Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 4 Chapter 53 Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 04:07:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 06:42:44 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005253 At 08:41 PM 7/30/98 -0700, you wrote: >Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005244 > >"I had begun to suspect that, > And I believe that Compleate Assimilation in just One Reality, > Would be insuficiant to clear the problem..." > >"However, > I have learn to distrust to ulterior motives, > Of those who behave as you do, Doctor." > >"I believe we could call the battle off, > If you would allow an observer to remain." Sinister smirks, Other member of the CAoL already heading out. "It seems your compatriots disagree. Perhaps you should leave as well, and leave Legion in my capable... hands." However before Sinister can be even more insulting, a very tired sounding, echoy mental voice is heard in the area *nathan... what was that discussion we had about manners...* Those remaining see two expressions they would have NEVER expected to see n the face of Mr. Sinister.... Chargin... and he seems totally flustered. "Victoria... Legion... you aren't supposed to be awake..." Sinister shifts to the form of Nathaniel Essex, currently clad in a Vicotrian style suit. *I mis-calculated how long it would takd to deal with that regoue- persoality I acquired in Jadis's realm... and... NATHANIEL! You weren't going to tell me they had been here, were you?* Legion's mental voice(s) has a softly scolding tone. Nathaniel protests, "My dear.... I only have your best interests in mind..." *That wasn't an answer, Nathaniel...* [OOC: For those stilll in the scene, feel free to respond. I intend to have us all back to Morgan's and Roland's tonight/tomorrow morning, and just a few IC minutes after leaving thanks to a nice little nip and tuck in the teleportion.] =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 06:11:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005254 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 06:42:44 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005253 > > Sinister smirks, Other member of the CAoL already heading out. "It > seems your compatriots disagree. Perhaps you should leave as well, > and leave Legion in my capable... hands." Obviously haveing no effect on Hello Nurse. > *I mis-calculated how long it would takd to deal with that regoue- > persoality I acquired in Jadis's realm... and... NATHANIEL! You > weren't going to tell me they had been here, were you?* Legion's > mental voice(s) has a softly scolding tone. > > Nathaniel protests, "My dear.... I only have your best interests in > mind..." > > *That wasn't an answer, Nathaniel...* * Keeping Patients and Friends informed is where a great many Physicians Fail, It must be noted that, Most are not quite this Extreme in their reactions...* * Caprice, Is this Doctor and Course of Treatment of Your Choice?* =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 13:12:45 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Caprice Quest On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:10:55 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005255 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 01:26:20 -0500 > Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00005252 > > "I overheard talk of gating a ship into the docking bay. While I > don't doubt the expertise of Nemo, I believe it would be easier on > all concerned if we opted for the parking orbit. Once there, > clearances and such can be easily forged with someone on the > station. A spot Tink and I volunteer for since it is home turf for > us." "You misheard. I'll be gating one of the Glove's *shuttles* from here to one of the Glove's docking bays. The Glove *has* to use a parking orbit.... " "Also, please take heed of the warning signs. The accesses to the outer hull are marked with radiation warning signs because the outer layers are still rather radioactive after the pounding she took in the last engagement she was in. Nukes are *so* messy. Perfectly safe as long as you stay away from the outer 500 meters of hull." =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 15:10:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Earth-9: After Breakfast Moving Out (was: On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 16:58:49 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005256 :On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:10:55 PST :Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005255 : :"You misheard. I'll be gating one of the Glove's *shuttles* from here : to one of the Glove's docking bays. The Glove *has* to use a parking : orbit.... " "A journey of a thousand steps begins with the first..." James muses, his thoughts obviously elsewhere for the main part. :"Also, please take heed of the warning signs. The accesses to the : outer hull are marked with radiation warning signs because the outer : layers are still rather radioactive after the pounding she took in : the last engagement she was in. Nukes are *so* messy. Perfectly safe : as long as you stay away from the outer 500 meters of hull." "How high in the energy bands is she "hot", Nemo? And if you can... communicate the material so irridated to me, I might be able to come up with a remediative but non-damaging method of clearing her." He cuts himself off, and looks at the being so addressed with his full attention back on the current moment. "Unless you'd rather just take the easy way and wait for the radiatiactive life expiration. One does have to watch the assumptions of time, when working with so many non-carbons." -- James "Bond" Keenan "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." Catherine Aint =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 15:15:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE: Caprice Quest On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 15:47:47 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00005257 >On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:10:55 PST >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005255 > >"You misheard. I'll be gating one of the Glove's *shuttles* from here > to one of the Glove's docking bays. The Glove *has* to use a parking > orbit.... " "Ah, I thought I might have." >"Also, please take heed of the warning signs. The accesses to the > outer hull are marked with radiation warning signs because the outer > layers are still rather radioactive after the pounding she took in > the last engagement she was in. Nukes are *so* messy. Perfectly safe > as long as you stay away from the outer 500 meters of hull." "Of course." =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 18:37:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Earth-9: After Breakfast Moving Out (was: On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 17:25:43 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005258 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 16:58:49 -0500 > Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005256 > > "How high in the energy bands is she "hot", Nemo? And if you can... > communicate the material so irridated to me, I might be able to come > up with a remediative but non-damaging method of clearing her." He > cuts himself off, and looks at the being so addressed with his full > attention back on the current moment. "Unless you'd rather just take > the easy way and wait for the radiatiactive life expiration. One > does have to watch the assumptions of time, when working with so > many non-carbons." "By now it'd take several hours in a suit before you got a fatal dose. But given the size of the ship, we didn't bother with decontam. It tends to discourage boarding parties when the outer hull reads like a nuclear waste dump." Nemo smiles at that last. "There's nothing important close enough to the outer hull to get a higher radiation dose than you'd get from living in a granite building." "But thanks for the offer. I'll keep you in mind if we decide we need to clean it up in less than a couple of centuries." =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 20:07:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Earth-9: After Breakfast Moving Out (was: On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 22:00:29 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005259 :On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 17:25:43 PST :Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005258 : :"By now it'd take several hours in a suit before you got a fatal : dose. But given the size of the ship, we didn't bother with : decontam. It tends to discourage boarding parties when the outer : hull reads like a nuclear waste dump." Nemo smiles at that last. "Rather guess it would. Having your feet cook tends to discourage a boarding party, even in suits." :"There's nothing important close enough to the outer hull to get a : higher radiation dose than you'd get from living in a granite : building." :"But thanks for the offer. I'll keep you in mind if we decide we need : to clean it up in less than a couple of centuries." "It doesn't sound as if you'd want to. The only reason I even made bold to offer is the presumption your works, if not your self, were still under the liscensure of entropic causations. If such were the case, dealing with such a large amount of radiation would almost certainly easier for me to do than you, at least as far as total energy so expended. Do let me know if I can assist you with any workings " James answers politely, but very softly, allowing the Queen to dominate the room. He stayed on his feet, and if she looks like she wishes to sit, he'll offer her his chair. =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 20:32:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:08:51 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005260 At 06:11 AM 7/31/98 -0700, you wrote: >Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005254 > >* Keeping Patients and Friends informed is where a great many > Physicians Fail, It must be noted that, Most are not quite this > Extreme in their reactions...* Caprice thinks wryly, *So I have noticed* >* Caprice, > Is this Doctor and Course of Treatment of Your Choice?* *Yes, it is. Nathaniel... is not the man he once was. And he has been my physician for a while* =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 20:58:14 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005261 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:08:51 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005260 > > *Yes, it is. Nathaniel... is not the man he once was. And he has > been my physician for a while* With that stated Nemisis will withdraw. "*As you will, We hope to see you soon This {} is the current location of Mischief, Buffy is watching her.*" Elsewhere Nemisis steps out from behind Buffy... Hello Nurse will be somewhat harder to dislodge... But offers no apparent threat. =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 21:04:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE4: Catching up On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:32:45 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005262 [OOC: Feel free to post replies to this or previous posts, just getting us caught up for joing things at B5.] The next hour and half passes quickly enough, half heard snips of telepathic coversation between Sinister and Legion of interest if only for their slightly maddening entertainment value. *... gave me a chance...* *... gave them one, Nathaniel...* *... changes nothing to them...* *... not long enough ...* *... why do you...* *... must do, can't...* *... worth it? They ...* *.. matter. It needs...* *... wish you would ...* *.. sorry ...* Sinister is quiet, almost solemn, as the time is finally up. The barriers surrounding Legion are absorbed into the floor, and the vat she is in unfolding like some obscene flower opening. The gel she was floating in does not flow away, but begins to peel off in gelatinous layers that dissolve when they hit the ground. Sinister catches Legion as she blindly pushes free of the mess. The gel left her suit and hair dry, surprisingly, and smelled briny and medicinal at once. Supporting her with one hand, Sinister removed the tubes in her expertly removing the tubes that were in her. [OOC: Nodding off rl... will mail more in the morning, all that is left are farewells and the tport... and replies. :)] =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 21:09:19 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 20:19:14 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005263 >On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 06:42:44 -0400 >Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005253 > >>Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005244 >> >>"However, >> I have learn to distrust to ulterior motives, >> Of those who behave as you do, Doctor." "Or who kidnap anyone who might prove useful in their experiments," Sil adds coldly. >Sinister smirks, Other member of the CAoL already heading out. "It >seems your compatriots disagree. Perhaps you should leave as well, >and leave Legion in my capable... hands." "Or other appendages?" Sil replies tonelessly. >"Victoria... Legion... you aren't supposed to be awake..." Sinister >shifts to the form of Nathaniel Essex, currently clad in a Vicotrian >style suit. /Why am I not surprised?/ Sil concentrates. Nothing happens. Sil keeps her face even, but those on the link can feel an emotion from Sil they've never felt from her before, even when she was in mortal danger. Panic. /ROLAND! I can't contact Phoenix!/ Roland, having no need to keep a poker face, frowns deeply. /Is Sinister cutting you off?/ /If he could do that, Sinister would have conquered this universe long ago. Something's happened to my mother!/ A sheepish feeling now emanates from her as well. /Um, can I borrow some of your psi?/ /You have to ask?/ >*I mis-calculated how long it would takd to deal with that regoue- >persoality I acquired in Jadis's realm... and... NATHANIEL! You >weren't going to tell me they had been here, were you?* Legion's >mental voice(s) has a softly scolding tone. Sil glows with added power from Roland. While she's still not the equal of a full Phoenix Force wielder, she could take two Heralds with one hand tied behind her back. "Sinister..." >Nathaniel protests, "My dear.... I only have your best interests in >mind..." > >*That wasn't an answer, Nathaniel...* "SINISTER..." Sil's eyes are no longer glowing; instead, they absorb light, seeming to be as jet black as her hair... -- Silver Phoenix Guide, traveller, artist, and all around good egg ;-) =========================== Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 21:32:32 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE4: Catching up Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005264 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:32:45 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005262 > > Sinister catches Legion as she blindly pushes free of the mess. The > gel left her suit and hair dry, surprisingly, and smelled briny and > medicinal at once. Supporting her with one hand, Sinister removed > the tubes in her expertly removing the tubes that were in her. "Congratulations Doctor, May I assist in any way?" =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 05:06:51 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE:Caprice Quest On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 07:04:48 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005265 >On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 20:19:14 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005263 > > "SINISTER..." Sil's eyes are no longer glowing; instead, they >absorb light, seeming to be as jet black as her hair... Sinister turns, and seeing the change in Sil, reacts with what (for him) is admirable restraints, merely shifting back to his pale Mr. Sinister form and tightening his mental hold on his home. It is Caprice that asks the obvious question *Sil? What's the matter? What's wrong?* =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 08:40:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Catching up On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 08:30:26 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005267 > On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:32:45 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005262 > > The next hour and half passes quickly enough, half heard snips of > telepathic coversation between Sinister and Legion of interest if > only for their slightly maddening entertainment value. Jim spends it in a corner, morphing body parts into various equipment as he attempts some dimentional triangulation work on tracking down The Controller's bases while he waits. As time goes on it's obvious he's not getting the results he expected or wanted. > Sinister catches Legion as she blindly pushes free of the mess. The > gel left her suit and hair dry, surprisingly, and smelled briny and > medicinal at once. Supporting her with one hand, Sinister removed > the tubes in her expertly removing the tubes that were in her. Jim re-forms into an entirely human appearance, the shifts into a copy of The Controller, then into Iron Man, then Justin, then finally himself again, obviously trying to figure out the best form in whcihc to introduce himself to Legion. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 09:06:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Catching up On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 11:46:24 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005268 >On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 08:30:26 -0700 (MST) >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005267 > > Jim re-forms into an entirely human appearance, the shifts into a >copy of The Controller, then into Iron Man, then Justin, then finally >himself again, obviously trying to figure out the best form in whcihc >to introduce himself to Legion. Legion's current appearance is about six feet tall, with tosseled red hair to her waist and hazel eyes. She blinks at Jim, leaning on Sinister for support. "Justin? No, you aren't..." She hesitates, obviously confused, watching Jim. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 10:37:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Catching up On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 10:56:07 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005269 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 11:46:24 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005268 > > Legion's current appearance is about six feet tall, with tosseled > red hair to her waist and hazel eyes. She blinks at Jim, leaning on > Sinister for support. "Justin? No, you aren't..." She hesitates, > obviously confused, watching Jim. "There is some explaining to be done, adn that is why I have come. I am Jim. You might say Justin was my late father. He gave his life before he had the chance to thank you for making him the man he became. It was in Quaren that his life made its chance from that of the Controller to that of Justin Fliesh. And a large tool in that was a condecending speech from an unassuming young lady while Justin was racked with self pity over hsi failed grab for Chaos's power. "I know he would have wanted to thank you himself if he could be here. But he sacrificed himself to be able to create the temporal paradox he knew The Controller could not defend against. I now go to finish my father's work and destroy the remaining bases of the Controller where clones brains are stored that could once again give life to The Controller. Because of this duty I can not remain much longer. But even though Justin never gave us direct orders to do so, we know he would have wanted you to know the effect you had on his life. I know he contemplated how to tell you several times but never seemed to find the correct time or place." =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 15:08:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 >On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 00:13:55 -0500 >Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005249 > >:On Thu, 30 Jul 1998 20:54:59 >:Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005246 >:>On Thu, 30 Jul 1998 10:32:15 -0500 >:>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005234 > >James raises an interrogative eyebrow. "No apology to the lady, >then?" Then he quips with a perfectly serious face, "It is all Greek >to me." > >> Jason winces, and from somewhere, peanuts bounce off whatever defenses James has. >"But I do fail to see where my comprehension or accuity would be your >difficulty. As for Sleepers, I doubt you mean it as I would commonly >use the term, and I don't find it surprising that the systematic and >secretive use of memory wiping mechanisms would be distasteful to >some, if not most, of the humans I have had experience of." "Neither are. The loss of the effect is. The Veil is a collective mental effect of a race that doesn't _want_ to know." Jason frowns. >His mouth curves slowly into the familiar cruel half-grin. "Pleasure >exchanging Shakespeare with you, even if you are a thug instead of a >gentleman." The butt of James' cigarrette vanishes somehow, and he >jumps to get the back door for Morgan. "Why do I bother explaining myself to barbarians whose ancestors I was defending before their languages existed?" Jason mutters to himself. Roland, however, hears this. "Because you know that not _all_ people are afraid of what they don't understand, and that a lot of them never reach their full potential because of the Order's tactics?" The two stare at each other for a long moment. "I like you, Jason, and I'm grateful for your...patronage...but I don't like Aeon's tactics." Roland cocks his head, suddenly distracted by a mental contact from Sil. "Spoken like someone who didn't live through the Burning Times," Jason mutters, walking off. >James nods, then smiles just a bit. "It's always a pleasure to.. give >them such, isn't it? But, duty before dissolution. Although desire >certainly comes first. And you're thinking of my name sake. Despite >appearance, I'm not the same gentleman as Ian Flemin's protagonist. I >got this, " he fingers the scar, "from a maneater in Burma, not a >Mexican dope smuggler. Looks the same, I admit." He sighs. >"Coincidence is my companion, at times." "Ah, then you haven't run afoul of one Ernst Stavro Blofeld, late of SPECTRE-the SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion? He killed the wife of one of your counterparts-which is why I clamped down on the name as hard as I did. I didn't want to dredge up bad memories." Roland nods. "As for the rest, believe me, I sympathize. I bear a rather unfortunate resemblance to a member of the Champions- a superhero team in a nearby dimension." >James actual looks a bit surprised - it's nice to know he can. After >another glance at Roland and Morgan (it is their house), he steps >back with a definitely Japanese flavored bow, to a depth indicating >signal respect. (ooc: Those Brits are nuts for their own Queens, but >only a bit less so for other monarchs.) A gun is quickly pointed at the back of her head. She laughs. The MiB, thrown by this reaction, hesitates long enough for Jason to notice. He frowns, and the MiB retreats wordlessly. (OOC: Most will probably notice the use of telepathy, though the content was rather thoroughly coded.) >: Everyone instantly knows her, somehow, as the Queen of Air and >:Darkness of this world's Arcadia... Roland's eyes narrow to slits. "Your Majesty," he says coolly. He very deliberately does not bow. "Phoenix," she replies with a smile. "But please, I am your guest. No need for formalities. Fatale will do." She practically glides in; Morticia probably took lessons from her. "Greetings to you all. I must say, your...adventures...have been quite exhilarating, and of course the Controller's plans represented as much of a threat to my demense as to Auberon's, so I am quite grateful to you all as well. Sadly, one of my...experiments...has gotten somewhat out of hand." "KnightMare." Fatale nods, though her smile is untouched. "Just so." > James answers politely, but very softly, allowing the Queen to >dominate the room. He stayed on his feet, and if she looks like she >wishes to sit, he'll offer her his chair She beams at him, noting by his body language the implied offer. "Thank you, but my...advantages...allow me to avoid discomfort." "You were making an explanation," Roland urges. "As a courtesy," Fatale replies, unfazed. "Noting the effect the Controller was having on Arcadia, I chose to use the most formidable entity fallen into the faerie domain. The Shadow Z'On'Dar, now known as KnightMare. Had I known what he would yet do..." For a moment, her face clouds with concern, but only for a moment. "When the Controller at last struck at the Heart-a horror even I could not abide-I sent KnightMare to find the power _behind_ this... Controller. Such an entity, unaided, would have been quickly overwhelmed by the pure magick of Arcadia. Something was protecting his machines from Glamour. "Instead, the Fell Spider vanished. It resurfaced briefly, as I understand it, in an outreach of the Lands of Wonder, a place called Quaren. A fairly standard villain at that juncture, it had little bearing on that conflict...though it was very different from the emotionless entity that I found in my realm. "Again, it vanished. Even I could not find it until recently. But now, it has resurfaced, and if you will, I can regain control of the entity, and contain the struggle to Arcadia." At the last part, Roland's eyes bulge. Then he laughs. "You want us to help you conquer Arcadia!" "Yes and no," Fatale replies, still unfazed. "I desire to regain my rightful place in Arcadia. You want to prevent the creature that is now KnightMare from conquering thousands of worlds." Her smile softens. "I will not destroy the Heart, or the forces of Light. When they have held great power over me, their forces did not crush mine, after all. Light and Darkness cannot exist without one another." Roland crosses his arms. "You'll pardon us, I hope, for not exactly trusting your intentions." Fatale sighs. "Very well. I will prove to you that KnightMare is already mine to control; all I desire from you is that you 'clean up' the mess that it created. Morgan, if I may?" she asks. Morgan blinks, unsure what to expect. "Um, yeah, I guess," she says hesitantly, after a look at Roland. Roland shrugs. Fatale gestures, and a familiar creature oozes into existence in front of them. "Stand at attention," Fatale says, and the ersatz KnightMare becomes a biped and straightens. "You see? It is under my control. But the forces it has unleashed-" The gel-like form seems to vanish, and at once Fatale is jet black and seemingly chiseled from obsidian. Those with hypersenses can-briefly-sense the ooze lash out and cover her. "-are entirely under my control, of course." The voice is now an androgynous, echoing one rather than the rich feminine voice Fatale used. "Though I would far rather negotiate with you at this point, I can risk no interference until my Great Work is complete." "Don't bother," Roland snarls. "You're finished, KnightMare. We're on to you. Your little game is over. We're going to jump so far down your throat you're going to have indigestion for millenia." "I think not." A scene appears before the gathered CAoL. The space around Babylon Five, crowded with ships-the Galactica, many members of the rag-tag fleet who have yet to be escorted to Earth, various Alliance vessels, and the CAoL's few (for the moment) craft. Three Base Stars come around the planet. Roland chuckles. "That's it? Three Base Stars...against _that?_ Not to mention the Justice Legion-" "Wait." Nine _more_ Base Stars emerge from hyperspace, and all twelve disgorge Cylon Raiders. Then Thirdspace opens. The Eddorans, poised at the gate, burst out, and Vorlon fighters (with what look like steel plates on the back) are followed by what for all the world look like capitol-ship sized soap bubbles with black rail guns protruding from the 'front.' Smaller screens appear. Supergirl rockets out from Epsilon Three, and Green Lantern creates a giant screen around B-5. The Flash is gearing up in a strange encounter suit. Twin ebon streaks out and slam Kara back to the planet, and an enormous golden pin 'pops' the emerald forcefield around B-5. A yellow flash of light disrupts the Scarlet Speedster. "You will all bow before Zod!" "A futile effort, Hal Jordan," Sinestro laughs. "Die, Allen!" Professor Zoom snarls. "Holy sprocking Light," Roland breathes. "Babylon Five is doomed," the helpless Fatale says emotionlessly, "unless you intervene." "Don't get too comfortable, KnightMare," Roland says coldly. /Mount up, you rummies! The spider's finally made a mistake, and as soon as we clean up his wind-up soldiers, we're going to clean his clock!/ The Fatale/Shadow vanishes. /If you don't mind, Roland,/ Sil sends, returning his borrowed energy, /I'll stay here with Legion until she's ready to travel./ /Done,/ Roland agrees. /Let's haul./ Babylon Space. Ragnarok has arrived. The Legion of Doom:General Zod and Ursa, the Kryptonians, lead Zoom, Sinestro, Amazo the one man Justice Legion, Dr. Psycho the super-telepath, Despero the alien juggernaut, Felix Faust the techno(?)mage, and Starro the Conqueror. The Cylons: Twelve Base Stars and literally thousands of Raiders. The Eddorans: Ten capital ships and dozens of fighter craft. Crunch all you want, we'll make more! TBC =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 17:40:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 19:51:39 EDT Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00005271 > /Done,/ Roland agrees. /Let's haul./ > > Babylon Space. > Ragnarok has arrived. > The Legion of Doom:General Zod and Ursa, the Kryptonians, lead >Zoom, Sinestro, Amazo the one man Justice Legion, Dr. Psycho the >super-telepath, Despero the alien juggernaut, Felix Faust the >techno(?)mage, and Starro the Conqueror. > The Cylons: Twelve Base Stars and literally thousands of Raiders. > The Eddorans: Ten capital ships and dozens of fighter craft. > Crunch all you want, we'll make more! "Into the fray!" A telepathic voice is heard to say, and suddenly, a laser beam shoots out at a Cylon capitol ship. A big, powerful laser beam. Coming from a moving point in space. The origin of the ray cannot be seen. Five seconds later, the burst stops. For three seconds, large amounts of weapon fire vanish without a trace. Then, the beam begins anew. This time the beam is pointing at a Eddorian fighter. A small voice can be heard by telepaths who are near the origin of the beam, "Lather, rinse, repeat." And the beam does just that; repeat. Thanks Scott "Overly fond of sentence fragments" Osborne =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 17:40:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 19:55:47 EDT Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00005272 I said: >Then, the beam begins anew. This time the beam is pointing at a >Eddorian fighter. A hollow voice can be heard inside the fighter. "Take that, Gharlane! Set followups to alt.dev.null, will you?" A few peanuts appear nearby the origin of the laser beam. Thanks Scott "net.legend jokes" Osborne =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 18:37:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:21:09 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005273 :On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 :Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 :>On Fri, 31 Jul 1998 00:13:55 -0500 :>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005249 :>James raises an interrogative eyebrow. "No apology to the lady, :>then?" Then he quips with a perfectly serious face, "It is all Greek :>to me." : : Jason winces, and from somewhere, peanuts bounce off whatever :defenses James has. Actually, they'll bounce off James himself. Then "fly" to an open palm, to be collected and put in a pocket for later. :) : "Ah, then you haven't run afoul of one Ernst Stavro Blofeld, late :of SPECTRE-the SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, :Revenge, and Extortion? He killed the wife of one of your :counterparts-which is why I clamped down on the name as hard as I :did. I didn't want to dredge up bad memories." Roland nods. "As for :the rest, believe me, I sympathize. I bear a rather unfortunate :resemblance to a member of the Champions- a superhero team in a :nearby dimension." James just shakes his head. ONLY to Roland, on a singularly "quiet" feeling channel/mind voice, James sends, *^No, the only wives I've lost has been to Old One incursions. So far.^* : A gun is quickly pointed at the back of her head. She laughs. The :MiB, thrown by this reaction, hesitates long enough for Jason to :notice. He frowns, and the MiB retreats wordlessly. (OOC: Most will :probably notice the use of telepathy, though the content was rather :thoroughly coded.) James, in plain 'ol telepathic broadband, *And here I'd been under the mistaken impression muzzle discipline was one of the entry exams.* In _exactly_ the same "tone" one would comment on the weather today. : Roland's eyes narrow to slits. "Your Majesty," he says coolly. He :very deliberately does not bow. : "Phoenix," she replies with a smile. "But please, I am your guest. :No need for formalities. Fatale will do." She practically glides in; :Morticia probably took lessons from her. "Greetings to you all. I :must say, your...adventures...have been quite exhilarating, and of :course the Controller's plans represented as much of a threat to my :demense as to Auberon's, so I James' eyes narrow the slightest tad - only those with very acute perceptions who happen to be watching him will note the reaction to the name Auberon. : She beams at him, noting by his body language the implied offer. :"Thank you, but my...advantages...allow me to avoid discomfort." James nods back, but doesn't "interrupt". He seems to be considering something else at the moment. : Nine _more_ Base Stars emerge from hyperspace, and all twelve :disgorge Cylon Raiders. Zia, still on the Battlestar Galactica, in the bar, observing intently, "Oh, man.... did you ever have the feeling - " : Then Thirdspace opens. The Eddorans, poised at the gate, burst :out, and Vorlon fighters (with what look like steel plates on the :back) are followed by what for all the world look like capitol-ship :sized soap bubbles with black rail guns protruding from the 'front.' " - that you _really_ got on the _WRONG_ bus, some days? Fine place to pick for R&R, I must say." She frowns, "And who the very Sam Hill is playing with the Pattern? In all this mess, I hope it's on my side. But somehow..." She sighs, as... : Twin ebon streaks out and slam Kara back to the planet, and an :enormous golden pin 'pops' the emerald forcefield around B-5. A :yellow flash of light disrupts the Scarlet Speedster. : "You will all bow before Zod!" : "A futile effort, Hal Jordan," Sinestro laughs. : "Die, Allen!" Professor Zoom snarls. "Superheroics. I think I'm in the wrong story. No WAY I can do that NOW...." Zia gripes. "Damn it all. Not much I can do against that sort of scale; this isn't my Shadow. Think, girl. What would Benedict do?" She closes her eyes, and thinks intently, trying not to wince as lasers and various other forms of fire flare in the port. "Hmm. Don't be distracted by shadows; seek the weakness of your enemy." She frowns and turns from the port. "Well, they say the best defense is a good attack. Where is that Broken Pattern at?" She reaches out VERY delicately, leery of Eddorian psionic attacks in the air, seeking that vague feeling from earlier. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:06:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Catching up On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 22:48:17 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005274 >On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 10:56:07 -0700 (MST) >Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005269 > > "There is some explaining to be done, adn that is why I have come. I >am Jim. You might say Justin was my late father. Legion closes her eyes, listening. >He gave his life before he had the chance to thank you for making him >the man he became. It was in Quaren that his life made its chance >from that of the Controller to that of Justin Fliesh. And a large >tool in that was a condecending speech from an unassuming young lady >while Justin was racked with self pity over hsi failed grab for >Chaos's power. Legion's smile is wry, almost bitter. Sinister on the other hand looks... thoughtful. > "I know he would have wanted to thank you himself if he could be >here. But he sacrificed himself to be able to create the temporal >paradox he knew The Controller could not defend against. I now go to >finish my father's work and destroy the remaining bases of the >Controller where clones brains are stored that could once again give >life to The Controller. Because of this duty I can not remain much >longer. But even though Justin never gave us direct orders to do so, >we know he would have wanted you to know the effect you had on his >life. I know he contemplated how to tell you several times but never >seemed to find the correct time or place." Legion opens her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. "And I... never got to tell him how proud I was of him... that I knew... how hard change can be. Because I never found the correct time..." She falls silent for a moment, swallowing hard. "I... will take some comfort knowing that some of what was good in him lives on in you." Almost blindly she turns to a workbench, picking up the box there of her belongings. "I... excuse me.. I need to go change..." She flees the lab, box in hand. Sinister simply watches her go, expression unreadable. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 21:36:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:03:52 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005275 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 > > "Neither are. The loss of the effect is. The Veil is a collective > mental effect of a race that doesn't _want_ to know." Jason frowns. Nemo gives Jason a look somewhere between pity and despair. "Sometimes what one *wants* is not what one *needs*." > Roland, however, hears this. "Because you know that not _all_ > people are afraid of what they don't understand, and that a lot of > them never reach their full potential because of the Order's > tactics?" The two stare at each other for a long moment. "I like > you, Jason, and I'm grateful for your...patronage...but I don't like > Aeon's tactics." Roland cocks his head, suddenly distracted by a > mental contact from Sil. > "Spoken like someone who didn't live through the Burning Times," > Jason mutters, walking off. There's just a hint of anger in Nemo's response. "Don't think your People unique in having gone thru a 'Burning Time'. Failure to remember that has *caused* Burning Times." He quotes: "If not me, who? If not now, when?" > /Done,/ Roland agrees. /Let's haul./ The shuttle appears and drops a boarding ramp. Nemo broadcasts to the CAoL: *I need IFF responses so B5 will know we're a friendly.* > The Legion of Doom:General Zod and Ursa, the Kryptonians, lead > Zoom, Sinestro, Amazo the one man Justice Legion, Dr. Psycho the > super-telepath, Despero the alien juggernaut, Felix Faust the > techno(?)mage, and Starro the Conqueror. > The Cylons: Twelve Base Stars and literally thousands of Raiders. > The Eddorans: Ten capital ships and dozens of fighter craft. > Crunch all you want, we'll make more! After those who wish to board her, the shuttle winks out. And reappears on the Velvet Glove. Nemo sends to the rest of the group: *Here's the layout {}, and the access codes you'll need for acces to weapons, auxillary craft, and teleporters {}. I'll be fighting the Velvet Glove, anyone who wish to help is welcome, or feel free to leave the ship and fight on your own. Just grab a transponder so I'll know where you are.* With this the group scatters according to their choices. B5 Control: "There's a gate forming at the L4 point. It's *big*..." A huge scarred ellipsoid emerges and transmits: "This is the PRS Velvet Glove. We are a friendly. Authentication #######." (The authentication code will either be one gotten from one of the CAoL or swiped from the stations databanks by Nemo, as needed) The huge cigar shape turns impossibly fast until it's pointing at the Cylon BaseStars. There's an incredibly bright series og flickers from the bow, accompanied by what looks like a scaled down solar flare. Seconds later the BaseStars flare as they are struck by laser pulses powerful enough to carve planets... =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 21:36:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE4: Catching up On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 22:17:58 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005276 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 22:48:17 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005274 > > Almost blindly she turns to a workbench, picking up the box there of > her belongings. "I... excuse me.. I need to go change..." > > She flees the lab, box in hand. Sinister simply watches her go, > expression unreadable. Jim's face registers no emotion. He watches her go, then an x-window in space adn time appears next to him adn he steps through without a word. =========================== Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 22:06:49 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 22:39:32 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005277 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 > > Roland chuckles. "That's it? Three Base Stars...against _that?_ > Not to mention the Justice Legion-" > "Wait." > Nine _more_ Base Stars emerge from hyperspace, and all twelve > disgorge Cylon Raiders. "What the grat are those things?" Asks driss in a hushed tone as the base stars start spewing out attacking fighters. "I don't know but it's obvious they don't have a clue as to who they're flying against." snaps Forg as he accelerates the ship to its maximum speed. Fred goes scrambling through the ship to the aft fire control room while Forg twists turns zigs and zags through the Cylon fighters vaporizing them as the twin linked heavy laser cannons rip apart the fighter craft. A stray blast hits the ship's shields with negligable effect. Four fighters converge on the scout freighter. Forg manages a 135 degree turn blasting one of htem as he goes and causing another to veer quickly to the side as a proton torpedo fires from a port hidden by the glow of the engines, shattering another cylon fighter. Banking and twisting to line up the remaining two Forg dispatches them with a few quick shots. Then he moves on towards the larger capitol ships to see what damage he can do to them. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 00:32:29 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 23:09:28 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005278 >On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:21:09 -0500 >Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005273 > >James just shakes his head. ONLY to Roland, on a singularly "quiet" >feeling channel/mind voice, James sends, *^No, the only wives I've >lost has been to Old One incursions. So far.^* Roland winces. Loudly. ^Oh grife, I'm sorry,^ is all he can say... >"Superheroics. I think I'm in the wrong story. No WAY I can do that >NOW...." Zia gripes. "Damn it all. Not much I can do against that >sort of scale; this isn't my Shadow. Think, girl. What would Benedict >do?" She closes her eyes, and thinks intently, trying not to wince as >lasers and various other forms of fire flare in the port. "Hmm. Don't >be distracted by shadows; seek the weakness of your enemy." She >frowns and turns from the port. "Well, they say the best defense is a >good attack. Where is that Broken Pattern at?" She reaches out VERY >delicately, leery of Eddorian psionic attacks in the air, seeking >that vague feeling from earlier. The Eddorans, Zia notes, are busy with other problems; the telepaths are ready for them this time, and their first strikes are blunted. As for the Broken Patterns...they are clearly within the dome. Yes, Patterns. Four of them-no, five-all being manipulated, somehow. They aren't interfering with Zia's shadow powers, but something is definitely _weird_ about what's happening. It's as if-but that's impossible-as if they were being...pieced together, like a jigsaw puzzle, to make a whole Pattern! "Lady Ziactrice?" If Zia turns, she sees a beautiful woman, who appears to be carved out of obsidian, standing a few feet away. "You are more sensible than the others. Think on why this is happening. Could a force capable of doing...this...not be able to destroy the Callahanian Army of Light?" The Fatale/Shadow vanishes. If Zia tracks her/it, she feels it reenter normal space just outside the dome. Then she/it places her hand on the dome, and it...swallows her. Then (well, actually earlier) LucFrench said: >"Into the fray!" A telepathic voice is heard to say, and suddenly, a >laser beam shoots out at a Cylon capitol ship. A big, powerful laser >beam. Coming from a moving point in space. The origin of the ray >cannot be seen. > >Five seconds later, the burst stops. The capitol ship is listing badly. "Retreat the Base Stars behind the planet for cover," the Imperious Leader commands. "Launch all raiders." "By your command," Lucifer replies insouciantly. >For three seconds, large amounts of weapon fire vanish without a >trace. > >Then, the beam begins anew. This time the beam is pointing at a >Eddorian fighter. The fighter's defense screen flares. It takes the whole five seconds to destroy the one fighter. Three such attacks later, an apparently unprotected man appears in front of where the beam originates. The laser is apparently absorbed into his hand. He is a thin, dour man, dressed in a metal skullcap and deep blue robes. He should be 'drowning' in vaccuum. Instead, he cocks his head sideways. "What curious sorcery your wield!" he says-aloud-and somehow makes himself heard. (OOC: For those of you who know the DCU-yep, that is in fact Felix Faust, and that's honest-to-Darkness magic he's using. ) Then Nemo said: >"This is the PRS Velvet Glove. We are a friendly. Authentication > #######." > >(The authentication code will either be one gotten from one of the > CAoL or swiped from the stations databanks by Nemo, as needed) Roland provides the IFF code. "I served briefly in the Shadow War," he says with a sheepish grin to anyone curious. >The huge cigar shape turns impossibly fast until it's pointing at the >Cylon BaseStars. There's an incredibly bright series og flickers from >the bow, accompanied by what looks like a scaled down solar flare. >Seconds later the BaseStars flare as they are struck by laser pulses >powerful enough to carve planets... ...and begin to disintegrate. Unfortunately, they are retreating behind Epsilon Three, and continued attacks of this sort will result in E-3's quick dissolution. (Assuming the ship is fast enough to outrace the Base Stars' efforts to shield themselves with E-3) Nine Base Stars are left when something interposes itself in the beam. It is apparently unharmed, though strained by the effort of forcing the beam back, with Kryptonian strength and Lantern energies. "You cannot hope to outmatch the power of Amazo!" Two Eddoran capitols also seem to be targeting the cigar-shaped planet-killer. Finally, gamer said: > Four fighters converge on the scout freighter. Forg manages a 135 >degree turn blasting one of htem as he goes and causing another to >veer quickly to the side as a proton torpedo fires from a port hidden >by the glow of the engines, shattering another cylon fighter. Banking >and twisting to line up the remaining two Forg dispatches them with a >few quick shots. Then he moves on towards the larger capitol ships to >see what damage he can do to them. The Cylon Raiders are jokes; Forg dances through them with ease, blasting the ships out of the sky almost at will. The greatest danger from them seems to come from their sheer numbers, making avoiding an accidental collision the greatest threat. Then the Eddorans take notice of the deadliest pilots. Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, two Starfuries, and Forg all have Eddoran cyberships (flyers about the length of the Millenium Falcon, though only 1/3 the width) chasing them, their force screens and far more talented pilots making them considerably more dangerous than the Cylon Raiders... =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 00:32:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAE IV: Supporting Cast (IC) On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 00:05:25 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005279 OOC: So, what are all those _other_ folx doing while we're saving the multiverse? Glad you asked! ;^) Ivanova snarled curses in Russian, Yiddish, English, Latin, and Interlac as she practically stormed C-in-C. "Is my fighter out there?" "Yes, sir," Corwin responded shakily. "Good," she replied curtly. "The others?" "G'Kar teleported Commander Adama back to the Galactica, at Legionnaire Jordan's request. The President and the Ambassadors are in the shelters after some...discussion," Corwin gulped. "Meaning Jeffrey didn't want to spend this fight in a bunker. Tough!" She smiled grimly. "If I can sit on my hands in C-in-C, he can damn well keep his head down." She looked at the monitor screens. "Are we firing everything we have?" "Of course, Captain-no, wait," Corwin said, blinking. "Turrets nine and twelve are down." "What? Why?" Corwin tapped away with rapid precision. "It looks like systems failure." "Like hell." Susan tapped her commlink. {"Zack, come in. I think we have saboteurs."} {Saboteurs, nothing! We've been boarded!} {"WHAT?!"} {They're everywhere, Captain! Someone armed a small army of lurkers and used some kinda biotech to brainwash 'em! Looks like they all have starfish on their faces!} "Boszhe moi," Ivanova breathed. {"Can any of the Legion be spared?"} {Negative, Captain! G'Kar's protecting the VIPs, the Flash is fighting Zoom and Despero, the telepaths are all holding off the Thirdspace aliens, and the others are out of contact!} Ivanova was silent for a long moment. {"Hold them for as long as you can. I'll contact the Dockworker's Guild. God walk with you, Zack,"} she said quietly. {Hey, I got nothin' better to do, and I can use all the help I can get. Chief Allen out.} Ivanova looked out the portal. Total chaos reigned among the stars; the sky was almost literally filled with attack craft of all sizes. "Aim all primaries at the Thirdspace capitol ships," Ivanova commanded. Corwin nodded. "And then?" "Then pray," Ivanova replied softly. {"Bay Twelve? I need you to find as much garden lime as you can get your hands on..."} Downbelow. "DAMN!" Zack fired pulse after pulse of sonic energy. The Starro zombies slowed, but didn't stop. "We've gotta have _something_ that can stop these guys without killin' em! Man, where's Barry and that big brain of his when I really need him?" "Sir, we've gotta take the gloves off! The whole station is counting on us, and they're only-" Zack turned and grabbed the guard by the collar. "If you were going to say 'only lurkers,' I'll throw you to those things myself, got it?! Now keep FIRING!" Zack turned and began shooting. "Fall back to Red Nine-and seal the hatchways-gmmph!" Three Starros fell on Zack... (OOC: Hey, all those folx who can't survive naked vacuum and aren't killer pilots need _something_ to do! ) The Zocolo. Only two figures were there. One was clad in red, the other, in yellow. Both could only be perceived as blurs by the few watching. "You're _mine_ this time, Flash," Zoom snarled. "You say that every time," the Flash replied as he dodged a charging Zoom, allowing the evil speedster to crash into a table. "But-uhnn!" "But this time, I have Despero! And while you're suffering from a killer headache, I'll just relieve you of the problem by-" Zoom began to lash out at the Flash with a karate chop vibrating faster than any buzzsaw in existence. A PPG blasted him back. "This way, Flash!" a woman in an ISN suit cried, firing repeatedly. The Scarlet Speedster grabbed the woman and was gone before Zoom could recover. "IIIIRISSSS!" Zoom screamed. "Nice save, love," the Flash said as he dropped her off at their quarters as Barry and Iris Allen. "But stay here. With that psychotic on board as well as Despero and the Starros, it's not safe for a normal human out there." He vanished. "It's not safe for anyone," Iris whispered. [Just come home, Barry.] The Galactica. "Launch all fighters," Adama said evenly. "Commander! We thought-" Tigh began. "I'm fine, Tigh," Adama said with a smile. "Just get those fighters out there. "Positive shield, now," he commanded, and the blast screen slid down over the viewport of the bridge. "Charge the main gun. These Earth-humans have courage to spare, but they're badly outnumbered and have no experience with the Cylons." "Of course, Commander Adama." Tigh moved to carry out Adama's orders, as he had a hundred times before. [So close,] Adama thought sadly. [How many of them will die...so close to Earth?] Epsilon Three. Supergirl strained at the arms that held her, but Ursa was every bit as strong as she, and Zod had his hand clamped around her neck. "Wondrous, these K-Metal cybernetics, don't you agree?" Zod smiled at the last daughter of Krypton. "Now kneel. Bow before Zod!" Kara Zor-El spat in Zod's face. "I'll die first." Zod wiped the fluid away coldly, but heat vision burned in his eyes. "You won't have even that escape, girl. Kal-El will beg me to kill him when he sees what I have done to you! Psycho!" A short man in a tattered Psi-Corps suit walked up to Zod. "Yes, General?" "Break her." Kara didn't scream, though she dearly wanted to... Babylon Space. It was on fire. "You know, Jordan," Sinestro said as Amazo flew off to deal with the Velvet Glove, "I could have asked Amazo to help me kill you. But I want to feel your neck break under _my_ hands. The others may not have style, but _I_ do." "Sinestro...you're as insane as ever," Green Lantern gasped. It was taking all his willpower to hold off Sinestro's attack. But why? He'd faced the evil ex-Legionnaire many times before, and won handily. When had Sinestro become so _powerful?_ "You've never been a match for me alone." Sinestro laughed as fighters danced behind them by the thousand. "Who said I was alone?" "The...Eddorans!" Hal gasped. "They're lending you...their willpower!" "Only one, and only the tiniest fraction of its mind. All the help _I_ need to destroy _you!_" A White Star blasted at Sinestro. Annoyed, he turned, and a giant golden hand literally slapped the ship away, sending it spinning through half a dozen raiders. Hal took the opportunity, blinded Sinestro with an emerald burst of light, and flew away from the station. "You can't escape me, Jordan!" [No, but I can lead you away from Babylon-5, and the 250,000 people you'd kill without a second thought.] Jordan watched below him as Vipers danced around the Cylon Raiders. [Ah, to just be a pilot again...] {Jink left!} Apollo commanded, and the Starfury jerked irregularly-but effectively-out of the way. Twin bolts of crimson fire lashed out, and yet another Cylon Raider was gone. {Damn, those things are harder to kill than they look,} the Starfury replied. {Thanks, Captain Apollo.} {Listen up, everyone. Cylon Raiders are tough, and they have three pilots each. They're slow, they have ugly turn ratios, and their engines can be blown out of space if you breathe hard on them. But the rest of the ship is well armored, and the Cylon you don't see can turn and kill you in a micron.} Apollo pulled an Immelman and concentrated his fire on an Eddoran flyer. {Stay flexible and don't hold still for even a micron.} Apollo frowned as blast after blast lit up the Eddoran's screens. {Starfuries, use those odd verniers of yours to keep the Cylons off balance. Everyone else, don't bunch up. There's too many fighters in space right now to let ourselves get boxed in.} The Thirdspace flyer _finally_ flew apart as its shield buckled. {Yeah, like getting boxed in is _ever_ any fun? Come on, Apollo, we have Cylons to blast,} Starbuck quipped, matching deeds to words. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 00:46:39 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 01:10:31 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00005280 >On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 > > "You were making an explanation," Roland urges. > "As a courtesy," Fatale replies, unfazed. "Noting the effect the >Controller was having on Arcadia, I chose to use the most formidable >entity fallen into the faerie domain. The Shadow Z'On'Dar, now known >as KnightMare. Had I known what he would yet do..." [Mistake number one, lady, not understanding what you were trying to control.] Mike thinks to himself. > "Again, it vanished. Even I could not find it until recently. But >now, it has resurfaced, and if you will, I can regain control of the >entity, and contain the struggle to Arcadia." [Mistake number two, lady, assuming you can control it.] >Morgan blinks, unsure what to expect. "Um, yeah, I guess," she says >hesitantly, after a look at Roland. > > Roland shrugs. > Fatale gestures, and a familiar creature oozes into existence in >front of them. Mike's eyes turn an oily black as his lightsaber hums to life. /Roland, this is a -bad-.../ > "Stand at attention," Fatale says, and the ersatz KnightMare >becomes a biped and straightens. "You see? It is under my control. >But the forces it has unleashed-" /...idea./ [Mistake number three. And now you're out.] > "Don't bother," Roland snarls. "You're finished, KnightMare. We're >on to you. Your little game is over. We're going to jump so far down >your throat you're going to have indigestion for millenia." > "I think not." Mike and Tink watch intently. > Three Base Stars come around the planet. > Roland chuckles. "That's it? Three Base Stars...against _that?_ >Not to mention the Justice Legion-" > "Wait." > Nine _more_ Base Stars emerge from hyperspace, and all twelve >disgorge Cylon Raiders. > Then Thirdspace opens. The Eddorans, poised at As Thirdspace opens, Mike's eyes shift to a brilliant glowing white. He doesn't notice. > "Don't get too comfortable, KnightMare," Roland says coldly. >/Mount up, you rummies! The spider's finally made a mistake, and as >soon as we clean up his wind-up soldiers, we're going to clean his >clock!/ > The Fatale/Shadow vanishes. Mike's eyes are still glowing, a fact he still seems unaware of. /Great, Nemo, you're driving, I presume./ =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 01:48:56 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 03:51:54 EDT Scott Osborne Said As CAoL Message # 00005281 > The capitol ship is listing badly. > "Retreat the Base Stars behind the planet for cover," the >Imperious Leader commands. "Launch all raiders." > "By your command," Lucifer replies insouciantly. Nevertheless, the attacks on the capitol ships continues exactly on schedual... ... > He is a thin, dour man, dressed in a metal skullcap and deep blue >robes. He should be 'drowning' in vaccuum. Instead, he cocks his head >sideways. > "What curious sorcery your wield!" he says-aloud-and somehow makes >himself heard. > (OOC: For those of you who know the DCU-yep, that is in fact Felix >Faust, and that's honest-to-Darkness magic he's using. ) "Get-outta-my-way,-ya-dirty-such'nd'such!" A voice says, in a (bad) imitation of a New York cab driver. An X-window to Hades-667 forms behind Faust, and a force powerful enough to outsuck a black hole at close range pulls him into it. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 03:37:08 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 03:38:41 -0500 Molly Said As CAoL Message # 00005282 >On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:03:52 PST >Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005275 > >Nemo broadcasts to the CAoL: > >*I need IFF responses so B5 will know we're a friendly.* Mike starts to reply when Roland beats him. /Sounds good, I think in this universe I would only be guessing anyway./ Mike's lightsaber powers down and he and Tink run onboard. >*Here's the layout {}, and the access codes you'll need for acces to > weapons, auxillary craft, and teleporters {}. I'll be fighting the > Velvet Glove, anyone who wish to help is welcome, or feel free to > leave the ship and fight on your own. Just grab a transponder so > I'll know where you are.* Taking a transponder each, Mike and Tink disappear as the Velvet Glove leaves 'hyperspace' >On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 00:05:25 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005279 > > "Like hell." Susan tapped her commlink. {"Zack, come in. I think >we have saboteurs."} > {Saboteurs, nothing! We've been boarded!} A small figure in a yellow and silver space suit floated behind turret nine. After a few moments the figure disappeared, to reappear behind turret twelve. > "Aim all primaries at the Thirdspace capitol ships," Ivanova >commanded. > Corwin nodded. "And then?" > "Then pray," Ivanova replied softly. {"Bay Twelve? I need you to >find as much garden lime as you can get your hands on..."} After Ivanova's plan was laid out, a comm message came through. The voice of a small girl said {Captain Ivanova, turrets nine and twelve are rerouted and online again.} "Confirmed," someone said, bewildered, "How, I have no idea..." Tink replied with a giggle. {Bailing wire, duct tape and chewing gum. They knock 'em down, I'll put 'em right again, okay, Captain?} In the background of the message, the crew of C and C can hear "Slime Monsters from Outer Space" from Weird Al Yankovic's _Dare to be Stupid_ album. >On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 23:09:28 >Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005278 >>The huge cigar shape turns impossibly fast until it's pointing at >>the Cylon BaseStars. There's an incredibly bright series og flickers >>from the bow, accompanied by what looks like a scaled down solar >>flare. Seconds later the BaseStars flare as they are struck by laser >>pulses powerful enough to carve planets... The figure in the black cloak, with the hood shaped like one from a monk's habit, watched the growing battle. Walking out onto the forward docking clamps, his black boots moved as if he were under earth gravity instead of zero-gee. Throwing the cloak back revealed a black serape-style vest heavily embroidered with circuitry patterns in a fine silver thread. A black shirt was underneath, the whole affair held from the outside with a thick black belt on which a lightsaber and blaster hung. Black slacks were tucked into the boots, and a silver oblong pin hung on the left breast. Two faces looked at each other, hands clasped on either side of an oblong pale blue gemstone, one face human, the other Minbari. Looking like a cross between a Technomage, a Ranger, and a Jedi, the figure thought, [I am a Ranger, we walk in the dark places no others will enter...] Mike drew back the hood, his eyes aglow until either he died or the gateway to Thirdspace closed, his face a stone mask. The fact that he stood completely exposed to space and wasn't dead from the cold, the heat, the lack of pressure outside him, the pressure inside, none of this bothered him as he rested a finger gently against the Ranger pin, her Ranger pin. Three tears, one of Minbari blood, one of Human blood, one of holy water. In ten years they had never been shed. It was a small hope, but still there. She was still alive while the pin didn't cry its three tears... [Isil'zha veni, Flarn,] Mike thought reverently, as if through the Ranger's oath he were pledging his upcoming battle to the woman lost to him, [In Valen's name.] Mike stepped off of the most forward point of Babylon 5 and entered the fray of ships... =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 06:37:33 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Supporting Cast (IC) On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 06:13:51 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005283 > On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 00:05:25 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005279 > > Hal took the opportunity, blinded Sinestro with an emerald burst > of light, and flew away from the station. > "You can't escape me, Jordan!" > [No, but I can lead you away from Babylon-5, and the 250,000 > people you'd kill without a second thought.] Jordan watched below > him as Vipers danced around the Cylon Raiders. [Ah, to just be a > pilot again...] ^Hal Jordan. May I/We assist you?^ The voice in Hal's mind reminded him of a Guardian. But it clearly *wasn't*. At least it seemed to be "good". NEMO proceeds to lend Hal just enough willpower to counter the Eddorian backing Sinestro./ =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 06:37:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 05:43:38 PST Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005284 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 23:09:28 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005278 > >>The huge cigar shape turns impossibly fast until it's pointing at >>the Cylon BaseStars. There's an incredibly bright series og flickers >>from the bow, accompanied by what looks like a scaled down solar >>flare. Seconds later the BaseStars flare as they are struck by laser >>pulses powerful enough to carve planets... > > ...and begin to disintegrate. > Unfortunately, they are retreating behind Epsilon Three, and > continued attacks of this sort will result in E-3's quick > dissolution. Do recall that the Velvet glove is so far away from B5 that there is *nowhere* that is "behind" the planet from both viewpoints VG---------------------moon \ /\ \ / \ \ / \ \ / \ \ / \ \/ \ E-3 ---------------------- B5 Each of those lines is probably around a quarter of a million miles long. (If E-3's moon is as far out as ours :-) > (Assuming the ship is fast enough to outrace the Base Stars' > efforts to shield themselves with E-3) > Nine Base Stars are left when something interposes itself in the > beam. It is apparently unharmed, though strained by the effort of > forcing the beam back, with Kryptonian strength and Lantern > energies. > "You cannot hope to outmatch the power of Amazo!" > Two Eddoran capitols also seem to be targeting the cigar-shaped > planet-killer. Nemo adjusts some controls and now the beam is a mixture of Red sun light (concentrated to laser like strength) and a pure yellow laser beam. He comments to no one in particular: "It's * bad* idea for someone sensitive to stellar radiation to try to stop a ship powered by a tame star." If this doesn't work, he'll go to plan B. Meanwhile, strange forces are reaching out from the Velvet Glove towards the local star. If the Edoorians have the time to spare they *might* recognize some of them. And the secondary batteries on the ship are picking off any enemy fighters in range. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:07:30 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:29:37 -0700 (MST) Driscoll Said As CAoL Message # 00005285 > On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 23:09:28 > Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005278 > > Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, two Starfuries, and Forg all have > Eddoran cyberships (flyers about the length of the Millenium Falcon, > though only 1/3 the width) chasing them, their force screens and far > more talented pilots making them considerably more dangerous than > the Cylon Raiders... "Fred, see if you can deliver a few specials out the back at those guys that just don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone." Fred fired off two more proton topedoes at the cyberships but they manage to dodge out of the way quickly. Forg starts cursing in sullustan again as he tries to figure a way to get those fighters from behind him in front of him where the heavy weapondry can do some good. He starts pushing the Tach Na as hard as he can getting the others to chase him, then tried cutting hte main engines and firing the reverse thrusters. One figures out what he's doing and loops up nad back around again, but the closer one shoots past, trying to loop to come back to Forg head on, but finding it difficult with respeated laser hits worming their way through his sheilds and into the craft. The cybership explodes satisfyingly. Forg's damage control registers a hit that made its way through his own shields. R2R2 and Driss go racing back tot he area to see what repairs they can make while Forg tries to track the other cybership again. Tapping a button on his control pannel a missile launcher turrent rises on top of his craft. Locking on the Cybership Forg taps the gunnery point a bit to the craft's port and launches all four missiles. The craft lists a bit to starboard to dodge the near misses as Forg loops the Tach Na around for an attack run. The craft charge each other head on. The cybership launches some sort of projectiles at Forg but he isn't abotu to wait to find out what they do and begins blasting them out of space. As the ships close on an apparent collision course, Forg suddenly puts the ship into a barrel roll around the cybership. As the scout passes the surprised fighter, Fred launches another proton torpedo impacting the fighter's backside. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 08:07:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAEIV: Rejoining the fray On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 10:42:12 -0400 Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005286 Legion re-enters the room clad in a black jumpsuit with a black jacket looking calmer. When she notices that Jim is gone, however, her eyes show something that might be hurt. Sinister quickly strides over to Legion, taking one of her hands. "He needed to continue his quest, my dear. He felt you would understand." Legion's expression lightens at that, the hurt fading from her eyes. "I do." [OOC: From Sinister's POV this is a white lie to spare Legion's feelings. Viewed Objectively, it may very well be true... Sinister just does not have knowledge of that truth.] Legion looks at Sil and the Nurse. "I should rejoining the others. At the very least... I owe them an apology. Shall I work the teleport for the three of us?" [OOC: If Sil and Nurse come with her, she'll appear in the Velvet Glove. If they do not, she'll wait until they go, say her farewell to Sinister, and appear on B5.] =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 10:07:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 12:00:38 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005289 :On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 23:09:28 :Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005278 : : Yes, Patterns. Four of them-no, five-all being manipulated, :somehow. They aren't interfering with Zia's shadow powers, but :something is definitely _weird_ about what's happening. : It's as if-but that's impossible-as if they were being...pieced :together, like a jigsaw puzzle, to make a whole Pattern! A look of dawning horror is beginning on Zia's face as... : "Lady Ziactrice?" Zia _levitates_ at least six inches without the benefit of psionic aid, and comes down in a iaisho draw as her sword flickers out with near-inhuman speed. The longer katana's blade wards her back, and the wazi-kashi is bared before her chest. : The Fatale/Shadow vanishes. If Zia tracks her/ it, she feels it :reenter normal space just outside the dome. Then she/it places her :hand on the dome, and it...swallows her. "Yeeeach! I _hate_ it when the villian taunts you. I must be one of the White Hats, damn it. Why does this remind me of some icky cross between STNG's Skin of Evil episode, and Lolth's invasion by black domes of Nail's Kulthea? Analyze, Zia. This is happening why? He showed them the fight, knowing it would get them here... but it isn't about them. So. Distraction or raw materials for his plot, or both?" She bites her lip, thinking furiously. "Ah! James. You're here, finally. Take out Zod, free up Kara, then do the Lens thing and get Sheila here with the Buckaroos, please? Give me a link to Nemo - I might need NEMO's calculation capacity for _five_... from four. Shadows. Oh, my Stars and Garters. Evolution on a Pattern-scale? That is worse than BRAND. No, James. Let me think at you AND Nemo, please." Zia sends first, to catch them up. *{Re-play of the battle and Fatale's appearance, and the Pattern-manipulation.} Please tell me that crazy bug isn't trying to make another Pattern, just for himself. He has to have a Blood working with him - and why do I NOT think it's just our little friend Ariel?? Update Roland, would you please? I really think this has "Nefarious Other Plan" written _all_ over it. NEMO, could four Broken Patterns be re-constructed to make a fifth? In my terms, that would meld all four of the underlying reality-casts, but still wouldn't make a real Pattern, because disassembling a Pattern "breaks" it, thus removing it's relevance.* She shadow-shifts to Galactica's fighting bay, and lifts a space-worker's suit only 3-4 sizes too big for her, her mind working furiously in intuitive mode as she tries to figure out Knightmare's meaning. James is trying to talk her out of going to the dome, her current intention. *^Yes, I realize it's probably the same sort of trap, James. But I can't stop that reassembly from here!* *What if he plans for you to be the eraser for his bits of leftover Patterns, Zia? You _can't_ go in there - you'll be playing right into that.* *I'll transfer to a Term golem first - no Blood, no erasure.* A silver golem appears near her in the docking bay. Zia's body slumps to the ground, and it moves. Smiling, it generates a surfboard under itself of the same silvery material, and scoots through the airlocks with the next launching of re-ammunitioned fighter craft. "I meant _you_, Zia." James says, but doesn't send, from the Velvet Glove. She catches it through the echo by Roland's patch into the CAoL link, however. *I don't think I'm even going to get in, to tell you the truth. He was not only ready to bait me, but knew where I was and was monitoring me. We'll probably need Morgant and Sheila here again - if even that can get us an edge. I hate fighting on the enemy's chosen ground. Hal has the right idea. Lead them off. Can anyone move B5? We could take it, and the refugee fleet, and fall back to a position more on our side.* James rolls his eyes at Nemo and the CAoLer's, "She always gets that way when she's thinking hard - says the most incredible things. Of course, once in a while, they work." A half-dozen slender metal straps appear near him, and he nods. "Borrowing a bit of the asteroid, Nemo. Transmutation is a specialty of mine. And kryptonite isn't difficult, for a radiative. Be right back, have a lady in distress or hundred to help." He teleports from his position, appearing near Zod on the surface of Epsilon Three. The straps glow birght green and sickly lighted. The assassin takes advantage of his surprise and twists on of the straps around his neck in an improvised garrote. The ends seal themselves, and slowly, the strap begins to thicken as it's circumference lessens. *Hello, Kara. You look better than your pictures. Goodbye, Kara.* She vanishes from the goon's armhold, and Psycho's mental reach by appearing at the point nearest the sun that is still in the fight. James never ceased moving, his hands whipping the remaining straps out like thrown lances. One shoots at Psycho's heart, then three more for kidneys and one right between his eyes. (James likes how psis react... or fail to, to purely physical attacks.) He short-teleports again to avoid attacks at his rear, flinging off the last two Kryptonite straps IF he sees one of the hostiles there... Meanwhile... The silver surfer girl, Zia in her "new skin" lands near the dome. She copites Fatale/Shadow's method of entry, not really expecting this to work. She tries to sense everything that she can about what is going on with the Patterns inside, however, and relays a steady strong stream of any data back through James to Nemo. *Definitely the wrong bus...* Flickers through her mind just before her hand touches the black dome. -- Ziactrice "Zia" Keenan "A lady is one who never shows her underwear unintentionally." Lillian Day =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 10:07:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAEIV: Rejoining the fray On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 10:02:17 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005290 >On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 10:42:12 -0400 >Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005286 > >Legion looks at Sil and the Nurse. "I should rejoining the others. At >the very least... I owe them an apology. Shall I work the teleport >for the three of us?" Sil nods wearily. "I think that would be best." She gazes evenly at Sinister for a moment. "You seem to be...at least _somewhat_ different from the Sinister I knew. I hope we never have to meet like this again." /Legion, are you sure you're up to this?/ Sil asks. /Your daughter was...well, 'worried' would be too strong a word, I think,/ she sends with a mental chuckle. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 12:37:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 12:31:47 Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005291 >On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 12:00:38 -0500 >Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005289 > >"Yeeeach! I _hate_ it when the villian taunts you. I must be one of >the White Hats, damn it. Why does this remind me of some icky cross >between STNG's Skin of Evil episode, and Lolth's invasion by black >domes of Nail's Kulthea? Analyze, Zia. This is happening why? He >showed them the fight, knowing it would get them here... but it isn't >about them. So. Distraction or raw materials for his plot, or both?" >She bites her lip, thinking furiously. (OOC: LOL! Damn, you're good! I'll tell you this much, it's at _least_ one of the above...) >She catches it through the echo by Roland's patch into the CAoL link, >however. *I don't think I'm even going to get in, to tell you the >truth. He was not only ready to bait me, but knew where I was and was >monitoring me. We'll probably need Morgant and Sheila here again - if >even that can get us an edge. I hate fighting on the enemy's chosen >ground. Hal has the right idea. Lead them off. Can anyone move B5? We >could take it, and the refugee fleet, and fall back to a position >more on our side.* Roland (who's other actions will be posted when Morgan has the time to write with me) scowls. /Light, where are the cosmics when you need them? If I had my Power Ring.../ Roland smiles. /Someone give Sinestro a headache. Even money Hal can do it without breaking a sweat./ >The assassin takes advantage of his surprise and twists on of the >straps around his neck in an improvised garrote. The ends seal >themselves, and slowly, the strap begins to thicken as it's >circumference lessens. *Hello, Kara. You look better than your >pictures. Goodbye, Kara.* She vanishes from the goon's armhold, and >Psycho's mental reach by appearing at the point nearest the sun that >is still in the fight. James never ceased moving, his hands whipping >the remaining straps out like thrown lances. One shoots at Psycho's >heart, then three more for kidneys and one right between his eyes. >(James likes how psis react... or fail to, to purely physical >attacks.) Zod claws at the air, his grip on Kara loosened. Ursa grabs the lances headed for Psycho at superspeed, however. Kara immediately rockets back toward the battle at superluminal speeds. [I've got to get back there before-!] James probably knows he's in troble immediately when Ursa doesn't double over in pain, but if not, he gets the clue when Zod stops clawing at the air, yanks off the Kryptonite band, and smiles. "A clever and refreshingly ruthless tactic," he replies, twin beams of incredible heat lancing out at James. >He short-teleports again to avoid attacks at his rear, flinging off >the last two Kryptonite straps IF he sees one of the hostiles >there... "Rao, he's worse than the crimson one," Ursa snarls. "Come, Psycho. We have to go deal with the girl scout." She grabs Psycho and flies off. Zod, meanwhile, snarls something in Kryptonian that sounds rather nasty. "That accursed rock has thwarted my plans one time too many. With my K-Metal cybernetics, however, I am invincible! You will kneel before Zod like the rest!" (OOC: Gotta love that villain-blabbermouth schtick, huh? Come on, 9 out of every 10 people on Earth knows the weaknesses of a Kryptonian. Don't worry, though, he's not as totally unstoppable as he thinks he is...) >Meanwhile... >*Definitely the wrong bus...* Flickers through her mind just before >her hand touches the black dome. (OOC: THANK YOU! I didn't think I'd get to show anyone this for a while...) The dome swirls around her, and Zia sees as if through a mist...something that will probably give even her pause. An enormous tower, five miles away (and five miles high) crackles with almost limitless power. Vorlon and Shadow biotech, Guardian and Celestial cosmic power, and Eddoran hardtech are all welded together with an Arisian philosophical construct. Fae enchantment flows through Hermetic symbols drawn with Orichalcum. Akashic gateways flow with the power of Wyckcae-or is it the other way around? Psi batteries from a dozen realities dot the Gate generator. Spirit fetishes of nearly every stripe are inlaid in both the Vorlon and Hermetic sigils. The Tower itself seems to be a Trump Construct, at least in its infrastructure. And hovering around the top of the tower, carved in primal energies, are the five Broken Patterns, inlaid in...nothing? At the base of the Tower are other impossibilities. Assuming this surfer body has equivalent senses to a certain Herald, she can see eight figures. Shielded by a smaller forcefield around the Tower proper are KnightMare-Z'On'Dar-and Morden, calmly working on various aspects of the...whatever it is. Outside that inner shield, Dara (yes, THAT Dara) is fencing with Shard, Bester is playing chess with Deathwalker, Takhisis (in human form) lounges in midair served by small firedrakes of all five Chromatic shades, and mighty Darkseid stands on a Kirbytech platform, watching the Great Work being constructed. Parademons flit around him, working on some unseen task apparently. "Honestly, Shard, why don't you just kill him?" Dara asks as she lunges. "Hello, dear," she says to the silver form without missing a beat. "KILL him? Then what? Spend the rest of my short life being hunted by a berserk Druid with a small army behind her? Besides, he's too much fun to play with." Shard parries, then ripostes, but overextends perhaps a millimeter. More than enough for an Amberite trained by Benedict. Her blade slides home, just missing his heart. "And if he does this?" "OW!" Shard rubs the spot where Dara's sword had been a moment ago. "He won't. He doesn't kill, at least without a divinely inspired reason...hey, who's the cute silver babe?" "Oh, just a young lady of my acquaintance. Come in, honey. Merlin misses you, you know." The Silver Zia has exactly one more second to run like hell out the dome... =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 15:04:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Beginning of the End Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00005292 > On Sat, 1 Aug 1998 20:03:52 PST > Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00005275 > >> On Sat, 01 Aug 1998 14:34:18 >> Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005270 >> >> The Legion of Doom:General Zod and Ursa, the Kryptonians, lead >> Zoom, Sinestro, Amazo the one man Justice Legion, Dr. Psycho the >> super-telepath, Despero the alien juggernaut, Felix Faust the >> techno(?)mage, and Starro the Conqueror. >> The Cylons: Twelve Base Stars and literally thousands of >> Raiders. >> The Eddorans: Ten capital ships and dozens of fighter craft. >> Crunch all you want, we'll make more! >> TBC Fuzzy and Nemisis Board the Shuttle > *Here's the layout {}, and the access codes you'll need for acces to > weapons, auxillary craft, and teleporters {}. I'll be fighting the > Velvet Glove, anyone who wish to help is welcome, or feel free to > leave the ship and fight on your own. Just grab a transponder so > I'll know where you are.* Both grab a Transponder, Nemisis immediately analyzing hers so the each split in the area will have an Emulation > "This is the PRS Velvet Glove. We are a friendly. Authentication > #######." > > (The authentication code will either be one gotten from one of the > CAoL or swiped from the stations databanks by Nemo, as needed) > > Nemisis and Fuzzy teleport to a hidden corner of the personnel receiving area... Leaving a Split behind. Nemisis Splits form into Carts of Crates and groups of technicians They all approach the Entry Port, "We have Parts and technicians for Damage control and some upgrades." " If you will pass us through, We should have some of them online within the half hour..." =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 15:10:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: RE: AAE IV: Beginning of the End On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:45:22 -0500 Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005293 :On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 12:31:47 :Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00005291 :>On Sun, 2 Aug 1998 12:00:38 -0500 :>Zia Said As CAoL Message # 00005289 :> :>"Yeeeach! I _hate_ it when the villian taunts you. I must be one of :>the White Hats, damn it. Why does this remind me of some icky cross :>between STNG's Skin of Evil episode, and Lolth's invasion by black :>domes of Nail's Kulthea? Analyze, Zia. This is happening why? He :>showed them the fight, knowing it would get them here... but it :>isn't about them. So. Distraction or raw materials for his plot, or :>both?" She bites her lip, thinking furiously. : : (OOC: LOL! Damn, you're good! I'll tell you this much, it's at :_least_ one of the above...) Y'know, the _only_ thing worse'n being taunted by the baddy is being taunted by the GM. At least that reaction _does_ mean I got "warm" somewheres. Thanks for the compliment; all those Amber games do make one more than slightly prone to deep thinking. I even think I _might_ know what the ends are for KM, I just don't see the means yet. But it sounds like I might rather NOT know. :>James short-teleports again to avoid attacks at his rear, flinging :>off the last two Kryptonite straps IF he sees one of the hostiles :>there... : : "Rao, he's worse than the crimson one," Ursa snarls. "Come, :Psycho. We have to go deal with the girl scout." She grabs Psycho and :flies off. *Ursa and Psycho are gunning for you, Kara. Do you need a teep backup?* James informs and asks - as if he weren't in a hand-to-psi duel with a superbeing who could make him mince-meat. That is, if Zod actually had any chance of out-manuevering James. :(OOC: Gotta love that villain-blabbermouth schtick, huh? Come on, :9 out of every 10 people on Earth knows the weaknesses of a :Kryptonian. Don't worry, though, he's not as totally unstoppable as :he thinks he is...) "I make it a point, Zod." As his energy containment captures the heat beams as kinetic energy, James grins his cold smile, "I never kneel to folks who lose to _rocks_." James form flickers as he has to flicker-teleport fast enough a being with superspeed can't catch him. If the chase goes on long enough, he "hides" behind a few Cylon craft, letting Zod blow 'em to smithereens chasing him. He waits a pre-set short length of time, say about 10 seconds. Eons in superspeed, as his psi strength is used to stay out of Zod's murderously strong clutches. Then... seeing some affirmative signal on a tricorder like box attached to his belt, James nods to himself. [They're in and working - thought that the add ins wouldn't be fully immune given these conditions. This sun.] *But don't be offended.* In the pure 007 snotty tone that drives the bad guys nuts. *I didn't think that would kill you; after all, even Superman could wrench something like that off before it killed him - Kryptonite is a slow-acting poison to you people. It was merely a fun way to deliver the Scavenger nanos - which Zia couldn't, having cybers herself. I had to delay long enough to make sure the Underground complex here was immunized." He teleports out again, *Since I'm all organic, they don't eat me - but I'm SURE they'll LOVE to get a taste of you. Is Zod short for Sod, as in sorry Sod? Sodding off?* James' mental taunt echoes after Zod cannot see him any longer. *Either way, you're a dead alien, unless you know a VERY good doc - who won't think you'll contaminate their tech. You have about 100 seconds left. Do your bones _itch_ yet?* : And hovering around the top of the tower, carved in primal :energies, are the five Broken Patterns, inlaid in...nothing? : At the base of the Tower are other impossibilities. Zia says, clearly and distinctly, "Eep." : Outside that inner shield, Dara (yes, THAT Dara) is fencing with :Shard, Bester is playing chess with Deathwalker, Takhisis (in human :form) lounges in midair served by small firedrakes of all five :Chromatic shades, and mighty Darkseid stands on a Kirbytech platform, :watching the Great Work being constructed. Parademons flit around :him, working on some unseen task apparently. Zia swallows once, hard. She'd be running by now, but this is enough to stun even her. Something about frying pans and fires plays absently through the white noise of her thoughts. The "cameras" (her link back through James, Nemo, and then out relayed to others) are still running and recording, but Zia herself is having a few split seconds of difficulty coping with what she is seeing. : "Honestly, Shard, why don't you just kill him?" Dara asks as she :lunges. "Hello, dear," she says to the silver form without missing a :beat. Zia startles, and gives Dara a short, but utterly respectful, nod. : "Oh, just a young lady of my acquaintance. Come in, honey. Merlin :misses you, you know." : The Silver Zia has exactly one more second to run like hell out :the dome... "Sorry, Aunt, but I'm _sure_ I have a pressing engagement - ANYwhere else. Begging you pardon..." Zia _quavers_. Suddenly there are three equal-sized silver mini copies of the Silver Zia streaking away at the best speed she can make. She doubts she'll make it home-free even so, if they want to stop her, so information and data screams broadcast and straight sent both. She sends over B5's system frequencies (the main station's - Zia won't "flood" the fighter's communications), one sent in the general direction of the "big friendly" ship that Zia doesn' t know who is in yet, and one at Nemo's Velvet Glove. If any of the entities on the receiving end can also discern the emotion of the sender, rather than just the data, they'll know that Zia is _far_ more worried and outright frightened than she was even when she thought she'd destroyed her home world. "^Nemo, +please+ tell me that BUG isn't doing what I think he is doing building that.. that... (she splutters, quite unlike Zia) that THING.^* ooSC: Don't be shy - everyone should "get" this as soon as their individual attention and information handling will let them from Nemo over the link, or Zia's broadsend. Or, to put it more colloquially.... "HALP!" -- Ziactrice "Zia" Keenan "You know, Hobbes, sometimes even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help." Calvin & James "Bond" Keenan "Aim high; you may still miss the target, but at least you won't shoot your foot off." Lois McMaster Bujold =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:04:21 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAEIV: Rejoining the fray Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005294 > On Sun, 02 Aug 1998 10:42:12 -0400 > Caprice Said As CAoL Message # 00005286 > > Legion looks at Sil and the Nurse. "I should rejoining the others. > At the very least... I owe them an apology. Shall I work the > teleport for the three of us?" " If you think it is Safe, I remember Last time..." The Nemisis Split Morphs to 'Dorn' mode "Ready when You are." =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:13:09 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Supporting Cast (IC) On Mon, 03 Aug 1998 00:00:13 -0700 Stranger Said As CAoL Message # 00005295 Morgan wrote: > Zack turned and grabbed the guard by the collar. "If you were > going to say 'only lurkers,' I'll throw you to those things myself, > got it?! Now keep FIRING!" Zack turned and began shooting. "Fall > back to Red Nine-and seal the hatchways-gmmph!" > Three Starros fell on Zack... ...and were blasted out of the air by three rapid, precise DeLameter beams. A figure stepped out of the shadows, loosing off another pair of beams at descending Starros. "Hi. How ya doing?" the figure said to the bewildered Zack. Holstering the DeLameter Stranger drew a Phaser pistol and started firing wide angle stun shots down the hall. Again the zombies were slowed but they didn't fall. Zack rapidly resumed firing. "Who the hell are you?" he shouted over the gunfire. Stranger switched to heavy stun, which seemed somewhat more effective. "Doesn't matter who I am. I'm here to help." One of the zombies fell under repeated heavy stun beams. "You got problems. Drop your men back. Maybe we can seal them in one of the sections and buy some time." Sending to any of the CAoL in range... / Guys, I now you're all busy right now, but Babylon 5 appears to have been boarded by brainwashed soldiers with, er, starfish on their faces. Anyone know what they are or what I can do about them? / A zombie came in from a flank lunging for Stranger. Stranger went under his guard, driving his knee heavily into the zombies stomach, before grabbing his arm, and executing a judo throw that sent the zombie spinning wildly back towards his comrades. Behind them the security detail was dropping back to a hatchway, zack and Stranger were in danger of being cut off. "Run for it." "What?" They turned and ran for the hatchway, Stranger dropping a small device behind him. Seconds later the electroflare triggered, temporarily blinding anything with human sight looking that way. Zack and Stranger piled through the door, which another oparative slammed shut. =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:49:31 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAEIV: Technical Assitance Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005296 The Nemisis Splits manage to get through customs.. One way or another... One if the Tech Splits pulls a Crate off of one of the Carts, handing it to one of the Security types... "Tangle Guns. I suspect You have need of them." as soon as they loss any observers the splits disappear in various ways... A few Minutes Later in CIC A Console grows out of a Clear spot of Deck, and beeps to call attention to itself, When a runner checks on it. "I am a Upgrades subsystem control station. Polycyclic Deflector Shielding will be installed on the Hull within five Minutes. Pin Point Defence System will be functional within seven Minutes. Jump Point Generators will be Charged and ready for use in 10 Minutes. Manuever systems will be online at that time. An Array of HyperLight Mass Drivers is begining to come online Now, One per Minute for the next 20 Minutes. The Wave Motion Cannon will be ready for use in 1 half hour. Fire Control personnel may be assigned or I will use my built in fire control Automation, Please indicate Selection." =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:49:36 -0700 (PDT) Subject: AAEIV: Salvage and Construction Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005297 Nemisis splits are appearing all over the battlefield consuming up wreckage and releasing Drones and other Tools, Including a Ship which seems to be manuevering to target the thought of the ThirdSpace corridor... =========================== Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 16:49:40 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: AAE IV: Supporting Cast (IC) Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00005298 > On Mon, 03 Aug 1998 00:00:13 -0700 > Stranger Said As CAoL Message # 00005295 > Sending to any of the CAoL in range... / Guys, I now you're all busy > right now, but Babylon 5 appears to have been boarded by brainwashed > soldiers with, er, starfish on their faces. Anyone know what they > are or what I can do about them? / A zombie came in from a flank > lunging for Stranger. Stranger went under his guard, driving his > knee heavily into the zombies stomach, before grabbing his arm, and > executing a judo throw that sent the zombie spinning wildly back > towards his comrades. /Assitance will be with you Momentarily./ > Zack and Stranger piled through the door, which another oparative > slammed shut. Dorn.Nemisis Ports in with a Weapons Crate... and start distributing, "Tangle Polymer pellets, also good for sealing doors... Tangle Polymer Grenades, also good for blocking open halls... Included Medical Nano will attempt to Cure their condition. Icers, Targeted Cryo-Inducers... Anything else you think would go well?" He will pull any requested weapon from the Crate and hand it over... ===========================