 
Jonathan Rush and the Star Academy

The Star Master Trilogy: Book One

By Gregory Blackman

Published by Gregory Blackman at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Gregory Blackman

All right reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Written in Canada.

All right reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without the written prior permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Written in Burlington, Ontario

To my parents, who never stopped believing in me.
Prologue

Johnny ran through the hallways, scared and alone. He had been running for awhile now, and was beginning to panic. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, as the sweat beaded down his dusty blonde hair. Pressing his hands against the cold steel walls, he searched for any means of escape.

"We are ready to begin the invasion," a ghostly voice boomed from the shadows.

Hesitantly, Johnny walked towards the voice, eventually coming to the entrance of a large room. Soldiers stood at attention, all the way down to a large golden throne.

The warriors wore the armor of knights, only there was nothing holy or honorable about them. Their jet-black armor glistened in the fires that were lighting the room. On the throne sat a wraithlike creature, clad in black, tattered robes. A hood covered his face from Johnny, who was unable to see past the blackness.

They did not seem to notice the young boy walking around; and Johnny slowly walked closer to get a better look. The dark figure was speaking to two other silhouettes at the bottom of the steps. With their backs to Johnny, he could not make out who they were, but he was not about to get that close; he had never been so scared in his life.

The shadowy figure to his left was a tall, slender woman with long dark hair running down her back; that much Johnny could make out. She stood out among the other soldiers that lined the halls. She was the only woman in the room, unless there were some hiding beneath the devilish armor the warriors wore; standing at attention for her dark master.

The other figure stood a couple feet taller than the woman. A monstrous man, he wore similar armor to the dark knights lining the throne room. He had the silhouette of a demon, and surely had a disposition to match.

"I shall carry out your orders," the monstrous man said, his voice whizzing and cracking as he spoke. The sounds of gears and chains cracked as he paced back and forth. The monster seemed to be more machine than man. "The Void Empire shall rule over them, my Dark Prince."

The Dark Prince, he must be the eerie figure on the throne. This all seemed so unreal to Johnny. What was he doing here? Where was he before he came here? It was all so hard to think, his mind was too cloudy. His head was starting to pound, and brought his palms to his head in pain.

When the pain eased, Johnny raised his head, looking out the window to his side. There was a large glass panel, looking out upon the world outside.

"It couldn't be," Johnny wondered to himself. They were in space. It was some sort of space station, like in the movies. Johnny looked on, in wonder. There was a bright red world down below. Looking more like Mars than Earth, he was a long way from home, he thought. He couldn't really be there right now, could he?

Johnny noticed tiny specks of light littered across the horizon. Squinting harder, he tried to get a better view of what they were.

"No way," Johnny exclaimed. There must have been thousands of starships orbiting the blood-red world. Were they planning to invade Earth? Just who were these people? And just how did he come to be there in the first place?

His head was starting to pound again, harder than before; almost as if his body was telling him that he didn't belong there.

"There is an intruder!" the woman yelled out. Johnny looked up to see every dark knight now taking up a defensive position around him. "Do not let him escape!"

Johnny started to panic. He did not like this dream anymore, and wanted it to end. He started rubbing his eyes hastily, hoping that would wake him from this surreal nightmare. Johnny wondered, opening his eyes; did it work?

It did not, and he backed up quickly as the dark knights spun in unison, their long and deadly weapons all pointed at Johnny. He frantically searched for a way out, hoping to find someplace to escape.

"Going somewhere?" The Dark Prince bellowed, standing in front of Johnny.

Johnny couldn't believe it; how did he get all the way over here so fast? He was trembling in terror at the sight of the Dark Prince. He dropped to the ground, his feet giving out on him.

"Get up," the Dark Prince commanded the young boy, who was now trembling on the ground before him. When Johnny did not get up, the Dark Prince grabbed Johnny by his hair, and pulled him upwards.

Johnny screamed out in pain, grabbing the Dark Prince's hands with his own. The Dark Prince lifted him to eye level as Johnny scraped and fought the Dark Prince's grasp.

"What is your name?" the Dark Prince asked, bringing him face to face with the ethereal presence. "Who are you?—"

"No!" Johnny screamed, interrupting the Dark Prince. This couldn't be happening he thought. He had to wake up. "Wake up! You have to wake up!"

Chapter One

Beep. Beep. Beep. Johnny jumped up and out of bed; the smoke alarm was going off.

"There's a fire! There's a fire!" Johnny screamed, running out of his bedroom. "Mom, come quick!"

"Whoa there, Johnny," his mother said, exiting the kitchen from the floor below. "I say Johnny; you really need to calm down. The toaster burnt the toast again. It's nothing to get worried about."

His mother, Deborah Rush, was a single parent trying her best to manage juggling both a son and two jobs. A woman in her late thirties, she was both kind and compassionate. She also shared the same dusty blonde hair as her son. She felt bad for her young son, who always had a hard time with his nervous nature.

Of course she was right, Johnny thought. They didn't have much money since his father passed away; and what money they did have needed to go to more important things than the toaster. He couldn't help but think however, that it would be nice to go at least a week without having to wake up to the fire alarm.

It was two years ago when his father, Stephen Rush, had died; and Johnny had not truly recovered from the loss. He fell in combat in the war, saving the lives of several civilians in the process. A hero, they called him. None of that could comfort a young child of twelve, who just wanted to have his father back.

They lived in Detroit, Michigan. "Lower middle class," his mother would always say optimistically; but the money they got when his father died in combat was barely enough to pay the bills. His mother had to work day and night to support him, and save for his education and health plan. Frivolous purchases like a new toaster would just have to wait.

Johnny was fourteen now, and was in his first week of high school. He was nervous, but he was used to feeling nervous. This was something different, however.

Johnny paused for a moment at the top of the stairs. There was something he was forgetting. Something important, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. Whatever it was, it left him feeling scared and alone.

He didn't like feeling that way. His mother kept telling him he was normal, but he never felt normal. He was always that creepy kid in the corner, or so he feared. His doctor called it social anxiety, but all the kids at school just called him weird, at least that is what he always imagined.

He over thought everything, always worrying about the tiniest detail stopping him from really enjoying himself. He didn't want to be like that anymore, but change was hard. He would freeze and stutter when talking to people. He would panic at the thought of giving a report in front of the class.

The worst part was that when it was over, he would always make a comment to himself that it wasn't that bad; that he could do things like this more often, and he might actually enjoy them. Yet every time it came back around, his body would tremble and his throat would choke up at the thought of leaving his comfort zone.

"Mom, I don't feel good today," Johnny said, trying to his best to act under the weather. "I don't think I can go to school today."

"Aw, honey," his mother said, walking over to comfort her young boy. "It's Friday; you can stay home all day tomorrow. Let's finish your first week of high school properly, shall we?"

She was right, again. Johnny knew he couldn't hide away forever. Who knew, maybe this was the day he would meet a new friend.

He looked out the window, sending him on another one of his day dreams. He often escaped reality with his day dreaming. He knew this, but often found these the most relaxing moments of his day; when his worrying nature seemed to disappear in the stories of heroes and villains.

His day dreaming was halted when a bright red ball bounced by the window.

"What is that?" Johnny said, mesmerized by the bouncing ball. "It's just a red ball—"

Johnny stopped in his tracks. It wasn't just a red ball. Well, okay, that was just a red ball; but it brought back all the visions Johnny had from his nightmare the night before. How could he have forgotten about the Dark Prince?

"Johnny...Johnny!" his mother yelled, snapping her fingers at him. "You're day dreaming again, hon. C'mon, let's get ready for school."

"Mother, wait!" Johnny shouted, turning back towards his mother. "I forgot to tell you what happened to me last night!"

Johnny recounted in detail the events of last night to his mother. He expected a look of shock and amazement from her eyes, but all he got was a worried frown as she crossed her arms.

"What am I going to do with you, Johnny?" his mother said with a concerned look on her face. "I know the doctor said you've got issues, but I'm sorry, Johnny; I just don't have the money to cover the prescription costs. You're just going to have to manage."

That was alright, he thought. He was never interested in taking medication; it was just one more thing that made him different from the other children. His mother tried to tell him that all children take medication sometime, but all he could think was what if the other children found out? What if they knew he had to go see doctors and psychiatrists? He refused to be singled out any more than he already was.

Grabbing his backpack, he gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and headed to the door.

"Love you, mom," Johnny shouted as he walked out the door. One more day at school, he thought. Then he had the weekend all to himself.

Chapter Two

She was the prettiest girl, Johnny had ever seen. Her long hair was a rich auburn color. The tiniest freckles were sprinkled across her face. She had maybe the softest white skin he had ever seen.

"Who are you?" Johnny mumbled to himself, completely captivated by the girl. She did not seem to hear him, and continued to look up towards the sky. Johnny had to see for himself, just what was so special.

"Whoa," exclaimed Johnny, his jaw dropping as he looked up into the sky. "When did the Earth get a second moon?"

He rubbed his eyes anxiously, unable to believe his environment yet again. Two moons danced in the orange sky. So real, he thought, but it couldn't be home. It had to be a dream, but how did he come to this place?

Yet unlike the hostile setting he had the night before, he felt both easy and comfortable around the girl. Johnny had the strangest feeling like he knew her, and yet they had never met before.

The ground started to shake, and Johnny returned his gaze to the sky. A large shuttle roared through the sky above him. It swooped down, landing in a field near the two kids. Johnny rushed behind some trees, not wanting to be noticed.

A large door opened and out stepped two older men in brown robes. Unlike the tattered robes of the Dark Prince, these gentlemen obviously took great pride in their appearance. Whoever these men were, they seemed to be of great importance.

The old men made their way over to the younger, red-headed girl. A private conversation it seemed, because as close as Johnny got, he couldn't seem to make a single word out. Whatever they were saying, it was not for his ears.

Suddenly, one of the men put his arm around the shoulder of the girl, motioning them to return to the vessel. Johnny rushed out from behind the trees, now hoping that they would see him, like they saw the young girl; that they might take him away, too.

"Don't leave without me! Take me with you!" Johnny shouted, lifting his head from his desk in class. Oh no, he thought. Not again. He was dreaming again. This time it was in front of everyone in the class.

The whole room erupted with laughter. The boys called him names, and the girls giggled about him behind his back. He couldn't feel any lower about himself than he did right now.

Suddenly, the class bell rang, telling everyone it was time for lunch. Saved by the bell, Johnny thought. It was just like an adventure on television. Only at the end of the episode, he would still feel like a loser.

"I don't like children falling asleep in my class, Jonathan Rush," his teacher said as Johnny rushed out the door. "Don't let it happen again, young man."

Johnny nodded. He didn't like the idea of making a fool out of himself again, any more than she did.

He made his way quickly to the cafeteria. Johnny opened his backpack, bringing out a brown paper bag. It was his lunch for the day, a ham sandwich and homemade cookies. He started to eat the cookies as he scanned the cafeteria looking for the first empty table he could find.

Finding one, he quickly made his way over and sat down. He unloaded his lunch and began eating. Johnny couldn't stop thinking about what had happened in class today. What was wrong with him? He had always had an active imagination, but lately his dreams have been more like visions to a completely different world. These were not stories that he had created.

It unnerved Johnny, but then again, most everything else did as well. He was tired of always being scared. Something had to change, he thought.

Johnny jerked forward. Someone had pushed him from behind. Again, Johnny jerked forward.

"Hey dork!" the voice of a child said from behind Johnny. Johnny turned around to see one of the children from class earlier. "You're in my spot, goober. Nobody sits in my spot."

His name was Butch, and he already had a reputation at the school. A bigger child, Butch outweighed Johnny and most every other student at the school; he used that to bully his way around. The first day of school some unlucky kid was tied up on the flagpole. They say it was Butch who did it to him. All Johnny knew for sure, was that he didn't want any trouble from Butch.

"Well, what is it going to be?" Butch asked, pushing Johnny yet again. Johnny was having a panic attack, and was frozen in fear. He was afraid that anything he did would be the wrong thing to do. "What, are you day dreaming again? Teacher hates you already, you know that right? You might as well quit school, and go home right now."

"I—I'm sorry," Johnny mumbled. "I did not realize this was your table."

"Are you trying to be funny? Hey guys, I think he's trying to be funny," Butch said, looking at his friends who were all circling around the table. "How about I show him what we do to funny guys."

The friend beside Butch handed him a soda can, and he opened it.

"Here, have a pop," Butch said taking the soda can and pouring it over Johnny's head. "Feel like going home yet?"

"You—you...bully!" Johnny screamed as the sticky pop ran down his face. The other kids in the cafeteria just laughed at Johnny, and the ones that weren't laughing, were too afraid to do anything about it. They all remembered the kid on the flagpole.

"Bye bye, loser!" Butch shouted after Johnny, who was rushing out of the cafeteria to a sea of laughter. He had been humiliated many times before, but never like this. High school had barely just begun, and already Johnny was "that kid."

He didn't stop running, all the way home. He quickly unlocked the door, and ran upstairs to his room. He jumped on the bed, and just wanted the day to be over. It was finally the weekend, but now he feared he wouldn't even get to enjoy that.

"Johnny...its dinner time," his mother kept repeating. It was dark now; he must have slept for a couple hours. "What happened?"

Johnny didn't want to talk about it. He didn't even want to think about it. There was only one thing that could cheer him up right now; his favorite treat, fried bananas."

"Hey mom," Johnny started. "Can I have some of your world famous fried bananas and ice cream?"

"What a weird dinner request," his mother spoke softly. "No, not for dinner, I think not. Maybe we can have them next weekend? They take a while for me to prepare, and I don't have that much free time this weekend. I'm sorry, hon."

It was alright, he thought. For as much as Johnny wished for a better life, there was not a moment when he didn't wish it for his mother as well.

Deborah was a highly skilled graduate student, but due to a lack of jobs in the area, she has had to settle for minimum wage jobs to pay the bills. She tried harder than anyone Johnny had ever known. In many ways she inspired him to be a better person. It wasn't her fault he was just too afraid to act on that inspiration.

Deborah led Johnny down the stairs, to a plate of homemade macaroni. They made the best of the night, watching their favorite shows, and enjoying each others company.

Later that night, Johnny was once again tossing and turning in his bed. He was having vivid dreams of battles and victories. Unlike in the real life, in his dreams he was a hero.

As soon his dreams began, the wind started picking up speed. His room soon became a swirling mess. Papers and books started spinning around the room.

"What is going on in here?" his mother asked, opening the door. As quickly as the wind began, it ended; almost as if to conceal itself from Deborah. "Hmm, must have been something outside."

She looked at her boy, who was still tossing about on the bed. She walked over to him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Things will get better for you, I promise," his mother said, rising from his bedside. She looked around, and noticed the mess all over the floor. "Such a messy child; he must really be growing up."

Deborah walked out of the room and looked back at her son, smiling as she closed the door gently.

The second the door closed, the winds started picking up speed again. Whatever the force behind the wind was, it seemed to be meant only for Johnny.

Suddenly, a bright glowing light streaked in the room from outside the window. As it pulsed, it seemed to give off a soothing aura that seemed to calm the young boy's dream, relaxing him.

Whatever it was, it seemed to be alive. The orb circled around the room, and then over Johnny's bed. As if it had found what it was looking for, it moved back to the end of the bed, and began vibrating quickly. And with a bright burst of energy, the whole room filled with a blinding light.

When the light subsided, a mysterious old man in flowing white robes stood at the end of the bed. Could he really have been the mysterious glowing light?

The mysterious old man had long, thin white hair with matching wispy beard. He was thin, but not sickly looking. His robes sparkled as they flowed around his slender frame.

"Jonathan Rush, the universe needs you," the mysterious old man said, taking a seat beside Johnny. "You have a strong future ahead of you. However, I fear that without swift action that future will not come to fruition."

The mysterious old man placed his palm on Johnny's head. The old man wished for a better life for Johnny; where he could grow into the hero that the universe needed him to be. And need him the universe would, as its very foundation was already beginning to unravel.

Chapter Three

Beep. Beep. Beep. Johnny bolted up, screaming as he jumped out of his bed.

"There's a fire!" Johnny shouted, reaching for his flashlight on the bedside table. It was dark in his room. The power must have been out, Johnny thought. Not only was his flashlight not there, he could not seem to find the bedside table. Johnny panicked, it was very dark and he was alone. Or so he thought. He couldn't tell, everything was black around him.

Was he dreaming again? He frantically searched around the room, looking for any signs of his life back home. There was nothing; there was literally nothing in the room. Not a chair, not a table, nor any of his personal belongings.

Johnny felt isolated and alone; two feelings that had come natural to him. They never did get easier to deal with, though.

A bright flash of light appeared, coming from one of the walls. Light shined in from the opening, so bright that Johnny had to cover his eyes. It must have been an advanced door, as a dark figure started to walk from out of the wall.

"Lights on," the figure ordered. The room instantly lit up, with the figure walking toward Johnny. A good-looking man in his early thirties, he was clean-shaven and had long dark curly hair. Wearing a simple brown robe, he resembled the men Johnny had seen in his dreams earlier. Could it be a coincidence?

Johnny should have been scared, but the man did not seem to instill fear in the young teen. He gave off a reassuring disposition; whoever the man was, Johnny felt like he could trust him.

"Good morning, Mr. Rush. I am sure you have a lot of questions," the stranger said to Johnny, extending his hand. Johnny grabbed it, and he was helped out of bed. "My name is Kenzel Arlen, and I am a Star Knight of the Star Alliance."

"Where are we?" Johnny asked.

"We are on the Star Academy Space Station," Kenzel replied. This startled Johnny. How could he go to bed on Earth, yet awake in space? "I am sure you have many questions, maybe this will help."

He motioned for Johnny to follow, and they walked out of the room.

It was a long, rounding hallway that looked like it went on forever. Johnny was still unsure what to make of his new surroundings. It all seemed so surreal. It actually reminded him of the Dark Prince's home. But instead of cold, dark steel walls, the hallways of the Star Academy felt warm, almost inviting him to walk about the hallways.

Kenzel walked with him down the hallway. The wall seemed to be made out of glass, clouded white. Instrument panels seemed to glow from the walls every few panels. Wherever he was, it certainly wasn't Earth.

"Where is my mother? If she safe?" Johnny asked.

"She is safe, at home where you left her; you will see her again, that I promise you," Kenzel responded, with a serious look on his face. "You are a very special boy, Johnny. At the Star Academy, you will learn how to use your abilities correctly."

"I want to see my mother," pleaded Johnny. He thought the world of his mother. She was everything to him. How could he possibly manage without her?

"I have something, here," said Kenzel, reaching for something within his pockets. Pulling out a small black tablet, he pressed a few buttons. Soon the holographic image of his mother appeared above the tablet.

"It can't be...Mom!" Johnny cried, tears running down his face. "It is you! Can you hear me?

"It's just a recording of your mother," replied Kenzel, touched by the emotion displayed in the young teen. "She gave us a message for you; something to tell you, that she was proud of you, that she missed you very much, as well."

Pressing another button, the holographic image came to life, a mother speaking to her child, worlds apart.

"Johnny, I want you to know that I miss you," his mother began. "I want you to know how special you are. I always believed in you, even when I had to do the believing for both of us. Look at how far you've come. They tell me, you are going to a place called the Star Academy. They tell me you are going to be a great man one day. I told them that you already are."

The tears continued to stream down his face, touched by his mother's kind words.

"I will see you again, I promise," his mother continued. "I made them promise, as well. They are going to take care of you, and give you everything in life that I could not. A mother could not feel any better about a son. When you were a child, I always said I would chase down the stars for you. Now you are going to chase them down for yourself."

Johnny dropped to the floor, sobbing. On one hand, he was going to receive the opportunity of a lifetime, and on the other, he was a lonely child without his mother.

Turning the hologram off, Kenzel bent over to comfort Johnny.

"I'm sorry about that," said Johnny, wiping the tears from his face. Embarrassed, Johnny paused for a moment; he tried to remember the last thing they had been talking about, trying to put his emotional outburst behind him. "You mentioned abilities. I don't have any special abilities."

"You may not yet, but one day you will," Kenzel said. "The mind is truly a beautiful thing. Every species has a one-in-a-billion chance to produce a genetic variation, one capable of allowing individuals to use their mind, able to create wonderful and extraordinary things with mere thought alone. You are one such child."

"This whole galaxy is controlled by the Star Alliance. The Star Alliance is a government consisting of a dozen Galaxies, many just like this one," Kenzel continued. "The Star Alliance protects those that cannot protect themselves. However, sometimes they need help; so the Star Academy was founded. That was over fifty thousand years ago. I am proud to say that peace has existed throughout the known universe for over twenty thousand of those years. We use the gifts given to us here at the Star Academy to help defend the honor and tradition of the entire galaxy."

"If there is peace, why do we need the Star Knights?" Johnny asked.

"Ha ha," Kenzel laughed at the child's endless questions. He never had a child himself; he found that his commitment to the Star Academy would not give him the time to properly nurture a child. "Just because there is peace, it does not mean law enforcement is not needed. When the government requires a more forceful touch than the local law enforcement can offer, we are called in."

"How were we given these gifts?" Johnny asked. "I certainly didn't do anything to deserve them."

"The Universe is a truly magnificent place, Johnny," Kenzel said. "To be honest, we don't understand completely why some people are born with abilities while others are not; other than the fact it is incredibly rare. Around the age of sixteen, children's abilities develop to the point where our galactic scanners are able to pick them up, and we request from their parents that they join the Star Alliance."

"But I am not sixteen," Johnny started. "I am only fourteen; I simply woke up here today, and no one seems to know why."

"Sometimes, the Universe is mysterious," Kenzel replied. "We simply have to bow to its guidance, and hope that it has a plan.

Kenzel almost talked about the Universe like some divine presence, with a free will and a mind of its own. Could that really be possible?

Johnny didn't realize it at the time, but Kenzel had not really answered his question as to how Johnny came to be here.

The reality was that Kenzel himself did not know. Something like this had never happened before, and it unnerved Kenzel.

"You are the first human from Earth to be chosen," said Kenzel, looking down upon the wide-eyed youth. "It is quite an honor, you know."

This all seemed so unlikely. There was nothing special about him. He couldn't even stand up to the bully at high school; how could he be special? Johnny always dreamed of escaping to a fantasy world, but in the end he knew it would never happen. Not because the worlds he imagined couldn't have existed somewhere, but because he could never hope to be the hero in his stories. He had no idea of the potential that resided within him.

"What makes me so special," Johnny asked.

"Everyone is special in their own way, but there are some that can use their mind in wonderful and extraordinary ways. I am one of those people, and soon you may be as well." Kenzel explained.

"I may be?" Johnny questioned, getting stuck on that part of Kenzel's words. He was just starting to believe that he had a better future for himself coming, only to have it possibly be taken away. If these powers demanded something from him, he surely would never be able to be the man that Kenzel believed him to be. Still, a polite boy, Johnny decided to be grateful for the opportunity and to try his best for Kenzel.

"Not everyone that is chosen to attend the Star Academy ends up graduating. Some decide this life is not for them," Kenzel said.

They stopped in the hallway, and Kenzel turned to Johnny and said, "Later today, you will be inducted into the Star Academy and the rest will be explained, I promise. Come, I have something I want to show you."

Up the hallway, they came to a lounge area with couches. There was a large black panel that the couches were situated around. They walked over to the black panel, and with the touch of Kenzel's hand, the panel cleared, revealing the awe inspiring view of the world around them.

"Whoa," exclaimed Johnny as he peered out the window in amazement. The lounge over-looked what seemed to be the center of the Star Academy.

A gigantic, ringed, golden sphere, it was made up of three rings that seemed to be locked magnetically together. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, he thought. The sheer scale of the academy conveyed both the importance and wealth of the Star Alliance.

Johnny had to squint to see, but there looked to be a metropolis of buildings lined up on the inside of each ring, a realm within itself. It might have been the single largest city Johnny had ever seen. Tens of millions of people must live here, he thought.

Starships streaked across the window, all appearing from bright flashes of light. All of them seemed to be docking with the space station.

"Why are there so many starships?" Johnny asked, as twinkles of light continued to dot the view. "Is it usually so busy?"

"Today is an important day," Kenzel said, placing his arm on Johnny's shoulder. "Once a year, on this exact star date, we accept thousands of selected children in to the Star Academy. Those children will go on to become members of the Star Alliance. You are one such child."

"But I didn't come here on a starship," reminded Johnny, who couldn't help but think about the young red-headed girl from his dreams. Did she really exist? Was she one such child, as well?

"Correct," Kenzel replied, taking his hand off Johnny and placing it on his chin. "Perhaps that is a mystery for some future adventure."

The two of them laughed for a moment. Space stations and intergalactic adventures, it all seemed so unreal to Johnny. He still did not believe he belonged here, but he was not about to keep reminding them of that. He was happy just to be here.

It was most certainly of alien origin, it had to be; yet Kenzel looked human? Johnny just had to ask, "What are you, Kenzel? Are you human?"

"Ha ha, yes and no." Kenzel laughed, unsure where to begin. "In this galaxy, The Milky Way, there are many different races and countless variations of each of them. I am terran, specifically a variation known as tandarian. While you are also terran, you are still considered human."

This was starting to make Johnny's head spin.

"What about the other aliens?" Johnny asked, unsure if he really wanted to hear the answer. Johnny remembered all the late night science fiction shows he watched. Little green men and their flying saucers, he shuddered at the thought of having to meet a real-life alien.

Kenzel laughed again, "Ha ha, well one is right behind you." Johnny turned around, slowly. What Johnny saw was exactly what he was afraid of.

"Ah!" Johnny screamed in horror, getting very dizzy.

"I—I—I...," Johnny gasped, his head spinning and spinning. With a thud, he hit the floor. He had fainted.

Johnny awoke shortly after on the couch. He looked up to see Kenzel in conversation with the individual. The man, if you could even call him that, looked exactly like any walking Octopus should look. Two large tentacles made up his legs, and two others for his arms. The other four tentacles were smaller and flailing around his face. Johnny smiled; it almost looked like the Octopus version of a beard. The more Johnny studied him, Johnny realized that he was not as intimidating as first appeared, and feared he had been rude to the man.

"I...I am sorry, sir," Johnny choked out, still recovering from the incident. "You caught me off guard."

"Oh young man, no apologies needed. I sometimes forget what it is like for others to meet an alien for the first time. I have heard a lot about you," the alien said to Johnny, extending his left tentacle toward Johnny. "My name is Ocelot, how very nice to meet you."

He spoke English? Johnny thought about that for a moment. Kenzel had spoken English as well. The more Johnny thought about it, how is it possible that aliens from distant worlds could be speaking the same language?

"You two are speaking English?" Johnny asked. "How is that possible?"

Kenzel smiled, and replied, "A Universal Communications Implant (UCI), allows anyone who has it installed to interpret any known language, and speak their own native tongue back to the person."

Johnny was still slightly in shock, and realized that Ocelot had still extended a tentacle, in some sort of extraterrestrial hand shake. Johnny didn't want to be rude, and reached out to Ocelot.

"I—my apologies, sir," Johnny said, grabbing hold of the tentacle and giving it a shake. "My name is Johnny."

"We don't want to keep you, Ocelot," Kenzel said. "We actually have to leave ourselves. Johnny has a very big day ahead of him. He is going to be joining us as a Star Student."

"Well congratulations, young one," Ocelot replied. "It is a great honor. You are a very lucky kid."

He didn't feel like a lucky kid, however. Johnny couldn't explain it, but he felt like a fraud; like he didn't belong. They didn't even know how Johnny got there, how could they know the man he would grow into?

Johnny and Kenzel said their goodbyes to Ocelot, and went to prepare for the ceremony that would take place later tonight.

Chapter Four

It had been hours since Johnny arrived aboard the Star Academy, and he had still only met Kenzel and Ocelot. Just how big was this space station, anyway? Where was everyone? There were so many questions that he wished to ask.

Yet just as quiet and timid as ever, Johnny kept them to himself, almost afraid of ruining this adventure, like he was most certain that he would do.

"How do I look?" Johnny asked Kenzel as he came out of the changing room, dressed in the ceremonial Star Student attire. It consisted of quilted brown robes, much like the one Kenzel was wearing. However, while Kenzel appeared in the garb as a strong and confident leader; Johnny felt more like a kid on his first day of karate class.

"Like a true student of the Star Academy. You will do great, I am sure of that." Kenzel reassured him.

As Kenzel adjusted the fit of Johnny's clothing, Kenzel almost looked impressed, like the wise Star Knight was witnessing something of importance, Johnny thought. Yet Kenzel was a Star Knight, and had traveled the galaxy saving people, how could a boy impress him like that?

Kenzel reached into one of his pockets, pulling out a gold colored pin. "I want you to have this," Kenzel said, clipping the pin to his outfit. "There. It's a great fit."

Johnny grabbed his robes, and pulled the pin closer to him. The pin seemed to be of the Star Academy. The three golden rings glistened in his eyes, hinting at the adventure he hoped to have.

"Am I the only fourteen year-old at the Star Academy?" questioned Johnny, looking up at Kenzel.

"There are many babies and children aboard, but yes, you are the only fourteen year-old that will be training as a Star Student," Kenzel replied. Kenzel motioned for Johnny to follow, and led him out of the room.

As they walked down the hallway, Johnny remembered that before they met Ocelot, Kenzel was explaining about the different races in The Milky Way. Johnny figured that he better hear about the others before entering a room containing other scary aliens. "Kenzel, you mentioned earlier about the other races, can you tell me about them?" Johnny asked.

"Sure," Kenzel started. "First, very few classes of planets are able to sustain life. This leads to similar developmental paths between each similarly-classed planet. Terrans, like us, reside on planets very much like Earth. The aquatic race, like Ocelot, is found on planets with little land mass, forcing evolution to remain under water. There is the reptilian species, usually ill tempered and always deadly. They are found on hotter planets with lush wildlife. The golem race is usually found on rocky planets with no wildlife. They are large creatures with skin as hard as stone. Actually quite friendly and good-humored, I believe you will like them very much. Would you like me to continue?"

They continued down the hallway, until they reached another open area. In the center of the area was a large glowing blue ring. Kenzel walked them over to the strange ring.

Johnny tugged on Kenzel's sleeve as they walked directly in the center of the ring, "Where is everyone? I've been here all day, and yet I've only met Ocelot and yourself."

Kenzel smiled and replied, "Right here. Computer, transport to Grand Hall." Suddenly the blue glow surrounded the two of them. Johnny started panicking again, but before he could think, a bright light blinded Johnny, and the next second it was over. He could hear people, and lots of them.

"You can open your eyes now," Kenzel told him. "There are hundreds of different sections at the Academy; your area, the student section, just happens to be mostly empty. That will all change after today though, young one. Thousands of students will be roaming the halls after today's events."

Johnny felt foolish. He was shocked when he opened his eyes; there were hundreds of people, all hurrying about the station for their own personal reasons. Suddenly the Star Academy seemed much more alive, and welcoming. He saw them, some of the species Kenzel had mentioned.

"Over there, a Golem!" Johnny exclaimed. He was even bigger then Johnny had imagined. He seemed to be playing a flute for some of the younger children. The Golem seemed to notice Johnny staring, and stuck out his large stone tongue. This startled Johnny, but was quickly eased when the Golem stopped and smiled at Johnny, as if to say he was only joking. He waved to Johnny, and Johnny awkwardly waved back.

"His name is Kush, good fellow. He plays music for some of the children on board, and is here regularly." Kenzel said. "Let's continue on, we still have a bit to go."

"Where are we going, Kenzel?" Johnny asked.

"You're going to become a Star Student, and begin your training," Kenzel told him. "At the ceremony you will meet all the other students who will begin their training with you. You will even receive your own personal mentor, your very own Star Knight."

"You mean you will not be training me?" Johnny asked, looking upset. Clearly he had an emotional attachment to the wise Star Knight; something Kenzel had realized as well.

"I will be around, and check in on you frequently," Kenzel explained. "However, I am the Star Master's personal right hand. I never take a student as it would be too dangerous."

"Star Master?" Johnny asked. There was still much to learn, but this seemed like an important question to ask.

"The leader of the Star Academy, he oversees all Star Knight Operations in the galaxy," said Kenzel. "Alright young one, we are here. This is where I leave you." Kenzel lead Johnny to the end of the Grand Hall, where several children waited in line. "I have to prepare for the ceremony, I will see you inside. Please go line up with the other children; you will be invited in shortly."

Johnny did as was told, and waited in line with some of the other children.

"It's you," exclaimed Johnny, who was caught staring at the red-headed girl ahead of him in line. She was the literally the girl of his dreams.

All the children turned back to look at Johnny, like he was crazy or something; for a moment Johnny started to believe it too.

Luckily it didn't last long, and with the sound of trumpets, the line started to move. The ceremony was beginning.

Johnny followed the other children to a long row of seats. He looked to up and down; the rows were arranged like a theatre, descending until they reached a large stage area. There must have been thousands of other children here.

Ceremonial trumpets rang out, startling Johnny. The stage lit up in a burst white light. There were three people standing on the stage; one in a white robe, the other two in brown. As Kenzel had explained it to Johnny earlier, all members of the Star Academy wore brown, while white was reserved only for the Star Master.

Johnny recognized the figure in brown on the right; it was the Star Knight, Kenzel. He must have been a bigger deal than Johnny had originally thought.

On the other side was a tall, slender woman with long dark purple hair. Johnny was reminded of the woman in his dreams, but this was clearly not one of the monsters from his nightmares.

In the middle of the two of them was the man in white. He was taller than the other two, and had orange hair all over his face. It was difficult for Johnny to make out from this distance, but he seemed more Monkey than man. This must have been the Star Master that Kenzel had told him about early that day.

The trumpets quieted down, and all the children took their seats, ready to begin the ceremony.

"Welcome, young students," the Star Master began, motioning to the entire stadium. "I am Master Vol Corvan, and I welcome you to the Star Academy. We are the protectors of the Star Alliance. I understand that many of you children were born in systems that are governed by the Star Alliance. However, there are some that have never heard of the Star Alliance before. Let me tell all of you, of our ways."

"The Star Alliance spans twelve galaxies, including the Milky Way. We have served the people for over fifty thousand years, and will continue to do so for many more. We teach honor and respect for all life in the galaxy. Yet when called upon to do so, we will fight to protect the rights of every civilian of the Star Alliance."

"Beside me are two of the highest ranking Star Council members in our galaxy, Star Knight's Kenzel and Selene," Master Vol said. "Now, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you children to the rest of your lives."

Chapter Five

A few weeks had gone by at the Star Academy; and Johnny was receiving lessons from his Star Knight mentor, Davan Dacaco.

Star Knight Davan was the person that they had assigned to Johnny. He was a thin middle-aged man with a buzz cut. Quite an imposing figure, Johnny was still unsure what to make of his new mentor. He had a strong character, sharp witted, and intense; yet gentle and protective when it came to his student.

Johnny had hoped for Kenzel to be his teacher and mentor, but was told that was not possible. Kenzel was too important to the Star Academy. Too important to look after a child.

He still wanted Kenzel to come back into his life. The first person Johnny met in his new surroundings, Kenzel had played a major part in Johnny's new life, and was the closest thing to a friend Johnny now had. It took Johnny a long time to get used to new people in his life, and Kenzel had made it surprisingly easy.

Still, Davan was a good man, and someone Johnny thought he could look up to.

"You attack with recklessness, little man," Davan said with a smirk. Johnny lunged at Davan, hoping to catch him off guard. Davan stepped to his side, and Johnny hit the floor. Johnny let out a frustrated moan and smacked his fists on the ground. Davan sighed, but understood his frustration. At fourteen years old, he was simply too young to hope to learn many of the techniques Davan hoped to teach.

"I see fear and panic in you," said Davan, as he reached out to help his student up.

Grabbing his hand, Johnny couldn't help but wonder, how did he know that? Was he so transparent?

"Let me help you manage that fear you have, buried deep inside you," said Davan, as he dusted the young student off. "Stop, now close your eyes. I want you to breathe deeply, in through your nose, and out through your mouth. Count to ten, and then open your eyes."

"You are always in control," continued Davan, waiting for Johnny to complete his assignment. "You may not be able to control other people's perception of you, but they cannot influence your own opinion of yourself. You are your own worst enemy."

"It's not like I don't want to change, but it's hard," Johnny complained. He didn't like talking about his problems; it only reminded him that he had problems.

"That is never the same for everyone," Davan replied. "Some grow out of it; others need to face their fears. In you I see a wonderful moment in time. A defining moment, where you will stand up for yourself and everything you believe in."

"How will I know when this defining moment happens?" asked Johnny.

"You just will," answered Davan, motioning for them to end the lesson for the day. "Alright, we have had enough training for today, let us sit."

He missed his mother. Unable to speak to her on board, he had not seen her since the day he arrived. The people at the Star Academy did not seem to have any bad intentions, so why could he not contact his own mother? Did she even know he was safe?

"Your mother, Deborah Rush, is fine. She misses you, and we promise you will see her soon," Davan said without any mention from Johnny. He looked up at Davan in amazement. How could he have known that too?

Simply smirking back at the boy, Davan said, "One of the many gifts I have been fortunate to learn, I can read the mind of anyone of lesser mental fortitude than myself."

That was incredible Johnny thought; he couldn't wait to learn that one.

"Unfortunately, the body and mind do not work like that, little man. The abilities I have learned come from my own mind, and life experiences," Davan said. Your mother always told you that you are special. She was right, and the abilities that you come to learn will be a reflection of your mind and soul. Unfortunately, the rest will have to wait for tomorrow, today's lesson is over."

Johnny had yet to have any real breakthroughs in his training; maybe the next day would yield better results. He already had hours of Quantum Math and Interstellar Geography homework waiting for him. Johnny grabbed his textbooks, and left. As Johnny walked out, he waved and said goodbye to Davan for the day.

Johnny was walking home down the Grand Hall; the same route he always took. He always kept to himself, never getting to know his new peers.

That was not entirely true. He would listen to them having fun, while he sat apart, too afraid to introduce himself. He was two years younger than everyone else. They were bigger than he was, and they all were learning the techniques of the Star Academy. Too intimidated, he just kept to himself.

That's when he saw her again, the girl of his dreams. She was walking with a few friends in the opposite direction. As they passed, Johnny's head drifted in her direction. He couldn't explain why this girl was in his dreams, and it intrigued him. That's when it happened; he had met his first reptilian.

They collided with a thud. Johnny, not looking where he was going, had walked right into one of the Reptilian students. Johnny was knocked down, but the reptilian barely seemed to move. He was much larger then Johnny, and looked angry. He looked like a large lizard with arms and legs. Large and long teeth, Johnny couldn't stop looking at the teeth.

"Getting a good look, terran?" the reptilian barked at Johnny. Johnny realized he was staring and apologized. The reptilian did not accept the apology and pushed Johnny back on the ground. "You walked in to me, terran. You will not make that mistake again, I assure you."

As Johnny tried to get up a third time, again the reptilian pushed him back to the floor.

"Stop it Jarren!" a girl screamed, running over to Johnny. He looked up, and saw the same red-headed girl, standing over him. He never thought this was how they were going to meet. She clenched her fists and stood between Johnny and Jarren.

"Are you going to challenge me, tiny girl?" Jarren mocked. Both of them knew that Jarren was the stronger fighter. That didn't keep her from standing her ground. She was trembling, but made it clear she wasn't backing down.

Paralyzed with fear, and unable to even get up to run away, Johnny lay on the ground. He was going to let the girl of his dreams get beaten up when all she was doing was trying to rescue him from a bully. He couldn't feel any lower about himself.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake, and shake. Deep, pounding stomps and they were getting closer. All three students looked behind them to see the large Golem, Kush; he stood there, looking down on them all.

"What do we have here, children? I hope we aren't planning on using violence to settle our disputes?" Kush asked the three young students. Crossing his arms, he gave the best frown his rocky face could manage. It was pretty good actually, and both the girl and Johnny apologized. "And you, Mister Jarren?"

"Me? I am a Star Student; I am being trained as a weapon of the Star Alliance to protect you civilians," responded Jarren, sarcastically.

"True, while I may not be an honored member of the Star Academy, like you; I have lived among them on this station for over five hundred years. I believe I know them and their ways very well. Let me assure you that they are training you as the last line of defense for those that cannot defend themselves." Kush stated. He was wise, and someone Johnny believed he should try and get to know. "You have been given a great blessing Mister Jarren, try not to waste it."

Jarren, embarrassed, knew this was a battle he could not win, walked away in a huff.

The girl looked down at Johnny and smiled. She helped him up and they both returned their gaze to Kush.

"You did well Miss Amy," Kush said. "Who is the young Mister?"

"Uh...I'm sorry, I'm Johnny," Johnny said. Obviously, alien encounters were still not coming easy to him.

"Mister Johnny it is! No need to be sorry lad. I remember seeing you a couple weeks back with Mister Kenzel, it is very nice to meet you," said Kush.

Johnny was reminded that he had not seen Kenzel since the ceremony. He missed Kenzel, and hoped to see him again soon. Kush excused himself, and left Johnny and Amy to themselves.

"Are you alright?" Amy asked. Johnny nodded his head and she dusted him off. "Jarren can be a real pain, you have to stand up to him or he will never stop harassing you. I'm Amy Dora, nice to meet you Johnny."

"Hi. Nice to meet you...my name is Jonathan Rush. Wait, sorry you already knew that. Nice to meet you...no, I...I said that before," Johnny stuttered. He was never good at talking to girls, and this girl was unlike any other. They shared a connection, whether Amy realized it or not; even if Johnny himself didn't understand it.

"You're cute," Amy giggled. She turned around to walk back to her friends, waving goodbye to Johnny.

Johnny was unsure what to make of everything. He met another new bully, but he also finally met the girl he's been dreaming of talking to. Johnny picked up his books and continued back to his room.

Having made his way back to his room, he threw himself on his bed, exhausted from the events of the day.

"What a long day," Johnny sighed. "Now I've only got two hours of homework. Great."

Johnny groaned, and sat up from bed. Who would have thought a galactic hero in training would have so much math and geography? He contemplated, whether or not Davan would be fooled by the old "dog ate my homework" routine; or if he even knew what a dog was.

Chapter Six

Two months had now passed, and Johnny was no farther along in his training. All the other students were beginning to show signs of their potential.

This isolated Johnny from his peers even more. Now he wasn't just the smallest and youngest student, but he was now the only one without any special abilities.

"You're never going to get anywhere if you doubt yourself like that," Davan said as he blocked one of Johnny's attacks. Johnny was never going to be used to Davan reading his mind. "That's not exactly true either, Johnny."

"Anything is possible in the heat of battle," Davan said. "Strength of the body starts with strength of the mind; stay focused, believe in yourself, and anything can happen. Just because you have not shown any signs of greatness, does not mean greatness does not reside within you."

Davan stopped the lesson, and motioned for them to sit. "Children are chosen at the age of sixteen, because that is the age that they first begin to harness their abilities. Then, at age eighteen they begin to learn to control those abilities," Davan told him. "You have heard this many times, yet you still close your ears to the truth. Do not discourage yourself, little man. You will find you are stronger than you could ever imagine."

Johnny understood where Davan was coming from, but was still frustrated in not being able to share in his peer's stories. They were all discovering wonderful abilities, and Johnny's biggest victory to date was a recent calculus exam. He sighed, and grabbed his textbooks. Saying goodbye to Davan, he left the training room.

He took his usual route home, stopping by Kush to say hello. Kush was the first real friend Johnny had made, outside the members of the Star Academy.

"Hello, Kush," Johnny said as he walked up to the rocky giant, who was taking a break from his flute playing. Johnny had been trying to get more used to speaking to aliens, and he was lucky with how easy Kush made it for him. He was friendly, and almost child-like in nature, Johnny felt at ease around him.

"Hello there, Mister Johnny!" Kush said eagerly. He had actually been waiting for Johnny to come by. "I have something for you, Mister Johnny."

Kush opened the sack by his flute, and pulled out a small, stone figurine. He handed it to Johnny, and suddenly it didn't look so small. It must have weighed twenty pounds, and required both hands to carry. It was the coolest thing he had ever seen.

"What is it called?" Johnny asked.

"To my people, they are called Magma Guardians. Each one represents a Golem that gave their life to protect our people from The Great Volcano; a very old story. This one is called Rokler. Take good care of him, he is yours now," explained Kush. He realized that Johnny was having trouble carrying the statue, and sent him on his way for the day.

Five minutes. That's about as long as Johnny's good fortune lasted. The moment he transported to the student section, Jarren was waiting for him; and he didn't look happy.

"I saw your present from that civilian Rock-muncher," Jarren laughed as he pushed Johnny.

"Don't call him that!" Johnny fired back. Upset at the presence of Jarren, Johnny quickly realized that no one was around to help him this time. He started to back away from Jarren, grabbing tightly on to his stone figurine.

"What are you going to do about it Johnny?" Jarren ridiculed. He started to walk toward Johnny. Johnny had backed himself against a wall, and Jarren made him move. He thrust at Johnny, reaching for Johnny's present.

"Stop it Jarren!" Johnny yelled. "You're going to break it! Please stop!"

Jarren ripped the figurine out of Johnny's hands. Unwilling to give in this time, Johnny tried his best to retake his Magma Guardian. The two grappled for a moment, before the figurine crashed to the ground. It shattered on impact, breaking off into hundreds of little pieces.

"You bully!" screamed Johnny, as he started to cry. Dropping to his knees, Johnny desperately tried to pick up some of the shattered stone pieces. It was no use; the figure had been completely destroyed.

"You are weak, Johnny," Jarren sneered. Jarren snorted, and walked away. Now that he had ruined Johnny's new present, there wasn't much need to be around. He left Johnny, sobbing in the corner.

It was official, Johnny's day was ruined. These were the times when he missed his mother the most. She has always been there for him, and it was in his times of need that she really shined. She always knew what to say to make him feel better, if even just for a moment. Now, he didn't even have that.

Loose, creaking wheels; now that was a sound Johnny had not heard since his time on Earth. Yet, here they were; and they were getting louder. Johnny stopped crying, and tilted his head up. He always was a curious child, if nothing else.

An elderly man pushing a janitorial cart appeared from around the corner. He had long, white hair, and matching shaggy beard. He was thin, but not unhealthy. He was even dressed like a janitor from Earth, with a blue one-piece uniform. The old man stopped pushing his cart when he noticed Johnny crying in the corner.

"Young sir, what is the matter?" the mysterious old man asked Johnny. "Up now, we can't have you crying on the floor like that, can we?"

The old man helped Johnny off the floor, and over to the couch. He couldn't explain it, but he felt at ease around the old man. Johnny just had to ask, "Who are you?"

"Who I am is not important, I am nothing more than a janitor," the mysterious old man said with a smile. "Who are you? Now that is a question I would love to hear the answer to."

Johnny had heard that before in his dreams. Who are you? The Dark Prince had spoken it in his dreams before Johnny arrived at the Star Academy. However, while the Dark Prince had appeared to frighten Johnny, this old man had seemed to make Johnny feel protected and safe. Just who was this old man, Johnny thought.

"I am Jonathan Rush, a student at the Star Academy." Johnny stated proudly, wiping the tears from his face.

"Ah! That is a fine title for such a young sir. That may have been what I asked, but not what I meant," the mysterious old man grinned. "I want to know who you want to be. Your mother always told you that, did she not?"

Johnny was taken a little aback. How did the old man know that? Surely he just got lucky; every mother probably says that to their child, Johnny thought.

"She did," Johnny replied. "The real world doesn't work like that. I am who I am, a far cry from perfect; and certainly not more important than anyone else."

The old man looked sad. He smiled though, and wiped the last of Johnny's tears away.

"There there, child," the mysterious old man said calmingly. "Things will get better for you, I am certain of that."

"It has been a pleasure, young sir," The mysterious old man said, slowly standing up to shake Johnny's hand. He walked back to his janitorial cart and started pushing it down the hall. He stopped after a moment and looked back at Johnny. "You said before, the real world doesn't work like that. Are you so sure, Johnny? I promise you, believe in yourself and you will save the universe one day."

And with that, the janitor was gone; vanishing down the hall as quickly as he had appeared.

Chapter Seven

Johnny arrived at his training room, ready to start the days training exercise. Still feeling bad about the day before, he looked around and saw something he had never seen before, an empty room.

Not only was Davan late, he had not set any training schedule for the day. That was unlike Davan, who was meticulous in his attendance and training schedule.

Just then, Davan walked in, without his training gear with him. What was going on?

"Little man, it is your lucky day," Davan grinned. "You get to visit your first alien world."

"Seriously? You have got to be kidding me!" Johnny said, beaming with excitement. He wasn't sure if this day would ever come. What sights would he see? What adventures would he go on?

Johnny couldn't have been any happier. Maybe believing in oneself had some side effects, he thought.

"Usually students have to wait at least one year before being allowed on their first mission," Davan said. "It is a great honor. Now run home and pack enough for a week's travel."

Johnny threw a fist in the air, and ran out of the room. He was going on his first real adventure.

He was a good kid, Davan thought. He never had any children himself, choosing to devote himself completely to the Star Academy. He turned off the lights to the training room, and walked out the room.

He made his way to the Control Room of the Star Academy. It was huge, maybe the size of a football stadium. Glass made up most of the ceiling, revealing the beautiful nothingness of space. Davan made his way past the bridge section to the back where the Star Master's briefing room was located.

The door opened and he walked in to join Star Master Vol Corvan and Star Knight Kenzel Arlen. They were standing around a large circular glass table.

"Welcome Knight Davan Dacaco; when the last person arrives, we will begin." Master Vol said. Shortly after, the door opened and tall woman entered, standing out from the pack of middle-to-old aged men.

"Knight Selene Moran, fashionably late as always," Kenzel grinned. The two of them had known each other a long time, having shared many adventures across the galaxy. Selene joined the others standing around the table.

"I come to you three with a mission of great importance," Master Vol said as the table began to construct a holographic image in front of all four members. The air lit up with a million bursts of light. Beautiful and brilliant, lights continued to appear rapidly, until the image of the galaxy was revealed. "This is the galaxy in which we reside, The Milky Way."

Master Vol Corvan pressed a button on the table, and red points of interest started popping up all over the galaxy.

"These red points represent every recorded Rift in space-time we have detected since they first began appearing, just over two years ago," Master Vol stated.

The three others, Davan, Kenzel, and Selene all looked at each other. They had heard this story before. In fact, for the last two years all of the resources in the galaxy have been spent tracking these mysterious Rifts. Rifts to an unknown place, it could have been another dimension, reality, or even another universe.

Still, the Star Master commanded a great deal of respect from them so they listened closely.

"Early yesterday, we received reports of a Rift opening near the moon of Tau Ceti IV." Master Vol said. The three others all looked at each other. A Rift had never opened in space before.

"What does this mean, Star Master?" Kenzel asked. "We always believed these portals to be random in occurrence, never having a pattern to them."

All that changed when a Rift opened in orbit around a planet. An insignificant planet, but that mattered little. What mattered was that they were now beginning to believe that the portals were not natural occurrences at all.

"The Rifts in space are being controlled by something on the other side," Master Vol reported. "Your mission is to investigate the system and report on anything you find."

"Do we have Intel on the moon near Tau Ceti IV?" Selene questioned.

"The moon is called Nox. A tiny, habited moon, it was converted into a mining outpost over two hundred years ago," Master Vol stated. For all the magnificent technological advancements, they knew very little about these Rifts in space.

Davan looked worried, for he was not just putting his own life in danger, but that of his student.

"Master, both Selene and I are in the middle of training duty. Is this really the safest mission for children? Do you not expect any resistance?" Davan asked.

"This mission is reconnaissance only. You are not to engage anything you encounter. However, I do realize that this puts our young students in some degree of risk. I have not forgotten this, Knight Davan. I promise you," Master Vol assured. "They are to stay on board the ship at all times. I trust all of you with my life, and therefore trust their lives with you. This mission requires the best I have to offer, and you three are the best I have to offer."

The three Star Knights nodded, knowing their roles well. They were experienced members of the Star Alliance, and had battled the unknown many times before. This time was different however, as they were bringing children along for the adventure. They may have been future protectors of the galaxy, but they still were kids, after all.

The Star Knight's Kenzel, Selene and Davan headed for the door, ready to begin their mission.

"Star Knight Kenzel, Can you please stay a moment; I have some private information regarding the mission," Master Vol said. "I apologize to you both, Selene and Davan, but this information is highly confidential."

Selene and Davan left the two to their secretive meeting, and went to find their students for the mission, and make preparations for their upcoming adventure.

Later, Jonathan Rush was making his way to one of the docking bays. He was scheduled to fly out on a starship called, the Aidos.

The Aidos was a fine ship, one of the finest in the fleet according to one of the mechanics in the docking day.

"A fine vessel," the mechanic said, walking up beside Johnny. "She's one of the fastest ships in the fleet, and pacts a heck of a punch for a small cruiser. You're a lucky kid. Be sure to take good care of her."

"Her?" Johnny asked. He thought they were talking about a ship, and now he wants to talk about some girl?

"Ha ha, she is the ship, and the ship is her," the mechanic said. "It's one heck of a view, I will say that."

Johnny agreed. It was the most breathtaking view he had ever seen. She was silver blue in color, with golden accents lining every panel on the starship. It resembled two curved blades, sliced in the middle and attached together by a rising bar. Like sharp pincer's, he thought. The image of the starship alone, conjured up images of him cutting and stabbing his way through the entire fleet. Dozens of small weaving white optic cables ran between the two outer hulls. It was sleek, gorgeous and hypnotizing; it felt like an adventure within itself.

"Nice to see you again, Johnny," Amy said from behind Johnny. He would never forget her voice, even if he only ever heard it that once before. He spun around to see Amy Dora standing in front of him.

"Hi," Johnny said, sheepishly. Last time they had met, she had come to his rescue. He wanted to feel important when he was around her, not some dorky kid who needs her to fight his battles.

"Relax kid," Amy said. She patted him on the arm and tousled his hair. Great, he thought; now he had a big sister. If ever he was going win her respect, he knew that starship would help him do just that.

A few moments later, the three Star Knights arrived. Having changed from their usual brown attire, they looked quite formidable. They wore dark-grey leather flight jackets with white and red highlights, the colors of the Star Alliance. With matching pants, they resembled the heroes in Johnny's comic books. Only their powers were very real.

Light caught Johnny's eye as they walked closer. He squinted, trying to get a better look. Across their hearts, golden rings glittered and sparkled in the light as they walked. It must have been the official crest of the Star Academy; a symbol of hope and admiration throughout the galaxy.

"Kenzel!" Johnny yelled, as he saw his old friend walking towards him. Running up to Kenzel, he leapt at his old friend. He had waited months to see Kenzel, and now they were traveling the stars together.

"Ha. Well hello there, Johnny," Kenzel said with a grin, grasping on tightly to the child. "Are you finally ready for your first adventure?"

Davan looked on, beside them. He realized Johnny was just his student, but had hoped that Johnny saw him the way he sees Kenzel. Perhaps one day, he thought. Right now his young student needed Davan to be at his very best, and he would need a clear mind for the task at hand.

Chapter Eight

They had been traveling for a couple of days now; yet the excitement was still very much alive for Johnny. Lying down in the observation deck, he was watching the starship travel through warp space. Johnny felt like he could stay here all day. In fact, he actually had been there all day, watching the ship travel that fine line between space and time. Billions of blazing white streaks of light dashed across the deck. It made him feel so small and insignificant in a universe so vast.

He wondered, would he ever shine as bright as some of these stars?

"There you are, have you been here all day?" Amy asked. Johnny nodded and continued to look up at the stars. "So where are you from, anyway? I'm ossilian, myself."

"Earth," Johnny answered. It had been awhile since he had thought about his home. The craziest thing since arriving aboard the Star Academy, Johnny thought; even crazier than a talking stone golem, was that he actually missed his home. He missed fried bananas. He even missed the fire alarm. However, he missed his mother most of all.

"What was she like?" Amy inquired. Johnny sat up quickly, and looked at Amy. Her eyes flashed a blazing white, and then quickly returned back to normal, as if it never happened in the first place. Could she already read his mind? "I...I don't know how I knew that. I think I just read your mind."

Johnny was getting used to the mind reading, but that was a new one. Davan's eyes had never changed like that. Just another thing Johnny wasn't going to understand, he thought.

"She was great, in just about every way, a best friend," Johnny said. "She even managed to make the best burned toast—"

"I can see burned toast!" Amy said, cutting Johnny off. "Burned toast and the fire alarm, I—I saw all of it."

She could see all of that? Now that was definitely something new. If Davan could do that too, he never mentioned it to Johnny before.

She sat down in front of him, and leaned in close.

"Uh...uh what are you doing?" Johnny asked, squeamishly. He started to fidget and blush. Visibly uncomfortable, Amy pulled back and smiled.

"I was just trying to see if I could read your mind, but I got nothing," Amy responded. She stood up and extended her arms to Johnny, motioning him to get up. "Come here, you're too nervous all the time. Do you know that?"

Johnny grabbed Amy's hands, and pulled himself off the floor.

"What do you want me to do?" Johnny asked.

"I want you to shake every bone in your body." Amy replied. Surely she was joking, he thought. Yet she started shaking, as if to make her body into a noodle. "Do it, mister!"

He felt foolish, but he did as instructed. The two of them stood there, on an intergalactic starship, shaking and spinning around like the innocent children that they were. They collapsed together, laughing as they fell to the floor.

"That's what I wanted to see," Amy giggled. "I wanted to see you smile, you're much cuter when you smile."

"Thanks," Johnny said, appreciating her going out of her way to make him feel more comfortable. "So, what about your mother—"

"Kids, come up to the Bridge" Selene instructed over the intercom, breaking up the conversation. They looked at each other, both beaming with excitement. Their adventure was about to begin.

Meanwhile, on the Bridge, the three Star Knights were discussing their course of action.

"The readings are quite out of the ordinary, sir," Davan said, reading from his terminal. "We're not picking up communication from the mining outpost on the moon."

"Impossible," Kenzel said, walking over to Davan's terminal. "There are over ten thousand people down there, and not one is using any form of communication. I don't like this, not one bit."

"Looks like we're going to get our hands dirty after all," Selene smirked. She was a warrior, and like all warriors, enjoyed putting her skills to the test.

"Darn it, Selene," Kenzel said, smacking his hand down on the console. "There are lives at stake here! Not to mention your student, Amy. We need to do this by the book, so keep your emotions under control."

Selene was insulted, but knew he was right. Two of the highest ranking Star Knights, they often traveled the galaxy together. However, while they spent much time together, they did often clash over differing opinions. Much like oil and water, they did not mix.

Selene was fiery and quick tempered. Kenzel, on the other hand was calm and collected. Whatever their differences may have been, they still managed to remain closest of allies.

"Over there," Davan said, pointing to the refinery located at the center of the outpost. "It has completely stopped operating, and still nobody is using any type of communication. It's like the whole outpost has gone dead."

"Are they alive?" Kenzel asked.

"Yes, sir," Davan replied. "The sensors are picking up ten thousand one hundred and twenty seven people down there. If the refinery is not operational, the whole outpost would be frantic trying to repair it. Power is up and running, so that isn't an issue either."

"Well, looks like we're going to have to go down there," Kenzel said. "Let's see what we will find."

At that moment, Johnny and Amy entered the bridge.

"Wow," Johnny exclaimed as he set foot on the starship bridge. It was, after all, the very first time he had been on a bridge.

It was actually quite small; he imagined something more like the popular starships on television. This was more like a large cockpit, with enough room for three terminals and maybe a few more people. That was enough for Johnny though; all that mattered is that he was there.

Johnny looked out, upon the grey moon called Nox. It could have doubled for the Earth's moon, he thought. It was almost exactly the same, even down to all the craters littered along the surface. Well, except for the rather large dome on the ground of course.

"Take us down, Davan," Kenzel requested. The Aidos swooped towards the planet; much like a bluebird would fly down towards a branch. Effortless and agile, she homed in on a landing pad inside the small domed city.

Johnny grabbed Kenzel's arm in fear as they approached the dome itself. Kenzel looked at him, grinning. He had forgotten how young these children were, and while he worried about their safety, he admired the innocence in their eyes.

"Do not worry, Johnny. It is called a force field, and we will pass right through it." Sure enough, they passed right through without a problem, and Johnny loosened his grip, just a little.

The starship landed on the ground shortly after.

"Alright," Kenzel started. "We have our orders, Star Knights. This is recon only. Children, you know that you are not to leave the ship. I cannot stress this enough, it could be dangerous out there."

The two young students nodded. Although unhappy to be left behind, they understood that they were just kids, and may get in the way. Or even worse, they could get seriously hurt. They accompanied the Star Knights to the loading bay.

They walked into a large, empty room. Maybe ten times the size of the bridge, it was completely empty. How were they going to get out? Johnny watched closely as Kenzel walked to a terminal in the wall, and pressed a few buttons on a keypad.

A large platform began to lower, revealing the outside mining outpost. The platform stopped at an angle, revealing passageway to the streets below.

The children wished their mentors good luck, and prepared to wait for their return. Well, at least one of them was preparing to wait.

Chapter Nine

They had been waiting for a few hours now, and Johnny was growing bored of being bored. Here they were, light years away from the Earth, and he had to stay inside. Not likely, Johnny thought.

"What game did you want play now? How about, we play, I-Spy, again?" Amy suggested.

Johnny groaned. He couldn't play another game again. He was on an alien world...or moon, whatever, it didn't matter. He had to get out of there.

"That's it!" Johnny shouted. He threw his hands in the air, and jumped to his feet. He smiled at Amy, and rushed out the door.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked, as she chased after him. She dashed after Johnny around the halls of the small starship, finally catching up to him in the loading bay, already trying to lower the platform. "You don't actually think you're going outside, do you?"

"Of course I do," Johnny said, repeating the sequence of numbers he witnessed Kenzel enter earlier. The platform started to open and Amy stomped her feet in objection.

"I will not disobey orders, and to be honest, I can't believe you of all people are going to," Amy protested.

She was right, after all. Johnny had never disobeyed anyone in his life. He had always tried to be his best for his mother. She worked so hard to support him, working two jobs just to see him have some advantages in life. However, she was not here, and he owed himself this; even if it was just this one time.

Grabbing a radio on his way out, Johnny ran down the platform, to the alien moon below. He felt like Neil Armstrong, walking out on the moon for the first time. If that moon of Neil's had artificial gravity and breathable air, of course. Nonetheless, it was a pretty big deal to him.

He looked around his surroundings, and mumbled to himself, "not exactly what I was expecting."

He had seen the most marvelous things in his short stay at the Star Academy. This on the other hand, was less than inspiring.

Beyond the landing pad were many buildings arranged into rows, much like his city streets from downtown Detroit. However, he couldn't help but notice that even the worst parts of his hometown still looked nicer than this. The buildings were all four stories tall, but all varied in their degree of decay. Trash littered the walkways between the buildings. How was this possible?

Davan had taught him about the difference in classes among the stars. Some people lived luxurious lives while others barely managed to get by. For as highly developed as the Star Alliance was, the same successes and failures that exist on Earth seem to be present across the galaxy.

He walked around for a little bit, down what seemed to be the main street, making sure not to lose sight of the starship. A few more minutes, that's all he was going to stay.

The buildings were beginning to look dark and ominous to Johnny. The excitement of it all was starting to wear off. It could have been worse he thought, it could have been a giant, metal moon like in the movies. Where was everyone? Kenzel had said over ten thousand people lived on the outpost, yet he had seen no one.

Clank. Johnny turned his head, over towards an alleyway across the street. Clank. There it was again. Johnny's interest was piqued, and he rushed over to the alleyway.

"You're one stupid robot," yelled a small figure from the shadows. He was joined by another small figure, and they looked like they were attacking a small droid with metal pipes. "You shouldn't have tried to escape."

They must have been children not much older than Johnny, and they didn't notice him hiding down the alleyway. He stood out of sight and watched them strike the defenseless droid.

Johnny might have wanted to play the role of space hero, but this was real, and he could get hurt. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how to move his feet right now, let alone stand up to the two aggressors. Breathing was starting to get hard now, and he felt a panic attack coming on.

"Why, oh why did my Master program me to feel pain?" the droid screamed out in his droning, computerized voice. The children paused for a moment and looked at each other. They didn't stop for long, and quickly resumed attacking the droid.

"Stop it!" Johnny yelled, jumping from out of the shadows. He couldn't believe himself, never thinking himself able to do such a thing; but this time he didn't think, he just reacted. Someone was calling out for help and he acted accordingly. For the first time in his life, he was starting to believe in himself.

The figures turned towards Johnny, and his moment of confidence had come to an end. Red eyes; they had red, intimidating, eyes. He couldn't stop staring at the eyes. Johnny froze in terror. What were these things?

Clank. The child smacked his pipe against the ground. Clank. He smacked it again, as they started to walk slowly toward Johnny.

He should have stayed on the starship, he thought. To be fair, Johnny wasn't exactly expecting to find demon children on his first adventure.

"Wait," the first child said to the other. "He is a Star Knight. Get back. Get back now! Warn the others!"

Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The two children turned and ran away. They moved like the wind, something was definitely wrong here. Luckily, he made it through his first hostile encounter intact, and he was not eager to get into another so soon. They believed him to be something that he was not, likely a mistake they would not soon repeat.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked the droid, hesitantly. The droid had expressed feeling pain; he could never have imagined that being possible. "Do you need any help?"

"Hello? Who is there? I cannot turn around, I cannot see you," said the droid, as Johnny inched closer to the machine, slowly revealing himself from behind the shadows. The robot was about two feet tall, with a rectangular body running long in height and depth. His head resembled a high tech digital camera. He moved about by way of a single rubber wheel. It seemed to be blown though, as it was deflated. Every few seconds the droid would try to spin his tire to no prevail. If Johnny didn't know any better, he could swear the droid was panicking, a feeling of he knew rather well.

"It's okay, I'm here to help," Johnny assured. He knew the feelings the droid was going through well, and felt a connection to the robot. "What is your name?"

"I have no name, I am service and repair droid zero-five-four," the droid said. Johnny was close enough now to read the writing on the body of the droid. Crude printing was painted across his body that said, Robby. It must have been the name given to him by the miners.

"Robby?" Johnny asked. "Is that what I can call you?"

"You may call me whatever you wish, I will respond," Robby replied. "Thank you for your assistance."

"You mentioned earlier, about being programmed for pain?" Johnny inquired.

"A trick that service and repair droid zero-one-two taught me," Robby answered. "It works over thirty percent of the time."

"What about the other times?" Johnny wondered.

"They usually just strike me harder, like you saw," Robby answered.

Johnny smiled; pretty sure the small droid was now being sarcastic. Robby might not be able to feel pain, but Johnny saw intelligence and emotion in the tiny robot.

"Can you move?" Johnny asked.

"Repairs will take several hours in a repair depot, but I will move again," Robby replied. Johnny sat down and leaned against the wall.

"So why were those children attacking you, and what was happening to their eyes?" Johnny asked.

"They are not usually this bad," Robby started. "A week ago, when the Rift opened, chaos engulfed the mining outpost. We service and repair droids were deployed to repair as much damage as possible. How it started I cannot tell you, we service and repair droids are deactivated between operations. As for your question about the red eyes, the population seemed to begin to transform rapidly into beings that my scanners were unable to detect."

"That must have been awful," Johnny stated. "They mentioned that you tried to escape. Escape from what?"

"They started rounding up all the droids," Robby responded. "My primary role is to service and repair. By rounding me up, they were not allowing me to complete my objective. Therefore, escape was my only option."

"Glad you managed to get away," Johnny said. "How long have you—"

"Amy and Johnny, are the two of you hearing this?" Kenzel barked over the radio. As he spoke over the intercom, Johnny could hear gun fire in the background. Someone was in trouble; that much was apparent.

"We've got a little situation here," continued Kenzel, who was seemingly calmer than the situation called for. "We should be back in a few minutes, prepare for takeoff."

Before Kenzel's radio cut off, Johnny heard the sound of a blaster striking close to Kenzel's location. He knew he had to get out of there.

Stopping suddenly, Johnny realized that he could not leave Robby to his fate with these people. He turned back to face Robby, who was still trying to spin his wheel, attempting to manage to move. Sparks started flying everywhere; clearly he was unable to move under his own will.

"Time to be a hero," said Johnny to himself. Rolling up his sleeves, he ran back over to help the droid. He spread his arms and grabbed on to the frame of Robby. He was heavy; maybe the heaviest thing Johnny had ever tried to lift. "You can do this, Johnny!"

Johnny screamed out in agony as he lifted Robby. No one ever said being a hero was going to be easy, he thought. He held tightly, and rushed out the alleyway. The starship was no more than a block away, but it felt like a mile.

Johnny was not halfway there when a thunderous crash lifted him off his feet. He lost balance, and both of them came crashing to the street. Someone was firing at them, he thought.

"What...is happening?" Johnny asked. He lifted his head from the ground, and slowly got up to his hands and knees.

"My sensors detect artillery fire," Robby responded as several more shots rang out. That didn't sound good, Johnny thought. They must have been trying to take out the starship. Getting to his feet, he once again tried to pick up Robby.

"Ah!" Johnny screamed. The small droid felt much heavier this time. That's when Johnny heard all the voices.

Kenzel, Davan, and Selene had appeared a half mile out, from out of an alleyway. Only they were not alone. Behind them were hundreds of people chasing them; people with those red, menacing eyes. He was in big trouble this time, he thought.

Not today, Johnny decided. Today he wasn't going to let the fear overcome him. He had his own mission to complete now, and he was going to make sure it happened. Johnny grabbed on to Robby's tire, and pulled his hardest.

Slowly he moved at first, but the more Johnny tried, the faster he was pulled. Johnny was going to do it, he thought. Just when things were starting to happen for Johnny, it all turned dark.

Another artillery shell landed near, throwing Robby and himself into the air. Johnny refused to let go of Robby, and they landed on the street together. Johnny's head crashed on the ground, and just like that, everything was over. He sighed as he picked his head up. It was too heavy this time, and he collapsed. Everything was starting to go black.
Chapter Ten

Johnny awoke on board the Aidos. His body hurt, everywhere. He groaned as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he managed to see a figure standing over him. He didn't need to see her face to realize it was Amy.

"You're awake!" Amy exclaimed as Johnny lifted his head. She sprung at Johnny, giving him the tightest hug of his life. He had worried her a great deal. "You gave me one heck of a scare, Johnny. I'm glad you are okay."

"Okay wouldn't be the word I would use to describe the situation," Davan said. He walked to Amy, joining her at Johnny's bedside. "Just what were you thinking, little man? You received a serious concussion, and you could have very well lost your life."

Johnny knew he had disappointed everyone. Just then, he remembered why he had risked his life.

"Robby!" Johnny shouted, sitting up from his bed. "Where is Robby? Is he okay?"

"He is fine," Davan reported. "We had to deactivate him however, as he kept trying to leave the ship and return to Nox. You should not have done that, Johnny."

Johnny didn't understand. He had saved, or at least tried to, Robby's life. Why would he want to leave and go back to the people that were abusing him?

"Droids aren't like people, Johnny." Davan said. "While some show signs of emotion and self-awareness, they are programmed to serve a purpose. I have no doubt you saved the droid's life, but he is simply trying to fulfill his programming. By bringing him aboard, he was unable to fulfill his primary reason for being."

"Can we do anything for him?" Johnny inquired.

"I believe I can actually," Davan responded. "I can reprogram him to accept you as his Master, if you wish."

Johnny nodded his head and Davan joined him by the table. He lifted his head to get a better look at the droid. There Robby was, lying motionless. Davan started to touch the control panel beside the bed, attempting to reprogram Robby.

"Stop, please!" Johnny pleaded. He suddenly had a change of heart. They had no right to re-program the droid, he thought. Robby had shown personality, and as Davan called it, self-awareness. He could not demand that from a potential new friend. "Is there any way you can remove the need for a Master?"

Davan looked puzzled. He had never heard such a request; a droid without a Master? He wasn't sure if such a thing had ever happened before, but he respected the wishes of the young boy.

"Why would you want that, little man?" Davan asked.

"I want him to want to be my friend," Johnny said. "Anything less and he wouldn't really be my friend."

Davan smiled and got to work repairing the tiny robot.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Kenzel and Selene were having a very serious conversation.

"Do you want to explain to me, just what the heck those things were?" Selene demanded.

"I wish I could tell you Selene. I wish I knew myself," Kenzel replied. "I believe something came out of the Rift, and transformed the population down below. As for their intentions, or even how it is possible, I cannot say."

"Well that's just great, isn't it?" Selene said, frustrated. She was not one to run away from a fight, but that was not even close to winnable. They should have had a whole squadron of troops with them, she thought. "The Star Master is going to get an earful from me when we get back."

The door opened and Davan walked on to the bridge.

"How is the boy?" Kenzel asked.

"A mild concussion, he will be fine," Davan replied. The serious look on his face told Kenzel that wasn't the only thing on his mind.

"What is the matter?" Kenzel wondered.

"The droid," Davan started. "The droid weighs over two hundred pounds. It is one thing for students to develop mental abilities before turning eighteen, but having their strength grow to such extremes, at such a young age, has just never happened before. You realize, that this means—"

Suddenly, the starships alarm started. The lights on the bridge turned red, and both Selene and Kenzel scrambled to get to their terminals.

"Sir, we have dropped out of warp," Selene told Kenzel. "Something is holding us, we cannot move. We're stuck. What could be doing this?"

"That is what is holding us," Kenzel replied. He pointed to the view screen where a large battleship was beginning to de-cloak. Just then, both Amy and Johnny rushed on to the bridge.

"Whoa," Johnny exclaimed as walked on to the bridge. The battleship was gigantic; easily ten times the size of their little cruiser. Looking like a giant rifle in space, it had a square front and ran lengthwise for what looked like a mile. Large guns littered the main body of the battleship, and they were all directed at the small cruiser.

"We are the Void Empire. Surrender or be destroyed," a strange and terrifying voice barked over the communications channel.

"Just what the heck is the Void Empire?" Davan asked, looking at Kenzel. Kenzel said nothing, he didn't have to; even if Davan couldn't read Kenzel's mind, he knew something was being hidden from them all; something bigger than any of them could imagine.

Davan may not have known, but the young star student behind him knew all too well. The Void Empire...could there be any chance they were the same people from his dreams? Johnny sure didn't want to find out.

The large battleship shot a bright white beam from its enormous side, and the starship began to be sucked in closer, and closer.

"We're being pulled in," said Selene, who was frantically trying to mash every button she could find. "There's nothing I can do."

"Trying emergency power reserves," Kenzel said, desperately. "It's no use, we're going in."

The side of the battleship opened, revealing a large docking bay. The Aidos was engulfed by it and lowered into its hanger bay.

"What did you get us in to?" Davan asked Kenzel. Just then, thick clouds of gas started to pour into the Aidos. "They are trying to choke us out!"

The gas worked quickly, causing them all to gasp for air. The children were the first to hit the floor, but soon fell down.

Johnny was losing consciousness quickly. His vision was getting blurry and he had little time left.

Suddenly, the gas dispersed and a large figure walked on to the bridge. Johnny could barely see, but would recognize that silhouette anywhere. It was the large, half-man, half-machine from his nightmare. The Dark Prince had found him.
Chapter Eleven

Johnny awoke some time later in a dark room, alone. He panicked, remembering the last thing he saw before losing consciousness; the large, terrifying demon from his dream. What role had they to play in all this? He slowly lifted himself up from the bed and looked around at his surroundings.

He was in a cell, that much he could manage to tell. A large door was cut out in the wall, revealing the outside of the cell. A long, thin, red light lined the inside of the door. Johnny had seen enough Sci-Fi in his time to know it was a trap; there was no way out of the cell.

"Johnny?" A girl asked from the cell across from Johnny. It was Amy. "I thought I heard someone, glad to see it is you."

Amy jumped from her bed and ran towards Johnny.

"No Amy, stop!" Johnny screamed as she reached the red-ringed door. The door flashed red, and with a large spark, Amy was thrown to the back of the cell. "Amy! Amy! Are you okay?"

"Uh," Amy groaned, lying on the ground with her back against the wall. "Who would have thought that between the two of us...that I was going to be the one to do that?"

Johnny laughed. He never expected himself to be able to laugh in this type of situation, but if she could manage of find some humor in the situation at hand, maybe they might just be okay.

"What do we do now?" Johnny asked.

"I imagine, we wait," responded Amy, who had already picked herself up from the jolt, and had begun pacing the cell.

"Johnny, is that you?" a monotonous, robotic voice said from beside Amy's cell. It was Robby. Davan had seemed to have managed to make meager repairs to the robot, before they were boarded. "What happened? Last data entry I had, we were aboard the Aidos."

"Robby! You're okay!" Johnny shouted, looking out his cell. Remembering the last thing he talked about with Davan, he had an important question for Robby. "Do you have a Master?"

"Okay is not a measurement my scales can adjust to. While I am only operating at fifty percent efficiency, I am able to move," Robby began. "As for Master, my records seem to indicate that I do not have a Master. Is that correct?"

"Ha ha," Johnny laughed. It had worked, it had really worked. "Apparently anything is possible if you believe in it."

Meanwhile, in the next cell block over, Selene was already managing her escape.

"Darn it, that hurt," Selene said as the console in her cell zapped her with a jolt of electricity. She had managed to tear a panel off the cell wall, revealing a small console in which to manipulate. Selene had been in over a dozen forms of jail and detention centers in her missions, and had yet to find one that would hold her. Still, she thought, things were a little too easy this time.

The red ring around the door turned off, allowing Selene to walk right out of her cell.

"Now, just to find the others," Selene said to herself. She walked down the cell block quietly, making sure not to alert anyone nearby. "Where the heck is everyone?"

Every cell she looked in was empty. What was even stranger was that no one was patrolling the area. Not one guard or droid. Maybe most everyone was down on the moon, she thought. They had to be from the Rift that opened, she thought.

Just what did the Star Master know that he wasn't telling her? And what about Kenzel, did he know more than he was letting on? There were too many questions that needed answering, she thought, but first they needed to get off this ship.

She came to a door that was labeled, "Cell Block B." She must have been in, "Cell Block A," right now. If anyone was still around, they had to be over there. She looked for a panel that might house a secondary console for her to hack.

All of a sudden, the door to Cell Block B opened. Selene jumped back, bracing herself for battle.

"Ha ha," Selene said with a sigh of relief. It was Davan, accompanied by Amy, Johnny and Robby. "When did you get out?"

"While you were still knocked out," Davan said with a smile. "You're getting rusty."

"Even old man Davan is cracking jokes at my expense," chided Selene. "I really have gotten rusty. I wish I could say that this was a hard one, though."

"I have to agree," Davan replied. "Something is wrong here. I have not seen one hostile, and those cells were almost inviting us to escape. I do not like this; we must find our way off this ship immediately. Where is Kenzel?"

Selene shook her shoulders. She had not seen anyone before this, either; let alone Kenzel.

"I know," she said as she ran over to the terminal at the end of the cell block. "We can locate Kenzel on the ship with this. We'll go find him and get off this ship."

Selene searched through the ship layout, looking for any traces of Kenzel on the sensors.

"There!" Selene said enthusiastically. She pointed to the bridge of the large battleship. "Ugh, just when I was starting to think this was going to be easy. What the heck are you doing there, Kenzel?"

The group debated their next course of action. The children would not be safe going straight to the heart of the battleship, but they had little option. They could not leave them in the cells, and going back to the Aidos was out of the question until they could manage to break the larger starships hold over it. Whether or not the two Star Knight's liked the idea, they were going to have to bring the children with them to the bridge.

"This whole mission has been a catastrophe," Davan said as they walked out of the cell block, out into one of the hallways. "Missions like this are no place for students. Just why was it vital that we bring them along?"

"Believe it or not, I agree with you," Selene said quietly. There was a guard up above; guarding what looked like an elevator. "Both Master Vol and Kenzel are hiding something from us. When we get back, we're all going to have a nice, long discussion."

Davan pressed his finger to his lips; motioning for Amy, Johnny and Robby to remain quiet. They hid around a corner while Selene and Davan quietly snuck up to the guard. They moved like cats, Johnny observed from out around the corner. Fast and quiet, Johnny watched in awe as they closed in on the guard, effortlessly.

Selene got close enough, and raised her arm toward the guard. And without even touching the guard, he was sent flying back, as if hit by a wall of thunderous wind. Just like that, the guard lay unconscious in front of Selene. Davan kneeled in front of the fallen guard, and grabbed some type of key card from his belt. He picked himself up, and turned around to the kids.

"It's safe, come quickly," Davan said, motioning for them to join him. They quickly rushed over to Selene and Davan, and they all entered the elevator.

"This should take us to the bridge," Davan started. "Children you are to remain in this elevator at all times. Do not leave, no matter what happens."

Davan had a very serious look on his face, but he wasn't going to get any argument out of the children. They knew the stakes, and the risks. They had no business being there, that much was clear.

The elevator began to rush upwards, stopping at the top of the massive battleship. They had arrived on the bridge. The door opened and they were both stunned to see Kenzel already locked in battle with the monstrous man from Johnny's visions.
Chapter Twelve

He was a terrifying man. Standing maybe nine feet tall, he dwarfed the much smaller Kenzel. It was hard to tell where the metal ended and the human began, if there was any human part of him left. Kenzel and he were locked in battle at the end of the bridge. Dozens of droid bodies littered the path towards them; remnants of a battle not yet over.

Davan and Selene rushed out of the elevator, to aid their friend.

"Not even your allies can save you now," the monstrous man said in a deep voice. He grabbed Kenzel by the throat as the other two Star Knights rushed to his aid. "Here, take your precious Commander."

The man threw Kenzel at them with little effort. Kenzel crashed in to both Davan and Selene. They all hit the floor, seemingly powerless against their aggressor.

"I am General Distain, Commander of the Void Empire. Your time is at hand," said the monstrous man, who called himself General Distain. "And I see you have brought me the boy."

He was talking about Johnny, but why? He couldn't help but keep telling himself that he was nothing extraordinary, and he was proving that by cowering in the elevator.

Davan picked himself up and charged General Distain. He rushed the much larger opponent without any game plan. All he knew is that he would not hand Johnny over to the Void Empire without a fight.

He threw all his energy in his strike. He connected a furious blow to the chest of General Distain, but it seemed to have little effect.

"Strong," the General smirked. "But not strong enough."

General Distain grabbed Davan's arm, and started to squeeze.

"Flesh and bone," started the General. "Blood and water; terrans are such fragile creatures."

He crushed the bones in Davan's arm with little effort. Davan screamed in pain, unable to defend himself from his attacker. General Distain let up his grip, and Davan dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

Selene and Kenzel had already rushed to Davan's aid, leaping at the General the moment he had let Davan go. They attacked in unison, timing their blows together. They were starting to have success against the General, and he began to retreat backwards.

General Distain extended his arms out, and released a large bubble of pressure, throwing both Kenzel and Selene back a few yards.

"Oh, honey," Selene said. "You're going to have to do better than that."

The General laughed a maniacal laugh fit for a mad man of his demonic stature. He raised his arm and within a few short moments, red swirling streams of light started coursing all around his fist. Faster and faster the energy became, as the General charged his next attack.

Kenzel shouted for Selene to get out of the way, but she was not fast enough. Not about to let harm come to his friend, Kenzel threw himself in between her and General Distain.

The blast erupted from the General's hand just as Kenzel flew in front of Selene. Like a wave of energy, the blast exploded in Kenzel's chest, throwing both him and Selene back against the wall. They collided with each other, before hitting the wall with a deafening thud.

"Ugh," Selene croaked, as she tried to pick herself up. Kenzel may have saved her life; she just hoped that he didn't sacrifice himself in the process. "You damn fool. You damn, lovable fool."

Selene cried as she held Kenzel in her arms. She never really loved anyone before; she was a Star Knight after all, and that always complicated relationships. Selene still wished she could have had the chance one day. She couldn't help but think that it had been her one and only regret.

Cough. Cough. Cough. Kenzel may have been down, but he was not out. Coming back to consciousness, Selene grabbed a hold of him tightly; not wanting to ever let go.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Kenzel choked out. "I will be fine, I promise. The children however, will not. You must save them, Selene. Everything rests on your shoulders now."

No pressure, she thought. Not because the demonic General was twice her height; or looked like he could bench press her mom's starship. It was because he was the single scariest thing she had ever seen in her life.

Picking herself up, she focused everything she had on The General. Channeling all of her energy and extending her arms towards the General.

The General snorted. "This should be interesting. Let's see what you can do, girl?"

The General was not the only one that could harness powerful energy, Selene told herself. She trembled with the sheer amount of power she was drawing. She had never summoned this much power before; she had never needed to before.

White whirling light, much like the red light from the General, began flowing all around Selene's body. The threads of white wrapped and swirled around her body, traveling up towards her arms.

A blinding white light shot out from Selene's hands, directly at General Distain.

Raising his arm, the General deflected the blast to his side. Impossible, Selene thought. Not even the Star Master was that powerful.

"That was pitiful," General Distain said. "Now, would you like to see what I can do?"

He quickly turned his head, and stared at Johnny. It felt like he was staring in to Johnny's soul. Those red, menacing eyes of the General's, were piercing through his very existence. The General raised his hand directly in Johnny's direction, and with one of his claws, motioned for Johnny to come to him.

"No! Stop it please!" Johnny screamed, grabbing his head. Flashes of images started popping into Johnny's head. Too quick to make out individual images, he could barely understand what he was seeing. Fire, pain, and horror were a part of every image; that much Johnny could figure out. Wherever this General came from, it was a hellish place. "What is going on? What are you doing to me?"

Johnny's visions stopped and he began walking towards the General. Only, Johnny did not want to walk towards the General. Somehow, the evil General had managed to control Johnny without his consent. Closer and closer, he walked towards what was sure to be his doom.

"No, Johnny!" Amy cried from behind him. "Please stop, please!"

It was no use. Johnny was under the General's control now.

"Not on my watch," Selene yelled, charging towards the General.

"You silly little people never learn," the General said, as Selene closed in on him. With ease, General Distain grabbed Selene by the throat. He lowered his other hand and brought it to Selene's face. He placed his index finger on her cheek and pressed hard. Drawing blood, he appeared to be enjoying the suffering of the Star Knight. "You will watch, as all hope is lost."

The General threw Selene, by the throat, against the wall near Kenzel. She could barely move, let alone get back up to defend the children. She couldn't help but believe that all hope must truly be lost.

General Distain fixed his gaze upon Johnny, who was now a few yards away. He started walking towards Johnny.

Johnny smiled as the General approached. He heard the sound of small whizzing motors from behind him. He wasn't entirely certain he would walk away from this adventure, but he was sure about one thing.

"What is so funny, boy?" the General asked. The sound of whizzing motors was getting loud now, and the General was now growling with aggravation. "What are you doing?!"

Suddenly, Robby dashed out from behind Johnny, shielding him from the Generals wrath.

"Ha," the General laughed at the tiny robot, which was now blocking the Generals path to Johnny. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Robby extended two cables from his sides; cables with little clamps attached on the ends of each. The General laughed maniacally at how futile the tiny droids attack would be.

Robby had a different idea, however. The clamps thrashed at the General, appearing to inflict little damage, but when Robby turned on the power, it sent thousands of volts directly through General Distain.

"Ah!" the General screamed in pain. Dropping to his knees, he cringed in agony. "You will pay for your insolence!"

The cables retracted, and slowly the General rose back to his feet. Johnny gasped in horror as he watched the General shrug yet another attack off.

"You should choose your battles better, droid," General Distain said.

General Distain stared down at Robby, raising his boot towards the droid. The General lashed out at Robby with a heavy boot that sent him flying back. He soared across the whole bridge, eventually crashing back against the elevator from which he originally dashed out of.

Thousands of tiny nuts and bolts spewed out of the droids body as he hit the wall. Amy let out a cry as Robby landed beside her. If he was in need of serious repairs when he first boarded the Aidos, he was surely in critical condition now.

Johnny trembled in fear as the General returned his evil gaze towards him. Johnny was still unable to move under his own will; the only question was whether he was still under the Generals command, or was he simply too afraid to try and move?

"You are certainly an unexpected surprise," said the General, grabbing Johnny by the throat. The General lifted Johnny off the ground, and stared at him eye-level. "You were not part of the plan, today. The Master will be pleased to hear that Jonathan Rush has awoken."

This monstrous man had a Master, Johnny barely thought it possible. He was more powerful than everyone in this room combined, and he still took orders from someone more powerful. Suddenly he remembered his dreams from before on Earth. The Dark Prince; it must have been him who the General was referring.

What was even stranger, however, was that they believed Johnny was special. Did they know something he did not? He didn't believe it when his mother said it. He didn't believe it when the Star Academy said it. Why would he believe it now? His heart sank as he returned his focus back to the matter at hand; none of that would matter if everything was over after today.

The General threw Johnny to the ground with ferocious force. Johnny crumpled to the ground under the weight of the Generals power. He raised his big, heavy boot over Johnny's head.

"Now now, it ends before it even truly began," General Distain snickered. "Goodbye, Jonathan Rush. Ah!—"

Johnny looked up to see the General shake violently. He dropped to his knees suddenly, and smoke began to rise from his charred body. Johnny looked on with amazement, unable to believe they had toppled the mountain of a man.

Davan was standing behind the General with a large cable in the one arm he could still use. Sparks crackled and popped from the exposed end of the cable. Davan had electrocuted General Distain.

"The droid was on to something," said Davan, with a crooked smile. "We need to get out of here."

Davan stumbled towards Johnny. His right arm was soaked in blood, having lost the use of it. He had taken serious damage, like everyone else. Johnny picked himself up slowly, and ripped his sleeve off.

"Here, Davan," Johnny said, offering his sleeve to Davan. Davan grabbed the cloth and fashioned a make-shift brace for his arm.

By then Selene had also managed to raise herself off the floor. Looking around, she crawled over to Kenzel.

"Please be okay," said Selene, who was desperately trying to reassure herself, while Kenzel lay motionless on the ground. "We did it. We won Kenzel, you can't leave us now!"

She pounded on his chest. Smack. Smack. Smack.

"Ugh," Kenzel groaned. "I'm not dead just yet, can you stop hitting me please?"

Selene looked at Kenzel, who was now smiling. She cried tears of happiness, but didn't want Kenzel to get any ideas, and picked herself up.

"You silly man," Selene said, wiping the tears from her tears. She threw her hands up in frustration, and then helped her friend up. Kenzel may have been alive, but that blast took most everything he had. "Stay here, I need to take out their sensor array so we can get away."

Selene walked over to a terminal near the charred remains of General Distain. She raised her hand to the terminal, and a charged blot of white light fried the terminal instantly. Rushing back to Kenzel, she grabbed his arm and threw it over her shoulder, leading Kenzel back to the others.

"Robby!" Johnny cried as he neared the droid. Amy was still crying over him body as Johnny arrived. He had been de-activated from the blow. "You can't come into someone's life just to leave! You just can't."

"He will be fine, I promise," Kenzel assured. "We will spare no expense to repair him."

Would that be enough? Johnny wondered about the fate of his new friend as he lay unconscious. He didn't know much about droids, but he was worried that if you take away most of what makes Robby who he is, he would never be the same droid that rushed to Johnny's aid moments before.

As they approached the others, Kenzel told Selene, "I can walk on my own," and motioned for her to pick up the broken droid. Doing so, they all entered the elevator, prepared to finally go home.

The group rushed back to their starship, the Aidos, as the burned General lay unmoving on the bridge of the battleship.

Epilogue

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. With the sound of dozens of whirling motors, the Generals body began to come back to life. The cybernetic side of the General had re-animated the organic side of him. He slowly picked himself up from the floor, desperately trying to remember what happened in the moments leading up to his defeat.

"Impossible!" the General yelled as he struck another terminal nearby. "You may have won the battle, Jonathan Rush; but you will not win the war."

He staggered to a large center terminal at the end of the bridge, and pressed a couple buttons.

"Searching for Rifts currently open – Connection found – Connection locked," the computer announced. The screen flashed with the image of man dressed in a dark hooded robe. The image was filled with distortion and artifacts, but the General knew it could be only one person.

"Dark Prince," General Distain started. "The mission was successful. I have the DNA sample you requested, ready for genetic implantation."

"Now our second phase can begin shortly," the Dark Prince said in his ghostly voice. "You have done well General. Soon they will see your true power."

The Dark Prince screeched in approval of the news; all of his plans were beginning to fall into place.

The General, however, remained quite serious, as he had not told his Master the other information.

"I also have found the young boy that infiltrated our throne room," the General informed. "The group called him Johnny."

"I believe," the General began, choking on his own words. "I believe that the young boy is Jonathan Rush—"

"Jonathan Rush!" The Dark Prince interrupted immediately. Like the General, he too was well aware of that name.

"He exists in this universe as well. He was travelling with the Star Knights," began the General. "I could not foresee the boy being here, and was caught off guard. I allowed him to escape. The mission at hand was my primary concern; they must believe they had escaped under their own will, or the mission would not have been successful."

"You fool!" The Dark Prince screamed. "You had an opportunity to end their only chance for salvation, and you failed. We could have ended the war before it even began. I should have sent her with you. She would not have failed me. I will not forget this, General."

The Dark Prince thought things over for a moment. He may have failed in his secondary objective, but he still had what he needed, the mysterious DNA the General had mentioned earlier.

"I can correct this," the Dark Prince stated. "I will make sure Jonathan Rush arrives on the Red World, and soon she will be there to clean up your mess. We will end this before they even understand what he is truly capable of."

"Yes, Master," the General said, turning off the connection between the two. He knew he would see Jonathan Rush again shortly, and began work on the second phase of their devious scheme.

Elsewhere, out in space at that very moment, Johnny was standing over the bed of his new friend, Robby; completely unaware of the events that would soon shape his very existence.

The End of Jonathan Rush and the Star Academy

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