ic Written in the Stars (IC)

[Tiffany Korta]

The Traveller 

No one was more surprised that she'd stayed on her feet than Sitara, but she wasn't going to waste the opportunity in the slightest. Clicking together the two parts of her power pike she spun it around in a gentle manner before with an impressive swipe she stabbed down to deliver a jolt of blaster energy.

 

Or at least that was the plan, unfortunately, her aim was off, even against a prone target. There were probably hundreds of reasons why she'd missed, but for now, it wasn't important. Stepping back she took up a defensive stance ready to defend herself if they managed to get back up before she could strike again.

 

"Guess as normal we're doing this the hard way!"

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Gaian Knight easily shrugged off the attack from the four-armed alien, even as two other opponents made their way into the hanger as well. The first was a seven foot tall figure with a massive, muscular build. Moon-Moth recognized the figure as Uqruks, a Kovald heavy-worlder who had been another of the old Star Khan's bodyguard following the Incursion.

 

Uqruks took a quick look around the hanger and then started forward towards the group of heroes gathered in the center of the hanger, readying a massive club as he did so.

 

The other figure was another Justicar, who followed after Uqruks and leveled his power pike towards Justicar Vor'an. "It is time you learned the price for following the young pretender." He called out firing a blast of energy at Vor'an.

 

The blast struck the young Justicar solidly, causing him to take a step back as he grunted in pain and clutched his side where the blast had hit. Vor'an seemed badly hurt, but not completely out of the fight yet.

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer

 

Heroditus tried not to let Gaian Knight's and Moon-Moth's magics distract him, but the sheer power of the former and the alienness of the latter were hard to ignore.  I really should speak with both of them, learn more about their abiiites.  Were they learned, or innate?  Or-

 

His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Vor'an take a mighty blast from one of Dovox's Justicars! 

 

"No!"

 

Heroditus' eyes went wide, and he darted towards the being who had protected him so much during this terrible battle.  He landed next to Vor'an, shielding him from their assailtant, and withdrew two multifacted crystals from his bandolier.  "Vor'an?  Vor'an, are you with me?"  He tried ot keep his voice calm and even, stamping down on the panic welling up within him, "I fear my shields will not fare well against a blast of that magnitude," he touched the rystals to each other, then held one between Vor'an and himself and held the other out before him, "but I should be able to give him some additional targets."

 

Nearly two dozen Artificers and Vor'an's sprang into existence, filing a large section of the hangar.  Would their foes be able to see through the Atlantean holograms?  Artificer would hope not, but his mind was already racing to figure out a better solution to their predicament.

 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Hey assholes, here's a present from Uncle Sam!" The Patriot didn't normally talk this way, but she had just been knocked on her goddamned ass by some sort of goddamned space crap and she was having a bad day anyway. Flat on her back, she snapped two grenades loose from her belt and hurled them at the middle of the group of alien soldiers, smiling sharply at the muffled report of carefully balanced ultrasonic charges. The men, and a few women, it looked like (she couldn't really tell and they weren't necessarily her type) dropped like ninepins. 

 

Drawing her pistols as she rose to her feet, she called "Hey Ghost! I've got an idea for we can end this! You still here?" 

[Thevshi]

Velocity

 

In the Hanger

 

Megan had pushed herself back up slightly to see Gaian attacked by a four-armed alien, while Vor’an was hurt by a newly arrived Justicar, who was accompanied by a hulking alien with a massive club. In a almost unseen movement, the speedster kipped back up to her feet and then was gone in a WOOSH of air and a blur of yellow towards the Justicar and hulking alien.

 

*CRACK*

One supersonic punch hit the Justicar squarely in the jaw, the blow causing the armored figure’s head to snape to the side as he was knocked off his feet and to the ground.

 

*CRACK*

 

Velocity delivered a another punch to Uqruks' stomach. However the towering alien seemed completely unfazed by the attack, barely even registering that it had hit him.

 

The speedster reappeared out a blur of yellow near Artificer and Vor'an, shaking her right hand slightly from the after effect of punching Uqrucks. "Ow."

 

Down in the Engine Room

 

The alien's long, snake like torso whipped it back into an upright position with seeming ease as it readied its pair of curved long daggers once more. Locking eyes with Patriot as she drew her energy weapon, the alien slithered back toward her, plunging both daggers towards the patriotic heroine…

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

Yeesh... that snake alien is tough. Just absolutely tanking when he tries to scramble their entire nervous system, and going straight for Patriot too... can't have that!

 

"Right here, Patriot!!" 

 

He rushes out of the floor next to her, flying straight towards the snake alien, passing a hand through it, to, hopefully, actually do some damage this time.

 

"Lay it on me, boss lady!" he calls out as he swerves around, flying back to Patriot's side.

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Once again Ghost manages to strike the snake-like alien. But once again, the alien recoils slightly from the attack, but otherwise seems unharmed.

 

Down in the hanger, several of the enemies entrapped by Gaian Knight’s power are rendered unconscious as the hard sand constricts them. A few are still resisting, but are unable to free themselves from being entrapped.

 

Up near the bridge, Tal'gar quickly rises back up to her feet, swinging her psychic blade at Traveller once more. This time, the glowing blade manages to strike the Praetorian, sending needles of pain through her body as the psychic energy spreads through her body.

[Fox]

Gaian Knight

 

The Gaian Knight grunted as the staff dropped him back into the ground, but he seemed more put out than hurt - he might have envied the types that were made of steel, but he was at least happy to reward his new attacker's strike with a solid thud instead of something more traditionally mortal. He'd bet his chest plate had a solid dent in the back now.

 

"Okay," he said. "Alright."

 

An open palm the size of a person and carved of solid granite slammed into Mare from the side; its creator took the opening to stand back up. "You know, I usually have a dragon with me," he said, grimacing and straightening his coat. "She's going to be really disappointed she didn't get to punch you for that. I don't suppose you would just rather talk?"

[Ecalsneerg]

Galvanic

 

Chlo'zel let the gun barrel drop, it floating in the void without any outside impetus to let it do more than slowly drift in the direction her hand had nudged it. Looking satisfied as the ship began to drift away from Earth, without any form of propulsion to shift it from its now-inexorable course, she flew upwards, blue light arcing around her as she spread her arms wide, light coruscating around her brighter and brighter before for a brief second she looked like a star in the night sky, her mass shifting to pure electric current as she accelerated towards the ship, arms stretched ahead of her as physics warped.

 

Her consciousness danced between shock waves, bouncing between atoms as a figure of blinding blue lightning burst through the ship's hull as if it were air. roughly in a humanoid form, two red glows emitting roughly where eyes should be. The flash faded a little, sparks crawling over the instrumentation near where Galvanic floated. The eyes looked up at Waymaker, and a smile formed in the coalescing light. "Waymaker," she said quietly but firmly. "Praetorians and Freedom League on your ship. It floatdrifts through void. Your goalmission is no longer achievable. Spare your men. Return to Dovox, informtell him you have failed." The shape lifted one hand, ostensibly to extend a metaphorical olive branch, but it was incredibly obvious the same hand could be used to cast bolts of lightning. "You have wordoath that violence will end. This does not need to be the way. Can still choose." Chlo'zel smiled behind the blue glow. "Make right choice."

Edited June 23 by Ecalsneerg

[Thevshi]

GM

 

Before Waymaker could respond to Galvanic after her sudden appearance on the bridge, the Tempestian’s communicator activated and Paradigm’s voice came over the device.

 

Quote

"Traveller, Galvanic, Moon-Moth. Dovox and his forces have been defeated here. What is the situation on the cruiser?"

 

Waymaker looked at the small hologram and the back to Galvanic. "With Dovox defeated, I surrender this vessel and will order the end to all hostilities by its crew. I cannot guarantee any of the renegade Kanate forces that had come to join us will agree to do so."

[Ecalsneerg]

Galvanic

 

"Already have your vessel," Chlo'zel remarked peevishly, sparks shooting across the floor as she set her feet down. Her form moved, her hand coming up to where her ear would be, and she replied to Paradigm in clipped tones. "Waymaker will surrender. Says more forces possibly inbound." Her voice came through the communicator amidst staccato crackle of interference. 

 

Dropping her hand, she fixed Waymaker with an even look. "Give the order." Galvanic gestured impatiently with one hand. "Then I will catch the ship."

[Thevshi]

GM

 

The tall thin alien did not hesitate at Galvanic's proposal, looking over at one of the frightened bridge crew. "Divert some auxiliary power to internal comms."

 

Once that was completed, Waymaker toggled a switch on a panel next to him. "Prince Dovox has been defeated. All forces are to immediately cease hostilities with the Praetorians and Terrans and surrender."

 

Waymaker deactivated the comms again and then took a step forward to lay down his staff in front of Galvanic. Standing back upright, he took several steps back from his staff.

[Thevshi]

Paradigm

 

As Wayfinder ordered a surrender of the vessel, the crew (mainly held in check by fear of Sovereign) ceased fighting and lay down their weapons. The renegade Khanate forces that had joined Sovering to oppose Kinarr khan were less willing to surrender, and the former key lieutenants to Kinan Khan managed to slip away in the chaos, taking a shuttle craft from n auxiliary docking bay and fleeing the system.

 

A short time later, the Praetorians, members of the Freedom League and the several other heroes that had assisted in the battles against Sovereign and his forces were gathered on the bridge of the Lighthouse. On the large viewscreen could be seen Sovereign’s cruiser, now flanked by two Lor cruisers. A dozen Star Knights were also present to assist in taking the vessel and its crew into custody and returning them all (along with Sovereign) to the Republic. During the battle against Sovereign’s forces, additional information had come in indicating that the new Star Khan had also assisted the Young Guardians in stopping the supervillains that had been attempting to break Mindfire out of custody and attacked several AEGIS agents in the process.

 

Paradigm stepped forward to look at the gathered group of heroes. Standing near the Praetorians was the Kinarr Khan and Justicar Vor'an. Although the latter had been injured during the battle aboard Sovereign’s cruiser, he had remained at Star Khan's side once he had returned from the surface. "On behalf of the Lor Republic and Coalition Council, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Freedom League and all the others who joined us today in capturing Prince Dovox and many of his followers. Since the dark days of the Incursion, I have always appreciated the opportunity to work with the heroes of this world. In addition to assisting in the capture of one who has long stood as a threat to the stability and prosperity of the Coalition, we have also insured that the peace treaty offered by the Stellar Khanate will have the opportunity to move forward, rather than failing before it even began."

 

"It cannot be understated how significant and far reaching this peace will before much of this quadrant. When finalized, and if all sides truly commit to it, I expect it will bring benefits to all involved that will be felt for generations to come." The purple haired Naram looked over toward Kinarr as she finished.

 

"In addition to offering my thanks for all your assistance, I would also like to offer my apologies," the young Zultasian began as he stepped forward next to Paradigm. "To the Freedom League and other gathered heroes of Earth, I am sorry for any concern, inconvenience or other disruption my arrival has caused to you and your world. I appreciate having the opportunity to visit your world and stand beside some of you against Dovox. I hope that if we meet again, it will be under more pleasant circumstances."

 

"Kinarr and I appreciate the offer to set us up for a…. 'dinner date' at the 'Starlight Room.' However, I am afraid we will need to…I believe the phrase is, 'take a rain check.' I understand that the negotiations of the peace agreement between the Khanate and the Republic and Coalition worlds has been progressing, but Kinarr is needed back at CoVic station to help finalize and approve the final agreement." She looked over towards Kinarr briefly before focusing on those gathered once more. "Again, I thank your assistance today and look forward to seeing all of you again under more peaceful circumstances."

[Spacefurry]

Predator

 

Predator hadn’t been to the Lighthouse before. She had heard of it and read reports. Even looked over a few basic maps of its layout, just nothing deemed sensitive or classified.

Only a strong will and a sense of common courtesy kept her from wandering off to ‘look around’. Perhaps later she could get someone to give her a tour.

 

She had removed her helmet as she stood with the others, Star Kahn and Paradigm giving their thanks to the assembled heroes.

She gave the duo a nod in return and smiled.

“More peaceful and pleasant circumstances are always preferred.”

She agreed.

[MoonSimply]

La Puma Negra

 

A few bandages had been carefully placed on her body after their fight with the alien warband that had landed within Freedom City back on Earth, feeling the sting of a bruise still on her body from where one the strange, high-tech firearms had impacted. If she hadn't been as sturdy as she was or as agile, she'd assume that a normal person could have been rather hurt by it or far worse considering these were likely military weapons. There was a doubt in her mind that she'd have been able to handle some of the bigger hitters of the marauding alien force that came, but it didn't matter with the all the heroes around that were able to help defend the planet and this new apparent Star Khan or whatever they were called.

 

Keeping by Golden Star, she'd cross her arms, looking out once again into space as the adults in the room made their speeches, waiting patiently for whatever came next. Intergalactic politicking was beyond her high school education anyway, and there were already subjects she was struggling with that and didn't need to be made more complicated by thinking of things on such a galactic scale as that.

[Poncho]

Michael was absolutely going nuts at this. In his own mind, he was running a billion miles an hour. He wanted to look over every single piece of equipment, every single room, of this satellite. He wasn't going to, but he wanted to. He barely even noticed his own bruises and injuries he was so excited. He could barely take in everything going on. He barely understood it to begin with, to be honest, but he was going to try. So this was a bigger thing then just their issue. He wondered how many people the Star Khan had saved just today. How far had he traveled? He barely looked tired at all, too. Michael had thought that he had come into that fight fresh as a daisy, but it seemed like him and Paradigm both had been traveling for an extended period of time before they even go to where they fought the commander. Who could even think they could manage against two people like that?

 

He had more work to do, that was for sure. These people had given him even more impossible to reach goals to strive for.

 

He didn't try to talk when Paradigm and Kinarr finished; he wasn't supposed to be a person talking here, after all. He just smiled softly at Carmen and inclined his head towards one of the windows, walking over to it while the adults were talking.

 

"...Weird to think about just how far away we are from home...and how much space there is between us and everyone else up here, huh? We're really stuck in the middle." he asked her as he stared down at the planet. He couldn't see his house, or even his state. But he could see his continent. He could see so many people, even if they weren't really visible. It almost made his head hurt to think about how far he still had to go for every single one of those people that he was looking at. He looked back at the talking heroes, but he also kept glancing to Carmen and to the Earth outside. Too much to look at, and so many thoughts swirling in his head. It didn't matter how fast he processed them, there were just too many, so he was forced to just...think. And listen.

[Fox]

Gaian Knight

 

"You wouldn't be the first accidental trouble-maker," chuckled the Gaian Knight, "and I doubt you'll be the last. It'll have been worth it if it's one step forward to a bigger peace."

 

He'd had to take off his breastplate - between taking a mech-sized blast to the front and a solid blow to the back it was bent out of shape and not exactly comfortable anymore, and he was starting to wonder why he still bothered. "There's frankly a lot of trouble that finds its way to our neck of space, and anything that makes life quieter for you will make life quieter for us. Just, ah - if you do follow up on that rain check or ever come back, give us some notice if you can. Just in case."

[Avenger Assembled]

Physically and spiritually exhausted, the Patriot made somewhat lame farewells to the visiting Lor - though she made sure to check in on La Puma Negra and her new boyfriend before she left. She and Fleur de Joie took a ride together out of the Lighthouse, stepping through one of Fleur's portals and back home to her front lawn. 

 

Unsnapping her helmet, she walked inside and found her wife playing with their son, news about the Praetorians and Star-Khan playing on the television. An exhausted Ashley Tran dropped down on the couch next to her wife said simply, "Baby, I think we need some counseling." 

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

Star Khans and Khanates and space politics? It honestly goes a bit above Casper's head. It isn't something he has ever really given too much thought. It used to be above his paygrade, back when he used to just be the friendly neighborhood Ghost, but now, as he looks out the windows at the stars, while Paradigm, the leader of an alien super hero team, speaks? He needs to step up his game again.

 

Seeing the kids there, it seems that the Star Khan had gone out of his way to stick his nose into everything. Doing it to impress a girl isn't exactly the best reason for being a hero, but hey, Casper's not one to talk there.

 

Maybe he shouldn't, but he can't help himself from following up on Gaian Knight's request for an advance warning. "Yes, please do. We'll arrange some dragon bodyguards or something. Put some people up in space to redirect any big warships coming after you. Y'know, a standard celebrity date night."

[Tiffany Korta]

Traveller
Sitara sidled up to her commander, and friends, once all the official business was dealt with. She'd had her share of such things and she'd never been a big fan of all this faffing about with ceremony.

"Shame about the wedding, I'd had something nice picked out all special and everything! That aside it wouldn't hurt to kick back a little more, date or otherwise, you've been burning the candle at both ends since I first met you all those years ago."

 

Mention of time led her to look out of the windows at the brightest and closest star, that of all these Terrans called their home system.

 

"The Terrans have a saying that you can't go home again, and I worry that it might be true. After all, I just called them Terrans like a native Lor!" she laughed nervously and added, "I really should go and see just how much has changed since I left, when all this has settled down obviously!"

[Ecalsneerg]

Galvanic

 

Chlo'zel joined the group, standing beside Sitara and gazing out the viewport. "Interesting sayingproverb." Her brow furrowed and she looked concerned. "Have often same. What helpaided was to think, for all we have changed, so too has home. Has it changed with you?" Chlo'zel gestured at the room of strangely empowered beings and aliens with capabilities beyond the ken of her own people. "Maybe those on Earth are not as unlike you." She shrugged. "Perhaps we take this strangeunusual life as granted. Republic has us. Earth has League." Galvanic put a hand on Sitara's shoulder. "Not unlike."

 

Her lips parted into a cheery smile and the solemnity melted away. "Though would rather like to see a Terran throw a spacecraft." Chlo'zel's eyes lit up, for once proverbially. "Sincerehonest, was not confidentsure!"