Rescue

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Disclaimer: I don't own the BMFM or any character from that show. I do, however, own, Katianna, Dragon, Turbo, Starfire, Tactica, Sparky, Starmantle, Fire, Mari, Goldenmane, Taura, Pikestar, Stonewall, Nazira, Phoenix, Blaze, Blade, The Rockers, Firestars, Shimmers, Monarchs, the Fireblades, and Junior. However, I don't own the original character, Marshall, who Junior is based on. Marshall is (C) to Brentwood Television Funnies as well as the BMFM.

I make no money from this writing (though I know we all wish we did) and do so only for the enjoyment of myself and others.

This story continues from Defiance. There is a warning of foul language and mild violence.

Rescue

By Goldenmane

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

Mari watched Snowfall playing in the snow pit Mandy had made for her. She couldn't believe that Snowfall already was two years old. How she had grown so fast, seeming so well adjusted being around only four mice and two humans. She had been worried when she heard nothing but reports of Plutarkian movements from Carbine. No one had seen Kat.

Mari's thought turned sad when she thought of Phoenix and Blaze and how they would have grown. What they would have been like now if they had survived.

She looked up as a quartet of bike engines approached. Mari rose from her squatting position and greeted the guys and Charlie. She backed away, watching as Throttle and Modo knelt beside Snowfall and began to play with her.

Charlie and Vinnie joined her side. "I knew they had a soft side to go with all that machismo." Charlie chuckled.

Mari only nodded. "So, what brings you lot out here? And don't say it was just to come play with Snowfall."

"Nah," Vinnie said. "We just wanted to see how you were doing. Um..with Brie gone and all..." he stammered.

Mari chuckled. "You could have used the CB."

Vinnie began to blush.

Charlie and Mari broke out into laughter at Vinnie's expense. "It's good to see you two back together again," Mari said, wiping tears of joy from her eyes.

"We had a lot of talking to do and I think we've got most of it pretty well ironed out," Charlie said, taking Vinnie by the hand.

Mari smiled, though her attention soon turned to a loud rumble and a flash of light. She ran to Snowfall, drawing her laser, though Snowfall seemed content to cling to Throttle.

"That's Dragon," Modo said as a midnight black racing bike materialized.

"Yeah, but where's Kat?" Mari asked worried. She cautiously approached Dragon who seemed edgy. "Ice, see if you can talk to her?"

Ice beeped several times. Dragon began to beep as well, calming. Mari went to Dragon, punching several buttons.

"So? What's the verdict?" Mandy said, out of breath, still shrugging into her jacket. She nodded towards the guys.

"Kat's in trouble. Dragon can't say too much about it. Looks like her memory chips have been damaged. On purpose," Mari said.

"Plutarkians," Modo growled.

Mari nodded her head. "Dragon does have co ordinates. Junior's got her."

"So we finally go to him," Throttle said, calming Snowfall down.

"Looks that way. But not without a ship. Unless I can rig Ice, Dragon and Vinnie's bike together. Then I might be able to transport all of us to Junior." Mari said.

"Can you do it?" Charlie asked.

Mari shrugged. "I don't know if I could. Dragon does have the linking ability, but I don't know if it is damaged or not. I could run a diagnostic but..." her voice trailed off when she noticed small splatters of green along Dragon's far flank. "And it doesn't look like we have the time."

Mandy went to inspect Dragon. "Dried Martian blood. Not too old by the judge of it."

"What are we waiting for?" Vinnie asked.

"Someone's got to stay with Snowfall," Mari said.

"I'll stay with her," Charlie said, going to Throttle. She disengaged Snowfall from his neck.

Mari went to Snowfall ruffling her silvery hair. "You'll be good for Auntie Charlie, right?" Mari said softly.

Snowfall buried her head into Charlie's chest. "No,"

Mari chuckled. "She's at that stage. The terrible two's"

"Let's mount up," Throttle said.

"Ice, follow," Mari said, linking Ice to Dragon. She downloaded as much of Dragon's memory as she could. Then she moved to Vinnie's bike and did the same. Then she mounted Dragon."Just remember. We can't let Junior get a hold of either of these three bikes. Remember what he said about me contaminating his transport system."

"Let's rock," Throttle began.

"And ride," they all chorused.

"Transporting now," Mari said punching a button on Dragon.

Everything went black, then white, then grey and finally, with a resounding boom, they could see once more. Everyone cheered when they saw Mars. Even Mandy.

"One problem," Mari said, shucking her jacket in the warm Martian air. "I checked the readout. Dragon's memory chip on the exact location apparently burned out mid transport. We're on Mars, alright, but I can't say when."

"Oh great," Mandy moaned.

Mari increased the magnification on her visor. "In more ways than one. At least we know this Mars has a Plutarkian problem."

They all turned their attention in the direction of Mari's point. "Too many to fight," Throttle said. "Where do we go?"

"Preferably in the opposite direction," Mari said, gunning Dragon's engine. "Let's ride like the wind,"

They sped off. Mari cursed when the missiles started to streak overhead, leaving great craters behind in the red sand.

"Break off. We're too much of a moving target like this." She sent a set of co ordinates to the other bikes. "Meet me there, I'll try to divert some of their fire."

"Ya can't do it alone," Vinnie began to protest.

"I never said I'd do it alone." She turned to her bike," Ice, follow me."

They split, each going their own way. Throttle guided Mandy, the only one of the group who had no idea where they were going on Mars.

Mari activated Dragon's weapons system. "Dragon, Back Attack 17. Ice, Back Attack Beta."

She rode low to Dragon, letting the bikes do all the work. All she had to do was hang on and loose her pursuers. She hoped everyone else had it easier than her.

She crested a sand dune, riding hard along the back side, low and out of site. She dove for cover behind a larger sand dune, and waited. She heard the Plutarkians stop and listened carefully. When they did not sound like they were approaching, rather giving up the chase, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She waited a while longer, hoping they would not have retreated just far enough to lure her into thinking she could come out of hiding, only to pick her off.

Mari shook her head, chuckling. "Paranoid already?" she asked herself. "Has it been that long since you've been on Mars?"

Mari rose, mounting Dragon. She sped off, glancing behind her. No trace of the Plutarkians could be seen. She hoped the others had made it to the rendezvous in one piece.

"Not the bike. Anything but the bike," Vinnie protested as Throttle checked his bike over.

"Sorry to tell ya bro, but she's going nowhere," Throttle said, fingering a tear in the bike's outer shell where a laser had penetrated. Vinnie looked incredulously at Throttle.

"Ride double and hope for the best," Modo said. "Wonder where Mari is? Hope she is alright." Concern began to tinge his deep voice.

"Guys. Over here. Glad you're in one piece," Mari called.

The guys looked up, noticing her astride Dragon, perched on the rise of a sand dune. They watched as she rode towards them. All except Throttle who began hitching Vinnie's bike to his.

"What happened?" Mari asked.

"Those lousy, good for nothing Plutarkians hit my bike," Vinnie said through clenched teeth. "They'll pay for it."

Mari sighed. "Ride Ice. We should make good time nonetheless."

Vinnie cast one last glimpse at his bike before mounting Ice.

"Alright. Mari, lead the way," Throttle said.

She nodded. "I'll take us to the base just outside of Monument. See if she still stands."

They rode in silence, pushing their bikes to the limit. Vinnie could not help but look back to his bros. Something bothered him, yet he could not say what. Something about the sullenness of Mari worried him.

"Sweetheart," Vinnie began on a private link to Mari. "Something bothering ya?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Just old memories."

Vinnie fell silent. "Care to talk?" he said at last.

Mari paused. "This area reminds me of the last major battle I was in before the Plutarkians captured me."

"Monument."

Mari only nodded her head.

Vinnie pressed on. "You know about our imprisonment by the Plutarkians?"

"Every Freedom Fighter knows. Common knowledge to keep the troops going in battle. A lot had changed since you three left Mars." Mari paused. "And a lot probably has changed since I've been gone as well."

"When they captured you," Vinnie said. "Did they..experiment on you?"

Mari lowered her head. "No."

"You said what happened to your unit, but not exactly how."

"We were pinned down by heavy fire. We managed to knock out three of the Plutarkian's batteries, but their ground troops were well armed. They cut my unit to ribbons."

'And you saw them die before your eyes,' Vinnie thought. 'Man, no wonder.'

"When our numbers were lowered to a point we could never hold out, Rock gave the order to charge. Before anyone could move, the Plutarkians sent Stingrays to bomb our location. I saw good mice die that day."

Vinnie paused. "And that site was here?"

Mari nodded. "I thought I lost some very good friends and a mate here. Somehow us five managed to survive. The others weren't so lucky,"

"Mari, sweetheart, I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you could ever say that would ease the pain. I've wanted to come home more than you could imagine. No. I know how much you guys wanted to return." Mari paused, looking up. "I figured the pain would have gone by now. I guess I was wrong."

Words failed Vinnie. The rest of the ride fell to silence, though his mind raced with concern, worry, and fear. After a few hours, Mari signalled for a stop.

"Rest here. We can still make it by nightfall." Mari said.

Vinnie dismounted, grateful to be able to stretch his legs. It was hard for him to ride another bike. It was hard for him to do anything in which he was not the centre attraction. Age had modified his recklessness, but not his enthusiasm.

He watched Mari walk away, quiet, solemn. She removed her helmet, shaking her mane of smoke grey hair free. Mari held her helmet under one arm and stood, still as a statue. Vinnie wanted to walk up to her, to console her. Yet he could not bring himself to do so. She needed this time alone. This time to deal with her past. He would begrudgingly give her that time, at least some of it. Vinnie walked to his bros. and Mandy, Mari foremost in his mind.

Mari stood, watching the horizon. In her mind's eye she could see the Stingrays in the distance, firing on the helpless mice below. She could still hear the shouts of orders, the screams of frightened children, the fires which raged through the once proud city of Monument.

She closed her ice blue eyes. 'This is where my unit fell,' she thought. 'This is where we lost.' Mari opened her eyes, the images gone. Red sand blown about in a small breeze all she could see. The battle had been years ago, yet it still burned bright in her mind.

'Fight it, Mari. You promised yourself if you ever returned, it would not bother you.'

'Yeah. Like hell,' came her mind's response.

She filched inside her vest pocket, searching for a small lump of metal. She dragged the medal out, clutching it in her fist. Mari did not need to see the inscription on the front, nor gaze at the images burnished into the surface. Some days she wondered why she kept the medal, the pain was too great.

"Your medal?" she heard Vinnie ask.

"When we returned to base, they gave us a medal of valour for surviving against the odds. I refused, but they insisted. Shortly after that, I was hijacked by the Plutarkians."

She could hear Vinnie shuffle a boot in the sand, apparently lost for words. What could he say? What could he do to ease her pain. Mari knew he meant well, but nothing would ease her loss.

"Turbo and I had left our children with friends. They had a child 'bout Phoenix's age named Blade."

Vinnie said solemnly. "You should have said something earlier to us. To me."

She turned, eyes lowered. "I guess I really didn't want to acknowledge the truth."

She jumped at the cool touch of his hand on her flushed cheek. She did not resist as he dragged her gaze upwards. For a moment their eyes locked. 'So unlike Turbo,' she thought. 'Yet not.' She paused. 'Just remember what happened last time.'

"You figured the pain would be to great." Mari nodded, taking his hand in her's.

"I hoped I'd get over it one day. Guess I never will. The news of finding Turbo and the others have disappeared..."

"It's hard," Vinnie said, more solemn than she had ever known him to be. "But sometimes ya just got to live with it."

Mari blushed. "I think we ought to get back before the guys and Mandy start talking."

She stifled a giggle behind her hand at the deep crimson flush in Vinnie's cheek. "Yeah. I guess."

They walked back in silence.

"So. Got us lost yet?" Throttle asked to break the silence.

"Only a few more hours and we'll be at the old army base of Marconia in the Chryse Plains," Mari said. "We can refuel there."

Silence followed and they mounted their bikes. Vinnie took Ice and Mari, Dragon..

'Two more hours and I can visit old ghosts,' Mari thought. 'I hope I'm ready.'

Mari motioned for a stop. Ahead in the Martian dusk lay the old army base. Deep shadows covered the ground ahead masking the pitfalls she knew would be there. There was only one true way to enter, and she knew just the path.

"Boys, follow me. Army put in some traps round about a year before Monument. Stray left or right, and you'll end up in a deep pit," Mari said, revving Dragon's engine.

She set off without waiting, knowing they would follow her exact path. Mari had no doubts as to their abilities as bikers. The Biker Mice were, after all, a legend in their own time on Mars.

"What the-" Mari began, ducking to avoid a laser shot.

"-Plutarkians?" Vinnie finished.

Mari shrugged, activating Dragon's weapons. "Only one way to find out. Let's rock 'em."

She let off a volley of laser fire, watching the cold blue beams split the night air. Her answer came in the form of a barrage of laser fire from the base.

"It's not automatic defences. We'd've been warned by now. Someone's there. Guys, stick to this path, no pits here. I'll cut round and get them from behind," Mari said, stopping. "Only thing is, I need Ice for this one."

"Right," Vinnie said. "But I'm not letting you do this alone."

"Guys. Keep watch over Dragon, will ya?" Mari said as Vinnie moved to make room for her.

Mari fired Ice's engines. "Hold on."

She launched Ice into the air, activating her bike's wings. Gliding silently, she angled left, then sharply right, heading for the side of the base.

Once over the base, she cut Ice's engines and used her weight to shift directions, she manoeuvred Ice to a soft landing on the base's roof.

"From here we go on foot."

Vinnie nodded.

Mari led the way, scaling down the side of the building with ease, she slipped silently through a window, plopping softly on the floor. She parted her visor and motioned for Vinnie to do the same. She could make out two shapes ahead. Their attackers. In the dim light she could not tell if there were more, but could detect no sound other than laser fire and heavy breathing.

Vinnie landed beside her with a thunk. Mari cringed, relieved to see none of their attackers noticed. She motioned an attack pattern. Vinnie tapped her on the shoulder and motioned in a direction. Mari nodded and they set about to subdue all hostiles.

Mari paused as the lights came on, temporarily blinding her. She shaded her eyes, freezing when the barrel of a rifle was shoved in front of her face.

"What Unit do you belong to? I've never seen you two before?" a tenor voice asked.

"I'm with the Rockers, or at least I was," Mari said. "And he is one of the Biker Mice."

"Take off your helmets, slowly," a female said. Mari tried to pinpoint the voice, but couldn't.

Mari slowly removed her helmet, propping it under her arm.

"Goldenmane, one of the Monarchs is here. But he looks different," the male said, lowering the rifle.

"Bring them here," Goldenmane said weakly.

The male moved aside, letting them pass. They walked to Goldenmane who sat propped against a bike, holding on to her arm, the shoulder of which continued to bleed.

"You must be from the past," Goldenmane said slowly. "You, I don't recognize," she motioned towards Mari. "But you will have to be careful. Time is a dangerous player and does not care who lives or dies."

Vinnie quirked a brow. "Why should I have to be careful?"

"Because you exist in this time. Tell me, are the rest of the Biker Mice here?" Goldenmane asked.

"Yeah, why?" Vinnie asked, confused.

Goldenmane sighed. "You and the Biker Mice are part of the Monarchs. It is you few who lead the Freedom Fighters and attempt to reunite the scattered Units on Mars. A lot has changed in the decades from your time to this."

Mari nodded. "Then I take it I or the Rockers don't exist in this time?"

"No. There are old records that mention the Rockers, but they died at Junior's hands. Of what we are certain, their ship was destroyed by one of Junior's scout ships. Beyond that, anything is possible." She paused. "Tell me one thing, is Dragon with you?"

"Yes. She transported in all of a sudden. We saw the blood and thought Kat was in trouble," Mari said.

"That's my blood, not hers, but she is a prisoner of Junior. She's being held in maximum security along with a few other prisoners. We tried to rescue them, but only got out the lower level prisoners." Goldenmane paused. "The Fireblades abandoned the fight. We, the Firestars had to retreat. The Monarchs never made it to the battle, leaving only the Shimmers to fight. If you value Kat's life any, please, rescue her."

Mari nodded. "Just lead us to Junior and we'll do the rest."

Goldenmane nodded. "Taura, go with them. Transport to the edge of battle. Bring Dragon here and we'll see what we can do to repair her."

Mari agreed, whistling to Ice. She waited as her bike blasted it's way in. She mounted Ice, waiting for Vinnie, keeping an eye on the grey-furred female, Taura.

"First, we collect your friends, then we fight," Taura said. "I need some co ordinates."

Mari sent the co ordinates to Taura's bike, taking note of the confused look on her face.

"Your bike has transport capabilities?" Taura asked.

"By accident. I rewired one of Junior's transporters, before I knew it was him, to my bike and Vinnie's, and now we can transport, limited though," Mari paused. "Though his bike was damaged in a skirmish with the Plutarkians."

"Leave his bike here, too," Goldenmane said.

Mari nodded. "Anytime,"

"Transport engaged," Taura said.

With a flash and a snap they found themselves in front of the others.

"Unhook Vinnie's bike. We're leaving her and Dragon here to be fixed," Mari said. "Taura here is part of Kat's unit. And yes, she is in trouble. As well as other mice Junior has captive. And we're going to help."

Throttle nodded, unhooking Vinnie's bike. Taura went to his bike and examined it. "At least there's no damage to the temporal systems. I can link Dragon to your bike," Taura said, turning to Vinnie. "And transport both of them back to base."

Vinnie nodded, watching Taura as she tapped a few buttons before stepping away. In a blinding flash both his bike and Dragon disappeared.

"Transport complete," they heard the male say.

"Copy, Pikestar. We're rolling on out of here," Taura said, going for her bike. "Ok, Fighters, it's time to shove in your clutch."

They sat there for a second, watching the rapidly retreating form of Taura when they realized what she meant. They kicked their own bikes into gear, tearing off after her.

"Hang on," Taura said. "I'm going to transport us at high speed. Prepare to break and attack once we come out of the transport. I'm going to try to get us as close to the action as I can get."

They waited for the familiar flash of light and darkness, not to be disappointed, though this time they could feel the racing of their bikes beneath them. When they emerged from their transport they split up, going in their own directions.

"Fighters," a female voice called. "Name's Nazira, leader of the Shimmers. You back-up?"

"Sorta," Mari replied, firing towards Junior's Warriors. "Which way in?"

"Follow me, I found a path to the high-security prisoners. That's where they got Kat and some mice we'd like to find out who."

Mari nodded, following Nazira. "I got a question for you. You seem familiar. Didn't you fight at the Battle of Monument?"

Nazira half turned to Mari. "Yeah, I was in Monument when it fell, why? You're a little too young to remember it firsthand. Why the interest?"

"I was part of the Unit that tried to defend Monument. You see, we're from your past," Mari said, much to Nazira's surprise.

"Firestar's know about you?" Nazira asked.

"Dragon came for us, we followed to help Kat. Goldenmane lent Taura to us to lead us here." Mari paused. "You are Blade's mom, right?"

Nazira nodded. "Now I remember you. You're Mari? I watched over yours and Turbo's kids when the fighting began."

Mari pulled abreast of Nazira. "If you lived, did... they?"

Nazira continued to fire, leading them past the outer walls and into Junior's Fortress. "They lived alright. But injured as I was, I couldn't keep them. Ol' Stoker saw to their placement. Blaze had to go to another family while I recovered, but I got him back."

Mari choked back a tear. "Do you .... know where they are now?"

Nazira shrugged, screeching to a halt in front of a line of warriors. "Can't help you there, sorry."

"Finally," Junior said, emerging from behind the 'wall' of warriors. "You have joined me, completing history."

Mari half smiled, fighting back the tears of joy that her children had lived. "But I'm not on Dragon."

"I never said anything about Dragon. You did," Junior stopped. "It was Ice who provided me with the transporter abilities."

"Damn," Mari swore.

Vinnie laid a hand on her side, out of sight of Junior. "When I say move, go left. I'll try to blast Junior with your laser."

"Won't work," she said under her breath. "Just whatever happens, get Ice out of here."

"I don't like the sound of that," he said.

"Silence," Junior roared. "Hand Ice over to me and I will let you see our 'special' prisoners."

"Like Hell," Mari said. "We want Kat and those other prisoners, now."

Junior chuckled. "You're in no position to bargain, rodent. Warriors, kill them. I can waste no time."

Mari cringed as Vinnie fired her laser close to her helmet. She saw one of the warriors fall. "Ice, fire, wide pattern."

Mari began to back Ice up when a small explosion knocked Ice over, throwing Mari out of the seat. Mari crawled to her knees as Junior's warriors began to advance. "Vinnie, get out of here, now."

"No," he said, righting Ice, activating her defense systems.

"Now, go. Keeping her out of Junior's hands is more important than me. Or anyone else for that matter." Mari rose, unsteadily, striking at the nearest warrior with her tail. She continued to defend herself from their onslaught, listening to the fading roar of two bike engines. She dove into the mass of warriors punching, kicking and slapping with her tail. She strangled one warrior with her tail before tripping another. She parted her helmet, biting one of the warriors on the arm.

She realized her mistake too late when the butt of a rifle struck her on the cheek. She collapsed to the ground, balling herself against the punches and kicks of the warriors. She cried out as they continued to beat her, whimpering when they stopped at Junior's command.

"Take her to a prep cell before we 'integrate' her with the rest of the prisoners," she heard Junior say.

She could not protest as they grabbed her by the arms, dragging her along the stone floor. She tried to orient herself, failing when she could not clear her thoughts. Soon she blacked out.