Spectrum Force Chapter Three

Still not mine!
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The Spectrum Force and all related characters belong to me. This is the revision of the story "A Call to Arms" in my original Spectrum Force series. As you can see, I made some pretty big changes. 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).



The Diadem

Part 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."

* * *

"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."

* * *

"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.

* * *

"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!

* * *

"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?"

* * *

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?"

* * *

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.

* * *

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.

* * *

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."

* * *

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.

* * *

"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.

"Exactly. 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.

* * *

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."

* * *

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.

* * *

"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.

* * *

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.



To Be Continued...