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Inward length of the Perseus Arm Lor time mark 2104.7 J'onn Shepard, also known as Space Ranger III, sat in the cockpit of the Star Lance as he guided the vessel towards the outer boundaries of the Korus system. Recently, some astronomers on Korus happened to spot a large asteroid approaching the system from deep space. After several days observation and various calculations had been made, it had been determined that the asteroid was on course to intersect with Korus' aphelion when the planet reached that part of its orbit, resulting in what was likely to be a very catastrophic impact on the still recovering world. While generally a technologically advanced world, capable of space flight and other technologies not common on Earth, Korus was still very much a world recovering from devastating internal wars, which had left large gaps in its technology. As such, unlike many worlds with similar space faring technology, Korus had a very poor deep space tracking system for identifying such hazards long before they would be realized, providing ample time to address them. Had it not been for the pure happenstance of this danger being spotted, it likely would have gone undetected. As it was, there was barely a standard month before the impact would occur. Recognizing the situation might be one he could not handle on his own, J'onn had reached out to Sri Kath'lana, a Star Knight he had worked with in the past for assistance. The felineoid Star Knight had responded back that she was being dispatched to provide assistance, only when she arrived it was not alone, she had with her a more senior Star Knight, Kyle Steward of Earth. The two Star Knights were with J'onn on the bridge of the Star Lance, as the vessel passed outside of the Korus system and into deep space, rapidly approaching the asteroid on its way toward the system…

Kembel Outer length of the Perseus Arm, former Khanate Space Lor time mark 1482.4 [April 2, 2016 (Terran Calendar)] Kembel was a lush, mostly tropical world that rotated around a blue giant star. With more than half its surface covered with relatively shallow seas, the continents that extended out from the planet's equator were covered with thick jungles. Despite the seemingly inhospitable terrain, Kembel had been colonized centuries ago, and quickly developed into a rather thriving world with dozens of species from around the sector within its small cities. Its location along the outer edge of what had once been part of the Stellar Khanate meant that it had been fortunate enough to be bypassed during the Communion's initial advance. The tide of refugees from many other Khanate worlds had only swelled the planet's population, a situation that had not changed much since the Communion’s defeat. With the chaos that had gripped the Khanate in the aftermath of the Incursion, Kembel had been one of the worlds that had taken the opportunity to establish its independence from the Khanate. It was here that a small group of Praetorians made their way through the crowded streets of one of Kembel's major cities. Cavalier and Moon-Moth did not have to worry too much about being jostled by the crowds, as Seresk's massive presence just behind them tended to cause the crowd make a bit more space for them to pass. The old buildings of this part of the city were covered with trees, vines and other planets that had grown up along the walls over the centuries, making the city itself seem like just another part of the jungle that lay around it. The three had been sent here to meet up with Traveller, who, since the incident involving the two Terrans that had been caught up with the Spectrum Knights and pursued by the Lor military, had officially been disavowed by the Praetorians, and had headed off into the border regions of Khanate space. Of course, this had been a planned by Paradigm and Traveller, to provide Traveller the appearance of being an independent, as she made her way out into Khanate space to see what sorts of information she might be able to gather about the state of things.

Derendis, the City of the Grand Tributary Kolast They were leading one of the heretics through the town square. What she had done, Cavalier couldn't say. They had cast her in dirty cloth that he couldn't entirely say was clean on animal waste. Her head had been shaved bald, and her mouth was fitted with rusted iron. As far as he could guess, she might have tried dealing in one of the forbidden arts. Like making thunder from the stinking earth, or concocting potions that could drive out the so-called "invisible demons" that brought men to ruin. All men knew that ruin was the gods inflicting disfavor. Or calling the anointed home. One of the two, and you could never tell which was which. It was all the province of the gods. Cavalier drew up his cloak and tried to look away. Intervention would just raise a hell of a lot of questions - questions they could not spare. Questions that would eventually end in fire and restraints. They had a target to find. "You guys got anything on this 'Anointed of Olaya' yet?"

Okay, OOC for Here. Ex, let me know what Moon-Moth will be stunting once I post moving us on to the shuttle (via teleport) and lifting off toward orbit. (You can then post IC as well)

Pilor II Along the outer length of the Perseus Arm, former Khanate Space Lor time mark 1753.1 [January 13, 2018 (Terran Calendar)] Liora Sylestrin, also known as the Praetorian Spectra, guided the sleek form of the Kavaca through the smoky atmosphere of Pilor II. The bleak rocky surface of the planet stretched out below the Praetorian spacecraft, spotted with rivers of lava that flowed up from below the surface. Located within the boundaries of a confederation of worlds that had remained independent from the Stellar Khanate following the Incursion and the return of Star Khan, Pilor II had become a focal point of industrial activity. Several newly formed corporations had been granted mining rights on the world, seeking to harvest the numerous precious minerals and ores to fuel the development of the confederation worlds. But recently some of those mining activities had been disrupted to such a degree that it had led to a request for assistance from the Praetorians. And so Spectra was piloting the Kavaca towards the Regulas Corporation's main facility on the world, along with her fellow Praetorians Moon-Moth and Cavalier. The facility had just come into view, a larger collection of attached buildings that stretched out on numerous pillars that kept them well above several lava rivers that flowed beneath. The Kavaca's sensors locked onto the landing beacon for the designated landing platform as they drew near.

82 Eridani System Thursday, September 28, 2016 Cavalier flew along side Sea Devil through the inky void, taking in the unfamiliar sights. There was an index full of the various planets, moons, and asteroids of the system, but he had never actually seen them with his eyes. Still, Mentor had recommended this as a nice peaceful system for a trial run. And surveillance. Mentor hadn't been so direct in calling it surveillance. But when Cavalier had asked why he was being asked to take Sea Devil on a ridealong - especially when she hadn't gotten off on good terms with the young Deep One, and her time in space had been far from a walk in the park - Mentor had relented and given him the full scope. "The individuals who tampered with our armor to make the Spectrum Knight design were powerful, intelligent, and given to deception. Although we have examined the altered armor in detail and found no obvious tampering, we know from our own designs that the armor can adapt under proper circumstances. It may be best to see if Ms. Innsmouth has managed to develop new... hidden talents in use of the armor. Talents that were hidden just so they could be... discovered at the right time." A full analysis would be too invasive; however, if Cavalier rode along, Mentor could analyze the code of the Spectrum Knight armor to see if there were any nasty surprises lying in wait. Of course, convincing Sea Devil to go along all on her lonesome might be tricky. Hence why Cavalier had been given dispensation to hire the Voidrunners, with whom Sea Devil had a somewhat better relationship. And hence why he'd had the request approved to let Sea Devil bring along Jessie, who'd also been dragged about half the galaxy alongside her. And hence why he felt like the fifth wheel on this whole trip. But he was the one in charge, so he had to make sure he was everyone's fun uncle rather than their drill sergeant dad. "How do you like the sights?" he asked Sea Devil. "Anything catching your eye?"

Galor System Outer length of the Perseus Arm November 2, 2015 (Terran Calender) The Praetorian spacecraft Kavaca dropped out of lightspeed near the third planet in the Galor system. A large planet slightly bigger than Terra, Galor III sat along a much closer orbit around its bright yellow sun. As a result, the planet was brown and tan in color, covered in desert and rocky mountains. But despite that hostile environment, the sentient reptilian species that was native to Galor III had evolved to develop at least minimal space travel, eventually making contact with scouts from the Lor Republic and established trade relations. The system had managed to avoid the onslaught of the Communion during the Incursion, but only just barely, as Communion forces had been moving toward the system when they had finally been stopped. But while that conflict had been avoided, Galor now found itself faced with a new threat, one that had cast a shadow over several neighboring systems as well. During the Incursion long standing differences had been set aside as the various powers of the galaxy worked together against the common thread of the Communion. During that struggle, numerous pirate groups had voluntarily joined with the Coalition, providing additional space power to the fleets. Among the pirate leaders to join the battle against the Communion was a renegade Broan prince called Dovox, who stylized himself as "Sovereign." Bringing together a number of pirate groups under his command during the Incursion, Sovereign had taken advantage of the chaos that existed when the Communion was defeated, using his forces to take control of a parsec along the outer edge of the Stellar Khanate and establishing himself as the rule of his own empire. After spending some time consolidating his position, Sovereign had begun to show signs of his intention to seek to expand his new domain, sending out forces to nearby systems to scout out potential targets for conquest. The Praetorians aboard the Kavaca had been sent to the sector to investigate and see what could be done to dissuade the would-be-conqueror. On the Kavaca's bridge, Seresk, a larger reptilian Praetorian, was at the sensors station and looked up from the displays before him. "Sri Steward, sensors are detecting a freighter sized vessel in orbit around Galor III. Its configuration is similar to vessels know to be employed by the pirate groups controlled by Dovox. It appears to be exchanging fire with several orbital defense satellites."

Kestevan 79 GM A pair of Lor officers made their way into the new headquarters of the ancient alien group known as the Praetorians. The space was still very much under construction and being refurbished, with a number of Lor technicians assisting in the process. But these two Lor officers were not there to oversee assisting the Praetorians in establishing their new facility. Instead they were there on behalf of the Republic to request the assistance of the Praetorians. With the Communion stopped, some semblance of normalcy had returned to this sector of the universe, and that had allowed the Republic to return its attentions to several matters that had been unattended when stopping the Communion had been of utmost importance. But even now the Republic did not have sufficient resources to deal with all the problems at hand. As the pair moved down the corridor, a larger hulking reptilian humanoid moved over toward them. The figure towered just over eight feet tall, covered in green and brown scales, with a long tail that ended in a spiked ball. "Greetings officers," the reptilian humanoid stated in accented GalStandard, "I am Seresk, may I be of assistance?" "Greetings Praetorian Seresk, I am Commander E'tten of the Lor Star Navy, and this is Aya K'zan from the Allied Liaison/Intelligence Extra-National Service." The male Lor stated in response. "We are here to speak with Praetorian Val-Ren about a matter in which the Republic wishes to request the assistance of the Praetorians." The large reptilian alien gave a small nod. "Please, follow me." It replied before turning and leading the pair off down the corridor. A short while later, the trio arrived at the central command center of the headquarters, a larger circular dome shaped room with a number of other exits. Like most of the rest of the facility, it was still undergoing significant renovations and work, a number of Praetorians and technicians working on installing various systems along the room's walls. In the center of the room was a larger holographic system capable of displaying and tracking information for multiple units and locations. Gathered around the holo display were four individuals, currently in conversation about the progress of renovations for the facility. One was a humanoid female, slightly over average height for a Lor or Terran, with long black and purple hair and dark orange skin. She was dressed in a full length white bodysuit, with black diamond shapes surrounded by golden yellow trim on the shoulders, upper chest and back. Her black boots and gloves also has the golden yellow trim, and a long black cape trailed behind her. It was not hard to match her appearance to the reports about Paradigm that had circulated among the Coalition forces during the Communion incursion. Two of the other three were also female, one, dressed in a red jumpsuit, appeared to be Terran, with long black hair and a deep tan complexion. The other woman, who also resembled a Terran, had long dark blonde hair and was dressed in a blue and white military style uniform. The crisp and perfect uniform, as well as the woman's stern, commanding presence, left little doubt that she had at least once been in the military. She had a jagged scar along one eye, and her left arm was a sleek, mechanical replacement. The fourth figure was dressed in familiar armor of a Star Knight, his armor bright green in its coloring. The Star Knight's helmet was currently not deployed, reveling a Terran who was easily recognizable as Star Knight Kyle Steward, also known as Cavalier. "Excuse me Imperatrix," Seresk stated as he lead the two Lor forward into the room and towards the four gathered in the center, "may I introduce Commander E'tten of the Lor Star Navy, and Aya K'zan from the Allied Liaison/Intelligence Extra-National Service, here on behalf of the Lor Republic."

Early December 2015 Wolf 359 Aquaria didn't know much about space - but she could tell the space-house (or space station, as Ruby called it) orbiting the tiny young star was old and busted. The metal plates that made up the walls and the ceiling were obviously corroded, turning green like copper instead of orange like steel around their dark grey edges and the air had the smell of something alien and old burnt away in the ducts, long ago. The humanoids in the station were exotic and strange, even stranger and more exotic than the Surfacers of Freedom City, their hair, clothes, and skin all strange colors and textures - but at least they ate good food, including a delicious flying insect as big as her fist that both she and Bliss had developed a taste for. She spent most of her time in the station's small garden, taking advantage of the high humidity (and even small pond!) to bask in the comforting wetness without her suit. She earned her keep by tending the plants, a skill she'd learned at the home of Jessie's sister and her mate, and did her best to get Jessie to come by and help her. It was less stressful than being on the ship. There had been some sort of dispute over repairs to the Voidrunner (she hadn't really followed the conversation) - and it was a high-stress time on-board for everyone. We just have to make it home, Aquaria assured herself as she ducked down to the bottom of the pond (which was just deep enough for her to completely immerse herself in), the ever-present hum of machinery reminding her that this was no ordinary body of water. And they will have all the gold the ship can carry! Reaching down, she cut a few fronds of pondweed with a knife - the stuff was vile to her, but some of the local people on the station loved it in their stews. In just a day, or less, she'd been assured, the repairs would be done and they'd all go home - but now, everybody pulled their weight, Luckily, she and Jessie were both very strong indeed. - It had been a tough few weeks for the Horizon crew and their Star Knight companion. They'd tracked the fugitives to a remote swampy world, and even found the ion trail of the vessel that had picked them up there, but they'd found no clues about the identity of the vessel they were chasing. Whoever they were, they were fast and good, sticking to high-traffic lanes to blend in (but not the ones still regularly patrolled by the Lor), running their engines so fast they must be risking needing to scrub out their coils, and not staying in any one place long enough to be positively identified by eyewitnesses. If not for the unique energy emitted by Aquaria Innsmouth's suit, which noticeably warped extradimensional space while in hyperdrive, and if not for the further n-dimensional changes caused by the fact that the other passenger was from some other dimension entirely, they'd have lost the scent long ago. But now they'd caught the scent. Station K-7 was old and tired, a collection of habitat domes welded together centuries earlier, with a mostly transient population in the hundreds. It was widely known to be a den of smugglers making the potentially profitable run to Terra now that Lor border patrols weren't what they used to be - or even there at all, most of the time. As the ship approached the station, their sensors jangled with news - their two fugitives were _on that very station_.

Iridium Shore Gerivan, Volash October 27, 2015 Gerivan was serving its old purpose once again. In the bad old days when the Lor Empire was first starting, the spaceport city had been a place for cargo, immigration, and flight - which had brought with it political refugees, vice, and all the issues associated with both of those. As the Empire stabilized, the city went from a place of intrigue and conflict to an exotic resort town with a reputation for those who wanted to coast on the phantoms of a more dangerous time. And then Lor-Van had been destroyed. And once more, Gerivan found itself playing host to refugees, black marketers, and very dangerous men. With the empire beginning the long process of stabilization, Gerivan's shadier side was still casting long shadows. Which could be quite alluring to a lot of people. Kyle Steward was one of them. He had to admit, this was a lot nicer than some of the Star Knight details he'd been assigned to. The conflicts between the various aspects of the city's less-than-legal trades was starting to spill over, to the point that Citadel had noticed. The constant factor in all the bloodshed was that it seemed to brush up against the Iridium Shore, one of Gerivan's finest casinos. Intelligence was limited on the concerns of the bad men with guns, but whispers indicated they were seeking info on an asset in the casino's possession - the Midnight Diamond. Which meant a good old-fashioned casino heist. Which meant he was on security, helping to oversee the operations and ensure that nobody brought too much bloodshed into this corner of the city in their efforts to rob the Iridium Shore. And, while he was trying very hard not to get loaded up on comped drinks, Kyle had to admit this was a lot nicer than blasting at Communion drones on a god-forsaken mining planet in the Khanate.

Altinak C The Grand Shipyards are among the most impressive works of Lor civilization - a Dyson shell of solar panels and high-end lasers, surrounding the blue-white star and providing the fantastic energies that drive some of the largest energy-matter converters in Lor space, using material from the star's corona and what remains of its systems to build starships. The converters, massive skeletal spheres that dot the space around the star, each as large as a planet's moon, can't run independently; the Shipyards still need to import certain exotic minerals to build certain instruments of high technology like artificial gravity units and jump drives. But for the most part, the vast shape of the Shipyards, enclosing an entire star in a spidersweb of humanoid-built technology, can build a fleet all on its own. As the Horizon came out of warp in the Altinak system, it was clear a fleet was indeed being built here. Row after row of brand-new starships were in orbit of the system's few small rocky planets, a fleet-in-being as large as anything they'd seen during the war, not to mention the new ships still under construction near the converter complex closer to the vast blue bulk of the star. But the Horizon crew wasn't there for the view - they were there to meet an old friend. "Greetings, Horizon," came the military-sounding voice on the comm channel. Cavalier is waiting for you in the Grand Nauarcus's command center." - Cavalier's translator had given the Grand Nauarchus, the highest-ranking officer in the Lor Star Navy, a Mid-Atlantic accent - something that fit her short puff of bone-white hair and short stature that barely reached five feet. He could immediately see why her nickname was 'Grandmother Frankan.' She watched the holo again, the recording of the murder of a Star Knight, with a steely demeanor that belied her otherwise matronly air. "They put him down like a dog, didn't they? Barbarians," she muttered to herself before looking at Cavalier. "And you're sure these two are from your planet? That one there, with the tongue, doesn't look like any Terran I've ever seen."

The OOC

Outer edge of the Sol System The Communion's attack on Earth had been repulsed by many of the planet’s heroes, working alongside several military and extra-governmental forces. For the moment, the planet was safe. But the Communion's world killer weapon was still positioned at the outer edge of the solar system, barely held in check by the Freedom League and their allies. With reports reaching back to the Freedom League and Earth's heroes from the Star Knights about a fleet of Communion ships headed towards the Sol System, possibly to try to assist in getting the world killer free, it was decided that merely holding the world killer at bay was no longer a viable solution. So the remaining League members on Earth had begun gathering a number of volunteers to try to help destroy the world killer before the Communion relief fleet could arrive. The gathering of the various heroes coincided with the return of one of Earth's Star Knights, Kyle Steward, who had firsthand experience against the Communion's deadly weapon. Now, Geckoman was behind the controls of one of the League's Pegasus spaceplanes, flying a rather odd collection of heroes to help in the fight against the world killer….

Galandis Refinery Korivan The Khanate This seemed to be what he lived for, nowadays. He'd long since turned in his resignation at work. The guys at the aeronautics firm might have been willing to excuse his "long lunches" every now and again, but this was a different matter entirely. He had explained he was going to take a "sabbatical"; they acted like they understood, but he had a feeling that the position might be filled by the time he got back to Earth for any long stretch of time. If he got back to Earth. Sometimes, he wondered if he'd cracked. Here he was, alone, in the last place in the galaxy anyone wanted to be. He hadn't starting thinking about snails crawling along the edge of straight razors yet, so that was a point in favor of sanity. But there was still that urge, that drive. The need to do everything to the enemy that had been done to him and his people. He knew what lay down that road. But damn if it wasn't a tempting one to walk. Cavalier sighed. The personal reflection could wait. He had work to do. And so, he adjusted his visor to meet the swirling storm of dark silt, and trudged off towards his objective.

0.5 LY from Stellar Khanate Borders November 2014 (Terran Calendar) Even under the best of circumstances, this was probably the last place most people in galaxy wanted to be. And then, somehow, it had gotten worse. With the knowledge that the Star-Khan had been made the new mouthpiece of the Communion, that raised an obvious question - what had happened to the worlds of the Khanate, that great cluster of wild, despotic states held so tight by Kinan Khan? Nobody knew. All state-run media, which at times could have made the North Korean press corps look like The Daily Show, was down. Traffic in and out of the sector, already sporadic, seemed to be shut down entirely. With half the galaxy on defensive footing, nobody really wanted to spare the resources or manpower to figure out what had happened within the Khanate. But just because nobody wanted to didn't mean that nobody should. Cavalier was blazing through the empty sector, keeping his eye out for surveillance satellites and Khanate drones. Intelligence said that they would be lightly cloaked but still discernible, providing minimal challenge but serving to signal the guys with bigger guns. But as far as he could tell, there was nothing watching this part of space. Which just meant he'd have to deal with the inevitable when it came. After the push at Lor-Van, he'd had... well, he could be charitable and call it "a rough time." Once Seven had managed to drop him off somewhere near Citadel, he'd made it back to the planet for debriefing. The next twelve hours after that were... mixed. There had been screaming. There had been desperate attempts to sleep, the images of broken armor and blinding light seared behind his eyelids. There had been drinking to forget, and then glasses thrown against the wall because the drinking had done nothing. Somewhere after those twelve hours, he'd actually managed to pull himself out of the void and focus. He couldn't just curl into a ball while the galaxy bled. And that was when Mentor had come to him with orders - preceded by more bad news. "What do you mean the intelligence is gone?" "The attack that compromised my systems during the assault of Lor-Van left several prevalent agents within my system. They have been quarantined in order to prevent further damage. Until these agents can be purged, the affected data cannot be accessed - and, in what was likely planned, one of these subsets is all files pertaining to the Communion entity." Cavalier bit his tongue. The very fact that Mentor had been compromised was not a happy thought. He did not want to yell at the intelligence for trying to work around the cybernetic equivalent of an embolism. "So we need intelligence. Where do we gather it?" "What little we have unflagged makes tertiary references to machine gods and cybernetic archaeology - potential resources of note for down the line. As of right now, however, the best possible resource would be beyond Khanate borders. If the Star-Khan has been claimed, odds are several of his worlds have followed." Cavalier shook his head. "This really is the best idea, isn't it?" "I am examined several permutations, and this one yields the best results. Sri Steward. Your background has been extensively catalogued in my banks. I know you have some experience on border runs. With the Knights regrouping, we must make use of unorthodox talents, wherever they may lay." And the worst part was, he knew it was true. All of it. "I'm likely going to need backup. And not the kind trained to knock nicely before entering contested air space..." "We have already isolated potential assets. A meeting has been arranged..." And so, some time later, Cavalier was flying outside of the Horizon, maintaining vigil while the ship soared across the stars. He patched into the ship's comms. "All clear out here so far. How's it looking on your end?"

Ditko Street Wednesday, August 13th, 2014 6:32 PM Another workday done. The question was whether or not he'd have to work the evening as well. Kyle Steward made his way through Riverside, stopping to bask in the summer heat. The good news about his workplace was that it wasn't exactly a gigantic bastion of professionalism; the bad news was he still had to wear long-sleeved shirts every so often. Fortunately, he'd managed to shuck the shirt and go in just a T-shirt. The sun was just starting to dip down, but it was still somewhat hot and humid. The iced coffee was helping, but there was still a ways to go. All in all, though, things were peaceful. Steamy, sweaty, and crowded, but peaceful. There was a cool breeze kicking up under the muggy air, and it promised an interesting night. It was enough to cause him to almost get lost in thought. And then the shrieking started. The first eruption happened right next to him, in a car pulling into a parking space. The driver lost control, colliding with the car in front of him. Then came the radio at the newsstand down the street. Then the PA system at the nearby coffee shop. Soon, the entire street was awash in cacophony. Through the bursts of distortion, Kyle could hear words... but they weren't in any Earth language. He tapped his bracelet, hoping the sight might go unnoticed amongst all the chaos. The language filtered into his ears, swiftly translating. It was Lor, and although it was garbled, he could make out a few pieces. "Alone... fallen... help... dead... dead... stranded..." And all across Freedom, the static spread, erupting from every device attuned to radio waves. Repeating the same request...

Memorial comes to Earth, and brings the tail end of something very large with her...

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014 5:56 PM The ship hung up in low Earth orbit, suspended in the ionosphere. Solar winds soared high above, with the stray "gust" blowing into the strata around them. At times like this, Cavalier was very glad he had the suit. Close to an hour ago, he'd been getting off of work. He and the rest of the team had been making heady progress of the engine project - it wasn't going to be a stardrive or anything, but it would certainly produce standard output without burning quite as much fuel. That was when the message had come in from Mentor, and he'd had to break off from the rest of the group. Apparently a Lor ship had been found floating dead, lurking over the planet. "Any distress calls?" he said as he ducked off into a back alley, calling the armor up once he was sure he was out of sight. "None. Your planet's military intelligence has been trying to hail it for some time, but there's been no response. Nor can I find any record of such a trip in the public manifests of the Republic. In addition, the ship appears to be on a decaying orbit, and --" "Yeah, I've got an idea what that means." After all, his return to Earth had been on a crippled ship in a decaying orbit. He hadn't been the one to decay it, but he was still the one who had to struggle to keep it from plowing into anywhere inhabited. "Make contact, establish if crew needs help, then get the ship out of there before bad things happen. Got it. Should be simple."

Edges of Grue Unity Space Lor Timemark 1312.4 "Perimeter Vessel Theta-Theta-Gamma reporting all quiet," the Grue Metamorph named Dul'ce sighed, repeating the same message he'd been sending back to command twice a cycle for the entire duration of his posting. Cycle after cycle of staring at a field of stars, empty apart from a patch of asteroids or the occasional comet, lightyears away from anything to conquer or infiltrate or even just observe, just the arbitrary border of Unity controlled space past which there was simply nothing worth claiming. It was busy work of the highest order, that was the worst of it, Dul'ce reflected as he melted back in his chair, dejectedly allowing his form to become slightly liquid. The Meta-Mind could have easily focused on his thoughts, just like any of the Grue, if it truly wished to know what was happening on the frontier. The twice-cycle reports proved that it was simple bureaucracy, a tick in a ledger that no Grue would ever bother reviewing once it was logged. "Pull yourself together, Navigator!" a sharp voice barked, causing Dul'ce's outer layer to go spiky in surprise. The only other Metamorph on the vessel and his commanding officer strode onto the bridge, flanked by a pair of drones. Faa'et had taken to making his form a little taller and broader at the shoulder since his promotion and Dul'ce might have sworn his chin was even a little more square, though he couldn't imagine for whom Faa'et was making the effort. "I don't tolerate loose shifting on the Double-Theta Gee!" Dul'ce hid another sigh. The Unity didn't bother naming its vessels like lesser species and for good reason. Faa'et's attempts to give the scout ship a nickname were ridiculous, though the navigator never would have said so aloud. Just thinking that was about the captain would have been bad enough if Faa'et had ever bothered to read anyone's thoughts apart from his own. "Apologies, Captain. I was just finishi-- eh?" On the console in front of him a green dot blinked on, floating through nearby space before changing direction and heading toward them.

GM Newtorch station, Inner Oort Cloud, Sol System Second orbit, fifth day, April 15th, 7.30AM Earth time. A brilliant crystal lance sailed through the void, mighty donut-shaped rings spinning endlessly around the haft, housing the several hundred scientists, staff, and guards keeping safe the future of Lor technology. There they lived and worked in strict, regular shifts, coming and going, eating and sleeping to refresh their tireless dedication. A phalanx of ships patrolled far outside the sight of any being, searching unceasingly for any sign of an approaching threat. At the lance's tip was a white diamond, where the force field was strongest and the gunnery lines were thickest. The size of several battleships welded together, that was where the most dangerous part of the station's mission was kept. Newtorch station was one of several throughout the Republic, uncovering new ways to draw energy from the world and power the bustling interstellar civilization. They often ended up examining things strange and powerful enough that risking star systems was all too possible. Inevitably they ended up on the fringes of inhabited space, far from either help or victims. Thefts were possible too. But the sheer danger tended to keep everyone away. Except, of course, the daredevils. "Next shift incoming, sir!" called out the surveillance monitor "and none too soon!" "Just the facts, Bey." replied the station captain with a wry twist of his purple lips. Hands clasped behind his back, the stubby Lor watched the small, regularly spaced dots draw near and allowed himself a slight note of self-praise: nothing had happened that had endangered the crew, the only faulty source had been safely ejected and destroyed, and they had a marvelous new subject: the gem from Sirius. It could power an entire fleet if they could get the transferal right, and then... "Bey, how many ships are in that convoy?" The sudden edge in the officer's voice got a puzzled look, and a quick response "Eleven, sir. Usual number-" "That's one too few! Alert the ships, tell them there's an infiltrator!" 'Sri Steward of Earth, you have an incoming message.' Mentor's voice had all the warmth and wisdom that came from the unthinkable eons it had seen, but it was still as commanding as a drill sergeant, clear as ice and cut Kyle off from sleep like a knife. 'Blockade Fleet Admiral Kalf has urgent news, and a request. Your system is in great danger.'

Rolls and out-of-character discussion for thread. Cavalier has a rude awakening, and deals with a new take on jewel heists perpetrated by Captain Cerise.

Player Name: Trollthumper Character Name: Cavalier Power Level: 10/13 (166/235PP) Trade-Offs: None Unspent Power Points: 69pp In Brief: Alien abductee turned troubleshooter for the rough end of the universe turned Star Knight. Alternate Identity: Kyle Steward Identity: Public Birthplace: Freedom City, NJ Occupation: Unemployed Affiliations: Rygar's Runabouts (troubleshooter band), the Star Knights Family: Jenny Steward (mother, reporter), Alan Steward (father, aeronautics engineer), Guy Steward (brother, college student) Description: Age: 23 (DOB November 11, 1989) Apparent Age: 23 Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'11" Weight: 180 lbs. Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Appearance: Still getting used to Earth clothes for the first time in forever, Kyle usually wears sturdy, industrious clothes when he's about, stuff that sits well and offers a measure of protection. He keeps his hair relatively well-trimmed, but is okay with letting his facial hair grow out for a day or two - a side effect of the Cloud having many clippers for the more furry species, but a lack of good razors for operation by humanoid hands. When his armor deploys, it grows to cover almost all of his body, taking on a bright green coloring. Power Descriptions: All - Device, Technological Blast - Energy Enhanced Strength - Physical (Bludgeoning) Snare - Energy, Entrapment History: Kyle Steward had a plan for his life. He was going to go to HIT, study engineering, and find work in aerodynamics. But before he did any of that, he was going to go across the country with some of his high school friends, a chance to see the country and let loose before the responsibility of college pressed down on them all. When the car sprung two flats outside a cornfield in Kansas and the rest of the group waited for AAA, Kyle stepped into the field to take care of some business. No one remembers exactly what happened next, but by the time the tow truck arrived - a time none of Kyle's friends could ever fully recall - he was nowhere to be found. He had stepped into the cornfield and simply vanished. From Kyle's perspective, it was an entirely different story. After witnessing a strange light and feeling the world spin, he passed out. When he came to again, he was naked, strapped to a plinth, and being examined by something that looked like a cross between a jellyfish and a centipede. He wasn't the only captive, though he really couldn't tell what any of the others were. The tests were extensive, painful, and seemingly without any motivation. Right before it seemed his captors were about to cut him open, the ship was boarded by Rygar's Runabouts, a team of mercs hired to retrieve the abducted son of the Magistrex of Volanus. They quickly managed to take the ship, but the strange aliens chose suicide over surrender and completely wiped the ship's data banks in the process. As the Runabouts retrieved Kyle from his plinth and established a telepathic link for ease of communication, a few things became clear. First, with the ship's databanks wiped, there was no clear map back from wherever he was to Earth. Second, the ship had taken him to the edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud, well outside the Milky Way. Third, none of the names of stars or planets he had translated directly to the astronomical knowledge of his companions. For the time being, he was stranded in the universe, unable to make his way home. With no other options, he crewed with the Runabouts, aiding them in their jobs and learning the ins and outs of the new galaxy. From Jellana, the weaponsmaster, he learned how to manage himself in a firefight, a situation that popped up more often than he liked. From Moritus, high priest of the Divine Engine, he learned how starships ran, from majestic cruisers to their old rust bucket. From Gelar, the ship's layabout and self-appointed "diplomat", he learned all about the various species of the Cloud. For three years, he shared in their exploits - that is, until their charter got revoked following a diplomatic incident ("you blow up one gray goo-infested military outpost..."). The various Runabouts went their separate ways, and Kyle was left working as an independent troubleshooter, solving issues for the highest bidder. It was eighteen months into his new career that he heard a set of words that sounded all too familiar - "Star Knight." Mentor's recruitment efforts had finally expanded into the edges of the Cloud, and Kyle had a possible way back home. He tracked down the first Star Knight in the Cloud, Hal'aste of Renosa, and gave him his story. Hal'aste, of a charitable heart, said that once his latest tour of his sector of the Cloud was done, he'd take Kyle to Citadel and make sure he got home. During the tour, however, Kyle and Hal'aste visited a world that came under attack by an expeditionary force of the Khanate. As the two helped the locals to drive the Khanate back, Hal'aste suffered a mortal wound. The planet still at risk, Kyle fought to save Hal'aste's life, but to no avail. But with no other Star Knights in the sector and the Khanate still bearing down, Mentor issued an emergency override, and Hal'aste's armor jumped to the closest candidate - Kyle. After the agents of the Khanate had been driven from the planet's skies, Kyle was instantly taken to Citadel, where he was trained in the ways of the Star Knights. Maria Montoya was recalled to Citadel for brief stretches to oversee his training, as well as get him used to all that had happened on Earth. With the course recently concluded, Kyle - taking the name "Cavalier" to distinguish himself from Earth's standing Star Knight - is ready to come home. He has no idea what he's in for... Personality & Motivation: Kyle's seen a hell of a lot, and it's changed him. He keeps up a joyful demeanor most of the time, but snark and hostility sneak out more often than he'd like. On some level, though, he knows he's seen things most people never will, and has a deep appreciation of that. He wants to put all the things he learned in the Cloud to good use on Earth, while also serving as an upstanding example of a Star Knight. Powers & Tactics: Blast - Cavalier's armor molds to form a blaster-style attachment in his hand that launches bolts of concussive force in great volume. Enhanced Strength - The armor redirects ambient power into the muscles and outer carapace, allowing for heightened resilience and strength. Snare - The blaster shifts loads to produce a hard-light construct that entraps its target, using a Von Neumann principle to maintain full operational strength unless sufficiently disrupted. Complications: Close Encounters of the WTF Kind - Kyle still doesn't know what sort of aliens dragged him off of Earth, or for what purpose. That wouldn't be such a big deal, but it appears Mentor didn't even know what sort of aliens they were. What was their agenda, and what might happen if they return? Friends in Low Places, Enemies in High Ones - Kyle's old buddies in the Runabouts are making sure to keep in touch with him through the wonders of quantum communication, and may give him reason to return to the Cloud. That, and he's made a number of enemies in both the Cloud and the Milky Way, the Khanate among them. "Oh, Right, That's Still An Issue Here..." - Kyle is gay, and has spent five years in a part of the universe where sexual orientation is not usually that big of a deal (mainly because the number of genders and orientations ranges anywhere from one to double digits amongst any given species). He knows to be more discreet on Earth, but coming face-to-face with direct homophobia might trigger a reaction. "So, Did They Ever Get Off the Island?" - Kyle may have gotten the Cliff's Notes on the past five years from Maria, but he's still been gone from Earth for a while. Recent changes in politics, pop culture, and the superhero scene might catch him off guard. Abilities: 4 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 26 PP Strength 14 (+2) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 16 (+3) Wisdom 14 (+2) Charisma 14 (+2) Combat: 14 + 14 = 28 PP Attack: +7 (+10 Star Knight Armor) Defense: +11 (+7 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Initiative: +2 Grapple: +22/+8 Knockback: -11/-5/-1 Saving Throws: 6 + 6 + 6 = 18 PP Toughness: +11/+2 (+2 CON, +9 Protection) Fortitude: +8 (+2 CON, +6) Reflex: +8 (+2 DEX, +6) Will: +8 (+2 WIS, +6) Skills: 84r = 21 PP Bluff 10 (+12) Computers 9 (+12) Diplomacy 10 (+12) Disable Device 8 (+11) Gather Information 6 (+8) Investigate 4 (+7) Intimidate 6 (+8) Knowledge (galactic lore) 5 (+8) Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10) Notice 6 (+8) Search 6 (+9) Sense Motive 7 (+9) Feats: 13 PP All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Feint) Dodge Focus 4 Evasion Luck 2 Power Attack Skill Mastery (Bluff, Disable Device, Knowledge (physical sciences), Notice) Taunt Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 60 PP Star Knight Armor, 75 PP Device (Hard to Lose) [60 PP] Offensive Capabilities, 33 PP Array (Power Feats: Accurate 2, Alternate Power 3) [38 PP] Base: Blast 11 (Extras: Autofire 1) [33 PP] AP: Enhanced Strength 18 [18 PP] + Impervious Toughness 11 [11 PP] + Super-Strength 2 (Effective Lifting Strength 40) [4 PP] AP: Snare 11 (Extras: Regenerating) [33 PP] AP: Nullify Technology 11 [33 PP] Comprehend 2 (Languages) [4 PP] Enhanced Feat 1 (Quick Change) [1 PP] Flight 1 (10 MPH, 100 ft/round) [2 PP] Auxiliary Thrusters, 8 PP Array (Power Feats: Alternate Power 1) [9 PP] Base: Enhanced Flight 4 (250 MPH, 2500 ft./round) [8 PP] AP: Enhanced Space Flight 8 (500c) [8 PP] Immunity 9 (life support) [9 PP] Protection 9 [9 PP] Space Travel 1 (1c) [1 PP] Super-Senses 2 (Communication Link [Mentor], Radio) [2 PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Blast Ranged DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Energy) Snare Ranged DC21 Reflex 1/2 save DC21 Reflex (Staged) Ensnared Enhanced Strength Unarmed Touch DC26 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Nullify Technology Ranged DC21 Will Nullify Totals: Abilities (26) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (18) + Skills (21) + Feats (13) + Powers (60) - Drawbacks (0) = 166/235 Power Points