Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9: Star Wars / Space Opera
                               Chapter 7

Subject: AAE9s: Revenge of The Sith Part Deux

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:51:13 -0500
Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012617

Later on...
>On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 23:13:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012567
>
>   "Anakin?" Qui-Gon asks as his pupil looks up suddenly.
>   "I felt...the strangest ripple in the Force..." Anakin's eyes
>unfocus, his hand going to the hilt hanging from his belt. "...I
>believe the Terrans call it 'deja vu.'"

#Mistress,# said the young girl voice of the AI, #I have detected
another anomalous reading off in the distance. Signature unknown.#
Ana "frowns" mentally, the pale skin of her forehead wrinkling as if
in thought over the data her uncle provided.
#Mark signal signature and continue sweep of area.#
#Compliance, Mistress.#

<snip of A Plan Emerging, and a Cliche Explained, and A Plan
Interrupted.>
>   "Hmmph. Then what--" Leia begins. As she speaks, Luke looks up
>suddenly from where he sits, hand going unconsciously to his
>lightsaber. Anakin and Qui-Gon, more fully attuned, have already
>drawn their weapons and are standing back to back.
>   Leia's sentence ends on the spot, punctuated by the screams of
>rebel patrols. Half a second later, klaxons go off.
>   "Imps! Hundreds of them!" A rebel scout runs into the encampment,
>firing her blaster behind her almost without looking. "At least two
>dozen of those Force demons! And VADER!" "Nass," Roland snarls,
>already on his feet, pike drawn and extended. "Form a perimiter!"
>   "What he said!" Leia barks. "Specials on the outer ring, blocking!
>Everyone else form an inner ring and start shooting! Except pilots --
>get to your ships!"
>   "/You read my mind,/" Roland chuckles as he and Morgan surge
>forward. Force-trained Imperial Guardsmen and Tharkoldu warriors
>attack, and are blunted by the outer ring.
>
>   OOC: Crunchies! Get yer hot buttered crunchies, right here! <VBG>

OOC: I'll have some milk with mine, thanks. /OOC.

Ana smiles. "I think I'll go all in on this." she quips. Two more sets
of arms appear and all four sabers leap into each hand (5 fingered and
otherwise) and hum to life. "Dealer takes four," she says and leaps to
the outer ring with the others.

Loading the modified Form Ten program into her neural net, she spies 2
Guardsmen, 7 Troopers and 4 Technodemons make their way to the
otherwise occupied Freelance Immortals. "Oh no, you don't," she says
calmly as she throws all four sabers into the Troopers, cutting off
the weapon arms of 4 of them. The Guardsmen move to attack the
Platinum Princess, but to no avail as she gestures with a hand and a
blast of Force push knocks both of them into the remaining 3
tropopers, knocking them over like little white and black and red all
over nine-pins.

The sabers arc back into her hands with a click, which was just in
time for her to duck the flying lightsaber slice by a Demon. With a
leathery flapping sound followed by the whine of mini-jets, it landed
with a thump on the asphalt runway, it's four arms gleaming with
cyberweapons with a single red Lightsaber in each clawed hand.

The Tharkoldu smiled a toothy grin. "It promised me great rewards for
you, pav scum, were I to return with evidence of your demise."
Ana fixed a steely stare on the quad demon. "Whatever 'it' is,
monkey-lover, matters not to me." and all four of her hands motioned
in the Kung-Fu "come here" pose.

Twirling as a Russian ballerina would, The Platinum Princess
approaches what you would call a Zen-like state as each strike is
blocked effortlessly, while attacks of her own are blocked barely,
leaving glowing cuts in the cyberarms. Suddenly, the demon
simultaneously swings all four sabers down, causing her to block and
trap each blade.
"Time to end this battle," said the Demon, grinning as it pressed even
further.
"I agree, monkey-lover," said Ana as twin mini-coils popped up out of
her shoulder blades and glowed to life. The realization hit the demon
just as all four arms discharged electricity, arcing into the
cyberarms which promptly went limp as each system shorted out at the
same time. This follwed up by a back-spinning front kick which sent
the demon into the path of an oncoming AT-AT, which crushed it flatter
than a mackerel.

<snip of dealing with a Pervert, a Villian and a Retreat>
>*"I have to go,"* he spits hoarsely, transmitting savagely at the
>enemy as well. *"On the other hand, I can't abandon my teammates. I
>suggest that anyone who wants to get out of this battle with all
>their parts intact leaves. NOW."* OOC: Well. That enough to
>kick-start this lot? <eg> Vader's not likely to be intimidated, but a
>lot of grunts might be -- depending on who wants to keep fighting.
>Have fun! ;^)

Turning to cover the retreat of the remaining Rebel forces, she
reverts back to two armed mode and the purple and pink sabers float
back to their places on her brown leather belt. Without thinking, she
hooks the left hand saber on her belt as she loads the Unorthodox
program. Instantly, the saber in her right hand glows green...then
blue...and then finally to grey/silver white.

And then...
>On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 08:58:42 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012575
>
>With a furious downblast of scorching air, the Millenium Unicorn
>spins into a hovering positon above the ring of defenders, and its
>heavy ship-mounted grav-canon go into rapid fire. Even the lesser
>Force-wielders are blown backwards with stunning force by the heavy
>energy weapons normally reserved for ship-to-ship combat, as huge
>chunks of earth and groups of unenhanced demons unlucky enough to be
>within each blast's area are vaporized immediately.
>
>"I hate missing my cues. Order me to my ship, will she? Jealous
>bint." Zian remarks to herself, quite calmly but with the utmost of
>genteel savagery as she calmly begins at one side of the circle and
>walks her gun's bursts around, blowing an entire 180 arc of the enemy
>into ions. Chewie serves the other side of the circle a similar fate.

Ana rockets into the air. *Nice save, m'lady* she says as she takes an
aerial veiw of things. Below Vader is cutting a swath of destruction,
and at the edge of the jungle, the AT=AT towers above the trees. Ana
turns to face the metal giant, just as it launches a twin volley of
missles at her. Twisting in mid-air, she barely dodges and the
missiles explode into a TIE Fighter that was attempting to strafe her.

The AT fires its' blasters at the Platinum One, and she activates the
Time Generator, slowing it down. Moving as though in maple syrup, Ana
touches each and every blaster bolt that lies in front of her as she
speeds toward the metal monster. She reaches the legs of the first and
cuts the leg actuator at the joint, then moves over to the other leg
and doing the same thing. She deactivates the Generator and time
resumes its' normal course.

The AT tried to walk forward, and then suddenly both legs
simply...broke at the knee, sending the machine tumbling down to the
ground where it exploded, knocking the second one wobbly. Acting
without thought, Ana sped towards the top of the second one coming
behind the first, cut the hatch open and lept in, throwing two men out
and grabbing the pilot up by the scruff.

Jantis Salena had only been with his outfit for a few cycles when he
got the call with his fellow ST pilots to join in the main assualt
force on the Rebel base. The picture of his mom and dad on Gejim Prime
sat in the cockpit of the ST he had been issued. Ana looked at the
pilot and shouted, "You're just a kid?!?" Grabbing the young man
forcefully, she turned him over her knee and spanked him saying,
"Little boys should not play with Imperials!" Each word was puncuated
with a sharp swat of her empty left hand. After the last swat, she
grabbed him by the belt and tossed him out of the hole and into a
dense canopy of trees nearby. Glancing briefly into the cockpit, she
shouted back, "Go back home to your mommy and daddy, little boy. Hope
you don't mind while I take your ride?"

Sitting down into the cockpit, she pointed a finger and it elongated
into a needle-like object. Placing the glowing tip on the console, she
merged with the machine. Outside, some imperials glanced up to see the
AT-AT change from a dull gunmetal grey to a bright silver as it
marched along side the retreating Rebels, firing at Imps on the
ground.

And finally...
>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612

<snip of an unlikely meeting of Luke and the Future Mrs. Skywalker and
other devil...developments>
>   With deliberate casualness, Red Fury deflects the blaster fire
>into a convenient X-Wing. Then he points his own ring at Leia.
>Instantly, she is dressed identically to her 'slave girl' outfit from
>Return of the Jedi, complete with chain and collar. There are two
>differences: the chain is anchored to the ground and the bands on her
>arms are chained behind her back. "WHAT?!" Leia blurts.
>   "Oh, that's right, you haven't gotten there yet," Dracul chuckles.
>"And now I guess you never will." He looks around as Vader advances
>menacingly and Mara Jade slowly places her crackling spear point to
>Luke's throat. "So. Who's next?" Fury laughs Villain Laugh #1.
>   "Of course..." Ani leaps out of his predicament, flying well away
>from his attackers. "Uncle Roland _said_ he knew how I felt. This
>must be what he meant -- listen, everyone! This is a mirror of
>Roland's, as Vader is mine, from another world!"
>   "What, some of these dweebs _didn't_ know that?" Dracul sighs and
>shakes his head. "Proving once again that 'hero intelligence' is an
>oxymoron. Now, where was I...oh yes, kicking your pathetic,
>collective _nasses!_" Dracul explodes with power as he descends...

Suddenly the AT-AT rocked and wobbled as a small explosion went off in
the rear of the cargo bay. Ana lept from the command chair, silver
saber humming to life in her hands as she entered the cargo bay from
the bridge. The sounds of battle roared on outside the hull, while
inside smoke and the smell of cordite filled the air.

She crept closer into the dark hold, her lightsaber giving the only
light to darkness. Suddenly twin red sabers ignited and twin
black-clad Troopers lept out of the darkness, aiming to cut Ana down
where she stood.

"Let's not have any of that, boys. Manners." she quipped as a second
silver saber lept into her hand. The Dark Troopers were good since
being enhanced by the Sith-made Force crystals embedded in their
breastplates helped...

But not enough. The one with the blood red crystal made to feint a leg
strike and instead tried to leap over her, swinging the saber down as
he lept over her head. It would have worked...had she not brought her
blade up at the precise moment necessary and stabbed the trooper in
the crystal. The second one pressed the attack, slashing every where
in the attempt to find an opening in the Form 10 style Ana used. The
trooper raised his hand as though to push her, and she felt the
stirrings of the Force twist as he wound up for a Push. Using the
momentary pause, she pointed her finger at the trooper and a silver
beam of light emerged, knocking him back several paces where he
crashed into a stack of metal crates, sending them tumbling. Glancing
at the crates, she read the warning well enough to know that they were
explosives.

Leaping into the air through the hole in the cockpit, Ana took to the
skies above the base just as the AT-AT blew up, sending debris here
and there. She heard a familiar roar, and saw 3 TIE Interceptors
bearing down on her. All three fired at once, which she deflected back
at two. As they fell out of the sky, Ana rocketed to the remaining
one, and flew up to the cockpit window. Grinning a impish grin as she
held tight to the frame, she used a third hand to slap a red sticker
directly in the pilot's line of sight that said, "THAT WAS LAME"

Then she tore open the upper hatch as the TIE dove for the ground. She
was barely above the tree tops when she tossed the pilot gently into a
thicket of trees where he landed mostly unharmed. The pilot sighed as
he watched the Platinum Princess grab the ship and throw it at Fury
just as he was nearing his descent. Shrugging his shoulders, the pilot
removed his helmet and a young man with close cropped brown hair
looked down from his perch. "Well, Kyle, that's another scrape you got
yourself out of. I wonder if Jann still needs a pilot for that run she
mentioned?"

While Fury is occupied, or otherwise, Ana sends out a call as she
flies far away from the attackers. #Computer, contact Zarkov One and
inform the good doctor that an escape is called for.#
#Compliance.#

Meanwhile back on the ship...

Zarkov floated in zero-g as his ship hovered in LEO above India.
Though he and Emil Romanov never did agree on theroies, he was a man
of Science even though he was also a Void Engineer so he always kept
in touch with his old friend, even after the Schism. It was this
friendship that was needed most during the battle of Egypt. It was
this friendship that also afforded him the reason to remain behind
when the others returned to Mongo.

He was, unfortunately, very bored and his bearded face showed it as he
monitored the progress of the war. It was at this moment that a
computerized voice crackled from the speakerbox nearby, {Calling Dr.
Zarkov. Initiate evac at this location.} A crosshair appeared in the
viewscreen and zoomed in on a location somewhere in India.
Zarkov clicked on the comms, {Identify and confirm code.}
{Code Ana-Zeta-Niner. Identify as Ana Serina Romanov and proxy.}
{Code confirmed. Standby for immediate evac.}
Zarkov fired up the main thrusters and headed straight for India.

Back in the skies above and away from the base, Ana deflected blaster
fire from incoming TIE Interceptors and blasted TIE Fighters with her
left arm Tesla coil, shorting out their systems and sending them
crashing into the ground and each other. Suddenly a blazing ball of
fire emerged in the sky, which she could see was the Zarkov One,
burning off space dust as it reentered the atmosphere. The burning
subsided as the ship sped past onrushing TIEs, barreling towards the
Platinum Princess' position.

Ana did a mid-air flip and landed on the roof of the ship, magnetizing
to the surface. There was a click in her mind as the comm system
patched her to the Unicorn. {Ana to Captain Solo. Ana to Captain Solo.
Will provide cover fire against incoming TIE Fighters. Ana out}, she
said as her arms shifted to twin ion cannons which blasted a few TIEs
out of the skies that were on an intercept course with the Unicorn.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:40:35 -0700
Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00012618

>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612
>
>   Elsewhere, Ventress reappears in the Emperor's throne room. "Ah,
>yes," Palpatine cackles. "Tyrannus told me of you once. You will
>prove useful to me, I think..."

"And you to me," Asajj replies darkly. She has no fear of the Sith
Master now. Like Vader, she has had 20 odd years to refine her craft.

She notices the amulet around Palpatine's neck, and smiles slightly,
the way a serpent might before eating its prey. "And I see we have
similar tastes in apparel." Her sleeve slips back, revealing an ebony
armlet. (OOC: No, it's not what you think it is.)

>   The Kai is good. Very, very good.
>   But he faces Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith.

Quiet Moon frowns. Despite his skill and training, despite the
sensations he is recieving from the lightsaber, there is still a
disconnected feeling, a lack of full unity with the weapon that no
warrior can truly afford.

>   In a particularly desperate parry, the Kai finds his lightsaber
>behind his back when Vader attempts a 'wrap' that would literally
>take the back of his head off. One of Vader's night-black gauntlets
>releases his own saber and grabs at the air in front of Quiet Moon,
>and his throat closes painfully.
>   "Still you resist," Vader notes, seeing that the Kai's power has
>kept the Sith Lord from crushing the neck entirely. "Impressive."

The Kai is not afraid. Were Vader to read his aura, he'd find that the
Kai Grand Master is more annoyed with himself than anything. The
lightsaber, still in his hand despite Vader's attack, is another
matter, the spirit around it almost crying in frustration. [Patience,]
he thinks, more to himself than anyone else. [Either our time will
come, or it will not.]

*I don't want to die by his hand again!* the saber-spirit sends back,
getting a surprised psionic reaction from the Kai. That would have
ended the Kai's resistance, had not Qui-Gon stepped in.

<snip, snip, snip to the loo! Snip to the loo my....PRECIOUS! (gollum,
gollum!)>
>   "Anakin, Quiet Moon, leave Vader to me," Qui-Gon suggests.
>   "But Master-!" Anakin blurts.
>   "I will manage. Trust me, Anakin." Qui-Gon sets himself in a
>smooth ready position

Quiet Moon nods, tightening his grip on the saber. "Understood. Good
hunting." Watching the Padawan lay into the Imperial Guard, he flashes
back to his own, more reckless days as an Initiate, smiles briefly,
and follows the Jedi in.

>   Grimacing, Anakin leaps with blinding speed towards the Imperial
>Guards. [Why are they 'green?' Their armor is red. They don't even
>have verdant insignia.] As he meets them, three break off and stop
>the Chosen One in his tracks. While Anakin is easily a match for any
>one of them, they are trained to work together like a single machine.

A machine that Kai Grand Masters are only too familiar at breaking
down. One guardsman has his saber knocked aside, and is hammered by a
psychic attack. The guardsman fights back, his own defenses blunting
the assault, brings his own weapon to bear on the Kai, trying to swing
the energy blade through an opening in the Sommlending's defenses.

Quiet Moon's encounter with Vader pays some smal reward; He picks out
the attack, and, calling on the full power of his Nexus discipline,
reaches down and -grabs- the blade, hand blistering slightly as the
heat still leaks through the telekinetic shield.

Startled by this unorthodox defense, the Guardsman is unready to
counter a bluish-white bolt of Force energy that slams into the small
of his back. Lloyd gives the Kai a nod, pleased that his Demon Fang
technique has improved a bit. Still, there are other guardsmen
present, and the two fight back towards Anakin.

>   "Ani!" Luke blurts, and charges forward. The leader of the Guards
>sees this and leaps out to meet the Jedi-in-training. When Luke
>lights his saber, it looks to be a short fight, but the lone Guard
>somehow matches, then overwhelms, the barely-trained Skywalker. Only
>a quick slash at his attacker's helmet saves Luke as acrid smoke
>fills the Guard's helmet just before a spear swipe disarms the last
>Jedi.
>   "Luke!" Anakin cries, but he can't disentangle himself from the
>three Guardsmen.

Tied up with their own targets, Lloyd and Quiet moon can only watch
helplessly as the Guardsman (wait, Guardsperson ;-) ) disarms Luke and
prepares to finish him. Paradoxicaly, Lloyd finds himself vowing to
show the Jedi some basic swordfighting techniques. If either of them
survive, he amended, a near brush with a saber his lesson in not
paying attention to an opponent.

>   Luke's attacker pins the young hero to the ground, knees falling
>on his arms as the Guard yanks off..._her_ helmet?
>   "Mara, is everything under control?" Vader asks.
>   Mara Jade coughs. "Yes, Lord Vader I..." she looks down into
>Luke's determined gaze. "...I..."
>   They can feel the sparks fly on Corellia.

OOC: :-)

Back at the now emptied out base, Devan snarls at the sight. "Alright,
time to show those Imps our own protocol." Glancing behind him, he
sees some medtechs taking a sedated Barriss to one of the evacuation
areas, smiles, and presses a few buttons.

All over the battlefield, small pieces of dirt explode, disgorging a
few scarred and beaten Battle Droids, salvaged relics from the Clone
Wars. Nowhere near their normal power, they still manage to provide a
lot of cover fire for the retreating rebels, owing to the very simple
targetting protocols written in their processors:

If 'targetid'='Stormtrooper' THEN gosub 'Fire';
If 'targetid='lotsaStormtroopers' THEN gosub 'Emptytheclip';
If 'targetid'='Vader' THEN gosub 'Kamikaze'

<Every year, many readers are lost to overlong posts. So give
generously to the Snipping Way...>
>   With deliberate casualness, Red Fury deflects the blaster fire
>into a convenient X-Wing. Then he points his own ring at Leia.
>Instantly, she is dressed identically to her 'slave girl' outfit from
>Return of the Jedi, complete with chain and collar. There are two
>differences: the chain is anchored to the ground and the bands on her
>arms are chained behind her back. "WHAT?!" Leia blurts.

Despite the situation, Lloyd glances at Leia, blinks, blushes, and
forces himself back to the fight.

[Notlookingnotlookingnotlooking...]"SONIC THRUST!"[Notlooking...]

OOC:He's 17. What'd you expect, a monk?

>"Now, where was I...oh yes, kicking your pathetic, collective
>_nasses!_" Dracul explodes with power as he descends...

The Kai Lord frowns. This, he thinks sourly, would be a good time for
a miracle.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:57:16 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012619

>On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 10:15:03 -0700
>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00012614
>
>A cloaked figure melts out of the shadows near Vader, scanning the
>battlefield. [Hmph. Damnable Bard's nowhere to be seen. Plan B,
>then.] A harsh whisper, not intended for any ears but the Dark Lord
>of the Sith's, emerges from the hood. "Lord Vader, a word in your ear
>when this little tete-a-tete has played itself out?"

   "Certainly," Vader replies in a surprisingly polite tone as he cuts
a charging rebel in half.
--
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith
Mincing rebels, not words
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 03:24:04 +0100
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012620

>On Thu, 16 Jun 2005 23:13:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012567

<snip to the beginning of the battle at the rebel base>
>   "Imps! Hundreds of them!" A rebel scout runs into the encampment,
>firing her blaster behind her almost without looking. "At least two
>dozen of those Force demons! And VADER!"
>   "Nass," Roland snarls, already on his feet, pike drawn and
>extended. "Form a perimiter!"
>   "What he said!" Leia barks. "Specials on the outer ring, blocking!
>Everyone else form an inner ring and start shooting! Except pilots  
>get to your ships!"
>   "/You read my mind,/" Roland chuckles as he and Morgan surge
>forward. Force-trained Imperial Guardsmen and Tharkoldu warriors
>attack, and are blunted by the outer ring.

   Behind the Empire's forces, Moonstone slows her kaadu to a stop,
putting up an hand to halt Dusty as well.
   [Roland? Of course, the mini-lenses. Oh Moonstone, you nitwit! You
didn't need to race back here to tell them!]

>   It doesn't take long for the immortal pair to drive back twice
>their number in Guardsmen, even backed up by a full platoon of
>Stormtroopers, but then techno-demons take their place, and the
>lovers are hard-pressed.
>   /Hnn,/ Roland grunts, throwing one back with his telekinesis as he
>blunts an astral attack with his mind shields. /They sent some tough
>ones this time./ He snarls in pain as a demon-spirit invades his
>body, twisting his insides around (or is the thing just affecting his
>mind?). As a being of corrupt mystical energy, it flows through his
>defenses as if they don't exist -- which they do not, to the spirit.
>/Morgan?/
>
>/Already on it,/ Morgan replies, parrying two sets of claw slashes
>simultaneously as she glances at Roland's midsection.

   Moonstone groaned quietly, smacking her forehead.
   "Miss Moonstone, what ever is the matter?"
   "Foolish I have been. Warned them I could have from where we were.
Yet race I did to beat them instead. Now attacking the base the
Imperials are."
   Moonstone spurred Lucky onward, gesturing for Dusty to keep up.
   "Oh my, where shall we go now?"
   Moonstone sighed and drew in a deep breath.
   "The base. Aid them we still can."

<snip>
>"He's still breathing," Morgan growls. While this is true, it clearly
>won't be for long; most of the demon's internal fluids (both organic
>and machine) are seeping into the soil.

   The outskirts of the battlefield...
   A squadron of stormtroopers are surprized by something heavy
charging up behind them. As they turn to see what it is, a flying
dustbuster sprays their position with blaster fire. They duck and
scramble to take aim, only to fall flat as a two-legged beast that
looks like a cross between a horse and a duck hops over their heads. A
female voice that sounds like a droid yelps "OH MY!" and there is a
humming slashing noise over their heads.
   The stormtroopers scramble back to their feet and bring their
rifles to bear, only to discover the ends have been sliced through.
   /Back. Apologies later. Working toward base. Will seek out Padme
and Leia./
   And that summed up Moonstone's conversation, for stormtroopers and
technodemons alike chose that moment to try their hand at that old
carnival favorite, shooting at ducks. To Doba and Rooie's credit,
Lucky was an extremely bright and quick kaadu. He responded impeccably
under fire, following Moonstone's guidance without hesitation or
nervousness. Had he been a bigger animal, he surely would have been
the finest mount in the Gungan Grand Army.
   Moonstone simply could not keep up with the battle around her. Her
sole thoughts were getting through the line to the two women she'd
told the Army of Light she'd be heading for.
   The loosing of dark, tainted magics and their effects on Roland,
the capture of Morgan by the technodemon High Lord, the increase in
force-wielders both light and dark, the brushs with and falls into the
dark side, even her own temporary promotion from 'nobody' to 'third in
command if Dhyrclhanc has to leave' (which really should have
registered, with alarm bells and warning sirens in her head,)
everything became like so much white noise in the fight through the
lines of the Empire toward Padme first, who was having difficulties of
her own...

>On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 16:34:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012599
>
>   Padme leaps away as a hull flares with light near her, dropping to
>the ground to avoid shrapnel. She grunts as something tears from her
>head, then looks up in shock.
>   Vader has closed his free gauntlet on several strands of her hair.
>   Padme raises an eyebrow. "Hair pulling, Ani? That's a bit low,
>even for what you've become, isn't it?"
>   "The person you refer to is dead. I am Darth Vader." A container
>in his belt opens, and the hair flies into it. "And you..." he
>pauses. "...you..."
>   Padme glares. "Say it."
>   "...you are no longer necessary." Vader's breath becomes more
>labored, but he follows through -- with a single, savage gesture, he
>directs a trio of Tharkoldu at her.
>   Qui-Gon is already there. Before the techno-demons are even
>halfway to her, he has deflected over a dozen bolts at them,
>scattering the trio. Anakin manages to remain calm, continuing to
>protect the retreating rebels.

   Moonstone slashs through the wing of a technodemon, driving it into
the ground hard as its jet-aided flight is suddenly sent out of
control. The Yoda-like creature on the back of one of the native
animals of Naboo surely makes an odd side, especially with the robot
head around her neck and the other disembodied droid hovering around
her and firing into the Imperial ranks.
   "Padme, with me come please. Help command the retreating we must so
the front lines can fall back as well."
   (OOC: Hopefully, she'll be willing...)
   "Hmf. Take a sample, he did? A mistake worthy of the Evil Overlord
List, that is."
   Moonstone turned to make her way towards Leia only to find...

>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612
>
>   A much stronger use of Force, one coursing with blood-red energy,
>grabs Qui-Gon and hurls him halfway across the battlefield.
>   Above the rest of the combatants, anyone who follows the trails of
>power finds a sort of negative Roland floating above them. His armor
>is red where Defender's is blue and black in most of the places where
>the hero's is red. The gold is mostly the same, but crimson spikes
>adorn Red Fury's vambraces. "Is this a private party," Roland Dracul
>sniggered, "or can _anyone_ join?"
>   Then he lit his double-ended lightsaber.
>   "I've been waiting," Dracul drawls, "to test the skills I learned
>from Lord Maul."
>   "Don't trouble yourself," Leia snaps, turning a full-auto blaster
>on Dracul.
>   With deliberate casualness, Red Fury deflects the blaster fire
>into a convenient X-Wing. Then he points his own ring at Leia.
>Instantly, she is dressed identically to her 'slave girl' outfit from
>Return of the Jedi, complete with chain and collar. There are two
>differences: the chain is anchored to the ground and the bands on her
>arms are chained behind her back. "WHAT?!" Leia blurts.
>   "Oh, that's right, you haven't gotten there yet," Dracul chuckles.
>"And now I guess you never will." He looks around as Vader advances
>menacingly and Mara Jade slowly places her crackling spear point to
>Luke's throat. "So. Who's next?" Fury laughs Villain Laugh #1.
>   "Of course..." Ani leaps out of his predicament, flying well away
>from his attackers. "Uncle Roland _said_ he knew how I felt. This
>must be what he meant -- listen, everyone! This is a mirror of
>Roland's, as Vader is mine, from another world!"
>   "What, some of these dweebs _didn't_ know that?" Dracul sighs and
>shakes his head. "Proving once again that 'hero intelligence' is an
>oxymoron. Now, where was I...oh yes, kicking your pathetic,
>collective _nasses!_" Dracul explodes with power as he descends...

   As others distract Dracul, Moonstone (and hopefully Padme) slip up
behind Leia.
   "This the universe needs not," Moonstone mutters, "Yet Another
Snarky Villian/Hero. Long enough the applicant list is already. A
moment, Princess Organa."
   Moonstone places her hands next to the manacles around Leia's
wrists. The spell she chants is from her mother. A powerful spell, one
her mother used to ritually perform every five years or thereabouts on
her homeworld. The spell wasn't for precisely the purpose Moonstone
had in mind, though her mother had taught her hatchling daughter that
she could channel it into something for this purpose.
   The spell was meant to be cast on a planetary level, to work
ever-so-subtly. The first time Moonstone had seen it cast, the results
were the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union, Apartheid and
the protests in Tienamen Square. Her mother said she cast it because
the world was not good enough for her daughter and unhatched clutch of
eggs.
   "The lash grows old, the chains will rust,
   "The slaver's arm weak, his ways unjust.
   "The bound unshackled, freedom at last,
   "Bigotry chasticed, old ways of the past.
   "Let my light brighten others, for this I do sing,
   "Through my thoughts and actions, let freedom ring."
   Of all the spells Moonstone knew, this was probably the purest and
noblest. She'd memorized it for just such a purpose as the one she was
presented with, but as she said the words, she realized how unlike
other dragons her mother truly was.
   [Xenophobic would definitely be a slur in her case. Maybe I give
myself too little credit as well.]
   The power flowed around and through her body, into the chains
binding Leia. A clear bell seemed to be ringing within the metal,
which suddenly cracked, collar, manacles and chain alike falling apart
around their former prisoner.
   "Princess, retreat we should, yes?"
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:55:41 -0700 (PDT)
Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012622

>>>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612

High above, a pair of persuing TIE fighters discover what looked like
a lumbering freighter has not only plenty of jets, but an apparent
madman at the controls. Climbing straight away, the big ship rotates,
yaws, whirls and dances like a drunken dragonfly. To increase their
frustration, the rebel freighter also proves itself to be well-armed,
as bolts tear through the atmosphere back at them, before it
momentarily disappears into the heavy cloud layer.

The comparitively huge, white Milennium Unicorn breaks the top of the
clouds, light streaming shadows acrost it's irregular hull as its
engines flare out. The ship hesitates, then slowly flips around
nose-first as it falls back toward the planet in a silent, deadly
stall-turn.

Zian Solo sits, her face a mask of concentration, both hands wrapped
lovingly around the controls. Foggy cloud gives sudden way to clear
air again.

"Chewie!" She says into the mic strapped across her head and face, but
her companion needed no prompting. The guns walk across one TIE
fighter, blasting it to bits, even as the Unicorn, already rotating in
freefalling death-spiral, spins toward the other. Burst fire touches
the fighter, which is abruptly no more than junk.

"YeeeeeeeHAAA!" Zian screams with an ebullient, sly grin, that flashes
and is gone again just as quickly. "Let's go give them some air cover
for this escape - " Her fingers move on the engine controls -
whereupon a sudden, worried frown appears. "Hey. Thought you fixed the
ignition sequencer?"

****
The X-wing spirals, smoke billowing from it, as the pilot fights for
control... a losing battle as it heads for the ground...

****
"I don't CARE what I said, just jumper it already!" Zian snaps into
her mike, a subdued roar her only answer as both her hands cradle the
controls. She punches the engine ignition.

Once. Nothing.
Twice. Feeble response.

She waits, taking a deep breath as the greenery swells to fill the
viewscreen in a corkscrew, dizzying spin. Noting the blackened
contrail of the falling X-wing below, she frowns more fiercely -
actually, she is now scowling. Lightly, her thumb strokes the ignition
again - finally, the engines stammer, and then flare back on.

"Hold onto your seats." She mutters to herself, pulling up sharply,
even as a foot on a pedal control _increases_ the ship's spin.

****
The huge freighter, looping like a bad rocket, pulls away from the
downward dive, arcing under the X-wing, both of them suddenly
appearing oddly choreographed in motion, rotating perfectly in tandem
- but they spin in opposite directions.

"Annnnnd.... tractors." The tractor beam slices out from Unicorn's
belly. One of Zian's fingers cuts and starts the beam, flicking it on
only when the two ships are aligned each rotation, abruptly killing
the rotational vectors of each, bringing the X-wing dead against
Unicorn's belly, with a huge CHU-CHUNK of clamps.

One of which straightaway falls off with an even louder sound.

"Ooops." Zian observes, flipping the Unicorn over once, dodging
between two TIE fighters with impossible-looking ease, as she peers
down, not even looking at the fighters she overshot at mere meters
separation. So close that one radar dish on the Unicorn doesn't
survive - sparks fly as it separates against one of the TIE's wings.

>The Kai Lord frowns. This, he thinks sourly, would be a good time for
>a miracle.

Almost as if by his cue, the ear-punching sound of multiple-sonic
booms becomes the Unicorn's screaming engines as it sweeps by, barely
above the ground, becomes the huge earth-shaking (literally) shriek of
metal as the clamp torn and shaken loose of the Unicorn's
undercarriage slams through the space most recently occupied by Dracul
into the dirt below.

"Whew. Didn't land on anyone on my side." Zian says, with evident
relief - cut short as a blast from one of the pursuing TIE fighters
hits and jostles the Unicorn roughly.

"Persistent wogs." She mutters, whipping around as best as the
burdened ship can. "Chewie, get Wedge out of his X-wing. I need to
drop the dead weight."
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 03:03:25 -0700
Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00012623

>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 19:57:16 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012619
>
>>On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 10:15:03 -0700
>>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00012614
>>
>>A cloaked figure melts out of the shadows near Vader, scanning the
>>battlefield. [Hmph. Damnable Bard's nowhere to be seen. Plan B,
>>then.] A harsh whisper, not intended for any ears but the Dark Lord
>>of the Sith's, emerges from the hood. "Lord Vader, a word in your
>>ear when this little tete-a-tete has played itself out?"
>
>   "Certainly," Vader replies in a surprisingly polite tone as he
>cuts a charging rebel in half.

"Thank you, Milord," says Jarek as he pulls a pair of daggers out from
under his cloak. Well, they're _probably_ daggers, anyway. They're the
right size, but nothing of the blades can be seen through a black,
pulsating aura surrounding each. The next rebel to approach discovers
that either Jarek is much stronger than he looks or the daggers are
much more than they appear to be, as Jarek stabs through his blast
vest as though it weren't there.
===========================

Subject: AAE9 The return of Baraka/Ferrar

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 21:38:54 -0700
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00012625

[ED. NOTE: This post is copied to both the Star Wars and Theah
thread.]

[AAE9T/AAE9S]

"Ow..." [He/She] tried to sit up. [His/Her] head hurt.

The last thing [he/she] remembered, she'd been in a battle with the
Pharaoh's minions. Something had fallen on her. A wall?

[She/He] thought harder. It was difficult and [she/he] seemed to be
suffering from some kind of double vision. But it was if [she/he] was
seeing different rooms.

[She/He] closed her eyes. [She/He] thought she'd been knocked out for
a while. And injured. Yes, that was it. She'd tried to change to heal
herself. But just as she did, he'd felt reality *twist* and then
nothing. Until now...

[She/He] opened [her/his] eyes again.

[She/He] was in [some sort of supply closet/the rope locker of a
sailing ship].

"Oh gods.... I've *split*!"
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 23:32:51 -0700
Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00012627

>On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 20:22:57 -0400
>David McMillan Said As CAoL Message # 00012608
>
>   Rogas Grephnix, the Gray Jedi Master, is currently doing an
>excellent impression of the new Jedi Drunken-Force-User technique. Or
>possibly the Absentminded-Jedi-Professor technique.
>   He's not staggering, or flailing, but he's not operating with any
>apparent coherent plan, either -- merely caroming from one enemy to
>another on a trajectory that leads vaguely in the direction of the
>evac ships, while staying well clear of the current storm surging
>about Vader. His hood is down, his lightsaber has only one blade lit,
>and he's using his blaster in his free hand. In fact, he moves more
>like Morgan wielding her claymore than a Jedi -- well, if Morgan used
>a pistol as a main gauche, had a migraine, and was barely paying
>attention to what she was doing...

[Rog...er...Master Grephnix seems to be somewhat distracted. I hope it
won't prove...]

>   --open ground sprint sprint incoming drop roll roll up
>shootshootshWHAM--
>   The Gray Jedi tumbles across the ground, smoking from blackened
>hole in his cloak.

[Shit!] Harlock taps his commlink. {Man down. Recovery in progress.
Details to follow.}

>   As part of his mind tries to figure out where that shot came from
>and what to do next, most of his intellect is grappling with a much
>larger issue:
>   For the first time, one of the five current Rogers is seriously
>wondering if Roger Prime, when he split himself into cosm-idealized
>subselves, made a truly lethal miscalculation as to how far each
>cosm's rules could be bent, even by *him*....

The Bard sprints to Rogas' side, heedless of the blaster bolts that
splash off of his forcefield. As he arrives, he throws a quick surface
thought probe at the Grey Jedi. [Damnation! The lad's practically in a
fugue state. Options, options, options...Ah!] Harlock chants a phrase
and fades out of view along with Grephnix.

******

A wiry figure in Scarlets half-carries a semi-conscious Herald into
the Healing Collegium. A trainee in light green approaches, wary
curiousity evident in her posture. "I don't recall seeing either of
you before, Milords."

The Bard essays a tired half-smile. "I've been...occupying myself over
in Hardorn, lass." The trainee blanches. "Oh, and we're neither of us
'Milord' anything. Now, if you could run along and fetch Herald Talia
for me I'd be most grateful." The trainee nods, wide-eyed, and
scurries off toward the Palace. Harlock manages to get Rogas installed
in a patient room without attracting any further attention.

Soon a petite Herald with chestnut hair bustles into the room. "All
right, what was so important as to pull me away from Jemmie? The poor
boy's been colicky lately and...Harlock?!?"

The Bard shuts the door firmly, then turns with a wry grin to the
stunned Herald. "In reverse order: none other, and one of my
compatriots needed the service of a mind-healer. You're the best I
know of, Queen's Own, although you'd look more intelligent with your
mouth closed." Talia's mouth snaps shut and she turns an expressive
grimace at the Scarlet-clad nuisance. Harlock's own expression turns
pleading.
   "Please? His physical hurts were fairly trivial, but he's had a
rather severe mental shock. I can take us ElseWhen again if you feel
that you're neglecting Jemmie."

Talia's eyes unfocus slightly. "Anger. Fear. Fear of the anger.
Hmm...that's easy enough, but there's something deeper, something
involving his self-confidence. *sigh* All right, you charmer, take us
ElseWhen. But this time try to remember I'm lifebonded?"

The Bard's response is a chuckle as the room fades from their view.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (1)

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:36:52 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012628

>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:47:43 -0500
>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012616
>
>"...and that's what my Uncle taught me. After my studies, I
>accompanied my uncle on many of his adventures up to the point where
>I fell ill and lapsed into a coma." She added with a touch of grey
>rimness to the glitter. "Before we rejoin the others, could you give
>me a few pointers on my technique? I studied all the archives, but
>there are some things that movies and books can't teach," she said
>grinning an impish grin, "about the forms of Jedi Martial Arts and
>Lightsaber combat, that is."

   Anakin Skywalker has learned much about self-control. Walking a
fine line between serenity and love, he has become adept at
maintaining his inner calm as the Chosen while embracing the endless
connection of True Love. He has done this without taking on (most of)
the worry that goes along with the latter or the crushing duty of the
former.
   Still, he is a healthy human male, and Ana is a vibrant, attractive
woman. He blushes.
   Then he smiles that devastating smile of his. "Martial arts, huh?
Poetic." He tinkers with his lightsaber briefly, then lights it. "I'm
pretty good with gadgets myself. This," he adds, motioning slightly
with the saber, "will only sting if it hits you now. Which means I
won't be holding back. I can adjust yours..."
   OOC: And here, Ana adjusts hers with a flicker of thought. ;^)
   "...oookay." The smile flickers, then reforms. "Ready?"
   OOC 2: Ani will actually hold back a little at first, using the
"classic" Shii-Cho in a somewhat defensive manner, then switch into
the highly defensive Soresu, finally flowing into his usual Djem So
style of turning attacks on the attacker. Wikipedia has a great
overview of the different lightsaber styles at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightsaber_combat

Some time later...
>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:51:13 -0500
>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012617
>
>Suddenly a blazing ball of fire emerged in the sky, which she could
>see was the Zarkov One, burning off space dust as it reentered the
>atmosphere. The burning subsided as the ship sped past onrushing
>TIEs, barreling towards the Platinum Princess' position.

   {You have GOT to be kidding me!} Steel Two blurts.
   {Cut the chatter, Steel Two,} the TIE squadron leader replies
curtly. {Ground units, we could use some help with this one.}
   The AT-ATs turn some withering fire on the Zarkov One...

>Ana did a mid-air flip and landed on the roof of the ship,
>magnetizing to the surface. There was a click in her mind as the comm
>system patched her to the Unicorn. {Ana to Captain Solo. Ana to
>Captain Solo. Will provide cover fire against incoming TIE Fighters.
>Ana out}, she said as her arms shifted to twin ion cannons which
>blasted a few TIEs out of the skies that were on an intercept course
>with the Unicorn.

   {Skies out here getting a bit hot, Hans,} Flash notes gleefully.
   {Do you _have_ to sound so happy, Flash?} Dale sighs.
   Good cheer aside, Flash is right; enough TIEs and ground units are
arriving to give even this many heroes trouble. The aircraft are
staying high enough (or moving slowly enough, as necessary) to avoid
flattening their own forces, though the sonic booms are starting to
get a bit thick.


Then...
>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:40:35 -0700
>Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00012618
>
>>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612
>>
>>   Elsewhere, Ventress reappears in the Emperor's throne room. "Ah,
>>yes," Palpatine cackles. "Tyrannus told me of you once. You will
>>prove useful to me, I think..."
>
>"And you to me," Asajj replies darkly. She has no fear of the Sith
>Master now. Like Vader, she has had 20 odd years to refine her craft.

   And if she has gotten as far as Vader has...Sidious could _still_
squash her like a grape. If that was his intent, however, he would
have done it by now.

>She notices the amulet around Palpatine's neck, and smiles slightly,
>the way a serpent might before eating its prey. "And I see we have
>similar tastes in apparel." Her sleeve slips back, revealing an ebony
>armlet.

   Sidious raises what would be an eyebrow, if there were any hair
left on his seared flesh. Then he laughs, a cackle all the more
disturbing for its genuine mirth. "Ah, Ventress, I see our partnership
is going to be simply _delightful._ Tell me, why do you reveal
yourself now?" To...okay, _no_one's_ surprise, he doesn't ask a thing
about the High Weirdness of the battle he just plucked her from...

>>One of Vader's night-black gauntlets releases his own saber and
>>grabs at the air in front of Quiet Moon, and his throat closes
>>painfully.
>>   "Still you resist," Vader notes, seeing that the Kai's power has
>>kept the Sith Lord from crushing the neck entirely. "Impressive."
>
>[Patience,] he thinks, more to himself than anyone else. [Either our
>time will come, or it will not.]
>
>*I don't want to die by his hand again!* the saber-spirit sends back,
>getting a surprised psionic reaction from the Kai. That would have
>ended the Kai's resistance, had not Qui-Gon stepped in.
>
><snip, snip, snip to the loo! Snip to the loo my....PRECIOUS!
>(gollum, gollum!)>

   OOC: First Annual No-Prize for sheer, unadulterated WRONGNESS!

>>   "Anakin, Quiet Moon, leave Vader to me," Qui-Gon suggests.
>>   "But Master-!" Anakin blurts.
>>   "I will manage. Trust me, Anakin." Qui-Gon sets himself in a
>>smooth ready position
>
>Quiet Moon nods, tightening his grip on the saber. "Understood. Good
>hunting." Watching the Padawan lay into the Imperial Guard, he
>flashes back to his own, more reckless days as an Initiate, smiles
>briefly, and follows the Jedi in.

   Vader seems...reluctant to continue this battle. "You should not be
here, Jinn."
   "You should not _be,_ Lord Vader," Jinn replies, the briefest of
quavers marring otherwise perfect calm. "I wish to speak to Ani."
   "Then speak quickly, for my guardsmen will make short work of him."
This is more boast than fact; while young Anakin is in trouble, he is
certainly holding his own. Nevertheless, the point is clearly made
with Qui-Gon.
   "There is still something of the boy I knew within you," Qui-Gon
replies, his control complete once more. "Why else would you want a
lock of hair?"
   "You will die never knowing!" Vader cries, charging in.

<snip Luke and Mara...together again for the first time!>
>>   With deliberate casualness, Red Fury deflects the blaster fire
>>into a convenient X-Wing. Then he points his own ring at Leia.
>>Instantly, she is dressed identically to her 'slave girl' outfit
>>from Return of the Jedi, complete with chain and collar. There are
>>two differences: the chain is anchored to the ground and the bands
>>on her arms are chained behind her back. "WHAT?!" Leia blurts.
>
>Despite the situation, Lloyd glances at Leia, blinks, blushes, and
>forces himself back to the fight.
>
>[Notlookingnotlookingnotlooking...]"SONIC THRUST!" [Notlooking...]
>
>OOC: He's 17. What'd you expect, a monk?

   OOC: No, but Colette's going to have a word or two for...well,
okay, not Colette -- she's too nice. _Raine,_ OTOH...
   Fury winks in a surprisingly brotherly way at Lloyd. "Hey, kid, be
good and maybe you'll find one under the tree next Mammonas."
   Lloyd feels a familiar presence bristle in the distance...
TBC...
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (2)

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:37:06 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012629

>On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 03:24:04 +0100
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012620
>
>>On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 16:34:56 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012599
>>
>>   Padme leaps away as a hull flares with light near her, dropping
>>to the ground to avoid shrapnel. She grunts as something tears from
>>her head, then looks up in shock.
>>   Vader has closed his free gauntlet on several strands of her
>>hair.
>>   Padme raises an eyebrow. "Hair pulling, Ani? That's a bit low,
>>even for what you've become, isn't it?"
>>   "The person you refer to is dead. I am Darth Vader." A container
>>in his belt opens, and the hair flies into it. "And you..." he
>>pauses. "...you..."
>>   Padme glares. "Say it."
>>   "...you are no longer necessary." Vader's breath becomes more
>>labored, but he follows through -- with a single, savage gesture, he
>>directs a trio of Tharkoldu at her.
>>   Qui-Gon is already there. Before the techno-demons are even
>>halfway to her, he has deflected over a dozen bolts at them,
>>scattering the trio. Anakin manages to remain calm, continuing to
>>protect the retreating rebels.
>
>   Moonstone slashs through the wing of a technodemon, driving it
>into the ground hard as its jet-aided flight is suddenly sent out of
>control.

<The Micro-Snip Continues>
>   "Padme, with me come please. Help command the retreating we must
>so the front lines can fall back as well."

   Padme looks yearningly at her overwhelmed beloved (the real one,
from her perspective, not the guy in the armor), then forces herself
to turn and nod. "You're right, of course." Immediately, and with
considerable skill, the two-term Queen begins directing the retreat
with impressive skill.

>   "Hmf. Take a sample, he did? A mistake worthy of the Evil Overlord
>List, that is."

   "I pray you are right," Padme replies, placing a neat hole in a
Stormtrooper's helmet (and skull). "...but what's an Evil Overlord
List?"

>   Moonstone turned to make her way towards Leia only to find...
>
>>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:41:56 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012612
>>
>>   "What, some of these dweebs _didn't_ know that?" Dracul sighs and
>>shakes his head. "Proving once again that 'hero intelligence' is an
>>oxymoron. Now, where was I...oh yes, kicking your pathetic,
>>collective _nasses!_" Dracul explodes with power as he descends...
>
>   As others distract Dracul, Moonstone (and hopefully Padme) slip up
>behind Leia.

   Strangely, Padme has not yet appeared more stricken; this woman is
a stranger to her, an echo of a child not yet born, who will (one
would hope) lead a life so entirely different as to be a completely
separate being. Her beloved is losing ground, two dear friends
(Qui-Gon and Roland) have been seriously injured and a third (Morgan)
captured by a monster nonpareil. Yet somewhere within, an instinct
screams "this is my DAUGHTER."
   Her aim becomes like unto a Terminator's. Stormtroopers rapidly
learn to give the pair a wide berth.

>   "This the universe needs not," Moonstone mutters, "Yet Another
>Snarky Villian/Hero. Long enough the applicant list is already. A
>moment, Princess Organa."

   Leia shrugs as best she can. "I'm not going anywhere," she quips,
her voice thick with irony.

<snip Freedom Ring spell *g*>
>   The power flowed around and through her body, into the chains
>binding Leia. A clear bell seemed to be ringing within the metal,
>which suddenly cracked, collar, manacles and chain alike falling
>apart around their former prisoner.
>   "Princess, retreat we should, yes?"

   "Yes!" Leia stands, gratefully accepting a blaster from a deeply
relieved Padme. "Now where's that nerf-eating..." the princess trails
off as she stares at the burning crimson figure above them.
   Roland Dracul is writhing. In agony.
   Force-sensitives get echoes of memory; empaths and true telepaths
get full-fledged images, though the trained can block them out. Still,
what gets through to any with the awareness to pick up on it is ugly
enough.
   To Callahanians, the child is heart-achingly familiar. A bit more
sullen, eyes a touch darker, but the nine-year-old dredged up from
Dracul's scarred soul is no monster. In spite of the broken arm he's
nursing after some "father" figure just swatted him halfway across the
room (it's not James, for those who can pick up more than just
emotion).
   Fourteen. Running blindly down a back alley as _things_ chase him.
Two younger children duck into a window, saved by his distraction.
   Sixteen. In Hell. Worms with maws of serrated teeth dig into his
soul as well as his flesh. The "father" from age nine looms over him,
approving. Dracul screams.
   Nineteen. The false father's head rolls to a stop at his feet, a
sword worthy of the Kurgan gleaming dully in one hand. Rain washes
away the mess. He laughs to the heavens, a mad, broken laugh, his Fall
complete.
   Now.
   "Interesting." A figure in the shadows, wearing a dark violet
uniform of some kind, observes this with surprising detachment. "It
appears that Defender's opposite has a weakness similarly reversed."
   "You -- cow -- hnn!" Fury clutches his head, teeth locked in a
rictus. "Give you -- to Obsidian!" His eyes begin to focus once more,
seemingly targeting Moonstone through pure rage...

>On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:55:41 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00012622
>
>>The Kai Lord frowns. This, he thinks sourly, would be a good time
>>for a miracle.
>
>Almost as if by his cue, the ear-punching sound of multiple-sonic
>booms becomes the Unicorn's screaming engines as it sweeps by, barely
>above the ground, becomes the huge earth-shaking (literally) shriek
>of metal as the clamp torn and shaken loose of the Unicorn's
>undercarriage slams through the space most recently occupied by
>Dracul into the dirt below.

   ...just in time to be planted in the ground. Hard.
   "GRHN!" Dracul unleashes a tremendous amount of power in an effort
to be free of the clamp. Unfortunately, his severe disorientation has
left him literally unable to tell up from down, and his effort only
creates an impressive tremor.

>"Whew. Didn't land on anyone on my side." Zian says, with evident
>relief - cut short as a blast from one of the pursuing TIE fighters
>hits and jostles the Unicorn roughly.
>
>"Persistent wogs." She mutters, whipping around as best as the
>burdened ship can. "Chewie, get Wedge out of his X-wing. I need to
>drop the dead weight."

   {Just give me a minute!} Wedge replies to Chewie's insistent howls.
"R3, get that power coupling repaired!"
   R3-L4 complains with a series of aggrieved beeps and whoops.
   "Then I'll tell her to drop us as dead weight!"
   One screech of cybernetic terror later, Rogue Two's engines flare
to life again. {We have power!}
TBC...
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (3)

On Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:06:16 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012630

   On the ground...
   Vader strides through the battle like a god, all opposition to him
thus far having proved futile. Qui-Gon may have proven difficult, but
Red Fury took care of him (before his little...difficulties). Most of
the rebels are escaping, their ships swift and their casualties light.
Nevertheless, only a handful of his rivals still matter, and they all
remain on the field. He spares a moment to follow Padme with his gaze,
as she and Leia (and Moonstone?) race up a gangplank. [No. I have what
I need of her.] He looks at Luke and Mara, eyes still locked, both
more thoroughly pinned than Leia was. Beneath the mask, Vader smiles
terribly. [And desire...no emotion leads to the Dark Side more
inevitably than desire.]
   His mask turns to Lloyd. [Until then, it would be wise
to...practice. And I may catch the Raider with the Jawa.] The thought
of Offee, filled with hate for him, turning to the Dark Side through
her student...Vader's master would be pleased.
   Striding with purpose towards the boy, he cuts through three rebels
and pushes a suddenly desperate Anakin back with a single Force
thrust.
   "No!" Anakin blurts. "Lloyd, look out!"
   Vader has no intention to kill the boy, of course. Nevertheless, he
will be much more tractable if he feels vulnerable, so the Sith Lord
moves to disarm the champion of Sylvarant with a single swipe of his
blade.
   Violet light blocks crimson, a weapon so near to being a lightsaber
it may as well be one pushing Vader's weapon back. Only a flare of
light near the hilt betrays any difference. A smooth, confident figure
with red hair and eyes steps between the Dark Lord and his prey,
blue-violet wings flaring out behind him. "Do what you will with your
own son," Kratos intones authoritatively. "You will not have mine."
   (OOC: Guess who just got Tales of Symphonia recently? <VBG>)
   Vader only tips his head down to look at the shorter man, but he
somehow manages to express the equivalent of a scowl. (OOC: This
example of incredible acting through umpteen pounds of armor and a
full face mask brought to you by David Prowse. ;^) "He has chosen to
interfere in the affairs of the Empire. The boy has brought this on
himself."
   "Lloyd, I think you should go now," Kratos says simply.
   "It is too late for that now." The annoyance is fading from Vader's
tone, slowly being replaced with anticipation. "Leave or perish."
   "I choose neither," Kratos quips dryly, and the duel begins.
   For two such puissant warriors, the duel moves in an almost stately
manner, punctuated by brief flurries of nearly blinding speed. It is
reminiscent of no duel so much as Vader's with the older Obi-Wan.
Vader strikes with serpent-like speed, skill and malice, only to find
Kratos's blade or shield in his way. Kratos' attacks are no more
effective, Vader always managing to be where the deadly swordsman's
blade is not. They battle like fire and ice, the Sith burning brightly
and the 'angel' eternally cool.
   It is almost a pity that no one will ever know how the duel would
have turned out.
   Red Fury was weakened, disoriented and contained. His skill, while
great, is not quite Defender's equal. His power is even greater,
however, and he _is_ a Roland. Power, earth and steel explode in all
directions as Dracul frees himself. He screams with raw hate, then
reaches out with one hand and throws Kratos viciously into Zauriel. "I
_HATE_ ANGELS!" he roars, though oddly, he atomizes a techno-demon who
tries to take advantage of their vulnerability. "Leave them! They're
MINE!"
   Vader cocks his head to one side, even the Dark Lord a bit thrown
by this development. "Press the attack," he orders calmly, then starts
walking straight towards Luke and Mara.
   "Force be with us," Leia breathes. {"Rebels! We're leaving _now!_
Someone get Luke so we can get _out_ of here!"} she transmits on all
frequencies.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (1) Part 1

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 05:08:47 -0400
Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012631

>On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:36:52 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012628
>
>>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:47:43 -0500
>>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012616
>>
>>"...and that's what my Uncle taught me. After my studies, I
>>accompanied my uncle on many of his adventures up to the point where
>>I fell ill and lapsed into a coma." She added with a touch of grey
>>rimness to the glitter. "Before we rejoin the others, could you give
>>me a few pointers on my technique? I studied all the archives, but
>>there are some things that movies and books can't teach," she said
>>grinning an impish grin, "about the forms of Jedi Martial Arts and
>>Lightsaber combat, that is."
>
>   Anakin Skywalker has learned much about self-control. Walking a
>fine line between serenity and love, he has become adept at
>maintaining his inner calm as the Chosen while embracing the endless
>connection of True Love. He has done this without taking on (most of)
>the worry that goes along with the latter or the crushing duty of the
>former.
>   Still, he is a healthy human male, and Ana is a vibrant,
>attractive woman. He blushes.
>   Then he smiles that devastating smile of his. "Martial arts, huh?
>Poetic." He tinkers with his lightsaber briefly, then lights it. "I'm
>pretty good with gadgets myself. This," he adds, motioning slightly
>with the saber, "will only sting if it hits you now. Which means I
>won't be holding back. I can adjust yours..."

Ana smiles and quips, "I need to make a few adjustments of my own,"
flashing a grin before her long, blonde hair grew shorter and more
manageable. Quickly tying her hair back, she flexes her right hand
open which "clicks" and her saber appears in her open palm, and she
automatically drops into stance as she closes her blue eyes. Behind
her eyes, she says #Training Mode: On. # #Compliance# says the AI.

Opening her eyes, whose irises are now silver-blue (and glowing
slightly), she looks Ani in the eyes, bows and then lights the saber.
The blade glows blue, then shifts to gold/silver. The second blade
appears in her left hand, and her torso elongates slightly as the
second pair of arms emerge with sabers in hand. They all glow the same
platinum/bronze color as the first. "My sabers are now safe to duel,"
she says, retracting the arms and slipping the left saber back into
her arm.

>   "...oookay." The smile flickers, then reforms. "Ready?"

"As ready as anything," she half-quips. They bow again, touch blades
and begin.

She moves to strike his head and he quickly deflects the blade, then
quickly stabs at her open left side. She winces, thankful that the
blade was safe. Adjusting her stance sideways, she waits and then he
strikes quickly at her left leg. She parries the attack, and he
follows through with a series of quick strikes to several body zones
at different velocities.

"You're holding back," she quips. "Don't." she adds as a second saber
appears in her other hand. His grin wavers a bit, then reforms as he
drops into Form III. Quicksilver St. Elmo's fire flows down her arms
just as he strikes at her left arm, which she blocks and then follows
through with a blur of sabers as her twin sabers fail to find much
purchase on his defenses.

"You are letting your anger direct your actions, my lady," said Anakin
as he locked blades with The Platinum One, who was already beginning
to sweat quicksilver. "The Dark Side will use that against you."

[First a workout, then a lesson,] she thought as she nodded. Assuming
the same stance as he, she began again.

About 30 minutes later.

"So you see what I was doing then before I did it?" she asked as she
toweled the sweat off her arms.

"Yes," Ani replied dryly, "that's why I was able to block your attacks
and reflect them back at you. Granted, your robotic reflexes blocked
many of my strikes and counter-strikes so that helped."

Ana blushed as she remembered she had shifted back to robot toward the
end, as her movements became faster and faster. "Thank you, sir
Knight." she said somewhat sheepishly.

She absent-mindedly rubbed her right wrist, which is where he struck
her the first few times during her lessons in Djem-So. Finally she
offers him a handshake. "You are quite the teacher, sir. I am honored
to serve along side you. And just for the record," she says as she
leans forward in a conspiratorial manner then whispers, "She's very
lucky, you know. I wish you health and long life, Jedi."

She laughs merrily, before finally saying, "Anyway, let us go rejoin
the others and see what other mischief we can cook up for the Imps."

Elsewhere that evening:

Dreams overtook Volkov. The Yozi that was his master never told him
its' name, but he had heard legends in his days as a hunter. He just
dismissed the feelings he'd had back then as nothing more than
something he ate or drank the last evening. The truth, as he is now
learning in his chair, is something else and far worse.

Ever since he was a boy, he could always feel a shadow on him. He saw
himself in his boyhood village, holding his mothers hand as they went
to market. There, in the darkness of a hut, he could see the Yozi, but
his younger self could not. His mother saw him looking at the open
doorway and pulled his arm as she walked faster muttering prayers of
protection. She chastised him, saying that land where the hut stood
once belonged to a couple who had been burned at the stake for
practicing dark arts.

They were right to do so, but the villagers didn't realize that the
ritual had been done until after they had returned to the small shack
the couple lived in and found a horrific sight. Their 5 month old son
had been sacrificed to some unknown thing. The villagers decided to
burn the shack and the land around it. He could see the villagers
standing outside the shack door, some of them running away and losing
their lunch in the process. He floated over to the doorway and saw a
small white baby with fur and fangs and nubs of horns. There was a
flash, and then he saw the scorched land. Suddenly, maggots rose out
of the ground, creating a white carpet on blackened soil. A painful
sensation hit him, and he awoke with a start in his chair.

His Yozi Master stood over him with pain weapon in hand. The tip
glowed a sickly blue-white. "Come, slave. Lord Thratchen bids us to
assist the Imperials in their assault. And slave," said the Malfean.

"Yes, my liege?" said Volkov.

A blur of clawed hand was all that he saw before the Malfean knocked
him clear across the room, knocking over a stack of crates. A voice
that sounded like something from the Pit emerged from a smiling
mouthful of fangs said finally, "Do not fail me again. The
consequences would be.unfortunate for you."

His robotic wings twitched as waves of Domination washed over him like
a toxic sea of green.

TBC
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (3)

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:39:21 -0400
Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012633

Back in the sands of time:

In the days of Atlantis, there was a consortium of men and women
dedicated to the art of invention and innovation. The Artificers Guild
was a small group, but that was to soon change. Atlan needed a defense
system while he and the other Champions were away on missions. The
word quickly spread and soon many great minds among the populace,
until it fell upon the eager ears of the Guild.

Volkanov was the forge master. His shaved bald head is a testament to
his skill at firestarting (he burned it all off as a young man) and
his strength was as equal to his skill with making things of metal. He
called his forge "The Heart of The Sun, the Strength of the Moon"
which had an iron door with a sun and moon intertwined on the face.
Kirstei was his auburn haired daughter, who with her keen mind, quick
wit and intelligence, made designs for the metal to be forged by her
father. The end of the trio (I told you the Guild was rather small)
was a lanky young man with salt and pepper hair. Volkanov took the boy
in based on the young man's unfortunate situation. Both parents had
been killed by an Abyssal army during the last days of the War for the
Second Key. He was a bit shy, but very brilliant with new designs for
golems.

Suddenly, the young man looked up from his latest designs, a large
guardian statue and stared at the girl with a smile on his mouth, but
with lust in his eyes. The girl looked at the boy, smiling at first
but then opening her mouth as if to scream. And scream she did, for
when the father turned back to look at the boy, he had grown horns as
he leapt for his daughters throat."

Romanov "awoke" in his mini-realm with a start. The dreams were
getting more and more vivid, thanks in no small part to his isolation.
While he had sufficient power for life support and sensors in the suit
(not to mention the core that held the place where he was living now),
there wasn't enough for the weapons and there were too many eyes
watching for him to do anything more than sleep or read. While he was
there, he watched all the Star Wars films and read a few of the books.
Alarms starting going off in the study where he slept so, acting
quickly, he pulled a remote out of the pocket of his lab coat and
pressed a button. A panel slid open behind the desk revealing a paper
doll of his form. Several spots were highlighted in a amber glow.

"Computer, isolate anomalous readings and identify."

"Compliance," said a flat, female tone. "Identity is that of Tharkoldu
Technology. Designed to send nanites that analyze weaknesses and
places where modifications can be made."

Romanov thought for a moment, stroking his beard absent-mindedly as he
studied the readout. Suddenly, it came to him. [All the areas are
places where motor-control can be accessed. Giving the devil its' due,
Volkov managed to figure out where they are. And my defenses are too
weak to fight them off before they get noticed. And it also looked
like they had access to other functions as well.

Romanov watched in horror as the red started spreading. He failed to
notice that the light in his study had gone considerably darker...


> Some time later...
>
>>On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 01:51:13 -0500
>>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012617
>>
>>Suddenly a blazing ball of fire emerged in the sky, which she could
see
>>was the Zarkov One, burning off space dust as it reentered the
>>atmosphere. The burning subsided as the ship sped past onrushing
TIEs,
>>barreling towards the Platinum Princess' position.
>
>   {You have GOT to be kidding me!} Steel Two blurts.
>   {Cut the chatter, Steel Two,} the TIE squadron leader replies
curtly.
>>{Ground units, we could use some help with this one.}
>   The AT-ATs turn some withering fire on the Zarkov One...
>
>>Ana did a mid-air flip and landed on the roof of the ship,
magnetizing
>>to the surface. There was a click in her mind as the comm system
patched
>>her to the Unicorn. {Ana to Captain Solo. Ana to Captain Solo. Will
>>provide cover fire against incoming TIE Fighters. Ana out}, she said
as
>>her arms shifted to twin ion cannons which blasted a few TIEs out of
the
>>skies that were on an intercept course with the Unicorn.
>
>   {Skies out here getting a bit hot, Hans,} Flash notes gleefully.
>   {Do you _have_ to sound so happy, Flash?} Dale sighs.
>   Good cheer aside, Flash is right; enough TIEs and ground units are
>arriving to give even this many heroes trouble. The aircraft are
staying
>high enough (or moving slowly enough, as necessary) to avoid
flattening
>their own forces, though the sonic booms are starting to get a bit
thick.

Shifting her left arm into a tesla-coil, she arcs a charge to the
Zarkov One's electroplating.

#Analysis of Ship completed and Shields holding at 80%. #

#Understood,# said Ana. {Ana to Zarkov, come in Zarkov.}

{Zarkov here. It's getting hot here, my dear. Any suggestions?}

{Yes, Uncle Hans. Take your ship to this heading {} where you will
meet me and the rebels. I will provide a distraction while you make
your escape.}

{Understood, "niece". Good hunting, and I will see you there.}

With that, Ana detaches from the hull of the Zarkov One, which makes a
90 degree turn away from where the TIEs are coming from. Ana activates
her rocket feet and flies toward the nearest AT-AT when suddenly...


> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:37:16 -0700
> Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012630
<snip of a Poly-Symphonic Night Time Spree>

>   Red Fury was weakened, disoriented and contained. His skill, while
>great, is not quite Defender's equal. His power is even greater,
however,
>and he _is_ a Roland. Power, earth and steel explode in all
directions as
>Dracul frees himself. He screams with raw hate, then reaches out with
one
>hand and throws Kratos viciously into Zauriel. "I _HATE_ ANGELS!" he
>roars, though oddly, he atomizes a techno-demon who tries to take
>advantage of their vulnerability. "Leave them! They're MINE!"
>   Vader cocks his head to one side, even the Dark Lord a bit thrown
by
>this development. "Press the attack," he orders calmly, then starts
>walking straight towards Luke and Mara.
>   "Force be with us," Leia breathes. {"Rebels! We're leaving _now!_
>Someone get Luke so we can get _out_ of here!"} she transmits on all
>frequencies.

Ana spots the young Skywalker held by the red-haired Guardswoman, and
sees Vader approaching them. Thinking quickly, her left arm forms a
Tesla gun and the other three arms grow lightsabers just as a
withering amount of fire comes from the advancing Stormtroopers.

Volkov watches the Platinum One from a distance and smiles. It is not
a friendly one, due partly to the large shark-like teeth in his mouth
and also to the malevolence in his eyes. He tapped his right wrist and
a panel opened to a communications device. The White One had said 'I
want the girl alive and undamaged' and he was his Master's hand. A
whirr and click of cybernetics and his arm was at speaking level.
{Wing Captain Icewing to Wing 6. Proceed to target, but do not engage
until ordered.}

Far above the fray below, a large contingent of cyberdemons was
heading for the rebel base. 12 demons broke formation and made their
way further down, towards the Platinum Princess' position (OOC: Try
saying that with a mouthful of crackers, and you'll feel crumby). The
formed a wedge, then began to pick up speed.

Volkov's smile lessened a bit as the number of stormtroopers giving
her a wide berth as all four arms are blocking shots and taking shots
at the same time. [There is fire in her after all these years. It will
be a pity that will be quenched by The White One.] A monocle emerged
from behind the top of his ear and a boom microphone slinked out the
bottom. In the monocle, he could see the approaching Wing on a 3D map.
A single blip represented Ana. He spoke into the comm, {Fall into
formation around the target at 50 meters apart. Weapons out but hold
until I give the word.}
{Yes, my lord} came the reply from the Wing Leader.

Ana had just blocked a few more shots from a group of troopers when
suddenly the broke away from her. The looming shadow gave her little
warning as she was suddenly surrounded by 12 demons. All twelve
ignited their sabers but didn't attack. She fired a blast from the
Tesla gun at one, and it was deflected up into the air.

Volkov leapt from his perch atop an abandoned warehouse, and flew over
to where Ana was surrounded.Ana heard the flap of wings, and looked
above her. Fear began to creep slowly over her as she saw the demon
Icewing/Volkov come to a landing close to the nearest demon. "So," he
said in a gloating tone, "the Princess wants to save the hero, eh? You
couldn't even save your uncle, so how will you save yourself?"His
words stung harder than the lightsaber hits she had experienced under
the instruction of Anakin.

Suddenly she felt a very strange sensation...not like her Time sense,
but like she was back to earlier that day. She remembered the words
that Anakin spoke after the "workout", and in a moment of clarity she
knew what Volkov was trying to do.

Her lightly freckled face beamed slightly as a mischievous grin
appeared like quicksilver. "Nice try, Licewing, but I have no
intention of leaving anyone behind...including myself." Upon saying
that, all four sabers ignited, glowing a strange silver-blue. All four
arms form a defensive pose as she assumes the Soresu stance. "It's
been fun, boys, but I have to fly. Have a hero to save and all that."
Volkov nodded slightly, then shouted, "Attack!"

Blocking four red sabers, she roundhouse kicks one in the midsection,
knocking it back 10 yards into tree. Another joins in the attack, as
three try to take advantage by attacking at once. Using two sabers to
block and trap, she sheaths the other two in her arms and activates
the gravpulse. The offending trio get a mouthful of asphalt as they
flip end over end onto the nearby road. Using the two secondary arms
as blockers, she ducks low and pops the sabers out of her left and
right arms and into her hands. Feeling the Force, she spins low then
high and cuts the cyberlegs out of 4 demons, jumping high and out of
the way just as they fall. The remaining 4 press the attack as soon as
she lands.

She lands, then flips over the heads of the demons, slashing down as
she passes by their wings. 2 block her attack, but 2 more get to go
home with one less wing and arm for their efforts. The remaining two
go into a frenzy, slathering as they glimpse the destruction near
them. Volkov smiles.

"Most impressive, young one. My Master will be pleased to hear of his
latest prize. I think you will serve very well." he taunted.

Turning towards Icewing, Ana froze. She watched as Vader got closer to
where Luke and the red-headed guard lay. Sheathing the saber into her
left arm, she morphed the arm into a Tesla cannon.

"I....don't..think so!" came the reply from Ana, as her arms flashed
and time slowed. Turning to Vader, she fired a maximum stun blast at
him from the Tesla gun. Leaping into the air away from Volkov and his
entourage while shifting her left arm and time back to normal, she
pointed at Luke and a beam of light shot out at him, lifting him up
while she carried him away from the battle.

"Oh, I do think so." said Volkov as he activated the Carbonite Gun in
his left arm. He leveled it at the Princess, and was about to fire
when he heard the distinctive roar of TIE Fighters. Powering down the
weapon, he motioned for his cadre to follow him, and he set off after
her. [Once the fighters wear her down,] he thought with anticipation
[I will capture her for The White One. Perhaps then he will set me
loose upon mine enemies.]

The TIE fighters used the distraction to swoop down on The Platinum
Princess, laying down withering fire on her backside. {Mayday, Mayday.
Taking heavy fire, have fragile cargo, request assistance.} Meanwhile,
the demons get closer.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (3)

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 20:42:12 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012640

   Happy 9th Anniversary CAoL! (Oh great...I'm now officially the GM
who brought us over the 1-year-per-storyline average. Oh well...here's
trying to mitigate the "damage." :-)

>On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:39:21 -0400
>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012633

<Jedi Force Snip>
>> On Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:06:16 -0700
>> Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012630

<Corrupt Sith Snip>
>>   Vader cocks his head to one side, even the Dark Lord a bit thrown
>>by this development. "Press the attack," he orders calmly, then
>>starts walking straight towards Luke and Mara.
>>   "Force be with us," Leia breathes. {"Rebels! We're leaving _now!_
>>Someone get Luke so we can get _out_ of here!"} she transmits on all
>>frequencies.
>
>Ana spots the young Skywalker held by the red-haired Guardswoman, and
>sees Vader approaching them. Thinking quickly, her left arm forms a
>Tesla gun and the other three arms grow lightsabers just as a
>withering amount of fire comes from the advancing Stormtroopers.

   Vader briefly glances over, a mild case of deja vu striking him.
"A...grievous error, child," he comments dryly. [What an absurd
comment. I had best gather up young Skywalker and quit the field.
These aliens are beginning to affect me strangely.]

<snip>
>Volkov smiles. "Most impressive, young one. My Master will be pleased
>to hear of his latest prize. I think you will serve very well." he
>taunted.
>
>Turning towards Icewing, Ana froze. She watched as Vader got closer
>to where Luke and the red-headed guard lay. Sheathing the saber into
>her left arm, she morphed the arm into a Tesla cannon.

   At this point, Vader is nearly to Luke. Anakin and Qui-Gon have
their hands full protecting the remaining, retreating rebels, having
already been cut off from Luke by Mara's Guardsmen. Red Fury is up,
moving and pissed, which is very bad news for the good guys. And for
every bad guy who gets knocked down, two more seem to show up. Vader's
presence seems to have "motivated" his troops to, erm, not screw up.
_Too_ badly. AT-AT footfalls echo in the distance, though not distant
enough.
   About the only _good_ news is that Mara is still frozen like the
proverbial dear (sic ;^) in the headlights. Luke is too, but given
their relative tactical positions, his problem will remain irrelevant
until Vader gets there. When that happens...

>"I....don't..think so!" came the reply from Ana, as her arms flashed
>and time slowed. Turning to Vader, she fired a maximum stun blast at
>him from the Tesla gun.

   The Sith Lord easily parries, his crimson blade interposing itself
almost before Ana finished aiming at him. Of course, actually
_hitting_ Vader was never the point; he stopped to block, which is
enough.

>Leaping into the air away from Volkov and his entourage while
>shifting her left arm and time back to normal, she pointed at Luke
>and a beam of light shot out at him, lifting him up while she carried
>him away from the battle.

   Mara is thrown off in the process, which wakes her up enough to
result in a slightly wobbly cat-fall landing, hand and both feet
splayed out and remaining hand still holding her staff-weapon.
"Who..."
   "Luke Skywalker," Vader explains, placidly watching Ana fly off
with her prize.
   Mara's eyes widen. Vader may be the one force she fears. The
Emperor, she _obeys._ There's a difference. "My lord..."
   "Do not concern yourself. This battle is over for us. Let the
aliens finish doing battle over their personal grudges. The rebellion
has been wounded this day, and Skywalker's time has not yet come. That
will do for now." Mara bows, eyes still on the battlefield, as Vader
turns to stride off. (He ignores the absolutely devastating battle
between Red Fury, Kratos and Zauriel -- in which both angels are
_losing._)

   Meanwhile...
   "Whoa!" Luke wobbles in the air, more than a bit surprised to find
himself flying. "Thanks for the save, miss -- uh oh."

>"Oh, I do think so." said Volkov as he activated the Carbonite Gun in
>his left arm. He leveled it at the Princess, and was about to fire
>when he heard the distinctive roar of TIE Fighters. Powering down the
>weapon, he motioned for his cadre to follow him, and he set off after
>her.

   "I think we have a problem." The lightsaber somehow in Luke's hand
again, he ignites it, preparing to defend them both.

>The TIE fighters used the distraction to swoop down on The Platinum
>Princess, laying down withering fire on her backside. {Mayday,
>Mayday. Taking heavy fire, have fragile cargo, request assistance.}
>Meanwhile, the demons get closer.

   {Only if you promise not to make Dale jealous,) Flash laughs. Three
TIE fighters explode just before he flies through their airspace.
   [Of course!] Luke looks over at Ana. "I think I'll do more good in
Red One!" he shouts over the noise, pointing at the only remaining
X-Wing still on the ground and in decent repair. A series of warbles
and beeps rises from the back.
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (3)

On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 06:02:35 -0400
Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012642

>On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 20:42:12 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012640
>
>>On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:39:21 -0400
>>Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00012633
>>
>>Ana spots the young Skywalker held by the red-haired Guardswoman,
>>and sees Vader approaching them. Thinking quickly, her left arm
>>forms a Tesla gun and the other three arms grow lightsabers just as
>>a withering amount of fire comes from the advancing Stormtroopers.
>
>   Vader briefly glances over, a mild case of deja vu striking him.
>"A...grievous error, child," he comments dryly. [What an absurd
>comment. I had best gather up young Skywalker and quit the field.
>These aliens are beginning to affect me strangely.]

Ana smiles impishly as she casually deflects blaster bolts with her
three arms. "Well, Vader, it was a good idea, in general," she quips
in a tone slightly drier than Tatooiene, "but I think I will be going
now with my friends."

>>The TIE fighters used the distraction to swoop down on The Platinum
>>Princess, laying down withering fire on her backside. {Mayday,
>>Mayday. Taking heavy fire, have fragile cargo, request assistance.}
>>Meanwhile, the demons get closer.
>
>   {Only if you promise not to make Dale jealous,) Flash laughs.
>Three TIE fighters explode just before he flies through their
>airspace.
>   [Of course!] Luke looks over at Ana. "I think I'll do more good in
>Red One!" he shouts over the noise, pointing at the only remaining
>X-Wing still on the ground and in decent repair. A series of warbles
>and beeps rises from the back.

Ana gives a hearty laugh, {I promise to try, Flash. I have a plan, but
I will need some cover.} she sends to Flash as she narrowly avoids the
fire from the TIEs.
{You got it,} Flash laughs as he dives toward a group of TIEs headed
for Ana.
Turning toward Luke she shouts over the din, "Da. You are right, Luke
Skywalker," she says just before she gestures and he goes floating
down into the open cockpit. Just before he gets out of earshot, she
shouts "Good luck and may the Force be with you."
Luke nods. Looking down, he sees that the cockpit is now open, and a
familiar sight behind. "Artoo!" he shouts with glee. A series of
warbles and beeps emerges from the back as he lands gently into the
cockpit. Grabbing his helmet and putting it on, a series of worried
sounding beeps comes from behind him. "Don't worry, Artoo. We'll get
out of here in time..." he says glancing up at the retreating form of
the Platinum Princess, blanching slightly as the trio of technodemons
began to close in on her, their jet engines whining an unholy whine
and smelling slightly of sulfur. Hurriedly he ran through his
pre-flight check...

Meanwhile in the skies above, Ana felt something familiar. She half
rolled over in flight and saw the last three of Volkov's goons getting
closer. {Flash, come closer to me. I need something large to land on
for something,} she said into her comms as she looked up at the large
rocket ship Flash was piloting.
With a *THUNK* like metal on metal, Ana magnetized herself to the
underside of the rocket. Her hair flapped in the air as she stood
upside down on the rocket, punctuated by the mixture of snarling,
whining and flapping sounds that crept closer to her. Activating the
scanners, she saw that all three of them were not native to this cosm,
victims of a horrible transformation. Switching to tactical scans, she
saw the rocket wings as well as the cyberarms and legs.

There was a skitter of talons on metal as the first demon attached
itself to the skin of the ship. Turning to face this new threat, she
assumed a defensive pose standing stock still as both sabers emerged
from her arms into her waiting hands.
"Pav scum, you will suffer at the hands of my Lords," roared the demon
as it launched itself at her, sabers igniting to cut her down.
Anticipating this, Ana threw the lightsaber in her left hand where it
whirled and arced behind the demon and cut both of its' wings off. The
lightsaber flew back into her hand port just before she grabbed the
demon by the tail. With her right saber, she cut the hands off of the
fiend who howled in agony, "Foolish one. You will die soon," screamed
the demon.
Ana noticed the other two using the moment of distraction to rocket
toward her with lightsabers drawn. She sheathed the right hand
lightsaber, and grabbed the demon in both hands. Whirling it around
her head like some kind of Valkyrie in a hammer throwing contest, the
cybertail weapon began to sputter as it started to come loose from
it's moorings. With a mighty heave, she snapped both wrists back and
the tailless demon screamed as it went flying into the path of the
other two, knocking the first one out and bouncing into the jet wings
of the second, causing all of them to tumble helplessly into the
jungle below. She stares down at the cybertail weapon.
[I could use this. It would make things easier...] she shuddered and
dismissed the thought as she tossed the tail away. {Thanks for the
lift, Flash. Mind if I come in? The wind is doing nothing for my
hair.}

OOC: Add anything here.

Volkov didn't feel much these days, except the pain. It was worried
when it didn't hear back from the cadre sent to retrieve the princess.
Another thing felt recently was the Fear. It was Everywhere, but at
this moment it was concentrated on Iceblade. {Unit 1, respond.}
^They will not hear you, slave^ said a cool voice from within.
^My lord..?^ thought Iceblade, knowing the "sound of his master's
voice."
^They were not successful. It is of no matter. We have bigger things
to think of, like the statue.^
Iceblade bowed his head. ^Yes, my lord,^ he sent to the Yozi before
taking off to a Tharkoldu transport currently preparing to leave for
the Palace.
^Prepare yourself once you return. We are going to try using the
statue or rather what's in the statue.."

TBC
===========================

Subject: Re: AAE9s: The Rebels' Hidden Base

On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:51:55 -0700
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00012643

>On Mon, June 13th, 2K5 Roland X writes...
>>On Thurs, May 26th, 2K5 Dhyrclhanc wrote...
>>
>>... a large humanoid, whose ancestry looks like it owed more to
>>polar bears than it did to primates. He, as it was obviously a
>>male...
>>
>>... dressed in what was obviously the robes of a Jedi. Only these
>>were worn over what looked like a suit of Stormtrooper armor, only
>>without the helmet, gloves, and, presumably, boots, and it was also
>>mostly silver in color, instead of mostly white. The figure was also
>>wearing a pair of brown-colored, Terran medieval, hard-leather boots
>>that had an obvious exaggerated turned down top cuff. Over top the
>>robes and armor, the figure also wore a cream-colored, floor-length,
>>beltless, trench-coat-like affair, with wide lapels, with a B-5
>>An'lashok broach pinned onto the right side.
>>
>>However, those who had their wits about them would notice that the
>>broach was an uncanny duplicate of the reproduction the one that
>>Dhyrclhanc wears; the two figures have three tears; two of water,
>>one of blood.
>
>   Roland looks closely at the figure, leaning forward slightly and
>eyes narrowing faintly. "Dhyrclhanc?" he asks brilliantly. ^I can't
>believe I've actually learned to _pronounce_ that.^

The faux-humanoid polar bear looks at Roland and his mouth widens into
a broad grin.

[One of these days, I am going to have to figure out how everyone
seems to be able to see through these "disguises" of mine,] he thinks
to himself, inadvertently glancing down at his coat's wide lapel and
the An'lashok broach pinned there [On the other hand, I did kind of
make it pretty obvious this time didn't I?]

He then reaches into his trenchcoat-style longcoat and removes a
silver cigar case that is familiar to the long term members of the
CAoL. He then opens the case, withdraws a cigar, which then places in
his mouth, then cupping the end of the cigar inside his two hands,
bringing the viewer's attention to the fingerless sports' half-gloves
he's wearing. When he removes his hands, the cigar is lit. He then
removes the cigar from his mouth, while the cigar is still trailing
smoke, and says, still smiling,

"You were expecting Tom Corbin, Space Cadet? Or maybe Buzz Lightyear
of Star Command? Or maybe even Frank Gorshin, Bro?" he quips. "Only
here, like in several other iterations of the Star Wars-Cosm, I am
known as 'Lance Dulac Drakon, Ranger-Jedi'." he adds, still grinning.

"How else do you figure I was able to rent the drydock workspace from
the Corporate Sector that I would need to build the 'Dragontine' ?"

<OOC #2> I'm sure that someone here will correct me if that's not the
right name of the organization that existed in the Rebellion Era that
Han Solo got involved with in those novels. I think it was while he
was running around with that C3PO-like droid with the self-aware
mainframe-like AI computer in its lower torso cavity. <shrug></OOC #2>

>   "Angels from A to Z," Roland can't help quipping.

"Actually, Sib, Azrael is my simply my personal Knight-Champion, aka
Paladin, and Zauriel is only on temporary loan to me from the Presence
to act as my Archangel for the foreseeable future. Besides," he quips,
"given your present situation with R.J.'s ex-wives, in the Anime-Cosm,
I am uncertain that you are the best person to be making any comments
about 'Angels', Sib."

<insert Roland's reactions here>

"Suffice it to say that the situations is complicated, Bro. The
Cliff's Notes'(tm) version is that my Grandma Tiamat got jealous that
Lady Benu gave me an early promotion that she'd been saving for me
once I reached full adult status, so our Queen of All Chaotic Dragons
also gave me a partial promotion. Seems it turns out the main reason
that Lord Bahmut and/or Palatine and Lady Tiamat and/or Tahkis were so
interested in me during that little tussle we had in the vicinity of
that iteration of the 'Babylon 5' station awhile back, is because it
turns out I am their direct descendant, albeit by matings with dragons
other than each other. Before, after I had attained adulthood, in
addition to Awakening to my full potential as an Adult Dragon, I also
would've Ascended to Full Draconic Demi-Godhood and attained my
rightful position as the 'Prince of All Dragons'. Now, when I attain
full adulthood, all that will still come to pass but Tiamat has now
given me access, albeit temporary, to a limited number of the deific
powers that will be at my constant beck and call when I Ascend after I
reach full adulthood."

"In other words, I'm essentially just here until he gets the hang of
the whole being a God thing." adds Zauriel, who was smiling himself,
"Personally, I'm still surprised that the Presence was able to be
convinced that there were other Gods in existence besides itself.
However, similar to the saying you humans have, the Presence works in
mysterious ways."

"I also brought Azrael with me because I figured we could use all the
help we could get. I suspected you wouldn't mind too much, what with
this being your homeworld which is under invasion and all." says
Dhyrclhanc, "I also brought the 'Midnight Ranger' here," he jabs a
thumb at the YT-2400 behind him, "as I also figured that you could
always use another good ship."

"I have abandoned my servitude to the Order of St. Dumas," states
Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azrael, while removing his glasses and
re-donning his black and red, two-piece hood, "and am currently in the
service of St. Jarod." he finishes, adopting a hollow but formal tone
in his voice.

"Just 'Jarod', Jean, please just 'Jarod.' " Dhyrclhanc sheepishly
corrects the now severe looking figure in red, yellow and black .
"Apparently," he adds with a shrug, "my real name is 'Jharrhod' not
'Dhyrclahnc', but if you want to keep calling me Dhyrclhanc, I
certainly will not be one to object."

Dhyrclhanc turns to Leia, "Milady Organa, I apologize for Teleporting
my ship into your camp like I have, but, as you have likely inferred
by now, by the tone and content of our conversation, we are rarely
involved in matters of a non-dire nature and speed *was* something of
an issue."

<insert Leia's reply here, unless it's cut-off by the <ahem> "Sith (&
etc.) hitting the fan" <e&wg&r&w&d&d&dfc>... >

<TBC in the "Revenge of the Sith" Thread... >
===========================

Subject: AAE9s: Revenge of the Sith (Redux)(Part I)

On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:55:08 -0700
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00012644

As the Imperial Forces and their Allied Tharkoldu GROPOS begin their
incursionary assault of the Rebel Base, Dhyrclhanc quickly turns his
currently ursine head towards Zauriel. "Zee, knowing how this Cosm
operates, I was going to suggest that you 'port back up to the
"Dragontine". What these folks refer to as the Force, knows few
competitors and most of those that've been discovered have ended-up
being the Force simply being called by a different name. However, it
appears your services would be put to better use here. Besides, who
better to fight Demons than an Angel?"

Zauriel looks back at Dhyrclhanc, as the latter lights both of the
he's holding, and winks, "I'm a Guardian Angel, at least in addition
to whatever role, or roles, I'm fulfilling while in your service,''
the Angel says, and then adds, "In other words, I know how to do
this!"

So saying, Zauriel draws an ornate longsword that was sheathed at his
side, the blade instantly blazing afire, and steps-up to join the
defensive ring.

Similarly, Azrael draws a huge, ornate, gothic-looking,
hand-and-a-half sword, which also alights right after its drawn from
his waist, only this sword is wreathed with much hotter stellar-like
plasma rather than fire, and immediately engages in combat with
several of the crimson garbed Imperial Guards, all combatants in the
battle seemingly equally matched.

Meanwhile, Synthea's raises her heavy blaster rifle to her shoulder
and starts firing at the oncoming crowd of Stormtroopers trying to
make their way into the landing dock, while she makes her way up the
ramp that leads up into the navy blue YT-2400, which Dhyrclhanc had
identified as the "Midnight Ranger". Once inside she quickly sits down
in a seat in the ship's pilot's compartment and begins toggling a
series of switches. Afterwards a hatch-plate opens up on the bottom of
the ship, revealing a small blaster cannon turret, which extends out
of the hatch. Then Synthea begins to use the miniature turret, along
with the ship's main dorsal blaster cannon, to continue to begin to
precisely, albeit somewhat mechanically, pick-off the white-suited
Imperial grunts. Then she begins to use the upper blaster cannon to
try to help open up a window of escape for the other departing Rebel
craft.

<snip something Roland asked Dhyrclhanc not to do in-character>

Dhyrclhanc then ..., at the same time he's reaching around and behind
his own back, and somehow retrieves his, still alight, faux-lightsabre
force-sword, and then also joins into the still forming defensive
perimeter. But then almost immediately dives deeper into the
developing fur-ball battle against the combined forces of the Imperial
and Techno-Demon Troops.

Up until Thratchen shows its ugly head, Dhyrclhanc was doing an
amazing impersonation of a half whirlwind, half whirling-dervish...

<TBC>
===========================

Subject: AAE9s: Revenge of The Sith (Part II)

On Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:57:53 -0700
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00012645

Dhyrclhanc, still in his massive humanoid polar-bear form, spins,
pivots, and weaves, all the while also dodging and evading his
opponent's attacks, and striking at his opponents with both of his
lightsabre weapons. He is not only successfully avoiding his
opponents' attacks, but is also successfully in making contact with
his opponents with his own strikes, which are unarguably spectacular.

If he were being watched and critiqued by anyone with Jedi Training,
they'd say that he was using techniques from a combination of a number
of lightsabre styles, including Makashi ("Form II"), Shien Djem So
("Form V"), Ataru ("Form IV"), and Juyo ("Form VII") combined with a
number of maneuvers including Sun Djem and No Jar'Kai or Niman, the
Makashi is especially prevalent given Dhyrclhanc's earlier studies of
"La Destreza Verdada", also the School of Spanish swordfighting which
emphasized the ideal of the, so-called, Golden Circle.

Those not so familiar with the Jedi sword-fighting styles would
compare his moves to the Shalimar Fox from "Mutant X", if she'd ever
received any sword-fighting training, or, ironically and yet perhaps
more appropriately, Darth Maul, if the late Sith Apprentice had ever
displayed any knowledge of any "empty-handed" fighting techniques.

As, while in combat, "Lance Dulac Drakon" is also not above including
the occasional head-butt or kick, or even TK-assisted Chambara-style
aerial cartwheel dodge, but no hit he ever scores is lethal.

His attacks against Tharkoldu sever crucial systems but leave the core
being alive, if not exactly whole, but definitely disabled and
immobilized but still, albeit loosely speaking, functional.

Similarly, when battling a Stormtrooper, Dhyrclhanc uses one of his
two weapons to slice his opponent's heavy blaster rifle in half,
effectively demolishing it, and then locks his opponent into a
sleep-like fugue-state with a low-level minor psychic attack.

Also, any Tharkoldu who are more human appearing than otherwise, and
are thus obviously unwilling converts, receive a similar treatment
from Dhyrclhanc as they are, via the Lensdragon's cyber-psi abilities,
locked into a similar diagnostic stand-by and/or shut-down cycle mode,
whereby their cybernetics' power sub-systems lock into a low-level
cycle which kept them alive but immobile and, outwardly anyway,
non-functioning.

... And, while fighting, he begins to sing...

"Got your invitation to the dance, Wear your party dress... Maybe I
was just an innocent, oh but I confess... "

"I never even knew the song the orchestra was playing. See the cuties
in their party clothes. Oh, it's getting warm. Off the shoulder cut
into the hip, like a uniform."

"Did you think I'd want to tow the line? Well now the line is broken."

"Refuse to dance. Refuse to dance."
"Refuse to dance. Refuse to dance."

"You said, 'You're such a pretty thing, you could make a mark. I'll
teach you all the steps you'll need, and guide you through the dark.
Suddenly, I thought I knew the song that the orchestra was playing."

"Refuse to dance. Refuse to dance."
"Refuse to dance. Refuse to dance."

"See how they follow, you say jump, they jump, you say turn, they
turn. Look back in sorrow. For I won't be there!"(1)

This time the effects of Dhyrclhanc's battle song effect only himself,
as if he needed any help before now.

<OOC #1> Dhyrclhanc's total defense against damage from attacks is now
the equivalent of the MSH-Classic Rank of Unearthly, as well as he
also the equivalent of Unearthly rank resistance to any fear-inducing
effects, and the equivalent of Monsterous rank resistance to any
mind-control-, emotion-control -based and drugs or toxins that may be
present on the battle field. The +1 to initiative isn't exactly
applicable to this forum. <g></OOC #1>

However, once Thratchen *does* finally make its appearance, the Big
Guy's previously placid face instantly transforms into a malformed
rictus of outrage.

"THRATCHEN!!!"

"I'll have your heart!!! Or whatever effectively passes for it inside
that metal-plated chest of yours!!!"

So saying, he immediately reverses his grip on "Candlebright", now
holding onto it like a spear instead of a sword, and then casts it at
the Techno-Demon Lord's head.

Missing the Demon Lord's head by only 9 or 10 centimeters, the
"Candlebright" force-sword ends up embedded, up to the hilt, in the
rock wall that Thratchen was just passing in front of.

As Thratchen makes his reply, "Candlebright", quite literally,
reverses the course it traveled, pulling itself out of the stone wall,
and flying directly back to Dhyrclhanc's hands, in as straight a line
path as possible on the battlefield.

<OOC #2> Your call here, Mr. Honorable, albeit Evil, Meta-GM.<g>
Obviously, Thratchen has to survive whatever tussle he/she/it might
get into with everyone's lovable Lensdragon, in order for him to do
what he does later in this thread to Morgan. Personally, even as I
wrote this, I was presuming that Thratchen'd treat DC the same way
"it'd" treated him during the initial tussle aboard everyone's
favorite ex-Time Lords' and Vorlons' Pawn's TARDIS; i.e, make some
snide, dismissive remark and turn one of his underlings loose on the
super-annuated adolescent ruby fire dragon. However, at the risk of
repeating myself, it's obviously up to you. Now all I've got to do is
catch-up to all the things that are happening to the co-located
Dhyrclhanci who's in the Anime-Cosm. I think that the folks he's up
against there are likely going to be in for a shock when they find-out
what Dhyrclhanc is capable of when he takes on his, albeit only
partial, aspect as "Jharrhod, the Draconic Demi-God, and Prince of All
Dragons". Heheheheheh! Hey, maybe I'm no Evil Meta-GM, but I figure I
still get-by on my own, even despite this fact! <G> </OOC #2>

FTR, the requisite legal scrawl -- Refuse To Dance, performed by
Celine Dion, written by Charlie Dare & Danny Schogger, 1993(c)(1)
===========================