Chapter LXXII: Merlin is Not a Wizard ~Vector

Vector piloted the Andromeda to the coordinates that Omega sent him. The ship sailed silently through the void, towards the Spectrum, which was doing the same.
"Ok. Here we are. Time to board the Spectrum Express." Vector said. "I noticed this thing had a teleportation device, so I’m just going to send us all over to the Spectrum."
Rynn and Naaro, who were both standing in the cockpit nodded, and stepped out. Vector shut the engines down, and set the teleportation controls. A white light surrounded the three, and they found themselves in the club car of the Spectrum. Vector immediately headed for food, while Rynn and Naaro went off in a separate direction, to greet the other wanderers, and tell them about the weapon on Yoshin. Vector sat at a table, and took a bite out of a ham and cheese sandwich, his personal favorite, and looked out the window. He noticed something, and walked to the engine. He found Omega at the controls.
"Hey, Omega." Vector said. "What’s happening?"
"Nothing." Omega said. "We were attacked by a huge warship, but Yoshi6400 busted it up pretty bad. Ian fixed the engine, and we managed to get away from it."
"Hmm…" Vector said, "I think there’s a fighter from the warship following us. Slow down a bit, so Merlin can catch up."
"Who is Merlin?" Omega asked.
"He’s a close friend of mine." Vector said, as he pushed a button on his watch.

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Over the planet of Houshi, a large structure floated silently around the blue-green world, locked in eternal orbit. The Pentastar limped to it, and docked with it, in front of another ship that resembled the Pentastar. It was its sister ship, the Ragnarok. As the Pentastar docked, hundreds of robots poured from the structure, and swarmed about the ship, repairing it. A tube extended from the space station to the great ship, and locked the two together. Richter walked through the tube, a look of disgust inhabiting his face. He reached the end of it, and found himself in a vast military complex, inhabited by black armored shock troops and gray uniformed officers. He crossed the concourse of the complex, covered with a great dome that allowed a view of the planet below. He walked through a door in the wall, placing him in a complex made up of offices. He chose a door, and walked in. The officer at the desk rose to attention and saluted. Richter returned the salute, and spoke.
"I am admiral Sprint," he said, "I need a compliment of fighters, and I request the support of the Ragnarok."
"Both requests will be granted." The officer said. "You will be repaired, and on your way within the day."
Richter smiled, and walked out of the office. He was confident that he would eventually get the Creation’s Weapon, and he would be the hero to the empire, the human that corralled the entire yoshi species. He could see the day, the day he would be hailed by all in the empire, including the emperor himself. A young officer shook Richter from his delusions of grandeur.
"Admiral!" the officer said, "We have detected a Rapier class starfighter nearby."
"So?" Richter snapped, evidently angry with the officer. "It means nothing! This is an imperial starbase. A lone fighter means nothing to me!"
With that, Richter turned, and walked off.


The Spectrum, on its way to its next destination, cruised along, its engine shut off, coasting in the frictionless void of space. Vector was currently speaking to Yoshi6400 in the club car.
"So," Vector said, "How’d ya do it? How did you, a lone yoshi, beat the Pentastar down?"
"Well," 6400 said, "I’m a yoshi god. I can do things that others can’t. I transformed into my seraph form, Yoshi6400Infinty, and proceeded to inflict damage upon the craft. It had nothing to protect it from one thing, smaller than a fighter attacking it."
"Oh." Vector said, still trying to wrap his mind around the concept of a single yoshi, with no starship, attacking and beating the Pentastar.
"Sapphire helped me with it, too." 6400 said. "She helped me deflect its hyperlaser until it burned out. That was the third time she saved my life."
"That’s interesting," Vector said, "But I have to check on something. I’ll talk to ya later, huh?"
With that, Vector broke off from the conversation, and walked to the front of the train. He found Omega, still at the controls.
"Can the Spectrum dock with things?" Vector asked.
"It sure can." Omega said.
"Good. Merlin will dock soon." Vector said.
"Who’s Merlin?" Omega asked. "You mentioned him earlier."
"He’s my starfighter." Vector said.
Suddenly there was a thud as something locked onto the Spectrum.
"I’m here, you worthless lizard. What did you want?" A voice rang out.