"Pedro lost his temper then, and the beating began. It did not stop until long after Jade had lost consciousness and Pedro had run out of breath..."
Alone in the world, Johnny Roberts has to face his worst fears, and overcome his greatest obstacles...
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On his fifth morning in the jungle, Johnny woke up to the sounds of screaming and gunfire. His first instinct was that they were under attack, but what baffled him was that out here, deep in the heart of the jungle, they used bows and arrows, and spears... not automatic weapons.
He leaped out of bed and sprinted to the door. He could see people running in all directions and on the far side of the village; he could see a small group hastily putting up a weak defence.
He ran back inside, threw on his robe and ran outside, hoping to spot Jade in the chaos. He couldn't see her anywhere. Gripped by panic, he ran down the steps, desperate to find and protect her. He stumbled across the Guardian, sheltering behind a nearby hut, and knelt down beside him.
'Where is Jade?' he asked frantically. 'What's going on here?'
'I do not know, my Lord, but the time has come to vanquish the enemy,' he said pointedly.
... The ship! The ship could help!
He sprinted off into the forest, hoping that none of the enemy stood in his way. Dodging this way and that, avoiding roots and branches, Johnny ran as fast as his legs would carry him.
Reaching the pyramid only slightly out of breath, he started the long climb. He placed his hand on the imprint by the ramp and it opened up for him. He ran up the stairs, sat down at the controls and let his breathing return to normal. The villagers needed his help, and he hoped it wasn't too late.
Placing his hands on the controls, he closed his eyes and willed the ship into the air.
Nothing.
He opened his eyes – something was wrong – dreadfully wrong. He tried again.
The ship was dead.
He jumped up and ran to the central column. Opening the panel, he stared in consternation at the broken crystal inside. No longer suspended within the blue glowing casing, it had finally cracked in half and now lay in two pieces.
Johnny choked back a cry of anguish. Without the ship, he was doomed; not only him, but the entire village too... and Jade.
He grabbed the two halves of the Star and raced out of the ship, risking his neck as he clambered recklessly down the steep, perilous steps of the pyramid.
Reaching the village, Johnny stopped in horror. He couldn't believe his eyes. The attackers had brutally murdered every single person in the village – bodies were strewn all over. He looked around in disbelief. How could anybody do this to his fellow human beings? Then he remembered Jade.
'Jade... oh no! Jade!'
He searched frantically, running between the lifeless bodies, hoping to see a blonde head amongst the dead, but afraid of what he may find.
He heard a faint cough and spun around. The Guardian was lying a few feet away, hidden from view by the stairs to Johnny's hut where he had seen him earlier. His eyes were open and he was trying to say something. Johnny knelt down next to him and cradled his head in his arms.
