"Quest Into Shadow"
Gillian launched spy satellites from the Pride so that the League could keep track of Saw Boss' activities. One of them detected an untouched planet in the middle of a Monster Mind-infested solar system in Sector 7. After fighting through some vines and enemy satellites, the barge landed on the planet in order to investigate the mystery.
The Lightning League found itself stranded on a strange world with a bleak pale landscape, jagged outcroppings, and dead skeletons of trees. Gillian identified this as a Zone of Anti-Life, the very environment of which slowly and lethally drained away life-energy. The League's energy reserves dropped to half-power, the vehicles broke down, and they felt physically weak. They explored the desolate area in Battle Base, encountering scattered Monster Mind troopers that have turned into stone.
The League was then summoned before the Dark Queen of the planet by her soldiers, the Shadow Warriors. She gave them a choice -- stay or be touched by her. She supposedly possessed the "touch of peace," which granted people "deliverance" from that world. Brock flew up to be touched, trusting her by instinct. and she touches him. When she did, he was surrounded by crackling light and vanished. Jayce refused to be touched, declaring that the League would find their own way off the planet.
Despite their best efforts, the situation grew worse. Power reserves continued to fall, Oon's metal body rusted and slowed down, and yellow and violet spots appeared on Flora's skin and hair. Freshly-grown Monster Mind troopers attempted to attack the League, but they turned to stone before causing much damage. When Oon and Flora collapsed, Jayce and the others took them back to the Dark Queen.
She explained that they were in a dimension of anti-life, and salvation lay in her touch of anti-death. She again made her offer the League, and this time they accepted. Upon being touched, they found themselves magically transported to a verdant place. Brock was there waiting, and soon the Pride was delivered as well. An illusion of the Queen, wearing her true human face, explained that when Saw Boss attacked long ago, her people used their magics to move all incoming ships into the anti-life dimension. Those visitors who possessed goodness and intelligence would always be presented with a solution that would allow them to shift into the planet's true state. Evil creatures would not be given such an opportunity. She also explained that her people are now tied to the planet by their magic and can never leave. She invited the League members to stay as long as they liked. Jayce thanked her and stated that they must continue on their quest. The Queen wished them well before they departed.
Herc: "What do you hope to accomplish with those probes anyway, Gillian?"
Gillian: "There's a saying, Herc: 'Know your enemy.' Those probes can go where we can't, see what we can't."
Flora: "It's terrible, all those worlds -- destroyed!"
Herc: "Well, that's why we call them 'Monster Minds,' Flower-Face."
Jayce: "It could be Father, but even if it isn't we've gotta find out what it is! Maybe it's the answer we've been looking for."
Herc: "Ah, not that I'm questioning your judgment of course but, heh-heh, you do realize this means going right into Saw Boss' turf?"
(Jayce nods in response, his expression a serious one)
Herc: "Oh, well, that's good, ah... I feel better knowing we know what we're doing when we're doing something I'll regret, heh-heh."
Saw Boss: "Our enemies will never understand the beauty of desolation, the purity of plant life over everything else!"
Terror Tank: "Excellency! The Lightning League is coming this way into our domain!"
Saw Boss: "Finally, it has happened! The strain was too much for them -- they have finally cracked!" (Cue evil laughter)
Herc: "Now entering Monster Mind territory, in case nobody noticed."
Oon: "H-How... How long do you think it'll be until we're noticed?"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Herc: "I think they just noticed us!"
Herc: "Fire lasers, close proximity, wide dispersion -- NOW!"
Gillian: "Just one chance -- electrify the hull!"
Gillian: "It is the opposite of everything we know. I fear that we have entered a Zone of Anti-Life."
Herc: "'Anti-Life?' Like, anti-matter?"
Gillian: "If this were anti-matter, we would have blown up as soon as we entered the atmosphere. Every living thing has power, the energy of life. Everything around us adds to that energy. But a place such as this takes energy, drains life steadily, slowly, lethally."
Jayce: "Then we've gotta find whoever, or whatever lives here. If they created this and found a way to survive, it might be the key we've been looking for."
Shadow Warrior: "You will leave your base and come with us. The Dark Queen has sent for you."
Herc: "Yeah? Let's see how they give orders after this laser!"
Jayce: "No, Herc, wait! They came in friendship; let's see what they have to say."
Jayce: "We have come here in search of my Father and in peace, offering help and the hand of friendship."
Dark Queen: "Certainly we'll accept your friendship... if you wish to accept the touch of the Dark Queen... the touch of peace. As to your offer, we are in need of nothing. The ones in need of help now are all of you. In coming here, you have doomed yourself, and your friends. The Anti-Life in which we exist will drain your energy, and you will simply... stop. You will be no more."
Jayce: "There must be a way!"
Dark Queen: "Yes. There is one way out. Only the touch of the Dark Queen will bring you peace. In other words... disappearance from this world!"
Herc: "That's why the Monster Minds never survived -- they couldn't make it off the planet!"
Gun Grinner: "Our spy satellite has achieved orbit around the planet, Excellency. But... it is not possible the planet has destroyed them already for us?"
Saw Boss: "We will make certain the only way we can -- LAUNCH VINES!"
Herc: "Oon, stop poking me with your lance, I don't have any time to play now!"
Dark Queen: "And so we have finished our observations of you. All is not as grave as it might be. Anti-life does not affect everyone the same. Some of you -- stronger, more complex -- will last longer. Even the rude one has surprising inner resources."
Herc (sarcastic mode): "Gee, thanks!"
Herc: "Something that doesn't take power, there's gotta be -- that's it! Skid guns, do your stuff!"
Jayce: "Waitaminute! There's one power source that we still might be able to use -- Ring of Light, Magic Might!"
Jayce: "The Anti-Life around us is draining the life from my friends; I've seen them weaken! You and your people survive here -- how?!"
Dark Queen: "We are used to this world, and so we can never leave. For your world would destroy us, just as our world destroys you. I tell you again: there is only one escape from this place. Only the touch of the Dark Queen can bring you peace."
Jayce: "Are you offering me death?"
Dark Queen: "We live in a world of anti-life... therefore, I am offering you anti-death."
Jayce: "There's no time to explain, and even if there was, I think... I think you'd have to trust me without explanation!"
Herc: "Oh good, the whole world's gone nuts!"
Herc: "I'd ask you to tell me it won't hurt, but ah, ha-ha, I never believe strangers anyway, ah... heh, nothing personal, you understand."
Jayce: "She lived in anti-life and offered us anti-death, and anti-death is the same thing as life!"
Flora: "Were you scared, Herc?"
Herc: "Me? Naaah! I knew what was going on all along!"
