When they boarded, Twilight hugged Tyler. “It’s good to see you, too.” Tyler said through the tight grasp of his best friend.

     “I’m just sorry it had to be for this reason.” Twilight murmured.

     “Sorry to interrupt,” Jerry said, “But I’ve got to call Caitlin and tell her to go on ahead.”

     “You mean I’m coming with you?” Ray was surprised. “After all that fuss Mom made?”

     “I haven’t got a choice.” Jerry replied as Twilight showed him how to access the videophone. “If you go out there, the Bandaa will probably see you.”

     “Where’s Steve?” Twilight had suddenly remembered.

     “Right here.” Steven had just boarded the ship. “Corazon told me to hurry and come as soon as I could, so here I am. What’s up?”
     “We’re leaving.” Twilight replied. Then, while Jerry talked with Caitlin, he called the five girls to their posts.

     Within ten minutes, everyone was ready to leave. However, they didn’t get very far at all. Twilight received a videophone message from the Bandaa ship. It was Racule, himself.

     “Ah, Twilight.” He sounded smug. “So we meet again.”

     “Hello,” Twilight felt like calling him ‘idiot’, or something like that, but managed to keep himself at a decent level. “Racule. Long time, no-see.”

     “Yes.” Racule agreed. “How long has it been? Several decades, I believe. When was the last time all five of you were together, anyway? I know it can’t have been recently.”

     “What makes you say that?” Twilight’s worst fear was about to be confirmed.

     “Because Matt is right here.” The screen backed up show a beaten, torn Matthew Hill who was being held by two guards.

     Twilight closed his eyes against the sight while Jerry, Steven and Tyler gave their excited reactions.

     “Hey guys.” Matt weakly said.

     “Uh, oh.” Racule got up and walked over to Matt, grinning widely. He pulled out a whip. “Matt just broke one of our most important rules. Never speak unless you have been spoken to.” Twilight, Steve, Tyler and Jerry winced as Racule whipped Matt twice. “Now, down to business.”

     “This isn’t business.” Twilight said with great concentration. “It’s torture. What do you want, Racule?”

     “I want you to surrender yourselves, your ship and your crew to me.” Racule said with menace.

     “Why would we do that?” Tia demanded. The video had been available to all of the girls and Ray.

     “Because if you don’t,” Racule put a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “My friend Matt, here, may suffer the most he has since we found him on Earth several days ago.”

     Everyone was quiet. Strength of anger was building up inside of Twilight, Steven, Tyler and Jerry. Ray was just plain scared. The girls were waiting for Twilight’s decision.

     “Well,” Twilight said at last. “What does everyone else think?”

     “Let’s do it.” Steven said.

     “I agree.” Tyler added.

     “So do I.” Jerry was just as angry as the other three.

     “Ray, girls?” Twilight asked over the intercom. “How about you?”

     “Why not?” Ray asked.

     “I can’t say ‘no’.” Corazon said.

     “If everyone else is agreeing.” Giselle replied. “I guess I will, too.”

     “Me too.” Felicia added.

     “Then it’s unanimous.” Tia said.

     “We surrender,” Twilight told Racule, “Ourselves, our ship and our crew to,”

     “No.” Matt weakly argued. “Don’t, Twilight. It’s he-“ He stopped as he was whipped for his disobedience.

     “To you, Racule.” Twilight finished. “We surrender everything to you.” With that, Twilight turned off the video and called everyone to the main control room.

     No one said anything. Though almost all of them had something that they wanted to say, they all felt something in the atmosphere around them that called for silence.

     After a few minutes of uneasy waiting, Racule entered the ship. Grinning massively, he called his guards to come and take the group to his ship. The guards took them all to an enormous control room. Matt was sitting there, on the floor.

     In an instant the four men were gathered around Matt, and the girls and Ray were standing around them, a small distance away.

     “Now I suppose you’ll be wondering where we’ll be going.” Racule said as he took his place in a comfortable seat. “We’re going back to Drenk. I’ll show you around there, and then,” He glared heavily at the five men. “We’ll see about a punishment fit for you.”

     “Punishment for what?” Ray asked.

     “You dare to speak out of turn to me?” Racule demanded.

     “We don’t know what they did to deserve punishment.” Dienna jumped in, moving next to Ray. “We were sort of dragged into this.”

     “Really?” Racule was intrigued. “From what I remember, you willingly boarded Twilight’s ship.”

     “That was my fault.” Corazon interrupted. “I had a device that would transport me and anyone within a one-meter diameter of the device to his ship. When I discovered your intentions, I decided that…that the safest thing for me to do was push the button and keep my friends from your wrath.”

     “You try to take all the blame?” Racule was surprised. “Why?”
     “Why wouldn’t I?” Corazon seriously asked.

     “So that you wouldn’t receive such a serious punishment.” Racule replied.

     “That makes sense, but,” Corazon licked her lips. “It would hurt much more than any other punishment if my friends were hurt instead of me.”

     “Why?” Racule was interested.

     “I don’t’ know.” Corazon truthfully answered. “I never knew. I probably never will. All I know is that when I become some one’s friend, and I bond with them, if they get hurt, I get hurt.”

     “And you cannot explain this phenomena?” Racule assumed. Corazon shook her head. “How interesting.” He grinned. “You know, Twilight said the same thing.” Corazon glanced at Twilight. “That was delicious. Watching him shrink away as I tortured each of his friends.”

     “That was how he beat you.” Matt muttered.

     “What was that?” Racule demanded.

     “No.” Twilight said. “That was how we beat him.”

     “Oh, yes.” Racule was thoughtful. “I remember now.”

     “Remember what?” Ray asked.

     “Remember why I wish to punish you so harshly.” Racule replied.