alert.

"Something's coming," Jocelyn whispered unnecessarily.

"Spectra told us the planet was uninhabited," Matthew recalled, "So Phaedra must have sent us a sun-resistant welcoming committee."

Keith inclined his head toward the clear sky. "I'm gonna get a better look around."

Keith floated upward slowly, casting his deep blue gaze around the greenery warily. In the distance, he saw the cool blue of waterfall tumbling down the mountains to the north. And when he turned slightly, following the stampeding sound, his jaw slackened at the sight before him.

"A... black sea?" he marveled, eyes wide. Somehow, a black, tar-like ocean on planet that so reminded him of an Earth rainforest didn't fit right.

"Guys!" he shouted, "It's coming from that way... fast!"

The remaining Force all looked in the direction Red indicated, but they had little time to do anything to prepare. All they could do was react when the wave of murky blackness crashed through the surrounding greenery, blanketing the lush forest.

"Holy sh-!"

"Matt!" Jocelyn screamed, grabbing the awestruck Green Enforcer by the forearm and pulling him heavenward. But they couldn't get far enough away, for out of the encroaching sea came a pair of muscled arms, black and sleek as an oil spill. Mighty fingers encircled Green's ankles, and with a startled yelp, Matthew sank toward the darkness.

"MATT!" she repeated in panic, diving toward him. Without a second thought, she began slashing at the elongated arms in a desperate attempt to free her friend. Then, without warning, three humanoid forms leapt from the black depths towards her, one pinning her arms to her sides from behind her back while the second wrapped around her flailing legs.

Her eyes wide with alarm, she stared as the third offender emerged from the blackness just below her. The man-like form began to spread, distinct limbs fading into each other as it became a flat, amorphous sheet of inky blackness.

And then, it struck.

Jocelyn was instantly overwhelmed as her world became a silvery-black void. He tried desperately to scream, but her throat was dry and raw, and her lungs simply had no oxygen to offer.

He felt her chest constrict, her muscles becoming taunt and insanely heavy. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe... she couldn't even tell if her eyes were open or closed.

She was being smothered to death!

Or... was it more than that? She felt an encroaching cold, building from her limbs inward. And from the center of her being, she felt a surreal sense of... leaking.

Almost as if she were bleeding...

Oh God oh God oh God oh God...

Chapter Eighteen

"Hang on, Jocie!" Matthew screamed frantically. He managed to claw out of the murky tar that had clung to him, but more appeared. Only this time, instead of dragging him downward, they seemed to be pushing him away from the pool.

His breath came in ragged gasps, panic rising when he realized that Jocelyn was no longer fighting. Instead, the inky black cocoon that outlined her body grew terrifyingly still, and began a slow decent to the bobbing blackness below.

That thing can't suffocate her... can it?

he wondered, his heart racing, "Joce! Can you hear me?!"

He wanted desperately to reach her, to dig her out with his bare hands if need be. But how could he even get close??

His muscles tensed as he slowly, painstakingly drew all his appendages inward. He pulled against all the arms pushing him away, collapsing his body into a tight ball. Then, a ball of energy flared to life around him, glowing brilliantly and pushing away the torrent of evil with its radiance.

He turned downward, his aura blazing brilliantly as he dove toward the murkiness below. But, to his surprise, the blackness reoriented itself, and a wave of viscous night crashed toward him.

With a yelp of surprise, Matt angled upward, narrowly missing the substance while catapulting to a safer level. As he streaked, he felt the chill of the creatures beneath moving closer.

I can't...I can't get to her!

*Jocelyn? Please...answer me!* he called desperately.

There was no response.

Chapter Nineteen

"Matt! Jocelyn!"

Rachel swore under her breath as she frantically scanned the army beneath her for her youngest friends.

And it was indeed an army... for the sea of black seemed to be formed of countless humanoid shapes. It almost seemed as if the Denebians had stolen every Olympic sprinter on the planet, shaved their heads, and dunked them in a vat of crude oil. For all the creatures were lean-muscled, and obscenely fast. And there were definitely molded to human form... at least, until they began "oozing," spreading into the flattened goopy substance that had swallowed the Orange Enforcer before Rachel's very eyes.

Purple shook off her distraction to assess her own situation. As soon as Matthew screamed his distress, Rachel hurried to help her friends- only to be blindsided by one of the man-like creatures. It struck her with physical force, catching the base of her neck with its elbow. She had been surprised by the assault, but also vaguely relieved; hand-to-hand combat was much more familiar territory.

Rachel precariously took another glance around. Matthew had managed to pull away, but Jocelyn was nowhere in sight. Keith and Tamara fought their battle back to back a few hundred feet away, while Craig had meandered above her, his aura flaring an angry blue as he viciously fought back the waves of creatures that rocketed up to meet him.

Her distraction was rewarded by three more creatures that grabbed for different appendages with such precision, they almost seemed to be of one mind.

"Oh no you don't!" she hissed, pulling one arm in. She managed to lurch forward, crashing her forehead against that of one creature. She stunned it enough to wrestle her hand free, which immediately began to glow vibrantly.

She gasped in surprise when she realized the others were already beginning to melt, slowly coating her other arm and legs.

Wasting no time, she fired a tight beam of energy at her other arm, focusing the blast on the back of the creature, that had yet to make contact with her uniform. A high pitched shriek greeted her; music to her ears.

"I guess raw energy isn't quite as tasty as my arm, huh?"

Chapter Twenty

"Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a question."

"Shoot."

"When we blast one of those... thingies... do they die?"

Keith frowned deeply, his aura intensifying momentarily as a sphere of hot red coalesced between his palms. "I hope so."

Tamara nodded as she tossed her own ring of glowing light. Right on target, it sliced through one of the manlike shapes, cutting it cleanly in half.

It wailed in some kind of pain, and plummeted to the thick inky blackness beneath them.

"I sure hope so too!" she acknowledged, her dark eyes following the creature's freefall. However, just as she suspected, two more came to take its place. "But it's a bit hard to tell. We're not gaining any ground!"

She backed closer to Keith, their auras mixing into a rich orange where they touched. "Any bright ideas?"

He bit his lip, considering. "Well, I've got something..."

He hurled his energy sphere, watching in satisfaction as it blew two creatures to pieces. Then he turned around, extending his hands.

"Tam, give me your hands."

Yellow regarded him quizzically for a moment before doing so.

"Now what?"

"Now focus your energies into your hands, like you were creating that ring of yours," he instructed, "I'll create my Supreme Fireball Attack."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Tamara couldn't contain a small giggle.

"What can possibly

be funny?" he demanded.

"Supreme Fireball Attack?" she repeated, "You... you named

your attack?"

He huffed peevishly, dropping his gaze to the orange-hued energy they were creating. "For your information, all great fighters name their techniques! Like the Kamehameha in Dragon Ball, or Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick!"

"Right... and Superman's Flying Mega Power Punch! And Batman's Ultra-Fast Batarang Throw!"

He scowled at her, but his expression was lost underneath his mask. He chose to drop the subject. "Okay... I think our powers are sorta bleeding together. Keep them distinct!"

"I get it... I'll ring my Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop around your Way Too Furious Fireball Attack!"

"Supreme

Fireball Attack," he grumbled, "That attack's goin' into the history books, Babe!"

She struggled against her giggles, chewing her lip as she forced her energies to separate from Keith's. After nearly a full minute of concentration, the attack was generated: a glowing ball of red flame surrounded by a golden ring of light.

The two heroes floated away from the ball quietly.

"So... what do we call this one?"

"Isn't it obvious? The Supreme Fireball Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop Attack!"

Yellow cocked an eyebrow. She couldn't tell whether her boyfriend was serious or not. "What does it do, then?"

He smirked, reaching his palm beneath the floating energy. "Let's see."

Chapter Twenty-One

"There they are..."

Phaedra's eyes slowly opened, the view of her private chamber replacing the magical vision of brilliant energy her most recent spell had created.

She smiled, leaning smugly into her throne.

Of course, her incantation had worked. Her Shadows were undefeatable… a magical collective of foot-soldiers that melted into an amorphous pool, able to rejoin the group and restore their strength, and quickly return to battle.

The pool was able to quickly scan the entire planet, their unique magical properties allowing them to maintain their strength even in direct sunlight. Considering the small circumference of Edenia, it was only a matter of time before a platoon stumbled upon the humans. And by creating minor earthquakes by pounding against the planet's surface, the Shadows were able to trumpet their approach. Predictably, the humans in turn prepared for the assault, igniting their energies and in effect declaring their precise location. The signal became strong enough for even the scientists to register, and strong enough for the Shadows to home in on.

The plan fell seamlessly into place. The Shadows had literally smothered the humans.

Still, while the Shadow fleet was certainly powerful enough to overwhelm the new heroes, Phaedra would be no closer to discovering the truth about the Diadem.

So they followed instruction: swallow one human, and inject the Seed into it.

Phaedra began chuckling, the tickle of burning embers on her skin. She gazed at her hands, watching the faint orange climb her arms.

"The Seed has been planted," she whispered, grinning wickedly, "Once she awakens, the eyes of Orange are as my own."

If these new heroes were anything like the overly-compassionate Spectra, they would never abandon one of their members, even though she may be injured. They would surely see the outer effects of hosting a Seed, but they wouldn't recognize what it meant.

If anything, the outward appearance of Orange would only make the rest more protective, rather than suspicious. And through Orange's eyes, Phaedra would determine exactly what their intentions were on the planet.

Perhaps they'd even discover the secret of the Diadem for her.

Then

she would kill them.

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Why the hell

aren't you dead yet?!"

Craig could tell he was panicking; he was quickly running out of ideas.

In truth, he didn't really have time to plan any. When the danger first registered, Blue sensibly rocketed toward the sky, anxious to make as much room as possible between himself and the aggressor. He wanted to buy enough time to come up with some logical strategy of attack.

Unfortunately, no matter how high he flew, the creatures followed him.

Without a plan, he was forced to improvise, falling into an intricate pattern of ducking and dodging while throwing around powerful bolts of energy. Any of his basketball teammates would've recognized the offensive pattern, only played with energy spheres instead of basketballs.

However, Craig quickly discovered how little he accomplished by dodging and firing, and he began slowing down.

What else can I do?

Suddenly, a flash of red grasped his attention. His jaw hung slack as he witnessed a fierce red ball, encircled by a swirling golden ring, collide with the wall of creatures that had begun rising from the ochre.

A wry smile pulled his face as he watched Yellow wrap her arms around Red exuberantly. Maybe, if I had put as much into those practices as the others, I'd be able to make a contribution here...

Instead, he'd only been giving half-hearted effort to the Force. And only half-hearted effort to basketball.

It just wasn't humanly possible to give both

all he had. And both demanded exactly that.

A chill crept through his entire body when a thought formed. I... I just can't do this. I'm letting everyone down...

*Confidence is one of your greatest weapons!*

Craig jumped in surprise, leaving him wide open for one of the creatures to land a swing. Craig toppled, rubbing his jaw painfully. But his attention was nowhere near the fight at hand.

*Who's there? Ray?*

It didn't sound like Rachel... unless she'd been sucking on a helium balloon.

*You are a Soldier of Light!* the voice continued, its tone growing anxious, *You must believe in yourself, or no one else will believe in you!*

This sounds like one of those cheesy after-school flicks...

*You cannot save the Diadem like this!* the voice pleaded, *You must follow me!*

*And where are you?* he demanded.

He was answered by a surprising sight. A thin figure, less than four feet in height and cloaked in heavy rags, appeared in front of him. Craig startled.

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Wow guys... what was that?"

Tamara and Keith disentangled themselves, the former beaming excitedly at her roommate. "Why, that

was the Supreme Fireball Impossibly Strong Golden Hula-hoop Attack!"

Rachel stared at Tamara incredulously.

The green form that rapidly flew toward them was equally astonished. "Huh?"

"It was Keith's idea," Tamara accused.

Matthew shook his head to cast off the confusion. "We've got to save Jocelyn!" he declared, "That... tar stuff swallowed her whole! And when I tried to get closer, it seemed to try to swat me away!"

Tamara gasped. "What do we do?"

"So far, the Super Fireball- whatever is the only attack that did any apparently long-lasting damage," Rachel noted, "Whenever I fried one, another took over. But now, they've seemed to slow down... almost retreat a little."

"Then we'll do it again!" Keith decided, "The five of us." He began to pull away towards Blue, who seemed to be frozen in the air. "Craig! Yo CRAIG!"

Matthew frowned slightly. "Maybe we shouldn't include him yet. Remember Jocelyn's somewhere in that goop. If we up the power too much, we might hurt her."

Keith nodded, floating back towards them. "Okay then, me and Tammy will do it again. Then Ray can join in, and if we think that's still not enough, we'll add Matt's power."

"Matt, where exactly did Jocelyn disappear?" Tamara asked.

"Over there, by the tree line."

"Then let's make sure not to directly hit that area," Rachel decided, "but hit close enough to jostle it. Hopefully, we'll get an idea of how powerful the attack is by the damage it does on impact."

Her three teammates nodded, and Yellow and Red rejoined hands, an orange aura building between them.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Blue paid absolutely no heed to the burning energy that built a few dozen yards away. He also completely ignored the Shadows that had mysteriously begun to recede.

All he could see was the cloaked figure hovering before him.

"Wh... what are you?"

He reached toward the faintly glowing apparition, and shivered as his hand passed through.

"Whoa..."

*Astral projection... only you can see me. Death cannot find me if only Light can see me.*

Craig puzzled over the strange reply. "Don't worry... I won't let those black things hurt you. We're the Spectrum Force!"

*No... not 'death.' Death

, the living servants of eternal darkness that seek to devour our reality!*

Does she mean the Empire?

"I don't und-"

Before he could finish his comment, a powerful burst of energy exploded behind him, sending him catapulting helplessly with the updraft into the dense Edenian forest.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"That was… unexpected," Tamara exhaled, her eyes sliding open. She stared in numb awe at the long blades of grass before her, her mind swimming.

How did that happen? She and Keith had constructed their signature attack just as before, and Rachel had deposited her own energy, in the form of an additional spinning ring. The team had decided to try that attack, and Keith had launched the double-ringed sphere toward the oddly calm ochre coating the knoll.

The subsequent explosion threw the entire unprepared Force nearly into orbit.

Yellow closed her eyes, and slowly began to take measure of her injuries. She started by moving her right elbow.

Check.

Left elbow, shoulders, ankles, knees, neck, back, and everything in between.

Everything responded with minimal pain. Astonishingly, she was only slightly sore.

Relieved, Tamara carefully rose to her feet, and began pulling the leaves and grass from her tangled ebony hair.

I'm not hurt at all,

she realized, Not a bit. And I was caught completely off-guard. Which must mean that blast wasn't meant to hurt me. But... if it wasn't retaliation from that black goop, was it really just our attack?

That didn't make sense. The one-ringed sphere didn't come anywhere near the destructive power the double-ringed sphere wrought. Either the Force's energies exponentially increase when merged, or Rachel was incredibly more powerful than herself and Keith.

Or... maybe something else was going on.

*Hello?* she called, pivoting in the deathly quiet jungle. *Anybody?*

She shivered in the terrifying mental silence, until finally, someone responded.

*Tam? You okay?*

*Keith!* She beamed ecstatically. *Where are you?*

*Hanging from a tree branch. But otherwise okay.*

*Rachel here,* a new mind-voice indicated, *I'm in one piece, but there's no one in eyeshot.*

*The blast knocked us all in different directions,* Keith realized. *That was... weird.*

*Craig? Matt? Jocelyn?* Rachel broadcast. Tamara could feel her friend's worry escalate. *I... I can feel Matt... but I can't feel Craig at all! Or Jocie...*

Then, a new mind-voice interrupted. Tamara felt herself shiver anew. *I found Jocelyn.*

Chapter Twenty-Six

Green's glassy gaze returned to the physical plane, as he withdrew his consciousness from the rest of the Force. Then, he lifted his index finger, and fired a single, continuous beam of bright green energy into the heavens.

The others would see the beacon, and arrive shortly.

Satisfied that the others would think of something

, his dark green eyes returned to the cold burden lying on his lap.

As he predicted, three flaming auras answered his call. Yellow, Red, and Purple all fell to the ground in front of him.

All were struck silent.

Matthew huddled over Jocelyn. Her body was no longer protected by the magical armor of the transformation. Her eyes were squeezed tightly closed, her arms hung limply at her sides. Her skin, usually glowing with a faint tan, was oddly pale and gray.

Her hands clenching to hold back the trembling, Rachel stepped forward, and knelt in front of Matt. Forcing her eyes away from the sickening sight of her youngest friend, she laid her hand on Green's shoulder tightly.

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"I came to about a minute ago," he answered quietly, "and I realized that I was in the same field. The black stuff was gone without a trace. Then I saw her lying right where the goop sucked her in. I un-Synced her with the belt buttons to check on her... and I saw her like this."

Rachel stared at Matt, recognizing he was in some form of shock. She then rose to her feet, and looked squarely at Keith.

"Remember any of that lifeguard training from two summers ago?"

He nodded mutely.

"Good. See if there's anything you can do to bring her around. Tamara and I will look for Craig."

With that, Rachel grabbed Tamara's arm, and pulled the distracted girl into the air.

Once they departed, Keith slowly kneeled beside Matthew. After staring at him for a moment, he leaned over Jocelyn. After touching his fingers to her neck, he slid back again.

"Her heart's beating, but I can't tell if she's breathing with the armor on."

Matthew didn't respond to Keith's explanation, nor to the flash of light that accompanied Keith's transformation.

"Jeez!" Keith suddenly hissed, "It's hotter than Hell out here!"

He felt the sweat beading on his forehead after only seconds of direct exposure to the planet's blazing sun. Keith swallowed fiercely, fighting the resurgent nausea sparked by the intense heat that all but punched him in the face.

After a few seconds, Keith managed to compose himself enough to turn his attention to Jocelyn.

"Matt, I'm definitely gonna need your help," Keith said, his tone the forced calm of a frustrated parent, "You're the med student... not me."

He slipped his arms beneath Jocelyn, and lifted the prone girl off the Green Enforcer's lap. He then carried her out of the small clearing, and set her down again beneath the shade of a large, full-foliaged tree.

"That helps," he sighed, wiping the sweat before it dripped into his eye. He then touched Jocelyn's pulse with his bare hand.

His fingers retracted instinctively. "I don't get it... why is she so cold? It's a friggin' oven out here! And I know she's... still alive..."

Keith sighed heavily, rising to his feet. He stared at the large, fan-shaped leaves of the tree above him.

"I wonder..." he whispered, holding his clenched fist above him. He closed his eyes, focusing inward just as he practiced during the training sessions.

His perseverance was rewarded when he felt his toes lift off the ground.

So we can

manifest powers without fully transforming,

he mused, staring at the bright energy aura wrapping his body, That's pretty useful... though it takes more concentration to fly like this.

He levitated to the lowest branches of the tree, pulling off the enormous leaves one at a time and blanketing them over his arm.

Once he collected a satisfying number, he returned to the ground, and began rolling the leaves around his forearm into a soft sleeve.

He pulled the sheath from his arm, and then carefully lifted Jocelyn's neck, sliding the makeshift pillow to support her listless head.

He then marched toward Matthew, his face unusually stern as he psychologically adopted the forceful "Big Brother" persona.

The Green Enforcer still sat on his legs, head bowed as if staring at the grass beneath him.

"Matt, you have to snap out of this," Keith demanded.

"She was trying to help me," Matthew murmured, his hands rising to cradle his head, "The monsters were after me first, and then Jocelyn got between us... I just... froze..."

Okay, Matt here clearly doesn't know how to handle high-stress environments...

Keith noted grimly. He'd better adapt, 'cause if we can't count on him, we're all

screwed. But yelling at him won't help any...

The Red Enforcer decided on a different approach.

"Dude, Jocelyn's gonna be fine," he assured him.

Matthew blinked beneath his mask. He lifted his head, gazing up at Keith hopefully.

Finally... a response!

"But I need help making sure we make her as comfortable as possible. So here's the deal... you help me out, and I give you the keys to the Beemer for the weekend."

It almost physically hurt him making the offer... but at least it won a reaction.

"Huh?"

"You heard me. Forty-eight hours, unlimited mileage... but if I see even a smudge of bird-crap on my baby, well... you can start writing your last will and testament."

After several more seconds of confused silence, Matthew uttered a sound.

A chuckle.

Keith grinned broadly. Yes! That sounds more like the Matt O'Conner I know!

"I stand behind my former analysis," Matthew said, rising to his feet and quickly brushing the grass from his uniform, "You're absolutely nuts."

Keith's grin widened into a toothy, almost snarling smile. "Absolute

ly."

His grin then relaxed into his natural, easy-going expression. "Listen up, Kiddo... Jocelyn's still unconscious, but she's breathing fine, and her heart sounds good. I've got her in the shade, but the weather out here is more unbearable than mid-August in Houston. We need to collect some water."

"Okay, from where?"

Keith stared up at the treetops. "There's a waterfall around here somewhere... I'll go find it. Meanwhile, you stay here and keep her cozy. Ray and the others should be back soon, so stay around here so they can find you. By the time they get back, I'm sure Jocie will be wide awake."

Green nodded mutely, watching as Keith stepped back. Red smoke wrapped his body, covering him in the protective flexible-metal of the Red Enforcer uniform, and he instantly leapt into the sky, a burning comet's tail trailing him.

Matt then turned to Jocelyn, his spirits sinking to his heels. "Please be right, Keith..."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Although she tried her utmost to hide it, Rachel was really starting to worry.

Just relax...Craig's bound to turn up eventually. Maybe he fell asleep somewhere? He's been really tired the past few days... it could've caught up with him.

She tried not to consider the unlikelihood of Craig Gillis falling asleep in the middle of a huge explosion.

*Dammit Craig... if this is one of your stupid jokes, I'll wring your neck!*

Yet again, there was no response to her telepathic outburst.

What did that mean? She was slowly getting used to being able to "feel" her teammates on some peripheral level, even without actually communicating with them. It was a little unsettling to feel Keith flash out of touch for a few minutes, only to flash back.

He probably un-Synced,

she realized, I can only feel them when they're Enforcers. Spectra did say our telepathic abilities only work when we're transformed...

That was the most feasible explanation... Craig had un-Synced as well.

But why? The only possible reason to sacrifice the power and protection of the armor would be to hide. But why hide when your friends were a mere few yards away?

Unless, someone was hiding him

.

Could that black goop have swallowed him as well? Once Jocelyn disappeared into the viscous waves, Rachel couldn't sense her at all. Perhaps he'd been kidnapped, while the others were too focused on helping Orange to even notice?

Guilt sat in the pit of her stomach. What kind of a leader was she... what kind of a friend

was she to not even notice his abduction?

And in all honesty, abduction was the best-case scenario. For there were other explanations to his silence...

She shook off the chilling thought.

"Any luck, Ray?"

Purple opened her eyes, and watched Yellow fall into her field of vision.

"I just can't sense him," Rachel sighed. She pushed off the high tree branch she had nestled on during her telepathic search. "Any sign of him on your end?"

Tamara shook her head. "Nothing physical. No sign of him anywhere... not even broken trees to show a struggle. He just seemed to vanish. Unless..."

"Unless that black stuff took him with it."

"But he was so far away from it when we saw him last," Tamara remembered, "He was even higher up than we were!"

Rachel scowled. "It doesn't make any sense. There's no way that blast could've knocked him that

far away."

She chewed her lip, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the Ireli sphere. "Maybe I should let Spectra know. She might be able to help."

"Only if she comes after us," Tamara pointed out, "We can't talk to her with that sphere, only transmit images and sensations. She can't give us any instructions unless she follows us through the Hyperspace Portal, and then Earth will be up for grabs."

Rachel's fingers released the sphere, but hovered near it. Can I risk it? What are the chances the Denebians will attack Earth once Spectra leaves?

Spectra had advised them that Phaedra kept a tight rein on her soldiers. It wasn't likely they'd launch an attack without her blessing.

But what if Phaedra simply returned to Earth through the Hyperspace Portal? She must have known of the Force's arrival, since someone had to dispatch the black goop to fight them. If she saw Spectra arrive, she might see a golden opportunity to finish what she started.

Maybe a better question is... what are the chances Spectra's presence will help? She can't find Craig if we can't... at least not telepathically. She might be more familiar with the planet... though I don't know that for sure...

The Purple Enforcer folded her arms. "Let's regroup with the others. Then we'll make some decisions."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Gaius sat in the darkness of his cell. After years of living on a planet saturated with sunlight, it was most unsettling to sit in absolute blackness... so thick and dense he couldn't make out a hand hovering inches from his face.

He stretched out on the bed (or at least, what felt like a flat stone table), focusing his thoughts on his situation.

The darkness was more than merely physical. It was a magical barrier. It had to be, for he couldn't remember such overwhelming silence. He couldn't even detect the faint voices of the Midjinari that always hummed in the background.

While sometimes distracting, their constant communication was also a comfort; that he wasn't alone, though so often it seemed that he had lost everyone and everything that ever meant anything to him.

The sacrifices he made in the name of duty... very few of his allies could truly understand how he could turn his back to so much. The Midjinari were of that small number, as only they understood how precious the Diadem was. How vital it was to hide it from all evil, until the Bright One returned to claim it, and unleash the raw power of the Inner Sphere.

Only the Midjinari understood. They, and the High Father Luminus, who in all his wisdom and foresight allowed Gaius to embark on a mission to find the truth behind the ancient legend.

Though it seemed his presence was more of a curse than a blessing to the Midjinari... would the Denebians have even blinked an eye at Edenia if they didn't find him there? Certainly, Phaedra wouldn't have wasted her time if he weren't involved...

Suddenly, the invisible doorway slid open, allowing the faint light of the hall to illuminate the engulfing blackness. To Gaius, the sudden light was almost blinding.

And standing against that light, her entire form an eerily backlit silhouette, was the empress in question, the crimson glow of her eye the only discernible color on her person.

It hadn't been all that long when her eyes were lit with a mischievous, passionate fire... a fire that ignited his heart and soul. But now, all Gaius could do was brace himself, quelling the growing fear at the ferocity behind those eyes.

She was truly a member of the Denebian Monarchy now, and as such she was capable of anything

.

As for Phaedra, when she peered into the darkness of the cell, all she could see was the disturbingly blue

eyes of the man that symbolized her every youthful fancy. Was it really over a century ago that his eyes burned with the flames of a true Denebian Lord, mighty and willful and proud?

When his eyes burned... only for her?

"Is there something you want?" Gaius asked flatly.

Phaedra forced her mind back to the present. All in the past... it means nothing to me.

She exhaled slowly, arming herself with the mocking smirk that had become her signature. "The Diadem."

"But you already have it, Empress," was his answer.

Her lips stretched as if answering a challenge, and she crept further into the chamber. "Don't play me for a fool, Lord Gaius... I am well aware that thing is not the true Diadem. If it were... why would my forces have found your own dear Spectra sneaking around your palace?"

Gaius' back went ramrod straight.

"I don't know how

you managed to send her a distress call," the Empress continued as she swept across the room to sit beside him. "Mor'se needed to physically send a messenger through the Hyperspace Portal to reach me in the Sol system. So imagine my surprise when our mutual friend dropped in through the Portal. I'm actually quite impressed... I thought you two were on bad terms of late. I didn't think she'd fly to your rescue so quickly."

Gaius scowled, trying his best not to give hint of the icy fear that had just grasped him. "You seem to be well informed of my family situation," he noted, "Quite shocking that the empress doesn't have better things to occupy her time with than spitefully

striking against her former lover."

That little comment won him a taste of mind-numbing pain. Gaius gasped as suddenly, his entire body froze in place. Only it didn't feel like a typical stillness spell... for every muscle was pulled beyond taut. It felt like his body was trying to tear itself to pieces.

"Funny how weak

you are in this room," Phaedra hissed, crimson smoke leaking from her eyes as she maintained her hold, "In here, your pathetic powers are completely nullified."

She huffed, ceasing the incantation. Gaius tumbled gracelessly to the unyielding floor. "Now it is not only your life on the line," she informed him, rising to her feet. She hovered above him, arms folded smugly beneath her chest. "You may not care for your own life... or you may be betting that I would not do you permanent harm. But even you are perfectly aware of how glad

I would be to rend Spectra to pieces." That chilling smirk returned to her blood red lips. "If I do not have the whereabouts of the true Diadem in three hours' time, I shall do exactly that... right before your very eyes."

"One death or a thousand," Gaius huffed, struggling to hold up his head, "I will never

give you the Diadem."

Phaedra snarled wordlessly, lifting her forefinger and tracing a foot-long line in the air. An energy grid appeared, the light solid blue. "Once the blackness engulfs the blue, your time is up. I suggest you spend the next few hours pondering just how devastating it would be to watch the only person you love die painfully right in front of you."

The ultimatum delivered, the empress stomped out of the chamber, huffing her frustration.

Did he catch her bluff? She was certain the appearance of the six humans could only mean one thing: Gaius had summoned Spectra. So it would be conceivable for him to believe Spectra had come in person, and had fallen into enemy hands.

But the will

of that

man... he would truly refuse to save her, without even thinking about it? Even Phaedra herself

would give pause if faced with the same predicament...

Gaius always did seem to have the ability to search into her very soul. Perhaps that had not changed, despite everything that had changed since their last face-to-face encounter.

She shivered. How disturbing it was, to think that he still could read her like a book, while his motivations were a complete puzzle to her!

Her shiver became a full-fledged tremble, as confusion and frustration made way for blinding rage.

"You will not triumph over me," she swore, "Not again!"

Her anger quickly faded when a new sensation came over her. A sensation she had been awaiting.

Her vision grew faintly clouded, as if an orange lens were descending over her eyes.

Finally! Now, maybe I can get some useful

information...

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"...ridiculous. He's gotta be somewhere around here!"

"But we've looked everywhere around here, Matt. There's no trace of him."

"Tamara and I have decided it's best to look around together. Our splitting up is exactly what brought us to this situation: we have absolutely no idea what happened to him."

Consciousness slowly returned. First, it felt like she was reaching out for sensation, desperate to replace that inky, cold feeling that bathed her for what felt like days. Slowly, the numbness in her limbs gave way to a tingle, and the voices that at first echoed from a great distance grew closer.

"We definitely shouldn't split up," a fourth voice said. This voice seemed to emanate from all around her, vibrating through the unyielding, molded material that pressed against her temple. "I think the best thing to do right now is keep looking for Gaius' allies. Maybe they'll know how to look for Craig."

Her brow wrinkled with curiosity. She inhaled slowly, trying to muster the strength to voice her thoughts, when a quiet rumble issued from beside her hip.

She suppressed a giggle. "Keith, your stomach's growling."

Her faint whisper was apparently loud enough, for the Red Enforcer stopped dead in his tracks. "Joce! You're awake!"

Jocelyn slowly opened her eyes, and stared up at Keith's masked face. Above him, she noted the large green leaf that served as a canopy, held by the diligent arm of the Green Enforcer. Yellow and Purple were at either side, the former bubbling with excitement and the latter exhaling with relief.

"Thank God!" Tamara gushed, tightly wrapping her arms around Jocelyn's neck.

"How do you feel, Joce?" Rachel inquired.

"Can you walk?" Keith wanted to know. "No offense, Kid, but that Freshman Fifteen has definitely taken its toll."

"Hey!" Jocelyn grumbled, jamming her elbow into his stomach. Of course, the armor dulled whatever injury she was capable of doling. She glared up at Keith, who snickered as he settled her on her own feet.

"I'm teasing!" he insisted raising one hand in surrender, "Just wanted to see if your strength's back."

She sneered at him. He kept his arm on her shoulders for a few moments, making sure she retained her balance, before stepping away.

As soon as there was room, Matt descended on her, one hand dutifully holding up the leaf while the other touched her chin. "You're still so pale..." he murmured.

Jocelyn blinked. She'd never heard Matt talk like that. He seemed... worried.

She stared into his visor, as if trying to meet his gaze. Then, her glance dropped, noting her pallor with growing concern. "What... happened to me?"

"What do you remember?" Rachel asked.

Jocelyn rubbed her forehead as if trying to stir the memory. She grimaced, pulling her hand away and staring at the sweat that had gathered on her fingertips. "It was cold... and black," she reported, shivering at the memory. "And heavy. I felt so heavy, I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a cleansing breath. "That's all I remember after the black stuff swallowed me."

Matt squeezed her shoulder tighter. She looked at him again, staring into the reflective blue visor questioningly. But before she could voice her confusion over his anxious concern, a more pressing matter sprang to mind.

"Guys, what happened to Craig?"

Chapter Thirty

"Ooooh," Craig groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly to combat the pain. Instinctively his hand lanced to his head, from where the most stabbing pain pulsed.

Wearily, he opened his eyes... only to abruptly close them when faced with a blinding white light hovering above him.

His legs squirmed, long blades of grass tickling his bare legs...

Wha?! I'm in my basketball shorts! What happened to my armor?!

He opened his eyes again, this time shielding his sensitive vision with his hand. He slowly sat up, frowning in confusion at the sight.

Tiny huts... each no more than five feet in height, clustered near each other on either side of a small creek. Grass that nearly reached a foot high stood upright, untouched by any breeze at all. Surrounding the huts were walls of stone, and judging from their ragged surfaces, they appeared to be natural formations.

And finally, hovering directly overhead, a sphere glowed brilliantly.

He rose to his knees. "Hello?"

In answer, four forms seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Short beings, cloaked in heavy rags that would suggest they were in the Arctic.

One stepped forward, nodding its head to Craig. Then, a strange, shrill sound pierced Craig's ears.

Craig stared unabashed at the form in front of him. Damn... I really must have hit my head hard!

Part Three

Chapter Thirty-One

For the fifth time within a minute, Spectra glanced at the chronometer, the digital display slowly incrementing. The Force had embarked on their first interstellar mission over eight hours ago.

She permitted a rueful smile. How much time did

it take to thwart a power-mad Denebian monarch's scheme to steal the most powerful object in the universe? Surely more than eight hours.

Unfortunately, logic provided little comfort. They had spent hours in a hazardous, alien terrain, searching blindly for a gem whose power they could never hope to fathom, and a man whose face they'd never seen.

A man who had already been captured. And only the gods knew what kind of vicious tortures Phaedra's twisted mind would brew.

One time, Gaius had been a member of the notorious Denebian aristocracy. One time, he had been one of them

… living for selfish pleasure, giving no care to the universe beyond the bounds of the expanding Empire.

He was another man, all those decades ago. It was almost impossible to imagine what kind of person he had been, for he had become one of the most dedicated, selfless warriors of the Light.

But Phaedra was a stubborn woman. She would never forget what he once was; what they once had together, before she was promised to the Heir, and he was approached by the Remnant.

On one occasion… before their falling out… Spectra's natural curiosity raised the issue. And on that one occasion, Gaius glanced down at the question lurking in her soft pink eyes, and spoke of his past.

"We were young, Spectra. Young, spoiled, fearless. Two children of nobles, both with great expectations hanging over our futures. We had lived in the moment, knowing a time would come when responsibility would chain us. What we had together was youthful fancy. Wild and reckless… we did what we wanted, when we wanted. But that all changed, when Emperor Lethe selected her to wed his son."

It was almost a romantic story… if one could picture the bloodthirsty, manic empress a tragic heroine, forced to marry for position rather than love.

Yet, the story awoke even more disturbing questions. Spectra knew enough of Gaius' past to know the circumstances of his Crossing. He was frustrated by Phaedra's wedding, to such an extent that his concerned father sent him off-world, to prevent him from interfering with the ceremony.

He had been miserable when Luminus found him, and introduced him to the mission of the Remnant… of living for something far greater than self-gratification. Would he have listened to Luminus had he been happy?

And did he still

love her, after all those decades? When he built a family of his own, was he compromising

his true feelings? Did he ever genuinely love his wife? And what of the daughter they'd brought into the world?

It didn't seem so, when he decided to leave Lumina City to protect the Diadem. When he decided to… leave them.

And then, the terrible battle for the planet Kryl.

Thirty years had passed, but the wound was forever fresh and bleeding in Spectra's heart. Phaedra's son killed Hemera. With his own two hands.

Had Gaius remained with the Remnant… had he remained with his family

… perhaps Hemera wouldn't have died.

And even after she did, Gaius still didn't return. Not to say goodbye… not even to comfort Spectra.

She blinked, her focus forced to return on the project at hand. There was nothing to gain by mourning the past… of contemplating that heart-breaking betrayal.

"But… I'll be damned

before I just leave him in Phaedra's hands."

Her conscience had nagged at her from the moment she sent the Force. He had summoned her

. He had asked for her

help. And she sent the Spectrum Force in her stead.

It truly was her fight. Yes, the entire universe was in jeopardy… but despite the overreaching implications, it was still a painfully personal matter.

She had a duty to protect her family. She also had a duty to her mission… to insure Earth was safe from Phaedra's Throneship. Gaius may have elected to sacrifice the former in behalf of the latter, but Spectra knew firsthand what that cost.

She would not make the same sacrifice.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Craig watched as the four small-statured beings held their position. They were so still, they almost seemed like mannequins; but the hard, observant stares that made his skin crawl proved otherwise.

The young man drew himself to his knees, slightly startled that he was taller than them even then. "Who are you?"

He gulped as one of the beings stepped closer.

It approached him slowly, reaching out one shrouded arm. A thin, wiry hand emerged from the heavy cloak, and Craig was quick to note only four fingers stretched from the furry hand.

The four fingers rose to remove the shadowy cowl. Craig found himself staring into two large, spherical eyes, with exaggerated pupils that were far out of proportion with the being's tiny body. A shock of thick black curls sprouted from its… her

head, nestled between two long, pointed ears. A coat of fine, short fur covered the alien's skin, giving her a midnight black coloring to match her mane.

The being's fur and hair reminded Craig of a lion… but with the nose and lips of a human being. And the size of her head in relation to her body most resembled a child of six or seven.

*I am called Mashal. I brought you to our sanctuary.*

Craig blinked in surprise as the high-pitched voice registered. "You! You're the one who spoke to me in the fight!"

The girl nodded. *I apologize for distracting you. Warrior Gaius had assured us he would contact his allies, and I had searched you out.*

"You know Gaius?" Craig marveled. Spectra did say something about him having friends on Edenia somewhere.

*We are the Midjinari, sworn protectors of the great Diadem.*

The Blue Enforcer frowned. "Midget army?"

Well, if the shoe fits…

*Midjinari. Direct descendents of the First Ones, who fatefully tore a hole in the fabric of the universe and released the Opposed Forces. The Opposed ravaged our planet, circling the star of Deneb.*

His eyebrow rose. "You're Denebians?"

*We are not of the same planet as Gaius. Our planet was the nearest to the star, but was destroyed by the Opposed in the Before Time. Only a few escaped, and searched the universe for a way to balance the scales of Life and Death. Now, we protect the Diadem, which is the key to restoring interstellar peace.*

"Riiight." Craig couldn't help it; the girl's story sounded way too much like the prologue of Star Wars to be of any use to him. He changed the subject. "Why did you bring me here? Did you disrupt my powers?"

*Your power stone still works. We silenced your energies and hid you here, to protect you from the Shadows. They sense the Light, and douse it.*

Craig gaped. "Then… my friends!"

He leapt to his feet, eyebrows drawn.

*No!* she protested, *You cannot win alone! You must not use your powers… you must stay hidden! Only the Diadem can help you now!*

Craig clenched his fist, his frustration mounting. Without the armor, he was completely defenseless against whatever evils existed outside the small oasis. And without his powers, he had no way to contact his friends, find out if they… survived…

His heart sank to his feet. The Midjinari saved me, but the others are out there! Even if they haven't been captured yet, they've got to be using their powers! They're walking with targets painted on their backs, and they have no idea…

"Can you take me to the Diadem?"

The girl glanced back at her three silent companions. A few shrill words were exchanged, and then, she set her impossibly large amber eyes on Craig. *I will be your guide.*

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Dammit!" Keith suddenly hissed, kicking a rock in frustration, "I can't believe this!"

Rachel watched as the Red Enforcer's enhanced strength dislodged the heavy stone, sending it crashing into a thick tree trunk ahead. Her lips thinned angrily. "That's won't help."

"Well, it sure as hell won't hurt. We still have no idea what happened to Craig, and now, we… are… LOST! I didn't even think this planet was big enough for us to get lost in!"

Matt offered a feeble grin. "Keith, you get lost in your own neighborhood

. Remember the time they closed off our exit on the Turnpike for construction? We circled the city for almost an hour until we found a street name you knew!"

Keith opened his mouth for a heated retort, but was distracted as fingers laced between his own. He glanced at Tamara, who gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Instead of yelling, he released a long, tense breath.

Jocelyn, who had lingered near Matthew during most of the arduous walk, took advantage of the momentary respite. She practically collapsed onto the soft ground, holding her heavy head with both palms.

Matt was instantly at her side. "What's wrong? Another dizzy spell?"

"I just feel… wrong

," she groaned, rubbing her temples. "Off balance, weak, and now this stupid headache just won't quit."

"You're probably hungry," Keith suggested, mournfully patting his own stomach. "If I'd known we'd be pulling an interstellar field trip, I would've packed a Snickers or something."

"Where?" Tamara wondered, "These suits don't have pockets."

Keith frowned thoughtfully. "Remind me to talk to Spectra about that when we get back."

Rachel wandered over to the tree that had borne the brunt of Keith's outburst. The beach-ball-sized stone had fired like a bullet, embedding itself nearly halfway through the resilient wood. If the trunk hadn't been three meters thick, the ancient tree would've tumbled right on top of them.

She ran her fingers along the edge of the angry hole, shaking her head slightly. She was exhausted. They were all

exhausted… roving for hours through an endless forest without any food, shelter, or even a clue. Somehow, they had to find the Diadem, Gaius, and Craig. And they had no idea where to begin looking.

Rachel stared up into the twilight. We've been wandering since that sun rose,

she realized, How much longer can we-

She blinked in surprise when a faint flash cut across her vision.

"Guys, did you see that?"

Keith turned his head. "See what?"

"That… light."

She lifted off the ground, slowly rising above the tree line to get a better view. After exactly ten seconds, the light flashed again.

"There! It looks like it's coming from that cliff."

The rest of the Force followed, and stared at the cliff in question. The light flashed after the same interim.

"It's a beacon," Keith noted.

"Maybe its Craig?" Tamara proposed.

Rachel frowned. "The light is white, not blue. But, it could be Craig, if he found some kind of machine to send off that beacon."

"I… I don't see anything," Jocelyn confessed, squinting her eyes.

Matthew glanced at her, worry pinching his masked face. "Maybe you're too tired," he offered. He then turned to Rachel. "We have to check it out."

She nodded. It was, after all, the first sign of intelligence they'd found on the planet… beside the Shadows.

"Let's go on foot," she decided. "Just in case the Denebians are watching."

The team traded nods of agreement, and descended into the forest. They immediately continued their journey, though their pace was quickened by the hope that dawned through the dark shroud of failure that had smothered them.

Less than twenty minutes later, the Force found a small clearing, with the sharp incline of a rocky cliff reaching into the sky.

"The light's coming from the wall," Keith realized. "Right out of the rock."

"That's so weird," Tamara admitted, walking closer to the pulse. "Why would anyone give away their location if their planet was being invaded by the bad guys? Phaedra must've found this place already!"

"Unless… only we can see it?" Matt proposed. He felt the questioning gaze of his friends on him. "Lemme try something."

He stepped back a few feet, making room as he spread his arms apart. At his mute command, his green armor dissolved into a brilliant cloud of energy, swirling back into the Spectrum Stone like water into a drain.

He stared at the cliff with his own eyes. "I can't see anything now," he revealed. "The light's outside our visual spectrum."

"So it could mean the beacon is only visible to the good guys," Tamara hypothesized.

"Or… that it's only visible to species with better sight than humans," Rachel pointed out. "We can't be too careful here, guys."

"But

we also can't ignore this," Tamara countered. She stepped closer still, reaching for the light. "It's the only clue we-"

Her words were cut off by a yelp as she sank into the wall.

"Tam!" Keith shouted, racing forward. The entire team immediately convened at his side, staring at the wall that had swallowed their friend.

After a few seconds delay, her excited voice proclaimed "Guys, I'm okay!" Everyone jumped back when her head suddenly emerged from the wall.

"A… hologram?" Matt murmured.

"A secret entrance," Tammy informed them. "Somebody lives here. You gotta see this place!"

Keith followed without hesitation, stepping through the false wall. The others soon followed, and all were struck speechless as they stood in the foyer of a large, spacious building.

"Incredible," Rachel awed, walking deeper into the room. Torches lined walls apparently composed of solid granite, casting flickering shadows everywhere. Yet, despite the creepy ambiance, there wasn't even a trace of malevolence.

"It's like someone carved a house in the side of the mountain," Matt observed. Slowly, he rounded a corner, his ring casting a brilliant green glow to amplify the dim lighting. "Wow… this looks like something out of Star Trek!"

Curious, the rest of the team followed. They were all treated to a complex series of computer systems, lining the wall and creating a soothing humming sound. In the corner was a large cot, with metal bars on both sides and its own computer near the head.

Rachel ran her fingers over the cushion, eyeing the aqua blue lamp hanging over it. "This looks like the healing device Spectra uses."

Tamara smiled widely. "Then this must be Gaius' home!"

All eyes fell upon Keith, as a cloud of red energy burst around him, dissolving his armor. He sighed in relief. "And it's got air-conditioning!"

"We can't get too comfortable," Rachel chided, "Even if there's no threat in here, we have to find Craig and Gaius."

"Maybe Craig's already here," Tamara proposed, "Or even the Diadem!"

Rachel felt the hopeful gazes of her friends. "Well… we do have to investigate. And we could use a break…"

Keith pumped his fist excitedly.

"But, we have to stay on our guard," she continued. "Okay, Spectrum Force… we'll split up into two groups. At least one member of each group must be Synced at all times, to keep our telepathic rapport open in case of emergency. Jocelyn-"

Rachel swallowed her words when she noticed her young friend leaning against the wall, one arm hanging listless at her side.

Matthew noticed her lethargy as well. "I think Jocelyn should get some rest," he stated, "She can sleep right here, on this cot. I'll stay with her."

"That okay with you, Jocie?" Tamara asked gently, touching her shoulder.

The Orange Enforcer nodded. "If you guys don't mind."

Keith threw her his winning smile. "Of course not. Just try to relax." Then, he rubbed his palms together. "Now… point me to the kitchen!"

Chapter Thirty-Four

Phaedra opened her eyes, the faint orange light touching her skin fading at the breach of contact. "Weakling human," she seethed, "asleep again! How am I to learn anything with her constantly closing her eyes?"

Not that it mattered, anyway. The "Spectrum Force," as they called themselves, had stumbled upon Gaius' sanctuary. It would no doubt take them hours to search it exhaustively, which was a complete waste of time. Phaedra's soldiers already searched the granite stronghold after they had captured Gaius. Though, they weren't searching for the Diadem, as they had believed the pyramid they had obtained was the mythological gem. They searched high and low for any secrets Gaius could possess, such as the hidden location of the Remnant's base, to no avail.

Perhaps the humans would find something? They did mention the peculiar ability to see a signal of light guiding them. Could the Diadem be calling them? Could it detect the Soldiers of Light, and draw them to it?

There was no way for Phaedra to learn the actual abilities of the Diadem, short of finding it and seeing for herself. The only record of its abilities was the ancient myth of the First Ones that boasted "unlimited power" within the Diadem's core. For all she knew, it was a worthless rock that a few misguided idiots worshipped. Men did have a penchant for shiny objects…

A bold knock disrupted her flight of thought.

"Enter!" she growled, lifting her head to the doorway.

Mor'se entered the darkened chamber, bowing his head once when he made eye contact. "Empress, I have found something I'm certain you will find useful!"

An elegant eyebrow rose. "You

found something useful?" she repeated, mockery tingeing her voice.

Mor'se managed to hide the outrage her naked scorn incited. He stopped when he stood directly before the makeshift throne, and prostrated himself. His arms reached forward, holding a gilded scroll.

"I was reviewing some of the potions and elixirs I have collected-"

"When you could

have been doing something productive," Phaedra sneered, "Like find me the Diadem."

The aged Denebian frowned. It was clear the empress' fury was beyond satisfaction until the Diadem rested in her hands. Or was it something else that frustrated her? "Forgive your servant, Majesty. I have never been a soldier. I am a scholar. Research is my weapon... and I have a weapon that will surely give you an edge over that filthy traitor."

Mor'se won her full attention. "What?" she demanded, snatching the parchment.

"If your Majesty would open the scroll, you will see the particular tactic I have in mind."

Phaedra unrolled the woven page, her eyes skimming over the writing. "The… Blight?"

As a fuller understanding slowly dawned, her gaze shifted back to the beginning, and read in earnest. "A magically-enhanced disease, completely debilitating to most species, eventually lethal to all. And there is no cure… not magical, or medicinal."

"Indeed, Majesty," Mor'se urged, a sinister lilt in his voice, "Not even a panacea will ease his suffering. The first stage of the disease attacks the muscles and bones, resulting in unprecedented pain. The second includes a dulling of mental faculties, as the disease moves from musculature to the brain. And finally, death."

Phaedra continued reading, her throat going dry at the explicit detail outlined in the scroll. She had never personally seen the Blight in practice, though she did remember reading of it with her tutors. It was the life's work of Oril of the planet Uqar, circling the star Aldebaran. The masterful alchemist perfected a mutated virus that had been attempted for centuries, and developed just enough to assassinate the six members of the Governing Body, and initiate a political coup. He only managed to deliver three, before an accident in his laboratory left him mindless. Soon after, the Denebian Empire sent an attack fleet into the system, throwing the Uqarian political revolution into further chaos.

The Denebian Emperor Styx personally led a devastating force to conquer the planet; but when his most trusted general was stricken with the Blight, in horror the Denebian forces pulled back. Not until Acheron ascended to the throne did the Denebians return to Aldebaran to claim it.

That general lived in torment for months, writhing in endless agony until the Emperor finally ordered euthanasia. His hellish howls and fevered whimpers haunted the doctors who tended him years after his death.

Whosoever was exposed to the potion would suffer the worst possible death.

"How would you

create this Blight?"

"My father was on the preliminary scouting mission to Uqar, and he acquired one dose of the Blight. It has been in our family since."

Phaedra's lips parted in surprise. "You have a dose of the most potent biochemical weapon ever developed?"

"My family has always served the Monarchy as trusted counselors and field researchers. My father instructed me to use it wisely... and no use could be wiser than to claim the Diadem for Denebia."

He saw the shock warring with doubt in her eyes, and continued. "I assure you there is no danger from the virus, Empress. It is inert until activated by a drop of blood. And once activated, it can only infect a single individual... it cannot be transmitted by any means."

Finally, the empress recovered her voice. "What would you advise me to do with this Blight? I had already threatened to terminate Spectra before his very eyes, but I don't actually have a captive to use against him! I doubt he even knows the humans, so he wouldn't risk the Diadem on their behalf."

Mor'se stared at the empress in surprise. "I… I had thought you would cast the Blight on the traitor himself."

The empress glared at him sharply, her eyes slivers of crimson ice. Mor'se stumbled on his words, so startled by her reaction he was. "S..surely the pain of Stage One alone will loosen his tongue-"

With a growl of disgusted anger, Phaedra threw the scroll to the ground. Mor'se watched it skid against the smooth floor, striking the distant wall.

"Why would Lord Gaius tell me anything after I sentence him to a torturous death whose pain has no equal?" she hissed, rising from her seat.

Mor'se blinked. Wasn't the answer plain as day? "Claim you will rescind the Blight if he capitulates. He will be so maddened with pain he would do anything to end it!"

"Why 'claim' to rescind the disease? Can it be done?"

The scholar frowned deeply. This conversation grew stranger after every word! "He would not know otherwise."

Sanguine smoke trickled from her eyes. Mor'se swallowed his fear… the temperature had risen to a highly uncomfortable level during the conversation. He had never seen the empress so upset.

Why did this traitor's fate plague her so? Of course, a select few of the Denebian court knew their empress had a close relationship with the nobleman over a century ago… but that was before he betrayed his home world. It was ancient history.

"You did not answer my question," she murmured dangerously.

What does it matter

, so long as the fool believes it can?

"It may be possible that he who casts the Blight has the power to retract it."

She gazed down at him disdainfully. Her breathing had calmed, but it was clear her anger had not dwindled. "Are you willing to stake your life on it?"

His eyes widened further. "No, Empress. I'm afraid I don't know just how to retract the toxin. Oril's research… it states something about the 'soul of the condemner,' but he never had the opportunity to refine his research before his death."

He stood in the face of the storm, frustrated by the empress' irrational behavior. "And even if the Blight could be retracted," he stated boldly, "it shouldn't be. That worm should die a thousand torturous deaths. Deaths of a cowardly traitor."

Before Mor'se could inhale, his body was suddenly catapulted into the air by the thunderous energy of the Denebian Empress. He flew through the open door, his right shoulder smashing against the pane, and crashed full-body into the wall opposite the entrance.

The two guards standing at either side of the door hurried to his side. Once he had recovered his bearings, the respected scholar pushed away their aid, desperate to maintain some semblance of dignity.

Yet, despite his humiliation, he allowed a breath of relief. At least my head is still attached to my shoulders…

"Are you all right, Lord Mor'se?"

He waved away the question. "If you can, I suggest you don't approach her for at least a few hours. The Empress is… emotional."

The two gulped visibly. All of the Empire knew of Phaedra's short temper. And they watched as Mor'se walked through the hall, one of the very few who could boast surviving such a fit of rage.

Chapter Thirty-Five

^Sphere Grid deployed.^

Spectra hurried away from the supply cabinet she was rummaging through, and fell into her seat at the main station of her ship. The large screen depicted the globe of the Earth, with a honeycomb-shaped pattern around the circumference.

"Finally," she breathed, a small smile brightening her face.

It had taken a great deal of time and effort, but she had succeeded in reprogramming the Sphere Grid Shield. It had been designed as an early-warning device, creating a barrier to pinpoint the exact time and location a Denebian ship crossed into protected space. She had used it less than a week ago, while she laid in wait for Phaedra's arrival.

Now she was using it as a shield to protect the Earth itself.

It was far more difficult creating a close-fitting shield, which would be necessary to protect the planet as she desired to.

At most she would need a day or two to aid her allies, but she couldn't take for granted that Phaedra's armies would do nothing

during that time. Without herself or the Force available, it would only take a few platoons of well-armed Denebians to lay waste to a world power, and irrevocably throw the Earth's governments into chaos. Even if the Force were able to stay the invasion, the whole of the planet would learn the truth. The damage done to the world would be irreparable, as an entire species of volatile beings fought for their own survival.

It would be best to keep the war a secret from the world… for as long as possible.

Spectra had counted on the assumption that the energy field emitted by the spheres could be intensified if the spheres were moved closer together. Usually, a great deal of space hung between spheres in the Grid, enabling a small number of spheres to protect a large area. The energy field created was only a sensor shield… a ship could pass through without even knowing it. That was its purpose: a silent alarm to warn the protectors, without alerting the invaders.

With a few adjustments to the spheres, Spectra managed to create a more forceful barrier. It wouldn't be a physical wall, blocking invading ships from entrance. But the sheer energy would be enough to disrupt the navigational and weapons systems of a smaller ship. Just like the original design, the spheres were indiscernible from space debris, and the energy shield undetectable, unless a ship passed through.

There were serious drawbacks to consider. First of all, in order to protect Earth, the Sphere Grid would have to skirt close to the atmosphere, below the orbit of the Throneship. That created the possibility of manmade satellites coming in contact with the shield, and shorting out. It wasn't a terrible setback, as the vast majority of machines sent from Earth were unmanned, but it could alert the science organizations to a foreign presence.

Also, the Sphere Grid would be very limited in power. Spectra had to walk the line between keeping the energy invisible to detection, yet powerful enough to disrupt a ship. The balance she had reached did keep the energy invisible, but as a consequence the energy output was considerably low. It would be enough to disrupt a few scouter ships, but if the Throneship itself decided to descend into the atmosphere, or if numerous scouters passed through at once, then the Grid would shatter.

Finally, the Grid would only disrupt mechanical devices, meaning any magical invasion wouldn't be deterred. Granted, the vast majority of soldiers didn't have the ability to magically transport themselves, but a few of the onboard mages might.

Spectra had taken a considerable amount of time measuring the risks, and had deemed them acceptable. The chances were slim that the Denebians would take any action without Phaedra's presence, and if some lieutenant were brave enough to make a visit to Earth, there was an obstacle to hinder him.

Provided, of course, the Sphere Grid worked as planned. Which wasn't guaranteed, since it had never been tested.

"The more I delay, the less likely I'll be able to help at all," Spectra reasoned, rising from her seat. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and the number ten appeared on the screen.

Ten minutes until the Sphere Grid activates… plenty of time for me to get into a Starglider 30, and get passed the atmosphere.

She hurried from the bridge of her main ship, and slid into the far smaller short-range vessel. It was designed as an escape pod, but fortunately it included a reinforced hull capable of handling a two-way trip through a Hyperspace Portal.

Please let me not be too late!

Chapter Thirty-Six

Gaius remained in the corner of the dark room. Before Phaedra's unexpected visit, he had been shrouded in a deathly, choking absence of light. Now, a bar of vibrant blue shed light throughout the small chamber, glowing steadily… as it shrank.

"Once the blackness engulfs the blue, your time is up. I suggest you spend the next few hours pondering just how devastating it would be to watch the only person you love die painfully right in front of you."

Even though he hadn't intended to, he found his mind wandering along very similar lines. He stared at the too-blue light, slowly swallowed by the blackness encroaching upon it. And as he watched, he thought of Hemera.

Hemera had such eyes. Radiant blue, bold and bright and wondrous. His own eyes were a cold, crystalline shade of the same color. Hemera's eyes were warm, with a touch of mischief, dazzling intelligence, and whole-souled devotion. His were cool, calculating, and dedicated. Not to a person, but to a cause.

A just cause, he knew. The worthiest cause. Save the universe. Save countless lives, both the living and yet unborn. Help restore order to the chaos the Denebian Empire had unleashed for the past six thousand years.

All it cost were the lives of the people he actually cared for.

It was wrong to weigh lives against each other. The value of one life… any life… was equivalent to the value of another. Despite the pull of his heart, he could not weigh one particular life above others.

Even if it were Spectra. Even if it were Hemera before her.

Of course, his reasoning didn't dull the sharp pain that stabbed his soul. Nor could it quiet the burn of his conscience. He could not surrender the Diadem, even for Spectra; though he knew he would be forever broken if he lost her.

Although… he had lost her love thirty years ago… as he lost Hemera.

That could not be helped. He simply couldn't

have participated in the Krylian Wars. He was light years distant, and there were so many other great warriors at her side, he wasn’t needed. If he were, the High Father would have summoned him. On Edenia, he was desperately needed, by the remaining Midjinari, and by the Diadem itself. But for all Hemera loved him, she never needed him.

Had she needed him that day? Did she cry for him when the edge of the Prince's blade sank into her flesh, permanently severing soul and body?

Her death crushed him… but he had a glimmer of consolation. She had died, along with dozens of others in the climactic battle. But the Denebians were defeated. Kryl was saved, thanks to their efforts. Thanks to her

effort.

Hemera donned her armor knowing her life was in jeopardy. She had chosen the life of a Warrior of Light, though her battlefield was slightly different than Gaius'. She had chosen to shed her blood for the lives at stake. He had chosen to shed his for the weapon that would eventually stop the bloodshed.

And though they were separated, he knew she was at rest. Her blood won life for the two billion inhabitants of Kryl, and all the planets their technology would have massacred in Denebian hands.

But he could not so easily reason Spectra's death.

If Phaedra were true to her word, Spectra would die because of him. He could not be blamed for protecting the Diadem… she would never hold that against him. But, he sent for her. He asked her to come to either help him, or carry out his mission in his stead.

I never should have summoned her,

he mourned, his unblinking stare drinking in the radiant blue that rapidly dwindled. She hasn't even spoken to me for decades… yet she would come for me. And I have sacrificed her… for nothing.

Spectra would not die fighting. She would not die to save a planet, or a system. She would die because she was foolish enough to try and save him

.

He didn't need to summon Spectra. He could have used the Ireli sphere to contact Luminus… perhaps he could have dispatched the Star Riders. The High Father knew the value of the Diadem, in a way most others could not.

Yet in his moment of need, he reached for Spectra. He wanted her to witness his sacrifice. He wanted her to understand how important the Diadem was. He didn't leave because he didn't love them… the Diadem was just that

important.

He wanted… to say goodbye.

She never forgave him for Kryl. He couldn't depart this world knowing she still hated him.

"Poor Gaius, you look like you've just lost your best friend. Or... worse?"

Ice eyes slid from the gentle blue glow to the harsh red gaze that flashed with... something.

Was she jealous, perhaps, that he could love again? Or mirthful, for having caused him yet more

pain. Or... perhaps... conflicted, for doling such pain.

He would like to think the latter; that Phaedra was incapable of being so unbearably cruel to feel no remorse for the damage she would do. But, he was no fool.

Ice eyes slid back to the comforting blue. "I believe I still have seventeen minutes left."

Unsurprisingly, the blue light vanished from existence, leaving only darkness, and the crimson eyes that burned his skin. "Your seventeen minutes are now up."

"I see you've grown impatient in your old age."

She glared at him. "And you've apparently grown suicidal."

He heard her heels tap against the floor... closer to him.

"The Diadem."

"We've already danced this dance," he reminded her.

"Would you let her die?"

Silence. Then: "Yes."

His tone was mournfully accepting, which threw gasoline on the fires of Phaedra’s frustration. Her patience was thinning into nonexistence.

"What is it that hurts you more, Empress? That I refuse to surrender the Diadem, or that I am refusing you

?"

Her fists clenched... yet he could not see them. "You cannot hurt me at all, Traitor. But I can hurt you... hurt you beyond imagining and recovery."

"I can live with pain. And you... you will live with failure. Both for losing the Diadem, and losing any hold you ever had on me."

He heard the flight of fabric, and then a sharp sting drew moisture to his eyes. He rubbed his cheek instinctively, marveling at her outburst. She slapped me!

The act of a spurned lover... not an Empress punishing a traitor to the throne.

"This is your last chance," she warned, her voice a venomous hiss, "If you incur my wrath, there will be no end to your pain! You will suffer, lost in the throes of anguish, fever and hallucination, until you ultimately die! Tell me, Lord

Gaius... do you recall the Blight?"

His breath caught in his throat. He did remember the infamous Uqarian disease from his studies on Denebia.

Why is she changing her threat? Could it mean Spectra is... safe?

His heart soared at the prospect, but he cautiously kept his tone neutral. "Yes, I recall. And your threats will not swerve me, Phaedra."

The way he spoke to her, with scorn and malevolence... the way he spat out her name, like it tasted bitter on his tongue... made her snap. With fury billowing in her soul like the heart of a star, she stormed out of his prison, and marched down the hall.

The guard positioned outside the call trembled when his gaze met the crimson rage of the Empress' eye.

"You," she growled, snatching the collar of his uniform, "Find Mor'se, and send him to my chamber with the Blight."

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Here it is, Empress."

Phaedra looked away from the window, and the perfect blue and green orb of Edenia. The planet that housed the Diadem... the object Gaius was willing- no, eager

, to die for.

Perhaps... he longed for death? Then, he would be eternally out of her reach, mocking her from the Beyond with Hemera at his side.

She began seeing red. If he wanted death, she would give it to him. "Did you add the drop of blood yet?"

Mor'se shook his head. "I thought you might like to do the honors, Empress."

Phaedra's delicate hand rose to her crown, tearing the jewel-encrusted ornament from her woven forest hair. She stared at the pointed tip that sat at the center of her head.

She ran her palm over the jagged edge, drawing rich, ebony blood. "Give me the vial."

Mor'se did as she asked without question. She replaced her crown on her brow, and then snatched the vial. A single drop of the thick plasma slid down the glass edge, and touched the clear liquid.

Instantly, the blood mixed with the toxin, creating a bubbling reaction. Mor'se slipped a nonporous cap above the vial, trapping the invisible vapors the bubbles created. As both Denebians watched, the liquid boiled completely, making the vial appear invisible.

"Shatter the vial, and the vapor will infect the nearest person," he instructed. "Its magical enhancements insure that the virus will infect the target, through the skin or air. Stage One does not yet attack the mind, so he will be able to provide the information we seek."

"He won't," she decided, her eyes staring into the clear glass, "He refuses to give in… even if it means his life."

Mor'se frowned slightly. "Then, is there anything else I can do, Majesty?"

"No," she answered, without hesitation. "I will

find that gods-damned Diadem, with or without his assistance. I still have the Orange Enforcer in my power. Perhaps I should hold her... a little tighter."

Her eyes slid closed, her breaths slowing as she consciously forced herself into calmness. "Leave me."

Mor'se bowed deeply, hiding his triumphant smile until he left the chamber.

The empress found herself leaning against the thick window, as her strength suddenly flowed out of her body.

It's his

fault!

she reminded herself, I offered him a choice… he refused my mercy. And now, I have no choice.

She couldn't back down now; she'd made a threat to his life. It was clear he wouldn't capitulate, not even to save his life. If she didn't carry out her own sentence, she would be humiliated, before the aristocracy, before her enemies… before the Emperor.

It was bad enough she had a history with the man before his Crossing… it would be unforgivable to show even the slightest compromise for his sake afterward.

She took a deep breath, and held her head high. Her face took on its most natural expression, that of mild disdain, and she stepped away from the window. At her silent command, her favorite flowing cape appeared on her shoulders, wrapping around her body and creating an even more imposing figure.

She glided out of her chambers, her heels echoing in the silent corridor. She moved quickly, her long cape dragging over a foot behind her along the floor. As she passed, guards and officers lined the wall and saluted her passage.

She was the Empress: fierce, volatile, powerful… uncompromising. And thus she would remain, whatever the consequences.

All too soon, her trek down the winding obsidian hallways ended at the heavy door of the prison. The lone guard stood at attention, carefully keeping his eyes lowered.

"Your presence is no longer needed here," she told him, her voice even, "Report to Mor'se for a new assignment."

The guard nodded once, and disappeared down the hallway.

Phaedra listened as his footsteps echoed into obscurity… and then, she turned her eyes to the door.

Should she give him yet another

chance to cooperate? She knew every time she did so, she let him make a mockery of her. He seemed to have no fear of her… none whatsoever.

Perhaps his confidence was well founded. She could kill him, but she couldn't truly hurt him. He lived for something far greater than himself, or even his loved ones. The only way to truly hurt him would be to destroy his life's work… and take the Diadem.

And I will!

she ordained, massaging her wounded pride, He will regret

betraying the Empire.

He would regret betraying her

.

Her arm emerged from beneath the heavy cloak, grasping the vial that marked Gaius' death.

She could open the door, and toss the vial inside without a word. She could make a grand entrance, laughing cruelly as she delivered Death in vapor form. She could… offer him a final chance. She could warn him of the properties of the Blight, in case he didn't realize just how much torture he would undergo.

She closed her eyes, and held her hand out, palm up. In a blink, the vial vanished.

She didn't need to deliver some final threat or mockery. It would bring her no joy whatsoever… and she knew it.

She listened intently, and heard the glass shatter behind the door.

And as she walked away, she felt something else shatter… within.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

With a deep yawn, Jocelyn slowly drifted back from slumber. She shifted to her left side, her hand blindly feeling for the soft comforter that somehow fell off her body.

Instead, her hand touched cool metal, inducing full consciousness.

She wasn't in her bed. She wasn't in her room. She wasn't even on Earth

.

She was sleeping on the medical cot of an alien's stronghold, thousands of light years from home.

"Hey Rip Van Winkle… ready to join the land of the living?"

She pouted. "Rip Van Winkle? Couldn't you call me 'Sleeping Beauty' or something?"

The Green Enforcer shrugged. "You've obviously never looked in a mirror when you first wake up."

Her threatening grimace made her friend chuckle. "So, how do you feel?"

She stretched her arms out, and released another yawn. "Actually… pretty good." Her face pinched, "Though, a snack would be nice. Did Keith find anything edible?"

He shook his head. "We frankly couldn't tell. Keith, Tammy and Rachel found a room with plants that looked like a greenhouse, with some fruits and vegetables growing there. But it's impossible to tell if they're poisonous to humans. We never bothered to ask Spectra what she eats, so we have no idea if Denebian food is healthy for humans."

He began chuckling anew. "Rachel and Tamara had to actually wrestle an apple-looking fruit from Keith. He was practically salivating."

Jocelyn giggled at the mental image. Leave it to Keith to poison himself on some alien fruit. Though, if they remained on Edenia a few more hours, even she would be hard-pressed to choose to err on the side of caution.

She frowned pensively. "How long was I asleep?"

Matt instinctively glanced at his wrist, only to realize his watch wasn't there. "Well, unless I un-Sync, I can't tell you exactly. I'd say about an hour and a half."

She gasped. "Why didn't you wake me up or something??"

"Relax, Joce, it's fine. The others are still exploring. This place is absolutely huge, and so far we haven't found anything at all that could help us find Craig, Gaius, or the Diadem."

"And what have you been doing all this time?"

He gestured to the computer station sitting against the far wall. "Trying to figure out how this thing works. I think maybe there's some information on the Diadem on the system." He tapped his opaque blue visor. "You know this mask can actually translate written language?"

"Really?" she awed, swinging her legs off the cot, "How?"

"Well, I don't know how, exactly. But you see this screen?"

Jocelyn nodded, staring at the bizarre alien symbols she could only assume was text.

"When I Synced and looked at it, my visor creates an overlay of English text. It's incredible!"

He stood up from his seat. "Actually, if you feel up to it, maybe you can help me browse? You're a lot better with computers than me."

She smiled playfully. "Was that a compliment? Trying to make up for that 'mirror' crack, huh?"

He folded his arms. "Hey, you walked right into that one!"

She sighed theatrically before hopping off the cot completely. She took a few steps back, making some room as she held her ring above her head.

"Spectrum Sync!"

Glowing smoke poured from the gemstone, wrapping her in a cocoon of pure energy that covered her body with molded armor of various shades of orange.

Once the energy released by the transformation died down, the Orange Enforcer took a seat at the computer, and stared at the data through her blue visor.

"Wow, you're right!" she gasped, wonder lighting up her face, "It all makes sense!"

Green leaned over her shoulder, his gloved finger tracing some text in the far left. "This is the menu bar I've been navigating with. The system started up with a surveillance progr-"

Matthew's words were lost as suddenly, Jocelyn's slim fingers clenched around his throat… tightly. Not quite tight enough to substantially hurt, but enough to get his attention.

Matt blinked in confusion as Jocelyn rose to her feet, and brought him with her. "I..is this about that 'mirror' crack?" he rasped.

Suddenly, he found himself flying through the air, his body crashing full-force into the cot Jocelyn had rested on just minutes ago.

He groaned loudly, rubbing his shoulder that came in contact with the now-shattered cot. "Jeez, Joce, that's not…"

He bit his tongue when he noticed her standing above him, orange aura burning over her entire body.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"I don't know, Ray," Tamara sighed, her dark eyes following the Purple Enforcer as she hovered near the ceiling, "Do you really think there'll be a secret door somewhere?"

The leader of the Spectrum Force shrugged. "Why not? There was a secret door to get in, right?"

"Yeah, but that's to stop uninvited guests from finding the place. The only way anyone could find the door is to see the light, so only good guys can get in, right?"

"Maybe this Gaius guy is paranoid?" Keith offered, discreetly digging into his pocket. He slowly drew his hand out, his fist clenched tightly.

"My God, Keith, I can't believe you!" Tamara fumed, grabbing his wrist and shaking it wildly. To Keith's dismay, his grip gave way, letting two dozen small green spheres roll along the granite floor.

Rachel floated lower, her arms folded. "Do you have a death wish?"

He frowned. "They're peas

! They look like peas, they smell like peas… they even grow in those little pods! What are the chances they're poisonous?"

"Whatever they are, they're not worth taking

!!" Tamara shouted.

"Come on!" Keith retorted petulantly, "At worst case, maybe I'll get a little queasy… but it's better than starving!"

A smirk touched Rachel's lip. "Maybe he's right," she contributed, her boots touching the ground.

Tamara stared at her roommate, aghast. "What?"

"What's the big deal about a little nausea?" She picked up one of the "peas" with two fingers. "Sure, it'll be uncomfortable, but when we get back, Spectra can probably cure him."

Keith grinned. "Yeah!"

The Purple Enforcer then walked to Keith, and dropped the "pea" in his hand. "Of course, before Spectra can do anything, we'd have to get back home… through the Hyperspace Portal. Spinning and rolling through Hyperspace, a thousand times faster than light speed…"

Both girls watched as Keith's triumphant grin gradually collapsed into a grimace. His blue eyes slid toward the tiny green sphere in his palm; tempting just a moment ago.

"I think I lost my appetite."

Tamara snatched the "pea" before her boyfriend could change his mind.

*Guys!*

Rachel winced, hands instinctively flying to her temples as Matthew's urgent cry rang between her ears.

Keith and Tamara stared at their friend in concern. "What?" they both demanded in unison.

"It's Matt. Something's wrong with Jocelyn."

She lifted off the ground, her aura burning an angry purple instantly. "Sync and follow me downstairs," she ordered, before vanishing in a flash of light.

Tamara and Keith traded urgent looks, before holding their rings to the sky. "Spectrum Sync!"

In less than a second, the Purple, Yellow, and Red Enforcers streaked down the stairs, and came to a sudden halt right outside the medical ward.

All stared in astonishment as Green crashed through the wall, filling the room with dust and small chunks of rock.

They were even more shocked to see the Orange Enforcer step through the hole after him, calmly brushing the gray dust from her sleeves.

"Jocelyn! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Red demanded. He landed about a foot in front of her, his hands falling to her shoulders.

Her head inclined, apparently gazing at him for a moment. She then cocked her head, and watched as Yellow rushed to aid Green.

"I was wondering how long it would take him to call for reinforcements," she admitted. The voice was Jocelyn's… but there was a tone of vicious scorn Keith had never heard in his friend's speech.

She then turned back to Keith, her body going rigid. "Let go."

Keith grunted as a wave of orange energy leapt from her chest; throwing him into the far wall with such overwhelming force, he crashed right through the meter thick granite.

He collapsed into a boneless heap amidst the heavy debris and the green grass of the surrounding forest.

Orange moved to follow, until a wall of vibrant purple blocked her way.

She sneered beneath her mask, pivoting to see the Purple Enforcer hovering behind her, silently manipulating energy into a spherical shell to encase her.

Purple hung stiffly in the air. "Who are you?"

Rather than answer, Orange flexed her arms. The faint orange aura around her body began flashing with increased energy, and then flowed from her, clinging to the inner wall of the purple sphere.

The energy then focused directly above Orange's head, and forced a hole in the top of the bubble. "Someone who obviously has far more experience with the power of Light, Human."

Rachel quickly leapt backwards, barely dodging a cannonball of energy. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I forget our shields merge when they touch? But… how did she know that?

It was clear it wasn't Jocelyn they were fighting. True, it was Jocelyn's body, and even her powers; but it definitely wasn't her mind that decided to pulverize her friends. Somebody else was in there…

*We've gotta get her out of here, Ray!* Matthew's mind-voice shouted urgently. *Its way too tight, and we're doing some major damage to Gaius' equipment!*

*I'll distract her, you grab her!* Rachel commanded. She threw her body backward to avoid another sphere of powerful energy, and planted her feet against the wall. Pushing with all her might, she leapt forward like a spring, folding her arms over her head. Her forearms became a battering ram that connected solidly with Orange's stomach, sending the younger girl crashing to the floor.

Sorry about that, Joce…

The instant Orange skidded to a halt, her body was locked within the tight grasp of Green. Wasting no time, he zipped through the hole created by Keith, flying over the Red Enforcer as well as Yellow, who was urging him to his feet.

"Jocelyn!" Matthew shouted, his voice rising above the sound of the wind, "Can you hear me? Answer me!"

"She can't," Orange replied, her power igniting around her, "I

speak through her mouth. I

see through her eyes. And I

strike through her hands!"

The energy leapt forward, tearing a tree out from its roots. Matthew gaped in astonishment as the enormous plant sped toward him at breakneck speed.

His distraction was enough for Orange to slip out of his grip. Fortunately, he was able to dodge just as the tree streaked passed him, dissolving into splinters as it smashed into the mountain.

Matthew breathed deeply, recovering his bearings from the near miss. Slowly, he floated backwards, to where Rachel, Tamara, and Keith had gathered.

"So," Keith muttered, absently rubbing his sore head, "what's Plan B?"

Chapter Forty

*Your mind swims in doubts, Warrior.*

Craig quirked an eyebrow. His gaze followed the Midjinari girl, watching as she nimbly slipped between trees, upraised roots, and foliage.

What makes you say that?

he thought. They had long since decided to keep verbal conversation to a minimum, to reduce the likelihood of being spotted by any wandering Shadows during their exhausting hike through the Edenian forest.

*Doubt tenses your muscles. Furrows your brow. And to match these visual cues, there are even more potent mental cues.*

Craig frowned, tapping his sweat-damp temple. You're not poking around up here, are you?

She slowed down, and gazed at him quizzically. Craig found himself uncomfortable under the scrutiny of those wide, cat-like eyes.

*I apologize,* she finally offered. *I did not mean to intrude. Midjinari communicate freely telepathically. We speak when we can, but there is a constant mental connection between us. There are… so few of us left.*

How many of you are there, anyway?

Craig wondered.

*We as a people have been scattered throughout the universe, fulfilling our duty to slow the onslaught of Death. My tribe has watched the Diadem for generations, and you have seen us all.*

The Blue Enforcer blinked. You mean, the four of you??

She nodded solemnly.

I'm… sorry, Mashal.

*It is the sacrifice we make. The Diadem must be protected at all costs. Edenia is ideal, with the vast amount of sunshine brightening the entire sphere… yet the environment is detrimental to us. We remain enclosed as much as possible.*

Craig silently processed that information. An entire species of people, dedicated to protect the Diadem. Who knew how many of Mashal's tribe had died? How much did they sacrifice, for what seemed to be an impossible mission?

His thoughts were an open book to the telepath. *The sacrifice is great, and the road we tread is difficult. All who fight Death travel that same path… including you and your allies.*

Craig winced. Only recently he'd begun to consider the sacrifices he was making… the sacrifices he would have

to make in the future. And whenever he did, his spirits sank.

Can I do this?

He didn't mean to transmit his thoughts, but he did.

*You must have faith in yourself,* Mashal noted, repeating her advice from their first encounter. *You must believe that you are able to complete the mission entrusted to you. You would not have been chosen if you were unworthy.*

He sighed. That wasn't very comforting. Mashal, I wasn't chosen by the Light, the Diadem, or whatever other powers are out there. My friend picked me.

Despite his somber mood, a small smile touched his lip at Rachel's words. "There's no one else I'd rather have serve by my side as the Blue Enforcer…"

She'd really meant it. She didn't just say it, to persuade him to take the ring. And she didn't just pick him because he was her friend.

She picked him because she trusted

him. And Rachel Castaneda wasn't the type of person to depend on others… so her vote of confidence spoke volumes.

*You do not appreciate the depth of being Chosen,* Mashal informed him. *You were chosen by your friend, but from where did she get the power to choose?*

Spectra, a member of the Denebian Remnant, gave her the Spectrum Stones.

*And Spectra must have been given the Spectrum Stones by Luminus, the High Father and founder of the Remnant.*

Craig blinked. He sounds important.

*He is. He was chosen by the Light. He touched the Diadem. His wisdom guides the Warriors of Light. He would not choose Spectra unless she were worthy of choosing proper warriors. Spectra would not have chosen your friend unless she found that one equally worthy. And your friend chose you. So you have been chosen by the Light.*

That's… an interesting point of view,

Craig confessed. It had never occurred to him to give his fate that much thought. Was it possible he truly was chosen by something great? Was he chosen to be something great?

*If you still doubt, the Diadem will light your path.*

What does that mean?

*The Diadem and your ring are the same. Your ring binds you to the Diadem, in a manner I am not. That is why Warrior Gaius had to summon aid. Midjinari cannot wield the power of the Diadem… but you can.*

Craig quirked an eyebrow. I don't know about that…

Suddenly, Mashal grabbed his hand urgently. Craig startled.

*I sense Death…*

Her revelation came just before a loud crash in the forest ahead.

Craig's eyes widened. What's going on?

The two hurried forward, taking extra care to remain silent and hidden within the dense verdure. Soon, they reached a cliff face, and a startling battle waged before their eyes.

That's the Spectrum Force!

Craig revealed. He narrowed his eyes, watching the Green and Orange Enforcers tousle in the air above. What the hell are they doing??

His jaw dropped as Jocelyn's energy yanked a nearby tree, and hurled it at Matthew.

*Your friend has been gripped by Death.*

"Wh-"

Mashal quickly smothered his mouth with her hand. *No words Warrior… lest we be discovered. Your Orange friend has been gripped by the Empire.*

I don't understand… how do you know that?

*Close your eyes, and come here.*

Mashal beckoned with her finger. Puzzled, Craig slid onto his knees, bringing him within reach to the Midjinari.

She placed her fingers on his forehead. *Now, look.*

Craig slowly opened his eyes, and gasped as suddenly, the rich green of the surrounding forest was replaced by drab gray. The grass, the trees, the mountain… everything blended into one another, creating a flat background.

However, the people present were far from drab. Each of the Force shone with incredible, vibrant energy, bathing their bodies in such radiance it hurt to look at them directly.

Except for Jocelyn. Where she floated, all Craig could see was a black silhouette. Though oddly, outlining the obscurity was a nimbus of orange light.

What is this?

*This is how Midjinari see,* Mashal revealed. *Our eyes see into the realm of energy. The Warriors of Light shine gloriously, yet the forces of evil swallow light with an unending hunger. Your friend has been corrupted, so she fights her allies.*

Craig moved forward, his face folding.

*You cannot help them if you fight with them. You must find the Diadem.*

He chewed his lip. But… they need help!

*If you transform, your exact location will be discernible by the Empire. And then, no one can safely seek the Diadem without being watched!*

Craig huffed his frustration.

Mashal pointed to the cliff with her free hand. *The Diadem is within.*

He followed her gesture, and noticed a rectangular hole in what had appeared to be a solid cliff. Just large enough to be a door…

*I am certain it called to your friends, but the presence of evil silenced it. If the one had not been tainted, surely your friends would have found the Diadem. Now you must enter. So long as evil does not pass through the entrance, the Diadem will call you. Enter the invisible door, and you will be guarded from evil eyes. You can wield your powers without fear, and the Diadem will guide you.*

Craig's gaze slid back to his friends. Rachel, Matthew, Keith, and Tamara seemed to have regrouped, with Jocelyn hovering high in the air. They're right by the wall, Mashal. If I go now, they'll all see me.

*That can be prevented.*

Craig turned, and watched the Midjinari girl pull off her heavy cloak. Beneath it, her green robe matched perfectly with the surrounding forest. *The cloak can hide you from sight and sense. Cover your skin, and join the edges together to activate its magic.*

Will you be okay out here without it?

She smiled. *The Midjinari have traveled the universe for centuries of centuries without being detected by enemies. We have our ways.*

He smiled in return. Then, I guess it's up to me.

He donned the heavy material, feeling it weigh down his body. He approached the tree line, preparing to step into the open, when he saw his four friends take to the air, surrounding Jocelyn.

I wish I could do something. Wait… maybe I can!

He smirked fiercely as a thought occurred to him. He dodged back into the bushes for cover, and pulled the Ireli sphere from his pocket.

This definitely qualifies as an emergency.

Part Four

Chapter Forty-One

*Jocelyn! Can you hear me at all?*

He'd been trying to reach her, both verbally and telepathically, ever since he grasped the situation. When he shouted, she ignored him. When he threw a telepathic message, his mind crashed against a mental wall that felt impregnable.

Every time he tried, he felt a new shiver of icy fear.

What if she's not there

anymore?

Matthew knew nothing about whatever evil acted through his friend's body. Who knew the implications of this… possession? Did the parasite consciousness only take dominance over Jocelyn, or did it… remove

her?

"Matt!"

The Green Enforcer looked up, and slipped out of the way from a particularly heavy looking boulder.

He waved his thanks to Tamara, who floated over to him. "Snap out of it, Matt! That could've really hurt you."

His teeth gnashed in helpless frustration. "Wh... what if she's gone, Tammy?"

Yellow gazed at him a long moment. "Now's not the time to worry about that. We have to restrain her, without hurting her. Then we can figure out our next move."

"But it should've-"

He bit his tongue, but Tamara knew exactly what was plaguing him.

"It shouldn't have been you. It shouldn't have been any of us. The best thing you can do to help her is to help us stop

her!"

Easier said than done.

If she didn't push me out of the way… I would've been swallowed by the goop. I would've been turned evil.

He clearly saw her, lying on his lap, completely inert. When he'd reversed the transformation through the emergency belt-button, her skin was almost gray, as if it had lost its pigment…

Wait…

He grinned. *Guys! I have an idea! If one of us can get close enough, we can un-Sync her with the button on her belt!*

*Brilliant!* Rachel cheered, *Without her powers, she won't be a threat to anyone. Then we can restrain her easily!*

*But won't she just Sync again?* Tamara wondered.

*Maybe she can't,* Matthew answered. *That evil didn't take over Jocelyn's body until right after she Synced. It might not know how to do it!*

She turned around, and watched an exchange between Keith and Jocelyn. *Keith! Try and get a decent hit in! If we can daze her, we can reach her belt!*

Purple floated upwards, nearing the one on one confrontation.

"I don't know how you managed to destroy the Phlegnin," Orange sighed. "I suppose you got supremely lucky. But how long do you think that luck will last, Humans?"

A solid kick, enhanced by a cocoon of orange energy, plowed into Keith's kidney. He screamed at the sharp pain, and lost his control over gravity.

Tamara and Matthew moved quickly to catch him before he hit the ground; dazed, but conscious.

"Spectra has involved you in a war you cannot win. The Empire is enormous…its resources dwarf the Council of Light, and all their allies! Did she ever tell you the planet we destroyed right before we came to yours?"

She planted her hands on her hips, taking on a superior posture. "The planet Fesp, children. The most powerful planet in the sector… and we laid waste to its forces. Stole their knowledge, murdered their king, enslaved the survivors. What chance do a handful of Humans have against a force that great?"

"What would you suggest we do?" Rachel countered. "Lay down and die?"

"You don't have to." She tossed her hair back with one hand, and held the other out. "The Diadem is somewhere on this planet. Bring it to me, and I swear on my forefathers I will leave Earth alone."

She floated closer to Rachel. "You are clearly the leader of this group. Their lives… and the lives of the people of Earth… fall upon you."

Purple closed the distance further, slowly approaching until the two were an arm's length apart. "How can I trust you? You've stolen the body of my teammate…"

Her fist erupted in violet flame. "…and we're taking it back!"

Orange was unprepared for the punch. She took it square in the jaw, the magnified strength of the energy it carried sending her catapulting into the air.

She would have flown much further, had the Red Enforcer not caught her. His arms lanced beneath hers, locking her in a grip that would not give way.

She could do nothing but sputter in outrage as Green appeared in front of her, and moved for her belt.

Suddenly, she felt the power drain out of her body all at once.

Chapter Forty-Two

The swirling orange and white atmosphere of Jupiter flooded the view screen, yet Spectra had no time to consider the gas giant's unique beauty.

She sat at the control of the small vessel, pink eyes narrow as she searched for the turbulent Great Red Spot.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a thick white dust poured over the edges of her vision, whisking her consciousness thousands of light-years away.

This time, she was already seated, and let her mind follow the insistent plea.

She could feel the urgency, tingling her mind from the one who sent the message. Hanging in a vibrant sky, high over the tree line, floated the Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple Enforcers.

She watched in astonishment as the team wrestled Jocelyn, inexplicably forcing her to release the transformation.

How odd… why would they fight one another?

Her eyes widened when she considered the possible cause. Unless, she has been enchanted!

Frowning deeply, her fingers hovered over the Hyperspace Portal transmitter, just waiting for the large cyclonic storm to come into view.

Chapter Forty-Three

Craig took no note of the stoic beauty of the granite fortress. He paid no heed to the damaged wall, crushed furniture, or even sparking telecommunications hardware.

His gaze still lingered out the broken aperture through which he could see his teammates.

I can't help them like this,

he reminded himself, stepping away from the hole. I can only hope Spectra will arrive soon.

Until then… he had a mission to fulfill.

After assuring that he was too distant from the wide hole to be seen, Craig carefully shirked the heavy cloaking mantel from his shoulders. Once folded neatly, he stuffed it into the nearest crevice. Slowly, he lifted his stone heavenward.

"Spectrum Sync!" he commanded, his voice soft yet firm.

No sooner did the warping energy bathe him did a sudden sensation tug at his mind. Once his vision cleared, his head turned toward the staircase leading into an encroaching darkness.

The Diadem!

he realized, his smile returning. Mashal was right! It called to me as soon as I was Synced!

Wasting no further time, a vibrant aura erupted around his uniform, letting him fly through the stairwell at breakneck speed. He followed the signal as if it were a physical cord, urgently pulling him to his goal.

He emerged from the stairwell at its peak, and tore through the hallway. His aura brightened the cavern, the light reflecting off the soft gray rock to create a near-blinding reflection. Yet he didn't need visual acuity to find an open chamber, one of many along the seemingly endless hall.

He slipped inside, and set his feet upon the ground. Tightening his fist, he magnified the light he manifested, letting it seep into every corner of the spacious, nearly empty room.

His face folded in consternation as he laid eyes upon the barren podium. "Dammit… someone got to it first!"

Only… that couldn't

be true. The Diadem had

to be there; it had summoned him to this exact spot!

No… not this exact spot. Somewhere nearby…

Craig closed his eyes, and let that mental bond pull his face in the right direction. Then, he opened his eyes, and stared at the fireplace that stood against the wall.

He approached, kneeling beside the small opening. Ashes dirtied his gloves, and created a dark layer of soot against the base of the fireplace.

His eyes narrow, Craig just barely managed to slip his head and shoulders into the fireplace.

"There's no opening," he realized, staring upward. "What kind of fireplace doesn't have an opening for the smoke?"

Something clicked in his mind. "Unless, this isn't meant

to be a fireplace!"

Smirking smugly at his observation, Craig looked again at the base of the fireplace. Slowly, he felt the soot-covered plane with both hands, until he found what he was looking for.

A latch.

The Blue Enforcer let out a whoop of pride as he pulled the bottom out of the fireplace, revealing a dark, tight tunnel.

After carefully setting the trap door against the back wall, the athlete wiggled his broad shoulders into the hole. He gradually descended into the darkness until his feet touched solid stone.

Lifting his arms forward, he illuminated the void. The light stretched in all directions, revealing walls of piled granite slabs divided into a myriad of unfathomable tunnels.

Craig released a huff of annoyance. "Looks like I'm just getting started."

He pressed forward into the staggering maze, taking comfort in the persistent tug of direction that guided him to the Diadem.

Chapter Forty-Four

"Jocelyn" sat idly within a sphere of swirling colored energy. She was truly trapped… the Spectrum Force was clever to assume she couldn't activate the powers of Light herself.

She couldn't… she didn't know how.

Still, she smiled devilishly, and made herself comfortable on the cool grass of Edenia. She still had the upper hand. The humans had absolutely no idea what to do next.

The four remained in full uniform, each standing outside the sphere. The lingering silence proved they were involved in a telepathic discussion… yet she was unable to eavesdrop. When transformed, the humans had enough telepathic ability to shield their thoughts from unwelcome visitors.

*You know we're screwed, right?* Keith thought, keeping his careful glare on the captive. *We can't force her to let go of Jocelyn, and we can't take her with us. If we do find the Diadem, she'll probably alert the other Denebians to come take it.*

*But she can't sit there forever!* Tamara pointed out.

*Neither can we.* Rachel contributed. *We're the ones on the clock. We can't even be sure she hasn't already summoned help. There could be an entire ocean of those black things on their way right now.*

*We could hide out in Gaius' place.* Matthew suggested.

*No can do,* Keith answered, shaking his head. *She was already inside, and she knows exactly where the entrance is. We have to assume everything she knows, the other Denebians know. The last thing we want to do is give them even more information, even by accidentally showing her something that should've been a secret.*

*Then we'll contact Spectra. It's all we can do.*

"Jocelyn" watched as the Purple Enforcer pulled a small sphere from her belt. "I suggest you don't try anything."

Rachel paused. "What are you going to do about it?"

She answered with a smug smirk. "I can do plenty of things. I can command my ship to detonate this entire planet. It is small enough to be blown to oblivion by conventional means. I can send my Shadows back, and swallow you all whole. Or… I can even kill this body, right before your eyes."

Silence fell.

*She's bluffing…* Keith said. *She has to be!*

*Yeah,* Tamara agreed. *If she hurts Jocelyn while she's in there, it might hurt her too!*

*We don't know that!* Matthew pointed out. *And we can't take the chance! We're talking about Jocelyn's life!*

"You can't hurt her," Rachel spoke aloud. Her voice was more confident than she truly felt. "You have no weapons."

"You humans are very fragile," she countered. She rose to her feet, relishing the at-ready stances the Spectrum Force took at her slightest movement. "and my hold on your Orange friend is absolute. I can will her heart to stop beating, or her lungs to stop inflating. That's all it would take, isn't it?"

Matthew's fists clenched. "Release our friend now

, or else-!"

*Matt, stay cool,* Keith advised.

"You are in no position to make threats… Matt, isn't it?"

He snarled. "We'll destroy your ship. Your body is somewhere on it, right? Well, how'd you like not having a body to go home to?"

She strode toward him until mere inches of space separated them. "How very vicious of you, Matt."

He teeth gnashed furiously beneath his mask.

"Still, I find it hard to believe you

have the power to destroy a Denebian warship."

"We'll find a way," Matthew answered, "If you've done your research well

, you'd know Humans are very resourceful."

"And I am living proof that Denebians are even more so."

*Spectrum Force!* a telepathic voice declared. The entire team jumped in surprise, searching the skies around them.

*Spectra!* Tammy cheered.

*Where are you?* Rachel demanded.

*How'd you know we needed you?* Keith wondered.

*Can you help Jocelyn?* Matthew begged.

"Jocelyn" watched as the Force disregarded her completely. Her triumphant grin collapsed.

"Phaedra."

She glared at the white-clad form that casually approached on foot. "Spectra. I knew you couldn't keep away for long."

The Force all stared in shock at Jocelyn.

"Dissolve the shield," Spectra instructed, "This is my fight."

The team mutely complied, and made way for their teacher and friend.

Phaedra's confident air returned. "Believe it or not, I'm glad you showed up. You can find me the Diadem."

Spectra chuckled. "And why would I do that, Demoness?"

"Because Gaius is aboard my ship."

Pink eyes narrowed. "I know. I saw you take him."

"He lives… for now."

"I won't give you the Diadem. He refused you, and I will not sacrifice the power he would trade his life for." She smiled. "You've lost."

Jocelyn's face folded into a vicious snarl. "If you do not cooperate, Gaius will not just die. He will suffer… more than any other 'hero' before him. The Blight has already descended upon him."

Phaedra basked in the glow of Spectra's horrified shock. The Spectrum Force watched her reaction curiously.

Finally, Spectra recovered herself. "You lie, Witch. There is no Blight any longer."

"I would be more than happy to show you exactly how

much he suffers, at this very moment." Her smile was hideous in its evil. "The last Denebian to be infected lingered for months before he was finally put out of his misery."

Spectra's hand shot forward, and clasped the collar of Jocelyn's T-shirt. She lifted the shorter girl until they glared evenly into each other's eyes. "You lie," she repeated, her voice firm, "I do not believe you even capable of harming him in such a way. I know it would hurt you

far too much."

Phaedra hissed.

"Now," Spectra declared, her free hand lighting up, "I banish you from this body!"

The energy stretched into a foot-long blade, and with a mighty thrust, Spectra drove the light into Jocelyn' stomach.

Jocelyn released a wordless scream, her hands flying to the site of her injury.

The Spectrum Force stood completely petrified.

Slowly, the shrill scream tapered off, and Spectra removed the blade. She gently lowered Jocelyn to the ground, kneeling beside the girl as she began shaking violently.

The Force slowly recovered from their shock.

"Wh… what…" Rachel stammered.

"Phaedra has infected Jocelyn with her Seed. So long as it dwells within her, Phaedra can exert her will upon Jocelyn at any time. The purge is painful, but only for a short while."

The group gathered around Jocelyn, who folded into a fetal position.

Matthew rubbed her trembling back tenderly. "Phaedra… she's done this before?"

Spectra nodded. "Once she infected the Red Star Rider. The Star Riders are a team such as yourselves, with very similar powers. When she meditates, she can see through the eyes, and hear through the ears of the infected person without the infected person's knowledge. She lingered in him for months, slowly learning how the powers of the Light operated." She sighed. "After a while, she had gathered enough knowledge, and attacked us all. We developed a method to permanently remove the Seed, and she'd never used it again."

Tamara bit her lip, clinging to Keith as Jocelyn began to heave. "Now what's she doing?"

"I have killed the Seed, but only she can expel it."

The Force watched in grotesque fascination as Jocelyn rose to her hands and knees, and vomited a small, black slug-like creature.

"Ugh," Tamara grunted, turning away.

Matthew glared at the vile creature, his fist lighting up. He released a single beam of energy from his finger, vaporizing the thing instantly.

Chapter Forty-Five

Phaedra's eyes slid open, glowing in frustrated anger. She'd been yanked from the Orange Enforcer's body quite ungently, and without either truly harming the humans, or securing the Diadem.

Yet victory wasn't completely out of reach. Perhaps Spectra's arrival could be manipulated to her benefit.

So she doesn't think I would harm Gaius?

she reflected, a cold smirk spreading her lips. Won't she be surprised?

She rose to her feet, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles of her sweeping gown. She then straightened her back, and marched purposely out of her chambers, and into the hallway.

It only took a few moments for her to come into hearing range of something… terrible.

Something inside her twisted as she realized the source. The cries of torment, of blinding pain that could never be duly described.

The Blight was tearing him apart, but so slowly, he would linger for months before Death took him.

She shivered… she had no idea his cries would be so loud! She was two full decks away from the cell, and yet-!

"Empress!"

She whirled around, casting her terrifying glare at the peon who dared raise his voice in her presence.

The man, one of Mor'se's assistants, bowed at the hip. "F…forgive me, Majesty," he pleaded.

She snarled. "What do you want?"

"Th… the noises made by the traitor are… very disconcerting, Majesty. His wails can be heard from all ends of the ship."

She huffed impatiently. "So?"

The soldier's jaw trembled. "Perhaps the Empress is not opposed to moving the prisoner? He is in no shape to attempt escape, so a lower security, more remote hangar may suffice?"

"Don't be a fool," she hissed, leaning forward. "No other room has the telepathic dampeners. His screams may be bad, but the ravages of his mind will be far more 'disconcerting.'"

She noted the embarrassment that crossed the young man's face, and scoffed. "Out of my way!"

He stepped aside, watching as the Empress marched through the halls. As always, passing crewmembers lined the walls as she passed, all casting lingering glances of curiosity at the back of their unsettled monarch.

By the time she reached heavy door of the cell, her sure-footed steps had slowed to a subdued crawl.

The hallway had been abandoned for several dozen yards. Since she had given the guard the order to make himself scarce after she first introduced the Blight, there was no one obligated to remain.

Though, as the wailing pierced her ears, Phaedra wondered if any sane soldier would stand his ground, even if ordered to do so.

Her muscles tensing, she unlatched the door and pushed it open. Forcing herself forward, soon the darkness of the cell swallowed the Empress whole.

True to her prediction, the swell of emotions his dazed agony released stifled her. Within the cell, the dampeners had no effect… and the flood of gruesome pain forced the proud woman to lean against the wall for the strength to simply stand erect.

Something heavy and foreign sat in her stomach. Dismayed, she understood that nothing in her life… none of the purges, none of the bloody conquests; not even the dazzling hope of unearthing the famed Diadem… could steel her enough to face his torment unaffected.

"Gaius."

Her voice was soft, though steady. It projected into the consuming darkness, but the fevered screams were far louder.

She tried a different approach. *Gaius…*

Mor'se had told her Stage One did not yet effect his mind. Somewhere within that stubborn man was the ability to respond… to surrender.

*Save yourself, Gaius!* she commanded. *You can end this… I can restore you to health! I swear it!* Her tone grew… oddly pleading. *Submit to me and you will be forgiven. Your lands returned, your title restored… I will even spare Spectra.*

His mind was still obstinately closed, proving the power he still had to either offer or withhold information.

Phaedra's eyes squeezed closed, the sickness within weakening her knees. *You tie my hands!* she accused, fists trembling as she wrestled for composure.

Still… no response.

More agitated than she could ever recall feeling, Phaedra marched toward him, nostrils flaring. "I will not be denied!" she screamed, her shrill voice overwhelming his moans. Roughly, her hand reached for his forehead, fingers burying themselves in his smooth hair.

The heat radiating from his skin burned her cool fingers, but she refused to pull back. Instead, she concentrated, using every ounce of her formidable skills to push passed the resolute walls of his mind.

Slowly, the solid wall gave way, revealing swirling, hazy visions that raced through his consciousness.

"Show me the Diadem," she urged, "Let me end this…"

At that moment, his hand lanced to hers, squeezing her wrist with bruising force. Startled, Phaedra pulled against his tenacious grip.

His thoughts slowly organized into a readable impression, and as his eyes struggled open, a glare colder than the Denebian wastelands pierced her.

Her focus gave way as she surrendered to the message he was desperate to relate. She waited, daring to hope for final victory, as the image took form.

She staggered, horrified, at the impression he related to her.

It was her… as he

saw her. A brutal, horrible monster. The kind of beast that haunted young children's dreams, striking fear into the souls of all to meet its eye. Hideous in its iniquity… so repulsive no one could ever care for it.

At that moment, he launched his final attack into her mind. He saw her as his own personal devil, intent upon destroying everything he held dear. A devil he despised

… with more passion than can ever be put into words.

His spite and hatred traveled through the mental connection like an electric current. Dizzily, with eyes peculiarly moist, Phaedra managed to wrench herself from his grip, stumbling on her own heels and falling to the cold, cold floor.

Never, in all her existence, did she feel so sharp a pain. It was something she couldn't even describe… something that would haunt her for all her days.

And the worst of it was… the pain wasn't merely a reflection of Gaius' physical suffering. The pain stemmed from within her

… reacting to his hatred of her.

Appalled by his feelings, and equally appalled by her shameful response to them, Phaedra rubbed her bruised wrist. Clouds darkening her eyes she struggled to her feet, and made a solemn, binding vow.

Never again…will I let anyone

make me so weak!

To think that she had practically begged

him to let her save him. That she risked so much

to try and show mercy! She had even been willing to risk incurring her husband's wrath by blatantly caring

for a worthless traitor!

Never again

will anyone

stand in my way!!

From that point forward, she resolved to make her heart just as cold and monstrous as Gaius… the man she had once loved more than any other… thought it to be.

And she knew just how to begin.

Chapter Forty-Six

Jocelyn finally opened her eyes, and began blinking furiously. Slowly, her blurry vision cleared, allowing her to make out the green form hovering over her. "Matt," she whispered, "How long was I asleep?"

Keith frowned, trading worried looks with Tamara before speaking. "Asleep?"

She sat down on her legs, and rubbed her head. "I was helping Matt read Gaius' computer, and I guess I nodded off." She looked up, feeling the quizzical stares of her friends. "Or… not?"

"How do you feel?" Spectra asked.

Jocelyn stared at her mentor, confusion written all over her face. "I… I feel good; but when did you get here?"

She smiled. "Just in time, it seems."

Rachel turned her attention from Jocelyn to Spectra. "How'd you know we needed you?"

"When I received Craig's message, I was already approaching Jupiter's orbit. Otherwise it would've taken hours to respond."

The Force retreated into surprised silence.

"Craig… contacted you?" Tamara murmured, thunderstruck. "When?"

"Perhaps half an hour ago," Spectra approximated. "He used the Ireli sphere, and showed me the battle you were engaged in."

Keith scratched his head. "But that doesn't make sense. How could he do that… unless..."

Rachel frowned. "Unless he was here

half an hour ago, watching us fight."

"Fight?" Jocelyn repeated. With Matthew's help, she rose to her feet. "What fight?"

"We'll tell you all about it later," Matt promised. He then turned to Spectra. "You saw us fighting. Is there anything else you saw?"

Spectra turned her head to the steep cliff. "According the angle, Craig watched you from the trees, and then ran toward that cliff."

Keith huffed. "But that's impossible

! How could he run past us without us even seeing him?"

"The only way we can find out is to check it out," Rachel determined. Following her lead, the entire group made their way back to the cliff, with a gaping hole giving testimony to the battle that had taken place within. She chose to step through the hidden doorway.

Spectra's eyebrow quirked. "What is this place?"

"We figure it's Gaius' hideout," Keith answered.

"Guys!" Rachel called, "Get in here!"

Without wasting a moment, the team leapt into the room. They were all immediately flooded by the faint blue energy that tingled their mental link.

"He's here!" Rachel breathed. Her relief was nearly palpable. "He's okay…"

Spectra hovered near the entrance, a tremor running through her body. She too had felt the presence of the Blue Enforcer, but even more powerful was the sense of the chamber's master.

It was unmistakably Gaius' stronghold. It had been more than that; it had been his home for nearly sixty years…

She cleared her throat, winning the attention of her team. "Let us find Craig, and then-"

Her words were interrupted as a horrible scream tore through her mind. Spectra's own voice erupted into a cry of distress, squeezing her eyes shut and grasping her temples as unending torture ripped through her.

Gods… oh gods… no!

she prayed, tears springing to her eyes.

The Spectrum Force watched in horrified panic as Spectra fell heavily to the floor, shaking arms barely keeping her face from the hard granite.

"Spectra," Rachel gasped, kneeling beside her. She watched the tears pour down pale cheeks in rivers. "What's going on?"

Spectra was too shaken to breathe; much less provide a reasonable answer. But the youths were soon informed of the terrifying situation, as a blink of light drew their attention to the forest outside.

As soon as he materialized, wordless howls lanced through the Force's ears. They watched in shock as the stricken man thrashed in the grass, swallowed by a consuming pain that closed his senses to the outside world.

"N…no…" Spectra whispered. She pulled her heavy head upright, wide eyes staring at the man outside. Somehow, she found the strength to pull herself to her feet, and then dashed outside to Gaius' side.

The Spectrum Force hesitated for a moment, before following her. They remained quiet, forming a circle around her.

Keith's arm instinctively found Tamara's shoulders, that began quivering with commiseration.

"This… this is Gaius," the Yellow Enforcer realized, her hands knotting together.

Matthew gulped. "What's wrong with him?"

Spectra drew a shaky breath, one timorous hand hovering over the victim's anguished face. She didn't even hear her friends, so immersed she was in the telepathic anguish she was receiving. "I'm sorry," she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the nauseating sight.

Just then, the entire Force whirled around at the sounds of slithering.

Jocelyn's eyes widened in fear. "The… the goop's back!"

Sure enough, the viscous waves of evil had crept toward them, hovering at the tree line in an endless, oily blanket.

Rachel's fists clenched. They're playing their last cards…

The waves separated into individual Shadows, all standing with their arms crossed and legs apart. An entire army formed before them, featureless faces and indiscernible eyes staring right at the Spectrum Force.

"You hear him now," Phaedra's voice mocked. Her words seemed to trumpet from the waves of Shadows, echoing in the ears of everyone present. "Now you see his torment. Can you truly leave him in such a state?"

Spectra's hand finally touched Gaius' face. His skin was stretched taut, his eyes screwed shut. His screams still rang in her ears, yet his mental cries throbbed in her mind even more.

*Hush…* she soothed, fighting with all her might to send her comfort. *I will end this. I swear

it.*

Her free hand clenched into a tight fist, her knuckles going white with rage. "Witch!!

" she screamed into the air, her voice rising above even Gaius' howls.

A chilling laugh. "Take heart, little girl… I can revoke the Blight."

Spectra looked back down at Gaius' face. Shaking fingers brushed sweat-matted hair out of his eyes. All her strength was gone. "Don't mock me, Demoness," she whispered hoarsely. "I am not so gullible. There is… no cure for this."

Her fist tightened again. This time, her energy flared into a silver-tinged blaze, creating a powerful wind that billowed through her disheveled ivory hair. "No cure but death."

"There is a cure. However, there is a catch."

Matthew snarled. "Isn't there always?"

"I know of the Blight," Spectra choked, "There is no cure."

Suddenly, a gilded scroll appeared on the grass beside her.

"Only I can cure him, Spectra. I

cast the Blight, so only I

can rescind it. If I have the Diadem, I may be persuaded to show mercy."

Spectra swallowed, a glimmer of hope in her peach eyes as she hesitantly grasped the scroll. Long fingers unraveled the parchment, and reddened eyes skimmed over the text.

She saw exactly what Phaedra had alluded to.

"The soul of the condemner"? What does that mean?

While it was vague, it did confirm Phaedra's claim. If anyone could ease Gaius' suffering, it was the vile Empress who condemned him to a fate worse than death.

Demon Empress

… Spectra seethed, Your son took my mother from me, and now this??

The parchment was the first mention of a cure Spectra had ever seen. Could it mean that Gaius wasn't

doomed? Perhaps… she wouldn't be alone, after all.

"I will give you until twilight to make your decision. But be warned; in darkness or in light, my Shadows will not rest. There is no escape for you or your pet humans. If you refuse me, you can all die together!"

Chapter Forty-Seven

It felt like hours before Craig's journey finally came to an end. The vein of hallway he'd followed ended abruptly in a dense wall composed of heavy slabs of granite in various shapes and sizes.

Craig sneered in consternation. "How the hell

did I go the wrong way??" he shouted into the air.

Frustrated, he turned on his heel, double-backing down the hall toward the last fork he had navigated. "Maybe I'm so worried about the gang I can't think straight," he rationalized, "Or… maybe my sense was just plain wrong

."

Before his excuses could even take root, another memory immediately squelched them.

You must have faith in yourself.

You must believe that you are able to complete the mission entrusted to you.

The Blue Enforcer turned around again, his dark eyes sweeping the entire room appraisingly. He knew there was something there… and he refused to doubt his instincts.

You must have faith in yourself…

He closed his eyes and held out his hand, fingers stretching in the direction intuition guided him.

…faith in yourself…

He walked slowly at first, taking each step after cautious consideration. However, his pace soon quickened, as if he could actually see the Diadem glowing before him.

You must believe…

He continued forward, heart pounding with excitement as the energy he sensed set the hairs on his arm on end.

…that you are able

…

Gloved fingers brushed against the smooth curvature of one of the granite pieces, spherical in shape.

…to complete the mission…

His fingers traced the stone, spreading out as they came in contact with the surrounding pieces. Without a second thought, he extended his power, carefully chiseling away the grout that bound the wall together.

…entrusted to you.

The perfect sphere fell from the wall with little effort, slipping comfortably into his palm.

For a long moment, Craig stared in stark fascination at the Diadem. On the surface, it looked like nothing more than a stone, smooth as glass and about the size of a softball. Only, it was so much more than a stone. So much more than he had expected.

Without warning, the Diadem came to life, saturating Craig's senses with its energy.

Craig's knees weakened, forcing him to the ground. Beneath his mask, his eyes stared blankly as the Diadem overwhelmed him with its very essence... of the power to ignite stars, to shake planets out of orbit.

The power of nature. Of creation. Of Life, in its most elemental beauty.

Yet, there was more than merely power within the unassuming orb. Craig was struck with a sensation of… intelligence

.

Was the Diadem alive? Even conscious?

There was only one way to find out.

"I need your help," he beseeched, his tone reverent. "The Midjinari told me to seek you out, to help us fight the Denebian Empire. My friends and I… our mission is to stop the Denebians from taking over Earth."

He paused, ruminating on the words he had spoken, and on the mission he had outlined. Incredibly, pieces in his mind snapped together, revealing a greater picture than he ever realized. "It's more than that," he murmured. "We must save the universe

from the Empire. The Denebians are a threat to everything that exists."

Amazed, he stared at the orb with greater understanding. "You're the key; somehow. We have to keep you safe from them!"

Craig waited, watching the pulsing light radiate from the Diadem. He wasn't quite sure whether to expect a verbal or telepathic reply… but the answer he received made his jaw drop.

Compelled by some subtle force, Craig skimmed the surface of the Diadem with one hand. His fingers grazed a protrusion about two inches in diameter.

Without understanding why, he grasped the protrusion as tightly as he could, and pulled. And as he pulled, an elegant granite staff emerged from the Diadem like Excalibur from the proverbial stone.

Awestruck, Craig stared at the long pole appraisingly. It was divided into six equal segments, each one engraved with an intricate, unique design.

Almost as if… they were six distinct pieces.

The longer he gazed upon the sturdy staff, the more he was awed by the raw power he felt within it… and the power he felt within himself

, seething within him as if it longed for release through the staff itself.

And suddenly, Craig Gillis understood just how magnanimous a gift the Diadem had bestowed upon him.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Rachel stared up at the smaller of the two suns. Due to the rapid rotation of the planetoid, after only twenty minutes, half of the dimming disk had disappeared behind the horizon.

They only had a few minutes left before twilight.

The Purple Enforcer forced her breathing steady, in a valiant effort to keep calm despite their no-win situation. The army of Shadows was limitless; at least, it seemed so. They had fought reasonably well before, but that was hours ago. Now, they were all exhausted, and while Spectra's presence would increase their collective strength, she was obviously too distraught to be counted on. Also, Craig was still absent, and Jocelyn hadn't yet recuperated from her terrifying experience.

Unless a miracle happened, they could never tear through the entire Shadow army, and make good an escape. And even if they did, that would leave Edenia without a protector… what would stop Phaedra from eventually finding the Diadem?

There really was no light at the end of the tunnel.

Rachel sighed deeply, and moved closer to Spectra. Gradually, she had managed to calm Gaius' hellish howls into more subdued murmurs. Still, it was clear from the torture written on his face, and the anguish that clouded hers, that she could do little else.

Unless, she were persuaded to help Phaedra.

Rachel doubted Spectra would do so. After all she'd done to protect Earth, a mere ball of rock floating in the far reaches of space, how could she bring herself to give Phaedra a weapon powerful enough to forever tip the scales of the war?

But she couldn't be completely sure. The way Spectra sobbed for Gaius, shaking with emotions Rachel didn't know the level-headed woman could express, spoke endless volumes.

When Spectra first advised the Force on the situation, she'd described Gaius as an "associate" of hers. It was clear he meant more to her than that.

Much more.

"Spectra?"

Her tears had dried, and her sobs had eased, leaving her unnaturally quiet and withdrawn. Perhaps she was still in his mind, calming his fears and maybe even numbing some of his pain.

She still managed to hear the Purple Enforcer. "Yes?"

A purple-gloved hand fell to her shoulder, and gripped it gently. "Who is he?"
Rachel noted her friends had all snapped out of their own minds at the question. No doubt they were wondering the exact same thing.

Spectra swallowed, moistening her dry throat. "He is my father."

The following silence was deafening.

Then, Tamara spoke. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Her tone was hurt; as if Spectra had kept a dark secret from them.

They could never understand. How could she tell them the truth? That she hadn't even called him "Father" in thirty years? How her rage over her mother's death and his apparent indifference forced a wedge between them so monumental, they'd hardly spoken in three decades?

She had been so young… barely the equivalent of a human teenager. She didn't understand duty. She didn't understand the Diadem.

She still didn't quite understand it now. It was yet hard to comprehend how one could sacrifice those he loved for a lifeless object, without a second thought. However, now faced with such a gut-wrenching decision, Spectra discovered a surprising amount of insight into her father's mind. And for the first time, she genuinely pitied him for having to make such a decision.

He is my father, but he is only one person. One life. Even if we all die today, that is only eight. Eight lives cannot balance the weight of the Diadem.

She breathed in deeply, saturating her strained body with oxygen. Her skin began to numb as she moved toward a conclusion.

He would not surrender the Diadem for his life. He wouldn't surrender it for mine, either. He knows how precious it is… more than I ever could. This is why you left us behind, isn't it, Father? You didn't want us to make this kind of decisions.

A long silence hung before Spectra finally answered the Yellow Enforcer's question. "I told you he is my ally, and that is true. Whatever else he may be shouldn't matter."

Tamara kneeled beside Spectra, and wrapped her in a compassionate hug. " Maybe it shouldn't… but it does."

Spectra found herself returning the Yellow Enforcer's embrace, and took a small measure of comfort in the simple gesture. She also felt the remaining Force gather around tighter, offering their sympathy and unspoken support.

The humans had heart; more than many of the more sophisticated, "superior" races in the galaxy.

"Your time is up, little girl," Phaedra's voice drawled. One could hear the wicked smirk in her triumphant tone. "What fate have you decided for yourself and your friends?"

They could have exchanged telepathic advice, but they didn't need to. They were of one mind.

"We came to Edenia to protect the Diadem," Spectra declared, rising to her feet. The Force assembled behind her, mimicking her ready stance. "And that is what we shall do."

Chapter Forty-Nine

It had taken him far less time to wander through the labyrinthine tunnels the second time around. He had arrived in the foyer, the magnificent weapon he knew was called the Dia-Staff secure in his grasp, just in time to see his friends congregate around something just out of his line of sight.

He had intended to join them; but the fierce voice of the Empress froze him in his tracks.

He realized his friends were trapped. If he gave away his position, they'd lose whatever element of surprise he could offer.

Instead, he draped the invisibility cloak over his broad shoulders, and took extra care to hide the Dia-Staff, lest its brilliant inner light give away his position.

He watched everything from beneath the cloak, its magical properties masking him from both visual and telepathic detection. He wandered close enough to hear Spectra's startling confession, as well as Phaedra's chilling offer. He observed the ocean of Shadows encroach upon his friends, mutely awaiting the Empress' final order.

He watched, and he waited for something to happen. And when Spectra rose to her feet, boldly declaring her team would fight to the end, a proud smile stretched his lips.

He would do the same.

The moment the Shadows moved forward, he did as well. He launched himself into the air, hanging above his comrades while still cloaked, and pulled out his weapon.

Let's see what this thing can do!

His hands tightened around one segment, and it flashed in response. The energy seemed to climb along the length of the pole, creating a blazing blue aura that could've blinded any normal human being. Craig squinted instinctively, muscles trembling in reaction to the energies flowing through and around them.

Immediately, a whirlwind of energy erupted from the staff's tip, so powerful it ripped into scores of Shadows, reducing them to puffs of the evil magic that spawned them.

Slowly, his shocked expression pulled into a fierce smile. Wicked…

"Craig!"

He hadn't realized the force of the blast tore the cloak from his shoulders, until the remainder of the Spectrum Force joined him in the air.

He grinned sheepishly. "Hey guys… long time, no see."

Rachel flew the closest, leaning forward and planting her hands on her hips. "What the hell happened to you? You've been missing for hours!"

"Well, for starters, I found the Diadem!"

The questions came all at once.

"Are you serious?"

"How'd you find it?"

"Where is it?"

"What does it look like?"

"What does it do?"

Craig was too absorbed in the battle ahead to truly hear his friends' frantic questions. Instead, he gave them a brief summary. "I left the Diadem where I found it, to keep it safe." He held out his long granite staff. "And look at the present it gave us!"

"Us?" Matthew repeated.

Craig nodded. "It's the Dia-Staff. Six sections for six heroes."

He held tightly onto the end segment. "Take your pick!"

The team each gripped one segment of the staff. Once all had taken hold, each segment began to glow in the respective color of its new owner.

Then, it broke apart.

Jocelyn, Matthew, Rachel, Keith, and Tamara marveled as the short staffs stretched to about two feet in size. The sturdy granite weighed securely in their hands, unyielding yet startlingly light.

"Split up, Spectrum Force," Rachel decided, "It's time to try out our presents."

The team separated into six directions. Craig descended to the ground immediately below, and picked up the fallen cloak.

"Spectra," he greeted with a small wave, "Good to see you got my message."

She smiled. "You just may have saved us all, Craig. And to think; you didn't feel you could handle this mission."

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "So… you could tell, huh."

"Easily."

He shrugged. "Don't worry, though… I feel differently now." He then took the cloak with both hands, and draped it over Spectra's shoulders. "We'll handle this. You've gotta take your old man and get out of here. The cape's big enough to hide both of you, and you won't be detected. You should be able to get back to your ship unseen."

She grasped his hand. "Thank you."

Wasting no more time, she tucked the gilded scroll in her belt. Carefully, she lifted Gaius into her arms, and Craig helped fasten the cloak around her.

He watched her vanish before his eyes, and then lifted off the ground to join the rest of the Force.

Chapter Fifty

Keith watched clinically as the Shadows gathered their bearings, filling the aisle of smoldering verdure created by Craig's surprise attack.

Blue eyes narrow, he took a few practice swings to grow comfortable with the short alien bo-staff. It's shaped like bo…but it's so short,

he reflected, More like… a katana…

Strangely enough, a rich red energy brimmed along the smooth surface of the staff. Staring incredulously, Keith watched the pole shrink until it was less than a foot in length.

What the hell?

Then, without warning, a beam of energy emerged from the tip, glowing and angry red and halting nearly two feet out. Once it had extended, the energy suddenly flattened… into a blade.

Keith blinked, his free hand itching to rub his eyes and induce some sanity to the day's bizarre events.

It… turned into a katana? Did it hear what I was thinking??

Shaking off his confusion, the Red Enforcer expertly flexed his wrist. The blade whistled as it cut through the humid air.

Keith's stupefaction melted into appreciation. Incredible. It's perfectly balanced, lightweight, agile...

Curious, he descended toward the nearest Shadow. The magical creatures nearby all collected around him at once, capitalizing on the opportunity to douse the light he radiated.

They were ill-equipped to do the job.

Keith watched his new weapon cut through them like paper, breaking the magical spell that gave them form. Rather than melting back into the obscure pool, they evaporated into the air.

"I'll be damned…"

Chapter Fifty-One

Jocelyn bent backwards, causing the launched fist to sing harmlessly above her head. Yet, however nimble she might have been, it wasn't enough to evade the answering tackle that drew her to the ground.

Her heart quickened, panic rising as the inky black soldiers huddled around her, slowly merging into an amorphous liquid…

"No!" she shrieked, struggling against their grip. She could see the darkness encroach; could feel

that sickening seeping of strength and will...

With an animal scream, she wrestled her hand free, slicing the orange Dia-Staff against the nearest Shadow as if she were firing a powerful backhand with her tennis racket.

And suddenly... it was a tennis racket.

The Orange Enforcer couldn't have been more surprised. She rose to her feet, clutching the handle with both hands as the Shadows closed in. She lifted the racket over her shoulder, preparing another brutal smack, when without warning her target began to shimmer with green light.

She watched it dissolve completely, allowing the green weapon that had stabbed it from behind to fall to the ground.

Almost immediately after touching the cool grass, the weapon came to life, flying to its master's open hand.

"Jocie! You okay?" Matt demanded, racing to her side. The two teenagers stood back to back, weapons at the ready as the Shadows regrouped.

"Yeah," she murmured, though her weighted tone said otherwise.

Matthew scowled, his own anger brewing anew as he considered what had happened to Jocelyn in the last battle. "Don't worry," he assured her, "These things don't stand a chance now. Check this out!"

With a grunt of effort, Matthew tossed his short blade into the air. The weapon streaked forward with pinpoint accuracy, slicing through three Shadows and rendering them all into puffs of putrid magic.

"What is

that?" Jocelyn wondered, watching the blade return to the Green Enforcer.

"It's a sai."

"A what?"

"A sai. Some kind of ancient ninja weapon or something. It's so weird... I thought about a sai, and then the staff just... turned into one!"

Jocelyn nodded, glancing again at her mysterious tennis racket. "What on Earth made you think of a sai?"

A sheepish grin crossed Matthew's face. "Well... remember that old cartoon 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'?"

Jocelyn started to giggle. Despite everything that had happened, his bizarre thought process eased much of her tension.

"Anyway," he continued, disregarding her derision, "the staffs Craig gave us made me think of a bo-staff, a ninja weapon. That made me think of Donatello, the Ninja Turtle that used a bo on the cartoon. And then I started thinking about Raphael... remember the one with the red mask?"

"No... but lemme guess: his weapon was a sai."

Matt shrugged, catching the three-pronged blade after another vicious flight. "Hey... at least I'm using a weapon

. You couldn't come up with anything more practical than a tennis racket?"

The Orange Enforcer grinned, an idea striking her. She lifted her left hand, drawing a well of energy into her balled fist. Once she had collected enough, she opened her hand, revealing a vibrant orange sphere crackling with power.

She tossed the sphere vertically, her racket arching over her right shoulder. As soon as the sphere descended, she pounded it with the racket.

The sphere flashed with enhanced power, streaking through nearly a dozen Shadows and vaporizing them all.

Matt blinked. "I… take that back."

Jocelyn clenched her fist anew, charging up another 'ball'. "Daddy always said I had a killer serve."

Chapter Fifty-Two

A form in purple somersaulted over a squadron of Shadows, landing in a deep knee bend. Without a glance behind her, the granite pole extended to twice its length, cutting four Shadows down at the knee.

She straightened. "How're you doing, Tammy?"

The Yellow Enforcer nodded her enthusiasm. "This is much easier than before," she answered, driving the sharp end of her javelin through three Shadows. "These staffs have an energy that seems to repel these things."

Rachel nodded thoughtfully. "Or even dispel

these things. They aren't rejoining… they're actually evaporating… like smoke."

She then watched her friend toss her weapon through a half dozen more dark foot-soldiers. "Why a javelin?"

"High school track team. Came in first in the javelin throw in the J.V. county championship once. I kinda figured a javelin was something

like a weapon."

Rachel grinned. "You certainly handle it well."

Tamara smiled fiercely at the compliment. "And what about you? Have a secret love for flagpoles? Or were you in the Color Guard?"

Rachel adjusted her grip on the long staff. "When I first met Spectra, she fought the Denebian soldiers with a pole similar to this. It was more than effective; so I thought I'd give it a go."

"And…?"

The leader of the Spectrum Force smirked. Grabbing the pole at the center, she began twirling it rapidly, deflecting a wave of tar-like evil that tried to overwhelm her. Once the liquid separated into individuals, she ceased spinning the staff, clenching it tightly with her hands two feet apart. Pouncing forward, she smashed one Shadow at the base of the neck and another under one knee.

Satisfied with her performance, she twirled the staff again with flourish before setting one end into the ground beside her.

Tamara shook her head in mock reproof. "Showoff!"

Chapter Fifty-Three

*May I have a moment?*

The soft-spoken telepathic question was so contrary to the surrounding melee that it startled Spectra. She froze in place, consciously tightening her arms around her feverish father as she sought the one that reached out to her.

She decided to respond. *Who are you?*

A ripple of light, and suddenly a short mammalian materialized only a few feet from her. Large amber eyes gazed directly at her, despite the cloak that hid her from view.

Spectra had never laid eyes upon such a being. Yet for some reason, she knew exactly at whom she was gazing.

*Midjinari…*

He nodded. *I am called Nishal. The oldest of the four.*

Nishal approached, paying no heed to the sound of explosions nearly a mile away in the clearing. He reached out one small, four-fingered hand, and touched the sweat-soaked forehead of his fallen comrade.

*Death eats him,* he explained, shaking his head slowly. *It is relentless.*

Spectra felt her stomach flip anew. *Phaedra claimed the Blight can be rescinded. Is it true?*

The boyish face grew thoughtful. *I am unfamiliar with this 'Blight.' However, your High Father may offer you wise counsel on this matter. You must seek him immediately.*

Spectra nodded her agreement.

*When you see Luminus, I ask you to inform him that we have retreated.*

Her jaw visibly dropped. *Where will you go?*

*Until the Bright One returns, we must remain hidden. The Diadem must be protected until then.*

*You can come with me!* Spectra pleaded. *To Lumina City! Phaedra won't find you there.*

Nishal solemnly shook his head. *The combined power of the Diadem and the assembly of Warriors of Light will create a beacon so dazzling, no cloaking device or spell can mask it.*

Spectra turned her burning eyes back to her father, lost in the throes of anguish so completely, he couldn't possibly voice the objection she knew he would feel.

Nishal seemed to sense her thoughts. *Warrior Gaius has done all that can be asked of him. We would not ask him to accompany us, even if he were hale.*

*Then… then I'll go!* she insisted. After all her father had sacrificed to guard the Diadem, she couldn't let his duty lapse!

His arm swept backward, gesturing to the smoking forest. *You have your charges to teach. They are mighty, but they have a great deal to learn if they will prevail against the Empire.* He then smiled, bowing his head. *I bid you farewell, Spectra. May the Light shine on you always.*

Spectra was so surprised, she nearly forgot to bow in return. *How do you know who I am?*

She watched as he slowly pulled on his cloak, gradually vanishing from view. *Your father spoke of you often.*

And then he was gone.

Spectra stared at the spot where her disappeared. Despite all the horrors that had happened in the past few hours, she found a small smile.

Chapter Fifty-Four

It will never be this easy again…

The thought crept into his consciousness, penetrating the haze of astute concentration that always fell over the skilled athlete's mind during a heated competition.

He had touched the Diadem, creating an inexplicable rapport that gave him insights his teammates did not have. He understood their situation more clearly than the others, and the knowledge made the Blue Enforcer pause.

The Dia-Staffs and our Spectrum Stones work in harmony, the staff focusing and amplifying our own powers. But the staffs directly reflect the power of the Diadem. Since we're so close to it now, the power the staffs manifest is at its peak; but when we return to Earth… thousands of light years will separate us from the Diadem. The Dia-Staffs won't be nearly as strong.

After a mere twenty minutes of battle, the six heroes had whittled the great army of Shadows down by nearly a quarter. Resilient as they were against the Spectrum Stones alone, the creatures had no defense against the power of Life and Light, flooding through the arcane magic that formed them and dispersing the darkness.

But next time… the Force wouldn't be so lucky.

Unbidden, the voice of Teddy Mackenzie flowed through Craig's mind.

"Press your advantage."

One of the most fundamental rules in competitive sports. Since there is never an assurance of victory, one must always take advantage of any opportunity that arises.

Craig stole a glance at his gleaming ax, shaped by his memories of chopping down trees in his grandmother's yard over the summer. He had needed a weapon to consolidate his physical and magical strength, and the Dia-Staff had bent to his will.

We're wasting time, he decided. He inclined his head, staring up into the sunrise. Clearly visible was a black spot, hovering over them all like a bad omen.

The Denebian warship.

There're bigger fish to fry…

Chapter Fifty-Five

The rage bubbled like a volcano preparing to rain deadly fire upon some hapless village.

Phaedra stood on the bridge of the warship… so rare an occurrence the bridge crew was set on edge by her mere presence. With blazing eyes, she stared at the small globe floating innocently in space.

Despite the serene appearance, she knew full well of the fierce battle that raged below. She stretched her perception through her Shadows, watching grimly as her personal armies were plowed down by six humans. Six members of a weak, short-lived species dared to stand against her… with success!

Her plan had backfired. Instead of disheartening Spectra and her team by revealing the consequences of opposing the Empire, she had fueled their resolve and self-righteousness.

And somehow, they discovered a power formidable enough to reduce her mighty Shadows to cannon fodder.

Curse them all! They found the Diadem! That is the only explanation!!

Oh… but they wouldn't win the day. She still had the power to wrench victory from the hands of defeat.

"Captain!" she snapped. She had never bothered to learn the officer's name, nor was she interested. She glanced dismissively at his stalwart posture and decorated armor. "Does this ship have the firepower to detonate Edenia?"

The question surprised the captain. Even though his vessel was technically a warship, it had been dedicated to exploration throughout his tenure. "With time, and a few strategic hits, we should be able to destroy a planet this small."

"Then open fire."

The command caused the entire bridge crew to look up from their respective tasks.

"Majesty," the captain bravely objected, "we can't open fire blindly. In order to determine which targets would cause a destructive chain reaction, we will need to perform a careful seismologic analysis."

Phaedra slid her glare to the captain. "How long will that take?"

"Twelve hours."

She folded her arms. "In that time, the entire Spectrum Force will have already left the planet," she hissed. "Begin your study, but open fire on the humans now

."

The captain knew not to argue, and turned on his communicator. "Weapons ready!" he bellowed.

Chapter Fifty-Six

After making sure Gaius was as comfortable as possible, Spectra hurried to the small cockpit of the Starglider 30 and activated its engines. As it was primarily designed to serve as an escape pod, a great deal of effort was invested into making the ship virtually invisible to Denebian warships.

So Spectra dared to lift off, cutting through the heavy atmosphere of Edenia into the vacuum of space.

She programmed the navigation to take her to the Hyperspace Portal, and had begun making adjustments on the portal remote to take her directly to Lumina City, when an alarm beeped to life. She jumped, turning to the sensor.

"Phaedra's ship is charging weapons," she murmured, her eyes widening, "Did she detect me?"

Nervous fingers flew over the keys, commanding the computer to estimate the trajectory. "The cannons are aimed for Edenia!"

Her fear escalating, she relayed an urgent call to the six brave humans that were blissfully unaware of the emergency.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

*Spectrum Force! The warship orbiting Edenia is preparing to fire on your location!*

The Force immediately stopped their fierce fighting, and as one launched into the air to regroup.

"We've got to stop them!" Tamara decided, "What if they blow up the planet?"

"The Midjinari and the Diadem are still down here!" Craig added.

Keith stared up at the small black spot that marred the perfect blue sky. "Think we can unite our powers? Like we did against the monster-worm?"

"I don't think it'll be powerful enough to do major damage," Jocelyn noted. "If it were, we could've blasted Phaedra's ship orbiting Earth."

"Then maybe we should unite these

," Matt proposed, lifting his sai. At his will, the weapon converted back to the Dia-Staff. "They were one big pole to begin with, right?"

Rachel turned to Craig. "Think it'll work?"

Craig relaxed, listening for any additional insights the Diadem might offer. After a few moments, a clear image formed in his head.

He knew exactly what to do.

"Follow me!" he called. The Force watched, startled, as the Blue Enforcer rocketed into space.

"You heard the man," Keith said. Together, the five remaining Enforcers took off into the heavens.

The team reconvened in the uppermost atmosphere, hovering in a circle. Only mere kilometers away, the foreboding warship floated, two barrels glowing with angry, rolling plasma.

*Dia-Staffs up!* Craig relayed.

The team lifted their staffs in synchrony.

Craig then lowered his, pointing directly at Rachel, who floated across from him. *Now, we link them to create the Dia-Star.*

*Dia-Star?* Matt repeated, brow furrowed.

Rachel nodded with understanding, and lowered her own staff. Tendrils of energy stretched between the tips as she drew her staff closer to Craig's. The moment it touched, the tendrils climbed up and down the pole, weaving over both Enforcers' gloves with no harm.

*A six-pointed star, huh?* Keith realized, setting his staff into place. Tamara, Jocelyn, and Matthew followed suit.

The moment the sixth staff joined the others, the colored flashes of light were instantly replaced by a thick, bright web of blinding white light.

The six hovered around the Dia-Star, watching the powerful energy infuse the giant, six-pronged weapon.

*So now what?* Tamara wondered.

In response, Craig grabbed hold of the Dia-Star from one prong. He floated away from the team, closing in on the warship.

*Now… it's the last few seconds of the fourth quarter,* he answered. *The opposing team is two points ahead… but I'm open for a three-pointer.*

Without further explanation, he tossed the Dia-Star like a frisbee. The magical weapon spun so rapidly, to the naked eye it looked like a glowing disc.

The disc tore through the airless void, right on target.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

The officer manning the sensors blinked his ruby eyes, but the bizarre phenomenon continued its rapid approach.

"Empress!" he shouted urgently, "Captain! There's someth-!"

Before he could finish his warning, the entire warship rocked as the unidentified energy force tore through its very center.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Instinct alone drove the Spectrum Force to retreat to a safe distance. They watched in astonishment as the shower of sparks, fire, and smoke lit the sky. In eerie silence, explosion after explosion burst from the gargantuan vessel, now cleaved in half.

Moments later, the six Dia-Staffs reformed in each Enforcer's hand.

*My God…* was the only thought Jocelyn could process.

Tamara's free hand pressed against her heart. *All those people!*

Keith watched the spray of metal clinically. *They were willing to blow up an entire planet. It serves them right.*

He winced as his girlfriend punched his shoulder. Hard. *How could

you think such a thing!* she shrieked into his mind. *Murder is never

justified!*

Keith turned to Rachel, clearly seeking support. The Purple Enforcer folded her arms, pinching her chin in thought. *You're right, Tammy,* she decided, *murder is never justified. But blowing up that ship isn't really murder. It was defense… of ourselves, of the Midjinari, and of the Diadem. If Phaedra destroyed us, Earth would be an open target, and billions of innocent lives would be lost. And if she succeeded in destroying the Diadem, then all its power would've been erased, and the forces of Light would be at an enormous disadvantage.*

She watched Tamara, waiting for an argument. None came… though it was evident the Yellow Enforcer had not been appeased.

A sudden excitement swelled Matt's heart. *Then… it's over! We defeated Phaedra for good!*

Craig stared at the larger chunks of debris through narrowed eyes. He wasn't quite so optimistic.

Chapter Sixty

*The battle has been won,* Nishal reported. He turned back to wall, where the three other Midjinari congregated around the dislodged Diadem.

*Now we can depart,* Pashal, the second-oldest, announced.

The youngest nodded, though her cherubic face was solemn. *May I please alert the Blue Enforcer? He must know we have retreated, lest he conclude that he failed to protect the Diadem.*

Nishal smiled. *I have already informed the daughter of Gaius of our plans, Mashal. Yet if you so choose, you may speak to him.*

*Be brief,* Quashal instructed, his tone urgent. *We must focus all our power to Phase to safety.*

Mashal nodded, a smile spreading over her face as she reached out for her newest friend.

Chapter Sixty-One

The Spectrum Force landed upon the trodden grass of the clearing. The flattened verdure and pot-marked earth were evidence of the fateful battle that had occurred on that very spot only minutes ago, yet all the Shadows had disappeared.

Yet they were far from safe. The rich blue sky burned with angry debris, some of which crashed into the forest like wrathful meteorites.

"Let's get the Diadem, and get out of here," Rachel decided. "Craig, where is it?"

The Blue Enforcer shook his head. "We've gotta find the Midjinari first. Then we can get the Diadem, and high-tail it."

"Where are these 'Midjinari' anyway?" Matt wondered.

Craig frowned, turning back to the dense forest before him, already smoking with fire. "I… don't know," he confessed. "I wasn't really paying attention to landmarks or anything when we came here."

The team lifted off the ground, preparing to explore the dense jungle, when a sudden flicker of light manifested directly in front of them.

Keith dodged backward, gripping his Dia-Staff tightly. "Sure; why not?" he grumbled, "Let's just add 'ghosts' to the list of weird things I've seen today!"

Craig hovered closer, a grin lighting up his face. "Mashal! Is that you?"

*Listen well, Warriors of Light,* the projection urged, her soft voice echoing in everyone's mind. *We cannot thank you enough for your diligence. Your efforts have saved the Diadem from evil hands… but not for long.*

Matt sneered. "So Phaedra did

survive…"

*The Empire is vast and powerful… for now, the Diadem must be hidden until the One who can manifest its true power arrives. Until then, we shall travel the universe, keeping the Diadem safe from darkness.*

"Wait!" Craig shouted, leaning forward, "Mashal, we can use the Diadem! The power it gave us sank Phaedra's ship!"

*That is but one ship… and there are many more in the fleet. The Diadem must be preserved, or all is lost.*

She bowed deeply. *Your strength is forged by many influences. By your resolve. By your unity. By your confidence. May you continue to grow in the Light, and may the Light shine on you… and within

you… always.*

With those parting words, she vanished.

Matt stared at the point where she had disappeared, utterly mystified. "So… what does all this mean? Did we come all

the way out here just to lose the Diadem?"

Before anyone could answer, a shrill whistling sound burst from behind. The six whirled around, just in time to see a bolt of bright light pierce the cliff that housed Gaius' sanctuary. It paused for less than a second, and then launched into the deep reaches of space.

Goodbye, Mashal…

Craig mused, waving to the speck of light that quickly faded from sight. Thanks for… everything.

Silence reigned for a full minute, as each Enforcer digested the jarring events of the day individually. Finally, the solemn quiet was broken…

..by Keith's rumbling stomach.

The Red Enforcer felt the startled gazes of his friends, and shrugged. "Hey… I said I was hungry hours

ago! At least I haven't been complaining."

Tamara smiled with laughter. The sheer comic absurdity of it all managed to shake her from her deeper thoughts... for the moment, at least.

She wound her arm through Keith's. "Let's go home," she suggested, "before

he tries to eat the local plant-life again."

Epilogue

<NEXTPAGE>

Part One

It all made sense now. Everything fit into place.

Before, he had so many doubts; so many worries. How could he balance his education, his basketball team, and his duties as the Blue Enforcer? The worry gnawed at him, making it difficult to sleep, and impossible to concentrate.

But then... he touched the Diadem.

"If you still doubt, the Diadem will light your path..."

Mashal had been right. His quest to find the Diadem challenged him, forcing him to rely on his instincts. He finally recognized just how crippling discouragement could be; if he couldn't muster the faith to believe

in himself, he simply couldn't succeed.

The Diadem called him... and accepted him.

He rubbed his palms together, remembering the warmth that flowed through him when he touched the mystical orb. He took lingering breaths, exhaling the worries of the day and inhaling the world around him.

He reached for that rapport... that luminous afterglow that lingered in his soul. That center of absolute clarity; of purpose and direction. No longer adrift, he had a rudder to help steer him through his life. Steer him toward his destiny.

He didn't know what

his destiny was. The Diadem hadn't revealed that level of detail. But he did have a clearer of view of just how important his role was to the grand scheme. The Spectrum Force was able to draw from the Diadem's power, with startling results. They were worthy

.

Some day, he would be called upon to take a more direct role in the liberation of the universe. In the meantime, he would serve as a defender. He would continue his studies, learning the field of psychology as thoroughly as possible. He would continue his athletic pursuits, helping fund his education as well as hone his body for the challenges that lay ahead. While these responsibilities were weighty, they didn't have to be overwhelming. And they weren't mutually exclusive, either.

Both his studies and his athletics groomed him to be a more capable Blue Enforcer. And his service as the Blue Enforcer gave him the dedication and maturity that made pursuing his studies and athletics easier.

He would persist in all three directions... and whenever his burden became difficult to bear, he would reach for that center of absolute clarity, and breathe in the Light.

"Craig? You awake?"

"I usually sleep on the bed, Keith."

Keith shrugged, leaning against the wall beside the area rug on which Craig sat. "Well, you've been acting pretty weird lately."

Craig grinned at that, opening his eyes and turning to his roommate. "Hey, you can't really blame me. We've all

had some weird experiences lately."

The Red Enforcer looked at Craig again, observing his expression. It seemed as if he'd been... ironed. Earlier, lines of tension creased his brow and chin almost constantly, as if he were so tightly wound he would soon snap. But now, he seemed relaxed.

"How're you doing?"

Craig exhaled. "Much

better."

"What was bothering you? Is it the Coach?"

"Yeah... among other things," Craig admitted. "Though it's definitely not Coach's fault. I just needed a new perspective, and this last mission helped me find it."

Craig then stood up, stretching his legs to get the blood flowing properly. "Speaking of Coach, I'd better drop by and see him."

Keith winced. "You want backup?"

"Nah, I got it. Either I face him now, or let him chew me out in front of everyone at practice."

Part Two

After a few knocks, a brisk voice shouted, "It's open!"

Taking a breath to steel himself, Craig stepped into the imposing office of Theodore Mackenzie.

"Well, well, well," Teddy growled, looking up from his paperwork. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "So you are

still alive, eh Gillis?"

It took effort not to lower his eyes from the coach's hard glare. "Yessir. And I'm sorry I left practice the other day."

Teddy propped his feet onto his desk. "And why did

you leave practice the other day? And not show up for yesterday's practice, either?"

Craig blinked. In truth, he had completely forgotten about yesterday's practice. It was quite a chore even figuring out what day it was once they returned to Earth through the Hyperspace Portal.

We were gone almost a day and half...

"I had a personal emergency to take care of," Craig admitted. "It... it had been bothering me for a few days before that, but I think I've got a handle on it."

Teddy carefully watched the athlete, noting his attentive posture and focused eyes. He didn't look agitated, like he had the last time they met. Nor did he look nervous, as if he were trying to hide something.

"Are you in trouble, Craig?"

"No, sir. I... I was in a tough place, though. I was feeling overwhelmed, and it just made everything I had to do seem impossible. I got over that now."

Teddy stared at him a few moments longer. Finally, he grinned. "It's a good thing you did, 'cause tomorrow's the Lexford game. I want my star player at his best."

Craig smiled broadly. "You got it, Coach."

Part Three

"So, what happened?"

Keith frowned, staring into the dark recesses of his Coke. "When he opened the door, he was... meditating."

He glanced up, noting the four stares of utter astonishment.

"Meditating," Tamara repeated, "The whole eyes closed, legs folded, 'Hummm' thing?"

"He wasn't 'Hummm'ing, but otherwise... yeah."

"What the hell

happened to Craig?" Matt grumbled through a mouthful of ham and bread, "Before we went to Edenia, you couldn't get Craig to sit quiet for ten minutes. Now he's meditating?"

"He's different," Jocelyn observed. Her voice was quiet as she leaned her elbows on the cafeteria table. "Whatever happened to him on Edenia... when he found the Diadem... it changed him."

"Maybe it's for the best," Rachel posed.

Keith stared at her. "How d'you figure? He's... not Craig

anymore."

"Of course he is. Just now, he's experienced something so monumental we can only guess what it means. If I understood Spectra, even seeing the Diadem is a great honor, and Craig actually touched

it." Her reverent smile faded. "Poor Spectra... I wonder how she's dealing with all this."

Tamara observed her friends' expressive faces. She keenly registered Keith's discomfort, Matthew's anger, Rachel's gloom, and Jocelyn's distraction.

It's not just Craig,

she realized, her eyes lingering on the Orange Enforcer, We've all been shaken by what happened on Edenia... each in our own way.

She smiled as she waved away her concerns. "Let's not think about it now," she suggested. "The best we can do is keep our eye on Spectra, Craig, and everyone else. We're a team now, and we need to look out for each other... now more than ever."

The bright-eyed Yellow Enforcer then turned her attention to her spinach salad, taking a bite of the leafy greens. "And speaking of looking out," she continued, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "Ray, what are you doing at three o'clock today?"

"Economics."

"In the Parson Building?"

Rachel looked up from her soup, eyebrow rising. "Yes."

Tamara beamed. "Great! Then you can walk over to Chris' apartment with me at two-thirty. He lives two blocks away."

The Purple Enforcer blinked as her mind began to puzzle through her friend's suggestion. She noticed the surprised stares of Matt and Keith, as well as Jocelyn's very obvious blush.

"Why?" Rachel demanded with a soft frown.

Tamara was unphased by the lack of enthusiasm. "I need to stop by and pick up his notes from the Shakespeare class I missed yesterday."

"Why do I need to come with you?" Rachel clarified, her patience evaporating. To either side, she heard the poorly contained chuckles from her other friends. She shot both boys piercing glares that did little to quench their humor.

Tamara's smile was utterly guileless, though Rachel knew better. "To keep me company," was her excuse. "Plus, I think Chris has a three o'clock class in the same building."

Jocelyn smothered a gasp with her hand.

Matthew stared openly at Tamara, marveling that she maintained her perfectly innocent smile.

Keith lost the battle for composure, and openly laughed as his arm wrapped his girlfriend's shoulders. "That was subtle like a brick, Tam!"

Her thick lashes fluttered. "I don't know what you're talking about, Keith." She then turned back to Rachel, watching in abject fascination as Rachel's lips pursed into a thin line. To her glee, a faint rosy hue collected on her best friend's cheek.

Ha!

she cheered inwardly, She's blushing! Maybe Chris has a chance after all!

Warm satisfaction flooded her heart as all the tension at the table simply evaporated. Keith was laughing riotously, Matt was slowly recovering from his shock, and even Jocelyn had begun to giggle. Rachel was thoroughly embarrassed, which was in itself a rarity.

And all disturbing thoughts about Craig's behavior, the Denebian Empire, Spectra's ailing father, and the elusive Diadem had faded... for the time being, at least

Mission accomplished!

Tamara privately congratulated herself, grinning smugly.

Part Four

Her hand pressed against the thick, clear glass that served as a window into the most chilling chamber in all of Lumina City. Dozens of medical personnel moved through the room with swift precision, making adjustments to revolutionary devices and testing a variety of potions... all to help ease his suffering. Telepathic dampeners were secured in all four corners, trapping his fevered thoughts within the room and away from the millions of citizens who otherwise would have been assaulted by his nightmares.

Reddened eyes narrowed as the doctors proceeded to connect Gaius to several contraptions. Needles pricked into his forehead, causing screens to display quite clearly his brain and the affected areas. Fluids were fed intravenously, no doubt numbing his pain by numbing his senses.

And all the doctors wore small steel headbands, which effectively blocked their patient's frenzied thoughts and feelings, preventing either distraction or empathy.

Her hand tightened into a fist.

"I thought you had left, Spectra."

Her eyes never turned from the treatment room. "I couldn't," she admitted, "Not until you had emerged from your study."

She then turned, and fixed Luminus with a pleading stare. "Please, High Father... tell me you have found the cure!"

The brilliant sage slowly shook his head.

Spectra released soft gulp of despair, her forehead touching the cold glass.

A warm arm wrapped her shoulders. "You were wise to keep Phaedra's scroll," he told her, his voice soft. "I know we will decipher how the 'blood of the condemner' can restore Gaius. I am confident that the scroll contains the truth, and with time this matter will be resolved."

Spectra struggled to open her eyes, further subjecting herself to her father's plight. Somehow, she felt she needed

to see it... as if sharing his pain would somehow ease it. "How much time?" she whispered, her voice wavering. "He is suffering so much. Perhaps we... should..."

Luminus took Spectra by the shoulders, and pulled her toward him. His stern eyes locked with hers. "We cannot afford to lose your father, Spectra. I know it is hard for you both to cope with this present situation, but it is a necessity."

Her gaze hardened. Luminus felt her anger, and sighed softly. "This may seem unduly cruel to you, but we have no choice. Gaius is the only one who might know where the Midjinari have retreated. We must

know where the Diadem is hidden, or we will lose the war."

Spectra blinked. "But the Diadem is safe now. Our presence only draws Phaedra's attention. Alone, the Midjinari are better equipped to protect the Diadem."

"They can hide it, but we are the ones destined to find the One who can use the Diadem to finally defeat the Denebian Empire."

"The Diadem told you this?"

"The Bright One himself told me."

The blood drained from Spectra's cheeks. She stood speechless for a long moment, staring at Luminus as if she had never laid eyes on him before.

Luminus smiled at her thunderstruck expression. "The Bright One recruited me to form an allegiance of Light. We have only crossed paths that one time, and decreed that I would find him again. The Midjinari have sworn to protect the Diadem from evil until the Bright One arrives. However, they assume that he

will find them

."

He shook his head, his concern obvious. "I have seen the darkness of the Empire; the desperate need to douse the Light and overwhelm the galaxy. I fear... that the Empire will be drawn to the Bright One. That is why we must maintain a link with the Diadem: so we can insure the Bright One is armed with his true power efficiently. Gaius was sent to align with the Midjinari, so when the Bright One is found, we could arrange for him to unite with the Diadem."

Luminus released Spectra, clasping his hands behind his back.

"What will you do now?"

"Find a cure for Gaius," he answered plainly. "Or... at the very least, find a way to communicate with him. I know that the new hideout of the Midjinari would be a guarded secret, so there is no point in combing his mind to force the information from him. His every thought and breath will protect the secret from an intruding consciousness, and in his current state he cannot properly differentiate the mental presence of a friend and a foe. It would only be damaging to scour his mind now."

"He will know me," Spectra stated. Her tone was forceful, as if daring the High Father to contradict her.

"I will not expose you to his mind now, Child." His tone brooked no argument. "He is very fragile, and so are you."

She frowned stubbornly.

Luminus responded with a soft smile. "Now is not the time, Spectra. The medical technicians are doing everything in their power to calm him, which will make it easier for you to reach him. And you have endured much, as well. You must return to Earth."

His fingers lifted her chin, forcing their eyes to meet. His gaze was warm, yet urgent. "Phaedra has been humiliated on Edenia. Her anger and cruelty are as a slumbering monster that has just been wakened. I fear she will unleash that wrath upon you and yours when she finds her way back to Earth."

Spectra stiffened at the grim forecast. In her experience, Phaedra was irrational and spiteful at the very least

. To suggest that this most recent defeat could incite even more brutality was truly terrifying. "We... shall be ready, High Father."

Part Five

At least the fires had stopped burning.

Mor'se took a small measure of comfort in that observation. It had been days since the utter devastation of the warship left him stranded on Edenia. He couldn't quite tell how many days had passed, since the blasted

suns kept the entire planetoid bathed in a vicious light so disorienting, time seemed to crawl.

That vicious light was far more than disorienting. It proved to be deadly to many scores of soldiers and scientists who were exposed too long to the piercing rays. Less than a quarter of the crew escaped the destruction of the warship, and of those few hundred survivors, nearly half of them succumbed to the sunlight. Some had perished, and still others suffered from radiation burns that varied in severity from mild to critical.

Thankfully, Mor'se himself and several escape pods had landed near Gaius' stronghold. The granite fortress was completely covered, preventing the harmful radiation from eliminating more of the crew. Also, the traitor had kept an admirable supply of tonics and medical apparatuses. Granted, they weren't designed for treating sunburn, but ointments intended to soothe laser fire would work well enough.

Of course, what would really be beneficial was some magical aid. Perhaps a canopy of dark magic, serving as portable shelter from the light so a troop could explore the surrounding forest for other survivors. Or even a fresh batch of Shadows, capable of withstanding the light, could seek additional shelter and even help assemble what little equipment survived in the escape pods.

Something

had to be done. The scores of soldiers needed sustenance, and since the suns never set, they needed shelter at all hours. Without the comfort of night, how could they consolidate their resources to construct a ship capable of reaching the Hyperspace Portal? Would they truly be marooned on this jungle planet?

Mor'se seethed. Blasted woman! She is the only one here with the power to actually do something, and yet she has sequestered herself in that filthy traitor's private chamber. What is she thinking??

The tension had reduced the scholar's patience to cinders. No longer could he stand quiet and bow to the Empress' bizarre whims.

His face set with grim determination, Mor'se climbed the narrow stairs leading to the deeper recesses of the sanctuary.

The captain stood at the door. "The Empress has decreed that no one is to interrupt her studies."

Red eyes flashed. "Has

she now? And what is she studying that is more important than our very survival??"

The captain tucked his chin. "It is not my place to ask."

"Someone must induce sanity into her head. Let me through."

"She will

kill you, my Lord," the captain pointed out. "And me as well, if I let you through."

Nonetheless, he obliged the old man's request, and stepped aside.

Mor'se marched into the chamber, holding his head high as his mind wove clear, logical arguments into a web of reason that no sound mind could dispute. Of course, he was well aware that Phaedra's mind was often far from sound.

To his surprise, he found the Empress sitting at a computer station, tapping her finger as she perused information on the screen. He had expected her to be fuming, pacing around the room and destroying any object that caught her fevered gaze.

Perhaps she has calmed after all...

He exhaled the anxiety that had tightened his muscles, and bowed low. "Majesty, we must determine a course of action to preserve our lives."

She utterly ignored him.

His lips twitched. I have given her too much credit.

"I... have been considering our options. I believe we must first consolidate our forces. Unfortunately most of the equipment on our escape pods was damaged by the entry and the fires caused by the debris of the warship, but we do have a few short-range scanners. I am confident that other escape pods have landed."

Still, no response.

Mor'se began to boil. "We must seek out our brethren, and treat the wounded. Then, we should try to send a distress call to the nearest imperial squadron."

"No."

The scholar blinked at the direct command. "What??"

She turned in her seat, and set her ruby glare on the aged man. Suddenly, Mor'se's heart climbed in his throat. "Are you questioning me?"

He swallowed the lump, and managed in a tremulous voice, "My Empress, we must

leave this planet immediately! The heat and light is lethal, and we've already lost scores of warriors! Without the cloak of night, there is no safe means of searching for food or water! If we remain, we will all

die!"

"We will not leave until I am ready."

Mor'se's eyes widened to new proportions. "What could possibly

be on this empty planet worth an entire exploratory crew?"

Her lips curved. "The map to the ultimate weapon."

Her deep, dark laughter made the scholar's skin crawl. "Tell me, Mor'se... what do you know of the Nightfall?"

The empress had the pleasure of watching abject astonishment drop the seasoned explorer's jaw.

"It... is the single most destructive force in existence," Mor'se stammered through dry lips. "At the dawn of his reign, King Charon summoned the Nightfall from beyond Time and Space. The Nightfall laid waste to solar systems in days, laying the foundation of what is now the Denebian Empire. Had the Remnant not assembled to destroy it, the Nightfall would have ravaged the galaxy."

Phaedra steepled her fingers. "The Remnant did not destroy it. They have not the means. Gaius committed the ultimate folly by referring to the historic spell used to capture

the Nightfall. Therefore, it still exists, somewhere in the galaxy."

Mor'se slowly regained his senses, excitement suddenly energizing him. "This is incredible! We may have lost the Diadem, but if we manage to recover the Nightfall, the galaxy's fate will be sealed! When Acheron learns of this-"

"No."

Mor'se blinked absurdly. "No?"

That cruel, bloodthirsty grin tightened, making Mor'se freeze with sudden fear. "The Nightfall will be my

victory. Mine!

I will trample the Remnant, crush the Earth, and achieve what my husband could not."

The scholar took a step backward. "But... you rule the same Empire!"

Phaedra slowly rose from her seat. "Do not pretend to be a fool, Mor'se. There is a difference between ruling through blood, and ruling through marriage. Yet I

will rule through neither. I will rule through power

."

Her eyes flashed, red energy snaking from her orbs like vibrant, dancing lashes. "You are loyal to my husband, Mor'se. You have served him throughout his life, as well as his father before him. And you will tell him of this discovery the first chance you get, won't you."

It wasn't a question, despite its phrasing. Mor'se felt his heart quicken as the electricity webbed outward.

"If you did not trust me, why did you tell me of the Nightfall?" he rasped through a painfully dry throat.

Her smile deepened. "I wanted to see your reaction to my plan," she responded coolly. "Besides, I planned to kill you anyway. You were unwise to make your lack of respect for me so obvious."

Mor'se held his breath as the dark power struck. The blast was so hot it vaporized him on impact, so mercifully quick he never had the chance to scream.

Then, without even a glance at the sooty stain on the floor that was once one of the greatest minds in the Denebian Empire, Phaedra turned back to the computer, reading Gaius' notes with avid interest.

To Be Continued In...

The Spectrum Force Volume Four:

Matches

Excerpt from The Spectrum Force: Matches

Friday, February 11th

"Stupid, worthless Calculus... I can't believe this!"

Tamara Fox continued to grumble as she absently wove through the numerous students crowding Hamilton Walk, the main path cutting through the heart of Dreiser University.

Like all other universities, the core curriculum is mandatory for all students to study. Even Drama majors are required to branch out from their primary courses, to broaden the scope of their learning to such areas as science, foreign language, writing, social science... and math.

Tamara rolled her large brown eyes, fist crumpling the sheet of paper that had put her into such a temper.

"Hey, Tammy, what's... Tammy?"

She blinked twice, turning toward the source of the voice. "Hi, Matt."

He smirked as he hurried to her side. "And since when do you storm past your friends without a word?"

"Since this

."

Matt stared at Tammy's fist, noticing the wad of paper crushed within. Intrigued, he took the sheet and unfurled it to expose a rather low number circled in red ink.

"Ouch," he commiserated.

"The first quiz of the term, and I flunk it!" She threw up her arms in frustration, earning several perplexed glances from the surrounding traffic.

"It's not the end of the world," Matthew offered.

"No... just the end of my GPA. Dobrinksi's giving us another quiz next week, and I'm so completely lost in class now! I thought

I understood this stuff..." she snatched back the paper and shook it for emphasis, "..but obviously I didn't

."

Matthew couldn't help a rueful grin as he watched his friend vent her anger. "You said you have Dr. Dobrinski, right? Which class is this?"

"Calculus 101," she spat, as if the very words tasted bitter.

"Then you're in luck; I took the exact same class last semester. And I aced it."

He watched, amused, as Tamara's eyes lit up with awe. "Really?"

"In fact, I even have my notebook."

Tamara clapped her hands, all her frustration fading. "Then let's go!"

Matt watched, mouth agape, as Tamara grabbed him by the arm and practically hauled him up Hamilton Walk. They weren't able to get very far before the crowd had condensed so tightly, no one could slip through. Tammy released Matthew with a huff, standing on her toes to see over the shoulders of the crowd.

"What's going on?" Matt wondered.

"Grid lock. Must be a sorority bake sale or something." Her smile reappeared. "Hey, we can go on the grass and walk around this!"

The pair pushed through the crowd to the yard lining Hamilton Walk, preparing to take a short cut to a less populated avenue. However, Matt couldn't help a little rubbernecking.

"Hey... that's Rachel!"

Tamara turned, and couldn't hide her surprise to see her roommate gathered with half a dozen other students behind a long table, hastily distributing and collecting clipboards and pencils to the substantial crowd.

She also noticed the identical red T-shirts Rachel and her associates wore, with white hearts boldly traced on the back. "Oh. My. God."

Utterly forgetting the urgency of securing a decent calculus grade, Tamara hurried toward the table, and tapped her roommate's shoulder from behind.

"Hi, Tammy," Rachel greeted. Her smile fell at the mischief lurking in her friend's dark eyes. "Now

what are you up to?"

"I simply can't believe my eyes," Tamara replied, "You are the last

person I expected to find on the Valentine's Giveaway Committee!"

Matt frowned. "The what?"

Rachel didn't hear him. "What makes you say that?" she wondered, her tone defensive.

Tamara shrugged. "Well, considering you haven't had a significant other in over a year, I figured romance was pretty low on your priorities."

Rachel's jaw tightened as she became keenly aware that at least one of the surrounding volunteers was paying attention. "Not this again..."

"What's the Valentine's Giveaway?" Matthew interjected, his curiosity piqued.

"It's been a tradition at Dreiser for eleven years," Rachel explained, "Essentially, it's a matchmaking contest. Every year, hundreds of students fill out these questionnaires that try to lock down the personality of the applicant. You know, what you like to do for fun, what types of movies you like, and so on. Then, a winner is selected from the entire batch, and we," she gestured to the other volunteers, "find the best match from the other entrants."

Matt picked up a questionnaire and scanned it quickly. "So it's a blind date?"

"It's so much more than that!" Tamara objected, her face bright with excitement, "The winning couple is treated to a fantastic night on the town! We're talking a limousine and dinner and dancing at a fancy restaurant. And the school picks up the bill."

"Fine... then it's a free

blind date."

"Matt, it's a chance for one lucky guy or girl to meet their perfect match!"

Rachel smiled at Tamara's earnest words. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. The Committee does try to find a solid match for the winner, but still the objective is to have a good time with someone with similar interests."

She then rolled a pencil in Matt's direction. "Care to try your luck?"

He was clearly skeptical. "Even if, by some miracle, I'm picked as winner, what are the chances that a girl for me would even participate in a contest like this?"

With a groan, Tammy picked up the pencil and stuffed it in Matt's surprised hand. "What's the harm in taking a chance? At worst you'll endure a fantastic dinner with a girl with similar interests. At best you'll meet your future wife!"

Matt winced at the comment.

"And most likely, nothing will happen at all. So give it a shot!"

Rachel leaned closer to her young friend. "Just fill it out, Matt," she suggested in a stage whisper that Tamara could easily overhear. "Tammy's not going to let you leave until you do."

With a defeated huff, Matthew pressed the pencil to the questionnaire.

Character Thesaurus

You wanted to learn more about the Spectrum Force, their mentors and the enemies they fight? Read on and you shall find information on these characters and more!

The Spectrum Force

Rachel Castaneda - The Purple Enforcer

Full Name:

Rachel Castenda
Enforcer Designation:

Purple Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

February 24, 1978
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Brown
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Senior
Concentration:

Legal Studies
Hometown:

Miami, Florida
Vital Traits:

Practices kick-boxing; active in various university organizations; studious; very private; fluent in Spanish.

Keith Maloy - The Red Enforcer

Full Name:

Keith Maloy
Enforcer Designation:

The Red Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

July 11, 1978
Height:

6'1"
Hair:

Blonde
Eyes:

Blue
Year in College:

Senior
Concentration:

Business Management
Hometown:

Houston, Texas
Vital Traits:

Achieved black-belt level in karate; enjoys water sports; mostly light-hearted and energetic; proficient in Japanese.

Craig Gillis - The Blue Enforcer

Full Name:

Craig Gillis
Enforcer Designation:

The Blue Enforcer
Age:

21
Date of Birth:

December 17, 1978
Height:

6'3"
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Junior
Concentration:

Psychology
Hometown:

New York City, New York
Vital Traits:

Member of Dreiser University Varsity Basketball team; all-around athlete; often clownish; enjoys mostly laid-back lifestyle.

Jocelyn Armand - The Orange Enforcer

Full Name:

Jocelyn Armand
Enforcer Designation:

The Orange Enforcer
Age:

17
Date of Birth:

November 9, 1982
Height:

5'2"
Hair:

Light Brown
Eyes:

Hazel
Year in College:

Freshman
Concentration:

Undecided
Hometown:

San Francisco, California
Vital Traits:

Extremely intelligent, with excellent memory and problem-solving skills; participates in intramural beach volleyball and Dreiser University Women's Swim Team.

Matthew O'Conner - The Green Enforcer

Full Name:

Matthew O'Conner
Enforcer Designation:

The Green Enforcer
Age:

18
Date of Birth:

August 25, 1981
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Copper Brown
Eyes:

Green
Year in College:

Freshman
Concentration:

Biology (Pre-Med)

Hometown:

Greenwich, Connecticut
Vital Traits:

Tends to be impatient and often sarcastic; volatile temper; sensitive.

Tamara Fox - The Yellow Enforcer

Full Name:

Tamara Fox
Enforcer Designation:

The Yellow Enforcer
Age:

19
Date of Birth:

April 21, 1980
Height:

5'5"
Hair:

Black
Eyes:

Brown
Year in College:

Sophomore
Concentration:

Theater Arts
Hometown:

Savannah, Georgia
Vital Traits:

Highly energetic, optimistic, and creative; athletic (particularly jogging and softball)

; artistic (sculpting, singing, dancing, and composing)

.

Mentors and Allies

Spectra - Mentor to the Spectrum Force

Full Name:

Spectra
Designation:

Mentor to the Spectrum Force
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Black with red highlights
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Lumina City, Fesp
Vital Traits:

Determined to help the Spectrum Force complete their task in protecting the Earth, Spectra herself was once a member of her own Spectrum Force when she lived on Fesp.

Gaius – Mentor to Spectra and the Spectrum Force

Full Name:

Gaius
Designation:

Mentor to Spectra and the Spectrum Force
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

5’10”
Hair:

White
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Lumina City, Fesp
<font_bold>Vital Traits: He was the mentor of the original Spectrum Force. Passing his knowledge onto Spectra, he was on his way to returning to help her with this new generation of Spectrum Force when Phaedra struck him done with a virus called the Blight. Currently, he is in the care of Spectra and the Spectrum Force and has yet to awaken.

Villains

Phaedra - Empress of Denebia

Full Name:

Phaedra
Designation:

Empress of Denebia
Age:

Unknown
Date of Birth:

Unknown
Height:

5'8"
Hair:

Blonde
Eyes:

Brown
Homeplanet:

Denebia
Vital Traits:

Determined to take over the Earth, Phaedra is empress of the planet Denebia. Violent and Deadly when she is angered, she is truly dangerous to approach one on one.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.07.2012

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