(Poster: Galen) A Valentine I didn't expect

I thought I had put all her madness behind me. Her being Lady Melissa... Lady Melissa is a... well a technomage like myself only she is a bit.... shall we say, eccentric and if she is eccentric for a technomage, I could only wonder what others think of her. Lady Melissa was one a the few that chose not to go to the hiding place. She met with Alwyn and he told her that Shiara was my familiar and in her natural state a dragon. So while we on board the Excalibur, during our time of being incognito in Jan, Miss Melissa came for a visit. Of course, Shiara had to tell her about Justice. So once again I had to listen to get back in the saddle lecture. I thought I made it clear that Justice was a young teen girl whose affections I couldn't encourage. Melissa decided to meet Justice herself by inviting her to a Ball. So knowing the kind of characters Melissa entertains I decided to go and get Justice, besides I had already decided to take her to her lecture. Since it was her first ball we stayed and danced until after midnight and then I got HS and Shiara and we headed to the Rebel HQ. It was a planet located between an asteroid belt and nebula. General Kameal was waiting to greet us. Immediately they anded Justice a bottle with illuminating liquid, "Justice take this and pour it in the grand bowl it will flow down into spiral posts and light the Hall below where the Rebels sit." "General, Justice just arrived. I am sure she is tired." I stated amazed that they would want Justice to begin so quickly. The General frowned at me, "I do not know who you are but this needs to be done tonight. The troops need to see she has arrived and tomorrow before our great battle they will hear her speech." I was about to protest .. "It's okay Galen, I can do this," Just stated. I was at one side and HS at the other and she performed her duty. Then Kameal places a crown on her head... Everyone cheered.. We walked into a room, it looked like a strategic command center. "Kameal, what is this battle?" Justice asked "We are attacking one of the Corru's main cities. It supplies there ships for 5 quadrants and is heavily guarded. Casualty rates will be..... 95%" the General answered "95%?" everyone gasped "If we succeed we will hurt the Corru and Save millions of lives on planets that they plan to take. It is a necessary lost, but they are scared and need to see you and hear you, that is all... She should return home after her speech to all the troops everywhere and we will do what we have to." Kameal assured Justice and then there was trouble... A mob broken in the doors... "Angel of Justice... Saviour!" It was some of the rebels... It reminded me of fans chasing a well known actor... HS and Shiara stayed to deal with them while I escort Justice to her room. She laid on the couch and let her crown fall, "95%" She stood and walked toward the window, "What do I say? 95%... You know I always thought Aunt Bra and Vella, each being a Sayian Princess was cool. You know, like one of those fairy tales, but now... I wonder how they can handel it... 95%, Why do I have to send them to their deaths?" A tear trickled down her face. She looked out the window and I finally broke my silence. "You will do what you must and they will do what they must because that is what we are called upon to do. Rest now and worry not. Sleep will do you good." I say and bid her my farewell... However as I was leaving I sensed we were not alone, so I ducked into the Shadows, using Shadow-skin. "Do not fear tomorrow child for it will not come, not for you!" the voice said and the shot's were fired before I could cast my spell for a shield... My shield went around Justice as she fell. It was the first shot, the second and third were reflected by my shield. I couldn't see her and could only hope the shot was a mere flesh wound... I ducked behind the sofa to avoid being shot at. "Aw yes the Technomage lover. You know, in my time, rumor has it you two are married in secret." He states grizzly. "Who are you?" I question trying to stall for time, just then as if to read my thoughts he said... "If you are trying to buy you some time for that Devil boy and his girlfriend to get here, you are going to be disappointed. I paid some Mercs to kill Justice, if he is efficient then he will be busy right now." He fired shots at the sofa... He didn't know Shiara was my familiar, my amulet began glowing as soon as it registered shots from an energy weapon... So Shiara knew I was in danger and the only way I could be in danger was if Justice was in trouble too... I had to stall him, "SO tell me, Who do you work for? The Corru?" "No, but before we talk, I have a present from some Drahk, given to them by the shadows." He pulled out a device. I knew it was a remote that triggered the control device in a technomages Tech... It was why most technomages still hid away but me, with my ordeal with the Shadows had become one with my tech and freed it... but He didn't know this and I could use it to my own advantage. SO I pretended to be weakened.." "Nothing sadder than an techno-impotent Technomage." He laughed and then continued, "I knew where the brat would be because of one Bruce Cain... He once said I was like his brother.. We were close... very close... He admired Justice, he said though she had but a small amount of Sayian blood, though his great grandfather marked her a freak and said she tainted our blood, though there were those who called her freak, ugly and other names. Despite all this, tomorrow she proved just how much of a true Sayian Warrior she was. I think her story gave him some encouragement with him being 3/4 human and the whole bat chick thing being his mother. " "Then why are you here?" I asked trying to move to see Justice. "Bruce took something sacred from me, in fact he married her... What brother betrays his brother's heart by stealing the woman his brother loves?" He spat, "I kept my peace about it, but follow Bruce into this time and will kill his precious Aunt Justice!" "What kind of brother doesn't rejoice for his brother finding love?" I reply "She was mine!" he spat again I continued, "She obviously felt different.." "Enough.. time for the Angel of Justice to die!" he walked around to me, "but first you... I imagine the shield will lower when you are dead. Be thankful you don't have to watch another lover die... What was her name.. Isabel?" At this creep even mentioning her name it brought up rage in my and I felt the fire rise as I stood... "wha..." He stammered... Over my should I could finally see Justice her wound was serious and she needed help... I glared back at him... "You may saved her this time but now that Bruce has showed me how to travel in time I will come back another time..." He boasted only to find his transporter device fried by me... "You can't kill me, Bruce doesn't know my rage he still thinks of me as his brother and will kill you.." He warned... "For what I am about to do... He will have to stand in line but will not have the chance to kill me. I can not! I will NOT allow you to return and kill Justice.." I spat out in rage as I cast my spell of destruction. The very spell I was told by my Order never to use or I would suffer the consequences... Those consequences being I would be flayed... When a Technomage is flayed his tech is removed and he almost always dies... As the space around him was pinched off he floated in a bubble and then it collapsed with a thunderclaps and he was dead and gone... I ran to Justice and called her name, but she didn't respond finally as I held her to me she mumble, "Galen? what are you.." "I am giving you organelles from my body. Lay still." I say "Giving me wh.." she gasped "Organelles, Technomages have them to help healing in our bodies and we can give them to others for the same reason. Now lie still." I commanded as she relaxed back into me... I placed my hand over the wound just under her collar and concentrated on healing her.. a feat that I have never been good at not as a Technomage