The Crash

[quotemyname]

Breakdown finished miming how one might fasten a seat belt across their waist, and looked up at Fulcrum. "Oh, fine. Fine." He mused. "Hell of a job you did on the hull of the ship, there. Not bad for your first time in metal shop, huh?"

Confident that the pilot of the alien ship wasn't going anywhere, Breakdown floated up off the nose of the vessel. He lazily drifted over the ship in a reclined position with his arms crossed behind his head. Floating around Fulcrum he asked, "So, you know anything about these alien dudes? Or is that strictly the domain of DS?"

[Electra]

Stesha began teleporting people in groups while the armored man did whatever he was doing on the downed spaceship. The transits were quick and easy, since they weren't that far from shore anyway. Just a quick rush of green and the smell of mown grass, and then they were standing in the middle of one of the waterfront parks, next to a handsome old pine tree. "Just stay here," Stesha told them, trying to mime staying put to people she suspected had no English. "I'll be right back."

By the time the armored man arrived back on deck, she was just ready to move the last group off to shore. She paused to look at the man's burden, stepping close to study the body before realizing he was beyond her help. "I'm sorry," she said sympathetically, looking up into the helmeted man's face. "We should get you to shore." As he joined the others, Stesha put a hand on his arm, then touched the petal of one of the large flowers, and in a moment, all the Khaladi were reunited in the snowy park.

[Heritage]

The young plant woman was amazingly efficient; in a manner of minutes, she'd apparently cleared all the crash survivors (or were they really refugees?) safely to shore far, much faster than Coast Guard copter ever could manage. Gossamer approached her, shaking her head with admiration as she held out her hand, her hair trailing behind her like a wake.

"Very well done, miss! I'm Dr Estelle de Havilland, from ASTRO Labs. Very impressive." The blonde scientist then addressed the rest of the group. "It seems that all is well in hand, from a life-saving point of view, though it does look like we were all to late to help that poor elderly gentleman." She indicated the fallen vessel with a wave of her hand. "Are any of you familiar with this type of craft? Do we need to get it somewhere safe?"

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum sighed sadly at the sight of elderly man. When the alien warrior departed with his charge, she answered Breakdown, "Thanks. Never knew I had it in me. Unfortunately, I know jack. We'll both have to pick Dark Star's brain." Arms crossed, she leaned against the small fighter and grinned at the pilot.

"I'm Fulcrum. Nice to meet you, Dr. Havilland. And you as well," she waved to Fleur de Joie. Something about the flower-powered woman seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite remember her name. "Dark Star, would you enlighten us please while we move to shore?"

[Skysong]

It all happened too fast to comprehend. The plant woman whispered condolences to him, her eyes mourning a man she didn't even know, and then touched one of the plants that had accompanied her onto the deck. The next instant, he was somewhere else entirely. He didn't know what he'd been expecting; perhaps a tingly feeling, or a great lurch, or the urge to be sick, but all he felt was an instant of warmth, as though a web of life surrounded and enfolded him. It was gone as soon as it had come, leaving Zakitaj to wonder whether Physicus had felt the same way each time he teleported.

He opened his eyes and gasped, commanding his helmet to become transparent again. He stood in a truly strange and alien place, so far removed from his homeworld. There had been no plants there; he only recognized the ones summoned by the plant woman because of a tattered photograph of a place called the Huntington Gardens which Physicus had brought with him. Nor had there been any of this... white stuff. Bending down, he touched it, and ascertained that it was frozen water.

There seemed to be water everywhere here; it coated the ground, and made up all of the vast plain of Ocean. As he deactivated his battlesuit, allowing it to retract into the gauntlets and chestpiece once more, Zakitaj also noticed that his limbs felt heavier and more clumsy, as though someone were pushing on them all the time; that made sense, as Earth was much more massive than Khalados had been, and the pull of its gravity was thus far greater. The chill he was accustomed to, despite the thinness of his jumpsuit; his ancestors had survived worse with less.

He raised his eyes from the ground and joined the rest of the Khaladi in looking around in awe. Khalados had been plagued by terrible storms, which ripped free great chunks of rock and bludgeoned anything that got in their way; thus, Khaladi cities were built downward, into the ground, though that had mattered little when they had been bombarded by the full power of a Broan fleet, which had ripped through their dusty soil to destroy the culture that lay beneath. Yet these Earthlings built upward, not downward; buildings of metal and glass formed vast canyons that stretched all the way to the sky, like a fleet of starships frozen in time just as they blasted off for the stars.

The Khaladi stood a good ways from these buildings, but they were so large that they were easy to see anyway. Their immediate surroundings, however, were no less fascinating. The "trees" Physicus had described, though without the green canopy in the picture he carried, stood tall like the skeletal sentinels of Khaladi myth, the guardians of the dead who ferried spirits to the afterlife they deserved. Resilient, aged, and proud, they had all the strength of and greater character than the buildings, and flowed more organically, having grown in whatever direction was most advantageous to their continued life.

Benches, covered in a thin layer of frozen water, provided spaces for people to sit; that meant that this place was no accident. It was heartening that the people of Earth saw the beauty inherent in their own rich ecosystem as well as the constructions of their cities. Taking off one of his armored gloves and shifting Physicus to lean him gently on his opposite shoulder, Zakitaj pressed his bare palm against the rough exterior of the nearest tree, his fingers tracing the channels that crisscrossed the organic outer armor.

"You were right," he whispered to his friend and teacher. "It really is beautiful here; impossibly beautiful. What could possibly have convinced you to leave?" Physicus was silent, reminding Zakitaj of the task at hand. Sliding his gauntlet back on, he waited for the talk.

[Cyroa]

"Dr Estelle de Havilland? Pleasure to meet you. I'll handle the vessels and join you shortly." Dark Star watched as Stesha began to safely spirited the newcomers away. Nodding, he reached out and altered the gravity of the two vessels. It took a few moments, but soon enough they were headed skywards rapidly. Soon both Dark Star and the two alien vessels had risen out of sight. He took a few moments to place both vessels in a very high orbit, after making sure the pilot was safe and not about to suffer from decompression. "Please wait here. I'll return you to your people once I'm finished below."

He supposed he could have delivered both vessels to the various scientific minds or even a government. But that wasn't his way. They might complain to him, but he'd weather that easily enough; he certainly did enough to make up for it. Humanity needed to learn things on their own, not borrow or jump ahead using other's knowledge. Besides, neither ship belonged to him or anyone on Earth. He'd leave it to the visitors to make their own decision on what they'd like done with it.

Once satisfied, Dark Star shot downward to rejoin the others. He nodded to everyone. "Sorry Fulcrum, I wanted to move the vessels first to avoid any...unpleasantness. Any more that is. I will do my best to answer any questions I can."

He looked at the newcomers and their apparent leader as well as a deceased humanoid. He really hated doing this; not just because he was so bad at this but because he hated giving such horrible news. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said honestly. "And I have even more bad new to share as well I'm afraid, though you might know this already. You are from Khalados, yes? If so, then it is my sad responsibility to tell you of your world. The Broan armada attacked and conquered your world. And true to their standard proceedure, stripmined the planet. This was roughly eight years ago. I'm so very sorry, but your homeworld is gone."

[Skysong]

Dark Star's return was expected, and dreaded. The news he bore was unknown, and Zakitaj waited with bated breath as the meta began to speak. He knew of Khalados's fate; he'd been there when it had all unfolded, had seen the slaughter and barely survived it. He knew that the Broan had casually stripped the planet of all resources, probably reducing it to dust not long after his escape. He breathed out; it was bad news, certainly, but not news he didn't know or couldn't have guessed. And then Dark Star mentioned the time frame, and his eyes became wide. "Eight... eight years?" How could it have been so long? He'd been literally frozen solid while the remnants of his home went eight times around its sun, or perhaps more; he didn't know how a Khaladi year compared to an Earth year. Physicus would have been gone from Earth for nearly thirty years; his accounts were no doubt dated. What had changed in all that time? And, far beyond Earth, what had the Broan been up to in so many years?

But Zakitaj was rarely at a loss for words for long, especially when he represented his people. "Thank you for telling us. We didn't expect anything to be left of Khalados, but we didn't expect such a long journey, either. I am glad to have met someone who knows of the politics beyond his world; if we had been so wise, we would not be in this situation. Perhaps you can guide us to one of your planetary government's offices? I imagine we'll have to apply for Earth citizenship." It seemed perfectly reasonable; Khalados had been united under a single government despite tribal divisions and resentments, and that had allowed it to prosper greatly, making great leaps in technology. Surely Earth, a much larger planet filled with Metahumans of incredible power, would also be unified. "I should also speak with the captain again; some of his cargo was lost over the side during the crash, and I wish to provide him with compensation as soon as I am able. But I understand if you have more immediate tasks. We can find our way, if necessary." He wasn't sure of that, but he didn't want to make one of the planet's protectors act as a tour guide when he could be bringing criminals to justice.

[quotemyname]

Breakdown had teleported himself and Fulcrum onto the field only a short while ago. He arrived not long before Dark Star himself returned. The speed at which the Claremont professor could travel always amazed him.

For once, Breakdown had no comments to make. He only watched solemnly as Dark Star offered his condolences and news. "So lemme get this straight." He said quietly to Fulcrum on the side, "It sounds like those other alien dudes screwed up this alien dude's home planet. I didn't think it was possible to strip mine a planet, but hey." Breakdown shrugged, continuing. "So they've been doing what, for the last eigght years? Running? You'd think if that were the case then they would know how long it's been." Breakdown's arms were folded across his chest. He'd set down on the ground, trying not to appear imposing to the rest of the apparently non-powered Khaladians. Khaladians? Khaladons? Khalodins? Whatever.

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum nodded her understanding to Dark Star.

"Remember Aliens? My bet is that they were asleep," She murmured back to Breakdown. If Breakdown was imposing, Fulcrum knelt down before speaking, "My question is how they ended up here. Not like alien refugees land here every day."

Listening to the warrior left no doubt that the Khaladians had no idea of what to expect on Earth. Fleeing your homeland (or world!) must have been difficult, let alone under military assault, and with that she could sympathize given her family's past. Leaving them to their fate was out of the question, although privately she understood that more connected heroes knew specifics. At least advocating for them could get the gears turning and help them feel at home.

Stepping up to the group, arms open wide in peaceful greeting, she addressed them, "My name is Mona Teymourian, also known as Fulcrum. On the behalf of the residents of Freedom City, I welcome you to the state of New Jersey and the United States of America. We do not have a united world government, but you've arrived in what has been dubbed the 'land of immigrants'." Clapping her hands together and smiling, she continued, "I'm sure we can contact the captain, but first lets find some accommodations for everyone."

[Skysong]

Zakitaj recovered quickly from yet another surprise; when Physicus had mentioned "nations", he'd assumed they'd been like the tribes of his homeworld, regulating various pieces of territory but subject to the will of the planetary government. Evidently Earth was more divided; of course, there were more people there, so it made sense that they had not yet unified. He had heard mention of "New Jersey" and the "United States of America", but had not considered them particularly important, as they had until recently merely been descriptions of geographical areas he never intended to visit. That the area was known to be friendly to immigrants, however, was a good thing. The Earthlings had great protections in the form of their metahumans, and (though perhaps only due to a lack of contact) probably didn't fear the Broan. If they were also shown to generally be accepting of newcomers from different cultures, that would also work in the favor of the Khaladi. Maybe coming to this planet had been the right choice after all; he'd put lives in danger, but he might also have saved many lives. He turned to his people and translated Fulcrum's words, then turned back.

"We thank you for your generous greeting, Ta'das... excuse me, madam Teymourian. I apologize for my ignorance of your planet; I'm afraid that I am actually the most informed of us, but I'm sure that if others are as kind and understanding as you and your compatriots have been, we will learn quickly. Please also forgive my impetuousness and disregard for the weariness of my people; it was born not out of malice, but out of a desire to see all debts repaid that... how do you say... became twined... no... twisted into an apathy regarding the immediate concerns of others. Finding accommodations would be a wise choice; the journey has not seemed long, but is has been taxing."

[Electra]

Stesha made one last trip to the ship, where she'd found the danger mostly past and her compatriots headed shoreward. Since Doctor Haviland, the woman with the very long hair, did not seem to have a quick way to shore, Stesha gave her a ride, popping out of the pine tree in the midst of the refugees. She listened to the others as she made her way around to where Dark Star and the armored man were talking. "I'm Fleur de Joie," she introduced herself with a smile. "You all must be worn out after coming all this way." She looked to Dark Star. "The Freedom League should be able to find a place for them, don't you think? They deal with refugees from different worlds from time to time. In any case," she told the armored man, "we'll find somewhere. Are any of you injured?"

[Skysong]

Zakitaj shook his head in response to the Plant Woman's question. "The injured simply didn't reach the ship. There wasn't time to..." He thought about what he was saying; had he, in his heart, known that Physicus was going to die before he reached the starship? It was likely. He might, then, be considered a murderer. Plenty of Khaladi who might have survived their wounds had lain on the ground while he bore his dying mentor past them. He had valued Physicus's life more than theirs partly out of foolish hope that he might live to guide them and party out of respect for the man who had saved the lives of all those who survived, but Physicus wouldn't have wanted that. He hadn't returned expecting to survive, only to help others do so. But the Khaladi were honor-bound to respect the fallen who had done great things; it would not have been respectful to leave Physicus on a destroyed planet. Still, he would have to remember to more carefully consider even his snap-judgements so that they were motivated by wisdom, not emotion.

"In any case, it is just us, and we are healthy enough, though indeed worn out as you say."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded. "I agree. The Freedom League has the contacts and resources to help you settle. Assuming you wish to stay. Your ship is still yours; I've simply moved it to where no one else is likely to try and claim it. I do not know if it can be repaired or not but when you have a place for it, contact me and I'll bring it back. And beyond that, I can offer you transport to, well, anywhere. If I come across other colonies or outposts for your people, I will certainly let you know. But if not, you are welcome here."

[Skysong]

Zakitaj nodded.

"Thank you. You've been... a savior. I don't believe we have any colonies; by certain schools of thinking, we were more like one of your colonies, though neither of us was aware of it. We will stay; I have been more than impressed with this world in all that I have seen, and we have no prospects anywhere else. The matter of the ship, however, remains. We have no need of it any longer, and I'm not entirely sure it's even possible to repair it, though the attempt could be made. When we've reached a decision, you will be the first to know. I commend you for going beyond the call of duty in assisting us; your selflessness will be remembered."

[Cyroa]

Dark Star shrugs and shook his head a little. "It's quite alright. I'm just doing what anyone else would do. You needed help and we're happy to give it. We should head to League when you're ready. The sooner you are settled, the better. You've got lots of people to look after. Rest and food will be welcome I'm sure." He looked around at the assembled group. Yet another set of good people made to suffer due to the evils of certain empires. Maybe someday the Grue and the Broan and those like them would have to be dealt with. It would take a rather sizable coalition, but one that was worth looking into perhaps.