Chapter Text
17 weeks later
A pair of elevator doors, engraved with images of stars and galaxies, opened at the top floor of the AstroCorp building. Shotaro removed a key from the control panel as he and Ayumi stepped out.
“Come on,” he said, “our total times were exactly even. That race was a dead tie.”
“For the last time, Shotaro,” she said, “I beat you in the second round. That means the tiebreaker goes to me.”
“You keep saying that, but it still sounds ridiculous.”
“It’s the rules of the sport!”
Shotaro and Ayumi stepped through another set of doors into a high-tech conference room. Satoshi stood in front of a computer screen, staring intently at the numbers and waveforms on a display, while Yousuke and Mika sat at the table, examining a holographic map of Tokyo.
“Good morning, everyone!” Shotaro said.
“You’re late,” Satoshi said, “again.”
“We had important business to attend to.” Ayumi insisted, “Shotaro didn’t think I was faster than him on a bike.”
“And she failed to prove otherwise.” Shotaro said.
“Do I need to show you the motocross handbook?” Ayumi asked.
“Save it for when you get off.” Mika said, “We’re trying to get some actual work done.”
“What’s going on?” Shotaro asked.
“I’ve been detecting some unusual signals coming from the Star Beast mothership.” Satoshi said, “I’m working on trying to decode them right now, but it’s going to take a while without any reference.”
“More immediately,” Yousuke said, “the radar has detected a Star Beast pod in orbit over the Pacific, and it’s coming this way. Mika’s currently trying to work out the trajectory so we can predict where it’ll land.”
“Ah.” Shotaro said, taking a seat and putting his feet up, “Hopefully it won’t land in the city this time. It’d be nice to not have too much collateral damage for once.”
On the ground, outside of the AstroCorp building, a silver motorcycle drove up and pulled into a parking space across the street. The rider wore a black leather jacket and pants, as well as a black helmet with a dark visor. The only hint of color visible on the figure was the platinum blonde ponytail hanging down from the back of the helmet, which swayed like a pendulum as the rider dismounted. The figure removed their helmet, revealing the pale face of a woman wearing black eyeshadow. She set her helmet down on the handlebars and walked towards the building, and through the front doors.
Shotaro sat at the conference table, holding a can of coffee bottoms-up against his lips.
“The pod has decelerated.” Mika said, “It’s officially on a path to descent.”
“I’ll start calculating its trajectory.” Satoshi said, stepping away from his computer.
“Ayumi and I will work out a battle plan.” Yousuke said.
“Right.” Ayumi said.
“I’ll go down below and get the StellarCycles ready.” Shotaro said.
Shotaro discarded the beverage can and began moving towards the elevator, but stopped when he heard his communicator beeping. He took the silver device out of his pocket and put it to his ear.
“Moshimoshi?” he said, “What? Someone’s here to visit me? You didn’t give her a key, did you? ”
The elevator chimed behind him.
“Quick!” Shotaro whispered loudly, “Hide everything!”
Mika switched off the table hologram, and Satoshi turned off the monitor on his computer. Shotaro tucked the communicator in his pocket just as the elevator doors opened. The blonde woman in the leather jacket stepped out of the car and ran towards Shotaro.
“Onii-chan!” she said, grabbing Shotaro in a hug.
“Onii-chan?” everyone else said in unison.
Shotaro sighed.
“Yeah.” he said, “Guys, this is Natsuki, my twin sister.”
“You have a twin sister?” Satoshi asked, “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“It just never seemed relevant.”
“Well,” Natsuki said, “aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, little brother?”
“Right. Natsuki, these are my coworkers. Satoshi, Ayumi, Yousuke, and Mika.”
“Hajimemashite.” Natsuki said, giving a slight bow.
“I like your hair.” Ayumi said.
“Thanks.” Natsuki said, “You know, you two look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”
Natsuki pointed at Ayumi and Mika.
“Look, Natsuki.” Shotaro said, “I’m happy you came to see me, but we’re kind of busy at the moment, and I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”
“Come on, Shotaro. I’m not that much of a disturbance, am I?”
“What? No, it’s not that. It’s just that we’re currently working on some projects that... the higher ups insist on keeping absolutely secret.”
“But the guy at the front desk gave me an elevator key. It can’t be that secret, can it?”
“He shouldn’t have given you that key, and I’m gonna have to talk to him about that later. But for now, I need you to--”
Before he could finish, an alarm blared through the conference room, the four-pointed star over the doorway flashing red.
“What is that?” Natsuki asked.
“Nothing that should concern you.” Shotaro said, “But me and my team need to go. Just stay here and everything will be fine. Come on, guys”
Shotaro and the others ran towards the elevator, leaving Natsuki alone in the conference room. The elevator opened and they got into the car. The doors closed.
“So, Shotaro.” Ayumi said, “How much longer were you planning to keep your hot sister a secret?”
“It wasn’t a secret!” Shotaro protested, “I didn’t know you cared so much about whether I had a sister.”
Shotaro inserted his key into the slot and pressed the 12, 7, 4, and 2 buttons. He turned the key away from the marked position, and the elevator moved downwards.
“Going down.” a voice said on the elevator speaker, “Destination: Star Depot. Deploying StellarCycles.”
The elevator went down farther and farther, the floor indicator dropping past 1 and even B, before finally stopping when the display showed a four-pointed star. The doors opened, revealing a line of motorcycles directly in front. Shotaro hopped on the bike in front, and the line advanced. Yousuke mounted the next bike, then Ayumi, Satoshi, and Mika. All five put on their helmets as a garage door opened in front of them. They revved their engines, and the wheel blocks disengaged, launching the bikes out the door and up the ramp into the street. Unbeknownst to them, Natsuki was watching them through the top floor window.
A howl echoed off the walls of the buildings, resonating through the street and startling everyone in the vicinity. The howl was immediately followed by screams of terror as people saw the gray-furred wolf man standing in the road, baring its fangs and barking loudly. A man in a black suit dropped his briefcase and ran away. The creature gave chase, dashing on all fours while snapping its jaws at the running man. As a bite came within a hair’s breadth of his leg, the wolf monster was knocked off its feet by an energy blast.
Shotaro stood between his comrades, holding a large gun with a cylindrical gold body and blue glass panels on either side, with a small silver dish on the front. All around him, people ran every which way from the creature.
“Stand down, Star Beast!” he said.
“No.” the Star Beast said, “This is my hunt, and I’m not going to let anyone stop me.”
“Consider yourself warned.”
Celestial Drivers unfolded from their midsections, wrapping around their waists like belts. Natsuki’s bike came to a stop at the street corner behind them, and she peeked around the corner of the building as the five all twisted the knobs on their left hips, then raised their right hands into the sky.
“Stars align!” they said in unison.
Five columns came down from the sky: red-hot plasma, pale blue frost, yellow lightning, a green cyclone, and pink dust. When they disappeared, figures in skintight suits were standing where the five of them stood previously.
“Burning light of the Sun, StarRed!”
“Icy chill of Pluto, StarBlue!”
“Toxic storm of Venus, StarYellow!”
“Typhonic wind of Mercury, StarBlack!”
“Intense gravity of Jupiter, StarPink!”
“Galactic Squadron Starranger!”
Shotaro... is a Starranger?! Natsuki thought.
“Galactic Conduit identified.” StarPink said, holding her hand over her visor, “Star Beast designation: Alpha Canis Majoris. More commonly, Sirius.”
“Neither of those are my name!” the Star Beast said, “I am Lykami, the ultimate hunter. And my trophy today will be the Galactic Core! Antrones!”
Lykami threw down a handful of small, white, pill-shaped objects onto the ground. They burst open, and a group of ant-like armored humanoids sprung up from where they landed.
“Kuiper Caliber!” StarBlue said, raising his sword.
He slashed at the nearest Antrone, creating a frosty gash in the chitinous armor.
“Sulfuric Spear!” StarYellow said.
She drew her spear and thrust it between one of the Antrone’s torso joints. The creature convulsed as electric current shot through its body. Four more Antrones moved to surround StarYellow.
“Mercury Magnum!” StarBlack said.
Balls of green light flew towards the Antrones, creating bursts of air on impact. The Antrones were launched away from StarYellow by the pressure. StarPink picked a car up off the ground with one hand and threw it at the crowd of ant-men. The car regained its weight immediately before impact, knocking them down like bowling pins. StarRed leaped over the line of Antrones, landing directly in front of Lykami. His fist ignited with yellow plasma, and he threw a punch at the Star Beast. Lykami ducked down, and the fist swung wide over its head. It lunged at him, clamping its jaws around StarRed’s thigh. StarRed groaned in pain as he grabbed Lykami’s head.
“Jupiter Hammer!”
StarPink vaulted over the overturned car, holding a massive pink war hammer with four silver and gold hemispheres across both sides of its rectangular head. She swung the hammer at Lykami’s side, knocking it off of StarRed and into the side of a building.
“Thanks.” he said.
“No problem.” StarPink said.
StarYellow continued to spear her way through the Antrones, StarBlue at her back to cut down the ones coming at her from behind. Lykami got up on all fours and raised its hackles. StarBlack jumped up and landed on top of a lamp post and pointed his magnum at the creature. He pulled the trigger, and the Star Beast was hit with a beam of green light, followed by a sonic boom that sent it rolling. Lykami returned to its feet and growled at the Starrangers. It tensed its haunches, but suddenly stopped. It sniffed a few times and smiled.
“I smell a human...” it said, “someone didn’t run away when they had the chance.”
“What?” StarRed asked, “Didn’t everybody get out before we transformed?”
“It could be a trick.” StarBlue said, “Don’t let it confuse you.”
“This is no trick. I smell fresh meat!”
Lykami turned to look at the street corner. Natsuki gasped as she realized it was looking right at her.
“I must hunt!”
Lykami got down on all fours and ran towards the corner. Natsuki ran out from behind the building and into the street.
“Natsuki?!” StarRed gasped.
StarRed ran after Lykami, pushing his way past the remaining Antrones. Natsuki looked over her shoulder and saw the monster continuing to chase after her. StarRed swept a blazing foot in front of him, toppling a row of Antrones. Lykami gained on Natsuki, closing the gap to less than three meters. StarRed vaulted over the shoulder of an Antrone, stepping on their heads as he crossed the battle line. At last he found himself on solid ground, with nothing left between him and the monster. Lykami was now right behind Natsuki, barely outside of biting range. StarRed bolted towards them, running as fast as he could. Lykami lunged forward and snapped, grabbing Natsuki’s elbow in its jaws. The pain overwhelmed her body, and she crumbled to her knees. Finally, StarRed caught up with them. He took Lykami’s jaws in his hands and pulled its mouth open. He struggled against the powerful jaws, but Natsuki was able to pull her arm free. The leather was torn open at every point where a tooth made contact, and blood trickled from every entry point.
“You’re going to pay for that!” StarRed yelled, tossing Lykami away from Natsuki. He grabbed the gold and blue gun from his belt.
“Satellite Shot!” he said.
StarRed pulled the trigger on the Satellite Shot, firing beams of white light at Lykami. The Star Beast tried to move closer, but StarRed fired another volley of shots, scorching the fur on its left shoulder clean off and taking a chunk out of its pointed ear. Lykami howled in pain and bounded away. StarRed turned to Natsuki and knelt down to examine her arm. He pulled his communicator off of his belt buckle.
“We have a wounded civilian.” he said, “The Star Beast bit her on the elbow, she’s bleeding pretty badly. She’s in need of immediate medical attention.”
“Drop the act, Shotaro!” she said, “I know it’s you. You don’t need to hide it.”
Natsuki sat at the Starrangers’ conference table, her jacket hanging from one shoulder while Mika put stitches into her injured arm.
“I can’t believe you kept this from me, Shotaro!” Natsuki said, wincing from the sutures.
“I’m sorry, Natsuki.” Shotaro said, “But I really couldn’t tell you. AstroCorp swore us all to absolute secrecy. Besides, I figured it’d be safer for all of us if you didn’t know.”
“Oh yeah? And what if something happened to you? What if one day you went out to fight one of these Star Beasts and didn’t come back? Would I even know what happened? Or would AstroCorp have fed me some stock lie?”
“Hold still!” Mika said, “I just have a couple more stitches.”
“I... I hadn’t thought about that.” Shotaro said, “But... look, I didn’t become an Ultra Rider to fight. But once I realized what I could do, I decided I couldn’t just walk away. And now that we’re united by the Galactic Core, that’s even more true.”
Mika finished the last stitch and cut the needle free.
“Well, if you can’t walk away from being a Starranger...” Natsuki said, standing up, “then I want to be one, too.”
“What?” all five said in unison.
“Natsuki, I don’t think you understand what you’re getting into.” Shotaro said, “Being a Starranger is dangerous.”
“I know that. And I don’t want my little brother putting himself in danger without me being there to protect him.”
“We’re not little kids anymore, Natsuki! I know what I’m doing, and I can take care of myself.”
“This is my decision, Shotaro. And I say I want to be a Starranger. Where do I sign up?”
“Hold on a minute.” Satoshi said, “Becoming a Starranger something you can just ‘sign up’ for. There’s intense physical and mental qualifications you need to meet before you can undergo the surgery.”
“Do whatever tests you have to do.” Natsuki said, “I’ll definitely pass.”
Natsuki did, in fact, pass every test administered. 58 pushups and 62 sit-ups each in two minutes, 11:06 minutes on a 3000 meter run, and a clean bill of health after a physical examination. Thus, she quickly ended up on the operating table, sutures and bandages across her midsection, flanking the silver machine at the front of her waist. Satoshi stood over her, wearing a green mask and scrubs. In his hand was a pair of forceps, holding onto a small cylinder of metal with a glass dome at the top.
“Now to install the Celestial Conduit.” he said.
He brought his hand down, positioning the cylinder over the hole in the front of Natsuki’s belt. Using another pair of forceps, he lifted an electrical plug out from inside the hole. He connected the plug to the Conduit, then carefully set the device into the buckle. The Celestial Conduit settled into position, automatically sealing itself into position as it started to glow. An image of a crescent moon flashed in the glass, and the belt turned a pale gold color with a flash of light.
“Fascinating.” Satoshi said, “It appears the cosmic energy of the Moon has some unique properties. It seems to have caused some slight alterations to her Celestial Driver.”
He grabbed a silver device off of a nearby steel table and waved it over the Driver.
“Scan seems normal. No surges, spikes, or other unusual energy readings. All systems are functioning properly. It looks like a successful installation.”
Satoshi discarded his used gloves and put on a fresh pair, then removed the gas mask from Natsuki’s face. Almost immediately, her eyes fluttered open.
“The operation was a success.” he told her, “With the enhanced healing abilities afforded by the Celestial Driver, you should be good as new within a couple of hours.”
“Excellent.” Natsuki said, “And then I’ll be able to fight?”
“That’s one way to describe it.”
Shotaro sat at the conference table, hands folded as he stared down at his own lap. Mika walked up and sat down next to him.
“Everything alright?” she asked, “You seem awfully upset today.”
“I’m fine.” he said, “I just... don’t like how insistent Natsuki is on joining the team.”
“You know she’s just looking out for you, right? She’s doing it because she cares.”
“I know, I know. But I don’t want her doing it if it’s because she thinks I’m some kind of baby. I’m only eighteen minutes younger than her!”
“I’m sure it’s not like that.” Mika said.
“Yeah.” Ayumi said, “Besides, having a sixth member might be a good thing. I, for one, could certainly get used to having her around.”
“Could you please not talk about my sister that way in front of me?” Shotaro said.
“Hey, I only tell it how it is.”
The elevator chimed, and Shotaro looked to the opening doors. Satoshi and Natsuki stepped out, wearing their Celestial Drivers.
“Look at that!” Ayumi said, “She’s already out of surgery and ready to go.”
“Your Driver looks different.” Mika said, “It’s all gold, and are those moons instead of stars?”
“Yes.” Satoshi said, “It appears that her Celestial Conduit has linked her to the Moon.”
“Wow, how fitting.” Ayumi said.
“Now, there’s just one more step.” Satoshi continued, “We need to link Natsuki with the Galactic Core. Everyone, take a hand.”
Ayumi and Mika each took one of Satoshi’s hands. Yousuke walked over from the conference table and took Ayumi’s hand. Shotaro huffed and stood up, taking Yousuke’s hand. Natsuki grabbed Mika’s other hand, and reached out to Shotaro. He reluctantly took her hand.
Nothing happened.
“Strange.” Satoshi said, “The Galactic Core doesn’t seem to be responding.”
“What?” Natsuki said, “How is that possible?”
“I’m not sure. There’s still so much about the Galactic Core that we don’t understand. It could be that there’s something more that needs to happen before you can become a Starranger.”
“But what could that be?” Yousuke asked, “When we came into contact with the Galactic Core, all we had in common was that we were Ultra Riders.”
“It may seem that way,” Satoshi said, “but maybe there’s something deeper. Something about the mind or even the soul that affects Galactic Core compatibility.”
“If that’s true, then...” Natsuki said, “what am I supposed to do?”
The Sun dipped below the horizon. The sky slowly darkened from a dusky orange to the dull gray of twilight as the moon rose. Street lights flickered to life, dimly illuminating the path of a teenage girl in a red hoodie. She heard a howling in the distance, and pulled her coat tightly shut. The howl came back, louder this time. She started walking faster, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. A pair of glowing blue dots emerged from an alley up ahead, and the form of Lykami lunged into the light in front of her.
The four-pointed star over the conference room door flashed red, and an alarm siren blared.
“That’s the same alarm that went off before you went to fight that Star Beast.” Natsuki said, “Does that mean it’s on the move again?”
“Yes.” Yousuke said as he ran back to the conference table.
He pressed a few buttons under the table, and the holographic map appeared again.
“It’s in Shinjuku.” Shotaro said, pointing to a red blip on the map, “We need to move out, now.”
“Wait.” Natsuki said, “Let me go instead.”
“Natsuki, what are you saying?”
“If the Galactic Core rejected me, then it must mean I have to prove myself. I need to show that I can succeed as an Ultra Rider. And the only way to do that is to defeat Lykami myself.”
“No. I can’t let you do this.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do, then? Give up on becoming a Starranger? Is that what you want?”
Shotaro drew another breath, but Mika put her hand on his shoulder.
“Alright. If you think it’s what you have to do, then... I have no right to stop you. Your bike is in the Astro Depot. Use your key in the elevator. The code is 12-4-7-2. Remember, turn the key in the opposite direction.”
Natsuki nodded and bolted for the elevator. The doors closed, and she was gone.
The girl in the red hoodie backed away from the Star Beast, never taking her eyes off of its own. Lykami barked and growled as it advanced, never letting the gap grow too much. The girl’s foot sunk into a hole in the pavement, and she fell to the ground. Lykami leaped towards her. Before it could strike her, however, it was struck in the face by a leather boot. Natsuki landed between the girl and the place where Lykami would hit the ground.
“I’ll hold it off.” Natsuki said, “You get out of here.”
The girl nodded and ran off. Lykami bolted towards her, but Natsuki stood between the two.
“This is as far as you go, Lykami.” she said.
“Say, aren’t you the woman who was ripped from my jaws?” Lykami said.
“I prefer ‘the woman who will destroy you.’”
Natsuki unzipped her jacket, and the gold Celestial Driver unfolded from her waist. She twisted the knob on her left hip and brought her right arm up, curving it to frame her face.
“Henshin!” she said.
The moonlight around her seemed to disappear, giving way to a column of darkness. When the light returned, Natsuki was holding a sheet of black in front of her. She dropped the cloth, letting it drape on her right leg. She was now wearing an armored suit, with the black cloth crossing her torso like a dress. The right side of her suit was black, the left side silver. Curving across the left side of her chest was a crescent-shaped aegis , the same pale gold as her belt. Crescent shaped braces adorned her wrists and ankles, and round plates shone from her knees and shoulders. At the front of her helmet was a pair of semicircular eyepieces, blue on the right and yellow on the left, forming the shape of a half-moon.
“An Ultra Rider?” Lykami said, “It’s not possible!”
“I’m the one who decides what’s possible tonight,” Natsuki said, “I am Ultra Rider Luna!”
Luna ran towards Lykami and jumped. She thrust her feet in front of her, delivering a double-kick to the Star Beast’s torso. The two were pushed apart, Lykami tumbling to the ground while Luna landed softly.
“Lunar Arrow!” she said, holding out her left hand.
A weapon resembling a silver bow with a dark gray arrow materialized in her grip. She pulled back the nock handle, and the arrowhead glowed white. She lined up her shot, then let go of the plunger. An arrow-shaped bolt of white light flew through the air, striking Lykami in the bicep. The monster howled in pain and lunged at Luna. She swung the Lunar Arrow like a sword, slicing the skin on Lykami’s cheek. She delivered an uppercut to the creature’s jaw, knocking it into the air.
Shotaro and the others watched Luna fighting Lykami, the entire wall of the conference room acting like a screen.
“She’s doing pretty well so far.” Yousuke said.
“She’s pretty, and she could kick my ass.” Ayumi said, “Total package, I swear.”
“See, Shotaro?” Mika said, “She’s doing just fine.”
Shotaro didn’t look convinced. He simply sat on the other side of the conference table, his eyes following Luna’s movements intently.
Luna fired another shot from the Lunar Arrow. Lykami ducked down to avoid the bolt, then launched itself at her. Luna slashed the Lunar Arrow at the wolf monster, then followed up with a knee kick. Lykami was flung across the street, landing on a storm drain. Luna twisted the knob on her right hip, and the tip of the Lunar Arrow flashed gold. She drew back the nock and pointed it at Lykami, the barrel glowing gold now. Lykami, however, ripped the drain grate out of the ground and threw it at her. The Lunar Arrow flew out of her hand, launching its gold projectile into the air as she fell on her back. Luna struggled back to her feet and stumbled towards the Lunar Arrow, but Lykami ran towards it, picked it up, and tossed it into the open drain. Luna ran towards Lykami and threw a punch, but the monster caught her fist in its paw. Lykami swung her around in a circle, then threw into the side of a building. She landed face first in a pool of shattered glass chunks. Luna pulled herself up with the help of a trash can.
“What’s a Rider without her weapon?” Lykami said, “Nothing, that’s what!”
Luna glared at Lykami, her one yellow eyepiece piercingly bright.
“I can still fight.” she said, raising her fists.
She ran towards Lykami, kicking it in the side, then punching it in the face. Lykami swung its claws at her, creating sparks as they dragged across her robe. Its jaws snapped in her face, but she knocked it away with a swing of her arm. Luna jumped, flipped, and kicked Lykami in the face, pushing it to the ground. She landed straddling the monster’s torso, and threw a punch down at its face, but Lykami grabbed her by the wrist. She threw another punch, but Lykami caught the fist in its hand. The Star Beast pushed her away, but Luna pulled back. Her arms remained in Lykami’s grasp, but she remained firmly in place on top of him.
Shotaro watched intently as Luna grappled with Lykami.
“She’s in over her head,” he said, “there’s no way she can win this.”
“Hey,” Yousuke said, “she’s doing exceptionally well for a new recruit.”
“Yeah, you saw her earlier.” Ayumi said, “She can hold her own.”
“Your sister’s going to be fine, Shotaro.” Mika said, “Have some faith in her.”
“She needs to do this alone.” Satoshi reminded, “It’s the only way the Galactic Core will accept her.”
Shotaro bit his finger as he turned back to the screen. He mulled over his comrades’ words in his head.
Have some faith in her.
It’s the only way the Galactic Core will accept her.
Shotaro’s eyes went wide and his jaw went slack.
“I get it now.” he said.
“Great!” Ayumi said, “So you’ll let her finish the fight on her own?”
“Absolutely not.” Shotaro said, “Come on, I have an idea.”
Lykami threw Luna off of it, launching her into a street lamp. Luna stood up, bracing herself against the pole while Lykami let out a few barks.
“I’m not afraid of you.” Luna said.
“Bad decision,” Lykami said, “because I will tear you to shreds!”
Lykami ran towards Luna, baring its fangs and claws. Luna assumed a fighting stance, but Lykami was knocked down by a flying side-kick. StarRed landed between Luna and Lykami, and the other four Starrangers moved to flank him.
“You again?” Lykami said, “You must really like to meddle in my business. Antrones!”
Lykami threw down a handful of capsules, and a group of Antrones appeared. Four of the Starrangers moved in to fight the Antrones, while StarRed turned back to Luna.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Shotaro, you idiot!” Luna said, “I told you, this had to be my fight!”
“Natsuki... I trust you.”
“What?”
“You want to be a Starranger so you can protect me, right? And I didn’t want that because... well, I thought it was because I wanted you to trust me. But now I realize, it was because I was trying to protect you .”
“What?”
“I was worried that you’d rush into something you weren’t ready for and get yourself killed for my sake, and I didn’t want that. But I realize now that, if we’re going to work together as a team... we need to trust each other, not shelter each other.”
“Shotaro... what are you saying?”
“If you can put your faith in me, big sister, I’ll put my faith in you. Our lives in each other’s hands. Sound like a fair deal?”
StarRed extended his hand. Luna looked up at her brother’s masked face, then down at his hand again.
“Alright, then.” she said, and she put her hand in his.
As soon as their hands touched, the blue galaxy arm on StarRed’s chest began to glow. His entire body was enveloped in red light, and the silver of Luna’s suit began to shimmer and shine. The Antrones and Starrangers stopped fighting, distracted as the light spread to engulf her entire body, leaving only a silhouette of white.
When the glow faded, a sheet of black fabric fluttered away in the breeze.
Luna now stood in a silver suit, the black having almost completely gone away. She had white gloves and boots, not unlike the other Starrangers, and a short skirt around her waist like StarPink. Across her shoulders sat a pale gold chest shield, with the silver disk of a waxing gibbous in the center of her chest. Her eyes were covered by a black, crescent-shaped visor, which curled up around a white disk that curved over her cranium. She looked down at her hands in disbelief.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“I think the Galactic Core just accepted you.” StarRed said, “Welcome to the team, big sis. Come on, let’s join the fight!”
StarRed’s fist ignited with yellow plasma and he ran towards the line of Antrones. He punched one of them in the face, scorching its metal face mask. Luna followed suit, knocking the mask off of an Antrone with a punch before downing it with an elbow strike. Another Antrone swung a staff at her, but she caught it and used it as a lever, turning her assailant’s momentum against it as she flung it into the ground. She spun around and punched another Antrone in the midsection, causing it to crumble.
“You’re doing great, big sis!” StarRed said as he karate-chopped another Antrone in the neck, “Keep it up!”
StarPink’s hammer glowed pink as she swung it in a circle around her, launching the Antrones around her high into the sky. The pink glow faded as she rested it on her shoulder, blowing a sarcastic kiss into the air after them.
StarBlue and StarYellow stood back-to-back, fending off Antrones from both sides. For each one that StarYellow speared, the crowd of monsters seemed to grow more agitated. StarBlue’s sword, however, seemed to have a lethargic effect on them as they drew nearer, allowing him to cut them down with ease.
StarBlack punched and kicked his way through the horde of Antrones, knocking one out with the butt of his gun. Once he cleared out some space around him, he jumped up into the air, did a flip, and fired several shots from his Magnum. The Antrones were knocked down by the blast waves, creating a heap of armored ant-men for StarBlack to land on.
“Lunar Arrow!” Luna said, and the weapon appeared in her hand, now with gold on the tail instead of gunmetal, and six barrels instead of one leading back to the nock.
Luna turned the knob on her right hip and pulled back on the faux-arrow tail. All six barrels glowed gold, and when she released the nock, six bolts of gold light shot out, flying in impossible trajectories towards the last six Antrones in her vicinity. All six of them exploded simultaneously, leaving only Lykami standing before them.
“Star Beast Alpha Canis Majoris, designation: Lykami,” StarRed said, “your rampage ends here.”
StarRed brought his left hand to his hip, and brought his right arm up and across his chest.
“Burning light of the Sun,” he exclaimed, “StarRed!”
StarBlue twirled his sword in front of him before raising it over his shoulder.
“Icy chill of Pluto,” he said, “StarBlue!”
StarYellow spun her sword, then slammed it to the ground as she crossed her arm over her chest.
“Toxic storm of Venus,” she shouted, “StarYellow!”
StarBlack spun his pistol before holstering it and extended his left arm out to the side, crossing his right arm over his chest.
“Typhonic wind of Mercury,” he said, “StarBlack!”
StarPink spun on her heel and held up two fingers over her right eye.
“Intense gravity of Jupiter,” she said, “StarPink!”
Luna brought her right arm up, curving it to frame her face.
“Brilliant shine of the Moon,” she said, “StarSilver!”
“A constellation of heroes fighting interstellar evil,” StarRed declared.
“Galactic Squadron Starranger!” they all shouted in unison.
“Now, let’s take this Star Beast down,” StarRed said, patting StarSilver on the back, “together! Epsilon Cannon! ”
StarRed held his hand up, and a small white rocket flew in from behind him. An orange frame with a pistol grip appeared around the rocket, and the whole assembly dropped into the Starrangers’ hands, all of them working together to support the weapon's massive weight.
“Natsuki,” StarRed said, “would you do the honors?”
StarSilver nodded and took hold of the cannon’s handle, StarRed grabbing hold of the edge.
“Super Star Burst!” she said as she pulled the trigger.
The nose of the rocket split down the middle, forming a pair of rails flanking a spinning red drum. Bolts of red lightning arced between the rails, and a blast of red energy shot out at Lykami. Red lightning coarsed through the wolf monster’s body, causing it to convulse and spasm as electricity arced across its Galactic Conduit. Small cracks appeared in the glass, then grew into large fracture lines. Finally the Conduit shattered, and Lykami was engulfed in a fiery explosion. The Starrangers set the Epsilon Cannon down on the ground.
“Look at that!” StarSilver, “I did it. No, we did it.”
“Not quite.” StarBlack said, “You see, ever since Devilbat, the Star Beasts have incorporated an extra feature into their Galactic Conduit. Now when we defeat them...”
Before he could finish his sentence, the shape of Lykami rose from the flames of the explosion, now standing 50 meters tall.
“That happens.” StarRed said, “We need Starranger Robo.”
StarRed took out his communicator.
“Launch the Orbiter Machines!” he said.
High up in geostationary orbit, a large hexagonal prism floated directly over the island of Japan, adorned with blue solar panels. The satellite opened up, two pairs of opposing sides folding back like a banana peel, revealing one starship on each panel, and one large starship in the middle.
“Launching Orbiter Machines.” a digital voice said, “Coelispex Cruiser. Stygian Striker. Aeneas Assaulter. Stropheus Shooter. Brontios Breaker.”
The five Orbiter Machines launched out on catapults and flew down to Shinjuku. StarRed, StarBlue, StarYellow, StarBlack, and StarPink eached jumped into their own Machine, but StarSilver remained on the ground.
“Is there one for me?” she asked.
“Give it a moment, big sis,” StarRed said, “the Galactic Core will take care of things.”
StarSilver took an impatient breath before noticing streams of metallic fluid flowing high over her head. The liquid metal seemed to pool in front of the disk of the moon, blocking out a crescent-shaped sliver, followed by a horizontal line across the middle. The silhouette flew down from the moon and hovered over StarSilver’s head. It was shaped a lot like the Lunar Arrow, with a wide, silver crescent wing at the front, and a long, pale gold tail with jet thrusters in the back. Nearly flush with the upper surface of the wing was a crescent-shaped cockpit, which StarSilver managed to land in with a single jump. She grabbed hold of the steering wheel and pulled up, causing the ship to gain altitude as it flew towards the giant Lykami. The Cthonic Gunner fired bullets at the Star Beast while the Aeneas Assaulter fired electric beams. The Pasiphae Breaker rammed Lykami in the gut, causing it to stumble back while the ships regrouped.
“Okay, everyone,” StarRed said, “time for the real fight.”
“Galactic Combination!” the five Starrangers said in unison.
The rear thrusters of the Helios Cruiser detached and reconnected on either side of the main fuselage. The front sections of the Aeneas Assaulter and the Pasiphae Breaker angled upwards, and the rest of the Aeneas Assaulter folded in two. Each ship connected by the rear to where the Helios Cruiser’s engines previously mounted. The nose cone of the Helios Cruiser folded down, revealing a giant robot head as the combined unit oriented itself upright. The fuselage of the Stygian Striker folded in half, bringing the wings into contact with each other. The combined wings then folded out to form a long blade before the ship attached to the left arm of the robot. The Cthonic Gunner flew up to the robot’s right arm, then its wings folded down to wrap around and connect to the arm.
“Blast off, Starranger Robo!” they said in unison as the robot struck an action pose.
“Save some for me!” StarSilver said as she scanned the console.
She found a large button branded with the kanji 変形 .
“Henkei, huh?” she said, “I like the sound of that.”
StarSilver pressed the button.
“Galactic Transformation!” she said.
The tail of her ship detached and split in two. The edges of the wings launched forward, and the rest of the wings folded down, deploying a pair of fists. The tail halves reattached to the underside of the ship, and the cockpit extended upwards, forming the top of a robotic head. The wing edges connected together at the base, forming a bow shape, and the robot reached forward to grab it.
“Blast off, LunaHunter!” StarSilver said.
LunaHunter landed next to Starranger Robo.
“Alright, Natsuki!” StarRed said, “Let’s knock this monster into the stratosphere!”
Starranger Robo raised its right arm and fired a stream of bullets at Lykami. Sparks flew off of the monster’s fur as the bullets struck it. LunaHunter ran towards Lykami and swung its weapon, slashing it in the arm. Lykami smacked LunaHunter with its paw, creating more sparks as its claws dragged through the robot’s chestplate. Starranger Robo flew at Lykami, delivering a haymaker punch to its snout and knocking it backwards into a building. Next, Starranger Robo swung its arm sword at Lykami, but the wolf monster caught it between its hands. LunaHunter, however, thrust its blade into Lykami’s ribcage. The monster howled in pain as it released its grip on the sword, which proceeded to slash across its shoulder. Lykami growled at LunaHunter and lunged at it. The robot and monster both fell into the street, and StarSilver wrestled with the controls as LunaHunter wrestled with Lykami. She threw a lever on the console, and LunaHunter punched Lykami in the gut. With the Star Beast stunned, LunaHunter managed to push the giant wolf-man off of the mech, allowing it to stand back up.
“Your toys can’t destroy me, Starrangers.” Lykami said as it returned to its feet, “My power strikes fear into the hearts of men and women unlike any other Star Beast you will ever face.”
“If that’s the case,” StarSilver said, “we have nothing left to fear.”
LunaHunter swung its weapon twice, slicing into Lykami’s midsection with both blades before delivering a roundhouse kick to its head. Starranger Robo ran forward and threw a right hook at Lykami’s shoulder, causing the monster to spin in place. The two robots nodded at each other, then both kicked Lykami in the chest at the same time.
“Time for the finishing blow.” StarRed said as Lykami stumbled backward.
“Right.” StarSilver said, pressing a button on the console marked 必殺 .
LunaHunter’s legs detached, and the torso transformed back into its wing mode. Starranger Robo held its arms out in front, and the wings attached to its forearms. LunaHunter’s legs reconnected and attached to the top of the wing, taking on an arrow-like form. The thrusters ignited, straining the linkages holding it on the wing.
“Lunar Impact!” the Starrangers said, and the linkages disconnected.
The body of the Lunar Wing launched forward, striking Lykami directly in the Galactic Conduit. Starranger Robo turned away from the Star Beast as the creature exploded once more.
“Mission complete,” StarRed said, “coming in for a landing.”
Shotaro and Natsuki stepped out of the elevator together, followed by the other four Starrangers.
“Another battle won!” Shotaro said, “You did amazing out there, big sister.”
“Hey, you weren’t half bad yourself, little brother.” Natsuki said, “I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t trust you.”
“Don’t worry about that, I was treating you the same way without even knowing. It’s never easy to see a family member in such a dangerous position. But I’m glad to have you on the team.”
“And I’m glad to be on the team.”
“Good decisions all around.” Ayumi said, “You know, I think this is cause for celebration. How about this evening, we all go out to karaoke together?”
Ayumi clapped Natsuki on the shoulder and smiled.
“My treat.” she continued.
Natsuki gently pushed Ayumi’s hand off of her shoulder.
“Listen, Ayumi.” Natsuki said, “While I appreciate that you find me attractive, I’m not really interested in a relationship with... anyone, really.”
“Oh, okay.” Ayumi said, “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
“Don’t hold your breath.” Natsuki said, “But I’m not gonna say no to karaoke with my brother’s friends!”
“I’m not singing,” Satoshi said, “but... that does sound like fun.”
“Alright then,” Shotaro said, “sounds like a plan to me.”
Red emergency lights dimly lit the halls of the Star Beast ship as a pair of chitinous boots clacked across the floor. A three-fingered hand at the end of a serrated arm opened a door, and a burly humanoid ant-creature stepped into a room full of glass boxes and plastic curtains.
“Dr. Chinuera?” the figure said in a deep, booming voice.
One of the curtains was pushed aside by a bluish-purple tentacle. On the other side stood a strange figure, with one arm like a praying mantis and one like an octopus. Similarly mismatched were the legs; a cheetah leg on the left, and a Tyrannosaurus leg on the right. Behind one shoulder was a large red bird wing, and just above the paper-masked nose sat a row of white horns, like a rhinoceros.
“Ah, Admiral Ariformica!” the creature said, pulling its mask down, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Another one of your creations has failed.” the ant-monster said, “The Starrangers still hold the Galactic Core.”
“Very well, then.” Dr. Chinuera said, “I’ll get to work on the next one.”
“Doctor, I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation.” Admiral Ariformica said, “We only have so many chances to reclaim the Galactic Core.”
“I can assure you, Admiral, this next Star Beast will be much stronger. It will surely defeat the Starrangers.”
“I do hope you are correct. I don’t believe Empress Cosmos will tolerate many more failures. And you do not want to get on her bad side.”
“I’m not worried. She needs me much more than she needs you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Admiral Ariformica turned on its heel and stepped out the door.
“Just be warned,” it said, “if this next Star Beast fails, I will not be so lenient with you.”
The door closed behind the Admiral, and Dr. Chinuera made a brushing gesture.
“I will not fail again.” the alien scientist said, pulling out two vials from one of the glass boxes, “This time, things will be different.”