SPACE BATTLE By ... Steve Lucky

             SPACE BATTLE
          By ... Steve Lucky

All over the galaxy people tried to find
Someone who was both brave and kind
To get the out of their terrible bind
Of being controlled by another.
Heroes who came from far and near
Gave them hope and spread good cheer,
Yet none of them could see a clear
Way to reach the controlling other.
Forgotten because of all the confusion
Peter was a young man with no delusion
He could manage alone to resist the illusion
Controlled by the mysterious force.
True heroes knew he was the one
Who could make sure the job got done.
Dangerous journeys rarely were fun,
But the problem had to be dealt with at the source.
Informed by the heroes of Peter's true power,
Gifts to him they began to shower
At a rate of more than once an hour.
Peter was sure he was needed.
Much preferring to be elsewhere
With the people Peter did share
Desire to beat the controller out there
So he conquered his fear when they pleaded.
Looking to the heroes to come up with a plan,
From hero to hero he often ran.
They tried to explain to him he was the man
Capable of giving freedom to all.
Understanding what he had to do,
He promised he would see the task through.
No illusions old or new
Would cause him to even stall.
Aid from the heroes would be great,
Making his pace accelerate,
Yet he knew at their current rate
Eventually he would be on his own.
Only Peter knew which way to go
During times when progress would slow
Because he was the only one willing to know
Illusions could not defeat them alone.
Continuing forward towards illusions or not,
Step by step to the heroes he brought
Knowledge to give it everything they got
To have any hope of success.
When the proper illusion had been picked,
One by one the heroes were tricked.
Peter knew his bad habbit had to be licked
Before the illusion he could guess.
Money and power were not the way
So on the path Peter would stay.
Although he did not know it he could say
The illusion had been defeated.
Discovering the illusion he cried.
It seemed no matter how hard he tried,
Far too many heroes had died
Which he did not want repeated.
Exhausted he finally reached the place
Only to discover the mysterious controller was in space.
His heart and mind began to race
As he took off towards his goal.
No more illusions would slow him down.
Distractions only made him frown.
Someone considered to be a clown
Could make a thousand heads roll.
In the depths of space the ship was found.
Peter entered the ship hardly making a sound.
With no idea who might be around
The mysterious controller he quietly approached.
Knowing he had been discovered.
His face with his hands he quickly covered.
Above him the mysterious controlled hovered
Reacting as if uncoached.
Shivering Peter looked into the eyes
Of the one controlling them without a disguise.
As he looked he began to realize
Why the controller had not yet been reached.
Looking up he began to doubt
His mission and what it was all about.
The other looked like he never found out
Maximum security had been breeched.
From what little Peter what able to tell,
It was quite clear he knew all too well.
Remaining was only machinery smell
Which belonged to a former human being.
All it would take was a single jump
To land with an unpleasant bump
On the other who he could then easily thump.
Peter did not believe what he was seeing.
Sensing what he saw was a trap
He ran quickly to widen the gap
Between himself and the one who could snap
Entire body parts in half.
Keeping calm he ran in the direction
Readable signs said would be the main section.
Satisfied with Peter's selection,
The other began to laugh.
At first Peter began to wonder
If he had tragically made a blunder
When the other did not follow like thunder.
Did the place he was headed contain nothing to get?
Later he figured out where he went
Put his chances of victory at a good percent.
His opponent was too overconfident
For such a serious threat.
This new knowledge gave him confidence.
Rapidly his search grew more intense,
Before the other knew his plans for defense
Came from his intuition.
Once Peter reached his selected room,
Dark illusions filled him with gloom.
It seemed all he could find was doom.
However, heroes do not work on commission.
Peter let out a horrible gasp.
With the object he wanted within his grasp,
Something kept his touch weaker than a clasp.
Desire for it was making him itch.
Calmly aware he had to stay clean,
Using strong willpower and an eye that was keen,
One arm kept trying to beat the machine
And turned off the main switch.
The other went into something resembling shock
Before becoming as hard as a rock.
In just another tick of the clock
He started falling apart.
Destruction inside him became more and more
Until at last it reached the core
Leaving everything as it had been before
A former controller lost his heart.
Knowing what the controller ... the other contains
When he looked inside the horrible remains,
Peter discovered human brains
Flawed though they may be were far superior.
One who selfishly controls
May lose sight of human goals.
No power is worth the cost of souls.
Important things are found in the interior.
Quietly, the ship slowly shifted.
Hopelessly out of control is drifted.
Realizing this, Peter's spirits lifted.
Years of neglect left the ship in poor shape.
Doing what his instincts required
At the docking bay he was inspired
To take the ship he previously aquired
So an inactive ship would not spoil his plans for escape.
No longer would he aimlessly roam.
It was time for him to head back home.
What happened to the heroes still made him foam,
But it was time for him to let go of the past.
Long after the mysterious controller was dead,
A robot continued to do as he said
Until Peter held he his ground instead,
Passing through the illusions so everyone would be safe at last.
Celebration began from those who heard the news.
To a mysterious controller they would no longer lose.
None of them celebrating wanted to snooze.
More gifts to Peter they would adorn.
Peter did not want to celebrate.
For the other heroes it was too late.
Knowing their sacrifice to him was great,
He took the time to mourn.
As he did so he realized their sacrifice
Would not have to be done twice.
Dying a hero would be nice,
Yet a living hero was greater still.
Coming back to join the crowd,
Peter announced in a voice that was loud
Of his great deeds he was quite proud.
If they needed a hero, he could fit the bill.
No longer on heroes the crowd had to rely
So at last Peter was willing to try
To tell of the mission he was willing to die
For to be sure, the people they would protect.
As a group the heroes had to strive
But Peter alone managed to survive.
He knew he had to keep all of them alive.
Dreams of freedom all of them would select.
Illusions had a secret he could not conceal
When another could use those illusions to make others fell
Fear from deceptions no one dared to reveal.
He had to do it if no one else would.
Going forward he could be,
Regardless of what the illusions might be,
Led him on to victory.
Stopping forward progress no illusion could.
Knowing this the people had a chance.
Whether one seeks power or romance,
It is easier to freely dance
Not worrying about things which can not harm.
Being a hero does not take
Power to distinguish a true hero from a fake.
Love can overcome any mistake
Even the illusion of lack of charm.
Valuable lessons the people learned
So in the future they would not be so easily burned.
Adventurous spirits inside them churned
Which was only bound to increase.
The line of heroes could never ceasr,
If they wanted freedom to be more than a lease.
For terrorism to truly decrease
All had to fight, but fight for peace.

Copyright 2003, Steve Lucky