                           Chapter Nine: Boarding!

     Artemis looked up quickly. "Any chance of negotiating with these people?"
     "Are you kidding?" Captain Jamison snorted. "Sounds like they are going to
board!" He hit the intercom again. "Seaman Martin! Are they sending any
conditions?"
     "No Sir. They are telling us to surrender. They say they are preparing to
board us!"
     "LIKE HELL THEY WILL!" Jamison growled. "ALL HANDS!! THIS IS THE CAPTAIN!
PREPARE TO REPEL INVADERS! I REPEAT...PREPARE TO REPEL INVADERS!"
     Sailor Moon looked worriedly at Tuxedo Mask... "Darien...what are we..?"
     Tuxedo mask had no answer. He looked at the men moving quickly past him.
They were holding old style M-1 rifles. Not much defense if their enemy had
superior weapons.
     Artemis swore. He looked around him. "We need to do something."
     Luna looked frightened. "But what? Anything we do might affect the
future."
     Sailor Pluto nodded. "Yes...but the future has already been affected."
     Sailor Mars looked for Ensign Bell and saw him moving into the compartment
followed by other men who were armed. He let them go up the ladder first.
     "Ensign..." she began hesitantly..
     "Raye..." he smiled. "Call me Jim. I have to defend the ship. Please stay
down here where it's safe okay?"
     Raye watched speechless as Ensign Bell climbed up the ladder. She felt her
heart aching realizing she was falling fast for this handsome young american
officer. An officer from another time!
     Sailor Venus looked up as she heard what sounded like shots! "They're
attacking! What do we do?"
     Sailor Jupiter slammed her fist into her hand. "Let's trash them! These
people are our friends! We can't let them invade! Besides, what do we do if we
just let them take over?"
     Sailor Moon looked nervous. "I...I don't know.."
     Suddenly shots rang out! Then, what sounded like shouts and, men were
screaming. Artemis ears perked up as he heard the sound of energy cannons.
"Those are lasers! These people have energy weapons!"
     "Energy weapons? In 1969??" Luna gasped.
     "They've altered the future and probably have superior technology."
Artemis swore. "Now we have to help!"
     Just then two men wearing what looked like battle armor entered the room!
One of them aimed his rifle at them!
     Sailor Moon gasped and almost instinctively cut loose with her sceptre!
     MOOOOOON...SCEPTRE......ELIMINATION!!!!!"
     Artemis leaped back as the energy shot past him and bathed the two
invaders. They both toppled and fell over. Artemis seeing a chance here moved
part of his mind outward...hoping to get inside one of the men and learn
more..perhaps use him to help them..
     The man gasped as he felt Artemis but couldn't move. In a flash, Artemis
saw it...The Asian Empire! A strong Empire ruled from Japan. They had won the
second World War that had run from 1938 to 1969! Artemis cringed. In the flash
of an instant he saw battles won..battles that should have been lost! He saw
Germany working with Japan...then Japan's superior technology being used to
destroy Germany. But..it wasn't the United States that had been in the war. It
was the United Confederacy! The Confederacy had not been as effective a
fighting country..and so...The Asian Empire had won!
     Artemis gleaned all this information from the man's mind in seconds! Now,
he knew what he had to do! He turned to Sailor Moon. "You all need to defend
this ship! I have a plan but, I need to know more! Go help!!"
     Sailor Jupiter nodded. "Okay! Let's go everyone!"
     
     Just then Sailor Mars gasped as an explosion sounded! She watched her face
turning to sheer horror as Ensign Bell and two men came crashing down the
hatchway to land at her feet. She bent down.."Jim! Jim..are you..okay?"
     Ensign Bell gasped and looked up. Blood was coming from his arm. "I..I got
hit but.."
     "LET'S GET THEM!!"Jupiter said with a ferocity Artemis had rarely heard.
Like a shot, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury, shot up the ladder. Sailor Moon
hesitated then Tuxedo Mask smiled at her. He moved up the ladder and, she
nodded to Sailor Mars. "It'll be okay, Raye." She climbed the ladder and
disappeared through the hatchway.
     Raye for a few seconds held Ensign Bell in her arms as she cradled his
head on her lap. "I have to go." she whispered. "But, I'll be back...I
promise." Feeling great agony, Raye swallowed then moved up the ladder feeling
a great hatred for the invaders that had done this to the man she now cared
for!
     On the deck, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus emerged from the main
hatchway into what looked like a scene from hell! Men from the "Hunter" armed
with only World War II style M-1 rifles were fighting against men in advanced
battle suits with laser weapons! And they were badly losing! Beside the
"Hunter" was another submarine..much larger and far more advanced! Lt. Akano
was on the starboard side with several men and, they were firing at it. One of
the men had tried to use the main deck gun but had been killed in the process!
     Sailor Jupiter growled. "HURT OUR FRIENDS WILL YOU???" She swung her arms
outward..."JUPITER...THUNDER...CRRAAAAAAASH!!!!!"
     The explosion of lightning lit up the deck of both subs and the waves
slammed against them from the shock. Several men screamed and retreated. 
     Sailor Venus looked and saw a man up on the conning tower of the other sub
directing the attack. "So...your the one responsible for all this huh? I'll
make you pay for hurting our friends! VENUS...CRESCENT...BEAMMM...SMASH!!!!"
     The beam of light shot forth from her finger and flew across the deck over
the heads of the men fighting. It struck the officer in the conning tower of
the other submarine. He gasped and fell over hitting the deck unconscious.
     Sailor Mercury aimed for the center of the other sub.
"MERCURY...BUBBLES...BLAST!!!" she shouted. The explosion of bubbles created a
fog that now filled the entire battlefield!
     Tuxedo mask swung his cane and slammed it across the head of one man then
kicked another. He extended it outward and struck a third that was preparing to
shoot Sailor Jupiter who had her back to him...

     Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars climbed up onto the deck and witnessed this
scene! Men were fighting and screaming. Sailor Moon could see Sailor Jupiter
firing off lightning and, Sailor Venus has just launched another attack.
     Sailor Mars nodded to her and dove into the fray launching her own
attacks!
     Captain Jamison suddenly ran past Sailor Moon. His arm was bleeding where
he had been shot and, he gasped and fell down the hatchway behind her. Sailor
Moon ducked as a shot barely missed her! As she did so, she suddenly got an
idea! The men below had been taken down by her attack. But..the attack was
designed to heal evil energy. She wondered...could the attack temporarily make
normal people who were not truly evil good? She decided to try it. She aimed
her sceptre at the deck and waved it..."MOOOON....HEALING....ACTIVATION!!!!!"
     The light from her sceptre bathed the entire deck! Men screamed and fell
down holding their heads. The fighting that had raged suddenly came to a halt.
     
     As the light faded, men began to look up. Those from the invading sub took
off their helmets. Their eyes looked dazed. An officer from the invading
submarine stood up. "What...what are we doing here? What is all this?"
     Sailor Moon swallowed. She felt someone behind her and turned. Sailor
Pluto was there along with Artemis and Luna.
     "Well done, Princess Serenity." Pluto smiled.
     "Tell them we're friends." Luna added.
     "Maybe they can help us.." Artemis grinned. "Have them take us to their
base."
     "Hokkaido." Pluto nodded. "The source of the time distortions. We need to
find out what's going on."

     Sailor Moon smiled and turned back to the enemy officer. "You came to help
us but, there was a slight misunderstanding. Will you please take us to your
base on Hokkaido?"
     The man blinked. Then, he nodded slowly. He looked back at his Commander
who was unconscious on the deck. "I'm in charge now. I'll take you there and
we'll help you." He sounded dazed.
     Sailor Jupiter looked at Venus and they both smiled at each other.
     Sailor Mars turned and looked back at Sailor Moon. Then, she moved past
her and down the ladder to check on Ensign Bell.
     Artemis watched the men from the invading sub go back to their own vessel.
Chief Graham came up beside him. "The Captain is injured but is still able to
command. This is pretty dangerous going into the heart of their base."
     Luna looked at Artemis. "There isn't any other way to find out what's
going on is there Artemis?"
     Artemis bowed his head. "No." He looked up at Sailor Pluto. "Can you
remember anything else that doesn't hurt you?"
     "I have been trying." Pluto sighed. "I will try to block out the pain and
see if I can get anymore."
     Sailor Mercury came up. "I have some bad news. But, I don't want to talk
about it.." she lowered her voice, "in front of our new friends."
     Artemis nodded and he and Mercury moved a little away from the others.
"What is it?" he asked.
     Mercury bowed her head. "I was able to gather a little information on this
submarine...we're...we're on a doomed ship Artemis..."
     Artemis gazed narrowed. "What..?"
     "According to what I have in the computer before time was altered....the
"Hunter" was sent on a mission from which it never returned..."

