Out of Time
It was Fuma Hanzo's wedding day. The entire kingdom was celebrating the special day the Prince of the Felinian Empire was to finally make his childhood sweetheart, the Princess Angelica, his wife. As the celebration was in midswing, the skies above filled with ships from the Empire's mortal enemies, the Evil Aliens known as Zigonians. Fire rained down from the sky, scattering the Felinians as they tried to escape or find shelter. The Zigonians had picked this time and place, knowing that all the highest officials of the Empire would be there to celebrate the Emperor's oldest son's wedding. They struck quickly and with lethal precision. Few of the inhabitants made it to their ships before being struck down and fewer still escaped with them into orbit before being blasted from the skies.
Hanzo and his bride to be managed their way to his Space Galleon and fired up the thrusters. Hanzo was an exceptional pilot and managed to dodge the hailstorm of enemy blasts as they made their way into space to escape the planet. All around them Felinian ships burst into flames A small contingent of military star fighters engaged the enemy Zigonian ships to try and draw their attention away from those evacuating the planet.
Hanzo radioed the flagship, "General Garfield, this is Prince Hanzo. The Princess and I have escaped the planet and are now in orbit. How can we help?"
"Lord Hanzo, the enemy is too thick." came the reply. "We can only hold them off for so long and allow our remaining citizens time to escape. I'm afraid Felinia is lost. There's nothing you can do. You and the Princess make your escape. The Empire needs you to stay alive. Without you, there is no Empire!"
"What do you mean, General?" asked Hanzo.
"I'm sorry my Lord," said General Garfield, "the Emperor is dead. You are the Emperor now. The fate of our people rests in the survival of you and the Princess."
Hanzo was in shock over the news. His father, hero of countless battles, ruler of an empire that spanned countless planets forged through his military prowess, was gone. A blast to his starboard side rocked the ship and brought Hanzo back to his senses. 3 Felinian battleships intercepted and engaged Hanzo's attackers and his Galleon sped off into the depths of the Empire.
For a full month, Hanzo and his crew flew from one planet in the Empire to another. With each one, they discovered the completely merciless destruction the Zigonian Empire had left in its wake. Not one planet, not one civilization in the Felinian Empire remained. Where the planets were not completely destroyed, Zigonian ships could be found rounding up the inhabitants to be executed or enslaved. He watched his monitors in defeat as his people were loaded onto ships in chains. Those who gave resistance were killed on the spot.
Hanzo and his crew flew from planet to planet in this fashion, careful not to be spotted by enemy Zigonians for some time before a welcome signal reached his intercoms. Hanzo had been scanning for friendly signals on Felinian frequencies when one came from a little known mining planet on the outskirts of the now defeated Empire. The Zigonians left shortly after attacking, and while they managed to destroy the civilian infrastructure there, the inhabitants managed to escape total destruction by hiding in the mines deep below the planet's surface. Landing his ship on the planet's surface, he and his crew were greeted by a small, ragtag group of survivors numbering less than 100. Hanzo recognized the one who seemed to be in charge, his old friend, Dex Morgan.
"Where is everyone?" he asked Dex. "Is this all of you?"
"I'm afraid so, my Lord." Dex replied. "Word is the Zigonians attacked every planet in the Empire either simultaneously or in very quick succession. As far as we know, only we, and now you, are all that's left of the Empire."
Hanzo's head dropped as he fell to his knees. What would they do? Where could they go? They couldn't stay here. The planet depended on resources sent there from other parts of the Empire, an Empire now decimated beyond repair.
Hanzo felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. A woman looked down with pity upon him, knowing the Prince had much work to do ahead of him if the threat of the Zigonians was to be defeated.
"Fear not, good Prince." she said. "Your journey does not end here. It is merely beginning. I am Erma, bestowed with the gift of foresight. I have seen your future and it is not here. Your destiny is the destruction of the Zigonian Empire."
"But how is that possible?" Hanzo asked her. "How can I.... How can we, so small in number, have any hope to overthrow an armada like the Zigonians, now that we have been laid to waste as we have? We have no army, no fleet, no chance! Why did the Zigonians attack us in the first place? We were not at war with them!"
"The Zigonians are a vile race of war mongers and slavers." she answered. "Their own prophecies foretell of their destruction at the hands of our people. It is because of this that they sought our extinction. But you, Prince.... You and the Princess Angelica are destined to overthrow their hold on the galaxy and bring about their destruction."
"How?" asked Hanzo. "How can a handful of ragtag miners and survivors hope to battle an armada like that of the Zigonians? We don't stand a chance against them! How foolish your prophecy is! Your's and the Zigonian's!"
"It is only a fool who fights his destiny, Lord Hanzo." she said. "And it IS your destiny. I have foreseen it. You must gather the other survivors, both free and those enslaved by the Zigonians. But to do so, you must first seek the help of allies on a planet known by its inhabitants as Earth. It has many heroes who will aid you in your fight. Do not delay, Hanzo. The fate of the Felinians and even the galaxy are in your hands. We must journey to Earth."
Hanzo loaded the ship with the survivors and made his way into the depths of space, headed in the direction told him by Erma. Headed towards Earth. He renamed his galleon to the S.S. Nemesis, swearing to forever be a thorn in the Zigonian's side.
It took many months for them to reach the planet. From orbit they monitored the planet, searching for those with powers that could help them, but their search came to naught. The planet was low in technology, it's inhabitants not yet to a level that had taken them beyond even their own solar system. The dominant species there were fragile and had no powers worth note that might help them in their mission to destroy the Zigonian Empire.
"Erma, your prophecy was wrong again!" He yelled at the crew's Oracle. "This planet has nothing to offer! The technology is backwards. The people here have no inherent abilities that can help us! Even those with some semblance of natural powers are so weak that most of their population doesn't even believe their powers exist!"
"Do not question the gods, Hanzo." she replied back. "All will be as I have foretold and as was told by them to me. We will enter the Earth's population and disguise ourselves using our species' ability to shapeshift, that we may infiltrate them and gather allies."
"ALLIES?" Hanzo yelled back. "What allies? This planet has nothing to offer! If the Zigonians attacked here, this planet would fall faster than any that was in the Empire! Your gods have been lying to you!"
Just then, the Nemesis's alarms rang off, cutting their conversation short. Inferno Martial God, IMG for short, sounded off the nature of the warning.
"Lord Hanzo!" he exclaimed. "A Zigonian Warship has entered the solar system. It isn't large, but it's big enough to take out the Nemesis and do extensive damage to the unsuspecting planet below. What are your orders?"
Hanzo was furious at what the Fates had brought him to. This planet was supposed to be their one hope. Yet now it looked as if destruction had come not just to his few remaining people, but to those who were supposed to be their saviors as well. The people of Earth were no longer his concern though. He had to get his remaining people to safety. There was only one way to do that that he could think of. To Hell with the prophecy.
Hanzo entered the cockpit of his fighter, the Time Bandit, and fired the engines, exiting the Nemesis at top speed towards the Zigonian Warship. He radioed IMG aboard the Nemesis.
"IMG, I'm going to delay the Zigonians." he said over the intercoms. "If they want me, they can have me! Tell Strykz that he's now in charge and to use the time I'm buying us to get the others to safety. Keep the Princess safe for me."
"Aye, aye Captain." IMG responded as he looked at Erma. "Erma, can you call Strykz to the bridge? And how exactly is your prophecy supposed to come true with the Captain and last member of the ruling family headed on a suicide mission?"
"Stay the course IMG." she said back. "Our goal is still the planet's surface. All is as I have foreseen it. Trust in the Fates."
Hanzo rocketed his ship towards the oncoming battle cruiser. His missiles firing to take out their propulsion and weapons systems with moderate success. The Time Bandit was much faster and more maneuverable than the Zigonian war bird, but still far outclassed.
"What does this fool think he's doing?" asked the Zigonian Commander to his officers. "Does he really think he can take us on with one fighter?"
It was during one of Hanzo's passes that the Zigonians cast out an electromagnetic net and started drawing his ship in. Hanzo had time for one more trick before the battle cruiser engulfed him. He flipped a few switches and fired his thrusters. Ahead of him, a wormhole opened into hyperspace, the vortex pulling both ships into its mouth. Suddenly Hanzo's intercom came to life as the Zigonian war ship's Captain hailed him.
"Are you crazy?" screamed the Zigonian. "Drawing both our ships in at the same time will destroy us both!"
"That's the plan." replied Hanzo. "I may die today, but you'll never reach my people or Earth, you Zigonian scum."
"It is no matter, Prince Hanzo." replied the Zigonian Captain. "With you, the Felinian Imperial line dies. The prophecy crushed. My people will rule the galaxy unchallenged!"
Hanzo watched his monitors as the war ship behind him ripped apart. It's hull was too big to fit through the tiny wormhole his ship had created. Still there seemed no escape for him either. The net that had been caste around the Time Bandit pulled his ship in one direction as the vortex pulled it in another.
Suddenly, his ship sprang forward as the Zigonian ship slipped through the opening of the vortex, most of it crushed or ripped away as it did. His instruments went wild as the vortex began to fluctuate. There was no way of knowing where they'd end up, but Hanzo hoped it would be on some far side of the galaxy, far, far away from his people and the ones he loved.
As the Zigonian ship bounced from side to side against the walls of the vortex, taking on more and more damage as it did, the wormhole finally opened and shot the two ships out the other side. Hanzo's own ship had been too badly damaged to control it and the two ships plummeted into the atmosphere of a small blue planet ahead of them.
His readings indicated the planet gained its blue color due to large bodies of water on its surface. If he could crash into one of those, he might even survive. Technology scans indicated the indigenous people were of an even lower technology rating than Earth. He scanned for any more information of where he was in case he survived. His readings weren't what he expected. Where he was was no longer the issue. They were headed for planet Earth. The question was WHEN was he?
Out of control, both ships rocketed towards a small chain of islands before all power gave out and the electromagnetic net that tethered them together gave way and separated them. Hanzo's ship crashed into a large mountain as the Zigonian ship headed towards a large gathering of two armies facing each other on a battlefield.
The two armies looked up in awe and fear as a star fell from the Heavens towards them. Horses reared and ran. Soldiers abandoned their positions and scattered. But all was for naught. The Zigonian war ship crashed into one of the two armies, decimating them where they stood or sought cover. Fire blazed all along the crater where the ship ground itself to a halt. The opposing army that was spared looked on in amazement, sure the gods had acted on their behalf by smiting their enemies. As the ship came to rest, they stood there for many minutes before finally the great craft opened up and the lone figure of the Zigonian captain emerged to face them.
General Nakamura fell to his knees and bowed before the being before him, for what else could it be but a god sent from Heaven to assist him and his army? His army too, fell to their knees and began worshiping this god who had smitten their enemy with instant destruction. The Zigonian commander looked at those at his feet and smiled. Within the Zigonian Empire, he was but an officer. But here......... Here he could be king.
Hiro had been hunting when he saw the two stars from Heaven fall from the sky. His family was poor and the raiders had recently attacked his family's village to take supplies to fuel their war efforts against another army. Now one of the stars flew towards where the two armies were engaged in a great battle. Hiro didn't want to be anywhere near that fight, so he followed the other star to where it crashed into the mountain's side. There he found a strange craft and from it, a creature foreign to anything he had ever seen, drug itself from the flaming wreckage. It was shaped like a man, with two arms and legs and head and a torso. But the face was like that of a cat, and fur covered his body. Hiro lifted creature up and as he touched it, its feline features melted away and became more human. His skin like that of a man.
"Who are you?" he asked the strange being.
"I am Hanzo." the being replied. "Fuma Hanzo."
The man passed out and Hiro lifed him into his arms and carried him back to his village. There he bandaged his wounds and left him to rest on a cot in his hut. Many days passed with the stranger unconscious, when one day, soldiers from the invading army came to his village looking for him.
"We seek a stranger to these parts." declared the captain of the soldiers. "He came riding upon a star, before crashing into the side of your mountain."
"You are the strangers here!" yelled one of the villagers at the soldiers. "You have already taken all we have! Why do you not leave us alone? We have nothing left for you to take!"
The commander of the soldiers drew his sword and struck the voiceful villager down. His wife screamed in agony as she ran to her fallen husband's side. The commander of the troops lifted his sword again to strike her down as well. Suddenly, a pitchfork lay imbedded in his chest. He managed to look in the direction from whence it came before falling to his knees. There in front of him was a man wrapped in blood soaked bandages, a fury in his eyes.
Hanzo grabbed the commander's sword as he fell lifeless to the ground. A gurgle of blood the only sound to escape his lips as he took his last breath. Quickly he cut through their ranks. Like a demon he moved about them with lightning speed and precision until those who escaped, fled deep into the forest.
"What have you done?" Hiro cried. "They will return with more soldiers! They will burn our village to the ground and kill all our men. Our wives and children will be taken as slaves! Oh why did I bring you here? I have doomed everyone I love!"
"You saved my life. I will protect you from them." Hanzo said to Hiro.
"Protect us how?" asked Hiro. "You are but one man! I have seen your powers, but they are many! Even you cannot stop them all!"
Hanzo looked with compassion at his benefactor. "Then I will teach your people to fight so they needn't fear these soldiers anymore. I will teach them to fight like me."
"We must escape here then." Hiro said. "I will gather the villagers. We must go deep into the mountains. Into the caves where I hope they will not find us. I will have them gather only what they can carry. We must hurry."
Many years went by and Hanzo had indeed taught Hiro's villagers how to fight. How to protect themselves. They hid in the mountain caves and forest, venturing out under the cover of darkness as they made strikes against the soldiers who dared enter their mountain. The warlords had come together to create an Imperial army under a new leader, one whom it was claimed from Heaven came. Under his rule, the people suffered greatly, as he continued to expand his military power and oppress the many villagers of the land. His grip covered most all of Japan, but still he found opposition. That opposition came in the form of the once simple farmfolk of Hiro's village, the demon warriors of the mountain, Fuma Hanzo's Ninja Clan.
Both Hanzo and his adversary, the Zigonian whom had set himself up as Japan's Emperor, lived much longer lives than those who served them. They did not die of old age like normal men and women. Their lives could only be ended if they were killed. Hanzo himself was a shapeshifter, an innate ability of his race, and so it was nigh impossible to kill him without destroying the body with fire. The Zigonian too, was long lived. The two of them would battle through the centuries, Hanzo waiting until the time came when he left his people to their fate on the S.S. Nemesis. He had time, he knew. Time was all he had left.
The once prince, now warrior took many wives through the centuries. The once warrior, now Emperor did as well. Together they seeded their genes within the DNA of the humans. Their innate genetic powers passing on to the humans and warping the human DNA into new and varied types. Their descendants began to show a great and varied pallet of powers of their own, not just mimicking those shown by the Felinians and Zigonians, but others as well, new and unique to the human race. The genes of Hanzo and his nemesis, the Zigonian Emperor of Japan, hijacked the human genome and supercharged their evolutionary development.
Hanzo watched through the ages as more and more super humans were born, each generation stronger than the last. They had become quite a different species than the one he had first encountered when his people traveled to Earth. Coming to the past had changed everything. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps Erma's prophecy would indeed be fulfilled. Perhaps these humans, once weak and fragile creatures, would become the force she had predicted would one day help his people defeat the Zigonian Empire.
Only time would tell.....................
