Veronika

Veronika / ベロニカ

DESIGNATION : Veronika

FORMATION : UNKNOWN

Veronika artwork © Lewis Smith.

Based on "Veronika" from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency).

Apocrypha II : Frontpieces by Lewis Smith (1995-1999)

These frontpieces were done by "Return of Jetman" creator Lewis Smith from 1995-1999, and were intended to serve as either story introductions or fanzine covers. Some pieces depict aspects of the series that have been revised as it has evolved, and do not reflect the current version of "Return of Jetman."

Frontpieces by Lewis Smith (1995-1999)

• Return of Jetman Part 1 Frontpiece (1995)
  Published in OWARI #2 (May 1996)
  
• Return of Jetman Part 2 Frontpiece (1995)
  Published in OWARI #3 (November 1996)
  
• Return of Jetman Part 3 Frontpiece (1995)
  Intended for OWARI #4
  
• Return of Jetman Part 4 Frontpiece (1996)
  Intended for OWARI #5
  
• Return of Jetman Part 4 Frontpiece (1996)
  Alternate Version
  
• Return of Jetman Part 5 Frontpiece (1996)
  Version A
  
• Return of Jetman Part 5 Frontpiece (1996)
  Version B
  
• Return of Jetman Part 5 Frontpiece (1996)
  Version C
  
• Return of Jetman Part 6 Frontpiece (1996)
  The (unintended) finale!
  
• ROJ Book One : Jet Phoenix (1999)
  (unpublished)
  
• ROJ Book Two : Green Wyvern (1999)
  Used as cover for OWARI #11 (August 2002)
  

Artwork © Lewis Smith. Jet Phoenix, Kei Mizuno/Green Wyvern, "Thanatos" (Lord Xenotos), "Jet Wyvern" (Dragon Wyvern), Phoenix Fighter, Red Kestrel, Jet Daedalus, "Mira" (Miira), Ken Tendo, Etsuko Oishi, Gohan Oishi, & Reiko Hayasaka, © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith. Based on characters from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency). Red Hawk, Black Condor, Yellow Owl, White Swan, Blue Swallow, Gai Tendo, Toranza, & Aya Odagiri © TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency.

ROJ Episode 5 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Battlegrounds"
(Episode 5)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2003-2010 Christopher Elam

 

These notes are based on material originally posted on May 8, 2003 on the now-defunct OWARI Message Board (formerly http://pub14.ezboard.com/bowari, currently http://owari.yuku.com/).

Episode 5 - "Battlegrounds" wrapped principal writing on September 20, 2002 (I was working on three separate stories more or less simultaneously at that point). It is based on an earlier version written by Lewis Smith which was completed in two parts - Part 1 was finished July 11, 1996, and Part 2 was finished on September 19, 1996. No editing was ever done on that original version. Lewis' original title was simply "Battleground". This incarnation of the story almost became "Strange Battleground", but I settled on the plural "Battlegrounds" instead.

The fifth installment of ROJ was the highlight of the original version of the series as far as both Lewis and I were concerned, and held the promise of so much more. Alas, Lewis today feels that pouring so much of himself into that story way back when broke him for ROJ, as it was never quite the same for him after that. As I worked on my version, I was struck by how much potential this plot held. I expanded Lewis' original concept into what was the longest episode to date, and still I only scratched the surface of what COULD be done. There is literally an entire novel or two worth of material in this one story. But since this had to be, in essence, a "one off" tale, I left a lot to the imagination of the reader. I still think it works very well, and weaves a potent backstory into the main action.

• The parallel Gai Yuki is 50 years old, which is how old he should be by this time in the ROJ narrative (extrapolating from Toei's promotional material).
  
  
  
• Skycorps is a counterpart of Skyforce, corrupted into an army of evil henchmen. The Razorwings came from Lewis, Ako and Raita being soldiers was mine (their roles in his story were somewhat different).
  
  
  
• "Kurokaze Sentai" (literally, "Dark Wind Task Force") was a name Lewis had applied to the mind-controlled original team in his initial draft of the second installment. He never decided on a good label for his parallel team. Later, when he wrote the retrospective that appeared in OWARI #11 (Aug. 2002), he misremembered the tag as belonging to this team. I liked it so much that I let it stand and retroactively rewrote history. Hey, what do you expect from an idea born in a column called "More Truth Than Reality"?
  
  
  
• Of the evil Jetman team members, Red Kestrel and Yellow Eagle are more or less the way Lewis created them. Red Kestrel is Aya Odagiri, who was the commander of Jetman in the "mainstream" universe and who is Supreme Commander of Skyforce in ROJ continuity (as seen beginning in Ep. 1). In this universe, she clearly decided to give herself powers. Yellow Eagle is Ryu Tendo, the original Red Hawk in the more familiar universe. His status is not nearly so high in this "mirror universe".
  
  
  
• Black Falcon was originally "Black Vulture" and a counterpart to Kei (Green Wyvern) Mizuno's father. This was dropped for reasons I will outline further down. I did keep the name Lewis gave him though, so "Gisaburo Mizuno" became "Gisaburo Maki" ("Maki" chosen for no reason in particular). As for the actual name of Kei's father? Well, I don't think that will ever come up.
  
  
  
• Katsura Tendo (named for the heroine in Toho's 1975 film TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA) was basically the same character in Lewis' first draft, only there she was named "Blue Falcon" and was the daughter of Ryu Tendo and Rie Aoi. "White Crane" was a name I coined to broaden the bird motif just a bit. I probably drew inspiration from Ninja White Tsuruhime in NINJA SENTAI KAKURANGER.
  
  
  
• Rie Aoi (as "Grey Shrike") had completed Lewis' team, but I dropped her for two reasons : (1) she was Maria in the TV series, so her being evil wasn't exactly novel and (2) I was uncomfortable having the evil Jetmen being primarily female. Purely unintentional on Lewis' part, but something I felt needed altering. Rie's place on the team was filled by "Blue Dove", a.k.a. Dan Horiguchi. The name "Dan Horiguchi" is a "Japanized" version of "Don Hall", the secret identity of the original Dove from DC's HAWK AND DOVE superhero comic. I liked the notion of a character with a dove symbol being a cold-blooded killer.
  
  
  
• Lewis observed that the glimpse into the life of the Kurokaze Sentai echoes the WildStorm comic THE AUTHORITY. This is quite a feat, since it is strongly based on a scene from his story (which pre-dates AUTHORITY by several years) and I've never read THE AUTHORITY.
  
  
  
• Since Daedalus was Icarus' father in mythology, it seemed fitting for the evil Jet Icarus to be named "Jet Daedalus". I'm honestly surprised that it does not appear to have been used anywhere else.
  
  
  
• One of my stranger ideas was to have the resistance parallel the Byram (from the TV series), with Gai taking Radeige's role. Hence, I added Grey and Rie Aoi to this sequence to go with Lewis' Dr. Strangelove-like take on Toran. As mentioned earlier, Rie had been one of the villainous Jetmen in Lewis' version. I dunno, I sort of found the idea of recasting her as a tragic, heroic survivor more appealing.
  
  
  
• The parallel Kaori Rokumeikan had been cast as an offscreen martyr in Lewis' version, but I tweaked her role a bit for the chronology of this version to make sense. Hence, I cast her as the first "White Crane".
  
  
  
• The scene with Ken and Etsuko took four days to get right. FOUR DAYS! I just wanted to whine about that, because I bashed my head into the figurative wall trying to make this scene hit just the right notes. The idea of including a love scene was a tricky one, especially given the material. I FEEL as if I pulled it off in tasteful fashion, but the final decision is in the individual reader's hands.
  
  
  
• In my rough draft, there was a scene between the Ken/Etsuko sequence and the appearance of Blue Dove in which we saw Yuki and Jetman leave the resistance HQ, followed by dialogue between Rie and Grey. The purpose of this scene was to drive home the point hinted at earlier - namely, that in this reality, the star-crossed love between Grey and Maria (Rie) had grown into a full-blown love affair. Never mind how, just go with it. I spent an entire day on this specific scene. Ultimately though, I couldn't get it into a form I deemed acceptable. Plus, it sort of dragged the story. With some reluctance, I discarded the scene entirely. Bits of it were incorporated elsewhere, but I had to drop a couple of lines I thought were rather good for the sake of the story as a whole.
  
  
  
• The "thumbs up" thing just makes me laugh. Sorry.
  
  
  
• In Lewis' story, Yuki accompanies Jetman against the evil team and dies at the hands of Red Kestrel. This always struck me as a little unsatisfying, considering his fate in the "real" universe. To me, what happens to him now makes a bit more sense in the story as a whole. After all, SOMEONE has to rebuild when the fireworks die down. I also enjoyed throwing in an allusion to Ken's rivalry with Jet Phoenix back home.
  
  
  
• Originally, Jetman had fought the evil Jetman within Jet Daedalus itself. This was marvelously claustrophobic, but a tad abrupt the way it played out. Plus, the castle in the sky was more or less forgotten. Well, if you put a castle in the sky, I think it is only right to knock it down! So, Jet Daedalus is captured rather than destroyed, and used to infiltrate Skycitadel.
  
  
  
• The Reiko/Gohan/Black Falcon sequence - Oooooh, this was hard to write. What I mean is that I do have an affection for the characters, and to have to hurt one of them in such a painfully realistic way troubled me. It doesn't last too long, and nothing especially horrible actually happens, but the implications and trauma of it cut deep. This scene bothered me, and I toned it down from some of the other concepts I had considered. Trust me, don't ask. This scene nearly drove me to tears as I wrote it. It felt like a punch in the gut. I don't know if it affects anyone else this way, but that's just my personal take on it.
  

  ANYWAY, since Kei's true father never appears in the story proper, I didn't like the idea of such a heinous character as Black Falcon being the reader's only image of her father. So "Mizuno" became "Maki" with no real harm to the story. Maki's ultimate fate is my reaction to many of the so-called "fan-fiction" tales in circulation that glorify characters like him. While Reiko may have been equally traumatized by killing him, I was glad to see him go.
  
  
  

• By contrast, Ken/Etsuko/White Crane is played a bit more farcically. This was intentional, because I didn't want to dwell overly long on the intensity of the previous scene. There is some dark humor here, and also the hint that Ken and Etsuko's new feelings won't change how they relate to each other.
  
  
  
• He could never forgive them. - This line is a bit of a reference, I guess, to the standard dialogue of "Yurusanai wa!" and its variations in Japanese fantasy shows. That sort of things crops up over and over, particularly when the villains have done something especially vile and dastardly. It is often translated as "I can never forgive you!"
  
  
  
• The climactic sequence was one that was filled with urgency for me as a writer, as well as the characters themselves. It was one of those times when I truly felt "in the groove". Red Kestrel came across particularly well, I thought, and the bit of business with the King Saber (another of Lewis' ideas) added a certain symbolism to our heroes beating the twisted senior Jetman team.
  
  
  
• And of course, we'll return to Jet Phoenix and Green Wyvern next time. Their absence from this story was a conscious one. They had threatened to take over the story entirely in the original version, and I wanted to give the team the chance to stand on its own and shine. To me, this really was their baptism of fire. I think they came through, because I finally felt like I had a grip on all of them by the time this one was done.
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

Helldevil

Helldevil / ヘルデビル

DESIGNATION : Helldevil

Helldevil artwork © Lewis Smith.

Helldevil © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith. Based on characters from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency).

Return of Jetman Episode 5

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Battlegrounds"
(Episode 5)
by Christopher Elam
(based on the work of Lewis Smith)
© 2003 Christopher Elam

 

Gai Yuki had seen a lot in his 50 years. He had seen beings from another dimension invade his world. He had seen heroes rise up to combat those invaders. And then, he had seen those same heroes turn on the very people they had sworn to defend.

He kept his disruptor pistol carefully trained on the five colorfully garbed strangers. They looked so much like his enemies. Yet, there was something different about them. Something not quite right.

"Give me a reason to kill you," he said coldly as he cocked his weapon. "It won't take much."

The members of Jetman stood rigidly. Finally, Red Hawk carefully stepped forward.

"Sir," he began, "there must be some mistake. We're not from your world."

"Is that so?" Gai sneered. "And where are you from then?"

"A parallel Earth," White Swan explained. "An enemy of ours sent us through a space warp and we ended up here."

Gai Yuki clutched his pistol tightly. "I've had my fill of clever lies from Jetman! You five will never kill another innocent person!"

Laser beams rained down from the sky, sending prisoners and captor alike scrambling. The Skycorps - the foot soldiers of Earth's rulers - had found their quarry. Each soldier travelled on a flying Razorwing disc armed with lethal weapons. They zipped around among the group.

"Attention intruders!" the female captain intoned over her loudspeaker. "You have forfeited the right to live! Prepare to die!"

Blue Swallow gasped as she realized why the voice had sounded familiar earlier. It was her mother! At least, it was this world's Ako Hayasaka. She barely recognized the woman trying to incinerate them.

"Captain," a large Skycorps soldier reported, "we have I.D. lock on the other subject! Resistance leader Gai Yuki!"

Yellow Owl and White Swan exchanged a pained look. That was Raita Oishi - their father on another world.

The Jetmen fired their Wing Gauntlets at the Razorwings. Gai Yuki was dumbfounded. He had assumed the patrol had been looking for him. Instead, they had been searching for this Jetman team. Maybe - maybe there was something to their story after all.

Yuki joined the Jetmen in firing at the Razorwings. The Skycorps discs continued to buzz the group, then suddenly scattered.

"What the hell?" Black Condor exclaimed. "Why'd they do that?"

Gai Yuki pointed to the sky. "They're taking over for them."

Five colorful figures flew down. A woman in a red costume led the charge. Behind her - a woman in white, men in black, yellow, blue. They landed on the ledge of a nearby building.

Aya Odagiri - "Red Kestrel!"
Gisaburo Maki - "Black Falcon!"
Ryu Tendo - "Yellow Eagle!"
Katsura Tendo - "White Crane!"
Dan Horiguchi - "Blue Dove!"
"Kurokaze Sentai Jetman!" they announced as one.

"Kurokaze...Sentai...?" Yellow Owl stammered in disbelief.

Gai Yuki fired his disruptor pistol at his hated foes. Red Kestrel used her King Saber to easily deflect his blasts.

"Yuki-san, did you think you would win this time?" she laughed. "Jet Daedalus - GO!"

Blue Swallow gripped the sides of her head. "What kind of nightmare is this??!!??"

"The kind where you don't wake up," Yuki said as he grabbed her arm. "You five come with me if you want to live!"

Jetman followed Gai Yuki as he ran through a maze of wrecked buildings. A huge shadow loomed behind them. Red Hawk turned for a moment and glimpsed the huge robot flying toward them. It looked so much like their robot back home. Only it seemed more threatening and foreboding. Evil.

Yuki came to a stop and activated a small device on his belt. Without warning, he and Jetman twinkled out of sight.

***

High above the ruins of Earth, a glittering fortress was suspended in the air. It was Skycitadel, the castle in the sky from which Kurokaze Sentai Jetman ruled the planet. Jet Daedalus docked in its hangar and the five team members disembarked after their mission.

The five powered down, secure in the safety of Skycitadel. Aya Odagiri shook her long hair free. She had designed the Jetman project all those years ago and insisted on being the first test subject. It had been a most fortuitous move. Jetman ruled the Earth and she commanded Jetman.

Immediately behind her was Gisaburo Maki. Maki had been a career military man, disciplined to the core, until he'd received the Birdonic Wave powers. His newfound power had unleashed a sadistic streak that no one could've suspected. The only reason Aya didn't kill him was that he was too valuable in dealing with their enemies.

Then came Ryu Tendo. He had been a Skyforce agent once. But he had grown reckless and weak-willed over time. He was the consummate follower, carrying out Aya's orders without question.

Behind Tendo was his daughter, Katsura Tendo. She had only been part of the team for a short time, but she already was as cruel and heartless as her mentors. In time, she might surpass all of them.

Last in line, as always, was Dan Horiguchi. A man of few words, Horiguchi was totally efficient and totally merciless. To him, the killing was like sport. Even the other Jetmen feared him.

"Amazing!" Aya said as they entered the atrium. "Imposters! How dare they?"

"The resistance is growing bold!" Ryu marvelled.

"Oh, shut up Tendo!" Aya snapped. "They're not part of the resistance! They would've tipped their hand long ago, idiot!"

Katsura giggled at her father's humiliation, but stopped when Maki placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Will I see you again tonight, my sweet?" he leered suggestively, with no trace of actual affection.

Katsura brushed his hand off roughly. "Keep your filthy hands to yourself! You'll have me when I want you to have me!"

"You mean you...?" Ryu questioned, completely oblivious.

"SHUT UP!" Katsura barked.

In the corner, Horiguchi considered his teammates with contempt. They were all so caught up in their own squabbles that they had already lost sight of the imposters. Well, he hadn't.

***

"I don't understand why you didn't teleport us right away," White Swan said as Gai Yuki led Jetman into the burned out building which was the stronghold of the resistance.

"They don't know I can, and I intend to keep it that way," Yuki said as he motioned for his guests to follow him around a corner. "They could trace the signal and that would compromise my friends."

"Friends? What are..." Black Condor began and the words died in his throat. Before him and his teammates was the true face of the world ruled by this evil Jetman. The wounded, the starving, the sick - the room was a sea of human misery. Gai Yuki greeted each of them as if they were all his personal friends. All of them glared at Jetman with haunting, accusatory eyes.

Yuki reached the door on the other side of the room and peeked inside. "In here," he invited and Jetman quickly followed, eager to escape the uncomfortable surroundings.

Three curious figures, all poised and ready, were waiting for them when they entered. A tall, imposing robot. A beautiful, determined-looking woman around Yuki's age. A severely burned man hooked up to life support systems in a hovering wheelchair-like apparatus. The last seemed familiar to them for reasons they couldn't fathom. He was the first to speak.

"What's...the...big...idea...Yuki?" he intoned in his halting, artificially-generated voice. "Changing...sides?"

"Hello Toran," Yuki greeted. "Charming as always, eh? No, my friends here say they're from another world."

"Another world?" the woman questioned as she visibly relaxed. "You mean they're not some kind of Jetman?"

"Oh, they are Jetman," Gai reassured. "Chojin Sentai Jetman."

"Chojin...Sentai?" the robot repeated, trying to grasp the implication of what he had just heard.

"I guess some introductions are in order," Yuki said as he walked toward his allies. "My robot friend here is named Grey, the lady is Rie Aoi, and Mr. Personality here is Toran. They form the vanguard of the resistance with me."

Suddenly, it dawned on Black Condor why the burned man seemed familiar. "Toran?" he exclaimed. "This is the guy who got us into this mess back on our Earth! He's Toranza!"

Yellow Owl leaned over and whispered to his teammate. "Just because they're counterparts doesn't mean they're the same. Look at our parents."

"Parallel...worlds?" Toran asked to no one in particular. "Interesting."

Blue Swallow shook her head, still not believing what was happening. "Evil Jetmen?" she cried. "How did this world end up this way?"

Gai Yuki took a deep breath. "25 years ago, Jetman was created to defend the Earth. But the power changed them - corrupted them. Soon they decided that defending the Earth wasn't enough. They wanted to rule it!"

Yuki continued, the memories still as fresh and vivid as when it all began. "The defense forces became their personal army. Even the Byram invaders were no match for them. Only Grey and Toran survived their onslaught, and just barely at that. In no time at all, Jetman had the entire world under their thumb."

"We formed the resistance movement to fight for our freedom." Rie added. "Grey and Toran joined us and have worked with us to overthrow Jetman. But it's an uphill battle at best."

"Not anymore," Red Hawk said. "We'll take them on and we'll beat them."

"Whoa, hold on bro!" Black Condor cautioned. "We've got our own problems! Have you forgotten the royal butt-kicking that got us here in the first place? Do you think we can take on an entire empire with just the five of us?"

"I know we can."

Grey was impressed with Red Hawk's confidence. "You are a true warrior. But you will need a plan."

"We'll make one," Gai Yuki said, feeling optimism for the first time in years.

"I don't get something," Yellow Owl interjected. "You say this has been going on for 25 years? Well, the white member they had can't be much older than us!"

Yuki hung his head. "She isn't. We had hoped once she might fight for our side. She's the daughter of Yellow Eagle Ryu Tendo and the original White Crane - Kaori Rokumeikan."

The mention of their parents' names caught Red Hawk and Black Condor's attention. Rie picked the story up from Yuki.

"Rokumeikan was wealthy," she explained, "and able to buy whatever she wanted. She decided she wanted to be a Jetman. She used her money and influence to replace me in the Jetman project...and Ryu Tendo's heart."

A sad smile crossed Rie's face. "In a way, she did me a favor. That power might've corrupted me, too. It didn't take long for her to tire of the brutality of Jetman. For all her faults, she never grew to be evil like the rest of them."

Grey placed a hand on Rie's shoulder as he continued the tale. "As far as they knew, she was one of them through and through. She even bore Tendo a daughter, Katsura. But she was helping us in secret with her wealth and connections. She was working against the team even as she fought alongside them, trying to overthrow them from within."

"And?" Black Condor questioned plaintively, having the sinking feeling he knew the answer.

"Her treachery was uncovered by her own daughter four years ago," Yuki answered. "Katsura turned her over to the team and took her place. Ryu Tendo himself personally killed Kaori in a public execution."

The room was silent except for the whirring of the mechanisms in Grey's body. No one quite knew what to say after that. Except Toran. He was unburdened by conscience or sympathy for the humans. He only aided them to survive.

"Are...we...making...a...plan...or...what?" he droned.

***

Ken's eyes snapped open and, for a moment, he thought it might have all been a dream. A quick survey of his surroundings proved otherwise. He was still in that dilapidated room where he and his teammates had decided to get some rest after the big planning session. They had all reluctantly decided that powering down to conserve energy was a good idea, but Ken still felt vulnerable lying there relatively unprotected.

Ken looked around from the corner where he had dozed. His brother Gai wasn't around. He had probably gone off to discuss more strategy with his namesake Gai Yuki. Ken allowed himself a smile. He had been so involved in finding out about Gai Yuki and now he had met him. Just the wrong one.

There were Gohan and Reiko. They had fallen asleep resting their heads on each other. Ken smiled again. He had noticed how friendly they had gotten lately. He wanted to reach out more to his teammates, but that just wasn't his style. He was more at home being the loudmouth, always harassing Gai and. . .

Etsuko? Where had she gone? She wouldn't be obsessed with the battle plans like his brother. Ken got up and began exploring, searching for her. As for exactly why, that was a mystery even to him.

Ken made his way silently through the halls. Voices beyond one of the doors confirmed that Yuki and his brother were still talking. But he didn't hear Etsuko and she always wanted to be heard if she was in a meeting. So she wasn't there.

Ken continued his hunt for several minutes until he found Etsuko gazing out a window in an empty room. She heard him enter, but made no effort to even look at him.

"At night, you can almost pretend you're back home," she said wistfully. "There's hardly any lights, so you can't see the ruins that well."

"Seeing your dad that way got to you, huh?" Ken asked. "I can't blame you. This whole place creeps me out that way. People you know, and yet you don't."

"It's not just that," Etsuko said. "This place - it's like this because Jetman used their power for evil. The power we have."

Etsuko faced Ken at last, her face only just barely illuminated. "I don't want this to be me. And I don't know if we can beat them."

"This won't be us," Ken reassured. "I guarantee you that. And we'll take them. Gai's got it together. If he says we can do it, we can."

"You believe in him that much, don't you? So why do you give him such a hard time?"

"Come on Etsuko, think about it. Gai and I might be twins, but we're not that much alike. He's the good son who always does the right thing. A born hero. That's not me. No one says it, but I know I'm a disappointment compared to him."

"I love my brother," Ken continued, "but I envy him so much. I wish I could be more like him. When I harass him, it evens things out a bit for me."

"Well, why are you that way to everyone then?" Etsuko queried, more and more curious to hear the reason.

"I'm afraid, I guess. Afraid to let my guard down and let people see me for who I am. It's easier just to play the jerk all the time than to take a chance that people might hurt you."

Ken felt Etsuko's eyes regarding him and realized how much he had said. He felt self-conscious and wordlessly went to leave, but Etsuko stopped him before he could get very far.

"Ken, I know we've had our differences," she said as she looked right into his eyes, "but I think you can be a great guy if you'd just drop the jerk act every once in awhile."

"Well, you know, whatever helps you get by is..."

"Ken, I need you. Right now."

"Huh?"

"I need you," Etsuko said as she worked open the buttons on her blouse. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"N-No," Ken stammered, completely thrown for a loop. "It's just -- I-I was going to ask you what was up with the schoolgirl outfit you're wearing. Yeah, that's it."

"Ken, shut up," Etsuko said with a grin as she pulled him to her and punctuated her words by pressing her lips to his. They shared a passionate, hungry kiss as their hands roamed over each other. The risky plan to get home was momentarily forgotten as they sank slowly to the floor.

***

Blue Dove - Dan Horiguchi - gripped his Smashbomber laser rifle as he flew over the streets of Tokyo. The early morning hunt of civilians had long been one of his daily rituals. On this day, it held a new urgency.

His teammates were fools. Couldn't they see the danger in letting those pretenders run around free? They had grown so complacent that they couldn't see a threat staring them right in the face. Well, he would find those pretenders and make them regret ever donning those uniforms.

Three civilians darted across a street. A large man and two women. Not what he was looking for, but he wasn't about to bypass the opportunity for a kill. Blue Dove made a beeline for the trio, little realizing that was exactly what they wanted him to do.

On a nearby ledge, Black Condor used his Condor Stealth to conceal himself, Red Hawk, and Gai Yuki. "Here he comes," Ken whispered. "If this doesn't work, we're all dead."

"Got to time it perfectly," Yuki noted with a coolness that seemed to ignore the odds as he glanced over to Red Hawk. "You ready?"

Red Hawk merely nodded.

Blue Dove flew on, so intent on his goal that he failed to realize what was happening. Quickly, he approached the target area.

"Go!" Red Hawk and Gai Yuki shouted simultaneously as they leapt from the ledge. Both of them landed directly on Blue Dove as he flew past. Caught unaware, he was helpless as Yuki and Hawk hit him again and again. He spun out of control as the three of them plummetted to Earth.

Right before impact, Hawk grabbed Yuki as they both loosened their grip on their foe. Red Hawk flew free just in the nick of time, but it was too late for Blue Dove to pull out of his nosedive. He crashed into the streets below with a sickening thud.

Black Condor floated gently to the ground as Red Hawk and Gai Yuki landed by the now-unconscious Horiguchi. Yuki pulled his disruptor pistol from his jacket as he walked toward the prone Blue Dove. He bent down and aimed the barrel directly at the back of Blue Dove's head. He squeezed the trigger and Blue Dove's head exploded on contact with the beam.

"Was that really necessary?" Red Hawk protested. "Killing him in cold blood like that?"

"Maybe not," Yuki shrugged as he returned the pistol to his jacket. "Then again, you haven't watched these butchers in action like I have,"

Red Hawk said nothing as Yuki stepped up to him. "I know you might not want to accept this, but sometimes you have to make the hard choices. This is kill or be killed, plain and simple."

Gohan, Reiko, and Etsuko ran up from their hiding place. "Our decoy play worked?" Gohan asked breathlessly.

"See for yourself," Black Condor said as he gestured to Blue Dove's headless body. "I just want to know who's handling the corpse there."

"I'll do it," Etsuko sighed as she bent down and lifted Blue Dove's wrist. A press of the button on his communicator was all it took. Within a minute, the sky grew dark as Jet Daedalus appeared. As it did, Gohan, Reiko, and Etsuko activated their Cross Changers.

"You guys know the plan," Red Hawk told his teammates. "Be careful. We'll give you backup if you need it."

Yellow Owl, Blue Swallow, and White Swan took off and lighted on Jet Daedalus' shoulder. There it was, just as they expected. The emergency escape hatch on the side of the robot's head. Only they wanted in, not out.

Yellow Owl stepped forward and focused his energy in activating his Owl Thunder power. His feet crackled with power and he kicked the door with the flat of his foot. The seismic waves made it buckle slightly. Gohan frowned and kicked again. A few cracks developed.

"Stand aside, I need some room," Yellow Owl cautioned as he backed himself up as far as possible. He made a running start, then launched himself feet first at the door. It finally shattered, granting the heroes access to the control room.

"OK, I'm hanging outside," Yellow Owl said. "Call me if you need me."

The two girls crawled inside and were greeted by the security system. A quartet of menacing-looking robots blocked their path to the control booth.

Blue Swallow looked to White Swan. "This is mine! I'll distract them, you get in there!"

In a flash, Blue Swallow generated three identical copies of herself. Each Blue Swallow tackled one of the robots as White Swan sped to the control booth. She sat in the pilot chair and studied the control panel.

It was similar to Jet Icarus. Very similar. Good, that meant she could do it. All she needed was the time Reiko was buying her.

A robot hammered the back of a Blue Swallow's head. A second Blue Swallow blasted the robot with her Wing Gauntlet. Then another robot returned her fire. The two groups went back and forth, neither gaining or losing ground.

Etsuko could feel the sweat beading on her forehead. She had to get this right. Security systems, security systems - there! The pull of a lever and she heard Blue Swallow's opponents fall to the floor deactivated.

"Yatta!" she exclaimed as she slapped her hands together in triumph. This was going to be easy.

On the ground, Gai Yuki, Red Hawk, and Black Condor watched impatiently, waiting for a sign.

"The robot!" Black Condor shouted. "It's moving!"

"Did they do it?" Yuki asked nervously.

Jet Daedalus lifted its arm and gave the heroes a "thumbs up" sign.

"I think so, yeah," Red Hawk confirmed.

"Well, let's get up there," Yuki said, anxious to begin the next phase.

Red Hawk grabbed Gai Yuki by the arm. "I'm sorry Gai," Hawk apologized, "but you're not going with us."

"What are you talking about? Yes, I am!"

"This could be a suicide mission," Red Hawk explained. "You know that as well as I do. These people need you alive whether we succeed or fail."

"You're not leaving me behind!" Yuki argued. "Grey and Rie can take over if I'm killed! I want this!"

"My mind's made up," Red Hawk stated. "I'm not letting you come with us."

"Now look..." Yuki began but he never got the chance to finish. Black Condor grabbed his shoulder from behind and whirled him around, then laid him out.

"Told you he wouldn't go for that," Black Condor reminded his brother.

"I know," Red Hawk said as he examined Yuki's semi-conscious form. "Put a lot into that punch, huh?"

"Let's just say I pretended he was someone else."

The two brothers flew up to Jet Daedalus to join their teammates. Gai Yuki recovered just in time to watch the giant robot take off. He knew there was no possible way to catch it.

Yuki rubbed his jaw, but couldn't bring himself to be angry. That kid knew how to make hard choices after all. Hopefully, their gamble would pay off - for everyone's sake.

Yuki pulled his radio receiver from his jacket. "Grey, Rie, slight change of plan," he reported. "I'll fill you in when I teleport back. Out."

Yuki glanced up at the sky. He could still make out the speck he knew had to be Jet Daedalus flying to Skycitadel. "Good luck... Jetman," he whispered as he teleported away.

***

Aya Odagiri stood in front of the display window in her suite as she idly sipped a glass of wine. What should she do today?

The imposters popped back into her mind. For some reason, they reminded her of her own team when they had first started. Young and idealistic. Before they had truly grasped the power they wielded.

Maybe she should gather the team to hunt for them. There was always the chance they might pose a real danger. And besides, it would be something to do.

When Kurokaze Sentai Jetman had conquered the world, the last thing they could've imagined was boredom. But when you defeat all your enemies, who's left to maintain your fighting edge? You can subjugate the masses, but where's the challenge? All Kurokaze Sentai Jetman had opposing them was a ragtag collection of resistance fighters scattered around the globe. They needed something more.

Aya spied Jet Daedalus returning to Skycitadel. Strange, Horiguchi didn't usually use it for his "excursions". What had come up that he needed their giant robot?

Unless...no, not Horiguchi. Tendo maybe, but certainly not Horiguchi. She'd radio him and he'd have an explanation. It might consist of four words, but he would have his reasons.

The radio wasn't even on. Aya pressed closer to the glass as Jet Daedalus approached. The head - there was a hole in it. Horiguchi didn't do that.

They had hijacked Jet Daedalus! Aya felt insulted for a moment, then allowed herself a wicked smirk. Horiguchi was certainly dead if they had beaten him. That was one problem solved. A solution to the ennui that had consumed her was heading her way. This might not be such a bad day after all.

She needed to alert the rest of the team. They had a greeting to prepare.

***

After docking Jet Daedalus inside Skycitadel, the first thing that struck Jetman as they exited the robot was that there was no one to be seen. No guards, no technicians, no one. The hangar was deserted.

"Wow, Yuki wasn't kidding," Yellow Owl observed. "They live in this place all by themselves. Just the five of them."

"Make that four now," Black Condor corrected. "Anyway, that makes our job that much easier, right?"

"Maybe," Red Hawk replied. "I'm not taking anything for granted. Look, we'll need to split up to have a better chance of finding that reactor."

"I'd like to go with Etsuko," Black Condor piped up immediately.

White Swan looked over at him quickly, only her visor disguising the look she gave her teammate.

"That should be no problem," Red Hawk said. "Gohan can go with Reiko and I'll search on my own."

"I have a question," Blue Swallow ventured. "We each have a piece of this Dimensional Displacer gizmo that Toran gave us, right? Well, what happens if one of us...doesn't make it?"

Red Hawk considered her question for a moment. "I don't think that'll be an issue, Reiko. If one of us falls, I don't think the rest will have to worry about it for long."

With the meaning of Red Hawk's words weighing on their minds, the team broke into their groups and went in different directions down the maze of corridors in Skycitadel.

***

"Hey Gohan, wait up!" Blue Swallow whispered as she trailed behind her teammate.

"I'm right here, Reiko," Yellow Owl answered as he investigated another room with no luck. "What's the problem?"

"I-I'm just nervous about this, that's all," Reiko shuddered. "I can't shake the feeling we're being watched."

"Imagine that."

The sarcastic voice came from above and it barely had time to register before Black Falcon had swooped down from the ceiling and attacked Gohan and Reiko. He hit them viciously, throwing them around as if they were dolls. Black Falcon pulled out his Bird Blaster and aimed for Yellow Owl. Gohan assumed a defensive position, which had been Gisaburo Maki's plan all along. He tilted the gun up and shot at the ornate walls. Debris rained down on Gohan and buried him completely.

Black Falcon turned to face Blue Swallow. In a flash, he had her pinned against the opposite wall. He ground his hips against her as he pressed his full weight on her.

"Ooooooh, you're a young one," he panted in delight. "I'm really going to enjoy this! When I'm done with you, I'll pull your friend out and show him before I kill him, too!"

Reiko recoiled in horror and disgust as Maki held her wrists tightly with one hand and began to undo the clasp to her cape with the other. Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the pile of rubble. Yellow Owl burst free and shook the dust from himself. The momentary distraction was what Blue Swallow had needed. She drove her knee into Black Falcon.

Black Falcon wobbled backward and Yellow Owl greeted him by bashing him in the head with a piece of rubble. Black Falcon reacted by blindly throwing a right backhand that connected with his opponent. The still unsteady Yellow Owl flew into another wall.

Blue Swallow watched the scene unfold as she drew her Wing Sword. A press of the button on the handle and it telescoped out to full length. After knocking out Gohan again, Black Falcon returned his attention to her. Maki went for his gun, intending to incapacitate her before the situation got out of hand.

Black Falcon seemed as if he were moving in slow motion as Reiko charged at him. He was still unholstering his weapon when Reiko drove her sword deep into his chest, piercing his heart. He stood still for a moment, then his hands reached up to grasp the blade embedded in his body. Reiko pulled out her sword and Gisaburo Maki's lifeless body fell to the floor.

Reiko was looking at her blood covered sword as Gohan dragged his way back to her. She looked over to her teammate - her friend. "Gohan, I...I didn't want...He...I mean..."

Reiko began to tremble and the sword fell from her hands. "Oh my God..."

Without a word, Gohan took her into his arms and held her tightly for a very long time.

***

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" White Swan asked as Black Condor peered around a corner.

"Hmmm? Well, I don't see as how we have much choice if we want to get home."

"That's not what I meant," Etsuko said as she joined Ken in looking around the corner. "I meant you asking to come with me. Do you really want to be so obvious?"

"What? Are you saying what happened was a mistake or something?"

"No, that's not it at all," White Swan reassured as she placed a hand on Black Condor's shoulder. "I'm just saying it might cause problems with the team. You and I."

Ken backed up and shook his head. He leaned up against a door. "I'm confused."

Etsuko opened her mouth to say something, but the door slid open and a white-clad woman seized Black Condor and pulled him into the room. Etsuko raced after them. Inside, the woman held her sword right below Ken's helmet.

"One false move and I slit his throat!" White Crane threatened as Black Condor felt the edge of the sword against his neck. He hoped she wouldn't notice him moving his leg behind hers. What he had planned would either get him free or get him killed.

Ken raised his foot up and pushed White Crane's leg with all his might. She lost her grip on him as she tumbled over, but she rolled with the blow and sprang back up, her sword at the ready.

"Hold it!" Black Condor shouted. "What would you say if I told you I was your long-lost brother?"

"I'd tell you to go to Hell!" White Crane sniffed. "I've already sent my mother to death!"

"Figured that," Ken nodded. "That's OK, I was only asking to distract you."

"What?" Katsura Tendo managed to ask before Etsuko whacked her in the head with the full force of a Wing Gauntlet. White Crane crumpled to the floor.

"For evil, you are SO lame!" Ken snickered. "I can't believe you fell for that!"

"Lame, eh?" Katsura muttered as she picked herself up off the floor. "We'll see about that!"

White Crane reached inside her cloak and produced a small round object. She pressed a button on it and Ken knew immediately what it was.

"A bomb!" he cried. "Etsuko, get out the door!"

"But..."

"NOW!"

White Swan reluctantly retreated out the door. White Crane tossed the bomb to the center of the room and went to follow her. Black Condor tackled her before she got very far.

The combatants wrestled on the ground for a few seconds. Then Katsura, desperate to escape, broke away. Ken knocked her feet out from under her.

Ken stood up and made his way to the door. Katsura clawed at his leg, trying to stop him.

"Sorry," he said as he kicked her across the room. "My brother is enough headache."

Ken darted out. "Etsuko, quick! Lock the door!"

White Swan punched the keypad to shut the door and lock it from the outside. Inside the room, Katsura worked fervently to get out. With enough time, her strength would've allowed her to break down even the reinforced alloy. But it was already too late.

Ken and Etsuko listened as a deafening explosion rocked the room. They looked at each other.

"I guess we should check to be sure," Etsuko said.

"You can check if you want," Ken retorted. "I'm not looking in there."

Ken walked away, and Etsuko joined him a few seconds later.

"She's, ah, she's dead, I'd say," Etsuko confirmed.

"That right?"

"Well, what's left of her anyway."

***

Red Hawk was searching. Not only for the reactor room, though that was his primary goal. He wanted this Kurokaze Sentai Jetman. They had twisted the ideals that Jetman represented, the ideals that defined his life. He could never forgive them.

There it was. The reactor room. "I've found it guys," he radioed his comrades. "Follow my signal."

As Gai entered, a solitary figure emerged from the shadows. A lone warrior brandishing a Bringer Sword. Yellow Eagle - Ryu Tendo.

Red Hawk steeled himself. On another world, he had been unable to best his father. But this man was not his father. He was Ryu Tendo, true, but the Ryu Tendo Gai knew was a better person than this sick parody could ever be.

"Your journey ends here," Yellow Eagle threatened.

"I think you're wrong," Red Hawk replied as he drew his Wing Sword.

The two men circled each other deliberately, each carefully measuring the other for their death match. Yellow Eagle thrust his blade and Red Hawk matched him. And so, the duel began.

Swords flashed as the battle moved from one end of the reactor room to the other. Yellow Eagle had a wealth of experience, but had grown rusty and out-of-shape after years of decadent living. Red Hawk was able to match him blow for blow in spite of his comparative lack of prowess.

Yellow Eagle grew frustrated and began to hack away madly. He was used to winning. Why couldn't he defeat this punk?

Gai dodged Yellow Eagle's blind swipes with ease. He knew he had to go in for the kill soon. All he needed was the right opportunity. It didn't matter who Yellow Eagle had once been or who he was now. He had to be stopped and that was all there was to it.

Gai backed into a wall holding a control panel. OK, he would leap out of the way when Yellow Eagle went to drive his sword home and then he would take him out. Gai swallowed hard as he readied himself.

Yellow Eagle did exactly as Red Hawk had predicted, but the result was not what Gai had anticipated. Yellow Eagle's sword lodged in the control panel and shortcircuited it. A massive feedback travelled through the sword to Yellow Eagle's body.

Gai stood by helplessly as the overload burned through Yellow Eagle's Jetman suit and electrocuted him. The charred remains of the evil Jetman crumbled to the floor. Gai could scarcely believe it. He had fully intended to slay his opponent and he had been saved the trouble.

Yellow Eagle had been the victim of his own stupidity.

***

Jetman stood around the assembled Dimensional Displacer. All of them felt more than a little uncomfortable that their fate rested on such an unwieldy looking device.

"So we're done," Yellow Owl said. "Now what?"

"We hook it up to the reactor's power supply," White Swan answered as she attached a cable to the power grid's outlet. "While it's charging, Ken and I will calibrate it to take us back where we started."

Black Condor looked up from the Dimensional Displacer keyboard. "Do you really think it'll work? Do you think we'll be able to go back almost exactly when and where we started?"

"If Toran was right," Red Hawk confirmed as he happened to notice Blue Swallow standing off by herself, "we should end up getting back almost exactly when we left."

Red Hawk took Yellow Owl aside as Ken and Etsuko continued their work. "Gohan, what's wrong with Reiko? She hasn't said a word since you two got here."

Yellow Owl's gaze fell to the floor. "Some things went on, Gai. I'd...really rather not talk about it right now."

Gai put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Look, over there is the steering controls for this place. Why don't the two of you move us over the Pacific?"

"Why do you want to do that?"

"I haven't told the others, but some of the controls to this reactor were shorted out in my fight. There's a good chance we're going to overload the entire system with the Displacer. I don't want any more people to die when this place falls out of the sky, whether we escape or not."

Yellow Owl felt a knot of fear in his stomach, but a sense of urgency as well. "We'll do it for you," he reassured.

Gai watched as Gohan brought Reiko over to the fortress' helm and the two of them began the process of moving Skycitadel away from Tokyo. Now all he had to do was find the last member of Kurokaze Sentai Jetman.

He didn't have long to wait. A laser beam sizzled past his head. In the doorway stood Red Kestrel. In one hand, she held a Bird Blaster laser gun. In the other, a Beak Smasher laser gun. She twirled them both for effect.

"So, I've found you at last," she said as she stepped forward. Before her lay the remains of Yellow Eagle. She gave the body a contemptuous kick.

"I see I'm the last one left. Good, I hated them all anyway. The only thing that kept them alive so long was that I knew I couldn't take all of them single-handedly."

Red Kestrel locked her two guns together to form a Smashbomber rifle. She levelled the gun at Jetman and took careful aim. She almost felt a pang of regret that it was going to end so quickly.

Red Hawk pulled out his Wing Sword and the press of a button converted it to Dagger Mode. He flung the weapon at Red Kestrel and knocked the Smashbomber from her hands before she could fire a shot.

"Not bad," she said, "but I have more at my disposal than just that."

Red Kestrel flicked her right wrist and a gleaming, elegant sword appeared in her hand. "This is my King Saber," she boasted. "A weapon worthy of the ruler of Earth!"

Red Hawk snatched his Wing Sword from the air as it returned to him and converted it to Sword Mode. Looked like he was going to get that battle after all.

"Guys, keep it up no matter what happens!" he told his teammates. "We've made it this far!"

"Useless effort!" Red Kestrel proclaimed as she rushed to attack.

Gai's Wing Sword met the King Saber as the two adversaries struggled to win the advantage. Neither could find the strength they needed to overwhelm the other.

The other Jetmen worked frantically to complete their tasks. Gohan and Reiko had Skycitadel moving at a rapid clip. They would be over uninhabited waters soon. Meanwhile, Ken turned to Etsuko in frustration.

"We're not getting enough power," he declared. "We'll have to override the failsafes and expose the power core."

"Is that our only option?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then do it."

Black Condor stood at the console and flipped a series of switches. On the one wall, a huge panel slid up and Skycitadel's reactor core was exposed. It pulsated with the fantastic energy needed to drive Skycitadel.

Red Hawk and Red Kestrel continued to strain their muscles in their deadlock. Then, Red Kestrel could feel herself getting a slight advantage. She used her King Saber to guide Red Hawk directly in front of the reactor core.

"Join me," she said, "or you're going in there."

"What?"

"Join me," she repeated. "Forget about them. It's obvious you carry them. Join me and we can rule the Earth as king and queen!"

"No thanks," Red Hawk answered and he brought his sword off the King Saber and swung for Red Kestrel.

Red Kestrel blocked him and the two opponents deadlocked again. Red Kestrel deliberately stepped around until she stood directly in front of the reactor core herself. She knew he couldn't hold out much longer.

"Then now you DIE!" she said as she raised the King Saber for the killing blow.

"HAWK FIRE!" Gai shouted as he blasted her with a searing stream of flames from his left hand. Her King Saber flew from her hands as she was projected directly into the core. She vaporized on contact.

Gai tried to catch his breath as he bent forward and picked up the King Saber. By right of combat, it was now his. He promised himself that it would never be used for evil again.

Gai looked around. He had been so caught up in the battle that he hadn't noticed everything falling apart. The entire structure was shaking and there seemed to be explosions everywhere.

Gohan and Reiko ran up. "Gai, are you all right?" Gohan asked.

"I'll live," Gai said. "How is it?"

"Losing altitude fast," Gohan reported. "But the place may blow before it crashes."

"Did you make it?"

"Yeah, we're over the Pacific. No one around at all."

Red Hawk breathed easier. "Well, at least there's that."

"That's it!" Black Condor exulted as the Dimensional Displacer projected a shaft of light and a hole opened in reality. "Let's get out of here!"

The team gathered quickly in front of the warp. Everything they had endured had been worth it. They were going home.

"So we'll arrive just a few minutes after we left?" White Swan questioned.

"Yeah, give or take," Black Condor confirmed.

"I wonder what happened to the others?" Yellow Owl thought aloud.

"We're about to find out," Red Hawk said gravely.

"Can we just leave please?" Blue Swallow pleaded.

The team stepped forward and began to enter the space warp. Etsuko stopped short and took a moment to look around one last time. No, this would never be her. She refused to let that happen.

Etsuko joined the rest of the team and they vanished into the space warp, on their way home at last.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

NEXT TIME ON RETURN OF JETMAN

What has happened to Jet Phoenix and Green Wyvern? Have they fallen before the awesome power of Toranza? What awaits Jetman when they return to their own world? New twists and turns will be revealed in RETURN OF JETMAN Episode 6 - "Hearts and Minds"!

 

 

Story © Christopher Elam, based on the TV series CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN and the original "Return of Jetman" stories by Lewis Smith. JETMAN and all characters from the CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN series © TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency. Original characters © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith.

Lord Xenotos by Joe Zierman (2004/2005)

Lord Xenotos by Joe Zierman (2004/2005)

Artwork © Joe Zierman. Originally posted to the site on January 12, 2005.

Lord Xenotos © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith. Based on characters from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency).

Red Kestrel Lineart by Lewis Smith (2001)

Red Kestrel Lineart by Lewis Smith (2001)

Artwork © Lewis Smith. Original lineart for this profile picture, created in June 2001.

Red Kestrel © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith. Based on characters from CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (© TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency).