Tokusatsu Farewell

Tokusatsu Farewell

It had been two years since the New Byzantine had defeated the legendary Star Fall team at the Old Barfield Rock Quarry. It was a neat ploy. Coax the team into fighting the pizza monster at the quarry; convincing them that this would limit property damage to the city. Oh yeah, that was brilliant

Timmy sat at the little cafe on Hill street, now adorned with New Byzantine banners in front and posters of smiling soldiers posing with the young and old alike. He shook his head.

“We got stupid”, he muttered to himself, taking another sip.

All of his friends from the Star Fall Team;

Shelley

Mike

Chloe

And Zasafyel

All vanished in one instant as the gravity from the remains of the pizza monster grew greater and greater. Every tool they had failed and every idea they had seemed to leave their minds before words could even be formed.

“Would you like a refill sir?” the young barista asked him.

He gazed at her brown hair and dark eyes. For just a moment, she reminded him of Shelley, but then the memory faded into the background. He picked up his cup and gave a weary smile.

Slowly, she poured the hot drink into his cup and smiled at him and gave a slight bow. “Hail to the New Byzantine”, she said as she walked away.

He could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

“Hail to the New Byzantine”, he heard himself say, mechanically, like an automated pilot.

He took a sip, remembering the moment after the battle; somehow, he was thrown clear after the others disappeared, but his power suit was gone. After picking himself up from the ground, he made his way to the crater and saw that the pizza monster was gone and so were his friends. He had tried calling to them, hoping that they were close by and unconscious. No such luck.

After a few hours, he left the area and wandered into town, and started looking for them. That’s when he noticed that everything had changed.

Gone were the brightly colored shops in hot pink and neon. The boarders and skaters no longer showed up at the park which was largely empty save the single guard dressed in New Byzantine Armor.

New Byzantine banners littered the buildings and billboards and happy messages from the new governor, Suetonious filled the air with talks of stability, prosperity and peace that the Empire had so generously given.

Every shop in town, from local grocery stores to high end posh shops gave everyone the same greeting of “Hail to New Byzantine” before doing anything else.

He walked several miles to find Star Fall’s old base of operations. From a distance the whole building looked like a crumpled piece of paper in a wastebasket. As he approached the entrance, the main door, which was made of 10 inch thick steel, had been ripped from its hinges and was lying on the ground some 5 yards away.

Inside, the base was in tatters. The console was a mess of shattered glass, wires and plastic tubing hanging from the remaining beams of the dome. The wind whistled through the main bridge like a distance lament.

Timmy’s boots made the distinct crunching sound as he walked through the destroyed structure. He ran his fingers through his long, dark hair and shook his head. He was about to head out when a voice from behind spoke.

“I thought you would come back here”

With a sudden start, Timmy, formerly the black Star Fall Sentinel turned and saw the holographic image of the new governor standing in front of him, smiling pleasantly and studying him.

“Grief… is a natural thing for humans.” he began slowly.

Timmy scoffed. “Yeah… you took my friends, my mentor and my whole planet! So yeah.. I got grief alright! Why don’t you come down here and let’s settle this?”

Suetonious seemed to smile with a mild amusement.

“Such spirit”..he remarked, shaking his head. “And defiance as well, even in the face of very long odds and certain defeat. Not to mention having already been defeated in battle once at the old Barfield quarry.”

Timmy eyes burned like coals, but he said nothing.

“You do understand that there is a relationship between gravity and time, don’t you?”

Timmy gave a confused look.

“Time dilation. As you and your fellow sentinels got closer and closer to the gravity well, time slowed down for you. Meanwhile, your planet continued on its normal diurnal course, allowing the Imperium to take over your world… and help reconstruct the damage caused by some of our battles.”

The hologram seemed to walk closer to Timmy before continuing.

“During this time, when your team was effectively ‘on ice’, we rebuilt bridges, built new schools, delivered cures for many diseases that have been plaguing your world. All that we asked in return was a tribute of course, delivered annually; praise to the Byzantine Imperium and no rebellion”

Timmy stood silently and looked down towards the floor of the base, unsure of what to do next, his rage having nowhere to go.

“You are, no doubt wondering what happened to you, your world and your friends.”

“I actually come… bearing gifts”

Timmy sneered. “A hologram bearing gifts. Yeah. Sure”

The hologram changed showing a chamber with four cylindrical tubes holding people. “Look closer, Timmy”, the governor instructed.

Timmy looked deeper and saw the remaining Star Fall Sentinels and Zasafyel inside.

“What have you done to them!?”

The hologram changed to reveal the governor again.

“They are in stasis right now. Their vitals are fine other than being slowed down. They needed to heal, so I am healing them right now.”

“I … don’t believe you”, Timmy said, turning away. “This is some kinda trick. Why do this anyway? You have the whole planet!

Suetonious’s image flickered briefly but his smile and stance remained the same. “I have a proposal for you, Timmy.”

Timmy scoffed again. “No Deal, Suetonious!”

“Even for your friends? Or even the restoration of your status as heroes of Earth?”

Timmy threw his hands up in the air and slammed them against a broken console and broke into a bitter laughter. “My mom always told me that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! You're probably showing me an old camera feed ... .and…. “ his face fell as tried his best to swallow the words before speaking them almost as if saying it would make it true.

Suetonious watched Timmy in silence as Timmy’s face trembled with the thoughts of his friends.

“They are alive, Timmy. I promise you that. But only because I allow it.” He paused. “I am a man under authority myself, Timmy. A general, yes. A governor, yes. But still, I answer to a higher authority. I am only the villain that you can see. The Byzantine Imperium is vast and encompasses many conquered systems. So, I must maintain order. We prefer to do things amicably of course but we can use force if necessary.”

Timmy looked back to the hologram.

“Okay… where are they?”

For once, the governor looked surprised.

“Why they are with me, of course”

Timmy turned away from the hologram. “ I don’t even know why you are here or what you want from me. It doesn’t make sense. You could’ve just ended it all. Finished the job! But instead, you’re here trying to taunt me instead with promises of keeping my friends safe, knowing full well that I will not bow down to you!”

Suetonious laughed. “Bow down! As I said, Timothy, I am merely a man under someone else’s authority. I do have power over this world, yes, but I do not require anyone to bow down to me! We only require loyalty to the Byzantine. If you give it, I will free your friends, restore your power and you will be loyal warriors for the Byzantine Imperium.

This time, Timmy laughed. “You don’t need us! You have the whole world!”

Suetonious gave a slight smile. “Oh, I have my reasons, Timothy. I have my reasons. Consider my proposal then you can contact me through your local cell phone service if you like”

With that, the hologram vanished, leaving Timmy alone in the wreckage of the base.

*************

Suetonious walked back to his desk after the conversation with young Timothy and sat down with a smile. His aide, Gaius watched in silence as the governor poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip.

“You look worried again, Gaius.”

“Sir?”

Suetonious smiled. “I can read your face, Gaius. You are wondering why I have spared this fledgling team and why I am bothering to offer their power and prestige back, yes?”

Gaius looked down and nodded his head slowly without saying anything else.

“My friend, when governing a society, you need to present them with an illusion – an illusion of choice or hope. Continued oppression will breed rebellion.,. Guaranteed.

So, I give them choice and hope.

You remember that the Imperium, once seeded this world and that seed became the Roman Empire?”

Gaius nodded his head. He learned that in basic school The Imperium had seeded many worlds with their culture and military tactics. Many of the planets were basically feeder systems for the Imperium. Gaius himself was raised in such a world.

“It is good to study the historical records of feeder worlds as well as the history of the Byzantine Imperium, my friend. You can learn so much from it, especially if you want the governorship yourself.”

“M’Lord?’, Gaius murmured softly.

Suetonious smiled. “No need, Gaius. This is the nature of leadership. Here, a drink.”

Gaius stepped forward and received the goblet offered by the governor and the two of them clinked the cups and silent toast to the Imperium, the campaigns and their long service together, yet both knowing to be wary of the other.

************************************

Now, Timmy sat alone in the cafe, sipping on the second cup of coffee, waiting. A few minutes later, a man dressed in tattered street clothes with a hood covering his features, entered the cafe, much to the consternation of the staff. He made his way to Timmy’s table and took a seat across from him and whispered.

“I know where they are”

Timmy took another sip of coffee and looked at the stranger. “How can I be sure? How can I… trust you?”

Gaius lifted his head to face Timmy and gave a slow smile. “Let’s just say that this is a mutually beneficial arrangement.”