Stranded (John Smith 10)

Story
The Proto-TRUK is flying through space, John leaning back as Elektra drives.

Elektra: I don’t know why I’m always driving and you’re always goofing off.

John: Hey, if you want to me to drive, then I’ll drive. Just know that I’ll hop up at the blink of an eye to fight something. And you can’t do that cause you can’t breathe in space.

Elektra: Ugh! I will so kill you one of these days. At least you acknowledge I’m a better driver than you.

John: Did I? Last I checked, you almost crashed into an asteroid field.

Elektra: You were distracting me with your back seat driving!

John: Which is the reason I was back seat driving. You were driving straight into them.

Elektra: Oh, don’t even try to blame me!

A laser blast hits the Proto-TRUK, shaking it, the two bracing themselves. They look outside, seeing an Incursean flagship flying overhead, fighter ships coming off it.

Elektra: Raising shields. Though we’ve already taking a heavy hit.

John: Keep the ship steady. (John gets up, heading towards the dock at the back.) Jetray!

He stands a moment, nothing happening. The ship is hit again, it shaking and John falling over.

John: No Jetray? Still the problem with these forms? How about, Astrodactyl!

His body glows, transforming.

Astrodactyl: (Squawks) Now, was that so hard?

Elektra opens the hatch, as Astrodactyl flies out, entering the void of space. Incurseans ships fire at him, but he raises his arms, creating a star energy shield. He then extends an energy whip, which tears through several of them.

On the flagship, Attea and Raff are on the bridge, watching the monitor as Astrodactyl sends Incursean soldiers into space.

Raff: Princess. We are losing too many men here. John Smith is not an advisory we want to fight alone.

Attea: I don’t care! He’s most vulnerable in space, and I won’t let this chance go to waste! Now, blast their ship out of the air!

The flagship fires several lasers down, Astrodactyl releasing a propulsion wave, diverting several of them. A laser hits the Proto-TRUK, as it smokes, it falling towards the planet below.

Astrodactyl: Rawk! Elektra!

Astrodactyl flies down after the Proto-TRUK, catching it with his energy whips. He struggles to pull and keep it airborne, but the ship flies through a purple gas, Astrodactyl’s body steaming and hissing.

Astrodactyl: Urrrrrrawk! OW!

Elektra is pulling on the wheel, trying to keep it airborne. She then hits the eject button, as her seat is launched out the skylight, her going flying into the gas. She gasps in pain, as the skin on her face burns and she inhales the atmosphere, coughing in pain. Astrodactyl lets go of the Proto-TRUK, as he catches Elektra, flying down to the ground. The TRUK crashes down in the distance, as Astrodactyl puts Elektra down, who was gasping and coughing.

Elektra: (Coughing) John, help!

Astrodactyl: (Coughing) Qrawk! Qrawk!

Astrodactyl turns into Royal NiGHTS, as he release a dream barrier around the two of them. The atmosphere inside is cleansed, as Royal NiGHTS motions his arms in the motion of water bending. The poison gas is bent out of Elektra’s throat, as her skin and inners are healed. She coughs the last of it out, panting.

Elektra: Ugh! What the?

Royal NiGHTS: Terminus III. Most toxic atmosphere in the universe.

Elektra: How do you know that?

Royal NiGHTS: This form allows dreams to become reality in the dream barrier. So it gave me the intel I needed. Knowledge, a new feature.

Elektra: Anything? Well, this atmosphere burned at my skin, but nothing else.

The dream energy materializes around her head, as it forms into a helmet. It attaches to the Proto tech armor, her hair sucked in. Her face is visible through the glass.

Elektra: Functional with an oxygen system. Though it won’t last forever. Can’t you just teleport us off the planet?

Royal NiGHTS: Yeah. But we need to get the Proto-TRUK.

Elektra: Why are you obsessed with that ship? You could just, create another one.

Royal NiGHTS: I don’t use my powers like that, for personal gain. These powers are to be used to help others. No. If I want the TRUK, we have to go get it. Now, aliens immune to poison.

Royal NiGHTS turns into Terraspin, as the dream barrier fades. Terraspin inhales, unharmed by the poison.

Terraspin: Ah! Now, that’s, (He stops, as he looks at his flippers.) Almost better. My flippers are tingling. It’s still hurting, but not as bad. We need to move. Andata!

Terraspin and Elektra glow green, teleporting away. End Scene

The Incursean flagship is floating over Terminus III, Attea irritated.

Attea: One job! All I had to do was take out John Smith! And now, he’s down on a poison deathtrap, where I can’t even retrieve his corpse! Raff! What do the scans say?

Raff: Yes, Princess. There are two lifeforms, and there is a wreckage.

Attea: So their ship is down. Good. Do the tanks work?

Raff: Yes, they’ll work in the poison atmosphere. But to prevent our forces from being affected, we’ll have to make sure to create an airlock to prevent the poison from getting in.

Attea: As long as we can still blast them out of existence! Make it so!

Elektra and Terraspin are at the Proto-TRUK, Elektra examining under the hood.

Elektra: Well, engine’s fried. Thruster fuel has a leak, hull is dented and the glass is cracked. (Elektra stands up.) This isn’t something we can repair with our bare hands.

Terraspin: Nothing a little Upgrade can’t fix.

Terraspin glows, but fades, nothing happening.

Terraspin: No Upgrade? Seriously?!

Elektra: Don’t you have another alien that could fix it?

Terraspin: Uh, Jury Rigg and Battle Tails wouldn’t be able to work in this atmosphere. Maybe, Vicktor Stein!

He takes a bent arm stance, though nothing happens.

Terraspin: Nope. That didn’t work.

An Incursean tank drops down, the terrain shaking as the air is dispersed. Laser cannons locked on the outside, the tank airtight. They fire down, exploding all around. Elektra takes cover behind the Proto-TRUK. Terraspin takes flight, flying at the tank. He rams the tank, it resonating and ringing as Terraspin falls.

Terraspin: That didn’t work. (Terraspin spins, as he hovers, landing. The tank keeps rolling.) Who else resists poison gas? How about, Spitter!

Nothing happens.

Terraspin: Wildvine?

His body glows, as he turns into Wildvine. He looks at his hands, as if surprised.

Wildvine: Really? That was a joke.

The tank keeps rolling, as Wildvine stretches his arm, pulling himself up the tank. He tosses a seed bomb into a cannon, it exploding inside. Elektra is firing energy shots from her Proto-Tool from the ground, not making a dent. Wildvine is on top of the tank, trying to use his root feet to penetrate the hull.

Wildvine: Pure metal. Can’t get through. And my seeds aren’t doing any damage. They’ve sealed themselves in, which is actually pretty smart. Now, Ghostfreak!

Nothing happens.

Wildvine: Will-o-Wisp?

Wildvine glows, as he turns into Will-o-Wisp, as he phases inside the tank. The Incurseans are caught off guard, pointing their blasters at him.

Will-o-Wisp: Wil-o-wi!

Incursean 1: It’s John Smith!

Incursean 2: Blast him!

The Incurseans open fire, Will-o-Wisp releasing a burst of energy, bouncing off the walls as he rams all the Incurseans. His access energy causes computers and consoles to explode. An Incursean prepares to fire, when he’s rammed.

Incursean 3: He’s too fast!

Incursean 4: Get a force field!

Will-o-Wisp squeals as he flies around, as Incurseans pull out a sphere, throwing it. It activates, as Will-o-Wisp flies over, him crashing into a force field wall. A force field sphere forms around him, Will-o-Wisp trying to get out, ramming the walls.

Incursean 2: Send word to the ship to pull us up!

The tank fires a tractor beam, catching Elektra and the Proto-TRUK. The TRUK is dropped, however, as Elektra is taken aboard. The tank is caught in a tractor beam from the flagship, pulled back up. End Scene

The lead Incursean soldier is pushing the force field on a cart, Will-o-Wisp having cross arms.

Will-o-Wisp: ''You think you’ve got me trapped, don’t you. Well, you guys forgot one thing. And that is my ability to change size.''

Will-o-Wisp glows, as he transforms into Four Arms. However, the force field doesn’t grow, and he’s squished inside. He reverts, as John is still cramped inside.

John: Okay, that wasn’t my best move.

The Incursean brings John to Attea and Raff, Attea having her hands on her hips, proud of herself.

John: Oh, you.

Attea: Hello, John Smith. We finally meet. I am Attea, Princess, Scion and Teen Supreme of the Deathless Incursean Empire. (She looks at the Incursean soldier.) And who are you?

Incursean: Rana, Your Majesty.

Attea: Well, then. I hereby promote you to Lieutenant. You’ve done well.

Rana: Thank you, Your Majesty!

Attea: Now, throw him in.

Rana: Yes ma’am!

Rana starts wheeling the cart towards a force field covered room.

John: You don’t really think you can hold me, do you?

Attea: Duh! Of course I can! Because while down there, I decided to collect some of that poison gas. And your girlfriend is already down in there dying.

John: No.

Attea: See for yourself.

John is pushed through the force field wall, his prison turning off. He falls to a floor below, where Elektra is coughing in the gas, her face hived over, barely recognizable. John starts screaming, as his skin and lungs burn.

John turns into Terraspin, jumping and spinning, sucking in the poison gas. The room was empty of gas, as Terraspin swings his flipper, creating a large tornado, enveloping the room, blinding the outside.

Terraspin: Andata!

Terraspin teleports him and Elektra outside the force field, Elektra screaming as she lies on the floor. Incursean guards appear, blasters ready. Terraspin shifts to XLR8, as he dashes through the room, knocking them all down. XLR8 then picks up Elektra, who screams from physical contact.

XLR8: Hang on. I’ll get us out of here.

XLR8 dashes off, going through the corridors of the ship. Any Incursean he encountered is knocked over, as he arrives at a dead end.

XLR8: Oh, man!

XLR8 turns, being surrounded, Incurseans pointing blasters at him.

Sound: Quack, quack, quack, quack.

Energy gatling gun fire occurs, the gun making a quacking sound instead. The energy bullets scatter the Incurseans, as a blue duck alien appears. He has a brown jacket, brown hat and sunglasses, with boots. He has two large gatling gun devices on his arms.

Duck: Targets removed.

XLR8: Wait a minute. I’m being rescued by a duck?

The Duck opens fire at XLR8, him running to dodge. XLR8 rams him, slamming the Duck with his tail. The Duck skids and recovers.

Duck: Don’t call me a duck.

The Duck fires again, as XLR8 zooms through to attack. He goes to kick the Duck, when his foot collides with an axe, held by Sunder.

Sunder: Enough of this already. (He pushes, forcing XLR8 back.) The mission is to get him out ALIVE! Got it, Rad?

Rad: (Angry) Crystal.

XLR8: Sunder? What are you?

Sunder: We’ve already retrieved your ship. We’re docked in hanger 3. Get there quick. Looks like she needs it.

XLR8: Fine. See you there.

XLR8 runs off, arriving onboard the Resolute ship. Whip, Gluto, Mecha and Baz-el were onboard, Whip holding onto a leash of a large, grey ant like alien.

XLR8: Whip!

Whip: Good, not too late. This Gracklflint’s venom will be able to cure Elektra. Come over, hurry!

XLR8 takes Elektra over, as Whip pulls on the leash, choking the Gracklflint. It coughs up venom, which causes the hives and boils on Elektra’s skin to wash away. She coughs in relief afterwards.

XLR8: Thanks guys. (XLR8 reverts.)

John: I owe you one. (He looks around the room, giving an evil stare at Baz-el.)

Baz-el: (Sighs) Boy, can you hold a grudge.

Sunder and Rad arrive on the bridge.

Sunder: We’re clear. Gluto, get us out of here.

Gluto: (In distorted voice) Yes sir!

The Resolute takes off, leaving the Incursean flagship, jumping to hyperspace.

John: So, what’s going on? How’d you find us?

Elektra: (Weakly) I sent an SOS before the Proto-TRUK crashed.

Whip: Within the hour, we were called by the Plumbers and sent to get you.

Mecha: After our services in the Clone Wars, they call on us often.

John: And now?

Sunder: We’ve been ordered to take you to Coruscant. Magister Windu wishes to speak to you.

Mecha: They’ll fix your ship there. (He gives an evil smile.) Unless you want me to take a look at it now.

John: Go for it.

Mecha laughs wildly, as he rushes off.

Elektra: So, no home yet.

John: Not yet. Let’s find you a sleeping quarter. Rest before Magister Windu gives us our next assignment.

Characters

 * John Smith
 * Elektra
 * Crystal Mercenaries
 * Whip
 * Gluto
 * Mecha
 * Sunder
 * Baz-El
 * Rad Dudesman (first appearance)
 * Gracklflint

Villains

 * Incursean Empire
 * ​Attea
 * Raff
 * Lieutentant Rana

Aliens

 * Astrodactyl (first re-appearance)
 * Royal NiGHTS (first re-appearance)
 * Terraspin (first re-appearance) (x2)
 * Wildvine (first re-appearance)
 * Will-o-Wisp (first re-appearance)
 * Four Arms (first re-appearance) (cameo)
 * XLR8 (first re-appearance)

Trivia

 * This episode is based off the episode Rad, which includes Terminus III, the Gracklflint and Rad Dudesman.
 * The Crystal Mercenaries make their return to the series.
 * John reveals that he still holds a grudge against Baz-El.
 * This episode reveals several alien forms John has lost access to. These include Jetray, Upgrade, Vicktor Stein, Spitter, and Ghostfreak.