Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny ❯ Fall of the Abh Story, part 2: Evangelia Liberated ( Chapter 25 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer:
This fic uses characters, places, themes from franchises that are the property of others. I do not own these franchises. This chapter features a cameo by characters from Winx Club, created by Iginio Straffi.

Special Thanks to:
Charles Xavier, Fanfiction.net author: For writing an awesome crossover with anime and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Suikosource website: for providing great information that made this fic possible.

The Anime Margin: 108 Stars of Destiny
By: RB3

Fall of the Abh Story, part 2: Evangelia Liberated

Misato's second mission was the one she and her comrades at NERV had waited for a long time. It was to liberate her own world, Evangelia, from Omnipotence and Abh occupation. This mission was the perfect chance for NERV to pay the enemy back for their invasion of the Geofront. Without the Bone Eater's Well to limit her forces, Misato could now employ the Evangelions and the orbital support of the Crimson Egg. With these advantages, Misato would not be caught in a long, drawn out campaign like in the Feudal Era.

In her office, Misato read over the intelligence reports from Valiance's scouts and spies. She looked over a map which colour-coded the areas of Japan occupied by Omnipotence and the Abh. At the moment, all of Japan was under Omnipotence and Abh occupation. The enemy had also taken over nearly half of mainland China. Misato flipped the page and saw a picture of the same type of Angel used to attack the Geofront earlier. The report described there being nearly a hundred of these Angels in the enemy attack force. There were also thousands of soldier-sized versions of these Angels guarding the interior of the Geofront.

After reviewing these documents, Misato planned the attack. One the day of the attack, the Crimson Egg suddenly emerged from a spatial vortex in space above Evangelia. Already present in this area were three Abh battle cruisers. The Abh ships realized they were under attack and prepared for battle. The Crimson Egg launched several robotic fighter drones. These plane-like drones swooped around the cruisers, making bombing runs on the enemy. The enemy returned fire but were unable to hit the fast, mobile drones with any accuracy.

One of the cruisers advanced on the Crimson Egg, prompting it to fire. Several beams of blue energy flew at the cruiser, which shot back in a similar fashion. It launched a nuclear missile. The missile shot out of its bay and rocked the Crimson Egg's port side, but did little damage thanks to sturdy shielding. The drones and the Crimson Egg concentrated fire on the cruiser attacking the Crimson Egg. Beams flashed back and forth, rocking both ships to their deepest foundation. One beam blasted a hole in the Abh cruiser.

The ship rocked, nearly knocking everyone onto the floor. The captain requested a damage report as work crews worked to extinguish fires. The cruiser shuddered as more beams hit it, setting off more short circuits and explosions. The cruiser shuddered in response to the titanic attack. A drone closed in and sent a pair of missiles flying into the ship. Upon impact, the explosions ripped the ship in half. Several secondary explosions lit up, signalling the cruiser's demise before it went up in a blaze of glory.

When the second and third ships met a similar fate, Dr. Eggman reported his success to Misato. "We've got outer space all to ourselves now. We can invade the planet anytime you want."

"Thank you Dr. Eggman," she replied. "All forces begin descent operations immediately!"

The transport ships emerged from their location hidden within the moon's orbit. One by one, the ships descended onto the planet's surface like blazing comets. They landed on the ground with a single thud. From the open side doors of three of these drop ships emerged the Evas. The mecha strapped on power packs from their drop ships and assembled energy rifles for battle. Upon marching into battle, the almost immediately came a seven member group of white Angels which had attacked the Geofront.

Unit 01 fired its energy rifle into the ranks of the Angels. Its aim was sure and burned out the eye of its target. Shinji spotted another advancing on him and fired into its chest. Despite trying to raise an AT Field, the Angel couldn't focus enough power to prevent the beam from punching through. It seared a gaping hole on its way through the Angel's chest, collapsing it. Even as the Angel writhed on the ground in agony, the Angel began to regenerate the damage done to it.

Shinji fired another beam into a third Angel, but it raised an AT Field to protect itself. "Oh great!" remarked Shinji over the radio.

"Well, what did you expect? They're Angels," said Asuka.

Unit 02 closed on the Angels with a progressive knife drawn. She tore through the Angel's AT Field and impaled the knife fatally through its ruby eye. She picked up the fallen body and hurled it into another Angel, who raised an AT Field to save itself. Asuka fired energy shots at the Angel, but was blocked by its AT Field. Despite its protection, Asuka was beginning to wear it down. After the third shot, the Angel gave out, allowing Asuka's fourth shot to get through. It seared a hole clean through the chest. Asuka corrected her aim and took out the eye with her fifth shot.

From above, the Crimson Egg rained luminous blue destruction from its location in outer space. The beams seemed to dance all around the Angels. They tried using AT Fields to shield themselves, but even they were of only limited help. The bombardment took its toll on the Angels' AT Fields, leading to their inevitable collapse. The Crimson Egg's bombardment seared through leaving behind only ash. The way to the Geofront's entrances was now clear of enemy units. Valiance's foot soldiers swarmed into the Geofront to reclaim it for their side.

Lina and Luffy's teams entered the Geofront's metal hallways, where they came face to face with a squad of humanoid beings. Much like albinos, they had chalky white skin and a sickly complexion. Their eyes were bloodshot, almost as though they were extremely sleep-deprived. They were clad in camouflage uniforms like those normally worn by soldiers. Lina created a fireball and hurled it into the crowd. It exploded with violent, deafening force. When the smoke cleared, half of the enemy had been incinerated. The survivors managed to combine powers and hide behind a stronger AT Field.

"Well, half is still good," remarked Lina.

The battle lines formed as the two sides clashed in a chaotic melee. Unlike normal humans, these soldiers were tougher to bring down, largely due to the AT Fields and regenerative capabilities. Gourry slashed at an Angel soldier, but ended up striking its AT Field. It turned its hand into a spear and lunged back at Gourry, who parried with his sword. Gourry aimed for the eyes but was stopped by the creature's AT Field again. Gourry parried a second lunge. He motioned to the side which sliced off the creature's left hand. It fell to the ground with a plop, but the creature was already growing a new one.

Gourry activated the enchantments of his sword to even out the odds. His sword glowed with the white light of pure magic. The Angel lunged at him, only to be parried. Gourry flicked his sword sideways, effectively severing the Angel's forearm. Gourry slashed at the Angel, keeping it off balance. Despite its attempts to defend itself, the magically enhanced sword was too much for the Angel. Gourry forced a stab through the Angel's defence and into its heart. With the Angel stunned, he pulled out his blade and made a final slash across the neck, decapitating it. The Angel collapsed and disintegrated into ash.

"Aim for the heart, that's their weak spot!" informed Gourry.

"Well now you tell me!" cried Zolo, who evaded an Angel's slash.

"You can try magic if you want..."

"I can't use magic, idiot!" remarked Zolo. He unleashed a flurry of sword strokes to his Angel. Naturally, the enemy hid behind the safety of its AT Field. He eventually feigned a slash to the head, tricking the Angel into raising his AT Field at that location. Zolo immediately went for the Angel's heart, piercing through it with a single stab. When he pulled his sword out, the Angel crumbled into ash.

Despite having one of the best defences possible, even an AT Field was not perfect. Valiance took advantage of the holes to quickly fell the Angel soldiers and their Omnipotence controllers. Valiance swept through NERV headquarters and was soon in control of the place. It was a happy day for the NERV remnants, having finally reclaimed their home. They effected repairs to the place which became Valiance's new beachhead. The Evas finally returned to their hangar for the first time in months.

"It's great to be back," said Misato as she examined the situation in the base. "I missed this place. We made a mess of the place to get it back, but at least it’s ours now."

"Yeah," said Ritsuko. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever come back here."

As Valiance prepared to clean out the base, the Eva pilots toured the place they once worked in. "What a mess!" remarked Asuka, looking over the burn marks and smashed furniture in the lounge.

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home," remarked Zolo, entering the lounge. He approached the water cooler and made himself a drink.

"Humble? It's more like a pigsty now!" remarked Asuka.

"Hey, that can't be helped. When these guys took over, they were bound to make a mess of the place," said Zolo, sipping his water. "At least you guys got back your place. Not everyone is as lucky as you are." Zolo noticed Luffy come into the lounge to relax. "Oh hi Luffy!"

"Hi Zolo, this place is so cool!" said Luffy. "It's got these amazing boxes that do so many wonderful things. I was in a box that took me to so many new places. It was fun! Sanji just cooked me something to eat in another box. It made this cute little ding sound when it was done."

"What is he talking about?" whispered Shinji.

"I think he's talking about the microwave," replied Rei.

"He's like a kid!" remarked Asuka. "Is this guy really one of us?"

"If you haven't noticed, we're just kids too," said Rei matter-of-factly.

"Well duh!" quipped Asuka.

"So, you must be enjoying yourself," suggested Zolo.

"Yep, I'm never seen so many wonderful things in one place," replied Luffy. "See ya later, Zolo!" Luffy sauntered out of the room with a big smile on his face.

Zolo drank some water from the water cooler. "Well, I'll be heading out too. Take care kids." Zolo drank the rest of his water and hurled the cup into a trash can on his way out.

---

When Valiance had cleaned up the Geofront, Misato held a briefing to explain Valiance's next move. Valiance's spies and scouts had located an Omnipotence base hidden under the lake to the east where Old Tokyo used to be. This was the same area Valiance had set up camp to locate and capture members of the Omnipotence arms running ring. Though they were in the position to find it, Ross and Koichi's detachment never got the time. Omnipotence had begun its attack on the Geofront, forcing Valiance's into supporting NERV against them.

Now that the arms running ring had been crushed, Valiance was free to devote its full time and energy into invading this base. This enemy hideout was a factory where they created the cloned angels. Spies reported seeing numerous vats filled with fecundating fluids. Omnipotence raised new Angels within these vats to fill out its army. This factory could create up to three gigantic Angels each week, the same kind used to attack the Geofront. They could also create smaller, infantry-level Angels at a rate of a dozen each week. This facility had to be shut down, as well as any others that may exist.

This factory was a vital part of Omnipotence's presence in Evangelia. Nearly the entire enemy force consisted of Angels or Angel infantry created in this facility. Due to its vital nature, the facility always kept a squadron of giant Angels under high alert in case of enemy attack. It was also guarded by Angel infantry numbering into the hundreds as well as a non-Angel security and command staff.

NERV began the launch sequence for the Evangelions. A hidden metal doorway opened in the mountains, allowing the Evas to enter the wilderness outside of Tokyo-3. The Evas advanced on the lake where they took up key defensive positions. They began firing into the water, hoping to lure out Omnipotence forces. Omnipotence eventually deployed their Angels to combat the Evas, just as Misato predicted. Rei in Unit 00 detected one of the Angels approaching her position.

She promptly unleashed energy from her rifle. The shots impacted the enemy's AT Field, causing the Angel no harm. The Angel returned fire, shooting beams of crimson energy from its Cyclopean eye. Rei raised her own AT Field, weathering the attack without harm. She ran in for close-quarters combat, drawing her prog knife on the way in. She turned on Unit 00's AT Field to erode her way through the enemy's. Within a few seconds, the Angel's AT Field buckled under the strain. Rei stabbed the prog knife into the Angel's eye, which gushed out blood. The Angel collapsed and crumbled into ash.

Shinji watched as more Angels approached the Evas. "Misato, we've got the Angels' attention," reported Shinji.

"Good, all units, begin the second phase of the attack," commanded Misato.

Several Valiance soldiers emerged from hiding. They raced up to a hidden steel door and planted explosives on it. After a fifteen second countdown, the explosives blew down the door. They rushed and gunned down several Omnipotence agents before they could react. Using his rubberized body, Luffy extended a fist right into the jaw of an enemy soldier. Valiance poured into the cloning facility like a tidal wave. More enemy soldiers went down from enemy fire before the enemy could get their act together. Luffy wound up and sent an elastically powered-up punch right between an enemy's eyes.

Several minutes into the conflict, a new hole burst open into the metal walls of the hi-tech hideout. The Bugrom emerged from the hole with weapons drawn, beginning the second wave of the attack. Valiance and Omnipotence troops formed battle lines at the entrance to the Angel cloning area. The Zaibach soldiers provided covering fire with Chlima weapons while armoured Saillune troops entered under the cover of magical barriers. Once the two sides closed, it began all out melee with soldier fighting Angel in the warehouse-like vat room.

An Angel soldier hid behind its AT Field, fearful of Zolo's wrath. Zolo hurled slash after slash, keeping the Angel pinned down and off-balance. A slash went at the head, only to be stopped by the AT Field. Another went to the body and then a third from the other side. Yet another came from overhead, but the Angel somehow managed to hold on. Zolo made a slash with his mouth sword finally breaking through the AT Field. Before the blade went into its eyes, the Angel veered its head away. After three more slashes, Zolo connected a thrust to the Angel's heart, reducing it to ashen powder.

Shayla ran afoul of an Angel soldier in the hall across the vat room. She immediately hurled fire at it, forcing her enemy to raise its AT Field. Shayla intensified the flames, hoping to wear out her enemy. Despite this increase, the Angel was able to maintain its AT Field. She decided to try a different approach. She twirled her fingers around, spinning wisps of flame around the Angel's feet. The Angel moved its guard and its sight away as expected. Shayla sent a fire bolt at the Angel's eyes, blinding and dazing it. As it stumbled about, Shayla blasted it through the heart burning out the creature.

"Hey you there!" cried Luffy.

"What is it?" asked Shayla.

"We have to get rid of these vats. Help me out!"

"Okay, led the way."

Luffy pointed to each of the vats in the room. Shayla psychically incinerated each of the vats as Luffy pointed them out. Each vat burst into smokeless flame upon exposure to her powers. Two near fully grown Angel soldiers leapt from the vats. Unlike fully grown Angels, these humanoid creatures look almost like white chocolate that had been left in the sun for too long. They hardened flesh into stony spikes and hurled them as projectiles. Luffy and Shayla leapt for cover behind some undamaged vats. Luffy gestured for Shayla to cause a diversion. She nodded and ran out to throw a fire bolt at one of the Angels.

Predictably, the Angels raised AT Fields to guard against the explosion. A pair of Gum Gum punches blasted the Angels in the back of the head, momentarily dazing them. Shayla threw fire bolts into the creatures' hearts. They seared through and punctured their hearts, causing the creatures to melt down into white goo completely. "Well, that went well," remarked Shayla.

"Let's go, you've still go more to go," said Luffy.

"Oh yeah, easy for you to say. I'm doing all the work!"

Shayla continued to burn down the remaining vats. Once again, a trio of partially grown Angels leapt out of the vats, these ones as melted in appearance as the others. Unlike the first, they had caught fire during Shayla's efforts to destroy the vats. Despite being on fire, their amazing regenerative capabilities kept them going. They fired spikes at the heroes, who evaded once again. Luffy threw a Gum Gum punch which was blocked by an AT Field. Shayla threw fire bolts which were also blocked by the same AT Field.

Luffy noticed more Angels emerging from the other undamaged vats. "Oh great!" said Shayla.

"Shayla!" cried Miz as she emerged from behind some vats with Afura.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show up!" said Shayla.

"Don't forget about me," said Zolo, emerging from behind another set of vats. "Let's show these zombies a thing or two about how we handle things over in the Great Blue."

Zolo and the Muldoon priestesses charged into the fray. Zolo approached an Angel and hurled sword swipes at it. Shayla hurled blistering fire, prompting some of them to raise AT Fields. Afura blew a fierce wind over the Angels, knocking several of them down. She whirled these fierce winds into a tornado by mimicking the spinning with her fingers. The twisters sucked the Angel soldiers in and grinded them, heart and all, into a white, gooey paste. Miz blasted other Angels with water, sending three of them crashing through the side of a spawning vat. Luffy socked another Angel in the face, which launched it into another vat as well.

Fecundating fluid gushed out of these vats and split all over the ground. Several partially formed Angels, carried by the rushing liquid, were dumped onto the ground. Shayla gestured at the stillborn Angels and ignited them. "We have to destroy the vats. Let's finish the job before more guys pop out of them!" urged Shayla.

The Muldoon priestesses turned their elemental powers onto the vats, annihilating them in a flurry of elemental destruction. "That's all of them," said Afura.

"What about the big ones?" asked Shayla.

"Don't worry about them, Nami and the others are taking care of them as we speak," said Zolo.

Luffy called up Misato with the good news. "Good work," she complimented. "Help the rest of the forces clean out the base. We've got this one in the bag!"

---

As Misato was wrapping up a battle in her home world of Evangelia, Jinto and Lafiel were returning to report on one of their own. The Basroil landed on the platform in Valiance's orbiting space station. As they left the ship, Abh work crews saluted as Captain Abriel and Jinto emerged from their ship. From its appearance, the Basroil had seen some serious space combat over in the Blue Stars. There were quite a few scorch marks dotted along its chassis. Its port side had had three holes punched into it with another on the top side. Medics rushed wounded crew members to better equipped facilities for treatment.

"I didn't know how we did it, but we got through that one in one piece," remarked Jinto as he followed Lafiel through the space station.

"Yeah, after losing so many ships, who knew that the insurgents could still put up such a fight. Well, it's all behind us now. If things still go as well as it has, we should be taking back the capital within the month," said Lafiel.

"Yeah, but even if we take over the capital and eliminate the Abh, there's still Omnipotence to deal with," warned Jinto.

"Yep, but word has it that they're not doing so well either. I heard Detective Syllabus is cracking down hard on the money laundering. It won't be long before he brings down the entire operation. Without money, Omnipotence can't do anything. One of our generals is leading forces to retake the planets captured by the insurgents. She's already reclaimed one and is going after another now. It looks like Omnipotence and friends are coming apart at the seams."

The duo reached a door where Jinto pressed a button to summon the elevator. The two took it down one floor and continued through the commercial district. The two reached yet another elevator, which they took to the space station shuttle bay. After using one of the shuttles to get down to the planet, the two continued onto the headquarters, a dome decorated by the symbol of a fedora-wearing detective's silhouette. This symbol was Valiance's insignia and obviously based on Eddie Valiant's appearance. The guards escorted them to the offices of Valiance's leader.

"Oh hello Lafiel, glad to see you," said Eddie pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Sure, tea would be nice," replied Lafiel.

"Pour a cup of tea for me too," said Jinto.

As the Eddie poured their drinks, the Abh officers sat down before Folken. "So what have you to report," he asked, getting straight down to business.

"We have retaken Volbeirunei Naval Station. From here, we can launch attacks against Lakfakalle, the Imperial City. The insurgents have taken up positions around the capital to make a last stand. If things go well, we can retake the capital as soon as a month," reported Jinto.

Eddie served cups of tea to the Abh officers and sat down across from them. "That's good news. With the Abh insurgents out of the way, we've got one less headache to deal with."

"It's not as simple as that," remarked Lafiel. "We've got a new problem, the civil war has left the Abh Empire vulnerable. The Four Nation Alliance has begun to take Imperial territory as its own in the confusion."

"I hope you don't intend to ask us to support you against the Alliance..." warned Folken. "Valiance's support comes on the condition of assisting those being threatened by Omnipotence terrorism. We do not wish to be dragged in a war against the Four Nation Alliance."

"Oh no, don't take this the wrong way, Folken. Valiance has done more than enough to help us," said Lafiel. "Empress Ramaj has anticipated this outcome. We have made a ceasefire which will buy some time to consolidate our forces and recover from the civil war. She has resigned herself to the fact that the Abh Empire will be a shadow of its former glory. We stand to more than a third of our territories to the Alliance and independence movements. The best we can hope for is to salvage what we can."

"That's the problem with empires, they always end badly," said Folken. "I hope that you will continue to provide us with support against Omnipotence at least?"

"Of course," replied Lafiel. "Empress Ramaj has guaranteed her support against Cephiro and other Omnipotence holdings."

"We'd also like to bring up the subject of the attack on the Imperial Capital. We'd like some of Valiance's heroes to support the recapture of Lakfakalle," said Jinto.

"I see," said Eddie. "You're in luck. We just so happen to have some people we can send."

"Thank you Mr. Valiant," said Lafiel. "I'm sure they will be of great help."

---

At the Presidential Mansion, Mickey Mouse's limo pulled up to the step. Several black suited men and anthropomorphic animals exited their cars and began to secure the area. When it was safe, they escorted Mickey into the mansion. Upon entry into his office, Mickey was greeted by Pete, Batman, and Green Arrow. "Welcome back, Mickey, it's done now, isn't it?" asked Pete.

"Yep," replied Mickey in disappointment. "The anime-like Toons are on their own now."

"None us wanted this to happen, Micky, but ultimately, it will be for the best," said Green Arrow. "This is just bigger than all of us."

"If I were them, I'd ally myself with someone who could provide protection and support," remarked Batman. "The problem is, who would they ask?"

"They might end up asking the anime Toons," suggested Pete. "... Or maybe they'll just form their own alliance and run all the way with this."

"I've been talking with these Toons and it looks like they want to form a new alliance with each other," informed Green Arrow. "The Bender Nations and Magix had already made one even before this whole mess started. Many of the other nations are looking at their alliance as an example of what to do."

"Well, whatever they do, we'll find out eventually," said Batman. "So, how are relief efforts going for Ba Sing Se?"

"Quite well, actually," said Mickey. "Even though there's so much tension, the Toons could still find it in their hearts to help out those in need."

At Ba Sing Se, such relief efforts continued on course. After the attack by the Eye of God, many homes had been flattened. A gaping, circular hole was left in the middle of one of Ba Sing Se's busiest markets and residential areas. Despite the attempts of Acme's government to pin the blame on anime terrorists, no one believed them. In distrust of their occupiers, the Bender Nations saw through their deceptions. When the Toons finally ended their occupation, it was cause for celebration.

In a village beyond the limits of Ba Sing Se, supplies were about to depart for the devastated city. A truck-like vehicle hovered above the ground by way of strange disks underneath. A flying bison emerged from the horizon and landed near the convoy. A bald young boy hopped off of his mount. He was dressed in orange and yellow garb much like that of a Shaolin monk. The boy approached the window of one of the hover trucks, prompting the driver to roll down his window to greet him. As the window descended, it revealed the face of a handsome blond teenager.

"Hello, are you Aang?" asked the driver.

"Yep, that's right," replied Aang. "I'm here to guide you, uh..."

"Sky," replied the driver, shaking hands with Aang. "Glad to meet you. We'll be counting on you to help protect our cargo. Our convoy is three trucks large. My truck and Helia's over there are carrying water. Riven's truck in the very back is carrying food rations. We'll have to travel through the Great Divide to reach Ba Sing Se, so please make sure we get there as quickly as possible."

"Don't worry, you're in good hands," replied Aang.

"Good, just hop in and we'll be off."

Aang returned to his group. "I'm going to stay above on Appa. Sokka, why don't you go with Sky."

"Sure," replied the bronzed boy.

"Katara, you can go with Helia, and Toph, you can go with Riven in the back," directed Aang.

The trio boarded the empty seat beside the driver. "Cool, I've always wanted to ride in one of these things," remarked Sokka.

"Yeah, it's even more fun to drive them," reminded Sky. "Just don't forget your seatbelt. It might get a little rough today."

Following Sky's directions, Sokka was able to buckle up properly. Sky started the engine, which started with the sound of whirring. Some of the convoy's escort hover bikes went out ahead while the supply trucks followed behind with other escorts. The entire convoy pulled out of the area in a line with Sky as the lead truck and Riven bringing up the rear. The convoy travelled down a single dirt road on grassy plains. After nearly an hour of travel, they pulled into a second village on the threshold to the Great Divide where they stopped for a break.

The Great Divide itself was a massive chasm which separated Ba Sing Se from the rest of the world. It was a massive labyrinth of valleys and mountains which were difficult to navigate. It was easy to get lost in this area from all of the possible pathways one could take. In addition, it was also a very dangerous place to travel and put the convoy at a tactical disadvantage. Due to so many elevated areas, it was easy for anyone to set up an ambush against the convoy. In addition, some dangerous and hostile creatures were known to live in the area, attacking if disturbed.

"Now, here's where it gets dangerous," remarked Sokka as he watched his truck entered the Great Divide. "Of all the places they had to put Ba Sing Se, it had to be here."

"No arguments from me," said Sky. "It would be a lot easier if we didn't have to go through this place at all. Well, everything is going fine. Hopefully, this will keep up, and we'll be in Ba Sing Se in no time."

After several minutes of travelling through twisting passageways, Aang pulled up to Sky's window. "Hold on guys, I saw a landslide blocking the road up ahead. Toph is going to take care of it so please wait until she's done."

Toph exited her truck and walked up to the fallen rocks. With a hard stomp and a thrust forward, she propelled several rocks forward. They blew out of the pile as though dynamite had exploded near them. Within a few minutes, the way was clear. "All done boys, you can go now!" she called.

The convoy travelled forward over the rubble of the landslide. Several minutes in, the road dipped downward. It travelled through an area with several caves in the sides of the mountains. "Great, we're right in the middle of canyon crawler territory," remarked Sokka.

"Canyon crawler territory?" asked Sky.

"Trust me, you don't want to know. Let's hope they don't notice us," said Sokka.

In the sky, Aang circled overhead on Appa, looking for any signs of unusual movement. A few minutes in, he thought he saw something skitter across the mountainside in the corner of his eye. When he turned to look at it, it was already gone. He spotted something else crawling on the side of the chasm, finally able to determine what it was. It was a creature much like a spider and crocodile hybrid moving uncomfortably close to the convoy. More of its kind skittered along the side of the chasm, headed right for the convoy.

Aang flew Appa back to Sky's hover truck. "Watch out, I just saw a dozen canyon crawlers coming our way!"

No sooner than Aang warned him than those creatures descended on the convoy. One landed on top of Sky's truck. The sudden clang and shuddering of the canyon crawler's landing freaked him out. "Whoa!" he gasped.

Sokka exited the truck to confront the creature. He hurled his boomerang into the canyon crawler, nailing it at the back of the skull and knocking it unconscious. "Keep driving, we'll hold them off," said Sokka as he caught his returning boomerang.

Sokka made his way to Helia's truck which had come under attack by more canyon crawlers. Sokka hurled his boomerang one of them, catching it in the middle left leg. The creature lost its footing and slumped onto its left side. When his boomerang returned, Sokka ran forward and hurled it between the creature's eyes, knocking it unconscious. Another pounced onto the truck alarming Helia. Sokka hurled his boomerang at the creature, knocking it off of the truck. It landed on the ground, blowing up a cloud of dust.

Aang propelled blasts of wind directly into a group of canyon crawlers, blowing the three into the side of the mountain. "Are you okay?" asked Sokka.

"I'm fine," replied the Avatar. "I've taken care of these guys, let's see how the others are doing."

Katara whirled around some water and lashed it into the face of a canyon crawler. Another attempted to pounce on her but she suddenly arced the water backwards and nailed the creature in the back of the head. She swerved the water to another's back, knocking it flat onto its underbelly. She looked around and found the guards fighting the rest of the attackers with Toph. The guards cut down several more while Toph hurled canyon crawlers away by sliding the ground beneath them. With the situation under control, the security forces caught up with the trucks away from the battle area.

Sokka open the door to Sky's truck. "Are you okay?" asked Sky.

"I'm fine," replied Sokka. "At least we can say that our trip wasn't uneventful."

Sky smiled. "Yeah, who knew that delivering supplies could be so exciting? Let’s be on our way. There are a lot of people who need this stuff."

END OF CHAPTER

New Stars of Heaven/Heavenly Leaders:
None

New Stars of Earth/Earthly Warriors:
None

Spotlight: Escaflowne

Escaflowne follows the adventures of an Earth girl named Hitomi Kanzaki, who is brought to the world of Gaea. The world of Gaea was facing turmoil from Zaibach's military conquest. The Dornkirk, the Zaibach Emperor, desired the secrets of Atlantis to create a utopia in the world of Gaea. Upon entering Gaea, Hitomi befriends the prince of Fanellia, Van, whose kingdom was destroyed during a Zaibach attack. She discovers that her psychic powers are growing and a threat to the Zaibach's goal, which put her at odds with them. Over time, Hitomi and Van gathered a larger sphere of friends and unravelled the secrets of Atlantis and Gaea.

Origin:
Folken is the right hand man of Zaibach Emperor Dornkirk. It was Dornkirk who taught Folken everything he knew about science. In fact, Dornkirk was also the man who saved Folken after he failed to pass the test needed to ascend Fanellia's throne. As a debt of gratitude, Folken entered in Dornkirk's service. A similar chain of events happened with the cat sisters, Nariya and Eriya.

Powers:
On Gaea, science is the major power type, especially in the Zaibach Empire, where it is the most advanced. The people of the world used mostly steam technology rather than the electronics of our world. The Guymelef is a marvel of Gaean engineering, essentially a non-electronic walking robot control by a pilot. The Zaibach had acquired an even more amazing technology known as the "Fate Alteration Engine" from the Atlanteans. This technology made thoughts real, but proved to be too dangerous for widespread use. Today, it is kept under strict lock and key and only used to maintain Dornkirk's life.

Gaea does have some psionics, the key user of which is Hitomi herself. She can foretell the future using tarot cards and use her pendant to locate individuals and things. Other than Hitomi, there are very few known users of psionics.