Three months later…

Wade Wells's journal entry # 58

The last three months have been everything except boring.  We continue our
search for Quinn and Remmy.  I miss them both so very much.  I can't wait to
see them.  I wonder if Maggie is still with them.  I can't shake this bad
feeling inside me that Quinn thinks I'm dead.  I'm sure he'll just turn to
Maggie for comfort, I wonder if he ever thinks about me.  The Professor
claims we are getting closer, but Xander and I know he is only saying that
to keep us in high hopes.  It is wonderful to have Professor Arturo back,
but I still miss the other one.  Even though he was an imposter, he was
still Professor Arturo.  He may have joined us for greedy reasons, but there
was such a noble quality about him.  In the end he gave his life for Quinn,
and that is not the work of a man obsessed with greed.  And then we have
Xander Caine, Jedi Knight.  He just might be the greatest mystery to me.
Why is it so necessary for him to help us?  You would think that he was help
enough just getting me out of the Kromagg hell I was in.  I'm glad he's
here, he makes things so much easier, and I...
 

"Wade?" Arturo called out.  Arturo popped his head threw the opening of her
door into her hotel room.  "  Do you want to join me for a drink, down at
the bar?" Arturo asked.

"Alright, I'll be right there." She replied back.  Arturo waited by the
door.  Wade stopped writing. She closed her journal and placed it into her
travel bag.  Wade began to collect all her possessions in the room. She
looked around making sure not to miss anything.
 

The two sat at the bar enjoying their drinks. The place was a little
crowded and there was a cloud of smoke lurking in the air.  The two were
feeling relaxed, it was a nice relaxing evening.  Wade noticed some young
men at the end of the bar checking her out.  But she just ignored them. The
last thing she needed was any hassle.

" Where's Xander?" Wade asked.  Arturo took a swallow from his drink.  Wade
waited for her reply.
" Meditating I think." Arturo answered. " He seems a little bit over
cautious, has been since we got here, there's something troubling him I
think." Arturo told her.

" Maybe he's home sick, maybe he doesn't like sliding." Wade answered.
 
 
 

The hotel room is covered in near total darkness, except for the light
coming off the candle. It is just enough to reveal Xander's slightly
troubled face.  Xander is deep in meditation.  There is sweat dripping from
his ear.  The heat in the room is quite high, and almost near the point of
being unpleasant, but the heat is the furthest thing from young Xander's
mind.
 

Arturo looks at his timer. It reads one hour eight minutes and 42 seconds.
The TV is playing some type of bizarre football game where none of the
players are wearing any cloths.

"Quite distracting, but the cheer leaders are…" Arturo was beginning to
say before the game was cut off.  The TV screen went blank.

Xander's eye's open.
 
 
 
 

The snowy screen cleared up to reveal the President of the United States.
President Clinton had a grave look on his face.  Arturo smiled at Wade.

" I wonder what they caught him doing this time." He laughed.  The President
looked off the camera, then back to the camera.

" People of America, I come before you tonight with great news," He was
beginning to say, there was small signs of trouble in his voice. " All
citizens of Earth will never have to worry about war again, or for that
matter anything else.  I have just made a deal so wonderful that we will
benefit from it for the rest of time." Wade looked over to Arturo.  There
was a look of great interest on Arturo's face.  The president went on to
tell America about their great new allies.  Deep within Arturo's mind he
knew what that meant.  The president was a little shaky, and his attempt to
sound pleasant was a failure.  Something was greatly troubling him.  Once
again he looked off camera, it was as if someone was controlling what he was
saying.
" Ah screw it!"  The president said rebelliously.  " People of America we're
in trouble." He began to yell.  " Don't just fight for your lives!  Fight
for your freedom!" He shouted.  The picture went dead.

Everyone in the bar was taken completely off guard, everyone except two.
The picture returned to reveal a young Asian woman.    Wade quickly stood
up, she recognized the young women.
 

"Son of a bitch!" Wade yelled.

"Wade? What's wrong?" A shocked Arturo asked.

"I know her, her name is Mary." Wade said angrily.  "She's the one who
helped the Kromaggs take over our Earth, we tried to help her and she sold
us out." Wade began to get even more enraged.  The entire attention of the
bar was on the TV, all where silent and waited to hear what would happen
next.  Mary stood in front of the camera, at her side was her Kromagg
master.  He was a pure Kromagg not a human half-breed.  There was another
man standing in the back round.  He was dressed in a black cloak and a black
hood concealed his face.  There was an intimidating way about him.

"What the hell?  What is this, the freaking Sci-Fi Channel? "A man shouted
out.  The other people kept silent, just waiting to see what would happen
next.  "It's some kind of a joke, change the channel!" He shouted.

"My master sends his greetings to you." Mary said into the camera.  "Your
President is a fool, he has failed to cooperate with us, so now he pays with
his life." Mary said coldly.  " Now don't be as foolish as he was, save your
selves.  If you help us we will go in peace."  She explains.

" In a pigs eye." Arturo mumbled.

"We need your help to track down fugitives who we believe maybe be on this
world."  Mary went on to explain.  " We have traced a signal that only they
could have left." She told the people.  Arturo grabbed Wade by the arm.  "
They are wanted for the murder of Kromagg soldiers, we have promised your
president if you assist us you will be greatly rewarded." She pauses for a
few seconds.  " But he chose to be foolish." She added.

" It's time to go." Arturo whispered.  The two slowly got up and began to
walk to the doors.  Wade looked back.

" Here are photo's of what they look like, now pay close attention, and
remember what's at stake."  Mary said in a threatening voice.  The TV screen
was flashing photographs of Quinn, Rembrant, Maggie, Colin, and then Wade,
and finally Xander.  The two picked up there pace a little.

" Hey!" Someone yelled. " Look it's one of the girl's from the photograph!"

" Dam." Arturo whispered.  Violently the people began to grab at Wade.  In
an attempt to protect Wade.  Arturo grabbed a beer bottle off a near by
table and smashed it over the head of the closest man to Wade.  It was a
short struggle, Arturo was out matched by the panicky mob.  Arturo was
knocked to the floor and Wade was taken.  The frustrated Arturo then grabbed
a pool stick and chased after them.  But Arturo was to late, by the time he
stepped out of the hotel bar and threw the lobby entrance Wade was being
driven off.

" Dam! Dam! Dam!" Arturo shouted.  Xander came running down the steps, but
he was to late.  Arturo turned and looked to his Jedi friend with great
disgust.  " Blistering idiot! where the HELL were you!" Arturo shouted.

" What happened?" Xander asked.

" What happened!  Wade was taken!"  He yelled.  Arturo was slowly calming
down, he realized that it wasn't Xander's fault.
.

" Where would they have taken her?" He asked.

" My guess would be the closest jail." Arturo answered.

" Then let's go." Xander said.
 

Else where…
" We have been receiving calls over the Sanfranciso and LA we have found
everyone from the photo's except the last one." The secret service agent
informed Mary.  Mary looked over to her master and informed him. The Kromagg
responded to her in the Kromagg language.

" My master says that we don't want their doubles, find out if two different
locations have found the same person." She told the agent.  The young agent
nodded his head.  There was a grim look in his eyes, he knew the worst was
yet to come.
 

Kromagg outpost#12

There is an army of half-breed Kromagg soldiers prepared for a full-scale
invasion.  General Grabble a half-breed General stands ready next to his
second in command.

"I can't wait to feel the glory of battle again, it has been to long since
I've killed something." General Grabble said to his second.

"Sir, it's been two months since we conquered a world." The second in
command said to his general.

"I know, a lifetime." The grinning general answered.
 

Arturo and Xander raced to the jail, they knew they must get there before
the Kromaggs learn of the Wades capture.

"Sir, we have two locations where both have secured Wade Wells." The agent
told Mary.   Mary was quick to inform her master.  The threatening man
dressed in the dark cloak stepped forward.

"Tell me where?" He said in a quite voice, almost a whisper.
 
 

The streets were now a dangerous place.  The rioters and looters were in
charge.  Panic was every where the people knew better than to trust the
Kromaggs.  Xander and Arturo battled there way to the police station.
Arturo found the pool stick to be a handy weapon. The police station was
crazy, it was a small war zone.  There was a gunfight was blazing.

" Dam fools!" Arturo shouted.  " They're going to do the Kromaggs work for
them." Arturo said.  Xander began to check out the building.  There were two
floors and Xander saw his way of entry on the second floor. " Alright what's
the plan?" Arturo asked.

"I go in, get Wade, and I come right back out." Xander answered.  Arturo
rolled his eyes.  He looked down to the timer 30 minutes and change.

"Well hurry up!" Arturo snapped.  Xander smiled.  Quickly Xander ran to the
side of the building.  He looked around, no one was watching except Arturo.
Xander leaped in to the right on to the out side of a second story window.

Inside the jail Wade found her self once again tied down to a chair.  But
this time was different from the last time. This time she was smiling.  She
knew it was only a matter of time before Xander would get there.  The few
officers guarding her were staring at her, they were curious as to why she
didn't seem worried.

" Look lady, this ain't personal, and I don't agree with it, but it's our
best shot at saving our own a butts." A disgraced said to her.  Wade said
nothing she just smiled.  " What in the hell are you smiling about?" The
confused cop asked.  The lights in the room went out.
 

Outside Arturo waited, he watched on as the people continued to destroy each
other.  Arturo's attention was quickly diverted to the sky above.  A Kromagg
sliding vortex was opening.  A manta ship came flying out.

As the last officer fell to the ground unconscious Xander felt the
disturbance in the force.  Quickly Xander untied Wade.  He sensed the
Kromagg invasion was beginning, and now the real battle would begin.

"Well that was quick." Wade said.

"There's no time, the Kromaggs are here." Xander informed her.

The Manta ship landed on top of the building.  A few Kromagg soldiers and
the man in the dark cloak walked out.

Xander leaped from the building with Wade in his arms.  Arturo ran up to
greet them.  He had the timer in hand.  Arturo looked down at it and then
showed it to the others.

"We still have 20 minutes till the slide, and the invasion has begun."
Arturo told them.  Xander was feeling a strange feeling in the force,
something was wrong, something more than just the Kromaggs.  He just didn't
know what it was.

Throughout the city red vortexes were opening ever where, and the Kromagg
foot soldiers were coming threw.  They wasted no time beginning their
slaughter of the humans.
 

"Max, take Wade to the meeting place." Xander told his friend.  A large
group of foot soldiers were entering their alley.  Xander turned to face the
attackers.  " Now go!" Xander ordered.  Arturo and Wade began to run for it.
  Xander turned and drew his light saber.  The Kromaggs opened fire, Xander
leaped into the air.  He landed right up in the front lines.  He began to
slice at the Kromagg soldiers.  Xander induced a massacre.  He was striking
fatal blows with his light saber and at the same time reflecting the laser
blasts.  There were more soldiers entering the alley.  Xander was stalling
as much time as he could for his friends.
 

Suddenly the soldiers stopped fighting, Xander stopped as soon as they did.
The crowed of soldiers began to back away.  Xander watched on.  They then
separated into two groups forming a clear path down the center of them.  The
strange feeling in the force was growing inside Xander, something he had
never felt before.  Patiently he waited for the next obstacle.  Slowly a man
in a dark cloak came walking forward, right down the center of the soldiers.
  The man in the cloak stopped.  Xander now knew what he was, a Sith Lord.
The cautious Xander stayed on guard. His light saber would be ready at his
quickest command.

"So it is true." The Sith Lord said slightly amused.  Xander recognized
something chillingly to familiar in the voice.  " You are a Jedi?" The Sith
Lord asked.

"Yes, I am" Xander bravely replied.  Slowly the Sith Lord began to remove
his hood.  First his chin was revealed, and then his nose, when the hood was
pulled completely off Xander found himself in the weirdest situation of his
life. Xander was now face to face with his mirror image.  It was a double
like Professor Arturo had told him about.  Xander was ready for the battle
that was about to take place.

"Hello me, meet the real me." Darth Canie mocked.  " I know what your
thinking, and believe me it's exactly what's on my mind." Darth Caine began
to say.  "Dam…What a good looking man!" He laughed. " You know the first
time I heard about you, I must confess I thought the Asian girl was full of
cock-kA.  But now I see with my own eyes and I can't wait to see what you
can do!" Darth Caine excitedly said.  Quickly he drew his red colored light
saber and made his first attack.  With his lightning fast reflex Xander drew
his light saber to block the on coming attack.  The two men got in to a
heated battle of exchanging blow for blow.  "You're not too bad." Darth Canie
complimented.  Darth Caine then swung his light saber at Xander's feet.  The
young Jedi did a back flip backwards.  Darth Caine let out an intimidating
war cry as he charged Xander.  Both men two locked light sabers.  They both
put strenuous mounts of pressure on each other.  Xander was so focused on
his fight with Darth Canie that he did not see the Kromagg soldier raise his
laser weapon.  The sharp pain stung Xander in the back.  The Kromagg soldier
had fired his weapon.  Xander felt himself lose consciousness, his grip on
his light saber loosened, it fell to the ground.  The dazed Xander looked at
into the evil eyes of Darth Caine.  Xander's motionless body then fell to
the ground.  There was a cheated look on the face of Darth Caine, he felt
robbed of his victory.

" NO!" Darth Caine shouted. "He was mine to kill!" The enraged Sith Lord
yelled.  A choking sensation came over the soldier who fired the shot.  His
life was being choked out of him.  " You maggot!  You did a very, very
stupid thing."  Darth Caine said gritting his teeth.

"Stop it!" A Kromagg soldier said aiming his gun at Darth Caine's head.
" Do not piss off the Sith Lord!" A voice called from behind the group of
soldiers.  The soldier lowered his weapon.  "Relax Sith Lord he is not dead,
yet." The voice belonged to General Grabble, as he approached closer.  "The
masters want him alive for study.  You will have another chance, but now we
are running out of time.  You know the deal." General Grabble said.

" Yes, I remember." Darth Caine said.

" Then go do your job, we have them being watched my men will tell you
where to go." General Grabble ordered.

60 seconds before the slide…

" He's not going to make it." Arturo said.  The two had taken refuge in a
sewer tunnel.  Wade looked worried.  They could hear the constant firing of
the laser weapons and the screams of its victims.  It was a horrible sound.
Wade was afraid one of the screams might belong to Xander.  " Wade were
going to have to leave him." Arturo said glumly.  There was a tear in Wade's
right eye.

" He'll make it." Wade said confidently.  It was just then that they heard
the footsteps running up the sewer tunnel.

" Wade, Professor Arturo!" Darth Caine shouted.  He was dressed in Xanders
clothes and carrying Xander's light saber.

" Xander!" Wade yelled. " I knew you'd made it!" She said with excitement.
Darth Caine stopped and held out his arms.  There was an evil smile on his
face.

" Of course." He said.  Professor Arturo was relieved.  It was a false
reunion, but both Arturo and Wade had fallen for it.

" Good to see you my boy, now let's get the hell out of here!" Arturo said.
Arturo opened the sliding vortex and jumped through.  Wade and Darth Caine
followed, and the vortex closed behind them.
 

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