A Touch of Madness
Jal Gorda, the Lightning League spy, met with Jayce and Oon to give them a cutting from a Monster Mind "Madness Vine" plus a video tape detailing its effects. They were promptly discovered by enemy troopers. Jal threw a flare grenade to blind them while Jayce summoned Armed Force, using it to bury them under an avalanche of warehouse drums. Thanks to their efforts, all three friends escaped the Monster Minds.
The video tape revealed that Saw Boss created the Madness Vines on Elba, a world taken over by Monster Minds four months ago. These particular vines, mutated by a nearby red star, radiated energies that triggered madness in sentient beings. Saw Boss had bred enough of them to destroy an entire space fleet.
Saw Boss had also provoked a warlord named Rakathon to send the space armada of the Tengu to Elba, so that the Monster Minds could capture their ships and weapons. The Tengu were a warrior people who live by a rigid code of honor. Herc declared that warning the Tengu would be pointless -- they never listened to strangers. Unconvinced, Gillian offered to double Herc's payment if he would take them to the Tangu, and the captain agreed.
Gillian asked Flora to scan the vine cutting with her plant senses. This caused her a great deal of pain and mental anguish, making her yell at him to get away. Gillian apologized after she broke free of the madness, explaining that he didn't think it could affect her so profoundly.
As the Pride neared Korvax, the Tengu homeworld, the armada blocked their path. Prince Akir, son of Rakathon, demanded that they leave the area or be destroyed. Caught off-guard, Jayce tried to respond, but the transmission cut off. Jayce had Herc take the barge down near the Tengu's main fortress -- that way, none of their ships would open fire with their heavy weaponry. The ruse worked, but they discovered that there was a large photon cannon being aimed at them from the fortress itself! At the last second, Akir ordered his warriors to hold their fire, wishing to speak with the League. At Herc's recommendation, the League vehicles (except for Battle Base, Fling Shot, and Spray Gunner) were unloaded from the Pride so that the League could display their weapons openly -- the Tengu concept of good manners.
Jayce tried to warn Akir about Saw Boss' plan, but the prince took his warning as an insult to the Tengu's code of honor. He ordered that the League vehicles and weaponry be taken into custody. Jayce refused this demand and Drill Sergeant tunnel an escape route. After the other wheeled vehicles followed it, Trail Blazer blocked the opening with its body to cover their escape. Jayce told the League to spilt up and find Rakathon. Akir ordered his troops to use capture tactics only, while Jayce commanded the League not to injure any Tengu. One by one, the League members fell to the Tengu warriors, with all of the former being knocked unconscious as their wheeled vehicles were badly wrecked.
Rakathon then appeared with Noak, a Monster Mind spy, in tow. He praised his son for capturing the spies that his "friend" Noak warned them about -- according to the latter, the League's supposed plan was to trick the Tengu into delaying the armada's journey to Elba. Much to Akir's displeasure, Rakathon left Noak in charge while he departed with the fleet.
The League members did not learn about the deception until they woke up in Akir's audience room. Jayce tried to warn Akir once again, but was silenced. The prince stated that only winning a duel would give him the right to speak. A huge, heavily-muscled gladiator named Kokan entered to fight for his prince. Jayce stepped forward to fight for the Lightning League. He accepted the offered lightsword but declined the armor, favoring speed over protection. Both warriors stepped into a ring surrounded by energized ropes. At first, the fight went in Jayce's favor, thanks to his agility and acrobatics. Herc was impressed, and Oon proudly boasted that Jal Gorda had taught Jayce. Then Kokan gained the upper hand, forcing Jayce back. Flora begged Gillian to do something, and he began to chant a spell. Kokan pressed Jayce back against the ropes, where he was stunned by their energy. Just as the gladiator raised his lightsword for the death blow, Gillian released his spell. It affected Kokan's lightsword, causing it to break as Jayce blocked his blow. Kokan was distracted for an instant, giving Jayce an opening to kick his jaw hard, knocking him to the ground. Jayce pointed his lightsword at Kokan's forehead in victory. Flora and Oon cheered, and Gillian and Herc sighed in relief. Akir said that Kokan's life was Jayce's to take. The gladiator closed his eyes, awaiting his fate in silence. But instead of killing Kokan, Jayce spared him by throwing his lightsword against the energized ropes, neutralizing it. Jayce then stood tall, stating that the League had come to save lives, not take them. Since Jayce had proven himself, Akir bowed and heard him out.
The League showed Akir the tape, with Gillian imploring him to stop Rakathon, but it was too late -- the fleet was already in hyperspace, beyond communication range. Jayce, Akir, and the League boarded the Pride, speeding towards Elba. En route, they developed a plan to destroy the Madness Vines: all they needed was protection from the plants' effects long enough to land and destroy them. Since Flora already had a taste of the Madness Vines' effects, she could form a telepathic shield around the group with Gillian's magical assistance. The barge arrived at Elba just in time to see the Tengu fleet go insane, firing upon itself amidst red waves emanating from the planet.
Jayce reassured Akir that the League would do its best to save Rakathon, then told Gillian to cast his spell. Combining his energy with her telepathy, Gillian talked Flora through the process of creating a shield the whole trip down. Even with his help, Flora suffered a great deal, but managed to hold on long enough for the barge to slip underneath the waves of madness emitted by the vines.
Jayce, Oon, and Akir took Fling Shot, Spray Gunner, Trail Blazer, and Akir's personal flyer into battle. After defeating enemy troopers and incoming vines, they sprayed a highly flammable thermal jelly solution over the mutated vines, then ignited it via Fling Shot's disks. The Madness Vines were totally incinerated, reduced to blacked husks which quickly disintegrated.
The Tengu armada recovered from the madness with a great loss of ships. Rakathon felt shamed at his inability to prevent this. Akir urged him to order the warriors to evacuate and destroy the ships so that Saw Boss could not get them, but Rakathon objected, saying that the Tengu fought to the last. In frustration, Akir asked if he would let Saw Boss conquer their homeworld simply because he was too proud to make a strategic retreat. Jayce added that the shame was Saw Boss', not Rakathon's, as he used treachery to gain the upper hand. Convinced by both warriors' arguments, Rakathon relented and ordered the evacuation. One by one, the ships jettisoned escape pods before self-destructing, the resulting energies causing a chain-reaction with the planet to make it explode as well.
Akir wished that the League would stay to help them fight the Monster Minds, but Jayce explained that he had to find his father, and that the Tengu could get along without their help. As the League left the area, Herc and Akir exchanged salutes -- Herc offered the Tengu salute, while Akir gave a thumbs-up!
Jal Gorda: "That cutting from the Madness Vine may help you. The tape is proof of the vine's effects -- you'll need it too."
Jayce: "Jal salvaged this tape from the nose camera of a Silvani spy ship. This is Elba -- the Monster Minds reached it about four months ago. This must be the Madness Vine."
Gillian: "Some mutation, I venture... possibly brought about by the radiation from that red star. If Saw Boss is able to develop more of these vines..."
Jayce: "That vine made the pilot go mad! He crashed into the planet! Saw Boss bred enough of these to drive an entire fleet mad, and that's exactly what he's going to do. He's provoked a warlord named Rakathon into sending an armada after him -- it will get to reach Elba soon."
Herc (stunned): "Rakathon?! You know who he IS, kid? The ruler of the Tengu, who lives on planet Korvax."
Gillian: "The people of Tengu are a warrior people, aren't they, with a very rigid code of honor."
Herc: "Yeah, they never back down from a fight."
Jayce: "We have to warn them!"
Herc: "Ohhh, forget it kid, they also never take advice from strangers!"
Gillian: "Double your usual fee, added to what we owe you already."
Herc (thoughtful): "Double? Hmmm!"
Saw Boss: "The Madness Vines grow well, and soon the Tengu armada will bring us ships and weapons!"
Flora: "Gee, Gillian, why do we have to stop working on Spray Gunner and Fling Shot to look at a ugly old Monster Mind vine?"
Gillian: "This is a new kind of Monster Mind, Flora. We've got to learn as much about it as we can! Use your plant-sense on this vine section -- see what you make of it."
Flora: "Okay... (Cries out in pain) Uhhh! Uhhh! UHHH! UHHH!""
(Brock chirps in alarm)
Gillian (startled): "Flora! Flora?!"
Flora (angrily): "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
(Brock keeps on chirping as he and Gillian stare at Flora in shock)
Flora: "UHHH! UHHH-uhhh...! (Drives away the madness, then starts crying) Gillian, what happened?! The, uhhh... oh, Gillian! Uhhh..."
Gillian (shaken): "I never thought it could affect you -- I'm SO sorry!"
Flora (calming down): "I wanna help."
(Gillian nods his consent)
Herc: "Coming up on Korvax now, kid -- not that it's going to do us any good."
Jayce: "The Tengu people can't ignore Jal's tape!"
Herc: "You don't know the Tengu, kid!"
Akir: "I am Prince Akir, son of Rakathon, Warlord of the Tengu. You tresspass in our space -- depart at once!"
Jayce: "Prince Akir, I am Jayce, uhhh son of Audric, and... uh, Commander of the Lightning League. I, uh..."
(Akir ends the transmission)
Herc: "I told you kid -- we don't go NOW, that destroyer's gonna use us for target practice!"
Jayce: "Where's their fortress?"
Herc: "Right below the armada -- BUT, if you're thinking...!"
Jayce: "Give it full speed while that destroyer's turning. They can't fire heavy weapons at us if we're over the fortress!"
Akir: "Hold! This Lightning League is either very brave or very foolish. I will find out which it is."
Jayce: "Should we take the vehicles out?"
Herc: "Sure! It's good manners: the Tengu trust people who display their weapons openly."
Akir: "You have defied the order of Rakathon!"
Jayce: "We had to warn you! Saw Boss has a plan to defeat your armada -- you've GOT to listen!"
Akir: "You presume to warn the Tengu of defeat?! It is an insult to our code! Surrender your war machines and weapons!"
Jayce: "NO WAY! Drill Sergeant, Trail Blazer, Escape Plan B!"
Akir: "They are quite the daredevils!"
Jayce: "Defend yourselves, but don't hurt anyone."
Herc: "We're the ones who're gonna get hurt, kid!"
Akir: "Capture tactics only; I don't want them harmed."
Flora: "Don't they know we're trying to help them?"
Gillian: "I suppose they want us to fight and prove our innocence."
Flora: "That's just what I'm gonna do!"
Rakathon: "You have captured the plant-creature's spies at last!"
Akir: "Spies, Father? They displayed their weapons openly and fought bravely!"
Rakathon: "Don't be deceived! This plant-creature plans well; he meant them to trick us into delaying our attack! Fortunately, our friend Noak learned of his scheme. Take them to the Sands of Judgment! I go to my flagship; the armada leaves for the attack!"
Jayce (regaining consciousness): "Ohhh, where... where are we?"
Herc: "The Tengu think we're old Moss-Head's spies!"
Oon (disbelieving): "Spies for Saw Boss?! US?! M-M-Master, tell them that's impossible!"
Jayce: "Prince Akir, if you will just...!"
Akir: "Silence! Only the Duel gives you a right to a voice!"
Akir: "Choose one to fight Kokan!"
Jayce: "I fight for the Lightning League!"
(After Jayce makes a beautiful acrobatic leap over Kokan and his sword-swipe)
Herc (impressed): "NICE, kid -- very nice!"
Oon (proudly): "Jal Gorda taught him!"
Gillian (casting a lightsword-breaking spell): "Baroonga, travonga, gazebo, rhubarb...!"
Akir: "Kokan's life is yours to take."
(Jayce stares at Kokan for a long moment, then throws his lightsword into the energy-ropes, deactivating it)
Jayce: "No, we came to save lives, yours and many others!"
(Akir rises from the throne, then bows formally at Jayce in Tengu tradition)
Akir: "My father's ships will destroy these monstrous plants!"
Gillian: "They'll never get close enough. Stop the armada! Warn your father!"
Akir: "Impossible; they are already in hyperspace, beyond our communications."
Saw Boss: "What feathers this proud bird wears; we shall soon pluck them!"
Jayce: "Now our only problem is protecting ourselves from the Madness Vines so we can land!"
Gillian: "Flora's had a taste of the effect. If she forms a telepathic shield around us, guided by my magic -- she might block it out long enough."
Saw Boss: "Splendid. The boy arrives! If the Tengu don't destroy them, the Madness Vines will!"
Herc: "I wish you hadn't been so hard on our vehicles, Prince Akir! We can sure use them right now."
Jayce: "Spray Gunner and Fling Shot will do fine. Lightning Strikes!"
Jayce: "Trail Blazer, Battle Plan A!"
Trail Blazer: "Command acknowledged!"
(Trail Blazer leaps high, knocking down Beast Walker with an enormous earthquake-generating body-slam)
Saw Boss: "Destroy that wretched boy, AND those vehicles!"
Terror Trooper: "Right away, sir!"
Jayce: "Spray Gunner -- Mind Fog, Vector 2-4-5!"
Spray Gunner: "Command acknowledged!"
Akir: "You are a great warrior, Jayce, son of Audric!"
Jayce: "You're not so bad yourself!"
Herc: "The kid had better finish the job quick! Old Moss-Head has a lot of firepower here!"
Rakathon: "Akir! I am shamed by this plant-creature!"
Akir: "Saw Boss must NOT have our ships! Father, you must order our warriors to escape and destruct!"
Rakathon: "NEVER! We will fight to the last!"
Akir (frustrated): "Would you let this dishonorable plant-thing conquer our homeworld out of pride?!"
Jayce: "Rakathon, Saw Boss used treachery and deceit as weapons. If there is any shame, it's his!"
Rakathon (after winning his internal struggle): "Order all survivors to escape and destruct!"
Lightning League: "YAAAAAAAAAY!"
Akir: "I wish you would stay and fight the plant-thing with us!"
Jayce: "I've got to find my father, and I think your people can get along without our help."
Herc: "Kid, that's the first SENSIBLE thing you've said all day!"
(After Herc salutes Akir Tengu-style and Akir gives Herc a thumbs-up, everyone LOL)
