Power of Blue

Chapter 1

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddeee!" The scream was followed by a sob.

"Annie! Daddy, somebody!" The scream was shriller, more desperate.

Rob grumbled and sat up "she's crying again Jenny" He looked over at his wife who was just awaking to the screams.

"Please Rob, she's yelling for you and I have got to get some sleep, I have a big day at the office tomorrow"

he sighed "okay"

"Thanks love"

Rob walked out into the hallway and flicked the light switch on. His older daughter, Annie, was standing there in her pajamas looking guiltily at him. "Dad?"

"I'll get her Annie, you go back to bed"

Without waiting for a response he walked towards Lia's room.

Annie followed him wondering if her sister was gonna get in big trouble for screaming so much.

She almost screamed when he opened the door.

A blue light was glowing in there and a strange buzzing noise was coming from the room. Looking around her Daddy she could see Lia standing on the bed, her golden hair droopy and messed up, her face tearstained and fearful. She was looking at something in the corner, and since daddy was , Annie looked too.

As Annie stared, her father spoke ,voice emotionless "Gergoff, didn't expect to see you here. Thought you would have learned by now to stay at home."

Annie looked confusedly at her father, how did he know the.. the thing? For that's all that she could call it. It looked like a person, yet it was way to tall, it's face looked horribly cruel, sort of twisted, and it was glowing.

Gergoff ,as she supposed was its name, chuckled. A strange, almost groaning sound, if you could call it a chuckle. "Dear Robby, my good old friend. Could almost say I've been seeing too much of you" He chuckled again. " Brats too, I don't seem to recall such noisy little things last time"

Robs hands clenched into a fist and he glared "Get out of my house"

" Oh, I don't think so, Unless you care to come, you or the girl that is." Then in a blink of the eye Gergoff had a weapon at Lia's head.

Most people wouldn't have recognized such a strange looking weapon, but Rob did, and it filled him with dread.

"Put the Zapor down Gergoff" He stuck his arms out " I'll come with you if you promise never to touch my family or this house."

Gergoff let out a howl of triumph "Of course, now come"

Then the alien clapped a metal circle around one of Rob's wrists.

Rob's other hand flashed to his pocket and brought out a small, black book which he threw to Annie "Don't loose it" he whispered.

The alien thing didn't notice, busy connecting a cable from him to the metal circlet.

Then in a flash of blue light they and the buzzing noise were gone.

Annie and Lia screamed.

(

"Hey mom, I'm gonna go to school, I'm taking the car."

Her mom poked her head out from the kitchen "okay! Call if you go anywhere and don't wreck the car and be safe and don't disappear and..."

Lia groaned, ever since her dad had vanished 10 years ago her mom had been super overprotective. Lia wished her sister was still at home to take some of the brunt of the assault. She ran to the door and slammed it before her mother could finish her list.

"Bye" her mother whispered into the sudden silence, after the car left.

Lia didn't go to school. She knew everything anyway and could learn more at her sister's. She parked outside a shabby three-story apartment complex, where her sister was staying while finishing up college. Her sister live on the third floor at the end of the hallway. She knocked and pushed the door open.

"Annie?" she looked around, sometimes it was hard to find her in the mess. There were books and papers everywhere. Stepping in carefully she looked around a bookcase to where the computer was. And there was her sister. Her brown hair tied back in a quick and messy ponytail, her glasses on as she concentrated on whatever was on the screen.

"Annie" she repeated.

Annie looked up "Oh hi Lia, wasn't expecting you." She frowned and looked at her watch. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Lia sighed and plopped down in an old chair nearby "So what if I am? it doesn't matter, I already know the stuff, its not like I don't make good grades"

Annie was still frowning "Yeah but this isn't the first time you've skipped and you could get an automatic failure in those classes if you miss to many days"

"Don't worry, I've been keeping track" Lia said breezily. " I still have 4 more days"

Annie sighed and turned back to the computer "found some stuff, think you'll be interested."

"really?" Lia leaned forward.

"yeah. I had the computer do a search and analyze, and I've been doing some matching on the reference points and clues in dad's book, and I think I've found it."

"Yes!" Lia squealed "Where is it? Why have we had so much trouble finding it? What is it called?"

"Whoa" Annie laughed "One question at a time kiddo."

"Okay, the planet is called Shalande, and the reason we couldn't find it at first was because the government blacked it out for some reason. Luckily you found those old pictures on that website so I knew that it was possible that the Government erased it from maps. I wasn't sure till I hacked into this." She pointed at the screen.

Lia read over her shoulder "Central Intelligence Agency report 21250. On planet Shalande. Reported by Agent Robert Johnson."

Lia gasped and looked at her sister "Dad was an agent? But of course, that's how he knew the alien. For some reason the government erased it and dad was involved."

Annie grinned "know how I got it? It was in Dad's files, and the password was in his book."

Lia frowned "Did dad want us to find out about this?"

Annie shrugged "Dunno. Ask dad when you see him."

"What!?" Lia yelled.

"Shush. Do you want the whole world to hear? The government wants to find Dad and their sending a team." A slow smile spread across Annie's face. "And I'm going to make sure we're on it."

(

Annie watched her sister form the window, as she got into the car. She knew her 16 year old sister still felt guilty about their dad's disappearance, and so badly wanted to help find him.

She went to the end table next to the bed and picked up the phone, and dialed a number she had found in her dad's black book.

"Hello?, yes I need to speak to Kyle Rainford, head of the CIA. No I don't have an appointment. Tell him If he wants to find Robert Johnson to call this number back" Angrily Annie slammed down the phone. She folded her arms and paced next to the phone.

30 seconds later the phone rang. She grabbed it "hello? Yes I did call. I'm Annie Johnson. Four o'clock? Tomorrow? Okay, Bye." Putting down the phone she let out a yell of triumph, then picked it back up to call her sister's cell phone.

(

Lia sat down across from her sister and looked around nervously. "is he here yet?" Annie shook her head no.

Lia looked around. The name of the restaurant was Kooky's, a pretty good place to eat, and pretty cheap. She wondered how Mr. Rainford knew about this place. Then again, somehow it didn't surprise her.

5 minutes later a man who looked to be about 40 was sitting at the table with them. After placing his orders he folded his hands and looked at the two girls. "let's talk business ladies, please."

"Yes, Let's" Annie said sweetly.

"Alright Mr. Rainford, here are the facts. My dad is missing, because of some mission he was working on for you. You need to find him, to get some information, and No, I don't have that information. However, I do know where on Shalande he might be, so I want to get included on the team, my sister too. We're both smart, and we can be useful"

She looked intensely at him.

He glared at her "I don't know how you found out about all this stuff, but the team is no place for kids." He spat "Why should I include you?"

"Oh I think you will include us Mr. Rainford. I know a lot of information, Including the fact that you blacked out a planet, and totally erased almost any mention of it. And you can't conveniently kill us off either, because there are people that are going to miss us. I also have certain, um...files that will open upon my death. She tilted her head, I doubt even you could manage to get them." She paused and smiled what Lia called her 'evil cat smile'. Lia grinned too, she never thought blackmailing could be so fun.

27 days later they were going to the shuttleport to meet up with the rest of the team and take the shuttle to the moon base.

(

It was 7:00 A.M when they finally reached the shuttleport. Their mother was with them and was making a big fuss, nervous about the upcoming days for her children. She sniffed and hugged them

"be good dears, and don't get into too much trouble please. Even if it is for your father.." Then she squeezed them both really tight and gave them a push towards the shuttleport entrance.

"Bye Mom"

"Goodbye Mom"

"Goodbye dears, be careful"

Then she got back in the car and drove away

Annie and Lia looked at each other then grinned and walked through the entrance.

After a round of metal detectors, inspectors, doctors, and questioners they were finally being allowed into the waiting room before the last 30 minutes till departure. There were four other people already sitting there, and they all rose as the two girls entered.

"Are you the Johnsons?" asked a wiry, oriental lady in a white suite.

"Yes, I'm Lia, and this is my sister Annie" They shook hands, and the lady introduced herself 'I'm Sondok Lee, but you can just call me Sunny, I'm the geographic specialist for the team"

Next a balding man, slightly on the chubby side came forward "I'm Gerald Smith, you can call me Gerry, and I'm the computer annalist and specialist for the team" He grinned and gave a half bob that was supposed to be taken for a bow.

Then came a man that made Annie shudder slightly. Everything about him seemed greasy- his hair, his leather clothes, and the oily manner in which he introduced himself. "Mademoiselles, I am the renown Chester Sydney, do call me Chester.. I ,madams, am the interpersonal, and society specialist, and also specialize in foreign languages" Then before he could say anything more he was pushed aside by the last person, a lady with her blond hair cut short to her ears.

"the name is Jill and I represent the CIA on this mission and I'm also the weapons specialist" She glared around at the other team members.

"lets get this show on the road people, We've got a job to do, and they just called for our boarding party"

There was a scramble for bags and then everyone followed Jill down a hallway out into the open landing pad. As they started walking up the steps Lia leaned over and whispered to her sister "What do you think of them?"

Annie grinned "Lets just say, it should prove interesting"

They both laughed as they finished making their way up the steps and they were still chuckling as they entered the shuttle.

They were strapped down to seats that were laid back like beds then watched as their luggage was strapped in. finally the countdown began.

3..,2..,...1. They were off.

(

Lia opened the book she had found in the ship's library. Oohing and aawing at the planets had gotten boring and unlike Annie, she didn't really care about how the ship was run or anything technical like that. In about two hours they were going to have to strap down for hyperspace but until then she needed something to do.

The book was entitled Magicians of the Galaxy by Wanora Tryst. It looked pretty interesting. She leaned over and read "Of the most renown planets to produce magicians, Shalande is considered the best, its' magicians the most widely respected. The magicians are a break off from a technological society known as the Sivans. "

Lia gasped and sat back. To think, they might meet real magicians while on this trip .She had always wanted to be ale to use magic, but everyone had told her that it wasn't real. Now she had just read that it was.

Its just tourist bogus, not real, she told herself firmly. Anyway, if it was real probably only the people of that planet could use it. She slammed the book shut and left to find a different one.

(

Hyperspace lasted for about two minutes then the unstrapped. Lia's head ached. She followed Annie over to the window and asked "How long till we get there?"

Annie frowned "I'm not sure but I think its about two hours, right Ted?"

Ted was the pilot. "Um yah, that's about right. Hey Annie look at this planet!"

Annie hurried over to the window and Lia glanced out, silently groaning. Two whole hours. The planet looked a lot like earth, yet the colors were somehow wrong.

Sunny looked out to. "Wow, this looks like a type B planet, almost like Earth" she said excitedly.

"Hey Ted? "Lia asked softly.

"um..Yeah?"

"Where are we gonna land on Shalande?"

"Come over here and I'll show you"

She leaned over his shoulder and looked at the computer monitor.

"Look, see this island? Its called Island, very creative huh? Its where the local rebels are stationed, only way we could get in. From the books they're some sort of magic worshipping people, beautiful women "

"Ted"

"Well its true. Anyway they have a plateau here that is perfect for landing" He pointed to a light green circle on the map.

"Are the people going to be there to meet us?" She wondered if these were the magicians the book had talked about.

"Yeah, probably, they promised to provide us with arms."

"Okay, cool..thanks Ted"

"No problem"

She left and went over to a chair to try to get some rest before they docked.

She woke up with a start as the ship made a loud groaning noise. "Annie?!" She looked around wildly for her sister.

"Hey I'm right over here" She turned around in a swivel chair, her face glowing. "Its okay, were docking."

Lia sat up "can you see anything?"

"Not yet but in a few seconds you should be able to. Stay seated until the groaning stops. Okay?"

"Okay"

She tapped her foot restlessly, then when the groaning stopped she leapt up. The others leapt up to and they all crowded around the hatch and attached as it opened.

For a minute she couldn't see anything because the sunlight was blinding her. Then she began to make out shapes, which turned into people. She gasped.

They were standing in a semicircle, facing the ship. They were tall, most of them dark haired, and cloaked. Their faces were stern and proud, and yet there was a kingly beauty about them that she could not describe.

She focused her attention on a lady as she stepped forward. She frowned then spoke "Is this the right speech?" Lia and several others of her group nodded.

"Good" The lady looked at them then said, " I am called Rainelle. Lady of the Caves" If it would suit you I am just called Rainelle" Lia nodded and grinned, suddenly feeling more comfortable. Now the lady stared at her "may I ask your name, Lady of Gold Hair?'

Lia blushed, "You can call me Lia" Then, unable to stop herself she blurted out, "Are you really a magician?"

"YES, ....I am."