"The Hunt"
Orion the Hunter, who pursued only the deadliest of prey, received permission from Saw Boss to hunt Jayce with "no interference." He lured Jayce away from Battle Base with a notebook of Audric's, then captured him along with Oon and warped his ship so that it became untraceable. The League had no idea where they were taken and began a desperate search.
Jayce and Oon were dropped off on Mortaros, the deadliest jungle planet in its home nebula. Jayce's communicator and Ring of Light had been confiscated; in their place were a lightsword for defense and communicator to talk with Orion. He gave Jayce a challenge -- reach an open field before he and Oon were recaptured, and they were free to go. Orion granted them a one-hour head start, then began tracking them, following their heat-patterns with a Body-Temperature Sensor. Jayce and Oon made it to an open field only to have most of the ground collapse from underneath them. An enormous Mortaran Spider emerged from its underground lair and almost ate them, but Orion arrived in time to freeze it solid. Right before Orion could claim Jayce as a trophy, Monster Mind troopers attacked in violation of their agreement.
They managed to subdue the hunter, but his intended prey escaped. Upon overhearing Saw Boss leaving Orion for the animals, the two turned around and rescued him. The three new allies then made their way to Orion's ship. When they encountered a lake of boiling mud, Orion returned Jayce's Ring of Light at his insistance, which then projected a bridge of solid light across it. After they were safely on the other side, Jayce willed the ring to reabsorb the bridge's magic, plunging the pursuing Monster Minds into the fiery lake.
In the meantime, the rest of the League tracked Jayce and Oon to Mortaros, only to find that there were too many animals for the Lifeform Detector to single out Jayce. Gillian devised a dangerous plan: if he could turn Flora back into a plant, her sensitivity to the Root would be increased a thousandfold. Through this, hopefully Jayce would be found wearing it. However, without Audric's help there was no guarantee Gillian would be able to change her back into a child. Flora agreed to do it anyway, wanting to help Jayce. Gillian then carried out his plan, transforming Flora into a full plant again. (Lizzard's Note: Weirdly enough, she still looks a kid. She must be a rare "person bloom.") She tracked the Root to a general area on the planet's surface, but was too exhausted from the effort to pinpoint Jayce's location in any more detail.
The escapees discovered that Orion's ship had been camouflaged by the Monster Minds so that passing ships could not see it. When the Pride passed over their location, Jayce rammed the lightsword's blade into the ground. Herc spotted the resulting burst of light and turned the barge around. He arrived just in time to blow away the troopers opening fire on his ship. Orion then returned Jayce's communicator so that he could command the League vehicles. Thanks to evening the playing field, the battle quickly ended in the League's favor.
Gillian revealed that he could change Flora back into a girl, but only by permanently transferring some human essence from another person. Jayce volunteered, but Gillian refused, knowing that Jayce needed to retain his sharpness in order to lead the League. Orion then volunteered to repay his debt. Afterwards Orion claimed that he felt "more human" and decided to teach others how to hunt Monster Minds, instead of hunting the innocent and defenseless.
Saw Boss: "SO! You let the boy get away! So be it. There will be another day."
Orion: "Hah, it seems that Jayce is more than a match for you, Saw Boss!"
Saw Boss: "Who dares to speak to me like this?!"
Orion: "Orion -- the Hunter. I select for my prey the most dangerous, the most -- cunning animals in the universe. But, there are few worthy challenges left."
Saw Boss: "You consider the boy worthy, do you?"
Orion: "Yes. Yes, but I never stalk the prey of others, without their permission. It -- wouldn't be sporting."
Saw Boss: "Destroy him if you can, Orion. I grant you permission."
Orion: "But you must not interfere! Jayce is my prey now. The sport is between him, and me alone."
Saw Boss: "Between him and you, Orion. Agreed."
Flora: "Whose ship is that?"
Herc: "It belongs to a guy named 'Orion,' Flower-Face. He happens to be the deadliest hunter in the universe."
Orion: "Welcome, Jayce. This planet will allow us both to test our skills to the maximum."
Orion: "The rules are simple: I am the hunter; you, are the hunted."
Jayce: "If you know me, you know how important my quest to find my father is!"
Orion: "That was your sport; this, is mine..."
Jayce: "Listen to me, Orion! Hunt me down if you will, but let Oon go!"
Orion: "But you're the Knight and he's your Squire, Jayce. I like that. It makes you a most elegant prey."
Gillian: "Mortaros! With the deadliest jungle in the nebula... it might be the planet Orion would choose."
Herc: "Well, there's life down there, all right -- too much; animals everywhere! The Lifeform Detector can't single out Jayce or anything else!"
Jayce: "All right, you've won! But by destroying us, you give the universe to the Monster Minds!"
Orion: "Ha-ha, only the Hunter gets his prey!"
Gillian: "If I could change you back into a plant, it would increase your sensitivity to the Root a thousandfold! But... without Audric's help, I might never be able to turn you back into a child again."
Flora: "Don't worry about me! We have to find Jayce!"
Saw Boss: "Because of you, my troopers must waste time tracking the boy! You will guide us!"
Orion: "Never. You violated our agreement; I wish him well. Good luck, Jayce; you were a worthy opponent."
Saw Boss (via communicator): "Tie Orion to the tree! Leave him for the animals, and go after the boy!"
Oon: "M-M-Master, we're not going back, are we?"
Jayce: "He's a human being! We can't just leave him there to die!"
Oon: "Oh, Master... sometimes I wish you weren't so brave!"
Herc: "Good luck, Little Orchid. I'll be rooting for you."
Jayce: "Ring of Light, Magic Might! Help us!"
Gillian: "The only way to change Flora back into human form, is to drain some human essence from another human being."
Herc: "What do you mean, 'drain?'"
Gillian: "The loss of vital human sensitivity would be permanent, Herc. (When Jayce steps forward to volunteer) No, Jayce. You'd lose much of your sharpness as our leader; too much depends on you!"
Orion: "I shall be the one! You've given me a great deal; I've learned what a terrible thing it is to be hunted. This is the least I can do in return."
Flora: "It feels good to be human again, Orion. I hope you're all right!"
Orion: "Somehow I feel more human, instead of less. From now on, I'll use my skills to show others how to hunt Monster Minds!"
Gillian: "This reminds me of a very, very old poem: 'He to bends to himself ajoy/Doth the winged life destroy/He who kisses the joy as it flies/Lives in eternity sunrise.'"
